South Africa: Government implements interventions to prevent repeat of July 2021 unrest

Government has committed to strengthening the criminal justice system and employing more security personnel to improve safety measures, following the unrest and looting that engulfed the country last year.

Giving an update, on behalf of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster, a year since widespread violence, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise, said government is also working with other countries, which have state-of-the-art criminal justice systems, to share their good practices.

We will adapt our methods to make sure that we serve our country effectively. Over and above these measures, we call upon members of our community to join Community Policing Forums to fight crime and violence, she pleaded.

South Africa saw violent civil unrest in July 2021, mainly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which wiped billions from the economy and led to 354 deaths.

Working together with all South Africans, we are determined not to allow this tragic episode, which was characterised by widespread looting, wanton destruction of public and private infrastructure, as well as disruptions to economic activity, to repeat itself, Modise stressed.

To prevent the recurrence of the July unrest, the Minister said the cluster was working around the clock to implement the recommendations of the expert panel, led by Professor Sandy Africa, appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

According to the Minister, the panel underlined some weaknesses, including the failure of the countrys State institutions to conduct timely risk assessments and forewarn the police and government of the impending violence.

In addition, the experts also found that the South African Police Service (SAPS) could not stop rioting and looting and control the huge crowds.

In the meantime, Modise said government would look at the revival of the Community Policing Forums (CPF) to further empower and maintain functional structures at the local policing precinct level.

To further capacitate the SAPS, she said the Basic Police Training and Development Programme for 10 000 trainees has already commenced, after two years of no training due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In December, these recruits will be deployed to various police stations to bolster the existing SAPS capacity, she said.

In addition, she announced that the Public Order Police (POP) will receive an extra 4 000 members during this financial year.

Meanwhile, the POP members and frontline officers, who are first responders, will continue to undergo refresher-training courses in crowd control management.

Additional funds have also been allocated to the modernisation of the POP unit, including procurement of armoured vehicles and aircrafts, while more money has been set aside for protective gear.

Government also plans to establish partnerships between the public and the police, and set up social cohesion and support programmes.

Over the past year, the JCPS cluster has worked tirelessly to ensure that such incidents are avoided.

In addition, Modise said qualified people have been appointed to leadership positions at the State Security Agency (SSA) to bring stability to the organisation, including full-time posts of the Director-General and all senior management.

Meanwhile, the Minister said the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has initiated several interventions aimed at facilitating reconciliation in Phoenix, Durban, where 35 people died.

The South African National Defence Force, according to Modise, continues to be on standby, in support of the SAPS, to protect all national key points as well as economic corridors of the country from any disruption.

She pleaded with citizens to refrain from sharing harmful and false information on social media platforms, which was used to mobilise people to take part in the 2021 unrest.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-07-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on Thursday in a scene reminiscent of the yakuza films he loved so much, gunned down in a crowd by a lone shooter who didnt even try to escape.

The nation was shocked to learn that he had passed away when it was reported by state broadcaster NHK. There were many hoping that he might still pull through. In Nara, passersby began to place flowers on the site where he was shot, some praying for his safe journey through the spirit world to his next incarnation.

Fifteen years before the bloody incident, Shinzo Abe was considered politically finished when he resigned from office during his first stint as prime minister. He was exhausted, disliked and unable to weather the tsunami of scandals that surrounded his cabinet. But in 2012, he came back from the graveyard of failed prime ministers to rule for almost eight years.

When news spread that he had been shot twice and was in critical condition, his supporters hoped that he might be able to pull off another miraclea physical resurrection.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a speech before he was shot from behind by a man in Nara, western Japan July 8, 2022. The Asahi Shimbun/via REUTERS

That didnt happen. But the man who Donald Trump advisor Steven Bannon famously praised as Trump before Trump, leaves behind a legacy that may have forever changed Japan. He reduced it to a perpetual one-party democracy that seems unlikely to change.

Abe certainly seems to have had a playbook that was similar to Donald Trumps. He was a populist who tapped into racism and fears of change to stoke his base and consolidate power.

During his exile from power, Abe and his cabinet members allied with anti-Korean and other xenophobic groups. Abe drummed up anti-Korean sentiment to bolster his support, and made sure his allies did the dog-whistles while he kept his hands clean. While Trump portrayed immigrants as the boogeyman threatening Japan; Abe latched onto deep-rooted anti-Korean sentiment, towards both the Korean residents of Japan who stayed after the war and citizens of South and North Korea, former colonies of Japan. He appointed Eriko Yamatani, a woman closely associated with the flamingly anti-Korean group Zaitoku-Kai, to be the head of the National Public Safety Commission that oversees the National Police Agency.

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He also embraced Nippon Kaigi, a conservative Shinto cult and political lobby. You could aptly compare his alliance with them to Trumps absorption of The Tea Party and other far-right elements of the Republican Party.

Even while out of power, the Liberal Democratic Party, with Abe exerting influence, developed plans for a new Imperial Constitution for Japan. The removal of the post-war constitution, which was written with the help of the American occupation (not by them, as some claim now).

During his political exile, Abe even briefly became head of an extremist think-tank, Nihon Sosei (Create Japan), made up of LDP lawmakers and other conservative superstars. In May 2012, the organization released a clip of him at a gathering titled, The Swearing In Of The Revised Constitution For Japan, in which he and his cronies discussed the LDPs substitute constitution.

There were some astonishing moments.

A former Minister of Justice Nagase Jinen, appointed during Abes first term in office, told the crowd, The peoples sovereignty, basic human rights, and pacifismthese three things date to the postwar regime imposed by MacArthur on Japan, therefore we have to get rid of them to make the constitution our own!

Abe loudly applauded this. Get rid of basic human rights, democracy, and wage warfare. Also, restore the emperor to power.

Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Shinzo Abe delivers a speech at the party's annual convention on February 10, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty

In other words: Make Japan Great Again. Its no wonder that years later, Steve Bannon would say that Abe was Trump before Trump.

Abe was for many years the most powerful man in Japans ruling political party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). In fact, he was campaigning for their candidates in the coming upper house elections when he was shot on Thursday. The LDP was founded in 1955 by Abes grandfather, a former war criminal who also served as prime minister. They were funded with money from yakuza associate and CIA operative Yoshio Kodama.

But starting with his fall from grace, the LDPs popularity sank.

In 2009, it seemed like Japan might really changeand change for the better. For only the second time since 1955, the perpetually corrupt and archly conservative Liberal Democratic Party was kicked out of power and the liberal, egalitarian, feminist leaning Democratic Party of Japan took hold of the reigns of power. It was a revolution.

But it didnt last long.

The DPJ had risen to power partly with expectations that they would be cleaner and less criminal than the LDP. But then one scandal after another implicating the partys top management in unsavory ties with the yakuza threw dirt on their squeaky clean image.

The lower house elections of 2012 were a political meltdown. Almost all the opposition parties, including the DPJ, were decimated. And we know who returned from the political graveyard, ready to rule Japan with a rusty iron fist.

Shinzo Abe was quick to take revenge upon his critics once back in power, labeling the liberal newspaper Asahi Shimbun an enemy of the people. Later, he would tell Donald Trump, You should handle the New York Times, the way I handled the Asahi.

Donald Trump and Shinzo Abe at the start of talks at the venue of the G20 Summit on June 28, 2019 in Osaka, Japan. Kimimasa Mayama - Pool/Getty

He bullied the left-wing media and wined and dined the right-wing mediadragging Japans press freedom from 11 in the world, to as low as 72nd place in world rankings. In 2014, he created a Cabinet Personnel Bureau, which exercised ruthless control of bureaucratic appointments assuring that any government worker who didnt tow the line, or released information contradicting the government, was either shunned, fired, or sidelined. It worked very effectively, and some high-ranking officials even took it upon themselves to cover up Abe-related scandals without direct orders to do so.

Television anchors and pundits that were too critical of Abe vanished from the airwaves. The worlds largest newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, smeared his biggest critic in the Education Ministry for frequenting sexy bars in Kabukicho. He had no qualms about using the media for defamation campaigns and the media, and, eager for spoon-fed scoops, was happy to comply.

Eventually, in 2020, the weight of political scandals and an investigation into election law violations by Abe forced him to resign under the guise of medical issues. A few months later he threw his political secretary under the bus, and was more or less exonerated. He kept a low-profile for months but couldnt resist the lime-light.

Shinzo Abe failed to change even one word of Japans constitution in the end, but did pass several laws that are still eating away at it, including Article 9, Japans declaration of pacifism.

His greatest achievement? Having so thoroughly discredited opposition parties and critical media that Japan isnt even reminiscent of a two-party democracy. Its a one-party democracy, where the media has its tails between its legs, and is likely to stay that way for decades.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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People visit a makeshift memorial at the scene where the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot while delivering his speech to support the Liberal Democratic Party's candidate during an election campaign in Nara, Friday, July 8, 2022. Hiro Komae/Associated Press

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed on Friday.

The assassination shocked Japan, which is known for its strict gun laws and low homicide rates.

"There is no fear of gun violence anywhere," one expert told Insider.

The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday with what appeared to be a homemade gun was surprising enough given the country's low homicide rates, but one expert told Insider that it being a gunshot that ended Abe's life made the event even more astonishing.

"There could be some Japanese people who go their entire lives and never really handle a gun or see a gun in the open," Iain Overton, who runs Action on Armed Violence, a London-based research group that aims to reduce gun violence, told Insider.

That's because of Japan's culture around guns and the country's strict gun laws. Overton said Japanese people have to submit 13 different forms to apply for a gun certification in Japan. Owners have to attend an all-day class, pass written and technical tests, recieved a mental health evaluation, get a background check, and apply for recertification every three years. They're also only allowed to own shotguns and rifles  no handguns.

In 2021, Japan recorded a total of 10 shootings with one shooting death, The Washington Post reported.

"There is no fear of gun violence anywhere," Overton said. "There's no drive-by shootings, there's no road rage. There's no mass shootings in schools."

Overton said he wasn't surprised to find out the gun used was homemade, considering how difficult it is to get a gun in Japan. With strict gun laws, the public might look at security and ammunition as areas in need of more stringent regulation, Overton said.

"You don't see the sorts of levels of security that you see with US presidents or with American politicians because the lethal threat of a sniper rifle or somebody taking potshots at an American president is far greater because of the ubiquity of guns," Overton said.

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Video taken before the shooting shows the suspected gunman standing just feet away from the former prime minister, who has little visible security.

The type of ammunition used in the homemade gun will also likely be a central topic of conversation amongst Japanese lawmakers, Overton said. If the ammunition wasn't homemade, there could be questions about how the gunman obtained it.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Is SoFi Technologies (SOFI) a value-priced FinTech or an overvalued Bank? This is a question posed by Mizuho analyst Dan Dolev, who believes this is currently the major debate amongst investors.

Dolev also has a novel answer to the question: We call SOFI an attractive 'FinBank' that is benefiting from the best of both worlds: 1) being a bank helps keep funding costs low, and 2) having the allure of a branded, next-gen FinTech creates a powerful funnel for low-CAC, high-LTV customers.

Valuation wise, mega-cap banks aside, and compared to banks of differing sizes, it looks like SOFI is trading in line with the average. But looking at the EV/Terminal Margin EBITDA compared to a collection of FinTech peers, it appears SOFI shares are going for a notable discount.

Whether a bank or fintech player, Dolev thinks SoFi is well-equipped to make it through the difficult economic environment, even if a recession does materialize.

During the last financial crisis, across the two years, super prime borrowers  those with a FICO score above 720 - captured meaningful share of the total loan volume vs. the share of non-super prime borrowers. And when the recovery took place, they kept hold of an elevated share of the mix.

Accordingly, given that during difficult economic times high-FICO borrowers have historically proved stable, SOFI should be resilient to credit cycles based on the fact it boasts a 746 average FICO score for personal loans.

So, good news for SOFI, but what does it all mean for investors? Dolev rates the stock a Buy, although to reflect more reasonable near-term upside from current levels, the analyst lowers his price target from $9 to $7. Should the figure be met, shareholders will be sitting on returns of 12% a year from now. (To watch Dolevs track record, click here)

The Streets $9.23 average price target sits a touch above Dolevs prior objective and makes room for 12-month gains of ~47%. Rating wise, the stock boasts a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on a fairly even 6 Buys and 5 Holds. (See SOFI stock forecast on TipRanks)

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To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
Handre Pollard will captain South Africa in the second Test against Wales (PA Archive)

Handre Pollard says South Africa will not take a step back as they prepare to meet Wales physical approach head-on in the second Test.

The series opener last weekend was decided by a Damian Willemse penalty with the games final kick as South Africa edged home 32-29.

The teams meet again in Bloemfontein on Saturday, when World Cup winner Pollard returns to international action after helping Montpellier land the French Top 14 title.

He has also been handed the captaincy by head coach Jacques Nienaber, leading a Springboks side showing 14 changes following the dramatic success at Loftus Versfeld.

We know Wales will get under our skin, but we will not take a step back, fly-half Pollard said. In fact, that usually brings the best out of us.

Wales are a tough team. They dont go away and they are physical, but we are prepared for that.

They also have a good tactical game, so it is going to be hard Test rugby, but if there is space out wide we will try to take it.

The Springboks have never lost to Wales in South Africa, but many pundits feel that record is under serious threat following Nienabers team selection.

Although Pollard and former world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit are among those recalled, South Africa go into action without star men like Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, Faf de Klerk and Siya Kolisi.

There are a lot of new faces in the squad, but every player deserves his spot as they all played for their franchises and clubs, and we will have enough experience on the field as a group, Pollard added.

I think it is important to give the young guys an opportunity to play in such big games because it can only benefit them in future.

This group of players has trained together for the last two weeks, and we have built cohesion in the squad.

Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick, meanwhile, rubbished suggestions that Nienaber had effectively chosen a second team.

In all honesty, calling this team a B team is disrespecting the emblem, Stick said.

We have 42 players in the squad, they have all played well for their clubs and, somehow, we have to give them opportunities.

We do not have a B team, we have a good balance of guys who have been around and others who have been in form, and we feel it is important to get that balance right.
Hundreds of South Carolinians signed up to speak Thursday in front of legislators about proposed legislation that would ban abortions across the state.

Parents, doctors, religious leaders, teachers, and advocates on both sides of the issue gave testimony to the House ad hoc committee, ranging from personal accounts of the impact abortion has had on individuals to readings from the Bible calling for complete abortion bans without exception.

South Carolina currently bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, but many Republican legislators are working to enact stricter laws. The law currently provides exceptions for rape and incest as long as the fetus is fewer than 20 weeks along. There is also an exception to preserve the life of the mother.

Previous reporting: With Roe v. Wade overturned, what are abortion laws in SC's neighboring states?

For subscribers: SC advocates on both sides prepare for what's next after Roe v. Wade overturned

The House of Representatives has introduced a blanket ban, with the legislation seeking "to amend The Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding section 44-41-05 so as to prohibit abortions in the state of South Carolina."

The bill's current language is a placeholder that will be changed later this summer after the committee receives public input.

SC Residents share testimony during seven hours-long hearing

Testimony was evenly divided between anti-abortion and abortion-rights speakers throughout the duration of the hearing.

Residents seated in an overflow room inside the Blatt Building wait to be called to testify before the House Ad Hoc Committee regarding proposed legislation banning abortion in South Carolina on Thursday, July 7, 2022.

Annie Hesselgrave, a Greenville resident who said she was born after surviving an attempted abortion, spoke in support of banning the procedure.

"Dependence does not determine value," she said, referring to the importance of protecting fetuses before they are considered medically viable.

One man, who said he was a Greenville area minister who often preaches outside of Greenville Women's Clinic, said the state's current abortion legislation "falls woefully short" of what he thinks is necessary to "protect the preborn." He also likened doctors who provide abortions to assassins.

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One Spartanburg resident spoke in support of doctors who perform abortions.

"These medical professionals are not abortionists," he said. "They are doctors."

How it happened: Videos, reports detail police use of force at Greenville abortion protest

For subscribers: Fetal heartbeat law leaves South Carolina doctors in dangerous limbo

Anna Hanor, a mother from Greenville, spoke of her struggles with infertility and the need for a medically induced abortion during her second pregnancy.

"I urge you to protect the right to choice," she said. "I am here today as a mother, a wife and a Christian."

Cynthia Nirenblatt, a Jewish woman from Charleston, said the state would be violating her First Amendment right to religious freedom if it bans abortions, as Jewish doctrine outlines times when abortion is necessary.

More: What an overturned Roe v. Wade means for South Carolina

While the House is hearing testimony, the Senate also has introduced its own version of a stricter abortion ban, outlining exceptions only to save the life of the mother. The bill would also make it illegal to help a minor cross state lines to receive an abortion.

The Senate referred its bill to the Medical Affairs Committee, which has not yet scheduled a public hearing.

The General Assembly plans to return in a special session later this year to consider bills on abortion.

 Tim Carlin covers county government, growth and development for The Greenville News. Follow him on Twitter @timcarlin_, and get in touch with him at TCarlin@gannett.com. You can support his work by subscribing to The Greenville News at greenvillenews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolinians testify before Legislature on proposed abortion ban
A South Florida doctor who served as the medical director of two substance-abuse facilities was sentenced Thursday to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of conspiring to bill $112 million to private health insurance companies for detox services that were never provided or medically unnecessary.

Jose Santeiro, 62, of Miami Lakes, was the medical director of Compass Detox, an inpatient detox and residential facility in Pembroke Pines, and WAR Network LLC, a related outpatient treatment program in Hallandale Beach. Santeiros sentencing by U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas in Florida is the latest in a major sober homes case that had already resulted in the convictions and imprisonment of another Miami-area doctor, a Bay Harbor Islands lawyer, two Bal Harbour brothers and others.

According to trial evidence, Santeiro and others admitted patients for medically unnecessary detox services after patient recruiters offered kickbacks to lure them into the programs and then plied them with illegal drugs to ensure their admittance. Evidence also showed that Santeiro submitted false claims for excessive, medically unnecessary urinalysis drug tests that were never used in treatment, according to the Department of Justice

Santeiro and others then readmitted a core group of patients who were shuffled between Compass Detox and WAR so they could fraudulently bill for as much as possible, according to the Justice Department. Santeiro also prescribed Compass Detox patients a comfort drink to sedate them, so they would stay at the facility and keep coming back.

Santeiro also allowed his log-in to be used by others at the detox facilities to sign electronic medical files to make it appear as if he had provided treatment himself when he did not, prosecutors said.

After trial in March 2022, Santeiro was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and eight counts of health care fraud.

Two other co-defendants, brothers Jonathan and Daniel Markovich, who operated the two detox facilities, were convicted in an earlier trial in November 2021 and sentenced to 15-1/2 years and eight years in prison, respectively.

Richard Waserstein, a Bay Harbor Islands attorney and co-owner of the two facilities, pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiring to launder money from fraudulent healthcare proceeds. He was sentenced to one year and one month in prison and was ordered to pay $270,000 in restitution to the fleeced private insurance companies, a $579,000 forfeiture penalty to the U.S. government and a $100,000 fine, records show.

Drew Lieberman, a Miami-Dade physician who was the chief medical officer of Compass Detox, pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud for admitting patients and submitting false medical claims. He was sentenced to one year and one month in prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $1.85 million to the private insurance companies, a forfeiture penalty of $39,000 to the U.S. government and a $20,000 fine.
Southlake police are asking families to sit down with their kids after dealing with eight reports of people being shot by Orbeez guns this year.

Most of the shootings have occurred in Southlake Town Square, according to Southlake DPS.

Orbeez guns shoot gel water balls. Sometimes, the pellets inside are frozen to cause more pain, according to Southlake DPS.

A photo posted by Southlake DPS showed two Orbeez guns that have been used in its offenses. One is an orange and blue gun that looks like a Nerf gun. The other is black and eerily resembles an assault rifle.

This is a fantastic time to sit your teen down and remind them of a few things, the post from Southlake DPS reads. Like this is Texas. People carry real guns here and someone might feel compelled to use one if they believe they or their families are being shot and attacked. Its virtually impossible to tell the difference between an Orbeez gun from a real gun at night or from a moving vehicle. Our victims have only seen the suspects holding a gun and then theyre getting shot.

The issue isnt just singular to Southlake or Texas. Incidences with Orbeez have popped up in Keller, Fort Worth and Colleyville too, according to multiple Nextdoor posts. Reports have also surfaced everywhere from Pennsylvania to Florida.

Look up Orbeez Challenge on TikTok, where the trend originated, and youll find no results, but a warning.

This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines, the search page will read.

Representatives with Fort Worth, Grapevine and Colleyville police said they had not had any Orbeez offenses reported to their office. Representatives from Keller didnt immediately return an email Friday or phone message requesting comment Friday afternoon.

The police department asked parents to remind their children of the consequences that can come as a result of shooting people with Orbeez. Shooting an Orbeez gun at a person or thing can result in property damage, assault and injury. All those crimes can land teen in jail and result in prosecution, even if theyre under 17, the post reads.
The Daily Beast

Kelly Wilkinson/USA Today Network via ReutersFour people are dead and several injured after a man with a rifle walked into a food court at Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana and began shooting, local authorities said Sunday evening.One of the dead is the suspected shooter, according to Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers. The gunman, an adult male, has not been identified. Police said he had been carrying a long rifle and several ammunition magazines.This tragedy hits at the core of our community, the mayo
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Police imposed a curfew in Sri Lankas capital and surrounding areas on Friday, a day before a planned protest demanding the resignations of the countrys president and prime minister because of the economic crisis that has caused severe shortages of essential goods and disrupted peoples livelihoods.

Hours before the curfew announcement, police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of protesting students wearing black clothes, holding black flags, shouting anti-government slogans and carrying banners saying Enough  now go.

The protesters and other critics have said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is responsible for the economic crisis, the worst since the country's independence in 1948. They also blame Ranil Wickremesinghe, who became prime minister two months ago, for not delivering on promises to end the shortages.

Civic and opposition activists have announced that thousands more protesters will gather in Colombo on Saturday. But the police announcement of the curfew said it took effect at 9 p.m. and will last until further notice in Colombo and its suburbs.

The curfew announcement drew criticism from government opponents and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, which said the curfew is blatantly illegal and a violation of the fundamental rights.

The bar association statement asked police to immediately withdraw what the association called an "illegal order imposing the curfew.

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa called the curfewa fraud."

Get on to the streets tomorrow. Defy the dictatorship and join with the people to make democracy victorious. Yes we can, he said in a tweet.

The U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, asked people to protest peacefully and asked the military and police to grant peaceful protestors the space and security to do so.

Chaos & force will not fix the economy or bring the political stability that Sri Lankans need right now, Chung said in a tweet.

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Sri Lanka is nearly bankrupt and has suspended repayments of $7 billion in foreign debt due this year. It must pay back more than $5 billion annually until 2026. Its foreign reserves are nearly wiped out and it is unable to import food, fuel, cookng gas and medicine.

A lack of fuel to run power stations has resulted in extended daily power cuts. People must stand in lines for hours to buy fuel and gas. The country has survived mostly on credit lines extended by neighboring India to buy fuel and other essentials.

Because of the economic crisis, inflation has spiked and prices of essentials have soared, dealing a severe blow to poor and vulnerable groups.

Due to the fuel and power shortages, schools have been shut for weeks and the government has asked state employees other than those in essential services to work from home.

The country is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package, but Wickremesinghe said this week that the negotiations are difficult because Sri Lanka is effectively bankrupt. He earlier said the countrys economy had collapsed.

The economic crisis has triggered a political upheaval, with widespread anti-government protests. Protesters have blocked main roads to demand fuel, and people in some areas have fought over limited stocks.

In Colombo, protesters have occupied the entrance to the presidents office for nearly three months to demand his resignation. They accuse him and his powerful family, which includes several siblings who until recently held Cabinet positions, of precipitating the crisis through corruption and misrule.

Months of protests have nearly dismantled the Rajapaksa political dynasty that has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades.

One of Rajapaksas brothers resigned as prime minister last month, and two other brothers and a nephew quit their Cabinet posts earlier.

President Rajapaksa has admitted he did not take steps to head off the economic collapse early enough, but has refused to leave office. It is nearly impossible to oust presidents under the constitution unless they resign on their own.
Jul. 7CONCORD  The New Hampshire Supreme Court turned down a citizen's bid Thursday for an an audience with the Legislature to present a grievance against proposed legislation.

In a unanimous, 14-page decision, Senior Associate Justice Gary Hicks said the state Constitution did not provide Daniel Richard or any individual direct access to lawmakers.

The court held that individuals "have no constitutional right as members of the public to a government audience for their policy views."

Richard is a gun rights advocate and student of constitutional law who represented himself in oral arguments before the court last spring.

"I really appreciate the court's willingness to hear my case, but I'll be appealing this judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court because I think it's clearly flawed," Richard said.

The ruling upheld a lower court's decision to dismiss Richard's lawsuit against the House speaker and Senate president.

The legislation (HB 687) at issue was a proposed "red flag" bill that would have given judges the authority to order the temporary seizure of firearms from any individual found to pose an "extreme risk" of violence to himself or to others.

The Democrat-led Legislature passed the bill during the 2020 session.

Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed the measure in August 2020, saying it went too far and violated the state Constitution.

"I will continue to prioritize suicide prevention and mental health as there is much work yet to be done in New Hampshire, but that work cannot come at the expense of the constitutional rights of our citizens," Sununu wrote.

A month later, the House sustained Sununu's veto when a 182-156 vote fell well short of the two-thirds supermajority needed to overturn.

The red flag law issue resurfaced after police charged Robert E. Crimo III, 21, with being the rooftop gunman who shot and killed seven and wounded 30 others attending an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Ill.

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Illinois is one of 19 states with red-flag laws. Crimo had exhibited the potential for violence during domestic incidents at his home that could have made him subject to seizure of those guns, but it's unclear whether law enforcement took that behavior seriously enough.

Suit challenged bill's hearing

In this lawsuit, Richard said he wanted to address lawmakers about the bill because he maintained the Legislature should never have considered it.

A red flag law amounts to a denial of a citizen's constitutional rights under the Due Process Clause, Richard said.

As such, the Legislature only should consider it as a proposed amendment to the Constitution, which voters would have to ratify, he said.

"My biggest objection to the decision was that they ignored their own precedent," Richard said.

Last year, the high court in another gun rights case had said the Democrat-led House of Representatives did not have the authority to change its rules and take away the right of lawmakers to carry concealed weapons in the State House.

The lawsuit rested on Article 31 and Article 32 of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution written in 1784.

Those articles state lawmakers meet for the "redress of public grievances," and the people have the right to petition the Legislature for "redress of the wrongs done them."

After the Tea Party election of 2010, then-House Speaker Bill O'Brien created a special committee on redress, which for two years heard complaints against government brought by individuals.

When Democrats took control of the House after the 2012 election, House leaders disbanded the committee.

klandrigan@unionleader.com
Bob Stefanowski, the Republican candidate for governor, criticized Gov. Ned Lamont in a campaign video released Friday on the issue of abortion, his wifes business interests and Connecticuts business and tax climate.

All in 39 seconds.

Stefanowski highlighted out-of-state business interests of Annie Lamont a week after the Democratic governor urged businesses to leave states with restrictive abortion policies and come to Connecticut.

Ned Lamont wants businesses to move to Connecticut because of our abortion laws, but celebrates that his own family set up its new businesses in Nashville because it was less complicated, Stefanowski said.

The Lamont campaign called it yet another false attack from Bob Stefanowski.

It accused the GOP challenger of calling for restrictions on Roe vs. Wade, while Gov. Lamont is proud to have helped make Connecticut one of the most pro-choice states in the nation.

Bob knows he cant attack the governors record of four years of economic growth, passing balanced budgets and securing record tax cuts so instead he is trying to run a campaign against his wife, the governors campaign said in an emailed statement.

Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz invited businesses in an open letter July 1 to move to Connecticut where abortion access has been state law since 1990. Now more than ever is the time to look at Connecticut as the future home of your business, they said.

Stefanowski replayed video of Lamont saying in November 2021 that his wife is in Nashville, setting up companies there because Connecticut is pretty complicated. The governor was responding to questions about Annie Lamonts investment firm and his announcement of the move by the Digital Currency Group to Stamford from New York.

Annie Lamont had sold her financial interest in the blockchain technology company seven months earlier.

Lamont said his wife found it difficult to invest in Connecticut because her work as an investor and his role as governor occasionally drew ethical questions he blamed on politics.

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Days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional guarantee of abortion last month, a federal court vacated a lower courts injunction against a Tennessee law banning abortions after a heartbeat can be detected, usually at around six weeks of gestation.

Stefanowski claimed Lamont held his own business interests to a different standard than he does for other companies.

Ned Lamont: Other peoples companies should care about abortion laws, the narrator says. His? Eh . . .not so much.

Stefanowski also accused Lamont of doing nothing to improve Connecticuts business climate, but has burdened small businesses with hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and red tape. His campaign cited taxes to finance the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, an additional tax of 9 cents per gallon on diesel fuel that took effect July 1, a prepared food tax and other taxes.

Lamont has ruled out what he calls broad-based tax increases, saying policies in the past that hiked taxes gave Connecticut a bad reputation in the business community.

Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.
By Thiam Ndiaga

OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) -Most of the Burkina Faso ex-presidents invited to a reconciliation summit organised on Friday by the country's military ruler did not attend amid public outrage over former strongman Blaise Compaore's participation.

Compaore, who fled Burkina Faso during an uprising in 2014 after 27 years in power, returned from exile on Thursday to take part in a summit intended to project political unity in the face of spiralling violence by Islamist militants.

But many Burkinabes have blasted Compaore's return from exile as a free man. He was sentenced in absentia earlier this year to life in prison for complicity in the 1987 murder of his predecessor, Thomas Sankara, during the coup that brought him to power.

Compaore's return was agreed between the government of the interim president, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, and Ivory Coast, where he fled in 2014. The Ivorian government has repeatedly refused to extradite him over the years.

Compaore and Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo, who governed from 1982-1983, met with Damiba at the presidential palace. The three other invitees - Isaac Zida, Michel Kafando and Roch Kabore - were absent.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Damiba said Zida had not been able to travel from abroad for administrative reasons, while Kafando missed out for medical reasons.

Kabore, who was overthrown by Damiba's junta in a coup in January, was prevented from leaving his house by dozens of protesters opposed to Compaore's presence, witnesses said.

"To Burkinabes who have spoken out against our actions, we repeat that the process is not intended to give impunity but to contribute to a Burkina Faso of peace and cohesion," said Damiba.

The 71-year-old Compaore, dressed in a blue suit and blue tie, stood next to Damiba but did not make any comment.

ANGER WITH THE JUNTA

Compaore's return has sparked rare criticism of the junta, whose coup in January was cheered by crowds in Ouagadougou.

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"This is in defiance of the law," Benewende Stanislas Sankara, a lawyer representing the families of Sankara and others killed during the 1987 coup, told reporters. "The lawyers' collective ... demands ... the execution of the arrest warrant."

Eloi Sawadogo, a trader in Ouagadougou, called the junta's position "a shame".

"These young soldiers that we believed to be there for the people are trampling on the justice system on the pretext of a so-called national reconciliation," he said.

Damiba has touted the meeting as an opportunity to forge a unified response to repeated attacks by militant groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

Some Burkinabes have expressed nostalgia for the relative stability of Compaore's reign. His ouster and the resulting disorganisation of Burkina Faso's security services are seen by some analysts as contributing to the surge in militant violence, which spread from neighbouring Mali, from 2015.

Arouna Loure, a representative in the transitional parliament, rejected the idea that Compaore's return would bring stability.

"If you believe that Mr. Blaise Compaore is the lion that will come save our country, then you are deeply mistaken because this lion doesn't have teeth anymore," he said in a statement.

(Additional reporting and writing by Aaron RossEditing by Nick Macfie and Frances Kerry)
Refinery29

I am only a Black woman on Sundays. Let me clarify. I am a 21-year-old Black nonbinary person. I was assigned female at birth. My pronouns are they/he. I am a lesbian. I am a journalist and an artist, and sometimes I am a musician. When I am not in school or at work, I love to crochet, visit farmers markets and spend time with my friends and my partner. For me, being nonbinary is having the space to exist as a human. Its sometimes hard to define, but at its roots, my identity is about releasin
The Daily Beast

Ronny Jackson/TwitterIn the latest addition to the pantheon of tough-guy gun-toting GOP grandstanding videos, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) spoke up in defense of gun rights on Monday in a clip of him wielding two assault riflesone of which was aimed at his own right foot.I have a message for the Biden administration, Jackson, the former physician to President Donald Trump, said in his video shared on Twitter, which racked up over a million views in under 24 hours. If youre thinking about takin
Gregor Townsends side need a win in Salta (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire)

Scotland face Argentina in Salta in the second Test of their summer tour series on Saturday night.

Argentina triumphed 26-18 in the opener and Scotland need a win to keep the series alive ahead of the third Test.

Here are some key talking points ahead of the game.

Back row restored

Rory Darge is back for Scotland (Nigel French/PA) (PA Wire)

Flankers Hamish Watson and Rory Darge have both fully recovered from injuries to take their place in the Scotland pack. British & Irish Lion Watson, who will win his 50th cap, missed out with a shoulder injury last week while Glasgow forward Darge returned off the bench from the knee injury which threatened to end his impressive breakthrough season prematurely. Gregor Townsend now has a fully-fit squad and the return of Watson in particular is a major boost given the absence of several experienced players from the touring squad.

Making the most of the ball

49' | Mark Bennett marks his return to the side with a try!



 18 - 11 #AsOne | #ARGvSCO pic.twitter.com/Qr9ikO4BA5  Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 2, 2022

Townsend noted that the ball was in play for less time than any other game in his Scotland reign last weekend and feels his side will need to be more accurate when they can get their hands on it this time round. Scotland will also need to speed up the tempo after failing to pose any threat in the first half last time out. Two second-half tries showed they can get at the Pumas defence. Scotland will also look to force more errors to get more opportunities to build attacks. Despite the stop-start nature of last weekends game, there were only five penalties in the whole game.

Up from the off

Argentina quickly showed their intentions (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Archive)

Townsend this week earmarked restarts as a key area of required improvement following the first leg. Argentinas aerial threat caused Scotland problems at kicks from both teams and Scotland cannot afford to gift possession quickly when it might be at a premium.

Story continues

Backs experiment continues

55' | Try! Rory Hutchinson goes over the line after some great play for our second try in four minutes.



 18 - 16 #AsOne | #ARGvSCO pic.twitter.com/hLzGUSh9LS  Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) July 2, 2022

With the likes of Stuart Hogg, Chris Harris, Finn Russell and Adam Hastings absent, Scotland had an experimental look in their back division last weekend. Blair Kinghorn will get another chance at stand-off after a successful first season in the position with Edinburgh. He came under criticism for his performance in Jujuy but Townsend felt he responded well to a difficult first half and pointed to his consistency at club level. Rory Hutchinson will continue in Kinghorns former position, full-back, after making his first start there in a Scotland jersey with a try in the first Test. The Northampton player, normally a centre, will win his seventh cap.
Mia Emani Jones didnt find what she was looking for in the Tampa Bay dating pool.

So, the 26-year-old Tampa woman headed to Fboy Island to expand her options.

Jones will appear on the second season of HBO Maxs reality dating show, which debuts July 14. The premise: Three women embark on a mission to find love among two types of men  self-described nice guys and fboys.

For the uninitiated, an fboy is a player. A guy who seems charming until he leaves your messages on read, cheats on you with your friend, or is just all around scummy. Exactly half of the 26 eligible bachelors on Fboy Island claim this label, and if one of them is picked by a single lady, he could take home the entire $100,000 in prize money. If a nice guy makes it to the end, hell split the earnings with his new beau. The bachelorettes  and comedian-turned-host Nikki Glaser  have no idea who is who.

Jones, a dental student and previous Miss Delaware winner, was optimistic as she jetted off to Cabo for filming earlier this year.

Ahead of the premiere, Jones chatted on the phone with the Tampa Bay Times about fboy taming, her favorite spots to find romance and how the Fboy Island cast compared to the local dating scene.

How did you get on FBoy Island?

My dad actually is a huge fan, and thats how I found out about the show in the first place. He told me, You should go on the show. You never know whats gonna happen. And then I had a casting agent reach out to me. I filled out some paperwork, went to L.A., did interviews in front of the executive producers, came home, felt like they forgot about me and then a couple months later, they called me and said they wanted me on the show.

What was your strategy heading to the island, especially after watching the first season with your dad?

I went there for love. I went there to find a genuine connection. So to me, it doesnt matter their status, like if theyre an fboy or a nice guy. I just want someone to like me for me and I can tame an fboy if I need. My mom did it with my dad, so its in my blood.

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How did your mom do it?

Well, a little backstory is that my dad was the quarterback in high school and in college. My mom was the head cheerleader. I dont know much but I have a feeling stuff went down in college. And from there, my parents have now been married for 26 years and theyre still married. And my dad just worships the ground my mom walks on.

Did it sound like your dad saw any of himself in the guys onscreen?

I think so. When we were watching the first season, he would sit there and be like, Hes an fboy. I was like, What in the world, can you tell me why? And that person would get eliminated and hed go, I told you so.

With the other two girls, how were you working together to guess who were the nice guys and who were the fboys?

Basically, Fboy Island was our life for two months. You didnt have a phone and you didnt have WiFi. We couldnt check their social media at all. So we dont know who these guys actually are. We would put our heads together after filming, like What do you think? I dont know, they all look bad to me. We became like sisters because we would tell each other everything. That experience together was great, because we were like little detectives. I think 99% of the time we were right.

How did the idea of potential prize money affect the process?

It didnt add any pressure for me. I always went there for love, so it really didnt matter. As long as I followed my heart and I stayed true to myself, then the money wasnt a huge aspect. Yeah, it was there in the back of my head, like, No, dont like him! He might be an fboy. Remember, he can take the whole $100,000. Im sitting there and Im like, Oh, Im just going to go with my heart instead of my head even though my dad told me not to.

Its 50/50 fboy and nice guy split when you go on the island. How does that compare to the Tampa Bay dating scene?

Oh my goodness, its the same. Its like all the guys know each other. I dont know how, but everybody in Tampa knows each other or knows their uncles brothers cousin or something, and its strange. That was weird [on the show] having the guys know that youre taking other guys on a date and they live in the same house.

You want the nice guy. You have the guy thats probably an fboy. You have the guy that just straight up is an fboy. You have the guy whos like, in between and you just dont know. You have people that look like theyre not fboys and they are. Its Tampa Bay on an island, and in a smaller setting.

What are your favorite date spots around Tampa Bay?

I have to say one of them is Datz. I mean, the mac burger is so good. And I love the Rusty Pelican in Clearwater. Its nice on the water. And then if they want to go more of a party scene, @260first in St. Pete. Im actually one of their bottle girls there when I feel like it. Its just a fun environment. And then McDintons. Man, McDintons.
The Telegraph

Dustin Johnson held off a final-day charge from fellow American Bryson DeChambeau to claim the spoils and secure his first win of the season, emerging triumphant from a dramatic final round as the worlds best went toe-to-toe on the grandest course of all. As we know, this is not what happened at the 150th Open Championship. This is what happened at the LIV Golf Open Championship.
CAMDEN  A 19-year-old city man was fatally shot here Thursday night, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Camden County Metro Police responded to the 1900 block of South 8th St. in Camden around 10 p.m. Thursday following a ShotSpotter alert and 911 calls reporting a shooting victim.

Police found 19-year-old Camden resident Malik Nath at the scene suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Prosecutor's Office. Nath was taken to Cooper University Hospital and pronounced dead around 10:22 p.m., according to authorities.

Detectives from the Camden County Prosecutors Office and Camden County Metro Police Departments Homicide Unit are investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutors Office Homicide Unit Detective Kevin Courtney at (856) 225-8632 and Camden County Police Department Homicide Detective Matthew Dunlop at (609) 519-7344. Tips can also be sent anonymously to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

A South Jersey native, Anthony Coppola has handled a variety of beats at The Daily Journal, Courier-Post and Burlington County Times, including award-winning work in sports and business coverage. Coppola, who joined the staff in 2008, now focuses on public safety enterprise reporting. Please consider supporting local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: Camden teen shot to death on city street
Theresa May has been spotted dancing during Craig Davids set at Henley Festival on the day of Boris Johnsons resignation.

In a video shared online by Glenn Campbell, political editor for BBC Scotland News, the former Prime Minister can be seen enjoying Davids performance at the event in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire on the night of Thursday 7 July.

Earlier in the day, Boris Johnson  who was Mays sucessor as Prime Minister in 2019  resigned as Tory leader. He intends to remain in office until his successor is elected, a process which could take months, prompting a backlash from party grandees and political opponents over his attempt to cling on in No 10 until the autumn.

Scenes at Henley festival, where @theresa_may seems to be having a great time on a momentous day in politics pic.twitter.com/GfhXnfOLp2  Glenn Campbell (@GlennBBC) July 7, 2022

Since Tuesday evening almost 60 MPs had quit government or party posts and on Thursday morning newly-appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi went public with a call for Johnson to go.

During Johnsons resignation statement, which was watched by staff, supportive MPs and his wife Carrie Johnson carrying their child Romy, the Prime Minister said: I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world, but thems the breaks.

The Henley Festival continues on Friday 8 July with a headline set from Tom Jones.
Democratic Rep. Tim Ryans (Ohio) Senate campaign announced on Friday it raked in a whopping $9.1 million during the second quarter of the year.

Ryans second-quarter haul is more than double the size of his $4.1 million first-quarter fundraising haul. The campaign said Ryan brought in nearly 90,000 new donors during the second quarter, with contributions averaging $37.49 per donor. Additionally, the campaign said that 97 percent of donations were $100 or less.

The Democrats latest fundraising haul appears to demonstrate his grassroots fundraising strength ahead of what is expected to be a tough battle against Republican nominee J.D. Vance, who has not yet released his second-quarter fundraising figures.

Polls show a tight race emerging between Ryan and Vance. An internal poll released by the Ryan campaign this week shows the congressman leading Vance 48 percent to 46 percent with a 3.4 percent margin of error. Meanwhile, a USA Today-Suffolk University survey released in June shows Vance leading Ryan by just more than 2 percentage points. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as lean Republican.

Ryan has spent heavily so far in the contest. NBC News, which was the first outlet to obtain Ryans second-quarter figures, reported that he ended the quarter with $3.6 million cash on hand.

Earlier this year, Ryan announced plans to invest more than $3 million to support down-ballot Ohio Democrats this cycle.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Conservative leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat has said he stands by comments in which supported the expulsion of all Russian citizens from the UK at the start of the Ukraine war.

The former solider launched his leadership campaign on Thursday, the day after Boris Johnson confirmed he would step down as prime minister.

Writing for The Telegraph, Tugendhat said the country needed a "clean start" in order to pursue "trust, service and an unrelenting focus on the cost of living crisis".

"I have served before - in the military, and now in parliament," he wrote. "Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister. Its time for a clean start. Its time for renewal."

In February, shortly after Putin announced the invasion of Ukraine, Tugendhat broke from the Conservative Party line and suggested the UK should expel all Russians.

A hostile state has launched an act of war, we can act now," Tugendhat told MPs on 24 February.

Read more: Britain could expel all Russian citizens from the UK, senior Conservative MP says

We can freeze Russian assets in this country, all of them.

"We can expel Russian citizens, all of them... We can make a choice to defend our interests, to defend the British people, and to defend our international partners.

"Or we can do, sadly, what weve done too often in the past: watch, until its too late, and the British people have to pay a much higher price.

The comments were at odds with the government's view that the war was the responsibility of Putin and the Kremlin, rather than the wider Russian people.

Tom Tugendhat in February suggested that all Russians could be deported to "defend" British citizens. (PA)

Indeed, the prime minister published a video the following day in which he addressed Russians and stressed they were not to blame for their president's actions.

"I do not believe this war is in your name, he said in Russian.

Tugendhat, however, has since told Yahoo News UK that he stands by his comments.

My words were a warning of the risk of war with Russia, he said on Friday.

"A warning of the consequences to people who were innocent. My own family was among many interned in WW2 and I was warning of the dangers of war.

Story continues

"Im glad that we have avoided that risk by supporting Ukraine, which is exactly what I was calling for us to do in the months before the conflict in February.

Tugendhat is one of two Conservative MPs - alongside Attorney General Suella Braverman - to announce their intention to stand, though the final field could be as many as 12 candidates.

Suella Braverman announced her intention to stand as Tory party leader on Wednesday evening. (PA)

He has been an MP since 2015 and is the current chair of the foreign affairs select committee, but is inexperienced and has yet to serve in Cabinet, which could count against him.

But his intention is to brand himself as an outsider that isn't tainted by the recent scandals associated with the Johnson government. He said he plans to work on"fixing the Northern Ireland Protocol" as well as "strengthening Brexit".

Some of his most significant plans include reversing the National Insurance hike, reducing fuel tax, and dropping "un-conservative tariffs" that he warns will push up prices for consumers.

The leadership election process could take months though it is believed some on the party are pushing for the process to be speeded up to prevent Johnson from remaining in the post for months if he refuses to resign until a new leader is elected.

Other likely contenders include new chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, foreign secretary Liz Truss, and defence secretary Ben Wallace.

Watch: Boris Johnson resigns: Tugendhat announces bid to lead Tories - Shapps and Javid also considering running
A Michigan man who wanted to research a California family found dead on a trail in the Sierra National Forest had to be rescued after getting lost, the sheriff's office said.

The unidentified hiker was reported missing last Wednesday near Savage Lundy Trail, the same area where John Gerrish, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and their dog were found dead in August.

The man, believed to be in his mid-60s, began his hike in an area shut off from the public, the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. The area had a closed gate and a sign was displayed that said "CLOSED."

The man got lost after he couldn't find the trail that leads to Savage Lundy, the sheriff's office said.

Another hiker reported the man missing after noticing the man's car parked near the entrance of a trail. The hiker told authorities that he saw the man on June 28 and that the man said he wanted to do some personal research on the family's deaths because he found it "odd," according to the sheriff's office.

"The next morning the reporting party noticed his rented vehicle was still parked at the trail head and contacted our office. A Search and Rescue mission was activated and with the help of the Eagle One Helicopter from the Fresno County Sheriffs Office the man was located on the Hites Cove Rd portion of the trail," the Facebook post stated.

After he was rescued, the man complained about having to spend the night in the wilderness "because he was unable to find the trail that leads to the Savage Lundy portion," the sheriff's office said.

The man said he tried to call 911 multiple times but because of poor reception, the calls did not go through. The man also complained about running out of water he bought with him and having to drink from a river.

The sheriff's office said the man got lost on one of "the hottest days we have seen this year." The man had "badly blistered feet" and was dehydrated but left the area in his car against medical advice.

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Sheriff Jeremy Briese expressed frustration about the incident and said the man purposely put himself and others in danger.

"It is hard not to be angry about this particular rescue mission, I want people to come here and enjoy all the amazing nature Mariposa County has to offer. I want families to recreate and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Making sure the public is safe while doing that is extremely important to me," he said in a Facebook statement.

"We had local, national and international news surrounding the tragic incident last year on the Savage Lundy trail. Each time we spoke about it we informed the public on ways to stay safe in the area. To have someone purposely put themselves in danger, using vital resources and potentially putting the safety of our staff in danger all to try and prove us wrong is maddening and quite frankly sickening."

Investigators determined that the family died from heat and dehydration after hiking in midday triple-digit heat. An empty 85-ounce water bladder backpack was located with the family, Briese has said. No other water containers or water filtration systems were found.

A number of factors, including environmental, a possible lightning strike, carbon monoxide poisoning, drugs and suicide, were ruled out, the sheriff's office previously said. The family's cause of death was found to be "hyperthermia and probable dehydration," according to Briese.
A Tri-City judge facing domestic violence charges is expected to go to trial in August, with pretrial motions set for July 22.

Judge Sam Swanberg, a Benton-Franklin superior court judge, faces two counts of domestic violence assault  a gross misdemeanor. His trial is currently set for Aug. 8.

The attorneys and Yakima County District Court Judge Donald Engel set the schedule during a Thursday afternoon hearing.

The prosecutor handling the case and Swanbergs defense attorney, Scott Johnson, have until July 14 to file pretrial motions.

Swanbergs attorney has said he plans to argue Swanberg acted in self-defense.

Swanbergs legal troubles

Allegations of abuse came out in January when Swanbergs ex-wife, Stephanie Barnard, filed a declaration as part of Swanbergs ex-girlfriends request for a no-contact order for harassment.

The ex-girlfriend, Sila Salas, dated Swanberg for about five months while she was working at the Franklin County Clerks Office. She said he refused to accept the relationship had ended in November, and sent her several messages and tried to talk with her.

Barnards declaration in support of Salas claimed three decades of abuse, and included pictures of him dragging her out of a room and a photo of a bruise.

The photos and declaration led Franklin County deputies to investigate the alleged February 2021 confrontations at Barnards home just outside of Pasco.

The charges are related to two incidents. In one, he allegedly pushed Barnard hard enough to leave a bruise.

In the second, he is accused of pushing Barnard to the ground and dragging her by the ankles after he got angry about her taking photos of new items he had purchased while they were separated and he was staying in a downstairs room in the home. She told investigators she was able to get pictures as he dragged her.

A protection order is in place for Barnard until January 2024. That may change depending on the outcome of the case.

Swanberg and Johnson have both held that the superior court judge acted in self-defense. They have released portions of conversations from text messages with one of Swanberg and Barnards daughters and a conversation with a friend, as well as a 13-second video of a separate argument that day at a storage unit that they believe shows Barnard was the aggressor.

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Johnson previously questioned why Barnard continued to support Swanberg as he ran for elected office. He speculated she was upset about finding out Swanberg was dating a much younger woman.

To avoid a conflict of interest with other Tri-Cities judges, Swanbergs case is being handled by Engel.

While the attorneys will be in court July 22, Swanberg said he will be attending remotely. He said Thursday that he will be on vacation during that week.

Absent from the bench

Swanberg has not been handling court cases in Benton and Franklin counties since January.

The judge said in early January that he has no intention of stepping down, but pending the outcome of his legal troubles, the other judges voted to remove him from his courtroom duties.

Swanberg is one of seven Superior Court judges and three court commissioners who handle civil and felony criminal cases, divorces, paternity and custody issues in the two counties.

He oversees cases in Benton and Franklin counties, including Kennewick, Richland and Pasco. He has been on the bench for about four years.

While Swanberg is heading toward a trial, Barnard is looking to secure a seat in the state House of Representatives. She is seeking to replace Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick.

The next hearing will take place after ballots have gone out for mail in voting in the August primary election.
Donald Trump has offered his thoughts on the killing of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot by a lone gunman while giving a campaign speech.

Posting on his bespoke platform Truth Social, the former president first described Mr Abes shooting as devastating news, calling him a truly great man and leader as well as a truly great friend of mine and, much more importantly, America.

When the news came that Mr Abe had died from his injuries, Mr Trump wrote: Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD! Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dead. He was assassinated. His Killer was captured and will hopefully be dealt with swiftly and harshly.

Few people know what a great man and leader Shinzo Abe was, but history will teach them and be kind. He was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan.

Shinzo Abe will be greatly missed. There will never be another like him!

Mr Trump and Mr Abes terms of office overlapped, and the Japanese leader was one of the first major global counterparts Mr Trump hosted in Washington as president. Mr Abe was visibly embarrassed at various points in the encounter, in particular during an infamously awkward 19-second handshake.

Another meeting, this one in Japan, saw Mr Trump ad-libbing remarks about their countries relative merits.

The Japanese people are thriving, your cities are vibrant, and youve built one of the worlds most powerful economies. I dont know if its as good as ours. I think not, OK?

Mr Abes main point of difference with Mr Trump was on the issue of North Koreas ballistic missile and nuclear weapons development, where he took a far more serious line than the American president.
Afkab Hussein smiles while hugging his wife, Rhodo Abdirahman, who arrived from Kenya at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport on Thursday with their two sons. When Hussein arrived in the U.S. in 2015, his pregnant wife was still in the Kenyan refugee camp where they met, but they were assured that Abdirahman could join Hussein soon after he left. That was almost seven years ago.

While waiting at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Afkab Hussein thought it would still be a few more minutes before he saw his family when suddenly he felt something crash into his legs.

He looked down to see his 6-year-old son, Abdullahi, had collided with him, hugging him in greeting.

A smile spread across Hussein's face as he hugged his son back and looked up, seeing his wife, Rhodo Abdirahman, and their youngest son, Zain, 2, approaching as well.

Dispatch archives | Hussein in 2017: Refugee's family stuck in Kenya, so he joins suit

It was a permanent reunion that had been more than six years  over 2,000 days by Hussein's count  two lawsuits, and two trips to Kenya in the making.

"I'm happy right now," said Hussein, 34, a former refugee originally from Somalia who now lives in Westerville.

When Hussein arrived in the United States in September 2015, his pregnant wife was still in the Kenyan refugee camp where they met after their families both fled Somalia due to civil war.

They had been told that joining their cases after years of waiting would delay the process even more, but were assured that Abdirahman could join Hussein soon after he left.

Afkab Hussein holds the hand of his wife, Rhodo Abdirahman, and youngest son, Zain, 2, who arrived from Kenya at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport on Thursday.

Abdirahman and Abdullahi were set to join him in January 2017, but then former President Donald Trump took office and put bans on refugee admissions and travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Somalia.

A long fight for reunification

Although Hussein and Abdirahman have spent most of their marriage on different continents, it was not for a lack of effort on Hussein's part.

He has been outspoken when it comes to getting his family back, traveling to Washington, D.C. and New York to protest and to talk to officials about his case.

"He did everything to try to get them here  everything," said Angie Plummer, executive director of Columbus refugee resettlement agency Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS).

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Hussein also joined a federal class-action lawsuit, Jewish Family Services v. Trump, in hopes of speeding up his family's arrival. The lawsuit, filed in November 2017, was settled in February 2020 and stated that the federal government must expedite the processing of Hussein's case and more than 300 others.

Dispatch Archives | Hussein in 2020: Somali refugee in Columbus hopes to be reunited with wife, kids after lawsuit settled

Hussein had hope then, two and a half years ago. He never lost that hope, talking to his wife and children every day over the phone for two or three hours as he worked his job as a long-haul truck driver.

He sent them money so they could move out of the refugee camp and into an apartment. And he visited Kenya twice for months at a time  once in 2019, when he met Abdullahi for the first time, and again in 2021, when he met Zain for the first time.

Shortly before the family was set to arrive, elements of the vetting process that all refugees go through  which includes numerous forms, DNA tests to confirm familial connections, medical checks and background checks  were about to expire, so Hussein filed another suit to make the federal government process the case faster.

Afkab Hussein smiles Thursday while hugging his son Abdullahi, 6, at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, where he was reunited with his family after six years. Hussein moved to the United States from Kenya as a refugee without his pregnant wife, whose efforts to join him were delayed by bans on refugee admissions and travel from seven Muslim-majority countries during the Trump administration.

Plummer said Abdirahman has probably gone through the vetting process three times over the years, as different forms expired or security processes were changed.

"His case got approved and sent back and approved and rerouted," said Plummer, who helped Hussein join the federal lawsuit and also file the more recent court order.

Refugee resettlement numbers remain low

The number of refugees being resettled has been down since Trump took office, and experts say the intricate public-private partnership that is the U.S. resettlement system cannot just go back to resettling thousands of refugees overnight.

There was tremendous hope among advocates that President Joe Biden would revitalize the system, but he didn't prioritize rebuilding the program immediately.

Dispatch archives | Hussein in 2018: Columbus refugee pleads for reunion with family

Although Biden said 125,000 refugees could be resettled this fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30, only 12,641 have arrived so far, according to Refugee Council USA, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that tracks refugee resettlement.

Plummer said the federal government's priorities are elsewhere. Afghans and Ukrainians are being allowed into the country quickly using a status called humanitarian parole, circumventing the months-long vetting process refugees go through.

Plummer said she wishes the same would be done for refugees suffering in civil war in Ethiopia and other nations where they have been waiting years in camps to be resettled and reunited with their family members.

'So, so happy'

Still, Thursday was a happy day for Plummer, Hussein and his family.

The smile never fell from Hussein's face, and he was often seen clasping his wife's hand.

Afkab Hussein smiles while hugging his youngest son, Zain, 2, who arrived from Kenya at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport on Thursday.

Dressed in a suit, he greeted her at the airport with a dozen silk roses and, as they moved through the airport to get their baggage, Hussein kept a constant hand around Abdullahi's shoulders, alternately holding Zain in his arms or grasping the child's hand.

'No child should be away from their mom': Trump policies make it nearly impossible for refugees to come to US

At one point, Hussein hoisted the 2-year-old up onto his shoulders, laughing.

"I feel so happy, so, so happy," said Abdirahman, 25, who is looking forward to going to school to become a nurse.

In anticipation of his family's arrival, Hussein bought a new SUV and got a larger apartment in Westerville. Still, he said, smiling, his wife wouldn't let him pick out their furniture without her  that's something they'll do together.

'All I want is peace': Ethiopians in Greater Columbus fear for relatives during civil war in Tigray region

Finally surrounded by his family, Hussein beamed as he held Zain.

"I'm feeling so excited."

Afkab Hussein smiles as he carries his son Zain, 2, on his shoulders and is reunited with his wife, Rhodo Abdirahman, who arrived from Kenya at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport on Thursday with Zain and their other son, Abdullahi, not pictured.

dking@dispatch.com

@DanaeKing

Get more political analysis by listening to the Ohio Politics Explained podcast

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: After 6 years apart, Somali refugee reunited with family in Columbus
Twitter has laid off dozens of employees amid growing uncertainty around Elon Musks acquisition. The company cut 30 percent of its talent acquisition team, which includes recruiters and others charged with bringing on new hires, The Wall Street Journal reports . Twitter told The Journal that fewer than 100 people had been let go and that it was only the talent acquisition team that was affected.

Twitter had previously announced a partial hiring freeze as part of a broader attempt to cut costs as it attempts to finalize its acquisition by Elon Musk. The status of the deal is uncertain as Musk has threatened to pull out of the agreement, citing concerns about the number of bots on the platform. On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that the deal was in serious jeopardy, and that it was likely a change in direction from Musks team would come soon.

The subject of layoffs reportedly came up at recent Twitter all-hands with Musk. The Tesla CEO said he was concerned about costs at Twitter but didn't directly answer a question about whether job cuts were on the table. "It depends," he said, according to CNBC.

In a post on LinkedIn, Ingrid Johnson, a senior technical recruiter at Twitter, wrote that it was a really tough day. There are people losing their jobs that have been there over a decade, she wrote. If Twitter has chosen to spend potential billions suing Elon and maintaining a falsely inflated stock price at the expense of the people who gave their lives building the company that is an even more tragic story.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden, former U.S. presidents, members of Congress and other officials expressed shock and offered their condolences Friday after the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

In a statement Friday morning, Biden said he was "stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened" by Abe's death, calling it a tragedy for Japan. Biden and Abe worked closely together during the Obama administration, meeting in Tokyo and Washington.

"He was a champion of the Alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people," Biden said in a statement. "The longest serving Japanese Prime Minister, his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy."

Biden said there are "many details that we do not yet know, we know that violent attacks are never acceptable and that gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it. The United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief."

At a White House event Friday afternoon where Biden signed an executive order aimed at safeguarding abortion access, the president said Abe's death isn't likely to have any profound impact on Japanese security or stability. Biden said he would go to the Japanese embassy in D.C. later in the day to sign a condolences book.

Vice President Kamala Harris said Abe was a "close friend" of the U.S., which she said stands "with our Japanese friends in honoring him and condemning this horrific act of violence."

After news spread that Abe was shot, former President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social website that the Japanese leader was a "true friend of mine" and that it was a "tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan."

"Few people know what a great man and leader Shinzo Abe was, but history will teach them and be kind," Trump wrote. "He was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan. Shinzo Abe will be greatly missed. There will never be another like him!"

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Former President Barack Obama posted a series of tweets saying he was "shocked and saddened" by the assassination of his friend.

"Former Prime Minister Abe was devoted to both the country he served and the extraordinary alliance between the United States and Japan," he said. "I will always remember the work we did to strengthen our alliance, the moving experience of traveling to Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor together, and the grace he and his wife Akie Abe showed to me and Michelle."

Former President George W. Bush said in a statement said he got to know Abe during his first time as prime minister in 2006, and "found him to be a decent and caring man." Bush said Abe was "a true patriot of his country who wanted to continue serving it."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in remarks during the G20 Ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia, that the assassination was "profoundly disturbing" and that Abe "was a leader with great vision" and "was doing remarkable work even after being prime minister."

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement that Abe "was a leader ahead of his time. The public recognized that, which is why he was the longest-serving prime minister in modern Japanese history. A Japanese statesman. A world leader. A friend of America. The clarity of his voice will be truly missed. The United States has lost a trusted partner and an outspoken advocate for our shared ideals."

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, tweeted that Abe "was a remarkable leader for the people of Japan, a strong partner for the United States, and a global champion of democracy."

His House counterpart, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said on Twitter that Abe led Japan "during a critical period for our two countries relationship  our thoughts are with his family and the Japanese people during this time of grief."

Several lawmakers shared photos of their in-person meetings with Abe.

"Tragic loss of one of Japans leading statesmen," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter along with a photo.

"He was a great leader for his country and a good partner to the US," Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Tenn., wrote on Twitter along with a photo of herself with Abe.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said in a statement that was outraged.

"His senseless assassination has shocked the world and stolen from freedom-loving people everywhere a great and true champion for democracy," he said in a statement. "Prime Minister Abe was an unapologetic believer in the power of democracy and one of the strongest voices in support of freedom across the Info-Pacific. He was particularly a champion for peace through strength, and stood up for Taiwan against Communist Chinas aggression."
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/family-seating/June-2022-notice warned airlines it may issue regulations prohibiting them from charging extra fees to allow young children to sit next to accompanying family members.

The agency, citing a 2016 law that required it to review U.S. airline family seating policies, issued a notice urging airlines to ensure children age 13 or younger are seated next to an accompanying adult with no additional charge to the maximum extent practicable, and said it could take regulatory action later this year after it reviews airline policies.

The Transportation Department said it has received few complaints about the issue but said "even one incident is one too many."

It added that airlines should implement policies enabling workers "to make immediate adjustments as needed to ensure young children are able to be seated adjacent to accompanying adults" but are not required to provide seats that would result in an upgrade.

The agency said airlines using seat blocking should monitor its ability to ensure adequate numbers of seats are blocked to meet demand for adjacent seats for passengers traveling with young children.

Last month, the department noted that U.S. consumers lodged more than quadruple the number of complaints against U.S. airlines in April compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Travelers are facing a difficult summer as airlines face near-record demand and as they rebuild staff levels after thousands of workers left the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Air passengers are facing long lines, crowded airports and few open seats.

Airlines for America, a group representing Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and others, said, "U.S. airlines have always worked to accommodate customers who are traveling together, especially those traveling with children, and will continue to do so. Each carrier sets their own policies that fit individual business models."

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The Transportation Department plans to propose formal rules https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202204&RIN=2105-AF04 by August codifying requirements airlines provide prompt refunds when carriers cancel or make a significant change, including when tickets purchased are non-refundable.

It also plans to issue rules requiring detailed fee disclosure for baggage, cancellation and family seating costs at time of purchase and to issue final rules requiring passenger airlines to refund fees for bags that are significantly delayed and refunds for services like onboard Wi-Fi that do not work.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Some U.S. senators are convinced that Ukraine will be able to return the captured territories with the help of American weapons

Read also: Ukraine targets Russian ammo dumps with new weapons, says military expert

Blumenthal said he supports providing Ukraine with longer-range ammunition for HIMARS rocket artillery, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and anti-air defense systems  on the condition that Kyiv wont use these weapons to strike at Russian sovereign territory.

Graham stressed the urgency for further weapon shipments to Ukraine, as the fighting in Donbas is dragging on.

Read also: Ukraines army puts new American weapons to good use, says Pentagon

We have a chance here in the next 60 days..., the decisions we make can turn the tide of this war in favor of Ukraine, Graham said.

In recent weeks, numerous media reports suggested that Ukrainian armed forces are using U.S.-supplied HIMARS to deliver precise strikes at Russian ammo depots and command-and-control infrastructure.

Read also: Ukraine soon to get more HIMARS weapons, second stage of training of Ukrainian troops starts

According to an assessment by the U.S. Department of Defense, Ukraines use of HIMARS is effective.

Ukraine managed to destroy 20 Russian ammo depots with HIMARS attacks in two weeks, a military analyst at Defense Express, Ivan Kyrychevsky said.
The music catalog of the Universal Music Group (UMG), the worlds largest record company, will be available to users of Africa-focused streaming service Mdundo following the signing of a licensing deal.

Mdundo said the deal will strengthen its offering to its 17 million active monthly users, and accelerate its growth across Africa. The music streaming service, which Mdundo says has achieved exponential growth in the Nigerian market, is available in a number of countries, including Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania.

Last year, Mdundo signed partnerships with telcos across the continent in a bid to grow its earnings and user base, a move, it says, that has boosted its growth. Mdundo users can access music using USSD services on a bundled program (daily, weekly or monthly). The streaming service is also accessible through its website or app, which has more than 1 million downloads.

"Our focus is to provide a relevant service to the hundreds of millions of potential users in Africa that are getting online We are extremely pleased to work with Universal Music within Africa towards our vision of providing Africa with an easy and legal solution to accessing music that fits the local consumers," said Mdundo founder and CEO Martin Nielsen, in a statement today.

Mdundo was founded in 2013 and was listed in the Nasdaq First North Growth Market  a Nasdaq Nordic division  in September 2020 to fast-track its growth across Africa. It has grown its user-base from less than one million in 2016 to 20 million by the end of June, with projections of reaching 25 million by 2025.

Its latest deal comes as UMG strengthens its presence in Africa, through its subsidiary Universal Music Africa, which has over the last decade expanded across Africa by establishing a presence in South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya and Morocco. UMG is also behind some of Africas major labels, including Def Jam Africa, Blue Note Africa and Motown Gospel Africa.

"We welcome Mdundo as a partner, and are excited for more fans across Africa to have greater access to some of Africa's most exciting musical talent, as well as UMG's unrivaled catalog of international artists," said Sipho Dlamini, the CEO of Universal Music South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa.

Across Africa there are more than 20 music streaming services, including Swedens Spotify, which is now in more than 40 African countries after expanding to an additional 38 last year. Nigeria-headquartered Boomplay and Songa by Kenyas telco Safaricom are the other popular streaming services. Spotify and Boomplay are already licensed by the three major record companies, including Sony Music.
A 26-year-old UPS driver broke into a sleeping familys home in Washington before he left a package inside, authorities said.

The homeowner called police around 10:23 p.m. on July 2, the Skamania County Sheriffs Office said in a July 6 news release.

The home is northeast of Washougal.

The UPS worker first tried to enter the familys home through their backdoor, but then went around to their front door, the sheriffs office said.

He then got into the house and walked down a hallway, deputies said.

The homeowners daughter ran into the worker  so he left the package in the home and took off, deputies said.

A day later, the man tried to break into another home nearby, authorities said. Though he was not able to get inside the second home, deputies said.

The worker from Vancouver, who was a part-time, fill-in driver for UPS, was arrested on July 5 on charges of residential burglary, criminal trespassing and theft.

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In a letter to the U.S. Commerce Department, the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU) warned that the cost of developing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) outweighs the hypothesized benefits.

See related article: Hong Kong to research retail CBDC cybersecurity with Israel, BIS

Fast facts

The organizations July 5 letter was in line with a previous memo it sent to the U.S. Federal Reserve in May, warning that the rollout of CBDCs could disrupt financial stability.

The Commerce Department has solicited comments on CBDCs in response to an executive order requiring the institution to establish a framework for enhancing U.S. economic competitiveness in digital assets.

On July 5, the Bitcoin Policy Institute submitted a research paper to the Commerce Department, arguing that CBDCs would promote financial inclusivity and help the U.S. build digital infrastructure and remain competitive.

NAFCU argues that credit unions are a better alternative to CBDCs and, with government collaboration, could engage U.S. communities and increase financial inclusion.

See related article: Taiwan completes trials of its prototype CBDC for retail use
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  The mayor of Uvalde on Friday disputed a new report that alleges authorities missed chances to quickly end the massacre at a Texas elementary school, again reflecting the lack of definitive answers about the slow law enforcement response to one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history.

Mayor Don McLaughlin said no Uvalde police officer saw the gunman outside Robb Elementary School before he went inside and that none of them had an opportunity to fire on the shooter. His comments contradict a critique of the decision-making by law enforcement that was released this week by tactical response experts at Texas State University.

The differing accounts and public rebuke of the report reiterated how, more than six weeks after the May 24 shooting, questions remain about how and why police armed with rifles and bulletproof shields waited more than an hour before confronting the gunman in a fourth-grade classroom where 21 people were killed, including 19 children.

It also widened a rift between Uvalde officials and the state, particularly the Texas Department of Public Safety, which had troopers on the scene and has directed much of the blame to the local school district police chief. The new report was requested by DPS, and the findings were similar to the narrative and details that leaders of the state police force have previously given publicly.

There were dozens of DPS troopers onsite by the time of the breach in the classroom," McLaughlin said in a statement.

Representatives of the Department of Public Safety did not respond to requests for comment. But on Friday, the DPS told lawmakers that Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Busbee was not authorizing the agency to publicly release a 77-minute video of the school hallway before the classroom was breached. Busbee did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment.

It is not the first time McLaughlin has lashed out at the agency. He has previously accused it of publicly giving an incomplete and one-sided account at the same time he says local officials have been instructed to not divulge information while the investigation is ongoing.

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Col. Steve McCraw, who heads DPS, has largely blamed the inaction by law enforcement on Uvlade School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo, describing him as the incident commander during the shooting.

Arredondo told the Texas Tribune that he did not believe he was in charge of the scene. He has kept a low profile since the shooting and resigned last week from his elected position on the City Council.

The report this week was drafted by the university's Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training program. Authors of the 26-page report said they were contacted by DPS shortly after the shooting to assess the law enforcement response and that they had an approximately one-hour briefing led by an investigating officer" who is not named.

One of the report's most striking details was how a Uvalde police officer, armed with a rifle, watched the gunman walk toward the campus but did not fire while waiting for permission from a supervisor to shoot. The supervisor either did not hear or responded too late, according to the report.

McLaughlin said no Uvalde officer had a chance to shoot the gunman before entering the school, and that while an officer did see someone outside, the officer could not tell who it was.

Ultimately, it was a coach with children on the playground, not the shooter," McLaughlin said.

Pete Blair, the executive director of the training center that published the report, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.

A separate report on the shooting is being compiled by Texas legislators who have spent weeks interviewing more than 20 witnesses and first responders behind closed doors. It is unclear when those findings will be released.
BOSTON  An Uxbridge man has admitted to his role in a scheme involving $490,000 in wages paid to an acquaintance for a no-show job with a government contractor.

Thomas Bouchard, 59, has told federal authorities he will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of theft of government funds.

Bouchard and a co-defendant, Chantelle Boyd of Maryland, were charged in July 2020.

Prosecutors have said Bouchard, who headed up the U.S. Army's Contracting Division in Natick, convinced Evolution Enterprise, a government contractor, to have Boyd hired for a no-show job as an assistant.

Prosecutors said Boyd "performed little if any useful function" in the job, which cost the U.S. Department of Defense nearly $500,000 from 2014 to 2018.

Prosecutors said the pair also took numerous government-funded trips, including 31 trips to Orlando, Florida, and other locations, in which they stayed in the same hotel room, did little work and falsified travel reimbursement records.

The case is being prosecuted by the office of U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins.

A plea hearing has not been scheduled.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Uxbridge man to plead guilty to role in friend's no-show job with government contractor
I believe that you are tired and weary of hearing about mass murders. I know I am. Yet, on a day that many Americans gathered to celebrate the birthday of our nation, several innocent citizens were gunned down while watching a parade in Highland Park, near Chicago.

It was the 309th mass shooting this year.

Authorities say that after Robert Crimo, the 21-year-old suspect, was done with the killing there  he is accused of killing seven and wounded dozens  he escaped, dressed as a woman, falling in with the terrified crowd. He then went calmly to his mothers house, took her car and drove 150 miles northwest of Chicago to Madison, Wisconsin, where he saw another celebration, and contemplated killing even more people with a firearm he had with him in the car, according to the reports Ive read.

Crimo was caught after an eight-hour manhunt and arrested  alive. He was suspected of unleashing a mass shooting.

Yet no arresting officer fired weapons at him as he was captured.

Protesters gather during a march and rally for Jayland Walker, Wednesday, July 6, 2022, in New York. Walker, 25, was killed June 27 in a pursuit that had started with an attempted traffic stop in Akron, Ohio.

Which brings me to another situation involving arresting officers and the shooting of young Black men.

On July 5, in Akron, Ohio, Jayland Walker, 25, received at least 60 wounds from gunfire.. His crime? A traffic violation.

First, I want to know how many bullets does it take to kill one Black man? Then, I want to know was his alleged crime worthy of such severe punishment?

According to some stories, Walker ran and when he did stop, he got out of his car. But he made the wrong move. It cost him his life.

Although news reports say he had a gun in the car, he was unarmed when he was shot dozens of times.

I cant make sense of it.

Just as we question our lawmakers on why they cant pass a law banning assault weapons, many Black Americans are asking another question: How long must Black parents repeat the how-to-stay-alive-when-arrested speech to our young sons and daughters? How many times must we tell them not to ask questions when stopped by the police? Not to show anger when called the N word? Or not to run, no matter how frightened they are?

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I am sad for the people who lost their loved ones on July Fourth in Highland Park at what should have been a wonderful family-oriented outing, Americas birthday celebration.

I am also sad for Jayland Walker, who was, by the accounts I heard about him from those who knew him, a gentle person loved by many.

I dont know what it will take for our lawmakers to make it illegal for ordinary citizens to purchase an assault weapon. I dont think background checks alone will work.

I dont know what it will take to stop the police shooting of unarmed young Blacks.

I do know that the entire country seems to be unraveling.

Meanwhile, a Very Unhappy Birthday to us, America.

Rev. Melanie Marsh named to leadership at Riviera Presbyterian

A warm welcome is extended to the Rev. Melanie Marsh, who has accepted the role of transitional pastor at Riviera Presbyterian Church at 5275 Sunset Dr. in South Miami. She will begin leading the congregation at the 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday (July 10).

According to a press release, as transitional pastor, Marsh will lead the church as the members contemplate, discuss and explore the life of the Riviera community, the missions and direction of the church and ultimately, call a permanent pastor.

Marsh comes to Riviera from Community Presbyterian Church in Atlantic Beach, near Jacksonville, where she served as senior pastor.

A lifelong Presbyterian and a native of Central Florida, Marsh is the daughter of Caribbean immigrants. She has a bachelors degree in fine arts in theater and dance from Florida State University and a masters in divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Before going into the ministry, Marsh worked in the performing arts, arts education and community activism in Florida and Southern California. She is the mother of three young children who love all things outdoors.

She and her family are looking forward to their new home and schools and exploring Miami.

Black Archives announces summer hours

For those of you who want to know more about our city, the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, housed in the historic Lyric Theater at 819 NW Second Ave. in Overtown, announces its summer exhibit hours.

The If These Streets Could Talk: An Historic Exploration of Black Miami at the Lyric, and In Motion: The African American Migration Experience at the D.A. Dorsey House Museum, 250 NW Ninth St., will have summer visiting hours Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through August.

The cost is $5 per person, per location. Students and seniors ages 65 and older, are admitted free with ID. Groups that are not student groups will still be required to pay the per person fee and are encouraged to schedule their group visits by calling 786-708-4610, or emailing baf@bahlt.org.

CORRECTION

Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson

In my column of July 3, I congratulated the Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson on being elected chairman of Jackson Health Systems governing Board. The item was published with the wrong picture. Instead of Walter T. Richardson, the picture of his father, Bishop Walter H. Richardson, was mistakenly published.

Here is the picture of the younger Richardson, and we apologize for the mistake.

-----------------------------

Bea Hines can be reached at bea.hines@gmail.com.
Arizona Voting Bill (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Arizona Republicans have had a heavy news cycle in the last 48 hours.

On Wednesday evening, The New York Times reported that Blake Masters, Donald Trumps preferred candidate in the Senate race, had written numerous inflammatory statements on a CrossFit chat room. Hed also written an article which he concluded with a poignant quotation from Nazi military leader Hermann Goering.

In response, one of his primary challengers, Jim Lamon, released a quick-turnaround ad citing Masters writings and pointing out that the venture capitalist also once praised so-called Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. Underlying these ads is a general fear that Masters could fail to unseat Democratic Senator Mark Kelly.

Kelly rose to prominence both for his career as an astronaut and by virtue of being the husband of Gabrielle Giffords, a former Arizona congresswoman who was shot in the head during a constituent event in 2011. The couple have since become two of the USs most outspoken advocates against gun violence. (On Thursday, Joe Biden awarded Giffords the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award a president can give.)

Trump got behind Masters largely because of his parroting of Trumps lies about the 2020 presidential election. By the same token, Attorney General Mark Brnovich was spurned mainly because he did not push the Big Lie hard enough.

Term-limited Governor Doug Ducey also doomed himself to pariah status among Republicans by refusing to go along with Trumps lies, effectively killing his chances to run for Senate. But now, Ducey is prepared to lock horns with the former president one last time on his way out of office: On Thursday, he endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson to succeed him, touting her as pro-life, pro-gun and pro-wall.

The endorsement pits him against the former president, who has backed former news anchor Kari Lake, a hardcore Trumpist who has regularly peddled 2020 election lies. Ducey said in his ad that there would be no surprises with Taylor Robson  possibly an allusion to the fact that for all Lake has been criticizing drag queens for grooming children, one drag performer alleged that Lake was once such a fan that he performed at her birthday party.

Duceys efforts are also an effort to salvage the state GOP from total obliteration. Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, is running for governor and is considered a viable candidate. If she were to win, it would be the third statewide race in as many election years: In 2018, Kyrsten Sinema became the first Democratic Senator Arizona elected in 30 years, and in 2020, Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since 1996. Kelly, it should be noted, outran Biden.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the last Republican to win a Senate race in Arizona: his late friend, Senator John McCain, who won his last Senate race in 2016 and died of brain cancer in 2018.
Phil GiaQuinta (left), Democrat and House Minority Leader, chats with Republican Todd Huston, Speaker of the House-elect, on the first day of the Indiana legislative session, Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020.

As Indiana positions itself to further restrict abortion rights, House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, is meeting Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington D.C. today.

GiaQuinta and lawmakers from Florida, South Dakota, Nebraska and Montana will discuss how best to safeguard abortion access. Here in Indiana, GiaQuinta has little power to impact whatever abortion legislation Republicans introduce during the special session later this month. Because Republicans have a supermajority in both chambers and hold the governor's office, they can pass and sign legislation into law without a single Democratic vote.

Will Indiana spend more on children?

We still don't know what exactly Indiana's new abortion law will look like, but we do know it'll be more restrictive than what's already in place. And experts say because the majority of people who seek abortions are poor or low income, Indiana could expect the number of children living in disadvantaged households to grow if lawmakers pass extensive restrictions.

Indiana already skimps on certain funding for Indianas most needy children and it's unclear if they'll pour more money into helping them if they pass extensive abortion restrictions.

No matter your position on this issue, you can still tell lawmakers, Take care of babies once they're here, said Jessica Fraser, director of Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute, an advocacy group that does not have a stance on the Supreme Court's abortion ruling.

IndyStar completed an analysis of where the state is already falling short, and what could be done to help children thrive in a post Roe v. Wade world.

Forwarded this newsletter from a friend? Sign up for Hoosier Politics here.

Here's how much a special session will cost

The special session on inflation relief and to restrict abortion could get pricy. If lawmakers are in session from July 25 until Aug. 5  a likely scenario  the state is expected to spend $247,322 to subsidize them.

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Democrats haven't criticized the price tag of the special session, but they have accused Republicans of holding economic relief hostage by delaying the upcoming special session in order to craft a bill focused on restricting abortion access.

Garrison gets a Democratic challenger

After fielding no Democratic candidates in the primary election, Democrats have caucused in a candidate to run against Republican Hamilton County prosecutor nominee Greg Garrison, who was supported by former Vice President Mike Pence. Deputy Hamilton County prosecutor Jessica Paxson will run.

Democrats caucused in other candidates by this week's deadline, including some who will run against state Republican lawmakers.

California bans state-funded Indiana travel

California has banned state-funded travel to Indiana due to its recently enacted bill prohibiting transgender girls from participating in girls school sports.

But so far, that appears to be the only major backlash to the bill  very different from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act outcry in 2015.

Chris Gahl, senior vice president of marketing and communications at Visit Indy, said the organization has not heard from any existing perspective convention, meeting or tradeshow that has expressed concern about any recently passed legislation, including House Bill 1041.

Bye, Pete Buttigieg

Politico reported Thursday night that Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg changed his residency from Indiana to Michigan.

"Moving to Chastens hometown of Traverse City allowed them to be closer to his parents, which became especially important to them after they adopted their twins, often relying on Chastens parents for help with child care, a department of transportation spokesperson told Politico.

But, it also makes Indiana Democrats' dreams of convincing Buttigieg to run again for an Indiana state-wide office even more unrealistic.

Indiana hosts Ukrainian wrestlers

Gov. Eric Holcomb announced this week that Indiana will serve as the training location for the men's Ukrainian Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team this summer. The placement is a result of Holcomb's meeting with the Ambassador of Ukraine at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington in March.

We are so happy to play our small part in providing these world-class athletes with refuge to continue their training in such a fantastic facility, said Gov. Holcomb. This confirms what we have known all along  that our strongest state export has, and always will be, our Hoosier Hospitality.

Want some Statehouse history?

Here's your reprieve from what can sometimes be a flood of serious news: a look at the history of the Indiana Statehouse. The current Statehouse is not Indiana's first or second or even third. We detailed the history of arguably the state's most important building in our Retro Indy series.

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Hoosier Politics is compiled and written by the IndyStar politics and government team. Send us tips or let us know what you think of the newsletter by emailing Kaitlin.Lange@IndyStar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: VP Harris to meet with Indiana lawmaker | State lags on funding kids
Dan Biggar will lead Wales into the second Test against South Africa (Themba Hadebe/AP) (AP)

Dan Biggar says Wales require a 10-15 per cent improvement in their quest for a Test series-levelling victory over South Africa on Saturday.

And Wales captain Biggar also poured cold water on Sir Gareth Edwards suggestion that the Springboks have disrespected the tourists with their second Test team selection.

Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber has made 14 changes from the line-up that edged past Wales 32-29 in a thrilling series opener last weekend, with six uncapped players featuring in his match-day 23.

Nienabers line-up contains a total of 393 caps, but 321 of those Test appearances are shared by just five players in lock Eben Etzebeth, fly-half Handre Pollard, centre Jesse Kriel, prop Trevor Nyakane and flanker Pieter-Steph Du Toit.

Biggar, though, has no doubt about Wales degree of difficulty in Bloemfontein as they target a first win against the Springboks on South African soil.

We put on a really good show last week and in my opinion we are going to have to improve 10-15 per cent to get anything out of Saturday, he said.

I know the side we played last weekend are renowned, experienced, World Cup winners and the rest of that, but this team, you have got Pollard at 10 and some real exciting form players.

When I saw that they had made 14 changes, I was thinking who are they going to bring in? But then you look at the team sheet and I dont expect this to be anything other than an incredibly tough game.

We didnt surprise ourselves because we believed in what we were doing, but the (first Test) performance has given us a real boost going into this weekend and hopefully a decider in a weeks time.

We had a real edge to us and we make no apologies for that. We tried to get amongst South Africa, under their skin a little bit and turn it into a bit of a scrap as well.

We are well aware that if you just gift them everything, roll over and be whiter than white, then you are going to come off second-best quite comfortably.

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(PA Archive)

World Cup winner Pollards return, fresh from helping Montpellier win the French Top 14 title, is a key development.

Former world player of the year Du Toit is also back, while Northampton star Biggar knows all about Harlequins centre Andre Esterhuizen, who partners Jesse Kriel in midfield.

Biggar added: He (Pollard) does the basics very well, settles the team down and gives them a focal point.

There is a notable difference when he doesnt play and that is almost the biggest compliment you can give him, really.

When you play against him, you have to be very good and try to keep your error-rate down because he is the type of player who punishes errors.

And 12 (Esterhuizen) has been the form player in the Premiership. They have managed to swap a World Cup winner and a brilliant player in (Damian) De Allende with Esterhuizen coming in. It certainly doesnt weaken them.

Quins play with quite a lot of passes and continuity, moving the ball quite a lot, but what they have got with him is a guy who can get them over the gain-line, which makes life easier however you want to play.

When you put good players together under a very good coaching set-up, which South Africa have, then they are going to be pretty organised and pretty switched on.

Admittedly, it was disappointing the way it (first Test) came to an end for us, but I think with the performance we produced, it was quite easy to get back on the horse.

The boys have been in good spirits and really looking forward to this weekend to go one better.
As the Biden administration works to free Griner, her wife Cherelle Griner tells theGrio her life and safety is at stake.

The fate of WNBA player Brittney Griner still hangs in the balance after being detained in Russia for months.

On Thursday, the basketball player pleaded guilty to drug charges and stated that it was not her intention to break the law when she traveled through a Moscow airport while possessing cannabis oil in February.

Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury stands on the court as the Las Vegas Aces shoot free throws during Game Two of the 2021 WNBA Playoffs semifinals at Michelob ULTRA Arena on September 30, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

During Thursdays briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told theGrio that Griners guilty plea will not change the Biden Administrations efforts to secure her safe return.

We will continue to make this a top priority in making sure that we bring her home safely. That is a commitment that we have made to her and to her family and also to other U.S. nationals as were trying to bring them back home, said Jean-Pierre.

The press secretary did not disclose how Russian officials are responding to Griners guilty plea, however, she did reiterate that President Joe Biden wants to bring home these U.S. nationals who are wrongfully being held abroad and also held hostage. She added, It is important that we get them home safely.

In a recent exclusive interview, Griners wife, Cherelle Griner, told theGrios White House Correspondent and D.C. Bureau Chief April D. Ryan that as long as the WNBA player is in Russia, her humanity is at stake.

Her life is at stake, her safety is at stake, she proclaimed. I refuse to just stay in the bed and do what I feel like doing, which is just crying all day and so instead, Im going to do everything in my power standing right now to make sure that we see the urgency in getting her back.

Griner sent a letter to Biden earlier week asking him not to forget about her, as theGrio previously reported.

While speaking with theGrio, Cherelle Griner revealed that one of Brittneys biggest concerns was being forgotten.

President Joe Biden and Brittney Griner. (Photo: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images, Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Cherelle spoke with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the phone and she told the theGrio that the president reassured her that Griner was still a priority.

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[The Biden Administration] has made it very clear that they are doing everything that is in their power to try and negotiate for B.G. to be back in the U.S, she told theGrio. Mrs. Griner said that despite her call with the president and vice president, that does not mean the work here is done.

We have to make sure that we are holding everybody accountable to do this urgently, she said. We need to make sure that they do get this done. And so we cannot be quiet until the day that B.G. is back home.

Cherelle told theGrio that Brittney Griner is a selfless person and if the roles were reversed, she would use her platform to make a difference.

She cares about everybody and this is the time to now care about her. So continue to lift her up. Continue to make noise about her until the day that we see her back, she added.

Griners next court hearing is scheduled for July 14. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post White House says Brittney Griners guilty plea wont change its efforts to secure her return appeared first on TheGrio.
By Joseph Ax

(Reuters) -A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the use of ballot drop boxes, which increased substantially across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, is illegal under state law.

In a 4-3 ruling, the court's conservative majority also said voters cannot have other people return their completed ballots in person to a clerk's office, though it declined to rule on whether anyone other than a voter can send in ballots by mail.

The decision ensures that drop boxes will not be in place for the state's August primary election as well as November's general election, when Democratic Governor Tony Evers and Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson will both seek re-election in crucial midterm races.

Republicans across the country have sought to limit the use of absentee ballots after the 2020 election, when then-President Donald Trump falsely claimed that mail voting and drop boxes helped facilitate election fraud. Election officials say the boxes are secure.

Wisconsin is likely a key battleground in the 2024 presidential election. In 2016, Trump won the state by fewer than 25,000 votes out of 2.8 million cast, and in 2020, President Joe Biden, a Democrat, carried Wisconsin by fewer than 21,000 votes out of 3.2 million cast.

The Wisconsin high court affirmed a ruling from a lower court judge after a conservative group, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, sued the state's elections commission on behalf of two voters.

The commission had approved the use of drop boxes in response to the pandemic, when many voters were anxious to limit in-person interactions. The November 2020 election included 528 boxes statewide, according to election officials.

But Justice Rebecca Bradley, writing for the majority, said that under state law ballots must be returned to a clerk's office or another designated site, not an "inanimate object" such as an unstaffed box.

"Only the legislature may permit absentee voting via ballot drop boxes," she wrote.

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In dissent, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley - joined by the court's two other liberals - said the decision erected a new barrier to voting with little justification.

"Although it pays lip service to the import of the right to vote, the majority/lead opinion has the practical effect of making it more difficult to exercise it," she wrote.

The dissent also argued that the decision to bar other people from returning ballots to clerks' offices would primarily hurt homebound residents, including disabled and sick people.

In a statement, Evers said, "Today's decision is another in a long line of Wisconsin Republicans' successes to make it harder for Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote, to undermine our free, fair, and secure elections, and to threaten our democracy."

Robin Vos, the Republican leader in the state assembly, praised the decision on Twitter.

"Our next step has to be electing a new governor who will sign additional election reforms," he wrote.

(Reporting by Joseph AxEditing by Colleen Jenkins, Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
Former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed on Friday.

Abe's death shocked world leaders, who described the former PM as an outstanding leader.

"This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him," US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was killed on Friday, officials confirmed.

Abe, 67, was shot at 11:30 a.m. local time while giving a campaign speech in western Japan, according to Kyodo News. Abe, who was airlifted to a hospital in the city, was said to be "unconscious and unresponsive." He was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m.

A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene in relation to the incident, per NHK.

Abe's shooting and subsequent death shocked former and current political leaders around the world. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, spent nine years in office before resigning in 2020, citing health reasons.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a series of tweets that Japan has "lost in a most tragic way a great leader who loved this country and was always looking one step ahead, working tirelessly for a better future for Japan."

Kishida called Abe "a close friend" and an "outstanding leader."

"His steady hand guided our nation through a number of severe internal and external crises," he said.

US President Joe Biden condemned the assassination of Abe, saying that he is "stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened" by his death.

"This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him," Biden said in a statement.

Former President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, said in a statement on Twitter that he is "shocked and saddened by the assassination of my friend and longtime partner Shinzo Abe in Japan."

Former President Donald Trump said he was "devastated" by the attempt on Abe's life before the news broke that Abe died.

Trump had previously lauded Abe as "the greatest prime minister in Japan's history."

"Absolutely devastating news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a truly great man and leader, has been shot, and is in very serious condition. He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family!" Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

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Former President George W. Bush denounced the "senseless assassination" of Abe.

"Shinzo Abe was a patriot of his country who wanted to continue serving it," Bush said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote in a post on Twitter that he was shocked that Abe was shot.

"Our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time," he wrote.

US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel praised Abe for being "an unwavering ally" of the US.

"We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the United States. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and people of Japan," Emanuel told Insider in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his thoughts were with Abe's family and the Japanese people.

"I do have to say before we meet how deeply saddened and concerned we are by the news coming from Japan about the attempt on the life of Prime Minister Abe," Blinken said at the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali. "This is a very, very sad moment and we are awaiting news," he added.

Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen commemorated Abe's commitment to building diplomacy between their nations. "I am surprised at the shocking incident that occurred in Nara," Cohen wrote in Japanese on Twitter.

"One of Japan's leading leaders, Abe, was the driving force behind the building of today's friendly relations between Israel and Japan, and the strong bond between the two countries would not have been possible without his presence. I pray for your safety from the bottom of my heart," Cohen continued.

Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, said her thoughts were with Abe's wife and the Japanese public.

"So deeply shocked to hear about the past PM of Japan-Shinzo Abe. He was one of the first leaders I met when I became PM. He was deeply committed to his role but also generous & kind. My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan. Events like this shake us all to the core," Ardern wrote on Twitter.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was appalled by the shooting. "My thoughts are with his family and loved ones," Johnson added.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen condemned the attack on Abe, describing him as a "good friend" of Taiwan.

"I believe everyone is as surprised and sad as I am. Taiwan and Japan are both democratic countries with rule of law," she wrote in Mandarin in a Facebook post.

"Former Prime Minister Abe is not only a good friend of mine, but also a staunch friend of Taiwan's. He has supported Taiwan for many years and spared no effort to promote the progress of Taiwan-Japan relations," Tsai added.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter that she's praying for Abe's family.

"Dear @AbeShinzo, stay strong! Our thoughts and prayers are with your family and the people of Japan," von der Leyen wrote.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote in a Facebook post that the attack was a "senseless act of violence" and that he was "deeply shocked."

"Mr Abe is in critical condition and doctors are working to save him. Mr Abe is a good friend of Singapore. I had just hosted him to lunch in May, on my visit to Tokyo. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr Abe and his family," Lee added.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said before Abe died that the Chinese government wishes for his recovery.

"We are following the development of the situation and hope that former Prime Minister Abe will get out of danger and recover soon," Zhao said at a regular briefing, according to Reuters.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the attack and added that his country stands in solidarity with Japan.

"Shocked by the shooting of the former Prime Minister of Japan, @AbeShinzo," Sanchez tweeted in Spanish."Our best wishes to him and his family and our resounding condemnation of this cowardly attack. Spain stands in solidarity with the Japanese people in these difficult times."

French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron described the attack on Abe as "heinous." "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of a great Prime Minister," Macron wrote in Twitter post in French. "France stands by the Japanese people."

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's office acknowledged Abe's shooting but had declined to comment before the Japanese government released updates on Abe's condition, according to The New York Times.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A North Carolina man was arrested in connection with the death of a Rustburg man who was found shot Tuesday in a church parking lot, authorities said Thursday night.

Michael Cerillo, 52, of Lexington, North Carolina, is charged with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and use of a firearm by a felon, according to a news release from the Campbell County Sheriffs Office.

Cerillo was taken into custody at his home by the Davidson County Sheriffs Office in North Carolina without incident, and he is jailed without bond while awaiting extradition.

The shooting victim, Robert William Staton, 33, was located after Campbell County deputies responded at about 12:54 p.m. Tuesday to the entrance of the parking lot of St. Pauls Baptist Church on Brookneal Highway.

Staton was lying on the ground in front of his vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound. Life-saving efforts at the scene were unsuccessful, according to a statement from the sheriffs office.

The sheriffs office asks anyone who may have information about this incident to please contact Investigator L.T. Guthrie at (434) 332-9580.

Citizens also may call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900, or leave tips online through the P3 app on mobile devices.
A senior Liberal Democratic Party official says former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has died in a hospital where he was receiving treatment.

He was shot on the street in Nara City, western Japan, at around 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

He was campaigning for the upcoming Upper House election. He was 67.

Abe was making a speech for an election campaign in Nara City. He collapsed at around 11: 30 a.m., after people on the scene heard what sounded like a gun going off twice.

Police arrested 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya in Nara City for allegedly attempting murder. They say they seized a gun at the site which the suspect was apparently holding.

Abe was transferred by medevac to Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara City in the prefecture. Police say Abe appears to have been shot from behind.
The affordable housing lottery has launched for 164-11 Highland Avenue, a three-story residential building in Jamaica Hills, Queens. Designed by Joseph Giannetti Architect and developed by Rey Nieto, the structure yields 12 residences and enclosed parking for 11 vehicles. Available on NYC Housing Connect are four units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $58,286 to $187,330.

Amenities include assigned parking and a shared laundry room. Tenants are responsible for electricity and gas.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there is one one-bedroom with a monthly rent of $1,700 for incomes ranging from $58,286 to $156,130 and three two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,900 for incomes ranging from $65,143 to $187,330.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than July 14, 2022.

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A local woman who graduated from Washington and Lee University this spring has been awarded a U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria.

Joey Dickinson, a Lewis Central High School alumna, is a Johnson Scholar who double-majored in economics and poverty studies and minored in data science, according to a press release from Washington and Lee University.

Dickinson will teach English in Austrian secondary schools and encourage cross-cultural dialogue during the coming school year after completing USTA program orientation in September. While in Austria, she will take courses at the University of Vienna to prepare for graduate work after she finishes her teaching assistantship.

This opportunity is so exciting to me, she said in the press release. Ill be able to spend some time traveling and teaching in addition to developing my German language skills and even beginning some graduate-level courses at the University of Vienna. I am so eager to get to know my students and explore Europe!

Since 1962, Fulbright Austria has partnered with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research to bring qualified, motivated university graduates from the United States to teach English in Austrian secondary schools and encourage cross-cultural dialogue.

During her undergraduate career, Dickinson served as a leader for the Volunteer Venture pre-orientation program, a service trip sponsored by the Shepherd Program that partners with community-based agencies in cities around the country. She has also been an officer for the student-run community service organization Nabors Service League, served on the executive leadership team for the Sexual Health Awareness Group (SHAG) and hosted a radio show on WLUR.

Jaime Roots, visiting assistant professor of German, has worked with Dickinson throughout the past four years.

I am thrilled that she has been awarded the very well-deserved USTA award to Austria, Roots said. Its been such a pleasure to be able to work with her these past years. I know that her future students in Austria are very lucky to have such an amazing person as their teacher. She is truly a phenomenal student, intellectual and individual.

Marisa Charley, a professor of poverty studies who also serves as associate director of the Shepherd Program and director of the Bonner Program, taught Dickinson in poverty studies classes and got to know her work well during her time in the Shepherd Program. Charley said that Dickinsons experience serving with local youth and adults in teaching, tutoring and mentoring roles contributes to the vast skill set she will bring to her language work in Austria.

Joey is rooted in the belief that a world with real opportunity for all is possible, and her actions remain consistently congruent with that notion, Charley said. She sees gifts and talents beyond cultural constructs, understands the complexities of poverty and marginality, and is extraordinarily well-equipped to partner respectfully and responsibly with organizations abroad.

After completing her USTA assignment, Dickinson plans to obtain her masters degree in sociology, and is especially interested in applying to the University of Mannheim in Mannheim, Germany.

Washington and Lee University is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2021-2022 Fulbright U.S. Students for the fourth consecutive year.
Council Bluffs Municipal Airport is one of five airports throughout Iowa that were selected to receive grant funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for much needed improvement projects, according to a press release from Sen. Chuck Grassleys office.

The Council Bluffs airport will receive $112,500 to install an elevator in the aviation terminal, improving accessibility for people with disabilities.

The airport built a new terminal in 2010, with a partial second floor, almost like a mezzanine, with a view of the airfield, Airport Authority Executive Director Andy Biller said in an interview with the Daily Nonpareil. Theres a staircase up to that second floor area, but we havent utilized it very much, because we dont want to discriminate.

The new elevator has a projected cost of $125,000, and the grant covers 90% of that cost.

Biller estimates that the project will be designed and bid on by the end of the year, with construction slated to begin next year. He anticipates that the project will be finished by the end of 2023.

The five airports will receive a combined $27 million in grant funding under the fiscal year 2022 Airport Terminal Program, which was created by the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Iowas regional airports support all kinds of economic activity, from transporting goods to providing Iowans with connections to various destinations across the country, Grassley said in the release. Its critical that we keep our airport infrastructure up to date to maintain a resilient supply chain and a healthy economy. I supported the bipartisan infrastructure law to invest in Iowans and Iowas economy, and Im glad to see our state is continuing to benefit from this investment.

In addition to the Council Bluffs airport, the other four airports receiving grant funding are:

Des Moines International Airport  $5 million to complete a new terminal project

Dubuque Regional Airport  $1.3 million for a solar power system

Eastern Iowa Airport  $20.4 million for additional jet bridges, expanded concourse space, more concessions and amenities, and a continued transition to a geothermal ventilation system

Washington Municipal Airport  $129,675 for improvements to the aviation terminal

The bipartisan infrastructure law contains $5 billion to provide regional airports with grant opportunities. Following a competitive application process, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded grants to airports that are seeking to update crumbling infrastructure, increase airport capacity and safety, and improve air traffic control towers.

To qualify for a grant this year, airports had to agree to start their projects construction by the beginning of the next fiscal year.

(The new federal funding) is going to help (airports) meet future demand, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a conference call with reporters. Its going to help keep air travel more accessible and more efficient. We know that airports are gateways to Americas communities.

This is the first round of grants in a five-year program. The government received 658 applications across 532 airports, which Buttigieg said was a sign of definitely a very competitive program.

In addition to the grant from the Airport Terminal Program, the Council Bluffs airport will also be receiving an additional $295,000 per year for the next five years, courtesy of a different section of the infrastructure bill.

Those funds havent been assigned to a project yet, Biller said.

The airport has also received two grants from the Iowa Department of Transportation to build a new storage facility for the airports snowplow and tractors, and other airport equipment.

Funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law has already been announced for many other projects across the state. Earlier this year, the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System  which is responsible for providing rural water to northwest Iowa communities like Rock Rapids, Hull and Sioux Center  received $75.5 million from the infrastructure bill. Project leaders plan to use this investment to finish 17 miles of pipeline, construct two meter buildings and build a new pump station.

On the other side of the state, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced an $829.1 million investment in lock and dam modernization projects along the upper Mississippi River  one of Iowas top five infrastructure improvement priorities.

Additionally, with funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, IDOT has updated its five-year plan to include many road and bridge improvement projects  including for the IA 12 Gordon Drive Bridge in Sioux City and the IA 58 Greenhill Road Interchange in Cedar Falls.
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A 65-year-old man who had been incarcerated at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution died at the Johnson County Hospital on Wednesday, according to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

Robert Mahler was serving a 50- to 81-year sentence on DUI and motor vehicle homicide charges out of Dixon County, where he was the driver in a September 2011 crash that killed two Wayne State College students near Emerson.

Alexis "Lexi" Calfee, 19, of Bennet and Christopher Oberg, 20, of Mapleton, Iowa, died in the crash.

Mahler's cause of death has not yet been determined, prisons officials said.

A grand jury will investigate Mahler's death, a practice required by state statute for all in-custody deaths and police killings.
The Nebraska Republican Party has decided to bar Matt Innis of Crete, an outspoken Donald Trump supporter who has been sharply critical of Gov. Pete Ricketts, from its state convention in Kearney this weekend.

The decision has stirred traffic on Facebook and within GOP circles.

Innis, a former Lancaster County Republican chairman who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Ben Sasse in the 2020 GOP primary election and supported Charles Herbster in this year's Republican gubernatorial primary election, has aimed a steady stream of criticism at Ricketts on his Facebook page.

Jim Pillen of Columbus, who won the GOP gubernatorial nomination in May, has also been a recent target.

Innis said he was informed by the party that "your vocal criticism of Governor Ricketts, the top Republican elected official in the state and leader of our party, caused the (credentials) committee to decline to credential you."

And Innis was told that "this means you will not be admitted to the 2022 Nebraska GOP state convention."

"I'm going to Kearney," Innis said during a subsequent "Drive Time Lincoln" radio interview on KLIN. "I will be at the convention.

"You can't make change if you're not involved," Innis said. "I'm going."

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, credentials chairwoman Pam Dingman said the committee "declined to credential six individuals who are either switching parties, starting new parties or supporting non-Republican candidates."

"We welcome vigorous debate and even criticism within our ranks," she said.

"We won't, however, allow the convention to be used as a platform to help recruit or elect people who aren't Republicans."

In an earlier response to the committee's action on Facebook, Innis said: "So if you say truthful criticisms of Pete the establishment moves to block you from participating at the convention."

Innis wrote: "Many others who refused to bend the knee to the establishment have been told the same thing."

A review of Innis' Facebook entries shows multiple entries criticizing Ricketts and, more recently, Republican gubernatorial nominee Pillen of Columbus, who was supported by the governor in the May 10 primary election.

Herbster was endorsed by Trump, who came to Nebraska to urge Republicans to vote for him.

"Just remember that Jim Pillen never once stood up against the university," Innis stated on Facebook during the campaign.

"Pillen never stood up to UNL or cut their spending," he wrote.

Among an ongoing number of entries criticizing Ricketts:

"Why does he feel the need to take credit for the hard work that others do?"

"Pete has always been a reactionary governor. He's never been proactive; he waits until others stand up on an issue before he jumps in just to make sure it's politically good for him."

"It is clear that Ricketts has completely tarnished his time as governor with his actions over the last two years."
ForFarmers N.V.

Lochem, 8 July 2022

ForFarmers: Extra update results due to positive developments abroad

ForFarmers expects that, due to the positive developments in countries outside of the Netherlands, underlying EBITDA in the first half-year 2022 will be slightly higher than the relatively low level in the first half of 2021. The previously disclosed expectation was a substantial decline of mentioned result.

In the First Quarter 2022 Trading Update of 6 May 2022, ForFarmers announced that some movement could be seen in the food chain with respect to passing on the higher raw material, energy and fuel costs. However, at the time it was too soon to draw any conclusions from this. It has since become clear that this trend has continued in a broad sense.

Considering the continuing uncertainties with respect to availability and consequentially prices of raw materials, energy and fuel and on top of that the uncertain political climate in the Netherlands with respect to the agricultural sector, ForFarmers does not provide guidance for the development of underlying EBITDA in the second half-year of 2022.

The results of the first half-year 2022 will be published on 11 August, before opening of the stock exchange.

This press release contains information that qualifies as inside information in the sense of Article 7 paragraph 1 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

This press release can also be downloaded from the ForFarmers website via this link.

Note to the editor / For additional information:

Caroline Vogelzang, Director Investor Relations

T: 0031 573 288 000 M: 0031 6 10 94 91 61

E: caroline.vogelzang@forfarmers.eu

About ForFarmers N.V.

ForFarmers N.V. is an international organisation that provides complete innovative feed solutions to the livestock farming industry. With its For the Future of Farming mission ForFarmers is committed to the continuity of farming and to further increasing the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

ForFarmers is the market leader in Europe with annual sales of around 10 million tonnes of animal feed. The company is active in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom. ForFarmers has approximately 2,500 employees. In 2021 revenue amounted to approximately 2.7 billion.

ForFarmers N.V. is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.

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Neil Lambs story reads like the tagline from his Shareable Science blogthe building blocks of life, one story at a time.

An Auburn alumnus, Lamb graduated from the College of Sciences and Mathematics, or COSAM, in 1992 with a bachelors degree in molecular biology and completed a doctorate in genetics and molecular biology from Emory University in 1997. As he begins his leadership role at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Lambs journey as a scientist can be traced back to a solid foundation at Auburn.

Reinforcing HudsonAlphas vision

On Feb. 10, HudsonAlphas board of directors announced the expansion of its executive leadership team amid rapid growth and advancements in genomics and life science research. Effective July 1, Richard Myers was named HudsonAlphas new chief scientific officer and president emeritus, and Lamb, former vice president for educational outreach, was named president of the Institute, leading day-to-day operations for the entire organization. Kelly East, an Auburn graduate and one of Lambs first hires, will serve as the vice president for educational outreach.

Founded in 2005 by James R. Hudson Jr. and the late Lonnie S. McMillian, HudsonAlpha is a nonprofit institute with a vision of leveraging the synergy between discovery, education, medicine and economic development in genomic sciences to improve the human condition around the globe. In addition to the nonprofit institute, HudsonAlpha houses more than 45 diverse life science companies on its biotech campus in Huntsville, Alabama.

As president, Lamb plans to align his strategic goals with HudsonAlphas founding vision to foster continued growth and impact.

My focus for the institute moving forward is to support the three-part vision that our founders set before us, said Lamb. How can we support our research faculty as they carry the science of genomics forward? How do we drive the creation and growth of life science businesses across Alabama? How do we create a more genomic-literate society and train tomorrows bioscience workforce?

In November 2021, HudsonAlpha announced a report showing it had generated $3.2 billion in economic impact for the state of Alabama from 2006-2020.

I could not be more proud of the individuals across our HudsonAlpha campus who directly contributed toward that impact, said Lamb. Moving forward, I want to keep us pointed in the same direction toward accomplishing our three-part mission, but not get in the way of the work our colleagues are doing. I see my new role as providing guidance and direction yet letting them do the incredible work that continues to generate a meaningful impact.

Building a genomic-literate society

Lamb came to HudsonAlpha in 2006 with a calling to share his passion for human genetics and biotechnology with others through education. As vice president for educational outreach, he led HudsonAlphas educational outreach team from conception, creating innovative teacher training and toolkits, student experiences, public enrichment and digital resources that have reshaped how science education is now delivered.

With the goal of increasing a more genomic-literate society, inspiring the next generation of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, leaders is something Lamb says the Institute takes very seriously.

We look at how to increase awareness by creating real-world experiences that bring textbook pages to life, how to create an enthusiasm around that awareness by showing how genomics and biotechnology relate to our everyday lives and how to create pathways they can take moving forward, said Lamb.

In March 2020, the unforeseen COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique outreach opportunity through Lambs creation of the Beyond the Blog video series. In the early days of the pandemic when copious amounts of information was circulating quickly, Lamb recognized that he could research the science and explain it to a broader audience, replacing fear with fact.

He and his communications team set up a simple video conceptLamb talking about science accompanied only by a whiteboard. Early on, they were filming up to three videos per week. Throughout the pandemic, Lamb and his team produced more than 70 total videos.

I am so incredibly proud of the work that was done in that timeframe, said Lamb. People really responded to these videos, and Im humbled and honored by that. It helped me grow my own teaching and communication style. Im grateful that HudsonAlpha let our team invest time and energy into this outreach effort.

Throughout his tenure in outreach, getting to experience the Institutes history has proven beneficial for Lamb as he looks ahead.

Ive had the incredible blessing to be a part of HudsonAlpha in the early days before the building was even built, said Lamb. Ive seen the way the vision was set before us and how weve grown into that. Education is intentionally cross-linked and works with all different aspects of the Institute. While I may not know the details of all the different pieces, I have a good sense of how they all fit together, and that is going to be a huge benefit for me as I step into the presidency role.

A framework for Auburn partnerships

HudsonAlpha is connected to Auburn University through various partnerships, creating scientific collaborations that support each institutions mission while positively impacting the state of Alabama.

We run a summer internship program called BioTrain where we bring 30-40 college students from across Alabama to work in our research labs and companies, and we always have Auburn students participate, said Lamb.

While we have collaborations with multiple Auburn faculty, two work particularly closely with us. Xu Wang, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicines Department of Pathobiology, is a HudsonAlpha adjunct faculty investigator. Alex Harkess, holds a joint appointment as a HudsonAlpha faculty investigator and an assistant professor in the College of Agricultures Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University. Xu and Alex both make connections across the Auburn campus to the technologies and opportunities that are available at HudsonAlpha.

Many of HudsonAlphas agricultural faculty work closely with Alabama Cooperative Extension System agents throughout the state as they develop new varieties of agriculturally important crops and test the crops in growing spaces.

Appointed in 2013, Lamb continues to partner with the university by serving on Auburns Research and Economic Development Advisory Board.

Pouring the Auburn foundation

As a high school senior from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lamb came for a campus visit in the spring of 1988, the first in his family to attend Auburn University. He met with Bill Mason, who served as associate dean in COSAM, and Mason mentioned a new molecular biology major based on Lambs interest in genetics.

I didnt know it at the time, but Dr. Mason would later become one of my advisors and an incredibly guiding force in my life, said Lamb. The breadth of knowledge that I received from being in one of the first molecular biology cohorts prepared me incredibly well for graduate school.

Lamb was soon introduced to another influential figure, Marie Wooten, describing her genetics class as captivating. The summer after his sophomore year, Lamb completed research at a different university that was not an ideal experience. He returned to Auburns campus questioning his field of study.

Drs. Mason and Wooten both pulled me aside to talk through the experience, said Lamb. They told me that theres something they both see in methat I am a scientist who communicates science well. They kept me from stepping away from a field just because of one bad experience.

While at Auburn, Lamb worked in Joe Shaws lab. His first job was to wash glassware, then to prep media and pour plates. Later, he became involved in Shaws research with transforming bacteria that infected plants.

Those initial roles taught me that none of us come in and start running our own research project, said Lamb. Everyone must put the time in and show that they can be trusted before moving to a different task. As my knowledge grew, Dr. Shaw involved me in more projects. I really benefitted from my multiyear connection in his lab.

Lamb met his wife, the former Cynthia Owen, at Auburnmarrying into an Auburn family. The couple has three children who have each built on the Auburn foundationPreston, who graduated in Biosystems Engineering in 2020, Olivia, who graduated in Early Childhood Special Education in 2021 and is currently pursuing a masters degree, and Emma Grace, who will start Auburn in the fall.

Everything Lamb has been involved with can be traced back to some set of experiences he had as an Auburn undergraduate student.

My time at Auburn really poured the foundation that the scaffolding of the rest of my career has been built on, said Lamb. I am so incredibly grateful for the breadth of experiences I had in the classroom and lab and the opportunities I had on and off campus to step into leadership roles and begin testing out what it meant to be a science communicator.

I have those iconic Auburn memories of rolling Toomers Corner or going to The Flush. But Auburn let me begin to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be. Thats an incredible opportunity to be in a place that encourages you to try new things and stretch your wings.

Constructing your own path

As Lambs journey as a scientist takes a new direction in leadership at HudsonAlpha, his advice to those interested in pursuing a career in science is simplebe curious and explore opportunities.

With all the accessible content thats available to us online, take advantage of this knowledge and ask questionsstay inquisitive, said Lamb. Dont be afraid to make your own path. There could be multiple detours that might lead to an atypical pathway, but these opportunities can allow you to pull together skills and interests that can take you to where you want to be.
There's gotta be a documentary in the works about the Mons Venus dancer, right? The one who got abducted for five years :|



I'm glad to have a discussion here on ontd, I was looking around for discussions and they were victim blamey or just weird

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I have not heard of this one but man, humanity is terrible.

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possible spoilers*******

*******comment preview isn't working so I can't get a spoiler cut to work, but she was one of the people interviewed in this documentary and for lack of a better word "casually" mentioned that she was kidnapped as a child (but thankfully got back to her mother)

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The way she just casually dropped that. I was like WAIT WHAT..

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I think Danielle Kristy did a video on this and I could not finish it at all. I felt so bad for her like she was groomed, abused, and obsessively controlled and it was right in front of everyone's noses and nobody knew. People who said she could have escaped doesn't know how fear, intimidation, and abuse work on a child and how it control every aspect of their life, regardless if they grow up or not. I felt soooo bad for her. He was a vile human being.

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Its so easy for people to say she could have run, she could have asked for help when we were alone that one time, etc but what they fail to comprehend is that she was abducted as a CHILD. She literally didnt know who the hell she was, how was she to know he wasnt who he said he was?! And where/who would she run to? She didnt know she had any family, he WAS her only family in her mind.

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Exactly. I'm sick and tired of people blaming the victims. I could barely stomach Danielle's retelling because it was so horrifying to imagine. The fact that he passed her around to other adults too like I literally had to stop. Growing up in such an environment, how can she do better? Also, I thought she was really strong? Like given all that she went through, she was able to have relationships with others, had dreams and aspirations, and loved her son. This case was just terrible and the conclusion I come to is the justice system fails almost every victim according to all the true crime cases I've seen so far. Especially sex workers.

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I mean some people knew. He raped Suzanne in front of her best friend. Thats how psychotic and calculating he was. He knew her friend would not say anything because of how terrified she was. My heart breaks for her friend. To have to live with that...

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People who said she could have escaped



This type of statement drives me NUTS every single time, and my first instinct is always to just reply with that's not how it fucking works, you missed opportunity for an abortion.

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I just dont understand how people think its so easy to escape your abusers in any situation, but especially when its someone who was abducted & abused since they were a child.

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Man this case always haunted me since I saw the Unsolved Mysteries ep about her and her son. Its so sinister that her abuser never told anyone what he did with her son. Will prob watch this.

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Apparently he admitted to killing the kid in 2015. Cases like this just show how horrible our criminal justice/the police are. We reported a crime in our area earlier this year and the police did nothing until a women in a wealthy neighborhood was assaulted.

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The two FBI agents who were interviewed for this documentary (the guys wearing blue shirts) said he admitted to killing Michael.

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jesus fucking christ, men are fucking terrible

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I've never heard of this case. How fucking horrific. That poor woman and the life of torture she lived.

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this is up there with abducted in plain sight as one of the most bizarre and fucked up stories ive seen but the docs themselves are extremely well done and engaging.



theres also a new one on netflix called keep sweet thats about the FLDS that is vile.

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I personally appreciated that this documentary focused almost exclusively on Suzanne/Sharon/Tonya. Very rarely do true crime docs focus on the victims.

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yeah, they did a really great job painting the picture of her as a person and driving home how tragic her story was.

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Keep Sweet was horrifying. I was in college when it happened and not really paying attention to much going on in the world, but the fact that they got the media on their side after the kids were taken away was really scary.

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AIPS was directed by that same director as this one.

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i knew what warren jeffs was in prison for, but nothing coul've prepared me for the ending of "keep sweet". so fucking vile.

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Some tru crime stories are not as intense as their advertised to be, but holy shit this story is actually terrifying.

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for real. this is one of those stories that if it had been a work of fiction, it wouldve been shit on for being so unbelievable and OTT.

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Im not into true crime anymore at all but this is a case that I think about a lot, its really stayed with me

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I have been feeling weird about true crime since I read that tweet from some girl saying that her dad was murdered in 2013 and her family still gets contacted by true crime podcasters trying to solve the case.

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Yeah. The obsession has caused a real dehumanizing effect. People are just obsessed with solving cases and getting clout.

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I can't watch true crime or listen about it. So exploitative since the families are often demonized if they want privacy.

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I'm so happy she at last got to get a tombstone with her real name on it. And her daughter and dad can visit her.



Her mother really seemed like she didn't care much. Did she even report her kidnapping?

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She did and the police told her that since she was still legally married to him it wasnt considered kidnapping and that she needed to take it to the family court. So it was next to impossible to involve the police. She would have had to divorce him first and then file for custody. I dont know how hard she tried or if she tried at all but he had already disappeared and changed his identity by that time so the chances of that ever happening were slim.

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that makes no damn sense to me, because unless he legally adopted all three children being married to their mother doesn't automatically grant him parental rights - right? either those cops were utterly incompetent or the mother came up with that justification and it's been long enough no one can verify, or both i guess.

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Yeah it was very weird how Megan's adopted parents said they tried to reach out to her and she just... did not care about getting to know her grandchild.

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Reading the history shows how time and time again the system fails kids and women. Even Floyd, who seems to have been subject to abuse which no doubt helped him become a monster. But he attacked women over and over and nothing beyond short jail time and then whoops, skips parole.



Also how tf was he, with his history, allowed any knowledge of who the foster parents of Michael were? Or where they lived? Especially after authorities found out he wasnt the father.



And Suzanne/Tonyas mother, who couldnt even have her own kids declared missing because as their step father he had the right to take them.



Maybe for every man we jail for hurting a woman, non binary person or child, we should send a cop or a lawyer, judge, politician, religious leader, businessman, in there to serve with him. It could be a lottery, like the draft. Maybe then theyll finally do something about holding each other accountable.

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Because court gave him the visitation rights. He had supervised visits with Michael at the foster familys house before authorities discovered he wasnt the biological father.

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I figured it was something like that, poor kid.

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Even reading the bullet points legit made me tear up. This poor woman and her poor son

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A few months ago I made a decision to try my best to avoid watching content surrounding violence against women. I must be becoming very sensitive over the years, but with all the targeted attacks against us as of late, I feel like I'm hypersensitive, if that makes sense?

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Apparently Floyd abducted Sharon/Tonya/Suzannes little brother as well but he eventually dropped him off at an orphanage at some point. Im not sure why they left that out from the doc and why they never interviewed the brother.

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Yeah, I definitely wondered that too. I guess maybe he didn't want to be part of the story?

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Sure but they still could have mentioned him. Idk it was a bit strange how they disregarded it completely.

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Yeah, the way they framed, it was like her brother never existed, nevermind the way he was adopted and raised by some other family. It seems to weird to me that they left it out

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U.S. SPR release were exported to Europe and Asia last month, including top US geopolitical nemesis in the global arena, China, even as U.S. gasoline and diesel prices hit record highs.

The export of crude and fuel is blunting the impact of the moves by U.S. President Joe Biden to lower record pump prices. In a call, Biden on Saturday renewed a call for gasoline suppliers to cut their prices, drawing rightful criticism from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, because going after mom and pop gas stores merely demonstrates just how clueless the handlers of the senile presidential puppet truly are.

About 1 million barrels per day have been drained from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve through October, at an unprecedented pace. The drain means SPR inventories fell to the lowest since 1986. US crude futures are above $100 per barrel and gasoline and diesel prices above $5 a gallon in one-fifth of the nation. US officials have said oil prices could be higher if the SPR had not been tapped, and for once they are right. Still, the question looms of what happens to oil prices when the US can no longer sell the SPR amid concerns of a real emergency: we know the answer and the Biden admin won't like it.

Related: Is Biden Really Responsible For High Oil Prices?

"The SPR remains a critical energy security tool to address global crude oil supply disruptions," a Department of Energy spokesperson said, adding that the emergency releases helped ensure stable supply of crude oil.

Citing customs data, Reuters traced that the fourth-largest U.S. oil refiner, Phillips 66 shipped about 470,000 barrels of sour crude from the Big Hill SPR storage site in Texas to Trieste, Italy. Trieste is home to a pipeline that sends oil to refineries in central Europe. Meanwhile, Atlantic Trading & Marketing (ATMI), an arm of French oil major TotalEnergies, exported 2 cargoes of 560,000 barrels each. Cargoes of SPR crude were also headed to the Netherlands and to a Reliance refinery in India, an industry source said.

What is most notable is that a third cargo headed to US arch-enemy, China, which is now directly benefiting at the expense of US consumers as a result of Biden's escalating panic to undo the consequences of his catastrophic green policies by selling the most valuable US assets directly to Beijing!

But what is even scarier is the following exchange, in which the White House simply had no response when asked if the US is selling its emergency reserve oil to China.

Pointing out the obvious, Matt Smith, lead oil analyst at Kpler. said that "crude and fuel prices would likely be higher if (the SPR releases) hadn't happened, but at the same time, it isn't really having the effect that was assumed."

And while the midterms will come and go, and Democrats will suffer a historic loss, the U.S. energy picture is getting more dire by the minute thanks to the sheer incompetence and/or corruption of the executive branch: crude inventories are the lowest since 2004 as refineries run near peak levels. Refineries in the U.S. Gulf coast were at 97.9% utilization, the most in three and a half years. This means even the smallest accident can and will sell oil prices to the moon

By Zerohedge.com

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Recession fears took hold of oil markets this week, with both WTI and Brent briefly slipping below $100. Since then, Brent has rebounded above the three-digit threshold while WTI has yet to recover. This has given rise to hopes that gasoline prices could also slip further after the national average inched down from an all-time high of more than $5 per gallon. It appears, however, that there is little hope for a significant decline at the pump.

A tweet by President Biden from the July 4 weekend became viral for calling on fuel station owners to lower prices.

"My message to the companies running gas stations and setting prices at the pump is simple: this is a time of war and global peril," Biden wrote. "Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you're paying for the product. And do it now," Biden said.

The responses that this tweet garnered were not all positive, with some telling Biden that this is not how the retail fuel industry works, others noting that fuel station owners do not make the enormous sum of money Biden had suggested.

Even Amazon's Jeff Bezos lashed out at the president, effectively accusing him of either deliberately misdirecting attention or demonstrating "a deep misunderstanding of basic market dynamics."

The exchange of tweetswhich continued with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claiming oil prices had fallen by $15 over Junewas yet another sign that the price situation with fuel in the U.S. was quite complicated. According to analysts, it is likely to remain complicated as pre-election anxieties also run higher.

Related: China Continues To Buy Record Levels Of Russian Crude

Tamar Essner from Vectis Energy Partners, for instance, this week told Yahoo Finance it would be a while yet before the national average falls back below $4. For this to happen, Essner said, we would need to see demand destruction.

"While we may see prices decline into this week, the drop could fade soon if oil prices reverse, especially with strong demand over the holiday," GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan said separately, also this week.

He struck a positive note, however, adding that "For the time being, Americans are spending nearly $100 million per day less on gasoline than when prices peaked a few weeks ago, and that's well-needed relief at a time when gas prices remain near records."

Essner, on the other hand, said that prices would first need to go higher before demand destruction materializes: "I think prices have to go quite a bit higher in order to see demand destruction," she told Yahoo Finance. "What that magical number is I don't know because we are in unprecedented times in terms of having this build of demand post COVID at the same time because of stimulus and higher disposable income."

Some believe there is already demand destruction. Rachel Ziemba, an energy researcher, told CNBC this week that "We're starting to see some signs of demand destruction, particularly for gasoline, but it's really just off some of the highs of last year, when gasoline prices were much cheaper."

"All these consumption metrics we look at are actually still higher now than they were this time in 2019, when gasoline prices were definitely cheaper, when a lot of other goods were cheaper. And when the U.S. economy was also in a fairly robust state," Ziemba added.

According to the AAA, the average gasoline price in the United States as of Wednesday was $4.779 per gallon. This was down from $4.865 per gallon a month ago and more than a $0.20 decline from the all-time high recorded in June.

Crude oil prices, meanwhile, fell to the lowest in 12 weeks earlier this week on deepening recession fears. The decline was boosted by the American Petroleum Institute's estimate of a build in crude oil inventories to the tune of close to 4 million barrels in the last week of June.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Germany, which is arguably the country that has suffered most from energy security failures, may soon have to bail out its largest utilities.

France plans to renationalize EDF, its giant utility. That doesnt sound like a big deal because the government already owns 84% of EDFs outstanding shares. But here is how we read the story. The French government wants to expand nuclear production in France and it also wants EDF to spend big money on the rehabilitation of numerous nuclear power generating stations. It has put pressure on EDF to embrace those policies and we suspect that it could force the issue as the majority shareholder.

But a board of directors, with a fiduciary responsibility to shareholders and other providers of capital, would have a hard time approving a strategy that looked too risky or economically uncompetitive. EDF is, after all, not a division of the ministry of defense, but rather a somewhat privatized company with the government as its biggest and controlling shareholder. At least that is the appearance it would want to give to its shareholders. If France requires more nuclear power for geopolitical or strategic reasons, despite its seeming cost disadvantage in the marketplace, we have no quarrel with that decision. Our issue is with the current policyto require some non-governmental shareholders to bear national security burdens and take financial risks that really belong uniquely to the government. The French have approached the matter with admirable clarity.

Germany, taking the almost opposite path, rejected nuclear power in its future after the Fukushima accident, and as a result, became energy dependent on Russian gas instead. One risk was traded for another but not spelled out. A month ago Germany took control of Gazprom Germania, a vital piece of natural gas infrastructure. Now the country faces another problem, the rocketing cost of natural gas that results from the Ukraine war. Germany may have to bail out Uniper, one of Germanys largest utilities, and even worse, allow utilities to pass on the higher fuel costs to consumers. We would be curious to see an analysis of the cumulative savings that Germany amassed as a result of contracting for a cheap supply of Russian gas as opposed to the astronomical costs of the present situation.

As an aside, the oil majors plan to sign long term LNG contracts beginning in 2026 (not much help now) with Qatar, the putative Saudi Arabia of LNG. Presumably much of this new gas would replace Gazprom supplies to Europe. Diversification of supply reduces risk. But is dependence on Qatar necessarily a low risk decision? Dependence on Russian natural gas was once considered a low risk decision too.

Our point, simply, is that energy infrastructure and supply is a vital component of national security. Ignoring the security aspects of energy policy in order to save money can turn into a big and expensive mistake.

By Leonard S. Hyman and William I. Tilles

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will seek support for the U.S. idea of capping Russian export crude oil prices during an upcoming visit to Asia next week, the Associated Press has reported.

Yellen will participate in the G20 meeting of finance ministers in Indonesia and also travel to Tokyo and Seoul to make a case for an oil price cap. China is not on her itinerary, the report noted, but Yellen has called on China to use its special relationship with Russia to bring a faster end to the war in Ukraine.

The Russian oil price cap was one of the main items on the G7 agenda during last months meeting of the worlds biggest economies, where the leaders agreed to study ways of enforcing it but admitted it would need the support of large importers, notably China and India.

The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, suggested earlier this month that the cap should be placed at half the current price for Russian crude. Russian oil already sells at an often steep discount to alternatives, and a further cut in half would put the price close to the level Russia uses for its federal budget.

Analysts, however, argue that the price cap weapon is unlikely to work because of challenges in securing enough support for it from both consumers of oil and producers. Also, the implementation of the measure appears to be quite complicated.

The scenario that seems to be under discussion is to tie prices to insurance coverage as almost all global maritime insurance is concentrated in a handful of Western companies.

There is also the question of how Russia responds to a price cap. Do we really think that Russia will actually accept this and not retaliate? I think this sounds like a very, very good theoretical concept but it is just not going to work in practice, Energy Aspects Amrita Sen told CNBC earlier this week.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Lower steel demand due to Chinas lockdowns in the first half of this year dragged down demand for coal used in steelmaking and resulted in a 67-percent slump in Chinese imports of U.S. coal between January and June, Argus reports, citing data from analytics firm Dry Bulk X (DBX).

Chinas coal imports from the United States were 2 million metric tons in the first half of 2022, a decline of 67 percent compared to over 6 million metric tons of coal China imported from the U.S. in the same period last year. Coal shipments from the U.S. Gulf Coast to China slumped by 71 percent year over year to 800,000 tons between January and June, DBX data quoted by Argus showed.

Per the analytics firm, the United States had a 2.1-percent share in Chinas seaborne coal imports in the first half of this year, down from a share of almost 4.8 percent for the same period of 2021.Last year, the United States exported around 15 percent of its coal production, and 58 percent of all U.S. coal exports went to five countries, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

China was the second-largest destination of U.S. coal exports last year, only behind India. China received a total of 15 percent of all the coal the United States exported last year, the EIA data showed.

In recent months, China has significantly boosted its coal production, following government orders for more coal supply. Faced with power shortages last autumn, Chinese authorities ordered an increase in domestic coal production as global coal prices soared.

In March, Chinas daily coal production hit a record high as it jumped by 15 percent compared to March 2021.

China has put more emphasis on energy security since the autumn of 2021. Earlier this year, China said it would continue to maximize the use of coal in the coming years as it caters to its energy security, despite pledges to contribute to global efforts to reduce emissions.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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A natural gas pipeline operated by Energy Transfer exploded on Thursday in a rural area southwest of Houston, local authorities said, adding that the fire was extinguished some two hours after the explosion on the transmission line.

The explosion occurred in the morning local time on Thursday. No injuries have been reported, and there has not been damage to any structures, Chad Norvell, Constable of the Fort Bend County, said. The fire was extinguished at 12:15 p.m. CET on Thursday, Fort Bend County later confirmed.

Energy Transfer, the operator of the natural gas transmission pipeline, told Reuters in an emailed statement that Our control center immediately shut in the line and the area was secured.

According to Victoria Cann, a spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the company had reported a release of natural gas from the pipeline.

The Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates oil and gas activities and pipelines in the state, said it would investigate the explosion. Spokesperson Andrew Keese told Reuters the commission had already started the investigation. The pipeline operator, Energy Transfer, is also investigating the reasons for the explosion.

Meanwhile, benchmark U.S. natural gas prices at the Henry Hub surged on Thursday above $6 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a smaller than expected injection into gas storage for the week to July 1. Natural gas prices in the U.S. have eased from recent highs since the Freeport LNG export facility halted operations in early June due to a fire. Force majeure at Freeport LNG is set to continue until September, and the plant is expected to return to some capacity by the end of the year. As a result of lower U.S. LNG exports, the benchmark natural gas prices in America fell, as more gas would be now available for domestic consumption.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Norway approved plans on Friday for three gas field developments that will further increase production from the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the short to medium term.

The move comes days after Norways authorities approved applications from operators to boost production from several operating gas fields, the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy said on Monday, expecting record gas sales via pipelines to Europe this year. The ministry heeded applications from operators on the shelf and allowed higher gas production from the Troll, Gina Krog, Duva, Oseberg, Asgard, and Mikkel fields. The Energy Ministry has also granted a production permit for the Nova gas field, which is expected to start up in the near future.

In the new field development plans approved on Friday, the ministry approved the development plan for the third phase of the Ormen Lange field, the second-largest gas field offshore Norway. The start of production at Ormen Lange Phase 3 is expected in 2025.

The project will increase the recovery rate from Ormen Lange from 75 percent to 85 percent. The Phase 3 development will help maintain gas supply from Norway to our friends in Europe from the middle of this decade, Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland said.

The Ormen Lange gas field in the Norwegian Sea is operated by Shell. Gas from the field processed at the Nyhamna onshore processing plant supplies around 20% of the UKs gas, Shell says.



Related: UK Authority Finds Cause For Concern In High Fuel Prices

Apart from the Ormen Lange expansion, Norways Petroleum and Energy Ministry also approved today the development plan for the Tommeliten A gas and condensate discovery southwest of the Ekofisk field in the North Sea, and the plan for the Frosk petroleum discovery near the Byla field in the North Sea. Production from Frosk is set to begin in 2023 with an expected production horizon of 10 years, while production start-up at Tommeliten A is planned for 2024.

Norways decisions to allow higher gas production and approve more gas field developments come as its partners, the EU and the UK, scramble for gas supply ahead of the winter, which could be one of rationing for some industries and even households if Russian pipeline gas supply to Europe stops.

By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com

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Russia will increase its gas supplies to Europe if a turbine necessary for Nord Stream 1 that is currently undergoing repair in Canada is returned, Reuters reported on Friday.

Ukraine urged Canada on Thursday not to return a gas turbine to Gazprom, claiming that the Russian major has enough turbines to keep gas flowing to Europe at full capacity.

According to a Reuters report that cited a Ukrainian government official, if Canada returns the turbine to Gazprom, it would violate its own sanctions.

"The sanctions forbid the transfer of any equipment related to gas," the Ukrainian government source said.

"If, God forbid, this decision is approved, we will undoubtedly appeal to our European colleagues that their approach must be reassessed. Because if countries do not follow decisions they have agreed about sanctions, how can we talk about solidarity?" he added per Reuters.

Meanwhile, Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck called on Canada to release the turbine.

"I'll be the first one who will fight for a further strong EU sanction package, but strong sanctions means it must hurt and harm Russia and Putin more than it does our economy," Habeck told Bloomberg earlier this week. "Therefore, I ask for understanding that we have to take this turbine excuse away from Putin."

The turbine affair began last month when Gazprom began to reduce gas flows via the Nord Stream 1. The Russian state company attributed the reduction to a missing turbine that had not been returned after maintenance.

Germany's Siemens Energy explained that "Due to the sanctions imposed by Canada, it is currently impossible for Siemens Energy to deliver overhauled gas turbines to the customer. We have informed the Canadian and German governments and are working on a viable solution."

As a result of this delayed delivery, flows via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline are now at just 40 percent of capacity, and Germans are bracing for a complete halt of the flow for scheduled maintenance, which begins next week, on July 11.



Related: China Continues To Buy Record Levels Of Russian Crude

While normally Gazprom would divert flows to other pipelines, now there is fear it will not do so as relations between Russia and the European Union break records in reaching historically low point after low point.

Meanwhile, Canada has indicated that it has no intention of returning the turbine, with Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson saying in late June that "If you talk to the Germans, they are very, very concerned about" their energy security. "I'm sure it'll come up at least in the corridors of the G7 ... I wouldn't hold my breath that we're going to find a resolution before the end."

A Ukrainian energy ministry source who spoke to Reuters, however, said they had information that Canada was preparing to make the transfer of the equipment, with another unnamed source saying that the decision had been made as Canada and Germany did not want to give Russia an excuse not to keep the gas flowing to Germany.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Shell continues to load liquefied natural gas from the offshore Prelude facility in Australia despite industrial action, Reuters has reported, citing the company.

According to the report, Shell has loaded and shipped a tanker of LNG from Prelude this week.

The supermajor warned a week ago there would be loading disruptions at Prelude because of a workers' strike that has reduced the rate of operation at the facility.

"We have issued a notice to customers that cargoes will be impacted until at least mid-July due to the industrial action," Shell said on June 29.

The floating LNG production facility in northwestern Australia has an annual capacity of 3.6 million tons.

The news of a halt to operations adds to an already difficult situation for gas importers after Russia reduced the flow along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 60 percent, and an explosion took the Gulf Coast Freeport LNG out of commission for at least three months.

According to Reuters, at normal rates, Prelude LNG loads one tanker every 7 to 10 days. Now, operations have been scaled down as workers dispute wage terms with the supermajor. A vote on a new proposal by Shell is expected at the start of next week.



Related: Is Biden Really Responsible For High Oil Prices?

News of the industrial action emerged in early June, just two months after Shell restarted operations at the facility after a four-month suspension resulting from a large-scale power failure. The outage contributed to the gas price rise in Europe that began last year.

The Prelude FLNG facility, which shipped its first cargo in 2019, is one of a series of massive-scale LNG projects in Australia that allowed the country to briefly take the crown of top world LNG exporter from Qatar a while ago.

Currently, Australia's total LNG capacity is on par with Qatar's, with the country shipping 77.7 million tons of the superchilled fuel abroad last year.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Cheniere Energy, the largest LNG producer in the U.S., has requested from the Biden Administration an exemption from an EPA pollutant limit on the gas-fired turbines it uses, so it wont be forced to shut some capacity, Reuters reported on Friday, quoting documents it had reviewed.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes, as of August, two types of stationary gas-fired turbines in the rule for limits on air pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene. Cheniere, the top American LNG exporter, uses such turbines at its facilities in Texas and Louisiana, and has asked the EPA this spring to exempt it from the rule. Thats because the turbines cannot easily be fitted with pollution control equipment, Cheniere says.

In one letter to the EPA in March, seen by Reuters, the company says:

Potentially imposing significant costs and operational disruption on the U.S. LNG industry at the same time the administration is focused on Europes strategic need to break its reliance on Russian gas is counterproductive.

The request would be a dilemma for the Biden Administration, which seeks to limit emissions at home and, at the same time, help EU allies replace as much Russian pipeline natural gas as soon as possible.

A slowdown in U.S. LNG shipments is the last thing Europe needs right now as it scrambles to get any non-Russian gas to stock up ahead of the winter.



Related: Buffett Buys Another $700 Million In Occidental Shares

The EU has been importing record volumes of American LNG in recent months, although analysts say LNG imports alone cannot replace Russian pipeline gas.

For the first time ever, the European Union imported in June more LNG from the United States than gas via pipeline from Russia, as Moscow slashed supply to Europe earlier this month, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said last week.

Russias recent steep cuts in natural gas flows to the EU mean this is the 1st month in history in which the EU has imported more gas via LNG from the US than via pipeline from Russia, Birol tweeted last week.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP)  The man charged with killing seven people at an Independence Day parade confessed to police that he unleashed a hail of bullets from a rooftop in suburban Chicago and then fled to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he contemplated shooting up an event there, authorities said Wednesday.

The suspect turned back to Illinois, where he was later arrested, after deciding he was not prepared to pull off another attack in Wisconsin, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference following a hearing where the 21-year-old man was denied bond.

The parade shooting left another American community reeling  this time affluent Highland Park, home to about 30,000 people near the Lake Michigan shore. More than two dozen people were wounded, some critically, and hundreds of marchers, parents and children fled in a panic.

Covelli said it did not appear that the suspect had planned another attack in Wisconsin, but fled there, saw another Independence Day celebration and seriously contemplated firing on it. The assailant had ditched the semi-automatic rifle he used in Illinois, but he had another, similar rifle and about 60 more rounds with him, according to Covelli.

Police later found his phone in Middleton, Wisconsin, which is about 135 miles (217 kilometers) from Highland Park.

For hours before his arrest, police warned that the gunman was still at large and that he should be considered armed and dangerous. Several nearby cities canceled events including parades and fireworks. Most festivities in and around Wisconsins capital city went ahead.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told a news conference Wednesday that the FBI urged the department on Monday evening to prepare its SWAT team because investigators believed the gunman could be in the area. Barnes said he was not warned at the time that the shooter was considering carrying out further attacks.

Lake County Assistant States Attorney Ben Dillon said in court that the gunman climbed up the fire escape of a building above the Highland Park parade, looked down his sights, aimed and fired at people across the street. He left the shells of 83 bullets and three ammunition magazines on the rooftop. He initially evaded capture by disguising himself as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd, according to police.

Some of the wounded remained hospitalized in critical condition, Covelli said, and the death toll could still rise. Already, the deaths from the shooting have left a 2-year-old boy without parents, families mourning the loss of beloved grandparents and a synagogue grieving the death of a congregant who for decades had also worked on the staff.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said he planned to bring attempted murder and aggravated battery charges for each individual who was hurt.

There will be many, many more charges coming, he said at a news conference, estimating that those charges would be announced later this month.

If convicted of the first-degree murder charges, the gunman would receive a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The suspect, Robert Crimo III, wore a black long-sleeve shirt as he appeared in court by video. As the prosecutor described the shooting, he said little besides telling the judge that he did not have a lawyer.

On Tuesday, Thomas A. Durkin, a prominent Chicago-based lawyer, said he would represent Crimo and that he intended to enter a not guilty plea to all charges. But Durkin told the court Wednesday that he had a conflict of interest with the case. Crimo has been assigned a public defender.

Rinehart also left open the possibility of charging Crimo's parents, telling reporters that he doesnt want to answer that question right now as the investigation continues.

Steve Greenberg, the lawyer for Crimo's parents, told The Associated Press that the parents arent concerned about being charged with anything related to their sons case.

Questions also arose about how the suspect could have skirted Illinois relatively strict gun laws to legally purchase five weapons, including the high-powered rifle used in the shooting, despite authorities being called to his home twice in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide.

Police went to the home following a call from a family member who said Crimo was threatening to kill everyone there. Covelli said police confiscated 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, but said there was no sign he had any guns at the time, in September 2019. Police in April 2019 also responded to a reported suicide attempt by Crimo, Covelli said.

Illinois state police, who issue gun owners licenses, said Crimo applied for a license in December 2019, when he was 19. His father sponsored his application, and he purchased the semi-automatic rifles in 2020, according to Covelli.

In all, police said, he purchased five firearms, which were recovered by officers at his fathers home. He purchased four of the guns while he was under 21 and bought a fifth after his birthday last year.

The state police have defended how the application was handled, saying that at the time there was insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger and deny the application, state police said in a statement.

Investigators who have interrogated the suspect and reviewed his social media posts have not determined a motive or found any indication that he targeted victims by race, religion or other protected status, Covelli said.

In 2013, Highland Park officials approved a ban on semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. A local doctor and the Illinois State Rifle Association quickly challenged the liberal suburbs stance. The legal fight ended at the U.S. Supreme Courts doorstep in 2015 when justices declined to hear the case and let the suburbs restrictions remain in place.

Asked whether Crimos case demonstrates flaws in state law, Rinehart said that the gap in the states gun laws would be that we dont ban assault weapons.

Under Illinois law, gun purchases can be denied to people convicted of felonies, addicted to narcotics or those deemed capable of harming themselves or others. That last provision might have stopped a suicidal Crimo from getting a weapon.

But under the law, who that provision applies to must be decided by a court, board, commission or other legal authority.

The state has a so-called red flag law designed to stop dangerous people before they kill, but it requires family members, relatives, roommates or police to ask a judge to order guns seized.

Crimo, who goes by the name Bobby, was an aspiring rapper with the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting on social media dozens videos and songs, some ominous and violent.
In the days since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization and overturned Roe v. Wade, reproductive health care has needed to operate in a new landscape.

Doctors and prescribers are now seeing an increase in demand for different forms of contraception, including emergency contraception and longer-lasting forms of birth control.

Some national pharmacy chains imposed limits on purchases of emergency contraception, even temporarily.

Nurx, an online pharmaceutical company that prescribes birth control along with other medications, saw increases in demand for emergency contraception after the leak of the Dobbs opinion in May as well as after the decision came down in June.

"When that decision was leaked, we saw a massive demand for emergency contraception. We saw a 300% increase in prescriptions being asked for and by our patients," said Kelly Gardiner, vice president of communications with Thirty Madison, Nurx's parent company.

The company then saw a "huge surge" in demand after the decision was final.

"We saw a 10 [times] surge for prescription-only Ella, and even though demand has leveled out right now, what we're starting to see is birth control requests are [three to four] times higher than usual," Gardiner said.

Ella is an emergency contraceptive pill that can be taken up to five days after sex. Emergency contraceptives work by delaying ovulation or preventing implantation and cannot terminate a pregnancy.

More people were also buying multiple forms of birth control. According to Gardiner, before the decision was released, about 30% of Nurx customers who had traditional birth control prescriptions would add Ella to their order. After the decision, that number rose to 60%.

"We're seeing people who used to just kind of use their birth control regularly, really want that added protection," she said.

For health care providers, the Supreme Court decision has brought more questions and concerns from patients.

"I am definitely seeing people who are saying, you know, 'My IUD expires in a year. Should I get a new one? That way if I can't access it, I've got coverage for another five years,' " said Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, a board-certified ob-gyn in Portland, Oregon, and a fellow with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "Or 'I'm not sure if I'm done having kids, but should I get a tubal [ligation] just in case? Because I don't know what to do.' "

A tubal ligation is a permanent surgical sterilization procedure. Although Lincoln said it's a procedure OB-GYNs are "happy to provide," it does require some consideration.

"We don't want people to just feel rushed into it and be like 80% sure, and so then they're going to regret it. So we don't want to perform surgeries on people who are conflicted. And so that's another another bump in the road."

Dr. Meera Shah, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic in New York, said she's seen more interest in vasectomies, as well.

"We've had an increase in number of calls to our health center of patients requesting vasectomies because of the decision," she said.

Confusion after Supreme Court decision

Some of the demand might be driven by concerns that certain types of birth control won't be available.

"People are confused," Lincoln said. "They hear that they can no longer have abortions or be able to control their reproductive future, and they're wondering if things like IUDs [intrauterine devices] are going to be next, if emergency contraception might be next, if their birth control might be next," she said.

"There's mass confusion, and I get it, because it's really hard to know what's true and what's not," Lincoln said.

Shah, who practices in New York and Indiana, said much of her post-Roe work around contraception has involved reassuring patients that they can still access health care, "telling the patients that, you know, in New York, abortion access is protected, and so is contraception access," she said.

Shah thinks some of that fear is coming from social media and discussions around the ruling.

"In the final decision, it was mentioned that we should revisit other cases that are rooted in the same theory as Roe v. Wade was, so Griswold being one of them," she said. Griswold v. Connecticut, a 1965 Supreme Court decision that protected a right to marital privacy and allowed access to contraception, was referenced in U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' concurring opinion on the Dobbs case.

"When is that going to happen? Is that going happen? Is that a real threat?" Shah said.

Lincoln, who has a large audience on TikTok, said she has heard from followers about difficulty accessing over-the-counter contraception products.

"I've had my followers on social media send me screenshots of the aisles where condoms are sold, and they're all gone too, because people are like, 'Oh my goodness, we need everything,' " she said.

"I love that people want to be prepared, but the stockpiling mentality doesn't help anybody, because we do end up with shortages," Lincoln said.

'Demoralizing' to health care practice

With the decision in place, reproductive health care providers now face an additional challenge.

"It's demoralizing to go through the amount of years of training that we go through, to know and to see the outcomes that happened with people when they didn't have a choice, when they had situations that they couldn't take control of, and to see that patients now who are just being told that they are not able to be in control of their life and their reproductive choices," Lincoln said.

"We've already been down, because of Covid and seeing our patients be left behind, out of the vaccine trials, and now this, it's just  it's just hard when you never thought this would have to be an issue. And we've got plenty of other stuff to focus on, right?

"We've got so many other things that we could be focusing on, and we're having to relitigate this and see our patients have their autonomy taken away, and it's just really hard," Lincoln said.

Shah noted the level of fear and uncertainty, particularly with her work in Indiana, that comes with ordering procedures that may not be legal the next day.

"It's really scary. We have to tell the patients, 'we'll put you on a schedule, but we don't know what tomorrow holds.' And as a patient, that is absolutely terrifying to hear," she said.

"As a provider, that's devastating. Turn somebody away? That's awful. Say 'I can't take care of you because the government says I can't'? When I know that this is safe and that your bodily autonomy is first and foremost?

"It's hard. Infuriating, actually."

___
Officials are celebrating the 50th anniversary of a historical marker that sits at the site of a sunken steamboat.

The marker, installed in 1972, commemorates the Steamboat Bertrand Discovery Site near DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. The discovery site is on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River. Contents recovered from the boat remain on display.

The Bertrands a fascinating part of Nebraska  and even United States  history, said Peter Rea, supervisory park ranger for DeSoto and Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuges. Its a fascinating time capsule for that era.

The Bertrand, on the way from St. Louis to Montana, took off from Omaha on April 1, 1865. As it came around a treacherous bend, the boat snagged on a submerged log.

All passengers were able to get off the boat before it sunk. Many of the items on the upper deck were salvaged.

By the time crews came back to recover the Bertrand, it was covered by sediment from the Missouri River and written off as a loss, Rea said.

The steamboat sat underwater for more than 100 years. In 1968, two Omaha men set out to find the boat, hoping it still housed gold and mercury.

They found the Bertrand, thanks to help from some old river maps. The boat was more than 30 feet underwater.

The boat wasnt structurally sound enough to be removed from the water. It still sits in what is now DeSoto Lake, which used to be a bend in the Missouri River channel.

The cargo that was removed from the boat was in remarkable condition, Rea said.

Items that were recovered included clothing as well as glass bottles that still held food such as pickles and cherries.

Most museum items from that era are centered solely on the Civil War, Rea said. Its not as common to see artifacts from everyday life as people moved west.

Unfortunately for the salvors, none of the cargo included gold or mercury. But, Rea said, they were able to uncover a priceless treasure thats now on display for future generations to look at and enjoy.

The rededication ceremony, which is open to the public, is slated for 10 a.m. Saturday. Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs for the ceremony, which is expected to last about 45 minutes and take place outdoors.

The effort is a partnership between the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri Valley, Iowa, and the Daughters of the American Colonists. The Nebraska State Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists funded the initial sign.

The event is a way to share the Bertrands story once again, Rea said.

Theres a lot to learn, he said. A lot of people who live in the area may not know about it.
An Omaha man who took part in a 2008 robbery spree in which two people were killed and a third was injured was resentenced Friday to 128 to 180 years in prison.

Eric Ramirez, now 30, was 17 at the time of the slayings of 22-year-old Luis Fernando-Silva and 27-year-old Tari Glinsmann. A third person, Charles Denton, was wounded during a failed robbery attempt near an ATM in Dundee.

Ramirez, then-15-year-old Juan Castaneda and then-18-year-old Edgar Cervantes took part in the Nov. 12, 2008, spree, during which people were indiscriminately shot at in eastern and central Omaha. Prosecutors said Ramirez fired the shots. Cervantes, who testified for the prosecution, said in court that he hatched the plan and drove his fellow gang members around from one killing to the next. He pleaded guilty to robbery and gun charges.

All three were convicted in 2010. Ramirez was sentenced to two life terms in prison after he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, one count of attempted second-degree murder, one count of attempted robbery and one count of criminal conspiracy.

Castaneda was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

In 2014, the Nebraska Supreme Court struck down the life prison terms of Ramirez and Castaneda. The state high court cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision that said automatically sentencing juveniles to life without parole violates the Constitution.

The convictions of the two were upheld, but the state high court ordered the cases sent back to Douglas County District Court for resentencing.

Under a law passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2013, judges were required to consider terms ranging from 40 years to life for the men.

In 2016, Castaneda was resentenced to 105 to 125 years in prison.

Cervantes had been sentenced to 96 to 115 years in prison. His sentence has not been changed because he was 18 at the time of the spree.

Under the resentencing decision handed down Friday, Ramirez will be eligible for parole in 64 years, with mandatory release in 90 years, said Brenda Beadle, chief deputy Douglas County attorney. The time Ramirez already has served  nearly 14 years  will be factored in, Beadle said.

Beadle said Friday that prosecutors argued for Ramirez to get more time than his co-defendants because he was the shooter.

It was a horrific crime, she said.

The delay in Ramirezs resentencing stems from a series of attorney changes, Beadle said.

At Castanedas resentencing in 2016, Glinsmanns father, Gene Glinsmann, characterized the robbery spree as more about killing for sport.

Ramirez shot Fernando-Silva  a new father who worked at Kona Grill  as Fernando-Silva sat in his driveway near 14th and Martha Streets.

Fernando-Silva had returned home but had yet to go inside. He was texting his girlfriend Good night when he was shot in the head. Castaneda then stole Fernando-Silvas wallet. The three gang members left him dead in the driveway.

Minutes later, the three drove through Dundee, where Ramirez shot at Denton and Hillary Nelsen at an ATM. Nelsen wasnt hit, but Denton was struck in the shoulder. He survived.

Then, about 20 minutes later, Castaneda pulled Tari Glinsmann out of her vehicle after she had just finished her shift and closed a convenience store at 52nd and Leavenworth Streets. Ramirez then shot her as Castaneda stood by. They didnt bother to take her cash.

Beadle said Fridays decision is just a relief for the family, she said. Theyve been through so much, and having to come back to resentencings and having to relive it all is traumatic and frustrating. Were glad this ends that for them.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden will visit the CIA Friday at a time when his administrations support for Ukraine has pushed the work of the normally secretive intelligence agencies into the limelight.

Biden will commemorate the agency's 75th anniversary since its founding after World War II. While at the agencys headquarters in Virginia, Biden will meet with CIA officers who have worked on Ukraine to thank them for their work, according to a U.S. official who requested anonymity to discuss the plans.

Biden has established a more traditional relationship with the CIA and other agencies after former President Donald Trump repeatedly cast doubt on intelligence findings and attacked what he alleged was a deep state of opponents.

Still, there were tensions last year stemming from Afghanistan, with finger-pointing across the government during the fall of the American-backed government as the Taliban overran Kabul. Current and former intelligence officials worked frantically to evacuate Afghans who had helped the U.S. during the two-decade war.

The release of predictions that Russia would invade Ukraine in February was a public boost for spy agencies that are often criticized and facing new pressure to deliver insights on China and Russia. Biden authorized an unprecedented campaign to declassify findings about Russian President Vladimir Putins intentions to launch a new war. It has been credited with building support for sanctions that crippled the Russian economy and the ramp-up of military support to Kyiv.

Douglas London, a former CIA officer who has criticized the agency's direction in recent years, said the war had shown the CIA was on its way to becoming an elite spy service again.

Its path to redemption has really been facilitated by Ukraine, said London, author of The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence.

But the intelligence community also underestimated Ukraines ability to resist the Russian invasion and wrongly predicted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys government would fall within weeks.

The agencies are reviewing how they assess a foreign government's perceived will to fight  an issue the U.S. also badly misjudged in Afghanistan last year when it believed President Ashraf Ghani's government would hold out for months, only for Ghani to flee and the Taliban to take Kabul as the U.S. was trying to evacuate.

Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who sits on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees, said he's pushed intelligence officials to review why there were two significant breakdowns in a year.

The quality of the intelligence pre-invasion was excellent and absolutely world-class, King said in a recent interview. The problem was the assessment of what would happen after the invasion.

Most of the intelligence community's work since the war began has been kept secret. U.S. officials have disclosed that they are providing Ukraine with information that Ukrainian forces have in turn used to hit high-value Russian targets, including the flagship Moskva.

The White House has tried to tamp down suggestions that the U.S. is directly helping Ukraine attack Russians out of concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin may see those suggestions as escalatory. Biden has said he wants to avoid a third world war.

As Ukraine successfully repelled Russian forces in the first weeks of the war, and under pressure from lawmakers in Washington, the Biden administration loosened its rules on sharing intelligence and is now providing more information to the Ukrainians. It has also committed $7 billion in weapons systems, ammunition, and other military aid since the war began in February.

But Ukrainian officials and observers say Ukraine is vastly outgunned by Russia in what's become a grinding war of attrition heavily reliant on artillery fire. Putin is believed by U.S. intelligence to have not given up on his initial aims to neutralize Ukraine in his eyes.

U.S. intelligence in the months ahead can be expected to have a large role in Ukraine. The U.S. is involved in shoring up the cyber defenses of Ukraine and other allies against Russia's capabilities to hack and steal from digital systems. Agencies are also on watch for election influence or interference from Russia amid expectations from top officials that Putin may use U.S. support for Ukraine as pretext to launch another campaign against an American election.

Ultimately, the U.S. calculus is this: We want to do everything we can to support the Ukrainians while avoiding a direct conflict with the Russians, said Dale Buckner, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret who now leads the security firm Global Guardian.
TOKYO (AP)  Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech  an attack that stunned a nation with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

The 67-year-old Abe, who was Japans longest-serving leader when he resigned in 2020, collapsed bleeding and was airlifted to a nearby hospital in Nara, although he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead after receiving massive blood transfusions, officials said.

A hearse carrying Abe's body left the hospital early Saturday to head back to his home in Tokyo. Abe's wife Akie lowered her head as the vehicle passed before a crowd of journalists.

Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Abe suffered major damage to his heart, along with two neck wounds that damaged an artery. He never regained his vital signs, Fukushima said.

Police at the shooting scene arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japan's navy, on suspicion of murder. Police said he used a gun that was obviously homemade  about 15 inches (40 centimeters) long  and they confiscated similar weapons and his personal computer when they raided his nearby one-room apartment.

Police said Yamagami was responding calmly to questions and had admitted to attacking Abe, telling investigators he had plotted to kill him because he believed rumors about the former leader's connection to a certain organization that police did not identify.

Dramatic video from broadcaster NHK showed Abe standing and giving a speech outside a train station ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. As he raised his fist to make a point, two gunshots rang out, and he collapsed holding his chest, his shirt smeared with blood as security guards ran toward him. Guards then leapt onto the gunman, who was face down on the pavement, and a double-barreled weapon was seen nearby.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events elsewhere after the shooting, which he called dastardly and barbaric." He pledged that the election, which chooses members for Japan's less-powerful upper house of parliament, would go on as planned.

I use the harshest words to condemn (the act), Kishida said, struggling to control his emotions. He said the government would review the security situation, but added that Abe had the highest protection.

Even though he was out of office, Abe was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai, but his ultra-nationalist views made him a divisive figure to many.

Opposition leaders condemned the attack as a challenge to Japans democracy. Kenta Izumi, head of the top opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, called it an act of terrorism and said it "tried to quash the freedom of speech ... actually causing a situation where (Abes) speech can never be heard again.

In Tokyo, people stopped to buy extra editions of newspapers or watch TV coverage of the shooting. Flowers were placed at the shooting scene in Nara.

When he resigned as prime minister, Abe blamed a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he'd had since he was a teenager. He said then it was difficult to leave many of his goals unfinished, especially his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to create what he saw as a more normal defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Loyalists said his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Tributes to Abe poured in from world leaders, with many expressing shock and sorrow. U.S. President Joe Biden praised him, saying "his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.

On Saturday, Biden called Kishida and expressed outrage, sadness and deep condolences on the shooting death of Abe. Biden noted the importance of Abe's legacy including through the establishment of the Quad meetings of Japan, the U.S., Australia and India. Biden voiced confidence in the strength of Japans democracy and the two leaders discussed how Abe's legacy will live on as the two allies continue to defend peace and democracy, according to the White House.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose tenure from 2005-21 largely overlapped with Abes, said she was devastated by the cowardly and vile assassination. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Saturday a day of national mourning for Abe, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted that he would remember him for his collegiality & commitment to multilateralism.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian declined to comment, other than to say Beijing offered sympathies to Abes family and that the shooting shouldnt be linked to bilateral relations. But social media posts from the country were harsh, with some calling the gunman a hero  reflecting strong sentiment against right-wing Japanese politicians who question or deny that Japans military committed wartime atrocities in China.

Biden, who is dealing with a summer of mass shootings in the U.S., also said gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it.

Japan is particularly known for its strict gun laws. With a population of 125 million, it had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in one death and four injuries, according to police. Eight of those cases were gang-related. Tokyo had no gun incidents, injuries or deaths in the same year, although 61 guns were seized.

Abe was proud of his work to strengthen Japan's security alliance with the U.S. and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president, Barack Obama, to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was under control when it was not.

He became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of Abes scandal-laden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of revolving door politics that lacked stability.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his Abenomics formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.

Follow AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
TOKYO (AP)  The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in broad daylight Friday shocked a world that has come to associate Japan with relatively low crime and strict gun control.

Japans longest-serving prime minister, Abe was shot in the back while campaigning in the city of Nara for parliamentary candidates. He died at a hospital, two days before the election.

The suspect apparently circumvented the nation's ultra-tight gun regulations by building his own weapon. Police said the 15-inch (40-centimeter) device was obviously homemade, and one expert compared it to a muzzle-loading gun. Authorities confiscated similar weapons when they raided the suspect's nearby one-room apartment.

The motive of the man, who was taken into custody at the scene, remained unclear.

Fatal gun violence is virtually unheard of in Japan, and most Japanese go through life without ever handling, or even seeing, a real gun. Stabbings are more common in killings.

Major universities have rifle clubs, and Japanese police are armed, but gun ownership rights have been a distant issue for decades. Even police rarely resort to firing their pistols.

With a population of 125 million, the country had just 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in a single death and four injuries, according to police. Eight of those cases were gang-related.

The densely populated capital of Tokyo had zero gun incidents, injuries or deaths during that same year, although 61 guns were seized there.

"Japanese people are in a state of shock, said Shiro Kawamoto, professor at the College of Risk Management at Nihon University in Tokyo.

This serves as a wake-up call that gun violence can happen in Japan, and security to protect Japanese politicians must be re-examined, Kawamoto said. To assume this kind of attack will never happen would be a big mistake.

Abes security team may face serious questions. But because such attacks are extraordinary in Japan, relatively light security is the norm, even for former prime ministers.

In remarks in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden described the profound impact of the shooting on the psyche of the Japanese people.

This is a different culture  theyre not used to" gun violence as unfortunately we are. Here in the United States, we know how deep the wounds of gun violence go from communities that are affected. And this assassination is a tragedy that all the people of Japan are feeling.

Japan's last high-profile shooting occurred in 2019, when a former gang member was shot at a karaoke venue in Tokyo.

Under Japanese law, possession of firearms is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal. The same rules apply to some kinds of knives and certain other weapons, like crossbows.

People who wish to own firearms must go through a stringent background check, including clearance by a doctor, and declare information about family members. They must also pass tests to show they know how to use guns correctly. Those who pass and purchase a weapon must also buy a special locking system for it at the same time.

Passing those hurdles will allow a license holder to shoot at clay targets. Hunting requires an additional license.

The weapon used in the attack on Abe was probably a craft-made firearm, according to N.R. Jenzen-Jones, the director of Armament Research Services, a specialist arms investigations firm.

He compared the weapon to a musket in which the gunpowder is loaded separately from the bullet.

Firearms legislation in Japan is very restrictive, so I think what were seeing here, with whats probably a muzzle-loading weapon, is not just an attempt to circumvent the control of firearms, but also the strict control of ammunition in Japan, he said.

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Lviv, Ukraine, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Jon Gambrell is on Twitter https://twitter.com/jongambrellAP

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday authorized state forces to apprehend migrants and return them to the U.S.-Mexico border, pushing the boundaries of their enforcement powers and the Republican's escalating efforts to curb the rising number of crossings.

The federal government is responsible for enforcement of immigration. The White House criticized the move and one immigrant rights group called for swift intervention from the Justice Department.

For more than a year, Texas has patrolled the border with an increasingly heavy hand. Abbott stopped short Wednesday of authorizing Texas troopers and National Guard members  who he has already deployed to the border by the thousands  to take migrants across the ports of entry and into Mexico, disappointing former Trump administration officials who have urged him to do so.

The impact of the order was unclear, including how widely it would be used and under what circumstances. But the authority described by Abbott would amount to a significant and untested expansion of the normal powers of the National Guard and state police, who until now have turned migrants over to Border Patrol agents, and in some cases, made arrests on state trespassing charges.

Among the questions the move raises is the training state forces have to detain and transport migrants. Legal experts expected the move to to invite court challenges.

Crossings are at or near the highest in about two decades. On the Texas border, U.S. authorities stopped migrants from crossing illegally 523,000 times between January and May, up from 417,000 over the same span a year ago.

Abbott has blamed the Biden administration and spent more than $3 billion in state funds on a massive border security apparatus. But the state operation has not stemmed the flow of migrants.

"As the challenges on the border continue to increase, Texas will continue to take action to address those challenges caused by the Biden Administration. Abbott said.

The White House responded by criticizing the results of Abbott's massive border mission, known as Operation Lone Star, including a week in April when additional commercial truck inspections gridlocked Texas;' 1,200-mile border with Mexico for a week. Governor Abbotts record on immigration doesnt give us confidence in what he has cooked up now," spokesman Abdullah Hasan said.

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department said in a statement it rejects Abbots move, saying immigration policy was a federal  not state  matter and that the decision was a purely political gambit.

This action can only be understood as part of the Texas state electoral campaigns, the department said.

Laurence Benenson, of the National Immigration Forum, said he expects legal challenges to Texas trying to set its own immigration enforcement policy, which conflicts with longstanding legal precedence that that is the responsibility of the federal government.

He also said its unclear how Texas troopers would pick up people solely for being out of legal status and not having committed a crime. Attempts to broaden state powers in enforcing immigration policy have failed in the past, including Arizonas papers, please law that the Supreme Court struck down in 2012 when Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the state may not pursue policies that undermined federal law.

The Supreme Court recently struck down a Republican-led Texas and Missouri lawsuit to prevent the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy that forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their request is considered. That ruling, Benenson said, affirmed the federal governments role in enforcing immigration law.

There is a recognition that we dont want to open the flood gates to having states set 50 different immigration enforcement policies, Benenson said.

Abbott announced the order in a statement and his office did not immediately respond to questions about how it would be implemented.

The announcement comes two days after former Trump administration officials and sheriffs in several South Texas called on Abbott to declare what they have called an invasion" and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war. Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures.

The idea has existed on the right fringes of the GOP for years but has gained traction among conservatives since Biden took office.

The Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials, has been driving the effort and criticized Abbott's order since it does not call for expelling migrants.

That is critical. Otherwise this is still catch and release, the group said in a statement.

U.S. border authorities are stopping migrants more often on the southern border than at any time in at least two decades. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago.

Comparisons to pre-pandemic levels are complicated because migrants expelled under a public health authority known as Title 42 face no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. Authorities say 25% of encounters in May were with people who had been stopped at least once in the previous year.

The advocacy group RAICES, which provides legal services to immigrant families and refugees, called Abbott's move an overreach of power and urged the Biden administration to step in.

Associated Press reporter Julie Watson in San Diego and Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.
LINCOLN  One year after the Nebraska State Patrol introduced its drone program, officials say the program has drastically reduced the time troopers spend at crash sites, improving safety for patrolmen and Nebraska drivers.

This is a week we are looking toward the future, State Patrol Superintendent John Bolduc said Thursday.

The program, implemented in June 2021, brought 36 drones to the patrol, and 32 troopers so far have been trained to pilot them, Bolduc said. The drones have mainly been used to oversee crash investigations. Over the nearly 100 sites observed in the last year, the drones have reduced the average time spent at crash scenes from 2 hours to about 53 minutes, said Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The time reduction improves safety for troopers and Nebraskans, Bolduc said. Ricketts said it also saves money, as research has shown that road closures cost the public about $310 per hour.

Some of the drones can also take up to 250 photos of crash sites, which are uploaded to State Patrol software to aid with ensuing investigations, Patrol trooper and pilot Matt Maus said.

In addition to helping out at crash sites, the drones have been used for aerial observation during wildfires in western Nebraska, and were even used to find a fleeing suspect who had climbed a tree in an attempt to escape pursuing police, State Patrol Commander Jason Scott said.

Patrol Lt. Brent Bockstadter said a future evolution of the program could see drones used as oversight in active shooter situations as well.

Its really a game changer, Bockstadter said.

The drones can stay in the air in high winds but are limited in rain or snow, Bockstadter said.

The patrol started the program after looking into innovations other state patrols were introducing across the Midwest. Bolduc said drone programs have become increasingly popular among law enforcement agencies nationwide, and will likely become the industry standard within the next few years.

Some 1,182 law enforcement entities across the country are using drones in some capacity, according to the Atlas of Surveillance, which documents technologies used by U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Drone use by law enforcement has generated concerns from some civil liberties advocacy organizations.

Dave Maass, director of investigations with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, one of those organizations, said the degree of concern largely depends on the use. For example, using a drone to help reconstruct the scene of a vehicle crash makes sense, Maass said. The same goes for dangerous situations, such as fires or search and rescue missions.

The more worrisome uses, particularly regarding state police forces, come from monitoring gatherings protected by the First Amendment, including protests and other demonstrations, Maass said. He also flagged the use of drones to gather information that would otherwise require a warrant.

Those are the sorts of things that concern us, he said.

In an email, State Patrol spokesperson Cody Thomas reiterated that the drone program is primarily focused on crash investigations but has also proven useful for locating missing persons and assisting with wildfire responses.

NSP does not use this technology for surveillance of law abiding citizens, Thomas said in an email. Each deployment must have a public safety nexus and supervisory approval.

Bockstadter said most of the patrols drones cost about $3,000 each, with their three thermal imaging drones costing up to $8,500 each. The drones are battery-powered, with an estimated lifespan of three to four years, he said.
LEROY  LeRoys ambulance service and a local thrift store will each receive grants from the energy company planning a wind farm in McLean County.

Apex Clean Energy, the Virginia company thats planned the 300-megawatt wind farm project in the southeastern part of McLean County, announced a sixth round of grant funding this week as part of the Diamond Grove Wind Community Grant Program.

The LeRoy Emergency Ambulance Service plans to use the $5,000 grant to purchase CPR training materials and pagers for first responders, said Laura Willis, administrator of the ambulance service.

This grant allows us to educate more people in our community on CPR procedures and safety, Willis said. We know that CPR-trained bystanders can double or even triple the chances of a persons survival in an emergency.

The second $5,000 grant will be awarded to Faith Second Chance Thrift Store to support operating costs and the shops mission to fulfill Matthew 25:38-40, which challenges us to welcome, feed, and clothe all strangers who are in need, store manager Kim Schimpf said.

Grants like this allow us to keep our prices low and our doors open to those who are unable to afford clothing for their family, Schimpf said.

The Diamond Grove Wind Community Grant Program, named for the wind farm project, aims to support programs in McLean County that build healthy communities in the areas of economic development, environmental sustainability, education and health and recreation, according to Apex.

Since April 2021, the company has awarded grants to United Way of McLean County, the Heartland Community College Foundation, the Heyworth school district, the City of LeRoy, LeRoy Community Food Pantry and the LeRoy Park District.

Organizations interested in applying for a Diamond Grove grant should visit diamondgrovewind.com/grant.

Apex aims to begin production on Diamond Grove by 2024 with 75 turbines planned.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. JB Pritzker announced $30.3 million in grants will be going to 87 local park projects that will help communities acquire open space and improve recreational facilities throughout Illinois.

McLean County will receive $64,700 for Centennial Park playground and improvements in Heyworth. Tazewell County will receive $400,000 for the Levee Park Phase III spray pad and amphitheater in East Peoria.

The grants are through the state's Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The grants can provide up to half of a project's funds and, when combined with the investment of local matching funds, will support more than $56 million in local park development projects and land acquisitions statewide.

The program began in 1987 and has invested $433.5 million in 1,816 local park projects. The program receives dedicated funding from a percentage of the state's Real Estate Transfer Tax.

Other counties receiving funding include Brown, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Cook, Dekalb, DuPage, Effingham, Franklin, Greene, Jefferson, JoDaviess, Kane, Knox, Lake, Madison, McDonough, McHenry, Moultrie, Ogle, Perry, Piatt, Randolph, Saline, Sangamon, Shelby, Union, Will and Winnebago.
CHICAGO  A grandson and nephew of Chicago's two longest-serving mayors was sentenced to four months in prison Wednesday after being convicted of tax crimes and making false statements.

Patrick Daley Thompson, 52, was accused of falsely claiming mortgage interest deductions and lying about lines of credit from the now-closed Washington Federal Bank for Savings.

U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama imposed the sentence after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

Thompson was convicted in February on five counts of willfully filing a false income tax return and two counts of knowingly making a false statement to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Thompson's grandfather was Richard J. Daley and his uncle is Richard M. Daley, who each served more than 20 years as mayor of Chicago.

Federal regulators closed Washington Federal in 2017. Investigators said Thompson lied about the extent of his loans to a new lender and said he only owed $110,000, not $269,000.

After the sentencing hearing, Thompson attorney Chris Gair called the sentence a "grave miscarriage of justice." He had suggested at the time of his client's conviction that the government wanted to nail someone named Daley, although prosecutors denied it.

Thompson left the courthouse without commenting.

In court filings, prosecutors said Thompson should be sentenced to two years in prison. They said he was a sophisticated lawyer and public official who knew the consequences of his actions.
A week after becoming the Republican Party nominee for governor, state Sen. Darren Bailey sought Thursday to pivot from his bungled response to the mass shooting in Highland Park by declaring more gun control laws werent necessary, saying state funds needed to be better directed for mental health services and trying to cast blame for violence throughout Illinois on his opponent in the fall, Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

But Baileys efforts to move past the controversy ran into problems of their own as the downstate Republican conflated state gun control laws, misidentified a neighborhood in Chicago where violence occurred over the weekend and even misquoted a Bible verse.

Bailey for at least the second time apologized for comments he made hours after a gunman opened fire at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, killing seven and wounding dozens more. Bailey in a Facebook post Monday prayed for victims, their families and law enforcement before saying, Lets pray for justice to prevail, and then lets move on and lets celebrate  celebrate the independence of this nation.

On Thursday, Bailey said he was sorry if those comments caused more pain.

Look, you guys know me. Im a father. Im a grandfather. And (Baileys wife) Cindy and I are heartbroken for these families, Bailey told reporters outside the Illinois Capitol in Springfield. The thought that my initial response could have caused more pain is certainly something that will keep me up at night. And Im sorry.

He also referenced a quote from the Bible: Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, before adding, I need to be better at that and I ask for your forgiveness.

A Christian who has often interspersed his political speeches with Bible verses and prayers, Bailey said the quote came from Psalm 112, which is in the Old Testament, but it actually is from the New Testaments Colossians 3:12.

As Bailey discussed the Highland Park tragedy, which has spurred discussions across the nation about the need for increased gun control measures, Bailey said new laws arent necessary. Instead, Bailey said, laws on the books werent enforced appropriately and the blame for that falls on Pritzker and his Democratic administration.

But in making his case, Bailey at times conflated Illinois red-flag law, which allows police or family members to petition the courts if they are concerned someone is unfit to have guns, and clear and present danger stipulations that are designed to prevent individuals in certain situations from obtaining or keeping a firearm owners identification card.

The alleged gunman, Robert Crimo III, legally obtained several firearms  including the rifle he allegedly used in the Highland Park shooting  even though months before he obtained a FOID card Highland Park police warned he could pose a clear and present danger. Illinois State Police said that warning did not meet standards to declare him an imminent threat.

Starting at the top with Gov. Pritzker, ignored it. It wasnt used, Bailey said, referring to the Firearms Restraining Order Act, which is the formal name for the red-flag law. And if it wouldve been used it couldve prevented this.

Baileys comments prompted a rebuke from the governors reelection campaign. In a statement, Pritzkers campaign said the state senator was lying about his own history in the General Assembly, where hes repeatedly voted against any restrictions put in place on gun owners by the Democrat-led legislature.

Bailey also has proposed legislation to eliminate the FOID card because, he says, it is duplicative since background checks are required for both FOID applications and gun purchases.

The FOID card system is simply to pilfer money from peoples pockets. Thats all it does, Bailey said Thursday. We have the federal firearm background check. We have age limits. We have waiting periods.

Instead of gun control measures, Bailey said efforts should be made to readjust state funding and direct it toward mental health services. He reiterated a call for a special legislative session to enhance mental health services to prevent violence and form a task force of doctors, first responders, clergy and others to propose solutions to violence problems.

He said access to mental health care continues to burden Illinois.

Among the issues that Ive heard, long wait times. Burdensome paperwork. Shortage of providers at all levels, especially psychiatrists. And not enough funding, Bailey said.

Still, in his three years in the General Assembly, including two as a state representative, hes opposed Pritzkers budgets that have included millions of dollars for mental health services. Asked about that on Thursday, Bailey said that instead of increasing spending we simply must reprioritize the spending.

Weve been passing new laws. Weve been developing new agencies. And under Gov. Pritzkers watch, it simply isnt working. And its time to do something real, he said.

Bailey also said Pritzkers leadership has resulted in escalated violence and again tried to link the mass shooting in north suburban Highland Park to violence in Chicago, which he repeatedly referred to as a hellhole in GOP debates earlier this year.

This unspeakable tragedy (in Highland Park) happened in an affluent, mostly white neighborhood, so its getting national news. But we must not forget that more than 60 people have been shot in and around Chicago already in July, Bailey said, casting blame on Pritzker. The pain in Highland Park, West Garfield Park, Edgefield Park  and even in the Loop  this is all on your watch.

There is no Edgefield Park neighborhood in Chicago. Following the news conference, a Bailey campaign spokesman said the mistake was due to a typo written in prepared remarks and that Bailey was referring to the Englewood neighborhood on Chicagos South Side.
HIGHLAND PARK  The rhythms of normal life began to sound again in Highland Park Wednesday morning.

Two restaurants along the parade route where a gunman killed seven and wounded dozens posted signs in their windows saying theyd reopen. A man told reporters their cars would be towed if they kept parking in his grocery stores lot. A school bus full of tiny summer campers drove by.

But the children perched up to peer at cameramen, at yellow crime scene tape, at the site of a massacre. And as more businesses began to open and locals started to trickle onto the shaken towns streets, the people in Highland Park felt life return to something different.

Silvia Schneider Fox and her daughter placed red roses at a makeshift memorial along Central Avenue.

I keep thinking, How will I be able to bring myself to walk this block?  the 59-year-old said.

The two stood in front of the stacked bouquets and held one another as they quietly sang Jewish prayers for healing and mourning. Further down the police barrier, Marni Pine dropped off smoothies to officers guarding the crime scene. The nearby store where the Highland Park resident works, Bright Bowls, sheltered 150 people in its basement after the shooting, said her co-worker, Amy Sliwicki.

It is kind of nice being out, being around everyone, especially people that are also going through it, Pine, 23, said.

The citys main street will never look the same to Courtney Mann, who grew up going to the Fourth of July parade.

You go two blocks away from here and it seems like life is normal, Mann, 46, said.

Late into the morning, FBI agents loaded abandoned lawn chairs and strollers into U-Haul trucks and drove them away. Central Avenue began to look clean again as Tuesday nights rain dried up.

Harvey Welstein searched for a path among the blocked roads. He hadnt seen downtown yet, but he already felt a mix of emotions.

Its sorrow, pain, anger. Now that Ive gone through some of the steps of grief, Im more angry than anything, Welstein said.

Welstein ended up in front of another shrine to the shooting victims, this one nestled into a semicircular memorial honoring soldiers killed in wars past. Among the candles, pro-gun restriction signs and wooden posts bearing the names of dead paradegoers, he stood in silence for three minutes. He turned away for a second and turned to face it again.

I see the family members, the people whose lives are changed forever, Welstein said.

Nearby, a woman wore a white Highland Park strong T-shirt. Across the street, a hairdresser rinsed shampoo from another womans hair.

Susie Posnock sat on a cushy chair in the Love That Spice cafe as her wife waited for a ginger shot. She had been in her Highland Park home wearing pajamas for the last two days, she said.

I needed to talk with people who are connected to the community, who had been here when it happened, to share some hugs and love, to heal a little bit, Posnock said. A woman killed in the shooting, Jacquelyn Jacki Sundheim, planned her daughters bat mitzvah, Posnock said.

After the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting left 21 people dead, most of them children, she told her friends on social media that its not if its going to happen to your community, its when, she said. Listening to others helps her feel better, she added.

A brown-uniformed deliveryman rolled a box into the cafe. Posnocks wife got her drink and took five of the free thin chocolate chip cookies owner Marlena Jayatilake had set out. Jayatilake made her put more cookies in a paper bag. She gave the couple hugs too.

Lets keep praying for this sick world we live in, Jayatilake told them.

The business owner was glad to see more people coming out into the community and reckoning with what happened.

I know the pain that people are going through right now, and I share it with them. It was senseless, she said.

Jayatilake cried more Wednesday than Tuesday, because she gave more hugs, she said. Sundheim had been a regular customer, Jayatilake added. Shes starting to feel some anger.

They robbed this town of innocence. Theyll rebuild  yeah, of course, its Highland Park  but its going to be hard, she said.

Sherry Levin also stopped by Love That Spice as she got back into Highland Park. Her boutique, Style Shack, cant yet open. Its two doors down from where the shooting took place, in the area police have fenced off.

I cant even glance into town, said Levin, 59. Its so traumatic. Its so deep.

Levin walked past the The Art Center Highland Park. On the Art Centers lawn, thousands of knotted orange ribbons memorialized the Uvalde victims and young people killed by gun violence across America. The installation was placed there a few weeks ago.

The Art Centers gift shop, classes and summer camps reopened Wednesday. Those services can help people heal, executive director James Lynch said.

This is why were here, said Lynch, who is on the Highland Park Chamber of Commerces board. No matter whats going on for me, I got to be here.

Artists have reached out, offering to help memorialize the victims of gun violence, he said. Hes not sure what to do, because the art center already had the memorial to the Uvlade victims.

Were changed forever, Lynch said.

Cecilia Antezana Marshall ran toward the wounded moments after the parade shooting. She thought she might be able to help with her CPR and first-aid training, she said. She got to victims before first responders and saw that a woman sprawled over stairs bloodied was dead. She offered her scarf to a man as a tourniquet, though he had already used a belt for that. She saw paramedics turn over a mans body. A yellow, beautiful baby shoe fell from his lifeless hand, she said.

As she worked at the ORT Resale Shop on Wednesday, she remembered the feeling that you couldnt help them, those people who died. But she had already cried enough at home, and it was time to return to her community.

Life continues. I cannot stop, Antezana Marshall said. We are here to help other people. For that reason, we need to be stronger.

Later in the day, a girl ran toward a friend at the corner of Central and Green Bay, only barely slowing down as the two embraced.

Youre OK! Youre alive! the friend said before kissing her on the cheek.

The two talked about who had been shot and what class they had in high school with the gunman as another woman leaned against a light post and sobbed.
The maiden edition of the Public Enterprises League Table (PELT) awards has come off at Kempinski Hotel in Accra with Tema Development Company Limited winning the overall Specified Entity of the year.



PELT, a collaboration between the Ministry of Public Enterprises and SIGA with support from the Ministry of Finance to engender competition amongst the Specified Entities brought together Chief Executive Officers, Board of Directors and members of public enterprises to witness the performances of the entities.



Addressing the gathering at the maiden PELT awards night, His Excellency the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia described the award as a pathway for recognising well-performing boards, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and their boards.



Dr Alhaji Bawumia said that the government will give the State Entities all the support to achieve profitable and sustainable operations as they play an important and critical role in the economy of the country.



He mentioned that even though the story of State Entities in Ghana has for a long time not been encouraging, they have seen improvements since 2017, providing hope that the measures which are being put in place by the government of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are beginning to yield results.



This is why I believe the theme Improving Public Sector Business Outcomes is particularly relevant to these maiden Public Enterprises League TableI wholeheartedly support the innovation of the Public Enterprises League Table (PELT) because it provides a pathway for recognising well-performing boards, CEOs and their management.



He was of the view that the recent interest in specified entities was because of the openness and transparency that this government has demonstrated by laying bare all the relevant facts that pertain to these entities.



For those who have followed particularly the publication of the State Ownership Reports, you will notice that the state of reporting has significantly improved, from what it was before. We had entities that had not presented audited accounts over a long period. While stating this, however, I would like to admit that there are still several non-complying entities when it comes to financial reporting.



relative to timely financial reporting, the honeymoon is long over and severe sanctions will follow from now onwards for those who fail to meet required deadlines as specified in the law. The state must generate beneficial economic and social outcomes from its investments in these entities, and the efforts made to improve reporting. The use of digital technology should make reporting much easier and seamless going forward, the Vice President warned.



Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia commended the Minister of Public Enterprise, Hon. Joseph Cudjoe for birthing this innovative PELT Awards to whip up competition among the State Entities to achieve the needed results signed up in their performance contracts with SIGA.



Meanwhile, Hon. Joseph Cudjoe, delivering his speech at the maiden PELT Award told the gathering that the award was one of the many management approaches aimed at solving the 65 years problem posed in Specified Entities.



These tasks as given by the President was and is to solve a 65-year-old challenge of high indebtedness, loss-making, non-performances and collapses of state entities, since independence. The charge to resolve such an old age problem required that we deploy different policy decisions from the ancient ways of doing things to restructure the state entities and deliver on the Presidents vision for industrial growth, corporate growth and institutional growth to create an expansion of the economy for job creation, he said.



To him, State Enterprises contribute significantly to the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the economy at large, hence, if they stagnate, the economy will not realise its full growth potential to contribute to job creation.



The Director-General of SIGA, Ambassador Edward Boateng, therefore, expressed his happiness about the award and the fact that it will generate healthy competition amongst Specified Entities.



He explained that the criteria for the awards are based on the Key Performance Indicators negotiated and signed between the Entities and SIGA.



There was a symbolic Performance Contract Signed by the CEOs of State Entities amidst performances by the Police Band, National Dance Ensemble and Ohemaa Mercy before twelve awards were given out on the Night.



Winners:



Best Inter-trading Company  Food and Drugs Authority (FDA)



Most Compliant Regulator  Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)



Most Compliant SOE  Ghana Irrigation Authority



Most Innovative SOE  Volta River Authority (VRA)



Most Efficient Regulator  Water Resources Commission (WRC)



Most Digital Specified Entity  Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA)



Most Financially Sustainable Regulator  Food and Drugs Authority (FDA



Most Innovative Regulator  Gaming Commission



Most Profitable SOE  Food and Drugs Authority



Best Regular of the Year  Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA)



SOE of the Year  Tema Development Corporation (TDC)



Overall Specified Entity of the Year  Tema Development Corporation (TDC)

Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline.com









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The Public Affairs Director of Parliament, Ms Kate Addo has emphasized the need to include social skills, negotiation, policy and effective communication in today's educational structure, as requisite skills at the secondary level to adequately prepare students to meet tomorrows workforce.



Speaking at the launch of the 80th anniversary of Ebenezer Senior High School, Kate Addo underscored the challenges confronting today's students and urged them to cooperate with their teachers and to learn outside school hours. She also underscored the importance of soft skills as a prerequisite for the world of work.



Todays students need education in social skills, negotiation, policy, effective communication and other soft skills if they are to be effective, relevant competitors in tomorrows workforce. she stated.



As a past student of the school, she raised concerns about the poor access to ICT knowledge and further stressed the need to give precedence to ICT education as a means to enhance productivity and be abreast with the rest of the world. She called for deliberation and the construction of an ultra-modern ICT laboratory to improve computer literacy at every stage of learning towards preparing students for the future.



ICT is a key ingredient for anyone pursuing any type of education. Now, in most learning institutions, work is done online. An ultra-Modern ICT lab for our school is imperative. Computer literacy and application must be a major requirement at every stage of learning since most of the information needed for knowledge acquisition in any subject can be found online. And it is a skill needed by our students for future work.



Adding that, past students over the years have not done much in improving the image and physical structure of the school. She persuaded a communal effort ahead to uplift the image of the school.



The Ebenezer Senior High School was established in 1941 by RobertbTeiko Aryee with a current enrollment number of 2578. The school has seen the likes of Lawyer Ayikoi Otoo, Professor Jeffery Squire at Waterloo University in Canada, Prof Mills, and Ms Kate Addo among other distinguished personalities as past students.







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has rejected calls from his party folks to the government for consideration and review of the school feeding programme among others in the wake of the economic crisis the country is plunged into to save its financial burden, Purefmonline.com reports.



Parliaments former Finance Committee Chair, Mark Assibey-Yeboah in an interview with Accra-based CiTi TV asked President Akufo-Addo to plan to make hard trims to significant social strategies to get the economy in the groove again.



He said the Free Senior High School programme (FSHS), the School Feeding Program, and the Nation Builders Corps (NABCo) are regions the public authorities could make reserve funds for and must consider reviewing. He called for a complete scrap of the school feeding program.



But in a response to Kumasi-based Pure FMs Pure Morning Drive on July 7, the Minister of Education asked Ghanaians to reject the appeal as it is not in the best interest of the pupils.



We have something generally called stunting, research shows that feeding children in school helps eliminate this stunting in the growth of a kid.



Many countries that do the school feeding like we do has a focused goal of helping children from impoverished backgrounds have some level of nutritious growth so as to aid their sense of learning".



"What we need to do as a people is to strengthen the school feeding program and not scrap it. Sometimes, it is only the source of food for some pupils so we shouldnt be clamoring for its scrap but rather a restrengthening of it.



The school feeding is very relevant. It helps our pupils to study better and I believe many shares in this view. We shouldnt entertain the calls for its cancellation. As the Minister of Education, I am against the call for its cancellation. Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum told Kwame Adjei Bohyen.













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Georgia made a big leap towards membership in the European Union on March 3 when it submitted a formal application for EU candidate country status alongside Moldova and shortly after the same move by Ukraine, which granted them the nickname of Associated Trio. Yet despite high hopes on June 17, the European Commission recommended that Ukraine and Moldova, but not Georgia, should be awarded candidate country status. A few days later, the EU leaders endorsed this decision based on Georgias recent democratic backsliding. Instead, Georgia was offered a European perspective, a roadmap to qualify for candidate status in the future.

BACKGROUND: The Georgian government planned to apply for candidate status in 2024, however, Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 changed the geopolitical realities of the post-Soviet space and the Black Sea Basin. This is particularly true for Georgia, which fought two wars with Russia after which parts of its territory remain under occupation. Yet the Georgian Dream (GD) government has taken a quite ambiguous stance towards the war in Ukraine. It did not join Western sanctions against Russia, which caused a wave of protests in Georgia. In an obvious move to placate public discontent, the authorities decided to apply for EU candidate country status ahead of schedule to reaffirm Georgias western orientation.

Government officials have also indicated that the decision stemmed from the geopolitical shift caused by the war in Ukraine, which encouraged the EU to accelerate the process of endorsing membership perspectives to the Associated Trio. There have indeed been signs that the EU also understands the urgency of the situation. The three EaP applicants were handed questionnaires that required less time and effort to prepare and there was a chance that they could get their candidate status as fast as four months after applying. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine received the questionnaires in two batches. Georgia submitted the first questionnaire, which consisted of 369 questions, in April and the second containing around 2,000 questions in May. Georgias questionnaire consisted of one political and one economic part. The part about political criteria inquired into the state of democracy and rule of law in Georgia, and covered a broad range of questions including the constitutional system, functioning of the parliament, government and judiciary, as well as citizen and human rights. The economic criteria pertained to Georgias financial, labor and product markets as well as its banking sector and sought to assess whether the countrys economy will cope with the mechanisms and forces of the EUs common market.

IMPLICATIONS: Although the Georgian government sought to utilize the geopolitical opportunity by applying for candidate status ahead of schedule, Georgia has worked towards closer cooperation with the EU for years. Georgia is part of the Eastern Partnership initiative and has signed and implemented an Association Agreement (AA) and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with the EU, which aimed to harmonize Georgias institutions and economy with EU rules. Starting from 2017, Georgian citizens are able to travel visa-free to the Schengen zone.

The latest report on implementation of the AA in Georgia, issued by the European Parliament in March 2022, points out that despite the challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has so far been able to implement part of the AA, which encompasses about 70 percent of the EU acquis. On the other hand, the DCFTA did not live up to its promise. While Georgias exports to the EU have grown over the years, they constituted only around 17 percent of the countrys total exports in 2021. Moreover, the structure of Georgian exports to the EU, which are dominated by mineral products, benefit local companies that are in some instances owned by Russian oligarchs with links to the Georgian ruling elite, or benefit large international companies rather than small local producers.

Over the years, Georgia has not only worked towards harmonizing its political and economic system with EU rules, but also to a large extent eliminated petty corruption, improved governance, reformed the political and electoral system, and improved basic democratic freedoms such as free speech and free media.

Nevertheless, Georgias unquestionable accomplishments are fraught by deteriorating democratic credentials under Georgian Dream rule. In the past several years, the ruling party has been accused of democratic backsliding and fueling domestic polarization, as well as a lack of determination in pursuing Georgias European orientation. Georgian Dream has been criticized for informal concentration of power in the hands of one unelected politician  the billionaire, founder of the Georgian Dream party and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who influences political and economic life in the country from behind the scenes. Another major problem is the profound polarization of Georgias political life, which is actively fueled by the ruling party, and has produced several serious crises including the recent conflict between the government and the opposition over the results of the 2020 parliamentary elections, which the opposition claims were fraudulent. Over the years, GD and Ivanishvili have also been criticized for using various methods of vote buying to influence the outcome of subsequent elections.

Other issues include persecution of opposition politicians, media and journalists critical of the government. A common violation is that courts often pass politically motivated judgements in cases involving opposition personalities. The lack of judicial independence and comprehensive judicial reform, as well as many malpractices in the judiciary system such as the non-transparent appointment of judges to the Supreme Court in 2021 is the most important source of Brussels discontent with Tbilisi. So far, the GD government has failed to implement necessary reforms in this area and even walked out of an EU and U.S.-brokered agreement with the opposition that envisaged electoral and judiciary reforms, resulting in the loss of a 75 million euro loan from the EU.

Serious irregularities in Georgian Dreams rule, in contradiction of the EUs fundamental values, eventually hampered Georgias efforts to move forward on its path to EU membership. In fact, over the last few years many international organizations and NGOs have concluded that the pace of democratic reforms in Georgia has stalled and the country is no longer a frontrunner among the EaP members, which it used to be. This has driven a wedge between Tbilisi and Brussels on many occasions. Weeks before the EU decision on whether to grant Georgia candidate status, on June 9 the European Parliament passed a resolution harshly criticizing the deteriorating media freedom in Georgia and called for personal sanctions on Ivanishvili over his alleged personal and business links to the Russian government. Earlier, the European Parliament had formally backed Ukraines and Moldovas candidate status but did not do the same for Georgia.

The EUs decision looks like a compromise since Brussels likely did not want to snub Georgia but rather push the ruling party to conduct serious reforms, and therefore offered Tbilisi a conditional perspective for candidate status. Georgia will be admitted as a formal candidate only after delivering the reforms outlined by the European Commission, which will monitor and assess their implementation. These reforms include reducing political polarization in the country, comprehensive judicial reforms, respecting fundamental rights, as well as anti-corruption and deoligarchization efforts. The latter became a source of dispute in Georgia and beyond since many observers suspected that deoligarchization is meant to target Ivanishvili, while Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili argued that it refers to a few opposition figures and relatives of the former president Mikheil Saakashvili.

CONCLUSIONS: Even though the GD government seeks to frame the EUs decision to defer from granting Georgia candidate status as its own achievement and an overall success, thousands of Georgians took to the streets of Tbilisi and other Georgian cities to protest and demonstrate the countrys unwavering commitment to the European course. Demonstrations were organized by the liberal group Shame Movement and backed by pro-democratic groups and other opposition groupings, which put the blame for Georgias failed EU bid squarely on the government and on Ivanishvili. While the GD government pledged to deliver the reforms necessary to qualify for candidate status, top officials from the ruling party soon returned to the practice of throwing harsh criticism and baseless accusations at political opponents. This does not bode well for the future since the government and the ruling party will have to change their modus operandi significantly in order to fulfill the EUs requirements. This time, however, the authorities will face double pressure. President Salome Zurabishvili who has already criticized the government for squandering Georgias chance for EU candidacy and urged it to take the message from Western partners seriously. Pro-democracy groups who organized the recent pro-EU rallies also announced that they will form a movement to pressure the government to comply with EU demands.

AUTHORS BIO: Natalia Konarzewska ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) is a graduate of the University of Warsaw and a freelance expert and analyst with a focus on political and economic developments in the post-Soviet space.
Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Ocquaye, has said that the country will continue to resort to International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support if citizens do not change their attitudes.



Speaking at the inaugural memorial lecture of Okyenhene Ba Dr. Jones Akwasi Amoako Atta Ofori-Atta at the University of Ghana, the former Speaker of Parliament lamented the rate of indiscipline in the country.



From a litany of issues raised such as absenteeism at work and stealing of state property, he said the rate of indiscipline was militating against the country.



Indiscipline abounds everywhere in this nation. We may well dedicate this lecture to absenteeism, lack of punctuality, African time syndrome, and insipid corruption at all levels and in all institutions and organizations including the church of Christ. It is tragic to recount that while we are crying over our marred development, some of our countrymen steal bitumen meant to repair the roads.



They do that overnight. Others steal the metals that make the railway tracks on the new lines being constructed which belong to the whole of Ghana. Others steal the oil from the generators only to have the whole generator blown up. They say the oil is used in some hairdressing saloons, he said.



While highlighting the countrys dependence on foreign imports, Professor Mike Ocquaye said that the country has a problem if it suffers from a global crisis once it occurs.



He noted that it points out the structural deficiencies of the country if all global issues affect its heavy reliance on imports.



On the country's recent resort to the IMF, Professor Mike Ocqaye said it was not a strange phenomenon for the country to tow that path.



He stressed that the country will continue to seek support from the Fund if the citizenry does not change its attitude toward helping the government.



He further emphasized the need for the country to be self-reliant adding that the governments school feeding programme was bound to fail because it depended on imported products.



We have a penchant to support wrongdoers. Ghana has been to the IMF in one form or the other, for 16 times already. Therefore, it is not strange that we are going to go again. But of course, we will continue to go if we dont change our attitude in support of those who are ruling the country.



But one thing we can do, let us as a people come together with one accordnever again. India with over 1.2 billion people has internally generated guaranteed food security for over one year if production totally stops.



The soil is our salvation, corn should be abundant and the chicken will come. In fact, the school feeding program will never succeed if we continue to feed our children on imported tomato paste and imported rice, Professor Mike Ocquaye said



Background



President Akufo-Addo on July 1 ordered the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to begin formal engagements with the Fund.



The move has since divided public opinion. While some welcomed the decision, others have criticized the government for not remaining committed to its decision not to return to the Fund earlier.



Meanwhile, an IMF team has arrived in the country to begin initial engagement processes. The team is led by Carlo Sdralevich, who is the mission chief for the country.



Mr Sdralevich in a statement said: The IMF stands ready to assist Ghana to restore macroeconomic stability, safeguard debt sustainability, and promote inclusive and sustainable growth, and address the impact of the war in Ukraine and the lingering pandemic.



Meanwhile, the IMF team has begun engaging the Ghanaian authorities as it looks forward to supporting the country.











Source: ghanaweb.com









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The NPP Member of Parliament for Ablekuma North, Sheila Bartels, says the government should have waited with the construction of the National Cathedral in Accra.



Speaking to Nana Aba Anamoah on Starr Chat Wednesday, the lawmaker indicated that considering the level of ambition that birthed great policies such as the Free Senior High School, the construction of the National Cathedral should come later.



As a government you always have to look at the balance and I am totally for being ambitious. Because if you are not ambitious in your plans, ideas and what you seek to do as a government you will be mediocre. You will finish and you wouldnt have achieve much.



So it is good to have that idea that I want to achieve big things especially when it comes to my government on education for instance. I believe the concept of free SHS came about because of the engagement that was done. Knowing that the majority of the people who are especially in the rural areas and all of that cant afford to take their children all the way to the University, madam Bartels said.



She continued: You have a lot of brilliant students all around the country who wouldnt have probably gone to SHS if it wasnt for this investment.



She reiterated that though she agrees with people who are of the view that the investment in the FSHS was unnecessary, rural folks need it.



For me honestly, I think that the Cathedral could have waited, that is my opinion. I think it could have waited. Even though I loved the concept, when I travel abroad I see the infrastructure that attracts tourism but I think it could have waited.





Source: starrfm









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Millions of Public Relations practitioners across the globe are set to celebrate the second edition of the annual World PR Day to hold on July 16, 2022.



Launched in 2021 to forge a global agenda of enlightening the world about the nobility and misconceptions around PR, World PR Day witnessed participation from thousands of practitioners, organisations, and public observers.



Set aside as a day dedicated to truth, honesty and reputation management in a way that is beneficial to all people across the globe, July 16 also honours Ivy Lee, one of the pioneers of Public Relations practice who was born on the same date 145 years ago.



The second World PR Day will further advance conversations on the topical understanding and outlook of the practice. It will extensively spotlight the strengths, limitations, and potential of the profession, as well as the utilisation of new tools and trends, value propositions, and funding.



BHM Founder and CEO, Ayeni Adekunle, said, "We decided to begin to have tough, largely ignored conversations about PR last year, and we want to show once again how the practice has deeper connotations to how our world functions than it gets credit for.



"It is in our collective interests for the world to continue to understand the role of PR in shaping and inspiring not only businesses or governance across the globe but critical human actions that can make or mar generations to come."



As part of a three-pronged activity, the 2022 World PR Day will feature #MyPRStory - an inclusive new media activity where every PR professional will be encouraged to share one unforgettable memory from their journey in the PR industry. The stories will help to show the world the many facets of PR practice and how they impact society.



The event will also feature the PR Bible - a crowdsourced repository of PR resources from PR pros across the world.



A Fireside Chat on Twitter Spaces featuring top PR executives across the world to drive conversations and answer questions on trust, truth, and transparency will make up the third frame of the day's activities.



Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR); Francis Ingham, Director General of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA); Nitin Mantri, President, International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO); Rachel Roberts President, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR); Sylvester Chauke, Chief Architect - DNA Brand Architects; Steve Barrett, Editorial Director, PRWeek and Emma Wenani Chief Director, GMA Worldwide, have been confirmed to speak at the event.



PR practitioners and enthusiasts across the globe are encouraged to actively participate in the celebration by hosting formal events, global recognitions, seminars, debates, or workshops and; reading up and learning about PR through CIPR, PRSA or PRCA publications.



Stephen Waddington, a WPRD Committee Advisor and the Managing Partner, Wadds Inc., a professional advisory firm said, "We urge practitioners to drive social conversations by sharing their thoughts about the value, opportunity, relevance, and future of the PR profession on social media or publish blog posts and opinion editorials on their LinkedIn page or company websites.



"Participants can add to the conversations by sharing videos of their PR experience on YouTube or Instagram tagging @wordprday or using the hashtag - WPRD."



In the first-ever World PR Day celebration, BHM successfully propelled conversations around the world to extol the merit of PR practice. Conversations in the edition centred around the rise of digital communications over the years, the reductive view of PR's scope of functions, and the common failure of organisations to attribute the results of PR activities to their top line.



BHM also drives the Global Day of Influence - an annual event launched in 2020 to raise awareness about the need to stop the abuse of influence.



The events are part of the international PR firm's general commitment to continually propagate the appreciation of PR and its impact on the world.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Former Chairman of Parliaments Finance Committee, Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah, has urged the government to scrap some of its flagship social intervention initiatives, including the teacher and nursing trainee allowances and the school feeding programme.



He said that the government is currently not implementing these programmes well enough.



According to him, scrapping them will help it save funds needed to salvage the current economic situation.



In addition to the scrapping of these programmes, he said that the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) also needs to be reviewed.



Dr Assibey Yeboah, who made these remarks in a Citi TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, also suggested that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to ask the government to either scrap or review some of these programmes before it gets the bailout it is seeking from the fund.



Teacher and nursing training allowances (should be scraped)  It was a campaign message though, but there were so many campaign messages that have not been fulfilled your first term you did it fantastically.



"Do you think Free SHS is the way it is being run is good? When I was talking about feeding fees, my ten years old son, goes to Agape school their feeding fee for a day is GH 15 for a decent lunch, is my son better than those kids in the public schools (who are given GH0.97)? So, if you cant do it, scrap it. These kids when they dont go to school on weekends you think they dont eat at home? It will save you (the government) GH 900 million a year.



 why should we be paying for boarding facilities and the rest? So, we can shape the Free SHS somewhat. You have the Free SHS bill of GH 1.9 billion a year if you can save lets say GH400 million a year thats huge, Assibey Yeboah who is a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) said.



He added that scrapping these policies will not have any political consequences on the NPP but will rather help the government get the economy back on track.



Meanwhile, the government has stated that it will protect these social intervention policies as it negotiations for an IMF programme.



The Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, has assured Ghanaians that there is no way developmental projects and key social intervention programmes will be affected.



She indicated that between 2017 to 2019, the government implemented the school feeding programme despite being under an IMF programme and even expanded it.













Source: ghanaweb.com









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Former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for violating George Floyd's civil rights.



Chauvin, 46, pleaded guilty to the separate federal civil rights charges in December.



He is already serving a 22-year state prison sentence for the on-duty murder of Mr Floyd, a 46-year-old black man.



The two sentences will run concurrently and Chauvin will now be moved to a federal prison.



But he will almost certainly spend more time behind bars following the sentencing. His sentence is due to be followed by five years of supervised release.



"George's life matters," Mr Floyd's brother, Philonese, said in court on Thursday as he asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 25 years.



Chauvin, who is white, was convicted on murder and manslaughter charges in Minnesota for kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.



The killing - captured on a bystander's phone camera - sparked global outrage and a wave of demonstrations against racial injustice and police use of force.



The federal charges against Chauvin included two counts for depriving Mr Floyd of his rights by kneeling on his neck as he was in handcuffs, and by failing to provide medical care during the May 2020 arrest.



As part of the plea agreement, Chauvin also pleaded guilty to violating the rights of a then-14-year-old boy during another arrest that took place in 2017.



According to the indictment, Chauvin held the boy by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight and held his knee on the boy's neck and upper back while he was handcuffed and not resisting. Like Mr Floyd, the boy was black.



Prosecutors said that unreleased bodycam footage showed Chauvin kneeling on the boy's back for 17 minutes while he cried out for his mother.

When Chauvin pleaded guilty, prosecutors asked that he serve his sentence concurrently with his murder sentence. He had been facing life in prison if he were to be convicted at a second criminal trial.





In court on Thursday, his lawyer requested a sentence of 20 years, saying that he showed respect for the legal process during his trial and is not at risk of repeating his offences.



Addressing the court in what is likely to be his last legal hearing for years, Chauvin said that the judge had a difficult decision, given the "politically-charged environment," and recognised that the court strives for fairness.



Addressing Mr Floyd's children, some of whom were present in court, Chauvin said that he wishes them "all the best in their life" and that they have "excellent guidance in becoming good adults". He did not apologise.



"For your actions, you must be held accountable," Judge Paul Magnuson said before handing down the sentence.



He concluded the 35-minute hearing by wishing Chauvin "the very best in his future".









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Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has expressed misgivings about the decision of the government to turn to the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic rescue programme.



The veteran journalist said he always felt disappointed whenever successive governments opt to approach the international lender in times of economic crisis. Ive always had difficulties with the IMF and let me the honest with you; while it is the right of the government to opt for that, I felt disappointed.



"I remember in 2015, I felt the same way even though I publicly said it was the right of the government to go for it but regrettable same with 2009," he stated in an interview on Metro TV, July 7. Mr. Baako said it was unsettling that Ghana keeps returning to the Fund for assistance, exiting and within years walking back, a sign that the hard lessons required are not learnt.



So, it is not good enough and we cannot continue going in circles and each time we take a programme, we appear to have succeeded in implementing the programme and within three to four years, we are back to square one, it doesnt make sense. It doesnt make you a proud Ghanaian, he stressed.



Government on July 1, 2022, took the decision to begin formal engagements with IMF contrary to its earlier position of not returning to the Fund.



The decision has since divided public opinion.



If the engagement is successful, it will be the seventeenth time the country has returned to the Bretton Woods Institution for economic support.



Some reasons the government has consistently cited for which it made a U-turn on its earlier position on the IMF is the twin crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Source: ghanaweb.com









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The Minority in Parliament has warned the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government to desist from moving further in getting the House to approve a 1 billion dollar syndicated loan.



According to John Jinapor, a member of the caucus, his side will resist any attempt by the government to rush through the loan approval process like the controversial E-Levy.



I think that both the Majority and Minority must do the needful and ask the Finance Minister to withdraw this request. We must go through all the processes, look at the true state of the economy why we are in this mess, what we ought to be borrowing and exactly where we are applying those funds.



Given the current circumstance and what they [Finance Ministry] has given, its so opaque, not transparent and does not stand the test of time and I hope MPs from both sides will put the nation first, Jinapor said.



He noted that, if the loan is approved, the government will pay almost 50 million dollars as insurance and then pay about 1.75 million dollars as arrangement or agency fee.



Describing the loan facility as terrible and inimical, the former Deputy Power Minister said the loan must be withdrawn as soon as possible.



Even worse is the fact that this government has collateralized almost all revenue streams and is seeking to collateralize more, including our gold royalties under the dubious Agyapa Deal.



In view of the above, we in the NDC cannot lend support to the 1 billion syndicated loan agreement. We wish to serve notice going forward that the NDC in Parliament will not support any further non-concessionary borrowing or loans that are not project-specific, he said.



The Finance Ministry is seeking Parliaments approval for a 750 million dollar loan facility agreement between AfreximBank and a 250 million dollar loan agreement from a syndication of banks to finance Capital and Growth-related expenditures in the 2022 budget.













Source: ghanaweb.com









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The main opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, has called on the government to relieve Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the roles they play in the management of the economy.



According to the party, the two gentlemen have mismanaged the economy forcing the government to seek a rescue programme with the International Monetary Fund, IMF.



Speaking on the GTV Breakfast show, July 7, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia said the anti-IMF stance of the president and his vice in times past had come back to haunt them.



It is the utterances of President Akufo-Addo and his ministers and Vice-President that have created the impression that the IMF is like a monster and anybody who seeks support has been a failure that is why that person is seeking support.



Their utterances have come home to haunt them. With their capitulation now, if you want to defend them, it would be easier to defend the devil at the gate of heaven than to defend President Akufo-Addo on the state of the economy."



On the subject of economic management, Asiedu Nketia stressed: "We need somebody with practical hands-on experience of handling such crises not someone who will be quoting textbooks because in economics you are told that all things being equal but all things are never equal in the real world.



Government started talks with an IMF team on July 7 with the engagement expected to extend through to July 13.



Government is seeking a rescue programme with the fund in the face of an economic downturn that it says has been occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.





Source: ghanaweb.com









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Sarah Adwoa Safo, Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament, has been declared a 'missing person' by the Privileges Committee of Parliament after she failed to appear before them.



Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, Ranking Member on the Committee, had stated in a 3news.com reportage that, the committee feels disrespected by the MP, who doubles as a Cabinet Minister's decision to ignore their invitation.



We have tried everything. When you sign up to be a member here, we have every information on you and including how to find you, your email address, your phone number[s].



When you are travelling you also give additional information because your travelling address will not be on your data in Parliament so you provide where you are.



So this is the information that is available to us and that is what we have exhausted, Ricketts-Hagan explained.



Adwoa Safo, together with two other NPP MPs, Kennedy Agyapong, and Henry Quartey, were hauled before parliament's privileges committee for failing to attend to the business of the house for over 15 consecutive sittings without proper permission. The two others have since appeared and explained that medical reasons kept them away from the House.













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Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy of the governing New Patriotic Party has said President Nana Akufo-Addo has failed and expressed happiness that one of his harshest critics, Dr Richard Amoako Baah, has now seen the failings of the president following his decision to go to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.



When I foresaw government going to the IMF and spoke about it, the likes of Dr Richard Amoako Baah described me as cancer on the party's skin. It is not my training not to talk truth to power. I did it during the era of the late Rawlings' military junta so why not today when my own party is in power? he said.



The one-time campaign manager for the president, during the 2008 elections, applauded Dr Amoah Baah for his admission of Nana Akufo-Addos failure while speaking on the Citizens Show hosted by Nana Bobie Ansah on Accra100.5FM on Wednesday, July 7, 2022.



I'm sad that Dr AmoaKo Baah had to tell me he was wrong about his impression of me. Going to IMF is a sign of failure, so, I thank Dr Amoah Baah for his candid position on my views, Dr Kennedy stated.



According to Dr Amoako Baah, he erred for earlier caricaturing Dr Arthur Kennedy.



I was wrong; you were right and you have been vindicated...I didnt know what you knew at the time. After all, that is what has happened, you were right, Dr Amoako Baah told Dr Kennedy on the show.



He said the government must show remorse for some of its actions and inaction.





Source: class fm









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Bringing everybody on board to work together in a spirit of oneness for victory 2024 and beyond is the key objective of George Kwabena Abankwah-Yeboah, one of the key contenders for the position of National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).



Campaigning under the slogan Victory 2024 and beyond, Mr Abankwah-Yeboah, who is a product of Achimota School, said he had many plans to energise the party through training and empowering members.



Beyond the training, he said he would use his experience to impart skills on the youth and women to equip them as well as propel them up to start their own businesses.



That is how to achieve victory for the NPP in 2024 and beyond, he stated.



Equal opportunities



Aside from that, he has pledged to create equal opportunities for members of the party to improve upon themselves and also recognise and reward hard work and loyalty at all levels of the party structure to motivate people to serve the NPP wholeheartedly.





Mr Abankwah-Yeboah, who has served eight years as national treasurer of the party, said he would establish viable party businesses in all the 16 regions for the running of the party.



Vision



Sharing his perspectives on his aspirations to be national chairman,



Mr Abankwah-Yeboah, who is a pharmacist, said he would replicate his achievements as national treasurer when elected national chairman.



He cited the opening of official bank accounts for every constituency, direct disbursement of funds from the national headquarters to those accounts and the purpose for which those funds were to be used.





A founder member of the NPP in 1992, Mr Abankwah-Yeboah said as national chairman, he would create a comprehensive welfare system to capture present and past executive members at all levels.



Mr Abankwah-Yeboah, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Sharp Pharmaceuticals, said under his tenure as national treasurer, he settled all outstanding debts inherited from the previous administrations.



Discipline



He said he would uphold party discipline in a fair and open manner, stressing that the party needs a leader who is neutral and unbiased in his judgement. He should be able to bring discipline with love and not hatred.



He should be able to reconcile all factions.



He stated that he would show transparency and a readiness to share information as evident in the text messages he sent to all constituencies anytime funds were paid into constituency accounts and what it should be used for.



While congratulating the outgoing chairman, he said it was time for the party to have a leader with a difference.



We need a leader who is strong, fair, open and has a listening ear and will create an equal playing field for all party members, especially those seeking to contest in parliamentary and flagbearship primaries, he stated.



As national chairman, I will be fair and neutral, especially in the conduct of primaries for parliamentary and flagbearship so that all candidates will be happy with the outcome to move the party forward, Mr Abankwah-Yeboah

stated.



I will not want to lead a divided party. I will ensure that I bring all factions together and decisions are fair to all parties, he stated.



IMF



Touching on the governments decision to seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr Abankwah-Yeboah, who is a member of the Christian Evangel Assemblies of God, Adabraka, said Ghana was blessed with the NPP because anytime there was crisis in the country, it was always the party in power.

But in these, we successfully resolved the crisis, he said, while noting that under former President J. A. Kufuor when there was fuel crisis all over the world, the government managed it with ease without motorists queuing for fuel.



He said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even with the Russian invasion

of Ukraine, there was no queuing for food nor restrictions on items that one could purchase in the country and that showed that the NPP had often managed the economy well and better.



Mr Abankwah-Yeboah stressed that the IMF support was only to help the country balance its debts and payments.



On the increase in the price of food items, he explained that it was an annual cycle, especially between February and June each year, but it is

transient and by August  September, prices will normalise.



We have two-and-half years to go to the elections and time will tell. I am very optimistic that the country will be back on its feet by the close of next year, he stated.



He urged Ghanaians to have hope in the NPP and support it for a good cause.



He said the NPP was poised to continue with the good works initiated by President Akufo-Addo in 2025 that would fi rm up all the policies that were being implemented for the country and the welfare of the people.









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Following the long absence of the Member of Parliament(MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Adwoa Safo, The African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) has called for a declaration of the seat as vacant.



According to the Executive Director of the Center, Dr. Rasheed Draman, the people in the constituency have been left unrepresented for a long time.



The people of Dome-Kwabenya have been left unrepresented for long. If she [Adwoa Safo] can no longer represent them, it is best the seat is declared vacant, Citinewsroom.com quoted the ACEPA Director as having said.



Dr. Rasheed Draman was speaking on the back of Sarah Adwoa Safos failure to appear before the Privileges Committee of Parliament after many attempts to ensure same.



In an interview with Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, Ranking Member on the Committee he stated that the committee feels disrespected by the MP, who doubles as a Cabinet Minister's decision to ignore their invitation.



But ACEPA Director says parliament owes Ghanaians some answers regarding the subject of the Dome-Kwabenya MP.



This whole issue of she has not been served by the Privileges Committee, and all others, the question is what are the procedures on how long a Minister of State can be absent from duty? Do we have anything that guides that in running our country? If not, our leaders have some questions to answer. There are a lot of questions to be answered on this whole Adwoa Safo issue. Parliament owes us some answers.



Our Parliament is looking like one that cannot regulate itself. This is sending very bad signals out there and if nothing is done about it, Parliament may lose respect among the populace," he said.



Adwoa Safo, together with two other NPP MPs, Kennedy Agyapong, and Henry Quartey, were hauled before parliament's Privileges Committee for failing to attend to the business of the house for over 15 consecutive sittings without proper permission. The two others have since appeared and explained that medical reasons kept them away from the House.















Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Non-partisan pressure movement, OccupyGhanais of the opinion that "a nation that will not prevent or recover its lost and stolen monies, will keep making return trips to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)."



To the group, government's recent decision to seek a bailout from the IMF is nothing but a "crying shame".



GH Beyond Aid...No More IMF



The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration has come under intense criticisms for taking the country to the IMF. This decision to begin formal engagements with IMF is contrary to its earlier position of not returning to the Fund.



The President, in 2016, promised Ghanaians that there is no way Ghana will return to the IMF under his leadership and in respect of this, the country exited the IMF in 2019.



Remarkable IMF Volte-face



But after three years of exiting the international financial institution, Ghana is back to the IMF as the President directed the Finance Minister to commence "formal engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), inviting the Fund to support an economic program put together by the Government of Ghana".



Some reasons the government has consistently cited for which it made a U-turn on its earlier position on the IMF is the twin crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.



Government's talks with the IMF team started on July 7 with the engagement expected to extend through to July 13.



If the engagement is successful, it will be the seventeenth time the country has returned to the Bretton Woods Institution for economic support.



'Bitter Taste'



But in a statement issued today, OccupyGhana described the "return to the IMF for a paltry $2B" as one that "leaves a bitter taste in our mouths".



Detailing how the country has allowed over GH47billion which in dollar terms is almost three times the $2B bailout being sought from the IMF to be embezzled or dissipated wantonly, the pressure group believed "we would not need the IMF if the government was serious about recovering these lost and stolen monies, and then plugging the holes that allowed them to be lost or stolen in the first place."



"We have noted from the statement of the Information Minister, that Ghana would be seeking about $2B from the IMF. $2B is roughly 16B. Is that ALL we need to tide us over the mess that we find ourselves in? And do we have to go scurrying to the IMF to provide that, when from the Auditor-Generals Reports, calculated from 2016 to 2020, the amount of monies lost or stolen is 47,945,579,875? In dollar terms, that is almost three times the $2B we are going for.....



".....That is why this return to the IMF for a paltry $2B leaves a bitter taste in our mouths. We would not be submitting ourselves to this forced and humiliating Ghana [is not yet] beyond aid position if we had prevented the losses and thefts in the first place. In the second place, we would not be here if we had taken the simple steps of recovering the monies lost and stolen.



"How credible is this return to the IMF, when the monies we seek, sit comfortably in the bank accounts and pockets of those who caused us to lose the monies or who stole our monies?" portions of the statement read.





Read the full statement below:





Like almost all Ghanaians, it had been blindingly obvious to us for a while that the Government would have to return to the IMF. Yet, not even that foreknowledge could describe the disappointment when Government made the formal announcement.



This return is spectacularly remarkable because it is after we boldly announced the Ghana Without Aid aspiration.



FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT



When the 2018 Fiscal Responsibility Act was passed, we were concerned whether that Act would indeed impose the kind of fiscal responsibility and discipline that Ghana needed. We therefore wrote a detailed letter to the Finance Minister on 29 January 2019, to inquire which steps were being taken to ensure that there was real control of excessive government expenditure. We received neither a response nor even a simple acknowledgement of receipt.



E-LEVY



It was clear to everyone that the E-Levy was not going to be the panacea to Ghanas problem. We issued a press statement on 15 February 2022, in which we questioned the loftily utopian expectations, and stated that the e-levy will be meaningless until it is linked with (1) the total implementation of our income tax laws, (2) absolute commitment to recovering our misused monies, and (3) complete fiscal transparency and accountability. Although we delivered copies of the statement to both the Executive and Parliament, that was also ignored.



WHY DO WE NEED IMF SUPPORT?



We have noted from the statement of the Information Minister, that Ghana would be seeking about $2B from the IMF. $2B is roughly 16B. Is that ALL we need to tide us over the mess that we find ourselves in? And do we have to go scurrying to the IMF to provide that, when from the Auditor-Generals Reports, calculated from 2016 to 2020, the amount of monies lost or stolen is 47,945,579,875? In dollar terms, that is almost three times the $2B we are going for.



Clearly, we would not need the IMF if the government was serious about recovering these lost and stolen monies, and then plugging the holes that allowed them to be lost or stolen in the first place.



DISALLOWANCE & SURCHARGE



Mercifully, the framers of our Constitution had sufficient foresight on these matters and therefore entrusted the Auditor-General to, beyond merely conducting audits and producing journalistic reports, disallow wrongful expenditure and surcharge people who either cause losses or steal our monies.



Also, the 2000 Audit Service Act specifically empowered the Attorney-General to take legal action to recover the monies, where the persons surcharged do not pay after 60 days.



Yet, for almost 25 years after the Constitution came into force, these fine laws simply adorned the pages of our statute books, and neither the government nor the Auditor-General took any step to enforce them.



What we were subjected to was the annual charade where the Auditor-General issued lame and tame Reports, did no disallowance or surcharge, and then passed the baton to Parliaments inaptly named Public Accounts Committee to continue the charade with televised hearings that did not recover a pesewa of the lost or stolen funds.



SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT



It had to take OccupyGhana, formed only in 2014, to go to the Supreme Court to teach the Auditor-General how to read and understand the simple powers that the Constitution had vested in that office. Thankfully, the judiciary in June 2017, threw out all the defences that the government put up against our case, including the insultingly fatuous and risible objection that we did not have the capacity to take the government to court. The judiciary also ignored the blatantly false claim by the then Auditor-General that its Management Letters constituted the disallowances and surcharges that the Constitution demanded.



Ghanas judiciary stood up for Ghana when it unanimously ordered both the Auditor-General and the Attorney-General to do what is mandatorily required of them by both the Constitution and the Audit Service Act.



RECOVERIES MADE



As if by divine providence, this development coincided with the appointment of a new Auditor-General who was prepared to act on the judgment. As the President acknowledged in his 2015 State of the Nation Address, the first act of disallowance by the Auditor-General stopped the potential theft of 5.4B (which at that date was roughly $1B) by public officials. And as the Vice President acknowledged in a speech during a Town Hall Meeting on 3 April 2019, the Auditor-General had by that date issued disallowance and surcharge certificates in excess of 500M and succeeded in recovering almost 70M in lost or stolen funds.



Although not a single public official or other person got prosecuted for any of these, the pleasing aspects of these developments in Ghana caught the eye of the World Bank. In its 2020 GLOBAL REPORT, titled ENHANCING GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS AND TRANSPARENCY: THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION, the World Bank proudly mentioned the June 2017 OccupyGhana judgment and stated that these achievements in Ghana had inspired the enactment of similar legislation on disallowances and surcharges elsewhere. We know that Uganda, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Zambia and South Africa, have passed laws that take inspiration from our disallowance and surcharge laws.



GOVERNMENT SHENANIGANS



However, Ghanas role as the poster child in this matter was to suffer a severe jolt with the governments shenanigans that forced the immediate past Auditor-General out of office. Two cases filed around the same time to determine the extent of the Auditor-Generals independence as provided under the Constitution, have simply stalled. They are not being listed for hearing, despite considerable pressure from civil society.



RETURN OF THE CHARADE



The result is that the charade has returned. The current Auditor-General is clearly scared to exercise the disallowance and surcharge powers. After months of pressure from OccupyGhana, the Auditor-General now claims that he has issued just ONE surcharge since the 2018 Reports were published.



His weak explanation is that after he issues his Reports listing the losses and thefts, he then investigates to gather evidence for surcharging. If the Auditor-General is now gathering evidence, then on what basis did he issue the Reports in the first place? It is only in Ghana that the cart can pull the horse and the tail can wag the dog in such a brazenly inexplicable manner.



The Attorney-General is not left out in this charade. Apart from being required by law and the Supreme Court to take steps to recover the lost and stolen monies, he is required by the 2016 Public Financial Management Act to submit reports on these steps.



However, he has ignored all our requests for information (spanning a full year) on whether he has prepared and submitted these reports, finally compelling us to file a petition against him with the Right to Information Commission on 30 June 2022. We await the Commissions ruling.



IMF, THE BITTER TASTE



That is why this return to the IMF for a paltry $2B leaves a bitter taste in our mouths. We would not be submitting ourselves to this forced and humiliating Ghana [is not yet] beyond aid position if we had prevented the losses and thefts in the first place. In the second place, we would not be here if we had taken the simple steps of recovering the monies lost and stolen.



How credible is this return to the IMF, when the monies we seek, sit comfortably in the bank accounts and pockets of those who caused us to lose the monies or who stole our monies?



DEMANDS



We strongly demand that the Auditor-General immediately resumes disallowances and surcharges.



We strongly demand that the Attorney-General enforces the disallowances and surcharges, including taking criminal action, as also demanded by the Supreme Court.



A nation that will not prevent or recover its lost and stolen monies, will keep making return trips to the IMF.



Yours in the service of God and Country, OccupyGhana

Source: Peacefmonline.com/GHANA









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Former Member of Parliament(MP) for Kumbungu constituency, Ras Mubarak, has stated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo must be blamed for Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo's total disrespect for parliament.



According to him she is emboldened to disregard the August House because the President who appointed her as a Minister has also failed to crack the whip.



MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo failed to appear before Parliaments Privileges Committee to answer questions on why she has been absenting herself from proceedings of the House.



Her failure to attend parliamentary proceedings was referred to the Privileges Committee by Speaker Alban Bagbin for the necessary action. Two other NPP MPs, Kennedy Agyepong, MP for Assin Central and Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central were also referred to the Committee for similar reasons.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that this is clearly not an example of a government that is disciplined and that parliament should not waste time in sacking her.



He said she is clearly not sending a good signal.



He indicated however that he was very much surprise to realize that the NPP government has failed to take action on the behaviour of the Minister who has equally abandoned her ministry for the past year.



"The NPP government doesn't appear to me as a serious government. I am not sure this can happen in any government institution," he said.



"This level of gross disrespect can only be tolerated in the Akufo-Addo government . . . the more this issue of Adwoa Safo comes up, the more angry I become as a Ghanaian because it is completely intolerable . . . I can tell you that this government has completely lost it," he added.





Watch video below







Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









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Boris Johnson resigned on Thursday. (PA)

A crowd outside Downing Street sang 'Bye Bye, Boris' while the prime minister was making his resignation speech.

Boris Johnson quit on Thursday afternoon after suffering a wave of resignations from ministers and losing the confidence of his cabinet.

Read more: Boris Johnson resignation speech in full

In a speech outside No10, the prime minister said he was sad "to be giving up the best job in the world - but them's the breaks".

However, while he was making the speech a crowd behind the gates of Downing Street were singing a modified version The Four Seasons 'Bye Bye, Baby' replacing "baby" with "Boris."

Anti-Brexit demonstrator Steve Bray has become a common sight outside of Westminster. (PA)

The audience was joined by anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray and his speaker.

Bray has become famous for blaring out anti-government chants as loud as possible while politicians make statements or do interviews outside Westminster.

You can clearly hear in the video below the sound of Bray's speaker blaring out the song while Johnson delivered his brief statement.

Read more: Martin Lewis: UK needs new leaders in office asap ahead of catastrophic winter

Johnson said: "I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we're delivering so much," he said, adding: "I regret not to have been successful in those arguments."

Videos posted on Twitter also showed the protesters in full voice.

Waiting for Big Dog bye bye pic.twitter.com/z9JXsAobBc  Gavin Allen (@Gavinallen) July 7, 2022

Johnson said in his speech that he had been forced out by a "herd instinct" in Westminster which was too "powerful" to resist.

He has said he plans to stay on until a new leader of the Conservative Party can take over, which may not be until autumn.

The length of time he plans to remain in place has proved unpopular with many senior Tories.

Former prime minister Sir John Major has said it would be unwise and may be unsustainable for Johnson to stay in office.

Story continues

In a letter to Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady, he said either Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab should take over or their Conservatives should speed up the process for electing a new leader.

Under the expected timetable, Conservative MPs will take part in a series of votes to whittle leadership candidates down to two, with Tory members then deciding the winner.

Tory leadership hopefuls had already begun setting out their stalls before Johnson made his announcement.

Attorney General Suella Braverman and arch-Brexiteer Steve Baker have both indicated they will run.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng also hinted that he will throw his hat in the ring.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Government measures against the coronavirus, in particular nationwide lockdowns, have at times suspended the mechanisms of the market economy. Through no fault of their own, many people found themselves without work or income overnight. A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy has investigated how strongly and successfully social law has helped to secure livelihoods during the pandemic. In collaboration with legal scholars worldwide, 21 countries in five continents were examined, including Germany, Sweden, China, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Russia.

The book "Protecting LivelihoodsA Global Comparison of Social Law Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis," which is available open access, presents the first systematic legal analysis of the particular social protection dimension of crisis responses worldwide. It sets out whether and how the social law measures taken during the pandemic corresponded with existing welfare state systems as well as the particular challenges countries faced in implementing their crisis response. The study also explores how the relationship between collective risk and individual responsibility was negotiated during the crisis and whether long-term changes to each welfare state can be expected from the experiences of the pandemic.

Despite their very different welfare systems, the countries studied reacted to the pandemic with similar measures, most of which were financed by taxes. In particular, wage replacement benefits and short-time work schemes helped to preserve a large number of jobs and to stabilize employees' incomes. Companies were helped with low-interest loans, loan guarantees and a deferral of the payment of taxes, social security contributions and debts in general.

The measures to combat the pandemic posed a particular threat to the livelihoods of atypical workers, including, among others, those in the informal sector and platform workers. The self-employed also often fell between the cracks. In particular, welfare states with traditional social insurance systems were not equipped to adequately integrate the latter into the existing regulatory framework. The special support for the self-employed required against this background broke with the logic of entrepreneurial self-responsibility that dominates the market economy. Collective responsibility and social solidarity took its place.

In all the countries investigated, the pandemic acts as a magnifying glass that clearly reveals the strengths and weaknesses of social protection systemsespecially since the responses to the pandemic did not produce significant changes in their structures. Thus, the crisis has increased the pressure on many countries to reform their social protection systems to better meet current and future demands.

Explore further Among care organizations, day centers were hit the hardest by COVID crisis

More information: Becker, Ulrich/Seemann, Anika (eds.): Protecting LivelihoodsA Global Comparison of Social Law Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis. Becker, Ulrich/Seemann, Anika (eds.): Protecting LivelihoodsA Global Comparison of Social Law Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis. DOI: 10.5771/9783748932819

Provided by Max-Planck-Institut fur Sozialrecht und Sozialpolitik
As climate change continues to worsen, heatwaves like one that killed hundreds of people as it rolled across the Pacific Northwest last summer have become more common and more extreme. These heatwaves can lead to mass die-offs of fish in streams that become too warm for them. However, some salmon have found a surprising savior in this battle to survive: glaciers.

Rising atmospheric temperatures and extreme heat events have spelled disaster for Pacific Northwest communities. Heat-related illness and deaths for people are becoming more common, and environmental resource managers are dealing with droughts during summer months that make water allocation more difficult. Warming stream temperatures and low flows put cold-water species like salmon at higher risk of heat stress, disease, and even population die-offs, and heatwaves have sometimes been the tipping point between tolerable and deadly stream temperatures for salmon.

Glaciers can alleviate some of these effects by producing cold meltwater for the streams and rivers that receive their meltwater. In this way, they create buffers against high temperatures and low streamflows. However, the precise contributions of glaciers to streams and the effects of climate change on those contributions remain questions that can only be answered through long-term studies.

Mauri Pelto, the director of the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project (NCGCP), has been working to answer questions like those throughout his research career. An environmental science professor at Nichols College, he founded the NCGCP in 1984 to monitor the long-term response of glaciers to climate change. Along with a changing team of researchers including undergraduates, graduate students, and his own children, he has been studying these glaciers and tracking changes in their mass, terminus location, and water runoff for almost four decades. Though the main focus of Pelto's project is tracking and understanding glacier retreat, his work also includes collaborating with community partners to study the potential impacts of glacier retreat on wildlife, including salmon, ice worms, and mountain goats.

The latest study from the NCGCP, published in the journal Water this April, analyzes how the contribution of glacier runoff to streams during heatwaves can change stream conditions and potentially protect salmon populations at risk of heat stress-related harm in rivers. The research team compared two sections of the Nooksack River in northwest Washingtonthe heavily glaciated North Fork and the unglaciated South Forkand tracked stream temperature, water discharge, and glacier runoff during 24 heat events over the past decade.

The study quantified the effects of glacier runoff on stream temperature and discharge during a heatwave, confirming trends that water resource managers are familiar with. Heat events typically lead to warmer stream temperatures and lower flows. However, in glaciated streams, glaciers melt quicker and contribute more cold runoff to streams, buffering the temperature and water volume rates. While this general trend is understood, these differences have never been quantified, making it difficult to accurately predict the impacts heatwaves might have on rivers and species living in them.

The new study found that during heatwaves, water volume in unglaciated streams like the South Fork Nooksack declines by about 20% while water volume in glaciated streams like the North Fork Nooksack increases by 20%. The water volume in a river or stream affects the amount of dissolved oxygen and the temperature of the water, as well as the discharge levels, all of which impact salmon populations.

Pelto told GlacierHub that the impacts of glacier runoff for stream temperature during heatwaves were less dramatic than differences in water volume, but still significant. In the unglaciated fork, water temperatures rose by about 2 degrees Celsius while only rising 1 degree Celsius in the glaciated fork. However, Pelto points out that "the stream that doesn't have glaciers is already starting at a higher temperature, so it does end up being more of a problem for salmon."

The differences between these two forks are already clear for salmon. The South Fork has been exceeding tolerable temperatures for salmon (which is about 19 degrees Celsius), and last summer, there was a mass die-off of 2,500 Chinook salmon in the South Fork Nooksack River following a heatwave. Pelto explains it's not that the salmon die of the heat itself but that "their systems are stressed out, which makes it easier for an algae or bacteria explosion to harm them." In the North Fork, stream temperatures did not rise nearly as much and the salmon emerged from the heatwave unscathed.

As glaciers retreat and disappear, more rivers will begin to resemble the South Fork Nooksack. This means salmon populations will be more susceptible to the negative impacts of heatwaves and heat events, and large die-offs like the one seen last summer may become more common.

Salmon are a vital cultural, economic, and ecological resource in the Pacific Northwest, and their loss would be devastating to the region. Understanding the quantifiable ways in which glaciers buffer stream temperatures and discharge rates will allow fisheries managers to protect salmon and prioritize at-risk salmon populations in the future.

Explore further Melting glaciers will challenge some salmon populations and benefit others

More information: Mauri S. Pelto et al, Contribution of Glacier Runoff during Heat Waves in the Nooksack River Basin USA, Water (2022). Mauri S. Pelto et al, Contribution of Glacier Runoff during Heat Waves in the Nooksack River Basin USA,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/w14071145

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
Danaea alansmithii Colombia, Amazonas, Rio Caqueta. Credit: Photo, Hanna Tuomisto, Kew Bulletin (2022). DOI: 10.1007/s12225-022-10011-w

Researchers from the University of Turku have described seven new fern species from the rainforests of tropical America. Many of the species were uncovered as the byproduct of ecological research: the species diversity in tropical forests is still so poorly known that field trips and herbarium work keep discovering previously unknown species.

Researchers from the Amazon research team of the University of Turku have a long history of discovering species previously unknown to science. Now they have described seven new species of tropical fernssix of the genus Danaea and one of the genus Dennstaedtia.

"The described species are no tiny or unnoticeable creatures. They range from 20 cm to 2 m tall, and some of them are very common locally," says Doctoral Researcher Janina Keskiniva.

Among the six Danaea species described by the researchers, one attracted Professor Hanna Tuomisto's attention already in 1998 by forming dense stands that extended for kilometers on end in a poorly known area of Colombian Amazonian lowland forest, where Tuomisto was then doing field work for some months.

"Because there are few people in the area and the forests are largely intact, the new species seems to be doing well. In contrast, another one of the new species is already threatened by extinction due to advancing deforestation in the Colombian coastal rainforests," says Tuomisto.

Field trips to new areas often uncover new species

The species richness of tropical rainforests is still poorly known. According to the researchers, every field trip to a new area has a high chance of finding something new.

"Understanding how to identify the different species and where each of them grows is important for ecological and other research. Information is also needed for setting conservation priorities, as on the long term, the survival of species depends on the conservation of their natural habitats. To prevent biodiversity loss, it is important to protect areas that have special habitats and unique species," says Tuomisto.

When the researchers collect plant specimens and store them in herbaria, they often assume that the specimens represent one of the already known species. Proper comparison of the specimens may reveal that there are new species hiding in plain sight in the already existing collections.

"Most of the specimens we used to describe the new Danaea species were collected decades ago, some already in the 1800's. For all these years, the specimens have been curated in different herbaria. Now we could combine all that accumulated information from the herbaria with fresh insights from field studies made by us and our colleagues," says Keskiniva.

The fern specimen that triggered describing the new Dennstaedtia species was collected 15 years ago by Gabriela Zuquim, a researcher at the University of Turku

"I was taking pictures in the forest to produce a field guide of ferns. It was already getting dark, so I was heading back to the camp when I saw an unfamiliar fern. I had not seen anything like it before, so I made an extra effort and collected it," recalls Zuquim.

Now she has described the species as new to science together with the Brazilian researchers Tulio Pena and Pedro Schawrtsburd, who are sorting out the species limits and species names in this fern genus.

"The place where I collected this species has very different soils than most central Amazonian forests, so I am sure many more discoveries can be made there," Zuquim adds.

Different soil conditions create a mosaic of habitats in Amazonia, which has a big impact on how species establish and evolve.

"Our long-term goal has been to understand more about the biodiversity of Amazonian rainforests. We are especially interested in what factors determine which species grow where and why, and what are the drivers behind the evolution of new species. In the beginning, I was not interested in describing new species, but I soon realized that it is impossible to communicate about ecology and evolution if the species we are studying have no names," says Tuomisto.

Amazonia is the world's largest tropical forest area and it contains a big part of global biodiversity. It also stores enormous amounts of carbon and regulates both regional and global rainfall patterns and temperature. Therefore, conserving Amazonian biodiversity is of crucial importance for planetary well-being.

> The official scientific descriptions of the Danaea species have been published in the journal Kew Bulletin.

> The official scientific description of the Dennstaedtia species has been published in the journal Acta Amazonica.

Explore further Amazonian soils mapped using indicator species

More information: Janina Sofia Keskiniva et al, Six new species of Danaea (Marattiaceae) and the synonymisation of Danaea quebradensis, Kew Bulletin (2022). Janina Sofia Keskiniva et al, Six new species of Danaea (Marattiaceae) and the synonymisation of Danaea quebradensis,(2022). DOI: 10.1007/s12225-022-10011-w Nelson Tulio Lage PENA et al, Beware my spines: a new spiny fern (Dennstaedtia, Dennstaedtiaceae) from central and western Amazonia, Acta Amazonica (2022). DOI: 10.1590/1809-4392202103661
This commissioning test image is a subset of a NIRSpec multi-object spectroscopy exposure of a region close to the center of our Milky Way galaxy. NIRSpecs two detectors and its microshutter arrays were used to pack more than 200 spectra in a single exposure. Each horizontal stripe is a spectrum that scientists will be able to analyze to better understand the composition and properties of the gas found between the stars in this regionfor example, through the study of emission lines that show up at small, brighter, slightly tilted vertical lines in these spectra. Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA and the NIRSpec team

Three of the four science instruments on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have completed their commissioning activities and are ready for science.

Each of Webb's instruments has multiple modes of operation, which need to be tested, calibrated, and ultimately verified before they can begin to conduct science. The latest instrument to complete this process, the Near-Infrared Spectrograph, or NIRSpec, has four key modes the team officially confirmed as ready to go.

"We made it: NIRSpec is ready for science! This is an amazing moment, the result of the hard work of so many JWST and NIRSpec people and teams over more than two decades. I am just so proud of everyone," said Pierre Ferruit, Webb project scientist with ESA (European Space Agency) and principal investigator for NIRSpec. "Now is time for science, and I am eager to see the first scientific results coming from NIRSpec observations. I have no doubt they will be fantastic. Big thanks to all who made this possible across the yearsgreat job!"

The final mode verified for NIRSpec was the multi-object spectroscopy mode, a key capability that allows Webb to capture spectra, or rainbows of infrared light, from hundreds of different cosmic targets at once. In multi-object spectroscopy mode, NIRSpec can individually open and close about 250,000 small shutters, all just the width of a human hair, to view some portions of the sky while blocking others. By controlling this "microshutter array," Webb can observe multiple specific targets while reducing interference from others.

The confirmation of NIRSpec's multi-object spectroscopy mode marks the first time this capability has been verified for use from space. It will allow NIRSpec to characterize everything from the faintest objects in the universe to the formation of galaxies and star clusters.

NIRSpec was built for ESA by a consortium of European companies led by Airbus Defense and Space, with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, providing its detector and microshutter subsystems.

Out of 17 total instrument modes across Webb's four instruments, only one mode remains to be verified, for the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). When the team confirms this remaining mode, the months-long process of preparing Webb for science will formally be complete.

Webb's commissioning process culminates on July 12, with the release of the telescope's first full-color images and spectroscopic data, and the official beginning of its science mission.
Hanjaya-Putra and bioengineering doctoral student Eva Hall inspect stem cells under the microscope. Credit: University of Notre Dame

Within a newborn's umbilical cord lie potentially life-saving stem cells that can be used to fight diseases like lymphoma and leukemia. That is why many new parents elect to store ("bank") their infant's stem cell-rich umbilical cord blood. But in the 615% of pregnancies affected by gestational diabetes, parents lack this option because the condition damages the stem cells and renders them useless.

Now, in a study forthcoming in Communications Biology, bioengineers at the University of Notre Dame have shown that a new strategy can restore the damaged stem cells and enable them to grow new tissues again.

At the heart of this new approach are specially engineered nanoparticles. At just 150 nanometers in diameterabout a quarter of the size of a red blood celleach spherical nanoparticle is able to store medicine and deliver it just to the stem cells themselves by attaching directly onto the stem cells' surface. Due to their special formulation or "tuning," the particles release the medicine slowly, making it highly effective even at very low doses.

Donny Hanjaya-Putra, an assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering in the bioengineering graduate program at Notre Dame who directs the lab where the study was conducted, described the process using an analogy. "Each stem cell is like a soldier. It is smart and effective; it knows where to go and what to do. But the 'soldiers' we are working with are injured and weak. By providing them with this nanoparticle 'backpack,' we are giving them what they need to work effectively again."

The main test for the new "backpack"-equipped stem cells was whether or not they could form new tissues. Hanjaya-Putra and his team tested damaged cells without "backpacks" and observed that they moved slowly and formed imperfect tissues. But when Hanjaya-Putra and his team applied "backpacks," previously damaged stem cells began forming new blood vessels, both when inserted in synthetic polymers and when implanted under the skin of lab mice, two environments meant to simulate the conditions of the human body.

Although it may be years before this new technique reaches actual health care settings, Hanjaya-Putra explained that it has the clearest path of any method developed so far. "Methods that involve injecting the medicine directly into the bloodstream come with many unwanted risks and side effects," Hanjaya-Putra said. In addition, new methods like gene editing face a long journey to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. But Hanjaya-Putra's technique used only methods and materials already approved for clinical settings by the FDA.

Hanjaya-Putra attributed the study's success to a highly interdisciplinary group of researchers. "This was a collaboration between chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, biology and medicineand I always find that the best science happens at the intersection of several different fields."

The study's lead author was former Notre Dame postdoctoral student Loan Bui, now a faculty member at the University of Dayton in Ohio; stem cell biologist Laura S. Haneline and former postdoctoral fellow Shanique Edwards from the Indiana University School of Medicine; Notre Dame Bioengineering doctoral students Eva Hall and Laura Alderfer; Notre Dame undergraduates Pietro Sainaghi, Kellen Round and 2021 valedictorian Madeline Owen; Prakash Nallathamby, research assistant professor, aerospace and mechanical engineering; and Siyuan Zhang from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

The researchers hope their approach will be used to restore cells damaged by other types of pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia. "Instead of discarding the stem cells," Hanjaya-Putra said, "in the future we hope clinicians will be able to rejuvenate them and use them to regenerate the body. For example, a baby born prematurely due to preeclampsia may have to stay in the NICU with an imperfectly formed lung. We hope our technology can improve this child's developmental outcomes."

More information: Loan Bui et al, Engineering bioactive nanoparticles to rejuvenate vascular progenitor cells, Communications Biology (2022). Journal information: Communications Biology Loan Bui et al, Engineering bioactive nanoparticles to rejuvenate vascular progenitor cells,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03578-4
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In this drone image, researchers in the water watch as a narwhal swims away with a physiological monitoring tag (yellow instrument attached with suction cups on the back), which will record heart rate, breathing rate, stroking frequency, and depth for 1-3 days. Credit: Eva Garde, Greenland Institute of Natural Science.

The reaction of narwhals to the loud noise from seismic air guns used in oil exploration involves a disruption of the normal physiological response to intense exercise as the animals try to escape the noise. The overall effect is a large increase in the energetic cost of diving while a paradoxically reduced heart rate alters the circulation of blood and oxygen.

"They're swimming as hard as they can to get away, and yet their heart rate is not increasingwe think because of a fear response. This affects how much blood and oxygen can circulate, and that's going to be problematic," said Terrie Williams, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz who led the new study.

Published July 8 in the Journal of Functional Ecology, the study provides the first look at the impact of seismic noise on the physiological responses of a deep-diving cetacean. According to Williams, the combination of extremely low heart rates, increased heart rate variability, and high-intensity exercise during deep dives presents a significant physiological challenge for narwhals, especially if the disruptions are prolonged as would be likely during extended oil exploration activities.

This video shows the first dive of an adult narwhal after tagging. The research team can be seen standing in the water as the narwhal swims off, and then rolls onto its back exposing his white belly. The yellow heart rate tag is clearly visible on his back as the animal first swims. Credit: C. Egevang.

Narwhals live year-round in high Arctic waters where sea ice has helped isolate them from disturbance by humans for millions of years. But declines in polar sea ice are making the region more accessible to shipping, natural resource exploration, and other human activities.

In a previous study, Williams and her coauthors showed that narwhals released after entanglement in nets set by indigenous hunters showed a similar physiological response, with extremely low heart rates during intense exercise in a series of escape dives. The difference between a capture event and noise, Williams said, is the potential duration of the disturbance.

"When they escape from the nets, their heart rate comes back up to a more normal rate within three or four dives, but with the seismic ship moving through and the sound bouncing around, the escape response occurred over a longer period," she said.

The researchers recorded not only extremely low heart rates during noise exposure, but also increased variability, with heart rates switching rapidly between extremely low rates associated with fear and fast rates associated with intense exercise. Reduced heart rate, or bradycardia, is a normal part of the mammalian dive response, but during normal dives the heart rate still increases with exercise. In addition, narwhals and other deep-diving marine mammals usually save energy by gliding rather than actively swimming as they descend to depth.

A pod of narwhals swim and come up for a breath in Scoresby Sound, East Greenland, where the study took place. Credit: C. Egevang.

During noise exposure, the narwhals performed 80% less gliding during diving descents, their swimming strokes exceeded 40 strokes per minute, their heart rates dropped below 10 beats per minute, and their breathing at the surface was 1.5 times faster. Overall, this unusual reaction is very costly in terms of energy consumption, Williams said.

"Not only is the reaction costly in terms of the energy needed for diving, the escape time will also take away from time spent foraging for food and other normal behaviors," she said.

The studies were conducted in Scoresby Sound on the east coast of Greenland, where coauthor Mads Peter Heide-Jrgensen, a research professor at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, has been studying the East Greenland narwhal population for more than a decade.

Williams's group at UC Santa Cruz developed instruments that enable researchers to monitor the exercise physiology of marine mammals during dives. The instruments were attached to narwhals with suction cups and fell off after one to three days, floating to the surface where they could be recovered by the scientists.

A large male narwhal raises his tusk as he catches his breath before diving in Scoresby Sound. This study recorded the first breathing rates for diving narwhals during quiet periods and in the presence of a seismic ship moving through the fjord. Credit: Terrie M. Williams, UCSC.

Over the past two decades, noise from human activities such as military sonar has been linked to mass strandings of deep-diving cetaceans, mostly beaked whales. These deep-diving species are extremely difficult to study, and it was only through a partnership with indigenous hunters that Williams and Heide-Jrgensen's teams were able to attach monitoring devices to narwhals.

"Most of the potential impacts on the animals take place underwater, so it's really difficult to study," Williams said. "We are fortunate to have this technology to show what's happening at depth where these animals live in order to understand how their biology may be disrupted."

In addition to Williams and Heide-Jrgensen, the coauthors of the paper include Susan Blackwell at Greeneridge Sciences, Outi Tervo and Eva Garde at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Mikkel-Holger Sinding at University of Copenhagen, and Beau Richter at UC Santa Cruz.

Explore further Heart monitors on wild narwhals reveal alarming responses to stress

More information: Physiological responses of narwhals to anthropogenic noise: A case study with seismic 5 airguns and vessel traffic in the Arctic, Functional Ecology (2022). Journal information: Functional Ecology Physiological responses of narwhals to anthropogenic noise: A case study with seismic 5 airguns and vessel traffic in the Arctic,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14199
The photoexcited charge carrier is dressed by the local lattice distortion, which is revealed by ultrafast conductivity measurements using terahertz transient. Credit: Zuanming Jin et al.

Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have attracted tremendous attention for optoelectronic applications. For example, cost-effective solar cells, solid-state lighting, memristors, and ultrafast spin switches in spintronics have recently been designed using MHPs. Despite the promise of the material, many questions remain regarding the nature and mobility of charge carriers in MHPs, which require further understanding.

Researchers from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, in collaboration with Qingdao institute of bioenergy and bioprocess technology, Shanghai University, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Lomonosov Moscow State University, now report photoinduced large polaron transport and dynamics in organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite with terahertz probes.

The researchers experimentally identify the photocarriers-optical phonon coupling in CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 (MAPbI 3 ) polycrystalline grains, by using optical-pump and terahertz-electromagnetic probe spectroscopy. The photoinduced charge carrier, together with the surrounding lattice distortion over several lattice constants, forms a quasi-particlea polaron. Using the Drude-Smith-Lorentz model along with the Frhlich-type electron-phonon coupling, the researchers determine the effective mass and scattering parameters of photogenerated polaronic carriers. According to the polaron mass enhancement, the polycrystalline nature of the material, and the presence of defects, the large polaron mobility is calculated on the order of ~80 cm2V1s1.

Furthermore, the researchers reveal that the formation of large polarons in MAPbI 3 protects the charge carriers from scattering with polycrystalline grain boundaries or defects and explains the long lifetime of photoconductivity. The findings provide insights into the polaronic nature of charge carriers in MAPbI 3 materials, which is relevant for both fundamental researches and device applications. The results are published in the journal Light: Science & Applications.

Explore further Shining light on excited-state dynamics in perovskite materials

More information: Zuanming Jin et al, Photoinduced large polaron transport and dynamics in organicinorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite with terahertz probes, Light: Science & Applications (2022). Journal information: Light: Science & Applications Zuanming Jin et al, Photoinduced large polaron transport and dynamics in organicinorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite with terahertz probes,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41377-022-00872-y
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, famous inventors both, were also, famously, rivals. Their heated relationship came to a head in what became known as the "war of the currents." Tesla favored alternating currents (AC) for the United States electrical system, Edison wanted direct currents, and, though AC ultimately won out, the rivalry never faded.

In the pursuit of science, such discord is not all that unusual; poking holes in the theory of the day is often how progress gets made. Yet, when neither party is willing to budge even a little, this kind of debate can stall scientific advancement. Penn's Adversarial Collaboration Project wants to make sure that doesn't happen.

Led by Cory Clark, a behavioral scientist and visiting scholar in the Department of Psychology, and in partnership with Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor Philip Tetlock, the Adversarial Collaboration Project encourages scientists with competing perspectives to work together to design research that can adjudicate their dispute and test where the truth lies. Clark's team is currently running 10 projects with several dozen researchers from some 30 institutions worldwide and recently published on this work in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition.

"The current scientific model isn't working. It's often dysfunctional and unproductive and sometimes even counterproductive," Clark says. "We make the argument that scholars who care about truth should participate in adversarial collaborations any time their own research contradicts the research of another scholar. My ultimate goal is to improve science as a tool for discovering the truth to help humans flourish."

The history of adversarial collaborations

This idea of "adversarial collaboration" was first coined in the late 1990s or early 2000s by psychologist Daniel Kahneman, today an emeritus professor at Princeton. "He would be quick to say he didn't invent the concept," Tetlock says. "But he did come up with the phrase."

In a 2003 American Psychologist paper, Kahneman wrote that he believed controversy "is a waste of effort" and that "doing angry science is a demeaning experience." He sought an approach that didn't pit one scientist against another but rather saw them working together in search of an answer.

"Adversarial collaboration involves a good-faith effort to conduct debates by carrying out joint research," Kahneman wrote. "In some cases, an agreed-upon arbiter may be needed to lead the project and collect the data." He practiced what he preached, engaging in several such scientific endeavors, including one with PIK Professor Barbara Mellers as arbiter.

Clark came to this work by way of research she'd been conducting on biases in science. She and Tetlock met at a conference in January 2021, where they both sat on a panel on political bias in psychology. "Up to that point, he and I had both worked separately on this topic," Clark says.

Tetlock had also been a commentator on a recent paper of Clark's, where he recommended adversarial collaboration as a potential solution for checking biases in science. "He had been a long-time proponent of adversarial collaborations but had never participated in one himself," she says. "That summer, he and I started discussing ideas that would improve the truth-discovery process in science." Tetlock suggested delving deeper into adversarial collaborations, and Clark ran with it. That resulted in the Adversarial Collaboration Project at Penn, housed in the School of Arts & Sciences.

Though more scholars now know about this type of scientific partnership, they're still rare, Clark says. "People think it's going to be a negative experience. We're trying to demonstrate to our peers in the broader academic community that this is a viable, productive, rewarding way to do science."

Projects underway

So far, several dozen researchers from universities in the U.S. and abroad have signed onto 10 studies underway by the Adversarial Collaboration Project. Each aims to answer a different questionwhether the social sciences are politically biased, for example, or whether implicit bias predicts discriminationand includes anywhere from three to 10 researchers.

The process of adversarial collaboration requires both parties to commit to what Clark calls the "conditions of falsifiability."

"You need to get everyone to say, 'Here's a study that we could actually run where it's possible we could find A or it's possible we could find B, and if we find B then I agree to at least slightly modify my current perspective.'"

Clark points to one about socially motivated reasoning, in which the two sides are trying to determine whether people evaluate new information in ways that confirm their preexisting beliefs. "In other words, will you decide that a new piece of information is higher quality if it supports what you want to believe rather than if it challenges your beliefs? People have been debating this for a long time," Clark says.

The initial study brought together the "rationalist camp," which states that people are decent at discovering the truth and evaluating information in an unbiased way, and the "motivated reasoning camp," which argues that people are biased in analyzing new information and seek out data to support their beliefs. "In study 1, we found that people were equally sensitive to information quality when they didn't want to believe something than when they didn't care whether the information was true. But we also found that people evaluated undesirable information as lower quality," Clark says. "So, both sides were a little bit right and a little bit wrong." They're designing a second study now, building on what they learned from the first.

Crucial to all of this is a neutral third party. "The ideal form of adversarial collaboration assumes that there's a powerful centralized authority who can exert great pressure on the parties to be reasonable, to be good perspective-takers," Tetlock says. "So far, Cory's been playing a gentle diplomat or an intermediary who relies more on suasion." Given the heated nature of the debates, Tetlock says it's impressive just how much Clark and her teams have already accomplished. "I've been mostly gentle," Clark admits. "To my delight, it's been working so far."

The method's potential

Regardless of how Clark plays the role of arbiter, she believes this method has the potential for success in just about any field. "The behavioral sciences are where we've been focusing, but I think it could work in any discipline that's collecting new data, with pretty much any empirical debate," she says.

Tetlock agrees it has great promise, though he's slightly more conservative, particularly about whether adversarial collaborations will work on disagreements with high policy stakes, where the players are "enmeshed with particular political constituencies."

"It comes down to the question of, What is science? Science ceases to be science if the parties to the debate have asymmetric standards of proof, if they fear the error of falsely rejecting a hypothesis more or less than the error of accepting a false hypothesisand if they reserve the right to move the goalposts of proof whenever convenient," he says. "That's difficult to resolve empirically. It's a moral rather than a scientific commitment, and I'm not sure how you move through that."

The nascent Adversarial Collaboration Project is still learning how to resolve such issues. What's not up for debate, however, is what Clark says she hopes to accomplish with the work: to help researchers converge in their beliefs and move closerand more quicklyto the truth. "I want scholars to approach their research questions with more curiosity and openness," she says, "with more willingness to engage people who disagree with them, to be more like a detective trying to solve a mystery rather than defending a perspective."

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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Water quality is still "unacceptably poor" in many British rivers, research involving academics at York has shown.

The study, published in Science of The Total Environment, challenges recent claims from UK government that water quality in British Rivers is "better than at any time since the end of the Industrial Revolution."

Although progress has been made in reducing some pollutantsparticularly in rivers downstream from major towns and citiesover the past three decades, the results of the study show a mixed picture, and do not support these claims.

Pharmaceuticals

Data analyzed in the study indicates that many rivers remain highly polluted, often from combined sewer overflows in addition to many new pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, which are not routinely monitored and are likely to be on the rise.

In areas with intensive agriculture the water quality of rivers today is more affected by agrochemicals such as pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers than it was before the 1960s.

Impacts

Professor Alistair Boxall from the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York said, "It is often claimed that the quality of UK rivers is better than ever. For some traditional pollutants such as sewage, nutrients and metals, this is probably true. However, as a society we now use more chemicals than ever before and many of these will end up in our rivers. The impacts of these chemicals are more subtle and will occur over a prolonged period of time but could be playing an important role in the loss of biodiversity in our rivers."

As part of their analysis, the scientists collated available, often very limited, data for seven different categories of water pollutants from the late 19th Century up to the present day, combined with insights into historical population growth, industrial activity and wastewater treatment provision.

'Unacceptably poor'

The researchers noted that, while levels of some pollutants probably peaked at some point between the 1960s and the mid-1990s and have since declined, water quality is still "unacceptably poor" in multiple areas across the UK, and there are signs that recent progress to tackle pollution has stalled. Levels of nitrate in many catchments remain high, and levels of most synthetic organic pollutants are unknown.

The authors of the study have called for urgent improvements to water quality in many rivers and streams, as well as enhancements to monitoring programs, including increased frequency and geographical spread of sampling and including a wider range of pollutants in routine analyses.

Contaminants

Lead-author of the study, Professor Mick Whelan from the University of Leicester, said that "data for many pollutants show that concentrations are, indeed, likely to be lower than they were in the 1960s and '70s. Legislation such as the European Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive have clearly played a very important role in cleaning up our rivers from the mid-1990s. However, we have very little understanding about the impacts of many contaminants because we just don't look for them routinely."

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More information: M.J. Whelan et al, Is water quality in British rivers "better than at any time since the end of the Industrial Revolution"?, Science of The Total Environment (2022). Journal information: Science of the Total Environment M.J. Whelan et al, Is water quality in British rivers "better than at any time since the end of the Industrial Revolution"?,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157014
Evolutionary transition from a free-living to a host-associated lifestyle in Rickettsiales ancestors. Proposed lifestyle of LRCA and LhRCA in blue boxes at the bottom indicating marine environments. Rickettsiales cells are depicted as ellipsoid cell models in brown and blue for LRCA and LhRCA, respectively. Reconstructions of key genomic features of ancestors are depicted in cell models in the respective boxes. Arrow in the center indicates evolutionary transition from LRCA to LhRCA and gray boxes above and below show gains and losses of genomic traits, respectively. Orange and blue arrows indicate metabolic pathways related to sulfate assimilation or central carbon metabolism, respectively. Abbreviations in the figure refer to genes encoding for the tight adherence (Tad) pili; type 4 pili (T4P); type I (T1SS) or rvh type IV (T4SS) secretion systems; Pel-like exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesis; tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle; electron transport chain complexes (C) I-V; Sec-, Tat- and TolC-mediated protein secretion pathways (Sec, Tat and TolC, respectively). Credit: Nature Microbiology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01169-x

Pathogenic bacteria are highly specialized micro-organisms that are a leading cause of human, livestock and crop disease, resulting in significant health and economic loss worldwide. How these pathogens, which sometimes even live inside the cells of their hosts, once evolved is poorly understood. An international team of researchers has now found how bacterial pathogens evolved. Their work, published in Nature Microbiology today, reveals that the transition from free-living ancestors to modern day pathogens progressed in a stepwise mannerinvolving gene gain and loss events, but also the repurposing of existing genes.

While most micro-organisms are benign or even essential to sustain life, some bacteria are known to cause disease in organisms like humans, animals and plants. Intracellular pathogens can establish persistent and sometimes lifelong infections. While bacterial pathogens are known to have evolved multiple times independently, not much is known about their evolutionary origin. The new research published in Nature Microbiology reveals how Rickettsiales, a group of obligate intracellular bacteria that includes several notorious pathogens of humans and cattle, evolved from once free-living bacteria.

Aquatic relatives of bacterial pathogens

While studying the diversity of micro-organisms in oceanic waters, an international group of researchers discovered several new species of bacteria that were distantly related to Rickettsiales. This group includes a wide variety of obligate intracellular bacteriaone of which is the causative agent of human epidemic typhus, Rickettsia prowazekii. Other Rickettsiales, such as Wolbachia, are known to infect most insects worldwide. "To find distant relatives of Rickettsiales in oceanic waters was somewhat surprising," says Max Emil Schon from Uppsala University in Sweden and co-lead author of the study. "We wondered if these bacteria, like Rickettsiales, were obligate intracellular pathogens, or whether they were part of the free-living bacterioplankton."

The researchers discovered these new bacteria by mining metagenomic dataobtained by analyzing genetic material of all organisms that live in an environmentwhich doesn't rely on growing organisms in the lab. "The majority of microbial life on Earth currently can't be grown in the lab," explains Thijs Ettema, professor in Microbiology at Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands who led the work. "Using metagenomic data, we managed to reconstruct the genomes of these new oceanic bacteria. By analyzing their genomes, we could predict that their lifestyles were very different from the previously known obligate intracellular Rickettsiales."

New species 'unlike pathogenic relatives'

Thijs Ettema's team noticed that the genomes of these new Rickettsiales encoded many genes that were absent from their host-associated and pathogenic relatives. "Besides several metabolic genes typically absent from Rickettsiales, we found genes involved in motility, surface attachment and the formation of biofilms. The presence of such genes points at a free-living lifestyle," says co-lead author Joran Martijn, former member of Ettema's lab who currently works at Dalhousie University in Canada.

Genes typically involved in pathogenic lifestyles, such as those involved in energy parasitism or host cell manipulation, were not identified. The researchers did however find genes encoding a so-called "type 4 secretion system," a microscopic needle-like structure used by bacteria to interact with host cells. "We speculate that this system is not necessarily used to interact with host cells like other Rickettsiales, but rather to kill competing bacteria, or to fence off predatory microbes," Martijn adds.

Stepwise evolution of pathogenic lifestyle

By comparing the genomes of the newly discovered species with those of previously known Rickettsiales, the team of researchers managed to reconstruct the evolution of host association and pathogenicity in the Rickettsiales. "We suggest that the free-living ancestor of Rickettsiales repurposed its needle-like type 4 secretion system to interact with and manipulate host cells," Ettema speculates.

"Subsequently, many metabolic genes and genes affiliated with free-living lifestyle were lost as the ancestral Rickettsiales became more dependent on its host for metabolites and energy. This was then mirrored by the acquisition of genes involved in host manipulation and energy parasitism," he adds. The team hopes to be able to grow the newly identified species in the lab in the future, aiming to further unravel the evolutionary pathway towards host association and pathogenicity in Rickettsiales.

Explore further Researchers redefine the origin of the cellular powerhouse

More information: Max E. Schon et al, The evolutionary origin of host association in the Rickettsiales, Nature Microbiology (2022). Journal information: Nature Microbiology Max E. Schon et al, The evolutionary origin of host association in the Rickettsiales,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01169-x
Mute and whooper swans along with other species at Caerlaverock. Credit: Paul Rose

Swans give up resting time to fight over the best feeding spots, new research shows.

Scientists studied the behavior of mute and whooper swans to see how they used their time and energy.

Watching four key behaviorsaggression, foraging, maintenance (preening, cleaning and oiling feathers) and restingthey found a "trade-off" between aggression and rest, meaning that "increased aggression is achieved at the expense of resting."

The study, by the University of Exeter and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), could help managers of nature reserves design habitats that reduce the need for aggression.

"These swans use aggression if there's competition over foraging areas," said Dr. Paul Rose, from the University of Exeter and WWT. "Our findings show this this requires a trade-off, and that both species reduce resting time to allow for this aggression.

"This was the strongest trade-off we found, but there was also a trade-off for both species between foraging and resting. However, there was no apparent trade-off between some behaviors, such as aggression and foraging, and aggression and maintenance."

Mute swans. Credit: Paul Rose

The swans were observed via a live-streaming webcam at WWT Caerlaverock nature reserve in Scotland. Whooper swans are migratory, and those observed in the study spend their winters at Caerlaverock.

Mute swans live there all year round, and Dr. Rose said this means they can be more "flexible" in their behavior because they don't share the whooper swans' urgent need to store fat ahead of migration.

"By providing enough foraging spots for the birds, we can reduce the need for aggression around desirable feeding spots, giving them more time to rest," Dr. Rose said. "This can help to ensure that migratory species don't 'push out' non-migratory species when they mix in the same wintering locations.

"Our study also demonstrates how remotely collected data can be used to investigate fundamental questions in behavioral research."

Whooper swans. Credit: Paul Rose

Dr. Kevin Wood, of WWT, said, "At WWT we get lots of questions from our visitors about the aggressiveness of swans. This new study helps us to understand how swans' behavior changes when they engage in their disputes."

The paper, published in the journal PLOS ONE, is entitled: "Assessing trade-offs in avian behavior using remotely collected data from a webcam."

Explore further Swans reserve aggression for each other

More information: Assessing trade-offs in avian behaviour using remotely collected data from a webcam, PLoS ONE (2022). Journal information: PLoS ONE Assessing trade-offs in avian behaviour using remotely collected data from a webcam,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271257
Example of a photographic plate. Credit: APPLAUSE archive, https://www.plate-archive.org/

Lots of little dots with no apparent pattern: Where laypeople may just see milky gray photos sprinkled with what look like random crumbs, it is enough to make astronomers' hearts miss a beat. We are talking about historical photographic plates showing negatives of the night sky. Together with the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam and the universities of Hamburg and Tartu (Estonia), researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg (FAU) have digitized the images and published them online. After 10 years, the project has now been completed successfully.

Even though the oldest image is only 129 years old, just a blink of an eye compared to the timescales usually associated with astronomy, they are of great historical value and are a treasure trove for academic purposes. Images such as these are the only way astronomers today can trace how stars move or change in intensity over several decades. They can be used to answer new research questions and take a closer and more objective look at millions of stars.

Since 2012, the research team has been working on digitizing images from the archives of their partner institutes dating from 1893 to 1998 in the database APPLAUSEwhich stands for Archives of Photographic Plates for Astronomical USEand recording them in a catalog with details on the images such as date, section of sky and where the images were taken. In addition, the research consortium has developed software that uses artificial intelligence to remove errors on the plates caused by scratches or dust and to calibrate the images, thereby allowing them to be compared with each other for scientific purposes for the first time. Researchers across the globe now have access to 4.5 billion measurements of celestial light sources for their research.

More than 94,000 photographic plates digitized

A major share of the total of 94,090 plates is accounted for by the 40,000 photographic plates from the Dr. Karl Remeis Observatory Bamberg, Astronomical Institute of FAU. These include photographs taken by Franconian researchers between 1963 and 1976 at observatories in the southern hemisphere. These unique images show the southern sky, and are the only ones of their kind available anywhere in the world, as no other astronomical projects documented this part of the sky during this period. Since the last images were published four years ago, the photographic plates taken in Bamberg between 1912 and 1968 showing the northern sky have now been added to the project. These 17,600 images are the most important addition to what is now the final data update.

But that is not all: the project came to the attention of other observatories during an academic conference in Bambergthe Thuringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, for example. It gave the research team access to the archive of the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory, the former observatory of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR for the years from 1960 to 1998. Researchers at the astronomical observatory of the Vatican State in Castel Gandolfo also expressed an interest in having their archive incorporated into the database and made available to the global scientific community.

New knowledge from old images

But what knowledge can be gained from the historical photographic plates, and does it have any relevance for today? The surveys of the northern and southern skies conducted during the last century by the Bamberg observatory aimed to investigate stars that varied in intensity. The physical properties of some of the objects, in other words which gases they are composed of, are still unclear. Star "HD49798" is a particularly interesting example. Its erratic fluctuations in intensity were registered on the photographic plates from Bamberg in the 1960's and early 1970's, but scientists were only able to analyze them last year. They show that the star constantly increased in intensity between 1964 and 1965, but then started to shine less brightly until 1974. There were also rapid changes in the light it gave off within a space of just a few days.

In 1999, satellite readings revealed that the star was emitting X-rays. Today, scientists suspect that these rays are being emitted by an invisible, more compact accompanying object, possibly a neutron star. Until now, scientists had been unable to track long-term variations in intensity, as measurements stretching over such a long period of time, namely ten years, were not available. The historical data from the photographic plates are therefore a valuable source of astronomical information that researchers will now analyze over coming years. This particular duo of stars is still the only constellation of its kind to have been discovered anywhere in the universe.

Explore further Astronomy student searches for giant rings with pictures from 1890

More information: Access to the published data from APPLAUSE: Access to the published data from APPLAUSE: www.plate-archive.org/ Detailed report on interim results: www.fau.de/2018/10/news/wissen  lung-der-fau-online/
CAMBRIDGE  Despite a ruling last month from a state Supreme Court judge, the Cambridge school board isnt giving up on its Indian mascot.

The board voted 3-1 on Thursday evening to retail legal counsel to keep its options open to appeal state Education Commissioner Betty Rosas order reinstating the boards June 17, 2021, resolution to retire the mascot. Board member Neil Gifford cast the lone opposing vote. Board member Caleb Breault was absent.

Board member Shay Price, elected board president earlier in the evening, called Thursdays resolution essentially a placeholder, so that the board can keep its options open while it explores further legal action. The resolution authorizes its attorneys, Honeywell Law Firm PLLC, of Albany, to file a notice of appeal of Acting Supreme Court Judge Sara McGintys June 21 ruling upholding Rosas decision.

The board remains in disagreement with Commissioner Rosa and Judge McGinty, as are district residents, Price said. Were carefully considering all our legal options.

Gifford, who voted to retire the mascot in June 2021, said he was proud of that vote. The validity of the resolution, which was overturned the following month when one new member joined the board, was upheld by Rosa, the state attorney general, and McGinty, he said.

It was never a personal agenda (against the Indian) for me, Gifford said.

He urged people who felt the state is singling out the school over the mascot to read Rosas and McGintys statements on the school website and why the original vote was upheld.

Board member Dillon Honyoust, who was elected with Price in May 2021 on a platform of defending the Indian mascot, said he was proud of his vote in July 2021 to rescind the previous months vote and reinstate the mascot.

Native culture needs to be kept in the forefront regardless of what happens with the name and imagery, said Honyoust, who has Native American ancestry. The community holds the power of how we move forward together.

Rosas ruling gave the school a deadline of July 1 to remove the Indian name and imagery. School staff began covering and removing the Indian name and pictures on campus immediately after commencement ceremonies on June 24.

Several district residents at the meeting criticized the school administration for complying. Residents Dawn Case and Kathleen Ward urged the school to defy Rosas order. Case said the school should refuse to follow the order until all schools in the state with Native-themed mascots are told to take them down.

Fight it! Ward said. Dont take down any more signs. Im willing to spend as much as we need to keep that mascot and that name.

The school has spent at least $60,000 so far in legal fees around the mascot debate.
QUEENSBURY  As the New York adult recreational market for marijuana progresses, Town Board members are educating themselves on the dos and donts of town regulations.

In a Town Board workshop meeting on June 28, Josh Silver, a land use attorney and recreational cannabis retail business owner, informed the board of his experience owning marijuana stores in Massachusetts and now Maine.

I think New York is moving a little slower in terms of the process, Silver said.

He noted Massachusetts passed its marijuana laws in 2016 and he was able to open a store in Williamstown, by 2019. Silver, along with his partners with backgrounds in marketing and cannabis cultivation, now own multiple Silver Therapeutics stores in Massachusetts and just opened two stores in Maine at the beginning of 2021.

Silver spoke about the importance of not creating clusters of retail marijuana stores that could ruin the Adirondack aesthetic in Queensbury. He suggested creating specific zones of use and setbacks between each store.

In Boston, they have setback rule of half a mile, so no two stores can be within 2,500 feet of each other, Silver told the board.

He explained that the state regulations only require stores to be 100 feet from schools or churches, so it would be important to create an additional setback from certain buildings.

When you are coming into a town proposing the sale of a level one narcotic, according to federal law, you have to reassure people it will not change the character of the neighborhood, Silver continued.

The business owner stated that New York had taken a lot of the power away from local governments when the state law was passed. However, Silver said the state has not yet established regulations for retail and on-site consumption, but has only focused on growing and product manufacturing rules.

Several board members mentioned the first licenses in New York being awarded to retailers owned by residents with prior marijuana offenses, after Silver suggested his company looks for sparsely licensed areas.

We think it is really admirable New York is going this route, so we have partnered with some of these individuals to bring the expertise of our company to some of the people newer to the industry, Silver said.

One of Silvers main points and the towns reasoning for the early look at regulations lies in the current lack of regulations that would allow recreational marijuana shops to lease any available retail location.

The city of Saratoga Springs has already approved a zoning ordinance for cannabis retailers. The city will require retailers to obtain special use permits issued by the planning board and restricts operation to three commercial districts, with a 1,000-foot separation required between each dispensary.

New York state has yet to release the guidelines for recreational marijuana retailers.
Chase Jackson never tried to quilt, but she knew the objects most commonly used as warm bed coverings also can serve as works of art.

Jackson, executive director of the Ocean City Arts Center, proves her point this month with an exhibit titled Stitched Stories: An Exhibition of African American Quilters & Fiber Artists from New Jersey that runs through July 29.

The show features 20 works by 12 artists and fills the entire second floor of the gallery. A Meet the Artists reception is scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday in the second floor gallery at 1735 Simpson Ave. Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro and the Cape May County NAACP are hosting the reception, Jackson said. The exhibit is cross cultural and will hopefully spur communication and interaction, Jackson said.

Its African-American centered, but its for everybody, Jackson said. Some of these quilts are really thought provoking.

Jackson went online, typed in African American quilters in New Jersey and discovered the Princeton Sankofa Stitchers Modern Quilters Guild from Central Jersey. She worked previously in Newark, so she was familiar with the other guild represented in the show, the Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild from North Jersey.

Fiber artist and Newark native Glendora Simonson, a Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild member, is one of the displayed artists. Simonson, 64, learned to sew as a schoolgirl from her mother. All of her quilting has taken place during the past 30 years.

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I enjoy creating things, more than just with fibers, but with (also) baking and cooking, Simonson said. Im driven, compelled to do it.

Simonson has three quilts in the show.

Motherless Child was inspired by the separation and inhumane treatment of migrant children at this countrys Southern border and includes images of paper dolls, a sale notice of a small child as well as African tribes taken in the Atlantic slave trade.

Traveling Shoes depicts memories of Simonsons trips to South Carolina with her mother and pays homage to the Civil Rights Movement by featuring the shoes of protest marchers and the young victims of the 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, church bombing.

Simonsons third piece is not a quilt at all, but a doll. Ode to Market Street was inspired by Anita and Arnold Lobels book On Market Street. The doll is adorned with a variety of desserts from head to toe made out of fiber.

All of Simonsons fiber art on display was created during the past five years.

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They show well. I think it reflects an evolution of the quilts I make, Simonson said of her submissions. I made Motherless Child and Traveling Shoes to have deeper meaning.

Besides artists from the two guilds, Jacksons exhibit displays works from Philadelphia fiber artist Christina Johnson and two sisters, Barbara Imes Jorden and Jacqueline Imes Jenkins, of Franklinville, Gloucester County.

For years, Jorden, 84, sewed. She used to make clothes for her daughter and herself. She did not start quilting until 1989, when she began taking classes during the evenings at a local high school.

Jorden has received requests to have her quilts exhibited nationwide. She and her sister designed and made a quilt honoring the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II.

Jorden has three quilts on display in the exhibit.

Ladies of Faith was among those that made the cut. Every Sunday, many years ago, Jorden and her sister used to visit their two grandmothers and their great aunts after church. Unfortunately, her grandmothers and great aunts did not live long enough to see the completion of the quilt.

Its an enjoyable thing to do. We make art quilts, as opposed to bed coverings, Jorden said. There is a big difference. I made a quilt that Im still trying to get to (former President) Barack Obama.
ATLANTIC CITY  The Atlantic City Free Public Library opened its Summer of Freedom exhibit Wednesday at the Atlantic City Experience in the lobby of Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.

The exhibit is about the 1964 Democratic National Convention, which was held in Atlantic City. It focuses on the delegates from the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party who were advocates for civil rights and voting rights for African Americans. The Freedom delegates, including Fannie Lou Hamer, demanded they be seated at the convention over the delegates from the segregationist Mississippi Democratic Party. Artifacts and photographs from the convention are on display at the exhibit, with the collection curated to emphasize the fight for equality, library officials said in a news release.

Councilman Kaleem Shabazz recalled being a high school sophomore when the convention came to Atlantic City. He said he was involved in demonstrations in support of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and their struggle against segregation. Shabazz said the exhibit gives people an opportunity to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement in Atlantic City and throughout the country.

This is an educational, informative, exciting display, and I hope we will get people to come see it  especially young people  to get a feel for what happened, said Shabazz, who also is the president of the Atlantic City NAACP.

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The Atlantic City Experience, or ACX, opened in 2019, with its creation funded by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. It is presented by the Atlantic City Library, which has designed ACX to showcase the heritage and history of Atlantic City to the public. Many of the items that ACX displays are from the Atlantic City Heritage Collections at the library and the former Atlantic City Historical Museum, which the library ran from 2012 to 2016. The Summer of Freedom event was largely funded by the library and its foundation.

The exhibit comes a week before the 113th NAACP Convention, which is taking place this year in Atlantic City. The Summer of Freedom exhibit was timed to celebrate the arrival of the convention, according to organizers.

Atlantic City historian Vicki Gold Levi and Atlantic City Library Archivist Jacqueline Silver-Morillo are the curators of the Summer of Freedom exhibit.

When I first saw the completed exhibit, standing here in the empty wing, I was in awe of seeing people who look like me on a wall for all the world to see, Silver-Morillo said. It made me want to cry to see where we have been and where we still need to go.

The Atlantic City Experience is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and admission is free. The exhibit may be closed during special occasions at Boardwalk Hall.

For more information, visit acexperienceexhibit.org or call Silver-Morillo at 609-345-2269, ext. 3063.
BRIGANTINE  To keep several north-end beaches accessible this summer, the city is using crushed shells and newly built stairs to overcome cliffs created by erosion.

Several coastal storms over the past couple of months have depleted the beachs dune system.

A severe storm over Mothers Day weekend particularly hit the island hard, causing erosion that damaged beach walkways, Mayor Vince Sera said.

Repairs have been made to beach access points on Roosevelt Boulevard, as well as Fourth and Fifth streets.

Steps have been placed at Eighth Street, where erosion created cliffs.

Sixth and Seventh streets will also see crushed shells because the residents were adamant about not having stairs installed at those spots, Sera said.

A lot of what were trying to do now is Band-Aid the problem, so we can get people through this year and this summer season, Sera said.

The short-term solutions are needed because the city is ineligible for federal beach replenishment until next year.

Although the replenishment process is far off, preparations have begun, Sera said.

The city is working with U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, to secure federal funding needed to fulfill the job.

The congressman isnt new to being by Brigantines side for marine needs.

Van Drew earlier this year supported city leaders working to secure a dredging project for St. Georges Thorofare.

The congressman is happy to work with the mayor and the town on the St. Georges Thorofare dredging that will take place later this summer, and he looks forward to securing beach replenishment funding for Brigantine, as well, Ashley Brown, Van Drews spokesperson, said in a statement Thursday.

Van Drew also is orchestrating Stronger Shores, an initiative he announced in November to support beach and waterway work, specifically dredging to the Mullica River and intracoastal water routes throughout Cape May and Atlantic counties. The congressman said he intends to advocate for billions of dollars provided by President Joe Bidens infrastructure deal, from which New Jersey would be given roughly $13 billion.

Some beach path repairs might be delayed, however, because the crushed shells are on backorder. Theyre expected to arrive before summer ends, Sera said.

Brigantine, Sera said, is continuing to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for next years replenishment. The city has sent its beach studies to the Army Corps for review.

Both the Army Corps and the state Department of Environmental Protection visited the island community to inspect the damage a few weeks ago. Visible erosion could be seen from Third Street North to 14th Street North. Several crossover pathways from about Fifth Street North through Ninth Street North also are in poor condition, DEP spokesperson Larry Hajna said.

Until the Army Corps returns in 2023, the city is responsible for its beaches upkeep, per the state aid agreement for the project, Hajna said.
ATLANTIC CITY  The Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and ... the Hard Rock?

Hoping to expand their appeal beyond the slot machine and buffet crowd, some casinos are turning to fine art galleries or exhibitions to bring in new business from customers who might not otherwise visit a gambling hall.

In the process, they are helping not only broaden their customer bases but are also putting new eyeballs in front of some of the worlds great works of art.

One such effort began Friday at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, where the highly acclaimed Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience exhibit opened. The 30,000-square-foot display uses more than 300 of Van Goghs works, reproducing them digitally and projecting them onto screens, walls and floors.

The whole point of an experience like this is to bring people in, said Fanny Curtat, the exhibits art historian. For a lot of people, museums are intimidating. Its all about exploring and having more ways of experiencing art.

Joe Lupo, the casinos president, said casinos need to appeal to as broad a range of potential customers as possible.

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You need to try different experiential things to help the city acquire new visitation, whether its art or some other experience to acquire that person who doesnt look at Atlantic City as just a gaming destination, he said. The Van Gogh exhibit has been successful in every major market in the country, and Atlantic City needs to be looked at as one of those major markets. I think it elevates the city and the property with such a high-profile exhibit.

The walk-through exhibit projects Van Goghs artwork onto the walls and floor of a viewing room, with images growing and flowing into one another: cherry trees, for example, sprout and grow blossoms that then blow away in the breeze. Shimmering walls of color dissolve and flow into other shapes and images all around the viewer.

Other casinos are doing likewise. The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art in Las Vegas has displayed works by Picasso, Monet, Warhol, Titian and Van Gogh.

The Palms Casino Resort features modern art pieces from Jean-Michel Basquiat, Richard Prince and Andy Warhol, and numerous street artists.

MGMs Aria Resort features public art including sculptures by artists including Antony Gormley, Richard Long and Henry Moore.

The Hippodrome Casino in London in 2013 appointed a digital artist in residence, Thomas D Gray, and offers a competition for U.K. artists to have their works displayed there.

Marylands Live! Casino & Hotel has an art collection curated by Suzi Cordish, whose husband owns the casino. The collection includes more than 40 works by artists including Warhol, Jennifer Steinkamp, Charlie Ahn, Robert Indiana and Not Vital.

Many guests are intrigued once they realize the breadth of the collection, said Renee Mutchnik, a spokesperson for the casino. We believe that any appreciator of the arts would be impressed by our art pieces, and we are always looking for opportunities to promote the collection.

Placing fine art in casinos benefits not only the gambling halls by appealing to new customers, according to Curtat, the Van Gogh exhibit historian. She said it also helps create new art lovers.

It might seem like an unlikely pairing, but if anybody gets out of this a feeling that they have this connection with Van Gogh, maybe the next time they are in New York theyll want to go to (the Museum of Modern Art) and see the actual Starry Night on the museum wall, Curtat said. That will be a win.
LOWER TOWNSHIP  The state Division of Fish and Wildlife wants the Sunset Beach Sportsmens Club off a tiny plot of land overlooking the Delaware Bay, but in the meantime, club members will still be able to order drinks at the bar.

The Township Council recently renewed the liquor license for the club, despite objections from the state. The vote was unanimous.

No one from state government spoke at the meeting, which multiple club members attended. Earlier this year, the state division sent the club a letter saying it had to vacate the property by May 1.

That matter will ultimately be up to a judge, township attorney David Stefankiewicz told council members at the meeting. But he said it does not seem to have any bearing on the councils decision. He said he read a letter from the state on the matter, but described it as a smokescreen.

It would seem to me that they do qualify for renewal of the liquor license, Stefankiewicz said. I understand theres a landlord-tenant dispute.

Christopher Gillin-Schwartz, an attorney representing the sportsmens club, told the council the criteria for renewal of a club license are that the club has more than a minimum number of members and has been in possession of the clubhouse for at least three years.

The clubhouse has been there since 1957, and the Sportsman Club is most certainly still in possession of that clubhouse, he told council.

Ed Clavan, the president of the club, told council the organization has been in existence more than 65 years and had a liquor license since 1976 without any problems.

We operate the way all clubs should operate. We follow the rules and regulations. We pay our bills. We pay our taxes. We have 160-plus really nice people, he said.

The license allows the club to sell drinks to members, but members of the public cannot stop by the club and buy alcohol. The state maintains the club is on public land, on a site formerly owned by a long-defunct magnesite plant that is now part of the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area.

According to Gillin-Schwartz, the state knows that to get the club off the property, it needs either the consent of the members, which it will not get, or a court order.

He said Thursday the state Department of Environmental Protection has filed a landlord-tenant complaint, which he said is handled in small claims court.

A spokesperson for the DEP, under which the Division of Fish and Wildlife falls, did not immediately have information available about the issue Thursday. DEP officials in the past have declined to comment on the matter, citing active litigation.

The DEP objected to the renewal of the license last year as well.

Time to pay the dispatch bill

MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  The Township Committee on Wednesday approved a $345,000 emergency appropriation for dispatch services for police, fire and other emergencies.

It was a mistake that was made in our budgetary process, said Mayor Tim Donohue after the meeting. This year, the township moved to the Cape May County regional dispatch, in a shared services agreement approved last year. The change took effect this spring, with Middle officials touting both the expected cost savings and improved safety.

The resolution was read at the meeting but not discussed by committee members when it came to a vote.

After the meeting, Donohue said the township had budgeted money to dismantle its dispatch center and fund new training, as well as removing some salaries from the budget that were no longer needed, but failed to include funds to cover the payments to the county to use the service.

On the other side of the ledger, we have to pay the county, Donohue said.

In announcing the change in October, the township projected a savings of $264,000 this year, compared to the township continuing to operate its own dispatch for police, fire and emergency services. That amounts to about a penny on the tax rate for every $100 of assessed property value.

The county began the regional 911 call center in 2018 and, since then, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Wildwood Crest and Lower Township all have transferred their dispatch services to the county. Last summer, a lightning strike at Cape May City Hall fried the dispatch computers, accelerating that communitys move to the county system. Cape May had also served as the dispatch center for Cape May Point and West Cape May.

Crest neighbors fed up with shed

WILDWOOD CREST  Several residents of Columbine Road took their concerns about a new shed in the neighborhood to the Borough Commission on Wednesday, alleging it amounts to a commercial use in a residential area.

Its a complete eyesore, one of the neighbors told borough officials. She and other speakers argued the shed would be used as a business, offering pottery for sale. We clearly just want our neighborhood back. We have followed the chain of command and received nothing but runaround.

The owner of the house, Allen Hirschmann, said later in the meeting that his wife, Susan Fox Hirschmann, grew up in the Crest and returned in 2021 after years of living out of state. She is an artist, specializing in pottery, and wanted the additional space to work.

We didnt put in as big a shed as we could, but its a substantial shed, Hirschmann said. He said they have no intention of offering classes in the shed, or opening it as a shop, but do plan to add insulation so it can be used in the winter. She will offer the pottery for sale at galleries and shows, he said.

Hirschmann told the meeting he got borough permission before doing any work.

Officials said they would discuss the matter with the department heads.

Well be back in touch with you very shortly, Mayor Don Cabrera told the objecting neighbors.

Middle tightens shopping cart crackdown

MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  Business owners will have less time to collect wayward shopping carts under an ordinance unanimously introduced by the Township Committee on Wednesday evening.

A public hearing and final vote are planned for 6 p.m. Aug. 1 at Township Hall, 33 Mechanic St.

Last year, the township enacted an ordinance requiring businesses to do more to keep shopping carts on store property and to collect them from the community when they are taken off site. At that time, officials said public works crews were spending an inordinate amount of time collecting carts from roads, parks and waterways.

Middle Township seeks to crack down on wayward shopping carts MIDDLE TOWNSHIP  A pair of abandoned shopping carts can be seen in the thick tangle of grow

The township set a fine of $250 for the businesses.

The new ordnance gives business owners five days to collect a cart once notified by the township. After that, the township can dispose of the cart.

We were giving 30 days for them to pick up the carts and we were just getting all these carts piled up. We cut that back to five days. So if they dont pick them up in five days, we can get rid of them, Mayor Tim Donohue said after the meeting.

The carts themselves can cost the stores $160 to $300. National statistics say about 2 million shopping carts are taken annually.

Healthy meal program for seniors

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County is offering seniors the chance to learn how they can prepare nutritious, low-cost meals for themselves.

Through a six-week program on Thursdays from July 14 through Aug. 18, Chris Zellers, a health educator and assistant professor at Rutgers, will show seniors how they can eat healthy affordably through live cooking demonstrations and sharing recipes, the Rutgers Cooperative Extension said Thursday in a news release.

Nutritious home-cooked meals dont need to feel overwhelming, Zellers said Thursday. A few basic shopping and cooking skills can transform the way you eat at home.

County seniors who attend four of the six lessons will be eligible for a produce box provided by LeGates Farm Market.

Each session will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Lower Cape Senior Center, 2612 Bayshore Road in the Villas section of Lower Township.

For more information, call 609-465-5115, ext. 3609.

Eric Conklin contributed to this report.
OCEAN CITY  Merchants and workers are celebrating a new law allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to work longer hours each summer, and are hoping it helps them address a worker shortage.

I am so excited about this, said Staintons Gallery of Shops manager Bridget Buchanan. When I saw this (new law), I thought I was going to start crying.

A new law allowing those older teens to work up to 10 hours per day and up to 50 hours per week took effect immediately upon Gov. Phil Murphy signing it Tuesday.

Thats up from 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week previously.

It also allows workers under 18 to work for six hours without a break of at least 30 minutes, up from five hours previously.

It will give her more flexibility in staffing, Buchanan said. While she is almost fully staffed, its good to be able to call on people to work longer hours when needed.

Strong summer forecast at Cape tourism conference CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE  A panel of experts earlier this month suggested the summer of 2022 is

She now has two locations in Ocean City to staff, the main one in the former Staintons Department Store on Asbury Avenue near Eighth Street and a new location this summer at 12th Street and the Boardwalk.

For locations like Ocean City that use a lot of teens, its monumental. It extends everything for us, said Michele Gillian, president of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce. Its a big step forward to make sure we can stay open for business and during traditional hours weve been open previously.

Buchanan may not schedule many workers for 50 hours a week, but the new maximums allow her to be more relaxed about scheduling older teens for eight-hour days and 40-hour weeks.

Years ago when she worked in Atlantic City, one of her teenage workers was off her shift but got into a conversation in the break room and was delayed in punching out. The worker went a half hour over the 40 hours she was allowed, and the store was hit with a considerable fine.

I get paranoid that will happen, Buchanan said. Now, instead of scheduling (a 16- or 17-year-old) for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., I will schedule them 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hooked on Breakfasts Alicia Stauffer, who owns the Asbury Avenue breakfast and lunch restaurant with husband Keven, hadnt heard of the new law but said there were pros and cons to it.

Brigantine Beach Patrol fears staffing shortage amid contract negotiations BRIGANTINE  Less than two weeks before the summer season begins at the Jersey Shore, the ci

It could benefit the businesses, but in my honest opinion, I dont think many minors want to work, or are able to work, 50 hours a week, Stauffer said. A few but not many. Not many adults want that.

In general, she said she has found teens want to work less frequently than they did when she was a teenager. And that is true into their early 20s, she said.

On Friday, though, her 17-year-old server/busser Beth Kenny, a summer resident from Pennsylvania, said shed like to work more hours, even up to 50 some weeks. Shes heading into her senior year of high school and needs to save money for college.

Two teens working Friday afternoon at Spoon & Sip, which sells healthy treats like smoothies and acai bowls, had different takes on the new law.

I work two jobs, Im already working those type of hours, said Gianna Matlack, 17, of Ocean City. Its so worth it. The years I have worked I have saved so much money.

But 15-year-old Ange Petracci, who will be 16 in a couple of weeks, said she is not looking to work so many hours.

If somebody really needs the money it makes sense, Petracci said. Im personally not in that financial situation.
A Davenport woman accused of shooting a man during a fight in the Genesis West emergency room lobby must serve up to three years of probation after entering a plea agreement.

Gsani N. Bogan, 21, shot Fahsheed T. Rush, 20, in the leg at 12:47 a.m. March 9 as the two fought, according to Scott County court records and the Davenport Police Department.

As part of an agreement with the Scott County Attorneys Office, Bogan pleaded guilty to reckless use of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm or offensive weapon in relation to the shooting, according to court records. In return, a charge was dropped for the use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime.

District Judge Mark Fowler gave Bogan five-year prison terms on each charge that were suspended in favor of the probation, court records state. The actual length of Bogans probation will be dependent on the evaluation of her probation officer.

Should the suspended part of the sentence be imposed, the prison term for the two charges would be served concurrently to each other.

Requirements of Bogans probation include getting mental health and substance abuse evaluations and successfully completing any recommended treatments. She must also refrain from having or using alcohol or illegal substances. Bogan must also submit to random and unannounced drug testing.

When determining the sentence, Fowler had available to him a report on Bogans background developed from a pre-sentence investigation, according to court records.

Such reports are meant to help a judge determine the appropriate sentence.

Bogan was also sentenced to a suspended 10-year prison in a heroin case in which she was accused of violating her probation, court records state.

She was also given three years of probation in that case, and that sentence is concurrent to the sentence in the shooting case.

Rush, also of Davenport, was charged with misdemeanor assault because of the Genesis incident, court records state.

Footage from hospital security cameras shows Rush punching Bogan in the face. The case against Rush was dismissed in May.

Court records state there was a plea agreement, but that document was not listed in the case file.
Eastern Iowa Community College has launched an online program for American Sign Language interpreting.

EICC is the only college in the state offering a Deaf Studies Certificate and an ASL  English Interpreting associate degree. It launched the online option to provide greater flexibility for prospective students as the need for interpreters continues to grow.

Its something thats desperately needed. There are deaf community members who arent getting the education they want or cant see a doctor when they need it because they cant get an interpreter, Diane Roebuck, the programs instructor, said. For the deaf community to have access to things, we need the right amount of interpreting.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, interpreter employment was projected to grow 24% by 2030.

We havent been able to meet the needs of Iowa and the surrounding area with just our on-campus offering, Roebuck said. Venturing online has been a long time coming. The pandemic made the interpreter shortage worse, but it helped us clarify some things.

Roebuck said the online programs gave non-traditional students the flexibility they might need to tackle classes on top of work or other barriers.

The program is a three-year commitment, and not everybody from across the state can make that, she said. A lot of locals are interested in interpreting, but theyve got full-time jobs. So this is a way to study without giving up those jobs.

The on-campus program and classes will continue, but all online students must complete in-person residency workshops two days each semester, regardless of their location.

The pandemic taught us that we dont want to do ASL classes on Zoom. Thats why were going online with the advanced interpreting classes having a residency, Roebuck said. Its a new venture for the college to have this type of program, but having everyone come on campus and be face-to-face is important.

Online students will practice face-to-face skills with peers and communicate with deaf community members during their residencies. Since these will display how the online curriculum translates to real-life, communicative skills, Roebuck said shes excited to see how the first one goes.

Whats really important for our majors is meeting and interacting with the deaf community while theyre still students. So were hoping to have guest speakers and people from the deaf community come in and meet students on-campus for residencies, Roebuck said.

The ASL degree is a three-year program. The Deaf Studies Certificate serves as a prerequisite for the degree, but students can choose to obtain only the certificate.

The certificate teaches enough ASL that students can communicate with deaf community members during their part-time jobs, Roebuck said, so many have used it as a resume pad for customer service positions.

Because of EICCs rolling admissions, Roebuck said its hard to determine how many students will be in the online program until classes start.

The hope is that we can run the on-campus and online modalities side by side and increase numbers; including the number of students not tied to eastern Iowa, Roebuck said. The need for interpreters is so great that graduates have jobs but are absorbed in eastern Iowa ... so they dont even look for jobs throughout the state. The shortage is everywhere.

Cohort sizes for ASL degrees are typically small, which is a reason Roebuck believes other schools haven't started programs of their own.

Theres been a push across the state from the deaf and interpreter communities to get other community colleges or regent universities to implement programs, she said. It would be great if we developed a large enough cohort base that other institutions could point to and say, Hey, theres enough strength to start another program.

Recognizing that online school can feel isolating, Roebuck hopes they can build a sense of cohort cohesion.

Through the online modality, students will access assignments and lectures through Canvas, the schools course management system. DawnSignPress  a leading publisher of ASL and deaf literature, film and software  will provide books and instructional videos to students.

As the academic year approaches, Roebuck looks forward to expanding awareness and undergraduate access to the interpreting field.

Not many people know the deaf community is around unless they have a reason to interact with them, Roebuck said. Interpreters can provide access to a lot of mundane or fun things for the deaf community. Its a really good career with a lot of variety; you can work in education, businesses, doctors offices  any place somebody needs to communicate something important.

In-state students can take advantage of Iowas Last Dollar Scholarship, which covers tuition for both the degree and certification.
IN THE NEWS

SUPREME COURT REJECTS GOVERNOR'S REQUEST ON ABORTION

The Iowa Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Gov. Kim Reynolds request to rehear a case that was decided in June over a 24-hour waiting period for an abortion. The court said the case must be argued in district court first. The June decision said the state Constitution does not provide a fundamental right to an abortion, but the court still upheld the undue burden standard that existed under federal law before Roe v. Wade was overturned one week later. Reynolds is asking the court to loosen that standard and give the state more power to restrict abortions. The lower courts decision will likely ultimately be appealed to the Supreme Court.

'FIELD OF DREAMS' SHOW SEARCHING FOR HOME

The upcoming Field of Dreams TV series will keep $6 million in Iowa taxpayer funding, despite news that NBCs Peacock streaming service will no longer be hosting the series. The state awarded the money through its Destination Iowa program, which aims to bring tourists and new residents to Iowa. The series is an adaptation of the 1989 movie set in Dyersville, Iowa. It's led by Michael Schur, whose TV credits include The Office, Parks and Recreation, and The Good Place.

REPUBLICAN VOTER NUMBERS GROW AFTER PRIMARY

Republicans and Democrats both gained voters between June and July, but Republicans had a clear advantage, adding 25,000 voters to their rolls while Democrats added 5,000. Compared to last July, there are 20,000 more registered Republicans in the state and 15,000 less registered Democrats.

EASTERN IOWA AIRPORT TO RECEIVE $20 MILLION

The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids will get a $20 million boost in federal funding coming from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. The money brings the total to $49 million in federal funds given to the airport this year. The money will aid the airport in transitioning to a geothermal ventilation system and help pay for more jet bridges, concourse space, and food and amenity options.

DEJEAR VISITS CAMP COURAGEOUS

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeJear visited Camp Courageous, a respite care facility for children with special needs and their families, and advocated for more respite care and health care access in the state.

THEY SAID ...

This is not the same Chuck Grassley who was first elected to public office 63 years ago, and Iowans are sick and tired of the political posturing and hyperpartisanship.

Admiral Mike Franken, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, after his campaign released a poll that found him within five points of Grassley.

This will be the largest effort for a midterm election for Republicans in Iowa history.

Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann on the partys plans for the 2022 election.

ODDS AND ENDS

TUESDAY'S STORM CLASSIFIED AS DERECHO: While it was far milder than August 2020s storm, a derecho swept through parts of northwest and central Iowa on Tuesday. Winds as high as 68 mph were recorded in Mason City.

JOHNSON COUNTY DEMOCRAT PICKS UP SECOND REPUBLICAN ENDORSEMENT: Kevin Kinney, a Democrat from Oxford running for reelection in Iowas 46th Senate District, received an endorsement from former Republican challenger Michael Moore, who ran against Kinney in 2014. Kinney was previously endorsed by Republican Jarad Klein.

WATER COOLER



COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS UP, CASES DOWN SLIGHTLY: The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 last week was 190, up from 162 the previous week. Cases remained about the same, with 3,980 new cases reported.

FIREWORKS FALLOUT: Several people were sent to the emergency room in the Quad-City area with fireworks-related injuries over the 4th of July weekend. Most police departments received fewer complaints compared to last year.
A new trash-catching device on Davenport's creeks will offer some insight into the types of litter in the city's waterways, and how to prevent it.

Davenport is the only city in the U.S. doing the pilot program, funded by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

These trash collectors will be at four locations on three Davenport waterways until at least October. Emptied weekly, the trash collected will be sorted and analyzed to identify possible sources of pollution.

The collectors resemble floating lobster traps.

Here's how they work: A string of orange floaties holds in place a floating metal cage, called a "litter gitter" that collects trash that floats down the creek. It catches the most garbage after it rains.

That is likely to be mostly plastic items, such as food and beverage containers, plastic packaging, and bags. Food wrappers and cigarette butts were two top trash items picked up in a 2021 land litter survey in Davenport.

"What we're hoping to do with the trash capture devices is collect data," said Robbin Dunn, Davenport communications and preparedness manager." "Basically if we can identify the sources of the trash that's being captured in our waterways, we can identify the sources of pollution and then potentially target education."

The trash-collecting devices will be on Duck Creek at Marquette Street and Marquette Street drainage, Silver Creek at 49th Street, and Goose Creek at the Gaines Street pedestrian bridge.

Osprey, an Alabama-based company contracted to install the trash collectors, will maintain the trash collecting devices until October. After that, Dunn said, Davenport would evaluate whether it could keep up with the maintenance of its own.

"We're hoping obviously to keep the litter out of the creek and out of our waterways, because everything that lands here ends up going downstream to the Mississippi River and then eventually the Gulf of Mexico," Dunn said.

Don Bates, owner of Osprey Initiative, said the trap itself is fairly inexpensive, but it could cost between $18,000 and $24,000 a year for labor costs to maintain, which includes emptying it each week.

Bates said Osprey will be operating in 15 states by the end of the year.

The type of trash indicates where it's from  lots of water and Gatorade bottles, for example, may indicate a ballpark with summer tournaments and not enough trash cans.

"The real goal of all of this is not just to pick up the litter, but glean the information from this litter, so you can do programmatic work upstream," Bates said. "That litter is going to tell a story."

After October likely in winter or early spring 2023, the city would be able to share more information on what types of trash were the biggest polluters and where they might be coming from, said Dunn, the city's preparedness manager.

Osprey recycles about 30% of trash collected.
HIGHLAND PARK - Those grieving for the Highland Park shooting victims begin the heavy task Friday of burying their loved ones.

The first funerals for the victims will be held Friday, with services planned for Jacquelyn Jacki Sundheim, 63, and Steve Straus, 88, both of Highland Park. A visitation is also planned Friday for Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, who was visiting family from Morelos, Mexico.

They are among seven people who were shot and killed when a gunman opened fire from a rooftop at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade Monday.

Sundheim will be honored at the North Shore synagogue where she not only worked for decades but was a lifelong member. Sundheim taught preschool at North Shore Congregation Israel and also coordinated events such as bar and bat mitzvahs and weddings.

Her work, kindness and warmth touched us all, congregation leaders wrote in an online statement announcing her death. They said she she guided innumerable among us through lifes moments of joy and sorrow, all of this with tireless dedication.

There are no words sufficient to express our grief for Jackis death and sympathy for her family and loved ones, synagogue officials wrote.

Straus family described him a lover of culture with a curious mind who was still commuted five days a week to his stockbroker office downtown.

A native of Chicagos South Side, Straus was very much a Highland Parker and went to the parade each year, one of his sons told the Tribune.

Straus, said his son Peter Straus, was very curious about the world.

Toledo-Zaragozas family has said hed planned to spend three months in the Chicago visiting family, something that had been delayed because of COVID-19.

As the father of eight, his family said, he had a large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and he was surrounded by relatives at the parade when he died.

Today Nicolas is our guardian angel, his granddaughter Xochil Toledo wrote about Nicolas Toledo. We ask you (to) please keep our family and all the families of this horrible tragedy in your prayers and stay strong as a community.

Also killed in the shooting were Katherine Goldstein, 64, of Highland Park; Irina McCarth, 35, and her husband Kevin McCarthy, 37, who left behind a 2-year-old son; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, of Waukegan.
A Missouri resident has been infected by a microscopic organism that causes a rare, life-threatening brain infection after swimming in late June at Lake of Three Fires State Park in Southwest Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services has closed the Taylor County lake to swimming as officials test for Naegleria fowleri, a single-cell, parasitic amoeba that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis.

The brain infection is rare  only 154 cases in the United States since 1962  but its nearly always fatal.

Naegleria fowleri can be present in warm, freshwater lakes and ponds. Infection occurs when water is forced up a swimmers nose and the organism travels to the brain, where it destroys brain tissue, the Health Department reported. The infection cant be spread from one person to another and cant be contracted by swallowing contaminated water.

Its the worst parasite in the world that we know of because it causes such devastating pathology, said Christopher Rice, a research scientist in the Center for Drug Discovery at the University of Georgia, who studies Naegleria fowleri.

The brain infection is difficult to diagnose because it requires a sample of cerebral spinal fluid, Rice said. He believes some deaths attributed to other diseases causing meningitis may actually be caused by this parasite.

Naegleria fowleri can kill you within three days, so the longer it takes for diagnoses it can be time ticking away, he said. There are some drugs available to treat the infection, but they havent proved very effective in the lab, Rice said.

Lake likely source

Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said Friday the infected person is in intensive care at a Missouri hospital. Officials have not disclosed the persons age or gender.

Naegleria fowleri most often infects children or young adults who are swimming and jumping into lakes and ponds, Rice said. Other cases, many in Pakistan, involved middle-age men who use neti pots to rinse out nasal passages.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informed Missouri officials Wednesday about the exposure, Cox said. Officials believe the person swam at Lake of Three Fires sometime in the last two weeks of June.

Its strongly believed by public health experts that the lake is a likely source, but we are not limiting the investigation to that source and its not confirmed, Cox wrote in an email. Additional public water sources in Missouri are being tested as well.

Harmful algae and bacteria

Lake of Three Fires, about 25 miles east of Clarinda, is an 85-acre lake popular with boaters and anglers, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports. The state park was dedicated in 1935 and is named after a group of Native Americans from the Potawatomi tribe, known as the Fire Nation, who once inhabited the area.

The lake has frequently been closed to swimming in past summers because of harmful algae that create toxic microcystins that can sicken swimmers. Algae are fed by phosphorus that washes from farm fields into streams and lakes.

The Iowa DNR issued swim warnings at Lake of Three Fires for three weekends in 2021, with two for E. coli bacteria and one for E. coli and microcystins. In 2020, the state advised against swimming there three weeks because of microcystins.

Algae and bacteria provide a welcoming environment for Naegleria fowleri, which are common in soil and water, Rice said.

We do know the algal blooms and other bacterium do allow the parasite to survive, because thats generally what it feeds on, he said.

No testing at other lakes

The CDC is providing the Iowa DNR with equipment to test water at the Lake of Three Fires next week, state Health Department spokeswoman Sarah Ekstrand said Friday.

The CDC will be doing the analysis. The DNR, Iowa HHS and CDC are working closely to coordinate testing and will provide additional updates as test results become available, Ekstrand said. At this time, there are not plans to test other lakes.

It is unlikely Naegleria fowleri would be carried from one water body to another, Rice said, although there is some research about whether it could be spread by other animals, such as birds.

While the brain infection is rare, people who experience symptoms after swimming in any warm body of water should contact their doctor immediately, the state advises.

Symptoms

 Severe headache

 Fever

 Nausea

 Vomiting

 Stiff neck

 Seizures

 Altered mental status

 Hallucinations.
Nurses are often credited for being the backbone of healthcare. But with a nursing shortage worsening, some experts say cracks are forming in the spine.

According to the American Nursing Association (ANA), the problem reaches back to before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Increased demand for healthcare and big waves of retiring nurses has kept the numbers low. According to the ANA, the median age for nurses in 2020 was 52 years old, and about one-fifth of those nurses indicated they would retire within the next five years.

In the Quad-Cities, locals say they're doing their best to recruit nurses. And it begins with education.

On June 28, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Bettendorf High School as one of eight Iowa Health Careers Registered Apprenticeship Grant Program recipients. The program aims to create a pipeline of healthcare workers by extending opportunities to high school students, recruiting students to become certified nursing assistants (CNAs) or qualify for other healthcare careers before graduating high school.

I think for aspiring nurses, or anyone who think they might have an interest, its a great opportunity  one for free, Bettendorf High School Principal Kristy Cleppe said. Probably five years ago we started seeing a trend; we had a lot of students interested in doing something with health sciences or careers, but we didnt have a lot of exploratory opportunities," Cleppe said.

In response to the growing interest, Bettendorf added an introductory and advanced health-careers course. Last year, the school's registered nurse piloted and instructed Bettendorf's CNA program. About 20 students participated, and students could choose if they wanted to take the CNA test or not. This led Cleppe and her colleagues to explore more work-based learning opportunities.

We wrote the grant so we could actually start getting into the work-based learning piece of it, Cleppe said. So if students pass this course, and the tests are junior year, what we'd like to do is get them connected with one of our community health services and have them work in that role during their senior year.

Cleppe estimates between 30 and 40 students will participate in the Health Careers Registered Apprenticeship Program this year.

The next phase of this grant program involves partnering with businesses to employ students, so they can complete their required certification hours. The grant also includes an investment in virtual reality technology to simulate clinical training.

Early involvement in healthcare is important, but for those who choose to make the jump later in life, there is a job waiting for them, too.

Brian Bedoun is an RN at UnityPoint Health-Bettendorf who joined the team in September. Originally, he went to school for psychology, but after being burned out from his day job, he decided he could not ignore his calling any longer and went back to school.

"Nursing has always been something that has tugged at my heartstrings," he said. "We both were just too passionate about the work to not be doing it."

The US Burea of Labor and Statics predicts there will be nearly 195,000 annual job openings for nurses in the next eight years. Employment is expected to grow about 9% in that time.

Even before he began his career, Bedoun said he was well aware of the nursing shortage, but it never alarmed him.

"It was something I have seen, personally, as a positive thing ... (because) the people that are doing the job are definitely the folks that are very passionate about the work, and I think that leads to better outcomes," he said.

Olivia Pauley, a nursing student at St. Ambrose University, will graduate in December. She said the shortage has made her excited to enter the field.

"I worked in a hospital during COVID-19 and experienced the staffing problems that followed. I believe any experience can be made positive, and I know that I've learned a lot and had the opportunity to acquire new skills because of the need for help," she said. "I'm excited to enter a field with many opportunities. My hope is that the next generation of nurses, including myself, can bring positivity back into bedside nursing during these hard times in healthcare."

Bedoun agreed, saying the most important thing is that patients receive the highest quality of care. And as long as there are nurses willing to deliver, things are not as bad as they seem. But, even with the most motivated staff, things would be a little easier with a few more coworkers around, he said.

"If there were just a couple more (nurses,) sometimes the day would go a little bit better," he said with a laugh.

Christina Colombi, a fifth-year nursing student at St. Ambrose, has experienced the shortage first-hand. She said it "greatly changed" her feelings about the field once she was in the setting and able to see it for herself. Over the summer, she interned with the University of Wisconsin Northern Illinois in the GI lab.

"I had several different units to choose from, and the reason GI stuck out to me is because I understand how short-staffed bedside nursing is right now," she said. "I felt that if I were to pick a bedside unit, I would lose opportunities due to the lack of opportunity to teach. Nurse educators are not given the grace to take on the task of both an active RN and teaching a 'baby' nurse."

Both Pauley and Colombi said schools could take measures to strengthen the student-to-nurse pipeline, especially at the high school level.

"I think students feel obligated to know exactly what they want to do; I think life experience plays a bigger role in figuring out what you hope to do in the future," Pauley said. I believe providing more information about nursing and allowing observation would allow students at different levels to gain interest."

Programs that address those issues are a high priority at Trinity College of Nursing in Rock Island. According to nurse.org, Iowa has just more than 32,000 registered nurses. Illinois has almost 130,000. Nursing schools are the No. 1 source for filling those roles. Luckily, chancellor Tracy Poelvoorde said numbers are slowly rising.

We are definitely seeing increased interest now in nursing and the other health sciences and professions, she said.

When the pandemic hit, stay-at-home orders and virtual learning prevented some students from completing their in-person labs. These are part of general education courses, and are required to be completed before students make the transition into nursing school. Once restrictions were lifted, students were able to complete those courses and an influx of students was seen.

Poelvoorde said Trinity offers a variety of programs to appeal to college-age students, those searching for a master's degree, or those who have already completed a degree in a separate field and would like to earn a nursing degree.

Trinity and Unity Point Health have an affiliation that allows students to work in the hospital, which not only provides them with a quality experience but the hospital with qualified, capable workers.

In our nursing program, at least 85% of their clinical practice is done in a Unity Point Health facility, so they are really from day one becoming familiar with the culture and the practice model that the hospital uses," Poelvoorde said. "It helps that they feel very comfortable in those roles and those settings.

Melissa Wood, Unity Point Health's chief nursing executive, said the health system knew the shortage was coming, and did everything it could to get in front of it.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has really made it particularly challenging," Wood said. Hundreds of hospitals across the country, she said, were experiencing "turnover in nurses and other team members."

"Across the country, we had been predicting there would be some shortage of health care professionals coming in, but I don't think anybody really knew (to what extent)" she said.

Wood said the hospital has also added bonuses and incentives for those who continue to work. Pay is also a contributing factor to the shortage. According to the nurse.org list, Iowa ranks 48 out of 52 (the list includes Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia), with registered nurses making an average of $64,990 a year. Comparatively, Illinois comes in at 19 on the list, paying nurses $78,260. on average.

Although the numbers seem dire, Wood said knowing there is a consistent pipeline of talent in the area helps hospital personnel breathe a sigh of relief that there is a handle on the nursing shortage, at least in the Quad-Cities.

"There's an end in sight for everything," she said. "I think as long as we are continuing to encourage people to come into health care ... there will always be an end in sight."
A nationwide nursing shortage is plaguing hundreds of hospitals and healthcare facilities. In the Quad Cities, hospitals are looking to a new crop of students.
With possible criminal liability in images of a pre-sentencing report circulating on social media, Donna Garnette was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison Thursday.

The sentencing was continued from June 23 to allow Garnette's lawyer, Connor Duffy, to read an addendum to the pre-sentencing report.

Garnette pleaded guilty in Rapid City federal court to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance as part of a plea deal. The charge is connected to the overdose death of a 16-year-old Louis Sandoval in Porcupine on Dec. 6, 2020.

U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier sentenced Garnette to prison and said Garnette would be an excellent candidate for the substance abuse rehabilitation program. Following her time in prison, Garnette is sentenced to three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

Schreier said the seriousness of the crime of distributing hydrocodone and fentanyl pills, and the role Garnette played in Sandoval's death, led to her sentencing.

According to court documents, including cases of three other defendants who have been sentenced, the pill Sandoval received from Tarriah Provost originally came from Garnette.

Previous testimony from Special Agent Corey Dumdei of the FBI indicates Garnette bought, sold and coordinated sales and purchases of various pills. Megan Poppen, who represented the United States in the case, said Garnette even made a sale at a funeral home following Sandoval's death.

Poppen requested Schreier revoke bond due to Garnette posting images of the pre-sentencing report on Facebook. Pre-sentencing reports include interviews with a defendant's family, prosecutor, law enforcement agents, victims, mental health and substance abuse treatment providers and others to help the court determine sentencing.

Duffy said he was not in his office when Garnette viewed the pre-sentencing report, which defendants are not supposed to have copies of. He said a member of his staff was with Garnette while she viewed it, and asked Schreier not to question his client on the matter.

Poppen recommended 10 years for the sentencing due to the nature of the case. She said Garnette and her significant other took Sandoval under their wing not to provide an upbringing, but to involve him in drug distribution on the reservation.

Duffy said Garnette was 20 years old when she snorted pills following her sister's suicide. He said she does not have history with alcohol, drugs or other criminal involvement. He said Garnette, now sober, will likely never be in another criminal court case.

Garnette spoke before Schreier imposed the sentence. Garnette, through tears and sniffles, said she accepts her actions during her addiction and apologized to those who were harmed throughout it.

She said if she could go back, she would never have said yes to snorting the pill. She said fentanyl is the worst thing that could have happened to her life.

Garnette said she hopes to get better through treatment and wants to create a better life for her two children. She said she was raised by her grandmother since her father was in prison and her mother was absent due to her own addiction. She said she wants better for her children.

"I want my baby to know me, and I hope my daughter won't forget me," Garnette said.

She said leaving them in the car and coming to the courtroom was the hardest thing she's had to do, especially when her daughter asked when she would come back home.

Garnette told Schreier upon questioning that she tried to get clean with her significant other but was pressured into starting with fentanyl. She said she was not told how addictive the drug was and that they would need a fix every six hours or they would start to go through withdrawals.

Garnette said the withdrawals included dripping sweat, feeling suicidal and being so cold her skin would crawl. She said the last day she used was when she was arrested in 2021. She said she went through withdrawals and was hospitalized for four or five days.

Schreier said Garnette needs to stay clean and to cut off relationships with people who use or else she will end up back in custody.

Garnette was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals after her sentencing. She was previously out of custody in order to give birth to her youngest child.
Ex-head of Russian commercial bank arrested in absentia on embezzlement charges

MOSCOW, July 8 (RAPSI)  The Basmanny District Court of Moscow has issued an arrest warrant for the former head of the commercial bank Strategy Kirill Drugov in absentia as part of an embezzlement case, RAPSI has learnt in the courts press service.

Investigators believe that the defendant is hiding abroad. Thats why he was put on the international wanted list. He is to be placed in detention after extradition or his voluntary return to Russia.

The former banker stands charged with large-scale embezzlement. However, his lawyer asked the court not to choose a restrictive measure calling the investigators arguments unfounded.
Moratorium on capital punishment execution lifted in Donetsk Peoples Republic

MOSCOW, July 8 (RAPSI)  The Peoples Council of the Donetsk Peoples Republic has lifted a moratorium on the execution of death sentences, according to the bodys press service.

This legal provision will come into force after the publication of the DPR law amending the Penal Code of the self-proclaimed republic adopted on July 8, the statement reads.

Earlier, three foreign citizens, two Britons, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, and Moroccan Brahim Saadun were sentenced to death in by a DPR court.

In early June, the judicial panel of the Supreme Courts Appeals Chamber of the self-proclaimed republic considered a criminal case against the men and found them guilty of mercenary activities, violent coup, committing a crime by a group of people in conspiracy and training with the aim to conduct terrorist activity. All the men challenged the sentence in the DPR Supreme Court.




Summertime is a happy time, and a great time to enjoy the Bitterroot sunshine, blue skies and the local art community. It has a lot to offer during Culture Crawl on Saturday, July 9, in downtown Hamilton.

Visit the participating venues from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and enjoy the work of many talented Montana artists, musicians and authors. Also, be sure to pick up a Culture Crawl punch card. Get the card punched at each venue and then turn it in. You might win the gift basket with gifts from all the participating venues. It is a basket full of summer sunshine.

Chapter One Book Store, 252 Main St., will be hosting Jess Townes, a children's book author and bookseller from Missouri. She will be signing and reading from her latest book "Spellbound." A wonderful experience for the whole family.

Montana Bliss Gallery, 701 Main, will be featuring local multi-media artist Myrn Ellen Barrett Krengel. Living in Montana with the abundance of flora and fauna has provided her with a menu of painting experiences. Some paintings are representational and others abstract. She uses oil, cold wax/oil, acrylic and a variety of drawing materials including collage. Myrn Ellens reception will be during Culture Crawl on Saturday, July 9, from noon to 3 p.m. Take time to meet her and learn more about her new expressive artistic endeavors. Also, come by and meet the new artist in residence and gallery hostess Bonnie Cazier.

Pause for Poetry during Culture Crawl on Saturday, July 9, will be held from 11 a.m. to noon in the Montana Bliss Artworks Gallery, 701 Main St. We will be reading song lyrics. Too often we do not hear all the words as we are caught up in the tune. So, bring your favorite song lyrics and let us hear and enjoy them. At noon, Jane Shigley will be performing on the harp to add a little sunshine to the gallery. Stop by, sit and enjoy the sounds of summertime.

Art City, 407 Main St., will be featuring another month of the artwork of Dulcie Belanger and Jennifer Ogden. Dulcie works in clay and Jennifer is a multi-media artist. The artists work shares the concept of layers as inspired by the words of Stanley Kunitz. They explore what makes up the layers of our lives, how they contour our past experiences and all that lies in between. There is beauty in the whole piece at any given moment. Come by and support these two talented local artists and educators during Culture Crawl and throughout July.

Jean Driescher, Art Educator and Director of the Exploring Arts Program at the Montana Bliss ARTspace, 105 S. 7th St., is excited to be available during Culture Crawl to promote the Exploring the Arts Workshop Program sponsored by the Montana Bliss Artworks Gallery. She will be teaching a clay workshop in the ARTspace for all to drop by and see a workshop in action. Jean will also be providing support for the upcoming Hamilton Daly Days Sidewalk Art Contest in Hamilton event on July 29. To prepare, come to the ARTspace on Saturday, and explore ideas and chalk techniques available for you to help prepare a sidewalk design. It is good to have a plan in mind and the confidence to create and win. Let us inspire you.

Clayworks! In the Bitterroot studio, 325 Main St., will be featuring a special sale of members pots during Culture Crawl. Clayworks! Gallery will also be open. Great new pieces and gifts are on display. Many beautiful clay flowers are also available from their recent fundraiser for Arbor Day and S.A.F.E. The talent at the ClayWorks! is phenomenal. Workshops are also offered throughout the year. Check it out. Clay is Summer Sunshine fun for the whole family.

So, if summer sunshine is shining in your heart, Culture Crawl can be the place to start. Come out and support your Bitterroot Arts community.
The Ravalli County Fair is offering reduced-sensory experience carnival rides after learning some community members are more sensitive.

Fairgrounds Manager Melissa Seville said she talked with North Star Amusements, the official carnival company of the RC Fair, to see if it was possible.

We have a lot of sensory-affected kids and adults that cant come to the carnival because of too many people, or the lights or sounds are just too much for them, Seville said. We proposed a special time to limit the rides to a smaller number of kids, with less lights and music. They agreed.

The Ravalli County Fair carnival will be open for a private, quieter event from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Sept. 1.

We have 150 special ride bracelets that are for sensory-affected children, adults and a companion, Seville said. The 150 is just a number we selected to try the first year. We wanted to make sure we had enough of our volunteers to make sure everybody is safe. Theyll get to have a private time at the carnival.

She estimated that over half of the carnival rides would be open with reduced sensory aspects  no lights, no sounds.

They will have a good representation of rides and those will probably include kids' rides as some people dont do well with speed or heights, Seville said. We ask that sufficient chaperones participate with the children to facilitate lines and support on and off the rides.

The Ravalli County Commissioners realized it would affect gate revenue and stepped up.

We asked if they would be willing to donate the gate fees and they did, Seville said. Thats like $1,500 in gate revenue  that enables the individuals to stay all day. The Ravalli County Fairgrounds will be offering free gate (entry) to those sensory-affected children and a companion.

She has also talked with fair businesses to see if they would donate $10 food vouchers so the guests could stay for lunch.

The special reduced-sensory carnival ride bracelets are available first-come, first-served by contacting Seville at the fairgrounds office, 100 Old Corvallis Road, in Hamilton, or call 406-363-3411.

Jessica Fitzpatrick, founder and director of the HEARTism Community Center in Corvallis, a certified autism center, said it is exciting to see more sensory-friendly opportunities being offered in the Bitterroot Valley.

This event provides a carnival experience to some who maybe otherwise would not be able to attend due to sensory overload and it also helps to spread awareness and acceptance of neurodiversity throughout our community, Fitzpatrick said. I am thrilled and grateful for the thoughtfulness and inclusivity.

Currently, regular ride pre-sale tickets are available in the fairgrounds office; Super One in Stevensville; Super One, Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply, and Hamilton Marketplace in Hamilton; and People's Market in Darby.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Leaders around the world condemned the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday as despicable, cowardly and terrorism while recalling him as a man devoted to peace, security and international cooperation.

Tributes poured in as governments expressed sorrow and solidarity with Japan over the loss of Abe, who was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western Japan while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The attack was especially shocking in one of the world's safest countries, where guns are strictly controlled.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened. He visited the residence of Japans ambassador to the U.S. on Friday to offer condolences. He placed a bouquet of flowers on a table set up near a koi pond and wrote in a condolence book that Abe was a man of peace and judgment.

This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him, Biden said. His vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country, condemned the unforgivable act. He said campaigning as well as Sunday's elections for parliament's upper house will proceed.

The free and fair election, which is the root of democracy, needs to be protected no matter what. We will not be defeated by violence," Kishida said.

Biden called Kishida a very solid guy and said he did not believe the killing was likely to have "any profound, destabilizing impact on Japanese security or Japanese solidarity.

Leaders from Turkey to Singapore condemned the attack. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the French foreign ministry called the shooting despicable," and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was cowardly.

The U.N. Security Council stood in silent tribute to Abe after the current council president, Brazils U.N. Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho, expressed our sadness and shock at the senseless assassination.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Abe will be remembered as a staunch defender of multilateralism, respected leader and supporter of the United Nations. Abe was committed to promoting peace and security, championing U.N. development goals and advocating for universal health coverage, Guterres said, according to his spokesman.

I have fond memories of meeting Mr. Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016, Queen Elizabeth II said in a written statement. His love for Japan, and his desire to forge ever-closer bonds with the United Kingdom, were clear.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted his deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time, while South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called the shooting an intolerable criminal act, his office said.

Iran said it was an act of terrorism.

As a country that has been a victim of terrorism and has lost great leaders to terrorists, we are following the news closely and with concern, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

Public broadcaster NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street.

Jordans King Abdullah II said he was shocked and saddened. The world lost a great leader, and Jordan and I lost a true friend, the monarch tweeted.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office and described him as deeply committed to his role, generous and kind.

I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is, Ardern said. Events like this shake us all to the core.

In the NHK video, security guards are seen leaping on top of a man in a gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.

Police arrested a suspect at the scene. Under Japanese law, possession of firearms is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal.

Leaders from Germany, Pakistan, Sweden and the Philippines were also among those who gave condolences, and many countries including Spain and France expressed solidarity with Japan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a day of national mourning on Saturday as a mark of deepest respect for Abe.

"Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment, Modi said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abe was a giant on the world stage," adding that "his legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia."

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose time in office from 2005-2021 largely overlapped Abe's, said she was deeply shocked and devastated by the cowardly and vile assassination.

Taiwan's government said Abe spared no effort to push for the progress of Taiwan-Japan relations for many years, noting his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic for the Japanese government to donate vaccines to Taiwan.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi said Italy was embracing Abes family, the government and the Japanese people.

Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and reformist vision, Draghi said in a statement.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt noted that Abe was killed while campaigning for his fellow party members. All politicians should be safe while executing their work for democracy.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who is president of the Group of 20 nations' foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia, said Abe will always be remembered as a prime example for all.

The International Olympic Committee praised Abe for his vision, determination and dependability that allowed it to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the Olympic flag will be flown at half staff at Olympic House in Lausanne for three days.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped Abes killer will be dealt with swiftly and harshly. Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD! he said on his social media platform. He said Abe was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan."

In China, however, Abe's shooting triggered unfavorable comments from tens of thousands of nationalist citizens on social media.

Some quipped, Hope hes not OK, while dozens half-jokingly called the shooter a hero or anti-Japan hero. Others said Abes injuries were a comfort to the souls of people who died in Japans invasion of China during World War II.

While not necessarily the view of most Chinese, the posts reflect strong public sentiment  encouraged by government propaganda  against right-wing Japanese politicians who question or deny that Japan's military committed atrocities in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China expressed sympathies with Abe's family and that the shooting shouldn't be linked with bilateral relations.

Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
Community members are searching for answers after a Richmond nonprofit organization that supports municipal parks has dissolved. The group, Enrichmond Foundation, also oversees two historic cemeteries.

Until we figure out who is responsible for the funds and where they are  and unless we have a firm commitment from our public officials that they will take care of the cemeteries with genuine descendant engagement  well still be at the starting line, said Brian Palmer, a member of the Descendants Council of Greater Richmond, which represents ancestors buried at the cemeteries.

Enrichmond was founded in 1990 and served as an umbrella organization for at least 85 area community volunteer groups, helping develop local parks and public spaces. The organization in 2019 and 2017 took over the 1800s East End and Evergreen cemeteries, which had fallen into disrepair.

The groups board in late June determined it was in the best interest of the foundation and its charitable mission to dissolve the foundation, according to a letter signed by Kerry Brian Hutcherson, a legal adviser, sent to community partners.

Hutcherson in the letter said hes assisting with the process to end the group.

In the coming weeks, I will be working to gather a comprehensive list of the foundations assets and liabilities so that the foundation can follow up with partner organizations regarding the next steps in the dissolution process, he said.

A cause was not given.

Christopher Frelke, director of Richmond parks, recreation and community facilities, in an email to the foundations community partners said his department also is working with the city attorneys office to determine the next steps and how to proceed moving forward.

The city values your partnership and the impact you make to our park system, the email obtained by the Times-Dispatch reads. In order to ensure the most optimal transition this may take time, but in the interim we do not want to disrupt the valuable work you provide for our city.

But Scott Morrison, the treasurer of the group Richmond Tree Stewards, said theres concern about the fallout from the group ending. He said they received a $15,000 grant in May that they no longer had access to  and a tree giveaway costing $7,000 is approaching.

Its another way in which this has been just absolutely crippling, Morrison said. And our questions to Enrichmond itself  how respectful were they of all of the partner organizations funds? Or did they just use that for their purposes without really conferring or respecting our needs?

John Sydnor, who was the groups executive director, also parted ways with Enrichmond earlier this year amid criticism from community members regarding the foundations stewardship of the two historic Black cemeteries.

Sydnor would not comment on the dissolving of the organization.

James Mickle, a certified park and recreation professional with over 20 years of experience in recreation operations, was announced as the new deputy executive director of Enrichmond in January.

In a May Zoom meeting with Enrichmond officials and representatives of their partner organizations, board members referred to Mickle as a consultant for the foundation. Mickle was described as a prime candidate to possibly lead the company in the future, according to the video obtained by The Times-Dispatch.

Mickle did not respond to requests for comment.

In a recent vote by the board, Hutcherson and John Mitchell, a descendant of the civil rights activist, became the authorized representatives for the foundations affairs, according to an email from former board President J. David Young. His term ended on June 30, he wrote.

The Descendants Council had raised concerns about Enrichmonds treatment of the cemeteries in March 2021, creating a petition to former Gov. Ralph Northam for more oversight of the foundation. The petition has garnered over 13,300 signatures since.

City officials also withdrew a $75,000 annual contribution to the foundation in next years budget amid the descendants demands for more accountability from local and state officials over the foundation.

Weve always tried to work with Enrichmond as equals, and theyve never dealt with us as equals  more like as individuals, Palmer said. And we would not accept that.

The foundation has also received human and financial capital for its projects through AmeriCorps, which handles service projects. A spokesperson with AmeriCorps was not available for comment.

Enrichmonds website now displays a Page not found message on its homepage and numerous areas on the site.

Correction: The name of the organization is the Descendants Council of Greater Richmond. An earlier version of this story has the incorrect name.
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The out-of-the-blue dissolution of the Enrichmond Foundation is a distressing but otherwise fitting end for an organization that was never as transparent as it needed to be.

The foundation was established in 1990 to support the development of local parks and public spaces. But its acquisition several years ago of two historic African American cemeteries  and dissatisfaction about its stewardship and transparency among the descendants of those buried there  made it a flashpoint destined to burn everyone involved.

And so it has come to pass.

Its executive director for 11 years, John Sydnor, quietly left the nonprofit in April. Board members resigned en masse. Its website went dark. And last Tuesday, a lawyer alerted its 86 partner organizations that Enrichmond, their fiscal agent, was being shut down.

The state and fate of the monies these groups entrusted to Enrichmond remains unclear.

My sense is its an absolute mess, said Scott Morrison, treasurer of Richmond Tree Stewards.

Kerry Hutcherson, the attorney charged with unraveling the mess, said in an email Thursday: The Enrichmond Foundation is not ready to make any comments at this time, but I expect to have a statement within the coming days.

The dissolution, he added, requires a substantial amount of document review and analysis, and until the Enrichmond Foundation has completed that part of the process we wont be in a position to provide many details.

This is a sad denouement to the hopes of 2017, when Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, secured state recognition and funding for the preservation of East End and Evergreen cemeteries, the latter the final resting place of Black Richmond luminaries Maggie L. Walker and John Mitchell Jr.

In hindsight, the beginning of the end occurred during the spring of 2021, when the administration of Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, concerned about the rancor between a descendants group and Enrichmond, withdrew $75,000 in annual funding  effectively a vote of no confidence.

But the crux of the issue was too much confidence in Enrichmond, suggests Virginia Commonwealth University historian Ryan Smith, author of Death & Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmonds Historic Cemeteries.

In hindsight, this scenario seems utterly predictable, Smith blogged. The Enrichmond Foundation never demonstrated that it had the capacity for the task or an ability to build trust with its partners in the work.

But after years of butting heads with Sydnor and Enrichmond, descendant Brian Palmer was hardly celebratory about its demise.

When an organization that people rely on folds, its not good news, he said. But it does provide an opportunity for those who remain in that organization to take a new path.

One would hope that the board members of Enrichmond would provide clarity and transparency to partner groups, on the one hand, and descendants, on the other. This is essential to make these groups whole and to protect the cemeteries.

The abrupt collapse of the nonprofit, coupled with its history of opacity, left folks unsure of exactly owns the cemeteries: Enrichmond or Sydnors limited liability corporation, the ironically named Parity LLC.

Years before James Madisons Montpelier would establish a model of structural parity and power sharing with the descendants of the enslaved, a group of descendants of the interred at East End cemetery sought a power-sharing arrangement on an Enrichmond governance board. It never happened, and Sydnors relations with Palmer and other descendants was often fraught.

Sydnor is now the fundraising and communications program officer for Virginia LISC. On Thursday, as he traveled with his family, he sounded like a man ready to move on.

I left Enrichmond for an opportunity that opened with an organization I had been monitoring for years, he said in an email. When I left, Enrichmond owned both East End and Evergreen. Im not in the loop any longer on these things.

Not so fast.

Everyone associated with Enrichmond has a lot of explaining to do. Rarely do organizations collapse so quickly without warning.

Our public officials  elected and appointed; local, state, and federal  must also account for the hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars they have given to Enrichmond and its holding company, Parity, Palmer said. How has that money been spent? Is there any left? Audits have been conducted ... why not share these public records with the public, with the descendant community?

We cant move forward to save the cemeteries until we sort out the mess in front of us; we cant get to reconciliation until we have the truth.

A nadir in Enrichmonds stewardship of the cemeteries occurred during the summer of 2020, when a cache of exposed human remains was found by an employee in an eroding ravine at East End cemetery. Imagines of the remains were shown on a local television newscast. Folks were later stunned to learn during a virtual meeting that the bones bore evidence of medical dissection.

This untimely dissolution amounts to the latest desecration of the Black dead in Richmond.
The BA.5 strain of COVID-19 is spreading quickly across Virginia and now accounts for more than half of all cases in the state, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

A subvariant of omicron, BA.5 is causing new infections, even among those vaccinated and those who have already contracted COVID. Its considered the most transmissible variant yet and might be capable of producing more severe disease.

In Virginia, hospitalizations are on the incline. Deaths remain low.

The BA.5 omicron variant has become the majority variant of the virus in the USA in a matter of weeks and is a very troubling development, said Dr. Gonzalo Bearman, head of infectious diseases for Virginia Commonwealth University Health.

The University of Virginias Biocomplexity Institute said BA.5, along with the slightly older BA.4, may cause a small surge this summer.

What kind of effect theyll have on the Richmond area isnt determined yet, said Dr. Melissa Viray, Richmond and Henrico interim health director.

I think its a little too early to say, Viray added. We need to monitor the impact of BA.4 and BA.5.

Experts arent sure yet if the BA.5 variant can cause greater severity of illness. As variants have evolved, theyve typically become more transmissible and less deadly. But the BA.5 variant arrives at a time when immunity for many people is declining.

As many individuals are not vaccinated and others have waning vaccine protection, this may lead to both greater numbers of infection and greater severity of disease, Bearman said.

In Virginia, 72% of residents are fully vaccinated. But less than half of Virginians have received a booster, and vaccine immunity wanes over time. Its unclear how much immunity is necessary to ward off infection.

The older BA.2.12.1 variant is shrinking but continues to have a presence in the state. Pfizer and Moderna plan to have boosters that target omicron by this fall.

For the past two weeks, COVID hospitalizations in Virginia have been on the rise. There were 615 average hospitalizations Friday, the most since early March, when the original strain of omicron was receding. Fridays hospitalization total remains relatively low compared to previous variants  there were 2,000 hospitalizations at the peak of delta and 3,700 at the peak of the original omicron.

Hospitals in the Richmond area havent seen their patient populations swell. At VCU Health, 94% of the hospitals 645 adult inpatient beds were full last week, roughly the same figure as a month earlier, according to federal data.

At Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals, fewer beds were occupied last week than a month prior. In the last week of June, 72% of adult inpatient beds were full, compared with 77% four weeks earlier.

St. Marys Hospital has also seen its patient volume slide. COVID patients made up just 3% of the patient population in late June. At VCU, 9% of its patients were treated for COVID.

The state health department reported a daily average of 2,600 cases on Friday, but cases are no longer a reliable indicator, because the health department cant count the numerous rapid tests conducted at home. Despite the undercounting in cases, the rate in Virginia is four times higher than last summer, before at-home testing was widely available.

Deaths remain low  the state health department reported seven in the past two weeks  but deaths typically dont increase until weeks after hospitalizations do.

The level of transmission across the state is growing. One section of the state is surging, according to the University of Virginia Biocomplexity Institute  the area northeast of Richmond from King William County to the Northern Neck.

UVA lists 24 health districts as having slow growth, one in plateau and eight in decline.

The CDC continues to label Henrico, Chesterfield and Charles City counties and the city of Richmond as having high transmission rates. Hanover, New Kent, Goochland, Powhatan and Dinwiddie counties remain at medium levels of transmission.

Residents of high transmission localities are recommended to wear masks indoors while around others.

A large swath of northwestern Virginia remains in low transmission, including Albemarle, Madison and Rappahannock counties.
A concerned citizen who tipped Richmond police off about a potential mass shooting at Dogwood Dell on Monday told investigators that one of the men in custody showed him two rifles, a red dot sight and a longer higher caliber gun with a kickstand on June 21, according to a court affidavit filed Thursday.

The tipster identified Rolman Chapin Balcarcel Ac, 38, as the person planning the shooting, and told police that Chapin has connections to a gang called Los Zetas, Richmond Detective Michael Kiniry wrote in an affidavit used to obtain a warrant to search 3112 Columbia St. in Richmond.

Kiniry noted in the affidavit that Zetas is a reference to the gang affiliate that operates in Mexico and the U.S. The affidavit makes no mention that the tipster informed police that Dogwood Dell was where the mass shooting would take place.

During a news conference Wednesday, Richmond police described the tipster as a hero citizen who helped authorities thwart the shooting at Dogwood Dell. An officer in the 2nd Precinct received the tip, police said.

The announcement by Richmond police came two days after seven people were shot and killed during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Ill., north of Chicago.

Richmond police reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in reference to the tipsters information on the Zetas cartel, and their investigation led to the home on Columbia Street, authorities said.

Officers conducted a knock and talk at the address on July 1, and another man, Julio Alvarado-Dubon, 52, came to the door, police said. Officers then asked Alvarado-Dubon if they could step inside to speak with him, and he allowed them to enter, according to the affidavit.

There was a loud party with a DJ outside, which made it difficult to hear, police said. Once inside, officers observed two Glock magazines and a rifle round in the living room in plain view, the affidavit said. At that point, a second man appeared and provided police with a Colorado ID with the name Rolman A. Balcarcel Ac. He also was in possession of two Colorado drivers licenses and IDs from Guatemala and Mexico, police said.

Alvarado-Dubon then gave police permission to search the residence, but was not present during the search, police said. Officers recovered two AR-15 semiautomatic assault-style rifles, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Alvarado-Dubon lived at the Columbia Street home with his adult son, 20, the affidavit said, and police during Wednesdays news conference said Balcarcel Ac was his roommate.

After further investigation, a Homeland Security agent advised Richmond police that both Alvarado-Dubon and Balcarcel Ac were residing in the U.S. illegally.

On Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that Balcarcel Ac was deported twice from the U.S. to Guatemala  first in October 2013 and then in August 2014. An immigration spokesman said Balcarcels full name is Rolman Balcarcel Ac, which slightly differs from the name provided Wednesday by Richmond police.

Immigration authorities also said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Washington placed immigration detainers on both men on Wednesday. Alvarado-Dubon is in custody at the Richmond City Justice Center, and Balcarcel Ac is being held at the Albemarle County Jail. Both are charged with possession of a firearm by non-U.S. citizen.

A Richmond judge granted Alvarado-Dubon a $15,000 bond on Wednesday, but court documents show prosecutors appealed the judges decision and that a hearing on the matter will be held Monday. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 2 in Richmond General District Court.

Court documents say Alvarado-Dubon has lived in the Richmond area for three years and works full time in the construction industry.
The state officials who review jails found a Northern Virginia sheriff in violation of state regulations after the death of a 46-year-old man who was left unattended by medical staff.

The Arlington County Jail submitted a corrective action plan to the state on how officials there plan to comply with minimum state standards following the October 2020 death of Darryl Becton. The state officials at the Virginia Board of Local and Regional Jails last month were satisfied and voted in favor of closing their investigation.

But whats in the action plan for the Arlington jail and others that violated state standards? Its unclear because the board wont release those plans publicly.

The board, through its executive director, cited a discretionary exemption in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act in withholding the action plans in four cases that a board committee voted in June to resolve. The other jails recently found in violation of state regulations after jail deaths in 2020 are the Henry County Jail, the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail and the Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren Regional Jail.

The FOIA exemption allows government officials to withhold public records if the records are prepared exclusively for use in a closed meeting.

Mark Krudys, a lawyer in Richmond who regularly files litigation over deaths of people in jails, said its not just the public and families that should see such records. The system benefits from more information; sheriffs and regional jail superintendents need to see records on what other jails are doing so they can fix or avoid their own problems, he said.

This board is basically saying just trust us. Well go behind the door, not allow you to see these proceedings, and well come back and you should just be satisfied with that, Krudys said. Well, thats not how, for instance, courts work.

Krudys represented the family of a man whose death led to new powers for the Board of Local and Regional Jails to review all jail deaths. Jamycheal Mitchell, 24, died in the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in 2015 after a series of systemic failures prevented him from getting proper medical care. He had mental health problems and was being held in jail on shoplifting charges.

In response, then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2017 signed legislation to expand the powers of the board and change its makeup to better oversee local jails. But since then, the board at times has been plagued by a lack of transparency, a case backlog and interference by powerful officials at the Virginia Department of Corrections. The department oversees state prisons, but staff of the jail board are housed in the department.

Its difficult to gauge results of the work done by the board, whose members are unpaid appointees of the governor. And its not easy to even know which cases the board is talking about at its meetings, because board members opt to do most of their work in closed session.

On June 15, for example, the boards Jail Review Committee met in closed session, returning to open session to cast several votes. The committee found that in four death cases, a jail was out of compliance with state standards.

However, the Jail Review Committee finds that the corrective actions taken by the jail appropriately addresses the substance of the violation such that no further measures are necessary, read the motion the committee voted on. The committee voted to recommend that the full jail board close the four death cases.

But only the internal case numbers were mentioned publicly, numbers that without further context are meaningless to the public. The date, jail and name of the person who died werent discussed in open session or listed in the meeting minutes.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch asked on June 15 for a copy of the notices sent to the four facilities and a copy of the corrective action plans they sent to the state.

Three weeks later, Ryan McCord, the boards executive director, provided the redacted records, withholding the corrective action plans and details of the cases that the board didnt want released. The board cited discretionary FOIA exemptions for inmate records, health records and personnel records. Nothing stops the board from releasing the records, but the law doesnt require it.

McCord said the board wants to protect the privacy of people who die in jails, and their families. Board Chairman Vernie Francis Jr. didnt respond to an email.

In the Arlington case, Becton was suffering from withdrawal over use of opioids as well as alarmingly high blood pressure.

He was left for hours without monitoring, observation or treatment, his family alleges in a pending lawsuit in Arlington County Circuit Court against Corizon Health Inc. and other defendants. Corizon was the jails medical provider at the time; a Corizon nurse was charged criminally with falsifying records related to Becton in a case that remains pending.

Arlington County ended a contract with Corizon Health in the fall. Krudys, the attorney who represented Mitchells family, also represents the family of Becton in their lawsuit.

Krudys said its problematic that minimal detail is publicly available from the Board of Local and Regional Jails death investigations. Broad publicity of jail board findings and how jails respond would lead to improvements, he said.

Theres no acceptable reason as far as Im concerned as to why this information hasnt been made public, he said.

If the board wants to protect the privacy of families, Krudys said, the board should contact the families to get their views on whether records should be public, or the board should make only modest redactions to protect privacy.

The Becton family, he said, calls for full public disclosure of all board records in their loved ones case, as well as release of Arlington Countys corrective action plan.

Cloaking board findings and alleged corrective actions does not serve the publics interests; it only shields jailers from scrutiny, he said. It is time to halt that practice.
Jessica Terry lost her business and her marriage during the COVID-19 pandemic. She couldnt look for outside work because she was home in Mechanicsville taking care of four school-age children.

So Terry survived on state and federal unemployment benefits until they ran out. Now, the Virginia Employment Commission is taking legal action to collect an estimated $17,000 in payments it says she shouldnt have received.

Its all a shock to me, she said.

Terry isnt alone. On July 1, the VEC, allied with Attorney General Jason Miyares and an outside collection agency, resumed collecting an estimated $859 million in overpayments to more than 366,000 unemployed Virginians during the pandemic.

The state is obligated under federal law to collect the money, but employment attorneys say the fault lies more with the VEC than with the people who received the benefits and have waited months for the opportunity to waive repayments under a state law that expired June 30.

It is a bleak situation, said Marty Wegbreit, director of litigation at the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society. People are frustrated, theyre desperate, theyre confused and theyre frightened.

Pat Levy-Lavelle, an attorney at the Legal Aid Justice Center, said, I think there are a lot of people still out there suffering.

His nonprofit organization and four partnering groups filed a federal lawsuit against the VEC in early 2021 to force it to comply with legal requirements for promptly processing claims, adjudicating disputes over eligibility and deciding appeals. The VEC settled the lawsuit in December after taking steps under then-Gov. Ralph Northam to address the agencys shortcomings.

The priority should be to make sure people get their questions answered and get the benefits to which they are entitled, Levy-Lavelle said.

When the pandemic began 28 months ago, more than 400,000 Virginians lost their jobs in one month. They turned for help to an unemployment insurance system that was ill-prepared to handle the deluge of 2 million claims for unemployment benefits or carry out an array of new federal emergency aid programs to help people ride out the public health emergency.

The crisis focused withering attention on the VEC from the General Assembly and its legislative watchdog agency: the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which issued more than 40 recommendations, most of them adopted as state law this year to fix flaws in the system and its oversight.

Finding a balance

Under Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the VEC has reduced many of the backlogs that clogged the system, but people still face waits in getting paid benefits, resolving disputes over eligibility and requesting that the state waive overpayments they received through no fault of their own.

Weve made some significant headway, but theres a lot of work that remains to be done, said Carrie Roth, whom Youngkin appointed as Virginia employment commissioner in January.

In an interim report released in September, JLARC warned that the VEC had made an estimated $930 million in overpayments, which then-Secretary of Labor Megan Healy challenged as not even close. By the time it released the final report in November, JLARC had raised the estimate to $1.2 billion.

When the VEC announced July 1 that it would resume legal action to collect the overpayments, the agency confirmed it was pursuing 366,308 cases of improper payments worth more than $859 million  out of more than $14 billion it paid in state and federal benefits during the pandemic.

Those payments were not based on fraud, which accounted for 23,907 cases, or just 6% of the payments the state is seeking to recover.

Almost all of these incorrect payments are overpayments, which can occur because of mistakes made by VEC, the claimant, the employer, or because of fraud, JLARC said in its report.

Wegbreit, at the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, said the states focus on fraudulent claims has inadvertently put legal pressure on people who received improper payments through no fault of their own, as the VEC hastened to deliver unemployment benefits in the worst of the pandemic.

The real problem is overpayment to innocent people, he said.

Roth agrees the VEC needs to find the balance between protecting the system  and the employer-supported Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund  from bad actors and ensuring proper payments to those who have earned them.

Our goal is to get the customer paid when he has earned the benefit, she said. We need to make sure it is the true Virginian or customer who is getting paid.

Temporary relief

Virginia isnt one of the states that is authorized under federal law to waive repayments of ineligible benefits. However, the General Assembly provided temporary relief last year with legislation and state funding to waive repayment by people such as Jessica Terry who didnt have the money to pay back benefits they may have received in error through no fault of their own.

We obviously needed the money to pay the bills, said Terry, who sought jobless benefits after the race-car speed shop that she ran with her then-husband went bankrupt at the beginning of the pandemic. Its not like I banked it and Im sitting on it.

Through Friday, the VEC had approved 25,453 waiver requests totaling more than $90 million, Roth said.

The legislation applied retroactively to payments for workweeks beginning March 15, 2020, through June 27, 2021, not prospectively. The VEC system is supposed to automatically notify people who are eligible to request a waiver if their case falls within the time frame and they have had the opportunity to appeal the overpayment decision.

You cant go online to apply for the waiver, Roth said. It is a waiver that is unique to the individual.

Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, a member of the Commission on Unemployment Compensation and the sponsor of the waiver legislation, said she wanted to make Virginia a waiver state while allowing it to address the bulk of overpayment cases that had occurred early in the pandemic.

Hudson said the Senate added a sunset clause to the legislation to make it a temporary COVID relief measure that expired July 1.

What is really expiring at this moment is the pause in collection of the debts, she said.

The VEC said July 1 that it will not begin collection actions against people who are waiting on appeals or waiver requests until all other options have been pursued. Among the options are voluntary repayment plans, which Hudson said the agency has reached with about 57,000 people.

The agency acknowledged its information technology system previously has not allowed its staff to recognize which cases were pending appeal or a waiver request.

We did have a backlog situation where not all of the appeals have been keyed into the system, spokesperson Joyce Fogg said. This issue has been resolved, and the backlog of appeals that need to be keyed into our system has been eliminated.

Wegbreit said the agency has committed to continue accepting waiver requests for overpayments made for weeks ending on or before June 25, 2022, regardless of when the overpayment was declared or the waiver request was offered.

He acknowledged the law was limited to overpayments made during a 15-month period of 2020-2021, but added, I think as a matter of equity and common sense that they should apply it to cases incurred since then.

Uncertainty

In Mechanicsville, Terry doesnt know where she stands. Ive never seen a waiver [application] come through the mail, she said.

Getting timely information or phone calls answered has been a big part of the problem throughout the unemployment crisis. The VEC, legislators and even a federal judge were inundated with calls for help from people who either couldnt get benefits or were being required to repay them.

You call the number, and you get a recording that says, We are experiencing higher than normal call volumes. Please try your call on another day, Terry said. You call another day, and nothing happens.

Wegbreit, her lawyer, said hes also in the dark about why Terry was declared ineligible. She fears she caused it inadvertently by saying she wasnt available for work outside of her home.

Im at home with four kids, so I cant leave my home to go to work, she said. If I could find something online, I could do it.

But if that were the case, Wegbreit said the VEC shouldnt have paid her for those weeks in the first place. Meanwhile, hes not sure whether her pending appeal is about the determination of eligibility for payments or the finding that she had been overpaid.

People want to know where they stand with the VEC so they can tell their lawyer where they stand, Wegbreit said.

Reducing the backlog

The overpayment issue isnt the only problem that he and other advocates see at the VEC despite some initial progress under Youngkin, a Republican political newcomer who used the agencys problems in his successful gubernatorial campaign last year against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat.

In late February, five weeks into his term, Youngkin announced the VEC had reduced a backlog of 246,000 unprocessed reports from employers about employee separations by 89% and a backlog of claims awaiting adjudication for benefits by 36%.

We have more work to do, but I want Virginians to know we are serious about making the VEC, along with all other state agencies, work for them, the governor said then.

Roth said Friday that the VEC has reduced the appeals backlog from 86,000 to 70,000. She said part of the problem has been that people have clogged the system by filing appeals prematurely before their cases have been decided. The agency also is reviewing a backlog of 70,000 potentially fraudulent unpaid claims.

Weve written more decisions in the first five months of 2022 than the agency did in all of 2021, she said.

However, Wegbreit and other employment advocates cite recent U.S. Department of Labor statistics that show Virginia 50th out of 51 states and territories, ahead of only the Virgin Islands, in making first payments within 21 days at 20.5%, compared with a DOL standard of 87%.

They said the VEC also ranks 50th, ahead of only Alabama, in meeting the DOL standard of action on first-level appeals within 30 days. The average duration of pending appeals in Virginia is 310.1 days, he said.

Wegbreit said he has one client who filed a claim in November 2020 and is waiting to have it heard. One reason, he said, is that the VEC is processing newer claims before acting on old ones.

Its just not fair, he said. Its not equitable.

Advocates say the agency also continues to struggle with staffing, training and the long-delayed transition of its IT system to make it easier for people to file and follow their cases online.

Hudson said, A lot of time has passed, but not much has changed.
An armed, suicidal individual crashed a vehicle and then shot himself in Botetourt County after he was pursued by Roanoke Police Thursday afternoon.

Roanoke Police said in a press release that they were alerted at 3:30 p.m. by a 911 call that a male, suicidal subject with a firearm was in the 4600 block of Long Acre Drive Northeast.

The caller advised the male subject was no longer on scene and had left in a vehicle, the police said. The description of the vehicle was aired to all patrol units. Officers were also advised that the man had an active felony warrant from another jurisdiction.

After that information was relayed, a Roanoke officer saw the described vehicle traveling near Orange Avenue and Williamson Road Northeast. The officer started to follow the vehicle.

The officer verified that the driver of the vehicle was the suicidal subject and noted that there was a passenger in the vehicle as well, the police said. The officer initiated a traffic stop, but the man did not comply.

Because officers had been told a weapon was in the vehicle and there was a warrant for the subjects arrest, the officer continued the pursuit.

The pursuit did not reach excessive speeds and traffic was not impacted, police said.

The subject continued driving at a low rate of speed out of the city. Additional patrol units deployed pursuit intervention devices, police said, in an attempt to stop the vehicle safely.

Despite the vehicle being damaged by the devices, the driver continued fleeing, police said.

Eventually. the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed in the 3100 block of Read Mountain Road in Botetourt County.

Then, the subject used the firearm in his possession to end his own life.

The passenger of the vehicle did not sustain major injuries in the crash, police said.

The Botetourt County Fire and EMS Department transported the passenger to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital as a precaution.

Officers later found that the passenger was facing active felony charges in Roanoke and another jurisdiction.

The passenger will be taken into custody and those charges will be served after they receive medical treatment, police said. No one else was injured regarding this incident.

Botetourt County Sheriff Matt Ward said his officers were alerted about the pursuit at 3:56 p.m. In a live video on Facebook at about 5:15 p.m., he encouraged people to avoid the areas of Read Mountain Road and Downing Street.

Our officers are on the scene currently redirecting traffic and investigating that scene until it gets to the medical examiners office, Ward said.

Ward said there was no danger or threat to the community, adding that caregivers would be able to pick up their children from Mini-World, a nearby child care center.

We are redirecting traffic around so that you can get your child, Ward said. There is no danger whatsoever to those individuals. If you need to come and pick up your child, you can proceed to Read Mountain Road and Apple Tree Road and come down Downing Street, and well get you into Mini-World.

Roanoke Police said in its press release that the Botetourt County Sheriffs Office will be handling the investigation of the crash and the subjects death.

The Roanoke Police Departments Professional Standards Unit will be conducting a review of the pursuit, the Roanoke press release said. This remains an ongoing investigation and no further details are available at this time.

The pursued cars driver and passenger were not identified in the police statement about the incident.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.
A former Roanoke resident that was arrested in 2019 for attempting to provide material support to ISIS has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday.

Romeo Xavier Langhorne, 32, of St. Augustine, Fla. pleaded guilty in May 2021 to one count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, also known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

In addition to 20 years in federal prison, he will be on supervised release for 15 years, according to a DOJ press release.

According to court documents, Langhorne pledged his allegiance to ISIS at some point in 2014. Between 2018 and 2019, Langhorne reaffirmed his support on various social media accounts, posted ISIS-produced videos to his YouTube account and participated in online ISIS chat rooms with like-minded individuals.

In one of those chat rooms in December 2018 and January 2019, Langhorne expressed an interest in creating a video that would improve on existing videos demonstrating the making and use of a deadly explosive, triacetone triperoxide (TATP).

The DOJ said that in February 2019, Langhorne began communicating with an undercover employee (UCE) of the FBI who was posing as someone working on behalf of ISIS.

Langhorne told the UCE about his plans to create and disseminate an instructional video on making TATP and sought the UCEs assistance in creating the video, the DOJ press release said. Langhorne told the UCE that, in order to ensure that the video was not removed from the internet by service providers, it should include disclaimers advising that it was intended for educational purposes.

But, the press release continued, Langhorne informed the UCE that his true purpose in making and distributing the video was to arm ISIS adherents and others with knowledge of how to make TATP and use it for terrorism-related purposes in support of ISIS.

During the summer of 2019, Langhorne sent multiple messages to the UCE for assistance with creating a Nasheed, which is a form of Islamic vocal music, the DOJ said.

Langhorne stated he wanted the Nasheed to include a particular recording of an ISIS member yelling, Allahu Akbar, while breaking out of prison, as well as a clip of children saying, Kill them all.

Langhorne explained that he wanted the Nasheed to encourage justified retaliation against the United States for its role in killing Muslims, the DOJ said.

The FBI produced a video in accordance with Langhornes instructions, the DOJ said. But unbeknownst to Langhorne, it featured an inert chemical formula for TATP that would not produce an explosion.

In November 2019, the UCE provided versions of the TATP video to Langhorne, and Langhorne distributed the video by uploading it to a video-sharing website.

On November 15, 2019, Langhorne was arrested at his residence in Roanoke. He was taken into custody and held at the Western Virginia Regional Jail, according to prior coverage by The Roanoke Times.

The DOJ said Langhorne admitted in a post-arrest interview that he had probably at some point pledged allegiance to both ISIS and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was the leader of ISIS from 2014 until his death on October 26, 2019.

Langhorne also admitted that he communicated with the UCE and that he uploaded the TATP video to the internet, the DOJ said.

The FBI, including partner agencies participating in the Northeast Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force, investigated the case with investigative support from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations and Border Patrol and the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office, the DOJ press release said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney D. Andrew Sigler of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case, the press release continued.
Road closures, clean-up efforts and fire investigations continued in downtown Vinton Thursday after a fire destroyed D.R. Music Center and damaged other businesses last weekend.

Vinton Chamber of Commerce Director Angie Chewning said the fire was a gut punch to the downtown business community after several long years of rejuvenation efforts and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

It has a huge impact, Chewning said. And not only economically for that business and the businesses surrounding it. Vinton has such a momentum of new businesses coming. We were on such an upward swing, and this happened to a major building in town, a historical landmark, thats been here for almost 100 years.

The town said in a Facebook post Thursday that the northbound lane of South Pollard Street and the eastbound lane of East Lee Avenue in the area of D.R. Music will remain closed through at least July 14.

The road closures are necessary to allow for equipment and crews to continue structural assessments of adjacent buildings and to provide an adequate and safe perimeter around the remaining structures should additional material fall on to the sidewalk and street, the post said.

D.R. Music Centers roof collapsed in the fire that consumed the building early on July 2. The building at 101 E. Lee Ave. was torn down afterward because it was not structurally sound.

D.R. Music released this statement in a Facebook post Saturday.

As we sit back and reflect on our day we just wanted to say how thankful we are for the community support we received today. For the endless calls, texts, and messages we cant thank you all enough, the post said. While we are devastated for our families lost memories and our lifetime dream gone in a blink of an eye, we are extremely grateful that no injuries occurred. Please be patient with us as we gather our thoughts so that we can get back to each one of you.

The chambers Kathryn Sowers said the building that housed D.R. Music was built in 1934. She said that when she was a child, it was a pharmacy, called Whites. A second pharmacy, Fitzpatricks, sat in the Edward Jones Investment building next door.

Fitzpatricks went back into an L, and thats because thats where he had his beer joint, Sowers said. There was a speakeasy in the back. You went through the pharmacy to get to it.

On the side of the D.R. Music building was a painted mural advertising Clover Creamery.

Its from the pharmacy that was there, Chewning said. We wish that it could have been saved. But of course, the whole building had to come down.

Chewning said it had faded and was refurbished a few years ago. She said some first responders salvaged a few bricks from the mural for the Vinton Museum.

The other affected buildings include Edward Jones Investments at 103 E. Lee Ave., Faiths Hair Salon at 206 S. Pollard St. and Anitas Alterations at 208 S. Pollard St. Each of those buildings housed residents in apartments on second floors. All of them have been evacuated.

At Rustic Creations at 107 E. Lee Ave., only smoke damage was sustained. Owner Dawn Sullivan, who opened the primitive home decor shop about three years ago, said she rushed to the scene when she heard about the blaze.

We probably got here about 3:15, 3:20 a.m., Sullivan said in an interview Thursday. It still wasnt to my building, thank gosh, but D.R. Music was fully involved, and all the fire trucks were putting it out. We stayed here waiting and waiting to see how it went.

At about 10 a.m., Sullivan was able to peek inside her business, which she feared would be filled with water.

There was nothing. There was no fire. There was no water, Sullivan said. There was a whole lot of smoke in here, but thank gosh for no fire or water damage. I thought I would have to come in here with fans and take everything out. But no, you dont even really smell it. We were really blessed.

Sullivan said that first responders salvaged an untouched American flag from one of the buildings.

When they stopped all the water, and they went into Edward Jones, one of the firefighters brought out the American flag. It was still on the pole and had not been touched, Sullivan said. Here it is, getting ready to be the Fourth of July, and the flag was saved.

There was a table and it had this glass top, and there was an American flag folded up, as if somebodys from service. And that table was not burnt, Sullivan continued. They were able to carry that out.

The store owner said people had reached out to her to provide cleanup help. She said shes still allowing people to submit orders or requests for products, but no customers are allowed in the store while electrical work is being completed.

Were going to try to keep our customers posted the best we can on when were going to be open, Sullivan said.

But the business owner said not everyone is acting with kindness despite the loss of D.R. Music Center.

Sunday night, I came through here at like 12 oclock, Sullivan said. And people were standing on top of the rubble, trying to pull out the brass, trumpets, and they were trying to load up the brass to take in, and were stealing whatever they can get a hold of over there.

Sullivan said she watched the community love the music center, as it lived and as it died. She said the owners family was on site Saturday to support them.

All their kids and grandkids showed up because they all grew up in that building, Sullivan said. I sit here and watch every day the father or the son drop off the grandchild. They grew up in that building. And they were all standing out there just crying. They are a very close-knit family. It just breaks your heart.

Owners and residents of the affected buildings are working with local government staff and their insurance providers to determine next steps.

Members of a restoration company were onsite Thursday afternoon to perform protective construction on the remaining structures. Crews removed debris dangling from the top of Faiths Hair Salon and dropped it onto the pile of debris below to stabilize the building.

Crew members also carried building materials onsite to close off holes on top of the salons building and over the top of the Edward Jones Investments building. Their goal was to keep more water from falling inside.

A team member from NEFCO Investigators was also onsite Thursday to review the buildings owned and rented out by Southern Properties, specifically the buildings occupied by Rustic Creations, Edward Jones Investments, Faiths Hair Salon and Anitas Alterations.

Chewning said the Vinton community jumped immediately at the opportunity to send help to the affected businesses and residents.

The minute word hit, especially on social media, of the fire, and I mean the minute, like middle-of-the-night minute, my phone started going off, Chewning said. Its just been amazing. Its mind blowing. Its heartfelt.

The chamber director said local restaurants supplied sustenance for first responders on site over the weekend.

McDonalds reached out and was here early, early that morning with biscuits, Chewning said. Rosies called me and said, Come get lunch, and I got lunch for all the fire, rescue, police, public works, AEP. It was hundreds of people down here working all day. Big Bellies, Debs Lemonade, all of them were on the spot, ready to go.

Chewning was touched when a man entered her office Wednesday with change in hand.

It was seven cents, Chewning said. When he left, I sat here and bawled my eyes out, because thats all he had. But he was willing to give it to whoever needed it more than him. The outreach from anybody and everybody, it is heartfelt. Its awesome.

The chamber accepted donations in a box at the Vinton War Memorial on Tuesday.

Some of the tenants were coming in to get some food items, some cleaning items, of course clothes, because they left with literally the shirt on their back, Chewning said. A couple of them have found places.

Because donations are beginning to take up space that the chamber and Southern Properties dont have, Chewning has asked the community to provide only monetary donations for now.

We would like to ask that you hang on to your donations as we are out of room and the folks in need have nowhere to put things until they find housing, the chamber said in a Facebook post Thursday. We will let folks know when and where they can drop off items as soon as we secure adequate space. We can still take monetary donation at the chamber office.

The chamber is also going to continue to accept donations at Mingle in the Market, its summer concert series, this Saturday.

If we need to keep collecting items at the Mingles through September, we will, Chewning said. This one is this coming Saturday night, and then the next one is the 23rd.

In the meantime, the owners and landlords at Southern Properties are in touch with their displaced residents and are working to appropriately disperse donations.

Vinton comes out, shows up and puts out. We are a family, Chewning said. The outpouring of love is just amazing.
 
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CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers.
Schematic depiction of the quantum mechanical nature of water molecule interactions: excitation by a laser, followed by contraction of the hydrogen bond, then release of the energy (thermalization). Credit: Image courtesy of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

Water is the most abundant liquid in nature, but it's also one of the least understood. Water has unusual properties. For example, most materials get denser when they get colder, but water is densest a few degrees above freezing. That's why ice floats. Scientists suggest that water's so-called "proton quantum effect" may be at the heart of many of water's strange properties. This experiment with ultrafast electron diffraction marks the first time that scientists have directly observed this quantum effect in water. Scientists observed how the hydrogen atoms in water molecules tug and push neighboring molecules when water is excited with laser light. The results reveal quantum effects that could underpin key aspects of the microscopic origin of water's strange properties. This could lead to a better understanding of how water helps proteins function in living organisms

Each water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms. Water molecules are held together by a web of hydrogen bonds. In these webs, hydrogen and oxygen link in two ways. The hydrogen protons that are covalently bound (bonds involving atoms that share electrons) to oxygen in one molecule are also weakly attracted electrically to another oxygen in neighboring molecules. This intricate network drives many of water's strange properties. Researchers used short pulses of high-energy electrons to observe these interactions. This quantum effect could be the missing link in theoretical models describing the strange properties of water. It could also help to develop renewable energy methods using polymer membranes that transport hydrogen.

Many strange properties of liquid water, such as its density, which is greatest at 4 degrees Celsius and causes ice to float, originate from water's well-connected hydrogen bond network. A complete unveiling of the intermolecular dynamics of water requires direct time- and structure-resolved measurements. Neither X-rays nor neutron scattering can be used to study water's hydrogen bond structure dynamics due to the lack of scattering power (X-rays) or time resolution (neutrons). This research, by a team that included SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, and Stockholm University, employed the MeV-UED instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a Department of Energy (DOE) user facility at SLAC. The MeV-UED instrument (for Megaelectronvolt Ultrafast Electron Diffraction) is a high-speed "electron camera," a unique tool capable of investigating water's hydrogen bond structure dynamics. The experimental results reveal unique effects, such as how the contraction of the hydrogen bond emerges upon laser excitation. Revealing key aspects of the microscopic origin of water's strange properties could lead to a better understanding of how water helps proteins function in living organisms. Understanding the quantum behavior also could be important in modeling the many critical reactions that involve hydrogen, including carbon-hydrogen bond activation, water oxidation, carbon dioxide reduction, and acid-base chemistry critical for energy-related phenomena.

Provided by US Department of Energy
DARLINGTON, S.C.  The city of Darlington has been awarded a $1.25 million grant through the Community Development Block Grant Program. The money will be used for a sewer upgrade.

Darlington was one of only 15 communities to receive a grant in the spring awards cycle that totaled $12 million.

The South Main/East Broad Sewer Upgrade project will replace 2,100 linear feet of the existing 18-inch gravity sewer using the pipe bursting method and rehabilitate the 18-inch gravity sewer on East Broad Street and the 10-inch gravity sewer along a section of South Main Street.

An 18-inch, high-density polyethylene pipe will be pulled through the existing clay pipe, expanded to full size, which will crush the existing terra cotta. The old pipe will be destroyed, leaving the new pipe to replace it. Each manhole will be upgraded by coating the interior to strengthen the walls and sealing it from infiltration. The depth of the sewer mains varies from 12 feet to 18 feet. .

Thanks to Senator Malloy and Rep. Williams for their assistance in getting these necessary dollars, said Mayor Curtis Boyd. Working together we can get big things accomplished for Darlington and its citizens.

The project stemmed from an earlier sewer collapse on East Broad Street in February 2020. The city used an emergency SC Rural Infrastructure Authority grant to replace 700 feet of sewer lines on those two blocks of East Board from Vaughan to South Ervin. It left traffic detoured for more than a year as crews had to dig more than 20 feet to reach the sewer pipes. That $750,000 project wrapped up in 2021.

The terra cotta pipes have decayed after nearly 75 years. They simply failed, and the city looked further down the street toward South Main Street to look for potential problems.

Video investigation discovered cracks along the entirety of East Broad Streets terra cotta sewer pipes  pipes that transport more than 50% of the city sewer to the main pump station.

The old gravity sewer mains along South Main Street and East Broad Street have well exceeded their useful life and have become a hazard. The poor condition of the piping threatens possible cave-ins affecting traffic safety and possible contaminating soils, said Charles Shugart, the citys water and sewer director. Replacing the gravity sewer mains will bring new life to the collection system and prevent future pipe collapses and flow restrictions providing dependable, reliable sewer service to the residents.

The South Main/East Broad Sewer Upgrade Project serves a large section of town including most of West Broad Street, to Edwards Avenue on the west, to Chestnut Street to the south, East Hampton Street on the north, and Third Street and Avenue D on the southeast. Dozens of restaurants and businesses in the city, the Darlington County Courthouse, Mayo High School, Darlington Veneer and hundreds of residents all use this part of the system.

South Main Street was one of the first thoroughfares in the city to get surfaced using concrete. Over the years, several layers of asphalt paving have been added over the concrete base, thus making accessing the gravity sewer pipe beneath very expensive and complex.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation estimates that part of town has an average of 7,500 vehicles traveling through daily.

The projects next steps will be to draw out plans and design details, get approval from South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and South Carolina Department of Transportation and put the project out to bid.
A federal judge in Lynchburg, Virginia, has signed off on a plan for the Humane Society to transfer about 4,000 beagles from the Envigo breeder mill in Cumberland County, Virginia, to shelters so they can be placed for adoption.

Envigo raised the dogs for medical research and came under fire from animal rights advocates for the company's treatment of the beagles.

Envigo, the Humane Society and the U.S. government presented the joint plan after U.S. District Judge Norman Moon refused Envigos bids for permission to sell more than 2,000 beagles to fulfill a sister companys research contracts.

Envigo will pay the Humane Society a $100 fee per beagle and $150 per nursing mother and litter under 8 weeks. The Humane Society will transmit the fees to shelters in order to defray the costs of preparing the beagles for adoption.

"Virginia is for dog lovers today," said Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, who sponsored legislation to protect dogs and cats at research facilities, along with Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax and Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle.

Stanley said "it's a victory for the dogs and a victory for stopping needless experiments" on the animals.

Inotiv, Envigos Indiana-based parent company, recently announced its plans to close Envigos beagle mill, which Moon has castigated for its torturous abuse of dogs and puppies in repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Under the agreement, the Humane Society will be solely responsible for coordinating transfer of the beagles from the Cumberland site and for the beagles placement with animal shelters and rescue organizations for adoption. The Humane Society agreed that it will place as many beagles as possible with shelters on the East Coast and in the Midwest and that beagles under 8 weeks will be transported with their mothers.

Stanley said the goal now is "finding good, permanent, loving homes for all of these dogs."

He encouraged anyone who wants to get on a list to adopt a beagle from Envigo to call his office at (540) 721-6028.

Stanley previously played a key role in helping hundreds of beagles rescued from Envigo find homes. His family adopted two of those beagles and he says anyone who adopts a dog or puppy saved from Envigo will find it was "the best decision they ever made."

The senator said he is concerned that many shelters already are overburdened and added that advocates seeking to help the beagles will "have to be very creative here."

Last year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals conducted an undercover investigation at the Envigo's Cumberland County facility. PETA posted disturbing video of beagles housed in what it called a prison like factory.

Daphna Nachminovitch, PETAs senior vice president of cruelty investigations, said in a statement: PETAs groundbreaking undercover investigation helped spark a historic domino effect of state and federal legislative and law-enforcement action that paved the way for these dogs independence and this dog prisons closure.

Envigos surviving victims will soon be given the opportunity to have what every dog deserves  the freedom to enjoy life, love, and respect for their individuality as members of a family home.

Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, Virginia Democrats, said in a joint statement: After months of advocacy, were heartened to know that nearly 4,000 Envigo dogs will be spared a lifetime of suffering and will instead head to loving homes.

Were also pleased to know that Inotiv  Envigos parent company  will shutter its Cumberland facility and that no more dogs will be subject to the appalling conditions and inexcusable distress endured by so many dogs and puppies at the facility.

***
Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com .
 In accord with plea deal, federal judge give (below-guideline) sentence of 21 years to Derek Chauvin for civil rights violations | Main | Kisor role: how often is deference to the federal sentencing guidelines' commentary litigated? 

July 8, 2022

Split Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects transgender woman's arguments for changing her name on sex offender registry

The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a notable 4-3 ruling yesterday in State v. CG, 2022 WI 60 (Wisc. July 7, 2022) (available here), rejecting interesting arguments regarding the state's sex offender registry. Here is part of the start of the opinion of the court:

When Ella was 15 years old, she and another teenager, Mandy, sexually assaulted their supposed friend, 14-year-old Alan ... [and state] law required Ella to register as a sex offender.... Ella filed a postdispositional motion to stay registration.... Ella's legal arguments are grounded in her gender identity. She entered the juvenile justice system as a male. Sometime thereafter, Ella realized she was a transgender girl, i.e., a biological male who self-identifies as a girl. Ella has a traditionally masculine legal name she believes is incompatible with her gender identity. Ella complains she is bound to "out herself" as a male anytime she is required to produce her legal name. If Ella were not a sex offender, she could petition the circuit court for a legal name change under Wis. Stat.  786.36 (201920); however, another statute, Wis. Stat.  301.47(2)(a), prohibits her from filing such a petition because she is a sex offender, although the State argues it does not prohibit her from using an alias provided she notifies the Department of Corrections (DOC) of her intent to do so in advance. Ella raises two legal issues for our consideration. She argues requiring her to register as a sex offender: (1) constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution as applied to her; and (2) violates her right to free speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Both arguments rest on Ella's inability to change her legal name to conform to her gender identity. We reject both arguments. Consistent with well-established precedent, we hold Ella's placement on the sex offender registry is not a "punishment" under the Eighth Amendment. Even if it were, sex offender registration is neither cruel nor unusual. We further hold Ella's right to free speech does not encompass the power to compel the State to facilitate a change of her legal name.

Here is a key paragraph from the start of the dissent authored by Justice Bradley:

Although I agree that Ella's Eighth Amendment claim fails, I write separately to address the majority's First Amendment analysis and conclusions. It cuts short the First Amendment analysis by determining that the First Amendment isn't even implicated by the name change ban that accompanies Ella's registration as a sex offender. In making this determination, the majority takes an overly restrictive view of expressive conduct and denigrates the import of a legal name.

July 8, 2022 at 12:32 PM | Permalink

Comments

The big question is who are the three judges in the dissent?

The criminal justice system, and all of society, needs to stop contributing to the mental illness of those with gender dysphoria.

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Jul 8, 2022 2:57:54 PM

Not knowing how the sex offender registry works in terms of searches by members of the public, this seems like a difficult case (and perhaps a poorly conceived law).

The medical consensus is that the healthiest treatment is gender reassignment. The issue is how to make the registry work for those who need to change their gender.

I have trouble believing that the registry bars all name changes. If a woman on the registry gets married, does she have to keep her maiden name as her legal name? What about if she gets divorced, is she barred from reverting back to her maiden name because she was convicted under her married name?

If you do permit name changes for marriage and divorce, I think you have to permit them for gender reassignment. The system merely needs to require notice of the name change (and if you are petitioning the court most states already have some notice requirements to avoid fraud) and any renewal verification forms merely needs to require the registrant to list the name(s) under which they have qualifiying convictions as well as the current name.

Posted by: tmm | Jul 11, 2022 10:24:26 AM

Post a comment
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Official creditors of Zambia, Chad and Ethiopia are set to meet in July, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva, in a bid to promote efforts to overhaul their debt burdens.

The three African nations have all signed up for debt treatment under the G20 Common Framework - an initiative launched in 2020 and designed to streamline debt restructuring efforts in the wake of poorer countries buckling under the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, progress so far has been glacial, and IMF and World Bank officials have been blunt about the failings of the Common Framework. They are pushing for finance officials of the G20 major economies to apply more pressure on China and private sector creditors to participate.

"We expect in July to have some creditor committees for all three countries meeting, but time is not our friend," Georgieva told Reuters in an interview. "Now is the time to show results."

All three countries face different challenges.

In January 2021, Chad became the first country to request a restructuring of its $3 billion external debt under the Common Framework.

It struck a deal with creditor nations in June 2021, but has struggled to finalise talks with private creditors. Chad owes one third of its external debt burden to commercial creditors, and almost all of that to Glencore in oil-for-cash deals dating back to 2013 and 2014.

"The oil price going up gave reasons for Glencore and others to challenge the debt sustainability analysis, they say 'Oh well, it is not so bad anymore'," said Georgieva, adding that the situation still "requires a debt restructuring and we are pressing for that."

Georgieva was more upbeat on Zambia, where China had agreed to co-chair official creditor committee, but added "we have to move fast."

Zambia's Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said last week the country's economy would be highly compromised without external support.

Story continues

A Paris Club source said the group of wealthy creditor nations was working on providing financing assurances to the IMF that could unlock funds for Zambia.

"We hope that that can be done before the end of July," the source added.

Ethiopia's creditor nations held a meeting chaired by China and France in September 2021 but further progress has been held up by the country's civil war.

The IMF said in June it wanted to start talks with Ethiopia over a funding program as soon as conditions allowed.

Georgieva said there had been close engagement with the senior leadership in China - the largest bilateral creditor to the world - on debt issues.

"We are seeing some signs that China recognizes it is actually in their own interest to prevent that crisis because they will be the first to lose dramatically if that is the case," she said.

Beijing had now designated officials to deal with debt issues in key bodies such as the ministry of finance and the central bank, she added.

"The critical sign of seriousness is complete Zambia, complete Chad, complete Ethiopia - it is the very old saying: the proof of the pudding is in the eating."

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington, additional reporting by Leigh Thomas in Paris, writing by Karin Strohecker; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
High gas prices arent keeping us from hitting the open road. According to the Vacationer, a trip-planning website, roughly 80% of Americans are vacationing by car this summer, up nearly 20% from last year. But wanderlust and a full tank wont get you everywhere. Thats where three new limited series come in handy.

America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston

For those seeking more practical experiences, try America Outdoors With Baratunde Thurston, airing Tuesdays on PBS through the end of August. The amiable host explores familiar territory  but with an emphasis on his search for diversity.

Thurston harvests wild rice with Native Americans and goes birding with Dudley Edmondson, one of the few Black photographers specializing in capturing nature.

When he hits the beach in Los Angeles, its to catch waves with Color the Water, a group consisting mostly of Black surfers that formed in the wake of George Floyds death.

His trip to Idaho, highlighted by a hike with teenage refugees, will make you want to invest in a new pair of boots and start tooling West.

The Great Muslim American Road Trip

The Great Muslim American Road Trip, airing Tuesdays on PBS, shows you how to tailor a journey to your personal tastes.

During their 2,500-mile drive along Route 66, rapper Mona Haydar and husband Sebastian Robins make their fair share of predictable stops, including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City and Cadillac Ranch in Armarillo, Texas. But the couple are most keen on exploring religious touchstones.

They seem to enjoy the Las Vegas Strip, but theyre ga-ga for the Muslim Village just outside of Sin City, where ex-prisoners help feed the homeless.

Along the way, you often feel like youre in the backseat, eavesdropping while they read aloud from Blue Highways or bicker about their marriage. For the most part, theyre good company.

Almost all the places they visit are accessible to viewers.

America the Beautiful

The same cant be said for America the Beautiful, streaming now on Disney+. Most of the sites in this six-parter are within the continental United States but far off the beaten path. And youd need some pretty high-powered equipment  and a whole lot of luck to capture their footage of an alligator snapping at a white-tailed deer in the Louisiana swamps.

The docuseries, narrated by Michael B. Jordan, is less interested in helping you plan your next trip than it is finding comical moments. In an episode focused on the Heartland, aerial cameras attached to jets literally zip over the Badlands so that viewers can spend quality time with prairie dogs. Its a cute choice, but not particularly helpful.

___
100th anniversary dedication

St. Paul Lutheran Church of rural Elk Point, S.D., will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the churchs dedication with a special worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. A catered dinner will be served at noon and at 1 p.m. two members of the Masters Voice quartet of Sioux Falls, S.D., will present a concert. RSVP at stpaullutheranelkpoint@gmail.com or call (605) 356-2805 and leave a message.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

(THE CONVERSATION) Boris Johnson, the now outgoing prime minister of the United Kingdom, had wanted to follow in the footsteps of his idol Winston Churchill and be remembered as a leader of consequence. He aspired to greatness and desired to stay in office longer than the 11 years enjoyed by Conservative icon Margaret Thatcher.

It wasnt to be.

Instead, on July 7, 2022, Johnson announced that less than three years after becoming prime minister, he was resigning and would remain in office only until a successor emerged. It marks a stunning repudiation of a leader who had delivered Brexit to his supporters and scored a major electoral mandate a mere two and half years previously.

The scandal that brought his downfall wasnt Johnsons first. Indeed, throughout his career  and time in office  Johnson has been regarded as a political Houdini, skilled at political survival and endlessly able to rebound from mishaps.

But even he could not overcome the succession of scandals in recent months, not least Partygate, which involved revelations around his governments repeated and brazen ignoring of its own COVID-19 lockdown rules. In the end it was his handling of a tawdry affair involving the promotion of a member of parliament accused of serious sexual wrongdoing that proved the final straw. That scandal precipitated a rash of cabinet resignations that made clear Johnson could no longer rely on the support of his own party.

Yet, Johnsons legacy will not be confined to the scandals. His tenure coincided with major challenges in the U.K. Some, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of war in Europe, were not of his making. Others, notably Brexit, were of his own hand.

First came Brexit

Boris Johnson and Brexit will forever be inextricably bound.

Johnson had long been a prominent political figure before Britains exit from Europe came to dominate U.K. politics. Aside from serving as a member of parliament, he was also the mayor of London as well a well-known media personality. Throughout, Johnson, a fiscal conservative by nature, developed a reputation for being polarizing  witty and charming to some, but dishonest and untrustworthy to others.

He was long talked of as a future prime minister. But it was the 2016 Brexit referendum on whether the U.K. should remain in the European Union that eventually propelled Johnson to power. He became the face of the Leave campaign, at times taking liberties with the truth to make his case for exiting the EU. While he did not become prime minister immediately after the U.K. public opted to exit the EU, his time would come three years later.

When Prime Minister Theresa May resigned in summer 2019, weakened by major divisions over how to implement Brexit within the Conservative Party, Johnson seized his chance.

He promised to Get Brexit Done and to end the major deadlock in British politics over what sort of relationship the country would have with the EU.

On that front, he delivered. The December 2019 election was a resounding success for Johnson, earning a substantial majority for the Conservative Party and enabling him to force through his vision of Brexit. His brand of populism, charm, disregard for rules and effective communication not only shored up the Conservative base in that election, but also helped attract many traditional left-wing Labour voters, securing a clear mandate for his party.

With that victory in hand, Johnson was free to complete the formal departure of the U.K. from the EU on Jan. 31, 2020. Later that year, after tumultuous talks, his government negotiated the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU  defining the future relations between the U.K. and its European partners.

Brexit was and remains very divisive in the U.K. But neither supporters nor opponents would deny how consequential that decision was, and it could not have happened without Johnsons involvement.

 then the pandemic

Any hopes that Johnson could bask in the glory of Brexit came quickly crashing down within weeks of it becoming a reality.

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the situation for the U.K. Johnson and his government fumbled its initial pandemic response, acting slowly and in a lackluster manner  Johnson himself was absent for some of the crucial meetings called to discuss the pandemic in its early days.

According to a government report released in October 2021, the governments decision to delay a strict lockdown allowed the virus to circulate widely and caused many thousands of additional deaths. And it nearly killed Johnson himself, who spent a week in the hospital in April 2020.

While Johnson recovered from his own bout with the virus, his government also managed to steady the ship. It introduced a series of stringent lockdowns and restrictions in the following year and presided over a successful vaccination rollout. But these same COVID-19 restrictions would also ironically highlight one of Johnsons main character traits: a disregard for rules that would eventually lead to his political undoing.

 and on to the lies

Prior to becoming prime minister, Johnson was no stranger to controversy and to a delicate relationship with the truth.

The Times newspaper, where he once worked as a reporter, sacked him for inventing a quote. And in 2001 he lost his senior position in the Conservative Party for lying about an affair.

Yet despite many setbacks usually of his own doing, Johnson had an uncanny ability to rebound, leading former prime minister David Cameron to liken him to a greased piglet who could not be caught.

His time in office was in keeping with precedent, littered by multiple scandals that continually led to questions about Johnsons credibility. That included, among other unfavorable stories, that Johnson had received a secret undisclosed loan to pay for the costs of the renovation of his private quarters at 11 Downing Street, beyond his public allowance; or the reports of a close ally in parliament breaking lobbying rules by accepting payments from companies he was promoting.

Yet, those paled in comparison to the repercussions from Partygate.

The revelations in late 2021 and early 2022 that Johnson and his government had been repeatedly breaking COVID-19 restriction rules over the course of a year  including many alcohol-fueled parties and accusations that Johnson lied to Parliament over his attendance at some gatherings  shocked the U.K. public. This scandal led to Johnsons approval rating plummeting in 2022. It also, slowly but surely, resulted in Johnson losing the support of his own party.

The war in Ukraine gave him temporary reprieve, and he narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence in early June. But he was now vulnerable. His latest scandal, which surfaced when it became apparent Johnson was lying about what he knew about the transgressions of another close ally in Parliament, Chris Pincher, was the final nail in his political coffin.

Deserted by most of his allies, Johnson had to accept the inevitable.

A second act?

Churchill famously lost the parliamentary elections in the summer of 1945, shortly after leading the U.K. to victory in World War II.

Ousted by an electorate wanting a break with Churchills old-world policies, and a different post-war Britain, he was still able, six years later, to return to office.

Such a second act seems unlikely for Johnson. Yes, he delivered on Brexit, and his supporters will remember that. But his chaotic departure, leaving his country and party very divided, as well as the legacy of his scandals, will be extremely hard to shake off  even for a greased piglet.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/boris-johnsons-messy-political-legacy-of-lies-scandals-and-delivering-brexit-to-his-base-186601.
OMAHA -- A Macy, Nebraska, man was sentenced Thursday to more than three years in federal prison for robbery.

Tariq Thomas, 20, had pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Omaha to two counts of robbery. He was sentenced to 42 months in prison. He will serve three years' supervised release after completing his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Omaha Nation officers responded to a fight at a Macy home in March 2021. Officers contacted the victims, who said they had given Thomas and Andres Runningshield a ride from Sioux City to Macy. When they arrived in Macy, Runningshield and Thomas assaulted them and robbed them at knifepoint, taking a cell phone and the keys to the vehicle. Witnesses identified Runningshied and Thomas as the robbers.

Runningshield, 20, was sentenced in April to five years in prison.
Darnell Smith, 25, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Omaha to assault on an officer with physical contact. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison, and his sentence will be served after he completes a 15-year Iowa prison sentence for Woodbury County drug convictions.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Smith assaulted a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer on July 22 after the officer woke him and Joshua Medina, who were found sleeping in a running vehicle at a Winnebago gas station. The officer observed that both men appeared to be intoxicated, and they fought with the officer over control to the vehicle's keys. Smith struck and bit the officer, who deployed his Taser, but Smith was able to drive away.
Matthew P. Howell, 46, of Le Mars, died in the crash, which occurred at 6:10 a.m. According to the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office, Howell was northbound about five miles east of Le Mars on Plymouth County Road K-64 just north of Plymouth County Road C-30. Howell, who was alone, lost control of the vehicle, which entered the east ditch and rolled several times become coming to rest in the fence line.
Emergency personnel were notified of the crash at 6:10 a.m. According to the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office, the driver was northbound about five miles east of Le Mars on Plymouth County Road K-64 just north of Plymouth County Road C-30. The driver, who was alone, lost control of the vehicle, which entered the east ditch and rolled several times become coming to rest in the fence line.
David and Sabrina Jaramillo of Cedar Rapids and their children were on the Raging River ride at the park when the raft carrying all six family members flipped over trapping them beneath the water.
ROGERS, Ark. (AP)  An Arkansas congressmans son with a history of drug arrests and convictions remained jailed Thursday after his arrest on a methamphetamine possession charge, officials said.

Police accompanied a probation officer to James Womacks home in Rogers for a Wednesday home visit, according to an arrest affidavit. They found the 34-year-old son of Republican Rep. Steve Womack sitting on a zipper-style eyeglass case.

When the case was opened, inside were found several syringes, a small glass vile containing what tested positive for meth and an empty plastic bag containing a residue that tested positive for meth, the affidavit stated.

He remained in the Benton County Jail with bond set at $20,000 Thursday. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Womack has been in and out of trouble with the law since the early 1990s.

More recently, in April 2019, Womack began serving what was a nine-year prison term after pleading guilty to five felony charges for drugs and guns. In May 2020, the Arkansas Department of Correction placed him on a list of inmates being considered for early release because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2010 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. But he was diverted to a state prison system boot camp with the promise that his criminal record would be expunged if he successfully completed the program.

He was arrested in April 2012 on a parole violation, however.

This young man, like a lot of people, has struggled with drug addiction on and off for years, said his attorney, Shane Wilkinson. He has an addiction that has affected him, his family, and other people that love him. His family has struggled with his addiction for years, and this is no exception.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson endorsed construction company co-owner Tim Michels for governor on Friday, after Thompson decided against a run earlier this year.

Michels, who is running as an anti-establishment outsider, also won the backing of former President Donald Trump last month. Thompson, in many ways, is the ultimate political insider with more than 55 years in public life, most recently serving as University of Wisconsin president, a job that won him bipartisan praise.

Thompson, elected four times as Wisconsin governor, said when he announced he wasn't running in April that he would consider endorsing in the primary because he wants a Republican to win. He said Friday that he believes Michels is the best candidate.

Thompson said in a statement that he has known the Michels family for decades and believes Michels has the experience to solve tough problems. The Michels family founded and operates Michels Corp., a Wisconsin-based construction company.

" Tim Michels knows how to lead large organizations and how-to get-tough jobs done, and thats what Wisconsin needs, Thompson said.

Michels said in a statement that he was happy the governor who reformed welfare and developed the first school choice program in America is now on our team.

Polls show Michels is in a tight primary race with former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. She served eight years as lieutenant governor under Republican Gov. Scott Walker. He has endorsed Kleefisch.

Minutes after Michels revealed the Thompson endorsement, Kleefisch announced that she was being backed by 50 Republican members of the Legislature. Republicans hold a strong majority in the Senate and Assembly but have been stymied by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and his veto.

A Republican governor would be able to enact a broad conservative agenda with the help of the GOP-led Legislature. Evers has made his ability to block the Republican agenda a cornerstone of his reelection campaign.

In addition to Michels and Kleefisch, state Rep. Timothy Ramthun is running. A fourth candidate, Kevin Nicholson, dropped out this week and said he would not endorse anyone.

The winner of the Aug. 9 primary will take on Evers.
MOSCOW (AP)  With Russia's military action in Ukraine in its fifth month, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow's terms or brace for the worst, adding ominously that Russia has barely started its action.

Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament, Putin accused Western allies of fueling the hostilities, charging that "the West wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian.

It's a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it looks like it's heading in that direction, he added.

Everybody should know that largely speaking, we havent even yet started anything in earnest, Putin said in a menacing note.

He declared that Russia remains ready to sit down for talks to end the fighting, adding that those who refuse to do so should know that the longer it lasts the more difficult it will be for them to make a deal with us.

We are hearing that they want to defeat us on the battlefield, Putin said. Let them try.

Earlier in the conflict, the Kremlin demanded that Kyiv acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, and recognize the independence of Moscow-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. Moscow also said it expected Ukraine to bow to the existing situation on the ground, a reference to other land gains it has made since Russian troops rolled into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

After failing to capture Kyiv and other big cities in Ukraine's northeast early in the campaign, the Russian military shifted its focus to the eastern industrial heartland of Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian troops since 2014.

Earlier this week, the Russian military claimed control of the Luhansk province, one of the two that make up Donbas, and is preparing to press its offensive into the second one, Donetsk.

In the early stages of the conflict, Russia won control of the southern Kherson region and part of neighboring Zaporizhzhia. Moscow is expected eventually to try to cut Ukraine off from its Black Sea coast all the way to the Romanian border. If successful, it would deal a crushing blow to the Ukrainian economy and also create a corridor to Moldovas separatist region of Transnistria, where Russia maintains a military base.

Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that the West is using the conflict in Ukraine to try to isolate and weaken Russia.

They simply don't need such a country as Russia, Putin said. This is why they have used terrorism, separatism and internal destructive forces in our country.

He charged that Western sanctions against Russia have failed to achieve their goal of sowing division and strife in our society and demoralizing our people.

The course of history is unstoppable, and attempts by the collective West to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail, Putin said.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, responded on Twitter: "There is no plan by the collective West and only a Russian army entered Ukraine.
BRADLEY, W.Va. (AP)  Law enforcement officers shot and killed a man on a federal highway in West Virginia after they say he fled a vehicle crash scene, stole a pickup truck and led police on a chase.

The events leading up to the shooting death of Matthew Scott Jones, 36, of Culpeper, Virginia, are still under investigation, West Virginia State Police Captain R. A. Maddy said in a news release issued Thursday. Jones was killed Wednesday on U.S. Route 19 in Bradley, a community of fewer than 2,000 people.

A video of the shooting, which news outlets reported was recorded by a passerby from a car, has been circulating on social media. In it, Jones walks onto the freeway while holding what appears to be a handgun. At least a half-dozen law enforcement officers are in pursuit with their guns drawn. Jones alternately points the object in his hand at his head and raises it in the air several times while facing the officers and then turning his back and walking away.

An officer shoots Jones, who falls to the ground. Then authorities fire several more times, even as he lies unresponsive.

During a short standoff, the suspect continued to brandish a handgun, resulting in gunfire from law enforcement, causing the suspect's death, police said in the news release.

Jones first came to the authorities' attention Wednesday morning when they received 911 calls about an armed suspect fleeing from a crash scene in Raleigh County, according to the release. According to the statement, Jones then stole a pickup truck and fled in an unknown direction. A short time later, he was located at a mall in the stolen vehicle. Jones refused to stop for officers, who chased him in two counties.

Jones got out of the truck after it became disabled off Route 19, authorities said.
Ivana Trump, the first wife of former President Donald Trump and mother to his oldest children, has died in New York City. She was 73. People familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press that police are investigating whether she fell accidentally down the stairs at her home. The people spoke Thursday on the condition of anonymity. Ivana Trump was a Czech-born ski racer and businesswoman who with Donald Trump formed half of a publicity power couple in the 1980s. They had a messy, public divorce after he met his next wife, Marla Maples. But Ivana had recently been on good terms with her former husband.
CHICAGO (AP)  Mourners on Friday remembered a woman who worked tirelessly at her synagogue and a gentle man who loved art in the first formal services to be held for the seven people killed by the gunman who opened fire on a July Fourth parade.

Synagogue members at North Shore Congregation Israel near the Chicago suburb of Highland Park described 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim as a dedicated member of their community who coordinated events and taught preschool classes, smiling all along and constantly checking on other staff members.

We are horrified, Rabbi Wendi Geffen said. We are enraged, sickened, aggrieved, inconsolable for the terror that has befallen us and robbed us of Jacki.

But Geffen and other speakers urged the people filling the synagogue to focus on Sundheims life  her commitment to her husband, Bruce, and daughter, Leah, the pleasure she took in knitting and her attention to detail when planning bat or bar mitzvahs, weddings or funerals.

Her daughter had another request: to use the pain, fear and rage caused by her mother's death to make the world better, in small thoughts and actions.

I want you to laugh, she said, holding back tears. I want you to each and every day put a little more joy and kindness into this world. Do not let this sadness, this fear, rage turn you bitter towards our world. The world is darker without my mom in it, and it's up to us now to fill it with a little extra laughter.

Mourners also filled the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston to support the family of 88-year-old Stephen Straus, who was eulogized as a funny father and grandfather who loved reading and art and still rode the train five days a week to the downtown Chicago office where he worked as a financial adviser.

Son Jonathan described Straus as truly to his core, just a sweet, generous person while his other son, Peter, thanked his dad for instilling a love of the zany including Mel Brooks.

Jonathan Straus said learning of his father's death from a doctor at a hospital was the worst moment of my life.

Thinking about what a good, giving, loving person he was, it makes the cruelty and the horror of his death that much harder to take, he said. "When I see pictures of him ... it really just sweeps over me, what we've lost, who I lost, my best friend ever."

A 2020 study by Brandeis University and the University of Chicago found Highland Park had among the Chicago region's highest concentrations of Jewish residents  a fact reflected by the half-dozen or more synagogues in the suburb or just outside it. Many local restaurants offer kosher food options.

Neighboring Highwood is home to a large Hispanic population, and Mexican authorities have said two men killed at the parade were natives of the country.

One them was 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza of Waukegan, where family and friends gathered Friday for services.

During a private family viewing preceding public services, a granddaughter left the church in tears. Family members encircled Yesenia Hernandez, trying to comfort her as she sobbed.

Several attendees wore T-shirts with a cross and an image of Toledo-Zaragoza grinning, wearing a brimmed hat and suit. In Spanish, the shirts read: In memory of Nicolas Toledo, and included words from Psalms 23:1  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

Outside the church entryway, adorned with white and blue balloons, Toledo-Zaragozas sons, Alejo and Angel, spoke briefly about how they will miss their father's love.

Services for 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo, also a native of Mexico, are scheduled for Saturday.

The family of 64-year-old Katherine Katie Goldstein issued a statement Friday that said her husband, Craig Goldstein, a hospital physician, has been touched by the number of people who have told him that she was their best friend. She devoted herself to motherhood and caring for her family.

Raising our daughters, enjoying adventures together  I was living a fairy tale, Craig Goldstein said.

The statement said she also loved being outside, visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden and involving her family in her passion for bird watching.

She was the best mom in the world, daughters Cassie and Alana said in the statement.

Police have repeatedly said that victims were shot randomly and that the assailant had no racial or religious motivation.

Funeral details for the remaining victims have not been made public. Authorities have identified them as 35-year-old Irina McCarthy and 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy, who were attending the parade with their 2-year-old son.

The accused gunman, Robert E. Crimo III, has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors expect to bring more charges representing the more than 30 people were wounded in the assault.

Investigators have said the suspect, who lived in neighboring Highwood, legally purchased five weapons and planned the attack for weeks before he climbed to the roof of a business along the parade route and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.

Investigators reported that Crimo fled the parade by blending in with the fleeing crowd, then drove to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he contemplated a second attack. He returned to the Highland Park area, and his car was spotted by police.

Questions remain about whether Crimo should have been able to legally purchase firearms in Illinois. Illinois State Police officials have defended the approval of his gun license in December 2019, months after police received reports that he had made suicidal and violent threats.
GRAND ISLAND  A dispute over driving methods on Interstate 80 Saturday afternoon escalated to the point where one man allegedly stabbed the other.

A 20-year-old La Vista man was arrested at about 3 p.m. after he allegedly stabbed a Colorado man in the upper portion of his shoulder.

The dispute started off as a road rage incident, said Hall County Chief Deputy Josh Berlie. One of the drivers tapped his brakes because he felt the other was following too closely, which led to swerving, Berlie said.

The drivers pulled off to Git N Split, 8976 S. Alda Road. Both men exited their vehicles and a verbal altercation turned physical, Berlie said.

The victim, 22-year-old Victor Hernandez of Greeley, Colorado, was flown to an out-of-town hospital because medical personnel couldnt stop his bleeding. Berlie wasnt sure where he was transported.

The La Vista man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, third-degree assault, use of a weapon to commit a felony, attempted second-degree homicide and willful reckless driving.
DES MOINES  A poll commissioned by Democratic candidate Mike Frankens campaign shows him within 5 percentage points of longtime incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in Iowas 2022 U.S. Senate campaign.

Grassley was the pick of 49 percent of the poll respondents, to 44 percent for Franken. Seven percent said they remain undecided.

Grassleys six re-election campaign victories in Iowa have come by an average of 35 percentage points.

These numbers echo what we are hearing from voters across the state, which is it is time for Senator Grassley to step aside, the Franken campaign said in a news release. This is not the same Chuck Grassley who was first elected to public office 63 years ago, and Iowans are sick and tired of the political posturing and hyper-partisanship.

The poll was conducted by Change Research, which surveyed 1,488 likely Iowa voters from June 30 to July 4. The polls margin of error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.

Frankens campaign has employed Change Research multiple times. In mid-May, a Change Research poll showed Franken statistically tied with Abby Finkenauer in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary campaign. Roughly three weeks later, Franken won that election by nearly 15 percentage points.

The new Change Research poll asked how voters voted in the 2020 presidential election: 51 percent said they voted for Republican Donald Trump and 43 percent said they voted for Democrat Joe Biden. That is close to the actual 2020 election results, in which 53 percent of Iowa voters voted for Trump and 45 percent voted for Biden.

The poll also re-asked the U.S. Senate question after offering biographical information on both candidates. After hearing that information, Grassleys lead was trimmed to a single point, 47 percent to 46 percent, within the polls margin for error.
It is time for the people of South Dakota to demand access to public records.

The laws governing access for the public to information about their government and law enforcement agencies are bad. The enforcement of those laws is worse.

The Rapid City Journal recently won a split decision with the South Dakota Supreme Court to get access to court records involving a leader of the State Senate who got his case sealed more than two months early after word of his arrest for driving after drinking a little too much Coke and whiskey reached media outlets.

Even in siding with the Journal and saying that a judge cant write a memo in mid-December to retroactively seal a case in early October, the justices said they didnt believe any government secrecy was at play in the case.

The Senate Majority Leader got his case sealed simply by sending an email to a friendly states attorney and district judge and the state Supreme Court still believes that this favor would have been granted to any member of the public.

We disagree.

But Gary Cammacks attorney got his case sealed early. In the nine months between our case reaching the supreme court and the decision, Cammack was installed in the South Dakota Hall of Fame and won his primary for his state Senate seat.

Fast forward to 30 days ago when two Rapid City Police officers shot a woman after she continued driving when police tried to stop her. During that chase, a male exited the car and got away. Items were thrown from the vehicle.

The woman was shot multiple times. Her car window was destroyed. There were bullet holes in the passenger side of the car.

Thanks to lax public record laws, we still dont know the womans name. We dont know if she is alive. We dont know if she was arrested or charged. We dont know if her accomplice has been captured or charged.

As a society, we cant allow government officials to shoot a person and have that information covered up for more than a month.

Of course, the Rapid City Police cant investigate their own officers, so the state Department of Criminal Investigations took over. There are two officers and one witness/suspect/victim involved. There should be two body cameras and two dash cameras. Honestly, the only reason this investigation should take a week is if the woman who was shot was physically incapable to be interviewed.

Even then, with cameras, interviews with two officers and a load of evidence to corroborate those interviews, it should be pretty straight-forward.

However, the investigation has yielded no publicly available information in 30 days. The impeachment of an attorney general and the appointment of a new one can slow down that officer, but why would DCI not be able to finish its work? According to a state spokesperson, the agency that will sign off on the DCI investigation hasnt even been chosen.

Once again, information in South Dakota grinds to a halt, but the world keeps turning. Both officers already returned to duty at some level. Surely they would both like to know their fate in the matter, as well.

In November, voters will select candidates to represent them. This is your time make representatives and senators earn your vote. Call on them to commit to better laws regarding public information in order to earn your vote. Make them promise a more efficient and transparent government.

You pay for that. You deserve it.

Citizens have to stop shrugging their shoulders and shaking their heads and using their ballots to send people in Pierre who wont let the state continue to fail when it comes to open and honest government.
In the torrent of major cases that came down at the end of this historic Supreme Court term, youd be forgiven if you missed the 5-4 decision in Torres v. Texas Department of Public Safety. But the decisionin which Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the courts progressives to vindicate the right of a disabled war veteran to challenge his state employers refusal to grant him accommodations based on Texass claims of state sovereign immunityoffered a significant victory for millions of veterans and current members of the armed services. Particularly in the aftermath of this otherwise brutal term for progressives, the decision is worth celebrating.

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Heres the background. Leroy Torres was an Army Reservist who was called up for active duty in Iraq, where his lungs were damaged by toxic burn pits. The damage to Torres lungs prevented him from assuming his previous duties as a Texas State Trooper, but when he asked for an accommodation to a different role, the Texas Department of Public Safety refused and fired him. Torres sued under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which requires employers to offer reasonable accommodations to employees with any service-related disabilities, including reemploying them in equivalent positions. Here, though, is where things got weird. Texas primary defense was that Torres shouldnt be allowed to start a lawsuit seeking damages for the violation of federal law. Why, you might ask? Because of a doctrine called state sovereign immunity that allows states to openly violate federal law and, says that unless the state consents, the victim cant sue to get compensation.

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Starting with the Rehnquist Court, conservative justices increasingly expanded the concept of state sovereign immunity to prevent individuals from suing state entities for damages under a wide variety of federal laws, including those covering minimum wage and overtime, personal medical leave, disability discrimination, and age discrimination.

Several times the court has stated that nonconsenting states could not face suit under federal laws enacted under the congressional powers set forth in Article I of the Constitution, like those governing interstate commerce. In recent years, the court has identified two Article I exceptions where states lack sovereign immunity: bankruptcy and eminent domain cases. The issue in Torres was whether war powers, which is the Article I power Congress used to pass USERRA, should be a third exception. By a 5-4 vote, the court held that it was.

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The Constitution gave the federal government broad and sweeping war powers. Moreover, as it gave the federal government this power, the Constitution also explicitly took away virtually any role for the states in national security, save for maintaining militias under congressional regulation. This grant of power was not accidental, as it was one of the primary reasons for the Constitutional Convention and a major topic of discussion at the state ratification debates. Leaving military matters up to the states nearly cost us the Revolutionary War, so one of the Founders principal objectives was to rectify this problem by concentrating the new nations war powers with the federal government. At issue in Torres was whether, despite this constitutional history, states could thwart the federal governments national security policies by pleading immunity any time an individual tried to enforce their USERRA rights. In the Torres oral argument Justice Stephen Breyer, who authored the majority opinion, stressed that this interference was not hypothetical, noting that states objections to the Vietnam War was what led Congress to subject state employers to private USERRA suits.

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The Torres majority held that this history showed that, by ratifying the Constitution, the states gave up any sovereignty they might have had when it came to military matters. As a result, the federal government is free to subject states to whatever lawful war powers-based laws it wants, as it did with USERRA. This is great news for state employees like Torres, who are now able enforce their USERRA rights even if they work for one of the 37 states like Texas that refuse to consent to such suits or subject themselves to their own USERRA-type laws. Even better is that future plaintiffs wont have to wait for five years to start their USERRA litigation like Torres, whose victory at the Supreme Court means that he now has approval to start his actual USERRA claim against his former employer.

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Despite the overall good news, there are some dark aspects to Torres. In particular, the four dissenting justices displayed some crassly hypocritical logic in their attempt to shut the courthouse doors to USERRA plaintiffs.

The hypocrisy primarily hinges on the selective use of textualism. Here, the dissenting justices would have rejected Torres claim not only by ignoring congressional intent in favor of a hyper-narrow textualist reading of the USERRA text, but also by employing a legal theory that openly rejects the notion that state sovereign immunity is limited by the Constitutions text.

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The dissents interpretation of USERRA is disturbing enough on its own. There is zero question that Congress intended for USERRA plaintiffs to be able to sue state employers in state court. In 1998, only two years following the Supreme Courts initial decision to drastically expand state sovereign immunity in federal courts, Congress explicitly amended USERRA for the primary purpose of ensuring that individuals could sue their states in state court. (Only one year after this amendment the court moved the goalpost further, by applying state sovereign immunity in states courts too.) Despite this, the dissenting justices were perfectly willing to turn the laws language into knots to reach a conclusion that they knew full well was the exact opposite of what Congress had sought to do. This is textualism at its worst: claiming to ignore everything except the text of the law, while at the same time reading the law in an artificially narrow way to get a result the justices know is contrary to congressional intent. But thats not the worst of it.

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After openly rejecting congressional intent based on their reading of the laws text, in the next breath the dissent relied on a theory that explicitly rejects the language of the Constitutions text. The Constitution only speaks to state sovereign immunity in federal courts. Therefore, in order to extend immunity to state courtslike the Texas courts in Torresthe Supreme Court had to classify this constitutional text as merely confirming, but not limiting, the immunity states possessed before ratifying the Constitution. That holding gives rise to one inexplicable aspect of the courts sovereign immunity law in which justices who claim to be textualistsincluding the godfather of textualism, Justice Antonin Scaliasign on to a theory that openly dismisses text.

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In Torres, then, the dissenters both insisted on following only statutory text while at the same time insisting on following a theory that refuses to follow constitutional text. Underscoring this heads-I-win-tails-you-lose take is the fact that all the dissenting justices were in the majority in Dobbs, which only a few days before held that abortion was not a constitutional right becausewait for itthat right is not listed in the constitutional text.

Lets celebrate Torres and the fact that two justices were willing to cross ideological lines to help protect military service members and to uphold what was clearly the intent of the Founders and states when they ratified the Constitution. But the Torres dissent also serves as a reminder that many justices seem determined to use whatever argument is at hand, no matter how inconsistent it is with their prior votes, to achieve the result they want.
A couple hours after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the Archdiocese of New York celebrated the retreat of the culture of death. But its triumphant statement came with a note of caution: We still have a lot of work ahead of us in New York, as the loud, angry, potentially violent response of the pro-abortion movement makes clear.

The allusion to potential violence from pro-choice activists may seem premature or recklessly dramatic to those not steeped in pro-life media.

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After all, there are very few news reports of actual violence to support that claim. But for the past couple monthsand, to a lesser extent, the past couple yearsthe Catholic right has been ramping up its warnings about anti-Catholic bigotry, mainly in response to instances of vandalism, tying graffiti to omens of bloodshed.

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This has meant that the narrative about the end of Roe (even before it was overturned) has not simply been about a win at the Supreme Court, but of a religion under attack from violent and hateful radicals. We seem to face growing hostility for putting our faith into action, the archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, wrote in a Fox News article published the night before the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision that overturned Roe. The conservative political group CatholicVote.org issued a similar warning earlier that month: Our sources tell us government officials are already warning Catholic dioceses: when and if Roe v. Wade is overturned, churches and pro-life support centers will be targeted for vandalism, violence, or worse. (The conservative Catholic League took it one step further in a press release from May titled, BIDEN CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON GAYS, NOT CATHOLICS.)

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Its not untrue that the Catholic Church is intertwined with the end of Roe in the publics mind. While the reality is that white evangelicals are the real drivers of the anti-abortion movement (polling has consistently shown that Catholics, unlike white evangelicals, are largely ambivalent about abortion), the anti-abortion movement was founded by the Catholic Church, which still provides its intellectual framework. There are the more visible elements too: the distinctly Catholic symbols that look good on protest signs or make for catchy chants, and the Catholic justices who struck down Roe.

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But the very real history of ugly and violent anti-Catholic bigotry in the U.S., tied to its association with immigrants, makes some Catholics understandably worried about backlash. For older Catholics who remember now-antiquated prejudices, a radical group vowing to burn the Eucharist may seem to be tapping into a vein of real historical hatred.

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This has not been lost on idealogues like Cardinal Dolan.

In a New York Post op-ed last year, in which he also referenced the 19th century anti-Catholic Know Nothing party, Cardinal Dolan described vandals who spray-painted ACAB on St. Patricks Cathedral as pure bigots. In an official statement on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the nonpartisan organization for all U.S. bishops, he called other instances of vandalism of churches acts of hate.

Have Anti-Catholic Hate Crimes Increased?

To be fair, anecdotally there does seem to have been an increase in vandalism on churches.

The USCCB started a running list of these instances in 2020, and according to its record-keeping, there were three instances in June and eight in May in which churches were defaced with explicitly pro-choice graffiti; the organization counted 20 cases overall in those two months in which church institutions were vandalized. (At the beginning of 2022, the USCCB called for federal funds to improve security measures at churches.)

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But those numbers should be put into perspective. Almost all of the incidents were property crimes, and anti-Catholic hate crimes are generally around 1 percent of all hate crimes in the countrya blip compared with antisemitic crimes, per FBI data.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State UniversitySan Bernardino, said that he sees an increase in anti-Catholic incidents compared with previous periods, but it doesnt rise to the level where it is out of sync with whats happening more broadly.

Anti-Catholic crime has gone up since 2020, Levin said in a recent phone call, but hate crime in general has gone up. When we have a very polarized and angry society, its true that violence begets violence. But its not necessarily evenly distributed.

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Yes, Im concerned about churches, he added, but weve not yet seen anything other than a smattering, not something where we can determine a conclusion.

According to Levin, violent action stemming from abortion-related activism has traditionally come from extreme anti-abortion activists or the far right. The movements behind womens rights have been generally textbook with regard to using the processes and institutions of a pluralistic democracy to attain their ends, he said. Whats different this time is its more than a speed bumpthis will be regarded as a tectonic shift. But the history and the subculture of womens rights just has generally not included that deep well of violent aggressive action.

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He acknowledged that the pro-choice movement, given its breadth and size, would likely engender some extremist action. But he doubted it would be significantly violent. When you remove the machismo out of extremism, you remove a lot of extremism out of extremism, he said.

One radical group, known as Janes Revenge, has gotten a lot of attention for claiming responsibility for some firebombings of pro-life Christian pregnancy centers as well as threatening graffiti found on churches with phrases like if abortions arent safe, neither are you.

But its unclear if Janes Revenge is a real organized group, or if its genuinely a violent threat. (No one has been injured in any of the attacks.) The Department of Homeland Security has called Janes Revenge a network of loosely affiliated suspected violent extremists. White House assistant press secretary Alexandra LaManna condemned Janes Revenges actions in a statement to the Daily Wire: We should all agree that actions like this are completely unacceptable regardless of our politics..

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But the big, fearful event amplified by prominent conservativesa night of rage over the Dobbs ruling, supposedly called for by Janes Revengenever materialized. And though fires at several anti-abortion pregnancy centers are being investigated as suspected arson attacks, the main problem churches have faced is aggressively worded graffiti.

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The mere fact that we have stereotyping and derisive language around Catholicism and other organized religion and their role with respect to abortion creates a heightened risk, Levin said. He acknowledged that the idea of Janes Revenge could be extremely worrying to churches. But otherwise, were not really seeing the calls to violence that we saw with other controversies.

Is It Roe-Related?

Theres another important piece of context to the surge of anti-Catholic attacks narrative: These talking points have been in use since 2020.

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Many cases of vandalism havent been related to Roe at all.

The USCCB began tracking attacks on churches after two caught fire in separate incidents on July 11, 2020. In both cases, the motive remains unclear. In the first, in Florida, the suspect had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had not been taking his medication. In the second, in California, the suspect had a history of arson-related arrests. That church had also, incidentally, been established by St. Junipero Serra, an 18th century Spanish missionary to California seen by many Indigenous Americans as a coercive and cruel colonialist. That summer, statues of Serra were toppled elsewhere, and missions founded by the saint were vandalized.

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This tracks with other protest actions taken after the murder of George Floyd by police. But that is not how some Catholic leaders talked about it.

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The underlying motive of these sacrilegious attacks is clear: to intimidate and instill fear in the hearts of those who worship Christ, the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal that summer. (Anarchist and satanic symbols had been painted on a New Haven churchs door.) However, our cherished Catholic faith has survived for 2,000 years in the faces of many different oppressors, and it is not about to yield now.

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The following summer, in Canada, unmarked graves were found at residential schools for Indigenous children that had been operated by Catholic orders or dioceses. Several churches in Canada were vandalized or burnedenough to count as a disturbing and significant number, according to Brian Levin. But it is unlikely that that violence had anything to do with Roe.

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In a count that goes back to May 2020, the USCCB has noted 144 incidents of arson, vandalism, and destruction on Catholic churches in the U.S. For anyone who has been paying attention to the conversation on the Catholic pro-life right, it is clear that the victimhood identification following these instances is not new or a real response to Dobbs; it has been building for years.

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And conservative Catholic media outlets such as EWTN have been playing it up. As have other power players in the Catholic world, sometimes with agendas that might be hidden to the average observer.

In an op-ed published in the Washington Post last year, two Catholic writers addressed an incident in which the words Satan lives here were spray-painted on a Denver cathedral, in large part because of the churchs opposition to abortion. (A 26-year-old woman was charged with a hate crime. The suspect grew up Catholic; claims of anti-Catholic prejudice rarely distinguish between those committed by outsiders and those committed by former members of the church.)

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You would likely have to go back to the early 20th or late 19th centuries, when an influx of Catholic immigrants challenged a mostly Protestant culture, to find so much public antagonism toward the Catholic Church, the authors of the op-ed wrote.

But the writers, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver and Catholic philanthropist Tim Busch, arent just regular Catholics fighting for their rights to practice religion without fear. They are board member and the chairman, respectively, of the Napa Institute, a network for wealthy conservative Catholics who are pushing culture war issues in elite Catholic institutions.

They did not mention that at a Napa event, one of them once gave a speech attacking the biggest catastrophe of abortion in front of an audience that included Justice Sam Alito, or that one of the organizations major donors and former board members is Leonard Leo, the man often credited with shaping the court into one that could overturn Roe. Instead, Aquila and Busch made a reasonable-sounding plea for the kind of pluralism they would deny to others.

Lets remember that all of us have a right to our own beliefs and a duty to accept that others have the same right, they wrote. If we do not, things will get far worse than seeing Satan lives here spray-painted on a cathedral door.
On Friday, the Wisconsin Supreme Courts Republican majority outlawed ballot drop boxes by a 43 vote, abolishing a reform that had made voting easier and more accessible in the state. The lead opinionauthored by the notorious fringe-right reactionary Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradleycontains alarming language casting doubt on the legitimacy of Joe Bidens 2020 victory. It also grants credence to the GOPs collapsing investigation to prove that illegal votes put Biden over the top in Wisconsin. Without a shred of evidence, the court has thrown its weight behind a dangerous conspiracy theory that helped to fuel the Jan. 6 insurrection.

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Fridays case, Teigen v. Wisconsin Election Commission arose long after election officials began providing drop boxes for voters. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed the states mail ballot system and scared voters away from physical polling places. The Wisconsin Election Commission responded by issuing guidance allowing municipal clerks, who serve as chief election administrators, to set up drop boxes where voters could deposit their ballots up until the polls closed. This innovation ensured that voters could cast a vote without risking infection or fearing that their mail ballots would arrive too late to count.

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No one challenged this practice in court at the time, and in fact Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch cited it as proof that voting was easy in Wisconsin. Then, in 2021, the far-right conservative group Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (or WILL) filed a lawsuit alleging that drop boxes violate state law. It argued that voters may return absentee ballots in only two ways: personally place them in a mailbox, or deliver them in person to the municipal clerk.

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In Teigen, the Wisconsin Supreme Courts four Republican justices largely agreed, though the three ultra-conservatives split with the swing vote, Justice Brian Hagedorn, on several points. The statute at issue says that absentee ballots shall be mailed by the elector, or delivered in person, to the municipal clerk, who has extremely broad authority to decide how they will receive ballots. In 2020, the elections commission provided guidance stating that clerks can set up secure drop boxes to receive ballots. By the next year, there were 570 drop boxes in 66 of Wisconsins 72 counties. Biden won by about 20,000 votes.

In her opinion for the court in Teigen, Justice Grassl Bradley declared that every single drop box was illegal, and every citizen who used this method cast a ballot illegally. Why? The justice added a word to the statute, insisting that voters must return absentee ballots to the municipal clerks office. Returning a ballot to some other location under the exclusive control of the clerk does not suffice. Moreover, Bradley held that only the voter may return their ballot to a municipal clerk; a family member or friend may not do it for them.

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The courts implication could not be more obvious: The 2020 election was unlawful, so the resultsand, specifically, Bidens victoryare illegitimate.

As Justice Ann Walsh Bradley explained in dissent, Wisconsin law simply does not impose these requirements. (Side note: The existence of two Justice Bradleys with polar opposite ideologies is one of several befuddling features of the current court.) There are several statutes that do discuss the office of the clerk, but this isnt one of them. The law only demands delivery to the clerks themselves. A drop box is set up by the municipal clerk, maintained by the municipal clerk, and emptied by the municipal clerk. Placing a ballot in a drop box is, under any reasonable reading, delivering a ballot to the clerk.

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Similarly, the majoritys declaration that only a voter may return their ballot to the clerk has no basis in law. The statute does not limit who can deliver the ballot, only how. So there is no textual reason why a voter cannot have a friend or family member do it for them.

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The Teigen majoritys brazen rejection of the laws plain language is bad enough. But Grassl Bradley went further, stuffing her opinion with paranoid and irresponsible language about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. She zeroed in on the Wisconsin Election Commission, a chief target of Donald Trump supporters who falsely claim that the WEC rigged the race for Biden. In reality, this commission is a bipartisan agency, evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, with modest authority to interpret the states (often confusing) election laws.

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Yet election deniers, including Trump himself, have vilified it as a rogue partisan malefactor dead set on stuffing the ballot boxes with illegal Democratic votes. This claim lies at the heart of the GOPs probe into the 2020 racewhose lead investigator, Michael Gableman, may soon be disbarred for egregiously unprofessional and illegal conduct.

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Grassl Bradley threw gas on Trump and Gablemans fire by suggesting that the 2020 election, conducted with drop boxes pursuant to the commissions guidance, produced illicit results. The failure to follow election laws is a fact which forces everyone, she wrote, to question the legitimacy of election results. Electoral outcomes obtained by unlawful procedures corrupt the institution of voting and pollutes the integrity of the results. Bradley complained that hundreds of ballot drop boxes have been set up in past elections and thousands of votes have been cast via this unlawful method. The alleged illegality of these drop boxes weakens the peoples faith in the election and calls the results in question.

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She then went further: If elections are conducted outside of the law, she asserted, the people have not conferred their consent on the government. Such elections are unlawful and their results are illegitimate. The implication here could not be more obvious: The 2020 election was unlawful, so the resultsand, specifically, Bidens victoryare illegitimate.

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Then Bradley drew a comparison between Wisconsins 2020 election and undemocratic, rigged contests in authoritarian nations. Throughout history, tyrants have claimed electoral victory via elections conducted in violation of governing law, she wrote, continuing:

For example, Saddam Hussein was reportedly elected in 2002 by a unanimous vote of all eligible voters in Iraq (11,445,638 people). Examples of such corruption are replete in history. In the 21st century, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was elected in 2014 with 100% of the vote while his father, Kim Jong-il, previously won 99.9% of the vote. Former President of Cuba, Raul Castro, won 99.4% of the vote in 2008 while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was elected with 97.6% of the vote in 2007. Even if citizens of such nations are allowed to check a box on a ballot, they possess only a hollow right. Their rulers derive their power from force and fraud, not the peoples consent.

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The only silver lining of Teigen is that Justice Brian Hagedorn, the courts conservative swing vote, declined to join this outrageous portion of Bradleys opinion. But he did not dissent from it, either, so Bradley still spoke for a plurality of the court. Hagedorns restraint will be a cold comfort to Wisconsinites who will suffer from Fridays ruling. As the dissenters pointed out, many municipalities have just one, part-time clerk with irregular hours. Inevitably, some voters will receive their ballots too close to the election to return them in the mail. Now they will have to travel to the nearest clerk (who may be miles away) when their office happens to be open. Those who are homebound will also suffer, as they can no longer entrust their absentee ballot to a loved one.

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In truth, though, we all suffer from this decision. It is a blow to the democratic project that undermines free and fair elections while purporting to protect them. Grassl Bradley proclaimed that making voting harder somehow increases the legitimacy of the results, a baseless yet fundamental tenet of the modern Republican Party. Worse, she has signed her court onto Republicans lie that the results of Wisconsins 2020 election were illegitimate because they included ballots cast unlawfully. Her decision is a love letter to the Big Lie.

There is an understandable contempt for Democratic politicians who call on supporters to vote their way out of this crisis. But in Wisconsin, those who are still able to vote hold the solution in their hands. Next year, voters will replace the far-right Justice Patience Drake Roggensack in a judicial election. If the Democrat prevails, the court will flip to a 43 liberal majority. The new court could protect voting rights in 2024, expanding the franchise and endorsing the legitimacy of the results.

Three years ago, the conservative Hagedorn won his race by 6,000 votes out of 1.2 million cast. Had a few thousand more Democrats turned out, Fridays rulingand countless otherswould have come out the other way. In 2023, Wisconsinites will have an opportunity to end Republican dominance on the court. If they fail to do so, the states 2024 election may be decided by a majority committed to entrenching GOP rule.
In mid-June, massive floods swept through Montana. Many of the people whose homes flooded didnt have flood insurance, largely because they didnt think they needed it. But with climate change, that map is shifting. Despite the scale of the damage and its unprecedented nature, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that people need to take responsibility for their own disaster recovery, and that FEMA would not be able to make them whole.

What the Montana floods underscore is that natural disasters are getting worse, and no one is immune. On Fridays episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Craig Fugate, who served as FEMA administrator under President Obama, about what happens when the old disaster playbook needs an overhaul. Are we left to fend for ourselves? Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.



Lizzie OLeary: Some people might assume that when theres an emergency, like the floods in Montana, the federal government just shows up. But thats not actually how it works. Can you give us a little FEMA 101?

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Craig Fugate: FEMA doesnt step in until a governor has requested from the president a disaster declaration. As part of that request, the governor certifies in writing that the disaster exceeds the capability of the state to manage. In most cases, what that refers to is lack of insurance, and FEMA is being asked to support a state financially for the extraordinary cost.

In disasters that I have covered, often you see people not fully understand what FEMA helps with, what they dont help with, what you have to show. How does that process work?

It goes back to the origination of the Stafford Act, which is the legislation that FEMA operates disasters under. Congress did not intend for FEMA to be the primary response to disasters. It was based upon non-duplication of benefits. The simplest thing is if youre getting money from somewhere else, you shouldnt be getting money from FEMA. When we say FEMA, lets be clear about this: This is the federal taxpayer, this you and me. But FEMA is allowed to provide assistance where there is a lack of insurance or the insurance didnt cover all the losses. This is, to a certain degree, what happened in Montana.

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FEMA is not designed to make people whole. Theyll see that the maximum amount from the program that FEMA provides to individual assistance for families and individuals is around $35,000. The average person gets far less than that. Its not designed to do a full recovery, and it is woefully inadequate for families trying to recover from a flood.

In Montana, you have a local spokesman for FEMA essentially saying, Look, youve got to manage your own recovery. At the same time, you have residents who said, I have my house in an area that had never flooded before, that did not seem to be an historical floodplain. Why in the world would I have flood insurance? How are people supposed to make sense of that scenario?

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Well, its not easy. What happened in Montana is happening all over the country. Increasingly, were seeing the results of climate change. Record-setting rain events that are causing flooding in areas that have never flooded before. Within government, we were trying to identify the higher-risk areas, and Congress put a requirement on there: If you live in a high-risk area for flooding, you needed to purchase flood insurance. Those special flood risk areas were identified in FEMA maps that are called flood insurance rate maps. Somehow the bureaucracy of the terminology got translated, and what the public heard is, Those are flood zones and those are flood maps. If I dont live in that flood zone, I dont have a flood risk, and I dont have to buy flood insurance. Thats not what it meant.

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So weve got entire swaths of the country where people think that they dont live in a flood zone, and they dont need flood insurance. What its done is its resulted in large numbers of people that are not insured against one of the fastest-growing risks that were seeing as a result of climate change.

In April, FEMA changed the way it quantified risk for the first time in 50 years under a plan called Risk 2.0. The agency altered how premiums for flood insurance are set, pricing them on a much more individual level. Why the change?

FEMAs moving in the direction of trying to price the risk by household versus just by areas to better reflect the risk to the home and steps people have taken to mitigate that. So thats one step. The second thing that I think FEMAs been doing for a long time, and we saw in the last couple of budget cycles, is big increases in what they call the pre-disaster mitigation programs. They call it now Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities. Its the idea of taking over a billion dollars and putting grants out to state and local governments to start looking at how they can reduce the impacts of natural hazards before they occur. People always look at FEMA, and Im like, Well, FEMA is not the answer in many cases. Congress needs to act. FEMA has its authorities, and it has its funding, and Congress says what you can do with it. But we see other complimentary programs like HUD Community Block and Development Grants. They provide, in some cases after very significant disasters, community block grant dollars.

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That was something I saw happen in Puerto Rico when I covered the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Block grants were also given to local governments in Texas after Hurricane Harvey.

The problem is these are what I call one-offs. Its not a standard program. To a certain degree, its not even authorized every time they do it. They have to start from scratch with rules. It delays the money getting out there. It usually takes two to three years for that money to actually make it to the states much less to homeowners. Thats a long time if you got a home thats been flooded, trying to make repairs.

There is another key issue here. Weve been talking a lot about homeowners, and FEMAs programs are generally directed at them. But a storm or a flood doesnt care if you own or rent. What happens to renters after these types of disasters?

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Renters are caught in this dynamic where theyre dependent upon the people they rent from having the insurance and making the repairs. But were seeing a crisis in rental rates going up. What tends to happen in rental properties after disasters is either they dont get rebuilt because the owners didnt have insurance and they just sell the land and they get redeveloped in something else, or when they rebuild it, theyre now pricing it to the new value, and its pricing people out.

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In New Orleans in the decade after Katrina, rents jumped by 33 percent. The national average for that time was just 6 percent. After a disaster, renters are often left to fend for themselves.

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If you look at the FEMA programs, even the HUD programs, they tend to be biased toward homeowners. Renters get limited assistance. Theyll get short duration rental assistance, but theres nothing really addressing the longer-term issue. As rents go up, how do people stay in their communities with affordable properties when they cant afford the new cost?

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Well, how do they?

They move. You look at Lake Charles, Louisiana. I think theyve been hit by three hurricanes. When you talk to the workers there, theyre being pushed out because whats getting rebuilt is much better than what they were renting, and the price of those rental properties are going beyond what they can pay. We are seeing a migration of renters being pushed out of communities and are either having to face driving longer distances to get to their jobs, or theyre relocating. Now youre starting to see the secondary effects of the workforce being impacted and the unavailability of workers. This is on top of COVID and what weve seen in the Great Resignation and trouble getting workers.

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Youve noted that FEMA is aware that it has an equity problem and that marginalized communities have long been left out of the rebuilding process. Is that starting to change?

One step President Biden took was he asked all the agencies to go back through their programs and identify the biases and try and identify why were seeing the biases. We already know on the top end that for FEMA its homeownership. But even within homeownership, if you go into a lot of communities, particularly historically African-American communities, people didnt always go down to the courthouse to record deed changes as members of the family died. They didnt go to attorneys. So you have a disaster and they go apply for assistance, and FEMA says, Theres no record of you owning this home. In the effort of stomping out fraud, which became a big political issue after Hurricane Katrina, if you cant prove youre the homeowner, you cant get assistance.

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This is not an indictment of FEMA. Within the federal government, you dont get rewarded for taking risk, and playing it safe is usually the best bet if youre civil service. The program is supposed to be equal to all, yet the way its administered creates inequities. I think the FEMA team are really using this executive order from the president to get to some of the root causes to eliminate them.

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Theres the idea of managed retreat, a whole community saying, All right, we are not going to rebuild here. Were going somewhere else. It happened after Superstorm Sandy in some places, but what do you think of it?

It actually started as far back as 1993 and the big Midwestern floods. At the time, under Director James Lee Witt, FEMA began working with communities and said, Instead of putting you back in the river plain to flood out again, why dont we take the whole town and move it up on that hill? Again, these were small numbers, but it demonstrated that FEMA did have that ability. In Florida, weve had some communities from the 80s and 90s that flooded routinely. We went in, bought them out, moved them. So it is something that can be done, but theres also challenges you run into. One is the historical context. We have historical communities that if we dont rebuild, we lose that era. Some industries are very dependent upon very vulnerable coastal areas that, again, workforce and housing are key. A lot of local governments have tremendous pressure to keep communities where theyre at. But were seeing it even in the state of Louisiana. Gov. Edwards has worked with some of the communities, and they made a decision on one of the tribal areas. They had, basically because of sea level rise and repetitive flooding, made the agreement to relocate the whole community.

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Another place I think is going to accelerate even more is going to be in Alaska. The challenge in Alaska is a lot of these communities that need to relocate wont necessarily be from a federally declared disaster. Between permafrost and the erosion of coastlines, we have seen communities in Alaska having to relocate. The questions going to be, how do we pay for that? Not all these events are triggering federal disasters where you at least have some of the Stafford Act funding to do this.

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Ive covered a lot of disasters. People always complain about FEMA. But now, the complaint isnt FEMAs doing a bad job in my town, or FEMA isnt helping me. Its maybe that FEMA has so much to deal with that it cant meet this need or that the need is beyond the scope of what FEMA is supposed to do. Does FEMA need to change its mission, or is there, I dont know, some other agency, some other plan that needs to happen?

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The first step is that weve got to admit the system isnt designed for the frequency and severity of climate-induced weather-related disasters. There are a lot of people say, Well, climate change is a myth. I say, record-setting weather events that are occurring on a monthly basis cannot be ignored. If nothing else, whether you believe in climate change or not, if were having this many record-setting weather events that are causing massive damage, the one thing we should understand is what we built for in the past isnt working today, and we got to do something different.

For more on managed retreat and how we can respond to rising waters, read this series from Future Tense and New Americas Future of Land and Housing program.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
According to the period tracking app Flo, Santiago Mayer is a woman in Texas. But in reality, hes a cisgender man who wants cause chaos in the wake of the Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs. On June 26, soon after the Dobbs decision was released, Mayer tweeted about his plan to create false data and make it harder for law enforcement to identify people who may have had abortions. One of many digital privacy hacks people are trading back and forth on Twitter, the thread went viral, with about 200,000 likes and 15,000 retweets.

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The goal is worthy, but the question is: Can men and other non-menstruating individuals using period tracking apps cause enough chaos to interfere with abortion prosecution? And how can you be sure which viral digital privacy tools and tricks are worth implementing and/or sharing?

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To start, we have to explain what exactly the people adding bad info to apps are fighting against. Since the draft Dobbs decision overturning Roe leaked, there have been reports of how companies collect data from period trackers, with some selling that information. As Jane C. Hu describes in a Slate article from May:

Apps sell data to third parties, who then feed up targeted advertisements; for instance, if an advertiser knows youve downloaded an app designed to track cycles for pregnancy reasons, they might show you more baby product ads. According to a Financial Times analysis, knowing someone is in her second trimester of pregnancy is worth about 220 times more than the average persons data.

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And now, with Roe v. Wade overturned, this data could be used against users who are looking to get an abortion. App data could be to establish when a person became pregnant, and show when they became aware of that pregnancy or when they began experiencing symptoms leading up to a pregnancy loss, Hu writes. Some apps, like Flo, ask things like whether the user smokes or how often they drink alcohol; that data could also be of interest to a prosecutor trying to charge someone with endangering a fetus.

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There are two main ways that the data could be used to prosecute individuals who received or attempted an abortion. If someone is suspected of having an abortion, law enforcement prosecutors could subpoena the data . Unfortunately, people downloading apps to create enough noise to hide a signal cant help there. (Its worth noting that some apps, like Clue, have released saying statements that they will not hand over data if subpoenaed. Furthermore, some experts point out that its more likely prosecutors will prioritize other digital data such as texts and search history.)

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But theres one place where causing mischief could have an effect: if prosecutors acquire giant batches of data from period tracking apps to try to identify users who may have had an abortion.

Mayer, a 20-year old student at California State University Long Beach and the founder of votersoftomorrow.org got the idea from another Twitter user. When theyre looking for suspicious activity or anything that they would like to investigate, they would find an account that isnt real and hopefully, that would take resources away from harassing a woman who had an abortion, Mayer told me. This would do nothing if your data is personally subpoenaed but hopefully it would save [someone] if theyre going through the database.

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The concept is known as obfuscation: the deliberate addition of ambiguous, confusing, or misleading information to interfere with surveillance and data collection, as researchers Daniel Howe, Mushon Zer-Aviv, and Helen Nissenbaum described it in 2014 when they created a browser extension called AdNauseam that automatically clicks on web ads to interfere with tracking. (It was able to evade Googles most advanced defenses.)

Faking period data is, in essence, manual obfuscation. Nissenbaum, a professor of information science at Cornell Tech and coauthor with Finn Brunton of a 2015 book on the topic, sees obfuscation as an effective tool.

As Nissenbaum explains, the period tracking algorithm works by creating profiles based on user data. When people start injecting false data, that prevents the app from creating profiles like this person is exhibiting this kind of behavior, therefore we know she is pregnant.

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But Brandeis Marshall, the CEO of DataedX Group, was less optimistic about the potential for these tricks to really fool the algorithm. Although its a noble effort, she believes that there would need to be a ton of people to truly make a dent on the algorithm.

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If there were 40 million men to mess up data, that would be great, but they would have to know how to mess it up correctly because they dont have a cycle so they dont understand a 10-day cycle is not going to work, Marshall said. Its going to be an anomaly.

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After his thread went viral, Mayer told me, he heard from many experts who had mixed reactions as to how well this would work. The consensus was that, as Marshall suggests, the data would have to appear like the data of a normal user.

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If youre just actively creating chaos, its very clearly a fake account and easy to filter out. If youre putting some effort into making it seem real and you have enough people doing that, you can have an impact, he said. So if youre someone who doesnt menstruate and wants to help, first educate yourself on the basics of period trackingso you know what makes sense and what doesntand then recruit a few million of your friends to contribute.

Marshall was adamant that the safest way to maintain digital privacy was to go back to the basics: pen and paper. Back in the day, we used to have a yearly calendar, and you used to X where day 1 started when it comes to tracking. We need to go back to some of those kinds of tactics.

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However, both she and Nissenbaum are cognizant of the fact that many people may not want to change their habits.

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You can decide youre not going to have a phone, you can limit the number of apps on your phone, you could narrow the zones of vulnerability by being careful about the privacy policies of the various apps, Nissenbaum said. But even a conscientious person doesnt have the time.

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One easy thing that Nissenbaum does advise is for users to really consider whether they need location services or certain apps. As she points out, your individual choice to press the download button or track certain data can affect others.

Only 20 percent of a community needs to be willing to provide data, whatever the relevant data, in order for a company to create the profile that can be telling, she said. Its not only do I need the app? but is my willingness to partake going to affect other peoples vulnerability? Were so used to thinking about our own privacy. But the fact is even if you say no, other peoples decision can affect you so you need to have social responsibility because of these connections.

As for how to assess the quality of the tsunami of suggestions about digital privacy that you may find online?

With all these suggestions, you really have to stop and not get on every bandwagon, Marshall said. Give it 24 hours. Give it 48 hours. Give it a week and see what is really bubbling from the top and then decide.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Scromiting isnt anywhere in the medical literature. A portmanteau of screaming and vomiting, its slang for a side effect of marijuana use, according to a Daily Mail piece published Saturday.

Legalising pot seems like a common-sense policy but in fact, its a public health disaster that the MJ industry is doing its darnedest to cover up, the author of the piece wrote, citing the rise of scromiting as a concern.

Weed-induced vomiting does happen, and has a formal name: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. While CHS can result in severe or prolonged vomitingthats what hyperemesis meansits not something you necessarily need to worry about if youre a casual weed user. Its also not a reason to fear the legalization of pot, experts say, though it is good for medical professionals to be familiar with the symptoms, which yes, can include loud vocal sounds.

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Its a rare condition that only develops in the long term, daily use, of marijuana, said Taylor Nichols, an emergency medicine physician in Northern California who has seen patients with CHS. Its not like somebody who is a nonuser goes out and smokes marijuana once and then develops a poisoning. 

For years, CHS was not taken seriously by the medical community, and it wasnt described in the literature until the early 2000s. Its now a pretty well-known entity in emergency rooms across the country, experts told me, but theres still little data on the condition. Among the unknowns are how many people are affected, how much cannabis you need to be exposed to, and which people get it, and which people who consume every day dont get it, said Andrew Meltzer, an emergency medicine doctor in D.C. There is not a commonly used medical code for the condition, which makes it especially hard to figure out how many people it affects.

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Though its unclear why CHS occurs, the symptoms are recognizable. There are three phases to CHS. The first phase often consists of nausea, abdominal pain, light heartburn, and burping. The next phase, which not everyone progresses to, is the hyperemetic phase, and is when that constant vomiting occurs, as Alice Moon, who works at the cannabis-focused PR firm Trailblaze explained to me. This might involve loud retching sounds, or screaming, hence scromiting. (Scromiting is not exclusively linked to pot use, according to Urban Dictionary, one might scromit because they have homework due soon.) The final phase of CHS is the recovery phase, where the individual must commit to not using cannabis to allow the body to go into recovery. Another way to look at this: The treatment for CHS is simply to stop using weed.

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Moon developed CHS herself in 2016. However, because it wasnt as well known then, she wasnt diagnosed until later. I spent two years really really sick, lost a lot of weight, was throwing up constantly, she explained. I saw numerous doctors and no one knew what was wrong with me until 2018 I saw a doctor who knew about CHS and diagnosed me.

Since then, shes talked to doctors, spoken on panels alongside researchers, and even surveyed her peers on their experiences with CHS. She has data on 330 individuals around the world with CHS, many of whom are part of a 17,000-person Facebook group devoted to the condition, which has not been published. Moon says she learned from the survey that everyones experience with the illness can be a little different. Im devoted to trying to spread awareness, education, while still being pro-cannabis, says Moon.

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Just because you feel off (or worse) after smoking a bowl doesnt mean you have CHS. Nichols told me that he does see people who come in high from edibles or smoking weed that are nauseated or vomiting who do not have an ongoing condition. Theyre not accustomed to it, he said. Its kind of like how people get sick from drinking alcohol. You can develop a reaction to any drug. Cannabinoids are a drug. Alcohol is a drug. Caffeine is a drug and your body has a response to a drug.

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If you do find yourself with a rare case of CHS, there are ways to treat the symptoms. In the past, some medical professionals used opiates, but most have now turned to traditional antipsychotics with anti-nausea properties. Moon recommends looking out for warning signs of CHS, as its possible to stop before it progresses further. People should be mindful of some of the early signs of heartburn, burping, abdominal pain, she explains.

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The key thing is that users with CHS stop cannabinoid intake as soon as possible. People dont want to hear it, the only way that CHS will resolve is to discontinue the use of cannabis, Karen Randall, an emergency medicine physician in Colorado, wrote in an email to Slate. And the CHS may recur for several months as there is a wash out time (which can vary from individual to individual). The average time to resolve, I am estimating, is about 3 months. I try to tell my patients that they are allergic to cannabis (similar to having an intolerance to other medications).

And like other medications, cannabis can be medically beneficialironically, including to help with vomiting. This is an active medication that, in low doses, is an effective anti-emetic and reduces nausea and improves appetite, and thats been shown, Meltzer said.

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Weed is also of course a relaxing recreational drug for many. The existence of CHS isnt a reason not to legalize pot more broadly, says Nichols. CHS is much less of a concern than, say, immediate or long-term consequences of alcohol use, he explained.

The upsides of weed are big enough that Moon keeps promoting it for a living. Ive used cannabis throughout my life so much, I used it medicinally for years before I developed CHS and it helped with every aspect of my life, Moon says. Cannabis is such a beneficial medicine to so many people. Thats why I still work in the industry.
'Night Help' team will be on the streets to help people, say authorities.

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Bratislava is looking for volunteers to help keep the capital's nightlife spots safe for visitors at weekends.

City officials have put out a call on social media asking for people to join its Night Help team which will be on its streets during the busiest weekend hours. They say that along with the municipal police, the state police, and emergency medical services, the seven member team of volunteers will be available to help people who need be escorted home, are lost from their group, have lost their phone, purse or wallet, or can wait with them at public transport stops if they feel unsafe.

The team's activities will focus on Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00 to 3:00 in locations where the city's nightlife spots are concentrated.

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In this way, Bratislava is following similar teams that already operate abroad, such as Street Angels, Night Owls, Night Safe, Community Patrol, Guardians and others, the city council explained.
BUDAPEST, July 8 (Xinhua) -- A direct flight from Beijing landed at Budapest's Ferenc Liszt International Airport Thursday, marking the official resumption of regular passenger flights between Hungary and China.

Direct air links between the two countries were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

The Beijing-Budapest flight will be operated by Air China every Thursday, according to plans.

The decision to resume the Beijing-Budapest flight is a milestone that will promote tourism, trade and the overall Hungarian economy, said Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade on his Facebook page earlier.

Air China launched the first direct passenger flight between the capitals of China and Hungary on May 1, 2015.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots action for rookie pacing colts and geldings kicked off Thursday night (July 7) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and first-crop sire All Bets Off earned his second OSS winner with Tignanello in the fourth of five divisions.

Sent the favourite, Sylvain Filion moved the Benoit Baillargeon trainee to the front from post six and led gate to wire in a time of 1:54.1.

When Sylvain is the favourite, he puts them in play pretty good, said Baillargeon. Coming in I didnt think a mile in 1:54 was out of reach for that colt tonight. Hes very good gaited and covers the ground easily.

Tignanello set an identical closing panel of :27.3 in his qualifier victory on June 25.

Hes out of a Somebeachsomewhere mare that won in 1:51, so there is speed in his family for sure, said Baillargeon. He trained down good all winter. It was not a problem to bring him to the races, and he was very willing to do his work.

All Bets Off's first OSS winner was filly Big Big Plans in a gold division on Canada Day at the Campbellville oval.

Paul Reid trainee Teen Tattler was second in the penultimate Grassroots division with Scott Young in the race bike. The Canam Crew (Port Perry, Ont.) owns the Sportswriter colt. Watch My Chips finished third for Puslinch, Ont., trainer Scott Mceneny and his ownership partners Bradley Grant (Milton, Ont.) and Martwest Racing Stable (Mississauga, Ont.).

The Grassroots action commenced earlier in the evening in Race 2, where Slick N Quick won win his pari-mutuel debut with Filion driving.

Troubles A Brewin was sent to the front early by James MacDonald, and held the lead until the three-quarter pole after fending off a first up move from Morning Watch.

The field condensed as they turned for home, and Filion moved Slick N Quick up from seventh behind cover from Speak Of War and Better Option. The Julie Walker trainee moved six wide and sprinted down the lane to win by a neck with a final panel of :27.2.

He seems very versatile, said Walker. He qualified off the front end, but that was just the circumstances of the fractions, and the speed we wanted to go that day, but he looked good tonight.

Owner Joe Miskokomon (Muncey, Ont.) recently purchased the Sportswriter gelding from Carl Jamieson.

Carl does a really good job getting them ready and educating them, said Walker. When we got him, it seems like he could have done anything already.

Doug McNair got a pocket trip with Gandolf The Black and the Dominic Gladu trainee finished second for his TheStable.ca owners. Delightful Leader was third with Phillippe Hudon driving. Melissa Lamoreux trains for 8113564 Canada Ltd.

The second Grassroots division in Race 4 featured another off the pace win from Santana Hanover. Leaving from post five, James MacDonald sat the Big Jim colt off fractions of :28.1, :58.1, and 1:27.2. He tipped out from third as the field entered the stretch and drove home to win by a length.

It was the pari-mutuel debut for the Paul Davies trainee, who set a mark of 1:55.3 with a final panel of :28. Davies owns the colt with his wife Nicole.

Sharky, a 43-1 shot, finished a game runner-up after Doug McNair made a second up move that vaulted him to the lead entering the stretch. Cannington, Ont., resident David Browns trains, owns, and bred the Hes Watching colt. The Bettors Delight colt All Attitude, who led at the half, finished third. Trevor Henry drove the Robert MacIntosh (Windsor, Ont.), Dave Boyle (Bowmanville, Ont.), and Mardon Stables (Loretto, Ont.) homebred.

In Race 5, the third Grassroots division, Gregg McNair trainee The Moment Arose sat fifth after the quarter mile marker before charging to the lead down the backstretch, holding off Best Shadow around the turn and winning by two lengths.

He trained good all winter and seemed to have lots of go tonight, said McNair. He always trained in the front end a little bit, even at 2:30, 2:35. He always seemed better in front than following. Lots of horses are the other way around. Its hard to cut every mile that youre in but he was good tonight.

Doug McNair drove the Control The Moment colt to his 1:55 mile for Bolton Ont., owners John Stamatis, Joseph Orofiamma, and James Georgakopoulos (North York, Ont.).

Red Coin was a late charging second driven by Jody Jamieson. Jeffrey Gillis (Fergus, Ont.) trains and co-owns the Bettors Delight colt with Mac Nichol (Burlington, Ont.), and Ellen Ott (Buffalo, N.Y.). Rounding out the podium in race three was Shadow Play colt Parsons. Louis-Philippe Roy drove the Tess Waxman (Ridgeville, Ont.) homebred for trainer Eric Nadeau.

Doug McNair closed a driving triple in the final Grassroots division in Race 10 with Wall Street Bell.

Leaving from post four, the Shadow Play colt settled off the first quarter of :28.3 and McNair moved him along the backstretch into a lead he did not relinquish, pacing a mile in 1:55.1 for his first win from three starts.

Blake MacIntosh trains for owners Hutt Racing Stable (Malvern, Pa.), Ozzie Mackay (Moncton, N.B.), Veikko Pajune (Vancouver, B.C.) and Penny Of Hope Stables (St George, Ont.).

Jody Jamieson piloted another Shadow Play colt, The Golden Jet to a second-place finish for trainer Meg Crone. It was the pari-mutuel debut for the Claude Gendreau Stb Inc. (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) homebred. Thong Control was third for trainer Jean Tournigy with Sylvain Filion driving. Tournigy co-owns the Control The Moment colt with Steve Garceau, and Roland Trudel (Becancour, Que.).

To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(Ontario Sires Stakes)
Brittany Farms regrets to inform the harness racing industry of the loss of Theresa Quinlan at the age of 68. Theresa managed the Chicago Accounting Office of Brittany Farms for 29 years.

"She worked with many of Brittanys partners, trainers, owners, vets, staking services, racetracks and other horse-related businesses," said the farm in a statement. "She was always a pleasure to work with and you knew you could depend on her for anything you needed. Her laughter was contagious, and even through her long illness she continued to have a positive attitude.

"Theresa fought a valiant battle with breast cancer  and will be dearly missed by her family, friends, her co-worker Michelle Wayne and by all of us here at Brittany Farms."

Theresa is survived by her husband John, two children Jason (Janeth), Valene (Nick) and six grandchildren, all of Chicago, Ill.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Theresa Quinlan.

(with files from Brittany Farms)
A top grad of Eastern View High School Class of 2014 will present a free public concert with pieces by four classical organ composers this month in the beautiful sanctuary at historic Mitchells Presbyterian Church in southern Culpeper County.

The community is cordially invited to the organ concert by Daniel Grotz taking place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 17.

The Four Pillars concert will feature repertoire by four of the most influential organ composersJ.S. Bach, Cesar Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, and Paul Manz.

The musician from Culpeper is a 2018 graduate of University of Virginia and currently organist at Church of Our Savior Episcopal Church in Charlottesville. Grotz started playing piano at the age of 8 and grew up in the church at Mitchells Presbyterian, where his dad, John, pastored for 24 years.

Attending UVA exposed him to some really amazing organs he had never heard while living in Culpeper, Grotz said in a message to the Culpeper Star-Exponent. The experience inspired him to pick up the instrument.

Grotz said he ended up loving it more than the piano and became a more serious musician because of it. After college, he considered teaching English in a foreign country, an earlier passion, but then he found the organist position in Charlottesville at a church with a full organ.

I decided to take the job and try instead to become a full-time musician, he said, mentioning good connections to gigs in Charlottesville and the music scene there.

At that point, it was clear that my future lay in music so I completely focused on the organ and here were are four years later, Grotz said.

In August, Grotz will begin a two-year program at the University of Cincinnati Conservatory to earn a Master of Organ Performance degree.

He will also be an apprentice at the Episcopal Cathedral in Cincinnati, according to a news release from Mitchells Presbyterian.

Mitchells Presbyterian Church began around 1844 in Orange County and was known as the Rapid Ann Presbyterian Chapel, according to church history

On Oct. 18, 1867, just after the Civil War, the congregation was granted permission by the Presbytery of Rappahannock to organize as Rapidan Church.

Due to the rising of the Rapidan River, the congregation from Culpeper County decided to relocate to this side of the river. The present sanctuary and church, built in the Carpenter Gothic Style, was dedicated in 1879 and the name was changed to Mitchells Presbyterian Church in 1888, according to church history.

The church commissioned Italian immigrant artist Joseph Oddenino in the years 1892-1899 to paint the interior walls. He used the technique of trompe-loeil, from the French meaning deceive the eye. The church is on the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places.
Culpeper Battlefields State Park wont open for a little while, but thats not stopping its advocates from sprucing up some of its historic sites.

Four entities recently collaborated to update and add wayside markers on Culpeper Countys Cedar Mountain battlefield, where Confederate troops ended the Unions attempt to seize Gordonsvilles strategic railroad junction in 1862.

Officials of the American Battlefield Trust, Civil War Trails Inc. and Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield installed the illustrated markers as overcast skies sprinkled rain on the June 27 undertaking.

The national nonprofit trust, which owns the preserved portion of the battlefield, and the town of Culpeper Department of Economic Development and Tourism split the cost of the 11 markers.

We are very excited to have the interpretive signs installed in time for the 160th anniversary of the battle, Daniel Davis, the trusts senior education manager, said Thursday. The signage will enhance visitors experiences at the battlefield and provide a deeper understanding of what happened on that hallowed ground.

It is amazing to see battlefields function as both an open air museum and as places for visitors to hike or take a digital detox, said Drew Gruber, executive director of Civil War Trails. Watching families and friends create history of their own at sites like these makes our job truly rewarding.

The partners installed 12 interpretive markers about the Battle of Cedar Mountain as well as one sign that describes the work of the American Battlefield Trust, which preserves battle-related sites of the American Revolution, War of 1812 and Civil War.

As with most preservation work, fabrication and installation of these signs was a true team effort, said Jim Campi, the trusts chief policy and communications officer. Civil War Trails fabricated and designed the signs, historian Mike Block did the initial crafting of the text, with the American Battlefield Trust team further refining the content and maps.

All of the historical waysides include maps, quotes from battle participants and photos pertaining to different parts of the savage Aug. 9, 1862, battle, in which Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson drew his sword (actually, his swords rusty scabbard) for the only time.

The new signs build off existing stories being told at Cedar Mountain, enhancing the overall visitor experience, said Paige Read, director of Culpeper Economic Development and Tourism.

Mike Block, a volunteer with Friends of Cedar Mountain, thanked Davis, Read, Gruber and Chris Brown, assistant director of the multi-state trails group, for making the project happen.

It was this partnership and support that made the new waysides possible, he said.

The marker project is part of an overall effort by the American Battlefield Trust, working with its local partners, to improve interpretation at Culpepers Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain battlefields, Campi said.

The partners started with Cedar Mountain in June, so the new signs were installed in time for the battles 160th anniversary next month.

Next, we will be focusing on replacing signage at St. James Church and Bufords Knoll in time for the 160th anniversary of Brandy Station next year, Campi said.

The new markers will also help orient the influx of new visitors expected with the announcement of the new state park, which formally opens on July 1, 2024, he said.

And soon, signs will be erected in Culpeper to notify visitors about the new state park, Campi said.

At Cedar Mountain, seven of the new markers replace signage that served visitors from around the world for over a decade, Block said. They offer more engaging text and images to help fuel the imagination of visitors as they stand where the historic events took place on the battlefield, he said.

Each wayside has a map that reflects the 1862 terrain and locations of the contending armies on different parts of the field.

The partners placed four signs covering new material that enables visitors to understand the fighting on portions of the battlefield that had gone without interpretation, Block said.

Two describe the fighting in the woods on and behind The Point, and another above the Brushy Field.

A third sign near the Crittenden Gate, perhaps the best-known part of the field and the place where visitors now enter it, provides an overview of the battle.

Finally, a new wayside discusses KOCOA, a military acronym that stands for Key Terrain, Observation Points and Fields of Fire, Cover and Concealment, Obstacles and Avenues of Approach/Retreat.

As used by the U.S. armed services and the National Park Services American Battlefields Protection Program, KOCOA is the process that experts use to study military terrain and classify the cultural-landscape features of battlefields and battle-related historic sites.

Now, a visitor to Cedar Mountain can study and understand the battlefield as a modern combatant, Block said.

As indicated by signage there, the Cedar Mountain battlefield is part of the Civil War Trails Inc. system. Each CWT site is networked together with more than 1,400 others across six states, including Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

CWT sites are marketed internationally by state tourism offices, destination marketing organizations and municipal partners.

The popular program, which provides a smartphone app, a website and free maps to travelers, helps drive economic development by promoting heritage travel.
Jellyfish, whales, and sharks have decorated the Hemingford Public Library throughout the month of June. The Summer Reading Program Oceans of Possibilities came to an end last week during their final Wednesday program.

Some of our library board members helped made different decorations or donated material for them, said Hemingford Library Director Colleen Garner. Each week we had something different about the ocean.

Some examples included:

The first week we talked about water; why the ocean is different from our drinking water or our lakes. And just how much water we have in comparison to the land that we have. We did a craft with water all around an island that they made, said Garner.

During week two we talked about how the ocean moves. The kids made little tide pools with sand, rocks and seashells. We also talked about the different layers of the ocean and how light penetrates through the layers. What ocean life lives in these different layers.

Children could come any time throughout the day between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m. This was something different than previous years when there was a set time for the program.

This year we had different stations such as check-in, explore, craft, snacks, coloring, said Garner. We did this so if the tables are full they could go to a different station while they waited. This keeps it moving so they dont have to sit.

Different games were played each week such as bean bag toss and fishing for different colored fish.

It really has been so much fun for all different ages, she said.

Young babies through 80 plus years old have enjoyed the summer reading program this year through participating and volunteering.

I have enjoyed working with the different age groups, said Garner. Everybody has gotten along and worked really well together.

The summer reading program may be over but the library is has a lot to offer and is a great place to escape the summer heat.

Well keep offering different activities every Wednesday throughout the summer, said Garner.

Some ideas include: movie matinee with popcorn, Lego mania, board games, Bingo and so much more.

Other Hemingford Library News:

Our door is in! she said.

A new handicap accessible door has been installed at the Library.

The Library has received a couple of grants this year: Nebraska Historical Society, APRA Grant, and Nebraska Library Commission.

We were able to purchase new computer chairs, easy chairs to sit and visit, and new shelves, she said.

New books and activities are being added to the library every month.
The Oregon Trail Days Carnival, provided again this year by Frazier Shows, was nearly set to entertain carnival goers with skill games, tasty food and thrilling rides early on July 7.

The most popular ride is always the Freak Out. Gering people really love that ride, George Tobias with Frazier Shows said. Then the Rock Star is pretty popular after that and then, maybe, Zero Gravity.

Tobias said the Freak Out is a swinging claw ride that oscillates while hanging and swinging, sure to elicit many screams. The carnival will have activities for all ages including a bouncy house and rides for kids, 2 and up.

New this year is the Build The Bear booth owned by 10-year-old Dylan Tobias, where kids can choose from a variety of animals to have filled with stuffing. Dylan said he is using proceeds from the booth to save up for flying lessons. He aims to get his pilots license and wants to be an astronaut and travel to Mars.

In addition to games and rides, Frazier Shows has the traditional fresh lemonade drinks, funnel cakes and much more. Tobias son, Georgie, said the best food booth to check out is the pizza booth.

Tickets purchased at the carnival are $1 for one and bulk ticket deals are available. Each game and ride takes three to six tickets. Wristbands are $25 bought online in advance or $30 if bought onsite.

The carnival, located at Five Rocks Amphitheater, opened Thursday. Its hours will be Friday, 5-11 p.m., (wristbands 5-8 p.m.); Saturday 3-11 p.m. (wristbands 3-6 p.m.); Sunday 3-8 p.m. (wristbands 3-6 p.m.).

This years Oregon Trail Days celebration marks the 101st year of the community festival.

Fridays festivities begin at 7 a.m. with the Don Childs Run. Registration starts at 6 a.m. in front of Main Street Appliance along 10th Street in Gering. There is a $10 fee to participate.

The Vera Dulaney Memorial Art Show will be Friday and Saturday at the Gering Civic Center. There will be hundreds of pieces on display that previously went through a juried show to qualify for exhibition. Fridays show will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The art show will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Kids will take to the streets around Legion Park Friday for the Kiddie Parade at 10 a.m. Registration is from 9:15-9:30 a.m.

After the Kiddie Parade, there will be street games, inflatables and snacks at Legion Park.

The Old Settlers Luncheon will begin at noon.

Later, the community can enjoy cultural cuisine during the International Food Fair from 5-9 p.m. on 10th Street. After grabbing a bite to eat, the public can walk up the road and view the classic cars and hot rods on display during the rod and custom car show from 5-9 p.m.

The day will close with a 7:30 p.m. performance by the Gering City Band at Legion Park. There will also be square dancing on 10th and O streets at 8 p.m.

For a comprehensive list of OT Days activities, visit oregontraildays.com.
A pair of Rural Fellows working at the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering completed a survey detailing the importance of marketing to tourism efforts in the area.

Rural Fellows Ashtyn Humphreys and Murengezi Atali Ben Benimana conducted the survey with 369 respondents over three weeks. The visitors answers will help the Scotts Bluff Area Visitors Bureau shape its print marketing and digital advertising decisions for the future.

The information that we gathered is going to be very important for future marketing decisions. We had to confirm who our target market is and we definitely did that  it was very important that we find out how people are receiving our information, Scotts Bluff County Tourism Director Brenda Leisy told the Star-Herald.

The Rural Fellows program is an experiential learning class for university students. It provides them real-life opportunities to practice various skills relating to their fields of study.

The survey asked people what brought them to the area, how they heard about the museum, if they rely on printed materials and other demographics.

The results revealed that the overwhelming majority of visitors use printed pamphlets and other materials to learn more about the museum. Leisy said she suspected people would be exclusively finding out about the museum online, but it turns out many do preliminary research online and then pick up printed materials when they arrive.

Leisy said it was surprising to learn how many people wanted printed information sheets about the museum.

I know they were (using print materials) 10 years ago  but I figured by now maybe these baby boomers might be aging out from using printed materials, but it hasnt changed a bit.

Of the 369 visitors sampled, 290 were passing through the area on a road trip. More than one-third of the visitors were age 60 or older, and more than two-fifths were visiting with immediate or extended family members.

Several said they heard about the museum through a national park program. Almost all of them said they would likely or possibly visit the museum again.

The guests came from 42 U.S. states and 16 foreign countries. Around 250 were visiting from places other than Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming.

Those are amazing statistics, but what makes it even better is Ben (Benimana) was able to communicate with them, Leisy said.

Benimana is from Rwanda and speaks fluent French, which Leisy said helped him to connect with many of the foreign visitors.

Having completed the survey portion of their rural fellowship, Benimana and Humphreys will now work on marketing for the museum. Leisy said they would also help out at the Scotts Bluff County Fair in August.

Those interested in additional information about the Visitors Bureau can contact Leisy at 308-633-1808.
A Mooresville man is facing eight charges connected to the theft of catalytic converters from area businesses.

Ryan Wade Yoder, 46, of Mayhew Park Lane, was charged with six counts of felony larceny of catalytic converter and one count each of felony breaking and entering a motor vehicle and felony attempted larceny. A magistrate set bond at $25,000.

Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell, in a news release, said road patrol deputies took a report on July 1 regarding the theft of four catalytic converters and a license plate from vehicles belonging to Temperature HVAC at 754 Oakridge Farm Highway.

A short time later, Campbell said, a call for suspicious activity came in from Transmissions Auto Repair, 724 Oakridge Farm Highway. When deputies arrived, they spoke with employees who showed them security camera footage. Campbell said the footage showed three people looking through vehicles and moving the surveillance camera upward so they could no longer show the area.

Criminal Investigators Charles Davidson and Kevin Sherard responded to assist with the investigation.

During the investigation, it was determined that two catalytic converters had been stolen from vehicles at Transmissions Auto Repair. Another vehicle had been broken into and the suspects tried to take the vehicle, Campbell said.

Davidson and Sherard canvassed the area and spoke with different business owners and employees. The investigators were able to obtain security camera footage from multiple businesses. One suspect tampered with multiple cameras which provided the investigators with several photographs of this suspects face, Campbell said.

Davidson and Sherard were able to identify the suspect as Yoder, Campbell said.

A search warrant was executed at a residence on Mayhew Park Lane in Mooresville on Wednesday by criminal investigators and road patrol deputies.

Yoder was located at the residence and taken into custody.

The investigation is continuing.

Yoder's history includes felony possession of Schedule II, felony obtain property by false pretense, felony conspire to commit larceny, felony larceny and attempted trafficking of heroin and misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana, possession of a weapon on educational property, first-degree trespassing, resisting a public officer, second-degree trespassing, shoplifting by concealment of goods and multiple driving-related counts. He is currently on post-release supervision from the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections for two counts of felony attempted trafficking of Schedule I and felony larceny.
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp is returning to the cinema after a high-profile scandal with his ex-wife Amber Heard. Netflix will produce a new film with the actor. The picture will be called 'La Favorite'. In it, the actor will play the French King Louis XV, Bloomberg reported.

The film will be directed by Maiwenn.

The premiere of the movie is scheduled for 2023. The film will first be shown in cinemas in France, and after 15 months it will be available on Netflix. Whether it will be available in all countries where the streaming service is presented is unknown.

'La Favorite' is the first film in Depp's filmography he will star in French. Filming will take place in the summer of 2022. They will last three months and will unfold, including in the Palace of Versailles.

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This story has been updated to reflect from which charge the defendant's sentence stems.

A 23-year-old Meadowview woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to an involuntary manslaughter charge and a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in the death of Marion native Gracie Dimit.

Lauren Nicole Salyer entered an Alford plea to both charges and was sentenced to serve four months in jail on the reckless driving charge. An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain their innocence while acknowledging prosecutors likely have enough evidence for a conviction.

Salyer was driving the SUV that crashed into a tree on Itta Bena Road near the campus of Emory & Henry College in July 2020. Dimit, 20 years old, died at the scene.

Following the crash, Salyer told investigators that she had been driving 45 mph on the graveled road, which had an unposted speed limit of 35 mph. In previous court proceedings, Washington County assistant commonwealths attorneys Maryann Woolf and Loretta Doyle argued Salyer was high the night of the crash and had been deliberately driving recklessly in an effort to cause the vehicle to slide when it entered a curve.

Around campus, Itta Bena is known as the Emory 500. A campus police officer and students testified that the Emory 500 was associated with Greek Life on campus and that students would often cruise the road while blaring music, sometimes while drinking.

Salyer, who was indicted last October, took the plea agreement a day before she was set for trial.

In victim impact statements made by Gracie Dimits family during the hearing and provided to the News & Messenger, each family member expressed intense continuing grief.

I start most mornings standing in the shower crying and thinking about my daughter and the life she would have had, Gracies father, Steve Dimit, said. I think about how she would have been an amazing teacher and all the students lives she would have impacted. I think about how wonderful of a wife and amazing mother she would have been someday. I think about all her dreams that will never be fulfilled. I think about how this world was a better place just because she was in it.

Steve Dimit said his three sons lost their only sister, their biggest supporter and their strongest defender when Gracie died. And, he said, they no longer have the same parents they had before Gracies death.

We are broken and I dont know if we can ever be fixed, he said.

He said he sees the pain in his wifes eyes and knows the pain she has in her heart.

Gracies mother, Brandy Dimit, said every morning when she wakes up, her first thought is of her daughter, and I lose her all over again. The pain of losing her doesnt go away and it most certainly hasnt got easier, she is on my mind every single second that I am awake.

Brandy Dimit said shed often dreamed of the day she would take her daughter shopping for a wedding dress, but never once did I dream that I would instead buy a dress for her funeral or be the one to fix her hair and make-up, it was the last act of love I could do for her and I wanted them to be perfect. I am so angry and heartbroken from everything that Gracie and our family lost. Its simply not fair. There has never been a more beautiful, kind, faithful, responsible and as close to perfect girl.

For almost a year after their sisters death, Brandy Dimit said her two youngest sons slept on Gracies mattress in their parents bedroom floor and often wear their sisters sweatshirts to feel close to her.

They were terrified, couldnt sleep and when they were able to sleep, they had nightmares and still do, she said.

Brandy Dimit said her family began grief therapy two weeks after Gracies death and have been diagnosed with a multitude of disorders as a result of their loss.

Gracies older brother, Brian Dimit, said hes lived in fear since the night his sister died.

I am scared every day I wake up, he said. Scared of losing someone else. Scared of feeling the same way I felt that night again. Im tired of living in fear, but I dont think it will ever change, because that night I lost so much more than my sister. I lost the life I once had.

every time I text or call him past a certain time, he thinks something has happened to someone else, Brandy Dimit said of her oldest son.

Brian Dimit said he watched his younger brothers lose their innocence.

Garret, who is one of the funniest kids I know, doesnt tell as many jokes anymore, he said. Grady, who has always been so brave, has nightmares every night.

Nothing is the same in our house anymore, said Garrett Dimit. Holidays used to be fun, now theyre just dreadful. Vacations arent the same anymore, nothing is. We are missing a piece to our family, Gracie, and we cant function without her.

Grady Dimit said his sister made life fun, exciting, and magical.

What was taken from our family cant be fixed, repaired or brought to normal, he said.

I miss Gracie so much it hurts, and it hurts to see how losing her has hurt my parents and my brothers, he later added.

Brandy Dimit said she goes into her daughters bedroom every day, picking up her daughters T-shirts to smell the familiar scent. Every day I am terrified that her shirt isnt going to smell like her.

Steve Dimit said all people experience grief at some point in their lives, but nothing compares to the grief felt from the loss of a child.

This grief is only compounded when someone else is responsible for your loss, he said. The pain, anger, sadness, and devastation I feel daily cannot be adequately put into words. Those who say time heals all wounds has never lost a child.

Washington County Commonwealths Attorney Josh Cumbow said while the case had concluded, he understood that nothing would be able to fill the void of the Dimits loss.

Its just a senseless tragedy, and my heart goes out to them, he said.

In addition to the four months of jail time, Salyer will serve five years on probation, 300 hours of community service with first responders and write a formal letter of apology to the Dimit family. In addition, she received a one-year suspension of her drivers license and will be required to attend a driver improvement class.

If Salyer completes her probation term satisfactorily, the involuntary manslaughter charge will be expunged from her record. A disposition date has been set for July 2027.

In a statement issued Friday, Steve and Brandy Dimit said, Obviously, it was not the outcome we were hoping for.

The day Gracie died, they said, our family was sentenced to a lifetime of heartbreak, pain, and grief; no amount of jail time, probation or community service could ever compensate for Gracies lifeit can never be made right. Actual justice doesnt really exist for a crime like this. How can it? A bright, beautiful, and promising 20-year-old life was lost as a result of reckless behavior.

Though the conclusion of the case was not the one they hoped for, the family said they did hope Salyer would use the opportunity to do good.

Our hope is that Ms. Salyer will use her sentence as an opportunity to rehabilitate herself and forge a path to make a positive impact on the world like we know Gracie would.

Right now, they said, theyre focusing on their family and pouring their hearts into the Gracie LeAnn Dimit Memorial Foundation, the non-profit they launched to remember Gracie and honor her legacy.

We will get up every day and continue to do good in her name, so no one ever forgets our beautiful girl she deserves that and so much more.

The Dimits have filed a separate civil lawsuit against Emory & Henry College regarding Greek Life activity on campus.
Four Northwest writers will read from their works from 6 to 8 p.m. July 12 at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 1428 22nd Ave., Longview. The free WordFest event is open to the public.

Long Beach peninsula resident Patty Hardin will read from her anthology of stories of Vietnam veterans, Welcome Home: Veterans Share Their Memories of Nam. The book came about after Hardins husband suggested she contact the editor of the Vietnam Veterans of America magazine, who printed her request to interview veterans and collect their personal memories. The collection first was published in 2012.

Randy Faro, a former United States Marine officer, Vietnam War veteran and retired Lutheran pastor who lives in Olympia with his wife, will read from his first novel, Bazo. The book follows the life of Jedediah Bazo that stretches from the heart of Africa to the killing fields of Southeast Asia to the seedy streets of south Seattle, according to a press release submitted to The Daily News.

Bazo, who was raised in the Ndebele culture and embraces the values of his missionary parents, uses his martial arts and Marine skills to combat evil. Through it all, he ponders what should determine a man of faiths actions, especially when other people play by different rules.

Faro incorporated his experiences into his book including living in a couple dozen countries, serving as a combat engineer officer and working as an advocate for Namibian independence as well as for peace with justice in North America, notes the release.

Tom Larsen, author of six crime novels, will read from Insomnia Blues, the fourth book in his series featuring Portland private investigator Jason Freeh. As he approaches his 65th birthday and still working cases, Freeh accepts what seems to be a simple job of delivering a subpoena to a homeless street kid. The job turns into a complex case involving embezzlement, identity theft, campaign donor fraud and ultimately, murder.

Larsen also writes short fiction which has been published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine and Black Cat Mystery Magazine. His short story, The Body in the Barrel, received the 2020 Black Orchid Novella Award and will appear in the upcoming Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2022, from Mysterious Press.

Portland native and Longview resident Tiffany Dickinson will read from her novel Kaleidoscope. The book is about a young girl named Tabby who is doing her best to be a normal seventh-grader. But in Portland during the 1980s, biracial isnt normal and fitting in becomes a challenge as other children push her to choose a side and declare one racial identity, according to the press release.

The book is geared toward 9- to 12-year-olds and is richly flavored with the Pacific Northwest and its people, notes the release.

Dickinson, who writes twisty, hopeful fiction, as well as nonfiction, has been published in Lower Columbia Colleges Salal Review and the Columbia River Reader.

Because of COVID-19, it is recommended attendees be vaccinated and boosted if possible, and wear masks when not eating or drinking.

For details on WordFest, which meets the second Tuesday of each month in the fellowship hall of St. Stephens Episcopal Church, contact Alan Rose via his website, www.alan-rose.com.
ISS crew members now have a new way to dispose of garbage on the space station.

The rising number of satellite launches and spacecraft are causing a tremendous amount of traffic in space. Not just that, there is so much space junk floating around in Earth orbit that it threatens the lives of those on the International Space Station (ISS). However, here we focus on the garbage generated on the ISS, which too is adding to the trash floating in space. Massive amounts of trash is created by those living in Space. Now, there's some good news for the astronauts, at least! The crew members on the ISS have got a new way to dispose of garbage. The International Space Station has recently ejected roughly 172 pounds (78 kilograms) of garbage within a specialized trash bag on July 2 from the station's commercial Bishop Airlock, Nanoracks informed in a press release. Nanoracks created these airlock systems to dispose of garbage in space.

"We have some incredibly exciting news to share from the weekend: as of 7:05 PM Central on Saturday, July 2, we successfully cycled the Bishop Airlock aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and deployed Nanoracks first-of-its-kind technology to dispose of approximately 172 lbs of waste from the station!" Nanoracks announced in a statement. This was a test of new orbital waste-disposal tech conducted by Nanoracks in collaboration with NASAs Johnson Space Center and according to the report, it went swimmingly well.

Till now, Astronauts aboard the ISS used to collect trash and store it in their orbiting home for months. It is the Cygnus cargo vehicle which used to arrive and collect their bags of trash before it was released from the space station for de-orbit. Later, the entire spacecraft filled with the bags of garbage used to burn up while reentering the Earths atmosphere. But now, with this new waste disposal system, the ISS crew can fill the container with up to 600 lbs of trash, which will then be released and the Airlock is re-mounted empty.

Congrats to @Nanoracks for successfully leveraging the #BishopAirlock to dispose of 172 pounds of waste from the #ISS! This is a momentous occasion for the company as they have developed a new way to sustainably handle disposal in #space. https://t.co/Plth3K7DGa pic.twitter.com/0wObTT3Jek  Voyager Space (@VoyagerSH) July 6, 2022

"..individual pieces of hardware have been jettisoned from ISS, and a few bundles of equipment have been hand jettisoned during spacewalks, this is the first use of an airlock trash bag ejection system on the ISS," a tweet by Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics reads.

This might be the first time for ISS to dispose of garbage in an Airlock disposable system, but it is not new to space flights! Yes, the same trash disposal system was earlier used a number of times. McDowell says in another tweet, Worth recalling that trash bags were regularly jettisoned from the Soviet Salyut space stations in the 1970s and 1980s."
Every year on July 8, a strange atmospheric phenomenon takes place. 99% of the Earth population experiences sunlight at the same time. Know why it happens.

A strange phenomenon takes place every year today, on July 8, but nobody has taken notice of it before! It appears that just for a couple of minutes, on this date every year, 99% of the Earth population is placed inside a sunlit. Yes, 99% of the population can experience sunlight today. This event will not repeat itself again on any other day, including the summer solstice on June 21. This means that today is the only day where about 7.7 billion people in the world will experience sunlight simultaneously. But the question is, why does it happen and why only on July 8. Read on to find out.

It was first reported by a Reddit post where user GiddySwine claimed that every year on July 8th at about 11:15 UTC, approximately 99.164% of the worlds population is between dawn and dusk. While the claim may seem outrageous at first since our common understanding tells us that at a time, only one half of the Earth faces the Sun, so the number should always be at around 50% no matter what the day it is. But it turns out that is actually not true.

99% of Earth population to experience sunlight simultaneously

EarthSky verified these widely circulating claims by running an analysis of the data, and has found that the statements are true, but only on grounds of technicality. It stated, Combining Timeanddates sun data with 2022 population data from the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University, we found that its nighttime for just under 80 million people on July 8 at 11:15 UTC.

The reason this happens is because of the twilight zones. Twilight zones are where the Sun has gone below the horizon but the sky still has a faint glow due to reflection of the Sun's rays from the atmosphere. Calculating all the twilight zones where indirect sunlight also reaches makes this phenomenon possible. As for why this happens on July 8 instead of June 21 is because after the summer solstice, the Sun travels southwards which means the Suns rays reach up to Indonesia and the Philippines while the northern regions still get some light before it retreats. The time when this phenomenon will take place today is 11:15 UTC or 4:45 PM IST. So, if you want to be part of the 99% of the world and experience the same sunlight, make sure to step out for a minute.
Sales of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch have surged in the wake of a wildly successful collaboration with plastic timepiece pioneer Swatch thats introduced the iconic chronograph to a wider public.

Sales of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch have surged in the wake of a wildly successful collaboration with plastic timepiece pioneer Swatch thats introduced the iconic chronograph to a wider public.

The Speedmaster Moonwatch model, which retails for about $7,000 and is lionized for being the first watch worn on the moon, increased sales in Omega stores by more than 50% since the launch of the $250 MoonSwatch in March, Swatch Group AG CEO Nick Hayek said in an interview at the companys headquarters in Biel, Switzerland.

Hayek said sales of all Speedmaster models have risen by double digits, since the MoonSwatch debuted. The original Moonwatch is a hand-wound model featuring a black dial and hesalite glass, though the brand also sells variants with automatic calibers and ceramic or gold cases, topped off with more expensive sapphire glass.

The MoonSwatch, a quartz-driven timepiece in a ceramic and bio-plastic composite-case, borrows key design elements from the Speedmaster and caused a global retail sensation when it was unveiled in March. Thousands of eager customers thronged stores in the hope of getting hold of the model, which comes in a variety of colors based on celestial bodies of our solar system. The watch quickly sold out, and demand continues to outstrip supply at the 110 Swatch boutiques where the timepiece is currently sold.

Omega is the largest and most important unit within the Swatch stable of brands, which also include high-end manufacturers Breguet and Blancpain, as well as the more affordable Longines range. While the Moonwatch, first worn by Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts on their Apollo mission to the moon in 1969, has long been a mainstay of Omegas offering, the brand remained behind Rolex and dropped below Cartier in the ranking of the biggest watch makers by revenue last year, according to Morgan Stanley estimates.

Mobile Vendors

Hayek has said the MoonSwatch wont be sold online, but the model will soon appear at more points, including mobile locations in Europe. Swatch will add an additional 25 stores selling the MoonSwatch in July and August, including new locations in Switzerland, Thailand, Malaysia and the U.S.

It will also roll out 11 flexible retail locations during the summer to sell the 11 different MoonSwatch models.

We will have 11 moving stores, like our planets, moving around Europe, Hayek said without giving specifics on what the mobile stores will be or where they will go. We will go to the consumer and where he will be. But not at home and only for a short time.

The frenzy for the MoonSwatch has revived interest in the Swatch brand, according to Hayek, particularly with younger consumers who didnt see the marque as the cool provocateur that previous generations may have.

Its also helped bring new customers to Omegas luxury-priced models, which include the Seamaster and Constellation family of watches.

What they did with the Swatch version of the Moonwatch was genius, Brian Duffy, the chief executive of retailer Watches of Switzerland, said in an interview. It has undoubtedly positively impacted sales demand.

Swatch has been pushing to increase production of the MoonSwatch at facilities in Switzerland. The process is largely automated and some plants are running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Hayek said. He wouldnt provide specific production numbers for the MoonSwatch, or how many have been sold.

Oliver Mueller, a Swiss-based consultant at Luexconsult in Aubonne, Switzerland, who tracks the watch industry, estimates that about 150,000 MoonSwatch models have been sold since the launch.
Boeing said its 737 Max 10, shown here in a June 2021 test flight, could be canceled if it is not approved by US regulators in time to avoid new crew alerting standards that take effect at the end of 2022.

Boeing's CEO said the company could cancel the 737 MAX 10 if regulators don't certify the jet before new crew alerting system standards take effect in December, according to a report Thursday.

The airplane manufacturer confirmed comments by Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun, who told Aviation Week that shelving the MAX 10 "is not that threatening" in light of some of the other challenges the company has faced in recent years.

"The (737-10) is a little bit of an all-or-nothing," he told the publication.

Calhoun has previously spoken hopefully of solving the problem, which could be resolved by Congress if the plane is not certified in time.

But the Federal Aviation Administration has been taking longer to approve Boeing planes after criticism of the agency in the wake of two fatal crashes of earlier versions of the 737 MAX that left the plane grounded globally for more than a year.

A December 2020 law enacted by the US Congress required the FAA to only certify planes equipped with a flight crew alerting system designed to help pilots prioritize warnings and advisories activated during flight.

The alerting system in the 737 MAX 10 shares the traits in the earlier MAX planes and does not meet the new standards. Boeing has argued the benefit of the MAX 10's "commonality" with earlier versions of the jets, which enables pilots experienced in earlier version of the MAX to easily transition to the MAX 10.

The system requirement under the 2020 lawwhich was passed amid criticism of both Boeing and the FAA after the MAX crashestakes effect on December 27, 2022, effectively establishing a two-year exemption for jets already in the certification process.

The requirement can be extended only by new US legislation, setting the stage for what Aviation Week described as a "looming standoff" between Boeing and Congress.

"As we have said, we are working transparently with the FAA to provide the information they need, and are committed to meeting their expectations and those of our customers to certify and deliver the 737-10," a Boeing spokesperson said. "Safety remains the driving factor in this effort."

The FAA declined to give a timetable for the MAX 10.

"Safety dictates the timeline of certification projects," an FAA spokesperson said. "We cannot discuss ongoing certification projects."

Michel Merluzeau, an aviation expert at AIR Inc., said cancelation of the MAX 10 could result in a year of lost production on the jet. Even more important, such a move would position rival Airbus to make further gains in the narrow-body airplane market, he said.

Explore further Boeing's next airplane likely to be delayed by FAA concerns

 2022 AFP
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

For decades, scientists have been searching for a catalyst that dramatically reduces the cost of fabricating hydrogen fuel cells.

Such an advancement could lead to a green power revolution, with everything from laptops to locomotives running on a fuel whose only byproduct is water.

New research led by the University at Buffalo suggests that scientists are moving closer to that goal.

In a study published Thursday (July 7) in Nature Energy, scientists describe how iron can be combined with nitrogen and carbon to produce a catalyst that is efficient, durable and inexpensivethe three main objectives the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has identified for fuel cell research.

"This has been years in the making," says the study's lead author Gang Wu, Ph.D., professor of chemical and biological engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "We believe this is a significant breakthrough that will eventually help unleash the tremendous potential of hydrogen fuel cells."

The promise of fuel cells

Fuel cells work like batteries, but they do not run out of power or need recharging, according to DOE. They produce electricity and heat as long as fuelsuch as hydrogenis supplied.

They have long tantalized scientists, environmentalists and others because they have lower or zero emissions compared to combustion engines. And they can be used in a wide range of applications, providing power for vehicles, power plants, buildings and other systems.

But fuel cells are not widely commercialized because, among other things, they require expensive catalysts, which speed up important fuel cell reactions.

The best catalysts have been a family of six precious metalsknown as platinum-group metals. While efficient and durable, these metals are incredibly expensive because they are extremely rare. As a result, scientists are seeking less costly alternatives.

Overcoming barriers

One such alternative has been iron-based catalysts. Iron is appealing because it is abundant and inexpensive. But it does not perform as well as platinum, especially because it lacks the durability to withstand the highly corrosive and oxidative environments inside fuel cells.

To overcome this barrier, the research team bonded four nitrogen atoms to the iron. Researchers then embedded the material in a few layers of graphene "with accurate atomic control of local geometric and chemical structures," Wu says.

The resulting structure is a vastly improved catalyst. For example, the research team reported the catalyst:

Is believed to be the most efficient iron-based catalyst produced to date, exceeding the DOE's 2025 target for electric current density.

Achieved a durability rating that approaches platinum group catalysts.

All this, Wu says, points to the iron-based catalyst's potential to make fuel cells, particularly hydrogen fuel cells, much more affordable for commercial use. Researchers are planning follow-up studies to further improve the catalyst.

Explore further Building the world's most durable hydrogen fuel cell

More information: Shengwen Liu et al, Atomically dispersed iron sites with a nitrogencarbon coating as highly active and durable oxygen reduction catalysts for fuel cells, Nature Energy (2022). Journal information: Nature Energy Shengwen Liu et al, Atomically dispersed iron sites with a nitrogencarbon coating as highly active and durable oxygen reduction catalysts for fuel cells,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-022-01062-1
The BREATH project tested and evaluated three different ventilation systems in a vacant CBD building over three months. Credit: Andrew Bott

Simple changes to ventilation systems can significantly decrease the transmission of COVID-19 and reduce energy consumption in office buildings, a pilot research project led by the City of Melbourne in partnership with the University of Melbourne and Cbus Property has found.

The BREATH project tested and evaluated three different ventilation systems in a vacant CBD building over three months: Displacement ventilation air conditioning, in-ceiling air filters and natural airflow through open windows.

The project found:

All three ventilation systems reduced the potential transmission of airborne viruses when compared to mixed ventilation, improving safety for office workers.

Displacement ventilation air conditioningwhich supplies air from floor levelwas the most effective and energy efficient system tested, reducing COVID-19 transmission by 83 percent, while also reducing energy consumption by 20 percent.

Displacement ventilation is the most expensive to install, but there are no additional ongoing maintenance costs.

In-ceiling air filters reduced virus transmission by 49 percent but resulted in a minor increase in energy consumption.

Opening windows reduced virus transmission by 53 percent, but increased energy use by up to 20 percent with seasonal temperature variations.

Opening windows is not available to all office buildings and is not a viable solution due to Melbourne's climate.

NABERS is a simple, reliable sustainability rating for the built environment, which measures buildings efficiency across energy, water, waste and the indoor environment. NABERS provides a rating from one (making a start) to six (market leading) stars. Credit: University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne Head of Mechanical Engineering Professor Jason Monty said the collaboration between local government, industry and academics is a world-first.

"BREATH has given us the knowledge to predict the best type of retrofit to simultaneously reduce carbon footprint and infectious disease transmission. Since the majority of city energy cost goes to ventilation of our buildings, the outcomes from BREATH will improve our ability to reach net zero carbon faster," Professor Monty said.

University of Melbourne Vice-President (Strategy and Culture) Dr. Julie Wells said the project shows how the University tackles problems of local and global significance with its partners.

"This collaborative pilot demonstrates the positive impact that the University of Melbourne's research can have on human health and energy consumption," Dr. Wells said.

"The findings provide a great basis for building owners to proceed with an informed approach to ventilation options. We look forward to more great results arising from partnership projects developed with the City of Melbourne and industry partners."

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said: "Bringing people back to the city safely remains a key priority for the City of Melbourne, and that's why we have undertaken this pilot study."

"This industry-leading research has identified simple but effective changes that can be implemented in office buildings to help workers feel safe, comfortable and protected."

"The research findings are publicly available online and free for any organization to access. We encourage building owners, tenants and partners to take them on board, and to help us create more healthy and sustainable workspaces in the CBD."

University of Melbourne research engineer and technical lead on the project Dr. Grant Skidmore thanked the City of Melbourne and industry partner Cbus Property.

"We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to conduct this research. We give our thanks to both the City of Melbourne and Cbus, for arranging and accommodating the work. We would also like to thank Aurecon for their peer review throughout the experimental design and report writing process," Dr. Skidmore said.

City of Melbourne Sustainable Building portfolio lead Councilor Elizabeth Doidge said: "We're proud to be leading the way with this research, which will not only help to protect Melburnians from the transmission of airborne viruses but can also benefit businesses by helping to reduce their environmental footprint and operating costs."

"We're committed to working closely with our partners and will continue to support the creation of buildings that are more sustainable for our environment and for the future of our city, its businesses and its people."

Explore further Outdated air con helps spread COVID
Comedians Joe Wilkinson and Katherine Ryan will head away on holiday together for a new Channel 4 series.

The pair are joining forces to show the Great British public how to have a fantastic holiday for a next to nothing price.

Titled Joe and Katherines Bargain Holidays, a teaser for the show shares: The duo embarks on a relentless pursuit of bargainous getaways, both in the UK and further afield, showcasing a different type of holiday in each episode.

Whether its the ultimate couples retreat on a shoestring budget, a girls weekend that wont break the bank, or a family seaside stay that wont drain your pockets, Joe and Katherine have tons of ideas for cut-price holidays.

Together, theyll visit the best undiscovered resorts, road-testing and reviewing the most value-for-money restaurants and activities in each destination, finding the best tips, tricks and hacks as they compile the ultimate bargain-packed itinerary.

With their funny-but-factual holiday-saving advice, Joe and Katherine show us how to shrewdly shop for the best rental deals, how to maximise the free breakfast buffet or how to haggle like a hardcore pro. If theres a bargain to be had, you can be sure this comedy pair will find it.

Funny, inspiring and occasionally chaotic, Joe and Katherines Bargain Holidays is an unmissable guide to our next holiday destinations, how to get the best price and where to find the must-have bargains.

Joe Wilkinson said: If pushed on it, Id have to say my three favourite words are: bargain, holiday and voucher (and large vacuumed packed portable food bags). This series gets under the skin of all three.

Were going to uncover the biggest bargain holidays in the world and were going to have some fun doing it! (And some tears, I well-up at the drop of a hat).

Katherine Ryan added: Three of my favourite words are: cocktails, Maldives and helicopter. This series is really going to test my friendship with Joe.

Deborah Dunnett, commissioning editor for Channel 4, commented: Who doesnt love to save money? Or to go on holiday? I cant wait to see Joe and Katherine deep-dive into the travel bargain basement.

Broadcast details for the six-part series are to be announced.
An Austin man was arrested Wednesday morning after attempting to break into Davila Middle School and causing damage to the property in the process.

Jared Beard, 34, was charged with criminal mischief between $750 to $30,000, which is a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Beard also was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and possession of dangerous drugs.

According to police, upon arrival officers found Beard standing in the doorway of a car outside the middle school with a shovel and pickaxe leaned against the car. Officers said the car was later confirmed to have been stolen from Austin.

Police said inside the vehicle they found amphetamines as well as a lock and chain that employees of the school later identified as being taken from the front gate.

Officers said that according to Bryan school officials, Beard had pried open the main power distribution board to the building and soaked it with water which caused a chiller in the building to malfunction. According to police, Beard also damaged a flood light to the schools sign.

Police said the total damages to the building were not yet known but that the known damages totaled $5,000.

According to the Brazos County jail records, as of Thursday afternoon, Beard was being held on $25,000 bond.
On what should have been a morning of joy, I could not escape the darkness.

Churches have been vandalized. Pro-life clinics have been fire-bombed. Supreme Court justices have been targeted. A president has called millions of Americans enemies to women and our health.

The air is heavy with unspoken threats, and the summer promises heat and violence. The victory is real but as fragile as a Faberge egg.

Fifty years of conflict will do that. There was no expectation that the cancellation of Roe would be a moment of universal happiness. There was no possibility that the cheers from pro-lifers would rise to the heavens, clarion clear and singular like the voices of the Whos at the end of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

To think that this day would bring unanimity is to think that the soldiers at Gettysburg could have found a truce. Its impossible, unreachable, beyond the wildest imaginings of the most hopeful optimist.

And pro-lifers know that. This day, one that was anticipated, legally strategized and prayed for over a period of five decades, was also going to be a day of reckoning. And that day will stretch far into the coming years.

Any suggestion that the fight is over is a sign of amnesia. The blood spilled on social battlefields is replenished every time there is a victory for one side, over the other.

It reminds me of this country after the Civil War. We had an attempt at piecing the torn factions back together, sewing up the scars on our body politic. Restoration was that attempt at union, at a filling in of the divide.

But that failed miserably and gave way to the laws of Jim Crow and retribution. I wish I could say that we were a different group of people now, but recent history has shown that not to be the case.

Whether it be the violence of the George Floyd riots, or the insurrection on January 6th, each in their own way indicated that Americans no longer were willing to coexist with those who disagreed.

There is no longer an ability to sit at the table, as William F. Buckley did with his liberal opponents, and hash out the issues of the day with wise words and witty aphorisms. There is no longer even an attempt to view the other side as human.

And so we are now at a point that many of us have longed for since we were very young, and others went to their graves despairing. We are at a crossroads that I personally never believed wed reach, even in my most fevered dreams.

There is a strange paralysis at this moment, the kind of thing that happens when you reach the summit of a mountain that loomed large against a far horizon. When the horizon is inches from your eyes, you feel uneasy.

Robert Browning captured that feeling in his poetry: A mans reach must exceed his grasp, else whats a heaven for.

It might seem to many of us who have fought to overturn Roe that weve touched heaven, but in that single moment of success comes the defeat. Now, we have to confront the others who will push us off the mountain, block out that horizon and snatch away that heaven.

They already are beginning to mobilize. As I said before, churches have been vandalized, with the vilest graffiti sprayed across sacred stones. Pro-Life pregnancy centers have been attacked when all they do is counsel women to keep their babies and promise them assistance along the difficult way.

Public officials who allegedly serve us all have turned to demonize those Americans who exult at the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson. Schumer, Biden and Pelosi form a potent triad of animus, a three-headed Cerberus of hatred for those who oppose abortion rights.

And of course, the justices needed to hide, which is something no American should ever accept.

The people who attack churches, Supreme Court justices and women who stand in front of Planned Parenthood clinics are remnants of an American history that used reactionary tactics whenever milestones of justice were achieved.

They are the people who blocked the schools when Black children were trying to get an education. They were the people who prevented women from voting. They are the people who honestly and truly believe that the color of your skin, your birthplace, or your mental abilities can define just how valuable you are to society.

And they will be active, but they will not win. The arc of justice is wide and became wider on June 24, 2022.
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This months drive-thru mobile food pantry in Grand Island is set for Saturday, July 9, at College Park, 3180 Highway 34.

Food distribution will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church, with help from First Presbyterian Church and the Grand Island Senior High ROTC, will host the monthly Loaves & Fishes food bank. When arriving, enter on Tech Drive. The best time to arrive is between 9 and 11 a.m.; please do not arrive before 7:30 a.m.

Drivers should remain in their vehicles. No appointment and no identification are required. There also are no income requirements, but basic information on the households receiving the food will be collected. Volunteers will put one box of food in each vehicles trunk or backseat.

The food is provided by Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha.

For more information, contact Trinity UMC at 308-382-1952.
The danger of opioids was made apparent in Grand Island the last weekend of March, when police responded to three opioid pill overdose incidents.

One of the overdose victims, a 40-year-old man, passed away.

A speaker at a gathering Thursday pointed to one indication that opioid overdoses began increasing in Grand Island in 2021.

So far this year, through the end of May, Grand Island EMTs and paramedics have administered Narcan nasal spray, which can reverse opioid overdoses, to 27 people. In all of 2021, the EMTs and paramedics provided Narcan to 35 people. In the years before that, the number of Narcan recipients averaged 15 to 20 annually, said Russ Blackburn, emergency medical services division chief for the Grand Island Fire Department.

Blackburn spoke to about 20 people in a noontime gathering at the Central Nebraska Council on Alcoholism and Addictions.

Two of the common signs of opioid overdose are respiratory depression and contracted pupils, he said.

The generic term for Narcan is naloxone. The medicine can restore normal breathing to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped due to opioids, including fentanyl, if given in time.

The Grand Island overdoses in late March involved black market pills that were being sold as Percocet. Those pills contained fentanyl, said Grand Island Police Capt. Jim Duering.

Following the overdoses March 26 and 27, police arrested Mohamed Ahmed, a 19-year-old Grand Island man.

On the weekend of May 22, a 17-year-old girl died of a drug overdose in Grand Island. Her death was attributed to consuming fentanyl-laced Xanax. Police arent sure if those pills were connected to the fake Percocets.

According to the National Institutes of Healths National Institute on Drug Abuse, 21% to 29% of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them. Blackburn noted that stat, while also reporting fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine. Carfentanil, originally developed as an elephant tranquilizer, is 10,000 times more potent than morphine.

An amount of carfentanil smaller than a grain of salt  measuring .02 milligrams  is deadly, Blackburn said.

After they receive Narcan, people can react violently, Blackburn said. In addition, people who arent getting enough enough oxygen to their brains dont really make good decisions, he said.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Behavioral Health says you should obtain naloxone if you or someone you know is at increased risk for opioid overdose, especially those struggling with opioid use disorder. If you fit that description, you should carry naloxone and keep it at home.

Naloxone wont harm people if theyre overdosing on drugs other than opioids. So its always best to use it if you think someone is overdosing, says a news release.

According to the NDHHS Division of Behavioral Health, Opioids are medications that act on receptors in the spinal cord and brain to reduce pain intensity and activate reward regions in the brain, causing the euphoria that can lead to misuse and opioid use disorder.

Blackburn said the use of opioids can make people so happy they forget to breathe.

Common opioids include prescription medications used to treat pain, such as morphine, codeine, methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl and hydromorphone, and illicit drugs such as heroin.

People who are taking high-dose opioid medications (greater or equal to 50 morphine milligram equivalents per day) prescribed by a doctor, people who use opioids and benzodiazepines together and people who use illicit opioids like heroin should all carry naloxone. You cant use naloxone on yourself, so you should let others know you have it in case you experience an opiood overdose.

If you administer naloxone to a person, its important to also make sure you call 911 to get him or her medical help. People can go back into an overdose after 30 minutes of receiving Narcan.

Nebraska has a Good Samaritan Law, which states that an individual who is gratuitously giving emergency care to a person in need cannot be held civilly liable for acts or omissions while helping that person. It is important that you stay with that person until emergency help arrives.

SIDEBAR

Free Narcan kits available at two Grand Island pharmacies

Free Narcan nasal spray kits are available in Grand Island at U-Save Pharmacy at 423 W. Fourth St. and Super Saver Five Points Pharmacy at 710 W. State St. The kits are also available free of charge at other pharmacies in the area.

Theyre distributed free of charge under a program administered by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Behavioral Health, the Nebraska Pharmacists Association and Region 3 Behavioral Health System. The kits are available at no cost to residents of Nebraska.

In order to obtain a kit, recipients must complete a short form provided by the pharmacist.

The Division of Behavioral Health has received federal grants to focus on the opioid crisis in Nebraska since 2017. The grant money has been used to support opioid addiction prevention, treatment and recovery through different programs.

Although Nebraska has not had as many overdose deaths from opioids as some other states, the state is still working to decrease opioid addiction through half a dozen prevention efforts, says an information sheet.
YORK -- York Kilgore Library staff members have worked hard this year in offering the ultimate, summer reading program for kids to engage in literacy beyond reading books.

Janey Due and Carol Baker have teamed up in organizing the Oceans of Possibilities program. The six-week program consists of Anything Goes for kids to play games and do science experiments, Book Buddies for preschoolers, Cookies and Canvas for fifth graders, and Gaming for Teens and Tweens.

Thursday morning, Carol Baker hosted Book Buddies for the preschoolers. Kids clapped and sang along to the popular song Baby Shark and crafted tote bags with puff paint. Fourth graders from the York Booster Club, known as their Book Buddies, also came to read to the preschoolers. Their last activity of the morning was playing a game called Ships and Sailors that helps with memory and motor skills.

For the older kids, Due hosted Cookies and Canvas Thursday afternoon. Each week, Due chooses a new artist for the elementary students to read about, and encourages the students to create something of their own by using the same techniques as the artist. The best part about it is the students get to snack on a cookie or two if they choose, while drawing their own masterpieces.

Its Kilgores first year in organizing Cookies and Canvas, and so far, theyve had an awesome attendance, said Due.

Baker counted 23 kids in Thursdays attendance, which has been the average for the last couple of weeks.

Its been lots of fun, said Due. We eat lots of cookies too, which may be why the attendance is so high.

This week, the kids were inspired by American artist, Georgia OKeefe, known for her landscape art in the late 1920s and 1930s.

The theme this week was to fill a space in a beautiful way, based on a quote by Keefe, said Due.

With her artistic background, Due said she had a blast doing it and hopes to continue doing it next summer.

Baker added, Its nice to have an artist like Janey, who studied this in college.

The summer reading program is free. Due said all kids are welcome to join.

Next week will be the last week of Oceans of Possibilities. Its never too late to book it up to the York Library and discover what they have to offer.
The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline:

Q: I was wondering if the protest group on the west side of the courthouse Sunday had an assembly permit? If they did not, were they contacted and advised they needed one?

A: York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier said, Typically, groups or individuals ask permission to do some sort of activity on courthouse property. There is no permit that I am aware of.

Q: A week or so ago, I saw something in the news about a Nebraska State Patrol trooper being honored for Hit of the Year. What exactly did that mean?

A: The Nebraska State Patrol was honored by Stop Stick Ltd. for the 2021 Hit of the Year. This award is presented annually for an exceptional stop stick deployment that results in the safe conclusion of a pursuit. The award was presented to NSP Trooper John Lewis for his successful deployment of stop sticks during a pursuit with a man suspected of shooting Omaha Police Officer Jeffrey Wittstruck on March 21, 2021. Trooper Lewis deployed was chosen out of more than 4,000 stop stick deployments in 2021.

When the award was presented, Colonel John Bolduc (NSP superintendent) said, The apprehension of this suspect was imperative and it took exceptional teamwork from many troopers, officers and deputies. Part of that team effort was an unbelievable stop stick deployment by Trooper Lewis. If the suspect hadnt hit the spikes, he could very well have entered Lincoln and put even more members of the public in danger.

Q: What is considered to be a deadly weapon in the state of Nebraska as it pertains to concealed deadly weapons?

A: A concealed weapon under Nebraska law includes guns but also certain knives, brass or iron knuckles or any other deadly weapon. According to state statute, a knife is considered a deadly weapon if the blade is over 3.5 inches long, capable of cutting, tearing or stabbing, and could lead to death or serious bodily injury.

Q: Who can get a concealed handgun permit in Nebraska?

A: To be eligible, the applicant must be 21 years old or older; not have a felony conviction; not have any convictions of domestic violence; not have been discharged dishonorably from the Armed Forces; not be a fugitive, on parole, on probation, under house arrest, or under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment longer than a year; meet additional provisions to demonstrate physical, mental and moral requirements.

Q: What can be done to make the owner of a property next to mine mow the grass?

A: Mowing properties is required within the city of York. If there is a problem issue, report it to the city offices and notice will be given.

Q: Where are all the tornado warning sirens physically located in York?

A: When this question was last asked in the Wonderline, York Fire Chief Tony Bestwick said the following places are the locations of the citys tornado warning sirens:

 Near Wendys

 In the Elms Trailer Park

 At the York Country Club

 In Miller Park

 In the manufacturing area near Kroy

 In the area of 12th Street and Maine Avenue

 In the area of Nabers Truck Center

Q: At coffee, one of the people there said seals are dying from the Bird Flu now and I cant really believe that is possible. Why would seals die from the Bird Flu?

A: The Associated Press ran a story recently which said, An unusual number of seals are becoming stranded and dying off the coast of Maine this summer and avian influenza is to blame, according to the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that samples from four Maine seals tested positive for the virus. Marine mammal rescuers started to notice an unusually high number of seal strandings in June and then the USDA conducted the tests. The virus is capable of jumping to mammals, though it rarely affects humans. This is not the first instance of bird flu jumping to marine mammals, such as seals. The source of the outbreak among seals is still being investigated.

Q: I read last week about giving eggshells to chickens. I have another question about eggshells. Why did my grandma put eggshells in her coffee grounds?

A: Adding eggshells to coffee grounds is said to take away some of the bitter taste that coffee can have. The eggshells were cleaned and allowed to dry  and then added to the coffee grounds when making coffee. It was a practice dating back to the early 1900s  some people still do it to this day. It adds a richness to the coffee and makes regular every day coffee taste like it was specially brewed.

Q: What does it mean to be bipolar?

A: Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a mental illness that brings severe high and low moods and changes in sleep, energy, thinking and behavior, according to numerous sources. People who have bipolar disorder can have periods in which they feel overly happy and energized and other periods of feeling very sad, hopeless and sluggish.

It is a disorder caused by structural and functional changes in the brain or changes in genes.

Patients may feel normal, without any symptoms, in between episodes of mania and depression.

Q: Does the city of York spray for mosquitoes in the summer?

A: The practice of spraying for mosquitoes was discontinued in York many, many years ago because citizens complained about the associated noise, smell and possible negative health effects. So the practice was eliminated.

Q: A few years ago, you guys published a recipe from the Amish Cook for a mashed potato cake. I think you also re-ran that recipe because it was so popular. Anyway, it was a long time ago and I cant find the recipe. I looked online also, but I cant find it because Im probably searching it wrong. Anyway, is there any way you can find that same recipe and run it again? Thanks!

A: We found it. Here it is, the recipe for mashed potato cake.

Cream one cup butter and two cups of sugar in a mixing bowl until fluffy.

Add two eggs and beat well.

Add one cup of cold mashed potatoes, one teaspoon of vanilla, two cups of flour,  cup of cocoa, one teaspoon of baking soda, one cup of milk. Mix well.

Pour into a greased 9x13 inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tests done.
Carolin Harvey is a very busy woman. Yet, she believes everyone has been given 24 hours every day and what matters most is how we choose to spend it. Carolin is committed to spending as much of her 24 hours as she can helping others.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Carolin was raised by loving parents who taught her the value of hard work and taking care of her neighbors, teaching both in words and actions.

In 1971, Carolin came to Carbondale from Birmingham to visit her sister and brother, both of whom had moved to the area a few years prior. Carolin had already started college (the first of her family to do so), and this was intended to be a one-week visit.

She never left Carbondale and what started as a short visit has turned into a lifetime of memories. Starting work soon after at a local bank and within two short years, Carolin became the head bookkeeper. Her strong work ethic and a powerful grasp of numbers made her a natural for the work. Later, at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Bursars office, she would build a successful career of 38 years on these same strengths.

During these early years at work, service was a part of Carolins life. When her daughter Nija started attending the Presbyterian Child Development Center in Carbondale, Carolin volunteered for the centers board. Nija was the only black child in the program and Carolin wanted to make sure that someone spoke up not only for her daughter, but for all children of color who would come later. Speaking up for the black community, for people in need and those who go unnoticed and unheard, has been a core principle, leading Carolin into service to many organizations across Southern Illinois. Carolin believes that having a voice is the most important thing and helping people to feel represented and heard is her passion.

Carolin is not comfortable in the spotlight, preferring instead to work behind the scenes to help people and make Carbondale a better place for all. This makes Carolins run for the Carbondale City Council even more significant, again choosing to represent others and give them a voice. When she was elected in 2013, Carolin received the most votes of any candidate, proving her service to the community and her commitment to speaking up for people and against injustice had not gone unnoticed. She currently is serving her third term.

Carolin ended her career at SIU in 2016 after a long and illustrious tenure. With full-time work behind her, she found more time to devote to organizations where she believes she could make an impact. The Carbondale Warming Center, the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, the Survivor Empowerment Center, the African American Museum of Southern Illinois, Honor Flight and many other have all benefited from her wisdom, leadership and hard work.

To Carolin, service is the most natural thing. She knows her level of service is very unusual but does not think about it. Her focus is not on who is helping, but on who is being helped. In recent years she has received both the Chamber Service Award and Citizen of the Year from the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce. She credits the support of her husband of 49 years, James, for making it possible for her give so much time to help others.

She holds to a simple truth: everyone has something to give. When you see a need, there is always something you can do to meet that need if you are willing.
Sure, some of the credit for the success of Ryan Pursells Blazing Trails Texas BBQ goes to the quality and taste of the ribs, brisket and other smoky favorites he sells each weekend from his food truck.

Pursell, however, is quick to credit persistence, a few opportunities and help from another local business leader for everything from his business to his marriage. Its enough for him to let out his trademark Yee-haw!

A native of Texas, Pursell worked in and around barbecue for most of his life. To him, they style and culture of it came naturally.

I cooked down there for six years, he said nonchalantly. Its the real deal.

Pursell relocated to Southern Illinois five years ago. It was a familiar place  his grandparents owned the Dairy Queen franchise in Herrin for more than three decades. He settled in, got a job in a Marion restaurant and even began to pursue his own dream. With some inheritance from his grandfather, he purchased a food truck with plans to sell barbecue  eventually.

That food truck sat in my driveway for about a year. I was scared to do anything, he admits, although he did have a menu, a name and and a process in mind.

Then, when he found himself out of work, instead of looking for another job, he started stoking the flames of launching a new business. However, it wasnt until his house needed some work that things really started cooking.

Darnell Heating and Cooling in West Frankfort came over to put heat and air in my house, Pursell recalled. I knew they liked barbecue, so I cooked a brisket and had it for them when they came over.

The technicians  including owner Ken Darnell  were impressed. Darnell knows about barbecue: he used to run a barbecue restaurant in Carbondale. He also was impressed that Pursell was using a small smoker to prepare the meat.

Get in the truck, Ive got something to show you, Darnell remembered saying to Pursell.

Darnell took him to his own property and showed him what Pursell called a huge smoker. The established business owner gave the smoker to upstart food truck operator.

I saw somebody working to follow his dreams, Darnell said. He is so talented and has such a great work ethic, I just wanted to help him a little bit.

For Pursell, the new smoker was a blessing.

I was able to cook 18 briskets and 12 pork butts on there the first day, he said. That was three years ago and its been super cool. Without them, I wouldnt be anywhere.

Darnells assistance has gone beyond a smoker. He helped Pursell find a commissary  an approved brick-and-mortar base of operations, in this case a local grocery  and even pointed him to the right place to get a part for a food truck. That referral led to more than just a necessary piece of equipment from Tates Blue Flame Gas Co. in Galatia.

I got the part, I took them a pork loin and theyve been buying meat from me ever since. One day I asked their daughter out and now I have a wife and a baby. Without Ken and without Blazing Trails, none of this would have happened, Pursell explained.

Since opening his truck in West Frankfort, the business has grown and Pursell has been able to purchase his own commissary location. Plus, people have taken notice. He has won Best Food Truck in The Southerns Readers Choice awards two years running and last year also took honors in the barbecue category.

Blazing Trails now runs a couple of smokers regularly  Pursell had to buy another one to go along with the unit Darnell gave him  to smoke 30 briskets and 60 racks of rib every week for service on Fridays and Saturdays.

Pursell also caters special events, too. Often he brings in special help for those events: Ken Darnell.

Without him, I would never have had the business I do now. I am so blessed, Pursell said about his family, his business and his friendship with Darnell.
We took the grandkids to Cave-In-Rock State Park during the Fourth of July weekend.

They had a big time climbing around the cave and squishing the sand of the Ohio River between their toes. As we were walking back to the car, the kids ran ahead with their parents. That allowed my wife and I to take a much needed, more leisurely pace.

As we walked along the bluff, my wife stopped suddenly and pulled her cellphone from her pocket. She began snapping photos of a five-lined skink sunning on a shelf in one of the many crevices.

The fact that I could identify the small creature made me smile. A month ago, I would have had no clue. However, because I had spoken to Scott Ballard, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources chief herpetologist, for a story last month, I knew, with certainty, that I was looking at a five-lined skink.

That is what I have always, and still love, about this job. Its been like a 35-year masters course in biology. The body of knowledge I have today makes me understand what an ignorant lout I was 35 years ago.

But, perhaps the most important lesson gleaned over those years  the more a person learns, the more he/she understands how little they know. Several incidents over the past month have been driving that point home.

First, we recently visited Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

Like most people with an interest in the outdoors, I can identify a lot of the flora and fauna near my home. However, drive a couple hours in any direction, and things change. Suddenly, virtually everything you see is a mystery.

You quickly realize the soil in your field of knowledge is quite thin.

Shortly after returning from vacation, I received a press release from the University of Illinois Press asking if Id like a review copy of a Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois  Second Edition.

A couple days later, the volume arrived in the mail.

My ignorance was clearly on display with virtually every turning of a page. Within a few moments, I discovered creatures such as the eastern narrow-mouthed toad, the eastern spadefoot, and the crawfish frog.

They all live here in Southern Illinois, but none were part of my body of knowledge.

Next, I finally decided to download the Merlin Bird ID app.

Since then, Ive spent most of my waking hours driving around Sahara Woods or walking around my neighborhood pointing my phone in the direction of any bird song I hear. No, I havent found any exotic bird species, but I have learned the nuances of sounds made by tufted titmice, northern cardinals and even American robins.

The app has been an incredible source of knowledge.

Finally, another book recently arrived in the mail from Illinois University Press  An Atlas of Illinois Fishes  150 Years of Change.

Predictably, a quick perusal of the book verified what I already knew  I have a lot to learn about the fish of Illinois.

The takeaway from this ongoing continuing education course is humility. It doesnt matter how much you think you know; there is always so much more to learn. And, although leafing through the guidebooks can be daunting, its important to realize no one absorbs all this knowledge at one time.

Im reminded of a statement made by Kevin Horrigan, a former writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Speaking of the different types of knowledge people possess, Horrigan wrote that someone with a doctorate has a field of knowledge a mile deep and an inch wide in a particular subject. Others, like news reporters, have a field of knowledge that is an inch deep, but a mile wide.

Picking up a fact or two a day, learning to identify a new species or two every day  not only does it widen your field of knowledge, but it keeps you humble. Thats an attribute we can all use.
SIMPSON, La.  Sitting 35 miles west of Alexandria, the village of Simpson doesnt have much. Not on the surface, anyway.

Theres a blinking light and a Dollar General, a small convenience store and school for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Many of the areas residents drive anywhere from 10-40 miles to work at Fort Polk, in the oil fields, with the state police or as teachers.

The rural setting  both the U.S. Census and locals use the village description  can be a challenge for churches. But the areas focus on a sense of community has factored into growth at Simpson Baptist Church, which in turn is led by a focus on prayer and preaching Gods Word.

When Pete Keough began as senior pastor at Simpson on April 1, 2021, his first worship service witnessed a higher-than-normal attendance due to its being Easter Sunday. Average attendance began to climb, however, from 58 to approximately 200 now. Wednesday Bible study/prayer meetings see 30-40 adults and just as many students. On July 3 the church had five baptisms, joining the well over a dozen in the last year.

Its been about Gods grace, Keough said of those figures. Trust God completely and He will do it.

A 32-year career in the Army culminated in Keoughs role as a senior chaplain for the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. That career took him to serve local churches and military chapels throughout the country as well as overseas in Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan. Ministering within a local context and the importance of becoming a part of the community became apparent to Keough.

He had witnessed it in Simpson. While stationed at Fort Polk about 21 miles away, he preached at the church numerous times.

I really got to know the congregation, he said. When I retired and they were looking for a pastor, I ended up coming here.

The church had always had an active outreach program. That continued alongside Keoughs expositional preaching style. A recently begun study in the Book of James follows an 11-month dive into Ephesians.

Its typical for such a jump in attendance to be credited to the new pastor, and Keoughs leadership has been a factor, certainly. But in his bivocational role he remains working full-time as an Army contractor at Fort Polk even though he is officially retired.

That places a significant load on deacon leadership and part-time staff. All have answered the call, Keough said.

Shelly Clutter, our youth leader, has done a dynamic job in building and leading our students, he said. Kyle Compton is a young man who is currently active duty in the Army but has surrendered to the ministry. Hell be coming on board as an intern with the intention to make him an associate pastor. Ginger Stucky has been here a long time and done an incredible job of incorporating a blended worship program. Our secretary, Stacy Spillers, is amazing and keeps day-to-day church operations running seamlessly.

Our deacons are Scottie Benjamin, Jerry Blair, Dale Albritton, Travis Bolton, Herschel Boswell, Tommy Jackson, Sammy Edwards, Brannon Edwards, Joe Pope and Roger Williams. These 10 men are amazing. Most are retired and are serving our widows and needy families by cutting grass, bringing meals and doing visitation in the community. Every church should have men like these.

The churchs Vacation Bible School last month saw more than 100 children and volunteers. A competition between the boys and girls resulted in more than $2,100 going toward the Louisiana Baptist Childrens Home.

Perry Hancock, childrens home president and CEO, told Baptist Press that would be one of the largest gifts through a VBS in the state.

Whats so special about those offerings is that its children giving to children, Hancock said. The donation is even more special to him because he served as pastor to Simpson Baptist in the late 1980s.

The growth at Simpson the last year or so has come through a lot of hard work by the staff and its people, he said. Petes done an incredible job.

The church recently opened up a new $1 million facility with a 300-seat sanctuary, education wing and office space. Further construction will include a family life center. With a membership of just under 300, the church raised three-quarters of the amount to build it.

Its been a phenomenal example of giving. There is a sense of God doing something amazing in this community, and people want to be a part of it.

A native Floridian, Keough again pointed back to the importance of becoming a part of the community.

Embrace it, he said. Ive learned to say 'Geaux Tigers and eat crawfish. Always preach the Word faithfully and trust God. Be in the community and they will open up to you.
A New York man is facing new charges in connection with the shooting incident which took the life of 6-year-old Winston OConner Hunter.

Seth James Phillips, 20, of 31 Karen Place, Farmington, was previously charged with murder. Hes now facing three counts of attempted murder and four counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

His three co-defendants have already been charged with the same offenses.

The Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office served the warrants to Phillips on Thursday at the Orangeburg County Detention Center. A circuit judge may consider setting bond on Phillips at a later date.

Hunter died after someone fired a barrage of bullets at his familys McClain Street home in the late night hours of May 13. Hunter was home with his brother and parents.

Prior to Thursdays charges, Phillips murder warrant accused him of being in the same vehicle when his co-defendants allegedly opened fire on Hunters home.

According to Phillips new warrants, his co-defendants allegedly told investigators that he was also armed with a handgun during the incident. He and the three co-defendants allegedly shot at the home.

Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell has said the suspects shot the wrong home. He alleges they went to Woodford to buy or steal marijuana.

In addition to Phillips, the three others facing the same charges are:

 Jeremiah J. Harley, 17, of County Road 50, Canandaigua, N.Y. Hes charged as an adult.

 Michael Thomas Lloyd, 20, of Pinewood Street, Chillicothe, Illinois.

 Ethan Thorne Anderson, 19, of Greenwood Drive, West Columbia.

The investigation is ongoing.

If the men are convicted, each faces up to life in prison.
Once a reference to outdoors activity referred largely to boating/fishing and hunting. No more.

In 2020, even during the pandemic, the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 1.8% ($374.3 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product for the nation. At the state level, outdoor recreation value added as a share of state GDP ranged from 4.3% in Montana to 1.2% in New York and Connecticut.

South Carolinians and the flood of tourists have annually appreciated what our state has to offer in the way of outdoor activity. The T&D Region is a mecca of opportunity from hunting, fishing and boating to all manner of activity. A key component of the attraction of the states outdoors is an abundance of wildlife.

That goes a long way in explaining why the South Carolina Wildlife Federation is praising the U.S. House of Representatives for voting to pass the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act, a bill to prevent wildlife extinctions by funding locally led conservation efforts. If it becomes law, South Carolina will receive $14 million each year to help hundreds of species in need, including bobwhite quail, gopher tortoises, black rails and loggerhead sea turtles.

This is the most important piece of wildlife legislation in the past 50 years, said Sara Green, executive director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. Wildlife in South Carolina and across the country are in crisis and this bold, bipartisan bill will tackle the problem at scale without new taxes or regulations.

Funding from the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act would be used to implement the congressionally mandated state wildlife action plans, which identify more than 12,000 wildlife and plants that need conservation assistance nationwide.

The bipartisan passage of the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act affirms that there is consensus across the political spectrum that we can, and we must, prevent extinctions from our backyards to the backcountry, said Collin OMara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. Inaction is the ally of extinction, and the time to act is now.

The bill has strong bipartisan support in the Senate, with 35 cosponsors including S.C. Sen. Lindsey Graham. The Senate bill would be paid for out of federal environmental penalties.

I want my children and grandchildren to be able to hear the song of the meadowlark and to see monarchs in their back yard, the way I did growing up. Sen. Graham and Sen. (Tim) Scott should do everything they can to champion this historic legislation and get it over the finish line this summer, Green said.

At the same time, there is concern about other legislation and the impact it would have on efforts to foster the outdoors.

HR 8167, a bill introduced in the House of Representatives, would remove the self-imposed excise tax on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment that funds the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Georgia, introduced the RETURN (Repealing Excise Tax on Unalienable Rights Now) Our Constitutional Rights Act of 2022 that would undo what is considered the most successful conservation funding model in the world.

"This year, the Pittman-Robertson Act celebrated its 85th anniversary and eclipsed $15 billion in contributions funneled to state fish and wildlife agencies across the country for wildlife and habitat conservation efforts," National Wild Turkey Federation Co-CEO Becky Humphries said. "We are very concerned that this bill would undermine the American System of Conservation Funding, which is looked to by nations around the world as the most successful model in the history of wildlife conservation."

The 1937 Pittman-Robertson Act provides for a "user pays-public benefits" system of funding and directs an excise tax on the sale of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. It is a primary funding source for state fish and wildlife agencies, who use the funds to undertake wildlife conservation, provide for hunter and recreational shooter recruitment, public shooting range construction and other activities. Last year alone, these excise taxes generated more than $1 billion in funding to assist state wildlife agencies in fulfilling their missions.

The Senate is expected to pass the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act, a positive. The RETURN legislation, part of the national debate over guns, should be rejected.
The public prosecutor's office in Luxembourg City informed the Pirate Party on Thursday that the case has been handed over to an examining magistrate.

The Pirate Party thinks that the 2018 waste management contract between the operating company and the state is illegal.

Read also: Pirate Party requests justice system to treat 'Superdreckskescht affair'

A legal opinion commissioned by the opposition party also reached this conclusion, stating that there is a suspicion of conflicts of interest relevant under criminal law.
Psychiatrist Dr Marc Graas was allegedly fired without notice because he did not want to sign a contract.

The Kirchberg Rehabilitation Centre has sacked a psychiatrist because he did not want to sign a contract, according to RTL information.

Marc Graas has treated patients at the centre since 2018 as the sole psychiatrist  without ever having signed a contract. As of 1 July 2022, the former director of the Centre Hospitalier Neuro-Psychiatrique (CHNP) in Ettelbruck has been barred from the building in Kirchberg. This means that his inpatients can no longer talk to him as their doctor.

At the root of the conflict is an additional clause in the contract, which stipulates that the psychiatrist must pay 20% of his salary to the Rehabilitation Centre. Because Dr Graas rejected this clause, the centre allegedly decided to bar him from the building. This decision was taken by the directorate, and Dr Graas states that he only indirectly found out about this.

The psychiatrist stresses that this decision, which was taken "without notice and without consideration for my patients," cannot and must not be accepted. Dr Graas argues that he is "needed" at the Rehabilitation Centre, which he still considers to be "a valuable gem" of an institution.

Bickering at the expense of the patients?

Dr Graas says that he did not do anything wrong and that he merely took issue with the clause stipulating that he would have to pay 20% of his salary to the centre.

The head of the Rehabilitation Centre, Dr Gaston Schutz, confirms that the contract "was and still is the problem". However, he argues that it is in fact a "model contract," and that Dr Graas "has to sign it".

Dr Schutz adds that the directorate is also concerned about the well-being of the patients but assures that they will continue to receive psychiatric support through a cooperation agreement with the CHNP.

Speaking to our colleagues from RTL.lu, Dr Schutz stated that the directorate of the Rehabilitation Centre met with the CHNP from Ettelbruck "last week". According to Dr Schutz, the directorate also already met with several psychiatrists.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the CHNP in Ettelbruck, Mark Ritzen, confirmed to our colleagues from RTL.lu that these discussions with the Rehabilitation Centre did indeed take place.

However, Ritzen said that the CHNP has merely decided to meet with the Kirchberg Centre "in the near future" to assess their needs, based on which both centres will "draft a convention to guarantee psychiatric treatment for patients at the Rehabilitation Centre".

A potential cooperation agreement between the two centres is thus still in the early stages.

In this context, Dr Schutz specified that the centre may have to rely on "emergency psychiatry" this week.

A contract against the interests of the patients?

The head of the Rehabilitation Centre, a public institution, claims that the contract presented to Dr Graas is a "model contract" and that the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL) would, for instance, also ask its doctors for 20% of their salaries.

However, the Association of Doctors and Dentists (AMMD) denies that this 20% clause is a normal or legitimate demand from a hospital or rehabilitation centre.

Conclusion

The Director General of the Rehabilitation Centre states that he is "willing to compromise" for "the sake of the patients," and because of Dr Graas' excellent work.

Dr Graas, meanwhile, also says that he is willing to compromise.

Whether or not both parties will come to an agreement, it seems that, for the sake of the patients, the country's politicians might also need to intervene in this case.



Video report in Luxembourgish:
Sam Tanson emphasised Luxembourg's "very, very large" cultural offering, noting that lots of projects were in the works.

Steps, Meredith and Sasha were delighted to welcome the minister into the fold as they talked up Luxembourg's cultural offer and debated the competitiveness of the nation in relation to supporting local artists and attracting top talent.

Minister Tanson visited The Sam Steen Show (with current guest host The Lunch Box's Stephen 'Steps' Lowe) this morning to discuss her dual role as Minister of both Justice and Culture.

Tanson highlighted the misconception that many non-residents only see Luxembourg as a financial centre with nothing more than banks. She spoke to Stephen about the duality of her position, explaining how it is important for her to be present at both of the respective ministries.

Within the capacity of her role as Minister of Culture, Tanson shared her love for the arts both as a minister and as a private individual, "I really try to be [present at] a lot in cultural events because it is important to me to know what is going on. But also because I just love it. I love to go to the theatre, to concerts, to exhibitions."

You can listen to the complete and exclusive interview via RTL Today Radio on RTL Play or by clicking the interview below.
Evans represents ENEX - an association of 56 news organisations across the globe which is headquartered in Luxembourg. He explained the latest political developments in Britain on RTL Today Radio.

Evans spoke to Stephen 'Steps' Lowe about what it's like coordinating major global news, of which Boris Johnson's resignation was just one recent example.

Evans said the news of the UK prime minister stepping down led global headlines, with even major US network CBS leading on the news.

He claimed Johnson was ultimately brought down by a cover-up attempt over the activities of Chris Pincher, a member of the government accused of drunkenly groping two men at a Conservative private members' club, as well as other historic allegations of misconduct.

Evans described Johnson's resignation as a "marvellous tale of confusion", as the prime minister announced his resignation without actually leaving office. Evans said Johnson was keen to not be one of the shortest-serving prime ministers.

ENEX is associated with RTL Luxembourg. The association brings in audio and video footage from around the world for the use of RTL Today and other news organisations.

Listen to the full interview on RTL Play or below:
A march in support of abortion rights is planned for this morning in downtown Casper.

The march is the latest in a string of local demonstrations protesting the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of abortion protections under Roe v. Wade. It is set to start at David Street Station at 10 a.m. and head to the courthouse on Center Street.

Organizer Eden Taggart said that anyone who would like to speak at the end of the march will be given the opportunity.

Were going to be staying out there pretty much all day, in the heat, to make a statement.

In an event listing on Facebook, Taggart urges people to bring posters, signs and coat hangers as a symbol to represent our abortion rights. Hangers have become synonymous in abortion-rights groups with unsafe, back-alley abortions.

Taggart, 19, was born and raised in Casper and graduated from Roosevelt High School last year.

She said she feels really passionate about reproductive rights, today more than ever. Most (though not all) of the feedback shes received around the march has been positive, though there were some who commented on her social media posts calling her a bad person, Taggart said. Seeing local women and men supporting abortion rights makes her feel a lot better.

I never thought in a million years (Roe being overturned) would ever happen, she said. All the women in my family were devastated.

She took over planning from a male friend whod gotten some backlash for trying to organize a march, Taggart said, and organized Saturdays peaceful protest with help from her stepdad.

Abortion is expected to become outlawed in Wyoming in nearly all instances soon. Lawmakers passed a trigger bill earlier this year that was designed to ban the practice in the event of Roes fall.

After a leaked draft of the opinion was released in early May, Casper-area abortion-rights advocates organized a march and rally at Conwell Park that drew an estimated 200 protesters. That Bans off our Bodies event was coordinated with others across the country, as part of an effort by organizations including Planned Parenthood, UltraViolet and the Womens March.

Casper Rep. Pat Sweeney, R, local abortion clinic founder Julie Burkhart and other supporters of abortion rights from the area spoke at the rally, which followed a march from Veterans Park.

In late June, on the same day the Supreme Courts official opinion overturning the landmark case was released, a smaller group of around 60 demonstrated outside True Care Womens Resource Center in Casper. Demonstrators said they were there in support of abortion rights, but many also said they were worried about what the decision may mean for other right-to-privacy protections, including gay and interracial marriage.

Last week, around 15 people protested during a Wednesday evening Politics in the Park event, holding signs while standing on the sidewalk.

Casper activists also held a rally for reproductive freedom at David Street Station in November, coordinated with other Womens March events nationwide that day.

Counter-protesters have been few at local protests, though anti-abortion advocates have continued to demonstrate weekly outside the planned abortion clinic on Second Street. The clinic was the target of an arson in late May, and organizers estimate it will take four to six months to repair the building.
An anonymous bomb threat at Casper College was found to be unsubstantiated on Wednesday afternoon, police spokesperson Rebekah Ladd said.

Parts of the campus were evacuated because of the threat. Ladd said the college was cleared by 5 p.m.

The threat was made in a call to the local public safety dispatch center around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to Ladd.

The FBI told local officials that the same non-credible threat had been issued at other educational institutions in the region, Ladd said in a text.
A wildland fire that prompted evacuations in parts of western Natrona County has been contained, authorities say.

The fire burned a rural area off U.S. Highway 20-26, spreading to around 25 to 30 acres. Fire crews will remain on scene at least through tonight, according to Natrona County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Kiera Grogan.

One familys residence was burned and is now uninhabitable because of the fire, Grogan said. Outbuildings, heavy equipment and vehicles on their property were also damaged or destroyed in the blaze.

No other buildings were damaged in what officials are calling the Reid Canyon Fire.

The public was asked to avoid the area near Natrona Road and Pine Mountain and to not park along the highway.

Officials received a report of a wildland fire burning brush around 11:30 a.m., Grogan said, but the fire had moved and caught nearby trees by 1 p.m.

Evacuations began around noon, Grogan said, though it is unclear how many people were displaced. No injuries had been reported by the time the fire was contained in the mid-afternoon.

No roads were closed in the area, though crews on the scene were monitoring winds and commands from fire officials. Local agencies including the Natrona County Fire Protection District, Bar Nunn Fire and the Bureau of Land Management sent responders out.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by county crews. Grogan said its too early to tell whether there was any suspected criminal activity involved.

It was the second time in three days that a wildfire necessitated evacuations in Natrona County. On Tuesday, a 39-acre grass fire burning east of town prompted people in the Geary Dome area to leave their homes.

Another small wildland fire ignited Wednesday, near the Casper landfill. It was quickly contained, Casper fire officials said in a statement.

Fire activity in the wildland is becoming more frequent as fuels cure and dry out, the statement said Wednesday.

Stage-one fire restrictions went into effect in Natrona County on Thursday, meaning open burning is prohibited. Campfires at homes or in campsite fire rings are still allowed.
School districts from Laramie, Teton and Fremont counties will participate in a pilot teacher apprenticeship program this fall, the Wyoming Department of Education announced on Friday.

The teacher apprenticeship program is meant to help turn around Wyomings teacher shortages.

Its based on an existing statewide program in Tennessee. The idea of the apprenticeship is to lower financial barriers and give hands-on training to people who want to become teachers. The program in Tennessee is still new, so its not clear yet how the apprenticeship programs will pan out in terms of actually getting people into teaching who stay in the profession for the long haul.

Education representatives meeting with Gordon to plan teacher apprenticeship program Representatives of several Wyoming education groups are meeting with Gov. Mark Gordon today to hash out a plan for creating a teacher apprenticeship program here.

Last month, the Wyoming Department of Education and the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board opened an application for school districts interested in participating in the apprenticeship pilot. They chose Laramie County School District No. 1, Teton County School District No. 1 and Fremont County School District No. 24 to be participants.

The three districts will collaborate with the education department and teaching standards board over the summer to prepare to launch their own apprenticeship programs come fall, the Wyoming Department of Educations statement says.

The pilot is meant to act as a model for a statewide rollout of teacher apprenticeship programs in 2023. It will be up to districts to decide whether or not they want to participate.

School districts can now apply to be part of teacher apprenticeship pilot Applications for school districts to be part of a Wyoming Teacher Apprenticeship pilot opened Wednesday. The apprenticeship is meant to help turn around the states teacher shortage crisis. The application closes June 30.

The rollout will come in three phases.

Adult paraprofessionals and substitute teachers who are already working in a school district can apply and get automatic entry to the program in the first phase. Theyll continue to do paid work while taking classes through community colleges and the University of Wyoming and getting support from a mentor. The goal is to have school districts hire these apprentices after they finish the program.

Phase two is pretty much the same, except that the apprenticeship will also be open to people with at least a high school diploma or GED.

Phase three will develop a pre-apprenticeship program for high school students. Those who finish the pre-apprenticeship program can then apply for the regular apprenticeship program.

It isnt clear right now how much the apprenticeship program will cost and if the state will have to contribute funding. Wyoming Department of Education spokesperson Linda Finnerty said in an email that the team working on the apprenticeship program is still building cost estimates.
Planned Parenthood of Montana suspended medication abortions for some out-of-state patients to ensure they arent intimidated to seek needed follow-up care when they return to their home state, the organizations vice president of external affairs, Laura Terrill, said in an email to the Star-Tribune.

Following the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Montana CEO Martha Fuller announced in an internal email last week that Montanas branch of the organization would stop offering medication abortions for patients from states with current abortion bans.

Montana to restrict medication abortions for out-of-state patients, according to internal email That could impact Wyomingites if the states trigger ban, which the Legislature passed earlier this year, goes into effect.

Right now, that includes patients from South Dakota, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Patients from Texas and Ohio who have been pregnant for more than six weeks will also be unable to get medication abortions with Planned Parenthood of Montana, according to the email.

Abortion is expected to become illegal in Wyoming soon. Lawmakers passed a trigger ban thats anticipated to go into effect following Roes reversal.

Planned Parenthood of Montana is still offering surgical abortions for all patients, the email said. Terrill did not provide further comment on why such follow-up appointments are a concern for medication abortions but not surgical abortions.

About 75% of abortion patients at Planned Parenthood of Montana clinics opt for medication abortions, according to the Montana State News Bureau.

Medication abortions involve taking two different drugs a day to two days apart. The first drug stops the pregnancys progression. The second drug induces contractions to expel the fetus.

Theres more flexibility around these abortions in terms of where the patient can take the medications. At the Womens Health Center & Family Care Clinic in Jackson, the only clinic in Wyoming that provides abortion services, for example, patients take the first medication at the clinic and bring the second one home with them.

That could lead patients to seek an abortion in a state where the procedure is legal, then take the medications in a state where it isnt legal. Its not clear right now how such incidents might be prosecuted by states with abortion bans, if they even would be.

Surgical abortions, on the other hand, start and finish on-site.

Wyomingites make up a sizable chunk of abortion patients at Planned Parenthood clinics in Montana; Fuller previously told the Star-Tribune that about 8% of its abortion patients last year were from Wyoming.

With a trigger abortion ban set to take effect in the state, and many other neighboring states also restricting abortion access, Planned Parenthood of Montanas restriction on medication abortions could impact Wyomingites.

Regional impact of Roe reversal could limit abortion access in neighboring states Wyomingites already travel out of state to get abortions. But if the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade, that out-of-state access could become more limited.

We are closely monitoring the legal and service landscapes in Montana and in nearby states and are committed to restarting medication abortion services for all out-of-state patients, if and when we are able to do so, Terrill wrote in the email.

Terrill said that the decision to suspend medication abortions for some out-of-state patients is mean to minimize potential risk for providers, health center staff, and patients in the face of a rapidly changing landscape.

Just like other abortion providers, we are being forced to make difficult operational decisions, due to the rapidly shifting landscape of abortion access in many states, she wrote. Lets be clear: It is unconscionable that providers are being forced to deny patients care.

In a call with the Star-Tribune, Terrill said Planned Parenthood of Montana clinics have received more requests for IUD implants  even among women whose IUDs arent set to expire for another couple years  since Roes reversal.

She also said more people have been asking about permanent forms of birth control, including men inquiring about vasectomies.
Recently, Bureau of Land Management announced the acquisition of a 35,670 acre ranch located mostly in Natrona County. Gov. Gordon has appealed the acquisition claiming the federal agency failed to adequately consider potential negative tax revenue ramifications of transferring the private property into federal hands. The governor is also complaining about the lack of state consultation. Sens. Barrasso and Lummis as well as Rep. Cheney have expressed support for the appeal.

The governors decision to appeal has lit up social media with vociferous objections. Randy Newberg, a highly respected sportsman TV personality and certified public accountant who prepares tax returns for ranchers (not this ranch), has produced a YouTube video discussing the tax ramifications of the transaction. According to Mr. Newberg, the ranch has been paying approximately $10,600 per year in property taxes. He estimates that if the transfer to BLM is allowed to go forward, BLM will pay approximately $60,000 per year in PILT funds (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) for the newly acquired acreage.

So why is the governor and our congressional delegation objecting? Do they not have staff to examine the tax ramifications? Thats unlikely. The tax argument appears to be a smokescreen. Do they think that private landowners should not be able to sell to anyone of their choice? That would go against GOP principles.

Something else is going on here. The appeal seems to be a blatant anti-federal lands maneuver with all of the biases and prejudices we have seen for decades. Apparently, our top elected officials are willing to risk the wrath of thousands of recreationists and ignore the rights of private property owners to sell to whomever they wish in order to placate anti-federal land extremists within the Republican Party.

So, whats their end game? Do they really want to stall this deal and put the private owner in limbo? Or are they trying to lay the groundwork to assure consultation and/or veto power over future transactions? It appears that is the goal. But the conditions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which is providing most of the $21 million for this purchase, do not provide for state veto power or require state consultation.

What if the governor had been consulted about this transaction? Would he have stopped the deal? Would he have insisted on various conditions to placate his concerns? You would think that would be too much government interference with a private property sale for a Republican.

In spite of the governors claim that this deal violates the spirit of the law regarding state consultation, there is no requirement that LWCF acquisitions be vetted by the state. To the contrary, it is the governors appeal that is violating the spirit of the LWCF by asserting that state and local governments must offer their approval.

It is unfortunate that our top elected officials are appealing this transaction. It is widely recognized throughout the state that Wyomings economy needs to be diversified. We are much too dependent on minerals revenue. Here we have an opportunity to enhance our tourism and outdoor recreation economy and our top officials are throwing up roadblocks.

And yes, this transaction offers considerable opportunity to diversify the economy of Natrona County. In addition to a substantial increase in tax revenue from PILT payments, there will almost certainly be a sizeable economic stimulus due to increased recreational activity. It is hard to overstate the significance of 8.8 miles of prime river access to one of Wyomings best fisheries.

Furthermore, if they have been paying attention, our top elected officials would know that access to landlocked federal land is a hot topic throughout the state to the point of resulting in litigation in Carbon County. This acquisition not only includes 35,670 acres of private land, it also encompasses approximately the same number of acres of BLM land, much of it landlocked. It is an important step toward unlocking some of the estimated 4 million acres of landlocked federal land in the state.

Our top elected officials should stop kowtowing to anti-federal lands extremists and start considering the opinions of those of us who deeply love, and will fight for, our federal lands. The last thing we want is for state and local governments to have veto power over the rights of private property owners and the widespread public desire to improve recreational access.

Please join me in asking the governor to withdraw his appeal. Please also contact our congressional delegation and ask them what the heck they are thinking!
Last week, Massy Financea subsidiary of T&Ts second-largest conglomerate, Massy Grouplaunched its first fintech offering, an online loan platform called InstaLoan.

Massys model, according to executive vice-president and group chief financial officer of Massy Holdings Ltd Ian Chinapoo, is to be disruptive, especially to local banks.

While its Massys first foray into fintech, online loans have been on the market from three separate companies for the past three years.

InstaLoan can be accessed by anyone wanting a loanbe it for a vacation, home repair or for a Carnival costume.
The largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years has been recorded in official data published today by WHO and UNICEF.

The percentage of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3)  a marker for immunisation coverage within and across countries  fell 5 percentage points between 2019 and 2021 to 81 per cent.

As a result, 25 million children missed out on one or more doses of DTP through routine immunisation services in 2021 alone.
WITH masks no longer mandatory, most of those who spoke to the Express in downtown Port of Spain yesterday said they would still wear them under certain circumstances.

Supermarkets, hospitals and public transportation are the spaces most said they will continue wearing masks.

One man named Emmanuel polled on Broadway yesterday said, I will still be cautious. Some establishments may still require that people wear it and I will always have one on me or close by, he said.
ATLANA (July 8, 2022)  The Carter Center condemns the assassination of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. Political violence is never acceptable, and it is especially shocking in a country as peaceful and free of gun violence as Japan. The government and people of Japan have for many years been strong supporters of the Carter Centers programs  this very day, we are breaking ground on an outdoor display for a beautiful Peace Bell that symbolizes our deep connection. We extend our deepest condolences to the Japanese people and the loved ones of the former prime minister.

###

Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, Soyia.Ellison@cartercenter.org



The Carter Center

Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
On Friday, July 15, 2022, I made a conscious decision to vote in favour of the two motions brought against the Attorney General.

The reason for my decision was based on facts brought forward that showed the Attorney General was disqualified from a matter by an international court.
Question: Does a solar system add value to a property?

Answer: A solar system, also called a solar array, can add value depending on the situation.

Some consider it debatable whether a solar array increases a homes value and salability. Yet its not so much that it will add value to your home  the question is how much value. The research by both Redfin and Zillow shows increased property value with solar installed, said Randy Cole, president of Fox Valley Electric & Solar, a Rosie-Certified Partner.

Leased systems do not add value to the home because they are not the property of the homeowner.

Owned and financed systems add value to the home in most cases, but the value can vary based on when the system was installed. Some homes have solar systems that have old leases. It is critical to have a knowledgeable agent who can navigate the issue.

When property values increase, so do the property taxes. While solar panels are not factored in the valuation of property, Arizona offers a 100% solar sales tax exemption for the value of the panels.

Whether you are buying or selling a home with an installed solar array, some things need to be considered and questions asked.

Q: What do I need to know about buying a house with solar panels?

A: The following are the most important questions a buyer must ask before signing the contract. Neglecting to ask them could cost the buyer much more money down the road.

1. Who owns the solar panels? Are they leased? Did the homeowner buy them outright? Are they still being financed?

Solar panels can be purchased outright or financed. They can also be leased. The main difference between them is ownership.

With purchased solar panels, the homeowner has full ownership over the system that should have a transferrable warranty. This is the simplest and easiest, as the value of the panels will be rolled into the new mortgage like all the other assets of the house, Cole said.

In a lease, a third party owns the solar equipment with leased solar panels or a signed power purchase agreement. Leased solar panels are common and a nightmare for realtors. If it isnt clear in the MLS listing that the solar panels are leased, a buyer may assume theyre included with the sale. The buyers agent must clearly communicate with the sellers agent about the status of the solar panels. Are they paid off or still under a lease? The listing must be clear. Many realtors have added a solar addendum because of leased systems.

A leased system doesnt transfer from one homeowner to the next. The homebuyer must apply to take over the lease, like a credit check, which affects the credit score and purchase price. If the panels are leased, the buyer will need to be approved to take over the lease. The panels are not assumed as part of the mortgage. Buyers may want to consult with an attorney regarding issues related to the transfer of the lease.

2. Who installed the panels?

Its important to validate that a reputable business installed the panels. Make sure that the company is still in business and check for any existing warranties or maintenance plans with the installer or manufacturer that will transfer to the buyer upon closing.

In addition, the buyer needs to know the reputation of the systems provider, the conditions of the warranty, and costs related to the leased solar panels. There have been countless companies that either popped up or dont have a background in electrical. Check out how long they have been in business or installing solar. Do they do the installations, and do they have a service department? They will be needed years later for maintenance.

3. What is the status of the solar array?

As a buyer, it is imperative to know the status of the solar panels. Leasing vs. financing may affect the buyers ability to get a mortgage. If the solar panels are leased, then a lease transfer will be required, and there is no guarantee of approval.

4. What is the output of the existing solar array?

How much solar power can the system produce? Multiply the households hourly energy requirement (get the figures from the sellers real estate agent) by the peak sunlight hours in that area and divide by panel wattage. This will determine whether the existing solar array should offer enough coverage for what the home will require.

Once in the home, the new owners may be disappointed that the system doesnt provide the output the previous owner claimed it did. Assuming the seller was honest about their usage, the buyer needs to realize that the array wasnt designed for them.

It was designed for the previous owner who may have had different schedules, the number of people in the home, and preferred different temperatures. Factor in that information with the calculation when considering whether to buy the house.

5. Is the same utility rate as the previous owner available?

TEP, APS, SRP and other utility providers will probably not tell you the previous owners rate. They will sign you up for a new rate plan. The buyer should try to transfer the sellers rate plan and get the balance of what they left behind. For example, if the seller was five years into their system, there may be 15 years left of dollar-to-dollar value, which is significant.

Q: What do I need to know about selling a home with solar panels?

A: The sellers listing should not imply that the solar panels are part of the sale if theyre actually leased. Errors or misleading information, even accidental, in MLS listings can lead to lawsuits. Not being clear about leased solar panels could cost the seller a contract  and lead to a lawsuit.

Q: Can I take the solar panels with me when I move? I paid for them in full.

A: If the seller wants to remove and take the panels and install them on another house, Cole notes, Legally they can be removed and taken to another house, however, it is not practical or cost effective. Solar systems are much like most home improvements and are designed to be permanently installed and fully automatic. Much like you wouldnt think to take your new AC to the next house or the appliance package.

Both the buyer and the seller need to factor in all of the complexities of a home with a solar array. Getting those considerations figured out will save both parties a lot of headaches and money down the road.
Arizona voters will not get a chance to constitutionally protect abortion rights, at least not this year.

The group Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom will not turn in the petitions for a ballot measure it has been gathering since May, its treasurer, Shasta McManus, told Capitol Media Services.

She said the petition circulators were able to get only about 176,000 signatures ahead of Thursday's deadline.

Backers needed at least 356,467 valid signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.

And it would have taken about 450,000 names to ensure a sufficient margin to account for bad or otherwise disqualified signatures.

McManus said the organization will regroup and start putting together plans to seek a 2024 vote on the issue. Starting the signature gathering process in November  the earliest for that election  should provide far more time to reach the goal, she said.

That means, absent court intervention, Arizona will be able to start enforcing its territorial-era ban on abortion, which contains no exceptions for rape or incest  possibly immediately, at least in part of the state.

Women "don't have two years to wait"

Getting the measure on the 2022 ballot always was a long shot.

The petition drive did not start until May 17.

That followed the unusual leak of the draft opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito showing that the high court was prepared not only to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks, but to overturn its historic 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade which said women have a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

To meet the Thursday deadline, Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom would have had to gather more than 8,800 signatures each day in its all-volunteer effort. But McManus said the group had to try to put the issue on this year's ballot.

"Women in Arizona, they don't have two years to wait,'' she said.

The measure would have put a "right to reproductive freedom" in the Arizona Constitution. It would cover all matters related to pregnancy.

The initiative would have barred state and local governments from interfering with that right. And it would have covered issues ranging from contraception to elective termination of a pre-viable fetus.

It also would have allowed abortions at any stage of pregnancy "if the health or safety of the individual is at risk.''

To be hashed out in court

The status of abortion rights in Arizona right now is unclear.

The Arizona Court of Appeals issued an injunction in 1973 blocking the state and the Pima County Attorney's Office from enforcing the law that was then on the books. That came shortly after the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling.

Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich has said his office plans to ask Pima County Superior Court to dissolve that injunction, with a filing expected next week.

That injunction allowing abortion in Arizona might apply only to Pima County, as the lawsuit involved what at the time was Planned Parenthood of Tucson.

There's also the complicating factor that state lawmakers approved  and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed  legislation earlier this year that prohibits abortion after 15 weeks. That was modeled after the Mississippi law in case the Supreme Court simply upheld that statute but left Roe undisturbed.

The new Arizona law takes effect at the end of September.

Ducey contends it will supersede the territorial statute. But Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, who wrote the new legislation, said it specifically did not repeal the more stringent territorial law.

The governor said he expects the issue will have to be hashed out in court.

Separately, a group of doctors is going to federal court on Friday, July 8, to ask a judge to decide the legality and applicability of a provision in 2021 legislation that says Arizona law must be interpreted to acknowledge an unborn child is entitled to the same rights, privileges and immunities available to other citizens and residents of the state.

The Center for Reproductive Rights challenged that language last year. But Judge Douglas Rayes said he saw no reason to rule on it given that Roe v. Wade protected the right to abortion.

Now, the attorneys argue, that language could be used to prosecute doctors even in cases where the pre-1973 law permits abortion, such as to save the life of the mother.

Planned Parenthood opted out

The failure of the initiative to qualify comes after Planned Parenthood Arizona declined to support the initiative or work to get the signatures, even though McManus herself was a member of the board of the nonprofit arm of the organization when the petition drive started.

Chris Love, the immediate past president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the lobbying arm of the organization, told Capitol Media Services that it shares the same goal as the initiative supporters, which is to keep abortion legal in Arizona.

"However, we have different ideas about strategy,'' she said. And that starts with what Love said was the rush to put the issue on the year's ballot.

"With the large signature threshold and lack of time to plan, get data, draft perfect language, and fundraise, it just wasn't an effort we could support for the 2022 ballot,'' Love said.

"Additionally, we asked for inclusion of reproductive rights and justice organizations in crafting the language and strategy as we are the experts.'' She said initiative organizers refused, "which is their right.'' But Love said had there been a broader coalition up front  before the initiative drive was launched  some potential problems with the wording of the measure could have been worked out.

McManus, for her part, is not blaming Planned Parenthood even though she said she was forced to leave the board of directors after the organization said it did not want anyone associated with it involved with the initiative. In fact, she said she considers it a success that there were this many signatures gathered in such a short period of time by an all-volunteer organization.

"Where I do put the blame is on the way that the state has made it nearly impossible for ballot measures to get on the ballot,'' McManus said.

Some of that is based in the Arizona Constitution, which says proposed amendments need to get a number of signatures equivalent to 15% of the people who cast ballots in the last gubernatorial election. That's where the 356,467 figure comes from.

In addition, the Republican-controlled Legislature has enacted various other restrictions on ballot circulators and other technical requirements.

It amended the statutes to say petition drives have to be in "strict compliance'' with every election law, overruling court decisions that citizen initiatives needed only "substantial compliance.''

Andrew Feldman, a spokesman for Planned Parenthood, said the organization's focus now is "to elect pro-abortion champions up and down the ballot in the midterms and build a broad coalition to address this issue directly in 2024.''
By early next year, Pima Community College students will start learning advanced manufacturing skills in a spacious new building rapidly taking shape at Pimas Downtown Campus at Speedway and Stone Avenue.

The new three-story, $35 million Advanced Manufacturing building is the biggest component of Pimas evolving Center of Excellence in Applied Technology, which also includes the Automotive Technology and Innovation Center, which opened to students last summer, and the Science and Technology building, which will undergo a major renovation next year.

Greg Wilson, dean of applied technology at Pima, said the center of excellence at the Downtown campus is an effort to support employers and help workers adapt and succeed in a world rapidly changing with technology.

"Pima Community College recognizes that we as educators must adapt quickly to meet employers needs," Wilson said. "Our vision for the Center of Excellence is that in partnership with our community, we will provide high-quality, in-demand programs that cultivate an agile workforce."

Wilson said the Advanced Manufacturing building is on track for completion by Thanksgiving and the school will get the keys in early December.

Some classes will start in the the Advanced Manufacturing building in January, but others may take longer to set up due to longer timelines to set up furniture and computer equipment, Wilson said.

The new building will be home to Pimas Automated Industrial Technology, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Machining, and Welding programs and help support the schools numerous training partnerships with local industry.

Don Theriault, president of Tucson-based Industrial Tool, Die & Engineering Inc., said the Advanced Manufacturing building  planned in consultation with industry partners  will make Pima the top school in Arizona for state-of-the-art facilities and training.

PCC is leading the state of Arizona and this will to be a cutting-edge place for learning advanced manufacturing and robotics, said Theriault, a leader of the local industry group Southern Arizona Manufacturing Partners.

The automation and CAD programs continue to build up their robotics and 3D printing capabilities to respond to state-of-the-art workforce needs.

Among new programs, Pimas Automated Industrial Technology program is developing a micro-certification for robotics in partnership with the Arizona Advanced Technology Network, which includes the state Commerce Authority and private companies.

Pima, Maricopa County Community College and Central Arizona College have partnered under the network to develop a unified, industry-recognized curriculum specifically designed to teach the skills needed for high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs.

Overall, Pima had nearly 700 documented partnerships with employers in Pima County and Southern Arizona in 2020, including industry leaders like Caterpillar and Trane and self-driving truck startup TuSimple.

The renovations to the Science and Technology building will start during the Spring 2023 semester as the school moves the heavy equipment and machinery out of that structure and into the Advanced Manufacturing building, Wilson said.

The renovation of the west wing of the Science and Technology building next year will allow the schools building and construction technology programs to expand from 2,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet.

And the two-story, 50,000-square-foot Automotive Technology and Innovation Center, which cost $12.5 million, has enabled Pima to add programs in diesel, electric and autonomous vehicles and to increase brand-specific training.

Aviation expansion

Across its other campuses, Pima has invested in Centers of Excellence in aviation technology, health professions, information technology and cybersecurity, public safety and security and hospitality and tourism.

Across town at Tucson International Airport, Pimas highly-rated Aviation Technology program is nearing completion of a $15 million expansion project that includes a new hangar and student facilities and will roughly double its footprint and student capacity.

Jason Bowersock, academic director for the aviation program, said the expansion project is expected to be substantially complete by the end of July.

Our goal is to have all of the furniture, equipment, and IT (information technology) in place by the end of August so that we can kick off the 2023 academic year in the new facility, Bowersock said.

The programs Airframe and Powerplant courses are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and run year-round, with a waiting list for enrollment.

Pima's program is one of a handful of programs in which students learn hands-on working on full-size jetliners, and graduates are snapped up by local aircraft maintenance and overhaul firms including Bombardier Aerospace and Ascent Aviation as well as companies across the nation.
National parks in Arizona welcomed 10.7 million visitors who pumped $1.12 billion into local economies in 2021, both sharp increases from the pandemic-induced lows of the year before, according to the National Park Service.

While the numbers were still shy of their pre-pandemic levels, in the state and nationally, Arizona tourism officials were not complaining about the report for 2021.

Its a huge part of our city, Flagstaff Mayor Paul Deasy said of national park tourism. Small business is the backbone to most economies. And tourism is the way that our small businesses are able to survive and thrive.

In Arizona, the number of visitors in 2021 was down from 12.5 million in 2019, when the amount spent by tourists was $1.3 billion. But both of the 2021 numbers were a vast improvement over the intervening year, when COVID-19 pushed visitors down to 7.6 million and spending on gas, lodging, food and more to $711 million.

That pattern was repeated at Grand Canyon National Park, which remained the states most popular national park. It saw visitors go from 5.9 million in 2019 to 2.9 million in 2020 before bouncing back to 4.5 million visitors last year.

But some parks in the region actually bested their pre-pandemic numbers in 2021. Visitors to Saguaro National Park spent $10 million more than they did in 2019, and Zion National Park in southern Utah saw spending rise by $409 million, a 158% increase over the same period. The number of visitors to Lake Mead in 2021 was 104,425 higher than in 2019.

That Grand Canyon did not match the surges posted by other parks in the region is not concerning, at all, said Brian Drapeaux, deputy superintendent for the Grand Canyon National Park.

We dont really look at how we compare visitations to other national parks, he said. Unlike many of the other large parks in the country, were a year-round park. A lot of the parks are seasonal parks, and so theyll get crushed when theyre open.

Drapeaux expects the number of visitors to rise this year as international travel returns to pre-pandemic norms.

Considering the tight travel restrictions and health safety concerns, the 4.5 million Grand Canyon National Park visitors in 2021 are still really amazing numbers, Drapeaux said.

The NPS report said visitors to Grand Canyon National Park spent $710 million last year in local gateway economies, or communities near the park, up from $433 million in 2020.

Nationally, the number of visitors to national parks went from 327 million in 2019 to 237 million in 2020 before climbing back to 297 million last year. Spending over the same period went from $21 billion to $14.5 billion and then back to $20.5 billion.

The park service report ranked Arizona sixth among states for visitor spending and fifth for the total economic output from its national parks. It said Arizonas 22 national park sites generated $1.8 billion in economic output and supported 16,074 jobs that paid $627.6 million in salaries.

Park visitors support their nearby communities because they bring visitors there, said Josh Coddington, director of communications at Arizona Office of Tourism.

Visitors typically will stop and eat and buy gas and stay the night in different places in our communities across the state, he said.

The diverse landscape and natural wonders Arizona offers will continuously bring tourism dollars to the state, Coddington said.

With more tourists expected in coming years, Coddington said the focus will need to shift to managing what he called an anticipated national park tourism boom.

These places and experiences, these amazing natural places that people have enjoyed for many, many years, how do we do it in a way that reduces the impact on that place? Coddington asked. It needs to be here for future generations to enjoy.
Son Do, left, and Chinh Pham, owners of Sochi Saigonese Kitchen, are among the Chicago-area restaurants being targeted by scammers with one-star reviews on Google followed by an email requesting $75 to make the bad reviews stop, July 7, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Internet scammers are targeting numerous Chicago restaurants, leaving one-star reviews on their Google profiles, and then asking for money to make them go away.

Suspicious one-star reviews have popped up on the profiles of a number of the citys acclaimed restaurants, both new and old, including Adalina, EL Ideas, Elske, Ever, Galit, Next Restaurant, Nomi Kitchen, North Pond, Oriole, Parachute, Porto, Sochi Saigonese Kitchen and Topolobampo. Many are recipients of Michelin stars or Bib Gourmand designations, highly prestigious accolades in the restaurant industry.

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Sochi co-owner Chinh Pham noticed the problem 10 days ago, as first reported by Eater Chicago. She asked her staff if any customers had complained in person, but they hadnt noticed anything substantial, Pham told the Tribune on Thursday. So she tried to forget about it.

If someone doesnt like the restaurant, then I can ignore it, Pham said. But the reviews just kept coming.

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[ Review: Sochi Saigonese Kitchen is a Vietnamese restaurant of subtle surprises in Lakeview (2 stars) ]

Each day, a few more one-star reviews would show up, though none of the people who left them included a comment or explanation. Eventually, Pham checked OpenTable to see if any of the names matched with the reservations, but none did. I started having suspicions that something was happening, she said Thursday.

Then the restaurant got an email from someone asking for a $75 Google Play gift card to make the negative reviews stop.

Pham tried to contact Google, but hasnt been able to get in touch with anyone at the company.

I got a message saying that they will get back to me in two to three business days, but its been almost 10 days, Pham said. It makes me feel very scared. There is no one to help at all. Theres no customer service. But we have no choice, because these days a restaurant cant survive without Google.

A Google Maps spokesperson said Thursday evening the company was investigating this situation and have already begun removing cases of policy-violating content.

It kind of cracks me up that scammers would think to extort restaurants, chef Phillip Foss said, shown here in 2013 at EL Ideas. The past few years have been terrible for us. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Phillip Foss, chef and owner of EL Ideas, said he first noticed the negative reviews Wednesday, and then received an email asking for money. Foss has flagged each suspicious review on Google but had not heard back from the company as of Thursday.

Adalina, a newer Italian restaurant in the Gold Coast neighborhood, has tried responding to its dozen recent one-star reviews on Google by leaving this message: To all customers reading this review: this review comes from a scammer outside the United States who is threatening our business with negative reviews unless we pay them money. This user has never been a customer of our business, and the review is fraudulent.

A pedestrian walks by Adalina Italian restaurant in Chicago on May 5, 2021. Adalina is among the many Chicago restaurants being target by Internet scammers leaving one-star reviews on their Google profiles. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Many of the restaurants receiving the one-star reviews have been popular with critics and customers. Ever, which opened with a $285 tasting menu at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, received a four-star review from former Tribune critic Phil Vettel, and is one of just five Chicago-area restaurants with at least two Michelin stars. Sochi received a very good two-star rating in the Tribunes June review, and longer-standing restaurants such as Elske, Next, North Pond and Parachute continue to receive praise and business amid a bruising pandemic.

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[ Review: Can a $285, 10-course tasting menu succeed during the coronavirus pandemic? Ever rises to the challenge (4 stars) ]

Several of the targeted restaurants received identical emails claiming responsibility for the negative reviews and stating the scammers need the Google Play gift cards because they see no other way to survive, according to one of the emails, which the Tribune reviewed.

The sender claims they are from India and will resell the gift cards at a lower price for profit. We hope that this amount will not be critical for you, the email says of the $75 gift cards. We sincerely apologize for our actions, and would not want to harm your business, but we have no other choice.

Ever restaurant confirmed Thursday it received two emails demanding $75 in gift cards to make the bad reviews stop, but declined to comment otherwise. And restaurants in San Francisco say theyre being targeted with the same ploy, according to Eater San Francisco.

This isnt the first time scammers have targeted Chicago-area restaurants in the past few months. Bien Trucha Groups Facebook account was recently hacked, and owners were stuck watching as thousands of dollars in advertising were charged to the restaurants credit cards.

After two weeks of fruitless efforts to contact Facebook, and a June 29 article in the Chicago Tribune, Bien Truchas access to its three affected Facebook pages was restored beginning June 30. Its credit card companies were also able to reverse the fraudulent charges, meaning there was no lasting financial harm, owners told the Tribune.

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[ Bien Truchas Facebook page was hacked. Two weeks and thousands of dollars later, its still not fixed. ]

And while there might not be a tangible effect yet  the 11 one-star reviews posted about EL Ideas over the past four days, for example, account for just under 4% of the restaurants total 294 reviews on Google  the impact of negative reviews online can be daunting.

Juliana Gruenwald, a spokeswoman for the Federal Trade Commission, said the agency would not comment on this specific scheme, but did say in a statement that posting fake reviews would be a violation of the FTC Act.

Businesses should not pay scammers, her statement said. They should report fake reviews to the platform where they were posted, including evidence of communications with the scammers, to try to get them taken down.

The FTC also encourages businesses to report incidents to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, their state attorney general and the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov/.

It stands to reason that more positive reviews will drive up business, and a 2017 study by a Harvard business professor found that for every additional star a restaurant gains on Yelp, revenue grows by 5% to 9%. And while customers are potentially suspicious of restaurants without any negative reviews, revenue starts to take a hit once more than 35% of the total reviews are negative, according to a 2019 analysis of 30,000 restaurants review data by marketing firm Womply, which also sells software to help businesses manage online reviews.

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Over the years, review sites have added measures to ward against flurries of reviews prompted by media coverage, accusations of racist behavior, or other reasons unrelated to someones in-person experience with a business. Last year, Google said it removed 95 million reviews flagged as fake, abusive or otherwise in violation of its policies, and disabled 1 million accounts for such activity.

But seeing the spike in bad reviews is still an unsettling experience, particularly in such a precarious industry, restaurant owners said.

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As much as I would like it to be different, people do look to online reviews before dining, Foss said Thursday.

He said he hopes the matter gets resolved quickly, but hes trying not to get too upset about it.

It kind of cracks me up that scammers would think to extort restaurants, Foss said. The past few years have been terrible for us.

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nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com

Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here.
PHOENIX  Gov. Doug Ducey penned his signature Thursday to creating the most comprehensive system of private and parochial school vouchers in the nation, paving the way for a petition drive to have voters kill it  again.

Our kids will no longer be locked in underperforming schools, Ducey said in a prepared statement.

Every family in Arizona should have access to a high-quality education with dedicated teachers, he continued. This is truly a win for all K-12 students.

The Republican governor has said the law, which will allow any of the 1.1 million children in Arizona public schools to get what are called empowerment scholarship accounts, will make the state the gold standard for educational freedom.

Duceys blessing was never in doubt. He has signed every voucher expansion bill that has come to his desk since becoming governor in 2015.

But its not the last word.

The petitions to force a public vote on the issue already were printed and signature gathering begins in earnest this weekend, said Beth Lewis, executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona.

The organization of teachers and education groups has until the end of the day on Sept. 23 to gather at least 118,823 valid signature on petitions that would keep the new law from taking effect until the next general election. Because that date would be too late to put the issue on the November 2022 ballot, that effectively would put the whole program on hold until at least November 2024.

Lewis said a more permanent solution is needed, however.

Arizona voters are absolutely exhausted with this nonsense, she told Capitol Media Services.

Voters previously quashed plan

What started out in 2011 as a program to provide an alternative to public schools for students with disabilities and special needs has grown as voucher supporters have succeeded in adding more and more categories.

The current law now provides vouchers that typically are in the range of about $7,000 to children from foster homes, military families, living on tribal reservations and attending schools rated D or F.

About 11,775 students currently get such vouchers.

The law Ducey signed would remove all the restrictions so any of the 1.1 million students in public schools could get public funding to attend a private or parochial school. Parents who home school also would be in line for those funds.

Lewis said the referendum drive should come as no surprise.

Lawmakers approved a large expansion in 2017. Her organizations got the signatures to put that plan on hold until the 2018 election, when voters quashed the legislation by a margin of 2-1.

House Majority Leader Ben Toma, R-Peoria, the architect of this years plan, said what happened in 2018 is irrelevant.

He said some voucher supporters actually voted against that earlier plan specifically because it did not make all students eligible for vouchers. Instead, to get the votes, supporters had to agree to a cap of about 30,000 vouchers by 2021, a lid that would remain in place unless and until lawmakers decided otherwise.

More to the point, Toma said had the measure been approved, it would have been frozen in law. Thats because the Voter Protection Act in the Arizona Constitution precludes lawmakers from repealing whatever has been enacted at the ballot and restricts alterations only to measures that further the purpose of the original bill.

Lewis called Tomas explanation of the failure of voucher expansion in 2018 complete hogwash.

Cost estimates

The lobbying of state lawmakers to approve the measure featured a parade of parents and children who said they are doing a lot better in private schools. The public campaign is likely to follow the same script.

Lewis said that wont work for a simple reason: Nothing in the referendum would take vouchers away from students who already get them.

What the law would do is make more students eligible for the state dollars. That would include students whose parents already pay to send their children to private schools.

Estimates are that about 85,000 of these children would switch to state funding by the 2024-2025 school year at a cost of about $118 million a year.

That does not bother supporters of the plan, including the governor.

Everybody listening that has a child when this law goes into effect will have access to their taxpayer dollars to send their child to the school of their choice, Ducey said Wednesday on KTAR before signing it.

Were the No. 1 state for educational freedom, he said. Other states are going to be following us.

Lewis, however, rejected any argument that people who already send their children to private schools without a voucher effectively are being asked to pay not only for the service they are buying but the service they are not getting from the public schools. She said thats the way democracy works.

We all pay into the system, Lewis said.

Like because I dont use the fire system this year, Im lucky enough to not use firefighters, I should give that money back? she continued. Thats nonsense.

Issue of standardized tests

There is something else that could give voucher foes some ammunition.

An early version of the legislation would have required that students in private and parochial schools using these vouchers of state funds to take some standardized tests, similar to those already administered in public schools. The results, as in the case of public schools, would have been reported on an aggregate basis.

That requirement was removed from the final version by Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, who said whats happening at private schools is none of the governments business.

But voucher foes like Rep. Kelli Butler, D-Paradise Valley, said the fact that tax dollars will be flowing to those schools is precisely what gives the state an interest.

We will not know if students are using our tax dollars  $7,000 is the typical award  if theyre using that money to learn anything, she said during legislative debate.

Ducey waited until Thursday afternoon, the last possible day for him to act on legislation from the just-completed legislative session. That cut 10 days from the time that referendum backers have to get their signatures, as the deadline falls 90 days after the end of the session, regardless of when the governor acts.

Lewis said shes not concerned.

Were teachers, she said. We know how to plan behind the scenes and get ready.
Editor's note: This story was originally published on March 8, 2022. Noodies opened on April 15, 2022.

Noodies! When owner Carolyn OConnor says the word out loud, it sounds like a party, a celebration.

The name belongs to her new pasta restaurant, opening later this month, in the space formerly occupied by Bentleys House of Coffee and Tea. Carolyn is totally re-imagining the place, complete with a mural painted by a friend who happens to experiment with abstract noodle shapes. There isnt a better word for it than fun.

Noodies is a Tucson inheritance. But its lineage, like sister restaurant Ceres, comes from all over. If Ceres is inspired by the pastries and pasta of northern Italy, Noodies draws material from the checkered-tablecloth Italian-American of Syracuse, with some help by way of Hong Kong.

Syracuse is Carolyns hometown. Its where she was pregnant, scrolling Pinterest, when the algorithm realized she needed more brightly-colored images of cha chaan teng  American-style diners in Hong Kong, where you can get condensed-milk French toast and macaroni soup. Those hues inspire the setting of Noodies today, if not the menu.

Though both restaurants share the foundation of Carolyns handmade pasta, Carolyn is clear that each restaurant is its own concept. Ceres always felt like my baby. The first time going into something, everything was really new. Because of that everything feels so precious  Noodies felt almost like having a second child  Noodies is colorful; the food is a little more gluttonous and cheesy. I see it as a wild second child or something.

While you will be able to get your favorite sauces from Ceres at Noodies  the tomato basil, the bolognese, the cacio e pepe  Noodies larger kitchen allows Carolyn to expand the menu. Youll be able to add Italian sausage, meatballs and burrata to your order. Unlike Ceres lunch counter, Noodies will have both indoor and outdoor seating. Their menu will also offer sandwiches Carolyn misses from her hometown, like meatball subs and Italian grinders.

Though Carolyn never thought she would go into the restaurant business  her parents are in academics  her mothers hospitality inspires Carolyns restaurants.

My mom, shes a really good cook, and she loves having a real dinner. She sets the table, puts out napkins, does all this stuff, makes a whole beautiful meal and a pie, tea and coffee, so she creates this whole experience for people, and it makes people feel so loved and appreciated. Its also a legacy in my own family, taking care of people through food, she said.

The also responds to Noodies more apparent legacy: Noodies is taking over the lease of her mother-in-law Jo Schneiders first restaurant, Bentleys, which occupied that space for over two decades. If Carolyns own mother gave her a love for feeding her community, Carolyns mother-in-law inspired her to make service her livelihood.

Going into the restaurant business or being an entrepreneur was so different than what I expected (for my life). The trust (the Schneider family has) put in me, the support, how theyre always there for me, with anything. Its such a testament to their kindness and generosity. I think Jo does that for a lot of people in this community, giving people a chance when maybe other people wouldnt, and let them shine, she said of Jo, who owns downtowns LaCo.

At both Ceres and Noodies, Carolyn aspires to be that support system for her own employees. She hosts weekly tasting sessions for staff, where they all sample the specials, the soft-serve flavors and give feedback. Everyone who works there respects everyone else and works really hard. Its such a good thing for workplace morale. Its very collaborative, so everyone feels really listened to, Carolyn said.

Theres two staff at Ceres who have been there since the day we opened, she said. They now know how to do everything. Theyre more or less managing Ceres for the shifts, every day  I really wouldnt have been able to take on the new project without them.

Workers at Ceres have to be able to do it all: cook pasta and take orders and make espresso  because the space to work is tiny. Though the larger venue at Noodies allows for more specialization, people working in the front versus the back of house, Carolyn aspires for the restaurants to cross-pollinate.

I have everyone try cooking lunch. I love it so much. Its really fast  I think a lot of women, especially, are really intimidated to go into a kitchen and work in a line  I think giving people the chance who wouldnt maybe necessarily think thats a good fit for them, the opportunity to cook in a fast-paced place, and realize: I could be really good at this.

We just started accepting resumes for Noodies. Im not sure what the kitchen will look like, or the front of house. We wrote that all are welcome to apply. I really hope people will.

Noodies

Location: 1726 E. Speedway

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday-Monday.

For more information, check out their Instagram.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  A Mexican drug cartel accused in the gruesome killings of nine women and children from an offshoot Mormon community must pay $1.5 billion to the families, a federal judge from North Dakota ruled.

The family members of the victims filed a lawsuit accusing the Juarez cartel of carrying out the November 2019 attack in Mexico as retribution for their public criticism and protests against the cartel. Cartel members fired hundreds of rounds of ammunition into vehicles and then set them on fire. Mexican authorities said in 2020 that the mastermind of the attack was one of 17 people arrested.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Clare Hochhalter's award will be automatically tripled under federal Anti-Terrorism Act, increasing the amount to $4.6 billion. The government can freeze assets of terrorist organizations, but it's unclear if the U.S. Treasury Department holds any cartel assets.

The Bismarck Tribune reported that the cartel did not respond to a published summons or have representation at a trial in North Dakota in March.

The surviving family members include two widowers of women killed who were working in North Dakota at the time the suit was filed. Their lawyer said various family members were living in the state and working in the oil industry while traveling back and forth to Mexico.

We went into a United States courtroom in North Dakota seeking some acknowledgement of and measure of justice for the trauma inflicted on our family and we received it, said David Langford, the husband of one of the victims.
Tom Gilbert Chief Photographer I joined the Tulsa World in 1988 after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma. I lived in Saudi Arabia before graduating from Broken Arrow High School. I'm married to Karen Gilbert and have three grown children. Phone: 918-581-8349 Follow Tom Gilbert Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Tulsa has two big beer events to look forward to this summer  one of them has been around awhile, and one of them is brand new. Heres what you need to know:

Tulsa Tonk

The Craft Brewers Association and the Made in Oklahoma Coalition have teamed up to host the inaugural Tulsa Tonk Festival on July 30 at Guthrie Green.

The ticketed beer festival will feature Oklahoma-made beer, food and merchandise.

Festival-goers interested in craft beer will experience beer samples from 30 Oklahoma breweries all along Reconciliation Way in front of the Woody Guthrie Museum. VIP ticket holders will receive a festival cup and one-hour early admission starting at 4 p.m. Regular ticket holders will get access from 5-8 p.m. and three hours of unlimited beer samples and a festival cup.

Live honky tonk music will kick off at 4 p.m. and continue throughout the night. Local musicians include Taylor Hunnicut, Chris Blevins, Joe Mack and Carter Sampson.

The free portion of the event will include Made in Oklahoma Coalition vendors for guests to eat and shop as well as on-site festival shirt screen printing, sponsor booths, food trucks and yard games.

We are so excited to blend both Oklahoma brewers and local makers for an evening in Tulsa, said Tabbi Burwell, executive director for the Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma. The idea of supporting local with food, drinks and music is the foundation of what our two organizations do daily, and coming together and blending our audiences in the heart of Tulsa will make for a memorable evening that you walk away feeling good about supporting.

Tickets are $40 for general admission and $65 for VIP and are available at events.ontaptix.com.

Participating breweries and vendors attending Tulsa Tonk: American Solera, Angry Scotsman Brewing, Anthem Brewing, Cabin Boys Brewery, Canadian River Brewing Co., Cooper and Mill Brewing Co., Dead Armadillo Brewery, Eerie Abbey Ales, Expedinture Brewery, Good Cause Brewing, Nothings Left Brewing Co., Roughtail Brewing, Settlers Brewing Company, Skydance Brewing, Heirloom Rustic Ales, High Gravity Brewing Company, Iron Monk, Kochendorfer Brewing Co., Lively Beerworks, Marshall Brewing Company, NEFF Brewing, Nothings Left, OK Cider Co, Pearl Beach Brew Pub, Prairie Artisan Ales, Renaissance Brewing Co., Stonecloud Brewing Co., The Nook Brewing Company, Vanessa House Beer Company, Pancho Anaya Mexican Bakery, Schwab Meat Co., Oklahomas Own Ozarka Water, Sams Tulsa, Sixth Day Snacks, Trucker Treats, Heartland, OKC Brews Magazine, Flying G Beef Jerky, Mountain View Meats, Made in Oklahoma Coalition, Salt Prairie Ceramics, True Chiefs and Pottery by Jezz.

Wild Brew

Wild Brew is back to an in-person event Aug. 27 at the Cox Business Center. The fundraiser is for the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center near Bartlesville.

Wild Brew started in an unairconditioned hanger at Tulsa International Airport in 1999 when it was a fundraiser for the Nature Conservancy.

Twenty-three years later, the event is more local than ever, with numerous local breweries producing beer for the masses and local restaurants serving up food.

This is Oklahomas longest-running beer festival. Tickets range in price and can be purchased at tix.com/ticket-sales/suttoncenter/6757

Rogue Vodka

Rogue Ales & Spirits has released a new product that will support clean oceans and beaches. Bayfront Vodka was released from the distillery on Yaquina Bay on the Oregon coast.

Every bottle sold gives 10% to nonprofit organizations such as SOLVE to keep beaches and waterways clean and healthy.

Weve been crafting world-class spirits since 2003 at our home in Newport on the Oregon Coast, says Steven Garrett, VP of Business Development. Our spirits are crafted from quality ingredients and have a strong sense of origin. We use fresh picked cucumbers and botanicals in our gins, our whiskeys are aged in oak barrels that breathe the cool, moist Pacific air, and our vodka is distilled to help protect the gorgeous coastline in our backyard.

Bayfront Vodka has also garnered top-tier industry recognition. In 2020, it received a Silver Award from the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a Bronze at the Sunset International Spirits Competition.

Most recently, Bayfront Vodka was awarded the highest honor, the Best of Class  Platinum Award from the 2022 International SIP Awards.

Our most exclusive award is reserved for premium spirits receiving scores in the pinnacle of their respective categories, said Cher Holmes, Director of Operations of the SIP Awards. The Best of Class medal expresses the highest acclaim from consumer judges. In its 14th year of record-breaking growth, the 2022 SIP competition saw a new record high of over 1,270 spirit and mixer brand entries from all over the world. This large field of entrants makes even a SIP Awards Bronze medal an impressive accomplishment, as many competitors went home without any recognition.

You can order the Bayfront Vodka here.

For more information, go to rogue.com.

What the Ale, Beers of the Week: COOP Ale Works releases new lagers for the summer
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden on Friday condemned the extreme Supreme Court majority that ended a constitutional right to abortion and delivered an impassioned plea for Americans upset by the decision to vote, vote, vote, vote in November. Under mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful in response to the ruling, he signed an executive order to try to protect access to the procedure.

The actions Biden outlined are intended to head off some potential penalties that women seeking abortion may face after the ruling, but his order cannot restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions.

Biden acknowledged the limitations facing his office, saying it would require an act of Congress to restore nationwide access to the way it was before the June 24 decision.

The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law, Biden said. The challenge is go out and vote. For Gods sake there is an election in November!"

Biden's action formalized instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical abortion services. He was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.

His executive order also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities  an effort to protect women who seek or obtain abortion services. He is also asking the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online and establish a task force to coordinate federal efforts to safeguard access to abortion.

Biden is also directing his staff to line up volunteer lawyers to provide women and providers with pro bono legal assistance to help them navigate new state restrictions.

The order comes as Biden has faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect womens access to abortion. The court's decision in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Since the decision, Biden has stressed that his ability to protect abortion rights by executive action is limited without congressional action, and stressed that Democrats do not have the votes in the current Congress to do so.

We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice House to codify Roe," he said. "Your vote can make that a reality.

Biden for the first time last week announced his support for changing Senate rules to allow a measure to restore nationwide access to abortion to pass by simple majority, rather than the usual 60-vote threshold required to end a filibuster. However, at least two Democratic lawmakers have made clear they wont support changing Senate rules.

He predicted that women would turn out in record numbers in frustration over the court's decision, and said he expected "millions and millions of men will be taking up the fight beside them.

On Friday, he repeated his sharp criticism of the Supreme Court's reasoning in striking down what had been a half-century constitutional right to abortion.

Lets be clear about something from the very start: This was not a decision driven by the Constitution," Biden said. He accused the court's majority of playing fast and loose with the facts."

He spoke emotionally of a 10-year-old Ohio girl reported to have been forced to travel out of state to terminate a pregnancy after being raped, noting that some states have instituted abortion bans that don't have exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

A 10-year-old should be forced to give birth to a rapist's child?" an incredulous Biden nearly shouted. I cant think of anything more extreme.

Biden added that in the November congressional elections, the choice we face as a nation is between the mainstream or the extreme.

His directions to the Justice Department and HHS push the agencies to fight in court to protect women, but the order conveys no guarantees that the judicial system will take their side against potential prosecution by states that have moved to outlaw abortion.

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju called Biden's order "an important first step in restoring the rights taken from millions of Americans by the Supreme Court.

But Lawrence Gostin, who runs the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, described Bidens plans as underwhelming.

Theres nothing that I saw that would affect the lives of ordinary poor women living in red states," he said.

Gostin encouraged Biden to take a more forceful approach toward ensuring access to medication abortion across the country and said Medicaid should consider covering transportation to other states for the purposes of getting abortions.

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, recently told the AP that the agency had been looking at whether Medicaid could cover travel for abortions, but acknowledged that Medicaids coverage of abortion is extremely limited.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser condemned Biden's order, saying, President Biden has once again caved to the extreme abortion lobby, determined to put the full weight of the federal government behind promoting abortion.

Bidens move was the latest scramble to protect the data privacy of those contemplating or seeking abortion, as regulators and lawmakers reckon with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling.

Privacy experts say women could be vulnerable if their personal data is used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion  or medical care for a miscarriage  as well as those who assist them, experts say.

Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states  serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebooks Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Local prosecutors may go before sympathetic judges to obtain search warrants for users data.

Last month four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data to third parties.

AP writers Aamer Madhani, Marcy Gordon and Hillary Powell contributed to this report.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahomas favorite sons came home on Thursday.

The portraits of actor and humorist Will Rogers, Olympic gold medalist Jim Thorpe, U.S. Sen. Robert Kerr and Cherokee syllabary creator Sequoyah were remounted on the Oklahoma Capitols fourth-floor rotunda following nearly six years in storage while the building was being renovated.

These works are some of the most iconic pieces here on the fourth floor underneath the dome, said Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples.

The way the works are presented has changed, she said.

The paintings will appear like they are floating in these different niches, she said.

They join more than 500 other works of art returning to the Capitol.

About 90% of the artwork will be installed by the end of the year, she said. The reinstallation began on June 6.

The life-size portraits were done by the late Charles Banks Wilson, who also painted the four murals underneath the dome depicting the states history from the 1500s to the pre-statehood era.

Wilsons portrait, painted by Mike Wimmer, is also in the Capitol. Wilson died in 2013.

The portraits of Rogers, Thorpe, Kerr and Sequoyah were commissioned by the Legislature in 1960, Sharples said, and Wilson produced them from about 1960 to 1968.

The Oklahoma Arts Council has designed a curatorial plan that is chronological, providing visitors the opportunity to understand state history from pre-statehood to the present, Sharples said.

We are going to have areas we feature, like indigenous and Native American history and our connection to our indigenous tribes, western heritage, hall of heroes for our military and veteran-connected individuals and so on, she said.

Sharples said it will be a great way to teach history and art.

On the first floor, African American history and civil rights will be featured, including Tulsas Black Wall Street, she said.

The renovation of the Capitol triggered the states Art in Public Places Program, directing 1.5% of the cost of the project up to $1 million to artwork, she said.

With that, we have commissioned nearly 20 works that are going to then help fill in the new spaces in the Capitol, she said.

The new pieces will include a portrait of the late Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller and the World War I Choctaw code talkers, Sharples said.

Sharples called the Capitol the largest public art museum in the state, featuring works worth multiple millions of dollars.

Lawmakers approved $245 million in bonds for repairs to the interior and exterior of the Capitol, which had electrical, plumbing and structural problems. The bulk of the work was recently completed.

The artwork returning represents a major aspect of the Capitol renovations being finished, said Trait Thompson, Oklahoma Historical Society executive director.
Lankford's objection prevented the bill from being accepted unanimously, meaning it must go through a longer process for approval. Although Lankford's objection stopped the measure, he is not the only Republican opposed to it.




NEWS PROVIDED BY

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

July 8, 2022



NEW YORK, July 8, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following article was written by the Catholic League communications director Michael P. McDonald:

While National Public Radio's (NPR) decision to break with its thirty-plus-year tradition of reading the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July to discuss Critical Race Theory has drawn the ire of many commentators, on the very same day, NPR, using the taxpayers' dollars, ran a more pernicious segment on "the importance of inclusion in sex education."

In the course of its reporting, NPR assaulted parental rights, promoted pleasure-oriented sex education, and downplayed the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Any radio station advocating for such harmful ideas should run the risk of losing its broadcast license, but for NPR to do so with public funding goes beyond the pale.

To frame this conversation, NPR host Leila Fadel began by attacking parental rights. Fadel noted that on July 1st Florida's Parental Rights in Education law went into effect. Rather than using its proper name, she labeled it the "don't say gay law." Moreover, Fadel said the whole point of the Florida law, and similar legislation proposed in other states, is "to restrict the rights of LGBTQ youth."

A fairer analysis would have pointed out that the Florida law aims to protect young children from inappropriate instruction about sex while also empowering parents to have more control over what their children learn about this subject. However, these facts only get in the way of rehashing trite partisan talking points.

NPR's "Life Kit" reporter Lilly Quiroz spoke with "sexuality educator Milena Gioconda Davis," who told the audience that sex "would be, like, pleasure-oriented experiences or interactions that involve some sort of arousal."

Quiroz also interviewed Ericka Hart, "a sexuality educator with a focus in racial, social, and gender justice." She, too, believes that sex education should be pleasure-oriented. She argued that "young people should explore their genitals" so that they can "say, like, this is what feels good for my bodyright?and this is what doesn't feel good for my body."

If this was not harmful enough, the segment ended with an effort to remove the "stigma" associated with STDs. For this, Quiroz brought back Gioconda Davis to explain that the idea that STDs "make you dirty...is just a terrible lie. And also...if you get an [STD], your sex life is over. Like, nomost [STDs] are curable or treatable, and it doesn't have to be, like, this mark of shame."

This is not even sound advice, and nothing about it is educational. Rather than teach children that STDs can cause irreparable harmeven deathand the best way to avoid STDs is to practice abstinence, NPR would rather focus on removing the stigma associated with these diseases.

NPR grew out of a movement in the early 20th century to use radio broadcasts to help educate local communities and provide a public service. Today, it appears that NPR has entirely abandoned this calling.

At no point in this segment did NPR offer anything of educational value. Instead, it used the American taxpayers' hard-earned dollars to attack the rights of parents, promote pleasure-oriented sexual education, and downplay the dangers of STDs. It did all of this on our dime. It is past time to defund NPR.
TOKYO  Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in heart failure after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday.

The broadcaster aired footage showing Abe collapsed on the street, with several security guards running toward him. Abe was holding his chest when he collapsed, with his shirt smeared with blood. NHK said Abe was rushed to a hospital.

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Abe was in Nara campaigning ahead of Sundays election for the parliaments upper house and was giving a speech when people heard a gunshot.

Police arrested a male suspect at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder, NHK said.

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The attack was a shock in a country thats one of the worlds safest and with some of the strictest gun control laws.

Former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls to the ground Friday in Nara, Japan. Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech, NHK public television said Friday. (/AP)

The term heart failure means the heart cannot sufficiently pump blood and supply necessary oxygen to the rest of the body. In Japan, officials sometimes use the term to describe situations where victims are no longer alive but before a formal declaration of death has been made.

It was not immediately clear how serious Abes injuries were or if he was still displaying vital signs.

Abe, 67, stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said a chronic health problem had resurfaced. Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment.

He told reporters at the time that it was gut-wrenching to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence on Aug. 28, 2020, in Tokyo. (Franck Robichon/Pool/Getty Images North America/TNS)

His ultranationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to normalize Japans defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Supporters of Abe said his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies, too, by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament despite strong public opposition.

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Abe is a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel expressed sadness and shock at the shooting. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan, he said on Twitter.
The city of Tulsas efforts to establish an outside police liaison appear to be a promising, unique model for the city.

The details, including a proper name, havent been worked out, but Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum told reporter Kevin Canfield the idea has broad support and could be implemented later this year.

The external liaison would be a person or group of people who would hear from citizens about their interactions with police. Residents could voice their concerns and file complaints with the liaison program, which would not be located in a police building.

It would not be part of the Tulsa Police Department but would have a direct line to Chief Wendell Franklin and his administrators.

This model isnt like the proposed Office of the Independent Monitor or other types of citizen review boards. It would not have disciplinary power or authority to review specific instances.

For some, this wont go far enough. For others, it may be too much meddling. If both ends arent happy, its probably a good idea.

The introduction of a liaison comes from growing calls for more citizen involvement with police for greater transparency. Those appeals are getting stronger and are rooted in distrust, particularly among minority and marginalized people.

The concerns among law enforcement is this could ramp up into citizens, who may be uninformed about police practices, having disciplinary power or interfere with internal investigations. We wouldnt want that either.

There is a middle, and this concept appears to fit that description. A working group with the City Council and Tulsa Police Department is examining how to create the program.

We are encouraged by Franklins embrace of the model, saying it could be a way to improve communication: I further believe people should be provided appropriate feedback regarding their complaints, compliments, and inquiries. Perhaps this will be the way. I am working with city officials to develop scope, processes, and direction.

We add that transparency ought to be at the heart of the liaison program; that the public should be able to see what problems are being brought and how those are being resolved.

The program wont be perfect, and success will largely depend on who fills the role of the liaison. But this gets closer to solving Tulsas problems.

We applaud Bynum and city councilors who stuck with the issue to find common ground. We encourage city leaders to move forward even if this doesnt include all that is desired.

Its a starting place, and, as with all programs, it will be updated and changed as time progresses, making this a truly Tulsa-centric program.

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Despite the sharp increase in airfares, a large number of passengers are still crowding Vietnamese airports on a regular basis as demand skyrockets during the summer travel season.

It is now almost impossible to find cheap flight tickets, even if passengers choose to travel early in the morning or late at night.

Thu Yen, a Ho Chi Minh City resident, said she recently bought two round-trip tickets to central Da Nang City at VND6.7 million (US$286).

Her flight to Da Nang will depart at 6:00 am so she will have to wake up very early to get to the airport.

The airfare is as expensive as that during the Lunar New Year period, Yen complained, referring to Vietnam's Tet holiday.

This is unbelievable.

On the websites of some Vietnamese airlines, the prices of flight tickets to tourist destinations in Vietnam in July and August have jumped sharply.

Flights along the Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi route currently cost about VND2.3-4 million ($98-171) per ticket, up 20-30 percent compared to June.

A one-way ticket between Hanoi and Phu Quoc is offered at VND1.9-3.5 million ($81-150), while that for the Ho Chi Minh City-Da Nang route is at least VND1.3 million ($55).

Travel demand has skyrocketed during summertime, with an average of 650-800 flights and 110,000-120,000 passengers recorded on a daily basis, said Nguyen Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Southern Airports Authority.

Although this is a sign of post-pandemic recovery, the surge in demand puts great pressure on the management and operation of major airports in the country, Tuan continued.

The flight frequency and passenger volume are almost equal to those during the Lunar New Year holiday, mainly in the domestic market.

This is why domestic terminals have been constantly overcrowded, which is opposite to the quietness at international halls.

Nguyen Nam Tien, deputy director of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, said that it is already overloaded, adding that the situation has been exacerbated due to the increase in flight frequency and passengers.

Multiple flights have been delayed and canceled, especially during peak hours, Tien elaborated.

Tan Son Nhat's domestic terminal often runs out of waiting seats, while the check-in and security screening areas are usually swarmed, according to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters.

Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, a passenger aboard a Vietjet Air flight, said he had to wait about 30-40 minutes to be able to exit the plane.

The baggage claim carousel was also full of people, Quynh added.

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A Cambridge University lab biologist has become the first Vietnamese to claim the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators under the age of 35.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoang Duong received the award for her work on the structure and function of two RNA-protein complexes, spliceosome and telomerase, that are essential for all higher organisms, according to Eppendorf Corporate, which presents the honor.

Her research provides a fundamental understanding of the structure and function of these complexes and is expected to have a lasting impact on the future knowledge of RNA processing and genome stability.

Dr. Duong received the award on Tuesday this week.

She is currently working at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

Her award-winning work is the result of 16 years of research.

First established in 1995, the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators honors outstanding works in biomedical research and provides support for young scientists in Europe up to the age of 35.

The award is presented in partnership with the scientific journal Nature.

Dr. Duong is the first Vietnamese and the second Asian to be honored with the prize in its 27-year existence.

The judges are renowned scientists, including the president of the European Institute.

The winner of the prize also receives EUR20,000 (US$20,353) in cash and has the opportunity to have their research published in Nature.

Duong, who was born in 1987 in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai, won a full scholarship to attend Wellington Girls' School in New Zealand for high school after completing the ninth grade.

She went on to obtain full undergraduate and graduate scholarships to study chemistry at the Australian National University.

She was granted a PhD scholarship to Trinity College under Cambridge University, after completing her master's degree.

After earning her doctorate at the age of 26, she began working at Cambridge University.

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Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving leader, died on Friday hours after he was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country in which political violence is rare and guns are tightly controlled.

A man opened fire on Abe, 67, from behind with an apparently homemade gun as he spoke at a drab traffic island in the western city of Nara, Japanese media reported.

It was the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese premier since the days of prewar militarism in 1936.

Doctors struggled to save Abe but he died at 5:03 p.m. (0803 GMT), about five and a half hours after being shot.

He bled to death from two deep wounds, one on the right side of his neck, a doctor told a nationally televised news conference. The former leader had no vital signs when he was brought in.

Speaking before Abe's death was announced, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting in the "strongest terms" while Japanese people and world leaders expressed shock.

"This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections - the very foundation of our democracy - and is absolutely unforgivable," said Kishida, struggling to keep his emotions in check.

Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting had been arrested. NHK quoted the suspect, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, as telling police he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him.

Abe was making a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out. Security officials were then seen tackling a man in a grey T-shirt and beige trousers.

"There was a loud bang and then smoke," businessman Makoto Ichikawa, who was at the scene, told Reuters.

"The first shot, no one knew what was going on, but after the second shot, what looked like special police tackled him."

Police officers stand guard outside Nara Medical University Hospital where late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was taken after he was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, in Kashihara, Nara prefecture, western Japan July 8, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Transfusions

Earlier, Kyodo news service published a photograph of Abe lying face-up on the street by a guardrail, blood on his white shirt. People were crowded around him, one administering heart massage.

Abe received over 100 units of blood in transfusions over four hours as he haemorrhaged from a wound in the heart, said Hidetada Fukushima, the professor in charge of emergency medicine at Nara Medical University Hospital. He arrived at the hospital in cardiopulmonary arrest and was never revived.

Airo Hino, political science professor at Waseda University, said such a shooting was unprecedented in Japan. "There has never been anything like this," he said.

Senior Japanese politicians are accompanied by armed security agents but often get close to the public, especially during political campaigns when they make roadside speeches and shake hands with passersby.

In 2007, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword. A few other prominent postwar politicians were attacked but not injured.

Police said the suspected shooter was a resident of Nara. Media said he had served in Japan's military for three years until 2005. Defence Minister Kishi declined to comment on that.

Abe served two terms as prime minister, stepping down in 2020 citing ill health. But he remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), controlling one of its major factions.

Kishida, Abe's protege, had been hoping to use the election to emerge from Abe's shadow and define his premiership, analysts have said. Kishida suspended his election campaign after the shooting. All main political parties condemned the attack.

'Very, very sad'

Speaking before Abe's death was announced, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern over his condition.

"Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan," Blinken said on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Indonesia.

The United States is Japan's most important ally.

The yen JPY=EBS rose and Japan's Nikkei index .N225 fell on news of the shooting, partially driven by a knee-jerk flight to safety.

Abe is best known for his Abenomics policy of aggressive monetary easing and fiscal spending.

He also bolstered defence spending after years of declines and expanded the militarys ability to project power abroad.

In a historic shift in 2014, his government reinterpreted the postwar, pacifist constitution to allow troops to fight overseas for the first time since World War Two.

The following year, legislation ended a ban on exercising the right of collective self-defence, or defending a friendly country under attack.

Abe, however, never achieved his goal of revising the U.S.-drafted constitution by writing the Self-Defense Forces, as Japans military in known, into the pacifist Article 9.

Abe first took office in 2006 as Japans youngest prime minister since World War Two. After a year plagued by political scandals, voter outrage at lost pension records, and an election drubbing for his ruling party, Abe quit citing ill health.

He became prime minister again in 2012.

Abe hailed from a wealthy political family that included a foreign minister father and a grandfather who served as premier.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee Phan Van Mai had a reception for newly-appointed Chinese Consul General Wei Huaxiang on Thursday afternoon.

At the meeting, chairman Mai said he was interested in promoting cooperation in economic matters, trade, investment, tourism, digital transformation, and a digital economy between Vietnam and China.

He also suggested that both sides maintain activities to further foster the people-to-people friendship and cooperation between localities.

Ho Chi Minh City currently cooperates with many localities of China, the official continued, adding that the city wants to learn from the successful development models of these localities.

He asked Consul General Wei to throw support behind such cooperative relationships.

Chinese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Wei Huaxiang (L) presents a gift to Ho Chi Minh City chairman Phan Van Mai, July 7, 2022. Photo: Bao Anh / Tuoi Tre

Ho Chi Minh City has so far established friendly and cooperative relations with eight Chinese localities including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Guangdong, Shandong, Zhejiang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Chongqing.

Consul General Wei said he had been in Ho Chi Minh City for 40 days and fell in love with the metropolis.

The Vietnam-China ties have achieved positive development in recent years, the Chinese diplomat stated, expressing his hope that the bilateral relations will be further enhanced in the future.

Wei previously met with Ho Chi Minh City Party chief Nguyen Van Nen on June 28 on the accession to his new term.

China is the largest export market of enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City, with turnover reaching US$4.37 billion in the first five months of 2022, up 10.6 percent year on year and accounting for over 24.7 percent of the city's exports.

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Vietnam is thankful for the help of its international friends, including Russia, and is ready to contribute to the promotion of peace, stability, and international cooperation, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong told a top Russian diplomat on Wednesday.

General Secretary Trongs remarks were made at a reception in Hanoi held during the visit of Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov during his official trip to Vietnam on July 5-6 at the invitation of his counterpart Bui Thanh Son.

Minister Lavrov thanked General Secretary Trong for the reception and conveyed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chairman of the United Russia Party Dmitry Medvedev.

Expressing his pleasure in visiting Vietnam, Lavrov shared his appreciation for the Communist Party of Vietnams political position and leadership in the countrys development, as well as its foreign policy, including relations with the former Soviet Union and present-day Russia.

The Russian diplomat also discussed the outcomes of earlier talks and meetings with other Vietnamese senior officials during his visit and affirmed that Russia attaches importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

He also thanked Vietnam for its contribution to promoting Russia-ASEAN relations over the past years and expressed Russias views on international issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Trong used his time at the reception to brief Lavrov on Vietnams major achievements during its comprehensive renovation process and how they have helped enhance the nations position and prestige in the international arena, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Trong also affirmed that Vietnam cherishes and supports international communities, including the great and effective help offered by the former Soviet Union and Russian Federation to the Southeast Asian country during its previous resistance wars and subsequent nation building and development.

Vietnam highly values its comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, within the framework of its external policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification, and multilateralization of foreign relations, the general secretary stated.

Based on Vietnams consistent external policies, Trong also shared Vietnams viewpoints on international issues of mutual concern, including dialogues and negotiations toward the peaceful settlement of international differences and disputes.

In its capacity as a friendly nation, reliable partner, and active and responsible member of the international community, Vietnam is ready to contribute to the promotion of peace, stability, and cooperation around the world, the Vietnam News Agency cited the Party chief as saying.

Trong also asked Lavrov to convey his best regards to Russian President Vladimir Putin and United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.

Before this meeting, the Russian foreign minister held separate talks with his counterpart Son and PM Pham Minh Chinh which focused on measures to further boost the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

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The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has asked district-level authorities to make plans for the reopening of makeshift COVID-19 hospitals in order to prepare for a possible surge in the number of infections.

Earlier this week, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City detected the BA.4 and BA.5 sublineage of the Omicron variant in two patient samples randomly collected in Thu Duc City and Cu Chi District, the health department said on Thursday.

The number of new patients has been rising steadily over the past three weeks, with daily jumps reaching more than 50 cases.

However, there were no clear signs of an increase in hospitalizations.

The citys health sector has prepared for possible scenarios and is ready to provide treatment for COVID-19 patients in the coming time.

The medical stations in wards, communes, and towns will be in charge of monitoring self-quarantined patients with the help of digital tools.

Focus should be directed on the management and care of people at higher risk.

Aside from their regular functions, all hospitals in the southern metropolis are currently providing treatment for COVID-19 patients with acute or chronic diseases or underlying conditions.

The facilities with the highest-level of COVID-19 treatment capacity include the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Children's Hospital 1, Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, Thong Nhat Hospital, and Military Hospital 175.

A 1,000-bed COVID-19 treatment hospital is also ready to be reactivated when necessary.

In addition, all districts in the city must be ready to reopen makeshift hospitals in case the number of patients soars again, the health department stressed.

Prevention measures, including face mask donning, hand sanitizing, and vaccinations also play a very important role.

The municipal health sector needs to further raise vaccination rates in terms of the first and second booster shots.

As of Wednesday, health workers in the city of nine million people had administered more than 21.6 million vaccine doses, according to the citys COVID-19 portal.

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The family of Nguyen Van Thao in Phung Thuong Commune, Phuc Tho District, Hanoi on Thursday voluntarily handed over seven Tibetan bears, estimated to be 18-20 years old each, to the Animals Asia Foundation.

Thaos family surrenderred the bears, which have registration chips, after being encouraged by local authorities, according to the Hanoi Forest Protection Division under the capital citys agricultural department.

The seven Tibetan bears were transported to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center at Tam Dao National Park in Vinh Phuc Province for further care and preservation.

Thaos family is the first one in Hanoi to voluntarily stop raising such bears for commercial purposes.

This is a significant milestone in relevant agencies' awareness campaigns.

Experts check the health of a bear and anaesthetize it. Photo: Animals Asia Foundation

Phung Thuong Commune has the highest number of Tibetan bears raised by families in Vietnam, with 122 Tibetan bears in 18 households and private farms, according to the Animals Asia Foundation and the Hanoi Forest Protection Division.

Government bodies have raised awareness of the bear protection since 2016.

With a civilized, friendly, flexible, and positive approach, the Animals Asia Foundation and the Hanoi Forest Protection Division have joined hands with local authorities and schools in Hanoi in holding conferences to call on households raising wildlife to stop their practice.

The Hanoi Forest Protection Division has rescued 12 bears from Hanoi, Dien Bien Province, and Son La Province and transferred them to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center after initiating the #NoBearLeftBehind campaign in late May this year.

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A drunken man was narrowly saved from being run over by a train as he tried to cross a level crossing in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam earlier this week.

The incident took place at 7:35 pm on Sunday at a section of the North-South railway in Xuan Lap Ward of the province's Long Khanh City.

The railway guard who bravely saved the man from the train is Trinh Van Tai, 33, from north-central Ha Tinh Province.

Tai currently works for the Bien Hoa railroad team of Saigon Railway Joint Stock Company.

Tai had closed the safety fences and stood in his position waiting for train SE12, which was running from the south to the north, to pass when a drunken man ducked under the fences to run to the other side, according to camera footage.

After taking a few steps, the man, who is in his 50s, fell down in the middle of the tracks.

Tai immediately threw up a warning light and ran to the man.

He was able to pull the man from the tracks just two to three seconds before the train sped by.

Locals then approached the scene to help the man.

Witnesses said that the man told them he was on his way to buy cigarettes and had assumed the train was much further away than it was.

The situation caused train SE12 to pause its journey for a few minutes to ensure that there were no problems.

Leaders of Saigon Railway Company met Tai to thank him for his good deed after receiving a report on the situation, according to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspapers sources.

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Police in South Korea arrested 33 Vietnamese for throwing a drug party on July 3, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

Twenty-nine of the 33 Vietnamese are residing illegally in South Korea and the remaining four had gained South Korean citizenship.

The Vietnamese nationals have been detained by the South Korean immigration authorities and deportation procedures are being processed, Vietnamese foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at a regular press meeting on Thursday.

She was commenting on a July 3 announcement by the Busan immigration and police departments that 33 Vietnamese nationals had been arrested for alleged drug abuse and sales.

The Busan officials said the detainees threw a 'drug party' at a karaoke room in Changwon Citys Masanhoewon District the same day.

Hang said the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea has contacted the South Korean National Police Agency to verify the matter and request that they protect the rights of Vietnamese nationals.

Around 5.3 million Vietnamese live in over 130 countries and territories, 80 percent of them in developed countries, according to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.

Over 25,000 Vietnamese citizens abroad have been deported since 2018 for violating local laws, the Ministry of Public Security said last month.

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Parents, former students and community members listened as former Chicago Public Schools teacher Jason Gil, 45, was sentenced Thursday to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a student when she was between 13 and 14 years old.

Members of Protect CPS Students, a group that advocates for students affected by abuse, quietly pumped their fists in the air as Judge Anjana Hansen said Gil would have to register as a sex offender for life.

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Gil pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal sexual assault, solicitation of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

The assaults occurred between 2017 and 2019, and Gil, of the 3000 block of North Kostner Avenue, was between 41 and 42 years old at the time, according to prosecutors.

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The former teacher from Waters Elementary School, in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, had previously been denied bond twice in 2019, due to the threat he allegedly posed to the community.

Jason Gil. (Skokie Police Department)

Im very disappointed, Martha Del Real said about the sentence. Two of her children had been Gils students at the school. Im glad hes going to serve some time, but nothing can compensate for the damage.

Defense attorney Barry Sheppard told the judge his client was contrite about what happened.

I just want to say Im deeply sorry, said Gil, whose mother, pastor and relatives were also at the hearing.

No matter what the outcome was, it wouldnt have been satisfying, said Melissa McGowan, a member of Protect CPS Students. She said justice would only have occurred if nothing had happened in the first place.

Members of Protect CPS Students and mothers of former Waters Elementary students expressed relief that Gil would have to register as a sex offender.

It was my biggest concern, as hed eventually get out, said Erica Smith, a member of the CPS advocacy group. She said she didnt want Gil to be near children again.

Members of the group have followed the case since Gils arrest in 2019. They sent two letters to Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx asking her to push for a severe sentence.

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Gils sentence must hold him to the highest standard of culpability and reflect the severity of his crimes against a child to whom he was a teacher, a mentor and an authority figure, the first letter read.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

The 2019 and 2021 letters garnered more than 150 and 270 signatures, respectively.

Smith said she wasnt all that relieved by the sentencing.

Im disappointed that the judge offered the minimum, Smith said. It was an opportunity to send a message to people in positions of authority in school systems, to educators.

Eileen Favorite, a representative for Protect CPS Students and mother of a former Waters student, said CPS has not taken into account the ripple effects the alleged abuse has had on the community.

Every single CPS community, she added, has been affected by similar occurrences. She pointed to the Tribunes 2018 Betrayed series, which examined hundreds of cases of alleged sexual assault and abuse of children in Chicago Public Schools.

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Its a pervasive problem, Smith said.

adperez@chicagotribune.com
Vietnam takes an interest in a U.S. strategy to cooperate with Vietnam and several other countries and territories to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang made the statement in response to questions regarding Vietnams viewpoints on the U.S.s plan to end IUU fishing.

We are interested in information [regarding the plan], Hang said, adding that Vietnam has also made efforts to eliminate IUU fishing activities.

She affirmed that Vietnams stance on anti-IUU fishing is consistent and has been stated clearly over the years.

Vietnams policy is to develop its marine economy sustainably and exploit aquatic resources in full compliance with regulations on anti-IUU fishing and relevant international conventions and agreements to which Vietnam has been a signatory or member, the spokeswoman said.

The Southeast Asian nation has adopted and perfected its legislation, along with taking effective measures, to minimize IUU fishing and terminate such practices by Vietnamese vessels and fishermen in foreign waters.

On Monday last week, the White House announced that it would prioritize cooperation with Vietnam, Ecuador, Panama, Senegal, and Taiwan to prevent IUU fishing, strengthen maritime security, and promote sustainable ocean protection.

Well be doing capacity building in those countries, not because they are the primary offenders of IUU fishing, but because they have expressed a willingness to work with the United States to combat IUU fishing in their countries, a U.S. senior administration officer said in a press briefing the same day.

The U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing will release its national five-year strategy for 2022-26 for combating IUU fishing by the end of July, the White House said in a statement.

The strategy prioritizes the working groups efforts to combat IUU fishing, curtail the global trade of IUU fish and fish products, and promote global maritime security, while working in partnership with other governments and authorities, the seafood industry, academia, and non-governmental stakeholders, the White House said.

According to some international observers, the U.S. anti-IUU fishing strategy is part of its efforts to target China, which has the worlds leading fishing fleet and often triggers concerns when it appears in certain areas.

In the aforementioned statement, the White House did not mention China or release any information saying that the strategy is aimed at this country.

However, some American officials later referred to China as a country leading in actions detrimental to the marine environment and anti-IUU fishing efforts.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington has voiced opposition to this new move by the U.S., claiming that there is a political motive behind the said strategy.

It has also deemed Washington's allegations against China as untrue.

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Ho Chi Minh City audiences will have the rare opportunity to experience the culture of Australias indigenous people at the Yuendumu Doors exhibition held at Hai An Gallery from July 6 to 17.

The exhibit features 15 of the original 30 painted doors from Yuendumu Community School in Central Australia, the Australian Consulate General said in a press release on Thursday.

Elders of the Aboriginal Warlpiri people painted the doors in the 1980s with stories of Dreamtime  the Aboriginal belief system about when and how the world was created, according to the press release.

Each door is not only an artistic masterpiece but also an invaluable repository of Warlpiri knowledge and history.

Australia is home to the oldest continuing living culture in the world and its aboriginal peoples are known to have lived in Australia for at least 65,000 years.

A work on display at the Yuendumu Doors exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Consulate General of Australia in Ho Chi Minh City

Among the Aboriginal communities who have been living in Central Australia for many thousands of years, the Warlpiri people are one of the largest.

For much of Warlpiri history, Dreamtime was drawn on the sand and then erased by desert winds.

Though these stories were passed down through generations, the Warlpiri people had no sustainable way of preserving their unique art for future generations.

In the early 1980s, the Warlpiri decided they needed a way to restore their ancestral tradition and cultural values for younger generations so that they could be shared beyond the desert.

To realize this mission, a group of Warlpiri elders were invited to paint Dreamtime onto the classroom doors in 1984 at Yuendumu Community School so the children would be wrapped in Warlpiri culture.

Thirty doors at the school were painted with unique patterns depicting different stories from Dreamtime and have taught generations of Yuendumu children about their land, ancestry, and culture.

These paintings also marked the beginning of Warlpiri contemporary art by combining the beauty of Aboriginal cultural art with a Western art medium using bright color palettes.

Guests contemplate an artwork the Yuendumu Doors exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Consulate General of Australia in Ho Chi Minh City

The exhibition coincides with Australias annual NAIDOC Week, which celebrates and recognizes the history, culture, and achievements of Australias indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

After surviving the desert wind and sun for 12 years at Yuendumu school, the original doors are now being conserved and displayed at the South Australian Museum.

This touring exhibition was developed by the South Australian Museum in partnership with the National Museum of Australia and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

It is a great pleasure to introduce the extraordinary Yuendumu Doors to audiences in Ho Chi Minh City, Sarah Hooper, Australias Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, said in her opening remarks on Wednesday.

The doors are an important cultural and artistic collection in Australia.

"This exhibition is a rare opportunity for Vietnamese audiences to experience some of Australias extraordinary indigenous culture."

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Teen movie musical Monster High: The Movie will premiere in Australia on Nickelodeon, followed a day later on Paramount+.

The film follows Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris), who was born half human and half werewolf, after she arrives at her new school, Monster High.

She quickly makes friends with her classmates Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot) and Draculaura (Nayah Damasen), and for the first time in her life, Clawdeen feels like she has finally found a place where she fits in and can truly be herself, despite keeping her human half a secret. When a devious plan to destroy Monster High threatens to reveal her real identity, Clawdeen must learn to embrace her true monster heart and find a way to save the day alongside her new friends.

Monster High: The Movie also stars: Case Walker (The Other Two) as Deuce Gorgon; Kyle Selig (Mean Girls on Broadway) as Mr. Komos; Marci T. House (Day of the Dead) as Headmistress Bloodgood; Scotch Ellis Loring (Firehouse Dog) as Clawdeens dad, Apollo; Steve Valentine (Mom) as Draculauras dad, Dracula; Jy Prishkulnik (Just Beyond) as Cleo de Nile; Lina Lecompte (Death Pursuit) as Lagoona; Justin Derickson (When the Streetlights Go On) as Heath Burns; Lilah Fitzgerald (Honey Girls) as Ghoulia; and Nasiv Sall (Descendants 2) as Abbey Bominable. Additional fan-favourite characters from the Monster High universe will also be seen throughout the movie.

In addition to Monster High: The Movie, an animated series based off the beloved Mattel franchise is slated to premiere later this year on Nickelodeon. Both projects join other Mattel Television content in production, including series and specials based on Barbie, Masters of the Universe, Thomas & Friends, Polly Pocket, Pictionary and Fireman Sam, to name a few. Mattel first introduced Monster High in 2010, and it quickly became one of the most successful and beloved kids properties of all time. The franchise seeks to foster a more accepting world where everyone is proud to be their authentic self, which is more relevant than ever. Today, Monster High is back with a reimagined set of fantastic characters, inspired by the original ghouls, for a new generation that embraces what makes them unique and rallies people everywhere to express themselves.

Monster High: The Movie is directed and executive produced by Todd Holland (The Real ONeals, Malcolm in the Middle, Firehouse Dog). The story is by Jenny Jaffe (Big Hero 6: The Series, Rugrats), Greg Erb, and Jason Oremland (Princess and the Frog, Playmobil: The Movie), and the teleplay is by Jaffe and Billy & Matt Eddy (Zapped, Teen Beach Movie). Adam Bonnett (Descendants franchise, Masters of the Universe: Revelation) serves as executive producer. Frederic Soulie, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Mattel Television and Phil Breman, Vice President of Live Action Development, oversee the movie for Mattel and serve as executive producers. Production on Monster High: The Movie for Nickelodeon is overseen by Zack Olin and Shauna Phelan, Co-Heads of Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Live-Action, along with executives Lee Rosenthal, Linda Halder and Jules Kovisars.

Saturday, 8 October on Nickelodeon / Sunday, 9 October on Paramount+.
After two years of renewal works, the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House is finally ready to reopen.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra takes to the stage to perform Mahlers Second Symphony under the direction of their new Chief Conductor Simone Young in a Live ABC broadcast, Sydney Symphony Orchestra Live Gala.

In a spectacle not to be missed, Mahlers symphony, known as The Resurrection, brings together the 100 musicians of the Sydney Symphony with 190 members of the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs and an all-star cast including Australian Nicole Car (soprano) and Michelle DeYoung (mezzo-soprano, US).

The performance also features a new work by renowned First Nations composer William Barton with the Gondwana Indigenous Childrens Choir and the Sydney Childrens Choir.

This historical moment marks the Sydney Symphony Orchestras 90th anniversary and their return to the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall  the iconic venue that it has called home since its opening in 1973.

The concert will also be broadcast on ABC Classic and on the ABC listen app.

Production credit: ABC Executive Producer, Janet Gaeta.

ABC Classic Executive Producer, Matthew Dewey.

Thursday, 21 July, 8pm on ABC.
Gentleman Jack looks to have been cancelled after HBO confirmed it is not moving forward, after two seasons.

The series is jointly produced with BBC -so a new partner would doubtless need to be found if BBC was to proceed.

HBO will not be moving forward with a third season of Gentleman Jack, HBO said in a statement to Deadline. When we began this journey more than five years ago, we knew the series creator Sally Wainwright had a uniquely compelling vision, and its been tremendously gratifying to see how Anne Listers journey has resonated with viewers. We are incredibly grateful to Sally, to the impeccable Suranne Jones and Sophie Rundle, and to the entire cast and crew for bringing Anne and Anns story to life. Wed also like to thank our partners at BBC and Lookout Point for their collaboration on two remarkable seasons.

Set in 19th century Yorkshire, the historical drama is based on the life of Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack ), a landowner and industrialist who is often referred to as the first modern lesbian due to her diaries, written in secret code, that documented her relationships with women.

The news comes just three weeks after Wainwright revealed her hope for Season 3s content and the prospect of showing how Listers diaries managed to survive.

What I think is really exciting is the story of the journals now and how they survived, which I do hope to encompass if we get another season, and if we are able to go up to the end of her life. The story of how the diary survived in itself is an extraordinary tale, she said.

Gentleman Jack screens in Australia on BBC First.
Even actor Hugh Grant has weighed in on British politics, likening Prime Minister Boris Johnsons resignation to famed slapstick comedy show Benny Hill.

The Four Weddings and a Funeral actor tweeted to activist Steve Bray, suggesting the Benny Hill theme song be played in front of Parliament. Glad you have your speakers back, Grant wrote. Do you by any chance have the Benny Hill music to hand?

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Bray obliged and went on to blare the iconic Benny Hill track with loud speakers, drawing newscasters to the sound of the wacky them. Officially titled Yakety Sax, the song inspired local onlookers to also break out into a dance. Benny Hill aired on British TV from 1955 to 1989 starring sketch comedian Hill.

Grant previously played the role of British prime minister in Love Actually. The star has openly addressed the chaos of the U.K. Conservative Party amid multiple scandals under Johnsons tenure.

Johnson announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party on July 7. It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party, and therefore a new PM, Johnson said, as reported by CBS News. I today appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.

Johnsons exit comes on the heels of numerous other government resignations from British officials, inspired by the latest scandal involving the embattled prime minister. Just last month, Johnson survived a no-confidence vote by his own party. Earlier this year, he was fined by police for violating COVID-19 restrictions. Over his three-year tenure, Brexit will be Johnsons longest lasting legacy.

As weve seen at Westminster, the herd instinct is powerful, and when the herd moves, it moves, Johnson said in his farewell address. And my friends, in politics, no one is remotely indispensable.

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Aside from suggesting soundtrack picks for protests, actor Grant has quite a few projects in the works, ranging from the Dungeons and Dragons adaptation to playing Zeus in series Kaos. Grant also stars in upcoming biopic Unfrosted, directed by Jerry Seinfeld and focusing on the cereal rivalry between Kelloggs and Post in 1963 Michigan. Melissa McCarthy, James Marsden, Amy Schumer, Christian Slater, Max Greenfield, and Jack McBrayer additionally star.

Morning @snb19692 Glad you have your speakers back. Do you by any chance have the Benny Hill music to hand?  Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) July 7, 2022

Hugh Grant tweeted a request at activists protesting outside Westminster to play the Benny Hill theme on their loudspeakers; when they did it became the soundtrack for street interviews with leading Tories trying explain the situation to the British people pic.twitter.com/V1LxUoxRUE  Aaron Fritschner (@Fritschner) July 7, 2022

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A worker harvests oil palm fruits, used to produce palm oil, at a plantation in Kutamakmur, Aceh on September 24, 2021. Azwar Ipank/AFP via Getty Images

Indonesia, the world's top cooking-oil exporter, may cut a palm oil levy, according to a top official.

A prior export ban of the commodity caused domestic stockpiles to balloon, Reuters reported.

Palm oil prices skyrocketed in April after the temporary ban was announced.

Indonesia, the world's top producer of palm oil, may lift its palm oil export levy as a way to boost shipments, according to a cabinet minister.

"For shipments to flow we may have to lower the export levy to provide incentives for businesses to export," Senior Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said Thursday, Reuters reported.

The Southeast Asian nation had already cut the export levy from $375 to $200 per tonne for July, but that figure is set to rise to $240 in August, Reuters said. And a separate export tax of $288 is also poised to kick in after the latest reference price topped $1,500 per tonne.

Indonesia has been pushing out a series of policy maneuvers to boost exports after a three-week ban on shipments that ended in late May sparked disruption across global markets and swelled inventories domestically.

The chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Board, Sahat Sinaga, said domestic stockpiles of palm oil ballooned to 6.2 million tonnes following the ban.

Palm oil, the world's most used vegetable oil, is used in a range of consumer products and cooking. The price of the edible oil skyrocketed in late April when the government first announced the ban. Prices have since eased, with Malaysian benchmark palm oil prices down roughly 18% so far this month.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Britain is staring down the barrel of uncertainty as the Conservative party begins the laborious process of finding a new leader to replace Boris Johnson. He's staying on in a caretaker role until a suitable new prime minister is found. However that could take months leaving the country, and the party, in an embarrassing situation.

Johnson announced on Thursday he would step down as head of the Conservative party following resignations by more than 50 government ministers.

Many of his MPs wanted him out of office in the wake of a series of scandals and a loss of integrity. But despite calls for his departure, Johnson made no mention of stepping down as Prime Minister.

In his resignation statement he said only that the "process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week.

Johnson plans to go only once a new leader is found.

In principle, this is not unusual, says Colin Hay, a professor of British civilisation at Pariss Institute of Political Sciences.

Theres certainly a precedent for it, pretty much the same thing happened with both Johnsons predecessors Theresa May and David Cameron, he told RFI.

Its controversial because of the circumstances under which hes leaving, but there's no chance whatsoever that he would continue beyond the completion of a leadership contest.

"The problem is the length of time during which British government is essentially dormant under his leadership.

Timetable

The Conservative leadership contest is a lengthy process and might not be sorted out until October.

Sir John Major, a former Conservative prime minister, said it would be "unwise" for Johnson to stay in office for three months.

He, and some other Conservative MPs, said the timetable could be shortened with Johnson resigning immediately and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab taking over as a caretaker premier.

Major also suggested the leadership election process  decided by the executive of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs  could be modified.

Story continues

Pressure to resign soon

In the meantime, Johnson remains in the job, but pressure is mounting.

Johnson has only gone half way, he's resigned as party leader but hasnt resigned as PM, Keith Dixon, a British civilisation specialist at Lyon University, told RFI.

So I think that on the Conservative party side there will be strong movement to put pressure on Johnson to resign quickly.

Braitain's main opposition Labour Party has called for Johnson to quit immediately, promising a vote of no confidence if he isnt ousted straight away.

Hes taking the mickey, former Labour minister Denis MacShane told RFI.

Hes been driven out of the Conservative party but insists he can remain head of government and the country: propose laws, name ministers, even declare war.

If Macron, Biden, or whoever are talking to Johnson what powers will he have? Thats the problem.

'Limited' powers

In theory Johnson holds onto the same powers until hes replaced; he still represents the UK abroad, and can continue to make public appointments and change cabinet members.

But in reality his powers are constrained  both by himself and by the absence of any significant support even within his own party says Hay.

Johnson said himself he wont engage in new policy initiatives and he doesnt really have the authority to introduce significant new public policy making, even if he chose to do so.

Hay says questions remain, however, over ongoing policy initiatives, notably the Northern Ireland protocol.

What happens next?

After the drama of recent weeks, and Johnson's reluctant resignation as party leader, Hay believes the turmoil will gradually subside.

Were sort of on the eve of the summer recess, so things will now probably slow down a bit. Boris isnt up for stoking the fires yet again," he says.

"I think and hope we might find a relatively more tranquil summer as candidates start to emerge for the leadership contest within the Conservative party and the focus of attention moves away from Boris.

No one has officially thrown their hat in the ring, but close to a dozen names are circulating in the media.

Once a list is drawn up, Conservative MPs will whittle candidates down to a final two and then party members  just under 200,000  will decide which one will be leader, and therefore the next prime minister.

While the new PM is not required to hold a general election straightaway, one must be held by January 2025.

Tarnished image abroad

Meanwhile, the fact Johnson is sitting tight as Prime Minister for the moment is "frankly embarrassing in terms of Britain's international reputation says MacShane.

Hay agrees that it's "giving a terrible image".

It remains to be seen, he says, how much of the damage will be long term and how much is personally associated with Johnson and will therefore change once he's gone.

"I suspect theres a bit of both [...] its not just been Boris Johnson acting alone that's led to the loss of Britains international reputation, above all in Europe," Hay says.

"In that sense I think Britains going to have to re-earn its reputation and that may take quite a time."
By Stanley Widianto and David Brunnstrom

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) -G20 foreign ministers called for an end to the war and grain blockade in Ukraine on Friday, as Russia's top diplomat walked out of a meeting and denounced the West for "frenzied criticism" and squandering a chance to tackle global economic problems.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impact on food security and energy dominated the closed-door gathering on the Indonesian island of Bali, which ended with no joint statement, and no announcements of any agreements being reached.

The forum was the first face-to-face meeting between Russia and the fiercest critics of its war.

The spotlight was firmly on Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose arrival at Friday's meeting was met by shouts of "When will you stop the war" and "Why don't you stop the war" as he was greeted by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Lavrov emerged from the first session with a stiff rebuke of Western counterparts who he said "strayed almost immediately" from the topics of discussion "to the frenzied criticism of the Russian Federation".

"Aggressors', 'invaders', 'occupiers' - we heard a lot of things today," Lavrov told reporters.

In the following session, Lavrov read a statement then left, without hearing others, according to the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, who described the action as "not very respectful".

Lavrov had on Thursday attended a welcome reception where no G7 ministers were present.

Russia calls the war a "special military operation" to degrade the Ukrainian military and root out people it calls dangerous nationalists.

Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia is engaged in an imperial-style land grab with no justification for its invasion.

'FORCEFUL REMARKS'

"This was not a warm bath for Lavrov," said a Western official who attended the meeting, adding there were some "very forceful remarks" against Russia's invasion and a consensus for the need to end its blockade of Ukrainian grain exports.

Story continues

Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke directly with each other while in the meeting room, said Indonesia's Retno, who chaired the forum. She did not say what they discussed.

Blinken on the sidelines of the meeting said challenges from rising food and energy costs had been "dramatically exacerbated by Russian aggression".

He told delegates that for the G20 to stay relevant, it must hold Russia accountable, according to a senior State Department official.

Ukraine, the world's fourth-largest grain exporter, has struggled to export goods, with many of its ports blocked as war rages along its southern coast.

Lavrov told reporters later that Russia was ready to negotiate with Ukraine and Turkey about grain, but it is unclear when such talks might take place.

Meetings were overshadowed by the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which Blinken described as "profoundly disturbing", expressing shock over the death of "a leader with great vision".

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters Abe was "a giant on the world stage" with a legacy of global impact.

'HUNGER GAMES'

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the meeting virtually, accusing Russia of playing "hunger games" through its blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea port.

"We have no right to allow Russia to further blackmail the world through high energy prices, hunger, and security threats," he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said earlier that Beijing opposed any act of hyping up bloc confrontation and creating a "new Cold War".

He had talks with Wong on Friday in the first such meeting between China and Australia in three years, which Wong described as "an important first step" towards stabilising relations.

Ties have soured over claims of foreign interference and retaliatory trade sanctions.

In closing remarks, Indonesia's Retno said the G20 gathering showed an urgent need to strengthen multilateralism and it was important that despite global challenges, foreign ministers could still meet in the same room.

"The decision of members and invitees to attend the meeting in person are not to be taken lightly," she said.

"They chose to make an extra effort to be here."

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto and David Brunnstrom;Additional reporting by Zahra Matarani and Angie Teo in Jakarta, Ryan Woo in Beijing, Kirsty Needham in Sydney and Yuddy Cahya Budiman in Nusa Dua; Writing by Kate Lamb; Editing Raju Gopalakrishnan, Martin Petty and Lisa Shumaker)
The entrance to the rear unit where Robert Bobby Crimo III, the alleged shooter, lived at the Highwood home of his father on July 7, 2022, three days after a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Highland Park police were called to the family home of the alleged Independence Day parade sniper at least nine times between 2010 and 2014 in response to domestic disputes, according to newly released police records.

Most of the incidents involved allegations of verbal or physical altercations between the shooting suspects parents, Robert Crimo Jr. and Denise Pesina. The reports, released by the Highland Park Police Department, paint a picture of the sometimes tumultuous home where Robert Bobby Crimo III grew up before he allegedly shot dozens of people enjoying a Fourth of July parade. Seven of those shot died, and Bobby Crimo is charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.

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During one altercation in August 2010, Crimo Jr. told police his relationship with Pesina was failing, and that Pesina had struck him in the head with her shoe and was intoxicated. Pesina told police that Crimo Jr. had disrespected and belittled her after making comments about her appearance, and that those comments led her to drink. Police said they offered Pesina a packet with information about domestic violence, but that she reported already having a packet from a different domestic incident days earlier.

Reporters attempts to contact the defendants parents for comment in person and through their attorney were unsuccessful, and neither Pesina or Crimo Jr. have been charged with domestic violence in Lake County, according to court records.

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A painting apparently depicting a person holding a rifle is visible on the back of the Highland Park home of the alleged shooter's mother on July 7, 2022, three days after a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

But the parents of Robert Crimo III have drawn attention in recent days after it was revealed that the shooting suspects father sponsored the FOID card application that allowed Crimo to legally purchase the gun he allegedly used to terrorize Highland Park holiday paradegoers.

A review of public records show repeated Highland Park police involvement at the Crimo family home over the years, especially between the mother and father. Crimo Jr., the former owner of now-shuttered Highland Park deli, unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2019.

[ Funerals begin today for Highland Park shooting victims ]

In October 2010, police were called to the home because of a fight between Pesina and Crimo Jr. According to the police report, Crimo Jr. said Pesina had been trash talking him, knocked all his belongings off his dresser, and hit him with a screwdriver. Pesina, in a statement to police, said that Crimo Jr. had been making mean statements to me like always, calling me names. Crimo Jr. later told police that Pesina had not tried to hit him with the screwdriver and declined to put that detail in his statement to police.

On two occasions, Crimo Jr. and Pesina called the police on one another for attempts to drive while intoxicated, which escalated. In June 2011, Crimo Jr. called police contending Pesina was attempting to drive to pick up her daughter while intoxicated, and that after being confronted about this she blocked Crimo Jr. from leaving. In November 2013, Pesina called police contending that Crimo Jr. had been trying to drive to work while intoxicated.

Pesina pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Lake County in 2012. In 2002, Pesina pleaded guilty to a child endangerment charge after leaving Crimo III, then about 2 years old, alone in a car with the windows rolled up for 27 minutes in the parking lot of a toy store, according to court records. It was approximately 79 degrees outside during that incident.

[ These are the victims of the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park ]

In September 2019, a few months before Crimo III applied for a gun permit, police conducted a wellness check following a report that days earlier Crimo III had made a threat in the household stating he was going to kill everyone. The police report notes that a person whose identity is redacted in the report said they were afraid to go home because of the threat and Crimos collection of knives.

Police removed the knives from Crimos possession and filed a Clear and Present Danger report to the Illinois State Police.

A car with the number "47" painted on the door is parked outside the Highwood home of the alleged shooter and his father on July 7, 2022, three days after a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Crimo Jr., told the New York Post and ABC News that he is not responsible for the attack despite his role in sponsoring his sons gun permit application because he said he was following the law.

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You know, he went through the legal process. I dont know if its guilt. I feel horrible as to what happened. Beyond horrible, Crimo Jr. told ABC News.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly declined to comment Wednesday on whether Crimos father could be held liable.

[ Highland Park police clear and present danger warning insufficient to keep alleged parade shooter from purchasing rifle, state police say ]

Steve Greenberg, an attorney who briefly represented the defendants parents, told the Tribune that Crimo Jr. was unaware of the 2019 threats when he sponsored his sons FOID card application months later. Crimo Jr. was at least aware that police had confiscated weapons that were in his sons room, according to the police report. The father later collected the weapons from police, including a 24-inch samurai sword, 16 knives and a dagger.

In April 2019, Highland Park police again got involved with the shooting suspect after the department received a call requesting a wellness check for then 18-year-old. Crimo III had reportedly attempted suicide with a machete. Medical professionals had been involved, according to the police report.

A neighbor of the family, who declined to be named, told a Tribune reporter Thursday that police would come to the Highland Park home on a seemingly weekly basis when the alleged shooters parents lived there together.

[ What we know about the mass shooting at a Highland Park Fourth of July parade ]

A reporter saw a woman on the front porch at the home Thursday but no one answered the door. Grass grew wild in the front lawn. Faux stained glass-style vinyl stickers decorated the windows, behind which white curtains were drawn. In the backyard, a haunting painting appeared on the faded reddish-brown brick: a tall figure holding a long rifle dressed in military camo with a yellow smiley face for a head. Its black smile and eyes dripped down.

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The neighbor told the Tribune that on the day of the shooting, they saw Crimo III pull away from the house in his mothers silver Honda Fit when they returned from the halted Independence Day parade.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

Crimo III is not believed to have stayed in the Highland Park home with his mother, but rather lived in an apartment on the property of his fathers house in Highwood, according to his uncle, Paul Crimo.

Crimo, 55, said the massacre shocked him and that he didnt know his nephew had guns as he pulled into his driveway. Im sorry from the bottom of my heart. Im devastated, Crimo said.

Paul Crimo, uncle of alleged shooter Bobby Crimo, outside his Highwood home on July 7, 2022, three days after a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

He lives in the next apartment. We didnt see each other, he said, referring to another structure on the lot. He showed no aggression to me or nothing. Ever. Theres no indication of nothing that I saw.

A logo the mass shooter used in violent music videos and social media posts was nailed over the door of a shed next to the house. The logo appeared to be nearly identical to the logo of Suomen Sisu, a far-right, nationalist Finnish political association, but the Southern Poverty Law Center, which was poring over Crimos online record, said earlier this week its meaning, if any, remains unclear.

A silver Acura coupe sat in the homes front lawn, weeds growing around its tires. A sharp-toothed red smile was taped on the front bumper, and the number 47 was painted on the doors. Paul Crimo said the car belonged to his nephew.

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A neighbor of Crimo III, who declined to give their name, said the father would occasionally exchange pleasantries, but that his son didnt socialize with those who lived nearby. The 21-year-old alleged mass shooter would often ride his electric scooter, they added, and wear all black and blast harsh, loud music.

Chicago Tribunes Madeline Buckley contributed.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision on Thursday to step down as leader of his Conservative Party, paving the way for a new premier to take over, drew a spectrum of reaction from leaders worldwide.

Johnson, who quit as Tory leader following a series of scandals and an exodus of cabinet ministers, divided opinion on the world stage, eliciting strong reactions from many countries and their leaders.

Here are the main ones:

- United States -

The United States said it would continue its "close cooperation" with Britain including their joint support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, US President Joe Biden said.

"The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring," Biden said in a statement.

"I look forward to continuing our close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom," he added, including "maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin's brutal war on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions."

- European Union -

After years of tense relations with Britain, the EU saw hope of improved ties following the resignation of Brexit champion Johnson, though wariness lingered.

While the European Commission publicly dodged commenting about the political upheaval in the UK, others in Brussels' orbit let loose.

"The departure of Boris Johnson opens a new page in relations with Britain," Michel Barnier, the former top EU negotiator for Brexit, tweeted.

"May it be more constructive, more respectful of commitments made, in particular regarding peace and stability in Northern Ireland, and more friendly with partners in the EU. Because there's so much more to be done together."

- Ukraine -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky telephoned Boris Johnson to express his "sadness", Kyiv said.

"We all welcome this news with sadness. Not only me, but also all of Ukrainian society which sympathises with you a lot," the presidency quoted Zelensky as saying, reiterating how grateful Ukrainians were for the British prime minister's support since the Russian invasion.

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Johnson has been seen as one of Ukraine's most vocal and fervent supporters in the West.

- Ireland -

Irish premier Micheal Martin said that Boris Johnson's decision to step down was "an opportunity" to reset fraught relations.

Martin added ties between Dublin and London had been "strained and challenged in recent times", not least because of clashes over special post-Brexit trade arrangements in British-run Northern Ireland.

"We have now an opportunity to return to the true spirit of partnership and mutual respect that is needed to underpin the gains of the Good Friday Agreement," Martin said in a statement.

The 1998 peace accords ended decades of bloodshed over British rule in Northern Ireland but has been increasingly strained by Brexit.

- Russia -

The Kremlin said it hoped that "more professional people" would come to power in Britain.

"We would like to hope that some day in Great Britain more professional people who can make decisions through dialogue will come to power," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "But at the moment there is little hope for that."

har/gw
By Fatos Bytyci

SKOPJE (Reuters) - Streets in Skopje, North Macedonia, were brought to a standstill on Friday because of protests against a proposed compromise deal with Bulgaria that would finally allow the Balkan country to begin long-awaited European Union membership talks.

On Friday hundreds of people parked their vehicles around government buildings in central Skopje as well as on several other regional roads. The daily protests that started at the beginning of this week have at times become violent, causing injuries to at least 10 protestors and dozens of police officers. No injuries were reported from Friday's demonstration.

North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years, but its approval had been blocked first by Greece and now by Bulgaria, which wants North Macedonia to recognise a Bulgarian minority and shared history with the Bulgarian language.

A 2017 agreement to change the country's name from Macedonia to North Macedonia ended the dispute with Greece, and seemed to open the door for EU membership talks. However Bulgaria, another EU member state, lodged a veto in 2020 over history and language issues, which opposing North Macedonians say attack their national identity.

France, which held the EU presidency up until July, drafted a proposal last month to amend North Macedonia's constitution to recognise a Bulgarian minority, while the remaining issues would be discussed between Skopje and Sofia. The proposal does not require Bulgaria to recognise the Macedonian language.

The Bulgarian parliament lifted its veto last month, which also caused unrest in the country and led to a no-confidence vote that toppled the government.

North Macedonia's parliament is expected to debate the proposal next week.

"We will never, never accept this treaty because it is contrary of our national interest and it is contrary to our identity, said Hristijan Mickoski, leader of the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, which supports the protest.

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Protester Acka Stanisheva likewise is against the compromise agreement, saying it is not a European deal but a Bulgarian proposal.

The government should not accept this proposition, Stanisheva told Reuters.

Political analyst Petar Arsovski thinks the proposal is both good and bad for North Macedonia.

"It is good in a sense that it does offer start of membership talks but the downside is that there is no principle of reciprocity and Bulgaria is not obliged to recognise Macedonian minority."

He said the framework for bilateral talks would enable the two countries to resolve all national issues.

North Macedonia was the only former Yugoslav Republic to leave the federation peacefully. But in 2001 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pulled North Macedonia from the brink of civil war during an ethnic Albanian insurgency and promised faster integration into the EU and NATO.

The Balkan country joined NATO in 2020, but has still not opened accession talks with the EU.

(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci in Skopje; Additional reporting by Ognen Teofilovski; Writing by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Josie Kao)
HA NOI  When disputes over credit contracts arise, banks normally bring the disputes to court for settlement. However, insiders have said that legal action does not help much as contracts have not been completed fully in the first place.

A representative from a commercial bank revealed that one major reason for unresolved disputes in court is that the address of the sued party cannot be found in the contracts.

Without such material provision, the contracts are regarded as unqualified for hearing, leaving the court no choice but to dismiss the case.

Sometimes the court asks the suing party to add the sued partys verified address to the contracts to make those contracts qualified for hearing, but it is not easy to get verification from local police.

"Local police normally refuse to verify the address, saying that they only give the verification at the request of state agencies, the representative said.

Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, a representative from the Provincial Peoples Court of Ha Noi, said that in many cases borrowers are unsuitable for bank loans from the outset of contracts, but regardless banks still grant the loans to the borrowers.

This failure to adequately evaluate borrowers' financial situation beforehand leads to subprime loans, which eventually result in disputes in court. Thanh urges banks to set the bar high for bank loans to nip disputes in the bud.

The representative also said it is the job of the court to have the address verified by local police, but some judges pass the responsibility on to banks, to move the legal process along faster. The practice seems time-saving but is procedurally wrong.

"Some judges are concerned that the legal process would move slowly should the court itself has to have the address verified," Thanh said. "Accordingly, they require banks to do so instead. That requirement is not right procedure-wise."

Another bank representative asserted that borrowers are normally required to put up collateral to be eligible for bank loans. If the collateral is land lots, banks register the names provided in land-use-right certificates as owners of the realty properties.

Unfortunately, when disputes arise between the registered owners and previous owners over land use rights, the court rules that banks failed to determine collateral owners beforehand and request the return of land-use-right certificates.

The ruled failure constitutes a legal ground for the court to declare banks' collateral-related contracts null and void.

Nguyen Thanh Long, chairman of the Legal Club under the Vietnam Banks' Association, underscored three groups of issues that have been holding back dispute settlement in court.

The three groups of issues are; issues arising from the difference between legal perception and actual laws, issues related to legal procedures, and issues related to the determination of civil liability in criminal cases.

The chairman recommends the court rely on the regulations on bonafide third parties under the Civil Code 2015 to deal with cases where disputes between registered owners and previous owners arise.  VNS
HA NOI  The 2022 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus police music gala will be a highlight of the People's Police communication, according to Minister of Public Security To Lam.

The music gala is a special event arranged by the Ministry of Public Security to mark the 60th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the People's Police Force (July 20).

The event is expected to enhance the image of Viet Nam and its people among visitors worldwide. It also aims to promote the image of the Vietnamese police force as friendly and humane.

The celebration will take place on July 9-10 in the capital city of Ha Noi on pedestrian streets located around Hoan Kiem Lake.

In addition to those from Japan and China, it will bring together police bands from ASEAN countries, including Laos, the Philippines, Brunei, Myanmar, and Viet Nam.

Minister To Lam stated his confidence in the success of the Vietnamese delegation's performance at the gala during rehearsals on July 2.

Before this gala, the trumpet orchestra of the People's Public Security Corps participated in numerous international police music festivals in Japan, Germany, the United States, and other nations, Lam said.

He added: "Due to the pandemic and alterations in the global circumstances, the World Police Music Festival has not been hosted recently. The ASEAN+2022 police music gala in Viet Nam is the initial stage, if it can be continued, it will also serve as a channel for cooperation between the police in ASEAN and the expanded ASEAN area."

The Minister also suggested that the organising committee organise this musical event such that it demonstrates how far the People's Police force has progressed, but still maintains a connection to the audience.

During the days of outdoor festivities commemorating the 60th anniversary of the traditional people's police force, drinking water and medical care will be provided, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

In addition, attendees will be able to watch the first cavalry force parade around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Lieutenant Colonel Trinh Anh Thong of the ceremonial troupe of the ministry said more than 120 policemen had spent two months preparing for the event, adding that they would try to improve the performance after getting feedback at the rehearsal held on July 2. VNS
HA NOI  Miss Grand International 2021, Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, is planning to travel to Angola in mid-July to launch the project to provide fresh water to local people.

Tien said that the project is a part of the targets she set when she was crowned at the international beauty pageant. She will sponsor the construction of two wells for villagers in Zamba, Bailundo and Huambo in Angola.

Located in the south of Africa, Angola faces many natural disadvantages. A year-round drought has caused serious water shortages that have consequently led to many problematic issues like paralysed agricultural sector, mass death of livestock and a shortage of food. The issues are particularly serious in Huambo.

That is the reason why I decided to build two wells of fresh water in Zamba, Bailundo and Huambo, with the aim of improving the local life by providing sufficient fresh water to over 300 households in the region, Tien wrote on her Facebook.

She plans to launch many other meaningful activities for locals, particularly children.

Tien revealed that the volunteer trip to Angola is not simply to fulfil the mission of Miss Grand International 2021 but also to promote the image of the kind heart of the Vietnamese people.

She hopes to have more opportunities to travel to many countries around the world to support more disadvantaged people and spread love, like the promise she made the moment she was crowned as Miss Grand International 2021.

Six months after winning the title, the 24-year-old beauty has conducted many charity projects both at home and abroad. She has travelled thousands of kilometres to launch the construction of playgrounds for children in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang or HCM Citys Cu Chi District. She has also contributed to the fund to support women's financial development and adopted orphaned children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tien travelled to South America in March to join charity activities, such as presenting kitchen utensils and food for the poor on the outskirts of Perus capital, Lima. VNS
Elizabeth Vazquez, from left, hugs 8-year-old Abner Toledo while standing next to Ricardo Toledo, 35, and Anna Vazquez, 14, as they attend a vigil outside Highland Park City Hall on July 13, 2022, for victims of the July Fourth mass shooting. Ricardos grandfather Nicolas Toledo, 78, was among the seven people killed in the shooting. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Mourners began the heartbreaking task Friday of saying goodbye to victims of the Highland Park shooting, cherishing what made their loved ones special while decrying the sudden, senseless violence that ended their lives.

Jacquelyn Jacki Sundheim, 63, and Steve Straus, 88, both of Highland Park, were memorialized at separate funeral services Friday, the first to be laid to rest among the seven people killed when a gunman opened fire Monday at the local Fourth of July parade. A visitation also took place Friday evening for Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, who was visiting family from Morelos, Mexico.

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Also killed were Katherine Goldstein, 64, of Highland Park; Irina McCarthy, 35, and her husband Kevin McCarthy, 37, who also lived in Highland Park and left behind a 2-year-old son; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, of Waukegan. More than 30 others were also wounded in the massacre, including an 8-year-old boy who was critically injured and a CPS teacher, who was shot along with her husband, father and brother-in-law

[ These are the victims of the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park ]

At Fridays services, daughters, sons, siblings and grandchildren shared their rage and disbelief, but also their resolve that the horrors of their loved ones deaths will not take away from the beauty of their lives.

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If there is any purpose to this day moving forward, Rabbi Wendi Geffen said of Sundheim, it is to ensure that her memory will abide solely and wholly as a blessing, now and forever.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe on Friday morning to honor Sundheim, who not only worked there for decades but was a lifelong member. Among those paying their respects were Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who also attended Straus funeral and the visitation for Toledo-Zaragoza, and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, who had been preparing to march in the parade Monday when the gunfire began.

Mourners embrace and comfort each other as they leave the memorial service for Jacquelyn Jacki Lovi Sundheim at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe on July 8, 2022. Sundheim was killed in the Fourth of July shooting in Highland Park. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Speaking through tears, Geffen opened Sundheims service by saying: We invite you to just be with us. We should not have to be here today. There is nothing, not one single thing that makes us being brought together to mourn Jacki acceptable. We are horrified. We are enraged, sickened, aggrieved, inconsolable for the terror that has befallen us and robbed us of Jacki.

Jacki died because she was murdered, and in that there is no comfort for us to take away as we mourn Jackis death. There is no silver lining, no light over the darkness, Geffen said.

Sundheim taught preschool at North Shore Congregation Israel and, as coordinator of events such as bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings and funerals, touched many lives in the community.

There was not one inch of this space that Jacki did not touch, Geffen.

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[ What we know about the mass shooting at a Highland Park Fourth of July parade ]

She spoke of the volumes of pain and despair Sundheims loved ones are feeling, and the risk of coming to see Jackis life only by its end.  We cannot allow that to happen,

Later, Rabbi Lisa Greene recount Sundheims journey as a congregant, from early childhood to her teen years leading youth groups to eventually joining the staff.

Sundheims survivors include her husband Bruce and their daughter Leah.

Residents drop off flowers and leave chalk messages at a memorial on July 7, 2022, depicting the seven people killed after a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Later Sundheims daughter Leah spoke, saying she cannot process that her mother wont be present when I have my baby or meet the love of my life, and that fills me with a rage and emptiness that scares me.

Addressing the mourners, she said: I want each of you to take that fear, that sadness and that rage and I need it to let it fuel you. .... Let it remind you to find joy in little things and treasure the big things. I want you to use this horrible, overwhelming hurt and turn it into a drive to help heal our world and our community.

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Do not let this sadness, this fear, rage turn you indifferent or bitter toward our world, because the world is darker without my mom in it  and its up to us now to fill it with a little extra laughter and help replace her light and love.

Just as that service was ending, another was getting underway for Straus at a synagogue a few miles south in Evanston. It followed a private burial, where the opening theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey was played as his casket was lowered into the ground.

We are here this morning with brokenness. We are here this morning in shock and disbelief and despair and grief, Rabbi Rachel Weiss said at the start of the service at Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation. We are here in a painful incredulity that this is the world we are living in.

Straus family had described him earlier as a lover of culture  from the Art Institute of Chicago to The 2000 Year Old Man comedy sketch  with a curious mind who still commuted five days a week to his stockbroker office downtown.

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[ As Highland Park sits in the national spotlight, its residents want you to know a few things ]

This was not the way that we thought Steve would or should ever be on the cover of The New York Times. It would be more like Steve to be in the book review section because he read them all, Weiss said during the funeral. But now he joins a very difficult group, as do we all, whom death through trauma and terror and hatred has touched.

We tell his story. Steve was a good guy. We will never be the same, but we will carry him with us, she continued.

A native of Chicagos South Side, Straus was very much a Highland Parker and went to the parade every year, one of his sons told the Tribune.

Straus, said his son Peter Straus, was curious about the world.

Straus survivors include wife Linda and another son, Jonathan. Straus brother Larry Straus spoke at the service, saying utmost among his siblings qualities was loyalty.

He told a story about how he and his brother went to different high schools and their respective basketball teams ended up playing each other.

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When I would score a basket, my brother would scream, Atta boy, Larry! ... Ive never forgotten. Its been with me my whole life, that loyalty, he said.

Linda Straus, widow of Stephen Straus, who was killed Monday in a mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, arrives for a funeral service with family members at the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation on July 8, 2022, in Evanston. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP)

Jonathan Straus also spoke at the service saying: Just thinking about what a good, giving, loving person he was, it just makes the cruelty and the horror of his death just that much harder to take. And Ive been pretty good at keeping it together over the last few days, but when I see pictures of him, its just like hes right there. Then it just really sweeps over me just what weve lost, who I lost, my best friend.

Amid the heartbreak, there were also moments of levity.

Peter Straus closed his remarks by saying hed like to share with you a secret about my dad that I was reminded of by an old friend who extended his condolences recently. My dad, who worked in the Loop for (at least) six decades ... made a point of pressing his nose  the side of his nose  against the glass of every revolving door he encountered, leaving a naughty nasal signature. What todays kids might call tagging that marked once again and forevermore that Steve Straus was here.

[ Like another before him, alleged Highland Park mass shooter passed through Illinois gun-permitting system intended to stop him ]

Steves granddaughter, Maisy, sang Run to Me by the Bee Gees as her father, Peter, accompanied her on guitar.

Steves grandson, Toby, read In Flanders Fields, by John McCrae, which Toby found in a World War I poem book in his grandfathers study.

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My grandfather was a very gentle and peaceful guy, Toby said, but he really was killed in a war.

Yesenia Hernandez, right, a granddaughter of Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, is consoled outside Iglesia Evangelica Bautista Emanuel in Waukegan, Illinois on July 8, 2022, during the visitation for Toledo-Zaragoza. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Friday evening, under tearful clouds, the large family of Toledo-Zaragoza and other mourners gathered at Iglesia Evangelica Bautista Emanuel church in Waukegan for the visitation of Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza.

The parking lot was brimming with cars from visitors, some of who had tears in their eyes before going in. Friends, family members and churchgoers of all ages gathered inside to mourn and share memories of a man who was father, grandfather and great-grandfather to many.

Inside the church, a smiling photo of Toledo-Zaragoza welcomed guests. A choir of dozens of family members  wearing matching black shirts with Toledo-Zaragozas picture on them  sang the Spanish hymn Mas Alla del Sol.

Beyond the sun, I have a home, a beautiful home, they sang. Christ can, to every human race, offer salvation.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

The church was standing-room-only as people congregated around a simple yet elegant pale blue coffin with silver accents and decorated with white flower and wreaths.

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He was like a star for me, said Sotero Alarcon, Toledo-Zaragozas nephew. He was a hard-working man. He scolded me a lot, but it worked.

After such an unexpected loss, senior pastor Jesse Padilla reminded the mourners, we need each other.

Padilla offered an effusive speech in which he thanked the English-speaking community for showing love and support to the migrant Hispanic community and Toledo-Zaragozas family.

He also said not to focus on the what ifs, but rather: Remember what you did receive. What he liked, what he said, the moments you shared with him.

Toledo-Zaragozas family has said hed planned to spend three months in the Chicago visiting family, something that had been delayed because of COVID-19. During the parade, hed been surrounded by relatives when the shooting began.

Today Nicolas is our guardian angel, his granddaughter Xochil Toledo wrote about him. We ask you (to) please keep our family and all the families of this horrible tragedy in your prayers and stay strong as a community.
HA NOI  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on providing information to raise Vietnamese citizens awareness of local laws and practices when travelling or working abroad, following a recent spate of alleged serious violations committed overseas.

Spokesperson for the ministry Le Thi Thu Hang made the call on Thursday as she was addressing the press questions over the two cases that have drawn a great deal of public attention  one the alleged rape of an underage girl in Spain involving high-profile artists, and another concerning the arrests of dozens of Vietnamese in a drug party in South Korea.

Concerning the Spain case, spokesperson Hang said the Vietnamese embassy has been closely following the developments and stands ready to implement necessary citizen protection measures in line with the regulations of the laws of Spain and Viet Nam.

The two male artists were detained by Spanish authorities (now released on bail), and the police are still collecting evidence and information to serve the investigation into their alleged raping of a 17-year-old British girl in the resort island of Mallorca on June 25, 2022, according to the embassy.

Hang said the two citizens are in normal health conditions and are receiving necessary legal assistance as per regulations.

The information and updates pertaining to the case, especially citizen protection, will be provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in accordance with the mandate and authority delegated to the ministry, Hang noted.

Regarding the arrests of Vietnamese citizens in South Korea, Hang said after the reports surfaced, the Vietnamese representatives in South Korea swiftly contacted the national police to verify the case and asked the South Koreans to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese citizens.

Initial reports indicated that 33 persons were arrested in a drug bust  with four already transferred into South Korean citizenship, and the remaining being Vietnamese nationals illegally staying in South Korea.

The South Korean immigration authorities are detaining the illegal residents and are working on procedures to deport them back to Viet Nam, the spokesperson said.

The foreign ministry has instructed the Vietnamese embassy in South Korea to closely watch the incident and frequently keep in contact with South Korean authorities for updates and to quickly provide citizen protection measures in line with the regulations of both countries, according to Hang.

I want to use this occasion to note that in recent years, the number of Vietnamese going abroad for travelling, work, or studying has been constantly increasing, Hang said, adding that most have observed the host countries laws, creating good impressions of Viet Nam and Vietnamese people in the local community.

However, there is still a minority of Vietnamese nationals who have violated the local laws," she added.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese representatives overseas have been closely keeping in contact with both local authorities and Vietnamese authorities to enact necessary citizen protection measures.

We are also requesting cooperation with local authorities to handle the cases and address the issue, including stepping up the reviewing and punishing of violations, beefing up information dissemination works to raise awareness of citizens laws and practices, Hang said, adding that they are warning Vietnamese nationals to avoid being taken advantage of and committing offences, thereby helping them protect their legitimate rights and interests in line with local and Vietnamese laws.

The propagation of information on law abidance also needs the essential involvement of press and media agencies, the spokesperson noted.

Forced labour in Cambodia

Spokesperson Hang also commented on the host of reports by Vietnamese media regarding the dire forced labour situation in Cambodia involving Vietnamese victims.

Hang said recently, under the instruction of the foreign ministry, Vietnamese representatives in Cambodia have closely cooperated with Vietnamese competent authorities  especially the local authorities of provinces sharing a border with Cambodia  as well as Cambodian competent authorities to provide assistance for struggling Vietnamese citizens in Cambodia to return home.

A task force was also set up to handle the demands and requests of the Vietnamese people, post warnings on websites and social media accounts of representative missions, and establish a hotline that is available 24/7 with Cambodian authorities to receive constant updates and support the efforts to rescue Vietnamese nationals who have fallen victims to forced labour in a timely and effective manner, Hang said.

The Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia and the Consular Department at the foreign ministry have also set up 24/7 hotlines to receive information on the victims and other warnings, according to the spokesperson.

Hang said that in particular, foreign affairs authorities have been working closely with Vietnamese domestic authorities as well as with the press agencies to step up information efforts and raise awareness among the people.

To date, Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities have repatriated over 400 Vietnamese people, and provided necessary guidance and intervention and legal assistance for over 1500 cases who were facing difficulties in entry and exit matters, travelling, visa extensions, or those who have violated the local laws.

The foreign ministry along with Vietnamese representatives overseas will maintain in close engagement with competent authorities in both Viet Nam and Cambodia to timely handle the forced labour cases, and to hopefully, put an end to this situation, spokesperson Hang said.  VNS
LONDON  The inaugural ASEAN-UK Senior Officials Meeting (AUKSOM) was held in London on July 6 (local time). It was the first official engagement of both sides senior officials since ASEAN and the UK established a full dialogue partnership in August 2021.

Head of the UK's senior officials Jenny Bates reaffirmed the UK's commitments to strengthening partnership with the ASEAN and support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) as well as the central role of the association in the region.

The UK would support the ASEAN in building the ASEAN Community and coordinate with the association in dealing with global challenges, making positive contributions to peace, security, stability and development in the region, she said.

ASEAN senior officials lauded the important role of the UK as the leading partner of ASEAN in many fields. In the first three quarters of 2021, ASEAN-UK trade reached US$44.2 billion. Each year, the UK provides about $375 million of ODA to the region and about 200 Chevening scholarships to students from ASEAN countries. The UK has provided about $1.2 million to the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, along with more than $6.34 million to enhance the medical capacity and reduce the impacts of the pandemic in the region.

ASEAN and the UK agreed to coordinate to ensure the sustainable and effective operation of cooperation mechanisms in the framework of the newly-established dialogue partnership, including the drafting of a plan of action for the 2022-2027 period.

They agreed to continue to prioritise the control of the pandemic and post-pandemic recovery while promoting trade and investment cooperation, chain supply connectivity as well as partnership in education, training, culture, art, tourism, and youth and student exchanges.

ASEAN proposed that the UK continue to help the region enhance medical capacity and ensure a timely and sufficient supply of vaccines. The UK pledged to strengthen cooperation with the ASEAN in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, energy transformation, environmental protection, climate change response, and green and sustainable development.

The two sides expressed concern over the complicated situation in the region and the world and agreed to make efforts to ensure peace, security and stability in the region, building a favourable environment for cooperation and development. The UK affirmed its support for ASEAN's stance on the East Sea, including efforts to build a substantive, effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) following international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The UK and ASEAN will promote dialogue and reconciliation, and help Myanmar soon stabilise the situation through consultation and dialogue.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Vu Ho, the Acting Head of Senior Officials for ASEAN Viet Nam, suggested that the UK and ASEAN partners take a comprehensive approach to political-security issues in the region.

ASEAN expected the UK, as a new dialogue partner, to work together with ASEAN to build a culture of dialogue and uphold the cooperative spirit based on the rule of law, he said.

Ambassador Ho held that the harmonious and sustainable development of the ASEAN sub-regions, including the Mekong sub-region, was an integral part of building comprehensive security in Southeast Asia. ASEAN hoped that the UK would pay attention to and strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in contents related to sub-regional development, especially issues such as sustainable water management, environmental protection, disaster management and climate change, he stated.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the Vietnamese representative underlined that turning the East Sea into a sea of peace, stability and cooperation was the duty of all countries inside and outside the region. To this end, respecting international law and UNCLOS 1982, ensuring security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation, and ensuring a sustainable marine environment must be the basis for all activities in the East Sea, he stressed.

The ambassador said that ASEAN and China were making efforts in building an effective and efficient COC following international law and UNCLOS 1982, and hoped for support from partners, including the UK, for these efforts. VNS
Border guards in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai talk with residents about working abroad.  VNA/VNS Photo Hoai Nam

HA NOI  Viet Nam and Cambodia have a labour cooperation agreement to ensure legal protection for each other's workers, however, it seems many Vietnamese workers are being swindled to work in Cambodia in terrible conditions.

The information was revealed by Nguyen Gia Liem, deputy director of the Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

He said that those workers did not work abroad under labour contracts of licensed enterprises but illegally cross the border on land.

In the past, the DOLAB issued warnings and general recommendations for workers intending to gain employment abroad. However, there has never been a separate warning for the Cambodian market.

The DOLAB recommends that workers actively seek information about the foreign labour market to see whether they can meet the job requirements.

Workers need to contact enterprises that have permits to send workers to work abroad. The list of the enterprises is posted on the DOLABs website. Or they can contact labour management agencies in their localities for further guidance.

Liem also suggested that when workers or the press receive information about defrauding employees, they should provide information to management agencies.

Based on the information, the DOLAB can request local authorities to inspect. If any organisation or individual violates, they must be handled following laws.

Regarding tricks to defraud workers, Liem said: "Using social networks, many organisations and individuals that are not allowed to take workers to work abroad have given them false information. They set up websites and groups on Zalo to gain workers trust.

Some organisations and individuals use images of workers working abroad to post on their fake websites as if they are reputable enterprises to attract workers attention, he said.

Preventing this problem requires coordination with the police and other concerned organisations to detect those that are breaking the law and inform workers.

Earlier, as reported by the press, in different provinces such as Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa, some people posted recruitment information on social networks or directly met and proposed workers to work abroad in Cambodia. They promised to bring the workers high wages but actually will work in casinos.

Local authorities have issued notices to prevent this problem.

In the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, the provincial border guards also discovered that some teenagers who want to find jobs with a high income have been tricked into going to Cambodia and then being asked for money as a ransom.

At 6pm on July 3, the border guards forces picked up Pui Thai, 28 and Pui Phu, 16 at Pleiku Airport in Gia Lai Province.

They are from Ia O Commune, Ia Grai District.

They are two out of seven people who were illegally taken to Cambodia to work.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel inh Van Son, Deputy Director of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department under the Gia Lai Police, said that recruiting workers to go abroad was actually a scam.

Most of those tricked are teenagers who were promised an "easy job and high salary". The reality puts their families in difficult circumstances.

These criminals often force the victims to then cheat others. If they refused, they force the victims to pay a fine of about US$1,000 or be beaten and starved.

In response to the problem, the deputy chairman of the Gia Lai People's Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh Lich last Friday sent documents to the provincial Fatherland Front Committee, Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, police and districts people's committees to check and report if workers in their area were tricked to illegally work in Cambodia.

The provincial Peoples Committee also assigned the police to propose preventive measures.

It requested the local People's Committees proactively check the labour situation in the area and strengthen education for local people.

It directed concerned agencies to actively coordinate with Vietnamese diplomatic missions and consulates in Cambodia to have a plan to rescue those who are still in Cambodia.

Statistics of the provincial police said that in the first six months of this year, 43 cases of fraud were reported with the amount of more than VN26 billion ($1.1 million).

People who need to find a job should study well before and follow regulated procedures about labour contracts. They should contact local authorities or departments of labour, invalids and social affairs for specific guidance and advice. People must be alert to information on social networks, it is necessary to have verification to avoid being cheated," said Son.  VNS
An oasis of color, lively music and pleasing aromas has arrived on Waco Drive embodied in La Michoacana Meat Market, a Hispanic-centric grocery chain with 200 locations.

Its opening follows by seven months the unveiling of Poco Loco Supermercado at 25th Street and Bosque Boulevard, in a 37,000-square-foot building that underwent major remodeling.

La Michoacana regional director Gilbert Carrasco, who visited Waco on Thursday, said the chain chooses locations where the Hispanic population hovers between 7,000 and 8,000 within a 2-mile radius.

Waco is not foreign to La Michoacana, which several years operated a meat market and taqueria in the Hobby Lobby-anchored Parkdale shopping center parking lot. That site became La Mexicana Meat Market. The new La Michoacana is at 2210 W. Waco Drive.

This is a good town to have a store, Carrasco said, standing near the new meat market, where display cases brimmed with marinated T-bone steaks, chicken drumsticks and wings, pork meat and beef-back ribs. And dutifully the market was well stocked with tripe, both regular and honeycomb.

Carrasco, a Mexico native whose family moved to the United States when he was 16, said he relocated to Texas from California. He was employed with the Fiesta Mart chain before joining La Michoacana five years ago. He said he daily tries to visit five of the 48 stores in his district.

The La Michoacana prototype covers 11,000 to 13,000 square feet, Carrasco said. The produce departments include fruits and vegetables popular with Hispanic shoppers. The bakery, or panaderia, sells freshy baked goodies such as muffins, sweet rolls and conchas, while displaying pre-made desserts such as the Pastel de Tres Leches Strawberry Cake priced at $19.99.

Luis Jimenez, 30, oversees the bakery. He grew up in Waco, graduating from A.J. Moore, before teaching English to youngsters in Mexico.

I wanted to make a difference in kids lives, he said. I hope I did.

He learned baking from his father and uncle. Thursday morning found him preparing flan, which should be ready in about three hours.

A retailer where employees speak Spanish and labels are written in Spanish can ease the embarrassment, discomfort and fear Spanish-speaking customers may face elsewhere, said Andrea Kosar, president and CEO of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Certain pockets within the United States get by with limited English in carrying out day-to-day activities, Kosar said. Were in Texas, so speaking English does not always have to be part of the narrative.

Eric Tarrazas, who directs economic development at the Hispanic chamber, said non-English speakers generally have little trouble navigating a Walmart or H-E-B store. They are not uncomfortable at either, Tarrazas said.

What they might find more comfortable at La Michoacana or Poco Loco is the availability of products they are more accustomed to, having grown up in Mexico or another Latin American country, he said. As the Hispanic population grows, there becomes growing demand for these products.

The latest U.S. census figures show Wacos Hispanic population stands at 33%, or about 42,000 Hispanic residents within the city limits.

Tarrazas said Hispanic growth is reflected in the construction industry, in the Hispanic-owned tire and auto repair shops, furniture stores and gift shops concentrated along North 25th Street, near Poco Loco Supermercado.

You do not always find everything youre looking for at the normal retailer, Kosar said. Maybe you need that specific ingredient that grandma used. Maybe you need a special cheese. Recipes are a generational thing. And every time something new opens up, there arises an opportunity to celebrate a culture and to share it with the community.

Complementing these smaller stores are major retailers such as San Antonio-based H-E-B, which enjoys $33 billion in annual revenue and has been Wacos dominant grocer for decades. Its Hispanic ties are well known, from the product selection to the more than 60 stores it operates in Mexico.

Thursday found Tom Renschler, 76, and Mickey Kearney, 75, in what has become a familiar spot in only a week. They were enjoying dishes prepared by La Michoacanas taqueria. Sitting nearby were employees eating lunch, always a good sign, and working-class customers.

This is my second time here, and everything is really good, Renschler said.

His plate included a banana pepper, spiced potatoes, a cactus slice and what he described as killer soup, heavily stocked with meat chunks.

This drink is watermelon-flavored, he said. I cant tell you how good it is.

Supervisor Ernesto Navarro and his staff were attentive, gladly assisting walk-up customers sorting through the menu options.

Elsewhere shoppers could find cold soda, Mexican candies, canned goods, dry cereals, cleaning supplies, non-prescription drugs, teas and specialty items.

The daily special included two sunny-side-up eggs and beans in green sauce with cactus and pork rinds. The price was $3.99 while supplies lasted.
Staffing shortages have led the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to freeze intake of new inmates at its five secure facilities, including the one in Mart, a decision local leaders say could put more pressure on McLennan Countys own juvenile detention facility.

In a June 29 letter to juvenile probation officials around Texas, interim Executive Director Shandra Carter said the agency is hemorrhaging staff and at risk of endangering inmates.

The current risk is that the ongoing secure facility staffing issue will lead to an inability to even provide basic supervision for youth locked in their rooms, Carter wrote. This could cause a significantly impaired ability to intervene in the increasing suicidal behaviors already occurring by youth struggling with the isolative impact of operational room confinement.

The Texas Tribune reported Thursday that the agency has 331 vacant positions for juvenile corrections officers and only 391 officers available to cover its facilities, which have nearly 600 children in custody.

In addition to halting intake of new inmates, the agency is taking several steps to deal with the crisis, including moving 16 girls along with the female behavioral stabilization unit from the Ron Jackson unit in Brownwood to the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Mart. The Mart facility held 242 males as of Carters June 29 letter.

In addition, the agency would end its Intensive Intervention Programs that are meant to manage lower-level aggression and violence at its Mart and Edinburg facilities.

Carter also wants to review youth about to age out of the system for potential safe release and determine if any sentenced youth are eligible for parole.

Carter said she is incredibly disappointed by these steps, which she called the least worst measures.

Carter said the state agency is attempting to free up space for 130 youth who have been committed to Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities but remain in county lockups.

McLennan Countys juvenile detention center has the room and the supervision capacity to continue to hold the youth awaiting placements in state facilities, said Collin Coker, director of McLennan County Juvenile Probation.

The states freeze on taking new youth into their facilities will increase the number of youth in (county) detention, Coker said. They will be there for longer.

Coker also said he cannot predict who will come into his county facility, or on what charges.

We are taking every measure we can to provide the best service to the youth in McLennan County pending TJJD admissions, Coker said.

Judge Gary Coley of the 74th State District Court also said the county facility has adequate space for now. Coley is the judge who sends youth to Cokers facility and who makes commitment rulings for youth who would go to the state system.

To sign a commitment for a youth to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, we must make a finding the kid has (behavioral health or other) special needs that cant be met at the county level, Coley said.

The longer youth remain at the county facility, the longer they lack access to state programs for violent offenders or sexual offenders, or for behavioral health needs, he said.

We dont know how long this temporary hold will last, Coley said. When these kids do get to a state facility they may get an abbreviated program, or they may miss the program entirely.

Coley said his concern is not about the countys ability to detain youth but for their delayed access to state-sponsored treatment programs that will best benefit them.

In her letter, Carter, the agency director, said she is painfully aware of the strain on detention beds.

I fully recognize that our biggest risk here is a youth who should be detained is in the community and commits a horrific violent crime, Carter wrote.
NARA, Japan (AP)  Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nation's most powerful and influential figures, has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, according to NHK public television.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital, NHK said.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack that shocked many in Japan, which is one of the worlds safest nations and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which he called dastardly and barbaric."

Abe was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020.

NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in the western city of Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street, with security guards running toward him. He holds his chest, his shirt smeared with blood.

In the next moment, security guards leap on top of a man in gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.
BELLEVILLE, MICH. (July 7, 2022)  Have you ever flown in a Huey helicopter with the doors wide open and the wind rushing over your face? Kick-off the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show by riding a Huey at the Yankee Air Museum on Friday, July 15th!

For only $99.00, you will take a thrilling 10-minute flight with doors wide open (weather permitting). You can book your ride/time in advance or take a chance and walk up that day. If walking up, plan to arrive by 11:30 am as rides begin at noon and will conclude by 5:00 pm. To order tickets in advance visit www.yankeeairmuseum.org and click Fly With Us, scroll down the page to find the UH-1 Huey.

The Yankee Air Museum Huey, Greyhound, served in the Vietnam War from 1967 until 1971. It was part of the 240th Assault Helicopter Company known as The Greyhounds, Mad Dogs, and Kennel Keepers. The Greyhound Bus Company was honored by the name and gave the company permission to use its logo. A versatile helicopter, the UH-1 was used as a gun ship, medical evacuation and for utility purposes.

Huey rides are at the Yankee Air Museum located at 47884 D Street, Bellville, MI. Please park on the north side of the building off 3rd Street. For those attending the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show on July 16 & 17, you can just walk up to the Huey before each show begins in the morning and afternoon. For more information on Thunder Over Michigan, visit https://yankeeairmuseum.org/airshow/.

About Yankee Air Museum: Established in 1981 the Yankee Air Museum is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization. The Yankee Air Museum dedicates itself to educating individuals through the history of American aeronautics, aerospace industry and its associated technologies while inspiring generations through personal experiences to instill pride in our national accomplishments. Yankee Air Museum, located at 47884 D Street, Belleville, Michigan on the grounds of historic Willow Run Airport. Visit www.yankeeairmuseum.org to discover more or call 734-483-4030.
WATERLOO  Federal marshals and local authorities have arrested at least 13 fugitive sex offenders during a recent roundup in Iowa.

At least one of the offenders was from Waterloo.

According to court records, Damon Nigel Howze, 46, had signed out of the Waterloo Residential Correctional Facility on June 2 for a job interview.

It wasnt clear if he got the job, but authorities said he didnt return to the facility.

And his GPS ankle bracelet sent out a tamper alert and was later found in the area of East Sixth and Mulberry streets, no longer attached to Howzes ankle.

Howze  who is required to register as a sex offender because of a conviction for gross sexual assault in Maine in 2008 and was at the facility for an earlier registration violation  was placed on escape status, and on Thursday he was arrested for voluntary absence and failure to register.

During the statewide sweep, authorities with the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force seized two firearms and ammunition along with drugs, according to the U.S. Marshals Services. Of the arrests, seven of the suspects had prior convictions for sex crimes against children.

Much of the success of this operation can be attributed to the vigilant efforts of our community members, said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Phil Hartung. Throughout this operation, tips were received through the Iowa Sex Offender Registrys tip line and through the United State Marshals tip line.

The U.S. Marshals are offering cash rewards for information directly leading to the arrest of sex offenders who are non-compliant. Tips submitted are confidential, anonymous and are processed by the Marshals Service.

The tip lines can be found at www.iowasexoffender.gov/contact and www.usmarshals.gov/tips .

According to the Marshals, Iowa has 6,549 people on its sex offender registry, and about 49 listed as most wanted. The list can be found at www.iowasexoffender.gov/mostwanted .

Photos: Missing children in Iowa
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man who accidentally blasted a neighbors garage with a shotgun while he was on probation for robbery has been sentenced to prison.

Judge C.J. Williams on Friday sentenced Seyveion Marchelle James Hayes, 22, to two years and three months in federal prison on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm.

The sentence is to run consecutive to any sentence handed down in the probation revocation hearing.

Authorities allege Hayes was at a friends house at 1818 Mulberry St. on May 23, 2020, and was looking at his friends guns  a 7.62 mm Russian Mosin Nagant bolt-action rifle, a 7.62 mm Century Arms VSKA military-style rifle and a 12-gauge Stevens 320 shotgun.

He was also handling the shotgun in the backyard and accidentally triggered the weapon, which damaged the neighbors garage, according to court records.

Court records also show police allegedly found Hayes with another gun just over a year later. On Sept. 8, Hayes ran from a traffic stop in Waterloo and police found a stolen 9 mm Taurus PT111 pistol in his backpack.

State weapons trafficking charges in connection with the stop were later dismissed in favor of the federal charges, according to court records.

Authorities allege Hayes is prohibited from handling firearms because of a conviction for a 2015 armed robbery at a store when he was 17.

Photos: Peace Walk, June 9, 2022
A 19-year-old man about to start his sophomore year at UIC was fatally shot while waiting to pick up his mom from a doctors appointment Wednesday afternoon near Mount Sinai Hospital, according to his family and Chicago police.

Giovanni Flores had dropped his mother off at the hospital, 1500 S. Fairfield Ave., about noon, grabbed lunch and found a parking spot nearby at 1625 S. Farrar Drive, the inner drive of Douglass Park, to wait for her, police said.

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His mom texted Flores at 1:15 p.m. to say she was ready, but when she didnt hear back from him, she became worried and began searching.

Noticing a large police presence in the park across the street, she then saw his 2011 Ford Explorer.

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But Flores was already inside Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:34 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiners office.

Holding back sobs, his older siblings, Steven and Jessica Flores, described the grief gripping the family, especially their mom who was last to see him.

He had so much to live for, Jessica Flores, 31, said. He was excited; he was a young kid trying to figure out his next steps.

Steven Flores, 27, said the attackers did not take anything. His phone was found, and it wasnt an attempted carjacking.

The family has no idea why this happened, and Chicago police said a motive was not known.

Officers were called to the scene when alerted by ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, and found Giovanni Flores still in the drivers seat, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the left side of his body, according to a police report.

After reviewing camera footage, police learned he was shot by two unknown assailants inside another SUV, which fled after the attack, according to the report.

At least seven shell casings were strewn in the street, around the drivers side of the Explorer. No arrests have been made.

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Giovanni Flores grew up in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the Southwest Side, where he still lived with his parents.

He attended elementary school in the Pilsen neighborhood before graduating from Lane Tech High School last year.

He did really well in school, said Jessica Flores, who added he had been enrolled in a gifted program in grade school.

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It was really cool to see the youngest in their family getting ready to go out into the world, they said.

Hed just finished up his freshman year at University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was taking mostly business classes and hadnt yet declared a major.

Giovanni Flores was already preregistered for the fall term, set to begin Aug. 22, according to UIC spokeswoman Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez.

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He was the baby of the family, but he took care of us all, said Jessica Flores, who added he had recently helped her move to Texas for school.

He always had a joke and was always with his family.

He was selfless and so kind, Jessica Flores said. He was a joy to be around.

rsobol@chicagotribune.com
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man who was injured in a 2013 shooting has been sentenced to prison on federal weapons charges.

William Rashad Burt, 28, was the fourth person to be sentenced in connection with a July 2021 firearms investigation that seized five guns, drug trafficking items and cash.

On Wednesday, Burt was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. Following prison, he will be on supervised release for three years.

Authorities said Burt was found with a .22-caliber RG23 revolver and $1,272 in cash when they searched a College Street apartment on July 6, 2021. When he was detained he told officers he would simply get more guns.

Others charged in the investigation include Qunshaundes Davion McNealy, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison; William McNealy II, who was sentenced to seven years; and Sahjit Mcyle Phillips who was sentenced to eight years.

Burt was 19 when he was injured in a shooting in the Save More Foods parking lot on Franklin Street on June 25, 2013. Burts acquaintance, 30-year-old Cedrick Joe Matlock, was killed during the shooting. Antonio Hutchins was convicted of murder and willful injury in the shooting.
CEDAR FALLS  Despite Cedar Falls landing a $1.5 million federal grant for the highly anticipated Cedar River Recreation Improvement Project, theres still work to be done to round out the necessary funding.

Community Development Director Stephanie Sheetz said Tuesday the city still expects a volunteer fundraising group to raise $500,000 for the $5.25 million in improvements and enhancements from the upstream side of the Main Street Bridge to the downstream side of the West First Street Bridge.

The group has tens of thousands of dollars in multi-year pledges and money in the bank, but has faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and higher-than-anticipated construction bids leading to uncertainty about the project.

I felt like the itsy bitsy spider, said Dave Deaver, one of the leaders of the project. Every time wed climb all the way up, wed get washed out.

Deaver said the plan is next week to reengage individuals and organizations, meaning the group could find itself north of $250,000 and on its way to reaching the $500,000 mark, hopefully by the completion of the project.

If a contractors bid is approved later this year, shovels could be in the ground before 2023.

The improvements will include multiple kayak play areas, fishing jetties, habitat spawning pools, and water access points, to name a few.

The $500,000 is a reasonable goal, and weve identified a path forward and are hopeful of positive responses, Deaver said. The proof will be in the pudding, when were out in the field in this current economic environment with costs being so high. The plus side is COVID has diminished in the minds of people.

Officials originally wanted all the money up front from the fundraising group, but got permission from the City Council last summer to seek pledges over multiple years to help finance it.

Plans to remove Olive Street bridge, expand Pettersen Plaza get green light in Cedar Falls Once the contract is awarded, a city engineer said the project start date could be as early as next month, but that's heavily dependent on weather because of the creek's involvement.

At the time, volunteers said the group had secured $130,000.

But fundraising started years before that. Going into 2020, Deaver said it had donations and commitments totaling $400,000. But the uncertainty around the pandemic led some people and groups to bow out.

As the disease became an afterthought and momentum picked up again in 2021, Deaver said organizers had $250,000 and felt confident $500,000 would be reached by the end of the year.

But then in October, the city had construction bids come in 180% over the engineers estimate of $3.7 million, and that again led to doubts that the project would happen.

The city has been working with Riverwise Engineering to re-envision aspects of it.

The project plans continue to be similar to the originally bid project. Changes in descriptions, to increase clarity for contractors bidding the project, adjustments to the trail design, and targeted riverbank rip rap replacement with boulders are the most significant changes, wrote Sheetz in a letter to the council.

Rooted Carrot Co-op committed to finding new site in Cedar Falls The Rooted Carrot Cooperative Market is a community-owned grocery store that seeks to enhance the health and well-being of the greater Cedar Valley, according to its mission statement.

Next week is when the group will continue reengaging previous pledges. If those invites dont bring in the necessary commitments, then volunteers will advance to a more public campaign once construction bids are placed and approved by the council.

That will be our signal to go, Deaver said.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced last month that the city had been awarded a $1.5 million federal grant from a program funded by the American Rescue Plan.

The Black Hawk County Gaming Association confirmed it is still slated to award the project a $1.5 million grant. Other much-smaller grants are from Iowa Great Places Resource Enhancement and Protection for $75,000 and $150,000, respectively.

Another $1 million and $525,000, respectively, will be covered by the citys emergency reserve and general obligation bond sales.
Seventh in a series on The Couriers Eight Over 80 winners.

WATERLOO  Joan Stiglers childhood was built around three words: I love you.

Throughout her adult life, shes made sure at-risk children hear those words, too. Whether its elementary students who struggle with reading or teens learning to parent or children needing behavioral guidance, many have flourished under Stiglers warm, loving guidance.

That legacy made the 83-year-old (who pronounces her first name JoAnn) a shoo-in for a 2022 Courier Eight Over 80 award.

She would spend as much time with them until she felt they had learned how to take care of themselves, said Robert Brown, who nominated Stigler for the award.

She was born and raised in Marshalltown before moving to Waterloo in 1960. Stigler and her late husband, Michael, and their three children quickly planted roots at Payne Memorial AME Church.

I joined the choir and taught Sunday school, she said. I started with the little ones, and then did junior and senior high.  Ive been a member there for more than 50 years.

Payne Church was where she met her best friend, the late Lillian Thomas, who further sparked Stiglers fire to help young people. Thomas, who died in September 2021, was a Courier 8 Over 80 winner in 2020.

The pair was a community force to be reckoned with.

Lil knew how to plan things out. She just had that mothers touch, Stigler said. Shes really left a hole in my heart since September.

Stigler worked for a local telephone company for 31 years. She took advantage of a company program that paid for her college education. At 52 years old, she graduated from Upper Iowa University with a bachelors degree in social work. Her grade point average was 3.9.

Armed with her degree, compassion, kindness and wisdom, she poured her heart and soul into helping troubled youth.

Ever since I was born I was always told I love you. Some of the children I worked with had never heard that before. I just did not realize that until I started volunteering.

Family was always very important when I was coming up as a child. We werent rich but we sure had a lot of love.  You think that everybody is raised alike and then you find out that its not true. Not everybody gets three meals. I had a blessed childhood, and so many kids werent getting what I got at home.

Stigler was determined to be a part of the village it takes to raise children.

Growing up, it really was a village. Neighbors, friends, grandparents, any adult could guide and correct us. As I became an adult and saw what was happening, I recognized the need for that village.

Stigler was a mentor in a YWCA program that educated teen parents on how to care for their new babies. She volunteered in schools to help low-income and at-risk elementary students learn to read and was a mentor to children in the juvenile probation system.

These kids came from not the best of neighborhoods and maybe had some troubles at home. I tried to get in their world, Stigler explained. That was rewarding for me because they were 6 to 12 years old and all they needed was somebody to listen and love them and talk to them. You could see they hadnt been trained and didnt know what love is. All they needed was love.

Many of those children, now adults, have approached Stigler around town to thank her for her kindness and support.

They were just young kids, 6 or 7. Theyre grown men and women now, and some of them still come up and say to me, Hey Ms. Stigler, do you remember me? It makes me feel like I made a difference.

Stigler made an impact on the Cedar Valley in other ways, too. She was on the board of the Family and Childrens Council for three years, serving as board chair for a year. She also was on the Black Hawk County Board of Health for six years, with two of those years as chairwoman.

For three years, she was president of Club Les Dames, which was established in 1960 to promote personal growth, better community relations, and education among young Black women. Stigler also was a member of the diversity and multicultural affairs board at the phone company where she worked.

Stigler is modest about her accomplishments and influence on her community, and is grateful and humbled to receive an Eight Over 80 award.

I was really surprised, she said. Why me? Who would ever think of me? But Im honored. When I volunteer, I do it because its something I like to do.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP)  The largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park was closed Friday as a wildfire burning through dense forest became the latest in recent years to threaten the worlds largest trees.

A team was being sent to the Mariposa Grove to wrap some of the massive trunks in fire-resistant foil to protect them as the blaze burned out of control, said Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson.

More than 500 mature sequoias were threatened but there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, such as the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant.

The cause of the fire was under investigation and the rest of the park remained open as nearly 300 firefighters tried to control the flames with the help of two water-dropping helicopters and an air tanker dumping flame retardant, Phillipe said.

The giant sequoias, native in only about 70 groves spread along the western slope of California's Sierra Nevada range, were once considered impervious to flames but have become increasingly vulnerable as wildfires fueled by a buildup of undergrowth from a century of fire suppression and drought exacerbated by climate change have become more intense and destructive.

Lightning-sparked wildfires over the past two years have killed up to a fifth of the estimated 75,000 large sequoias, which are the biggest trees by volume.

There was no obvious natural spark for the fire that broke out Thursday next to the park's Washburn Trail, Phillipe said. Smoke was reported by visitors walking in the grove that reopened in 2018 after a $40 million renovation that took three years.

The grove, which is inside the park's southern entrance, was evacuated and no one was injured.

The fire more than tripled overnight in size to 166 acres (67 hectares) by Friday, Phillipe said. Fire officials had previously estimated that 250 acres (101 hectares) burned but it was revised after a closer assessment.

The nearby village of Wawona, where about 600 to 700 people were staying in a campground, cabins and an historic hotel, was under an evacuation advisory. A community meeting was planned and visitors and residents were encouraged to be ready to leave.

Our priorities are certainly the giant sequoias and the community of Wawona, Phillipe said.

A fierce windstorm ripped through the grove a year and a half ago and toppled 15 giant sequoias, along with countless other trees.

The downed trees, along with massive numbers of pines killed by bark beetles, provided ample fuel for the flames, but winds Friday were calm and the fire was not spreading rapidly.

The park has used prescribed burns to clear brush around the sequoias, which helps protect them if flames spread farther into the grove.

"When the unwanted fires hit those areas, it tends to slow the rate of spread and helps us gain some control, Phillipe said.

In the Sierra foothills, 80 miles (128 kilometers) to the northwest of the Yosemite fire, some evacuation orders were lifted as containment grew to 65% on the Electra Fire that had burned 7 square miles (18 square kilometers).

The fire broke out near Jackson on Monday and temporarily forced about 100 people celebrating the July 4th holiday along a river to seek shelter in Pacific Gas & Electric Co. facility.
DES MOINES  An Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division executive was elected to a one-year term as president of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators.

Stephanie Strauss, who is an executive officer leading the government affairs program at the Alcoholic Beverages Division, will lead the national group representing regulatory agencies in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

The National Conference of State Liquor Administrators is a 501(3) corporation that provides a forum for its members to openly communicate and learn about the creation and maintenance of successful systems of beverage alcohol regulation in service of the public interest, according to its mission statement.

Stephanie is a dedicated public servant and has proven her leadership in this industry over the last 12 years. I am pleased that she is being recognized with this distinguished role and am excited to see the initiatives she will roll out over the next year as she leads this organization, Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division Administrator Stephen Larson said in a news release.

Strauss began working at the states Alcoholic Beverages Division in 2010, and previously worked in the State Treasurers Office.

DISASTER PROCLAMATIONS: Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Emmet, Hancock, OBrien, and Winnebago counties in response to Tuesdays severe weather.

The proclamation makes some lower-income residents of the four counties eligible for various grants to help cover expenses related to storm damage, including home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing.

Applications have 45 days from Wednesday to apply for assistance. The application and instructions are available at dhs.iowa.gov.

DISTRICT JUDGE APPOINTED: Robert Tiefenthaler has been appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds as a district judge in District 3B, which includes six counties in Northwest Iowa.

Tiefenthaler, from Sergeant Bluff, currently practices law in Sioux City, according to a news release from the governors office.

PROJECTS FUNDED: The state transportation department awarded more than $1 million to 18 electric vehicle charging projects with funding from a government settlement with Volkswagen.

The settlement was the product of a federal lawsuit that alleged the car-maker installed devices on its vehicle that falsified emissions data. The settlement created a fund for projects that are designed to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides.

A full list of projects can be viewed at news.iowadot.gov.

$24 MILLION RETURNED: More than $24 million was returned to more than 25,000 claimants during the past state budget year as part of the Iowa Treasurers office program that returns missing money and abandoned property to its rightful owners, the office said in a news release.

Iowa Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald calls the program the Great Iowa Treasurer Hunt. Iowans can enter their name online at greatiowatreasurerhunt.gov to determine if they are owed any money or property

Reuniting owners with their rightful property will always be one of the most rewarding aspects of my job, and I will continue to provide past and present Iowans with a free, easy and accessible way to find their treasure, Fitzgerald said in a news release.

AG DEPARTMENT HIRE: Travis Knight, Ph.D., has been hired as the state agriculture departments director of consumer protection and regulations, the department said in a news release. Knight will oversee the agencys food safety, animal health, consumer protection, and industry services divisions.

Knight has been with the department since 2005. Prior to that, he was an assistant scientist in the department of animal science at Iowa State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry, the news release said.

ASH BORER HITS KOSSUTH: Emerald ash borer was discovered in Kossuth County for the first time recently, making it the 92nd of Iowas 99 counties that has seen the tree-killing insect since 2010 its first detection in 2010, the state agriculture department said.

Emerald ash borer is a significant threat to native ash tree species, typically killing an infested tree within two to four years.
Analysis of documents related to the military-biological activity of the USA in Ukraine

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation continues analysing the military-biological activity of the USA and its allies in Ukraine and other regions of the world in view of new information received at the liberated territories and at the branch offices of the Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) that form a unified information network.

We have previously stated that the Ukrainian project of the Pentagon do not meet the pertinent healthcare problems of Ukraine, while their implementation has not led to any improvement of the sanitary-epidemiological situation.

The special military operation has led to forming the final report on DTRA activity dated from 2005 to 2016.

The document contains the data on evaluation of healthcare, veterinary and biosecurity system efficiency prepared by a group of U.S. experts in 2016.

This report is a concept document designed for further planification of military-biological activity of the Pentagon in Ukraine that contains conclusions on implementation of the programme guidelines.

Despite the more than 10-year-long period of cooperation in the alleged reduction of biological threats, the experts have stated:

There is no legislation on the control of highly dangerous pathogens in the country, there are significant deficiencies in biosafety The current state of resources makes it impossible for laboratories to respond effectively to public health emergencies

The document emphasises that over the past five years, Ukraine has shown no progress in implementing international health regulations of the World Health Organisation.

The report pays particular attention to non-compliance with biosafety requirements when working and storing microbial collections.

It has been stated that most facilities are characterised by numerous gross violations, such as unlocked fencing systems, unlatching windows, broken or inactive pathogen restriction systems, lack of alarm systems The results of the review conclude that there is no system for protecting dangerous pathogens in Ukraine.

At the same time, the activities of the Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) have been assessed positively: the organisation has managed to bring the national collection of microorganisms to the United States, to organise biological assessment work and to implement projects to study particularly dangerous and economically significant infections that could cause a worsening (changing) epidemic situation.

The report makes the case for continuing this work on behalf of the Pentagon that has cost more than $250 million since 2005.

The document is annexed with ambiguous comments about the sponsors and implementers of the Biological Threat Reduction Programme in Ukraine that have nothing to do with biosecurity issues. In particular, the Soros Foundation is mentioned with the notation contributed to the development of an open and democratic society

It confirms again that the official activities of the Pentagon in Ukraine are just a front for illegal military and biological research.

We have repeatedly mentioned the role of U.S. Democratic Party representatives in funding bioweapons activities in Ukraine and the intermediary organisations that have been used for this purpose.

I would like to refer to one of the key Pentagon contractors receiving money from Hunter Bidens investment fund, Metabiota.

The available data suggests that the company is merely a front for internationally dubious purposes and is used by the U.S. political elite to carry out opaque financial activities in various parts of the world.

There is a specific example: Metabiota was involved in the response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. The activities of the companys employees have raised questions from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in terms of their compliance with biosafety requirements.

This is the report of the international panel of experts from the Haemorrhagic Fever Consortium who were involved in the fight against Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone in 2015.

According to the document, Metabiota staff had failed to comply with handling procedures and concealed the involvement of Pentagon staff who were using the company as a front. The main purpose of these activities was to isolate highly virulent variants of the virus from sick and dead people, as well as to export its strains to the USA.

In view of the apparent failure of Metabiotas activities to meet the goals of controlling the spread of the disease, the World Health Organisations Ebola coordinator, Philippe Barbosa, recommended to recall the staff of the company saying he was extremely concerned about the potential risks of such collaboration to WHOs reputation.

The U.S. military contractors heightened interest in the Ebola virus is not a coincidence: the disease is one of the most pathogenic to humans. During the outbreak that began in 2014, 28,000 people were contaminated, over 11,000 of them died, the mortality rate was around 40%.

The special military operation has led to receiving documents that reveals the plans of Metabiota and the Ukrainian Scientific-Technological Centre to study the Ebola virus in Ukraine.

This is the request for U.S. funding to diagnose highly dangerous pathogens in Ukraine, including Ebola virus. This kind of requests are part of U.S. strategy to redeploy high-risk work with dangerous pathogens to third countries.

The research was to be carried out at the Mechnikov Anti-Plague Institute in Odessa. As the disease is not endemic and has never been recorded in Ukraine indeed, there is a legitimate question about the need for such research and its true purpose.

We have already noted that Ukraine and other post-Soviet states have become a testing ground for biological weapons not only for the USA, but also for its NATO allies; on the first place, Germany. Various projects have been carried out on behalf of the Joint Medical Service of the German Armed Forces.

Bundeswehr professionals paid particular attention to the Congo-Crimean fever pathogen. A large-scale screening of the susceptibility of the local population to this infection was carried out and included summarising demographic, epidemiological and clinical data. This kind of approaches allows to identify new regional virus genotypes and to select strains that cause latent clinical forms.

The study of natural foci of Crimean-Congo fever was carried out under the pretext of improving the Ukrainian epidemiological surveillance system, with the participation of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Kiev and the Mechnikov Anti-Plague Institute in Odessa.

Bundeswehrs interest in Crimean-Congo fever stems from the fact that mortality can be as high as 30% and its outbreaks create a need for lengthy and costly treatment, preventive and special handling measures.

This is a quote from Bundeswehrs instructions: pay particular attention to fatal cases of infection with Crimean-Congo fever as it allows the virus strains with maximum pathogenicity and virulence for humans to be extracted from the dead individuals

Apart from Germany, microbiologists from the USA have shown a keen interest in tick-borne infections; research in this area has been funded by DTRA through the UP-1 and UP-8 projects.

A separate project on ixodid ticks that are vectors of a number of highly dangerous infections (tularemia, West Nile fever, Congo-Crimean fever) has been implemented by the University of Texas.

Ticks used to be collected in the south-eastern regions of Ukraine, where natural foci of infections characteristic of the territory of the Russian Federation are located. At the same time, the period of implementing this work coincided with a rapid increase in the incidence of tick-borne borreliosis among the Ukrainian population, as well as the increase in the number of ticks in various regions of Russia bordering Ukraine.

This issue is being studied by competent Russian professionals in coordination with professionals from the Ministry of Defence of Russia.

We have previously pointed out the significance of the results of the military-biological projects codenamed UP for the Pentagon.

Note the report prepared for the U.S. Defence Department by Black & Veatch and Metabiota. According to the document, Veterinary Projects codenamed TAP were implemented simultaneously with the UP projects in Ukraine.

Their main guideline lies in economically significant quarantine infections capable of damaging the agriculture of several countries and entire regions, such as glanders, African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease.

African swine fever with two projects dedicated to this pathogen represented particular interest to U.S. military biologists.

The TAP-3 project was aimed to study the spread of ASF pathogen through wild animals. The migration routes of wild boar through Ukraine had been examining within its framework. The TAP-6 project scaled this process up to Eastern European countries.

The study of vector populations of dangerous zoonotic infections was carried out by staff of the Institute of New Pathogens of the University of Florida (Gainesville) in Volyn, Rovno, Zhitomir and Chernigov regions of Ukraine, as well as in the areas bordering Belarus and Russia.

Note the worsening situation of African swine fever in Eastern European countries: According to the International Office of Epizootics, since 2014, outbreaks have been recorded in Latvia (4,021 cases), Estonia (3,814) and Lithuania (4,201). In Poland, more than 13,000 cases of ASF have been detected, and agricultural losses from the disease have exceeded 2.4 billion euro.

We have already emphasised the use of biological weapons in Cuba in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, I would like to focus on U.S. military-biological activities during the Korean War.

In March 2022, the U.S. Army Strategic Studies Institute published a report on the U.S. chemical and biological weapons programme during the Korean War. This report was aimed to create a possible line of defence against allegations of illegal activities carried out by U.S. biolaboratories in Ukraine.

The document attempts to refute the testimony of 38 U.S. military pilots who have admitted using biological weapons in China and Korea.

According to the document, while preparing for the Korean campaign, the U.S. Air Force secured additional funds to purchase large quantities of chemical and biological munitions, obtained a testing range for them in Canada and carried out an extensive conceptual work on their use

At that time, the Americans considered brucellosis pathogens and economically important infections, including wheat stem rust, as priority biological agents. 2,500 munitions of this type the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command planned to use, including to attack Soviet grain crops

Analysis of the data mentioned in the report shows that the U.S. command uses the results of the research received from the Japanese military-biological programme and a certain continuity of the works previously carried out by the Detachment 731 led by Shiro Ishii.

This is the record of the closed session of CIA, State Department and the Pentagon representatives dated July 7, 1953. The document clearly shows that the Americans are focusing on techniques to manipulate public opinion and launch an aggressive counter-attack within their strategies aimed to defend from allegations.

The report states that the officials are reluctant to actual investigations of chemical and biological incidents due to fears of revealing the activities carried out by the U.S. Eighth Army.

Thus, the comparative analysis of U.S. activities during the Korean War and currently in Ukraine demonstrates the persistence of the U.S. policy of building up its own military and biological capabilities in circumvention of international agreements.

In conclusion, I would like to present real data on the health condition of the voluntarily surrendered Ukrainian servicemen. This diapositive presents the data on presence of antibodies to contagious disease agents without mentioning personal data of these servicemen.

The results are as follows: 33% of the examined servicemen had had hepatitis A, over 4% had renal syndrome fever and 20% had West Nile fever. The figures are significantly higher than the statistical average. In view of active research of these diseases held by the Pentagon within the Ukrainian projects, there is reason to believe that servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) were involved as volunteers in experiments to assess the tolerance of dangerous infectious diseases.

The lack of therapeutic effect of antibacterial medication has been reported during in-patient treatment of AFU servicemen in medical facilities. High concentrations of antibiotics, including sulphonyl amides and fluoroquinolones, have been detected in their blood.

This fact may indicate preventive use of antibiotics and preparation of personnel for operating in conditions of biological contamination, such as cholera agent, that indirectly proves the information of the Russian Defence Ministry that Ukrainian special units were planning to use biological agents.

The data will be included in the U.S. military-biological dossier and we will continue to examine it and keep you informed.

MoD
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Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is joined by his wife, Cindy Stortzum, as he celebrates with supporters during his primary election night victory on June 28, 2022 at Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham, Illinois. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

SPRINGFIELD  A week after becoming the Republican Party nominee for governor, state Sen. Darren Bailey sought Thursday to pivot from his bungled response to the mass shooting in Highland Park by declaring more gun control laws werent necessary, saying state funds needed to be better directed for mental health services and trying to cast blame for violence throughout Illinois on his opponent in the fall, Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

But Baileys efforts to move past the controversy ran into problems of their own as the Downstate Republican conflated state gun control laws, misidentified a neighborhood in Chicago where violence occurred over the weekend and even misquoted a Bible verse.

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Bailey for at least the second time apologized for comments he made hours after a gunman opened fire at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, killing seven and wounding dozens more. Bailey in a Facebook post Monday prayed for victims, their families and law enforcement before saying, Lets pray for justice to prevail, and then lets move on and lets celebrate  celebrate the independence of this nation.

On Thursday, Bailey said he was sorry if those comments caused more pain.

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Look, you guys know me. Im a father. Im a grandfather. And (Baileys wife) Cindy and I are heartbroken for these families, Bailey told reporters outside the Illinois Capitol in Springfield. The thought that my initial response could have caused more pain is certainly something that will keep me up at night. And Im sorry.

He also referenced a quote from the Bible: Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, before adding, I need to be better at that and I ask for your forgiveness.

A Christian who has often interspersed his political speeches with Bible verses and prayers, Bailey said the quote came from Psalm 112, which is in the Old Testament, but it actually is from the New Testaments Colossians 3:12.

As Bailey discussed the Highland Park tragedy, which has spurred discussions across the nation about the need for increased gun control measures, Bailey said new laws arent necessary. Instead, Bailey said, laws on the books werent enforced appropriately and the blame for that falls on Pritzker and his Democratic administration.

But in making his case, Bailey at times conflated Illinois red-flag law, which allows police or family members to petition the courts if they are concerned someone is unfit to have guns, and clear and present danger stipulations that are designed to prevent individuals in certain situations from obtaining or keeping a firearm owners identification card.

The alleged gunman, Robert Crimo III, legally obtained several firearms  including the rifle he allegedly used in the Highland Park shooting  even though months before he obtained a FOID card Highland Park police warned he could pose a clear and present danger. Illinois State Police said that warning did not meet standards to declare him an imminent threat.

Starting at the top with Gov. Pritzker, ignored it. It wasnt used, Bailey said, referring to the Firearms Restraining Order Act, which is the formal name for the red-flag law. And if it wouldve been used it couldve prevented this.

Baileys comments prompted a rebuke from the governors reelection campaign. In a statement, Pritzkers campaign said the state senator was lying about his own history in the General Assembly, where hes repeatedly voted against any restrictions put in place on gun owners by the Democrat-led legislature.

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Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey celebrates with supporters on primary night, June 28, 2022, in Effingham. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Bailey also has proposed legislation to eliminate the FOID card because, he says, it is duplicative since background checks are required for both FOID applications and gun purchases.

The FOID card system is simply to pilfer money from peoples pockets. Thats all it does, Bailey said Thursday. We have the federal firearm background check. We have age limits. We have waiting periods.

Instead of gun control measures, Bailey said efforts should be made to readjust state funding and direct it toward mental health services. He reiterated a call for a special legislative session to enhance mental health services to prevent violence and form a task force of doctors, first responders, clergy and others to propose solutions to violence problems.

He said access to mental health care continues to burden Illinois.

Among the issues that Ive heard, long wait times. Burdensome paperwork. Shortage of providers at all levels, especially psychiatrists. And not enough funding, Bailey said.

Still, in his three years in the General Assembly, including two as a state representative, hes opposed Pritzkers budgets that have included millions of dollars for mental health services. Asked about that on Thursday, Bailey said that instead of increasing spending we simply must reprioritize the spending.

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Weve been passing new laws. Weve been developing new agencies. And under Gov. Pritzkers watch, it simply isnt working. And its time to do something real, he said.

Bailey also said Pritzkers leadership has resulted in escalated violence and again tried to link the mass shooting in north suburban Highland Park to violence in Chicago, which he repeatedly referred to as a hellhole in GOP debates earlier this year.

This unspeakable tragedy (in Highland Park) happened in an affluent, mostly white neighborhood, so its getting national news. But we must not forget that more than 60 people have been shot in and around Chicago already in July, Bailey said, casting blame on Pritzker. The pain in Highland Park, West Garfield Park, Edgefield Park  and even in the Loop  this is all on your watch.

There is no Edgefield Park neighborhood in Chicago. Following the news conference, a Bailey campaign spokesman said the mistake was due to a typo written in prepared remarks and that Bailey was referring to the Englewood neighborhood on Chicagos South Side.

jgorner@chicagotribune.com
Leaders around the world are condemning the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while recalling him as a man devoted to peace, security and international cooperation
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech
Lets face it. No one looks forward to having a colonoscopy. If youre like most people, its not the procedure itself that you dread, but the preparation to get your colon clean so your doctor can have a good look. That prep traditionally involves forcing down a gallon of awful-tasting liquid and then spending hours in the bathroom.

Still, its worth it. A colonoscopy is by far the most effective way to detect colorectal cancers (colon and rectal cancers), which are the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. During a colonoscopy, your doctor can spot precancerous polyps in your colon and remove them before they develop into cancer. In other words, a colonoscopy can save your life.

And heres more good news: If your fears are based on the last colonoscopy you had, experts say a lot has changed in recent years.

For one thing, you no longer have to drink a full gallon of bowel-cleansing fluid in one sitting. Most doctors these days recommend splitting the preparation  so you could, for example, guzzle down half the night before and then the other half very early the next morning. Studies show splitting the dose is more tolerable for most people, and it also does a better job of cleaning out the colon than taking all the prep the night before.

Prep solutions are also better-tasting than they used to be, and there are different options that dont require you to drink as much, says Linda Lee, medical director of endoscopy at Brigham and Womens Hospital and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Here are 10 tips to help to make your next colonoscopy more bearable.

1. Tell your doctor if you have constipation

If youre among the estimated 30 to 40 percent of older adults suffering from constipation, the standard prep might not be enough to get you cleaned out, Lee says. If that happens, youll have to reschedule the procedure (and do the prep all over again).

Its important to tell your doctor about your constipation in advance so that he or she can recommend additional steps to ensure your colon is clear, says Alyssa Parian, clinical director of gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. For example, Parian advises her constipated patients to take two capfuls of MiraLax (polyethylene glycol) daily for 10 days leading up to the day of the prep.

2. Consider an afternoon appointment

Think carefully about the timing of your procedure. If your colonoscopy is in the early morning, you will probably be instructed to take the second half of your prep in the wee hours, say 3 or 4 a.m.  so youll spend much of the night running to the bathroom. If you dont want to give up a night of sleep, schedule an afternoon colonoscopy, Lee suggests.

If you dont mind doing all of your prep at once, patients with an afternoon colonoscopy appointment usually have the option to do it all that morning, Lee says. In fact, Thomas Jefferson University researchers found that patients who drank all their prep on the morning of the procedure experienced less abdominal pain and got a better nights sleep than those who took the first dose the night before.

3. Call your health insurer in advance

Colonoscopies are supposed to be fully covered as a preventive screening under the Affordable Care Act, but there can be loopholes, says Caitlin Donovan, spokeswoman for the nonprofit National Patient Advocate Foundation.

One big loophole in recent years is that many health care providers charged for the procedure if a polyp was found and removed, because then they considered the procedure diagnostic rather than preventive, Donovan says. However, the government recently clarified that private health insurers cannot charge patients simply because a polyp is removed, Donovan says.
Glenwood police said that three men were shot and one of them died while they were walking in the village Thursday night.

The three, all in their late teens, were walking just before 11 p.m. in the area of 192nd Street and University Avenue when a vehicle approached and several shots were fired from the vehicle, police said in a news release.

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All three were shot, and two were expected to survive but the third teen died, police said.

Police said they are being assisted in the investigation by the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force.

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Police ask anyone with information or security camera images to contact Glenwood detectives Tom Morache or Paul Schmidt at 708-753-2420.

mnolan@tribpub.com
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Republican Mark Ronchetti outraised Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham by more than $450,000 during a recent monthlong period, setting the stage for an expensive and pugnacious general election showdown.

Lujan Grisham, the incumbent governor, held a big financial advantage over Ronchetti entering the June 7 primary election, but reports filed Thursday showed Ronchetti has narrowed the cash gap due to a fundraising bump after winning a five-way GOP primary race.

Specifically, he raised roughly $1.2 million during the reporting period that ended July 2, while the governor got $755,000 in contributions during the same time period.

You can feel how energized New Mexicans are for a new direction, and Im truly humbled by the support we have from New Mexicans in every corner of the state, Ronchetti said in a statement. People are ready for change and are supporting our campaign in record numbers, with their time, their energy, and their financial contributions for the movement were creating.

However, a Lujan Grisham campaign spokesman pointed out that Lujan Grisham, who was unopposed in the primary election, still has a significant cash-on-hand edge over Ronchetti  with more than $2.7 million in her reelection account compared to about $1.4 million in Ronchettis account.

Gov. Lujan Grisham continues to be in one of the strongest positions an incumbent governor in New Mexico has ever been in  shes one month into the general election and has nearly twice as much in the bank as her GOP opponent, Lujan Grisham campaign spokeswoman Kendall Witmer told the Journal.

Both candidates in this years high-stakes race for governor also accused their opponent of supporting policies that would hurt New Mexico residents.

Lujan Grishams campaign blasted Ronchetti as out of touch and said the governor has been working to help New Mexicans affected by wildfires, while Ronchetti accused the governor of funding her campaign via out-of-state dark money groups and political elites.

Among Ronchettis big donors were farmers, ranchers and energy executives. Donors who listed the oil and gas industry as their occupation contributed about $58,000.

That included two donations of $10,400  totaling $20,800  from H. Lee Harvard of Roswell and the Harvard Petroleum Co. LLC of Roswell in July. Ronchetti also received a $10,400 donation from Doug Peterson, an Albuquerque business owner who has been critical of the governor.

Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, spent about $263,000 during the reporting period on campaign workers and consultants; travel to Aspen, Colorado, for a campaign event; polling and other costs. The spending included about $78,000 to McCleskey Media Strategies for campaign literature, production of campaign commercials and postage.

As for Lujan Grisham, the governors $755,000 in contributions included big donations from New Mexico tribal governments and a political action committee affiliated with PNM employees.

Specifically, a half dozen pueblos and the Mescalero Apache Tribe poured in $59,500 in a series of donations to the governors campaign.

In addition, Lujan Grisham received a $10,400 contribution from the PNM Responsible Citizens Group and a $5,000 donation from Brent Layton, the president of Missouri-based Centene Corp., which holds several state contracts to provide Medicaid and behavioral health services.

Altogether, the governor spent about $1.1 million on campaign salaries, consultants, travel to Houston and other expenses, including about $447,000 to produce and air campaign advertisements.

This years race for governor could have a major impact on New Mexico policies dealing with abortion, taxes and the environment.

Given the high stakes, Lujan Grisham launched one TV ad shortly after the primary election that questioned Ronchettis experience, asking specifically what a weatherman knows about reducing violent crime rates.

In response, Ronchetti accused the governor of being condescending, saying in a television ad of his own, What Governor Lujan Grisham is really saying is were not smart enough to understand.

Meanwhile, national Democratic and Republican groups are also expected to play an active role in this years election, as a political committee affiliated with the Republican Governors Association has already reported spending $200,000 on polling and TV ads targeting Lujan Grishams use of a discretionary fund to purchase food, alcohol and other supplies.

Lujan Grisham and Ronchetti are not the only candidates running for governor; Libertarian Karen Bedonie has also qualified for the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

All other statewide offices, including attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and land commissioner, are also up for election this year, as are all 70 state House seats.
New Mexico lawmakers passed the Educational Retirees Returning to Work Act, House Bill 73, this year to address a persistent teacher shortage compounded by pandemic burnout. Before, teachers had to sit out a year after retiring before they could return to the classroom with their pension and salary intact. The waiting period is now 90 days.

It sounds promising: An estimated 48,000 retired K-12 and higher education N.M. teachers are now eligible to return to the classroom within a public school district, college or university without forfeiting retirement benefits. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the bill that went into effect May 18.

The Legislature also plumped up salaries for teachers to make them more competitive with neighboring states. Senate Bill 1 increases the minimum educator salaries in the states three-tier licensure system to $50,000, $60,000 and $70,000. With those raises taking effect in the fiscal year that started July 1, retired teachers who go back to work will be paid more than ever, yet still be able to draw their pensions without a lengthy layout.

Double dipping authorizations are not new and can be justified as a way of retaining a valued resource. After all, a teacher who retires can go out and get a job in another field without affecting pension payments. Before HB 73, only retired teachers who limited their work hours to quarter time and earned less than $15,000 could receive their pension and return to the classroom immediately, according to the Governors Office. The updated program lets retired teachers go back to work for three years with their full pension and salary after only a 90-day layout. Eliminating the yearlong wait made sense, as retired teachers may have sought employment in other areas due to the lengthy layout.

But.

A 90-day layout poses timing challenges. If a teacher officially retires at the end of one school year, he or she may not be eligible for employment until after a new school year starts, long after districts have made staffing plans.

And there were just reasons for the 12-month delay. A return-to-work program is supposed to entice those who have already retired to come back to the classroom  not incentivize active teachers to move up their retirement date to be able to receive both a paycheck and pension payments for the final three years of their careers. If there are more from the latter group filing applications, the program wont have its intended impact to fill vacancies.

Meanwhile, double-dipping increases costs to the retirement system because pension payments must be made for a longer period. The new law does attempt to mitigate that. Retirees authorized to return to work pay nonrefundable employee contributions to the ERB fund and will not earn service credit for the period of this employment.

ERB estimates that 7,628, or 12.9%, of the current active ERB employees are retirement eligible, according to Fiscal Impact Report for HB 73. Meanwhile, there were 1,048 teacher vacancies across school districts as of September 2021, according to a report by New Mexico State Universitys Southwest Outreach Academic Research Evaluation & Policy Center. That increases to 1,727 educator vacancies when including such staff as educational assistants and counselors.

Heralding HB 73 as some kind of game-changer  as the governor and several lawmakers have done  may be overly optimistic. Teaching here is a tough job on a good day, and two-plus years of pandemic made it even more challenging. How many retired teachers truly want to return?

The state is also working to increase the ranks with new teachers. In addition to raises, it now offers scholarships and tuition-free education options for education assistants and other students in teacher preparation programs, loan forgiveness, alternative licensing, and support and mentoring for high school and early college students interested in teaching careers, according to the Governors Office.

The state should monitor these programs and see what really brings more teachers into N.M. classrooms. The next three years should provide the data needed to know what worked and what was wishful thinking.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

A 2-year-old girl was taken to a Rio Rancho hospital late Friday night after eating several cannabis-infused gummies and becoming unresponsive.

The child was in serious, but stable condition, but her mother was arrested on a felony after she admitted to police that the child obtained the gummies from her purse, according to a criminal complaint filed Saturday in Metro Court.

Amanda Ulibarri, 33, is charged with child abuse. She was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Saturday but has since been released from custody.

Her attorney didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the court document, Ulibarri was alone with her child when she put a package of cannabis gummies containing 100 milligrams of THC per-gummy in her purse.

Ulibarri said she left the purse unattended on the couch while going to the bathroom. When she returned, she found the package missing and then noticed her daughter had taken the package and consumed three to five gummies.

Amanda also admitted to officers she was alone with her child and intoxicated to the point she had to call for her mother to give her a ride to the hospital, police wrote in the criminal complaint.

Ulibarris daughter was admitted to Presbyterian Rust Medical Center later that night. Albuquerque police were dispatched to the hospital, and Ulibarri was arrested based on her negligently endangering her two year old daughter by leaving her alone with THC infused gummies in an easily accessible location while being intoxicated, the court document states.

This isnt the first time that a child in New Mexico has ingested THC-infused candies.

On April 4  three days after recreational cannabis sales became legal in New Mexico  a student at Algodones Elementary took THC-infused candies to school and shared them with 14 other students. Bernalillo Public Schools has since said the student didnt know the candy was infused with THC, and no charges were filed in that incident.
MADISON, Wis.  Wisconsins conservative-controlled Supreme Court ruled Friday that absentee ballot drop boxes may be placed only in election offices and that no one other than the voter can return a ballot in person, dealing a defeat to Democrats who said the decision would make it harder to vote in the battleground state.

However, the court didnt address whether anyone other than the voter can return his or her own ballot by mail. That means that anyone could still collect multiple ballots for voters and, instead of using a drop box, put them in the mail.

Republicans have argued that practice, known as ballot harvesting, is rife with fraud although there has been no evidence of that happening in Wisconsin. Democrats and others argue that many voters, particularly the elderly and disabled, have difficulty returning their ballots without the assistance of others.

Supporters argue drop boxes are a better option than mailing ballots because they go directly to the clerks and cant be lost or delayed in transit.

Twenty-nine other states allow for absentee ballot drop boxes, according to the U.S. Vote Foundation.

The decision sets absentee ballot rules for the Aug. 9 primary and the fall election; Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers are seeking reelection in key races.

Johnson and other Republicans hailed it as a win for voter integrity.

This decision is a big step in the right direction, Johnson said.

Evers and other Democrats said the ruling will make it more difficult for people to vote.

Its a slap in the face of democracy itself, said Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler.

Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson, a Democrat, said ballot drop boxes are monitored, secure, and provide citizens a way to cast their ballot safely. He vowed to work within the confines of the law to provide as much access to the polls as possible in Milwaukee County, home to the states largest population of Democrats.

Its good that the court still allows returning a ballot by mail, but voters should have as many options as possible, including drop boxes, said Shauntay Nelson, state director of the advocacy group All Voting is Local.

The courts 4-3 ruling has critical implications in the 2024 presidential race, in which Wisconsin will again be among a handful of battleground states. President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in 2020 by just under 21,000 votes, four years after Trump narrowly won the state by a similar margin.

The popularity of absentee voting exploded during the pandemic in 2020, with more than 40% of all voters casting mail ballots, a record high. At least 500 drop boxes were set up in more than 430 communities for the election that year, including more than a dozen each in Madison and Milwaukee  the states two most heavily Democratic cities.

After Trump lost the state, he and Republicans alleged that drop boxes facilitated cheating, even though they offered no evidence. Democrats, election officials and some Republicans argued the boxes are secure.

The conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty sued in 2021. State law is silent on drop boxes. The court said the absence of a prohibition in state law does not mean that drop boxes are legal.

Nothing in the statutory language detailing the procedures by which absentee ballots may be cast mentions drop boxes or anything like them, Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote for the majority.

The court said absentee ballots can be returned only to the clerks office or a designated alternative site but that site cannot be an unstaffed drop box. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission had told local election officials the boxes can be placed at multiple locations and that ballots can be returned by people other than the voter, but put that on hold pending the Supreme Courts ruling.

Rick Esenberg, president of the conservative law firm that brought the case, said the ruling provides substantial clarity on the legal status of absentee ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting. He said it also makes clear that state law, not guidance from the Elections Commission, is the final word on how elections are run.

Concerns about the safety of drop boxes expressed by the majority is downright dangerous to our democracy Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote in the dissent.

But concerns about drop boxes alone dont fuel the fires questioning election integrity, she wrote. Rather, the kindling is primarily provided by voter suppression efforts and the constant drumbeat of unsubstantiated rhetoric in opinions like this one, not actual voter fraud.

Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature have also tried to enact laws limiting the use of absentee ballots, but Evers has vetoed them.

Republicans have made similar moves since Trumps defeat to tighten access to ballots in other battleground states.

Bradley was joined in the majority by fellow conservative Justices Patience Roggensack, Brian Hagedorn and Chief Justice Annette Ziegler. In addition to Ann Walsh Bradley, fellow liberal Justices Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky dissented.
WASHINGTON  Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone did not contradict testimony of previous witnesses as he appeared Friday before the Jan. 6 committee, a grueling daylong private session that produced new information to be divulged in future public hearings, one lawmaker said.

Cipollone was a highly sought-after witness, especially after bombshell testimony that he tried to prevent Donald Trump from challenging the 2020 election results and worked to stop the defeated president from joining the violent mob that laid siege to the Capitol, they said.

He did not contradict the testimony of other witnesses, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said late Friday on CNN.

Lofgren, a committee member, clarified that not contradicting is not the same as confirming. In some cases the former White House lawyer was not present for the events described or couldnt recall with precision some details, she said.

He was candid with the committee, he was careful in his answers, said Lofgren. And I think we did learn a few things, which we will be rolling out in the hearings to come.

Cipollones central role came into focus during a surprise committee hearing last week when former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson described his repeated efforts to stop Trump from joining the mob at the Capitol.

In a stunning public hearing, Hutchinson testified that Cipollone warned her that Trump would be charged with every crime imaginable if the defeated president went to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to stop the certification of Joe Bidens election.

Hutchinson said Cipollone urged her to persuade her boss, chief of staff Mark Meadows, not to let Trump go to the Capitol.

Hutchinson testified that she was told Trump was irate when he was ultimately prevented by his security team from going to the Capitol that day. The Secret Service has disputed parts of her account detailing Trumps actions when she said he lashed out at the driver in the presidential motorcade.

At another key juncture, Cipollone was also part of a meeting on the Sunday before Jan. 6 with Justice Department officials at the White House threatening to resign if Trump went ahead with plans to install a new acting attorney general who would pursue his false claims of voter fraud.

During that meeting Cipollone referred to a letter that Jeffrey Clark, the attorney Trump wanted to install as head of the Justice Department, had proposed sending to Georgia and other battleground states challenging their election results as a murder-suicide pact, according to previous testimony before the panel.

Cipollone and his lawyer, Michael Purpura, who also worked at the Trump White House, did not respond to requests for comment.

Once a staunch presidential confidant who had defended Trump during his first impeachment trial, Cipollone had been reluctant to appear formally for an on-the-record interview. Like other former White House officials, it is possible he claimed his counsel to the Republican president as privileged information he was unwilling to share with the committee.

Cipollone appeared for some eight hours before the panel and its investigators. Cipollone was subpoenaed for his testimony, but Lofgren said he appeared voluntarily.

A grueling day, she said. But it was well worth it.

Earlier this week, Trump responded to news of Cipollones cooperation on his social media platform, Truth Social, calling it bad for the country.

Why would a future President of the United States want to have candid and important conversations with his White House Counsel if he thought there was even a small chance that this person, essentially acting as a lawyer for the Country, may someday be brought before a partisan and openly hostile Committee in Congress, the former president said.

The panel said Cipollone is uniquely positioned to testify in a letter accompanying the subpoena issued last week.

Mr. Cipollone repeatedly raised legal and other concerns about President Trumps activities on January 6th and in the days that preceded, Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a statement. While the Select Committee appreciates Mr. Cipollones earlier informal engagement with our investigation, the committee needs to hear from him on the record, as other former White House counsels have done in other congressional investigations.

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Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

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For full coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings, go to https://www.apnews.com/capitol-siege.
POKROVSK, Ukraine  A Ukrainian regional official warned Friday of deteriorating living conditions in a city captured by Russian forces two weeks ago, saying Sievierodonetsk is without water, power or a working sewage system while the bodies of the dead decompose in hot apartment buildings.

Gov. Serhiy Haidai said the Russians were unleashing indiscriminate artillery barrages as they try to secure their gains in eastern Ukraines Luhansk province. Moscow this week claimed full control of Luhansk, but the governor and other Ukrainian officials said their troops retained a small part of the province.

Luhansk hasnt been fully captured even though the Russians have engaged all their arsenal to achieve that goal, Haidai told The Associated Press. Fierce battles are going on in several villages on the regions border. The Russians are relying on tanks and artillery to advance, leaving scorched earth.

Russias forces strike every building that they think could be a fortified position, he said. They arent stopped by the fact that civilians are left there, and they die in their homes and courtyards. They keep firing.

Occupied Sievierodonetsk, meanwhile, is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe, the governor wrote on social media. The Russians have completely destroyed all the critical infrastructure, and they are unable to repair anything.

Haidai reported last week that about 8,000 residents remained in the city, which had a prewar population of 100,000. Some Ukrainian officials and soldiers said Russian forces leveled Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk provinces administrative center, before Ukraines troops were ordered out of the city late last month to avoid their encirclement and capture.

Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, Ukraines industrial region of mines and factories. Pro-Moscow separatists have fought Ukraines army in the Donbas for eight years and declared independent republics, which Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before he sent troops into Ukraine.

After asserting full control of Luhansk, Putin said Russian forces would have a chance to rest and recoup, but other parts of eastern Ukraine have come under sustained Russian bombardment. The Russian leader warned the Ukrainian government in Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscows terms or brace for the worst.

Everybody should know that, largely speaking, we havent even yet started anything in earnest, Putin said while speaking with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament Thursday.

Ukraines presidential office said early Friday that at least 12 civilians were killed and 30 wounded by Russian shelling over the past 24 hours. Two cities in Donetsk  the other Donbas province  experienced the heaviest barrage, with six people killed and 21 wounded.

In northeast Ukraine, four more people were killed and nine were wounded in Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city, where Russian shelling hit residential areas.

Commenting on Putins ominous statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader was reacting to statements by Ukraines government and its Western allies about defeating Russia on the battlefield.

Russias potential is so big that just a small part of it has been used in the special military operation, Peskov told reporters. And so Western statements are utterly absurd and just add to the grief of the Ukrainian people.

Russias war in Ukraine, now in its fifth month, has driven millions of people from their homes, killed untold thousands and shattered European security that was arduously reconstructed after World War II. It has also rippled through the world economy by contributing to higher prices for food and fuel. Ukraine has been unable to export millions of tons of grain and other food, and Russia is facing international sanctions for its invasion.

Iryna Venediktova, Ukraines prosecutor general, told the AP that her country has recorded 22,000 cases so far related to alleged Russian war crimes  including rape, torture and murder  and an estimated 200 to 300 new cases are recorded each day.

We must gather the evidence quickly, Venediktova said, suggesting the numbers could be even higher  largely because of a lack of access to some parts of the country. It is clear that prosecutors cannot work entirely in the Donetsk region, and the military will not allow it.

In other developments on Friday:

 The Biden administration said it will send an additional $400 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems. A senior defense official said the weapons will bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, where he met with troops and visited a hospital where wounded soldiers were being treated. He said in his nightly video address that he went to personally express his gratitude to those defending Ukraine and also to the doctors and nurses who save the lives of wounded soldiers and civilians.

 Germanys parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden and Finlands requests to join NATO. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said the two countries accession would greatly strengthen NATOs northern and eastern flanks, noting their strong naval forces in the Baltic Sea and their land forces that know the region bordering Russia well. She suggested that Putins efforts to divide and destroy NATO had failed. He bet on our weakness, she said. Now he gets the opposite. All 30 member countries must agree before the Western military alliance can admit Finland and Sweden.

 A court in Moscow sentenced a Russian municipal council member who had publicly criticized the war in Ukraine to seven years in prison on charges of spreading knowingly false information about the Russian military. Alexei Gorinov, 60, criticized Russias military actions in Ukraine at a March meeting. A legal aid group said he is the first person ordered to serve prison time under a law that makes it illegal to disparage the Russian military. Russias parliament rubber-stamped the law, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years, a week after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine.

 The British Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces have made advances near the Russian-occupied southern city of Kherson. Meanwhile, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian partisans blew up a railroad bridge 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Melitopol, which is to the east of Kherson, on Thursday to disrupt Russian resupply operations.

 On the energy front, the leaders of Greece and Bulgaria inaugurated a new pipeline that will supply natural gas from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, whose vital supply of Russian gas was cut off in April. And in Germany, energy supply giant Uniper said it is asking the government for a bailout during a growing natural gas crunch due to the war in Ukraine.

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Murru reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Cara Anna in Kyiv, Ukraine, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Associated Press journalists from around Europe contributed to this report.

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Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Elon Musk announced Friday that he will abandon his tumultuous $44 billion offer to buy Twitter after the company failed to provide enough information about the number of fake accounts. Twitter immediately fired back, saying it would sue the Tesla CEO to uphold the deal.

The likely unraveling of the acquisition was just the latest twist in a saga between the worlds richest man and one of the most influential social media platforms, and it may portend a titanic legal battle ahead.

Twitter could have pushed for a $1 billion breakup fee that Musk agreed to pay under these circumstances. Instead, it looks ready to fight to complete the purchase, which the companys board has approved and CEO Parag Agrawal has insisted he wants to consummate.

In a letter to Twitters board, Musk lawyer Mike Ringler complained that his client had for nearly two months sought data to judge the prevalence of fake or spam accounts on the social media platform.

Twitter has failed or refused to provide this information. Sometimes Twitter has ignored Mr. Musks requests, sometimes it has rejected them for reasons that appear to be unjustified, and sometimes it has claimed to comply while giving Mr. Musk incomplete or unusable information, the letter said.

Musk also said the information is fundamental to Twitters business and financial performance, and is needed to finish the merger.

In response, the chair of Twitters board, Bret Taylor, tweeted that the board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery.

The trial court in Delaware frequently handles business disputes among the many corporations, including Twitter, that are incorporated there.

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on his own social platform, Truth Social: THE TWITTER DEAL IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE TRUTH'. Musk said in May that he would allow Trump, who was banned from Twitter following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, back onto the platform.

Much of the drama surrounding the deal has played out on Twitter, with Musk  who has more than 100 million followers  lamenting that the company was failing to live up to its potential as a platform for free speech.

On Friday, shares of Twitter fell 5% to $36.81, well below the $54.20 that Musk agreed to pay. Shares of Tesla, meanwhile, climbed 2.5% to $752.29. After the market closed and Musks letter was published, Twitters stock continued to decline while Tesla climbed higher.

This is a disaster scenario for Twitter and its board, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to investors. He predicted a long court fight by Twitter to either restore the deal or get the $1 billion breakup fee.

On Thursday, Twitter sought to shed more light on how it counts spam accounts in a briefing with journalists and company executives. Twitter said it removes 1 million spam accounts each day. The accounts represent well below 5% of its active user base each quarter.

To calculate how many accounts are malicious spam, Twitter said it reviews thousands of accounts sampled at random, using both public and private data such as IP addresses, phone numbers, location and account behavior when active, to determine whether an account is real.

Last month, Twitter offered Musk access to its fire hose of raw data on hundreds of millions of daily tweets, according to multiple reports at the time, though neither the company nor Musk confirmed that.

One of the chief reasons Musk gave for his interest in taking Twitter private was his belief he could add value to the business by getting rid of its spam bots  the same problem that hes now citing as a reason to end the deal.

This whole process has been bizarre, said Christopher Bouzy, founder of research firm Bot Sentinel, which tracks fake Twitter accounts used for disinformation or harassment. He knew about this problem. Its odd that he would use bots and trolls and inauthentic accounts as a way of getting out of the deal.

On the other hand, Bouzy said, the letter from Musks legal team makes some valid critiques of Twitters lack of transparency, including its apparent refusal to provide Musk with the same level of internal data it offers some of its big customers.

It just seems as if theyre hiding something, said Bouzy, who also believes the number of fake or spam Twitter accounts is higher than what the company has reported.

Musks lawyer also alleged that Twitter broke the agreement when it fired two top managers and laid off a third of its talent-acquisition team.

The sale agreement, he wrote, required Twitter to seek and obtain consent if it deviated from conducting normal business. Twitter was required to preserve substantially intact the material components of its current business organization, the letter said.

Musks flirtation with buying Twitter appeared to begin in late March. Thats when Twitter said he contacted members of its board  including co-founder Jack Dorsey  and told them he was buying up shares of the company and was interested in either joining the board, taking Twitter private or starting a competitor.

Then, on April 4, he revealed in a regulatory filing that he had became the companys largest shareholder after acquiring a 9% stake worth about $3 billion.

At first, Twitter offered Musk a seat on its board. But six days later, Agrawal tweeted that Musk would not be joining the board after all. His bid to buy the company came together quickly after that.

When Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share, he inserted a 420 marijuana reference into his price. He sold roughly $8.5 billion worth of shares in Tesla to help fund the purchase, then strengthened his commitments of more than $7 billion from a diverse group of investors including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

Inside Twitter, Musks offer was met with confusion and falling morale, especially after Musk publicly criticized one of Twitters top lawyers involved in content-moderation decisions.

Groups opposing the takeover from the outset  including those advocating for women, minorities and LGBTQ people  cheered Fridays news.

Despite what Musk may claim, this deal isnt ending because of Twitter bots or spam accounts. This deal is collapsing because of Elon Musks own erratic behavior, embrace of extremists and bad business decisions, said Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters, a left-leaning nonprofit watchdog group thats been critical of Musks Twitter bid.

Musk, he said, made it clear that he would roll back Twitters community standards and safety guidelines, which would turn the platform into a fever swamp of dangerous conspiracy theories, partisan chicanery and white supremacist radicalization.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A legal petition filed by Republican state Sen. David Gallegos and others asks a state judge to declare that New Mexico has no law allowing abortion.

The lawsuit  now pending in the 5th Judicial District in southeastern New Mexico  says the state has no law, act or other legal authority that allows for or legalizes abortion procedures in the state, and it asks the court to issue a decision saying so.

Democratic and Republican officials alike, however, say abortion is legal in New Mexico. Some abortion providers are, in fact, moving into the state following the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision ending a constitutional right to abortion.

The legal petition was filed by Roswell oil and gas producer Larry Marker, who is not an attorney, but who had also filed a separate lawsuit last year seeking to allow citizen grand juries to investigate Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The other plaintiffs include Sen. Gallegos of Eunice and Ethel Maharg, an anti-abortion activist who ran unsuccessfully for governor this year.

Marker said its appropriate to ask the court to rule on abortion because lawmakers did not put any new language into law last year when they repealed the states dormant anti-abortion statute.

The action by lawmakers and Lujan Grisham eliminated language making it a crime to end a pregnancy, except in narrow circumstances.

Im just simply asking the court to determine if there are any statutes that allow for or legalize abortion, Marker said Friday.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico said theres no question about abortion rights in the state.

The petition is without merit and shows a fundamental misunderstanding of our Constitution and how health care is regulated by the law in New Mexico, ACLU attorney Ellie Rushforth said in a written statement. Abortion care is and will remain legal in New Mexico  claims otherwise are not based in fact or reality.

Democratic state legislators and others have said the 2021 legislation repealing the dormant abortion ban ensures the protection of abortion rights in New Mexico.

But they have also said they are weighing whether to take other action, such as enshrining abortion rights directly into law, expanding protections for health care providers or offering help to out-of-state patients seeking an abortion.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire has left many disasters in its wake.

Even though the blaze is mostly contained, impacts to water and land will likely linger for years.

Local governments, landowners and conservation groups are now pitching in to protect the water supply for the city of Las Vegas and restore burned watersheds.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $7 million contract to Idaho-based North Wind Site Services in June to shield the city of Las Vegas water infrastructure from post-fire flooding.

The city supplies water for at least 13,000 people.

Nearly 30,000 acres of the burned area in the Gallinas and Tecolote Creek watersheds closest to Las Vegas could have long-term or irreversible soil impacts, according to U.S. Forest Service assessments.

When it rains, those burned lands pose an extreme flood risk.

Al Lopez, the Army Corps on-site construction representative for the Las Vegas project, said the crews are about 75% done installing the flood control structures.

Weve got a pretty good team who designed this with a short amount of time so we could get going right away, Lopez said. They hired a lot of local people for this work.

Las Vegas diverts water from the Gallinas River, which is part of an 84-square-mile watershed.

Two reservoirs and a treatment plant west of the city are the main water storage sites.

The area around Peterson Reservoir was badly burned in the fire, along with land above the citys diversion structures.

Bradner Reservoir did not burn as severely.

Wire baskets full of rocks are acting as the main structures to slow down floodwaters in the Gallinas River before they reach intake valves at the citys diversion dam.

Nets and plastic logs also catch debris in the river to prevent infrastructure damage.

The temporary measures have held back floodwaters and debris during recent rain events.

But ash could still pose an issue for the city, which regularly tests its water supply.

High ash levels or other pollution from fire debris could prompt Las Vegas to stop diverting river water and rely on reservoir storage.

The structures do hold back some of the ash floating on the water, Lopez said. It looks like foam and gets really thick in those areas. Were able to take some out.

Every acre counts when restoring fire-damaged ecosystems, said Louise Jenson, an outreach coordinator with the Hermits Peak Watershed Alliance.

The group received money from the state Environment Department and the Las Vegas and Santa Fe community foundations to help private landowners restore properties in San Miguel and Mora counties.

Were looking at five years of serious flood threats, and 10 years of basic restoration work, Jenson said. The scale of this is just overwhelming.

Since early June, the groups scientists have visited private properties in the Gallinas Canyon to assess the soil and water damage.

Each Saturday, a volunteer crew works for hours on burned properties.

The team examines how bad the soil burned and the potential for harmful runoff to find the best treatment options.

Installing small rock dams in the river helps control the floodwaters and sediment.

Volunteers plant fast-growing grasses that hold soil in place and prevent ash from flowing into streams and rivers.

Later on we can come back and do a mix of wildflowers, understory shrubs and trees, Jenson said. But you really have to stabilize everything first before you can continue on with restoration.

The Alliance will soon begin cutting dead trees for cross-felling.

The technique places burned trees across damaged mountain slopes to catch water and debris.

The group will also distribute seed and mulch to landowners to do their own restoration projects.

These low-tech approaches that mimic a natural, healthy river system really do work, Jenson said. We just need more.

This is not the first time a fire has threatened the Las Vegas water supply or the regional ecosystems.

The Viveash Fire in May 2000 sent ash and sediment into the citys water treatment infrastructure.

A prescribed burn that grew into Hermits Peak was, tragically, part of the plan to make the forests healthier and protect the watershed from more destructive wildfires.
A harp quintet and China's ancient Kunqu Opera will meet up in a concert by Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, which will be held on July 9 at Jinji Lake Concert Hall in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

It will be the first crossover performance by actors and actresses of Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater and classical musicians of Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. They will perform songs from the classic Kunqu Opera piece, The Peony Pavilion, by Tang Xianzu, a playwright from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"I listened to Kunqu Opera when I studied in Australia and the harp will play the role of traditional Chinese musical instruments, such as sanxian and pipa, in this crossover performance," says Australian harpist Jessica Fotinos, the principal harpist of Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. "It has been a pleasant experience working with Kunqu Opera artists and the story of The Peony Pavilion is very romantic and dreamlike."

"The crossover performance will introduce the 600-year-old Kunqu Opera to more audiences, who may have never watched Kunqu Opera before, especially young audiences," says Liu Yu, a Kunqu Opera actress who will play the leading role of The Peony Pavilion as Du Liniang.

The Peony Pavilion will open the Hua Xia Music Festival of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. On July 15 and 16, conductor Chen Xieyang will lead the orchestra to perform a concert, featuring music pieces such as The Long March Symphony composed by Ding Shande and Oriental Skyline for piano and orchestra composed by Huang Kairan. Pianist Tan Xiaotang will play with the orchestra. The concert marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Pride Month is commemorated in June of every year as it celebrates the accomplishments and tribulations of the LGBTQ+ community throughout history. French menswear brand Celio believes that love should be celebrated in all its glory in all seasons through the year. This Pride month, Celio took to social media pledging to be an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community by collaborating with this community beyond just the month of June but empowering them throughout the year.

The brand kickstarted their pledge with their first campaign, #WearYourPride, starring members of the LGBTQIA+ community. #WearYourPride helped highlight that while a rainbow flag, symbolic of the entire community exists, its not enough to capture the diversity of the various identities in the queer community, specially when each of them have their own flag. Thats where Celio comes in  they collaborated with queer content creators, who celebrated their unique identity by recreating the flag of their identity, with their Celio look.

Celio collaborated with Angelique and Jay Anand, proud influencers of the LGBTQ+ community.

Feeling a sense of belongingness, influencer Jay Anand said, It's not easy to be your true self when you're a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. The struggles that surrounds our self and our identity are never-ending. Sure, we have the rainbow #PrideFlag that represents the whole community (and the new one, for which there's no emoji yet but is even more inclusive). But, did you know there's a trans flag? It's this flag that made me feel represented, like I had a community I can fall back on. Celio is doing their bit to be inclusive and to help every person in the community be themselves. To wear your colours, to #WearYourPride".

Angelique, another influencer who was excited to be part of this campaign, says, As much as I love the colours of the rainbow, theres more to my identity that I want to be specific about sometimes. As a (self-proclaimed) Style Icon, I'm indulging in some flagcore with Celio, by wearing the colours of the lesbian and non-binary flags.

Speaking on the campaign carried out, Satyen Momaya - CEO India - Celio, said, We aim to create a better future and an inclusive environment that enables fair access for each of us. This is just the start of our efforts at Celio to foster the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies through our campaigns, to slowly but surely drive change, in a positive direction.
Actors Roaleey Ryan and Supyarde Singh will be seen opposite each other in EORTV's I Love us 2. The first season starred Ali Merchant, Ashmita Jaggi and Harsha Chopda which was very successful and the fans will now be able to watch a drama packed season 2. The series will be streaming live on EORTV soon. Directed by Deepak Pandey and produced by Falguni Shah (Dreamzz Images Studio).



I Love Us2 will showcase the two lovers in a wedding sequence, which is a first for Indian OTT content. The story revolves around complex dynamics of same sex relationships. Coincidentally, wedding pictures of a real-life same sex couple Abhishek Roy and Cheitan Sharma from Kolkata have gone viral. EORTV celebrates similar success stories on screen to fuel an inclusive society in the country.



Director Deepak Pandey said, "We had a great time shooting for I Love Us 2. Talking about the marriage sequence, I dont think we have seen a lesbian marriage come to the forefront in Hindi cinema or even on OTT. We wanted to show its a normal act of love between two people of the same sex who eventually decide to spend time with each other all their life and seal the deal with a wedding. It was surreal to shoot the wedding sequence and I'm sure it will arouse a lot of emotions in the audiences when they watch it."

Roaleey Ryan shared, " Getting a platform to showcase ones talent & take on challenging roles is every actors desire. Im happy that my second release turned out to be on such a notable platform & with an amazing director. The role was challenging & one off a kind but my co-actor & director made it easy to shoot. Its always a challenge to do the second season of a highly acclaimed show. Im nervous how the die-hard fans of the first series will react but Im more than confident that they will accept us & our beautiful story of love, emotions & bonding.

Supyarde Singh said, "The first season of the show has witnessed a massive fan following and an extremely positive response. I am really excited to be the Pivotal part of the *Season 2 of I Love Us*. The story and concept are very unique, which has never been shown before in Hindi cinema. Keeping the sentiments and feelings of LGBTQ Community, I have put in my heart and soul to be seen as one amongst them. I am also very thankful to our Director Deepak Pandey Ji for showcasing this unique concept in the form of a beautifully unique love story touching lives and hearts of millions of people.



EORTV is a premium video streaming app that offers thousands of hours of premium, exclusive and original content. Users can view Web series, Music videos, LGBTQ originals and short videos. The app focuses on making content which caters to the careworn community in the society.

You can download the EORTV App on IOS and Google Play
Godrej Vikhroli Cucina, a platform by Godrej Industries dedicated to food and culinary space, and the Food Blogger Association of India (FBAI), joined hands to host the 6th edition of India Food & Beverage Awards (IFBA). The award aims to honour chefs, restaurants, content creators, bloggers, media houses, communities, and TV personalities, who contributed immensely and emerged as trend setters in the food and beverage segment.

Ernst & Young LLP have been appointed as Process Advisors for the jury evaluation process of IFBA 2022. A three-stage evaluation process have been defined to determine the finalists and winners. The awards entries are listed in 7 main award categories - Facebook, Instagram, Blog, YouTube, Media, Hospitality, and Celebrated Chefs. Furthermore, these awards are divided into 29 sub-categories.

The jury panel consists of maestros in the food and culinary industry, such as Chef Ajay Chopra; Chef Gaggan Anand; Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi; Chef Kunal Kapur; Chef, Restaurateur and Food Stylist Nitin Tandon; Chef Rakhee Vaswani; Chef Ranveer Brar; Rashmi Uday Singh, Food Writer, Author & TV Host; Culinary Expert, Writer & Consultant Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal; Master Chef Shipra Khanna; Two National Award-winning Chef Varun Inamdar, Chef Vicky Ratnani & Restaurateur Zorawar Kalra.

Speaking on the partnership, Sujit Patil, Vice President and Head  Corporate Brand and Communication, Godrej Industries Limited and Associate Companies, said, "Vikhroli Cucina is a first-of-its-kind brand agnostic platform by Godrej where brands operating in the food space, chefs, food bloggers, influencers and all food lovers engage and exchange ideas. Content around food is one of the most consumed content on social media and we have seen some innovative and informative work that deserves recognition. It is our pleasure to partner with the FBAIs India Food & Beverage Awards, to honor some of the best work done in the food space.

Speaking about the awards, Sameer Malkani, Co-Founder, the FBAI, said, We are elated to host our 6th edition of the Indian Food Bloggers Awards. Our partners in progress Godrej Industries and its brands always add value to #IFBA. This year we have introduced exciting new categories within the Content creation and hospitality space including, but not limited to Media - TV, Print, Radio and Podcast, Hospitality and Chefs. At the FBAI, we constantly innovate, collaborate and add value to consumers, our partners and the food, beverage and hospitality ecosystem.

Jio World Drive, Raymond Made to Measure, Aspri Spirits, Baskin Robbins, The Brooklyn Creamery, Godrej Veg Oils, Godrej Yummiez, Godrej Protekt, and Godrej Jersey; are the brand partners for India Food & Beverage Awards (IFBA) 2022.

One can nominate themselves or their favourite by visiting www.vikhrolicucina.com. The award ceremony to honour the winners will take place in Mumbai on July 14, 2022.
"I was so happy and excited when I entered the park. I was almost crying," said a visitor describing her feelings when she finally entered Shanghai Disneyland.

The theme park reopened on June 30 following a three-month closure induced by the latest wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. In the morning that day, Disney staff, cartoon characters, and performers lined up to welcome the first visitors.



"I would like to thank all our guests and fans for your support and passion for Disney. Throughout this period, you kept the magic of Disney alive with your optimism and community spirit, and we are excited to welcome you back to a place full of happiness and wonder," said Joe Schott, president, and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. He expressed his gratitude to all the crew members for their hard work.

After it closed its gate in March, the theme park still needed essential operation and maintenance. Small squads were summoned back to the resort for special missions while following the rules and protocols imposed by the local government's COVID-19 prevention and control. The first returnees were mainly responsible for power supply, water supply, gas, kitchen equipment, and firefighting.

The facility operation service team for the resort's facilities was one of the first teams to return to the resort. Zhu Genhua, who is in charge of the repair and maintenance of kitchen equipment in the resort, and Zhang Lei, who is in charge of electricity work, were two of the first six staff on duty from the service team.

Due to the limited workforce, in addition to their own work, they also undertook other types of maintenance work and emergency treatment in the entire resort, such as patrolling and inspecting various buildings when rainstorms came and also being responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and management of the irrigation equipment in the park, which was challenging for them as the horticultural team usually handled this work.

But they learned a lot from this experience, they said, and by doing these works, they knew more and more about how the resort operates.

"We have different professions, but during the difficult time here, we felt the weight of watching over each other. We encourage and support each other. We consult and overcome together when facing difficulties," Zhang said.
Shenzhen, a city that pioneered reform and opening-up in China, will allow fully autonomous vehicles to run on certain roads, as the city in Guangdong province unveiled the nation's first regulation tailored for smart and internet-connected vehicles.



The new regulation, scheduled to come into force on Aug. 1, also clarified rules for liability in car accidents that involve autonomous driving, helping to fill the legal gap in China's smart car industry.

Shenzhen is giving self-driving cars a legal "identity card", a key move in accelerating the commercialization of autonomous vehicles, experts said, adding that more legal measures and more testing experience are needed before widening such trials.

The new regulation said automakers don't necessarily have to equip fully autonomous vehicles with human driving modes and equipment, nor must they have human drivers.

But such fully automated vehicles can only run on certain roads and sections designated by Shenzhen's traffic management department, according to the regulation, which was published on the official website of Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress on Tuesday.

Gu Dasong, executive director of the transportation and development research center at Southeast University, said the regulation did not specify what human driving modes and equipment are required. "But traditionally, such equipment could include steering wheels, accelerators and brake pedals used by human drivers."

Removing steering wheels is one of the ultimate goals of autonomous driving, but it differs significantly from traditional car designs and it remains to be seen how will Shenzhen specify local standards, Gu said.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued rules in March eliminating the requirement that automated vehicle manufacturers equip fully autonomous vehicles with manual driving controls such as steering wheels, Reuters reported.

Chang Zhenting, secretary-general of the Autonomous Driving Industry Alliance for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, said by including self-driving cars in legislation, Shenzhen is pioneering legal efforts in China to accelerate the commercialization of autonomous vehicles, while ensuring public safety.

Shenzhen is improving its legal framework for the research and development, production, purchasing and sale of autonomous vehicles, Chang said, adding that better vehicle-road coordination and more testing experience are needed before expanding this to other areas.

The new regulation classified autonomous vehicles into three types: conditionally autonomous driving, highly autonomous driving and fully autonomous driving.

The former two types of vehicles must have human control equipment and drivers, the regulation added.

The regulation also clarified rules for liability in car accidents that involve autonomous driving. For autonomous driving vehicles with a driver, the driver is held responsible for accidents and compensation.

For fully autonomous vehicles without a driver, the owner or the user of the vehicle is held responsible for accidents and compensation.

In a traffic accident, if the damage is caused by the defects of a vehicle, the driver, the owner or the user of the vehicle, after paying for the bill, can request compensation from the manufacturer or seller of the car in accordance with laws, the regulation said.

Yu Qian, CEO and founder of QCraft, a Chinese self-driving startup, said, "China's autonomous driving industry is entering a golden development period, with policies becoming increasingly clear and open, and technologies and algorithms becoming more powerful."
Critical thinking is paramount in determining the validity of documents. But how does one identify indoctrination when it is couched in alleged compassion for people? What is the veracity test? What questions need to be posed? What research is required?

Recently, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, an independent non-profit organization, created a document titled "Confronting and Preventing Hate in Canadian Schools." On the surface, this sounds laudable.

In the introduction, a reader is introduced to the Western States Center.

Western States Center [WSC] is one of the United States' leading organizations working to combat white nationalism, strengthen inclusive democracy, and assist civil society to effectively respond to social movements that exploit bigotry and intolerance. Based in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, WSC serves as a national hub for building movements, developing leaders, shifting culture, and defending democracy to help build a world where everyone can live, love, worship and work free from bigotry and fear.

My antennae start to wiggle when I read the words "white nationalism," so I research further and discover that another group called the Social Justice Fund considers the Western States Center its "sister organization established to help strengthen and further develop the progressive movement in the West." So my instincts were correct. But still I am intrigued by the messaging.

Reading further in the toolkit, I learn:

Hate is not a dislike of a person or a thing. It is the dehumanization or discrimination against specific groups on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and disability. People often think of white nationalism and white supremacy when they think of hate movements. According to Canadian academics who specialize in studying these movements, white supremacists 'believe in the superiority of whites over non-whites, and advocate that white people should be politically and socially dominant over non-white people.'

Certainly, this is true, as exemplified by the ideas of neo-Nazis and the KKK. But if one is talking about the dehumanization of a specific group, how is it that the Black Lives Matter does not figure in the equation? After all,

in November 2015, a group of approximately 150 BLM protesters shouting "Black Lives Matter" stormed Dartmouth University's library, screaming, 'F--- you, you filthy white f----!," "F--- you and your comfort!," and "F--- you, you racist s---!"

In July 2016, a BLM activist speaking to a CNN reporter shouted: "The less white babies on this planet, the less of you [white adults] we got! I hope they kill all the white babies! Kill 'em all right now! Kill 'em! Kill your grandkids! Kill yourself! Coffin, b----! Go lay in a coffin! Kill yourself!"

The Canadian toolkit continues:

Hate promoting individuals may use anti-immigrant, anti-Black, and Islamophobic rhetoric focused on crime or terrorism to appeal to base prejudices and reach a broader audience that might initially find their true ideology too extreme.

Is uncovering the illegal immigration and the concomitant destruction now overwhelming the southern U.S. border evidence of hate? Is discussing the inherent bigotry of Islam as stated in its foundational documents hate-promoting? Is publicizing the ulterior motives of groups that wish to damage a country proof of bigotry?
With the publication of Battle for the American Mind, Pete Hegseth and David Goodwin have opened a Pandora's box of troubles for parents and educators nationwide. In the first chapter, titled "OUR COVID-(16) 19 MOMENT," Hegseth writes, "As a result of the virtual classrooms our children were forced into in 2020 and 2021 thanks to COVID-19, you likely have a growing sense: American education is off the rails."

Specifically, Hegseth avers, "concepts like white privilege and systemic racism and even a new founding date for America, the year 1619, were splashed across computer screens all over America. Critical race theory had fully arrived (often masked as 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'), along with a full-on attempt to redefine gender, infuse climate fatalism, and turn our children into activists" (p.5).

That's a lot of confusing concepts to include in a single declarative sentence. But prolixity seems to be part of Hegseth's frantic style of writing, consistent with his way of talking on TV. Like his fellow Fox broadcaster and widely publicized author, Brian Kilmeade, Hegseth is a practiced huckster of traditional American values. That's not surprising, especially in these times of stark political divide.

Nevertheless, Google site reviews of Hegseth's book are glowing with praise from some of the most prominent media personalities. Kayleigh McEnany writes, for example, "Pete Hegseth brilliantly spotlights one of the most important issues facing our country: America's children and their education. By exposing the undercurrents of wayward indoctrination in American education and reorienting the reader toward classical Christian education, he provides a solution to the feeling of hopelessness so many parents experience. Pete unrolls a road map to saving America's children and providing our little ones a path to prosperity, success, and well-being."

Victor Davis Hanson  every conservative's favorite scholar in the news media  penetratingly observes, "Pete Hegseth, along with David Goodwin, argues that a return to classical education alone cannot save American students from a century of ideological pollution and dumbing down of both K12 and higher education. Instead, they envision 'Christian paideia' reuniting Jerusalem with Athens and Rome, thereby restoring rational, empirical training that enhances faith and spirituality. Battle for the American Mind is cogent, occasionally polemical, and always engaging. Let us hope its passionate case for restoring morality and sanity helps to spark an American educational renaissance."

But there is a dark side to Hegseth's whiz-bang verbosity. If you move too fast in citing and tagging current events, you're likely to miss important details. Hegseth himself recognizes this when he notes that even in his 2020 book (American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free), "my chapter on racism included not a single mention of critical race theory or the now-ubiquitous terms anti-racism or equity. The Left moves faster than we can type!" (p.7).

There's yet another problem with this type of high-speed journalism. Miss too many important details in your haste, and you will quickly lose your audience. This is especially true when you are relying on the viewpoints of Baby-Boomer conservatives, who are likely to be more skeptical than those in the X, Millennial, and Z generations. In fact, it is these three generations who are most influenced by social media.

As a 2018 Pew Research report notes, "YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. Fully 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly.'" Hegseth is the father of seven children, so he surely realizes that his own "kids" are part of the X, Millennial, and Z generation matrix. These young people will grow up to be the majority voice in America.

Big Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube use sophisticated algorithms not only to collect data about their users, but also to create news, so it's likely these companies will not be just pipes for global propaganda, but also have an enormous influence on the political and social views of their users. As Jeffrey Herbst observed in the August 13, 2016 Wall Street Journal, "[a]n informed citizenry depends on robust sources of news. How technology firms position themselves as news providers, and the choices they make as a result, will have an effect not only on the companies themselves but also on the quality of our democracy."

Hegseth does draw attention to this potential threat when he describes the books he has found for children in stores like Barnes & Noble. "The last time I visited mine, of the forty children's books displayed, at least thirty were progressive, agenda-driven books. ... For young people, it's no better on Television and social media. ... I still won't allow my kids on social media. But I know it's coming" (p. 11). He also notes a few pages later that "[m]ultiple polls in the past few years  from Gallup to Pew to Axios  have shown that for younger Americans, socialism is viewed roughly as favorably, and in some cases more favorably, than capitalism" (p. 34). Perhaps this had something to do with the impact of YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat on these youngsters.

It's pretty clear Hegseth is in a big hurry to promote a much bigger message. For, as he says in Chapter 11, under the sub-heading INACTION IS NOT AN OPTION, "[w]e are pinned down, caught in an enemy near ambush. The enemy has the high ground and is shooting. We are on the 'X' in the kill zone. Our families, our kids, our country, and our faith are in the crosshairs. We can talk strategy all we want, but our reality right now is tactical. Hand-to-hand combat, face-to-face" (p. 238).

This scary warning is the lead-in to Hegseth's final chapter, titled "AN EXHORTATION FOR PARENTS." Here, he demands that parents must "join a movement  an insurgency  that contributes to something that outlasts your life. In an upside-down world, classical Christian education is the only comprehensive educational model that can restore our Western Christian Paideia [WCP], and give our kids and grandkids a fighting chance to save America and Christendom" (p. 251).

But there's a huge caveat that Hegseth noted earlier in Chapter 11: money talks. "Without serious outside financial support, such as millionaires and billionaires putting their money from the Ivy League and pouring it into classical Christian education [CCE], our insurgency will fail" (p. 231). Given our current leadership in the nation's capital, which will continue to wreck our economy at least until 2024, there's little chance America will be able to afford to save itself.

Then too, there's the looming threat of Biden's open border policy, which is something Hegseth never mentions. So it seems we are now all stuck in "The Kill Zone."
Prior to the official release of the Dobbs v. Jackson opinion on June 24, the Department of Homeland Security issued warnings to churches and pregnancy resource centers across the U.S. regarding legitimate threats of "extreme violence" at the hands of pro-abortion Brownshirts. Once Roe was officially dead, the hoodlums ramped up the carnage, and since May 2 (the date of the SCOTUS leak), at least 27 pregnancy resource centers, pro-life organizations, and churches have fallen victim to arson, vandalism, and complete ruin.

Now, the Charlatan of Harvard, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, is calling for the closure of these life-saving and charitable outposts, at the hands of a weaponized government. In a voice shaking with rage and hostility, Warren condemned the havens, inferring illegitimacy by referring to them as "so-called crisis pregnancy centers," and accused them of using "bait-and-switch" tactics. (Ironic that Fauxcahontas now feigns concern for alleged fraudulence and deception.)

Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren: We need to put a stop to crisis pregnancy centers right now. pic.twitter.com/PzhBe21AGk  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 6, 2022

Warren's outrage displays what we've known all along: the general consensus among card-carrying Democrats, and the platform of the Democrat party, for that matter, is murderously radical. They promote  but not only that, they desire an uncompromising and extremist agenda of the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent and defenseless children.

Warren makes the claim that the crisis pregnancy centers operate to hurt women, and the staff "wish them [the patients] harm"  however, reality and facts correct her offense of misinformation. Unlike the nation's leading abortion provider, Planned Parenthood (which reported $1.6B in income for the 20192020 F.Y.), these centers are exclusively not-for-profit. What pregnancy resource center can tout over a billion and a half dollars in profit? Spoiler alert: zero. These centers often function solely with volunteer staff and provide necessary resources, whether it be material, financial, or emotional. Warren even correctly cites a statistic, stating crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion mills 3 to 1. For a state that allows abortion up to 24 weeks, the data ought to reveal the priorities of Massachusetts residents, the very people she claims to represent. If a charitable endeavor surpasses the outreach and influence of a for-profit business model based on exploitation and victimizing vulnerable women, reality dictates that Warren's constituents aren't as pro-abortion as she would like them to be.

Democrats have a long history of stymieing human rights, and Warren's remarks reaffirm the sustained presence of a resilient and deep-seated specter of immorality and oppression within the party.
Update: Former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been pronounced dead at Nara Medical University Hospital, to which he was helicoptered after being shot at 11:30 A.M. Japan time Friday.

According to reports from NHK, Japan's state-owned semi-autonomous broadcaster, former prime minister Shinzo Abe is showing no vital signs three hours after being shot while delivering a campaign address. The 67-year-old former P.M. was standing on a sidewalk outside a train station in Nara (Japan's ancient capital, south of Kyoto), speaking in support of his party's incumbent candidate for a seat in that nation's Upper House election this Sunday. Such speeches are very common in the 60-day period allowed for campaigning before an election in Japan.



Screen grab from NHK via YouTube showing Abe moments before being shot.

No media source is reporting his death, but "no vital signs" sounds like hope is small or nonexistent.

The alleged perpetrator, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, is being reported by NHK, in broadcasts aired as this is being written, to have worked for Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force (its navy) for three years in the early 2000s. There is no indication as to his motives in attempting this assassination. Police report that the gun he used appears to be homemade, since Japan has some of the strictest gun control measures in the world, and private ownership of handguns is extremely limited. There is, accordingly, almost no gun crime or violence there.

Abe has been a staunch ally of the U.S. and Taiwan and in his two terms as P.M. pushed Japan to expand its military budget and forces, gain permission to send them on overseas missions, and sought to revise the U.S.-written postwar constitution that prohibits Japan from waging war or maintaining weapons mainly used for offense.

He is, accordingly, a bete noire to the Japanese and American left, as well as China. South Korea is not a fan of his efforts to deny that Korean "comfort women" were used as sexual slaves to service Japanese troops during the Japanese occupation of Korea and World War II. He is also the maternal grandson of Nobusuke Kishi, prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960, after having served in the wartime Cabinet of Hidekio Tojo, and suffering imprisonment as a Class A war criminal during the American Occupation. But Kishi was never charged with a war crime and was released after three years, as the Occupation turned its attention away from punitive measures and toward rebuilding Japan as an anti-communist ally.
The media and other Democrats say women will die if they aren't allowed to terminate their pregnancies throughout all nine months, just like those women-loving countries of China and North Korea, but that is not true.

I have not seen any state that wants to limit or prohibit abortions that doesn't allow the termination of a pregnancy to save the life of a woman. There is a lot of scare talk about ectopic and other potentially life-threatening pregnancies, which have always been treated and are treatable by even pro-life hospitals, and have never fallen under the category of abortion on demand.

The media and other Democrats say they are the party of science, but the even American Medical Association, at least in the past, hasn't supported late-term abortions. There does not appear to be any scientific reason to kill a baby late in a pregnancy to save the life of the mother. As science has gotten better over the years, Democrats have become more extreme on abortions.

AMA BACKS 'PARTIAL BIRTH' ABORTION CURB

They have shown similar indifference on COVID lockdowns, which have kept young people out of schools and driven many to despair and suicide. The press has actually championed lockdowns.

Then there are the mass shootings.

Here is a tale of mass killings at two parades:

The first is the shooting by a mentally deranged white person where he killed seven and wounded thirty. The media, entertainers, and politicians came out in force to say gun laws needed to be strengthened. Illinois has strict gun laws and a red flag law, but somehow, this individual, who was known to police, was not stopped.

Not fitting their narrative': Waukesha feels abandoned after tragic parade attack

For her whole life, 67-year-old Sharon Millard was so shy, she used to ask her identical twin sister to go on dates in her place in high school. But ever since Nov. 21, when Darrell Brooks allegedly plowed into dozens of people at the Waukesha Christmas parade, killing six people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injuring up to 60 others, Millard has felt compelled to speak about the atrocity she witnessed. Brooks is a violent 39-year-old career criminal, registered sex offender and amateur rapper from north Milwaukee with a rap sheet going back to 1999[.]

The second was where a deranged black racist who was a career criminal plowed over 60 people, killing six. We did not see journalists, entertainers, and Democrats come out and demand that soft-on-crime D.A.s and judges stop letting out career criminals to terrorize and kill. Nope, there was mostly silence.

Their double-standards on mass shootings is actually a triple-standard, because it doesn't extend to crime in the streets.

Democrat-run cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York have the equivalent of mass shootings and deaths every week, despite strict gun laws, yet we don't see Democrats run to the microphones demanding they be tougher on criminals.

Democrat D.A.s fully supported by the press allow criminals, including people with gun law violations, to roam the streets to terrorize, shoot, and kill, yet we don't see Democrats demanding a change.

New York, Illinois, and others have no cash bail laws, and in Illinois, we don't see noisy politicians like Tammy Duckworth, Dick Durbin, and others demand that they change these destructive laws.

Indifference to death also extends to immigration laws.

The Biden administration refuses to enforce immigration laws that Congress passed. They greatly enrich Mexican cartels who have free rein to smuggle drugs, people, guns, terrorists, and other criminals across the border.

As a result, we had over 100,000 deaths from drug overdoses last year and we have record deaths at the border. A United Nations agency recently called the U.S. border the world's most dangerous land crossing.

President Joe Biden's border with Mexico is the deadliest land crossing in the world, according to a United Nations group, the International Organization for Migration

"More than 1,238 lives have been lost during migration in the [north, central and south] Americas in 2021, among them at least 51 children," said the group's July 1 report. "At least 728 of these deaths occurred on the United States-Mexico border crossing, making this the deadliest land crossing in the world," said the IOM statement, which added: "The number of deaths on the United States-Mexico border last year is significantly higher than in any year prior, even before COVID-19," said Edwin Viales, author of the new IOM report on migrants in the Americas in 2021. "Yet, this number remains an undercount." The record number of deaths reflects the mass migration up to the border  where Biden's border chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, is dangling work permits and jobs to more than a million foreigners. In 2020, one-third fewer people died throughout North, Central, and South America when President Donald Trump rejected illegal migration, according to the report's data.

Yet we don't see demands from journalists and other Democrats for the Biden administration to change their policies.

How many deaths of black and brown people, including children, have to occur before journalists start reporting this massive disaster and Democrats go to the microphone to demand action? It appears they really don't care about all those deaths. Those people are disposable to open borders. And no, they are not coming because of climate change. They are coming because the Biden administration is welcoming them.

The media and other Democrats did talk a little about the 53 people who died at the hands of human-smugglers in San Antonio last week.

What we didn't see is journalists, entertainers, and other Democrats demanding that Biden's policy that enriches cartels that smuggle humans, drugs, guns, and criminals across the border be ended. Nope, they didn't blame the open border policies at all.

The media and other Democrats care as much about deaths in inner cities and at the border as:

Obama and Hillary cared about Americans under attack by terrorists in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012. To quote Hillary Clinton: "What difference at this point does it make?" What she was saying was who cared why or how they died? We won the election, and that was all that mattered. The truth never matters  only power.

The January 6 congressional committee contains similar indifference to human life. Where is the truth about why Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer refused to secure the Capitol despite the warnings about protests? Where is their care about why an unarmed woman was shot and killed by the Capitol Police? Her life was obviously disposable.

Democrats always claim they are the empathetic party, but a party that supports abortion on demand, that doesn't care about inner-city deaths and crime, supports destructive energy policies, and doesn't care about all the deaths because of the open border policies is anything but empathetic.

Can anyone imagine how low Biden's poll numbers would be if the media were unbiased and reported the truth instead of campaigning for leftist, extremist policies?

Photo illustration by Monica Showalter based on public domain sources.
There was never a U.S. or Western strategic interest in Ukraine for which it was rational for us to provoke this war. And once this war started, Russia's commitment to its successful conclusion  inevitably, unavoidably  was known to all who could fog a mirror as greater than that of the U.S. and the West.

Western policy elites who claim not to have seen this war coming  after the Biden administration treated Ukraine as a de facto member of NATO during all of 2021, and after Russia had been saying for nearly a decade that it would not tolerate Ukraine as a U.S. military bulwark on its border  are just plain fools. If they really were this blind, they were unqualified for their jobs.

Before the war started, as late as December of 2021, the Russians very probably would have settled the Ukraine problem by a declaration of permanent Ukrainian neutrality (i.e., no NATO membership, ever); some form of reasonable autonomy for the Russian-speaking, pro-Russian Donbas within Ukraine; and recognition of Crimea as Russian. This settlement in no way would have adversely affected legitimate U.S./Western interests. The only U.S. ox that would have been gored by this settlement would have been that of our odious neocon triumphalists, who want America to destroy Russia and become the world's unquestioned hegemon.

Now, after Russian lives, treasure, and U.S.-orchestrated sanctions and obloquy, who knows what Russia's demands will be?

Those who think Russia will be defeated in this war are whistling past the graveyard. They should listen to John Mearsheimer.

The Russians will not be defeated, period, for the simple reason that, by orders of magnitude, Ukraine means more to them than it does to us. They see a Ukraine within NATO, armed to the teeth with U.S. sophisticated weapons aimed at them, as an existential threat to mother Russia. They won't let it happen. They have said so for years. If the war looks as though it's moving toward a Russian defeat, they will do what it takes to avert that. We don't want that outcome. That way lies catastrophe.

The West's interest in Ukraine, on the other hand, is merely a neocon, U.S. hegemony adventure, seeking to assert U.S. top dog dominance in Eastern Europe, and thereafter the world. Failing to achieve this foolish and arrogant goal, the culmination of U.S.-sponsored eastern expansion of NATO to which Russia has objected vigorously since the time of Yeltsin would in no way threaten any real U.S. or Western interest.

Other things being roughly equal (as they are in this war), victory in war goes to the side with the greater commitment and willingness to suffer. Russia has the greater will in this war. And it knows how to suffer. Therefore, it wins.

Unless the Pentagon chooses nuclear Armageddon, in which case both sides will lose.

It was a fool's errand for the U.S. to provoke this war, and for that matter a fool's errand from the start (1999), for the U.S. to expand NATO eastward in the total absence of any Russian threat after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It's very hard to see how this can end other than very badly.

Photo credit: YouTube screen grab (cropped).
Way back in 1972, I interviewed Garrett Hardin about his famous essay. Although he didn't know me, I still had an inside track on meeting with him since I had recently graduated from the college where he taught: U.C. Santa Barbara. I was also one of two associate editors of Environmental Quality Magazine.

The point of the essay is that our atmosphere and the oceans are in peril since they are analogous to the medieval commons  a shared pasture that was used by the local farmers. The historic tragedy had to do with the over-grazing of the pasture. Those farmers who over-utilized the commons usually profited by so doing, while their neighbors wound up being disadvantaged.

Hardin's message was that, since no one owned either the atmosphere or the oceans, abuse of such could be initially profitable to those who would do that, without any immediate consequences. But everybody is ultimately doomed to suffer in a polluted mess. This marked the dawning of the modern "green" movement.

At the conclusion of the interview, Dr. Hardin told me that he was just coming out with a new book, The Voyage of the Space Ship Beagle, a reference to the famous voyage taken by a young Charles Darwin over a century earlier. He sent me a copy. The spaceship was an analogue for our Planet Earth. The underlying message was that, on the space ship Beagle, there was no outside source for anything...food, energy, room to live. Thus was born the mantra of sustainability.

Time passed. Years later, I realized another meaning of the tragedy of the commons, most likely not intended by Dr. Hardin. Socialism relies on shared resources. Ownership is anathema. This could be an easy way to explain why socialism never works: it encourages despoliation.

I would look to Venezuela as a modern example of institutionalized failure. A particularly resource-rich nation was plunged into poverty by a gang of political thugs. Although socialism causes economic ruin, the politically well connected are likely to profit immensely. Of course, there are those who truly believe in the communitarian virtues implied in socialism, which is why they've earned the title "useful idiots."

Ironically, environmentalism and leftist progressivism are typically merged into the "green" movement. Hence the use of the watermelon analogy: green on the outside and red on the inside.

Politics is not always elegant. Wildlife conservation was initiated by hunters, who witnessed the decline of essential habitat, not by vegetarians. There is a serious semantic connection between conservation and conservatism. If given the opportunity, socialists would devastate the landscape, doling out forty acres and a mule to anybody who asked.

Lurking within this discussion is the American reverence for property. Along with life and liberty, our right to possess that which is ours is paramount. Socialists have problems with that, and, hence, the USA lagged way behind old Europe in adopting socialist policies. Not to say we completely dodged the bullet. Government-run schools, minimum wage, excessive taxation, and authoritarian micro-management of businesses and personal behavior all represent various camels' noses under our tent.

And yet the struggle continues. Green New Deal advocates rail against capitalism. Oh, dear! Profit is not all that important. Really? Why else would anybody bother to try? Try what? To make things better...that's what.

Image via Max Pixel.
Illegal invaders planned a July 4 terror attack with assault weapons. Why isn't this big news?

Why aren't the nation's socialist media all over a potential mass shooting with "assault weapons" like the attack in Highland Park on July 4?

Richmond police chief Gerald Smith revealed in a news conference Wednesday that two "nonU.S. citizens" were planning a mass shooting at a Fourth of July celebration in Richmond. The attack was thwarted on July 1 when Richmond police received a tip from a citizen. The police chief stated that a heroic citizen overheard the planning for the attack, which was to take place at the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater during the annual Independence Day celebration, in a phone conversation. A call to the Richmond Police Department on Friday led to the eventual arrest of two Guatemalan men in the country illegally.

Roommates Julio Alvarado-Dubon, 52, and Rolman Alberto Balacarcel, 38, were arrested separately, and each was charged with being nonUS citizens in possession of a firearm, officials said.

Officers seized two assault rifles, one handgun, and 223 rounds of ammunition.

"They were planning to actually shoot up our Fourth of July celebration," the chief said. "We know what their intent is, but we don't have their motive."

The weapons seized by the Richmond Police Department appear to be AR-15 platform rifles along with several standard-capacity magazines. There also appears to be a handgun with some standard-capacity magazines, along with several boxes of ammunition.

Doesn't it seem strange to you that the media didn't make a lot more of this news? It's axiomatic that the nation's socialist media coverage of a story is directly proportional to its potential to accrue power to the anti-liberty left. You can measure and predict this almost with mathematical precision, given the various parameters involved.

What has the nation's socialist media manically obsessed about over the past 20 years when it comes to the debate over our reasonable and sensible civil right of self-defense? Pardon the pun, but what really "triggers" them when it comes to guns?

If you said "AR-15s," you would be correct. That's like a red flag to a bull. Yet this aspect hardly warranted any mention in the article. Why?

The propaganda organs of the liberticidal left are also obsessively trying to find every last detail of their newest hero, the Chicago chum bucket. But aside from mostly perfunctory initial reports, we're not hearing any type of follow-up. Doesn't that strike everyone as quite strange, given the similarities and the fact that this entailed the AR-15, the favorite hobby horse of the nation's socialist media?

It can't be just that it involved illegal invaders, although that is partially to blame. Could it be that we're to see a whole new crime or terror wave from across the border?

Who do you think is going to be blamed for this?

D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, and the director of communications for a Bill of Rights organization and a longtime contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack.

Image via Pixnio.
Language is a nuanced thing. Too often, readers will gloss over terminology without stopping to dissect it. This kind of passive reading is deceptively expedient and ultimately detrimental to a capacity to learn on a deeper level. Words and phraseology should always be studied and questioned if our goal is to grow as thinkers.

When we examine the term "liberal democracy," what we find is a blatant contradiction. Liberalism, as it is commonly understood, stresses the primacy of the individual over the collective. Democracy, conversely, connotes a collective. How, then, could these two seemingly antithetical ideas coincide in a way that makes sense? For decades, America (and Great Britain to a comparable degree) has possessed the unique capability of synthesizing the two. When Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States in the 1830s, what he found was a people who cherished liberty and individual freedom while also recognizing the importance of civic participation and association. This balance, however, has proven to be quite precarious.

Since the 1960s or thereabouts, Americans have begun to embrace a dangerous ideology that is seriously harming the well-being of our democracy: libertarianism. Libertarianism, in excess, has a deleterious effect on what Robert Putnam commonly refers to as "social capital." Putnam hypothesizes that social capital, which facilitates norms of trust and togetherness, is an integral part of robust democracy. It is when individuals cease to recognize the importance of togetherness that we, as a nation, fall.

In effect, what we have today is a surplus of liberalism, in the classical sense, and a serious deficit in participatory democracy. Americans today are spoiled by options and choice. They can work remotely, browse Netflix for hours on end, play videogames, and effectively opt out of real-world interaction. Though this is, unquestionably, convenient (especially in the era of COVID), it has brutal repercussions. How can America properly function as a democracy if its inhabitants are introverted, asocial housecats (to borrow a phrase from Owen Benjamin)?

What America needs is a return to 1950s-style communitarianism. Liberals, and even a great deal of neocons, will of course call this a reactionary idea. What, though, is reactionary about prosperity? Nineteen-fifties America was civically bonded in a way that is unthinkable today. That is not to say, however, that there wasn't significant illiberalism in the form of racial segregation. It should go without saying that I am not a proponent of returning to that aspect of American society. Rather, I am arguing for the return of religious institutions and voluntary associations. The restoration of grassroots, bottom-up civic society, not the state, is my prescription to the problem of mass civic disengagement and unfettered libertarian ideology. In short, America must return to the Tocquevillian ideal.

Image: John Trumbull.
Joe Biden, the man "elected" to the presidency because of his supposed foreign policy chops, is out to lunch as two huge events shake America's top allies east and west.

Start with Japan, where the shocking assassination of a former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has occurred in a nation where this kind of activity is not normal.

According to Reuters:

NARA, Japan, July 8 (Reuters)  Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving leader, died on Friday hours after he was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country in which political violence is rare and guns are tightly controlled. The shooter opened fire on Abe, 67, from behind as the former premier addressed members of the public on a drab traffic island in the western city of Nara. Japanese media reported that the weapon appeared to be a homemade gun.

Something like this, done by some kind of local freak who made his own gun, is bound to shake Japan, which has always been an open society for politicians to reach out to the voters through street campaigning. It wasn't just an attack on a former politician who made a big impact on Japan's economy and global standing in the world, getting Japan's military out there as an important check on China, it was an attack on Japan's tranquil way of life. Yes, Japan will be shaken by this.

Nation after nation poured in with tributes:

Taiwan Has Lost a Close Friend, President Says of Abe Death

Israeli leaders express shock at assassination of ex-Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

More from Germany, France, U.K., Sri Lanka, India, Australia, Turkey, Netherlands, Ukraine and other nations in this Axios roundup here.

Joe's reaction?

Well, nothing. Nobody home at the White House.

BREAKING UPDATE: Despite BOTH Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence issuing statements on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Assassination, neither Joe Biden or Kamala Harris have provided any statement in any form.



Follow @ElAmerican_ for updates as they develop.  El American (@ElAmerican_) July 8, 2022

No words of support for Japan or comforting words from the states about the value and permanent legacy of Abe's achievements globally or friendship with the U.S. as its prime minister. The Bidenite clowns in the White House, with all its looney ignorant interns, probably don't know where Japan is on a map. As for Joe, well, he's Sleepy Joe and so far doesn't have anything to say, either. World leader after world leader have spoken out, just not Japan's supposed top ally, at least not yet. Don't think the Japanese won't notice.

Update: Joe has finally come out with a canned statement, using the occasion of Abe's death, to shill against gun violence, as if Japan were just an oversized Chicago. Once again, highly inappropriate -- Japan has gun control and it's not a matter of "too many guns" on the streets of Nara. It's a freak who makes his own gun, which renders the gun control argument irrelevant and certainly is insulting to the occasion in Japan. Twitchy has the scoop on the statement here.

Meanwhile, over in Great Britain, a prime minister was thrown out after less than three years in office, over a series of petty scandals. Yes, he seems to have brought this on himself through his reckless behavior, but it's still a sad story. Britain, after all, is America's top ally, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson worked closely and cordially with senile old Joe through his short tenure in office. He was the first to recognize Joe's presidency and congratulate the old dotard back before the ballots were even counted.

Joe's response, according to the New York Post, was this:

President Biden gave departing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson the cold shoulder in an initial statement reacting to Johnson resigning his position Thursday  failing to even mention the outgoing leader's name. "The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and Allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring," Biden said in the statement, obtained by CBS News. "I look forward to continuing our close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom, as well as our Allies and partners around the world, on a range of important priorities," the president continued. "That includes maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's brutal war on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions."

What a canned message that sends to Britain as well as to any politically allied leader whose political fortunes go south. The Post lists a litany of presidential responses to Britain's outgoing prime ministers, some of whom were thrown out for various reasons, all of which express affection and kindness and gratitude for the leader-to-leader connections and joint activities done and made. It costs nothing for any U.S. president to do this, and it's done to keep ties warm and continuous, to show that one is not a political inside player inside a country's politics, but a willing partner of the nation no matter who leads it. Expressing kind words to an outgoing leader with whom one has worked is simply the decent thing to do.

But don't expect that of old Joe, who owes Johnson a lot politically for his support. Boris gets nothing, not even a name mention, despite bending over backwards to be a good ally to the U.S. Brits of all political stripes are likely to notice this, too, same as the Japanese will notice.

What a worthless partner this Biden is  no foreign policy chops whatsoever, and this was Mr. Foreign Policy President touted by the media.

Well, he's not  he's very likely to annoy our top allies at a time when both are sorely needed. Was that necessary? Was that classy? Joe doesn't have a clue.

Image: YouTube screen shot.
Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, and Texas Abortion Bans Go Into Effect

NEWS PROVIDED BY

July 8, 2022

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., July 8, 2022 / Christian Newswire / -- Florida's 15-week abortion ban is now in effect after a court order blocking its enforcement was put on hold this week while Attorney General Ashley Moody swiftly appealed it.

Planned Parenthood and others previously requested that Leon County Circuit Court Judge John Cooper block the 15-week ban, known as HB 5, (which includes exceptions but not in cases of rape, incest or human trafficking) from taking effect, arguing the state constitution guarantees access to abortion. Judge Cooper ruled that the ban violates privacy protections in the state constitution. But that ruling was put on hold as soon as it was appealed.

Florida previously allowed abortions up to 24 weeks.

In Mississippi, where the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey on June 24, a judge declined to block the abortion ban. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the state's only abortion facility, has now closed.

Mississippi is one of at least 13 states with "trigger" laws designed to ban or restrict abortions once the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, as it did in a case upholding a different Mississippi law barring abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Other states have pre-Roe laws that remain on the books and will come back into effect now that Roe has been overturned.

While judges in Kentucky, Louisiana and Utah have temporarily blocked bans from taking effect, the state high court in Texas has allowed a pre-Roe ban to go into effect, and Ohio's top court declined to block the heartbeat bill, which bans abortion when a heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks.

As of the start of June, nine states have pre-Roe abortion bans in place: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Thirteen have trigger laws: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Four have passed an amendment declaring their state constitution does not secure or protect a right to abortion or allow use of public funds: Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia. Kansas has a similar state constitutional amendment on the ballot later this year.

According to a recent report by Guttmacher Institute, over 930,000 abortions were performed in the United States in 2020, an 8 percent increase from 862,320 abortions in 2017. That means in 2020, one in five pregnancies ended due to abortion and 54 percent of those were attributed to chemical abortions. Chemical abortions are now more accessible after the Food and Drug Administration permanently lifted the in-person dispensing requirement for abortion pills in 2021 following a temporary lift during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Liberty Counsel's Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "In light of the historic win overturning Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court, the fight to protect human life has only begun. This is an historic opportunity to protect human life and stop the brutal dismemberment of helpless children. America needs to be a safe sanctuary to protect all human life no matter their stage in life or circumstances."

Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.



SOURCE Liberty Counsel



CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org



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A worker sorts parcels coming off trucks at a distribution center in Guizhou province, on June 6, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

China is estimated to have handled 50 billion parcels from January to June, a year-on-year increase of 3.6 percent, showing the strong resilience of the nation's parcel delivery sector amid the headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the State Post Bureau of China.

The sector's revenue in the first six months is estimated to have reached nearly 500 billion yuan ($74.6 billion), according to a report released on Thursday by the bureau, which is the industry's regulator.

"In the first half of the year, the industry overcame the impact of the pandemic and other factors, and the scale of parcel delivery has rebounded rapidly after a brief decline, achieving positive growth and showing good development resilience," Wang Yuehan, an associate researcher with the bureau's development and research center, said at a news conference on Thursday.

"The average daily business volume has recovered to more than 300 million items, exceeding the level of the same period last year," Wang added.

The festival economysuch as the June 18 online shopping festival, when online shopping giants offer bargains over the two-and-a-half weeks leading up to that dayand e-commerce promotions have boosted the industry's recovery.

Thanks to online promotional activities, the volume of express business has seen a rapid recovery, with the highest daily business volume exceeding 400 million items, Wang said.

The industry also saw a boom in sales of agricultural produce. With the sector's campaign to expand parcel delivery service in rural areas, more agricultural products can now be delivered to urban areas. As a result, the number of parcels containing agricultural goods has been growing steadily.

Wang also said the nation's central region was a significant driver of the industry's development in the first half of the year, with growth in most central areas exceeding the national average.

Noting that sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks emerged in some regions of China in the first six months of 2022, especially in Shanghai and Beijing, Wang said that "resumption of the parcel delivery sector has faced great pressure".

She also said that although the sector's cross-border business, affected by the pandemic and rising transportation costs, saw a decline in the first half of the year, the industry's ability to build global networks, construct international hubs and improve local delivery capabilities in overseas markets improved.

In addition, the number of countries and regions reached by Chinese companies' international delivery services has increased, Wang said.

In May, J&T Express, a fast-growing company established in 2015, launched express services in Brazil, a major step in the company's efforts to expand logistics services in the Latin American market. The company began offering services in Mexico in February.

Charles Hou, the company's vice-president, said, "The success of the networks launched in Mexico and Brazil within a short time frame further demonstrates the benefits of the regional sponsorship model in our global expansion.

"It is also important for the company to continue to further cultivate emerging markets and expand its strategic global footprint," he added.
There is growing concern that we may never learn the identity of the person who for the first time in history leaked a draft of a pending decision. It's been nine and a half weeks since the draft opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health was published by Politico on May 2. Although this is the biggest breach in Supreme Court security in history, we have had no indication that the culprit has been identified. This is strange, given the very small pool  fewer than 100 clerks, justices, and support staff  of suspects who could have had access to the very secret draft opinion, one that turned out to be very close to the decision finally handed down by the Court.

The agency in charge of Supreme Court leak investigation is the Supreme Court Marshals, which is not an investigative agency, but which provides security for the justices while in Washington, D.C. and handles many administrative functions for the Court, including contracts administration, printing documents, paying salaries, and compensating expenses for maintaining buildings and grounds. The total number of staff is 260, including the small Supreme Court Police force that provides security at the Supreme Court Building. It is headed by Col. Gail Curley, a career Army lawyer who has held the title of U.S. attorney.

Given the magnitude of the breach of Court security, threatening the future integrity of its functioning if leaks become commonplace, it is hard to understand why nothing has been revealed yet to the public about apprehending the miscreant or miscreants. Polygraph tests should have been administered to all who had access to the draft document, the phone records of those with signs of concern should have been subpoenaed, and thorough interrogations conducted of all potential suspects.

Since the Supreme Court Marshals do not have investigative staff experienced in these matters, it is probably necessary to hire outside experts to conduct this work. As a separate branch of government, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Roberts may be reluctant to bring in Executive Branch personnel from the FBI (which is now highly politicized) or U.S. Marshals Service. But there are numerous private security contractors who already perform sensitive work for the federal government, and which could lend staff and expertise to the investigation.

Now, it may be that the wheels are grinding slowly but very fine, and that we will have a conclusive result in the reasonable future. But I am worried that, with the media not pressing for results, this investigation may go nowhere, and that for years to come, we will not know who leaked the draft.

What if the leaker turns out to be one of the justices? Would Chief Justice Roberts allow such a finding to be known? He expresses grave concern over the standing of the Court (and the entire federal Judiciary) with the public. Would he be willing to ignite a firestorm that would surely follow if a justice were found to be behind the leak? My guess is that he would not. Inevitably, there would be calls for impeachment, and depending on the ideological affiliation of the justice, different political factions would be pressing for impeachment and conviction. The potential for dirty laundry airing is considerable, and Chief Justice Roberts would abhor that.

At a minimum, I would like to see a report from the Supreme Court Marshals on what steps they have taken so far, and what further measures they plan on taking. The public deserves to know that this is not a cover-up.

Photo credit: Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
One of the perks of using a Pixel device is the useful At A Glance widget. There are already several features for this widget, but the company might be adding more. According to 9To5Google, Google is planning on adding three more features to the At A Glance Widget.

The widget already does a handful of actions like showing your weather, Calendar events, timers, and several more. Its something that the company does kind of force on its customers. Its on the home screen, and, like the Google search bar, it cant be removed.

Google could add three new features to the At A Glance widget

This information was revealed via an APK deep-dive performed by 9To5Google. Thus, youll want to take this news with a grain of salt. The code for these features is in version S.21 of the Android System Intelligence, but its not activated. This means that Google could delete the code at any time.

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The first new feature is called Cross Device Timer. This feature would allow the widget to display a timer thats on a Nest home smart display or smart speaker. So, youll see the timer counting down on your At A Glance widget. This could be great if you need to leave the room, but you still want to see the timer.

The next feature will be useful if youre an avid grocery delivery service user. The widget could show information like the story you ordered from when your order will be ready, when its picked up and when it was dropped off.

The last feature was most recently discovered. This one could let you keep track of your ride when you use an app like Uber or Lyft. It will tell you how far out your ride is so you can keep track of the ride without having to open the app or unlock your phone.

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Theres no telling when these features will hit Pixel devices. For all we know, Google might not implement these features, so youll need to cross your fingers.
(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 8 - Italy's COVID-19 incidence soared to 1,071 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants in the July 1-7 period, according to the latest weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS), up from an incidence of 763 in last week's report.

This Friday's report said that Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission number has risen significantly too, climbing to 1.40 in the June 15-28 period, up from 1.30 in last week's report.

An Rt number over 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of expansion.

The report said 11 Italian regions had an incidence above 1,000 - Campania (1482.5), Puglia (1320.5), Abruzzo (1291.6), Umbria (1275.8), Lazio (1250.9), Veneto (1184.8), Sicily (1147.5), Marche (1133.2), Sardinia (1125.5), Basilicata (1101.5) and Emilia Romagna (1045.9).

It said no Italy region could be considered low risk for COVID.

The report said that the proportion of Italy's intensive-care places occupied by COVID-19 sufferers rose to 3.5% on July 7 from 2.6% on June 30.

The proportion of ordinary hospital beds taken up by coronavirus patients, meanwhile, climbed from 10.3% to 13.3%, it said.

(ANSA).


MADRID - Transforming public administrations with the use of technology like Big Data, fostering collaborations in the field of research and fighting climate change together are some of the main points of the "bilateral collaboration" agreement signed on Friday in Barcelona by Italy's Emilia Romagna region and Spain's Catalonia by the governors Stefano Bonaccini and Pere Aragones.



"Many opportunities can be created that, if developed into well-defined work, can ensure new possibilities for citizens in our territories," Bonaccini said after having signed the pact, noting that the collaboration between these two regions had begun "years ago" and was now being strengthened.



"From the memorandum with Emilia-Romagna that we are signing today, there will be prosperity and well-being for citizens," said Aragones, through "strengthening our orientation towards exports and the will to innovate, especially in healthcare and the environment".
LAMPEDUSA - Immigrants can be seen in photos, stretched out on filthy mattresses in every corner of the hotspot on the Italian island of Lampedusa, both inside and outside.



"Mountains" of trash bags, overflowing with the remains of food and paper waste and plastic bottles, are seen next to clothes thrown anywhere and everywhere.



And then there is the almost endless line of plastic bottles along the corridors that lead to bathrooms that are almost impossible to enter due to the stench.



This is the inferno of the Lampedusa hotspot, where there are currently 1,878 people, compared with just under 350 places available.



"They are all bunched up together. There are women as well - four of whom pregnant - alongside children and those sick and in need of treatment, who sleep and eat on the ground amid the trash," said former Pelagie islands mayor Giusi Nicolini. "There are fewer than 200 beds. These photos could be Libya. But instead it is Italy." "In the Lampedusa hotspot there are 1,600 (the number has risen to 1,878, Ed.), despite the fact that there are about 300 places available. And, in recent hours, there have been more boat landings: almost 200 people have arrived since yesterday (10 landings had as of time of writing resulted in 529 arriving, Ed.)," she added.



Since the beginning of the year, there have been over 30,000 arrivals. In the same period last year there had been 23,000.



Such a dramatic situation pushed Lampedusa mayor Filippo Mannino to request an urgent meeting with Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese.



The deputy mayor wrote that the interior ministry had given its availability only until the end of the month despite Territory and Environment councillor Attilio Lucia (League) being in close contact with Matteo Salvini and added that the situation was "unsustainable" due to the island making its livelihood from tourism.



The leader of the party announced that he would "soon be on the island".




You are here: China

The 14th Straits Forum will be held in Fujian Province on the Chinese mainland from July 12, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said on Thursday.

A total of 43 events will take place both online and offline, which are to attract around 2,000 people from Taiwan for offline activities, according to spokesperson Zhu Fenglian.

This year's forum will carry on the theme of promoting people-to-people exchanges and deepening integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.
BELGRADE - In Podgorica, in front of the Montenegrin government building, a protest was underway on Friday after an agreement was announced aiming to regulate relations between the state of Montenegro and the Serb Orthodox Church, which is very popular in the small Balkan country.



The protests claim that this agreement confirms the close dependence of Montenegro on Serbia, with the loss of its autonomy and national identity.



About a third of the population of Montenegro is ethnically a Serb.



The announcement of the agreement was given during recent visit to Belgrade by the new Montenegrin prime minister, Dritan Abazovic, who in addition to Serbian politicians met with Serbian Orthodox patriarch Porfirije.



The Montenegrin government was scheduled on Friday to discuss the agreement, against which there have been multiple protests in recent days including one on Thursday evening.
Tunisian civil society rejects draft constitution Dozens of NGOs mobilize, ask for withdrawal of text

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, JULY 8 - Over 30 Tunisian NGOs and civil society associations have in a joint statement taken a stand against the draft constitution proposed by President Kais Saied.



The draft will be put to a referendum on July 25.



The NGOs and associations called the constitution "dictatorial" and reflects a unilateral approach by the president, who they claim "confiscated" the right of Tunisians to debate their future and which imposes his choice without involving members of civil society, the politica scene, academics, and specialists.



Signatories have stressed that the draft constitution not only does not overcome the problems inherent in the 2014 constitution, it also regresses in denying the civil nature of the state and doing away with the human rights system as its main benchmark.



"The text in question," the statement said, "undermines the notion of citizenship that unites Tunisians without discrimination based on faith, color, and gender, maintaining the requirement that the head of state be male and Muslim." It added that the constitution proposed by Saied "undermines the principle of a balance of powers, limiting the prerogatives of legislative and judicial powers and the independence of the judiciary as a basis for democracy and guarantee of rights and freedoms." "In the chapter on rights and freedoms, reference is made to restrictions in line with the needs of public security and public morality, habitual notions that sanction and justify repression.



The draft constitution has abolished constitutional bodies on the media, justice, the fight against corruption, and human rights." The signatories, in announcing their intention to reject the draft constitution and requesting that it be withdrawn, have said that they will mobilise to carry out the necessary steps to bring in constitutional reform that respects the dignity of Tunisian men and women and meets their aspirations for dignity, freedom, and equality.



Among the signatories are the Ligue Tunisienne pour la Defense des Droits de l'Homme (LTDH), the Tunisian journalists union SNJT, the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights (FTDES), the Tunisian coalition for the abolition of the death penalty, and the Al Bawsala organisation. (ANSAmed).




A man who has been jailed for raping a schoolgirl while on holiday in Florida has been labelled a danger to girls and women.

Matthew Mackie, 68, from East Dunbartonshire, was on Friday sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was found guilty of a string of sexual assaults spanning a period of two decades.

A jury heard Mackie, who ran a car wash in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, raped a 12-year-old girl in a hotel room in Orlando in 2002.

The security officer committed rapes and sexual assaults on three victims between 1999 and 2019 at locations in Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire.

The youngest victim was just seven years old when Mackie started abusing her, the Crown Office said.

His third victim was 17 when she met Mackie, then 44, at work. He went on to repeatedly rape and assault her.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Lady Stacey jailed Mackie and ordered his name be added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Fraser Gibson, the procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offences, said: Matthew Mackie was a danger to girls and women over the course of many years.

His offending has been brought to an end by the courage of those he targeted.

Mr Gibson said the case shows that allegations of sex abuse do not disappear with the passage of time.
Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland would remain in the British-Irish Council if the country voted for independence.

The First Minister was speaking a press conference following the 37th summit held in Guernsey on Friday when she claimed a vote for independence would not come at the sacrifice of good relations with other nations in the British Isles.

An independent Scotland would still be part of the British Isles and therefore, very much a part of the British-Irish Council, she told journalists.

I want to use this forum as a way to illustrate the continuing relationships that will be strong and valued and valuable when Scotland becomes an independent country.

From left to right, John Le Fondre, Nicola Sturgeon, Conor Burns, chief minister of Guernsey Peter Ferbrache, Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Mark Drakeford and chief minister of the Isle of Man Alfred Cannon (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The only thing that will change is Scotland will no longer be a devolved Government around the table, we will be an independent Government.

Ms Sturgeon said Scotland would always remain part of a family of nations.

The SNP leader took in several meetings in the morning with other heads of state, including the First Minister of Wales, chief ministers of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Wight, and the Irish Taoiseach.

On the agenda was the cost-of-living crisis, climate change, support for the people of Ukraine, and the Northern Ireland Protocol, as well as urban planning to regenerate towns.

Nicola Sturgeon, left, speaks to Conor Burns following a British-Irish Council summit meeting (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Ms Sturgeon and the other delegates said that while there was some acknowledgement of what Boris Johnsons resignation would mean for their respective nations, the events in Westminster did not overshadow the summit.

Giving her thoughts on the situation, which ultimately led to the Prime Minister agreeing to step down on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon said: Im obviously only speaking personally here but I would hope that a new prime minister does lead to a reset on some of the discussions around the Northern Ireland protocol, and to some of the wider discussions around Brexit.

I hope that notwithstanding developments in recent days, and the necessary process now to elect a new leader of the Conservative Party, the new prime minister, we dont see an interruption of necessary steps to help with the cost of living, which becomes ever more pressing by the day.

Its no secret that Boris Johnson was not an overwhelmingly popular prime minister in Scotland, I think thats probably the most diplomatic way I can say it. So there will be, you know, a sense of relief that that is changing, she added.

Boris Johnson is a prime minister that Scotland did not vote for about to be replaced by another prime minister that Scotland did not vote for, and the democratic deficit issue that comes with Westminster Government for Scotland is systemic and it is about more than one individual prime minister.

Ms Sturgeons Welsh counterpart, Mark Drakeford, used the moment to repeat his call for a general election, saying he believes the decision should be put into the hands of the people to whom we are all responsible so that the next government has a clear mandate.
British politicians have reacted with shock at the shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, with Boris Johnson saying he was utterly appalled at the news.

The former prime minister was shot while giving an election campaign speech in Nara, western Japan, on Friday.

Japanese leader Fumio Kishida has said the former prime minister is in a severe condition.

Mr Johnson said he was utterly appalled at the shooting.

The Prime Minister tweeted: Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 8, 2022

Police arrested a male suspect at the scene of the shooting.

Public broadcaster NHK aired footage showing Mr Abe collapsed on the street, with several security guards running towards him. He was bleeding and holding his chest.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also said that she was devastated at the shooting.

She tweeted: Devastated to hear about the attack on former Prime Minister Abe. We stand with our Japanese friends at this difficult time.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Devastated to hear about the attack on former Prime Minister Abe. We stand with our Japanese friends at this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends   Liz Truss (@trussliz) July 8, 2022

The shooting has made headlines around the world, causing shock in a country that is one of the worlds safest and with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

Mr Abe, a popular former leader, is still influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and heads its largest faction, Seiwakai.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a dark day.

He tweeted: Our hearts are with the family of Shinzo Abe and the Japanese people.

A truly dark day.
Karlovy Vary Film Festivals industry section Eastern Promises wrapped Tuesday, with Yemeni abortion drama The Burdened winning the top prize in the Works in Progress section. This followed a presentation of the projects on Monday, where a diverse lineup was on show.

Ten projects, in late stages of production or post-production, vied for the post-production service package and two cash awards of 5,000, given out by jurors Dennis Ruh, director of European Film Market, Beta Cinemas Cosima Finkbeiner, TRT Cinemas Esra Demirkiran, sound designer Michaela Patrikova, and Ewa Puszczynska, one of the producers of Oscar winner Ida, and also behind Karlovy Vary festival title Fools.

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I want to welcome you all after talking to you online for two years. Which was fun for us, but I am not sure how fun it was for you, noted industry head Hugo Rosak, kickstarting the presentations, which included the likes of Polands Elephant, about a country boy falling in love with another man. The film, already sold to the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria, will premiere at New Horizons Film Festival later this month.

Amr Gamals The Burdened - Credit: Courtesy of KVIFF

Courtesy of KVIFF

We like to think of Elephant as Call Me by Your Name happening in a little Polish village, with all the consequences [that come with it], said Jakub Mroz, co-founder and CEO of Tongariro Releasing, a distribution company focusing on LGBTQ+ films. The film marks its first move into production.

Since I decided to become a film director, I knew that my debut film will be a queer story. First of all because I am gay, so these topics are important to me, but also because I saw this big void in Polish cinematography, added director Kamil Krawczycki.

When I was younger, I needed this kind of film and I have never seen it. Now, we know that representation matters. I am glad we can be a small part of that change.

Once again mixing fiction and documentary projects, this years WIP selection welcomed a slew of highly personal projects, including Amr Gamals The Burdened (Yemen, Sudan), based on a true story and zooming in on a struggling family trying to get an abortion despite its communitys conservative stance.

We actually witnessed that dilemma, said producer Mohsen Alkhalifi, opening up about the difficulties of shooting in Yemen.

Its a country with no cinema industry, where no one believes in cinema and the resources are limited. But there are many stories to be told to the world. Its a long journey and a difficult one, but hopefully we will succeed in getting our voices heard.

On the documentary front, Georgias Part of Society will also reflect on the state of the LGBTQ+ community  this time in the Caucasus region. Following his short Prisoner of Society, nominated for the European Film Award in 2018, Rati Tsiteladze comes back to the harrowing story of transgender Adelina, locked away for 11 years by her parents.

Veronika Liskovas The Visitors

When Adelina shared her story with me, it moved me in a profound way. I was touched by her raw honesty, noted the helmer. The film, co-written and co-produced by ArtWay Films Olga Slusareva, will be released in September 2023.

I knew we had to make this film, no matter the consequences. To be different, it means you are faced with a choice: to be invisible for the sake of society, or to fight for who you are, even if it may cost you your life, he added.

Windless, a Bulgarian-Italian co-production, will also explore a somewhat complicated relationship with ones past. Veselka Kiryakova produces for Red Carpet, alongside Alessandro Amato and Luigi Chimienti.

Its about a boy who comes back to the place where he spent his childhood, but he hates his childhood. He comes back to the place where his father used to live, but he hates his father. He comes back to his roots, but he hates his roots, said director Pavel G. Vesnakov, also noting the films philosophical aspect. Its first cut is expected at the end of July.

Sonia Ben Slama will take a closer look at traditional wedding musicians in her documentary Machtat (Lebanon, Tunisia, France, Qatar), as three women keep on performing despite their personal struggles. It wasnt the only female-centered story, however, with Anna Dziapshipa returning to her complicated family history in another doc from Georgia, Self Portrait Along the Borderline. Dziapshipa will direct, shoot and produce her feature debut for Sakdoc Film.

The Visitors helmer Veronika Liskova also embarked on a journey, deciding to follow her former classmate  and fellow anthropologist  to the worlds northernmost town, Longyearbyen.

When I saw the first photos from that place, I thought: I am looking at a moon colony. My fascination was also driven by her courage, said Liskova about the Czech-Norwegian-Slovak co-production, described as an intimate testimony about the sense of belonging. Kristyna Michalek Kvetova produces for Cinemotif Films, with The Thousand Images and Peter Kerekes Film also attached. The film will soon celebrate its world premiere at Locarnos Critics Week.

In another documentary, The Ice That Still Supports Us, Arko Okk will take on an old Estonian tradition: opening ice roads in winter time.

Ice road is a ghost road  nobody knows when it will appear and where. It erases borders between people, he said, with producer Sandra Heidov adding: It upsets daily balance and creates tensions. Its interesting to see how frozen water melts something inside peoples minds.

The filmmakers also mentioned their dream collaborator, who could hopefully provide the narration: Australian actor Geoffrey Rush, who will be awarded KVIFFs Crystal Globe at the closing ceremony.

Endless Summer Syndrome - Credit: Courtesy of KVIFF

Courtesy of KVIFF

We need to ask the festival for help. Could they arrange a meeting?, wondered Okk, cooling his audience with the films winter imagery.

Still, the atmosphere warmed up once again thanks to Brutal Heat and Endless Summer Syndrome. In the latter, produced by Gem Deger, Eva Larvoire, Cedric Larvoire and debuting director Kaveh Daneshmand, one familys quiet life comes to a halt after a deeply troubling revelation.

Brutal Heat  a road movie produced by Czech Republics nutprodukce and Slovakias Punkchart Films  will see a bored, lonely boy, tired of the hot weather and scared of the catastrophe that might or might not happen in the near future.

When he finally reaches his destination, he realizes he doesnt belong there anymore. But he is ready for whatever comes next, said director Albert Hospodarsky, calling the film, featuring his own brother, a low-budget labor of love and friendship.

We are playing around with the idea of presenting this film exclusively in open-air summer cinemas next year, added producer Lukas Kokes.

So that the audience can really feel the heat.

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FILE - Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on June 8, 2022. Yellen will travel to Asia this month, her first trip to the Indo-Pacific since becoming head of the agency. She will represent the U.S. at the Group of 20 finance minister meetings in Bali. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WASHINGTON (AP)  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this month will visit the Indo-Pacific for the first time since taking over the department and will use the trip to make the U.S. case for a price cap on Russian oil aimed at reducing revenue to the Kremlin as it presses ahead with its attack on Ukraine.

Yellen will address the economic and humanitarian challenges wrought by Russia's war in Ukraine as she represents the U.S. at Group of 20 finance minister meetings on Indonesias resort island of Bali and makes additional stops in Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea. During the July 12-19 trip, Yellen will notably avoid visiting China, although she did hold a call with Chinas vice premier on Monday.

Yellen has been a critic of Chinas economic relationship with Russia  urging China to use its  special relationship with Russia to persuade Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

Unlike the Group of Seven finance leader meetings in April, the G-20 will involve participant countries that are not united in taking action in opposition to the war in Ukraine. China, India, South Africa and Brazil have largely resisted signing on to efforts by the U.S. and its allies to punish Russia for its invasion. Russia is expected to participate as well.

Yellen will also tour an LG factory in South Korea and deliver a speech about the importance of strong international partnerships in building supply chains. LG in April announced plans to build a $1.4 billion battery plant in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Yellen's trip to Asia will come days after the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nations most powerful and influential figures, was shot from behind during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, according to NHK public television.
Irish President Michael D Higgins has expressed his deep condolences to the Emperor of Japan at the appalling murder of former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

The fact that he fell victim to this most brutal of crimes whilst actively engaging in Japans democratic process of political choice makes todays events all the more appalling, he wrote in a letter to Tokyos Imperial Palace.

Mr Abe, 67, was shot from behind during a campaign speech in western Japan on Friday and died in hospital.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, which shocked many in Japan  one of the worlds safest nations with some of the strictest gun control laws.

In a letter to Emperor Naruhito, Mr Higgins paid tribute to Mr Abe, who was Japans longest-serving prime minister.

In this moment of darkness, we all take comfort in reflecting upon Mr Abes distinguished career in public service in Japan, which spans the period both before and after your ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Please know also, your Majesty, that Ireland and the Irish people share your sorrow and offer solidarity with you and the citizens of Japan, whom we count among our most long-standing friends and like-minded partners.

President Higgins has written to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on the death of former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. pic.twitter.com/qutPQw2Wkt  President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) July 8, 2022

Irish premier Micheal Martin also said he was deeply saddened by the appalling killing.

He was a strong and committed democrat, and it is especially shocking that he was murdered while engaged in that most democratic of activities, campaigning ahead of an election, the Taoiseach said in a statement.

Putting your arguments before an electorate and asking for their vote is at the very heart of what we believe in as democratic politicians. The attack on former PM Abe is therefore an attack on democracy itself.

It is all the more shocking that it happened in a peace-loving country like Japan.

My most heartfelt and sincere sympathies are with the people of Japan, whom PM Abe served with such commitment and distinction; with Prime Minister Kishida and his colleagues across Government; and especially with Mr Abes family.

On this very sad occasion, on behalf of the Government and people of Ireland, I extend our most profound condolences and solidarity.

Northern Ireland First Minister designate Michelle ONeill, who met Mr Abe on his visit to the island of Ireland in 2013, said on RTE Radio that Mr Abes death was absolutely shocking.

My thoughts are very much with his family and with the people of Japan.

I had the pleasure of greeting him actually as a minister in the executive at that time and had deputised for Martin McGuinness and I greeted him off the plane.

Its truly a shocking event and clearly all of our thoughts are with the devastated family and the devastated people in Japan.
Senior Chinese legislators gathered on Friday to discuss a draft law and a draft revision to another law at a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

The meeting, presided over by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, heard reports on revising a draft law on anti-telecom and online fraud, and a draft revision to the Law on the Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products.

Participants of the meeting also deliberated on the relevant drafts.

The meeting noted that more opinions and recommendations on the draft law and revision from all parties must be solicited, so that further improvements can be carried out accordingly.
Photo credit: Courtesy

Its kind of like artisanal. Or organic. When you start talking about sustainable fashion, the question of what exactly that buzz word means is the first one you have to address. And because of that nebulousness, its easy for folks to make a cynical play at looking respectable without doing a whole lot to actually change the way they do business. You know them, because youve seen them many times before: the greenwashed mini-collections by megabrands thatd be a great thing if only they represented more than a vanishingly small percentage of the total product put out into the world each year. It can all get a little exhausting, not least of all because a lot of people are spending a lot of time trying to sell you on just how good they are.



Which is what makes a conversation like the one I had at this summers Pitti Uomo trade show with Maxime Fruit, creative director of the London label Maxime, so refreshing. There was no list of statistics on water usage or carbon offsets. There wasnt some big marketing song and dance. There was just Maxime, telling me why, while he strives to ensure his collection is responsibly made and environmentally friendly, one of the biggest aspects of sustainability in fashion is simply creating clothing that can stick around for the long haul. I want things that can last 50, 60 years, he explained while walking me through his collection of boxy shirts and matched sets made from deadstock silk.

Photo credit: Courtesy

Its not a one-size-fits-all solutionand with the consumptive urge that sits at the very core of the fashion industry, its not perfect. But theres something deeply optimistic about a small brand carving out a space that lets creator and consumer both sleep a little more soundly, knowing theyre at least trying to do right by people and the planet while, yes, still doing this whole fashion thing. And while Pitti Uomo is a giant show with hundreds of vendors, and the S|Style space where I saw Maxime was host to just a handful of curated brands, theres something equally uplifting to considering how such a big platform is holding up a group of smaller players for the fashion world to discoverand, hopefully, embrace.

S|Style was born in 2020 in the midst of a pandemic to fill a cultural, social, and market need to talk, to discover, and tell a new approach to conceive collections and seasonality: respecting the environment and looking to the future, says Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Imagine, which oversees Pitti Uomo. On the one hand, with this project, Pitti Uomo aims to completely subvert the concept [that] responsible fashion rhymes with fashion [but] without style. And on the other hand, it offers buyers and fashion professionals the possibility of scouting clothing and accessories with low-impact production requirements, with certified, recovered, recycled, and experimental hybrid fabrics.

Photo credit: Courtesy

The project has been curated by Giorgia Cantarini, a fashion editor and one of the most important experts in Italy of green fashion, according to Napoleone. And while the selection takes into account social and environmental responsibility, the focus remains on creativity and design.

Thats how you get more specific ventures like the Waste Yarn Project showing alongside designers like Connor McKnight, with his focus on everyday luxury and the Black experience in America. Or Philip Huang, where the collection is informed in large part by the use of natural dyes and working with artisans in the northeast of Thailand. Its also how you can see the toned-down, architectural offerings at Margn sitting next to the graphic- and applique-heavy designs at Dhruv Kapoor and feel a sense of connectivity you otherwise might not. Ditto that for the bright sportswear at MWorks playing against subtle casual gear of Curious Grid or the off-kilter tailoring of Bennu. These brands are all doing their own thing, but at the heart of it is the same thing: the desire to be sustainable without the scare quotes.

In keeping that idea and its execution more openin simply, if tacitly, admitting that no one has a magical answer to a very real problem that needs to be systematically addressed by an industry thats deeply hesitant to do sothe whole project seems a little more real and realizable. Do I expect the group of designers who showed at S|Style this year to fix things? No. At least not yet. But they represent a vanguard of folks in the fashion industry who are willing to intertwine grappling with the issue with the rest of their work. And if the industry at large keeps celebrating and elevating these sorts of creatives and businesspeople, ideally on ever-larger stages, then we at the very least have a better shot at finding some of the solutions were searching for.

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Two men have been charged for the murder of a Breckinridge County woman, according to Kentucky State Police.

State police began investigating a death after the Breckinridge County Sheriffs Office found Beverly Smallwood, a 59-year-old Harned resident, dead inside a home on Harned Road. The investigation resulted in 53-year-old Rodney Jones of Hardinsburg and 33-year-old Boris Drane of Harned both being charged with murder, state police said.

Drane has also been charged with tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse, according to state police.

Drane lived on the same road where the alleged killing happened, according to court records.

No other details about the incident have been released.
After Bruce Pattersons success designing a network to serve the residents of Ammon, he decided last year to depart and work to help other cities build similar open-access networks.

I was very interested in helping others replicate what Ammon did, Patterson said.

And there has been a lot of interest.

Perhaps the most significant taker is the city of Detroit, which is planning to use $10 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to build a pilot open-access fiber network that will serve a neighborhood of about 3,200 households. And while Detroit city officials have done lots of their own innovation to build a network suited to local needs, theyve kept their eyes on the system built in the Idaho town of 16,000.

The city were getting the most inspiration from, bar none, is Ammon, said Joshua Edmonds, Detroits director of digital inclusion. Bruce Pattersons service has been invaluable. That experience there has made him a national asset.

Edmonds said the open-access model offers additional benefits for residents of Detroit. Roughly 30 percent of city residents live in poverty, and that is the biggest obstacle to broadband access.

Eight out of 10 residents are saying cost is their biggest barrier, said Edmonds, referencing a recent public survey.

And the idea of building their way out of the problem is popular.

What we find is 82 percent of Detroit residents are in support of public, high-speed internet, Edmonds said.

The affordability problem isnt unique to Detroit. Its now the most common obstacle to internet access around the country.

Affordability has displaced the so-called last mile problem that used to have center stage in broadband discussions, Patterson explained. There were too many homes with internet nearby but with no physical network to allow the home to connect to service. Now more often than not theres a network but too many people cant afford to get on it.

We have to now start worrying about equity and affordability, not just access, Patterson said.

Thats especially true now because broadband has become an essential service like electricity or water  so much of modern life depends on it. You fill out the census online, get news to inform your vote online, and engage in commerce.

From the very sources of civic participation, to where you want to eat tonight, those are now online transactions, Edmonds said.

The neighborhood targeted for network development, located in west-central Detroit, has highly unreliable internet infrastructure. Outages lasting weeks or even months have occurred frequently.

At best, Edmonds said, Detroit residents generally find themselves in a duopoly, with a choice between getting service from Comcast or AT&T. In many neighborhoods, only one of those is available, meaning one company has local monopoly powers.

Implementing its version of the Ammon Model means Detroit can avoid creating an internet monopoly, which it would then have to subsidize so that lower-income residents could afford access.

Fiber is a solution, but what we dont want to do is be in the position of picking a winner and then being at the mercy of the winner, Edmonds said.

Patterson said federal policy has shifted recently to support public infrastructure-based solutions, rather than relying on subsidies.

In the past, there were federal programs to help low-income families gain broadband access, but they worked like heating subsidies. A family could apply, and the government would send vouchers to pay part of their bill, subsidizing the profits of the company that had a monopoly in their neighborhood. Now, infrastructure projects are much more attractive.

It is unique compared to anything historically, Patterson said. The money thats out there for the very first time is very slanted toward having a public entity involved.

It would be a good time for cities in the Treasure Valley to consider pursuing a similar model.

Bryan Clark is an Idaho Statesman opinion writer based in eastern Idaho.
Atchison County, Kansas, has done the right thing  even though it took the threat of litigation from the ACLU of Kansas. We applaud officials for reversing a decision that would have stopped a whole lot of residents from voting in the upcoming August primary election.

Recognizing that the Aug. 2 primary  which includes a question about an amendment to the state constitution on abortion  could be one of the most consequential for thousands of women and families in Kansas, the ACLU quickly jumped on county officials for closing voter registration for that election early.

County Clerk Michelle Phillips had closed registration in late June because of a local sales tax election next week. State law cuts off registrations 21 days before an election.

The registration blackout meant city residents who still needed to register ahead of the critical statewide Aug. 2 election had lost their opportunity to vote.

The August election includes hotly contested primary races as well as that critical vote to determine the future of abortion rights in Kansas.

It would have been an egregious violation of these voters rights for an election official to prevent voters from registering up until the deadline as provided by the National Voter Registration Act, Sharon Brett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas, said in a statement released Friday.

The ACLU worked with the Kansas secretary of states office to correct the error as part of the groups Election Protection Program. That means Atchison County residents who want to vote in the Aug. 2 election have until July 12 to register.

Now Phillips is calling residents who tried to register and were turned away and giving them the chance to return and register for the primary. Thats exactly what should happen. So cheers to Atchison County for the quick fix.

But county officials should have noticed the problem and corrected it sooner. According to the ACLU, multiple community members had complained about the conflict at a City Commission hearing on July 5. On top of that, the city of Atchison and county clerk had not effectively notified residents about the registration deadline.

The ACLU is reminding residents who run into any issues with voter registration or have trouble casting their ballot, to report it to their voter protection hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE. Heres rooting for a clean, safe and fair election.
Robbie Makinen was told he would be forced out of his job at the end of June as president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.

But one week after the closed-door meeting at which his fate was to be decided, he still hasnt received official word on his status from his bosses on the KCATA board of commissioners.

An announcement is forthcoming, commissioner Michael Shaw said Thursday afternoon. Exactly when, I dont know.

As Makinen frets about his future, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver worries about the impact the controversy surrounding Makinens employment status may have on federal funding requests that potentially could be worth tens of millions of dollars or more to local public transit projects.

My only comment to people who have called me about this is this is bad timing, he said, and bad timing creates a holy mess.

As the Kansas City congressman assures the federal bureaucrats who make funding decisions that local government officials are one big happy family, Mayor Quinton Lucas and others at city hall have been publicly dissing the KCATA for poor bus service in recent months. More recently they have also complained that the transportation authoritys real estate development activity detracts from its main mission.

Then last week, The Star broke the news that city officials have been working behind the scenes for months to oust Makinen from his job after he balked when city officials said they wanted all of the KCATAs pandemic relief money. Makinen tried without success to block them from taking some of those transit dollars from the KCATA to pay for a $23 million streetlighting project.

His efforts included a call to federal transit officials, who then called Lucas to ask what was going on in Kansas City. Lucas then let Makinen know he was not pleased to get that phone call. City Manager Brian Platt later told two commissioners that either Makinen had to go or Kansas City would find someone other than the KCATA to provide bus service within the city limits.

All that friction, Cleaver said in a telephone interview this week, could hurt the regions chances of getting a federal planning grant for what he calls the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor.

Thats a brand name for an all-out effort to maximize the amount of money the region will get for projects from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed into law late last year.

In deciding where to spend those dollars, federal officials tend to favor regional projects that benefit multiple communities, such as Cleavers idea of funding public projects along a transportation corridor stretching from Independence to western Kansas City, Kansas.

Cleaver said hes been talking up the idea to former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who is senior adviser and infrastructure coordinator for the Biden administration.

Relationships across two states, two counties, four cities  in Washington thats the kind of thing that sells, Cleaver said.

But from his decades in government, as a congressman and before that as a city councilman and Kansas Citys first Black mayor, Cleaver also knows what dampens the enthusiasm of D.C. decision makers.

The federal government leans towards stability, Cleaver said. Theres always going to be some hesitation when theres a tumult in a community thats asking for millions and millions of dollars. So I have shared that with people whove called me that I dont want to blow this opportunity.

Cleaver not consulted

Lucas is not among the people whove sought his counsel. Cleaver said he wishes that city officials pushing for Makinens ouster would have given him a call before stirring controversy at the very time federal officials are considering two funding requests worth $10 million initially and tens of millions more into the future.

Nobody has talked to me, not that they had to, Cleaver said. But if I were them I would like to talk to the Democratic member of Congress who has been critically important in getting money in.

Asked to comment on Cleavers concerns, Lucas issued the following written statement:

I agree with the Congressmans view on the importance of stability at KCATA, particularly as it relates to ensuring timely and reliable service delivery, paying drivers and employees a fair wage, and serving Kansas Citians in all neighborhoods. Over the past several decades, first as mayor and now as a senior Statesman, Congressman Cleaver has built a positive relationship between federal administrators and Kansas City leaders, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to secure funding opportunities for our community.

Cleaver did not volunteer comments on Makinens job performance during the interview, but he noted that the Kansas City bus agency boss has a fan in U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

The last time I had a meeting with Buttigieg, he opened the meeting by saying boy, that Robbie is doing something great with those zero fares, Cleaver said.

Makinen has long supported eliminating bus fares as a way to boost mass transit use and eliminate the hassle of managing a fare system that provided only a small portion of the authoritys budget. Kansas City, the largest of the four local governments that contract with the KCATA for bus service, adopted a zero fare policy in 2020.

One of the funding requests that Cleaver said is now percolating in the system is a $4 million grant for new buses. The other is an application from the Mid America Regional Council that would pay for 80 percent of the $7 million estimated cost to plan for reinvestment and mobility services along State and Independence avenues, from Village West in Kansas City, Kansas, to Truman Square in Independence.

Were hoping for success, said Ron Achelpohl, MARCs director of transportation and environment.

Planning grant recipients will be announced in August, he said.

Cleaver is hopeful the planning grant will lead to the kind of success that saw Kansas City awarded more than $50 million in mass transit grants during the Great Recession. He only hopes the current discord wont jinx it.

Bad timing, it could mess us up, he said.
Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc., the defense contractor with deep Sacramento roots, has agreed to pay a $9 million fine to resolve accusations that it lied to the federal government about its cybersecurity capabilities.

The settlement, announced Friday by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Sacramento, stems from a whistleblower lawsuit initially filed by the companys former senior director of cybersecurity. The ex-employee, Brian Markus, will receive $2.6 million of the settlement as part of the federal False Claims Act.

Contractors that do business with the Defense Department and NASA must meet certain federal standards for cybersecurity to prevent leaks of sensitive government data stored on the companies computers. Markus, who joined Aerojet when it was still headquartered in Rancho Cordova in 2014, said in his lawsuit that the rocket-engine manufacturer provided him with about half the staffing and budget he was promised.

Aerojets computer systems failed to meet the minimum cybersecurity requirements, he said in his lawsuit.

Aerojet did report some shortcomings in its systems to the government in 2014 but gave misleading information about some of its capabilities, Markus said.

When asked if it had a certain piece of security equipment, they would say yes, even though the equipment was sitting in a box and not connected to their computer system, his lawsuit said. Defendants represented they had cybersecurity software/hardware installed to protect the systems when in reality the software/hardware in question only covered part of the environment leaving defendants vulnerable to a cyber attack.

The lawsuit went to trial in April in U.S. District Court in Sacramento. On the second day of trial, the two sides announced they had reached a settlement and the jury was sent home.

The settlement document says the defendants expressly deny any violation of the False Claims Act or wrongdoing of any kind, and decided to settle the case to save time and money.

At one time, Aerojet was Sacramentos leading non-government employer. In the 1950s and 1960s, roughly 20,000 employees built engines for the Apollo moon program and the Cold War effort. The companys Rancho Cordova complex was open 24 hours a day.

Aerojet has gradually shed much of its Sacramento identity in recent years. After buying Rocketdyne in 2013, it announced three years later it was moving its headquarters to Rocketdynes offices in El Segundo. Its manufacturing workforce in Rancho Cordova is long gone, and the companys workforce in the region was down to 300 employees in 2020.

Its legacy in the Sacramento area is mostly tied up in real estate. Much of its land was designated a Superfund site in 1983 by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and the company must continue to oversee the cleanup of toxic rocket-fuel chemicals that were dumped in the soil during years of engine testing. At the same time, other land holdings are being converted into residential developments.

Aerojet Rocketdyne agreed to a $4.4 billion takeover by Lockheed Martin Corp. two years ago. But earlier this year, after the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the deal, Lockheed scrapped the purchase.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, shown at a news conference after the mass shooting in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park on Monday, is emerging as one of the Democratic Party's leading voices of outrage in response to recent Supreme Court decisions on guns and abortion (Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

Hours after a gunman killed seven people at a July 4th parade in suburban Chicago, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tapped into the frustration of many fellow Democrats at the seeming inability of the U.S. to curb gun violence.

If youre angry today, Im here to tell you: Be angry. Im furious, Pritzker said.

But at the White House, President Biden was more focused on reassurance than anger.

I know it can be exhausting and unsettling, he said, adding, Were going to get through all of this.

In a summer marked by anger among Democrats over a string of mass shootings and the Supreme Courts decision to strip women of the constitutional right to an abortion, several governors, including Pritzker, are emerging as the partys leading voices of outrage. Their willingness to speak  and act  in aggressive terms stands in contrast to Biden, who is coming under growing criticism from some Democrats for lacking a sufficiently robust response to what some in his party see as existential threats.

Some Democrats warn that the lack of a strong response will be a problem if the party hopes to turn out enough voters to maintain their narrow grip on Congress in the fall midterm elections.

The people that youre telling to vote arent going to listen until we prove that we are handling this moment with urgency, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in an interview, referring to the party generally. We have a lot of tools at our disposal, I think we have a lot of assets at our disposal, and we have to use them.

Facing pressure to be more forceful, Biden took executive action on Friday to protect access to abortion, but noted the limits of what he could do without Congress acting and said, "For Gods sake, there is an election in November. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote!

But in this moment, governors may have unique tools that are more conducive to swift action than the president. Well positioned heading into the fall campaign and presiding over statehouses where Democrats are in control, Pritzker and Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York and Gavin Newsom of California have wide latitude.

In New York, for instance, Hochul was undeterred by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a state law and allowed most people to carry a handgun for personal protection. She called a special session of the legislature last week in which lawmakers passed new measures limiting where those licensed to have guns can carry them and toughening rules for obtaining the permits. The regulations include a novel requirement to screen applicants social media accounts for threats.

They may think they can change our lives with the stroke of a pen, but we have pens too, Hochul said defiantly of the Supreme Courts gun ruling.

In Illinois, Pritzker has said he would convene a special legislative session in coming weeks, with support of Democratic legislative leaders, to more firmly protect abortion rights and address some of the challenges the state faces as one of the few places in the Midwest where abortion remains legal.

Abortion rights will be on the California ballot in November after legislators, with Newsoms blessing, agreed last month to place a proposal before voters that would guarantee a right to an abortion in the state constitution. The constitutional amendment is certain to drive turnout on both sides of the debate.

Newsom has been especially vocal in rallying against the repeal of abortion rights even before the Supreme Court ruled. When a draft of the abortion opinion surfaced in May indicating that the conservative majority was poised to overturn Roe vs. Wade, Newsom delivered a withering critique of the national party, suggesting it was suffering from collective lethargy.

Where is the Democratic Party? he asked without naming anyone specifically but appearing to exclude Biden from criticism. Why arent we standing up more firmly? More resolutely? Why arent we calling this out?

With just a tenuous grip on Congress, however, Biden cant move legislation quickly. And even criticizing Republicans could be politically dangerous if he needs their support on key votes.

Forcefully calling out the other side isnt a luxury he has if he wants to get anything done the rest of the year on anything, said Democratic strategist Joe Trippi. If youre Gavin Newsom, whose votes are you going to lose in the state Senate or California Assembly?

The White House insists Biden isnt backing away from a fight. In a passionate prime-time speech last month, he lamented that gun violence had turned schools, supermarkets and other everyday places into killing fields and asked, How much more carnage are we willing to accept?

Shortly after the Supreme Court's abortion ruling, Biden called the decision the realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that you will hear more from him on issues including abortion as she underscored the administrations central message that winning the midterms is the best path forward.

Speaking at the White House on Friday about the abortion ruling, Biden showed anger and disgust, at times gritting his teeth as he discussed reports of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was forced to travel out of state to terminate a pregnancy after being raped.

Ten years old. Ten years old. Raped. Six weeks pregnant. Already traumatized, was forced to travel to another state. Imagine being that little girl. Just  I'm serious  just imagine being that little girl. Ten years old! he said.

Still, without more federal options, Biden is turning to governors. He convened a virtual roundtable last week with Pritzker, Hochul and seven other Democratic governors to discuss steps being taken in their states to protect abortion rights.

Biden reiterated that his administration will protect the rights of women to travel to other states for abortion services and ensure that abortion medication is available as widely as possible. But he acknowledged that he didnt have votes in the Senate for more sweeping actions and laid out the stakes for Novembers elections and the need to increase Democrats majorities.

In the meantime, I want to hear what the governors are doing, he said.

The aggressive action from some governors whose reelections are essentially secure is sparking speculation about potential future presidential campaigns.

Pritzker, a billionaire businessman seeking his second term, raised chatter about a possible presidential bid when he spoke last month at a convention of the state Democratic Party in New Hampshire, one of the early presidential nominating states. He has said he is focused on his job as governor and his reelection bid.

Newsom drew even more attention by running a television ad this week in Florida that was critical of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate. In the ad, which features images of DeSantis and former President Trump, Newsom warns viewers that freedom is under attack in your state.

I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight. Or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom  freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate and the freedom to love, Newsom said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Fresno Council of Governments Policy Board voted 11-4 late Thursday to put Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyers 11th-hour Measure C transportation spending plan on the November ballot, despite the protests of many community members asking for more time.

The plan must be approved by the Fresno County Transportation Authority and the Fresno County Board of Supervisors before it officially can be placed in front of voters.

Dyer said the approved plan would boost funds going to the rural cities and Clovis while averting significant transit cuts in the city of Fresno.

It has enough good things in it that Im hopeful we can get this passed on the 2022 ballot, Dyer said.

Scott Mozier, public works director for the city of Fresno, estimates that the county would take a $185 million cut in Measure C revenues over the plans 30-year horizon under the citys alternative  but Fresno would also lose some funding for road-widening projects outside of city limits.

The alternative plan from the city of Fresno was first revealed at the meeting without prior public input. According to Tony Boren, director of the Fresno Council of Governments (COG), the day-old, $7 billion spending plan was not even shared with the COG board prior to the meeting.

Multiple COG members said they were surprised by the 30-year spending plan that was slipped under their plexiglass tribunes. Michelle Roman, mayor of Kingsburg, and Mary Fast, mayor of Reedley, said they had not seen the plan by the city of Fresno until Thursday night.

I feel like weve been broadsided tonight, Fast said. I havent even seen a document. I dont think I can vote on something I havent seen in good conscience.

A week after being turned away, Fresno community turns out strong

When technical difficulties shut down COGs meeting one week ago, some community residents expressed concern about whether they would be able to make the rescheduled one.

However, a crowd of around 200 people showed up at the Fresno City Council chambers. For three hours, community residents stood in line to tell the COG policy board to delay the Measure C renewal, many citing concerns about a younger generation facing the impacts of climate change.

This would be comical if it wasnt affecting the lives of real people. We and all the young people here today are the future of Fresno, said Ashens Limon, a 17-year-old student. Listen to our voices.

Destiny Sandoval, an Edison High student, said she takes eight buses a day.

How could you not see a need to spend more money on the environment with all the kids that have asthma? she said.

Marianne Kast, with the League of Women Voters, expressed dismay with both the original COG plan and Dyers plans.

Kast said neither plan resolves the critical issues, including the need for the Fresno region to provide realistic alternatives to single-car travel and climate resiliency.

The audience applauds an argument against the initiative at the Fresno Council of Governments (COG) which met to hear public comments and then vote on an initiative to renew Measure C on the ballot this fall Thursday, July 7, 2022 in Fresno.

Whats in the plan?

The 11th-hour plan, which Dyer said his staff launched Wednesday morning, does not recommend changing the funding allocations from COGs original categories. It provides more flexibility for local governments to spend their resources on road maintenance, transit, sidewalks  even broadband.

The approved plan still prioritizes maintenance of local streets and roads, which would receive 51% of the $6.84 billion pie over the next 30 years.

Fresno City Councilmembers had voiced concern that the original COG spending plan would have forced the city to cut funding to their transit system, FAX, by nearly 39%. After the COG vote was delayed for a week on June 30, city leaders constructed the alternative plan to increase Measure Cs allocation to public transit and avoid cutbacks.

The county would get $185 million less in the citys plan, but Dyer said that annexing the largely residential sections of Calwa into the city of Fresno would help soften this deficit for the county.

Lourdes Medina, center, looks up at the projected screen as she and others listen at the Fresno Council of Governments (COG) which met at Fresno City Hall to hear public comments and then vote to put an initiative to renew Measure C on the ballot this fall Thursday, July 7, 2022 in Fresno.

By trading local control dollars for the city of Fresno with increased dollars for road repair for rural cities, Dyer said he believed his plan would win over COGs board of small-town mayors as well as the Fresno City Council, which had been highly critical of the original plan.

Buoyed by a promise of more support to fix roads, most reluctantly agreed, with the exception of the leaders from Reedley, Selma, San Joaquin, and Mendota, who voted against the plan.

Fresno city councilmember Miguel Arias, who in recent weeks has been increasingly vocal about opposing COGs plan and withdrawing Fresnos support completely, is putting his support behind the approved Fresno alternative plan.

By no means is it perfect or ideal, Arias said, but its much better than what was presented by COG staff, which would have set back city residents for decades, in our interest to develop alternative modes of transportation and improve air quality.

Some of the elected officials were not swayed by criticisms of a closed-door process and lack of transparency.

Alma Beltran, mayor of Parlier, said that the crowds dissent was too late. I wish that they would have worked more on being more engaged in the workshops, she said.

Pointing at the bright lights of Fresno City Hall, Clovis Mayor Jose Flores disagreed with public comments that the plan was drafted in dark, smoke-filled rooms over the last few days.

Im satisfied that there has been robust public engagement, Flores said. Were doing this in public. This is how policy is created!

Potential opponents of the renewal this November were resolute with the community turnout against Measure Cs 2022 renewal.

Tonight demonstrates that decision-makers today have no respect for community engagement and community voices, said Veronica Garibay, co-director of Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. I dont think that the public forgets easily.
In 1955, a white woman alleged that a Black teenager whistled at, grabbed and said obscene things to her in her grocery store in Mississippi. The result? A brutal kidnapping, beating and murder in the Jim Crow south.

The 14-year-old victim was Emmett Till, and his horrendous death drove much of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Last week, a team of researchers and Tills relatives found, in the basement of a Mississippi courthouse, a legitimate arrest warrant for the woman whose accusations led to his murder. The news has reignited interest in this gruesome event.

The woman, Carolyn Bryant, now Carolyn Bryant Donham, was last known to live in Raleigh. Civil rights activists are calling on the Wake County district attorney to arrest her.

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about Till, his unjustified death and recent history of the case.

Who was Emmett Till?

Emmett Till was born on July 25, 1941 in Chicago. He was an only child, and he lived with his mother, his grandparents and cousins on the South Side. He had polio when he was young and a resulting speech impediment, the New York Times reported. Loved ones called him Bobo.

Tills father Louis, whom Emmett never knew, was executed at 23 years old after being accused of sexually assaulting and killing women in Italy during World War II.

Tills mother Mamie, at 2 years old, moved with her family from Mississippi to the Chicago area in 1924 as part of the Great Migration.

Till was 14 years old when he died.

An undated portrait of Emmett Louis Till, a Black 14 year old Chicago boy, whose weighted down body was found in the Tallahatchie River near the Delta community of Money, Mississippi, August 31, 1955.

How did Emmett Till die and who killed him?

In August 1955, Till left his home in Chicago to visit relatives in the Mississippi Delta. On Aug. 24, after picking cotton with his relatives, he went to a store run by a young, white couple: Carolyn and Roy Bryant. Till went inside to buy bubble gum while Carolyn Bryant was working on her own, the Times reported.

Two teenagers said Till gave the money to the 21-year-old woman by putting it in her hand. White Mississippians expected Black people to put money on the counter to avoid physical touch, the Times reported.

In the 2017 book The Blood of Emmett Till, Carolyn Bryant said that she angrily went out to her car to get a gun from under the seat, when Till let out a wolf whistle.

The teenagers got nervous and quickly left the store.

Four days later, Carolyns husband Roy Bryant and his half brother J.W. Milam kidnapped Till at gunpoint from his Mississippi familys home. Two of Tills cousins witnessed the kidnapping, according to the Library of Congress.

Most believe that these two are responsible for the torture and murder, but multiple men and a woman were involved, the Mississippi Free Press reported.

At least two Black men kept Till from jumping off the back of the pickup truck he was held in, according to reports. Then, at least four white men beat Till and shot him in the head, murdering him. They tied a cotton gin fan to his body with barbed wire, and they threw his naked corpse into a bayou that led to the Tallahatchie River.

Journalist William Bradford Huie is said to have hidden the identities of additional murderers because he couldnt get releases from all of them for his interview for Look magazine.

As Dave Tell points out in his book, Remembering Emmett Till, Huie needed releases from the murderers to indemnify Look magazine from litigation. But he couldnt get four. He could only get two. So, he made his story fit his resources, the Free Press wrote.

He shrank the kidnapping and murder party to two and moved the murder scene as a consequence. So, instead of telling readers the truth  that Tills lynchers killed him in a barn on a plantation run by Leslie Milam, a member of the killing party whom Huie concealed  he claimed J.W. Milam and Bryant beat Till near J.W. Milams home and shot him to death on the Tallahatchie Rivers bank.

A young fisherman found his corpse in the water a few days later. Tills body was horrifically mutilated beyond identification, and it was only determined to be him by a silver ring on one of his fingers.

Why did Emmett Till have an open casket funeral?

Tills mothers decision to hold an open-casket funeral, showcasing her sons mutilated body, helped spur the American Civil Rights Movement.

Let the world see what has happened, because there is no way I could describe this, Mamie Till said.

Photos of his disfigured face first appeared in Jet magazine, as a photographer attended the funeral and got permission to capture the open casket scene.

Rosa Parks, who famously refused to give up her seat on a bus in Alabama, said the photograph inspired her action.

I thought of Emmett Till, and when the bus driver ordered me to move to the back, I just couldnt move, she said a few months after her historic decision began the Montgomery Bus Boycott in December 1955, a few months after Tills death.

What happened to Emmett Tills killers?

Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam were charged with murder by state officials, according to the Department of Justice. They were tried the following month, but an all-white jury acquitted them.

No one else was ever indicted or prosecuted for the involvement of the kidnapping or murder, per the FBI.

During the trial, the woman at the store testified under oath, but not in front of the jury, that Till had propositioned her and physically touched her hand, arm and waist while they were both inside the store, per the Justice Department.

Following their acquittals, both Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam confessed to kidnapping and murdering Till in an account published in Look magazine in January 1956.

Roy Bryant died of cancer in August 1994, PBS reported. Milam died of spine cancer in 1980, USA Today reported.

In this Sept. 23, 1955, file photo, J.W. Milam, left, his wife, second from left, Roy Bryant, far right, and his wife, Carolyn Bryant, sit together in a courtroom in Sumner, Miss. Bryant and his half-brother Milam were charged with murder but acquitted in the kidnapping and torture slaying of 14-year-old black teen Emmett Till in 1955 after he allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. A team searching the basement of a Mississippi courthouse for evidence about the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till has found the unserved warrant in June 2022 charging a white woman in his kidnapping in 1955, and relatives of the victim want authorities to finally arrest her nearly 70 years later.

Who is Carolyn Bryant Donham?

Little is known about Carolyn Bryant Donham, as she is known today, beyond the 1955 trial.

We know she divorced Roy Bryant in 1979, almost 15 years after the trial. She married twice after. She has two sons. She won beauty pageants in her youth.

She was interviewed by North Carolina author Timothy Tyson in 2008 and the account of that interview was published in his 2017 book, The Blood of Emmett Till.

Today, shes 87 years old. She was last known to live in Raleigh.

Her memoir, More than a Wolf Whistle: The Story of Carolyn Bryant Donham, is in the Southern Historical Collection at the UNC-Chapel Hill library archives and wont be available publicly until 2036 or her death.

Did Carolyn Bryant Donham recant her testimony?

This is unclear. The Department of Justice reopened the investigation into Tills murder in 2017. In December 2021, they closed the investigation, saying they found insufficient evidence. (This is the second time they opened the case and closed it without further action  the first time was in 2004.)

Heres the background: In 2017, new information emerged that Carolyn Bryant Donham may have told author and Duke professor Timothy Tyson that the account she gave the state court in 1955 was untrue.

The Justice Department, however, said she denied to the FBI that she ever recanted her testimony and gave no information beyond what was uncovered during the previous investigation. The FBI said they found no evidence of the retraction in Tysons recordings or transcripts. To read the full release by the Justice Department, visit justice.gov.

Still, the book claims that Donham recanted her 1955 testimony during a 2008 interview.

But about her testimony that Till had grabbed her around the waist and uttered obscenities, she now told me, That parts not true, Tyson published. If that part was not true, I asked, what did happen that evening decades earlier?

I want to tell you, she said. Honestly, I just dont remember. It was fifty years ago. You tell these stories for so long that they seem true, but that part is not true.

What did Carolyn Bryant Donham say in her original testimony?

In 1955, she testified that Till had grabbed her hand forcefully across the candy counter, letting go only when she snatched it away. He asked her for a date, she said, chased her down the counter, blocked her path, and clutched her narrow waist tightly with both hands, Tyson wrote in his 2017 best-selling book.

She told the court he said, You neednt be afraid of me. [Ive], well, with white women before. According to the transcript, the delicate young woman refused to utter the verb or even tell the court what letter of the alphabet it started with. She escaped Tills forceful grasp only with great difficulty, she said.

Her testimony continued, Tyson wrote, Then this other [n-word] came in from the store and got him by the arm. And he told him to come on and lets go. He had him by the arm and led him out. Then came an odd note in her tale, a note discordant with the claim of aborted assault: Till stopped in the doorway, turned around and said, Goodbye.

The judge dismissed the jury from the courtroom while Bryant spoke, claiming that her testimony was irrelevant to the actual murder, Vanity Fair reported. Court spectators heard her, and her testimony was put on record, as the defense wanted her words recorded for a possible appeal.

John Barnett, a civil rights activist, speaks at a press conference outside of the District Attorneys Office in Raleigh, N.C. on Friday July 1, 2022. Barnett called for the arrest of Carolyn Bryant Donham, whose unserved warrant from 1955 for the kidnapping of Emmett Till was recently found in a court basement.

What is the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act?

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, commonly shortened to the Emmett Till Act, was first passed in 2008. Its reauthorization was passed by Congress in 2016.

Before many Civil Rights laws were passed in the 1960s, hundreds of racially questionable crimes were committed in the United States, and very few of them were tried with legitimacy.

The Emmett Till Act allows the Justice Department and FBI to work with state and local law enforcement, as well as victims family members, to reopen long-closed cases in pursuit of truth and justice.

In 2006, the FBI began the Cold Case Initiative, which identified and investigated racially motivated murders committed decades ago. The initiative has the Justice Department and FBI work together to address violations of civil rights statutes ending in death that occurred before the year 1980.

What is the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation?

Members of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation were among the group that found the arrest warrant in that Mississippi courthouse basement on June 30.

This foundation, founded in 2005, is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the legacy and memory of Till, as well as his mother Mamies hope for justice.

The organization brings awareness to Tills history and offers programs, opportunities, curriculums, support and scholarship, the foundations website says.

To learn more about the foundation, visit emmetttilllegacyfoundation.com.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who oversees the state's elections, has been the subject of multiple threatening posts on social media. (Matthew Hinton / Associated Press)

After polls closed in New Mexicos primary last month, a worker returning ballots and other election materials to the clerks office in Santa Fe was followed by a partisan election observer driving so close that mere inches separated their bumpers.

The poll worker was so rattled by the ordeal that she said she may not return for the upcoming November election, according to Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark.

The incident is just one of many in which election officials and workers have felt threatened since the 2020 presidential election and the false claims that it was stolen from former President Trump. A federal effort to investigate these threats has so far yielded three prosecutions since it was launched a year ago.

In the meantime, the harassment and death threats havent stopped. They have contributed to an exodus of election officials across the country and made recruiting poll workers even harder  adding to the challenges of conducting smooth elections in the fall.

Im a Republican recorder living in a Republican county where the candidate that they wanted to win won by 2-to-1 in this county and still getting grief, and so is my staff, said Leslie Hoffman, the top election official in Yavapai County, Ariz.

Hoffman announced last week that she was resigning to take another job, saying her decision was motivated largely by the nastiness that we have dealt with. Hoffman said the county elections director left for the same reasons.

On Friday, an official with the U.S. Department of Justice was scheduled to update state election officials from across the country gathered in Louisiana for their summer conference on the work of the task force that was announced in June 2021.

Three men have been charged by federal prosecutors, with one of them pleading guilty last month. In that case, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold was the subject of multiple threatening posts on social media.

Griswold said the threats have not stopped. Just last week, a caller to her office's public phone line said: Hey, Ive got a message for the secretary and I want you to pass it along. The angel of death is coming for her in the name of Jesus Christ.

The fact of the matter is theyve only done three prosecutions when we know there are literally thousands and thousands of violent threats going to election workers and secretaries of state, Griswold said. People are using threats as part of the attack on democracy to try to intimidate election workers, to try to intimidate county clerks and secretaries of state, and they are succeeding in some places.

Kenneth Polite, assistant attorney general for the department's criminal division, said federal investigators were working through each report to determine which cases can be successfully prosecuted, noting challenges in attributing threats often made anonymously and weighing free speech protections. He said additional prosecutions are expected.

The department is committed to protecting our election community from violence and threats of violence," Polite said in a statement. These are ordinary people from across the political spectrum filling a vital democratic role for our nation, typically with little recognition or support."

In the first six months of the task force, members conducted over 20 trainings and outreach events on election threats with state, local, and federal law enforcement as well as election officials and social media companies.

A survey released earlier this year by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York Universitys School of Law found one in three election officials knew someone who had left a job in part because of threats and intimidation, and that one in six had experienced threats personally.

Federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the election was tainted. The former presidents allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed.

Experts said it is critical that those making threats are held accountable to deter others from thinking they can do the same.

The steps that the task force has taken, election officials are appreciative. But absolutely there is more to be done, said Liz Howard, a former state election official in Virginia now at the Brennan Center.

Among the recommendations that the Brennan Center has made is to expand the task force to include state and local law enforcement agencies that are typically the first contact for an election official.

A group of former and current election and law enforcement officials recently formed the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, which plans to provide guidance and training for preventing and responding to threats and violence against election officials.

Last month, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission  which distributes federal grants to election offices  said its funding could be used to protect election officials against threats. Legislation has also been pursued at the state and federal levels to increase penalties for those targeting election workers.

In Colorado, lawmakers passed a bill that makes it a misdemeanor to release the personal information of an election official for the purpose of threatening them or their family.

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, held a hearing last year highlighting the threats and urging federal protections for election workers. Klobuchar and other Senate Democrats have sent a letter asking the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to issue a joint public service announcement to local law enforcement agencies to ensure that they are aware of both the recent increase in these threats against election officials and federal resources for reporting and countering them.

In Santa Fe, Clark said anxiety remains high among her staff. Employees have been trained on active shooter situations, they have requested bulletproof glass be installed and GPS tracking be used during the transportation of ballot boxes.

While she is concerned about her safety, she says shes not ready to quit or change careers, noting her responsibility to voters who elected her.

My dad served in the military, my grandfather served in the military, Clark said. I dont feel its bad enough yet to feel that my public service is too much.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday to push for legislation that would classify Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The bipartisan duo introduced a resolution in May seeking to make Russia the fifth addition to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, joining North Korea, Iran, Syria and Cuba.

In late June, Zelensky called on the United Nations to designate Russia as a terrorist state.

Bicameral and bipartisan support is really important for Ukraine. We feel it, we feel this unity, Zelensky said, according to a report from the presidents office published on Thursday.

Both U.S. parties, he said, support Ukraine very fundamentally, as evidenced by the resolution, which Zelensky hopes will be brought to fruition.

Blumenthal mention the grisly images that emerged from Bucha following Russias withdrawal from the Kyiv region, saying, If that isnt terrorism, I dont know what is, in an interview with Reuters Thursday.

The proposal from Graham and Blumenthal calls on the secretary of State to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Theres no doubt in my mind, senator, that the Russians are terrorizing the Ukrainian people, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told senators in a hearing in April. The question is this  and again, this is something that the lawyers are looking at  to make sure that we actually meet the statutory requirements of that designation.

Zelensky also debriefed the senators Thursday about Russias latest attacks, with strikes hitting the Kharkiv and Donbas regions in eastern Ukraine on the same day of the senators visit.

The Ukrainian president said he hoped the meeting would help our partners have accurate information about our defense needs and stressed the importance of air defense to combat the ongoing attacks.

The trio reportedly discussed using U.S. weapons systems to reclaim Russian-occupied territory in eastern Ukraine, using long-range artillery and hand-to-hand combat.

Last week, the Department of Defense unveiled an $820 million weapons package for Ukraine, which includes advanced air defense systems. The U.S. has committed $6.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russias invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24.

The greater the defense aid to Ukraine is now, the sooner the war will end with our victory and the smaller will be the losses of all the countries of the world, the losses of the Untied States from Russian pressure on democratic societies, Zelensky said in his daily address to Ukrainians.

Both Graham and Blumenthal supported Zelenskys call for increased weaponry during their meeting, according to Reuters.

We have a chance here in the next 60 days  the decisions we make can turn the tide of this war in favor of Ukraine, Graham reportedly said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
TOKYO (AP)  Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, an arch-conservative and one of the country's most divisive figures, was shot and critically wounded during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan. He was airlifted to a hospital but officials said he was not breathing and his heart had stopped.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the shocking attack in a country thats one of the worlds safest and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Abe was in severe condition and he hoped Abe will survive. He called the attack dastardly and barbaric and added that the crime occurring during the election campaign, which is the foundation of democracy, was absolutely unforgivable.

Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from other campaign events around the country after the shooting. Im praying for former prime minister Abes survival from the bottom of my heart, Kishida said at the prime minister's office after he arrived on a defense helicopter from Yamagata.

He said Abe was receiving the utmost medical treatment. Abe, who is 67 and was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020, was in cardio and pulmonary arrest as he was being airlifted to the hospital, local fire department official Makoto Morimoto said.

NHK public broadcaster aired dramatic footage of Abe giving a speech outside of a main train station in Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when a gunshot is heard. Footage then shows Abe collapsed on the street, with several security guards running toward him. He is holding his chest, his shirt smeared with blood.

In the next moment, security guards leap on top of a man in gray shirt, who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device which appeared to be a handmade gun, can be seen on the ground.

Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of a suspect for alleged attempted murder and identified him as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41. NHK reported that the suspect served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years in the 2000s.

Other footage from the scene showed campaign officials surrounding Abe. The popular former leader is still influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and heads its largest faction, Seiwakai. Elections for Japan's upper house, the less powerful chamber of its parliament, are Sunday.

A barbaric act like this is absolutely unforgivable, no matter what the reasons are, and we condemn it strongly, Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper printed extra editions, which were quickly grabbed by people on the street to read about the shooting.

Nara, once the capital of Japan, is just to the east of Osaka on the countrys main Honshu island.

Abe cited a chronic health problem when he resigned as prime minister. Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment.

He told reporters at the time that it was gut wrenching to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to create what he saw as a more normal defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Loyalists said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe is a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Many foreign officials expressed shock over the shooting.

Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said while attending a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan, Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel wrote on Twitter.

Former President Donald Trump said it was absolutely devastating news" that Abe was shot and wounded. He said on his social media app that Abe was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family!

Abe said he was proud of working while leader for a stronger Japan-U.S. security alliance and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was under control when it was not.

Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of Abes scandal-laden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of revolving door politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his Abenomics formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.
Shinzo Abe, Japan's former prime minister, on the ground in Nara after being shot during a campaign speech Friday. (Kyodo News)

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech  an attack that stunned a nation with some of the world's strictest gun-control laws.

The 67-year-old Abe, who was Japans longest-serving leader when he resigned in 2020, collapsed bleeding and was airlifted to a nearby hospital in Nara, although he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead after receiving massive blood transfusions, officials said.

Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Abe suffered major damage to his heart, along with two neck wounds that damaged an artery. He never regained his vital signs, Fukushima said.

Prefectural police in Nara arrested the suspect at the scene of the attack and identified him as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japan's navy. Public broadcaster NHK reported that he said he wanted to kill Abe because he had complaints about him unrelated to politics.

Suspect Tetsuya Yamagami is wrestled to the ground by security personnel after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot Friday. (Katsuhiko Hirano / Yomiuri Shimbun)

Dramatic video from NHK showed Abe standing and giving a speech outside a train station in Nara ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. As he raised his fist to make a point, two gunshots rang out, and he collapsed holding his chest, his shirt smeared with blood as security guards ran toward him.

Guards leapt onto the suspect, who was face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun was seen on the ground.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which he called dastardly and barbaric." He pledged that the election, which chooses members for Japan's less-powerful upper house of parliament, would go on as planned.

I use the harshest words to condemn" the shooting, Kishida said, struggling to control his emotions. He said the government planned to review the security situation but added that Abe had the highest protection.

Even though he was out of office, Abe was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai.

Opposition leaders condemned the shooting as an attack on Japans democracy. In Tokyo, people stopped on the street to grab extra editions of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper or watch TV coverage of the shooting.

When he resigned as prime minister, Abe said he had a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he'd had since he was a teenager. He told reporters at the time that it was gut-wrenching to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal made him a divisive figure. His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to normalize Japan's defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Loyalists said his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe  who studied at USC for three semesters  was a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Many foreign officials expressed shock over the shooting  especially because of Japan's strict gun laws.

With a population of 125 million, the country had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, which resulted in one death and four injuries, according to police. Eight of those cases were gang-related. Tokyo had no gun incidents, injuries or deaths in the same year, although 61 guns were seized.

Then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe waves as he leaves his Tokyo office in September 2020. (Eugene Hoshiko / Associated Press)

"This is shocking," Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken told reporters in Bali, Indonesia, where he is attending a summit of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 leading nations. "Its profoundly disturbing in and of itself. Its also such a strong personal loss for so many people. For the United States, Prime Minister Abe was an extraordinary partner and someone who clearly was a great leader for Japan, the Japanese people, but also so admired as a global leader."

Abe said he was proud of working as premier for a stronger Japan-U.S. security alliance and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the nuclear-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo win the contest to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was under control when it was not.

Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of Abes scandal-ridden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of revolving door politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his Abenomics formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A memorial to the seven people killed and others injured in Monday's Fourth of July mass shooting grows at a veterans memorial Wednesday in Highland Park, Ill. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press)

Illinois red-flag law could have stopped the suspect in the Independence Day parade shooting from buying a gun or at least delayed the purchase of the weapon he is accused of using to kill seven people and wound dozens.

Police in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park were called twice to the home of Robert Crimo III in 2019  once after he tried to kill himself and again when he allegedly threatened to kill everyone in his family. On either occasion, they could have immediately exercised part of the law that allowed them to seek a restraining order to prevent Crimo from buying guns for 14 days to six months.

Obtaining such a delay could have bought critical time for police to seek more information to ask a judge for a longer order preventing a gun purchase.

But Highland Park police did not seek such an order, and they were not required to do so. And just four months after the reported threat that prompted officers to seize 16 knives, a sword and a dagger from Crimo's home, Illinois State Police approved him for a firearms permit. The agency explained the decision in part by saying that it didnt consider him a clear and present danger because he didnt consider himself such a danger.

When police went to the home and asked the individual if he felt like harming himself or others, he responded no, the state police said in a statement this week, adding importantly that Crimos father assured officers that the collection of knives seized from the home was his and would be stored safely.

That fateful decision in early 2020 to issue the then-19-year-old Crimo a firearms permit allowed him to legally purchase five guns, including the Smith & Wesson semiautomatic rifle authorities say he used from his rooftop perch to unleash more than 80 rounds on a Fourth of July parade below.

The episode highlights how, even in a state with some of the nations most restrictive gun laws, opportunities can be missed to keep weapons from dangerous and disturbed people. Although the authorities who crossed paths with Crimo contend their hands were tied by the law, several people familiar with Illinois statutes told the Associated Press there were more than enough ways to block him from getting guns.

Laws dont mean much unless theyre followed, said Sean Holihan, the state legislative director for Giffords, a gun safety advocacy group. This fell through the cracks. The law was written to make sure this wouldnt happen and it still did.

Added Nicholas Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety: Red-flag laws are designed for precisely this kind of situation. ... Its an important tool in the gun violence prevention toolbox. But you got to take the tool out and use it.

A tool Highland Park police did make use of, they said, was the clear and present danger report filed with the state after their two visits to his home in 2019. Such reports are intended to alert state police to people who, if allowed to buy a gun, may pose an imminent threat of substantial bodily harm to themselves or others.

Highland Park police did not respond to requests for comment.

Crimo's warning signs also included a voluminous and disturbing social media footprint that went back years and somehow escaped law enforcement scrutiny despite the fact that the aspiring rapper had thousands of followers on YouTube and songs on Spotify that collectively had millions of plays.

Stick-thin, dark-haired and heavily tattooed on his neck and face, Crimo went by the stage name Awake the Rapper and left signs in his videos of a fascination with violence, guns and suicide. One video titled Toy Soldier showed a cartoon figure brandishing a rifle on a city street, followed by drawings of a victims chest spurting blood and police cars closing in.

In online chat rooms that reveled in mass murder and gore, Crimo apparently also posted video of a beheading and grainy news footage of a politicians public suicide.

Like a sleepwalker  I know what I have to do, Crimo narrated in another rap video posted late last year. Everything has led up to this. Nothing can stop me, even myself.

We were not made aware of these videos, Christopher Covelli, deputy chief of the Lake County Sheriffs Office, told reporters.

For its part, Illinois State Police defended the issuance of a gun permit for Crimo, noting that Highland Park police had declined to arrest the teen after his alleged threat in September 2019 because they could not meet the legal hurdle of probable cause. To deny a gun permit, they said, requires an even higher legal standard  "preponderance of evidence  that he is a clear and present danger.

State police also noted in a statement that even though an unidentified family member reported the alleged threat and spoke of a fear of returning home, family members denied Crimo was dangerous and didnt want to press charges.

When police went to the house, both the individual and his mother disputed the threat of violence. The individual told police he did not feel like hurting himself or others and was offered mental health resources, the statement said.

Several months before, in April 2019, Crimo attempted to kill himself by machete, according to a police report obtained by AP that noted a history of attempts. Other police reports show officers had visited the Crimo home frequently over the years for domestic violence disputes and other incidents.

Several experts described Crimo as the epitome of a clear and present danger, defined under Illinois law as a person who communicates a serious threat of physical violence or demonstrates threatening physical or verbal behavior.

But others werent so sure, noting that police are limited in how much they can act when an accuser reporting violent threats doesnt want to press charges and family members are uncooperative.

Even if an order had been issued, it's not a given that a judge would have extended the order beyond six months.

Robert Berlin, state attorney for DuPage County, the most active issuer of red-flag orders in Illinois, said that the dozens of cases hes overseen almost always include family members assisting investigators.

And although Berlin declined to comment on Highland Park police actions, he said that he couldnt recall a red-flag order ever issued in his county against someone who was not already in possession of a gun and was aimed solely at blocking future purchases.

After receiving his permit in January 2020, Crimo passed four background checks when buying firearms that year and the next, the state police noted, adding that the only offense that surfaced in his criminal history was a 2016 ordinance violation for possession of tobacco.

Crimo, now 21, was arrested after disguising himself in women's clothing. He now faces seven counts of first-degree murder. While investigators say he confessed to targeting paradegoers, they have not determined a motive.

Katherine Schweit, a retired FBI agent who spearheaded the agencys active shooter program, said Crimos case underscores how difficult it can be to prevent such shootings, even with plenty of warning signs.

Its easy to see in the rearview mirror all of the pieces that tie together to an individual who clearly was on a trajectory toward violence, Schweit said.

"But nobody was able to put it all together. ... Police and schools and friends and neighbors handled one tiny piece of this at a time.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
On Friday, Lanita Raney will open her phone and listen to West Vibes, a song performed by her son.

It talks about living out your dreams because dying is the only thing thats promised, she said.

Her son Frank Raney was pursuing his dream of a career in music  he had released three rap albums and toured with T-Pain.

But five years ago, the 24-year-old was shot and killed near Bannister Road and McGee Street in south Kansas City.

Lanita Raney and other family members often play his music, but especially on April 19, his birthday, and July 8.

We listen to his music just to hear his voice, she said.

Around this time every year, she also reaches out to the Kansas City police detective who investigated her sons case. They spoke earlier this week.

Frank Raney and his mom Lanita Raney. Frank was killed on July 8, 2017. No one has been charged in his death.

Every year, its the same result, said Lanita Raney, who lives outside Dallas.

She said the detective has told her investigators collected a lot of evidence: the gun, bullet, fingerprints and trajectory information from inside the car where Frank Raney was shot.

She doesnt understand why that wasnt enough for charges to be filed.

The Kansas City Police Department presented the case to the prosecutors office, according to Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman for the department.

The Jackson County Prosecutors Office said there were two suspects.

The investigations never produced enough evidence for charges to be filed, said Michael Mansur, a spokesman for the prosecutors office.

Lanita Raney said she has never gotten answers from the prosecutors about why the case didnt go forward.

It was as if my son didnt exist. And it is just not fair.

Lanita Raney said the suspected shooters social media page indicates he lives in St. Louis. She wonders what it will take for the case to be looked at again. She has sent screenshots of his whereabouts to the detective.

Drake said the case is considered closed, a determination Lanita Raney said she was not made aware of. But a suspect could be brought in for questioning if there is fresh evidence or new witness testimony, Drake said.

Without any sense of justice, Lanita Raney is left with memories of her son, who was born and raised in Kansas City and has two younger siblings.

He had a very, very distinct laugh. It was almost a giggle, she said. He was 24, but he had a laugh that made you think you were laughing with a toddler. It was just so cute.

The family also has his songs, which were about having fun and being young and free.

He was so talented, Lanita Raney said.

I miss my son.

Anyone with information about the shooting can anonymously call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
Tetsuya Yamagami, center, holding a homemade weapon, is suspected in the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Nara Shimbun / Kyodo News via Associated Press)

Within hours of a 41-year-old suspect's arrest in the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with an improvised gun, police raided Tetsuya Yamagami's home Friday and found a small arsenal of homemade weapons  so-called zip or pipe guns.

Moments after an assassin fired the deadly shots as Abe delivered a campaign speech, a video showed an unwieldy, more-than-foot-long weapon with two metal barrels and a wooden board featuring some kind of firing mechanism. A puff of smoke emanated from the gun after a loud bang as the shooter discharged its barrels.

"We are conducting forensics, but clearly it looks homemade," the police chief of Nara, the city in western Japan where the assassination occurred, told reporters at a news conference.

The weapon is far cruder than guns considered homemade in the United States, including 3-D-printed firearms and lower receivers assembled in metal shops.

The metal barrels of the weapon believed to have been used in the attack on Abe were wrapped in black tape.

Similar crude weapons were found in a raid of Yamagami's home and, so far, there is no evidence the pieces were licensed under Japan's strict regulations.

Japan has some of the toughest gun restrictions in the world. In 2021, only one person was killed and four injured in the 10 shootings in the country. Most of the shootings were tied to Japan's infamous organized crime syndicates, according to the national police.

Guns are extremely difficult to obtain in Japan.

Improvised firearms aren't a new phenomenon and parts can be easily acquired and, with some machine-shop skills, constructed, said Steve Gordon, a retired Los Angeles police special weapons and tactics officer. Zip guns have popped up in prisons across the globe, and during World War II, resistance members in the Philippines created shotgun-like pipe guns.

"Almost anything can be made in a metal workshop," Gordon explained. "They are just metal and alloy parts."

With 3-D printing, online guides and manufacturers willing to sell already-made parts, the once-tough task of building a gun has become much easier.

"Based on all the smoke ... seems homemade or real bad ammo," Gordon said of the weapon after watching a video of the attack on Abe. Some firearms experts on Friday speculated that wiring on the suspected weapon meant it may have been intended to be fired electrically.

Such weapons are rarely seen in the United States because of the wide availability of ready-made firearms. Inmates in some U.S. prisons over the years have constructed crude zip guns as weapons. The Angola prison in Louisiana displays improvised firearms as a warning against the threat.

Firearms made with 3-D-printed parts and so-called ghost guns, which are assembled at home and can't be traced, have begun turning up in crimes nationwide.

The Los Angeles Police Department said in a report released last year that detectives had linked ghost guns to 24 killings, eight attempted homicides and dozens of assaults and armed robberies since January.

During the first half of 2021, the department confiscated 863 ghost guns, a nearly 300% increase over the 217 it seized during the same period in 2020, the report said.

But its not just in Los Angeles. In 2020, California accounted for 65% of all ghost guns seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to prosecutors.

Ghost guns typically are made of polymer parts created with 3-D-printing technology and can be assembled using kits at home. They often are relatively inexpensive. Because they are not made by licensed manufacturers, they lack serial numbers, making them impossible to track.

Felons who are banned from possessing firearms because of previous offenses increasingly are turning to ghost guns, LAPD homicide investigators say.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed a new state law enabling law enforcement to seize such weapons under restraining orders related to gun and domestic violence. Newsom previously signed a law requiring the sale of firearm precursor parts to be processed through a licensed vendor, but that law doesnt take effect until 2024.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
An LGBTQ display at a church in Kansas City, Mo. was defaced with a hateful message, just days after an openly gay candidate running for local office said that vandals had spray-painted a homophobic slur on one of his campaign banners.

The latest incident of vandalism was discovered Thursday morning, on the lawn of the Kansas City United Church of Christ.

Six bright-colored doors, with a message of inclusivity that read Gods Doors Are Open To All were vandalized overnight, according to a tweet shared by a person who lives in the area.

Hate is alive in KC, Beth B. wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of the defaced display, which showed the words pervs and repentance painted on them.

Mayor Quinton Lucas retweeted the image, calling the incident disgusting, and something that has no place in Kansas City.

This is disgusting and has no place in Kansas City. https://t.co/HUDiGwFcZs  Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) July 7, 2022

According to The Kansas City Star, a Pride flag was also ripped down from a pole on the church lawn.

Its shocking to me, resident Stephanie Switzer, who attends the church, told the newspaper. Our church is about being welcoming to everybody. This is just wrong.

Emily Stott, a secretary at the church, said that the incident was definitely scary, noting other incidents of hate that have been happening in the area.

On Sunday, Justice Horn, a longtime community activist whos running for the Jackson County legislature, shared a photo of a large campaign sign with the word f-g spray-painted over it.

Today I learned that my campaign banner was defaced with a homophobic slur here in Kansas City, Horn, a former college wrestler, wrote on social media. Ill admit, this one hurt because like so many us of who experience this, this word is used to harm us. Either way, Im not going to back down and Im going to hold my head high, he added.

In April, a sign that read All Are Welcome, which had been placed on the lawn of a United Methodist Church in Overland Park, Kan., about 15 miles south of Kansas City, Mo. was vandalized for the second time.

The LGBTQ display vandalized overnight also represented the second time this year when UCC Kansas City was targeted by anti-LGBTQ hate.

Last month, church members decided to display the doors in the colors of the LGBTQ Pride rainbow after vandals spray-painted a Pride flag that had been displayed on the church marquee for years, local television station KSHB-TV reported.
An Ohio man has been sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of murder in the death of his girlfriends ex-husband during a child custody battle, according to federal authorities.

Authorities say Sterling H. Roberts, 39, of Dayton, traveled to Riverside, where the victim was attending a counseling appointment with his three children.

As the dad was leaving with his kids on Aug. 15, 2017, authorities say Roberts shot him several times.

The man, whom McClatchy News is not identifying to protect the identity of his children, died at the scene.

Killing a father in front of his children is a cold and ruthless act that deserves a lengthy prison sentence, FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers said in a July 7 news release.

Donald Malarcik, a defense attorney who helped represent Roberts, told McClatchy News this was an incredibly difficult and tragic case.

Mr Roberts will appeal the jurys verdict and sentence of life in prison, he continued. Attorney Jim (Fleisher) and our team (spent) the first two years of this case fighting the death penalty. We were grateful and relieved when the DOJ agreed not to seek the death penalty in December 2019.

Authorities say the fatal shooting was the second time Roberts tried to kill the victim.

Earlier in August 2017, Roberts pretended to be a customer in need of stonework and messaged (the ex-husband) to lure him into meeting in Jamestown, Ohio, officials said. Roberts, armed with a gun, ambushed (him), who fled and called 911.

At the time of the 2017 shootings, Roberts then-girlfriend was in an ongoing dispute with her ex over the custody of their children, according to the news release.

In July 2021, she was sentenced to 35 years in prison for interstate stalking resulting in death. Officials previously said she also illegally bought Roberts an AK-47 rifle.

Her mom, stepfather and Roberts two brothers were also charged with crimes connected to cyberstalking and murder.

This heinous crime continues the American tragedy of children seeing loved ones shot down in front of them, Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said in a statement. Our justice system must work hardest to protect our societys children by ensuring their physical safety and mental well-being.

Man follows pregnant ex from The Cheesecake Factory, then kills her, PA officials say

Mom shoots ex-boyfriend after he brings girlfriend to custody exchange, Texas cops say

Sisters conspired to kill childs dad under guise of child custody exchange, feds say
A lunchtime meeting Thursday between former co-workers at a Ferndale building company resulted in the business owner being murdered by gunshot and a manhunt for the man suspected of killing him, court documents show.

Court records show that 49-year-old Todd Daniel Andersen was charged with first-degree murder Thursday, July 7, in Whatcom County Superior Court. Andersen is suspected of shooting and killing 58-year-old Douglas Scoggins of Ferndale.

As of Friday morning, July 8, Andersen was still at large, city of Ferndale spokesperson Riley Sweeney told The Bellingham Herald in an email. A city news release Thursday described Andersen as 5-foot-7, 220 pounds.

Andersen is believed to be driving a rented silver 2020 Dodge Charger with Oregon license plates 553MJM, according to the release. Nexis records show Andersen lives in Bellingham.

The suspect is considered armed and dangerous, the Ferndale release stated. Members of the public who have information about Mr. Andersens whereabouts are encouraged to contact the Ferndale Police Department by calling 911.

According to Whatcom County Superior Court documents filed Thursday:

 Ferndale Police were sent at 12:04 p.m. Thursday to Pioneer Post and Frame Inc. in the 6200 block of Portal Way for the report of an assault with a weapon. Officers arrived and found medics treating Scoggins on the second floor of the business for multiple gunshot wounds. Their efforts were unsuccessful and Scoggins was pronounced dead at the scene.

 Police spoke with a Pioneer Post and Frame employee, who reported that at approximately 11:15 a.m., a man, later identified as Andersen, entered through the back door of the business and asked if Scoggins was in the office to have lunch. The employee checked with Scoggins, who said he would be right there. Scoggins arrived and greeted Andersen, and the two men went upstairs to Scoggins office.

 The employee reported she could hear the two men talking upstairs, but could not hear what they were talking about. Suddenly she reported hearing seven gunshots from upstairs.

 The employee reported Andersen ran down the stairs, pointed a gun at her and yelled he (Scoggins) stole from me, he stole from my company. Andersen then turned the gun away and went looking for another employee, who had already left the building through a rear window.

 The reporting employee said she then went upstairs and found Scoggins and called 911.

 Another, long-term employee told police that he knew Andersen as an employee from many years ago and had talked to him that morning at Pioneer Post and Frame. That employee also told police that Andersen was driving a newer Dodge Charger or Challenger with Oregon plates. Police later learned the car was the Charger, which had been rented in Spokane on July 2 and is due back on July 9.

Investigators spoke by phone with Pioneer Post and Frames accountant who confirmed that Andersen had worked with the company from Jan. 1, 1998, through April 1, 2003, court documents state. He lived in Bellingham on East Sunset Drive at the time.

The accountant also told police that there had been a long-term Department of Labor and Industries claim involving Andersen, but she did not know the details about it, according to documents.

Investigators also learned that Andersen currently lives in Liberty Lake, though his landlord reported he had not paid rent in months and was in the process of being evicted, documents state. Police also learned that Andersen had worked at Metal Sales in Spokane, but quit his job on June 24, telling a human resources representative last week he was going on to greener pastures.

Nexis records list Scoggins as the owner of Pioneer Post Frame Inc. According to its website, the company specialized in commercial, agricultural and personal storage buildings and can help with design, engineering, permitting, building pad preparation and construction.

As previously reported by The Bellingham Herald, Scoggins oversaw the construction of Pioneer Flexspace Premium Storage Condominiums on Portal Way, about a half-mile north of the Pioneer Post Frame offices. The 7.5-acre site was expected to be completed in 2020 and have 108 storage units covering about 225,000 square feet and offer storage for RVs and boats as well as being used as places to turn ideas into businesses and establish a U.S. presence for existing Canadian companies, Scoggins told The Herald in 2019.
In the past two decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded two individual cases of monkeypox and one outbreak among dozens of people across six states who became ill after having contact with pet prairie dogs.

The two individual cases among U.S. residents, both in 2021, were associated with travel to Africa, according to the CDC, and the outbreak among more than 40 people occurred in 2003 after the pet prairie dogs were housed near small animals from Ghana  marking the first time that human monkeypox was reported spreading outside of Africa.

With the number of confirmed and probable monkeypox cases rising rapidly in Florida and elsewhere, public health officials say it is critical for everyone to look out for potential symptoms.

READ MORE: Absolutely be concerned. Monkeypox cases are surging in South Florida

The virus could infect anyone, though it does not spread as easily as COVID-19 and typically requires prolonged face-to-face or intimate contact, according to guidance from the CDC.

Heres what you need to know:

Monkeypox symptoms

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, chills, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes followed by a rash.

The distinctive features of monkeypox happen after the first symptoms, said Dr. Aileen Marty, professor of infectious diseases in the Department of Medicine at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. After an incubation period of five to 21 days, but usually six to 12 days, infected people get early symptoms like a bad headache, fever, back pain, muscle ache and swollen lymph nodes.

These early symptoms generally last one to three days and then comes the rash.

The rash is unusual because it classically starts on the face and the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, followed by rash elsewhere  but in the current outbreak, that has not been the usual spread. In this outbreak, lesions have manifested first in the groin, and the prodrome [early symptom] has not been as severe or notable, Marty said in a previous interview with the Herald.

Infectious period

People are infectious from a few hours before the first symptom manifests until the scabs are dry and gone.

According to the CDC, lesions progress through the following stages before falling off: macules (flat lesions), papules (well-defined skin bump), vesicles (blister, filled with clear fluid, usually), pustules (bulging fluid containing pus) and scabs.

The illness typically lasts for two to four weeks. The rash is typically painful, Marty adds, and the scabs contain infectious viral particles.

What to do if you have symptoms?

Even if you dont think youve been in contact with anyone who has monkeypox, if you are experiencing symptoms, the CDC recommends that you speak with your healthcare provider to determine whether you need to be tested.

These tests are now more widely available to physicians since Labcorp, a company that operates one of the largest clinical lab networks in the world, began testing for monkeypox using the CDCs orthopoxvirus test as of Wednesday.

The ability of commercial labs to test for monkeypox is a key pillar in our comprehensive strategy to combat this disease, said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a statement to the press Wednesday. This will not only increase testing capacity but will make it more convenient for providers and patients to access tests by using existing provider-to-lab relationships.
A Middleton police officer filed a complaint in April against Police Chief Alan Takeuchi and another officer, Middleton Mayor Steve Rule says, which prompted an investigation that led to Takeuchis departure.

A private party investigated after the complaint and found policy violations, leading the City Council and mayor to consider removing Takeuchi from office, according to a news release Thursday.

The police chief resigned ahead of a Middleton City Council meeting on Wednesday, at which members were scheduled to weigh Takeuchis future with the department. A Middleton police officer, Greg Langley, resigned in June.

In a statement posted Friday on Facebook, Takeuchi slammed the city.

As a law enforcement officer and chief, some of the most essential qualities are ethics and integrity, he wrote. If an officer does not have these, they have no business being in this profession. If these qualities are no longer a focus in the department, it is time to move on. For me, it is time to move on.

According to an emailed statement from the city, Rule said that when the complaint was filed, he hired a third-party investigator to conduct an inquiry. That was presented to the council in an executive session, and it revealed policy violations but no criminal misconduct, according to the release.

The handling of these policy violations pointed out a leadership failure within the police department, Rule wrote.

Rule said the chief was offered an opportunity to address the violations, but the council ultimately decided to consider his removal, which became unnecessary when he stepped down.

The mayor and City Council wish Alan Takeuchi and Greg Langley the very best going forward, Rule wrote in the release. The city desires the department to move forward in a positive direction and will not provide further detail or have further comment on these confidential personnel matters.

In a Facebook message, Takeuchi told the Idaho Statesman that he is not being investigated for any criminal activity or ethics violations.

There are many rumors going around questioning my character or making false allegations that lead into this one-sided internal investigation, Takeuchi said in his Facebook post.

Takeuchi had been on paid administrative leave prior to his resignation, Rule said in a memo on July 1. Sgt. Nathan Hilkey is the interim police chief, according to that memo.

Takeuchi was once a deputy in the Canyon County Sheriffs Office patrolling the city of Middleton. According to previous Idaho Statesman reporting, he was hired away by Middletons first chief, Brian Zimmerman, in February 2015.

Middleton police chief quits before council was to consider removing him. What we know

Embroiled in FBI investigation, Caldwell Police Department finds its new leader
A 3rd District judge on Wednesday sentenced a 21-year-old man to up to 48 years in prison for the killing of his roommate and other crimes.

Christopher J. Williams, who is from Philadelphia, shot and killed 22-year-old James Daniel Chantz during a dispute in their apartment in Nampa on Sept. 16, 2021, according to a news release from the Canyon County prosecutor.

Williams pleaded guilty in May as part of an agreement with prosecutors, according to online court records, and was sentenced on three felonies: voluntary manslaughter, grand theft (two counts) and destruction of evidence. He will have the possibility of parole after serving 18 years, 15 of which are tied to the manslaughter sentence.

Chantz asked Williams to move out of their apartment early, and when Williams refused, Chantz pulled a gun on him, according to police reports and the release. Williams wrestled the gun away and shot Chantz three times.

Williams fled in Chantzs pickup truck after the killing and was arrested in Utah after multiple individuals reported him as a potential drunken driver, the release said.

During his escape in the stolen truck, Williams used Chantzs debit card to make purchases at multiple stores in Idaho. Police said that when Williams was arrested, they found multiple guns in his car, including the weapon used to shoot Chantz.

In addition to the prison time, District Judge Gene A. Petty ordered Williams to pay $5,000 in restitution.

This was a senseless act of violence that claimed a young mans life way too soon, said Canyon County Deputy Prosecutor Bryan Taylor in the release. To make matters worse, the defendants actions and behaviors immediately following the shooting show a complete lack of remorse. There is no doubt that he belongs in prison.
On Thursday, President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, to 17 recipients including Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, and posthumously to Republican Sen. John McCain and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Sandra Lindsay, a New York critical care nurse, also received the honor.

Sandra, as Ive told you before, if there are any angels in heaven they are all nurses, male and female, the president said as he introduced Lindsay. Doctors make you live. Nurses, male and female, make you want to live.

As director of patient care services in critical care at Northwell Healths Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, N.Y., Lindsay served on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her hospital was located in one of the nations ZIP codes hit hardest by the virus during the first wave of the pandemic.

On Dec. 14, 2020, she also became the first American to receive the COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials. Since then, Lindsay has become a vocal advocate for easing vaccine hesitancy and has raised awareness of the need for mental health support for nurses and all health care workers in general.

In an interview with Yahoo News shortly after receiving her medal, Lindsay said she was honored and overwhelmed with emotions.

Im excited. I feel like this is a great day for health care workers, for nurses, as I share this honor with all of them here in the United States and all around the world, she said, speaking from the White House.

President Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sandra Lindsay during a ceremony at the White House on Thursday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Lindsay told Yahoo News that though our country has made significant progress in the battle against COVID-19, there are still many Americans who remain unvaccinated and vulnerable to the virus.

We still have some people left to get vaccinated, and Im hoping that they havent given up, that theyre still having those conversations that are needed for them to make that decision, she said. Unfortunately, we lost over a million people, but we saved so many more lives. Thanks to health care workers who stayed the course, stayed committed and, you know, are still committed to this day.

Finally, Lindsay, who immigrated to the United States at the age of 18, said receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom was a great honor for the immigrant community as well.

I came here from Jamaica with a dream of becoming a nurse, never in my wildest dreams I thought that I would be here, but it just goes to show that we, as immigrants, come here, we contribute to this great nation," she said. "We do amazing things, and this, this here I share with my immigrant community. And it just goes to show that anything is possible.
The police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2014 withdrew his application on Thursday to become a small-town police officer in Pennsylvania.

Timothy Loehmann was sworn in Tuesday as the sole police officer for the city of Tioga but withdrew his application on Thursday, according to the town boroughs website.

Loehmann, whose hiring drew protests and fierce criticism from the small town about four hours outside of Philadelphia, Pa., was a former Cleveland officer who faced national anger after he shot and killed Rice, who is Black.

Rice was playing with a pellet gun when Loehmann, then a rookie officer, responded to the report of a person waving a gun around. The caller specified the person may be a child and the gun may have been a fake, but Loehmann, who is white, fatally shot the boy shortly after arriving on scene.

Loehmann was cleared in the shooting by a grand jury, but was fired by the Cleveland Police Department in 2017 for allegedly omitting information about his employment history. In 2016, the city of Cleveland reached a $6 million settlement with Rices family, who had filed a wrongful death suit. Loehman has never been formally cahrged.

Both Democrats and Rices family called on the Biden administration last year to reopen a probe into the shooting in following the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of a white officer in Minneapolis, which reignited a worldwide racial justice movement.

After Loehmann was sworn in to Tioga Boroughs police department on Tuesday, dozens demonstrated outside the town hall offices, according to local news outlet WENY News. Mayor David Wilcox, who appeared at the protest, told the publication he had been unaware of Loehmanns background until after the swearing-in ceremony.

Subodh Chandra, an attorney who represented Rices family, said in a statement on Wednesday that Tioga officials apparently dont care that Loehmann slew a child.

Hes damaged goods and no community should ever want him responsible for enforcing their laws, Chandra wrote on his website. Officials who do are betraying the trust of their citizens.

Loehmann was also hired to police the small town of Bellaire, Ohio, in 2018 but withdrew his application after similar objections.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Officials identified the body of a missing boater who was recovered from Lake Norman Thursday night.

Fire departments from Huntersville, Cornelius and Denver said the search was near Blythe Landing Park, officials tweeted about 4 p.m. Police and paramedics were also at the scene.

Emergency crews recovered the body of a missing person on Lake Norman at Blythe Landing on Thursday, July 7, 2022.

Crews searched the area of Ramsey Creek in Huntersville until about 7:30 p.m. when the recovery was made.

Diego Andres Osorio Garcia, 25, of Colombia was on a boat when he went overboard, officials with N.C. Wildlife said.

Garcia went under and didnt resurface, officials said. He wasnt wearing a life jacket.

The investigation is ongoing.

WSOC is a news partner of The Charlotte Observer.
Phillip A. Talbert was sworn in Thursday as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, a post he held on an interim basis twice before being nominated in April by President Joe Biden.

Talbert, who was sworn in by Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller, was confirmed to the post by the U.S. Senate last month and will oversee an office that has more than 90 lawyers with jurisdiction stretching from the Oregon state line to Kern County.

Talbert has worked in the U.S. Attorneys office in Sacramento since 2002, when he began prosecuting drug trafficking cases, and has won praise from area prosecutors for his work.

He stepped in as interim U.S. Attorney in February 2021 after McGregor Scott, who had been appointed by former President Donald Trump, left the post following Bidens victory. Scott had endorsed Talbert to replace him.

Talbert also had previously served in an interim basis in 2016 and 2017.
A famous South African trophy hunter was found dead from a gunshot wound next to his truck last month.

Riaan Naude, 55, was shot dead June 8 in Kruger National Park in northeast South Africa, Sowetan Live reported.

Riaan Naude is dead at 55.



Riaan Naude is dead at 55. (Facebook/)

A nearby cattle rancher heard the shot, found Naudes body and called the cops, according to the outlet. Naude was bleeding from his head and face.

Naude operated a popular trophy hunting business, Pro-Hunt Africa. Trophy hunting is legal in South Africa and particularly popular among Americans. His Instagram account showed him posing with dead giraffes, zebras and elephants, among other animals.

Cops said Naude appeared to be on the way to a hunting exhibition, carrying two hunting firearms, clothes, water, whiskey, sleeping clothes and many live rounds, Sowetan Live reported.

No arrests have been made, and cops have not named any potential suspects. The rancher said he heard a car speed off after the gunshot.
The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday sent shock waves around the globe and especially in Japan  a country with some of the worlds strictest gun ownership laws and where gun deaths are extremely rare.

Just how rare? Despite having a population of 125 million, Japan rarely sees more than 10 gun deaths a year.

In 2018, for instance, there were nine gun deaths reported in Japan, according to data compiled by the University of Sydney School of Public Health. There were nearly 40,000 in the United States that year.

In 2021, Japan had 10 gun-related criminal cases and just one death, per the Associated Press, compared to about 45,000 in the United States.

The recent spate of deadly U.S. mass shootings has renewed the national debate over gun control. Such discussions dont happen in Japan.

It really is unheard of, Shihoko Goto, director for geoeconomics at the Wilson Center, said on CNN. This whole debate about gun violence  it simply does not exist in Japan.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after he was shot in Nara, Japan, on Friday. (Kyodo via Reuters)

That may change in the wake of Abes slaying.

This serves as a wake-up call that gun violence can happen in Japan, Shiro Kawamoto, a professor at the College of Risk Management at Nihon University in Tokyo, told the AP. To assume this kind of attack will never happen would be a big mistake.

Abe, 67, was shot on a street in Nara, Japan, by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police at the scene arrested the suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old unemployed former member of Japans navy.

Photographers captured what appeared to be a handmade gun, and police say they confiscated similar weapons during a raid of the suspects apartment.

Security officers arrest the suspect in the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara, Japan, on Friday; inset shows a close-up image of the apparent weapon used in the killing. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)

Under current Japanese law, the only guns permitted for sale are shotguns and air guns. In order to obtain a license to buy one, would-be gun owners must attend an all-day class; pass a written test and a shooting-range test with at least 95% accuracy; and undergo a mental health evaluation and drug tests (which take place at a hospital) as well as a rigorous background check that according to CNN includes a review of their criminal record, personal debt, involvement in organized crime and relationships with family and friends.

Licenses must be renewed every three years through the same process.

And after obtaining a gun, the owner must register the weapon with police, provide details of where and how it is stored and allow it to be inspected by police once a year.

As a result, gun ownership in Japan is rare too.

A person prays next to flowers laid at the site where Abe was fatally shot. (Issei Kato/Reuters)

According to a 2017 survey by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, the country had roughly 0.25 guns per 100 people. In the United States, there were about 120 guns per 100 people.

Gun ownership in Japan is relatively new, as well. In 1958, after World War II, the country passed a law stating no person shall possess a firearm or firearms or a sword or swords.

They [were] the first nation to impose gun laws in the whole world, Iain Overton, the executive director of Action on Armed Violence, a British advocacy group, told the BBC in 2017. I think it laid down a bedrock saying that guns really dont play a part in civilian society.
Shinzo Abe, who died from an assassin's bullet Friday, leaves a complex legacy as Japan's longest-serving prime minister. (Shizuo Kambayashi / Associated Press)

Shinzo Abe was a political blueblood groomed for power. Japan's longest-serving prime minister, he was also perhaps the most polarizing, complex politician in recent Japanese history.

Abe, who was assassinated Friday, angered both liberals at home and World War II victims in Asia with his hawkish push to revamp the military and his revisionist view that Japan was given an unfair verdict by history for its brutal past.

At the same time, he revitalized Japans economy, led efforts for the nation to take a stronger role in Asia and served as a rare beacon of political stability before stepping down two years ago for health reasons.

Hes the most towering political figure in Japan over the past couple of decades, said Dave Leheny, a political scientist at Waseda University. He wanted Japan to be respected on the global stage in the way that he felt was deserved. ... He also wanted Japan to not have to keep apologizing for World War II.

Abe, who died after being shot during a campaign speech, was 67.

Police arrested the suspect at the scene of the attack, which shocked many in Japan, one of the worlds safest nations with some of the strictest gun-control laws. Near the suspect was a double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun.

Abe believed that Japan's postwar track record of economic success, peace and global cooperation was something that "other countries should pay more attention to and that Japanese should be proud of, Leheny said.

Abe was a darling of conservatives but reviled by many liberals in Japan. And no policy was more divisive than his cherished, ultimately unsuccessful dream to revise Japans war-renouncing constitution. His ultra-nationalism also angered the Koreas and China, both wartime victims of Japan.

That push for constitutional revision stemmed from his personal history. Abe's grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, despised the U.S.-drafted constitution, adopted during the American postwar occupation. For Abe, too, the 1947 charter was symbolic of what he saw as the unfair legacy of Japans war defeat and an imposition of the victors world order and Western values.

That constitution renounces the use of force in international conflicts, and limits Japan's military to self-defense, although the country has a well-equipped modern army, navy and air force that work closely with the United States, Japans top ally.

Poor public support for the changes doomed Abe's push, but the goal still enjoys backing from his ultra-conservative supporters.

Abe bristled at postwar treaties and the tribunal that judged Japanese war criminals. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

He also was a driving force for Japanese conservatives efforts to whitewash wartime atrocities and push for an end of apologies over atrocities.

Supporters point to his efforts to raise Japan's profile on the international stage, and his proposal for a new order of like-minded democracies as a counter to Chinas rise, something Washington and others soon endorsed.

Abe was also a big influence on current Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas policies, pushing for the bolstering of military capability, including a preemptive-strike capability.

Abe stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said the ulcerative colitis hed had since he was a teenager resurfaced.

He told reporters at the time that it was gut-wrenching to leave many of his goals unachieved. In addition to the failure on constitutional revision, he was also unable to settle several other unfinished legacies of the war, including normalizing ties with North Korea, settling island disputes with neighbors and signing a peace treaty with Russia formally ending their hostilities in World War II.

Abe was praised in Washington for his push for a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship, which he saw as a means of bolstering Japans defense capability. Japan hosts 50,000 U.S. troops as a bulwark in the region amid tensions with China and North Korea.

Then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shakes hands with then-President Trump at a trade agreement signing ceremony in New York in 2019. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

Abe charmed conservatives with his security policies because of fears of terrorism, North Koreas missile and nuclear ambitions and Chinas military assertiveness.

But there has always been general public support for the pacifist constitution and divided views on amendments within Abe's governing party. Many lawmakers preferred to focus on economic growth.

Abe said he was proud of working for a stronger Japan-U.S. security alliance and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the nuclear-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was under control when it was not.

Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of that scandal-ridden term was the beginning of six years of annual Japanese leadership change, remembered as an era of revolving door politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his Abenomics formula, which combined fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.

Abe left office as Japans longest-serving prime minister by consecutive days in office, eclipsing the record of Eisaku Sato, his great-uncle, who served 2,798 days from 1964-72.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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Patients pay for nursing homes staffing shortages

A nationwide struggle to hire and retain caregivers is causing North Carolina nursing homes to reach a crisis point  a trend that endangers thousands of residents, our investigation has found. An influx of for-profit nursing homes and fewer regulations during the pandemic are compounding the crisis. So what should families do to protect their loved ones?

The budget recently passed by North Carolina lawmakers leaves Bill Lamb feeling both relieved and concerned.

It buys more time, said Lamb, a board member of Friends of Residents in Long Term Care, a group that advocates for nursing home residents. But its not a long-term fix.

The budget will extend Medicaid rate increases that had been set to expire on June 30. Legislators hope that will prevent nursing homes from suffering a financial crisis that would have made acute staff shortages even worse. But the spending plan does not spell out what will happen to nursing homes in December, when the additional funding is expected to be depleted.

Some lawmakers say they know nursing homes will need more funding when they convene for the long session next year.

I think its reasonable to say that the health care market has forever changed, said state Sen. Jim Perry, a Republican who co-chairs the committees on health care and health and human services appropriations. I think were going to have to be prepared to increase our spending.

Left Alone, a recent Charlotte Observer investigation, documented how a shortage of caregivers has put thousands of nursing home residents at risk of neglect.

While nursing homes nationwide are struggling to hire and hold on to caregivers, few states have problems as severe as North Carolina, the Observer found. Only about one of every five North Carolina nursing homes meet the staffing threshold recommended by a landmark federal study.

A resident of a nursing home in Salisbury makes her way down a hallway.

Low pay and difficult work conditions have made it tough for nursing homes to attract and retain caregivers. Many certified nursing assistants in N.C. nursing homes got pay raises during the pandemic, but most still earn less than $16 an hour  a lower minimum wage than Costco now offers.

Nursing homes contend the states low Medicaid reimbursement rate  among the lowest in the South  prevents them from paying caregivers more.

Adam Sholar, president of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association, the group that represents most of the states 425 nursing homes, said hes grateful for the temporary help offered by lawmakers, but sees a need for a solution to the serious economic challenges facing our industry.

The state has an obligation to cover the cost of caring for Medicaid residents, and it is failing to meet that standard, Sholar said in a statement. North Carolina must make a long-term commitment to invest in skilled nursing care so we can grow our workforce and provide appropriate levels of care for the growing number of people who need our help.

The legislatures proposed 2022-23 budget, which passed with bipartisan support on July 1, would spend about $70 million to extend temporary Medicaid rate hikes for nursing homes. The state initially gave nursing homes those increases in 2020 to help them survive the pandemic.

Gov. Roy Cooper signed the budget into law on Monday.

Additional funding for nursing homes is critical as staffing shortages and other challenges have been exacerbated over the course of the pandemic, said Mary Scott Winstead, a spokesperson for the governor. While this budget takes steps in the right direction, more work is needed.

Dave Richard, deputy secretary for Medicaid at the state Department of Health and Human Services, said the money approved by the legislature would keep the funding increases in place into December. That would keep Medicaid funding about 40% higher than it was before the pandemic.

In the meantime, Richard said, DHHS officials will talk with industry leaders and advocates about how to improve nursing home care over the long term.

We didnt get here overnight, he said. We wont get out of it overnight.  Its something that well have to continue to work on for the next decade.

No money for new inspectors

The legislatures budget is also notable for what it doesnt include.

Gov. Coopers proposed budget would have added 18 nursing home inspectors to increase oversight. But the budget approved by lawmakers provides no money for additional inspectors.

Virtually every nursing home resident lost key protections during the pandemic, the Observers investigation found. Routine inspections of nursing homes dropped precipitously. And state legislators passed a law shielding nursing homes from most legal claims related to COVID-19.

On Monday, Cooper announced he will lift the state of emergency next month  a move that will remove that legal shield.

The legislatures budget doesnt specify how much money nursing homes must spend on staff or on direct patient care. That troubles advocates, who worry about the many things that can go wrong when staffing is short.

Without sufficient staff, residents can become dangerously dehydrated, miss crucial heart medications and develop life-threatening infections. They can push their call bells, but wait hours before getting help. Such problems have cost some residents their lives, family members told the Observer.

Nursing home leaders have struggled to address the staffing problems. Most homes in North Carolina have increased wages, paid bonuses, used staffing agencies and asked employees to work overtime and extra shifts.

And 84% of providers say they are limiting admissions due to staffing shortages, according to a recent survey. That has created additional problems. When nursing home beds are in short supply, some medically frail people remain stuck in hospitals for long periods, while others must live with family members who arent equipped to care for them.

The challenges ahead

In the coming months, Richard said, DHHS officials plan to examine what other states are doing to improve nursing homes, with an eye toward answering a fundamental question: How do we use the rate structure to drive quality?

In New York, for instance, a law passed last year requires nursing homes to spend at least 70% of their revenue on direct resident care.

Sen. Perry said its time for the state to think outside the box about how to attract more workers to the profession. He pointed to one possible approach: Providing tuition-free training to those who want to become CNAs or registered nurses.

Lawmakers are calling on the states universities to help search for solutions. By February 2023, the budget stipulates, the University of North Carolina and the State Board of Community Colleges must recommend ways to increase the number of nursing graduates by at least 50%.

Rep. Larry Potts, a Davidson County Republican who co-chairs the House health committee, said government officials must devise a long-term plan to put nursing homes on a solid footing. He likens the states nursing homes to hospital patients.

This is the emergency room, he said, speaking of the temporary funding increases approved by lawmakers. Weve stabilized them. Now theyll have to go on to a hospital room.
 Flash

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Thursday responded to recent U.S. statements on the need for "guardrails" on China-U.S. relations, pointing out that the "guardrails" of China-U.S. relations are the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

According to media report, a U.S. State Department official said that a critical objective of the upcoming meeting between Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to reinforce the guardrails in bilateral relations and add stability to the relationship.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing that China-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. As the world's top two economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, the two countries must make the relationship work and not mess it up, Zhao said.

The two sides need to uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation and bring the bilateral relations back to the track of sound and steady development. The United States needs to abide by the provisions in the joint communiques and the commitments it has made to China, Zhao added.
Ukraine pleads for more weapons, chief negotiator sees turning point in war A view shows a heavily damaged residential building in Mariupol

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's Western allies on Friday urged Russia to allow Kyiv to ship grain out to the world as the four-month-old war threatened to bring hunger to countries far away from the battlefields.

Moscow for its part accused the West of waging economic warfare on Russia by attempting to isolate it with sanctions imposed over the Feb. 24 invasion.

And in a further indication that the Kremlin was in no mood for compromise, Russia's ambassador to London told Reuters that its troops would defeat Ukrainian forces in the whole of the eastern Donbas region and were unlikely to withdraw from a swathe of land across the southern coast.

Sooner or later, Ambassador Andrei Kelin said, Ukraine would have to decide whether to strike a peace deal with Russia or "continue slipping down this hill" to ruin.

On the frontlines in the Donbas, officials reported continued Russian shelling of towns and villages ahead of an anticipated new push to grasp more territory.

"NOT YOUR COUNTRY"

At a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Bali, Indonesia, some of the staunchest critics of the Russian invasion confronted the Kremlin's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov.

High on their concerns was getting grain shipments from Ukraine out through ports blockaded by Russia's presence in the Black Sea and naval mines. Ukraine is a top exporter and aid agencies have warned that countries in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere face devastating food shortages if supplies do not reach them.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Moscow to let Ukrainian grain out to the world, a Western official said.

"He addressed Russia directly, saying: 'To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,'" the official said.

Earlier, Lavrov had berated the West, saying that instead of focusing on how to tackle global economic problems at the meeting, ministers had embarked on "frenzied criticism" of Russia over the Ukraine conflict.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in a virtual address to the meeting, said the international community should not allow Russia to blackmail the world with high energy prices, hunger and security threats.

The meeting's host, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, said the repercussions of the war, including rising energy and food prices, would hit poor countries the hardest.

Reintegration of Ukraine and Russia's grain and fertilizer into supply chains was critical, she said.

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not at the battlefield," Retno said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a remote address to Slovenia's parliament, said food shortages would lead to increased migration to Europe in what he saw as part of a Russian plan to destabilise the continent.

"Russia is blocking our ports, preventing the transportation of grain. Famine will cause large migration flows in the future. Because of this, we are working to save the countries of Africa, and the Middle East and try to feed these people," he said.

"DYING IN HOUSES"

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that the prospects of finding a solution to the conflict were dim right now, saying Russia's campaign in Ukraine had barely got started.

The biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two has killed thousands, displaced millions and flattened Ukrainian cities.

Russia calls it a "special military operation" intended to degrade Ukraine's military and root out people it sees as dangerous nationalists. Ukraine and its Western allies say Russia is engaged in an unjustified land grab.

After failing to quickly take the capital Kyiv, Russia is now waging a war of attrition in the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland made up of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces.

Ambassador Kelin's remarks, in an interview with Reuters in his London residence, gave an insight into the potential Russian endgame in Ukraine - essentially a forced partition that would leave Russia's former Soviet neighbour shorn of more than one fifth of its post-Soviet territory.

"We are going to liberate all of the Donbas," Kelin said.

"Of course it is difficult to predict the withdrawal of our forces from the southern part of Ukraine because we have already experience that after withdrawal, provocations start and all the people are being shot and all that."

Since the invasion, Russian forces have seized control of a big chunk of territory across Ukraine's southern flank above Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Kelin said the West did not understand the true causes of the conflict and had ignored Russia's concerns.

"Is escalation possible? Of course," he said.

Luhansk's governor said Russian forces were indiscriminately shelling villages, towns and cities on Friday.

"They are not stopped even by the fact that civilians remain there, dying in houses and yards. They hit houses, every building that seems to them a possible fortification," Governor Serhiy Gaidai he said.

The situation was similar in settlements in Donetsk. Moscow declared on Sunday it had "liberated" Luhansk and now plans to capture parts of Donetsk it does not already control.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield accounts.

In a post on Telegram messaging app, Zelenskiy said he visited troops along the Dnipropetrovsk frontline in central Ukraine.

"Spoke with our defenders, presented them with awards. Their mood is determined, in their eyes - confidence in our victory. Thank you for fighting for the freedom of Ukraine!" he said.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
For the third time, Broward Countys Spirit Airlines has delayed a final decision on whether to go ahead with a planned merger with rival discount carrier Frontier Airlines, as company directors keep negotiating with Frontier and hostile bidder JetBlue Airways.

On Thursday night, less than 24 hours before Spirits shareholders were supposed to vote Friday on the proposed combination with Frontier, Spirit said it postponed the special meeting of shareholders to vote on the deal until July 15.

Miramar-based Spirit, which employs 3,400 workers in South Florida, agreed in February to merge with Denver-based Frontier in cash-and-stock transaction now valued at roughly $2.4 billion.

JetBlue launched a hostile cash takeover bid in April, and since then boosted it to $3.64 billion or $33.50 for each share of Spirits stock, a significant premium over Frontiers offer.

Spirit said in a prepared statement Thursday it was again delaying the shareholders tally so the airlines board of directors can continue discussions with Frontier and New York-based JetBlue Airways. The vote originally was set for June 10, before Spirit had delayed it until June 30, then to July 8 and now to next Friday.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said he was encouraged by recent talks with Spirit officials and are hopeful they now recognize that Spirit shareholders have indicated their clear, overwhelming preference for an agreement with JetBlue.

On Thursday, Frontier declined to comment.

Spirit, which has been urging its shareholders to support the merger with Frontier, commands the top spot for its share of the airline passenger market at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. At Miami International Airport, Spirit is the distant No. 2 carrier behind American Airlines.

Combining the two discount airlines would create the fifth-largest U.S. airline, trailing the big legacy carriers American Airlines, Southwest, Delta and United.

Spirit CEO Ted Christie, the companys board of directors, as well as airline industry analysts, have said federal regulators likely would not ever give final clearance for JetBlue to acquire Spirit, due to anti-competitive concerns and fears that such a deal would lead to higher customer airfares.

Realizing those concerns, JetBlue is offering Spirit a $400 million breakup fee should Spirit accept its bid and regulators not approve it.

Earlier this month, Christie told the New York Times in his view itll be a merger with Frontier or continue flying solo.

If our shareholders dont approve the Frontier deal, were back to a standalone, Christie said. We have made clear the issues that we have with the JetBlue transaction.
The middle of the Keystone State doesnt lack much in the way of natural beauty, charming towns, and fascinating people. This region is home to the darkest skies east of the Mississippi; tons of hiking trails and scenic views; and Penn State University, one of the largest and most influential employers in the commonwealth.

But what it does lack is sufficient independent investigative and public-service journalism, which is why Spotlight PA  together with the Centre Daily Times and other local partners  has been working for more than a year on a historic effort to bolster local news here.

Today, Im proud to announce the launch of our first regional news bureau  based in State College and reporting on northern and central Pennsylvania. And were already out of the gate with a vital, in-depth story about drinking water contamination in Benner Township.

When we set out to build the bureau, we knew our communities needed more reporters on the ground. After all, independent, nonpartisan journalism is essential to the health of our region and our democracy. So we brought together a team with a mix of local experience and outside perspective, varying skill sets, and, most importantly, a commitment to high-quality public-service journalism.

Our team of four journalists will have the time, resources, and mandate to dig deep into the issues of the region  and we can do that because of reader support. Help us take the first step toward a new future for journalism in Pennsylvania and make this first regional bureau a success by becoming a founding donor now at spotlightpa.org/statecollege/donate.

As a special bonus, all founding donor gifts will be doubled up to $200,000 thanks to a generous matching gift from the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

When you support our journalism, youre directly empowering our team of journalists on the ground fighting every day for information and accountability.

Rural affairs reporter Ashad Hajela joins the bureau thanks to Spotlight PAs first-ever partnership with Report for America (RFA). Ashad covers everyday issues that affect the communities of rural north-central Pennsylvania  including agriculture, climate change, housing, health care, utilities, criminal justice, and education.

Wyatt Massey, an investigative reporter focused on Penn State, previously worked in the Bible Belt as the religion reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press through RFA. Wyatt plans to focus on Penn States influence on the region and how the university operates internally.

Local accountability reporter Min Xian has covered state and local government, changing communities, and rural issues in central and northern Pennsylvania for the past five years as a reporter with WPSU. For the bureau, Min is focused on issues like how our tax dollars are spent and how our towns are run.

And Im Sarah Rafacz, bureau editor and a native of Centre County. Ive worked in local news in State College for the past seven years, most recently as the editor of State College Magazine. (And I started my career on the copy desk at the Centre Daily Times.)

We recognize the important responsibility we have as journalists to shine a light on the issues our region faces and to cover those issues with care and determination through a lens of equity.

Whether you live on a farm or in a village, in a college town or a city, you are entitled to reliable information about your community. Everyone should see their lives, triumphs, and challenges reflected in the news. And everyone deserves to be served by a trustworthy watchdog unafraid to expose wrongdoing by people and institutions with influence.

All of our work is available at no cost to our media partners across the state  led by the Centre Daily Times and others in the north-central Pennsylvania region. Plus, our stories are available at a new website dedicated to the region, spotlightpa.org/statecollege.

Sign up for our regional newsletter, Talk of the Town (spotlightpa.org/newsletters/talkofthetown), to get all of our local reporting plus the top news and notes from our communities. Learn more about Spotlight PA and how to sustain our local accountability reporting at spotlightpa.org/about/statecollege . Sarah Rafacz is the editor of Spotlight PAs State College regional bureau.
A Wichita attorney known for his flamboyant TV commercials in which he rides a longhorn steer has had his license suspended for a year, according to a Kansas Supreme Court opinion released Friday.

Brad Pistotnik, principal owner of Bull Attorneys law firm in Wichita, had previously agreed to the suspension, which was recommended by a Kansas disciplinary panel. Pistotnik will have a reinstatement hearing at the end of the suspension.

The suspension comes after Pistotniks involvement in an illegal cyber attack and extortion scheme to remove negative online reviews about him from websites. The 66-year-old pleaded guilty in 2019 to three misdemeanor counts of accessory after the fact. He was ordered to pay $375,000 in fines, $55,200 in restitution for damage done to ripoffreport.com and $300 on a special assessment, the Supreme Court opinion says, adding he paid it in full on the day of his plea and sentencing.

The federal convictions triggered an automatic suspension of Pistotniks law license in Oklahoma, but he was allowed to continue to practice law in Kansas until this decision. In Kansas, he is well known for his flamboyant Bull Attorney persona, appearing in television and billboard commercials dressed for trial atop a longhorn steer or standing on the roof of a moving semi-truck.

This is the sixth time he has been disciplined by the state of Kansas in his 40-year career, records show.

Contributing: Chance Swaim with The Eagle
Four months after Carl Bryant, 57, was found shot to death outside his Salem home, a suspect has been arrested.

Investigators arrested Antonio Pickard Jr., 20, at his Salem residence and charged him with murder, the Lee County Sheriffs Office announced Friday.

Pickard is being held in the Lee County Detention Center without bond.

No other information was made available from the sheriffs office before publication, but WRBL reported in March that Bryant was found with at least one gunshot wound to the upper body after the sheriffs office received a 911 call at approximately 4:26 p.m. on March 5.

The caller reported a body lying in a wooded area off Lee Road 140. Bryants body was found in the wood line approximately 60 yards behind his house.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with more information regarding Bryants death is asked to call the sheriffs office at 334-749-5651 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).
A truck crash has shut down the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 in North Miami-Dade, according to traffic reports.

Lanes are closed around Northwest 151st Street, according to Florida 511, and express lanes are closed from downtown Miami through the Golden Glades. The crash happened before 5 a.m.

Drivers heading toward the Golden Glades and Broward County need to take other routes, including 441, Miami Avenue and U.S. 1.

Northbound traffic on I-95 is being detoured off the highway at 151st Street. Lanes were still closed as the morning rush hour began its peak at 7 a.m.

The southbound lanes are not affected.

This bulletin will be updated.
A UC Davis police officer, who had worked for the department for more than 24 years, died on Monday from complications from a heart attack he suffered while on duty last month.

Officer Walter Broussard, who had most recently been assigned to the University of California Davis Medical Center campus in Sacramento, died from complications resulting from the heart attack while on duty, the UC Davis Police Department announced Thursday in a Facebook post.

Broussard suffered the heart attack while on duty on June 10 and since then had been hospitalized in the Bay Area, according to the Peace Officers Research Association of California.

The peace officers association established a memorial fund for Broussards family and donations can be made online. Broussards wife incurred substantial debt to be by his side at the hospital, so donations will go toward helping his family retire the debt and arrange funeral services, according to the association.

Broussard died at the age of 62, and he is survived by his wife, Mary Grace, and his children, according to a UC Davis news release.

UC Davis Police Capt. Mark Brunet said their small department is numb losing a good friend and officer. Broussard had been working at the Sacramento campus for the past three years.

Brunet said many at the hospital knew and loved Broussard, who had the same type of connections at the Davis campus.

Walt was a kind and honest man whose approach to life was genuine and sincere, Brunet said in the news release. His energy was contagious, and many were blessed to work around him.

At UC Davis, Broussard worked in numerous roles including as a K9 officer, defensive tactics instructor, hostage negotiation and field training officer. Before joining the campus department in March 1998, he worked as a deputy for seven years at the Yolo County Sheriffs Office.
People wear masks while waiting in line for COVID-19 tests in Los Angeles in January. Rising coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have pushed L.A. County closer to reinstating a mask mandate. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Continued increases in coronavirus cases fueled by the ultra-contagious BA.5 subvariant as well as a rise in hospitalizations have pushed Los Angeles County even closer to reinstating a universal indoor mask mandate.

The measure, which officials have long warned was on the table, could go into effect as soon as late July.

"We can't predict with certainty what the future hospitalization trend will look like. However, it is looking more likely, as cases and admissions have continued to increase, that we'll enter the high community level designation later this month," L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday.

Here is what you need to know:

When could L.A. County issue a new mask mandate?

Officials have said a public indoor masking requirement would be reinstated should L.A. County reach the high COVID-19 community level, defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and remain there for two consecutive weeks.

L.A. County has not yet entered that level  the worst on the CDC's three-tier scale. But it is the closest it has been since exiting from it in early March. The category indicates not only that a region is experiencing significant coronavirus spread but that transmission is starting to exert stress on hospitals.

The CDC updates its community level assessments every Thursday. Assuming L.A. County were to enter the high COVID-19 community level next week, on July 14, and remain there on July 21 and July 28, the soonest a mask mandate could be issued would likely have an effective date of July 29, according to Ferrer.

There's no guarantee that will happen, though. Projections are based on the possibility of current trends continuing.

How close are we?

To reach the high community level, L.A. County would need to observe at least 10 new weekly coronavirus-positive hospitalizations for every 100,000 residents.

According to CDC data released Thursday, the rate listed for L.A. County was 9.7, a 17% increase from the previous weeks rate of 8.3.

However, from the county's perspective, the actual figure is lower  8.4.

That, Ferrer said, is because federal data combines L.A. and Orange counties, as the two fall within the same health service area that the CDC uses to calculate its metrics.

"This approach was not initially problematic, as the L.A. County and the Orange County metrics were relatively similar," Ferrer said.

But that's no longer the case. Ferrer said Orange County's rate of new weekly coronavirus-positive hospitalizations for every 100,000 residents was 13.3 as of Wednesday.

The Orange County rate of new weekly coronavirus-positive hospitalizations is 13.3, far worse than the L.A. County rate of 8.4. (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)

"Given this divergence, which now actually will affect the level assignment and designation, we're going to use the L.A. County-specific data in determining the hospital metrics that are used to make the designated community level assignments," she said.

Based on current trends, however, Ferrer estimated the L.A. County rate could surpass the high threshold as soon as next week.

Why is L.A. County considering a mask mandate?

Officials say the potential order is aligned with guidance from the CDC, which recommends indoor masking for counties in the high COVID-19 community level.

About 60% of California's counties are in that category, including in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley. Some 16 million Californians live in a county with a high COVID-19 community level, accounting for 41% of the state's population.

Some 16 million Californians live in counties with a high COVID-19 community level, including in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley. Ventura County is the only Southern California county in the high COVID-19 community level. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

In Southern California, Ventura County is the only county in the high community level.

However, no other California counties have publicly linked the return of universal mask mandates to the CDC framework. And the only region to reissue a face covering order in response to the latest wave, Alameda County, has already rescinded it.

Though health officials almost universally recommend indoor masking as an extra layer of protection against coronavirus transmission, some have characterized new mandates at this time as unnecessary, given both epidemiological changes in the virus and the availability of vaccines and treatments.

Ferrer, though, says universal masking doesn't just help protect the individual.

"While it's true we have an amazing set of tools that we can all use to protect ourselves  and in fact, some of those tools will protect lots of other people as well  there are many people, particularly in essential work environments, where they would benefit if more people around them were actually using some of the safety precautions that we know work," she said. "And that's the case with masking."

For L.A. County, she added, "equity issues are paramount."

"Partly, we're such a large jurisdiction; partly, we've witnessed really tragic and unconscionable differences and disproportionality in who's been the hardest hit, that we want to make sure that where we have a simple and effective tool that can be used ... that we make sure that we're using that tool when the risk level gets high," she said.

There are reasons for health officials to be particularly cautious about the effects of a pandemic wave in L.A. County.

L.A. County is considered by the CDC as highly vulnerable in a pandemic, according to the agency's Social Vulnerability Index, based on factors like poverty and crowded housing.

By contrast, its neighboring coastal counties  Ventura and Orange  as well as the five most populous counties in the San Francisco Bay Area  including Alameda County  have moderate levels of vulnerability.

In L.A. County, 14% of residents live below the poverty line; in Ventura County, 9% do.

L.A. County's median household income of about $71,000 is below the state median of nearly $79,000, while Ventura County's is higher, at $89,000.

How are hospitals faring?

As of Thursday, 1,021 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized in L.A. County. That's the highest single-day total since late February and a 38% increase from two weeks ago.

While the trendline has not yet taken the ominous, near-vertical shape seen during the worst waves of the pandemic, the daily patient count has more than quadrupled since mid-April.

"The worry, of course, with the increase in hospitalizations is that there may be more individuals at risk for severe illness that are getting infected now, given the highly transmissible new variants," Ferrer said.

So far, though, this latest surge is not wreaking anywhere close to the same kind of havoc as those that came before. During the initial Omicron spike last fall and winter, coronavirus-positive hospitalizations topped out above 4,800. For last summer's Delta surge, the peak was nearly 1,800.

During winter 2020, L.A. County's coronavirus-positive patient count at times exceeded 8,000.

A significant number of patients  Ferrer pegged the number at 60%  are not hospitalized specifically for COVID-19 but have tested positive after seeking treatment for other reasons. But each presents a particular strain on resources because of the additional services needed to keep them from spreading the virus.

Hospitalizations are also a lagging indicator of coronavirus spread; as long as coronavirus transmission remains elevated, patient counts are unlikely to tail off significantly. And even as transmission peters out, it can take weeks for that trend to provide relief.

Also yet to be seen are the impacts of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, which are growing increasingly dominant nationwide.

Even though hospitals are not reporting being overwhelmed now, Ferrer said the plan to reinstate a mask mandate should hospitalizations worsen is prudent.

"Waiting until hospitals are overwhelmed is way too late to try to do much about slowing transmission," Ferrer said. "The time to slow transmission is actually when you start seeing indicators that you're having more utilization at your hospitals."

The CDC recommends that everyone age 2 and older wear masks in indoor settings when a county reaches the high COVID-19 community level, which includes both hospitalization and coronavirus case rates.

When those indicators are high, "that's the time to start getting worried and to start trying to do something to slow down transmission," Ferrer said.

"We're not going to be able to completely eliminate transmission of these highly infectious new subvariants, but we can definitely make a better effort to slow transmission down so that the increases at the hospitals don't end up creating the kind of stress that we saw both during the Omicron winter surge and the previous winter surge," Ferrer said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Itzy Varela Cruz, center in pink jacket, lines up with other children for aid. She and her mother were expelled that morning from Texas back to Mexico, along with other families. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

After the girls grandfather died, she traveled from Guatemala to the Texas border with her uncle.

Border Patrol agents separated them. The girl, then 10, ended up in foster care, while her uncle was deported, according to her attorney, Miriam Enriquez.

Such painful separations could be avoided under a new Biden administration program that will allow children to quickly reunite with relatives like uncles and grandparents at the border.

The girl, whom the attorney did not name to protect her privacy, is now 14 and still in foster care in Southern California while her asylum case is being adjudicated.

Since arriving in the U.S. in early 2019, she has learned Spanish and English, which she now speaks fluently in addition to her Mayan dialect, and is doing well in school, according to Enriquez, a staff attorney with Immigrant Defenders Law Center in Los Angeles.

Their separations were undoubtedly traumatic and difficult, especially in light of their tender age, Enriquez said of the girl and another Indigenous child from Guatemala who was also separated from his uncle at the border.

The new effort, called the Trusted Adult Relative Program, is being tested at a Border Patrol station in Texas, according to three sources who were not authorized to speak publicly.

A Department of Homeland Security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that a few dozen children have been reunified with family members since the program began in May. Agency officials said the program utilizes existing procedures to unify families in an efficient way.

I think it is not in the best interest of the child to separate them from trusted adults that theyve been traveling hundreds of miles with, the official said, adding that taxpayers would not have to foot the bill for lengthy stays in immigration custody.

A child and a non-parental relative are initially separated while immigration officials verify their relationship and that the adult is capable of caring for the child, the sources said. If cleared, they are reunited within about 10 days and will then go through regular immigration proceedings.

The official said that any expansion of the program elsewhere along the border was still being assessed.

This administration feels strongly about keeping families together and not separating families, and if this does work, it is something we would be looking to eventually apply more broadly, the official said. It is too early to make that decision.

The practice of separating children from non-parental family members at the border is more than a decade old.

While parents were generally allowed to remain with their children, other relatives were separated unless they were the child's legal guardian. They were then typically deported unless they established a credible asylum claim.

Under the Title 42 policy, which began under President Trump in 2020 and continued through the Biden administration, adult migrants claiming asylum have been turned back without their claims being heard.

Children were expelled, too, until a federal court blocked the practice and the Biden administration allowed children to enter after the ruling was stayed.

Children without relatives in the U.S. can end up in foster care overseen by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.

They are allowed to stay in the country while their claims are decided for asylum or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which is granted when children cannot reunite with their parents because of abuse or neglect and it is not in their best interest to return home.

The government does not have reliable data on how many children have been separated from non-parental family members at the border.

But Title 42 has probably resulted in more separations because more adults are being deported, immigrant advocates say.

Since the beginning of 2021, Immigrant Defenders Law Center has tracked nearly 300 children who were separated from non-parental relatives at the border. All the adults were turned back under Title 42, according to the center.

In April, the Biden administration announced it would wind down the Title 42 policy, but a federal judge later blocked the effort.

This has the potential to stop completely unnecessary trauma that interrupts the ability of kids to go through their immigration cases," Jennifer Nagda, policy director for the Young Center for Immigrant Childrens Rights, said of the new program. "They are so traumatized and upset after being separated from their sister, grandfather or grandmother.

Last year, as the numbers of unaccompanied children arriving at the border reached record levels and overwhelmed government resources, the Young Center recommended an approach similar to the program that the Biden administration eventually adopted.

Concerns about fraud have long been an impediment to keeping families together. In the new program, officials are using the same procedures as before to verify the relationship between the child and the family member.

For some migrant children, the relative they were traveling with was already their primary caregiver back home.

In 2019, a Human Rights Watch attorney touring a facility for unaccompanied children met a 14-year-old boy who had come from Guatemala with his 29-year-old sister.

The boy told the attorney, Clara Long, that his sister was like a mother to him, because shes taken care of me my entire life.

On the third day, they took me out of my cage and said I would be separated from my sister, but they didnt tell me where I was going," the boy told Long, who recounted the conversation in congressional testimony. "I dont understand why they separated us. They didnt give me a chance to say goodbye."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
I believe that you are tired and weary of hearing about mass murders. I know I am. Yet, on a day that many Americans gathered to celebrate the birthday of our nation, several innocent citizens were gunned down while watching a parade in Highland Park, near Chicago.

It was the 309th mass shooting this year.

Authorities say that after Robert Crimo, the 21-year-old suspect, was done with the killing there  he is accused of killing seven and wounded dozens  he escaped, dressed as a woman, falling in with the terrified crowd. He then went calmly to his mothers house, took her car and drove 150 miles northwest of Chicago to Madison, Wisconsin, where he saw another celebration, and contemplated killing even more people with a firearm he had with him in the car, according to the reports Ive read.

Crimo was caught after an eight-hour manhunt and arrested  alive. He was suspected of unleashing a mass shooting.

Yet no arresting officer fired weapons at him as he was captured.

Protesters gather during a march and rally for Jayland Walker, Wednesday, July 6, 2022, in New York. Walker, 25, was killed June 27 in a pursuit that had started with an attempted traffic stop in Akron, Ohio.

Which brings me to another situation involving arresting officers and the shooting of young Black men.

On July 5, in Akron, Ohio, Jayland Walker, 25, received at least 60 wounds from gunfire.. His crime? A traffic violation.

First, I want to know how many bullets does it take to kill one Black man? Then, I want to know was his alleged crime worthy of such severe punishment?

According to some stories, Walker ran and when he did stop, he got out of his car. But he made the wrong move. It cost him his life.

Although news reports say he had a gun in the car, he was unarmed when he was shot dozens of times.

I cant make sense of it.

Just as we question our lawmakers on why they cant pass a law banning assault weapons, many Black Americans are asking another question: How long must Black parents repeat the how-to-stay-alive-when-arrested speech to our young sons and daughters? How many times must we tell them not to ask questions when stopped by the police? Not to show anger when called the N word? Or not to run, no matter how frightened they are?

I am sad for the people who lost their loved ones on July Fourth in Highland Park at what should have been a wonderful family-oriented outing, Americas birthday celebration.

I am also sad for Jayland Walker, who was, by the accounts I heard about him from those who knew him, a gentle person loved by many.

I dont know what it will take for our lawmakers to make it illegal for ordinary citizens to purchase an assault weapon. I dont think background checks alone will work.

I dont know what it will take to stop the police shooting of unarmed young Blacks.

I do know that the entire country seems to be unraveling.

Meanwhile, a Very Unhappy Birthday to us, America.

Rev. Melanie Marsh named to leadership at Riviera Presbyterian

A warm welcome is extended to the Rev. Melanie Marsh, who has accepted the role of transitional pastor at Riviera Presbyterian Church at 5275 Sunset Dr. in South Miami. She will begin leading the congregation at the 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday (July 10).

According to a press release, as transitional pastor, Marsh will lead the church as the members contemplate, discuss and explore the life of the Riviera community, the missions and direction of the church and ultimately, call a permanent pastor.

Marsh comes to Riviera from Community Presbyterian Church in Atlantic Beach, near Jacksonville, where she served as senior pastor.

A lifelong Presbyterian and a native of Central Florida, Marsh is the daughter of Caribbean immigrants. She has a bachelors degree in fine arts in theater and dance from Florida State University and a masters in divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Before going into the ministry, Marsh worked in the performing arts, arts education and community activism in Florida and Southern California. She is the mother of three young children who love all things outdoors.

She and her family are looking forward to their new home and schools and exploring Miami.

Black Archives announces summer hours

For those of you who want to know more about our city, the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, housed in the historic Lyric Theater at 819 NW Second Ave. in Overtown, announces its summer exhibit hours.

The If These Streets Could Talk: An Historic Exploration of Black Miami at the Lyric, and In Motion: The African American Migration Experience at the D.A. Dorsey House Museum, 250 NW Ninth St., will have summer visiting hours Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through August.

The cost is $5 per person, per location. Students and seniors ages 65 and older, are admitted free with ID. Groups that are not student groups will still be required to pay the per person fee and are encouraged to schedule their group visits by calling 786-708-4610, or emailing baf@bahlt.org.

CORRECTION

Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson

In my column of July 3, I congratulated the Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson on being elected chairman of Jackson Health Systems governing Board. The item was published with the wrong picture. Instead of Walter T. Richardson, the picture of his father, Bishop Walter H. Richardson, was mistakenly published.

Here is the picture of the younger Richardson, and we apologize for the mistake.

-----------------------------

Bea Hines can be reached at bea.hines@gmail.com.
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Bali on Thursday that China is willing to work with Indonesia to push for rational, pragmatic and constructive interactions and dialogues within the framework of the Group of 20 (G20).

At a meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, whose country holds the rotating G20 presidency, Wang said China firmly supports Indonesia in hosting the G20 meetings this year.

China appreciates Indonesia for upholding an objective position and the principle of equal sovereignty in dealing with international affairs, maintaining normal communication of the international community and safeguarding solidarity within the G20, he said.

China is ready to join hands with Indonesia to make the voices of developing countries and emerging economies heard, and oppose the Cold War mentality and the confrontation of camps, Wang added.

For her part, Retno said Indonesia attaches utmost importance to the significant role of China in the G20. Indonesia is urging all sides to show solidarity, focus on post-pandemic economic recovery and jointly meet daunting challenges, she said.

Speaking highly of the positive momentum in the development of bilateral ties and the results of their practical cooperation, the two sides stressed the need to jointly make preparations for high-level exchanges, so as to inject strong impetus into the development of the China-Indonesia relations.

Both sides agreed to take the first year of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership as an opportunity to promote the steady and long-term development of the China-ASEAN relations.

Wang stressed that China firmly supports the ASEAN centrality and the effective regional cooperation framework with ASEAN at its core. China stands ready to work with ASEAN to build a closer community with a shared future, oppose any resurgence of the Cold War mentality and bloc politics in the region, and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.

The two sides also exchanged views on the China-U.S. relations, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other issues.

Wang is here to attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday and Friday. He is on an Asia tour, which takes him to Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to the media from his residence Friday after former premier Shinzo Abe was fatally shot. (Eugene Hoshiko / Associated Press)

Friday's shocking assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in one of the world's safest countries stunned the world and drew condemnation, with Iran calling it an act of terrorism" and Spain slamming the cowardly attack."

Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western Japan while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital. Abe was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons. Police arrested a suspect at the scene.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events, called the shooting dastardly and barbaric.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, speaking with the Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers at a trilateral meeting in Bali, said Abe's assassination was profoundly disturbing and a "personal loss for so many people.

For the United States, Prime Minister Abe was an extraordinary partner and someone who clearly was a great leader for Japan and the Japanese people," Blinken said, adding that Abe, during his time in office, "brought the relationship between our countries  the United States and Japan  to new heights.

Leaders from Turkey to Singapore condemned the attack, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the shooting despicable.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper printed an extra edition on the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday. (Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted his deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time.

This heinous act of violence has no excuse, he added.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's office cited him as saying that the shooting that led to Abes death was an intolerable criminal act.

Iran condemned the shooting as an act of terrorism.

As a country that has been a victim of terrorism and has lost great leaders to terrorists, we are following the news closely and with concern, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

People in Japan could be seen reading extra editions of newspapers with Abe's picture large on the front page, or stopping to watch the news on TV.

Public broadcaster NHK aired dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside of a train station in the western city of Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when a gunshot is heard. Video then shows Abe collapsed on the street.

In a trip to Berlin in 2007, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reviews an honor guard with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a welcoming ceremony. (Markus Schreiber/Associated Press)

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was visiting her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on Friday in Sydney when they learned of the shooting. Ardern said she was deeply shocked.

He was one of the first leaders I formally met when I became prime minister. He was deeply committed to his role, and also generous and kind. I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is," Ardern said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abe was one of Australia's closest friends and a giant on the world stage," adding that "his legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia. He will be greatly missed."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Saturday a day of national mourning as a mark of deep respect for Abe.

"Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment, Modi said.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose time in office from 2005 to 2021 largely overlapped that of Abe, said she was deeply shocked and devastated by the news that he had died of injuries inflicted in a cowardly and vile assassination hours earlier.

My first thoughts are with his wife and family, she said in a statement. I grieve with them. I wish them comfort and support.

Taiwan's government said that Abe spared no effort to push for the progress of Taiwan-Japan relations for many years, noting Abe's push amid the COVID-19 pandemic for the Japanese government to donate vaccines to Taiwan.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Italy was embracing Abes family, the government and the Japanese people.

Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and reformist vision, Draghi said in a statement.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China expressed its sympathies for Abe's family.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The starting gun has fired in the contest to replace Boris Johnson in No 10, but there is no obvious front-runner.

Mr Johnson will remain as Prime Minister until a successor is in place, expected to be by the time of the Conservative Party conference in October.

Here are some of the potential contenders to be the new Tory leader, in alphabetical order:

 Steve Baker

Brexit die-hard Steve Baker said he has been encouraged by colleagues to stand as Tory leader (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Prominent Brexiteer and former minister Steve Baker, a senior Tory backbencher, confirmed on Thursday that he is seriously considering putting himself forward for the top job.

He told Times Radio that people are asking him to do it, and it would be dismissive and disrespectful if he did not heed expressions of support, though he said he regards the prospect with something akin to dread.

Mr Baker successfully plotted to oust Theresa May as prime minister but, despite his credentials as a Brexit die-hard, he is not a household name.

 Suella Braverman

Attorney General Suella Braverman is an unlikely candidate for Tory leader (Aaron Chown/PA)

The Attorney General launched an unlikely leadership bid as support for Mr Johnson crumbled around him on Wednesday night.

Previously loyal to the departing premier, she told Peston on ITV that he had handled matters appallingly in recent days and the balance has tipped now in favour of saying that the Prime Minister  it pains me to say it  but its time to go.

Ms Braverman, who was first elected as an MP in 2015, is regarded as something of an outsider for the leadership given the party grandees already tipped to be in the running.

A Suella Braverman for PM Twitter account has sprung up, with Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne becoming the first to tweet his support for her bid.

 Sir Robert Buckland

The new Secretary of State for Wales has declined to rule out running as Tory leader.

Asked on BBC Radio 4s World at One programme on Thursday whether he was considering throwing his hat in the ring, the former justice secretary said: Who knows.

Its an unlikely scenario but I want to see the next prime minister as a person who embodies the values that I believe in, he said, emphasising his credentials as a One Nation Conservative.

 Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt was runner-up to Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership contest in 2019 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The former foreign secretary and ex-health secretary has been a persistent backbench critic of Mr Johnson and has called on the Prime Minister to quit.

Mr Hunt is widely expected to make a fresh bid for the leadership, having been runner-up to Mr Johnson in 2019, and is among the early favourites with bookmakers.

As chairman of the Commons Health Committee, he has used his position to make a number of critical interventions on the Governments handling of the pandemic, although his strong support for lockdown measures will not have pleased all Tory MPs.

 Sajid Javid

Sajid Javid resigned as health secretary on Tuesday (Yui Mok/PA)

Like Rishi Sunak, Mr Javids resignation on Tuesday caused chaos in No 10, as the health secretary from famously humble beginnings left the Government. He further stuck the knife in with an emotional resignation speech in the Commons, with Mr Johnson sat, stony-faced, on the front benches.

State school-educated Mr Javid  known as The Saj in some circles  is the son of a bus driver who arrived in England from Pakistan in the 1960s, and held ministerial roles in housing, business and culture before becoming chancellor, and then health secretary in the middle of the pandemic.

Mr Javid made it to the final four in the contest to replace Theresa May as Tory leader in 2019, but dropped out and subsequently endorsed Mr Johnson. He told reporters after his resignation on Tuesday evening that he was looking forward to spending time with his family  but for how long?

 Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt, a Navy reservist, was sacked as defence secretary by Boris Johnson in 2019 (Cpl Robert Weideman/PA)

Another front-runner with the bookies  the 5/1 favourite according to one firm  Ms Mordaunt made waves in 2019 as the UKs first female defence secretary before being fired by Mr Johnson shortly after he became Prime Minister.

Ms Mordaunt has many strings to her bow  she is a Royal Navy reservist, the current trade minister and a former reality TV contestant, having appeared on the Tom Daley-fronted diving show Splash.

She played a prominent role in the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and has previously reportedly enjoyed the backing of Dame Andrea Leadsom among others.

 Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak resigned as chancellor on Tuesday (Yui Mok/PA)

Perhaps the front-runner  with odds of 7/2 with one bookmaker  the former chancellors rise from relative obscurity to household name came as he turned on the spending taps to protect jobs through the furlough scheme when the coronavirus pandemic struck.

His calm and measured delivery during televised Covid briefings, and his viral declaration of love for a popular soft drink, will have endeared him to those perhaps not always plugged in to the political goings-on, as well as his resignation on matters of principle on Tuesday.

But his stock took a tumble more recently following disclosures that his wife had non-dom status for tax purposes, and criticism that he was too slow to respond to the cost-of-living crisis.

 Liz Truss

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has been accused of trying to emulate Margaret Thatcher with photo opportunities (Rob Pinney/PA)

The Foreign Secretary has made little secret of her leadership ambitions, with a series of high-profile interventions and photo opportunities in which she appeared to be channelling late PM Margaret Thatcher. Despite being a fervent Johnson loyalist, she was nowhere to be seen as the Government crumbled around him.

Her hard line on Ukraine, insisting Russian forces must be driven from the country, and threats to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU play well with sections of the party.

Away from politics, Ms Trusss flair for social media has seen her offer an insight into life outside Westminster by updating her Instagram account with pictures of her relaxing at the beach, or behind the scenes at official events, though her passions combined to bizarre effect in 2014 when her improbably enthusiastic speech about opening pork markets in Beijing went viral.

 Tom Tugendhat

Ex-soldier Tom Tugendhat first announced in January that he would stand for leader should Boris Johnson quit (Niall Carson/PA)

The polyglot chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee became the first to announce his intention to stand for leader should Mr Johnson be turfed out  with his declaration made in January.

He repeated his position in Fridays Daily Telegraph, saying he was putting together a broad coalition offering a clean start.

The former soldier wrote in the paper: I have served before  in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister.

Tory MP Damian Green has previously said he would back Mr Tugendhat in any leadership contest, telling Sky News: You can take it that Tom is going to run.

A Remainer in 2016, the former soldier has been a trenchant critic of Mr Johnson  a stance that would appear to have cost him any chance of ministerial preferment under the current leadership.

He recently sought to distance himself from a call by his fellow Remainer, Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood, for the UK to re-join the EU single market.

 Ben Wallace

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has won admirers in Westminster for his straight-talking approach (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The Defence Secretary has won admirers in Westminster for his straight-talking and straightforward approach, particularly among Tory MPs who pressed for the UK to increase its defence spending, although cuts to the size of the Army remain a cause for concern.

Mr Wallace, who served in the Scots Guards, remains a key voice in the UKs response to Russias invasion of Ukraine and this increased exposure could assist any leadership bid.

He has consistently supported Mr Johnson, but has pressed the case for increased defence spending.

 Nadhim Zahawi

Nadhim Zahawi is seen as a safe pair of hands (Danny Lawson/PA)

The former education secretary is regarded by some as a safe pair of hands if other candidates prove too divisive.

Indeed, he was the man trusted to take on the broadcast round of interviews on Wednesday morning, on his first full day in his new job as Chancellor, before later urging the PM to resign.

Iraqi-born Mr Zahawi was a successful businessman and came to wider prominence as vaccines minister during the pandemic where he was credited with playing a key part in the successful rollout of the jab.
The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent shock waves around the world.

This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him. I had the privilege to work closely with Prime Minister Abe, President Biden said, describing the former Japanese leader as a champion of the Alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people.

President Biden holds a bouquet as he arrives to sign a condolence book at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Washington on Friday.



President Biden holds a bouquet as he arrives to sign a condolence book at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Washington on Friday. (Susan Walsh/)

The longest serving Japanese Prime Minister, his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure, he continued. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy.

Abe was delivering a speech outside a railway station in the city of Nara when he was shot twice from an assailant that stood behind him on Friday. He was campaigning at the time on behalf of his conservative Liberal Democratic Party ahead of the upcoming parliamentary vote slated for Sunday.

The former prime minister was airlifted to Nara Medical University hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 5 p.m. local time.

Gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it, Biden said. The United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief. I send my deepest condolences to his family.

President Joe Biden signs a condolence book at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Washington, Friday, July 8, 2022, for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated on Friday while campaigning. Japanese Ambassador to the United States Koji Tomita looks on.



President Joe Biden signs a condolence book at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Washington, Friday, July 8, 2022, for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated on Friday while campaigning. Japanese Ambassador to the United States Koji Tomita looks on. (Susan Walsh/)

Abe maintained a close relationship with the United States during his time as prime minister. He visited Hiroshima with then-President Barack Obama in May 2016, marking the first time a sitting president has visited the site where the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. Later the same year, he became the first prime minister to visit Pearl Harbor.

Abe was the first foreign leader to meet with former President Donald Trump after he was elected in November 2016.

In this Sept. 25, 2019 photo, President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before signing an agreement on trade at the InterContinental Barclay New York hotel during the United Nations General Assembly.



In this Sept. 25, 2019 photo, President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before signing an agreement on trade at the InterContinental Barclay New York hotel during the United Nations General Assembly. (Evan Vucci/)

In a post to his Truth Social platform, the former president demanded the deadly attack be dealt with swiftly and harshly.

Few people know what a great man and leader Shinzo Abe was, but history will teach them and be kind, Trump wrote. He was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country.

Leaders beyond the United States echoed the sentiment, all of them decrying the assassination.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office.

I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is, Ardern said. Events like this shake us all to the core.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) exchange rugby balls after a joint press conference in Tokyo on September 19, 2019.



New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) exchange rugby balls after a joint press conference in Tokyo on September 19, 2019. (TOMOHIRO OHSUMI/)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeols office called the shooting an intolerable criminal act while Iran condemned it as an act of terrorism.

As a country that has been a victim of terrorism and has lost great leaders to terrorists, we are following the news closely and with concern, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

Leaders from Germany, Pakistan, Sweden and the Philippines joined the global community in mourning the loss of Abe. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Saturday would serve as a national day of mourning in honor of the late Japanese leader.

Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership, Modi said. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, authorities arrested Yamagami Tetsuya, who reportedly confessed to the attack. The suspect said he resented a specific group that he believed Abe was linked to. Japanese authorities declined to name the group or reveal whether Abe was affiliated with it.

With News Wire Services
The Queen has offered her condolences to the people of Japan following the fatal shooting of their former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The head of state said in a short statement she had fond memories of meeting the politician six years ago and paid tribute to his wish to forge ever-closer bonds with the United Kingdom.

Mr Abe, 67, was shot from behind during a campaign speech in western Japan on Friday and later died in hospital.

The Queen during her 2016 meeting with the then Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe (John Stillwell/PA)

The Queen said her statement to Emperor Naruhito of Japan: My family and I were deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden and tragic death of former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

I have fond memories of meeting Mr Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016. His love for Japan, and his desire to forge ever-closer bonds with the United Kingdom, were clear.

I wish to convey my deepest sympathy and condolences to his family and to the people of Japan at this difficult time.

Mr Abe and the Queen met in 2016 during his second stint as Prime Minister of Japan when he visited the UK.

They were pictured meeting in the Queens private apartments at Buckingham Palace, along with the Japanese leaders wife Akie Abe.
Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot as he gave a campaign speech Friday in western Japan and airlifted to a hospital, but the country's national public broadcaster NHK said later that he had succumbed to his injuries. Multiple Japanese and international news outlets cited officials from Abe's political party and the regional hospital where he was treated as confirming his death.

Local fire department official Makoto Morimoto said Abe was in cardiopulmonary arrest, or CPA, meaning he was not breathing and his heart had stopped, even as he was airlifted to the hospital.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that police had arrested a male suspect at the scene of the attack.

"A barbaric act like this is absolutely unforgivable, no matter what the reasons are, and we condemn it strongly," Matsuno said.

Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who belongs to the same political party as Abe, returned to Tokyo by helicopter from his own campaign destination of Yamagata, in northern Japan. He told reporters earlier that he was "not aware of the motives and background behind this attack, but this attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections  the very foundation of our democracy  and is absolutely unforgivable."

NHK aired video of Abe collapsed on the street with several security guards running toward him. He was reportedly shot a few minutes after he started talking outside a train station in western Nara. In videos posted to social media at least two apparent gunshots can be heard as a man resembling Abe speaks, and a white plume of smoke is seen behind the former prime minister.

According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, Abe suffered gunshot wounds to his neck and chest, but doctors at the hospital where he was treated later said it was two wounds to the neck that claimed his life.

NHK, quoting multiple military sources, said the suspect was employed for three years in Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, until 2005. The network described the weapon used in the attack as homemade. Police said the suspect had told them he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him.

Other videos posted online show campaign officials surrounding Abe in an apparent attempt to treat the popular former leader, who was still influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai. Elections for Japan's upper house, the less powerful chamber of its parliament, are Sunday.

The attack was a shock in a country that's one of the world's safest and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

In a statement provided to CBS News, a White House spokesperson said the Biden administration was "shocked and saddened to hear about the violent attack against former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe" and added that officials were "closely monitoring the reports and keeping our thoughts with his family and the people of Japan."

During a visit to Indonesia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters the assassination of Abe was "profoundly disturbing."

Blinken said he had shared "the very deep condolences of the United States" with his Japanese counterpart during a meeting in Indonesia.

"This is shocking," said the top U.S. diplomat. "It's profoundly disturbing in and of itself. It's also such a strong personal loss for so many people. To the United States, Prime Minister Abe was an extraordinary partner and someone who was clearly a great leader."

He credited Abe for having brought U.S.-Japan relations "to new heights" during his time in office, and called him "a leader with great vision" and "the incredible ability to work toward that vision."

One of the first world leaders to express condolences after Abe's passing was India's premiere Narendra Modi, who called the slain Japanese politician one of his "dearest friends," and a "towering statesman."

Abe, 67, was Japan's longest-serving prime minister. He resigned in September 2020 due to health problems. Abe said at the time that he was suffering from a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis that brought an end to his first term in 2007. He told reporters it was "gut wrenching" to leave many of his goals unfinished and spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japan's war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to normalize Japan's defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Supporters of Abe said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japan's defense capability. But Abe made enemies too by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe was a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a "normal" and "beautiful" nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

This story was originally published by CBS News on July 8, 2022.

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Photo taken on June 1, 2022 shows damaged buildings and vehicles in Kharkov, Ukraine. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday exchanged views with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the Ukraine issue during his attendance at the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Indonesia's tourist island of Bali.

Wang expounded on China's three concerns about the current situation in Ukraine.

First, Wang said, China opposes the act of taking the opportunity to incite Cold War thinking, hyping up bloc confrontation, and creating a "new Cold War."

He said that in the face of complex and severe challenges, the world values unity rather than division, and what is needed is dialogue rather than confrontation.

Wang stressed that China will continue to unswervingly stand on the right side of history and on the side of promoting peace talks.

Second, China opposes the practice of double standards that undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Some countries emphasize the principle of sovereignty on the Ukraine issue, but keep challenging China's sovereignty and the one-China principle on the Taiwan question, and even deliberately create tensions in the Taiwan Strait, which is obviously a blatant double standard, he added.

Wang said China rejects any attempt to equate the Ukraine crisis with the Taiwan question, noting that China will firmly defend its core interests.

Third, he said China opposes any act to undermine other countries' legitimate right to development.

Some countries have used the Ukraine crisis as an excuse to abuse unilateral sanctions on China and other countries, which is neither justified nor legal, Wang said, adding that such actions undermine normal state-to-state exchanges, violate the prevailing rules of international trade, and lead to further complication and escalation of the Ukraine crisis.

Wang said all parties should jointly resist those actions and strive to build an open, fair and non-discriminatory international cooperation environment.
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Many Armenians face this question ahead of summer: Where to spend vacations? For Armenian tourists, Tunisia is definitely still an undiscovered destination. At this moment all conditions exist for Armenian tourists to spend their vacation in Tunisia, a country with rich history, culture and beautiful sites, without any complications.

Tunisian airline Nouvelair is operating charter flights from Monastir, a city on the central coast of Tunisia, to Yerevan and the opposite direction every week. Armenian travel agency Anriva Tour has not only managed to bring the Tunisian airline to Armenia, but also facilitated the process of obtaining Tunisian visa for Armenian tourists. In the past, Armenian tourists, wishing to visit Tunisia, had to obtain a visa in a third country, mainly in the Embassy of Tunisia in Moscow, Russia. The cost of the visa was about $150-200, and the process was taking quite a long time. But now, thanks to the tour packages offered by Anriva Tour, the citizens of Armenia can obtain a visa at Tunisias airport paying just $25. The Yerevan-Monastir flight duration is nearly 4 hours.

Anriva Tour organized a media tour recently for a group of Armenian reporters to Tunisia. During the tour Armenian journalists had an opportunity to visit various sites of Tunisia, get acquainted with the countrys history and culture.

The words cant describe the impressions, the reporter of ARMENPRESS, who was also in the group, says. Tunisia, definitely, is an attractive country for a tourist with various preferences. Both passive and active recreation lovers can visit Tunisia, for sure, he adds.

The reporter of ARMENPRESS shared some beautiful sites that a tourist MUST visit during the travel in Tunisia.

The Amphitheatre of El Jem  a must visit place! Built in 3rd century BC, the amphitheatre was the 4th biggest in its size in the Roman Empire. The amphitheatre had hosted gladiatorial games, animal games, as well as performances. It is well preserved. The tour here is really amazing as you feel the history that goes back centuries.

Are you an adventure lover? If yes, then Quad Biking at Sahara Desert is waiting for you. Challenging yourself to drive in a desert, you also enjoy am amazing view as the tours here are usually organized during sunset or sunrise. You must definitely visit this place to understand what I mean. Words are not enough.

However, the adventures in the desert do not end with quad biking only as there is also a wonderful off-road driving tour. With their different maneuvers professional SUV drivers will make you feel that the car is about to turn over, but you only get positive and indescribable emotions in the end. These tours are also organized on sunsets for tourists to have a chance to take wonderful photos.

Well, Tunisia is much more than a seaside destination. If you ever travel to this country, take the tour to the ancient city of Carthage. Carthage was the capital city of the ancient Carthaginian civilization, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. During the tour you can see the ruins of the ancient city which give you some imaginations about the buildings that had existed here in the past. Excavations are being regularly held in the city. The Baths of Antoninus or Baths of Carthage, built on the 2nd century BC, is located in this city and again is an amazing place for taking beautiful pictures.

Sidi Bou Said  the Tunisian Santorini. Not visiting this charming town during your Tunisian trip means you havent seen Tunisia. Known for its cobbled streets and blue-and-white houses, this town looks like a real fairy tale. You will enjoy a beautiful view from the town to the Mediterranean Sea and the port.

Tunisia also is rich of culture. The Sousse Archaeological Museum, another place for you to further discover this country. The Museum keeps collection of ancient Roman mosaics.

Finally, lets talk a little about the shopping in Tunisia which is an art of haggling. Almost all towns in Tunisia have markets (medina) where shopping is a real art of haggling. You need to have good haggling skills while trading in these markets, otherwise you will buy a good at a price 10-20 times higher than its real price. The most interesting part here is that the sellers themselves like when you start bargaining. Therefore, I highly recommend you to visit the medina as you will bring with you unforgettable memories from here.
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday while campaigning for a parliamentary election, with public broadcaster NHK saying a man armed with an apparently homemade gun opened fired at him from behind, Reuters reports.

Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting in the western city of Nara had been arrested.

Kyodo news agency and NHK said Abe, 67, appeared to be in a state of cardiac arrest when airlifted to hospital, after having initially been conscious and responsive.

TBS Television reported that Abe had been shot on the left side of his chest and apparently also in the neck.
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan received today Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan Masanori Fukushima, the Parliaments press service said.

The sides congratulated each other on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Japan.

Both sides voiced the necessity of cooperation in different spheres between the two countries.

Japan is the most important partner for us, and Armenia is concerned about deepening the trade-economic ties, involving Japanese investments in our country, implementing programs of students exchange in the sphere of education and deepening cooperation in high technologies, health, tourism and in other directions, Alen Simonyan stressed.

The interlocutors discussed issues connected with the importance of regional peace and security.

The Ambassador of Japan highlighted the intensive interaction at different levels, noting that very often the popular diplomacy assumes more effective role, helping the classical diplomacy.
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. This year the Armenian cinema is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

On this occasion, a commission on the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Armenian cinema has been set up by the decision of the Prime Minister of Armenia.

The commission staff has also been approved.

The Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport is the Chairman of the Commission.

According to the decision, the commission will develop a program of jubilee events to be held in Armenia and abroad within three months.
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and German held political consultations on July 7 in Berlin, the Armenian MFA said.

The Armenian side was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan, and the German side was led by Director for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia at the German Foreign Ministry Matthias Luttenberg.

During the consultations the sides discussed a broad range of issues relating to the Armenian-German bilateral political agenda, highlighted intensifying the high-level political dialogue, as well as touched upon Armenias ongoing judicial reforms, the prospects of further deepening the cooperation in trade, economic, educational, cultural and other areas, etc.

The Armenian deputy FM presented the current situation around the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, emphasized the importance of the peaceful settlement process of the NK conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. The sides also discussed a number of urgent issues of regional and international agenda.
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Sweden will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on July 10.

On this occasion the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Sweden and Armenia exchanged congratulatory letters, the Swedish Embassy in Yerevan said in a statement.

In her letter the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Ann Linde expressed her deep appreciation for the friendship and cooperation between our two countries and anticipation for a continuous good bilateral relations and cooperation.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan noted that our bilateral cooperation has gained momentum due to Swedens long term commitment to support and contribute to the ongoing democratic reforms in the country. Minister Mirzoyan reaffirmed Armenias commitment to foster our cooperation in all formats, the Embassy said.
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed on Thursday to further expand bilateral cooperation and jointly safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

When meeting with the Russian top diplomat on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Bali, Indonesia, Wang said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Russia have maintained normal exchanges and pushed forward cooperation in various fields in an orderly manner, showing the strong resilience and strategic determination in bilateral ties.

China appreciates Russia's active participation in the 14th BRICS Summit hosted by China, and its contribution to building consensus in the international community and promoting global development, Wang said.

China is ready to work with other BRICS members, including Russia, to implement the major results achieved at the summit and speed up the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, so as to safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and uphold international equality and justice, he said.

For his part, Lavrov said Russia and China have played an important role in safeguarding the United Nations Charter and international law, promoting a fairer international order and pushing for more democratic international relations by upholding responsible stances and maintaining strategic collaboration, which is recognized and supported by developing countries.

The Russia-China relations, Lavrov said, are not subject to external interference and the practical cooperation between the two countries is advancing smoothly, with a great potential for further development.

He added that Russia is ready to expand the area and scale of cooperation between the two countries, so as to better benefit the two peoples.

Russia supports the important concepts put forward by China including the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and will strengthen coordination and cooperation with China, Lavrov said.

Wang said it is the shared aspiration of developing countries to oppose hegemony, bullying and unilateralism.

Facing the realities of the current international politics, will countries choose to pursue power politics and hegemony or promote the process toward a multi-polar world? Will they truly uphold international order with the United Nations at its core or follow rules made by a handful of countries according to their own standards?

"As time goes by, more and more countries will have a clearer view of this and make the right choice," Wang said.

China stands ready to work with all sides to implement the Global Security Initiative proposed by the Chinese leader and practice the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, Wang said.

The two sides exchanged views on the Ukraine situation. Lavrov introduced the Russia-Ukraine situation and Russia's stance on and proposal for the issue.

Wang said China will continue holding an objective and just position, focusing on de-escalating the situation and promoting peace talks, and supporting all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis.

Both sides agreed to support Indonesia in successfully hosting the G20 foreign ministers' meeting, and strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Wang is in Bali to attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday and Friday. He is on an Asia tour, which takes him to Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
State govt is proposed to allot land with incentives to defence manufacturers to attract their investments for the project

Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government on Thursday announced it's plans to build a defence corridor in West Bengal and proposed to allot land with incentives to defence manufacturers to attract their investments for the project.

State chief secretary HK Dwivedi said at East Tech 2022, the first ever mini defence expo organised by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army, CII and SIDM in Kolkata, "Although two defence corridors are coming up in the country, we would like to have a defence corridor of manufacturing in our state irrespective of whatever land is required. If we have the right type of entrepreneurs, the private sector comes forward and they have a buy back or procurement witv all requisite approvals from the defence forces, say army, we will allot land."

He added, "Whatever incentives are available from the state government, whatever facilitation has to be done, we are eager to do that. Our state has locational advantages along with the PSU sectors and a large number of MSME units which produce high precision equipments for the engineering sector. There are private defence players who want to come here. We want investment and employment in this sector like others. "

On Mr Dwivedi's offer, Eastern army commander Lt Gen RP Kalita, who inaugurated the two-day event, said, "Any such facilities coming up is a welcome step definitely because it will be then easier for Eastern Command to meet it's requirement. We have to take it up with the ministry and the government which requires a process that has to be driven by them."

He also called the deaths of more than 28 Territorial Army troopers in a landslide in Manipur "a very unfortunate incident" and added, "Nature's fury can not be fought by anybody. But I do not think such incidents are going to have an impact on the government's will to pursue development activities in the North East. We remain committed to support the government in such activities."
If people did not favour his party in the elections, he would accept the verdict, he said

Mumbai: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday demanded mid-term elections in Maharashtra, and also asserted that nobody can take away his party's 'bow and arrow' symbol even as the rebel Sena faction has staked a claim to it.

Speaking to reporters at his residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra, Thackeray dared the rebels led by new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the BJP to face mid-term elections, saying that people should be allowed to take a stand on the toppling of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by him.

If people did not favour his party in the elections, he would accept the verdict, he said.

Thackeray said the Supreme Court's verdict on the disqualification plea of 16 rebel MLAs, scheduled to be given on July 11, will decide not just the future of the Shiv Sena, but also of Indian democracy.

Shinde raised a banner of revolt against the party leadership last month, a move that led to the fall of the MVA government comprising Sena, NCP and Congress. A day after Thackeray resigned as chief minister on June 29, Shinde took oath of the top post with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis being sworn in as his deputy. Shinde enjoys the support of 40 out of 55 MLAs of the Sena.

Hardening his stand against the rebels, Thackeray asked how they can claim to love the 'Matoshree' and the Thackeray family if they align with those who have subjected him and his family to the worst kind of criticism and even attempted to "destroy his sons' lives".

"According to law, no one can take away the bow and arrow symbol from Shiv Sena. I am saying this after talking to constitutional experts," he said.

Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil had on Wednesday said the faction led by Shinde was the real claimant of the party's poll symbol.

Seeking to assuage the concerns of his party workers, Thackeray said people do not just look at the party symbol while voting, but also look at the person and also whether the candidate belongs to the Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena as a political party and a legislature party are two separate identities, he said, adding that even if just one, 50 or even 100 MLAs leave the party, it does not cease to exist.

"Confusion is being created. Legislature party and registered party are two different identities. No one can take along the party workers with them," Thackeray said.

"There should be mid-term polls. If we have made a mistake, people will not favour us and that will be acceptable to us," he said.

Earlier this week, Sena leader Sanjay Raut claimed that his party will win over 100 seats if mid-term polls are held in the state.

On Thursday, the rebel faction's spokesperson had said that if there was any possibility of reconciliation with the parent party, then Thackeray should also talk to the BJP as the dissidents have aligned with that party.

Thackeray hit out at the rebel group for keeping mum when the BJP targeted and "abused" him and his family in the last two-and-a-half years.

"You keep in touch with them and betray your own party like this," he said without naming anyone.

He wondered whether the rebel MLAs' love for him and his family was real.

You are sitting next to those who criticised the Thackeray family in the worst forms. You are hugging them. They tried to ruin my sons' lives...," he said.

He said the change of power in the state could have happened with grace and in a dignified manner in 2019 without "betrayal".

He was referring to the Sena and BJP's parting of ways after the 2019 Assembly poll results over the issue of rotational chief minister.

Thackeray said the Supreme Court's verdict on July 11 will decide not just the future of Shiv Sena but also the future of Indian democracy.

"I trust the judiciary. The Supreme Court order (on the plea for disqualification of rebel MLAs) is not restricted to Shiv Sena alone, but it will also show the direction in which the democracy is heading. The country is looking at what decision the SC gives because this will also show the future of democracy in the country and whether the four pillars of democracy are discharging their duties or now," he said.

Thackeray also said he would take a decision which candidate to support for the presidential election after consulting the party MPs. Earlier this week, Sena's Lok Sabha member Rahul Shewale urged him to direct the party MPs to vote for the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.

During his press conference, Thackeray did not take any questions from the media.
Draupadi Murmu, 64, is from Odisha, and later this month she could become Indias first tribal (Adivasi) woman president. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party is working overtime to ensure its victory in the 2024 elections. Adivasi and Dalits are still marginalised. The BJP is taking advantage of a recent political crisis in Maharashtra.

New Delhi (AsiaNews)  A tribal (Adivasi) woman could be the next president of India.

The National Democratic Alliance, the coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), the Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, nominated Draupadi Murmu as its candidate for the post of President of India.

An electoral college constituted by the members of both houses of Indias parliament along with weighted votes from the members of state legislative assemblies will pick Indias head of state on 18 July.

Elected to a five-year term, the Indian president performs mostly ceremonial and representative functions, as executive power is exercised by the prime minister.

If elected, Murmu would become the second woman and first Adivasi (indigenous tribal people) to hold Indias highest office.

For many, Murmus victory is a foregone conclusion. A former union (federal) minister, Yashwant Sinha, is the candidate chosen by opposition parties, but his chances appear to be very slim.

The 64-year-old Murmu comes from a mostly Santal village where her father and grandfather served as local heads. She started out as a school teacher before joining the BJP in 1997.

After holding various posts at the local and state level, in 2015 she became the first tribal woman to be appointed governor of Jharkhand and serve a full term.

The party portrays her as a woman from a humble background who dedicated much of her adult life to the community. Tragedy marred her own life with the death of her husband and two sons.

Her candidacy for president had already been floated in 2017, two years before Modis re-election as prime minister.

The next election for the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, will be held in May 2024. With Murmu as the country's 15th president, the BJP hopes to win over Adivasi voters and broaden its electoral base.

Even before Murmu became the official nominee, the current BJP president, Jagat Prakash Nadda, announced that the coalition candidate would come from eastern India.

The BJP has always dominated elections in western states, while in the east, where Adivasis are concentrated, local voters tend to vote for its coalition partners in the National Democratic Alliance.

Not voting for a Dalit candidate will be a tough choice for legislators in states not aligned with the BJP but with many Adivasi voters, most notably Odisha (where Adivasis represent 23 per cent of the population), Jharkhand (27 per cent) and Chhattisgarh (31 per cent).

Despite Murmus nomination, the opposition repeatedly criticised the BJP for failing to include marginalised groups. What is more, The Wire news website points out that police abuses against Dalits continue.

In Dhinkia (Odisha) alone, 60 Dalit activists were arrested in the last six months, later released on bail. For years, locals have opposed a steel mill (now owned by the Jindal Group) that threatens the environment and the livelihoods of local residents, mostly fisherfolk and betel leaf farmers.

For the opposition, it is clear that the BJP is trying everything to win in the next elections. In recent weeks, a political crisis broke out within the party that governed Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena. On 30 June, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resigned.

Although the BJP claims it has nothing to do with political turmoil in Maharashtra, opposition leaders believe that the split within the party is opening a path for the BJP, working behind the scenes.

Immediately after taking office, Maharashtras new chief minister, Eknath Shinde, pledged his support and loyalty to the BJP while its new deputy chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, slammed the Shiv Sena for its past alliance with the Congress party against the BJP.
by Sumon Corraya

A missionary of the Immaculate, she is going back to Italy for medical treatment but the country that welcomed her remains in her heart. Her pastoral service was first and foremost for the women at the needlework centre in Gopalpur. She travelled around on her motorbike to preach the Gospel.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  Sister Filomena Alicandro, 85, has been in Bangladesh for 55 years. A senior member of the Missionaries of the Immaculate, the PIME Sisters, she worked at the church in Gopalpur, near Natore, for over 40 years.

Recently, she moved to Mirpur, near the capital, for medical reasons before going to Italy for further treatment.

Upon her arrival in Bangladesh in 1966, the country did not yet exist. This was East Pakistan then and poverty and backwardness were widespread, she told the Mondo e Missione magazine.

In rural villages, children did not go to school, and in families, women were treated like servants and counted for nothing in society, she explained.

Even "the roads were not good. I used a motorcycle to travel and preach the Gospel but sometimes it was difficult to drive because of the mud or the dust, she told AsiaNews before flying back to Italy.

Yet, her home visits allowed her to win over locals. I am happy to have done the work of catechist for Jesus Christ. It seems to me that 55 years in Bangladesh went by quickly.

As soon as she landed in the country, she realised that most of the women did not have employed work.

Since she had learnt to sew as a girl, she decided to teach local women how to embroider simple designs on the material used for the liturgy. We sold them and the proceeds went to the women to empower them economically.

In Sister Filomena's needlework centre, mothers could not to send their children to school. Sometimes the women directly taught the children. Some local girls became nuns, she told AsiaNews.

Born on 28 January 1937 in the diocese of Gaeta (Italy), she began her training in 1958 and became a nun in 1961. However, From childhood I have been involved in the activities of the Church, she explained.

Before starting her missionary life in Bangladesh, she worked at the PIME centre in Milan, and collaborated with the Italia Missionaria (Missionary Italy) and Mondo e Missione (World and Mission) magazines.

Last year, she received the Cuore Amico (Friendly heart) award in Brescia in recognition of her work. The prize is usually given to support missionaries.

Once her treatment is completed in Italy, she wants to go back to Bangladesh, but she is not sure if she will be able to do it because of her advanced age.

Nevertheless, even in Italy my mind will be in Gopalpur. I will never forget this beautiful country.
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Writers on the Range: Freedom in the West, but not for women
 Flash

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in the chest and taken to the hospital during his speech in Nara on Friday, NHK reported, citing an official from the Liberal Democratic Party.
AMG

As exciting as it is, hes not updating his long fleet of supercars but tagging along with a friend looking to get their first hypercar.So weve got Damon buying his first hypercar today, congratulations. This is how you do it too, flying a jet off to Orange County, California, he said.TheStradman is not surprised when he lands in California. There are as many private jets as there are supercars. When they finally get to the dealership, theres a fleet of Lamborghini Urus lined up in different colors as far as the eye can see.However, what immediately captures his eye is the Bugatti Chiron Super Sports. Its nothing like his Veyron and is currently the worlds fastest car. Theres also a Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport and two Mercedes-Black Series parked up front.Inside, there are more surprises. There is a Ford GT, a McLaren Senna, another Lamborghini Urus, and an SVJ Roadster. At the back, it's a Bugatti haven with a sample of his Veyron in a mix of red and black going for a whopping $1,750,000.Damon has a fascinating story. He dropped out of high school, but as fate would it, hes had a successful life. He never once in his life thought hed buy a hypercar. Hes owned a Ferrari F8, six Lamborghini Aventadors, two McLaren 720, a McLaren 765 Spider, and Coupe.Damon didnt go in for a full-blown Bugatti Chiron but got a McLaren Senna . Based on his car profile, hes a McLaren boy.
DOHC

According to the numbered plaque mounted on its top clamp, this Yamaha YZF-R1 Champions Limited Edition is the third out of 1,000 copies assembled for the 2001 model-year. In terms of mileage, the bikes six-digit odometer indicates that its been ridden for a mere 417 miles (671 km), so were practically looking at a brand-new machine.This Japanese crotch rocket was initially sold by a Massachusetts-based dealership to an employee, who kept hold of it for almost two decades. In 2020, the R1 made its way back to the same dealer lot, and it is now going under the hammer at no reserve on Bring a Trailer A total of five bids have been submitted thus far, the highest of which amounts to a generous ten grand at the time of this article. The auctioning deadline will be upon us in the early afternoon of July 10, meaning that youve only got two days to get in on the action if youre interested.What distinguishes the Champions Limited Edition from a regular YZF-R1 is the sexy Yamaha Racing-inspired livery, but theyre virtually identical on a mechanical level. Underneath those streamlined fairings lies a liquid-cooledfour-banger with five valves per cylinder, quad 40 mm (1.6 inches) Mikuni carbs, and a displacement of 998cc.Inhaling via a ram-air intake setup, the engine is capable of generating up to 150 feral horses at 10,000 revs. When the tachometers needle hovers above the 8,500-rpm mark, a maximum torque output of 79 pound-feet (108 Nm) will be summoned at the crankshaft.The oomph is transferred to a six-speed gearbox, which keeps the R1s rear hoop in motion through a 530 drive chain. Ultimately, this whole shebang can result in low tens on the quarter-mile and a top speed of 168 mph (270 kph). Without taking any fluids into consideration, Yamaha s juggernaut weighs in at a mere 386 pounds (175 kg).
Some helicopters spend most of their lives conducting pleasant business trips from one high-class location to another, while others were meant for much greater tasks. In 2005, the H125 helicopter (formerly known as the AS350 B3 Ecureuil) broke the record for the highest-altitude landing and take-off, at 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) on Mount Everest. Nobody has beat that record in 17 years.Some of the H125 helicopters are now operating in Tibet on a regular basis. Snow Eagle Aviation, the operator of the H125 fleet, is the first high-altitude general aviation company that obtained Chinas civil aviation operation permit. Since 2016, its been bravely functioning at these incredible altitudes and challenging conditions. Consider the fact that the take-off altitude at the Everest base camp is 17,060 feet (5,200 meters). In addition to that, the low temperature, thin air, high winds, and frequent turbulences make vertical flight even more difficult.But none of that is standing in the way of the H125 helicopters. They are still on a pioneering path, supporting innovative projects in the area. Theyre carrying research personnel and equipment from the Everest base camp to a site at 24,460 feet (7,469 meters) where the worlds highest automatic weather station (at 8,830 meters/29,000 feet) is being built.The H125s are also carrying out afforestation flights, which have never been done in Tibet until now. These missions are planting trees so that new forests can help naturally balance CO2 levels in the atmosphere.Powered by a Safran Arriel 2D turboshaft engine, this record-breaking rotorcraft can fly at 140 knots (161 mph/259 kph), boasting a four-hour endurance and a range of up to 340 nautical miles (391 miles/629 km).
EV

ICE

The oldvs.rivalry is getting much more complicated as more traditional carmakers push electric vehicles into the market. This is true even for the pickup truck segment, which was once considered a bastion of combustion vehicles. Rivian was first with the R1T, but GM soon followed with the GMC Hummer and Ford with the F-150 Lightning. This has prompted new comparisons in the never-ending game of mine is bigger than yours. This video shared on Youtube by Rivian Dad shows that objective views are still possible.The Rivian owner behind the Rivian Dad channel has never driven or touched the Ford F-150 Lightning until now. Thus, seeing his first impressions as he discovers Fords electric pickup is interesting. His first words as he climbs inside the cabin express his surprise at the number of physical buttons in the cockpit. As Rivian went with the more tablet approach, where everything is controlled using touch and gesture, Ford is more traditionalist, with many buttons to access the essential functions.Its in no way inferior, as the author emphasizes, just different from what he was used to. This impression goes beyond the infotainment system, as the two pickups set themselves apart. While the R1T is an adventure-oriented vehicle with plenty of oomph in the off-road department , the F-150 Lightning shows a more down-to-earth character. Ford indeed sells the Pro trim to businesses for as low as $40,000, while Rivian asks at least $67,500 for its cheapest version of the R1T.The F-150 Lightnings cabin is comfortable and appears more spacious, especially for rear passengers. Rivian Dad also likes the more thorough information offered to the driver via the two displays in the cockpit. He likes less the lack of an adjustable suspension, although the F-150 Lightning does a fine job absorbing bumps. As for the driving experience, the Lightning seems pretty much on par with the R1T in acceleration.At the end of the day, it becomes evident that the two pickup trucks are very different, which is a good thing. They target different customers with diverse needs, so everyone can choose what suits them best. Having more options in this segment is always a good thing. This will improve once the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV join the party.
EV

Elon Musk became concerned with the state of the economy and announced he would trim the Tesla workforce to face expected headwinds. He soon followed his tweets with a decision to lay off 200 Autopilot workers at Teslas San Antonio facility. Reports emerged of more Tesla employees fired at various company locations. Youd think Elon Musk knows better, but his actions are becoming more controversial as he approaches a middle-life crisis. His last decision might cost Tesla in the long run.Tesla acquired some of the most talented engineers, excited to work for an innovative company that changes peoples lives. With a flick of the hand, Musk threw this away, granting its rivals what they wanted so badly: Tesla talents. According to a study by Punks & Pinstripes , an organization that tracked Tesla employees movement, all departed staff work now for rival companies. Punks & Pinstripes analyzed 457 Tesla talent departures over the past 90 days using data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator.According to their study, electric vehicle rivals Rivian and Lucid welcomed 90 ex-Tesla employees over the past 90 days. Even more (102) were scooped up by Amazon and Apple, companies with a history of head-hunting in Teslas yard. A total of 77 Tesla talents were hired by software companies Google, Meta, and Microsoft. Not surprisingly, not many ex-Tesla employees want to work for traditional car companies: only eight people went to Ford or GM.The relocation of the highly skilled staff from Tesla to rival companies means themarket and the automated driving sector will change dramatically. Musks increasingly irrational behavior in the last months has prompted an exodus of Tesla talents, even without him announcing cutting 3.5% of Teslas total workforce. The return to office notice that Musk issued recently was probably the last straw. The problem for Tesla is that other companies are eagerly looking to hire Tesla talents.If the Emperor of Mars doesnt want you, Ill be happy to bring you over to #AWS, Zafar Choudhury, a recruiting leader at Amazon Web Services, wrote on LinkedIn. His message contained a tongue-in-cheek reference to Musks fixation on colonizing Mars.Recruiters at Microsoft issued a similar call to disgruntled Tesla employees. Elon Musk was probably right to say that Tesla is on the ropes, expressing concerns over the companys future. What he failed to comprehend is that he is the one pushing Tesla into a tight corner.
EV

Maybe Tesla should make a highly configurable Robovan for people & cargo?  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2022

Musk seems to be obsessed about Earths population declining and people not giving birth to enough children. Hes done his best, as he admitted, not least by having an affair with one of his employees , Shivon Zillis. This resulted in two more children being born on Earth last November.This was only found out this week, which landed Musk in hot waters, explaining how was that possible. Apparently, Musk was in the middle of justifying precisely that on Thursday when the Robovan idea crossed his mind.Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis, wrote Musk in a series of tweets spanning 15 minutes. A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far. Mark my words, they are sadly true. Population of Mars is still zero people! I hope you have big families and congrats to those who already do! Then, 7 minutes later, he followed with, Maybe Tesla should make a highly configurable Robovan for people & cargo?Its hard to separate the two seemingly unrelated topics since they came basically at the same time. The Robovan question ended Musks activity for about 5 hours, after which he engaged with his audience in discussing ideas about the new people carrier. He touched on the design after looking at the picture we also use as an illustration for this article, saying, it is high time that the future looked like the future.A couple of hours later, Musk revisited the trailer prototype Tesla showed at IdeenExpo in Germany, and a bunch of new ideas emerged. Maybe with an optional solar power canopy that extends both sides of the van, tripling roof area, said Musk, adding that a van would have more roof height, so you could stand or sit under it for shade.Not everybody was thrilled with the idea. Many people suggested that Tesla concentrate on the number of vehicles Musk promised and never delivered. We might think of the $25,000project, canceled by Musk, but some Tesla customers still wait for the Cybertruck they reserved years ago.Nevertheless, the idea of a Tesla electric van is not new, just as Tesla has promised a robotaxi for as long as I remember. But combining the two concepts and making the Robovan configurable enough to carry both people and goods is maybe something. It makes sense; after all, with more dysfunctional families, there is less need for seats in a family car. Thats where the cargo part might justify having a bigger vehicle.
Its way too soon to talk about battery-electric military boats or hydrogen-powered warships  these concepts might not be feasible yet. But there are many other eco-friendly strategies that can be implemented when it comes to fleet operations, and the Royal Navy seems to be leading the way.The latest development is the inauguration of the Queen Elizabeth Carrier Forward Logistics Center in Portsmouth Naval Base, which is the Navys first-ever net-zero carbon building. Thats because renewable energy from the sun is used here to power everything from the computer systems to the forklift trucks operating inside.In addition to this pioneering building, the Portsmouth Naval Base made other eco-friendly steps as well, such as the integration of electric vehicles and charging points or the construction of wind turbines. Initiatives such as these have already brought it three environmental awards, and this is just the beginning.The Navys vessels are also incorporating various green features. For example, its new Type 26 frigates, a total of eight, were redesigned with hydrodynamic performance in mind, meaning that they are able to hit greater speeds without the addition of larger engines. Plus, they will sport an eco-friendly, anti-fouling paint that limits marine growth.The Navys new patrol ships , HMS Tamar and HMS Spey boast catalytic reduction systems that lower the levels of nitrous oxide emissions. Other vessels, why not incorporate specific green features, and help the environment through the work that they do. For example, the famous HMS Protector icebreaker is deployed for wildlife and climate research missions.Also, starting next year, the Navys ships that comply with certain sustainability standards will be recognized as such under the future Green Pennant scheme.
kW

Advertised on Mobile , it is set to be delivered to Germany next January, and that is when the new owner, assuming it will sell by then, will get the keys. To sign their name on the dotted line, they will have to pay the eye-watering sum of 12,999,000, or a little over $13.2 million at todays exchange rates.When it was still available, the Centodieci carried a starting price of 8 million ($8.1 million), and if it changes hands for the aforementioned number, then thats an almost 5 million ($5.1 million) profit right there. Kind of beats investing in the usual stuff, such as real-estate, stocks, gold, or crypto (that hasnt gone well at all), doesnt it?Shown to the world almost three years ago, at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, the Bugatti Centodieci is an ode to the EB 110. To no ones surprise, it shares many nuts and bolts with the regular Chiron, albeit it features a completely different body that brings some of the lines of its iconic forefather into the 21st century.This is a modern-day hypercar built in Molsheim, and that means that it packs a very familiar power unit in the middle. Yes, were talking about the famous 8.0-liter W16 engine, with quad turbocharging, which kicks out 1,577 hp (1,600 ps / 1,177) in this instance. Ask the French company, which operates under the roof of the Volkswagen Group, how quick it is to 62 mph (100 kph), and they will tell you that it needs 2.4 seconds, before tapping out at 236 mph (380 kph).
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Vietnam sees decline in daily Covid-19 infections on Friday
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Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being fatally shot Friday by a gunman during a speech in the western city of Nara when campaigning for Sunday's upper house election, local media reported.

Abe, 67, fell to the ground and was seen bleeding after he was shot from behind at 11:30 a.m. local time when he was speaking in front of Kintetsu Railway's Yamato-Saidaiji Station, local police and firefighters said.

Two shots were heard at the site and blood could be seen on Abe's shirt.

According to the disaster management agency, Abe was wounded and bleeding on the right side of his neck along with internal bleeding confirmed in the left side of his chest.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital and showed no signs of life, according to local police and emergency services.

The former prime minister died at 5:03 p.m. local time, the hospital that received Abe told a press conference in the afternoon.

The hospital said that he was injured in heart and two places of neck after being shot, adding that his wound was deep enough to reach his heart.

The cause of death was believed to be blood loss, according to the hospital.

Abe was conscious when admitted but then fell into unconsciousness later in the afternoon, the hospital said.

Police arrested gunman Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a resident of Nara, at the scene.

Yamagami worked for the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) for three years until around 2005, Japan's public broadcaster NHK quoted defense sources as saying.

He was brought under control at the site and local police retrieved what appeared to be a handmade gun from the vicinity of where the former prime minister was shot, according to government reports.

"It's not a grudge against the political beliefs of former Prime Minister Abe," the police quoted Yamagami as saying.

After canceling campaigning in Yamagata Prefecture and returning to his office in Tokyo by helicopter, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting in the strongest possible terms, saying such a barbaric act should never be tolerated.

The assailant's motive is not fully known, he said.

Abe who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, stepped down from his post due to a chronic intestinal disease.

On Aug. 24, 2020, Abe became Japan's longest-serving prime minister by number of consecutive days in office.
The plant located on the mountainous Marts river was co-owned by Samvel Darbinian, a former mayor of the nearby city of Vanadzor, and his brother. Darbinian has faced a string of corruption charges since the 2018 velvet revolution that brought Pashinian to power.

Last November, a Vanadzor court found him guilty of one of those charges but dropped the case, citing a statute of limitations. The decision came six months after the sale of the Marts power plant.

Its official buyer is a 20-year-old nephew of Khachatur Kokobelian, a businessman leading a small pro-government party. The new owner named Pashinians brother Armen to run the plant immediately after the deal.

Armen Pashinian used to live in Russia. He returned to Armenia after the 2018 regime change. The fact-checking website Fip.am revealed recently that he is also the chief executive of three other businesses belonging to the Kokobelian family.

Earlier this week, Darbinian dismissed suggestions that he sold the hydroelectric facility to avoid imprisonment. Both the ex-mayor, who ran Vanadzor from 1999-2016, and his brother Seyran refused to give a clear reason for the sale.

I sold it because I wanted to sell, Seyran Darbinian said vaguely.

In a written response to RFE/RLs Armenian Service sent on Friday, the Armenian state registry of legal entities revealed that the new owner bought the plant for as little as 50,000 drams.

The plant had an authorized capital of 250 million drams ($610,000) as of April 2021. According to Armenias national power distribution network, it produced more than $200,000 worth of electricity annually in 2019 and 2020.

Nikol Pashinian has repeatedly claimed to have eliminated systemic corruption in Armenia. Law-enforcement authorities have launched dozens of high-profile corruption investigations during his rule, mostly targeting former top government officials and individuals linked to them.

Critics say that Pashinian uses corruption inquiries to crack down on his political opponents. They also claim that some members of his entourage are busy enriching themselves or their cronies and question the integrity of procurements administered by the current government.
Kim Brent/The Enterprise

A state agency is hosting ribbon cutting ceremonies for two new affordable housing complexes in Jefferson County to replace housing damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is celebrating the opening of two new apartment complexes July 14 in Jefferson County. The GLO disaster recovery team will be hosting ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremonies at 11 a.m. at Beaumont Village on N Major Road in Beaumont and at 1:30 p.m. at Cedar Ridge on 9th Street in Port Arthur.
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Julio Delgado plans to be the president of Lamar University within the next 30 years.

He seemed to be well on his way after receiving the Gates Millennium Scholarship, which covers the tuition of up to five years undergraduate, two years of graduate and four years of a doctoral classes.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, like most college students, Port Arthur native Delgado struggled with the transition to virtual classes and considered taking time off.

The decision was quickly made for him when he and his two brothers got COVID-19. On August 31, 2021, his 16-year-old brother Isaias died due to virus complications.

"At this point, it wasn't a decision of if I'm going to go back or not," Delgado said. "At that point, I knew for a fact that I had to take some time off. My mom was going to need some time to grieve. She was going to need some time to process the loss of a child."

RELATED: Lamar gives all-clear after investigating bomb threat

Delgado, who has been working toward his bachelor's degree since 2016, has completed five years of his undergraduate classes and has one year left.

Since he took year off, Delgado has had to work on deferring his scholarship until he's able to return to classes. But now, a $7,500 overdue balance related the unfinished 2021 semester stands in the way of receiving the transcript he needs to defer the scholarship until he reinstates funding as a graduate student.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given the first-generation college student grace for his transcript, but he needs to have by July 14.

Delgado said the foundation told him "if by July 14, we don't hear from you or you don't have that official transcript, there's a huge possibility that you will forfeit any future funding."

He said he's not asking for the school to forgive the balance, he just needs more time to gather it and doesn't want to lose his scholarship in the mean time.

So, he's tried to do everything in his power to get his transcript and avoid losing funding for masters- and doctorate-level coursework -- something achieved by just 45% and 19% of first-generation college graduates, respectively, according to data from the Center for First-Generation Student Success. Those moves have included reaching out to Lamar University and private loan offices.

RELATED: Port Arthur native, Lamar University alumnus named Texas Legal Legend

In October 2021, Delgado sent a letter and email to Lamar University President Jamie Taylor asking for help in gaining his transcript.

"I am not asking for my balance to be forgiven as I intend to pay the school every cent it is owed," Delgado wrote in his letter. "I simply ask for you to advocate on my behalf. I ask for there to be an exception so that I can get my official transcript even though I owe a balance."

Taylor responded a week later saying he would look into it and get back to Delgado. Eight months later, Delgado has yet to receive a response.

"Please allow me some time to research your situation and I'll respond as soon as I am able," Taylor wrote in response to Delgado's email.

The Beaumont Enterprise reached out to Taylor and his office for a statement. The only response received was an automatic reply saying Taylor would be out until July 15 -- the day after Delgado must provide his transcript to the foundation -- although he'd have some access to email.

Delgado also has attempted to get private loans to pay his overdue balance, but the fee does not fall under the accepted parameters.

"I have patiently waited for months since I am aware other items on his agenda may be of more importance and of more impact," Delgado's change.org petition reads. "For this reason, I have not applied much pressure on the issue."

RELATED: Taylor looks back on his first year as Lamar president

But he's almost out of time.

Recently, Delgado has taken matters into his own hands and has started a Go Fund Me to raise the overdue balance and a change.org petition to convince Lamar to give him his transcript.

Delgado said he can't just lose his scholarship without trying to save it. For him, the situation reminds him of the Hamilton song "My Shot."

"When you have that opportunity, and you see it slipping through your fingers, it's like, no, I gotta do something about it," Delgado said. "I can't throw away my shot."

Delgado said even looking at the situation from a business perspective doesn't make sense.

''Before Spring 2021, the university got $80,000 in my name through this scholarship provider," Delgado said. "So, to hold my transcript for $7,500 when they have the opportunity to continue getting more if I stay as a graduate ... seems like a short-sighted decision to make."

Regardless if he is able to keep his scholarship, Delgado said he will find a way to get and pay for his continuing education so he can come back to Lamar University and make a difference.

"Though I may not be a priority to Lamar University, Lamar University is a priority of mine," Delgado's change.org petition reads. "It is my dream to one day be able to come back to Southeast Texas and serve Lamar University as University President. As a first-generation, nontraditional, LatinX, indigenous and neurodivergent student, I aspire to become a resource to all those who desire to pursue an education despite the presence of what could be considered setbacks."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) meets Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting at Nusa Dua in Bali, Indonesia, July 8, 2022.

The G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali concluded Friday with several nations top diplomats condemning Moscows war in Ukraine in the presence of their Russian counterpart, who walked out at least once during what he called the frenzied castigation.

Retno Marsudi, the chief diplomat of host country Indonesia, did not say whether the meeting reached any consensus about food security, but mentioned that participants were deeply concerned about the conflicts global impact on food, energy and finance.

Some of the Group of Twenty members expressed condemnation of Russias invasion of Ukraine, she said, adding, It is our responsibility to end the war as quickly as possible. And to build bridges and not walls.

Developing countries will be the most affected, particularly low-income countries and small, developing countries. There is an urgent need to address global food supply chain disruptions, integrating food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia into the global market, Rento said in a statement after the meeting.

Since Russia invaded the neighboring country on Feb. 24, its military forces have blocked all of Ukraines Black Sea ports and cut off access to almost all of that countrys exports  especially of grain  sparking fears of a global food crisis. Ukraine is the worlds fourth-largest grain exporter.

Before the meeting started, Sergey Lavrov, Russias foreign minister, had to deal with tough questions from at least one reporter.

When will you stop the war? a German journalist asked as Moscows top diplomat shook hands with Retno.

Lavrov did not respond and walked away.

At the ministers meeting, Lavrov, sat between representatives from Saudi Arabia and Mexico. He later told reporters that during the meeting, he accused the West of preventing a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine by refusing to talk to Russia.

If the West doesnt want talks to take place but wishes for Ukraine to defeat Russia on the battlefield  because both views have been expressed  then perhaps, there is nothing to talk about with the West, TASS, the Russian state news agency, quoted him as saying.

Asked if there was any chance that he and Blinken could talk, he said: It was not us that abandoned all contact. It was the United States.

If they dont want to talk, its their choice, Lavrov added.

Before the U.S. diplomat left for Bali, U.S. State Department officials said that he would not meet Lavrov formally until the Russians were serious about diplomacy.

But the Reuters news agency quoted Indonesias Retno as saying that Lavrov and Blinken were seen in a conversation in the meeting room.

Additionally, Blinken is said to have responded to Lavrovs accusations against the West, Reuters said, citing an unnamed diplomat, who added, though, that Lavrov wasnt in the room at that time.

He addressed Russia directly, saying: To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out, the official said, according to Reuters.

The meeting on Friday occurred under the shadow of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during an election campaign speech in Nara, Japan. In a message of condolence to the Japanese people, Retno said Abe would be remembered as the best role model for all.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks to reporters during the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting at the Mulia Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, July 8, 2022. [Joan Tanamal/BenarNews]

Everyone has to feel comfortable

After the meeting, Lavrov and his German counterpart traded barbs.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized Lavrov for being absent from the meeting room, according to German news agency DPA.

The fact that the Russian foreign minister spent a large part of the negotiations here not in the room but outside the room underlines that there is not even a millimeter of willingness to talk on the part of the Russian government at the moment, DPA quoted Baerbock as saying.

She noted that Lavrov was not present at discussions on how to improve global food supply and distribution problems.

For his part, Lavrov questioned Western manners when informing reporters that G7 diplomats had skipped a welcome dinner organized by Indonesia on Thursday, TASS reported.

A welcome reception organized by Indonesia was held yesterday, a reception and a concert, and they [G7 countries] were absent from it, Lavrov said.

This is how they understand protocol, politeness and code of conduct, he added.

Indonesias Retno spoke about the boycotted dinner.

We are trying to create a comfortable situation for all. When the G7 countries said they could not attend the optional informal reception, they all talked and I said I could understand the situation because once again, everyone has to feel comfortable, Retno said.

Indonesia has been trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, with President Joko Jokowi Widodo visiting the two countries last month on a trip he described as a peace mission.

While his mission to persuade Moscow to declare a ceasefire did not immediately materialize, Jokowi said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised he would secure safe sea passage of grain and fertilizers from the worlds breadbaskets Russia and Ukraine, to avert a global food crisis.
The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday prompted grief across Asia, but mixed reactions on Chinas tightly controlled internet, with nationalistic Little Pinks openly celebrating Abes death.

The news of Abes death following a shooting by a gunman in Nara, Japan during a speech on the election campaign trail made it to the front page of the Chinese Communist Partys official Peoples Daily newspaper online edition, but as a fairly small headline below stories about CCP leader Xi Jinping.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara, the Associated Press reported.

He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, the agency quoted hospital officials as saying.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, while Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his cabinet ministers rushed back to Tokyo to respond to what Kishida called a dastardly and barbaric attack.

Sundays parliamentary elections will go ahead as planned, he said.

This image taken from video provided by witness Toshiharu Otani and released via Jiji Press shows former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe (center) attending an election campaign before giving a speech at Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji station square in Nara, while a man suspected of shooting Abe shortly after stands in the background, July 8, 2022. [Jiji via AFP]

Chinas nationalistic Global Times newspaper quoted Prime Minister Kishida condemning the barbaric attack, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian as saying that China was shocked by the incident.

After Japans announcement of Abes death, Chinese Embassy in Japan also mourned Abes passing and extended condolences to his family, the paper said.

It quoted Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, as saying that Abes death could boost nationalistic sentiment in Japan.

Japanese nationalism is also likely to be further strengthened by the incident, Da said. People may have concerns about whether the volume of calls in Japan to return to the path of war will increase further.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lies on the ground after being shot while campaigning in Nara, Japan, July 8, 2022. [Kyodo via Reuters]

Some online comments reacting to Abes death on Chinese social media platforms were nakedly hateful, according to The Great Translation Project Twitter account, which translates and curates social media commentary in China.

The people of Shaanxi extend our warm congratulations to this, the account translated one comment as saying. Several other comments followed with the exact same wording, but referring to different parts of China.

A man who is believed to have shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is tackled by police in Nara, Japan, July 8, 2022. [The Asahi Shimbun via Reuters]

Territorial, historical grievances

China and Japan have been at loggerheads over a disputed island chain, visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni shrine, where some Japanese war criminals are interred, and an ongoing war of words over Tokyos recognition of past military aggression and human rights abuses in East Asia.

In 2012, a tense diplomatic standoff with Japan provoked nationwide protests and anti-Japanese riots over the Senkaku, or Diaoyu, Islands, while China held war drills in waters near Japan after then opposition leader Shinzo Abe visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo which honors Japans war dead, including Class A war criminals.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is carried on a stretcher as he arrives at a hospital in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, Japan, July 8, 2022. [Kyodo via Reuters]

The CCP later launched a crackdown on irrational forms of nationalism at home after thousands of people took to the streets in a wave of mass protests in Chinese cities that lasted for several weeks.

On the democratic island of Taiwan, where former President Lee Teng-hui was known to have a close relationship with Abe, President Tsai Ing-wen severely condemned the violence of the attack.

Japan ... is an important democratic partner of Taiwan ... and former Prime Minister Abe was committed over the long term to deepening friendly ties between Taiwan and Japan, Tsai said.

A similar statement was issued by the office of former president Ma Ying-jeou.

Ko Wen-je, chairman of the Taiwan Peoples Party, said Abes death was a great loss for Taiwan-Japan relations.

Praise from Tibetans, Uyghurs, Southeast Asian leaders

Elsewhere, Tibetans and Uyghurs expressed grief for Abe and gratitude to him for championing their causes as people living unwillingly under oppressive Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama wrote to Abes widow Akie Abe offering his condolences.

I am deeply saddened to hear that my friend, Mr. Abe Shinzo has passed away following a gunshot attack this morning, the Tibetan exiled spiritual leader wrote. I pray for him and offer my condolences to you and members of your family.

As you know, your late husband was a steadfast friend of the Tibetan people. I very much appreciated his friendship and support of our efforts to preserve our rich Buddhist cultural heritage and identity, the letter said.

The Germany-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC) expressed shock at the killing of Abe, calling him a genuine ally of the Uyghur people, by listening to their voices and defending the cause in international fora.

WUC President Dolkun Isa said Abe always inspired great values, and he was a fervent supporter of the Uyghur cause, before and during his time as prime minister of Japan.

A woman reacts in front of a makeshift memorial outside Yamato-Saidaiji railway station in Nara, Japan, where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot earlier in the day, July 8, 2022. [AFP]

Farther afield in Asia, leaders remembered Abe for his active diplomacy in the region that helped balance Chinas growing influence.

In strife-torn Myanmar, both the military junta that took power in a February 2021 coup and the shadow administration formed by members of the deposed civilian government hailed Abe as a friend to the country.

Myanmars people will never forget the support and help which Mr. Abe offered to us. The people of Myanmar stand in solidarity with the people of Japan during this time of sorrow, said Zin Mar Aung, foreign minister of the National Unity Government.

Military junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, speaking before Abes death was announced, said the regime denounced the act and was deeply shocked.

Former Prime Minister Abe is an old friend and good friend of Myanmar, he said.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed grief for Abe, who he called a long-time good friend of mine and Cambodia.

I was extremely shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the passing of His Excellency Abe Shinzo, resulting from the daylight assassination.

Abe, he said, was an outstanding Japanese statesman who had been widely acknowledged and praised for his able leadership to move Japan forward and for his active contribution to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond.

In Manila, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. voiced shock and deep sadness at Abes death and sent condolences to his family and the Japanese people.

He was a devoted friend and a supporter of the Philippines, and it was during his leadership that the Philippine-Japan relations truly flourished, he said.

At a meeting of top G20 diplomats in Bali, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi conveyed condolences to the Japanese people, saying Abe would be remembered as the best role model for all in a message of condolences.

In Bangkok, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha issued a statement saying, It is with utmost grief that I mourn the passing of a great friend.

If there could be any consolation to this senseless tragedy  it is the fact that Prime Minister Abe made his beloved nation and the world a better place with his lifelong dedication to public service, he said.

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Abe had played an important role in strengthening the ties between Malaysia and Japan while foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah noted that as prime minister, Abe had visited Malaysia three times and played a key role in advancing and diversifying further bilateral relations with Malaysia.

And in Bangladesh, which said it would observe a day of state mourning on Saturday in Abes memory, Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said, Shinzo Abe was a close friend of mine and he was also a friend of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, state media in Vietnam carried Abes killing as top news, publishing photos of Hanois top leaders meeting Abe, who had stepped up Japanese diplomacy in Southeast Asia and cultivated ties with Vietnam as a counter to China.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed sorrow to Japan and to Abes family and appreciation for the support Abe extended to Vietnam, including his forging of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

In Laos, state media also reported Abes death, while the government had yet to release any reaction on Friday.

This report was produced by Radio Free Asia, an online news service affiliated with BenarNews, with contributions from BenarNews correspondents.
Rappler CEO Maria Ressa (center) is escorted to a news conference after the Manila Regional Trial Court convicted her on a cyber-libel charge, June 15, 2020.

The Court of Appeals upheld a cyber-libel conviction against Maria Ressa, the Nobel Prize-winning chief executive of the Rappler news website, and a former staffer while adding eight months to their maximum prison sentences imposed by a lower court in 2020.

Rappler, a digital media news agency co-founded by Ressa in 2011, said it received the courts decision on Friday.

Ressa, who is internationally regarded as a champion of press freedom in the Philippines, and Santos disagree with the decision and their legal counsels are currently reviewing the decision, Rappler said in a statement.

Both will avail of all legal remedies available to them, including elevating the decision to the Supreme Court for review.

On June 15, 2020, a Manila lower court sentenced Ressa, a known critic of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, and former Rappler researcher Rey Santos Jr. after finding them guilty of libeling Filipino-Chinese businessman Wilfredo Keng. The case stemmed from a May 2012 report that exposed a former chief justices alleged links to businessmen including Keng.

Under Philippine law, cyber libel is a bailable offense, granting Ressa and Santos temporary freedom until the Supreme Court reaches a final ruling.

While the decision is unfortunate, it is also a good opportunity for the Supreme Court to take a second look at the constitutionality of cyber libel and the continuing criminalization of libel, especially in light of the freedom of expression and freedom of the press, the Rappler statement said.

The appellate court also imposed a longer maximum prison sentence from the lower courts initial six years, ordering Ressa and Santos to suffer the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment, which ranges from anywhere from six months to six years, eight months and 20 days. It also fined the pair 400,000 pesos (U.S. $7,160).

Indubitably, Kengs name has been tarnished by the appellants subject article which hastily incriminated him of several unsubstantiated offenses, the court stated in its 41-page decision.

Rappler and Ressa are facing at least seven active cases ranging from alleged tax fraud, violations of the anti-dummy law that prohibits foreign ownership of a mass media company and cyber libel.

Conviction, closure

The court decision came a week after the regulator Securities and Exchange Commission upheld its 2018 shutdown order against Rappler over an alleged violation of the anti-dummy law.

The media organization denied any wrongdoing, vowing to continue operations as usual and to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court as well.

Rappler, which Duterte repeatedly attacked as a source of fake news, drew the ire of the former leader over its critical coverage of his drug war which has left thousands of Filipinos dead.

It also angered the camp of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over its independent reporting on disinformation, the familys assets and corruption cases.
Newly installed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tested positive for COVID-19 and will run the government from isolation, his aides said Friday.

Marcos, who took office last week, has a slight fever but is otherwise fine, Press Secretary Beatrix Rose Cruz-Angeles told a news briefing.

Marcos would have to undergo isolation for seven days from the time he tested positive, according to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

After that, if his symptoms have resolved already, he may be able to go back to work and have his face-to-face activities, she said.

The Presidential Management Staff had already contacted all people who were in close contact with the Philippine leader, she said.

The Marcos clan, led by his elderly mother Imelda Marcos, was with Marcos Jr. when he was inaugurated as the countrys 17th president last week, as were dozens of foreign diplomats, personalities and local officials. Among them were Douglas Emhoff, the husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan.

Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, a House of Representatives member and Marcos eldest son, had spent time with his father but has tested negative, the presidential palace said. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and her two other sons are currently out of town and are not known to have recently been in contact with the president.

Cruz-Angeles said that she as well as Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez and other palace personnel who were considered close contacts have tested negative for COVID-19.

Since Marcos is symptomatic, the result of the antigen test is already considered accurate, Vergeire said, without elaborating.

The president will participate virtually in an upcoming meeting of the Leagues of Governors and Mayors, where the current vaccination campaign is scheduled to be discussed.

This is part of the continuing campaign for a series of vaccinations and booster shots in preparation for the face-to-face opening of classes this school year, Cruz-Angeles said. The president encourages the public to get their vaccine series and boosters.

The government has lifted nearly all health restrictions across the country after mass vaccination campaigns were carried out. Shops, malls and businesses have also since reopened, although wearing of masks is still mandatory.

As of last month, about 70.3 million people of the countrys 110 million population have been fully vaccinated. Another 15 million have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The government is aiming to fully vaccinate 70 percent of the population to achieve herd immunity.
A counter-insurgency operation in Thailands Deep South led to the rare killing on Friday of two PULO rebels and arrests of eight others linked to the mostly dormant militant group that has recently expressed interest in joining peace talks.

The operation in Yala province brought to five the number of suspected insurgents killed by the military since Tuesday, officials said, making it the deadliest week of violence in the border region since the government and BRN rebels observed a 40-day ceasefire starting in early April, during Ramadan.

At about 6 a.m., when officials reached the houses, a gunfight broke out, killing two suspects  another eight surrendered. We believe they were hiding to launch attacks somewhere there, said police Col. Ratpolchai Pensongkram, chief of the Kota Bharu police station in Yala province.

He and other officials said the eight who surrendered admitted that they and the two slain suspects were members of PULO G5 or the fifth iteration of the Patani United Liberation Organization rebel group, which was most powerful in the 1990s.

Troops recovered an AK-47 rifle, an M-1 carbine and a 9mm handgun along with two bodies in a field in Mai Khan village, officials said, adding that leaflets inscribed with PULO G5 were found in a nearby house.

The deaths follow a Tuesday operation where different security forces killed a suspected Barisan Revolusion Nasional (BRN) member and captured another during a clash in Pattani. On Wednesday, security forces killed two suspected BRN cell members in Narathiwat province.

The regional army commander confirmed that those killed and captured on Friday were PULO members.

Today eight men surrendered, admitting they are PULO. They also collaborated with a drug ring to create violence but there must be further investigation, said Lt. Gen. Kriangkrai Srirak, the commander of the 4th Army Region which oversees the Deep South.

Kasturi Mahkota, the head of PULO-MKP (Majlis Kepimpinan Pertubuhan or Party Leadership Council) questioned the army commanders statement.

I havent heard a report from the ground about the incident yet. But the accusation of PULOs drugs involvement is not true, Kasturi told BenarNews.

Previous violence

On April 15 as Kasturi, who leads one of three PULO factions, expressed interest in joining BRN in peace talks with the government, PULO members took credit for twin bombings that shattered the negotiators 40-day ceasefire tied to the Muslim holy month.

Those explosions in Pattani province killed a villager and injured three police bomb squad members.

On Friday, Kriangkrai, the regional army commander, dismissed concerns about the deadly week.

I acknowledge the summary killings are a concern  but people forget about the attack on the marine police station in Tak Bai which took place after Ramadan ended. Security forces have to enforce the law though we try to practice restraint, he said.

Authorities said three officers were injured when 10 gunmen armed with assault rifles and grenades attacked a police station near the border with Malaysia.

Still, regional officials said the military seeks peace in the Deep South.

We continue with the sentiment of Ramadan peace initiative which remains intact and we will have a peace talk this month but I cannot remember the dates, Kriangkrai said.

The Deep South encompasses Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala provinces and four districts of Songkhla province in Thailands majority-Muslim Malay southern border region. Since the insurgency reignited in January 2004, more than 7,000 people have been killed and 13,500 others injured in violence across the region, according to Deep South Watch, a local think-tank.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
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Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
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PITTSFIELD  Prosecutors didnt persuade a jury that Yulanda Chadwells brother shot and killed a man in 2017. Now, they plan to put her on trial for allegedly misleading investigators.

Yulanda Chadwell, 41, of Pittsfield, is accused of lying to police about her brothers whereabouts the evening of July 4, 2017, the night Paul Henry was shot dead on John Street. She has pleaded not guilty to a single count of misleading a police officer.

Her brother, J.C. Chadwell, was found not guilty of Henrys murder late last month by a Berkshire Superior Court jury.

At J.C. Chadwells trial, the Berkshire District Attorneys Office relied in part on an audio- and video-recorded interview from 2018 during which Chadwell told investigators he pulled the trigger on the gun that killed Henry.

Chadwell tried unsuccessfully in 2019 to have video of that interview excluded from evidence, but a judge ruled it was admissible after determining that Chadwell gave the statement to police of his own free will, and that Pittsfield police conducted the interview properly.

When Chadwell took the stand in his own defense last month, he testified he had given the statement involuntarily and said he had falsely confessed to the shooting.

He and his defense lawyers introduced to jurors the name of an unindicted third party, whom they claimed had actually fired the fatal shot at Henry. The prosecution did not call any witnesses to rebut Chadwells testimony.

The office of Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington is pursuing the case against Yulanda Chadwell. A spokesman for the office also suggested Thursday it stands behind its argument that Chadwell shot Henry. Chadwell walked out of court after his acquittal on June 29.

While we respect the jurys decision, the Commonwealth stands behind the case we presented at trial, alleging that JC Chadwell shot Paul Henry, said spokesman Andy McKeever in a statement. The jurys decision in the JC Chadwell case has no bearing on the separate case against Yulanda Chadwell.

According to a report filed by Lt. Glen Decker, who is now retired, when police went to Yulanda Chadwells home to interview her on Sept. 4, 2017, a couple months after the fatal shooting, she told investigators, Thats my brother. Im not going to say anything about my brother.

Decker responded that he thought it was odd that Yulanda Chadwell mentioned her brother then, because by that point, police had not referenced his name.

Yulanda Chadwell told officers that she and her brother had been in Hudson, N.Y., the night of the shooting, according to the report.

But Decker said two other people disproved the alibi that the Chadwell siblings gave the police. On the stand, Chadwell testified that he had indeed been at block party when the shooting occurred, but claimed that he didnt shoot Henry.

After speaking with dozens of people during the course of this investigation, JC Chadwell was the only suspect being named as the shooter, Decker wrote in his report.

According to Chadwells testimony, the shooter was a gang-affiliated weapons supplier who was so feared that neither he nor other potential witnesses were willing to name him to the police.

Yulanda Chadwells trial had originally been scheduled to begin in Berkshire Superior Court on Monday. Assistant District Attorney Amy Winston requested a continuance during a hearing Wednesday, and Judge John Agostini ordered her trial pushed to Oct. 31.

Winston said she requested the continuance to receive more time to prepare for trial. She filed an affidavit indicating the DAs office needs to check on the availability of several civilian and law enforcement witnesses, as well as to obtain a recording of J.C. Chadwells testimony from his murder trial.

Yulanda Chadwells defense attorney, Joshua Hochberg, indicated that a potential plea recommendation had been discussed with the DAs office, but suggested that agreement has been scuttled. He said the defense has a strong case, but was nonetheless ready to mitigate risk by resolving the case before trial.

Now the Commonwealth wants multiple years in state prison, he said, so Im shocked.
Jim Shulman, a Pittsfield native living in Ohio, is the author of Berkshire Memories: A Baby Boomer Looks Back at Growing Up in Pittsfield. If you have a memory of a Berkshire baby-boom landmark, business or event youd like to share or read about, please write Jim at jesjmskali@aol.com.
At Glacier Point, 3,254 feet above the floor of Yosemite Valley and 7,250 feet above sea level, numerous peaks of the main Sierra Nevada range can be seen silhouetted, July 8, 1952. (AP Photo/Ernest K. Bennett)
FLORIDA  Even though its coming up on mid-July, the Christmas spirit is alive and well on Florida Mountain.

Folks in Florida typically celebrate the holiday by throwing a big shindig at the Florida Community and Senior Center in December, according to Senior Center Director Sue Oleson. But due to the pandemic, and how crowded the senior center gets during the Christmas party, officials decided to skip the celebration for two years in a row.

Now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted, local organizers decided its time to let loose with a free Christmas in July bash at the Senior Center starting at noon July 28.

Oleson said there will be some built-in social distancing, because attendance is capped at 40 merrymakers. The typical Christmas celebrations have drawn as many as 70.

With 70 people, were pretty much shoulder to shoulder, Oleson said. So well limit that to 40, and its already just about full.

She added that there will be drawings for prizes. Turkey dinners will be delivered to shut ins, and employees of the Highway Dept. will get dinners too.

The traditional Christmas party serves a turkey dinner with trimmings, as it will for the July celebration. It will be catered by Boston Seafood. Oleson noted that since Florida turnips are out of season, carrots will replace them.

Santa is not expected, but there are reports that one of his elves will stop by, Oleson said. And there will be plenty of Christmas decorations and holiday music.

Were looking forward to just having one at all, since we skipped it two years in a row, said Judy St. Jacques, a member of the Friends of the Florida Council on Aging. We didnt want to wait until December. And then well have another one in December, too.

The Senior Center, between programming and various activities, drew about 140 visits during June, Oleson said.

The center is not just for seniors, either. She said the doors are open to everyone. People turn to the senior center for a variety of things, even well-being checks on friends and neighbors.

Everyone up here looks out for their neighbors, Oleson said. They give each other rides, chop firewood for each other, and check on folks if they havent been heard from for a couple of days because were in the middle of nowhere.

The Senior Center is kind of a social focal point in town, Oleson said. During the weekly social hour, "Talk of the Town," folks will come in, drink coffee, eat snacks and chat. Theyll sit and talk for quite a while.

There are programs weekly, including self-defense classes, CPR training, health talks. And every Friday is Bingo night.

When ever we have an event, people come by, Oleson said, noting that Bingo Night is a town favorite. Dont ever mess with Bingo Night, she added. Folks up here love their Bingo.
Blood and a lost shoe after the shooting at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Oct. 2, 2017. Would these images shock the country out of its morbid malaise and into action to address an unconscionable  and fully preventable  public health crisis that guns have created? writes New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow.
When discussing Christian denominations, the differences between Protestants and Catholics are often obvious and well-defined. Due to centuries of documented conflict and cultural dominance, most people can identify the two denominations. But there is a third category, one that is often referenced but can be difficult to define.

Evangelicalism is a broad movement and way of thinking about God and the Bible that puts an emphasis on the relationship between the believer and God, and sharing the Gospel with others.

What Does Evangelical Mean?

Evangelicals believe in the new birth, that they have been saved by the blood of Jesus. They have a relationship with the living God, follow Him, and use the Bible as their guide. Evangelicalism in its true form believes the Bible is the inerrant, unchanging, perfect word of God, and does not supplement it with the Apocrypha, or any other additional texts beyond the 66. There is also usually a strong emphasis on evangelism, the sharing of the Gospel.

Evangelicals generally agree with Luthers Five Solae, but not the way the Lutheran church is organized. The Five Solae are:

- Saved by grace alone

- Through faith alone

- In Christ alone

- According to Scripture alone

- For the glory of God alone

Martin Luther used the term to distinguish between the churches being born from his movement and the Catholic Church.

How Are Evangelicals Different from Other Protestants?

The distinction between Protestants and Evangelicals can seem blurry because they agree on quite a bit. They usually agree on salvation through the blood of Christ, in the inerrancy of the Bible, and in the priesthood of the believer  a phrase meaning a person can have a direct relationship with God through prayer, and does not need a priest. In essence, most Protestants would fall under the category of evangelical faith, but not all evangelicals would consider themselves Protestants.

The distinctions between the two tend to be generalizations, and not hard and fast rules.

Some of this discrepancy is because evangelical churches do not typically have a church hierarchy. Protestants usually have a formal hierarchy, and the minister commonly wears a collar or robe to distinguish themselves, which is less common in evangelical churches. From the pulpit, there is usually less of an emphasis on evangelism in Protestant churches. These churches also generally have a lens that the Bible becomes the Word of God when someone has an encounter with it, whereas evangelicals have a lens that the Bible is the Word of God all the time.

Historically, Protestant churches leaned liberal in their politics and theology, while evangelicals leaned conservative in their politics and theology. Historically, evangelicalism and fundamentalism had a close relationship, though this did change in the mid-twentieth century.

What Denominations Are Evangelical?

There are many denominations that would classify themselves as, or get classified as, evangelical. Many of them had their origins in the Protestant Reformation, but no longer fall in line with mainstream Protestant churches, such as Anglican, Episcopalian, or Lutheran. Instead, they have distinguished themselves enough to be considered a separate church.

These denominations and thought movements include:

Reformed/Calvinist: The reformed or Calvinist tradition was born from the Reformation, with an emphasis on the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Bible, and covenantal theology. Key early figures include John Calvin, Martin Bucer, and Besancon Hugues. The movement began in the mid to late 15th century.

Methodist: The Methodist movement was born from the life and teachings of John Wesley, spurred on by his brother Charles and the preaching of George Whitfield. It distinguishes itself as being Arminian, meaning salvation is available for all rather than the elect, who chose it of their own free will. There is an emphasis on new birth and imparted righteousness. It began in the 18th century.

Many evangelical movements distinguish themselves from the Reformation that Luther started. Usually, this is because they started outside the reach of the movement, or before it. These denominations include:

Moravian: This church was born sixty years before the reformation of Luther. A movement called the Hussite movement rose up in the region of Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. It emphasized new birth, good works, and establishing Christian missions. Its most important figures were Jan Hus and Peter Chelchiky.

Pentecostalism: While this movement started in the mid-19th century and became popular in the 20th century, it sets itself apart from denominations born from the Reformation because of its emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit. They embraced the teachings of Dwight Moody and Adoniram Judson Gordon. It started in America.

The Baptist denomination is different in that, historically, there have been some distinctions between whether or not they existed pre-Reformation, or only post-Reformation. The truth is difficult because multiple movements that could loosely be aligned with what is understood to be the Baptist movement arose at different places at different times. The one in England began in earnest in the 17th century. The Anabaptist movement on the continent also influenced the Baptist movement. Some thinkers, including Charles Spurgeon, think it can be traced even further back, potentially even older than the Catholic church.

Denominations that owe their origins to the Anabaptist movement, including the Mennonites and Baptist churches, generally agree the movement was beginning before or around the same time as Luthers Reformation, but that it gained momentum because of it. They believed that baptism was only valid if it occurred after salvation, made as an informed decision; they rejected infant baptism. Michael Sattler presided over a meeting of Anabaptists in the early 16th century to come to an agreement about what they believed.

Conclusion

Evangelicalism continues to be a somewhat difficult movement to define, in part because someone can be evangelical and not attend an evangelical denomination. Believing in the fundamentals of Christianity, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, the word of God alone, and for the glory of God alone, generally creates an evangelical mindset. It rejects the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and emphasizes the importance of the relationship between God and man. Jesus died for the sinner, so the sinner could become saved.

Sources

Hutchinson, Mark and John Wolffe. A Short History of Evangelicalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Johnson, Marcus Peter. One with Christ An Evangelical Theology of Salvation. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Jantanee Rungpranomkorn+

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry.
IDAHO FALLS - The Bonneville County Sheriffs Office in Idaho Falls is asking for the publics help in locating 27-year-old Larry Mathew Robinson II. Robinson, an inmate in the Bonneville County Jail, walked away from a work detail crew near the Ammon Field Office on E. Lincoln Rd. just after 10:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. The supervising Deputy notified area patrol units who searched the area for Robinson were unable to locate him.

The Work Detail Program consists of inmates approved by the courts to participate in various projects, maintenance and roadside cleanup of city, county, and state properties along with volunteer work for area churches and non-profit organizations.

Work Detail crews of 6 to 10 inmates are supervised by a deputy who facilitates and oversees each days projects. Inmates who participate are still in the custody of the Bonneville County Jail and face new Felony Charges for Escape if they walk away.

Robinson is described as 6 1 tall, 230 lbs, with red hair and brown eyes. Robinson has multiple tattoos on his neck and was last seen wearing a gray shirt and jeans.

If located, Robinson should not be approached, and law enforcement should be contacted immediately. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Robinson can contact Bonneville County Dispatch at 208-529-1200.




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organized the Pharma Med HD conference on 8th July 2022 at PHD House, New Delhi.

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) recently organised the Pharma Med HD conference at PHD House, New Delhi. Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, said that the government is putting together an accessible and affordable healthcare ecosystem for the citizens of the country. The government is coming up with certain initiatives like a pharma research policy to uplift industry-academia linkages to magnify research in this area which will bring immediate solutions to the problems.



Dr Ram Sewak Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority, briefed about some important uses and benefits of schemes and applications made for an affordable healthcare system. He talked about Unified Health Interface which is created for teleconsultation, record management; data sharing and also it will help a person to find a particular doctor or any drug through a verified registry of doctors and drugs respectively.



Pradeep Multani, President, PHDCCI, mentioned that the healthcare industry in India is projected to reach $372 billion by 2022 consisting of hospitals, medical devices, clinical trials, outsourcing, telemedicine, medical tourism, health insurance, and medical equipment. Several factors are driving the growth of the Indian healthcare sector including an ageing population, a growing middle class, the rising proportion of lifestyle diseases, an increased emphasis on public-private partnerships as well an accelerated adoption of digital technologies, including telemedicine, besides heightened interest from investors and increased FDI inflows over the last two decades.



Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary-General, PHDCCI, presented a formal vote of thanks and deliberated the session in session in which he said that as India heads toward its centenary year of independence, it is time to reflect on the past milestones and chart out a roadmap for the future growth of the Indian healthcare sector.
A new collaborative fashion film titled Stories of Hope: Bolstering Indonesia-South Africa Relationships through Fashion celebrates the creative talent, textiles, diplomatic ties and cultural nuances of Indonesia and South Africa.

Source: Screenshot

The film features clothes designed and produced collaboratively by Indonesian and South African fashion designers, and the project was launched on the Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria's YouTube channel at the end of June.

There were at least four collaborative approaches employed in the making of the film. First, there are six fashion designers participating in this project, consisting of three designers from Indonesia (Irmasari Joedawinata, Raegita Oktora and Weda Githa) and three designers from South Africa (Bianca Malan, Nabeela Francis and Lisakhanya Matya), who worked together virtually since November 2021.

Secondly, there's a collaboration of ethnic fabrics, as the designers looked to creatively combine Indonesian batik fabric and South African shweshwe fabric. Thirdly, a collaboration of shooting locations feature the stunning landscapes of the two countries, namely Melasti Beach in Bali, Indonesia, and Scarborough Beach in Cape Town, South Africa.

Finally, the project saw collaboration between various parties from Indonesia and South Africa involved in the production of the film. In producing Stories of Hope, the Indonesian Embassy in Pretoria worked together with the Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC), TFG and Imprint Luxury, and is supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Indonesia Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) in Johannesburg.

Strengthening diplomatic ties, promoting creative economy

The concept of collaboration drove the making of the film, in line with the vision of H.E. Salman Al Farisi, former Indonesian Ambassador to South Africa, who was the initiator of this project. "The more collaborative an activity is, the better the diplomatic efforts that are carried out," said Ambassador Salman, who now serves as Secretary-General of the IORA based in Mauritius.

The collaboration is intended not only to strengthen the interaction between the people of the two countries but also to promote their cultural richness and creative economy.

According to the producers, the fashion film serves as a means to reconnect the historical, cultural and emotional bonds between Indonesian and South African. The people from the now-Indonesian archipelago have coloured local society since the 17th century when royals and religious leaders from the archipelago were exiled to the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch colonial government. As time went on, their numbers grew and these descendants of Indonesia helped form the fabric of South African society.

The participating designers from both countries said that they were challenged when they joined the project but felt proud when they succeeded in completing their work. Bianca Malan noted that although the fashion designers came from two different countries, they could work harmoniously and share the same design aesthetics.

Lisakhanya Matya said the collaboration is positive for the retail value chain and the bilateral relationship between the two countries, while Weda Githa from Indonesia commented on the cultural meaning of the project: "This activity is very positive in the effort of preserving culture, especially the traditional fabrics of the two countries, through contemporary fashion works."
Recently the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) launched a new tool, TRFilter, to strengthen journalists' resilience to online violence. This comes as journalists face escalating threats and targeted attacks, with 70% of female journalists receiving threats of violence online.

Source: Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) All over the world journalists are facing face escalating threats and targeted attacks

Journalists mission of accurate and independent reporting is integral to the survival of a democratic society. It is imperative they have access to practical solutions that match the rapid evolution of the digital and legal warfare used to silence them, says CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Antonio Zappulla.

This is the first tool available to journalists and media practitioners to document and manage online harassment and abuse, enabling them to regain control of their social media feeds, take action against perpetrators, and protect their well-being.

Limits exposure to abusive content

Developed in partnership with Googles Jigsaw, TRFilter syncs with the user's Twitter account and uses machine learning technology to automatically recognise and flag harmful comments.

It limits journalists' exposure to abusive content by allowing them to hide comments and block or mute accounts at scale, without reviewing the content.

The tool also allows users to create reports to download and share with third parties as needed, for example their employer or law enforcement.

Women journalists disproportionally affected

While many journalists are harassed in deliberate efforts to control the free flow of information, women are disproportionately affected.

Nearly three-quarters of women journalists have experienced online violence; threats include physical and sexual violence, and even death threats.

As women journalists report missing work to recover from incidences of harassment, quitting their jobs, and even leaving the profession altogether, this scourge of online violence has become a workplace safety issue.

Last year, TRF partnered with UNESCO, the International Women's Media Foundation and the International News Safety Institute to develop a range of practical and legal tools for journalists, media managers and newsrooms to address the challenges experienced by reporters and media workers and strengthen responses to online and offline harassment.

In addition to English, new versions of these guides have been made available in six languages  Russian, Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish and Chinese.

Mental health affected

This barrage of abuse  intended to discredit or silence journalists - can take a significant toll on the victims, impacting their mental health, affecting their physical well-being and leading to self-censorship.

After months of work alongside our partner, Jigsaw, I am excited to launch access to a tool that will empower journalists and media practitioners targeted by online violence around the world.

The Foundations extensive experience of collaboration with global partners, combined with our unique ability to leverage the twin engines of media and the law, places us at the centre of international expertise to support media freedom and defend human rights, says Zappulla.

We will continue to work tirelessly to protect journalists and the future of independent media, to strengthen free, fair and informed societies, adds Zappulla.

With a legacy of more than 30 years working to bolster the ecosystem for independent media around the world, TRFilter is the latest in a suite of initiatives that TRF, in collaboration with partners, has pioneered to offer journalists practical solutions to defend their mission of reporting the truth and protect them from persecution.
The Afda Creative Writing degree programme introduced on our Johannesburg and Cape Town campuses in 2021 is proving to be a hit. Student numbers more than doubling in 2022.

Afda is proud to announce the introduction of the Creative Writing programme on our Afda Durban and Afda Gqeberha campuses in 2023.

The South African and global creative industries are undergoing massive growth and diversification, and there is a clear need for creative writing programmes to address and respond to the vast growth of new platforms and media technologies.

The Afda BA Creative Writing programme is structured to be responsive to this rapidly changing landscape, while offering integrated, rather than isolated creative writing projects. It will deliver multi-skilled writers that can create content for a variety of existing and emerging media platforms.

The degree integrates with other Creative Economy disciplines like Film, Television, New Media, Live Performance and Music.

"We are delighted to welcome the Bachelor Degree of Creative Writing to our campus in 2023," says Afda Durban's Campus Dean, Dr Janet van Eeden. "Speaking from a personal point of view, screenwriting has always been my biggest passion and I've taught it consistently throughout the years since we opened in 2013, right up to the time I became the dean. I was also a freelance journalist and playwright for some seventeen years before coming to Afda. Some of the best writers we have in South Africa have been through our screenwriting course in Durban. Our current head of Screenwriting, Shivana Naidoo, graduated with her Honours in Screenwriting from Durban in 2018 and we are delighted to have her lecture in Bachelor of Creative Writing next year, along with national lecturers such as the esteemed playwright, Malcolm Purkey. Durban's whole staff body have continuously kept themselves involved in the film industry and many of us, including myself, are consistently doing professional writing work alongside our current roles. Weekends are busy for us! Afda Durban has a wealth of writing knowledge to share with prospective writing students and we can't wait to welcome these lucky students to our creative campus, Afda Durban."

"I am in the first year of the Creative Writing course and so far, I have learnt how to structure a screenplay, the best ways to develop raw ideas and most importantly that writer's block is anything but a myth," says Afda Johannesburg student Olerato Motsoane.

"Ever since I can remember, I have always had stories to tell and I have always shared them. Most of the time I did this through my writing as a hobby. However, last year I realised I wanted to be a storyteller professionally, somehow. I wanted to write books, movies, plays, shows, you name it but I had no idea how I could possibly get the education to do that. This was the case until I found the creative writing course Afda offers after looking and looking without finding a perfect fit."

Afda's Bachelor of Creative Writing is one of the few fully-fledged undergraduate degrees in this field on offer in South Africa and supplies students with a broad-based skill set and a network of creative practitioners that will increase options for content production and provide career possibilities in the following fields of profession:

Screenwriting

Television Series Writing

Short Story Writing

Playwriting

Documentary Writing

News & Actuality Writing

Copy Writing

Commercial Writing and much more

The entry requirements for the Bachelor of Creative Writing is a minimum of a Grade 12 bachelor pass with a minimum of 60% for English.

Applications are open for 2023. We are looking forward to having you on board and growing the Creative Economy with you!




The Internal Audit Agency (IAA), and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the world's largest professional body of management accountants, have entered a two-year partnership to elevate the skills of public sector professionals in Ghana, with a particular focus on enterprise risk management and internal auditing. This partnership will enable public sector professionals in Ghana to access a myriad of resources including thought leadership reports, online courses, webinars, and conferences.

From left to right: Tariro Mutizwa, regional vice president for Africa at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA and Cima; Dr Eric Oduro Osae, director-general at the Internal Audit Agency; Paul Ash, FCMA, CGMA, immediate past president and chair of the association; and Paul Aninakwah, ACMA, CGMA country manager for the Ghana Cima branch

This will help them to develop the management accounting, enterprise risk management, internal auditing, and strategic management skills that they need to succeed in their roles. They have a crucial part to play in enabling their organisations to seize opportunities and mitigate risks, driving integrated thinking and improving strategic decision-making to generate better outcomes for all stakeholders.

According to Dr Eric Oduro Osae, director-general at the IAA: The partnership between the IAA and CIMA marks the beginning of a new era that will be characterised by improved enterprise risk management and internal auditing capabilities to enhance performance management and corporate governance within the public sector. We are privileged to partner with CIMA. This partnership opens up the opportunities for us to learn from them and leverage their global expertise to optimise our professional practice and standards locally.

Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA chief executive  management accounting at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, added: Our collaboration with IAA is a testament to our ongoing commitment to help develop highly-skilled professionals in Ghana. Together, we are enabling public sector professionals to diversify their skills and knowledge to deliver fresh and innovative approaches and drive organisational change. We anticipate this to be a very fruitful relationship that will positively impact the Ghanaian public sector, and serve as a model for the broader business community.




Community development organisation, Rhiza Babuyile (RB), this week opened its first brick-and-mortar clinic, the Rhiza Babuyile Clinic Diepsloot, after over a decade of serving communities with mobile clinics. The non-profit organisation is working to ease the public health burden by offering an accessible, affordable alternative.

Source: Supplied

Prior to the establishment of the new clinic there were only two public healthcare clinic facilities catering for a growing community of 300,000 people in Diepsloot.

The R5m clinic is equipped with advanced technology for prenatal care, GP consultations through telemedicine (video-call consultations) and a fully stocked dispensary service. The clinic has also completed the construction of an emergency room which it plans to have operational by next year.

Major sponsors of the clinic include global pharmaceutical company Viatris, the primary donor for the building of the clinic; and the Philips Foundation, which provided the diagnostic and healthcare technology.

More patients able to receive assistance

Rodney Makube, COO, Rhiza Babuyile

Previously, Rhiza Babuyiles mobile healthcare clinics enabled the organisation to reach approximately 1,400 people per week. With the new brick-and-mortar facility, the clinic will now be able to reach more than 2,000 patients per week.

The resources and funds that have gone into this project are an investment into the lives of the Diepsloot community which has long deserved access to quality and affordable primary healthcare, says Rhiza Babuyiles chief operations officer, Rodney Makube.

Through a partnership with the Gauteng Department of Health (DOH), the clinic will be assisting the government with its child immunisation programme, family planning services for young women and the ongoing Covid-19 vaccine roll-out.

The clinic will provide patients with quality service and patients will be treated with the dignity they deserve. One of the benefits of the clinics service is that it costs a fraction of the cost of seeing a private doctor, with a consultation ranging between R100 and R200, Makube continues. Patients will be charged a minimal fee in order to ensure the sustainability of the clinic in the long term, he explains.
A picture is worth a thousand words and since the world's first picture - taken in 1826 by Joseph Nicephore - images have become a mesmerising part of our everyday lives. We share and consume billions of images daily and with good reason. Over 90% of information that gets transmitted to our brain is in the form of visuals and more than 65% of us are visual learners.

With the power of images in mind, enter the most popular visual search engine.

People dont always have the words to describe what theyre looking for  but theyll know it when they see it. As they browse Pinterest content (called Pins), they fine-tune their tastes and find the perfect idea.

Pinterest, a social network where people can find inspiration and ideas for their interests and hobbies, isnt new but it is seeing a marked increase in usage, exacerbated by the pandemic. According to the 2022 WeAreSocial report on social media usage, over 50% of South Africans making use of social media, are now active on Pinterest  which places this social media platform ahead of LinkedIn.

But Pinterest isn't just another social media platform. While it's often lumped into the social media category, Pinterest's goal is to be a place of inspiration, rather than social networking. People pin to find new ideas and take action, rather than simply liking other peoples posts or scrolling through the latest news. Pinterest is also fast becoming the most positive place on the internet. A place where you can reconnect with what matters to you, take real actions that improve your offline life and find joy in your online life.

Pinners are planners

Pinners are planning for their post-pandemic lives. Weve spent years in lockdown and now, we are ready to rebrand and be inspired. The pandemic halted many of our plans and completely changed our lives but we see consumers now taking control of their journeys, seeking knowledge, setting new expectations and striving for more. No matter how much shopping has changed, the powerful and critical role that inspiration plays in helping people to decide what to buy has remained the same.

Visual search and discovery are an important part of the consumer journey, connecting the dots between online research and offline buyingand vice versa. The Pinterest home feed is based on images you previously pinned, your profile is made up of boards youve created, and Pinterest also allows users to search for visual content using keywords, rather than scrolling through an endless algorithm-focused news feed. All of this makes Pinterest more personal, and it also means that users are more mindfully scrolling and actively seeking content from brands.

Who can you reach on Pinterest?

The Pinterest audience is curious, theyre multi-dimensional and theyre adaptive. With 454 million monthly active users, a lot of different kinds of people are on Pinterest and the popularity of Pinterest spans multiple generations. As we dont have advertising available yet, its hard to bed down accurate demographics for South Africans.

Globally, Pinterest really is for everyone, but they do have some things in common. They tend to be the decision-makers in their households. The people with the purchasing power. They tend to have higher incomes and they plan, spend and buy more than on other platformsultimately delivering higher value for your brands.

SEO and Pinterest

The days of organic reach on social media might be long gone, but that's not the case for Pinterest. As I mentioned - on Pinterest, content isnt chronological  its personal as people actively search for what they want to see. Your content shows up right as people are looking for something to try, buy or do. There are a lot of Pinterest e-commerce functionalities and ad formats, which are not yet available in South Africa so for now, heres how you can boost the discoverability of your Pins and Boards with SEO-friendly content:

Conduct keyword research on Pinterest: start searching for keywords related to your business on Pinterest and see what recommended terms come up. This is an easy way to understand what popular terms you can try to rank for and inject into your content.

Optimise your Pinterest Boards: Did you know that Boards show up in Pinterest search results? That's why it's important to ensure your Board name and description uses SEO-friendly keywords to boost your chances of organic discovery.

Optimise your Pins: The title of your Pins is one of the most important spots for SEO on Pinterest, so make sure to use relevant keywords and keep this copy short, sharp and relevant (under 100 characters).

By designing your content pillars and boards around your target keywords, you'll be able to effectively curate your content and reach new audiences who will be interested in your content.

Pinterest is all about planning for the future and each year, the team at Pinterest releases Pinterest Predicts - a report which forecasts some of the biggest trends across key categories ranging from fashion to finance. With an 80% predictive value, in terms of flagging whats coming next, Pinterests track record is solid.

A quick tip for South African foodie brands, Ancestral Eats is one of the trends forecasted which focuses on going back to the basics and search terms for South African recipes traditional have already seen a +150% increase. While people turned to Pinterest throughout lockdown with searches for topics like mindfulness, baking and home organization at historic highs  trends now show that same type of fervour, but with skyrocketing searches for vacations, and searches for outfits hitting an all-time high.

Continuing from the pandemic is the interest in homes, with searches for renovations at an all-time high and searches for weddings have also resumed pre-pandemic levels, after seeing a dip March-May of 2020.

Happy pinning!
In 2019, international travel and tourism was a $1.7 trillion global industry . A new cruise ship with space for 6600 passengers was launched. And dog friendly holidays in the French Riviera were seen as the next big tourism trend

Source: Viktor Gladkov via 123RF

On social media, travel influencers and bloggers vied for commissions and audiences, while the more old school travel writers and journalists continued to report from all corners of the world. The grey area around ethics and sponsorship was murkier than ever  and there was of course, an environmental cost: from the carbon footprint of frequent flyers to the social and cultural impact on over-touristed destinations.

Still, the industry was booming.

Then, along came Covid-19.

For more than a decade, I had made my living as a travel writer, contributing to publications in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and the UK. Id visited 72 countries on the job. Id paddled a kayak across the Tongan Vavau archipelago; written about Myanmars temples and Tijuana and the Mexican border; been hosted on numerous famils (familiarisation tours) around the world and met the woman who would become my wife in a Buenos Aires bar while on an assignment to write about the New Australia utopian colony in Paraguay.

When news of a virus emerged from a wet market in Wuhan in early 2020, all that stopped. As I slipped into the first of many lockdowns, initially I mourned for the travel life I couldnt live anymore. Once upon a time, my editor would ring on a Friday afternoon to ask if I could fly to Vietnam on Tuesday.

But during my enforced time at home, I realised the travel writing genre I was part of needed some serious re-thinking. The warning signs of a hubristic industry were hard to ignore. In 2019, for instance, the relaxation of regulations for climbers of Mount Everest had resulted in a conga line in the death zone above 8,000 metres of people waiting to summit the peak.

The image went viral.



The notion that the genre might have finally reached its nadir after thousands of years of exploration, exploitation and discovery is not a new concept. But the sheer volume of listicles, luxury reviews and Instagram journeys masquerading now as legitimate travel writing is alarming.

Pandemic enforced lockdowns got me thinking about how the experience of immobility wasnt unique. Wars, pandemics, shipwrecks and even prison walls had prevented others from travelling in the past, yet many still managed to travel internally through their own isolation.

More than two and a half years later, I now believe that despite the angst borne from lockdowns and closed borders around the world, this pause due to Covid-19 has ultimately been a good thing for travel writing  and perhaps the broader travel industry. It has allowed us time to stop and take stock.

A history of re-thinking and re-imagining

Travel writing is one of the most ancient and enduring literary forms. Evidence of the travels of Harkuf, an emissary to the pharaohs, is written on tombs in ancient Egypt. Indigenous Dreaming stories spoken or sung or depicted in visual art date back thousands of years.

As Nandini Das and Tim Youngs write in The Cambridge History of Travel Writing,

Travel narratives have existed for millennia: so long as people have journeyed, they have told stories about their travels.

In a literary sense, travel writing can be traced to the emergence of commerce and movable print technology in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. It went on to flourish in the Romantic Era of travel and exploration, from the late 18th century to mid 1850s.

During this time, western travel writing was embroiled in the colonial project. The journals of Imperialist explorers such as William Dampier and James Cook were enormously popular, along with writers such as Richard Francis Burton and James Bruce who recounted their fantastical journeys to the public back home as they sought to conquer lands for "the mother country".

Travel writing continued to shift, changing forms and attracting different readers. The Grand Tour pilgrimage increased in popularity. Mark Twains The Innocents Abroad (1869), about his voyage on the "Quaker City" cruise ship, was the centurys best selling travel book.

"People have been asking the melodramatic question, 'Is travel writing dead?' for the best part of a century," notes contemporary travel writing scholar Dr Tim Hannigan.

During the first world war, British travel literature seemed a requiem for a distant era. The war, observes cultural and literary historian Paul Fussell, "effectively restricted private travel abroad. The main travelers were the hapless soldiery shipped to France and Belgium and Italy and Mesapotamia".

But the end of the war, in fact, led to a significant re-thinking of the travel writing genre. Borders reopened, new countries and alliances had formed. People emerged from the isolation of war curious to see, hear and experience what this "new world" was like.

This golden era of travel writing in the 1920s and 1930s was chracterised by a new inquisitiveness. Modernist and experimental styles emerged and, as literary scholar Peter Hulme writes,

Travel writing could become the basis of a writing career  perhaps because those who had just fought a war felt the need for the kind of direct engagement with social and political issues that travel writing and journalism seemed to offer.

After the second world war, travel writing became more questioning of authority, with a quality of restlessness. Notable works incuded Eric Newbys A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush (1958), Wilfred Thesigers Arabian Sands (1959) and John Steinbecks Travels with Charlie in Search of America (1962), about his three-month journey across the US.

In 1960s and 1970s, new books showed how travel writing could evolve again while still displaying the wonder central to its appeal: presenting narrated inner journeys, adventure and a richness and complexity that had not been seen before.

Peter Matthiessens The Snow Leopard, Robyn Davidsons Tracks and even the creative voice embodied in Bruce Chatwins controversial In Patagonia, (a postmodern blending of fact and fiction), showed how travel narratives, rather than offering insular and superior perspectives, could be subjective, creative and affecting.

Source: Blazej Lyjak via 123RF

This new era of travel writing post-Covid, Id argue, has the potential to adapt to a changing world in the same way the genre changed after the first world war.

Environmental concerns, Indigenous presence, awareness of the "other" (and of being the other) and an acknowledgement of benefits and pitfalls of technology are all central concerns to travel writing today.

New ways to think about travel writing

The work of South Australian based literary academic Stephen Muecke is an interesting example of a different kind of travel writing. Muecke has had a long career of adopting co-authorship practices, embracing Indigenous and diverse voices within his narratives to highlight that there is always more than one perspective worth considering.

In Mueckes Gulaga Story he writes about an ascent of Gulaga, or Mount Dromedary in southern NSW. Local Yuin Aboriginal people take him up the mountain to learn aspects of its Dreaming story and the totem of the Yuin.

Mueckes writing includes interviews with anthropologist Debbie Rose and sections of Captain Cooks journal, from when Cook travelled along the NSW coast in the 18th Century. The latter offers a contrast between Cooks initial surface appraisal and the deeper meanings of Indigenous knowledge.

Muecke writes:

Travelling whitefellas tend to think in lines, like the roads they eventually build and drive along, like the chronological histories they tell. Yet there are alternatives: being multiply present, for instance, as if by landing up in someone elses somewhere, you still remain somewhere else. Maybe other people have been where you come from too; you arrive in their place and they tell you they have seen your city or your country.

In Reading the Country: Introduction to nomadology, Moroccan artist Krim Benterrak, Muecke and Nyigina man Paddy Roe demonstrate how a co-authored, overlapping narrative from three distinct perspectives allows us to appreciate travelling along the northwest coast of Western Australia. Paddy Roe was from Roebuck plains, an area once inhabited by Indigenous people, though now it is silent except for the vast cattle studs.

The three examine the different meanings of place in Roebuck Plains and how different people see and interpret it. Central to the book is the premise that their method is not the way of interpreting Roebuck plains. Their nomadology is an "archive of fragments".

Another more reflexive writer of place, English author James Attlee, wrote the book Isolarion while merely travelling along his street in Oxford. His is an example of vertical travel, where the travel writer focuses on the close-at-hand details, rather than far-off experiences.

Such books acknowledge the fraught nature of the travel writer who arrives from a western country or culture to write about other people and their sophisticated cultures. Attlees book is also a creative response to travel writings long carbon footprint.

Will it still be appropriate for future travel writers to fly around the world on junkets (famils) racking up carbon miles amid a climate crisis? I think writers and editors should go local much more, as Attlee has, not just from an environmental point of view, but also from an authenticity standpoint. Of course, that doesnt mean writers can only write about their home cities and states, but it would be a logical place to start.

Source: TobiasRehbein via Pixabay

The new travel writing  5 of the best

Encouragingly, there are already many recent examples of travel writing that can further engage readers in this shift. Here are 5 of the best.

The Granta travel edition: Should we have stayed at home? presents a diversity of modern voices and stories, ranging from Taipei alleyways, the history of postcards and an Indigenous perspective of South Australia.

Zero Altitude: How I learned to fly less and travel more by Helen Coffey explores the world without stepping inside a plane. Coffey uses bikes, boats, trains and cars to seek unexpected adventures while deliberately addressing the impact of how we travel.

Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim Europe by Tharik Hussain explores a different Europe to that of most travel writing of the past. Hussain travels through Eastern Europe with his wife and daughters encountering the regions unique Islamic history and culture.

Cal Flyns Islands of Abandonment doesnt look for places or experiences that might fit in a top listicle of summer holiday experiences. Instead, it explores the "ecology and psychology" of forgotten places such as uninhabited Scottish islands and abandoned streets in Detroit to observe the slow movement of nature when unchecked by human intervention.

In Wanderland Jini Reddy, an award-winning travel writer who was born in Britain, raised in Canada, and whose parents are of Indian descent, decides to take her soul for a stroll away from office job in London in search of wonder, meaning and magical travelling on a random journey of inspiration ricocheting through Britain.

In much the same way that weve adopted little things like keep cups at coffee shops, and an awareness of ethical food and fashion choices, it is much easier today to find travel writing challenging the genre and exploring diverse perspectives. Well just have to do this writing alongside the Instagram influencers.

Correction: this article originally stated that travel writer Jini Reddy was raised in South Africa, attended university in Canada and is of Indian heritage, however, Jini has informed us that a more accurate description is that she was born in Britain, raised in Canada, and her parents are of Indian descent, so we have amended the text to reflect this.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Financial services company, The Unlimited, is a family-owned business with a suite of products that range from health to motor and legal to death cover, taking care of more than three million South Africans. Now, after some 25 years of being a price and product-driven business, the business has made a deliberate strategic decision to become brand-led.

Supplied. Susie Hart, head of brand, the Unlimited

Were not entrenched in any one category or industry, which gives us the latitude to bring the most relevant and best possible value to our customers in whatever form that takes, says Susie Hart, Unlimited's head of brand says.

In August, the brand will, for the first time, launch an Above-The-Line (ATL) campaign with a TVC produced by Joe Public. Hart says the campaign is a great example of just how differently the brand does things.

What is unique about The Unlimited in terms of branding?

I think its our unwavering brand belief that business should do better and our willingness to take a real stand on this, regardless of how uncomfortable that can be at times. Whilst for many businesses that sort of belief would make for a very good statement on a boardroom wall, The Unlimited takes it to the extreme.

Our massive transformative purpose (MTP) is shifting lives and theres no tolerance for incremental change, CSI box-ticking or small thinking. This is about bold thinking and radical progress, and its reflected in the tangible delivery that is already making a big impact in our country.

Ive never worked with a brand more willing to stick its neck out and disrupt the status quo for anything that supports our purpose. Weve been known to ruffle feathers, but man do we get stuff done!

Tell us more about the ATL campaign produced by Joe Public that will flight on SABC in August.

We worked closely with the Joe Public team, and the concept they came up with was, not only creatively unique but also incredibly aligned to the way we do business.

Id estimate that we could have produced the TVC for at least a couple of million rands less if wed followed the traditional route of working with a single production house, a single director, and a small cast. We chose not to do that.

The agency came up with an ad concept thats based on our manifesto (the story of Unlimited). Its a stake in the ground on who we are as a business and how we see the world.

What excited us most about their idea for the campaign, was the unconventional creative approach. Teaming up with 21 collaborators and 15 different directors, each given a line from the manifesto, and a platform to share their individual stories on what unlimited meant to them. Outside of spreading the opportunity more broadly (and were all about that), the campaign is made up of content that reflects the rich tapestry of diversity in the most South African way possible! The result is extraordinary.

The brief to Joe Public was to create a campaign that cut through the clutter and we think they delivered on this.

Tell us a bit more about your role and what it entails?

I see two key parts to my role. The first is around custodianship - keeping our brand safe - making sure that we deliver consistently through every one of our values and with the customer right at the heart of everything we do.

Secondly, its about pushing our brand to places its never been before, such as our ATL with a 360-degree campaign - an exciting first for us!

Our vision is one of a 100-year business, so more than that, its about deeply entrenching a brand-led way of thinking across the company - thinking that considers our customers and our massive transformative purpose in everything we do.

It sounds simple enough, but its a complete departure from how most businesses operate and one that requires some brave action!

What has been the biggest challenge(s) in your role?

I think the biggest challenge has been around the change management weve been undergoing as a company for the last 18 months. That level of change takes real commitment, discipline, and time.

And whilst theres no question that our people are 100% galvanised behind this change, theres work to be done in terms of deeply understanding how that translates across the various parts of our business. As challenges go, its a pretty exciting one!

Theres a sign at the entrance of our building that reads Unshackle yourself from what you know, and more than a collection of words, its a genuine call (if not demand) for people in the business to do just that. To open themselves to seeing the world through a different lens and thinking in a different way.

After more than 20 years in the communication industry, thats a real challenge for me every day, but its one thats grown me as a marketer and as a leader, in ways, I couldnt have imagined!

What keeps you going every day?

Lots! The people are a highlight of every day. I consulted for the business before taking up my role in the brand team, and the people were the single biggest driver for me joining the company full-time.

The unbelievable level of investment in personal development and leadership is an ongoing highlight. Theres a genuine belief that everything rises and falls on leadership and a view that your journey to becoming a better leader is never done.

I dont think theres been a day in the business that hasnt stretched me way beyond my comfort zone, and I love that! Terrifying, inspiring, and exhilarating in equal measures  that just about sums up a day in the office!

And then, another real highlight is the collaboration with our strategic partners in putting this campaign together. We have an incredible relationship with Joe Public thats based on far more than creative delivery. There are shared values and a common commitment to doing good in the world, and thats made for a great meeting of minds. I think the creative output is a strong testament to this.

Did you always want to end up where you are now?

Im an entrepreneur at heart and thats strongly reflected in my career journey. Starting with shares in a magazine, co-founding and running a design studio for 18 years, Ive also co-owned a restaurant and art gallery and Ive dabbled a little in publishing too.

I have a deep love of the creative process, a real curiosity for business, and a strong desire for meaning in the work I do. Ive also worked in a corporate environment long enough to know that its not for me (and equally that Im a fairly terrible employee!).

Purpose matters deeply to me, and The Unlimited has a massive transformative purpose that drives every decision made. So, to love what I do in an entrepreneurial environment, and to work in a business that not only talks purpose but delivers on it daily in a tangible, measurable and meaningful way, thats about as good as it gets for me.
Traffic Assistant

Remuneration: market-related Location: Cape Town Job level: Junior/Mid Job policy: Employment Equity position Type: Permanent Reference: #TAChMASRon22 Company: ninety9cents

Managing and planning all work through the creative, strategy and digital departments

Liaising between all departments within the agency

Attending weekly status meetings

Monitoring the Schedules and workloads of all creatives and digital creatives

Booking all creative meetings, WIPS, presentations pre prods etc.

Overseeing jobs and making sure they are on track, on time and allocated correctly

Ensuring timesheets are completed on time and correct

Trafficking and assisting of trafficking creative and digital creative briefs, ensuring briefs are received on time

Scheduling Job kick-starters and reviews with creative directors and client service

Reviewing and providing feedback on all briefs to ensure that you are happy with the quality of briefs going into the system

Ensure that work flows through the various stages accordingly and is completed on time as per deadline

Communicating any concerns or delays to head of traffic and client services team

Weekly status meetings with the Head of traffic, production and client service team

Liaise with the client service and creative teams ensuring efficiency and continuity across all jobs

Minimum two years traffic assistant experience of which, minimum one year should be in agency environment

MS Office (MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint)

Workbook

Analysis of time sheets completed by creative team members

This position requires a person who works well under pressure, can take instructions, work independently and with other resources

They need to be flexible, motivated and willing to go the extra mile

They need to be able to work over and above the normal working hours from time to time

Excellent time management and organisational skills

People management skills

Understanding the creative process and thinking ahead before each required step

Logical thinker

Solutions orientated

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Self-motivated

Attention to detail

A sense of urgency

Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines

Our Cape Town office is looking for ato join our traffic department.Interested candidates must please submit a concise CV and salary expectation. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within three weeks after submitting your application, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful. We remain committed to the principles of employment equity. Posted on 08 Jul 10:51, Closing date 6 Aug
Senior Content Specialist

Remuneration: market-related Location: George Job level: Mid Type: Permanent Reference: #BH-70 Company: Badger Holdings

Job description

Creative campaign conceptualisation

Defining the creative vision and strategy for the brand

Translating briefs and strategic requirements into compelling creative solutions

Ensuring that the creative function operates efficiently

Pitching ideas confidently and presenting creative concepts

Writing copy for social, print, video, and digital

Editing and proofreading work

Driving brand voice consistently across all

Driving projects and campaigns through the entire creative process

Interpreting copywriting briefs to understand project requirements

Collaborating with designers, PR and other team members on various marketing projects

Using SEO best practices to maximise reach

Sourcing images and other content

Copy/planning/scheduling for social media, assisting with community managements

Requirements

A tertiary qualification in English/journalism/marketing or related

Three+ years in a similar role, preferably in a digital/agency in environment

Highly articulate with an excellent command of spoken and written English essential

Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines without compromising quality

Tech-savvy and fully competent in the Microsoft suite

A team player and an animal lover

If youre an experienced content specialist and have a way with words, then dotsure.co.za has an incredible opportunity for you. Were looking for a dynamic senior content specialist to help cement our brand as a dominant force in the pet insurance space and a credible challenger brand in the direct insurance market.Posted on 08 Jul 10:41, Closing date 6 Aug
In the face of what the federal government calls an unprecedented biodiversity crisis, Canada is working to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, with hopes of achieving a full recovery by 2050.

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In the face of what the federal government calls an unprecedented biodiversity crisis, Canada is working to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, with hopes of achieving a full recovery by 2050.

The ambitious goals are backed up by $3.7 million in funding over the next three years through the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk (AFSR), announced on June 29 by Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault.

The fund, intended to help Indigenous communities protect species at risk and their habitats, will support 33 conservation projects across the country, led by Indigenous nations and organizations. It also supports the implementation of the Species at Risk Act.

A total of 640 species are at risk in Canada, which the government said has critical implications for humanity, including the collapse of food, economic and health systems. Guilbeault said that to see any real progress, the projects must be led by Indigenous people in a way that reflects their unique values, interests and knowledge. Its also something that requires co-operation from everyone involved, including all levels of government and individual Canadians.

"The Government of Canada is working to strengthen protection and the recovery of species at risk and advance reconciliation by supporting Indigenous leadership in conservation. The AFSR is enabling real, on-the-ground actions to achieve better outcomes," the minister said.

Since its inception in 2004, the AFSR has supported approximately 1,330 projects by providing more than $50 million in funding. One of these projects was a three-year stewardship protecting Manitobas prairie mixed grass and tall grass. The stewardship program received support from the federal governments Habitat Stewardship Program (species at risk stream) and the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation as well. Its aim was to protect the native mixed-grass and tall-grass prairie habitats for southern Manitoba species at risk.

The grass provides habitat for at least 30 species, including endangered prairie skink, one of only seven species of lizards that are found in Canada; endangered small white ladys slipper, and threatened Spragues pipit. The government classifies native prairie habitats as among the most endangered ecosystems in Canada and are being lost and degraded due to invasive species and conversion to agricultural uses.

Curtis Hullick, in his role of co-ordinator of field programs with the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC), worked with the mixed-grass and tall-grass prairie stewardship program when it was running a few years ago, starting in 2013. He said the native grass is also an important habitat for grassland birds, which are considered an at-risk species due to habitat loss. The MHCC works with private landowners in Manitoba.

"We enter into an agreement  between two parties that indicates the landowner can keep doing what theyre doing, and they receive a financial payment for conserving the grassland. They can continue to graze it, they can cut it if they want to, but they wont be able to spray it or cultivate it."

Eligible recipients for funding from the AFSR for the future include Indigenous not-for-profit and for-profit organizations, district councils, chiefs councils and tribal councils, Indigenous research, academic and educational institutions and more. Non-Indigenous organizations can apply for funding if mandated by an eligible Indigenous recipient.

Projects must take place on reserves or land set aside for the use and benefit of Indigenous peoples under the Indian Act or under section 91 (24) of the Constitution Act of 1867, or other lands directly controlled by Indigenous peoples. Lands where traditional food, social and ceremonial activities are carried out by Indigenous peoples can also be included.

Frank Tacan, a traditional healer and elder at the Brandon Friendship Centre, said conservation is an essential part of Indigenous values. He uses native plants in his work as a healer, including the four sacred medicines: tobacco, which is used before a teaching ceremony or prayer; sage, which cleanses on a physical level; cedar, for protection and healing; and sweetgrass, which Tacan calls the hair of Mother Earth, for calming.

In an email to the Sun, Tacan said he worries about the methods being used in modern agriculture, from exhausting the land by growing whatever will make the most profit, to spraying pesticides to keep insects and weeds at bay.

"These chemicals are destroying the native plants, what we call medicines, that Mother Earth provides to us First Nation and Metis people of this land. Dams are being built, trees are being cut down, marshes bulldozed to make room for more farmland."

Certain mining practices also destroy some medicines that Tacan said are important to keep his people healthy.

If he had one message to share with anyone interested in conservation, its to take care of the earth, as it provides all things people need for survival.

The Sun reached out to Carmen Callihoo-Payne, biologist with the AFSR, via phone call and email. Asked why conservation is culturally important for Indigenous people, she said it would be "somewhat presumptuous" of herself to speak for all Indigenous peoples on the matter.

 mleybourne@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @miraleybourne
Faced with an ongoing labour shortage, the Manitoba Hotel Association has launched a new initiative in an effort to recruit workers for hospitality industry jobs.

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Faced with an ongoing labour shortage, the Manitoba Hotel Association has launched a new initiative in an effort to recruit workers for hospitality industry jobs.

Earlier this week, the association started "Theres Room For You," a digital and television ad campaign aimed at showing the breadth of work opportunities available in the sector for which the provincial and federal governments chipped in $250,000.

An associated website shows off job possibilities not just at the front desk or in housekeeping, but at attached restaurants and bars, in maintenance, at banquet halls and more. A quiz on the website asks respondents questions and suggests a place within a hotel theyd be best suited to work.

On another part of the home page, people interested in applying for work can submit their contact info, resume, the kind of job theyre most interested in and the region of the province in which theyd like to work.

"Obviously, through the pandemic we were knocking on the door of all levels of government for the last two and a half years," Manitoba Hotel Association president Scott Jocelyn said in a phone interview. "One of the side-effects was that a lot of people moved away from the industry. We were open, we closed, we were open, we closed. A lot of people saw the industry as not being stable, so lo and behold, here we are, were open again, no restrictions, ready to serve our customers, and were finding ourselves short of staff again."

While the shortages are fairly widespread, Jocelyn said its the back-of-house jobs that are trickiest to fill these days.

He said he believes there are a lot of positives to working in the industry. Theres a wide variety of positions to apply for that dont necessarily require education to qualify for and there are opportunities for quick advancement.

Since hotels are open 24-7, he said there can be a lot of flexibility when it comes to the hours and days people work, as well.

Though there are still challenges faced by the industry, Jocelyn did say that since the majority of restrictions have been removed, it is trending in the right direction. However, there are still people worried about the spectre of future restrictions or lockdowns.

"Some people have said, Hey, are you going to be open and closed again?" Jocelyn said. "Do I really want to go back on this merry-go-round we had to jump on and jump off? Were hoping that were past it, that were in a better spot. Were encouraged by people travelling and coming back to our buildings and events, but we need [staff]."

In Westman, Steel Creek Developers owns two hotels under the Blue Crescent brand name in Souris and Rivers, with another planned for Austin.

Part-owner and vice-president of marketing and sales Trevor Rempel told the Sun on Thursday that while he doesnt think the labour issues are as bad in rural Manitoba as in bigger cities, there are consistently a couple of positions open at most of their locations.

He praised the hotel association for its advocacy during the pandemic and said the new campaign was welcome not just for his brand, but all hotels in the province.

"Were not quite hit as hard as the urban properties where theres quite a bit more competition for jobs," Rempel said. "In places like Souris, Rivers or Carman  rural locations  the hotel is one of the better job opportunities for working parents. I just checked with the manager in Rivers and they have two openings right now. Theyve generally been looking for at least one position for the last little while."

Luckily, he said, theyre not short by three or four positions. Vacancies usually switch between front desk and housekeeping positions.

Rempel said he wonders about the effect the minimum wage increase scheduled for later this year will have and whether it will make recruitment easier.

"Hopefully, this campaign by the hotel association will help particularly attract potential applicants from out of the area, who are moving or may be open to moving."

One saving grace for the hotel in Rivers, he said, is that the railway was still operating and rail workers would routinely stop for the night and keep business going.

It was first announced in 2020, but Rempel said the planned hotel for Austin has yet to break ground because of an inability to get construction approval from Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure, since the planned location is next to the Trans-Canada Highway.

However, he said Steel Creek and local investors still believe the project will ultimately be successful.

The Sun contacted Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Tanya LaBuick for comment on labour shortages and the MHAs campaign, but did not receive a response by press time.

However, in an interview about labour shortages with the Sun last month, LaBuick said the chamber had been lobbying the province to increase immigration to bring in outside workers to fill job vacancies.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
Quotable Quotes: Xi Jinping on cherishing peace

Xinhua) 08:07, July 08, 2022

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Thursday marks the 85th anniversary of the Lugou Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, which is recognized as the start of Japan's full-scale invasion of China, and China's whole-of-nation resistance against Japanese aggression.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has on many occasions stressed cherishing peace and carrying forward the great spirit of resisting aggression.

The following are some highlights of his quotes.

-- In defiance of aggression, the unyielding Chinese people fought gallantly and finally won total victory against the Japanese militarist aggressors, thus preserving China's 5,000-year-old civilization and upholding the cause of peace of mankind. This remarkable feat made by the Chinese nation was rare in the history of war.

-- The great spirit of resisting aggression bred during the war is an invaluable source of inspiration, and will always motivate the Chinese people to overcome all difficulties and obstacles and strive to achieve national rejuvenation.

-- China is a staunch advocate and strong defender of world peace. The Chinese people will stay committed to the noble cause of peace and development of mankind.

-- History tells us that any aggression by force is doomed to fail. China will unswervingly pursue the road of peaceful development and hope all other countries in the world can take the same road.

-- The Chinese people are resolved to pursue friendly relations with all other countries, uphold the outcomes of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and make greater contribution to mankind.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Liang Jun)
One patient had liposuction on her thighs, abdomen and flanks as well as a fat transfer to her breasts with Wells in August 2021. She said the procedure left her with disfigured legs and pains in her legs, poor circulation and she developed a seroma in her breast causing pain. Clockwise from left: In a still from a video, Dr Ryan Wells chases a fly during a procedure; an unhappy patient shows the results of liposuction; Dr Wells removes fat from a patient; and body fluid and fat collected during procedures. A class action filed by Maddens Lawyers for any patients of Wells, Lanzer and other associates has signed up more than 500 patients. The legal action alleges the doctors engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct. The doctors are defending the action. Kathy Hubble joined the Maddens class action. She had two liposuction procedures in 2018: her first was undertaken by Lanzer, who did her legs, and the second with Wells, who did her abdomen. She says it left her in chronic pain in her abdomen. Hubble ended up in Gosford Hospital for almost a week after developing a serious infection, cellulitis, shortly after her second procedure.

Dr Wells actually sent me a text message [while she was in hospital] saying he would come and help me down to the clinic, she recalls. Back to the dirty environment. Loading This man is absolutely dangerous to the public  he was directly responsible for the procedure on my abdomen, which has now left me with chronic pain and a tissue that is hard and rubbery and loss of feeling in those areas as well, she said. After learning about his suspension she said she was looking forward to co-operating with AHPRA about her experience. Wells posted on Instagram on June 24, shortly after the media expose, saying hundreds of patients had come out in his support and highlighted their positive experiences with myself, their procedures with me and their dealings with my staff.

In light of the recent media coverage  I felt it was necessary to say something. My patients and anyone who knows me either professionally or personally were shocked by the depiction. As was I, he said in his post. What he didnt say was that he had shut down his Facebook page and turned off comments on Instagram after a series of negative comments appeared. He told his followers he had the support of the state regulator. QLD Health have been in contact with me and as expected, have no concerns with my facilities or my practices. He may have had the backing of the state regulator but the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine (ACCSM) dropped him as a medical fellow from its website.

A series of questions were sent to Wells, but he failed to respond. Wells joined the Lanzer Clinics in 2018 and worked across its network before heading up the Queensland arm in late 2020. When Lanzer surrendered his medical registration and departed overseas in October 2021, Wells distanced himself from Lanzer, renamed the facilities the Institute of Aesthetics and took over the day hospital licence. Professor Mark Ashton reacting to a shocking video of a surgical procedure uncovered in the investigation. Credit:60 Minutes However, his Instagram post told his patients that he was planning to relocate after unsuccessful negotiations to buy the hospital building. Ive made the difficult decision to relocate, he said. My team and I are entering into another transition period and will keep all patients updated throughout this period. The June 9 media investigation included leaked footage captured by a nurse in March 2021 and posted by Wells which shows Wells in a theatre room trying to kill a fly with a blanket as the patient lay naked and unconscious after surgery. The light fitting whipped back and forth as he smacked the blanket in an attempt to kill the fly. Another nurse posted a crying with laughter emoji, suggesting they didnt take seriously the safety of the patient.

Professor of Surgery at Melbourne University Mark Ashton was horrified, saying a fly in an operating theatre meant the system had broken down. He said leaving a woman naked and unconscious after surgery was not an acceptable standard of care. The footage is among thousands of internal videos and communications seen by this masthead. WhatsApp messages included evidence of staff discussing the backdating of up to a year of critical paperwork ahead of regulatory audits and one of the head nurses requesting they hide certain equipment and chemicals in the attic. The cosmetic procedures industry is a booming sector with Australians some of the highest per capita consumers of tummy tucks, facelifts, liposuction, breast implants and fillers. It has been described as the Wild West.
We really do need to find a way to support more people getting the vaccine, but I dont think that is going to be enough, he says. Every time we have seen a major wave of infections come through we have needed a multi-pronged approach to manage it. Australia has done that very well over the past 2 years and the time is coming again. The political conundrum facing the Andrews government is also clear. The government wants more people to wear masks but believes a return to mandates would be counterproductive. Even talking about the need for greater adherence to public health measures may alienate the people it needs to convince. No one wants to be reminded about the pandemic, says Kos Samaras, a former ALP campaign strategist who runs his own polling and political consultancy, the RedBridge Group. They dont want to engage with it, they dont want to talk about it, they get angry at politicians who bring it up. In an election year, the governments political interests are best served by saying as little as possible about the pandemic. This muted approach may also serve the interests of public health - provided the government finds other ways to get its message across.

There is a really strong push back against government and the sense that they used the big stick, says Professor Margie Danchin, a paediatrician whose work leading the Murdoch Childrens Research Institutes Vaccine Uptake Group has made her one of Australias foremost experts in vaccine hesitancy and public health messaging. The public want to hear from trusted medical professionals and scientists more than from politicians. Danchin says that at this stage of the pandemic, effective public health messaging needs to be tailored to a target audience rather than broad-based. It is best delivered by local community leaders and scientific experts. This is where people like Mohideen come in. From the start of last year through to the end of last month, when the Victorian government dismantled much of its centralised COVID response bureaucracy, Mohideen led the governments efforts to engage culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the vaccination rollout. The success of the program was seen in the stunning double-dose vaccination rates achieved in Hume, one of Melbournes most ethnically diverse municipalities. Its limits can be found in the relatively low rate of third booster vaccinations among eligible adults.

A month before the federal election, everything stopped, Mohideen says. People got complacent, we kept removing restrictions and people felt it wasnt an issue any more. Mohideen says the best way to engage people about COVID is to talk to them face to face, so they can ask questions, and to provide them with reliable information. Danchin, who trained Mohideen and his team to counter vaccine fatigue, says good public health messaging acknowledges peoples concerns and responds to them. She says that in contrast, dire warnings from the OzSAGE group and outspoken public health figures do nothing to shift community attitudes. Saying that deaths have never been higher and the government is not doing anything is actually turning people off more, she says. It needs to be a more middle ground, slightly positive approach. Members of the Muslim community listen to Mohamed Mohideen at prayers in Monash University. Credit:Wayne Taylor This was the approach taken by Ogilvy, the advertising agency behind the NSW governments COVID public health campaigns. Dane Smith, a behavioural scientist who works for the agency, says the most recent ad, titled Little things make a big difference, uses positive reinforcement rather than fear to encourage people to do more to protect themselves and their communities.

Peoples experience of COVID isnt all doom and gloom, he explains. For everybody living in a place which is out of lockdown, the experience isnt that urgent or that bad. Samaras, University of Melbourne public health expert Nathan Grills and Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett believe this is the mindset most Victorians have adopted in our third year of the pandemic; we dont want to be told by government how to live with COVID but need reliable information to make decisions. Grills says we have come to accept that people die every day from COVID - just as 50 people do, on average, from heart disease in Victoria. Most people have either had the virus or know a family member who has. He says whats missing is the kind of data accessed by ATAGI from the Israeli ministry of health which clearly shows the difference that three shots make compared to two, and four shots compared to three, in preventing death and serious illness from Omicron. I dont know why we dropped the ball on promoting a third dose vaccination, he says. The public health evidence is so clear about how much more protection it gives you against serious disease.

Bennett says that to encourage greater individual agency in the next stage of our COVID response, public health messaging needs to be more than a press conference or television ad. People want to know what the chance is of someone at their local grocery store having the virus. People respond to information. Danchin says that instead of trying to scare people into compliance, governments and public health officials need to respect their intelligence. People are wise now. There is a lot of scientific literacy out there. If we want things done, we need to explain why. This is the approach the Victorian government is quietly adopting. On Wednesday, as ATAGI was finalising its decision to expand the availability of a fourth-dose booster vaccine to anyone over 30, Victorias Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie had a Zoom hook-up with 135 members of the Victorian Multicultural Commission.
The NSW government has committed to modify a multibillion dollar train fleet at the centre of a long-running union dispute ahead of a pivotal court decision over industrial action impacting Sydneys rail network.

The Fair Work Commission is on Saturday expected to hand down a decision on whether to suspend industrial action being taken on the NSW railways after the government argued it was damaging the state economy.

The NSW government and rail unions remain at an impasse over the safety of the Sydney train network. Credit:Janie Barrett

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on Monday announced his government would drag the unions before the commission as their action continued to cause disruptions across Sydneys rail network.

The government on Tuesday lost an urgent application for a temporary pause on industrial action planned for the week, meaning Sydneys rail network operated at about 50-60 per cent capacity on Wednesday and Friday.
Police investigate links to gangs after young girl shot in Sydney

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The interim boss of embattled casino giant Star Entertainment will front a Queensland parliamentary hearing into a proposed tightening of state laws, ahead of moves from a broader inquiry probing the companys suitability to hold its dual licences.

Recent action by the state government follows weeks of evidence heard by a similar NSW inquiry into whether the company is fit to hold its Sydney licence, including allegations of money laundering, criminal infiltration and fraud.

The Stars interim chief executive Geoff Hogg has already sought to distance the companys Queensland operations from those in NSW, while pushing back against some new punitive elements of the changes.

Racing Minister Grace Grace introduced a suite of legislative changes to parliament in May as a proactive move to stave off risks identified in the national casino environment amid the NSW inquiry and recent findings against rival operator Crown.

Stars interim chief executive, Geoff Hogg, has since sought to distance the companys Queensland operations from those in NSW, while also pushing back against some new punitive elements of the changes, in a submission to the parliamentary committee now tasked with considering the bill.
Embarrassing. Shocking. Scandalous and absolutely unacceptable. The 86-year-old Benedictine nun Sister Joan Chittister was in bed this week  recovering from a bout of COVID  when she read that the plenary council of the Australian Catholic Church had refused to pass two pretty gentle, anodyne motions supporting women in positions of leadership in the church. It felt like a red hot poker ran through her.

Sister Joan, a best-selling American author of more than 50 books, has a large, devoted progressive global following and a profile rare for a nun, being interviewed by Oprah and appearing on Meet the Press. She has spent the past few weeks touring Australia to packed audiences, speaking about the need for renewal in the church, and the need for leaders to listen.

Illustration: Simon Letch Credit:The Sydney Morning Herald

But after the meeting of the plenary council  the highest formal gathering of all local churches and the first in Australia since 1937  she called me in a state of flaming indignation: The proof is in. You neednt wear yourself out trying to convince women that the church really appreciates them, their work, their presence, their talents. They know now  right out of the mouth of the episcopacy that voted against them.

So what were these motions the bishops dared not approve?
New Victorian senator Ralph Babet will use his time in federal parliament to fight for a two term limit for MPs, a bill of rights and stronger privacy laws but is opposed to stronger action on climate change.

The sole United Australia Party MP to emerge from mining magnate Clive Palmers estimated $100 million advertising spend during the recent federal election, Babet is a French speaking, pro-immigration real estate agent born in the Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius.

Senator Ralph Babet secured the United Australia Partys only seat in the new parliament. Credit:Facebook

In an interview with The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, the 39-year-old UAP senator laid out his priorities for his time in parliament, which he declared will only last one term.

He wants MPs limited to serving two terms. "After two terms, what's going to happen? You're going to become stale, you're going to become disconnected," Babet said.
The pandemic drove significant changes in Australias federation, especially by empowering the states, albeit without any formal alteration in the distribution of responsibilities. We are yet to see whether lasting changes will come out of that experience. But if the Albanese government wants to promote its various reforms, as much harmony as possible with the states, and especially the bigger states, will be vital. For his part Perrottet, facing a very difficult election early next year, has an incentive to get on with a popular new federal government. He doesnt want fights on two fronts. Where possible, the PM will bring his declared aim of a consensus approach to his dealings with the states  which could all be Labor on the mainland if Perrottet loses. Albanese wants a reset in the federation. A reset and a consensus approach are already being pursued in higher education by Education Minister Jason Clare, who outlined his plans at a Universities Australia conference this week. Political players and commentators have noted a feeling among many people after the election of whats described as relief. Nowhere is this more evident than in the university sector.

The Coalition hardly tried to disguise its hostility to universities. It decided they were rich enough not to need JobKeeper, so they were excluded from that assistance. Some did have plenty of resources, but not all. And the pandemic delivered a body blow to the lucrative revenue flow from overseas students. There have been extensive job cuts. Loading The former government also had ideological issues with universities. They were seen as incubators for left-wing ideas. It wanted them much more directly tied into the jobs market. It reshaped its funding, imposing heavier course fees on humanities students. Clare will announce in coming months a group to lead Labors proposed accord process to chart future directions for the universities. This will involve a broad range of stakeholders, and amounts to a major new inquiry into the sector. Tanya Plibersek, whod been expected to hold the education portfolio, summarised Labors desired approach when she was shadow minister. The aim of an accord would be to build consensus on key policy questions and national priorities in a sober, evidence-based way, without so much of the political cut and thrust. Building that consensus should help university reform stick.

But Andrew Norton, professor in the practice of higher education policy at the Australian National University, says the word accord carries the implication were going to seek agreement between conflicting views and interests rather than pursue a coherent new policy direction based on rigorous analysis. While the collaborative approach is welcome, potential tension points are obvious, especially when the government will be under heavy budgetary constraints for years to come. A coming test for consensus will be the September jobs summit. This will be an ideas-gathering exercise, but the government will also want to shape it as a prelude to the October budget, and that would require some common messages. Loading The summit needs to reach a degree of agreement on the immediate problems, probably not so difficult given the acute labour market shortages. To what extent, however, will participants be able to coalesce around solutions, for example the desirable level of migration?

In a bold or foolhardy gesture, depending on your view, Albanese has indicated he wont be deterred by a failure to reach consensus in one of the most sensitive policy areas he faces. This is the plan to hold a constitutional referendum this term to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. In a recent interview with The Australian, the prime minister said: You dont need a consensus but you need a broad agreement, firstly, among First Nations leaders and then, secondly, you would seek to get as broad a political agreement as possible for a referendum. So that doesnt mean that any group would have veto power because my concern is that unless there is a referendum in the foreseeable future, then the momentum will be lost. If the Coalition was opposed, we would consider that as a factor but not necessarily a decisive one. The conventional wisdom is that, given the difficulties of getting any referendum through and the dismal history of attempts, bipartisanship would be essential for the success of this one. Speaking on Sky on Thursday, opposition spokesman Julian Leeser was non-committal about the Coalitions likely position. The costs of failure on something so fundamental would be high. The defeat of the 1999 referendum on the republic put the issue off the agenda for a generation (so far).
Premier Daniel Andrews with Ben Carroll last year. Credit:David Crosling Until that Thursday night, senior MPs from the premiers Left faction held discussions with senior right-wing MPs about opposing Andrews plan in Saturdays caucus meeting by demanding a ballot for the deputy position. Several Left faction sources, some of whom were frustrated with the outcome of the reshuffle, said MPs fell into line because revolting months out from an election would have combusted the government. But aggrieved MPs said the move has rallied support for an alternative to Allan when the premier eventually stands aside. Daniel succeeded in doing very little other than ensuring theres a larger group focused on an alternative to Jacinta, one left-wing MP said. She will be bearing the blowback of his decision. The Left were waiting for a natural alternative to emerge  we now realise we have to create one. Daniel overplayed his hand. Some MPs said it was the final internal power-move Andrews needed to ram through before the election. It meant he could afford to burn a few bridges along the way.

A Right faction source said: This was Daniels last hurrah  the last time he can get what he wants. Hours after meeting with his senior ministers on the Friday morning, the premier addressed journalists with his new leadership team assembled behind him. Some retiring ministers  which included Merlino, Lisa Neville, Martin Pakula, Richard Wynne and Martin Foley  initially believed they would be attending this press conference to say their goodbyes. Premier Daniel Andrews shakes hands with outgoing deputy premier James Merlino last month as Merlinos replacement, Jacinta Allan, looks on. Credit:Justin McManus Instead, only Merlino was invited and some were left to organise their own media interviews. Andrews office did not want a visual demonstration of the eight lost decades of ministerial experience. A number of ministers, according to sources close to them, wanted to remain in their roles until election day but were upset when blocked from doing so. The government wanted to avoid the appearance of lame duck ministers who would not be responsible for the election commitments they announced. The resignations of Foley, and to a lesser extent Merlino, who occupy the vulnerable electorates of Albert Park and Monbulk respectively, left party officials scrambling to prepare campaigns with new candidates.

Questioned by The Age about whether he appreciated the frustration of his MPs, Andrews said last week: Well they havent picked up the phone to me or any other senior colleagues. If theyre talking to you, well, thats fine, but if you want to name them, [we] can go and have a chat. Those concerns have not been raised with me. But Im happy to concede to you that not every member of the team will be universally happy because with such depth, its inevitable not everybody gets to do the job they are capable of. Members of the new-look Victorian ministry pose for a group photo at Government House during the swearing-in ceremony last month. Credit:AAP While cabinet reshuffles inevitably cause ructions, four vacancies in the leadership team and the availability of the coveted deputy position made last months stakes even greater. The shake-up was unique because large sections of the premiers own faction were angered by the lack of autonomy it was afforded. Not only were they unsuccessful in pushing for a ballot to decide on their two new ministers, they were cornered to back Allan for the deputy position.

Some in the Left are adamant they told Carroll they would back him for the deputy position. But its unclear if Carroll had enough support to defeat Allan after senior Right leaders Merlino and Treasurer Tim Pallas publicly endorsed her. Either way, the would-be rebels were outmanoeuvred by a premier who had enough warning to stage-manage the event, leaving a surprised caucus flailing as they bickered and horse-traded. By Wednesday, rumours of the retirements were rife. By Thursday, rumours hardened and MPs buzzed around Spring Street on a series of Zoom hook-ups and in-person meetings trying to resolve their differences and pick a candidate to challenge Allan. From left: James Merlino, Martin Foley, Lisa Neville and Martin Pakula have announced their retirements. Their attempts were futile. On Friday morning, Andrews publicly declared Allan as his choice for deputy premier. But it was what happened that afternoon that shocked and angered many in the party. Eltham MP Vicki Ward, from a different Socialist Left sub-group to the premier, was the sole nominee for the position of cabinet secretary (an MP who manages the affairs of cabinet and is often eventually promoted to the ministry). Almost everyone believed she was a shoo-in.

The Age has confirmed that allies of the premier called at least six MPs that evening accusing Ward of briefing journalists against Allan, whose opponents were quoted anonymously in this and other mastheads. The accusation against Ward were rubbished by MPs who believed it was false. Ward declined to comment. Melton MP Steve McGhie was instead appointed to the cabinet secretary role. The premiers office did not respond on the record to specific questions about Andrews involvement in the reshuffle, including whether ministers were forced to leave cabinet early, the accusations against Ward, and the rumours surrounding Carrolls hour-long wait. Instead, a government spokeswoman said: We have a strong team focused on delivering for all Victorians  whether its schools, hospitals, roads and rail or making sure people have access to the services they need.

The reshuffle exposed and inflamed the ongoing split within the partys Right faction. The group has previously dominated the caucus but is now left without the deputys position and with no obvious candidate to challenge for Andrews position when he retires. Half of that group, including MPs formerly aligned with dumped MP Adem Somyurek, supported Allan instead of locking in behind the Rights Carroll. Four Right-faction MPs said attention was now turning to uniting the disparate right-wing forces to find an agreeable candidate to put up a fight for Andrews job when the premier moves on. The ascendant forces in the Right, to which Carroll belongs, will dominate the caucus after the election because many fresh Labor candidates hail from this group. Carroll lost allies amid the intense week of politicking, but the ruthlessness with which Andrews secured Allans elevation has widened the cross-section of MPs intent on blocking her path to the leadership and finding a new leader from Labors next generation of talent to break away from the Andrews era. In Allans favour is her backing from Andrews, her experience and public performance in senior roles, a dearth of talent in the Right and the removal of other potential challengers such as Merlino, Pakula and former attorney-general Jill Hennessy.
Current and former leaders of Australia have expressed shock and dismay at the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who has been hailed as a great friend to Australia over his many years leading Japan.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was shocked and saddened by the tragic death.

He was a great friend and ally to Australia. We mourn with you, Albanese said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addressing Australian parliament in 2014. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Abe was one of Australias closest friends on the world stage. It was his vision that helped elevate our bilateral relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership in 2014. Under his leadership, Japan emerged as one of Australias closest and most like-minded partners in Asia  a legacy that endures today.
The assassin was tackled by the former leaders security detail and later charged by police. Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said doctors had tried everything to save his older brothers life including administering blood transfusions. He said the shooting was unacceptable and that he would investigate reports that the shooter was a former member of the nations self-defence forces. Japanese police have yet to reveal a motive behind the assassination. Abe, the most influential Japanese politician of his generation and longest-serving prime minister, retired in 2020 but remained a significant powerbroker in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He led the largest faction in the LDP and held considerable sway over its policies and MPs. A seller hands an extra edition of the news of the attack on Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo on Friday. Credit:Christopher Jue The shooting triggered an immediate response from world leaders. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abes death was devastating.

Mr Abe was a giant on the world stage  a leader in the G7, the G20 and the United Nations. His legacy was one of global impact and a profound and positive one for Australia, he said. Our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time. US President Joe Biden said he was stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the death of Abe, who he described as a friend. He said the United States stands with Japan in its moment of grief. He cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy. Biden said.

Former US president Donald Trump said: He was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Abes global leadership through uncharted times will be remembered by many. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people, he said. The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a national day of mourning out of respect for Abe on Saturday. Kyodo News reported just after 11.30am, Tokyo time, that Abe was unconscious and unresponsive. Local station MBS also reported that Abe was in a state of cardiac arrest. NHK said he was showing no vital signs. But just after 2pm, Kishida travelled to his office in Tokyo by helicopter to update reporters that Abe was in a very grave condition.

Tokyos residents stop to watch news of Shinzo Abes attempted assassination. Credit:Christopher Jue I heard one shot and another shot, one witness said. Then I saw the suspect with something larger than a handgun. Then the secret service jumped on top of him. It was shocking. Another witness said Abe was in the middle of his speech when a man approached him from behind. It looked like a toy or a bazooka. The first shot was just a noise. The second shot we could see the gunpowder and a lot of white smoke, the witness said. Security police the suspect believed to have shot Shinzo Abe. A homemade gun lies at his feet. Credit:The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images

After the second shot Abe collapsed and people were applying CPR. The gunman did not attempt to run away, he was just standing there. Philip Alpers, a firearms expert at the University of Sydney said the gun used by Yamagami looked incredibly homemade. Theyre usually just as dangerous to the shooter as they are to the target, he said. I would imagine that this one was very unusual in that it was able to injure somebody badly. Alpers said Japan had one of the strictest gun control regimes in the world. It has almost zero gun homicides in some years. And the only real problem for many years has been the criminals who keep them largely for intimidation, but dont kill many people, he said.

And they dont tend to be guns like that one on the ground. That one on the ground is, as I say, very, very homemade. Abe was campaigning on behalf of the LDP for upper house elections outside the Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara when he was shot. The election, due on Sunday, is seen as a key test of Kishidas hold on power after he replaced Yoshihide Suga in October. Kishida had stacked his cabinet with Abe allies to maintain his links to the LDPs conservative base. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said ministers were on their way back to Tokyo.
Under his economic program, Abe imposed a form of shock therapy that involved cheap cash, government spending on stimulus projects that expanded the countrys debt and attempts at corporate deregulation. The combination delivered results in the early years of his term, lifting the economy out of an unrelenting malaise and raising Abes international profile. A key factor in Abes economic platform was an effort to empower women, as he argued that increasing their participation in the workforce would help counterbalance a declining and ageing population. But some of the early promises of his Womenomics agenda  such as drastically raising the proportion of women in management and in government  did not come to fruition. Then-president Donald Trump shakes hands with Shinzo Abe in Japan in 2019. Credit:Bloomberg On the international stage, Abe was one of the few world leaders to maintain a consistently close relationship with President Donald Trump. He hosted two visits by the American leader, including one in which Trump met the newly enthroned emperor, Naruhito. Abe also hosted President Barack Obama when he became the first American president to visit Hiroshima, the site of one of the two atomic bombings by the US at the end of World War II.

And after years of a chilly relationship with China, Abe tried to usher in a warmer era, making the first visit to Beijing by a Japanese prime minister in seven years when he met with President Xi Jinping in 2018. After the Trump administration pulled out of a multinational trade agreement among the US and 11 other countries around the Pacific Rim, Abe kept the remaining countries in a coalition that enacted the pact in 2018 without the US. Shinzo Abe with Xi Jinping at the 2019 G-20 meeting in Osaka. Credit:Bloomberg He met dozens of times with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in the hopes of negotiating a settlement over four contested islands north of Japan that were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of the war. Abes father had long tried, and failed, to resolve the territorial dispute, and the son was unable to resolve it, too. As a result, the countries have yet to sign a peace treaty to officially end the war between them.

Shinzo Abe was born September 21, 1954, in Tokyo to Shintaro and Yoko Abe. His mother was the daughter of Nobusuke Kishi, who had been accused of war crimes by the occupying Americans but who was ultimately released from prison without appearing before the Allied war crimes tribunal. He served as prime minister from 1957 to 1960 and ardently opposed the constitution that his grandson, a half-century later, would try to revise. Loading Abes father also went into politics, serving as foreign minister and as an influential leader in the Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for all but four years since the end of the war. There was perhaps little question that Abe would eventually follow his father and grandfather into politics. He studied political science at Seikei University in Tokyo and spent a year at the University of Southern California, also studying political science. After a brief stint at Kobe Steel, Abe began his political career in 1982, serving as executive assistant to his father, who was then foreign minister.

He married Akie Matsuzaki, a daughter of a former president of Morinaga, one of Japans largest confectionary companies, in 1987. The couple never had children. The Japanese news media  and Akie Abe herself  occasionally described her as her husbands at-home opposition party, because she opposed nuclear power, which he supported, and expressed more progressive views than the prime minister on issues like gay rights. Shinzo Abe waves with his wife Akie Abe while boarding a plane heading for the US in 2018. Credit:AP After his father died in 1991, Abe was elected to his parliamentary seat from Yamaguchi prefecture in southwestern Japan in 1993. His first big break came in 2000, when he was appointed to serve as deputy chief secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party.

In that role, Abe accompanied Junichiro Koizumi, a popular maverick prime minister, to Pyongyang in 2002 to meet with the North Korean leader at the time, Kim Jong Il, to negotiate the release of Japanese citizens said to have been abducted by North Korean agents. The North released five abductees, and the politicians brought them back to Japan. Abes first rise to Japans top job came in 2006, when he was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats and became the first Japanese prime minister born after the end of the war. Shinzo Abe appears as the Nintendo game character Super Mario during the closing ceremony at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Credit:AP From the start, he emphasised his desire to revise the pacifist constitution and nudge Japan toward some level of independence from the US, which provided Japan with security in exchange for renouncing a full-fledged military and allowing US troops to be based around the country. By entrusting our national security to another country and putting a priority on economic development, we were indeed able to make great material gains, Abe wrote of the postwar era in his campaign book Toward a Beautiful Country. But what we lost spiritually  that was also great.

In seeking to revise the constitution, Abe angered China and South Korea, two victims of Japans 20th-century militarism. He also denied that the Japanese military had forced Asian women, primarily Koreans and Chinese, into sexual slavery during World War II, and he moved to alter school textbooks to present what critics called a whitewashed version of Japans wartime history. Loading But within a year, Abe stumbled, plagued by scandals in his Cabinet, and he was written off by the political establishment and news media. Citing ill health from ulcerative colitis, a bowel disease, he abruptly resigned in September 2007, throwing the party into disarray. His resignation was the beginning of a steep slide for the Liberal Democrats, culminating in the partys loss of Parliament in 2009 to the opposition Democratic Party. It was only the second time since the Liberal Democrats were formed in 1955 that they had been out of power. Yet the oppositions time in charge was marred by gaffes, and the administration ultimately collapsed as the public grew furious at its response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. By 2012, voters had returned the conservative Liberal Democrats to power, with Abe once more at the helm.

He seemed to have learned some lessons from his first term in office. He focused at first on lifting the moribund economy and reversing years of deflation, pulling Japan out of the so-called lost decades that followed the bursting of a huge property bubble in the 1980s. In targeting the economy in his second administration, we saw he became much more pragmatic and flexible, said Yuichi Hosoya, a political scientist at Keio University in Tokyo and a sometime foreign policy adviser to Abe. Shinzo Abe on the ground in Nara after being shot on Friday. Credit:AP Nevertheless, he held on to his ambition of returning Japan to a stronger military footing. In 2015, Abe pushed through a package of security bills that would allow Japans Self-Defence Forces to team up with allied troops to fight combat missions abroad. He also formed a national security council and helped increase Japans defence budget. Abe led his party to two more commanding victories in national elections, but he lost the supermajority in 2019 and was never able to push through a revision of the constitution.

But even after he stepped down as prime minister, Abe continued to wield considerable influence from behind the scenes. His hand-picked successor Yoshihide Suga, Abes chief Cabinet secretary, succeeded him when he resigned. When Suga was forced from office, Abe supported Sanae Takaichi, 60, a hard-line conservative, to be Japans first female prime minister. When she did not gain enough votes in a first round of party voting, Abe supported Kishida in order to prevent one of his chief rivals, Taro Kono, a former foreign and defence minister, from winning. A seller hands an extra edition of the news of the attack on Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo on Friday. Credit:Christopher Jue He could still draw enormous attention by floating controversial ideas, such as a proposal that Japan host US nuclear weapons. And as the Liberal Democrats campaigned for an upcoming Upper House election, Abes long-cherished hope to revise the constitution remained a key plank in their platform.
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After switching roles, from commercial banker to broker, George Li is still basking in the glory of winning an award so early in his broking career.

The Sydney mortgage broker and director of Leading Financial Solutions won the Newcomer Award at the MFAA NSW/ACT State Excellence Awards on 23 June after joining the industry less than 18 months ago.

Li (pictured) said he was surprised and felt honoured to win.

I know in this industry there are a lot of players that have been working very hard over the last 12 months, Li said.

By winning this award, it means I am responsible and need to play my part by bringing in skills that will help others that are considering joining this great industry. The win also gives me the motivation to continue working hard in the future.

Read more: MFAA celebrates NSW, ACT Excellence Award winners

Li said the award win cements his reputation within the mortgage and finance industry.

I am grateful that I can springboard my business and branding to the public, thanks to the MFAA, he added.

Li was working as a commercial banker with NAB for 10 years before deciding to embark on a career as a broker by opening his own business in February 2021.

In my previous role I was dealing with brokers on a daily basis and after many years as a banker, I decided I wanted to see what it would be like to work as a mortgage broker, Li said.

So, I decided to dive headfirst into it by studying for my diploma. I resigned from the bank and branched out into opening my own brokerage. Starting my own business was a challenge and it provides me with flexibility, which is something I treasure every day.

Li said his banking experience in terms of policy, credit and networking were all invaluable skills which had helped him in his transition to the broking industry.

These skills are great for personal development and have helped me to become the broker that I am today, he said.

My experience as a banker has given me insight into the industry and provides me the opportunity to see a deal from a different perspective. Also having commercial experience helps as there are a lot of small businesses out there which need help with funding.

Read more: Reserve Bank lifts cash rate again

Li, who is of Chinese heritage, said diversity within the mortgage industry was growing.

As Australia is considered a migrant country and according to the latest census data, more than 15% of Australian households were born overseas, he said.

From what I have seen in the mortgage and finance industry, there are more diverse people with different cultural backgrounds. Within my experience in this industry, I have seen a wider demographic work in mortgage and finance  each bringing new skills, knowledge, mindsets and experience.

Li said diversity in the mortgage industry provided coherency.

With insight from diverse members of our industry, we can all work together towards a well-rounded solution for all, he concluded.
Latest News CBA launches international currency term deposits ESG product has raised over $1.5 billion

Buyer's agent warns clients to buy now Make your move before rates climb higher

Streamlined processes are the foundation of a successful brokerage, says a Sydney broker.

Shore Financial senior credit adviser Christian Stevens (pictured) said he realised early in his career that breaking down processes and allocating them across two teams, front-end and back-end support, were key.

The front-end team comprises credit analysists who focus on the initial query including completing the detailed proposal with funding position and product comparison reports, Stevens said.

They are able to turn this around for our clients within 48 hours regardless of the complexity of the scenario.

Read more: Reserve Bank lifts cash rate again

Stevens said once the most suitable lender for the client was selected, that was when the back-end support team could step in.

The back-end team can produce compliance documents and lodge the application to the lender within 24 hours, he said.

They take care of everything up until settlement. At Shore Financial, we also have a post-settlement officer who regularly follows up with each client to ensure there are no issues and new accounts that need to be set up.

Stevens said communication was crucial when working with a large number of clients.

We have a daily management meeting and the whole team meets monthly to review the data collated and understand how we can evolve and make the process better, he noted. This involves documenting the steps from first contact all the way through to settlement.

Stevens said he was always looking for new ways to optimise the business.

A platform such as Quickli is great as it can help speed up proposals or marketing initiatives to drive additional business from existing clients, he said. It is a lot easier to do a clients second deal and my goal is to be their broker for life.

Read more: Quickli saving brokers time and stress

For the month of May, Stevens closed out $124 million in settlements.

The two main factors that resulted in this achievement would be the continuous improvement of my process and the expansion into commercial finance, he said.

Ever since starting as a mortgage broker, I had the goal of settling $100m in a single month  something I was told many times would be impossible. I am proud to have settled more than $124m in May 2022.

Stevens said the best part of being a broker was the rewards for effort on offer.

There are not many jobs that you can make your own hours and help so many people at the same time, he said. I genuinely love supporting so many first home buyers get into the market, investors restructure their portfolios and families build wealth through property.
Latest News CBA launches international currency term deposits ESG product has raised over $1.5 billion

Buyer's agent warns clients to buy now Make your move before rates climb higher

The government needs to step up its efforts to stop brain drain, according to ANZs New Zealand chief executive.

Speaking in Melbourne early this week, Antonia Watson said NZ businesses were "crying out" for staff.

I totally understand that we want a more productive country, that will take years and investment, Watson told 1news.

The ANZ NZ boss said she wanted to see government take more action to bring skilled workers into the country.

You can't blame Kiwis for wanting to go overseas, Watson told 1news. That was a big part of what I did when I was young, and if they are going to go overseas, we need to replace that labour.

According to Infometrics principal economist, Brad Olsen, New Zealand could lose an estimated 24,000 to 58,000 people in the next year, amid temptations of higher pay and lower living costs.

And while a recent survey found that one in four Australians are currently struggling to make ends meet, Watson doesnt believe thatll stop people from travelling to New Zealand.

The cost of living, it is tough at the moment, but I don't see that as an impediment to travel and continuing a close economic relationship between the two countries, she told 1news.

Speaking to media in Melbourne, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there is ongoing work towards boosting skilled worker shortages as borders opened.

Ardern also talked about an accredited employer process developed with Immigration Minister Michael Woods which makes it easier for businesses to access skilled workers that they need.

Its all a part of us encouraging those with the skills we need in New Zealand to come in as easily as possible, she said.

Through the new accredited employer work visa, migrants offshore will be able to come to work in Aotearoa. This has had a large role in the latest developments to resolve shortages.

To brace for more tourists entering New Zealand, Ardern said things like our working holiday visa actively promoting those and expanding the reach of those schemes to try and support those businesses, 1news reported.
Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) and British International (BII)-backed EV Co will co-develop a portfolio of five electric SUVs through the formers wholly-owned subsidiary, into which the two firms shall invest around Rs 10,000 crore over the next four years, their executives said on Friday.

This deal will help reduce its planned capex over FY22-26 to Rs 9,975 crore, from Rs 11,900 crore.

BII and have reached a binding agreement to co-invest Rs 3,850 crore (Rs 1,925 crore each) at a valuation of Rs 70,070 crore ($9.1 billion) in the yet-to-be-named EV company, said in a notification to stock exchanges on Thursday night. The Indian would invest Rs 1,925 crore in two tranches -- Rs 1,200 crore by June 2023 and Rs 725 crore on certain pre-decided milestones.

The agreement marks one of the major investments in the e-mobility space. is the latest among the legacy auto firms to tap the green fund. The has taken a leaf out of Tata Motors playbook. In October 2021, the Tata Group flagship sought an of $1 billion (then Rs 7,500 crore) from Rise Climate for its EV arm, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), at a valuation of $9.1 billion.

"We are very confident that we will take leadership in this (EV) space, said Anish Shah, MD & CEO, and Mahindra, during an investor-analyst meeting on Friday. This is not just one . This is also the starting point.

would work jointly with BII to bring other investors into the EV company to match the funding requirement in a phased manner, said Shah.

The supposed high valuation for an entity that is currently on paper -- with no products and just BII investment -- failed to enthuse the Street. The M&M stock opened 5 per cent up at Rs 1,180.25 but gave up the gains at the end of the trading session, closing at Rs 1,132.65, down 0.06 per cent. They (M&M) are getting a small amount of $250 million and extrapolating it to arrive at a $9.1 billion valuation, said an analyst at a brokerage.

This is in contrast with .

When stitched the deal with TPG, it had products and a share of 75 per cent in the e-passenger vehicle market. Therefore, investors are looking at the whole (M&M-BII) deal with scepticism May be after the brand reveal on August 15, investors will have greater confidence, the analyst added.

The aforementioned e- portfolio will include the electrified version of the XUV3OO (to be called XUV4OO) -- to be unveiled in September 2022 and available for sale in January 2023 -- and four born or pure electric platforms.

By 2026-27, M&M expects its e-SUVs share to be 20-30 per cent of its overall portfolio. This would translate into a volume of 200,000 units per annum, said Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director, farm and automotive sectors, Mahindra and Mahindra.

Industry body Society of Indian Manufacturers (Siam) expects the M&M share as a percentage of the total passenger vehicle market to grow to 54 per cent, from 50 per cent in 2022, Jejurikar said in his presentation.

The company will unveil its born electric strategy in its newly opened design studio in Oxfordshire, the UK, which has been instrumental in designing these concepts. Mahindra is also exploring a partnership with Germany's Volkswagen to source EV components, it said in May.

The EV company will utilise Mahindras product development set-ups in Detroit, Bengaluru, and Chennai. Besides manufacturing, Mahindra would also engage in non-EV part sourcing.

For BII, its a long-term commitment with Mahindra, said Samir Abhyankar, MD and head of direct private equity at BII. The British Government-backed fund is not planning any investment in a rival company, as of now.

Deal structure for the proposed EV subsidiary BII to invest up to Rs 1925 cr in two tranches (Rs.1,200 cr & Rs 725 cr) M&M to co-invest Rs 1925 crore BII Ownership: 2.75% to 4.76% EV Co valuation-Rs70,070 crore ($9.1 billion) EV Co to invest approx. Rs 8,000 cr between F24-F27
Billionaire Gautam Adani's group is said to be planning a surprise entry into the race to acquire telecom spectrum, which will pitch it directly against Mukesh Ambani's and telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal's Airtel, sources said.

Applications for participating in the July 26 auction of airwaves, including those capable of providing fifth-generation or 5G such as ultra-high-speed internet connectivity, closed on Friday with at least four applications.

Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea -- the three private players in the -- applied, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The fourth applicant is Adani Group, one of the sources said, adding that the group had recently obtained National Long Distance (NLD) and International Long Distance (ILD) licences.

But this could not be independently confirmed. Email and phone calls made to the did not elicit any response.

As per the auction timelines, ownership details of applicants are to be published on July 12 and the bidders should be known then.

A total of 72,097.85 MHz of spectrum worth at least Rs 4.3 lakh crore will be put on the block during the auction, set to commence on July 26, 2022.

The auction will be held for spectrum in various low (600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz), mid (3300 MHz) and high (26 GHz) frequency bands.

Ambani and Adani, who hail from Gujarat and went on to build mega business groups, had till recently not had a direct face-off. While the former expanded from the oil and petrochemicals business into telecom and retail, the latter diversified from the ports segment to coal, energy distribution and aviation.

But increasingly, their interests are overlapping, setting what some say is the stage for a clash.

Adani has in the recent months set up a subsidiary for a foray into petrochemicals -- a business that Ambani's father Dhirubhai began with before its downstream and upstream operations.

Ambani too has announced multi-billion-dollar plans for new energy business, including Giga factories for solar panels, batteries, green hydrogen and fuel cells. Adani, who had previously announced plans to be the world's largest renewable energy producer by 2030, too has unveiled hydrogen ambitions.

And now, if the participates in the 5G auction on July 26, it will be the first direct competition with Ambani.

The Cabinet, last month, approved 5G auctions at reserve prices recommended by the sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The regulator had recommended an about 39 per cent cut in floor price for the sale of 5G spectrum for mobile services.

The validity of the right to use spectrum will be of 20 years.

Overall, the payment terms have been eased for bidders in the upcoming auction.

For the first time ever, there is no mandatory requirement to make upfront payment by the successful bidders.

Payments for spectrum can be made in 20 equal annual installments to be paid in advance at the beginning of each year, a relaxation that is expected to significantly ease cash flow requirements and lower the cost of doing business in this sector.

The bidders would be given an option to surrender the spectrum after 10 years with no future liabilities with respect to balance installments. No SUC (spectrum usage charges) will be levied for the spectrum acquired in this auction.

While the 5G spectrum in nine frequency bands will be auctioned to telecom operators, the Notice Inviting Applications -- the bid-related document issued by the Telecom Department -- said tech firms will be allowed to take the 5G spectrum for their captive non-public network on lease from the telecom .

The bid document said direct allocation of spectrum to tech will follow a demand study and sector regulator TRAI's recommendation on aspects such as pricing and modalities of such allocation.

The decision on private networks is seen as a dampener for telcos, which had been arguing that if independent entities are allowed to set up private captive networks with direct 5G spectrum allotment by the telecom department, the business case of TSPs (Telecom Service Providers) will get severely degraded.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Air conditioning and commercial refrigeration major aims to grow its revenue to Rs 10,000 crore in the medium term and plans to enter North American and European markets, according to the latest annual report of the company.

The company is now gearing up for the next phase of growth and as part of that, is focusing on building scale.

The next phase of growth will see becoming a more eminent player on the international front and consolidate its position in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia regions with deeper market penetration and the introduction of innovative products and solutions, said Vice Chairman & Managing Director Vir S Advani.

"We have set more ambitious goals to expand our global footprint with a strategy to enter North America and Europe as an Original Design & Manufacturing (ODM) solutions provider," said Advani while addressing shareholders.

Besides, will further strengthen its R&D and innovation capabilities and deploy the Total Cost Management (TCM) programme across various businesses and functions to build cost leadership.

Talking about the domestic market, Advani said India will continue to be the home market in which Blue Star "will strive to be a major market share player" in all segments and categories of AC&R (air conditioning and refrigeration).

"The company aims to grow faster than the market in its core businesses of air conditioning and commercial refrigeration. The company is also planning to grow revenue from adjacencies such as air coolers, MEP services for water supply projects, and railway electrification," he said.

For financial year ended March 31, 2022, Blue Star's total income was up 40.6 per cent year-on-year at Rs 6,081.30 crore.

"Our medium-term goal is to grow the company's revenue from the current Rs 6,000 crore to over Rs 10,000 crore," Blue Star Chairman Shailesh Haribhakti said.

Talking about the Indian market, Advani said it is fast becoming a major manufacturing hub for AC&R products.

"With the introduction of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, the ecosystem for air conditioning components is developing fast in the country," he said.

Now, several European and American players in the segment are looking at reliable and capable manufacturers outside China, in their pursuit to secure their supply chain.

"The company's new manufacturing facility at Wada (Maharashtra) will cater to the production of its commercial refrigeration products and solutions, and with this, Blue Star will double its production capacity of deep freezers," Advani said adding this plant can produce around two lakh deep freezers and one lakh storage water coolers per annum.

Besides, Blue Star is setting up a 20-acre manufacturing facility at Sri City for room under the PLI scheme.

"The company plans to invest Rs 550 crore over the next few years. The investment will be made in a phased manner and when fully built, the facility will have a capacity of producing 12 lakh units of ACs per annum," he added.

The investment will be made in a phased manner and when fully built, the facility will have a capacity of producing 12 lakh units of ACs per annum. The construction of the first phase will be completed by October 2022.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The High Court on Friday told the to consider the representation of Chinese phone company Vivo to allow it to unfreeze some to pay for its liabilities.

The matter is posted for July 13.

Justice Yashwant Varma asked the enforcement agency to give its reply to the plea filed by the phone company seeking to unfreeze some of its accounts.

The court directed Advocate Zoheb Hossain, counsel for ED, to take note of the reliefs sought by in the petition.

Vivos lawyers  Sidharth Luthra and Siddharth Agarwal  said there are liabilities such as taxes, TDS, and excise duties to be paid. There are thousands of employees in the company. There is an urgency as these liabilities are growing every day, he said.

Meanwhile, EDs counsel opposed Vivos plea to unfreeze the bank accounts, saying it was too soon to do so. He added that the search operation by the agency would be over at the end of the day.

Keeping in mind the financial conditions mentioned in the petition, this court directs the respondent (ED) to consider the representation in the petition and decide to give permission to deal with the seized property as under Section 17(1)A of the Prevention of Act, Justice Yashwant Varma said.

The matter was listed by in the morning before Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad.

Earlier, the Enforcement Directorates (EDs) money-laundering probe into the mobile phone maker revealed the company, to avoid paying in India, remitted about Rs 62,476 crore of its turnover to between 2017 and 2021.

According to the agency, 18 that were allegedly incorporated fraudulently helped the smartphone maker to transfer 50 per cent of the turnover outside India, mainly . The sale proceeds during the period stood at Rs 1.25 trillion.
Fortis Healthcare aims to add around 1,500 beds over the next five years to enhance its presence in existing locations, according to its Annual Report for 2021-22.

The healthcare major currently has over 4,300 operational beds.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment towards growth and expansion. We plan to add around 225 beds in FY 22-23 through brownfield expansion, with a significant ramp-up planned in select facilities," the company informed its shareholders in the Annual Report.

The majority of the new beds will be added to the company's facilities in key geographic clusters Delhi/NCR, Maharashtra, Bengaluru and Kolkata, it added.

"Over the longer-term plans are afoot to add around 1,500 beds over the next 3-5 years in our cluster regions. This will enable us to further deepen our presence in existing locations and leverage higher economies of scale in terms of both cost and revenue drivers," the healthcare major stated.

On the clinical front, the company said it expects to continue to strengthen its existing specialities and build new medical programmes.

"We are further augmenting our specialities, such as oncology, cardiac sciences, neurology, gastroenterology, orthopaedics, and pulmonology, by adding medical infrastructure and onboarding clinical talent," Fortis Healthcare stated.

Besides, it plans to focus on enhancing emergency response through better medical infrastructure and focused training of ER staff, it added.

"We will continue to drive our cost transformation programme focused on procurement excellence that will rationalise drugs and consumables cost, bring in efficiencies in capex process, and optimise indirect spend," the company stated.

Simultaneously, efforts to drive revenues via more focused sales and marketing efforts towards large payor mix segments, an increasing focus on medical tourism and pricing reviews across medical offerings and facilities would also be emphasised, it added.

Fortis Healthcare Chairman Ravi Rajagopal said the company is looking at strategic plans for further strengthening clinical specialities, medical infrastructure, manpower training, upskilling and onboarding of new talents.

"Investments in brownfield bed expansion should see the company add close to 250-300 beds each year for the next two to three years, taking our operational bed capacity to over 5,000 beds," he said.

The company's healthy balance sheet and cash flows allow it to partake in growth and consolidation prospects in the industry, Rajagopal said.

"To that effect, we would evaluate and pursue inorganic opportunities in our select focus clusters of Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Bengaluru and Kolkata. All these should augur well for future business growth and profitability," he added.

Rajagopal noted that the COVID pandemic took a heavy toll on the company's workforce.

"Over 7,500 employees across the network and many of their family members tested positive and were admitted at our hospitals," he stated.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Amongst the most ground-breaking technological successes notched up by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are its single-engine and twin-engine helicopters  in the former segment, the eponymous Light Utility (LUH); and in the latter, the Dhruv advanced light (ALH), the Rudra attack and the (LCH).

The common feature in all these choppers is the remarkable Shakti engine, which is powerful enough to propel them to the dizzying heights of Kargil, or the Saltoro Ridge, where the is deployed in posts like Sonam and Bana Top, at altitudes above 20,000 feet.

For the soldiers at these posts, a helicopters arrival could spell the difference between freezing and warmth, between casualty evacuation and pulmonary failure  effectively between life and death.

On Friday, their survival prospects received a boost, when signed an agreement with French engine-maker, Helicopter Engines, to create a new joint venture (JV) that will develop helicopter engines for Indias future needs.

After a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Chairman and Managing Director and Helicopter Engines Chief Executive Officer Franck Saudo, a statement said: Both partners will extend their long-lasting partnership by establishing a new aero-engine company in India. It will be dedicated to the development, production, sales and support of helicopter engines and one of its main objectives will be to meet the requirements of and Ministry of Defences future helicopters, including the 13-ton IMRH (Indian Multi-Role Helicopter).

This MoU demonstrates once again the commitment of both Helicopter Engines and HAL to the Indian governments vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat or achieving self-reliance  particularly in defence technologies, said HAL.

Madhavan said Safran Helicopter Engines has been HALs valued partner for several decades. We now look forward to utilise this opportunity to leverage HALs experience in manufacturing of more than 15 types of aircraft and helicopter engines to jointly co-develop and manufacture engine with immediate focus on IMRH and its naval variant, the Deck Based Multi-Role Helicopter, (DBMRH).

Saudo spoke about the companys structuring partnership with HAL, which began more than 50 years ago, and which was recently illustrated with the development and production of the Shakti engine and the inauguration of our joint venture Helicopter Engines MRO Pvt Ltd (HE-MRO). He added that with a fleet of over 1,000 engines, Indias armed forces are one of the largest operators of Safran-designed helicopter engines.

The HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines partnership includes: the Shakti engine, which powers HAL-produced helicopters, including the Dhruv, Rudra and the LCH. The Ardiden 1U variant (of the Shakti engine) also powers the new LUH. More than 500 Shakti engines have already been produced, said HAL.

Through HE-MRO joint venture in Goa, HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines will also provide MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) services for TM333 and Shakti engines already in service with Indias military. It will be operational by the end of 2023, said a HAL-Safran joint statement.
Indonesias Bara Daya Energi quoted the lowest bid for two tenders of Coal India (CIL) for supplying 3 million tonne (MT) each. The firm has outbid Adani Enterprises, the only other bidder for these two tenders. Adani, however, has emerged as L1, or the lowest bidder, for the short-term tender of for supplying 2.4 MT.

The Indonesian quoted Rs 4,331 crore for the eastern coast tender and Rs 4,497 crore for the west coast. Adani Enterprises, which came second, quoted Rs 5,035 crore and Rs 5080 crore for west and east coast, respectively. This is a medium-term supply contract for to build a stock during next season.



Bara Daya, however, has earlier faced termination of its contract from Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL) over breach of contract and failure to supply coal, said sources. Even in the first import tender of CIL, Bara Daya was rejected at the technical level on grounds of submitting invalid legal documents such as power of attorney and consortium agreement, said sources.



Bara Daya has submitted its bid through a consortium with an Ahmedabad-based GHV India. The two tenders, issued by last month, pertain to the supply of 3 MT of coal at the east and west coast of the country. There were only two bidders for these tenders.

For the first tender  for which the winning bid was submitted by Adani  is still being evaluated. The had quoted Rs 4,033 crore in its bid. There were 11 other bidders for the contract to supply 2.4 MT during the June-September period.
will auction the account of Maharashtra-based Pioneer Gas and Power next month to recover loan dues of over Rs 180 crore from the company.

Pioneer Gas Power Limited has a principal loan outstanding of Rs 180.76 crore to the State Bank of India (SBI) and the lender will hold an e-auction to sell the account to ARCs/financial institutions on August 5, 2022.

"In terms of the bank's policy on transfer of stressed loan exposures, in line with the regulatory guidelines, we place these stressed loan exposures for transfer to ARCs/ banks/NBFCs/ FIs," said in a notice.

The e-bidding timings will be from 11.30 am to 1 pm, the bank added.

"We reserve the right not to go ahead with the proposed transaction or modify any terms and conditions at any stage, without assigning any reason. The decision of the bank in this regard shall be final and binding.

"Bank reserves the right to negotiate with the successful bidder for improvement in the bid amount, including NFB protection/margin, as the bank may deem fit and seek revised bid," said the country's largest lender.

Pioneer Gas Power Limited, situated in Raigad District in Maharashtra had a strategic partnership with Korean Western Power Company (KOWEPO) in 2012 after which it took a 40 per cent equity stake in the domestic power producer, according to the PGPL website.

Also, in 2011 the company signed a common loan agreement with a consortium of lenders -- including and others such as IFCI Ltd, Exim Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, Karur Vysya Bank and the erstwhile -- Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and Vijaya Bank.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Srei Equipment Finance (SEFL) auditor, Haribhakti & Co LLP, has resigned with effect from July 7, 2022.

In a stock exchange filing on Thursday, (SIFL), a listed company, had informed about the resignation of SEFLs auditor. SEFL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SIFL.

Haribhakti was appointed statutory auditors of SEFL from FY20 to FY24 at the 14th annual general meeting (AGM) of the company held on August 25, 2020.

In a letter to the administrator of SEFL, Haribhakti cited the (RBI) guidelines for the appointment of statutory central auditors (SCAs)/statutory auditors (SAs) of commercial banks.

This restricted the tenure for appointment of statutory auditors to a maximum of three years. It is subject to the audit firm satisfying the eligibility norms each year.

On completion of the audit for the financial year ended March 31, 2022, our firm has completed the tenure of three years in accordance with the guidelines.

Owing to some unavoidable circumstances, we will not be able to continue as the statutory auditors of the company till the conclusion of the annual general meeting in relation to the financial year ended March 31, 2022, the letter read.

The auditors three-year term would have ended at the conclusion of the AGM. However, the resignation is with effect from July 7, 2022.

On October 12, 2021, the had barred chartered accountancy firm Haribhakti from taking any audit assignment of entities regulated by it for two years. The order was effective from April 1. The audit firm failed to comply with RBIs specific direction issued pertaining to statutory audit of a systemically-important non-banking financial company, said.
Travel services company Thomas Cook India on Friday said it has signed an agreement with group firm SOTC and Turkiye Tourism for promoting the West Asian country as a tourist destination in India.

The collaboration will focus on building awareness and boosting visitations to Turkiye and will also cover both product development and wide-ranging marketing initiatives, the company said in a statement.

With strong pent-up demand and easing of entry restrictions, Indian travel sentiment is at an all-time high. Destinations like Turkiye that offer an added advantage of a simple and easy visa process are seeing significant interest, Thomas Cook India said.

"Turkiye is one of the world's most culturally rich destinations renowned for its warm hospitality, unique history, immense natural beauty, breathtaking architecture, and diverse gastronomy. We are delighted to collaborate with Turkiye Tourism to jointly promote the destination to our range of customer segments as an aspirational destination for Indians," Ltd, President & Country Head - Holidays, MICE, Visa, Rajeev Kale said.

Embassy of the Republic of Turkey, Culture and Tourism Counsellor, H Deniz Ersoz said Turkiye is one of the most popular tourism destinations for Indian travellers with the interest of Indian visitors in the country, being on a consistent rise over the recent years.

"In 2019, which was the pre-pandemic period, Turkiye welcomed 51 million international visitors of which Indians comprised a significant share. With Covid-related travel restrictions easing up, Turkiye has been amongst the top travel destinations for travellers from India in the past months," he added.

Ersoz further said, he expected that the collaboration will further boost the demand for Turkiye's tourism in India, which is one of the most important and high potential markets for Turkiye.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UKs development finance institution British International Investment (BII) will invest Rs 1,925 crore into a new dedicated, four-wheeler electric passenger vehicle arm which Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) will incorporate, the company said in a late night notification. M&M and BII will invest $250 million each into the new entity called EV Co. at a valuation of Rs 70,070 crore ($9 billion). The two have signed a binding agreement for the same.

M&M joins Tata Motors and a host of other including Ashok Leyland and TVS Motor Co that have either got external investors for a dedicated EV arm at an attractive valuation or are in the process of concluding such deals. A clutch of other legacy automobile firms are set to take a similar funding route as they brace to make a transition from the conventional-fuel based vehicles to .

The announcement comes ahead of M&M's planned EV strategy it would announce next month. Last month, M&M said the company's first "born-electric" concept will break cover on August 15, 2022. This will be one among the several such models M&M would bring starting 2025 as it seeks to enter the race for pure battery propelled vehicles. The event will take place at its newly opened design studio in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, which has been instrumental in designing these concepts. This will be followed by a reveal of the electric XUV 400 in September 2022. M&M envisages 20 per cent to 30 per cent of Mahindra SUVs to be electric by 2027. The EV Co "will significantly leverage the broader manufacturing capabilities, product development, design organizations along with the ecosystem of suppliers, dealers, and financiers of M&M," the statement said. The funds will be utilised primarily to create and market a world-class electric SUV portfolio with advanced technologies.

BII will make the aforesaid investment in the form of compulsory convertible instruments at a valuation of up to Rs 70,070 crore, resulting in 2.75 per cent to 4.76 per cent ownership for BII in the EV Co. The EV Co. will focus on four-wheel (4W) passenger .

The total capital infusion for the EV Co. is envisaged to be approximately Rs 8,000 crore/$1 billion between FY24 and FY27 for the planned product portfolio.

In BII, we have found a like-minded long-term partner who is committed to combating the climate emergency. The Mahindra Group aims to be Planet Positive by 2040. Mahindra has been a pioneer in the space, and we are confident we will be the leaders in the electric SUV market in the future," Anish Shah, MD & CEO, M&M said in the statement.

M&M and BII will work jointly to bring other like-minded investors in the EV Co. to match the funding requirement in a phased manner, the statement said. BIIs investment is designed to significantly accelerate the availability and adoption of electric vehicles in India and other markets served by M&M, the company said.

The investment alongside M&M in the new EV company supports BIIs undertaking that at least 30 per cent of its total investments will be in climate finance.
A court here has put three persons on trial for the charges of rioting, attempt to murder, dacoity, and allegedly attacking a man with a sword during the 2020 northeast riots.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala ordered the framing of charges against Vinay, Rahul, and Sourabh Sharma, who are currently on bail, saying the charges were prima facie made out against them.

"It is well established that injured Jafar Jiya was assaulted with a sword on his head by the rioters and it is a matter of common knowledge that assaulting a person on his head with a sword can cause the death of that person, therefore, a case of attempt to is prima facie reflected against the accused persons, the court noted.

While charging the accused for the offence of dacoity, the court also noted that an amount of Rs 5,000 was also robbed from the complainant by a mob.

The incident took place in the Karawal Nagar area of North East .

According to the complaint, on February 24, 2020, at about 10:30 pm, Jiya was on his way from Khajuri, and before the check post of Karawal Nagar, suddenly around 20 people ran towards him and asked his name after pushing him off his motorcycle.

The accused struck several times on the head of Jia with the sword, due to which he got severe injuries.

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The will hold rallies under the newly announced Agnipath scheme in Uttar Pradesh from next month, a spokesperson said on Thursday.

Shantanu Pratap Singh PRO (Defence) Lucknow, in a press statement, said, "The rally in Bareilly will be held between August 19 and September 15. The rally will cover 12 nearby districts."



rallies in Muzaffarnagar and Agra will be held between September 20 and October 10 covering 13 districts of Meerut region and 12 districts of Agra region, respectively.

In Lucknow region, the recruitment rally will be held in Kanpur from October 22 to November 10, covering 13 districts.

The recruitment rally in Faizabad of Ayodhya district will be held between November 16 and December 6 and cover 13 districts and the one in Varanasi will be held between November 16 and December 10, covering 12 districts.

The government unveiled the Agnipath scheme on June 14. Under the scheme, those aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 years will be inducted into the armed forces for a four-year tenure and 25 per cent of them will be inducted for regular service subsequently.

The government had, on June 16, increased the upper-age limit for recruitment under the scheme to 23 years from 21 for the year 2022.

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The Civil has proposed police action against those who flash laser light on an aircraft from the surrounding areas of any Indian airport.

In a notification dated July 6, the ministry has sought amendments to Aircraft Rules, 1937, proposing that if the person who is using the laser light is identified, he or she will be first served a notice by a Central government official.

If such a person does not switch off the laser light within 24 hours of the receipt of the notice, the Central government will have the authority to take steps to switch it off and "may also report the matter to the police station concerned" for initiating the action under the Indian Penal Code, it proposed.

If the person who is using the laser light in the vicinity of the airport is not identified, the affected airline operator or airport operator shall "immediately" report the matter to the police station concerned so as to initiate action under IPC, the proposal stated.

Stakeholders and the general public can send their comments on these proposed amendments to the Aircraft Rules, 1937, by August 6, according to the .

In October last year, during Durga Puja, multiple pilots had complained to the Kolkata airport's air traffic controller of laser lights distracting them as they were approaching to land their aircraft, government officials said.

In August 2017, the pilot of an IndiGo Mumbai-Delhi flight had complained to the Delhi airport's air traffic controller that he was being distracted by green laser light as he was approaching to land the plane, they said.

Taking strong note of the distraction that laser lights may cause to pilots while landing or during take-off, the South Delhi district administration in May 2015 banned the use of such lights at social event venues near the Delhi airport.

However, laser lights have continued to trouble the pilots, government officials said.

In the draft amendments, the ministry has also proposed to extend the validity of commercial pilot licenses from five years to 10 years.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday said it has decided to cancel the 10 per cent water cut imposed in the city, as the catchment areas have received enough rainfall and there was sufficient water stock in lakes.

The civic body has, however, appealed to citizens to use water cautiously till the time there is sufficient increase in the water stock.

In view of the inadequate rainfall in the catchment areas of lakes supplying water to Mumbai, the had imposed a 10 per cent water cut in the city from June 27.

As per a release issued by the civic body, a total of 14,47,363 MLD water stock is required in seven lakes that supply water to . The stock had dipped by 9.10 per cent on June 27.

The lakes have 25.94 per cent, which is 3,75,415 MLD, water stock on Friday, the release stated.

Seven reservoirs Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Tansa, Modak Sagar, Vihar and Tulsi supply 385 crore litres of water to the megapolis.

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The (CBI) on Friday conducted searches in connection with the Rs 36,615 crore loan fraud case involving and its top officials, which led to the recovery of a large number of valuable paintings and sculptures estimated to be worth around Rs 40 crore.

"The premises of Rebecca Dewan and Ajay Ramesh Nawandar in Mumbai and Mahabaleshwar, respectively, were raided by our team," said a official.

A source said that a person named Vipin Kumar Shukla, DGM and head of Union Bank of India's Nariman Point branch, had lodged an FIR in this connection.

It was alleged that Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL), its former CMD Kapil Wadhawan, ex-Director Dheeraj Wadhawan, and other accused persons entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat a consortium of 17 banks led by the Union Bank of India.

"The Wadhawans and others induced the consortium banks to sanction huge loans aggregating to Rs 42,871.42 crore and siphoned off and misappropriated a significant portion of the said funds by falsifying the books of the and dishonestly defaulted on repayment of the legitimate dues of the said consortium banks. They caused a wrongful loss of Rs 34,615.00 crore to the consortium lenders," said the .

The FIR was lodged against DHFL, the Wadhwan brothers, present Director Sudhkar Shetty, Amaryllis Realtors LLP (ARLLP), Gulmarg Realtors LLP (GRLLP), Skylark Buildcon Pvt Ltd, Darshan Developers Pvt Ltd, Sigtia Constructions Pvt Ltd, Creator Builders Pvt Ltd, Township Developers Pvt Ltd, Shishir Reality Pvt Ltd, Sunblink Real Estate and other unknown persons, including public servants.

The official said that it was found that the promoters had allegedly diverted the funds and made investments in various entities.

It was also alleged that the promoters had acquired expensive paintings and sculptures worth about Rs 55 crore using the diverted funds.

Earlier on June 22, searches were conducted at 12 locations in Mumbai at the premises of the accused persons which led to the recovery of incriminating documents.

--IANS

atk/arm

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The (MEA) on Thursday said the companies that operate in India need to follow the law of the land.

The remark was made by an MEA spokesperson in connection with the ongoing investigation related to and other Chinese firms.

"Companies that operate here need to follow the law of the land. Our legal authorities are taking steps as per law of the land. I don't see the case to make comments as such on it," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a media briefing.

Meanwhile, a day after it was reported that two top executives of its associated company likely fled India, following raids, the ED on Thursday said that Chinese smartphone company was involved in huge 'hawala' transactions.

It said that out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crore, India remitted Rs 62,476 crore -- almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China.

According to the ED, all due procedures as per law were followed during the said operations at each premises but employees of Vivo India, including some Chinese nationals did not cooperate with the search proceedings and had tried to abscond, remove and hide digital devices which were retrieved by the search teams.

--IANS

avr/pgh

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Former Prime Minister and leader on Friday said they were shocked by the attack on ex-Japan PM during a campaign speech.

The 67-year-old Abe was shot at while giving a campaign speech in western Japan. He was not breathing and his heart stopped while being airlifted to a hospital.

In a message, Singh said, "Deeply shocked by the tragic attack on my friend former Prime Minister Abe. My prayers are with him and family".

Gandhi said, "Shocked to hear the news of the attack on former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, who has been instrumental in deepening Indo-Japanese ties."



"Prayers for his recovery. My thoughts are with his family," he also said.

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President on Friday said he was distressed to know that a cloudburst near the in has claimed several lives, and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

He said relief and rescue measures were in full swing to provide succour to those stranded, and hoped that the "yatra be soon resumed".

At least 10 people died when the cloudburst near the holy cave shrine in the South Kashmir Himalayas triggered flash on Friday evening. Twenty-five tents and three community kitchens were damaged.

"I am distressed to learn that a cloudburst near has claimed several lives. My condolences to the bereaved families. Relief and rescue measures are in full swing to provide succour to those stranded. I pray and hope that the yatra be soon resumed," Kovind tweeted.

Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said he was disturbed to receive the news of the unfortunate incident and that he was in constant touch with the Union Territory administration.

"Disturbed to receive the news of unfortunate cloud burst over the lower holy cave of Shri #Amarnath. I am in constant touch with the UT administration. The SDRF and NDRF teams have promptly swung into action to provide all possible relief and assistance," tweeted Singh, who is also the Lok Sabha member from J-K's Udhampur constituency.

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External Affairs Minister on Friday held talks with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna, focusing on various aspects of as well as ways to deal with major global challenges in the face of geopolitical turmoil.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers' conclave in the Indonesian city of Bali.

"My first meeting with new French counterpart @MinColonna. Discussed our strong relationship and will work closely to realise its full possibilities. Also spoke about the challenges confronting the world today," Jaishankar tweeted.

The external affairs minister began his two-day visit to Bali on Thursday.

On the first day of his visit, Jaishankar held talks with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Senegal.

The external affairs minister also met Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

The G-20 is a leading grouping that brings together the world's major economies. Its members account for more than 80 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the population of the planet.

The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union. Spain is also invited as a permanent guest.

Each year, the Presidency invites guest countries, which take full part in the G20 exercise. Several international and regional organisations also participate, granting the forum an even broader representation.

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Chief Minister on Thursday invited Japanese companies to invest in Barmer petrochemical complex and sectors like skill development, while underlining the positive approach of the for investment in the state.

He said that the Japanese companies have made investments in the state in the past and now they should write another chapter by investing in the petrochemical complex being constructed in Barmer and other sectors, including skill development.

The chief minister was speaking at an MoU signing ceremony held in Alwar district's Neemrana industrial area.

The memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed by 11 Japanese companies with a total investment of Rs 1,338 crore, according to an official release.

It will generate employment opportunities for 2,272 persons in different sectors, the release said.

Gehlot said that the government will extend its support to Japanese companies for opening skill development centres.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited Japan 2005 during which Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) was conceptualized, the chief minister said, adding that the Japanese Zone at Neemrana is also a part of DMIC.

He said that the priority of the state government is that work should be done in a planned manner on the portion of DMIC passing through the state.

Speaking on the occasion, ambassador of Japan to India Satoshi Suzuki said that the number of Japanese companies working in the state was 10 in 2008 which increased to 170 in 2021.

He said India and Japan share fundamental values like rule of law and democracy.

Industry minister Shakuntala Rawat and other state government officials and representatives of Japanese companies were present on the occasion.

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The unit has removed its IT cell head Arun Yadav amid calls for his arrest over a 2017 tweet on the Prophet and .

State president O.P. Dhankar in a statement on Thursday late evening said that Yadav is being removed from the post with immediate effect but he did not specify any reason for the action.

Though no complaint has been filed against him so far, people have been demanding his arrest on social media.

#ArrestArunYadav was among the top trends on Twitter on Thursday.

Yadav's sacking comes in the wake of the arrest of Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News, in Delhi on June 27 over an "objectionable tweet" he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity.

--IANS

vg/shs

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The administration on Friday recommended a probe into the police sub-inspector scam after Lieutenant Governor cancelled the list of successful candidates issued last month.

Sinha, while cancelling the process, said the culprits will be brought to justice soon.

"JKP Sub-Inspector has been cancelled & a probe has been recommended into selection process. Culprits will be brought to justice soon," Sinha said.

"It's a first big step towards securing future of our youth & govt will soon decide future course of action for fresh recruitment," the LG added.

Last month, Sinha had ordered an inquiry into the selection of police sub-inspectors after allegations of fraud in the recruitment process surfaced. The list of 1,200 successful candidates was declared by the Services Selection Board on June 4. Over 97,000 candidates had appeared in the exam for the posts.

Protests were held in Jammu against the selection list as there were allegations of favouritism. Several youths from a Jammu family had made it to the list, giving rise to the allegations.

Political parties also threw their weight behind the protesters, prompting the government to announce a probe into the recruitment process.

The Union territory government formed a committee to probe the alleged irregularities in the written test for sub-inspector posts.

The committee, formed on June 10, was headed by Financial Commissioner of the Home Department R K Goyal and had the Principal Secretary of the General Administration Department and the Secretary of the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs as members.

The committee was asked to submit its report and recommendations within 15 days.

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NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu's scheduled visit to on Saturday to meet lawmakers from West Bengal has been cancelled in the wake of the one-day mourning, as a mark of respect to ex-Japanese premier .

Murmu has been visiting various states to seek support from the lawmakers for the July 18 presidential polls.

"As a mark of respect to former Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one-day mourning shall be observed on July 9. Therefore, all programs of NDA Presidential Candidate Draupadi Murmu stand cancelled for July 9, 2022," the Bengal said in a statement.

Abe, 67, the longest-serving prime minister of Japan, was assassinated earlier in the day in the west Japanese town of Nara while he was campaigning for his party.

A senior leader said Murmu will be in New Delhi on Saturday.

Murmu's visit to will be rescheduled later," he said.

She was scheduled to meet BJP MPs and MLAs at a hotel in New Town area of on Saturday afternoon.

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Live news updates: India saw a single day rise of 18,815 new coronavirus infections, taking the tally of COVID-19 cases to 43,585,554, while the active cases increased to 122,335, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll has climbed to 525,343 with 38 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.



With Russia's military action in in its fifth month, Russian President on Thursday warned Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow's terms or brace for the worst, adding ominously that has barely started its action. Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament, Putin accused Western allies of fuelling the hostilities, charging that "the West wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian". "It's a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it looks like it's heading in that direction," he added.

Prime Minister will attend the first 'Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture' (AJML) on Friday at 6 pm. He will also address the gathering during the event. The keynote address at the first AJML will be delivered by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister, Government of Singapore, on 'Growth through Inclusivity, Inclusivity through Growth'. The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion by Mathias Cormann (OECD Secretary-General) and Arvind Panagariya (Professor, Columbia University).
The central government launched the PM CARES for Children Scheme in May last year for the rehabilitation and education of children who lost their caregivers to Covid-19. Under the welfare scheme, the government provides scholarships, health insurance, and several other benefits to such children. Here are the objectives, benefits, and other details about the PM CARES for Children Scheme.

What is the PM Cares for Children Scheme?

The PM Cares for Children Scheme was launched by on May 29, 2021. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) is responsible for executing and implementing the scheme, in collaboration with other ministries, states, and district administrations. In May this year, Modi released various benefits under the scheme.

Who is eligible for the scheme?

The PM Cares for Children Scheme is meant for the welfare of children who lost both their parents or a surviving parent or legal guardians or adoptive parents to Covid-19 between a period starting from March 11, 2020, and ending on February 28, 2022. March 11, 2020, was when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 as a pandemic.

What are the objectives of the scheme?

"The objective of the scheme is to ensure comprehensive care and protection of children in a sustained manner, and enable their well-being through health insurance, empower them through education and equip them for self-sufficient existence with financial support on reaching 23 years of age, according to the website of PM Cares for Children Scheme.

How are the beneficiaries selected?

The government set up an online portal - pmcaresforchildren.in  to invite applications under the scheme. Applications had to be submitted until February 28, 2022.

Child Welfare Committees, constituted by state governments under the Juvenile Justice Act, have been asked to collect facts and recommend children as beneficiaries to the District Magistrate (DM), who would then accept or reject the applications. If an application is accepted, relevant bank accounts for the beneficiary will be opened for transfer of benefits.

Prime Minister . (PTI Photo)

What are the benefits of the scheme?

The PM Cares for Children Scheme offers several benefits to eligible children. These include a monthly stipend to all children from the age of 18 years, a lump sum amount of Rs 10 lakh on attaining the age of 23 years, an annual scholarship of Rs 20,000 for all school children, as well as a monthly financial assistance of Rs 4,000 for daily needs.

The scheme also assures health coverage through the Ayushman Card and counselling through the Samvad helpline for psychological and emotional support.

Children are also entitled to receive supplementary nutrition and pre-school education from Anganwadi services till attaining the age of six years.

For children below the age of six, admissions will be provided as a day scholar in the nearest school, including government/government-aided schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), and private schools.

For children placed in private schools, tuition fees will be exempted.

The scheme also provides for free textbooks and uniforms to children studying in government schools.

What do the data say?

In February 2022, a study published in The Lancet paper estimated the number of children orphaned due to Covid-19 in India at around 19 lakh. However, the MoWCD rubbished the claim and said the figure was close to 1.53 lakh. According to the schemes website, a total of 9,042 applications have been received from across 33 states and 611 districts. Of them, 4,345 applications have been approved from across 31 states and 557 districts. Reportedly, most applications have been received from Rajasthan (1,547), Maharashtra (1,434), and Uttar Pradesh (976), while most of the approved applications are from Maharashtra (790), Uttar Pradesh (441), and Madhya Pradesh (428).

What is the

The Indian government set up the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM Cares Fund) to deal with the emergencies posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and provide relief to the affected citizens. The fund was registered as a Public Charitable Fund under the Registration Act, 1908, on March 27, 2020. The Prime Minister serves as the ex-officio chairman of the while the Ministers of Defence, Home Affairs, and Finance, are the fund's trustees.
Prime Minister on Friday expressed anguish over the loss of lives in an accident in in which a car was swept off a bridge by an overflowing river.

Nine people, mostly tourists, drowned on Friday morning when the car was swept off the bridge and washed away by Dhela river following heavy rains in Uttarakhand's Ramnagar.

The accident occurred around 5:45 am when the car was returning to Punjab.

"Pained by the tragedy in district, where a car was washed away. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Rescue operations are underway to assist those who are trapped," Modi tweeted.

The prime minister also condoled the loss of lives in a road accident in Tamil Nadu's Chengalpattu.

Six passengers, including two women, were killed and 10 injured when a state-run transport corporation bus they were travelling in rammed into a truck on a highway near Chennai.

"Pained by the loss of lives due to an accident in Chengalpattu. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon," Modi said.

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Prime Minister will attend the first 'Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture' (AJML) on Friday at 6

He will also address the gathering during the event.

The keynote address at the first AJML will be delivered by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister, Government of Singapore, on 'Growth through Inclusivity, Inclusivity through Growth'. The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion by Mathias Cormann (OECD Secretary-General) and Arvind Panagariya (Professor, Columbia University).

A PMO release said that the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance has organised the first 'Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture' in recognition of the former union minister's invaluable contribution to the nation.

Prime Minister will also interact with the delegates participating in the Kautilya Economic Conclave (KEC), a three-day event being organised from July 8 to 10.

Eminent economists who will meet the Prime Minister include Anne Krueger, John Hopkins University; Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics; Robert Lawrence, Harvard Kennedy School; John Lipsky, former acting Managing director, IMF and Junaid Ahmed, World Bank country director for India. KEC is being organised by the Institute of Economic Growth with support from the Ministry of Finance.

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A woman walks past Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, on July 6, 2022. Australia on Friday reported more than 35,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 30 deaths.

As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 8,354,527 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 10,190 deaths, and approximately 289,053 active cases, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There were 3,899 cases being treated in hospitals across the country on Thursday - including 140 in intensive care, which is a recent high figure. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

CANBERRA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Australia's national science agency have developed a faster method to identify emerging COVID-19 variants of concern.

In research published recently, a team from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) used a machine learning tool to analyze the ribonucleic acid (RNA) of a whole variant to predict how it might behave in the human body, rather than the current method of monitoring changes to the spike protein.

CSIRO scientist Denis Bauer said the research could lead to an early warning system capable of determining which variants will be deadliest to humans.

"By harnessing the capability of a powerful machine-learning tool we developed, called VariantSpark, we were able to analyze the genomes of 10,000 COVID-19 samples, which is the largest number of samples ever analyzed in this way," she said in a media release on Thursday.

"Our approach was able to identify variants that could be monitored a week before they were flagged by health organizations - and a week is a long time when you're trying to outsmart a pandemic."

The tool was programmed to provide hourly updates, providing the potential for information to be quickly shared with public health decision-makers and to prepare hospitals for increases in demand, said CSIRO.

Researchers hope this new approach will eventually be used to develop vaccines to prevent future variants and pandemics.

The research was published as Mark Butler, the federal Minister for Health, warned of an expected winter surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Australia on Friday reported more than 35,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 30 deaths.

As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 8,354,527 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 10,190 deaths, and approximately 289,053 active cases, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There were 3,899 cases being treated in hospitals across the country on Thursday - including 140 in intensive care, which is a recent high figure.

Despite hospitalizations rising, Butler on Friday ruled out a return to mask mandates, saying people must take responsibility for their own health.

"The message is 'take responsibility, make your own choice'," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"If you're in an indoor space, you're not able to socially distance give serious consideration to wearing a mask because it will increase your protection." 

A COVID-19 testing clinic sign is seen at a hospital in Sydney, Australia, on July 8, 2022. Australia on Friday reported more than 35,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 30 deaths.

As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 8,354,527 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 10,190 deaths, and approximately 289,053 active cases, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There were 3,899 cases being treated in hospitals across the country on Thursday - including 140 in intensive care, which is a recent high figure. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

A hospital vehicle is seen in Sydney, Australia, on July 8, 2022. Australia on Friday reported more than 35,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 30 deaths.

As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 8,354,527 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 10,190 deaths, and approximately 289,053 active cases, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There were 3,899 cases being treated in hospitals across the country on Thursday - including 140 in intensive care, which is a recent high figure. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

A hospital is seen in Sydney, Australia, on July 8, 2022. Australia on Friday reported more than 35,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 30 deaths.

As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 8,354,527 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 10,190 deaths, and approximately 289,053 active cases, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There were 3,899 cases being treated in hospitals across the country on Thursday - including 140 in intensive care, which is a recent high figure. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

A hospital vehicle is seen in Sydney, Australia, on July 8, 2022. Australia on Friday reported more than 35,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 30 deaths.

As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 8,354,527 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 10,190 deaths, and approximately 289,053 active cases, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There were 3,899 cases being treated in hospitals across the country on Thursday - including 140 in intensive care, which is a recent high figure. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)
The on Friday granted interim bail to Alt News' co-founder Mohemmad Zubair in the case registered against him in Sitapur, . The co-founder was granted bail on the condition that he will not post any fresh tweets on the issue related to the case and not leave jurisdiction of the Sitapur Magistrate's court, reports ANI.

The top court directed that Zubair shall not tamper with electronic evidence in Bengaluru or anywhere else.

The apex court has also issued notice to the on Zubair's plea challenging the Allahabad High Court order.

Zubair on Thursday had moved to the SC in connection with the case against lodged against him in Sitapur for allegedly outraging religious feelings.

The journalist was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets.

An FIR was lodged against him in UP under IPC section 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) and section 67 of the IT Act on a complaint by Hindu Sher Sena Sitapur district president Bhagwan Sharan on June 1.

The SC's order came after a court in Sitapur on Thursday granted Zubair's custody to the till July 14.
The on Friday will hear the petition filed by fact-checking website co-founder Mohammad Zubair seeking protection from arrest and challenging the Allahabad High Court order refusing to quash FIR registered for a tweet in which he allegedly called three Hindu seers- as "hate mongers".

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari on Thursday agreed to list the matter for hearing on Friday subject to assignment by the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.

Mentioning the matter for urgent hearing, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Zubair, had told the bench that there is a serious threat to his life.

Gonsalves had said, "This relates to Mohammed Zubair, the co-founder of . His job is to fact-check news, and he was doing the role of identifying hate speeches. A look at the FIR shows that there is no crime. We went to Allahabad High Court but no relief was granted. We seek bail in an emergency. There are death threats on the internet to him. If possible list today at 2 pm."

The bench, however, said that only the Chief Justice of India can list matters. "List the matter tomorrow subject to clearance by the Chief Justice of India," said the bench.

Zubair has approached the top court challenging the Allahabad High Court's June 10 order where it had refused to quash an FIR registered against him in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh saying that it was premature to interfere when the investigation was at a preliminary stage.

Filing the appeal against the High Court order, Zubair also sought direction to stay the investigation in the case and direction for UP police not to "proceed, prosecute or arrest" him on the basis of the FIR.

The FIR was registered for a tweet in which he allegedly called Hindu seers Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, Bajrang Muni and Anand Swaroop "hate mongers" on Twitter.

The FIR was lodged against Zubai on June 1 under Section 295 (A) of the IPC and Section 67 of the IT Act at the Khairabad police station in Sitapur district for deliberately "outraging religious feelings" of the seers.

His appeal in the apex court has said that the allegations of the FIR against him are "absolutely false and baseless".

He claimed to be innocent and said he said that he has not committed any offence.

"The police are threatening to arrest the petitioner (Zubair) and the life and liberty of the petitioner is in danger. The inclusion of this criminal offence in the FIR portrays the cavalier, malicious and arbitrary manner in which the Respondents (UP police) have acted against the Petitioner," the appeal stated.

It further stated, "There is a new strategy afoot of the police in communal crime cases. That is to register FIRs against those engaging in and communal crimes, as well as to rope in all secular elements monitoring such crimes and protesting police inaction against the wrongdoers. This is done with the intention of stifling the freedom of speech of secular persons in society who stand up against communal elements and putting fear into them so that they no longer protest. It is therefore imperative that this Court understand this new strategy and nip it in the bud so that secular social activism continues on its path and plays the most necessary role in society to stand up to communalism."

Zubair is already in judicial custody in a case registered by the Delhi police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments over a tweet posted by him in 2018.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Haryana Chief Minister on Friday expressed shock over the assassination of Japan's former prime minister and said he was a close ally of who advocated cordial relationship between the two nations.

"Deeply saddened and shocked by the untimely tragic demise of former PM of Mr. . He was a close ally of who advocated cordial relationship between both countries. The people of have lost a true statesman of global stature. Rest in peace," Khattar tweeted.

Abe died after being shot during a campaign speech on Friday in western Japan, according to NHK public television.

The 67-year-old former prime minister was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack.

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recorded 2,722 fresh infections, pushing the overall caseload to 34,96,321 on Friday.

There were no fresh fatalities due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and the toll remained unchanged at 38,028, a medical bulletin said.

As many as 2,413 people recuperated from the virus in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 34,39,606 leaving 18,687 active infections.

Chennai which has been adding new cases in four digits for the last few days logged 939 infections followed by Chengalpet 474, Tiruvallur 191, Coimbatore 131 while the remaining was spread across other districts. Ariyalur recorded the least with one.

The state capital leads among districts with 7,335 active infections and overall 7,69,778 cases.

A total of 32,614 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of tests so far to 6.74 crore, the health bulletin said.

Meanwhile, the state government appealed to the Centre to allow 35.52 lakh vaccine doses, which would expire on September 30, to be used for administering precautionary booster shots to those aged between 18 and 59 years, free of cost at state-run health care centres.

During a virtual interaction with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian made a request to administer 35.52 lakh doses, which were with the health department, as 'precautionary booster dose' to those aged between 18-59 years at government hospitals.

Currently, private health care facilities administer the precautionary booster dose to those aged between 18 and 59 years, by charging around Rs 300 per jab.

As of July 6, the government was holding an inventory of 78,78,980 vaccination doses, he said.

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district of Maharashtra has reported 267 new positive cases, which raised its infection tally to 7,30,694, a health official said on Friday.

With the addition of these cases on Thursday, there are now 3,088 active cases in the district, he said.

Thane's death toll rose by three to 11,912, while recovery count reached 7,15,429, the official added.

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As the faces turmoil with PM Boris Johnson's reisgnation announcement, this political storm will likely delay the talks for an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA) with India. Meanwhile, the governments new levies could help balance the Budget and leave room for more money to be spent on infrastructure like roads. Read more on these in our top headlines.

politics likely to push back FTA talks with India beyond Diwali

The political storm in the is likely to delay the talks for an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA) with India, according to a senior government official. With UK Prime Minister Boris Johnsons resignation on Thursday following a spree of exits by ministers and other lawmakers, the Diwali deadline to conclude the bilateral FTA talks could be derailed, the official said. Read more

Windfall tax, new export, import duties may fetch exchequer over Rs 1 trn

The governments new levies could help balance the Budget and leave room for more money to be spent on infrastructure like roads. The total additional amount collected by the new levies is likely to be around Rs 1 trillion, according to estimates by global financial services group Jefferies and the Mumbai-based Emkay group. The government is likely to raise between Rs 40,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore from new taxes on crude oil production. Read more

Ex-NITI Aayog CEO to replace Piyush Goyal as India Sherpa

The Centre on Thursday appointed Amitabh Kant, former chief executive officer (CEO) of the governments policy think tank NITI Aayog, as Indias Sherpa for the Group of Twenty (G20) grouping, replacing Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. The appointment comes ahead of Indias Presidency from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, culminating in the first-ever summit to be organised by the country in 2023. Read more

India transferred Rs 62,476 crore to China to avoid paying taxes: ED

The Enforcement Directorates (EDs) money-laundering probe into mobile phone maker India has revealed the company, to avoid paying taxes in India, remitted about Rs 62,476 crore of its turnover to China between 2017 and 2021. According to the agency, 18 companies that were allegedly incorporated fraudulently helped the smartphone maker to transfer 50 per cent of the turnover outside India, mainly China. Read more

Tax probe heat on Micro Labs, maker of India's go-to fever pill Dolo-650

Bengaluru-based pharma firm Micro Labs, the maker of the popular paracetamol brand Dolo-650, is under the scanner for alleged tax evasion. The tax department is looking into financial records, balance sheets, and business distributor networks as part of their searches. Micro Labs had been in news during the Covid-19 pandemic, during which its paracetamol brand became a household name with the brand showing 74 per cent growth between July 2020 and June 2021. Read more
The Police arrested one person for allegedly threatening to behead suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma, who kicked off a controversy last month with a controversial remark against Prophet Muhammad.

Speaking to ANI, Bareilly Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj said that an FIR has been registered against the accused identified as Nasir under the IT Act.

"A person identified as Nasir has been arrested after he threatened to behead (suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma) in a video. A case has been registered and further action is being taken," he said.

Rajasthan Police, on July 6, arrested a cleric of the Ajmer Dargah for allegedly making a provocative statement against .

Speaking to ANI, Additional Superintendent of Police, Vikas Sangwan said, "Ajmer Police arrested Salman Chishti, Khadim of Ajmer Dargah on Tuesday night for allegedly giving a provocative statement against suspended BJP leader ."

"It was brought to my notice that Salman Chishti, Khadim of Ajmer Dargah shared an objectionable video and an FIR was filed. He was nabbed from his house and is being questioned. It seems he was in an inebriated state when the video was made.

He is a history-sheeter," the police officer Sangwan said. Chishti is heard saying in the video that he would gift his house and property as a reward to anyone who brings him the head of who had made controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

Last month, Nupur Sharma made objectionable remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a television news debate on the Gyanvapi issue. Sharma's controversial remarks triggered protests in various states and had also drawn sharp reactions from other countries.

On June 28, Kanhaiya Lal a tailor in Udaipur was killed in a gruesome manner, shortly after he alleged that he had been receiving threats over his social media post in support of Nupur Sharma.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 66-year-old woman living in India for over 50 years without any documents or an Indian passport approached the on Friday seeking that the Union government be directed to grant her .

The Indian-origin woman, Ila Popat, claimed in her plea filed before a bench led by Justice SV Gangapurwala that she was born in Uganda in East Africa and came to India on her mother's Indian passport in 1956 when she was ten years old.

She got married to an Indian citizen 10 years later, and now has two children and several grandchildren, all of them Indian citizens. She applied for an Indian passport three times during these years but her request was rejected each time because of lack of documents.

She told HC that only in 2018-19 she was told by officials she should have applied for Indian first before seeking an Indian passport.

Accordingly, in 2019, the petitioner applied for citizenship online but the same was rejected by the authorities because of an "inadvertent mistake" in her visa details.

The Union government's counsel, Advait Sethna, told HC Popat could be granted citizenship only if she submitted her birth certificate or any other requisite document proving her origins and how she came to India.

Sethna also suggested the petitioner could approach the embassy in Uganda and get the requisite documents from them.

The HC will hear the plea further on August 22.

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In 2013, the US and Indian Navies became the first to fly Boeings new P-8 Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. On Thursday, the 150th Poseidon took to the skies over Puget Sound, Seattle.

In the 450,000 mishap-free hours the Poseidon has flown, it has been acknowledged as the worlds most fearsome hunter. Its list of users has grown rapidly: India has operationalised a fleet of 12 Poseidons, the US Navy has bought 112; the Royal Navy flies 9, the Australian Navy operates 12 and the Norwegian Navy has five. New Zealand will Join the list later this year, South Korea in 2023 and Germany in 2024.

There are now 150 P-8s around the world delivering confidence and an unmatched capability to our global customers, said Stu Voboril of P-8 Programs, . Our focus has been, and will be, on delivering the worlds best maritime patrol aircraft.

In 2009, the signed a contract for eight P-8I aircraft for US $2.1 billion, which were delivered ahead of schedule. That contract included options for four additional aircraft, for which another billion-dollar contract was signed in 2016.

The navys purchase of 12 P-8I aircraft for $3.1 billion, and Washingtons decision to supply them to India alongside the first deliveries to the US Navy, highlighted two major changes. First, a new readiness in Washington to sell New Delhi cutting edge weaponry without quibbling over changing the regional arms balance. Second, the P-8I buy demonstrated New Delhis willingness to spend top dollar to back its regional ambitions with top-of-the-line military capabilities.

Based in INS Rajali, a naval air station at Arakonam, near Chennai, the P-8Is  designated Indian Naval Air Squadron 312-A  fly 8-hour missions over the Indian Ocean to seek out pirates, suspicious cargo vessels, hostile warships and submarines. Its enhanced internal fuel tanks allow it to fly 1,100 kilometers to a point of interest, patrol the area for six hours, and then fly back 1,100 kilometres to Arakonam. With aerial refuelling, this range can be doubled.

The P8-I consists of advanced sensors and weaponry integrated onto a 737-800 aircraft, modified with the enhanced wings of a 737-900 that allow the carriage of weapons. It marries a tried and tested sensor and weapons suite with a specially developed 737 aircraft. Since reliability and endurance are crucial, it was logical to base the Poseidon on the worlds most widely flown airliner (a 737 lands or takes off somewhere in the world every three seconds).

The CFM-56 engines that are standard fitment on recent 737s also power the Poseidon. These are modified with larger generators that churn out the power for the MMAs sensors and control systems. In addition, there is an auxiliary power unit that provides electricity even when the main engines are switched off.

The P-8Is punch lies in its sophisticated sensors. A multi-mode radar picks up aircraft, surface ships and submarines. Another belly-mounted radar looks backwards, like an electronic rear-view-mirror. Any suspected threat could be investigated further: sonobuoys are dropped to zero in on suspected enemy submarines, radioing back any suspicious sounds that they pick up. A would be picked up also by a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) on the P-8Is tail.

For dealing with these threats, the Poseidon is armed to the teeth. It has 11 hard points, or weapons stations: two under each wing for Mark 82 depth charges or Harpoon anti-ship missiles; five stations inside the weapons bay for Mark 54 torpedoes that cannot be slung outside since they must be kept warm; and two hard points up front for combat search and rescue (SAR) equipment or for additional depth bombs.

Alternatively, the P8-I, which is data-linked with Indian submarines, can pass on the location of the enemy . The Indian submarines can then zero-in on the intruder and fire torpedoes to destroy it.

US officials are optimistic that India will eventually buy 25-35 Poseidons, given the growing need for maritime domain awareness over the Indian Ocean, where the plays the role of regional gatekeeper.

This task was earlier performed by the Indian Navys Tupolev-142 Bear long-range maritime patrol aircraft that were bought from the Soviet Union in 1988. The fleet was retired in 2017.

To augment the surveillance and reconnaissance capability provided by twelve P8-Is, the navy is also proceeding with acquiring eight new Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft, and a fleet of Sea Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
In a move that is likely to bring major relief to airlines, the has rolled back eleven per cent on aviation turbine fuel used for international operations. The finance ministry issued a corrigendum on Thursday withdrawing the duty.

Indian Oil Corporation began levying 11 per cent on which it sold for . This 11 per cent duty had not been imposed on before July 1. IOC started levying it following a notification on export of .

protested the decision and demanded a rollback. While elevated crude oil prices and high taxes are hurting airlines' incomes, the levy would further impact international operations and slow down expansion, argued. The issue was also raised at a meeting chaired by civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scinda on Tuesday.

The July 1 decision had created an anomaly and with a new notification the fear is gone, a senior airline executive remarked.

Abhishek Jain, tax partner, KPMG, welcomed the move. The potential levy of excise duty on supplies to a foreign going aircraft has proactively been exempted by the government with no excise duty being applicable on such supplies, he said.

ATF accounts for around 40 per cent of an airlines operating expenses. The surge in its price has already put on the back foot and there have been repeated pleas from the aviation industry to reduce taxes on the sector. Domestic ATF price has risen 78 per cent per cent from January.
HEFEI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Despite some anxiety caused by the latest COVID-19 resurgence, Yang Kun, 26, has a good reason to remain upbeat as he and his wife welcomed their son to the world on Tuesday in Sixian County, east China's Anhui Province.

"The ambulance came to my home in about 20 minutes after we called the hospital Tuesday morning. Everything was smooth during the process," said Yang's wife Zhang Yin, who gave birth to a baby weighing 3.7 kg Tuesday night at the maternity and childcare hospital in Sixian.

From June 26 to July 7, a total of 323 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,258 asymptomatic carriers had been logged in Anhui, of which 310 confirmed cases were in Sixian.

A total of about 130 staff members are living in the Sixian maternity and childcare hospital in the latest COVID-19 resurgence, according to Liu Feiyu, vice president of the hospital.

"About seven women give birth in the hospital every day, about the same level as at normal times. The food is sent to the wards by our staff to reduce the risk of cross-infection," Liu said, adding that 68 babies have been delivered in the hospital since June 26.

For those pregnant women who cannot come to the hospital due to restrictions in movement, doctors will provide door-to-door services to them, such as sending them medicine or taking them to the hospital for prenatal examinations.

"We are scheduled to return home tomorrow. I'm grateful for the timely and professional service provided by the hospital in this special time," said Yang, who cannot wait to share the joy with his relatives.

Meanwhile, Sixian has been making every effort to ensure the smooth delivery of supplies and that the needs of its 760,000-plus residents, particularly the vulnerable groups, are met in a timely and orderly manner.

"Community workers have delivered daily supplies to my home many times including rice, vegetables, and instant noodles. They are taking good care of me," said Cao Peikun, 82, who lives by himself.

The community where Cao lives made a list of the vulnerable people after a thorough investigation. There are 55 households that need extra attention in the community, including the elderly living alone, the disabled, and those who are seriously ill, according to Hu Qiang, a community staff member responsible for taking care of Cao these days.

"We often call them to see what they need. There are also people that help with their daily life. We always think of them first when handing out donated supplies," Hu said.

During the latest 10th round of county-wide nucleic acid testing, Sixian found no COVID-19 infections at the community level for the first time since June 26, local authorities said Friday. 
must grow by at least 8-10 per cent over the next 25 years so that the it is able to lift the of people and create more jobs, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Friday.

He delivered the first first Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other dignitaries.

"To do both at the same time -- to lift per capita income significantly and to create many more jobs for the larger population -- you need an 8-10 per cent growth, that is the minimum that has to be achieved in the next 25 years," Shanmugaratnam said.

He also said needs to focus both on productivity and job growth.

"You need the productive growth because it's the only way in which incomes are going to grow but you need a lot more job growth and it can be achieved," he said.

He also said that will have to increase its pace of reforms and re-orient the role of the government to deal with the challenges that the country might face in the next 25 years.

Stressing that India should not move away from multilateralism, he said globalisation provides a huge opportunity for the .

Those who say that globalisation is retreating have been proven wrong as global trade has increased post COVID and has surpassed pre-COVID level, Shanmugaratnam said, adding that India needs to focus on agriculture as it is very critical.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indonesian firm Bara Daya Energi has quoted the lowest for two coal import tenders of (CIL) for supplying 3 million tonne each. The firm has outbid Adani Enterprises which was the only other bidder for these two contracts. Adani, however, has emerged as L1, or the lowest bidder, for the short term coal import tender of CIL for supplying 2.4 MT.

Bara Daya, however, is a controversial company which earlier faced termination of its contract from Gujarat State Electricity Corporation over "breach of contract and failure to supply coal", said sources. Even in the first import tender of CIL, Bara Daya was rejected at the technical level on grounds of submitting invalid legal documents such as power of attorney and consortium agreement, said sources.

Bara Daya has submitted its bid through a consortium with an Ahmedabad-based company GHV India. The two tenders pertain to supply of 3 MT of coal at the east coast and west coast of the country, issued by CIL last month. There were only two bidders for these tenders.

The Indonesian company quoted Rs 4,331 crore for the eastern coast tender and Rs 4,497 crore for the west coast. Adani Enterprises, which is the second, quoted Rs 5,035 crore and Rs 5080 crore for west and east coast, respectively. This is a medium-term supply contract for CIL to build a stock during next season.

For the first tender, for which the winning bid was submitted by Adani, is still being evaluated. The company had quoted Rs 4,033 crore in its bid. Sources said the contract has been awarded to Adani. There were 11 other bidders for this contract to supply 2.4 MT during the June-September period.

CIL issued a tender for purchasing imported coal for power-generating companies (gencos) after the Centre directed it to meet the shortfall in the domestic coal supply chain. Recently, state-owned NTPC awarded 6.25 MT of imported coal tender worth Rs 8,300 crore to Adani Enterprises, this paper reported.
has the maximum number of government-recognised startups, followed by states such as and Delhi, data shared by the industry department showed.

As many as 13,541 active Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognised were from Maharashtra, out of the total 73,205 such government-approved new age companies in the country. This meansm has a share of 18 per cent with respect to the total number of .

has 8,902 and is home to 8,670 enterprises as of July 5.

These startups have created more than 750,000 jobs with an average of 11 jobs per enterprise, the data showed.

Shruti Singh, joint secretary, DPIIT, said several startups are mushrooming in tier-2 and 3 cities. Fifty per cent of startups are from small towns. Over 45 per cent have at least onewoman director, Singh told reporters.

A look into the sector-wise data shows India has maximum startups in IT services (9,041), followed by healthcare & life sciences and education at 6,839, and 4,848, respectively.

Singh added that the governments Startup India programme provides a host of benefits to DPIIT-recognised enterprises that are instrumental in providing them the required support.

She said that under the government's Fund of Funds scheme, over Rs 7,300 crore has been committed to 86 alternative investment funds (AIFs). This has seen over Rs 9,500 crore being invested in about 600 startups.

Similarly, Rs 365.75 crore has been disbursed to 99 incubators and Rs 76 crore approved for 436 startups under the Startup India Seed Fund. The government had launched the Seed Fund Scheme last year for new-age firms to ensure adequate availability of funds, especially for startups with good ideas across fields. It aims to offer financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialisation. The total corpus for providing seed funding to eligible startups via incubators is 945 crore.

Singh added that a platform is being developed to connect startups and domestic investors. The portal Sidbi is developing towards this end should be ready in two months. She also said that the ministry of corporate affairs is working on corporate governance norms for startups.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has bagged 102 out of 130 panchayat seats unopposed in where bye- are scheduled next week.

Nyali Ete, Secretary to the State Election Commission told ANI that the bye- to 130 Gram Panchayat seats and a Zila Parishad constituency were scheduled to be held on July 12.

Out of 130 Gram Panchayat seats, the bagged 102 unopposed while 14 other seats were bagged by Congress, National People's Party (NPP), and Independent candidates, said Ete.

"Now by-election to 14 Gram Panchayat seats and one Zila Parishad constituency will be held on July 12," he added.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu thanked all the supporters and sympathisers for electing 102 candidates unopposed in bye- .

"Congratulations and thanks to all karyakartas, supporters and sympathisers for electing 102 @BJP4Arunachal candidates unopposed in bye-elections to 130 Gram Panchayat Constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh," Khandu tweeted.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said the people of Arunachal Pradesh have full faith in the leadership of the Chief Minister, who is working tirelessly to fulfill their aspirations.

"People of Arunachal Pradesh have full faith in the leadership of Pema Khandu ji who is working tirelessly to fulfill the aspirations of the people and implement the visions of PM Narendra Modi Ji to develop North-East," Rijiju said in a tweet.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Friday penned a touching tribute to former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe, calling him a towering global statesman, a great champion of India- friendship and a dear friend whose counsel inspired him in his economic choices for Gujarat as the state's then chief minister.

"We in India mourn his passing as one of our own, just as he embraced us with an open heart. He died doing what he loved the most inspiring his people. His life may have been cut short tragically, but his legacy will endure forever," Modi wrote in his blog on the Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

" - an outstanding leader of Japan, a towering global statesman, and a great champion of India- friendship - is not among us anymore. and the world have lost a great visionary. And, I have lost a dear friend," he added.

Abe, 67, died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan.

Among Abe's greatest gifts to people and his most enduring legacy, one for which the world will always be indebted, is his foresight in recognising the changing tides and gathering storm of our times and his leadership in responding to it, Modi said.

The prime minister noted that long before others, Abe, in his seminal speech to Indian Parliament in 2007, laid the ground for the emergence of the Indo Pacific region as a contemporary political, strategic and economic reality -- a region that will also shape the world in this century.

"Every meeting with Abe San was intellectually stimulating. He was always full of new ideas and invaluable insights on governance, economy, culture, foreign policy, and various other subjects," he said of the leader with whom he shared warm personal relation.

Modi said it was his privilege as prime minister to work with Abe to bring about an unprecedented transformation of the strategic partnership between India and Japan.

From a largely narrow, bilateral economic relationship, the Japanese leader helped turn it into a broad, comprehensive one, which not only covered every field of national endeavour but became pivotal for the two countries' and the region's security, he said.

"For him, this was one of the most consequential relationships for the people of our two countries and the world. He was resolute in pursuing the civil nuclear agreement with India -- a most difficult one for his country -- and decisive in offering the most generous terms for the High Speed Rail in India," Modi said.

As in most important milestones in independent India's journey, he ensured that Japan is there side by side as New India accelerates its growth, the prime minister added.

His contribution to India-Japan relations was richly recognised by the conferment upon him of the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2021.

Paying tributes to Abe's leadership, Modi said he had a deep insight into the complex and multiple transitions taking place in the world and the vision to be ahead of his time to see its impact on politics, society, economy and relations.

He had the wisdom to know the choices that were to be made, the capacity to make clear and bold decisions even in the face of conventions and the rare ability to carry his people and the world with him.

"His far-reaching policies - Abenomics - reinvigorated the Japanese economy and re-ignited the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship of his people," he said.

Modi said he will always be indebted for his warmth and wisdom, grace and generosity, friendship and guidance, and will miss him dearly.

Lauding his contribution to the region, he said Abe led from the front in building a framework and architecture for its stable, secure, peaceful and prosperous future, based on values that he deeply cherished; respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, adherence to law and rules, peaceful conduct of relations in a spirit of equality and shared prosperity through deeper economic engagement.

Modi said the Quad, the ASEAN-led forums, the Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure all benefited from his contributions.

Quietly and without fanfare, and overcoming hesitation at home and scepticism abroad, he transformed Japan's strategic engagement, including in defence, connectivity, infrastructure and sustainability, across the Indo Pacific region. For that, the region is more optimistic about its destiny and the world more confident about its future, he wrote.

Recalling their close personal ties, Modi said he first met him in 2007 during his visit to Japan as then chief minister of Gujarat. Right from that first meeting, their friendship went beyond the trappings of office and the shackles of official protocol, he said.

Their visit to Toji temple in Kyoto, train journey on the Shinkansen, visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad besides their presence at the Ganga Aarati in Kashi and the elaborate tea ceremony in Tokyo, the list of their memorable interactions is indeed long, he said.

"And, I will always cherish the singular honour of having been invited to his family home in Yamanashi prefecture, nestled among the foothills of Mt. Fuji," Modi said, adding that even when Abe was not the prime minister of Japan between 2007 and 2012, and more recently after 2020, their personal bond remained as strong as ever.

Expressing condolences, the prime minister said, "I extend heart-felt condolences on behalf of the people of India and on my own behalf to the people of Japan, especially to Mrs. Akie Abe and his family. Om Shanti.

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Congress president on Friday expressed shock over the assassination of former prime minister of and described him as a "great friend" of India who did a lot to deepen ties between the two nations.

She said Abe will be sorely missed.

"I am shocked at the assassination of Mr. Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan," Gandhi said in a condolence message.

"For many years, Mr. Abe was a great friend and well-wisher of India. He did much to expand and deepen the bilateral relationship between our two countries. I recall my meeting with him very fondly and vividly. It is a huge misfortune that has befallen and indeed, the entire community. He will be sorely missed," she said.

Abe, one of his country's most powerful and influential figures, died after being shot during a campaign speech on Friday in western Japan, according to NHK public television.

The 67-year-old former prime minister was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack which shocked many in .

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
has received $32 million in humanitarian cash assistance, the country's central bank announced on Friday.

Da Bank (DAB) said in a statement that "following a series of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, a shipment of humanitarian aid worth $32 million reached on Thursday. The cash aid was delivered to a commercial bank", reports Xinhua news agency

While appreciating the humanitarian assistance of the community, the Afghan central bank called for better relations with its partners in the financial and banking sectors.

"Da Afghanistan Bank welcomes the admittance of currencies into the country through legal and principled ways and asks the community to work together and cooperate with Afghanistan in other fields as well," the statement read.

The cash-strapped nation has received more than $980 million in cash assistance since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August last year, according to figures issued by the bank.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rattled at the alleged data leak of nearly 1 billion residents, premier Li Keqiang has stressed data security, calling on government bodies to 'defend information security', the media reported on Friday.

According to a report in the South Morning Post, the Premier said that Chinese government bodies must "defend information security to protect personal information, privacy and confidential corporate information".

The comments came after sensitive personal information about more than a billion Chinese was leaked, possibly from the Shanghai National Police (SHGA) database, and put up for sale on Dark Web for 10 Bitcoins earlier this week.

The data included names, addresses, identification numbers and mobile phone numbers. The size of the alleged hack has triggered serious concerns in China, at a time when state authorities are allegedly collecting data from its citizens for social surveillance.

" has 1.4 billion people. The seller claimed to include the data of 1 billion, and considering it was leaked from the police database, the quantity and quality of the data could be quite high," said Zhao Xuan, a cybersecurity lawyer at Beijing Bairui Law Firm.

Those responsible for the leak and could be charged under China's criminal law.

"In 2022, the Shanghai National Police (SHGA) database was leaked. This database contains many TB of data and information on Billions of Chinese citizens," the post by the user named 'ChinaDan' said that also went viral on social media platforms.

The was also referenced by rights activist Fu Xianyi on Twitter, who said the leak was from the "Shanghai public security database".

"Most likely it was leaked from Alibaba Cloud," reports said.

--IANS

na/pgh

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has introduced a legislative amendment in the US House of Representatives seeking a waiver to India against the punitive CAATSA sanctions for its purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, underlining that this will strengthen US-India defence ties and deter "aggressors."



CAATSA is a tough US law that authorises the administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.

The law was brought in 2017 and provides for punitive actions by the US government against any country engaged in transactions with the Russian defence and intelligence sectors.

In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the then-Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions. The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

While India faces immediate needs to maintain its heavily Russian-built weapons systems, a waiver to sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) during this transition period is in the best interest of the US and the US-India defence partnership to deter aggressors in light of Russia and China's close partnership, says the legislative amendment moved by Khanna, the Democratic lawmaker from California.

The historic amendment will strengthen the US-India defence partnership and ensure that India does not face crippling sanctions at a time when we need to build the alliance, Khanna told PTI, a day after introducing the legislation. It is an utmost significant and urgent initiative to bolster the US-India relationship, he said.

"I am hopeful my colleagues will pass it on a bipartisan basis, Khanna said in response to a question.

The legislative amendment says that India faces immediate and serious regional border threats from China, with continued military aggression by the Government of China along the India-China border.

Noting that India relies on Russian-built weapons for its national defence, the legislative amendment says that the should take additional steps to encourage India to accelerate its transition off Russian-built weapons and defence systems while strongly supporting India's immediate defence needs.

The US has already imposed sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.

Following the US sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there were apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India.

The US has not yet made any decision on potential sanctions or waivers to India under CATSAA law for its purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in April.

The Ministry of External Affairs has said that India was pursuing an independent foreign policy and its defence acquisitions are guided by its national security interests.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
by Xinhua writers Bian Zhuodan and Wang Tiancong

BRASILIA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- BRICS media should continue to strengthen direct communication and cooperation to increase BRICS countries' influence worldwide and better serve the interests of its member countries, said Marcos de Oliveira, editor-in-chief of Brazilian daily Monitor Mercantil.

The communication and collaboration between BRICS media have been a key contributor to enabling BRICS countries to establish influence and expand cooperation within BRICS as well as with neighboring countries, de Oliveira told Xinhua in a recent interview.

BRICS, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, represents a quarter of the global GDP, 18 percent of global trade and 25 percent of the world's foreign investment. It has become a vital platform for strengthening cooperation among the five countries and a vital force for improving global governance.

For the member countries of BRICS, there is a great open field for greater exchange of information, he said.

Against the backdrop of the rapidly-changing global political and economic landscape, it is up to the media to bring accurate and adequate information to readers, which reflects the new reality that is being built worldwide with the end of the unipolar world, he added.

On COVID-19, de Oliveira said that a major fallout from the pandemic is poor populations becoming more vulnerable, calling on the media to shoulder the responsibility of showing these facts and creating space for discussions that lead to a resumption of development.

"Sustainable development is a global priority," he said. "In the case of BRICS, the media fulfill their role by disclosing accurate and real information on the countries that make up BRICS without bias, showing what is done in each country and what can serve as an example for others."

De Oliveira cited Monitor Mercantil and Xinhua News Agency as a successful example of BRICS media cooperation, noting "one of the fruits of this partnership is the Belt and Road Editorial on the Monitor Mercantil website."

This type of collaboration allows readers access to accurate information directly from the source, instead of from Western media as is the common case in Brazil, said the editor-in-chief, hoping that "partnerships like this will develop among the BRICS media." 
Shares of fell about 4 per cent in early Friday trade following a report from The Washington Post that said billionaire Elon Musks deal to buy the company is in serious jeopardy. The stock had sharply declined on Thursday, too.

The deal was already in uncertain territory, according to Musk, after he demanded more information on the percentage of spam accounts on the platform. But the Post, citing one unnamed source, said Musks team has stopped engaging in some funding discussions for the $44 billion deal. Musks team has determined it cant verify Twitters spam account figures and they are now prepared to soon make a change in direction, the Post reported.

Musk cant just pay the $1 billion breakup fee and walk away. could try to hold Musk to the original terms by claiming his reasons for backing out arent related to its core business.

held a virtual briefing with reporters on Thursday to explain how it determines which of the accounts on its platform are bots or spam accounts.

The company said trained workers use internal data and signals to come up with the figure that less than 5 per cent of its monetisable daily active users each quarter are spam accounts. Musk has complained that the number is much higher, and has threatened to walk away from his agreement to buy the company for $44 billion until he gets confirmation about Twitters bot percentage.
Japan's former prime minister died at the age of 67 on Friday after being shot in the city of Nara, local media reported. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Abe was shot at around 11.30 am (local time). Earlier in the day, Abe was taken to a hospital bleeding as he collapsed after the attack while delivering a speech, local media reported.

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida had earlier said Abe was in "severe condition", adding that he hoped Abe would survive. "(It) is a despicable act of barbarity that occurred when an election, which is the basis of democracy, is being held and is totally unacceptable," Kishida said.

Multiple shots were fired by attacker, who has now been arrested, TBS newtork said. Abe was hit in left chest, one shot appeared to have hit his neck, TBS said.

"Such an act of barbarity cannot be tolerated," Matsuno told a briefing.

#WATCH | Ex-Japanese PM shot during a speech in Nara city. Fire Dept says he's showing no vital signs, is in cardiopulmonary arrest & scheduled to be transferred by medevac to Nara Medical University. Shooter nabbed. Aerial visuals from Nara City. (Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/OSVxn48fyD  ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2022

An NHK reporter, who was present on the scene, said they could hear two consecutive bangs during Abe's speech.

Abe had served two terms as prime minister to become Japan's longest-serving premier. He had stepped down in 2020 citing ill health.

Reacting to his death, Prime Minister declared one day of national mourning on Saturday on July 9 as he said, "Shocked and saddened beyond words at tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, . He was a towering global statesman, outstanding leader and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to make and the world a better place." "My association with Mr. Abe goes back many years. I had got to know him during my tenure as Gujarat CM and our friendship continued after I became PM. His sharp insights on economy and global affairs always made a deep impression on me," PM Modi said. "Mr Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India- relations to the level of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Today, the whole of mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment," the Prime Minister said.

Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Today, whole mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment.  (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

Many also expressed their sadness on the attack on the former Japanese leader, while many slammed the act terming it senseless act of violence.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong termed the act as a senseless act of violence saying Mr.

Abe is a good friend of Singapore. I had just hosted him to lunch in May, on my visit to Tokyo. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Abe and his family.

Received with a heavy heart the news that Mr Abe has succumbed to his injuries and passed on. This is a deeply shocking and distressing incident. I offer my sincere condolences to Mrs Abe Akie, Mr Abes loved ones, and the people of Japan.  LHL https://t.co/HbIariGhFS  leehsienloong (@leehsienloong) July 8, 2022

Former U. S. President Donald Trump said the attack on Abe was devastating and described Abe as a truly great man and leader saying he was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America.

This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family! Trump said on his social media app.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said he learned the news with great shock and dismay. I extend my deep sympathy and pray for his early recovery, he said.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said he was saddened and shocked of the news of the attack on the former Japanese leader. On behalf of the Government and the people of Malaysia, I would like to express profound condolences to the Government and people of Japan, and the family of the demised former Prime Minister of Japan, H. E. Shinzo Abe

@AbeShinzo, he tweeted.
Top diplomats from the world's richest and largest developing nations are confronting multiple crises as they open talks beset by sharp divisions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impacts on food and energy security, along with climate change, endemic poverty and the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign ministers from the Group of 20 countries begin meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Friday with little prospect for achieving the kind of lofty consensuses on weighty issues that have been a hallmark of past gatherings. And, as they attempt to prepare for a G-20 leaders' summit to be held at the same venue in November, they got a last-minute jolt with Thursday's resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, one of the champions of the West's hard line on Russia.

While Johnson's departure is unlikely to dent U.S. and European efforts to promote a tough line on Russia among other G-20 members, it will almost certainly be seen as a sign of weakness by China and Russia, both of which will be represented by their foreign ministers in Bali, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov.

They will face off against U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French and German counterparts who had expected to be joined by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. She instead left early to return to London to deal with the fallout from Johnson's resignation.

U.S. officials say they are determined not to allow distractions to divert attention from what they believe should be the primary focuses of the Bali conference: the disruption to world food and energy supplies caused by Russia's war in Ukraine, blaming Moscow for its cause, and marshalling an response to prevent further shortages that are already wreaking havoc in Africa, Asia and elsewhere.

Yet, with East and West so divided and North-South differences emerging, the potential for a G-20 agreement on a way forward appears negligible. U.S. officials have said it is less important for the G-20 as a group to present a unified stance than it is for smaller blocs of countries and individual nations to speak out and take action. In the past, however, the G-20 has produced joint communiques on key issues like terrorism, transnational crime, climate and economic matters that have been lauded as important policy blueprints.

Thus, competition for such support among the group has been fierce. Wang and Lavrov each stopped in various Asian capitals on their way to Bali, drumming up support for various Chinese and Russian positions and fortifying their ties among non-allied nations in the region ahead of the G-20. Blinken, the French, Germans and Brits, meanwhile, all arrived in Bali from two Western-oriented and organized gatherings in Europe last week: the G-7 and NATO summits at which there was little sign of rancor or debate and unity on Ukraine was assured.

With its broader membership, including countries like host Indonesia and large developing nations like India, Brazil, South Africa and others, the G-20 is far more diverse, skeptical of Western intentions and more open to entreaties and offers from big neighbors like China and Russia and more vulnerable to their threats. attending include: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, and the European Union.

Attempting to ply a middle route, this year's G-20 president, Indonesia, has tried to bridge what gaps are possible, laying out an agenda that is not inherently divisive or political. The country has sought to remain neutral in dealing with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and President Joko Widodo has been guarded in his comments.

Widodo was the first Asian leader to visit the warring countries and at Western insistence has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the November summit along with Putin, hoping to appease all sides and limit any distractions from the forum's agenda. It remains unclear if either will attend, although the topic will certainly be discussed at the foreign ministers meeting.

But as is often the case, the largest participants will control the message and China, Russia and the U.S. are battling for supremacy. While Blinken will not meet with Lavrov and has not seen his Russian counterpart since before the Ukraine war, he will meet on Saturday with Wang, the Chinese foreign minister.

The U.S. and China are at severe and worsening odds over numerous issues ranging from tariffs and trade and human rights to Taiwan and disputes in the South China Sea. U.S. officials said they did not expect Saturday's meeting to produce any breakthroughs on these issues but expressed hope that if would help keep lines of communications open and create guardrails to guide the world's two largest economies as they navigate increasingly complex and potentially explosive matters.

On Wednesday, though, China launched a scathing attack on the U.S. and NATO, just days before the meeting, with the Chinese foreign ministry declaring that Washington observes rules only as it sees fit. Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the so-called rules-based international order is actually a family rule made by a handful of countries to serve the U.S. self-interest.

While Blinken meets with Wang, his Indian, Indonesian and Argentine counterparts in Bali, Lavrov also has full agenda. The top Russian diplomat met with Wang on Thursday and has scheduled talks with the foreign ministers from Mexico, South Africa and Brazil among .

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister and US Secretary of State on Friday discussed global energy and food security concerns triggered by the Ukraine conflict.

The talks took place on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting (FMM) in the Indonesian city of Bali.

"Continued the conversation with @SecBlinken on global and regional issues, this time at Bali #G20FMM. Our relationship today allows us to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness," Jaishankar tweeted.

In his opening remarks, Blinken said challenges of food and energy security have been "dramatically exacerbated by Russia's aggression against Ukraine" even as he described India as a "great partner" of the US.

Jaishankar said that "some really remarkable developments" were seen in the India-US relations over the last one-and-a-half years.

"We're, of course, here together at the G20, which is a vital institution for trying to deal collectively with some of the most significant problems and challenges that the world faces, as well as opportunities that are before us that are really affecting the lives of our people," Blinken said.

The text of the opening remarks was released by the US State Department.

"Whether it is on the challenging side -- food insecurity, energy insecurity, climate change -- but also whether it's opportunities for growth, for jobs, for progress, people's lives, the G20 is a vital institution," Blinken said.

"And, of course, unfortunately, tragically, many of the challenges that the world faces that are having an impact on the lives of people, particularly when it comes to food, to energy - these challenges have been dramatically exacerbated by Russia's aggression against Ukraine," he added.

The US Secretary of State also referred to a UN report that has found that 71 million more people are now in poverty as a result of the "aggression".

"I think what we've heard today already is a strong chorus from around the world -- not just the United States, but around the world -- about the need for this aggression to end so that we can actually focus on the challenges that are affecting people in their lives," he said referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"But in all of this, India is a great partner for the United States. We're working together on virtually every single one of these issues, and I look forward to pursuing the conversation that we've been engaged in for the last 18 months," Blinken said.

According to the US State Department, Jaishankar said G20 is a natural location to look at the major challenges facing the world.

"And I think foremost among those are really energy security concerns. I think developing countries find that their options are very constricted. ...they're really reeling under our process and debilitating challenges...," he said.

On bilateral ties, he said "some really remarkable developments" were seen in the India-US relations.

Jaishankar also held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Bali.

India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

In the last few months, India has also increased the import of discounted crude oil from Russia notwithstanding increasing disquiet over it by several Western powers.

India's crude oil imports from Russia have jumped over 50 times since April and now it makes up for 10 per cent of all crude bought from overseas.

The G20 is a leading grouping that brings together the world's major economies. Its members account for more than 80 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the population of the planet.

Besides India, the US and Russia, the other members of G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK and the European Union. Spain is also invited as a permanent guest.

Each year, the presidency invites guest countries, which take full part in the G20 exercise. Several and regional organisations also participate, granting the forum an even broader representation.

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The spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday rejected the British government's claim that it had seized the shipment of Iranian weapons to Yemen, according to the ministry's website.

Nasser Kanaani dismissed the claim as "baseless and outdated," accusing Britain of being "complicit" in the war in .

Britain has been continuously selling advanced weapons to the Saudi-led military coalition against "the defenseless people of Yemen," Xinhua news agency quoted Kanaani as saying.

has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

"Without any doubt, the British government's approach in keeping up arms exports to the aggressors is among the reasons behind the prolongation of the inhumane war on Yemen," Kanaani said

"Therefore, this country does not have the required moral qualifications to level accusations against Iran," he added.

The British government's statement followed an earlier video report by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), in which the IRGC claimed to have arrested the deputy head of the British embassy in Tehran for "spying activities."

--IANS

int/svn/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister on Friday met US Secretary of State here and discussed various global and regional issues.

This year, the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting is being organised by Indonesia.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said that the present relationship between India and US allows the leaders of both countries to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness.

"Continued the conversation with @SecBlinken on global and regional issues, this time at #G20FMM. Our relationship today allows us to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness," the External Affairs Minister tweeted.

Last month, Jaishankar and Blinken met on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo. Both leaders had discussed the Ukraine conflict and other regional and global issues.

Jaishankar also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed bilateral matters along with exchanging views on contemporary regional and issues including the Ukraine conflict.

"Met FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia on the sidelines of the G20 FMM. Discussed bilateral matters of mutual interest. Also exchanged views on contemporary regional and issues including the Ukraine conflict and Afghanistan," he said.

The G20 countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The agenda for the G20 Foreign Ministers' meet is to be dominated by the war in Ukraine.

Since the war began in Ukraine, India has been calling for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing conflict.

Moreover, the External Affairs Minister also met UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall.

During the summit which is set to take place from July 7 to 8, the participating foreign ministers will hold talks on issues of contemporary relevance, such as strengthening multilateralism and current global challenges including food and energy security, read a release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The External Affairs Minister's participation in the G20 FMM will strengthen India's engagement with G20 member states. As a G20 troika member and as the incoming G20 President, India's role in the upcoming FMM discussions assumes even greater importance, the official statement read.

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Palestinian President met Israeli Minister of Defence Benny Gantz in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

During the meeting at the presidential headquarters on Thursday , Gantz extended congratulations to Abbas and the Palestinian people on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, Xinhua news agency quoted state media as saying in a report.

Abbas explained to Gantz the importance of creating a political horizon and respecting the peace agreements signed between and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The Palestinian President urged to stop all unilateral measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, "which would lead to an escalation of tension between the two sides", said the state media report

Abbas added that US President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to and the Palestinian territories on July 13 is "warmly welcomed by the Palestinian leadership".

Gantz said Israel is working on finalizing a prisoners' swap deal with the Hamas to exchange four Israeli captives for the release of certain Palestinians from Israeli jails.

In 2017, Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip since 2007, announced that it had been holding four Israelis, including two soldiers.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With Russia's military action in in its fifth month, Russian President on Thursday warned Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow's terms or brace for the worst, adding ominously that Russia has barely started its action.

Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament, Putin accused Western allies of fuelling the hostilities, charging that "the West wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian.

It's a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it looks like it's heading in that direction, he added.

Everybody should know that largely speaking, we haven't even yet started anything in earnest, Putin said in a menacing note.

He declared that Russia remains ready to sit down for talks to end the fighting, adding that those who refuse to do so should know that the longer it lasts the more difficult it will be for them to make a deal with us.

We are hearing that they want to defeat us on the battlefield, Putin said. Let them try.

Earlier in the conflict, the Kremlin demanded that Kyiv acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the Crimea peninsula it annexed from in 2014 and recognise the independence of Moscow-backed separatist regions in eastern . Moscow also said it expected Ukraine to bow to the existing situation on the ground, a reference to other land gains it has made since the Russian troops rolled into Ukraine on Feb 24.

After failing to capture Kyiv and other big cities in Ukraine's northeast early in the campaign, the Russian military shifted its focus to Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland of Donbas where Moscow-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian troops since 2014.

Earlier this week, the Russian military claimed control of the Luhansk province, one of the two regions that make up Donbas, and is preparing to press its offensive into the second one, the Donetsk region.

In the early stages of the conflict, Russia won control of the southern Kherson region and part of neighbouring Zaporizhzhia. Moscow is expected to try to eventually cut Ukraine off from its Black Sea coast all the way to the Romanian border.

If that succeeded, it would deal a crushing blow to the Ukrainian economy and also create a corridor to Moldova's separatist region of Transnistria that hosts a Russian military base.

Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that the West using the conflict in Ukraine to try to isolate and weaken Russia.

They simply don't need such a country as Russia, Putin said. This is why they have used terrorism, separatism and internal destructive forces in our country.

He charged that Western sanctions against Russia have failed to achieve their goal of sowing division and strife in our society and demoralising our people.

The course of history is unstoppable, and attempts by the collective West to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail, Putin said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The race to elect a new Conservative Party leader to succeed as British Prime Minister is gathering gradual momentum with two more candidates throwing their hat in the ring on Friday to join Indian-origin Suella Braverman.

Tom Tugendhat, Chair of the powerful House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, declared his intention to contest soon after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps indicated he will also be vying for the top job.

There are now four confirmed contenders, including Tory backbench MP Steve Baker, since Johnson announced his resignation as Tory leader on Thursday.

The 58-year-old member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in London plans to stay in charge as caretaker Prime Minister until the process of electing his successor is completed.

In politics no one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times, Johnson said in his resignation speech on Thursday on the steps of Downing Street.

A timetable for the Tory leadership race is due to be confirmed next week by the party's 1922 Committee and the new Prime Minister is expected to be in place at 10 Downing Street by September.

I am putting together a broad coalition of colleagues that will bring new energy and ideas to government and, finally, to bridge the Brexit divide that has dominated our recent history, Tugendhat, a former soldier, writes in The Daily Telegraph' about his leadership bid.

I have served before in the military, and now in Parliament. Now, I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister. It's time for a clean start. It's time for renewal, said the MP for Tonbridge and Malling in south-east England.

The 49-year-old is considered a strong contender for the post of Prime Minister as a member of the One Nation Group of Conservatives, with the backing of a considerable group of his party colleagues.

Shapps, meanwhile, has been described as a great choice for leader by Robert Courts, a minister in his department, who said the party needed someone who has experience and is able to campaign, a reference to Shapps' former role as Tory party chairman.

It comes as Goan-origin Braverman emerged as one of the first candidates as she declared that her work as Attorney General prepared her for the challenges of the highest political office.

I want to embed the opportunities of Brexit and tidy up the outstanding issues, she said.

However, this Conservative Party leadership race is still seen as wide open, with no one obvious frontrunner and as many 10 likely candidates.

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the British Indian minister who stepped down earlier this week triggering a deluge of government exits, is seen as a credible contender but is yet to indicate his plans.

The 42-year-old was believed to be next in line to Johnson to take over at 10 Downing Street as he proved his mettle in the early months of the pandemic with a series of mini-budgets. However, his popularity took some beating in recent months as the cost-of-living crisis escalated and he was forced to take some tough tax hike calls.

We need to make sure that's not the end of the British Indian story. There's lots more we can achieve. There's lots more we can do. And I'm really excited about the future, he told reporters last week, when asked if he could go on to be the first British Indian Prime Minister of the UK.

His successor in the UK Treasury, new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, is also seen as a strong contender, as is Pakistani-origin former Cabinet minister Sajid Javid.

Former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who came second in the 2019 Conservative leadership contest, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss are seen as equally robust candidates if and when they decide to contest.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is also among the senior Tory names doing the rounds, has not indicated her plans for a bid so far.

In a Twitter statement on Friday, the 50-year-old Gujarati-origin minister said: "The position of the Home Secretary demands the holder of the office to be entirely focused on the business of the government and our national security.

At this critical time my duty is to continue to lead this Great Office of State, to protect our national security, and keep the citizens of our country safe. I will continue to work closely with colleagues across government and our partners and agencies to ensure these important responsibilities are upheld."



A few who were expected to run, including Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and sacked Cabinet minister Michael Gove, have reportedly ruled out a leadership bid.

The Conservative Party's 1922 Committee of backbench is responsible for setting the timetable for a Tory leadership contest and to take part in the Tory elections, an MP has to be nominated by at least eight colleagues.

If more than two MPs put themselves forward and secure enough nominations to run for leader, a series of secret ballots are held to whittle them down to a final two, who then go head-to-head in a final round of votes to elect a new leader.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic partnered with Aurora Flight Sciences, a company, to design and manufacture its next generation motherships.

The mothership is the air launch carrier aircraft in Virgin Galactic's space flight system, that carries the spaceship to its release altitude of approximately 50,000 feet.

The two new motherships are expected to support 400 flights per year and the first is expected to enter service in 2025.

"Our next generation motherships are integral to scaling our operations. They will be faster to produce, easier to maintain and will allow us to fly substantially more missions each year. Supported by the scale and strength of Boeing, Aurora is the ideal manufacturing partner for us as we build our fleet to support 400 flights per year at Spaceport America," said Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Galactic, in a statement.

Aurora plans to manufacture the aircraft at its Columbus, Mississippi and Bridgeport, West Virginia facilities.

Final assembly of the motherships will be completed at the Virgin Galactic facility in Mojave, California.

In 2025, Virgin Galactic's first Delta-class spaceship is also expected to begin revenue payload flights.

The aerospace and space travel company said its upcoming commercial missions, carrying customers on a 90-minute journey to microgravity and back, are expected to start in the first quarter of 2023.

The first customers to make reservations paid $200,000 to $250,000, Colglazier said in the May call. At the time of the call, he said, Virgin Galactic was taking reservations for $450,000.

--IANS

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TEHRAN, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday rejected the British government's claim that it had seized the shipment of Iranian weapons to Yemen, according to the ministry's website.

Nasser Kanaani dismissed the claim as "baseless and outdated," accusing Britain of being "complicit" in the war in Yemen.

Britain has been continuously selling advanced weapons to the Saudi-led military coalition against "the defenseless people of Yemen," Kanaani was quoted as saying.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.

"Without any doubt, the British government's approach in keeping up arms exports to the aggressors is among the reasons behind the prolongation of the inhumane war on Yemen," Kanaani said

"Therefore, this country does not have the required moral qualifications to level accusations against Iran," he added.

The British government's statement followed an earlier video report by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), in which the IRGC claimed to have arrested the deputy head of the British embassy in Tehran for "spying activities." 
Russia's aerospace forces have destroyed temporary deployment points and ammunition depots near the city of Artemovsk in Donetsk, the country Defence Ministry has said.

Up to 350 Ukrainian personnel and 20 armored combat vehicles were hit at the site, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the ministry.

The ministry added that the Ukrainian military has suffered heavy losses after Russian attacks on combat positions, with the total casualties of the 24th mechanized brigade amounting to around 2,500, and the Ukrainian 79th airborne assault brigade loosing more than 80 percent of its personnel.

There is no information available form the Ukrainian side for the time being to confirm the casualties and damage.

--IANS

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Blood testing company Theranos's Chief Operating Officer Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani has been found guilty by a federal jury in the US on all counts he was charged with related to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme at the company founded by his former girlfriend Elizabeth Holmes, once touted as Silicon Valley's rising star.

The federal jury in San Jose on Thursday found Pakistan-born Balwani, 57, guilty of two counts of conspiracy and ten counts of wire fraud through a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud investors and patients in connection with the operations of Theranos, Attorney Stephanie Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan said in a statement.

The jury reached the verdict on Thursday after a trial that began in March this year before District Judge Edward J Davila and concluded just over 6 months after a jury found Holmes guilty of one count of conspiracy and three counts of wire fraud in related proceedings.

Six months after the guilty verdicts in the trial, this jury has concluded that Holmes's business partner, Ramesh Balwani, also bears responsibility for defrauding investors in . The jury concluded that Balwani also perpetrated fraud on unsuspecting patients, Hinds said.

Balwani remains free on bond pending further hearings. Judge Davila scheduled Balwani's sentencing hearing for November 15, 2022 when he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a fine of USD 250,000, plus restitution, for each count of conspiracy and each count of wire fraud.

He was employed from September 2009 to July 2016 at the Palo Alto-based blood-testing company founded by Holmes, 38, in 2003.

While employed with Theranos, Balwani worked for the company in several capacities, including as a member of the company's board of directors, as its president, and as its chief operating officer.

At trial, the government submitted evidence that while at Theranos, Balwani conspired to commit wire fraud against investors between 2010 and 2015, conspired to commit wire fraud between 2013 and 2016 against patients who paid for Theranos' blood testing services, and that he committed wire fraud against investors and patients.

The statement said that on conspiracy charges, the government submitted evidence regarding Balwani's claims that developed a revolutionary and proprietary analyser that the defendants referred to by various names, including the TSPU, Edison, or minilab.

Balwani and Holmes claimed the analyser was able to perform a full range of clinical tests using small blood samples drawn from a finger stick. They also represented that the analyser could produce results that were more accurate and reliable than those yielded by conventional methodsall at a faster speed than previously possible.

At trial, the government demonstrated that Holmes and Balwani knew that many of their representations about the analyser were false, but nevertheless conspired to convince potential investors and patients that the claims were true.

Holmes, Balwani and knew that the analyser had accuracy and reliability problems, performed a limited number of tests, was slower than some competing devices, and, in some respects, could not compete with existing, more conventional machines.

Similarly, on substantive fraud charges, the evidence demonstrated Balwani used advertisements and solicitations to encourage and induce patients to use Theranos's blood testing laboratory services, even though he knew was not capable of consistently producing accurate and reliable results for certain blood tests.

The statement added that evidence showed that Balwani represented to investors that Theranos would generate over USD 100 million in revenues and break even in 2014 and that Theranos expected to generate approximately USD 1 billion in revenues in 2015.

However, in truth, Theranos resorted to using conventional machines bought from third parties to perform much of Theranos's blood testing and Balwani knew the company would generate only negligible or modest revenues in 2014 and 2015.

The trial evidence included numerous misrepresentations made by Balwani to potential investors about Theranos's financial condition and its future prospects.

The evidence showed that Balwani represented to investors that Theranos would dramatically increase the number of Wellness Centers within Walgreens stores even though Theranos's retail Walgreens rollout had stalled because of several issues.

In July 2020, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Balwani with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and ten counts of wire fraud.

Like Holmes, Balwani was charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud against investors in Theranos during the period 2010 to 2015, conspiring to commit wire fraud against patients who paid for Theranos' blood testing services during the period 2013 to 2016, and ten counts of wire fraud.

Six of the wire fraud counts involved fraud against investors in Theranos while the remaining four involved wire fraud against patients who paid for Theranos' blood testing services and advertising purchased by Theranos to attract those patients. At Thursday's verdicts, Balwani was found guilty on all counts.

In a separate trial, a separate jury convicted Holmes on January 3, 2022, of the investor-related conspiracy count and three counts of wire fraud.

That jury acquitted Holmes of the patient-related conspiracy wire fraud count and three additional wire fraud counts; in addition, one count of wire fraud relating to a Theranos patient was dismissed during Holmes's trial.

The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in her trial with respect to three investor fraud-related counts. Judge Davila scheduled Holmes's sentencing for September 26, 2022.

Ragan said the jury has determined that the fraud at Theranos reached the level of a "criminal conspiracy.

The FBI has spent years investigating this investment fraud schemeLies, deceit, and criminal actions cannot replace innovation and success, FBI Special Agent in Charge Ragan said.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed sadness over the horrific killing of former Japanese Prime Minister and said he will always remember his collegiality and commitment to multilateralism.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital. Abe was Japan's longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons.

I'm deeply saddened by the horrific killing of Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan, Guterres tweeted.

The UN chief said he had the privilege of knowing Abe for years and will always remember his collegiality and commitment to multilateralism. He expressed his condolences to Abe's family and the people and Government of .

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has been accused of running an anti-5G narrative in the US that is harmful to millions of consumers who are seeking better connectivity options and innovation.

Non-profit '5G for 12 GHz Coalition' has accused of lying to customers about how expanding certain airwaves for 5G could disrupt its affordable Starlink satellite internet service, thus conducting "a public misinformation campaign" against 5G.

According to non-profit '5G for 12 GHz Coalition', submitted a "manipulated filing" in the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to prove the expanded 5G usage would lead to substantial interference, while there is no risk of harmful interference alongside 5G.

"This tactic, which is commonly used by Musk, is not only disingenuous, but it promulgates an anti-5G narrative that is harmful to American consumers who deserve greater competition, connectivity options and innovation," the coalition stressed.

The dispute is over a band of radio frequencies known as the 12GHz spectrum for 5G.

Since the FCC initiated the 12 GHz proceeding 18 months ago, the coalition has worked with top experts, "to submit robust, data-driven technical analyses into the record".

"These studies demonstrate not only that coexistence is feasible in the band, but the substantial societal, economic and geopolitical benefits of unleashing more critical mid-band spectrum for two-way terrestrial services," the coalition said in a statement late on Thursday.

After failing to submit any expert technical input during the public comment and reply comment periods in the proceeding, "Starlink has only now submitted a self-produced political document in the guise of a technical analysis", it argued.

This "study", which was not produced by an independent expert, is both scientifically and logically flawed, the coalition further said.

Starlink has publicly stated that its service will serve a limited number of customers in high-density areas and is really targeted for sparsely populated regions.

"In addition to this manipulated filing, Starlink has initiated a public misinformation campaign by falsely telling customers and the public that coexistence is not possible in the band among Starlink and 5G services -- despite nationwide data proving otherwise," said the coalition.

"It also stands to threaten America's global leadership in the 5G and technology sector as other countries outpace the nation in delivering next-generation services".

The coalition has 35 public interest groups, trade associations and telecom companies, which are calling on the US FCC to act swiftly to allow the 12GHz band to unlock the power of 5G.

--IANS

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US President will visit the on Friday at a time when his administration's support for Ukraine has pushed the work of the normally secretive intelligence agencies into the limelight.

Biden will commemorate the agency's 75th anniversary since its founding after World War II. While at the agency's headquarters in Virginia, Biden will meet with officers who have worked on Ukraine to thank them for their work, according to a US official who requested anonymity to discuss the plans.

Biden has established a more traditional relationship with the and other agencies after former President Donald Trump repeatedly cast doubt on intelligence findings and attacked what he alleged was a deep state of opponents.

Still, there were tensions last year stemming from Afghanistan, with finger-pointing across the government during the fall of the American-backed government as the Taliban overran Kabul.

Current and former intelligence officials worked frantically to evacuate Afghans who had helped the US during the two-decade war.

The release of predictions that Russia would invade Ukraine in February was a public boost for spy agencies that are often criticised and facing new pressure to deliver insights on China and Russia.

Biden authorised an unprecedented campaign to declassify findings about Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions to launch a new war. It has been credited with building support for sanctions that crippled the Russian economy and the ramp-up of military support to Kyiv.

Douglas London, a former CIA officer who has criticised the agency's direction in recent years, said the war had shown the CIA was on its way to becoming an elite spy service again.

Its path to redemption has really been facilitated by Ukraine, said London, author of The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence.

But the intelligence community also underestimated Ukraine's ability to resist the Russian invasion and wrongly predicted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government would fall within weeks.

The agencies are reviewing how they assess a foreign government's perceived will to fight an issue the US also badly misjudged in Afghanistan last year when it believed President Ashraf Ghani's government would hold out for months, only for Ghani to flee and the Taliban to take Kabul as the US was trying to evacuate.

Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who sits on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees, said he's pushed intelligence officials to review why there were two significant breakdowns in a year.

The quality of the intelligence pre-invasion was excellent and absolutely world-class, King said in a recent interview. The problem was the assessment of what would happen after the invasion.

Most of the intelligence community's work since the war began has been kept secret. US officials have disclosed that they are providing Ukraine with information that Ukrainian forces have in turn used to hit high-value Russian targets, including the flagship Moskva.

The White House has tried to tamp down suggestions that the US is directly helping Ukraine attack Russians out of concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin may see those suggestions as escalatory. Biden has said he wants to avoid a third world war.

As Ukraine successfully repelled Russian forces in the first weeks of the war, and under pressure from lawmakers in Washington, the Biden administration loosened its rules on sharing intelligence and is now providing more information to the Ukrainians.

It has also committed USD 7 billion in weapons systems, ammunition, and other military aid since the war began in February.

But Ukrainian officials and observers say Ukraine is vastly outgunned by Russia in what's become a grinding war of attrition heavily reliant on artillery fire. Putin is believed by US intelligence to have not given up on his initial aims to neutralise Ukraine in his eyes.

US intelligence in the months ahead can be expected to have a large role in Ukraine.

The US is involved in shoring up the cyber defences of Ukraine and other allies against Russia's capabilities to hack and steal from digital systems. Agencies are also on watch for election influence or interference from Russia amid expectations from top officials that Putin may use US support for Ukraine as pretext to launch another campaign against an American election.

Ultimately, the US calculus is this: We want to do everything we can to support the Ukrainians while avoiding a direct conflict with the Russians, said Dale Buckner, a retired US Army Green Beret who now leads the security firm Global Guardian.

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The US will send another USD 400 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems, a senior defence official said Friday, in an effort to bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.

The aid comes as Moscow this week claimed full control of Ukraine's Luhansk province in the Donbas, but Ukrainian officials say their troops still control a small part of the province and fierce fighting continues in several villages.

The defence official said that the eight High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that were previously sent are still being used by forces in the fight. And this will give them four more to help hit Russian command and control nodes, logistics capabilities and other systems that are further back behind the battlefront. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

Russia in recent days has launched dozens of missiles across and pinned down Ukrainian forces with continuous long-range fire for sometimes hours at a time. Ukraine's leaders have publicly called on Western allies to quickly send more ammunition and advanced systems that will help them narrow the gap in equipment and manpower. The precision weapons can help hit Russian weapons that are farther away and are being used to bombard Ukrainian locations.

The latest aid is the 15th package of military weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine from Defense Department stocks since last August. In addition to the HIMARS, the U.S. will also send 1,000 rounds of 155 millimeter artillery which has an increased precision capability that also will help Ukraine hit specific targets. The package also will include three tactical vehicles, counter battery radar systems, spare parts and other equipment.

Looking ahead to the coming months, the official said that a key goal is to build up Ukraine's logistics and repair capabilities so troops can maintain its weapons systems and continue the fight into the future.

Overall, the US has sent about USD 7.3 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began in late February.

Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, a region of mines and factories where pro-Moscow separatists have fought Ukraine's army for eight years and declared independent republics that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before he sent troops into Ukraine.

Putin on Thursday warned that Kyiv should accept Moscow's terms or brace for the worst, saying that Russia hasn't yet started anything in earnest.

US and other western officials have said that Russia has been making slow, incremental progress in the Donbas but has not made gains as rapidly as Moscow initially intended. President Joe Biden has said that the U.S. is giving Ukrainians the aid needed to continue to resist Russian aggression.

"I don't know how it's going to end, but it will not end with a Russian defeat of Ukraine in Ukraine, Biden said last week.

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German automaker will invest $20.38 billion to build electric vehicle (EV) batteries, creating 20,000 jobs and generating more than $20 billion in annual sales.

broke the ground for its first cell factory in Salzgitter, Germany in the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz late on Thursday.

The automaker will create a new company called Power Co under CEO Frank Blome and the production at the plant will start in 2025.

" is showing how the future of sustainable, climate-compatible mobility could look. Together, we are laying the foundation for shaping this future to a significant extent in Salzgitter," said German Chancellor Scholz.

Up to 2030, PowerCo will invest more than 20 billion euros, together with partners in the development of the business area, to employ up to 20,000 people in Europe alone.

"The battery cell business is one of the cornerstones of our new auto strategy which will make Volkswagen a leading provider of the sustainable, software-driven mobility of tomorrow. Establishing our own cell factory is a megaproject in technical and economic terms," said Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen AG.

The company will manage factory operations, the further development of cell technology, the vertical integration of the value chain and the supply of machinery and equipment to the factories.

Looking ahead, further products such as major storage systems for the energy grid are planned.

The company said that following Salzgitter, the next cell factory is to be established at Valencia.

"Sites are currently being identified for three further cell factories in Europe. In addition to Europe, PowerCo is also already exploring the possibility of further gigafactories in North America," Volkswagen announced.

Volkswagen also unveiled the prismatic unified cell announced at the Power Day in 2021.

In future, the plant is to reach an annual capacity of 40 GWh -- enough for about 500,000 .

By 2030, the Volkswagen Group intends to operate six cell factories with a total volume of 240 GWh throughout Europe together with partners.

--IANS

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Japan's longest-serving prime minister died at 67 on Friday after being shot in the city of Nara during a campaign speech.

According to local media, Abe, also the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was shot multiple times from behind, as he was hit in his chest and neck.

Who was

Born on September 21, 1954, Abe was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history.

He hailed from a prominent political family, as his father had served as Japan's foreign minister, and his grandfather had served as prime minister.

Abe graduated from Seikei University in Tokyo in 1977 with a degree in political science and studied public policy at the University of Southern California.

The former Japanese PM joined the Liberal Democratic Party in 1982 and was first elected as an LDP legislator representing the southwestern prefecture of Yamaguchi in 1993. He was a member of LDP's Mori faction, which his father had once headed.

In 2005, Abe was appointed Japan's chief cabinet secretary. The same year, he was elected as the leader of LDP, becoming next in line to take over the nation's prime minister.

As per media reports, until 2005, Abe served in Japan's military for three years.

At 52, Abe had taken over as Japan's youngest prime minister since World War II. However, after LDP faced electoral defeat for the first time in 52 years, Abe quit in 2007, citing health reasons. He was suffering from ulcerative colitis.

In 2012, Abe again became LDP's leader and returned to power, becoming Japan's PM for the second time. He served as prime minister till 2020, when he quit due to health reasons.
The has registered an FIR against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey and former MD and CEO of for the alleged illegal phone tapping of stock market employees by the former's Information Technology company, officials said.

The action comes following a complaint from the Union Home Ministry, they said.

In addition to Pandey and Ramkrishna, the has also named another former National Stock Exchange (NSE) CEO and MD Ravi Narain in the case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting searches at 10 locations in Mumbai, Pune, and other cities in connection with the FIR against Pandey, officials said.

It is alleged that iSec Securities Pvt. Ltd, one firm amongst a few others that conducted a security audit of had illegally tapped phones of employees during 2009-17, the CBI said.

The company had done audit around the time the co-location irregularities are alleged to have taken place.

The company was incorporated by Pandey in March 2001 and he quit as its director in May 2006. His son and mother later took charge of the company.

The police officer, who studied at IIT-Kanpur and Harvard University, is understood to have established the company after he resigned from service.

His resignation was not accepted by the state government and he rejoined but was not immediately given a posting.

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Oil was set for a weekly loss after choppy trading in which concerns over a demand-sapping slump clashed with signals of tight supply.

Brent Crude was trading at $112.49 a barrel, on Friday, putting the commodity on course for a weekly fall of 4 per cent. Prices have swung in a range of more than $16 this week  the biggest since March  as both WTI and Brent briefly dropped below $100.

Investors remain concerned that restrictive US monetary policy could herald a recession, and oil has been dragged lower alongside other commodities.



On Friday US employment figures beat expectations, suggesting hiring needs are so far eclipsing concerns about the economic outlook.

Crudes volatile trading means that its well down from last months high but still up more than 35% this year following Russias invasion of .

The complex market outlook has spurred banks to offer starkly different scenarios for prices, with Goldman Sachs Group Inc remaining broadly bullish while Citigroup Inc has said the commodity is at risk of a significant tumble.
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Omicron subvariant BA.5 is becoming the dominant strain of COVID-19 across the world and is causing cluster infections in China, a Chinese health official told a press conference on Friday.

Pointing out the seriousness and complexity of the epidemic prevention and control situation, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, urged adherence to the dynamic zero-COVID policy and called for efforts to guard against both inbound cases and domestic resurgence.

In areas affected by new outbreaks, transmission should be contained in a decisive manner with early detection and swift and science-based response measures, Mi said.

The tendency of either letting the guard down or imposing unnecessary restrictions should be avoided in epidemic prevention, he added. 
Capital regulator on Friday imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Sugar Ltd for not disclosing closure orders with respect to its certain distilleries and imposition of penalty by .

The company has been directed to pay the fine within 45 days, the (Sebi) said in its order.

The order came after the regulator received a complaint through SCORES against Sugar, whereby the complainant raised concerns regarding false reporting/misreporting in the annual report in respect of Show Cause Notices (SCNs) issued by Pollution Control Board.

Following this, conducted an investigation and found that the company did not disclose about closure orders with respect to the three distilleries -- Palia, Gola and Kinauni. Further, imposition of penalty of Rs 1.96 crore on certain distilleries was also not disclosed during the financial year 2019-20.

It further said that the closure orders had a substantial impact on the sales, production, revenue and profit for FY 2018-19 to FY 2019-20.

"The closure order of units/distilleries and imposition of penalty/directions of CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) on certain units of the noticee ( Sugar)... are material events that ought to have been disclosed by the noticee in terms of LODR (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR) rules," the regulator said.

In addition, the company furnished "wrong and misleading" information with regard to number of show cause or legal notices received from CPCB/SPCB (State Pollution Control Board) pending as on the end of financial year under the disclosures in Business Responsibility Report (BRR).

Accordingly, the regulator levied the fine on the company.

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today: The and are likely to start Fridays trade on an upbeat note amid strong global cues. As of 7:30 AM, the SGX Futures quoted 16,270 levels, indicating a 140-points gap-up on the Nifty50.

Meanwhile, here are some stocks that may see market action today:

Results: Tata Consultancy Services, Kohinoor Foods, MMTC, Spectrum Foods, and Brahmaputra Infrastructure will release their Q1FY23 quarterly earnings today.

M&M: UKs development finance institution British International Investment (BII) will invest Rs 1,925 crore into a new dedicated, four-wheeler electric passenger vehicle arm which Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) will incorporate, the company said in a late night notification. and BII will invest $250 million each into the new entity called EV Co. at a valuation of Rs 70,070 crore ($9 billion).

Dr Reddy's Laboratories: The US health regulator has issued Form 483 with two observations after inspecting its manufacturing facility located at Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.Read here

Tata Power: The company would spend Rs 75,000 crore in the next five years to expand the capacity of its renewable energy business, Chairman N Chandrasekaran said on Thursday. An amount of Rs 10,000 crore would be spent in 2022-23 (FY23) to take the total capital expenditure (capex) during the financial year to Rs 14,000 crore, Chandrasekaran said at the companys 103rd annual general meeting, which was held virtually. Read more

Vedanta: Mining major Vedanta on Thursday said it would acquire debt-ridden Athena Chhattisgarh Power for Rs 564.67 crore in an all-cash transaction. The liquidation process for the company was initiated in March last year. According to Vedanta, the deal will be completed in the current financial year, fulfilling its power requirement for its aluminium business.Read here

Tata Motors: Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover on Thursday reported a 37 per cent decline in retail sales at 78,825 units in the quarter ended June, impacted by semiconductor shortage, COVID-19 lockdowns in China and new model transition of Range Rover Sport. Sales of Jaguar brand were down 48 per cent at 15,207 units in the April-June period of 2022, while that of Land Rover were also lower by 33 per cent at 63,618 units. Read here

Shriram City: Equity shareholders and secured & unsecured creditors of the company have approved merger with Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC). The merger of Shriram City with STFC is to create Shriram Finance  Indias largest Retail NBFC.

Oberoi Realty: Booking value for company in Q1FY23 came at Rs 750 cr vs Rs 930 cr from the preceding quarter. It booked 164 units in April-June vs 234 units in Q4.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone: The company said the board of directors have considered and approved the appointment of D Muthukumaran as the Chief Financial Officer and Key Managerial Personnel of the company, with effect from July 25.

Alkem Laboratories: The company has received Form 483 with one observation with respect to ANDA filed for the products to be manufactured at Indore plant. There is no data integrity observation. The US FDA had conducted a good manufacturing practice (GMP) and pre-approval inspection at manufacturing facility in Indore during July 1-7.

Bank of Baroda: The bank said its Investment Committee will hold a meeting on July 16 to finalise the quantum and timing of issuance of long term bonds for financing of infrastructure and affordable housing out of the board approved limit of Rs 5,000 crore.

Pricol: The company has entered into Licensing Agreement with BMS PowerSafe SAS, France, for providing battery management system to the original equipment manufacturers in Indian market and international markets, across all vehicle segments. BMS PowerSafe is the brand of Startec Development Group.
At meeting held on 07 July 022

The Board of Mahindra & Mahindra has on 07 July 2022 approved:

a) Incorporation of a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ('EVCo') to undertake the 4 (Four) Wheel Passenger Electric Vehicles Business of the Company.

b) Sale/Transfer/Hiving off of identified assets relating to the 4 (Four) Wheel Passenger Electric Vehicles Business of the Company to EVCo; and

c) Execution of a Securities Subscription Agreement and Shareholders' Agreement with British International Investment Plc ('BII'), whereby the Company and BII have agreed to invest upto Rs. 1,925 crore each in the EVCo, in two tranches subject to the terms and conditions as stipulated in the aforesaid agreement(s).

Pursuant to the Board approval, the company and BII have entered into a securities subscription agreement and shareholders' agreement.

BII (formerly CDC Group plc) is the Development Finance Institution of the UK Government and invests between 1.5 and 2 billion every year to support the UK Government's Clean Green Initiative and to create productive, sustainable and inclusive economies. Over the next five years, at least 30 per cent of BII's total new commitments by value will be in climate finance. It was founded in 1948 and is based in London, England.

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The headline equity indices continued to trade in a narrow range with modest gains in the early afternoon trade. The Nifty was trading a tad above the 16,200 level. Metal stocks witnessed profit booking after gaining in the past three sessions.

At 12:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 244.69 points or 0.45% to 54,423.15. The Nifty 50 index added 68.45 points or 0.42% to 16,201.35.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index shed 0.12% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.35%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,838 shares rose and 1,289 shares fell. A total of 167 shares were unchanged.

Derivatives:

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, drop 1.93% to 18.83. The Nifty 28 July 2022 futures were trading at 16,197, at a discount of 4.35 points compared with the spot at 16,201.35.

The Nifty option chain for the 28 July 2022 expiry showed maximum Call OI of 23.8 lakh contracts at the 16,500 strike price. Maximum Put OI of 37.1 lakh contracts was seen at 15,000 strike price.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index declined 0.50% to 4,817.90. The index saw profit booking after rising 3.61% in the past three trading sessions.

Jindal Steel & Power (down 1.57%), Vedanta (down 1.45%), Steel Authority of India (down 1.44%), Tata Steel (down 1.36%), Welspun Corp (down 1.27%), JSW Steel (down 0.91%), Jindal Stainless (down 0.77%), Hindustan Copper (down 0.71%), Ratnamani Metals & Tubes (down 0.65%) and Adani Enterprises (down 0.3%), edged lower.

On the other hand, Hindustan Zinc (up 1.83%), Hindalco Industries (up 0.48%) and APL Apollo Tubes (up 0.31%) advanced.

Vedanta fell 1.45%. The mining company said that it will acquire Athena Chhattisgarh Power located in Jhanjgir Champa, Chhattisgarh for Rs 564.67 crore. The acquisition is estimated to be completed in FY 2023.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) rose 1.09% after the auto major said that British International Investment (BII) will invest upto Rs 1,925 crore at a valuation of up to Rs 70,070 crore, into M&M's new 4 wheel passenger EV arm. BII to invest up to Rs 1,925 crore in the form of compulsory convertible instruments at a valuation of up to Rs 70,070 crore. This will result in 2.75% to 4.76% ownership for BII in the EV Co. The EV Co. will focus on four-wheel (4W) passenger electric vehicles. It is expected that the first round of BII's capital investment will be completed not later than June 2023 on fulfilment of conditions precedent and the balance post completion of certain milestones in FY24.

Tata Motors rose 0.59% after its subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) recorded a 37% drop in retail sales to 78,825 units in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22. Retail sales for the quarter were broadly flat compared with the previous quarter ending 31 March 2022. Despite a record order book, sales continue to be constrained by the global chip shortage, compounded by the run out of the prior model Range Rover Sport, with deliveries just starting, and the impact of Covid lockdowns in China, the company stated.

Jaguar reported retail sales of 15,207 units in Q1 FY23, dropping 48% from Q1 FY22 and recording an increase of 4% over Q4 FY22. Land Rover reported 33% decline in retail sales to 63,618 units in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22 and 1% fall as compared with Q4 FY22.

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TCS: The IT major will declare its Q1 June 2023 result today, 8 July 2022.

Tata Motors: Tata Motors' unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) reported sales volumes for the three month period to 30 June 2022. Retail sales for the quarter ending 30 June 2022 were 78,825 vehicles, broadly flat (183 units lower) compared with the previous quarter ending 31 March 2022 and down 37% (46k units) from the quarter a year ago ending 30 June 2021.

Vedanta: The company will be undertaking acquisition of Athena Chhattisgarh Power. Athena Chhattisgarh Power is a 1200MW coal-based power plant at Jhanjgir Champa district, Chhattisgarh. The acquisition will fulfill the power requirement at Vedanta aluminium business. The acquisition cost is Rs 564.67 crore.

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone (APSEZ): The company's board on Thursday (7 July 2022) approved the appointment of D Muthukumaran as the chief financial officer and key managerial personnel of the company with effect from 25 July 2022.

Bank of Baroda: The state-run bank informed that Investment Committee meeting is scheduled to be held on 16 July 2022 to finalize the quantum and timing of issuance of Long Term Bonds for Financing of Infrastructure and Affordable Housing out of the Board approved limit of Rs. 5000 crore.

Alkem Laboratories: The USFDA had conducted a GMP and Pre-Approval inspection at the company's manufacturing facility located at Indore from 1 July 2022 to 07th July 2022. At the end of the inspection, the company has received Form 483 with one observation with respect to ANDA filed for the products to be manufactured at the said plant. There is no data integrity observation.

Kalpataru Power Transmission: The company informed that its wholly owned subsidiary (WOS) in Sweden i.e. Kalpataru Power Transmission Sweden AB (KPT Sweden) has completed the acquisition of remaining 15% equity stake of Linjemontage i Grastrop AB, a Swedish EPC Company (LMG) headquartered in Grastrop, Sweden. LMG also has two WOS.

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Investors using the systematic investment plan (SIP) in mutual funds from July 1 have to complete the Know Your Customer (KYC) process. SIPs will stop if the broker had used pooling account for investment and the details do not match with the mutual fund (MF) house.

Money from an investor's account will go directly to the mutual fund house, according to a new rule by the securities exchange board of India (SEBI). Brokers will no longer be allowed to accumulate investors funds and then buy the MF units under a particular scheme.

The new process was implemented on June 1 by MF Utilities, an industry-promoted platform for transacting MF units. There were teething problems but the platform has said there are rare delays now in allotting units, according to a report by moneycontrol.com.

SEBI took note when several investors complained about the delays in allotments of units. The final units are only allotted once a fund house receives money. The source of the money is also verified before allotment. The moneycontrol report said that banks had failed to submit details of the investors and in some cases, there was a mismatch between the name in the bank account and the one in the folio.

Investors have to update their contact details as SEBI has mandated double-factor authentication using a one-time password (OTP). MF Utility has allowed investors to verify their personal details online.

What must do

Investors must ensure that correct bank accounts are linked to the mutual fund folios and the process in their bank accounts is complete. The proceeds from the sale of MF units will be credited directly to the investor's bank account and not that of the broker. Also, investors need to sign up for new national automated clearing house (NACH) mandates in the favour of clearing houses. The process can be done online.

NFO ban lifted on July 1

SEBI had, in April, banned mutual funds from launching new fund offers (NFO) for three months. The ban was implemented to ensure that no broker or distributor uses pool accounts. It has been lifted on July 1.

Earlier, during the subscription period, investors parked their money in pool accounts of stock brokers. The brokers, at the end of the subscription period, transferred all the funds to the fund houses. This has been done away with now.
Union Home Minister Friday directed central forces and administration to ensure swift operations to rescue people affected in the cloudburst near the base camp of Amarnath holy cave.

Shah said in a Tweet in Hindi that he has spoken to J&K LG Manoj Sinha to take stock of the situation following the cloudburst that struck around 5:30 pm.

"NDRF, CRPF, BSF and local administration are engaged in the rescue work. Saving people's lives is our priority. I wish all the devotees well," the minister said.

At least eight lives have been lost in the incident, police said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a bizarre incident, the district administration carried out a flag march with bulldozers ahead of the third and the final phase of panchayat polls in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district on Friday.

This was to warn the people to hold the elections peacefully, failing which their houses would be demolished, sources privy of the development told IANS.

As part of the measures taken to ensure free and fair polls, the administration not only carried a flag march of bulldozers but bulldozers were parked at several police stations, especially those considered highly sensitive areas in the district.

During the flag march, the administration also gave clear instruction that anyone found creating disturbance in election will be punished and bulldozer will be run over on houses.

"After violence at several polling centres during the first phase of election, people are worried. Flag march of bulldozers was carried out to send a message to miscreants that they will bear harsh punishment if they try to create violence this time. This step will encourage people to step out to vote for their favorable candidates," an official said on condition of anonymity.

Notably, during the first phase of panchayat elections on June 25, violence had occurred in several polling centres in Morena district. For instance, a group of armed miscreants had attacked poll duty officers at a polling booth in Madanvar village and snatched away two ballot boxes and burnt ballot papers in the forest area.

Following which, Bada Malhara police had registered a case against all the persons involved in the crime and arrested eight accused. While the vote counting was underway at the polling station, miscreants carrying sticks forcefully entered the polling booth and beat up the polling party with sticks.

They took away two ballot boxes while ballot papers were set on fire in the forest. As soon as the information was received, SDM Vikas Kumar Anand, Returning Officer and Tehsildar Kamlesh Kumar Kushwaha, SDOP RR Sahu, station incharge reached with heavy police force and made a Panchnama of the burnt ballot papers.

--IANS

pd/shb/

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Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that the leaders have "misused" Mahatma Gandhi's name and brought the country to a sorry state.

Speaking to media persons Bommai said, "A DIG was found involved in a PSI recruitment scam during the regime, but the government failed to take action. They did not even bother to question him or suspend him. But we have taken legal action. We have arrested high-ranking officers. They should realise their mistakes. Congress is in the position of a convict. They bowed to lobbies and covered up the scams. They do not have the moral right to preach to others."

"There are more such scams which Congress has buried. They would be exposed in the coming days," he added.

Bommai further said that they did not suspend even a single person in the KPSC scam related to the recruitment of Public Prosecutors.

The PSI scam case is related to the irregularities in the appointment of police sub-inspectors in the state.

MLA and former Minister Priyank Kharge had earlier alleged a huge scam in the PSI recruitment of more than 545 candidates and pointed at the involvement of the government and officials in the matter.

Notably, on May 12, Minister for Higher Education CN Ashwath Narayan announced that the state government was investigating the PSI scam and had assured that the people involved with it would be exposed.

On April 29, the government decided to cancel the results of the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment exam following allegations of corruption.

The government had stated that a fresh exam will be re-conducted and the dates for which will be announced soon.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lower tariffs, faster customs clearance -- China, ASEAN share bounty of RCEP trade facilitation package

Xinhua) 08:09, July 08, 2022

* The booming economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN countries has further gained steam as the RCEP agreement provided faster customs clearance and other trade facilitation measures.

* The RCEP will eventually eliminate tariffs on as much as 90 percent of goods traded within the region.

* Besides boosting trade growth, a more integrated regional supply chain under the RCEP agreement has also benefited China and ASEAN countries.

* The RCEP seeks to promote e-commerce and a digital economy which would be increasingly relevant in the post-pandemic world.

BANGKOK, July 7 (Xinhua) -- During Thailand's durian season every year, orders from China for the thorny "king of fruits" always surge, driving up shipments from the world's top fresh durian exporter.

This year, after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world's largest free trade deal that entered into force in January, Thailand's durian sales to China have been further boosted.

"Up to 100 percent of our durians are shipped to China, and the demand is increasing year by year," said Silaphon Thongrot, who has managed a durian orchard for 15 years in east Thailand's Chanthaburi Province growing durian, mangosteen, rambutan and other fruits.

Faster customs clearance and other trade facilitation measures provided by the RCEP agreement, as well as the launch of the "Durian Express" and special fruit train services to China, helped boost the trade of Thai durians and reduce exporters' costs, said Narongsak Putthapornmongkol, president of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Nuttakij Oranhirunruk, vice president of the Thai-Chinese Agribusiness Association, said he has full confidence in the substantial growth of Thailand's durian exports to China this year, expecting the eastern agricultural zone to export 35,000 containers this year, compared to 25,000 last year.

A worker arranges durians at a durian processing factory in the Chanthaburi province, Thailand, May 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

The hot sale of Thai durians is just an example of the booming economic and trade cooperation between China and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has further gained steam after the RCEP agreement took effect.

Chinese customs data showed that in the first quarter of this year, trade between China and ASEAN accounted for 47.2 percent -- or nearly half -- of China's foreign trade with RCEP partners. With the RCEP agreement, ASEAN has once again overtaken the EU to become China's largest trading partner.

The momentum continued despite disruptions from COVID-19, with bilateral trade volume expanding 10.2 percent year-on-year during the January-May period.

Cambodian Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak considered the RCEP as a key driver for economic recovery in the participating countries both during and after the pandemic.

The minister said that under the RCEP, Cambodia is expected to see an annual export growth between 9.4 percent and 18 percent, which will contribute to national economic growth between 2 percent and 3.8 percent. Cambodia is the ASEAN chair this year.

The RCEP will eventually eliminate tariffs on as much as 90 percent of goods traded within the region. A study by the World Bank said the East Asia and Pacific region can reap significant benefits through further liberalization, with Cambodia, Vietnam and other lower-middle-income countries gaining the most from the RCEP.

"The region will also see an additional 'kick' in productivity as greater openness brings additional skills, technology and capital," the bank's research report said.

Workers process fish for export at a factory in An Giang province, Vietnam, March 14, 2022. (VNA/Handout via Xinhua)

Besides boosting trade growth, a more integrated regional supply chain under the RCEP agreement has also benefited China and ASEAN countries.

Businesses with global supply chains might face tariffs even within a free trade area if their products contain components that are made elsewhere. Under the RCEP's common rules of origin, parts from any member country would be treated equally, which might give companies in RCEP countries an incentive to look within the region for suppliers.

Himile (Thailand) Co., a tire mold supplier in eastern Thailand's Rayong Province, has already experienced the benefits.

The RCEP's tariff concessions, common rules of origin and simplification of customs procedures "enable us to purchase raw materials and equipment as well as distribution of products more efficiently and at a lower cost," said Qiu Jinliang, managing director of Himile (Thailand).

The company, which sources raw materials from China, Japan and South Korea while exporting products to the U.S., European and ASEAN markets, has seen the customs clearance time shortened by three days to a week per shipment while the costs of raw material imports have also been reduced, Qiu said.

Ong Tee Keat, founding chairman of the Center for New Inclusive Asia, a Malaysia-based think tank, said ASEAN countries can benefit greatly from the harmonized rules of origin under the RCEP as intermediate goods can be sourced across any of the 15 RCEP countries. Only a certain proportion of regional value content is required for goods to meet the RCEP rules of origin requirements for tariff concessions.

This could help lower the production costs of companies operating in the region, enhance the resilience of regional supply chains, and generate more investment, job opportunities and economic growth, he said.

The RCEP seeks to promote e-commerce and a digital economy which would be increasingly relevant in the post-pandemic world. "It will have implications not only on trade and economic growth, but also on promoting digital inclusiveness and a more level playing field," said Wichai Kinchong Choi, senior vice president of Kasikornbank, a leading Thai bank.

The RCEP is crucial for regional small and medium-sized enterprises, which took a big hit from COVID-19, as their capacity and competitiveness could be enhanced, enabling them to emerge stronger from an improved access to a larger RCEP market, he said.

Since the RCEP came into force, the development of cross-border e-commerce between China and ASEAN countries has been further enhanced.

Aerial photo taken on March 2, 2022 shows a view of the container terminal of Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)

As an important hub for China's cross-border e-commerce import and export business to ASEAN, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has attracted more than 100 cross-border e-commerce enterprises, including the first cross-border innovation center of Southeast Asia's flagship e-commerce platform Lazada and the ASEAN cross-border e-commerce logistics center of Shopee.

"It (RCEP) is not just a simple trade agreement that provides enhanced market access and stable business environment. It is a strategic tool to sustain the region's economic advantage," said former Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, calling for the country's early ratification of the mega trade deal, which he believed is "for the future of the economy."

The RCEP groups 10 ASEAN countries as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Only three participating countries, the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar, have not yet ratified the RCEP.

(Web editor: Zhange Wenjie, Liang Jun)
In China, you don't have to move into the country to eat a lot of peaches, as they are shipped across the country from places such as Yangshan, the "hometown of honey peaches"...

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Seeking to corner the ruling over the issue of terror and its alleged links with terrorists, the Congress will on Saturday hold a series of press conferences in 22 cities across the country.

Congress leaders said the aim is to counter the BJP's "fake nationalism claims" and to take the message to the grassroots level that the ruling party has "connections" with individuals who have indulged in heinous crimes and terror acts.

The Congress has alleged that one of the prime accused in the killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur was a member. It has also released his photographs with leaders in Rajasthan.

The BJP, however, denied any links with such elements and claimed that some of them had clicked pictures with its leaders after infiltrating the party ranks.

The Congress also claimed that one of the 'terrorists' nabbed by people in Reasy town in Srinagar recently was an office-bearer of the BJP's minority cell in Jammu and Kashmir, a charge denied by the BJP leadership in the Union territory.

This is the second series of press conferences being organised by the Congress party, after the first such effort was made against the new "Agnipath" scheme on short-term recruitment in defence forces.

The Congress has decided to take the BJP head-on over issues of importance, and the party will continue to hold countrywide pressers to take its message to the people and to "expose" the claims of the BJP.

Top Congress leaders who are going to address the press conferences include Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda in Ahmedabad, Shaktisinh Gohil in Jaipur, Ajoy Kumar in Mumbai, Uttar Kumar Reddy in Bangalore, former Union minister M M Pallam Raju in Chennai, media and publicity head Pawan Khera in Raipur, Rajeev Gowda in Kolkata, Ranjeet Ranjan in Guwahati and Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka in Visakhapatnam.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will be in the national capital on Friday to meet the central leadership and finalise the allocation of portfolios in the new state cabinet.

It is learnt that Shinde and Fadnavis are likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief J.P. Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Sources said that Shinde and Fadnavis will meet the top leadership and discuss the new cabinet of .

"Key agenda to the meeting of Shinde and Fadnavis with the BJP central leadership is to finalise the allocation of portfolios and ministerial quota of both the parties," sources said.

Party insiders claimed that Shinde and Fadnavis have already held an initial discussion about the possible shape of the new cabinet of Maharashtra and it will be presented before the BJP central leadership for final approval.

According to party sources, 14 ministers will be from the Shiv Sena camp headed by Shinde and the rest 28 from BJP.

On June 30, a day after Uddhav Thackeray's resignation, Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra. On Thursday, Shinde assumed charge as the Chief Minister, almost a week after he was administered the oath of office along with Fadnavis.

On June 20 after the Legislative Council polls, Shinde revolted against Shiv Sena supremo and then-Chief Minister Thackeray. The political crisis ended with the resignation of Thackeray from the post of chief minister on June 29.

--IANS

ssb/dpb

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A close aide of Bihar Chief Minister on Friday asserted that RCP Singh's statement thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his stint in the Union cabinet was "proof" that the then JD(U) president had lapped up the ministerial berth without the consent of the party.

Ashok Choudhary, an influential minister in the state who formerly headed the JD(U)'s state unit, also upbraided Singh for making the self-righteous claim that he owed his meteoric rise in to his own abilities, in an apparent bid to undermine the patronage of Kumar, the JD(U)'s de facto leader.

"I heard the statement RCP Singh gave here yesterday. His gratitude towards the prime minister, with no mention of Nitish Kumar, is proof that he had accepted the ministerial berth without taking consent of the party. A reason why he has fallen from grace," Choudhary told PTI.

Singh, who had resigned from the Union cabinet on Wednesday, a day before the expiry of his Rajya Sabha term, had spoken to journalists upon his return to his home state.

Choudhary also took exception to Singh's haughty claim that he has risen in on his own (apne dam par)".

"What has been his contribution? He resigned from the IAS in 2010 and then joined the party. He rose to the top post in the party without ever having gone through the rough and tumble of . He owes this to the patronage (kripa) of Nitish Kumar," Choudhary said.

He also sneered at Singh's claim that he was an "organisation builder" who had helped to strengthen the party structure and asked "does he think even a few hundred people will gather if he tries to address a public meeting? Nobody in JD(U) except our undisputed leader has that type of calibre".

The political stock of Singh has nosedived ever since he was denied a third consecutive term in the Rajya Sabha, which jeopardised his continuance in the cabinet, besides sending across the message that he was no more a blue-eyed boy of the chief minister.

"RCP Singh should remember that but for the patronage of Nitish Kumar, he would never have been elected to the Rajya Sabha," Choudhary pointed out.

Knives are out for the former national president, who was previously the party's national general secretary (organization) and is said to have treaded on many toes in that capacity.

Criticisms are coming not just from powerful leaders like Choudhary but also from those lower down in the party hierarchy.

"RCP Singh claims he has built the organisation. He should be told that JD(U), which won 71 seats in 2015, saw its tally plummet to under 45 under his stewardship in the 2020 assembly polls," said JD(U) spokesperson Arvind Nishad.

The most stinging remark, though, came from the opposition RJD which has softened its stance towards the chief minister ever since a headcount of castes was ordered by his government and, later, when the JD(U) leadership refused to back the BJP on Agnipath.

"RCP Singh owed his existence in politics to the benevolence of . But he seemed to have forgotten the old adage -- paani mein rakhar magar se bair (don't annoy the crocodile if you are an aquatic being). Now he must wait for four years after which he may be employed as a security guard by the BJP at its office," said RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari, in a tongue-in-cheek reference to Kailash Vijayavargiya's much-criticised statement.

"He, however, cannot hope for an honorific like Agniveer because he did not serve in the armed forces. But if the BJP pleases, it may give him the title of Matdaataveer," added Tiwari.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In another jolt to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, 32 former corporators of from Navi Mumbai extended their support to Maharashtra Chief Minister in Thane on Thursday.

Thanking Chief Minister, Suresh Kulkarni, a former Corporator of Navi Mumbai, said, " has stood by us whenever we need it and his style of working is attracting him and everyone else."

"We will be with him. He never declined anybody's phone call. Even if an ordinary party worker calls him up, he receives the call. It feels good," he said.

Last month, launched a rebellion against the party. The majority of MLAs sided with him, which led to the collapse of the MVA government led by .

Shinde formally took the charge of Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Thursday in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Shinde on Monday won the floor test in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on the last day of the two-day special session of the House. In the 288-member House, 164 MLAs voted for the motion of confidence, while 99 voted against it.

Three legislators abstained from voting, while Congress's Ashok Chavan and Vijay Wadettiwar were among those absent during the trust vote.

Shinde was sworn in as CM on June 30, a day after quit the post. BJP's Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the deputy CM.

He was sworn in as the 20th chief minister of Maharashtra, while BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy CM.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said every student studying in would be provided a pair of shoes and two sets of socks, and he has approved Rs 132 crore for that purpose



With no funds provided in the budget and a delay in the government's decision-making, the Bommai administration has been facing criticism on the issue of providing the shoes and socks.

When it comes to uniforms, the government has already given its approval, they are getting ready, and will be distributed to students after a while. Today, I have approved Rs 132 crore for shoes and socks. We will give them. There's no need to create confusion on this," Bommai told reporters here.

There are over 50 lakh students studying in in .

Opposition Congress has been criticising the government after School Education and Literacy Minister B C Nagesh reportedly said children do not go to schools for shoes and socks.

Earlier today, State Congress president D K Shivakumar said he would raise money for the shoes and socks by begging.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra leader on Thursday met new Chief Minister and thanked him for replacing a "mafia CM", a reference to his predecessor .

Thackeray, who is also the Shiv Sena president, resigned as CM late last month following a revolt in the legislative wing of his party led by Shinde. "Met 'Rikshawala' CM @mieknathshinde at Mantralaya today alongwith @NeilSomaiya , expressed Best Wishes & Thanked him for replacing MAFIA CM," Somaiya tweeted. The former Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai met Shinde at Mantralaya (state secretariat) in south Mumbai after the latter officially assumed charge of his new post. His government is being supported by the . Shinde briefly worked as an auto-rickshaw driver in Thane before making it big in .

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Democratic Alliance's candidate for the Presidential election, Draupadi Murmu, will visit on Friday, and will meet senior leaders of NDA, including MPs and MLAs, as well as leaders of various political parties to seek support for her election.

Her visit to comes a day after the joint Opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha visited the city and met Opposition MLAs and MPs.

BJP state general secretary Govind Narain Shukla said that Murmu would reach Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in at 3 pm on Friday where she would be received by Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh, Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Ashish Patel and Nishad party leader Dr Sanjay Nishad.

Murmu will have a meeting with MPs and MLAs of BJP and its allies later in the evening at Lok Bhawan and seek their votes.

Shukla said leaders of all constituents of NDA would accompany Murmu to Lok Bhawan.

--IANS

amita/shs

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Exhorting party leaders to walk the extra mile to reach out to the people, president Ravinder Raina on Friday said the party is all set to form the government in the union territory with "full majority".

Raina said the party will ensure that the nation is strengthened, both internally and externally, and is ready to lead the world.

"With dedicated efforts of the leaders, the party is all set to form government with full majority in on its own," Raina told the party members at a workshop.

The three-day workshop for office-bearers, leaders and members is being held at a health resort at Patnitop in Udhampur district to discuss and brainstorm various issues confronting the government and the country.

Raina said these sessions carry in-depth knowledge of the party's ideology, policies and principles.

"These training sessions lead to the steady maturity of party activists," he said, adding the activists must reflect the party principles in his or her day-to-day activities.

The BJP unit chief also spoke about the national and international policies adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

Elaborating on the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the Indian society, its prant karyavah Vikrant Sharma said, "A need was strongly felt to unite the society which can successfully protect the boundaries of nation in future as well."



Senior BJP leader Mahesh Sharma explained the concept of 'Ekatma Manavvaad' or 'integral humanism' and said during the pre- and post-Independence era, a debate on the adoption of either 'Vayaktivaad' (individualism) or 'Samaajvaad' (socialism) was underway, but both concepts were incomplete and they led to conflicts.

It is at this point that Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay proposed 'integral humanism', which believed that an individual, society, universe or nature and the supreme power are all integrated and cannot be separated.

"Hence, before taking any action, we must consider its impact on all of these four aspects under integral humanism. This concept will also lead to 'Antodaya' to the last person in society, and 'Sarvodaya', ensuring benefit to every individual," he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Almost 30 hours have passed since three local Trinamool Congress leaders were killed in broad daylight at Canning in South 24 Parganas district on Thursday, but the police are still clueless about the masterminds behind the brutal murders.

Till now, a total of four persons have been interrogated, while the police have filed FIRs against six suspects. However, all the six persons against whom FIRs have been lodged, including the prime suspect, Rafiqul, are still missing.

Also, the police have not yet been able to locate a single weapon that was used in the killings. According to state police sources, the murder weapons always act as the key exhibit in such cases and hence locating them is equally important.

On Friday, a police team conducted search operations at Rafiqul's residence twice. However, no crucial clues were recovered from there. Rafiqul's mother was also questioned about her son's whereabouts. However, she could not give any satisfactory answer on this count. She went on claiming that her son was a close associate of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Meanwhile, a group of local residents ransacked the house of Rafiqul. They alleged that Rafiqul, a history- sheeter involved in multiple crimes including drug peddling, killed the three local Trinamool Congress leaders namely Swapan Majhi, Bhutnath Pramanik and Jhantu Halder.

All the three victims were both hacked and shot to ensure their deaths.

Meanwhile, local Trinamool MLA from Canning (West) constituency, Paresh Ram Das, who was close to all the three victims, has claimed that the situation has become so horrifying in the area that he is having apprehension that he might also be killed any time.

He also said that Swapan Majhi had informed the police almost a month back about his apprehension of life threat. "It is unfortunate that even after that he was killed in broad daylight," he said.

State BJP spokesman Shamik Bhattacharya said that when the MLA of the ruling party is apprehending life threat, the law and order situation in the state is imaginable.

"It is not just the common people or the supporters of the opposition parties for whom the situation is unsafe in . The state is not even safe for the elected representatives of the ruling party," he said.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The visit of NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu to Jaipur has been rescheduled to July 13, sources said on Friday.

Murmu will reach a hotel at 8 am on July 13 and will meet MPs and MLAs, they said.

Earlier, she was scheduled to visit Jaipur on July 12.

Leader of the Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Gulabchand Kataria has issued a revised letter to the BJP's Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs and MLAs in Rajasthan, asking them to reach the designated hotel at 8 am on July 13.

The has 71 MLAs in the 200-seat assembly of Rajasthan. It has 24 Lok Sabha members and four Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
John Hadder, director of Great Basin Resource Watch, talks with Xinhua in an interview in Reno, Nevada, on July 1, 2022. The planned Thacker Pass lithium mine in the remote north of U.S. state of Nevada, the largest known lithium deposit in the United States, has drawn concerns and protests from environmental groups, Native American tribes and local ranchers. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

by Xinhua writers Tan Jingjing, Huang Heng

LOS ANGELES, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The planned Thacker Pass lithium mine in the remote north of U.S. state of Nevada, the largest known lithium deposit in the United States, has drawn concerns and protests from environmental groups, Native American tribes and local ranchers.

The proposed lithium clay mining development project, one of the largest in the world, is located in Humboldt County, about 25 miles from the Nevada-Oregon border.

The mine is designed to cover 9 square miles of public land and operate on one of the largest lithium deposits in the country, according to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP).

Using ore crushing, acid leaching and processing methods, the mine aims to produce lithium carbonate, which will be turned into electric car batteries, according to the NDEP.

The project run by Lithium Americas, the mining company developing the mine site, has become a hotspot of controversy over the past year as it faces strong resistance from protesters, with some having been camping out near the project site for a long time.

The company received a permit from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop the mine in January 2021.

Soon after the permit was issued, several lawsuits were filed in federal court seeking to slow or halt the project. The lawsuits claim that the land is sacred ground for American Indians and argue that the project will damage the local environment.

"The mine was fast-tracked, meaning the decision for its approval along with the analysis required under the National Environmental Policy Act for it, were completed on a much shorter time frame than is typical for the permitting of a mine in the United States," John Hadder, director of Great Basin Resource Watch, one of the environmental groups filing lawsuit against the project, told Xinhua in an interview.

"The company has failed to receive community consent for the project from the local communities. This quick analysis and decision for approval were made despite deep concerns from local communities, as well as an array of wildlife and other issues," Hadder said.

"There was much that the public and the directly affected community was unclear about even through the federal permit process, and to some extent still today. I think the company was well aware of the content of public concerns," he told Xinhua.

The severe environmental impacts the project could have was not "properly analyzed" in the decision to permit the mine, he noted.

Local cattle rancher Edward Bartell sued the federal government, alleging that the environmental impact statement the BLM relied upon was "one-sided, deeply flawed, and incomplete," and underestimated the effects on groundwater and streams.

Several tribes and Native American organizations also opposed the Thacker Pass mine project.

People of Red Mountain, a group of Fort McDermitt tribal descendants, claimed the mine threatens their homelands, and accused the BLM of violating the National Historic Preservation Act by failing to adequately consult the tribes.

"In addition to environmental concerns, Thacker Pass is sacred to our people. Thacker Pass is a spiritually powerful place that has lots of stories, and is of cultural importance to the tribes," Doranda Hinkey, a member of People of Red Mountain told Xinhua.

Noting the importance of water usage to local tribes, Hinkey said the amount of water the project plans to take from the mine is "very concerning."

"We are also concerned about some social aspects of the project such as man camps, increase of economy, housing and what kind of people are brought here," Hinkey told Xinhua.

She said local tribes have not been properly consulted about the potential impacts to their sacred ground, although the Thacker Pass mine would be built on their traditional lands. 

Doranda Hinkey, a member of People of Red Mountain, talks with Xinhua in an interview in Humboldt County, Nevada, the United States, on July 2, 2022. The planned Thacker Pass lithium mine in the remote north of U.S. state of Nevada, the largest known lithium deposit in the United States, has drawn concerns and protests from environmental groups, Native American tribes and local ranchers. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 2, 2022 shows a sign against the proposed lithium clay mining development project, one of the largest in the world, by the side of the road to the project in Humboldt County, Nevada, the United States. The planned Thacker Pass lithium mine in the remote north of U.S. state of Nevada, the largest known lithium deposit in the United States, has drawn concerns and protests from environmental groups, Native American tribes and local ranchers. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)
Democratic Alliance (NDA) presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu on Friday met Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs and MPs to seek their support for July 18 poll.

Murmu, who hails from Odisha, held a discussion with the MLAs and MPs in the conference hall of the Odisha Assembly here. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also attended the meeting.

MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo said the Chief Minister has already announced to support Murmu for the presidential elections and all irrespective of political affiliation should support her.

"Murmu had tied Rakshi to Naveen Patnaik. So, they have a brother-sister relationship. Before her (Murmu) request for support, our CM had extended wholehearted support to her in this election," said senior MLA Pramilla Mallick.

After meeting the BJD lawmakers, the NDA nominee met legislators and MPs from Odisha at the state guest house.

"We are very happy that Draupadi apa, the daughter of the soil, will go to Raisina hills. We had a healthy discussion," said Bishnu Sethi, deputy leader of in the state Assembly.

Murmu had lunch with the Chief Minister at the latter's residence, Naveen Niwas, after meeting and BJD MPs and MLAs separately. She was accompanied by Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat. BJD MP from Puri, Pinaki Misra also attended the lunch.

Earlier, Murmu was accorded a grand reception at Bhubaneswar airport. Murmu is the first woman and a tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed a Governor in an Indian state. If elected, she will be the first tribal President and the second-ever female President.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde flew to Delhi on Friday evening, officials said.

During his first visit to the national capital after he took over as chief minister, he is expected to meet the top BJP leadership, sources said.

The visit also comes ahead of a crucial hearing in the Supreme Court on July 11 on a petition filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led seeking disqualification of Shinde and 15 MLAs of his faction. Shinde was sworn in as chief minister on June 30 with the support of the BJP after he rebelled against Thackeray and brought down the Thackeray-led coalition government. Shinde took a government charter flight for Delhi at 5.30 pm, officials said. He will fly back to Pune on Saturday evening and proceed to Pandharpur for the Ashadhi Ekadashi puja at the Lord Vitthal temple on Sunday.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rajendra Gavit, the MP from Maharashtra's Palghar Lok Sabha seat, has asked party chief to support the candidature of Draupadi Murmu in the July 18 Presidential election.

While Gavit, who belongs to a tribal community, is the second Sena MP to suggest that the party back Murmu, candidate of the BJP-led NDA, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has not yet declared its stand.

The rebel Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, now Maharashtra Chief Minister, has decided to support Murmu, according to sources. In a letter written to Thackeray on Thursday, Gavit said it would be an honour if a tribal person became the President of India. In past elections, Sena founder Bal Thackeray had broken ranks with the NDA and supported the candidatures of Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee (both Congress leaders), Gavit pointed out.

Thackeray-led left the NDA in 2019 as the party formed government with the Congress and NCP in Maharashtra after ditching the old ally BJP. Earlier this week, the Sena's MP from Mumbai South Central seat, Rahul Shewale, had written to Thackeray and sought that the party back Murmu.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior leader scotched speculation about his meeting with president J P Nadda on Thursday, saying if he had to, he would do so openly as they both hailed from Himachal Pradesh and studied at the same university.

Sharma said he had "old social and family ties" with Nadda and "I am proud that someone who comes from my state and university is president of the ruling party."



"Ideological differences do not mean personal enmity or apartheid.... If I have to meet J P Nadda, I would do so openly. It is my right. I will not air speculation," he said, when asked about his reported meeting.

Sharma, a former Union minister, said the Himachal Pradesh University Alumni Association had invited him and Nadda to felicitate them.

The leader added he had a discussion with Nadda over phone on attending the meet.

Sharma is a prominent member of the G-23 grouping of leaders who had sought organisational overhaul and been critical of some decisions of the party leadership.

This is not the first time that Sharma is rumoured to have met Nadda.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kharghar (Maharashtra) [India], July 8 (ANI/NewsVoir): Design Cafe, one of India's foremost home interiors' solutions brands, unveiled its second experience center in Mumbai today. Housed in the heart of Navi Mumbai at Kharghar - the brand brings its unique expertise to bear, with over 45,000 design possibilities for every homeowner, with world-class materials & finishes and a customer-centric approach to designing homes.

Buoyed by the success of its recent venture in Thane, the company will now deepen its journey in Kharghar to serve more customers with its unique home interior offerings - not just in Kharghar and Thane but all over Mumbai.

Spread over a sprawling 2500 square feet, the Kharghar experience center located at Bhagwati Greens near Central Park Road, offers a differentiated selection set from its Thane EC. The Kharghar EC provides a curated selection of designs demonstrating the amalgamation of space functionality with refined aesthetics: from wall paneling options to a 1 BHK show flat and separate display areas with wardrobes, two living rooms, and dining spaces. Additionally, three elegantly designed modular kitchens that exhibit global trends of modern, international, traditional, rustic and industrial design themes.

All modular furniture units will be manufactured at their 35,000 square feet state-of-the-art factory in Bangalore. The company also promises a 10-year warranty and after-sales service to every customer as part of its service offering.

Delighted on the expansion, Gita Ramanan, CEO & Co-founder of Design Cafe said, "We're poised to showcase the breadth of our brand in more regions of Mumbai. Given the momentum we're seeing with our recent launch in Thane, we are confident that the cornerstone of Design Cafe's expertise - affordable designer homes - will find favour with every homeowner in Navi Mumbai and beyond. With our second center in the city, more people in Mumbai have the luxury of using Design Cafe's affordable and quality-focused interior design solutions, so close to their home in a one-stop shop. Our customers here will love how we have integrated our unique space-saving solutions with design aesthetics that will transform a wish into one's dream home, and truly enhance how people live everyday.

We are excited to be partnering with a fellow solution provider- a contractor who we've been working with ever since our foray in the city, and our franchise owner Salam, to launch our second store in Mumbai - at Kharghar. This is in line with our vision to empower passionate individuals to blitzscale their own entrepreneurial journeys, and we trust Salam to deliver a top-tier experience to our customers."

Speaking on the occasion, Shezan Bhojani, CEO & Co-founder of Design Cafe, said, "Opening a store in Kharghar, one of Navi Mumbai's major markets, is an incredible feather in the cap for our brand. It is in line with our expansion plan covering key markets across India. The launch promises significant growth opportunities as it takes place amidst the rising demand for end-to-end home interiors' solutions for people here (especially for first-time homebuyers). It gives us a venue to strengthen further and boost our company's growth. We are expecting to design and deliver more than 100 homes out of Kharghar in 2022."

The Kharghar EC is Design Cafe's twelfth launch in India. The company is focused on bringing every Indian homeowner's vision of a 'dream home' to life on the back of 25 new Design Cafe experience centers in the country. More experience centers are in the offing for cities like Kolkata, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai in this fiscal year. The company is eyeing its pan-India expansion under both company-owned and franchisee-owned models.

Talking about his dream project, Salam Kadvekar, franchise owner of Design Cafe, Kharghar, said in closing, "I'm super excited to partner with Design Cafe that has seen tremendous success in recent years and I'm confident that the company is well-positioned for continued growth. I've been associated with Design Cafe over the past 3 years in my 20 years of overall experience. Apart from its revenue growth, it is also a culturally driven company - Design Cafe is committed to client satisfaction and ensures that both the clients and employees are happy.

We're constantly improving processes to suit the growing market and this will be a great advantage for people in Kharghar and overall Navi Mumbai. It is a planned city and the construction in this area started after the proposal for the new airport that was laid around 10-12 yrs back and it's been growing tremendously since. I'm looking forward to embarking on this next chapter to provide innovative interior design services for people in Navi Mumbai under the DesignCafe brand."

The center will also be recruiting in-house designers, design partners and sales managers to provide each customer with a curated experience that is structured to their needs.

Experience Center Address: Bhagwati Greens, Plot No. 6, Shop No 3 & 4, Central Park Road, Sector 23, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 410210

Design Cafe was started in 2015 with a vision of offering highly innovative home interior solutions at affordable prices, thus democratising design in India. Founded in October 2015 by award-winning architects Gita Ramanan and Shezaan Bhojani, they together bring more than two decades of national and international design experience to the table.

Leveraging their expertise, they have built a vertically integrated business model: with their own designers, workforce and a 35,000 sq. ft. factory in Bangalore, manufacturing all their products.

They are both Innovators and magicians alike and are driven to bring all elements of home interiors under one roof to provide a hassle-free and affordable experience to Indian homeowners.

The company currently delivers homes that are designed and executed in 45 days with a 10-year warranty on all units. With more than 900 employees, the company delivers 1000s of homes each year, across locations. Design Cafe is currently servicing in Mumbai, Thane, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mysore.

Read more on: (https://www.designcafe.com).

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI/NewsVoir): A world leader in the glassware industry, Riedel - the wine glass company, is all set to participate in the HGH exhibition this year. Riedel designs wine glassware with a sharp focus on shape and design to bring out the flavor and aroma of each grape variety.

The Home, Decor, and Houseware Exhibition (HGH) is one of India's most significant trade exhibitions for home textiles, houseware, gifting, and decor products. In 2021, the exhibition hosted as many as 300 exhibitors and was attended by almost 21000 retailers across the country.

This year, Richard Voit - Managing Director (Nachtmann & Spiegelau) is expected to fly in to be a part of the exhibition and promote and educate businesses about his brand.

President of the Riedel Group, Maximilian Riedel believes that the design of the glass can enhance the experience of drinking wine and Riedel has been the preferred brand of wine connoisseurs across the globe. And we want to share this experience with the growing wine-loving population of India. We are excited to participate in HGH India, together with our brand consultant, Amitabh Airi, and our Indian team. We're looking forward to meeting with businesses from our industry and forming successful partnerships.

Riedel Crystal: The 300-year-old company is family-owned and operated & is widely known for the creation & development of varietal-specific stemware. The company was the first one to recognize that the taste and aroma of a beverage are deeply affected by the shape & design of the vessel from which it is consumed. Thus, Riedel has been recognized for its revolutionary & breathtaking designs complementing both alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks.

Started in 1756, Riedel now has become the top choice of wine connoisseurs & drink specialists, along with hospitality professionals and consumers worldwide.

HGH India will also be the platform for the new and innovative kitchenware brand Trebonn to launch itself in India and introduce its products to retailers. Looking to wow the attendees with its fresh and unique approach to everyday kitchen products, Trebonn is the newest brand to be launched by Dozo Services.

Federico Bonardi, MD of Trebonn said, "We believe that our products will offer huge value to the Indian consumer who is looking to bring a zing to their kitchen and homes. We are excited to have our partner, Dozo Services, representing our brand at HGH India and we are looking forward to triumphant participation."

Business Operations Head of Dozo Services, Malika Jain said, "Dozo Services is specialized in providing an exclusive and premium range of kitchenware, coffee ware, and barware articles. We focus on bringing in only the best international brands for our customers in these segments. Dozo is well known for its long-term business relationships and after-sales services. We always welcome suggestions from our valued customers, so that we can provide relentless services and a one-stop solution for all your kitchen, bar, and home requirements."

The four-day exhibition, starting on July 12, 2022, will bring importers & distributors of several different brands worldwide. The purpose of the visit by retailers and institutional buyers will be networking and pitching for upcoming deals. Visitors at HGH can check out Riedel and Trebonn products displayed at Booth No: 9: A21-22/B06 (Hall 9 ) in India Expo Center, 23-25 & 27-29, Knowledge Park II, Greater Noida Expressway.

Dozo Services has been focused on bringing in, establishing, and providing premium quality and unique International houseware brands to the Indian market like Riedel, Hario, Toddy, Thermos, Kyocera, Joseph Joseph, Inomata, and many more.

(https://altvibes.com) is the digital arm of Dozo Services that curates the most celebrated global brands in Barware, Kitchenware, and Tea-ware/Coffee-ware; and expands into more categories. In a world of way too many choices, (https://altvibes.com) provides its users with a unique experience to feel good, buy good, and do good.

Its Co-founder, Tomoyshi Kobori, is a serial entrepreneur who has set up several successful startups across the globe. His ventures aim to include not just established brands but also SMEs and small-scale manufacturers, artisans, and vendors of lifestyle products.

Its principal advisor, Amitabh Airi, is also the principal advisor to many international brands looking to penetrate the Indian market. With over 35 years of experience, he has helped launch and establish the popularity of prominent glassware and homeware brands like Riedel, Nachtmann, Spiegelau, Vacu Vin, Aramoro, and Mesa among others in the Indian market.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 8 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Tessolve India, based in Bangalore, is one of the leading engineering service/solution providers with over 2,000 engineers worldwide and a full breadth of pre-and post-silicon expertise.

The company provides a one-stop-shop solution with full-fledged hardware and software capabilities including its advanced silicon and system testing labs. To enable instant employee support services, Tessolve has decided to deploy Workelevate, a digital workplace service automation platform by Progressive Infotech.

"We are excited to partner with Workelevate. The platform will enable us to provide better support to our employees and improve their experience." - Sundar M, Associate Director IT, Tessolve India

The Digital Workplace Service Automation Platform - Workelevate streamlines employee support services seamlessly through a rule-based chatbot that enables faster ticket resolutions, eliminates repetitive requests, and provides one-click remediations to end-users.

Following an omnichannel approach, it allows employees to access support through the channel they prefer.

Led by automation, conversational chatbot, and a plethora of self-help capabilities that aim to resolve employee support requests (IT, HR & Admin/Field), Workelevate maximizes service desk efficiency for better hybrid work productivity.

Developed by Progressive Infotech having over 2 decades of expertise in end-user experience management, Workelevate is adopted by some of the top Indian and global enterprises across industries.

This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

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Sonepat (Haryana) [India], July 8 (ANI/NewsVoir): Iconic probiotic brand manufacturer Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Sonepat, Haryana, in the core areas of education and sharing knowledge. The rationale of this MoU is aimed to promote and populate, a more effective use of each of their resources, and provide each of them with enhanced opportunities. The MoU was signed between Hiroshi Hamada, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd and Prof V. Samuel Raj, Registrar, SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat, Haryana, today, amidst a packed gathering.

The MoU between Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd and SRM University Delhi-NCR, Haryana, will entail collaboration on a gamut of areas, such as skilled-based training and Internship, industrial visits and tour of the Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd factory. There will also be an exchange of information on the recent advances in the science of gut microbiota and probiotics and guidance will be provided to the students on new areas for research in gut microbiota and probiotics. Additionally, both parties will explore, co-operate, and collaborate in future activities, which may be mutually beneficial to each other.

Hailing this collaboration, Hiroshi Hamada, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd remarked, "We are indeed delighted to collaborate with a value-driven university like SRM University. As a brand, we promote health and happiness across geographies. Our collaboration with SRM University will give us a strong platform to identify opportunities, where we can collaborate on health, skill development, research, science etc. The aim is to play a role of a catalyst, to make a significant impact on the lives of people. Our state-of-the-art factory at Sonepat has the most modern facilities, where we follow stringent processes, to make a world-class probiotic product, Yakult. We wish to collaborate, engage and educate the SRM family, and leverage our core strength, for the benefit of society."

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Paramjit S. Jaswal, Vice-Chancellor, SRM University Delhi-NCR said, "We are excited to partner with a globally popular probiotic brand Yakult. As one of the foremost value-based high education pioneers, we strive to strengthen our students' wisdom in the changing socio-economic environment. Our aim is to collaborate with Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd and transform bright minds into Nation-builders and social role models."

Through this collaboration, the well-acclaimed global brand Yakult, and the education pioneer SRM University, will set new benchmarks of excellence, which will empower other players to contribute and expand the reach of this confluence.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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Indias $900 billion retail market has emerged as one of the most dynamic industries and is expected to reach anywhere between $1.3-$1.5 trillion by 2025. The organized retail is seen gaining 15% market share in the overall retail space, while food & grocery and apparel and lifestyle may account for 80% of Indias retail market by 2025.

Large market offers big opportunities. And it looks like has seized it, with its massive omni-channel retail play of physical stores, B2B with kiranas and e-commerce.

The company went on an acquisition spree and partnerships in the last three years, adding to its portfolio some of the biggest names, including Hamleys, Dunzo, Zivame etc.

It has also partnered with famous global retail chain 7-Eleven. Catering to Indias affluent consumers, Reliance, meanwhile, houses some of the most iconic brands such as Versace, Armani Exchange, GAP, GAS, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors among others. The premium segment has become one of the fastest growing categories.

Also firming up its inorganic play, the company is planning to acquire dozens of niche local consumer brands to build a formidable consumer goods business.

Arvind Singhal, Chairman and Managing Director, Technopak Advisors says, there's focus on physical retail expansion. Reliance is looking to cater to both price conscious and brand conscious customers, while trying to capture as much of the private consumption market as possible, he says.

Reliance Retails competitors are nowhere close to even put up a fight. The company has over 15,000 offline stores across categories, compared with DMarts 294 stores or Aditya Birla Fashions 3,468 outlets.

Reliance retails revenue has grown five times in the last five years and the core retail revenue of $18 billion is greater than competitors combined, according to a Bernstein report.

Speaking to Business Standard, Devangshu Dutta, CEO, Third Eyesight, says, Reliance wants a decent share of Indian consumers wallet. From that perspective, Reliance still has a long way to go, he says. As consumer preferences evolve, Reliance too should adapt.

An undisputed leader in the domestic market, the aim of Reliance, according to Mukesh Ambani, is to become one of the top 10 retailers globally. Part of this bet is based on the premise that incomes and consumption power of Indians will increase across the board in coming years. However, could the uneven recovery that different segments of the population have seen stop the pie from growing larger and prove to be a dampener for Ambanis ambitions?
Nine technical glitches in the last two months in aircraft of an airline are not only unusual, but alarming too. This not just forced aviation regulator DGCA to issue a show-cause notice to SpiceJet, but also triggered a debate around flight safety. And it comes at a time when airports are seeing a jump in footfall, and two more airlines are waiting in the wings to hit the sky. So in todays podcast we ask if incidents involving can be brushed aside as aberrations? Or does it call for a reality check by the regulator?

From the Indian skies, let us shift our focus to the countrys retail sector, where Reliance is on a shopping spree. It recently partnered with GAP to bring the luxury fashion brand back to India. And apart from GAP, Reliance has brought home some 35 international brands. Find uot more about Reliance Retails growth strategy.

The revenue of has grown five-fold in the last five years. Meanwhile, IT services giant Tata Consultancy Services is set to announce its June quarter earnings today. Our next report tells what analysts expect from results, and what could be the road ahead for the company.

Meanwhile, some experts see the RBIs recent measures to shore up rupee as a knee-jerk reaction  which may send wrong signals to the stock markets. They said that the country is still sitting on a pretty-high forex reserve. But ever wondered what is the forex reserve? Let us find out in this episode of the podcast.
NAIROBI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese-manufactured electric buses have boosted the adoption of a cleaner mode of transport in Kenya even as the country grapples with high fuel prices occasioned by the Russian-Ukraine conflict.

Warren Ondanje, the vice president of Corporate Relations at the Association for Electric Mobility and Development in Africa (AEMDA), said that Kenya is experiencing a huge transition from fossil fuels-based transport to green transportation.

Ondanje opined that the pump price for fuel might increase even further in the future which will hurt the local public transport sector. "We have relied quite a lot on fuel imports. Yet we have lots of geothermal power, solar and wind resources, which we could actively tap into to power electric vehicles," said Ondanje.

According to Ondanje, Kenya currently has four electric buses being used as public service vehicles, all of which were imported from China in the last four months.

BasiGo, a Kenyan startup, is looking to transform the transport industry in the country by introducing electric buses as public service vehicles. Samuel Kamunya Waweru, head of Business Development at BasiGo, said the firm has so far imported two electric buses from Chinese manufacturer BYD to facilitate Kenya to transition from its fossil fuel-based public transport system to a greener alternative.

BasiGo plans to import 20 more units this year and 100 units by the end of 2023.

Waweru said that one of the biggest challenges in switching from internal combustion engines to electric mobility is the huge upfront costs but buses from China offer a solution.

"The buses from China are between 20 and 30 percent cheaper in operating costs for the proprietors and the technology is improving constantly," he said during an interview with Xinhua Wednesday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Alfonse Olukwo, a Nairobi resident, said that he prefers to use the electric buses for his daily commute from home to work. The 43-year-old father of two told Xinhua that the electric buses are more comfortable compared to diesel-powered ones because they have less noise. "The (electric) buses also have a port for charging my mobile phone while onboard."

Moses Nderitu, the chief revenue officer at BasiGo, said that over the last year, the interest in electric buses for public transport has grown exponentially in Kenya. A public transport bus that is powered by diesel uses approximately 6,000 shillings (about 51 U.S. dollars) of diesel per day while the electric bus uses 8.5 dollars of electricity for the same period.

Nderitu observed that China was a global leader in electric mobility, inspiring African countries like Kenya in their quest for a dramatic shift to less carbon-intensive modes of transport, saying that China as a leading global manufacturing hub has actually allowed countries like Kenya to be able to afford good quality products at a reasonable price.

Since 2020, the Kenyan government has rolled out a series of policies aimed at encouraging the use and production of EVs. In September that year, it launched the Kenya National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, which first mooted the idea of mainstreaming EVs on Kenyan roads. This was followed by a tender issued by the transport ministry in November 2021, which sought a consultant to develop a national electric mobility policy. 
Fears of a global recession, especially in the US and Europe, are mounting by the day. Yet, analysts expect Indian IT companies to post steady performance for the April-June quarter.

IT major TCS, for instance, may report modest revenue growth later today, led by seasonal strength and robust digital transformation projects.

Omkar Tanksale, Senior Research Analyst, Axis Securities says to report 3.4% sequential revenue growth in rupee terms. Strong IT services demand is likely to remain intact and we can expect margins to decline between 80-100 bps QoQ.

Not just TCS, but the entire industry is expected to see the long-standing pain of margin decline due to unabated supply-side pressures, as per experts.

Besides, they believe quarterly revenue growth may have varied for companies due to seasonal factors.

Speaking to Business Standard, Ashis Dash, IT analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas says, we can expect a steady Q1 for IT sector. Infosys, are likely to see strong revenue growth in Constant Currency. Weak seasonality to dent Tech M, Wipros revenue growth. Higher travel expenses, retention costs to erode EBIT sequentially across companies.

Kotak Institutional Equities pegs revenue growth on yearly basis to range from 2-4.5% for tier-1 and 3-5% for mid-tier companies. EBIT margins, meanwhile, could decline 70-400 bps YoY.

That said, despite a strong near-term demand outlook, analysts caution that risks to long-term growth have increased significantly.

Analysts at anticipate the impact to be felt in the second half of FY23 and in FY24.

The brokerage has trimmed its FY23 and FY24 EPS estimate for the sector by 2-5%, despite a positive 300-400 bps impact from weaker rupee.

On the bourses, market experts believe that related stocks haven't completely priced-in a recessionary environment.

According to Motilal Oswal, near-term pressure on valuations will continue as the worsening macro commentary is likely to impact industry deal flow and revenue over the next few quarters.

However, it suggests investors utilize any consequent correction to raise allocation to the sector.

Apart from corporate earnings, investors will monitor the US employment data for market trajectory today.
Photo taken on July 5, 2022 shows a white band of dried rocks around Lake Mead near Echo Bay in Nevada, the United States. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

LOS ANGELES, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Surrounded by a white band of dried rocks, the vast drop in water levels is visible this week at Lake Mead, the biggest reservoir in the United States, which has been shrinking amid a two-decade-long megadrought.

The "bathtub ring" around the drought-stricken lake, on the Arizona-Nevada border and over 40 kilometers east of Las Vegas, is made of minerals deposited on the rock walls when the lake's water level was higher.

Some boat launching ramps along the lake were closed due to the low water levels. Lots of things underneath Lake Mead have resurfaced in recent weeks, including formerly sunken boats, as the lake's water level is continuing to decline.

Lake Mead's water levels have dropped to historic lows since it was filled in the 1930s. As of Thursday night, the water in the lake, formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, was around 1,042.3 feet above sea level - a decline of more than 43 feet from 1,085.95 feet by the end of January 2021, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The highest recorded level of the lake was in 1983 when it was 1,225 feet above sea level. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's 24-month outlook released last month said it was forecasting the most probable lake level would be 1,014.86 feet by September 2023.

Lake Mead currently provides municipal water for the cities of Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and Boulder City, as well as municipal and industrial water and irrigation water for downstream users, according to the U.S. National Park Service.

"Altogether, about 25,000,000 people rely on water from Lake Mead, and it is unlikely that the Southwest could have developed as it has without it," said the agency in an overview of the lake on its official website.

The lake is nearing "dead pool status," NBC, a major broadcasting television network in the country, noted in a report last month.

If the reservoir drops below 895 feet - a possibility still years away - the lake would reach dead pool status, with potentially catastrophic consequences for millions of people across the U.S. states of Arizona, California and Nevada, and parts of Mexico, said the report.

"The situation is critical," commented the Los Angeles Times, the biggest newspaper on U.S. West Coast, in a report earlier this month.

If the lake's surface drops another 150 feet, there will not be enough water flowing through Hoover Dam to supply large metropolitan centers downstream, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego, explained the newspaper, adding that "When that happens, Lake Mead will be a 'dead pool'."

The megadrought is draining Lake Mead faster than anticipated, Las Vegas Review-Journal, the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, pointed out in a report last month.

Water shortages and demand on the Colorado River Basin will require reductions in water use of 2 million to 4 million acre-feet in 2023 to preserve "critical levels", said the report, citing Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton.

Last August, the federal government declared a shortage on the Colorado River for the first time, triggering substantial cutbacks in water deliveries to the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada, as well as Mexico. Many Arizona farmers have left some fields dry and unplanted, and have turned to more groundwater pumping, the report added.

The megadrought that has gripped the southwestern United States for the past 22 years is the worst in at least 1,200 years, NBC News reported in February, citing a research published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Jason Smerdon, one of the study's authors and a climate scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, was quoted as saying by the news outlet that global warming has made the megadrought more extreme because it creates a "thirstier" atmosphere that is better able to pull moisture out of forests, vegetation and soil.

"As much as 80 percent of the 17 western states that comprise the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's area of operations have experienced severe or worse drought conditions at times during the past two decades," Jonathan Deason, co-director of the Environmental and Energy Management Institute at George Washington University, told Newsweek in a report last month.

While the Colorado River has been affected by previous droughts, a warming climate is predicted to alter the water cycle in new ways. Long range climate predictions are for warmer winter temperatures in the Southwest, less snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, and less melted snow able to find its way into the Colorado River, the U.S. National Park Service noted on its website.

Droughts in U.S. West have also led water levels in many other major lakes to drop dramatically. Shasta Lake, the largest reservoir in California, is reportedly at less than half of where it usually should be in early May. Water level of the Great Salt Lake in Utah hit historic low earlier this month for the second time in less than a year. 

Photo taken on July 5, 2022 shows a white band of dried rocks around Lake Mead near Echo Bay in Nevada, the United States. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 5, 2022 shows a sign warning people about the danger to launch boats due to low water levels near Echo Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, the United States. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 5, 2022 shows a view of the shrinking Lake Mead near Echo Bay in Nevada, the United States. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 5, 2022 shows a white band of dried rocks around Lake Mead near Echo Bay in Nevada, the United States. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 5, 2022 shows a white band of dried rocks around Lake Mead near Echo Bay in Nevada, the United States. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 5, 2022 shows a view of the shrinking Lake Mead near Echo Bay in Nevada, the United States. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)
ACCRA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Ghana recorded two suspected cases of Marburg virus disease (MVD) on Thursday, according to health authorities.

In a statement, the Ghana Health Service said the two persons were identified at different locations in the Ashanti region with acute hemorrhaging fever.

"Their blood samples were sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Preliminary results suggest the infection is due to MVD," said the organization.

The statement added that the blood samples had been sent to the Institute Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, for further confirmation with the support of the World Health Organization.

"In addition, 34 contacts of the two cases have been identified and are under quarantine and being monitored," said the statement.

Health authorities added that no new cases were reported since the first two cases were identified.

MVD, a rare but severe hemorrhaging fever, is caused by the Marburg virus and could lead to death. 
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gives a speech before he was shot on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan. Getty Images

Former premier succumbed to injuries after he was attacked during an election campaign event in western Japan

ISTANBUL (AA)  Japans influential politician and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe succumbed to his injuries after being shot at an election campaign event.

Authorities at a hospital in Japan's western Nara city told a news conference: Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister, succumbed to his injuries."

He died at 5.03 p.m. (0803GMT), the official added.

Abe was 67 years old.

The former prime minister was treated for over five hours but could not be revived.

Abe sustained injuries on the right side of his neck when a 41-year-old assailant opened fire on him during the event in the city of Nara early on Friday.

Japans ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan on July 8, 2022 (c) AP Images

Fumio Kishida, the incumbent prime minister, earlier told a news conference in Tokyo that Abe was in critical condition and health workers were working very hard to handle the situation.

Abe, 67, was delivering a speech at a political event on a street in the western city of Nara when he was "shot from behind by a person who has now been arrested.

The incident, termed "deplorable" by the government spokesperson, took place at around 11.30 a.m. local time (0230GMT).

Japan will hold senate elections on Sunday and Abe was campaigning for the ruling LDP candidates.

At least two shots were heard before Abe collapsed and fell to the ground. He was bleeding and the gunman shot him from behind.

He was unconscious and unresponsive.

The assailant has been identified as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, a resident of Nara city. The shotgun used in the attack has been seized.

Security police chase and tackle the suspect in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan (c) Getty Images

Abe served as Japan's prime minister for the longest time  in 2006, and also from 2012 to 2020.

Abe was elected the head of the LDP on Sept. 20, 2006 at the age of 52.

In six days, he rose to become the 90th prime minister of Japan, the worlds third-largest economy.

He already had experience under his belt serving as the governments chief cabinet secretary from 2005 to 2006.

He was Japans youngest premier in the postwar era, a record that still stands.

However, the first jolt to his political career came when he suddenly resigned due to a bad ulcerative colitis illness in 2007. He had been in office for just a year  September 2006 to September 2007.

Security police arrest a suspect who is believed to have shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan. (c) Getty Images

Abe made a return to power in 2012, first defeating party rival Shigeru Ishiba in September to retake the LDP helm, and then leading the party to an overwhelming majority that December.

It was again a political milestone  the first Japanese former premier to return to office since Shigeru Yoshida in 1948.

He was re-elected in the 2014 and 2017 elections, and stepped down in 2020 due to health issues.

Riyaz ul Khaliq/AA
WINDHOEK, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Namibian President Hage Geingob has sent a message of condolence to Angola, following the passing on of former president Jose Eduardo Dos Santos on Friday in Barcelona, Spain.

Geingob said it was a dark day for the African continent, describing dos Santos as an exceptional political icon, African hero and an admirable statesman.

He added that "as we remember this great African luminary, we celebrate his rich legacy of loyal service to the people of Angola."

"Namibia owes a great debt of gratitude to former president dos Santos and the Angolan people. Indeed, there is no doubt that his legacy will remain immortalized in the hearts and minds of current and successive generations of Namibians to come," said Geingob. Former Angola president dos Santos will be remembered for his immense contribution to the liberation of Namibia as Angola was home to the ruling party SWAPO cadres and countless Namibians, during the fight against colonialism.

Dos Santos became president after Angola's first leader, Agostinho Neto, died during cancer surgery in 1979. His reign lasted until 2017 when he retired from politics. He had been receiving medical treatment since 2019. 
PHNOM PENH, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has approved 87 fixed-asset investment projects worth about 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2022, according to the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)'s report on Friday.

The approved projects included garment, footwear and travel goods factories, tire factory, hotels, hospitals, automobile assembly factory, electronic factory, and fruit processing and packaging factory, among others, the report said, adding that they are expected to generate tens of thousands of new jobs for locals.

Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) as well as the country's favorable new investment law are key to attracting investors.

"Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia has attracted a large amount of investment capital. This clearly shows that the Southeast Asian nation is a potential destination for both domestic and foreign investors, especially for the Chinese ones," he told Xinhua.

Both RCEP and CCFTA entered into force on January 1, 2022.

RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

"Both free trade agreements will give a big boost to our trade and investment growth in the long term," Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's undersecretary of state and spokesman Penn Sovicheat told Xinhua. 
Toyota is reinventing the flagship Crown model into a family of vehicles that will meet the needs of a diversified global market. It will be...
Photo: . TransLink's 10-Year priorities has been approved, including a five-year commitment to the SFU gondola project.

The TransLink Mayors Council on Regional Transportation approved a 10-year priorities plan last week that includes the gondola to Simon Fraser University.

The plan would see the gondola built in the next five years.

Having the gondola included in the transit authoritys 10-year priorities is crucial for the project to succeed, according to David Cooper, a principal at Leading Mobility, who has worked on long-range transit projects across Canada, including with TransLink.

With the 10-year plan approved, TransLink can go to the federal and provincial governments and lay out the case for funding, Cooper said.

He said TransLink has been wildly successful in delivering on its past 10-year plans compared to other transit authorities in Canada, noting the funding for the Broadway subway extension in Vancouver and rapid transit south of the Fraser were funded out of the 10-year transit plan produced in 2014.

What to expect from the SFU gondola project

Pre-pandemic, there were 25,000 daily trips made up and down Burnaby Mountain by the SFU and UniverCity communities.

TransLinks ridership modelling estimates that about 3,100 passengers per hour per direction would travel on the gondola by 2035.

The gondola would replace the 145 bus, which currently operates every five minutes during peak periods and moves about 1,000 passengers an hour, according to a 2021 TransLink report.

The transit authority says operating a gondola would cost about 30 per cent less than bus service.

The gondola project will cost an estimated $210 million to build, with an annual operating cost of $5.6 million.

TransLink describes the selected route as a direct route from the Production Way-University SkyTrain station to a spot near the bus exchange at SFUs Burnaby campus. The route length is 2.7 kilometres, and the estimated travel time is six minutes (compared with the average bus travel time of 15 minutes).

The route passes directly over the Forest Grove community.

Members of the Forest Grove community have expressed strong concerns about the potential impacts of the gondola, including safety and privacy. Residents of UniverCity at the top of Burnaby Mountain are strongly in support.

What's interesting with this project is not a lot of technology has been proven out that it can carry significant amounts of people, like thousands of people an hour, and actually theyre very cheap to build compared to other technologies, Cooper said.

A $200-million project to take 25,000 transit trips (daily) is significant.

The Burnaby Mountain gondola would use a 3S system which uses three high-strength, multi-strand steel cables, according to TransLinks report, the same technology used by the Peak 2 Peak gondola at Whistler Blackcomb.

Cabins would be stored in stations overnight, rather than being left hanging on the line.

With the significant damage due to vandalism at the Sea to Sky gondola, TransLink has suggested security measures like physical barriers, gates and locks to impede access to components of the system; gated towers designed to be unclimbable, and maintenance ladders on the insides of towers with lockable doors and equipped with a security system.

TransLink also states the 3S gondola system can safely operate in winds of up to 100 km/h.

The next stage in the gondolas development is for it to be included in an investment plan approved by the TransLink board and Mayors Council.

Bus service across region to double

With an emphasis on bus rapid transit (BRT) routes with zero-emission buses, TransLink also plans to double bus service in the next 10 years.

BRT vehicles are fully separated from traffic; they have their own dedicated lane. BRT vehicles have signal priority over general traffic.

Burnaby can look forward to BRT on Hastings Street, upgrading the R5 RapidBus connecting downtown Vancouver and SFU on Burnaby Mountain into a fully traffic separated line with dedicated bus lanes.

The transit authority has also committed to a link between Metrotown and Park Royal on the North Shore, as well as a RapidBus between Metrotown and Richmond Centre.
Photo: The Canadian Press Patrick Brown takes part in the Conservative Party of Canada French-language leadership debate in Laval, Quebec on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The Commissioner of Canada Elections has confirmed it is reviewing information related to the campaign of the disqualified Conservative leadership candidate's alleged breach of financing rules.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

A lawyer for a woman identifying herself as a former organizer on Patrick Brown's campaign says Brown personally connected her with a third-party company to pay for her work on his campaign.

Debra Jodoin says in a statement released through her lawyer that she briefly worked as a regional organizer for Brown's campaign from May to the beginning of June.

She says she's been a longtime organizer with the Conservative Party of Canada and joined Brown's campaign at his request.

Jodoin says Brown told her "it was permissible  to be employed by a company as a consultant, and then for that company to have me volunteer with the campaign."

She goes on to say Brown connected her by "text message with a third party for that purpose."

Jodoin says she grew concerned with the arrangement and "suspected it was not OK," and shared her concerns with the party through counsel.
Photo: The Canadian Press Current Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne speaks to media during the Liberal cabinet retreat in Winnipeg, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike Sudoma

The federal government isn't considering putting up money to help buy shares in the only domestic manufacturer of COVID-19 vaccines, but it is "working on a solution" with Medicago's parent company.

Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has been in Japan for the past week, pitching Canada as a good location for production of electric vehicles and the batteries that power them.

While meeting with the presidents of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and Mitsubishi Chemical, which owns a 79 per cent stake in Medicago, Champagne says there were discussions about the company's future as a global vaccine manufacturer.

Its biopharmaceutical vaccine has been rejected by the WHO because tobacco company Philip Morris is a minority shareholder, and the UN agency has a strict policy about engagement with the tobacco industry.

The Covifenz vaccine was licensed by Health Canada in February for adults aged 18 to 64, and the federal government has signed a contract to buy up to 76 million doses with plans to donate vaccines to low-income countries.

But the donations are not allowed without WHO approval.

Champagne says the government is working with the company to make Medicago "a global leader when it comes to global health."

But that doesn't include buying shares at this point.

"What we have been considering with respect to Medicago, as we have seen, we've already invested to strengthen their (research and development) capacity, their manufacturing capacity," Champagne said.

"We will see what would be needed in order to make Medicago a global champion."

Mitsubishi has approached the Quebec government for support so Medicago's vaccines "can receive a favourable reception from the WHO and be marketed on a large scale," according to an entry in the Quebec Registry of Lobbyists.

"The nature, form and amount of funding are unknown," the company states in the registry.

Quebec Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said in June that he has been in discussions with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma executives to resolve the impasse, but the Japanese company must first negotiate the purchase of Philip Morris's stake itself.
Photo: The Canadian Press Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan and was airlifted to a hospital but he was not breathing and his heart had stopped, officials said.

Local fire department official Makoto Morimoto said Abe was in cardio and pulmonary arrest after being shot and was taken to a prefectural hospital.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene. A barbaric act like this is absolutely unforgivable, no matter what the reasons are, and we condemn it strongly, Matsuno said.

NHK public broadcaster aired footage showing Abe collapsed on the street, with several security guards running toward him. He was reportedly shot a few minutes after he started talking outside of a main train station in western Nara.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who belongs to the same political party as Abe, is on his way to Tokyo on a helicopter from his own campaign destination of Yamagata, in northern Japan. Matsuno said all Cabinet ministers are to return to Tokyo from their campaign trips.

In another footage, campaign officials were surrounding him to treat the popular former leader who is still influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and heads its largest faction Seiwakai. Elections for Japan's upper house, the less powerful chamber of its parliament, are Sunday.

Abe was giving a speech when people heard gunshots. He was holding his chest when he collapsed, his shirt smeared with blood, but was able to speak before he fell unconscious.

The attack was a shock in a country that's one of the worlds safest and with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere. The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper printed extra editions, which were quickly grabbed by people on the street to read about the shooting.

Nara, once the capital of Japan, is just to the east of Osaka on the countrys main Honshu island.

Abe stepped down in 2020 because he said a chronic health problem has resurfaced. Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment.

He told reporters at the time that it was gut wrenching to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to normalize Japan's defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Supporters of Abe said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies too by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe is a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.S. officials expressed shock and concern over the shooting.

Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said while attending a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan, Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel wrote on Twitter.

Former President Donald Trump said it was absolutely devastating news" that Abe was shot and wounded. He said on his social media app that Abe was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family!
SYDNEY, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Australia is facing a looming new wave of COVID-19 as Omicron sub-variants are driving a surge in the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in some populous states.

Australia's health department on Friday recorded 41,870 cases, with 3,977 hospitalizations including 141 in the intensive unit. This number of hospital admission has hit a record high in about five months since early February, according to the COVID-19 data tracker by national broadcaster ABC.

The state of Queensland recorded 714 hospitalizations on Friday, which is more than double the case recorded in earlier June. State health authorities warned the worst may yet to come.

According to Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath, there have been over 2,000 health care workers absent because of COVID-19, and the scale of the new wave "could even be higher than (the first wave)" in the state.

Health authorities of the most populous state of New South Wales (NSW) warned on Tuesday that the third wave of Omicron infections in the state is likely to peak in late July or early August, urging the public to practice precaution measures.

At present, NSW leads the highest daily infections in the country, with 12,768 new cases reported on Friday. The state also reported 1,901 hospitalizations including 60 in the intensive care unit during the same period.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr. Kerry Chant said this new wave will hit schools and businesses hard. People should exercise common sense and wear a face mask in public indoor spaces, where physical distancing cannot be maintained.

The state of Victoria, with 9,676 new cases and nine deaths reported on Friday, has reached a grim milestone of over 4,000 COVID-related deaths recorded since the pandemic began, with more than half of which occurred in this year, reported ABC on Tuesday.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews who described COVID-19 as still a "serious threat" to Victorians over the winter period, extended the pandemic declaration for three months.

This move will allow the government to implement COVID-19-related measures deemed necessary to public health, such as mask and vaccine mandates.

Chair of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of South Australia, Professor Adrian Esterman, warned against the new wave of pandemic as two more infectious sub-variants become the dominant COVID strains in Australia.

He described the sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 as "masters at evading immunity," adding two doses of vaccine are not sufficient against them.

"What I can say with some certainty is that the BA.4/5 is now as transmissible as measles, which until now was our most infectious disease," he told Xinhua on Friday.

"One of the first things that the government has to do is to try and increase that uptake of the third and fourth doses."

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ATAGI), the country's peak immunization advisory body, has approved the fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses for people as young as 30 in a hope to provide extra protection ahead of a projected winter surge in the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants.

Esterman also suggested that the governments could develop more community health services to reduce pressure and free up beds for some patients with COVID-19 and acute emergency disease. 
Photo: RCMP

Police have released video and photos of a suspect vehicle in a daylight shooting in Burnaby earlier this week.

On Monday, about 11:20 a.m., Burnaby RCMP got reports of an injured person near Patterson Avenue and Hurst Street, close to the Ocean View cemetery.

When officers arrived, they found a 59-year-old man with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, according to police.

Investigators believe the incident was targeted, and police have now released surveillance video of a suspect vehicle, a 2020 Kia Forte.

The video was captured in the area of Patterson Avenue and Hurst Street before the shooting, and police are asking for help from the public to get more dashcam video to assist in the investigation.

Investigators are looking for dashcam video from the area bordered by Patterson Avenue, Imperial Street, Frederick Avenue and Rumble Street between 10:45 a.m. and 11:20 a.m.

They are also hoping to get dashcam video captured along Willingdon Avenue or Patterson Avenue as well as along Dawson Street between 11:15 a.m. and 11:40 a.m.

We believe dashcam footage from these specific times and areas may assist us in this investigation and in tracking the movements of the suspect vehicle and anyone associated to it, Burnaby RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Kalanj said in the release. We are urging anyone who was in the area at those times who may have dashcam footage to contact our investigators.

The 59-year-old man is continuing to recover, according to police.

Police have not identified the victim, but the Vancouver Sun has reported he is Ronaldo Lising, a full-patch member of the Hells Angels.

Anyone with information is asked to call Burnaby RCMPs dedicated tip line at 604-646-9511.

To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or solvecrime.ca.
Photo: The Canadian Press

With relaxed restrictions and a sneaky new variant, experts say it's not just Canada's most vulnerable populations who should be planning for a second booster.



Recently, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended fall booster doses for Canadians 12 years and older to help provide protection from COVID-19 as the colder months approach.



Horacio Bach, clinical assistant professor in the University of British Columbia's infectious diseases division, said immunity from the last round of boosters around Christmas is fading. The new BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants are thriving with loosened restrictions.



"The virus is mutating, and these mutations are helping the virus to evade the immune system," Bach said.



The virus and the vaccine's antibodies are like a lock and key, according to Bach.



The antibodies are the key, and the virus is the lock. When the key goes into the lock and opens it, Bach said the antibodies successfully bind and neutralize the virus.



"Now, as a result of the mutation, the key doesn't work properly," Bach said. "When you put it inside the lock, it doesn't open, or you have to force it a little to open."



The antibodies in the original vaccine are no longer as effective in protecting against infection, Bach said. This is the reason, he added, that the virus has mutated so many times, and talk of a seventh wave is spreading across Canada.



Even with a third or fourth dose of the original vaccine, Bach said immunity might only improve about 10 or 20 per cent, which will drop again after a few months.



"We are in the cycle where we continue to use the same vaccine over and over and over," he said. "Now, the ideal solution will be to start to vaccinate against Omicron because the previous variants don't exist anymore."



This targeted vaccination effort is already in progress across the border. Pfizer recently released promising data on its Omicron-specific booster that has also been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review.



"That will be a vaccine against the virus that is escalating now, not the [variant] that disappeared already," Bach said.



However, as this new vaccine is being developed and NACI is urging Canadians to get the fourth dose, Bach is still fixated on the number of people who don't yet have their third shot.



"The problem is there's an impression that COVID is over," he said. "[That] you will have flu-like symptoms, and that's it."



In B.C., 53 per cent of people are fully vaccinated with three doses, according to the COVID-19 Tracker Canada. That number drops to 49 per cent for all of Canada.



For this reason, Bach recommends everyone go out and get whatever dose is available\. Then, when a variant-specific booster becomes available, he said everyone should take advantage of that as their fourth or fifth dose.



Bach said immunocompromised and elderly populations, specifically, need to focus on getting their fourth dose to provide short-term protection until a variant-specific vaccine is available for a fifth dose.



"All these risky groups [need a booster] to pump up the immune system," he said. "Then we need to wait for the new vaccine that will be against the Omicron."

However, for some British Columbians looking to follow Bach's advice, the process to do so has been anything but easy.



Currently, in B.C., only seniors in long-term care or assisted living facilities, anyone over the age of 70 and Indigenous people over the age of 55, is eligible for their fourth dose six months after their first booster.



Vancouver resident Johanna Read falls into the next tier of British Columbians who will be eligible for their fourth dose when more spots open up.



However, Read is no longer waiting on the province to make her fourth dose available to her after travelling across the border on Wednesday to get vaccinated in Blaine, Wash.



Read started calling B.C.'s vaccine hotline and her MP's office about seven weeks ago because she was scheduled for surgery and wanted to protect herself from the virus while in the hospital.



She was hoping her circumstances would make her eligible for an exception.



"I'm very concerned about the long-term effects of COVID," Read said. "I want to minimize that as much as I can for myself."



What she experienced was a broken system, in which the information offered to her by the vaccine hotline depended on who picked up at the other end.



The only helpful response came much too late, she said.



"The day before my surgery, they said that if I had a doctor's note, then I could have the shot," Read said. "But then, of course, it was too late."



Read said she's been working very hard to avoid COVID-19 and its consequences throughout the pandemic. She said she doesn't understand why her efforts have been complicated by the provincial government's messaging about the virus.



"I don't understand why we've created all this bureaucracy," Read said. "We're told that we have to manage our own risk, but we're not being given any tools in order to do that."



Read hopes that B.C. follows the lead of other provinces, such as Quebec, where anyone over 18 can get their fourth dose so that other residents eager to get boosted don't have to travel out of the province as she did.
Photo: pixabay

Canada and the United States have reached an agreement to remove American tariffs on Canadian-made solar products.

International Trade Minister Mary Ng says the deal reflects the shared commitment to combat climate change and develop renewable energy.

Ng is meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Mexicos secretary of economy, Tatiana Clouthier Carrillo, in Vancouver at the Free Trade Commission Meeting.

The tariffs were imposed by former president Donald Trump in 2018, and the Canadian government has said exports of solar products to the U.S. declined by as much as 82 per cent since then.

In February a dispute resolution panel found that by keeping Canadian exports subject to its so-called "safeguard measures," the U.S. was in violation of its obligations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Ng also says she will be raising the issue of softwood lumber negotiations during a bilateral meeting with Tai.

"The way forward is to find a solution with the United States," she said.

Both agreed it's an important issue, but it's not clear what that possible solution will look like. Tai reiterated her support for the industry.

"Our priority is ensuring that U.S. softwood lumber producers can compete on a level playing field," Tai said. "Subsidized lumber and dumped imports undermine their ability to compete fairly."
Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies opens Swiss subsidiary

ICR Newsroom By 08 July 2022

France-based Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies (HGCT) announced the opening of its first international subsidiary in Switzerland, as part of a joint venture with an undisclosed Swiss construction company. The joint venture will be the exclusive distributor of HGCTs cement in Switzerland.

Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann, co-founders of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, said: "After signing our first contract outside of France more than a year ago, we are proud to accelerate our international development through a licensing model for Hoffmann Green technologies and processes. The opening of this first subsidiary in Switzerland proves the attractiveness of our clinker-free decarbonated solution outside our borders and is a structuring step in the development of Hoffmann Green."

HGCTs strategy sees the company put licensing agreements in place with local partners in charge of financing, building and operating production units and of marketing Hoffmann's decarbonised cement in their region.

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Chilean cement market contracts 7% in May

ICR Newsroom By 08 July 2022

Chiles cement demand declined 6.7 per cent in May 2022 to 330,114t from 353,704t in May 2021, according to the Chilean construction chamber, CChC. When compared with April 2022, the decrease was around 5.4 per cent from 313,101t.

In the first five months of 2022 total cement consumption dropped 6.4 per cent YoY to 1,675,216t from 1,789,995t in the January-May 2021 period.

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File photo taken on Feb. 10, 2019 shows Shinzo Abe delivering a speech during the annual convention of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Tokyo, Japan.

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe collapsed during a speech in the western city of Nara after apparently being shot on Friday, local media reported. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)

TOKYO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe collapsed and showed no sign of life after being shot twice on Friday when he was delivering a speech in the western city of Nara, local media reported.

Abe fell to the ground and was seen bleeding after he was shot from behind at 11:30 a.m. local time by an unidentified man with a gun, local police and firefighters said.

While speaking in front of Kintetsu Railway's Yamato-Saidaiji Station ahead of Sunday's upper house election, Abe fell to the ground after the second shot rang out, according to the police.

Abe, 67, was rushed to the Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara City and showed no vital signs, according to the local police and emergency services.

The Nara City Fire Department confirmed that the former Japanese PM was in cardio-pulmonary arrest before being taken to hospital.

Police arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF), according to local media, on suspicion of attempted murder and retrieved what appeared to be a handmade gun from the vicinity where the former prime minister was shot in Nara.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, confirmed that Abe was shot and his condition remained unknown.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will return to his office in Tokyo from Yamagata Prefecture where he was campaigning and all cabinet members have been asked to gather in Tokyo, Matsuno said.

The incident happened as Abe, the former leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was in Nara to support an LDP candidate running in the House of Councilors election on Sunday.

Abe became Japan's longest-serving leader who served as the prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He stepped down in September 2020 due to a relapse of chronic intestinal disease. 
The Richard Washington Corbins had many harrowing experiences at Chattanooga during the Civil War. From their home on the side of Cameron Hill, they endured the shelling from Stringer's Ridge, suffered during the hot summer siege, and viewed the Battle of Missionary Ridge.

The Corbin home was on the west side of Poplar Street "2 north of Fourth" - 327 Poplar.

Corbin, who was from a prominent Virginia family that was interconnected with the Washingtons, Lees and Masons, came to Chattanooga several years before the war. He had previously lived at Falmouth, which is across the river from Fredericksburg. Richard W. Corbin was born July 27, 1821, to Jameson Corbin and his first wife. His marriage to Elizabeth Potts occurred in 1845.

At Chattanooga, R.W. Corbin was the bookkeeper for the Vulcan Works. The family had brought with them from Virginia many heirlooms as well as several slaves. The children included Mary Eliza Thiebedeaux, John, Louisa Emma and Marian Bruce. Corbin was exempt from war service because he had suffered a dislocated hip when he was dropped by a nurse when he was a baby.

On the morning of Aug. 21, 1863, a Confederate officer rode up to the Corbin house and informed them there might be shelling that day from across the river. When the Yankee shells began exploding, the Corbins retreated to the cellar. Later, as they were hurrying to the Crutchfield House, part of a shell cut a piece out of the dress of one of the Corbin daughters and another missile took off part of the heel of a young slave. The Corbins went to the Ocoee House at Cleveland for three weeks, and, when they returned to Cameron Hill, the shells were still flying, including one that went through the roof and landed in a feather bed. The Corbins gathered a few of their possessions and started in wagons for Lookout Mountain. The family stayed a night in a hut at the foot of the mountain, then joined some of their fellow refugees from town on top of the mountain. When Federal soldiers began passing over the mountain en route to Chickamauga, the Corbins buried their silver and other valuables on the mountain. They were back on Cameron Hill on Sept. 18 when the Union soldiers departed for the battle that would begin the next day at Chickamauga.

After General Thomas took over the Thomas Richardson house on Walnut Street, the Richardsons came to live with the Corbins. The families piled feather beds and pillows against the doors to ward off any stray shells. When there was cannon fire in the middle of the night, the families hurried to Kaylor's Mill in a gulf near the river. Mrs. Corbin had rushed away with a "shawl'' draped over her that she later noticed was a tablecloth. By now the Federal soldiers had broken into their smokehouse and there was little food remaining. A friendly Yankee soldier procured some corn that helped the family survive. During the Battle of Missionary Ridge, the family watched the dramatic scene from their front porch. The Corbins helped nurse the wounded soldiers, and they gained permission to take home two Confederates who seemed to have little hope of survival. They nursed them back to health, and Corbin had crutches made for both of them. Then they were sent to the infamous Johnson's Island prison and the family never heard from them again.

That winter the Corbins were directed to leave Chattanooga, and they were shipped via cattle cars to Nashville and then sent by train to Louisville, where they were placed in a stockade prison. They were allowed to go to Cincinnati where they lived for a year though they were short of money.

Fortunately, one of the children had found $65 in Yankee bills tucked into one of the cushions of the seat on the train into Cincinnati. When President Lincoln was assassinated, the Corbins were sent a large roll of black cloth and directed to drape their house with it. Following this incident, the Corbins gained permission to return to Chattanooga. They arrived at midnight to find what was left of their home occupied by a Yankee named Dr. Ridgely. He turned them away from their homeplace, and they had to find shelter with one of their neighbors. This house was occupied by Northern sympathizers also, but neighbors had been allotted two rooms. One of these rooms was given to the Corbins until Ridgely finally allowed them to occupy their home.

They found their tall oaks had all been cut down and nothing remained of the orchard. The fences were gone, the plaster loose on the walls, and the furniture all missing. The family returned to Lookout Mountain to dig up the silver, but it was never found, though many searches were made. Some of the large silver pieces were thought to have dated to the days when the Corbins lived in England. Another missing item was a grandfather clock that also was a Corbin heirloom. Years later, it showed up in the home of another Chattanoogan. The Corbins tried to buy it and later were able to reacquire it at an estate sale.

A son, Edward Ephraim Corbin, was born in 1867. Mrs. Corbin died two years later, and R.W. Corbin then married Mary Mitchell. Corbin returned to his job as the Vulcan bookkeeper and to their Poplar Street home. R.W. Corbin died in 1881, but his widow Mary lived on at the Poplar Street home until she died a couple of years later. Edward Corbin lived at the old homeplace until he moved to Oak Street in 1887. While there he worked for Morrison & Woodward and later was a packer for Rosenau, Crutchfield & Co.

The eldest Corbin daughter, Mary Eliza Thiebedeaux, married Dr. Fry of Linville, Tn. John died in 1871 shortly after his marriage to Mary McCorkle. He had worked as a railroad ticket agent. Louisa Emma married Richard Henry Woodward, a native of Richmond who fought for the Confederacy under General George Washington Custis Lee. Marian Bruce married W.W. Simpson.

Edward E. Corbin was the last of this male line of Corbins at Chattanooga when he died in 1907 at the home of his sister, Mrs. Woodward, at the corner of Oak and Douglas streets. A bachelor, he had worked for the Davenport Brothers wholesale dry goods business for many years. He was "an earnest, honest man whose every duty was well performed.''
The 55+ Club will meet Sunday at noon for the bi-monthly club luncheon. The unique luncheon speaker at 1 p.m. will be 12-year-old Cash Daniels, aka "The Conservation Kid," of Chattanooga.

Cash is a public speaker, author, and conservationist. He has won several awards for his work including three-time Youth Conservationist of the Year with Tennessee Wildlife Federation. He was also among the top five honorees for Time Magazine's "Kid of the Year." Cash believes no matter your age or abilities, you can make a difference.





The public is invited. The club will meet in the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist (University) Church Fellowship Hall. 4829 Collegedale Drive East. The main entrance is accessed from the upper level parking lot. The Fellowship Hall is to the right of the main The club will meet in the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist (University) Church Fellowship Hall. 4829 Collegedale Drive East. The main entrance is accessed from the upper level parking lot. The Fellowship Hall is to the right of the main lobby.





The plant based luncheon will began at noon. Bring your favorite plant based dish at 11:30 a.m.





For further Information contact Dennis Tidwell 703-628-1492 or Rita Vital 423-505-6605.


A home in Harrison was destroyed by fire early Friday morning.

At midnight, an off-duty firefighter called 911 reporting a house fire with possible entrapment at 9149 Ooltewah Georgetown Road.

The Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department responded and arrived on the scene within minutes reporting heavy fire at one end of the house. Once firefighters confirmed everyone was out of the house, they conducted a defensive attack to contain the fire.

Highway 58 VFD requested a Mutual Aid response for additional manpower and apparatus. Tri-Community VFD and Chattanooga Fire Department responded to the scene. Bradley County Fire Rescue stood by at Highway 58 Station 2 for any additional emergency calls in their district.

No injuries reported but Hamilton County EMS was on the scene for any potential injuries to the first responders.

Highway 58 VFD fire officials reported the house is a total loss and damages are unknown at this time. The cause of the fire will be under investigation by the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office.
The Chattery announced the start of a new program called Human Development earlier this year.

"Human Development is a collection of classes and workshops that allow students to commit to being better humans by learning about historical inequities that plague us today," officials said. t

The series began in May with an Introduction to Racial Justice class. The Human Development program includes a slate of local and national instructors and speakers and today, The Chattery announces the lineup of national speakers.



 Jasmine Marie is a speaker, breathwork practitioner and the founder of black girls breathing. Shes leading a talk focused on the importance of mental health on Thursday, Aug. 25.



 Jessamyn Stanley is a health & wellness advocate and the co-founder of The Underbelly. She will lead a talk and yoga session on Thursday, Sept. 1.



 Ericka Hart is a race and gender justice educator and will lead a lecture on Thursday, Oct. 13.



"For the first year of The Chatterys Human Development series, the focus will be on history and mental health & wellness. All of the conversations will provide insight and truth related to race, gender and mental health and are designed to challenge the way we think," officials said.



We believe that in order to have true and genuine acceptance of another human, you must learn about the whole person, says Shawanda Mason, co-founder at The Chattery. What were doing with Human Development is not only offering lessons in diversity, equity and inclusion, but also providing spaces to learn about the historical inequities that are the root cause of injustice.



"The Chattery plans for Human Development to be a permanent part of their class calendar beyond 2022. Most of The Chatterys classes focus on reflecting inward -- bettering your professional development skills or learning how to create art, but Human Development focuses on the outward -- how you treat others and how to be more empathetic toward one another," officials said.



Locally, the team is working with a variety of Chattanooga-based experts for upcoming workshops including CALEB, Lakweshia Ewing (Unlearn Everything & Live), Sarah Marquez Berestecky (community organizer) and many more. Some topics for this year include a variety of history lessons, gender 101 and mental health sessions.



This new subset of classes paired with The Chatterys current offerings has allowed The Chatterys founders to explore future outcomes for their classes which has led them to make a goal of reaching 25,000 lifelong learners by the year 2024.



While the category of Human Development is a new offering for us, providing thought-provoking classes and workshops is not, says Jennifer Holder, co-founder of The Chattery. Because we are constantly reassessing our goals and outcomes as an organization and as individuals, we know this is an impactful program allowing us to reach more lifelong learners as we go along.



All Human Development workshops are donation-based, however, the founders believe money should not be a barrier to learning. Participants are encouraged to contact The Chatterys staff if they are unable to make a donation for a specific event. This program is supported by The Footprint Foundation, The Benwood Foundation, The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Humanities Tennessee and Didnt I Just Feed You.



Registration and workshop information can be found at thechattery.org/humandevelopment. For updates on The Chatterys Human Development program follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Law enforcement officers belonging to the Fraternal Order of Police, Rock City Lodge #22 announced they fully support Assistant District Attorney Larry Ables for General Sessions Judge, Division III.

Here is the official endorsement:

The Membership of Fraternal Order of Police Rock City Lodge #22 has voted to endorse Larry Ables for the position of General Sessions Court Judge.

Mr. Ables for years has shown himself to be a friend of law enforcement and to be tough on crime. Mr. Ables has worked side by side with the Members of Rock City Lodge as a Prosecutor for the Office of the District Attorney, and is respected and trusted by our Membership.

"The Membership of Fraternal Order of Police Rock City Lodge #22 believe that Larry Ables is the best candidate for General Sessions Court Judge and is a true pro law enforcement candidate.  Chris Mullinix, president, Rock City Lodge 22

Mr. Ables built his career within Hamilton Countys judicial system. His experience includes years as a defense attorney, Chief Magistrate Judge in Hamilton County, and extensive prosecutorial experience in the District Attorneys office.

He said, I am humbled and honored to receive the endorsement and support from our men and women in law enforcement who belong to the FOP. I work tirelessly beside them each day to ensure justice is served and Hamilton Countys victims get the answers they deserve.

Early voting begins on July 15 through July 30. The General Election is set for Aug. 4.
Dr. Rickie Moore, associate dean for Lee Universitys School of Religion, has been named the recipient of the Church of God Division of Educations Distinguished Educator Award for Faculty.Hearing this news was like being struck by a wave that I did not see coming, in fact many wavesfirst, a huge wave of honor followed by wave after wave of gratitude, said Dr. Moore. I owe a great debt of gratitude to God and to many people, without whom I would not be here today at the end of this 40-year journey as an educator in the Church of God and at Lee University.Beginning in 1976, the Church of God granted the Distinguished Educators Award to those who have done exceptional work within the field of education for the Church of God.Recipients are selected from a list of nominees submitted by church officials, leaders, faculty, administration from all educational institutions internationally, missionary educators and ministerial development board members internationally.Prior to serving as associate dean, Dr. Moore served for seven years as the chair of Lees Department of Theology and the previous 25 years on the faculty of the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. His teaching specialty is the Old Testament prophets. He is a founding editor of the Journal of Pentecostal Theology, the first academic serial ever to feature constructive theology from a Pentecostal perspective on an international scholarly level. His publications include, God Saves: Lessons From the Elisha Stories and The Spirit of the Old Testament.Stories abound from former students that tell of moments in class when Dr. Moore would pause and drop a life-changing insight into their lives based on some truth found in the hard work of interpreting the Scriptural text, said Dr. Terry Cross, School of Religion dean. For Dr. Moore, the text of the Old Testament was a living oneone that we could read but more importantly one that would read us. The thousands of students he has taught over the years would testify to the appropriateness of him receiving this award. He is a rare gift to the church and academy.Dr. Moore, who is retiring this summer, will be formally honored at the International Educators Luncheon during the Church of God General Assembly being held in San Antonio, Tx., in July.Throughout all these years, Ive been honored every step of the way by being entrusted with a priceless treasurethe hearts and lives of the sons and daughters of Lee. For this I am thankful beyond words, said Dr. Moore.
ArtsBuild is coordinating an Art Supply Drive for Hamilton County Schools Back to School Bash on Saturday, Aug. 6.

Last year, approximately 3,000 students in grades K-12 and their families attended the annual Back to School Bash at First Tennessee Pavilion. ArtsBuild will be giving away art supplies at the event on August 6, where students receive free backpacks and school supplies from community partners. Opportunities to engage and learn with the arts in school are an essential component of a well-rounded education, adding positive benefits to school culture, and individual social and personal development. Items requested for donation include Crayola crayons and colored pencils, Elmers glue, and blunt end 5 scissors. (Please note that Crayola brand products are preferred by art teachers.)

An Amazon Donation Wishlist (https://a.co/3jyrsYP) has been created. To access the items on the wish list, you will need to sign into your Amazon account. Items purchased through the wish list will be sent directly to ArtsBuild. Alternately, supplies can be purchased anywhere and dropped off at ArtsBuild (301 E. 11th St., Second Floor, Chattanooga 37403) during business hours (9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday) prior to Aug. 6.

Kelly Shimel, Fine Arts coordinator for Hamilton County Schools, said, The importance of the arts in child development goes so much further than the application of color to paper. Through experience in the arts, children are developing skills that will carry them through the rest of their educational career and lives. The immediate benefits are often readily apparent in the joyful expressions and concentration on learners' faces as they move through the creative process. But the underlying benefits of motor skills and language development, decision-making and social emotional connections have long-reaching effects on every child. Partnerships with entities such as ArtsBuild help ensure equity and access to quality art supplies for EVERY child. The art supply drive will directly impact the students of Hamilton County, providing materials to our students and supporting the arts education of all our students.
HHM Certified Public Accountants, a full-service CPA and consulting firm with locations in Chattanooga and Memphis, has hired Sydney Zumbrun as a part-time manager in the Accounting and Assurance department, Japhet Townsend as a senior accountant, staff accountants Emily Brown, Caroline Daniel, Ammiah Grow, and Casey Queen, and administrative assistant Hannah Anderson in the Chattanooga office.

Ms. Zumbrun started her accounting career in 2011 at HHM CPAs in the firms audit department and returned in 2022 as a manager in the Accounting and Assurance department. Sydney performs audits in a range of industries including Employee Benefit Plans, Not-For-Profit, and Electric Service Distributors. Her acute attention to detail and ability to connect with each client make her a valuable resource for the firm. A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, she obtained an accounting degree and brings extensive auditing experience to her role.

As a senior accountant, Mr. Townsend prepares tax returns for businesses and individuals, specializing in state and local taxes. He brings to the firm six years of experience as a field auditor for the Tennessee Department of Revenue, as well as two years of experience as a tax preparer at a local Chattanooga accounting firm. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Economics from Bryan College and is currently pursuing his CPA license.



Emily Brown, Caroline Daniel, Ammiah Grow, and Casey Queen join as full-time staff accountants after completing internships with the firm.



Ms. Brown prepares tax returns and assists the Accounting and Assurance department with audit work. She graduated from the University of Chattanooga (UTC) with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance in May 2022 and is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration. Prior to joining HHM, she held several internships, providing her a foundation of accounting skills to build upon. She handled accounts payable and receivable for a construction company and assisted in preparing cost reports for rural health clinics.



Ms. Daniel prepares individual and business tax returns. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from UTC with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and minor in Criminal Justice. She is working toward her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance at UTC and plans on earning her CPA license and CFE certification. During her time in college, she was a member of Beta Alpha Psi, serving as a secretary her senior year, Phi Eta Sigma, and Alpha Lambda Delta. Prior to HHM, she interned at a Fortune 500 company in the companys financial reinsurance department.



Ms. Grow focuses on the governmental industry and specializes in Employee Retention Credit. She graduated from Lee University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is working toward obtaining her CPA license. During her time in college, she served on the business leadership team where she contributed to the improvement of the School of Business. Prior to joining HHM, she interned with a Fortune 500 insurance company in the companys tax department.



Ms. Queen prepares tax returns and assists in audit work. She graduated Cum Laude from UTC with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. During her time in college, she was involved in multiple organizations including Beta Alpha Psi as a member and then chapter tutoring coordinator in 2022. She is currently working on her MBA from UTC and plans to earn her CPA license and CFE certification. Prior to HHM, she interned at a local accounting firm.



Ms. Anderson joins as an administrative assistant. She completes daily, weekly, and monthly time reports, handles daily deposits, and assists the firms COO and firm controller. Her experience in administrative and customer service fields coupled with her willingness to help others make her a valuable resource to the firm. Prior to joining HHM, she held positions at a pediatrics office, Unum Group, and Amazon, equipping her with excellence at paying close attention to details. She graduated from Cleveland State Community College with an associate degree in accounting.


People evacuate miners after a flash flood inundated a coal mine due to torrential rains in Thatta district in south Pakistan's Sindh province on July 7, 2022. Ninety-seven people were killed and 101 others injured in separate rain-related accidents across Pakistan over the last three weeks, the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday. (Str/Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Ninety-seven people were killed and 101 others injured in separate rain-related accidents across Pakistan over the last three weeks, the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday.

Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province remained the worst hit where 49 people were killed and 48 others injured in the ongoing spell of monsoon rains that started on Monday in the province, according to a situation report released by the NDMA.

A total of 17 people were killed in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province followed by 11 in Sindh, 10 in the north Gilgit Baltistan region, and 10 more in other parts of the country, the authority added.

Two roads, five bridges, and five shops were swept away by flash floods across the country whereas 226 houses were completely destroyed and 481 others partially destroyed, said the report.

The authority said 1,326 cattle also perished in separate incidents across the country.

Most of the deaths and injuries happened due to separate incidents of electrocution, roof collapse, and flash floods caused by blockages of large water drainages in urban areas.

The country's Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman told a press conference on Wednesday that the country has seen 87 percent more rains than normal during the monsoon season this year.

She added that there had been 16 incidents of glacier bursts in the north Gilgit Baltistan region, caused by the extreme heatwave.

The minister said Pakistan is among the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world, stressing that the public should start taking measures to mitigate the weather impacts or things will get worse in the future.

"The recent rain disaster is a national tragedy. It is a matter of great concern, but we should realize that it is only the beginning and we have to prepare for it," she added.

The official warned that the water levels in the country are consistently falling, though an improvement has been witnessed due to the recent rains. The people have to use water with caution otherwise there might be an acute water shortage in the coming days.

She said the monsoon started earlier than usual this year, and the changing rain patterns are one of the obvious indicators of climate change.

During this monsoon season, the worst-hit regions of Balochistan and Sindh provinces received 274 percent and 261 percent more rains respectively than usual.

The country's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced a compensation of 1 million rupees (about 4,821 U.S. dollars) for each family of the people killed in the rain-triggered accidents.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, he directed the rescue teams to speed up the pace of relief work to ease the sufferings of the people living in the areas inundated by water.

Briefing about relief activities, the NDMA report said all the required things including blankets, tents, food, medicine, and portable washrooms have been dispatched to the affected areas.

In a weather advisory, the NDMA said the current spell of rain is expected to end on Thursday, after which the weather is expected to remain dry and hot in most parts of the country. 

People rest at a makeshift tent after their houses were destroyed during torrential rains in southwest Pakistan's Quetta on July 5, 2022. Ninety-seven people were killed and 101 others injured in separate rain-related accidents across Pakistan over the last three weeks, the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

A man picks a bicycle after his house was destroyed during torrential rains in southwest Pakistan's Quetta on July 5, 2022. Ninety-seven people were killed and 101 others injured in separate rain-related accidents across Pakistan over the last three weeks, the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)

People affected by rain are seen with their belongings in southwest Pakistan's Quetta on July 5, 2022. Ninety-seven people were killed and 101 others injured in separate rain-related accidents across Pakistan over the last three weeks, the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua)
Dalton City Councilmember Tyree Goodlett was elected to represent northwest Georgia as a district president in the Georgia Municipal Association. Mr. Goodlett has been elected to serve as president of District 1 which includes Dalton and the surrounding counties as far south as Paulding County and as far east as Gilmer County and Fannin County. Goodlett served as the vice president for the district last year.

The district president serves as a liaison between the GMA and local municipal officials.

The president also attends GMA sponsored events and promotes engagement in those activities and programs with other cities in the district and advocates for the GMAs legislative priorities. The president also serves on the GMAs Board of Directors.

Its a tremendous honor, Mr. Goodlett said. It means a lot to me. Really, I just want to bring a voice from our area. Because when Im talking to other elected officials who are from outside of Atlanta, they feel like they are left behind. They feel like everything goes to the bigger metro areas like Atlanta and we never get our word in, so I just want to be a voice for them. Like I said when I was elected to the city council, I wanted to be a voice for the people and now Im trying to be a voice for the whole District 1 area.

This is not the first time Mr. Goodlett has been selected by his peers in the Georgia Municipal Association to represent northwest Georgia on a statewide basis. In addition to serving last year as a district vice president, he was previously selected as one of the GMAs 20 Under 40 in 2019. In that role, Mr. Goodlett served on a 20-person committee of city leaders under the age of 40 to help serve and engage young leaders.

The Georgia Municipal Association is a non-profit organization representing all of the states 538 cities. The organization provides services to city governments including mentorship and training classes for newly elected officials. Mr. Goodlett has taken advantage of those learning opportunities since being elected to the Dalton City Council in 2015. He was re-elected in 2019.
The Old Mike vs. New Mike episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Season 5 pulls back the curtain on Angelina Pivarnicks alleged affair with Joe Old Bridge Tarallo and involvement in leaking the infamous wedding speech. During the episode, the JSFV cast took to Twitter to air the dirty laundry because as Lauren Sorrentino said, The dirty laundry always comes out in the wash. Find out what Angelina says happened and get Mike The Situation Sorrentinos side of the story.

Mike The Situation Sorrentino, Angelina Pivarnick | MTV

Mike shares information from Old Bridge and Chris Larangeira on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

As Mike reveals in Old Mike vs. New Mike, Angelinas alleged side-piece reached out to him and claimed he had an affair with her for two years. Apparently, Old Bridge got a little salty that shes got a second piece in another country, Mike tells Lauren in the episode. While filming All Star Shore in Spain at the end of 2021, Angelina formed a friendship with Luis Potro Caballero, the second side piece.

What happened was the side piece in America became besties with the husband, Mike continues. They exchanged stories and they both contacted me the same day. Mike, who claims he has receipts from Old Bridge, also got a call from Chris regarding Angelinas involvement in leaking the roommates speech from their 2019 wedding. Mike recorded the call so he had proof because up until that point, Angelina denied leaking the audio.

She did leak the f***ing video of the f***ing speech, Chris tells Mike. She leaked it bro. I was there when she called the f***ing people. An anonymous source. She leaked it to play the victim. Oh my God. They f***in abused me at my own wedding! F*** you, b****.

Angelina Pivarnick clarifies her connection to Old Bridge

During the episode, Angelina also took to Twitter to say her piece about both situations. Its very true, she replied to a fan who guessed Chris has a lot of skeletons in his closet.

Theres things no one knows because he lies about it, Angelinas response continues. At this point I should tell everyone the truth cause he is telling lies about me. Its sick. And as far as Old Bridge I [havent] know him for two years. August will be two years [Ive known him].

In another tweet, Angelina claims Chris is living with his mommy now. Angelina also said: Its going to take time but the truth will prevail. Chris knows what the truth is (via Twitter).

Angelina claims her Jersey Shore roommates trusted Chris without speaking to her

In another reply tweet, Angelina said she was upset with the situation because her roommates didnt talk to her about it first. I was very upset they believed him without speaking to me, she said.

I was very upset they believed him without speaking to me. I must admit he is very good at making ppl think hes the good guy all the time. I lived with him. I dealt wirh alot more than anyone knows. He needs to stop #JSFamilyVacation https://t.co/xoIgTqUTOa  Angelina Marie (@angelinamtvjs) July 8, 2022

I must admit he is very good at making ppl think hes the good guy all the time, she added. I lived with him [and] dealt with a lot more than anyone knows. He needs to stop.

Mike allegedly spoke with Angelina about what Old Bridge and Chris said in Jersey Shore: Family Vacation episode

According to The Situation, he confronted Angelina with the information Old Bridge and Chris shared with him. I had already sat down with her the week before, he said on Twitter in response to a critical fan.

https://twitter.com/ItsTheSituation/status/1545217053660962818

Mike continues: Once I got this new info from multiple sources I felt played and lied to. When that happens I believe you are not being a good friend to me and it needs to be confronted.

This situation will continue to play out in next weeks episode Trip to El Paso. Mike encourages fans to pay close attention. I believe you will like the ending, he tweeted. Keep watching.

Watch Jersey Shore: Family Vacation on MTV every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

RELATED: Mike The Situation Sorrentinos Dog of 10 Years Moses Has Hemangiosarcoma
A successful capital increase significantly strengthens the innovation management and business development of 2PP 3D-printing specialist UpNano GmbH (Vienna, Austria). The fresh capital has been financed entirely by existing investors, amongst them IGO Industries, an international holding based in Austria. The investment will be used to further strengthen the continuous innovation process around the highly successful NanoOne 2PP 3D-printer range. This will include speeding up the already fastest 2PP 3D-printing process in the industry. Thus, making the technology even more interesting for serial production. Also, the fresh capital will boost the US expansion of the company.

Triple sales in 2021, current production up 50% and successful entry into the US market: the demand for the NanoOne 2PP 3D-printer range by UpNano is in full swing. The extremely compact desk top print system offers high-resolution 3D-printing across twelve orders of magnitude and within the fastest production times in the industry. Now a capital increase by existing investors will boost both, the development of further innovations  including those that will speed up manufacturing times even more  and the expansion into the US market.

Innovation by Continuity

In times of bumpy rides on the stock exchange and wild changes of ownerships in the highly competitive 2PP 3D-printing industry, comments Bernhard Kuenburg, CEO of UpNano, we are grateful for a profitable 2021 and the trust  and deep pockets  of our existing investors. They alone financed our recent capital increase. This ensures our steady and focused innovation process as well as our independence and our expansion plans. The existing investors include the internationally renowned IGO Industries Group, an industry holding based in Austria with more than 24.000 employees and several billion EUR turn-over.

The capital increase has been timed well as UpNano experiences a strong increase in sales numbers and hence optimizes its supply chain management. As part of this process, UpNano gains even more control over the delivery of parts, the assembly process and the quality control  and hence can guarantee customers a faultless product and speedy delivery.

This optimized process also allows to further intensify the companys drive for innovation and for this the fresh capital has been earmarked. Already our NanoOne range of printers offers the widest range of printable sizes and with 8 Mio. voxels per second the highest speed on the market. It also is capable of printing with living cells, explains Denise Hirner, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of UpNano, but that is just the start. Even faster manufacturing speeds will enable true series production and more innovations will address the needs of specific industries. To this end we will expand our R&D department and intensify our efforts. Two recent patent applications of the company concerning printing speed emphasize this commitment to ongoing optimization and innovation. Even more, UpNanos innovation engineers currently focus on a well-known complication of 2PP 3D-printing that compromises precision when producing large scale specimens, and their solution will hit the market soon.

Successful US Market Entry

The fresh capital investment will also give further drive to the US expansion that UpNano initiated in April when recruiting Erika Bechtold, formerly Director of Technology Commercialization at Harvards Office for Technology Development. A first unit has already been sold to an industry customer in the US and negotiations with academic partners there are well progressed. In the wake of this immediate success, the US activities will be intensified and further leads initiated. Also, ideas are forming for establishing facilities in the US for permanently demonstrating first-hand the unsurpassed capabilities and dimensions of the NanoOne range of printers. We know from experience, adds Denise Hirner, that people are flabbergasted when they realise what big technical advantages are contained within the small bench top-size of our NanoOne printer. Seeing is believing and this is what we will offer soon in the US, too.

All in all, the recent successes of UpNano and the continuous trust of the investors allows the company both, to further strengthen its position in the market and remaining innovation leader in 2PP 3D-laser printing industry.
The Berlin-based manufacturer of high-tech laboratory measuring instruments KNAUER Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH celebrated its sixtieth company anniversary with a big party on July 1, 2022 under the motto "Science with Passion". For this occasion, the company had invited about 100 guests from science, politics, and business to celebrate together the long-standing business success. Maren Schellenberg, district mayor for Steglitz/Zehlendorf (Green party) was also present.

After an introductory welcome by Managing Director Alexandra Knauer, Tino Schopf (SPD), State Secretary for Energy and Operations at the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Operations, paid tribute to the company's 60th anniversary: "For decades, KNAUER has been an integral and important part of Berlin as a location for business and innovation. When equipment for encapsulating mRNA was urgently needed in the course of vaccine production against the Corona virus, KNAUER developed and manufactured it in record time together with a pharmaceutical company. An impressive achievement with which the company has made a major contribution in the fight against the pandemic. I am very pleased to join in celebrating the 60th anniversary of this outstanding Berlin-based family business. For the future, I wish continued success to the company and its 170 employees and look forward to the coming innovative developments and KNAUER products from Berlin for the world."

KNAUER is best known for its liquid chromatography (LC) systems and components. LC is one of the most versatile and gentle separation methods for molecules. Many laboratories around the world use it for analytical purposes for sensitive determination of, among other things, trace components in food or pollutants in environmental samples. At least as important is its use for the purification of, for example, active pharmaceutical ingredients, natural products and other valuable substances. KNAUER has been in the market with liquid chromatography instruments since 1973 and has built up considerable expertise. It has been the company's mainstay for over forty years.

More recently, the company has gained notoriety for manufacturing the production equipment that successfully encapsulated lipid nanoparticles for Corona mRNA vaccines on a large scale. KNAUER has received several innovation awards for this technical innovation, most recently the German Innovation Award presented by WirtschaftsWoche business magazine at the end of April 2022. The presentations by KNAUER and a guest speaker from BioNtech were also dedicated to this current topic.

Under the somewhat provocative headline "Sustainability is not a trend", the Head of the Quality and Laboratory Department Dr. Kate Monks presented in an entertaining manner how significant the topic is for the family business.

The next item on the program of the festive event was eagerly awaited. The winner of the "Herbert Knauer Science Award 2022" was to be announced. In her introductory speech, Roswitha Knauer, who founded the company in 1962 with her husband Dr. Herbert Knauer, noted that innovation has always been at the heart of their company's success. Therefore, she said, KNAUER awards the prize to promote innovative solutions in the field of liquid chromatography. In addition to a trophy, the winning entry will receive a voucher for scientific equipment from KNAUER worth twenty thousand euros.

An expert jury headed by "chromatography pope" and technical book author Dr. Stavros Kromidas, who also presented an introductory keynote speech on liquid chromatography, had selected a winner from among the submissions. The choice fell on Markus Matz, a 28-year-old doctoral candidate working at the Institute of Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). His award-winning project deals with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a detection method for liquid chromatography, which reveals highly detailed information about the separated molecules. His innovation significantly improves the resolution of the benchtop NMR instrument used and is a step in the direction of making NMR detection more tangible for standard laboratories.
This June 25, 2019, photo, shows a sign outside a Walgreens Pharmacy in Pittsburgh. The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday, July 6, 2022, that pharmacies could now prescribe Pfizer's Paxlovid pill directly to COVID-19 patients.
Arch Canyon within Bears Ears National Monument is seen on May 8, 2017, in Utah. Federal officials and tribal nations signed a document on Saturday, June 18, 2022, that formally reestablishes a commission to jointly govern the Bears Ears National Monument that was restored to full size last year by the Biden administration.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Americans relied on certain rituals of mourning to manage the shock of what had occurred. Sixty years later, after planes slammed into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, they turned to those rituals once more.

Desperate to make sense of the tragedy, Americans consumed all manner of media coverage. Within hours of the attack, political leaders reassured the public that the nation would remain strong, and then identified military action as the primary mechanism of retribution. And Americans went to church because, as Melissa Matthes explains in When Sorrow Comes: The Power of Sermons from Pearl Harbor to Black Lives Matter, gathering in grief at a worship space after violence seems to be a quintessentially American practice.

Americans find comfort in familiarity during tragedies, so it is not surprising that Matthes, a professor of government at the United States Coast Guard Academy, discovered patterns of consolation in the thousands of sermons she read in preparation for her book. But Matthess work is not solely about the words of comfort spoken during crisis points. Her book stands out because she explains how Protestant ministers adapted their rhetorical strategies to respond to significant challenges that they faced as the religious and political landscape shifted after World War II.

Disparities in how ministers reacted to Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are particularly instructive. Following the Japanese attack in Hawaii, Protestant clergy called for introspection, specifically asking congregants to consider how they had helped create a world where such violence was possible. Careful to maintain their moral voice, Matthes argues, most Protestant ministers refused to frame American military action as an expression of sacred history even though they supported a proportional response. Sixty years later, sermons deviated from this prophetic course as ministers invoked a triumphalist civil religion that championed American goodness and the redemptive power of military action.

The differences between the sermon rhetoric of 1941 and 2001 are emblematic of broader changes within Protestantism that took place between then and now. Throughout the 80 years that she covers in her book, Matthes characterizes ministers, especially white Protestants, as being so concerned with the churchs waning civic presence that they repeatedly reflected and reinforced the nations power dynamics from their pulpits. Though clergy expected a closer affiliation with the state to restore the churchs public prowess, Matthes argues that this tack ultimately led to ministers losing their prophetic voice and thus the ability to provide the nation with moral direction.

From penitent reflection to celebratory civil religion

Central to Matthess interpretation of postWorld War II America is the argument that the churchs cultural stature in time of crisis determined the tone and tenor of messages adopted by ministers. When Protestant churches maintained significant influence at midcentury, clergy believed they had a right and a responsibility to shape public affairs. Flush with confidence, ministers crafted sermons that challenged congregants to restore Christian values. Moreover, because they were convinced that the churchs public presence mattered, clergy saw no need to collapse the United States and Christianity, as Matthes puts it.

But as Protestantisms stature declined, ministers shaken by dwindling church attendance and the advance of secularism began to doubt whether their interventions could help redeem the culture. To reestablish influence, Matthes effectively argues, Protestantism forfeited its prophetic power, seeking instead to ingratiate itself to the state, to use the mechanisms and processes of the state to augment its own power and authority.

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In a book filled with noteworthy contrasts, perhaps the most interesting one is Matthess description of Protestant responses to the tragic actions of two notorious murderers, Lee Harvey Oswald and Timothy McVeigh. In the immediate aftermath of John F. Kennedys assassination, clergy directed their congregants to incorporate soul-searching into their mourning. In particular, preachers asked their fellow Christians to consider that Oswald, a quintessentially American man who entered adulthood while he was a US Marine, derived his hatred and violence from an immoral society that they were at least partially responsible for creating.

Opinions on the reasons for this destructive cultural decline varied, with conservative Protestants typically blaming the removal of God from the public square and liberals charging the church with abdicating its public duties. Even so, the Protestants of this era agreed that the nation would continue to devolve into base behavior unless Christians revived a robust public spirituality.

Three decades later, after Timothy McVeigh was arrested for bombing the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Protestant ministers were no longer able to lead the country into introspection, Matthes argues. Although McVeigh resembled Oswald in that he was a veteran who had grown up in Americas heartland, there was little public desire to consider how American culture had contributed to violent extremism as it existed in 1995. Church leaders were among those quick to characterize McVeighs actions as antithetical to the American way, choosing instead to highlight the national goodness embodied by the rescue crews and doctors who cared for victims. For Matthes, the churchs eschewing of penitent reflection in favor of a celebratory civil religion indicates that Protestants had grown comfortable merging their perspectives with broader national interests.

Even as she charts changes in the disposition of Protestant leaders toward political power during the late 20th century, Matthes characterizes the eras racial dynamics as expressions of tragic continuity, with communities of color consistently treated as the other. Crises revealed the absence of status among communities of color, as those who felt the pain of government internment (Japanese Americans), the agony of violent death (the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.), or the anguish of abuse (the police beating of Rodney King) rarely witnessed other Americans treat their losses as national tragedies. This segregation of sorrow perpetuated divisions in American life because it kept many white ministers from understanding that the angry responses to systemic racism practiced by those in oppressed communities were outcries for social reform.

It is difficult to read Matthess book and not see race as the biggest barrier to a truly inclusive American civil religion. At times in postWorld War II America, the obstacles to racial justice included white Christians who intentionally and aggressively treated communities of color as them rather than us. Such was the case when certain Southern Baptist pastors opposed President Lyndon Johnson ordering flags to be flown at half-mast to honor King after his murder. On other occasions, the message that Black grief should remain parochial was less straightforward, though no less harmful. For Matthes, the speed with which many white Americans declared that race was not a factor in the deaths of unarmed Black victims like Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown indicates the continued relegation of Black grief.

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Independent and thoughtful pulpits

Though she frequently addresses hot-button issues that foster controversy, Matthes approaches these subjects with the confidence of someone who gave focused attention to a wide array of sources. Consequently, there is much to like about her thoughtful account of the intersections between mourning and politics.

Still, the topic is not without its challenges. Chief among them is the difficulty that all scholars have in classifying the beliefs and practices of large religious communities in a way that identifies common characteristics without ignoring noteworthy variations. While Matthes is largely successful in navigating the landscape of American Protestantism, some readers will wish that she had given more attention to denominational and ideological distinctives. Certainly, her analysis would benefit from a more thorough examination of Baptists, Mennonites, and other groups that viewed close associations with the state as antithetical to the churchs mission.

Similarly, though Matthess depictions of white Christians failing to empathize with African Americans are important reminders of the churchs social failures, the stories of leaders like historian and Lutheran minister Martin Marty, who marched at Selma and regularly championed civil rights, point to the existence of white Protestants who viewed Black grief as an American issue. Perhaps these and other similar examples would serve as exceptions that prove the rule, but their inclusion would undoubtedly provide readers with a clearer sense of the diversity that exists within American Protestantism.

Notwithstanding these occasional oversights, When Sorrow Comes is a compelling account of how the churchs public presence evolved in contemporary America. Lamenting the way she sees Protestants relinquishing their prophetic calling, Matthes concludes by arguing that democracies need independent and thoughtful pulpits. This is a fitting end to a narrative that serves as a reminder of both the social and ecclesiastical consequences that follow the churchs steadfast pursuit of public status.

Keith Bates is professor of history at Union University. He is the author of Mainstreaming Fundamentalism: John R. Rice and Fundamentalisms Public Reemergence.
Chinese FM expounds on major concerns about situation in Ukraine

Xinhua) 08:17, July 08, 2022

Photo taken on June 1, 2022 shows damaged buildings and vehicles in Kharkov, Ukraine. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua)

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China rejects any attempt to equate the Ukraine crisis with the Taiwan question, noting that China will firmly defend its core interests.

BALI, Indonesia, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday exchanged views with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the Ukraine issue during his attendance at the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Indonesia's tourist island of Bali.

Wang expounded on China's three concerns about the current situation in Ukraine.

First, Wang said, China opposes the act of taking the opportunity to incite Cold War thinking, hyping up bloc confrontation, and creating a "new Cold War."

He said that in the face of complex and severe challenges, the world values unity rather than division, and what is needed is dialogue rather than confrontation.

Wang stressed that China will continue to unswervingly stand on the right side of history and on the side of promoting peace talks.

Second, China opposes the practice of double standards that undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Some countries emphasize the principle of sovereignty on the Ukraine issue, but keep challenging China's sovereignty and the one-China principle on the Taiwan question, and even deliberately create tensions in the Taiwan Strait, which is obviously a blatant double standard, he added.

Wang said China rejects any attempt to equate the Ukraine crisis with the Taiwan question, noting that China will firmly defend its core interests.

Third, he said China opposes any act to undermine other countries' legitimate right to development.

Some countries have used the Ukraine crisis as an excuse to abuse unilateral sanctions on China and other countries, which is neither justified nor legal, Wang said, adding that such actions undermine normal state-to-state exchanges, violate the prevailing rules of international trade, and lead to further complication and escalation of the Ukraine crisis.

Wang said all parties should jointly resist those actions and strive to build an open, fair and non-discriminatory international cooperation environment.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Liang Jun)
VIENTIANE, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has affected essential health services and, even though the virus outbreak in Laos has subsided, some healthcare services are not able to recover to pre-pandemic levels, according to Lao Minister of Health Bounfeng Phoummalaysith.

This was the assessment of the situation as reported at the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) annual meeting to assess work undertaken in 2021 and the first half of 2022.

According to the local daily Vientiane Times on Friday, the two-day meeting took place in the Lao capital Vientiane from Thursday to Friday, chaired by Bounfeng Phoummalaysith.

Hospital directors from across the country, representatives of provincial health departments, other officials and development partners attended the meeting.

Participants heard a report on progress so far and the next steps planned under the RMNCAH strategy for 2021-2025, especially with regard to the quality of healthcare, efficiency and sustainability of services, and equality in access to treatment.

Bounfeng said the ministry, partners and other sectors had joined forces to curb the COVID-19 spread and the situation was now under control.

But many essential health services were suspended during the initial outbreak of the virus and some services were still not functioning normally.

"The RMNCAH is involved in accomplishing seven of the 11 health indicators endorsed by the National Assembly, meaning that its goals are a priority for every health sector," the minister said.

On the first day of the meeting, health officials reported on progress made to date and the sub-committees of the seven secretariats gave updates and summaries as well as outlining plans for the future.

The RMNCAH project aims to improve the health and nutrition status of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children aged 0 to 24 months, through access to and use of quality health services and improved community behaviors and practices. 
Chick-fil-A named America's most popular restaurant for 8th straight year Christian-owned chicken chain keeps 'stranglehold on the fast food industry', study finds

When it comes to Chick-fil-A, setting the industry standard is fast becoming a time-honored tradition.

For the eighth consecutive year, Chick-fil-A has been named Americas favorite restaurant, fast food or otherwise, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Restaurant Study 2021-2022.

The study  which described Chick-fil-As perpetually high ranking as a stranglehold on the fast-food industry"  measured customer satisfaction among more than 20,000 randomly selected customers between April 2021 and March 2022.

On a scale of 0 to 100, Chick-fil-A led all restaurants with an unchanged ACSI score of 83.

By comparison, McDonalds dropped 3% and held onto its last-place ranking with a score of 68.

Several other smaller fast-food restaurants tied Jimmy Johns for second place with a 79, followed by Dominos (down 3%) and KFC (down 1%) at 78 apiece.

Chipotle, Panera Bread (down 1%), Pizza Hut and Starbucks scored a 77, while Arbys, Five Guys and Papa Johns dipped to 76.

Meeting somewhere in the middle of the pack were Burger King, Little Caesars and Panda Express at 75; Dairy Queen, Dunkin and Sonic at 74, and Wendys close behind at 73.

The worst four-performing restaurants were Jack in the Box and Taco Bell at 72, while Popeyes tumbled 3% to 71, leaving only McDonalds at the bottom of the list.

In addition to fast food, Chick-fil-A also beat out the highest-ranked sit-down restaurants: Longhorn Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, Cracker Barrel and TGI Fridays.

Following the pandemic, most restaurants were forced to rely more on touchless technology to stay in business, including improving their mobile app quality, which not all were able to do, according to Forrest Morgeson, Director of Research Emeritus at ACSI.

With fewer resources, smaller chains and independent restaurants are offering apps that arent making the grade per customers, said Morgeson. In contrast, positive shifts in both mobile app quality and reliability for several larger chains appear to reflect major app updates for these bigger industry players.

Owned by a devout Baptist family and with a policy of being closed on Sundays, Chick-fil-A has garnered controversy for its leaderships religious opposition to same-sex marriage and ties to conservative Christian groups.

There have been several instances of local governments or college campuses opting to ban the chicken sandwich chain over their conservative views.

Chick-fil-A has itself often been criticized after its president, Dan Cathy, voiced his opposition to gay marriage in 2012.

The company also had to publicly declare in 2019 that it remains committed to Christian values" after the fast-food chains charity arm decided to no longer donate to three organizations criticized for upholding traditional Christian beliefs on sexuality.

Trudy Cathy White, the daughter of Chick-fil-A's founder S. Truett Cathy and his wife, Jeannette, previously told The Christian Post that the family sees themselves as in the "people business," not just the "chicken business."

"We do appreciate the fact that we feel like God is blessing our business," she told CP. "I don't know that there's really a secret to it. My dad built this business based on biblical principles. He felt like his business decisions kind of go hand in hand with biblical principles. That's no secret. There's a lot of things that we are taught in God's Word and we've been able to put it into practice in our business."

"Above everything, I think at Chick-fil-A we've gotten real clarity of our purpose of why we're in business," she added. "That's been really important to us. Back in the early '80s, we recognized the fact that we didn't have a real clear direction as to why we were in business. But we know today that we're in business to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that's been trusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A. We love selling chicken but we're really more in the people business."
Christian man sentenced to death in Pakistan after rival accused him of 'blasphemy'

A Pakistani Christian man has been sentenced to death by hanging after being accused of blasphemy in 2017.

Ashfaq Masih, 34, was sentenced Monday by the Pakistani Session Court, according to the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), an interdenominational organization working on behalf of persecuted Christians in Pakistan.

According to documents cited by CLAAS, Masih said he is innocent of what he called "quite baseless, false and frivolous" charges.

Masih, who owns a bike mechanic shop in Lahore, was quoted as saying the charges stem from an incident in June 2017 when a customer refused to pay him for a job.

In a not-guilty plea obtained by Chruch in Chains, Masih said the man "refused to give me money and said, 'I am a follower of Peer Fakhir [a Muslim ascetic] and don't ask for money from me.' I told him that I am a believer in Jesus Christ and I don't believe in Peer Fakhir and please give me my labour."

That man went and told Masih's rival bike shop owner, who accused Masih of blasphemy and filed a police report.

"Muhammad Naveed who is also a motorcycle mechanic and had started a shop in front of me and was jealous because my business was doing well and had a good reputation in the area," Masih said in the statement. "We had already fought a few days before the incident. And he had threatened me with dire consequences."

Under Section 295-C of Pakistan's penal code, defiling the name of Islam's prophet Muhammad carries a mandatory death penalty.

Masih denied he had broken any laws.

"I neither uttered any derogatory word against Prophet Muhammad nor can think about it. I respect Prophet Muhammad by heart and soul," he was quoted as saying.

Ashfaq's older brother, Mehmood, told CLAAS there was no proceeding on Monday but that a session judge just handed him a copy of the judgment.

"The sudden judgment stunned me and I didn't know what to do," Mehmood said in a statement shared through CLAAS.

"I hardly gathered myself and came out of the courtroom and started crying as it was the end of the world for me. I rushed home and informed my family. My wife and children also started crying. As the news spread my relatives started visiting to console us, but it was not easy for me as Ashfaq is my only brother and I love him very much. I can do anything for him."

Following the sentencing, the judge told Masih that he could appeal his conviction. He was sent back to jail in Lahore, according to CLAAS.

CLAAS Director Nasir Saeed said it is the second instance within 30 days where a Christian has been sentenced to death. The court upheld the death penalty of two Christian brothers, Amoon and Qaiser Ayub, on June 11.

The two brothers were charged with posting blasphemous content on a blog that they say they never created. They were accused of blasphemy after Ayub got into an argument with his friends at work in 2011.

Saeed said in Masih's case, while the judgment was unfortunate, it was not entirely unexpected.

"I don't remember any case where the lower court decided to grant bail or freed anyone accused of the blasphemy law," he said in a statement. "The judges [are] aware that such cases are made to punish and settle personal grudges with the opponents, especially against the Christians."

Several international groups have voiced their concern over the ongoing misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, which Saeed said leads him to believe "the British government and other participants will take this matter seriously and express their concern to the Pakistani government."

Pakistan's blasphemy laws have drawn global scrutiny in recent years. The case of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five who was sentenced to death and served over 10 years in prison before Pakistan's Supreme Court acquitted her in 2018, drew international attention.

A report from the International Institute for Religious Freedom found that "1,865 people have been charged under the blasphemy laws [from 1987 to August 2021], with a significant spike in 2020, when 200 cases were registered."

"Punjab, the province where most Christians of Pakistan live, is leading with 76% cases and 337 people in prison for blasphemy. The largest number of inmates is in the Lahore District Jail (60)," the report reads. "Also, at least 128 people have been killed by mobs, outside any judiciary process, after being signalled as having committed blasphemy or apostasy, without any chance to have access to an investigation, and nobody has been arrested for their murder."

Open Doors USA ranks Pakistan, a Muslim majority country, as the eighth-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution. The U.S. State Department has named Pakistan on its list of "countries of particular concern" that tolerate or engage in egregious violations of religious freedom.
Pastor convicted of raping grandchildren awarded $2M after prison beating

Roy Harriger, a 79-year-old New York pastor convicted of raping two of his grandchildren and allegedly sexually abusing his oldest son and his sister, can now collect $2 million from the state for beatings he received at Attica Correctional Facility.

Harriger was convicted of two out of three counts of course of sexual conduct against his grandchildren and sentenced in 2015 to 15 years in state prison.

Sexual conduct against a child in the first degree, according to New York State law, is defined as when an adult perpetrator 18 years or older "engages in two or more acts of sexual conduct which includes at least one act of sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse or aggravated sexual contact, with a child less than thirteen (13) years old" "over a period of time not less than three months in duration."

Harriger was sent to Attica and was there briefly when the assaults occured, Livingston County News reported.

The disgraced pastor, who reportedly carried out the acts of abuse on his grandchildren in 2000 and 2001 when he led Ashwood Wesleyan Church in Lyndonville, sued the State of New York and won in 2019.

On Nov. 24, 2020, he was awarded $1.75 million for past pain and suffering and $250,000 for future pain and suffering in court.

The state challenged the award. But on Friday, the state Appellate Division, Fourth Department of the New York Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the judgment, according to Livingston County News.

Court documents show that Harriger testified that corrections officers at Attica made it clear to him that they knew the nature of his conviction during the 16-day period before the assault.

In April 2015, the Orleans Hub reported that Orleans County Court Judge James Punch called Harriger "a wolf in shepherd's clothing."

During his trial in January of that year, three of Harriger's grandchildren testified that he sexually abused them. The then 71-year-old pastor denied the allegations.

"I did nothing of this sort," said Harriger.

Many members of Harriger's congregation from Community Fellowship Church in Hartland, where he served at the time of his trial, supported him. However, Judge Punch said a jury of the pastor's peers decided unanimously that he had molested two of his grandchildren after listening to testimony and reviewing the evidence against him.

"I have no quarrel with the verdict of the jury," Punch said in 2015. "Twelve people in a jury of your peers unanimously found you guilty of very disturbing and depraved acts to very young victims who were your grandchildren."

Harriger allegedly used his position as pastor and leader in his family to silence his victims.

"The bullying, the use of charisma, the power of your personality were all brought forward to victimize these children and keep them quiet," Punch said. "One could say you were a wolf in sheep's clothing, but you are a wolf in shepherd's clothing and that's much worse."

After the sentencing, Harriger's oldest son, George, and his sister, Nona Blackchief, told reporters that they, too, had been abused by the pastor.

"Justice was definitely served, but I feel he got a light sentencing," George Harriger said. "But he is finally behind bars.

"I wish he would have admitted it, and said he was sorry," he explained. "My kids deserve it, my nieces and nephews deserve it, my aunt and everybody deserves an apology. He needs to own up to it."

Blackchief said she was abused by her brother when she was a girl. She noted that "this has been going on for over 60 years."

Harriger stated in court documents that correctional officers made him believe they wanted him to commit suicide. He said he was deprived of food for 72 hours and faced threatening notes with a razor and sheet to take his life.

In the time leading up to the assault, which occurred on May 15, 2013, Harriger said he rarely left his cell and never took showers. He went to eat with the other inmates only once and only left his cell for visits and recreation, never going to the showers or meals in the time leading up to the assault.

He said that around 10:30 a.m. on the day of the assault, a correctional officer announced the prison was in lockdown during an orientation class. Harriger, who walks with a cane, was called to leave the room and offered protective custody.

As he was being escorted, the disgraced pastor said an officer slammed his head against a wall and told him to hold the position for 15 minutes. Harriger said on his way back to his cell, he was hit twice in the back of the neck, which caused him to fall and lose consciousness. The beatings allegedly left the pastor confined to a wheelchair and left him with right-side paralysis, facial drooping and speech problems.
Pa. ministries cited for violating city's definition of 'church' with outreaches to the poor

In the suburbs of Philadelphia with a rising affordable housing crisis, two church-affiliated ministries have been warned that they could incur penalties for breaking the community's zoning code's definition of a "church" by running charitable outreaches to feed and help the poor.

Officials in Pottstown Borough in Montgomery County have issued citations to High Street-based ministries Mission First, an outreach program affiliated with Cedarville United Methodist Church, and Christ Episcopal Church, The Mercury reported Monday.

Both organizations have until Sunday to appeal the citation to the city zoning hearing board.

Both ministries were issued warnings in letters noting concerns about ongoing activities at their locations that were beyond the scope of what those buildings have been approved for.

One letter shared by WHYY News takes issue with a mental health service providing free counseling and help for families, which the town would consider to be a "social service provider." The letter also took issue with a program handing out canned food, toiletries and phone chargers to those in need and another program providing free buffet-style meals for the public.

"It is the opinion of this office that the use of the property has changed and, by definition, is more than that of a church," the letter concludes.

Both churches have been cited as having not submitted applications for a zoning variance to be approved or denied by the Pottstown Borough Zoning Hearing Board. If approved, the two can provide services to those in need.

The Pottstown Borough Zoning Hearing Board defines a church as "a building wherein persons assemble regularly for religious worship and that is used only for such purposes and for those accessory activities as are customarily associated therewith."

"It's a sad state of affairs," Clare Schilling, the director of Mission First, told WHYY News. "Everything we do is what a church should be doing.  We're feeding the needy.  We're helping the community."

The Rev. Dennis Coleman, the deacon of Christ Church, told Episcopal News Service the church doesn't plan to halt its programs or apply for a variance and will work with its attorneys to determine the appropriate course of action.

Pennsylvania Episcopal Bishop Daniel Gutierrez said in a statement shared by the Episcopal News Service that "This is the very definition of our faith  to embody Jesus and serve all people, especially the poor."

Mission First Church has offered a community closet, a 24/7 pantry, a weekly free meal for those in need, and a charging station, an outside bench with a phone charger plugged in, according to WHYY News.

Schilling claims the food pantry and refrigerator were previously approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Department of Health.

Schilling stated that roughly 80 to 120 people receive the free meal services weekly, and the fridge serves about 100 people daily.

"There's many people that come to us and say, 'We don't know what we would do without you here,'" Schilling was quoted as saying.

Schilling said Mission First will not submit an application for a variance and is weighing the possibility of taking the city to court.

"We're not going to back down. We're not going to stop doing what we do because that's just what the Church does. That's what we do. We help people," she said, believing the borough would not approve of a zoning appeal.

"If we do it for this, then we would have to do it for every other little ministry.  You shouldn't have to do that. ... What if we were having a new Bible class? Do we have to go to get approval for that?"

Although other houses of worship offer similar services and didn't receive citations, Schilling believes her ministry was cited because it's on High Street, and the city wants to keep the homeless population away.

"They don't want them to be seen.  It is very disheartening that I live in a town that does that to the needy," she said.

Al's Heartwarming Center, the only single adult shelter in the Pottstown area, was denied a yearlong extension in the fall of 2021. As a result, the singles shelter had no other option but to shut down on May 1.

On June 30 in Norristown, the Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center, Montgomery County's only 24/7 emergency housing service, which served about 50 single adults, shut its doors.

There has been a 118% increase in homelessness across Montgomery County from 2021 to 2022, according to the county's 2022 Point-in-Time Count.

The county says at least 568 people spent nights sleeping at one of the county's emergency shelters, which includes public-funded hotel rooms and transitional housing projects, or outside.
Over 80% of public schools say COVID negatively impacted student behavior, study finds

A new study suggests that an overwhelming majority of public schools report increases in negative student behavior, with many linking a rise in absenteeism and other serious behavioral issues to the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning arrangements.

The National Center for Education Statistics, an arm of the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, released the study's findings Wednesday as part of its School Pulse Panel, providing data on the pandemic's impact on K-12 schools. Data was collected from 846 participating schools between May 10 and May 24.

Eighty-seven percent of the public schools reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted students' socio-emotional development for the 2021-2022 school year, and 83% of public schools agree that students' behavioral development has been negatively impacted.

Over half (56%) of schools reported increased student misconduct in the classroom, and 49% reported a rise in rowdiness outside the classroom.

In addition, 48% of schools reported an increase in acts of disrespect towards teachers and staff and a 42% rise in the use of prohibited electronic devices in class. The survey respondents attributed this growth in misbehavior to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rise in student absenteeism is another issue schools consider to be an aftereffect of the pandemic. The increase in absences does not appear to be unique among low-income or urban schools, which reported a 75% increase. Schools with lower student poverty rates and rural schools reported a 73% and 71% increase in chronic absenteeism, respectively.

"[W]hen we see 72 percent of our public schools report an increase in chronic absenteeism among our students, it poses an opportunity for education leaders to act quickly using tested approaches that work," NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr said in a statement. "It is our responsibility at NCES to disseminate data describing the severity of the situation."

Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center think tank housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, wrote in a Friday statement to The Christian Post that the survey "should be just one more wake-up call."

"We need to be investing in our schools and our children. They need us," he continued.

"The NCES survey paints a remarkably coherent picture, beginning with increased student and teacher absences, followed by remarkable difficulty in finding qualified substitute teachers, then students experiencing socio-emotional difficulties, then increased behavioral problems, and finally a request by school leaders for help such as support for students' socioemotional development and for student and staff mental health, as well as the hiring of more teachers and staff."

Tony Kinnett, executive director of The Chalkboard Review, believes the solution to student behavioral problems is "twofold." He proposed that students "need a reason to be in school," and there needs to be a return of subjects like art and trade into the classrooms.

"But I would say more important than that is that parents and teachers need to be held accountable, which means if your kid is violent, suspension needs to be on the table," the education journalist said in an interview with CP. "You know, people say, 'Well, what if that's not best for that student?'"

"I understand that, and I'm not saying it's the golden goose solution here, but what I am suggesting is there are 29 other students in that classroom who are negatively affected, who are unable to learn as effectively by a student who has been disruptive, being allowed to return and continue to disrupt the classroom environment, not to mention the students feel unsafe."

Lindsey M. Burke, director of the Center for Education Policy at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, sees a correlation between the COVID-related school closures and the reported increase in student absences and misbehaviors.

"Children need interaction with their teachers, peers, and friends, and much of that was foreclosed to them because of unnecessarily prolonged school shutdowns," Burke wrote in a Friday statement to The Christian Post. "We're likely to see the negative ramifications of these misguided policies impacting an entire generation of students."

According to an April study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than four in 10 teenagers felt "sad or hopeless" during the pandemic lockdowns, and one in five contemplated taking their own lives.

The study noted that virtual learning was a poor substitute for in-person social contact, adding that overall, more than 37% of students experienced poor mental health.

Around 52% of students who stopped feeling close to their friends during the school closures reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, compared to 35.4% who continued feeling close to their school friends despite school being closed.
South African Satanic Church co-founder steps down after experiencing the love of Christ

Riaan Swiegelaar, now a former "pastor" at the South African Satanic Church, took to social media this past weekend to share that the overwhelming love of Jesus recently inspired him to step away from Satanism.

"I'm doing this live video because many, more than 100 people on WhatsApp and almost 200 on Facebook, are sending me messages wanting to know why did I leave the South African Satanic Church as well as why did I turn my back on Satanism," Swiegelaar shared in a video he uploaded to Facebook on July 4.

The video now has almost 200,000 views.

"To be very honest, I initially thought I will slip out the back door quietly and I didn't really think that people would be this interested in why I am doing what I'm doing. I'm going to talk from my experience. I'm going to talk about my choices."

Swiegelaar penned a long letter that he thought to post, but he opted to speak from the heart instead.

"I actually feel it's time more people just start talking, speaking their truth. So I'm certainly encouraging people to do that as well by doing this video," he said.

Swiegelaar, a professing homosexual who hinted that he was once involved in Christian ministry over 20 years ago, shared that he was drawn to Satanism four years ago amid great brokenness.

At the time, he was an atheist, and the commonality of despair from those in Satanism is what drew him to that community.

"I got involved with Satanism because, at the time, it resonated with me, being very broken and sad without realizing it. I think the reason a lot of people resonate with Satanism is they come from a very broken place," he said. "I have met thousands of Satanists over the last three years, and I'm not saying the intentions are bad. They are extremely broken and extremely hurt. ... That's the one thing we all have in common."

While overwhelmed with emotion, Swiegelaar said he began to have a few experiences with Christians who, without judgment, showed him unconditional love.

"I've never known unconditional love in my whole life and up to today, there's only four Christians in my whole life that have shown me what unconditional love is. I want to thank those four people. Words cannot express what you have done for me," Swiegelaar continued as he named a few of those people.

"To show someone love is everything. It is not a simple thing. You have showed me everything. You have showed me the love of Christ. I have seen it in you," he added.

The former satanist revealed that even when he was a "monster" and an "ugly person," these people still showed him love. He described one of the instances that took place in May.

Swiegelaar was featured on the CapeTalk radio station to give an interview on behalf of the South African Satanic Church. During the interview, he boldly said, "'I don't believe in Jesus and I don't believe Jesus Christ exists.'"

Following the interview, the interviewer from the station approached him.

"She came to me after the interview, after I said that, and she hugged me, and she held me in a way that I've never been loved," Swiegelaar gushed. "That's all she did. She just said it was nice to meet me in person."

"A week later, on WhatsApp, through her status, I saw this woman is a Christian. I've never had a Christian do that," he described. "I've never experienced a Christian show that much love and acceptance unconditionally ... after I said the things I said, she did that. That stayed with me."

The turning point for Swiegelaar came when he had a divine encounter with who he believed to be Jesus during one of his Satanic rituals.

"I did this ritual, and I opened myself up, and Jesus appeared. And I was extremely cocky, and I said, 'If you are Jesus, you need to prove it.' And He flooded me with the most beautiful love and energy. And I recognized it immediately because that woman at the radio station showed it to me. That's how I recognized the love of Christ," he testified.

Because of his lifestyle choices, Swiegelaar shared that he did not believe he was worthy of God's love. Since his encounter, however, he has had "real conversations with God," and said he discovered that "the Kingdom of God is not a gated community, it is open to everybody."

While he is still learning of his newfound faith, Swiegelaar concluded his video by assuring everyone that he will continue to share his journey with Christ.

The Satanic Church of South released a statement following Swiegelaar's resignation and thanked him for his service to the church.

"We, as the SASC Council, want to thank Swiegalaar for his contribution, both as the pastor and the co-founder of the SA Satanic Church. We wish him success in all his future endeavors."
Robert Jeffress rejects Christian nationalist label, says America founded as Christian nation

Megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress told his congregation Sunday that he is not a "Christian nationalist" but insisted that the United States was founded as a "Christian nation."

The senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas suggested that a perversion of the U.S. Constitution by progressives, atheists and others over the years has led to the creation of a secular nation now defined by a culture that is both tragic and decadent.

"When you see these mass shootings in Uvalde, when you see these mass shootings in Buffalo and other places, what's going on here? That's just the tip of the iceberg," Jeffress, who leads the 12,000-member Texas congregation, told churchgoers in a sermon lamenting the secularization of society.

"Today, over 10 million teenagers in the U.S. drink alcohol regularly; 20 percent engage in binge drinking; 2,800 children die each year as a result of gun violence; another 14,300 are injured. Nearly 1 million babies were murdered in the womb last year, and one in four women in the U.S. will have aborted at least one of their children by age 45. On and on and on it goes. Are these tragedies just a coincidence?" he asked.

"Now, just consider the warning that God gave to His own people Israel. In Hosea 46, He said, 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being My priest.' Listen to this: 'Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children,'" Jeffress said.

At the start of his message, Jeffress said that anyone listening to "left-wing" organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union or the Freedom From Religion Foundation "will come to believe that America was founded by men with a wide diversity of religious beliefs."

"Their goal was to build an unscalable wall around this country that would protect this country from any religious influence seeping into public life. That version of American history belongs in the same category as the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. It is a complete myth," he stressed.

The pastor compiled arguments for America's Christian founding to demonstrate how the country has detoured from the original intent of the Founding Fathers and the consequences.

"I often get accused of being a Christian nationalist," Jeffress told his congregants. "I'm having reporters ask me all the time: 'This is a new phrase, Christian nationalism, are you a Christian nationalist? Do you believe America is exceptional to any other nation and is God's preferred nation?' And I answer with a resounding, 'No, not in any sense.' If you know anything about the God of the Bible, you know God is no respecter of people or nations."

Jeffress said that America has been "uniquely blessed" by God, but warned that if God's will is rejected, the nation will suffer the consequences.

"He's given us so much. You can see His hand in the founding of our country. But in the final analysis, God is no respecter of people or nations. Any nation that reverences God will be blessed by God, and any nation, including the United States, that rejects God will be rejected by God," he said.

For years, particularly since the election of former President Donald Trump in 2016, left-leaning media outlets and progressive Christians have raised concerns about what they claim to be Christian nationalist beliefs.

Joseph Williams, assistant professor of American religious history at Rutgers University, said: "Christian nationalists insist that the United States was established as an explicitly Christian nation, and they believe that this close relationship between Christianity and the state needs to be protected  and in many respects restored  in order for the U.S. to fulfill its God-given destiny."

In 2019, a campaign launched by the Baptist Joint Committee, a progressive faith-based group of attorneys, Capitol Hill insiders, ministers and scholars, criticized what they deemed as "Christian nationalist" ideology.

"Christian nationalism seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America's constitutional democracy," the group Christians Against Christian Nationalism said in a statement.

"Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian. It often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation. We reject this damaging political ideology and invite our Christian brothers and sisters to join us in opposing this threat to our faith and to our nation."

Some liberals, including an op-ed in The New York Times, have suggested that the shifting of the Supreme Court to a conservative majority that recently overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling is a result of the work of the Christian nationalist movement.

"The shape of the Christian nationalist movement in the post-Roe future is coming into view, and it should terrify anyone concerned for the future of constitutional democracy," wrote Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism.

"The Supreme Court's decision to rescind the reproductive rights that American women have enjoyed over the past half-century will not lead America's homegrown religious authoritarians to retire from the culture wars and enjoy a sweet moment of triumph. On the contrary, movement leaders are already preparing for a new and more brutal phase of their assault on individual rights and democratic self-governance," she wrote. "Breaking American democracy isn't an unintended side effect of Christian nationalism. It is the point of the project."

In his sermon on Sunday, Jeffress made no apologies for his belief that America's future success rests on the nation's fidelity to Christian values.

"America was founded predominantly  by Christians who wanted to build this Christian nation on the foundation of God's will," he said. "And furthermore, these men believed that the future success of our country depended upon our fidelity to the Christian beliefs. And that's why we can say, though it's politically incorrect to do so, we say without hesitation or apology that America was founded as a Christian nation, and our future success depends upon our country being faithful to those eternal truths of God's Word."

Jeffress also echoed similar sentiments recently shared by born-again Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., that the founding fathers did not intend for the Church to be separate from the state in the way secularists want it to be applied today.

The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution "prohibits the government from making any law respecting an establishment of religion" and "government actions that unduly favor one religion over another." It also prohibits the government from "unduly preferring religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion."

Jeffress pointed to the 1802 letter from President Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Church Association in Connecticut stating that the First Amendment has "a wall of separation between Church and State." He said that letter was only to prevent the government from favoring one Christian denomination over another. It was not intended to make all religions equal.

"Did you know 69% of the American people believe that the phrase 'separation of Church and state' is found in the Constitution? They are surprised when they learn that the phrase 'separation of Church and state' is nowhere in the First Amendment. It doesn't appear anywhere in the Constitution itself. So how did such an idea gain popularity in America?" Jeffress asked.

He said when Jefferson wrote to the Baptists in Danbury, they were upset that the Congregational Church was getting more tax funding as an "established" church by the state of Connecticut.

"So Thomas Jefferson on Jan. 1, 1802, wrote them a letter to calm them down. And like any good politician, he quoted from one of their own, a Baptist, the first prominent Baptist, Roger Williams, who first used that phrase 'separation of Church and state,'" he said.

"What you have to understand is whether it was the First Amendment saying 'there shall be no established Church,' or Jefferson's letter. When they talked about no established Church, they meant no Christian denomination should be elevated over another Christian denomination; they should all be on equal footing. That's what they were talking about," Jeffress contends.

"Never in his wildest imagination did Thomas Jefferson ever suspect that one day his letter would be used to prohibit prayer in the public schools or Bible reading or the nativity displays in the town square, using the name of Jesus in a commencement speech. That was never in his mind at all."
10 reactions to Japans Shinzo Abe assassination: Biden stunned, Trump calls it bad news for the world

World leaders reacted with a range of emotions shortly after the assassination of Japan's former and longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, Friday morning. Abe died at the age of 67 after he was shot while campaigning for a candidate ahead of national elections.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was charged with attempted murder before Abe's death was announced, according to Japanese media.

Hidetada Fukushima, the professor in charge of emergency medicine at Nara Medical University Hospital, told The New York Times that Abe was pronounced dead shortly after 5 p.m. in Japan.

This was approximately five hours after he was brought to the hospital showing no vital signs.

Dr. Fukushima said Abe sustained two bullet wounds to the front of his neck, damage to the heart and a major artery, causing blood loss, according to The Wall Street Journal.

He was shot by a man who approached him from behind and fired twice, according to witnesses.

He went into cardiopulmonary arrest and lost vital signs while he was transported to the hospital. Doctors could not resuscitate him after they tried to stop the bleeding and conducted a transfusion.

The following pages highlight 10 reactions from global leaders to Abe's death.
$50K reward offered for return of $2M gold tabernacle stolen from Brooklyn church

A $50,000 reward is being offered for the return of a centuries-old solid gold tabernacle worth an estimated $2 million ripped from the altar of the St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, New York, in May.

Robert Brennan, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, announced in a statement Tuesday that the insurance company that covers diocesan properties is offering the reward for information leading to the recovery of the multimillion-dollar relic in addition to a $3,500 reward offered by the New York Police Department.

"We continue to pray for the one-of-a-kind Tabernacle, made possible by the original parishioners of St. Augustine, to be returned and then restored, in all its glory, to the heart of this church. However, the theft of this historical item has not robbed the faith of the people of this parish," Brennan said in his statement.

Police suspect the theft of the 18-karat gold tabernacle occurred sometime between 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.m. on May 28, according to reports. Thieves likely used power tools to "forcefully cut open" the altar to get to the tabernacle, police say. They decapitated angels flanking the relic and scattered the Holy Eucharist at the altar.

Diocese officials said that the tabernacle, which dates back to when the church was built in the late 1800s, "is irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value."

The Park Slope church's priest, Father Frank Tumino, was the one who discovered the theft.

In a sermon after the robbery, Tumino explained why the church would keep such a valuable tabernacle.

"People might tell us, 'Why does the church have something that expensive? That should be sold,'" he said.

"That's a gift to us as part of our patrimony of those who have gone before us," he said. "Those, who like us, waited for the return of Jesus."
China orders Christians to hold prayer meetings commemorating victory against Japan

Though Chinese Christians are banned from honoring their own martyrs, they are now required to hold prayer meetings commemorating the 76th anniversary of the "Victory of the Chinese People's Anti-Japanese War" to demonstrate the good image of peace-loving Christianity in China.

According to religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter, the Chinese Communist Party recently sent a directive to all churches that are part of the government-controlled Protestant Three-Self Church.

In part, the directive orders churches to organize peace prayer worship activities to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War around Sept. 3, according to the actual situation.

It adds: Local churches and congregations may, according to the actual local situation, carry out relevant peace prayer activities in a small and decentralized form, in line with the local requirements for prevention and control of the new COVID epidemic, to further promote the fine tradition of patriotism and love of religion and to demonstrate the good image of peace-loving Christianity in China.

Churches are further "required to submit evidence of the relevant activities (text, video and photo materials) to the Media Ministry Department of the China Christian Council by September 10 or face consequences, according to Bitter Winter.

In August, members of the Theological Seminary in Fujian were also invited to attend a celebration to pay tribute to martyrs of what China dubs Peoples War of Resistance Against the Japanese Aggression.

Prayers were held seeking the intercession of Jesus, the King of Peace for the peaceful reunification of China, Bitter Winter reported.

Though the CCP requires churches to pray for deceased communist soldiers, Bitter Winter notes that Christians in China are forbidden to pray for their martyrs, and those killed by the CCP cannot be commemorated.

Religious persecution is worsening across China, as President Xi Jinpings "sinicization campaign," introduced in 2015, seeks to bring religions under the officially atheist partys absolute control and into line with Chinese culture.

In May, the CCP ordered churches affiliated with the government to plan celebrations to mark 100 years of its existence.

In addition to asking religious persons to learn the history of the party, go on a pilgrimage to visit revolutionary sites, or hold exhibitions at religious venues, churches were required to host events featuring centennial celebrations.

The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association in Jiangbei district of Chongqing city subsequently held a Grateful and Praise for the CCP Blessing Mass at one of its worship gatherings.

The Church should organically unify Love Party, Love Country, and Love Socialism and faith; boldly speak about politics, while speaking about faith in accordance with law, Ding Yang, the priest who officiated the mass, was quoted as saying.

Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, estimates that there are about 97 million Christians in China, a large percentage of whom worship in what China considers to be illegal and unregistered underground home churches.

However, house church leaders are under intense pressure to join the government-controlled church. Those who refuse face intense persecution, as the government has installed more than 170 million facial recognition cameras, many in or near churches, to identify those who attend worship services.

Christians are often charged with participating in cults or with other crimes against the CCP, such as bad business practices or intent to undermine the state. The government has also imposed a ban on the online sale of Bibles.

Authorities also pressure Christian parents by refusing their children an education, threatening to send their children to government re-education camps or forcibly remove adopted children from their parents.

The U.S. State Department has labeled China as a country of particular concern for continuing to engage in particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) shakes hands with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi before the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Bali, Indonesia, on July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

BALI, Indonesia, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expounded here Friday on China's stance on food and energy security, and proposed a cooperation initiative on global food security.

Addressing the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting, Wang said food and energy hold key to the healthy performance of the world economy and the effective implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Under the current situation, the G20 should shoulder its due responsibility and establish a partnership on commodity cooperation. To achieve the goal, Wang made eight proposals:

First, supporting the United Nations in playing a key role in coordination. The role of the United Nations should be strengthened rather then weakened, and the work of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the international Fund for Agricultural Development and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) should be supported, Wang said.

Second, not imposing export restriction on humanitarian food purchases by the WFP.

Third, offering convenience to the smooth entry of Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian agricultural products into the international market.

Fourth, major food producing and net export countries should release their own export potential, reduce trade and technical barriers, control energy utilization of food, so as to ease the tight food supply in the market.

Fifth, the emergency measures taken by countries for food trade should be short-term, transparent, targeted and appropriate, and conform to the rules of the World Trade Organization.

Sixth, supporting the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and the innovation and cooperation on agricultural science and technology among countries, and reducing restrictions on high-tech exchanges.

Seventh, reducing food loss and waste. China has hosted the International Conference on Food Loss and Waste and stands ready to jointly implement the consensus reached at the conference.

Eighth, helping developing countries enhance their capacity of food production, storage and loss reduction in terms of capital, technology and market.

China is a reliable cooperative partner of the United Nations and developing countries in the field of food security, Wang said, adding that China supports the WFP in setting up a global humanitarian emergency warehouse and hub in China, established the South-South Cooperation Trust Fund with the FAO and provided financial support for it.

Under the trust fund, China has carried out more than 40 South-South cooperation projects in cooperation with the FAO and the WFP, Wang said.

China has established agricultural cooperation zones with some developing countries, and conducted agricultural science and technology exchanges with over 140 countries and regions, Wang said.

Since the beginning of this year, China has provided more than 15,000 tons of emergency humanitarian food aid to developing countries in need, and will continue to make new efforts to promote food security. 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) attends the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Bali, Indonesia, on July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)
Pakistani Christian man imprisoned 4 years on false blasphemy charges is granted bail

The brother of a Pakistani Christian man granted bail last week after spending years in prison is pleading with Pope Francis and other international leaders to evacuate and grant his brother asylum in a Western country as concerns about his health and safety persist.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted bail for Nadeem Samson, a Catholic who has been imprisoned in Pakistan for four years on blasphemy charges. Samsons brother, Shakeel Anjum, a United States citizen, reacted to the development in an interview with The Christian Post.

[On the] one side, we are happy. But [on the] other side, we are very afraid, he said, speaking on behalf of himself and another brother, who also lives in Pakistan.

Anjum cited the Jan. 3 death sentence of Zafar Bhatti, another Christian imprisoned under Pakistans blasphemy laws, as a cause for concern.

While the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted Samson bail, the legal proceedings stemming from the blasphemy charges against him will continue at the district court level.

Anjum told CP that trials are very dangerous because he has to  go to the court back and forth to attend the hearings. He recalled a 2020 incident where a Muslim accused of blasphemy was murdered right in the court, fearing that his brother could end up facing the same fate.

He was murdered right in the court, Anjum said. He was on bail and he got shot dead and somebody just killed him in the court.

More recently, on Dec. 3, a Twitter account managed by Anjum devoted to securing his brothers release retweeted a video of a Sri Lankan Hindu Factory manager who was burned alive by #Muslims mob for accused blasphemy. Anjum said these two incidents have left him and his brothers really scared and really worried.

In light of the concerns and the fact that mob attacking is common in Pakistan, Anjum delivered an appeal to the pope and Josep Borrell, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs.

Both [of my] brothers actually should be evacuated immediately because this is very, very risky, he said.

Anjum also fears for his brother, Michael, who has attended Samsons court proceedings and visited him in jail. He believes that Michaels association with Samson is enough to put his life in danger as well. Anjum called on the Canadian government to grant Samson asylum to save his life.

I have no parents. I have two brothers  in Pakistan, Anjum added. They should be protected and they should be evacuated immediately from Pakistan.

Anjum elaborated on the toll that four years in prison has taken on his brother. My brother, for [the] last few months, he has [been] very sick, he said. We got the orders for his treatment. We got the court order for  his immediate treatment.

Because the jail superintendent didnt allow his brother out of the jail for his treatment, Anjum said Samson was in severe pain.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedoms profile on Samson lists kidney stones as a health concern and indicates that he has faced torture while detained.

Samson is reportedly living in inhumane conditions at the district jail in Lahore, where he has also been denied adequate medical care for treating kidney stones, the congressionally-mandated religious freedom body said.

Anjum agreed with Samsons lawyer that his bail was historic. Blasphemy charges in Pakistan can be punishable with life imprisonment and even the death penalty. However, the Pakistani government has never executed anyone for a blasphemy conviction.

Specifically, section 295-C of Pakistans penal code mandates that whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy [Islamic] Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.

As CP previously reported, Samson was arrested in November 2017 after the man he was leasing a house from told police that the Pakistani Catholic had posted blasphemous material on his Facebook account.

Anjum previously alleged that the man, Abdul Haq, created a fake Facebook account to smear his brother in an effort to avoid having to pay Samson the $4,000 owed to him as part of the lease agreement.

Anjum previously predicted that the Supreme Court of Pakistan would make a fair decision about Samsons fate because they have bodyguards and are therefore not intimidated by the mob. By contrast, Anjum asserted, the trial court judges do not have any security for themselves.

So they have only one option, he maintained. They have to allow the punishment.

Anjum lamented that most blasphemy cases in Pakistan follow a familiar pattern, where after several years of litigation, the judges determine that the accusations of blasphemy are false.

Their lives are ruined in trial, Anjum said of those falsely accused of blasphemy. In the case of Samson, his accuser never appeared in the trial court.

False allegations of blasphemy are a common occurrence in Pakistan. Patrick Sookdeho of the Barnabas Fund, a Christian aid agency, elaborated on the indiscriminate and improper use of blasphemy laws in Pakistan at the first annual International Religious Freedom Summit that took place in Washington, D.C., last summer.

In a panel discussion featuring Asia Bibi, another Pakistani Christian imprisoned on blasphemy charges who since fled the country, Sookdeho informed attendees that Pakistans blasphemy law has been used by those who are unhappy with Christians or [used against] a particular Christian as a weapon to settle scores.

In Pakistan today, there are at least five Christians on death row for blasphemy, he proclaimed. There are 20 Christians in prison on blasphemy charges. ... Since 1990, at least 15 Christians have been murdered because of blasphemy allegations, often before trial has begun.

He stressed that the allegations of blasphemy and hostile treatment endured by Pakistani Christians does not come from the government, per se, but rather from the institutions of society.
UNESCO Adds Japan's 'Hidden Christian' Sites to World Heritage List

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has announced that historic Christians sites in Japan will be added to their World Heritage List.

In a statement released Saturday, UNESCO noted that the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region were one of four entities newly added to the Heritage List.

These hidden sites are found among 10 villages based on Kyushu Island and include a castle and a cathedral all constructed between the 16th and 19th centuries, which was a time of persecution for the island nation's Christian minority.

"Together they reflect the earliest activities of Christian missionaries and settlers in Japan  the phase of encounter, followed by times of prohibition and persecution of the Christian faith and the final phase of the revitalization of Christian communities after the lifting of prohibition in 1873," stated UNESCO.

"These sites bear unique testimony to a cultural tradition nurtured by hidden Christians in the Nagasaki region who secretly transmitted their faith during the period of prohibition from the 17th to the 19th century."

The other three entities being added to the Heritage List include Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensembles in Mumbai, India; Sassanid archaeological sites in the Fars region of Iran; and a collection of Buddhist mountain monasteries in South Korea.

The four sites were chosen by the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee, which is meeting in Manama, Bahrain, from June 24-July 4.

Francis Xavier, a 16th century missionary, is credited with having introduced Christianity to Japan back in 1549. As Japan became politically unified, persecution against Christians increased.

In 1597, Nagasaki was the site of a mass crucifixion of 26 Christians, comprised of six missionaries and 20 Japanese believers. A monument was built in their honor in 1962, which was the 100th anniversary of their canonization.

The long period of Christian persecution in Japan was recently the subject of a film by Martin Scorsese titled "Silence."

"Scorsese, an Oscar winner and eight-time Best Director nominee, has given us a film that, despite its painful subject matter, has many beautiful scenes," wrote Peter Sprigg in a review of the film published by The Christian Post last year.

"If you can stomach the violence ... it is a profound, thought-provoking, troubling, painful, deeply moving exploration of suffering and of religious freedom, raising some age-old questions  with no easy answers."

In recent years, efforts have been made by both the government and the nation's Christian minority to remember those persecuted for their faith centuries ago.

In 2016, the government of Japan selected multiple sites, including Oura Catholic Church of Nagasaki, as candidates for selection by UNESCO for their World Heritage List.

Earlier this year, the Catholic Archdiocese of Nagasaki oversaw the opening of a museum dedicated to Christians killed for their faith from the 16th to the 19th century.

This included renovating a former Latin seminary and highlighting key moments of the history of Catholicism in the island nation, as reported by Japan Today back in April.
Supreme Court's Roe reversal expected to have 'net-neutral' impact on midterms, poll suggests

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion a national right is not expected to have a significant impact on the midterm elections, according to a recent poll.

The Harvard Center for American Political Studies and the Harris Poll released the findings of their most recent poll last week, which surveyed Americans on a myriad of topics. Data for the poll was derived from an online survey conducted by the Harris Poll and HarrisX on June 28-29 of 1,308 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.

According to the report, while 36% of respondents said that the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization made them more likely to vote Democrat in the midterms, another 36% responded that the court's ruling made them more likely to vote Republican in the midterms.

Overall, 29% said the ruling had "no effect" on who they would vote for.

The poll was conducted days after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in a case involving Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban that there was no constitutional right to an abortion, opening up the possibility for states to ban or restrict the legality of the procedure.

Pro-choice Democrat politicians have madeeffortsto utilize the liberal outrage with the court's ruling to their advantage in the 2022 midterm elections this November.

The poll also found that 45% of Americans support the decision overturning Roe while 55% opposed, and 69% believe that the ruling has "created turmoil." Thirty-one percent believe that it "settled the law on abortion."

The pollsters concluded that the ruling would likely have a "net neutral impact" on midterm voting.

The poll shows that most registered voters disagree with claims made by some Democrats that the Supreme Court  with six justices appointed by Republican presidents  is "illegitimate." Fifty-nine percent of respondents said it's "wrong for democrats to call the Supreme Court illegitimate," while 41% disagreed.

Additionally, 62% of respondents said they think protesters shouldn't be allowed to demonstrate outside of Supreme Court justice's homes, and 51% think those who do should be arrested.

Other findings of the poll include President Joe Biden having an approval rating of 38%, 64% of respondents saying that their financial situation has gotten worse in recent times, and 70% saying that they believe the nation is on the "wrong track."

Chairman of the Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll Mark Penn said in a statement last week that the upcoming midterms would be challenging for incumbents due to factors like the economy and a belief among many Americans that the country is headed in the wrong direction.

"'Wrong track metrics' about the direction of the country and the economy are the worst they have ever been in our poll," said Penn.

"And, crucially, our observed aversion to the former and current president as voters begin thinking about 2024 tickets is a major opening for an independent presidential ticket  60% would consider voting for a moderate independent candidate for president if Biden and Trump both ran."

On the issue of abortion, the Harvard/Harris poll found that, despite many opposing the Supreme Court decision, very few of the respondents supported the legalization of abortion.

Only 10% of respondents said they thought their state should allow for abortions up to all nine months of pregnancy, while 37% supported allowing abortion only in certain circumstances like rape or incest.
Jewish couple's discrimination lawsuit dismissed after rejection from Christian foster home

A Tennessee court has rejected a lawsuit by a Jewish couple suing the state government after being told that they couldn't undergo foster parent training through a publicly-supported Christian charity due to religious differences.

In a decision released June 27, a three-judge panel of the Chancery Court in Davidson County ruled 2-1 to grant a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Elizabeth and Gabriel Rutan-Ram against the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and DCS Commissioner Jenifer Nichols.

The court rejected claims of discrimination.

The Rutan-Rams argued in a January lawsuit that they were denied access to foster training programs through the state-supported Holston United Methodist Home for Children because they were not Christian. The organization only offers foster training programs to couples who uphold Christian beliefs.

The majority concluded that the couple's legal claims were moot, as they were able to complete the programs and receive certification through DCS months after being rejected by Holston.

"Because the Couple has received the very services they claim they were previously denied, the Panel Majority adopts the Defendants' analysis and concludes that any issue related to denial of services is not capable of the prospective relief the Plaintiffs seek and is now moot," read the panel majority opinion.

The majority ruled that the couple's complaint about the Holston Home for Children was inapplicable because they originally planned to foster a child in Florida, while Holston only handles in-state arrangements.

"The contract the Department has with Holston  provides funds only for services for children' in the custody of the State of Tennessee.' Thus the services the Couple sought from Holston are not funded by the Department and therefore lack a causal connection to the alleged injury," continued the majority.

The panel majority also ruled that "the Plaintiffs have not shown that the Defendants would not contract with a Jewish agency similarly situated to Holston; therefore the Act does not single out people of the Jewish faith as a disfavored, innately inferior group."

Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle offered a partial dissent to the panel opinion's claim that the couple lacked "constitutional standing."

"The foregoing law makes clear that the allegations in the Amended Complaint, such as the barriers the Couple faces now as foster parents and continue to face in obtaining the efficiencies and other benefits and advantages of working with private agencies, are sufficient to establish standing," reads the dissent.

The secular legal group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represents the couple, intends to appeal the panel decision.

Holston, founded in 1895 and has reportedly helped over 8,000 children, receives reimbursement via the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Title IV-E.

Holston CEO Bradley Williams sent The Christian Post a statement in January saying that "the caregivers we partner with [are] extensions of our ministry team serving children."

"So from the very beginning, we seek to find alignment with them, and if we cannot do so, we try to help them find an agency that may be a better fit," he stated.

"Finding other agencies is not hard to do. In Tennessee, for example, there are six other agencies for each one faith-based provider."

Williams told CP he believes "forcing Holston Home to violate our beliefs and place children in homes that do not share our faith is wrong and contrary to a free society."
Veteran-owned business announces it will cover employees' parental leave, adoption costs

After corporations across the nation announced they would cover employees' travel expenses to get abortions in other states following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, a veteran-owned business in Texas has responded by offering to pay for employees parental leave and adoption costs.

The U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case involving Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban, stated that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, leaving individual states to determine its legality.

In response, over 60 major companies stated their intentions to reimburse employees traveling for an abortion if they live in states that ban the practice, according to a list compiled by Reuters.

Instead of covering employees abortion-related travel expenses, Buffer Insurance announced in a June 27 post on its Facebook page that the company would provide benefits for employees who are giving birth to or adopting a baby. The company plans to cover the medical costs of childbirth or adoption and offer paid maternity or paternity leave.

After the overturn of Roe v. Wade, we took the opposite stance that these big corporations are making, and theyre making it easier for people to abort their babies. We want to make it easy for employees to grow their families, Buffer Insurance President Sean Turner told The Christian Post in an interview.

And then if employees want to grow their families through adoption, we want to pay towards those expenses as well, he added.

Turner added that Buffer Insurance is working with any and all employers to help them implement the same benefits and offer them to their employees.

We realize that a lot of large corporations have some of these policies in place. But specifically, we're a small and young company, so we really want to activate the majority of people who work for other small, midsize organizations, he said. So those are the ones that we think are going to have the most impact by implementing these types of policies of generosity in their own business.

One of the ready-to-use policies Buffer Insurance promotes to other employers includes a lactation policy. Turner explained that this policy offers lactating mothers time to pump breast milk for their babies while theyre at work.

In addition, Turner said that Buffer Insurance is working with employers to help them maximize the benefits and minimize the taxes associated with providing employees with bonuses. He explained that the idea is to offer employees resources and avoid a lot of waste.

Let's say, for example, an employer is saying, I want to give $5,000 to an employee's birth. If they were just adding that to their employees' check as a bonus, there are taxes that employers pay as well as the employee, Turner said.

So maybe by the time they receive that, it's only $4,200 or $3,200. So there are ways that we talk about in these resources to avoid those taxes, and it still is a 100% tax-deductible item for the employer.

We really encourage business owners and business leaders in different communities to implement something like this that includes a lot of generosity towards their employees, he concluded.

Earlier this month, The Walt Disney Co. promised in an internal memo obtained by CNBC that it would pay for employees to travel out of state for abortions. In addition to "family planning (including pregnancy-related decisions)," the coverage extends to non-pregnancy situations, including cancer treatments, transplants and rare disease treatment.

"Our company remains committed to removing barriers and providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care for all of our employees, cast members and their families, including family planning and reproductive care, no matter where they live," the memo reads.

Dozens of other companies, including DICKS Sporting Goods, Goldman Sachs, Apple and Nike have also announced plans to reimburse employees traveling out of state for abortions.
Why ending Roe is good for every American

In a monumental development, the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in all fifty states. This is incredible news. Roe v. Wade, an environmental disaster on the moral ecology of our nation, harmed society in general and women in particular.

Roe is widely recognized as the most controversial court decision in recent history, as it ruled that an entire class of human beings  unborn human beings  would be denied the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Roes ruling both threatened and diminished the civil rights movements gains for this class of individuals.

Roe was fundamentally flawed because it told a lie about reality: that unborn human beings are the property of their mothers. Many pro-choice Americans have argued that the unborn human is a part of the mothers body, yet this perspective is flawed because the unborn child has his or her own DNA. Other abortion proponents contend that the unborn human is a parasite, yet this perspective fails because the unborn person soon will mature and live on his or her own  if given the chance.

Yet, Roe v. Wade abandoned the part and parasite arguments, and instead opted to view the unborn human as the womans property. Under the ruling, the state may not interfere with a womans right to dispose of her property unless there is a compelling state interest and even then, only after the first trimester.

This perspective is deeply troublesome and especially ironic, given that the United States has supposedly repudiated the view that a human being  such as a slave  could be viewed as property. Indeed, the Courts view had to be overturned; human beings should never be viewed as property. Rather, they should be viewed as persons who possess the same dignity and rights as every other American.

Yet, Roe v. Wade not only told a lie about reality; it has also eroded the moral foundations of our civic community and numbed our collective consciences. Clearly the Roe ruling harmed unborn human beings who are the weakest and most vulnerable Americans; it robbed them of the opportunity to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. But Roe also inflicted harm on society at large and women in particular.

Roe harmed women by encouraging them to be comfortable with using lethal violence against the human being in the womb. It further catalyzed male tendencies toward irresponsibility and predatory sexual behavior. And in so doing, it exacerbated our societys trend toward instability in relationships and marriages.

Roe harmed society in myriad ways. It harmed men by stripping them of the ability to protect their own child. It harmed law-governed democracy by teaching citizens that it is morally acceptable to use lethal violence to solve their problems. It undermined Americas system of checks and balances because it bypassed the legislature, made a decision about morality from the bench, and inserted into the Constitution a right that did not exist.

Roe gave America abortion on demand, and thus has wreaked havoc on our society, killing babies and hurting women, men, families, democratic values, and cultural institutions. Instead of reinforcing our natural desire to protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us, it demanded that we adjust our consciences to the use of brutal, lethal violence against them.

As Americans committed to justice, equality, and the rule of law, therefore, we must now find better, healthier solutions for parents who experience unwanted pregnancies and for unborn human beings whose lives are crushed in the process. Therefore, let us ensure that unborn humans are protected in law and welcomed in life. With Roe v. Wade at long last behind us, let us recognize both in law and culture the full dignity and personhood of every American, inside and outside of the womb. And let us neither weary nor rest in this worthy pursuit.
Christian convert from Islam killed in Uganda for leading Muslims to Christ: witness Angry Christians reportedly set suspects homes on fire

NAIROBI, Kenya  Three men reviling a convert to Christianity for leading Muslims to Christ in eastern Uganda killed him on Sunday, a witness said.

Simolya Latifu of Molu village, Kasasira Sub-County, Kibuku District was slain with a sword at about 7:15 p.m. at a swamp near Molu, the witness said. Latifu was 47.

Latifu had left an evening service at Christ Discipleship Worship Center in Molu at about 6:30 p.m., and three witnesses saw a motorcycle and then heard wailing and calls for help at a nearby swamp at 7:15 p.m., one said.

The killers were condemning him for converting Muslims to Christianity, the witness told Morning Star News. We hid ourselves in a thick bush.

The witnesses were able to recognize the alleged assailants as Ali Buyinza, Muhammad Kamunyani and Jamada Walyomba, he said.

We saw Buyinza cut him on the head with a sword, and thereafter they left, said the witness, unidentified for security reasons. We remained there for about 30 minutes, and then we took courage and slowly went to see the slain man and discovered that he worshipped with us at Christ Discipleship Worship Center.

They informed church Pastor Emmanuel Muzei and filed a report with police at about midnight, he said. Officers and area residents went to the area early Monday morning and confirmed that the body was that of Latifu.

Angry Christian residents from Molu village flooded to Molu village swamp to mourn the death of their beloved convert from Islam who had been going from one church to another testifying about how he converted to Christianity, Pastor Muzei said. His testimony was an encouragement to many Christians in my church and led many to Christ. We have lost a dynamic evangelist.

Police arrested Buyinza, taking him to Kibuku police station amid tight security as residents sought to kill him, Pastor Muzei said. Buyinza told police, We warned him to come back to our religion and gave him several opportunities, but he turned a deaf ear  were proud of killing him, a source said.

Officers were still hunting for the other two suspects. On Tuesday (July 5), angry Christians from eight villages set the homes of suspects Buyinza, Kamunyani and Walyomba on fire, area sources said.

Latifu is survived by his wife and five children.

Area Chairperson John Emuga of the Anglican Church of Uganda in Molu said he grieved after seeing Latifus body.

We request residents to support the family of the late Latifu, and that all the assailants be brought to book, Emuga said.

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12% of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.

Originally published by Morning Star News
The force of admiration can no further go!  seven revolutionary scientific works that shaped the modern world

Groundbreaking books by some of the greatest minds in human history, from Copernicus to Galileo, Darwin to Einstein, come to Christies in London on 13 July

In 1543, the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus shattered humanitys idea of its place in the cosmos when he published a book arguing that the centre of the heavens was not Earth, but the Sun. His discovery required a fundamental rethinking of the universe, says Margaret Ford, International Head of Books and Science at Christies. Copernicuss revolutionary hypothesis is just one of several groundbreaking scientific publications offered in the Valuable Books and Manuscripts sale in London on 13 July. The auction includes works by physicists, mathematicians, astronomers and biologists  scientists who brought those light-bulb moments to the world. Below, Ford introduces seven books that tell the remarkable story of science from the 13th century to the modern day.

Liber Abaci by Leonardo Fibonacci The Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci (c. 1170-c.1250) is best known for an infinite string of numbers with near-magical properties: we call it the Fibonacci sequence, and it starts 0, 1, 1, 2, 3 and continues with each new number being the sum of the preceding two. The series is a phenomenon found in nature, in architecture, in music, and even in the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci. This extraordinary arrangement was, in fact, discovered in India. Fibonacci brought it to the attention of the West through his seminal work Liber Abaci (Book of Calculation), which popularised the Indo-Arabic numeral system. You could say Europe had been in the dark ages mathematically until Fibonaccis intervention, says Ford. Christies is offering a 15th-century manuscript devoted to science and mathematics, which includes chapters 14 and 15 of the Liber Abaci. You can count on the fingers of two hands the number of Fibonacci manuscripts in existence, says the specialist. This is especially desirable, because it reveals the cross-cultural influences that formed the basis of modern mathematics.

On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus When Copernicus (1473-1543) published On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres in 1543, it profoundly shocked many people. It is a revolutionary book, says Ford. It breaks forever the medieval idea of a special relationship between man and God. The publication offered for sale at Christies is a second edition of the treatise and contains an important addition: a small report written in 1540 by Copernicuss protege, Georg Joachim Rheticus, which summarises the astronomers theories. It was thanks to Rheticus that Copernicus was persuaded to publish On the Revolutions, says Ford. This in turn led the astronomer Erasmus Reinhold to comment, All posterity will gratefully remember the name of Copernicus, by whose labour and study the doctrine of celestial motions was again restored from near collapse.

Open a larger version of this image Galilei, Galileo (1564-1642), Dialogo... Sopre i due massimi sistemi del mondo Tolemaico, e Copernicano. Florence: Gian Battista Landini, 1632. Sold for 88,200 on 13 July 2022 at Christies in London Open a larger version of this image

The Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems by Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was a committed Copernican who pursued the astronomers reforms with a passion bordering on fanaticism. Not only did he want to prove Copernicuss heliocentric vision of the world, he wanted the church to embrace it  a highly dangerous challenge in 17th-century Rome. The solution was disarmingly simple: in 1632 Galileo published The Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, an imaginary conversation between two astronomers, one presenting Copernicuss hypothesis, and the other presenting the accepted Aristotelian view that the cosmos was an ordered hierarchy with Earth at its centre. It was a brilliant solution, says Ford. It enabled Galileo to set out Copernicuss ideas in an accessible way, and to distance himself from the theory at the same time. Unfortunately, Galileos vanity got in the way. He named the Aristotelian interlocutor Simplicius. As you can imagine, this did him no favours with the Catholic church, says the specialist. The astronomer was condemned on a charge of vehement suspicion of heresy and placed under house arrest.

Open a larger version of this image Newton, Isaac, Sir (1642-1727), Opticks: or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. Also Two Treatises of the Species and Magnitude of Curvilinear Figures. London: for Sam. Smith and Benj. Wolford, 1704

Opticks: or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light by Isaac Newton The 17th century was a period of profound scientific discovery, at the centre of which was Isaac Newton (1642-1727), a Cambridge recluse who had at first been reluctant to publish his astonishing discoveries. Newton is of supreme importance to science, says Ford, notably for his masterpiece, the Principia, but also for his pivotal experiments with light. The scientist had begun working on the nature of light and colour as early as the mid-1660s, but set these experiments aside to concentrate on the Principia. Opticks: or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light didnt appear until 1704. According to Ford, it had a tremendous impact on publication. Essentially it did for light what the Principia had done for gravity, she says. The book offered at Christies has a highly personal connection to Newton, making it unique. Not only is it the first issue of the first edition of the Opticks, but it was presented by Newton to his close friend Nicolas Fatio de Duillier, a Swiss mathematician. As such, it is a great witness to the brotherhood of science, notes Ford.

Open a larger version of this image Ohm, Georg Simon (1789-1854), Die galvanische Kette, mathematisch bearbeitet. Berlin: T. H. Riemann, 1827 Open a larger version of this image

The Galvanic Circuit Investigated Mathematically by Georg Simon Ohm When Georg Simon Ohm (1789-1854) published his complete theory of electricity in 1827, it was poorly received by the great minds of Bavarian science. That was largely because most German scientists at the time took a non-mathematical approach to physics, says Ford. It would take another 10 years for Ohms ideas to be recognised for what they were: a brilliant formulation of the current flow of electricity through conductors. Offered in the sale is a first edition of The Galvanic Circuit Investigated Mathematically, a stunning work in the field of electrical science that reveals Ohm to be a creative maverick ahead of his time. As a result of the book, the unit of electrical resistance was named the ohm, and the law pertaining to electrical current being proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance was called Ohms Law.

On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin On the Origin of Species has been called the single greatest work of science, says Ford, and we are fortunate to have a very good copy in the sale. Also offered is a paper read at the Linnean Society in 1858, pre-dating the Origin, outlining the theory of evolution. The paper records a crucial episode between Charles Darwin (1809-1882) and Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), a naturalist whose place in history has been overshadowed by Darwin. Unbeknownst to each other, both scientists had developed independent theories of evolution. It shocked Darwin to learn of Wallaces findings, says Ford, but it spurred him on to complete On the Origin of Species. Wallace was pressured by Darwins supporters to cede to his older, more eminent colleague, and Wallace yielded. They both submitted papers to the scientific society in 1858, with Darwin's given precedence. On the Origin of Species was published the following year to acclaim and controversy. However, Ford believes too much has been made of the rivalry. Both men were working towards the same goal, she says, citing Wallaces effusive support of On the Origin of Species. Mr Darwin has given the world a new science, he wrote to his friend George Silk, and his name should, in my opinion, stand above that of every philosopher of ancient and modern times. The force of admiration can no further go!

Open a larger version of this image Einstein, Albert (1879-1955), Erklarung der Perihelbewegung des Merkur aus der allgemeinen Relativitatstheorie [offprint from:] Preussische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Sitzungsberichte, XLVII. Berlin: 1915

Explanation of the Perihelion Motion of Mercury from General Relativity Theory by Albert Einstein When the young Albert Einstein called into being the General Theory of Relativity in 1907, he upset everybodys settled ideas of time and space. His premise seemed positively anarchic  was it really possible that all natural laws (except those for gravity) could be discussed within the framework of special relativity?

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Yearning for a more beautiful world: Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist works from the collection of Isabel Goldsmith

Paintings and drawings by artists including Burne-Jones, Meteyard and De Morgan explore such themes as dreams, the afterlife and beauty, as well as literary and classical subjects

In 1897 the French artist Lucien Levy-Dhurmer produced the beguiling pastel La bourrasque (below). Its title means the squall or the sudden gust of wind, and it duly captures a young womans flowing red hair being windswept all over her face and head. That hair also merges with the semi-abstract, crimson scene around her, as if shes in the midst of being blown into a sprightly otherworld. Not for nothing was Levy-Dhurmer described by the contemporary critic Gabriel Mourey as the dream painter. La bourrasque is one of 87 works in The Isabel Goldsmith Collection: Selected Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist Art, an online sale being held by Christies until 14 July. Isabel Goldsmiths collecting journey began several decades ago, and what unites most of the pictures she purchased is a set of core themes: beauty, loss, the mystery of hidden worlds, and the seductive power of death and sleep. These were themes that had been adopted by certain Pre-Raphaelite painters, and numerous Symbolists, around the turn of the 20th century.

The words of Edward Lucie-Smith in the introduction to his 1972 book, Symbolist Art, could apply to many of the works being offered: Behind the shapes and colours to be found on the picture-surface, there is always something else, another realm, another order of meaning. What the viewer sees, in other words, are simply symbols for something more profound. Where Levy-Dhurmer was a Symbolist, Englands Sidney Meteyard  the painter of the sales top lot, The Return of Orpheus (below)  worked in a style that might be called late Pre-Raphaelite (more on the connection between the two movements shortly). Like his mentor, Edward Burne-Jones, Meteyard worked as a designer of stained glass in addition to painting.

Exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1907 (and probably painted earlier that same year), The Return of Orpheus shows a strength of colour that is on a par with stained glass, above all in its subjects strikingly blue tunic and sandals. Orpheus sits on a rock at the entrance to the underworld, wearing a deep and complex expression. The fading leaves on the vegetation around him reflect the fact that he has just failed in a quest to rescue his late wife Eurydice from the world of the dead. Burne-Jones, who is represented in the sale by seven works, was in many ways the bridge between the Pre-Raphaelites and Symbolists. He was the key figure in the former movements second generation, making his name in the 1870s, more than two decades after the likes of William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti had founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848. Where his predecessors had, broadly speaking, sought to emulate the art of medieval times  with its luminous colour, minute attention to detail, and moralising or religious subject matter  Burne-Jones helped take Pre-Raphaelite art in a more romantic direction. As he said himself, I mean, by a picture, a beautiful romantic dream of something that never was, that never will be  in a light better than any light that ever shone, in a land no one can define or remember, only desire.

Burne-Jones drew less on the Bible for inspiration than on Arthurian legend, classical myth and, most crucially, his own imagination. As would be the case with the Symbolists who came after him, his scenes were evocative rather than descriptive, laying importance on symbols rather than representation. For example, in Burne-Joness 1895 drawing Luna (above), the eponymous Roman goddess of the moon is captured guarding the night sky. She soars high above a mountain range, kneeling within a crescent moon whose light serves as a beacon of solace and hope in the darkness. Starting out in France before spreading through other European countries, the Symbolist movement had numerous roots. These ranged from the poet Charles Baudelaire to the philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg. Burne-Jones was another significant influence, particularly in the wake of a successful showing of his work at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889, where he won the exhibitions Legion dhonneur award. The Belgian Symbolist Fernand Khnopff was a fan, and he and the Englishman ended up becoming close friends. Khnopffs repeated engagement with the Greek myth of Medusa is thought to have been inspired by Burne-Joness own depiction of it, in his famous but never-completed Perseus cycle.

One of the Belgians Medusa works, La Medusa endormie (above), from around 1896, is included in the current sale. It depicts her as a sleeping, birdlike figure, an idiosyncratic composite of the winged Hypnos with the titular gorgon. Given that sleep is the portal to dreams, for the Symbolists it pointed towards another realm, where truer meaning lies. Born and raised in Paris, Isabel Goldsmith settled in London as a young woman. Part of the allure of England for her was the wealth of Pre-Raphaelite imagery that she could see there. Goldsmiths choice of pictures from both sides of the English Channel was in keeping with her background.

Its sometimes said that the Pre-Raphaelites and Symbolists ventured into other worlds pictorially because they disliked the increasingly capitalist and materialist nature of the world they inhabited. (The third and final volume of Marxs Das Kapital was published in 1894, a matter of months before many of the images under consideration here were created.) A discussion of socio-economic context is perhaps one for elsewhere. What can be said, however, from a purely artistic point of view, is that painters from the two movements believed that art should reflect an idea, emotion or quality  rather than represent the world in a quasi-scientific manner, as the Realists, Impressionists and others did.

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DETROIT (AP)  The U.S. government's auto safety watchdog is sending investigators to another Tesla crash, this time one that killed two people along Interstate 75 in Florida.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed Friday that it sent a Special Crash Investigations team to probe the Wednesday crash into the back of a semi-trailer at a rest area near Gainesville.

The agency would not say if the Tesla was operating on one of the company's partially automated driving systems.

The 2015 model year Tesla was traveling on Interstate 75 about 2 p.m. Wednesday when, for an unknown reason, it exited into a rest area. It then went into the parking lot and hit the back of a parked Walmart Freightliner tractor-trailer, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a release.

The driver and passenger, both from Lompoc, California, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Highway Patrol Lt. P.V. Riordan said Friday night in an email that his agency will determine whether any partially automated features were in use. That is a consideration that will be explored during our investigation, he said.

A message was left Friday seeking comment from Austin, Texas-based Tesla.

NHTSA is investigating 37 crashes involving automated driving systems since 2016. Of those, 30 involved Teslas, including 11 fatal crashes that have killed a total of 15 people.

The agency also said in documents that it's investigating a fatal pedestrian crash in California involving a Tesla Model 3 that happened this month. It also sent a team to probe a Cruise automated vehicle crash in California that caused a minor injury in June.

NHTSA also has been investigating Teslas on Autopilot crashing into parked emergency vehicles. In a separate probe, the agency is looking at Teslas on Autopilot braking for no apparent reason.

Last week, newly confirmed NHTSA Administrator Steven Cliff told The Associated Press that the agency is intensifying efforts to understand the risks posed by automated vehicle technology so it can decide what regulations may be necessary to protect drivers, passengers and pedestrians. He also says automated systems such as automatic emergency braking have huge potential to save lives.

In June, NHTSA released data from automakers and tech companies showing nearly 400 crashes over a 10-month period involving vehicles with partially automated driver-assist systems, including 273 with Teslas.

The agency cautioned against using the numbers to compare automakers, saying it didnt weight them by the number of vehicles from each manufacturer that use the systems, or how many miles those vehicles traveled.

Automakers reported crashes from July of last year through May 15 under an order from the agency, which is examining such crashes broadly for the first time.

Teslas crashes happened while vehicles were using Autopilot, Full Self-Driving, Traffic Aware Cruise Control, or other driver-assist systems that have some control over speed and steering. The company has about 830,000 vehicles with the systems on the road.

The next closest of a dozen automakers that reported crashes was Honda, with 90. Honda says it has about 6 million vehicles on U.S. roads with such systems.

Teslas crash number may appear elevated somewhat because it uses telematics to monitor its vehicles and get real-time crash reports. Other automakers dont have such capability, so their reports may come slower or crashes may not be reported at all, NHTSA said.

Auto safety advocates said driver-assist and self-driving systems have potential to save lives, but not until NHTSA sets minimum performance standards and requires safety improvements to protect all road users.

____

AP writers Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this story.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Brunei saw a 50.1 percent year-on-year growth in its trade to reach 2.25 billion Brunei dollars (1.61 billion U.S. dollars) in February this year, official data showed Friday.

According to the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics under the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Brunei's exports increased by 54.8 percent year-on-year to 1.45 billion Brunei dollars in February, due largely to a growth in mineral fuel exports.

Mineral fuels contributed most to February's total exports by accounting for 76.9 percent with a value of 1.11 billion Brunei dollars, showed data.

Meanwhile, Brunei's imports rose by 42.4 percent year-on-year to 804.1 million Brunei dollars.

The highest share of Brunei's exports in February went to Japan at 20.6 percent, followed by Australia at 20.3 percent and China at 18.2 percent.

Of Brunei's imports in February, Kazakhstan accounted for 32.3 percent, followed by Iraq with 17.4 percent and Australia with 10.9 percent. (1 Brunei dollar equals about 0.71 U.S. dollar) 
NEW YORK - The Park Avenue Armory, onetime home of the National Guard's Silk Stocking Regiment and relic of the Gilded Age, could easily have fallen short of its repurposed ambitions. The immensity of the landmarked space, a 55,000-square-foot drill hall on Park Avenue with a ceiling that soars 85 feet high, did not conform to the demands of a 21st century arts world striving to meet audiences on ever more intimate terms.

But 15 years after it opened its doors, the Armory - occupying a city block between East 66th and 67th streets - has not only defied expectations, it has exceeded them as a new fortress for battalions of creative minds. The myriad artists who've accepted the space's physical challenge, choreographers (Bill T. Jones), directors (Sam Mendes), multidisciplinary artists (Taryn Simon and Carrie Mae Weems), have succeeded in that most hard-won of missions: planting a vital new flag in New York City's teeming landscape of the arts.

Emerging from the pandemic shutdown, the Armory has chalked up another achievement. A play that it introduced to American theatergoers in 2019 - Stefano Massini and Ben Power's epic "The Lehman Trilogy" - opened on Broadway last fall, and wound up collecting five Tony Awards at last month's ceremony, including the trophy for best play.

"It's really a wonderful story, a fairy tale," Pierre Audi, the Armory's artistic director since 2015, said of the evolution of the venue, which he contends is singular. "The Lehman Trilogy" had to be reconfigured for its far smaller Broadway confines.

Audi explained that he became enamored with filling a hall "where this kind of large-scale theater experience is possible - a visionary experience where there's much more freedom for scenography, more freedom for creating a special relationship with the audience, with sound, with technology."

That exploration has led the Armory to tinker with scale in exhilarating ways, compelling theatergoers to think freshly about how live performance envelops us in an environment that utterly envelops it. The programming encompasses both original and well-known material, with this summer's agenda leaning heavily on the classical: a repertory of "Hamlet" and Aeschylus's "Oresteia" that runs until Aug. 13. Both are directed by Robert Icke, a graduate of Cambridge who has worked in leadership roles at such outstanding London companies as Headlong and Almeida Theatre, the latter founded in 1979 by Audi.

Icke's "Hamlet" offers up a Denmark in 2022 in which surveillance cameras record the intrusion of the Ghost of Hamlet's Father (David Rintoul) and a skittish Hamlet (Alex Lawther) languishes so shyly and introspectively he really does seem to want to disappear - to will his too solid flesh to melt. The production opened to mixed reviews earlier this month. But I've come to realize that no ideal "Hamlet" exists, so I was maybe more willing to let Icke (pronounced "Ike") take me on an eye-filling, sometimes uneven but always interesting tussle with the play. This "Hamlet's" most theatrical moments - the play within a play, the climactic duel, an ethereal epilogue of Icke's devising - underline the advantages of seeing canonical work in monumental settings.

"I was feeling a little bit like I was getting too comfortable with the small canvas and that at some point, I was going to have to try and make this work on a bigger and bigger canvas," Icke said in a Zoom interview from the Armory, where his "Oresteia" has its official opening later this month. (He directed versions of both plays in Britain before the pandemic.) "By the end of my time at the [325-seat] Almeida, it started to feel slightly exclusive, in a way that I didn't really like."

The Armory, with an annual budget of about $28 million, has housed productions in the Drill Hall for as few as 100 patrons for a stunning, socially distanced dance piece last year by Jones, "Afterwardsness," and for as many as 1,800 for the Berlin Philharmonic. In addition to six major events each year, the organization holds lecture series, recitals and art installations in smaller quarters in and off the main hall, and has a commissioning arm for artists in a variety of genres.

"It's kind of in a league of its own," said Weems, whose "The Shape of Things," a multimedia investigation of the circuslike dimension of American political life, premiered at the Armory in December. "They were just really terrific all the way through. They just gave me the room to explore, to work, to question, to doubt, to change, to make course corrections when I needed to do that. The level of patience and the level of care was really quite remarkable."

Rebecca Robertson, the Armory's founding president and executive producer, had experience in the site-specific theater sector, some of it produced indoors in "found" spaces, at other times done in the open air. "There's something special about being in a nontheatrical environment to create work," she said via Zoom. "I remember the first time I went to see the Drill Hall. I just looked at this and I thought: 'Oh my God. No rain dates!' "

The Armory has been a protean play space, some inspiring combination of coliseum, soundstage and great chamber. In 2014, Kenneth Branagh and Rob Ashford turned the Drill Hall into a Scottish plain, staging "Macbeth" on a muddy battlefield set between two 550-seat grandstands that I dubbed "Game of Thanes." In 2018, playwright-director Simon Stephens mesmerizingly updated Federico Garcia Lorca's 1934 "Yerma" - the tragic tale of a woman who couldn't conceive - by placing the action in a glass box that made it seem as if her world was a stifling terrarium.

Such visually compelling adaptations happen again and again at the Armory, which has learned over time what works and what doesn't. A summer 2011 residency by the Royal Shakespeare Company on an overly labyrinthine structure yielded only lackluster stagings of crowd pleasers such as "Romeo and Juliet" and "As You Like It." But a captivating mounting in 2017 of Eugene O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape," directed by Richard Jones and starring Bobby Cannavale, amounted to a pinnacle moment for the Drill Hall. Scenes unfolded on a conveyor belt, with actors swaying in the claustrophobic bowels of a ship. They froze in position intermittently, like contorted statuary, courtesy of choreographer Aletta Collins.

The effect was a dreamlike conjuring of the early 20th century, in a cavernous space of vintage architectural finishes. "It's like a great European train station," Weems said of the Drill Hall. "The beautiful trusses and beautiful walkways, the elevated platforms that allow you to look down into the space. The place itself, the architecture, has incredible history."

When an artist knows how to work on such a big scale, Audi said, what happens in the Drill Hall expresses something ineffable and deeply emotional. "It's a dialogue with the space," he said of the work. "And that's kind of magical. It's very difficult to describe, but it's very, very touching."

- - -

"Hamlet,"by William Shakespeare. Directed by Robert Icke. Sets and costumes, Hildegard Bechtler; lighting, Natasha Chivers; sound, Tom Gibbons; video, Tal Yarden; music, Laura Marling. With Ross Waiton, Joshua Higgott, Michael Abubakar, Gilbert Kyem Jr., Calum Finlay, Tia Bannon, Marty Cruickshank. About 3 hours 40 minutes. "Hamlet" runs in repertory with "Oresteia" through Aug. 13 at Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave., New York. 212-933-5812. armoryonpark.org.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Iranian authorities arrested two filmmakers over an appeal they posted on social media, accusing them of links with opposition groups based outside the country and plotting to undermine the nations state security, Irans state-run news agency reported Friday.

According to IRNA, award-wining filmmaker Mohamad Rasoulof and colleague Mostafa Al-Ahmad were taken into custody for posting a statement on social media urging members of the Iranian security forces to lay down their weapons.

The hashtag #put_your_gun_down is a reference to the violent crackdown during the unrest following a building collapse in the southwestern city of Abadan that killed at least 41 people earlier this year.

The report did not elaborate when the two were arrested. At least 70 Iranian filmmakers and movie industry workers had signed the appeal.

The May 23 collapse at the Metropol Building in Abadan, some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran, dredged up painful memories of past national disasters and shined a spotlight on shoddy construction practices, government corruption and negligence in Iran. Protests erupted in Abadan over the collapse and the demonstrations have seen police club protesters and fire tear gas.

Rasoulof, who has been detained in the past and has had his passport confiscated, won the Berlin Film Festivals top prize in 2020 for his film There Is No Evil. It tells four stories loosely connected to the themes of the death penalty in Iran and personal freedoms under tyranny.

Shortly after receiving the award he was sentenced to a year in prison for three films he made that authorities found to be propaganda against the system. His lawyer appealed the sentence. He was also banned from making films and traveling abroad.

In 2011, Rasoulof and fellow director Jafar Panahi were arrested for filming without a permit. The pair received six years in prison and were banned from filmmaking for 20 years on charges that included making propaganda against the ruling system, but Rasoulofs sentence was later reduced to a year on appeal.

That year Rasoulof's film Goodbye won a prize at Cannes but he was not allowed to travel to France to accept it.

Irans conservative authorities, many with religious sensibilities, control all the levers of power in the country. They have long viewed many cultural activities as part of a soft war by the West against the Islamic Republic. They say Westernization is an attempt to tarnish the countrys Islamic beliefs.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Health officials in Oregon said Thursday they have confirmed six cases of monkeypox in the state.

The cases  all affecting men  include one in Multnomah County; three in Lane County; and two in Washington County, the Oregon Health Authority said in a statement. There have been no deaths.

Globally, nationally and in Oregon, cases were initially associated with travel but more recent cases do not have a history of travel, indicating transmission within the United States and Oregon, officials said. Officials said the same in Washington state this week, reporting nine cases in the most populous county, which includes Seattle.

Dr. Tim Menza, OHA senior health advisor for monkeypox response, said while anyone can be affected by monkeypox, the current global outbreak has largely affected men who have sex with men.

Right now our priority should be empowering men who have sex with men and the larger LGBTQIA+ and queer community and their health care providers with information, testing, prevention and treatment strategies, he said.

Oregons supply of vaccines has been limited but federal allocations to OHA have been arriving in recent days and are expected to increase. Menza said he hopes to expand vaccine availability to beyond just those who have been exposed to the virus.

Experts say anyone can be infected through close contact with a sick person, their clothing or bedsheets. Most monkeypox patients experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions.

Most people recover within about two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized, monkeypox can be fatal for up to 6% of cases and is thought to be more severe in children.
WASHINGTON - Heavily armed police on Friday swarmed around the Capitol Hill rowhouse where former Trump White House adviser Stephen Bannon lives after receiving a false report that a man with a gun was inside and had shot someone, according to authorities.

Police shut down streets near the Supreme Court and the Capitol for about one hour, prompting fears of an active shooter. About 12:30 p.m., police reopened the streets after determining that there was no shooting, no weapon, no threat and no victim.

Police initially told The Washington Post that they had encountered a person who claimed to be armed and who appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis, but they found no gun and no one injured. A D.C. police spokeswoman later said someone had called a crisis hotline and reported that a man inside the rowhouse in the 200 block of A Street NE had shot someone and had a firearm.

The spokeswoman said that call appears to have been a "swatting" attempt, a practice in which someone calls in a false report of an emergency or a crisis to draw police to a particular address or person.

Efforts to reach Bannon and his attorneys were not immediately successful Friday afternoon, and police said they did not know if the person who called the hotline knew it was Bannon's residence. The call did not come from Bannon's home, though the caller pointed police to Bannon's address, officials said.

NBC News caught Bannon going into his house shortly after the incident ended. "The police were terrific," he said as he disappeared inside with several other people.

It was not immediately clear if Bannon was home at the time of the incident. Jeffery Carroll, an assistant D.C. police chief in charge of the homeland security bureau, said officers walked through the rowhouse and spoke with those inside to ensure it was safe.

"They were a little bit shocked, but obviously they understood why we were there," Carroll told reporters.

The 68-year-old former chief strategist for President Donald Trump is under indictment for bucking a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and his trial is scheduled to begin July 18.

Bannon, the former chairman of the conservative news outlet Breitbart News who served during Trump's early months in the White House, has lived in a rowhouse on A Street NE for several years. Some have dubbed the home the "Breitbart Embassy."

The location was last in the news in 2017 when the property's owner, a former member of the Egyptian parliament, sought permission to build a security fence in the designated historic district.

- - -

The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - One question hovering over President Joe Biden's Middle East trip next week, especially his Saudi Arabia stop, is how complicit American-made weapons are in the deaths of Yemeni civilians.

During the trip, Biden will discuss the U.N.-mediated truce in Yemen, which White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said "has led to the most peaceful period there since war began seven years ago."

Yet that long and brutal war has been fueled by the supply of U.S. weapons to the Saudi-led coalition waging it. Reports have documented massive civilian deaths. Last year, the United States vowed to end support of the coalition's offensive operations, including through arms sales.

But a report by the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog, raises troubling questions about how seriously State Department and Defense Department officials take that pledge.

Starting in 2015, the United States provided military support to the coalition, the report explained, which sought to restore Yemen's government after an Iran-backed Houthi military offensive overtook Sana'a, the capital.

Through 2021, the Pentagon approved $54.6 billion in military support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to the report. More than a third ($18.3 billion) was for missiles, including air-launched, ground-launched, and sea-launched varieties. Aircraft, ships, ammunition and weapons, all of which can be used offensively, also were included.

During that period, 23,000 airstrikes killed or injured more than 18,000 civilians, according to U.N. estimates.

Questions about American complicity in those deaths and injuries remain because U.S. officials can't define the terms of the discussion - or war.

"In February 2021 the President announced his intent to end U.S. support for offensive operations in Yemen," Jason Bair, GAO's director of international affairs and trade, said in an email. "While State officials told us that they attempt to distinguish between 'offensive' and 'defensive' weapons, they have no specific definitions of 'offensive' and 'defensive.' "

If the U.S. government can't tell the difference between offensive and defensive weapons, that's a fundamental problem generating others issues.

"Without clear definitions of 'offensive' and 'defensive' weapons, it can be difficult for the State Department to implement the President's wishes" to end offensive weapons assistance, Bair added. He noted that "State's assessment is based on the INTENDED use of the weapons, which may or may not match the actual use. State and DOD lack a comprehensive picture of how U.S. assistance has actually been used in the war in Yemen."

There's another problem with terms. Pentagon policy prohibits the "the misuse or unauthorized transfer" of defense goods and services, but those terms are not defined.

"DOD and State officials both said that use that causes civilian harm would not necessarily constitute 'misuse,' " GAO's report said.

While American officials don't know how much harm American materials have caused in Yemen, the United Nations found "that U.S.-origin defense articles may have been used in strikes that caused substantial civilian harm in a manner that violated international humanitarian law," the watchdog reported.

Curiously, U.S. officials haven't tried to find out what harm their military supplies have caused.

"Despite several reports that airstrikes and other attacks by Saudi Arabia and UAE have caused extensive civilian harm in Yemen," the report said, "DOD has not reported and State could not provide evidence that it investigated any incidents of potential unauthorized use of equipment transferred to Saudi Arabia or UAE."

The Pentagon also "has not fully measured the extent to which its advising and training have facilitated civilian harm reduction in Yemen," GAO found.

That tells Phyllis Bennis, a program director at the left-leaning Institute for Policy Studies, that "the U.S. military has no intention of tracking - let alone trying to seriously diminish - civilian casualties that it causes in the so-called Global War on Terror. It speaks to the legacies of racism, xenophobia and indeed cruelty in these wars."

Asked to comment on the GAO report, the Pentagon punted to State.

"We have engaged with the Saudi-led Coalition for several years on efforts to reduce the risk of civilian casualties and harm," State's public affairs office said by email. "The Saudis have received training from U.S. forces on Law of Armed Conflict, air-to-ground targeting procedures, and best practices for mitigating the risk of civilian casualties. The Saudi government has taken some steps to improve its targeting processes and adopted mechanisms for investigating alleged incidents of civilian casualties, though we recognize there is work to be done. . . .

"To truly address the issue of civilian casualties in Yemen," the statement continued, "we must also stop the kinds of violence that have been responsible for the vast majority of civilian casualties in recent years, like shelling, small-arms fire, and land mines. We have unfortunately seen the latter persist even during this current U.N. truce."

How GAO's findings affect Biden's trip and ongoing U.S.-Saudi relations depends to some extent on Congress, according to Akshaya Kumar, director of crisis advocacy for Human Rights Watch.

"Now they have a GAO report that shows the oversight is inadequate and incomplete," she said. "So, we're really hoping that Congress then takes up the mantle once again to pressure the administration to rethink its approach."

While American officials don't know how much harm American materials have caused in Yemen, the United Nations found "that U.S.-origin defense articles may have been used in strikes that caused substantial civilian harm in a manner that violated international humanitarian law," GAO reported.

For Human Rights Watch, which has published numerous reports about the tragedy in Yemen, the solution is not complex.

"The U.S. government . . . should just stop selling all weapons to the kingdom Saudi Arabia, at least until there's an end to these abusive actions in Yemen," Kumar said. "Just end all arms sales."
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SALEM, Ore. (AP)  Backers of a proposed initiative in Oregon that would require people to secure permits to buy firearms say concern about recent mass shootings have buoyed their effort and they have enough signatures to place it on the November ballot.

The Rev. Mark Knutson, a chief petitioner of the initiative, delivered signatures Friday afternoon to the Oregon secretary of state's office in Salem, accompanied by students and other volunteers. Election officials, who work under Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, will verify that the signatures are from registered voters.

Proponents of the measure say theyve seen surging interest in the possible November ballot question following recent mass shootings, and they hope the move to put the gun issue before voters catches fire in other states.

Lets go across the nation, and go from grief and despair and mourning," Knutson said. "We just need to take action. If people are afraid, if neighbors are being shot, if our children are in fear  if we dont take action, what are we doing?

The initiative supporters needed to deliver at least 112,080 registered voters signatures by the Friday deadline to get on the ballot, Knutson said. Proponents say they delivered 161,545 signatures.

It would ban large capacity magazines over 10 rounds  except for current owners, law enforcement and the military  and require a permit to purchase any gun. The state police would create a firearms database.

To qualify for a permit, an applicant must complete an approved firearm safety course, pay a fee, provide personal information, submit to fingerprinting and photographing and pass a criminal background check. The person must apply for the permit from the local police chief, county sheriff or their designees.

Oregon appears to be the only state in America with a gun safety initiative underway for the 2022 election, according to Sean Holihan, state legislative director for Giffords, an organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence.

The National Rifle Associations Institute for Legislative Action has denounced the initiative, saying on its website that these anti-gun citizens are coming after YOU, the law-abiding firearm owners of Oregon, and YOUR guns. They dont care about the Constitution, your right to keep and bear arms, or your God-given right of self-defense.

Voters in two predominantly Democratic neighboring states have already passed gun safety ballot measures.

In 2018, Washington state voters approved restrictions on the purchase and ownership of firearms, including raising the minimum purchasing age to 21, adding background checks and increasing waiting periods. In 2016, voters there overwhelmingly approved a measure authorizing courts to issue extreme risk protection orders to remove an individuals access to firearms.

California voters in 2016 passed a measure prohibiting the possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines and requiring certain individuals to pass a background check to buy ammunition.

The same year, voters in Maine narrowly defeated a proposal to require background checks before a gun sale.
SITKA, Alaska (AP)  An Alaska family had given up hope of finding their blind, elderly golden retriever who wandered away from their home three weeks ago, but a construction crew found Lulu in salmonberry bushes after initially confusing her for a bear.

Lulu was barely alive after being found Tuesday, but she is being nursed back to health and is back home with her family, the Daily Sitka Sentinel reported.

She means everything, owner Ted Kubacki said. I have five daughters and theyre 4 to 13 years old, so theyve spent every day of their life with that dog.

The Kubacki family searched for weeks after Lulu wandered off June 18.

Shes just so helpless, and you kind of imagined that she cant get real far because she cant see, he said.

It didnt help when the family was the subject of a terrible joke when someone claimed they found Lulu a few days into the search.

We put the kids to bed and got a text saying, We found your dog, or I have your dog, and were like, Oh my god, this is incredible, he said. Then the person texted me, Just kidding. This happened, yeah, that was all part of this terrible story.

After searching weeks, the family had given up hope.

But then a construction crew this week spotted Lulu lying in the brush alongside a road not far from the Kubackis home. She was about 15 feet (4.57 meters) down an embankment, and at first the crew thought it was a bear.

They got a closer look and they realized that it was a dog, and they got her out of there, Kubacki said.

All the sadness melted away when he got the call that Lulu had been found.

I called my wife from work and it was just screaming... She just starts yelling, then she yells to the kids. And I just hear them screaming like crazy, Kubacki said.

Although alive, Lulu was in bad shape. The 80-pound (36.29-kilogram) dog had dropped 23 pounds (10.43 kilograms) since she was lost; she was dehydrated, dirty and her fur was matted.

I just expected to come back and be like Hey, heres my dog. Shes going to jump up and wag her tail and kiss my face, and she couldnt even pick up her head, he said. Shed been through the wringer."

Lulus condition has markedly improved with medical care, food and rest.

Slowly but surely she started eating and she was kind of able to pick her head up, Kubacki said. But then yesterday, she propped herself up on her front paws by herself, like nestled into me and gave me a kiss and wagged her tail and it was just so great.

A day later, she was able to stand on her own.

Kubacki, a grocery store employee and the sole provider for his family of seven, then worried about the veterinarians bill.

Those fears were unfounded as Sitka residents donated hundreds of dollars to cover Lulus recuperation bills.

We have our family member home, Kubacki said.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Dont worry Boris, theres one country where your popularity remains undimmed.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have been shown the door in Britain, but he remains a political juggernaut in Ukraine  widely admired for his uncompromising support for the countrys effort to defeat the Russian invasion.

We all heard this news with sadness, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said shortly after Johnson announced his resignation Thursday. Not only me, but also the entire Ukrainian society, which is very sympathetic to you.

Theres good reason for Johnsons popularity.

As he struggled to fight off police investigations, scandals and political attacks, Johnson deflected criticism at home by positioning himself as the leader of the international effort to help Ukraine combat Russian aggression.

Since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, Johnson has pledged 2.3 billion pounds ($2.8 billion) of military aid to Ukraine, including armored vehicles and anti-tank missiles. Hes also dispatched economic support, guaranteeing millions in World Bank loans for the country.

Ukrainians have also seen the disheveled U.K. leader in person twice in the last few months.

At a time when Ukraine was still reeling from the initial Russian assault, Johnson showed grit by visiting in early April, walking beside Zelenskyy on the still-empty streets of the capital, Kyiv, which had only recently been under attack.

During a second trip to the capital in June, Johnson stopped to speak with soldiers and served up the aw shucks brand of affability that had until recently cemented his popularity in Britain.

Dobryy den everybody, he said, awkwardly mixing his good day greeting in Ukrainian with English. Im Boris Johnson from London. I just want you to know that we support you. Slava Ukraini (Glory to Ukraine)!

His stance was popular at home, too, where even those who despised Johnson embraced his support for Ukraine.

Johnson and his Cabinet ministers wore crossed Ukrainian and British flags on their lapels, and U.K. government social media accounts feature a banner proclaiming The U.K. stands with Ukraine as a symbol of solidarity.

None of that was lost on the people of Ukraine, where reports of Johnsons political demise were met with concern.

Sure, other world leaders have visited  Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EUs executive arm, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron, to name a few. But they came after Johnson.

The man is cool, said Kyiv resident Dmytro Dimitryi. He is a slightly unconventional man who does not fit into the generally accepted norms.

Indeed, Johnsons legacy in Ukraine will live on in simple ways.

At Kyivs Zavertailos Cafe, the outgoing British leader has been honored with his very own confection, the Boris Johnsonyuk.

The cake, inspired by English apple pie and Johnsons mop of blond hair, consists of baked apple, vanilla custard, meringue and vanilla ice cream.

It almost always sells out.

___

Kirka reported from London.

___

Follow all AP stories on British politics at https://apnews.com/hub/boris-johnson
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP)  Three former employees have sued Walt Disney World, saying they were fired after refusing to wear face masks and get the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious reasons, according to a lawsuit.

Barbara Andreas, Stephen Cribb and Adam Pajer said in the lawsuit filed June 30 that Disney discriminated against them by not accommodating their requests to be exempt from the company's mandates requiring the vaccine and facial coverings.

Andres and Cribb were fired in March, while Pajer was let go in June, according to the lawsuit. The trio had worked for the company between seven and 20 years.

Disney's vaccine mandate was suspended in November after Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers limited the power for employers to require workers to be vaccinated. The company later dropped masking requirements for vaccinated employees.

The lawsuit claims that Disney's augmented protocols" that were forced on nonvaccinated employees consisted of harsh isolation and restrictions" that caused serious breathing" and made it nearly impossible to find a compliant manner and location in which to eat or drink while on shift."

Adreas, who had worked for Disney for 17 years, had sought a religious exemption, claiming that wearing a facial covering is an affront" of her Christian beliefs. The lawsuit also claimed that participating in a medical experiment, such as covid testing or vaccines" also violated her beliefs because aborted fetal cells were used to manufacture it.

Disney responded to her request on Dec. 29, saying that after careful review of the information you provided, we are unable to conclude that you are prevented from wearing a face cover due to a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance."

The employees cited Biblical scriptures in requesting their accommodations, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit claims that Disney could and should have chosen to accommodate these religious beliefs in practice," and that the protocols made it clear the company irrationally" feared the workers as perpetually exposed or infectious with disease and a perpetual danger to other cast and guests."

Disney has not responded to a request for comment about the lawsuit.

The ex-employees are seeking an unspecified amount of money to compensate for lost wages, benefits and attorneys fees, the lawsuit said.

Each of the fired workers reported the company to the Florida Attorney General, the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming discrimination and retaliation and for violating state laws prohibiting workplace vaccine mandates, the lawsuit said.

They are suing under as Florida statute on whistleblowing, claiming that reporting the company to authorities also led to their firings, the lawsuit said.
BOSTON (AP)  A former U.S. Department of Defense employee will plead guilty to charges that he used government funds to create a no-show job for a friend and pay for 31 personal trips to Orlando, Fla., Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins announced Friday.

Thomas Bouchard, 59, was working as a U.S. Army contracting officer in Massachusetts when he arranged for a private defense contractor to hire his friend, Chantelle Boyd, in 2014. Boyd, who also faces charges, allegedly made nearly $500,000 over four years for doing little to no work. Her salary was paid using federal funds.
BUCHAREST, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China's spectacular achievements in space are actually a benefit for the entire humankind, Dumitru Prunariu, the first and only Romanian astronaut, told an international conference on Thursday.

Prunariu made the remarks when presenting in detail China's space program and its specific goals to an audience of academics, researchers, diplomats and ambassadors from 20 countries at a conference on "Asia's Century."

China's technological development "culminated in Yang Liwei's successful flight in 2003 into outer space which made China the third country to independently send humans into space," said Prunariu, the 103rd astronaut of the world and a retired general and former ambassador.

"In 2016, a 33-day crewed spaceflight mission proved that China was ready for a long-term space station built and maintained by its own," he said.

As a permanent representative at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) for 35 years, Prunariu has firsthand information about the space programs of all countries and a comparative view thereupon.

"In 2018, China performed more orbital launches than any other countries on the planet for the first time in history," said Prunariu, describing the scale of China's space program as "impressive" as it includes not only the biggest number of launches and their own space station, where they actually invited all countries to perform scientific experiments, but also crewed expeditions to the Moon, Mars and interplanetary missions to explore the Solar System and beyond.

In 2007, China became the fifth nation to send satellites into orbit. In 2013, China landed Chang'e-3 on the surface of the moon, making it the third country to ever successfully "soft land" on the moon. In 2020, China made a successful lunar sample return mission, marking the completion of China's three-step lunar exploration program of orbiting, landing and bringing back samples, which began in 2004.

"The Chinese are among the most active members, showing interest in peaceful and sustainable cooperation of outer space, with a specific emphasis on the Moon and other celestial bodies," said Prunariu. 
WHEATON, Ill. (AP)  A former suburban Chicago man sought for 22 years after fleeing the country to avoid trial on a charge of concealing a homicide has been captured and returned to DuPage County, prosecutors said Friday.

Romulo Mendoza, 46, was arrested last month trying to re-enter the U.S. on the southern border, the DuPage County States Attorneys Office said without specifying the location.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Now that former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to federal prison, attention turns to the fates of three fellow ex-cops who are still working their way through a complicated web of state and federal court proceedings arising from the killing of George Floyd.

Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane still await sentencing for their convictions on federal civil rights charges in February. Lane awaits sentencing in state court after pleading guilty to a reduced charge there, while Thao and Kueng are scheduled to stand trial in October on state charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter.

Kueng and Lane helped restrain Floyd while Chauvin, who is white, killed Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly 9 1/2 minutes despite the handcuffed and unarmed Black man's fading pleas that he couldn't breathe. Thao helped hold back an increasingly concerned group of onlookers at the scene outside a Minneapolis convenience store where Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill in August 2020.

Here's a look at what's still to come in the legal process that has flowed from a killing that led to worldwide protests and a national reckoning on racial injustice:

CHAUVIN'S FUTURE

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Chauvin on Thursday to 21 years in prison on federal civil rights charges  20 years stemming from Floyd's killing and a year more arising from Chauvin's earlier assault on a 14-year-old boy. With credit for seven months served, Chauvin still has 20 1/3 years to go  245 months  on his federal sentence, plus five years of supervised release after that.

As of Friday, Chauvin was still in the state's maximum security prison at Oak Park Heights, where he's been held since his conviction in state court last year for murder and manslaughter, which got him a 22 1/2 year sentence. His state and federal sentences are running concurrently. But because of differences between state and federal parole rules, he'll actually serve a little more time behind bars on the federal sentence than he faced under his state sentence alone.

Chauvin knew that when he accepted a plea deal on the federal charges in December. But he presumably considered that preferable because he's been kept in solitary confinement in the state prison for his own safety. If he'd been in the general population at a state prison, he would have run the risk of running into people he had busted. Magnuson expressed hope at Thursday's sentencing that the Bureau of Prisons will keep him under easier conditions, and not too far from his family in Minnesota and Iowa. But his placement is up to the bureau, which could take weeks to move him.

While Chauvin gave up his right to appeal his federal conviction, his appeal of his state conviction is pending. He also faces a pair of federal civil rights lawsuits.

NEXT FEDERAL SENTENCINGS

Magnuson has not set sentencing dates for Thao, Kueng and Lane, who remain free on bail. Federal prosecutors have already asked the judge to give Thao and Kueng sentences that would be shorter than Chauvin's, but substantially higher than the 5 1/4 to 6 1/2 years they're seeking for Lane.

Thao's attorney, Robert Paule, is seeking a sentence of two years. The recommendation from Kueng's attorney, Thomas Plunkett, remains sealed and Plunkett did not immediately return a call seeking comment Friday.

Lane's attorney, Earl Gray, has asked for 27 months, which if granted would let Lane go free after two years. That's about when Lane would become eligible for release on his recommended state sentence. Lane's plea agreement on a state charge of aiding and abetting manslaughter calls for three years. Under Minnesota's system, assuming good behavior, inmates are entitled to parole after two-thirds of their sentence; in the federal system they become eligible after 85%.

Magnuson expressed some sympathy for the three Thursday, when he told Chauvin, You absolutely destroyed the lives of three young officers by taking command of the scene. But evidence presented at their trial established that they failed to stop Chauvin while they could still have saved Floyd's life. Magnuson gave Chauvin a little break by imposing a sentence that was lower than what prosecutors sought, but did not indicate how he'd treat Thao, Kueng or Lane.

UPCOMING IN STATE COURT

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill has scheduled Lane's sentencing for Sept. 21. Prosecutors and Gray are jointly recommending three years. He would serve that at the same time as his federal sentence, and in federal prison.

Cahill has set the trial for Thao and Kueng, who rejected offers of plea agreements earlier, to begin Oct. 24. But his order left open the possibility that deals could still be reached. He said the court would not accept a plea bargain unless the change-of-plea hearing was scheduled for not more than 15 days after the defendants' federal sentencings.

If Thao and Kueng go to trial, a major difference from Chauvin's will be that most proceedings won't be televised or livestreamed. Cahill made a rare exception for Chauvin's trial due to the dangers of COVID-19. But he ruled that the risks from the pandemic have abated to the point that he's bound by the state court systems normal restrictions on cameras, which allow them in pre-guilt phases only when all parties consent, but are easier for sentencings.

Minnesota Chief Justice Lorie Gildea was impressed enough with how smoothly live audiovisual coverage worked during Chauvin's trial that she asked a court advisory committee to consider whether the rules should be loosened. But a divided panel recommended in its final report last week that there be no major changes. Any liberalization would be up to the Minnesota Supreme Court, but there's no deadline for a decision.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  The family of a Portland man who was brandishing a pellet gun when he was killed by a police officer in 2017 has settled its lawsuit against the officer.

Sgt. Nicholas Goodman shot 22-year-old Chance David Baker in the parking lot of a strip mall in February 2017. The Maine Attorney General's Office said Goodman was justified in shooting Baker, whose air rifle appeared to be a real rifle, and that he appeared ready to pull the trigger.
FARGO, N.D. (AP)  A Fargo police officer shot and killed a man Friday morning after authorities responded to a call about two people slumped over in a van that turned out to be stolen, officials said.

The 28-year-old Jamestown man was shot after driving the van out of a garage at an apartment complex, Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibloski said. The man died at a hospital several hours after the shooting.
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LISBON, Portugal (AP)  Jose Eduardo dos Santos, once one of Africas longest-serving rulers who during almost four decades as president of Angola fought the continents longest civil war and turned his country into a major oil producer as well as one of the worlds poorest and most corrupt nations, died Friday. He was 79.

Dos Santos died at a clinic in Barcelona, Spain, following a long illness, the Angolan government said in an announcement on its Facebook page.

The announcement said dos Santos was a statesman of great historical scale who governed ... the Angolan nation through very difficult times.

Dos Santos had mostly lived in Barcelona since stepping down in 2017 and had been undergoing treatment there for health problems.

Angolas current head of state, Joao Lourenco, announced five days of national mourning starting Saturday, when the countrys flag will fly at half-staff and public events are canceled.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recalled dos Santos participation in the struggle that led to Angolas independence and his leadership through the signing of the peace agreement that put an end to the civil war in 2002, his spokesman said. During his tenure, Angola became an important regional and international partner and advocate for multilateralism.

The U.N. Security Council stood in silent tribute to dos Santos at the start of a meeting Friday after the current council president, Brazils U.N. Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho expressed its sadness at his death.

Dos Santos came to power four years after Angola gained independence from Portugal and became enmeshed in the Cold War as a proxy battlefield.

His political journey spanned single-party Marxist rule in post-colonial years and a democratic system of government adopted in 2008. He voluntarily stepped down when his health began failing.

In public, dos Santos was unassuming and even appeared shy at times. But he was a shrewd operator behind the scenes.

He kept a tight grip on the 17th-century presidential palace in Luanda, the southern African countrys Atlantic capital, by distributing Angolas wealth between his army generals and political rivals to ensure their loyalty. He demoted anyone he perceived to be gaining a level of popularity that could threaten his command.

Dos Santos greatest foe for more than two decades was Jonas Savimbi, leader of the UNITA rebels whose post-independence guerrilla insurgency fought in the bush aimed to oust dos Santos Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, or MPLA.

The MPLA had financial support from the Soviet Union and military support from Cuba in its war against UNITA. Savimbi was backed by the United States and South Africa.

The war would last, with brief periods of U.N.-brokered peace, until 2002 when the army finally tracked down Savimbi in eastern Angola and killed him.

Dos Santos abruptly shed his Marxist policies after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. He moved closer to Western countries, whose oil companies invested billions of dollars in mostly offshore exploration.

His supporters praised his ability to adapt to changing circumstances. His critics called him unscrupulous.

Dos Santos was invited to the White House in 2004 by then-president George W. Bush as the United States has looked to reduce its dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Angola became sub-Saharan Africas second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, producing close to 2 million barrels per day. It also unearthed more than $1 billion worth of diamonds each year.

However, the wealth never reached the Angolan people, who during and after the civil war were at risk from large areas of unmapped minefields and had little access to basic amenities, such as running water or roads. Education and health care were -- and remain -- sparse.

More than $4 billion in oil revenue vanished from Angolan state coffers between 1997 and 2002, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a 2004 report, based on an analysis of figures from the International Monetary Fund.

The U.S. State Department said that wealth in Angola is concentrated in the hands of a small elite, who often used government positions for massive personal enrichment.

Dos Santos was believed to own valuable real estate in Brazil, France and Portugal, as well as foreign bank accounts.

Under his rule, and despite the general poverty, street protests were rare and quickly broken up by the heavily armed riot police known popularly as Ninjas. A well-paid and well-equipped presidential guard was garrisoned inside dos Santoss palace and lined the citys grimy, potholed streets whenever he emerged.

A bricklayers son from Luanda, Angolas coastal capital, dos Santos began his political life with boots and a rifle in 1961 as an 18-year-old guerrilla for the MLPA in the fight for independence from Portugal.

MPLA bosses pulled him from combat in 1963 and sent him to the Soviet Union for training as a petroleum engineer and military communications specialist.

When he returned to Angola in 1970, he skillfully negotiated compromises to keep the MPLA from breaking up into splinter groups and as a reward was appointed to the partys central committee.

When independence arrived in 1975, dos Santos became foreign minister and later planning minister and deputy prime minister in the single-party Marxist state.

In a surprise choice, the MPLA elected dos Santos at 37 as president upon the death of Agostinho Neto, Angolas first leader, in 1979. Dos Santos was seen as a consensus figure between squabbling party veterans, but few anticipated his political longevity.

Dos Santos never sought to establish a personality cult and remained a mysterious figure. He reportedly once said in private he felt his true vocation was that of a monk.

Nor was he known for political sensitivity: He built a multimillion-dollar mansion on the fringe of a Luanda shantytown while millions of Angolans were fighting starvation during the civil war.

He was considered a sure loser against Savimbi in the countrys first democratic elections in 1992, following a peace treaty signed the previous year.

Margaret Anstee, a former U.N. special representative to Angola, described dos Santos as being almost the opposite of Savimbi.

His demeanor was grave and reserved, to the point that I traced a sense of shyness or timidity, absurd as this seemed. The contrast with Dr. Savimbis flamboyant personality could not have been more vivid, she wrote in her 1996 book on Angola entitled Orphan of the Cold War.

But in further evidence of his staying power dos Santos held on again, narrowly outpolling Savimbi for president while leading the MPLA to a parliamentary majority in the simultaneous legislative election.

When Savimbi rejected his defeat at the ballot box and returned to his armed struggle, Western support gradually swung behind dos Santos.

The foes signed another peace deal, brokered by the United Nations, in 1994, but that also unraveled four years later.

Meanwhile, dos Santos  with an army of around 100,000 troops, many with years of jungle combat experience  essayed a role as a regional power broker, starting with neighboring countries.

He sent 2,500 troops to Republic of Congo in 1997 to help President Denis Sassou-Nguesso seize power and the following year sent a contingent to Congo to help President Laurent Kabilas government fight rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

The end of Angolas civil war in 2002 brought an opportunity for broader economic development in the southern African country, which is more than three times the size of California.

But public infrastructure was devastated; 4 million people  about one-third of the population at the time  had fled their homes because of the fighting; and oil and diamond wealth continued in the hands of the political and military elite.

Berlin-based Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 named Angola as one of the worlds 10 most corrupt countries.

As land mine-maimed children begged in the streets, politicians wives flew to New York on the government health budget for nip-and-tuck cosmetic surgery, wrote John McMillan, a Stanford University economics professor, in a 2005 study on Angolan corruption.

Under pressure to finally hold a ballot, dos Santos announced legislative elections in 2008 and a presidential election the following year.

Dos Santoss MPLA won the most votes for parliamentary seats. But then the head of state changed tack, first postponing the presidential ballot and then scrapping it.

He altered the constitution so that the president is chosen by the party which wins the parliamentary elections. That kept him in power for another eight years.

However, with his health reportedly worsening, Dos Santos announced in 2016 he would retire.

He was replaced by Lourenco, an MPLA stalwart, who has made an anti-corruption drive his flagship policy. He has targeted dos Santos grown children, who possess fabulous personal wealth, but not his predecessor.

The change in fortune for dos Santoss family has prompted one of his daughters to suspect that a conspiracy was behind her fathers illness and death. Spanish prosecutors and police are looking into allegations by Tchize dos Santos that people close to the ex-president have tried to kill him, failed to care for him properly and acted negligently.

Dos Santos, who was married four times, was survived by his current wife, Ana Paula, by whom he had three children. He is known to have at least three other children and various grandchildren.
ATLANTA (AP)  Stacey Abrams fundraising continues to accelerate, swamping Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and pushing close to $50 million raised in the seven months since the Georgia Democrat announced her campaign in December.

Abrams announced Friday that her direct campaign and its associated One Georgia committee raised $21.8 million during the two months ended June 30 and together had $18.5 million in cash on hand.

That's far more than the combined $6.8 million Kemp raised for his direct campaign and associated Georgians First committee. Kemp said he had $6.4 million in cash as of June 30.

Abrams also said that One Georgia, a special state fundraising vehicle allowing her to collect unlimited contributions and coordinate spending with her campaign, raised $6.3 million before May.

The leadership committee had not reported numbers at an earlier deadline because of legal disputes. Abrams started collecting contributions for One Georgia before the May 24 primary, in which she was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. However, state ethics officials ruled that she could not use the leadership committee vehicle until she was officially certified as the Democratic nominee after the primary, even though state party officials argued she was already the party standard-bearer as the only Democrat who filed to run.

Abrams spokesperson Jaylen Black said Friday that the campaign understands from state ethics officials that it is free to spend all of the leadership committee money that it raised before she became the official nominee.

Both Kemp and Abrams are spending heavily. Abrams has already spent more than $30 million with the general election campaign just begun. Kemp has already spent more than $17 million as he dismantled former U.S. Sen. David Perdue and others in the Republican primary.

The 2022 races in closely divided Georgia are likely to blow past old records, with a torrent of political spending expected from candidates, political parties and outside groups in the gubernatorial contest and the U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.

Kemp has raised more than $31 million, topping the $22.4 million he raised in his win over Abrams in 2018. But Abrams has raised $49 million in a much shorter period, with far more cash on hand. It's a flip from the decades when Georgia Democrats scratched for resources while Republicans generally enjoyed strong fundraising thanks in part to business contributions.

Abrams campaign manager Lauren Groh Wargo said more than 240,000 donors have given $100 or less to Abrams. She argued that Abrams must strongly outspend Kemp to overcome the advantages he gets from being a sitting governor, including the ability to command news coverage and hand out federal COVID-19 relief money.

While we are gratified by the strong fundraising we have secured to date, we understand that our campaign must continue to dramatically outraise and outspend the incumbent in order to create a level playing field, Wargo wrote Friday in a publicly distributed memo.

She said Abrams would spend the money on deep, continuous and thoughtful engagement with the most diverse electorate in the states history," in keeping with Abrams' voter mobilization approach.

Kemp spokesperson Tate Mitchell said Kemp will run on his record while acknowledging that Abrams and her liberal allies can  and will  continue to outraise and outspend our campaign.

Far-left radicals from across the country are bankrolling Stacey Abrams' campaign to bring the failed agenda of D.C. Democrats to Georgia, Mitchell said in a statement.

Georgia candidates have a grace period ending Friday to file after the June 30 deadline. Neither Abrams nor Kemp had filed their actual reports with state ethics officials as of Friday afternoon. Libertarian Shane Hazel hadn't filed yet and independent Al Bartell said he raised $50 during the period.

Both Perdue and Abrams sued over Georgia's leadership committee rules, saying it was unfair that Kemp could take in large amounts while Perdue and Abrams were barred unless they won their party primaries.

After an earlier ruling that Kemp could not spend money from the committee for his campaign against Perdue, U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen ruled that Georgians First Leadership Committee could not solicit or receive contributions until after the primary election made Kemp the Republican nominee for governor.

___

Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.



An earlier version of the story listed incorrect fundraising totals for Libertarian Shane Hazel and independent Al Bartell.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  The Connecticut Lottery Corp. has settled a lawsuit filed by its former vice president over the handling of her complaint to the FBI of possible wrongdoing in the quasi-public agency.

Under the settlement agreement, obtained in an open records request by The Hartford Courant, Chelsea Turner and her attorneys will be paid $450,000 and she is absolved of any wrongdoing.
AP

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  The man accused of using a flamethrower to set fire to a Pan-African flag flying on a pole outside the headquarters of the Uhuru Movement, a Black international socialist group based in Florida, was arrested Thursday, police said.

The 19-year-old Tampa man, who is Black, was booked into the Pinellas County jail on a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge, according to jail records. Officials have also initiated the process for a risk protection order on the man.
DURHAM, N.C. (AP)  A gang member has been found guilty of murder in the death of a 9-year-old North Carolina boy who was shot as he sat in an SUV with his aunt and other children while on his way to get snow cones.

News outlets report a federal jury deliberated for eight hours over two days before it found Antonio Davenport Jr. guilty on Thursday on all three counts of federal murder, gun and racketeering charges. The crimes could result in two life sentences, plus another 10 years or more. Davenport's sentencing is scheduled for September.
Bruna Prado/AP

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Brazil's federal police said Friday they arrested a man to investigate his possible links with illegal fishing in the area where British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were killed just over a month ago.

This is the fourth arrest since the beginning of the investigation, and police said in a press conference Friday that the investigation continued, to see if more people are involved.
People are seen in Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Shadati)

ISTANBUL, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkish health specialists have warned against an increase in COVID-19 cases across Turkey, urging authorities to take immediate precautions.

The BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of the Omicron strain have quickly increased the number of daily cases, said Mehmet Ceyhan, head of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases of the Ankara-based Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine.

Ceyhan called on health authorities to reinstate some of the COVID-19 measures which had been gradually lifted this spring.

A polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 test should be requested again when entering Turkey, he said, adding masks should be worn when taking public transportation and elevators in hotels, and social distancing should be ensured in restaurants.

"Omicron was the Trojan horse of the coronavirus. It entered into society as a harmless mutant. Humans relaxed. Precautions were finished, and vaccination stopped," he explained the latest surge in a tweet. However, he warned that the "mutation machinery" continues its work.

"Let's hope the machine will not produce new mutants that cause severe clinical presentation," Ceyhan added.

Turkey recorded 57,113 cases and 25 fatalities between June 27 and July 3, up from 26,635 cases and 17 deaths the week before, the Turkish Health Ministry reported.

Experts believe that the actual number is much higher than the official figure as rapid antigen tests are not documented.

Esin Davutoglu Senol, a member of the Turkish Medical Association Pandemic Working Group, blamed uncontrolled international mobility and activities for the constantly increasing cases in Turkey as well as across the world.

"We launched a very big international activity together. The wave did not come to us, but we jumped into it," Senol, who is a professor of infectious diseases at the Ankara-based Gazi University, was quoted as saying by the online news platform Diken on Thursday.

"It is important that people do not get sick, and the scientific world is working towards this. Because even if the disease is very mild, it can leave sequelae (long-term effects)," she said.

"We do not know how the virus will behave in whom. We want to protect vulnerable groups against the possibility of serious illness," she added.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the number of cases might increase, but the power of the virus to make people sick has decreased. He advised those in risk groups to follow personal precautions and get their booster shots. 

People walk on a street in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Shadati)

People walk on a street in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Shadati)

People walk on a street in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Shadati)
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SALEM, Ore. (AP)  In 2020, Black Lives Matter protesters were doused with tear gas, making them gasp for breath, their eyes feeling as if they were on fire. Bystanders, including children and pregnant women, were also exposed.

As police responded to mass protests across the nation two years ago with tear gas and other chemical munitions, more than a dozen U.S. senators asked the congressional watchdog to find out whether federal agencies have assessed how safe they are.

But the report by the Government Accountability Office skipped that question, dedicating only three paragraphs to the effects of chemical irritants and flash-bangs. Both of the U.S. senators from Oregon  where the Trump administration deployed militarized federal agents  believe the report leaves too many questions unanswered and are calling for regulation of the tear gas industry.

The GAO report noted there were incidents in which less-lethal force may have been used by federal agents in violation of policy, but provided no details.

This report is completely inadequate, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, one of the report requesters, said through spokeswoman Molly Prescott. Congress and the American people deserve to know the details to better understand the significant issues and damage done by inappropriate use of less-lethal force."

Portland, Oregons largest city, was an epicenter of the protests, with months of nightly, often violent demonstrations and vandalism following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Portland police used tear gas and pepper balls against protesters, and the Trump administration sent militarized federal agents to the city, starting in July 2020.

At least 1,315 federal officers were deployed to Oregon, according to a redacted document obtained by U.S Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, from the Department of Homeland Security. They used more than a dozen different types of crowd-control devices, including 40 mm canisters loaded with tear gas or an oily extract of pepper plants, 40mm direct impact rounds loaded with tear gas or pepper compounds, smoke grenades and foggers that emit chemical irritants, the document showed.

Law enforcement officials say tear gas, if used properly, is an effective tool for crowd control. On Sunday, police in Akron, Ohio, used tear gas against people protesting the shooting of Jayland Walker, a Black man who was killed by police on June 27 in a hail of gunfire.

Wyden isnt satisfied with the GAO report and will keep pressing for answers, spokesman Hank Stern said.

Gretta Goodwin, a director of the GAO and lead author of the report released late last year, said her office was unable to answer the senators question on whether federal agencies have assessed the safety and effectiveness of tear gas and other chemical munitions, or their impacts on underlying health conditions.

We start out by looking to see what information is out there, Goodwin said over the phone. We werent really able to find anything.

Instead of government oversight, the multi-billion-dollar industry regulates itself, a situation Wyden believes must end.

He will push ... for the appropriate federal agencies to oversee the manufacture of tear gas in our country, as well as to undertake an urgently needed non-industry and neutral study into the impact of these weapons on human health and the environment, Stern said.

The Associated Press previously found few studies exist on the health effects of tear gas, with many being old and focusing on military personnel, who tend to be healthier and in better physical condition than the general public.

The GAO found that three federal agencies  the Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Secret Service  dont even document when officers violate their agencies policies while using these weapons.

That needs to be known. That needs to be more transparent, Goodwin said.

Among controversial tactics and actions taken by law enforcement during Black Lives Matter protests: "Kettling, in which police seal off escape routes while blanketing people in tear gas and firing pepperballs; and firing projectiles point-blank at people. Donavan LaBella suffered severe injuries while peacefully protesting in Portland when he was hit in the face by a projectile fired by a federal officer.

Samira Green, pregnant at the time, found herself enveloped by tear gas fired by Portland police on June 2, 2020.

Literally, you cannot breathe anything. It is clenched, Green said, describing how her lungs seemed to seize up.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that long-lasting exposure or exposure to a large dose of riot control agent, especially in a closed setting may cause blindness, glaucoma, severe chemical burns to the throat and lungs, respiratory failure and death.

The GAO report footnoted a 2016 study by Physicians for Human Rights and the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations on health consequences of crowd-control weapons.

But the congressional watchdog agency should have noted that our data is quite limited because there is no transparency about the weapons, said Rohini Haar, co-author of the 2016 study.

Tear gas, which is banned in warfare by the Chemical Weapons Convention, is getting more powerful, Haar said. Silicon is sometimes added to make tear gas last longer in the air and on surfaces, even though its health effects are unknown, said Haar, an emergency room physician and researcher at the University of California School of Public Health in Berkeley.

Haar said its time for the U.S. government to either do its own research on riot-control agents or support others to conduct it.
BATTLE GROUND, Wash. (AP)  A southwestern Washington man who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Friday to 21 days in prison and supervised release.

Jeremy Grace of Battle Ground pleaded guilty in April to one count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. As part of a plea deal, federal prosecutors agreed to drop three additional charges, KGW reported.
Navarro College, the southeast Texas junior college that gained international attention as home of the Netflix documentary series "Cheer," is facing a civil racial profiling lawsuit in federal court due to the actions of a campus officer.

The suit, which was originally filed in March, alleges that Michael Police, a Black former Navarro College football player, was racially profiled by Navarro College officer David Arnett, who's also named in the suit. According to court documents, Arnett accused Police and a friend of smoking marijuana while they were hanging out in a grassy area near an off-campus apartment complex in late-March 2020.

Attorneys for Police claim their client was instead smoking Black n' Mild cigar, and in court documents they argue there was "no good faith, reasonable, non-racial profiling or justifiable law enforcement reason whatsoever" for approaching Police. They also allege that Arnett's searches of Polices person while outside of Arnett's campus jurisdiction, and a search of Police's dorm room, violate search and seizure laws enshrined in the Fourth Amendment.

During a pat down that evening, Arnett found "a clear empty cylindrical tube" in Police's pocket and claimed he could "smell a faint odor of marijuana emanating from the tube but admittedly did not find any residue in or around the tube," Police's attorneys wrote in documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Police informed Arnett that the tube had been used to store a CBD cigarette, which are legal across Texas. However, as a result of Arnett's search, Police still faced criminal charges for possession of drug paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor in the state.

Texas is one of the few U.S. states that hold jury trials to rule on class C misdemeanors, so Police had to comply with a nearly two-year pre-trial process before he could face a jury. He was acquitted in Navarro County court in March 2022 by a jury that, according to Police's attorneys in court documents, "returned its verdict within minutes, a rare occurrence in a criminal case."

Police and his attorneys allege officer Arnett as a member of Navarro College's police departmenta separate agency from the Corsicana Police Department and Navarro County Sheriffs Officeengaged in a pattern of racial profiling and of targeting Black students. They also argue that Arnett "has a history of targeting and harassing African American male students at Navarro College with accusations, arrests, searches, and/or detentions [for] alleged criminal conduct," in court documents.

"Im not the first person this has happened to at Navarro. Im just the first one that fought it," Police said.

Police's attorneys also claim that the pursuit of criminal charges against their client constitutes malicious prosecution.

Keith Johnson, a former Navarro College police officer, as well as a 27-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department and a defense witness in Police's criminal trial, first blew the whistle on Arnett and the Colleges police department in the summer of 2020. Ray Hindieh, Polices criminal defense attorney and a former Dallas County assistant district attorney, agreed to represent Police pro bono upon learning the details of his case.

Spokespeople for Navarro College did not respond to multiple requests for comment. However, attorneys representing the college have filed a motion to dismiss the suit, claiming in court documents that "there are no well-pleaded facts in the Complaintto state a plausible claim that this initial encounter between Arnett and Police was a seizure subject to the Fourth Amendment." The colleges attorneys also challenged the legitimacy of Polices racial profiling and malicious prosecution claims in court documents.

Officer Arnetts attorneys have also filed a motion to dismiss the case and are challenging both the search and seizure and the racial profiling claims levied by Police, court documents show.

Attorneys representing Officer Arnett did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Is an unborn fetus a human being in the eyes of...Texas traffic laws?

A pregnant Dallas-area woman argued as much to police officers after recently being cited for driving alone in the HOV lane, according to a story published Friday afternoon by the Dallas Morning News' Dave Lieber.

Lieber reports that Plano resident Brandy Bettone was driving along U.S. Highway 75 en route to picking up her son when she found herself at a checkpoint facing a citation for using the high-occupancy vehicle lane while alone in her car.

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"I was driving to pick up my son. I knew I couldn't be a minute late, so I took the HOV lane," Bettone told Lieber. "As I exited the HOV, there was a checkpoint at the end of the exit. I slammed on my brakes and I was pulled over by police."

Bettone said officers asked her if there were any more occupants inside her vehicle. Pregnant with a daughter, Bettone told the officers her unborn child was inside the vehicle with her, according to Lieber.

"I pointed to my stomach and said, 'My baby girl is right here. She is a person,'" Bettone said. However the officers were not buying it. "He said, 'Oh, no. It's got to be two people outside of the body.'"

Bettone spoke with multiple officers over the course of her encounter, she told Lieber. One seemed indifferent, Bettone claimed, while another gave her a citation and told her to challenge it in court to have it thrown out.

"One kind of brushed me off when I mentioned this is a living child, according to everything that's going on with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 'So I don't know why you're not seeing that,' I said," Bettone explained. "He was like, 'I don't want to deal with this....Ma'am, it means two persons outside of the body."

Bettone ended up receiving a $215 citation and instructions from the issuing officer suggesting that if she fought it, it would most likely get dropped. According to Lieber, the Dallas County Sheriff Department has declined to issue a statement on Bettone's citation or pregnancy defense.

In Texas, all abortions are now illegal following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe and pending enactment of state trigger laws on the practice. Prior to the high court's ruling, all abortions past six weeks of pregnancy had been outlawed by the Texas Heartbeat Act. This prior measure had been modeled closely after language crafted by Christian anti-abortion group Faith2Action Ministries, which has defined the presence of a fetal heartbeat as a marker of "an unborn human individual," according to The Texas Tribune.

Bettone said she does not plan to pay her fine for the incident.

"I will be fighting it," she said.
Multiple Texas political figures are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to officially declare an "invasion" is occurring on the Texas-Mexico border.

The push is based on a controversial legal theory asserting that the U.S. Constitution would empower Texas state officials and state law enforcement to carry out deportations independent of federal immigration authorities if Abbott formally declared an invasion.

"With an invasion, based on the constitution, that gives the state the authority to secure its own border," Rep. Bryan Slaton asserted in a video posted on Twitter Thursday afternoon. "And what were asking for is for Governor Abbott to listen... and declare this what it really is. It is an invasion."

"If the federal government wont deport them, we must," former gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines added in a tweet Friday afternoon, while also invoking President Trump. "@GregAbbott_TX - send them back to Mexico. No more catch and release. Texas first."

Slaton's and Huffines' comments came just after Abbott issued an executive order Thursday that appears to stop just short of what immigration hardliners are calling on the governor to do.

Abbott's order authorizes Texas National Guardsmen and Texas Department of Public Safety officers to "respond to this illegal immigration by apprehending immigrants who cross the border between ports of entry or commit other violations of federal law, and to return those illegal immigrants to the border at a port of entry." The order does not instruct officers to actually carry out deportations by expelling detained migrants from the U.S.

Abbott voiced skepticism about the legal foundations of taking this step and expressed concern that Texas officers would be opened up to federal prosecutions in April, the Texas Tribune reported.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, one of Abbott's close political allies, has also stopped short of endorsing the hardliners' legal theory. "While we consider this and similar new claims against the federal government, it would be improper, and could compromise Texas's litigation strategy, to comment on and telegraph the State's position and arguments on the issue," Paxton wrote in a June 7 letter declining Rep. Matt Krause's request for an advisory legal opinion on the matter from the AG's office.

The renewed calls urging Abbott to declare an invasion this week follow Tuesday's statements from local officials in multiple South Texas counties who claim they're facing an deluge of undocumented migrants into their communities.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden on Friday condemned the extreme Supreme Court majority that ended a constitutional right to abortion and delivered an impassioned plea for Americans upset by the decision to vote, vote, vote vote in November. Under mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful in response to the ruling, he signed an executive order to try to protect access to the procedure.

The actions Biden outlined are intended to head off some potential penalties that women seeking abortion may face after the ruling, but his order cannot restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions.

Biden acknowledged the limitations facing his office, saying it would require an act of Congress to restore nationwide access to the way it was before the June 24 decision.

The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law, Biden said. The challenge is go out and vote. For Gods sake there is an election in November!"

Biden's action formalized instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical abortion services. He was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.

His executive order also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities  an effort to protect women who seek or obtain abortion services. He is also asking the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online and establish a task force to coordinate federal efforts to safeguard access to abortion.

Biden is also directing his staff to line up volunteer lawyers to provide women and providers with pro bono legal assistance to help them navigate new state restrictions.

The order comes as Biden has faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect womens access to abortion. The court's decision in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Since the decision, Biden has stressed that his ability to protect abortion rights by executive action is limited without congressional action, and stressed that Democrats do not have the votes in the current Congress to do so.

We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice house to codify Roe," he said. "Your vote can make that a reality.

Biden for the first time last week announced his support for changing Senate rules to allow a measure to restore nationwide access to abortion to pass by simple majority, rather than the usual 60-vote threshold required to end a filibuster. However, at least two Democratic lawmakers have made clear they wont support changing Senate rules.

He predicted that women would turn out in record numbers in frustration over the court's decision, and said he expected "millions and millions of men will be taking up the fight beside them.

On Friday, he repeated his sharp criticism of the Supreme Court's reasoning in striking down what had been a half-century constitutional right to abortion.

Lets be clear about something from the very start, this was not a decision driven by the Constitution," Biden said. He accused the court's majority of playing fast and loose with the facts."

He spoke emotionally of a 10-year-old Ohio girl reported to have been forced to travel out of state to terminate a pregnancy after being raped, noting that some states have instituted abortion bans that don't have exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

A 10-year- old should be forced to give birth to a rapist's child!" an incredulous Biden nearly shouted. I cant think of anything more extreme.

Biden added that in the November congressional elections, The choice we face as a nation is between the mainstream or the extreme.

His directions to the Justice Department and HHS push the agencies to fight in court to protect women, but the order conveys no guarantees that the judicial system will take their side against potential prosecution by states that have moved to outlaw abortion.

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju called Biden's order "an important first step in restoring the rights taken from millions of Americans by the Supreme Court.

But Lawrence Gostin, who runs the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, described Bidens plans as underwhelming.

Theres nothing that I saw that would affect the lives of ordinary poor women living in red states," he said.

Gostin encouraged Biden to take a more forceful approach toward ensuring access to medication abortion across the country and said Medicaid should consider covering transportation to other states for the purposes of getting abortions.

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told the AP that the agency was looking at how Medicaid could cover travel for abortions, along with a range of other proposals, but acknowledged that Medicaids coverage of abortion is extremely limited.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser condemned Biden's order, saying, "President Biden has once again caved to the extreme abortion lobby, determined to put the full weight of the federal government behind promoting abortion."

Bidens move was the latest scramble to protect the data privacy of those contemplating or seeking abortion, as regulators and lawmakers reckon with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling.

Privacy experts say women could be vulnerable if their personal data is used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion  or medical care for a miscarriage  as well as those who assist them, experts say.

Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states  serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebooks Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Local prosecutors may go before sympathetic judges to obtain search warrants for users data.

Last month four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data to third parties.

___

AP writers Aamer Madhani, Marcy Gordon and Hillary Powell contributed to this report.
The world was worrying about war when rancher W.W. Brazel walked into the sheriff's office in Corona, N.M., on a hot, dusty day 75 years ago to report a "flying disk" he might have found on his property, about 100 miles northwest of Roswell Army Air Field.

The next day - July 8, 1947 - the public information officer at the base issued a news release stating the U.S. Army Air Forces had recovered a "flying saucer" at the ranch. While military brass quickly retracted the statement, it was too late: The legend of Roswell as the "UFO Capital of the World" was already soaring - much like the countless bright objects many Americans claimed to have seen in the sky that summer.

The event that we know today as the "Roswell Incident" gave birth to the modern movement of UFO sightings, along with the genre of alien science fiction.

"For centuries, people have seen things they can't explain," said Roger Launius, a historian and the retired curator of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. "In earlier generations, they referred to them as angels, demons, deities or whatever. That changes with the scientific revolution, where people began to wonder if the points of light they see are alien in nature."

The fertile ground for Roswell was sown under the darkening mushroom cloud of the nuclear age. World War II had ended less than two years earlier, and the United States and Soviet Union seemed to be on the precipice of another global conflict. The term "Cold War" was coined by George Orwell in a 1945 essay and entered the modern consciousness when Bernard Baruch, an adviser to President Harry S. Truman, uttered it in a speech in the spring of 1947.

Amid this heightened apprehension came the first news of "flying saucers" - and the term's first mention in print, according to the Oxford English Dictionary - on June 24. Media across the country reported that a civilian pilot named Ken Arnold said he'd spotted bright objects streaking across the sky at supersonic speeds near Mount Rainier in Washington.

Some officials suggested the fast-moving lights might have been rockets or jets being tested by the military. Nonetheless, public hysteria erupted over the next few weeks, with more than 800 similar sightings being reported across the country - many of them deemed "copycat" events by law enforcement and military officials.

"When Ken Arnold sees this stuff, it's told in an overblown tabloid way," Launius said. "It gets hyped-up in the press and builds from there. If the present doesn't tell you that Americans love conspiracies, I don't know what does. It wasn't any different in 1947."

While all this was happening, an unsuspecting Brazel was tending the sheep and cattle on his New Mexico ranch. With no radio or newspaper, he was isolated from the outside world. The rancher gave little thought to the unusual debris he found scattered around his pastures.

On July 5, Brazel headed into Corona on a Saturday night and learned what everyone else had been talking about. He began to wonder whether there was a connection. On Monday, he gathered up the strange material and traveled back into town to inform local officials of his discovery. The sheriff visited Brazel's ranch, then contacted the military.

The debris was transported to Fort Worth Army Air Field in Texas, where military experts proclaimed it was from a crashed weather balloon. However, before that pronouncement was relayed back to Roswell, the New Mexico base sent out the news release about finding a "flying saucer." Lt. Walter Haut, Roswell's public information officer, later claimed that base commander Col. William H. Blanchard had ordered him to use that description.

For a few days, the world's attention was focused on Roswell, N.M. But most people seemed satisfied with the military's explanation, and the story quickly faded.

It would not blow up again until 1978, when the National Enquirer ran an article about the incident. All of a sudden, new versions of the event emerged - some from the original participants - with reports of an actual spacecraft, alien bodies and a government coverup adding new layers to the legend.

"The story seems to get better with each retelling," Launius said. "Initially, there was no discussion whatsoever of alien bodies. That somehow gets wrapped in it as part of the original incident, even though there is nothing about it in the sources of the time."

The story evolved with a seemingly endless array of articles, books, movies and documentaries about what "really happened" in the New Mexico desert. In 1993, television audiences were introduced to the long-running series "The X-Files," whose fictional stories of FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Sculley tracking down alien abductions and an international conspiracy only added fuel to the fire.

Many involved with the incident altered their descriptions of events over time, including the government. In 1947, the CIA and military were concerned that these "flying saucers" were actually new technology being used by the Soviets. When the Army Air Forces retracted its first statement, it was less than forthcoming about the debris' origins - likely because it was hiding a secret.

"The weather balloon was a cover story," Launius said. "The best evidence suggests that this was a Project Mogul listening device that they recovered pieces of."

Project Mogul was a military program designed to intercept Russian radio messages via high-altitude balloons, which would eventually deflate and fall to the Earth. Several crash sites have been identified around the country. In 1994, a U.S. Air Force report identified the top-secret project as the likely source of the debris found in New Mexico.

Launius said the UFO sightings of the summer of 1947 were the result of a world consumed by fear of an apocalypse.

"Just in the United States between 1947 and 1960, there were a total of 6,523 UFO reports," he said. "There seems to be a direct tie between public perception of the reality of space travel and these UFO sightings. I am convinced that the rapid rise in the number of UFOs reported in the early Cold War era was the result of heightened tensions as everyone watched the skies for warning of a nuclear attack."

But even if the Roswell Incident could be explained by a military program, subsequent events in the skies remain a mystery. On July 19, 1952, almost exactly five years after Brazel reported the strange debris on his ranch, a series of UFO sightings occurred over Washington, D.C. Airline pilots reported seeing flashes of light streaking across the sky, and radar operators were perplexed by fast-moving blips on their screens. The Air Force scrambled jets to intercept the objects, which disappeared and never returned. The event 70 years ago has never been explained.

As the poster in Mulder's office in "The X-Files" reads, "I want to believe."
Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade on June 24, a number of states, including Texas, had trigger laws on the books that have or will soon go into effect, in some places wholly outlawing abortion. However, there are still methods for Texans to circumvent these bans, including the use of medical abortion pills and traveling out-of-state for the procedure. Texas Republicans have pledged to target those mediums next once the legislature reconvenes in 2023.

Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott passed a bill banning the use of abortion drugs after seven weeks of pregnancy. This ban also seemingly prohibits such pills from being mailed to anyone in living in Texas. However, while this law exists, there are still ways to access such pills without a provider licensed in Texas, or even anywhere in the U.S.

For example, a person living in Texas could order the pills online from a provider outside of the U.S. and have the pills mailed to their home in an unmarked package. Patients might also have friends or family mail the medication from a state where it is lawful.

So how would enforcement of Texas' ban on abortion drugs work? Elizabeth Kukura, an assistant professor of law at Drexel University in Philadelphia, says it will likely require interference with mail delivery, which is regulated by federal law, not state law. "It's going to require a high degree of surveillance of people's personal communications, their Internet search history, even physical movements, in order to gather evidence that somebody has had an illegal medication abortion," she says.

Given that such enforcement raises conflicts with federal law, Kukura suspects these disputes will give rise to a lengthy legal battle. Given the kind of highly intrusive nature of the government involvement, the surveillance of people's personal lives, she says, "I think enforcement of that kind of law would focus on, or at least would start with, the small number of people who have a medication abortion and then would need to seek medical care after the fact."

After getting a medication abortion, some people seek medical assistance in getting remaining tissue removed, which often looks like an early miscarriage, Kukura explains. That means patients with symptoms of a miscarriage could potentially be investigated for an illegal medication abortion. In fact, some states have already begun investigating women who experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth on suspicion that they induced an abortion, Kukura says. In some cases, medical staff have reported such patients to the police.

"It requires casting a wide net," Kukura says. "It requires including anyone who lost a pregnancy for any reason. It's a cruel way to treat people who have had an intended and wanted pregnancy, who have had a miscarriage and are maybe grieving that loss."

Even a simple online search for information about medication abortion could later be held against someone who has had a miscarriage or stillbirth."In states that attempt to criminalize all use of medication abortion, we can anticipate that there will be more aggressive surveillance of people's communications, their Internet searches, and even their movements," Kukura says. "Cell phones contain so much information about somebody's physical location that might later be considered evidence against them."

Banning interstate travel for abortions will be more difficult to enforce, Kukura says, as the U.S. Constitution protects the right to travel throughout the country and challenging this would undermine the idea of national citizenship. "I think that remains to be seen as how courts might weigh state's interest in fetal life... how courts might weigh that interest of the states against a recognized constitutional principle," she says.

However, how laws in one's state of residence could be applied to their conduct outside of the state is even more complex. Generally, courts have held that states' laws don't have the power to restrict what happens somewhere else, but it's likely that some states are just going to try and enforce them anyway, Kukura says, "which will then prompt a conflict between the laws of different states and test the strength of that precedent. Courts will be making new law on that point and we don't know exactly how they will perceive and judge the conflict between two different states."

There are already ways that states can exercise jurisdiction for crimes committed in another state. For instance, "a state can craft its abortion laws in a particular way to try to take advantage of those gaps in what is otherwise a general prohibition on applying criminal law outside of the state," Kukura says. "It's a little complicated but I think we should expect to see some states, including Texas, be quite bold about what kind of conduct among Texas citizens they try to ban outright."

Joanna Grossman, a law professor with Southern Methodist University, predicts bans on interstate travel for abortion will not be upheld if challenged. However, some lawmakers have discussed criminalizing funding and facilitating abortions out of state, which Grossman says is more convoluted.

"Texas does not have the authority to trap its residents in this way," Grossman says. "I think the more complicated questions arise if Texas passes a law that says in Texas people cannot pay for abortions out of state or facilitate travel for people out of state. I think that's going to be a more complicated question because Texas then would be regulating conduct that is occurring within the Texas, even though the abortion is occurring outside of Texas."

Texas prosecutors will also likely be more aggressive in using existing or new criminal laws to target people who travel elsewhere for an abortion. Ultimately, courts will have to decide "how far prosecutors are permitted to chip away at the kind of underlying principles of the sort of extraterritorial jurisdiction in service of the state's interest in limiting abortion," Kukura says. "That's going to be unfamiliar territory for the courts and against a backdrop of this highly politicized issue."

On Friday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order instructing the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to oppose efforts to limit access to federally approved abortion medication or travel across state lines to access abortion services. In addition, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement last month saying states cannot ban abortion medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

These issues will take time to play out with a variation among courts in different jurisdictions, and will unlikely have uniform results everywhere, Kukura says, adding, "that will only increase the uncertainty for people who are seeking abortion care."
U.S. Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) says he's looking forward to introducing legislation that would make Texas' abortion ban a nationally mandated federal law.

Arrington told KAMC ABC in Lubbock that he's looking forward to introducing a version of his state's abortion measures as a Congressional bill shortly, which, if passed, could extend Texas' ban on all abortions to the entire United States.

"I'd like to introduce it, I'm actually working on it right now," Arrington told KAMC. "To take the state of Texas law which basically prohibits abortion except in the situation where the mother's life is at risk...I'd like to have that the law of the land. That's be ideal for me."

The representative framed the Texas law as one that leaves the decision to have a life-saving abortion to the woman's family, her pastor and doctor. "So where there's the scenario of life for life, I think that's appropriately delegated to the woman and the family in consultation with their pastor and doctor, et cetera," Arrington said.

A longtime anti-abortion advocate, Arrington celebrated the Supreme Court's June overturning of Roe vs. Wade. In a statement reported by KAMC, Arrington said Texas' forthcoming full ban on abortions should be accommodated by adoption services providing "seamless" transition of children from mothers who do not want to carry a fetus to term to families that desire children.

"I think there are resources available to counsel women and to provide services to them," Arrington said. "We need to have adoption services and programs and processes that make it seamless for a transition of that child.

"I'm just pleased that we have a court that got it right," Arrington said. "And that honored and upheld the Constitution."
WFO EL PASO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 7, 2022

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AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY

Flood Advisory

National Weather Service El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

536 PM MDT Thu Jul 7 2022

...FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A FLASH FLOOD WARNING...

The threat of flooding continues and a Flash Flood Warning is now in

effect. Please refer to that bulletin for more information.

The National Weather Service in El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

North Central El Paso County in western Texas...

* Until 730 PM MDT.

* At 536 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1.5 and 2 inches of

rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are

possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected

to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban

areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as

other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Central El Paso, Northeast El Paso, East El Paso, Fort Bliss,

Biggs Field and Fort Bliss Northeast.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small

creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses

to cross flooded roads. Find an alternate route.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 7, 2022

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FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Northeastern Culberson County in southwestern Texas...

West Central Reeves County in southwestern Texas...

* Until 945 PM CDT /845 PM MDT/.

* At 636 PM CDT /536 PM MDT/, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms

producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 1.5

inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected

to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban

areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as

other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

mainly rural areas of Northeastern Culberson and West Central

Reeves Counties

This includes the following streams and drainages...

Cottonwood Creek, Salt Creek and Fourmile Draw.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law

enforcement and request they pass this information to the National

Weather Service when you can do so safely.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Country singer Dallas Smith returned to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Thursday night, for a night of high energy entertainment. The Canadian performer had a banner year in 2021 winning the Country Music Awards entertainer of the year, as well as the single of the year. The band is cu
The eligibility criteria of the two main Express Entry programs to help you plan for Canadian immigration.

FSWP vs CEC: What are the differences? The eligibility criteria of the two main Express Entry programs to help you plan for Canadian immigration.

FSWP vs CEC: What are the differences? The eligibility criteria of the two main Express Entry programs to help you plan for Canadian immigration.

FSWP vs CEC: What are the differences? The eligibility criteria of the two main Express Entry programs to help you plan for Canadian immigration. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Canadas Express Entry system manages the applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). You can be eligible for both at the same time, but you cannot choose which one you get invited to apply for.

The reason is that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invites candidates to apply based on the following order:

CEC

FSWP

Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

So if you are eligible for all three, you will be invited for the CEC. If you are eligible for the CEC and the FSWP you will be invited to apply for the CEC. If you are eligible for the FSWP and the FSTP you will be invited for the FSWP. The reason the CEC goes first is because these candidates do not have to provide proof of settlement funds, and many FSWP candidates who are also eligible for the CEC would prefer not to have this requirement. FSWP candidates are exempt from this requirement if they have a valid job offer in Canada.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

Although statistically speaking more CEC candidates apply from within Canada and FSWP candidates more often apply internationally, as long as you meet the criteria of each program you can still apply. Geographical location is not a factor of eligibility for either program. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the eligibility criteria for each program.

Eligibility criteria CEC FSWP Language CLB 7 if your NOC is 0 or A,

CLB 5 if your NOC is B CLB 7 Type of work experience Canadian experience in NOC skill level 0, A, or B Canadian or foreign experience in NOC skill level 0, A, or B Amount of work experience One year in Canada in the last 3 years (either combination of full-time or part-time work) One year continuous within the last 10 years (combination of part-time, full-time or more than 1 job in your primary occupation) Job offer Not required Not required, but you can get selection criteria (FSW) points for having a valid job offer Education Not required Secondary education required. You can get more selection criteria (FSW) points for your post-secondary education Proof of settlement funds Not required Required when candidate does not have a valid job offer in Canada Points grid No Yes

CEC eligibility

In order to be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class, you need to have at least one year of eligible work experience in Canada.

You need to have completed 1,560 hours of work within the past three years in an occupation that falls under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type 0, A, or B. Volunteer experience does not count. You must have been paid for your work, and had legal status to work in Canada.

In addition, you must meet the minimum English or French language proficiency in all abilities according to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB). For those with Canadian work experience in an NOC B occupation, you can be eligible with a CLB 5, all others need a CLB 7. Language tests are valid for two years and must be valid on the day you apply for permanent residence.

FSWP eligibility

The FSWP has minimum requirements for skilled work experience, language ability, and education. It also has its own points grid.

Skilled work experience means your occupation falls under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type 0, A, or B. Your experience must have the same NOC as the job you want to use for your primary occupation in your immigration application. Your skilled work experience must have been completed in the past 10 years. You can meet the minimum 1,560 hours required in a few ways:

full-time at one job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = one year full-time (1,560 hours)

equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = one year full time (1,560 hours)

full-time at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = one year full time (1,560 hours)

You must get a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 in English or French in all abilities including reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

To meet the minimum education requirement, you must prove you have either a Canadian high school diploma or the equivalent. If your education was completed outside of Canada, you need an Educational Credential Assessment.

IRCC will also assess your application based on a 100-point grid to assess eligibility for the FSWP. The current pass mark is 67 points. You earn points based on six factors:

age

education

work experience

whether you have a valid job offer

English and/or French language skills

adaptability (how well youre likely to settle here)

The table below shows how each factor is weighted according to IRCC.

Factors Points Education Up to 25 Language Skills Up to 28 Work Experience Up to 15 Age Up to 12 Arranged employment Up to 10 Adaptability Up to 10

The FSWP is the only Express Entry-managed program that uses this grid.

Canada has resumed Express Entry draws for FSWP and CEC candidates

After an 18-month pause, IRCC held an all-program Express Entry draw on July 6, inviting 1,500 candidates with scores of at least 557.

Furthermore, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has said that the expected processing times for all Express Entry programs will return to the processing standard for new applicants. That means new FSWP and CEC candidates could see their applications processed in six months.

Although we do not know for sure what the next Express Entry draw will look like, we know IRCC will have to continue holding all-program draws in order to meet their Express Entry targets on the immigration levels plan for the years to come.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
Sometimes  even in IT  slowing down can pay off big-time. For Wolverine Worldwide, COVID-19 proved the point.

While many companies accelerated their cloud migrations in response to the pandemic, the 140-year-old boot and shoe manufacturer halted much of its technology projects to focus on keeping the business afloat, a decision that left the company a bit behind where it wanted to be but better positioned to succeed, thanks to the availability of more advanced cloud services and tools to ease its transformation to a hybrid cloud infrastructure, says Wolverine CIO Dee Slater.

When the pandemic hit, we took a bit of a pause, Slater says. Now we are well under way and really focused on modernizing the way we work, streamlining and simplifying work across platforms and having actionable data right at out fingertips.

The Rockford, Mich.-based company best known for its boots and Hush Puppies, and more recently its acquisitions of the Merrell, Sperry, Saucony, and Sweaty Betty brands, originally launched its cloud journey in 2019.

But when COVID hit, the company faced several crises as it tried to keep its business flowing, and the cloud transformation got pushed back. We had some tough decisions to make, Slater says. There was no playbook for this pandemic. We were just starting on our data journey.

Prioritizing the supply chain

One such crisis centered on Wolverines supply chain. As was the case for most manufacturers, supply chain issues quickly materialized for Wolverine in the early days of the pandemic, with lead times for shoes doubling, in part because getting materials across borders had become arduous. This was especially challenging for Slater, who is not only Wolverines CIO but also its senior vice president of supply chain and shared services.

Its one of those CIO-plus roles that people talk about, says Slater, who has served as CIO since 2006. The plus part of my role includes logistics, distribution, trade compliance, or the movement of our goods, our contact centers, and our project management office.

Wolverines footwear is sold in 170 countries and is manufactured in Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and China. The company also operates distribution centers in California, Michigan, and Kentucky, and in Ontario, Canada.

Issues surrounding Wolverines global manufacturing and distribution footprint became instantly business critical. Vietnam, for instance, was closed for two months during the pandemic, Slater says. To optimize business on its re-opening, Wolverine IT built supply chain data models using Microsoft Power BI to prioritize which brands it should manufacture first once factories resumed operation.

Wolverine, which Slater says relies on SAP and Microsoft for its core infrastructure, is now well along the journey in supply chain data using SAP SAC analytics but has yet to embark on other aspects of its digital transformation, such as building a data lake and embracing AI, she says. Currently, Slaters plan is to complete Wolverines hybrid cloud based on Microsoft Azure, which is now at the halfway mark.

Wolverine relies on seven data centers, two of which are run by third-party partners. The on-premises data center at its corporate headquarters connects to Azure and other public clouds, Slater says, adding that Wolverine has moved roughly 500 services from on-prem to the Azure cloud.

While the pandemic slowed down Wolverines hybrid cloud transformation, the abundance of new tools and programs now available to aid in migration is making the delay more palatable, she says. For example, Wolverine has signed on to Rise with SAP, a new SAP service that is minimizing the migration challenges of moving Wolverines on-premises SAP stack to Azure. The company is also using Azure Arc, a Microsoft cloud management tool that launched just months before the pandemic and now enables Wolverine to build applications that can run across data centers, edge, and multicloud environments.

Tools like Arc give Wolverine a single pane of glass to manage its processes, the CIO says. When we talk about modernizing work at Wolverine, it does not happen with the flip of a switch. So we actually had to manage the combination of our on-premises legacy solutions, as we have our modern new ways of working in the cloud.

Wolverines cloud push is largely about getting our data in the cloud so we can connect in ways we have not done before, making that data even more powerful, Slater says. To that end, the company plans to start creating a data lake in 2023, she says.

The manufacturer will also continue developing its SAP SAC analytics infrastructure and begin building machine learning models to generate insights and directives based on data that resides in the data lake, she says.

Step one is streamlining and standardizing all the data so we have common process and practice that we can apply machine learning to, for example, and get rid of some of those mundane tasks as we build out our data lake, Slater says. We will then start applying AI to help inform, predict, and actually start making some of those decisions for us. We are not currently doing that.

While the pandemic delay has increased the urge to move quickly now, Slater still wants to ensure new technologies, such as machine learning, are adopted in the appropriate manner. We are not a software company. Were a shoe company  buying a business process, she says. Keeping that in mind as were implementing it is critical.

And if theres anything Wolverines pandemic experience has enforced, its that technology can be a driver of business, but in the end, business needs come first.

Its about prioritizing which business solutions go first, the CIO adds. This pandemic has been a blessing and a curse  a curse for the obvious reasons, but the rapid adoption of technology has a lot of people knocking on my door ready to use systems and data. And its about prioritizing who goes first and in what order.

Thats quite a cultural shift from just a few years ago when even IT staff were wary of change. Slater recalls the negative reaction employees had when the company initially brought Microsoft in for a three-day cloud certification class in 2017  a perception the CIO was able to smooth over before Wolverines cloud project started.

The IT team was apprehensive because many thought moving to the cloud would eliminate their jobs.

But by end of that session, everyone understood that this was the way of the future; this was going to allow us to scale up and scale down and be a great career path, Slater says. Im happy to report that weve had minimal turnover because our team saw the vision. Theyre sticking with us.

In this way, the delay of the cloud migration during the pandemic actually helped with employee retention, the CIO maintains. It also helped the company attract additional talent, Slater says.

Employees get excited to have a CEO who talks about technology and investing in technology and modernizing the work technologies, she says. Certainly, recruiting has its challenges, but I think we have an advantage versus our peers for both attracting and retaining employees thanks to the companys ongoing transformation, and the opportunities ahead.
Skills shortages continue to plague the IT sector, causing UK technology job vacancies to shoot up by almost 200% since 2020, according to BCS.

Not having the right skills or team is the third biggest worry among senior IT decision-makers in the UK, with two-thirds of technology executives (66%) highlighting that their organisations digital transformation projects are being stalled due to struggles in recruiting IT professionals with the skills they need.

Cybersecurity is the UK tech sectors most sought-after skill set according to the Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report, with 43% of respondents reporting a shortage, followed by big data specialists and analysts (36%), technical architects (33%) and developers (32%). Other in-demand skill sets include network engineering and devops.

Sadly, theres no quick fix to the problem of tech skills shortages. With the biggest cause of IT skill shortfalls in the UK being a lack of STEM graduates coming through the education system, changes to public policy are key. However, there are steps that CIOs can take to begin easing recruitment challenges.

1. Change the perception of a career in IT

One of these is to work towards changing the general perception of IT careers and giving people a better understanding of how varied work in the technology sector can be.

IT often has the perception that its solely focused on the lone ranger sitting in a darkened room responding to the bad guys. In terms of attracting talent, this may not appeal to those whore searching for a career thats people-focused and revolves around being part of a team, says Heather Hinton, CISO of cloud-based comms company RingCentral.

Roles in IT involve a range of interesting responsibilities including product development, technology architecture, useability, business impact, and risk management, which is why the industry must change its perception to attract new talent.

Changing perceptions will also help address the lack of women taking on IT roles, as currently only 25% of skilled tech roles are held by women.

Research by Code Institute found that some women hold several misconceptions about careers in IT, potentially leading to them ruling it out as an option.

The illusion out there is that tech careers are still reserved for mathematical geniuses. Women in particular, given the current representation within the industry, are largely missing out on having a peer group within the industry to help break this conception down, says Jane Gormley, Director of Careers at Code Institute.

We see multiple barriers  firstly, confidence that they can do it, but equally important, also a lack of belief that the tech industry will welcome them in. Entering the recruitment journey feels like running the gauntlet to many.

2. Shout about your company culture (and why its such a great place to work!)

A little closer to home, culture and employer brand are essential to attracting tech talent. Therefore, CIOs should send a clear public message about their vision and tech strategy.

Tech talent is attracted to transformative organisations, as these individuals often have a strong desire to make an impact on business, people, and the environment. With this in mind, if CIOs wish to appeal to a wider talent pool, they must ensure they showcase the opportunities to make a difference.

Candidates want to see that a potential employers tech strategy is supporting the business and enabling positive change  theyre excited to join organisations with purpose, says Rachel Davis, joint MD of talent insight company Armstrong Craven.

This takes an effective communication strategy. They want to see this through a dynamic online presence and at industry events. They want to see tech leaders and teams within the business promoting these messages too and theyre attracted to organisations with inspirational managers who are thought leaders. As a CIO, be on the speaker circuit, get involved in hiring and network, network, network.

3. Cast a wider net

With a UK shortage of tech talent, its imperative that CIOs look beyond the traditional talent pools when recruiting.

Nows the time to open your mind to those whove learned technology skills in their own time, or come from careers in different industries, rather than falling into the trap of insisting on the same qualifications from the same universities.

There are a lot of great stories of self-taught programmers. As part of a hiring programme, we did for a big tech company, we introduced a previously homeless person to them. She had self-taught herself coding and they took a leap of faith and brought her on board, Davis says.

Hybrid and remote working also supports the widening of an organisations talent pool. For example, organisations can now consider candidates based much further afield. Hybrid working also delivers the level of flexibility that women with young families need, helping to open tech jobs up to a larger number of women.

4. Improve diversity and promote inclusion

A diverse workforce provides a wide variety of benefits and yet many minority groups continue to face barriers to joining the technology sector.

For example, 65% of Black students and professionals questioned by Colorintech and Meta said they have and continue to encounter barriers getting into their tech career of choice.

The research found that huge, persistent racial inequalities still exist and that 30% of those surveyed said they cant  and dont want to  be their true selves at work and believe they must hide their personal views, values, and attributes in order to fit with those of the company.

More than half (56%) also said they didnt feel empowered to negotiate their salary and would settle while their peers progress.

The findings show the experiences for Black talent is vastly different from their counterparts. Its up to companies to be intentional and systematically remove these barriers to ensure theyre not limiting their talent pool and recruiting the best people out there, says Dion McKenzie, co-founder of Colourintech.

With this in mind, CIOs must do more to improve and promote inclusion within the tech sector, supporting everyone from people of colour through to neurodivergent and disabled people. This will again help widen the talent pool available to them.

5. Upskill and retrain existing staff

Your existing workforce is a great source of talent that shouldnt be overlooked. Many Millennials and Gen-Zs are interested in working in the tech sector but feel its too late to join, while its often mistakenly assumed that older employees will struggle with new technology.

The reality is that these individuals provide CIOs with an excellent opportunity to fill their organisations skills gap internally, and this is something that more and more executives are taking advantage of.

Weve found that over half of digital leaders increased the amount of cross-training and upskilling for their staff over the last year. This makes sense. Investing in and developing your own people builds engagement, loyalty, and career fulfilment, says Rhona Carmichael, Harvey Nashs Regional Managing Director, Scotland, UK North & Ireland.

6. Engage with the next generation of talent

A great way to ensure your organisation becomes a destination for young talent is to engage with schools and colleges and promote technology careers through special programmes and events.

This can help spark their interest in a technology career early and help bring more skilled individuals into the sector. This is something thats desperately needed as between 2015 and 2020 there was a 40% decrease in the number of UK students studying computing or ICT qualifications at GCSE or A level.

Skills sharing initiatives can also make a big impact, says Mike Hook, Executive Director of LMG.

A noteworthy example of this is the industry partners helping to deliver the first-ever secondary school data centre curriculum in the UK  the Digital Futures Programme. This educational programme for 14 to 19-year-olds focused on the digital infrastructure and data centre industries, empowering people on the cusp of entering the workforce.

Delivered through workshops, projects and challenge days, the programme also creates a pathway to work experience and apprenticeships.

Indeed, apprenticeships and graduate schemes are also a great way to train new recruits with the skillsets your business needs.

More than half (52%) of those questioned in the Nash Squared report said they expect to increase apprenticeships over the next two years. This is more of a long-term fix, however, because it will obviously take time before an apprentice is able to take a significant role in key projects.

In the long term, investing in growing and nurturing your own talent is vitally important, says Carl Austin, CTO of technology and engineering consultancy BJSS, which has its own engineering academy for early-career individuals, supporting them with full-time learning followed by hands-on skills development on projects.

When taking on these individuals, it isnt just about teaching a language or single skill, its about giving them a broad functional understanding of concepts and principles. Its about providing them with skills in teamworking, communication, presentations, and lateral thinking.

What you end up with are people whore flexible, adaptable, motivated and capable of taking on multiple roles in any tech stack, which is of course an important long-term vision.
In the coming years, NASAs James Webb telescope will discover the edge of the observable universe, allowing astronomers to search for the very earliest stars and galaxies, formed more than 13 billion years ago.

Thats quite a contrast to todays network operations visibility, which can sometimes feel like the lens cap has been left on the telescope. Explosive growth in new technology adoption, growing complexity, and the explosive use of internet and cloud networks has created unprecedented blind spots in how we monitor network delivery.

These visibility gaps obscure knowledge about critical applications and service performance. They can also hide security threats making them more difficult to detect. Ultimately, it can impact customer experience, revenue growth, and brand perception.

A global survey by Dimensional Research finds that 81% of organizations have network blind spots. More than 60% of larger companies state they have 50,000 or more network devices and 73% indicate it is growing increasingly difficult to manage their network. According to the study, removing network blind spots and increased monitoring coverage will improve security, reliability, and performance.

Dimensional Research also reports that current monitoring and operations solutions are ill-equipped for the tasks at hand and unable to support a massive influx of new technology over the next two years, leading to slower adoption and deployment with increased business risk.

Without solutions that deliver expanded visibility into remote locations, un-managed networks, and traffic patterns, IT can become overly dependent on end-users to report service issues after these problems have impacted performance. And no organization wants that to happen.

Performance insights across the edge infrastructure and beyond

The massive adoption of SaaS and Cloud apps has made the job of IT even harder when it comes to understanding the performance of business functions. With no visibility into the internet that delivers these apps to users, IT is forced to resort to status pages and support tickets to determine if an outage does or does not affect users.

Now is the time to rethink network operations and evolve traditional NetOps into Experience-Driven NetOps. You need to extend visibility beyond the edge of the enterprise network to internet monitoring and bring modern capabilities like end-user experience monitoring, active testing of network delivery, and network path tracing into the network operations center. Only by being equipped with such capabilities can organizations ensure networks are experience-proven and network operations teams are experience-driven. As a result, they gain credibility and build confidence in business users while delivering hybrid working and cloud transformations.

Take the real-world example of a major oil and gas services company. Most employees were set to work from home at the outset of the pandemic. The organization needed to scale up the WAN infrastructure from 10,000 to 60,000 users in just a few weeks. The challenge was to see into VPN gateways, ISP links, and Internet router performance to manage this increase in use. By standardizing on a modern network monitoring platform, the company benefited from unified performance and capacity analytics that enabled making the right upgrade decisions to increase the number of remote workers by six-fold.

You can learn more about how to tackle the challenges of network visibility in this new eBook, Guide To Visibility Anywhere. Read now and discover how organizations can create network visibility anywhere.
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Charities taking part in a six-month trial of a four-day working week have reported positive initial findings, with one organisation reporting an increase in productivity despite a reduction in hours.

Last month, more than 70 organisations across more than 30 sectors joined the worlds largest ever pilot in which staff would receive 100% of their pay for 80% of their usual hours while committing to delivering 100% of their normal productivity.

The Royal Society of Biology, Scotlands International Development Alliance and Waterwise told Civil Society News that their piloting of the initiative had already improved employee wellbeing while either maintaining or increasing productivity.

Charity Bank, which provides services to the social and voluntary sector and has also joined the trial, said the scheme had offered them flexibility and the opportunity to attract a more diverse workforce.

Happier staff and greater productivity

Scotlands International Development Alliances seven full-time staff are all involved in the pilot, which it said had encouraged efficient working practices and a better work-life balance amongst all staff.

Cutting hours by 20% is not as easy a task as it sounds and requires discipline and planning as well as avoiding the temptation to check emails, said chief executive Frances Guy.

Being part of a global pilot helps provide great support and an opportunity to learn from others with different and similar challenges.

The Royal Society of Biology (RSB), which has an income of 22.8m and just over 30 employees, currently has 27 staff participating in the trial.

Susie Rabin, associate director of parliamentary and public affairs of RSB, said that those involved in the initiative are happy and manage to do their jobs in four days.

It is early days, just over a month in, but it seems to be going well and the advantages of having a three-day weekend so far outweigh any challenges around making it work, she said.

Waterwise, a not-for-profit UK NGO, reported increased productivity among its eight members of staff taking part in the trial.

Managing director Nicci Russell said: I would definitely say that we have already increased productivity and we are measuring the impact of the trial on Waterwise and on employee wellbeing, supported by the experts involved in the trial.

She added: We are bedding in well to the new ways of working and making the most of our extra day off.

Attracting a more diverse workforce

Charity Bank joined the trial after stating that the standard five-day working week is outdated and no longer fit for purpose.

Out of its 66 staff members, 90% have reduced their hours or intend to do so within the next month, according to Mark Howland, director of marketing and communications.

Howland said: Its too early to draw conclusions but weve seen some positive and encouraging signs. By looking to redesign the way that we work we can improve efficiency while maintaining productivity and enhancing the physical and mental health of employees.

The big changes that were seeing at the moment is that staff feel valued and refreshed and were starting to see productivity gains. Were seeing no negative impact in terms of our social mission and business objectives and in terms of customer service, which is something that we monitor very closely.

He argued that implementing a four-day working week has also made the bank a more attractive employer.

Previously, you might have questioned whether someone whos only working four days a week would be progressed or promoted, he said. We dont believe that merits exist at Charity Bank and theres no reason why someone working four days a week wouldnt get a promotion or be part of the senior management team because thats exactly the same as everyone else.

So from a recruitment perspective, its been something thats appealed to people weve been talking to, making us more and more of an attractive employee. It has also enabled us to be more flexible and offer more flexibility that enables us to attract a more diverse workforce.

Howland said that more than half of Charity Banks staff have caring responsibilities and being able to opt into a four-day working week had made a huge difference to their lives.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
The proportion of workers in the charity sector from ethnic minority backgrounds has decreased, while representation in the wider UK economy has risen, figures from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) show.

DCMS estimates for January to December 2021 show that 9.5% of the civil society workforce were people of colour, compared to 13.1% for all UK sectors.

Civil society has consistently lagged behind the wider economy on ethnic minority representation over the past decade but the gap increased last year.

In contrast, a greater proportion of workers in the charity sector (20.6%) were disabled than in the wider economy (15.4%) in 2021, although the latter figure increased more from the previous year.

In civil society and the wider economy, filled jobs overall reduced from 2020 to 2021, but figures were up on 2019 for both sectors. In 2021, the civil society workforce was made up of 927,000 filled jobs, a decrease of 4,000 (0.5%) compared to the previous calendar year, but an increase of 30,000 (3.3%) since 2019 (pre-pandemic).

Racial diversity gap widening

DCMS figures, which are calculated using the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) Annual Population survey (APS), have consistently shown ethnic minority representation in the charity sector more than two percentage points lower than in the UK economy overall since 2012.

Moreover, the latest release published last month, shows that this gap widened to 3.6 percentage points in 2021.

The proportion of workers in the charity sector from an ethnic minority background decreased from 10.2% (94,000) to 9.5% (88,000) from 2020 to 2021, while representation in the wider economy increased from 12.7% to 13.1% year-on-year.

Nicole Sykes, director of policy and communications at Pro-Bono Economics, said that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and a lack of access in the charity sector to people from lower income families were possible factors.

We know that Black-led charities, particularly small ones, really struggled during Covid. We know that that was a factor, she said.

I think we also know that people from more privileged backgrounds are more likely to both get in and get on within civil society.

So, we know that if you are from a more advantaged background, you are more likely to get a job in the first place, but then also rise up the ranks and get managerial jobs within civil society.

The Living Wage Foundation recently published a report showing a decline in the proportion of low-paid workers in the charity sector.

But the foundation warned that low-paid workers were more likely to become unemployed during the pandemic, which could have skewed the figures.

Sykes said it was possible the increase in unemployment of low-paid workers could have particularly affected people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Surveys were suggesting that people, particularly in events, and fundraising roles, were the ones who were more likely to be losing their jobs during the pandemic, she said.

I don't think we have the data to say what those roles were being paid, or what the ethnic minority representation within those roles were. I think people like street fundraisers, for example, and door to door fundraisers are not paid a lot of money. And it's not surprising that these jobs are being lost. So yes, there could absolutely be a link in there.

Disability representation gap narrows

In contrast, charities have consistently had a greater proportion of employees that are disabled than employers across the wider UK economy.

The proportion of jobs in the economy overall occupied by disabled people rose by 1.4 percentage points from 2020 to 2021, possibly due to the shift to remote working during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Representation of disabled workers in the charity sector also increased, but to a lesser degree (0.6 percentage points).

This still meant 5,000 more disabled people held civil society jobs in 2021 (from 186,000 to 191,000) despite there being 5,000 fewer filled jobs overall (from 932,000 to 927,000) than the year before.

Since 2011, the proportion of charity sector workers that are disabled has increased from 14.1% to 20.6%, while representation in the wider sector has risen from 11.4% to 15.4%.

Sykes said the figures were good news for the charity sector and that the rise of remote working during the pandemic may have helped disabled people enter the workforce.

I think we already knew that civil society is a good employer of people with disabilities, she said. But also that maybe the pandemic with working from home etc helped play a role in getting more people into working life.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that attorneys fees from a consumer protection lawsuit are not covered as part of bodily injury damages under a business liability policy, reversing a lower court that had found they were covered.

Attorneys fees are not awarded as damages because of bodily injury' and are not costs taxed against the insured, as required by a Vermont Mutual Insurance Co. businessowners liability policy, Justice Scott L. Kafker stated in the courts July 6 decision in Vermont Mutual Insurance Co. v Paul Poirier.

The Poiriers were sued by another couple, the Mastons, who hired their Servpro firm to clean up their basement following a sewage backup. The Mastons sued the Poiriers for damages after Mrs. Maston suffered respiratory ailments caused by chemicals from a disinfectant Servpro used in its cleaning.

The Mastons originally sued the Poiriers for breach of contract, negligence, and violations of the Massachusetts consumer protection law, Chapter 93A, on breaches of the warranty of merchantability and the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. Shortly before trial, the Mastons waived their contract and negligence claims and proceeded to a bench trial on the Chapter 93A claims alone.

The Poiriers business insurer, Vermont Mutual Insurance Co., paid the substantive damages on the bodily injury claim  $696,669.48, which represented all of the Poiriers liability to the Mastons except for their attorneys fees and interest. The insurer then asked for a declaratory judgment as to whether it was also responsible for the Mastons attorneys fees. The Poiriers claimed their insurer should cover the attorneys fees in addition to the costs of the bodily injury.

The business policys liability coverage form provided that Vermont Mutual would pay for damages because of bodily injury. It also provided that Vermont Mutual had a duty to defend the insured against any suit seeking those damages. A supplementary payments provision also stated that in addition to the limit of insurance, the insurer would also pay certain expenses related to the claim or suit covered by the policy, including [a]ll costs taxed against the insured in the suit.

A judge of the Superior Court held that the policy did cover the attorneys fees and an appeals judge upheld that. However, the high court has now reversed.

The trial judge found that Servpro had violated Chapter 93A by committing a breach of the implied warranty of merchantability, although he did not find that it had acted knowingly or willfully and therefore did not award multiple damages. Based on Mrs. Mastons injuries, he found damages for $696,669.48. Having established a violation of Chapter 93A, the judge also imposed liability for costs and attorneys fees. The judge found that the Mastons were entitled to $215,328.00 in fees and $15,447.61 in costs.

The trial court judge held that the award of attorneys fees fell into the policys coverage for sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of bodily injury,' and therefore Vermont Mutual had to cover the them. The judge, however, rejected the alternative argument that attorneys fees were covered by the provision in the policy that authorized the payment of costs.

The appeals court affirmed both the substantive findings and the award of attorneys fees and costs, and imposed further appellate attorneys fees of $21,600 and appellate costs of $1,970,35. Vermont Mutual appealed, and the states high court took on the matter.

The primary issue was the clause providing liability coverage, which states that Vermont Mutual will pay those sums that the insured becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of bodily injury.

There was no dispute that the attorneys fees themselves were not bodily injury, either under the definition in the policy or according to the plain meaning of the term. The disagreement stemmed from the words connecting the two  whether the insureds were liable for the attorneys fees as damages because of Mrs. Mastons bodily injury.

On its face, Judge Kafker wrote, damages caused by bodily injury refer to the physical injuries and the money damages required to compensate them. But attorneys fees for Chapter 93A claims are different. They reflect the cost of bringing suit to recover the 93A relief and parties are ordinarily responsible for paying their own attorneys fees, even if they succeed.

While there are fee-shifting provisions that allow courts to award both damages and attorneys fees, that does not mean they award attorneys fees as damages, according to the court.

Damages and attorneys fees are conceptually different, and are so recognized under that chapter. The insurance contract here only provides for the recovery of damages. Therefore, attorneys fees awarded pursuant to G. L. c. 93A are not recoverable as damages under the insurance contract, Judge Kafker wrote.

Regarding the provision for the insurer to pay costs taxed against the insured, the court concluded that this provision does not cover statutory awards of attorneys fees. Again, the court distinguished between costs and attorneys fees, ruling that the word costs, as applied to proceedings in court, ordinarily means only legal or taxable costs, and does not include attorneys fees.

The Mastons pointed out that, after the Vermont Mutual policy was issued, the Insurance Services Office amended the supplemental payments provision to expressly provide that the payments for costs do not include attorneys fees or attorneys expenses taxed against the insured. But the Massachusetts high court said that the absence of an express exclusion does not operate to create coverage in the policy in this case, even if other policies contain an express exclusion.

The American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the Complex Insurance Claims Litigation Association submitted amicus briefs in the case.
As New York Gov. Kathy Hochul mulls whether to sign legislation that will expand the types of damages that could be won in wrongful deaths cases, businesses including insurers are warning the change could mean higher liability insurance costs in the state, while advocates for victims are claiming the change would bring the state in line with other states and is long overdue.

The bill, known as the Grieving Families Act, has been passed by both the Assembly and Senate, updating the states 175 year-old wrongful death statute. It would become law immediately if Hochul signs it.

While current New York law basically limits recovery in wrongful death cases to a decedents close family members and for pecuniary or tangible monetary damages only, the pending legislation would mark a substantial departure by allowing recovery for emotional damages including grief or anguish and loss of affection and companionship.

The bill would also expand the family members who could sue to include spouses and domestic partners, as well as children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents and siblings. A jury could define who is a close family member.

The bill would also extend the current two-year statute of limitations to three years and six months.

A leading proponent, the New York Public Interest Research Group, said the new law will bring New York in line with approximately 47 other states that already allow their courts to consider the value of lost relationships and 20 states that already recognize claims for the grief and mental anguish experienced resulting from a wrongful death. Alabama and New York are the only states that allow neither, NYPIRG said.

NYPIRG has represented families who lost loved ones in the recent Bronx fire, the Schoharie limousine crash, and other tragedies. Each year, New Yorkers are killed by drunk drivers, medical negligence, defective products, dangerous roadway conditions, and countless other acts and omissions, the group stated.

No amount of money can replace a father, a daughter, a sibling, a domestic partner, or a spouse  but financial compensation for family members grieving a loved ones wrongful death is a necessary accountability tool, commented Senator Brad Hoylman, who sponsored the legislation (S.74A/A.677) along with Assembly Member Helene Weinstein.

Economic Burden

But those new settlements could translate into a burden on the states economy, according to chambers of commerce and more than 30 industry groups representing insurance, building, manufacturing, health and other sectors that signed a letter to Hochul urging her to veto it. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the Big I NY independent insurance agents association were among the signers.

This bill would have a disastrous impact on businesses in the state, endangering our economic recovery in these uncertain times. This bill would radically expand the kinds of damages recoverable in wrongful death actions, driving up liability insurance premiums for public and private entities across the state, the businesses said in their letter.

The letter cites an actuarial analysis by Milliman that says the bill would increase medical professional liability costs by nearly 40%. Automobile liability and general liability insurance would increase by as much as $2.2 billion. The result would be a 12.6% increase in annual premium across the board for residents and businesses, according to the analysis.

Liability insurance premiums are already higher in New York than almost anywhere else in the country. This legislation would make it harder to attract new companies and discourage local entrepreneurs from pursuing their goals and remaining in New York. For businesses already operating in the state, increased liability insurance costs will lead to price increases, pay cuts, and even layoffs  ultimately devastating already-struggling communities, the businesses warned.

For the well-being of the economy and communities across the state, we implore you to veto this bill, too, the letter said in closing.

Hochul has not signaled whether she will sign the measure. Last year, she vetoed a litigation bill citing significant negative impact on hospitals and state government and local governments, which she said were already under great strain due to COVID-19.

About the photo: Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire at an apartment building in the Bronx on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in New York. The majority of victims were suffering from severe smoke inhalation, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
GENOA, Italy (AP)  Fifty-nine people went on trial Thursday for the 2018 collapse of Genoas Morandi bridge, accused of manslaughter and other charges in the deaths of 43 people.

The defendants include former executives and experts of the company that manages many of Italys bridges and highways, as well as former officials of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

A huge section of the Morandi Bridge broke off during a violent rainstorm on Aug. 14, 2018, when highways were packed with vacationers, sending cars plunging into the dry riverbed below.

Prosecutors have alleged the defendants knew the bridge, which was built in the 1960s, was at risk of collapsing and that corners were cut on maintenance to save money.

The bridges designer had recommended regular upkeep to remove rust, especially due to the corrosive effect of moist air from the nearby Ligurian Sea, and maintenance to counter the effect of pollution on concrete.

In April, a Genoa judge approved plea bargain requests by both the highway company, Autostrade per Italia, and the Spea engineering company, to pay 29 million euros ($33 million) to the Italian government in exchange for avoiding a trial.

The lawyer for former Austostrade CEO Giovanni Castellucci, who is among the defendants, said the trial would show that the bridge collapsed not as a result of maintenance negligence but due to an original construction defect.

This is why 43 people died in a terrifying and absurd way, lawyer Giovanni Paolo Accinni told reporters Thursday outside the Genoa tribunal, the LaPresse news agency reported.

A replacement bridge, designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, a Genoa native, features 43 lamps in memory of people who perished.

The governor of Liguria, Giovanni Toti, said the start of the trial was important for the region but also relatives of the 43 victims.

Starting today, justice and truth are closer and we hope will arrive quickly, Toti wrote on Facebook. Its the only way to rebuild the trust between citizens and the state that collapsed on that Godforsaken Aug. 14.

After the collapse, the Italian government forged a deal in which the Benetton fashion family agreed to sell its ownership stake in Autostrade.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A federal appellate court on Thursday upheld a $15 million damage award to a Missouri peach farmer whose crops were damaged by pesticides that drifted off of nearby fields, but overturned a $60 million punitive damage award and ordered a new trial on that point alone.

Business groups had urged the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to reject what they called a novel theory of liability, which blamed Monsanto Co. and BASF Corp. for developing a herbicide-resistant cotton and soybean seeds that encouraged farmers to spray herbicides onto their crops during growing season despite labels warning against such use.

The appellate panel ruled that the evidence shows that Monsanto and BASF engaged in a conspiracy to enable off-label use of dicamba, a pesticide that kills most crops if applied during growing season.

However, the panel also found that the trial court erred by allowing a jury to hold Monsanto and BASF jointly liable for punitive damages because the plaintiffs did not prove the two companies were equal partners in a joint venture. While the two companies did work together, Monsanto had greater control over how the pesticides were used, the panel held.

The evidence here established different degrees of culpability between the co-conspirators, the panels opinion says, citing a previous decision.

Monsanto has been a frequent target for plaintiffs attorneys. Litigation over its Roundup weedkiller product has dragged on for years and resulted in both wins and losses for the company. Monsanto, owned by Bayer AG, says it has earmarked $6 billion for Roundup litigation costs.

Bader Farms sued Monsanto and BASF after its peach orchards were damaged by dicamba. Bader submitted financial records showing that the peach crop produced annual revenues of $2,285,354. An expert testified that Bader Farms had lost $20.9 million in profits because of exposure to pesticides.

Bader blamed both Monsanto and BASF for the losses because the two companies had worked together to create a system that included a herbicide-resistant cotton seed, called Xtend, that they initially planned to use in conjunction with a new, less volatile form of dicamba herbicide what would be less likely to drift off property when sprayed onto crops.

Monsanto decided to start selling Xtend seeds in 2015 even though the companies had not yet developed the less volatile form of dicamba. Monsanto affixed a pink label to each bag of Xtend seeds it sold, warning farmers not to spray dicamba during growing season.

Even so, off-label dicamba use exploded, according to the court decision. By July 2016, 115 complaints of off-target dicamba drift were reported in Missouris bootheel region, where Bader Farms grows peaches.

The Environmental Protection Agency did not approve lower-volatility dicamba herbicide until November 2016.

Bader Farms lawsuit charged that Monsanto and BASF were negligent in the design of the Xtend product and failed to adequately warn users of the danger. A federal jury awarded Bader $15 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages. A US District Court judge reduced the punitive damage award to $60 million.

Monsanto and BASF appealed. Business groups, including the US and Missouri Chambers of Commerce, filed amicus briefs urging the 8th Circuit to overturn the jury verdict. A brief submitted by attorney Mark A. Behrens says Bader Farms did not prove that dicamba manufactured by Monsanto caused harm to its peach crop.

Plaintiffs radical theory opens the door to nearly limitless liability for any manufacturer whose product could be used in conjunction with a third-partys product, the amicus brief says. This approach could create absurd results.

The appellate panels opinion says the plaintiffs presented ample evidence to support the award of compensatory damages. During a meeting before the launch of Xtend, the companies identified off-label use of dicamba as a risk.

The punitive damage award was another matter. The appellate panel said while Monsanto and BASF worked together to develop a system that was to include both the Xtend seed product and a less volatile version dicamba, they did not have equal control. Monsanto maintained full control over critical aspects of the project, the panel said.

The opinion says the jury should have been instructed to award punitive damages separately for each plaintiff.

The 8th Circuit vacated the punitive damage award and remanded the case for a new trial only on the issue of punitive damages.

BASF is pleased the Appeals Court recognized that the punitive damages award focused on Monsantos conduct, and that BASFs conduct must be considered separately from Monsantos in evaluating punitive damages, BASF manager Chip Shilling said in an email. BASF is further pleased to see the punitive damages award vacated altogether for a new trial.

The Bader Farms lawsuit was one of more than 100 similar lawsuits over dicamba use, Reuters reported. Bayer announced in June 2020 that it would pay up to $400 million to settle the lawsuits, the news service said.
British PM Johnson resigns after cabinet revolt

Xinhua) 08:21, July 08, 2022

* British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned on Thursday after the support for him evaporated amid an avalanche of ministerial resignations over his scandal-hit leadership. Johnson, however, said he will remain prime minister until a new Tory leader is chosen.

* Johnson's government began disintegrating since Tuesday when Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak resigned from their posts as health secretary and chancellor of the exchequer respectively. The number of resignations from his government quickly snowballed to 50 by Thursday morning, bringing his government close to a collapse.

* Johnson became the first serving British prime minister in history to break the law after receiving a fine from the police for attending a party in 2020 during the country's COVID-19 lockdown.

LONDON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned on Thursday after the support for him evaporated amid an avalanche of ministerial resignations over his scandal-hit leadership.

Johnson, however, said he will remain prime minister until a new Tory leader is chosen.

"The will of the parliamentary party is clear and the process for choosing a new leader should begin," he said in a statement to the country, adding that the timetable for choosing a new leader will be announced next week.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement in front of 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, July 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Johnson's government began disintegrating since Tuesday when Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak resigned from their posts as health secretary and chancellor of the exchequer respectively. The number of resignations from his government quickly snowballed to 50 by Thursday morning, bringing his government close to a collapse.

In his resignation speech, he took a jab at the mass exodus, calling it "herd instinct."

"As we've seen at Westminster the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves. And my friends, in politics, no one is remotely indispensable, and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader," he said.

But the Tories have long been worrying that Johnson, who gave the Conservatives a landslide victory in the general elections in 2019, has become a liability after waves of scandals eroded confidence in him and cast a shadow on the party's political future in the next general elections in 2024. Last month, the Tories lost two crucial House of Commons seats in by-elections.

File photo taken on Jan. 19, 2022 shows British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaving 10 Downing Street in London, Britain. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua)

For months, Johnson and his government have been dogged by a seemingly endless string of headline-grabbing scandals.

Johnson became the first serving British prime minister in history to break the law after receiving a fine from the police for attending a party in 2020 during the country's COVID-19 lockdown. Revelations of him and his employees revel in rules-busting booze-fueled parties over the past two years at Downing Street infuriated the British public.

Though he survived a no-confidence vote recently within his Conservative Party over the so-called Partygate scandal, over 40 percent of his own party voted against him and the forces that want him to go have been gaining momentum following more untoward revelations.

The latest scandal involved Johnson's appointment of lawmaker Christopher Pincher to deputy chief whip despite being informed of formal complaints about his alleged sexual misconduct.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to 10 Downing Street after his statement in London, Britain, July 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

Stuart Wilks-Heeg, professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool, told Xinhua that the embattled prime minister finally chose to step down on Thursday as he had exhausted his options, and his resignation brought temporary relief to the fast-evolving political drama.

"He was really running out of options. As we've seen, the number of cabinet ministers and junior ministers and other people involved in government resigning had just reached levels where it was impossible for him to carry on without offering his resignation. He just couldn't carry on as prime minister. He'd run out of road," he said.

"So for the moment, potentially, that chaos (at Downing Street) has stopped," he said.

Wilks-Heeg, however, said he believes the wrangling won't end soon and whoever wins in the Conservative leadership contest will face a challenging task of reuniting the now much divided party and restoring its credibility.

"It takes time. If there are 10, 15, 20 candidates, it takes time. There has to be a series of votes among Conservative MPs to whittle that down to two. And then those two names need to go out to Conservative Party members," he said.

"The party is clearly divided. In a sense, it's become a bit more united in recent days because it's united against Boris Johnson. But the recriminations from this process will be bitter and that will be played out in the leadership contest which must now follow," he said.

"It will be really hard for whoever becomes leader of the Conservatives later on this year, or perhaps sooner than that. It will be really hard for them to bring the party back together in this context and present themselves to the electorate the next election as a credible force," he added.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Liang Jun)
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The UKs Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is launching dual investigations into Microsofts proposed acquisition of videogame maker Activision Blizzard, and Amazons competitive practices related to its Marketplace platform.

In January 2022, Microsoft announced it was planning to purchase Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, making it potentially Microsofts biggest-ever acquisition at $26 billion more than the company paid for LinkedIn in 2016.

On July 6, 2022, the CMA started inviting views on the deal, with a submission deadline of July 20. The CMA has provisionally set itself a deadline of September 1, when it will either approve the deal or instigate a more in-depth phase two review.

Earlier this month, Linda Khan, chair of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), also confirmed that the agency was examining effects on competition in all relevant markets for potential law enforcement action.

The acquisition immediately came under scrutiny due to a suit filed by California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing in July 2021 that cited numerous complaints about unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation at the company.

However, the CMA says it will not be investigating the workplace culture at Activision Blizzard, instead focusing on whether the deal would reduce competition in the UK.

Why are the CMA and FTC investigating?

Lewis Ward, research director of gaming, eSports and VR/AR at IDC said that given the size of the deal, it shouldnt be a surprise that agencies in multiple countries are reviewing the competitive impacts of the proposed buyout.

While regulators are likely concerned that Microsoft might start making some popular Activision or Blizzard games exclusive to their Xbox or Windows PC platforms, he doesnt believe that will be the case, as massive Activision franchises like Call of Duty are set to remain accessible across various gaming platforms indefinitely.

Call of Duty has been the number one console franchise for the past decade by revenue, so its understandable that regulators would want to get a better understanding of plans that relate to its future, to help ensure that gamers arent going to be forced to buy Xbox hardware or a Windows 11+ PC to play, he said.

If authorities are satisfied that these titles will be available across platforms indefinitely, Ward sees no reason why the deal wont ultimately be approved.

We will fully cooperate with the CMAs merger review, Lisa Tanzi, corporate vice president and general counsel at Microsoft said in a statement. We expect and think its appropriate for regulators to take a close look at this acquisition. We have been clear about how we plan to run our gaming business and why we believe the deal will benefit gamers, developers, and the industry. She remains confident that the deal will close in fiscal year 2023 as initially anticipated.

Amazon Marketplace under the microscope

This deal is not the only current investigation against a major tech company the CMA has underway. Only July 5 it announced an investigation into Amazons UK Marketplace platform.

The investigation will focus on three competitive areas: The way that non-public third-party seller data may be used within Amazons retail business, how Amazon sets criteria selecting which product offer is placed within the Buy Box, and which sellers can list products under Amazons Prime brand on its Marketplace in the UK.

No decision date for the outcome of this investigation has been announced.

Reforming UK digital competition laws

Earlier this week, EU lawmakers officially passed the Digital Markets Act which, in part, enables a growing range of antitrust actions and strengthens digital competition rules.

In 2019, an expert panel led a review into the UKs digital competition laws, recommending that new regulations should be introduced. Digital markets will only work well if they are supported with strong pro-competition policies that open up opportunities for innovation, the review concluded.

The UK government published a white paper in 2021 outlining a new pro-competition regime for digital markets and opened a consultation into the new set of proposals. A response was published in May 2022, which considered broader competition reforms and made a number of proposals which the government said would help improve competition and protect consumers in digital markets more widely. The findings ultimately formed the draft version of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill.

However, when the government set out its legislative agenda at the re-opening of Parliament, four days after the response was published, no timetable was outlined by the government for introducing the new legislation to Parliament.

The resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week, accompanied by the news that no new large pieces of legislation would be enacted until a new leader is in place, means the Bill now faces even further delays.

Writing for the Centre of European Reform, Zach Meyers, senior research fellow at CER, said if the UK falls behind in tech regulation, UK tech startups may prefer to grow in the EU, where the Digital Markets Act will make their lives easier.

Meyers also noted that if the US adopts digital competition reforms, they are more likely to reflect the Digital Markets Act rather than the UKs proposals, meaning the UK could ultimately suffer a loss of global influence.
100%

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This CoolSocial report was updated on 2022-07-08, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
A cybersecurity advisory about the ransomware known as Maui has been issued by the FBI, CISA and U.S. Treasury Department. The agencies assert that North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors have used the malware since at least May 2021 to target healthcare and public health sector organizations.

The FBI surmises that the threat actors are targeting healthcare organizations because those entities are critical to human life and health, so they're more likely to pay ransoms rather than risk disruption to their services. For that reason, the FBI and other agencies issuing the advisory maintain the state-sponsored actors will continue to target healthcare organizations.

While the federal agencies were issuing their advisory, the threat hunting, detection, and response company Stairwell published an analysis of Maui in a blog post. "Maui stood out to us because of a lack of several key features we commonly see with tooling from RaaS providers, such as an embedded ransom note to provide recovery instructions or automated means of transmitting encryption keys to attackers," Stairwell Principal Reverse Engineer Silas Cutler wrote. "Instead, we believe that Maui is manually operated, in which operators will specify which files to encrypt when executing it and then exfiltrate the resulting runtime artifacts."

Maui ransomware can bypass modern endpoint protection

The approach being used by the Maui gang is fairly rare, notes Tim McGuffin, director of adversarial engineering at Lares Consulting, a security consulting firm. "It's a good method to bypass modern endpoint protection and canary files that would alert and kill automated, system-wide ransomware," he explains.

By targeting specific files, McGuffin continues, the attackers get to choose what is sensitive and what to exfiltrate in a much more tactical fashion when compared to "spray-and-pray" ransomware. "This can show 'good faith' from the ransomware group by allowing targeting and recovery of just sensitive files and not having to rebuild the entire server if the operating system files are encrypted as well," he says.

While the approach can blind defenders looking for alerts generated by automated ransomware, McGuffin adds, the technique allows mature defense teams to respond before the entire environment is encrypted and allows for recovery from backups for specific folders instead of rebuilding the systems or environment from the ground up.

Ransomware requires manual research and analysis

Most advanced malware operators build some manual controls into their software, notes John Bambenek, a principal threat hunter at Netenrich, an IT and digital security operations company. "For organizational crippling ransomware attacks, threat actors need to manually identify the important assets and the weak points to truly take down a victim," he says. Automated [ransomware] tools simply cannot identify all the unique aspects of each organization to enable a complete takedown. Some manual research and analysis is involved."

If North Korea is involved in the Maui campaign, then the ransomware attacks may be a secondary goal for the intruders, maintains Aaron Turner, CTO for SaaS Protect at Vectra, an AI cybersecurity company. "In my opinion, this use of operator-driven selective encryption is most likely an indicator that the Maui campaign is not just a ransomware activity," he says, "but most likely a combination of intellectual property theft and industrial espionage, combined with opportunistic monetization activities through ransomware."
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TOKYO (AP)  Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech  an attack that stunned a nation with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

The 67-year-old Abe, who was Japans longest-serving leader when he resigned in 2020, collapsed bleeding and was airlifted to a nearby hospital in Nara, although he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead after receiving massive blood transfusions, officials said.

A hearse carrying Abe's body left the hospital early Saturday to head back to his home in Tokyo. Abe's wife Akie lowered her head as the vehicle passed before a crowd of journalists.

Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Abe suffered major damage to his heart, along with two neck wounds that damaged an artery. He never regained his vital signs, Fukushima said.

Police at the shooting scene arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japan's navy, on suspicion of murder. Police said he used a gun that was obviously homemade  about 15 inches (40 centimeters) long  and they confiscated similar weapons and his personal computer when they raided his nearby one-room apartment.

Police said Yamagami was responding calmly to questions and had admitted to attacking Abe, telling investigators he had plotted to kill him because he believed rumors about the former leader's connection to a certain organization that police did not identify.

Dramatic video from broadcaster NHK showed Abe standing and giving a speech outside a train station ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election. As he raised his fist to make a point, two gunshots rang out, and he collapsed holding his chest, his shirt smeared with blood as security guards ran toward him. Guards then leapt onto the gunman, who was face down on the pavement, and a double-barreled weapon was seen nearby.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events elsewhere after the shooting, which he called dastardly and barbaric." He pledged that the election, which chooses members for Japan's less-powerful upper house of parliament, would go on as planned.

I use the harshest words to condemn (the act), Kishida said, struggling to control his emotions. He said the government would review the security situation, but added that Abe had the highest protection.

Even though he was out of office, Abe was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai, but his ultra-nationalist views made him a divisive figure to many.

Opposition leaders condemned the attack as a challenge to Japans democracy. Kenta Izumi, head of the top opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, called it an act of terrorism and said it "tried to quash the freedom of speech ... actually causing a situation where (Abes) speech can never be heard again.

In Tokyo, people stopped to buy extra editions of newspapers or watch TV coverage of the shooting. Flowers were placed at the shooting scene in Nara.

When he resigned as prime minister, Abe blamed a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he'd had since he was a teenager. He said then it was difficult to leave many of his goals unfinished, especially his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to create what he saw as a more normal defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Loyalists said his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Tributes to Abe poured in from world leaders, with many expressing shock and sorrow. U.S. President Joe Biden praised him, saying "his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.

On Saturday, Biden called Kishida and expressed outrage, sadness and deep condolences on the shooting death of Abe. Biden noted the importance of Abe's legacy including through the establishment of the Quad meetings of Japan, the U.S., Australia and India. Biden voiced confidence in the strength of Japans democracy and the two leaders discussed how Abe's legacy will live on as the two allies continue to defend peace and democracy, according to the White House.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose tenure from 2005-21 largely overlapped with Abes, said she was devastated by the cowardly and vile assassination. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Saturday a day of national mourning for Abe, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted that he would remember him for his collegiality & commitment to multilateralism.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian declined to comment, other than to say Beijing offered sympathies to Abes family and that the shooting shouldnt be linked to bilateral relations. But social media posts from the country were harsh, with some calling the gunman a hero  reflecting strong sentiment against right-wing Japanese politicians who question or deny that Japans military committed wartime atrocities in China.

Biden, who is dealing with a summer of mass shootings in the U.S., also said gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it.

Japan is particularly known for its strict gun laws. With a population of 125 million, it had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in one death and four injuries, according to police. Eight of those cases were gang-related. Tokyo had no gun incidents, injuries or deaths in the same year, although 61 guns were seized.

Abe was proud of his work to strengthen Japan's security alliance with the U.S. and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president, Barack Obama, to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was under control when it was not.

He became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of Abes scandal-laden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of revolving door politics that lacked stability.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his Abenomics formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.

___

Follow AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
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CHICAGO (AP)  Mourners on Friday remembered a woman who worked tirelessly at her synagogue and a gentle man who loved art in the first formal services to be held for the seven people killed by the gunman who opened fire on a July Fourth parade.

Synagogue members at North Shore Congregation Israel near the Chicago suburb of Highland Park described 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim as a dedicated member of their community who coordinated events and taught preschool classes, smiling all along and constantly checking on other staff members.

We are horrified, Rabbi Wendi Geffen said. We are enraged, sickened, aggrieved, inconsolable for the terror that has befallen us and robbed us of Jacki.

But Geffen and other speakers urged the people filling the synagogue to focus on Sundheims life  her commitment to her husband, Bruce, and daughter, Leah, the pleasure she took in knitting and her attention to detail when planning bat or bar mitzvahs, weddings or funerals.

Her daughter had another request: to use the pain, fear and rage caused by her mother's death to make the world better, in small thoughts and actions.

I want you to laugh, she said, holding back tears. I want you to each and every day put a little more joy and kindness into this world. Do not let this sadness, this fear, rage turn you bitter towards our world. The world is darker without my mom in it, and it's up to us now to fill it with a little extra laughter.

Mourners also filled the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston to support the family of 88-year-old Stephen Straus, who was eulogized as a funny father and grandfather who loved reading and art and still rode the train five days a week to the downtown Chicago office where he worked as a financial adviser.

Son Jonathan described Straus as truly to his core, just a sweet, generous person while his other son, Peter, thanked his dad for instilling a love of the zany including Mel Brooks.

Jonathan Straus said learning of his father's death from a doctor at a hospital was the worst moment of my life.

Thinking about what a good, giving, loving person he was, it makes the cruelty and the horror of his death that much harder to take, he said. "When I see pictures of him ... it really just sweeps over me, what we've lost, who I lost, my best friend ever."

A 2020 study by Brandeis University and the University of Chicago found Highland Park had among the Chicago region's highest concentrations of Jewish residents  a fact reflected by the half-dozen or more synagogues in the suburb or just outside it. Many local restaurants offer kosher food options.

Neighboring Highwood is home to a large Hispanic population, and Mexican authorities have said two men killed at the parade were natives of the country.

One them was 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza of Waukegan, where family and friends gathered Friday for services.

During a private family viewing preceding public services, a granddaughter left the church in tears. Family members encircled Yesenia Hernandez, trying to comfort her as she sobbed.

Several attendees wore T-shirts with a cross and an image of Toledo-Zaragoza grinning, wearing a brimmed hat and suit. In Spanish, the shirts read: In memory of Nicolas Toledo, and included words from Psalms 23:1  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

Outside the church entryway, adorned with white and blue balloons, Toledo-Zaragozas sons, Alejo and Angel, spoke briefly about how they will miss their father's love.

Services for 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo, also a native of Mexico, are scheduled for Saturday.

The family of 64-year-old Katherine Katie Goldstein issued a statement Friday that said her husband, Craig Goldstein, a hospital physician, has been touched by the number of people who have told him that she was their best friend. She devoted herself to motherhood and caring for her family.

Raising our daughters, enjoying adventures together  I was living a fairy tale, Craig Goldstein said.

The statement said she also loved being outside, visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden and involving her family in her passion for bird watching.

She was the best mom in the world, daughters Cassie and Alana said in the statement.

Police have repeatedly said that victims were shot randomly and that the assailant had no racial or religious motivation.

Funeral details for the remaining victims have not been made public. Authorities have identified them as 35-year-old Irina McCarthy and 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy, who were attending the parade with their 2-year-old son.

The accused gunman, Robert E. Crimo III, has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors expect to bring more charges representing the more than 30 people were wounded in the assault.

Investigators have said the suspect, who lived in neighboring Highwood, legally purchased five weapons and planned the attack for weeks before he climbed to the roof of a business along the parade route and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.

Investigators reported that Crimo fled the parade by blending in with the fleeing crowd, then drove to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he contemplated a second attack. He returned to the Highland Park area, and his car was spotted by police.

Questions remain about whether Crimo should have been able to legally purchase firearms in Illinois. Illinois State Police officials have defended the approval of his gun license in December 2019, months after police received reports that he had made suicidal and violent threats.

___

Savage is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. She reported from Waukegan. Associated Press Writer Michael Tarm contributed to this report.
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NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP)  Deeply divided top diplomats from the worlds richest and largest developing nations failed to find common ground Friday over Russias war in Ukraine and how to deal with its global impacts, leaving prospects for future cooperation in the forum uncertain.

At talks that were were knocked off balance by two unrelated and unexpected political developments, including the shocking assassination of a former Japanese prime minister, far from the Indonesian resort of Bali where they were meeting, Group of 20 foreign ministers heard an emotional plea for unity and an end to the war from their Indonesian host.

Yet, consensus remained elusive amid deepening East-West splits driven by China and Russia on one side and the United States and Europe on the other. There was no group photo taken nor a final communique issued as has been done in previous years, and acrimony appeared pervasive, especially between Russia and Western participants.

Although they were present in the same room at the same time for the first time since the Ukraine war began, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointedly ignored each other.

Lavrov walked out of the proceedings at least twice: once when his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock spoke at the opening session and again just before Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was to speak by video at the second session, according to a Western diplomat present.

The meeting opened only hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation Thursday, prompting his foreign secretary, Liz Truss, to depart Bali, and was just underway when former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot. Abe later died of his wounds.

Both Johnson and Abe are well known to the G-20 family, having participated in numerous similar conferences and leaders' summits in the past. One goal of Friday's meeting was to lay the groundwork for the upcoming G-20 summit that Indonesia will host in November.

Many, if not all, of the participants expressed shock at Abe's shooting that occurred as they were holding the first of two plenary sessions on the importance of restoring confidence in multilateralism and upholding the global rules-based order.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi had urged the group  which included Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Blinken and several European counterparts  to overcome mistrust for the sake of a planet confronting multiple challenges from the coronavirus to climate change as well as Ukraine.

The world has yet to recover from the pandemic but we are already confronted with another crisis: the war in Ukraine, Marsudi said. The ripple effects are being felt globally on food, on energy and physical space.

She noted that poor and developing countries now face the brunt of fuel and grain shortages resulting from the war in Ukraine and said that the G-20 has a responsibility to step up and deal with the matter to ensure the rules-based global order remains relevant.

The Ukraine war has shaken that order, she said, as Lavrov appeared to shuffle papers without expression at his seat in between the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

Honestly, we cannot deny that it has become more difficult for the world to sit together, Marsudi said. She added plaintively: The world is watching us, so we cannot fail.

She said the Ukraine war was discussed at almost all bilateral meetings during the one-day gathering.

But after the meeting was over, Marsudi could not point to any agreements reached by all participants, although she said there had been broad concern about food and energy disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine. She added that only some countries expressed condemnation of the act of invasion."

Indeed, although they sat around the same large conference table neither Lavrov nor Blinken spoke to each other.

You know, it was not us who abandoned all contacts," Lavrov told reporters after the first session. "It was the United States. Thats all I can say. And we are not running after anybody suggesting meetings. If they dont want to talk, its their choice.

Asked why there had been no group photo, Lavrov snapped: I didnt invite anyone to pose for a photo together with me.

Its obvious that they used the G-20 for goals that werent envisaged when it was created, he said.

Shortly thereafter, Blinken took direct aim at the Russian delegation, accusing Moscow in the second G-20 session of blocking millions of tons of grain in Ukrainian ports and causing food insecurity in large parts of the world, according to a Western diplomat present.

Lavrov was not there for Blinken's comments and his stand-in began Russia's intervention by telling the group she did not have prepared remarks, according to the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the closed-door meeting.

U.S. officials had said they were determined not to allow distractions to divert attention from what they believe should be the primary focuses of the Bali conference: the disruption to world food and energy supplies caused by Russias war in Ukraine, blaming Moscow for it, and marshalling a response to halt shortages that are already wreaking havoc in Africa, Asia and elsewhere.

U.S. officials had hinted there would be no group communique as there has been in previous years when the group had produced joint statements on key issues like terrorism, transnational crime, climate and economic matters that have been viewed as blueprints for global action.

U.S. officials said it was less important for the G-20 to present a unified stance as an entity than it would be for smaller blocs of countries and individual nations to speak out and take action.

The competition for support among the sides has been fierce. Wang and Lavrov each stopped in various Asian capitals on their way to Bali, drumming up support for various Chinese and Russian positions and fortifying their ties among non-allied nations.

Blinken, the French, Germans and Brits, meanwhile, all arrived in Bali from two Western-oriented and organized gatherings in Europe last week: the G-7 and NATO summits at which there was little sign of rancor or debate and unity on Ukraine was assured.

With its broader membership, including countries like host Indonesia and large developing nations like India, Brazil, South Africa and others, the G-20 is far more diverse, skeptical of Western intentions and more open to entreaties and offers from big neighbors like China and Russia and more vulnerable to their threats.

Attempting to ply a middle route, this years G-20 president, Indonesia, has tried to bridge what gaps are possible, laying out an agenda that is not inherently divisive or political. The country has sought to remain neutral in dealing with Russias invasion of Ukraine, and President Joko Widodo has been guarded in his comments.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Louisiana can now enforce its ban on almost all abortions under a judges order issued Friday amid a flurry of court challenges to state trigger laws crafted to take effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The decision came the same day President Joe Biden issued an executive order to protect access to abortion in states where it is still legal and mitigate the potential penalties women seeking the procedure may face after the high courts ruling on June 24.

Days after the Supreme Court decision, Louisiana District Judge Robin Giarrusso issued a temporary restraining order banning enforcement of the state legislation in response to a lawsuit filed by a north Louisiana abortion clinic and others.

State District Judge Ethel Julien said Friday that she did not have the authority to extend the restraining order because she had concluded the suit should not have been filed in her court. She said the suits claims that provisions in the law are unconstitutionally vague and inconsistent are matters involving legislation, and therefore should be heard in state court in the capital, Baton Rouge.

The ruling was a victory for Attorney General Jeff Landry and lawyers for the state, who argued that the lawsuit had been improperly filed in New Orleans.

Attorneys for the law's challengers did not detail their next step, but said they would continue to press the case in Baton Rouge. This was a decision on a technicality that had nothing to do with the merits of our case, which were not discussed or considered by the parties or the court today," said lead attorney Joanna Wright. This fight is far from over.

Immediately after Julien ruled, Amy Irvin, a spokeswoman for abortion clinics in New Orleans and Baton Rouge said no procedures or counseling were scheduled at either in the coming days. However, she added that the decision doesn't mean the clinics will shut down. She said clinic operators would await action at the state court in Baton Rouge before deciding their next action.

The administrator of the Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, told The Associated Press that clinic staff were canceling all abortion appointments scheduled for Saturday. Kathaleen Pittman said no procedures or consultations had been scheduled for Friday. She said the clinic would continue to schedule appointments for women to receive ultrasounds and counseling next week.

Its upsetting. Its very difficult. Its a very difficult day indeed, Pittman said.

At the courthouse, Landry cautioned clinics and doctors against providing abortions following Julien's ruling. If they continue to operate, they do so under their own risk, Landry said.

About 60 protesters gathered outside the courthouse Friday waving signs that read, Abortion is healthcare and Do you want women to die? The demonstrators, who want to keep the states abortion clinics open, criticized Landry, who has been a staunch defender of efforts to outlaw abortion across the state.

Abortion rights advocates in numerous states have filed court challenges to laws restricting the procedure. In Mississippi, home of the case that led to the Supreme Court decision, attorneys for the states sole abortion clinic filed a petition on Thursday asking the states highest court to temporarily block a new law that bans most abortions. The attorneys made the request on the day the law took effect and two days after a Mississippi judge rejected the same request.

___

The story has been edited to clarify that Julien did not lift the order, per se, but said she had no authority to extend it after determining the case didnt belong in her court.

___

Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.
Of three steers that made a break from a Stafford slaughterhouse Tuesday, one had to be euthanized after being hit by a vehicle while the other two were found in a farmers pasture Thursday, state police and the local animal control officer said.

The animals escape from the meat packer was reminiscent of Buddy the Beefalos adventures in the Terryville section of Plymouth in 2020-21.

The three Black Angus steers bolted from New England Meat Company on Furnace Hollow Road in Stafford. On Wednesday just after 4 a.m., one of the animals ran into the path of a vehicle headed eastbound on East Street, state police said. The driver was not hurt, but the vehicle had to be towed.

Due to its injuries, the bovine was put down, police said. Its two mates remained on the lam until Thursday, when they were found in a pasture near the meat plant, Stafford Animal Control Officer Jenn Miller said.

The steers owner was supposed to pick them up and likely would take them back to the slaughterhouse, Miller said early Thursday afternoon. Neither the animals owner nor a representative of New England Meat could be reached.

The brief respite from the chop house called up memories of Buddys escape from a Terryville slaughterhouse on Aug. 3, 2020 as he was being unloaded from a trailer. The 900-pound bull, a mix of bison and domestic cattle, eluded capture for eight months, but instead of taking him back to the meat packer after his capture, local police purchased Buddy and sent him down to a wildlife sanctuary in Florida.

Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary removed the beef from his name and labeled Buddy a biso-cow. Caretakers say he has settled into life down South,

Buddy now has his own little chosen family consisting of Eleanor, Daisy, Deana, Bunny, and Autumn, according to a brief bio at crittercreekfarmsanctuary.org. They spend the days together grazing, wading into ponds, using trees as scratching posts and wandering around their 60-acre field. He seems to feel safe and content, and we really couldn't ask for anything more.

Jesse.Leavenworth@hearstmediact.com
DERBY  The citys Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen has reinstated Finance Director Agata Herasimowicz. But the city hasnt exactly been in a hurry to have her resume her duties.

The board reinstated Herasimowicz June 29 during a sometimes contentious meeting. She had been on administrative leave since March over allegations she improperly spent city funds. But as late as July 6, she had no clear return date, and was emailing city officials expressing the urgent need to get back to work on the citys finances.

For about a week, I have been emailing about the date to report to work, she wrote to Corporation Counsel Vincent Marino. I understand that the Mayor and the Corporation (counsel) need to confer on this matter. I have not (heard) from the Mayors office yet. Is there a problem to start work at the office? I need to review the ledger and its current status, also access to GEM software. (It is) very important.

Marinos reply, the following day, set her return date July 11.

Please report to the Mayors office at 9 a.m. to meet with me and the Mayor, he wrote.

While Herasimowicz is now expected to return, it is not clear what kind of work relationship she will have with Mayor Rich Dziekan and Chief of Staff Walt Mayhew, who both advocated she be fired. Dziekan continued to lobby for her dismissal despite a report by accounting firm MahoneySabol that largely absolved her of wrongdoing.

The report concluded that her signing off on payment for police video equipment and the hiring of temporary workers before getting Board of Apportionment and Taxation approval, while contrary to the city charter and not in keeping with best fiscal practices, had been reasonable and necessary given the circumstances.

After reviewing the MahoneySabol report, the board voted 8-1 to reinstate her, with only Alderman Charles Sampson siding with the mayor.

Though Herasimowicz may be back, it seems clear that her job performance will be closely watched. In his email notifying her of her return to work, Marino also wrote that he, Dziekan and Herasimowicz would use the Monday meeting to review the duties and responsibilities of the Finance Director under the Charter and Ordinances, address any questions you may have concerning those duties and responsibilities, and clarify expectations for compliance.

He continued that the meeting would address areas of improvement and priorities and goals for you and the Finance Department, including for developing and implementing financial policies, procedures and internal controls to ensure compliance with the Citys Charter and Ordinances and promote best practices in the Citys financial operations.

Alderwoman and former Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto, one of Herasimowiczs more vocal defenders during the reinstatement meeting, expressed gratitude that she would be remaining in the city and cited her qualifications.

I think Agata is the best thing that Derbys had, Dugatto wrote in an email Thursday. She has the credentials to qualify as the Chief Fiscal Officer for the City of Derby, I trust her to guide Derby Finances with transparency and understanding.

Without a full-time finance director, the city had a rocky budget season, with city officials noting errors in Derbys 2022-23 budget proposal.

Mayhew, who had taken over many of Herasimowiczs job responsibilities during her leave, said at the time that the budget in question was a draft and not a final version.

Mayhew did not respond to requests for comment about Herasimowiczs return.

Dziekan, asked via text message about the working relationship between him and Herasimowicz, replied only that I will be having a meeting with her Monday with corporate counsel.

Alderwoman Sarah Widomski said she was excited for Herasimowiczs return.

I am looking forward to getting the finance office back on track after more than 4 months without a finance director, she said. I am confident that working together, the policies and procedures that have been lacking and long overdue in our city will be implemented. The (board) is committed that this is done in a transparent manner. Politics must be kept out of the finance office.

Sampson, the lone alderman to vote against Herasimowiczs reinstatement, said he was indifferent to her return.

I have no feelings one way or the other, he said. As I stated during the meeting, she was brought there to fix the issues that she was found wrong of, not to continue these practices as they are incorrect in financial practice and against the citys charter.

But he is hoping she succeeds in improving the citys finances.

I hope that she continues to move the citys finance department in the correct direction, not continue the status quo that has led to many compounded issues over the decades, Sampson said.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Hours after a gunman killed seven people at a July 4th parade in suburban Chicago, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tapped into the frustration of many fellow Democrats at the seeming inability of the U.S. to curb gun violence.

If youre angry today, Im here to tell you: Be angry. Im furious, Pritzker said.

But at the White House, President Joe Biden was more focused on reassurance than anger.

I know it can be exhausting and unsettling, he said, adding that were going to get through all of this.

In a summer marked by anger among Democrats over a string of mass shootings and the Supreme Courts decision to strip women of the constitutional right to an abortion, several governors, including Pritzker, are emerging as the partys leading voices of outrage. Their willingness to speak  and act  in aggressive terms stands in contrast to Biden, who is coming under growing criticism from some Democrats for lacking a sufficiently robust response to what some in his party see as existential threats.

Some Democrats warn that the lack of a strong response will be a problem if the party hopes to turn out enough voters to maintain their narrow grip on Congress in the fall midterm elections.

The people that youre telling to vote arent going to listen until we prove that we are handling this moment with urgency, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in an interview, referring to the party generally. We have a lot of tools at our disposal, I think we have a lot of assets at our disposal, and we have to use them.

Facing pressure to be more forceful, Biden took executive action on Friday to protect access to abortion, but noted the limits of what he could do without Congress acting and said, "For Gods sake there is an election in November. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote!

But in this moment, governors may have unique tools that are more conducive to swift action than the president. Well positioned heading into the fall campaign and presiding over statehouses where Democrats are in control, Pritzker and Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York and Gavin Newsom of California have wide latitude.

In New York, for instance, Hochul was undeterred by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a state law and allowed most people to carry a handgun for personal protection. She called a special session last week in which lawmakers passed new measures limiting where those licensed to have guns can carry them and toughening rules for obtaining the permits. The regulations include a novel requirement to screen applicants social media accounts for threats.

They may think they can change our lives with the stroke of a pen, but we have pens too, Hochul said defiantly of the Supreme Courts gun ruling.

In Illinois, Pritzker has said he would convene a special legislative session in coming weeks, with support of Democratic legislative leaders, to more firmly protect abortion rights and address some of the challenges the state faces as one of the few places in the Midwest where abortion remains legal.

Abortion rights will be on the California ballot in November, after legislators with Newsoms blessing agreed last month to place a proposal before voters that would guarantee a right to an abortion in the state constitution. The constitutional amendment is certain to drive turnout on both sides of the debate.

Newsom has been especially vocal in rallying against the repeal of abortion rights even before the Supreme Court ruled. When a draft Supreme Court opinion surfaced in May suggesting the conservative majority was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, he delivered a withering critique of the national party, suggesting it was suffering from collective lethargy.

Where is the Democratic Party? he asked at the time, without naming anyone specifically but appearing to exclude Biden from criticism. Why arent we standing up more firmly? More resolutely? Why arent we calling this out?

With just a tenuous grip on Congress, however, Biden cant move legislation quickly. And even criticizing Republicans could be politically dangerous if he needs their support on key votes.

Forcefully calling out the other side isnt a luxury he has if he wants to get anything done the rest of the year on anything, said Democratic strategist Joe Trippi. If youre Gavin Newsom, whose votes are you going to lose in the state senate or California assembly?

The White House insists Biden isnt backing away from a fight. In a passionate prime-time speech last month, he lamented that gun violence had turned schools, supermarkets and other everyday places into killing fields and asked, How much more carnage are we willing to accept?

Shortly after the Supreme Court's abortion ruling, Biden called the decision the realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that you will hear more from him on issues including abortion as she underscored the administrations central message that winning the midterms is the best path forward.

Speaking at the White House on Friday about the abortion ruling, Biden showed anger and disgust, at times gritting his teeth as he discussed reports of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was forced to travel out of state to terminate a pregnancy after being raped.

Ten years old. 10 years old. Raped. Six weeks pregnant. Already traumatized, was forced to travel to another state. Imagine being that little girl. JustI'm seriousjust imagine being that little girl. Ten years old! he said.

Still, without more federal options, Biden is turning to governors. He convened a virtual roundtable last Friday with Pritzker, Hochul and seven other Democratic governors to discuss what steps were being taken in their states to protect abortion rights.

Biden reiterated that his administration will protect the rights of women to travel to other states for abortion services and ensure that abortion medication is available as widely as possible. But he acknowledged he didnt have votes in the U.S. Senate for more sweeping actions and laid out the stakes for Novembers elections and the need to increase Democrats majorities.

In the meantime, I want to hear what the governors are doing, he said.

With their reelections essentially secure, the aggressive action from some of the governors is sparking speculation about potential future presidential campaigns.

Pritzker, a billionaire businessman seeking his second term, raised chatter about a possible presidential bid when he spoke last month at the state Democratic party convention in New Hampshire, one of the early presidential nominating states. He has said he is focused on his job as governor and his reelection bid.

Newsom drew even more attention by running a television ad on Independence Day in Florida that was critical of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate. In the ad, which features images of DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, Newsom warns viewers that freedom is under attack in your state.

I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight. Or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom  freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate and the freedom to love, Newsom said.

___

Associated Press writers Sara Burnett in Chicago and Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP)  A 27-year-old hiker who went missing while visiting White Sands National Park has been found dead, authorities said Friday.

New Mexico state police and officials at the southern New Mexico park reported that rescue teams discovered the body of Brad Utegaar of Wausau, Wisconsin, earlier this week after a search was initiated over the holiday weekend. A military helicopter and state and federal officers helped with the effort.
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NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Louisiana can now enforce its ban on almost all abortions under a judges order issued Friday amid a flurry of court challenges to state trigger laws crafted to take effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The decision came the same day President Joe Biden issued an executive order to protect access to abortion in states where it is still legal and mitigate the potential penalties women seeking the procedure may face after the high courts ruling on June 24.

Days after the Supreme Court decision, Louisiana District Judge Robin Giarrusso issued a temporary restraining order banning enforcement of the state legislation in response to a lawsuit filed by a north Louisiana abortion clinic and others.

State District Judge Ethel Julien said Friday that she did not have the authority to extend the restraining order because she had concluded the suit should not have been filed in her court. She said the suits claims that provisions in the law are unconstitutionally vague and inconsistent are matters involving legislation, and therefore should be heard in state court in the capital, Baton Rouge.

The ruling was a victory for Attorney General Jeff Landry and lawyers for the state, who argued that the lawsuit had been improperly filed in New Orleans.

Attorneys for the law's challengers did not detail their next step, but said they would continue to press the case in Baton Rouge. This was a decision on a technicality that had nothing to do with the merits of our case, which were not discussed or considered by the parties or the court today," said lead attorney Joanna Wright. This fight is far from over.

Immediately after Julien ruled, Amy Irvin, a spokeswoman for abortion clinics in New Orleans and Baton Rouge said no procedures or counseling were scheduled at either in the coming days. However, she added that the decision doesn't mean the clinics will shut down. She said clinic operators would await action at the state court in Baton Rouge before deciding their next action.

The administrator of the Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, told The Associated Press that clinic staff were canceling all abortion appointments scheduled for Saturday. Kathaleen Pittman said no procedures or consultations had been scheduled for Friday. She said the clinic would continue to schedule appointments for women to receive ultrasounds and counseling next week.

Its upsetting. Its very difficult. Its a very difficult day indeed, Pittman said.

At the courthouse, Landry cautioned clinics and doctors against providing abortions following Julien's ruling. If they continue to operate, they do so under their own risk, Landry said.

About 60 protesters gathered outside the courthouse Friday waving signs that read, Abortion is healthcare and Do you want women to die? The demonstrators, who want to keep the states abortion clinics open, criticized Landry, who has been a staunch defender of efforts to outlaw abortion across the state.

Abortion rights advocates in numerous states have filed court challenges to laws restricting the procedure. In Mississippi, home of the case that led to the Supreme Court decision, attorneys for the states sole abortion clinic filed a petition on Thursday asking the states highest court to temporarily block a new law that bans most abortions. The attorneys made the request on the day the law took effect and two days after a Mississippi judge rejected the same request.

___

The story has been edited to clarify that Julien did not lift the order, per se, but said she had no authority to extend it after determining the case didnt belong in her court.

___

Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  A $34 million state fund created by Connecticut lawmakers last year to provide financial help to qualified essential workers has remained mostly untouched, Comptroller Natalie Braswell said Thursday.

The program aims to help those who lost wages and faced out-of-pocket medical expenses and burial costs due to COVID-19.

To date, only about $300,000 has been paid to eligible recipients, prompting Braswell's office to extend the deadline for applications until December and step up efforts to get the word out about the Connecticut COVID-19 Essential Worker Assistance Fund.

For us, we think that we need to do more outreach. We need to get more people to know that the program is available, how they apply for the program, what kind of documentation they need, how they apply, how they register, she said during a state Capitol news conference. And weve been doing a lot of that within the last couple of months.

The fund is open to any essential Connecticut worker who didn't have the option to work remotely and who died or was unable to work because they contracted COVID-19 between March 10, 2020, and July 20, 2021. A family member or representative can apply for assistance on behalf of a deceased worker.

The term essential is defined as professions that received immunization priority by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The essential worker fund is one of two COVID-related funds the state created to benefit eligible members of the public. Braswell said her office is in the process of setting up a new online portal for the state's $30 million premium pay, or hero pay, program for essential workers who didn't necessarily have to have contracted COVID in order to be eligible for the funds. She said that program should be up and running by the end of July or early August.

Meanwhile, Policy and Management Secretary Jeff Beckham said negotiations recently began with state employee union leaders to determine how to distribute a third pot of money to essential state workers.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  The nation's largest food distributor has joined the other businesses accusing the four largest meat processors of working together to inflate beef prices.

Sysco recently filed a federal lawsuit in Texas accusing Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill and National Beef of price fixing. The lawsuit said those companies have conspired to suppress the number of cattle being slaughtered at least since 2015 to help drive up the price of beef. The allegations are similar to ones in lawsuits filed by grocery stores, ranchers, restaurants and other wholesalers that have been pending in Minnesota federal court since 2020.

Similar price-fixing lawsuits are also pending in the pork and chicken processing businesses.

The Sysco Corp. lawsuit said the companies' coordinated efforts to limit the number of cattle slaughtered drove down the price meat processors paid ranchers while propping up beef prices, boosting profits for the meat producers, who control more than 80% of the U.S. beef market.

The lawsuit said the companies exploited their market power in this highly concentrated market by conspiring to limit the supply, and fix the prices, of beef sold. And the lawsuit cited an unnamed witnesses who used to work in the meat industry who confirmed there was a conspiracy between the meat companies.

Most of the companies didn't immediately respond to questions about the Sysco lawsuit Thursday, but they have defended their actions in the other price-fixing lawsuits even though JBS did agree to a $52.5 million settlement in one of the lawsuits earlier this year. JBS didn't admit any wrongdoing as part of that deal.

Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan said his company is confident in our efforts to maintain market integrity and conduct ethical business. We believe the claims lack merit and intend to vigorously defend our position.

In general, the meat processing industry has maintained that supply and demand factors, not anticompetitive behavior, drive beef and cattle prices. The industry has also long struggled with worker shortages that have limited production at times. Those workforce issues became particularly acute during the pandemic when COVID-19 spread widely through processing plants and forced companies to slow or idle production.

The Justice Department has been looking into allegations of price fixing in the industry at least since 2020, but it hasn't provided updates on its investigation.

President Joe Biden has suggested that increasing competition in the meat industry would help reduce food prices, so his administration has offered $1 billion to help build and expand independent meat processing plants.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday authorized state forces to apprehend migrants and return them to the U.S.-Mexico border, pushing the boundaries of their enforcement powers and the Republican's escalating efforts to curb the rising number of crossings.

The federal government is responsible for enforcement of immigration. The White House criticized the move and one immigrant rights group called for swift intervention from the Justice Department.

For more than a year, Texas has patrolled the border with an increasingly heavy hand. Abbott stopped short Wednesday of authorizing Texas troopers and National Guard members  who he has already deployed to the border by the thousands  to take migrants across the ports of entry and into Mexico, disappointing former Trump administration officials who have urged him to do so.

The impact of the order was unclear, including how widely it would be used and under what circumstances. But the authority described by Abbott would amount to a significant and untested expansion of the normal powers of the National Guard and state police, who until now have turned migrants over to Border Patrol agents, and in some cases, made arrests on state trespassing charges.

Among the questions the move raises is the training state forces have to detain and transport migrants. Legal experts expected the move to to invite court challenges.

Crossings are at or near the highest in about two decades. On the Texas border, U.S. authorities stopped migrants from crossing illegally 523,000 times between January and May, up from 417,000 over the same span a year ago.

Abbott has blamed the Biden administration and spent more than $3 billion in state funds on a massive border security apparatus. But the state operation has not stemmed the flow of migrants.

"As the challenges on the border continue to increase, Texas will continue to take action to address those challenges caused by the Biden Administration. Abbott said.

The White House responded by criticizing the results of Abbott's massive border mission, known as Operation Lone Star, including a week in April when additional commercial truck inspections gridlocked Texas;' 1,200-mile border with Mexico for a week. Governor Abbotts record on immigration doesnt give us confidence in what he has cooked up now," spokesman Abdullah Hasan said.

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department said in a statement it rejects Abbots move, saying immigration policy was a federal  not state  matter and that the decision was a purely political gambit.

This action can only be understood as part of the Texas state electoral campaigns, the department said.

Laurence Benenson, of the National Immigration Forum, said he expects legal challenges to Texas trying to set its own immigration enforcement policy, which conflicts with longstanding legal precedence that that is the responsibility of the federal government.

He also said its unclear how Texas troopers would pick up people solely for being out of legal status and not having committed a crime. Attempts to broaden state powers in enforcing immigration policy have failed in the past, including Arizonas papers, please law that the Supreme Court struck down in 2012 when Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the state may not pursue policies that undermined federal law.

The Supreme Court recently struck down a Republican-led Texas and Missouri lawsuit to prevent the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy that forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their request is considered. That ruling, Benenson said, affirmed the federal governments role in enforcing immigration law.

There is a recognition that we dont want to open the flood gates to having states set 50 different immigration enforcement policies, Benenson said.

Abbott announced the order in a statement and his office did not immediately respond to questions about how it would be implemented.

The announcement comes two days after former Trump administration officials and sheriffs in several South Texas called on Abbott to declare what they have called an invasion" and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war. Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures.

The idea has existed on the right fringes of the GOP for years but has gained traction among conservatives since Biden took office.

The Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials, has been driving the effort and criticized Abbott's order since it does not call for expelling migrants.

That is critical. Otherwise this is still catch and release, the group said in a statement.

U.S. border authorities are stopping migrants more often on the southern border than at any time in at least two decades. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago.

Comparisons to pre-pandemic levels are complicated because migrants expelled under a public health authority known as Title 42 face no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. Authorities say 25% of encounters in May were with people who had been stopped at least once in the previous year.

The advocacy group RAICES, which provides legal services to immigrant families and refugees, called Abbott's move an overreach of power and urged the Biden administration to step in.

___

Associated Press reporter Julie Watson in San Diego and Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.
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MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP)  Uruguay stopped administering coronavirus vaccine to children under age 13 after a judge ordered on Thursday that all inoculations in that age group halt until officials present documents relating to contracts signed with vaccine manufacturers.

Judge Alejandro Recarey issued the injunction under a petition filed by a lawyer who represents a group of anti-vaccine activists.

The vaccinations in children under 13 had been on a voluntary basis, and the government said it will appeal the decision.

Alvaro Delgado, the secretary of the presidency, characterized the halt as a threat to public health.

Were convinced that its crazy to suspend voluntary vaccination because it has a strong scientific backing, Delgado said at a news conference.

Vaccinations for those older than 13 will continue, the Health Ministry said in a news release.

The lawyer who sought the injunction, Maximiliano Dentone, represents anti-vaccine activists who have demanded that contracts with vaccine manufacturers be made public.

The judge ordered the vaccination after receiving on Thursday answers to 18 questions about the safety and chemical composition of the vaccines that was signed by Health Minister Daniel Salinas.

Salinas published an open letter after the ruling strongly defending the governments vaccination plan and criticizing the judge for questioning the safety of vaccines.

Many Uruguayans under 13 have been able to receive the necessary doses, but others have not, Salinas wrote.

Dentone said the government had failed to present the contracts with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer that he had requested. The government has said a confidentiality clause in the contract prevents it from sharing the document.

The judge is seeking, among other things, to know whether there are clauses in the contracts that promised civil and criminal immunity due to any adverse effects from the vaccines. Recarey also wants information about the chemical composition of the vaccines.

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in Uruguay in recent weeks along with other respiratory infections that are typical of winter months.

As of Thursday, 44% of Uruguayan children between ages 5 and 11 and 75% of those between 12 and 14 have received two doses of coronavirus vaccine, according to Uruguay government data.
AP

RICHMOND, Ky. (AP)  Work has begun on eliminating the last chemical weapons stockpile stored at an Army depot in Kentucky.

The Blue Grass Army Depot's stockpile of decades-old M55 rockets containing GB nerve agent makes up about half of the 523 tons of weapons that were originally stored there. The nerve agent, also known as sarin, is colorless, odorless and highly toxic.
There are plenty of issues occupying our hearts and minds these days. A school choice movement in Connecticut  providing parents in underperforming public school systems with vouchers and education savings accounts for better educational choices  should be among them, which could significantly impact the education of future generations.

The recent Supreme Court decision in Carson v. Makin supports the school choice movement by removing an obstacle to public funding that makes access to parochial schools a choice for more families in more states.

The issue in a nutshell

Many public school systems, often in inner cities, are underperforming, if not failing. Parents of children in these schools have few other public options. Yes, there are magnet and charter schools that are public, receive state funds and charge no tuition, but admission is determined by lottery, the luck of the draw.

This can and should change, as is happening on the topic of school choice in other states.

There is a better way

School choice brings accountability to all parties involved, saves taxpayer dollars and affords parents critical educational choices for their children. In Bridgeport, for example, it costs almost $17,000 to educate each student. At parochial schools, the cost to educate students is significantly less and the outcomes achieved are far superior. At the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport, which educates approximately 900 pre-K through grade 8 students on four campuses, the cost of a childs education is only about $7,000. More than 85 percent of Catholic Academy students cannot afford the annual tuition of $5,150 and thus qualify for need-based financial assistance. Many families attend for as little as $100 a month

The Catholic Academy of Bridgeport raises over $2.2 million each year, provided by generous private donors and foundations to cover scholarship funding for those families in need. The academy welcomes students of all faiths; 40 percent of all students are non-Catholic. Importantly, teachers pay is based on a merit system, where one of the factors in a teachers compensation is the outcomes or success that their work brings to students.

Connecticut does not provide school choice programs like vouchers and education savings accounts to help parents with educational options and the funding to select a better alternative for their child, like Catholic Academy of Bridgeport.

School choice momentum in other states

Other states are catching on, particularly post-COVID. According to the Wall Street Journal, more than 30 states have introduced bills to establish or expand educational choice programs, including strongholds like Virginia and New Jersey that have traditionally opposed school choice. Providing parents a choice and helping to save taxpayer dollars have helped to remove other longstanding policy barriers.

One of these barriers is teachers unions, who naturally oppose school choice programs, claiming that funds to expand choice are taken from public schools. Yet this claim is not valid. In Indiana, legislators have funded voucher programs, yet 93 percent of all education funding still goes to public schools  not a drain at all. State legislators are stepping up to reject the idea that teachers unions should have a monopoly over how K-12 education dollars are spent. These states are leading the way in establishing education systems that give parents more choice, with better outcomes for their children and more productive use of city and state education dollars.

So why not in Connecticut?

Like many policy issues, change comes from building a coalition of support and leadership on topics that taxpayers care about.

According to the Friedman Foundation for Education Choice, as of May 2016, Connecticut provides no financial assistance (either in the form of vouchers or tax credits) to parents wishing to send their children to private schools in place of public schools. This must change.

Parochial schools, like the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport, provide better outcomes for students with fewer dollars than their public school counterparts, while saving taxpayer dollars. In Bridgeport alone, where the education budget is funded mostly at the state government level, choice programs would save all state taxpayers significantly. Most importantly, as parents are able to choose the educational model that best fits their children, student success would improve across the board. Thus, the prospects for Bridgeport as a whole improves, bringing further cost savings to Connecticut.

Vouchers should be adopted in Connecticut to give all parents, especially those in inner cities like Bridgeport, equal opportunities to educate their children at the best school of their choice while saving taxpayer dollars. We must demand this of our state legislators. The future of our children trapped in the states underperforming public schools depends on it.

John J. Kennedy is on the board of Catholic Academy of Bridgeport.
Yesterday Culture Secretary and bestselling author Nadine Dorries visited the British Library  and a self-effacing tweet followed.

Im told the British Library holds a copy of every publication published in the UK, she said. But I didnt find my own books amongst the Austen and Brontes.

It has been a tough week for Dorries. No one could have shown greater loyalty to Boris Johnson, and she was one of the few trusted colleagues with him in the No 10 bunker in the hours before his resignation.

During his speech, she stood beside his wife Carrie and their six-month-old daughter. Whenever Dorries eyes strayed from the Prime Minister, it was to smile at baby Romy.

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries is pictured exiting Number Ten after Cabinet yesterday

The keen Boris fan applauded his resignation speech alongside Carrie Johnson and baby Romy

The relationship between the Old Etonian PM and Nadine Dorries, 65, is an unusual one. Her books, which include the Lovely Lane series, have been dismissed as chick lit by some but sell in their millions.

Plots revolve around growing up in poverty-stricken communities in the 1950s and 60s. Why is there so much sneering about her work? Snobbery and misogyny, she has said.

Dorries certainly knows of what she writes. Her mother, Sylvia, was a typist, her father George a bus driver, and she and her brother John (who died in a car crash at 27) grew up in a three-bedroom maisonette without central heating on a Liverpool council estate.

By Wednesday evening, Ms Dorries was one of the last Cabinet ministers supporting Mr Johnson's continued stay in Downing Street

When her father fell ill and could not work, life got harder. Dorries knows what it is like to go hungry. School  a local comprehensive  meant escape, and she talks with pride of friends who went on to flourish in the arts and culture.

She is convinced they would not have the same opportunities today. Now its people with double-barrelled names, who went to a private school, or had a connection with the BBC, she says. Her parents divorced and her mother retrained as a teacher, buying her maisonette.

Without Mrs Thatchers Right to Buy, my mum would still be on the same Liverpool sink estate, said Dorries. Leaving school at 16, she trained as a nurse, sharing a flat with her father for a time. When he died at just 42, it was Dorries who found his body.

In 1984 she married mining engineer Paul Dorries, with whom she had three daughters. Their marriage ended after 23 years, but she nursed him to the end when he fell terminally ill. He is buried across from her house, and she always says goodnight to him.

A true daughter of Thatcher, Dorries set up her own firm in 1987 selling childcare services to working mothers, and sold it to Bupa in the 1990s. The cash enabled her move into politics. Elected as an MP for Mid Bedfordshire in 2005, the softly spoken Liverpudlian was the perfect antidote to another Old Etonians  David Camerons  brand of Conservatism.

They had an appalling relationship. He called her Mad Nad and she dismissed him and then chancellor George Osborne as two arrogant posh boys who dont know the price of milk.

But she did form a lasting bond with Johnson, who had an adjoining office, and he guided her through the internal politics of Westminster. It was Dorries decision to join Im A Celebrity in 2012, which bought her a far wider audience. Cameron suspended her briefly from Parliament because she hadnt secured permission to do it.

That jungle sojourn later made her Left-wing critics reach for the smelling salts.

One online objector said: Germanys culture minister is a trained art historian; Frances wrote a book on Verdi. The new UK Culture Secretary... ate ostrich anus on Im A Celebrity. As ever, she took it in her stride. They like you to be cowed, make you retreat, and some MPs will do that because it is easier. I wont, she said.

When she pledged to Boris that she would not desert him, she was as good as her word. Boris adores and admires her, said one of his allies. He will always be grateful for her friendship and support.
Radio 4's specially extended edition of the Today Programme on Thursday morning was interrupted for the BBC's political editor Chris Mason to boast that he had just received a call from Downing Street informing him that 'the Prime Minister has agreed to stand down'.

But Mason might as well have announced that Boris Johnson 'has agreed to stand down, as the BBC demanded'  for that has been the clear and relentless message of its coverage over recent months.

And when Today host Nick Robinson declared soon afterwards that, 'the Boris Johnson era is coming to an end', it seemed almost celebratory in tone.

BBC's political editor Chris Mason interrupted the Today programme to say: 'The Prime Minister has agreed to stand down'.

Like the Mounties, the BBC  and the rest of the Europhile Establishment it speaks for  had finally got their man.

It was the moment they had been waiting for since December 2019, when Johnson won his resounding 80-seat majority. Perhaps even since the result of the EU referendum in June 2016, when David Dimbleby told the nation in shocked disbelief that: 'We're out!'

Now, the combined forces of unashamedly biased media executives and journalists and the smug, liberal warriors who make up the twitterati have succeeded in effectively leading a coup to 'cancel' an elected politician with one of the biggest electoral mandates in history. And in the aftermath of Johnson's defiant resignation speech and his decision to stay on in No 10 until October, few of the usual suspects could not hide their glee on social media.

Stephen Fry tweeted: 'He's STILL Prime Minister?'

'He just couldn't do the decent thing and step aside at once. He doubtless pictures himself as an unleashed buccaneering, cavalier swashbuckler rather than the rogue elephant he is, trampling down what's left of our democracy,' he wrote in another blast.

TV presenter Sue Perkins tweeted: 'No contrition. No reflection. No basic understanding. And take the name of the NHS out of your privatising mouth.'

Foul-mouthed comedian Nish Kumar also piled in. 'Yes him going doesn't solve the institutional rot that brought him to this position. And yes, the real solution is changing a system that elevates a person like [sic] to the position of ultimate power. But for one moment let's focus on how incredibly funny it is that the c*** failed,' he tweeted.

Nick Robinson began his review of Thursday's newspaper headlines, unsurprisingly, with the Guardian's attack on Johnson as 'desperate and deluded'

Presenter, screenwriter and Guardian columnist Charlie Brooker reacted similarly: 'It'll take an exorcist to shift this f*****'.

Finally, there was Rory Stewart, a former Tory MP and one-time party leader hopeful, whose rant on Sky News reached new heights of hysteria. 'A liar, a showman, a buffoon, a rank incompetent and probably the most shameful Prime Minister that Britain has ever had and somebody the like of whom I pray we will never see again,' he said.

Early on Thursday morning, before it was known Johnson had decided to resign, Robert Peston wrote a particularly aggressive piece for ITV's news website.

'This spectacle is pure gold to Labour. But the PM is insisting he has a personal mandate from the British people. This is constitutional claptrap. If it wasn't such a cliche, I might say there are shades of Donald Trump here . . . the Conservatives won a mandate, not him  however much of a contribution he made to that victory. He is also trampling on the UK's unwritten constitution in a second sense.'

It is, however, the BBC  or the Boris Bashing Corporation  which has led the 'Remainstream' media campaign against Brexit, blaming Boris for 'duping' the millions of Leave voters whom they hold in contempt.

This pro-EU bias might have bubbled along below the surface for much of the past six years, but in recent months the Beeb and some other sections of the media appear to have set aside any notion of objective journalism in their obsessive pursuit of Boris, first over Partygate and most recently over the Chris Pincher affair.

While many voters view these stories as no more than Westminster-bubble issues, they have sought to elevate them into full-blown Watergate-scale scandals, whipping up a mood of confected outrage day after day, week after week.

To their delight, this relentless campaign came to a climax this week. On Tuesday, within an hour of the former foreign office mandarin Lord McDonald publishing his letter accusing the PM of lying about what he knew about Pincher's alleged past misdeeds, this self-appointed mouthpiece for Whitehall's Remainer blob had been whisked onto the Today programme to deliver his sermon live to the nation.

The following evening, BBC 2's flagship show Newsnight took up the fight with 45 minutes of sustained Boris-bashing. It even replaced its usual closing credits with a black-and-white image of the PM, over which it ran the names of all the ministers who had resigned from Government over the past 48 hours. It was like watching a running death toll of the fallen in wartime.

The soundtrack was a cover version of The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony, ending on the line: 'I can't change, oh, no, I can't change.' Subtle and nuanced it was not!

And that brings us back to the Today programme on Thursday, where it seemed to me hosts Nick Robinson and Mishal Husain spent the entire first three hours either warming up for the anticipated celebration of Boris's exit, glorying in a succession of parliamentary resignations or repeating the 'extraordinary' fact that he hadn't yet resigned  despite the Beeb's best efforts.

This is the same Mishal Husain who came under intense criticism only last month for comparing the Government's plans to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol to Russia's barbaric invasion of Ukraine.

'What are you going to do next time you need to have stern words with a country like Russia? Telling them to act within the rule of law and they hit back and say, 'Well you're not willing to honour your agreements',' she asked an incredulous Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss.

Nick Robinson is little better. He began his review of Thursday's newspaper headlines, unsurprisingly, with the Guardian's attack on Johnson as 'desperate and deluded'.

Today programme hosts Nick Robinson and Mishal Husain spent the entire first three hours either warming up for the anticipated celebration of Boris's exit or repeating the 'extraordinary' fact that he hadn't yet resigned

Then political editor Mason came on to report with visceral relish how he had sensed Johnson's authority 'draining away' in Parliament on Wednesday: 'You could hear it, you could feel it, you could SMELL it!'

Robinson also had fun reading out an article that ridiculed a Prime Minister for still being 'holed up in Downing Street' like 'someone who's lashed himself to the radiator'.

He added gleefully: 'Not my words, but the words of Boris Johnson, writing in the Daily Telegraph in 2010 when Gordon Brown was resisting calls to quit. How, you may be wondering this morning, can Boris Johnson still be in office?'

That might have raised a laugh from fellow debating students in the Oxford Union, where Johnson and Robinson first met as rivals, but it had no place in a serious BBC news report on a day of crisis for the country. And so the coverage went on; a near-orgiastic carnival of sneering contempt.

Sky News is also in the frame when it comes to a perceived lack of impartiality.

Its deputy political editor has made a name for himself recently with what his colleagues have termed 'the Sam Coates treatment'  which consists of frantically shouting at ministers as they walk into No 10.

After Boris had resigned, he was repeatedly interrupting live reports to bellow across the road at various politicians arriving at Downing Street.

'Is this a sad day for you?' he yelled at Culture Secretary and Boris loyalist Nadine Dorries as she walked up to the famous black door.

'Do you have confidence in Boris Johnson doing the job?' he heckled as Deputy PM Dominic Raab came by. And so it went on, like a bad Alan Partridge tribute act.

Let's be clear: everybody knows that Boris is not an easy character to defend. He's made bad mistakes and told lies, and ultimately, they have brought him low.

But, arguably, it would be naive to imagine that the broadcast media's Get-Boris crusade was motivated solely by its concern for standards in public life.

No, I believe the more insidious factor at play here has been a bitter campaign for Remainer revenge over Brexit.

Step forward, once again, Nick Robinson, who illustrated this perfectly in an interview with Attorney General Suella Braverman on Thursday.

BBC 2's flagship show Newsnight replaced its usual closing credits with a black-and-white image of the PM, over which it ran the names of all the ministers who had resigned from Government over the past 48 hours

'What this is really about is this,' he lectured her. 'You Brexiteers are now fighting like rats in a sack about what on earth to do now we are out of the EU.'

This in a democracy where more than 14 million Conservative voters handed Boris that mandate in 2019 to get on with the job.

Then, after Boris resigned, BBC Europe editor Katya Adler  who has been accused of unabashedly taking the EU's side against Britain  published a round-up of international reactions.

She quoted Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament's former Brexit co-ordinator who did little to facilitate our leaving even when it was a done deal. He said Johnson's reign was ending in 'disgrace, just like his friend Donald Trump', and protested that 'EU-UK relations suffered hugely with Johnson's choice of Brexit'.

They still don't get it. That 'choice' wasn't Boris's  it was made by 17.4 million Leave voters who clearly matter as little to Brussels elites as they do to the BBC.

At the end of Newsnight on Wednesday evening, just before that risible credit reel, the programme's political editor Nick Watt was given the last word to point out that Braverman, one of the 'Spartan' Brexiteer MPs who are hardline Eurosceptics, had now called for Boris to go.

'So,' he smugly assured us, 'this is not a Remainer plot.'

Well, if you believe that, you'll believe anything.

n Mick Hume is a media specialist and the author of Revolting! How The Establishment Are Undermining Democracy And What They're Afraid Of (William Collins).
For most people, meeting the Queen just once is a lifetime ambition.

Dame Darcey Bussell has met her more than 100 times, from her early years as a young prima ballerina to the moment she had the rare privilege of dancing in the throne room at Buckingham Palace in 2005 and the day she received her damehood in 2018.

She has huge appreciation for Her Majesty's patronage of the ballet world, perhaps even more so knowing that it's not her first love.

Darcey reveals that after one royal gala the Queen said to her wearily, 'I think I've seen enough ballet for the year now.' 'She is this extraordinary figurehead who, by having come to ballet events, shows that she values our art form, and is willing to create an awareness of it,' says Darcey.

'It makes a big difference to all of us and to the future of British ballet, and I personally feel like I've had support from the Queen.' So, if not ballet, what does the Queen like?

Plenty of things, Darcey discovers in her glorious new four-part More4 series Darcey Bussell's Royal Road Trip, in which she travels around Britain on a mission to find out what the Queen loves most about her realm. There's the obvious  the beach, horses, boat trips, corgis and trees  but there are also some surprises such as rose-flavoured chocolate, serving tea, driving herself around, fly fishing and dancing.

Darcey Bussell, pictured, explored Britain to find out what the Queen loves most about her realm. Some surprise favourites included fly-fishing and dancing

And during her journey, Darcey also explores her own special link with the Queen. The former Strictly judge proves an entertaining, surprisingly kooky and thoughtful presenter, examining nooks and crannies of the Queen's life even the most devoted fan may not know about, and throughout the series her respect for Her Majesty shines through.

'We mainly associate the Queen with the events we see her at, the pomp and ceremony and the traditions that she's kept going,' says Darcey. 'But it was lovely to delve into the different communities she connects with.

'She really has this whole other life that we don't see. To be able to make this series that recognises a small part of what she has done feels like an honour.'

Darcey travelled the length and breadth of the kingdom for the series to meet some of the ordinary people who know the Queen best, from her friends at the Sandringham Women's Institute to a former steward on the Royal Yacht Britannia, the purveyor of her favourite sausages and the musicians who've played at the famous ghillies balls thrown for locals and staff at Balmoral.

Indeed, it was through keyboard player Eileen Pike and accordionist Frank Thomson that Darcey discovered the Queen loves to dance and would famously stay on the dance floor all night during the energetic jigs. 'I really liked learning that she and Prince Philip never missed a dance at the balls,' says Darcey, 53.

'She loved to dance with everybody who worked with her  one of the things I discovered was how much she values community. I'd never really thought about her as a dancer, but I've been lucky enough to be at a few events with her and it made me realise she makes the most of dancing if she can.

Darcey once saw the Queen dancing at a joint birthday party at Windsor Castle

If she's able to dance the night away, she will. 'In June 2000 I went to the most wonderful joint birthday party at Windsor Castle, which ranged from the Queen Mother's 100th to Prince William's 18th.

'My husband and I were dancing and I suddenly realised the Queen was behind me dancing as well, smiling away and having a lovely time. You definitely took extra care not to bump into her though!'

Each episode looks at a different area of Britain  starting in Scotland before heading to London and the South-east, then to Norfolk and finally on to Wales. As well as learning about the ghillies balls in Scotland, Darcey also visits the site of the Braemar Gathering, the biggest event on the Highland Games circuit, which the Queen used to attend annually.

I realised the Queen was behind me dancing as well, smiling away and having a lovely time

She also visits the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was decommissioned in 1997 and now has a permanent mooring in Edinburgh. 'I was expecting it to be grand, sort of like a floating palace, but actually it's very understated,' says Darcey.

'It became clear that what the Queen valued there was a chance to get away from it all and be with her family. And while her homes are full of the stories of her ancestors, the Royal Yacht was where she made her own story.

'Her father designed it but he died before it was finished, and so the yacht was something she made her own mark on. It was very personal to her and she clearly got very special enjoyment from it.'

Meeting the Queen in 2016 as President of the Royal Academy of Dance

It was when she travelled to the south of England that Darcey discovered a startling personal link to the Queen  they once lived in the same house. Her Majesty spent the first year of her life in the beautiful White Lodge in Richmond, and the building was later leased to the Royal Ballet School where Darcey boarded from the age of 13.

'It's strange because when you embark on a project like this, you want to make a connection, and obviously we have our links through the arts, with the Queen being a patron of so many of the companies and charities I've been involved in. But I had no idea we had once shared a home,' says Darcey.

'I knew White Lodge had royal history but I hadn't appreciated that the Queen's parents were living there when she was born, long before they knew that her father would become king. It was completely surreal to think that the studio that I trained and sweated in as a young student was the Royal Family's living room.

'All of us who went through that school knew it was a special place  it has a sort of aura about it  but it was nice to learn the history of somewhere I knew so well.' Chief among the Queen's activities in England, of course, are horses, and Darcey visits Ascot to meet racing legend Frankie Dettori, who tells her about his friendship with the Queen.

'Frankie has this extraordinary energy for life,' says Darcey. 'He was really appreciative of what the Queen brings to racing but it's also clear they have a lot of laughs together.

'She can be quite cheeky with people who work in that industry because she knows it so well. He was laughing about how when the Queen was giving him an award at Ascot, he said to her, 'Do you know, Your Majesty, this is my fourth King George?'

Quick as a flash she said, 'Lester [Piggott] has seven.' Frankie told me, 'That put me straight back into my box!'

I found it fascinating that the Queen introduced horse whispering to the UK. Trying it out was mystical

Darcey also learnt that the Queen introduced the technique of 'horse whispering' to the UK. In 1989 she read about an American called Monty Roberts, who could 'break in' racehorses without using traditionally aggressive practices.

She arranged for Monty to visit Windsor for a private showcase in front of 200 people in the industry. 'Apparently the Queen had tears in her eyes when she saw it and told Monty, 'That was one of the most wonderful things I've ever seen.'

She then arranged for him to go around the country showing people his techniques.' As part of the series Darcey turns her hand to some of the things the Queen enjoys, and having a go at horse whispering was something she will never forget.

SINGLE BEDS AT SEA It's well known that Prince Philip would often refer to his wife as 'Cabbage', but it still came as a shock to William French, who was a steward on the Royal Yacht Britannia and saw the Royal Family at their most unguarded. 'The Duke of Edinburgh used to wander round the ship calling out, 'Cabbage',' he reveals. 'It was quite bizarre. I had no idea how it came about.' William also reveals there was strictly no hanky-panky aboard Britannia. 'All the rooms have single beds [below] except one. 'No one slept together on the Royal Yacht unless they were on their honeymoon. Everyone, even the Queen, slept in a single bed.' The Queen's bedroom on the former Royal yacht Britannia Advertisement

'It was a mystical, terrifying and extraordinary experience,' says Darcey. 'I found it fascinating how the Queen was behind introducing this into the UK.

'Getting into a ring with a horse and trying out the technique  where you're persuading them to follow you using eye contact and body language  was incredibly powerful.'

The Queen's life at Sandringham, where she spends her winter break, is explored in the third part of the series, and here Darcey discovers some intriguing gems, including the fact that the sandwiches the Queen's served for tea are circular and known as 'jam pennies'. 'Apparently she isn't allowed to have sandwiches with right angles because traditionally anyone presenting the monarch with a rectangular sandwich was trying to overthrow them!' explains Darcey.

'It's an odd thing, but quite sweet.' Darcey was also surprised to discover just how invested the Queen and her family are in the Sandringham community.

She visits the local WI, of which the Queen is president, and hears how she showed up for a meeting even when there was a power cut. 'It was cold and dark but she arrived saying, 'I can hear you but I can't see you!' branch chairwoman Yvonne Browne reveals.

According to Yvonne, the Queen immediately puts everyone at ease by asking after their families and pouring the tea. Darcey's final leg is in Wales where she meets harpist Claire Jones, who played at Prince William's wedding, and there's an immediate empathy between the two performers.

Darcey admits that dancing in the throne room at Buckingham Palace remains one of the most nerve-racking nights of her career. 'The idea of being there, with the prestige of it all, and knowing that for everyone else who was there it was a show they would always remember just really heightened the nerves,' she recalls.

'It felt I really had to make it perfect.' She also visits the cathedral in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, the only one in Britain to have a seat reserved solely for the Queen  as Darcey finds out when she's about to perch on it and gets told off.

'Without fail I will do the wrong thing,' laughs Darcey. 'But I can see why it's a favourite church for the Queen as it's a very special place.'

Darcey has been fortunate enough to see the Queen up close many times, but over the four weeks she spent walking in the monarch's shoes there were still plenty of surprises. 'I knew she always does her homework so she'll have something different to say to every cast member when she talks to them after a show,' says Darcey.

'But what surprised me is that while she's always on show, she never wants to take a break. She's entwined in her work, and wherever she is she gets highly involved in the local community. She just enjoys being with other people.'

Darcey Bussell's Royal Road Trip, Tuesday 19 July, 9pm, More4.
A woman who worked for an escort agency in her 20s has revealed what it's really like to be a sex worker, from faking attraction to her clients to

The anonymous woman took to UK parenting forum Mumsnet to explain the details of the sex industry, admitting she charged charged 180 - 200 per hour and managed to saved 30,000 in cash which she used for her wedding.

She invited people to 'ask her anything' - prompting commenters to quiz her about sleeping with 'ugly guys' and if she has any regrets or any long-term issues because of it.

The anonymous woman took to UK parenting forum Mumsnet to explain the details of the sex industry

She admitted she was 'paid for sex' in her 20's and she invited people to 'ask her anything'- prompting inquisitive people to ask her questions such as did she sleep with 'ugly guys'

The former escort started the conversation by simply writing: 'I was paid for sex in my 20s. Ask me anything.'

Describing the clients she met through the agency, she said that 'many were in hotels so travelling on business and were pretty clean and decent.'

'Some were possibly drug dearlers - a bit dodgy but wanted girls for the 'image' and booked in groups,' she added. 'A few had saved up for a while for the experience, not many of them.'

Some of her clients were 'quite young' and others were 'pretty old', while some were married and others were single.

'Just so hard to put them all in a category except that they were straight men.' she said.

She admitted to getting paid up to 180 - 200 per hour however she once got a generous tip of 1000

The former escort who charged 180 - 200 per hour said her 'biggest tip was 1000, from a guy who thought it would help me stop'.

She revealed she got into sex work because she wasn't able to earn much from her day job.

'It was a regular thing. I had a day job, and then worked for about 6 years in total - averaging probably three clients a week.

'I have a degree, but somehow didn't t get on that well in work. I lacked confidence!'

Revealing what prompted her to stop, she said she started a serious relationship with a man who wasn't a client.

'Marriage was on the cards. I was 29. Although I didn't end up marrying him I never went back,' she explained.

Another poster was curious to know if she ever had an attraction to her clients.

Another poster was curious to know if she ever had an attraction to her clients while another asked would she go back to sex work

They said: 'Did you ever sleep with a guy you didnt fancy or who was ugly? Did it matter if you didnt find them attractive?'

She admitted that most of the time she wasn't attracted to her clients and she would hate to go back to it now because she wouldnt be able to hide that she wasn't enjoying it.

She said: 'Yes, all the time. Most of the time I didn't find them attractive. I was working hard to make them feel nice though and feel good about themselves.

'I wouldn't like to go back. I think I'd hate it now and wouldn't be able to hide that I wasn't enjoying it with someone less than attractive.'

Another person wondered if she needed to 'get drunk or high to go through with it' however she assured people she used to drive and stayed away from alcohol

After being asked how she met her first client the women revealed she worked through an agency 'for safety'.

She said: 'I worked for a very good agency. A gentleman with an arrangement with the owner always seemed to be a new girl's first client. He was quite nice.

'A mixture of regulars and new clients. I always worked through the agency for safety and my clients never had my telephone number.

'But a lot of girls would give their clients their private number and cut out the agency fee.'

The woman went on to reassure people that she didn't have to do anything she wasn't happy to do

The woman also admitted she wasn't afraid to be 'found out' by someone she knew because she didn't do it in her home town.

Another person wondered if she needed to 'get drunk or high to go through with it.'

However the poster replied: 'No. I drove myself around to hotels etc so didn't drink.

'Some girls had a driver and lots would get pissed and take coke with clients. A few were coke addicts I'd guess.

A curious commenter asked:' I don't know how long ago this was but if it was some years ago was there a propensity towards 'rougher' or more 'porn influenced' sexual appetites as we see now? So choking, spitting etc.

Regrets: However, she did regret one trip to Dubai to meet a man which her agency had set her up with

'It feels as though these sexual practices are now normalised but I don't remember ever being with a man who was into this sort of thing in my 20s and 30s (now 50s). Just wondering whether it was something men used to pay for whereas now they expect their girlfriends and wives to accommodate.'

The woman went on to reassure people that she didn't have to do anything she wasn't happy to do.

She replied: 'Not at all. I would never have let a client choke or spit on me. (Although quite like that with a boyfriend)

'The owner of the agency was very clear we should never do anything we didn't want to with them, but honestly I was never asked for that.

Luckily the woman never ran into her clients because she moved cities and says she is from 'a different world now'

'This was in the 2000s. I was one of the agency's girlfriend experience girls. So basically quite vanilla - pretty, nicely spoken and 'innocent' type. But didn't stray into any sub/dom (only once actually and very mildly.)'

However, she did regret one trip to Dubai to meet a man which her agency had set her up with.

'I went to Dubai in about 2005 through a different agency. This was one of my stupider moves,' she said.

She explained the client tried to make her give him oral sex under the table in the Ritz Carlton, but she was so scared of getting arrested she said no.

'He was a bit shirty afterwards,' she said. 'But he paid 3000 for the weekend, plus my 1st class flights and my own suite . I wasn't rebooted by that agency though!'

When asked about regrets the woman replied: 'Honestly, I don't have regrets because it opened up a life to me of living with more money that I'd ever been used to.

'I'm not sure whether I have long term issues - not really. I still like men, I was always treated nicely and they are quite simple mostly.'
A heartbroken mother is fighting to save her beloved daughter after doctors declared her she 'brain stem dead' following a shock heart attack last month at work.

Fit and healthy waitress Orinta Spudyte, who had only just turned 18, was serving diners at a restaurant in Soho on 16th June when she suddenly collapsed, hitting her head as she fell to the floor.

Her Romford-based mother Vera Spudiene, 42, who is orginally from Lithuania, claims her daughter wasn't breathing for 48 minutes.

When medics arrived on the scene they managed to bring back her pulse and rushed her to a hospital in London where she has been ever since, and doctors have told Vera her daughter is brain stem dead and there is no hope of recovery.

Fit and healthy waitress Orinta Spudyte, who had only just turned 18, was serving diners at a restaurant in Soho on 16th June when she suddenly collapsed, hitting her head as she fell to the floor. She has been in hospital ever since and doctor ssay she is brain stem dead

Orinta and Mum Vera from Romford. Before her collapse Vera had advised her daughter to take some time off from work, because she was clocking up long hours and arriving home late

The 18-year-old loved make-up and fashion and would often post TikTok's about style and make-up

Orinta Spudyte, who had only just turned 18, was serving diners at a restaurant in London on June 16 when she had a heart attack and collapsed

Vera said her daughter was working six day weeks when she collapsed and wouldn't come home until the early hours of the morning,

Her shifts ranged from four-and-a half to ten hours, and Vera said that she sometimes wouldn't get back to their home in Romford until 2am.

Vera told Femail: 'She loved her job, she worked there for two months and was very proud.

'I asked her to take some time off as she was working six days a week, or maybe work closer to home. But she liked her colleagues.'

Vera Spudiene,42, is determined to take this all the way to court, despite what doctors say

Orinta having a laugh with sister Ewelina, 22. The pair were close and discussed getting matching tattoos only a few weeks ago

She claims the restaurant have failed to provide her with CCTV footage of the incident. The restaurant says the incident was out of shot, according to an unnamed source.

Vera told Femail 'Orinta had blood pressure and kidney issues since she was four, but Great Ormond Street hospital removed her kidney and she has been checked and everything is normal.

'We don't know why this happened. She had so many plans for her life and I will fight for her, you can't imagine the pain I'm in.'

Despite doctors declaring the teenager legally dead, the family still have hope.

On a gofundme page created by the family Vera said: 'The faith and prayers of all of us have been heard, there are signs that her brain is not dead and there are hopes that Orinta will wake up.'

'Orinta is in a coma, doctors say there was a spill of blood into the brain connected to the breathing apparatus.

Vera,42, said she saw 'signs of life' and will not 'switch her daughter off'. Orinta had dreams of becoming an accountant and taking over her mother's hair extension business

Orinta, 18 at home in Romford, with the family cat. The 18-year-old worked at an Italian diner for two months and collapsed whilst serving customers

'They said she wouldn't recover anymore. It remains only to wait and pray.

'I don't believe it and I don't want to believe it, she's a fighter, she had just turned 18 exactly a month ago.

'I'm sure, thanks to all our prayers, she'll open her eyes, otherwise she can't be.

'Daughter, I believe you hear me, so please don't give up!'

Vera said her daughter repsonded to a video of herself singing or a clip of her doing something funny, saying she saw a tear run down her cheek.

She said that her finger also moved a little sometimes, but there's been no response since last week.

Vera said she has resisted advice to switch off her daughter's life support machine, as well as a psychologist provided by the hospital who told her to 'let her daughter's body die'.

Vera said 'How can I sleep if I was not sure or not 100 per cent? How can I live later?'

Vera has already spoken to Archie Battersbea's mum Hollie Dance who is currently fighting in the High Court to stop another London hospital ending her 11-year-old son's life support after tests also showed it was 'highly likely' he was brain stem dead.

The rest of Orinta's family including her stepfather and father agree with Vera that the machine should not be switched off.

Determined Vera will take the issue all the way to court. She claims she has still 'not seen' a shred of evidence that her daughter is brain dead, despite multiple requests.

Orinta (right) has dreams of becoming an accountant and has a place at college. The ambitious teen told her mother (pictured left) that she's going to take over her business in the future and be rich

Orinta pictured as a baby (left). Her family refuse to give up on her and will take the case all the way to court. Sharing a moment: The mother and daughter from Romford are incredibly close

So far Vera has raised more than 9,000 and is still looking for lawyers to take on her case.

She has spoken of the heartache and depression following the incident.

She told Femail: 'The way the hospital has treated me is not empathetic at all.

'They said I need to accept my daughter is dead, but will not show me the scans.

'Yesterday they asked me to switch off the machine, on her sister Ewelina's 22nd birthday, what kind of birthday present would that be?'

The sisters who were extremely close, were discussing getting matching tattoos that said 'sisters forever' and the family had holidays booked to Portugal and their native Lithuania this summer.

Vera said 'I've had panic attacks and only one doctor asked if I was OK.I feel like they just don't care.'

The businesswoman, who is now staying in hospital accommodation 24/7, was also shocked when she claims that the hospital has said her daughter is 'a good candidate for organ donation' and that 'the longer we leave it the more her organs will deteriorate.'

'The very same day the doctor said she was brain dead. I said "Leave me alone just for today". Vera kept resisting advice from the hospital to turn off life support.

'They do not ask me how I feel,' she claimed. 'I have had very big panic attacks and depression.

'I have asked for a second opinion and I need to see my daughter's results. A few years ago I lost my two brothers and mum, every year someone passed away from my family.

'The psychologist has not helped me. She said: "You have to let her body die, not only her brain".

Orinta, who worked at a Soho eatery, was said to 'love work and her job' her Mum says she was 'very excited to be earning money'

Orinta,18 with sister Ewelina,22 and Mum Vera,42 who were planning trips for this year

Business owner Vera has been forking out 70 a night to stay by her daughter's side, while rotating with her only other daughter at Orinta's bedside.

Describing her darling girl, she said 'She is special. She is never angry, she is never upset, she is always smiling.

'She is always doing makeup and loves TikTok, she likes to change hairstyle, doing nails and doing eyebrows.

'Her dream was to become an accountant. She said to me "Mum, your business will one day be mine". I was doing her extensions and she said, "I will be rich".

She works six days a week, would come back at two o'clock in the morning, sleep, and then go back to work.

'The last days before this accident we were planning to go to Lithuania for a holiday. She and her sister made plans to go to night clubs for her first time since she became 18.

Orinta,18, from Romford was a very popular and had lots of friends. Pictured on a night out having a meal.

'She has a lot of friends and she is very friendly, she would try absolutely everything. I can't believe this has happened, I am just in shock.

'Sometimes it comes in my head, I think 'What am I doing in this world? I am really really tired, I can't do this anymore.'

Critics have taken to social media to blast the grieving Mum.

One social media user said 'It's terrible for a parent to lose a child but this mother is something else. In multiple comments she accuses the hospital of hiding mistakes. She says the hospital is selling donated organs and they want to harvest Orinta! She hides the fact her daughter had other health issues.

'She is calling Doctors evil. In Lithuanian media she says her daughter is in a coma and not brain dead. She says the doctors are 'stressing her'. But she doesn't forget to ask for donations though.'

One troll takes Vera to task, assuming that she is asking for donations and hiding her daughter's condition. Vera says comments like this make her feel like giving up.

Vera said comments like this make her feel like 'giving up' and it was another member of her family who started the GoFundMe campaign.

Vera says she has been open about her daughter's previous health issues and has made no suggestion that the hospital are 'selling or harvesting organs', when speaking to Femail.

An NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson for the London hospital said has said 'Orinta is currently receiving ongoing care on our intensive care unit.

'We understand that this is an extremely difficult time for the family and we are working with them to ensure Orinta receives the best care available, which includes providing them with the relevant clinical information.'

Orinta as a blonde blue eyed child with a beaming smile, she overcame her issues and was declared healthy by doctors

As Orinta lies in a coma her family still pray for her life. They have started a GoFundMe page to get legal help to keep her life support machine on.

An anonymous source has claimed that staff at her place of work 'massaged Orinta's head' after her collapse.

An NHS doctor who does not wish to be named, said: 'Massaging the head in a case like this could most certainly exacerbate the severity of the condition in my professional opinion.

'However, without having seen the patient it would be irresponsible of me to make comment without medical evidence in front of me and I am sure her colleagues were trying their best to help.'

Orinta's workplace have been asked for comment and refused.
Hayden Panettiere has opened up about her tumultuous relationship with Brian Hickerson and why she kept reconciling with him despite his multiple domestic abuse charges, saying she is 'trying to live in a place of forgiveness.'

Panettiere, 32, opened up about her messy romance with the real estate agent in a new interview with People magazine, one day after she revealed to the outlet that she had battled a years-long addiction to opioids and alcohol.

The actress was in the midst of her substance abuse issues when she started dating Hickerson, 33, in 2018, shortly after she wrapped the sixth and final season of Nashville. They were together on and off for nearly four years.

'I wanted to party, I wanted to do everything I wasn't supposed to do,' she recalled of the beginning of their relationship.

Hayden Panettiere, 32, detailed her abusive four-year relationship with Brian Hickerson, 33, in a new interview with People that was published on Thursday

They former couple started dating in 2018 amid her substance abuse issues, and he was arrested numerous times in connection with domestic violence charges

'Acting was my life, but I felt so bad about myself that I lost trust in myself. And that is very detrimental. The idea of not having a responsibility was very appealing at the time.'

Their relationship soon turned ugly when Hickerson was arrested in May 2019 after an incident with Panettiere. He was charged with domestic violence, and she received a protective order before the charges were dropped.

In July of 2020, he was arrested again in connection with eight charges of domestic violence. He entered a no-contest plea to a pair of felony counts of injuring a partner in 2021, and the rest of the charges were dropped.

Hickerson is on probation until 2025 in connection with domestic violence incidents involving the actress, but she said they remain friends

Hickerson was in jail for 13 days, and Panettiere put out a statement following the arrest saying she hoped she could serve as an example for others in a similar situation.

'I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me in the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve,' she said at the time. 'I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.'

Panettiere told People that she continues to 'feel the same way' about the statement she put out two years ago.

'None of it is OK,' she said. 'But I want to make sure that everybody knows that each person who goes through something like that, they're on their own journey. No two things are exactly alike.'

Panettiere also spoke with the publication about an incident in March in which she and Hickerson got into a bar brawl with a group of revelers at a celebrity hotspot in Los Angeles.

According to TMZ, Hickerson sparked the fight when he spat on a fellow patron at Sunset Marquis, which prompted the manager to throw everyone out of the establishment.

Panettiere explained that 'none of it is OK,' but Hickerson sought treatment, and she is 'trying to live in a place of forgiveness'

However, a representative for Panettiere told People that Hickerson 'made a comment to an individual about leaving the waitress a poor tip.'

'That same individual, along with the group he was with, began badgering and shoving Brian, at which point security pushed everyone outside. Brian was attacked by the group, as was Hayden, who in her best effort tried to diffuse the situation,' the representative said.

A sensational video of the brawl that was first published by TMZ showed Panettiere - who is just five feet tall - screaming 'Brian' while trying to pull Hickerson away from the fight.

The group eventually moved away from the front door to the street, where fists and feet started flying.

Panettiere mostly stayed near the outer ring of the fight and warningly called her boyfriend's name. At one point, a man in a brown jacket was still launching himself at Hickerson, causing Panettiere to reach out and grab his jacket to pull him off her boyfriend.

She fell to the ground in the action, alongside two to three other people, while the man she grabbed was held in a headlock by Hickerson.

Out of the corner of the frame, the actress could be seen being lifted to her feet by what appeared to be a bar employee, but she didn't stay out of the action long while trying to pry her boyfriend from the fight.

Panettiere's interview comes less than four months after she was embroiled in a physical brawl with Hickerson and several other people outside a bar in Los Angels in March

A sensational video of the brawl showed Panettiere - who is just five feet tall - screaming 'Brian' while trying to pull Hickerson away from the fight

At one point, the Nashville actress screamed: 'Brian, jail!' Hickerson, a convicted felony, is on probation until 2025 in connection with domestic violence incidents involving Panettiere.

Panettiere told People it was not her 'best behavior' or 'anyone's best behavior,' but added: 'It was not as insane as it was made to look, and everyone is OK.'

She explained that her relationship with Hickerson marked 'a very dark and complicated time in [her] life, but they remain friends in the wake of their stormy past.

'A lot of women go through what I went through, and I want people to know it's OK to ask for help,' she added.

Panettiere said she is 'trying to live in a place of understanding' in regards to her history with Hickerson and the multiple domestic violence incidents he was charged with during their relationship.

'I think [Brian] has done his time and was willing to get help. I think about the things I have done in my life that people forgave me for,' she told People. 'Making amends is a really important thing that you learn in treatment. And it gives you a lot of inner peace.'

It's unclear when exactly they split, but Hickerson confirmed that they are 'just friends' and 'absolutely not' together anymore after he was spotted out in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Panettiere revealed on Wednesday that she spent years battling an addiction to opioids and alcohol, admitting her substance abuse became so severe she almost suffered liver failure

The actress told People that her addictions spiraled out of control while she was suffering postpartum depression following the 2014 birth of her daughter Kaya (pictured)

Hickerson said there was no chance of a romantic reconciliation, as he's 'looking forward to new chapters.'

He added that he remains supportive of his ex and is 'excited to see the next opportunities for her,' including her upcoming appearance in the sixth installment of the Scream franchise.

When asked about a public fight he was involved in this past March in LA, Hickerson said it was 'not one of the finer moments,' explaining that he 'went to treatment' and 'got help' in the wake of the incident.

Panettiere said she feels as though she 'ruined' the many opportunities that she was given, noting that she was 'on top of the world' before plummeting into alcohol and substance abuse

Panettiere's latest interview with People comes one day after she opened up to the magazine about her drug and alcohol addictions.

She revealed that her drug abuse began when she was just 15 years old - and then spiraled out of control while she was battling postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter Kaya in 2014.

'As I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without,' Panettiere confessed.

Her struggle with postpartum depression combined with her reliance on drugs and alcohol resulted in her making the 'heartbreaking' decision to send her daughter away to live with her father, Wladimir Klitschko, in Ukraine.

'I would have the shakes when I woke up and could only function with sipping alcohol,' she recalled. '[Sending Kaya away] was the hardest thing I ever had to do. But I wanted to be a good mom to her - and sometimes that means letting them go.'

Panettiere said she did not drink while she was pregnant with Kaya, but she she fell off the wagon soon after her daughter was born.

After she sent her daughter away to live with Klitschko, 46, from whom she had split just months before following a nine-year on-and-off relationship, her drinking continued to worsen - to the point where she had to be hospitalized with jaundice.

'I'd been struggling for a long time,' Panettiere told Good Morning America of the years leading up to her daughter's birth in 2018

She added that her postpartum depression made her alcoholism all the more difficult to deal with because she turned to 'the bottom of the bottle' to try to cope

'Doctors told me my liver was going to give out,' she said. 'I was no longer a 20-year-old who could just bounce right back.'

The former child star, who began acting on-screen at the age of five, when she landed roles on popular soap operas One Life to Live and Guiding Light, explained her drug abuse issues started when she was just 15 - one year before she began filming hit TV series Heroes.

She claimed that members of her team began giving her 'happy pills' at the time in an effort to make her seem more 'peppy' during interviews.

'I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction,' she said.

Speaking to Good Morning America on Wednesday, the actress explained that her battle with postpartum depression made her alcoholism all the more difficult to deal with because she couldn't see where her battles with substance abuse 'ended' and where her depression 'began.'

'[The past four years have] been difficult,' she said. 'The years before were very difficult for me too. I'd been struggling for a long time.'

Asking where she sought help for her depression, Panettiere said: 'The bottle. The bottom of a bottle.

Panettiere's daughter Kaya is living with her father, Wladimir Klitschko, in Ukraine, which has been ravaged by war, but she insisted the seven-year-old is 'very safe'

It was previously reported that Kaya was sent out of Ukraine while her father (pictured) and his brother, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, threw themselves into the fight against Russian forces

'I didn't have any negative feelings towards my child, I just knew I was deeply depressed. And I didn't know where the alcoholism was ending and the postpartum was beginning and I ran myself pretty ragged.

'People around me were more concerned about my usage of alcohol than they ever were about the postpartum depression.'

She added that many of those around her were quick to pass off her postpartum depression and alcoholism as signs that she was being 'overly emotional' or acting like 'a crazy woman,' which in turn made her feel all the more isolated.

Panettiere (pictured at nine years old) began her acting career at the age of five, when she was cast in the soap opera One Life to Live

'I felt like I was walking blind and there was nobody there that was able to support me in the way I needed to be supported.

'And I don't like to ask for help either. You know, I want to be that strong, stoic woman, but when you see a [previously] happy-go-lucky girl... suddenly on the floor in a puddle of mess and alcohol, you've got to know something is wrong.'

After Panettiere ended up in the hospital, she finally found the strength to seek treatment for her addictions and ultimately entered rehab for eight months, where she says she found the support she needed to face her demons head-on.

'[I made] a lot of great friends in treatment who can speak on your same level where you don't feel like you're going crazy,' she told GMA.

However, she added that her experiences in rehab were difficult times because she was identified specifically as an alcoholic, rather than someone also battling postpartum depression, which meant she struggled to make herself heard.

'Oh, it was horrible,' she said. 'Once you're the identified patient as the alcoholic - and not as a girl, a woman going through postpartum depression - then they don't believe anything that comes [out of] your mouth. So even when you're telling the truth, even when you're doing well, I've been told "No", almost gaslit, and told, "No, I wasn't."

'It's frustrating. It's heartbreaking. You want to break down and cry, which makes you look even worse. But not being believed, I think to anybody not being believed is - when they're telling the truth - is painful.'

Panettiere said her abuse battles began at the age of 15 (left) when people on her team gave her 'happy pills' to make her 'peppy' in interviews. Soon after, she went on to star in hit series Heroes, which began in 2006 (right)

The actress's drug and alcohol abuse issues were ongoing while she filmed the hit country music show Nashville, which ended in 2018 after six seasons

While the actress is now sober - and focused on ensuring her daughter Kaya is safe and sound while living in Ukraine - she admits that her struggles are far from over.

'I'm good [but] it's an everyday battle, it really is,' she shared. 'I'm grateful to say I'm sober today.'

While speaking with People, she said: 'It's an everyday choice, and I'm checking in with myself all the time. But I'm just so grateful to be part of this world again, and I will never take it for granted again.'

Panettiere (pictured in Scream 4) is set to return to the big screen after a four-year hiatus next year when she will reprise the role of Kirby Reed in the sixth installment of the Scream franchise

While Panettiere's daughter Kaya is currently living with her father in Ukraine, which has been ravaged by war following the Russian invasion, she insisted that the seven-year-old is doing well.

'She's my favorite little person,' she told GMA. 'And watching how she has handled this whole Ukrainian situation has really blown my mind.

'She is very safe and where she is, she also has a lot of friends.'

However, it has previously been reported that Kaya was sent out of Ukraine while her father and his brother, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, threw themselves into the fight against Russian forces.

The brothers took up arms to repel a Russian convoy approaching the capital in March, after declaring they were 'ready to die' to defend their homeland.

Wladimir has called for Russia to be isolated from all sporting competition, warning that Ukrainian women and children are 'dying at the hands of the country's aggression.'

He also asked for governing bodies to follow in the footsteps of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the authority recommended banning Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from international competitions.
Jana Hocking , 37, is no stranger to dating, or sharing the juicy details with her friends or followers - but one recent chat with friends left her feeling like she had been slapped back in time

A single radio star has revealed the benefits of a one night stand - including a 'pep in her step' and a feeling of freedom - after facing criticism for recounting her raucous bedroom antics.

Jana Hocking, 37, is no stranger to dating, or sharing the juicy details with her friends or followers - but one recent chat with friends left her feeling like she had been slapped back in time.

Jana explained a new friend called her out on her sexual freeness, comparing her to Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield.

'You know, all that 'I can have sex with whoever I want blah blah blah,' she told news.com.au after making the comparison.

Jana, who is a fan of Chatfield and being able to talk about her sexual encounters with confidence and pride was taken aback.

The conversation began at brunch when the radio star leaned in to tell her girlfriends about the best sex she had the night before.

The newcomer questioned whether she was dating again, when Jana revealed it was a friend she had slept with, that they had set boundaries then had a great night.

And while most leaned in to hear the goss the new friend was left unimpressed and said women should stop sharing stories about their 'bedroom antics'.

'She even went as far as saying ''I wouldn't want a role-model like that for my daughter when she grows up'',' Jana wrote in the article.

Jana is a huge advocate for sexual openness and believes women should be able to enjoy sex and be proud of the fact

The shock chat made Jana feel like she had been slapped back to a time where a woman's job was to get married young, have babies and refuse to dream of anything better.

It also brought back memories of her very Christian High School upbringing, where the young girls were told boys and men would 'use love to trick them into having sex'.

Jana then said wonderful women like Chatfield, Chantelle Otten, Nadia Bokody have helped fuel the conversation around sexual fulfilment.

They have helped make saying 'I like sex' out loud okay - she explained which is what makes people trying to shame her into being a 'quiet' woman all the harder.

Her new friend compared her to Abbie Chatfield, in a negative way, but Jana is a fan of Chatfield and more offended by her friend's antiquated views

Jana revealed there are 'at least three' Youtube sites ran by angry American men calling her out on her 'sl*tty' columns.

These don't bother her too much - but 'the scary' part is they each have hundreds of thousands of followers who go on to shame her on their own.

'I genuinely hate the thought of a young woman ever feeling shame for taking pleasure in something that comes very naturally to us. So news flash it's ok to enjoy sex, no matter if it's with a boyfriend or someone who takes your fancy for the night,' she said.

'Especially if it puts a pep in your step and makes you feel wonderful like it did for me last weekend,' she said.

She went on to promote safe sex practices and open communication - so feelings don't get hurt when having fun.
A mother revealed how she had 'miracle' twin boys after doctors urged her to cut one of her baby's umbilical cord to save the other during pregnancy.

Kloe Matthew, 31, and her husband Michael, 35, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, were left with a hard choice to make when her twins were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome when she was 17 weeks pregnant.

The condition occurs when one foetus takes more of the nutrients - putting both their lives at risk.

The distraught pair were asked to choose - cut the cord of the smaller twin and give the bigger one a strong chance of survival, or undergo laser surgery - which could save them both - but put both of their lives in danger.

After just three hours of delibaration, Kloe went for the surgery, which was a success, but when she then went into premature labour at 27 weeks pregnant, the twins once more had to fight for their lives.

Miraculously, 18 months on, James and Michael Matthews are now thriving - and unsurprisingly, James and Michael have a very special bond.

Kloe Matthew, 31, and her husband Michael, 35, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, were left with a hard choice to make when her twins were diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome when she was 17 weeks pregnant. 18-months-on from their birth, their sons James and Michael are thriving

Michael in hospital. Kloe said the children were smaller than her husband Michael's hands when they were born last year

The twins are very close and Kloe and Michael are soaking up all the special moments they share with them

After trying for a baby for years and suffering a miscarriage, Kloe and Matthew were over the moon when they found out they were expecting twins.

But their joy turned to horror when they learned the boys were suffering from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome

Knowing she had to give both of her sons a fighting chance, Kloe told doctors to go ahead with the laser surgery, despite her smaller twin being given just a 10 per cent chance of survival.

Kloe, said: 'I've seen the bond from the start - they always want to be close to each other and can't leave each other alone.

Both twins survived a risky laser surgery Kloe had during her pregnancy , which only has 10 per cent chance of success

'It was never a choice to choose between my boys because we were given this chance for a reason.

'To be asked to consider cutting the cord of my little Michael had to be the worst day of my life - it felt like we had been written off.

'After everything we had already been through - I knew that they both deserved a chance to fight.

'There was something that told me to give them both a chance and they needed to be together so I decided to save them both and go for the laser treatment.'

Michael in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after being born prematurely in January 2021

Both twins were saved by Kloe's decision to go through with the laser surgery. She said she wanted to give both of them a fighting chance

The mother-of-two with her twins in hospital while they were in the NICU before being allowed to return home

'They could either cut the cord of the smallest twin to give the other the best chance of survival or receive a laser surgery through the bump and placenta which would save both boys - however there was only a 10% survival rate for smaller twin.

'The boys had spent all that time together inside, it is only right that they should be together.'

Kloe found out her boys had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome when she had a scan at Rosie Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge early in her pregnancy.

She was immediately sent to King's College Hospital in London and had just three hours to make the difficult decision about her unborn children's lives.

When Kloe then went into premature labour at 27 weeks pregnant, the twins once more had to fight for their lives

Special day! Father-of-two Michael got to bring both his boys home after several months spent in hospital

Kloe revealed the twins share a special bond and don't like to be separated and won't sleep without each other

Kloe said: 'I had just three hours to make the decision and an hour later I was in surgery to save them both.

'After the surgery, I was very unwell but I knew I had made the right decision.

'A lot of people go into labour 10-12 weeks after the surgery and my boys had done it 10 weeks to the day after the procedure.

'I was really unwell and thought I had covid because I woke up all fluey, but it was actually the boys on their way.

'I wasn't feeling well and on top of that I was worrying about my boys because they were coming out so early.'

The happy couple were given just three hours to seal the fate of their boys when Kloe was 17 weeks pregnant

The twins are now thriving. Doting mother Kloe said the twins were each other's best friends since birth

After going through several complications following their birth, the twins are now developing well

The adorable boys, James and Michael Matthews who born prematurely at just 27 weeks and weighed only 1.6lbs and 2.6lbs spent 16-weeks fighting for their lives in intensive care on the 28th January last year.

Khloe said: 'I was so poorly myself, I didn't get to see my boys for 14 hours after they were taken to the NICU.

'It was such an awful time - I didn't know if they were going to survive and I just wanted to meet my babies.

'It was amazing to see them but absolutely terrifying at the same time.

Just two years ago ,the happy couple couldn't have imagined bringing both their boys home and were facing bleak odds

Stroller for two! Kloe said she enjoys watching the twins's relationship blossom as they are starting to 'tease' each other

Cheeky chappies! The twins are letting their mischievous personalities shine through, Kloe said

'James weighed just 2lb 6oz and my little Michael was only 1lb 6oz.

'They were so tiny, they could fit into my hands but little Michael didn't even fit in his Dad's hand.

'They've had the closest bond since - one won't sleep without the other in the room now!

'Their relationship is like no other, although I can see them starting to enjoy teasing each other now.

After a long four months fighting for their lives in hospital with various infections and complications, the adorable twins were finally able to come home for the first time.

The mother-of-two said she never imagined she'd get to see the boys crawling or being 'mischevious'

Kloe and Michael were overjoyed that their miracle twins made it through together despite all odds against them

Kloe and Michael were overjoyed that their miracle twins made it through together despite all odds against them.

A year later, the couple got married in a ceremony that the now strong and healthy twins participated in.

Kloe added: 'To have my boys there at our wedding in their little tuxedos really cemented everything after we had been through so much.

'Now the boys have just had their first birthday and to think we never thought we would get to seeing them crawling and being mischievous.

'They're best of friends and they've been through so much together already I'm excited to see how their bond will develop.'
This Morning viewers were left 'in bits' after a ten-year-old met the donor who saved his life live on the show.

Finley Hill, 10, from Worcestershire. received a live saving stem-cell transplant in 2020 after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition called. Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).

The disorder causes the immune system to overreact, leading to inflammation and damage to tissues such as the liver, spleen and brain.

Two years on from the successful operation, Finley and his parents, Jo and Paul, appeared on This Morning today to reveal how the 10-year-old has been getting on, and talk about their efforts to meet Jose, the Brazilian man who donated his stem cells.

Jo revealed that Finley and Jose had exchanged messaged, but had never met face-to-face due to various travel restrictions.

Little did the family know that This Morning had flown in so he could meet Finley and his parents on the show.

The donor and the boy he saved teared up as they got to hug each other for the first time, with emotional mum Jo saying she was struggling to 'keep it together.'

Viewers were moved by the emotional moment and were happy Finley got to meet the man who saved his life.

Appearing on This Morning, Finley Hill, 10, got to meet the man who gave him a live saving stem-cell transplant in 2020 after being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition called. Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)

Jo began to explain the family looked for the identity of Finley's donor earlier this year in order to say thank you.

'All we need at the time he donated was that he was a 43-year-old gentleman from Brazil,' Jo said.

'We put our details out there, and then thankfully, earlier this year, Jose got in touch.

Phil then gave more details about the donor, saying: 'He's Jose Nata Da Silva, from Brazil, he's worked in a hospital for 27 years. Married to Patricia, two children, Maria-Clara and Pedro-Lucas.

Finley parents, Jo and Paul , were overcome with emotion as they watch Jose and Finley meet for the first time

In spite of finding each other, Jo admitted the family's exchange with Jose has been limited by the language barrier.

'We've only exchanged WhatsApp messages. We've made friend son social media,' she said.

'Fin did learn Portuguese and made him a little video just to say thank you,' she said.

'Other than that, we haven't been able to speak because my Portuguese... I really need to learn,' she added.

Finley said Jose meant the world to him, adding: 'I just would not be there. I would be....' he said, closing his eyes.

Finley said Jose means 'the world to him' because he wouldn't be alive if the 43-year-old hadn't donated his bone marrow

Finley and Jose shared an emotional hug on the show after This Morning flew the donour to London

Jose with his son and his wife. The married father-of-two lives in Brazil, and only spreaks Portuguese

Holly then asked if Jo had a special message to deliver Jose.

'If the language thing wasn't a barrier, what would you say to him or to people who make that gift of life donation,' she asked.

'Thank you is never going to be enough, how do you thank the person who's saved your world?,' Jo said.

'So yes, thankfully he's sent message back, and he's the most humble, beautiful man,' she added.

Jose actually recorded a message in English for Fin ,which was shown on the show.

Finley was struggling to fight back his tears after he got to meet Jose on the show this morning, but said he was 'very happy'

Jose, Finley and his parents and Phil and Holly all sat down with a translator so the donour and the family could speak

Finley Hill, from Worcestershire, who suffers from Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), underwent a life-saving stem cell transplant. He is pictured in December undergoing the transplant

Jo and Finley have kept This Morning's viewers updated about his condition since 2019, and throughout his treatment, pictured

'Hi Fin, I hope you are well, I'm glad I could help you and I hope to meet you,' he said.

But Phil revealed more surprises were to come, as he admitted to Jo, Fin and Paul: 'We've gone one step further than that and we've flown him from Brazil and he's about to come in through those doors over there.

In the emotional moment, Finley and Jo were overcome with emotion as Jose walked in and headed towards them.

The 10-year-old rushed into his donour's arms as the two shared an emotional embrace and began to cry.

They were swiftly joined by Finley's parents, who were equally emotional.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby witnessed the incredibly emotional moment unfold live on the show

The show also got a translator on set to make sure Fin and Jose could understand each other.

'If that doesn't make you sign up for orgsan donation or bone marrow donation this afternoon, nothing will,' Holly joked as the group took a seat.

The Portuguese hospital worker said he felt 'a lot of emotions' meeting Finley in person for the first time.

He revealed he was encouraged to donate his bone marrow by his daughter Mari Clara 12 years ago, which resulted in him being a match for Fin.

Jo, who was fighting back tears told Phil and Holly she was 'really trying to get it together. I don't think Jose even realises what he's done.

Viewers were left 'in bits' after watching the very emotional meeting, and said This Morning had been 'brilliant' to arrange the moment

'I do understand, because I also do have children, and if one of my children needed that gesture, I would love someone to do this for them,' he replied.

Meanwhile, Fin, who was crying, said meeting Jose in person made him 'Very happy.'

The 10-year-old has been returning to a normal life since his life-saving operation in 2020.

WHAT IS HLH? Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocystosis - or HLH - is a rare autoimmune disease that usually occurs in young children. There are two types of the condition: familial and acquired. Symptoms include: Fever

Enlargement of the liver

Swollen lymph nodes

Rashes and jaundice

Coughing and difficulty breathing

Stomachaches, vomiting and diarrhea

Headaches, trouble walking, visual disturbances, and weakness HLH can be treated through chemotherapy, immunotherapy, steroids and antibiotics. If these forms of treatment fail, patients may need to undergo a stem cell transplant. Source: HopkinsMedicine Advertisement

He revealed he got his first swimming badge this year, and has taking an interest in theatre and took part in his school's production of High School Musical.

Viewers were moved to 'bits' by the emotional moment on the show.

'Officially in bits. Finley meeting Jose, the man who saved his life with a bone marrow transplant and flew from Brazil to meet him. If you are 17-55 of age please sign up to donate,' one wrote.

'So please I turned off the hum drum of the politics this morning to see Finley looking so well with his beautiful family and meeting hos donor. I'm already registered on the list but so wonderful to see you enjoying your new life,' another wrote.

'Oh Finley you are such a lovely young man. Keep smiling its just magical. Wasn't the donor a really nice man. How brilliant of This Morning to arrange for the donor to come over to the UK to meet Finley, good job, well done,' one said.

HLH, in which the immune system reacts abnormally, most often affects babies up to around 18 months, but can affect individuals of any age.

The exact prevalence is unknown, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, but one study estimates approximately one in 100,000 in under 18s.

DKMS organises donor recruitment in the UK. It says there are around 2,000 people in the UK searching for a blood stem cell donation each year and more than 37,000 people waiting worldwide.

If you are aged between 17  55 and in general good health, take the first step to register as a blood stem cell donor by registering for your home swab kit at www.dkms.org.uk
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has died in hospital after being shot at a campaign speech, is survived by his wife Akie, a progressive socialite and former radio DJ who broke with convention by carving out a role for herself on the world stage.

The daughter of a wealthy businessman, Akie, 60, was a university graduate working at an advertising agency when her boss introduced her to a rising political aide named Shinzo Abe.

The couple wed in 1987 and, despite undergoing fertility treatment early in their relationship, never welcomed children.

During her husband's two stints in office, the first from 2006 to 2007 and the second from 2012 to 2020, Mrs Abe broke the stereotype of a silent and supportive prime minister's wife and adopted an American approach to the role of 'first lady', much to the reported disappointment of her mother-in-law.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has died in hospital after being shot at a campaign speech, is survived by his wife Akie, a progressive socialite and former radio DJ who broke with convention by carving out a role for herself on the world stage. Pictured, the couple on their wedding day in June 1987

The daughter of a wealthy businessman, Akie, 60, was a university graduate working at an advertising agency when her boss introduced her to a rising political aide named Shinzo Abe. Pictured, the couple on a visit to Belgium in a photo shared on Akie's Instagram account

The couple wed in 1987 and, despite undergoing fertility treatment early in their relationship, never welcomed children. Pictured, celebrating their 32nd wedding anniversary

During her husband's two stints in office, Mrs Abe broke the stereotype of a silent and supportive prime minister's wife and adopted an American approach to the role of 'first lady'. Pictured, with Michelle Obama in 2015

'Her ideas and those of other wives of prime ministers are different,' a former associate once noted. 'Rather than being a woman who is "useful" within a male-dominated society, she wants to interact... as an autonomous person.'

Local newspaper the Japan Times wrote in 2014: 'Japan has never had a First Lady like this. Whoever even knew who the First Lady was?'

Mrs Abe's support of progressive causes - she has marched in an LGBT rights parade and spoken out in favour of legalising marijuana for medical use - sometimes put her at odds with her more conservative husband, earning her the nickname 'domestic opposition' in the press.

She has also found herself under fire over a controversial land deal involving a Japanese school operator and prompted an international frenzy when she apparently 'snubbed' President Trump at a 2017 dinner.

Yet despite some ideological differences, the Abes appeared to enjoy a happy and fulfilling marriage, with Mrs Abe frequently sharing photos of their romantic dinners and day trips on Instagram.

Mr Abe - Japan's longest-serving and former prime minister - died on Friday after being shot in the neck and heart as he made a campaign speech in the southern city of Nara.

Despite some ideological differences, the Abes appeared to enjoy a happy and fulfilling marriage, with Mrs Abe frequently sharing photos of their romantic dinners and day trips on Instagram. Pictured, Mr and Mrs Abe with George W. Bush and Laura Bush in April 2007

Mrs Abe looked perfectly at ease on the world stage, joining Michelle Obama, Cherie Blair, Brigitte Macron, Melania Trump and Jill Biden for high profile engagements. Pictured, the Japanese couple meeting the Queen in May 2016

Mrs Abe carried out several engagements with Melania Trump when she was First Lady. Pictured, the politicians' wives in November 2017

Mrs Abe (right) at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France, in August 2019 with (pictured from left) Adele Malpass, wife of World Bank President David Malpass, Melania Trump, Jenny Morrison, wife of Australia's then Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Brigitte Macron, Malgorzata Tusk, wife of European Council President Donald Tusk

The 67-year-old was gunned down at around 11.30am as he rallied support for his party's local candidate ahead of elections on Sunday.

His death was announced by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) six hours later, shortly after Akie arrived at his bedside.

The family has yet to release a statement on his death.

Akie, whose father is the former president of Morinaga & Co., one of Japan's largest confectionery companies, was educated at a Catholic private school in Tokyo before graduating from a vocational college.

She is thought to have met Abe while in her early 30s and working for Dentsu International, one of the world's largest advertising agencies.

Akie, whose father is the former president of Morinaga & Co., one of Japan's largest confectionery companies, was educated at a Catholic private school in Tokyo before graduating from a vocational college. Pictured, with Shinzo Abe in a photo shared on Instagram

The first prime minister's wife to use social media, Mrs Abe regularly shared Facebook updates on public engagements and private life. Pictured, in one of her Instagram photos

In the early years of their marriage, Mrs Abe worked as a radio DJ in her husband's hometown of Shimonoseki, broadcasting under the nickname 'Akky'. At the time Mr Abe, the son of a prominent political family, was in the early stages of his glittering career.

In 1993, Mr Abe was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time and went on to hold a number of senior positions in the cabinets of prime ministers Yoshiro Mori and Junichiro Koizumi, after which he was appointed Secretary-General of the LDP.

Abe was chief negotiator for the Japanese government on behalf of the families of Japanese abductees taken to North Korea. As a part of the effort, he accompanied then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to meet Kim Jongil in 2002.

He gained national popularity when he demanded that Japanese abductees visiting Japan remain in the country, in defiance of North Korea.

In September 2006 Mr Abe, then 52, was elected as prime minister, becoming the youngest person to hold the position since the Second World War.

However a series of scandals - including the government's loss of pension records, affecting about 50 million claims - hit his administration hard.

It was followed by a heavy loss for his political party in elections in July 2007, and in September of that year he resigned due to ulcerative colitis.

Her husband apparently cast out in the political wilderness, Akie set about forging a new career and set up an izakaya - a type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks.

Mrs Abe beams during a visit to Hong Kong, in a photo that typifies the highly personal and upbeat photos shared on Instagram

The Tokyo restaurant, which served only organic food, opened in the autumn of 2012, just as her husband's political comeback was gaining steam.

The move was reportedly vehemently opposed by her mother-in-law, Yoko Abe, who took against Akie's public profile. She is said to have insisted Akie not be actively involved in the business.

Her daughter-in-law agreed, although she continued to dine at the restaurant with friends.

In December 2012, Mr Abe was re-elected and Mrs Abe wasted no time in embracing her role as 'first lady'.

Within his first few years in office, she made headlines by joining the gay pride parade in Tokyo and promoted the revival of cannabis culture in Japan.

The first prime minister's wife to use social media, Mrs Abe regularly shared Facebook updates on public engagements and private life.

She also spoke often on the importance of creating more opportunities for women in Japan.

'Abe frequently speaks out about the paradox that Japanese women are among the best educated in the world yet often struggle to work their way up the career ladder,' noted Foreign Policy magazine in 2018.

'She is a leading proponent of Womenomics that holds that encouraging more women to stay and rise in the workplace is essential to Japans economy.

'Abe uses her relationship with her husband as an example of equality and how men have an important part to play in providing women with the flexibility they need to shine.

Down-to-earth Mrs Abe to work on causes close to her heart, including efforts to rehome Ukrainian refugees and the promotion of organic farming. Pictured, after falling in a rice paddy field

Mrs Abe recently adopted a Dachshund named Ron, pictured, who she shows off on Instagram

'Her husband, the prime minister of Japan, still has to do his share of the household chores and take out the trash.'

Mrs Abe looked perfectly at ease on the world stage, joining Michelle Obama, Cherie Blair, Brigitte Macron, Ivanka Trump and Jill Biden for high profile engagements.

However her time as 'first lady' was not without its controversies.

In 2018 she found herself in the hot seat after opposition parties demanded she testify in parliament about her ties to a nationalist school operator whose deeply discounted purchase of state-owned land was at the heart of a suspected cronyism scandal.

Mr Abe denied he or his wife intervened in the sale or that he ordered a cover-up.

The Japanese first lady also made headlines in 2017 when it emerged she didn't speak to then President Donald Trump during an intimate dinner.

The president said Mrs Abe spoke 'zero' English, which journalists picked up on as being a lie and led some to question whether she had deliberately snubbed Mr Trump.

It was broadly agreed that while Mrs Abe speaks some English, she conducts all of her interviews in Japanese and perhaps did not feel confident enough to converse over dinner.

Mr Abe resigned as prime minister in 2020, citing a significant resurgence of his ulcerative colitis.

Down-to-earth Mrs Abe to work on causes close to her heart, including efforts to rehome Ukrainian refugees and the promotion of organic farming.

She also recently adopted a Dachshund named Ron.
The ITV documentary, which aired last night, followed the royal as she guest edited this month's issue of Country Life to mark her 75th birthday on Sunday and the 125th anniversary of the magazine. Cameras filmed Camilla as she went to an exhibition in Manchester which showed photos of domestic abuse survivors, visited the Grand National, toured her grandparents' former Hampshire manor and attended the Royal Cornwall Show. Asked during the one-hour special what guidance she would offer her younger self, the Duchess said: 'Well, I think I'd remember what my parents, the advice they gave me, which is try and be considerate of others. 'I think that's a very important thing to learn in life... and I think, you know, I'd give the same advice to my children and my grandchildren.' However, some viewers branded the royal a 'hypocrite' over her comments and referred to her affair with the Prince of Wales, before they were married and he was instead wed to Princess Diana. Yet others insisted Camilla will be an 'amazing' Queen Consort.
The owner celebrity-loved New York eatery Balthazar has revealed the hilarious set of rules he has set for his waiters, including not to give stars any special treatment and to never go home with a customer... unless they offer $500.

Restauranteur Keith McNally, who opened the upscale eatery in 1997, shared some of the things that he tells his staff members to do - and to not do - while dealing with customers at the restaurant.

Balthazar, located at 80 Spring Street in the SoHo area of Manhattan, has become wildly popular over the last two decades, and has been visited by a slew of A-list names over the years, including Anna Wintour, Zoe Deutch, Sienna Miller, Jared Leto, Mary-Kate Olsen, Tom Hiddleston, and Meryl Streep - to name a few.

The dining spot is so popular that it's nearly impossible to score a reservation and there's often a line down the block of customers hoping to get a table. And now, owner McNally has revealed some of the secrets to his success.

The owner of well-known New York City restaurant Balthazar revealed the hilarious set of rules he has set for his waiters, including to never go home with a customer unless they offer $500

Restauranteur Keith McNally, who opened the upscale eatery in 1997, shared some things that he tells his staff members to do - and to not do - while dealing with customers at the restaurant

Hotspot: Balthazar, located at 80 Spring Street in the SoHo area of Manhattan, has become wildly popular over the last two decades, and has been visited by a slew of A-list names

Keith McNally's rules for Balthazar waiters When describing the menu, always say 'we have' rather than 'I have'

Always repeat the customer's order back to them

Never rush the guest - however, don't hover

When possible, try to anticipate the customers needs

Always give the price of the day's specials

When a customer pays in cash, never assume the change is your tip. Always return the change to the table

Never offer a celebrity a free drink. Instead, offer it a regular or a guest least expecting it

Don't interrupt the flow of conversation to ask meaningless questions

Never go home with a customer... for less than $500 Advertisement

From not hovering around tables to always repeating orders back to customers to ensure no mistakes were made, McNally took to Instagram to reveal the requirements that he sets for his staffers to make sure that diners have the upmost experience at the restaurant.

'Be friendly, but never chummy,' he began in the lengthy post, which he titled, 'Rules for restaurant serves.'

'Always repeat the customer's order back to him. Skate sounds like Steak after one martini.'

The owner added that waiters should never rush a guest and that they should always try to 'anticipate the customer's needs.'

'Good service is based on anticipation,' he explained, but added, 'This does not mean hovering close to a table.

'As a customer, I can't bear to sense a server or busser lurking a few feet away. I also dont want him clearing my coffee cup until after Ive left the table or dropping the check before I ask for it, or to EVER pour my water.'

Another major 'don't,' according to McNally, is interrupting the customers 'flow of conversation' to ask 'meaningless questions.'

'Once the meal's served, never utter the meaningless phrase, "How is everything?"' he warned.

'If the server must break the flow of my customers' conversation, please let it be a simple, "Do you need anything?"

Some more of McNally's regulations included always letting customers know the price for specials and to use the pronoun 'we' rather than 'I' when discussing the restaurant or food.

McNally took to Instagram to reveal the requirements that he sets for his staffers to make sure that diners have the upmost experience at the restaurant. Two chefs are seen at the restaurant

Equal treatment: The owner said that waiters should never rush a guest and that they shouldn't give stars any special treatment. He is seen with Anna Wintour at the restaurant

He warned staff not to hover, adding, 'I can't bear a server lurking. I dont want him clearing or dropping the check before I ask.' He is seen with Dorinda Medley and Sienna Miller at Balthazar

Another major 'don't,' according to McNally, is interrupting the customers 'flow of conversation' to ask 'meaningless questions'

'Always give the price of the day's specials,' he wrote. 'There was an eternally hip restaurant in Greenwich Village called Da Silvano which refused to let the customers know the outrageous price of their specials until the check was presented. One of Silvano's customers famously had a heart attack when scanning his bill.

Spilling the tea: The dining spot is so popular that it's nearly impossible to get a reservation. A waitress is seen working at the restaurant

'When describing the menu, never say, "I have," always, "WE have." Saying "I have" is affected, and an insult to the cook who made the dish.

'When a customer pays the check in cash, never assume the change is your tip. Always return the change to the table.'

McNally joked that staffers should never offer celebrities a free drink, but rather, it should be given to him instead.

'Or [give it to] a regular or a guest least expecting it,' he added.

His final rule: 'Never EVER go home with a customer... for less than $500.'

McNally is also behind many other popular establishments and restaurants, including Augustine, Cafe Luxembourg, Cherche Midi, Lucky Strike, Minetta Tavern, Morandi, Nell's, Odeon, Pastis, Pravda, and Schiller's, and he has been branded as 'The restauranteur who invested downtown.'

Straight forward: Some more of McNally's regulations included always letting customers know the price for specials and to use the pronoun 'we' rather than 'I' when discussing the restaurant or food

McNally said waiters should always try to 'anticipate the customer's needs.' He explained, 'Good service is based on anticipation.' A dish at Balthazar is pictured

Hilarious: His final rule: 'Never EVER go home with a customer... for less than $500.' Some of the food at Balthazar is pictured

'Customer service at Balthazar begins with the staff I hire. I only hire servers who are natural and not one iota pretentious,' he previously told Resy.

'On day one of training, my servers are taught to respect the coworkers below them more than those above them.

'This means that Balthazars dishwashers are given more respect than me. I actively encourage this.

'As a result, my floor staff end up being more sensitive to the needs of the least confident customer in the dining room than they are to some Hollywood bigwig.

'Thats why we offer a free glass of champagne to single diners, but never to Al Pacino.'
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Malia Obama was spotted enjoying a meal at Chick-fil-A on Thursday, despite the fast food chain - which is run by a conservative and devout Christian who has publicly bashed same sex marriage - donating millions of dollars to anti-gay groups in the past.

The eldest daughter of Former President Barack Obama, 24, hit up one of the chicken restaurant's drive-throughs in Los Angeles, California, before dropping off her younger sister, Sasha's boyfriend, Clifton Powell Jr., at the airport.

And while her father has helped bring LGTBQ+ rights to the forefront, Malia didn't seem to mind that Chick-fil-A's right-wing owner has spoken out against the community numerous times in the past.

Chick-fil-A was founded in 1946 by S. Truett Cathy, who was a member of the Southern Baptist Church and used many of his religious views to structure the company. His son, Dan T. Cathy, then took over as president in 2013 - one year before Truett passed away from diabetic complications.

Over the years, Dan has made many negative comments about same-sex marriage, especially after it came to light that the restaurant chain had donated millions of dollars to various anti-LQTBQ groups through the WinShape Foundation.

Malia Obama was spotted enjoying a meal at Chick-fil-A on Thursday, despite the fast food chain - which is run by a conservative and devout Christian who has bashed same sex marriage - donating millions of dollars to anti-gay groups

The eldest daughter of Former President Barack Obama, 24, hit up one of the chicken restaurant's drive-throughs in Los Angeles, California, before dropping off her younger sister, Sasha's boyfriend, Clifton Powell Jr., at the airport

She was seen placing her order from the drivers-seat window, while Sasha's beau sat next to her in the passenger seat

While her father has helped bring LGTBQ+ rights to the forefront, Malia didn't seem to mind that Chick-fil-A's right-wing owner has spoken out against the community numerous times in the past

Chick-fil-A was founded in 1946 by S. Truett Cathy (left), who was a member of the Southern Baptist Church and used many of his religious views to structure the company. His son, Dan T. Cathy (right), then took over as president in 2013

Back in 2012, Dan slammed people who 'have the audacity to define what marriage is about,' calling them 'arrogant' during an explosive radio interview.

'I think we are inviting Gods judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, "We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,"' he stated.

'I pray Gods mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about.'

GLAAD reported at the time that Chick-fil-A had given more than $5 million to 'hate groups' which pushed 'ex-gay therapy' in an attempt to turn gay people straight.

Then, months later, Dan told Baptist Press that Chick-fil-A was 'an organization operating on biblical principles' and that he only supports the 'traditional family.'

'We are very much supportive of the family - the biblical definition of the family unit,' he said. 'We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.'

His statements and the donations led to a slew of customers boycotting the fast food joint - and in September 2012, the restaurant chain announced that it had 'ceased donating to organizations that promote discrimination, specifically against LGBT civil rights.'

Malia's dad dedicated much of his presidency to promoting equal rights, and in 2011, he announced the Department of Justice would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Acts provision, which defined marriage as only between a man and woman

Malia, who is currently working on Donald Glover's upcoming Amazon project, kept it casual for the outing, donning figure-hugging, patterned purple biker shorts, a gray zip-up hoodie, and tan sandals

The Harvard grad kept her long, braided hair loose for the first part of the day, before putting it up in a bun

After bringing Clifton Jr. to the airport, Malia then met up with a girlfriend for a workout at SoulCycle

In response to the backlash, it also said in a statement that Chick-fil-A believes in treating 'every person with honor, dignity and respect regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.'

'We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent owner/operators,' it stated. 'Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.'

During his eight-year presidency, President Obama dedicated much of his time to promoting equal rights, and in February 2011, he announced that the Department of Justice would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Acts provision, which defined marriage as only between a man and woman.

Malia, who is currently working on Donald Glover's upcoming Amazon project, kept it casual for the outing, donning figure-hugging, patterned purple biker shorts, a gray zip-up hoodie, and tan sandals.

She was seen placing her order from the drivers-seat window, while Sasha's beau sat next to her in the passenger seat. After bringing him to the airport, she then met up with a girlfriend for a workout at SoulCycle.

The Harvard grad kept her long, braided hair loose for the first part of the day, before putting it up in a bun. She clutched onto her phone, wallet, keys, and a water bottle, and appeared in good spirits as she chatted with her pal and made her way into the workout studio.

She clutched onto her phone, wallet, keys, and a water bottle, and appeared in good spirits as she chatted with her pal and made her way into the workout studio

Malia moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Harvard to pursue a career as a screenwriter. In March, Donald revealed that he had given Malia her first job as a writer on his new series, which is reportedly about 'a Beyonce-type character'

Donald said he believed that Malia has a promising future in the industry, telling Variety, 'I feel like shes just somebody whos gonna have really good things coming soon. Her writing style is great'

Malia moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Harvard to pursue a career as a screenwriter. In March, Donald revealed that he had given Malia her first job as a writer on his new series, which is reportedly about 'a Beyonce-type character,' calling her 'amazingly talented' and 'really focused.'

'Shes just like, an amazingly talented person,' Donald, 38, who is also known by his stage name Childish Gambino, told Vanity Fair of Malia. 'Shes really focused, and shes working really hard.'

Donald did not share how Malia - who previously interned on Lena Dunham's HBO series Girls in 2015 and at The Weinstein Company in 2017 - landed the job after she graduated from college last year.

Donald added that he believed that Malia has a promising future in the industry, telling the publication, 'I feel like shes just somebody whos gonna have really good things coming soon. Her writing style is great.'

While Malia is working as a screenwriter, her younger sister, Sasha, 21, is also building her own life in Los Angeles - reportedly studying at the University of Southern California after transferring from the University of Michigan.

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed a few months ago that she was in a relationship with Clifton Jr., 24, who is the son of Ray actor Clifton Powell.

Clifton Jr. and Sasha are understood to have met after she relocated to the West Coast, and he is already close with the family, as this wasn't the first time that he was seen hanging out with Malia.

While Sasha has been linked to Clifton Jr. in recent months, Malia's relationship status is unclear following her move to Los Angeles

She started dating Rory Farquharson - the son of chief executive of Insight Investment Management Limited Charles - in 2017 while they were both students at Harvard University

However, whether she and Rory are still together is unknown, as she has never publicly addressed her relationship status

Sasha and Malia's mother, former First Lady Michelle Obama, previously opened up about how both of her daughters are all grown up during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show back in April.

Ellen, 64, reminded Michelle, 58, of how Sasha and Malia had first visited the show when they were little girls who wanted to see the Jonas Brothers. But over a decade later, they've graduated from boybands to boyfriends.

'Now they're bringing grown men home,' she said. 'Now they have boyfriends and real lives and all that stuff. They have grown up right before our very eyes and they are doing well.'

While Michelle gushed about the 'amazing young women' her daughters have become - 'Women, I know! Scary,' she said - and divulged that they were dating, she was much more discreet about the details of their love lives.

While Sasha has been linked to Clifton Jr. in recent months, Malia's relationship status is unclear following her move to Los Angeles.

She started dating Rory Farquharson - the son of chief executive of Insight Investment Management Limited Charles - in 2017 while they were both students at Harvard University.

However, whether she and Rory are still together is unknown, as she has never publicly addressed her relationship status.
The increased use of online tools like Slack and WhatsApp has lead to the greeting being used more often, but Amanda King, an etiquette specialist from the Australian Finishing School isn't a fan

You should never greet your colleagues using 'hey' according to experts who say the casual salutation blurs the line between professional and social relationships.

The increased use of online tools like Slack and WhatsApp has led to the greeting being used more often, but Amanda King, an etiquette specialist from the Australian Finishing School, isn't a fan.

Speaking to Nine Honey Ms King said the digitised workplace has made employees behave more casually.

This was highlighted On Reddit when a man revealed an exchange between himself and his boss.

In the conversation the man greeted his superior with 'hey' which triggered an undesireable response.

'Hi Shreyas, my name is Sandeep. Please don't [use] the word 'hey'. It's offensive for me,' the boss replied.

'If you cannot remember my name, simply use 'hi'. Other words you should never use professionally: 'Dude', 'man', only 'hello', 'hi there', if you are not targeting a wide audience in a mail to senior [people] to you. 'Chap' or 'Chick'. Thanks,' he continued.

And Ms King agrees with the boss, saying that 'once in conversation we advise good morning or afternoon'.

But the staff member didn't take too well to the dressing down and explained that the boss will be greeted with 'hey' if he continues to message him on his personal number.

He added if he wanted to talk to him over email or LinkedIn her would be happy to be more professional.

You should never greet your colleagues using 'hey' according to experts who say the casual salutation blurs the line between professional and familiar relationships

The people of Reddit agreed with the employee, noting they always use casual greetings on the job.

Poll Do you think using 'hey' as a greeting to your boss is appropriate? Yes, it is totally fine! Only if you speak often. No, never. Do you think using 'hey' as a greeting to your boss is appropriate? Yes, it is totally fine! 228 votes

Only if you speak often. 178 votes

No, never. 328 votes Now share your opinion





Many asked how 'hey' is considered unprofessional when 'hi' isn't.

With one explaining the 'hey' was acceptable because the pair had been having a conversation and had a close working relationship.

While another said the boss was more offended by being dragged into the same 'class' as his staff with the causal term.

Ms King explained: 'A greeting helps establish the tone for the remainder of the conversation and can determine the impact your communication has on the receiver. Respect their name and do not start with nicknames.'

'You may start your email with ''Hi,' in most professional situations unless you need to be explicitly formal in the communication. We recommend in formal situations where you might not know the receiver on a first name basis, use 'Mr' or' Ms' along with the recipient's surname.'

Ms King says it is great to see people have become more comfortable and confident in their workplaces but basic etiquette should still be adhered to.
The number of people who say they have long Covid in the UK has fallen for the first time in a year, in light of the rise of the milder Omicron strains.

Three per cent of the population had symptoms at least four weeks after clearing the infection in June, the equivalent of 1.93million. This was down on May's 3.1 per cent, or 1.95m.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also estimated the number of people battling symptoms for at least a year fell for the first time  from 826,000 to 807,000.

Previous research has suggested that Omicron is half as likely to cause long Covid as its predecessor, the Delta strain. Omicron is also intrinsically milder, meaning it's less likely to leave sufferers severely ill or dead.

Fears about Covid and its lingering side effects came to fruition during the first wave of the pandemic.

Some researchers warned the condition would cripple Britain's economy and trigger a mini-epidemic of its own. The NHS set up 69 specialist long Covid clinics towards the end of 2020, costing 10million.

The Office for National Statistics found three per cent of the UK population reported long Covid symptoms more than four weeks after clearing the infection in June, the equivalent of 1.93million

Covid infections have shot up in England to just over 1.8million according to the latest Office of National Statistics data

This graph shows the number of deaths directly due to Covid recorded in England and Wales. The number of deaths being recorded these nations currently is far below that of previous waves earlier year and a sheer fraction of those seen at the start of 2021

Britain recorded 1,911 virus admissions on Monday, up 331 per cent on the 443 recorded on June 4

Data from the Sanger Institute shows BA.5 was behind 58.6 per cent of all infections it swabbed in the week to June 25  up by a fifth from one week earlier when it caused 48.8 per cent of cases

The ONS' estimates are based on a survey of around 248,000 people across the UK, and their answers were not necessarily confirmed by a diagnosis.

The number of people with self-reported long Covid hit its highest levels in May, following the BA.2 wave.

What is Long Covid? As of January 2, an estimated 1.33million people in the UK were estimated to have long Covid. Long Covid is an informal term, used to describe ongoing symptoms following a Covid infection that go on longer than four weeks, according to the ONS. A dizzying array of symptoms have been attributed to long Covid, including: extreme tiredness (fatigue)

shortness of breath

chest pain or tightness

problems with memory and concentration ('brain fog')

difficulty sleeping (insomnia)

heart palpitations

dizziness

pins and needles

joint pain

depression and anxiety

tinnitus, earaches

feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite

a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste

rashes There is no cure for the condition though the NHS does recommend a number of treatments designed to help alleviate the symptoms. Advertisement

Experts have previously cast doubt over the ONS's long Covid findings, with some saying they are likely to be an overestimation given symptoms like headaches and fatigue can be linked to a variety of conditions.

The ONS findings suggest a third of current long Covid cases came from infections during the Omicron wave earlier this year.

Just over a fifth still have long Covid after first being infected during the Delta wave last summer, while 12 per cent first caught the virus when Alpha was most prevalent in early 2021.

And 29 per cent of all people currently claiming to have long Covid say they were first infected during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, when the original Wuhan strain was dominant.

Fatigue continued to be the most common symptom reported by people with long Covid, with 56 per cent saying they had it, according to the ONS.

It was followed by shortness of breath (31 per cent), loss of smell (22 per cent) and muscle ache (21 per cent).

Prevalence was highest in people aged 35 to 69, women and people working in social care, health care and teaching.

Long Covid is defined as having lingering symptoms of the virus for more than a month after infection.

It is a poorly understood condition, with sufferers normally reporting extreme tiredness, breathing difficulties, a loss of smell, and problems concentrating.

But it has been linked to an array of other symptoms like joint pain, nausea, insomnia and depression.

Britain is currently in the midst of a fifth wave of the virus caused by the BA.5 and BA.4 Omicron subvariants, though the former is expected to become dominant.

Separate data from the ONS suggests infections have shot up to 1.8million in England.

BA.5, which is also gathering steam in the US and across Europe, is thought to be a third more transmissible than its ancestor, considered just as infectious as measles.

Government advisers, however, believe it is just as mild  meaning it may also cause fewer long Covid cases.

The number of deaths recorded in England and Wales currently is far below that of previous waves earlier year and a sheer fraction of those seen at the start of 2021.

Britain recorded 1,911 virus admissions on Monday, up 331 per cent on the 443 recorded on June 4.

However, official figures show that just 37.5 per cent of patients in hospital are primarily admitted because they are unwell with the virus.
Knock-on effects of lockdown may be killing more than 1,000 people a week, top experts have suggested.

Official figures shows there have been around 1,500 'excess' deaths every week for the past three weeks in England and Wales. These are the number of fatalities above and beyond what would normally be expected at this time of year.

Only a small fraction of them  around 300  are from Covid, which has led to calls for an urgent investigation into what is behind the excess mortality.

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, an eminent statistician from Cambridge University, said it could be the 'impact of measures against the pandemic and the disruption in healthcare'.

Record backlogs for routine treatment and soaring A&E waits, also a symptom of the pandemic, could also be to blame, according to Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia.

Throughout the pandemic, scientists warned shutting down society and cancelling operations could cause the worsening of other conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Official figures show the country recorded around 1,500 more weekly fatalities than expected in the three weeks to June 24. Graph shows total deaths in England and Wales. Some 2,059 more deaths more than expected (above the five-year average) were logged in both nations in the week to June 24, Office for National Statistics data shows

Covid infections have shot up in England to just over 1.8million according to the latest Office of National Statistics data

This graph shows the number of deaths directly due to Covid recorded in England and Wales. The number of deaths being recorded these nations currently is far below that of previous waves earlier year and a sheer fraction of those seen at the start of 2021

'Most contagious Covid strain yet' has become dominant in Britain in a matter of weeks Covid's most contagious variant yet is now dominant in England, sequencing data shows as experts warn it could cause send infections to pandemic highs. Data from the Sanger Institute, one of the UK's largest Covid surveillance centres, shows six in 10 positive swabs it examined in the week to June 25 were the BA.5 version of Omicron. It has now officially displaced BA.2, which caused infections to breach 4million in April and prompted NHS bosses to call for the return of masks just days after No10 abandoned all restrictions. BA.5, which is also gathering steam in the US and across Europe, is thought to be a third more transmissible than its ancestor, considered just as infectious as measles. Government advisers, however, believe it is just as mild. Experts told MailOnline the strain could push daily infections to a 'higher point than previously seen'. Covid cases have already doubled over the last month and NHS hospitals have seen admissions jump. In light of the virus' current resurgence and concerns it could disrupt the health service's efforts to tackle its ever-growing backlog, officials are said to be considering expanding the autumn booster vaccine campaign to cover all over-50s. Hours before resigning over a lack of confidence in Boris Johnson, ex-Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he had told the NHS to gear up for a wider programme than anticipated. Provisional guidance recommended restricting jabs to care home residents, over-65s, frontline health and social workers and vulnerable young people. Advertisement

Before the end of March, deaths in England and Wales were lower than average despite hundreds of people dying from Covid.

But in the last three months, non-Covid excess deaths have risen while virus fatalities remained unchanged.

England usually logs around 9,000 weekly deaths at this time of year, but the figure has averaged 10,400 in recent weeks.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir David pointed to the ONS data.

Sir David said: 'Only a minority of those [deaths] are Covid. [So there is] lots of interest and concern about whats going on.

'People have said it might be excess deaths at home but thats been happening the whole time, all the way through the pandemic, a lot more people have died in home than normal.

'But were now seeing an excess of non-Covid deaths in hospital.'

'Some people are saying maybe this is the start of the signs of the impact of the measures against the pandemic and the disruption in the healthcare and peoples use of healthcare that is starting to have an impact,' Sir David added.

The number of patients seeking NHS treatment plummeted during the pandemic, as Britons were told to stay at home and some sought to avoid piling pressure on the struggling health service.

An estimated 13m patients are expected to be waiting for routine care by 2024 as a result of pandemic-induced delays and patients returning to the health service after putting it off during Covid.

Professor Hunter told MailOnline the impact of delayed and postponed care  due to infected Britons taking up NHS capacity and high absence rates among NHS staff  is one factor that could be to blame.

The impact of lockdowns and restrictions themselves on people's general  such as reduced mobility and stress  may also play a factor, Professor Hunter said.

Figures show that Britons became fatter during the pandemic. Four in 10 Britons are thought to have gained weight during the pandemic, with the average being half a stone (3kg).

Professor Hunter also suggested the cost of living crisis could be a factor.

Meanwhile, more Britons may be dying due to reduced immunity against other types of infections, as lockdowns meant people were not routinely exposed to other viruses.

He said this is may not be a large contributor to the current number of excess deaths but 'may start to play a big role' in the autumn.

Data from the Sanger Institute shows BA.5 was behind 58.6 per cent of all infections it swabbed in the week to June 25  up by a fifth from one week earlier when it caused 48.8 per cent of cases. Since the was first detected in South Africa in February it has raised concern over the speed of its growth. Sanger Institute figures shows its prevalence has nearly doubled every week. It caused just 5.8 per cent of infections in the week to May 21, rising to 10.4 per cent in the week May 28, 21.6 per cent up to June 4 and 36.6 per cent in the seven days to June 11

Covid hospitalisation data shows 1,911 infected people were admitted to hospitals in England on Monday (top graph) and 11,465 were taking up hospital beds on Wednesday (middle graph). Both figures are up by a third in a week. However, the number of severely ill patients who require mechanical ventilation has only increased by eight per cent week-on-week to 217 (bottom graph)

Even though Covid infections are rising fast  2million people across Britain were estimated to have been infected in the most recent week - ICU and death numbers have not followed.

The BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron strains are behind the latest surge and while they are more infectious than older versions, they are also milder.

Covid hospitalisations are rising quickly too with daily admissions nearing 2,000  but only a third are primarily ill with the virus which suggests the rising admissions are a symptom of high infection rates rather than severe disease.

Sir David said there are 'some indications they [admissions] may be topping off'.
Two people are believed to have died from the extremely deadly Marburg virus in Ghana as officials gear up for a potential outbreak.

The patients, from the country's southern Ashanti region, were not known to each other, suggesting the disease is spreading more widely.

Initial tests came back positive for the virus and the samples are being reanalysed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

If confirmed, it would mark only the second time Marburg has been detected in West Africa, after a small outbreak in Guinea last year.

The WHO is sending experts to support Ghanaian health officials and track down the close contacts of the victims.

A deadly cousin of Ebola, Marburg kills between a quarter and 90 per cent of everyone who gets infected.

The highly-infectious pathogen has been touted as the next big pandemic threat, with the WHO describing it as 'epidemic-prone'.

Infected patients become 'ghost-like', often developing deep-set eyes and expressionless faces. This is usually accompanied by bleeding from multiple orifices  including the nose, gums, eyes and vagina.

Two people are believed to have died from the extremely deadly Marburg virus in Ghana as officials gear up for a potential outbreak. The patients were from the country's southern Ashanti region and were not known to each other, suggesting the disease is spreading more widely

Two people are believed to have died from the extremely deadly Marburg virus in Ghana

Dr Francis Kasolo, the WHO representative in Ghana, said: 'The health authorities are on the ground investigating the situation and preparing for a possible outbreak response.

'We are working closely with the country to ramp up detection, track contacts, be ready to control the spread of the virus.'

Officials said the two Ghanaian patients suffered diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting. Their ages and sex have not been revealed.

Analysis of samples taken from two patients by the countrys Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research came back positive for Marburg.

They have now been sent to the Institut Pasteur in Senegal, a WHO Collaborating Centre, for confirmation. It would make the pair Ghana's first Marburg cases.

The virus is normally associated with outbreaks in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

The WHO is deploying experts to support Ghana's health authorities by bolstering disease surveillance, testing and contact tracing.

Officials will also work with communities to alert and educate them about the dangers of the disease and to collaborate with the emergency response teams.

Marburg is a viral haemorrhagic fever in the same family as the more well-known Ebola virus disease.

The virus is carried by fruit bats but can be spread between humans through blood and bodily fluids, as well as touching contaminated surfaces.

Extremely stringent infection control measures are needed to contain the virus.

It was first detected in humans in 1967 after outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and in Belgrade, Serbia, after being passed to lab workers by monkeys imported from Uganda.

The disease was detected a second time in 2008 in a Dutch woman who returned to the Netherlands from Uganda, where she had been visiting caves.

Illness begins abruptly, with high fever and severe headache, often leading to severe bleeding within seven days.

There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus so doctors have to rely on intravenous drips to improve symptoms.

A range of potential treatments, including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are still being developed.
An Indonesian man snapped his penis during 'vigorous' sex with his wife.

The 44-year-old, from Bali, heard 'a crack' while his lover was in the cowgirl position, followed by excruciating pain.

She was on top of him when his penis slipped out and she crashed down on it with her perineum, the area between her vagina and anus.

His erection immediately vanished and gruesome images show how his penis was left hanging at a right angle.

The man, who has not been named, waited three hours before going to hospital but grew concerned when his penis swelled up and blood began to leak from the tip.

Doctors were forced to 'de-glove' his penis  which involves peeling the skin away  to examine the injuries.

They found a one inch (3cm) fracture in the spongy tissue in the shaft of the penis that swells with blood during an erection. He also ruptured his urethra.

A 44-year-old man needed emergency surgery after his wife fractured his penis after landing on the organ awkwardly during 'vigorous sexual activity' (stock image)

WHAT IS A PENIS FRACTURE? A penis fracture is a rare injury that can take place during sex. It occurs when the two areas responsible for erections - the corpora cavernosa and the penile sheath - rupture. The corpora cavernosa is a spongy tissue in the penis that fills with blood during an erection. Penises typically fracture during intercourse when the man is thrusting against the pubic bone. Symptoms include: Moderate-to-severe pain

Bleeding from the penis

Dark bruising

Difficulty urinating

Cracking or popping sound

Immediate loss of an erection After a fracture, the penis often takes on an 'aubergene defomirty', where it appears purple and swollen. The penis usually has to be erect for it to fracture, with a flaccid member not having a large enough corpora cavernosa for the injury. A fractured penis must be treated immediately to minimise damage to the man's sexual and urinary function. Surgery is usually required to reduce the build up of blood and repair damaged vessels. Most men can go home shortly after the operation but should abstain from sex for a month. Source: MedicalNewsToday Advertisement

The tale was reported in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports by medics from Sanglah General Hospital.

Penis fractures are considered a rare injury but require emergency treatment when it does occur.

It usually happens during sex and the most common position is 'doggy style', when a man is behind, or cowgirl, when the woman is on top.

Shortly after the accident, the man attended the emergency department, where medics inserted a thin flexible camera into his penis to survey the damage.

They found the man's urethra, the tube inside the penis allowing urine to pass out of the body, had been ruptured.

They then rushed him to surgery and, after degloving the penis, found the fracture.

After stitching the break back together, the man was given an erection using drugs to make sure no blood could leak out and his penis was carefully bandaged.

After a 21-day period, the 44-year-old reportedly made a full recovery and was able to maintain an erection and urinate normally.

Discussing the case, urologist Dr Muhlis Yusuf, one of the medics who treated the man, said various sexual positions could result in penis fractures.

Writing in the case report they said: 'The most common vigorous sexual position was doggy style.

'Another study also reported that penile fracture usually occurs if the woman is in a superior position.'

Dr Yusuf added that men being embarrassed about the injury, and therefore delaying seeking treatment, was a potential complication of these type of injuries.

Medics did not detail exactly when the man was injured.

While the case report said the man made a full recovery was able to have sex again without pain, it did detail if he was given any painkillers or antibiotics during his recovery.

It also did not explain if the stiches the man was given during his surgery were dissolvable or they needed to be removed at a later date.
Hong Kong: Money laundering report published

The latest issue of Hong Kongs Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Report was published today.

It examines the money laundering and terrorist financing threats and vulnerabilities facing various sectors in Hong Kong and the city as a whole according to the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force, an inter-governmental body that sets international standards on combating such crimes.

The latest report also for the first time assesses the risk of proliferation financing faced by Hong Kong.

The Government said as an international financial centre, Hong Kong attaches great importance to safeguarding the integrity of its financial systems, adding that the city received positive recognition of its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime from the task force in 2019.

It said the risk assessment can help it formulate informed policies to keep strengthening its work in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.

To address the risks identified, the Government will focus on enhancing the legal and regulatory framework, strengthening risk-based supervision and partnerships, stepping up outreach and awareness-raising, monitoring new and emerging risks, as well as strengthening law enforcement efforts and intelligence gathering capability.

In particular, the Government will introduce a proposal to the Legislative Council to amend the Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance in order to introduce a licensing regime for virtual asset service providers and a registration regime for dealers in precious metals and stones.

The proposed legislative amendment aims to mitigate the risks of the sectors and protect investors.

The Government said it will continue to monitor and respond to the risks with vigilance amidst the evolving international security landscape.

This story has been published on: 2022-07-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
We dare not forget: Chinese commemorate 85th anniversary of the July 7 Incident

By Fan Anqi and Zhang Changyue (Global Times) 08:39, July 08, 2022

A student looks at historical relics on display at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing on July 7, 2022, the 85th anniversary of the July 7 Incident in 1937, which marked the beginning of the all-out War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). Photo: Li Hao/Global Times

From leaving flowers to reciting poems at memorial halls for the deceased, Chinese people are paying tribute in various forms to late national heroes on Thursday on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the July 7 Incident in 1937, which marked the beginning of the all-out War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

A memorial ceremony was held on Thursday morning at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing. Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Wang Huning delivered a speech at the event.

"Some 85 years ago, Japanese invaders bombarded the city of Wanping [today's Beijing] to achieve their criminal ambition of annexing all of China by force, and carried out the Lugou Bridge Incident which shocked the world. The Chinese people rose up to resist, and became the main battlefield in the east in the world's anti-fascist war," Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, said.

"All Chinese people fought to protect their motherland from tragedy in blood and tears, showing the majestic and indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation," Wang noted.

The top trending topic on Sina Weibo said "We dare not forget what happened this same day 85 years ago." The topic was viewed 730 million times and discussed 3.5 million times as of press time.

As Global Times reporters visited the museum at around 1 pm on Thursday as outside temperatures surpassed 35 C, they saw groups of people already queuing up outside, waiting for the 1:30 pm reopening of the museum which had been closed to visitors since May 3 due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Luo Cunkang, curator of the museum, told the Global Times on Thursday that there are more than 60 memorial halls across China celebrating the anniversary. "One cannot learn from history without fully understanding it, and one can only learn the value of peace better when reviewing wartime history, especially under the current complicated international landscape."

"I wish young people will know more about history and learn our martyrs' spirits so they make greater contributions in building our country into a stronger one and making efforts to maintain world peace," Luo said.

While Luo explained the stories behind each picture and artifact, an 8-year-old child surnamed Gao was seen listening intently to the curator, sticking his head almost into the pictures on the wall. Gao told the Global Times that he came with his father to the museum for the first time on such a special occasion.

Although this part of the history is not taught until the third or fourth grade, Gao already learned from the story of his great-grandfather, who was killed in the war. Gao was shocked to see the exhibits. "Look at the shot holes on the soldier's steel helmet! You can imagine how brave he was," Gao told the Global Times.

At the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, an educational activity was held to commemorate the anniversary. A group of primary school students from Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, recited a poem titled "Monument of the Nation," which reads, "I listened quietly to the sound of a nation clenching its fist; it was a war that chilled the Japanese to the bone. The last bullet erupted with fury, into the chest of the enemy."

At such an occasion to reflect on a nation's history, experts noted that today's Japan has not learned from its past but instead, grows even more aggressive in trying to expand its military presence using security threats as pretexts. They warn of a growing right-wing force among the Japanese government, in which people see its military past reviving from 85 years ago.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Thursday urged Japan to effectively face up to its history of aggression, learn a profound lesson and adhere to the path of peaceful development with practical actions.

Tokyo has been keen on hyping the Ukraine crisis and "China threat" to support and advocate expansion of NATO in the Asia-Pacific. By elaborating on the rhetoric, Japan is aiming to revise its postwar pacifist constitution, which could allow it to get rid of the constraint of the supreme charter, participate in NATO, and seek to develop into a military power, experts said.

"The logic behind a growing right-wing voice in Japanese society is that Japan's ruling party is exaggerating so-called security threats to create tensions among the masses, encourage conservative thinking, and fanning hostility toward neighboring countries so they can achieve their ambitions," Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Such an atmosphere comes from a sense of anxiety from Japan, due to its declining economic competitiveness and pressure in dealing with its neighbors and relations with major world powers, Da said.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
Sky-high fuel costs dont seem to be going anywhere. Thats the story, according to experts, with pump prices already nudging and in some cases exceeding 2 a litre, and the 100-plus fill-up increasingly becoming the norm.

The RACs Fuel Watch reported that the cost of filling up rose by 9 in June alone as petrol jumped by a monthly record of nearly 17p a litre (16.59p) to 191.43p.

It now stands at an average 191.27p, just shy of the record high of 191.53p.

Fuel fright: The RAC reported that the cost of filling up rose by 9 in June alone as petrol jumped by a monthly record of nearly 17p a litre to 191.43p

The RAC says higher pump prices are the result of rising oil prices but as costs have begun to drop, fuel giants and filling stations have been slow to pass on the benefit.

But motorists can help themselves take out some of the sting by following these helpful tips.

Watch your speed, obviously

Eco-driving tips that can save you money Bar replacing your car with one that's more economical - or even electric - and driving less frequently, there are plenty of ways to drive more efficiently that can help cut fuel bills. Using eco-driving techniques - like those listed below - 'can easily save the equivalent of 9p-a-litre', says the AA. > This is Money has compiled our top 10 best tips to drive as efficiently as possible

Easing off the accelerator uses less fuel. Drive more economically and smoothly by avoiding hard acceleration and braking.

Pulling away slowly can also help.

Imagine you are a chauffeur. Its a good technique to master even when there isnt a fuel price crisis.

Many modern cars have an eco mode setting which programmes the car to minimise harsh acceleration and lower fuel consumption.

Reports suggest driving at 80mph on a motorway uses 25 per cent more fuel than 70 mph.

And 70mph uses around 9 per cent more fuel than at 60mph.

Tom Hixon, the head of instructor support at Bill Plant Driving School, said: Although all motorists should be sticking to the speed limit at all times, the faster your vehicle goes results in a higher fuel consumption.

When to use air con... and when not to

Your cars air con system puts extra strain on the engine to keep the car cool, with some estimates that it can increase fuel consumption by around 10 per cent.

So, at lower speeds, consider opening the window instead. But, at higher speeds, close your window, and put the air con on. This reduces drag, improves the aerodynamics of the vehicle, and saves you fuel.

Lose weight - don't use hat boot as extra storage

Clearing out your boot can also be helpful. It might seem obvious but the lighter the car the less fuel used, so avoid roof and cycle racks.

Halfords notes: Most are guilty of using their car or boot as storage, however excess weight can add to fuel consumption.

Unpack any unnecessary bulky items such as prams, luggage or boxes before hitting the road, and remove equipment such as roof and bike racks when not in use.

Drive with half a tank  like F1 racing cars do. With a full tank youre burning more fuel just to carry more fuel.

Shop around for the best petrol price

Shop around for the best prices. Supermarkets used to be the leaders, but even their prices are sky high now.

Do your research and check local fuel prices online before you fill up, to get the best price in your area without wasting time and money driving between stations. Confused.com and GoCompare.com are among those offering a free price check service.

Loyalty schemes can help too. Some supermarket petrol stations offer points as you spend, to redeem at the pump or in store.

And avoid premium fuel unless you have a performance car for which its advised. Halfords suggests considering fuel additives as a cost-effective way to increase fuel economy.

Check your tyres

Make sure your tyres are always inflated to the correct pressure. Not only is incorrect tyre pressure unsafe, if the pressure is too low the car needs more fuel to move you around because the engine has to work harder to compensate.

Correctly inflated tyres also last longer so you help maximise their lifespan.

Keep your car well maintained

As well as the mandatory MoT checks, regular servicing helps keep your car in tip-top condition and highlights early problems that may later prove more serious. It also tunes your car to optimise fuel efficiency.

Halfords, whose Motoring Club members receive a ten-point motoring check, said: Replacing a clogged air filter, worn spark plugs or old engine oil will all help to improve your MPG.

The most fuel-efficient cars from every brand REVEALED With average petrol prices rising above 1.90-a-litre and diesel edging closer to 2, motorists' wallets and purses are being hit incredibly hard. But there are some cars that will need to be brimmed with fuel less often than others. We named each major brand's most frugal model on paper, based on their 'official' miles per gallon (mpg) fuel economy figures. > Read our report to find out which model is the most fuel efficient for every mainstream maker

Drive less

Cycle or walk for shorter distances. Itll help keep you fit as well as save money.

AA President Edmund King  a keen cyclist  agrees: The AA has been saying for years drivers should walk or cycle for short journeys.

Review your insurance policy

If you dont drive often, consider short-term car insurance. Or even a pay by the mile. And if you are doing fewer miles than youd expected, tell your insurer and ask for a discount.

ComparetheMarket.com, This is Money's car insurance comparison partner, says nearly a fifth of motorists who drive less than 5,000 miles per year could save 123 on average by swapping to a pay-by-mile policy instead of an annual car insurance policy.

You can compare car insurance costs quickly and easily with This is Money's partner Compare the Market.

Temporary car insurance specialist GoShorty (go shorty.co.uk) offers short-term car insurance policies with which, if you share a car, or borrow a car from a friend or relative, you can insure yourself for between one hour and 28 days when you need to use it, rather than the whole year.

Switch to electric - it costs but you may save long-term

Its a big investment but could save you in the longer term. A pure electric car means youll never need to fill up again  though finding vacant public charging points is increasingly a challenge if youve not got one at home.

If you drive even a plug-in hybrid judiciously for shorter runs, you may rarely need to visit the filling station.

Im currently driving a new Vauxhall Grandland Hybrid-e PHEV giving me an electric-only range of around 27 miles  charging up every night  and Ive barely moved out of electric mode.

One positive: people could be driving more safely

Soaring pump prices may however be fuelling unexpected road safety benefits by encouraging safer driving habits that could potentially save lives, says road safety charity IAM RoadSmart.

Many of the UKs 33 million motorists have already changed their driving habits for the better  adopting slower or smoother driving, its research reveals.

Of 1,004 motorists surveyed, 72 per cent said they had changed how they travel due to soaring fuel costs.

Of this, 38 per cent (12.5 million) said they now drive more economically, while almost one in five (19 per cent or 6 million) have taken extra care to stick to the speed limit.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM Road Smart, said: Driving slower and more economically will no doubt help keep the pain at the pumps down but another positive impact of this is road safety.

Research by ComparetheMarket.com found nearly half of motorists (49 per cent) are making fewer journeys, while a third worry they wont be able to cover the cost of driving.

Electric Nissan named Auto Express Car of the Year

I first saw the prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2019.

Now, as the first of more than 2,000 UK pre-orders are about to be delivered to customers in August and September, Nissans new all-electric Ariya SUV has been named car of the year in the motor industrys Oscars.

The zero-emissions model scooped the top prize in the prestigious Auto Express Car of the Year awards, also taking best mid-sized company car.

Champion: The Nissan Ariya SUV has a range of 329 miles, charges in just 30 minutes and is priced from 43,845

British engineers at Nissans European team in Cranfield, Beds, played a significant role developing the Ariya, resulting in what judges described as a comfortable ride and superb refinement with impressive agility for a big car.

Priced from 43,845 and with a range of 329 miles, charging in just 30 minutes, the Ariya is Nissans second mass-market EV following its pioneering Leaf.

Among other honours, the MG ZS EV was named affordable electric car of the year, the new all-electric Fiat 500 scooped the best city car trophy and the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric was named best company car.

Ford achieved a hat-trick of honours, with its Ranger named best pick-up, the E-Transit named best van, and its European boss Stuart Rowley named the most powerful Briton in the automotive industry Brit List.

Britains new Range Rover won in the best luxury car category, and Land Rovers Defender was named best large premium SUV. The Oxford-built Mini took the award for best convertible.

Best family car was the Dacia Jogger, while the Skoda Octavia was estate car of the year.
Advertisement

Mamma Mia!  trying to squeeze the world's fastest production car into an Italian-sized parking space is enough to send any driver around the bend.

The Pininfarina Battista costs 2million but measures only 47 inches high and has virtually no rear-view visibility whatsoever.

Damaging the carbon-fibre body would costs tens of thousands of pounds to repair, with skilled artisans taking weeks to hand-paint each car to perfection.

What's it like driving the world's fastest car on winding streets where you can't go above 20mph? We've been to Italy to test Pininfarina's 2m electric Battista on real roads

Underneath the jaw-dropping shell, a smorgasbord of technology ensures the Battista is the most powerful road-legal car ever built.

This is one electric vehicle that wasn't designed for stop-start town driving.

Instead, a T-shaped battery pack channels energy to four electric motors that will out-sprint any car on the planet.

Just 150 examples will be made, each one capable of racing from 0-to-62mph in 1.9 seconds - to put that into context, that's less time than it takes Lewis Hamilton's F1 car (certainly this season).

The staggering statistics reveal Battista produces 1,874bhp, 2.2 G-force of whiplashing thrust and rockets to 186mph in 12 seconds. The hypercar eventually runs out of steam at 218mph.

It's the ultimate Top Trumps machine for mega-rich owners in a hurry - but can you drive it in real world?

Just 150 examples will be made, each one capable of racing from 0-to-62mph in 1.9 seconds. To put that acceleration into content, that's less time than it takes Lewis Hamilton's F1 car

While the Battista is capable of a top speed of 218mph, what is it it like on the cobbled streets close to Turin where it's built?

The staggering statistics reveal Battista produces 1,874bhp, 2.2 G-force of whiplashing thrust and rockets to 186mph in 12 seconds

The Battista has all the dramatic design you'd expect from an Italian hypercar. That includes a pair of dihedral wing doors

The cobbled streets of Diano d'Alba are an hour from Turin where the Battista is built.

The hilltop village is at the heart of Italy's premiere wine region, a spaghetti of narrow lanes best explored on a scooter  or ambling around on foot with a gelato ice cream in hand.

It's a relatively chilly Saturday morning and the locals still have their taverna shutters firmly locked. Even the parish church is eerily silent. There's not a single tourist looking out from the ancient ramparts, while a pair of Lycra-clad cyclists are the only sign of life.

I'm edging gingerly down Via Umberto in the Battista.

The cosy cabin isn't that different to any other low-slung supercar  aluminium knobs and buttons, a large infotainment screen each side of the steering wheel and phone-sized speedo in the centre. An outsize dial selects the drive mode but otherwise, this could be a McLaren or Lamborghini.

We took the 2million hypercar to the small hilltop village of Diano d'Alba. The location is in the heart of Italy's premiere wine region that has a spaghetti of narrow lanes best explored on a scooter or on foot with a gelato ice cream in hand

What's the risk of driving such a car on tiny roads? Damaging the carbon-fibre body would costs tens of thousands of pounds to repair, with skilled artisans taking weeks to hand-paint each car to perfection

The Pininfarina Battista is just 47 inches high and has virtually no rear-view visibility whatsoever. Ideal for navigating through a twisty Italian village, then...

We found the cabin to be relatively cosy, which isn't that different to any other low-slung supercar

It all looks very supercar familiar and yet there is something missing  sound.

Anyone who has driven an electric car will tell you that the lack of noise is disconcerting at first but in a car with this much power on board it's downright weird.

So instead of waking to snorting V8, the locals in Diano d'Alba are still tucked under their duvets, unaware of the Battista's stealth-like presence outside.

Our test drive took place on a relatively chilly Saturday morning. The locals still had their taverna shutters firmly locked - and we didn't wake them up

This is a car that can be personalised inside and out  even the paint colour applied to the underside of the pop-up rear wing

The Battista does a great hjob of drawing a crowd. Open the doors and locals will spill onto the street...

Anyone who has driven an electric car will tell you that the lack of noise is disconcerting at first but in a car with this much power on board it's downright weird,' Jeremy explains as he navigates the 2m hypercar through narrow streets

To compensate for this lack of aural drama, Pininfarina has created its own 'engine' noise with a calming effect.

Called Suono Puro, or pure sound, the dreamy frequency is set at 54 Hz and fine-tuned from 2,000 hours of lounge bar-like compositions that might have been composed in a Tibetan temple.

The wellbeing playback is pumped out through speakers and more likely to put listeners to sleep than send pulses racing.

The makers are keen to stress the eco nature of the cabin materials too, using olive leaves to tan the sustainably-sourced leather and recycled fishing nets for the floor mats.

Pininfarina's incredible body design is the Battista's true calling card  rather than a set of noisy quad exhaust pipes

Pininfarina is best-known as Italy's most famous styling house, designing countless Ferraris, Fiats and others. We lost count of the number of times we spotted people frantically clutching for their camera phones to take a quick snap of the car

That giant spoiler isn't just for show. Tearing around the Italian countryside minutes earlier, the Battista is blisteringly fast, pressing me back into the driver's seat, daring me to up the power through the sportier drive modes

The Battista's T-shaped 120kW battery pack offers a range of at least 280 miles. Charging it to 80% of the battery capacity can be completed in 40 minutes or less

The entire car can be personalised inside and out  even the paint colour applied to the underside of the pop-up rear wing.

That giant spoiler isn't just for show though. Tearing around the Italian countryside minutes earlier, the Battista is blisteringly fast, pressing me back into the driver's seat, daring me to up the power through the sportier drive modes.

In one pedal mode  look no brakes!  it regenerates power as I ease off the accelerator.

Pininfarina Battista at a glance Car type: Luxury electric performance hypercar GT Price: 2million On sale: since 2020 Total production: 150 Built: Italy Top speed: 218mph (350kmh/hr) 0-62mph (100km/hr): 1.9 seconds 0-186mph (300kmhr): 12 seconds Drive: Pure electric all-wheel drive Batteries: 120kWh Pulling power: 1,874bhp Range: at least 280 miles Charging time: 80% of the battery in 40 minutes or less

Even over rough road surfaces, the hypercar refuses to give up grip, with all-wheel drive and an immensely rigid carbon-fibre chassis inspiring confidence.

Floor it and the Battista takes off at Warp Factor 9, with no chance of glancing down to check out the crazy antics of the speedometer.

Italians have a passion for supercars and by now the word is out.

As the Battista silently glides towards the Na Mica 'D Pan coffee shop, doors open and the locals spill onto the street. Slipping out under the dihedral wing doors, I'm invited in for coffee but decline a cheeky offer to valet park.

As the the posse of villagers line up for selfies by the bonnet, it's easy to understand the stratospheric price tag.

Pininfarina's incredible body design is the Battista's true calling card  rather than a set of noisy quad exhaust pipes.

Pininfarina is best-known as Italy's most famous styling house, designing countless Ferraris, Fiats and other cars.

The company's first ever model of its own is a massively fast car and a tribute to late Battista Pininfarina, who founded the business in 1930. But there's more to come.

Company chairman, Paolo Pininfarina, revealed: 'My grandfather always had the vision that one day, there would be a stand-alone range of Pininfarina-branded cars.

'The Battista is a glorious way to link our past with the future of motoring.'

For now, though, the Battista's mind-boggling performance is more than enough to grab the headlines.

It has Pininifarina whispered in the same breath as other electric hypercars coming down the track from Rimac and Lotus too.

You just need somebody always on hand to help you park it

If you have the guts to floor, the Battista will take off at Warp Factor 9, with no chance of glancing down to check out the crazy antics of the speedometer

Loved by those old and young: No matter the age, the Italian locals all wanted to take a closer look at the exclusive hypercar

To compensate for its lack of aural drama, Pininfarina has created its own 'engine' noise with a calming effect. Called Suono Puro, or pure sound, the dreamy frequency is set at 54 Hz and fine-tuned from 2,000 hours of lounge bar-like compositions that might have been composed in a Tibetan temple
Last month, easyJet cancelled around 10,000 flights from its summer schedule as staff planned a series of strikes over working conditions and pay.

Passengers from all over Europe had to reschedule their travel plans, and even those whose flights weren't affected faced huge delays in many of the UK's major airports due to the resulting chaos.

Other airlines including BA also had to pull flights due to strike action, as customer service staff faced a battle to get travellers to their destinations as well as dealing with thousands of refund and compensation claims.

But it seems easyJet's passengers have been particularly disappointed. Some have accused the carrier of ignoring refund requests, refusing to book them on alternative flights, and failing to alert them of their rights to compensation.

Stranded: Damian McConville, 33, and his wife are pictured in Greece before being abandoned by easyJet when their return flight home to Belfast was cancelled twice

Consumer group Which? is now calling for an investigation into potential consumer law breaches by EasyJet, in relation to their treatment of customers.

It is asking the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to take action, claiming the disregard of consumer rights law on the part of the airline has become 'so routine'.

Which? heard horror stories from from easyJet passengers across the UK.

Damian McConville, 33, and his wife decided to celebrate their wedding anniversary in May by taking their first holiday since the pandemic to Santorini.

But they were struck by catastrophe on their way home, as easyJet cancelled the final leg of their flight home to Belfast, leaving them stranded in Gatwick airport.

The pair were in the departure lounge at Gatwick when they heard the news that their final flight to Belfast was cancelled, at 7:20pm.

They say they were told to use the easyJet app to rearrange their flights and book a hotel, but while they were able to reschedule a new flight the next morning, there was no option on the app to book a hotel.

Passengers of cancelled flights have been left stranded in airports for hours after easyJet cut another 10,000 flights from their summer schedule due to staff strikes and shortages

The customer services desk then closed, and Damian and his wife were left to sleep on the floor until their new flight in the morning.

Damian said: 'We received no water or food. We are both completely appalled at the lack of help, support and information we received from EasyJet staff.

'My wife was in tears. No one should be sleeping on the cold tiled floor of an airport.'

Disaster struck again, as they received another email at 3am to say their 8.25am flight had also been cancelled.

What compensation am I entitled to if my flight has been cancelled? Less than 14 days notice of cancellation: Distance Compensation Less than 1,500km Up to 220 1,500km to 3,500km Up to 350 More than 3,500km Up to 520 Read our guide for more information:

What are your rights if your flight is cancelled?

Unable to find any staff to assist them they booked the next available EasyJet flight at 6.30pm later that evening.

> Read our guide to everything you need to know about travel insurance

Worried about that flight being cancelled too, Damian later made the decision to book an earlier flight home with Ryanair to get home to their two-year-old daughter.

When Damian completed an expenses form to claim the money back for his Ryanair flights from easyJet, he says his claim was rejected as he hadn't cancelled the later EasyJet flight. The saga left him 350 out of pocket.

He also feels let down by the customer service team. He says it failed to inform him of his right to compensation, which would have totalled 880 due to the two flight cancellations.

He concluded: 'I will not be flying with easyJet again. Absolutely shocking service.'

'Their strategy is to make it as hard as possible for customers to claim refunds they are rightly entitled to' Alexia Kaloudis, 24, and her partner Niall, arrived at Budapest airport for their journey home to Gatwick to find out their flight had been cancelled. EasyJet had booked them on an earlier flight that morning, but by the time they found this out, it had already taken off. The pair bought new flights with Wizz Air, which left seven hours later than their original flight. Alexia submitted an expense claim to easyJet the next day for 305 to cover the costs. EasyJet took three weeks to reply, asking Alexia to resubmit her claim because of a technical error, and she applied three times in total. Alexia's third claim was then rejected, as easyJet said it had flights that were available within 24 hours of their original departure. 'I have felt immensely let down by their customer service,' Alexia told Which? 'I feel like their strategy at the moment is to make it as hard as possible for customers to claim the refunds that they are rightly entitled to. 'It is so seemingly impossible to actually get through to anyone and discuss your claim, I expect that many people eventually give up and lose their money. 'That's a disgusting way to treat customers who were negatively affected by EasyJet's own errors. It seems that they want customers to foot the bill. 'Overall the experience has been quite draining and frustrating, as I have been passed from pillar to post with constantly conflicting messages and stock responses. 'The fact that EasyJet only began to suddenly take action once the national press was involved is shameful from them, because it shows that they were able to process my refund the whole time, they just wanted to put me off and make the process unpleasant.'

Airlines are required by law to offer passengers new flights to their destination at the 'earliest opportunity', even if this means offering them a flight with an alternative airline - which easyJet have been accused of failing to do.

Which? found that easyJet was directing passengers to the 'manage my booking' section of its app and website, which only allows them to rebook an EasyJet flight.

Last month the CAA promised enforcement action against any airline found to be 'systematically letting consumers down'.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said 'passengers must be promptly informed of their consumer rights when things go wrong and  if necessary  receive compensation in good time'.

However, Which? is concerned that disregard of consumer rights law by airlines has become a systemic problem in the travel sector - and that the CAA, with limited powers, has little ability to intervene.

The aviation regulator has since been assessing the evidence and speaking to airlines, but three months on, no enforcement action has been taken.

EasyJet didn't pay for my expenses after I asked for a refund Matthew Siggins was on holiday in Athens in April when he received a text and email from easyJet saying his flight home in two days had been cancelled. He was given three options: 1. Switch to another easyJet flight 2. Choose a voucher for the full value of the original flight 3. Request a refund Matthew asked for a refund, as the next EasyJet flight to Bristol wasn't for another three days. To get home he booked a flight to Corfu with a Greek airline, and then an EasyJet flight from Corfu to Bristol, cutting his holiday short by 10 hours. But legally easyJet was obliged to book him the next available flight after his was due to depart, even if it was with another airline. And, if this flight arrived at a different UK airport, EasyJet was legally bound to pay for his transfers back to Bristol airport. Matthews new flights were 80 more than his original flight and he also had to pay for transfers and food at the airport in Corfu. But by claiming a refund on his original flight, Matthew gave up his right to claim back his expenses. He also says he was also not informed that he was entitled to 220 compensation due to the late cancellation of his flight.

When Which? asked easyJet why it was not offering passengers the option to book alternative flights with other airlines, the firm suggested that passengers were better off booking these alternative flights themselves.

A spokesperson said, 'We provide customers with a leading self-service tool which enables them to reroute quickly and easily on alternative flights where their flight is cancelled.

'Where we are unable to offer a direct flight on easyJet within 24 hours, customers are able to secure flights by alternative carriers via our customer contact centres.

'However, we generally advise passengers to book these flights themselves, as this offers more flexibility and is the quickest way to secure a seat on the alternative flight.

'In these circumstances, we reimburse customers for the full cost of the alternative transport.'

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: 'EasyJet has treated its passengers appallingly, but this is just the latest example of a systemic problem in the aviation sector.

'Some airlines routinely ignore their legal obligations because they know they won't face any consequences.

'With thousands more flight cancellations potentially to come, passengers face a miserable summer unless the CAA and government act on their promises to stamp out consumer rights abuses.

'A major overhaul is desperately needed, so the government must give the CAA stronger powers so it can hit operators with heavy fines when necessary.

'Ministers should also drop their ill-conceived plans to slash compensation rates for domestic flights.'
Watches of Switzerland clocked up record sales and profits during what it hailed as a tremendous year, writes James Duncan.

Britains biggest seller of Rolex watches said revenues rose 40 per cent to 1.2billion in the 12 months to May 1.

Profits were up 98 per cent to 126million. The company benefited from booming demand for luxury watches including the Omega Seamaster worn by Daniel Craig when he played James Bond.

Time to buy: Watches of Switzerland benefited from booming demand for luxury watches including the Omega Seamaster worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in No Time To Die

The group brushed aside consumer spending fears amid the cost-of-living crisis, saying that the strength of the luxury watch category, with unique supply demand dynamics , together with the success of our model will continue to support sustainable strong sales growth.

Shares climbed 1.5 per cent, or 11.5p, to 800p in trading yesterday.

In the UK, where Watches of Switzerlands brands include Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths, revenues rose 36 per cent to 810m.

The company is the UKs largest retailer for Rolex, Omega, Cartier, TAG Heuer and Breitling watches.
The chief executive of Hong Kong's futures and securities regulator has been hired as the next chairman of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority.

HM Treasury said Ashley Alder would take charge of the FCA, the public body overseeing Britain's financial services sector, from next January for a five-year tenure.

He will succeed Richard Lloyd, who began occupying the post on an interim basis last month following the departure of Charles Randell a year before his term was expected to finish.

New boss: HM Treasury said Ashley Alder would take charge of the FCA, the public body overseeing Britain's financial services sector, from next January for a five-year tenure

Alder has spent the last 11 years as head of Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), having initially joined the organisation in 2001 as its executive director of corporate finance.

He then left in 2004 to rejoin legal firm Herbert Smith, where he had worked as a corporate and business law specialist after moving to Hong Kong in 1989.

While at the SFC, Alder has helped institute a series of reforms and schemes to try and strengthen the city's financial system, pushed for greater focus on climate finance, and imposed significant fines on banking giants.

This included a $350million fine on Goldman Sachs's Asia office in relation to bond offerings that raised money for Malaysia's controversial sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

But the city state's attraction as an international financial centre has come under massive pressure in recent years due to the coronavirus pandemic and draconian new laws curtailing political freedoms.

Mass protests erupted in 2019 over a proposed extradition bill that would have enabled residents of the region to be deported to mainland China, causing the city to tumble into recession as tourists stayed away and retailers lost trade.

Troubles: In recent years, the FCA has been hit by a flurry of resignations and criticism over its handling of the collapse of Neil Woodford's equity fund and London Capital & Finance

Though the bill was repealed, the People's Republic of China later introduced a national security law that led to pro-democracy protestors being arrested and a wave of mass emigration.

While this has happened, the SFC has experienced a wave of personnel quitting, with 12 per cent of employees and a quarter of junior professional staff resigning in 2021, according to its chairman Tim Lui.

Britain's FCA has itself been afflicted by a flurry of resignations, with 345 workers departing between June and October 2021, double the rate of the previous year.

Unionised FCA employees also voted in favour of industrial action in April for the first time in the organisation's history over planned reforms to working conditions and pay spearheaded by chief executive Nikhil Rathi.

Rathi's proposals included cuts to pension rights, the loss of routine payments labelled 'bonuses,' reduced pay bands for Scottish staff and cutbacks affecting graduate trainees.

Alongside this, the City watchdog has faced major criticism over its handling of the downfall of Neil Woodford's equity fund and London Capital & Finance (LC&F).

An independent review led by Dame Elizabeth Gloster, a former Court of Appeal judge, admonished the FCA for failing to sufficiently regulate LC&F, which sold unregulated 'mini-bonds' promising large returns to investors, but collapsed owing them over 230million.

Regarding the Woodford affair, the financial authority has faced criticism for the slow pace of its investigation, given that it began in June 2019, just weeks after trading in the fund was suspended.

Analysts hope the selection of a new chair will draw a line under these scandals and go some way to repairing the FCA's reputation and improving morale among staff.

Simon Morris, a partner at law firm CMS, applauded the FCA's decision to hire Alder, calling it 'an excellent appointment' that would give the body 'a chair who knows what regulation looks like from the inside track.'
As the start of a new academic year draws near, banks are once again battling it out to lure university freshers into opening an account with them.

Last academic year there were 2.66million students enrolled at UK higher education institutions, according to the latest government figures.

With many learning to manage serious amounts of money for the first time, this is big business for banks.

Look to the future: Banks are prepared to tempt students into opening an account with them in the hope they will secure a valuable customer for life

Although students are unlikely to be stashing away savings right now, banks are keen to snap them up because they may become valuable customers for decades to come.

Students can therefore find plenty of perks, from free cash to railcards and retail discounts - but they should also consider which account best suits their spending habits before committing.

Things like overdraft limits, interest charges and overseas transaction fees can all make a dent in their budget if they are caught unawares.

This is Money has balanced the perks and the terms and conditions to pick out some of the best options for those heading to university in September and October.

Best for free cash - HSBC

Perks: HSBC has put itself in pole position to scoop up students with a tantalising 100 cash offer.

To qualify, students must make a minimum of five transactions using the HSBC debit card within 30 days of opening the account.

Students can also benefit from discounts at Costa Coffee, ASOS and Boohoo among others, via its Home&Away offers programme.

This gives all HSBC cardholders offers on shopping, dining, travel and experiences both in the UK and abroad.

Easy money: HSBC is offering students a 100 cash incentive to sign up for an account

Overdraft: Students get an interest-free limit of up to 1,000 in their first year, then up to 2,000 in their second year and 3,000 in their third year.

Both arranged and unarranged borrowing is charged at 0 per cent on student accounts.

If a student does go over their arranged overdraft limit HSBC will consider an unarranged request and will make the payment if it can, subject to status.

In some cases it may allow the student to go in to an unarranged overdraft, for example, when needing to pay an energy bill.

However it is limited to small amounts, and larger or frequent unarranged overdraft requests will be more likely to be declined.

In the red: Most banks either prevent students from exceeding their arranged overdraft limit or won't charge them for doing so - but it's important to double check

Small print: A student paying for something using their HSBC debit card whilst outside the UK will be charged a non-sterling transaction fee of 2.75 per cent per transaction.

If they withdraw money from an ATM outside the UK, they'll also need to pay a 'non sterling cash fee' of 2 per cent. This is limited to a minimum and maximum charge of 1.75 and 5.00 respectively.

To qualify for the account, a student needs to be 18 or over and to have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for at least three years.

They can't have another student account elsewhere, and they will need proof they've been accepted on to a qualifying course at a UK university or college.

After graduation: HSBC will move students onto a free graduate account after their course finishes.

In the first year after graduation, graduates may be eligible for an interest-free overdraft of up to 3,000, and up to 2,000 in their second year after graduation.

In their third year after graduation, HSBC will move graduates to an Advance account or standard bank account.

Graduates may still be eligible for an arranged overdraft of up to 1,000 interest-free to help make life easier - subject to status and how the account has been used.

Any arranged overdraft above these amounts will be charged interest at 39.9 per cent.

Best all rounders: NatWest or RBS

Perks: Similar to HSBC, both NatWest and RBS are whetting the appetite of students with a cash bribe - though they are offering a slightly more modest 80 each.

Both banks are also offering a four-year Tastecard membership for free.

This gives students the chance to get two meals for the price of one, or 50 per cent off their food bill, at thousands of UK restaurants - as well as discounts at the cinema.

Natwest and RBS are offering both a 80 cash bribe and a four-year Tastecard membership to lure students in

On average, they can save 19 per meal, according to Tastecard, adding up to 226.56 a year if they eat out just once a month.

A Tastecard membership costs 39.99 a year, so this could equate to a total 159.96 saving over four years for someone who was already likely to get one.

Overdraft: Both NatWest and RBS allow for an interest free overdraft up to 2000, although during the first term this is limited to 500.

To apply for an arranged overdraft students need to be 18 or over, although they can add an overdraft to their account once their course has started.

Neither bank will charge interest or fees on a student account that enters an unarranged overdraft.

However, if a student has a regular payment on their account and this payment is rejected, NatWest will charge an unpaid fee of 2.75. This is capped at one unpaid fee per month.

Do your homework: Young adults starting university are eligible for a student account that often comes with benefits and interest-free overdrafts

Small print: Students need to apply for the account before 31 October to get the 80 cash or four year Tastecard.

The foreign currency conversion fee for payments and withdrawals outside the UK is 2.75 per cent of any transaction.

Students must be 17 or over and a British citizen who has been living in the UK for at least 3 years.

They need to be a full-time undergraduate student on at least a two-year course at a UK University or College, or completing a full-time postgraduate or nursing course lasting a year or more.

After graduation: A student account will automatically change to a graduate account.

Students will continue to receive an interest free arranged overdraft, although this will reduce in the second year to a maximum of 1,000.

In the third year, gradates will be moved onto the regular free current account and their arranged overdraft will no longer be interest-free.

Any arranged overdraft limits over the interest-free threshold will incur fees and charges amounting to 39.49 per cent.

Watch out for the overdraft trap While all the banks on this list will either block students from exceeding their interest-free buffer, or refrain from charging interest if they do, others will charge student borrowers overdraft rates of close to 40 per cent if they borrow too much. It is also worth noting banks will not necessarily give applicants the maximum fee-free overdraft they advertise on their websites. The limit can often be based on the student's credit score. Students should check their score before they apply (it is free to do so) and try and improve it if they can. If students don't have any other borrowing, they can try and give their score a boost in other ways, such as by registering to vote, or registering their mobile phone contract in their own name rather than a parent's.

Best for UK travel - Santander

Perks: The big money saver with this account is a free four-year 16-25 railcard, which will enable students to shave a third off their rail travel in the UK.

A 16-25 railcard costs 30 each year to renew, so over a four year period it could save a total of 120 on the card itself - and that's before they start saving on journeys.

However, its also worth pointing out that it is possible to pay 70 for a three-year railcard.

People with the railcard save an average of 159 per year, or 4.56 per journey, according to Railcard.co.uk.

On top of the railcard there is also some cashback available for those who switch on Santander's 'Retailer Offers' feature via their online or mobile banking.

Students choose which offers to save to their card, and benefit from up to 15 per cent cashback when they spend with certain retailers including Just Eat, Morrisons and Costa.

Overdraft: Santander allows for an interest-free arranged overdraft of 1,500 in the first three years, 1,800 in year four and 2,000 if they stay on to year five.

If a student tries to make a payment that would take them into an unarranged overdraft, Santander makes the decision on whether to allow or reject the payment based on their individual circumstances.

If it allows a payment, it will take them into an unarranged overdraft, but it does not charge interest or fees for unarranged overdrafts on the account.

Rail-y good: Santander's 123 Student account has long been seen as one of the best offers around, with a free four-year 16-25 Railcard thrown in

Small print: The foreign currency conversion fee for payments and withdrawals outside the UK is 2.95 per cent of any transaction.

However, the bank does not charge a fee for withdrawals from Santander cash machines in Spain.

Students must be 18 or over, live in the UK permanently, and be able to pay in at least 500 per academic term.

They need to be studying or about to begin an undergraduate course that is at least two years in length, or a level four to seven apprenticeship.

If they are about to begin a course, they must have an unconditional or 'confirmed conditional' offer before they apply.

Finally students must not already have an existing Santander current account, and if they do, they will need to transfer it to a student one.

After graduation: The student account will automatically transfer to its graduate account at the end of the course.

Students will continue to receive an interest free arranged overdraft, although this will reduce in the second year to a maximum of 1,000.

What about the digital banks? Smartphone banks Monzo and Starling have snapped up millions of young customers who are used to banking solely on their mobiles. Both offer accounts to 16 and 17-year-olds. While students may be attracted to them as money management services to help keep track of their incomings and outgoings, neither bank offers a dedicated student account. That means they don't offer the same sizeable interest-free overdrafts as the accounts mentioned here, so for those who plan on using their overdraft frequently it could get expensive. Starling charges between 15 per cent and 35 per cent depending on a customer's credit score, and Monzo between 19 per cent and 39 per cent.

Best for overseas travel: Nationwide

Perks:This could be a great card for those who expect to travel during their time at university. Nationwide's card is free to use abroad, unlike any of the others.

It is also one of the best accounts on the market for overdrafts.

By the end of a three-year university course, students who bank with Nationwide can get up to 3,000 interest-free, provided they request an increase every year.

Overdraft: Students can request up to 1,000 in each year of study, to a maximum of 3,000 in the third year.

The account is designed to prevent students from going over their arranged overdraft limit.

Small print: Students need to be 18 or over and not have a student account with another provider - although they can switch an existing student account over to Nationwide.

They must also have been accepted on to a full-time UCAS course lasting at least two years in the UK, and have an unconditional offer.

In addition they will also need to pay in at least 500 each term from the date they open their FlexStudent account.

After graduation: Unless a student makes other arrangements, Nationwide will move the account to a FlexGraduate account.

Its FlexGraduate account will last for three years, if the course was three years long or more. It will last for two years if the course was two years long.

With the graduate account there will still be an interest-free arranged overdraft, but Nationwide will reduce the limit each year.

After that, it will move graduates onto one of its everyday bank accounts, which will mean paying 39.9 per cent APR when dipping into the overdraft.
Hunter Biden blamed First Lady Jill Biden for forcing him to go back to rehab  calling her a 'selfish silly entitled c***', 'a moron', 'stupid', and 'vain'  after she offered him a house and sent him loving messages.

The biting insults were made behind his stepmother's back in text messages on a newly uncovered backup of Hunter's cell phone stored on his abandoned laptop.

The vicious verbal attack, appears to be over Hunter's family asking him to go back to rehab in winter of 2018.

In an exasperated text to his uncle, Jim Biden, on December 28, 2018, Hunter wrote that Jill and his then lover, his brother's widow, Hallie, 'created a drama' that prompted Joe Biden to suggest he spend a month getting clean from drugs and alcohol.

Text messages found on a newly uncovered backup of Hunter Biden's cell phone have revealed his apparent resentment towards stepmother Jill Biden when he was battling drug addiction

Hunter, 52, viciously tore into the first lady (pictured together in 2013) behind her back, branding her 'stupid', 'vain' and 'a moron' in text message exchanges with former lover and sister-in-law Hallie Biden and others

Hunter also aired his frustrations to his uncle, Jim Biden in an exchange on December 28, 2018, calling Jill 'my idiot stepmother', after his father Joe pushed him to go back to rehab

'Hallie and my idiot stepmother have once again created a drama that forces dad into saying go away for 30 days and I'll help but otherwise I don't really trust you're (sic) judgment Hunter,' the president's son wrote to Jim.

'There is no drama but what she creates. What's f***ing changed to create this panic. Nothing except me telling her she's a c**t NS telling my mother she's a moron. Both true things.'

A day earlier, Hunter had been raging at Hallie, hurling verbal abuse at her and Jill.

'F*** my step mother for always being as much of a selfish silly entitled c**t as you,' he texted his brother Beau's widow.

Eventually Hallie snapped, texting Hunter back: 'Enough of blaming and getting angry at me and your family for YOUR lack of sobriety. YOU ARE TO BLAME, NOT ME or YOUR MOTHER or ANYONE.'

Around the same time he also texted Hallie's sister Liz Secundy more insults about his family, calling his sister, Jill and Hallie 'stupid and vain'.

Despite the torrent of slurs behind Jill's back, his direct texts to his stepmom were mild and pleasant.

On December 6, 2018 Jill texted him: 'Love you... hope you're okay [pink hearts emoji] mom'. A day later Hunter replied: 'Thanks mom ly2'.

On December 8, Jill wrote: 'Sitting by the ocean thinking of you [sea life emojis]'. Hunter replied the following day: 'Love you'.

Hunter infamously engaged in affair with his late brother Beau's widow, Hallie (pictured) after his death in 2015

First Lady Jill Biden and stepson Hunter look on as her late stepson, Army National Guard Capt. Beau Biden, hugs wife Hallie as he arrives from a tour in Iraq in 2009

The day before he ranted to his uncle, Hunter had been raging at Hallie, hurling verbal abuse at her and Jill, who he referred to as 'a selfish silly entitled c**t'

He also sent a text to Hallie's sister, Elizabeth Secundy, with more insults about his family, calling his sister, Jill and Hallie 'stupid and vain'

In another exchange on December 28, Jill wrote: 'Love you Hunter. Mom', and on the 31st: 'Happy New year, Hunter. Hope next year is better for all of us. i love you. Mom'.

After receiving no reply, on January 15, 2019 she wrote: 'Thinking of you mom [heart emoji]'.

Although he was cordial and even loving in texts directly to his stepmother, Hunter told his uncle about a flaming row the two had around Christmas of 2018.

Hunter texted his uncle Jim on December 29 2018, ranting about how Jill, Hallie and his sister Ashley tried to persuade Joe that Hunter was a threat to himself and others.

Hunter told Jim that he suggested staying in Pennsylvania and teaching, but claimed Jill responded by rolling her eyes and telling him: Well you're not going to be doing anything at all for yourself or your family if you just refuse to get sober.

Hunter said he then called his stepmother a moron, saying she wouldnt survive one class in a[n] ivy graduate program.

I said Yang ow [you know] what mom you're a f**king moron. A vindictive moron, he texted, retelling the conversation to his uncle.

I suooorted [supported] my GM family including some of the costs you should have used your salary to lay (pay) for  for the last 24 years.

And you do know the drunkest I've ever been is still smarter than you could ever even comprehend and you're a shut (sic) grammar teacher that wouldn't survive one class in a ivy graduate program.

So go f**k yourself Jill let's all agree I don't like you anymore than you like me.

Two months before Hunter's tirade against her, Jill had called him to offer one of her and Joe's houses to him  formerly owned by Hunter's late mother Neilia, Joe's first wife, who the family nickname 'mom-mom'.

'I was talking to Dad and I wondered if you wanted to use mom-mom's house for you,' Jill said in a voicemail to Hunter on October 21, 2018.

'Because we have extra furniture and I'm sure you have furniture It's up to you. But let me know so I can pull it off of the rental market. Ok? Love you.'

Four days later Hunter texted her: 'Thank you for the offer of the gate house. I'm trying to figure all of that out.'

Text messages show that Jill, on the other hand, had consistently sent messages of love and support to her stepson, who at times would either not reply or reply several hours later

Prior to the shocking texts surfacing, there never seemed to be any signs of tension between Hunter and his stepmom. He is pictured with Jill, Joe and his wife Melissa and baby son Beau on election night 2020

Hunter and his late brother Beau lost their mother Neilia Hunter (pictured in 1972) and their baby sister Naomi in a tragic car accident in 1972

In a grandiose message, Hunter also told Hallie a month later his therapist had told him 'You're avoiding being the chosen one, because you were not the chosen one, by your step-mother.'

Hunter and his late older brother Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, were raised by their stepmother and their dad Joe after their mother Neilia Hunter and their baby sister died in a car accident in 1972.

Joe met schoolteacher Jill, maiden name Jacobs, in 1975 and the two married in New York two years later. Their only child together, daughter Ashley Biden, was born in 1981.

Just like older brother Hunter, Ashley, 41, has a history of substance abuse and scandals. She has also had multiple run-ins with the law as a young adult.

Joe Biden later married second wife Jill in 1977 and raised Beau, Hunter, and their half-sister Ashley together

In a grandiose message, Hunter also told Hallie that his therapist had told him he was 'avoiding being the chosen one' because he was 'not the chosen one, by your step-mother'

Jill, 71, earned four college degrees while raising her family.

She has a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees, and earned a doctorate of education from the University of Delaware in 2007.

Prior to moving to Washington DC, she taught at a community college Delaware, at a public high school and at a psychiatric hospital for adolescents.

Writing in her memoir, she wrote: 'Being a teacher is not what I do but who I am.'

In April 2019, she took a break from teaching for the first time since 1981 in order to help her husband on the campaign trail.
A Texas cancer survivor who suffered three miscarriages was banned from aborting a longed-for pregnancy in her home state on discovering the fetus was too disabled to survive.

Kailee DeSpain, 28, and her husband were forced to make a 10 hour trip to New Mexico in February after a 16 week scan revealed their son Finley had an unsurvivable condition called triploidy.

Carrying the pregnancy to full-term would have put DeSpain at risk of potentially fatal complications, but Texas's so-called heartbeat abortion bill bans almost all abortions except for those vaguely defined as 'medical emergencies.'

DeSpain was told hers did not fit that criteria, and instead set out on a lengthy journey to a neighboring state, where she was branded a murderer by pro-life protesters on arriving at the abortion clinic.

Her doctors had advised she seek termination after her 16-week ultrasound revealed her son, Finley, was not going to survive due to several serious health conditions.

The couple was devastated by the news but opted to end the pregnancy in an effort to prevent potentially life-threatening complications.

Now, DeSpain continues to share her story and fight for women's rights, alleging she will 'not know a single day of peace until I can govern my own body, and everything that goes on inside of it, in the state I once loved.'

Kailee DeSpain, of Texas, battled cervical cancer and had three failed pregnancies before she became pregnant with her 'miracle baby' Finley

DeSpain had three failed pregnancies and battled cervical cancer before she learned she was carrying her 'miracle' baby, Finley.

Due to previous heartbreak and complications, she and her husband remained cautious after learning she was pregnant for a fourth time.

Despite an initial concern about her her HCG hormone levels, the pregnancy appeared to be going well.

'Everything was good, normal, healthy,' DeSpain shared on Facebook. 'I found out he was a boy. Please, God. Let me bring my boy home alive.'

'I had had so many ultrasounds, because we were so high-risk,. This was the first one I was excited for. I finally had hope; I had carried Finley farther than any of the others. My little warrior.'

DeSpain (pictured with her husband) was heartbroken when sixteen weeks into her pregnancy she and her husband learned that Finley had triploidy and wouldn't survive. He was also missing a kidney, had a heart with no valves and an improperly developed brain

Sixteen weeks into her pregnancy she and her husband learned that Finley had a rare disease called triploidy. He was also missing a kidney, had a heart with no valves and an improperly developed brain.

She also claims was experiencing high blood pressure, writing: 'I had been pulled off of the blood thinners that were protecting my body from an autoimmune response.

'There was now a higher chance that I might not make it and my husband was looking at me with fear in his eyes and saying that he would NOT lose me, too.'

Her doctors said Finley would not survive and she was likely to face dangerous complications if the pregnancy continued.

The National Library of Medicine notes that carrying a child with triploidy can cause pre-eclampsia in the second trimester. The condition often presents with symptoms of high blood pressure and elevated HCG levels.

DeSpain's care team recommended she seek an abortion, while also noting Texas law prohibited them from doing the procedure.

'They explained that I didn't have any options in Texas, but that this was very serious,' she wrote.

Due to Texas' heartbeat bill, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, DeSpain and her husband were forced to travel 10 hours to New Mexico for the procedure. Finley's remains (pictured) were mailed back to Texas afterwards

She and her husband drove 10 hours to a clinic in New Mexico were DeSpain received an abortion, but not before being met with hateful commentary.

'I walked into the clinic alone. I passed people whose signs said that I was a murderer,' DeSpain said.

''Don't kill your baby!' they screamed at me. 'We have resources!''

''My baby has triploidy. He is DYING. He is going to SUFFOCATE,' I yelled back.I was angry. I knew that I was making the hardest choice of all, and that those people would never bother to think of what it was like.'

She noted how the anti-abortion demonstrators 'didn't even ask' before assuming she didn't want the child she and her husband had tried so hard to conceive.

'They assumed that I did not WANT the child that I had prayed for for almost 8 years,' DeSpain wrote. 'I knew that people like that do not want to understand. People like that will never have a heart for people like me.'

After the procedure, Finley's ashes were mailed back to Texas.

DeSpain first shared her story back in May after a draft SCOTUS opinion revealing the high court's intention to overturn the landmark 1973 case Roe v. Wade. She is pictured with her husband after they lost a baby in 2016

DeSpain first shared her story back in May after a draft SCOTUS opinion revealing the high court's intention to overturn the landmark 1973 case Roe v. Wade, which held that abortion fell under the constitutional right to privacy, was leaked.

Her post specifically called out those who criticized her for seeking an abortion and those who favor criminalizing abortion.

'No one should have to share a story like mine to justify abortion,' she penned.

'I should not have to lay my soul bare for your judgement, for you to decide if I am one of the few women who you deem should have been allowed to have an abortion. For you to decide if I fit into the few categories that you have decided are acceptable reasons for abortion. For you to decide if I am a murderer or not.

'I made my choice because it was what was best for my baby, my body, and my family. My choice is not yours to judge, and my rights are not yours to gleefully take away.

She continued: 'Your opinion stopped being okay when it started to take away my ability to make safe decisions for myself.

'Your opinion stopped being okay when it supported people in power who stripped my doctors of their ability to care for me in Texas.

'No one owes you their story,' DeSpain stated. 'But I have given you mine in the hopes that it will open your eyes to what people have done by supporting politicians who believe that abortion is a states right to take away.

'Abortion should never have been politicized, but it was. The only thing I can ask you to do is vote with women like me in mind.'

DeSpain's post gained popularity again after SCOTUS officially overturned the Roe v. Wade on June 24, automatically outlawing abortion in 18 U.S. states due to specially-devised 'trigger laws' and historic bans that were automatically reenacted after the ruling

Her post gained popularity again after SCOTUS officially overturned the Roe v. Wade on June 24, automatically outlawing abortion in 18 U.S. states due to specially-devised 'trigger laws' and historic bans that were automatically reenacted after the ruling.

Texas, where DeSpain lives, has a trigger law set to go into effect in less that two months that will make abortion illegal in the state.

The so-called trigger ban on abortions at any stage of pregnancy makes exceptions only to save the life of the mother or prevent 'substantial impairment of major bodily function.'

The legislation also makes it a felony offense to carry out an abortion.

DeSpain addressed the issue again on July 3, saying: 'I will not know a single day of peace until I can govern my own body, and everything that goes on inside of it, in the state I once loved'

Women who get abortions will not be prosecuted but anyone who helps a woman obtain the procedure could, and doctors performing abortions could face up to $100,000 fines or life in prison.

'People have asked me why I continue to share  why I don't want peace for myself to heal after losing our son,' DeSpain said in a July 3 post.

'My answer is this: I will not know a single day of peace until I can govern my own body, and everything that goes on inside of it, in the state I once loved.'

'Texas lawmakers took away any sense of safety that I, and so many other people, had in this state. I will not let anyone forget it.

'NO, I will not stop talking about it. NO, I will not stop sharing the truth, just because the truth that these lawmakers are out of control is painful for you to hear.
Jerome Laxale (pictured) fails to respond to questions about his alleged involvement in a nude photo saga

A rookie Labor MP who repeatedly fails to respond to queries about his alleged involvement in a nude selfie saga praises Leigh Sales for asking 'hard-hitting questions' in her 'relentless pursuit of truth' during interviews with MPs.

Jerome Laxale, 38, had been the member for the northern Sydney seat of Bennelong for less than two weeks when, on May 23, a former flame accused him of keeping naked photos that she sent him during their year-long, online romance.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said she believed he deleted the photos following their 'amicable' breakup in November 2021, until an opponent from the Liberal Party told her he had allegedly 'seen the pictures on Jerome's laptop'.

She made a formal complaint with NSW Labor and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to personally look into the matter.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Laxale eight times over the past month in what could be described as a 'relentless pursuit of truth' - in an effort to determine his version of events, and to simply ask whether he wanted to confirm or deny the allegations.

A NSW Labor spokesman eventually said: 'NSW Labor takes all complaints very seriously and treats them with the utmost confidentiality.'

Despite repeatedly failing to answer questions posed by Daily Mail Australia, last Thursday, Mr Laxale publicly thanked prominent ABC broadcaster Sales for striving to get honest answers from high-profile figures and politicians on current affairs program, 7.30.

Jerome Laxale praised Leigh Sales (pictured on Thursday, after her last 7.30 episode went to air) for asking 'hard-hitting questions' during interviews with parliamentarians. He has failed to answer questions about the nude photo situation

'For the past 12 years shes asked the hard hitting questions in her pursuit of truth and her retirement from 7.30 is a loss to all of us,' Mr Laxale said of Leigh Sales (original post pictured)

The veteran journalist hosted the show for 12 years before she stepped down on June 30.

An hour after her final episode went to air, Mr Laxale wrote on social media: 'Leigh Sales is without a doubt a journalistic force, honest, smart and relentless.'

'For the past 12 years shes asked the hard hitting questions in her pursuit of truth and her retirement from 7.30 is a loss to all of us.

'All the best Leigh and thank you.'

Daily Mail Australia understands the investigation into what, if anything, happened to the nude photos began two weeks ago.

Mr Laxale and NSW Labor declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia, despite attempts on Tuesday.

Jerome Laxale (pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) won the Sydney seat of Bennelong during the May election

The woman alleges she met Mr Laxale at a Labor Party function in 2018, before they mutually decided to pursue their year-long 'intimate, online' relationship in October 2020 using encrypted messaging app, Signal.

Messages sent using Signal are encrypted so they can't be read by a third party. The app also has a 'self-destruct' feature, which means some messages disappear after a period of time.

The woman claims the 38-year-old asked her for the photos, however, a source close to Mr Laxale previously told Daily Mail Australia the photos were 'unsolicited' and he never had a relationship with her.

'He cut off all contact when [she sent the photos] - there was no "relationship",' the source said.

The woman also contacted Mr Laxale's partner, Jo Taranto, about the photos after the federal election.

Mr Laxale is pictured with his current girlfriend, Jo Taranto, on the night of the federal election in May

'He is devastated, Jo is devastated,' the source said.

'But he can't speak because there's an investigation underway.'

However, the 27-year-old - who said they broke up amicably in November 2021 - claims she was only blocked on social media when she asked why a Liberal Party staffer claimed to have seen her nudes during the election campaign.

She lodged a formal complaint with NSW Labor after the election, but said the party gave her the rule book so she could 'make an informed decision about how you would like your complaints to be dealt with'.

Ultimately, she said she felt as though the issue had been swept aside.

It is not suggested that Mr Laxale was romantically linked to anyone else at the time of his alleged relationship with the woman in the nude photos.

Jerome Laxale (pictured next to his new name plaque in NSW parliament) has three children with his ex-wife

Mr Laxale won the seat of Bennelong on May 21 by just 1600 votes following a 9.2 per cent swing against the Liberal Party. It was a major prize for Labor.

Mr Laxale's ex-wife Karyn, who works in public affairs and is mum to his three kids, supported his campaign ahead of the NSW state election in 2019.

She handed out flyers to businesses on the streets of the seat, but they announced their split soon after.

He is currently dating Sydney-based motivational speaker and mother-of-two, Jo Taranto, who publicly supports his campaign and stuck by him when the woman's allegations made headlines.

They are 'mum and dad' to a miniature fox-terrier named Frankie.
A woman accused of killing a man can argue at trial that she was justified because he was sexually trafficking her, Wisconsin's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a decision that could help define the limits of legal immunity for trafficking victims nationwide.

The justices ruled 4-3 that a 2008 state law that absolves trafficking victims of criminal liability for any offenses committed as a direct result of being trafficked extends to first-degree intentional homicide.

However, they said Chrystul Kizer must first provide evidence for a trial judge that her decision to kill Randall Volar, 34, was connected to being trafficked before she can invoke immunity.

'Chrystul Kizer deserves a chance to present her defense and today's decision will allow her to do that,' Kizer's attorney, Katie York, said. 'While the legal process on this matter is far from over, we, along with Chrystul and her family, believe the decision today affirms the legal rights provided by Wisconsin statute to victims of sex trafficking facing criminal charges.'

Kizer, 22, contends she met Volar on a sex-trafficking website, called Backpage.com when she was 16-years-old. She says he sexually assaulted her and sold her to others for sex. According to court documents, Kizer put a gun in her bookbag in June 2018 and told her boyfriend that she was going to shoot Volar because she was tired of him touching her.

She traveled from Milwaukee to Volar's home in Kenosha, shot him in the head, burned down his house and stole his BMW, according to court documents. Kizer was 17 at the time, old enough to be considered an adult in Wisconsin's criminal justice system. She faces multiple charges, including arson and first-degree intentional homicide, which carries a mandatory life sentence.

The victim maintains that on the day of the murder, she was allegedly drugged and nearly raped. She added that she did not go to Volar's house armed with the intent to kill him.

Wisconsin's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Chystrul Kizer (pictured in 2020), 22, who is an alleged sex trafficking victim accused of homicide, can argue at trial that she was justified in killing the man who trafficked her when she was 17-years-old. The ruling could help define the extent of immunity for trafficking victims nationwide in the future

Kizer faces multiple charges, including arson and first-degree intentional homicide, which carries a mandatory life sentence, for the murder of Randall Volar III (pictured). In February 2018, Volar was arrested on charges of child enticement, using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and second-degree sexual assault of a child

Volar's charred home (pictured) in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was killed. Court documents say Kizer traveled roughly 40-miles from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Volar's home in Kenosha and shot him in the head, before burning down his house and stealing his BMW

Nearly 40 states have passed laws that give trafficking victims at least some level of criminal immunity, according to Legal Action of Wisconsin, which provides legal help for low-income people.

Kizer's attorneys had planned to invoke Wisconsin's immunity law at her trial, but Kenosha County Circuit Judge David Wilk refused to allow it. He ruled that immunity extends only to trafficking-related charges such as restraining someone, extortion, prostitution or slave labor. An appellate court ruled last year, however, that Kizer could argue that the law shields her from prosecution.

State attorneys asked the high court to reverse that decision, maintaining that the immunity statutes can't possibly extend to homicide.

Assistant Attorney General Timothy Barber argued in March that Kize's interpretation would create an unprecedented expansion of the self-defense doctrine, eliminating any questions about whether killing someone was reasonable or necessary.

The court found that the extent of trafficking victims' immunity is ambiguous but doesn't include any limiting language and therefore applies to homicide. If Kizer can show a connection between her actions and being trafficked, prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defense doesn't apply, the court said.

'The defendant must produce some evidence on which a reasonable jury could find that the defense applies,' Justice Rebecca Dallet, a liberal, wrote for the majority. 'Thus our interpretation does not create the kind of blanket immunity for victims of human trafficking that the State fears.'

Kizer (left) was 17 years old in June 2018 when she admittedly shot Volar III (right),set his house on fire and stole his car. If she can show a connection between her actions and her claims of being trafficked, then prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defense doesn't apply, the Wisconsin Supreme Court said

Kizer's mother, Devore Taylor, 36, is shocked and upset while reading an 88 page legal document containing the search warrant of Valor's house and police investigation file on his sex crimes in 2020

Kizer first met Volar through Backpage.com when she was 16. She has maintained that she killed Volar in self defense after he drugged her and tried to have sex with her

Kenosha police had been investigating Volar at the time of his death for child trafficking and possession of child pornography.

In February 2018, Volar was arrested on charges of child enticement, using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and second-degree sexual assault of a child.

Photo and video evidence found at his home indicated that Kizer was one of his victims among others. Volar was inexplicably released from jail the day after his arrest, without bail, and remained free until his death.

Meanwhile Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said Wednesday's decision 'brings needed clarity regarding the scope of the affirmative defense for survivors of the vile crime of human trafficking.'

The Wisconsin Supreme Court decision isn't binding on other states but could inform attorney strategies in similar cases elsewhere in the country, legal experts say.

Anti-violence groups lined up to support Kizer, filing briefs saying that trafficking victims often feel so trapped they believe they have to take matters into their own hands.

In June 2020, Kizer was released from the Kenosha County Jail after several adocacy groups rooting for her joined forces and together helped raise her $400,000 bail.

If convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, Kizer faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison, but a judge could set a parole eligibility date.

Advocates who are part of the Free Chystul Kizer group have welcomed the court's ruling and have been pushing for the charges to be dropped against Kizer for the last five years

In June 2020, Kizer, who was 19-years-old at the time, was freed from a Wisconsin jail after community groups helped raise her $400,000 bail

Ian Henderson, policy and systems director for the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, one of the groups that signed onto the briefs, praised the court's decision.

He said trafficking victims often react out of a flight-or-fight mentality and the ruling 'avoids them being criminalized for defending themselves.'

DailyMail.com does not typically identify people claiming to be victims of sexual assault, but Kizer discussed her case in an interview with The Washington Post last year.

No trial date has been set for the case, as of Thursday evening.
A charity worker who had to crawl out of his wrecked truck after he was nearly killed in a horrifying bridge crash has opened up about his terrifying ordeal.

Rick Jackson was driving the St Vincent de Paul truck about 10.35am on Tuesday when the Ford Falcon XR6 sedan rampaged across Melbourne's West Gate Bridge.

The high-speed crash turned his vehicle into a hunk of twisted metal and injured four people, with one of the silver Falcon's passengers fighting for life.

Mr Jackson, aged in his 50s, and his passenger James Du, 22, were rushed to hospital after the truck rolled four times, but only suffered minor injuries.

The high-speed crash turned this Vinnies truck into a hunk of twisted metal and injured four people, with one of the Falcon's passengers fighting for life

Police said the car's driver, 21, was in a stable condition and his passenger was critical after being thrown out of the car.

Three others in the car were arrested for being in a car with false number plates but released soon after.

Mr Jackson said the crash was 'the scariest thing that ever happened to me' and he was just happy to be alive.

'The truck only had 70,000km on the clock and [was] two years old. It's scrap metal now,' he said.

'We're all ok.'

The charity workers had to crawl out of the wreck with the help of horrified motorists who stopped to help while traffic was at a standstill for hours.

The charity truck rolled four times before coming to a stop on its side. The workers inside crawled out with the help of other motorists who stopped to help

Mr Du said the crash was like something out of the movies and he was just grateful to be in one piece.

'Not too many people can say they've been in a car that has rolled over a few times and just walked away with nothing but some scratches,' he told Seven News.

'While the truck was rolling I covered up... and tucked my neck in to make sure that my head wasnt flinging around.'

Witnesses reported seeing a silver Ford 'driving like a madman' just before the serious crash which left bodies 'sprawled across the road'.

Brad Jackson, another motorist on the bridge, said the Falcon barely missed smashing into him.

'They nearly killed me moments earlier. If they'd hit me in the van I'd be dead,' he said.

'I was a bit shaken up. Definitely come home and hugged my loved ones.'

Footage posted online shows paramedics working to treat the victims as distressed witnesses gathered around speak to police.

Four people have been injured and one was thrown from their car after a horror crash on a major Melbourne highway involving a Vinnies truck and a sedan

Witnesses have recalled the horror that unfolded on the bridge after a 'madman' speeding in a sedan collided with a truck

One motorist told 3AW he was travelling outbound when a silver car sped past him 'like a bullet'.

'It was like watching a video game,' the caller, Harry, said.

'He was driving like a madman. I thought to myself, he wont make it to the other side of the bridge.'

Harry said the same car was involved in the crash with the Vinnies truck.

Fred said he saw the crash site as he crossed the Westgate heading towards the city.

'All the lanes are blocked. I don't think anyone is getting through,' he said.

'There is a Ford that looks like it has been t-boned and knocked around. It is actually facing the wrong direction.

'There are three or four people lying in one of the lanes being attended by drivers who have stopped or were driving in front of them.'

A Vinnies truck laid on its side blocking multiple lanes of traffic on Melbourne's West Gate Bridge

Fred said members of the public appeared to have rushed to their aid because emergency vehicles were struggling to get to the scene.

'The ambulance and the police just can't get through because the roads are entirely blocked,' he told the program.

One woman who arrived at the scene just moments after the crash told Daily Mail Australia she saw paramedics working on one injured person on the ground.

'There were about fifty cars from police, ambulance and firefighters,' she said.

The truck rolled onto its side and is blocking four lanes of traffic outbound from the city's CBD.

Helicopter footage appeared to show at least three men being taken away in handcuffs after the collision.

Traffic was banked up for several kilometres in the wake of the crash, above

Police were seen handcuffing several men on the bridge after the crash

'Three other males aged in their 20s who were in the car were arrested at the scene after the vehicle was suspected of being stolen as it was displaying false registration plates,' Victoria Police said.

'They have since been released pending further enquiries.'

The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined and the investigation is ongoing.

Police urged any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage that may have been in the area at the time of the collision to come forward.
The former Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 and then became the only officer in a Pennsylvania town has stepped down following a community backlash.

Timothy Loehmann was sworn in Tuesday as the lone police officer in Tioga - a community of about 600 in rural north-central Pennsylvania, 300 miles from Cleveland.

But he left the $18-per-hour position without having worked a single shift, according to borough council President Steve Hazlett.

Tioga Boro Police Department swore in Timothy Loehmann (pictured in a suit) on Tuesday evening at a council meeting. But left the $18-per-hour position without having worked a single shift, according to borough council President Steve Hazlett

He was sworn in by Mayor David Wilcox (left), who has said he won't put Loehmann on patrol until the matter is cleared. Wilcox claimed he had 'no idea' about Loehmann's past. 'Everything came back clear that he didn't have any bad remarks on his record at all. That's the way it was presented to the rest of council and myself,' he said

Loehmann shot and killed Tamir Rice, 12, (pictured) in November 2014 after police were called to a recreational area about a kid playing with a toy gun

'The community spoke. They got their feelings out, and we listened to them and we're going to react to it and that will be that,' he said in a phone interview.

'We thank the community for stepping forward and letting their voices be heard.'

Messages seeking comment were left at phone numbers associated with Loehmann.

Tamir, who was black, was playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center in Cleveland on November 22, 2014, when he was shot and killed by Loehmann seconds after Loehmann and his partner arrived.

The initial complaint came from someone who told the dispatcher the gun was 'probably fake' and the gun ultimately turned out to be a non-lethal pellet gun.

The officers, who are white, told investigators Loehmann had shouted three times at Tamir to raise his hands.

The shooting sparked community protests about police treatment of black people, especially after a grand jury decided not to indict Loehmann or his partner.

Cleveland settled a lawsuit over Tamir's death for $6million, and the city ultimately fired Loehmann for having lied on his application to become a police officer.

Loehmann has since made multiple attempts to find work in law enforcement. He landed a part-time position with a police department in the southeast Ohio village of Bellaire in October 2018 but withdrew his application days later after Tamir's mother, Samaria, and others criticized the hiring.

The circumstances of Loehmann's arrival in Tioga began to emerge Thursday.

At first, Hazlett, the council president, declined to say whether Loehmann told council about the Tamir Rice case when he applied, or whether council knew of his background when voting to hire him.

But in a later interview, Hazlett told The Associated Press that 'Tim held nothing back' in his application.

'He was upfront with everything. That's all I can say,' Hazlett said.

Tioga Boro residents and neighbors are now taking to the streets (pictured) to protest the new officer. Protesters can be seen holding signs that read: 'Black Lives Matter in Rural PA' and pictures of Tamir's face on it

Many residents believe Loehmann should 'never work as a police officer again'

He was shot and killed at the Cudell Commons (pictured in 2014)

Several people gathered in what appeared to be a small parking area, waving signs at passing cars.

Residents joining in the protest said they were shocked a decision had been made to hire him.

They marched holding signs emblazoned with Tamir's face.

A council subcommittee reviewed Loehmann's application and interviewed him, then made a favorable recommendation to the full council, according to Hazlett.

He said the full council was not privy to Loehmann's application file. Hazlett, who said he took part in the subcommittee review, declined to say why he supported Loehmann's hiring.

Mayor David Wilcox called for the resignations of Hazlett and two other council members he said knew about Loehmann's background, declaring in a Facebook post Thursday: 'You should be ashamed of yourselves.'

The mayor told Cleveland.com he 'was under the impression that there was a thorough background check into him, that he didn't have any issues.'

A group of protestors march on Huron Road on December 29, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. Demonstrators took to the street the day after a grand jury declined to indict Cleveland Police officer Timothy Loehmann for the fatal shooting of Tamir Rice on November 22, 2014

Loehmann was hired on a 90-day probation with the intention that he'd be promoted to chief.

Wilcox has said he was not involved in the hiring process.

Word that Loehmann had been hired by Tioga drew protesters to the borough building on Wednesday night and brought condemnation from Tamir's family.

'While it's all well and good that Loehmann will not be inflicting a reign of terror with a badge and a gun upon Tioga Borough residents and visitors, borough officials must be held accountable for their demonstrably, atrociously poor judgment and ineptitude,' Subodh Chandra, an attorney for the family, said in a statement Thursday.

'This game of whack-a-mole with Loehmann shamelessly and repeatedly resurfacing as a cop elsewhere needs to end,' he said.

The council will meet next week to take action on Loehmann's withdrawn application and consider the next steps, according to Hazlett. He said Tioga still hopes to hire a police officer.
US regulators are investigating the death of a woman who was struck by a Tesla driver, 39, who was reportedly high on drugs and driving on Autopilot when the car went airborne and hit her.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) cited the California incident in an emailed update on Thursday but did not identify the specific crash.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on June 7 that a Tesla went airborne and struck and killed a woman. NBC 7 San Diego said a 39-year-old man was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs in the incident.

The case is believed to have involved Frank Shoaf, who was high from huffing - inhaling household items - while driving on Othello Avenue around 8.30am. He admitted to police that he had run the red light, hit a dip, which caused him to go airborne two feet, before he hit Cassandra May, 40.

The NHTSA would not confirm the specific crash to DailyMail.com on Friday, as it does not 'comment on open investigations.'

After Shoaf struck her, her body reportedly was lunched seven to eight feet in the air before landing 25 feet away. Her was transported to the hospital, where she later died.

As his car continued forward, it crashed into a no parking sign and landed in a bush outside of a local KFC with one of its tires missing.

US regulators are investigating the death of a woman who was struck by a Tesla driver, 39, who was reportedly high on drugs and driving on Autopilot when the car went airborne and hit her (pictured: A California Tesla crash, where the vehicle went airborne)

He hit a road sign, lost a tired, and hit a push outside of KFC drive-thru

Although the NHTSA did not name the specific crash, it is believed to have involved Frank Shoaf, (picture) who struck and killed Cassandra May, 40, in June after he was high from huffing - inhaling household items

He reportedly even asked for 'another hit' on the scene, while paramedics were 'massaging the victim's heart,' prosecutors said in court in June. He also failed his drug test in court a few days later and admitted to huffing.

Shoaf also reportedly worked as Uber driver and has no prior criminal history.

The NHTSA had previously opened 35 special crash investigations involving Tesla vehicles in which advanced driver assistance systems like Autopilot were suspected of being used since 2016.

The NHTSA typically opens more than 100 special crash investigations annually into emerging technologies and other potential auto safety issues that have, for instance, previously helped to develop safety rules on air bags.

A total of 15 crash deaths have been reported in those Tesla investigations, including the most recent incident.

Elon Musk's company has been in a series of probes from regulators due to its Autopilot feature (pictured: Musk at the 2022 Met Gala)

Tesla, which has disbanded its press office, did not respond to a request for comment.

Separately, the NHTSA told Reuters it was aware of 'and in discussions with Tesla' regarding a Florida crash on Wednesday that killed a 66-year-old Tesla driver and a 67-year-old passenger.

A 2015 Tesla rear-ended a tractor-trailer in the Gainesville area at a rest area off Interstate 75, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a police report. Both people in the Tesla were pronounced dead at the scene.

In June, the NHTSA upgraded its defect probe into 830,000 Tesla (TSLA.O) vehicles with Autopilot, a required step before it could seek a recall.

The NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation to assess the performance of the system in 765,000 vehicles after about a dozen crashes in which Tesla vehicles struck stopped emergency vehicles - and said last month it had identified six additional crashes.

The NHTSA Administrator Steven Cliff told Reuters on Wednesday he wanted to complete the Tesla Autopilot investigation 'as quickly as we possibly can, but I also want to get it right. There's a lot of information that we need to comb through.'

Over the last ten moths, 273 out of 392 total incidents and accident that were caused by driver-assistance technology were reported by Teslas, nearly 70 percent. Honda comes second with 90 incidents, while Subaru trails behind with 10 and other European, American and Asian automakers have fewer than five

Nearly 400 car crashes in the US within a ten-month period were caused by self-driving or driver assistance technology, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report found.

Teslas were involved in the vast majority of those crashes, 273 out of 392, which occurred between July 1, 2021, and May 15 this year and resulted in six deaths and five serious injuries.

Worldwide automobile companies made the disclosures to the NHTSA after the regulator issued an order in June 2021 requiring automakers and tech companies to immediately report all crashes involving advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and vehicles equipped with automated driving systems being tested on public roads.

Of the remaining amount of crashes involving ADAS technology reported by a dozen automakers, 90 of them involved Hondas and 10 were Subrarus. Ford Motor, General Motors (GM), BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai and Porsche reported fewer than five incidents each.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday authorized state forces to apprehend and transport migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border, claiming the enforcement powers of federal agents and pushing the legal boundaries of the Republican's escalating efforts to curb the rising number of crossings.

'This is actually a response to the overwhelming number of people who are coming across the border,' Abbott, a Republican, told FOX Business Networks Larry Kudlow.

He also ramped up his criticism of President Joe Biden's handling of the border.

'It was only a year-and-a-half ago that we had the lowest border crossings in decades under President Trump. And now, under President Biden, we have the highest border crossings ever,' he said.

The federal government is responsible for enforcement of immigration laws, but for more than a year Texas has patrolled the border with an increasingly heavier hand.

Migrants are apprehended by US Border Patrol and National Guard troops in Eagle Pass, Texas, near the border with Mexico

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday authorized state forces to apprehend and transport migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border

Abbott stopped short of authorizing Texas troopers and National Guard members - who he has already deployed to the border by the thousands - to take migrants across the ports of entry and into Mexico.

That disappointed former Trump administration officials who for months have pressured Abbott to declare an 'invasion' and order state forces to forcibly take migrants out of the country.

But the action is still a significant and untested expansion of the normal powers of the National Guard and state police, who until now have turned migrants over to Border Patrol agents, and in some cases, made arrests on state trespassing charges. It raises questions over the training they have to detain and transport migrants and is likely to invite legal challenges.

Crossings are at or near the highest in about two decades. On the Texas border, U.S. authorities stopped migrants from crossing illegally 523,000 times between January and May, up from 417,000 over the same span a year ago.

Abbott has blamed the Biden administration and spent more than $3 billion in state funds on a massive border security apparatus. But the state operation has not stemmed the flow of migrants.

'What Texas is doing, we have taken unprecedented action to respond to this, including building a border wall, deploying the military, laying down military-grade razor wire, and now doing the unprecedented. And that is Texas law enforcement and National Guard, anybody they apprehend coming across the border illegally, they will be returning to the border,' Abbott told FOX Business Network.

Officials with U.S. Custom and Border Protection did not immediately return request for comment.

Migrant crossings hit a record high again in May

Gov. Abbott has ordered state officials to get involved in migrant crisis

The announcement comes two days after former Trump administration officials and sheriffs in several South Texas called on Abbott to declare that that the state is being invaded and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war.

Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures.

The idea has existed on the right fringes of the GOP for years but has gained traction among conservatives since Biden took office.

The Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials, has been driving the effort and criticized Abbott's order since it does not call for expelling migrants.

'That is critical. Otherwise this is still catch and release,' the group said in a statement.

U.S. border authorities are stopping migrants more often on the southern border than at any time in at least two decades. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago.

Comparisons to pre-pandemic levels are complicated because migrants expelled under a public health authority known as Title 42 face no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. Authorities say 25% of encounters in May were with people who had been stopped at least once in the previous year.
The plane had to dodge traffic and cars going in both directions on the highway

He was checking out a purchased property near Fontana Lake with his father-in-law at the time of the incident

The emergency landing was tied to engine failure, pilot Vicent Fraser said

Two people were on board the plane at the time, with no injuries reported

The single-engine aircraft descended on U.S. Route 19 in Swain County on July 3

A camera attached to a small plane in North Carolina shows the dramatic moment when its pilot is forced to make an emergency landing on an interstate highway over July 4th weekend.

The single-engine aircraft  believed to be an Aero Commander 100  descended on U.S. Route 19, near a bridge in Swain County on July 3 at around 11:45 a.m, the local county's sheriff office reported.

No injuries were reported, according to local outlets.

The plane's pilot said the emergency landing was tied to engine failure and that his father-in-law was in the aircraft at the time, when they were viewing a purchased property near Fontana Lake.

'I started going through my checklist and I was able to get the aircraft to restart and kind of fly a little bit, but she would only fly for 3 to 5 seconds, and then she would come back down and start to sink again,' pilot Vincent Fraser told WMYA.

A single-engine aircraft was recorded by an onboard camera making an emergency landing on US-19 in Swain County, North Carolina on June 3, at around 11:45 after an engine failure. Two people were on board although no injuries were reported

The monoplane had to dodge highway traffic and avoid cars going in both directions to ensure a safe landing

Pilot Vincent Fraser (pictured), of Florida, said he was checking out a purchased property with his father- in-law near Fontana Lake at the time of the scary incident

Video shows the monoplane steadily coming down on the highway, as Fraser looked for a small gap between cars in order to avoid causing a dangerous accident.

The main road ended up being his best landing option to, considering it was the only piece of flat land in an otherwise mountainous area.

'By the grace of God, I looked to my left, and you couldn't see it before because, you know, it's just all valleys and mountains, but there's a road -- that road that I landed on just right there, perfectly lined up,' Fraser told WMYA.

The emergency landing (pictured on Sunday) was first reported as a plane crash to authorities

The scary experience came nearly a year after the Florida-native received his private pilot license in October. Fraser also has fewer than 100 hours of flight experience.

At the time of the emergency landing, authorities said they initially received 911 calls from motorists reporting a plane crash.

'The call came in as a plane crash, so we're just very thankful that it wasn't, cause the circumstances would've been very different,' Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran told The Smoky Mountains Times.

He added that the 'pilot set the plane down in oncoming traffic just over the power lines and there was one car coming.'

Twitters users reacted in disbelief to shared footage of the small plane's emergency landing

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is currently investigating the incident, the officer concluded.

Footage of the emergency landing on Twitter has more than 1,000 likes, with some users barely believing what happened.

'Just trying to imagine what it would be like to be driving along minding my own business and all of a sudden a plane lands in my lane in front of me,' one user wrote.

Another shared: 'Holly Hell. Can you imagine being a driver?'

'Jeeeeeez, they BARELY missed the power lines at the end,' one Twitter user reacted.
Shocking footage has been released by Illinois State Police of the moment an officer in a patrol car was surrounded by a mob and his vehicle came under attack.

The violence happened in the early hours of July 3 at the intersection of Division Street at Elston Avenue in just north of Chicago's downtown.

A trooper was driving southbound on I-90 near Division Street at about 2am and noticed that traffic on an exit ramp had completely stopped.

Upon driving over to investigate, a mob of mostly angry young men appeared out of nowhere as they sprinted towards the officer's vehicle.

An Illinois State Trooper came under attack from a mob of about 150 people Sunday

The mob quickly swarmed the trooper's patrol vehicle jumping on the hood, throwing rocks, bricks and fireworks

'Chicago, we got a mob,' the officer can be heard relaying over the radio. 'They just jumped on my car.'

Dashcam video shows many of the vandals had their cellphones out as they filmed the drama for themselves.

The first attacker can be seen running towards the car and jumping onto the hood and then the roof.

Suddenly the windshield of the car was shattered by a brick.

Many of those involved took our their cellphones and filmed their actions

Others quickly swarm the car, including one young man wearing a 'FET'S LUCK' T-shirt.

Others quickly swarm the car, including one young man wearing a 'FET'S LUCK' T-shirt.

Several attackers jump onto the hood as they stomp and kick the vehicle.

'Ahh! They just broke my window. They just broke by window.' the officer states, all the while remaining calm.

The officer can be heard requesting backup as he proceeds to back up but the menacing mob continues to jump and kick the vehicle while throwing bricks and rocks.

Loud bangs can then be heard together with a series of flashes as fireworks are launched at the car with some landing directly on the vehicle.

The officer estimates the group to consist of around 150 people, many of whom continue to follow the officer as he reverses back down the road.

The menacing mob marched ever-closer towards the trooper's patrol vehicle some some wearing face masks in an attempt to disguise themselves

Windshield of the patrol car was smashed after bricks and rocks were thrown

'There's probably 150 of them coming at me right now,' the trooper says. 'Holy s***.'

The trooper was eventually able to pull his vehicle back and away from the mob.

Police did not say whether the trooper suffered any injuries in the incident.

'This type of dangerous behavior puts the general public at risk and will not be tolerated,' the Illinois State Police said in a statement. 'ISP is fully investigating the incident, including deploying crime scene evidence technicians.'

The attack on the police cars came just hours before a gunman armed with a high-powered rifle shot dead seven people at a parade to mark July 4th Independence Day, in a wealthy suburb of Chicago suburb.

Robert Crimo, 21, appeared in Lake County court on Wednesday, after being charged with seven counts of first-degree murder. He is expected to face a slew of other charges and is being held without bail.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart told the court that Crimo carried out a 'calculated and premeditated attack'. He said Crimo confessed to standing on a roof above the parade route and took aim at people standing across the street, reloading his Smith & Wesson AR-15 rifle three times.

State police are now looking for tips on the mob incident, asking people with information to call 847-294-4400.

Law enforcement search after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade in downtown Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago, on Monday, July 4

People visit a memorial for those injured and killed in Monday's Fourth of July mass shooting, in Highland Park, Illinois
A New York judge has refused a request from the accused Buffalo gunman's legal team for a year to prepare a psychiatric evaluation, after they asked for more time to analyze his diary and assess his mental state.

Payton Gendron, 19, is accused of murdering 10 black people in a supermarket on May 14, having driven three hours from his home in Conklin to a city with a large black community.

Conklin's African American population is only around 6.5 percent, while Buffalo's is 35 percent - almost three times the U.S. average.

Shortly before the attack he posted documents that outlined his white supremacist views and revealed he had been planning the attack for months.

On Thursday, Gendron appeared in Erie County Court in Buffalo, where his court-appointed lawyer Brian Parker requested more time.

Judge Susan Eagan declined the request, but did grant a 90-day extension for them to collect evidence.

Gendron will be back in court on October 6.

Payton Gendron, 19, appeared in court in Buffalo on Thursday. His lawyers requested an additional year to prepare, but were only granted 90 days

Pictured: Gendron in court on May 19 where he was indicted on 10 counts of first-degree murder and domestic terrorism

Buffalo police are seen outside Tops supermarket on May 14

Gendron said in his writings that he targeted the Tops supermarket because many black people shopped there

In his first appearance in a Buffalo federal court, on June 16, Gendron said he was unemployed, only had $16 in his bank account and asked for legal assistance.

The teenager, who is accused of live-streaming the massacre, pleaded not guilty to 25 charges.

He is the first person in the state to be charged with first-degree terrorism motivated by hate.

He is also charged by the state with 10 counts of murder in the first degree, 10 counts of murder as a hate crime in the second degree, three counts of attempted murder in the second degree, and criminal possession of a weapon.

Gendron also faces 26 federal counts of hate crimes and a firearms offense.

Gendron could face the death penalty if convicted on the federal charges, even though New York state abolished the death penalty in 2004.

Judge Kenneth Schroeder in June urged prosecutors to make up their minds quickly about whether to pursue the death penalty for the suspect, saying such proceedings would cost additional taxpayer funds.

'The possibility of a death penalty obviously has a greater burden in the defense of the defendant,' Schroeder said.

Prosecutors said a decision on the sentence sought for Gendron will be made after a thorough evaluation of the case.

Merrick Garland, the U.S. Attorney General, will make the ultimate decision whether to execute Gendron, if convicted.

Joe Biden ran for office on a promise to work to abolish the federal death penalty, and his top prosecutor issued a moratorium on federal executions pending a review of the process.

Attorney General Merrick Garland visits the Tops Friendly Market grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., on June 15 - the site of a May 14 mass shooting

Garland met with relatives of the victims last month, and has not yet ruled out the death penalty.

'In the days and weeks since the attack we have all witnessed the strength of this community's bonds its resilience and love. I am humbled to have just felt that first hand in my discussion with the families,' Garland said, WGRZ-TV reported.

'Hate-fueled acts of violence terrorize not only the individuals who are all attacked but entire communities. Hate brings immediate devastation and it inflicts lasting fear.'

He added: 'At the Justice Department we view confronting hate crimes as both our legal and moral obligation.

'The Justice Department was founded more than 150 years ago with the first principal task of protecting black Americans and our democracy from white supremacist's violence. Today, we approach that task with the same degree of urgency as we did then.'

Garland told the community: 'We will be relentless in our efforts to combat hate crimes to support the communities terrorized by them, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them.

'No one in this country should have to live in fear that when they go to work or shop at a grocery store and will be attacked by someone who hates them because of the color of their skin.'

Ten people (pictured) were killed in the shooting at the Buffalo supermarket

Left: Gendron is arrested outside the Tops supermarket in Buffalo on May 14. Right: People comfort each other outside the Tops supermarket after the mass shooting

The nation's top prosecutor spoke of Gendron's charges and detailed the affidavit in support of the complaint.

He referenced quotes from the defendant, stating his goal was to 'kill as many blacks as possible.'

Garland said the shooter prepared for months to carry out the attack and selected the target in this zip code because it has the highest percentage of black people closest to where he lives, according to the affidavit.

Garland alleged that he selected the Tops supermarket because black people shop there.

He detailed how Gendron traveled to Tops on multiple occasions to count the number of black people present and observe the presence of black security guards.

The affidavit also notes that he drew a map of the inside of the supermarket for the best plan of attack that would garner the highest chance of success.

Garland said Gendron chronicled his plan on his Discord messaging account in the months leading up to attack, writing about his acquisition of firearms.

The affidavit alleges that on the day of the May 14 shooting, Gendron fired off 60 gunshots, and repeatedly targeted and shot and killed black people.

'At one point he aimed his rifle at a white Tops employee instead of shooting the white employee the gunman apologized to him before continuing his attack,' Garland said.
Cat owners who allow their feline friends to roam the streets have been put on notice as a local council rolls out a 24-7 curfew that includes tough fines.

Bass Coast Shire Council in Victoria's south-east has implemented a 24-7 cat containment order, which means cats must stay on their own property at all times.

It's part of a desperate move to protect local wildlife, including the region's world famous penguins at Phillip Island.

Owners who don't keep their cats contained will be fined $180 under the curfew, which has been welcomed by the local community.

Cats don't need to be permanently locked up indoors but must be confined to their own yard if outdoors.

The council will launch an education campaign to help cat owners and their beloved pets adjust to the strict rules before the ban comes into effect July 1 next year.

Bass Coast Shire Council has adopted a 24-7 curfew to prevent cats from roaming the streets

'This order is being put in place to protect cats, as well as our local wildlife, and to reduce the issues that straying pets can cause in the community,' Bass Coast mayor Michael Whelan said.

'During the 2020-21 period, 155 cats were found roaming and ended up at Council's pound. These are the fortunate ones; many are killed and some become feral and do untold damage to our native fauna.'

Council chief executive Ali Wastie added: 'We have penguins and an abundance of native wildlife. The only way to keep our wildlife safe is to have these cats contained.'

Wildlife conservationists have embraced the curfew to stop cat predators killing thousands of native species each year.

It will also protect penguins on Phillip Island, one of Australia's most widely known tourist attractions.

'Each year when we're undertaking cat trapping on Crown land, we're on average catching 40 to 70 cats,' Phillip Island Nature Park conservation manager Jessica McKelson told the ABC.

'We're trying to protect our key areas where we know our penguins and our shearwaters and other key coastal birds live in.'

Ecologist Dr Jim Radford told Seven News: 'The average pet cat wandering unrestrained 24-7 kills around 115 native animals per year.'

The cat curfew aims to protect wildlife, including Phillip Island's famous penguins (pictured)

The curfew has prompted overwhelming support from Bass Shire locals.

'This should have been in place a long time ago. Not to be awful re cats as I love all animals, it's also to protect the cats,' one woman commented online.

Another local added: 'Well done Bass Council for this cat control initiative. You are a fantastic role model for other Councils to follow across Australia.'

But not everyone agreed.

'24/7 I don't agree, a bit ridiculous,' one cat lover commented.

Another added: 'The tourists would kill more wildlife, typical selfish cat haters.'

Cats must stay on their own properties 24-7 under the curfew implemented by Bass Council

Similar bans are already enforced by several Melbourne councils, including Knox, Manningham and the Yarra Ranges, amid calls for cat curfews to be rolled out nationwide.

Perth's City of Bayswater Council is currently consulting the community over a proposal to ban cats from 42 natural areas.

Cat owners would face a $250 fine and could have their cat seized or impounded if their moggy is found in a prohibited zone under the proposed laws.

They would face the same penalty if their cat is found in a public place and not under effective control.
A heavy-set conspiracy theorist in his 60s had to be rescued after setting out on a blistering hike to investigate the heat-exhaustion deaths of a California family.

The unidentified busybody, from Michigan, was picked up with the help of a rescue helicopter along the Hites Cove trail in Mariposa County on June 29.

He'd decided to probe the August 2020 deaths of British Snap engineer Jonathan Gerrish, his wife Ellen Chung and their daughter Aurelia 'Miji' Chung-Gerrish along the same hiking trail.

He did so despite Mariposa County Sheriff's Office concluding that the family had died of heat exhaustion - hyperthermia - in October last year.

The tourist was described as being in his mid-60s and approximately 5' 6" and 200 pounds.

He wore sweat pants for the hike - which he attempted on one of the hottest days of the year - and soon exhausted his two gallon drum of water.

Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese, pictured, was unimpressed with the antics of a Michigan conspiracy theorist, who had to be rescued while investigating the hot weather deaths of a family who died on a California hiking trail in August 2020

Mariposa County Sheriff's Office shared this Facebook update condemning the man's behavior

Jonathan Gerrish, 45, his wife Ellen Chung, 31, their one-year-old daughter Aurelia 'Miju' Chung-Gerrish, and their dog Oski were found dead on a hiking trail near the Merced River last August

On being saved, the man moaned at rescuers, and demanded to know the algae levels of a river he'd drunk water from.

Poison algae was touted as a possible cause of the California family's death before the actual cause was revealed. Their initially-mysterious deaths triggered widespread theories about how they'd died, with the Michigan visitor apparently dissatisfied with the mundane reason why.

He left the area on his own, against the advice of first responders who nursed him back to health, police said Saturday in a statement.

A frustrated Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese revealed the tourist, who was not identified, had tried to conduct his own investigation into the tragedy last month, after finding the cause of death provided by lawmen to be 'odd.'

The lawmen said that the man - described as being in his mid-60s and approximately 5' 6" and 200 pounds - soon found himself lost and without water after wandering into a closed-off section of the mountain range.

Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese, pictured, revealed Saturday that a tourist investigating the circumstances surrounding the family's death had to be rescued from a trail near where the family disappeared

Briese wrote the tourist had been wearing sweatpants 'on some of the hottest days we have seen this year' after being tracked down by officers on June 29, and that he had 'tried multiple times to call 911, but the calls would not go through.'

The man had been missing for just under 24 hours, Briese said, adding the day before the tourist had come across another hiker.

He told the hiker that he was not a local, and was in town to 'investigate' the deaths of Gerrish and his family, which he deemed as 'odd.'

After parting ways with the hiker, the man began his own trek, starting by wandering into an area with a closed gate and marked with a 'CLOSED' sign, Briese said.

He soon exhausted his water supply, however, and was forced to spend the night at the bottom of Hites Cove Road trail, after failing to find his way to the Savage Lundy portion - where the family was found 1.6 miles from their parked truck.

The next morning, a hiker whom had spoken to the tourist spotted his rented vehicle still parked at the trail head - set in the middle of the sprawling Sierra National Forest - and contacted The Mariposa Police Department.

Search and Rescue officials from the force were promptly dispatched, Briese said. aided from the air by an Eagle One Helicopter from the nearby Fresno County Sheriffs Office.

Last fall, investigators concluded that the family died of extreme heat stroke. Temperatures that afternoon reached 109F in the steep mountain terrain and the family had run out of water

The man was eventually located on the Hites Cove Road portion of the trail, police said. Rescuers noted that the tourist was extremely dehydrated with 'badly blistered feet.'

Briese added that the man complained to investigators during the rescue, saying he was forced to drink water from a nearby river after exhausting his own supply.

After rescuers found him, the man demanded to know if there had been algae testing on the water, Briese said.

'The missing man, from Michigan, began his hike in an area marked with a closed gate and a CLOSED sign,' the sheriff wrote in a scathing post to the department's Facebook profile Saturday, warning of the dangers of the forest during the summer.

'While he was happy to be rescued however, he immediately started to complain that he was forced to spend the night at the bottom of Hites Cove trail because he was unable to find the trail that leads to the Savage Lundy portion,' Briese wrote.

The remote canyon area northeast of the town of Mariposa, Calif., that is reported to be the area where a family and their dog were found dead

Pictured is the 'rugged terrain' where the family was found

Gerrish, 45, and his wife, died during a grueling summer hike on the same trail, situated near Northern California's Merced River, nearly a year ago in August

'He tried multiple times to call 911, but the calls would not go through. He did have two one-gallon water containers with him and was concerned that he was forced to drink water he obtained from the river area and wanted to know if there had been updated algae testing.'

He added that the man was treated for dehydration and the blisters on his feet, before leaving the area in his rental car without receiving further medical attention - against the advice of deputies, Briese said.

'It is hard not to be angry about this particular rescue mission, I want people to come here and enjoy all the amazing nature Mariposa County has to offer,' Briese said.

'To have someone purposely put themselves in danger, using vital resources and potentially putting the safety of our staff in danger all to try and prove us wrong is maddening and quite frankly sickening,' he added.

'The forest is the forest. It can be beautiful, dangerous, awe inspiring and treacherous all at the same time. The wonders of Mother Nature must be respected, it isnt Disneyland.'

Gerrish, 45, and his wife, died during a grueling summer hike on the same trail, situated near Northern California's Merced River, nearly a year ago in August.

Their deaths baffled investigators. The case involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies that had painstakingly reviewed - and ruled out - causes such as murder, lightning strikes, poisoning from algae-tainted water, abandoned mines that might emit toxic gas, illegal drugs and suicide

The pair's one-year-old daughter, Aurelia 'Miju' Chung-Gerrish, and dog, Oski, also died on the ill-fated hike, from hyperthermia brought on by heat exhaustion.

The deaths made headlines earlier this year after it was revealed that Gerrish sent texts pleading for help - and water - as the family began to succumb to symptoms spurred by 109F temperatures seen that summer on the steep mountain trail.

The mayday fell on deaf ears however, dude to poor cellphone service in the area, a mountainous region set in the sprawling Sierra National Forest.

Their deaths baffled investigators. The case involved more than 30 law enforcement agencies that had painstakingly reviewed - and ruled out - causes such as murder, lightning strikes, poisoning from algae-tainted water, abandoned mines that might emit toxic gas, illegal drugs and suicide.

Last fall, investigators concluded that the family died of extreme heat stroke. Temperatures that afternoon reached 109F in the steep mountain terrain and the family had run out of water. A wildfire had burned off any shade canopy.

A survival trainer involved with the case wrote an email to detectives that the young couple likely died while attempting to save their infant daughter.

'Sadly, I believe they were caught off guard, and once they realized their situation, they died trying to save their child and each other,' the unidentified trainer wrote.

'It is likely the child began to succumb first, which hurried the parents' efforts up the hill. When one could no longer continue, they stayed behind to care for the child and pet, while the other tried to forge on and get help for their loved ones. It is a tragedy of the highest order.'
A persistent ABC host has grilled federal Health Minister Mark Butler about why he is not imposing mask mandates again as the number of Covid cases surge around Australia.

ABC News Breakfast presenter Michael Rowland accused Mr Butler of 'accepting' deaths by not re-introducing compulsory masks.

Mr Butler said the advice from the chief health officers is that Australia has 'moved beyond the era of very broad mask mandates and lockdowns', and that you can 'make your own choice' about wearing a mask indoors.

But Mr Rowland refused to accept that answer, claiming that studies showed mask mandates offered close to a 100 per cent success rate - despite case numbers climbing even when previous mandates were enforced during the Delta and Omicron outbreaks.

ABC News Breakfast presenter Michael Rowland grilled Health Minister Mark Butler over why he hadn't brought back mask restrictions

'We do know there are studies reflecting this, that compulsory mask mandates have close to 100% success rate,' Mr Rowland said.

'(That's) as opposed to what you're saying, just asking people to wear them. You're not worried about people not making the right decision here?'

Mr Butler fired back saying Australians, who have unrestricted access to vaccines to protect against serious illness, can 'take control of their own circumstances' in the third year of the pandemic.

Mr Rowland then brought up the more than 10,000 Australians who have died with the virus present.

'By not taking steps to minimise transmissions ... aren't we, Mark Butler, as a society, implicitly accepting that death toll?' he said. 'And are you comfortable with that?'

Mr Butler attempted to answer the question, noting the lives 'tragically' lost before he was cut off by the television host.

'As a society, do we just sit back and accept that?' Rowland interrupted.

'No, we don't sit back and accept it,' the health minister hit back.

The health minister said Australians needed to take their own responsibility and wear masks if they couldn't socially distance

Mr Butler said health authorities were ensuring people were up to date with their vaccinations.

The government is also looking to getting Australians better access to antivirals for those with severe cases of Covid.

'We need a full armoury of responses to this pandemic that just continues to go on,' Mr Butler said.

The health boss on Thursday said Australia was in the early stages of 'a building third Omicron wave' due to the spread of new variants BA.4 and BA.5.

'What is clear about BA.4 and BA.5 is that they are even more transmissible, even more infectious than the earlier sub-variants that drove the summer wave,' he said.

'Just because you had Covid earlier this year does not mean you are now not at risk of getting Covid again.'

The number of patients in intensive care across Australia who have Covid has increased from 122 to 145 over the past ten days, compared to the more than 400 there were during the Omicron peak in late January.

In the same ten-day period, the number of active cases around the country has increased by 28 per cent from 231,465 to 296,474, compared to the peak of 835,023 in January.

Inside the secret push to bring back loathed Covid rules from mandatory masks to working from home as Australia is hammered by a 'multi-demic' and ICU cases surge - and the usual suspects are behind it

Mask mandates and work from home restrictions could return as Covid spreads

Sinister warning on the spread of new Omicron variants has put nation on alert

BA4 and BA5 strains are six times more contagious than original Wuhan Covid

Now ATAGI warns of return of masks and other measures as fourth jab approved

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has renewed his power to implement restrictions

By Kevin Airs for Daily Mail Australia

Mandatory masks and stay at home orders could be back within weeks and some elective surgeries halted as Australia braces for a devastating new Covid wave which is already packing out ICU wards.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), backed by some of the architects of Australia's past lockdowns, is pushing for the return of restrictive laws to stop the new and highly contagious Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants.

Australia is already battling a potentially lethal 'multi-demic' cocktail of respiratory viruses, including the flu, RSV, para-influenza, adenovirus and HMPV, which are spreading like wildfire through a population with immune systems weakened by two years of lockdown restrictions.

The rapid spread of the multi-demic bugs is also being fuelled by cold and damp weather.

On Thursday, the Federal government signed off on a fourth Covid booster shot for anyone over 30, with those over 50 told to get jabbed urgently.

The move was recommended by ATAGI, but hidden in the small print was a recommendation for further public health measures.

Mandatory masks and working from home could be back within weeks as the nation braces for a devastating new Covid wave which is already packing out intensive care units

The move was recommended by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, but hidden in the small print was a warning of further measures

'The impact of this expanded vaccine booster recommendation alone is expected to be limited,' the ATAGI statement admitted.

'ATAGI advises other public health and social measures, in addition to vaccination, will have the greatest impact against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 surge in infections.

'This includes increased use of masks.'

Victoria has already flagged the return of Covid restrictions after Premier Dan Andrews extended the state's pandemic declaration for another three months.

'There continues to be a serious risk to public health which requires continued public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission and hospitalisation,' he warned as he confirmed the extension.

Victoria has already flagged the return of Covid restrictions after Premier Dan Andrews extended the state's pandemic declaration for another three months

The move was slammed by Victorian Liberals leader Matthew Guy who blasted the premier's 'lust for power and control'.

Mr Guy added: 'It's time to end the state of emergency.

'It's time to end mandates outside of health and aged care sector. Victorians deserve to have control of their lives handed back.

'The threat of mandates, lockdowns and restrictions remain, which overshadows efforts for us to recover...but they play second to a premier with a lust for power and control.'

New Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas admitted the decision on the return of masks and working from home was imminent.

'The pandemic declaration allows me to make that decision and I haven't yet made it,' she said on Thursday.

'The public health team are looking at modelling and they're consulting with their colleagues and various ideas are floated but no decisions have been taken.'

New Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas admitted the decision on the return of masks and working from home was imminent

Symptoms of new BA4 and BA5 subvariants Runny nose Sneezing Fatigue Sore throat Dry cough Loss of taste Loss of smell Muscle aches and pains Headache Red or irritated eyes Vomiting Diarrhoea Skin rash Discolouration of fingers or toes Advertisement

Queensland's health chief John Gerrard revealed the return of mask mandates was already under discussion among state health chiefs.

'I can say that nationally, there is increasing pressure, there is a school of thought that we should be mandating masks again,' he told 4BC radio on Saturday.

'We are continually reviewing all aspects of our pandemic response including the potential need for mask mandates in different settings.'

The virulent new strains have the highest rate of transmission of any of the major mutant variations since the disease first spread worldwide in 2020.

BA.4 and BA.5 have a basic reproduction number (R0) rate of 18.6, meaning, without any restrictions, every infected patient would likely infect 18 or 19 people.

That compares to the original 2020 Wuhan Covid strain's R0 of 3.3, Delta's 5.1 and the Omicron BA.1 strain's 9.5, which sparked the widespread outbreak that has smashed Australia since January, killing 7,000 in seven months.

The latest sub-variants are also feared to have evolved to be much more resistant to existing vaccines and acquired immunity from previous infections.

Now health chiefs are delivering grim warnings about the BA.4 and BA.5 wave about to sweep through families across the country.

On Friday, there were 3,980 people in hospitals across the country who had Covid, less than the 5,000-plus peak around Australia Day, but up 24 per cent since mid-May.

Federal health minister Mark Butler has warned of the devastating Covid wave about to hit Australia as he signed off a fourth Covid jab for anyone over 30

ELECTIVE SURGERIES AT RISK Some elective surgeries may be suspended again in Queensland as the state government pleads with residents to get their booster jabs amid a third COVID-19 wave. Just under 700 public and private hospital patients have the virus and 7.6 per cent of Queensland Health workers are off on some form of sick leave. 'I have over 2000 staff that are furloughed just because of COVID,' Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said on Thursday. Some hospitals are likely to suspend lower-category elective surgeries depending on where staffing pressures are impacting the most. 'There's no decision to have any statewide suspension. We're allowing the local hospitals to manage that based on their own demands and pressures,' Ms D'Ath said. With the current virus wave yet to hit its peak, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. 'The modelling says that we should expect that it will get worse leading up to the end of the month,' Ms D'Ath said. Her comments came as the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) expanded the criteria for who can get a second COVID-19 booster. From July 11, people over 50 will be recommended to receive a fourth vaccine dose, or second booster shot. Those between 30 and 49 will from Monday be able to have a fourth dose if they choose to do so. But there are concerns about vaccine levels for Queenslanders who are already eligible. Less than half of those who fit the existing criteria have come forward for their fourth vaccine dose, or second booster. 'The latest data shows that if you are over 65 and you have not received your fourth booster, you are four more times likely to get the new (Omicron) variants,' Ms D'Ath said. Just 63 per cent of eligible people have had their third booster, while more than 94 per cent of the eligible population have had at least one vaccination. 'There's no reason why our third dose and our fourth dose should not be at those same levels,' Ms D'Ath said. Expanding eligibility for a second booster to include healthcare workers should also be considered, the Australian Medical Association said. 'We're ... asking for ATAGI to consider healthcare workers. They are at the front line,' AMA Queensland president Maria Boulton told ABC radio on Thursday. 'We need to keep those healthcare workers at work. We need to protect them with everything we have.' The state recorded just under 6,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday and 17 more deaths. There are more than 39,800 active cases. - Australian Associated Press Advertisement

'It's becoming a very serious pressure on our health and hospital system,' said health minister Butler.

'States across the country are reporting increased numbers of cases and increased numbers of people requiring admission to hospital because of COVID.

Queensland's CHO John Gerrard revealed the return of mask mandates was already under discussion among state health chiefs

'There are now almost 4,000 hospital beds across the country filled by patients with Covid. That's an increase of almost 1,000 in just the last few weeks.

'And the number of people in intensive care units or ICUs is up 40 per cent in the past week to 10 days alone - and we're only just at the early stages.

'There's no question those numbers are going to continue to increase.'

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has begged locals to wear masks when in public to try to minimise the spread of the disease.

'We have to create an enabled environment to say that actually wearing a mask is an okay thing to do,' Dr Chant said.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has begged locals to wear masks when in public to try to minimise the spread of the disease

NSW health minister Brad Hazzard said the country needed to 'go back to the basic messages'.

He added: 'Wear a mask if you can't socially distance, definitely wash your hands, wash your hands as much as you possibly can, and stay home if you're sick.'

And Mr Butler echoed the need for the public to wear masks.

'I call on people when they're indoors, and not able to socially distance, to give very strong consideration to wearing a mask,' he said on Thursday.

'It will reduce the impact of transmission.'

But he added: 'We have passed the time of very broad-based mask mandates.'

Despite giving the green light for the fourth Covid jab, federal health minister Mark Butler admitted millions of Australians had yet to even get their third dose

Despite giving the green light for the fourth Covid jab, Mr Butler admitted millions of Australians had yet to even get their third dose.

'There are still more than five million for whom it has been more than six months since their second dose - and are eligible for a third booster dose - but have not taken it up,' he said.

'What is particularly unique and different about BA.4 and BA.5 is that they are very good at evading people's immunity.

'Just because you had Covid earlier this year does not mean you are now not at risk of getting Covid again, with this third Omicron wave.

'Being up to date with your vaccines is crucial to protecting you against the risk of severe disease and particularly the risk of hospitalisation or worse.'
Anthony Albanese insists he will travel overseas again next week for an important forum despite the trip handing his critics more opportunity to use the 'Airbus Albo' slur for spending much of his time as Prime Minister outside Australia.

The Prime Minister labelled the moniker a 'cheap shot' during a series of breakfast TV interviews on Friday, adding that the attacks won't deter him from travelling to the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji next week.

Mr Albanese was slammed by critics, including Opposition MPs Dan Tehan and Angus Taylor, after spending one third of his time overseas since becoming prime minister on May 21.

But in an awkward twist, it has been revealed that Liberal leader Peter Dutton is currently overseas himself, on annual leave in the United States with his wife Kirrily, having left their children at home.

Mr Dutton told News Corp he was planning to 'catch up' with people in Washington and attend a leadership dialogue on the foreign trip.

On morning television, Mr Albanese said he would not back down from his plan to meet Pacific leaders, given China's apparent powergrab in the region, and concerns it intended to build a military base there.

'I've got a job to do, and my job is to represent Australia.'

Anthony Albanese has shut down critics who branded him 'Airbus Albo' insisting he will travel out of the country next week

'Look, Peter Dutton when he comes back from leave should say which events I shouldn't have gone to,' Mr Albanese said

The PM separately told the Channel Nine on Friday that Mr Dutton should 'say which events I shouldn't have gone to' overseas.

'I didn't decide the election would be May 21, just a couple of days before the Quad leaders' meeting.

'Should I have not met President Biden, the Prime Minister of Japan and the Prime Minister of Japan and the Prime Minister of India?

'Should I have not gone to the NATO summit in Madrid? Should I have not repaired the relationship with France and advanced a trade deal between Australia and Europe that will create jobs and economic growth here in Australia?'

Mr Albanese flew to Japan for the Quad summit meeting just days after winning the election, and then made a two-day trip to Indonesia to meet president Joko Widodo.

He then made a nine-day trip to Europe where he was invited to the NATO summit and held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron in a bid to repair the two countries' relations. He then took a train to war-torn Ukraine to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and pledge to give the country another $100million of taxpayer-funded military equipment.

Some critics called out Mr Albanese for his overseas travel while NSW was being battered by its fourth major flood in months.

Comparisons were drawn between the overseas trip to Scott Morrison who took holidays in Hawaii at the height of the 2019 bushfire disaster.

'To compare a visit to a war zone like Ukraine with a holiday in Hawaii, I think your viewers can draw that distinction,' Mr Albanese said.

Mr Albanese then took a train to war-torn Ukraine to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and pledge another $100million to help fight Russia

The prime minister also lifted the lid on the dangers of travelling to the Ukraine and the moment he left behind his partner Jodie Haydon

Anthony Albanese blasted for trips Anthony Albanese has been dubbed 'Airbus Albo' after it was revealed the prime minister has spent a third of his time travelling overseas since he became prime minister on May 21. Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor: Mr Taylor has been critical of Mr Albanese travelling to war-torn Ukraine accusing the prime minister of abandoning NSW as it was battered by floods. 'It was flooding for 48 hours Luke and [the Prime Minister] has only just picked up the phone to Dominic Perrottet to ask if he needs a hand,' Mr Taylor told 2GB. 'There's 30,000 people who have been told to evacuate their homes but the PM is more concerned about his reputation on the global stage than making sure people in NSW have a place to sleep.' Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan Mr Tehan claimed the prime minister was too focused on international issues. 'Well, it is concerning because what he seems to be doing is focusing completely on the international front and good Prime Ministers can do both,' he told Sky News. 'They understand that ultimately the domestic front is the most important place and that is where you have to have the majority of your focus, and then you've got to be able to deal with international events. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet Mr Perrottet has defended the prime minister saying the response between the state and federal government during the NSW floods was 'pleasing'. 'From my perspective the Federal Government needs to balance international concerns and domestic concerns but as soon as he could, he picked up the phone to call me,' Mr Perrottet said during a press conference on Wednesday. Advertisement

The Prime Minister also lifted the lid on the dangers of travelling to the Ukraine and the moment he left behind his partner Jodie Haydon.

'The security conditions had been raised just that week,' he told Sunrise.

'We know that, not just then but consequentially there has been blasts very close to where we were in Kyiv.

'We visited, for example, a building two blocks away, a residential apartment block that had been blown up, two blocks from where we were.

'We went to the airport where paratroopers had taken the airport, they had landed, they got forced out, the Ukrainians blew up the runway.'

Mr Albanese previously revealed he had to be smuggled into Ukraine, along with national security protection and media, without any phones or internet devices to avoid detection.

'We didn't have any electronic equipment - no phones, no internet, no communication with the outside,' he said.

'That was a matter of keeping us safe, but also keeping safe President Zelensky and and the Ukrainian people that we were meeting.

'Because obviously there is a war going on - [but] apparently that should have just been dismissed.'

Comparisons were drawn between the Mr Albanese's trip to the Ukraine to Scott Morrison who holidayed in Hawaii at the height of the 2019 bushfire disaster. Mr Albanese has described the comparison as beyond contempt

He insisted he made contact with Premier Dominic Perrottet to discuss the NSW floods as soon as he returned from Ukraine and arrived back in Poland.

'I immediately spoke to Premier Perrottet, I spoke to [federal emergency] minister [Murray] Watt, I spoke to the acting Prime Minister Richard Marles and made sure that every support was being offered,' he said.

'We were acting. We are not a one person show.'

Mr Perrottet also leapt to the PM's defence and welcomed the new relationship between the federal and state government.

'I know in some quarters the Prime Minister has been criticised for being away,' he said.

'What I would say is from my perspective, the federal government needs to balance international concerns and domestic concerns.

'But as soon as he could, he picked up the phone to call me.'
Sunrise host Natalie Barr has reprimanded a Liberal MP during a debate about flood relief payments, telling her the memory of people rescuing themselves during the March floods was 'burnt into our memory'.

The testy moment came during a debate between the Liberal Party's new deputy leader Sussan Ley and Labor's Minister for Education Jason Clare on Friday, where the two argued about whether the Morrison or Albanese Government had responded better to floods this year.

The discussion initially focused on renewed calls to raise the capacity of Warragamba Dam to prevent future flooding in Sydney but quickly turned into a competition over which government handled flood relief better.

Scroll down for the video.

Sunrise host Natalie Burr (above) reminded Liberal MP Sussan Ley as she defended Scott Morrison's March 2022 flood response: 'It's burnt into our memory that people had to go rescue themselves'

From February 28 the small NSW town of Lismore was devastated by record-breaking floods where a 'tinny army' of locals performed majority of early flood rescues (above)

'Go back to the start of the year, we had a tinny army that rescued people,' Mr Clare said of the Morrison Government's response to the March floods.

'People had to hire their own helicopters because rescue services weren't on the way.

'We were proactive. We got helicopters ready and soldiers ready before we were even asked.'

The March flood in Lismore left 2,000 homeless and killed four people, but locals did not receive large-scale assistance until several days after the flood began

Deputy leader of the Liberal Party Sussan Ley (above) criticised the Albanese Government for taking three days to process disaster relief payments while on Sunrise on Friday morning

Ms Ley responded by claiming the Albanese Government had taken too long to organise disaster relief payments.

'On Monday I raised the issue that payments that could have been made in hours were taking days,' she said.

'The floods were on the weekend. It wasn't until Thursday that a signature on a paper was made, coincidentally when the Prime Minister came back from overseas.'

Locals in Lismore conducted a rescue mission using mostly resident-owned boats and social media to communicate addresses where people were trapped

The Morrison Government faced heavy criticism for its delayed response to the Lismore flood crisis which saw locals largely coordinate their own rescue missions

But Barr gave short shrift to Ms Ley's claim when she tersely commented on the Morrison government's response to the March floods:

'Well, it may have been a couple of days but it's burnt into our memory that people had to go rescue themselves and their communities'.

One of the most devastated towns in the March floods was Lismore in northern NSW.

Social media was flooded with desperate Lismore residents hoping to be rescued from their flooded homes as locals coordinated an emergency response

The March flood in Lismore left 2,000 residents homeless (pictured, Lismore local Darren Duff outside his flood-damaged home)

The majority of Lismore residents were rescued by local 'tinny armies' taking on floodwater in their small boats to rescue neighbours

From February 28 the small town was subject to the worst flood in living memory after the town's levee collapsed, resulting in almost $1billion worth of damage.

The majority of the town's initial flood rescue team was made up of residents in small boats and local police and SES teams.

The lack of large-scale response saw desperate people take to social media to plead for help.

Residents banded together to create spread sheets of addresses where residents needed rescuing, including people trapped in wheelchairs and in need of oxygen masks, and used their own limited resources to save as many people as possible.

From February 28 the small town was subject to the worst flood in living memory after the town's levee collapsed, resulting in almost $1billion worth of damage

The March flood in Lismore destroyed 1,399 homes and left 2,000 residents homeless

A team of residents took their frustration to Kirribilli House in Sydney where they dumped trucks of flood waste on the front lawn and held protest signs (above)

The flood in Lismore destroyed 1,399 homes, left 2,000 people homeless and killed four Lismore locals.

Angry flood victims slammed the response of the then-prime minister Scott Morrison's to the disaster as being too slow in both rescue and clean-up efforts.

Mr Morrison visited the destroyed town on March 9, more than two weeks after the flood started, but did not allow cameras to document his meetings with locals.

The Morrison Government was widely criticised for its response to the Lismore floods which saw locals largely coordinate their own rescue and clean-up efforts

The devastating flood left 2,000 Lismore residents, created almost $1billion worth of damages, and killed four people

Only the PM's official photographer was able to snap the visits, drawing jokes that the PM didn't want a repeat of his disastrous trip to visit bushfire victims in early 2020 following his infamous holiday to Hawaii.

A team of residents took their frustration to the prime minister's Sydney residence of Kirribilli House in Sydney on March 21.

The Lismore locals, who drove 700km, dumped trucks of flood waste on the front lawn and held signs reading: 'Morrison your climate mega flood destroyed our homes' and 'funding fossil fuels = climate disasters.'
All travellers returning to Australia from Bali must be tested for the highly contagious foot and mouth disease to avoid economic devastation, farmers have warned.

National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson says current government guidance which instructs Australian customs staff to ask people to declare any contact with farm animals in Bali doesn't go far enough.

Instead, she is calling for special biosecurity screenings for everyone coming back from the holiday spot. She also claimed that an outbreak would be a 'disaster for everyone' and would wipe out up to $80 billion from the economy.

'Every person should be at least questioned by a biosecurity officer, if not subject to an inspection,' Simson told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

Indonesia, which was free of the disease from 1986 until May, confirmed this week that it has spread to Bali with more then 230,000 cases detected across the country.

There are now fears the disease could be transported back to Australia by tourists who have been flocking to Bali since the end of coronavirus restrictions.

Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture said it had been detected in more than 60 cows across three locations in Bali, putting Australian authorities on high alert

National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson is calling for special biosecurity screenings for everyone coming back from Bali

Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture said it had been detected in more than 60 cows across three locations in Bali, putting Australian authorities on high alert.

Australia's last recorded case of FMD was in 1872, and recent modelling conducted by the Federal Government's commodity forecaster ABARES revealed an outbreak would cause revenue losses of $80billion over 10 years.

The disease is not a risk to human health but people can carry it on their shoes, clothes or in their noses  where it can survive for up to 24 hours. Flights from Denpasar to Darwin are only 2.5 hours long.

Humans can also transmit the disease to livestock, leading to fears of an export ban if the disease takes root.

It would likely take several years for trade to be reopened.

Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said on Wednesday extra biosecurity staff would board planes to warn people to declare any contact with farm animals in Bali and to conduct passenger checks at airports, as well as public awareness campaigns.

'The Albanese government is very serious about keeping this devastating disease out of Australia,' Watt said.

'Measures had already been strengthened in response to the [foot and mouth] outbreak in Indonesia, and have been ramped up further following official confirmation from Indonesian authorities that FMD had spread to Bali.'

Australian Livestock Exporters Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said tourism was too important to Indonesia to be cut off.

'We've got to remember this isn't all about us. Our nearest neighbour and friend in Indonesia is dealing with an outbreak that is impacting their food security and livelihoods,' he said.

'We should be assisting as much as possible with vaccines and technical support for biosecurity control.'

Foot and mouth could be transported back to Australia by tourists who have been flocking to Bali since the end of coronavirus restrictions

Bali-based veterinarian Dr Ross Ainsworth previously said travellers should be forced to declare whether they had visited a farm, and said airports should implement mandatory shoe disinfection.

Dr Ainsworth, with 40 years experience in the Australian beef industry, believes the risk of local introduction is becoming very high.

'The big danger period in Bali is from now until the herd is fully vaccinated - until there's livestock vaccinated across Indonesia we're at a much higher risk,' Dr Ainsworth told the ABC.

Dr Ainsworth said the magnitude of the risk warranted the immediate introduction of biosecurity measures upon all people travelling from Indonesia.

'Until Bali is fully protected by vaccination of its cattle and pig populations, an increase in the attention paid to tourists returning to Australia, especially their footwear, seems to be warranted,' he said.

'Additional requirements such as ensuring shoes are clean and walking through a wet sponge infused with disinfectant before boarding and after leaving the flight would seem to be simple and sensible measures which might help to address the new level of risk.'

FMD affects cloven-hoofed species including sheep, goats, buffalo, camels and deer.

Livestock exhibiting symptoms should be reported to the national Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.
A former councillor has been found dead in his office days after telling NSW's anti-corruption watchdog he regretted not reporting one of his colleagues who accepted $10000 from developers.

Clifton Wong, who served as a councillor on Hurstville City Council from 1999 to 2012, was found by emergency services in a Sydney inner-west office complex, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The time of death is thought to be about was about 1.20pm on Wednesday

Clifton Wong, 62, was found dead in his office after giving testimony about alleged corruption at Sydney's Hurstville Council

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances in the 62-year-old man's death.

Wong was appearing before a probe into former Hurstville and Georges River councillors Con Hindi and Vince Badalati, and former Hurstville councillor Philip Sansom and their dealings with developers.

Wong had been named as a person of interest along with Mr Hindi, Mr Badalati and Mr Sansom when the inquiry commenced in November but was no longer considered one when he took the stand.

Wong told the Independent Commission Against Corruption on June 28 he witnessed a developer hand then-deputy mayor Mr Hindi mayor $10,000 to help with a potential development.

In his testimony Wong said the money was from developers Wensheng Liu and Philip Uy to favour their bid to buy a council-owned car park.

Wong expressed remorse when asked on Monday why he hadn't said anything at the time.

Vince Badalati is one of three former councillors

'I panicked and I was shocked and honestly I, well, as I said, you know, I didn't know how to respond,' he said.

'I wish I had reported it back then, but I didn't, and now I regret [it].

'This sort of thing, I know very well that it is not only immoral, it is illegal.'

Andrew Su, a friend of Wong's, said he was 'shocked and saddened' to hear of his passing.

'Clifton and I had many conversations about both the mundane and the controversial,' Mr Su posted on social media

'We worked together on many a campaign and he was a tireless worker for his community and was one of the few members of the Unity Party that was successful enough to serve his community in an official capacity as a councillor on Hurstville council.

'My condolences to his family. Rest in Peace'

ICAC commissioner Stephen Rushton, SC, made a statement from the bench during Friday's public hearing.

'We are shocked and saddened by the news regarding the death of Clifton Wong, who was a witness in the current public inquiry,' Mr Rushton said.

'Our thoughts are with Mr Wong's family, and we extend to them our deepest sympathy for what has occurred.'

For confidential 24-hour support call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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Boris Johnson was pictured 'laughing and joking' last night as he canoodled with a group of elites on a Whitehall terrace just hours after he announced his resignation.

The disgraced PM was seen hobnobbing with several colleagues and officials, giving out hugs and cracking jokes as the group drowned their collective sorrows on a balcony behind Dover House.

The atmosphere was light and jovial, according to witnesses, with the gathering quickly gathering pace as the evening drew on.

'It definitely wasn't commiserations... they were in good spirits,' said one eyewitness who spotted the party while attending a military band concert held on Horse Guards Parade a stone's throw away from Dover House and Downing Street.

'Boris gave someone a hug. It looked like a ''bad day at the office, let's have a drink and cheer up''. They were laughing and chatting on the balcony.

'It started just after 7pm... when Boris went inside the party seemed to be in full swing.'

Meanwhile less than half a mile away, several of the cabinet ministers and government officials whose resignations and criticism hastened the PM's downfall enjoyed some schmoozing of their own at The Spectator's summer party.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak and his successor Nadhim Zahawi - who accepted the position on Wednesday then publicly told the PM to resign less than 24 hours later - were among those pictured in attendance at the lavish press bash on Old Queen Street, a mere 500 yards away from the PM's gathering.

Former housing and communities secretary Michael Gove, who was promptly sacked upon calling for the Prime Minister's resignation, and former health secretary Matt Hancock also rocked up to the party whose guest list also included top political journalist Laura Kuenssberg and chairman of The Spectator Andrew Neil.

It comes as Tory MPs begin vying for Boris' premiership in what is set to be a bitter shootout for the right to succeed the outgoing PM.

Boris Johnson was pictured 'laughing and joking' last night as he canoodled with a group of elites on a Whitehall terrace just hours after he announced his resignation

Meanwhile less than half a mile away, several of the cabinet ministers and government officials whose resignations and criticism hastened the PM's downfall enjoyed some schmoozing of their own at The Spectator's summer party (Rishi Sunak pictured with Spectator chairman Andrew Neil)

Newly-appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, arrives at The Spectator's summer party on Old Queen Street

Former health secretary Matt Hancock (centre) is pictured at the lavish press bash alongside BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg (right)

Former housing and communities secretary Michael Gove, who was sacked by Boris Johnson less than 24 hours before the Prime Minister resigned, also attended the press bash

Former housing and communities secretary Michael Gove, who was sacked by Boris Johnson less than 24 hours before the Prime Minister resigned, attended the Spectator press bash

Newly appointed secretary of state for Wales Robert Buckland is seen at the Spectator party yesterday

TV personality Georgia Toffolo is seen exiting the Spectator party

Prime Minister Boris Johnson reads a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London, formally resigning as Conservative Party leader after ministers and MPs made clear his position was untenable

The jovial atmosphere displayed by Johnson and co. on the Dover House terrace last night does not reflect the mood which hung in the air in Downing Street hours earlier.

Johnson's team were said to be in tears as the Prime Minister finally conceded he had run out of options, while the Conservative leader himself was said to have been 'sanguine' rather than angry upon realising they had 'tried everything' around 8.30am yesterday morning.

He announced his resignation from the post yesterday afternoon before adding he would stay on in a caretaker role until a new leader is appointed - though it is believed some mutinous MPs want him gone as soon as possible.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who yesterday was joint favorite with Rishi Sunak to succeed Johnson as the new PM, has reportedly ruled out running, as has Michael Gove, who was sacked by the PM last night and branded a traitor for urging him to go.

Senior Tories are now gearing up to launch leadership bids, and Nadhim Zahawi, who went from being the PM's new Chancellor and savior to his assassin in the space of a day, is rumoured to have been planning his for months with the help of Johnson's election guru Sir Lynton Crosby.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the hallway of No10 on Thursday before delivering his statement resigning as the leader of the Conservative Party

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, watched by wife Carrie Johnson (centre holding daughter Romy), delivers his resignation speech outside 10 Downing Street, London

Carrie Johnson, the wife of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, cradles their daughter Romy as she listens to her husband resign his post as PM

A snap YouGov poll taken last night revealed that Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is the clear favourite among Conservative Party members to replace Johnson - but he has not yet said whether he intends to run.

'He's still the Prime Minister', Wallace reminded reporters yesterday, adding that once Johnson has left 'I will be happy to talk'.

Former soldier and Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat meanwhile is understood to have taken an early lead in the leadership race with more than 20 backers.

He announced in a Telegraph column that he would be running for leadership, writing: 'I have served before - in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as Prime Minister. It's time for a clean start. It's time for renewal.'

Sunak, whose shock resignation on Tuesday came just nine minutes after that of former health secretary Sajid Javid and plunged Johnson's government further into crisis, already has a temporary campaign office set up in a hotel close to Parliament, according to the Mirror.

Foreign secretary Liz Truss is yet to declare - but she has long been suspected of harbouring leadership ambitions, posing for photos that recall Margaret Thatcher as well as echoing her passion for freedom and low taxes.

She has also been hosting 'Fizz with Liz' drinks in order to boost her support among fellow Tory MPs.

Liz Truss (left at G20 foreign ministers' summit) will pitch herself as the female Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership race  a candidate who can win seats both in the South and the Red Wall

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (pictured) has not ruled himself out of the race for Tory leadership after Johnson resigned yesterday

Amid chaos at home, Ms Truss flew to Indonesia yesterday for a meeting of G20 foreign ministers, leaving her an 18 hour flight away in Bali today.

But it is understood she cut short her attendance at the meeting to fly back to London to canvass for a bid to succeed Boris Johnson.

The minister, who is finalising plans for her campaign, will argue she can keep together the coalition of voters who backed Johnson at the 2019 general election when he won a thumping majority.

A close ally told The Daily Mail last night: 'She is popular in both the Red Wall and the Lib Dem-facing marginals we need to keep hold of.'

In a swipe at former chancellor Sunak who raised national insurance, Truss will declare that she is a 'low-tax' Tory who will 'get the economy moving again'.

The ally added: 'She is vastly experienced and knows how to drive difficult policy through Whitehall... She is tough and delivers and gets things done.'
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Questions about how Boris Johnson and Carrie would pay for a lavish wedding party at Chequers quickly circulated in Westminster yesterday after it emerged the Prime Minister 'wants to cling onto power long enough to host a belated bash at his official residence' later this month.

The Johnsons have reportedly planned a big party at the grace-and-favour country home to mark their marriage at the end of July.

However, The Telegraph reported that one Tory MP said: 'It will take the PM over a year to save up for the wedding.'

Boris yesterday announced his decision to step down amid a sea of ministerial resignations off the back of several scandals, but said he intends to stay on as caretaker leader until a suitable replacement is found, meaning he will likely still be PM by the time the party rolls around.

Carrie, who entered No. 10 as Boris' girlfriend and leaves as his wife and the mother of two of his children, smiled encouragingly as the Prime Minister announced he was stepping down, admitting: 'No one is indispensable'.

During his speech, Boris acknowledged the sacrifices made by his wife and family, saying: 'I want to thank Carrie and my children and all my family, who have put up with so much for so long.'

The couple tied the knot in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in front of just a handful of guests in May 2021.

But their plan to use a grace-and-favour country home to host their delayed wedding party even as Johnson prepares to depart Downing Street has further angered already disgruntled Conservatives.

One Tory source told The Mirror: 'It beggars belief that even after all the criticism Johnson has faced regarding integrity and probity, one of the reasons he is staying is to have his wedding party at Chequers.

'It's a national asset not his personal home. The Johnsons should do the decent thing and find a different venue.'

A second source said: 'It's crass if it goes ahead.'

The pair also have some work cut out for them when it comes to the guest list for their lavish do.

Their save-the-date cards went out last year, but given that a host of Boris' Conservative MPs have called for his resignation in recent weeks and declared they do not have faith in his ability to lead the nation, several invitees may soon find out their presence at the wedding bash is no longer desired.

A Downing Street source said: 'The party is still going ahead, but the guestlist will be a headache.

'Boris and Carrie sent the 'save the date' cards last year but obviously recent developments mean a few of the people they sent them to would not now be as welcome as they once were.'

Carrie Johnson carried seven-month-old daughter Romy as she watched husband Boris Johnson deliver his resignation speech outside Downing Street yesterday. Pictured, Boris ally Nadine Dorries (right) cooed over his baby girl

At one point Carrie leaned down to give her seven-month-old daughter a kiss on the head as she gazed up at her mother

Mrs Johnson, a former Conservative Party communications chief, re-wore a 325 red L.K. Bennett for the occasion and held her daughter Romy in a baby carrier

The couple tied the knot in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in front of just a handful of guests in May 2021 but according to sources have planned a second event at Chequers at the end of July

No10 had appealed for Conservative MPs to come and watch the speech in the street, but there was only a small crowd of people present, pictured. Mrs Johnson, pictured in red, watched alongside Johnson ally Nadine Dorries (pictured in white)

In a statement in Downing Street, the PM tried to sound an upbeat tone as he confirmed that his time in office is coming to an end. Mr Johnson was watched by his wife Carrie (left) and their daughter Romy

Supportive Carrie was front and centre as Boris delivered his speech yesterday, admitting: 'No one is indispensable'

How Boris and Carrie planned to build a 150,000 treehouse for Wilf and hoped to host summer BBQs at Chequers - which they 'use more than recent PMs' DESPITE 'falling out with staff' Chequers, bequeathed to the nation in 1917 by Lord and Lady Lee of Fareham, is part-funded with a grant from the Cabinet Office Chequers, bequeathed to the nation in 1917 by Lord and Lady Lee of Fareham, is part-funded with a grant from the Cabinet Office. Lord and Lady Lee wanted the 16th century, 1,000-acre estate to be a 'place of rest and recreation for Prime Ministers' to help them cope with the pressures of government. The grant was around 690,000 a year under Mr Cameron, but has now risen to 916,000 under Mr Johnson. One source previously acknowledged that the Johnsons 'use Chequers more' than recent PMs, and the costs are higher as a result. In May, it was claimed the head housekeeper at the PM's Chequers residence quit after clashing with Carrie. Charlotte Vine MBE reportedly left with a payoff in 2020 after signing a non-disclosure agreement. According to the Times, the departure came after tensions with the premier's wife. However, a spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson insisted that there was no dispute. Ms Vine is said to have first worked at the 16th-century Buckinghamshire manor house in 2004. She left to join the household at another ministerial residence, Dorneywood, before returning to the top job at Chequers. The Times said Ms Vine faced disciplinary action over 'inappropriate handling of a personal item' belonging to Mr Johnson, but this was later dropped and she left with a pay-off in January 2020. A source told the newspaper that the friction with Mrs Johnson began soon after they began using the residence. 'Carrie took something Charlotte said completely the wrong way. It started over a catering matter. It led to Carrie refusing to go to Chequers when Charlotte was there.' A spokeswoman for the PM's wife told MailOnline: 'It is untrue to suggest there was a personal dispute between Mrs Johnson and the head housekeeper. 'Nor was there any request from Mrs Johnson for staffing changes.' There are also claims that there has been a reduction in the number of staff introduced by David Cameron during the coalition's austerity drive. Four more workers are said to have been added since Mr Johnson became PM. Meanwhile it also emerged last month that emerged Mr Johnson planned a 150,000 treehouse in the grounds of Chequers for his two-year-old son Wilf but abandoned the idea after police raised security concerns. The Prime Minister and his wife Carrie Johnson wanted to build the structure, which included bulletproof glass, in 2020. According to The Times, there were discussions about having Tory donor Lord Brownlow pay for the project. Asked if a penny of taxpayer or donor money was spent on plans to build a Chequers treehouse, the PM said: 'I'm not going to comment on non-existent objects or non-existent jobs to do with my family.' Meanwhile insiders told only last month how Mr Johnson planned to host a series of 'barbecues and drinks' at Chequers for party loyalists to shore up support this summer. Several barbecues were lined up at the Prime Minister's grace-and-favour residence as a reward for loyal supporters. Insiders said the invitation list has been drawn up specifically to include MPs who publicly said they would vote for the Prime Minister in a confidence vote. Mr Johnson's 'summer sausage offensive' was planned as several events in the second half of July, insiders said. Advertisement

Mrs Johnson, a former Conservative Party communications chief, re-wore a 325 red L.K. Bennett dress for the occasion today and held her daughter Romy in a 95 BabyBjorn baby carrier. She finished her outfit with 90 red slingbacks from Dune.

It marks the first time Romy's face has been seen. The couple have previously only shared photos of their daughter, who was born in December, taken from behind, and Boris is known to be private with his family.

Yesterday, Romy was wearing a a pair of bright bird-printed trousers and had a bright yellow bow pinned to her brown curly hair.

At one point Carrie leaned down to plant a kiss on her daughter's head and smiled as the little girl took in the sights and sounds of the busy scene.

The hands-on mother, who last month brought her daughter along to the G7 summit, looked relaxed despite the gravity of the situation. The couple also share a son Wilfred, two, but he was not present.

Boris Johnson finally announced his resignation yesterday admitting 'no-one is indispensable' - but is lining up a 'unity Cabinet' as he battles to stay in Downing Street for months longer.

The Prime Minister tried to sound an upbeat tone as he confirmed that his time in office is coming to an end.

Standing in front of the traditional podium and watched by wife Carrie, baby Romy and close aides, Mr Johnson pointed to his achievements since winning the huge landslide - such as the vaccine rollout, Brexit and coming to the aid of Ukraine.

Wife Carrie joined Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries (pictured in white) in leading the applause as Mr Johnson arrived

Seven-month-old Romy, pictured, was on her best behaviour throughout the speech but Carrie clutched a dummy just in case

Mrs Johnson, 34, who entered No. 10 as Boris' girlfriend and leaves as his wife and the mother of two of his children, smiled encouragingly as the Prime Minister announced he was stepping down, admitting: 'No one is indispensable'

Smiling Carrie Johnson, 34, gazed at little Romy as she held her daughter in a grey baby carrier outside No. 10

Romy was wearing a a pair of bright bird-printed trousers and had a bright yellow bow pinned to her brown curly hair

British Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries held Romy's hand and gazed at the baby as the crowd waited for Mr Johnson

Hands-on mother Carrie covered baby Romy's ears as she made her way through the crowd outside No. 10 on Thursday

Mrs Johnson smiled as she took her place at the front of the crowd that had gathered to watch the Prime Minister resign

The Prime Minister's wife stood out from the crowd in a vibrant red dress as Johnson loyalists turned out for the speech

Mother-of-two Carrie, who also has son Wilfred, placed a protective hand over her daughter's head during the event

The politician's wife brought a splash of colour to proceedings in her bright red L.K. Bennett frock, which she wore last year

He said his message to voters who delivered his 2019 landslide was 'thank you for that incredible mandate', adding the 'reason I have fought so hard' was because he felt it was his 'job' to deliver what he promised.

'I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world, but them's the breaks,' he said.

Mr Johnson blamed 'powerful herd instinct' for his ousting, saying: 'At Westminster the herd instinct is powerful, when the herd moves, it moves.

'And my friends in politics, no one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.'

Mr Johnson paid tribute to his family for 'all they have put up with', in a nod to the succession of scandals that have blighted his premiership.

'Our future is golden,' he finished.

Mrs Johnson smiled at her baby daughter as she joined the Johnson loyalist watching the resignation speech outside No. 10

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries cooed over the youngest member of the Johnson brood before the Prime Minister arrived

Mrs Johnson kept any concern from her face and smiled as she watched her husband step down in a dramatic move

The concerned mother kept her hands placed firmly over baby Romy's ears as she made her way through the crowd

Mr Johnson was joined by loyalists as he delivered his resignation speech at Downing Street. Carrie was front and centre

Can the PM REALLY hang on in No10 until October? The UK famously does not have a written constitution. But the process for changing Prime Ministers has been well established for centuries. Both David Cameron and Theresa May followed the standard route of resigning as Tory leader, but staying on as PM until a replacement is chosen. That can take months, as the party's MPs first whittle down the field to two candidates in a series of votes. They are then meant to be put to the wider Conservative membership in a run-off - although in the case of Mrs May her opponent Andrea Leadsom pulled out avoiding the need for the last stage. As soon as a new Tory leader is in place they will be the person who commands a majority in the Commons, and then the Queen can make them PM. In contrast, if Mr Johnson decided to quit as PM immediately, the hierarchy within government would kick in. Dominic Raab would be the next in line to take the helm in No10, again until the Tory leadership contest is complete. However, the mechanism for preventing a determined Mr Johnson from hanging on as PM during a Tory contest is less obvious. Senior Tories serving on the 1922 committee executive say there are no provisions in the rules for imposing a temporary leader while a permanent one is chosen. They believe that anyone who did serve as a caretaker PM would have to stay out of the leadership race, to avoid having an 'unfair advantage'. However, the 1922 executive is meeting again this afternoon and rules can be changed. After the events of recent days, there is deep anxiety about leaving Mr Johnson in place for another two months - especially with rumours swirling that he still wants to pursue radical new policies. Advertisement

No10 had appealed for Conservative MPs to come and watch the speech in the street, but there only seemed to be a small crowd present.

Mr Johnson admitted defeat in the wake of a shattering intervention from Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed on Tuesday night following Rishi Sunak's departure. He told Mr Johnson that his situation is 'not sustainable'.

A No10 source said Mr Johnson has spoken to Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady and agreed to stand down, with a new Tory leader set to be in place by the party conference in October.

A spokeswoman said the PM will 'make a statement to the country', which is due around 1pm.

However, at the same time Mr Johnson has set about rebuilding his Cabinet, making Greg Clark the new Levelling Up Secretary and James Cleverly the Education Secretary. Robert Buckland is returning as Welsh Secretary, and Shailesh Vara takes over as Northern Ireland Secretary.

Kit Malthouse becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Mr Clark was in the Cabinet under Theresa May but stepped down when Mr Johnson took over, and Mr Buckland was axed as Justice Secretary in a reshuffle last year. Mr Vara was previously a Northern Ireland minister but has been out of government.

The others are long-standing allies promoted from other jobs.

The PM's resignation announcement will effectively fire the starting gun on what looks set to be a chaotic leadership battle. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss - expected to be a candidate - is cutting short a visit to Indonesia to return to the UK.

However, it is far from clear that Mr Johnson staying on until October - more than two months - will be acceptable to Tory MPs. More than 50 government members have resigned, and there will be questions over whether they can simply be reappointed, or would even agree to that. There are rumours that Mr Johnson still wants to push key policies such as tax cuts.

Keir Starmer threatened to call a Parliamentary confidence vote and try to force a general election if Mr Johnson does not leave immediately.

'He needs to go completely. None of this nonsense about clinging on for a few months,' he said.

George Freeman, who announced he was resigning as science minister this morning, said Mr Johnson must apologise to the Queen and advise her to call for a caretaker PM.

'Boris Johnson needs to hand in the seals of office, apologise to Her Majesty and advise her to call for a caretaker prime minister,' he said. 'To take over today so that ministers can get back to work and we can choose a new Conservative leader to try and repair the damage and rebuild trust.'

A former minister told MailOnline: 'We need to be rid of the Johnson poison as quickly as possible.'

Mr Johnson said his message to voters who delivered his 2019 landslide was 'thank you for that incredible mandate', adding the 'reason I have fought so hard' was because he felt it was his 'job' to deliver what he promised

Mr Johnson emerged from Downing Street at 12.30pm to deliver his momentous statement to the country

Carrie Johnson was just feet away as her husband announced he was stepping down following a dramatic 48 hours in politics

Mother-of-two Carrie shielded Romy as she made her way back inside No. 10 following the resignation speech yesterday

Mr Johnson, who says he intends to serve until a new Prime Minister is chosen this autumn, leaves the podium after resigning

What next for Carrie Johnson? As Boris quits, how his third wife has gone from the first Downing Street girlfriend to a mother-of-two with serious influence and style credentials - so, could a political career be on the cards?

Boris Johnson has announced that he will finally quit after a slew of high profile resignations and damning statements from even his most loyal allies brought his premiership to its knees.

The resignation will impact not only his life but the life of his family, most notably his third wife Carrie Johnson, 34, who made history when she became the first girlfriend of a Prime Minister to officially live in Downing Street.

Carrie, a former Conservative Party communications chief, was simply 'Miss Symonds' when she and Boris first shacked up together in 2019.

What's next for Carrie Johnson? Boris Johnson has announced that he will finally quit yesterday. The resignation will impact not only his life but the life of his family, most notably his wife Carrie Johnson, 34, who made history when she became the first girlfriend of a Prime Minister to officially live in Downing Street. Pictured, the couple at the G7 last month

Early days: Carrie, then Miss Symonds, was pictured alongside Boris Johnson's family as he arrived at Downing Street following the leadership election in July 2019. The couple have since welcomed two children together, Wilfred, now two, and seven-month- daughter Romy

Fashionista: The conservationist, who has been accused of being at the centre of drama at No. 10, has also made headlines with her sustainable wardrobe, often choosing to rent dresses for even the most high profile engagements. Pictured, in a rented dress in Rwanda last month

The couple have since welcomed two children together, Wilfred, now two, and daughter Romy, who was born in December last year.

The Johnson children have been raised in No. 11 Downing Street, traditionally the Chancellor's grace-and-favour flat but one that was commandeered by the Prime Minister because it offered his young family more space.

Mrs Johnson - she and Boris wed in a low-key wedding in May 2020 - has embraced the role of 'first lady', joining Mr Johnson at international summits and campaigning for causes close to her heart.

The conservationist, who has been accused of being at the centre of drama at No. 10, has also made headlines with her sustainable wardrobe, often choosing to rent dresses for even the most high profile engagements.

But what next for Carrie Johnson? Here, a look back at her time at No. 10 - and what the future might hold...

A CAREER IN POLITICS

Time for her own political career: Mrs Johnson has put herself front and centre in many of Mr Johnson's most high profile engagements, including the recent G7 summit where she rubbed shoulders with President Biden. It is possible she might pursue her own political career

From by his side... to centre stage? The public relations expert had been in the Westminster Bubble for most of her remarkably ascendant career, a high-point being when she was made head of party PR aged just 29. Pictured, Boris and Carrie at the Tory party conference in 2019

Speaking out: Carrie delivered a speech at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester last year

Mrs Johnson, a former Conservative Party communications chief, found herself making headlines when she was romantically linked to Mr Johnson in 2019, just months after the announcement of his separation from second wife Marina Wheeler.

The public relations expert had been in the so-called Westminster Bubble for most of her remarkably ascendant career, a high-point being when she was made head of party PR aged just 29.

Carrie joined the Tory party media machine in 2009, first as a press adviser, then head of broadcast at Conservative campaign headquarters ahead of the 2015 general election.

Her association with Mr Johnson dates back to the early years, having worked on his successful re-election bid at City Hall in 2012.

During her husband's years in office she remained an influential figure.

Carrie, once described as the 'most powerful woman in Britain', and was at one point branded Boris' de facto chief of staff.

Miss Symonds's 'unelected and unaccountable' role in Government is 'damaging to democracy,' Nic Conner, who worked with Miss Symonds on the Brexit campaign, said in February 2021.

He told the Daily Mail that he has no grudge against the former director of Tory communications and was not being sexist, but is concerned she is acting unconstitutionally as friends are hired and rivals fired inside No 10.

Mr Conner said: 'In light of my experience working with Carrie Symonds, I am deeply concerned that she should have any role in governing the country without authority or accountability.

'Anyone holding so much unelected power, and who cannot be removed, is not only unconstitutional but is damaging to British democracy.'

Mr Conner's comments came after the conservative think tank, the Bow Group  of which he is a research fellow  called for an independent inquiry into the role of Mrs Johnson within government.

Bow Group chairman Ben Harris-Quinney added: 'No romantic partner of the PM has ever involved themselves to this degree. It's completely unjustifiable in a modern democracy, and calling me or the Bow Group sexist doesn't change that.'

The most prominent casualty of Miss Symond's alleged influence was Mr Johnson's right-hand man Dominic Cummings, who left in November 2020 after clashing with her.

Mr Cummings's ally, communications chief Lee Cain, soon followed him out of the door amid claims that Mirs Johnson was calling the PM 20 times a day, and had been nicknamed 'Princess Nut Nut' by her detractors.

A spokesman for Mrs Johnson declined to comment on the allegations against her at the time they were originally published in the Daily Mail.

Carrie was also reportedly behind Sajid Javid's appointment as Health Secretary. Cummings spoke out to claim Mrs Johnson, who was once a special adviser to Mr Javid during his tenure as Communities Secretary, engineered the move.

The PM's wife is even said to have had a hand in policy. Boris has championed the UK becoming Net Zero in terms of emissions by 2050, under a swing to green advocacy said to have been driven by his wife.

Carrie, who has put on chummy displays with everyone from Joe Biden to Brigitte Macron, might well want to put her experience at the very heart of British politics to use by pursuing a career in her own right.

It is difficult to imagining this happening any time soon, but Mrs Johnson has proved herself a force to be reckoned with and should definitely not be counted out.

A FORAY INTO FASHION

Fashion maven: Dressed in pink from head-to-toe, Carrie Johnson, 34, steps off a plane in Rwanda with her husband, Boris Johnson. Her double-breasted blazer (79.99), and matching trousers (49.99) are from high-street store Zara

Sustainable dressing: Carrie Johnson has showcased her style prowess once again when stepping out at day four of Royal Ascot today in a rented Emilia Wickstead dress

Re-wearing favourite pieces: Mrs Johnson, 34, sported a recycled 85 fuschia dress from & Other Stories, a John Lewis hat and Michael Kors shoes for Trooping the Colour over the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend. She first wore the outfit in 2019

Sustainable wedding day: Carrie favours online rental service My Wardrobe HQ. It was through the website that she hired her wedding dress, a creation by Greek designer Christos Costarellos which bought new would cost 2,830, but she borrowed for 45 a day

Carrie Johnson has championed a more 'sustainable' approach to fashion during her years in Downing Street, stepping out in rented dresses and pieces from independent British labels.

The 34-year-old, who is a fan of printed midi dresses and chic power suits, even remained true to this low impact approach to fashion at major global events like the G7 summit where she has worn rented pieces from the likes of The Vampire's Wife and Amanda Wakeley.

On other occasions she has re-worn pieces from her wardrobe, like the 85 fuschia dress from & Other Stories which she teamed with a John Lewis hat and Michael Kors shoes for the Platinum Jubilee.

Carrie favours online rental service My Wardrobe HQ. It was through the website that she hired her wedding dress, a creation by Greek designer Christos Costarellos which bought new would cost 2,830, but she borrowed for 45 a day.

Given her evident love of fashion, it is possible Carrie might consider exploring it as a post-Downing Street career.

She could turn to fellow former PM's wife Samantha Cameron for advice.

Sam Cam, who served as Creative Director at British accessories brand Smythson of Bond Street, from 1997 until May 2010, launched her own clothing label, Cefinn, after she and husband David left No. 10.

RAISING TWO CHILDREN

Mummy's little girl! Proud mother Carrie Johnson shared a behind-the-scenes snap of her six-month-old daughter Romy at the G7 summit, a week after the family joined the Prime Minister in Rwanda

Looking out on the world: Carrie posted a second snap showing little Romy playing on a swing set in the countryside

Romy's world tour! It came after Mrs Johnson shared a photograph of Romy in Rwanda, where they joined Mr Johnson on a three-day visit to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)

On the world stage: Boris and Carrie's son Wilfred, now two, played an important role in last year's G7 summit - helping to break the ice as his parents welcomed the Bidens to Cornwall

Charming the First Lady: Mr and Mrs Johnson invited the President and the First Lady to meet their boy on the beach and later released a number of carefully selected photographs from the encounter

Fortunately for Carrie and Boris, the move out of No. 11 is unlikely to cause any major disruption for their two young children, who are too young to attend nursery.

It remains to be seen where the couple will set up home as a family once they move out of Downing Street but Boris and Carrie own a 1.3million house in Camberwell.

Or it is possible they could choose to leave London for more space in the country.

Wilf  or Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson in full  was named after Mr and Mrs Johnson's grandfathers and partly in tribute to two doctors, Nick Hart and Nick Price, who helped save Mr Johnson's life when he was in hospital with Covid in 2020.

The two-year-old, who has inherited his father's mop of blonde hair, is said to loves cars and animals, especially the family's Jack Russell-cross Dilyn.

He has already enjoyed a glittering life as the son of the Prime Minister, meeting Joe and Jill Biden on a Cornwall beach at last year's G7.

Meanwhile Romy Iris Charlotte Johnson, who was born at University College London hospital on December 9, was also named after close family members.

Mrs Johnson explained the choice of name: 'Romy after my aunt, Rosemary. Iris from the Greek, meaning rainbow. Charlotte [after] Boris's late mum whom we miss so much.'

In 2021, Mrs Johnson had a miscarriage, which she said left her heartbroken, before becoming pregnant with Romy. When she announced the pregnancy last year, she said she and her husband were 'hoping for our rainbow baby this Christmas'.

A 'rainbow baby' is the term given to a child born after a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death.

Last month, Romy joined her parents on a Commonwealth visit to Rwanda before making the trip to Germany for the G7 summit.

Boris and Carrie have chosen to keep their children out of the spotlight and have only shared photos taken from behind.

SAYING GOODBYE TO THEIR DESIGNER HOME

Redesign: Mr and Mrs Johnson will be closing the door on a rather pricey - and controversial - interior design project helmed by Lulu Lytle, pictured

Carrie's inspiration: Carrie Symonds interiors overhaul after moving into Number 11 Downing Street is said to have been inspired by Lulu Lytle - with an example of her work pictured above

Perhaps one of the biggest difficulties for any outgoing PM's wife is saying goodbye to the place they have called home.

In the case of Mr and Mrs Johnson, it also means closing the door on a rather pricey - and controversial - interior design project.

The couple, who share one-year-old son Wilfred and are expecting a second child together, spent 90,000 refitting the grace and favour apartment at No.11, which reportedly looked like a 'John Lewis nightmare' after Theresa May's residency.

They turned to society interiors guru Lulu Lytle for help, thrusting her into the centre of a debate over the eye-watering cost of the makeover, and who paid for it.

Lytle is the founder of Soane Britain, a company offering clients wall-to-wall luxe with a promise of bringing 'joie de vivre' into the home - for a hefty price. A single rattan light can cost 7,200, while a desk can be more than 10,000.

Money was at the centre of the backlash following the news Lytle had been brought in to redesign Downing Street, with critics questioning why the Johnsons needed such an expensive makeover, as well as, more importantly, how it had been funded.

At one point it was thought the works cost as much as 200,000, but official documents later revealed the figure to be less than 90,000, with 30,000 from his publicly funded allowance and an additional 58,000 settled privately.

The refurbishments to the flat in No 11 sparked sustained scrutiny of Mr Johnson's finances, with the works vastly exceeding the 30,000 annual limit afforded to the Prime Minister.

Conservative Party accounts published in August revealed its central office provided a 'bridging loan' of 52,802 to cover the works after being invoiced by the Cabinet Office in June last year.

The party was 'reimbursed in full' in October by Lord Brownlow, a former vice-chairman of the party who has made more than 3million in donations over the years.

Mr Johnson then 'settled the costs' incurred by the Conservative peer in March.

Three different reviews and reports were launched into the funding, one each by the Electoral Commission and parliamentary commissioner for standards, while the Prime Minister announced his new independent adviser on ministerial interests Lord Geidt would also investigate.

Lord Geidt found Mr Johnson acted 'unwisely' in allowing the refurbishment to go ahead without 'more rigorous regard for how this would be funded', but did not breach the ministerial code.

No 10 said: 'Lord Geidt's independent report shows the Prime Minister acted in accordance with the ministerial code at all times. The Prime Minister has made a declaration in his List of Ministerial Interests, as advised by Lord Geidt.'
Families could be priced out of summer holidays as fares soar after airlines axed thousands of flights.

On Wednesday British Airways cut 10,300 flights to Europe until the end of October - on top of the 16,000 it axed in March.

It means that nearly a fifth of BA flights scheduled until the autumn will not take off. Last month, easyJet cut more than 10,000 of its flights.

The combination of fewer seats and soaring post-Covid demand means that prices on some holiday routes have more than trebled, analysis by the Daily Mail found.

Airlines lost billions during the pandemic and will be looking to increase their margins on the seats they have. Even flights with Ryanair, typically the cheapest carrier, have soared. Fares from London to Gran Canaria were 156.60 on July 16, but 368.69 a week later. Flights to Madeira and Rhodes jumped from 72.80 to 349.20 and from 89.99 to 351.20.

BA has pushed up the price of tickets to Faro in the Algarve and to Crete, which are usually only a few hundred pounds, to more than 600 and 500 respectively.

British Airways cut 10,300 flights to Europe until the end of October on top of the 16,000 it axed in March

EasyJet fares from Gatwick to Rome on July 16 were selling yesterday for 226.99, but on July 23, the first weekend of the school holidays, the price had almost doubled to 441.99. For flights to Crete and Majorca on the same dates prices jumped from 178.99 to 383.99 and from 61.99 to 138.99 respectively.

Even flights with Ryanair have soared. Fares from London to Gran Canaria were 156.60 on July 16, but 368.69 a week later. Flights to Madeira and Rhodes jumped from 72.80 to 349.20 and from 89.99 to 351.20.

Although passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to a seat on another flight  or a refund  there is no guarantee there will be enough seats and they could be priced out of alternative flights.

Easyjet flights to Crete and Majorca prices jumped from 178.99 to 383.99 and from 61.99 to 138.99 respectively

The boss of holiday airline Jet2 blamed the chaos at airports, and the subsequent flight cancellations, on the companies that run them.

Referring to the staff crisis after thousands were laid off in the pandemic, Philip Meeson said airports were woefully ill-prepared and poorly resourced.

It was inexcusable, bearing in mind our flights have been on sale for many months, he added.

The Airport Operators Association said staff recruitment campaigns for security staff were progressing well. A spokesman added that airports were also working closely with companies managing check-in and baggage on behalf of airlines to alleviate any delays.
Eurocrats infuriated by Boris Johnsons success over Brexit lined up to gloat about his departure from Downing Street yesterday.

MEPs launched a series of scathing attacks on the Prime Minister, with Guy Verhofstadt saying his leadership had ended in disgrace like that of ex-US president Donald Trump.

The ex-Belgian prime minister, who repeatedly called for a second referendum, added: The end of an era of transatlantic populism? Lets hope so... Things can only get better.

German MEP Bernd Lange, a close ally of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, also welcomed the end of an undignified spectacle, adding: Enough of the British theatre thunder, we need a fresh start.

Guy Verhofstadt (pictured) said Boris's leadership had ended in disgrace like that of ex-US president Donald Trump.

Michel Barnier, Brussels former chief Brexit negotiator, hailed a new page for more constructive relations.

Mr Johnson has repeatedly clashed with the EU since taking office in 2019. However an ally of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said they were waiting to see how things play out.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Mr Johnsons imminent departure from the top job was an opportunity to return to the true spirit of partnership and mutual respect.

Dublin had accused Mr Johnson of undermining the Good Friday Agreement, the 1998 Northern Ireland peace accord, with his bid to rewrite the Brexit deal and the provinces trade rules.

Senior Eurocrats told the Mail on Wednesday that his removal from office could break the deadlock on the long-running row with Brussels.

Top diplomats said a change of leader may help mend ties between Britain and the 27-member bloc.

An ally of Ms von der Leyen said it was good news that Boris Johnson would be replaced but urged his successor to be more diplomatic in his dealings with the EU.

Lets observe how things play out, the top aide said. It has been hard to predict the UKs next moves recently. If this would change under a new Government, then this alone would certainly improve relations.

The Elysee declined to comment on Mr Johnsons fate yesterday, but he and President Emmanuel Macron have had a frosty relationship that goes beyond Brexit.

Mr Macron was left furious back in April after the Prime Ministers secret visit to Kyiv, undermining his own plans for a clandestine trip to Ukraine.

The French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaine quoted him as ranting to his aides: Its so annoying to see Johnson still has this capacity to put himself front and centre when he hasnt actually done very much since the start of this.

Johnson just does Johnson - its populism, the French weekly, a bible for the Parisian political elite, reported. He keeps repeating Putin must fail but theres nothing behind the words.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has scrapped the launch of a major fraud watchdog, accusing the Treasury of taking advantage of the recent political upheaval to render it toothless.

The new 25million Public Sector Fraud Authority  with a remit of cracking down on fraudsters who try to steal taxpayers cash  was meant to be unveiled at an event yesterday morning.

But on Wednesday night, Treasury officials unveiled last-minute changes which would have dramatically watered down the authoritys powers.

Angry at the act of sabotage, Cabinet minister Mr Rees-Mogg said: The Treasury has used the interregnum to block the proper investigation into public sector fraud, as it was embarrassed by its cavalier approach to fraud in the early stages of the pandemic.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has scrapped the launch of a major fraud watchdog, accusing the Treasury of taking advantage of the recent political upheaval to render it toothless

The watchdog was supposed to employ experts to recover money stolen from Covid support schemes and inspect Whitehall programmes to uncover vulnerabilities.

Treasury minister Lord Agnew quit in January in anger over the Governments handling of fraudulent Covid loans. He said it was happy days if you were a crook at the start of the pandemic.

In April, the new 25million PSFA was announced by Mr Rees-Mogg and then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Mr Rees-Mogg thought he had come to an agreement with the Treasury about the watchdogs mandate, which outlines its powers.

But late on Tuesday night, the minister received a radical redraft which would prevent the authority from taking effective anti-fraud action.

A source close to Mr Rees-Mogg said: They have used the political tumult to effectively sabotage the governments anti-fraud programme.

Jacob is not prepared to launch a toothless anti-fraud body. This is a point of principle. The absolute priority must be the return of taxpayers money.

The watchdog was supposed to employ experts to recover money stolen from Covid support schemes and inspect Whitehall programmes to uncover vulnerabilities

The PSFA was set to host an elite team of experts to come down hard on fraudsters who attempt to steal taxpayers money.

Counter fraud experts were also supposed to mount mandatory inspections on Whitehall programmes to uncover vulnerabilities.

In April Mr Sunak said: We will chase down fraudsters who rip off the taxpayer. This elite fraud squad, backed by 25million, will ensure the latest counter fraud techniques are being used to track down these criminals.

People are rightly furious that fraudsters took advantage of our vital Covid support schemes, and we are acting to make sure they pay the price.

But the revised mandate removes the requirement of the Treasury to consult the PSFA over major decisions.

It says the authority will no longer directly brief Treasury ministers, or advise ministers on how to apply decisions on Treasury funding.

The watchdog will have no role on developing Treasury anti-fraud policies, and the Treasury will not be required to develop joint positions with the PSFA.
An Australian journalist has blasted Jacinda Ardern and said he doesn't know any other leader in the world who 'talks so much nonsense so consistently' and 'gets such lavish, wonderful praise for it'.

Appearing on Sky News, The Australian's Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan was asked for his take on recent comments from Ms Ardern on the Pacific and climate change.

Host Peta Credlin played a clip of the New Zealand Prime Minister addressing the Lowry Institute in Australia on Thursday.

In her speech, Ms Ardern warned against 'positioning the Pacific in such a way that they have to pick sides'.

Describing the speech as 'a shocker' Ms Credlin asked Mr Sheridan for his view.

'I don't know what she's taking in her morning coffee. We're trying to give the Pacific an alternative from being conscripted into debt traps and hegemony by the most ruthless, authoritarian dictatorship in the world,' Mr Sheridan replied.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern laughs at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum on Thursday

'And she says 'don't cast this struggle as one between authoritarianism and democracy'  she might as well say 'don't describe the sky as blue and the trees as green'. I have no idea what she's on about.

'She comes from the worst, woke, unreal, fantasy-dwelling strain in New Zealand politics. I just think she makes no sense about anything, really.'

China's growing sway in the Pacific and the potential for militarisation in the region's small island nations has fanned concern, particularly in Australia and New Zealand as well as their partner, the United States.

China, following on from its security pact with the Solomon Islands, has been pushing for a regional co-operation deal with almost a dozen Pacific nations on policing, security and data communications.

'New Zealand is committed to the Pacific Islands Forum as the vehicle for addressing regional challenges,' Ms Ardern said.

'We have a strong commitment to supporting broader ambitions for our regions security. Importantly we see local security challenges being resolved locally, with Pacific Islands Forum Members' security being addressed first and foremost by the Forum family.

The Australian's Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan laid into Jacinda Ardern in an interview

Host Peta Credlin played a clip of the New Zealand Prime Minister addressing the Lowry Institute in Australia on Thursday

In her speech, Ms Ardern warned against 'positioning the Pacific in such a way that they have to pick sides'

'It would be wrong to characterise this engagement, including that of China, as new. It would also be wrong to position the Pacific in such a way that they have to pick sides.'

This is not the first time Mr Sheridan has taken aim at the New Zealand leader.

In a column in 2020, he slammed her record as PM.

'No international halo is so shabby, or so fraudulent, as that worn by New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Politically she resembles Dan Andrews. They excel in woke gesture and progressive symbolism. Their achievements in real policy terms are thin or negative,' he wrote.

'Undoubtedly part of the international Jacindamania comes from the fact she is a young left-wing woman who gave birth in office and took maternity leave. That is all wonderful but it has no bearing on policy achievement.'
Dentists have called for urgent action on popular baby food pouches that are as sugary as Coke.

The products, which are aimed at children under 12 months, are a convenient option for parents with busy lives.

But certain brands, including middle-class favourites Annabel Karmel and Ellas Kitchen, have many items in their ranges more sugary than Coca-Cola when measured by volume, research reveals.

The British Dental Association has warned that parents may believe the pouches are a healthy choice when nothing could be further from the truth. It said the products risk hooking the next generation on sugar before they could walk.

The association analysed 109 pouches and discovered that more than a quarter contained more sugar by volume than Coke.

Certain brands of baby food pouches, including middle-class favourites Annabel Karmel and Ellas Kitchen (pictured), have many items in their ranges more sugary than Coca-Cola when measured by volume, research reveals

Some contained up to two thirds of an adults recommended 30g daily allowance of sugar. The worst  apple, blueberry and banana stage 1 in the Karmel range, pictured, had 17.3g sugar per 100ml. This compares with 10.6g for original Coca-Cola.

The BDA also said that the pouches were a danger to infant teeth because the contents were consumed by sucking.

Association chairman Eddie Crouch said: Disingenuous marketeers are giving parents the impression they are making a healthy choice with these pouches.

'Tooth decay is the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children, and sugar is driving this epidemic.

A spokesman for Annabel Karmel said its pouches were specially designed for babies and the limited sugar content comes from naturally occurring sugars found in the fruits used.

A spokesman for Ellas Kitchen said the company had been reducing the proportion of higher sugar fruits like bananas in its recipes as well as introducing lower sugar fruits and 100 per cent vegetable pouches.
Derek Chauvin is swapping his tough Minnesota state prison cell for a more modern federal facility, after he was sentenced on federal charges of violating George Floyd's civil rights.

Chauvin, 46, agreed in December to plead guilty to the federal charges on the condition that he be transferred from state prison to a federal site, which would be safer for him and significantly more pleasant. On Thursday, the judge handed him a 21 year sentence.

The nearest maximum security prison is in Thomson, Illinois - only 60 miles from his mother's home in Iowa. Chauvin could be taken to a maximum security site - at least initially - for his own safety.

The federal prison is likely to be a much cushier ride than the tough Minnesota Correctional Facility at Oak Park, where he has been held for the past 15 months. He spends 23 hours a day inside his small cell, mostly for his own safety.

In Thomson, inmates have access to the library, and can study and exercise outdoors. Hobbies and crafts are encouraged, according to the prison manual.

He won't be the prison's first famous inmate. Rapper Kodak Black arrived there in October 2020 after being found guilty of filing incorrect paperwork for a handgun. His sentence was commuted by Donald Trump in January 2021, and he was freed.

It is home to 785 prisoners, all men, in the main facility. A secondary site is used as a minimum security camp.

Derek Chauvin is being sent to a comfortable federal facility, likely to be Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois (pictured)

Chauvin has been housed until now at the tough Minnesota Correctional Facility at Oak Park Heights (pictured)

Derek Chauvin is seen on Thursday for his sentencing on federal charges. He has asked to be sent to a federal prison

The facility is relatively new: it was completed in 2001, but remained empty until October 2012, when the Bureau of Prisons purchased it from the state of Illinois.

The prison was fully activated in January 2019.

Security at the prison is intense: the site is so secure that Barack Obama, while president, planned to move Guantanamo Bay inmates to the site and close the Cuban camp. The plan was blocked by Congress.

The Bureau of Prisons has not yet confirmed at which of their 122 facilities Chauvin will serve his sentence.

Facilities will be dramatically better than in the state prison, however.

The Thomson prison (pictured is a cell) is considerably more cushy than the state jail

Thomson prison is the closest maximum security prison to Chauvin's mother and his home

But wherever, he goes, conditions will be dramatically better than at Oak Park Heights, where he has been detained since his April 2021 conviction on state charges.

Chauvin has for the duration of his incarceration been held in the administrative segregation wing, isolated in a cell for 23 hours a day, mainly for his own protection.

Corrections officers make rounds to check on inmates every 30 minutes around the clock, according to the facility's website.

The white room which Chauvin called home contains a chrome toilet, a futon mattress, a small shower and a thin sliver of a window that lets in light from the outside.

As a 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department, Chauvin was assigned to administrative segregation for his own protection, sources told ABC News.

In state prison, it is far more likely that Chauvin will encounter inmates that he put behind bars over his tenure.

Chauvin has spent the last 15 months at the Minnesota Corrections Facility at Oak Park Heights (pictured is a cell at the prison)

Corrections officers in Oak Park Heights make rounds to check on inmates every 30 minutes around the clock, according to the facility's website

Chauvin has been housed in an Administrative Segregation room like this one at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Parks

'He's been a police officer for quite some time and he's arrested a lot of folks and probably put them in Minnesota state prison,' said Neama Rahmani, a former prosecutor.

'It's much less likely that he's going to run into people that he's had interactions with in federal prison. So, it's going to be a lot safer for him.'

State prisons, Rahmani said, often have issues with overcrowding and just aren't run as well as federal prisons, which are managed by the more regulated Bureau of Prisons.

Justin Paperney, a former stock broker who served time in prison and went on to create 'White Collar Advice,' which counsels white collar criminals on what to expect in lockup, described the radical differences between state and federal facilities.

'Generally speaking, the federal government is going to have a lot more resources than a lot of states who are cash strapped and broke,' Paperney told ABC News.

'Given the length of his [Chauvin's] sentence, and no possibility of release any time soon, it makes more sense to be in a federal prison with more security and better access to resources and programming, everything from better food to better housing, to better bunks.'

Paperney and Rahmani told ABC News that the federal Bureau of Prisons could send Chauvin to any of its 122 federal prisons throughout the United States, although Chauvin will be able to make a recommendation.

In all likelihood, Chauvin will still be isolated in federal prison, due to the high-profile nature of his case and his former profession.

'Isolated would probably be the safest for him, or could be housed with folks who are white-collar criminals assignments, who are no risk to violence towards him,' Rahmani said.

In exchange for pleading guilty to violating George Floyd's civil rights when he knelt on his neck for nine minutes, Chauvin asked to move to a federal prison

'Anytime you have a police officer in prison that's going to be a very risky situation for that individual. They've got to basically put him somewhere safe.'

Although programming appears to be more robust at federal facilities, the average annual cost of housing an inmate in Minnesota state prison is slightly more expensive - $41,000, according a 2015 study by the Vera Institute of Justice.

The annual cost of housing an inmate in federal prison was just over $39,000 in 2020, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.

State prison inmates have a higher mortality rate than federal prison inmates, according to a 2021 Bureau of Justice Statistics study, with about 344 per 100,000 state prisoners dying behind bars compared to 246 in 100,000 federal prisons.

Paperney said that if he was asked to consult Chauvin on his prison term, he would give him the same advice he gives his other clients.

'Any new prisoner must recognize they're moving into an environment where people have lived for weeks, months, years. It is a microcosm of society,' Paperney said.

'So, he'd be wise to lay low, to listen, to watch, to not assert his authority, not try to impress or influence or offer unsolicited advice. He needs to stay quiet and adjust because the eyes will be on him.'

Judge Paul Magnuson said during Thursday's sentencing hearing that he would request that officials from the Bureau place Chauvin at a prison near family, who live between Iowa and Minnesota.

Chauvin, now 46, knelt on the neck of George Floyd for over nine minutes as he lay dying on the street in May 2020

Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years by the state of Minnesota for the murder of Floyd; on Thursday, he was sentenced to 21 years on federal charges of violating Floyd's rights. The sentences will be served concurrently

But he acknowledged that judges cannot dictate where prison sentences are served.

Chauvin has spent the past 15 months inside Minnesota's only level five maximum security state prison.

'It's dangerous to be an officer in any prison,' said former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger.

'It's even more dangerous in state prison because of the nature of the inmate population. There are gangs, for example. And police officers just don't do well there. Those risks are reduced in a federal prison.'

Chauvin has been in solitary confinement for much of his time in Oak Park Heights.

If Chauvin were left in the general population of a Minnesota state prison, he'd be at risk of running into inmates he had arrested or investigated when he was a Minneapolis officer, said Rachel Moran, a law professor at St. Thomas.

While he will not escape his notoriety in a federal prison elsewhere, she said, he's unlikely to encounter inmates with such a direct, personal grudge.

There are 17 maximum security federal prisons in the United States - but none in Minnesota or Iowa.

The closest is Thomson, Illinois - a facility on the Illinois-Iowa border, only 60 miles from Chauvin's mother's home in Peosta, Iowa.

Carolyn Pawlenty, during Chauvin's sentencing in June, said she would visit him, and be waiting for him when he finishes his sentence.

She was in court on Thursday, and told him: 'I will be there for you.'

She asked Magnuson to let Chauvin serve his time close to his family, saying it will help them all heal physically and mentally.

'I promise to visit you often as I did at Oak Park,' she told her son.

'When you are released, I pray to God I'll be there to welcome you with open arms home.'

His ex-wife Kellie, a former beauty queen who filed for divorce shortly after Floyd's killing, was also present on Thursday for sentencing.

Rapper Kodak Black spent three months inside Thomson, on weapons charges. Donald Trump commuted his sentence in January 2021

Chauvin could even be sent to a lower security prison, following the precedent set by former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager.

Slager is serving a 20-year sentence for killing Walter Scott, an unarmed black man who ran from a traffic stop.

Slager, who is white, pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge for shooting Scott in the back five times in 2015 after stopping him for a broken brake light in an incident that, like Floyd's death, was captured on widely seen bystander video.

Slager's state murder charge was dropped as part of the federal plea deal.

His lawyers said at the time that Slager wanted to be in federal custody where he felt he would be safer than in state prison.

Slager is serving his time in a low-security federal prison in Colorado.

Chauvin could be sent to FCI Rochester, in Minnesota.

The facility is a Level 3/4 Medical facility, meaning that dentists, psychologists and all manner of health professionals are on-staff there.

Vocational training and apprenticeship programs are offered for HVAC, biomedical equipment repair, electrical, painting and plumbing.

Among scheduled leisure activities for well-behaved inmates are art classes with oils, pastels, crayons, pencils, inks, and charcoal.

There are also classes in leatherwork and ceramics.

Fitness classes, organized sports and even cultural clubs are available for the approximately 630 inmates housed the facility.
A New York City bodega worker charged with murder after fighting off an ex-con in his store has been freed from jail after his bond was lowered amid a public outcry.

Jose Alba, 62, was released from Rikers Island on Thursday evening after his bail was lowered from $250,000 to $50,000, and returned to his Hamilton Heights home wearing an electronic monitor and accompanied by one of his sons.

Alba was arrested on Friday for stabbing Austin Simon after the 35-year-old charged into the Harlem bodega where he worked and attacked him.

Alba was then thrown in jail and held on a $250,000 bond after prosecutors from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office asked for double that, despite letting other career criminals loose on a regular basis.

Following a resounding outrage over the decision, a Manhattan judge finally lowered Alba's bond today and he was released to his home.

Jose Alba, 62, was released from Rikers Island on Thursday evening and returned to his home accompanied by one of his sons after his bail was lowered from $250,000 to $50,000

Alba was arrested last week for stabbing Austin Simon, 35, who charged into the Harlem bodega where he worked and attacked him. Alba's bond was lowered after public outrage

Alba, who is beloved in the local community, has worked at the bodega in Harlem for decades and has no criminal record. He arrived home Thursday wearing a ankle monitor

Earlier Thursday, NYC Mayor Eric Adams visited the bodega to express his support for Alba.

'I'm a person that's there for people following the law. I saw from the video, I saw a voter here inside the store following the law...It's time for New Yorkers and Americans to start standing up for people who follow the law,' he said.

At a hearing on Thursday, prosecutors from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office moved to lower Alba's bond from $250,000 to $50,000. He was only required to post $5,000 - 10 percent - which was paid by his family and boss.

Alba is barred from leaving New York City and had to surrender his passport, which means he will not be able to go on a previously planned trip to the Dominican Republic.

But Alba's release is a small victory for the 62-year-old who many say should never have been arrested in the first place.

This was the altercation that led to Jose Alba's arrest last Friday. Alba, 62, is shown in a blue striped shirt and hat. Austin Simon, right, arrived in the store to confront Alba who had refused to give his girlfriend a bag of potato chips

Alba, who is beloved in the local community, has worked there for decades and has no criminal record.

The attack at the bodega happened when Simon's girlfriend's card was declined trying to buy a bag of chips. Her debit card was declined and Alba refused to give her the chips.

She then produced a knife from her purse and, according to Alba's family, attacked him before calling for her boyfriend for back-up.

Surveillance footage shows Simon charging into the store in a $350 dollar Amiri shirt, standing over Alba and then fighting with him.

Alba grabbed the store's box cutting knife to stab him in the neck and chest. He later died in the hospital.

Initially, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office asked for a $500,000 bond - which the judge last week said was too high. $250,000 was decided upon - which the family couldn't afford.

They set up a GoFundMe page to help raise bail and pay for his legal team but GoFundMe removed the account after it raised $20,000.

A GoFundMe spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'Our terms of service prohibit fundraising for the legal defense of a violent crime.

'At this time, the fundraiser has been removed and all donors have been refunded.'

Alba was sitting down in the tiny store when the man cornered him and demanded that he apologize to his girlfriend, who police say couldn't afford a bag of chips

The convenience store where the incident occurred last Friday

On Thursday, Bragg's office said it reached a deal with the man's family on the terms of his bail which include him surrendering his passport and wearing an electronic ankle monitor.

The owner of the convenience store where the incident took place has also agreed to be an obligor for him, the DA's office said.

Alba - who is from the Dominican Republic and became a US citizen 14 years ago - was thrown in Rikers.

The man's family set up a GoFundMe to help him pay for his legal defense but it was removed overnight after raising $20,000

The page no longer exists on GoFundMe. The fundraising site has not yet explained why

Among those who slammed Bragg for the decision to charge him on Thursday was Republican Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin.

'My first Day 1 action as Governor next January will be to fire Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg,' he said.

Yesterday, a store worker who did not want to be named told DailyMail.com: ''The girlfriend is still out there enjoying her life'.

Regulars at the shop described Alba as a hard-working father who was preparing for retirement, and was looking forward to returning to the Dominican Republic next week to visit his family.

He worked at the store every day of the week from noon to 6am, they told DailyMail.com, to 'make an honest living.'

But during his more than two years working at the store, several patrons have tried to take advantage of him, grabbing items and trying to walk away with them.

One man even once held up a gun to him, they said.

So when Simon entered the store and starting threatening him last week, he did not know whether he had a gun and could kill him.

'He never wanted no problem,' said Ahmad's son, who was working the counter on Wednesday.

'I picture him as my grandfather being in that situation.'
Building giant Metricon has listed at least 56 display properties worth almost $65million for sale despite reports the company is struggling to stay afloat.

The sales include homes in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia ranging from $650,000 to $3.2million, The Australian reports.

The sales include lots in Turramurra, Mooloolaba and Surfers Paradise worth a collective $17million.

Metricon are selling at least 56 of its display homes, including a home for $3.2million in Glen Waverley, Melbourne (above)

The $3.2million Glen Waverly home (above) features five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a pool and fountain on 884m of land

The $3.2million home on 672 High Street Rd in Glen Waverley (above) is the most expensive Metricon listing

The cheapest property for sale is a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home on 142 Streets Rd in Leneva, just south of Albury-Wodonga, for $650,000.

Victoria also has the most expensive property which does not list a price but is estimated to sit at about $3.2 million on 672 High Street Rd in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley.

The home features five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a pool and fountain on 884m of land.

Another home of note is a $1.2million house on 40 Settlers Boulevard in Chisholm, near Newcastle, NSW that features four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a butler's pantry.

The cheapest Metricon display home listed for sale is a home on 142 Streets Rd in Leneva, Victoria, for $650,000 (above)

The Leneva home (above) features four bedrooms, two bathrooms and double garage for $650,000

About two thirds of the homes listed are under a leaseback arrangement which would see the properties continue to be used as display homes for Metricon while the owner is paid a return of up to eight per cent.

Metricon's financial stability was under intense scrutiny earlier this year before its lender, Commonwealth Bank, agreed to a rescue deal in May.

Metricon's acting chief executive Peter Langfelder said the company's owners would also give $30million to help the business.

In early May sales staff were reportedly told to increase cash flow by securing more deposits.

Metricon is selling a home on 40 Settlers Boulevard in Chisholm, NSW, for $1.2million (above)

The Metricon home near Newcastle (above) features four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a butler's pantry

The $1.2million Metricon home in Chisholm, near Newcastle, has a large outdoor dining area (above)

Metricon employs about 2,500 people Australia-wide, has thousands of projects on its books and was ranked the biggest home builder in the country in 2021.

Mr Langfelder told The Australian on Thursday that the sales process was a regular part of the company's business cycle.

'Metricon builds displays, sometimes they are then sold to investors who lease them back to Metricon for a period of time to use as display homes, sometimes they are sold without a lease when they are not needed anymore,' he said.

'This is how Metricon has always run its display program. The display fund group are selling a number of display homes as part of the natural cycle of the fund's operations. The majority of the displays will continue to be leased by Metricon.'

Metricon is selling at least 56 of its display homes (above) following rumours the company is struggling to stay afloat

In the December quarter of 2021, 328 construction companies went into administration, compared to 178 in the food and accommodation sector, Australian Securities and Investments Commission data showed.

CreditorWatch's chief economist, Anneke Thompson, said the end of the federal government's Home Builder grant alongside increased construction costs would see the industry continue to decline.

'Most builders and subcontractors are at workload capacity, and poor weather in NSW and QLD exacerbated by the late delivery of building supplies across the country has delayed many existing projects, reducing the capacity for future approvals,' she told news.com.au.
A recruitment company in Perth has been forced to apologise after they posted ads for mine workers claiming 'drillers get more Tinder dates'.

The fly-in-fly-out job ad had been posted on SEEK by consultancy company Itch Recruitment, but was removed on Thursday.

It comes only weeks after bombshell findings were released from a parliamentary inquiry by Western Australia's Community Development and Justice Standing Committee into Australia's mining sector detailing the 'appalling' treatment of women at companies including Rio Tinto and BHP.

It comes only weeks after bombshell findings were released from a parliamentary inquiry by Western Australia's Community Development and Justice Standing Committee into Australia's mining sector detailing the 'appalling' treatment of women at companies including Rio Tinto and BHP (pictured, workers in an open-pit)

The ad looking for apprentice drillers stated, 'It is proven that drillers are hotter and get more tinder dates' (pictured)

The ad looking for apprentice drillers stated, 'It is proven that drillers are hotter and get more tinder dates.'

'Know when you are flying home, get those beers on ice.'

The post finished: 'What will you buy with up to $6720 after your first swing?'

Itch Recruitment's Managing Director, Jodie Perram, told Daily Mail Australia: 'It was an error of judgement to include the sentence in our advertisement for Entry Level Driller Apprentices and this has been removed.

'As a female business owner, my team and I fully support the findings and recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry and would never condone violence or harassment in any setting.

'We pride ourselves on our stringent screening processes when recommending candidates to our clients which include national police checks and references.'

Women suffered abuse while working at companies including Rio Tinto and BHP in remote locations of Australia (pictured, construction in the Pilbara region, Western Australia)

Liberal MP Libby Mettam, chair of the inquiry, expressed her shock at the job listing.

'It's disappointing that only two weeks after the release of our report which found clear linkages between sexual harassment, alcohol misuse and gender inequality... that we have a recruitment firm using such suggestive incentives for attracting entry level workers into the industry,' The West reported.

'Advertisements such as this clearly send the wrong signal regarding workplace characteristics and practices,' Ms Mettam said.

'The industry can, and must, do better than this.'

It comes a fortnight after a landmark report into Australia's mining sector was revealed.

Liberal MP Libby Mettam said: 'Advertisements such as this clearly send the wrong signal regarding workplace characteristics and practices'

Among the cases it highlighted was that of a woman who testified to the inquiry that she was 'knocked unconscious in her donga and awoke to find her jeans and underpants around her ankles'.

There were also stories of sex dolls being put in front of women's dongas  the name given to workers' huts in mining camps  or hung on their doors.

And the report criticised Rio and BHP for ignoring or overlooking unlawful and criminal behaviour.

The industry has now been urged to set up a sexual offence register to prevent workers fired for harassing and assaulting female colleagues from finding jobs elsewhere.

The report followed a year-long investigation launched after a string of sexual assaults at Fly-In-Fly-Out camps in Western Australia  one of the world's biggest mining hubs.

Entitled 'Enough is Enough', it provides excruciating details of the abuse female workers have been subjected to throughout the male-dominated industry for years  and a 'culture of cover-up'.

As well as 'horrifying' cases of sexual assault, the inquiry said women had reported being subjected to 'unsolicited and unwelcome attention', stalking, texting of explicit and lewd material, provocative photo requests and 'grooming' of young female apprentices by older male colleagues.

One described a bizarre power-play behaviour known as 'shovelling', whereby iron ore would be dumped on the cabs of trucks operated by women if they did not comply with sexual requests.

Another reported driving a truck and almost causing a collision. She was told by the site supervisor that he could make the safety investigation 'go away' if she had sex with him.

Truck driver Astacia Stevens told the parliamentary inquiry that she wanted to move from working for a contractor to Rio to working directly for the company, and wearing the company logo on her shirt. But a male superior demanded she have sex with him if she wanted a job with Rio.

One woman described how a male colleague forced his hand down her top numerous times in front of other workers, but no one did anything.

Victim: Truck driver Astacia Stevens detailed instances of sexual harassment in the mining industry to the parliamentary inquiry

Ms Mettam, deputy leader of the Liberal party in Western Australia, paid tribute to the 'brave women' who had come forward, and said that while she had expected 'horrific stories' would emerge from the investigation, she was 'shocked and appalled well beyond expectation by the size and depth of the problem'.

She said: 'To hear the lived reality of the taunts, attacks and targeted violence, the devastation and despair the victims experienced, the threats to or loss of their livelihood that resulted was shattering and it's completely inexcusable.'

The inquiry by Western Australia's Community Development and Justice Standing Committee heard how the conditions in mining camps in the outback allowed 'sexual harassment to thrive in the workplace'.

These conditions included a heavy boozing culture, with workers convening in the camp's 'wet mess' to get drunk after a hard day's work away from their families. One worker described a culture of 'what happens at camp, stays at camp'.

The investigation ran for almost a year, receiving nearly 100 submissions and turning the spotlight on some of the biggest mining companies including Rio and BHP.

The inquiry heard BHP sacked 48 staff over inappropriate conduct over two years, while Rio fired at least 12 for sexual assault or harassment last year.

The parliamentary report made 24 recommendations, which included an 'industry-wide workers' register', modelled on the system in place for those working with children.
Kiwis living and working in Australia could be given the right to vote in Australian elections, under a new plan from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Mr Albanese announced he would look at giving the 670,000 New Zealanders living in Australia the vote while standing next to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Sydney on Friday.

The move could make New Zealanders living in Australia influential participants in a future Australian federal election, with about 450,000 votes separating the primary votes of the ALP and the Liberal-National Coalition at the 2022 election.

'In New Zealand, if you're an Australian who has been resident for a year, you have voting rights in New Zealand, you're able to participate fully in those processes,' Mr Albanese explained.

Kiwis living and working in Australia could be given the right to vote in Australian elections, under a new plan from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

'We'll be asking the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters to consider whether there's a way to return to systems that have existed in the past of giving New Zealand people who are here in Australia, contributing to society, paying taxes, working, voting rights here in Australia as well.

'We won't pre-empt those processes, but it is, I think, a really common-sense position to at least examine over coming months.'

Anthony Albanese made the announcement alongside New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

The two leaders also announced a new plan to allow Kiwis living as long-time residents in Australia to gain citizenship

Mr Albanese also flagged changes to allow New Zealanders living in Australia as temporary residents to gain citizenship.

'We don't want people to be temporary residents forever,' he said.

'We know that there have been a range of issues raised relating to citizenship and we think those pathways and working through these issues, so that people get more rights that are more consistent  whether it be Australians who have moved to New Zealand, or New Zealanders moving to Australia.

Ms Ardern said her country had wanted 'a greater acknowledgement of the role that New Zealanders play here in Australia'

'We want to work through these issues with all the implications that are there for full participation in our respective societies.'

Ms Ardern welcomed 'a greater acknowledgement of the role that New Zealanders play here in Australia'.

Ms Ardern and Mr Albanese shake hand during their joint press conference where they announced a number of initiatives

'The fact that we have  and you'll see this in our communique  an agreement that no New Zealander or Australian should be rendered permanently temporary, that is a steep change in the way that we've previously seen New Zealanders treated here,' she said.

A target date of Anzac Day 2023 has been set to enact the change.

Even the thorny issue of deportations did not derail the good will between the leaders.

Mr Albanese has promised a more 'common sense' approach to deporting criminals who may be New Zealand citizens but have spent most of their lives in Australia

New Zealand has long sought to see a softening in Australia's stance of deporting non-citizens who commit serious crimes even if they've spent most of their lives in Australia.

This has resulted in hundreds of criminals being shipped to New Zealand even if they have no ties to the country other than their Kiwi passport.



Mr Albanese appeared to give some ground on this issue.

Ms Ardern said her meeting with Mr Albanese had demonstrated 'common sense and the spirit of friendship'

'We will continue to deport people when appropriate. But we will have some common sense apply here,' Albanese said.

'And where you have a circumstance where someone has lived their entire life effectively in Australia with no connection whatsoever to New Zealand, then common sense should apply.'

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said this was 'exactly what we have asked of Australia'.

'We acknowledged that Australia will continue to deport, as New Zealand currently does have provision and does deport those who don't have ... connection to New Zealand'.

'What we've been seeking is common sense and the spirit of friendship. And that's what Prime Minister Albanese's spoken to today.'
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Shinzo Abe - Japan's longest-serving prime minister - has died after being shot twice as he made a campaign speech in the south of the country earlier today, local media has said.

The 67-year-old, who served for a total of nine years over two terms, was gunned down in the city of Nara around 11.30am as he rallied support for the local candidate ahead of parliamentary elections on Sunday. His death was reported by public broadcaster NHK around six hours later, shortly after wife Akie arrived at his bedside.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41 and a navy veteran, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder while wielding what appeared to be a home-made shotgun. Police say he has since confessed, telling them he wanted to kill Abe because he was 'dissatisfied' with him.

Witnesses said Abe was about to start speaking when Yamagami approached him from behind and fired two shots, the second of which felled him. Several members of Abe's security detail tackled Yamagami while others gave the politician chest compressions, before he was taken to hospital via helicopter.

Prime Minister Kishida called the shooting an attack on 'the foundation of democracy', describing it as 'heinous', 'barbaric and malicious', and 'absolutely unforgivable'. 'I would like to use the most extreme words available to condemn this act,' he added.

The shooting is a deeply shocking development in the life of Japan's best-known politician, taking place a country that prides itself on its low levels of violent crime and has extremely tough gun laws.

Shinzo Abe, Japan's former and longest-serving Prime Minister, was just about to start speaking in favour of the local candidate when a gunman approached from behind and fired two shots

Abe collapsed to the ground covered in blood and lost consciousness, with his security detail giving chest compressions before he was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to hospital

Akie Abe, 60, the wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is pictured entering the hospital where he is fighting for his life after being shot on Friday while giving a campaign speech

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a military veteran, was tackled by Abe's security detail and then arrested by police on suspicion of attempted murder. Police say he has confessed wanting to kill Abe because he was 'dissatisfied' with him

Abe - who served in office from 2006 to 2007 and then 2012 to 2020 - was giving a speech on behalf of his Liberal Democratic Party in the city of Nara ahead of parliamentary elections before he was shot (pictured)

World leaders respond to Shinzo Abe shooting UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he is said he is 'Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe.' US 'This is a very, very sad moment,' Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at the G20 meeting in Bali, saying the United States was 'deeply saddened and deeply concerned'. 'We don't know his condition,' he said. 'Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan.' EU European Council president Charles Michel said he was 'shocked and saddened by (the) cowardly attack' on Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Abe was 'a true friend, fierce defender of multilateral order & democratic values', Michel tweeted. 'EU stands with people of Japan and (Prime Minister) Fumio Kishida in these difficult times. Profound sympathies to his family.' Australia 'Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot,' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted. 'Our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time.' India 'Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan.' Russia 'We pray for the health of the former prime minister of Japan, Mr Shinzo Abe,' the Russian embassy in Japan said in a post on Facebook. 'We strongly condemn the barbaric attempt on his life.' France The French embassy in Japan expressed concern over the 'hateful' attack, saying its thoughts were with Abe and his loved ones. 'The French Embassy has learned with emotion and dismay of the hateful attack on former prime minister Shinzo Abe in Nara,' the mission said on Twitter. Thailand Thailand's 'Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha is very shocked by what has happened to former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe,' Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters in Bangkok. 'Prayut and Abe are friends and they have a relatively close relationship as they met several times.' The Philippines Enrique Manalo, the foreign affairs secretary of the Philippines, expressed 'great shock and dismay' at the attack. 'I extend my deep sympathy and pray for his early recovery,' he tweeted. Advertisement

Kishida said the motivation for the attack is unknown, but the fact that it was carried out so close to the upcoming elections and during a campaign speech 'cannot be ignored'.

Kishida said 'no decision' had been made on the election, though several parties announced their senior members would halt campaigning in the wake of the attack.

Abe first took power in 2006 at the age of 52 - the youngest ever to hold the job - but was mired in scandal and abruptly stepped down while suffering debilitating bowel condition, ulcerative colitis.

He then regained the premiership in 2012 and held the role for the next eight years, before stepping down in 2020 when the bowel condition reemerged.

However, he remains a senior figure within the Liberal Democratic Party which has dominated Japan's political scene since the end of the Second World War.

'Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 am,' in the country's western region of Nara, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

'One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown.

'Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it,' Matsuno added.

The suspected gunman, who was tackled at the scene and arrested, is a former soldier who was in the Japanese self-defense forces and appears to have built the improvised weapon used in the shooting, Radio 4 reported.

Several Ministry of Defense officials confirmed that Yamagami had been working for the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years until around 2005.

It was reported that Abe had his security team around him during the speech on Friday, but the attacker was able to pull this gun out and shoot him at close range 'without being checked.'

The former leader had been delivering a stump speech at an event ahead of Sunday's upper house elections when the sound of gunshots was heard, NHK and the Kyodo news agency said.

'He was giving a speech and a man came from behind,' a young woman at the scene told NHK.

'The first shot sounded like a toy. He didn't fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke,' she added.

'After the second shot, people surrounded him and gave him chest compressions.'

NHK showed video of Abe making a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out, after which the view was briefly obscured and then security officials were seen tackling a man on the ground.

A puff of smoke behind Abe could be seen in another video shown in NHK.

A Kyodo photograph showed Abe lying face-up on the street by a guardrail, blood on his white shirt. People were crowded around him, one administering chest compressions.

TBS Television reported that Abe had been shot on the left side of his chest and apparently also in the neck.

The term heart failure means the heart cannot sufficiently pump blood and supply necessary oxygen to the rest of the body. In Japan, officials sometimes use the term to describe situations where victims are no longer alive but before a formal declaration of death has been made.

The government said a task force had been formed in the wake of the incident.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who belongs to the same political party as Abe, is on his way to Tokyo on a helicopter from his own campaign destination of Yamagata, in northern Japan. Matsuno said all Cabinet ministers are to return to Tokyo from their campaign trips.

'We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former prime minister Abe Shinzo,' US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.

'The US government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and people of Japan.'

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's special advisor Gen Nakatani told reporters 'terror or violence can never be tolerated,' Jiji reported.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.S. officials expressed shock and concern over the shooting.

Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan,' Secretary of State Antony Blinken said while attending a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

Yamagami approached Abe from behind and then fired two shots, according to witnesses, who said the former Prime Minister collapsed after the second shot

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a veteran of Japan's armed forces, was tackled by security (pictured) and then arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

Police tackle the suspect who is believed to shoot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Security police tackle to arrest a suspect who is believed to shoot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

The weapon used to shoot Abe appears to be a homemade double-barrelled shotgun, made by strapping two pieces of pipe to a piece of wooden board

'Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan,' Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel wrote on Twitter.

Political violence is rare in Japan, a country with strict gun regulations. The gun used in the shooting appeared to be home-made firearm, NHK said.

In 2007 Nagasaki Mayor Iccho Itoh was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword.

'I thought it was firecrackers at first,' one bystander told NHK.

Police identified the suspected shooter as Tetsuya Yamagami, a resident of Nara.

Abe served two terms as prime minister to become Japan's longest-serving premier before stepping down in 2020 citing ill health.

Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

He stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said a chronic health problem has resurfaced.

Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is on a stretcher to a helicopter after being shot in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station

Police officers collect forensic evidence from the scene where Abe was shot on Friday while giving a campaign speech

Fumio Kishida, the current Japanese Prime Minister, holds back his emotions while giving an update on Abe's condition - condemning the attack as 'heinous', 'barbaric', and 'absolutely unforgivable'

He told reporters at the time that it was 'gut wrenching' to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to normalize Japan's defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Supporters of Abe said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies too by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe is a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a 'normal' and 'beautiful' nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel expressed sadness and shock at the shooting. 'Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan,' he said on Twitter.

This aerial photo shows the scene of gunshots in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and is reportedly in heart failure

Earlier in the day, Abe was in good spirits as he interacted with supporters before his speech ahead of the House of Councillors election on July 10
Coles and Woolworths have reintroduced limits on tissues as Covid and the flu spread through Australia.

At Coles, customers are only allowed to buy two packs of facial tissues per person, while shoppers at Woolworths can only buy two tissue products in total.

The country is in the middle of one its worst flu seasons and with Covid cases set to surge the supermarkets are struggling with supply issues.

Australia is already battling a potentially lethal 'multi-demic' cocktail of respiratory viruses, including the flu, RSV, para-influenza, adenovirus and HMPV, which are spreading like wildfire through a population with immune systems weakened by two years of lockdown restrictions.

The rapid spread of the multi-demic bugs is also being fuelled by cold and damp weather. It is feared that the viruses could cripple Australia's economy and lead to more staff shortages.

Now, both Coles and Woolworths have admitted they are facing high demand for products that tackle sickness.

Coles customers are now only allowed to buy two packs of facial tissues per person

Meanwhile, shoppers at Woolworths will only be allowed to buy two tissue products in total

'Given the recent cold snap and early start to the flu season, there's been increased demand for a range of medicinal and paper goods products including cold and flu tablets, throat lozenges and tissues,' a Woolworths spokesperson told news.com.au.

'Supply of tissue has been particularly impacted, so to help ensure more customers have fair access, we have implemented a two pack per customer limit on all tissue products across Australia.

'For other medicinal products, customers might notice that the availability of some of their preferred brands might be limited, we continue to offer a wide range of alternatives across these ranges.

Both Coles and Woolworths have admitted they are facing high demand for products that tackle sickness

'We encourage everyone to continue shopping as they normally would and only buy what they need.'

Meanwhile, a Coles spokesperson said the supermarket was struggle to source an adequate supply of tissues.

'We're working hard with suppliers to improve availability as quickly as possible.'

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler on Thursday said Australia was in the early stages of 'a building third Omicron wave' due to the spread of new variants BA.4 and BA.5.

'What is clear about BA.4 and BA.5 is that they are even more transmissible, even more infectious than the earlier sub-variants that drove the summer wave,' he said.

'Just because you had Covid earlier this year does not mean you are now not at risk of getting Covid again.'

The number of patients in intensive care across Australia who have Covid has increased from 122 to 145 over the past ten days, compared to the more than 400 there were during the Omicron peak in late January.

In the same ten-day period, the number of active cases around the country has increased by 28 per cent from 231,465 to 296,474, compared to the peak of 835,023 in January.

Mandatory masks and working from home could be back within weeks as the nation braces for a devastating new Covid wave which is already packing out intensive care units

Mandatory masks and stay at home orders could be back within weeks and some elective surgeries halted as Australia braces for a devastating new Covid wave which is already packing out ICU wards.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), backed by some of the architects of Australia's past lockdowns, is pushing for the return of restrictive laws to stop the new and highly contagious Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants.

On Thursday, the Federal government signed off on a fourth Covid booster shot for anyone over 30, with those over 50 told to get jabbed urgently.
Accused wife killer Christopher Michael Dawson could love two women at the same time - just like many French do, his murder trial has been told.

During her closing submissions on Friday, Dawson's defence barrister Pauline David said it was normal for a man to have feelings for two women simultaneously.

Dawson, now 73, is accused of murdering his wife Lynette Dawson and disposing of her body in January 1982 because he wanted an unfettered relationship with his former high school student, known as JC.

Ms David argued that Dawson could have a long and loving relationship with his wife while having sex with JC, saying the French did it as a national sport.

'I think the reality is a man can love two women at the same time ... It happens that you care about two people deeply. Sometimes you're very torn,' she told the NSW Supreme Court.

Chris Dawson admits having an extramarital affair with teenage babysitter JC (above with Lynette Dawson's daughters), who once sunbaked by his pool topless

Dawson's lawyer Pauline David told the court that a man could love two women at the same time. Above, a file photo of Dawson

Dawson acknowledged that his extramarital affair with JC had been hurtful to his then wife but that he had already paid a very heavy price for it, the barrister said.

JC would swim topless in front of his wife in the family pool, the trial has heard.

In an interview with homicide detectives in 1991, Dawson said he had yearned for contact from his wife after she had disappeared in January 1982.

Evidence suggests JC moved into his matrimonial home in Bayview, Sydney soon after Mrs Dawson vanished and was photographed wearing her clothing.

However, his legal team has denied any inferences could be drawn from this that murdered his wife to get her out of the way.

Ms David told Justice Ian Harrison that there was no committed relationship right away when JC moved into the home but that this had developed over time.

'Your Honour could not accept that she moved into the matrimonial bed as the wife, so to speak.'

Dawson previously claimed he only began a de facto relationship with JC in April 1982.

The pair married in 1984 and separated in 1990 amidst a heated custody dispute.

Dawson at the NSW Supreme Court on Friday. The murder trial is entering its final stages

Dawson's first wife Lynette (above, the couple together) hasn't been seen since January 1982

Ms David said her client's marriage to JC was not unusual because he truly thought Mrs Dawson had abandoned the home and moved on.

Evidence of any animosity towards Mrs Dawson could be rejected, the barrister said.

Claims by JC that Dawson had tried to hire a hitman to kill his wife before she disappeared were unreliable because they were first made during the acrimonious custody dispute, Ms David submitted.

Evidence by Warriewood Childcare worker Annette Leary that Mrs Dawson had bruises around her throat after being grabbed by her husband before a marriage counselling session the day before she disappeared should also be discounted, the court heard.

Not only did this evidence not line up with evidence from other childcare workers that the Dawsons arrived at the centre happy and in good spirits, but there were other inconsistencies in Ms Leary's testimony which made it unreliable, Ms David said.

The trial continues.
Child sex offenders in South Australia face longer jail terms after new laws were passed in state parliament.

Among the changes, the maximum penalty for gross indecency has been increased from five to 15 years behind bars.

People caught in possession of a child sex doll could face more than a decade behind bars while online predators who download, share or create child abuse material will get no leniency if the age of their victims is unknown.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher said South Australia now has some of the toughest laws in the country for protecting children and punishing offenders.

Child sex offenders in South Australia face longer jail terms after new laws were passed in state parliament (stock image)

'The penalties imposed on predators now better reflect the life-long impacts left on their victims,' he said.

'Our government has listened to survivors of child sex abuse and their families, and we are proud to deliver tough new laws that will appropriately punish predators.'

The changes come after a Royal Australian Air Force intelligence officer confessed to 230 child sex-related charges involving victims from around the world.

Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh pleaded guilty in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday to one of the largest child abuse cases ever made against a single offender in Australia.

Walsh's crimes were committed while he worked in electronic intelligence for the Defence Science and Technology Group at RAAF Base Edinburgh, about 25km north of Adelaide.

The offences involved child sexual exploitation, abuse and online grooming and included Walsh using photographs of children to blackmail them into providing sexually explicit pictures.

South Australia's Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) produced 88,000 pages of evidence against Walsh, according to The Advertiser.

Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh pleaded guilty in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday to one of the largest child abuse cases ever made against a single offender in Australia. Walsh is pictured

Walsh's crimes were committed while he worked in electronic intelligence for the Defence Science and Technology Group at RAAF Base Edinburgh (above), about 25km north of Adelaide

Walsh was first charged with just two offences in May 2021 and released on bail. He was arrested again in August that year and charged with 45 crimes.

The South Australian Supreme Court heard Walsh had spent eight months using social media apps to groom his teenage victims for sex and to solicit child abuse material.

Faced with the weight of forensic evidence Walsh agreed to cooperate with police and provide passwords to the accounts he had used to abuse children.

Prosecutors later revealed they had identified 25 victims and been in contact with international and interstate police forces.

'In excess of 1,000 messages, consisting of between 10,000 and 60,000 lines of chat each, directly relate to grooming children for specific sexual activities,' a prosecutor said at the time.

'We will allege Sergeant Walsh has been leveraging that material against the children to make them amenable to more serious offences.'
Porsche driver Richard Pusey has been denied bail in their latest bid in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Pusey is charged with posting graphic images online from the 2020 crash that killed four Victoria Police officers after they had pulled Pusey over for speeding.

The 43-year-old, who uses they/them pronouns, allegedly attached an image from the Eastern Freeway scene to an email to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

Another was allegedly posted with a review on the Porsche Centre Melbourne's website.

Porsche driver Richard Pusey has been denied bail in their latest bid in the Victorian Supreme Court

The 43 year old, who uses they/them pronouns, is charged with posting graphic images online from the 2020 crash that killed four Victoria Police officers after they had pulled Pusey over for speeding

Justice Lesley Taylor was not satisfied Pusey had shown any exceptional circumstances to be released from custody.

She also noted they were a risk of endangering the safety of the community and committing further offences while on bail.

They are also charged with committing offences while on bail.

The alleged offending was 'inherently offensive' and the people who had to view the images found them 'incredibly distressing', prosecutor Anthony Albore said on Friday.

It's alleged the offending occurred two weeks after Pusey was last released on bail.

Pusey also allegedly made threats in phone calls and letters while in custody, claiming they would harm people when back in the community, Mr Albore said.

But the 43-year-old denied making any threats, telling Justice Taylor they were venting because they were frustrated.

Self-represented, Pusey claimed they were being denied medical care in custody, including being refused blood tests and necessary intramuscular injections.

They claimed the prosecution case was weak and said they had documents that could disprove the allegations.

An emotional Pusey also said they required more psychological support, but that was not possible behind bars.

They're due to return to Sunshine Magistrates Court next month to contest the charges.
Actress Lisa Kay opened up about the nerve-wracking trip having heard a bang

No one on board was injured and the flight landed safely in Brisbane on Saturday

The Emirates flight from Dubai had a huge puncture in the left-hand wing fairing

Passengers on an Airbus disembarked to find they flew with a hole in the plane

An Emirates Airbus arrived in Brisbane with passengers, luggage and a big secret - shocking airline staff and travellers when it touched down on the tarmac.

Disembarking passengers and ground crew found a huge hole in the side of the plane after it had just completed a 14-hour intercontinental flight late on Saturday evening.

'Concerned' airline staff heard a large bang not long after the plane took-off from Dubai and advised Brisbane air traffic control the plane may have a blown a tyre.

A massive hole in the side of an Airbus A380 (pictured) stunned passengers as they disembarked from the plane after a 14-hour flight from Dubai

Anyone know the drag fuel factor penalty for this one?  #emirates #a380 pic.twitter.com/uPzsH9KVAk  Pontius Pilate (@pontius_is_goat) July 2, 2022

The pilots prepared for the worst before touching down in Brisbane and requested emergency crews be on standby on the landing strip.

The hole was blown into the left wing fairing - a non-structural, aerodynamic covering for the connection of the wing and the fuselage - just metres below the windows of the cabin, but no crew members or passengers were reported injured.

Amongst the passengers on the plane was a high-profile actress and a British professor who recalled the terrifying moment when passengers heard a bang.

The hole (pictured) was reportedly likely caused by a tyre rupturing as a result of a 'technical fault'

Actress Lisa Kay (pictured) was on the intercontinental flight and said she remembered the aircraft staff looking concerned

English actress Lisa Kay, who was on the flight, said: 'I recall a noise and the flight attendants looking concerned at each other!'

An English professor who was also on the flight described the ordeal as 'terrifying'.

'Was also on this flight. Was absolutely terrifying at first and the cabin crew knew something serious may have happened - were immediately in contact with the cockpit. Shortly after, they resumed as normal.

The wing fairing on an Airbus A380 (pictured) is a non-structural piece of the plane and serves to make the join of the wing and body more aerodynamic

Passengers on the flight took to Twitter to share how they heard a noise toward the beginning of the 14 hour flight

'Their calm demeanour was reassuring - they knew it was not catastrophic,' said Andrew Morris of UK's Loughborough University.

The punctured plane was stranded on the ground in Brisbane - unable to make its return flight - as staff made repairs to the plane.

The airline confirmed the accident saying it was a 'technical fault'.

'One of the aircraft's 22 tyres ruptured during cruise, causing damage to a small portion of the aerodynamic fairing, which is an outer panel or the skin of the aircraft,' they said.

At no point did it have any impact on the fuselage, frame or structure of the aircraft.

'The fairing has been completely replaced, checked and cleared by engineers, Airbus and all relevant authorities,' Emirates added.
CHICAGO (AP) - Mourners on Friday remembered a woman who worked tirelessly planning events at her synagogue in the first formal service to be held for the seven people killed by the gunman who opened fire on a July Fourth parade.

Synagogue members at North Shore Congregation Israel near the Chicago suburb of Highland Park described 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim as a dedicated member of their community who coordinated events and and taught preschool classes, smiling all along and constantly checking on other staff members.

"We are horrified," Rabbi Wendi Geffen said. "We are enraged, sickened, aggrieved, inconsolable for the terror that has befallen us and robbed us of Jacki."

But Geffen and other speakers urged the people filling the synagogue to focus on Sundheims life - her commitment to her husband, Bruce, and daughter, Leah, the pleasure she took in knitting and her attention to detail when planning bat or bar mitzahs, weddings or funerals.

Her daughter had another request: to use the pain, fear and rage caused by her mother's death to make the world better, in small thoughts and actions.

"I want you to laugh," she said, holding back tears. "I want you to each and every day put a little more joy and kindness into this world. Do not let this sadness, this fear, rage turn you bitter towards our world. The world is darker without my mom in it, and it's up to us now to fill it with a little extra laughter."

Chalk written signs dedicated to the seven people killed in Monday's Fourth of July mass shooting are pictured on a sidewalk at a memorial site, Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Highland Park, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Friends and family of two beloved grandfathers planned to gather later Friday for services in memory of 88-year-old Stephen Straus and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza. Services for 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo are scheduled for Saturday.

Funeral details for the remaining victims have not been made public. Authorities have identified them as 35-year-old Irina McCarthy and 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy, who were attending the parade with their 2-year-old son, and 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein, a mother of two.

The accused gunman, Robert E. Crimo III, has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors expect to bring more charges representing the more than 30 people were wounded in the assault.

Investigators have said the suspect, who lived in neighboring Highwood, legally purchased five weapons and planned the attack for weeks before he climbed to the roof of a business along the parade route and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.

Investigators reported that Crimo fled the parade by blending in with the fleeing crowd, then drove to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he contemplated a second attack. He returned to the Highland Park area, and his car was spotted by police.

Questions remain about whether Crimo should have been able to legally purchase firearms in Illinois. Illinois State Police officials have defended the approval of his gun license in December 2019, months after police received reports that he had made suicidal and violent threats.
Police bodycam footage has been released of former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark, standing in his underwear during an early morning raid by federal agents on his home last month

Clark, who tried to help President Donald Trump overturn his 2020 election loss, had his house searched by U.S. law enforcement agents.

Video of the raid just after dawn, obtained by CNN, sees Clark opening the front door to his Virginia home wearing just a blue shirt and underpants.

A female federal agent introduces herself and asks him to step outside. She then informs him that the officers have a search warrant.

Bodycam footage has been released that sees Clark opening the front door to his Virginia home wearing just a blue shirt and underpants during an early morning raid last month

Clarks asks if he able to put pants on but the agents refused and told him to come outside

Clark suggests that he might be able to wait in his garage but he is again refused. The raid took more than three hours

'Can I call my lawyer?' Clark can be heard asking.

'Let's step outside,' the officer responds. 'Just real quick, we've got to clear the house, make sure you're safe.'

'Sir, we gotta clear the house,' one agent responds.

'We're gonna clear the house, and as soon as we clear the house we'll get you talking to your lawyer and we'll get some pants on, okay?' another adds.

'Can I put pants on first?' Clark then asks in disbelief.

The officers refused once again stating that they need to enter his home. Clark suggests that he might be able to wait in his garage but he is again refused.

'Stand behind the cars and no one will see you,' an officer tells him.

'There's no reason for this,' Clark can be heard saying.

Officers ended up seizing electronics while a dog was also used to help undercover and sniff out any electronic devices that might be hidden.

Clark said he believed what had occurred was a politically motivated action.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, Clark shared his dismay at what he had been subjected to

'At one point 12 agents and two Fairfax County Police Officers went into my house, searched it for 3.5 hours,' he said. 'They took all of the electronics from my house,' he said in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

'I just think we're living in an era that I don't recognize and increasingly, Tucker, I don't recognize the country anymore with these Stasi-like things happening,' Clark said.

'Yeah, this is Stalinist,' responded Carlson. 'At some point, somebody's gonna fight back and it's going to get super ugly. I pray that it doesn't happen but I think it probably will.'

Federal agents searched the home of Jeffrey Clark, the former U.S. Justice Dept. official who tried to help President Donald Trump overturn his 2020 election loss

Appearing on Tucker Carlson on last month, Clark described the search as 'Stasi-like'

The Stasi was one of the most hated and feared institutions of the East German communist government between 1950 and 1990.

One of the Stasi's main tasks was spying on the population, primarily through a vast network of citizens-turned-informants, and fighting any opposition by overt and covert measures.

Clark, a former Justice Department official and fervent Trump, explained how federal agents searched his home for three-and-a-half hours.

The raid came one day after a congressional panel spotlighted his role in seeking to help President Donald Trump overturn his 2020 loss.

Clark was a staunch supporter of Trump's false claims of widespread election fraud.

Federal agents searched the home of Jeffrey Clark, a former Department of Justice lawyer who former President Donald Trump considered installing as attorney general in the days before the January 6 Capitol riot, as part of an effort to overturn the election

Former top Justice Department officials cast Clark, then an environmental lawyer, as incompetent and unqualified and said the move was abandoned only when most of the department leadership threatened to resign en masse.

Clark was previously deposed by the committee but repeatedly invoked his legal right not to answer questions that might be self-incriminating under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Clark accused the department's search and the House hearings of being 'highly politicized.'

Clark would have been a key figure in Trump's plan to remain in power after he lost the 2020 election.
One Nation will no longer be Pauline's - at least in its title.

The party, which ran in the last election as Pauline Hanson's One Nation, will now simply be known as One Nation.

Dropping the founder's name comes in the wake of a disappointing election where the party fielded its largest ever number of candidates but only saw its leader Ms Hanson win.

One Nation has dropped the name of its founder, Pauline Hanson (pictured) from its title

Ms Hanson said the name change was a way of looking to the future, although the party has previously been known as One Nation.

'One Nation is the fastest growing minor party with six elected members of parliament across three states and the likelihood of it growing even further over the next 12 months is very real,' she told the Courier Mail.

Ms Hanson will rejoin One Nation colleague Malcolm Roberts (pictured left) in the Senate after her re-election at the last poll became a very close call

'I'm extremely proud of the achievements we've made over such a short period of time, but it's important as a party we continue to grow and part of that growth includes recognising that it's not just about Pauline Hanson.'

In the May election One Nation fielded 149 lower house candidates but failed to see any of them get up.

While the party's national primary vote did increase from 1.8 per cent to 4.9 per cent, election analysts attributed the rise to running candidates in every seat.

Ms Hanson won her Senate after a surprisingly close tussle with Legalise Cannabis Australia leader Bernie Bradley.

Ms Hanson speaks at a protest against the Queensland Government's vaccine mandate laws with one academic claiming the competition for populist votes hurt One Nation's poll showing

One Nation lost almost three per cent of its 2019 vote but a strong flow of preferences saw Ms Hanson home.

Analysing the result Australian Catholic University Associate Professor of Politics Benjamin Moffitt believed it was indicative of an underwhelming showing by the party.

'Hanson is very well known  particularly in Queensland  so it was also surprising to see her fighting for her political life against a little known party,' he wrote in The Conversation.

Assoc Prof Moffitt attributed One Nation's poor showing to competing with other right-wing populists such as the United Australia Party, the waning of Covid lockdowns and restrictions, plus the negation of immigration as an issue due to border closures.

Legalise Cannabis Australia Party leader Bernie Bradley (pictured) was in a tight race with Ms Hanson but preferences saw her home

Ms Hanson said changing the party's name to One Nation showed the party was about more than her.

'One Nation is as much about Stephen Andrew, Malcolm Roberts, Mark Latham, Rod Roberts, Sarah Game and the future candidates who continue to represent the conservative values I started this party with,' she said.

''I feel now is as good a time to make the change as any.'

Ms Hanson was originally elected as a Liberal for the seat of Oxley in 1996 but after a controversial maiden speech, left the mainstream party to form Pauline Hanson's One Nation in 1997.

She resigned from the party in 2002 but returned in 2013 with the party taking back its original name Pauline Hanson's One Nation in 2015.

The party has elected representatives in the NSW, Queensland and SA parliaments.

Ms Hanson, who is serving her second six-year term, will join the party's other senator, Malcolm Roberts, now more than half way through his six years after being elected in the 2019 poll.
Australians who get a fourth Covid jab will still be able to get a fifth shot if a new vaccine which specifically targets the rampant Omicron strain is approved - however there could be a significant wait between the two doses.

The fourth Covid jab was thrown open to all Australians aged over 30 on Thursday as the nation's health experts rush to ease the burden on hospitals.

While the Australian Technical Advisory Group of Immunisation (ATAGI) has not 'strongly recommended' those aged 30 to 49 get the second booster, they can if they choose.

The announcement left many in that age group wondering whether they should wait to see if a Moderna vaccine which targets Omicron, as well as the original coronavirus, is approved.

That vaccine is still being assessed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Australians who get a fourth Covid jab will still be able to get a fifth shot in future if a new vaccine which specifically targets the rampant Omicron strain is approved

The fourth Covid jab was thrown open to all Australians aged over 30 on Thursday as the nation's health experts rushed to ease the burden on hospitals

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Aged Care told Daily Mail Australia that getting a fourth jab now would not stop anyone from later receiving a fifth shot of any new vaccine.

What we know about Omicron vaccine Moderna has produced a vaccine it believes works against the Omicron variant as well as the original Covid-19 strain. Preliminary studies show people given the experimental shot experience a higher boost in Omicron-fighting antibodies than from the currently available fourth jab. The vaccine is being assessed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Advertisement

'Having a fourth dose of the currently available vaccines would not preclude later access to a new vaccine that may offer better protection against transmission and the Omicron strain,' the spokeswoman said.

'The availability and timing of any new vaccines is still subject to ongoing regulatory and other approvals and they have not yet been approved anywhere in the world.'

The spokeswoman said it was likely an interval of some months would be recommended between the fourth dose of the current vaccines and a dose of any new vaccine that became available.

'This could be a factor in someone's choice to have or not have a fourth dose in the 30 to 49 year old age group,' she said.

ATAGI has stated the evidence of any benefit in having a fourth dose for the 30 to 49 age group was not as strong for those over 50.

'Some additional short term protection is likely to be achieved and those people who are keen to maximise short term protection in the context of another wave of Omicron may therefore choose to take up this option,' the spokeswoman said.

The fourth Covid jab has been approved for all Australians aged over 30 as the nation's health experts rush to ease the strain on overcrowded hospitals

ATAGI has declared Australians over 50 should receive their fourth jab, with the 50-64 age group 'specifically recommended' to do so from Monday, July 11.

The fourth vaccine is now available for an extra 7.4 million Australians, with residents aged 65 and over already eligible for the second booster.

The new wave of BA4 and BA5 subvariants are ripping through Australia due to high transmissbility, with early data suggesting the strains have evolved to evade the existing vaccines and acquired immunity.

On Thursday, there were 3,921 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the country, still below the 5,000-plus around the Australia Day peak of Omicron, but an increase of 24 per cent since mid-May.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler (above) said the new vaccine recommendations came as a response to surging numbers across the country

Symptoms of new BA4 and BA5 subvariants Runny nose Sneezing Fatigue Sore throat Dry cough Loss of taste Loss of smell Muscle aches and pains Headache Red or irritated eyes Vomiting Diarrhoea Skin rash Discolouration of fingers or toes Advertisement

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the new vaccine recommendations came as a response to surging numbers across the country.

'ATAGI specifically recommended that people aged 50 to 64 years should have their fourth dose, while people aged 30 to 49 years may choose to have a fourth shot,' Mr Butler said.

Of those aged 65 already eligible for the fourth vaccine, 60 per cent had already received the jab.

The interval between vaccinations has also been reduced from four months to three months to combat the new wave of BA4 and BA5.

'Case numbers are rising, hospitalisations are up by several hundred just in the fortnight, and most state governments and the federal government are projecting that that's going to continue for some time yet,' Mr Butler said.

'We are absolutely committed to doing whatever we can as a government to get through this winter and get through this third Omicron wave that's headed our way.'

The Therapeutic Goods Administration announced on Wednesday it had granted two provisional determinations to Pfizer Australia for its vaccines Comirnaty Omicron and Comirnaty Bivalent.

It means Pfizer is now able to apply to the TGA for provisional registration of the two vaccines and seek authorisation to bring them to market.

People aged over 65 are already eligible for the fourth vaccine, with Mr Butler confirming 60 per cent of that age group have already received the jab

Queensland's chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said the new forms of the virus were not expected to peak until late July or early August.

'It's very likely that either you or someone you know close to you will be infected, it will be very common. My message is it's important for you to prepare now,' he said, urging the take-up of boosters.

As the nation grapples with rising case numbers, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says immunisation experts will look at available evidence before making a recommendation on a broader fourth dose rollout.

There were 3,921 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the country

'The pandemic isn't over, so my view is that (Australia) will inevitably follow what has occurred in other parts of the world and roll out a further booster shot,' he said on Wednesday.

'I'd encourage people who haven't had their booster shots to go out there if they're eligible and do it as a matter of urgency.'

A fourth dose is currently available for Australians aged 65 and older and vulnerable people.

Victoria has extended its pandemic declaration by three months until at least October 12.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard also warned that anyone who isn't fully vaccinated is 'crazy' as the state braces for a third wave to peak.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says he's committed to getting the Warragamba Dam wall raised as downstream farmers pile on the pressure amid the state's devastating floods.

But Mr Perrottet wants the federal government to go 50-50 with the state to finance the controversial project.

'This is a project in the billions of dollars, it is not a simple project,' he said on Friday.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says he's committed to getting the Warragamba Dam (pictured) wall raised as downstream farmers pile on the pressure amid the state's devastating floods

Mr Perrottet (pictured) wants the federal government to go 50:50 with the state to finance the controversial project

The premier said it was not the only solution as well at a time when the state has been warned to pull back from major infrastructure projects during the current economic turbulence.

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns was sceptical about the project and said he would like to see more money thrown into evacuation routes for flood-affected areas.

'I would have thought that would be the absolute priority,' he said.

'You could actually see a situation that's improved as a result of state government money going into those communities, lifting the infrastructure, the evacuation routes for communities in flood-prone areas.'

Mr Perrottet has been touring flooded areas along with Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke.

Friday's dose of sunshine has sparked warnings from authorities not to think the worst of the floods are over, with waters still high and the risk of landslips remaining.

About 47,000 NSW residents remain under evacuation orders, with 50,000 being told to return home with caution.

Financial relief for flood-affected communities was extended overnight to six additional local government areas, bringing the total of disaster-declared council regions to 29.

Financial relief for flood-affected communities was extended overnight to six additional local government areas, bringing the total of disaster-declared council regions to 29 (pictured, flooding in Windsor and McGraths Hill, NSW)

'We don't want any community to miss out,' Mr Perrottet said.

'We're erring on the side of 'people are impacted'.'

About 700 NSW residents called for help overnight as floodwaters rose and heavy rain lashed the state's Hunter and mid-north coast regions.

State Emergency Service deputy commissioner Damien Johnston told people to be safe around floodwaters even as the rain subsided.

Contaminated water, electrical hazards and unseen underwater debris are all concerns.

'Where the sun is shining, there's still many risks out there,' he said.

Resilience NSW boss Shane Fitzsimmons said staff were being deployed to begin helping with recovery efforts.

This comes after his organisation faced heavy criticism for its slow response to victims earlier this year.

'(We're) seeking to do things better, quicker than we have before,' Mr Fitzsimmons told Nine.

The emergency services minister said the state could hold its head high in terms of its response this time.

'I know that the work is not finished yet. We are moving into the recovery stage,' Ms Cooke said.

Heavy rains may have subsided to the relief of thousands but severe flooding still poses risks in saturated catchments.

Evacuation orders remained in place for parts of Sydney and the Hunter. Floodwaters in some parts of the Hunter (pictured) reached record levels

Evacuation orders remained in place for parts of Sydney and the Hunter. Floodwaters in some parts of the Hunter reached record levels.

The risk of landslips, trees toppling and flash flooding is still present following persistent heavy rain over several days across multiple regions.

Hazardous surf and marine wind warnings are also still in place for parts of the NSW coast.

Maitland mayor Philip Penfold said thousands remained isolated as floods cut off whole suburbs.

'The people of Maitland are very anxious,' he told the ABC on Friday.

'But fingers crossed we've seen the worst of it.'
A Melbourne psychologist is accused of trying to steal up to $2.25million from her dying partner by creating a fake will to exclude her family.

Kris Schroder, 61, offered to pay her partner Maree Hart's niece and nephew $200,000 to drop action against the will and forged two friends' signatures, prosecutor David O'Doherty told jurors in a County Court trial on Friday.

Schroder pleaded not guilty to nine charges including obtaining financial advantage by deception, perverting the course of justice and perjury.

Melbourne psychologist, Kris Schroder (pictured, leaving County Court on Friday), 61, is accused of trying to steal up to $2.25 million from her dying partner by creating a fake will to exclude her family

Prosecutors allege Schroder created a fake will for her dying partner that left about $2.25million worth of property, inheritance and shares to her, and excluded family members who were named as beneficiaries in a prior will.

But Schroder rejects that the will was fake, denies knowing it was fake and denies forging her friend's signatures to gain a financial advantage by deception, her lawyer Simon Kenny said.

The psychologist began a relationship with Ms Hart, a registered nurse, in 1994 and moved into Ms Hart's Newport property four years later.

In 2006 the couple purchased a property in Kew, with Ms Hart owning 80 per cent and Schroder the remaining 20 per cent.

Ms Hart was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer in 2015 and died in a hospice the following year.

Her $2.25million estate included $1.2million for her share in the Kew house and $909,000 from her late mother's estate.

Prosecutors allege Schroder (pictured) created a fake will for her dying partner that left about $2.25 million worth of property, inheritance and shares to her, and excluded family members who were named as beneficiaries in a prior will

Before Ms Hart's death, Schroder told her partner's niece and nephew their aunt did not have her affairs in order and did not have medical or financial powers of attorney, Mr O'Doherty said.

She sold the couple's Kew property for $1.5million subject to probate and travelled to Thailand with two of her friends, where she allegedly told them she'd created a fake will, dated 2014, and forged their signatures as witnesses.

Schroder then applied to the Supreme Court for probate, citing the 2014 will, which made her the sole beneficiary of Ms Hart's estate.

Ms Hart's sister initially contested the will but withdrew her case after Schroder revealed a 1998 will which had named the niece and nephew as additional beneficiaries.

The nephew then lodged his own caveat over the will.

Schroder, the jury was told, then tried to get Ms Hart's niece and nephew to withdraw the caveat by offering them $100,000 each from the estate.

They were played a voicemail in which Schroder offered the siblings a share of the inheritance and gave them two days to accept her offer.

The trial before Judge Claire Quin continues.
A one-off new recording of Bob Dylan's hit song Blowin' In The Wind has sold for almost 1.5million at auction in London.

The release is the first new studio recording of the song since Dylan wrote it in 1962 and was sold by Christie's yesterday.

The sale exceeded the original price estimated by the auction house, which was set at between 600,000 to 1million.

The record, which went for a total of 1,482,000, was made in March 2021 with Dylan's long-time collaborator T Bone Burnett and featured as part of Christie's Exceptional Sale during its Classic Week.

It also showcases a new type of record that combines some of the materials used in CDs and vinyl.

Burnett said he hoped the new recording, offered on a new audio medium: Ionic Original, would help 'develop a musical space in the fine arts market'.

Bob Dylan at a rock concert at Hyde Park in London on July 12, 2019

The record (pictured) sold at Christie's in London for nearly 1.5million

'I trust and hope it will mean as much to whomever acquired it today at Christie's Exceptional Sale as it does to all of us who made it, and that they will consider it and care for it as a painting or any other singular work of art,' he said.

This year marks Dylan's 60th anniversary as a recording artist and of Blowin' In The Wind, which was written for his second album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

Peter Klarnet, Christie's senior specialist in Americana, books and manuscripts, said: 'We are so pleased with the excellent result this evening for the 'Ionic Original' disc of Bob Dylan's first new studio recording of Blowin' in the Wind since 1962.

'To work with such an incredibly important and groundbreaking advance in analogue playback technology is a tremendous honour.

'We are excited that this is just the beginning for this amazing new opportunity for recording artists to work with T Bone and NeoFidelity to reset the value of music.'

Peter Klarnet, Christie's senior specialist in Americana, said nothing of its kind has been sold before, with the closest example the Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, by the Wu-Tang Clan, when a single CD copy was created in 2015.

Originally written and released in 1962, the new version features a full band which played alongside Dylan as he sang. Pictured, Bob Dylan recording his first album in 1961

The record was housed in a custom walnut and white oak cabinet, pictured

While it was sold for an undisclosed sum to hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli, it was resold for a reported $4million by the US Department of Justice when Shkreli was convicted of fraud.

The Dylan record is made from an aluminium disk with a protective lacquer made from a combination of sapphire and quartz.

It uses the same technology as test pressings, also known as acetates, which musicians often say sound better than vinyl.

However they have a shorter lifespan, as the needle pushing into the grooves melts the usual lacquer.

The new type of record, known as Ionic Original, was developed using Space Station technology, removing enough friction to stop the acetate degrading.

It can be played on a normal turntable and was described as the 'pinnacle of sound' by Burnett.
Former PM Scott Morrison has led tributes from Aussie politicians to ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after he was shot in the chest while giving a speech.

Mr Abe, 67, who is Japan's longest-serving PM, is feared dead after the shooting at around 11.30am local time in the city of Nara - near Osaka.

The news sent shockwaves around the world with firefighters at the scene saying the ex-PM was showing 'no vital signs' after the shooting.

Scott Morrison posted a heartfelt tribute to Mr Abe on his Facebook page, with current PM Anthony Albanese and former leaders Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull also sending messages.

'I am deeply distressed to hear the reports of the alleged attack on former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe,' wrote Mr Morrison. 'PM Abe is a great and wise friend of Australia and one of the most important global leaders of the post war era. Our prayers are with him, his wife Akie and the people of Japan at this very difficult time.'

On Twitter, Mr Albanese added: 'Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot - our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time.'

Scott Morrison posted a heartfelt tribute to Shinzo Abe on his Facebook page. Pictured are the two of them in 2019

Tony Abbott (centre) also paid tribute to Mr Abe. Pictured are the two of them with Barack Obama in 2014

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lies on the ground after being shot during an election campaign speech on Friday in Nara. A suspect was arrested at the scene seconds later

Mr Turnbull wrote: 'Horrified by this terrible news from Japan. Abe Shinzo is one of the great leaders of our times. Right now we must hope and pray that he pulls through.'

And Mr Abbott described the Japanese politician as a 'friend' of Australia as she shared his shock.

'This is a shocking act of violence against one of the world's leading democratic statesmen and we all have to hope and pray that he somehow pulls through. Australia has never had a better friend in Japan than Shinzo Abe, which is why we are so numbed by this appalling act.'

Mr Abe is Japan's longest-serving PM having held office twice from 2006 to 2007 and 2012 to 2020.

There is no official word on his condition though medics said he was 'in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest'.

That phrase commonly used in Japan when someone has died but doctors have not officially pronounced it.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a military veteran, was arrested at the scene with police also confiscating what appeared to be a homemade firearm.

Witnesses reported hearing two shots while Mr Abe was making an election campaign speech ahead of Sunday's election for the parliament's upper house. He then collapsed holding his chest, his shirt smeared with blood.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said police tackled and arrested a male suspect at the scene of the shooting.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bleeds from chest on the ground after being shot in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station

The suspected gunman who allegedly shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station is seized by a security police officer

Police tackle the suspect who is believed to shoot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Abe makes a speech in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station moments before being shot on July 8

Yamagami was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said, according to NHK. A gun confiscated from the scene appeared to be homemade, police said.

It was a stunning development in a country with famously low levels of violent crime and tough gun laws, involving Japan's best-known politician.

'Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 am,' in the country's western region of Nara, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

'One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown.'

'Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it,' Matsuno added.

The suspected gunman, who was tackled at the scene and arrested, is a former soldier who was in the Japanese self-defense forces and appears to have built the improvised weapon used in the shooting.

Several Ministry of Defense officials confirmed that Yamagami had been working for the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years until around 2005.

It was reported that Mr Abe had his security team around him during the speech on Friday, but the attacker was able to pull this gun out and shoot him at close range 'without being checked.'
A London Overground driver whose train crashed through buffers at a station during rush-hour has been charged with falling asleep at the controls, a court has heard.

Erkan Mehmet, 40, who has also been charged with being unfit for work through drink or drugs, was driving the service when it derailed at the Enfield Town terminus.

Two people were injured in the incident and firefighters evacuated 50 commuters from the train, which had travelled from Liverpool Street in October last year.

Mehmet, of Waltham Abbey, Essex, has now been charged with endangering the safety of passengers on the train by falling asleep while driving the service.

A London Overground train derailed at Enfield Town station in North London in October 2021

The Overground train crashed through buffers at Enfield Town station during rush-hour

The eight-carriage London Overground train derailed at Enfield Town station in October 2021

The eight-carriage Overground train crashed through the buffers and derailed last October

He has also been charged with having 'worked on a railway as a driver whilst unfit to carry out that work through drink or drugs', reported the Evening Standard.

Mehmet appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Monday, and indicated not guilty pleas to both charges as the case was sent for trial by jury.

He was released on unconditional bail until a pre-trial hearing which is due to take place at Inner London Crown Court in just under a month's time on August 2.

In the incident on October 12 last year, the eight-carriage Overground train crashed through the buffers and derailed before almost going through the ticket hall.

Services were suspended from Edmonton Green to Enfield Town due to the crash last year

More than a dozen emergency services vehicles were deployed to the scene last October

London Ambulance Service sent paramedics to Enfield Town station after the incident

The station is at the northern end of one of the lines running to Liverpool Street, making it popular with commuters who work in the City of London.

Transport for London, which controls the Overground network, said at the time that services were suspended from Edmonton Green to Enfield Town due to the crash.

More than a dozen emergency services vehicles were deployed to the scene, and the fire service described the train as having 'gone up over the top' of the buffers.

London Ambulance Service said two people were assessed for minor injuries, and rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road sent two safety inspectors to the site.
The father of a woman who vanished 10 years ago insists her alleged killer is innocent - even though he committed suicide on the eve of his murder trial verdict.

James Scott Church, 53, allegedly killed ex-girlfriend Leisl Smith in 2012 but his 68-day trial ended on Friday before the judge could deliver a verdict.

Justice Elizabeth Fullerton told NSW Supreme Court she would now never be allowed to pronounce Church guilty or not guilty because of his death on Thursday.

But Ms Smith's father has furiously protested that Church was not the killer - and he believes his daughter is still alive.

Storm Smith said he had seen his daughter after she initially disappeared and said she would be 'very, very upset' that Church was now dead.

'I don't think that he committed suicide means he killed my daughter,' Mr Smith said.

Storm Smith (pictured) father of Leisl Smith, says he believes his daughter is still alive

Leisl Smith (pictured), 23, vanished from Tuggerah Railway Station on the NSW Central Coast on August 19, 2012. Her onetime boyfriend James Scott Church was charged with murder in 2018 and stood trial this year but was found dead on Thursday, a day before the trial verdict

'She was in love with him and he was in love with her too.

'He wasn't my cup of tea, but she was old enough to make her own decisions.'

Ms Smith was last seen in CCTV footage clambering into a white ute and her bank accounts have not been touched since she went missing.

She vanished from Tuggerah Railway Station on the NSW Central Coast on August 19, 2012.

Her body has never been found, and the hunt for her killer has become of Australia's most famous cold cases.

But Mr Smith believes he saw his daughter in Windsor after she was reported missing, and Church had nothing to do with her disappearance.

James Scott Church, above, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Smith during a 68-day judge-alone trial in the NSW Supreme Court. Following his death on Thursday Justice Fullerton said she could not, under the law, deliver a verdict

Church's body was found at his home in Inverell, in the state's north, on Thursday. It is believed he took his own life.

Church's death ended all legal proceeding which the judge acknowledged would be frustrating for those who knew Ms Smith.

'The law simply does not allow me to return a verdict, to publicly announce it, or to publish the very lengthy reasons which were ready to be published this morning,' Justice Fullerton said.

Ms Smith's mother wept in the court, as did family and supporters of Church.

Church, a farrier, had pleaded not guilty to Ms Smith's murder in January this year and had been released on bail.

He stood trial before Justice Fullerton, sitting without a jury, in a hearing that ended on May 24, awaiting Friday's verdict.

The Crown had alleged Church killed Ms Smith and buried her body in the Upper Hunter Valley after she told people she was pregnant by him.

The prosecution said he murdered Ms Smith to save his relationship with new partner Belinda Lees.

Defence barrister Manny Conditsis said in his opening address there were other possible explanations for Ms Smith's disappearance

Ms Smith sent these text messages to a woman called Kobie-Rose Palmer saying she was pregnant to Church in June 2012, two months before she disappeared. At the time Church had begun a relationship with another woman, Belinda Lees

The Crown had alleged Church killed Ms Smith (above) and buried her body in the Upper Hunter Valley after she told people she was pregnant to him and because he wanted to save his new relationship with Belinda Lees

'There are alternative scenarios that are inconsistent with his guilt and consistent with his innocence,' Mr Conditsis told the court.

Mr Conditsis contended other scenarios could not be ruled out including that Ms Smith's violent ex-boyfriend, the late Craig Elkin, could have been involved or that she disappeared on purpose.

TIMELINE OF TRAGEDY August 19, 2012: Leisl Smith, 23, vanishes from Tuggerah Railway Station on the NSW Central Coast. She is seen in CCTV footage clambering into a white ute. 2018: Leisl's former lover James Scott Church is charged with her murder. May 24, 2022: Church has his bail continued at the end of a 68-day judge along trial in the NSW Supreme Court. July 7, 2022: Scott, 53, is found dead in his home at Inverell in the state's north, 24 hours before Justice Elizabeth Fullerton was to deliver her verdict. July 8, 2022: Justice Fullerton says she is legally unable to deliver a verdict of guilty or not guilty because of Church's death. Advertisement

'There is a reasonable possibility that she had to get away and for no one to find her,' he said. 'She had said things to people like, "If I want to disappear no-one will find me".'

Mr Conditsis had also raised the possibility Ms Smith was killed by an outlaw motorcycle gang member over a drug debt.

'When drug dealers don't get paid they usually get a bit annoyed,' Justice Elizabeth Fullerton responded.

Elkin's body was found floating in the Hunter River in 2015. Police at the time said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.

The ABC reported Ms Smith's mother Sandra Harvey gave evidence that her daughter told her Elkins had been running drugs for a bikie gang.

'I was shocked and I told her she needed to get away,' Ms Harvey told the court.

The defence had also suggested Ms Smith had a troubled childhood and took her own life.

The court Ms Smith had been living with her father Storm Smith at the time she went missing and he had received a disturbing text message from his daughter two days after he last saw her.

'I can't do this and I'm not going to keep your secret any more,' the message read.

Mr Smith said he had not understood the message, while the Crown alleged it was sent to falsely suggest Ms Smith was still alive.

Leisl Smith sent this message to Kobie-Rose Palmer referring to Church cheating on his girlfriend by sleeping with her
Boris Johnsons downfall is a victory for Vladimir Putin, according to Russian state-controlled TV which celebrated Thursday's news from Downing Street.

The outgoing British prime minister has been 'the main sponsor of the war', but now the 'clown' was on the way out, viewers across the countrys 11 time zones were told.

Now the coalition dedicated to defeating Putin 'has crumbled', triggering 'mourning' in Kyiv, as a result of Johnson being sunk by 'hideous homosexual scandals' and partying in his government, they gloated.

Olga Skabeyeva, Russia 1 TV anchor and propagandist, holds the nickname Putin's 'Iron Doll' for her staunchly Pro-Putin views. Skabeyeva told viewers the outgoing PM had been 'up to his neck' in homosexual scandals in recent months.

Liza Gerson, the London correspondent of Gazprom-Media's NTV, said that Boris's departure was 'not a pretty exit' and credited the outgoing PM for providing military support to Ukraine

His demise had left Ukraine 'mourning', said Russia 1 propagandist Olga Skabeyeva - known as Putins 'Iron Doll'.

The reports neglected the fact that Putin had triggered the war with his invasion of Ukraine back in February, instead depicting Johnson as the main villain which Moscow was happy to see throw in the towel.

The London correspondent of Gazprom-Media's NTV, Liza Gerson, reported that this was 'not a pretty exit' while directly crediting him with providing Ukrainians with the military firepower to strike Russian soil.

'This clown, as speaker of the State Duma [Russian parliament] Vyacheslav Volodin called him, was responsible for the shelling of Belgorod and Kursk, peaceful cities in Russia.'

He had survived a previous bid to oust him in February, she said.

'Perhaps if he had been kicked out then, fewer civilian lives might have been lost.'

Hailing Johnsons impending exit, Skabeyeva told her viewers: 'The anti-Putin coalition has crumbled before our eyes

'The main international political news is Boris Johnson's resignation.

'In Ukraine, naturally mourning, Boris is the main sponsor of the war, while there's a whole show in Downing Street.

'Fifty-seven members of the British government resigned.... Johnson's sacking was even demanded by former members of his cabinet.'

This meant 'no more partying in Downing Street, even in non-Covid times,' she said.

'Johnson's speech scolded British journalists who helped expose the hideous homosexual scandals in which the PM has been up to his neck in recent months.

'But Boris did not mention his personal mistakes.'

Everyone else - but not him - was to blame, including British journalists exposing the scandals around him, his own colleagues and even Russia 'for not respecting the British prime minister'.

Olga Skabeyeva said there will be 'mourning' in Ukraine as Johnson was the 'main sponsor of the war' as she cheered Johnson's departure from Downing Street

Skabeyevas husband and fellow pro-Putin pundit Yevgeny Popov - also an MP - concluded: 'After Odessa's honorary citizen Boris Johnsonyuk got his ass kicked, it seems to have dawned on the chaps in Kyiv that the anti-Russian coalition is now crumbling.'

In its main news bulletin, Rossiya 1 reported Larry the Cat would get a new owner.

'Its time to fly the white flag over Downing Street,' viewers were told.

'But Johnson remained true to Ukraine which has saved him many times

After announcing his resignation, the first thing he did was phone Kyiv.

'Johnsons habit of diverting attention to Ukraine has long been a source of jokes in the UK.'

The pair (above right) hailed the PM's resignation and said the 'anti-Russian coalition' is now crumbling. State-controlled Channel 1 hinted that they hoped his successor would be not so supportive of Ukraine and less aggressive to Russia

State-controlled Channel 1 said Johnson had been 'aggressive and hostile' towards Russia.

There was hope his successor would not be so supportive of Ukraine, it hinted.

'By no means all [Britons] approve of the prime minister making Ukraine his primary concern, ignoring the problems at home.'

Another pro-Putin TV pundit Vladimir Solovyov said: The tragedy of British politics is that they all try to cosplay - [Boris] Johnson tried to cosplay Churchill, Liz Truss tried to cosplay Thatcher.

All of them across Europe are paying the price for Russophobia.

Johnson in the UK, Macron in France, now issues started in Estonia, too.

They all must realise that what theyve been doing against Russia was not what their people wanted to support.

Andrey Kelin, Russian ambassador to London, called for Johnsons next successor to be less hostile to Putin. He also said 'It is too early to speak about how this [Boris Johnsons resignation] would influence Russian-British relations.'

The Russian ambassador to London Andrey Kelin called for Johnsons successor to be less hostile to Putin.

'Of course, we would prefer someone who is not so antagonistic or belligerent,' he said.

Johnson 'concentrated too much on the geopolitical situation, on Ukraine.'

'He left behind - very much - the country, people, state of the economy, and this is what has brought this outcome,' said Kelin.

But he told Channel 1: 'It is too early to speak about how this [Boris Johnsons resignation] would influence Russian-British relations.'
Have you seen a sadder playground? Send us your pictures and details to alastair.lockhart@mailonline.co.uk

A London playground made up of just one slide has been dubbed 'the saddest in the UK'.

The children's' play area in Tooting Broadway, South London was even called a 'sad art installation' by some online.

Rex Osborn, a Labour council candidate posted photos of the lone slide on Twitter,

He said: 'For 44 years Conservative Wandsworth Council neglected Tooting Broadway. This sad, dismal council playground is symbolic of that neglect.

'If elected to the council, on 14 July, I'll get this playground upgraded.'

The entire playground is made up of a single slide, a bench and two railings surrounding them

A Labour council candidate and the local Labour MP said the lacklustre park was part of the 'remnants' of the Conservative Council which has run Wandsworth for the last 40 years

One Twitter user suggested locals were overreacting to the quality of the playground, telling them to 'get a grip'

Have you seen a sadder playground? Send us your pictures and details to alastair.lockhart@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

Many Twitter users criticised the small play area online, with one even calling it 'pathetic'. Another commented: 'What a sad playground.'

Labour MP for Tooting, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, also blamed the uninspiring playground on the previous Conservative council, saying it was: 'The remnants of 44 years of Tory rule in Wandsworth. The saddest looking playground, ever. With a new Labour Council now in place, we're going to change it.'

One Twitter user said: 'That's a playground? I've seen many in poor shape, but you know it's a playground.

'It definitely needs help and TLC. Upgrade is a must and bigger is better, when it comes to play equipment for kids. Do at least one thing for the kids for goodness sake. Good luck!'

Another person commented: 'Possibly the worst saddest playground I've ever seen.' One questioned: 'Ignoring politics for a moment to ask a genuine question: Is this the worst playground in the country?'

However, some people came to the playgrounds defence. One said: 'Get a grip that's not neglect just undersized. Try up north to see what neglect is. Jesus it's even painted.'

Aydin Dikerdem, Labour cabinet lead for housing, told MyLondon: 'The council's new administration has a mandate to deliver much needed change for Wandsworth and we are determined to make the borough a better and fairer place to live.

'We have far-reaching and comprehensive plans to deliver on our manifesto commitments, particularly when it comes to improving facilities on our estates as well as services for children and young people which is one of our core priorities.'

Have you seen a sadder playground Send us your pictures and details to alastair.lockhart@mailonline.co.uk.
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This is the shocking moment former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead - revealing how oblivious security guards tried to block bullets with their briefcases after realising too late that he was under attack.

Cameras trained on Abe as he gave a political stump speech in the city of Nara at 11.30am captured the moment the first shot was fired, missing the politician but producing a loud bang and a cloud of smoke.

For what feels an eternity, but in reality is just a few seconds, Abe remains on his podium as bewildered guards - who were all looking at him as he spoke - turn around and finally grasp what is happening, just a moment too late.

Panicked, they try to put themselves between Abe and 41-year-old gunman Tetsuya Yamagami, with one even flinging his briefcase in a lame attempt to stop what they all know is coming.

Abe turns too, and may have caught sight of his attacker for the briefest of moments before the second fatal shot is fired: Causing his shirt-front to ripple as pellets tear into his neck and chest, burying themselves in his heart.

He is not immediately knocked unconscious, but stumbles off the stump and collapses to his knees before slumping over. Guards run to his side, and later images show how they began chest compressions in a vain attempt to revive him. He died several hours later in hospital from massive blood loss.

Yamagami was tackled to the ground and arrested, with police saying he has confessed - telling them he wanted to kill Abe because he was a member of a 'specific organisation' that he disagreed with.

Police say Yamagami had amassed an arsenal of home-made weapons similar to the one used in the attack at his home, along with a number of explosives which have been taken to be destroyed.

It is not clear exactly how he learned to make the weapons, but he is a veteran of the country's defence forces, having served in the navy between 2002 and 2005.

Yamagami is currently unemployed and had travelled to Nara by train, lying in wait at the station where Mr Abe was due to give his speech before launching the attack. Cops have not said how long he waited.

A chilling image taken just moments before Abe was killed shows Yamagami - an unassuming figure in a green t-shirt and cargo trousers - loitering just behind him.

This is the moment 67-year-old former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead by a man wielding a home-made shotgun, unleashing two shots - the second of which hit the politician in the neck and chest

Footage shows how the first shot missed, but the second hit Abe as he turned to look at his attacker and security tried to block the bullets with their briefcases (right)

The image shows former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe taking to the stage with microphone in hand to make a speech while in the background, in a faded green t-shirt, green fatigues and a mask concealing his bespectacled face lurks gunman Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, who would shoot and kill Mr Abe moments later

Shinzo Abe, Japan's former prime minister, has died after being shot in the neck and heart while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara on Friday

Killer Tetsuya Yamagami used a home-made shotgun which is clearly visible in the bottom right of the shot a moment as the first security official lunges in to disarm and retrain him

Abe, 67, was about to speak in support of his party's local candidate when a gunman approached him from behind and fired two shots which lacerated his neck and heart

World leaders pay tribute to Shinzo Abe after he was shot dead UK PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON 'Incredibly sad news about Shinzo Abe,' Johnson said on Twitter. 'His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people.' 'The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time.' ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MARIO DRAGHI 'Italy is shocked by this terrible attack, which hits Japan and free democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and his reforming vision. Italy sends its condolences to his family, to the government and to the entire Japanese people.' AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE 'The tragic death of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is devastating news... Mr Abe was one of Australia's closest friends on the world stage... Under his leadership Japan emerged as one of Australia's most like-minded partners in Asia - a legacy that endures today. 'Mr Abe was a leader in the Indo-Pacific, championing a vision of a free and open region. The Quad and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership are in many ways the results of his diplomatic leadership. 'Mr Abe was also a giant on the world stage - a leader in the G7, the G20 and the United Nations. His legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia.' GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ Mr Scholz said he was 'stunned and deeply saddened' by news that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on Friday hours after he was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election. 'We stand closely by Japan's side even in these difficult hours,' Scholz tweeted, expressing his deepest sympathy to Abe's family. FRANCE France expressed its full solidarity with Japan after the killing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the French Foreign Affairs Ministry said. CHINA The Chinese embassy in Japan expressed condolences over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday in a shooting attack. 'Former Prime Minister Abe made contributions towards improving China-Japan relations during his term. We express our condolences on his death and send our sympathies to his family,' an embassy spokesman said on the embassy website. TAIWAN PRESIDENT TSAI ING-WEN 'Not only has the international community lost an important leader, but Taiwan has also lost an important and close friend. Taiwan and Japan are both democratic countries with the rule of law, and our government severely condemns violent and illegal acts,' Tsai said in a statement released by her office. SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT YOON SUK-YEOL 'I send my condolences to the bereaved families and Japanese people who have lost the longest-serving prime minister and respected politician in Japan's constitutional history,' Yoon was quoted as saying in a statement delivered by the presidential office. Yoon added that the shooting was 'an unforgivable act of crime.' POLISH PRIME MINISTER MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI 'I am deeply shocked by the news of the assassination of Shinzo Abe,' he wrote on Twitter. 'My thoughts are with the family of our Japanese friend who was always very kind to Poland. May he Rest In Peace.' INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY CHIEF RAFAEL GROSSI 'Deeply saddened by the tragic death of Japanese Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. I was honored to meet him and work with him on important issues for Japan. My condolences to his family, may he rest in peace.' Advertisement

Mr Abe was a towering figure in Japanese politics: Serving two terms from 2006 to 2007, and then again from 2012 until poor health forced him to resign in 2020. He remained hugely influential within the Liberal Democratic Party even after office, and was in Nara to support the local candidate ahead of Sunday's ballot.

Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the shooting an attack on 'the foundation of democracy', describing it as 'heinous', 'barbaric and malicious', and 'absolutely unforgivable'. 'I would like to use the most extreme words available to condemn this act,' he added.

Video taken shortly before the shooting shows Abe arriving at the scene and greeting people before Yamagami steps out from behind a banner.

He walks behind the politician as he starts speaking before pulling the weapon from his bag and firing the first shot. It appears to miss Abe, who turns to look before the second fatal shot is fired.

Abe's legacy will stand as perhaps the most significant of Japan's post-war leaders - a hawkish conservative and economic reformer who dragged the country out of decades of stagnant economic growth and made it a power player on the world stage.

Born into a political dynasty, Abe's grandfather and great uncle had both served as prime minister before him and he was groomed for power from the start.

He first became premiere in 2006 at the age of 52 - the youngest ever to hold the job - but was mired in scandal and abruptly stepped down after just a year while suffering debilitating the bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

He regained the premiership in 2012 and held the role for the next eight years - making him Japan's longest-serving prime minister - before he was forced to step down again in 2020 when the bowel condition reemerged.

Abe is best-known for his 'Abenomics' agenda to revive Japan's sluggish economy via a programme of vast government spending, massive monetary easing, and cutting red tape.

But he also pushed for reforms of Japan's pacifist post-war constitution to allow the country to develop a fully-fledged military, and deepened ties with western allies - particularly with the US.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson led tributes to Abe as news of his death spread on Friday, saying: 'His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many.

'My thoughts are with his family, friends, and the Japanese people. The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time.'

The attack came just before noon in the country's western region of Nara, where Abe had been delivering a stump speech with security present, but spectators were able to approach him easily.

Footage broadcast by NHK showed him standing on a stage when a man dressed in a grey shirt and brown trousers begins approaching from behind, before drawing something from a bag and firing.

At least two shots appeared to be fired, each producing a cloud of smoke.

As spectators and reporters ducked, a man was shown being tackled to the ground by security. He was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, reports said.

Local media identified the man as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, citing police sources, with several media outlets describing him as a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the country's navy.

He was wielding a weapon described by local media as a 'handmade gun', and NHK said he told police after his arrest that he 'targeted Abe with the intention of killing him'.

Witnesses at the scene described shock as the political event turned into chaos.

'The first shot sounded like a toy bazooka,' a woman told NHK.

'He didn't fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke,' she added.

'After the second shot, people surrounded him and gave him cardiac massage.'

Abe was bleeding from the neck, witnesses said and photographs showed. He was reportedly initially responsive but subsequently lost consciousness.

Officials from the local chapter of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party said there had been no threats before the incident and that his speech had been announced publicly.

Kishida said 'no decision' had been made on the election, though several parties announced their senior members would halt campaigning in the wake of the attack.

The attack prompted international shock.

Abe - who served in office from 2006 to 2007 and then 2012 to 2020 - was giving a speech on behalf of his Liberal Democratic Party in the city of Nara ahead of parliamentary elections before he was shot (pictured)

Abe's death was announced by the party six hours after the shooting, and shortly after wife Akie (pictured) arrived at the hospital where he was being treated

Footage taken as the attack unfolded shows the gunman (right) walk out behind Mr Abe (left) before taking his home-made shotgun out of his bag and walking towards the politician

The man fires one shot, which apparently misses Mr Abe (left) who remains standing and turns to look at his assassin (right), before the second fatal shot is fired

Yamagami approached Abe from behind and then fired two shots, according to witnesses, who said the former Prime Minister collapsed after the second shot

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a veteran of Japan's armed forces, was tackled by security (pictured) and then arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

Police tackle the suspect who is believed to shoot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a military veteran, was tackled by Abe's security detail and then arrested by police on suspicion of attempted murder. Police say he has confessed wanting to kill Abe because he was 'dissatisfied' with him

The weapon used to shoot Abe appears to be a homemade double-barreled shotgun, made by strapping two pieces of pipe to a piece of wooden board

Japan's strict gun laws Guns are extremely hard to obtain in Japan and, as a result, the country has one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the world. Getting a firearm involves 13 steps, the first of which is joining a shooting or hunting club. Those who want a firearm must then take a course in gun ownership with a written exam at the end, before getting a doctor to declare them mentally fit. That is followed by a day-long course at a gun range on how to fire and store a weapon with another test at the end, in which they must achieve 95 per cent accuracy. Police will then speak with owners about why they want a weapon and conduct a background check that involves interviews with their family, as well as checks on their relations with neighbours, employment history, and financial status. If they pass, potential owners must apply for a gunpowder licence and get a certificate from a weapon store that allows them to buy a specific kind of firearm - with only shotguns or air rifles allowed. They then need to buy an ammunition locker and gun safe, which is inspected by police who do another background check. Once purchased, the gun must be registered and inspected by police once per year to ensure it is being stored separate from ammunition, and that both containers are kept locked. Licences expire every three years, with owners needing to re-take a written exam to renew it. When a gun owner dies, their heir must return their weapons. Each prefecture in Japan can have only three gun stores, and new ammunition can only be bought by returning old canisters to ensure people do not stockpile it. Advertisement

'This is a very, very sad moment,' US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at a G20 meeting in Bali, saying the United States was 'deeply saddened and deeply concerned'.

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha was 'very shocked' at Abe's shooting, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was 'deeply distressed' by the news.

Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

He was a hawkish conservative who pushed for the revision of Japan's pacifist constitution to recognise the country's military and has stayed a prominent political figure even after his resignation.

Japan has some of the world's toughest gun-control laws, and annual deaths from firearms in the country of 125 million people are regularly in single figures.

Getting a gun licence is a long and complicated process for Japanese citizens, who must first get a recommendation from a shooting association and then undergo strict police checks.

Japan has seen 'nothing like this for well over 50 to 60 years', Corey Wallace, an assistant professor at Kanagawa University who focuses on Japanese politics, told AFP.

He said the last similar incident was likely the 1960 assassination of Inejiro Asanuma, the leader of the Japan Socialist Party, who was stabbed by a right-wing youth.

'But two days before an election, of a (man) who is so prominent... it's really profoundly sad and shocking.'

He noted, too, that Japanese politicians and voters are used to a personal and close-up style of campaigning.

Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

He stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said a chronic health problem has resurfaced.

Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is on a stretcher to a helicopter after being shot in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station

Police officers collect forensic evidence from the scene where Abe was shot on Friday while giving a campaign speech

Doctors speak to journalists at the hospital where Shinzo Abe was taken after being shot - revealing that he was 'bleeding profusely' from wounds to his neck and heart, and could not be saved

Fumio Kishida, the current Japanese Prime Minister, holds back his emotions while giving an update on Abe's condition - condemning the attack as 'heinous', 'barbaric', and 'absolutely unforgivable'

He told reporters at the time that it was 'gut wrenching' to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to normalize Japan's defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Supporters of Abe said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies too by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe is a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a 'normal' and 'beautiful' nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel expressed sadness and shock at the shooting. 'Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan,' he said on Twitter.

This aerial photo shows the scene of gunshots in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and is reportedly in heart failure

Earlier in the day, Abe was in good spirits as he interacted with supporters before his speech ahead of the House of Councillors election on July 10

Shinzo Abe  the Japanese PM who was born to live on the election trail and would lose his life there: How former leader became his country's most famous politician and longest-serving premier

For Shinzo Abe, a life in politics was destined for him - growing up he watched his maternal grandfather lead Japan as Prime Minister and his father work as a foreign minister.

Abe, 67, became Japan's most famous politician and longest-serving prime minister, with a tenure marked with headline-grabbing moments, from a turn as Super Mario to enduring a 19-second handshake with former President Donald Trump.

Abe, who was shot and killed while delivering a campaign speech on Friday, was pivotal in putting Japan on the world stage - from leading a G20 Summit to hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The former Prime Minister said little about what he thinks his legacy would be, but a key moment of pride for Abe was when Barak Obama became the first sitting US president to visit Hiroshima in 2016.

A conservative and nationalist, he was also known for his closeness to Donald Trump, and his ability to guide and subtly influence the mercurial U.S. president.

US President Donald Trump greets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he arrives for talks at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on April 17, 2018

Abe and his wife Akie met Queen Elizabeth II during a private audience at Buckingham Palace on May 4, 2016 in London

US President Barack Obama shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in the Oval Office following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders on February 22, 2013 in Washington, DC

German Chancellor Angela Merkel deliberates with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the official agenda on the second day of the G7 summit on June 9, 2018 in Charlevoix, Canada, as Abe looks on

Abe became Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister in November 2019, but was forced to step down in 2020 due to the debilitating bowl condition ulcerative colitis.

Abe was also known for 'Abenomics', his economic policies designed to drag the country out of a decades-long deflationary slump, and for his support for a strong Japanese military, plus taking a hard line on North Korea.

As a leader of a G7 nation, Abe hosted the gathering of world leaders in 2016, and was seen as a seasoned, wily politician.

Born into a politically-influential family, Abe was first elected prime minister in 2006, and served for a year. He was elected again in December 2012, and dominated the Japanese political scene even after he stepped down almost two years ago due to the inflammatory bowel condition ulcerative colitis. He said his condition had worsened, forcing his resignation.

But he remained extremely influential, described by some analysts as a political kingmaker.

On Friday, Abe was campaigning ahead of elections to the upper house, due to be held on Sunday.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who now leads Abe's Liberal Democratic Party, was hoping to gain a firmer grip on the factious party and allow him to emerge from the shadow of Abe, his powerful predecessor, and define his premiership.

During his time in office, Abe made building a close personal relationship with former US president Donald Trump a cornerstone of protecting Japan's key alliance.

In 2016, he flew to New York to chat with Trump after the US election, becoming the first foreign leader to meet him at his Manhattan skyscraper.

The pair regularly golfed together, and Trump was the first head of state to meet Japan's new emperor.

Abe's maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi helped found the Liberal Democratic Party in 1955 and served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. Pictured: Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi (2nd left) holds hand of his grandson Shinzo Abe (1st L) walking with his wife Ryoko (3rd left), son-in-law and lawmaker Shintaro Abe (1st right), his wife Yoko (2nd right) and son Hironobu on July 7, 1957 in Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan

Nobusuke Kishi, Prime Minister of Japan and his wife Ryoko in a Japanese kimono with their grandsons Shinzo Abe and Hironobu Abe (on the lap of his grandfather) in the 1960s

But there were plenty of awkward moments.

In 2017, a video went viral of Trump almost wrestling with Abe in a handshake that lasted 19 seconds and ended with the Japanese leader visibly grimacing and appearing relieved the encounter was over.

And then there was their 2018 golf game, when Abe tumbled backwards into a bunker and Trump marched down the fairway seemingly oblivious.

Meanwhile, in 2016, Abe made headlines when he decided to show his commitment to the Olympics in an unusual fashion - by appearing as video game icon Super Mario.

He donned the disguise at the Rio Games for the official handover ceremony to Tokyo, appearing to tunnel through the earth from Japan to Brazil thanks to some digital trickery, before popping up in full costume.

'I wanted to show Japan's soft power to the world with the help of Japanese characters,' he told reporters.

Abe said little about what he thinks his legacy would be, but he cited one particular point of pride: bringing then-US president Barack Obama to Hiroshima in 2016.

Obama became the first sitting US president to visit the site, where he paid tribute to victims of the world's first atomic attack, though stopping short of offering an apology for the bombing.

Later that year, the two leaders made a poignant joint pilgrimage to Pearl Harbor, the first visit by a sitting Japanese leader to the memorial there, issuing symbolic declarations about the power of reconciliation and warning against the drumbeat of conflict.

Abe is pictured here handing the 'yokozuna', or grand champion, Hakuho (left) the prime minister's cup after he finished with a 15-0 victory to win the summer Grand Sumo tournament in Tokyo on May 22, 2016

In 2016, Abe made headlines when he decided to show his commitment to the Olympics in an unusual fashion - by appearing as video game icon Super Mario

Abe's tenure was also marked by less successful moments including his 2013 visit to Yasukuni, a shrine that venerates the souls of Japan's war dead - including some convicted by a US tribunal of war crimes.

The shrine is seen by many in the region as a symbol of Japan's militarism during which much of East Asia and Southeast Asia were subjected to brutal offensives and years-long occupations.

Abe's visit prompted outrage from China and South Korea and even a US rebuke.

He said the trip was not intended to inflame tensions, but he stayed away afterwards, sending only ritual offerings in following years.

Abe himself seemed destined from the start to enter politics.

His family was a politically-influential clan based in the Yamaguchi Prefecture, to the far south of the country.

Abe's father, Shintaro Abe, served as Japan's foreign minister from 1982 to 1982. He also served as minister of trade, of agriculture, and Cabinet secretary, and was a serious contender to become prime minister.

Shintaro's own father, Kan Abe, served in the House of Representatives from 1937 to 1946.

Abe's maternal grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi helped found the Liberal Democratic Party in 1955 and served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960.

The younger Abe studied politics and policy in Japan and California, before returning to his homeland to work briefly in the steel industry.

In 1982 he entered politics, first as an assistant to the foreign minister, and then as private secretary to the Liberal Democratic Party's general council and their secretary-general.

On his father's death in 1991, Abe decided to run for office, and in 1993 was elected to represent Yamaguchi Prefecture's first district.

He served as the Japanese government's chief negotiator on behalf of Japanese abductees seized by North Korea, and in 2002 traveled to meet Kim Jong-il.

Abe is pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on 7 Jul 2017, (left) and with the then Vice President Joseph Biden and House Speaker John Boehner as he gets a standing ovation while speaking to a joint session of the United State Congress on April 29, 2015 in Washington, DC (right)

Abe shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing on November 10, 2014

George W. Bush and Laura Bush (l) meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Mrs. Akie Abe (r) at the Blair House on Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC on 26 April 2007

In April 2006, he was elected as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. In September of that year he was inaugurated as prime minister, at the age of 52 - the youngest person to assume the role since the 1940s.

Abe sought to balance the budget, and set about ushering in a hardline nationalist agenda, with renewed emphasis on the military - something which had been a highly sensitive subject following the Second World War.

Internationally, Abe was critical of North Korea, but worked to strengthen relations with China and India.

His government was unpopular, however, and Abe resigned after a year in the job.

He said at the time that his ulcerative colitis was a factor in his decision.

By 2012 he was back, thanks in part to a new drug, and ran for re-election as prime minister, winning the race in December 2012.

In February 2013, Abe delivered a speech in Washington DC, and declared that he had returned to prevent Japan becoming a 'Tier Two Nation', declaring that 'Japan is back'.

He is remembered for his economic policies, dubbed Abenomics - a set of aggressive monetary and fiscal policies, combined with structural reforms, which were launched in 2013 to pull Japan out of its decades-long deflationary slump.

The policy was based around what Abe termed three arrows: monetary policy, fiscal policy, and structural reform for growth.

Domestically, he strongly opposed what he saw as an excessive emphasis on Japan's wartime crimes.

Internationally, he was highly visible - touring all 10 ASEAN nations in his first year in office.

Abe married Akie Matsuzaki, a socialite and former radio DJ, in 1987.

The pair have no children.
The National Trust's new chairman has slammed the organisation's 'woke' direction and vowed to not get embroiled in political rows.

Rene Olivieri, who took over as chairman in February, has said in an interview that while we are entitled to raise questions about the history of the Trust's 200 plus buildings, 'new views' cannot 'eclipse' other perspectives.

Speaking to Country Life magazine, Olivieri said: 'It's important - as far as conservation allows - to make these buildings and their contents more interesting to more people.

This follows the Trust's embroilment in controversy in 2020 when the organisation produced a report investigating the connections between the charity's properties and colonialism, including its links with historic slavery.

It included mention of Sir Winston Churchill's family home, Chartwell, which served as Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1921 to 1922 and detailed the former Prime Minister's opposition to India gaining independence.

A row with ministers ensued with 26 MPs and two peers arguing the organisation's funding applications be reviewed.

The then chairman, Tim Parker, who held the post for seven years, stepped down, with the charity claiming he did so after staying beyond his term to see the Trust through the pandemic.

Rene Olivieri has said that while we are entitled to raise questions about the history of the Trusts' 200 plus buildings, 'new views' cannot 'eclipse' other perspectives

Restore Trust, an anti-woke group made up of National Trust members, is agitating for the brakes to be put on the National Trust's direction of travel, following the publication of a report in 2020 linking Winston Churchill's former home (pictured), Chartwell, in Kent, with the slave trade

WHO IS NEW NATIONAL TRUST CHAIRMAN RENE OLIVIERI? American-born Rene Olivieri, 68, has also held a number of non-executive roles in the cultural and natural heritage sector. He was selected to take up the post with the National Trust last December and took over the role in February this year. Mr Olivieri has been described as a 'safe pair of hands' for the Trust. He was chairman of the Wildlife Trusts for six years and held a role at the RSPCA from 2019 to 2022. Advertisement

In a rare interview, the new chairman has now said that while the National Trust must make its buildings appeal to more people, modern perspectives must not take precedence over those of the past.

Rene Olivieri added: 'Added to which, we are all entitled to ask different questions about the past.

'A new view, however, does not supersede its predecessors, nor can it eclipse other perspectives.

'Each is another thread in the tapestry of our understanding, adding colour, richness and depth.'

It comes after campaigners concerned by the National Trust's 'woke' direction demanded an independent watchdog be created to keep the charity accountable to its members.

Restore Trust, an anti-woke group made up of National Trust members, is agitating for the creation of a watchdog as well as the abolition of 'discretionary voting' by the chairman at annual meetings.

'Discretionary voting' allows the National Trust chairman to vote on behalf of members who have abstained, effectively mustering hundreds or even thousands of 'don't know' ballots to their preferred outcome, according to Restore Trust.

The two resolutions submitted by Restore Trust will be debated at the National Trust's annual meeting in October, although even if they pass they could be overruled by the charity's board.

Without an independent watchdog, complaints about the National Trust's behaviour will continue to be dealt with by the organisation's chairman, who is not seen as independent from the board. Pictured: Polesden Lacey country mansion in Great Bookham, Surrey

Former National Trust chairman Tim Parker got himself into hot water in November 2020 when he made described Black Lives Matter as a 'human rights movement with no party-political affiliations'remarks, while the trust's current director-general Hilary McGrady said 'wokery' is a 'ridiculous term'. Pictured: National Trust property Ickworth House, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Without an independent watchdog, complaints about the National Trust's behaviour will continue to be dealt with by the organisation's chairman, who is not seen as independent from the board.

Former National Trust chairman Tim Parker landed himself in hot water with anti-woke campaigners in November 2020, when he described Black Lives Matter as a 'human rights movement with no party-political affiliations' in a letter to a member.

Critics, however, point out Black Lives Matter called on the UK government to 'defund the police' and resolved to 'disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure' on a since-deleted page on their website.

Tim Parker stepped down after seven years as chairman of the National Trust in May 2021.

Over the next three months, Restore Trust will stage a series of events at National Trust properties - including at Houghton Hall in Norfolk and Shilstone House in Devon - with sympathetic historians invited along to make the case for putting the brakes on the charity's increasingly 'woke' direction of travel.

The trust was cleared of breaking charity law last year over a report which detailed links between 93 of its properties and historical slavery and colonialism.

Winston Churchill's former home, Chartwell, in Kent, was among the properties on the list because the wartime Prime Minister once held the post of Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Former National Trust boss Tim Parker landed himself in hot water with anti-woke campaigners in November 2020, when he described Black Lives Matter as a 'human rights movement with no party-political affiliations' in a letter to a member

'It's such a ridiculous term, wokery. No one has yet defined what they mean by woke', National Trust's new director-general Hilary McGrady said in May 2022

Following complaints, the Charity Commission opened a case to examine critics' concerns, but concluded in January this year that the National Trust had acted in line with its charitable purposes and there were no grounds for regulatory action against it.

In 2017, 350 unpaid National Trust assistants at Norfolk mansion Felbrigg Hall were told to wear gay pride badges and lanyards or else be removed from front-of-house tasks, triggering a pushback and the resignation of 75 volunteers and the cancellation of 240 memberships.

The National Trust's director-general Hilary McGrady said in May she had received 'death threats' from people angry at her management of British heritage sites.

Hilary McGrady said the charity 'epitomises what a lot of people consider to be the halcyon days of Britain', and 'anything that vaguely poked at that' was bound to upset them.

McGrady said in May: 'It's such a ridiculous term, wokery. No one has yet defined what they mean by woke.

'I'm interested in bringing nature, beauty and history to the nation, and I don't even know what 'woke' means in that context.'
Russia's top diplomat stormed out of talks with G20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia on Friday as Western powers criticised Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Washington and allies condemned Russia's assault ahead of the meeting before Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov faced what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a barrage of Western criticism at the closed-door talks.

'What we've heard today already is a strong chorus from around the world... about the need for the aggression to end,' Blinken said from the meeting on the resort island of Bali.

Blinken and Lavrov had joined colleagues for day-long talks in their first meeting since the outbreak of war, with the host immediately telling them the conflict must end through negotiations.

But Lavrov walked out of a morning session as German counterpart Annalena Baerbock criticised Moscow over its invasion, diplomats said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, before storming out on Friday

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (R) greets Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Friday

Baerbock criticized Moscow for blocking dialogue with international partners after Lavrov walked out of her speech.

Speaking to German television from the G20 gathering in Bali, Baerbock said Lavrov 'left the first session halfway through' and skipped a second session 'which shows even more clearly that he's not interested in international cooperation or dialogue with the other G19 partners'.

Lavrov later also ditched an afternoon session before a virtual appearance by Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and was not present as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Russia in the closed-door meeting in Bali, diplomats said.

'It underscores that the Russian government is not showing a millimetre of willingness to talk, particularly on the important question of how we will grapple with the global food crisis,' she said.

Baerbock said although the remaining 19 countries had differing views on 'Russia's war of aggression', they were 'very clear in appealing to Russia that this war must end'.

'The majority of the countries made clear that Russia has the responsibility to immediately stop the bombing,' she said.

Lavrov told reporters outside the Mulia hotel: 'Our Western partners are trying to avoid talking about global economic issues.

'From the moment they speak, they launch into fevered criticism of Russia.'

US State Secretary Antony Blinken (pictured on Friday) shunned a meeting with Lavrov and instead accused Russia of triggering a global food crisis, demanding Moscow allow grain shipments out of war-battered Ukraine.

Rescue workers clearing rubble of a destroyed school after an attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Monday

Blinken shunned a meeting with Lavrov and instead accused Russia of triggering a global food crisis, demanding Moscow allow grain shipments out of war-battered Ukraine.

'To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,' Blinken said in the closed-door talks, according to a Western official present.

Lavrov earlier told reporters he would not 'go running' after Washington for talks.

'It was not us who abandoned contact, it was the United States,' he said.

Before the meeting, Blinken met his French and German counterparts and a senior British official to discuss 'Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice' in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement.

But the gathering was soon overshadowed by the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign event on Friday.

After the shooting, Blinken voiced alarm over the attack on a longtime ally of Washington and Japan's longest-serving premier, calling it a 'very sad moment'.

Before the news of the attack emerged, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi addressed the Ukraine war in a speech to the ministers including Lavrov.

'It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield,' Marsudi said.

A US official indicated Washington did not want to embarrass Indonesia at the meeting by walking out on Lavrov.

But there will be no family photo of the G20 ministers as is customary, an Indonesian government official told AFP.

The hosts have addressed US concerns about Lavrov attending in part by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit in November.

In his address, Kuleba told ministers to 'remember about 344 families who have lost their children when listening to Russian lies'.

Local residents look on as smoke rises after shelling during Ukraine-Russia conflict in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Thursday

'The minister of the country responsible for their deaths appears in front of you today to share his thoughts on how Russia views cooperation in our globalised world,' he added.

Blinken arrived at the Mulia hotel on Friday where he could be seen talking with South Africa's foreign minister before entering the same room as Lavrov, who he last met in January.

Russia's top diplomat was seated between the Saudi Arabian and Mexican foreign ministers as the meeting began.

Blinken's efforts to have a powerful Western stance against Russia at the meeting were diluted after British Foreign Minister Liz Truss pulled out following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resignation as leader of his party on Thursday.

She flew out of Indonesia on Friday morning and was replaced by former British ambassador to the European Union Sir Tim Barrow, a British official told AFP.

While in Bali, Blinken will also seek to reopen dialogue with Beijing in talks on Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the first in months after tensions became strained over issues including Taiwan.

The meeting comes as US President Joe Biden voices hope for a conversation in the coming weeks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he last spoke in March.

Lavrov met Wang on Thursday to discuss Russia's invasion, which Moscow says it launched to stop Ukraine from joining the NATO military alliance.

The United States has condemned Beijing's support for Russia, and Blinken is expected to reiterate those warnings in talks with Wang.
This is the moment heroic police officers pulled a man from a burning car.

Officers arrived on scene to find the vehicle engulfed in flames on Winant Avenue in Ridgefield, New Jersey, US, on July 2 at around 2am.

The motorist, identified as Christopher Vagnone, was trapped inside the burning Honda and unable to open the doors due to an electrical problem, according to a statement from the Ridgefield Park Police Department.

Sergeant Nicholas Triano, the first officer to arrive on scene, broke the windows and forced his way into the vehicle to save the man.

Officers arrived on scene to find the vehicle engulfed in flames on Winant Avenue in Ridgefield, New Jersey, US, on 2 July at around 2am

The motorist, identified as Christopher Vagnone, was trapped inside the burning Honda and unable to open the doors due to an electrical problem

Triano, alongside patrolmen Nicholas D'Alto and Anthony D'elia, first attempted to pull the motorist from the driver-side window, but flames were beginning to enter the cabin and the heat was too intense.

Body-camera video shows the front of the sedan in flames as officers regroup on the passenger side of the car.

They used extinguishers to help douse the flames enough for them to get the IT analyst out through the window on the passenger side instead, police said.

Multiple officers are shown struggling to pull the driver out through the passenger window as the flames spread.

'Come on,' they can be heard shouting as the flames lick the hood and sirens blare in the background.

Multiple officers are shown struggling to pull the driver out through the passenger window as the flames spread

Officers eventually pull him free just in time, dragging the man through the window

Officers eventually pull him free just in time, dragging the unconscious man through the window.

Christopher was not seriously hurt, and was released to a family member on scene, police said.

The Ridgefield Park Fire Department arrived to extinguish the blaze.

Police also thanked a good Samaritan, Elias Rodriguez from New York City, who stopped to assist in the rescue.

Vagnone is an IT analyst who works at Novartis and lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

The hero cops who rescued him were named as Officers Anthony DElia and Nicholas DAlto along with Sgt. Nicholas Triano.

Officers battled 'intense heat, broken glass and a host of physical barriers' to rescue Vagnone 'without regard for their own personal safety,' Police Chief Joseph Rella told the Daily Voice.

'They did a great job. Were very proud,' he said.
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Downing Street today confirmed that Boris and Carrie Johnson have been forced to scrap their wedding party at Chequers.

The Johnsons reportedly planned a big bash at the Prime Minister's grace-and-favour country home at the end of July to mark their marriage last year.

But today a source said that they would now be looking at other venues, insisting: 'Nothing had been 100 per cent firmed up'. The PM's spokesman later confirmed that there would be no party at Chequers, adding: 'As you'll know, taxpayers don't cover prime ministers' personal expenditure'.

Boris yesterday announced his decision to step down amid a sea of ministerial resignations, but said he intends to stay on as caretaker leader until a suitable replacement is found, likely to be by the Autumn. And hours later the party plan emerged.

One Tory MP told the Mirror: 'It beggars belief that even after all the criticism Johnson has faced regarding integrity and probity, one of the reasons he is staying is to have his wedding party at Chequers. It's a national asset, not his personal home. The Johnsons should do the decent thing and find a different venue. And Boris should do the decent thing and leave No 10 immediately'.

But earlier today one of the PM's closest colleagues, new Education Secretary James Cleverly, said the party should be at Chequers if he wants it and called the criticism churlish.

'Private functions like that do not impose a burden on the public purse', he said. 'I think it's churlish to be negative about two people who want to celebrate their marriage and their love for each other'.

The couple tied the knot in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in front of just a handful of guests in May 2021 but according to sources have planned a second event at Chequers at the end of July because of the pandemic

Carrie Johnson carried seven-month-old daughter Romy as she watched husband Boris Johnson deliver his resignation speech outside Downing Street yesterday. Pictured, Boris ally Nadine Dorries (right) cooed over his baby girl

Sources had claimed the bash was going to be at Chequers, but No 10 sources confirmed it will now be elsewhere

The Evening Standard reported last month that this would take the form of a "champagne-soaked soiree" at the PM's country residence to celebrate the couple's first anniversary.

Carrie, who entered No. 10 as Boris' girlfriend and leaves as his wife and the mother of two of his children, smiled encouragingly as the Prime Minister announced he was stepping down, admitting: 'No one is indispensable'.

During his speech, Boris acknowledged the sacrifices made by his wife and family, saying: 'I want to thank Carrie and my children and all my family, who have put up with so much for so long.'

The couple tied the knot in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in front of just a handful of guests in May 2021.

But their plan to use a grace-and-favour country home to host their delayed wedding party even as Johnson prepares to depart Downing Street further angered already disgruntled Conservatives.

The pair also have some work cut out for them when it comes to the guest list for their lavish do.

Their save-the-date cards went out last year, but given that a host of Boris' Conservative MPs have called for his resignation in recent weeks and declared they do not have faith in his ability to lead the nation, several invitees may soon find out their presence at the wedding bash is no longer desired.

A Downing Street source said: 'The party is still going ahead, but the guestlist will be a headache.

'Boris and Carrie sent the 'save the date' cards last year but obviously recent developments mean a few of the people they sent them to would not now be as welcome as they once were.'

At one point Carrie leaned down to give her seven-month-old daughter a kiss on the head as she gazed up at her mother

Mrs Johnson, a former Conservative Party communications chief, re-wore a 325 red L.K. Bennett for the occasion and held her daughter Romy in a baby carrier

No10 had appealed for Conservative MPs to come and watch the speech in the street, but there was only a small crowd of people present, pictured. Mrs Johnson, pictured in red, watched alongside Johnson ally Nadine Dorries (pictured in white)

In a statement in Downing Street, the PM tried to sound an upbeat tone as he confirmed that his time in office is coming to an end. Mr Johnson was watched by his wife Carrie (left) and their daughter Romy

Supportive Carrie was front and centre as Boris delivered his speech yesterday, admitting: 'No one is indispensable'

How Boris and Carrie planned to build a 150,000 treehouse for Wilf and hoped to host summer BBQs at Chequers - which they 'use more than recent PMs' DESPITE 'falling out with staff' Chequers, bequeathed to the nation in 1917 by Lord and Lady Lee of Fareham, is part-funded with a grant from the Cabinet Office Chequers, bequeathed to the nation in 1917 by Lord and Lady Lee of Fareham, is part-funded with a grant from the Cabinet Office. Lord and Lady Lee wanted the 16th century, 1,000-acre estate to be a 'place of rest and recreation for Prime Ministers' to help them cope with the pressures of government. The grant was around 690,000 a year under Mr Cameron, but has now risen to 916,000 under Mr Johnson. One source previously acknowledged that the Johnsons 'use Chequers more' than recent PMs, and the costs are higher as a result. In May, it was claimed the head housekeeper at the PM's Chequers residence quit after clashing with Carrie. Charlotte Vine MBE reportedly left with a payoff in 2020 after signing a non-disclosure agreement. According to the Times, the departure came after tensions with the premier's wife. However, a spokeswoman for Mrs Johnson insisted that there was no dispute. Ms Vine is said to have first worked at the 16th-century Buckinghamshire manor house in 2004. She left to join the household at another ministerial residence, Dorneywood, before returning to the top job at Chequers. The Times said Ms Vine faced disciplinary action over 'inappropriate handling of a personal item' belonging to Mr Johnson, but this was later dropped and she left with a pay-off in January 2020. A source told the newspaper that the friction with Mrs Johnson began soon after they began using the residence. 'Carrie took something Charlotte said completely the wrong way. It started over a catering matter. It led to Carrie refusing to go to Chequers when Charlotte was there.' A spokeswoman for the PM's wife told MailOnline: 'It is untrue to suggest there was a personal dispute between Mrs Johnson and the head housekeeper. 'Nor was there any request from Mrs Johnson for staffing changes.' There are also claims that there has been a reduction in the number of staff introduced by David Cameron during the coalition's austerity drive. Four more workers are said to have been added since Mr Johnson became PM. Meanwhile it also emerged last month that emerged Mr Johnson planned a 150,000 treehouse in the grounds of Chequers for his two-year-old son Wilf but abandoned the idea after police raised security concerns. The Prime Minister and his wife Carrie Johnson wanted to build the structure, which included bulletproof glass, in 2020. According to The Times, there were discussions about having Tory donor Lord Brownlow pay for the project. Asked if a penny of taxpayer or donor money was spent on plans to build a Chequers treehouse, the PM said: 'I'm not going to comment on non-existent objects or non-existent jobs to do with my family.' Meanwhile insiders told only last month how Mr Johnson planned to host a series of 'barbecues and drinks' at Chequers for party loyalists to shore up support this summer. Several barbecues were lined up at the Prime Minister's grace-and-favour residence as a reward for loyal supporters. Insiders said the invitation list has been drawn up specifically to include MPs who publicly said they would vote for the Prime Minister in a confidence vote. Mr Johnson's 'summer sausage offensive' was planned as several events in the second half of July, insiders said. Advertisement

Mrs Johnson, a former Conservative Party communications chief, re-wore a 325 red L.K. Bennett dress for the occasion today and held her daughter Romy in a 95 BabyBjorn baby carrier. She finished her outfit with 90 red slingbacks from Dune.

It marks the first time Romy's face has been seen. The couple have previously only shared photos of their daughter, who was born in December, taken from behind, and Boris is known to be private with his family.

Yesterday, Romy was wearing a a pair of bright bird-printed trousers and had a bright yellow bow pinned to her brown curly hair.

At one point Carrie leaned down to plant a kiss on her daughter's head and smiled as the little girl took in the sights and sounds of the busy scene.

The hands-on mother, who last month brought her daughter along to the G7 summit, looked relaxed despite the gravity of the situation. The couple also share a son Wilfred, two, but he was not present.

Boris Johnson finally announced his resignation yesterday admitting 'no-one is indispensable' - but is lining up a 'unity Cabinet' as he battles to stay in Downing Street for months longer.

The Prime Minister tried to sound an upbeat tone as he confirmed that his time in office is coming to an end.

Standing in front of the traditional podium and watched by wife Carrie, baby Romy and close aides, Mr Johnson pointed to his achievements since winning the huge landslide - such as the vaccine rollout, Brexit and coming to the aid of Ukraine.

He said his message to voters who delivered his 2019 landslide was 'thank you for that incredible mandate', adding the 'reason I have fought so hard' was because he felt it was his 'job' to deliver what he promised.

'I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world, but them's the breaks,' he said.

Mr Johnson blamed 'powerful herd instinct' for his ousting, saying: 'At Westminster the herd instinct is powerful, when the herd moves, it moves.

'And my friends in politics, no one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.'

Mr Johnson paid tribute to his family for 'all they have put up with', in a nod to the succession of scandals that have blighted his premiership.

'Our future is golden,' he finished.

The concerned mother kept her hands placed firmly over baby Romy's ears as she made her way through the crowd

Can the PM REALLY hang on in No10 until October? The UK famously does not have a written constitution. But the process for changing Prime Ministers has been well established for centuries. Both David Cameron and Theresa May followed the standard route of resigning as Tory leader, but staying on as PM until a replacement is chosen. That can take months, as the party's MPs first whittle down the field to two candidates in a series of votes. They are then meant to be put to the wider Conservative membership in a run-off - although in the case of Mrs May her opponent Andrea Leadsom pulled out avoiding the need for the last stage. As soon as a new Tory leader is in place they will be the person who commands a majority in the Commons, and then the Queen can make them PM. In contrast, if Mr Johnson decided to quit as PM immediately, the hierarchy within government would kick in. Dominic Raab would be the next in line to take the helm in No10, again until the Tory leadership contest is complete. However, the mechanism for preventing a determined Mr Johnson from hanging on as PM during a Tory contest is less obvious. Senior Tories serving on the 1922 committee executive say there are no provisions in the rules for imposing a temporary leader while a permanent one is chosen. They believe that anyone who did serve as a caretaker PM would have to stay out of the leadership race, to avoid having an 'unfair advantage'. However, the 1922 executive is meeting again this afternoon and rules can be changed. After the events of recent days, there is deep anxiety about leaving Mr Johnson in place for another two months - especially with rumours swirling that he still wants to pursue radical new policies. Advertisement

No10 had appealed for Conservative MPs to come and watch the speech in the street, but there only seemed to be a small crowd present.

Mr Johnson admitted defeat in the wake of a shattering intervention from Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed on Tuesday night following Rishi Sunak's departure. He told Mr Johnson that his situation is 'not sustainable'.

A No10 source said Mr Johnson has spoken to Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady and agreed to stand down, with a new Tory leader set to be in place by the party conference in October.

A spokeswoman said the PM will 'make a statement to the country', which is due around 1pm.

However, at the same time Mr Johnson has set about rebuilding his Cabinet, making Greg Clark the new Levelling Up Secretary and James Cleverly the Education Secretary. Robert Buckland is returning as Welsh Secretary, and Shailesh Vara takes over as Northern Ireland Secretary.

Kit Malthouse becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Mr Clark was in the Cabinet under Theresa May but stepped down when Mr Johnson took over, and Mr Buckland was axed as Justice Secretary in a reshuffle last year. Mr Vara was previously a Northern Ireland minister but has been out of government.

The others are long-standing allies promoted from other jobs.

The PM's resignation announcement will effectively fire the starting gun on what looks set to be a chaotic leadership battle. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss - expected to be a candidate - is cutting short a visit to Indonesia to return to the UK.

However, it is far from clear that Mr Johnson staying on until October - more than two months - will be acceptable to Tory MPs. More than 50 government members have resigned, and there will be questions over whether they can simply be reappointed, or would even agree to that. There are rumours that Mr Johnson still wants to push key policies such as tax cuts.

Keir Starmer threatened to call a Parliamentary confidence vote and try to force a general election if Mr Johnson does not leave immediately.

'He needs to go completely. None of this nonsense about clinging on for a few months,' he said.

George Freeman, who announced he was resigning as science minister this morning, said Mr Johnson must apologise to the Queen and advise her to call for a caretaker PM.

'Boris Johnson needs to hand in the seals of office, apologise to Her Majesty and advise her to call for a caretaker prime minister,' he said. 'To take over today so that ministers can get back to work and we can choose a new Conservative leader to try and repair the damage and rebuild trust.'

A former minister told MailOnline: 'We need to be rid of the Johnson poison as quickly as possible.'

Mr Johnson said his message to voters who delivered his 2019 landslide was 'thank you for that incredible mandate', adding the 'reason I have fought so hard' was because he felt it was his 'job' to deliver what he promised

Mr Johnson emerged from Downing Street at 12.30pm to deliver his momentous statement to the country

Carrie Johnson was just feet away as her husband announced he was stepping down following a dramatic 48 hours in politics

Mother-of-two Carrie shielded Romy as she made her way back inside No. 10 following the resignation speech yesterday

Mr Johnson, who says he intends to serve until a new Prime Minister is chosen this autumn, leaves the podium after resigning

What next for Carrie Johnson? As Boris quits, how his third wife has gone from the first Downing Street girlfriend to a mother-of-two with serious influence and style credentials - so, could a political career be on the cards?

Boris Johnson has announced that he will finally quit after a slew of high profile resignations and damning statements from even his most loyal allies brought his premiership to its knees.

The resignation will impact not only his life but the life of his family, most notably his third wife Carrie Johnson, 34, who made history when she became the first girlfriend of a Prime Minister to officially live in Downing Street.

Carrie, a former Conservative Party communications chief, was simply 'Miss Symonds' when she and Boris first shacked up together in 2019.

What's next for Carrie Johnson? Boris Johnson has announced that he will finally quit yesterday. The resignation will impact not only his life but the life of his family, most notably his wife Carrie Johnson, 34, who made history when she became the first girlfriend of a Prime Minister to officially live in Downing Street. Pictured, the couple at the G7 last month

Early days: Carrie, then Miss Symonds, was pictured alongside Boris Johnson's family as he arrived at Downing Street following the leadership election in July 2019. The couple have since welcomed two children together, Wilfred, now two, and seven-month- daughter Romy

Fashionista: The conservationist, who has been accused of being at the centre of drama at No. 10, has also made headlines with her sustainable wardrobe, often choosing to rent dresses for even the most high profile engagements. Pictured, in a rented dress in Rwanda last month

The couple have since welcomed two children together, Wilfred, now two, and daughter Romy, who was born in December last year.

The Johnson children have been raised in No. 11 Downing Street, traditionally the Chancellor's grace-and-favour flat but one that was commandeered by the Prime Minister because it offered his young family more space.

Mrs Johnson - she and Boris wed in a low-key wedding in May 2020 - has embraced the role of 'first lady', joining Mr Johnson at international summits and campaigning for causes close to her heart.

The conservationist, who has been accused of being at the centre of drama at No. 10, has also made headlines with her sustainable wardrobe, often choosing to rent dresses for even the most high profile engagements.

But what next for Carrie Johnson? Here, a look back at her time at No. 10 - and what the future might hold...

A CAREER IN POLITICS

Time for her own political career: Mrs Johnson has put herself front and centre in many of Mr Johnson's most high profile engagements, including the recent G7 summit where she rubbed shoulders with President Biden. It is possible she might pursue her own political career

From by his side... to centre stage? The public relations expert had been in the Westminster Bubble for most of her remarkably ascendant career, a high-point being when she was made head of party PR aged just 29. Pictured, Boris and Carrie at the Tory party conference in 2019

Speaking out: Carrie delivered a speech at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester last year

Mrs Johnson, a former Conservative Party communications chief, found herself making headlines when she was romantically linked to Mr Johnson in 2019, just months after the announcement of his separation from second wife Marina Wheeler.

The public relations expert had been in the so-called Westminster Bubble for most of her remarkably ascendant career, a high-point being when she was made head of party PR aged just 29.

Carrie joined the Tory party media machine in 2009, first as a press adviser, then head of broadcast at Conservative campaign headquarters ahead of the 2015 general election.

Her association with Mr Johnson dates back to the early years, having worked on his successful re-election bid at City Hall in 2012.

During her husband's years in office she remained an influential figure.

Carrie, once described as the 'most powerful woman in Britain', and was at one point branded Boris' de facto chief of staff.

Miss Symonds's 'unelected and unaccountable' role in Government is 'damaging to democracy,' Nic Conner, who worked with Miss Symonds on the Brexit campaign, said in February 2021.

He told the Daily Mail that he has no grudge against the former director of Tory communications and was not being sexist, but is concerned she is acting unconstitutionally as friends are hired and rivals fired inside No 10.

Mr Conner said: 'In light of my experience working with Carrie Symonds, I am deeply concerned that she should have any role in governing the country without authority or accountability.

'Anyone holding so much unelected power, and who cannot be removed, is not only unconstitutional but is damaging to British democracy.'

Mr Conner's comments came after the conservative think tank, the Bow Group  of which he is a research fellow  called for an independent inquiry into the role of Mrs Johnson within government.

Bow Group chairman Ben Harris-Quinney added: 'No romantic partner of the PM has ever involved themselves to this degree. It's completely unjustifiable in a modern democracy, and calling me or the Bow Group sexist doesn't change that.'

The most prominent casualty of Miss Symond's alleged influence was Mr Johnson's right-hand man Dominic Cummings, who left in November 2020 after clashing with her.

Mr Cummings's ally, communications chief Lee Cain, soon followed him out of the door amid claims that Mirs Johnson was calling the PM 20 times a day, and had been nicknamed 'Princess Nut Nut' by her detractors.

A spokesman for Mrs Johnson declined to comment on the allegations against her at the time they were originally published in the Daily Mail.

Carrie was also reportedly behind Sajid Javid's appointment as Health Secretary. Cummings spoke out to claim Mrs Johnson, who was once a special adviser to Mr Javid during his tenure as Communities Secretary, engineered the move.

The PM's wife is even said to have had a hand in policy. Boris has championed the UK becoming Net Zero in terms of emissions by 2050, under a swing to green advocacy said to have been driven by his wife.

Carrie, who has put on chummy displays with everyone from Joe Biden to Brigitte Macron, might well want to put her experience at the very heart of British politics to use by pursuing a career in her own right.

It is difficult to imagining this happening any time soon, but Mrs Johnson has proved herself a force to be reckoned with and should definitely not be counted out.

A FORAY INTO FASHION

Fashion maven: Dressed in pink from head-to-toe, Carrie Johnson, 34, steps off a plane in Rwanda with her husband, Boris Johnson. Her double-breasted blazer (79.99), and matching trousers (49.99) are from high-street store Zara

Sustainable dressing: Carrie Johnson has showcased her style prowess once again when stepping out at day four of Royal Ascot in a rented Emilia Wickstead dress

Re-wearing favourite pieces: Mrs Johnson, 34, sported a recycled 85 fuschia dress from & Other Stories, a John Lewis hat and Michael Kors shoes for Trooping the Colour over the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend. She first wore the outfit in 2019

Sustainable wedding day: Carrie favours online rental service My Wardrobe HQ. It was through the website that she hired her wedding dress, a creation by Greek designer Christos Costarellos which bought new would cost 2,830, but she borrowed for 45 a day

Carrie Johnson has championed a more 'sustainable' approach to fashion during her years in Downing Street, stepping out in rented dresses and pieces from independent British labels.

The 34-year-old, who is a fan of printed midi dresses and chic power suits, even remained true to this low impact approach to fashion at major global events like the G7 summit where she has worn rented pieces from the likes of The Vampire's Wife and Amanda Wakeley.

On other occasions she has re-worn pieces from her wardrobe, like the 85 fuschia dress from & Other Stories which she teamed with a John Lewis hat and Michael Kors shoes for the Platinum Jubilee.

Carrie favours online rental service My Wardrobe HQ. It was through the website that she hired her wedding dress, a creation by Greek designer Christos Costarellos which bought new would cost 2,830, but she borrowed for 45 a day.

Given her evident love of fashion, it is possible Carrie might consider exploring it as a post-Downing Street career.

She could turn to fellow former PM's wife Samantha Cameron for advice.

Sam Cam, who served as Creative Director at British accessories brand Smythson of Bond Street, from 1997 until May 2010, launched her own clothing label, Cefinn, after she and husband David left No. 10.

RAISING TWO CHILDREN

Mummy's little girl! Proud mother Carrie Johnson shared a behind-the-scenes snap of her six-month-old daughter Romy at the G7 summit, a week after the family joined the Prime Minister in Rwanda

Looking out on the world: Carrie posted a second snap showing little Romy playing on a swing set in the countryside

Romy's world tour! It came after Mrs Johnson shared a photograph of Romy in Rwanda, where they joined Mr Johnson on a three-day visit to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)

On the world stage: Boris and Carrie's son Wilfred, now two, played an important role in last year's G7 summit - helping to break the ice as his parents welcomed the Bidens to Cornwall

Charming the First Lady: Mr and Mrs Johnson invited the President and the First Lady to meet their boy on the beach and later released a number of carefully selected photographs from the encounter

Fortunately for Carrie and Boris, the move out of No. 11 is unlikely to cause any major disruption for their two young children, who are too young to attend nursery.

It remains to be seen where the couple will set up home as a family once they move out of Downing Street but Boris and Carrie own a 1.3million house in Camberwell.

Or it is possible they could choose to leave London for more space in the country.

Wilf  or Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson in full  was named after Mr and Mrs Johnson's grandfathers and partly in tribute to two doctors, Nick Hart and Nick Price, who helped save Mr Johnson's life when he was in hospital with Covid in 2020.

The two-year-old, who has inherited his father's mop of blonde hair, is said to loves cars and animals, especially the family's Jack Russell-cross Dilyn.

He has already enjoyed a glittering life as the son of the Prime Minister, meeting Joe and Jill Biden on a Cornwall beach at last year's G7.

Meanwhile Romy Iris Charlotte Johnson, who was born at University College London hospital on December 9, was also named after close family members.

Mrs Johnson explained the choice of name: 'Romy after my aunt, Rosemary. Iris from the Greek, meaning rainbow. Charlotte [after] Boris's late mum whom we miss so much.'

In 2021, Mrs Johnson had a miscarriage, which she said left her heartbroken, before becoming pregnant with Romy. When she announced the pregnancy last year, she said she and her husband were 'hoping for our rainbow baby this Christmas'.

A 'rainbow baby' is the term given to a child born after a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death.

Last month, Romy joined her parents on a Commonwealth visit to Rwanda before making the trip to Germany for the G7 summit.

Boris and Carrie have chosen to keep their children out of the spotlight and have only shared photos taken from behind.

SAYING GOODBYE TO THEIR DESIGNER HOME

Redesign: Mr and Mrs Johnson will be closing the door on a rather pricey - and controversial - interior design project helmed by Lulu Lytle, pictured

Carrie's inspiration: Carrie Symonds interiors overhaul after moving into Number 11 Downing Street is said to have been inspired by Lulu Lytle - with an example of her work pictured above

Perhaps one of the biggest difficulties for any outgoing PM's wife is saying goodbye to the place they have called home.

In the case of Mr and Mrs Johnson, it also means closing the door on a rather pricey - and controversial - interior design project.

The couple, who share one-year-old son Wilfred and are expecting a second child together, spent 90,000 refitting the grace and favour apartment at No.11, which reportedly looked like a 'John Lewis nightmare' after Theresa May's residency.

They turned to society interiors guru Lulu Lytle for help, thrusting her into the centre of a debate over the eye-watering cost of the makeover, and who paid for it.

Lytle is the founder of Soane Britain, a company offering clients wall-to-wall luxe with a promise of bringing 'joie de vivre' into the home - for a hefty price. A single rattan light can cost 7,200, while a desk can be more than 10,000.

Money was at the centre of the backlash following the news Lytle had been brought in to redesign Downing Street, with critics questioning why the Johnsons needed such an expensive makeover, as well as, more importantly, how it had been funded.

At one point it was thought the works cost as much as 200,000, but official documents later revealed the figure to be less than 90,000, with 30,000 from his publicly funded allowance and an additional 58,000 settled privately.

The refurbishments to the flat in No 11 sparked sustained scrutiny of Mr Johnson's finances, with the works vastly exceeding the 30,000 annual limit afforded to the Prime Minister.

Conservative Party accounts published in August revealed its central office provided a 'bridging loan' of 52,802 to cover the works after being invoiced by the Cabinet Office in June last year.

The party was 'reimbursed in full' in October by Lord Brownlow, a former vice-chairman of the party who has made more than 3million in donations over the years.

Mr Johnson then 'settled the costs' incurred by the Conservative peer in March.

Three different reviews and reports were launched into the funding, one each by the Electoral Commission and parliamentary commissioner for standards, while the Prime Minister announced his new independent adviser on ministerial interests Lord Geidt would also investigate.

Lord Geidt found Mr Johnson acted 'unwisely' in allowing the refurbishment to go ahead without 'more rigorous regard for how this would be funded', but did not breach the ministerial code.

No 10 said: 'Lord Geidt's independent report shows the Prime Minister acted in accordance with the ministerial code at all times. The Prime Minister has made a declaration in his List of Ministerial Interests, as advised by Lord Geidt.'
A group of 20 migrants - including young children - were intercepted trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat today, despite choppy summer sea conditions.

Small children wearing orange life jackets were among more than a dozen asylum seekers being escorted off of the small boats this morning as they arrived in Dover, Kent.

A group of men were taken off a dinghy and transferred onto the Border Force vessel Typhoon at sea before being brought into the harbour and handed over to immigration officials.

Wearing Covid face masks, the asylum seekers made their way along the gangway after making the perilous journey across the English Channel.

A young child with curly brown hair was seen being carried by a border official after arriving on the Kent coastline.

Another young girl, wearing a pink jacket, was helped on to land by what appeared to be older family members in the group.

Weather conditions at sea were easing today, following windy conditions which apparently prevented any crossings on Thursday.

Today's arrivals are the first since Wednesday when 248 people in five boats were picked up in the 21-mile wide Dover straits.

One young child held the hand of what's believed to be a family member as they were escorted off of the small boats this morning

Families of asylum seekers, including a young child, wear orange life jackets before being escorted to land by border officials on Friday morning

A group of migrants - including one young child wearing a pink jacket - arrived on the Kent coastline this morning after making the journey across the English Channel

The tumultuous climate in British politics also did not seemed to deter migrants from arriving in the UK - one day after Boris Johnson resigned from power and triggered a new Tory leadership election.

Home Secretary Priti Patel was among the few cabinet ministers who did not sensationally quit her position earlier this week, as waves of MPs said they could no longer work under Mr Johnson's leadership.

On Wednesday, a further 166 migrants had to be rescued by the French authorities after their dinghies got into difficulties off the coast in a number of incidents between Calais, Boulogne and Le Touquet.

They were returned to French ports and handed over to border police.

The official total so far this year to have been detained by Border Force after making the treacherous crossing in small boats has now reached 13,103 in nearly 400 boats.

Today's figures have yet to be confirmed.

According to government figures 28,526 people made the journey in 2021 - compared to 8,410 who arrived in 2020.

A Government spokesperson said: 'The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable.

'Not only are they an overt abuse of our immigration laws, but they risk lives and hinder our ability to help refugees who come to the UK through safe and legal routes.

'The Nationality and Borders Act will enable us to crack down on abuse of the system and the evil people smugglers, who will now be subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

'Under our new Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, we are continuing preparations to relocate those who are making dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys into the UK in order for their claims to be considered and rebuild their lives.'

Asylum seekers lined the gangway and took off their orange life jackets after making the tumultuous journey on Friday morning. The waters were choppy on Thursday but seem to have calmed down today
Australians returning home from Bali could be forced to throw away their dirty thongs amid fears a devastating livestock disease could spread locally for the first time in 150 years.

Biosecurity officers are now boarding planes arriving from Indonesia to warn incoming passengers about the risks of foot-and-mouth disease, which the federal government estimates could cost the economy $80billion.

Chemicals could also be used at the airport to disinfect shoes, while also potentially harming passengers' skin.

Now chief veterinary officer Mark Schipp has suggested Australians throw away their dirty thongs in Bali before boarding a flight home.

'A lot of people returning from Bali are not wearing boots, they're wearing flip flops or thongs or sandals and you can't really afford to get that chemical on your skin,' he said.

Australians returning home from Bali could be forced to throw away their dirty thongs amid fears a devastating livestock disease could spread locally for the first time in 150 years (pictured are tourists at Kuta in April 2022)

'If you're wearing thongs in Bali, then leave them behind in Bali.'

Foot-and-mouth disease, which causes blisters on the tongue and hooves of livestock was detected in Indonesia in May for the first time since 1986 but it hasn't been recorded in Australia since 1872.

National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson wants stricter biosecurity measures, this week calling for every traveller from Indonesia to be screened

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt on Friday said the federal government was 'very serious about keeping this devastating disease out of Australia'.

'Travellers, farmers, governments and the general public have a shared responsibility when it comes to protecting Australia from an outbreak, which would have a significant impact on Australian agriculture and would cost the Australian people many billions of dollars,' he said.

National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson wants stricter biosecurity measures, this week calling for every traveller from Indonesia to be screened.

'We may need to move to questioning each person to determine the need for a biosecurity inspection, or simply sending each person for an inspection,' she said.

Foot-and-mouth disease, which causes blisters on the tongue and hooves of livestock was detected in Indonesia in May for the first time since 1986 but it hasn't been recorded in Australia since 1872 (pictured are tourists at South Kuta in Bali)

'We would also like to see an increase in frontline biosecurity officers at return airports and ongoing reviews into the appropriateness of additional intervention methods such as foot baths.'

Why foot-and-mouth disease is a serious issue Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a serious, highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals Livestock such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats are affected FMD can cause blistering in the hooves and mouths of infected animals, which may result in fever and excessive salivation. The disease may be fatal in young stock Source: Queensland government Advertisement

Indonesia confirmed this week that it has spread to Bali with more then 230,000 cases detected across the country.

There are now fears the disease could be transported back to Australia by tourists who have been flocking to Bali since the end of coronavirus restrictions.

Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture said it had been detected in more than 60 cows across three sites in Bali, putting Australian authorities on high alert.

The federal government's Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences calculated the first new an outbreak in 150 years would cause revenue losses of $80billion over 10 years.

The disease is not a risk to human health but people can carry it on their shoes, clothes or in their noses  where it can survive for up to 24 hours.

Flights from Denpasar to Darwin are only two-and-a-half hours.

Biosecurity detector dogs are now being send to Darwin and Cairns airports in Australia's tropical north.

Humans can also transmit the disease to livestock, leading to fears of an export ban if the disease takes root.

It would likely take several years for trade to be reopened.

Biosecurity officers are now boarding planes arriving from Indonesia to warn incoming passengers about the risks of foot-and-mouth disease, which the federal government estimates could cost the economy $80billion (pictured are Australians at Denpasar)

Australian Livestock Exporters Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said tourism was too important to Indonesia to be cut off.

'We've got to remember this isn't all about us. Our nearest neighbour and friend in Indonesia is dealing with an outbreak that is impacting their food security and livelihoods,' he said.

'We should be assisting as much as possible with vaccines and technical support for biosecurity control.'

Bali-based veterinarian Dr Ross Ainsworth previously said travellers should be forced to declare whether they had visited a farm, and said airports should implement mandatory shoe disinfection.

Dr Ainsworth, with 40 years experience in the Australian beef industry, believes the risk of local introduction is becoming very high.

'The big danger period in Bali is from now until the herd is fully vaccinated - until there's livestock vaccinated across Indonesia we're at a much higher risk,' Dr Ainsworth told the ABC.

Dr Ainsworth said the magnitude of the risk warranted the immediate introduction of biosecurity measures upon all people travelling from Indonesia.

The federal government's Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences calculated the first new an outbreak in 150 years would cause revenue losses of $80billion over 10 years (pictured are diary cattle on the New South Wales south coast)

'Until Bali is fully protected by vaccination of its cattle and pig populations, an increase in the attention paid to tourists returning to Australia, especially their footwear, seems to be warranted,' he said.

'Additional requirements such as ensuring shoes are clean and walking through a wet sponge infused with disinfectant before boarding and after leaving the flight would seem to be simple and sensible measures which might help to address the new level of risk.'

FMD affects cloven-hoofed species including sheep, goats, buffalo, camels and deer.

The outbreak is adding to stresses on Australia's already embattled aviation sector.

Credit ratings agency Fitch doesn't expect airport volumes to return to pre-pandemic or 2019 levels until the end of 2024.

Combined passenger traffic through Sydney and Melbourne airports in April 2022 was 30 per cent weaker than April 2019, with Australia only reopened to international tourists in February 2022.

Fitch said domestic traffic would recover faster than international travel into Australia.

'Fitch anticipates a full recovery in domestic travel by the end of 2023, and a full recovery of international passenger traffic to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024,' it said.





Livestock exhibiting symptoms should be reported to the national Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888
Court sketch of suspected Iranian people trafficking 'kingpin' Hewa Rahimpur (right), 29, appearing in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court as proceedings begin for his extradition to Belgium. Prosecutors suspect him of being a leading figure in a 'systematic human-smuggling' network

An alleged people trafficking 'kingpin' from Iran gang that is believed to have brought up to 10,000 migrants to the UK has said he may agree to being extradited to Belgium to face trial.

Hewa Rahimpur, 29, is accused of sourcing small boats from Turkey and organising their storage in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands before using them to transport migrants across the Channel.

He was arrested in May at the start of a European-wide police operation that saw the confiscation of 135 boats 1,200 life jackets and thousands of Euros in cash - as well as 40 arrests.

Two people arrested in Belgium have identified Rahimpur as the person who purchased boats and organised their transport to the French coast.

He is wanted by the authorities in Belgium where he is suspected of being a leading figure in the network said by prosecutors to be engaged in 'systematic human smuggling' offences using small boats.

Rahimputer 'stands accused of being a major player in what we would say is one of the most significant criminal networks involved in supplying boats to people smugglers', Jacque Beer, National Crime Agency (NCA) Deputy Director of Investigations said upon his arrest in May this year.

Rahimpur, currently living in Ilford, east London, was detained in a National Crime Agency (NCA) operation at around 1pm on May 4.

Rahimpur is accused of sourcing the boats in Turkey and having them delivered to locations in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands

Authorities in Belgium want to extradite the alleged people smuggler and he appeared today via video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Benjamin Seifert, defending, said: 'I understand that Mr Rahimpur is considering consenting to his extradition. I would therefore invite the court to have him produced next week.'

District Judge Daniel Sternberg set another hearing for July 15 for Rahimpur to attend in person so he can sign documents saying he consents to the extradition.

Mr Seifert added: 'If Mr Rahimpur is considering consenting to the extradition, he should be produced next Friday to have the benefit of seeing that in court.'

Rahimpur is currently on remand at HMP Wandsworth and listened in to the hearing with the help of an Iranian Kurdish interpreter.

Iranian-born Hewa Rahimpur, 29, was arrested during a planned operation in east London and is due to appear in court tomorrow

Belgian authorities suspect Rahimpur has links to a major organised crime group involved in people trafficking

Coordinated by EU law enforcement agencies Europol and Eurojust, the international operation against the people-smuggling gang was the largest ever of its kind.

The National Crime Agency said it had arrested six other people this week and had provided intelligence to European partners that led to arrests on the continent.

Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Deputy Director of Europol, said migrants pay between 2,000 and 9,000 to make the crossing and that the criminal group's activity generated as much as 51.4 million in 2021 alone.

Frank Demeester, from the prosecutors' office of West Flanders in Belgium, said after Rahimpur was arrested in May: 'Together with smuggling of human beings by refrigerated transport, smuggling of by small boats is highest on our priority list.

Andrea Wilson, NCA Deputy Director of Organised Immigration Crime, also said in May: 'One of the ways we are seeking to disrupt these people smuggling networks is through targeting their supply of boats.

'Some of the vessels we have seen attempting the Channel crossing have been nothing short of death-traps, held together using gaffer tape and planks of wood.

'Sadly, we have also seen how these crossings have resulted in fatalities, which is why tackling this criminality is a priority for the NCA and our law enforcement partners both in the UK and overseas.'
A petition signed by 59 people which prompted a council to axe a Roy Chubby Brown gig has been overtaken by one inked by 3,000 fans urging its reinstatement.

The controversial 77 year-old - whose real name is Royston Vasey - was due to perform at the Lancaster City Council-run Platform Theatre in Morecambe.

But the August 19 show was axed after 59 people signed a petition demanding councillors ban it.

Lancaster City Council chief executive Mike Davies said they agreed shows by the X-rated star were not 'compatible' with their values of being a 'fair, diverse and inclusive organisation.'

But now a new petition has soared to over 3,000 signatures calling for the right to free speech - and demanding the council reinstate the show, stressing the comedian's charity work and adding: 'If people don't like him then move on * don't ruin it for other people.'

And hundreds have left messages of support saying that a few dozen people complaining should not stop the comedian's fans enjoying seeing him perform - while Brown's tour manager Ritchie Hoyle blasted the cancelling of the show as 'ridiculous'.

Angry James Anderson wrote: 'Don't like it, don't go. This is enforced censorship.'

Roy Chubby Brown poses during a photo shoot on November 12, 2009 in Scarborough, England

A council-operated venue, The Platform, informed the comic's team that the decision had been made to axe his August show

While Paul Hughes-Stainsby penned: 'I live in Morecambe. Why should the council spoil the fun. Chubbs is what he is. His shows are always sold with a warning. If easily offended then please stay away. It's personal choice not a council decision.'

Jacqui Harnett said: 'It's ridiculous that 59 people complain about this comedian, now hundreds are prevented from seeing him. The 59 are not forced to buy tickets to see him.

'This again is cancel culture gone mad. Treat people like adults and let them choose. Morecambe Council don't you have anything better to do?????'

Supporter Sharon Hopewell admitted she was not even a fan of Roy Chubby Brown - but defended his right to free speech and to perform in front of his fans, adding: 'He shouldn't be cancelled because a few people don't like him.. I'm not a fan but I will stand up for his right to put his show on!'

Duncan Ian remarked: 'I saw Chubby many years ago. Was he rude? Yes. Was he hateful? NO! Let the man work, and if you don't want to hear him, don't buy a ticket.'

Ken Drinkwater stressed: 'Let the haters hate. There will be no comedy left soon.'

Mandy Butterworth said: 'It's terrible taking away people's choice. I'd never choose to see Chubby Brown as I personally don't like his material and do find him offensive, my choice for me, but I'd never want to stop someone else from going if it was their choice to do so.'

Lucy Clare agreed: 'By being 'inclusive' you've just 'excluded the people who want to go to the show?

Comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown has already had one show pulled this year in Colne, also in Lancashire

The cancellation of his upcoming show in Morecambe (pictured) is the second of the year

'I personally don't like Chubby Brown therefore I won't buy a ticket however I like having the choice to decide if I want to go or not.. I think it's time people started fighting back now or where will this stop?'

And irritated Sue Heartfield pointed out to the council: 'You are not being fair, diverse or inclusive by cancelling him. You are contradicting your values. Censorship is wrong.'

Those supporting the original petition - which has since slightly increased from 59 supporters when the council axed the gig to 80 supporters now - accused Brown of being 'racist, homophobic, and misogynistic'.

Announcing his decision earlier this week to ban Brown, council leader Mr Davies said: 'We understand this decision will disappoint some people, but we are proud to be a fair, diverse and inclusive organisation and do not believe Mr Brown's shows are compatible with these values.'

The Platform is a council-owned 350-seat venue set in the town's old Edwardian railway station platform building opposite the iconic resort's promenade.

But despite the 'freedom of speech' backlash Mr Davies, appointed to the 121,800-a-year role in March, has refused to back down or do a U-turn.

When asked about the accusations of censorship, a spokesman for Lancaster City Council said: 'We don't have anything to add to the statement which was provided yesterday.'

The Council also declined to explain why it booked the famously offensive comedian to perform at its theatre in the first place.

But others have defended the underfire Council leader and welcomed his decision to axe the show.

Lizzi Collinge, County Councillor for Lancaster East, said: 'I welcome Lancaster City Council's decision to not host Royston Vasey, aka Roy Chubby Brown, at the Platform in Morecambe.

'He uses foul racist and sexist language and uses humour to normalise these racist and sexist ideas, which contribute to people actually feeling unsafe in our community.

'Mr Vasey and his management seem to confuse the right to free speech with the right to be given a stage to speak from.

'This performer is happy to make a living by attacking whole groups of people in his performances but cries foul and acts like a victim when he's challenged on what he says.

'The City Council is well within its rights to withdraw the use of the Platform when a performer so clearly contradicts its values.'

It is not the first time the stand-up has been embroiled in a number of rows over his shows, and venues in Swansea, Nottinghamshire and Sheffield have cancelled performances previously.

In 2019, the boss of the Town Hall in Brown's hometown of Middlesbrough stood down when its mayor overturned a ban, while in Sheffield, 28,000 people signed a petition calling for his show to be reinstated.

Writing on Facebook, Mr Hoyle said in criticising Lancaster City Council, he felt like he was 'playing the same record over and over again'.

He said the council 'in their wisdom' had decided to listen to those who signed the petition against the show, thereby 'ignoring the thousands who support Chubby's right to perform'.

'All I can do is apologise, but it's out of our hands,' he said, adding that the decision meant 'woke culture wins again, I'm afraid', adding: 'The world's gone mad.'
The serial-criminal son of an Arkansas US representative is back in jail after being arrested for possessing meth while on probation for previous drugs offenses.

James Womack, 34, was arrested at his home in Rogers on Wednesday after he was caught attempting to hide a container with suspected methamphetamine when police arrived at his home for a probation home visit, according to Fox 16.com.

Womack, whose father is GOP lawmaker Rep. Steve Womack, attempted to sit on the case that police later discovered contained meth, multiple syringes, and nine grams of meth.

The parolee insisted to the officers that he was using meth and not selling it upon his arrest, their arrest report said.

Womack has been arrested multiple times since 2010 for repeated drug offenses

Womack was arrested in 2018 for possession of meth and was set to spend nine years in prison until he was granted early release during the COVID-19 pandemic

In 2012, Womack was arrested multiple times for violating his parole after he was booked at Benton County Jail for selling six grams of meth in 2010

Womack is currently at Benton County Jail with a bail set at $15,000. He been charged with felony possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of controlled substance-methamphetamine.

The 34-year-old is no stranger to the criminal justice system as he was previously arrested in 2018, then later sentenced to nine years in prison for multiple drug and gun charges.

He was freed early in 2020 due to COVID rules aimed at emptying prisons of non-violent inmates as the pandemic began to surge, but now appears to have reoffended.

'Like so many families across this nation, our family has been dealing with a loved one's addiction. The most recent arrest of our son adds to that pain,' Steve Womack said in a statement at the time.

He continued, 'We love him unconditionally; however, as an adult, he is accountable for the choices he's made. We honor and respect the criminal justice system that will decide his fate.'

Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack previously said after his son's 2018 arrest that James is dealing with addiction and 'as an adult, he is accountable for the choices' he has made

In 2012, Womack was arrested multiple times for violating his parole after he was booked at Benton County Jail for selling six grams of meth in 2010, according to 5 News.

Steve Womack has not commented on his son's recent arrest.
President Joe Biden on Friday fumed about a 10-year-old girl in Ohio who was forced to go to another state to get an abortion after she was raped, using the dramatic story to make the case for Democrats to vote this November.

Biden raised his voice as he recounted the story, grasping the podium with both hands as he railed about the trauma the girl must have faced and the unfairness of the situation.

'She was forced to have to travel out of state to Indian to seek to terminate the pregnancy and maybe save her life. That's the last part is my judgment,' he said, speaking in the Roosevelt Room at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra at his side.

'Imagine being that little girl. I'm serious, just imagine being that little girl. 10 years old!,' he said pointing his finger at the camera.

'A 10-year-old girl should be forced to give birth to a rapist's child?,' he said. 'I can't think of anything that's much more extreme.'

The case made national news after it was revealed a child abuse doctor in Ohio sought the help of Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist, to help a 10-year-old girl get an abortion after Ohio banned the procedure after six weeks - hours after the 6-3 Supreme Court vote, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

The child was six weeks and three days pregnant - therefore, ineligible by just three days to receive the procedure in her home state.

In his remarks, Biden targeted the Supreme Court justices directly, calling them 'out of control' and arguing they were working with exteremist Republicans to take away Americans' rights.

President Joe Biden fumed about a 10-year-old girl in Ohio who was forced to go to another state to get an abortion after she was raped, using the dramatic story to make the case for Democrats to vote this November

President Joe Biden signs an executive order on abortion access, surrounded by Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco

As he prepared to sign an executive order boosting protections for abortions rights, he repeated his argument that the best way forward was for Congress to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law.

'If you want to change the circumstance for women, and even a little girls in this country, please go out and vote,' he said.

The Supreme Court, in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which guaranteed a woman's right to an abortion.

Biden slammed the Supreme Court for its decision. He called the justices 'out of control' and working with 'extremist elements of the Republican Party.'

'This decision affects everyone, unrelated to choice beyond choice. We cannot allow out of control Supreme Court, working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party, to take away freedoms and our personal autonomy,' he said.

'The choice we face as a nation is between the mainstream and the extreme,' he added.

Even as he prepared to sign an executive order, he expressed his dismay at the limits of his executive power. He called on people - particularly women - to come out in record numbers in November to elect more Democrats to Congress.

'The only way to fulfill and restore that right for women in this country is by voting, by exercising the power at the ballot box,' he said. 'Your vote can make that a reality.'

He acknowledged the frustration and criticism he's received from some Democrats that he has not been able to do more to protect reproductive rights.

'Consider the challenge accepted court,' he said, addressing the Supreme Court directly, 'but the meantime I'm signing this important executive order.'

'I know it's frustrating, and it made a lot of people very angry. But the truth is this - and it's not just me saying it's what the court said - when you read the decision, the court has made clear, it will not protect the rights of women. Period. Period,' he said.

'The court now practically dares the women of America to go to the ballot box, and restore the very rights they've just taken away,' he noted.

'The women American can determine the outcome of this issue,' he added.

He finished by emphasizing - repeatedly - the need to vote this fall.

'For God's sake, there's an election in November: vote, vote, vote, vote,' he said.

Biden's executive order will push to safeguard access to abortion medication and emergency contraception and to add more protections for patient privacy.

Biden will also direct the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access abortion medication or to travel across state lines to receive abortion services.

And the order will increase access to legal services for the abortions rights battles expected to come.

Thirteen states passed trigger laws to restrict or ban abortion in the event Roe v. Wade was overturned

Since the Supreme Court's ruling two weeks ago, Biden has been under pressure to take executive action and faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency.

The administration also is continuing to push Congress to codify Roe into federal law.

Biden, last week, called for the Senate to overturn the use of the filibuster to help codify abortion rights.

The White House previously ruled out giving women access to abortion on federal lands, saying it would have 'dangerous ramifications.'

In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, many states tamped down on access to abortion services and, in some cases, to emergency contraception.

In a nod to the legal battles expected to come, Biden will also direct the attorney general and the White House counsel to convene private pro bono attorneys, bar associations, and public interest groups to help with legal representation.

'Such representation could include protecting the right to travel out of state to seek medical care,' the White House noted in a fact sheet on the order.

Abortion rights activists, dressed in an outfits from The Handmaid's Tale, lead protestors during a march in Denver, Colorado - protests sprang up around the nation after the Supreme Court ruling

Abortion is expected to be a huge issue in the upcoming midterm election.

And states are expected to be the major legal battle ground.

Biden met with Democratic governors at the White House last week to talk about efforts to protect reproductive rights.

Many of them have already taken action.

The Democratic governors of Colorado and North Carolina have issued executive orders to protect abortion providers and patients from extradition to home states that have banned the practice.

And the governors of Rhode Island and Maine have signed executive orders stating that they will not cooperate with other states' investigations into people who seek abortions or health care providers that perform them.
Highland Park shooter Bobby Crimo III was left in a hot car by his mom for 27 minutes as a toddler - with his mother later convicted over the incident.

The disturbing 2002 incident was one of multiple brushes with the law Crimo's mom Denise Pesina and dad Bob Crimo Jr had with cops prior to Monday's massacre in Chicago that killed seven.

It is unclear if the hot car incident left Crimo, now 21, with any physical or mental injuries that may have ultimately led to the horrific shootout.

Police were also called to his family's home 10 times, to reports of domestic violence. Those incidents included Denise Pesina allegedly attacking her husband with a screwdriver and shoe after he berated her looks.

The report details nine instances cops were called to the Crimo family home in Highwood between 2010 and 2014, often to address physical disputes between the youth's mother and father, Robert Crimo Jr. and Denise Pesina.

During one drunken altercation in August 2010, Crimo Jr. told police responding to a domestic abuse call that Pesina had struck him in the head with her shoe.

Crimo Jr. - who unsuccessfully ran for Mayor in Highland Park in 2019 - reportedly told officers that his relationship with Pesina was 'failing,' and that she was intoxicated.

The report details nine instances cops were called to the Crimo family home in Highwood between 2010 and 2014, often to address physical disputes between the youth's mother and father, Robert Crimo Jr. and Denise Pesina

The reports paint a picture of the unstable upbringing of 21-year-old Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III, who is facing first degree murder charges for shooting dozens - seven fatally - at a Fourth of July parade Monday.

Pesina, meanwhile, told police that Crimo Jr. had 'disrespected and belittled' her by making disparaging remarks about her appearance. She said those comments spurred her to drink.

In October 2010, police recorded another incident were they were called to the home because of a reported fight between Pesina and Crimo Jr.

The encounter saw Pesina hit Crimo Jr. with a screwdriver, the aspiring statesman told police. He added that his wife had been 'trash talking' him, knocked all his belongings off his dresser, before bludgeoning him with the backside of the tool.

Pesina argued that Crimo Jr. had been 'making mean statements to me like always, calling me names.'

Another two calls saw the parents call the police on one another for attempts to drive while intoxicated.

On both occasions, the calls devolved into domestic disputes involving police.

In June 2011, Crimo Jr. called cops to report that Pesina was attempting to drive to pick up her daughter, Crimo's sister, while intoxicated.

Pesina confronted Crimo Jr. about this, cops said, where at which point Pesina blocked the dad from leaving, spurring him to call police.

Court records show Pesina pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Lake County in 2012.

In 2002, Pesina was slapped with a child endangerment charge, after leaving Crimo III alone in a car with the windows rolled up for 27 minutes in the parking lot of a toy store, court records show.

It was approximately 80 degrees outside during that incident.

In September 2019, a few months before Crimo III applied for a gun permit, police conducted a wellness check following a report that days earlier Crimo III had 'made a threat in the household' stating 'he was going to kill everyone.'

Pesina was pictured arriving home from Target on Wednesday, two days after her son killed seven people attending a July 4 parade

Crimo is pictured with his mother as a teenager

The police report notes that a person whose identity is redacted in the report said they were 'afraid to go home' because of the threat and Crimo's collection of knives.

Police removed the knives from Crimo's possession and filed a 'Clear and Present Danger' report to the Illinois State Police.

It comes as Crimo reportedly told cops he was a depressed drug user during a wellness check three years before this week's shooting.

A Highland Park Police report from Sept. 5, 2019, showed that Crimo - then 18 - made the confession after he threatened to 'kill everyone' in his family. He told cops he'd been depressed when he made the threats three days prior.

The report showed that a member of the household 'was afraid to go home due to the nature of this threat,' and because Crimo 'had a collection of knives in his bedroom.'

It was unclear who called the police about the incident, as a redacted 28-year-old female is listed as the complainant on the report while both Crimo's parents - Denise Pasina and Robert Crimo Jr. - aren't listed as complainants.

Cops noted that Crimo and his mother were both 'not forthcoming as to the language that he used on Monday.'

The 2019 police report after Highland Park Police paid a wellness check on Crimo following violent threats against his family

Highland Park shooter Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III, 21, told cops he was a depressed drug user during a wellness check three years ago, documents show.

Police confiscated 16 knives, a 12-inch dagger and a 24-inch samurai sword during the wellness check, according to the report, but returned them to Crimo's father, who claimed they were his, which is one of the reasons why, police officers said, the young shooter passed the Red Flag law.

Even though, as the documents show, Crimo was deemed a 'clear and present danger,' who, 'if granted access to a firearm or firearm ammunition pose an actual, imminent threat of substantial bodily harm to themselves or another person[s] that is articulable and significant or who will likely act in a manner dangerous to public interest.'

Despite the incident, Crimo's father helped him apply for a firearm owner identification card (FOID) mere weeks later, and Crimo passed four Illinois background checks to purchase the gun he would go on to murder seven people with three years later.

Robert Crimo Jr. (left) told ABC 7 Chicago that all he did was fill out a basic consent form allowing his son, Robert Crimo III, 21, (right) to go through the Illinois State Police process of receiving a firearm owner identification card (FOID) required for ownership.

Photos of weapons similar to what Crimo owned. He used a Smith & Wesson M&P similar to the top photo in the shooting. He also owned a Remington 700 rifle (bottom left) and a Glock 43 pistol (bottom right)

Crimo Jr. told ABC 7 Chicago that all he merely filled out a basic consent form allowing his son, to go through the Illinois State Police process of receiving the FOID card required for ownership.

'They do background checks. Whatever that entails, I'm not exactly sure,' Crimo, a former Highland Park mayoral candidate, said. 'And either you're approved or denied, and he was approved.'

Crimo's attorney, Steve Greenberg, told Fox 32 that the process was 'no different than signing up your kid for driver's ed.'

The news came as a photo of the second gun Crimo carried on the day of the shooting was revealed. He allegedly considered using it in a second attack on another parade but changed his mind at the last minute.

Crimo also had about 60 rounds of ammunition on him, according to police.
A 911 dispatcher has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for refusing to send an ambulance to a 54 year-old grandma who died of internal bleeding hours later.

Leon Price, 50, was hit with the charges by Greene County District Attorney's Office in Pennsylvania last week over the July 2020 death of Diania Kronk, 54.

A civil lawsuit previously filed by Kronk's family allege he dismissed sending an ambulance to the stricken grandma as 'a waste of resources' as she died from internal bleeding.

An emergency call made by Kronk's daughter, Kelly Tichenell saw her say: 'She's going to die.'

Price then replied: 'How far are you away from the house?'

Titchenell answered in response: 'I'll be there in 10 minutes.'

Price replied: 'OK, how about calling us back to make sure she's willing to go before we send resources out there in case she says no.'

Despite all three ambulances being available for dispatch, Price was reluctant to send help - insisting Tichenell must go to her mom's home and ask her if she would go to the hospital about a half-hour away from where she was living in Sycamore.

The district attorney's office hasn't commented on why Price didn't dispatch an ambulance, and it's unclear if this was related to discussion over whether she had been drinking prior to her medical episode.

Tichenell later said, 'I believe she would be alive today if they would have sent an ambulance,' said Titchenell.

Price was charged with reckless endangerment, official oppression, and obstruction after failing to perform his duties during the four-minute dispatch call with Tichenell.

The former dispatcher was arraigned June 29 and released on bail.

This 2020 photo provided by Kelly Titchenell shows her mother, Diania Kronk. Kronk died a day after a 911 dispatch refused to send an ambulance to her house

Kelly Titchenell sits on her porch in Mather, Pa., holding a photo of her mother Diania Kronk, and an urn containing her mother's ashes. Titchenell has filed a lawsuit against the 911 dispatcher and two supervisors

In the 911 recording, Titchenell told Price she was heading to her mom's house with her children from their home in Mather - claiming her mom wasn't thinking clearly.

Despite desperate pleas from Titchenell for an ambulance to be sent, Price continuously insisted he would send an ambulance but then added that 'we really need to make sure she's willing to go.

'Shes going to go, shes going to go,' Titchenell said. 'Cause if not, shes going to die, theres nothing else.'

When Price again asked if Kronk would in fact go, Titchenell replied: "OK, well, can we just try?"

After Titchenell told Price she was about 10 minutes from her mother's home, Price asked if she would call 911 back once she made sure Kronk was willing to go in an ambulance.

'Im sorry," Titchenell said, and Price replied: "No, dont be sorry, maam. Just call me when you get out there, OK?'

Titchenell arrived at her mom's house and found her nude on the front porch and talking incoherently - claiming she was fine.

Lack of service in the rural area prevented Tichenell from calling 911. She also claimed that her uncle was going to go check up on Kronk later that evening and that calling 911 would be pointless.

'This is unheard of, to me. I mean, theyll send an ambulance for anything,' Titchenell said. 'And here I am telling this guy that my moms going to die. Its, like, her death, and she doesnt get an ambulance.'

Her brother found the next day that their mother had died.

An autopsy revealed that Kronk died of internal bleeding. Her daughter claimed she had been drinking a lot prior to her death

According to a lawsuit filed by Tichenell against Price and two supervisors, Price denied Kronk an ambulance claiming it was a 'waste of resources,' according to 11 News.

The lawsuit filed last month also accuses Price of 'callous refusal of public emergency medical services.'

'It has to be very clear throughout the entire state, that when you call it's not going to be conditioned on somebody on the other end of the phone saying there's going to be a service provided or not," Lawrence E. Bolind Jr., who represents Titchenell said. 'What we're trying to do here is make this never happen to somebody else.'

Meanwhile, a lawyer for the county and 911 supervisors, Marie Milie Jones, said her clients will defend the lawsuit and don't find themselves liable for Kronk's death.

Jones said there are 'personal matters that are ongoing' regarding price, but she didn't elaborate on the comment. 'Im not going to comment on the details of her circumstances.'

'It's unfortunate that this woman had died. Certainly, from a personal standpoint, thats very difficult,' she said.

Greene County District Attorney Dave Russo, said he is investigating whether there are policies that say the countys 911 dispatchers are allowed to refuse services to callers.

'We all deserve equal protections, and we all deserve access to medical services, Russo said. 'I have a major concern as to the safety of the community in regards to this.'

Emergency dispatchers denying to send help is rare but has happened, according to an Illinois lawyer, John Kelly.

Prior to her death, Kronk had been drinking heavily for weeks and noticed she was 'turning yellow', Tichenell told Price.

An autopsy of Kronk's body determined she died of internal bleeding.
Philip, 62, was released after DNA tests showed he did not carry out the attack

A British woman whose own father was falsely accused of raping her while on holiday in Crete has warned other women visiting the island not to go out alone.

Tammi Forsythe  who bravely waived her right to anonymity  fears her attacker will strike again after a botched police investigation into her terrifying assault by Greek police.

This led to her 62-year-old father being arrested and jailed on suspicion of rape despite her continued protestations that he was completely innocent.

Her father Philip was released earlier this week after DNA tests on her clothing showed he did not carry out the attack while on holiday in the resort of Malia.

Tammi Forsythe  who bravely waived her right to anonymity  fears her attacker will strike again after a botched police investigation into her terrifying assault by Greek police. Pictured: Tammi and her father Philip after his release

The botched police investigation led to Tammi's 62-year-old father Philip being arrested and jailed on suspicion of rape despite her continued protestations that he was completely innocent

With thousands of British tourists, many of them in their late teens and early 20s expected to flood into the popular destination this summer, Tammi, 33, fears the rapist will strike again.

She said: The man who raped me is still out there and my biggest fear is that he will attack again.

I would tell any young girl not to be out alone at night. People come here to have a good time, and like me they will get drunk. But they should stay together in a group and hopefully that way they will be safe.

'The police were convinced my father was the guilty man, despite me saying 1,000 per cent he was not involved and he also protesting his innocence. They did not want to listen.

One of the reasons I decided to come forward and be named was because I do not want any other young girl or woman to have to endure what I have.

The last few weeks have been so hard. Not only was I raped and will have to live with that but saw my father locked up and accused of being the rapist.

Mr Forsythe, a father of seven, spent over three weeks in prison while he waited for the DNA test results to show what he and his daughter maintained all along  that he was not involved. The pair had an emotional reunion at the rented apartment in the Crete capital of Heraklion where Tammi has been staying while she waited for her father to be released.

Police were relying on CCTV from a local bar where Mr Forsythe, 62, had been drinking with his daughter before the attack (pictured), that showed the pair being physical with each-other

Mr Forsythe, 62, (pictured with Tammi) spent almost a month in custody but was released from a prison in Tripoli, on the Greek mainland on Wednesday night after DNA samples taken from him proved he was not the attacker

She moved to the islands capital as staying in Malia, where the rape took place in the early hours of the morning on June 9th, led to her suffering panic attacks.

Even though I cannot remember the face of the man who attacked me, just being in the resort was causing panic attacks.

I could walk about 200 yards and the just break down. I would look at every man and wonder if it was him, she said.

I have managed to blot out the assault, but even though I had been drinking heavily remember the events leading up to it and afterwards.

Tammi has arranged to have counselling at a rape crisis centre when she returns to her home in Hull, East Yorkshire next week.

During her extended stay in Crete which has cost almost 5,000 she has been buoyed by hundreds of messages of support from friends and family who have rallied round.

All my brothers and sisters were united in that they knew dad did not do anything to me, said Tammi.

The support I have had and people saying how brave I have been to speak out the rape has helped me.

If there is something good that comes out of me speaking out I will be happy.

While the rape ordeal and that of prison for her father is never far from their thoughts, father and daughter have been able to relax in the sunshine, taking a stroll in a local park and enjoying the cafe culture of the island.

But behind their smiles they are seething with anger that the police have not apologised for their mistake.

All they said was that Justice had been done. That was it. No apology for what they put me through or what my father had to suffer in prison, said Tammi.

They would not listen to me when I told them it wasnt my father and based their whole investigation on some CCTV.

The Crete resort town of Malia (above) is a popular holiday destination with Brit tourists flocking to the island every summer

Mr Forsythe, who suffers from diabetes and other health conditions, added: When I first saw police, I told them I had told my daughter to report the rape. What person after raping someone tells the victim to report it to the police?'

Tammi a mother of four, said she had not wanted to file a complaint to the police and had planned to return home to Hull immediately. The rape took place just three days into the family holiday  their first since 2018.

They were celebrating Mr Forsyths 62 birthday in the resort tthat primarily caters to tourists with clubs, bars and restaurants with distinctly British names such as George and the Dragon and The Red Lion.

As far as I was concerned, I just wanted to go home but after my dad said I should go to the police it made sense as it could save another woman from being raped, said Tammi.

Her criticism of the Greek police bore similarities to that endured by a 19-year-old British tourist in 2019 who claimed she had been gang raped by Israeli youths while on holiday in Cyprus.

The teen, who had her conviction for making up the attack overturned on appeal, had complained during her trial that she was denied an interpreter and pressured into signing a statement by male officers that was written in Greek.

Tammi said she also was only quizzed by up to five male police officers and asked to sign a statement written in Greek that she believes named her father as the rapist.

I refused to sign as I did not understand what the statement said, she said. They were telling me to sign, but I am so glad that I held out as it could have made things much worse. Greek police maintain that the investigation into the rape is continuing but said that they could not provide any further details. Officials insist that they arrested Mr Forsythe after viewing CCTV footage from the Help bar where they had been drinking in the hours leading up to the attack.

The CCTV footage was obtained by MailOnline and Tammi denied her father did anything wrong, I was drunk out of my head; I could barely move. He was just trying to get me up to take me back to the hotel and put me to bed.

'I lashed out at him because I was so drunk and angry. At one stage, I think I bit his hand. That's all the CCTV footage shows-a father trying to help his very drunk daughter. There was nothing sexual going on between us. It's a disgusting and ridiculous thing to say.'

Tammi told MailOnline that her dream holiday to Crete (pictured) has turned into a nightmare and she is using up her family's savings to stay there and support her father until she can go home and finally see her own four children again

Captain Sofia Loverdos of Crete police told MailOnline: 'The investigation will continue but we have nothing to apologise for about why Mr Forsythe was arrested.

'At all times we followed the Greek penal code. It is the police's job to investigate, gather evidence and then put together a file for the Prosecutor. The decision to detain Mr Forsythe was made by the Prosecutor, not us and we just acted on their instructions.

'What happened to Mr Forsythe was not a mistake on our part, we did nothing wrong. When we saw the CCTV footage from the Help bar, that's when our suspicions were raised'.

Captain Loverdos added: 'At the end of the day, the police are also humans and we are happy that Mr Forsythe has been released and his back with his daughter. Like them, we also want the truth to come out and for the culprit to be caught.'

The police official maintained that the investigation into Tammi's rape is continuing and that they had recovered DNA of the attacker.

She added: 'We will now match this DNA tp those samples that are in our national data base. This will take some time but it could lead to the attacker's arrest.

'Following Mr Forsythe's release, the investigation will continue and has now taken a new turn. We will continue to work hard to catch the person who raped Tammi.'
Benidorm legend 'Sticky Vicky' has been rushed to hospital after suffering a horror fall.

The retired dancer - real name Victoria Aragues Gadea - says smashed her knees while getting into a car.

The 79-year-old grandmother is known for her X-rated magic shows in the Spanish resort popular with British holidaymakers.

She spent five days in hospital, where she had staples inserted into her knees, before she was discharged.

But one leg became infected so she had to go back for treatment.

Vicky said: 'Hello everyone. First of all, to know that I'm fine, last week I had an accident before I got into the car and I fell to the ground.

The retired dancer - real name Victoria Aragues Gadea - says smashed her knees while getting into a car. Pictured: Sticky Vicky in hospital after her fall

'I spent five days in the hospital. After being discharged and returning home, we are here again today, since it hurts a lot and you have to see if I have an infection.

'I hope not and we can go home today. We will report the evolution. Take care.'

Get well messages flooded in from fans around the world. Claire Tucker said: 'Nasty injury Please take care and get well soon.'

Denise Gunshorn added: 'Oh my God, that was some fall. I hope you get better soon.'

Dina Toll said: 'Get well soon and have a speedy recovery.'

Tenerife-born Vicky spent 35 years entertaining millions of tourists with her X-rated routines.

It is estimated six million people have seen her show since she started it in the mid-1970s.

And she once marked the third series of ITV's comedy show Benidorm starring Johnny Vegas by officially opening Mel's Mobility Shop before it caught fire.

Vicky finally retired in 2016 aged 72 and her daughter Maria Gadea Aragues has since taken over.

Tenerife-born Vicky (pictured in 2011) spent 35 years entertaining millions of tourists with her X-rated routines

The mother-of-two, who also has two grandchildren, confirmed her retirement for adult magic on her Facebook page in 2016.

'Just to let everyone know that the Legend Sticky Vicky Leyton and her real daughter Demaria Leyton have both retired from sexy magic shows.

'Vicky has retired to spend more time with her family and her daughter has other projects that have nothing to do with her shows.'

Her daughter who performed with her, Demaria, also decided to focus on other projects after initially planning to carry on with the adult shows.

She was once described by a guide to Benidorm as such a 'must-see' that leaving without experiencing her show would be like buying fish without chips or turning on the TV to see Ant without Dec.
Durham Constabulary agree with their argument the gathering was 'work event' and say no action to be taken

Labour leader and his deputy cleared of breaking Covid rules over boozy curry with 15 others in April last year

Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner won't be fined by police over Beergate row and escape having to resign

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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner have escaped being fined by police over their Beergate row.

It means Labour's two most senior figures won't have to see through their pledge to resign.

Durham Constabulary agreed with the pair's argument that a boozy curry they held indoors with 15 others in April last year was a 'work event'.

The force found there was 'no case to answer' after concluding their probe into claims the gathering - held at the Miner's Hall in Durham - breached Covid regulations.

Sir Keir and Ms Rayner had both previously promised to stand down if they were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for breaking lockdown rules.

At the time of the Durham event, England was in the 'Step 2' rules that banned people from gathering indoors with people not from your own household. However, there was an exemption for 'work purposes'.

Sir Keir had repeatedly insisted he and his colleagues returned to their duties after sharing a takeaway and beers in the run-up to local council elections and the Hartlepool by-election last year.

Durham Constabulary found the 30th April event was 'reasonably necessary work' and said they would not be issuing any fines and 'no further action will be taken'.

Tories accused Sir Keir and Ms Rayner of 'effectively blackmailing' police with their vow to resign if they were found to have breached Covid rules.

They also contrasted Sir Keir's dodging of an FPN from Durham Constabulary to the Metropolitan Police's decision to fine the Prime Minister over the Partygate row.

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant told MailOnline: 'I am surprised how Durham Police decided not to fine Starmer and Rayner.

'Many people will think that, as a QC and a lawyer, Starmer wormed his way out of a conviction while, in effect, blackmailing Durham Police by saying: "Youll be bringing down the Leader of the Opposition if you fine me".

'Many regular people will feel this is another Establishment stitch-up.'

Mr Johnson, as well as ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak, were both fined for attending a 56th birthday celebration for the PM - which he had been unaware was being planned - in Number 10.

A report by senior civil servant Sue Gray found the gathering, on 19th June 2020, lasted 'around 20-30 minutes' and included sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks and cans of beer.

A Tory source said: 'People in Durham will be surprised to learn that Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner were allowed to stand around drinking inside after work with people from outside their household under Covid restrictions.

'Other forces have obviously taken a different view. Of course if Keir Starmer held himself to the standards he demands of others he would have resigned two months ago.'

Sir Keir and Ms Rayner both called for Mr Johnson to resign as PM when the Met Police first launched their Partygate probe back in January and before any fines had been issued by Scotland Yard.

Sir Keir Starmer gave a press conference this afternoon after it was announced he won't be fined over the 17-strong indoor gathering on 30th April last year

The Labour leader pictured at Wimbledon's Centre Court yesterday, had faced the prospect of having to resign had he been fined by police over his Beergate row

Sir Keir was seen sharing a laugh with Liberal Democrat peer Floella Benjamin as he enjoyed a day at the tennis

Sir Keir and his wife, Victoria, shared a public display of affection as they sat in Centre Court's Royal Box on women's semi-finals day

Labour deputy Angela Rayner was also present at the boozy curry on 30th April - but police agreed with her and Sir Keir's claim it was a 'work event'

What were the Covid rules at the time of Beergate? The Beergate event, on 30th April 2021, came during the period of time when England was under 'Step 2' restrictions. On meeting others, the rules said: 'You must not socialise indoors except with your household or support bubble. 'You can meet outdoors, including in gardens, in groups of six people or two households.' However, there was a general exception to the rules on gatherings if an event was for 'work purposes'. Advertisement

Sir Keir and Ms Rayner sent back a questionnaire about Beergate to Durham Constabulary three weeks ago - 18 days after they received it from the force - and had been left sweating on the outcome of the police investigation.

Their promise to resign - if they had been fined - had left open the prospect of a Labour leadership contest being run simultaneously to the battle to become Boris Johnson's replacement as Tory leader.

Tory MP Richard Holden, who had written a series of letters to Durham Constabulary about the Beergate row, made light of the police findings today.

He posted on Twitter: 'After protestations from some of my team, I want to reassure my constituents that my staff have been told that curry and beer are not reasonably necessary for work and anyone thinking of turning up intoxicated & smelling like a greasy night out will get short shrift.'

At a press conference this afternoon, Sir Keir insisted it was a 'matter of principle' for him to pledge to resign while the police continued their Beergate probe.

He said: 'People said to me I was taking a risk by saying I would step down if I was fined. But it was never about that.

'For me it was a matter of principle. It shouldnt be controversial to say those who make the law cant break the law. But we have to set the bar far higher than that.'

He dismissed suggestions the police had bowed to any political pressure over their Beergate investigation.

Sir Keir added: 'I spent five years as director of public prosecutions working with all the police forces across the whole country. There were no end of politicians who tried to tell the police what to do.

'I'm not going to do that, they make their decisions and I respect whatever decisions they've come to.

'Here they've come to a clear conclusion that there was no case to answer.'

Sir Keir also insisted he would not listen to 'noises off' when it was suggested to him that Tory MPs would be celebrating him remaining as Labour leader - as he is a less threatening prospect than other potential rivals.

'I had no end of people telling me in 2020 when I took over the Labour Party that it was impossible to get from where we'd landed in 2019 to a prospect of a Labour government,' he said.

'I didn't believe it and we've pressed on. We've got really good local election results and a fantastic swing in Wakefield.

'So I block out the noise, we plough on and if there was a general election, this Government will fall.'

Announcing their findings on the Beergate event earlier, Durham Constabulary said in a statement: 'A substantial amount of documentary and witness evidence was obtained which identified the 17 participants and their activities during that gathering.

'It has been concluded that there is no case to answer for a contravention of the regulations due to the application of an exception, namely reasonably necessary work.

'Accordingly, Durham Constabulary will not be issuing any Fixed Penalty Notices in respect of the gathering and no further action will be taken.'

In May 2020, the same police force said Dominic Cummings, the PM's then chief adviser, might have committed a 'minor' breach of Covid rules with his lockdown trip to Barnard Castle.

But they said they would not act retrospectively against the then Number 10 aide.

Following today's police announcement, Sir Keir had posted on Twitter: 'Ive always said no rules were broken when I was in Durham. The police have completed their investigation and agreed: there is no case to answer.

'For me, this was always a matter of principle. Honesty and integrity matter. You will always get that from me.'

When she was told of the news during a meeting with trade union officials, Ms Rayner said: 'Lo and behold. I'm not a criminal.'

She also tweeted: 'Weve always been clear that no rules were broken in Durham. The police have completed their investigation and agreed, saying that there is no case to answer.

'Integrity matters in politics. The contrast with the behaviour of this disgraced Prime Minister couldnt be clearer.'

Boris Johnson and ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak were fined by the Metropolitan Police over a 56th birthday event for the PM in Number 10, pictured

A report by senior civil servant Sue Gray found the Downing Street gathering, on 19th June 2020, lasted 'around 20-30 minutes' and included sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks and cans of beer

Durham Constabulary found the Beergate event, on 30th April, was 'reasonably necessary work' and said they would not be issuing any fines and 'no further action will be taken'

Mr Johnson intends to carry on as a 'caretaker' PM for the time being, while a new Conservative leader is chosen to succeed him

At his press conference, Sir Keir stepped up a threat to force a confidence vote in the Government if Mr Johnson does not leave Number 10 immediately.

Asked if the move - which could trigger a general election - was the right way forward, the Labour leader said: 'Yes, weve been stuck in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis with a Government that cant deliver, with a Prime Minister who is not fit to be Prime Minister.

'Its not just about the last few months either. Weve had 12 years of stagnation, 12 years of low growth. So Britain deserves that fresh start that can only come with a change of government.'

Earlier today, Ms Rayner called on Tory MPs to 'get their act together' and hasten the Prime Minister's exit, or face a Labour effort to bring down the Government if they don't.

After seeing swathes of Tory MPs and ministers desert him in a tumultuous 48-hour period, the PM yesterday announced his resignation.

But he intends to carry on as a 'caretaker' PM for the time being, while a new Conservative leader is chosen to succeed him.

It means Mr Johnson could remain in Downing Street for many weeks yet.

This has angered Tory critics who want him to go immediately - with some touting Deputy PM Dominic Raab as an interim replacement.

Labour are now effectively daring those Tory rebels to take action.

Sir Keir has vowed to bring forward a confidence motion in the House of Commons if Mr Johnson does not vacate No10 swiftly.

By convention, the Government always accepts a demand from the Leader of the Opposition for a confidence motion.

Should the Government then lose a vote on that motion, it could trigger a general election.

Ms Rayner told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'If the Conservatives dont get their act together and get rid of Boris Johnson - you know, hes got no confidence of his own party.

'Hes a proven liar whos engulfed in sleaze and we cant have another couple of months of this.

'So they do have to get rid of him, and if they dont, we will call a no confidence vote because its pretty clear  he hasnt got the confidence of the House or the British public.'

Despite their attempts to hasten Mr Johnson's exit as PM, Labour risk uniting the Tories if they do push through a confidence vote.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who is among those who demanded Mr Johnson resign, has branded Sir Keir's plan as 'futile' as he insisted Conservatives would be unlikely to topple their own Government and force a general election.

He told LBC: 'Every time Labour try and put confidence votes on the Conservatives all it does is force Conservatives to line up behind Boris Johnson.

'It would be futile. The last thing the country needs is a general election.'
A 69-year-old grandfather battling liver cancer has lost $350,000-worth of life savings through a cryptocurrency scam after clicking on a Facebook ad.

Brisbane man Phillip Savage, who is also missing a lung, was contacted by telephone after he clicked on the social media advertisement featuring a fake celebrity endorsement.

'They were bringing up ideas and money numbers which mesmerised me - I thought well, these guys sound pretty good,' he told A Current Affair.

'It shattered my life. It was money that I had set aside for my grandchildren.'

A 69-year-old grandfather battling liver cancer has lost $350,000 worth of life savings through a cryptocurrency scam after clicking on a Facebook ad. Brisbane man Phillip Savage, who is also missing a lung, was contacted by telephone after he clicked on the social media advertisement which featured a dodgy celebrity endorsement

Mr Savage initially invested small amounts but kept being tricked after the cynical scammers showed him fake cryptocurrency returns and he invested even more.

He has since lost the lot with no hope of return.

An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report, released this week, revealed losses from cryptocurrency investment scams last year more than tripled, rising by 270 per cent, to $99million, with 4,730 rackets reported.

'These scams generally involve scammers setting up fake investment and cryptocurrency trading platforms, sometimes impersonating legitimate, well-known websites, to steal money from people looking to invest in cryptocurrency,' it said.

The consumer regulator said cryptocurrency was becoming the preferred method for scammers demanding payment because transactions were harder to trace than a traditional bank account transfer.

The ACCC's deputy chair Delia Rickard said: 'Urgent work is needed to combat cryptocurrency investment scams.'

Bank transfers were still most common avenue for scammers to steal money, followed cryptocurrency transfers like Bitcoin, Tether and Ethereum.

The Australian Federal Police's acting assistant commissioner for cyber command Chris Goldsmid said cryptocurrency scammers were often part of money laundering schemes.

An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report, released this week, revealed losses from cryptocurrency investment scams last year more than tripled, rising by 270 per cent, to $99million, with 4,730 rackets reported (pictured is a stock image)

'We certainly see cryptocurrency as an emerging threat,' he told the Nine Network.

'We see it as a laundering mechanism where the criminals will steal money and then move it into cryptocurrency to facilitate the laundering process.'

Australians lost a record $2billion to scams in 2021 but only $1.8billion of that was reported to authorities.

'When we take into account the fact that around one third of scam victims dont report to anyone, it is clear that the real loss figure is well over $2billion,' Ms Rickard said.

'We also know that the true cost of scams is far more than just financial  it leads to emotional stress and can have life changing consequences for many individuals, families, and businesses.'

More than a third, or $701million, of those losses came from dubious investment schemes.

Those aged 65 and over last year reported the highest losses.

This older age bracket accounted for 27.3 per cent of losses to scams last year.
An NHS nurse and mother of two who worked throughout the pandemic has been diagnosed with terminal cancer - after believing her cough was a result of long Covid.

Victoria Puar, 46, who worked at Birmingham Children's Hospital as a ward sister, says she caught the virus during a camping trip with her family in August 2021 and suffered with a horrible cough for months afterwards.

Although she and her daughter Lydia, eight did not suffer as badly as the rest of the family, Victoria believed the cough was the result of long Covid.

After being told by a GP to come back three months later, the standard procedure for long covid coughs, she was finally sent for tests earlier this year.

They ultimately showed she has stage four adenocarcinoma - a cancer which develops in the lining of the organs.

It had already spread from her lungs to her heart and doctors discovered she was actually suffering from heart failure.

Victoria Puar, 46, is from Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands and has a loving husband and Ben 46, and two children, Joseph, 11, and Lydia, eight

Victoria said: 'My life has been turned upside down. I'm hoping the chemotherapy and immunotherapy will give me a few more years. I'm praying for that'

Victoria, from Castle Bromwich, West Midlands, is now urging everybody suffering with a cough to get it checked out as soon as they can, and colleagues have set up a JustGiving page to raise money for her family.

So far the page has raised 14,000, and any additional money will be used to ease the financial pressure on her and her family while she undergoes treatment.

The NHS nurse lives with her husband and Ben, 46, a radiographer, and their two children, Joseph, 11, and Lydia.

She said: 'My life has been turned upside down. It's crazy, just absolutely crazy.

'I'm hoping the chemotherapy and immunotherapy will give me a few more years. I'm praying for that.

'If anyone does have a cough, just please, please go and get it checked out and don't just assume it's just a Covid cough.

'I never thought for one minute that my cough would turn out to be cancer.

'There's loads of people out there coughing and you just don't realise.

'You don't know if it's something more serious so just get it checked out, please.'

After the family recovered from coronavirus in August 2021, Victoria returned to work at Birmingham Children's Hospital as a nurse - and noticed that she still had a cough.

She said: 'Ben and Joseph were quite poorly with Covid-19 but Lydia and I weren't really that poorly at all - I was just a bit weak and had a cough.

'I just carried on coughing.

'When I rang my GP in October 2021, they told me not to come right away because it was a Covid cough and you need good time to get over it so give it three months.

She says she does not blame her GP or staff, as 'nobody knows exactly what long Covid is or how to treat it as it's so new.'

The family caught Covid-19 during a camping trip in August 2021 - after which Victoria noticed she still had a cough

'I kept working as I was getting negatives on my PCR tests and I wasn't feeling poorly, I just kept coughing.'

Victoria continued to work on the frontline throughout the pandemic.

Colleagues have described her as a 'very special person', adding: 'Like many NHS heroes Victoria has dedicated a great deal of time, hard work and commitment to the NHS, particularly throughout the pandemic, missing out on precious time with her family.'

It wasn't until around February 2022 - six months after she caught Covid-19 - that Victoria was sent for a chest X-ray with her cough still present after her GP grew concerned over the sound of her breathing.

The X-ray showed inflammation on her chest and Victoria was given steroids and inhalers with doctors believing she could have developed asthma as a result of coronavirus.

The medication reduced the inflammation on her chest and Victoria was sent for another chest X-ray where doctors noticed a shadow on her left lower lung.

Victoria then underwent an urgent CT scan, a PET scan, an EBUS procedure, biopsies and blood tests to figure out what the shadow could mean.

The CT scan revealed she had a build-up up fluid around her heart, with an echocardiogram on June 9 showing that Victoria was in fact in heart failure.

The mum-of-two was rushed to theatre where they drained 410ml of fluid off her heart - more liquid than in a can of Coke.

The procedure meant Victoria could breathe more clearly but she was then ultimately diagnosed with stage four adenocarcinoma two weeks ago on June 14.

Despite the long wait for a diagnosis, she says she does not blame her GP or the NHS - as she too thought she had long Covid.

Victoria said: 'They initially thought it was stage one but then found it had spread from my lungs to my heart and to a lymph node on my clavicle, so it is stage four cancer.

'Going through all these tests was horrible because I'm a nurse for children and I was told I had a pericardial effusion which we would rush our young patients to theatre for immediately to drain the fluid off.

'I seemed more worried about the fluid than they were because I'm used to treating children for it but I'm an adult so it's a bit different as an adult body can hold more fluid.

'The inflammation was hiding the shadow behind it, so without the steroids reducing it, they wouldn't have ever seen the cancer there. We don't know if the inflammation was caused by Covid or the cancer.'

Victoria will now undergo two rounds of chemotherapy and one round of immunotherapy with her first chemo session today (8/7).

As Victoria prepares for her first round of chemotherapy, she is urging anyone with a cough to go to their GP immediately and to not dismiss it as potential long Covid.

You can find her JustGiving page here.
TikTok star Addison Rae's father allegedly had a five-month affair with a woman, 25, who claims he lied about his divorce and broke up with him after other women accused him of hitting on them online and in person.

Renee Ash, claimed Monty Lopez, 46, a TikTok star who rose to prominence with his daughter, told her his marriage to Rae's mom was over and that he wanted to start a family with the 25-year-old.

'Unfortunately, he misled me on his marriage, he lied to me,' Ash told Page Six. 'He told me that we were going to be together and have babies together.'

'He even introduced me to his mom, his youngest brother and I thought we had something real,' she added. 'He told me a story of his marriage that convinced me that they were apart and in the process of getting a divorce.'

Ash said she finally broke up with Lopez earlier this week following accusations that he was hitting on several women as one of them uploaded a video that appeared to show the middle-aged influencer grabbing her butt.

Renee Ash (right), claimed Monty Lopez, a TikTok star who rose to prominence with his daughter Addison Rae (left), had a five-month affair with her and lied about his marriage

Lopez shares three children with wife Sheri Easterling (left), including Rae, 21, Enzo, 14, and Lucas 8. Lopez allegedly claimed to be split from his wife when dating Ash

Ash said she called it off with Lopez following two incidents this week where young women accused the TikTok star of hitting on them. A woman showed off a recording of her alleged encounter with Lopez at a club (pictured) saying he wanted to have sex with her

Lopez, who boasts 5.4 million TikTok followers, had been recently accused by two women of hitting on them and cheating on his wife, Sheri Easterling, 42.

In one viral clip that has since been deleted, a TikTok user recorded the moment Lopez appeared to touch her butt and her reaction to it while at a club.

'Addison Rae's dad is trying to f**k me, I swear to God,' the young woman says as she then shows the scene play out.

Another since-deleted video features a young woman speaking to someone over the phone who urges her to FaceTime him. Although the man's face is hard to make out in the dark, his voice resembles Lopez's, and the woman alleges that it was him.

'POV: When Addison Rae's Dad FaceTimes you late night,' she captioned the video.

Ash said the videos broke her heart, and that she regretted her relationship with him and the pain it has caused his family.

'I am so sorry if anything I have said has hurt his family any more than he already has,' Ash told Page Six. 'And I am also sorry that he has hurt me so deeply that I believed we were in love.'

Another video features a young woman speaking to someone over the phone who urges her to FaceTime him. Although the man's face is hard to make out in the dark, his voice resembles Lopez's, and the woman alleges that it was him

Ash said she was heartbroken after Lopez was accused of hitting on multiple women this week

Last week, Rae unfollowed her father on Instagram and Easterling removed 'wife' from her Instagram bio. Lopez still has the two listed as his family on his bio.

Following news of the alleged affair, Easterling took to Instagram to say that she is doing ok and that her biggest concern now is the effect this will have on her children.

'Personal matters being brought public are always challenging and overwhelming for anyone involved,' Easterling wrote. 'I will be okay.'

'My biggest concern is - an always will be - my children and their fragile hearts and minds. I will always do my best to try to protect them.'

'My goals is to make sure that they feel secure and safe and know that everything will be okay,' she added.

Ash, Lopez and Rae did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Easterling took to Instagram to say that she is doing ok and that her biggest concern now is the effect this will have on her children. She has removed Lopez from her bio

Lopez has had a tumultuous relationship with Easterling, but the pair remarried in 2017

Last week, Rae (right) unfollowed her father on Instagram and Easterling removed 'wife' from her Instagram bio, while Lopez still has the two listed as his family

Ash also claimed that Lopez was a possessive boyfriend who did not like to see her talking with other men, and that the pair had almost broken up in June after an alleged pregnancy scare last month.

She told Page Six that she felt she had no support from Lopez after she believed she was pregnant, despite his alleged promises that he wanted to have kids with her.

'You handled my pregnancy scare really poorly,' she allegedly texted him on WhatsApp after the fact.

'I can't handle having two positive tests and [you] fully blowing me off. Especially after you kept saying I'll never pull out [and] I want to marry you.'

The two had allegedly discussed having a family together while on a trip to southern France in May.

Although Ash said she was in love with Lopez, she started having doubts after he allegedly continued to refuse her pleas to go public with their relationship.

'Addison and Sheri don't deserve this and neither do the other girls he's disrespected,' Ash told Page Six. 'I hope telling my story sheds light on a man who has gotten away with their power in the industry for too long.'

'This has been going on in LA for too long and I just want to be the girl who is brave enough to tell the truth,' she added.
Social media has been left in fits as Britons reacted to the news of Boris Johnson's resignation.

After Mr Johnson announced that he was stepping down as Prime Minister yesterday, TV reporters took to the streets of Britain to find out what people thought of the news - and the Brits haven't held back.

In a particularly light-hearted moment, four ladies were approached by a BBC journalist on Blackpool's Promenade.

As they were told of the news, one cheered, one woman was left with her jaw wide open in shock, and another said in disbelief, 'Has he gone?!', before the group channeled Morecambe and Wise as they danced off down the seafront.

Four ladies were approached by a BBC reporter who was doing vox-pops with members of the public after Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to stand down from his position

And the four women who were told of the news while being filmed on Blackpool Promenade, with one cheering, one woman was left with her jaw wide open in shock, while another said in disbelief, 'Has he gone?!' before dancing away

And as they walked away from the camera, they danced just like Morecambe and Wise, switching their hands from behind their head to their backs

Their cheery dance was well received on social media, with one describing them as the 'wise ladies in Morecambe', while another said 'Get these ladies on Question Time'

The reporter asked the ladies, 'You want to be at the pub again don't you?', and one replied with a passionate 'yes'.

And as they walked away from the camera, they danced just like the legendary comic duo Eric and Ernie, switching their hands from behind their head to their backs as they skipped past.

Their cheery dance was well received on social media, with one describing them as the 'wise ladies in Morecambe', while another said 'Get these ladies on Question Time'.

Meanwhile in Glasgow, a woman was asked by Channel 5 News how she felt about Boris resigning on Thursday, replying 'Sad,' before bursting into laughter.

How do you feel?



Vox pop lady in Glasgow https://t.co/KrhPHaLw0X pic.twitter.com/IlJDePxgbp  Alan Jenkins (@ajjenkins) July 7, 2022

In Glasgow, a woman was asked by Channel 5 News how she felt about Boris resigning on Thursday, replying 'Sad,' before bursting into laughter

Her cackle was infectious as hundreds of people shared how funny they found the clip on Twitter, with one person even saying that the moment was just as good as the Brenda from Bristol meme which became a social media sensation in April 2017

Her infectious cackle prompted hundreds to share how funny they found the clip on Twitter, with one person even saying that the moment was just as good as the Brenda from Bristol who was dubbed the 'voice of a nation' and became a social media sensation in April 2017.

One person wrote: 'Up there with "Another one???" and "I'd put a stake through her heart" in the vox pop hall of fame.'

Another said: 'Honestly, the only vox pop I am ever interested in is from Glaswegian ladies.'

One person added: 'Give this woman a medal,' while another wrote: 'This is class.'

One person wrote: 'Up there with "Another one???" and "I'd put a stake through her heart" in the vox pop hall of fame.'

And similarly, Erin Mae Denny, from Leeds, was approached by a BBC reporter who was looking for members of the public to comment on the news of the PM's resignation - but she was none the wiser.

In response to the reporter, Ms Denny said: 'I didn't even know he resigned. I've just finished work, so. Well, that's a bit of good news for the day I suppose isn't it.'

Her nonchalant manner as well as her northern accent was enjoyed by many on Twitter, where the clip of her was shared by a user who wrote alongside the post: 'Thinking about this queen.'

This is the hilarious moment a young woman who had no idea about Boris Johnson resigning as Prime Minister was told live on TV

Ms Denny replied to the video, which now has over 4.7million views on the social media platform, joking: 'Hey look mum I'm on TV.'

Users hailed her as an 'iconic star', and described her relaxed attitude to life as nonchalant and that she had 'bad b**** behaviour'.

Another user said: 'This is exactly how I'm going to live my life from now on. With a large glass of f*** it.'

One even went as far to say that she should replace Boris Johnson: 'She should be the next Prime Minister', he wrote on Twitter.

In the replies, users described Ms Denny as an 'iconic star', and described her relaxed attitude to life as nonchalant and that she had 'bad b**** behaviour'

Another hilarious vox-pop moment following yesterday's news of Mr Johnson's departure was when a man described Boris Johnson as a 'Pain in the a**e' to a a BBC reporter on TV.

On Newsnight's programme on Thursday evening, a reporter was looking to speak to members of the public and so took to the streets of Reading to see what people thought of Boris Johnson's resignation.

Newsnight's Sima Kotecha went to the Conservative marginal seat of Reading West to get an idea of the atmosphere post-resignation.

Newsnight editor Sima Kotecha went to the Conservative marginal seat of Reading West to get an idea of the atmosphere post-resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Ms Kotecha stops the man on the mobility scooter, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, before asking, 'What do you think about Boris Johnson resigning today?' The man promptly takes the cigarette to his hand, and says: 'I want him to go. He's a pain in the a**e'

Ms Kotecha stops the man on a mobility scooter, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, introducing herself before asking, 'What do you think about Boris Johnson resigning today?'

The man promptly takes the cigarette to his hand, and says: 'I want him to go. He's a pain in the a**e,' and shrugs at his remark.

Then, the footage cuts to his friend, who says of Boris: 'He's an idiot. He can't do anything right. Is this going on the telly?'

Then, the footage cuts to his friend, who says of Boris: 'He's an idiot. He can't do anything right. Is this going on the telly?'

Hilariously, someone wrote on Twitter about the clip: 'The chap on his mobility scooter, with a fag. Can we have him in The Cabinet?'

Another person paired the man with the cigarette as the perfect match for ITV fictional character Madge from Spanish seaside resort series Benidorm, who is known for being a sharp-tongued, sun-worshipping grandmother - who strikes a resemblance to the man with her mobility scooter and smoking habits.

Others described him as their 'hero' and the moment being 'priceless'.
Ruthless bikie gangs recruited housewives and the unemployed to launder drug money through pokie machines, until the scam was derailed by high-tech detective work.

Drug dealers used the money laundering mules to fill up pokie machines in local clubs with the dirty cash...but never actually play the machine itself.

Instead the mules would get the machine to print out a ticket showing how much money they had in credit - and take the ticket to a cashier who paid out the cash.

The long-established and near-foolproof system - which allows the cash to be washed and claimed as gambling winnings - has run for years.

But the NSW Crime Commission used the pandemic lockdowns to prepare updated monitoring software which tracked the use of the pokies to defeat the drug gangs.

And when the doors to clubs re-opened after pandemic restrictions were lifted on October 11, they struck, just as the drug gangs tried to wash a backlog of cash.

Ruthless bikie gangs recruited housewives and the unemployed to launder drug money through pokie machines, until the scam was derailed by high-tech detective work

In just seven weeks investigators traced a suspected $5.5million in dirty cash being cleaned through the system at 178 venues using 132 different people, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The massive joint operation was mounted by the NSW Crime Commission, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

But the investigation's findings suggest the scale of the problem might be beyond their resources.

Their report revealed the 'evidence collected leaves little doubt that electronic gaming machines are being used for large-scale money laundering by organised criminal groups in NSW.'

It added: 'The number of findings relating to both suspicious transactions and identified individuals is exceeding the amount of current resources available within the regulator to maintain the thorough investigative approach used thus far.'

NSW Crime Commission said Covid had hampered efforts by bikies to move money offshore made from 'large quantities of prohibited drugs' at 'very high drug prices'.

A high-tech system is being used to catch people who are cleaning money. In a seven week investigation $5.5 million of suspicious transactions were uncovered

But when Covid restrictions were lifted, they expected the reopening of gaming venues would result in a flood of dirty money being cleaned through the pokies.

A hi-tech Centralised Monitoring System (CMS) was rolled out by the NSW government as part of an undercover intelligence operation.

It enabled authorities to view historic and real time transactions across all 95,000 poker machines in NSW pubs and clubs.

The technology focuses on signs of money laundering and fraud, such as cash going in and out of machines without being played.

Multiple teams of investigators were assembled using the CMS system to examine thousands of transactions between October 11 and November 29.

And they were astonished by what they found.

At one western Sydney venue in Fairfield, CCTV tracked a group of housewives washing money through poker machines before handing a man tickets to cash out.

The footage showed five women seated at different pokies at the RSL club, being discreetly handed cash by a man before feeding it into the machines.

Once the machine spat out a ticket, the women would hand the ticket to a different man who would cash it in.

Another syndicate involving five unemployed men was also identified operating out of a western Sydney bowling club.

One man is seen on CCTV putting $5,500 into a machine before cashing it out.

As the unemployed man fed the machines, two other men are seen operating as 'lookouts'.

After the cash is washed, the man meets a fourth man, also unemployed, both heading to a silver Toyota Camry where a bag is retrieved.

The money launderer then proceeds to take the bag and place it in a white Mazda, driven by a fifth man, also unemployed.

In one instance a woman who is a regular at a popular western Sydney bowling club also was found to have 'washed' $33,000 using gaming machines, in just two days, without placing a single bet.

One woman, a regular at a popular western Sydney bowling club was found to have 'washed' $33,000 using gaming machines, in just two days, without placing a single bet

While this activity would have long gone unrecognised, the CMS system picked up her activity, ultimately busting her.

Another syndicate uncovered by the investigation was at St Johns Park, with investigators finding $45,000 of suspicious transactions in the seven-week period.

Operated by a husband-and-wife team, the syndicate is believed to have contained more than 20 people operating across more than 20 venues.

An investigation into its activities suggested the syndicate has been operational since 2014.

A preliminary overview suggested around $1 million had been washed by the syndicate.

The full report is expected to released publicly in August.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was forced to sneak out of a Washington D.C. steakhouse this week when he was confronted by pro-choice protesters

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was forced to sneak out of a Washington D.C. steakhouse this week when he was confronted by pro-choice protesters.

Kavanaugh was having dinner at Morton's when activists showed up and told the manager to kick him out, two weeks after he was in the majority that overturned Roe v. Wade.

The justice was then forced to leave through the back door, Politico's Playbook reported, as fury continues to spread across the country over the court's recent decisions on gun rights and abortion.

The latest targeting of Kavanaugh also comes less than a month after a 22-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder for traveling from California to his Maryland home and threatening to kill him.

In a statement to Politico, Morton's said: 'Honorable Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh and all of our other patrons at the restaurant were unduly harassed by unruly protestors while eating dinner at our Mortons restaurant.

'Politics, regardless of your side or views, should not trample the freedom at play of the right to congregate and eat dinner.

'There is a time and place for everything. Disturbing the dinner of all of our customers was an act of selfishness and void of decency.'

ShutDownDC, a protest group, tweeted on Wednesday that Kavanaugh 'snuck out the back with his security detail', and criticized Morton's for 'welcoming a man who so clearly hates women'.

Protesters have turned up at the homes of the justices and singled them out in the weeks since the draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked.

Members of Congress have demanded more security for the nine members of the highest court. A bill was signed last month to extend protection to their families, but there are still fears for their safety.

Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, sparked the greatest security fears by bringing a gun, knife and burglary tools to Kavanaugh's home at the beginning of June, according to law enforcement.

He has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of a federal judge in a trial set to begin on August 23.

If convicted if faces life in prison.

According to an FBI affidavit, Roske had flown from California to Washington and was spotted arriving at Kavanaugh's home in the middle of the night on June 8, CBS reported.

Kavanaugh was having dinner at Morton's when activists showed up and told the manager to kick him out, two weeks after he was in the majority that overturned Roe v. Wade. The restaurant slammed the protesters for 'harassing' him

Cops stand outside of Brett Kavanaugh's home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on June 29, five days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade

He was carrying a suitcase armed with a Glock-17 pistol, two magazine clips, a speed loader, a tactical knife, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch and a crowbar.

Shortly after arriving on the scene, however, police said he called 911 saying he was having suicidal thoughts, telling the operator that he was going to kill Kavanaugh and then himself because he did not expect to get away with the crime.

Roske was quickly taken into custody following the call and allegedly confessed to investigators that he was upset about the leaked Supreme Court draft decision indicating that Kavanaugh and his fellow conservative justices were poised to overturn Roe V. Wade and women's federal right to abortions.

Investigators added that Roske told them that he believed Kavanaugh would loosen gun laws in the country in the wake of the deadly Uvalde, Texas, school shooting.

'Roske stated that he began thinking about how to give his life a purpose and decided that he would kill the Supreme Court Justice,' according to the affidavit.

Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, sparked the greatest security fears by bringing a gun, knife and burglary tools to Kavanaugh's home at the beginning of June, according to law enforcement. He has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of a federal judge and his due to stand trial in August
Sir Mark Rowley has today been named the next Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police by Priti Patel and Sadiq Khan who have backed him to turn around the failing force.

Scotland Yard's former head of counterterrorism and ex-Surrey chief constable has beaten Nick Ephgrave, a Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, to the 292,000-a-year job.

The Met was put into special measures last month after a devastating inspection revealed a catalogue of new failures including officers failing to record tens of thousands of crimes, ignoring almost all victims of anti-social behaviour, letting down vulnerable victims and neglected a huge backlog of online child abuse referrals.

He replaces Cressida Dick, who was forced to quit in February following a torrid year of scandals which saw the murder of Sarah Everard by one of her officers, the force being branded 'institutionally corrupt' by an independent inquiry and two officers jailed for photographing bodies of murder victims.

Sir Mark said today: 'Our mission is to lead the renewal of policing by consent which has been so heavily dented in recent years as trust and confidence have fallen.

'We will deliver more trust, less crime and high standards for London and beyond and we will work with London's diverse communities as we together renew the uniquely British invention of 'policing by consent'.'

Mark Rowley, pictured in 2017 when he was Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner in charge of counter-terrorism, will replace Cressida Dick

Priti Patel has backed Sir Mark to turn around the force weeks after inspectors found it was failing badly

At a glance: The Met's string of calamities Operation Midland: The disastrous 2014 probe into fake VIP paedophilia claims was sanctioned by Dame Cressida Dick; Sarah Everard: In March last year, 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard was abducted, raped and murdered by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens; Murder victim photos: In December last year, two Scotland Yard officers who took photos of the bodies of murder victims Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry were jailed; Charing Cross: Earlier this year, details emerged of horrific messages exchanged by officers at Charing Cross police station, by an official watchdog report; XR protests: In 2019, the force was widely condemned for its 'light-touch' policing of Extinction Rebellion protests, which blocked several key areas of London; Daniel Morgan: The force was described as 'institutionally corrupt' following an inquiry into the botched investigation into the private investigator's murder; Stephen Port: An inquest jury ruled in December that failures by Met detectives contributed to the deaths of a serial killer's three final victims; Bianca Williams: In April it emerged that five Met officers are to face a gross misconduct hearing over their stop and search of the Team GB athlete; Strip searches: Last month the IOPC confirmed it was investigating a series of cases which involved teenage girls who were on their period being strip-searched by Met officers. Advertisement

Sir Mark said he was 'deeply honoured' to take up the role.

He said: 'Our mission is to lead the renewal of policing by consent which has been so heavily dented in recent years as trust and confidence have fallen.

'I am grateful that the Home Secretary and Mayor are both determined to support the urgent reforms we need to deliver successful community crimefighting in today's fast moving world. These reforms include our use of technology and data, our culture and our policing approach. We will fight crime with communities - not unilaterally dispense tactics.

'I also know that the majority of officers and staff retain an extraordinary sense of vocation and determination and want us to do better. It is my job to help them do that, whilst also being ruthless in removing those who are corrupting our integrity'.

His appointment has been agreed by Tory Home Secretary Priti Patel and Labour's London Mayor Sadiq Khan after they clashed over Ms Dick's departure when Mayor Khan pulled the plug and forced her to resign.

Ms Patel said: 'Sir Mark Rowley is a distinguished and exceptionally experienced police officer, having served the people of the West Midlands and Surrey before guiding the capital through some of its most challenging moments in the wake of the 2017 terror attacks, as the Met's then head of counter-terrorism.

'He now takes on one of the most important and demanding jobs in policing, leading the country's largest force at a time when public trust in the Metropolitan Police has been severely undermined by a number of significant failings. Rebuilding public trust and delivering on crime reduction must be his priority'.

Mayor Khan said: 'A series of appalling scandals have not only exposed deep cultural problems within the Met, but have contributed to a crisis of confidence in London's police service.

Sir Mark has made clear to me that he is determined to be a reforming Commissioner, committed to implementing a robust plan to rebuild trust and confidence in the police and to drive through the urgent reforms and step change in culture and performance Londoners deserve.

'As Mayor, I will support and hold him to these promises as I continue to hold the Met to account'.

The news comes less than two weeks after the force was put into special measures by the police watchdog.

A letter from HMICFRS cited numerous fiascos at Britain's largest force, including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens, the 'racially profiled' stop and search of the Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams, and the strip-search of a 15-year-old black schoolgirl known as Child Q.

It follows further scandals, including the failure to properly investigate serial killer Stephen Port and the revelation of racist WhatsApp messages exchanged by officers at Charing Cross Police Station.

Other calamities included the jailing of two officers for taking photos of the corpses of murdered sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, and Operation Midland - the disastrous probe into fake claims of VIP paedophilia.

The force was also heavily criticised for failing to stop Extinction Rebellion protests from shutting down London, with videos of officers dancing with protesters sparking claims the force was not taking the issue seriously.

Sir Mark replaces he Met's scandal ravaged former commissioner, Cressida Dick, who stepped down in February after Sadiq Khan said he no longer had confidence in her

Sarah Everard was murdered by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, in a crime that appalled Britain.

What does 'going into special measures' mean? The HMICFRS has two stages of its monitoring process for police forces - the 'scanning' phase and the 'engage' phase. The scanning phase 'uses data and information from a range of sources to highlight poor or deteriorating performance and identify potential areas of concern'. If the force is 'not responding to a cause of concern', or if it is 'not succeeding in managing, mitigating or eradicating the cause of concern', then it will be moved to the 'Engage' phase. At this point, forces develop an 'improvement plan' to address concerns and must meet with inspectors regularly to ensure improvements are being made. It may also be given specific targets. The Met has been escalated straight to 'engage', suggesting HMICFRS is particularly concerned about its performance. A spokeswoman for the HMICFRS said: 'We can confirm that we are now monitoring the Metropolitan Police Service through our Engage process, which provides additional scrutiny and support to help it make improvements.' Advertisement

The chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation hailed the arrival of Sir Mark Rowley as the force's new Commissioner today.

Ken Marsh, who heads the union of the rank-and-file Met officers, said: 'I welcome Sir Mark Rowley as the new commissioner, I think hes the right man for the job.

'I, and my colleagues, are pleased that the position has been filled because the void was harming us during a very difficult period, especially with the force being put into special measures.

'What we would ask for now is for the Mayor and the politicians to back off and stop the incessant attacks and let Sir Mark get on with the job in hand to deliver results for the people of London.'

Sir Mark is a familiar figure after leading the Met's counter-terrorism operations for four years. Although he resigned from the police in 2018, Sir Mark is still only 58 and has been tempted back by the biggest job in British policing.

He served as chief constable of Surrey for three years to 2011 before he joined the Met as an assistant commissioner for seven years having starting on the beat in Birmingham in 1987.

When at Surrey he was the lead officer in the hunt for Milly Dowler.

He later admitted that his detectives were aware at the time of Milly's disappearance that her mobile phone was hacked by someone working at the News of the World.

Sir Mark said a call made from the paper to the operation room leading the investigation in 2002 made it clear her voicemail had been accessed.

But officers merely 'focused on retrieving any evidence the NotW had that could assist in the investigation into Milly Dowler's disappearance' as that was the priority, he said.

His career in policing spans over 30 years, during which time he has transformed national security and policing.

As Chief Constable, he lifted the public confidence levels in Surrey to the highest in the country.

After joining the Metropolitan Police Service, Sir Mark transformed the approach to UK counter-terrorism and policing gangs, increasing community engagement and workforce diversity, leading the police response to the London terror attacks of 2017 and reducing shootings and murders in London to an all-time low.

He also led reform in policing of public order, organised crime and fraud, launching the 200 strong Op Falcon team to combat the growth of online fraud and cybercrime.

Since leaving policing in 2018 he has worked in specialist security projects and on technology/data led transformation with 'start-ups' and the world's largest professional services company. He has focused on: countering extremism and racism, online safety, institutional integrity and illicit finance.
A remarkable video shows ordinary Russian citizens making an extraordinary act of defiance against Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine.

The footage, filmed in a courtroom in Moscow, shows citizens applauding an opposition councillor and lawyer as he is handed a draconian seven-year sentence for daring to oppose the military conflict.

Alexei Gorinov, 60, today received the first long term prison sentence for spreading 'knowingly false information' about the Russian army.

Gorinov said 'many of my fellow citizens feel shame and guilt' over conflict in Ukraine. This sentiment is clearly shared as defiant Russians stand and applaud him as he is sentenced

The reaction of people in the crowded public seats in the court - supporting Gorinov - is one of the most striking displays of dissent by the Russian people during the war

Moscow city deputy, Alexei Gorinov, is accused of spreading 'knowingly false information' about the Russian army fighting in Ukraine

He and another councillor were on trial for demanding in March a halt to war.

Today in court he warned of a return to Stalin times while doubling down on his call for an end to Putins war.

'I believe all efforts of [Russian] civil society should be aimed only at stopping the war and withdrawing Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine,' he had said in March, in comments which landed him in court.

He protested vocally about children dying in the war.

He has been detained ever since but repeated his objections to the war as he was in the dock in Moscow's Meshchansky District Court.

Yet the reaction of people in the crowded public seats in the court - supporting Gorinov - is one of the most striking displays of dissent by Russians during the war.

The are watched by armed OMON troops who are unable to stop the protest.

As he was sentenced in his glass cage, he held up a sign that read 'Do you still need this war?'

Human rights groups fear he will be the first of many Russians to be locked up simply for voicing their objections to a war which has killed tens of thousands on both sides.

They are accused of spreading 'false information' about the war.

In his closing statement, the councillor said: 'War, whatever synonym you call it, is the last, dirtiest, vile thing, unworthy of the title of a man.'

He said: 'I thought that Russia had exhausted its limit on wars back in the 20th century.

Gorinov stands and gestures defiantly from glass cage as he condemns war in Ukraine in his closing statement. He said he hopes to become the Russian ambassador to Ukraine someday in the future

Guard attempts to block out message as Gorinov holds up anti-war sign from within glass cage in Moscow courtroom. Members of the public then stand and applaud as Gorinov is given a seven year sentence

'However, our present is Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel.

'Do these names mean something to you?

'You, the accusers  take an interest and do not say later that you did not know anything.'

He told the court: 'I am convinced of this: war is the fastest means of dehumanisation, when the line between good and evil is blurred.

'War is always violence and blood, torn bodies and severed limbs.

'It is always death. I don't accept it and reject it.'

In his courtroom speech he mocked Putin declaring: 'For five months, Russia has been conducting hostilities on the territory of a neighbouring state, misleadingly calling it a 'special military operation.'

'We are promised victory and glory.

'Why, then, do so many of my fellow citizens feel shame and guilt? Why did many people leave Russia and continue to leave? And why did our country suddenly have so many enemies?'

He said he had a constitutional right to express his opinion which was being overturned by the jail sentence.

'During the years of Stalinist terror, my grandfather was accused of calling for the overthrow of the Soviet system, in the creation and strengthening of which he participated in the most direct way,' he said.

He lived to be rehabilitated half a century later.

'I hope my recovery will take much less time,' he said.

'But for now, I'm here in the courtroom.

'My criminal case is one of the first to be heard, but hundreds of such cases have been initiated in Russia against my fellow citizens who think and speak out about what is happening.'

The Russian authorities were 'destroying families, breaking the lives of young people'.

And speaking here, I speak for all of them who have not yet been brought to justice.

He had manned the barricades when the USSR fell, supporting democracy.

'If they had said then that in 30 years I would be tried by a criminal court for my words, for my opinion, I would not have believed it,' he said.

'In the meantime, I wish prudence to our government,' he said.

'I wish wisdom to the judges.

'I wish steadfastness to all who are subjected to a new wave of repressions, as well as to the entire Ukrainian people.

'For myself I wish one day to become a future Russian Ambassador to Ukraine.'

One supporter Dmitry Fyodorov, 50, programmer, said that the charges against Gorinov were 'unlawful'.

He was a 'kind man and a good lawyer.'

The other accused Elena Kotenochkina was tried in absentia after she left Russia.
A seven-year old girl fell out the back of a moving SUV on the California freeway and died when several vehicles were unable to slow down before crashing into her.

The girl's mother, 28-year-old Veronda Gladney, was driving with her daughter who was not strapped in when she somehow fell out the back of an open window.

Police arrested the mother and her boyfriend, Michael Branch, for child endangerment when they found the girl's body just after 3am along the northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway at Weldon Canyon Road on July 4th.

'After initial investigations it was determined the seven-year-old female child fell out of the moving 1999 Lincoln navigator through an open window, and as a result, sustained fatal injuries,' read a CHP report of the incident.

Stock photo: A seven-year old girl fell out the back of a moving SUV on the California freeway and died when several vehicles were unable to slow down before crashing into her

However the police also quoted interviewed witnesses as saying the window may have already been broken from a previous incident, allowing the girl to climb out, though the accident is still under investigation.

The California Highway Patrol said officers found the girls body after receiving a report of an unknown object in the road.

Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat of a vehicle under Californian law.

Eight-year-old or children who have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height must be secured by a seat belt under state law.

'I've never had a kid falling out of a moving vehicle,' CHP Officer Joshua Greengard told ABC7. 'I've been to numerous tragedies in my time, but this one is very unfortunate. It's very sad.'

Officers said the mother is distraught after the incident.

A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for July 27 in Santa Clarita, but it is unclear whether the Los Angeles County district attorneys office is pursuing charges against the mother.

Anyone with information is being urged to contact the CHP Newhall Area Office at 661-600-1600.
Peace in the war between baked beans giant Heinz and supermarket chain Tesco has been finally brokered - bringing relief to fans of the former's tomato-based products.

At the end of June tins from the famous foodmaker were stripped from shelves after a trade dispute over price increases.

The unusual stand-off was sparked because Tesco said it would not 'pass on unjustifiable price increases' to its customers.

But this afternoon the pair said fleets of lorries loaded up with tins of baked beans and soup would be motoring their way to stores.

The convoy of vans were set to power down the motorways and roads of Britain to bring the favourites back into stock once more.

A joint statement declared: 'Tesco and Heinz are pleased to have reached an agreement that will see the full range of Heinz products return to Tesco shelves and online, continuing to offer our customers great value on the nation's favourite Heinz varieties.

'Lorries full of Heinz products including Heinz Tomato Ketchup and Heinz Beanz will hit the road shortly, and Tesco colleagues will be working hard to ensure shelves are filled again over the coming days.

Bristol: Tesco had accused the company of trying to impose unjust price rises that they are refusing to pass on to customers

CAMBRIDGE: A solitary can of baked beans on a Tesco shelf as customers couldn't get their favourites in a row with Heinz over price

CAMBRIDGE: Empty shelves where Heinz Baked Beans and its soups such as Cream of Tomato and Potato soup are sold in Tesco in Cambridge

'With British summertime finally here, Tesco shoppers will be able to get all the essentials they need for their perfect summer salad or barbecue, including the Heinz varieties they know and love. It's great to be back together.'

It is believed that Kraft Heinz, the manufacturer of Heinz goods, has paused supply to the retailer, meaning that many beloved products are not available at the moment.

According to The Grocer magazine, the family favourites that had been unavailable on the retailer's website include: Beanz 4x415g; Sticky Barbecue Sauce 500g; Salad Cream 605g; Baked Beans & Pork Sausages 200g; Beanz No Added Sugar 4x415g; Snap Pots 4x200g; Beanz No Added Sugar 200g; Chicken Noodle Soup 400g.

A Tesco spokesperson told The Grocer at the time that the retailer was 'laser-focused' on keeping the cost of the weekly shop in check, offering customers great value through our combination of Aldi Price Match, Low Everyday Prices and Clubcard Prices'.

LONDON: Plastic bottles of Heinz tomato ketchup sit on a shelf in a Tesco store amid dwindling supplies

Data from retail research experts Assosia has revealed the spike in Heinz prices in June at the big four supermarkets

It is believed that Kraft Heinz, the manufacturer of Heinz goods, had paused supply to Tesco following a trade dispute over prices.

A Kraft Heinz spokesman also suggested price had been at the heart of the issue.

He said that in today's 'challenging economic environment - with commodity and production costs rising - many consumers are working within tight budgets'.

He added: 'We always look at how we can provide value through price, size and packs so consumers can enjoy the products they love and trust at a price point that works within their budgets, without compromising on quality.'

Kraft Heinz said it was 'working closely with Tesco to resolve the situation as quickly as possible' and was 'confident in a positive resolution'
A man caught in a Craigslist 'honeytrap' was murdered in his own flat, a court has heard.

Vishal Gohel, 44, thought he had arranged a 'sexual liason' with three young women at his flat in Herts near Watford via goods and services site Craigslist.

Instead, he was gagged and beaten up by three male accomplices who burst into his flat.

St Albans Crown Court was told on Friday July 8 that Mr Gohel died from severe head wounds and suffered a fractured voice box.

A neighbour found Mr Gohel's lifeless body, fully clothed with gaffer tape over his mouth, on the floor of his bedroom when they noticed his front door was open.

Six defendants, three male and three female, deny murder and manslaughter in the early hours of January 23 this year. They also deny conspiracy to rob on or before January 23.

Vishal Gohel, 44, was killed in his flat in Herts, near Watford, when the three men ambushed him and beat him - leaving him with fatal injuries, the court was told

The court heard Mr Gohel was found dead in the bedroom of his flat when they noticed his door had been left open

The three male defendants are: Tevin Leslie, 21, of Hurst Street, Brixton, London; Sakeen Gordon, 20, of Uxbridge Road, Ealing; Brandon Browne, 21, of Laburnham Road, Rochester, Kent.

The three female defendants are: Yarley Georgia Bruce-Annan, 20, of Harts Lane in Barking; Tiana Edwards Hancock, 18, of Fresh Wharf Road, Barking; and Faith Hoppie, 21, of Blake Avenue, Barking.

Charlotte Newell QC, prosecuting, told the court: 'The female defendants created a honeytrap. They promised him a sexual liaison that never happened.

'It allowed them to give entry to the three male defendants so they could burst in and take Vishal Gohel unawares and steal property from him.'

The prosecutor said a post mortem examination showed Mr Gohel had suffered blows to his head with internal bruising to his scalp, eyes and jaw. He also suffered brain damage.

The cause of death was asphyxia combined with a brain injury caused by blunt force trauma.

'His voice was fractured consistent with prolonged forceful squeezing of the neck,' said Ms Newell.

She added that efforts had been made to clean up the flat and that an iPhone and an iWatch had been taken.

The victim was recorded on CCTV at shop near his home at around twenty five past ten at night.

Ms Newell said: 'He bought alcohol, soft drinks, cigarettes, cigarette papers and condoms in anticipation of the night ahead.'

Earlier Mr Gohel had borrowed 100 in cash from his mother and was seen withdrawing a further 100 from a cash point. No cash was recovered from his home.

The prosecutor said the female defendants must have made contact with the victim, but said: 'Mr Gohel is dead and is not able to give an account of the nature of the contact.'

Ms Newell said at 4:49pm on the night before he died Mr Gohel had received a text from online market place Craigslist.

She said there was no evidence that he had been in contact with the women before.

On the night the three woman paid 42.75 for a taxi to take them from Barking to Bushey.

It was alleged Ms Bruce-Annan's phone was used to contact Mr Leslie, who was driving the other two men in his blue Audi from London to Bushey.

He had picked up Mr Browne, who had travelled from Rochester to Bromley South and then collected his cousin Mr Gordon in west Ealing.

Ms Newell added: 'The 3 females took a taxi to his address whilst keeping Tevin Leslie appraised of their movements.

'All six went to his home. It was quite an effort for them to make and was indicative of the rewards they expected.'

Ms Newell said the prosecution's case was one of joint criminal enterprise involving the six defendants.

She said after the males arrived at around half past two in the morning and before they left, Mr Gohel had been fatally attacked. Neighbours had heard noise from the flat.

'His property had been stolen from him and no effort had been made to contact the emergency services that may have saved his life.

'Mr Gohel was either dead or dying when they left. They made no attempt to provide any effective assistance for him or alert anyone to his plight. He had been left for dead by these six defendants.'

The trial continues - it is due to last for eight weeks.
A Florida man was shot in the head by police as they tried to rescue a female therapist he allegedly raped and tortured during a terrifying 15-hour ordeal.

Tzvi Allswang, 20, survived the shooting and was in critical condition when he was taken to hospital. On Wednesday, the suspect was transferred to the Palm Beach County Jail where he remains.

The victim, who has not been identified, was held at knifepoin as cops from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office forced their way into Allswang's Boca Raton home on Saturday. He was shot after refusing to drop the knife.

The female therapist was transported to Wellington Memorial Hospital and treated for injuries she sustained to her face, body and head after being tortured, beaten and raped during the 15-hour horrifying ordeal.

Details from the affidavit reveal some of the torture the victim endured that included the suspect biting her nipple and raping her 'multiple times,' including with a vibrating massager, which the victim said 'really hurt her,' The New York Post reported.

Allswang faces charges of armed false imprisonment and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, WFLA News reported.

Tzvi Allswan, 20, now faces charges of armed false imprisonment and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, WFLA News reported.

The horrific ordeal took place on the evening of July 1. Officers from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department conducted a welfare check after the victim's partner grew concerned when the therapist did not respond to their calls

During an emotional interview, the female therapist told investigators that she went to Allswang's home for a scheduled therapy appointment on July 1.

The therapist told detectives she was aware that Allswang had a sexual battery charge as a juvenile. Part of their therapy was focused on helping him get a job and prepare for an interview, she explained.

She said that she had gone to Allswang's home a number of times before, but there was someone usually home. This time, he was alone. After their session was over, the victim said Allswang began asking her inappropriate questions.

When she attempted to leave, she saw that the window of the front door was covered up. The blinds to the windows had also been covered.

She said he became aggressive and told her she could not leave his home.

He then took her phone away, placing it on 'airplane mode' and wrapped it in aluminum foil and duct tape. He then bound her hands behind her back with duct tape, according to the affidavit, WPTV News reported.

During the next 15-hours, Allswang viciously beat the victim all over her body with his hands and knees.

At least four to five times, the victim said, Allswanger attempted to strangle her. He placed his arm around her throat and put her into a choke hold or grabbed her throat, and thought she was going to die and pleaded for her life to let her go, the news outlet reported.

She said Allswang's erratic behavior would change from being calm to becoming angry and sexually aroused.

At his first court appearance on Thursday, Allswang, pictured in court wearing a helmet where he suffered a gunshot to the head, denied bond and ordered to have no contact with victim

The victim was being held at knifepoint. Police asked Allswang numerous times to release the woman, when he would not oblige, they shot him in the head for fear of the women's safety

Allswanger, who stands at 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, dragged the victim through his parents' two-story home.

Officers from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department conducted a welfare check after the victim's partner grew concerned when the victim did not respond to their calls. They did not get any response when they knocked on the door, so left.

But about two hours later, officers again visited the home after receiving a call that her car was in the driveway.

When police arrived at the house, they heard a woman screaming for help and forced their way inside as Allswang then forced her into a dark closet in the master bedroom to hide, WPTV reported.

In the closet, Allswang held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if she screamed. The victim said Allswang became sexually aroused and wanted her to put on one of his mother's favorite dresses.

Police eventually found them in the closet, and ordered Allswang numerous times to release the victim. When he refused, an officer shot him in the head.

Allswang's father later told detectives that he and his wife were away in New York during the night of the attack and their their other son was away at camp, which detectives said gave Allswang time to prepare for the attack, WPTV News reported.

Allswang was taken to hospital for treatment after being shot, and is now in custody. At his first court appearance on Thursday, he was denied bond and ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the officer, Sargent William Nogueras, who shot the suspect, is on paid leave, as they investigate what took place between the suspect and the victim, WPTV News reported.

Allswang's next court date is August 8.
A helicopter pilot diced with death off the French coast Wednesday when it suddenly nose-dived towards a rocky outcrop in a flash of flames while approaching a lighthouse.

The helicopter was flying towards the Vielle Lighthouse, which is undergoing renovations, half a mile off France's most westerly point of Pointe du Raz in the region of Finistere.

Video of the moment shows a crystal clear day with the chopper glinting in the sun as it nears the stately structure to deliver and remove equipment.

There seems to be an unexpected release from the front of the helicopter and it suddenly lurches wildly into a heart stopping ninety degree angle before diving.

It loses altitude catastrophically as the rocks close in but the pilot manages to bring it back level and avert an immediate crash.

A cloud of smoke ejects from the rotors and floods over the rocky outcrop but by this time the helicopter is gaining altitude and seems to be back under control.

The helicopter was flying half a mile off France's most westerly point of Pointe du Raz in the region of Finistere towards the Vielle Lighthouse, which is undergoing renovations

There seems to be an unexpected release from the front of the helicopter and it suddenly lurches wildly into a heart stopping ninety degree angle before diving

It loses altitude catastrophically as the rocks close in but the pilot manages to bring it back level and avert an immediate crash

A cloud of smoke ejects from the rotors and floods over the rocky outcrop but by this time the helicopter is gaining altitude and seems to be back under control

The float on the right landing skid inflates but by this time the proximity to the sea is receding.

The pilot was severely shaken but unhurt, while an on-site lighthouse employee working on the maintenance was hit by a crate , France Bleu report.

He was taken to Cavale Blanche hospital in Brest and released on Thursday afternoon.

The cause of the sudden near-death malfunction is not known, with social media users speculating that the helicopter might have encountered wine shear, which is described as a sudden change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance, which could have dragged the nose of the helicopter to pitch downwards.

Others speculated that the helicopter was carrying equipment by a cable, and the rear capable snapped, causing the end of the helicopter to rise suddenly.

Either way, they put the aversion of a fatal accident down to the skill and quick reflexes of the pilot.

Mont Blanc Helicopteres Bretagne, which operates the helicopter, have opened an investigation, while the Brest BGTA, the Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade has opened a judicial investigation.

Herve Berville, Secretary of State for the Sea, also indicated the opening of an administrative investigation.
A British mother whose own father was falsely accused of raping her while on holiday in Crete has warned other women visiting the island not to go out alone.

Tammi Forsythe  who bravely waived her right to anonymity  fears her attacker will strike again after a botched police investigation into her terrifying assault by Greek police.

This led to her 62-year-old father being arrested and jailed on suspicion of rape despite her continued protestations that he was completely innocent.

Her father Philip was released earlier this week after DNA tests on her clothing showed he did not carry out the attack while on holiday in the resort of Malia.

With thousands of British tourists, many of them in their late teens and early 20s expected to flood into the popular destination this summer, Tammi, 33, fears the rapist will strike again.

She said: The man who raped me is still out there and my biggest fear is that he will attack again.

Tammi Forsythe's own father was falsely accused of raping her while on holiday in Crete has warned other women visiting the island not to go out alone (pictured with father Philip)

I would tell any young girl not to be out alone at night. People come here to have a good time, and like me they will get drunk. But they should stay together in a group and hopefully that way they will be safe.

'The police were convinced my father was the guilty man, despite me saying 1,000 per cent he was not involved and he also protesting his innocence. They did not want to listen.

One of the reasons I decided to come forward and be named was because I do not want any other young girl or woman to have to endure what I have.

The last few weeks have been so hard. Not only was I raped and will have to live with that but saw my father locked up and accused of being the rapist.

Mr Forsythe, a father of seven, spent over three weeks in prison while he waited for the DNA test results to show what he and his daughter maintained all along  that he was not involved. The pair had an emotional reunion at the rented apartment in the Crete capital of Heraklion where Tammi has been staying while she waited for her father to be released.

Tammi's father Philip Forsythe (pictured together) has been arrested on suspicion of the attack and he currently languishes in a Greek jail awaiting DNA test results

Police were relying on CCTV from a local bar where Mr Forsythe, 62, had been drinking with his daughter before the attack (pictured), that showed the pair being physical with each-other

She moved to the islands capital as staying in Malia, where the rape took place in the early hours of the morning on June 9th, led to her suffering panic attacks.

Even though I cannot remember the face of the man who attacked me, just being in the resort was causing panic attacks.

I could walk about 200 yards and the just break down. I would look at every man and wonder if it was him, she said.

I have managed to blot out the assault, but even though I had been drinking heavily remember the events leading up to it and afterwards.

Tammi has arranged to have counselling at a rape crisis centre when she returns to her home in Hull, East Yorkshire next week.

During her extended stay in Crete which has cost almost 5,000 she has been buoyed by hundreds of messages of support from friends and family who have rallied round. Pictured, Tammi and her father Philip

During her extended stay in Crete which has cost almost 5,000 she has been buoyed by hundreds of messages of support from friends and family who have rallied round.

All my brothers and sisters were united in that they knew dad did not do anything to me, said Tammi.

The support I have had and people saying how brave I have been to speak out the rape has helped me.

If there is something good that comes out of me speaking out I will be happy.

While the rape ordeal and that of prison for her father is never far from their thoughts, father and daughter have been able to relax in the sunshine, taking a stroll in a local park and enjoying the cafe culture of the island.

Tammi Forsythe, 33 (left), told Greek police on the island of Crete she had been raped on June 9 - prompting them to arrest father Philip (together right) and sensationally accuse him of the crime

But behind their smiles they are seething with anger that the police have not apologised for their mistake.

All they said was that Justice had been done. That was it. No apology for what they put me through or what my father had to suffer in prison, said Tammi.

They would not listen to me when I told them it wasnt my father and based their whole investigation on some CCTV.

Mr Forsythe, who suffers from diabetes and other health conditions, added: When I first saw police, I told them I had told my daughter to report the rape. What person after raping someone tells the victim to report it to the police?'

Tammi a mother of four, said she had not wanted to file a complaint to the police and had planned to return home to Hull immediately. The rape took place just three days into the family holiday  their first since 2018.

But DNA evidence collected from Tammi after the attack and supplied by Mr Forsythe has proved he did not commit the crime, Greek media reports, meaning he has been released from jail

They were celebrating Mr Forsyths 62 birthday in the resort tthat primarily caters to tourists with clubs, bars and restaurants with distinctly British names such as George and the Dragon and The Red Lion.

As far as I was concerned, I just wanted to go home but after my dad said I should go to the police it made sense as it could save another woman from being raped, said Tammi.

Her criticism of the Greek police bore similarities to that endured by a 19-year-old British tourist in 2019 who claimed she had been gang raped by Israeli youths while on holiday in Cyprus.

The teen, who had her conviction for making up the attack overturned on appeal, had complained during her trial that she was denied an interpreter and pressured into signing a statement by male officers that was written in Greek.

Tammi said she also was only quizzed by up to five male police officers and asked to sign a statement written in Greek that she believes named her father as the rapist.

I refused to sign as I did not understand what the statement said, she said. They were telling me to sign, but I am so glad that I held out as it could have made things much worse. Greek police maintain that the investigation into the rape is continuing but said that they could not provide any further details. Officials insist that they arrested Mr Forsythe after viewing CCTV footage from the Help bar where they had been drinking in the hours leading up to the attack.

The CCTV footage was obtained by MailOnline and Tammi denied her father did anything wrong, I was drunk out of my head; I could barely move. He was just trying to get me up to take me back to the hotel and put me to bed.

'I lashed out at him because I was so drunk and angry. At one stage, I think I bit his hand. That's all the CCTV footage shows-a father trying to help his very drunk daughter. There was nothing sexual going on between us. It's a disgusting and ridiculous thing to say.'

Tammi told MailOnline that her dream holiday to Crete (pictured) has turned into a nightmare and she is using up her family's savings to stay there and support her father until she can go home and finally see her own four children again

Captain Sofia Loverdos of Crete police told MailOnline: 'The investigation will continue but we have nothing to apologise for about why Mr Forsythe was arrested.

'At all times we followed the Greek penal code. It is the police's job to investigate, gather evidence and then put together a file for the Prosecutor. The decision to detain Mr Forsythe was made by the Prosecutor, not us and we just acted on their instructions.

'What happened to Mr Forsythe was not a mistake on our part, we did nothing wrong. When we saw the CCTV footage from the Help bar, that's when our suspicions were raised'.

Captain Loverdos added: 'At the end of the day, the police are also humans and we are happy that Mr Forsythe has been released and his back with his daughter. Like them, we also want the truth to come out and for the culprit to be caught.'

The police official maintained that the investigation into Tammi's rape is continuing and that they had recovered DNA of the attacker.

She added: 'We will now match this DNA tp those samples that are in our national data base. This will take some time but it could lead to the attacker's arrest.

'Following Mr Forsythe's release, the investigation will continue and has now taken a new turn. We will continue to work hard to catch the person who raped Tammi.'
Customs and Border Protection has referred four horseback agents accused of whipping Haitian migrants in September 2021 for disciplinary action.

A 500-page report released by the agency on Friday said the agents acted unprofessionally, unsafely and used unnecessary force - but concluded they did not strike the migrants with their reins.

The results of the investigation came as the U.S. still grapples with a surge in migrants across the border and reports of law enforcement morale declining.

CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said the disciplinary investigation is still ongoing but would not release details of any action taken. He also didn't identify the employees involved.

The images taken in September 2021 of agents on the banks of the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas, sparked a humanitarian outcry and a strong response from Biden calling for the officers to 'pay' for their treatment of Haitians. Four unnamed officers have been on administrative leave since then.

Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said Friday that the report is proof that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas 'doesn't deserve to lead' his department.

'Today we learned what we knew all along - the accused Border Patrol Agents in Del Rio did nothing wrong,' Roy said in a statement to the press.

'But this administration can't miss a chance to destroy the morale of our overrun, hardworking Border Patrol for political gain, and it issued disciplinary action anyway to finish off one of the most despicable displays of leadership seen from any cabinet Secretary.'

The report outlined the agents' 'unprofessional or dangerous behavior' toward Haitians, including yelling profanity and insults related to a migrant's national origin.

It also said agents used unnecessary force against migrants attempting to reenter the United States with food.

It found one agent on horseback grabbed a man and spun him around.

Customs and Border Protection has referred four horseback agents falsely accused of whipping Haitian migrants in September 2021 for disciplinary action

The images taken in September 2021 sparked a firestorm and a strong response from Biden calling for them to 'pay' for their treatment of Haitians

According to the report, one agent 'acted in an unsafe manner by pursuing the individual he had yelled at along the river's edge, forcing his horse to narrowly maneuver around a small child.'

The incident originated, the report found, when Texas' Department of Public Security (DPS) officials also on the scene asked for assistance from Border Patrol. A lack of clear command lead the agents to inappropriately follow DPS instructions to prevent migrants from crossing the river back into the United States.

'The report showed there were failures to make good decisions at multiple levels of the organization,' Magnus said in a statement on Friday.

'Failures to maintain command and control over Horse Patrol Units, lack of appropriate policies and training, and the overall chaotic nature of the situation at Del Rio at the time contributed to the incident.'

Migrants were frequently crossing into Mexico to bring back food and supplies that were scarce in the makeshift encampment under a bridge.

Initial reports said the migrants were being 'whipped' - but the claim was quickly debunked.

It was later clarified that the agents were swirling their long reins, to control the horses, and were not actually raising the leather straps to beat the migrants.

Up to 15,000 migrants set up camp under and around the Del Rio International Bridge, using a dam area to cross between the Mexico and US side of the border.

CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said the disciplinary investigation is still ongoing, would not release details of any action taken and didn't identify the employees involved

Up to 15,000 migrants set up camp under and around the Del Rio International Bridge, using a dam area to cross between the Mexico and US side of the border

The camp's squalid and bare conditions prompted outrage from Republican lawmakers and progressive activist groups alike.

About 8,000 were rapidly expelled in the weeks that followed under a COVID-era order known as Title 42.

In November the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined to press criminal charges against the officers.

Mayorkas said in September that the investigation would be completed in 'days, not weeks'.

But since then the Border Patrol's Office of Personnel Responsibility has been reviewing photographs and interviewing witnesses and agents.

On Thursday, Republican Governor Greg Abbott said he had authorized the Texas National Guard and state authorities to 'apprehend' migrants and transport them to the border with Mexico.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the apprehension of migrants is a federal issue and accused Abbott of meddling.

Magnus said in an earlier statement that the 'hateful images' on the 'deeply offensive' coins angered him and distracted from the essential work of the Border Patrol.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has switched his residency from his home state of Indiana to Michigan  a swing state that has been critical in recent presidential elections.

Buttigieg made the change so that he and husband Chasten could be closer to Traverse City, Politico reported. The couple announced the birth of their adopted twins in September.

Buttigieg, a former presidential candidate, is the former mayor of South Bend, and has made his political career helming the mid-sized heartland city part of his political biography.

With the move to northern Michigan, he now has an address that will allow him to vote in a state that helped hand Donald Trump an unexpected victory in 2016, and where Joe Biden's 2020 win helped him snatch back the White House for Democrats.

Pete Buttigieg is changing his official residency to Michigan from his home state of Indiana. The move will put Buttigieg and husband Chasten closer to Chasten's parents

Buttigieg himself competed against Biden in the primaries before joining his administration.

He has remained one of the administration's prominent defenders on TV while selling the bipartisan infrastructure law  even as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have maintained low approval ratings.

But he took flack over the July 4th holiday amid hundreds of cancelled flights by U.S. air carriers.

A source gave the publication personal reasons for the move. 'Moving to Chastens hometown of Traverse City allowed them to be closer to his parents, which became especially important to them after they adopted their twins, often relying on Chastens parents for help with child care,' said the source.

Buttigieg attended the annual policy conference in Mackinac Island, Michigan

The move puts Buttigieg in a politically important swing state where Democrats hold top offices

The couple announced the birth of adoptive twins in September

Buttigieg faces limitations in Indiana if he wants to put another elected office on his resume. The conservative state is home to former Vice President Mike Pence, although Buttigieg's former boss Barack Obama won the state in 2008.

Michigan is much friendlier to Democrats  although Buttigieg caught covid after attending the state's annual Mackinac Policy Conference in Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Holland is set to be become one of the first countries to make working from home a legal right.

The Dutch parliament approved legislation that would allow employees to work from home on Tuesday, and the Senate is now poised to approve the bill.

Currently, employers in Holland are able to deny requests for home working without giving a reason - but under the new legislation, they will be forced to consider the requests carefully and say why they rejected the request.

During the pandemics, Holland imposed work-from-home guidelines due to soaring Covid-19 infections. This has sparked a shift in attitudes about working from the office, with many workers wanting to have flexibility in where they work.

Holland is set to be become one of the first countries to make working from home a legal right (file image)

The legislation marks an 'important step' for workers, Senna Maatoug of the GroenLinks party and a co-author of the bill, said on Tuesday.

She added: 'Due to the corona period, we have seen that hybrid working has advantages for a very large part of the employees. It gives them the opportunity to find a better work-life balance and to reduce travel time.'

The law aims to give employees a better work life balance and give businesses the chance to continue to 'reap the benefits of hybrid work and not fall back into old habits'.

Steven van Weyenberg, from the D66 party and a co-author of the bill, said it is a 'good law for employers because a happy employee is a happy employer'.

He added: 'Often it is not necessary to stand in traffic for an hour to go to work. Because you don't necessarily have to be at the office to send an email to your colleague who is two desks away.

'Sometimes you can concentrate extra well at home and update the administration, and then also open the door for the plumber.'

Workers in Holland are no strangers to working from home - even before the pandemic, 14 per cent of employees worked remotely, the highest rate in the EU, according to Eurostat.

The Dutch multinational bank, ING Groep, allows employees in Holland to work 50 per cent of their time at home, excluding those at branches (file image)

Dutch businesses have said continuing to allow remote working will facilitate productivity and improve worker satisfaction.

The Dutch multinational bank, ING Groep, allows employees in Holland to work 50 per cent of their time at home, excluding those at branches.

'We combine the advantages of working in the office with the advantages of working from home,' ING spokesman, Aram Goudsmit, told The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Heineken NV said that its employees in Holland are able to work from home two days a week under their current hybrid model.

The Federation of Dutch Trade Unions hailed the legislation as an important move for making workers 'happier'.

A spokesperson told the newspaper: 'The Covid crisis has shown that remote work can work and that workers are happier and more productive if they alternate working from home and in the office.

'As a trade union, we urge companies to make collective agreements on remote working.'

Other European countries have not gone so far as to make working from home a legal right, but Spain offers protection to workers who wish to work remotely. In Portugal, employers are banned from contacting employees outside working hours.

Pictured: This graphic shows the percent of people from each country responding to WFH Research's global survey of 33,000 people who said they would rather quit or search for a new job than go back to the office five days a week

The pandemic has caused a shift in how workers view working from home.

In May, a survey found that British workers are leading the world in refusing to return to the office.

The survey, published by Work From Home Research (WFH Research) and involving 33,000 people from across the world, shows how 23 per cent of British workers say they would rather quit or start looking for new job rather than go back to the office.

That puts Britain above every other nation included in the survey, including the US (14.8 per cent), Russia (15.7 per cent) and China (8 per cent).

In terms of Europe, only Hungry (20 per cent) and Holland (19.6 per cent) came closest, while Britain was significantly ahead of France (11.9 per cent), Germany (14.8 per cent) and Italy (11.9 per cent) and the world-wide average of 14.58 per cent.
A man with extreme right wing views was found with 'step-by-step instructions on how to make home explosives' and a banned 'push dagger'.

Scott Mason, 36, has been jailed following a counter-terror probe. He is said by police to harbour right wing, racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic views.

Mason, of Rainhill in Merseyside, has been locked up for three years after pleading guilty to four offences - including being in possession of information likely to be useful to a terrorist.

Manchester Crown Court heard on Thursday that Mason was first brought to the attention of authorities following a report of a domestic assault in October 2021, which led to him being arrested by Cheshire Constabulary.

Scott Mason, 36, has been jailed following a counter-terror probe. He is said by police to harbour right wing, racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic views

Manchester Crown Court heard Mason was first brought to the attention of authorities following a report of a domestic assault in October 2021, which led to him being arrested by Cheshire Constabulary

An investigation by the Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) team was then launched. The investigation found a document on his phone containing step-by-step instructions on producing home explosives and well as extreme pornographic images.

Phone records also revealed messages showing he had attempted to intimidate witnesses of the original domestic assault.

The court was told Mason was further arrested under the Terrorism Act on October 15, 2021 after officers from CTPNW and Merseyside Police executed a search warrant at his home. A prohibited 'push dagger' was seized.

Mason was charged with the possession of information of a kind likely to be useful to a terrorist, contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000; possession of extreme pornography; perverting the course of justice via witness intimidation; and possession of an offensive weapon.

Mason entered a guilty plea to the terrorism offence in November 2021 and in January 2022 he pleaded guilty to the weapons offence, for which he received a sentence of three months at the magistrates' court. The matter was then listed for trial before Mason pleaded guilty to the outstanding charges in April.

His Honour Judge Alan Conrad QC this week sentenced Mason to three years. He told Mason he would have faced four-and-a-half years had he not pleaded guilty at an early stage.

Detective Superintendent William Chatterton, of CTPNW, said: 'This was a thorough and comprehensive investigation which has resulted in Mason facing a significant prison sentence. Today's sentencing reaffirms our commitment to making sure those who pose a risk to our society will be pursued and prosecuted.'

'Counter Terrorism Policing North West would like to reassure communities that incidents of this nature are always taken seriously and to report any concerns of people expressing extremist views by calling 0800 789 321 in confidence or using the secure online form at Gov.uk/ACT.

'We would like to thank all involved in this investigation, in particular our colleagues from Cheshire Constabulary and Merseyside Police for their invaluable support.'
Taxpayer-funded radio network NPR has been slammed for dismissing former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a 'divisive arch-conservative' just hours after the ex-leader's assassination.

'Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nation's most powerful and influential figures, has died after being shot during his campaign speech Friday in western Japan,' NPR tweeted in a Friday report that was later deleted.

The once-respected network - now famed for its obsession with woke issues that have turned many listeners off - was immediately condemned for its choice of words.

'Divisive arch-conservative' also appeared in copy supplied by wire agency the Associated Press, which has itself faced allegations of a recent woke takeover.

'Why not just say you hate the guy,' Tim Young, Washington Times columnist said in response to NPR.

Others called for the news publication to be defunded.

'It's ENRAGING that taxpayer funded @npr would say such TERRIBLE things about Shinzo Abe,' U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson said. 'He was one of Americas STRONGEST defenders, so its not surprising that liberal NPR would post this. NPR is government funded anti-American propaganda. Time to end this garbage & DEFUND NPR!

Former Trump campaign advisor Steve Cortes added, 'We taxpayers fund this propaganda. Time to defund NPR.'

Meanwhile, a lawyer who shares her conservative views on Twitter was quick to blast NPR calling the organization 'pathetic.'

'NPR referring to Japans most popular PM, who won his elections by large margins, as divisive indicates the inability of media outlets to genuinely report any longer,' Erielle Davidson said. 'Everything is a mural for their projection. So pathetic and so sad.'

NPR has hit the headlines in recent years for its fixation on stories on issues including race, policing and transgenderism, usually told from an obviously-progressive and biased slant.

Its use of the divisive phrase 'pregnant people' has mushroomed in the wake of the ending of Roe v. Wade, despite the term enraging many women - both liberal and conservative - who feel that it erases them to appease a small minority.

In May, it was revealed that it was encouraging staff at its Washington DC headquarters to tattle on each other if they refused to wear face masks properly.

It continues to push a mask mandate on office-based staff, even though the nation's capital imposes no such rule, and most workplaces have since done away with it.

Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister who served a total of nine years over two terms.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, and a navy veteran, was arrested for suspicion of attempted murder shortly after pulling the trigger. He has since confessed to the crime saying he did it because he was 'dissatisfied' with Abe, police said.

Abe was about to begin his speech when he was approached by Yamagami from behind and shot twice.

Yamagami was immediately tackled by officers while other performed life saving measures on Abe.

Shinzo Abe was about to give a campaign speech when he was shot twice in the back by Tetsuya Yamagami

Abe's body guards instantly tackled Yamagami. He later confessed to the shooting Abe, blaming his actions on being 'dissatisfied' with the ex-prime minister

Life performing measures were performed on Abe before he was rushed to the hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries

Prime Minister Kishida called the shooting an attack on 'the foundation of democracy.'

'I would like to use the most extreme words available to condemn this act,' he said.

The shooting shook Japan as the country prides itself on low levels of violent crime.
A woman who rescued a toddler from under his father's body at the Highland Park massacre said the orphaned youngster was on the verge of suffocating.

Lauren Silva says confused Aiden McCarthy asked her 'Is my momma and dadda coming back?' as she pulled him out from under his father Kevin's remains on July 4.

Aiden's mother Irina was also killed in the shooting, carried out by local man Bobby Crimo III, 21.

Silva told CBS News: 'When I first took him and he kept saying, "Are my mom and dad OK?" I said, "Everyone's OK." ...I said "Yes, everyone's fine." I had to parent him. I had to tell him it was fine when it wasn't fine.'

Silva, herself a mother-of-two, says she was alerted to Aiden by her boyfriend Tom Brooks' 19 year-old son, Morgan.

Brooks told Today that Aiden was gargling when they found him, and paid tribute to his late father, saying: 'He had that kid in his arms, and his final act of his life was bravery.'

'Morgan said, 'Dad, there's a boy under there,' she recalled. 'He would have suffocated  100 percent, he would have suffocated.'

Lauren Silva, right, and boyfriend Tom Brooks, left, found orphaned Aiden McCarthy under his father Kevin's body following Monday's July 4 parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. They've now spoken of how Aiden was at risk of suffocation - and how he asked for his mother and father on being rescued

Silva is pictured with her own two children. They were not at the parade, and Silva says she lied about what she'd seen to her seven year-old son to protect him from the horror that unfolded

Silva brought Aiden back to a nearby parking garage with her, hoping to shield him from the carnage that had unfolded around him.

She asked another couple called Greg and Dana Ring to watch Aiden and returned to check on the little boy's dad - only to be told that he hadn't made it.

'I could feel my insides start to shake,' she recalled: 'I went behind their car and I could feel the beginning part of a panic attack. I was not holding Aiden.

'So I went behind the car. My hands started shaking, and I collected myself and I did what you're not supposed to do with a panic attack - and I did not feel it through, because I knew where it would go.'

Silva says she is glad she left her own children at home on the morning of the shooting - and added that she lied to her seven year-old son to protect him from what she'd seen.

'Did I help the little boy that lost his parents? And then he asked if we found his parents. She said of her own son's questions.

'I had to do exactly what I did for Aiden. I had to parent. I had to tell him things that weren't true, and decide what was protecting and what was being honest.'

A GoFundMe page set up to raise cash for Aiden in the wake of his family's murders has raised more than $3.06 million as of Friday afternoon.

Billionaire Bill Ackman donated $18,000 to a fundraiser supporting the family of a two-year-old boy orphaned in the Highland Park parade shooting.

Aiden McCarthy, 2, survived the hail of bullets Monday after his father, Kevin McCarthy, shielded him with his own body.

Kevin and his wife, Irina McCarthy, were both among the seven people killed when a gunman opened fire on a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, an affluent Chicago suburb, with an AR-15-style weapon.

The crowdfunding page was established to help Aiden's grandparents with 'raising, caring for and supporting' him and has already raised over $2.5 million.

Confessed shooter Robert Crimo, 21, has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.

Lake County State Attorney Eric Rinehart said Tuesday that 'dozens' more charges would follow and he hopes to send Crimo to prison for life.

Billionaire Bill Ackman (left) donated $18,000 to a GoFundMe account supporting the family of Aiden McCarthy (right). Aiden was orphaned in the Highland Park parade shooting

More than 46,000 people have donated to the GoFundMe account established in Aiden's honor, including investor and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.

The billionaire is the largest donor to date after making an $18,000 contribution to the fund. His office confirmed the donation to The Daily Beast on Tuesday.

The largest donation in the last few hours was a $10,000 contribution from an anonymous source. Most of the other high contributors are also anonymous.

'At two years old, Aiden is left in the unthinkable position; to grow up without his parents,' GoFundMe organizer, Irina Colon, wrote on the page.

'Aiden will be cared for by his loving family and he will have a long road ahead to heal, find stability, and ultimately navigate life as an orphan.

'He is surrounded by a community of friends and extended family that will embrace him with love, and any means available to ensure he has everything he needs as he grows.'

The crowdfunding page was established to help Aiden's grandparents with 'raising, caring for and supporting' him and has already raised over $2.5 million

Aiden McCarthy, 2, (pictured) survived the hail of bullets Monday after his father, Kevin McCarthy, shielded him with his own body

Aiden lost his mother, Irina, 35, and father, Kevin, 37, after being separated from them during the chaos of Monday's shooting.

He was kept safe by complete strangers after Lauren Silva, 38, of Deerfield, and her boyfriend found him during the chaos.

Silva told The Daily Beast they emerged from a parking garage a few blocks away from the shooting just as the violence began to unfold.

'We were just opening the door to walk up the stairs and we heard itboom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,' she told the Beast. 'And it sounded like someone was, like, pounding on the glass doors.'

Silva and her boyfriend and his son began running toward those who were injured when her boyfriend suddenly thrusted the little boy into her arms.

'My boyfriend handed me this little boy and said he was underneath this father who was shot in the leg,' she said. 'They were trying to stop the bleeding so I brought the boy downstairs into the garage.'

Aiden McCarthy (pictured with an unknown man) has since been placed in the care of his grandparents

Aiden lost his mother, Irina, 35, and father, Kevin, 37, after being separated from them during the chaos of Monday's shooting

Once inside the garage, she managed to clean out his scrapes and washed the blood off him. She said he was wearing one shoe and his sock was covered in blood.

'He kept asking if mom and dad are going to come back soon,' she said.

Silva reemerged from the parking garage after 20 minutes to see how the father was doing. She handed Aiden off to a family she was hunkering down in the garage with, who took him to the hospital and later handed him to police. He was eventually reunited with his grandparents.

Dana Ruder Ring, who had taken care of the child until 8 p.m., according to Fox 32 Chicago, posted the original photo of the boy to help identify him.

Silva, a mother of two, said she's holding on to the memory of the 'kid's face and his touch and the sound of his voice.'

'I feel like I want to hold on to, like, a little bit of emotion that I feelwhich is telling that boy that his dad was going to come back,' she said.

The gunman opened fire at 10:14 a.m. on Monday, barely 15 minutes into the parade. He then fled the scene and hid throughout the day before eventually being arrested at 6:30 p.m. in Lake Forrest, eight miles north of where the massacre unfolded

Horror on Independence Day: A police officer bows his head in grief next to abandoned strollers and chairs after a shooting that killed seven people in Highland Park

Tributes to the seven people who died in the massacre were left along the parade route

The gunman, Robert 'Bobby' Crimo began shooting with an AR-15-style weapon shortly after 10 a.m., from a rooftop along the parade route.

Police said Tuesday that Crimo dressed as a woman to disguise himself and easily slipped into the crowd of panicked bystanders, evading law enforcement.

Highland Park parade shooter Robert 'Bobby' Crimo, 21, been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder

He was eventually arrested about eight hours after the shooting.

Crimo has since confessed to the fatal attack that took seven lives and left dozens injured. He was hit with seven counts of first-degree murder and will likely face additional charges.

'He went into details about what he had done. He admitted to what he had done,' Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart told reporters Wednesday, NBC News reported. 'We don't want to speculate on motives right now.'

After fleeing the shooting scene in Highland Park, Crimo reportedly drove to nearby Madison, Wisconsin, where he 'seriously contemplated' carrying out another attack, police spokesman Christopher Covelli said.

'We don't have information to suggest that he planned on driving to Madison, initially, to commit another attack,' Covelli said. 'We do believe that he was driving around [after] the first attack and saw the celebration.'

He added: 'Indications are that he hadn't put enough thought or research into that.'

Crimo has been jailed without bond.
Three Albanian men who gang-raped a young woman in Bedford and 'subjected her to 'every woman's worst nightmare' have been jailed for a total of 57 years.

The 23-year-old victim was enjoying her first night out after the end of Covid restrictions when she became separated from her friend.

She found herself alone and vulnerable after leaving Vogue nightclub in Bedford High Street in the early hours of Saturday, September 4, last year.

Unbeknownst to her, she had been stalked inside the club by Gemti Hyka, 31, who bundled her into his car and drove her to an address in the town centre where he raped her.

Two of his associates, Vullnet Haka, 33, and Ibrahim Bezati, 36, arrived and raped her. During the ordeal, the woman was slapped in the face and forced to take cocaine.

Sentencing the trio at Luton Crown Court, Judge Steven Evans, said they had inflicted 'every woman's worst nightmare' on their victim, adding they had 'treated her like she was less than human'.

The woman was kidnapped in Bedford High Street on September 4 last year by Gemti Hyka (pictured), 31, who bundled her into his car and drove her to an house where he raped her. Today at Luton Crown Court, Hyka was jailed for 26 years

Vullnet Haka (left), 33, and Ibrahim Bezati (right), 36, both of Bedford, were found guilty of false imprisonment and two charges of rape of the woman. Haka was jailed 14 years and Bezati for 17 years

The woman managed to escape from the house in the morning and was found in a distraught state by passers-by.

Giving evidence at Luton Crown Court, she said had no memory of leaving the club in the early hours of 4 September last year.

The woman told prosecutor Martin Mulgrew: 'I begged them to let me go. I was confused and scared.'

Hyka, of Bedford, was jailed for 26 years after he was found guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and two charges of rape.

Haka, 33, and Bezati, 36, both of Bedford, were found guilty of false imprisonment and two charges of rape of the woman. Haka was sentenced to 14 years. Bezati was sentenced to 17 years.

The victim's friend told the court that when they left the club she went right and the victim went left to avoid a group of men fighting in the street.

The friend, also 23, spent half an hour looking for her on her own and was then joined by a male friend on the search.

The young woman found herself alone and vulnerable after leaving Vogue nightclub in Bedford (pictured) High Street in the early hours of the morning.

Finally, at around half past seven in the morning, she said she received a call from the friend who had been crying. She said she was at Kempston Police Station and told her: 'I need Mum.'

Her friend told the jury that they had gone for dinner in Zizzi in Bedford where they ate Pasta and drank two bottles of wine between them. They went on to the Slug and Lettuce where they had a cocktail, a glass of wine and a Tequila shot before going into Vogue nightclub.

She said it was their first night out after the lockdown. At one point she saw her friend receive a kiss from a man on the dance floor. 'I told him to leave her alone and he left,' she said.

On a scale of 1 to 10 she was asked how drunk her friend was. She replied '7 or 8.'

Hyka told the jury when they got to the address she agreed to have sex. He said: 'She never cried when she was with me. I never did it. I am not a rapist.'

Under cross examination by Mr Mulgrew, Hyka denied that he and the other men spoke in Albanian and laughed at her.

After their conviction, Judge Evans said: 'I am satisfied Hyka targeted her in the club. He formed the idea he would take her to his house. I am satisfied he waited for her to achieve an ambush. He made the other defendants aware she was at his house.

'Hyka is likely to have raped her before their arrival. Once they all attended she was forced to take cocaine and encouraged to drink with the single aim of making her comply with what they intended. An atmosphere of intimidation and fear was created. She was slapped and forced to take cocaine. There was a degree of humiliation.'

Detective Constable Hannah Latton, from Bedfordshire Police's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team said: 'This was an horrific case where the victim was effectively targeted by these men, who took her to a property where she was held against her will and repeatedly raped.

'Thankfully incidents such as these are incredibly rare, but the result should serve as reassurance to anyone who has been through the trauma of rape or serious sexual assault. We will believe you and do everything in our power to bring such predators to justice.

'The victim showed tremendous courage by facing her attackers in court, even though they had the audacity to deny the offences, putting her through a further ordeal of re-living the incident during the trial. Her evidence was crucial to ensuring these men will remain behind bars for a considerable amount of time.

'Nobody should feel they cannot speak up about abuse. We will treat every case professionally with the utmost compassion and have specialist officers trained to support people who have experienced such horrendous offences.'
The White House Press Office is chiming in to defend President Joe Biden after he was compared to the foolish protagonist Ron Burgundy of the comedy film 'Anchorman.'

Republican strategist Greg Price mocked Biden on Twitter Friday after yet another gaffe in which the president appeared to read speaking directions off of his teleprompter.

'It is noteworthy that the percentage of women who register to vote and cast a ballot is consistently higher than the percentage of the men who do so. End of quote. Repeat the line,' the president said during a White House speech earlier in the day.

'Women are not without electoral...or political power.'

Posting the clip on social media, Price compared it to Will Farrell's Ron Burgundy being unable to deviate from the script on his teleprompter despite grammatical mistakes and obvious errors.

Burgundy's embarrassing on-air verbal incidents are a recurring gag throughout the movie.

Price posted a clip of Burgundy's frustrated news crew and suggested the White House staffers behind-the-scenes were feeling similarly.

But White House Assistant Press Secretary Emilie Simons challenged Price's claim that Biden made a mistake.

'No,' Simons wrote, adding that Biden said 'Let me repeat that line.'

President Joe Biden was reading a quote off of his teleprompter during a Friday White House speech when the apparent gaffe occurred

Price's fellow Biden critic Elon Musk also chimed in on the banter, declaring: 'Whoever controls the teleprompter is the real President!'

The billionaire Tesla founder also posted his own 'Anchorman' meme depicting a scene in which Burgundy ends his sign-off with an odd tone when his teleprompter script erroneously had a question mark at the end of his name.

'For the last time, anything you put on that teleprompter, Burgundy will read,' the image text states.

Musk made a similar suggestion in May during the All-In Summit where he accused the president of not fully being in control.

'The real president is whoever controls the teleprompter,' Musk told a podcast at the summit. 'The path to power is the path to the teleprompter.'

He added: 'I do feel like if somebody were to accidentally lean on the teleprompter, it's going to be like 'Anchorman.''

White House Assistant Press Secretary Emilie Simons jumped in to defend her boss, clarifying that he did not repeat words off of a teleprompter

Multiple people compared Biden to Will Farrell's iconic journalist character Ron Burgundy of the film 'Anchorman'

Biden's Friday remarks at the White House had preceded his signing of an executive order to safeguard abortion access after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade late last month.

The measures include strengthening access to abortion medication and emergency birth control and enhancing patient privacy rights.

The president blasted the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, in which the high court's conservative majority sided with Mississippi in removing federal abortion protections, as a 'terrible, extreme, and I think so totally wrongheaded decision.'

'After having made the decision based on a reading of a document that was frozen in time in the 1860s when women didn't even have the right to vote, the court now practically dares the women of America to go to the ballot box and restore the very rights they've just taken away,' Biden said.

He called the 5-4 decision to overturn Roe and its sister case Planned Parenthood v. Casey 'an exercise in raw political power.'

Chief Justice John Roberts did not agree with his fellow conservatives on overturning Roe, but he did side with Mississippi prosecutors' argument on lowering the federal abortion threshold to 15 weeks.
Stomach-churning footage showed a pregnant woman being badly beaten by a man wielding a wrench on a busy New York City road in broad daylight.

The 26 year-old woman, who has not been named, was clobbered by the attacker on the Bronx's Grand Concourse on June 6, at 5:20pm in the evening.

Heavy traffic rumbled past as the man chased his victim in the Fordham Heights neighborhood, before shoving her against a parked car, and striking her multiple times in the head with the wrench.

She was left with cranial lactations, and rushed to hospital for treatment. Further updates on her health have not been given.

Surveillance footage captured the heinous act as bystanders rushed to intervene.

The suspect appeared to be holding the woman by the hair when the group rushed to help before calmly walking to his silver BMW.

Before taking off, the suspect paused for a few seconds as an angry bystander kicked his car and many gathered around.

The man pushed the woman against the car before striking her with a metal wrench

Bystanders quickly rushed to the scene to intervene. The suspect slowly backed away and went into his car

Footage shows an angry woman kicking the car of the suspects silver BMW

It appeared as if the suspect had stopped in traffic behind another car before committing the stomach-churning act. The footage shows another car and a bus at a stop behind the suspects car as the scene unfolds.

Upon fleeing the scene, the suspect hit the car that remained at a stop in front of him, but had left the scene by the time cops arrived.

Police are seeking the public's assistance in identifying the unidentified suspect and vehicle in the Bronx attack.

Anyone with information about the incident are urged to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS .

A $3500 reward is being offered for information that will lead to the suspect.

The suspect fled the scene in a silver BMW as bystanders gathered around to intervene. The suspect didn't appear to be in a hurry to rush off

Attacks across New York City are beginning to heighten as a Harlem bodega worker was attacked where he worked on July 1.

Jose Alba, 62, was working when Austin Simon, 35, attacked him after Simon's girlfriends card was declined trying to buy a bag of chips.

Alba refused to give her the bag of chips - prompting her to pull a knife from her purse before calling Simon for back-up, according to Alba's family.

Surveillance footage caught Simon charging into the store and standing over Alba before proceeding to fight him.

Alba then grabs a box cutting knife and stabs Simon in the neck and chest. He later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.

Alba was arrested for murder and booked at Rikers Island for nearly a week before posting bail.

The former bodega worker is stuck wearing an ankle monitor and is barred from leaving New York City.

This was the altercation that led to Jose Alba's arrest last Friday. Alba, 62, is shown in a blue striped shirt and hat. Austin Simon, right, arrived in the store to confront Alba who had refused to give his girlfriend a bag of potato chips

Many are claiming Alba was merely defending himself when he was attacked.

In the past, the bodega worker had a gun held to his head, according to a Alba's coworker.

When Simon attacked him, he did not know if his own life was going to be at risk.

'He never wanted no problem,' a store workers said.

Although homicides and shootings have dipped in New York City over the last six months since last year, the Independence Day weekend was particularly violent.

Shootings in June were down a quarter from last year and murders for the month plunged 31 percent.

From Friday to Sunday, the amount of gunplay rose 60 percent from last year, according to NYPD stats. There were only 13 people shot in the city on the Fourth of July in 2021, compared to 21 on the holiday this year.

The boyfriend of an NYPD employee was shot in the trendy retail district of SoHo in a drive-by shooting that left him hospitalized.

Other victims in the holiday violence include a 62-year-old man fatally shot in the chest in the the Belmont section of the Bronx; a bodega shooting in East New York, Brooklyn, that killed two; and a Jamaica, Queens, barbecue that ended in gunfire with a two men and a woman hospitalized.
Netflix has quietly released a new Dave Chappelle special which captures a speech he gave at his former high school on June 20 in which he declines the honor of the school naming a theater after him.

The comedian caused controversy after his last special, 'The Closer,' featured jokes aimed at the transgender community. Many students at his alma mater, Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC, did not take kindly to this line of humor and told the comedian as much during a heated Q&A session at the school in November.

Chapelle said the pushback 'sincerely hurt' him, but has not apologized for his remarks at the expense of transgender people.

The new special, called 'What's in a Name?', has Chappelle back at the school - this time for what was intended to be a naming ceremony in his honor.

'Rather than give this theater my name, I would like to give these students my message,' Chappelle said in his speech, available to watch on Netflix.

At Chappelle's request, the theater will now be called the 'Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.'

Dave Chappelle will not be naming the theater at his old high school after himself. Instead, at his request, it will be called the 'Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression'

Chappelle's new special, called 'What's in a Name?', has him back at the school - this time for what was intended to be a naming ceremony in his honor.

Many believed the facility would be called the Dave Chappelle Theatre

Duke Ellington had planned to name the theater after Chappelle, its most notable alumni, due to his 'ongoing commitment and service to the school.'

In his new special, Chappelle references his November visit to the school, when the renaming ceremony was initially supposed to take place, alleging the outcry from Duke Ellington students 'sincerely hurt me.'

'I took a lot of cold shots in business but that day, they hurt me,' Chappelle told the crowd, according to USA Today and Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin.

He recalled how 'a line formed' of students slamming his behaviors after he questioned what he had done wrong.

But Chappelle also defended himself and called the students 'immature,' saying 'The more you say I cant say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it.'

'It has nothing to do with what youre saying I cant say. It has everything to do with my right and my freedom of artistic expression,' he continued.

'[While the kids] said everything about gender they didn't say anything about art,' he explained.

Chapelle said the pushback from students after his first special 'sincerely hurt' him, but has not apologized for his remarks at the expense of transgender people

Chappelle has been a generous donor to the school over the years, reportedly donating $100,000 and one of his Emmy awards in 2017.

In the wake of the heated visit, Chappelle issued a challenge on Instagram for those who opposed the school's plans to name a building after him.

'If you object to my receiving this honor, I urge you to donate to the school noting your objection,' he posted. 'If you are in favor of the theater being named "Chappelle," I urge you to donate to the school, noting your approval.'

Supporters of the comedian ultimately contributed more funds to the challenge, leaving many to believe the facility would be called the Dave Chappelle Theatre.

Chappelle has defended his controversial statements, saying 'The more you say I cant say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it'

The controversial Netflix special was released last October and prompted hundreds of Netflix employees to walk out of work in protest, as well as public outrage from the LGBTQ+ community.

During the special, Chappelle declared 'gender is a fact' and aligned himself with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has taken issue with the push for some transgender rights, including the right to self-identify, and calls for trans women to be sent to women's prisons, or allowed into domestic abuse shelters.

He also joked about the anatomy of transwomen in the Netflix special, saying that they lacked real female reproductive organs and that they did not have menstrual blood but 'beet juice' instead.

He argued women today view trans women the same way black people might view white women wearing blackface, and remarked that women are entitled to feel anger toward transwomen, since Caitlyn Jenner won Glamour magazine's 2015 Woman of the Year award.

The jokes he made resulted in a fiery backlash against the Ohio comedian, who says his documentary was pulled from film festivals and dropped by film distributors.

Dave Chappelle, Nicole Avant, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos (right) speak backstage during the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 30, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio

Organizations like National Black Justice Coalition and GLAAD condemned the jokes told in the special.

Chappelle's jokes about the transgender community were backed by Netflix, with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defending the comedian in an internal email, saying 'we dont allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we dont believe "The Closer" crosses that line.'
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Rupert Murdoch's son James dressed down for day three of 'billionaire summer camp' alongside Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Sheryl Sandberg, as the media mogul kept a low profile.

Murdoch, 49, cut a casual figure on Friday at the Sun Valley camp, wearing dark-colored pants and a navy blue polo shirt. He accessorized with a nametag, white sunglasses tucked into his shirt, a simple timepiece, and a black stainless steel water bottle.

The media mogul's son was accompanied by his wife Kathryn Hufschmid, who was seen sporting dark pants, an patterned button-down and accessorizing with a silver watch, small zipper bag, and large sunglasses.

Also in attendance, was Microsoft founder Bill Gates, 66; investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett, 91; and former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, 52.

Sandberg cut a stark contrast in her outfit on Friday, wearing blinding white jeans and a black t-shirt and sweater as she held hands with her partner and former NBC News producer Thomas Bernthal. He cut a similar figure, but opted for a more toned-down pant color, leaving his bright orange shoes to be the star of the show.

Gates - whose daughter Phoebe received online hate this week after posting a photo of her black boyfriend - seemed calm and ready to go as he too opted for a casual ensemble.

The annual, invite-only, conference is hosted by the investment bank Allen & Company. This year, the five-day conference, running from July 6 to 10, is being held at the edge of Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest in a tiny town of just 1,500 people.

James Murdoch, 49, and his wife Kathryn Hufschmid (pictured together) cut causal figures for the third day of the Sun Valley 'billionaires summer camp' in Idaho

The couple sported similar shoes as they enjoyed the greenery and sunshine on a walk to their next event

Microsoft founder Bill Gates, 66, also went causal for the event, wearing dark-colored jeans, sensible shoes, and a gray sweater as he gave a half-smile for the camera

Former Meta COO (middle right) looked cheery as she talked with a blonde wearing sky-high heels. Sandberg wore bright white pants and a black top and sweater, while her partner, former NBC News producer Thomas Bernthal (right) opted for gray pants and bright orange sneakers

Warren Buffett, 91, cut a similar figure to earlier this week, wearing a scream red windbreaker, a blue patterned button-down, and skin-colored bandage

Among the other influential names on the guest list are: Amazon's Jeff Bezos and his successor, Andy Jassy, as well as Apple's Tim Cook, and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, according to Infowars.

The site reported that Netflix's Reed Hastings and WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar are two of the invitees from the world of media, along with Diane Sawyer, Anderson Cooper, Van Jones, Gayle King and New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 80, has also been snapped smiling while out for a walk with ophthalmologist girlfriend Dana Blumberg, 47, at the exclusive event earlier this week.

Other members of moneyed dynasties snapped on Day One included Shari Redstone, whose family made their fortune with shares in media giant ViacomCBS, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Over the holiday weekend, private jets belonging to business leaders began arriving at the local airport and taking up space on the tarmac at Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey as they parked up for the week.

Attendees at the last conference in 2019 included: Facebook bosses, Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg; Disney's Bob Iger; 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki; Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox Corporation; PayPal CEO Dan Schulman; Instagram COO Marne Levine; McDonald's chief Steve Easterbrook and billionaire media executive Shari Redstone.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, 51, is expected to speak at the five-day event sometime this week, but he might just come across some enemies after it was revealed that his Neuralink employee Shivon Zilis, 36 - who secretly birthed his newest set of twins - mocked Zuckerberg and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

Musk, now a father of nine, is set to deliver the marquee address at the annual conference. The world's richest man is slated to give the speech at the Idaho stage.

It's not yet clear what Musk's speech will entail, but the SpaceX founder is set to close on his $44billion Twitter takeover in October after a judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to halt the deal.

Apple's Tim Cook threw a peace sign up for the camera as he walked next to Eddy Cole in Sun Valley on Friday at the exclusive five-day event

Cole (left) and Cook (right) smiled for the cameras as they traveled to their next event. The exclusive event is invite-only and is dubbed 'billionaires summer camp'
Lawyers for a retired pig farmer accused of murdering his wife forty years ago claim the case against him is based on 'guesswork and speculation'.

David Venables, 89, is accused of killing wife Brenda at their Worcestershire farm in 1982.

Her body was only discovered in 2019.

Venables' QC told Worcester Crown Court it would have been an 'act of madness' for him to have hidden his wife's body in a septic tank close to their marital home.

Retired pig farmer David Venables is pictured arriving at Worcester Crown Court last month

The remains of Brenda Venables were found in the sceptic tank at Quaking House Farm (circled) in Kempsey, Worcestershire in 2019. She disappeared without a trace in 1982

Prosecutors claim the pensioner, who expressed his regret for a 14-year affair with his mother's former carer, dumped Brenda's body at Quaking House Farm, Kempsey.

Brenda Venables' whereabouts were unknown between 1982 and 2019

Venables previously claimed Gloucester serial killer Fred West may have been responsible for his wife's death.

He has told the trial he searched in vain for her after waking up to find her missing on May 4 1982.

Venables reported his wife's disappearance later the same day, claiming police did search the tank during their initial inquiries.

In his closing speech to jurors on Friday, defence barrister Timothy Hannam QC questioned why Venables, now of Elgar Drive, Kempsey, would have sold the farmhouse if he knew his wife's body was inside the tank.

The lawyer, who suggested that Mrs Venables' death may have been suicide, told the court: 'It would have been an act of madness for him to put Brenda Venables' body in his septic tank. It was way too close to home.'

Police search the home of David Venables in July 2019 after charging the retired pig farmer

Venables had got someone else to empty the tank on at least one occasion, asked a contractor to add an extra chamber to it, and then sold the property in 2014, Mr Hannam said.

The QC asserted: 'Everything he has done since is inconsistent with him putting Brenda in the septic tank.

'Who in their right mind would ask someone to empty a septic tank knowing that their wife's body was in it? Who on earth would do that?'

Urging the jury to return the 'only fair verdict' of not guilty, Mr Hannam said: 'There was no direct evidence whatsoever of how Brenda Venables came to die or about how her body came to enter the septic tank.

'The Crown's case is circumstantial. We say it's based on a series of assumptions mixed with guesswork and speculation.'

Quaking House Farm (bottom) was the scene of Brenda's death, which lawyers for David Venables claim may have been a suicide. She disappeared more than forty years ago

Mr Hannam said a friend of Mrs Venables' instinct at the time of her disappearance was that the 48-year-old might have drowned herself in a water butt.

The QC told the jury: 'It's far from incredible that she may have chosen to kill herself in the septic tank and it has to be incredible for you to dismiss that as a possibility.

'It (the tank) was very close to the house.'

A worker or a passerby may have replaced the lid of the tank, Mr Hannam suggested, due to it posing a danger while open.

'There was no suicide note, but so what,' Mr Hannam added. 'In Brenda's mind there was an uncaring husband and no children to apologise to.

'Suicide, we say, cannot fairly be dismissed out of hand.'

Lawyers for David Venables claim the pensioner had nothing to do with his wife's death

Mr Hannam said of the tank: 'The Crown's case is that no one else could possibly have known about it.

'There were lots of footpaths in the vicinity of the farmhouse and the septic tank. It's not secluded at all.

'The village policeman, the first on the scene, he remembered seeing a concrete pad or slab. It was not invisible.

'It was a major error by the Crown to claim that it was when opening the case to you.'

Mr Hannam added: 'The evidence does not support the case. It's true that there were was no sign of a break-in but it's also true that there was no sign of a disturbance at all.'

The sceptic tank at Quaking House Farm, Worcestershire, where Brenda's body was found

The defence QC invited the jury to conclude that Mrs Venables had left the house clothed rather than in her nightie, because her clothes were found with her skeleton inside the tank.

Mr Hannam added: 'Had she been woken by a noise? Had she agreed to meet anyone? Had she just got up in her depressed morning state and gone for a wander?

'We know she was profoundly mentally unwell at the time. It is not beyond the realms of reason that she simply walked out of the house that morning and either killed herself or met with or encountered someone who wished her harm.

'How after 40 years do you rule that out as an impossibility?'

During his closing remarks, Mr Hannam also asked the jury to consider the 'comprehensive' police search in 1982, which involved a helicopter fitted with thermal imaging equipment.

Venables denies murder. The trial continues.
Victoria Derbyshire will replace Emily Maitlis as lead presenter on Newsnight, the BBC has confirmed.

The broadcaster also revealed BBC News correspondent Jon Kay will replace Dan Walker on the Breakfast red sofa.

Miss Derbyshire, 53, is said to have been in talks to quit her 170,000-a-year role at the corporation for Channel 4 before landing the Newsnight job.

She will now work with fellow lead presenter Kirsty Wark when she joins in September.

Faisal Islam, the BBCs economics editor, will continue to host regularly. I am so delighted to be joining the legend that is Kirsty Wark and the talented Newsnight team, Miss Derbyshire said yesterday. I cant wait to champion more stories about peoples lives while holding those who represent them to account.

Victoria Derbyshire will replace Emily Maitlis as lead presenter on Newsnight, the BBC has confirmed

Emily Maitlis, 51, defected from the BBC with fellow journalist Jon Sopel, 63, in February for a show and podcast on the Global radio station LBC

Miss Derbyshires eponymous daily current affairs show was axed by the BBC in 2020 as part of a string of cuts. She only found out when she read about it in the media  and said she was devastated.

A petition calling for the programme to return received more than 50,000 signatures in a month. Since then, Miss Derbyshire has presented various BBC News services. Newsnight editor Stewart Maclean praised her as one of the most tenacious journalists in the business.

Miss Maitlis, 51, defected from the BBC with fellow journalist Jon Sopel, 63, in February for a show and podcast on the Global radio station LBC.

New Breakfast presenter Kay, 52, who will start immediately, said: Sitting on the famous red sofa is a real privilege. His predecessor Walker quit the role in May, joining Andrew Marr, Simon Mayo, Lewis Goodall and Andrew Neil who have left the BBC in the last two years.
A New York City bodega worker who stabbed a career criminal to death in self-defense will not be returning to work because his coworkers fear for his safety after he was freed on bond.

Jose Alba, 62, was released from Rikers Island on Thursday evening after his bail was lowered from $250,000 to $50,000, and returned to his Hamilton Heights home wearing an electronic monitor and accompanied by one of his sons. He was only required to pay $5,000.

His fellow bodega workers are now saying they will not let him return to work because they fear the victim's friends will come to harm him.

'Were not letting him come back,' a Blue Moon Convenience store worker named Wilson told the New York Post.

Wilson said his victim's 'friends and family' now know where Alba works and his coworkers fear it's a 'death sentence' if he returns to his post.

Alba was arrested on Friday for stabbing Austin Simon after the 35-year-old charged into the Harlem bodega where he worked and attacked him after Alba refused to open a tab for his girlfriend, who couldn't pay for a bag of chips. He was charged with second-degree murder.

Jose Alba, 62, was released from Rikers Island on Thursday evening and returned to his home accompanied by one of his sons after his bail was lowered from $250,000 to $50,000

Alba was arrested last week for stabbing Austin Simon, 35, who charged into the Harlem bodega where he worked and attacked him. Alba's bond was lowered after public outrage

Alba, who is beloved in the local community, has worked at the bodega in Harlem for decades and has no criminal record. He arrived home Thursday wearing an ankle monitor

Wilson said he is now scared that he could face a similar situation to Alba if he were forced to protect himself.

'Why is [Alba] getting charged? He was working. Now that makes workers even more scared. This could happen to me. We out here working. We feel scared. We have to protect ourselves,' he told the New York Post.

'He wasnt looking for trouble, he was working. What is he supposed to do? That guy could have done anything[Alba] is an old man. Its not fair.'

Wilson also expressed fear over the growing gun problem in New York City, saying he didn't know 'who has a gun' in the neighborhood. He also said that all the workers are trying to do is 'make money and serve the community,' not deal with violence.

'They should consider self-defense,' another employee Escoo told the Post. 'We are risking our lives serving the community.'

Alba was thrown in jail and held on a $250,000 bond after prosecutors from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office asked for double that, despite letting other career criminals loose.

Following a resounding outrage over the decision, a Manhattan judge finally lowered Alba's bond today and he was released to his home.

This was the altercation that led to Jose Alba's arrest last Friday. Alba, 62, is shown in a blue striped shirt and hat. Austin Simon, right, arrived in the store to confront Alba who had refused to give his girlfriend a bag of potato chips

Earlier Thursday, NYC Mayor Eric Adams visited the bodega to express his support for Alba.

'I'm a person that's there for people following the law. I saw from the video, I saw a voter here inside the store following the law...It's time for New Yorkers and Americans to start standing up for people who follow the law,' he said.

At a hearing on Thursday, prosecutors from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office moved to lower Alba's bond from $250,000 to $50,000. He was only required to post $5,000 - 10 percent - which was paid by his family and boss.

Alba is barred from leaving New York City and had to surrender his passport, which means he will not be able to go on a previously planned trip to the Dominican Republic.

But Alba's release is a small victory for the 62-year-old who many say should never have been arrested in the first place.

Alba, who is beloved in the local community, has worked there for decades and has no criminal record.

The attack at the bodega happened when Simon's girlfriend's card was declined trying to buy a bag of chips. Her debit card was declined and Alba refused to give her the chips.

She then produced a knife from her purse and, according to Alba's family, attacked him before calling for her boyfriend for back-up.

Surveillance footage shows Simon charging into the store in a $350 dollar Amiri shirt, standing over Alba and then fighting with him.

Alba grabbed the store's box cutting knife to stab him in the neck and chest. He later died in the hospital.

Initially, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office asked for a $500,000 bond - which the judge last week said was too high- $250,000 was then decided upon - which the family couldn't afford.

They set up a GoFundMe page to help raise bail and pay for his legal team but GoFundMe removed the account after it raised $20,000.

A GoFundMe spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'Our terms of service prohibit fundraising for the legal defense of a violent crime.

'At this time, the fundraiser has been removed and all donors have been refunded.'

Alba was sitting down in the tiny store when the man cornered him and demanded that he apologize to his girlfriend, who police say couldn't afford a bag of chips

The convenience store where the incident occurred last Friday

On Thursday, Bragg's office said it reached a deal with the man's family on the terms of his bail which include him surrendering his passport and wearing an electronic ankle monitor.

The owner of the convenience store where the incident took place has also agreed to be an obligor for him, the DA's office said.

Alba - who is from the Dominican Republic and became a US citizen 14 years ago - was thrown in Rikers.

Among those who slammed Bragg for the decision to charge him on Thursday was Republican Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin.

'My first Day 1 action as Governor next January will be to fire Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg,' he said.

Yesterday, a store worker who did not want to be named told DailyMail.com: ''The girlfriend is still out there enjoying her life.'

The man's family set up a GoFundMe to help him pay for his legal defense but it was removed overnight after raising $20,000

The page no longer exists on GoFundMe. The fundraising site has not yet explained why

Regulars at the shop described Alba as a hard-working father who was preparing for retirement, and was looking forward to returning to the Dominican Republic next week to visit his family.

He worked at the store every day of the week from noon to 6am, they told DailyMail.com, to 'make an honest living.'

But during his more than two years working at the store, several patrons have tried to take advantage of him, grabbing items and trying to walk away with them.

One man even once held up a gun to him, they said.

So when Simon entered the store and starting threatening him last week, he did not know whether he had a gun and could kill him.

'He never wanted no problem,' said Ahmad's son, who was working the counter on Wednesday.

'I picture him as my grandfather being in that situation.'
A young girl was airlifted to hospital after a vicious mauling by a dog in her home.

The unnamed toddler was savagely attacked near Broomfield Road, Faversham around 2pm today.

She has been rushed to a London hospital, where doctors are treating multiple injuries.

The infant's wounds are not thought to be life-threatening, police said.

Faversham, Kent, pictured in late 2021, is a picturesque London suburb in the south-east

No arrests have been made in connection with the mauling, they added.

It comes just weeks after a mother and her seven-year-old daughter were attacked by a German Shepherd while out shopping in Coventry.

Vicky Rafferty, 35, and her daughter Evie-Louise Mannion, seven, were at Gallagher Retail Park, Coventry, when the dog mauled them on June 6.

Vicky said the German Shepherd attacked her daughter for no apparent reason while they were walking.

The innocent mother tried to pull the dog away from her defenceless daughter as she screamed in agony but ended up being attacked too.
A Remainer barrister has sparked fury after he asked Rishi Sunak whether Conservative Party members were 'ready to select a brown man' as the next Prime Minister.

Jolyon Maugham QC  once dubbed 'an infamous fox murderer' after clubbing one of the animals to death while wearing his wife's satin kimono  incensed Tory MPs with his tweet on Friday evening.

The 51-year-old suggested Conservative party members might not select Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian descent, as their next leader because he is a 'brown man'.

Replying to Sunak's Conservative leadership bid announcement on Twitter, Maugham said: 'Do you think the members of your Party are ready to select a brown man, Rishi?'

The comment has sparked fury among Tory MPS, with one minister branding Maugham an 'awful man'.

Newly-appointed Education Secretary James Cleverly said Maugham was 'projecting racism onto my friends and the members of my party'.

He said: 'People like Jo projecting their racism onto my friends and the members of my party is something Ive dealt with for years. Ive had enough. The most diverse government ever, the most diverse leadership slate ever, and this guy says this.

'The Conservatives' diversity has been organic, based on merit and delivered without fanfare.

'The fact that this joke of a man cant see it says more about him than us.

'Do us all a favour and stick to murdering urban fauna and separating left-wing fools from their money.'

Replying to Rishi Sunak's leadership bid announcement on Twitter, Reamainer QC Jolyon Maugham said: 'Do you think the members of your Party are ready to select a brown man, Rishi?'

Maugham was once dubbed 'an infamous fox murderer' after clubbing one of the animals to death while wearing his wife's satin kimono

Rishi Sunak announced his bid to become the next Prime Minister on Friday with a slick video

How will a new Prime Minister will be chosen? Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister on July 7, triggering a search for a new PM. This is how a new Prime Minister will be chosen: Candidates will put themselves forward for the leadership and must be nominated by other Tory MPs

Conservative MPs will vote in rounds to whittle down candidates until there are two left

These two are put to a postal ballot of the wider Conservative Party membership, with the winner named the new leader Advertisement

Meanwhile, Pensions Minister Guy Opperman raged at the Remainer QC and pointed out the Tories have had two women Prime Ministers, the first Jewish PM, three Asian chancellors in a row, has an Asian Home Secretary and the first trans MP.

Opperman said: 'Sadly, friends like [Sajid Javid], Rishi [Sunak], Priti [Patel], Nadhim [Zahawi] will face this idiocy a lot I fear.'

He added: 'All have outstanding success stories built on aspiration.

'They are the great British success story that sees second generation immigrants achieve great things in the private/public sectors and the House of Commons.

'And yes, the Conservative party are ready to elect and House of Commons colleagues would be proud to serve in public life under a brown man, or a brown woman, you awful man Jolyon Maugham.'

Tory MP Mark Jenkinson blasted Maugham, whom he called the 'darling of the left'.

He said: 'WTAF. Darling of the left, hopefully they'll be swift to denounce him.'

North West Norfolk MP James Wild also added his voice, saying Maugham's words were 'disgusting'.

Maugham deleted the Tweet a little more than an hour later.

Education Secretary James Cleverly told Maugham to 'stick to murdering urban fauna and separating left-wing fools from their money'

Maugham deleted the Tweet a little more than an hour later. He added: 'My point was, I want, we should all want, greater representation of people of colour leading all political parties. But it's not an issue particular to the Conservative Party'

Pensions Minister Guy Opperman raged at the Remainer QC and pointed out the Tories have had two women Prime Ministers, the first Jewish PM, three Asian chancellors in a row, has an Asian Home Secretary and the first trans MP

Tory MPs including James Wild blasted Maugham's words on Friday evening as 'disgusting'

He added: 'I have deleted a question to Rishi Sunak about attitudes to race in the Conservative Party membership.

'My point was, I want, we should all want, greater representation of people of colour leading all political parties.

'But it's not an issue particular to the Conservative Party.'

MailOnline has contacted Rishi Sunak and Jolyon Maugham for comment.
Peace negotiations between Russia, Ukraine to get more difficult with time: Putin

Xinhua) 08:56, July 08, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with State Duma leaders and party faction heads on July 7, 2022. (Kremlin photo)

Putin said that the West led by the United States has been extremely aggressive towards Russia for decades.

MOSCOW, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia is open to peace talks, and the negotiations with Ukraine will get more difficult with time passing by, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"We do not refuse peace negotiations, but those who refuse should know that the more time they waste, the more difficult it will be for them to negotiate with us," Putin said during a meeting with State Duma leaders and party faction heads.

Putin said that the West led by the United States has been extremely aggressive towards Russia for decades.

"Our proposals to create a system of equal security in Europe were rejected. Initiatives for joint work on the problem of missile defense were rejected. Warnings about the unacceptability of NATO expansion are ignored," he added.

The attempts of Western countries to impose a new order on the world are doomed to fail, said the president.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
Philadelphia Police have released shocking video on Friday of a group of teens who attacked a 73-year-old man, beating him to death with a traffic cone in the middle of the street while they filmed it.

The horrific scene, caught on surveillance cameras, opens with seven teens chasing after James Lambert Jr. on June 24, in the middle of Cecil B. Moore Avenue, with one of them swinging a cone at the back of his head.

The 73-year-old topples over on the sidewalk, and as the teens surround him, a girl picks up the cone again and hurls it at him.

Lambert can be seen getting up and trying to get away as the teens chase him off-camera, with the girl grabbing the cone again and appearing to bash him with it before they disappear off-screen.

Police said Lambert suffered several injuries to the head and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The video captures the moment the seven teens chase of James Lambert Jr., 73, of Philadelphia. One of the teens has a traffic cone in his hand as he approaches the senior

The teen strikes Lambert on the back of his head, sending both the 73-year-old man and the cone falling onto the side walk during the brutal June 24 attack

As Lambert escapes off camera, a girl pics up the cone and appears to bash it over his head as the teens chase after the desperate man

Police are offering a $20,000 reward for information on the seven teens

Police said Lambert (pictured) suffered several injuries to the head and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead

Lambert's family told NBC10 that they were heartbroken by his death and in complete disbelief that a group of kids were allegedly behind this.

None of the seven kids seen in the video chasing after Lambert have been arrested yet, but police said they hoped the newly released video and a $20,000 reward would aid in their investigation of the incident.

Along with video of the incident, police also shared additional clips of the young suspects, four boys and three girls, who are believed to be between the ages of 13 and 17.

One of the male suspects had a notable blonde patch on his hair, while another one rode his scooter during the entire incident.

Another one of the alleged assailants appeared to be stumbling about, appearing to recreate the moment Lambert fell to the ground during the assault.

Officials said that one of the suspects also appeared to be filming the incident on their phone, but police have yet to find any video of the attack on social media.

Police did not specify what charges the teens would face, and said the final decision would be on the district attorney's office.

Following the first attack with the traffic cone, a girl pickup the makeshift weapon and hurls at the Lambert, who was lying on the ground

The cone strikes the elderly man, who proceeds to try and flee the scene

As he walks away, the teens chase after him, with the cone in hand

Police believe the teens recorded the assault on one of their cell phones

The City of Brotherly Love has seen a drastic rise in violence, with overall crime up more than 25 percent so far this year compared to the same time in 2021.

While homicides and rapes have seen a notable drop this year, the number of assaults has only dipped by 1.47 percent, from 2,522 incidents last year to 2,485 so far this year.

Meanwhile, the number of shooting victims has gone up 5.51 percent, with police reporting 1,168 cases so far this year, up from 1,107 last year.

Robberies have seen the greatest uptick, with 1,427 cases reported this year, up 21.55 percent from the 1,174 reported last year.

Lambert's death came just four days before Anthony Nelson, 47, of Philadelphia, allegedly shot and killed 21-year-old Jailene Holton at the Philly Bar and Restaurant on June 28.

Nelson is accused of opening fire after he was kicked out of the venue when he was told that he would be unable to use a pool table because a league was playing.

After getting into a tussle with a bouncer, the group of three men were forced to leave, after which one member went to get a gun from their car.

More than a dozen shots were fired at the front of the bar from a distance of less than 200 feet away, Philadelphia Police Inspector Scott Small told reporters.

As a barrage of bullets flew, Holton, who was standing at the back of the bar was struck in the head where she fell to the ground. She died later at Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital.

Nelson was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force at Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City on Wednesday.

Anthony Nelson, 47, was arrested in Harrah's Casino, Atlantic City in connection with the shooting death of Jailene Holton, 21, of Philadelphia

Jailene Holton, 21, of Philadelphia, was shot while standing in the back of the Philly Bar and Grill on June 28. She was out for a night on the town with her friends. Her family said she rarely went out and that she was the group's designated driver

Philadelphia Police are also currently investigating gunfire that ran out during the city's Fourth of July fireworks festival, which struck and injured two officers working at the event.

Fortunately, the officers, Sergio Diggs, 36, and Deputy John Foster, 44, who were shot on Monday night were transported to Jefferson Hospital in stable condition, and were released early Tuesday morning.

They suffered minor injuries from the shooting, with Foster, assigned to the Montgomery County Bomb Squad, shot in the shoulder, and Diggs, a Highway Patrol Officer, suffering from a graze wound to the head.

Police are still unsure if the shootings were an intentional attack on the city's officers, or if they were a result of celebratory bullets ricocheting and striking the men by accident.

Like in the attack with Lambert, Philadelphia police are offering a $20,00 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect.

Philadelphia Police are also currently investigation gunfire that ran out during the city's Fourth of July fireworks festival, which sent hundreds running for their lives
Maine police are desperately searching for a two-year-old girl and her parents who went missing after going camping last month.

Jill Sidebotham, 28, Nicholas Hansen, and their daughter, Lydia Hansen, two, have been missing since June 27, when they were last seen by Sidebotham's family before their camping trip in Phillips, Maine.

The parents, who are separated, and their daughter, who lives with Sidebotham, were supposed to return on June 30. The mother's phone has been turned off since June 28 and Hansen's has not had a signal since the 29, according to The Boston Globe.

Sidebotham's father Ron said in a Facebook post that it was 'not in Jill's nature at all to just disappear.'

Jill Sidebotham, 28, and her daughter Lydia Hansen, two, have been missing since June 27

The pair went camping in the woods with Lydia's father Nick Hansen (pictured). Sidebotham's phone has not been on since June 28 and Hansen's has had no signal since the 29

The family-of-three was spotted on July 2 at a Walmart in Mexico, Maine - which the police verified through security footage. There have not been any further sightings.

'They were buying food items and there did not appear to be anything nefarious or criminal,' Sanford police Lieutenant Matthew Gagne told The Boston Globe. '[However], we cannot verify their state without seeing them.'

They were last seen in a silver 2005 Volkswagen Jetta with a black rear bumper sticker and a Maine license plate, according to the wanted poster.

Police are now asking for the public's help, but do not suspect foul play.

'It's more of a welfare check because it's unusual that they haven't reached out to the family or friends, that we're aware of,' Gagne said, according to The Boston Globe.

However, Sidebotham's sister Reta Lyman warned on Facebook to 'be careful' of Hansen.

'[Sidebotham] was last [seen] with my niece's father, who is not a stable person,' she wrote in a Facebook post. 'He's not ok and has been violent before, especially when he thought someone was taking Jill away.'

Ron also wrote in the comment section of one his Facebook posts, that there is 'reason to believe he's holding her against her will.'

The family, who does not live together, were last seen at a Mexico, Maine, Walmart buying food, which police confirmed through security footage

'We don't know 100 percent, but it's a great possibility,' he wrote.

Her family has experienced great stress, with Ron telling a Facebook user that he was barely holding on, but was 'trying my best to keep it together.'

'It's the not knowing of what's going on,' Ron told News Center Maine. 'It's eating away at my head and my stomach.'

Lyman echoed similar statements, telling the outlet: 'I'm supposed to be the oldest, I'm supposed to be the one that looks out for them and I can't. I don't know where to go,' she said as she wiped away tears.

Now she is left wondering if they 'misunderstood something' about Sidebotham and Hansen's plans.

Sanford Police have contacted and are working with local law enforcement agencies and have told local wardens about the family's disappearance.

'I was worried the second my wife told me what they were doing, but I didn't think this would happen,' Ron told News Center Maine. 'I hate to say it, but I don't trust the guy, there's been past issues with him.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Sidebotham's family for comment.

Weeks before the disappearance, Hansen shared a Rachel Byram poem that features lines such as: 'I'm done playing you game. Did you ever even care? Cause you act like I was never there. I'm not just some game.'

Sidebotham's family is worried that Hansen (pictured with his daughter) is 'holding her against her will.' Police, however, said they do not suspect foul play

Sidebotham's family has said there's been 'issues in the past' with Hansen (pictured)

Sidebotham's father Ron also said he it was 'not in Jill's nature at all to just disappear'

The family said they are extremely worried about her disappearance and that it is 'eating' at them. They also said it was Hansen is 'not a stable person'

It also featured: 'You should be ashamed. I could have been everything you wanted. Cause you were everything I ever wanted. But you made your choice. Your mind maybe thinking one thing. But your actions are the only thing that's speaking.'

It is unknown if he is a poetry enthusiast or if he posted the poem about a specific person.

He also posted another photo on June 16, reading: 'If you want me in your life, figure out a way to put me there. I'm done trying.'

Sanford Police are urging anyone who thinks they spotted the family to call local law enforcement.
Synagogue members at North Shore Congregation Israel near the Chicago suburb of Highland Park described 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim as a dedicated member of their community who coordinated events and and taught preschool classes

Mourners on Friday remembered a woman who worked tirelessly planning events at her synagogue in the first formal service to be held for the seven people killed by the gunman who opened fire on a July Fourth parade.

Synagogue members at North Shore Congregation Israel near the Chicago suburb of Highland Park described 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim as a dedicated member of their community who coordinated events and taught preschool classes, smiling all along and constantly checking on other staff members.

'We are horrified. We are enraged, sickened, aggrieved, inconsolable for the terror that has befallen us and robbed us of Jacki,' Rabbi Wendi Geffen told the mourners, which included Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

Parade shooter Robert 'Bobby' Crimo III, 21, was arrested hours after Monday's shooting, and faces seven charges of first-degree murder.

'We are horrified. We are enraged, sickened, aggrieved, inconsolable for the terror that has befallen us and robbed us of Jacki,' Rabbi Wendi Geffen told the mourners, which included Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (pictured)

Police officers hug two mourners outside Sundheim's funeral at North Shore Congregation in Glencoe, Illinois

Heartbroken mourners flocked to the funeral service for the preschool teacher Friday morning

But Geffen and other speakers urged the people filling the synagogue to focus on Sundheim's life - her commitment to her husband, Bruce, and daughter, Leah, the pleasure she took in knitting and her attention to detail when planning bat or bar mitzahs, weddings or funerals.

Her daughter had another request: to use the pain, fear and rage caused by her mother's death to make the world better, in small thoughts and actions.

'I want you to laugh,' she said, holding back tears. 'I want you to each and every day put a little more joy and kindness into this world. Do not let this sadness, this fear, rage turn you bitter towards our world. The world is darker without my mom in it, and it's up to us now to fill it with a little extra laughter.'

Friends and family of two grandfathers killed in the atrocity, Stephen Strauss, 88, and Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, also started gathering for their funerals on Friday.

Among the mourners arriving at Strauss' service, was his widow who was seen in a wheelchair.

The remains of Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza are seen arriving at his funeral at the Iglesia Emanuel Church in Chicago on Friday

Friends and family of two beloved grandfathers will gather later Friday for services in memory of 88-year-old Stephen Straus(left) and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza (right), two more victims in Monday's mass shooting

Friends and family of two beloved grandfathers planned to gather later Friday for services in memory of 88-year-old Stephen Straus and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza. Services for 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo are scheduled for Saturday.

Among the mourners arriving for Strauss' service was his wife, Linda Strauss, who was seen being wheeled into a synagogue in a wheelchair.

Funeral details for the remaining two victims, a 64-year-old mom-of-two and a couple in their thirties who died protecting their son from a hail of gunfire, have not been made public.

Authorities have identified them as 35-year-old Irina McCarthy and 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy, who were attending the parade with two-year-old Aiden, and 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein, a loving mother and avid birdwatcher.

Among the mourners arriving for Strauss' service was his wife, Linda Strauss, who was seen being wheeled into a synagogue in a wheelchair

Linda Strauss, the widow of Stephen Strauss, made her way into the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston on Friday

Young Aiden survived the hail of bullets Monday after his father, Kevin McCarthy, shielded him with his own body. His family has since seen a flood of donations on online fundraiser GoFundMe.

Aiden was separated from his parents during the chaos of Monday's shooting, but was kept safe by complete strangers Lauren Silva, 38, of Deerfield, after se and her boyfriend found the boy alone during the chaos.

Silva told The Daily Beast they emerged from a parking garage a few blocks away from the shooting just as the violence began to unfold.

'We were just opening the door to walk up the stairs and we heard itboom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,' she told the Beast. 'And it sounded like someone was, like, pounding on the glass doors.'

Silva and her boyfriend and his son began running toward those who were injured when her boyfriend suddenly thrusted the little boy into her arms.

'My boyfriend handed me this little boy and said he was underneath this father who was shot in the leg,' she said. 'They were trying to stop the bleeding so I brought the boy downstairs into the garage.'

Aiden McCarthy (pictured with an unknown man) has since been placed in the care of his grandparents

Aiden lost his mother, Irina, 35, and father, Kevin, 37, after being separated from them during the chaos of Monday's shooting

Once inside the garage, she managed to clean out his scrapes and washed the blood off him. She said he was wearing one shoe and his sock was covered in blood.

'He kept asking if mom and dad are going to come back soon,' she said.

Silva reemerged from the parking garage after 20 minutes to find the boy's parents.

She handed Aiden off to a family she was hunkering down in the garage with, who took him to the hospital and later handed him to police. He was eventually reunited with his grandparents.

Dana Ruder Ring, who had taken care of the child until 8 p.m., according to Fox 32 Chicago, posted the original photo of the boy to help identify him.

Silva, a mother of two, said she's holding on to the memory of the 'kid's face and his touch and the sound of his voice.'

'I feel like I want to hold on to, like, a little bit of emotion that I feelwhich is telling that boy that his dad was going to come back,' she said.

The bodies of both of the boy's parents were recovered from the scene and identified by lawmen.

A crowdfunding page has since been established to help Aiden's grandparents with 'raising, caring for and supporting' the tot. It has already already raised more than $2.5 million.

The gunman opened fire at 10:14 a.m. on Monday, barely 15 minutes into the parade. He then fled the scene and hid throughout the day before eventually being arrested at 6:30 p.m. in Lake Forrest, eight miles north of where the massacre unfolded

Horror on Independence Day: A police officer bows his head in grief next to abandoned strollers and chairs after a shooting that killed seven people in Highland Park

Tributes to the seven people who died in the massacre were left along the parade route

Goldstein, meanwhile, the last of the seven people killed by 21-year-old gunman Robert 'Bobby' Crimo, was with her 22-year-old daughter, Cassie, when she was gunned down.

'I was standing there with my mom, and I heard what I thought were firecrackers firing into the street across from me,' Cassie told NBC Nightly News . 'And then I looked up and I saw the shooter shooting down at the kids.'

Cassie broke down as she described how her mother was struck by a bullet as they both tried to run for cover, detailing how she was forced to leave her behind.

'He shot her in the chest, and she fell down. And I knew she was dead,' Cassie said. 'So I just told her that I loved her, but I couldn't stop because he was still shooting everyone next to me.'

Goldstein was remembered a loving mother and friend, and was avid bird-watcher, her friend Jill Kirshenbaum told The Chicago Sun Times.

'She really loved her family,' Kirshenbaum told the paper Wednesday. It is not clear when her funeral will be held.

Crimo, who fired from a rooftop overlooking the parade, has since been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder in the seven deaths, after owning up to the massacre in court Wednesday.

Katherine Goldstein, 64, pictured at left with 22-year-old daughter Cassie, was with her 2 daughter when she was gunned down. A funeral date has not yet been provided by the family

Cassie wept (above) as she recalled leaving her mother behind in the chaos, after she was shot by gunman Robery Crimo

Crimo appeared for the bond hearing in the 19th Circuit Court in Lake County, Illinois, on Wednesday morning via Zoom - just hours after Uvaldo succumbed to his injuries.

Dressed in a black t-shirt and his long dark hair hanging over his face, Crimo stared blankly into the camera as the judge ordered he be held without bond.

A Lake County prosecutor said the teen confessed to the crimes during the hearing. He is scheduled to appear in court again on July 28. The motive for the attack is still unknown.

Cops say Crimo, armed with an AR-15-style weapon, began shooting shortly after 10am ET, from a position atop a rooftop along the parade route.

Police said Tuesday that Crimo, who dressed as a woman during his escape in an effort to disguise himself, slipped into a crowd of panicked bystanders after the shooting, easily evading law enforcement.

Highland Park parade shooter Robert 'Bobby' Crimo, 21, been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder for the slayings

He was arrested about eight hours after the shooting.

Crimo has since confessed to the fatal attack that took seven lives and left dozens injured, coming clean in a Lake County earlier in the week.

He was hit with seven counts of first-degree murder and will likely face additional charges.

'He went into details about what he had done. He admitted to what he had done,' Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart told reporters Wednesday, NBC News reported. 'We don't want to speculate on motives right now.'

After fleeing the shooting scene in Highland Park, Crimo reportedly drove to nearby Madison, Wisconsin, where he 'seriously contemplated' carrying out another attack, police spokesman Christopher Covelli said.

'We don't have information to suggest that he planned on driving to Madison, initially, to commit another attack,' Covelli said. 'We do believe that he was driving around [after] the first attack and saw the celebration.'

He added: 'Indications are that he hadn't put enough thought or research into that.'

Crimo has been jailed without bond. Prosecutors expect to bring more charges representing the more than 30 people were wounded in the assault.

Investigators have said the suspect, who lived in neighboring Highwood, legally purchased five weapons and planned the attack for weeks before he climbed to the roof of a business along the parade route and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle.

Investigators reported that Crimo fled the parade by blending in with the fleeing crowd, then drove to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he contemplated a second attack. He returned to the Highland Park area, and his car was spotted by police.

Questions remain about whether Crimo should have been able to legally purchase firearms in Illinois.

Illinois State Police officials have defended the approval of his gun license in December 2019, months after police received reports that he had made suicidal and violent threats.
Former Obama advisor David Axelrod said fear and 'panic' about the midterms is causing new grumbling from Democrats about the White House.

He acknowledged complaints that the Biden administration has come off as flat-footed contending with an explosive Supreme Court ruling on abortion and other matters  but said President Biden is limited in his ability to flash the fire some Americans are looking for.

'When Democrats chose Joe Biden, when Joe Biden was elected, he was elected for the very things he's being criticize criticized for,' he told CNN's 'New Day' Friday.

'He was elected because he was seen as a calm, conciliatory figure after the tumultuous years of Donald Trump. He believes in working across the aisle. He's not a guy who is given to, you know, public outbursts,' he said, a day after Biden awarded a posthumous Medal of Freedom to 2008 GOP nominee John McCain, who Obama defeated with Biden on the ticket.

'When Democrats chose Joe Biden, when Joe Biden was elected, he was elected for the very things he's being criticize criticized for,' former White House advisor David Axelrod said Friday

Then he revealed that showing more flashes of anger might be a bad idea.

'Frankly when people say why isn't he more angry out there  when he tries to do that, you know, he comes across like Clint Eastwood in Grand Torino chasing kids off the lawn,' the spin-meister continued. 'That's not who he is.'

He was referencing the profane 2008 clip where Eastwood's shotgun-wielding character tells a group of ruffians to 'get off my lawn now!'

'Biden is a measured guy. He's an institutionalist. He's behaving in the way one would expect, and now it is frustrating people,' Axelrod added.

He compared Biden's flashes of anger to Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino

Biden signed an executive order on abortion access two weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade

Referring to Democratic angst, he said: 'Well, fear and panic is what's driving it. People are worried about the midterm elections, much of the clamor is coming from Capitol Hill, where many members are up for re-election in November. so that's part of it.'

He also expressed sympathy for the White House staff, who must contend with the incoming. Adding to the difficulty is the inability of Democrats to overcome Senate filibuster rules or a Supreme Court with a 6-3 conservative majority, despite controlling the White House and Congress.

Biden on Friday called for people to express their frustration at the ballot box, and called for electing two more pro-choice senators.

He blasted the court in his remarks. 'What we're witnessing wasn't a constitutional judgment, it was an exercise in raw political power,' Biden said. 'We cannot allow an out of control Supreme Court, working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican party, to take away freedoms and our personal autonomy."
The stupid idiot of a former MP for Tiverton and Honiton Neil Parish is a jolly lucky chap that his wife Sue is more of an easy-going soul than in the early days of their 41-year marriage.

Sue always says Im oversexed, he says. I dont know if I am but I have a healthy appetite. She used to say when I was a little too amorous, Ill get the scissors to you if you dont behave yourself. Snippety, snip. 

Burdizzos, Sue corrects him. In the past, Ive chased him round the kitchen with burdizzos  the things you use on cattle to crush their balls.

Neil, 66, is, of course, the Tory farmer with a passion for the countryside and, as we now know, internet sites featuring scantily clad things (his words), who blew up [his] political career when he was caught watching porn on his mobile phone in the chamber of the House of Commons. He insisted, much to the merriment of many, he got on to it by accident while Googling a site about tractors.

Everybody laughs and says youre telling porky pies but Im not, he says. When you go on to Google, lots of things come up. I look at tractors and cars.

Former Tory MP Neil Parish, pictured with his wife Sue, right, at their home on Somerset, lost his political career after a search for tractors on the internet led him to a website featuring pornography

Mr Parish stressed he was not looking for 'The Dominator' as that is a combine harvester and he was seeking tractors

Former MP Neil Parish, pictured, was searching for tractors on the internet when he came across pornography

There was a direct link [to the site]. Im not going to say what I Googled but its not The Dominator as has been reported, because thats a combine harvester. I have gone on to sites before  you know, scantily clad things and what have you  but I havent gone on to anything like this, to be honest with you. The problem is I shouldnt have gone on to it a second time. It was the second time that did it.

He is genuinely regretful  and rightly so. Sue, 66, rallies to his defence. I guess were not very good at IT, either of us, she says. Weve just booked a holiday. Neil wanted to go from Dover to Dunkirk. It ended up being Dover to Calais. Its only down the road so it doesnt matter but we arent very good on computers at all.

I hadnt known quite what to expect when I arrived at the Parishs rambling farmhouse in Somerset but it certainly wasnt this Neil and Sue show. Neil tells me he is giving this interview because its time this was finished. Time to move on.

Put it to bed, Sue agrees.

Perhaps thats the wrong way to put it, says Neil, gently.

You sense hes treading carefully around his wife, who gave up teaching German and Spanish to support his political career that included 12 years as an MEP and ten as an MP.

She is, as she says, a fairly tough sort. So much so that Neil concedes he felt numb when he found himself stuck on the bloody motorway on his way home from Westminster to come clean and say what I had done to his burdizzo-wielding wife.

Although they dont actually crush the balls, he explains.

They squeeze the cords leading to the testicles.

I knew before he told me, says Sue. A journalist rang to ask for my comment. I said, About what? He asked if I was sitting down. I was just hit for six. I didnt cry. Thats not the kind of thing that makes me cry.

I was in shock. Why should you have any idea what your husbands doing in his downtime? For goodness sake, you dont spy on them, do you? Or, you shouldnt.

But I cant get uppity about it. Perhaps Im too easy-going, I dont know. It would have bothered me if it had been sort of weird stuff, I suppose. His friend did actually say, Jesus, I have to ask you this. And Neil said, Oh right. Then it all went very quiet.

Marriages evolve over the years. You grow together or grow apart. Weve grown together. I have a lovely wife. Shes been amazing, he says. On that Saturday morning [a week after Neil had the Conservative Party whip withdrawn] we got up and Sue said, I think you should go and resign. I said, OK.

He said: Then I talked to my son and daughter. So it was, in the end, a family decision and, in the end, the right decision. Ive lost a good political career but hopefully I have still got a good marriage'

I said, What did he ask you? He said, Oh, he wanted to know if it was weird stuff and I told him it certainly wasnt. I said to him, Youre a stupid idiot. End of. 

We are in the sitting room of the farmhouse in which Neil himself grew up and where they have raised their two children, Jonathan, 40, and Harriet, 37.

Wimbledon is on the television and there is a Bible on the coffee table.

Sue, a slight woman with a pixie haircut and impish humour, is a member of the village church choir. This is a warm home where numerous photographs tell of a family life well-lived.

Beyond the sitting room window is the orchard Neil planted when Harriet was eight and straight up the drive a little house that was our garage but was falling down.

I kept saying to Neil, We ought to make it into something before its a pile of stones. 

Neil may well be a stupid idiot but hes her stupid idiot and shes not giving up on him.

Marriages evolve over the years. You grow together or grow apart. Weve grown together. I have a lovely wife. Shes been amazing, he says. On that Saturday morning [a week after Neil had the Conservative Party whip withdrawn] we got up and Sue said, I think you should go and resign. I said, OK.

He said: 'Maybe I deserve to be treated like s*** but I dont think I did, actually. I was a stupid man. I did the wrong thing but even when you do the right thing  tell the truth and go  they feed on your political carcass'

Then I talked to my son and daughter. So it was, in the end, a family decision and, in the end, the right decision. Ive lost a good political career but hopefully I have still got a good marriage.

You sense hes willing Sue to agree. He had to fall on his sword, really, she says. What Neil did was wrong but, lets say, the whole thing could have been handled better, particularly when you compare it to people who go out and grope people and do unseemly things.

Shes referring to the disgraced Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher  or, as Neil says: Pincher by name, Pincher by nature. (Pincher resigned and apologised for embarrassing himself, but its understood he denies allegations of sexual assault.)

First of all, people shouldnt be looking over other peoples shoulders when theyre looking at their mobiles. Its quite hard to see [the screen] You have to really crane.

Secondly, he was just in a little corner somewhere. He wasnt in the middle of the chamber waving it around. There was no business going on. He was just waiting for votes. He hates to wait.

He cant bear it, whether its traffic lights or anything. He also has a low boredom threshold.

I was a teacher and had, say, a child in class been looking at things they shouldnt have been, Id have just told them off. I mean, I dont condone what Neil did but they [the two female Conservative MPs who reported him] could have just tapped him on the shoulder and told him off and said, Its not the thing to do.

He would have been so shocked that would have been the end of it and it would have saved an awful lot of bother, wouldnt it?

He went to the Chief Whip and asked if he could apologise to the women. He said, Please. She shakes her head.

Anyway, they got their comeuppance [in the by-election] didnt they: an awfully nice Liberal Democrat and good luck to him. Serves them right. I dont know what ails these people really. They must lead sad lives.

She falls back into the cushions behind her, her fury spent.

He said: The crux of the matter is I never intended to offend. It was 11.30 at night. Wed had about 12 votes. I was sitting there minding my own business or doing the wrong thing in the far corner of the chamber. Got bored. Shouldnt have been doing it'

Neil is silent for a moment. He has been beside himself since losing his career. He cares deeply about the countryside having served on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development throughout his time in the European Parliament and more recently was a hugely respected chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

He hasnt, though, always toed the party line, opposing same-sex marriage and rebelling against a three-line whip to vote for a referendum on EU membership.

When youve blown up your political career  and it was a good one  the feelings, as you can imagine, are unbelievable.

Some mornings you wake up and think, It was a nightmare. It never happened.

But it did and when you [remember] it did you could do anything in that time. I couldnt cope with it, to be honest with you. You go completely cold in the end. Im a genuine man whos worked bloody hard all my life.

Maybe I deserve to be treated like s*** but I dont think I did, actually. I was a stupid man. I did the wrong thing but even when you do the right thing  tell the truth and go  they feed on your political carcass.

The crux of the matter is I never intended to offend. It was 11.30 at night. Wed had about 12 votes. I was sitting there minding my own business or doing the wrong thing in the far corner of the chamber. Got bored. Shouldnt have been doing it.

I never intended for [the female MPs] to see it. If theyd gone to the Chief Whip and said, Look, he needs to be sorted, as you can imagine, I would never have looked at it again. And, my God, Im not going to in any way because this is a shock treatment like no tomorrow.

Instead, when I asked if I could apologise to them, his words were, No. I have encouraged them to refer you to the Standards.

He looked at me  and Im not going to exaggerate because I will take this to my grave  he looked at me as though I had committed murder. I just looked at him in horror and basically he said, I will not discuss it with you further.

My God, Im not justifying what I did and its not right, perhaps, to cover it up but, lets face it, this is your own side.

I actually behave well towards women in Parliament. Im very polite. I have banter with everybody. I dont make unwanted advances on people. What about wanted advances?

Never in Parliament. Outside Parliament? I tried to sort of control that and have done, he says with the astonishing honesty that is much a part of him as, well, that sex drive.

Its just  this is why the scissors and all these things Sue used to calm me down  I just have these urges. Im not bullsh****** you. Its an all right marriage, really. Shes very good and I know Im not perfect but Im not a bad husband, I think.

And Sue? I follow her to the kitchen where the scissors are in a drawer. I only used to run around with those things in jest, she says.

You have to have jest in a marriage otherwise things get very boring.

Which hers certainly isnt. Her eyes twinkle. Snippety snip.
A New Mexico mom, acting on instinct, was caught on camera clinging to the hood of her Hyundai Santa Fe to try to stop a carjacker who had taken off with her 11-month-old son and six-year-old autistic daughter.

Surveillance video shows Melody Maldonado, a 33-year-old librarian from Hobbs, New Mexico, clinging to the front of the car as it speeds down East Navajo Drive at about 8.30pm on Independence Day.

The fiercely protective Maldonado told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that she felt no fear as she clung to the speeding car, yelling for the accused thief, Regina Castillo, 29, to stop.

'She definitely heard me. I yelled for her to stop and that my kids were in the car,' she said.

'She kept driving. We went a good distance, through an intersection, past the Allsup's. She was swerving so that I would fall off.'

Maldonado was eventually thrown from the hood of the car, and broke her foot. However, despite her injury she still sprinted to a nearby convenience store where she called for help.

'I didn't care what happened to the car. I just wanted my kids back.'

Surveillance video shows Melody Maldonado, a 33-year-old librarian from Hobbs, New Mexico , clinging to the front of the car as it speeds down East Navajo Drive at about 8.30pm on Independence Day

Regina Castillo, 29, was charged with stealing a car with two children in car

Protective mother, Melody Maldonado, 33, a librarian, risked her own life to save, Ma'Rey, 6, left, and 11-month-old Mikah, right

Hobbs Police bodycam footage shows Maldonado shortly after the 911 call telling police which way the car was heading and strategizing about how to get her kids back.

'If I can find my phone. My phone is in the car. I can find out where the car's at,' she says in the recording.

Meanwhile, Castillo, sped around the dusty streets of the New Mexico town that borders Texas, eventually dumping six-year-old Ma'Rey, who has autism, out on a random street. She was found by people living nearby and kept safe.

'She left my daughter on the street because my daughter had a phone and she thought that they were tracking her with the phone,' she said.

As cops tracked Castillo down, she dumped the SUV at an intersection, leaving 11-month-old Mikah inside, and tried to fleel on foot.

Bodycam footage from the Hobbs Police Department shows her being pursued through a backyard until several officers tackled her, and placed in handcuffs.

'I hope it never happens to anyone else,' Maldonado said.

Maldonado, pictured here on the hood of her speeding Hyundai Santa Fe, said she suffered a broken foot when she was thrown from the vehicle

Melody Maldonado, 33, caught her in Hobbs police bodycam footage, frantically instructs police how to get her children back

Regina Castillo, 29, who had three outstanding warrants, left the car with the 11-month-old inside

Regina Castillo, 29, pictured here in police bodycam footage tries to flee on foot after abandoning the stolen car

Hobbs police tackled Castillo in a backyard after she tried to flee on foot

Castillo pictured during her arrest for stealing a car with two children inside

Maldonado told DailyMail.com that the whole ordeal lasted about 20 to 30 minutes.

The drama began when Maldonado stopped into the Stripes Convenience store to buy a baby bottle for little Mikah, leaving the kids in the car for a moment.

When she couldn't find what she was looking for, she headed back to the car, but she said Castillo met her at the exit and walked with her to the car.

As soon as the mother of two unlocked the driver's side door, she said Castillo pushed her aside with the keys and jumped into the Hyundai.

Maldonado jumped up on the hood of the car as Castillo threw it into reverse, speeding backward and nearly hitting the gas pumps at the gas station.

'I was banging on the window the whole time, telling her to stop,' Maldonado said.

She said that Ma'Rey was a little shaken up after being left on the street, but some good Samaritans took care of her and called the police.

It was only after she saw her mother being loaded into an ambulance did she become alarmed.

'She was a little shook up,' Maldonado said. 'My son is too young to speak.'

Maldonado was treated for her broken left foot and 'a lot of road rash.'

It's still unclear why Castillo stole the car. At the time of her arrest, she had three active warrants for failure to appear in court on charges of concealing her identity, shoplifting and traffic violations.

She's expected back in court in this case on July 18.
President Joe Biden thanked the CIA for 'exposing Putin's playbook' before Russia invaded Ukraine in a speech at the agency's headquarters to make its 75th anniversary.

He praised CIA agents as the 'bedrock of our national security' while standing in front of a Memorial Wall of 139 stars that represent agents who were killed in the line of duty. The names of 37 agents are classified until this day, according to the CIA.

During his address the president also mentioned the 'profound impact' of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent assassination. Biden had stopped at Japan's embassy in Washington, DC to express his condolences before heading to Langley, Virginia.

Biden told agents of one of the most secretive bodies in the world it was their duty to 'prevent plots or threats.'

'Where possible we have to seek to balance secrecy with transparency,' the president said. 'To shine a light on atrocities and prevent plots or threats, or acts of aggression before they happen.'

He added that 'the greatest value of our intelligence collection is the good we do with it.'

Earlier in the speech Biden credited the CIA's intelligence-gathering efforts on Russian President Vladimir Putin as having 'punched a hole' in the autocrat's plan to invade Ukraine.

President Joe Biden delivered a speech at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia to mark the secretive agency's 75th anniversary

'It's indispensable to me, as I face some of the difficult decisions, and have the best possible information provided by the most capable, reliable intelligence community in the world. Again, not hyperbole, you are clearly the best in the whole world,' Biden said.

'It was thanks to the incredible work of our intelligence professionals that we were able to forewarn the world what Vladimir Putin was planning in Ukraine.'

The US intelligence community was praised by both Republicans and Democrats this year for its swift and accurate reports on Putin's troop buildup on Ukraine's border and warnings of an imminent attack.

Reports indicated that Putin had been planning to invade the neighboring country weeks before he launched the assault on February 24.

'We saw what he was doing. You saw it. The forces he was amassing, the plans he was making, exposing Putin's playbook, punch the gigantic hole in the pretense, and discredited his lies about what we were doing in Ukraine,' the president said on Friday.

He added that they did it 'without revealing sources and methods that had been critical to our ability to rally our allies and partners around the world.'

Biden also commended the agency's growing 'diversity' and urged its officers to always deliver him the truth, whether it's damaging or positive.

'Our intelligence is more robust when we tap the full strength of our diversity as a nation. My first trip here years ago, I looked out and there wasn't nearly as much diversity as there is today,' the president said.

He credited the CIA with 'punching a hole' in Vladimir Putin's plans to invade Ukraine with its swift and accurate intelligence reports

'If everyone brings the same ideas, the same experience the same skill sets to work, we leave some pretty big blind spots in our security.'

He said the CIA often fielded 'big questions, the hardest questions' and conceded that intelligence assessments cannot always be '100 percent right.'

But it does mean that I expect you to tell me the truth, no matter what,' Biden said.

'I expect each of you to honor the democratic values and ideals that form the core of our nation's strength.'

It's a stark departure from his predecessor's controversial speech at CIA Headquarters in 2017.

Donald Trump had spent a significant portion of his remarks in front of the CIA Memorial Wall griping about the 'dishonest media,' boasting about the crowd size at one of his appearances and discussing a bust of Winston Churchill in the Oval Office.

'I am so behind you,' Trump told the roughly 400 agents in attendance.

'Youre gonna get so much backing. Maybe youre gonna say, please, dont give us so much backing, Mr. President, please, we dont need that much backing.'

Former CIA Director John Brennan was 'deeply saddened and angered at Trumps despicable display of self-aggrandizement in front of CIAs Memorial Wall of Agency heroes,' his former deputy chief of staff wrote on Twitter.
Back in November 2015, I hardly knew Boris Johnson  so I was baffled when he invited me to have dinner with him at a Turkish restaurant in Waterloo.

It was just six months since David Cameron had triumphed in the General Election. I was an energy minister and Boris was then both Mayor of London and an ordinary MP.

He turned up on his bicycle, and we had a convivial meal with lots of laughter. Then he finally got to the point: if Cameron ever stood down, would I back him to become Prime Minister?

I was a bit taken aback; there was certainly no sign of Cameron going anywhere.

Well, yes, possibly, I replied, then added, to be mischievous: If I dont stand myself.

I could see you as a potential Chancellor in a Johnson government, he went on.

Then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street alongside then-Commons leader Andrea Leadsom after a Cabinet meeting in March 2018

My response had been tongue-in-cheek, but our exchange would prove remarkably prescient. Apart from anything else, Id been telling my family for years that I wanted to be the first female Chancellor . . .

Like Boris, I campaigned hard for Britain to leave the EU, becoming one of the go-to people at Vote Leave for media appearances. Following the referendum itself, I ended up in the early hours at the BBC.

My timing could not have been more perfect. Minutes later, David Dimbleby looked down the camera lens and said those momentous words: The British people have spoken, and the answer is: were out. He then turned to me. So, Andrea, you campaigned for Leave; how do you feel?

What I felt was pure joy  I punched the air. Brilliant, just brilliant, I said.

That morning, I fell into bed thinking This is the most fantastic day  only to be woken with the shattering news of Camerons resignation as Prime Minister.

Leadsom stands with Michael Gove at the 2012 Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year awards

In walking away when he did, there is no doubt in my mind that David Cameron let his country down. He gave us the referendum and promised he would stick with the result come what may. Not to do so was a dereliction of duty at the worst possible time.

With spectacularly bad timing, I had arranged to meet up in Derbyshire later that day with a group of close friends and family to celebrate my husband Bens landmark birthday with a big hill walk then a murder mystery dinner back at the hotel. While trying to figure out whod killed Miss Scarlett in the dining room with the lead piping, I kept thinking: who should I support for the leadership? And should I go for the top job myself?

I knew plenty of people thought Id done well during the referendum. But I was only on my second job in government.

On the plus side, I knew I had the right moral imperative for the job, as well as the determination and passionate belief in the great future offered by Brexit. I checked in with my immediate family. My mum said do it: You would be brilliant. Youre a quick learner, just get on and do it.

My husband was pretty much the same: Ill be there for you; itll be tough, but well do this and it will be amazing.

When I got back to London, other MPs campaigns were already in full swing.

I was being asked by colleagues, in particular Penny Mordaunt and Tim Loughton, and getting thousands of supportive emails from voters, to put myself forward, but I resolved to back Boris rather than stand myself. I knew hed been a successful mayor and Id seen him work his magic from the referendum stage.

So, at Boriss invitation, I turned up at his office, feeling optimistic about the prospect of working with him as leader. He was there with his campaign manager, Michael Gove. Strewn around the room were the remnants of meals, as if a group of people had been in there for days, planning and strategising.

Michael began: Its been great working with you on the debates  now we want you to join the team thats supporting Boris.

Leadsom (pictured in November 2021) was first pitched a role in a Johnson Cabinet in 2015

That was it. I must admit I was quite taken aback not to be a more fundamental part of their plans  Id been expecting to be offered a senior role in any new administration helping to deliver Brexit. Boris told me: Were not discussing jobs at this stage.

I pointed out: OK, but youll need people with a lot of European Union knowledge around you to deliver on the referendum commitment.

Well, Ive agreed with Michael that he will be our Deputy Prime Minister, our Chancellor and also the man leading on preparations to leave the EU.

I looked from one to the other: Youre joking, surely?

But that really was the plan  the price it appeared that Michael had extracted for supporting Boris. I told Boris and Michael that in order to join the team I would want to take on either the job of leading EU negotiations or the job of Chancellor while we prepared to leave the EU. But Boris confirmed that Michael would be doing it all.

In my view, this made no sense and was not in the countrys interests. The idea that one person could do all three jobs was incredible; it was far too wide-ranging a brief.

Neither of them would tell me why one man needed three jobs, let alone how it would be possible.

Since David Cameron had resigned, we had already seen the stock market drop and sterling fall. I was worried that unless there was a credible proposal for the new leadership, we would be in trouble. I was getting quite het up.

He knew full well what I was getting at. Before I became an MP at 46, Id put my political ambitions on the backburner while I held down a series of rewarding jobs in banking and finance.

Throughout the meeting, Michael Gove remained inscrutable, saying nothing as I tried to persuade Boris to rethink. Michael is a very polite and highly effective politician  but he has shown that he goes his own way. So I pitched very hard that a combination of Boris, Michael and me would be a dream team, with my financial experience complementing Michaels organisational skills and Boriss flair for communication.

No deal: Boris kept insisting that Michael would have all three roles. Our conversation was getting nowhere.

In frustration, I left the room. But before I could make it to my office, my mobile rang. Would I go back in to see Boris and keep the talks going? The toing and froing dragged on all week.

Boris offered me a Cabinet role as Business Secretary, but I declined because I wanted to make personally sure we delivered on the referendum.

Having started the week certain Id be backing Boris, the scales were beginning to tip. Should I stand after all? Quickly, I worked out strategy and policy with some senior colleagues and pulled together a step-by-step plan of how and when the UK would leave the EU.

Finally, the day before nomination papers were due in, Boris got in touch again. We had a deal, he said: Id be in his top team, as part of a gang of three made up of him, Michael and me.

I was thrilled, but a little voice in my head warned me to be careful. How does Michael feel about it? I asked.

Oh, well, he accepts it.

Hmmm. I should get this in writing just to be sure. I asked Boris if he could send a letter over to my office by the end of the day, confirming I would be joining his top three.

I also asked if he would tweet along the lines of: Im looking forward to announcing my top team with Michael and Andrea.

Looking back now, I wonder how key this was in Michaels subsequent decision to back out of supporting Boris. Id assumed at the time that he and Boris had agreed to include me. But clearly Michael was not fine with the change of plan.

By the following evening, the promised letter still hadnt arrived and I was feeling rather anxious. Hoping to bump into Boris, I decided to go with my husband Ben to a reception for Conservative MPs at the Saatchi Gallery.

While I was chatting to colleagues at the party, my husband spotted him across the room and went over to greet him.

Hi Ben. Weve got ourselves a plan, havent we? said Boris.

Ben said: Yes, I think we have, but Andreas waiting for a letter.

Oh yes, thats right, said Boris, but he then left the party before Id had a chance to see or speak to him. I had to assume the letter would still arrive, so I returned to my office, where a group gathered: Penny Mordaunt, Chris Heaton-Harris, Will Wragg, Tim Loughton and my assistant Luke, all urging me: Come on, youve got to stand.

As the evening ticked by, I sent Boris and Gove a text reminding them I was still waiting. No response.

I sat there, waiting. And waiting. Still nothing. I was incredulous. Finally, my assistant said: Its nearly 10pm [the deadline for nominations]  surely now or never.

Fine, I said. Lets do it.

I texted Boris and Michael again: Im very sorry, but I was very clear I needed a public statement this evening. I would have been really keen to work with you but am now going to submit my nomination papers. No hard feelings!

Within five minutes, I got a text back from Boris: Sorry Andrea my cock up .. . We can do tweet now or tomorrow first thing as u prefer.

I replied: Really sorry. And left it at that.

What conclusion to draw from this extraordinary turn of events? A couple of weeks later, Boris told me that his phone had been in the care of the MP Nick Boles for most of that evening. He also said hed had the letter in his pocket at the Saatchi party and had simply forgotten to hand it over. Was it all an unfortunate mistake? Ill leave it to others to decide, but it had a profound impact on what was to come. Anyway, just 45 minutes after the deadline for nomination papers, I had a call from Michael Gove: Im just rather amazed at the turn of events.

Youre amazed?!

He went on: I just really want to know, if things had been different, if I hadnt been at his side, would you still have wanted to join Boriss team?

This was such an odd conversation. Michael was Boriss right-hand man and presumably the reason I had been snubbed. When I came off the phone, I told the others it sounded as if Gove wished he hadnt gone with Boris. It still never occurred to me that he was planning to betray him.

Early the following morning, he entered the leadership race. I was totally shocked  at first I didnt believe it. Or at least not until I heard him say publicly: Boris is an amazing and an impressive person. But I have come, reluctantly, to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead.

It all began to make sense  the phone call Id received from Michael the night before and his failure to answer my messages.

It seemed that hed completely stitched Boris up, not only by ditching him but also by blocking me from being part of the senior team  thus ensuring I wouldnt back Boris either.

A few hours after Michaels announcement, Boris told the huge audience at his own launch that he would not be putting himself forward. At this point, I began to consider I might actually win.

It felt to me that Gove could not now present a realistic challenge. The other two men in the race, Liam Fox and Stephen Crabb, seemed not to have enough support. So that left Theresa May.

When Boris came out and endorsed me a few days later, saying, with typical Johnsonian panache, that I had the zap, the drive, and the determination to lead the country, I really felt I was building momentum.

We now entered the first stage of the contest, in which five candidates battled to win the support of Conservative MPs. In those first few days, dozens of colleagues wanted to talk to me. To their credit, only a few were seeking the promise of a ministerial job.

One exception was David Davis, long-standing MP and a strong Brexiteer. He got straight down to business: would I appoint him in charge of negotiations to leave the EU? I said it was too early to agree Cabinet roles. He came out for Theresa later that day. Then the campaign started getting complicated by an amazing onslaught in the media, from claims that I was homophobic, to accusations that I supported fox hunting and that I had lied on my CV.

Accusations came in so fast I was scrambling to find evidence to refute each accusation before it became tomorrows headline.

Having only been in government for two years, I wasnt used to the intensity of the spotlight, and wasnt sure-footed enough to get ahead of the attacks. It felt like sticking a finger in a dam.

At one point, I became aware of a message being circulated among Theresas supporters by Nick Boles, a Gove ally, urging them to vote tactically for Michael in order to stop me getting into the second voting round.

I am seriously frightened about the risk of allowing Andrea Leadsom onto the membership ballot, it read. Surely we must all work together to stop AL?

Michael Gove claimed to have no knowledge of the message. But thanks to the impression it left, it lost him some support: in the first round of voting, I came second to Theresa May  ahead of Michael.

My one concern was the length of the leadership campaign. I called Graham Brady and said to him straight out: Im delighted with the result, feeling completely confident  however, I dont think the country can afford a nine-week campaign.

And I gave him the reasons why I felt such a long contest would be a disaster, focusing on the risk of recession if the markets continued to plunge. Graham replied that it had to be nine weeks and that David Cameron and Andrew Feldman had insisted. Feldman was a close ally of Cameron and party chairman.

My understanding was that Cameron had been keen to attend the forthcoming meeting of the G20 in China in September, but this didnt seem a good enough reason to put the economy in jeopardy.

Graham told me he had already put to them that a long leadership campaign might well spark a recession, and that the 1922 Committee preferred a short, snappy contest.

I asked him whether this was their idea of saying I told you so to voters. A meaningful silence followed. So on the same day, I thought I could win  but started to realise I would have to withdraw.

Then came the day when everything seemed to go wrong, beginning with a supposedly soft interview with the Times. It should have been clear to me that the journalists multiple questions about motherhood were designed to get me to draw a distinction between Theresa and myself.

Instead, in trying to draw a line under the subject, I naively explained what I did NOT want to say  and thought no more of it.

The front page dropped on Twitter at about 11pm. What on earth? The headline read: Being a mother gives me edge on May  Leadsom. The words below were just as sickening: Tory minister says she will be better leader because childless home secretary lacks stake in future.

Its hard to convey my fury: this was hideously offensive not only to Theresa but also to anyone whos ever struggled with infertility or lost a baby. (The journalist defended her reporting with selective clips from our conversation, and to my dismay, the Times has always refused to release a full transcript of the interview, revealing the context of what I said.)

It was also deeply damaging to my campaign.

The rest of the day hadnt been much better. Id asked Lynton Crosby  the Australian campaigner whod run Boriss mayoral elections  if hed support my campaign, and the answer was no.

Then Id asked Boris himself if hed be willing to become more closely involved with my bid. Understandably, he wasnt up for it, but both responses were blows.

I told Ben: I cant do this. Its only going to get worse.

The next day, I sat down with my local association president to write a list of the pros and cons of remaining in the race.

Many have suggested that the Times interview was the reason I withdrew, but the truth is that it was actually high on the list of reasons to stick with it, because I would then have a future opportunity to put the record straight.

My chief reason for staying in the race was that Id been responsible in part for the referendum result, and should see it through. But the cons kept mounting: my inexperience in government; the lack of support in the parliamentary party; the damage to the economy from a nine-week leadership campaign.

By the following night, my mind was made up: I had to pull out. I texted Theresa to ask if we could speak urgently.

She rang immediately, and we had the three- or four-minute conversation that paved her way to become Prime Minister.

Just before I rang off, I told Theresa I would be announcing my withdrawal in about half an hour and asked her not to tell anyone until I had done so.

Im giving you a warning because I know if our situations were reversed, I would want time to get used to the idea that I was about to be Prime Minister.

She readily agreed to keep our conversation secret. I later learned she was so true to her word that she told no one she was about to become PM, not even her husband, Philip.

The magnitude of what I had done in pulling out of the race hit me like a bus. For those first days after the contest I dont think I slept for more than a couple of hours.

Since then, many have asked if I regret pulling out of the leadership contest. Its a question I returned to again and again, particularly during the tortuous years when Brexit hung in the balance.

During my short-lived leadership campaign, Id promised to trigger Article 50 straight away, not wasting any time to get us out of the EU. Id also vowed not to use EU citizens rights as a pawn in the negotiations  their right to stay in the UK would be protected from day one.

I still wonder what would have happened if Id had my way. Maybe there would have been no time for a High Court ruling preventing the Government from triggering Article 50.

Maybe there would have been no Gina Miller, no meaningful votes and none of the painful parliamentary battles that were to become such a hallmark of Theresas time in office.

But no one has a crystal ball in politics. I could only take my decision based on the facts as they stood at the time.

However disappointing it was for me personally to stand down, I had to put what I felt was best for the country first. So I have never regretted stepping aside when I did.

Adapted by Corinna Honan from Snakes And Ladders by Andrea Leadsom, to be published by Biteback on July 12 at 20.  Andrea Leadsom 2022.

To order a copy for 18 (offer valid to July 23, 2022; UK P&P free on orders over 20), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
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Two experts told DailyMail.com that Elon Musk's decision to pull the plug on his proposed $44 billion acquisition of Twitter could merely be a tactic with a goal of getting a better price for the social media giant.

Musk accused Twitter bosses of refusing to hand over details about the number of spam bots on its site, in a letter announcing that he was reneging on the deal.

The billionaire blasted the social media giant for refusing to 'comply with its contractual obligations' throughout the acquisition process.

He also claimed the company had failed to operate normally over the past two months as it froze its hiring process and fired senior staff.

But Twitter immediately hit back, with its chairman revealing the firm planned to force through the blockbuster takeover through the courts.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Ann Lipton, a professor of corporate governance at Tulane Law School, said: 'At least based on public reporting, his position is quite weak, legally. But that doesn't mean he can't credibly threaten to create major litigation headaches for Twitter that could cause matters to drag on for years.'

Lipton continued: 'What I can't really figure out is his endgame; Twitter might be willing to settle for a small price reduction just to spare the time and expense, but it's not obvious to me that's what Musk wants.'

The professor added: 'If he wants to walk away completely (possibly paying the break fee of $1 billion), or if he wants a much bigger price cut, that's the kind of thing Twitter should be willing to dig its heels in over.'

Bret Taylor, Twitter's chairman, tweeted the board was 'committed to closing the transaction' under the current terms of the deal and they were 'confident' they would win.

The bombshell update caused shockwaves across the business world, with the social media giant's stocks sliding six per cent in extended trading.

It also came a day after Musk and Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal both appeared at 'billionaire summer camp' Sun Valley in Idaho - but it is not clear if they met.

Director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Business Adam Sterling, told DailyMail.com: 'If this goes to the court of chancery and the court decides specific performance requiring Elon to purchase the company. If he flouts that, that's pretty unprecedented. He's shown willingness to things like that in the past.'

Experts speculated the move may have been a bid to drive the price down, with Musk offering $54.20 per share when it was at $36.81 on Friday night.

The Tesla founder is expected to speak at the exclusive festival on Saturday morning but he was yet to publicly comment on walking away from the deal.

The world's wealthiest man had earlier stalled on the deal after claiming that he wanted his team to do 'due-diligence' over the number of fake accounts on the platform.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal is set to come face-to-face with Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Saturday when Musk delivers the marquee address at the annual Allen and Company's Sun Valley Conference, which Agrawal has been attending for the past three days

TIMELINE OF BILLIONAIRE ELON MUSK'S BID TO CONTROL TWITTER January 31: Musk starts buying shares of Twitter in near-daily installments, amassing a 5% stake in the company by mid-March. March 26: Musk, who has 80 million Twitter followers and is active on the site, said that he is giving 'serious thought' to building an alternative to Twitter, questioning free speech on the platform and whether Twitter is undermining democracy. He also privately reaches out to Twitter board members, including his friend and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. March 27: After privately informing them of his growing stake in the company, Musk starts conversations with Twitter's CEO and board members about potentially joining the board. Musk also mentions taking Twitter private or starting a competitor, according to later regulatory filings. April 4: A regulatory filing reveals that Musk has rapidly become the largest shareholder of Twitter after acquiring a 9% stake, or 73.5 million shares, worth about $3 billion. April 5: Musk is offered a seat on Twitter's board on the condition he amass no more than 14.9% of the company's stock. CEO Parag Agrawal said in a tweet that 'it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board.' April 11: Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announces Musk will not be joining the board after all. April 14: Twitter reveals in a securities filing that Musk has offered to buy the company outright for about $44 billion. April 15: Twitter's board unanimously adopts a 'poison pill' defense in response to Musk's proposed offer, attempting to thwart a hostile takeover. April 21: Musk lines up $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter. Twitter board is under pressure to negotiate. April 25: Musk reaches a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion and take the company private. The outspoken billionaire has said he wanted to own and privatize Twitter because he thinks it's not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech. April 29: Musk sells roughly $8.5 billion worth of shares in Tesla to help fund the purchase of Twitter, according to regulatory filings. May 5: Musk strengthens his offer to buy Twitter with commitments of more than $7 billion from a diverse group of investors including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. May 10: In a hint at how he would change Twitter, Musk says he'd reverse Twitter's ban of former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, calling the ban a 'morally bad decision' and 'foolish in the extreme.' May 13: Musk said that his plan to buy Twitter is ' temporarily on hold.' Musk said that he needs to pinpoint the number of spam and fake accounts on the social media platform. Shares of Twitter tumble, while shares of Tesla rebound sharply. June 6: Musk threatens to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts. July 8: Musk tells Twitter he is terminating agreement because firm wouldn't hand over information on spam bots July 12: Twitter files suit seeking a court judgement forcing Musk to complete the merger at the agreed price Advertisement

In a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission dropping the bombshell, Skadden Arps attorney Mike Ringler - acting for Musk - said Twitter were in material breach of multiple provisions of the agreement.

Ringler wrote: 'Mr Musk is terminating the Merger Agreement because Twitter is in material breach of multiple provisions of that Agreement, appears to have made false and misleading representations upon which Mr. Musk relied when entering into the Merger Agreement, and is likely to suffer a Company Material Adverse Effect.

'While Section 6.4 of the Merger Agreement requires Twitter to provide Mr. Musk and his advisors all data and information that Mr. Musk requests 'for any reasonable business purpose related to the consummation of the transaction,' Twitter has not complied with its contractual obligations.

'For nearly two months, Mr. Musk has sought the data and information necessary to 'make an independent assessment of the prevalence of fake or spam accounts on Twitter's platform'.

'This information is fundamental to Twitter's business and financial performance and is necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement because it is needed to ensure Twitter's satisfaction of the conditions to closing, to facilitate Mr Musk's financing and financial planning for the transaction, and to engage in transition planning for the business.

'Twitter has failed or refused to provide this information. Sometimes Twitter has ignored Mr Musk's requests, sometimes it has rejected them for reasons that appear to be unjustified, and sometimes it has claimed to comply while giving Mr Musk incomplete or unusable information.'

Musk had previously threatened to halt the deal unless the firm showed proof spam and bot accounts were fewer than 5 per cent of users who see advertising on the social media service.

But Twitter immediately threatened to take legal action and said it was confident it would win.

Taylor tweeted: 'The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement.

'We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery.' That message was later retweeted by CEO Agrawal.

Adam Sterling told DailyMail.com: 'The Delaware courts does a pretty good job of balancing shareholder and corporate interests.'

He added: 'Twitter has constantly found itself in tough positions here. I think clearly with Elon attempting to terminate the deal they are obligated to pursue legal action against him based off of their fiduciary obligations to their shareholders. It's all shocking but not surprising.'

In an internal memo, Twitter's general counsel reportedly said: 'Given this is an ongoing legal matter, you should refrain from Tweeting, Slacking, or sharing any commentary about the Merger Agreement.'

Speaking to NBC News about the collapsed deal, an anonymous Twitter employee said that Musk had 'f**king destroyed the company.'

The employee said: 'I guess it feels like we won. But it feels like the end of the movie, where the characters are bloodied and bedraggled with a Michael Bay explosion behind them. We could see this was coming, but in the meantime he's f**king destroyed the company.'

During an all-hands meeting with employees in April, Agrawal attempted to quell employee anger after workers demanded answers to how managers planned to handle an anticipated mass exodus prompted by Musk.

Agrawal stood to make $42 million if the Musk deal went ahead.

Musk's decision is likely to result in a protracted legal tussle between the billionaire and the 16-year-old San Francisco-based company.

Disputed mergers and acquisitions that land in Delaware courts more often than not end up with the companies re-negotiating deals or the acquirer paying the target a settlement to walk away, rather than a judge ordering that a transaction be completed.

That is because target companies are often keen to resolve the uncertainty around their future and move on.

Twitter, however, is hoping that court proceedings will start in a few weeks and be resolved in a few months, according to a person familiar with the matter.

There is plenty of precedent for a deal renegotiation. Several companies repriced agreed acquisitions when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 and delivered a global economic shock.

In one instance, French retailer LVMH threatened to walk away from a deal with Tiffany & Co. The U.S. jewelry retailer agreed to lower the acquisition price by $425 million to $15.8 billion.

'I'd say Twitter is well-positioned legally to argue that it provided him with all the necessary information and this is a pretext to looking for any excuse to get out of the deal,' said Ann Lipton, associate dean for faculty research at Tulane Law School.

Shares of Twitter were down 6 per cent at $34.58 in extended trading. That is 36% below the $54.20 per share Musk agreed to buy Twitter for in April.

Twitter's shares surged after Musk took a stake in the company in early April, shielding it from a deep stock market sell-off that slammed other social media platforms.

But after he agreed on April 25 to buy Twitter, the stock within a matter of days began to fall as investors speculated Musk might walk away from the deal. With its tumble after the bell on Friday, Twitter was trading at its lowest since March.

The announcement is another twist in a will-he-won't-he saga after Musk clinched the deal to purchase Twitter in April but then put the buyout on hold until the social media company proved that spam bots account for less than 5 per cent of its total users.

The contract calls for Musk to pay Twitter a $1 billion break-up if he cannot complete the deal for reasons such as the acquisition financing falling through or regulators blocking the deal. The break-up fee would not be applicable, however, if Musk terminates the deal on his own.

Musk's abandonment of the deal and Twitter's promise to vigorously fight to complete it casts a pall of uncertainty over the company's future and its stock price during a time when worries about rising interest rates and a potential recession have hammered Wall Street.

Shares of online advertising rivals Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Snap and Pinterest have seen their stocks tumble 45 per cent on average in 2022, while Twitter's stock has declined just 15 per cent in that time, buoyed in recent months by the Musk deal.

Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, said Musk's filing was bad news for Twitter.

'This is a disaster scenario for Twitter and its Board as now the company will battle Musk in an elongated court battle to recoup the deal and/or the breakup fee of $1 billion at a minimum,' he wrote in a note to clients.

In a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission dropping the bombshell, Skadden Arps attorney Mike Ringler - acting for Musk - said Twitter were in material breach of multiple provisions of the agreement

Meanwhile, world's richest man Musk is currently embroiled in a months-long deal to but Silicon Valley social media giant Twitter for roughly $44 billion - and his stark anti-remote sentiments would likely fly in the face of the company's more relaxed work from home rules

Musk has been in the South of France last month attending galas and weddings with Natasha Bassett

The pair chatted, drank wine and ate fries as they caught up in between events in the busy Riviera hotspot

The ice hockey-loving Yale graduate and AI executive 'tipped to run Twitter' if Musk buys it Court documents have revealed that Elon Musk quietly had twins with Shivon Zilis, 36, the director of operations at Musk's brain-machine interface company Neuralink. Zilis, who was born in Ontario, Canada, met Musk through OpenAI, the artificial-intelligence research-and-deployment nonprofit Musk cofounded in 2015, Insider reported. Zilis has been a board member at OpenAI since January 2020, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously worked as an adviser at the company for three years. She is also a Fellow at the Creative Destruction Lab, a startup focusing on the commercialisation of science. She joined the company in 2015. Zilis studied economics and philosophy at Yale where she also played goalie on the women's ice-hockey team. In 2015, Zilis was on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in the venture-capital category and in 2017, got the chance to use her AI expertise at Tesla. Just last year, Zilis posted a nod to Prince Harry's Silicon Valley startup with a throwback picture of the two of them from 2013 when she was asked to brief him on tech startups. From 2017 to 2019, she was a Project Director at Tesla working on AI projects with a special focus on autopilot and chip design. Zilis is currently the director of operations and special projects for Neuralink and has been floated as one of the people Musk could tap to run Twitter Inc after his $44 billion deal acquisition. Advertisement

Musk, 51, is slated to give the speech on Saturday at the Idaho stage referred to as the 'billionaire summer camp,' where the biggest names in tech and business come together to discuss the future of the industry.

It is not yet clear what Musk's speech will entail, but the Tesla CEO is now set to close on his $44 billion Twitter takeover in October after a judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to halt the deal.

Last month, Musk also threatened to back out of the deal if Twitter executives failed to provide data on spam and fake accounts that he has been seeking.

And back in April, during an all-hands meeting with employees, Agrawal was seen quelling employee anger after workers demanded answers to how managers planned to handle an anticipated mass exodus prompted by Musk.

The two are now set to once again come face to face at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, where Agrawal, 38, has been attending private meetings for the past three days.

The annual invite-only, conference is hosted by the investment bank Allen & Company. This year, the five-day conference, running from July 6 to 10, is being held at the edge of Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest in a tiny town of just 1,500 people.

The day before Musk's bombshell, the Financial Times reported Agrawal was prepared to go to war to make the deal go through. The CEO was expected to make around $42million out of the deal.

The newspaper quoted a former Twitter executive as saying: 'Parag wants to swing back more and is being more aggressive internally. It seems Twitter is willing to go to war to make this deal happen.'

The Financial Times also reported Agrawal and Musk have a good relationship and were in weekly contact.

In a call with executives Thursday, Twitter said it removes one million spam accounts each day during a briefing that aimed to shed more light on the company's fake and bot accounts as it tussles with Musk over 'spam bots.'

Musk has argued, without presenting evidence, that Twitter has significantly underestimated the number of these 'spam bots' - automated accounts that typically promote scams and misinformation - on its service.

Twitter said on the call that the spam accounts represent well below five percent of its active user base each quarter.

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, left, was pictured enjoying some coffee Thursday morning, while CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, right, one of a handful of journalists to attend the conference - enjoyed a cold drink

From a baby with Grimes called X AE A-Xii to a child who disowned him: Who are Elon Musk's nine children? Nevada Elon Musk and his first wife Canadian Justine Wilson had their first son, Nevada, in 2002. But Nevada died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) at 10 weeks. Elon Musk and his first wife Canadian Justine Wilson had their first son, Nevada, in 2002 Twins Griffin and Vivian Jenna Wilson (formerly Xavier), aged 18 After losing Nevada, Musk and Wilson - who were married between 2000 and 2008 - turned to IVF to grow their family. Wilson gave birth to twin sons Griffin and Xavier Musk in April 2004. In April, Xavier filed court documents seeking to legally change from male to female and lose their last name, stating: 'I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.' Xavier Musk, 18, filed the paperwork in Santa Monica, California, on April 18, seeking to be known as Vivian Jenna Wilson, taking the maiden name of her mother Justine Wilson, who was married to Musk from 2000 to 2008 and shares 18-year-old twins Xavier and Griffin and 16-year-old triplets Damian, Kai and Saxon. The transgender teenager explained that they wish to take their mother's last name to distance them from their dad but they have not commented on whether they receive financial support from their dad - whose $213 billion dollar fortune makes him the world's richest man. Elon Musk and his second wife, British actress Talulah Riley, are pictured in 2015 with Xavier and Griffin. The twins are now 18, and Xavier is known as Vivian Triplets Damian, Kai and Saxon, aged 16 Musk and Wilson also used IVF to have triplet sons Damian, Kai and Saxon in January 2006. The couple divorced in 2008 and they share custody of their five sons. X AE A-Xii Musk, aged 2 Musk started dating singer Grimes in May 2018 and she gave birth to their son X AE A-Xii, in May 2020. Their son was originally named X  A-12, but '' and '12' violated California law, which prohibits the use of any numbers of symbols in a name. The couple then changed the spelling of their son's name. Instead of X  A-12, they revealed just a few weeks after the baby was born that his birth certificate would be registered under the name X AE A-Xii - using the Roman numeral version of the number '12' and changing the character  to AE. The couple then broke up in September 2021. Musk started dating singer Grimes in May 2018 and she gave birth to their son X AE A-Xii, in May 2020 (Musk pictured with X) Exa Dark Siderl Musk, who goes by Y, aged 1 Grimes and Musk later welcomed their first daughter, Exa Dark Siderl Musk, via surrogate in December 2021. Grimes referred to Musk as her 'boyfriend' in a Vanity Fair interview, but after the interview was published, she took to Twitter to reveal that they had since broken up. 'Me and E have broken up *again* since the writing of this article,' she wrote on March 10. 'But he's my best friend and the love of my life.' New set of twins, names unknown It has emerged that Musk quietly had twins with one of his top executives weeks before he welcomed a child with Grimes via surrogate. In November, the Tesla CEO, 51, reportedly had twins with Shivon Zilis, 36, the director of operations at Musk's brain-machine interface company Neuralink, Insider reported. He now has nine known children. Musk and Zilis filed a petition in April to change the twins' names in order to 'have their father's last name and contain their mother's last name as part of their middle name,' according to the court documents. The twins were born in November, just weeks before Musk and Claire Boucher, the musician who performs as Grimes, had their second child via surrogate in December. Shivon Zilis, 36, pictured, one of the top executives at Elon Musk's company Neuralink, welcomed twins with the Tesla CEO in November, court documents revealed Advertisement

To calculate how many accounts are malicious spam, Twitter said it reviews 'thousands of accounts' sampled at random, using both public and private data such as IP addresses, phone numbers, geolocation and how the account behaves when it is active, to determine whether an account is real.

Private data, which isn't available publicly and thus not in the data 'firehose' that was given to Musk, includes IP addresses, phone numbers and location. Twitter said such private data helps avoid misidentifying real accounts as spam.

Musk and Agrawal are now set to once again come face to face at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, where Agrawal, 38, has been attending private meetings for the past three days.

The annual invite-only, conference is hosted by the investment bank Allen & Company.

This year, the five-day conference, running from July 6 to 10, is being held at the edge of Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest in a tiny town of just 1,500 people.

Attendees of the conference include Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Warren Buffet.

Last month, Twitter allowed Musk access to its 'firehose', a repository of raw data on hundreds of millions of daily tweets.

The Tesla founder's team discovered that the number of fake accounts on the side was much higher than the 5% that was publicly disclosed, Musk said. In June, Twitter's board voted unanimously to accept Musk's offer.

Musk has not tweeted about the decision to pull the deal saying. In his last tweet which was on the day before the announcement the South African billionaire wrote: 'Super fired up for future product development with our awesome Tesla team! Such an honor to work with them.'

The news comes days after Musk confirmed that he secretly fathered twins with his employee, Neuralink director of operations, Shivon Zilis.

In November, the Tesla CEO, 51, reportedly had twins with Shivon Zilis, 36, the director of operations at Musk's brain-machine interface company Neuralink, Insider reported. He now has nine known children.

Musk and Zilis filed a petition in April to change the twins' names in order to 'have their father's last name and contain their mother's last name as part of their middle name,' according to the court documents.

The twins were born in November, just weeks before Musk and Claire Boucher, the musician who performs as Grimes, had their second child via surrogate in December.

Zilis, who was born in Ontario, Canada, met Musk through OpenAI, the artificial-intelligence research-and-deployment nonprofit Musk cofounded in 2015, Insider reported.

She studied economics and philosophy at Yale where she also played goalie on the women's ice-hockey team.

In 2015, Zilis was on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in the venture-capital category and in 2017, got the chance to use her AI expertise at Tesla.

Just last year, Zilis posted a nod to Prince Harry's Silicon Valley startup with a throwback picture of the two of them from 2013 when she was asked to brief him on tech startups.

'In 2013 I was asked to brief Prince Harry about tech startups,' she tweeted. 'Here I'm telling him how the Basis watch on my wrist came into existence through a crowdfunding campaign. At the time I wondered why he was interested in tech startups. 8 years later we finally know the answer!'

Zilis is currently the director of operations and special projects for Neuralink and has been floated as one of the people Musk could tap to run Twitter Inc after his $44 billion deal acquisition.

In 2020, Zilis posted a tweet defending Musk on his decision to move Tesla out of California over COVID-19 restrictions.

California State Assembly member, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, had tweeted 'F**k Elon Musk.'

Zilis responded: 'This makes me sad. No one's perfect but I've never met anyone who goes through more personal pain to fight for an inspiring future for humanity - and has done so tirelessly for decades. Everyone's entitled to their opinion but mine is that there's no one I respect and admire more.'

The news of the twins' arrival brings Musk's total count of children to nine. Musk shares two children with Canadian singer Grimes, and other five kids with his ex-wife Canadian author Justine Wilson.

It's the latest in Musk's complicated personal life that includes three marriages and three divorces, including two of each with the same woman, and seven children from two long-term romances.

Musk and Grimes welcomed their second child Exa Dark Siderl, who goes by Y, via surrogate in December. The billionaire said that he and Grimes were 'semi-separated,' according to a report by Page Six in September last year. They have another child named X  A-Xii.

In April, one of Musk's children with first wife Justine Wilson filed court documents seeking to legally change from male to female and lose their last name, stating: 'I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.'

Xavier Musk, 18, filed the paperwork in Santa Monica, California, on April 18, seeking to be known as Vivian Jenna Wilson, taking the maiden name of her mother Justine Wilson, who was married to Musk from 2000 to 2008 and shares 18-year-old twins Xavier and Griffin and 16-year-old triplets Damian, Kai and Saxon.

The transgender teenager explained that they wish to take their mother's last name to distance them from their dad but they have not commented on whether they receive financial support from their dad - whose $213 billion dollar fortune makes him the world's richest man.

Musk has been vocal on various transgender issues and last year he complained about people using their own pronouns. He also said he was a fan of Florida governor Ron DeSantis who has been condemned by the LGBTQ community for his bill preventing discussion of gender identity and homosexuality in classrooms for children in kindergarten through third grade.

Elon and Justine Wilson, now 50, met while they were both attending Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, and they tied the knot in 2000. The pair share five children but lost their firstborn, Nevada, in 2002 at just ten weeks old to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Following his split from Justine, Elon began dating British star Talulah Riley, who is most known for her roles in Pride & Prejudice, St. Trinian's, Fritton's Gold, The Boat That Rocked, Inception, Westworld, and Bloodshot.

Talulah first tied the knot with the Tesla architect in 2010. However, their first marriage ended in 2012, when she reportedly walked away with $16 million as part of a divorce settlement.

By the following summer, they had remarried. But then, in December 2014, she filed for divorce a second time, only to withdraw her lawsuit the following year.

In March 2016, Talulah requested a divorce a third time, and the pair split for good; the couple did not have any children together.

Elon then dated actress Amber Heard, 35, for several months in late 2016 and early 2017, after he reportedly pursued her for many years.

Amber's ex-husband Johnny later accused Amber of cheating on him with Elon while they were still married, but both of Elon and Amber denied the affair.

They split in the summer of 2017, and afterwards, he told Rolling Stone in November 2017 that he was 'really in love' with Amber and that their breakup 'hurt bad.'

Elon and Grimes began dating in April 2018, a month before they made their red carpet debut at the Met Gala.

A source told Page Six at the time that they met online 'through a joke about artificial intelligence that Musk had planned to tweet, but discovered Grimes had already made.'

Rumors started to swirl that they had split by that fall, after the pair unfollowed each other on Twitter, however, Grimes insisted that they were still together during a March 2019 interview with Wall Street Journal.

Then, in January 2020, she announced that she was pregnant with their first child via Instagram, when she shared a pic of her baby bump, with no caption. They then welcomed their son in May of the same year.

After his birth, the couple was forced to change the spelling of their son's name in order to comply with California law, which prohibits the use of any numbers of symbols in a name.

Instead of X  A-12, they revealed just a few weeks after the baby was born that his birth certificate would be registered under the name X AE A-Xii - using the Roman numeral version of the number '12' and changing the character  to AE. They welcomed their second child Exa Dark Siderl, who goes by Y, in December.
Ben Wallace has a leadership campaign team ready to go  but was still holding fire last night.

The Defence Secretary is a favourite with some bookies to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader and has topped a YouGov poll of potential runners.

But last night supporters said he was still discussing with his family whether to enter the contest.

Armed Forces minister James Heappey, who is understood to be managing Mr Wallace's campaign, told The Daily Telegraph: 'One of the things I most like about Ben is he has spent the last 48 hours thinking really hard about whether he wants to do it. It's so typically Ben that he understands it is a massive responsibility and wants to make sure he is ready for it, and if he is, he will make a great prime minister.'

Former Scottish secretary David Mundell, who is also said to be involved in the leadership campaign, said he would support father-of-three Mr Wallace, 52, if he stood. 'His decency and integrity is not in question,' he added.

Ben Wallace has a leadership campaign team ready to go  but was still holding fire last night

New Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi (right) chats at the Spectator summer party in Westminster

Suella Braverman (left), the Attorney General, has thrown her hat in the ring for the Tory leadership contest - although she has been given slim odds. Jeremy Hunt (right) is also mulling another run

Chancellor Rishi Sunak (right) and trade minister Penny Mordaunt (left) are among the bookies' favourites to replace Mr Johnson, as the field of candidates begins to take shape

'We've had too much drama recently and he is ideally placed to bring in a period of calm, competent leadership.'

Mr Wallace held off announcing his candidacy even after former chancellor Rishi Sunak launched his campaign yesterday.

Several other likely candidates, including Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss, Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, are also yet to declare.

Mr Wallace, a former Army officer, is expected to attract support from across the Conservative parliamentary party. He remained loyal to his close friend Mr Johnson and did not resign from the Cabinet. Supporters speak of his strong sense of duty and service. He is also considered a 'safe pair of hands' after leading the UK's military effort in Ukraine  and before that the mission to rescue UK nationals and entitled persons from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August 2021.

Liz Truss (left) will pitch herself as the female Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership race  a candidate who can win seats both in the South and the Red Wall

At the end of 2021 the Chancellor was the number one candidate to succeed Boris Johnson.

The YouGov poll earlier this week asked Conservative Party members to name their preferred candidate. Mr Wallace won 13 per cent of the votes, ahead of Miss Mordaunt on 12 per cent, Mr Sunak on 10 per cent and Miss Truss on 8 per cent.

Mr Hunt trailed in joint eighth on just 5 per cent, the same as new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.

Earlier this year, the Defence Secretary topped a 'satisfaction rating' poll for Government ministers, with 79.7 per cent of respondents saying he was doing a good job. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss polled second on 66.7 per cent.

Mr Wallace, MP for Wyre and Preston North, has repeatedly sought to present himself as a reluctant leadership candidate. But he has never ruled himself out of running.

Last night, a supporter said: 'He's decent, straight-talking and has a real sense of duty and service... He's got a good sense of humour too, even when things go wrong.

'But [running for leader] remains an if. Right now he is discussing it with his family and those he loves.'
The 19th century British-made IPC has been serving India during and after the Raj and the change in status of its people, from being the subjects of an imperial power to the citizens of a democratic republic, has not called for a total scrap of the document. (Representational Image)

The arrest of a man in Uttar Pradesh early this week for wrapping meat in a newspaper on which pictures of Hindu deities were printed is the latest example of how legal provisions are being misused in the country. He has not only been booked under the Indian Penal Codes sections 153-A and 295A, but also under Section 307 for attempt to murder with the police saying he attacked their team when it reached his place to arrest him.

The 19th century British-made IPC has been serving India during and after the Raj and the change in status of its people, from being the subjects of an imperial power to the citizens of a democratic republic, has not called for a total scrap of the document. This could offer a comment on the code and those who administer it on the ground.

The wanton misuse of Section 124A of IPC, or the sedition law, against people opposed to the government recently forced the apex court to undo its own assessment of it and order the state not to slap it on citizens for the time being. The government, however, seems unstoppable and repurposes new sections in the code to do its job and the latest finds are sections 153, 153A, and 295A which are about giving provocation with intent to cause riot, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence and outraging religious sentiments.

Co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News Mohammed Zubair has been booked under sections 153A and 295A for a 2018 tweet. A large number of people have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh under these sections for taking out protests against the government. Interestingly, former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, whose whereabouts are unknown, has also been charged under the same sections.

The governments must stop abuse of legal provisions to incarcerate citizens who make use of their constitutional and democratic rights, and the courts should stop playing ball. The Supreme Court should not wait until hundreds of innocent people are made to suffer, as it did in the case of sedition law, before asking for caution.
NSW Police have charged three men after imported machinery allegedly stuffed with $150million of methylamphetamine and cocaine was intercepted at the border.

Three men have been charged with drug offences in NSW after police allegedly found $150 million of meth and cocaine hidden inside machinery imported from overseas.

Two of the men were sprung while using an angle grinder to access 230kg of methylamphetamine and 1.2kg of cocaine hidden in the machinery.

The third was arrested nearly a week later in a Sydney hotel. All three were refused bail and are facing courts.

Imported machinery was allegedly stuffed with $150million of methylamphetamine and cocaine was intercepted at the border

Two men were allegedly sprung while using an angle grinder to access 230kg of methylamphetamine and 1.2kg of cocaine hidden in the machinery. A third man was arrested later

NSW and federal police, along with border authorities, acted on a tip off earlier this month from US Customs.

They say they intercepted a shipment in Sydney and took the machinery apart to find hundreds of kilos of drugs inside, with a street value of $150 million.

The shipment was delivered to a Prestons business last weekend where two men, one aged 21 and the other aged 22, were arrested trying to cut open the machinery and access the drugs, police say.

On Thursday, police executed a search warrant at a Cabramatta hotel and a Prestons business, seizing electronics and cash.

A 41-year-old man was arrested at the hotel and charged with various drug offences.

NSW and federal police, along with border authorities, acted on a tip off earlier this month from US Customs to discover the haul

The shipment was delivered to a Prestons, NSW business last weekend where two men, one aged 21 and the other aged 22, were arrested allegedly trying to cut open the machinery and access the drugs, police said

NSW Police's organised crime squad commander, Detective Superintendent Rob Critchlow, said the bust was possible thanks to the strong relationships the force has with other organisations around the world.

'We'll continue to work closely and slash the profits of those involved in organised criminal activity, putting those responsible before a court and preventing these harmful drugs from reaching our borders,' he said.

Australian Border Force Acting Commander Elke West underlined how the arrests showed the value played by strong partnerships in disrupting organised crime.

'The ABF will continue to support and work collaboratively with all law enforcement agencies in Australia and offshore,' Acting Commander West said.

'These arrests demonstrate that strong partnerships can effectively prevent and disrupt organised crime syndicates attempting to import illicit substances into Australia.'
Love Island: 'She didn't cry this much when he was with another girl!' Luca argues with Tasha after she breaks down over being in the bottom three AGAIN
Courtney Pollard was off her face on drugs and had fallen asleep in the local McDonald's drive-thru when all hell broke loose

A drug-crazed 'maniac' mowed down two cops and left a 40km trail of destruction throughout one of Australia's biggest cities in a McDonald's run gone wrong, a court has heard.

Courtney Pollard, 29, had fallen asleep in the Maccas drive-thru lane in Frankston, south-east of Melbourne, two years ago when she was approached by the two officers.

Pollard woke up, and in horrific footage played to the County Court of Victoria on Friday, was seen ramming their police car, reversing into a male officer and pinning him into the wall.

A second female officer then had her ankle smashed to pieces after Pollard slammed on the gas and ran her down in a bid to escape the December 2020 incident.

The officers had been called to the fast food outlet by worried staff after Pollard blocked the drive-thru lane with her snooze.

What happened next could have been taken directly out of a blockbuster movie, with Pollard reaching speeds of more than 170km/h in her bid to escape justice.

Victoria Police were called to conduct a welfare check on Pollard before she rammed two officers with her car (crash pictured) and drove off at speeds up to 170km/h

This McDonald's drive-thru in Frankston, Melbourne, was where the wild pursuit of Pollard began

The court heard police had already had a run-in with the unlicensed Pollard that day after she failed to stop for them in Carrum Downs - just down the road.

Courtney stop, stop the car, what are you doing What a police officer was heard shouting before they mowed them down

Pollard had been free on bail when she took off and headed to the McDonald's for her doomed treat.

CCTV footage from the outlet showed police calling her name before she callously ran them down.

'Courtney stop, stop the car, what are you doing?' an officer shouted before he was cut down.

The court heard Pollard 'fishtailed' her car out of the car park and hit speeds of 120km/h in an 80km/h zone as she headed east towards Patterson Lakes.

Smashing over bins and mounting gutters, Pollard managed to avoid police spike strips, which saw her veer onto the wrong side of the road.

Pollard's barrister Bethany East said her client now had the support of her new lover Stacey Fernandez (pictured), who supported her in court on Friday

Courtney Pollard, above, now faces a decent stint behind bars for her wild 2020 ride

As police followed behind on road and the airwing from above, Pollard made it onto the Mornington Peninsula Freeway where she weaved through traffic at high speeds.

Police claim Pollard hit 170km/h on Thompsons Road before running through red lights and again veering onto the wrong side of the road in a bid to escape.

The court heard Pollard drove on the wrong side of the South Gippsland Highway, hitting 140km/h in the 80km zone in the process.

Hopes of stopping the crazed driver were dashed in Dandenong when spike strips failed to slow Pollard down.

With a tyre blown to the rim, Pollard continued to hit speeds of up to 150km/h, blazing through red lights as sparks flew behind her.

Police watched on in horror as Pollard repeatedly swerved onto the wrong side of the road, reaching 140km/h on Huntingdale Road - an 80km/h zone.

Dog Act: Courtney Pollard ran down two police officers who had tried to help her

Courtney Pollard (dashcam footage pictured) was hit with charges including four counts of intentionally exposing an emergency worker to risk and reckless conduct endangering life

After ploughing into another car, Pollard's reign of terror finally ended when she slammed her vehicle into a tree and made a run for it.

The court heard Pollard was arrested inside the Burwood home of a nearby resident, whom she had asked for a drink of water.

Her wrecked vehicle had been found littered with empty syringes.

The court heard there was no doubt Pollard had been under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.

The court heard Pollard had been smoking cannabis since she was 12 before moving onto methylamphetamine, which she was injecting in the two years before her arrest.

Pollard pleaded guilty on Friday to 17 charges related to the pursuit, including seriously injuring the police officers, unlicensed driving, failing to stop for police and breaching bail.

In pleading for mercy, Pollard's barrister Bethany East said her client now had the support of her new lover Stacey Fernandez, who supported her in court on Friday.

'She instructs that she wasn't using methylamphetamine on the day of this offending but it was GHB,' she said.

Ms East claimed Pollard had been suffering post traumatic stress at the time of the rampage and asked that be taken into account upon sentence.

County Court Judge Gavan Meredith, who will sentence Pollard at a date to be fixed, described Pollard as a 'maniac'.

Pollard has already spent more than 500 days behind bars.
It turns out that my letting agents found a violent alcoholic to rent my apartment.

Besides a fondness for hard liquor, the tenant also had a weakness for domestic abuse, drugs, prostitutes, all-night parties, and Ferraris.

My neighbours documented all this and more; I was even called during a live incident where a woman was screaming that he had a knife and was going to kill her.

My lettings agent, which was supposedly managing the property, effectively did nothing except ask me to wait until I could give notice at 12 months.

The tenancy deposit protection schemes have a free alternative dispute resolution scheme

It failed to issue notice to the tenant when I asked, now leaving unpaid rent.

Finally, after a year and a bit, the tenant has finally moved out leaving a trail of destruction costing more than 9,000 - versus a deposit of 2,300 - and relations with our neighbours seriously impaired.

The lettings agents has refused to send my deposit claim to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme on the basis that the tenant has not responded to its telephone calls or emails.

It says that the TDS will simply send the claim back. It, therefore, suggests I sign an indemnity waiver to get the full deposit back subject to exposing me should the tenant ever dispute the deposit.

Should I accept the indemnity approach? AW

MailOnline Property expert Myra Butterworth replies: I am sorry to hear that your experience of being a landlord has not be a good one.

It is important that responsible landlords are kept in the market. If they disappear, the supply of attractive rental properties will diminish, and this may push up rents for responsible tenants.

We speak to a legal expert about your case, what your options are, and what the best course of action is going forward.

Stephen Gold, ex-judge and author, explains: It's not uncommon for tenants to trash properties they rent.

That's the primary reason for a landlord to collect a deposit before the tenancy starts although there is now a legal cap under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 on how much can be collected. Generally, it is the equivalent of five weeks' rent.

In the case of our questioner, the deposit was 2,307.69 and a cool one year's rent of 24,000 was additionally paid in advance.

Agents increasingly advise landlords to collect as much as possible by way of advance rent so at to overcome that cap and obviate default in monthly payments.

The deposit - even including the 69 pence - had to be protected by law with one of the three Government approved deposit schemes.

Here, the agents dealt with protection through the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and used the option of paying TDS to insure the deposit and themselves retaining it as stakeholders, which was legitimate.

The alternative would have been to use the custodian system, involving the deposit being handed over to TDS.

The Tenant Fees Act 2019 imposed a cap on how much of a tenant's deposit can be collected

According to the account of events related by our questioner, he is entitled to have the deposit paid to him because of a series of breaches of the tenancy agreement that have caused him loss. In fact, loss far in excess of the deposit held.

The protection schemes have a free alternative dispute resolution scheme where there is disagreement between the landlord and tenant about what should happen to the deposit after the tenancy has ended and TDS is no exception.

Under its scheme, there will usually be what it calls adjudication, which is similar to the more commonly known arbitration.

Our questioner appears to have been given conflicting advice by the agents about whether TDS adjudication could go ahead in the absence of the tenant agreeing to it.

TDS rules allow for it where, as here, the tenant fails to confirm whether or not they agree to it.

As it happens, it is now too late for this as the process should have been started off within three months of the tenant leaving. This time limit can be extended by TDS in extenuating circumstances such as serious illness. They do not exist here. There is no time limit under the custodian scheme.

Adjudication v County Court claim

Adjudication is an alternative to a county court claim in this situation and the adjudicator's decision would be binding on both sides.

Generally, what are the advantages? It is faster and there is no court fee. And for those who have an abhorrence of entering a courtroom or would prefer to spend the day at the races, no personal attendances involved because the adjudicator reaches their decision on paper.

Stephen Gold is a former-judge and author

The disadvantages? The adjudicator can only decide what should happen to the deposit and cannot deal with compensation over and above.

There is also the loss of the opportunity to orally address the judge - for a claim not exceeding 10,000 the case would almost certainly be dealt with as a small claim - and to cross-examine the tenant and any witnesses they may be relying on should there be some material factual dispute; and greater scope to challenge a judge's decision as against an adjudicator's decision when they may have gone wrong.

One caveat. Under an objectionable pilot scheme that started on June 1, 2022, some small claims proceeding in county court hearing centres at Bedford, Luton, Guildford, Staines, Cardiff and Manchester will be decided by the judge on paper - and without a hearing even though one side, or both sides, oppose.

However, that will not happen if the judge feels that an oral presentation or cross-examination are needed.

You can try and keep your case away from these centres to avoid being stuck with a paper determination that you would not want.

My advice to our questioner would have been to prefer a county court claim to a TDS adjudication if that had now been available.

The court could order the agents to pay over the deposit in part satisfaction of any judgment it gives in his favour.

The agents would have to be joined as a party to the proceedings. In this situation, agents tend to sit back without taking any active part in the case and abide by the court's decision.

In this case, the landlord says the tenant has caused 9,000 of damage versus a deposit of 2,300

The agents have made a suggestion. They say they will pay the deposit over to our questioner (or so much of it as he claims) provided that 'if the tenant makes a claim for the deposit, you accept full responsibility including any associated costs.'

The wording could be clearer.

However, I anticipate that the agents are after a full indemnity and want to be assured that, should the tenant subsequently claim against them for allegedly releasing the deposit without his consent and they be put to expense as a result, our questioner will pay over to them whatever they may have to pay back to the tenant and their costs.

The agent's stance in this respect is not unreasonable.

If our questioner is prepared to limit his claim to the amount of the deposit, he may think it is worth taking the calculated risk of giving the indemnity sought once the precise wording of it is clarified and receiving the deposit from the agents.

That is what I would do although I am a betting man (without going to the races).

Giving the tenant details of his loss, over and above the deposit, ought to deter them from kicking up a fuss about the deposit release. Otherwise, he can sue for his total loss and seek a judgment against the tenant and an order that the agent releases the deposit to him to go towards that judgment.

In that event, he should first send the tenant a letter of claim that particularises what he is claiming and why and gives him, say, 28 days to pay up and threatens county court proceedings for what he is claiming with interest at the rate of 8 per cent as from the end of the tenancy and costs.

I would not recommend suing anyone unless you can be pretty sure that they will have the financial ability to settle the judgment sought during your lifetime. Our questioner's tenant seems to have that ability. A court bailiff would certainly find to be very tasty the Ferrari he is driving around in. Let's hope it is not on HP.

Stephen Gold is an ex-judge and author of 'The Return of Breaking Law' published by Bath Publishing. For more information, go to breakinglaw.co.uk
The San Francisco Zoo is mourning the loss of its oldest Megellanic penguin.

Captain Eo, which was named for a 1986 Michael Jackson short film that was as a Disneyland attraction, died Wednesday at 40.

The aging animal had lost much of his eyesight and hearing and needed special feeding techniques, the zoo said.

Quinn Brown, the zoo's assistant curator of birds, said Captain Eo had 'the personality of 'an older sophisticated gentleman.

'He did not partake in the usual shenanigans of stealing fish from others, or pushing his way through the crowd for fish,' Brown continued.

'Instead, he would quietly and politely sit on the rocky beach and wait his turn for his meal, then go out for a swim or home. He was one-of-a-kind.'

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The San Francisco Zoo is mourning the loss of its oldest Megellanic penguin. Captain Eo, which was named or a 1980s Michael Jackson short film that was a Disneyland attraction, died Wednesday at 40

Captain Eo had 26 children, 31 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, the zoo said. Many are in other zoos and institutions around the country.

Captain Eo is also believed to be the oldest Megellanic penguin in human care in all of the world.

'While we will never have the honor of embracing and connecting with Captain in this way again, he will always have a monumental place in our hearts,' Brown said.

'He represented a part of San Francisco Zoo history and the penguin world that cannot ever be forgotten.'

Captain Eo, which stared Jackson an was written by George Lucs, was a 3D science fiction film shown exclusively at Disney theme parks until 1998

The aging animal had lost much of his eyesight and hearing and needed special feeding techniques, the zoo said.

The zoo also chose the penguin's name because Jackson is also the longest standing donor.

However, 1986 the film is much more exciting.

Captain Eo, which stared Jackson an was written by George Lucs, was a 3D science fiction film shown exclusively at Disney theme parks until 1998.

The zoo also bid farewell to the oldest male chimpanzee in the US on June 5.

Named Cobby, he had recently fallen ill and zoo keepers believe that coupled with his old age led to him dying at the age of 63.

Tanya M. Peterson, CEO and Executive Director of San Francisco Zoological Society, said in a statement: 'Our hearts are broken with this devastating loss.

'Cobby was both a charismatic and compassionate leader of our chimpanzee troop. For so many years, he was a protective companion, demonstrating patience and resiliency.

The zoo also bid farewell to the oldest male chimpanzee in the US on June 5

Named Cobby, he had recently fallen ill and zoo keepers believe that coupled with his old age led to him dying at the age of 63

' He also was a favorite of visitors and staff, recognizing so many of us. He was one of the first animals whom I personally knew as Director. His death will be felt deeply by our staff, many of whom cared for him for decades.'

Cobby's companions for more than 42 years, females Minnie and Maggie, are both approximately 52 years of age; his absence will be especially hard for them.

A third female, Tallulah, passed away in 2013.

Brought here in the mid-1960s, the four chimpanzees initially lived together at Triple Grotto, an outdoor moated exhibit considered state-of-the-art when first built.

According to the staff who cared for him, they say that what they will miss most is how he expressed his 'goodnight' to them with a soft pant-hoot.

'Cobby was part of San Francisco,' said Peterson.

'He touched so many lives, and people have so many memories of him.

'He is irreplaceable, and our hearts are broken. We will all miss seeing his handsome grey beard watching over us from the top platform of the yard.'
The oldest known relative of all vertebrates on Earth swam the oceans 518 million years ago, a new study reveals.

Researchers in China have analysed fossils of yunnanozoans, an extinct soft-bodied organism that lived during the Cambrian Period of our planet's history.

The fossils, found in the Yunnan Province, China, show the creature is the Earth's oldest-known 'stem vertebrate'  a vertebrate that's extinct, but very closely related to living vertebrates.

Yunnanozoans were very simple fish-like organisms that lived underwater, but they had 'basket-like' skeletons similar to today's vertebrates.

They are also thought to have been deuterostomes  meaning their anus formed before their mouth during embryonic development.

Artistic reconstruction of the yunnanozoan underwater shows 'basket-like' skeletons similar to today's vertebrates

Vertebrates, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and humans, share unique features, such as a backbone and a skull, while invertebrates are animals without backbones.

WHAT WERE THE YUNNANOZOANS? Yunnanozoans are an extinct fish-like soft-bodied organism that lived 518 million years ago. Yunnanozoans are the oldest-known 'stem vertebrates' - vertebrates that are extinct, but very closely related to living vertebrates. They're thought of as deuterostomes - their anus formed before their mouth during embryonic development. Fossils of the yunnanozoan have been uncovered from China's Yunnan Province Advertisement

The new study has been conducted by experts at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology and the Nanjing University in China's Jiangsu province.

'Yunnanozoans are Cambrian animals with a taxonomic position that has long been debated,' the team say in their paper.

'Our phylogenetic analysis provides further support that yunnanozoans are stem vertebrates.'

Scientists have long puzzled over the gap in the fossil record that would explain the evolution of invertebrates to vertebrates.

The evolutionary process that prompted invertebrates to develop backbones, and what those earliest vertebrates looked like, has been a mystery for centuries.

As scientists have studied how vertebrates evolved, a key focus has been the pharyngeal arches  paired structures that grow on either side of the future head and neck of the developing embryo and fuse at the middle.

Mammal embryos have five pairs of these pharyngeal arches. As a mammal embryo grows, the pharyngeal arches produce parts of the face and neck, such as the muscles, bone, and connective tissue.

The authors say pharyngeal arches are a 'key innovation' that likely contributed to the evolution of the jaws and braincase of vertebrates.

It's thought the pharyngeal arch evolved from a 'rod' of unjointed cartilage in vertebrate ancestors, such as the chordate amphioxus, a small 'fish-like' organism and close invertebrate relative of the vertebrates.

In an effort to better understand the role of the pharyngeal arch in ancient vertebrates, the research team studied the fossils of the soft-bodied yunnanozoans found in the Yunnan Province, China

But whether such anatomy actually existed in the ancient ancestors has not been known for certain.

In an effort to better understand the role of the pharyngeal arch in ancient vertebrates, the research team studied the fossils of 127 yunnanozoan specimens.

The specimens have well-preserved carbonaceous residues that allowed the team to conduct detailed analyses, using microscopy, spectrometry and other methods.

Results confirmed that yunnanozoans have cellular cartilages in the pharynx, a feature considered specific to vertebrates, suggesting they are stem vertebrates.

During their study, the team also observed that all of the seven pharyngeal arches in the yunnanozoan fossils are similar to each other.

All the arches have bamboo-like segments and filaments. Neighbouring arches are all connected by horizontal rods and the top and bottom, forming a basket.

A basket-like pharyngeal skeleton is a feature found today in living jawless fishes, such as lampreys and hagfishes.

Pharyngeal arches are paired structures that grow on either side of the future head and neck of the developing embryo and fuse at the middle. Depicted here is a rat embryo with pharyngeal arches

'Two types of pharyngeal skeletons  the basket-like and isolated types  occur in the Cambrian and living vertebrates,' said study author Tian Qingyi.

'This implies that the form of pharyngeal skeletons has a more complex early evolutionary history than previously thought.'

Researchers describe the yunnanozoans as 'controversial', because their classification has been debated for around three decades.

But the new anatomical observations support the evolutionary placement of yunnanozoans at the very bottom of the vertebrate tree of life.

Their new study has been published in the journal Science.
A former Facebook employee is accusing Meta Platforms of whistleblower retaliation, claiming he was unlawfully fired in 2019 after raising concerns over a 'new protocol.'

Brennan Lawson (pictured) filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, claiming he was terminated after questioning a protocol that allowed moderators to retrieve deleted messages in Messenger

Brennan Lawson filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, claiming he was terminated after questioning a protocol that allowed him and his team to retrieve deleted messages in Messenger.

A Meta spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'These claims are without merit and we will defend ourselves against them vigorously.

Lawson, who allegedly worked as a Senior Risk & Response Escalations, said a Facebook manager introduced a new tool to the Escalations team in late 2018, according to the lawsuit seen by DailyMail.com.

The protocol was presented by Ashley McHugh, who built the back-end protocol that the team would start utilizing to access deleted user data.

The document explains that one example of use was to provide law enforcement with deleted messages of specific users.

Law enforcement would ask questions about the suspects use of the platform, such as who the suspect was messaging, when messages were sent, and even what those messages contained, reads the suit.

To keep Facebook in the good graces of the government, the Escalations Team would utilize the back-end protocol to provide answers for the law enforcement agency and then determine how much to share.

Lawson, who is also a veteran of the US Air Force, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in California that states he is suing Meta Platforms Inc. for more than $3 million in compensation plus punitive damages.

Lawson, who is also a veteran of the US Air Force, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in California that states he is suing Meta Platforms Inc. for more than $3 million in compensation plus punitive damages

The document continues to explain that one example of use was to provide law enforcement with deleted messages of specific users

DailyMail.com has reached out to Lawson and has yet to receive a response.

The alleged tool, which went live approximately November or December 2018, was a workaround to avoid rules put in place to block Facebook employees from accessing deleted messages.

Lawson claimed he and his team were able to access anyones Messenger history, including children within Messenger for Kids, the suit reads.

Lawson allegedly became immediately concerned with the legality not only because its ability to access users deleted data, but it goes against the 2012 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Order that prohibited Facebook from misrepresenting its ability to control the privacy of its user's personal information.

The issue, according to the suit, is that Facebook has repeatedly stated it is unable to access such data.

Lawson, who is also a veteran of the US Air Force, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in California that states he is suing Meta Platforms Inc. for more than $3 million in compensation plus punitive damages

Following the meeting, Lawson realized he was on shaky ground for raising his concerns and feared he would be fired if he continued to push his opinions.

He received a poor performance review that he said was not valid and was overcome with stress of potentially being terminated.

Lawson claims that on June 19, 2010 that he spent time in the hospital with severe abdominal pain and a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit due to the anxiety.

He was fired on July 10, 2019 for alleged improper use of one of Facebooks user admin tools a few months earlier.

The suit sates Lawson was told it was because he did not use proper protocol when reinstating his grandmothers account that had been hacked earlier in the year.

DailyMail.com has not independently confirmed the allegations.
NASA has issued a fierce condemnation of the Russian space agency after three cosmonauts displayed anti-Ukraine propaganda aboard the International Space Station.

The trio were seen holding flags of the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic  two Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine that are only recognised as independent states by Moscow and Syria.

They also said the capture of the region was 'a liberation day to celebrate both on Earth and in space.'

In response to the pictures, posted by Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos, NASA said it 'strongly rebukes Russia using the International Space Station for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine.'

Press secretary Jackie McGuinness added that it was 'fundamentally inconsistent with the station's primary function among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes.'

Rebuked: NASA has condemned the Russian space agency after three cosmonauts displayed anti-Ukraine propaganda on the International Space Station. They held flags of the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic  two Russian-backed separatist regions

RUSSIA'S THREATS, DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS IN SPACE In response to sanctions imposed by the international community, Russia has made a series of threats, caused delays and cancelled projects. International Space Station Russia's space agency boss, Dmitry Rogozin said 'who would save the ISS' with Russia were to withdraw from the orbital laboratory project. The ISS is split into two halves, with life support coming from the US half, and propulsion, stopping it falling to Earth, from the Russia side. Rogozin said the ISS could fall on to the US or Europe if it pulled out. Rocket sales to the US Russia sells two major rocket engine types to the US, and has done so since the mid-1990s. The RD-180 and RD-181. It announced an end to these sales, and the maintenance of the engines in response to sanctions. Rogozin said that the US launch providers should 'ride their brooms'. Building military satellites Russia has announced it will redirect funding towards the construction of military satellites and equipment. It is ending some upcoming science projects, in favour of defense. Ending science projects Russia has withdrawn cooperation with Germany on a space telescope and experiments on the ISS. It says it will continue with the telescope, which it temporarily switched off, and the experiments on its own without German support. No more launch Roscosmos pulled out of a Soyuz sharing agreement with the European Space Agency launch partner Arianespace in French Guiana. It also threatened to withhold US-built, UK-owned OneWeb satellites without a guarantee they won't be used for military purposes. OneWeb later cancelled its planned launch on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome. This prompted Roscomos to paint over British and US flags on the rocket. Advertisement

It was a rare rebuke because Russia is the US space agency's main partner on the space station.

Tensions have been rising between the US and Russia ever since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine back in February.

The war of words has even spilled over into the space sector, with Roscosmos signalling its intention to pull out of the International Space Station project in response to Western sanctions imposed on the Kremlin.

In April, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin told Russian state TV that Moscow would no longer be co-operating with its international partners aboard the International Space Station, confirming that the decision to withdraw had already been taken.

Russia has also joked about potentially stranding an American astronaut in space.

However, this is the first time that NASA has openly denounced the actions of Moscow and Roscosmos amid the Ukraine invasion.

The images shared by Roscosmos on July 4 show Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov holding the two flags of the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic.

According to Google Translate, the caption of the post said: 'Liberation Day of the Luhansk People's Republic!

'We celebrate both on Earth and in space.'

It followed the capture of Lysychansk, the last major city held by Ukraine in Luhansk, on July 3.

When the three cosmonauts first arrived on the International Space Station in March, it had been thought that they were showing support for Ukraine because they were wearing bright yellow jumpsuits and blue colours.

Many people interpreted this as a political statement backing Ukraine, whose flag contains bright yellow and blue, but Roscosmos claimed the jumpsuits represented the colours of the university all three cosmonauts attended.

Earlier this year, Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said that despite the war and growing tensions between Moscow and the West, NASA and its Russian counterparts 'are still talking together. We're still doing training together. We're still working together.

'Obviously, we understand the global situation and where it is, but as a joint team, these teams are operating together.'

She added: 'Obviously we need to continue to monitor the situation.

'We've operated in these kinds of situations before and both sides always operated very professionally and understand the importance of this fantastic mission and continuing to have peaceful relations between the two countries in space.'

When the three cosmonauts first arrived on the International Space Station in March, it had been thought that they were showing support for Ukraine because they were wearing bright yellow jumpsuits and blue colours (pictured)

Last week retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly told MailOnline that the US space agency would never work with Moscow on new space projects while Putin was in power.

The 58-year-old said the US and Europe 'don't need Russia' because 'we can do anything they can', months after Roscosmos threatened to pull out of the space station venture.

Kelly, who has worked very closely with cosmonauts for years, added that the threat was 'Russia's loss, not ours', before adding: 'I don't see NASA working with the current regiment any time soon'.

The US naval aviator, who spent a year on the International Space Station between 2015 and 2016, has been an outspoken critic of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, while also taking aim at the Russian space agency Roscosmos and its head Rogozin.

In March, the pair traded barbs over Twitter, with Rogozin calling the former US naval aviator a 'moron' and Kelly firing back that the Russian chief was acting like a 'child'.
Taking out the trash on the International Space Station just got much easier.

Nanoracks, a private space company based in Houston, successfully tested a new technology that will streamline the process of waste disposal in outer space.

On July 2, Nanoracks deployed a special waste container that can hold up to 600 pounds of trash that's held inside its Bishop Airlock.

The waste bag is then released, where it will burn up upon reentry into the atmosphere, and the Airlock is remounted empty.

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'Waste collection in space has been a longstanding, yet not as publicly discussed, challenge aboard the ISS,' Cooper Read, Bishop Airlock program manager at Nanoracks, said in a statement. Pictured is the new Nanoracks technology dumping trash into outer space

'This successful test not only demonstrates the future of waste removal for space stations, but also highlights our ability to leverage the ISS as a commercial technology testbed, which provides critical insights into how we can prepare for the next phases of commercial LEO (low Earth orbit) destinations,' said Dr. Amela Wilson, Nanocracks CEO, in a statement.

Currently, astronauts have to collect trash and store it within the ISS for months while waiting for the Cygnus cargo vehicle to arrive and haul it away.

After Cygnus completes its main mission at the ISS, the astronauts fill the spacecraft with trash before it is released from the station to de-orbit - at which point the entire spacecraft burns up upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

The company's first test of the technology - conducted in partnership with NASA's Johnson Space Center - held about 172 pounds of trash that included foam and packing materials, cargo transfer bags, dirty crew clothing, assorted hygiene products and used office supplies.

On July 2, Nanoracks deployed a special waste container that can hold up to 600 pounds of trash that's held inside its Bishop Airlock. Pictured is the International Space Station

'Four astronauts can generate up to 2,500 kilograms of trash per year, or about two trash cans per week, notes Nanoracks. Pictured above is the deployment of the new technology

'Waste collection in space has been a longstanding, yet not as publicly discussed, challenge aboard the ISS,' Cooper Read, Bishop Airlock program manager at Nanoracks, said in a statement.

'Four astronauts can generate up to 2,500 kilograms of trash per year, or about two trash cans per week.

'As we move into a time with more people living and working in space, this is a critical function just like it is for everyone at home.'

The new system is based on the flight proven, successful Nanoracks Cubesat Deployer (NRCSD) and SmallSat (Kaber) deployers.

The company notes that Bishop provides a platform for proof of concept operations, as well as the ability to test subsystems and robotics, expose hardware to the radiation environment and deploy satellites.
Buried in a pile of costume jewelry was an ancient gold ring that archaeologists say once belonged to a powerful Viking chief.

Mari Ingelin Gausvik Heskestad, from Norway, spotted the ring among cheap bracelets, earrings and pendants in a photo at an online action and believed it had to be something special.

The lightweight ring was likely made during the Late Iron Age, which was a period between 400 AD and 800 AD, and worn by a man based on the band size.

Archaeologist Unn Pedersen, who analyzed Heskestad's discovery, told DailyMail.com: 'This is a distinct type of ring known from Viking-age finds, including Norwegian graves.

'Some of these rings are made of gold, others of silver and some of gilt copper alloy.'

Although there are no records on this ring, a similar one was found in Norway in 2019 that also belonged to a Viking chief  providing more evidence that the newly discovered jewelry is what experts believe it is.

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Buried in a pile of costume jewelry was an ancient gold ring that archaeologists say once belonged to a powerful Viking chief (pictured)

Both men and women wore jewelry during the Viking age, and it was a symbol of the individual's wealth.

Silver was very common, but gold pieces showed the wearer had a high status within their community  along with possessing more riches.

'Gold was a valuable and expensive material in the Viking Age, used actively to symbolize power, to gain power over others and to establish hierarchies,' Pedersen told DailyMail.com.

'Finger rings are for example found in the Hoen hoard, a Viking Age treasure with numerous items of gold.

Mari Ingelin Gausvik Heskestad, from Norway, spotted the ring (circled) among cheap bracelets, earrings and pendants in a photo at an online action and believed it had to be something special.

Although there are no records on this ring, a similar one was found in Norway in 2019 (pictured) that also belonged to a Viking chief  providing more evidence that the newly discovered jewelry is what experts believe it is

'Therefore I find it likely that it was used by someone in the elite, possibly one of the many chiefs of smaller territories.

'Based on the information provided by the local archaeologists this particular ring is of a size that would fit a man, but finger rings of gold from the Viking age are actually also found in female graves.

'And I think that the extremely well equipped Oseberg ship burial illustrates that females could be chiefs too.'

She continued to explain that gold was rare during this era and was only 'reserved for the richest and most powerful people in society.'

The most recent Viking-related discovery, released last month, was not jewelry, but the potential grave of the famous 'Bluetooth' Viking king.

Both men and women wore jewelry during the Viking age, and it was a symbol of the individual's wealth. Silver was very common, but gold pieces showed the wearer had a high status within their community  along with possessing more riches

The most recent Viking-related discovery, released last month, was not jewelry, but the potential grave of the famous 'Bluetooth' Viking king

Archaeologists believe the burial mound of Harald Bluetooth Gormsson, a Viking king who reigned over Denmark in the ninth century and is the inspiration for Bluetooth technology, is located in Wiejkowo, Poland.

Researchers used LiDAR technology, which measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analyzing the light that is reflected back - allowing them to see what could possibly be the burial mound from space.

Bluetooth, a Viking-born king who turned his back on old Norse religion and converting to Christianity.

Researchers used LiDAR technology, which measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analyzing the light that is reflected back - allowing them to see what could possibly be the burial mound from space. Right is a drawing of Bluetooth

He is noted for bringing Christianity to Denmark and earned the nickname Blatand (meaning blue tooth) because of a dead tooth that is said to have been a dark blue.

The Viking ruled over Denmark from 958 AD to 986 and is known for constructing several fortresses and bridges.

However, Bluetooth died in 986 (some say it was 985) during a rebellion led by his son Sweyn, who wanted to take over his father's throne - and did so successfully.
NASA revealed the James Webb Telescope will target multiple spectacular cosmic objects - including far-flung stellar nurseries, a giant planet outside of our solar system and a galaxy group that's 290-million light-years away - ahead of the release of its first images.

The space agency lists five main targets for the $10 billion telescope's first set of full-color scientific images being released on Tuesday, July 12 at 10:30 am EDT.

'Even after working on the program for many years, Im as excited as everyone else who is anticipating the release of the first beautiful full-color images and data from NASAs James Webb Space Telescope  an audacious endeavor in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies,' says Eric Smith, a Webb program scientist at NASA who has been working on the telescope team since its beginnings in the mid-1990s.

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'The James Webb Space Telescope will give us a fresh and powerful set of eyes to examine our universe,' Webb program scientist Eric Smith said. Pictured is the Carina Nebula as seen from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope

'The James Webb Space Telescope will give us a fresh and powerful set of eyes to examine our universe,' he adds in a statement.

The targets were selected by a team of representatives from NASA, the European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

The Carina Nebula is one of the brightest and biggest nebulae in space, located about 7,600 light-years away in the southern constellation called Carina.

Nebulae are stellar nurseries where stars are birthed and this particular one is home to many gigantic stars, including some larger than the sun.

The Southern Ring nebula, pictured above, gets its nickname 'Eight-Burst' because it appears to be a figure-8 when viewed through some telescopes

The Southern Ring nebula, also known as the 'Eight-Burst' nebula, is a planetary nebula - basically an exploding cloud of gas that's surrounded by a dying star.

According to NASA, it's nearly half a light-year in diameter and is located about 2,000 light years away from Earth.

WASP-96 b, pictured above, is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits a G-type star. This planet is located 1,150 light-years from Earth and orbits its star every 3.4 days

Next on the list is WASP-96 b, which is a giant planet outside of our solar system that's composed mainly of gas.

This planet is located 1,150 light-years from Earth and orbits its star every 3.4 days.

WASP-96 b has about half the mass of Jupiter and was discovered in 2014.

The galaxy group Stephan's Quintet, pictured above, is part of the James Webb Telescope's list of targets for the first images being released next week

Stephan's Quintet is located in the constellation Pegasus and is known for being the first compact galaxy group ever discovered in 1787.

Four of the five galaxies within the quintet are locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close encounters, NASA notes.

Regarding SMACS 0723, the final target, NASA says:

'Massive foreground galaxy clusters magnify and distort the light of objects behind them, permitting a deep field view into both the extremely distant and intrinsically faint galaxy populations.'

'What questions might Webb observations raise now that will turn our curiosity to things unimagined?' Smith asks.

'We will soon begin to know how Webb will transform our understanding of the universe.'
The news of a UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico sent shockwaves through the nation, but what was once a headline of a newspaper on July 8, 1947 now seems to be nothing more than an urban legend.

The Roswell event started with a flying saucer in military possession to it being nothing more than a weather balloon, and a UFO expert Pope Nick told DailyMail.com that the '180 narrative flip' was effective in 'killing the story'

Nick Pope, who ran the British Governments UFO project from 1991 to 1994, told DailyMail.com in a phone interview: The US military released a press release that we had recovered a flying disc, which they said was once of those mystifying discs spotted over the US weeks before.

24 hours later, they completely reversed the narrative.

If the debris at Roswell was not of this world, than this could be one of the best cover story in American history, Pope suggested.

I am not saying this is deliberate, but the best cover story is the one that makes you laugh, makes roll your eyes, he said.

If something becomes a joke then serious politicians, military personal, scientists and journalists dont want to touch it or if they do, they come from a perspective that they do not really believe it.

The 180 narrative flip, as Pope calls it, refers to the intelligence office of the 509th Bombardment Group announcing that day at noon that they were in possession of a flying saucer and then stating that it was later determined by military officials to be a radar-tracking balloon.

I am still undecided, said Pope when asked if he believes it was an alien aircraft that crashed on the ranch 75 years ago.

As much as I believe in life out there, I am not sure about visitation.

The wreckage was first discovered by W.W. 'Mac' Brazel, who was taking his sheep to a nearby stream.

The news of a UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico sent shockwaves through the nation, but what was once a headline of a newspaper on July 8, 1947 now seems to be nothing more than an urban legend

The debris is described as being a metallic-looking, light but strong material. Pictured Jesse Marcel, a former military personnel, holding the debris

Brazel spotted the debris over his land and called the authorities who came to the scene for a deeper analysis  which they determined was a flying saucer.

The Roswell Daily Record quickly got the story out on the front page with the headline: RAAF Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch in Roswell Region.

The story described the debris as being a metallic-looking, light but strong material.

But the excitement was gone in what seemed like an instant and no one thought twice about it.

The late 40s was a more trusting era, Pope said.

The 180 narrative flip, as Pope calls it, refers to the intelligence office of the 509th Bombardment Group announcing that day at noon that they were in possession of a flying saucer and then stating that it was later determined by military officials to be a radar-tracking balloon

The wreckage was discovered in In July 1947, by a rancher living in Roswell, New Mexico

This was an era where trust in the government and military was very high and it was an era before the internet and social media.

'Because most people didnt have a telephone, the morning newspaper was their window on the world. I think it was treated as gospel.

Pope also pointed out that any UFO books written in the 1950s to 1960s do not include any information on the Roswell event.

The killing of the story was that effective, he said.

Pope continued to explain that it would be fascinating if the 75-year-old case could be solved and if the result was that the debris was from a UFO.

This file video grab image obtained April 28, 2020 shows part of an unclassified video taken by Navy pilots that have circulated for years showing interactions with 'unidentified aerial phenomena'

I wont pretend we have a smoking gun because we dont, he said.

Mystery of the 1947 Roswell wreckage In July 1947, a rancher reported pieces of debris scattered over his land. Authorities were called to the scene and after investigating the wreckage, determined the pieces were from a flying sauce. The local paper's front page story reported that the Roswell Army field recovered a flying saucer on a New Mexico Ranch after metallic-looking, light but strong material was scattered across the land. 'The intelligence office of the 509th Bombardment Group at Roswell Army Air Field announced at noon today, that the field has come into the possession of a Flying Saucer,' Roswell Daily Record reported on July 8, 1947. However, shortly after the 'UFO' discovery made headlines, the War Department in Washington released a statement claiming the debris was the remains of a weather balloon. Advertisement

Conversely, the people at the Roswell military base was where only atomic bomb squadron was housed and these people were the best of the best.

If ever there were people less likely to misidentify a weather balloon it would be them.

Playing devils advocate, Pope says the cover up could have been a way to conceal something like a top secret weapon that had crashed.

The conversation about UFOs and aliens is not taboo in the US, as over the past year the government has released video footage showing military jets chasing what could be a flying saucers.

There was also a recent public congressional hearing about UFOs, which saw three former cavalrymen testify about their encounter with a UFO at a Middle East US military base in 2014.

They said they saw eight bright objects hovering and zipping across the sky at incredible speeds from a desert outpost in Sinai, on the Egyptian border, around December 2014.

The three cavalry scouts, who are trained in identifying aircraft, believe the objects they witnessed were of non-human origin.

It is strange that despite all that interest and congressional hearings you hardly ever hear senators or congressional representatives s mention the 'R' word  Roswell, said Pope.

Maybe the stigma is still there and they cant bring themselves to say Roswell and ask what about Roswell

The original cover story if it was, may have been too effective and may have taken out of peoples minds in the media, public and government.
Nick Kyrgios has posted a 'get well soon' message to Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard's withdrawal through injury meant the Australian received a free pass into the final at Wimbledon.

The 36-year-old Spaniard announced he was pulling out after a 45 minute practice session earlier in the day in which he clearly looked hampered.

After the news was announced, Kyrgios sent a message to the unfortunate Nadal, who has suffered an abdominal tear, on social media.

Nick Kyrgios has sent a message to Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard was forced to pull out of Wimbledon ahead of their highly-anticipated semi-final on Friday due to injury

Nadal battled through a hard-fought five set victory over Taylor Fritz despite struggling

Alongside a photo of the pair shaking hands after a previous match, Kyrgios wrote on Instagram: 'Different players, different personalities. @rafaelnadal I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon. Till next time.'

Kyrgios, will now compete in his first ever Grand Slam final, where he will meet the winner of Novak Djokovic versus Britain's Cameron Norrie in an altered Centre Court schedule.

The 27-year-old Australian bad boy has a shot at glory after previously never getting past the fourth round at a Grand Slam.

Nadal's position in the final looked to be in some doubt following his quarter-final victory over Taylor Fritz.

The Spaniard produced a magnificent comeback against the American to win in five-sets despite suffering with an abdominal issue during the contest.

The news was a huge disappointment to fans who had been anticipating a mouthwatering Friday. Kyrgios versus Nadal always has a particular edge, as past meetings have shown.

Should tournament favourite Djokovic beat British No 1 Norrie, he would face Kyrgios who he holds a 0-2 record against.

Kyrgios now has a three day gap between matches to get his body absolutely right although there is also the dimension of him having too much time to think about the enormous opportunity coming.

At a press conference on Thursday evening at 7:20pm, Nadal confirmed: 'Unfortunately as you can imagine I am here because I have to pull out from the tournament.

Nadal confirmed on Thursday he would pull out of Wimbledon after struggling in training

Nick Krygios gets a free-pass to the final where he will play Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie

'As everyone saw yesterday I have been suffering with a pain in the abdominal and something was not OK there. That is confirmed, I have a tear in the muscle and the communication is too late.

'I was thinking the whole day I was thinking about the decision to make but I think it doesn't make sense to go, even if I try through my career to keep going. It is very tough circumstances but it is obvious if I keep going the injury will be worse and worse.'

'I never thought about the calendar slam, I thought about my diary and my happiness.

'I make the decision because I don't believe I can win two matches under the circumstances. It is not only I can't serve at the right speed, it is I can't do the normal movement to serve.'
Sophie Hermann has revealed she's booked a consultation to finally freeze her eggs, having contemplated the idea for four years.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the Made In Chelsea star, 35, claimed she wants to 'take her time and live her life' before settling down and becoming a mum.

Declaring she has no cap to the age she's willing to give birth at, Sophie said she'll happily become a single parent but is ultimately 'waiting for Mr. Right to come along'.

'I'll live my life before I have a baby!' Made In Chelsea's Sophie Hermann, 35, has revealed she's finally freezing her eggs and has NO CAP to age she's willing to give birth

She has been speaking about undergoing the fertility treatment since 2018, telling her co-star Fredrik Ferrier on the E4 reality show that she 'wants to settle down and have a family' but 'never imagined to be at this stage in her life'.

Gearing up to take the plunge, the TV personality has now said: 'I want to freeze my eggs because I want to have a baby one day but I want to take my time and live my life and do things when they're right.

'I think it's a great luxury that we have this now and why not do it if we have the possibilities?

'I have a consultation in about a week. Obviously it's nice to have the pressure off and I think what a great time to be alive? It's amazing.

Plan of action: Having contemplated the idea for four years, she wants to 'take her time and live her life' before settling down and becoming a mum

She added: 'I could see myself doing a Naomi [Campbell],' referring to the supermodel who was 50-years-old when she welcomed a baby daughter in 2021.

For now, however, the Celebs Go Dating star will prepare for motherhood with her 'beautiful' goddaughter Gaia Grace, two, whose mum is fellow Sloane Ranger Victoria Baker-Harber.

Sophie gushed over the toddler and is delighted she now has 'someone to spoil' and 'buy all the mummy-and-daughter outfits that I actually want'.

Chatting with MailOnline fresh from her meet-up with her former co-star, she enthused: 'It's my first godchild and I absolutely adore her.

Fingers crossed! Sophie said she'll happily become a single parent but is ultimately 'waiting for Mr. Right to come along'

'She is also the most beautiful baby in London and the Royal Borough [of Kensington and Chelsea] so I wouldn't want it any other way.

'Plus now I have someone to spoil and buy all the mummy-and daughter-outfits that I actually want but it's great prep and she loves me.'

Gaia Grace's father is Victoria's fiance Inigo Philbrick, a convicted art dealing fraudster who was jailed for seven years in the US for conning several former clients out of more than 80million in a 'Ponzi-like scheme'.

Good thinking! The TV personality told MailOnline: 'I think it's a great luxury that we have this now and why not do it if we have the possibilities?'

Victoria has maintained that she is standing by her man, after he pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and told a judge he did it all 'for the money'.

The 34-year-old used money from some customers to buy artworks, pay off others and bankroll a lavish lifestyle which saw him pose as an expert on art business conferences, federal prosecutors have said.

Victoria recently said rumours she and the 'serial swindler' are no longer a couple are a 'load of bulls***', telling The Sun: 'I've stood by him and will continue to do so.'

The pair began dating in 2017, with their daughter born two years later. Inigo has never met Gaia-Grace, but they have spoken on the telephone, after he was arrested in 2019.

The influencer said that she 'dreads' the day she has to explain things about Inigo to her daughter, and does not want to take Gaia to the 'barbaric' Brooklyn prison where her father is now being held.

'She doesn't know she doesn't have a father yet,' she told the paper. 'I dread the day I have to start explaining things to her.'

She added that Inigo is the 'best person' she knows.
Thor: Love And Thunder (12A 119 mins)

Verdict: Nowt to marvel at

Rating:

Brian and Charles (PG 90 mins)

Verdict: Fitful odd-couple comedy

Rating:

Now that the surviving members of the gang are old men, no longer making films together, nobody really uses the adjective Pythonesque any more. Yet it was the word that sprang to mind during the new Marvel blockbuster, Thor: Love And Thunder.

Whether anyone wants to be reminded of Monty Python while watching a superhero movie is a moot point, maybe even a Thor point. Plenty did, judging by the chuckles and cheers during Tuesday evenings gala screening at the Odeon Leicester Square. Heaven (and Valhalla) knows, Ive sat through enough superhero films down the years that have taken themselves at least as seriously as Newsnight. So Im generally inclined to applaud those that dont.

That said, director and co-writer Taika Waititi, who got the balance about right in his previous Marvel outing, 2017s Thor: Ragnarok, this time tilts too far towards zaniness. His picture positively gurns in pursuit of laughs, sometimes getting them, but when the comedy falls flat it does so with a super-thump.

Ungodly: Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Love And Thunder

Still, theres no faulting the cast list. Christian Bale, just about recognisable under a Voldemort makeover, plays a mortal whose possession of the malignly enchanted necrosword enables him to turn his disillusion with the gods into a murderous rampage. He becomes Gorr the God Butcher and, Pied Piper-like, steals all the children from the realm of Asgard, terrorising them in his lair.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) vows to get them back, paying a visit to Mount Olympus in the hope of raising an army, but getting no support from Zeus (Russell Crowe, amusingly playing the King of the Gods as a kind of prissy, rather camp Greek-Cypriot chip-shop proprietor). Zeus is not impressed by the Norse God of Thunder (is not thunder just the sound of lightning? he sneers), but the same cannot be said of his female acolytes when Thor finds himself stripped to his bare essentials. That scene raised quite a hoopla in the Odeon.

Leaving Omnipotence City without the army of immortals he was hoping for, Thor must instead rely on the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), the warrior Korg (voiced by Waititi), and his human ex-girlfriend, physicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who is suffering from a terrible debilitating illness but has usefully been invested with super-powers by his old hammer.

All of which would be just as silly as it sounds even without Portmans character being mistakenly referred to as Jane Fonda and then Jodie Foster  twin examples of that script straining for cheap laughs. In fairness, the gags that work, work nicely. Matt Damon, Sam Neill and Melissa McCarthy have daft but enjoyable cameos as an Asgardian amateur theatrical troupe, and there are other scattered pleasures, but the fact that the kidnapped Asgardian offspring include Waititis own children, plus those of Hemsworth, Portman, and Bale, really tells you all you need to know about a film that too often plays like a huge in-joke from which we, the audience, are excluded.

That, I hasten to add, is not why I attached the adjective Pythonesque. Im as big a fan as anyone of the Python masterpiece Life Of Brian (1979) though I must say I dont see whats considered innately funny about the noble name Brian.

Evidently Im in a minority, because the hero of Brian And Charles, delightfully played by the films co-writer David Earl, is a British comic archetype  an endearing social misfit who lives on his own, dreaming up crackpot inventions.

Brian And Charles

He has plenty of antecedents in popular culture. When I was a child, it was a funny old cove called Professor Branestawm. Anyway, lavishly bearded and sporting a pair of Deirdre Barlow specs, Brian lives in a shambolic cottage in rural Wales, gently indulged by the locals. He spends his days perfecting such necessities as the flying cuckoo-clock. But a homemade robot is the scratch he always wanted to itch.

Finally he makes one, using discarded bits and bobs, including an old washing machine. To our astonishment, if not his, he duly finds that it walks and talks (and has a penchant for cabbages). This is Charles (Chris Hayward), and he becomes Brians loyal, if increasingly insolent, companion, a blend of manservant and surrogate child.

Jim Archers debut feature is an odd-couple comedy with the emphasis firmly on odd, which takes a dark turn when Charles is stolen by the village bully. Regrettably there is a distinct sag in the middle, when it starts to feel like an undergraduate sketch stretched beyond its natural life. Nevertheless, at its best it bowls along with considerable charm and wit, and at a sensible 90 minutes, never quite outstays its welcome.

ALSO SHOWING...

Following a limited cinema run, The Sea Beast (PG, 115 mins, ****) now comes to Netflix and jolly good it is, too. As used to be written on the board games of my youth, it is fun for children of all ages, from eight to 88.

Superbly animated, it is set I would guess in the 18th century, at a time of galleons and cannons, though the maritime threat comes not from pirates or enemy fleets but ferocious sea monsters, such as the mighty Red Bluster.

The New Zealand actor Karl Urban gives voice to Jacob, a handsome swashbuckler who was found shipwrecked as a boy and taken in by courageous Captain Crow (Jared Harris), skipper of the Inevitable.

Jacobs background explains his bond with a doughty young stowaway, Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator), as together they try to capture Red, intending to present him as booty to the King (voiced, unmistakably, by Downton Abbeys Jim Carter).

Adventure: Jacob and Maisie

Kathy Burke and another Downton alumnus, Dan Stevens, are also credited in the voice cast.

Another film available to watch at home, though probably not in front of the children, is How To Please A Woman (No Cert, 107 mins, ***). This flawed but likeable comedy stars Sally Phillips, perhaps best known as Shazza in the Bridget Jones films, as an uptight, put-upon Australian wife who, unbeknownst to her arrogant husband, sets up an all-male cleaning company, sending men to clean womens houses but also offering, erm, a few optional extras.

Its not what you might call lewd, though. Vaguely reminiscent of Britcoms such as The Full Monty and Calendar Girls, its written and acted with a certain panache, and Phillips makes a very plausible Aussie.

The Sea Beast is on Netflix. How To Please A Woman is on Sky Cinema.
Love Island fans have predicted a rocky patch ahead for Davide and Ekin-Su after she reentered the main villa from Casa Amor during Thursday night's episode.

Davide chose to remain single and Ekin-Su opted to leave Casa Amor without coupling-up with a new partner, pathing the way for them to reunite.

However, Ekin-Su was seen throwing Davide's arm off her as they sat in one another's embrace during the recoupling after she found out Davide had kissed newcomer Mollie in bed while she was in Casa Amor.

Troubles? Love Island fans have predicted a rocky patch ahead for Davide and Ekin-Su after she reentered the main villa from Casa Amor during Thursday night's episode

The Italian stallion also kissed newcomer Coco while Ekin-Su was away from the main villa.

But, while Ekin-Su called Davide out on his infidelities while she was in Casa Amor during Thursday's episode, she did not reveal she'd had what newcomer George described as a 'little play around' under the covers while they shared a bed.

Ekin-Su and new boy George were seen sharing a cuddle in bed in Casa Amor earlier in the series, with George telling the other boys the next day: 'Something pretty mad happened last night. There was some touching going on.'

Drama: While Ekin-Su knows Davide kissed someone while she was in Casa Amor, he is yet to find out George claimed he and Ekin-Su had a 'little play around' while they shared a bed

While Ekin-Su and Davide are back together for now, fans are convinced producers will force the Islanders to sit through Movie Night so they can watch what their partners were up to while they were separated, which viewers think may be the nail in the coffin for Ekin-Su and Davide.

One person wrote on Twitter: 'Ekin should have confessed she was fondling about under the covers in Casa Amor, when Davide finds out he probably wont take her back AGAIN, if theres a movie night she is FINISHED.'

Another person wrote: 'Last one I promise but is Davide ever going to find out about the tickles that happened under the covers with Ekin in Casa #LoveIsland.'

Test: While Ekin-Su and Davide are back together for now, fans are convinced producers will force the Islanders to sit through Movie Night which could put a strain on their relationship

Someone else shared: 'But then Ekin playing all hurt that Davide had a kiss while she had a right fumble under the covers is just a bomb waiting to go off.bring on the love island movie night!!!!'

'Bring on movie night. Davide seeing Ekin su get freaky under the covers,' wrote another audience member.

Someone else posted: 'Wait till Davide finds out on Cinema night what Ekin was up to under the covers.'

End of the road: Viewers think may be the nail in the coffin for Ekin-Su and Davide given their actions in the villa

'The mandem need to tell Davide that Ekin Su was doing up Twister under the covers,' wrote someone else.

Referring to the moment Ekin-Su snuck up onto the terrace to kiss fellow Islander Jay earlier in the series, another viewer posted: 'Ekin Su literally kissed Jay whilst coupled with Davide and called it a test he just did the same. Both are toxic but makes great TV and they kinda work.'

Before the girls were whisked off to Casa Amor, Ekin had begun to rekindle her romance with Davide as she did her best to win him back after ditching him in the hopes of building a relationship with Jay.

Safe for now! Davide struggled to stay loyal to Ekin-Su, kissing multiple girls in the villa, chose to stick with Ekin-Su when she returned from Casa Amor alone

Sweet! Luckily for Davide, Ekin-Su stood by her word and remained loyal, returning to the villa solo, and she confessed her feelings for him have grown during their time apart

Adorable: Asked whether he ever doubted his decision, Davide confessed that he had, but Ekin-Su noted: 'I'm here now and that's all that matters'

While Ekin admitted she was 'open' to getting to know the Casa Amor boys she soon realised that her heart was still in the main villa with Davide, as she explained to George she wanted to be friends after they shared a heated moment as they shared a bed together.

Davide initially appeared more inclined to meet someone new in the villa after his pride was bruised by Ekin's actions, sharing kisses with both Mollie and Coco in a bid to move on.

However Wednesday's episode saw him confide in Jay about what to do when it came to the recoupling.

Not happy: Love Island fans were unimpressed recently when Davide kissed two girls in one night, despite being coupled up with Ekin-Su (newcomer Coco pictured)

Steamy: The Italian hunk, 27, first got flirty with newcomer Coco Lodge, 27, and then shared a kiss with Mollie Salmon, 23, in bed

He advised: 'Right now it's quite obvious I think you still have a connection with Ekin, and you don't just wanna throw that to the side out of spite, it's not right man.'

Davide then confessed: 'I make myself many problemsLet's see today how it goes.'

In the beach hut he added: 'I think about her often and our connection'.

Davide, who struggled to stay loyal to Ekin-Su, kissing multiple girls in the villa while Ekin-Su was in Casa Amor, admitted he was choosing to stick with her during the recoupling

Flirty: While Davide smooched all over the Love Island villa, Ekin-Su and George Tasker shared a bed with George hinting there was 'touching' under the covers

He told host Laura Whitmore: 'I had a good time getting to know all the girls but I believe with this person I've got a unique connection, I feel like we magnetically connect with each other, so I have decided to stick with my couple.'

Luckily for Davide, Ekin-Su stood by her word and remained loyal, returning to the villa solo, and she confessed her feelings for him have grown during their time apart.

She said: 'It's good to be back with someone I can laugh with, and bounce with,' while a coy Davide joked he'd missed her 'a tiny bit'.

Asked whether he ever doubted his decision, Davide confessed that he had, but Ekin-Su noted: 'I'm here now and that's all that matters.'

LOVE ISLAND: WHO ARE THE NEW COUPLES? JAY YOUNGER AND CHYNA MILLS JAY YOUNGER AND CHYNA MILLS Jay was previously in a friendship couple with Danica, while Chyna was single DANICA TAYLOR AND JOSH SAMUEL LE GROVE DANICA TAYLOR AND JOSH SAMUEL LE GROVE Josh was single, while Danica was in a friendship couple with Jay DAVIDE SANCLIMENTI AND EKIN-SU CULCULOGLU DAVIDE SANCLIMENTI AND EKIN-SU CULCULOGLU Davide and Ekin-Su were already in a couple, though Davide had his head turned by Mollie Salmon DAMI HOPE AND SUMMER BOTWE DAMI HOPE AND SUMMER BOTWE Dami was previously in a couple with Indiyah, while Summer was single. INDIYAH POLACK AND DEJI ADENIYI INDIYAH POLACK AND DEJI ADENIYI Indiyah had been in a couple with Dami, while Deji was single having entered Casa Amor as a bombshell LUCA BISH AND GEMMA OWEN LUCA BISH AND GEMMA OWEN Both Luca and Gemma were already in a couple, and remained loyal throughout their time apart ANDREW LE PAGE AND COCO LODGE ANDREW LE PAGE AND COCO LODGE Andrew was in a couple with Tasha, but chose to pair up with a single Coco. TASHA GHOURI AND BILLY BROWN TASHA GHOURI AND BILLY BROWN Tasha was in a couple with Andrew, but despite originally staying loyal decided to return to the villa with Casa Amor bombshell Billy. JACQUES O'NEILL AND PAIGE THORNE JACQUES O'NEILL AND PAIGE THORNE Jacques was previously in a couple with Paige, and despite being tempted by Cheyanne opted to stick with her. Advertisement
MEET THE BEAUTIES

Aimee, Trainee Nurse, 23, TAS

Aimee is from Hobart, where she says there's not much of a dating scene, so trying to find love is not easy.

Confident and funny, she loves socialising, and when she's not on a dance floor she's at home with her pets or practising yoga.

Aimee, Trainee Nurse, 23, TAS

Angelique, Social Media Content Creator, 21, NSW

Calling herself 'an open alien book', Angelique is one of a kind who likes telling people she's from Mars.

While not necessarily looking for love, Angelique isn't running from it if she forms a strong connection with her geek.

Angelique, Social Media Content Creator, 21, NSW

Bri, Ex-NRL Cheerleader, 30, NSW

Loyal, loud and full of energy, Bri is a medical secretary and former NRL cheerleader from Sydney.

As someone who gets along with everybody, she wants to use her confidence and positivity to bring out the best in her Geek.

Bri, Ex-NRL Cheerleader, 30, NSW

Daniella, Miss universe Finalist, 26, WA

Daniella is a model who entered Miss Universe last year as a WA finalist, so she still loves fashion and beauty.

She says a common misconception about her and other beauties is that they are full of confidence.

Daniella, Miss universe Finalist, 26, WA

Emily, Flight Attendant, 25, NSW

Admitting she's the loudest person at every party, Emily says her favourite thing to do is 'tanning, tanning and fake tanning'.

She hopes the geeks will show her a different side to the types of guys she usually dates.

Emily, Flight Attendant, 25, NSW

Heidi, Waitress, 20, VIC

A country girl at heart Heidi dreams of becoming a police officer.

She loves romantic comedies and going out with friends for a dance, and is ready to meet a geek who is her polar opposite.

Heidi, Waitress, 20, VIC

Karly, Hairdresser, 28, WA

Karly has been compared to Donkey from Shrek because of her loyalty and sense of humour.

She gets along with everyone, does her best to make others feel good, and says she can talk to a tree.

Karly, Hairdresser, 28, WA

Sophie, Aspiring Prime Minister, 20, WA

With a dream of becoming either Australia's prime minister or a comedian, quirky Sophie speaks Mandarin and studies international politics.

She says people often misjudge her and think she's ditzy, but she has depth and knowledge that surprises them.

Sophie, Aspiring Prime Minister, 20, WA

Tara, Mermaid Performer, 22, VIC

As a professional entertainer for children's birthday parties, Tara arrives with an impressive tail and loves bringing magic to young lives.

When she's not being a mermaid Tara is studying law, which she chose because she wants to help people and 'make a difference'.

Tara, Mermaid Performer, 22, VIC

Tegan, Professional Dancer, 26, VIC

Living by the motto that everything happens for a reason, Tegan started dancing at the age of three and turned it into an impressive career.

Looking for someone who likes the great outdoors, she is prepared to find love with her geek  a man who will treat her the way she deserves.

Tegan, Professional Dancer, 26, VIC

MEET THE GEEKS

Aaron, Train Driver, 30, NSW

Aaron knows everything you can about trains, and when he's not driving them, he loves to sit by the tracks and watch them go by  an inveterate trainspotter.

Looking for someone who will share his passion, his dream date would be taking a girl to a station that has a river and a walking track nearby.

Aaron, Train Driver, 30, NSW

Alexander, Bookworm, 27, SA

Alex is a maths teacher from South Australia who lives alone with his 18 house plants and his cat called Coconut.

He loves Dr Who and is looking for a girl he can talk philosophy with and show around his extensive library.

Alexander, Bookworm , 27, SA

Anthony, Harry Potter Fanatic, 26, NSW

There's nothing Anthony, a digital content director and proud Gryffindor, doesn't know about the Potterverse.

He was bullied at high school, which has made him a little distrusting of people and forced him to put his guard up.

Anthony, Harry Potter Fanatic, 26, NSW

Christopher, International Yu-Gi-Oh! Champion, 30, SA

Chris is a software engineer by day, but his real passion is playing Yu-Gi-Oh!, the Japanese card game.

He admits he would like some help from his beauty about how to be more fashionable.

Christopher, International Yu-Gi-Oh! Champion, 30, SA

Jason, Musician, 29, VIC

Self-confessed hermit Jason is a data scientist from Victoria and a talented musician who can play multiple instruments.

He rarely leaves his apartment, and hopes that taking the leap to be on this show will help him break out of his shell.

Jason, Musician, 29, VIC

Jayden, Martial Arts Expert, 24, NSW

Even though he's a black belt in martial arts, Jayden is more a lover than a fighter.

He works as a mail officer and is also a bartender and a tutor, which he says makes him a workaholic

Jayden, Martial Arts Expert, 24, NSW

Michael, Children's Party Entertainer, 25, NSW

A man of many roles, Michael is a part-time children's party entertainer, part-time crypto trader, and confessed 'full-time geek'.

He considers himself a romantic who hopes to find a real connection with his beauty on the show.

Michael, Children's Party Entertainer, 25, NSW

Mike, Batman Fanatic, 20, QLD

Mike might come off as confident as he hosts trivia nights or other events, but put him in a one-on-one situation and he freezes, especially in front of girls.

He dreams of owning a Batmobile and writing a script for a Batman movie, relating to the way the character overcomes his flaws.

Mike, Batman Fanatic, 20, QLD

Nate, Japanese Anime Expert, 20, SA

Nate's mother was the one who encouraged him to come into this experience, thinking it would be a good chance to 'spruce up my romantic skills'.

He's a computer science student who grew up in lots of different countries and cities, which helped him adapt to new social settings and groups.

Nate, Japanese Anime Expert, 20, SA

Samuel, E-Sports Champion, 25, VIC

Playing E-Sports professionally, Sam is very competitive and loves a little friendly sledging of his opponents.

He has played almost 8000 hours of Counter-Strike and has a penchant for all things geek.
Bachelor star Bella Varelis is reaping the rewards of her new career as a social media influencer.

On Thursday, the 27-year-old received a haul of freebies worth more than $3,203.

Bella, who rose to fame on Locky Gilbert's season of the reality dating series back in 2020, showed off her free gifts on Instagram to her more than 109,000 followers.

Bachelor star Bella Varelis is reaping the rewards of her new career as a social media influencer. On Thursday, the 27-year-old received a haul of freebies worth more than $3,203.

Bella received some parcels in the post and also spent a day at a PR gifting suite.

Her freebies included skincare, some designer shoes and makeup.

Bella started her day at a small event for Mecca Beauty and Sunday Riley, where she showed off Sunday Riley's new $99 C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Cream, which she no doubt received as a take home gift.

Bella started her day at a small event for Mecca Beauty and Sunday Riley, where she showed off Sunday Riley's new $99 C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Cream, which she no doubt received as a take home gift

She then shared pictures from a PR gifting suite, showing off a pair of stunning Mach & Mach Double Bow crystal, PVC and leather sandals, worth a cool $1,379

'Brightening and hydrating all in one,' Bella captioned one post.

She then shared pictures from a PR gifting suite, showing off a pair of stunning Mach & Mach Double Bow crystal, PVC and leather sandals, worth a cool $1,379.

'Are you kidding me with these?' Bella wrote.

She then shared a picture of another pair of mules from Mach & Mach worth $1,429 and said it was her 'dream shoe x'.

She then shared a picture of another pair of mules from Mach & Mach worth $1,429 and said it was her 'dream shoe x'

She also posed with a Frank Green reusable coffee cup, which retails for $44.95

She also posed with a Frank Green reusable coffee cup, which retails for $44.95, before showing off a huge swag from Kylie Jenner's beauty line Kylie Cosmetics.

Bella received a bag of freebies, including two pressed bronzing powders, which are priced at $29 each, three $29 pressed blush powders, one $26 High Gloss and three liquid lipsticks valued at $27 each.

But it didn't stop there, she also received a huge parcel from Charlotte Tilbury, where lipsticks start at $49 each.

Bella received a bag of free Kylie by Kylie Jenner cosmetics, including two pressed bronzing powders, which are priced at $29 each, three $29 pressed blush powders, one $26 High Gloss and three liquid lipsticks valued at $27 each

But it didn't stop there, she also received a huge parcel from Charlotte Tilbury, where lipsticks start at $49 each

Bella was then asked by a fan what her favourite travel-sized moisturiser is. She proceeded to spruik La Mer's Creme De La Mer, which starts at $135 for 15ml, is her favourite product

However, she hinted she purchased the cream, saying: 'I spend most of my pay check on La Mer'

Bella's freebie haul - Sunday Riley's new $99 C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Cream - Mach and Mach Double Bow crystal, PVC and leather sandals, worth $1,379 - Mach and Mach mules worth $1,429 - Frank Green reusable coffee cup $44.95 - Two pressed bronzing powders, which are priced at $29 each, three $29 pressed blush powders, one $26 High Gloss and three liquid lipsticks valued at $27 each from Kylie Cosmetics - A HUGE bag of goodies from Charlotte Tilbury Advertisement

Bella was then asked by a fan what her favourite travel-sized moisturiser is.

She proceeded to spruik La Mer's Creme De La Mer, which starts at $135 for 15ml, is her favourite product.

However, she hinted she purchased the cream, saying: 'I spend most of my pay check on La Mer'.

'It is thick, luxurious and it's mini, it's ultra thick. I live for it. Lather me up all over my body,' Bella said.

'That is my toxic trait, putting $300 moisturiser on my elbows and body and every where that needs it!'

Back in May, Bella revealed that while holidaying in Italy she was 'scammed' by an ATM.

Bella wasn't able to splash out at a Dior store after a dodgy cash machine stole her holiday savings.

But her daddy 'came to the rescue' by wiring over some emergency funds, which allowed her to 'spoil herself', she proudly explained to her online followers.

'I saved up so much before I left so I could spoil myself with something special on the trip, and then I got scammed by an ATM the other day and ended up feeling pretty disheartened,' she explained.

Back in May, Bella revealed that while holidaying in Italy she was 'scammed' by an ATM

Bella wasn't able to splash out at a Dior store after a dodgy cash machine stole her holiday savings. But her daddy 'came to the rescue' by wiring over some emergency funds, which allowed her to 'spoil herself', she proudly explained to her online followers

'But dad ended up coming to the rescue so I decided to still spoil myself! And today is the day,' she added.

The former reality star previously revealed during an Instagram Q&A why she had taken a break from social media recently.

When a fan asked why she had been acting 'distant' on her social media platforms, she confessed she'd hit 'rock bottom'.

She said she'd been doing a lot of 'work on herself mentally', but added: 'I have been the saddest I've ever felt in my life, but sometimes it takes you hitting rock bottom in order for you to work your way back up.'
Fans of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta can see the drama ramping up in an explosive new midseason trailer.

Marlo Hampton in particular can be seen carrying on furious feuds with her co-stars Kenya Moore and Kandi Burruss.

During a particularly heated exchange during the sneak peek, Marlo, 46, denounced Kenya, 51, as a 'b***' and 'trash.'

Thundering ahead: Fans of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta can see the drama ramping up in an explosive new midseason trailer, including with Marlo Hampton

The tension between the two women flared up when Kenya made a snide remark about Marlo caring for her nephews Michael, 14, and William, 13.

Marlo, who has custody of the children, proudly declared to the other Housewives: 'No one in this group would take me away from Michael and William.'

Kenya piped up in a bored voice: 'Yeah, 'cause you gave 'em away' - somewhat mysteriously, as Marlo is not currently known to have given up the boys.

The other Housewives seemed taken aback by Kenya's comment, but none so much as Kenya, who snapped: 'B****, you're trash!'

Fury: During a particularly heated exchange during the sneak peek, Marlo, 46, denounced Kenya Moore, 51, as a 'b***' and 'trash'

'Yeah, 'cause you gave 'em away': The tension between the two women flared up when Kenya made a snide remark about Marlo caring for her nephews Michael, 14, and William, 13

Staunch: Marlo, who has custody of the children, proudly declared to the other Housewives: 'No one in this group would take me away from Michael and William'

Marlo threw her own share of darts at her co-stars' family affairs, making fun of Kandi Burruss' marriage to her sizzling husband Todd Tucker.

Kandi and Todd became involved over a decade ago when she was already a Real Housewife Of Atlanta and he was working as a line producer on the reality series.

During an upscale dinner with the cast, Marlo slyly implied that Todd was a kept husband, telling Marlo: 'You take care of a man.'

'I don't take care of no man!' exclaimed Kandi, who shot back at Marlo: 'Get a husband, and then you can tell me what to do with one.'

By the way: Marlo threw her own share of darts at her co-stars' family affairs, making fun of Kandi Burruss' marriage to her sizzling husband Todd Tucker

Letting it out: At another dinner, Kandi taunted Marlo: 'So can't nobody say nothing to you then?' to which Marlo insisted: 'No, you can say something, I'm just saying - '

Unfiltered: Kandi then unleashed her most memorable line of the sneak peek: 'I am not Michelle Obama - you go low, I'm going low with you'

Origin story: Kandi and Todd became involved over a decade ago when she was already a Real Housewife Of Atlanta and he was working as a line producer on the reality series

At another dinner, Kandi taunted Marlo: 'So can't nobody say nothing to you then?' to which Marlo insisted: 'No, you can say something, I'm just saying - '

Kandi then unleashed her most memorable line of the sneak peek: 'I am not Michelle Obama - you go low, I'm going low with you.'

Sheree Whitfield meanwhile could be briefly glimpsed having a fight with her on-off ex Tyrone Williams, who got out of prison last year after doing time for fraud.

Tyrone, who has been involved with Sheree off and on for over a decade, recently stood Sheree up when she traveled to Philadelphia especially to meet him.

What a time: Sheree Whitfield meanwhile could be briefly glimpsed having a fight with her on-off ex Tyrone Williams, who got out of prison last year after doing time for fraud

Making it happen: Amid her personal drama, Sheree was also caught in a spiral of crises leading up to her She By Sheree fashion launch, which was in the works for a decade

On top of being a no-show, Tyrone neglected to pick up the phone, leaving Sheree alone 'in a city that I'm unfamiliar with - not a text, not a call.'

In the new trailer, she confronts Tyrone for not offering any 'apology' for his behavior, saying she was 'f***ing humiliated' at being deserted in Philadelphia.

Tyrone stood his ground, refusing to say he was sorry and appearing to accuse Sheree of having 'helped me go back to prison.'

Amid her personal drama, Sheree was also caught in a spiral of crises leading up to her She By Sheree fashion launch, which was in the works for a decade.

Living it up: The Real Housewives Of Atlanta is currently on its 13th season, which shows in part the ladies traveling to Jamaica on vacation

Details: The Real Housewives Of Atlanta is currently on its 13th season, which shows in part the ladies traveling to Jamaica on vacation

'Are you f***ing kidding me?' she said on the phone when told there were not enough 'pieces' for a fashion show. 'This cannot be another one of those f***ing times.'

The Real Housewives Of Atlanta is currently on its 13th season, which shows in part the ladies traveling to Jamaica on vacation.

Jamaica also happens to be the native country of one of the Housewives, Sanya Richards-Ross, who used to be a track and field Olympian for the United States.

The Housewives could be seen playfully engaging in a track competition where the rest of the ladies were left in the dust by the professional.
Bindi Irwin spent a fun-filled morning at the beach on Friday with her toddler daughter Grace Warrior, husband Chandler Powell and mother Terri Irwin.

The 23-year-old conservationist was seen walking along the gorgeous shoreline with her family just after dawn.

She posted photos to Instagram capturing sweet moments of Grace bonding with them all and posing next to a lighthouse.

Bindi Irwin spent a fun-filled morning at the beach on Friday with her toddler daughter Grace Warrior and husband Chandler Powell

The Irwins' day at the beach comes after they confirmed the launch of a new restaurant and bar at the Crocodile Hunter Lodge in Australia Zoo.

Bindi announced the opening last Wednesday, telling her social media followers: 'Warrior Restaurant and Bar opens tomorrow night @crocodilehunterlodge.

'We look forward to welcoming you for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can even book your own private dining room.'

The 23-year-old conservationist was seen walking along the gorgeous shoreline with her family just after dawn. (Pictured with her mother Terri Irwin)

She continued: 'Remember to be on the lookout for koalas, kangaroos and emus during your meal.'

The restaurant also includes a special tribute wall to the late Steve Irwin which is filled with pictures of the Crocodile Hunter and his family.

The lodge is a new addition to Australia Zoo that allows guests to stay overnight.

She posted photos to Instagram capturing sweet moments of Grace bonding with them all and posing next to a lighthouse

Steve and his widow Terri Irwin, who now runs Australia Zoo after his death in 2006, always dreamt of visitors being able to have an immersive experience at the zoo.

'Steve always had a dream that someday not only could people visit Australia Zoo but to stay overnight. Have the immersive experience,' Terri, 57, said.

Her son Robert Irwin, 18, also revealed some of the wood used in the building had been repurposed from the crocodile grandstands Steve originally built.

He said: 'So a lot of the lodge is actually kind of in a way hand-built by dad.'
Emilia Clarke showcased her elegant sense of style as she posed on-stage at the opening of The Seagull at The Playhouse Theatre in London on Thursday.

The actress, 35, wore a sand-hued knitted co-ord consisting of a crop-top and a high waisted skirt.

Her sleeveless top left her arms on show as she confidently posed with her hand on her hip.

In style: Emilia Clarke, 35, showcased her elegant sense of style as she posed on-stage at the opening of The Seagull at The Playhouse Theatre in London on Thursday

She wore a pair of pointed white high-heeled shoes which added a few inches to her stature.

The star, who plays the role of Nina in the production, wore her hair pinned back with strands styled into loose waves at the front, and she opted for lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty features.

She was joined at the photocall by fellow cast member Daniel Monks who plays Konstantin in Anton Chekhov's play.

Fashion focus: The actress wore a sand-hued knitted co-ord consisting of a crop-top and a high waisted skirt

Glamour puss: Her sleeveless top left her arms on show as she confidently posed with her hand on her hip

Co-star: She was joined at the photocall by fellow cast member Daniel Monks who plays Konstantin in Anton Chekhov's play

Born to perform: Emelia, who plays the role of Nina in the production, wore her hair pinned back with strands styled into loose waves at the front

Daniel cut a dapper figure in a black suit which he teamed with a white T-shirt and a pair of polished black shoes.

He posed arm-in-arm with Emilia as they prepared to perform together in the upcoming run of the play.

The Seagull follows the story of two actors who become embroiled in personal and professional conflicts.

Strike a pose: Daniel cut a dapper figure in a black suit which he teamed with a white T-shirt and a pair of polished black shoes

Standing tall: Emelia wore a pair of pointed white high-heeled shoes which added a few inches to her stature

Telling the tale: The Seagull follows the story of two actors who become embroiled in personal and professional conflicts

The cast is completed by Tom Rhys Harries as Trigorin, Indira Varma as Arkadina, Sophie Wu as Masha, Jason Barnett as Shamrayev, Robert Glenister as Sorin, Mika Onyx Johnson as Medvedenko, Gerald Kyd as Dorn, Sara Powell as Polina, and Katie Buchholz, Tina Harris, Joseph Langdon and David Lee-Jones.

Actress Laura Haddock, 36, looked stylish as she left the theatre after the show, wearing a yellow and brown floral print mini dress.

The garment finished above her knee and featured loose ruffles at the hem.

Stepping out: Actress Laura Haddock, 36, looked stylish as she left the theatre after the show, wearing a yellow and brown floral print mini dress

Standing out from the crowd: Laura wore a pair of backless black moccasin shoes with a fur trim

Star power: She was in good spirits as she smiled before taking her seat for the performance earlier in the evening, wearing a black leather jacket over her shoulders

Fame game: Meanwhile, James McAvoy, 43, wore a navy blue shirt and matching trousers for his outing to the theatre

Strapping: He wore his shirt unbuttoned at the collar to give a glimpse at his upper chest and the short sleeves left his strong arms on show

Greeting his public: The actor wore a pair of orange-hued sunglasses and was happy to greet fans and sign autographs before the show

She was in good spirits as she smiled before taking her seat for the performance earlier in the evening, wearing a black leather jacket over her shoulders.

Meanwhile, James McAvoy, 43, wore a navy blue shirt and matching trousers for his outing to the theatre.

He wore his shirt unbuttoned at the collar to give a glimpse at his upper chest and the short sleeves left his strong arms on show.

The actor wore a pair of orange-hued sunglasses and was happy to greet fans and sign autographs before the show.
She may have voted for Scott Morrison, but radio presenter Jackie 'O' Henderson has admitted she thinks Anthony Albanese is the better looking prime minister.

The KIIS FM host, 47, reluctantly admitted she thinks Mr Albanese is 'cute' during an interview on Winter Breakfast with Mitch Churi on Friday.

She was asked for her thoughts on the 59-year-old Labor leader's appearance, but stopped short of calling him 'hot'.

She may have voted for Scott Morrison, but radio presenter Jackie 'O' Henderson (pictured) has admitted she thinks Anthony Albanese is the better looking prime minister

The topic came up when KIIS FM guest booker Jaimee 'Mayo' Blazquez interrupted Jackie's interview with Mitch to say she'd privately called Mr Albanese a 'hot guy'.

Mitch then asked Jackie whether she fantasised about sleeping with the prime minister.

'No!' she protested, before Mayo clarified the word she'd actually used to describe the PM was 'cute' not 'hot'.

The KIIS FM host, 47, reluctantly admitted she thinks Mr Albanese (pictured on May 22) is 'cute' during an interview on Winter Breakfast with Mitch Churi on Friday

A surprised Mitch then asked Jackie: 'Really?'

She tried to deny having a thing for Mr Albanese, but eventually conceded it was true by telling Mayo: 'Why would you throw me under the bus like this?'

Mitch then joked the PM 'has only got a girlfriend and they're not married', offering a glimmer of hope for singleton Jackie.

The topic came up when KIIS FM guest booker Jaimee 'Mayo' Blazquez (pictured) interrupted Jackie's interview with Mitch to say she'd privately called Mr Albanese a 'hot guy'

Mayo agreed, saying 'a girlfriend is only an obstacle', not a deal-breaker.

At this point, Jackie lost patience with her colleagues and snapped: 'I am being serious now, Mitch, you need to stop.

'I have no interest in Anthony Albanese and he has a wonderful girlfriend and he's running the country.'

It comes after Jackie and her co-host Kyle Sandilands revealed they'd voted for former PM Scott Morrison at the federal election.

Mr Morrison ended up losing power after Labor achieved majority government for the first time since 2007, winning 77 seats in the House of Representatives.
The Baby (Sky Atlantic)

Rating:

Ghislaine Maxwell: The Making Of A Monster (C4)

Rating:

Were not going to let it change anything. Yes, were having a baby, but why does that mean anything else has to be different?

As delusions go, this one is as crackpot as invading Austria in a bicorne hat, convinced you are the Emperor Napoleon.

For most first-time parents, it doesnt take long for reality to assert itself  usually around the third sleepless night.

Tash is convinced the baby thats ruining her life isnt hers

Its worse for Tash (played by former model Michelle de Swarte) in The Baby (Sky Atlantic), because shes convinced the dimpled blue-eyed cutie thats ruining her life isnt hers. He quite literally dropped out of the sky into her arms.

The Baby is a daring blend of horror, dark comedy and psychological thriller. Fans of the U.S. crime caper Fargo will recognise its intentions, though there are no serial killers or gangland assassins here  just a six-month-old with the power of life or death over anyone that crosses his path.

In the debut double bill of half-hour episodes, the body count included two reluctant mothers, two incompetent coppers, a garage attendant and a dog.

It opened with a woman running through woods, fleeing unseen pursuers. Weve seen that hackneyed image in countless Scandi thrillers, but this time it turned weird.

Isy Suttie plays her best friend, Rita, but seems to take it for granted that this child really is Tashs

The woman was carrying a baby in a holdall, and the pursuers were a pair of policemen too incompetent to be Keystone Cops.

Then the woman fell over a cliff edge, the baby followed, and thats where Tash came in  catching the plummeting child like a fly-half grabbing a rugby ball.

This was so surreal (as was the subsequent death of the bobbies, crushed by a falling boulder) that it was hard to know whether we were meant to take it literally.

An hour later, that question still wasnt resolved, but hints are mounting that the nightmare scenes might partly be Tashs psychotic delusion, perhaps brought on by postpartum depression  the mental illness too often dismissed as baby blues.

Her best friend Rita (Isy Suttie) seems to take it for granted that this child really is Tashs. Most other people never think to question it . . . though one of the running jokes of the show is that, once a woman has a baby, the rest of the world treats her with a gentle pity, as though her personality has ceased to exist.

The Baby is ambitious, odd, sometimes stagey and occasionally distracted by its own cleverness. But if youre looking for something different to watch, its definitely that.

Michelle de Swarte is also a stand-up comedian, and one of her stage routines describes the chilling night in New York when, after a fashion show, the sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein propositioned her.

That might make her unusual, because Epstein generally used other people to lure in his prey.

Ghislaine Maxwell: The Making Of A Monster describes Jeffrey Epstein's system as a sexual pyramid scheme

Ghislaine Maxwell: The Making Of A Monster (C4) described his system as a sexual pyramid scheme. His mistress, Robert Maxwells devious daughter, recruited teenagers to pander to Epsteins perverted lusts, and then sent those girls out to find more victims. This series was raking over ground well trodden by previous documentaries.

Robert Maxwells devious daughter recruited teenagers to pander to Epsteins perverted lusts

None of the films has fully explained why Maxwell enabled Epsteins paedophilia for so many years. In part, thats because evil is inexplicable  and she is certainly evil.

But we will never completely understand until the enigma of Epstein and his money is unravelled. And there appear to be many very powerful men determined to suppress that story.
Denise Richards expressed that she was 'in a good place' with her former husband, Charlie Sheen, during an interview with Us Weekly that was shared on Thursday.

The 51-year-old actress told the media outlet that, although she and her past spouse, 56, had their differences, they were still on amicable terms.

The former couple share a pair of daughters named Sami and Lola, aged 18 and 17, and the actor previously voiced his disapproval of the former's OnlyFans venture, although he later changed his mind about her actions.

Doing well: Denise Richards expressed that she was 'in a good place' with her former husband, Charlie Sheen, during an interview with Us Weekly that was shared on Thursday; she is seen in 2019

Richards began the sit-down by noting that, although she and Sheen had split over a decade ago, they were still close to each other.

The former The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member stated: 'I'm always in a good place with him.'

The Starship Troopers actress then noted that she and the Two and a Half Men star had each other's backs, despite their past split.

'I think it's great to be able to support one another and to not have judgment of what something may or may not be,' she stated.

Until the very end: Richards began the sit-down by noting that, although she and Sheen had split over a decade ago, they were still close to each other; they are seen in 2003

Richards and Sheen initially met while working on the 2000 comedy film Good Advice, in which they both starred.

The couple began dating the following year, and they went on to make their union official in 2002.

The former pair waited two years before bringing Sami into their lives, and they welcomed Lola in 2005.

However, the two eventually split, and their marriage was formally dissolved in 2006.

Starting a family: The former pair waited two years before bringing Sami into their lives, and they welcomed Lola in 2005; they are seen in 2010

Sheen went on to begin dating actress Brooke Mueller, whom he married in 2008.

The pair welcomed a pair of twins named Bob and Max, both aged 13, although they went their separate ways in 2011.

Richards later started dating Aaron Phypers in 2017, and the pair held a wedding ceremony the following year.

The happy couple announced that they had adopted a daughter named Eloise in 2019.

Done for good: However, the two eventually split, and their marriage was formally dissolved in 2006; they are seen in 2002

The former pair's eldest daughter notably announced that she had joined the OnlyFans subscription service last month.

Sheen subsequently reacted to the announcement with surprise and criticized his child's actions.

However, he changed his mind about the decision after Richards expressed his support for Sami.

The actress later revealed that she had also joined the platform as a content creator.
She has been enjoying a getaway in Los Angeles.

And Imogen Anthony is staying at one of the city's most iconic venues, The Beverly Hills Hotel.

The model, 31, turned heads at the historic hotel known for its rich and famous clientele by wearing a particularly racy outfit poolside.

Imogen Anthony continued her extravagant holiday on Thursday by the pool at The Beverly Hills Hotel

She teamed thigh-high PVC boots with a G-string bikini and cowboy hat.

Imogen, the ex-girlfriend of radio host Kyle Sandilands, arrived at the pool in a white bath robe before slipping it off to reveal her daring heels and skimpy bikini.

She accessorised her barely there swimwear with two chunky necklaces and added a pair of futuristic sunglasses and a cowboy hat adorned with skulls patterns.

Imogen, the ex-girlfriend of radio host Kyle Sandilands, arrived at the pool in a white bath robe before slipping it off to reveal her daring heels and skimpy bikini.

The model, 31, turned heads at the historic hotel known for its rich and famous clientele by wearing a particularly racy outfit poolside

Describing herself as 'f***ing fab', the influencer went on to snap a series of selfies.

In one titillating photo, taken from behind, she stood up and showed of her pert derriere while clutching a Bloody Mary.

Another showed her posing with her robe hanging half off, while a third zoomed in on her body to highlight her svelte figure.

She accessorised her barely there swimwear with two chunky necklaces and added a pair of futuristic sunglasses and a cowboy hat adorned with skulls patterns.

One racier clip offered a glimpse of just her thighs and boots as she crossed and uncrossed her legs, Basic Instinct style.

'Last day at the The Beverly Hills Hotel,' she captioned a reel of her sunbathing.

'Where the salads cost 50 bucks a pop but at least they treat you like royalty. I also have a food baby, so leave me alone'.

The Beverly Hills hotel has been the playground of Hollywood elites for more than a century, with the likes of John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra among its famous guests.

Rooms cost more than AU$1,500 a night and in recent years the hotel has been a hang-out for the likes of the Kardashians, the Hiltons and Osbournes.

The Beverly Hills hotel has been the playground of Hollywood elites for more than a century, with the likes of John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra among its famous guests.

Rooms cost more than AU$1,500 a night and in recent years the hotel has been a hang-out for the likes of the Kardashians, the Hiltons and Osbournes.

Imogen dated Sydney radio host Kyle Sandilands for eight years.

The KIIS FM presenter announced their split in November 2019, telling his listeners their relationship had simply 'run its course'.

Kyle is now expecting his first child with fiancee Tegan Kynaston.
WAG-turned-influencer Phoebe Burgess is known for her love of designer clothing.

And on Thursday, the 33-year-old wore one of her most expensive outfits yet as she headed to a beauty appointment in Sydney's ritzy Double Bay.

Phoebe donned a $2,000 coat by Camilla and Marc and toted a $5,500 Bottega Veneta handbag as she made her way for an eyebrow appointment at Kristin Fisher Eyebrows.

Phoebe Burgess stepped out in a $7,500 outfit on Thursday as she headed to a beauty appointment in Double Bay

Phoebe's black coat featured an eye-catching leather collar and a tailored design.

The ex-wife of former NRL star Sam Burgess teamed the look with a pair of baggy blue high-waisted jeans and a black turtleneck jumper.

She accessorised with bulky sneakers and a chic pair of cat-eye sunglasses.

Phoebe donned a $2,000 coat by Camilla and Marc and toted a $5,500 Bottega Veneta handbag as she made her way for an eyebrow appointment at Kristin Fisher Eyebrows

She wore natural-looking makeup and pulled her hair into a low, messy bun and appeared to flash her tape hair extensions at the back

Phoebe drove around in her loaned Toyota LandCruiser 300 GR Sport, worth a whopping $147,000

Phoebe, who drove around in her loaned Toyota LandCruiser 300 GR Sport, worth a whopping $147,000, wore natural-looking makeup and pulled her hair into a low, messy bun.

However, she appeared to flash her tape hair extensions at the back.

It comes after the former journalist, who hosts a new podcast for Vogue, shared the contents of her handbag, and the on-the-go beauty products she swears by.

Phoebe says she is currently obsessed with supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's makeup range, Rose Inc.

The mother-of-two swears by the brand's new lip colours (which retail for around $40) describing them as 'super balmy'.

The ex-wife of former NRL star Sam Burgess teamed the look with a pair of baggy blue high-waisted jeans and a black turtleneck jumper

It comes after the former journalist, who hosts a new podcast for Vogue, shared the contents of her handbag and the on-the-go beauty products she swears by

Phoebe was also seen on Thursday picking up some goods at the local shopping complex

Phoebe said she also regularly uses face mist to keep her skin hydrated and recently discovered Magic Brows tinted brow gel at the supermarket by MCoBeauty.

Other items in her handbag were quite surprising - with the blonde keeping sugary snacks like Gobstoppers and Hubba Bubba on hand.

Phoebe has become quite a popular influencer since her split with NRL star Sam Burgess.

During a recent appearance on The Morning Show, she revealed why she hadn't changed her surname following the couple's split.

She said she couldn't imagine having a different surname to her daughter Poppy, four, and son Billy, three.

'I can't imagine being anything different to what my babies go by, and it creates that sense of family within us,' she explained.

'It was something I did not think about twice in terms of changing it.'
After spending the past few months filming in Rome, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen were spotted in Venice, Italy, filming Book Club 2

The 84-year-old Fonda and 76-year-old Bergen were both spotted on the set of their sequel to the 2018 movie.

Filming started in late May, with Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Don Johnson and Craig T. Nelson returning from the first film.

Jane arrives: After spending the past few months filming in Rome, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen were spotted in Venice, Italy, filming Book Club 2

On set: The 84-year-old Fonda and 76-year-old Bergen were both spotted on the set of their sequel to the 2018 movie

Fonda was spotted arriving on set with her luggage, wearing a white hat with brown sunglasses, while masking up with a white face mask.

She also wore a black coat, black and white striped top and black pants, while seen getting into a boat.

She completed her look with black boots while carrying her luggage and a white pillow to the set.

Jane's look: She also wore a black coat, black and white striped top and black pants, while seen getting into a boat

Bergen was spotted wearing a white hat that was practically identical to the one Fonda was wearing, along with black-rimmed glasses.

She also wore multi-colored earrings with a blue, white and red striped top, with a small orange purse slung from her shoulder.

The actress completed her look with dark blue jeans and black sandals.

Candice's look: Bergen was spotted wearing a white hat that was practically identical to the one Fonda was wearing, along with black-rimmed glasses

Set ready: She also wore multi-colored earrings with a blue, white and red striped top, with a small orange purse slung from her shoulder

Book Club 2 is a follow-up to the 2018 surprise hit Book Club, which took in $104 million worldwide from just a $14.1 million budget.

The returning stars will be joined by Giancarlo Giannini, Hugh Quarshie and Vincent Riotta, with the story following the four Book Club friends (Fonda, Bergen, Keaton and Steenburgen) as they take a girls trip to Italy.

A report from Variety also teases that, 'the clubs vacation goes off the rails after secrets are revealed, sending them on a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.'

Sequel: Book Club 2 is a follow-up to the 2018 surprise hit Book Club, which took in $104 million worldwide from just a $14.1 million budget

Cast: The returning stars will be joined by Giancarlo Giannini, Hugh Quarshie and Vincent Riotta, with the story following the four Book Club friends (Fonda, Bergen, Keaton and Steenburgen) as they take a girls trip to Italy

Book Club director Bill Holderman returns to direct the sequel, working from a script he co-wrote with Erin Simms.

Holderman and Simms will both also serve as producers on the sequel, which doesn't have a release date in place.

Andrew Duncan, Trish Hofmann, Enzo Sisti and Brad Weston will serve as the executive producers on the sequel.

Director: Book Club director Bill Holderman returns to direct the sequel, working from a script he co-wrote with Erin Simms
Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has achieved yet another professional coup by landing the cover Von magazine.

Founded by the legendary German fashion photographer Ellen Von Unwerth, the publication has featured top-flight cover girls like Miley Cyrus and Cate Blanchett.

And now Sydney, 24, has become the latest to join their ranks, showing off her ample endowments in a plunging scarlet dress.

'Sugar and spice': Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has achieved yet another professional coup by landing the cover Von magazine

She exuded the image of the classic blonde bombshell, pulling her best smoldering supermodel stare for the cameras.

Her curls cascaded over her shoulders and her screen siren features were sharpened with makeup including a slick of red lipstick.

Sydney's cover girl ensemble was accentuated with a gleaming gold bracelet that complemented her luxurious hairdo.

'With my own magazine, Von, its very exciting because I am free to do my own stories and to photograph young artists and designers,' Ellen told Euronews in an interview a few years ago. 'There are loads of magazines out there but not so many outlets to show the work of up-and-coming people.'

What a look: Sydney recently also hit the cover of Vogue Hong Kong in a shoot by the Canadian artist and photographer Petra Collins

As far as Sydney's life is concerned, People reported this March that Sydney is engaged to her longtime boyfriend Jonathan Davino.

She has been mum about the romance since it reportedly began in 2018 and she has not publicly confirmed the reports of their engagement.

However shortly after the initial reports in March, an E! News insider gushed that Sydney was taken completely by surprise at Jonathan's 'intimate proposal.'

As seen in 2018: As far as Sydney's life is concerned, People reported this March that Sydney is engaged to her longtime boyfriend Jonathan Davino (left)

The source spilled that Sydney was 'on cloud nine' but wanted to enjoy a 'long engagement' before going down the aisle.

'She's focused on her career right now and is extremely excited she is joining Marvel. She's really focused on work and Jonathan has been very supportive over the years,' the insider dished to the outlet.

Sydney is entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe as part of the cast of the Spider-Man spin-off Madame Web, which will star Dakota Johnson in the title role.
Footy WAG Jesinta Franklin has revealed why she doesn't want her two-year-old daughter Tullulah to follow in her footsteps by becoming a model.

The former Miss Universe Australia, 30, who is married to AFL star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, said on Thursday she struggled with body image issues because of her career and doesn't want the same thing to happen to Tullulah.

'It's something I think about a lot, and I'll probably regret saying this, but deep down, I hope that [Tallulah] doesn't want to model,' she told Now To Love.

Footy WAG Jesinta Franklin (left, with husband Buddy Franklin) has revealed why she doesn't want her two-year-old daughter Tullulah to follow in her footsteps by becoming a model

Despite making a good living from modelling and working with major brands like Olay, David Jones and Tiffany & Co., Jesinta said she had also experienced the darker side of the industry.

'I've had some really tough experiences in the past, and I know it still affects me to this day, especially with body image,' she said.

The Swisse ambassador recalled a distressing time when she was measured and weighed every morning while modelling in China, and feared she would lose her contract if her weight fluctuated.

The former Miss Universe Australia, 30, said on Thursday she struggled with body image issues because of her career and doesn't want the same thing to happen to Tullulah (pictured)

She also faced pressures in Australia, where she said the mantra of the modelling industry used to be: 'The thinner you are, the more you work.'

'I was very unhealthy at that stage,' she added. 'I didn't weigh enough, and I was over-exercising and undereating.

'I think if you speak to most people who worked in the modelling industry [then], the stories are probably really similar.'

'It's something I think about a lot, and I'll probably regret saying this, but deep down, I hope that [Tallulah] doesn't want to model,' she told Now To Love

She continued: 'That was probably the biggest challenge for me that had long-lasting effects on my health and the way that I looked at my body.

'I'd like to think that I'm on the other side of that now.'

However, recent changes in the industry mean Jesinta is optimistic her daughter won't face the same pressures if she chooses to enter the profession.

Jesinta shares two children, Tullulah and son Rocky, one, with Sydney Swans great Buddy, 35, whom she married in November 2016.
Robert Pattinson will be joined by The Walking Dead star Steven Yeun in an upcoming movie from Parasite director Bong Joon-ho.

The South Korean filmmaker previously worked with Steven on his Netflix movie Okja, which featured stars from both Hollywood and the South Korean film industry.

Now a report in Deadline says that Steven has joined the cast of the director's next movie Mickey7, which also stars Toni Collette and Marc Ruffalo.

Incoming: Robert Pattinson will be joined by Steven Yeun, who is pictured on The Walking Dead, in an upcoming movie from Parasite director Bong Joon-ho

Mickey7 is based on an Edward Ashton novel of the same name that the filmmaker had already optioned before its publication this February.

Robert has been cast as the title character, who in the novel is a clone who is able to regenerate his body every time he gets killed.

The novel takes place on an ice-covered foreign planet that has been colonized by a human regime that Mickey7 serves, per the novel's publishers Macmillan.

Reunion: The South Korean filmmaker previously worked with Steven on his Netflix movie Okja, which he is pictured in with Paul Dano (left)

Heartthrob: Robert has been cast as the title character, who in the novel is a clone who is able to regenerate his body every time he gets killed

Because of his capacity for regeneration, Mickey7 is sent off on the most life-threatening missions - and, as his name suggests, he is now on his seventh life.

At one point, however, he goes missing for an extended period, and when he manages to return to the human settlement a Mickey8 clone has been created.

The humans are antipathetic to the idea of there being two Mickeys at once, so Mickey7 has to now prevent himself or Mickey8 getting exterminated.

Throwback: Mickey7 will be the filmmaker's first directorial venture after Parasite (pictured), a dark class satire that became the first foreign-language film ever to win the best picture Oscar

Bong Joon-ho's movie adaptation of the novel will also feature Naomi Ackie, who was on the UK series The End Of The F***ing World.

Mickey7 will be the filmmaker's first directorial venture after Parasite, a dark class satire that became the first foreign-language film ever to win the best picture Oscar.

Joon-ho that night became only the second person to win best director for a foreign-language film, after Alfonso Cuaron the previous year for the Mexican movie Roma.
Erika Jayne landed in hot water with Garcelle Beauvais when she hit on Beauvais's 30-year-old married son Oliver Saunders and told her 14-year-old boy Jax to 'f**k off'.

And while Jayne has since apologized for her 'inappropriate behavior' in Wednesday's episode titled Calamity Jayne, it hasn't quelled all the backlash from fans.

On Thursday, less than 24 hours after the episode aired on Bravo, the Georgia native looked to be in a down mood when she stepped out to do some shopping in West Hollywood.

On the down low: Erika Jayne, 50, kept a low profile in sweatpants and a T-Shirt when she stepped out to shop at a Target in West Hollywood on Thursday

Jayne, 50, didn't flash any of her beaming smiles when she was spotted leaving a Target store with a cart full of bagged groceries, alongside a friend.

On this day, she also opted to keep it casual in the fashion department, dressed in gray sweatpants with a white T-Shirt and matching running sneakers.

The reality star also wore a pair of dark sunglasses, and pulled her long blonde tresses back off her face and into a ponytail.

Appearing somewhat sullen, Jayne made the walk outside the exit doors and back to her parked vehicle next to her gal pal, who pushed the cart through the parking lot.

So sorry: RHOBH star ended up apologizing to Garcelle Beauvais for cursing at her 14-year-old son Jax, which came after she hit on her co-star's other son Oliver, 30

All the drama involving Jayne in Wednesday's episode happened after she put her boot up in the air and announced to Beauvais at her 55th birthday party that her 30-year-old son Oliver Saunders was hot.

At one point she asked him if he was married, which he confirmed that he is.

'Have your baby mama contact me on my DMs,' Jayne said referencing his wife Samantha Saunders. 'We could get it in three-way. It's all good.'

After Saunders got up to leave with his mother, Jayne confronted 14-year-old Jax when he and Crystal Kung Minkoff went to pick up a floral arrangement.

Birthday party bash up: Garcelle Beauvais was outraged at her own birthday party after Erika Jayne hit on her 30-year-old son Oliver and then told her 14-year-old boy Jax to 'f*** off' on Wednesday's episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

The proposition: After learning Beauvais's son Oliver is married, she suggested her to contact her about having some group sex together

Leg up: The proposition happened when Jayne lifted her leg up into the air and announced to Beauvais at her 55th birthday party that her son Oliver was hot

'What are you doing here?,' she said to Jax. 'Get the f**k out of here. Get the f**k out of here before you get in trouble.'

Being that her son is just 14, Beauvais was outraged over Jayne's display at the party: 'Under no circumstances can you disrespect not only a kid, but my kid.'

Jayne agreed with her co-star and said she would take 'full responsibility' for her actions, adding, 'I was s**t talking and treating the kids like they were adults and I was wrong. I fully apologize.'

During her apology, the Real Housewives star claimed her behavior 'didn't come from a bad place.' maintaining, 'It wasn't vicious, it was just wrong.'

The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills will return next Wednesday on Bravo.

Confronting a minor: 'What are you doing here?,' Erika said to Jax. 'Get the f*** out of here. Get the f*** out of here before you get in trouble'

Not good with it: 'This is not okay,' Beauvais said in a confessional
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Tom Holland threw himself into character as he filmed an action scene for The Crowded Room in New York City on Wednesday evening.

The actor, 26, was filmed getting chased by security guards as he made a run for it through Rockefeller Center in video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

Crowds fled from Tom as he ran through the plaza with two guards pursuing him.

Lights, camera, action: Tom Holland threw himself into character as he filmed an action scene for The Crowded Room in New York City

He carried a bright green device and wore a brown sweater and jeans with his shaggy brown hair tumbling across his forehead.

Extras clad in 1970s apparel scurried through the plaza, looking fearful.

Tom made his way from one end of the plaza to the other, before descending a staircase.

Tom plays the lead role of Danny Sullivan in the upcoming Apple TV+ series.

On the run: The actor, 26, was filmed getting chased by security guards as he made a run for it through Rockefeller Center in video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com

Action scene: Holland ran across the plaza in a brown sweater and jeans

The Crowded Room 'is an anthology series that will explore inspirational stories of those who have struggled with mental illness and learned to live successfully with it,' according to Deadline.

Season one, which will be 10 episodes, is based on the life of writer and producer Akiva Goldsman as well as parts of the Daniel Keyes biography The Minds of Billy Milligan.

Holland is set to portray Danny Sullivan, a character based on Milligan, who was the first individual to be acquitted of a crime due to multiple personality disorder.

In pursuit: Holland dashed downstairs as security trailed him

Leading man: Tom plays the lead role of Danny Sullivan in the upcoming Apple TV+ series

Multiple Personality Disorder is a now defunct diagnosis currently known as dissociative identity disorder.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, those living with DID, a mental health condition, 'have two or more separate identities.'

The identities each have their own 'personal history, traits, likes and dislikes' and 'lead to gaps in memory and hallucinations (believing something is real when it isnt).'

Setting the stage: Extras wore 1970s style apparel as they waited for their cue

On the set: Yellow umbrellas were set up inside the plaza

Milligan was arrested in the late 1970s for three rapes on the campus of Ohio State University.

His laywers pleaded insanity, claiming that two of Milligan's alternate personalities committed the crimes.

The cast also includes Emmy Rossum, who will play Danny's mother Candy, and Amanda Seyfried, who has been cast as 'a clinical psychologist faced with the most challenging case of her career.'

Filming on the series began on March 31 with a release date yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile: Holland was seen on the set on Wednesday
The Bachelorette alum Luke Pell and girlfriend Amanda Mertz announced their engagement on social media Thursday.

The couple, who are visiting Italy, jointly posted a shot of Pell, 37, on one knee proposing to Mertz, 35, outside of the Colosseum in Rome.

They captioned the shot: 'When in Rome We are so thrilled to finally share the news, WERE ENGAGED!!'

The latest: The Bachelorette alum Luke Pell, 37, and girlfriend Amanda Mertz, 35, announced their engagement on social media Thursday. They were snapped in Lake Como, Italy last month

The real estate professional, who appeared on The Bachelorette's 12th season, had musicians, a florist and a photographer on hand to make for the magical moment, according to People.

'It feels like a long time coming,' Pell told the outlet of the engagement. 'There's other points in my life which I thought I was much closer to it. And now, I'm finally there.'

Pell said he's 'really excited' about the engagement as well as 'excited about the next season of life.'

Pell and Mertz, a digital media host, met and started to date in 2018, and spent some time apart early on in 2020 before rekindling the relationship later in the year - which marked a point when Pell said they 'really started looking at life together.'

The newly-engaged couple was seen at a luxury hotel in Italy last month

The pair was seen enjoying a vacation in The Bahamas in 2019

He added: 'Sometimes our frustrations or our other distractions in life - a career, or things and logistics of life - that don't align. They push us away.

'And then when you get some distance from somebody, you realize, "Wow, I mean, maybe there's challenges to what we're doing." Maybe we're not exactly the same person, but we have way more similarities than we have differences. There's something to be said for that. And that's what it was for us.'

Pell and Mertz have begun discussing the wedding process, according to the outlet, as the nuptials could come in Texas later this year or early next year.

'We've talked about every type of wedding at this point,' Pell said. 'We started talking about a small destination wedding with friends and family and then, we've talked about big weddings as well.'

Pell told People that Texas 'is a destination wedding for some people,' and that 'everybody wants to go visit Texas and wear a cowboy hat, and that type of thing.

'So yeah, we've got my family ranch in Texas and my mom has been working on having a wedding venue there, actually, for a couple of years. So we're excited about having it there.'

The duo, seen on a hiking excursion in Sedona, Arizona, have been together since 2018

The glamorous couple was seen relaxing on a boat in Capri, Italy

Pell said he and Mertz intended on inviting many Bachelor Nation personalities.

'There's a lot of folks that live in Nashville and that we're both friends with,' he said. 'And so those folks would be invited, for sure. We stayed close with them.

'And then, some of the other ones I've stayed close with from my season, Chase McNary out in Scottsdale, where I would spend a lot of time for work ... it's going to be exciting to reunite with that family as well.'

Pell said 'the best part' of being engaged is that he and Mertz are 'excited about just taking on life together.

'You know, you're on the same team and you really start to feel that as you're committing and moving toward marriage and now being engaged. It's a strange thing after you've spent so many years single and used to just solving life's problems as an individual. And then, when you have somebody to help with that, it's just a cool feeling.'
She's recently been in Europe for work, dazzling on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival.

And Kiwi model Georgia Fowler, 30, looked happy to be home and spending time with her sister Kate on Thursday night.

The two girls were in great spirits as they attended the official launch of Yes You Can drinks - a new zero alcohol cocktail brand - in Sydney.

Sisters' night out! Georgia Fowler looked every inch the supermodel as she attended non-alcoholic cocktail event with Justin Hemmes' ex and her sibling Kate at Chin Chin in Sydney on Thursday night

Mother-of-one Georgia looked stylish in a sheer designer blouse teamed with black wide-leg trousers and a leather jacket

Mother-of-one Georgia looked every inch the supermodel - wearing a sheer designer blouse teamed with black wide-leg trousers and a leather jacket.

She accessorised with some pricey footwear - a pair of neon yellow $1,130 Bottega Veneta mules -- and Tiffany & Co. jewellery.

Meanwhile, sister Kate, who shares two children with her ex, billionaire publican Justin Hemmes, also wore baggy trousers paired with a long sleeve knit and a bright red coat.

Chic: Georgia's sister Kate, far right, who shares two children with ex billionaire publican Justin Hemmes, also wore baggy trousers paired with a long sleeve knit and a pink coat

The siblings laughed and smiled as they left the event clutching flowers from the stunning table setting and a slab of the non-alcoholic drinks.

Guests attending the event assumed they were invited to the unveiling of Australia's newest canned cocktail to celebrate the launch of White Lies Cocktails at popular Sydney eatery, Chin Chin.

Diners were under the impression that they were drinking 'White Lie Cocktails' when they had been drinking Yes You Can non-alcoholic cocktails all night.

The siblings laughed and smiled as they arrived at the popular eatery

Georgia was in good spirits as she mingled with other guests at the event

Guests were handed a 'Breaking Newspaper Article' that was followed by a speech from co-founder Australian Olympian Tyler Martin.

Georgia welcomed her daughter Dylan Aman with her businessman boyfriend Nathan Dalah, who is the co-founder of restaurant chain Fishbowl, on September 17 last year.

'Dylan Aman Dalah. 17.9.21. Welcome to the world. We love you so much,' she wrote, sharing a series of photos of the adorable newborn.

The brunette beauty was glowing as she posed up a storm inside Chin Chin restaurant

Big Brother babe and former sprinter Katie Williams looked gorgeous in a low-cut sleeveless suit as she attended the event with his close friend and fellow athlete, Danielle Bazergy

The New Zealand native recently shared her delight at becoming a mother, saying it was 'much easier' than she'd envisioned.

'It has been easier than I thought. She's a real angel so it'll be fine,' she told Daily Mail Australia at the Moet & Chandon Effervescence in December.

'It's been really nice to be able to hang out with Dylan and have a great baby.'

Laura Csortan opted for a grungy look, pairing a ribbed dress with chunky black boots and a caramel-coloured coat
Brynne Edelsten is loving life as a new mother.

The Melbourne socialite, 39, shared sweet picture to Instagram on Friday of herself cuddling up to baby Starr Amari Gordon and her dog Juddy.

The sweet snap showed Brynne in a crop top and jeans snuggled up to baby Starr, who sported an adorable striped onesie.

Brynne Edelsten shared a sweet picture to Instagram on Friday of herself cuddling up to baby Starr Amari Gordon and her dog Juddy

Little Starr was sweetly cuddled up in between Brynne and the family dog.

Brynne, the ex-wife of late Australian businessman Geoffrey Edelsten, captioned the snap: 'Afternoon snuggles with my 2 babies'.

The influencer welcomed her daughter, whom she has described as an unplanned 'miracle baby', on April 21.

Brynne is still in the baby bubble with her daughter Starr Amari Gordon. She shared a collage of photos to Instagram on Wednesday of herself bonding with the newborn

A few weeks later, Brynne's mother Mariel jetted from Arizona to Melbourne to meet her granddaughter.

'And this is what makes over 30 hours of travel worth it!' Mariel wrote on Instagram.

Brynne recently told New Idea she'd chosen to give her baby girl the surname Gordon - her maiden name - so she would 'feel connected' to her family in the U.S.

The American socialite welcomed her daughter, whom she has described as an unplanned 'miracle baby', on April 21

The former fitness instructor had adopted the last name Edelsten when she married the late Geoffrey Edelsten in 2009.

While she kept the name after their 2014 divorce, she did not think it was appropriate to pass it on to her daughter.

Edelsten died aged 78 last June.

The identity of Starr's father has not been made public. However, Brynne confirmed to the publication the man had met his daughter twice.

A few weeks later, Brynne's mother Mariel jetted from Arizona to Melbourne to meet her granddaughter

'I haven't had a good night's sleep since Starr arrived,' Brynne said of motherhood.

'But I wouldn't trade being a mum for anything  I'm the happiest I've ever been.'

The pregnancy was delightful news for Brynne, who discovered during her high-profile marriage to Geoffrey it was unlikely she could ever conceive naturally.

The pregnancy was delightful news for Brynne, who discovered during her high-profile marriage to Geoffrey it was unlikely she could ever conceive naturally

'I didn't think I had any maternal instinct,' she told New Idea.

'Even while pregnant, I couldn't quite believe it was happening, but as soon as she arrived, we bonded and it all felt very natural.'

Brynne announced she was pregnant in December last year.

Brynne recently told New Idea she'd chosen to give her baby girl the surname Gordon - her maiden name - so she would 'feel connected' to her family in the U.S.

Sharing a photo of her ultrasound on Instagram, she wrote: 'Miracles do happen AND each is another day closer to meeting the love of my life.'

Brynne revealed at the time she planned to raise her baby alone.

'There's no man in the picture,' she said.

'I told the father, though. I would never keep the father of my child apart  I don't think that's ever going to be something that happens.'

Brynne was famously married to medical entrepreneur Geoffrey from 2009 to 2014.

Brynne announced she was pregnant in December last year
Jared Leto has been spending time on romantic outings with a beautiful mystery woman in Italy recently.

And now it has been revealed that his female companion is 25-year-old model Daria Korchina.

The 50-year-old 30 Seconds To Mars frontman was seen arm-in-arm with the stunner while out and about in Portofino on Wednesday night.

Revealed: Jared Leto, 50, has been spending time with Russian model Daria Korchina, 25, in Italy recently, as they are pictured out in Portofino on Wednesday

Gorgeous: Daria is an up-and-coming Russian model who stands at a statuesque 5feet9 and has been featured in Vogue

Earlier in the day the two were seen snorkeling off the coast of Sanfruttuoso di Camogli.

Daria is an up-and-coming Russian model who stands at a statuesque 5feet9 and has been featured in Vogue.

She has also strutted her stuff on the catwalk for multiple fashion weeks including for Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana

Loved up: On Wednesday, the duo took to the streets of Portofino, where they strolled arm-in-arm while accompanied by several of their pals as they patronized a local restaurant

Established: Daria has strutted her stuff on the catwalk for multiple fashion weeks including for Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana, she is seen during the Antonio Marras presentation in Milan back in February 2017

On Wednesday, the duo took to the streets of Portofino, where they strolled arm-in-arm while accompanied by several of their pals as they patronized a local restaurant.

Leto donned a bright yellow button-up shirt while stepping out for dinner with his friends.

The Blade Runner 2049 actor contrasted the bright tone of his top with a slim-fitting pair of black pants.

The 30 Seconds To Mars frontman added a bit of extra color to his look with a patterned blue scarf.

Standing out: The Blade Runner 2049 actor contrasted the bright tone of his top with a slim-fitting pair of black pants

Footwear: He also rocked a pair of open-toed sandals as he took in the sights of the getaway destination

He also rocked a pair of open-toed sandals as he took in the sights of the getaway destination.

Daria donned a beige shirt blouse withs trappy black sandals and carried along a small black Prada bag.

Leto's most recent role in a major television series was in the biographical drama series WeCrashed, which premiered this past March.

The program was focused on the rise and fall of WeWork, a startup that was founded in 2008.

The performer portrayed co-founder Adam Neumann, while Anne Hathaway portrayed his wife, Rebekah.

On screen: Leto's most recent role in a major television series was in the biographical drama series WeCrashed, which premiered this past March

Storyline: The program was focused on the rise and fall of WeWork, a startup that was founded in 2008

Leading man: The performer portrayed co-founder Adam Neumann, while Anne Hathaway portrayed his wife, Rebekah

Other cast members included Anthony Edwards, America Ferrera and O-T Fagbenle.

Development on the project initially began in 2020, and Leto was first attached to it that December.

Much of the cast was brought together over the course of the following year, when the program was shot.

Stacked cast: Other cast members included Anthony Edwards, America Ferrera and O-T Fagbenle

Signing on: Development on the project initially began in 2020, and Leto was first attached to it that December

Getting to work: Much of the cast was brought together over the course of the following year, when the program was shot

WeCrashed eventually made its debut on the Apple TV+ streaming service this past March and ran for a total of eight episodes.

The program received generally positive reviews from critics, many of whom singled out Hathaway for praise.

Leto spoke about working on the program during an interview with Vanity Fair, where he credited his time performing with his band with helping him understand Neumann as a person.

Major debut: WeCrashed eventually made its debut on the Apple TV+ streaming service this past March and ran for a total of eight episodes

Doing well: The program received generally positive reviews from critics, many of whom singled out Hathaway for praise

Opening up: Leto spoke about working on the program during an interview with Vanity Fair, where he credited his time performing with his band with helping him understand Neumann as a person

'I think, had I not stood on stages around the world with 30 Seconds to Mars, and had kind of a deep understanding of what it's like to communicate to people from those stages, I probably would've missed an element of my idea of who he was.'

The performer then made a point of speaking about his much-publicized dedication to his craft.

He described his acting method as 'really misunderstood...I think it's my job to show up and be ready to go to war in a creative sense.'

Being honest: Leto stated that 'had I not stood on stages around the world with 30 Seconds to Mars, and had kind of a deep understanding of what it's like to communicate to people from those stages, I probably would've missed an element of my idea of who he was'

Holding it down: The performer then made a point of speaking about his much-publicized dedication to his craft

Speaking his mind: He described his acting method as 'really misunderstood...I think it's my job to show up and be ready to go to war in a creative sense'

Leto also noted that he was constantly working to improve his portrayals of various characters.

He noted that staying in the mindset of a role gave him 'a chance to prepare and experiment, and I use those hours on the set to really hone in on character.'

The performer did note that, although not all of his experiments with roles turned out well, he was able to learn from whatever he tried out.

Dedicated: Leto also noted that he was constantly working to improve his portrayals of various characters

Method acting: He noted that staying in the mindset of a role gave him 'a chance to prepare and experiment, and I use those hours on the set to really hone in on character'

Trial and error: The performer did note that, although not all of his experiments with roles turned out well, he was able to learn from whatever he tried out

He stated: 'You have to be comfortable and embrace failure as a part of the process. But I discover things all the time.'

Leto subsequently stated that his time on WeCrashed was particularly taxing, which he did not mind in the least.

He recalled: 'At the end of days, I was just destroyed physically and mentally. And I got to say, I loved every single second of it.'
Georgia Toffolo looked the epitome of chic on Thursday evening as she atteneded The Spectator's summer party in Westminster, London.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 27, showed off her incredible physique in a pale yellow figure-hugging midi dress, with white lace detail.

She elevated her height in a pair of white stilettos, while accessorising with a stylish handbag and silver watch.

Stunning: Georgia Toffolo looked the epitome of chic in a yellow figure-hugging midi dress on Thursday evening as she atteneded The Spectator's summer party in Westminster, London

Georgia sported a dewy blush makeup look with a nude lip, while styling her blonde locks up in a bun.

Several of the cabinet ministers and government officials were also in attendance just hours after the Prime Minister was forced to resign.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak and his successor Nadhim Zahawi - who accepted the position on Wednesday then publicly told the PM to resign less than 24 hours later - were among those pictured at the lavish press bash on Old Queen Street, a mere 500 yards away from where Boris Johnson enjoyed his own gathering on Thursday.

Former housing and communities secretary Michael Gove, who was promptly sacked upon calling for the Prime Minister's resignation, and former health secretary Matt Hancock also rocked up to the party whose guest list also included top political journalist Laura Kuenssberg and chairman of The Spectator Andrew Neil.

Gorgeous: The former Made In Chelsea star, 27, elevated her height in a pair of white stilettos, while accessorising with a stylish handbag and silver watch

It comes after Boris announced his resignation from the post yesterday afternoon before adding he would stay on in a caretaker role until a new leader is appointed - though it is believed some mutinous MPs want him gone as soon as possible.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who yesterday was joint favorite with Rishi Sunak to succeed Johnson as the new PM, has reportedly ruled out running, as has Michael Gove, who was sacked by the PM last night and branded a traitor for urging him to go.

Senior Tories are now gearing up to launch leadership bids, and Nadhim Zahawi, who went from being the PM's new Chancellor and savior to his assassin in the space of a day, is rumoured to have been planning his for months with the help of Johnson's election guru Sir Lynton Crosby.

Outing: Several of the cabinet ministers and government officials whose resignations and criticism hastened the PM's downfall attended the party (Rishi Sunak pictured with Spectator chairman Andrew Neil)

Celebration: Former health secretary Matt Hancock (centre) is pictured at the lavish press bash alongside BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg (right)

A snap YouGov poll taken last night revealed that Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is the clear favourite among Conservative Party members to replace Johnson - but he has not yet said whether he intends to run.

'He's still the Prime Minister', Wallace reminded reporters yesterday, adding that once Johnson has left 'I will be happy to talk'.

Former soldier and Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat meanwhile is understood to have taken an early lead in the leadership race with more than 20 backers.
Michelle Mone has returned to social media for the first time since an investigations of her company as part of the fraud probe into PPE Medpro began in January.

The company had received 200million of contracts from the Department of Health after Michelle recommended it to ministers in 2020.

The Scots bra baroness, 50, recently had one of her homes - the mansion she shares with billionaire husband Doug Barrowman in the Isle of Man - raided as part of the investigation.

She's back: Michelle Mone has returned to social media for the first time since an investigations of her company as part of the fraud probe into PPE Medpro began in January

However she appeared to have put all that behind her as she posed for new pictures on her Instagram account.

As Boris Johnson made an exit from 10 Downing Street, Michelle re-emerged and appeared to send out a message to her fans by her choice of music track alongside some of her outfit choices.

In one picture where she was clad in an all white outfit the soundtrack she played in the background was Love will Save the Day by Whitney Houston, with the lyrics When youre feeling down and out and youve got trouble on your mind, love will save the day .

Don't mind me: In one picture where she was clad in an all white outfit the soundtrack she played in the background was Love will Save the Day by Whitney Houston

She told followers: Hope your having a gorgeous day.'

In another she posed in front of a well stocked bar in an all black outfit and red bag as the Becky Hill song I Could Get Used to This played.

In another picture she played Lizzos About Damn Time with its lyrics 'It's bad b**ch o'clock, yeah, it's thick-thirty. Ive been through a lot but Im still flirty'

Looking good: In another picture she played Lizzos About Damn Time with its lyrics 'It's bad b**ch o'clock, yeah, it's thick-thirty. Ive been through a lot but Im still flirty'

Controversy: The Scots bra baroness recently had one of her homes - the mansion she shares with billionaire husband Doug Barrowman in the Isle of Man - raided as part of the investigation

Michelle was recently spotted in Portugal as she partied with Nicole Scherzinger, her rugby pro partner Tom Evans brother Max and their sporting pals.

The former Ultimo boss is likely to be interviewed under caution by the National Crime Agency as part of the fraud investigation into PPE Medpro, which received 200million of contracts from the Department of Health after she recommended it to ministers in 2020.

Baroness Mone has consistently denied any role or function in the company and her lawyers have said she is not connected to PPE Medpro in any capacity.
They went public with their romance last summer.

And on Thursday, Zendaya flashed her abs in a crop top and cargo trousers as she visited Tom Holland in Manhattan, NYC on the set of his upcoming Apple+ series The Crowded Room.

The Euphoria actress, 25, showcased her off-duty style in all its glory while stepping out to see her British boyfriend, 26, who plays the lead role in the anthology series.

Wow! On Thursday, Zendaya, 25, flashed her abs in a crop top and cargo trousers as she visited Tom Holland in Manhattan, NYC on the set of his upcoming series The Crowded Room

Zendaya flaunted her taut midriff in the black high-neck crop top, which she teamed with a high-waisted pair of wide leg bottoms.

Carrying a leather jacket in her hand, the star further added a tough edge to her ensemble with chunky leather loafers.

The actress showcased her natural beauty, opting for a minimal make-up look, while styling her ombre tresses with loose curls at the end.

Tom plays the lead role of Danny Sullivan - , a character based on the first individual to be acquitted of a crime due to multiple personality disorder - in upcoming Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room, which is currently shooting in NYC.

Off-duty style: The Euphoria star flaunted her taut midriff in the black high-neck crop top, which she teamed with a high-waisted pair of wide leg bottoms

Zendaya and Tom have been publicly dating since last July after they were spotted kissing at an airport.

Rumors began in 2017 though a romance was never confirmed, and after that time that both had other relationships.

And to celebrate the actor turning 26 in June, his co-star and girlfriend posted a black and white snap of the pair embracing together, with a touching caption underneath.

She penned: 'Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest.'

Less than an hour later, Tom - who is currently filming a new Apple+ TV series in New York City - responded to the post leaving three heart emojis below it.

Cute: Zendaya cuddled up to boyfriend Tom when she posted a touching happy birthday message to Instagram as he turned 26 in June

Zendaya famously dated her Euphoria costar Jacob Elordi in 2020, while Tom was linked to friend Olivia Bolton around the same time.

'Zendaya and Tom started off as really great friends and stayed that way for a long while before things turned romantic,' a source told UsWeekly at the time, adding that they 'work really well together because he makes her laugh and she really helps guide him through the world of celebrity.'

They are believed to have first met in 2016 when Zendaya was cast opposite Tom in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Last September, Tom also posted a gushing tribute to his girl on her 25th birthday, writing: 'My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when your [sic] up xxx.'

Zendaya replied to the post, writing: 'Calling now,' with a heart emoji.
Melina Marchetta has finally allowed a stage adaption to be made of her beloved 1992 novel, Looking For Alibrandi.

The Australian author's book was made into a hugely popular film in 2000, but according to The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday, she has 'fiercely guarded' the story since, before being convinced to allow a new theatrical production.

Marchetta was talked round by director Stephen Nicolazzo, who helms a production to be held at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre this month before heading to the Belvoir in Sydney.

Melina Marchetta (pictured) has finally allowed a stage adaption to be made of her beloved 1992 novel, Looking For Alibrandi

Italian-Samoan actress Chanella Macri stars as Josie, the lead role held by Pia Miranda in the film.

The author says she had hesitated in allowing further adaptions as, 'You don't want it to move away from the spirit of that original.'

She has however given the theatre adaption her ringing endorsement.

The Australian author's book was made into a hugely popular film in 2000, but she has 'fiercely guarded' the story since, before being convinced to allow a new theatrical production. Pictured are Greta Scacchi, Elena Cotta and Pia Miranda in a scene from the film

Marchetta was talked round by director Stephen Nicolazzo, who helms a production to be held at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre this month before heading to the Belvoir in Sydney. Pia Miranda, Elena Cotta and Greta Scacchi are pictured in the 2000 film

'It didn't step away from the sassiness or the energy of Alibrandi, but it was its own animal,' Marchett told The Sydney Morning Herald.

In 2020, twenty years after the release of the film Looking for Alibrandi, stars Pia, 49, and Kick Gurry, 44, revealed to Today Extra that they would be keen to appear in a sequel.

The actors were asked if they'd ever consider revisiting the cherished characters, and Kick admitted, 'I'm in if Pia's in.'

'Yeah, me too. I'd love to revisit those characters again. I think it's just a beautiful thing' Pia agreed.

In 2020, twenty years after the release of the film Looking for Alibrandi, stars Pia and Kick Gurry (pictured) revealed to Today Extra that they would be keen to appear in a sequel

In an interview with Who magazine, Pia said she always felt like they were creating 'something special' while making the movie.

'There was times you could just feel we were making something special. You couldn't put your finger on it, but you just knew it,' she said.

Pia won an Australian Film Institute Award (AFI) in the Best Actress category for her portrayal of third generation migrant, Josephine Alibrandi.
Anais Gallagher maintained a positive outlook after falling victim to Heathrow Airport's ongoing industrial action on Thursday.

The daughter of former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has been forced to remain in the UK after staff walkouts at airports across the country scuppered her latest overseas holiday.

Travellers have endured a week of misery after members of the GMB and Unite unions voted 'overwhelmingly' in favour of strike action amid a dispute over a 10 per cent pay cut made during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rest and relaxation: Anais Gallagher maintained a positive outlook after falling victim to Heathrow Airport's ongoing industrial action on Thursday

Heathrow has been mired in chaos since March as bosses struggle to hire enough staff amid widespread labour shortages across the UK in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns and financial support packages.

Further muddying the waters, British Airways have announced it will cut a further 10,300 short-haul flights until the end of October, in yet another blow for holidaymakers planning a summer getaway.

They argued that the pay had been reinstated for managers, but not for the airline's check-in staff.

Grounded: The daughter of former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has been forced to remain in the UK after staff walkouts at airports across the country scuppered her latest holiday

BA was accused of 'treating its loyal workforce as second class citizens' and told strike action would cause 'severe disruption' to flights at Heathrow.

But Anais, 22, admitted the unexpected grounding of her flight gave her an opportunity to enjoy Britain's current heatwave.

Taking to Instagram, the young model shared a photo of herself relaxing in a blue, beach-ready bikini, alongside the caption: 'British airways ruined my holiday. But thats ok.. turns out England is pretty nice after all.'

Nightmare: Travellers have endured a week of misery after members of the GMB and Unite unions voted 'overwhelmingly' in favour of strike action

Under attack: British Airways was accused by the Unite and GMB unions of 'treating its loyal workforce as second class citizens'

Anais also shared a selfie from her bedroom window as she posed in a loose fitting shirt and matching shorts, with the photo capturing a rolling country landscape to her rear.

The UK's longest heatwave in four years began on Thursday as a 'Spanish surge' of warmth brought temperatures of 82F (28C), with the mercury set to rise even further over the weekend.

If the heatwave lasts for more than a week it will become the longest since a 15-day sweltering spell in 2018 and the Met Office fears temperatures could hit the mid-30s by the end of next week.
He has recently made waves with his Coronation Street comeback after fifteen years.

But snaps of Todd Boyce as a dejected Stephen Reid on set show that the businessman may soon be facing trouble.

Stephen, who is the son of Audrey (Sue Nicholls) returned to Weatherfield last month as he confronted his biological mother about her drinking issues.

Mysterious: Snaps of Todd Boyce as a dejected Stephen Reid on set show that the businessman may be facing trouble

But behind-the-scene photos suggest drama is on the horizon as the once-again newcomer can be seen sorrowfully leaving a clothes shop.

Stephen sported a smart grey suit, teamed with a paisley-print tie and leather loafers as he elusively appeared to shop for budget clothes.

The mysterious comeback kid originally made his debut in 1996 as he came into the town to get to know his biological family and years later left for Milan, Italy.

Throwback: The mysterious comeback kid originally made his debut in 1996 as he came into the town to get to know his biological family and years later left for Milan, Italy (pictured on the show with Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien0 in 2007)

Businessman: Stephen sported a smart grey suit, teamed with a paisley-print tie and leather loafers as he elusively appeared to shop for budget clothes

Return: Stephen, who is the son of Audrey (Sue Nicholls) returned to Weatherfield last month as he confronted his biological mother about her drinking issues

TV and theatre actor Todd, 61, told Metro.co.uk of the exciting character's return: 'He has an eye for the ladies so that should be fun and there will be friction between him and the wider family...Watch this space.'

Scenes from last month show Stephen dramatically roll into town in a taxi as Audrey falls in an accident at the Trim Up North.

He broke down a door to come to her rescue and recent developments suggest the family slowly coming back together, with Stephen pressuring Audrey and Gail Rodwell (Helen Worth) to make up.

Elusive: TV and theatre actor Todd, 61, told Metro.co.uk of the exciting character's return: 'He has an eye for the ladies so that should be fun and there will be friction between him and the wider family...Watch this space'

But it would appear the heartfelt reunion is short-lived.

A clip from the ITV soap's Twitter page this week shows the barbers owner looking delighted at a family dinner, which included Stephen, Gail and Sarah Barlow (Tina O'Brien).

In the video, Audrey announces her pride for the whole bunch, including a special shoutout to Stephen who is 'running a successful business in Milan'.

Feeling that none of the people present need her money, she then declares that she's going to leave the estate to the Weatherfield Association of Retail Traders (WARTS).

Drama on the horizon: While his return has so far brought the family together, tension appears to be brewing

Charity shop? Despite supposedly being a successful businessman in Milan, Stephen looked to be shopping at a budget secondhand store

While the family looked less than pleased at the news, Audrey beamed: 'Isn't it wonderful to have the whole family together at last.'

Speaking to Digital Spy last month, Todd also revealed Stephen's storyline may not just revolve around family drama.

He told the outlet: 'First off quite quickly, there's a bit of a sort of an attraction between him and Elaine [Jones].

Dapper: Stephen put on a dapper display in behind the scenes shots which saw him looking rather dejected

'Historically he was a bit of a toyboy and I love the repetition of that.

'He seems to be attracted to ladies who are a little bit older than him, not as much older as in the past but he definitely isn't after the younger women on the street.'

He added: 'I am excited to see people's reaction and what they think of Stephen and whether they're suspicious of what he's up to...'
Jennifer Aniston has paid tribute to The Morning Show camera assistant Erik Gunnar Mortensen after he 'suddenly' died following a motorcycle crash.

The actress, 53, took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday to pay her respects to her late colleague, who she described as 'skilled and dedicated to his job'.

Gunnar died at the age of 39 on Monday in a motorcycle accident on Highway 74 in California, which is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

Sadness: Jennifer Aniston (pictured in January 2020) has paid tribute to The Morning Show camera assistant Erik Gunnar Mortensen after he 'suddenly' died following a motorcycle crash

He was rushed to Hemet Global Medical Center after the incident and died around one hour later at 7.47pm, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Jennifer shared an emotional tribute to Gunnar, who she described as 'one of the bright lights' on the set of The Morning Show, where she stars as Alex Levy.

She penned: 'This past week we suddenly and tragically lost Gunnar Mortensen. One of the bright lights on our @themorningshow set.

'As camera assistant, he was so skilled and dedicated to his job. In memory of Gunnar, a page has been set up to help raise fund for his wife Keely, and his two-year-old son Lars during this difficult time. We are going to miss you, Gunnar.'

Loss: The actress, 53, took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday to pay her respects to her late colleague, who is survived by his wife Keely, and his two-year-old son Lars

She also shared a link to a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Gunnar's family, which has already raised $128,805 (107,800), surpassing its $20,000 (16,000) goal in just two days.

The fundraising page was set up by Local 600, which represents camera professionals and Gunnar was a member of the group for 13 years, according to Variety.

A description on the page read: 'Local 600 mourns the passing of Gunnar Mortensen, a camera assistant who died on Monday, July 4, from injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident. Gunnar is survived by his wife, Keely, and his 2-year-old son, Lars.

'In memory of Gunnar, Local 600 has set up this GoFundMe page to help raise funds for his family at this difficult time. We encourage you to donate if you can.'

Gunnar reportedly served on the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographer's Guild (ICG) since 2013 and was also the co-chair of the Active Engagement Committee since 2017.

Paying tribute to him, Rebecca Rhine, national executive director of the ICG, told Variety: 'Gunnar was happiest when sharing stories and pictures of his family. He found the joy and humor in everything and showed us how to follow the guiding light of kindness and laughter.

'He left us way too soon. We will carry his spirit forward in his name.'

According to Gunnar's IMBD page, he worked as a camera assistant on projects including Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce, Lorde's Green Light music video, Yes Day and Hubie Halloween.

Since 2007, he has worked on a total of 81 different projects after finding a love for filmmaking when he saw a camera truck drive past him for 1992's Ladybugs. He began his career filming car commercials in Denver before moving to Los Angeles.

Gunnar was also one of the founding members of the Society of Focus Technicians, which is now an internationally recognised group, according to IMDB.
Laura Whitmore looked stylish while wearing a 'Choose Love' T-shirt as she departed the Global studios in London on Friday, where she visited Capital, Heart and Radio X.

The presenter, 37, wore the slogan top in support of refugees, whom 100% of profits are directed to, and wrapped up with a dark green velvet jacket.

Fresh from the reality show's most dramatic recoupling ever, she predicted Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti will win during her radio appearance.

Emerging: Laura Whitmore wore a 'Choose Love' T-shirt as she departed the Capital FM studios in London on Friday... while predicting Ekin-Su and Davide will win Love Island

Donning a pair of matching trousers, the Irish star accessorised her look with a leopard-print handbag and put her best fashion foot forward with white trainers.

She framed her face with a pair of black sunglasses amid the sweltering sunshine and ensured to clutch a cup of tasty coffee.

During her visit to Capital, she predicted Ekin-Su and Davide will win over Gemma Owen and Luca Bish.

DJ Roman Kemp asked: 'Look Laura its so lovely to have you on the show, and of course all three of us absolutely love coming to After Sun as well, theres a question you ask us sometimes which is quite tough, whose your prediction? Who's going to win?'

Gorgeous: The presenter, 37, wore the slogan top in support of refugees, whom 100% of profits are directed to, and wrapped up with a dark green velvet jacket

Looking good: Donning a pair of matching trousers, the Irish star put her best fashion foot forward with white trainers

Chic: She framed her face with a pair of black sunglasses amid the sweltering sunshine and ensured to clutch a cup of tasty coffee

Laura replied: 'It changes. At the moment the strongest couple, seem to be Gemma and Luca, but I dont think theyll win, I think theyll be in the final.

'I wouldnt be surprised if Ekin-Su and Davide win. I think theyll be in the final, I also think some of the couples that arent together now will get back together.'

Roman joked: Ive got to push you, a winner,' to which she said, 'I cant pick one!... Ekin-Su and Davide!'

Love Island's Casa Amor recoupling proved to be the show's most dramatic yet, as Jacques O'Neill was left with egg on his face when his infidelities were exposed by bombshell Cheyanne Kerr.

Book launch: Later, Laura looked chic as she amped up the ante, attending a launch event for her new book, No One Can Change Your Life Except For You

Summery: Laura donned a black, long sleeved dress with a bright yellow sunflower print and a black bow collar detail

Bold: She opted for a bright red lipstick, while her blonde tresses were left to fall freely

Say cheese! She added a pair of pointed toe taupe boots to her ensemble, smiling alongside Nihal Arthanayake

Despite choosing to stick with Paige Thorne, the hunk's behaviour was revealing in scathing fashion, with Cheyanne quipping that 'her version of a test was different to someone else's.'

In a night that was the beginning, and end, of many couples, Andrew Le Page couldn't hide his fury when Tasha Ghouri returned to the villa having ditched him for Billy Brown, branding the blonde 'fake'.

The jaw-dropping episode kicked off with Laura asking all the new girls are asked to stand up while the Villa boys sat around the firepit, and the host announced: 'As you all know, tonight there will be a recoupling. Boys - each of you have a big decision to make.

'So I'm gonna ask you one by one if you want to stick with your partner who has been away in Casa Amor for the past few days, or whether you want to recouple with one of these gorgeous girls standing in front of you.

Fingers crossed! During her appearance on Capital, she predicted Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti will win (both pictured) over Gemma Owen and Luca Bish

Bombshell! Love Island 's Casa Amor recoupling proved to be the show's most dramatic yet, as Jacques O'Neill was left with egg on his face when his infidelities were exposed by bombshell Cheyanne Kerr

'Now remember, the girls in Casa Amor have also been given the choice of whether to stick with you or couple up with someone new. So boys, it's time to make your decisions and let's find out what the girls have decided to do'

Jay was up first, and given he was in a friendship couple with Danica, it was no surprise the hunk chose to recouple with Chyna, telling Laura: 'I fee like I've had a connection with someone that has more romantic potential, and she's a beautiful girl and I'm looking forward to seeing where this could go.'

Returning to the villa, Danica revealed she'd chosen to recouple with Josh, admitting it could be the connection 'she's been waiting for.'

Hitting back: Despite choosing to stick with Paige Thorne, the hunk's behaviour was revealing in scatching fashion, with Cheyanne quipping that 'her version of a test was different to someone else's' before revealing they'd kissed and shared a bed

Luckily the two pals were more than happy for one another finding a new partner, with Danica telling Laura she hoped that Jay would couple up with someone else.

Up next was Davide, who struggled to stay loyal to Ekin-Su, kissing multiple girls in the villa, and despite the temptation to couple up with someone else, the Italian hunk admitted he was choosing to stick with her.

He told Laura: 'I had a good time getting to know all the girls but I believe with this person I've got a unique connection, I feel like we magnetically connect with each other, so I have decided to stick with my couple.'

Luckily for Davide, Ekin-Su stood by her word and remained loyal, returning to the villa solo, and she confessed her feelings for him have grown during their time apart.

She said: 'It's good to be back with someone I can laugh with, and bounce with,' while a coy Davide joked he'd missed her 'a tiny bit.'

Asked whether he ever doubted his decision, Davide confessed that he had, but Ekin-Su noted: 'I'm here now and that's all that matters.'

Next to choose was Dami Hope, who had been coupled up with Indiyah Polack, but struggled to avoid giving into temptation, sharing a kiss with Summer Botwe.
Daisy Edgar-Jones looked incredible on the latest cover of Elle UK as she revealed her mother didn't want her to become an actress.

The 24-year-old Normal People star wowed in 40,000 worth of Gucci as she posed in several chic ensembles for the glamorous photoshoot.

The actress - who was born and raised in Muswell Hill, North London - told her parents she wanted to pursue a career in acting at the age of 15.

Stunning: Daisy Edgar-Jones looked incredible on the recent cover of Elle UK as she revealed her mother didn't want her to become an actress

Daisy's parents, Wendy and Philip, both worked in television (her mother an editor; her father is now the head of Sky Arts).

When speaking on being and only child, she told Elle UK: 'We get a hard rap but being an only child was great. I'm very good at making friends.

'I remember going on holidays as a child, seeing kids playing in the pool and having to go up and ask, 'Can I play?' It was a good life lesson.'

At 15, her mum suggested Edgar-Jones audition for the National Youth Theatre after she'd said she wanted to be an actor.

She added: 'I think she kind of hoped I wouldn't get in. Not in a mean way  just because it's a really hard job.'

Wow! The 24-year-old Normal People star wowed in 40,000 of Gucci as she posed in several chic ensembles for the glamorous photoshoot

She went on to speak about her career now and resilience in the industry: As an actor, you have to be resilient.

'If I have a bad day at work, its judged by a lot of people, and I have to live with it forever. But I still have to make brave choices to have a shot at making something remarkable.

The BAFTA winner wore a sheer top and bralette costing 2,450, as well as a 2,180 skirt from the Italian fashion house, and 3,600 and 1,975 rings from Tiffany & Co.

In another shot, her Supriya Lele dress costs 860, while her NODELATO are priced at 905 and the Tiffany & Co. ring is 5,850.

Talented: The actress - who was born and raised in Muswell Hill, North London - told her parents she wanted to pursue a career in acting at the age of 15

Daisy earned worldwide fame, not to mentions plaudits and gongs for her first lead role as Marianne in the TV take on Sally Rooney's Normal People.

The romantic drama, which was released on BBC Three in 2020, focused on the on-off relationship between Irish teenagers Marianne and Connell, beginning in their school days through to their time at university.

Speaking on her close bond with her cast mates, she said: We really do just love each other. I think because of COVID, we were all the more appreciative of each other. They are golden human beings; I feel very lucky.

Daisy will be seen on screen next in another major novel adaptation - Olivia Newman's film of Delia Owens' book Where the Crawdads Sing.

She added: 'This is my second time doing a big book adaptation. I really should stop doing that to myself

If Id told my younger self that Taylor Swift would do a song for something Im in bonkers.

She is also starring in the small screen horror Fresh opposite Stan Sebastian, currently streaming on Disney +. The high profile roles haven't eased Daisy's self-doubt as she explains to GQ:
Damian Lewis has announced two live shows as he prepares for the release of his debut album, recorded following wife Helen McCrory's death last year.

Better known for his acting, the Homeland star, 51, has turned to music over recent months, with an album's worth of self-written material expected to be released in 2023.

He will preview tracks from the forthcoming LP over the summer, with an intimate warm-up show expected to talk place at Londons Omeara on August 4, followed by an appearance at Oxford's Wilderness Festival on August 7.

Coming soon: Damian Lewis has announced two live shows as he prepares for the release of his debut album, recorded following wife Helen McCrory's death last year

Lewis, who has played classical guitar proficiently since he was 12-years old, admitted he can't wait to air the material in front of a live audience.

He said in a press release confirming the two dates: 'Im looking forward to getting out there and playing the songs Ive written and been recording for my debut album. Be good to be back on stage, this time with a guitar in my hand.'

Before finding fame as an actor Lewis busked the streets of London with an acoustic guitar and still plays the instrument as a pastime.

A statement regarding the new album read: 'Meeting with various London-based musicians, including Giocomo Smith, Lewis wrote songs and found himself in the recording studio cutting the tracks that will be released on his as-yet-untitled debut album in the New Year.'

New focus: Lewis has turned to music following the death of Helen at the age of 52 in April 2021. The actress had been privately battling cancer

Heartbroken: Damian announced the Peaky Blinders star had passed away after a 'heroic' battle with cancer in April 2021

Lewis previously revealed he was thinking of recording music but admitted he needed to be 'pushed out of his comfort zone' before doing so.

Speaking on the Out to Lunch podcast six weeks before wife Helen's tragic death from cancer on April 16 2021, Damian said he was 'too much of a coward' to pursue music because acting is his main 'discipline'.

The actor revealed that he got in touch with music manager Steve Abbott after picking up his guitar again during lockdown, with the two deciding to make fun music together over the past eight months with others also getting involved.

Going steady: The actor recently confirmed a new romance with American musician Alison Mosshart (pictured)

Ring finger: Damian still wears his wedding ring, more than a year after Helen's death

He explained: 'We've put together a bunch of songs and there's chat of trying to put some tracks down in a recording studio... seeing if there's something there that people might want to listen to.

'When it comes to creative choices like this, I am cautious. Of course, they will be lining up to take shots as I stick my head above the parapet because no one is an easier target than an actor who thinks he can be a bit of a musician.

'But I don't want to go off and be a great jazz star or pop star, or rock star. I'm an actor. I want to remain in my discipline. But for me this is something of unbelievable value.

'It's so much fun and what we don't do well in this country is we don't cross-fertilise across the different arts and that's a big shame.'

He added: 'I'm too much of a coward to want to be out of my comfort zone too much... I need a bit of pushing or shoving and reassuring that this is worth it what we are all doing together.'

The actor recently confirmed a new romance with American musician Alison Mosshart, formerly a founding member of indie band The Kills alongside Kate Moss' ex-husband Jamie Hince.

Success: Alison formed the band she would become most known for - The Kills - alongside British guitarist Jamie Hince back in 2000 (pictured with Jamie in June 2022)

Their relationship comes 14 months after he was devastated by Helen's death at the age of 52 following a secret battle with breast cancer. They had been married since 2007.

The pair met through friends while hanging out in London and have grown increasingly fond of one another, Alison's mother Vivian, 76, has revealed.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com from her home in Florida, Vivian, 76, said: 'I don't know how much flak I'm going to get for all of this but of course we are excited for her.

'They have mutual friends. I don't know exactly how they met but I'm fine with it. If she's happy, we are happy. I'm yet to meet him but certainly I'd like to.'
Louisa Lytton looked typically chic in a slew of snaps which she posted to Instagram on Thursday from her Italian honeymoon with husband Ben Bhavna.

The actress, 33, caught the eye in a multi-coloured maxi skirt which she combined with a black top and an oversized straw handbag as she posed on an idyllic bridge.

With her new spouse planting a kiss on her forehead in a follow-up shot, he went on to adorable carry their daughter Aura, nine months, through Florence.

Gorgeous: Louisa Lytton caught the eye in a multi-coloured maxi skirt and black top in a slew of snaps posted to Instagram on Thursday from her Italian honeymoon with Ben Bhavna

The father-daughter-duo admired a wall painting during their stroll, with the tot wearing a pink dress with yellow and blue floral embroidering as well as a yellow hat.

Louisa wrote in one caption: 'Mr and Mrs + 1 Anyone else honeymooned with the minis? We need a rest after this.'

She added in another: Wedding done, Honeymoon activated. Just trying to navigate a 10 month old in 40 degree heat .'

The TV personality finally tied the knot with Ben last week after the couple were forced to postpone their nuptials three times.

Smooch: Her new spouse planted a kiss on her forehead in a follow-up shot

Doting dad: The went on to adorable carry their daughter Aura, nine months, through Florence

What's that? The father-daughter-duo admired a wall painting during their stroll

And Louisa shared a first glimpse of her Italian wedding on Monday as she donned a bridal white jumpsuit and matching headband while posing with her new husband and a pal who set the couple up.

The EastEnders star beamed for the camera in the Instagram snap as she stood between the two men while clutching a glass of white wine amid the celebrations.

Louisa looked lovely in the plunging white outfit which she teamed with a coordinating white clutch bag.

The actress, who plays Ruby Allen in the BBC soap, allowed her brunette locks to cascade down her shoulders in soft waves, while her dewy bridal make-up highlighted her stunning features.

Cute: The tot wore a pink dress with yellow and blue floral embroidering as well as a yellow hat

Family: Louisa beamed from ear-to-ear towards her daughter during an al-fresco dinner

In her element: She wrote in one caption: 'Mr and Mrs + 1 Anyone else honeymooned with the minis? We need a rest after this'

While Ben cut a handsome figure in a cream shirt teamed with olive green trousers.

Louisa had re-shared the image taken by her pal, in which he wrote: 'I set these two up on a date in 2017 and this weekend I watched them finally get married in front of their daughter and loved ones.

'Very surreal but very amazing moment. They couldn't be more suited and I couldn't be happier for them!'

The soap siren also shared a snap on her stories of husband Ben cuddling their daughter Aura, 10 months, as she said: 'We are SO SAD it's over'.

Jaw-dropping: Louisa sat outside an architecturally-breathtaking building in the city

Having a blast! She added in another caption: Wedding done, Honeymoon activated. Just trying to navigate a 10 month old in 40 degree heat '

Louisa and Ben, who first got engaged in 2019, had been forced to delay their wedding three times, with the most recent setback being just days earlier when the actress shared that they were a 'Covid household.'

On Thursday Louisa revealed that she and Ben were finally set to marry in the coming days, as she took to Instagram to share a snap from the idyllic Italian countryside, followed by an image of herself holding her daughter Aura.

She penned the caption: 'Two years in the making... Let's finally go get married @bennnyy__ here's to every covid bride finally getting down that aisle.'

On Wednesday Louisa and Ben revealed that they had finally landed in Italy for their much-anticipated wedding, as she snapped a photo of her family in a lift following their flight.

Bride: Louisa Lytton shared a first glimpse of her Italian wedding on Monday as she donned a bridal white jumpsuit and matching headband while posing with her new husband and a pal who set the couple up

Alongside a photo of a Ben enjoying a drink, Louisa penned: 'Prosecco tasting for our Friday evening welcome drinks... in the corridor... outside the room. With the [baby] monitor.'

In another snap shared to her Story, the actress penned: 'Wedding prep whilst madam naps,' as she got to work on her laptop.

It comes after Louisa also gave fans gave an insight into her hen do as she posed for a fun photo in a balloon filled bathtub.

But added in the caption: 'This time last week... Since we have had a Covid household. Finally on the mend. Not what the doctor ordered.

Family: The soap siren also shared a snap on her stories of husband Ben cuddling their daughter Aura, 10 months, as she said: 'We are SO SAD it's over'

'We were supposed to be exchanging our vows today before our Italian Wedding! Instead, we cleaned the carpets covered in sick. We will get there and it will be worth it.'

Taking to her Stories once more, she later confirmed: 'We are getting married in Italy but had to do our vows here [in England]. Just to top off a week of Covid and another postponed 'wedding' Riley [her pet dog] decided to wee on my washing.'

After postponing the 200-strong Italian event twice during the coronavirus pandemic in 2021, Louisa said they would be having a 'smaller' event.

She told the Sunday Mirror about the wedding: 'We want to get married next year. We're planning to have the wedding abroad and we're going to do something smaller than we originally planned.

'It will be different now she's [Aura] here. We're a family now, so it might not be as wild as it was going to be. But we can't wait to get married,' she concluded.

While Louisa was originally forced to delay her nuptials due to the Covid crisis, she then decided to delay her big day for a second time after falling pregnant with her daughter Aura.

She told the publication: 'We'd already postponed it twice by then and I didn't want to put off having children any longer.

'I've always wanted to get married first before having children for tradition, but sometimes things are taken out of your hands.'
He's known for his stylish and bold outfit choices.

And Lewis Hamilton showed off his quirky sense of style once again on Friday ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix - set to take place on Sunday.

The F1 driver, 37, stood out from the crowd in a bright blue knitted jumper, teamed with matching trousers and fresh white trainers.

Looking good: Lewis Hamilton showed off his impeccable sense of style once again on Friday ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix - set to take place on Sunday

He accessorised with a matching knitted bucket hat and looked effortlessly cool in a pair of gold rimmed sunglasses.

The star looked in high spirits as he waved to onlookers before taking a quick selfie with a fan as he prepared for qualifying which will kick off at 4pm on Friday.

The outing comes after Lewis showed his support behind the climate activists who invaded the track at Sunday's British Grand Prix, where he took a record 13th podium at a single race.

Stylish: The F1 driver, 37, stood out from the crowd in a bright blue knitted jumper, teamed with matching trousers and fresh white trainers

Trendy: He accessorised with a matching knitted bucket hat and looked effortlessly cool in a pair of gold rimmed sunglasses

Beaming: The star looked in high spirits as he waved to onlookers before taking a quick selfie with a fan

Exciting: Qualifying for the Grand Prix will kick off on Friday at 4pm

Northamptonshire Police said seven people were arrested after the invasion on the opening lap of the Silverstone contest, after five protestors stormed the Wellington Straight before sitting down.

The race had already been suspended following Zhou Guanyu's high-speed crash, followed by a 53-minute delay before the restart in a high octane, action-packed day at Silvertsone.

Hamilton, perhaps to many fans' surprise, backed the protests on Twitter - understood to be from climate activist group Just Stop Oil - although he warned that storming the track on race day was far too dangerous.

Happy: The Mercedes' driver also posed for a photo with a Red Bull Racing team member as he arrived

Speaking out: The outing comes after Lewis showed his support behind the climate activists who invaded the track at Sunday's British Grand Prix, where he took a record 13th podium at a single race

The seven-time world champion said: 'As we've seen today, this is a very dangerous sport.

'I wasn't aware of the protests today, and while I'll always support those standing up for what they believe in, it must be done safely.

'Please don't jump onto our race circuits to protest, we don't want to put you in harm's way.'

The quintet were swiftly dragged away by marshals to huge cheers from the watching crowd.

But in a race that saw ambulances and emergency crews called to the scene, there could very nearly have been further incidents after the protestors stormed the fastest part of the track.
Rebecca Humphries has told how her ex-boyfriend Seann Walsh's kiss with Katya Jones, which occurred on her birthday, is 'etched in my memory'.

The writer and actress has penned a memoir focusing on gaslighting in relationships and her own experience after comic Seann was pictured kissing his married dance partner Katya during his 2018 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing.

And speaking on Friday's Lorraine about her book and the heartbreaking experience, Rebecca, 34, likened to the fallout of Seann's betrayal as a 'bizarre stress dream'.

Never forget: Rebecca Humphries has told how her ex-boyfriend Seann Walsh's kiss with Katya Jones, which occurred on her birthday, is 'etched in my memory'

In the aftermath of the scandal, Seann endured much trolling with their story flashed across the front pages of newspapers, with the couple swiftly splitting amid the scandal.

Speaking about how it felt to be thrust into a media storm, Rebecca told Lorraine Kelly: 'Its completely overwhelming. Ive been obsessed with telly and magazines since I was about 12, and suddenly there I am in them all.

'It felt like a bizarre stress dream I was having but the one thing I will say about that time is that all of that support was just like one validation after another.'

She added: 'You are not crazy, you are not the things youve let yourself believe for years that you are In fact, in that particular situation, you were right and all of that just flooded me. Its a great opportunity for me to say thank you so much to everyone who was so supportive at that time.'

Scandal: The writer and actress has penned a memoir focusing on gaslighting in relationships and her own experience after comic Seann was pictured kissing his married dance partner Katya during his 2018 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing

Lorraine, 62, went on to point out that the betrayal was all the more heartbreaking as it occurred on Rebecca's birthday, with the actress going on to note that she's now focusing on prioritising her own happiness and well-being over everything else.

She said: 'Yeah it was my birthday. It's sort of etched in my memory, you know!'

'Finally Im not people pleasing, I'm not prioritising someone's life over my own and this idea of being in love over myself I've learnt so much about love thats so much healthier, passion doesnt have to be dangerous, you dont have to give up your life to be a part of it.

'Well the fact of is if I hadnt stayed that long then I wouldnt have learned my lesson in the most profound way possible. Now as a result of that storm and bonfire I can really go never again.

Opening up: Speaking on Friday's Lorraine about her book and the heartbreaking experience, Rebecca, 34, likened to the fallout of Seann's betrayal as a 'bizarre stress dream'

Drama: In the aftermath of the scandal, Seann endured much trolling with their story flashed across the front pages of newspapers, with the couple swiftly splitting amid the scandal (pictured in 2015)

Rebecca then went on to detail the lessons she's learnt from her split with Seann, telling the host: 'Weve been conditioned by pop culture to believe that love and having a partner, getting married, having children is the most important thing in our life, and when we have it we have to cling on to it at all costs.

'Before I got into this relationship, I wouldve self identified as someone who was confident, smart, sassy, sexy.

'I see it all the time, these fabulous women who dim themselves and who allow their shine and their sparkle to be taken away from them to keep these relationships alive that [are] hurting them.'

Ordeal: 'Its completely overwhelming. Ive been obsessed with telly and magazines since I was about 12, and suddenly there I am in them all. 'It felt like a bizarre stress dream'

Self love: 'Finally Im not people pleasing, I'm not prioritising someone's life over my own and this idea of being in love over myself I've learnt so much about love thats so much healthier'

It comes after Rebecca revealed how her very public breakup came after years of emotional abuse.

Seann, 36, became embroiled in the show's biggest-ever scandal when he was pictured kissing Katya, who was married to fellow Strictly dancer Neil Jones, during a boozy night out.

Following the incident Rebecca released an impassioned statement in which she revealed Seann called her 'psycho' and 'nuts' for questioning his friendship with Katya, who he kissed on Rebecca's birthday - before the photos were made public.

Other infidelities soon emerged, with Seann's career nosediving in the years since. Rebecca meanwhile has landed more acting roles, most recently starring in his Prime comedy Ten Percent.

Ex: It comes after Rebecca revealed how her very public breakup came after years of emotional abuse (pictured 2015)

Kiss: Rebecca writes about her experience after comic Seann was pictured kissing his married dance partner Katya Jones during his 2018 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing

A year after she left Seann she spoke in the House of Commons about the issue of gaslighting while she has also been working on a memoir entitled Why Did You Stay? which sees her reflect on her turbulent relationship in a bid to help others in similar situations.

'If you'd met me [towards the end of the relationship] you wouldn't recognise me now. I'm a completely different person,' she has told the Sunday Times about her years with Walsh.

'Anyone who has ever been in a relationship like that will know how much it drains, how tiring it is.'

Moving on: 'If you'd met me [towards the end of the relationship] you wouldn't recognise me now. I'm a completely different person,' she has told the Sunday Times

'Being called things like [crazy] is so insidious that, before you know whats happening, its actually starting to inform what youre doing even outside the confines of the relationship.

'You lose your keys one too many times, youre a crazy b***h. It is a drip, drip, drip of poison. When that happens over years you start to self-identify as crazy and unhinged in a way that no longer feels glamorous and passionate.

'It feels like you're deteriorating and that you're very lucky that someone loves you despite that.'

Shoutout to my ex: Following the incident Rebecca released an impassioned statement in which she revealed Seann called her 'psycho' for questioning his friendship with Katya
Kate Garraway has admitted she's trying to remain positive after her husband Derek Draper was hospitalised this week, amid his ongoing battle with long Covid.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, confessed she has her 'fingers crossed' after the 'downturn' but is remaining hopeful.

The former political advisor, 54, became the longest suffering patient with the virus in the UK, after spending 13 months in hospital when he contracted it in March 2020.

Strong: Kate Garraway has admitted she's trying to remain positive after her husband Derek Draper was hospitalised this week, amid his battle with long Covid (pictured on Wednesday)

Although he returned to his family home in April 2021, Derek had to go back to hospital this week after taking a turn.

Speaking to Simon Gross at the TRIC Awards on Wednesday, Kate said: 'He's back in hospital I'm afraid so a bit of a downturn but fingers crossed.

'In terms of COVID, I mean when Derek got COVID there was no vaccine there was no treatment there was a lot of challenges, now we have those things so on that level yes it's not gone away.'

It comes after Kate thanked her fans for tracking down husband Derek's medical supplies after she begged for 'urgent help' in retrieving them.

Terrible: The former political advisor, 54, became the longest suffering patient with the virus in the UK, after spending 13 months in hospital when he contracted it in March 2020

Update details: Speaking to Simon Gross at the TRIC Awards on Wednesday, Kate said: 'He's back in hospital I'm afraid so a bit of a downturn but fingers crossed

While he was released from hospital last year he still requires round the clock care and daily medication - which Kate revealed on Friday she had accidentally left in the back of a taxi.

Thankfully, after appealing for help on Twitter, Kate was able to track down the driver, sharing on Sunday: 'Its been returned!

'Thanks to all who reached out - the message got to driver lovely Robert who has returned it - phew and thanks to all. #happysundayeveryone.'

Kate's campaign started on Friday when she tweeted: '@BC_Lostproperty help!! Have just brought derek home in a mobility black cab from hospital for a weekend visit -& have left a case with all his meds and kit in the front!

Development: The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, told MailOnline at the TRIC Awards on Wednesday (pictured): 'He's OK, he's back in hospital actually, so that's a development'

Family unit: Kate also praised the way the couple's two children, Darcey, 16, and Billy, 12, have supported their dad, adding: 'They've been amazing - all the way through'

'The driver recognised me but may not know its there - please look & get in touch - need urgently!!'

Following her call for assistance, Kate's fans were quick to come to her rescue as one follower revealed they in fact knew the driver who transported the couple and was attempting to contact him.

They penned: 'I know the driver Kate as he mentioned he'd taken you and your husband to me this evening. Im trying to get in touch right now.'

Other Twitter users also shared their words of support and ideas to help, with one writing: 'Hope u get this back asap Kate. Also sorry to hear that Derek is no longer home with u all. Lots of love and best wishes for Derek xxxx.'

The power of Twitter: Thankfully, after appealing for help on Twitter, Kate was able to track down the driver, and thanked her fans for their help

With another suggesting: 'Kate. If you paid by card, the drivers details will be on the receipt or the card company should be able to trace him.'

And a third sharing: 'Hope you get them back asap. Sorry to hear Derek is in hospital I must have missed that somehow, sending love.'

Luckily, the person who knew the driver later confirmed that he did in fact get in touch with them, with the medical supplies swiftly returned to Derek and Kate.

Candid: The situation came just days after Kate opened up on finding a new way to be in love with Derek after his Covid-19 battle

The situation came just days after Kate opened up on finding a new way to be in love with Derek after his Covid-19 battle.

The presenter said that her children Darcy 17, and William, 12, also have had to 'relearn' how to be around their dad amid his continued health struggles.

Derek returned home from hospital in April 2021 after a year-long battle and still requires round-the-clock care in the midst of his lengthy recovery.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Kate said: 'When you nearly lose someone, it certainly brings everything into sharp focus.

'In many ways, we're still learning how we are as man and wife, as so much has changed.

'It's the same for the children  they're having to relearn the experience of being with their dad. And, of course, the biggest learning is for poor Derek.'

Kate previously admitted that if left unaided for over three days, Derek could die.

Ongoing process: The Good Morning Britain host said that her children Darcy 17, and William, 12, also have had to 'relearn' how to be around their dad amid his continued health struggles

He is bed-stricken, with Kate doing much of the caring herself as she insists she won't 'ever give up on him'.

Elsewhere in the chat, the presenter also spoke about trying to find the joy in the little moments in life after everything that's happened.

She explained: 'I try to live in the moment more than ever before. I'll send an email and think, 'Okay, I've sent the email. I can't do anything more about that now, so I'm just going to look out the window and notice how pretty the sky is.'

'I really try to seize those moments because when you do, you realise that life is just a collection of moments  and finding more good ones than bad ones is probably the secret to it all.'
Testing hypersonic technology for military and civilian use by Chinese researchers has reached Mach 5+ via a test done at the Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU).

Last July 4, the NPU, which the US sanctioned, claimed a new super-fast aircraft was completed with success, mentioned SCMP.

Chinese Uni Tests Aircraft With Faster Speeds

The university posted on social media on July 5; the Feitian 1 could fly more than Mach 5 with a combo using a rocket and a scram jet engine, reported EurAsian Times.

Only one week before the announcement of this successful test flight, China had successfully flown a tiny, unmanned hypersonic civilian prototype known as Nanqiang No 1.

By 2025, the scientists working on that initiative expect to have finished the test phase and begun the construction of a flyable prototype.

Northwestern Polytechnical University is among the sanctioned Chinese organizations on the US sanctions list.

One such organization is NPU, which has previously helped develop various weapon systems, including fighter jets and spacecraft, and is mainly controlled by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, per Community 99.

Chinese researchers said in December 2021 that it was developing a hypersonic aircraft that could transport ten people anywhere in the world in less than an hour, flying at Mach 5+

Read Also: Xi Jinping Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is China's President

The 148-foot (45-meter) long aircraft, which was then discovered to have delta wings similar to those of Concorde, the first supersonic airliner in history, but with the tips pointing upward, was around one-third the size of a Boeing 737 at the time.

This futuristic plane uses an "air-breathing" magnetic fluid engine that zooms to any point on earth in less than an hour.

Despite being continuously chastised by its western counterparts, they coordinated efforts to create an operable hypersonic aircraft for civilian use. However, the University's new assertions may prove to be a game-changer for its long-term viability.

New Feitian 1 Aircraft

The vehicle's vertical launching is capable of flying at several speeds, launched vertically and uses a traditional rocket and scram jet engine to switch from supersonic to ultrasonic speeds. It is a challenge for engineers worldwide.

Problems were experienced when air-breathing scram jets reached Mach 4 that choked, necessitating a switch that enabled a sufficient mixture of fuel and extremely high-speed airflow to drive the aircraft faster.

Kerosene was less reactive and more stable than other energy sources like hydrogen, which made starting the engine and switching engine modes more complex.

A ramjet or scramjet's efficiency starts to deteriorate above Mach 6. When the air temperature in the inlet rises, less energy can be extracted in the form of thrust.

Although the employment of hypersonic flying technology has primarily been restricted to the military up until now, it has the potential to revolutionize human transportation. One country that lacks even an operable hypersonic weapon is the United States.

These hypersonic tests were done by Chinese researchers from the NPU that reached Mach 5+, ironing out the technology that will fully develop for civilian use.

Related Article: China Overtakes America as AI Superpower by Tapping US Firms To Leap Frog Development

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TOWIE'S Yazmin Oukhellou is struggling to come to terms with the death of her boyfriend Jake McLean following their horror car crash in Turkey.

The 28-year-old television personality had been on holiday with Jake in the resort of Bodrum where the terrifying incident took place.

Emergency services rushed to the scene where it is understood Jake was found dead, with a source telling MailOnline that Yazmin has been left heartbroken: 'Yaz is unable to feel any sense of relief because her heart has been ripped in two over Jake's death.

Heartbroken: TOWIE 'S Yazmin Oukhellou is struggling to come to terms with the death of her boyfriend Jake McLean following their horror car crash in Turkey

'She still can't come to terms with what has happened.'

Pals say Yazmin - who is lucky to be alive after her boyfriend was tragically killed in the accident - is 'desperate' to return home and may be able to do so very soon when she is deemed medically fit enough to leave.

Yazmin suffered serious injuries when their car flipped over in the holiday resort of Bodrum.

Horrific: The 28-year-old television personality had been on holiday with Jake in the resort of Bodrum where the terrifying incident took place

Jake, 33, - who has previously dated former TOWIE star Lauren Goodger - was driving at the time of the crash.

Meanwhile MailOnline understands that Yazmin could face a police quiz in upcoming days amid reports about the moments leading up to the crash.

According to reports yesterday she was arguing with Jake as their car crashed.

Devastated: A source told MailOnline: 'Yaz is unable to feel any sense of relief because her heart has been ripped in two over Jake's death'

The claims were made by his mum, Anita Walsh, who raised her concerns with prosecutors investigating the crash that killed her son in Bodrum, Turkey.

She told them her son was a skilled driver and would not have lost control of their Mercedes.

A source in the Bodrum prosecutor's office said: 'She has told us he may have been arguing with Yazmin, which caused the car to crash.'

History: Jake (right) rose to fame while dating Lauren (left) as she appeared on The Only Way Is Essex, Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Big Brother. The on-off couple got together for the first time in 2012 but split for good in 2016 (pictured in 2013)

The Mercedes careered off a mountain road before overturning in a ditch.

Jake died at the scene.

Yazmin suffered serious injuries but pulled herself from the wreckage to get help.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Jake was drink-driving. The on-off couple argued outside a club at 3am, shortly before Sunday's crash.

Jake and Yazmin are thought to have got together in May last year before she revealed their relationship on Instagram in December in a clip that showed the pair kissing.

Latest: Yazmin last shared a photo to Instagram on Tuesday from her London home, wearing an all black outfit

But she split from him just a month later after he was reportedly caught 'acting single' while on a holiday in Dubai and leaving a club alone with Love Island ex Ellie Jones.

The pair were still thought to be split up when the crash happened on Sunday. Friends say they are unsure what the pair were doing together in Turkey, but may have been there to sign some kind of business deal.

A source told MailOnline: 'It's a complete tragedy and a total loss of life. Everyone is in shock and hoping Yazmin makes a full recovery.'

Pals close to Lauren told MailOnline the pregnant mother-of-one has been left 'devastated' by Jake's untimely passing.

Speaking to The Sun another source added: 'Apparently Jake was driving when he lost control of the car and it went off a cliff.'

MailOnline has contacted TOWIE and Yazmin's representatives for further comment.
Grant Denyer is seeking a path to peace and mental clarity through meditation.

In a candid Instagram post on Friday, the television personality revealed he struggles with 'fear' and 'perfectionism'.

'Meditation isn't easy for me but it certainly does chill me out more. I really suffer from a racing mind that makes a hell of a lot of noise,' the 44-year-old wrote.

Grant Denyer (pictured) is seeking a path to peace and mental clarity through meditation. In a candid Instagram post on Friday, the television personality revealed he struggles with 'fear' and 'perfectionism'

'My self talk can get pretty savage, I beat myself up, worry about the future, hang on to regrets about the past and get bogged down in fear,' he continued.

'Fear of failure, fear of not being liked, not being good enough. Generally a busy mind that makes it hard to be present for those around me. Sometimes it's hard to enjoy the moment with all that mental distraction.'

Grant went on: 'I am a work in progress. I suffer from perfectionism but with stuff like mediation or self improvement I don't aim for perfection, just progress. That is enough. And I go backwards plenty too.'

'My self talk can get pretty savage, I beat myself up, worry about the future, hang on to regrets about the past and get bogged down in fear' he said

'This is not meant to be a preach or a "look at how balanced I am" - it's an "I'm flawed, I have many weaknesses, I struggle" and I hear you, if you do too,' he concluded.

The former Family Feud host has battled a highly publicised painkiller addiction in the past, after breaking his back during a freak monster truck accident in 2008.

The crash left Grant with a vertebrae that was shattered in 11 pieces, and doctors feared he might never walk again.

The former Family Feud host has battled a highly publicised painkiller addiction in the past, after breaking his back during a freak monster-truck accident in 2008. Pictured in hospital

Denyer previously spoke about his painkiller addiction during a discussion with his campmates on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! last year. He explained he'd once pelted eggs at his wife Chezzi (left) when he was hungry during his recovery

Denyer previously spoke about his painkiller addiction during a discussion with his campmates on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! last year.

He explained he'd once pelted eggs at his wife Chezzi when he was hungry during his recovery.

'I decided to crash off it which was when I went missing' he told Abbie Chatfield, Alli Simpson and Toni Pearen.

In 2014, Grant attended a wellness centre in Thailand which specialises in the treatment of PTSD and exhaustion. Pictured in hospital undergoing an unrelated surgery

'Mate, I pelted eggs at her [Chezzi] one night. I cracked it for some reason. I was hungry and was in pain and was confused and I just started throwing eggs at her.

'She doesn't deserve this, but you just can't stop.'

In 2014, Grant attended a wellness centre in Thailand which specialises in the treatment of PTSD and exhaustion.

The popular presenter made a remarkable recovery, triumphantly returning to TV screens and eventually winning a Gold Logie.
Charlotte Crosby braced the sea as she was pictured filming material for her upcoming BBC Three reality show, Charlotte in Sunderland, on Friday.

The pregnant Geordie Shore star, 32, concealed her baby bump in a dramatic pink ruffled gown, which featured a classic black bow, as she commanded attention.

She proceeded to walk into the ocean while shooting content for the programme, which will see her prepare for motherhood with her boyfriend Jake Ankers.

Chilly? Charlotte Crosby braced the sea as she was pictured filming material for her upcoming BBC Three reality show, Charlotte in Sunderland, on Friday

Members of the crew tended to the influencer's unmissable number as she worked her stuff for camera operators on the beach.

Charlotte - who is expecting a girl - showcased her growing baby bump as she posed for a snap alongside some of her Geordie Shore co-stars on Tuesday.

The reality star took to Instagram and posted a mirror selfie alongside Chloe Ferry, Sophie Kasaei, Kyle Christie and Nathan Henry as they filmed the reunion special in London.

It was previously announced that MTV are producing a Geordie Shore reunion series with several of the show's original cast members.

Look at me! The pregnant Geordie Shore star, 32, ensured she caught the attention of onlookers in a dramatic pink ruffled gown, which featured a classic black bow

Exciting: The programme will see her prepare for motherhood with her boyfriend Jake Ankers

Freezing! She proceeded to walk into the ocean while shooting content

Stylish: She oozed glamour while posing up a storm for videographers

OG stars including Charlotte, Sophie and Holly Hagan will be returning to screens together, 11 years after the reality show first aired in 2011.

The upcoming reunion series will include a group holiday, a long-awaited wedding and a party in the Geordie Shore house.

Charlotte, who was part of the show from series one, originally left in 2016 after announcing her departure on Twitter.

It comes after Charlotte revealed her baby's gender by enlisting the help of a skywriter to draw a heart in the sky.

Congrats! Charlotte is expecting a girl but concealer her bump beneath the billowing number

Legs for days: The influencer flashed her pins as she lifted up the bright pink outfit

Serious: She put on a sultry display for a camera operator as she strolled along the beach

Happy: Projecting a beaming smile, the Ex On The Beach star appeared to be in high spirits

It later flew back round to draw the letter 'G' in water vapour in the clear blue sky.

As the letter became clear, pink confetti was launched from a cannon above Charlotte, Jake and their friends at the lavish party.

Charlotte also invited many of her former Geordie Shore co-stars along to the bash, including newly married Holly Hagan and Sophie.

Stunning: Members of the crew tended to the influencer's unmissable number as she worked her stuff for camera operators on the beach

Coming soon: It was previously announced that MTV are producing a Geordie Shore reunion series with several of the show's original cast members

Woohoo! OG stars including Charlotte, Sophie Kasaei and Holly Hagan will be returning to screens together, 11 years after the reality show first aired in 2011

Busy bees: The upcoming reunion series will include a group holiday, a long-awaited wedding and a party in the Geordie Shore house

Newlywed Holly stepped out with husband Jacob Blythe for the first time since they tied the knot in Ibiza last week.

Jay Gardner, James Tindale and Ricci Guarnaccio were all also there to celebrate Charlotte's baby news.

The party was captured for Charlotte's upcoming BBC Three and iPlayer series, Charlotte in Sunderland.

Farewell: Charlotte, who was part of the show from series one, originally left in 2016 after announcing her departure on Twitter
Gal Gadot looked ready for action as she filmed for her upcoming espionage thriller Heart of Stone in Portugal on Friday.

The actress, 37, looked ready for action as she and her co-star Alia Bhatt shot drama-packed scenes in the town of Bordeira.

The Red Notice star filmed in a sandy setting - meant to emulate Senegal, where part of the film is set - as a pregnant Alia, 29, worked with a stunt double.

Lights, camera, action! Gal Gadot looked ready for action while filming for her upcoming espionage thriller Heart of Stone in Portugal on Friday

Behind-the-scenes shots saw Gal surrounded by boom mics as she sported an all-black action ensemble while getting her make-up touched up.

Another snap saw the Wonder Woman star working up a sweat in a white vest which showed off her toned arms.

The stunner's dark chestnut hair was tousled from the action as she worked in the dusty setting amid the cameras and equipment.

On set: The Red Notice star prepared for scenes in a sandy setting - meant to emulate Senegal, where part of the film is set - as a pregnant Alia, 29, worked with a stunt double

In May, Gal was spotted filming for the American spy movie - directed by Tom Harper - in Holborn, London with Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan, 40.

Gal seemed in high spirits as she was seen leaving an old school diner in a crisp white open collar shirt.

The duo took to Instagram to share a selfie at a table in the chippy with plates full of food as they were joined by two co-stars Paul Reddy, 45, and Jing Lusi, 37.

Co-stars: The actress, 37, looked every inch the chic heroine she is as she and co-star Alia Bhatt shot scenes in the town of Bordeira

Paul beamed in a dark coloured jacket over a tan top while the Crazy Rich Asians actress held up two peace signs leaning in for the snap.

In September 2021, Gal was announced to be leading the cast of Heart of Stone playing the role of Rachel Stone.

Also joining the cast are Sophie Okonedo, Alia and Matthias Schweighofer.

The plot to the film is being kept under wraps for the time being. So far it is being described only as a spy thriller.

Tom, 42, is best known for directing Peaky Blinders and Aeronauts while the script has been written by Greg Rucka and Allison Roeder.

The movie is being developed by Skydance Media, the production company behind projects such as Mission: Impossible: Fallout, The Old Guard and Annihilation.

Netflix secured the rights to the movie after a competitive and heated bidding war.
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Dapper Laughs fought back the tears as he posed with his new wife Shelley Rae after the couple tied the knot at Weybridge Registry Office on Friday.

The 38-year-old controversial comedian, real name Daniel O'Reilly, cut a suave figure in a three-piece red suit as he then kissed his bride in front of a classic London red bus, with the ceremony coming after two postponements due to Covid restrictions.

The wedding comes four years after Dapper unexpectedly proposed live on air to former glamour model Shelley following his eviction from the Celebrity Big Brother house, with his appearance on the show coming amid his attempt to redeem himself after a career-cancelling rape joke.

Congratulations! Dapper Laughs fought back the tears as he posed with his new wife Shelley Rae after the couple tied the knot at Weybridge Registry Office on Friday

In images from their big day, Dapper is seen beaming away in his smart suit, with which he teamed with a white shirt and tie, black shoes and dark sunglasses.

Meanwhile, the new Mrs O'Reilly looked stunning in a Mikado white halterneck gown which had a v-neckline, high collar and billowing train.

Shelley added a pair of embellished pointed heels to her bridal look and a cathedral length veil topped off with a pearl and diamante hair slide.

The bride, who also donned diamond teardrop earrings, styled her blonde tresses into a chic ponytail, while her wedding day make-up was light and elegant.

Finally! The wedding comes after two postponements due to Covid restrictions and four years after Dapper unexpectedly proposed live on air to Shelley following his eviction from the Celebrity Big Brother house

Dapper look! In images from their big day, Dapper is seen beaming away in his smart suit, with which he teamed with a white shirt and tie, black shoes and dark sunglasses

Here comes the bride! Meanwhile, the new Mrs O'Reilly looked stunning in a Mikado white halterneck gown which had a v-neckline, high collar and billowing train

Stunning: Shelley added a pair of embellished pointed heels to her bridal look and a cathedral length veil topped off with a pearl and diamante hair slide

The bridal party made for a stunning sight, with the bridesmaids dressed in white dresses while the groomsmen looked sharp in navy suits and burnt orange ties.

Meanwhile, the flower girls looked adorable in sweet white dresses and carried pampas grass bouquets with matching headbands in their hair.

Dapper shocked the studio audience and viewers at home when he unexpectedly proposed live on air to his then-girlfriend Shelley during his eviction interview with host Emma Willis back in January 2018.

The disgraced comedian got down on one knee mid-interview and asked his long-term love to marry him - prompting her to break down in tears, and she wasn't the only one, as viewers were also feeling emotional after the sweet moment.

What a day: The newlyweds posed in the blazing sunshine in front of a personalised classic London bus

Finishing touches: The bride, who also donned diamond teardrop earrings, styled her blonde tresses into a chic ponytail, while her wedding day make-up was light and elegant

Lovey: The happy couple sweetly held hands as they made their way out of the registry office

Love bus: The newly married couple couldn't keep their eyes off each other as they stood at the back of the bus

Dapper had been recalling his experience of living in the Celebrity Big Brother house and confessed that he'd had a lot of time to think while starring on the Channel 5 reality series.

Turning to his girlfriend, he said: 'Do you know what, when I was in the house, every day I regretted I didn't ask you... so will you marry me?'

He then presented Shelley with a make-shift ring, as she broke down in tears at the romantic gesture.

Revealing he had been planning on popping the question while waiting for a response, Dapper said: 'Is that a yes? Sorry about the ring, Ginuwine made it for me, but we'll trade it in for a better one.'

Taken aback by the scenes unfolding in front of her, a shocked Emma quipped: 'You shot that ring on before she could say no,' to Dapper, as they resumed their post-eviction chat.

Walk this way: Shelly and her girls looked radiant in white dress as they made their way off the bus

Capturing the memories: Dapper and Shelley snapped a selfie on his phone as they shared a moment on their big day

Group shot: The bridal party made for a stunning sight, with the bridesmaids dressed in white dresses while the groomsmen looked sharp in navy suits and burnt orange ties

Life and soul: The comic was seen larking around outside the registry office much to the amusement of his guests

Insisting that he will still go about his proposal in the traditional way (or as close to it as he could), Dapper claimed he would 'double check' with Shelley's dad that he was OK with him asking her to marry him.

Ever the comedian, he then couldn't resist joking: 'Is the ring all right? You won't need another on as well.'

He told MailOnline that his proposal to Shelley Rae was a last-minute decision - adding that he made the ring out of paper with Swarovski diamonds stuck to it.

He said he realised Shelley had taken a 'massive backseat' in his life over the past year and he 'regretted' not proposing sooner.

'My last year has been a rollercoaster. My dad passed away, I had a baby and I concentrated a lot on my career. Shelley had to take a massive back seat,' he said.

Strike a pose: The wedding party looked amazing as they beamed for official snaps

Cute: Meanwhile, the flower girls looked adorable in sweet white dresses and carried pampas grass bouquets with matching headbands in their hair

Pucker up: Shelley and Dapper locked lips as they stood on the bus after tying the knot

Arriving in style: The couple opted to transport their guests on a traditional London red bus

The star and Shelley had been dating for three years at the time and welcomed their first child together, daughter Neve, now five, in December 2016.

Neve's arrival came after Shelley voiced her fears the couple wouldn't be able to have children, after being told by doctors she would struggle to conceive.

Dapper Laughs shot to fame as a stand-up comedian and pick-up artist, for which he enjoyed widespread success in 2014.

Proposal: Dapper shocked the studio audience and viewers at home when he unexpectedly proposed live on air to his then-girlfriend Shelley during his eviction interview with host Emma Willis back in January 2018

Marry me: The disgraced comedian got down on one knee mid-interview and asked his long-term love to marry him - prompting her to break down in tears, and she wasn't the only one, as viewers were also feeling emotional after the sweet moment

However, he fell from grace spectacularly when he made a joke about an audience member at a stand-up gig 'gagging for a rape' while also being accused of misogyny.

After a campaign called for ITV to fire the star, the network announced the plan not to renew his show Dapper Laughs: On The Pull.

He later made a sombre appearance on Newsnight in November 2014, in which he said the character had indefinitely retired, but later resurrected Dapper Laughs a month later.

He has since found himself at the centre of controversy on CBB, after making lewd comments about his female housemates, including a 'vile' oral sex joke about Ann Widdecombe.

Despite efforts to rehabilitate his image via his stint on CBB, Dapper still found himself facing questions about his continued crude jokes when he made an appearance on ITV's Loose Women following his eviction.

Show panelist Nadia Sawalha hit the funnyman with a tough line of questioning over the shocking incident, insisting that despite his remorseful words, he still has 'stuff to learn'.

Dad's apporval: Insisting that he will still go about his proposal in the traditional way (or as close to it as he could), Dapper claimed he would 'double check' with Shelley's dad that he was OK with him asking her to marry him

Happy families: The star and Shelley had been dating for three years at the time and welcomed their first child together, daughter Neve, now five, in December 2016

Addressing his career-crashing moment, Dapper Laughs said: 'It broke my heart that it upset so many people. And rightly so. It was very difficult for me to sit down and explain to Maggie [Oliver] that I was in there because I made a bad judgement. And to come out with her as a friend, was important.'

Former police officer Maggie gained widespread attention when she helped bring an end to the vile Rochdale grooming ring, which horrified the nation.

Pressing on about his comments, Dapper Laughs said: 'I dont want to underplay it or what it did to my career. It was a flippant comment. I got carried away with what I was saying. And I was showing off and it was just a stupid thing to say.

Hard questions: Despite efforts to rehabilitate his image via his stint on CBB, Dapper still found himself facing questions about his continued crude jokes when he made an appearance on ITV's Loose Women following his eviction (L-R) dapper, Gloria Hunniford, Nadia Sawahla

'The only reason why I did Big Brother this year is because it was the year of the woman.'

However, Nadia was keen to share her thoughts on his behaviour, telling him: 'Personally, I still think you have stuff to learn. Some of them were so derogatory to women. And If you had said that about my daughter... I think youre funny without making a sexual joke, so just stop it.'

In response, he conceded: 'I do say stupid things and I do have a very different view now when I look at my baby Neve. And I know it shouldnt take you to have a baby daughter. I have to learn how to say things in more of an intelligent way, which is hard for me.'
Gregory Itzin, the actor who played a hapless Vice President and eventually the leader of the free world on Fox's hit series 24, has died at age 74.

The news of Itzin's death appeared to have first been shared by his son Wilke Itzin and his former 24 producer Jon Cassar.

'It is with an incredibly heavy heart to announce that my father Gregory Martin Itzin has passed on,' Wilke wrote on Instagram.

Supporting star: Gregory Itzin, the actor who played a hapless vice president and eventually the leader of the free world on Fox's hit series 24, has died at age 74; seen in 2017 in LA

'I am so so grateful to have been able to share these last few days with my dad in the midwest where he grew up. We were able to share some incredible moments together, fishing, bonding, watching him have the opportunity to connect with his grandson Wylder in a way we were never able to do before,' Itzin's son wrote.

'He was able to spend quality time in a place he loved, with the people who loved him dearly. I was able to say good bye but was truly hoping that it wasnt true. His sister Pam held him for his last breath and I am so thankful she was able to be there with him.'

Although Itzin was best known for his television work, Wilke singled out his stage roles as some of his greatest work.

'What many people truly knew him for was his incredible performances on the stage. I remember watching him in the one man show ship wrecked by Donald Margulies and being blown away, in awe that the man on stage was my dad,' he continued. 'He was in love with the theater, and even on his dying breath he could recite Shakespeare like he made the words up himself.

'I will never feel like we had enough time together. I love you pops and I really dont know what Im going to do without you. You were loved by all and we will miss you tremendously. Although bittersweet, I am glad we got to spend these last few days together,' he added.

Nailed the part: Itzin was best-known for his recurring role on 24 as a scheming President of the United States (pictured), which drew comparisons to President Richard Nixon

Saying goodbye: Itzin's son Wilke Itzin announced his death on Friday in a sweet post detailing their final days together in the Midwest

In his own post, Cassar shared a photo of himself with a beaming Itzin.

'My friend Greg Itzin passed away today. He was one of the most talented actors I had the honor to work with, but more than that he was an all around great guy,' Cassar wrote.

'Hell be missed by his 24 family who had nothing but love & respect for him. You made your mark, now Rest In Peace friend,' Cassar added.

Itzin was best-known for his recurring role on 24 as a scheming President of the United States, which drew comparisons to President Richard Nixon.

'I have the hairline, and my postures mediocre,' he joked to the New York Times in 2006.

Bad news: 24 producer Jon Cassar announced Itzin's death early on Friday

Unsung work: Itzin's son Wilke Itzin announced his death and praised his father's work on stage, which was overshadowed by his prominent TV roles; seen in 2017 in Los Angeles

Itzin's first film role was a small but memorable part in 1980's Airplane as a religious zealot who bother travelers at the airport.

The actor, who was born in Washington, D.C., but later moved to San Francisco, also had small roles in high-profile shows early in that decade, including Charlies Angels, Dallas, Fame, Hill Street Blues, Lou Grant and Mork & Mindy.

His other films from that period include The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, The Fabulous Baker Boys and Teen Wolf.

His longest-running roles on television included a stint on Gene Wilder's 1990s rom-com Something Wilder, his role as D.A. Roger Garfield on Murder One, his stint on the Comedy Central series Strip Mall in the early 2000s and lengthy recurring stints on The Mentalist and Covert Affairs.

One of Itzin's biggest latter-day film roles was as Judge John A. Campbell in Steven Spielberg's 2012 historical drama Lincoln.

Itzin is survived by his wife Judie and his children Wilke and Julia.
Europe's summer fashion weeks have attracted many stylish stars.

And Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson were among them as they arrived at their hotel ahead of the Valentino couture show in Rome on Friday afternoon.

American actress Anne, 39, looked typically chic in a summery yellow and orange dress and looked in great spirits ahead of the fashion event.

Star: Anne Hathaway looked typically chic in a summery yellow dress as she arrived at her hotel ahead of Valentino's couture show in Rome on Friday afternoon

She completed her look with dark shades a bright pink handbag and carried a straw hat with her to complete the outfit perfectly.

Meanwhile Kate showed some leg in a casual red dress as she headed inside with her daughter Rani, four - who she shares with partner Danny Fujikawa.

The beauty, 43, wore her long blonde tresses in loose waves over her shoulders and toted a white designer bag.

Though Italy's fashion week is usually held in Milan, this Valentino event is taking place in Rome for the first time ever.

Family: Meanwhile Kate Hudson showed some leg in a casual red dress as she headed inside with her daughter Rani, four - who she shares with partner Danny Fujikawa

Anne is currently taking a break from filming the movie Mother's Instinct in New Jersey.

Mothers' Instinct is a remake of Olivier Masset-Depasse's 2018 film Duelles, which starred Anne Coesens and Veerle Baetens. Masset-Depasse is also directing the remake.

'Life's perfect harmony is suddenly shattered after a tragic accident,' read the logline for the American remake.

Stunning: American actress Anne, 39, looked typically chic in a summery yellow and orange dress and looked in great spirits ahead of the fashion event

'Guilt, suspicion, and paranoia combine to unravel their sisterly bond, and a psychological battle of wills begins as the maternal instinct reveals its darker side.'

Both Mothers' Instinct and Duelles are loosely based on Barbara Abel's 2012 novel Derriere la Haine.

'It takes actors of Jessica and Anne's caliber to communicate the intricacy of these two roles,' Olivier, winner of the Cannes SACD Prize, said in a statement.

The look: She completed her look with dark shades a bright pink handbag and carried a straw hat with her to complete the outfit perfectly

Glowing: The beauty, 43, wore her long blonde tresses in loose waves over her shoulders and toted a white designer bag

Busy: Anne is currently taking a break from filming the movie Mother's Instinct in New Jersey

Iconic: Mothers' Instinct is a remake of Olivier Masset-Depasse's 2018 film Duelles, which starred Anne Coesens and Veerle Baetens

Pretty: Kate looked great in her summery outfit as she held onto her little one's hand

'The relationship between a mother and child is the most powerful connection between two human beings. When this bond is severed, it calls into question conventional morality and even sanity.

'In the behind-closed-doors atmosphere of 1960s America, Mothers' Instinct becomes a terrifying, high-pressure powder keg.'

On May 11, Deadline reported that Neon (distributor of Pig, Titane and Spencer) has already acquired US rights to distribute Mothers' Instinct.

Shades: She shielded her eyes from the European sun with a pair of huge trendy sunglasses

Dapper: Andrew Garfield also made his way to the show, sporting a pair of straight leg trousers and a green, geometric patterned shirt
Lenny Von Dohlen, the actor who played the agoraphobic hermit Harold Smith on Twin Peaks, has died at age 63.

Von Dohlen's death was first announced by his sister Catherine Von Dohlen in a Facebook post on Thursday, and his agent subsequently confirmed his death to Variety.

'The world lost a magnificent man on July 5. Brother Len was passionate about everything and everyone. He was always leading; whether it be riveting conversation, an artistic creation or a trip to new places. He loved a good laugh. He continues on his spiritual journey. Living life full in his memory,' Catherine wrote.

Film and TV actor: Lenny Von Dohlen, the actor who played the agoraphobic hermit Harold Smith on Twin Peaks, has died at age 63; seen in 2014 in LA

Von Dohlen appeared on four episodes of Twin Peaks, as well as in co-creator David Lynch's spin-off film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, which served as both a prequel and a sequel of sorts to the series, which was revived in 2017 for an acclaimed third season.

His character Harold was an acquaintance of Laura Palmer, whose mysterious murder set the series in motion.

The character gave her secret diary to him for safe-keeping, but when her friends tried to steal it to aid the investigation, his arc ended on a dark note.

Harold hanged himself, leaving a note in French that read, 'I have a lonely soul.'

Striking portrayal: Von Dohlen appeared as Harold Smith in Twin Peaks (pictured) and its spin-off film Fire Walk With Me. He kept the diary of the murdered Laura Palmer. He hanged himself after her friends stole it to aid the investigation

Comedy role: Von Dohlen's most prominent film role was probably his 1984 science fiction rom-com Electric Dreams (pictured)

Von Dohlen's most prominent film role was probably his 1984 science fiction rom-com Electric Dreams, in which he played an architect who becomes enmeshed in a love triangle as his computer  which has become sentient after a malfunction  vies with him for the affections of a female cellist who lives next door.

The actor might be best known to younger viewers for playing one of the hapless villains in the 1997 sequel Home Alone 3, which did not feature original star Macaulay Culkin.

According to IMDb, Von Dohlen's most recent roles prior to his death were in the short film Creator (2022) and the feature For The Weekend (2020).

The actor was born in Augusta, Georgia, on December 22, 1958, and he was subsequently raised in a small South Texas town.

He later graduated from Loretto Heights College in Denver, Colorado, and he studied theater at the University of Texas.

Kid's movie: The actor might be best known to younger viewers for playing one of the hapless villains in the 1997 sequel Home Alone 3, which did not feature original star Macaulay Culkin

After finishing his studies, Von Dohlen moved to New York City to pursue theatre roles.

He got his first television role in 1981 on the series Kent State, and two years later he made his first film appearance in Tender Mercies, which earned Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and for Best Actor for its star, Robert Duvall.

In 2010, Von Dohlen made a special guest appearance on USA's Psych for the episode Dual Spires, which was a tribute to Twin Peaks.

He played Sheriff Andrew Jackson  the original series features a Sheriff Harry S. Truman  while several other Twin Peaks actors made guest appearances, including Sheryl Lee, who played the murdered Laura Palmer, as well as her nearly identical cousin.

Von Dohlen's other TV appearances included stints on Miami Vice, Tales From The Darkside, The Equalizer, Thirtysomething, The Flash, Red Dwarf, Picket Fences, Walker, Texas Ranger, The Pretender and CSI: Miami, among many others.

Throwback: In 2010, Von Dohlen made a special guest appearance on USA's Psych for the episode Dual Spires, which was a tribute to Twin Peaks
She's certainly caused up a stir in the Love Island villa since entering as a Casa Amor bombshell.

But it could have been a very different summer for Coco Lodge, who was reportedly set to star in another reality dating show - having already began filming for the new series of Married At First Sight UK.

The 27-year-old is said to have made a 'last minute U-turn' on the show when she got the opportunity to appear on Love Island... leaving Channel 4 bosses 'furious'.

Battle of the reality shows: Love Island's Coco Lodge, 27, 'pulled out of Married At First Sight last minute to enter the villa'

According to The Sun, a source said: 'Coco was all set for the next series of MAFS. She'd shot about a week's worth of content - costing upwards of 5,000 - and bosses were looking forward to seeing her on the show.

'They were furious when Coco told them she was quitting to go on Love Island.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Married At First Sight UK and Love Island for comment.

Backed out: A source said: 'Coco was all set for the next series of MAFS. She'd shot about a week's worth of content - costing upwards of 5,000'

New couple: She is now coupled up with Andrew le Page on the dating show, after turning his head during Casa Amor

Coco's summer certainly would've looked very different if she had stuck to the Channel 4 show, which sees singletons tie the knot and meet for the first time at the alter.

Put together by dating experts, the couples then go through a series of tests, even moving in together - before deciding whether they have formed a true connection during the social experiment.

But it seems Coco is far from marriage at the moment, as tensions run high in the Love Island villa following a dramatic recoupling.

Unhappy: The source said Channel 4 bosses were 'furious when Coco told them she was quitting to go on Love Island'

The Italian was chosen by Andrew Le Page in the recoupling after successfully turning his head from previous partner Tasha Ghouri.

But as the Islanders are all living under the same roof once again, Thursday's episode saw Andrew admit to Tasha that he 'doesn't see a future' with Coco, and turned his head out of anger.

Love Island continues on Friday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub.
Patsy Palmer was spotted driving her banged-up car around Malibu, California after getting in to a possible fender bender.

The actress, 50, was seen with her son Bertie, 11, as they stepped out to the supermarket in the beachside celebrity enclave near Los Angeles.

While it was unclear what caused the damage, the front end of her green Toyota Camry looked crumpled as she arrived and parked up at the store.

Running errands: Patsy Palmer, 50, was spotted driving her banged up car around Malibu, California after getting in to a possible fender bender (pictured with son Bertie, 11)

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Patsy for comment.

Former EastEnders star Patsy cut a casual figure as she ran her errands, opting for a blue cotton shirt and loose fitting tracksuit bottoms.

She wore a pair of white trainers with an orange sun and rays on the inside.

The television personality wore a pair of orange-hued sunglasses and was seen smiling as she walked around her car despite the jalopy's damage.

Mishap: While it was unclear what caused the damage, the front end of her green Toyota Camry looked crumpled as she arrived and parked up at the store

Out and about: Patsy stepped out to the supermarket in the beachside celebrity enclave near Los Angeles

Smashed! The front of Patsy's car was crumpled as she sat in the front seat before driving off after shopping

Last month Patsy shared a rare snap of all three of her children as she celebrated son Fenton's 22 birthday.

The star took to Instagram to upload an image of sons Fenton, Bertie and daughter Emilia, 20, captioning the shot: 'Happy birthday Fenton, we love you'.

Patsy shares the trio with with husband Richard, while she also has Charley Palmer Rothwell, 30 - her UK based son with former partner Alfie Rothwell.

Keeping it casual: Former EastEnders star Patsy cut a casual figure as she ran her errands, opting for a blue cotton shirt and loose fitting tracksuit bottoms

In style: The television personality wore a pair of orange-hued sunglasses and was seen smiling as she walked around her car despite the jalopy's damage.

Fancy footwear: She wore a pair of white trainers with an orange sun and rays on the inside of the shoes

Good to talk: Patsy, who was known for playing Bianca Jackson in EastEnders, was seen speaking into her phone while out and about

Preparing for the off: Patsy packed her belongings into the car before she set off after stopping at the store

Keeping cool: The star ensured she let some fresh air into the vehicle as she enjoyed the summer weather in California

The image sees Patsy's offspring beaming at the camera as they draped their arms over each other's shoulders.

Model Emilia showed off her toned midriff in a black bralette and a sheer shirt, while her brother's opted for casual ensembles.

Patsy, who gained fame for her role as Bianca Jackson in the BBC soap, also shared a throwback family snap to her stories, this time featuring herself and husband Richard.

She penned: 'Happy birthday to our beautiful boy Fenton. We love you so much.'

Her pride and joy: Patsy shared a rare snap of all three of her children as she celebrated son Fenton's 22 birthday last month [L-R Emilia, Bertie, Fenton]

Proud mum: Patsy shares the trio with with husband Richard, while she also has Charley Palmer Rothwell, 30 - her UK based son with former partner Alfie Rothwell

Message: The former EastEnders star took to Instagram to upload an image of sons Fenton, Bertie and daughter Emilia, 20, captioning the shot: 'Happy birthday Fenton, we love you'

Love: Patsy, who gained fame for her role as Bianca Jackson in the BBC soap, also shared a throwback family snap to her stories, this time featuring herself and husband Richard

It comes after Patsy celebrated her own 50th birthday in May, heading out in Hollywood to acknowledge the milestone.

The actress, who has now turned to DJ'ing and wellness influencing, headed to swanky The West Hollywood Edition Hotel with some pals for her birthday night out.

Patsy sported a pink sequin-embellished maxi dress for the evening, which featured a long sleeve, cinched waist and plunging cross-over neckline.

The birthday girl added a matching bralette underneath the dress, and preparing for a night on the dance floor, dressed her glam look down with a pair of Nike Jordan high top trainers.

Birthday girl! It comes after Patsy celebrated her own 50th birthday in May , heading out in Hollywood to acknowledge the milestone

A La Carte: She shared some snaps while enjoying dinner at the hotel's restaurant Ardor, posing alongside pal Dana Bird
Derek Chauvin, the Minnesota police officer, found guilty of killing George Floyd in May 2020, was sentenced to over 20 years in prison on Thursday, nearly seven months after he pleaded guilty in court to violating the Black man's civil rights.

United States District Judge Paul Magnuson called Chauvin's treatment of Floyd "offensive" and "unconscionable" just before handing down the sentence. In his remarks, the judge said he did not understand why the former police officer did what he did at the time of the incident, arguing that placing your knee on another person's neck until they died was simply wrong.

Derek Chauvin's Prison Sentence

Federal prosecutors asked the judge to sentence Chauvin to 25 years in prison, on the high end of the plea agreement's 20- to 25-year range. They argued that the former police officer abused his authority as a law enforcement personnel and acted callously.

On the other hand, the defense asked Magnuson for 20 years, arguing that the defendant was remorseful for what he did and that he has accepted responsibility for his actions. The judge decided to hand out a 21-year sentence, with credit for the time he has already served, bringing his sentence to 20 years and five months, as per NBC News.

Currently, the former police officer is serving a 22-and-a-half-year sentence after being found guilty of second and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter, in April 2021. Initially, Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges, but he changed his plea in December.

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At the time, Chauvin also admitted guilt in a separate federal indictment in connection with allegations that he deprived a 14-year-old boy of his civil rights in an encounter in September 2017. The plea allowed the former police officer to avoid another high-profile trial, and the sentence reflects 20 years for the charge related to Floyd and five months for the other case.

According to Axios, Chauvin, who has not yet fully publicly addressed his actions against Floyd, has not yet apologized during a brief statement. Instead, the disgraced police officer said that he hopes that the victim's children have "excellent guidance in becoming good adults."

George Floyd's Death

The plea means that Chauvin would likely stay locked behind bars longer since federal prisoners typically serve a higher percentage of their full sentence than state-level offenders in Minnesota. On the other hand, Chauvin will now serve a sentence in what is more likely a safer environment.

In the Minnesota prison system, inmates qualify for parole earlier compared to those in the federal system. The 46-year-old has also been held in "administrative segregation" for his own safety at the state's maximum-security prison at Oak Park Heights.

Chauvin has largely been confined to a 10-by-10-foot room which he has been allowed to leave for an average of one hour a day for exercise. Eric Nelson, the defendant's attorney, wrote in a request for a 20-year sentence last month that the former police officer still "spends much of his time in solitary confinement, largely for his own protection," USA Today reported.

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Scheana Shay blasted Randall Emmett as she reacted to the allegations made about him in a shocking expose published last week by the Los Angeles Times.

Speaking with Page Six in Beverly Hills on Thursday, Scheana, 37, called Lala Kent's ex-fiance a 'disgusting excuse for a human.'

'All of this has been shocking,' she told the site at a celebration of her new partnership with ME Cosmetics.

'Disgusting excuse for a human': Scheana Shay blasted Randall Emmett as she reacted to the allegations made about him in a shocking expose published last week by the Los Angeles Times; pictured June 2022 in Santa Monica

'I mean, the extent of what we have heard about him, theres even more that wasnt even in the article,' she claimed. 'So that itself is shocking.'

Scheana's Vanderpump Rules pal Lala, who split from Randall following allegations he had been unfaithful to her, also claimed in the report that Randall tackled her when she grabbed his cell phone during a heated confrontation about cheating.

'Its one thing if you hear someone cheats,' Shay told Page Six. 'But when you hear how they cheated and everything that went into it, it was shocking.'

Lala told the Los Angeles Times that her Vanderpump Rules castmates had alerted her about pictures of Emmett exiting an elevator with two young women in Nashville were circulating online.

Shocking allegations: Emmett, pictured with then-fiance Lala Kent in 2019, was the subject of a bombshell expose published by the LA Times last week

When he returned to LA shortly after the photos emerged, Kent claims to have demanded to see the contents of Emmett's phone and when he refused, she grabbed it away from him.

She explained to the daily newspaper: 'He ran after me, tackled me and knocked me to the ground.

'I used every ounce of strength to get him off of me as he was trying to pry it from my hands... That was when I knew, for sure, that there was a lot he was hiding.'

Hofmeister told the LA Times about the images: 'Randall enjoys socializing with friends. In Nashville he was hanging out with a large group of people, men and women.'

Happier times: Kent was engaged to Emmett until allegations he had been unfaithful emerged

A declaration from his longtime nanny, Isabelle Morales, was provided to the publication as she said that 'neither was on the ground.'

Morales explained: 'I witnessed Randall and Lala fighting over his phone. The only physical interaction I saw was Randall taking back his phone from Lala.'

The publication claims to have spoken to five people who backed Kent's allegation about Emmett tackling her within weeks of the altercation, however, his team denied that a physical fight had happened.

According to the LA Times report, Emmett also allegedly used his status as a producer to solicit sexual favors from women in exchange for parts in his movies.

Better together! Shay and Lala are friends again despite their once rocky past

His spokesperson denied all of the allegations in the expose on behalf of Emmett. 'These allegations are false and part of a now-familiar smear campaign orchestrated by Randalls ex-fiancee to sway their custody dispute,' his rep told Page Six.

Scheana also alleged the allegations against Randall caught her and her Vanderpump Rules co-stars by surprise.

'It was not anything any of us saw coming,' she said. 'We thought they had a good, solid relationship.'

Scheana said Lala's situation was 'really unfortunate, especially' for the daughter she shares with Randall, Ocean.

'You're such a good guy!' Kent was apparently moved to tears by a song her fiancee Brock Davies had written for Shay; pictured June 2022

However, Scheana has been urging her friend to look at the bright side.

'I just try to remind her, "Look at the positives. He is a terrible, disgusting excuse for a human, but you have a beautiful baby girl because he was in your life." But, like, fk him.'

Scheana and Kent have put their differences aside and are friendly again after Lala previously blasted Shay's fiance Brock Davies over his past.

The trio even spent Independence Day together in San Diego, where Lala was moved to tears hearing a song Brock had written for Scheana.

Scheana initially misinterpreted Lala's emotions as being for her ex, but it turns out she was actually touched by Brock's gesture.

'"You're such a good guy!"' Scheana said Lala told Brock.
Italian professional dancer Vito Coppola has let slip he is to join the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.

The twinkled-toe star, who appears on the Italian version of the ballroom dance contest titled Ballando con le Stelle, was asked by television presenter Milly Carlucci about appearing on the UK show during an interview, according to The Sun.

While an official announcement is yet to be made by the BBC, he explained: 'It was a sudden thing, I'm putting my ideas in order, but I'm happy and I can't wait.

New addition: Italian professional dancer Vito Coppola has let slip he is to join the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing

'[The BBC] were very fascinated by what we did at Ballando, they saw the videos, what we create.

'Thanks to you, Milly, and all the Ballando family, who have rooted for me.'

A Strictly spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by the MailOnline.

Speaking out: The twinkled-toe star appears on the Italian version of the ballroom dance contest titled Ballando con le Stelle (pictured on Italian show in April)

The Strictly Come Dancing 2022 professional line-up was announced in March ahead of this year's series.

Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones and the last series winner, Giovanni Pernice, are the dancing stars returning to the hit ballroom show for another spin on the dancefloor, as the bill was revealed during Thursday's BBC Morning Live.

Following the exits of two-time winner Oti Mabuse and Aljaz Skorjanec - who both recently revealed they were quitting the programme - Strictly bosses have not yet added any new professionals to this year's line-up, but teased that new arrivals may still be announced.

Looking ahead: While an official announcement is yet to be made by the BBC, he explained: 'It was a sudden thing, I'm putting my ideas in order, but I'm happy and I can't wait' (pictured on Italian show in April)

Born to perform: The dancer said BBC bosses were 'fascinated' by his work on the Italian version of the show

Other returning pros include Dianne Buswell, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard and Gorka Marquez.

The complete line-up concludes with Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu.

Sarah James, Executive Producer, said: We could not be more proud of the Strictly professional dancers and we are so happy to have so many returning for 2022.

Keep dancing! The Strictly Come Dancing 2022 professional line-up were announced in March ahead of this year's series

They're back: Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones and series winner Giovanni Pernice (pictured) are the dancing stars returning to the hit ballroom show for another spin on the dancefloor

'The world-class skill and extraordinary care they bring to everything they do, from working with their celebrity partners to choreographing and performing remarkable and unforgettable routines, never ceases to amaze us.

'They really are the best in the business and we can't wait to see what they bring to the Strictly ballroom for our twentieth fabulous series.'

It came after Aljaz Skorjanec announced that he would be leaving Strictly Come Dancing following nine years on the show as a professional dancer.

He follows in the footsteps of his wife Janette Manrara, who announced her own departure from the pro lineup last year as she moved into the presenter role for spin off show It Takes Two.

Saying goodbye: Aljaz Skorjanec recently announced that he is set to leave Strictly Come Dancing following nine years on the show as a professional dancer

In a statement released earlier this morning via social media, Aljaz said: 'On a beautiful sunny day in May 2013 one phone call changed my life forever!'

'It went like this... we would like to offer you a position on @bbcstrictly as a professional dancer. A dream became a reality and it was the biggest opportunity for a 23 year old boy from Slovenia'

'It didn't matter how many beautiful ballrooms I performed in during my competitive career, stepping onto the sacred Strictly floor was the most nervous I had ever been.

'A little while ago I made the tough decision that Strictly 2021 would be my last. The show has given me an opportunity and freedom to create and express myself in front of millions of people every weekend for the last 9 years.

'The love and support I got from the team of producers was second to none. Jason Gilkison, Sarah James, Kim Winston, Jack Gledhill are just a few of the unsung heroes behind the success of the show - I am forever grateful to them!

Moving on: In a statement released via social media, Aljaz said: 'On a beautiful sunny day in May 2013 one phone call changed my life forever!'

'Being a part of a group of professionals that inspire and push you to be better every step of the way is humbling and I will carry that inspiration with me forever. Every year the lineup of dancers would change but one thing stayed the same, WE WERE THE BEST! And this is one thing that I know will never change on Strictly!'

'Strictly also has the BEST backstage team - the hair and make-up team, costume department, lighting, sound, props and special effects, camera operators THANK YOU!'

Alijaz, who won the Glitterball trophy in his first year on the BBC competition, went on to pay tribute to the nine celebrity partners he has danced with on the show, writing: 'My beautiful partners - Abbey Clancy, Alison Hammond, Helen George, Daisy Lowe, Kate Silverton, Gemma Atkinson, Emma Weymouth, Clara Amfo and Sara Davies.

'It's hard to put into words how many beautiful memories we have had. I LOVE YOU ALL!'
Victoria Beckham took to Instagram on Friday to show a glimpse of her recent getaway to celebrate her 23rd wedding anniversary.

The fashion mogul, 48, set off from Paris to Venice on the extravagant Orient Express alongside her husband David, 47 - as well as the rest of the family.

Gushing 'family time is so precious' the former Spice Girl was joined by her parents, Jackie and Anthony Adams, as well as her sister Louise, 38, and her rarely-seen brother Christian.

'Family time is so precious!' Victoria Beckham shared snaps of her recent European getaway to celebrate her 23rd wedding anniversary on Friday

In one snap the group posed next to the luxurious steam train as David sat on one of their designer suitcases.

Victoria, who shares Brooklyn, 23, Romeo, 19, Cruz, 17, and 10-year-old daughter Harper with her husband, looked gorgeous in a semi sheer nude blouse which she teamed with high waisted black trousers.

Once on board the family enjoyed the five star hospitality as they dressed up for a swanky dinner.

Happy families: The former Spice Girl was joined by her parents, Jackie and Anthony Adams, as well as her sister Louise, 38, and her rarely-seen brother Christian

Grand: David took to social media to share a glimpse of his first class train cabin on the ride across Europe

As the men donned dinner jackets Victoria opted for a slinky black cocktail dress from her own collection.

The group appeared in high spirits as they smiled for the camera with David later cuddling up to his in-laws.

Once in Venice the group - with other pals - enjoyed the sights, with Victoria and David, who married in 1999, cuddling up on a romantic water taxi ride.

Posh: Once on board the family enjoyed the five star hospitality as they dressed up for a swanky dinner

Son in-law: The group appeared to be in high spirits as they smiled for the camera with David later cuddling up to his in-laws

Say cheese: Once in Venice the group - with other pals - enjoyed the sights, with Victoria and David cuddling up on a romantic gondola ride

Happy: In one snap, Victoria beamed as she posed alongside her parents

Victoria captioned the snaps: 'So special to experience the @vsoetrain [Orient Express] with my amazing family. Family time is so precious! I love you all so much'.

The group were also spotted recently as they all took to one of the Venetian rivers in a gondola during their no expense spared trip .

The married couple had travelled with their family to continue their celebrations after marking their wedding anniversary with a romantic date night in Paris.

Amazing: Enjoying some of the luxurious accomodation Europe had to offer, David and Victoria were joined by her entire family for the break

Loved up: The couple cuddled up in the water taxi as they took in the impressive sights

Loved: Victoria captioned the snaps: 'So special to experience the @vsoetrain [Orient Express] with my amazing family. Family time is so precious! I love you all so much'

'I love you so much': On Monday they had a date night in Paris, which saw them enjoy a bottle of wine, which came in a personalised engraved bucket, on a rooftop

The pair took to their respective Instagram Stories on Monday evening to give an insight into their intimate celebrations.

Their date night saw them enjoy a bottle of wine, which came in a personalised engraved bucket, on a rooftop where they also let off heart-shaped balloons.

The couple celebrated with a romantic alfresco dinner overlooking Paris' incredible views, where they took loved-up selfies.

David took to his Instagram Stories to give a glimpse at an engraved silver wine bucket that Victoria had got to mark the occasion.

The personalisation read: 'David. I love you so much, Happy 23rd Wedding Anniversary. You are my everything xxx'
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip is heading to Thailand.

People reported the location of season three along with the all-star cast set to take Thailand by storm on Friday.

Real Housewives Of New York City stars Leah McSweeney and Tinsley Mortimer, Gizelle Bryant and Candiace-Dillard-Bassett of Potomac fame, Heather Gay and Whitney Rose from Salt Lake City, and Alexia Echevarria and Marysol Patton from the Real Housewives Of Miami are reportedly joining the cast.

Just the girls! The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip is heading to Thailand!

The leading ladies will jet off to Thailand on July 14 and begin filming on July 18, insiders told People.

While a third season of Girls Trip has yet to be confirmed by Bravo, Alexia appeared to spill the beans on her Instagram Stories when she re-posted a fan account with news on season three.

'RHUGT season 3 begins filming July 17,' the account posted along with a photo of the potential cast. 'Can't wait to see my Queens of Miami on the newest installment of Ultimate Girls Trip,' the account posted.

The first season of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip took place in Turks and Caicos, followed by Dorinda Medley's Bluestone Manor for season two.

Look who's coming! Real Housewives Of New York City stars Leah McSweeney and Tinsley Mortimer are reportedly joining the show

Last month Dorinda slammed Vicki Gunvalson over her lack of enthusiasm during the taping of the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.

'She started right at the gate,' the 57-year-old television personality said during a Twitter Spaces chat hosted by People magazine.

Dorinda continued, 'She came in not really wanting to be there before the gates even opened!'

The socialite also said that she was offended by Vicki's initial criticism of her Berkshires home.

All-stars: Gizelle Bryant and Candiace-Dillard-Bassett of Potomac fame will reportedly appear on the show

'I took it very personally when she came in and said, 'Oh my God, what do you do here? Where are we? What do we do here?''' Dorinda admitted.

Yet, Dorinda said she gained a new understanding of Vicki's mental state at the time after watching the show.

In the first episode of RHUGT, Vicki revealed that her fiance Steve Lodge had ended their relationship just before she arrived at Blue Stone Manor to shoot the reality series.

'I didn't realize that that was not really about me,' Dorinda said.

Star-studded: Heather Gay and Whitney Rose from Salt Lake City are apparently set to appear in the show

'So that made me feel better because I took it personally but after I watched the episode, I was like, 'Wow before she even got to my front door, she was already in that state.'''

'Look what happened to her!' Jill, 58, added. 'She was dumped by a guy she loved to death as she was getting on the airplane!'

However, Brandi Glanville, 49, noted that Vicki had said that her relationship with Steve had been troubled for some time and that the two lacked intimacy.

Bravolebrities: Alexia Echevarria and Marysol Patton from the Real Housewives Of Miami are reportedly joining the cast

'Jill, they hadn't had sex in 13 months,' the former model said. 'They were not talking and he was trying to break up with her for a year!

'He was trying to break up with her for a year,' Jill concurred. 'She was in her own love bubble by herself!'

Dorinda said that she believed Vicki's disinterested behavior was not solely due to her breakup with Steve.

'It wasn't just that,' Dorinda said. 'There wasn't a lot of enthusiasm to even do stuff or be part of the group.

The fashion entrepreneur acknowledged that Vicki's attitude had changed somewhat by the time that the group filmed episode four's bourbon dinner.

The first season of Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip took place in Turks and Caicos, followed by Dorinda Medley's Bluestone Manor for season two.

'But it wasn't just about the breakup,' Dorinda said.

'Listen, we're all going through s***, but we signed up for this,' she continued. 'We knew what we were doing.'

'Vicki is just not a happy person right now,' Zarin concluded. 'She's not in a good headspace. She's just not happy. I feel like she's in a negative space.'

In addition to coming off a breakup, Vicki also began filming the show while battling what was later found to be a sinus infection as well as recovering from COVID-19.
Katie Couric appeared to have a cute new dog while out on a stroll in the Hamptons on Friday.

The 65-year-old news anchor had a tiny brown-and-black Dachshund that chased after her as she took a walk.

She looked casual in a summery tiered dress covered in a busy floral-print pattern for the outing.

Flower power: Katie Couric put on a colorful display in a floral-print dress while taking her cute new Dachshund puppy for a walk in the Hamptons on Friday

Katie's sleeveless ensemble highlighted her arms, and it featured a pink-tinged top with a different pattern.

Her shoulder-length strawberry blond hair was part to the side and framed her large black cat-eye sunglasses.

She completed the relaxed look with a set of gray flip flops, and she wore several bracelets on one of her wrists.

Katie had her new puppy on a leash, and she even held the cutie pie in her arms while she stopped to chat with a friend.

Too cute! The adorable brown-and-black pooch ran behind her. Her sleeveless dress was covered in multiple colors, and she contrasted it with gray flip flops

Getting some altitude: She even held the cutie pie in her arms while she stopped to chat with a friend

The former Today Show anchor was spending time in the Hamptons after her husband John Molner drew plenty of online ire after he conflated the Supreme Court recently striking down the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent with his flight being canceled.

In an Instagram post featuring a photo of a Delta plane in flight, he wrote in his caption that it was 'a sad day in our nation.'

'Roe v Wade has been repealed,' he continued. 'Additionally, the Court has struck down New York gun safety laws restricting people from carrying concealed weapons. And Delta Airlines continues its descent toward becoming the worst major US airlines, canceling scores of flights daily, stranding passengers for days and holding them hostage to higher fares. Its not as bad as rolling back reproductive rights but its pretty aggravating.'

The comments he received included plenty of vitriol about his decision to pair his personal inconveniences with women who lost their right to an abortion in several states across the US.

Tone-deaf: Her husband John Molner took fire on Instagram after he compared having his Delta flight canceled to the Supreme Court striking down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision; seen in May in NYC

Katie and Molner, a financier, began dating in 2011, and they got engaged in September 2013.

The couple wed in a private ceremony at her Hamptons home in June of 2014.

Katie, who worked for Yahoo News until 2017, let her contract expire at the end of that period so that she could focus on running her own company Katie Couric Media with her husband.
The beginnings of a China-US misunderstanding have Washington and allies doubling down on their hegemonistic agenda by presenting Beijing as the boogeyman. Beijing told the west to stop making imaginary enemies and smearing China in what they see as competition on the world stage.

China Says West Is Pushing False Claims

Directors of the FBI and M15 unjustly charged Beijing with industrial espionage without proof. The Chinese Foreign Ministry slammed FBI Director Christopher Wray and MI5 Director Ken McCallum for lies on the accusation of stealing technology and a national security threat, reported RT.

In a joint press conference last Wednesday in London, both officials told businesses that Chinese hackers are stealing western technology with an organized hacking program, based on media reports, noted Azerbaycan 24.

McCallum said that the Chinese government exerts pressure and presents the most challenging task to the US and UK.

The MI5, like the FBI, is now undertaking seven times as many China-related probes as it was in 2018. The M15 chief warned hostile activities are occurring in Britain as he speaks. But Beijing called out what he said as lies and no support for Washington and its allies.

West Must Stop False Allegations Against China

On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian spoke to the media. He accused Wray of trying to smear and verbally attack China as a result of the so-called Chinese threat.

He called the United States the worst element pursuing its self-centered motives as it has created uncertainty for world peace, stability, and development.

Washington stops acting unhinged and must stop lying to further a hegemonistic agenda and uncalled-for remarks, citing Alarabiya News.

Read Also: Volodymyr Zelensky Children: Does the Ukraine President Have Kids?

Zhao stated that the M15 and M16, the UK's foremost intelligence units, both excel at placing spies. It is their disgrace to get projected onto China via these lies peddle through.

Zhao stressed the UK security boss should give up inventing enemies to justify its often-questioned self-motivated actions.

The west made the People's Republic of China a fall guy because it needed an excuse to justify its actions. Chinese officials are tired of getting tagged as carrying out cybercrime and industrial espionage.

Chinese technology businesses are accused of acquiring data on Western customers ending in Washington black-listing hundreds of these corporations, also accused of cyber-attacks on intellectual property theft situations, both unproven and unverified.

Chinese authorities are wary of foreign firms doing their spying in China as Tesla cars are not allowed in a Chinese Communist Party resort town due to security.

Among the charges and counterclaims, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi this week at the G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

According to US officials, Blinken accused China last week of attempting to undermine the rules-based international order and pressure Wang by restricting an expanding partnership with Russia that the US fears.

Beijing will not condemn Russia in the ongoing Ukraine conflict or back the sanctions of the Biden administration. A failed US leadership is losing grip that wants to back China into a corner. The so-called Chinese threat is bad for Washington, and allies trying to hedge its hegemonistic agenda are backfiring as sanctions on Russia fail.

Related Article: Biden Administration Pressures the EU To Launch Economic Sanctions Against Russia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow is just starting with its operation in Ukraine in a stark warning to those hoping that his country will be defeated militarily in Ukraine.

The president's remarks were made in a meeting with parliamentary leaders where he claimed that western support for Ukraine would only prolong the war. Putin, who first launched his war against Ukraine in February and has taken maximalist positions for any peace deal, said that the "West wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian."

Just Getting Started

Putin argued that Western nations were doing so because they want to weaken Russia and "enforce its version of the global order." The statements come as Moscow appears to be preparing for the next phase of its military offensive in Ukraine's eastern borderlands as it completes the capture of Luhansk, which is one of two administrative regions of the broader Donbas region.

Roughly half of Donetsk, the other administrative region, remains under Ukrainian control and that is where Moscow's focus will now shift after its effective, but costly, offensive in Luhansk. Russia has continued to shell Ukrainian positions in Donetsk but has not announced any territorial gains in the four days since claiming control of Lysychansk, as per Axios.

Both Russia and Ukraine have taken heavy losses in the battle for the Donbas region; but Moscow had the advantage in manpower and, in particular, in artillery. Several military analysts expect that the balance will shift over time as Kyiv trains additional forces and integrates NATO-caliber weaponry in its fight against its invader.

Read Also: Russia Criticizes Leak of Putin-Macron Call Highlighting Leaders' Heated Exchange Days Before the Ukraine Invasion

Despite saying that Russia's goal in the war was to liberate the Donbas region, most of the area is now utterly destroyed due to the fighting. On the other hand, the head of Russia's security council, Nikolai Patrushev, reiterated this week Moscow's initial, broader objective to "demilitarize" all of Ukraine.

According to Yahoo News, Russian authorities also accused the West of waging a proxy war against it by hammering its economy with sanctions and stepping up the supply of advanced weapons to Ukraine. But while Putin boasted of his country's potential rise in aggression, he referred to the possibility of negotiations.

Russia-Ukraine War

Despite the massive advance of the Russian force, the progress has been far slower than what many analysts initially predicted. It also comes as Moscow's troops were beaten back in initial attempts to take the capital, Kyiv, and the second city, Kharkiv.

Ukraine has spoken of its desire to drive Russia out of all the territory that it has seized after it has been emboldened by Western support and the heavy losses it has inflicted on its opponent. Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukraine's chief negotiator, dismissed Putin's notion of a plan directed against Russia by the West.

In a Twitter post, Podolyak gave a list of conditions that he said would get his delegation back to the table. This includes ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian territories, the return of kidnapped citizens, extradition of war criminals, reparations mechanism, and recognition of Ukraine's sovereign rights, the New York Post reported.



Related Article: UN Warning: Ukraine War Pushes Countries Towards 'Unprecedented' Starvation

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For Release: Friday, July 8, 2022

DEC Announces Six New Certified Climate Smart Communities

Local Actions Support Nation-Leading Goals of New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

Certified Climate Smart Municipalities Are Models for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Building Local Climate Resilience

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the latest round of communities to achieve certification as part of New York State's Climate Smart Communities program (leaves DEC website), which supports local efforts to meet the economic, social, and environmental challenges posed by climate change. By taking meaningful steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change, six local governments successfully met the criteria to be recognized as leaders during the second quarter round of review.

"DEC applauds the work of these six communities helping address the climate crisis by acting locally and bolstering New York State's climate leadership," Commissioner Seggos said. "We look forward to working with our Climate Smart Communities and other local leaders who are ramping up clean energy, improving climate resiliency, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, among other actions, to benefit quality of life and advance the State's climate goals."

The town of New Castle achieved silver certification, which is the highest level currently available. New York's new bronze-certified Climate Smart Communities are the towns of Ancram, North East, Wawarsing, and Yorktown. The town of Huntington was recertified at the bronze level and increased its total points by completing additional climate actions.

Established in 2009, the interagency Climate Smart Communities program provides guidance and technical support to local governments to take locally driven climate action. The first step to becoming a Climate Smart Community is to register by pledging to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. To date, 356 local governments representing more than 9.4 million New Yorkers adopted the Climate Smart Communities pledge.

The certification program launched in 2014 to document and celebrate the accomplishments of communities taking climate action. There are now 94 total certified Climate Smart Communities in New York State, nine silver and 85 bronze. To be certified, communities must demonstrate an active climate change task force that includes residents and municipal representatives. Most certified communities complete greenhouse gas inventories that calculate emissions at the local level and help local leaders identify how best to help New York State meet its ambitious greenhouse gas reductions mandates.

New York's newest certified Climate Smart Communities:

Capital District

Town of Ancram

The town of Ancram achieved bronze level certification in part by installing solar panels and an electric vehicle charging station at Town Hall, and increasing access to renewable energy for residents and local businesses by streamlining the permitting process for rooftop solar and running a community solar campaign.

Mid-Hudson

Town of New Castle

The town of New Castle has newly achieved silver level certification, having received bronze in 2021. New Castle was also the state's first municipality to take the pledge and register as a Climate Smart Community. New Castle's continued commitment to local climate action enabled the town to achieve its silver-level certification, including actions such as converting all of the town's 531 streetlights to energy-efficient LEDs, installing electric vehicle charging stations for public use, and developing a climate vulnerability assessment to identify and reduce risks to the community from climate change.

Towns of North East, Wawarsing, and Yorktown

These municipalities demonstrated climate leadership through actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve community resilience to climate change, earning them all bronze-level certification. The town of North East's actions included launching waste reduction and climate change education programs to inform and inspire the public. Wawarsing updated its zoning codes to preserve natural areas like wetlands and stream buffer zones, which offer protection from flooding. Yorktown streamlined the permitting process for battery energy storage systems to help drive the decarbonization of energy supply and reduce energy demand and power outages.

Long Island

Town of Huntington

The town of Huntington carries on its commitment to climate action by recertifying its bronze-level designation, achieved in March 2022. Huntington's accomplishments include installing solar panels at Town Hall and electric vehicle charging stations at the town's train station, as well as implementing a bike share program at parks and beaches.

For more information, see the online certification reports (leaves DEC website) that describe all the actions each certified community took to achieve certification.

All six of the newly awarded communities also participate in the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities program (leaves DEC website), which assists local governments to implement clean energy actions and save on energy costs. Ancram, Huntington, New Castle, North East, and Yorktown completed a least four high-impact actions and are designated as Clean Energy Communities. The town of Wawarsing completed three high-impact actions under the program.

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, "It is up to all of us to ensure a healthier, more sustainable New York, and continued local action to combat climate change is an essential piece of these efforts. Congratulations to these six communities for furthering their commitments to energy efficiency and renewable energy, improving air quality for residents and stewarding our environment for generations to come."

Climate Smart Communities Coordinators

On Earth Day this year, DEC announced a new initiative, called Climate Smart Communities Coordinators, which brings three regional partners serving as technical support providers and strategic planners to guide local governments in the development of successful local climate action initiatives in three territories covering New York State.

Climate Smart Communities Coordinators will use the New York State Climate Smart Communities Certification program as a roadmap for providing technical support to communities to help reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to climate change, and thrive in the new green economy.

Municipalities can learn more and connect with the Climate Smart Communities Coordinator for their territory by visiting the DEC website.

Climate Smart Communities Funding Programs

In May, Governor Kathy Hochul announced (leaves DEC website) that $14 million is available through the Climate Smart Communities Grant program. Three of the communities certified today received funding through the DEC Climate Smart Communities Grant program - the towns of New Castle, North East, and Huntington. Established in 2016, this 50/50 matching grant program supports municipalities in completing certification actions and implementing projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to extreme weather.

DEC is currently accepting applications for the Climate Smart Communities Grant program through 4 p.m. on July 29, 2022. Visit DEC's website for more information and to view the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Climate Smart Communities Grant Program.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting nearly 158,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2020, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.
Post her debut film, Palasa 1978, Nakshatra Trinayani has been getting interesting roles. Her next film, Unstoppable, directed by Diamond Ratnababu, will feature her as a classical dancer.

Talking about the project, Nakshatra says the director saw her performance in her debut film and offered her the role. I was even more excited when he told me that the role involves classical dance, she beams, adding that its a funky role which includes doing Tik-Tok videos.

The actress was pursuing a post-graduate degree in Kuchipudi dance from Hyderabads Central University, but she gave up her studies during her last semester after she got her film role.

Nakshatra is glad that she has shed around 14 kilos from the time she did Palasa 1968. I feel very confident now and filled with new energy. I had decided not to take up any new films until I get my weight under control. I am glad that things are falling in place, she says, adding that she has taken up two more films, for which shooting will soon begin.

Both the roles are intense and what I have been looking for, she shares.
Chief Minister Jagans mother, YS Vijayamma, has resigned from the post of honorary president of the YSR Congress and said she would now stand with her daughter YS Sharmilas YSRTP in Telangana. (Photo: DC)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Jagans mother, YS Vijayamma, has resigned from the post of honorary president of the YSR Congress and said she would now stand with her daughter YS Sharmilas YSRTP in Telangana.

She made the announcement at the inaugural session of the YSR Congress Plenary at Kaza in the Guntur district on Friday. As a mother, I will support both my children, she added.

I have left my son in your hands in 2011. You have been with him and made him the chief minister. He will return as chief minister after the next elections too. I have that confidence. I have no worries over my son now. He is in the safe hands of the people of Andhra Pradesh.

Vijayamma said her daughter needs her support in Telangana, where she is building strength for her YSRTP to carry forward the legacy of former chief minister YS Rajashekar Reddy. My resignation from the YSRC is to put an end to all the controversies surrounding my post as honorary president in both the parties, she said.

Vijayamma said, Sharmila is fighting to establish a Rajanna Rajyam in Telangana, the welfare government envisaged by the late YSR, her beloved father. I have decided to stand by her in this endeavour. My blessings would always be with Jagan, my son. What I did today is a decision of God."

Taking a dig at Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu Naidu, Vijayamma said, Chandrababu has ignored implementation of the welfare schemes introduced by his father-in-law N.T Rama Rao. He never cared for the people.

Vijayamma expressed anguish over the release of a fake resignation letter on social media. She thanked the people for their overwhelming support to her family since the demise of YSR and for standing by Jagan Reddy in his tough times.

She said Jagan is a role model to the youth and a man of the masses implementing welfare schemes benefiting all sections of the society.
Will the real Shiv Sena please stand up now that Uddhav, like Elvis, has left the building? Unfortunately, Gondhal, the dramatic and highly energetic ritualistic folk-dance form from Maharashtra, is out of fashion in todays disco age. The origin of Gondhal, say scholars, goes back to Karnataka when the Kalyani Chalukya King Someshwara III (1126- 1138 CE), author of Manasollasa, systematically documented the dances performed by the Bhils and called them Chitra Gondhalis. It travelled to Maharashtra and was patronised by the Peshwas, who had invited the richly-dressed Gondhalis to all-night performances in the hope of warding off the evil eye. These neglected nomads, mostly male, are still around, mainly in the Marathwada region. The nayak wearing an elaborate zari turban leads the troupe, with possessed women letting their hair down (literally) and swaying rhythmically to invoke the goddess. A Gondhal performance should be instantly scheduled at the Mantralaya in Mumbai to exorcise the demons and ghosts still lurking in the corridors of power.

In popular terminology, the word gondhal means confusion. It is similar to the Hindi word Golmal. Remember the lyrics of the title song of the Hrishikesh Mukherjee film by the same name -- Seedhi raaste ki ye tedhi hi chaal hai

Eknath Shindes rise from an autorickshaw driver to the chief minister of Maharashtra reads like a movie script.

He was forced to drop out of school in Thane after Class 11 on account of poverty. He managed to complete his BA degree in 2020 with the help of a correspondence course. Commendable, indeed! Shinde watchers insist that he is frugal with words and camera shy. Well, they said that about former CM Uddhav Thackeray too. And they say that about the current deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis as well. As the old chestnut goes -- a husband is the last one to know when a wife is cheating on him. Allegedly, Devendra Fadnavis was equally in the dark about his brand-new appointment as deputy CM. What does one call this tactic? An ambush? Stealth attack? Fait accompli?

Our netas wear multiple hats and turbans. But this latest googly has left a lot of seasoned political commentators agog. Quite a come down for Mr Fadnavis, and a come uppance for Mr Shinde. A strange way to reward loyalty, right, Deputy CM ji?

The unlikely jodi of both these men (Shinde and Fadnavis) is expected to clean up and undo all the gondhal and golmal left behind by the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi administration. For starters, they have decided to bulldoze through the designated forest part of Sanjay Gandhi National Park at Aarey, and build a Metro shed spread over a whopping 25 hectares. To hell with environmentalists and Uddhav. This ajeeb duo comes with a reputation for being doers not just talkers. Their no-nonsense approach has countless detractors as well, especially from the displaced lot, busy licking their wounds and left powerless (or Pawar-less) after this neat coup.

I looked hard at the photographs of Maharashtras newest chief minister, and was amused by the spectacle. Theres freshly minted CM Eknath Shinde arriving at Mantralaya for the swearing-in, red tilak and all. And there are his faithful followers from the breakaway group, sporting saffron headgear and looking triumphant as they acknowledge the cheers of the faithful. Pheta, pagdi and turban politics are not new to desi politics. Fancy dress parades to make a point started with Indira Gandhi inviting camera crews to photograph her in Naga gear, as she danced with our brethren from the Northeast. Other netas promptly mimicked her and played follow the leader, unashamed of the entirely ludicrous sham.

What has left ordinary folks bewildered is how easy it was to get rid of Uddhav and Co and to defang the SS tigers. What happened to the entrenched bunch of stakeholders? The people in the builders lobby, known to be close to the Thackerays? And why is nobody talking about Rashmis passive acceptance of the well-orchestrated rebellion that saw Mr Shinde walk away with her husbands gaadi? Rashmi, the low- key, soft-spoken wife of Uddhav, is known for her political acumen and behind-the-scenes manoeuvres. Some say she is the real strategist and brains behind the partys political haggling. It is Rashmi, the ambitious wife and mother, who is seen as the real power behind her husband, keen on keeping the legacy alive, via her son. How come she was caught napping when the knives were out and a massive rebellion brewing? Who missed reading, intercepting and acting on the signals? Rashmi? Uddhav? Or Aaditya?

As the twentieth chief minister of one of the most powerful states in India, all eyes are on the bearded Eknath Shinde. Along with Gondhal, the state has another equally vibrant and colourful folk tradition  tamasha! For those of you who have never watched our tamasha artists performing on stage, do catch them on YouTube. Tamasha provides a blistering commentary on matters social and political, with a rustic script that doesnt pull any punches. One of my favorites is Navra ek bayko anek (One husband many wives), performed in the robust tamasha tradition. The situation in Maharashtra is a little like this song which mocks marriage while raising a key question: whos the boss?? We have a former chief minister, demoted to playing deputy chief minister. There are all the other shadowy string pullers in the wings, calling the shots -- surreptitiously but surely.

Mumbai during the monsoons is a nightmare for any administration. All the claims and promises of the Shiv Sena-controlled BMC fall flat with the first downpour, as they did this week. Year after year, Mumbaikars meekly put up with flooded streets, overflowing drains, house collapses and a complete disruption of daily life. Throw in a few deaths, train tracks under waist deep water, an airport with rivers on the tarmac, landslides on treacherous ghats blocking traffic for hours, schools and offices shut  all this disruption with zero accountability, forget penalty. We have one of the worlds wealthiest municipal corporations awaiting fresh elections after the monsoon. It is our money in those coffers. We should be the ones demanding answers and insisting on prompt action. If we have failed to assert ourselves, it is our own bloody fault.

Eknath Ji Its time to win over the state. Instill confidence. Show us you care. Remember -- you work for all of us Maharashtrians. Not just for your political patrons in Nagpur.
China to conduct flight test for aircraft of key 'strategic, historic significance'

By Liu Xuanzun (Global Times) 09:00, July 08, 2022

An unknown aircraft covered in a blanket is seen in a recruitment video released by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force. Photo: Screenshot from the PLA Air Force 2021 recruitment video

China is planning to conduct a flight test for an important type of aircraft that has crucial strategic and historic significance, said a top official at the flight test center of the Chinese military's top warplane contractor in a recent meeting.

The remark was made by Ge Heping, Party chief of the Chinese Flight Test Establishment under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), at a rally meeting on Tuesday to mobilize personnel involved in the test, Xiakedao, the new media platform of the People's Daily overseas edition, reported on Wednesday, citing a press release from the establishment.

Ge urged all personnel involved in the development of the aircraft to fully realize the extreme importance of completing this mission, according to the report.

Neither the report nor the press release revealed the designation or the nature of the aircraft.

Many netizens speculated in the comment session of the report that the aircraft in question could be the long-rumored H-20 strategic stealth bomber. Only a strategic weapon deserves the description of possessing strategic and historic significance, some said.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force gave a hint on the flying wing design of its next-generation, long-range strategic stealth bomber by including it in a scene in the service's recruitment video in January 2021.

A promotional video for AVIC released in May 2018 also showed the front outline of a similar aircraft covered with a blanket, suggesting the flying wing design was similar to the US' B-2 bomber.

Given all of these official hints, the speculation from the public that the new aircraft could be the H-20 makes sense, but it might just be an over-interpretation, a Chinese expert who tracks China's aviation industry development told the Global Times on Thursday, requesting anonymity.

There are other possibilities for the unknown aircraft, including the alleged catapult-launched variant for the J-15 carrier-based fighter jet and the alleged J-35 carrier-based stealth fighter jet, the expert said. He noted that they are expected to board China's third aircraft carrier, the 80,000 ton class, electromagnetic catapult-equipped Fujian, which surely does have strategic and historic significance.

Nevertheless, it is great to see new progress in China's aviation development, the expert said.

Founded in 1959, the Chinese Flight Test Establishment, also known as the AVIC Flight Test Center, is China's only national-level organization qualified to conduct validations and flight tests for aviation products, including military and civilian aircraft, aero engines and airborne equipment, reads the establishment's self-description.

(Web editor: Liang Jun, Bianji)
The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said that its commissioner, Charles P. Rettig, asked the inspector general to probe into the rare, exhaustive audits of former FBI director James Comey and his deputy Andrew McCabe.

The issue was raised after questions regarding the audits of the two officials, who are known to be enemies of the Trump administration, were hit with supposedly random investigations. If the investigation finds that there is no connection, the incident still marks the dark periods when the country's tax agency was used or seemed to be used, as a political weapon.

Rare, Exhaustive IRS Audit

The news that the former FBI officials were facing audits was revealed on Wednesday and McCabe immediately called for an investigation. In a statement on Thursday, he said that the occurrence of the "coincidental" situation is a one in 30,000 possibility. For it to happen twice, for the same people who were targeted in the same way by the former president, incites disbelief.

While there is no direct evidence that shows the IRS specifically targeted Comey and McCabe, it brings into question whether or not the Trump administration played a role in the incident. It also comes as the tax filings for which the two officials were audited, as per CNN.

The spokesperson for the IRS, Jodie Reynolds, said that it was "ludicrous and untrue to suggest that senior IRS officials somehow targeted specific individuals" for such audits. The situation comes as former President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked Comey and McCabe over the FBI's Russia investigation.

Read Also: George Floyd Death: Derek Chauvin Gets More Punishment After Violating Floyd's Civil Rights

The probe shadowed the Republican businessman's presidency for years and forced him to fire Comey in 2017 in the midst of the investigation. The probe was ultimately taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller who was named to the position by Trump's Justice Department.

According to US News, the FBI inquiry began in the summer of 2016, several months before Trump was elected as president. The agency had learned that a former Trump campaign aide had been saying, before it was publicly known, that Russia had dirt on Trump's Democratic rival for the White House, Hillary Clinton, in the form of stolen emails.

Trump's Political Enemies

The emails were allegedly hacked from Democratic email accounts by Russian intelligence and were released by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks before the election. American officials said that the acts were done in an attempt to harm Clinton's campaign and support Trump's.

The Justice Department's inspector general conducted a review in 2019 that knocked down multiple lines of attack against the Russia investigation. It found that officials properly opened the inquiry and that law enforcement leaders were not motivated by political bias.

The situation comes as the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, said that Trump has no "respect for the rule of law." He argued that if the former president did try to subject his political enemies to additional IRS scrutiny, it would be no surprise to anyone. The senator noted that there was a need to understand what happened because it raises serious concerns, the New York Times reported.



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South Korean startups such as PUBG maker Krafton will be eager to invest in India and cooperate with Indian companies, Ambassador of South Korea to India Chang Jae-bok said on Thursday.

The Ambassador, who is in the city, led a high-level delegation to meet Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the presence of Industries Minister Murugesh R Nirani. He also addressed the Korea-Karnataka Economic Cooperation Forum summit here. Karnataka already has 40 Korean companies operating here, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea said in a release. Jae-bok indicated expansion of the investment plans by the already India-based Korean companies as well as many start-ups looking forward to entering India.

"It is a matter of pride that Karnataka has had close ties with Korea for many decades. It is commendable that Korea is manufacturing excellent products with state-of-the-art technology. India and Karnataka state are emerging as major economies with skilled human resources," Bommai said, according to a release from his office. According to the Embassy, the summit was part of its "Korea on the Move" initiative launched in Bengaluru on July 4-8. It is also organising "Korea Fair in Bengaluru" from July 6-10.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held talks with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna, focusing on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as ways to deal with major global challenges in the face of geopolitical turmoil.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers' conclave in the Indonesian city of Bali.

"My first meeting with new French counterpart @MinColonna. Discussed our strong relationship and will work closely to realise its full possibilities. Also spoke about the challenges confronting the world today," Jaishankar tweeted.

My first meeting with new French counterpart @MinColonna. Discussed our strong relationship and will work closely to realise its full possibilities. Also spoke about the challenges confronting the world today. pic.twitter.com/jlrTnMBJhR  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 8, 2022

The external affairs minister began his two-day visit to Bali on Thursday.

On the first day of his visit, Jaishankar held talks with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Senegal.

The external affairs minister also met Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

The G-20 is a leading grouping that brings together the world's major economies. Its members account for more than 80 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the population of the planet.

The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union. Spain is also invited as a permanent guest.

Each year, the Presidency invites guest countries, which take full part in the G20 exercise. Several international and regional organisations also participate, granting the forum an even broader representation.
The accused arrested in connection with the killing of Amravati pharmacist Umesh Kolhe were involved in terrorist activities, the NIA on Thursday told a court here.

The special court for National Investigation Agency cases sent the seven accused in NIA custody till July 15 after hearing the arguments.

Kolhe was killed in eastern Maharashtra's Amravati on June 21, allegedly for sharing a post supporting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma whose remarks about Prophet Mohammad had triggered a huge controversy.

While the NIA sought the accused's custody for 15 days, special judge A K Lahoti remanded them in the custody of the federal probe agency till July 15. There was "incremental substance" against the accused to show they were involved in terrorist activities, the NIA told the court.

The accused had no personal enmity with Kolhe but their intention was to terrorize people, the prosecution said. A similar crime had taken place elsewhere too, the NIA said, apparently referring to the murder of a tailor in Udaipur who had supported Nupur Sharma. There was a deep-rooted conspiracy, the agency told the court. Advocate Sharif Shaikh, appearing for one of the accused, argued that the prosecution did not mention which terrorist organization was involved in the crime and no specific information was given. He also said there were no grounds for invoking the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The accused had spent enough time in the custody of Amravati police and now they should be sent in judicial remand, the lawyer argued. Advocate Kaashif Ali Khan, appearing for another accused, made similar submissions while opposing NIA custody and application of UAPA.
Days before a glacier in the Italian Dolomites broke off with the force of a collapsing skyscraper, crushing at least nine hikers under an avalanche of ice, snow and rock, Carlo Budel heard water running under the ice.

I heard what sounded like a rivers torrent, said Budel, who lives in an isolated refuge next to the glacier on the 11,000-foot Marmolada mountain. At the mountains base, he watched a yellow helicopter fly overhead searching for signs of life, or remains.

Budel recalled that when he first scaled the glacier at the end of summer, not even a decade ago, he hardly needed ropes there was so much snow. The difference between now and then is scary, he said. At this point we are on another path.

Also Read: Pre-monsoon season this year second hottest in India; winters warming up faster: CSE study

It is an increasingly common path for a world confronting the deadly consequences of extreme weather brought on by human-made, and irreversible, climate change.

A year after Greece lost lives, livestock and entire swathes of forest to wildfires, and deadly floods swept through Germany, the calamity in these mountains this week provided the latest evidence that almost no part of the continent can escape the effects of Europes new, intense and often unliveable summer heat. That includes the highest peak of the Dolomites.

Italy is suffering through another prolonged and scorching heat wave, which contributed to the disaster and has brought the worst drought in 70 years along the Po River, its longest waterway, cutting off fountains and parching parts of the country.

These kinds of events, they are getting more and more frequent, and they will be more frequent with enhanced global warming, said Susanna Corti, the coordinator of the Global Change unit of Italys National Research Council.

Corti said if temperatures keep increasing, we wont have glaciers anymore on the Alps, a dramatic change over the past at least a million years in Europe, with enormous and unpredictable consequences on the shape of the continent, vegetation, animal life and the water cycle.

Corti said glaciers needed to be monitored more carefully, because the risk of this kind of event is increasing and because things wont go back to the way they were.

Massimiliano Fazzini, a climate expert with the Italian Society of Environmental Geology, said Italy has about 920 glaciers, almost entirely in the Alps, though only about 70 of them were monitored annually by the Italian Glaciological Committee.

Their contribution of snow and melted ice varied considerably depending on the year, but the water from them was usually used to fill artificial lakes that provide electricity or to direct water to rivers in times of drought. In the past 20 years, Fazzini said, Italy had lost 25 per cent of the water from those shrinking glaciers.\

Also Read: Explained: What is the Environment Performance Index and why has India rejected it?

On Wednesday, as the ominous whir of helicopters buzzed over the village of Canazei, with its neat cheese-and-chocolate-commercial alpine houses, the authorities set up under the mountain, known as the Queen of the Dolomites, and announced that aid workers had recovered the remains of two more people spotted by drones. That brought the death toll from Sundays avalanche up to nine people, four of whom have been identified as Italian, with five people still missing.

We are doing everything possible to find these people, said Maurizio Fugatti, the president of Trento province.

They were victims of what Prime Minister Mario Draghi called the deterioration of the environment and the climate situation. Italys president, Sergio Mattarella, speaking in Mozambique on Tuesday, said it was a symbol of what climate change, if not governed, is producing around the world.

There is no hope without everyones cooperation, Mattarella said.

The Dolomites in north-eastern Italy, with their jagged peaks, fresh air scented with the sawing of logs from the dense alpine forests, their hills gurgling with clear creeks, have long offered Italy and all of Europe a respite from the summer heat. But now they too are warming up, with the heat wave raising temperatures on the usually frigid mountains to around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

That helped melt the ice on a glacier that, from 2004 to 2015, had already shrunk 30 per cent in volume, according to a 2019 study by Italys National Research Council and international universities. The researchers predicted the disappearance of the glacier in 25 to 30 years.

Other experts have said that up to half of the glaciers in the Alps may disappear by 2050, and a report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change this year predicted irreversible loss of glaciers by the end of this century.

The consequences are dire for human life, the environment and local economies. The melting is even shifting national boundaries, which have often been drawn along glacial lines.

Climate change, Franco Narducci, an Italian politician, recently told Parliament, contributed to the erosion and contraction of glaciers, and forced the country to rethink how it drew its borders.

The most notable example has been the Rifugio Guide del Cervino, a traditional mountain lodge in the Pennine Alps on the border with Switzerland near the Matterhorn. The melting of a glacier has moved more of the refuge into Switzerland, causing a bureaucratic headache for the owner, who wants to stay in Italy, and an unexpected diplomatic headache for the two countries.

Also Read: Climate change: Why loss and damage is a big deal

But now the pain is most acute in Canazei, the town in the Trentino area of Italy that sits in the mountains shadow.

On Tuesday, as reporters waited for helicopters to bring the regions president to a news conference, Debora Campagnaro, whose sister Erica Campagnaro and brother-in-law, Davide Miotti, were still missing, took advantage of the assembled press to chastise the local authorities for not installing detection and warning devices that would have prevented people from approaching the glacier.

My brother-in-law was an Alpine guide, extremely expert, she said. If he had only a sign of danger, he would not have gone with my sister. Husband and wife would not have left two children back home, she said, her voice cracking.

Given the heat of the previous days, Campagnaro said, someone was to blame for not doing something. But as she broke from the crowd and returned to her car, she said there was another culprit: The climactic things.

In a grass field at the foot of the mountain, roped off with police tape, only a blue Dacia with plates from the Czech Republic remained.

A sunshade glinted in the bright sun across its windshield and a spare gray T-shirt and pair of socks waited in the back. It belonged, Fugatti said, to one of the missing or dead on the mountain.

For now, only drones and helicopters have surveyed the site of the slide. Italys National Alpine and Cave Rescue Corps considers the glacier unstable, and too dangerous to explore by foot.

They also warned of the possibility of finding old ordnance. The glaciers played a role as a front in World War I between Austria-Hungary and Italy, when Austro-Hungarian soldiers bore tunnels deep into the ice. The retreating of the glaciers has sometimes exposed the remains of soldiers.

As technicians began equipping the area around the glacier with radar devices to sense disturbances, hikers in T-shirts and with water bottles sweated on the trails below the mountain.

When the glacier melts, everyone will feel it, even down below, said Anna Lazzari, 45, who came with her two children.

Her brother, Giampaolo Domidi, who has been hiking in the area for 40 years, said that the change of temperature since his youth was dramatic, and that he carried a fleece on his belt essentially as a memento of another time.

Domidi said he was deeply worried that global warming would make it impossible for his nephew and niece, who were sweating and exhausted next to him, to appreciate the natural wonders he grew up with.

And on the winding roads approaching the mountain and the lake fed by the glacier above, drivers got out of their cars to look at what the slide had wrought.

Theyll never find anyone, said Egidio Nicoletto, 74, shielding his eyes as he looked at the sheer cliff. Pieces, maybe, said a motorcyclist, Raymond Oberhofer, 70.

Nicoletto said that he and his wife had a summer house nearby and that 30 years ago he skied on the glacier, even in the summer. It was all snow, a completely different landscape, he said. From their house, he said, they could see the majestic summit of the Marmolada, but every year it was always less white.

The problem, he noted, is everywhere, even in the province of Venice, where he lives. The rains there have slowed. In Venice, he said. We dont even know what water is anymore.

In the days before the deadly slide, Budel posted a video on social media, where he has tens of thousands of followers. Poor Marmolada glacier, he wrote in the caption. This year this glacier is going to get such a blow.

Sitting in a wool hat thousands of feet below his refuge, he said that the lack of snow during the winter had left the glacier exposed, and that he had found it in a worse condition in mid-June than he did last August.

This tragedy makes us understand that climate change exists, but unfortunately it happened on a Sunday at 2 in the afternoon, the worst time and day possible, he said.

Because if not, if it happened during the week and wasnt a tragedy, we wouldnt even be talking about it.
Congress lawmakers staged a protest here on Thursday against the corruption in recruitments, including the scam in the selection of police sub-inspectors.

The protesters were led by leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar.

The Congress leaders demanded that Additional Director General of Police Amrit Paul, who is under arrest, should be produced before a magistrate for his statements to be recorded with regard to the police sub-inspector recruitment scam.
Released: July 8, 2022

The Delaware County Workforce Development Board has been awarded a $1.5M Pathway Home Program grant to provide training and employment services to adults reentering the workforce following incarceration at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

Pathway Home Program grants, administered by the U.S. Department of Labors Employment and Training Administration, are provided to improve employment opportunities and reduce recidivism, helping residents become productive members of the community and labor force. The Delaware County Workforce Development Board is one of only 18 organizations nationally to be awarded a grant this year.

County Council is thrilled to learn that this grant money will be coming to Delaware County, said Councilman Kevin Madden. Reducing the barriers to employment and providing fresh opportunities to these residents is critical to reducing recidivism, and the targeted pre-release and post-release services that will be provided as a result of this grant will make a real difference here in Delaware County.

Pre-release services include needs assessment, individual development plans, comprehensive case management, career exploration and planning, job preparation, counseling, and assistance with linking inmates to the social services required to help them transition back to the community.

Post-release activities include linking participants to employers (including apprenticeship opportunities), external service providers, and skill-building services, and providing access to occupational training for in-demand jobs, pathways to earn industry-recognized credentials, and follow up career support and services.

Laura K. Williams, named the new warden of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in February, welcomed the grant award. The timing of this grant is exciting for the institution as the facility continues to enhance existing programs and introduce additional opportunities to break the cycle of criminogenic behavior, explained Warden Williams. The Pathway Home Program grant will allow us to significantly improve support of our population and the community towards this goal.

The grant moneywhich funds the program from 2022 through 2025will also be used to improve coordination between key partners in the reentry process, including community and state corrections agencies, local health and human service providers, employers, unions, and PA CareerLink Delaware County.

The Pathway Home Program in Delaware County is funded by the US Department of Labor. 100% of the $1,499,999 grant allocation is Federally funded.
Minister Coveney and Minister Byrne welcome Council of Europe Development Bank Governor to Dublin

Press release

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne have both welcomed the Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Mr Carlo Monticelli, to Dublin.

The Governing Board and Administrative Council of the CEB convene in Dublin this Friday, the first time a major International Financial Institution has ever held its annual meeting in Ireland. A multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate, the CEB finances social projects across the European continent. Ukraine is one of the few European states not currently a member; however, with the support of Ireland, the countrys application to join is set to be approved this week, enabling the CEB to play an important role in reconstruction.

In Ireland, the Bank has financed a wide range of housing and social sustainability projects, including the Limerick Regeneration Programme and Cork County Councils Social Sustainability Investment Programme.

Speaking after his meeting with Governor Monticelli, Minister Coveney said:

I was delighted to welcome Governor Monticelli to Ireland ahead of this historic meeting. We discussed the extensive work the Bank is doing to assist member states in welcoming Ukrainian refugees, having already disbursed over 1 billion in loans and grants to Poland, Moldova and others. Ireland strongly supports Ukraines application for membership of the CEB, which we believe has an important role to play in the countrys recovery. As Presidency of the Council of Europe, Ireland aims to redouble the institutions support for Ukraine; advancing its CEB application in Dublin this week is an important step in delivering on that objective.

Minister Byrne added:

It was a pleasure to be able to recognise the important contributions the CEB has made to Irish society, including through loans for projects by Cork County Council, Limerick City and County Council, and the Housing Finance Agency (HFA). The recent loan of 75 million to the HFA for purpose-built student accommodation is a welcome example of the CEBs impact.

Governor Monticellis visit continues with a meeting with Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe. The Governor will also address the Institute for International Affairs in a talk entitled Council of Europe Development Bank: Supporting Social Cohesion During Extraordinary Times.

ENDS

Press Office

8 July 2022

Notes for editors

 The CEB is a multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate, set up in 1956. It finances social projects in its 42 member states, all of which are members of the Council of Europe.

 The CEB was the first Multilateral Development Bank to disburse grants providing immediate assistance to people fleeing Ukraine and their host countries. In June 2022 the CEB approved 1.2 billion in loans to assist Ukrainian refugees, including its largest-ever loan, a 450 million loan to provide aid to displaced people from Ukraine in Poland. More information on CEB support in Ukraine is available at https://coebank.org/en/project-financing/ukraine/

 Since the start of the war, Ukraine has applied to become a member of the CEB and the Governing Board are expected to approve this application for membership at the Joint Annual Meeting in Dublin.

 The Joint Meeting will feature a visit to social housing project for elderly people funded by the CEB in Dublin on 9 July. More information on CEB support for Ireland is available at https://coebank.org/en/about/member-countries/ireland/

 The Joint Annual meeting will bring together the Banks Governing Board, which consists of the Permanent Representatives of each member state to the Council of Europe, and the Administrative Council, which consists of civil service representatives, typically from Ministries of Finance.

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Contrary to popular belief, Apple devices are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. iPhones have been the victim of both Pegasus and Hermit spyware. The latter was identified to have infected both iOS and Android handsets recently. So, it makes sense that Apple has come up with a protective measure against similar threats and attack scenarios for the future. But Apple suggests its for very few users. Lets see why is that so and what Lockdown mode really does?

What Is Apple Lockdown Mode?

Apple Lockdown Mode changes some settings of your Apple device making it more secure. As Apple notes, this is meant against some of the most sophisticated digital threats, such as those from private companies developing state-sponsored mercenary spyware.

It will be landing on iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura later this fall. But it will be extreme, optional protection for the very small number of users who face grave, targeted threats to their digital security.

Why for a few users only?

What Does Apple Lockdown Mode Do?

In the beginning, Lockdown Mode will make the following tweaks to the settings:

1. Messages: Most message attachments besides images are blocked. Even link previews will be turned off.

2. Internet browsing: Just-In-Time (JIT) JavaScript compilation and some other scripts would be restricted by default. Although, you still get to whitelist certain websites from Lockdown Mode, if you want.

3. Invitation requests: Incoming video call requests and similar invitations and service requests will also be blocked if you havent previously got a call or request from the other party.

4. Lightning connections from iPhone with a PC/Mac or another device are blocked when your iPhone is in a locked state.

5. Configuration profiles wont be allowed to install and you wont be able to enroll your iPhone into mobile device management (MDM), when this Lockdown Mode is activated.

So, should you enable Apple Lockdown mode depends on whether you find these protectionss very limiting.

How To Enable Apple Lockdown Mode?

It is likely to come as a toggle within the System Settings/Preferences. It may not be enabled by default. And you could get option to disable it too if you find it "extreme". We suggest you wait for the feature to arrive in the fall. We will update you on more details about the Apple feature once it's out.

Apple makes the most secure mobile devices on the market. Lockdown Mode is a groundbreaking capability that reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting users from even the rarest, most sophisticated attacks. While the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyberattacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are. That includes continuing to design defenses specifically for these users, as well as supporting researchers and organisations around the world doing critically important work in exposing mercenary companies that create these digital attacks, said Ivan Krstic, Apples head of Security Engineering and Architecture.

As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called attention to the genocide against separatists sponsored by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Azov Nazis, and Nationalists in the Donbass republics perpetrated atrocities.

After the failure of the Minsk Agreement because the Kyiv government decided to listen to its western backers, announcing the start of a failing proxy war in Ukraine.

Ukraine Set To Carry Out Genocide in the DPR and LPR

Moscow pointed out that this policy of killing Russian-speaking people in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics is the reason for the war, reported Sputnik News.

On February 24, when Putin announced the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine. The Kremlin recognized the two breakaway republics and vowed to end the suffering of the people there.

Putin spoke with the 'Leaders of Russia' managerial contest on Thursday and gave his points on the matter. He called the eight-year suffering of these people who are neither Russian and Ukrainian and could not leave.

Vladimir Putin added all means to be exhausted to bring them into the fold to prevent genocide against separatists in the Donbass Republics.

Furthermore, citing those volunteers during the pandemic are now helping the residents of Donetsk and Lugansk. He gave thanks and told them to stand tall in their efforts.

Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency?

All Nazis stopped preying on innocent civilians in a special operation to save the LPR and DPR from Azov and Nationalist battalions from slaughtering civilians before Russian help came, noted TASS.

How the US-Sponsored Coup Stopped a Shift to Russia

Everything started in February 2014, and the elected government was replaced with a coup d'etat backed by the US and the EU. It caused Crimea to secede from Ukraine and rejoin Russia. Later, upheavals across the southeast shook the country.

Kyiv then attacked the DPR, LPR led to civil war following the Minsk Accords that Russia, France, and Germany in 2015 would foster peace. But instead of following it, Kyiv shelled and attacked these regions. Volodymyr Zelensky is the latest Ukrainian leader to sponsor the genocidal assault on Russian-speaking peoples.

Authorities in the DPR reported last Thursday that an attack via artillery shelling killed seven people and hurt 30 people in 24 hours, citing RT.

Killed were three children and eight wounded not covered by foreign media partial to Zelensky. Areas attacked included a kindergarten in Donetsk last Thursday too. It also led to power outages in Aleksandrovka and Kremenets villages intentionally targeted by Ukrainians.

An official, Pavel Kirilenko, appointed by Kyiv, claimed Russia made the attack; these claims are called lies by the Kremlin. The Western media amps these reports to make it done on orders of the Kremlin.

Moscow announced that Russian and its allies kicked out Ukrainians running scared from the LPR after winning back Lisichansk. While Zelensky whines that his forces will recapture lost territories.

Vladimir Putin warned that genocide against separatists is not acceptable. The Donbass republics were protected by the Russian army when threatened by Kyiv.

Related Article: Russia Reports the Number of Confirmed Foreign Mercenaries Killed in Action Fighting for Ukraine

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google is going to launch the latest Chromecast with TV in India. Although the company is yet to announce the same, we have come across the media streaming device listed on Flipkart. Thanks to it, we have learned the Chromecasts India price, and its key specs. Lets quickly hover our eyes over it.

Google Chromecast With TV India: What You Need To Know

The other month we came to know that Google Chromecast with TV is incoming to India after nearly 2 years of its debut in the US market. This piece of news was reported by FlatpanelsHD.

Albeit late, the device stands out from the competition for its support for Google TV out of the box.

Besides the software appeal, the upcoming Chromecast offers 4K content with Dolby Vision enhancement and Dolby Atmos audio. The latter also works over HDMI. Then there is the facility of remote control with dedicated buttons for Google Assistant and Netflix among other things. Speaking of which, Google TV on this Chromecast will provide you with content from Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus Hotstar, and Sony Liv.

The Flipkart page reveals the streaming puck will be complemented by a power cable, power adaptor, a voice-based remote, and 2 AAA Alkaline batteries.

As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.
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Images courtesy of Interior Architects [enlarge] The office has a welcoming lobby-style entry and features PNW inspired motifs.





When Uber wanted to expand its offices at the Second & Seneca tower in 2018, the company turned to Interior Architects to execute its vision for a space that would shape and support the next generation of its workforce.





. . .
3 Northwest projects win 2022 mass timber awards

Three proposed Northwest projects are among the six winners of the 2022 Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon, a contest funded by the Softwood Lumber Board and USDA Forest Service. The contest awards a total of $2 million to the winning projects in an effort to advance low-carbon mass timber construction in the U.S.

Local winners are the Alaskan Copper & Brass warehouse in Kent; Killingsworth, a community-centric office in Portland; and Vancouver Ambulatory Care Center, a medical center in Clark County.

atelierjones image from SLB [enlarge] The Alaskan Copper & Brass warehouse will have CLT panels, and glulam beams and columns.





ALASKAN COPPER & BRASS

Alaskan Copper & Brass Co.'s proposed project is a 42,456-square-foot warehouse for its Kent campus, which is closer to employees' homes than its South Seattle operations. This is expected to reduce commute times, as well as transportation, parking and transit costs for current and future employees.

The single-story warehouse will be built with cross-laminated timber panels, and glulam beams and columns. Project backers say this will be the first warehouse to use mass timber on a large scale in the Kent Valley, which is dominated by traditional tilt-up concrete/bar-joist and pre-engineered metal buildings.

The project will evaluate several all-wood and wood-hybrid structural systems to identify cost-competitive options to traditional forms of construction, with the goal of providing developers a more sustainable way to build that will reduce their carbon footprint.

An initial comparative carbon impact analysis of this project showed a 33% reduction in emissions over a traditional warehouse.

The project team includes atelierjones, Foushee, Timberlab and DCI Engineers.

Image from SLB [enlarge] The Killingsworth building will be mass timber with a rocking shear wall system.





KILLINGSWORTH

Killingsworth will be a three-story, 18,780-square-foot building exclusively used as creative office space. Amenities include bike parking and showers, expansive terraces and a ground floor courtyard. The project site is in a Portland neighborhood that was subject to discriminatory lending practices, including redlining, which contributed to the lack of investment in the area for the latter half of the 20th century. It's now within a Small Business Administration HUBZone, which focuses on fueling small business growth.

The project is intended to create an inclusive work environment and to house businesses that value diversity, equity and community wellness. It will promote social equity with a goal of 30% of the subcontractors building the project to be BIPOC- and women-owned businesses. Additionally, the development team has a goal of 50% of the project's equity obtained from women and/or people of color.

The goal of the building's structural design is to prove the rocking shear wall system and become a demonstration project of how this technology can exceed code and provide a cost-effective seismic solution for buildings between three and 12 stories.

Using mass timber for Killingsworth will result in a carbon benefit of 407 metric tons of carbon dioxide  equal to taking 86 cars off the road for a year.

The project team includes Adre, Lever Architecture and Holmes US.

Image from SLB [enlarge] Vancouver Ambulatory Care Center will use cross-laminated timber panels and glulam timber throughout.





VANCOUVER AMBULATORY CARE CENTER

PeaceHealth's plan to use a mass timber structural system for its Vancouver Ambulatory Care Center harks back to the health care provider's roots as a hospital for loggers, mill workers, fishermen and their families over a century ago. The four-story building will be 176,000 square feet, and will use cross-laminated timber panels and glulam timber throughout.

The new medical center will provide an innovative experience for patients and caregivers. By creating an inviting campus that promotes community health and wellness, the medical center will support community education, gathering spaces, and partnerships with local organizations and businesses. This includes opportunities for education and collaboration with nearby schools.

A structural life-cycle analysis of the project shows 1,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide reduction by using mass timber over steel for the structure. Another 1,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide is realized when considering the biogenic storage benefits of wood.

The project team includes ZGF, Timberlab, Swinerton and PCS Structural Solutions.

Other winners of this year's contest include: Return to Form, a high-rise multifamily building in Denver; Evergreen Charter School, a K-12 school in Hempstead, N.Y.; and Intro Cleveland Phase 2, a 16-story mass timber multifamily building in Cleveland.

The SLB is gratified to see the breadth of concepts and building typologies entered in the competition. With nearly 60 submissions, we saw excellent examples of the innovative designs mass timber makes possible, said Ryan Flom, SLB chief marketing officer, in a statement. These six winning designs will serve to advance not just our body of knowledge for mass timber construction, they will inform the growing shift towards building for occupancy well-being, resilience, and a minimal carbon footprint.

WoodWorks, a nonprofit staffed with structural engineers, architects and construction experts, managed all aspects of the competition including project evaluation by an independent judging committee. Expert judges representing architecture, engineering, construction, real estate development, forestry and sustainability selected the winners. Among the nine judges was Anne Schopf, a partner at Mahlum.




James Comer, R-Ky., the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, blasted the Biden Treasury Department for using a new rule for financial record requests as "cover" for Hunter Biden.

Comer criticized the Biden administration for the new need that majority approval in Congress be obtained in order to collect Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) covered by the Bank Secrecy Act, claiming the department was taking this action in order to defend Biden.

White House Declines Investigation on Hunter Biden's Docs

On Wednesday, the Kentucky Republican sought the SARs for the first son. However, the Treasury declined his request, stating that the top House Oversight Republican would require the Democratic Party, which holds the majority in the House, to approve it.

The Biden administration has allegedly been rejecting Comer's SAR requests for the younger Biden for "weeks," according to Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, a member of the House Oversight Committee.

The Treasury Department's new regulation follows a systematic procedure, as opposed to the department's previous approach, which was more ad hoc, a representative for the department told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

The procedure, according to the spokesman, is to maintain the security of the data while ensuring the department is responding to Congress in an acceptable manner. Additionally, when asked if the new regulation would apply to the upcoming Republican administration, the spokeswoman did not respond.

More than 150 financial transactions involving the international business operations of either Hunter Biden or the president's brother James Biden were highlighted as problematic by US institutions for additional scrutiny, according to a CBS News article mentioned in Comer's May letter. The transactions that were identified included large wire transfers.

All SARs created in relation to Hunter, other Biden family members, and their business associates were the subject of Comer's May request. Additionally, he asked for all records and correspondence connected to the Biden administration's choice to limit Congress' access to reports of suspicious conduct.

He also requested the Treasury Department for documents related to Biden family's finances since the president's inauguration on January 20, 2021, in a letter sent on Wednesday.

Read Also: Joe Biden Has Read Brittney Griner's Emotional Letter; WNBA Star's Wife in Pain After POTUS Snub

Hunter Biden Investigation May Start If GOP Takes Over House Committee

Per CBS News, inquiries the committee may conduct if Republicans take over the House after the November elections appear to be supported by Comer's demands. Comer has stated that the committee will look into Hunter Biden even if a federal probe led by the Delaware US attorney's office ends without charges being filed.

According to a 2019 federal subpoena CBS News acquired, the Delaware criminal investigation has been looking for Hunter and James Biden's bank records going all the way back to 2014, when Joe Biden was vice president. President Joe Biden has stated that he was not involved in his son's and brother's business deals.

The Washington Examiner discovered that Joe Biden unknowingly sponsored Hunter Biden's payments to Russia-related prostitutes, and Republicans on Capitol Hill have promised to look into these payments.

The shocking news was revealed after the Washington Examiner reported that records from a copy of Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop show that the president may have unknowingly funded his son's involvement in a Russian-linked escort ring, and that some of the younger Biden's payments may have triggered suspicious activity reports with his banks.

During a period of 3 1/2 months between November 2018 and March 2019, Biden spent over $30,000 on escorts, many of whom were connected to ".ru" Russian email addresses, and worked with an "exclusive model agency" called UberGFE. He was able to do this in part because Joe Biden promised to wire him a total of $100,000 to help him pay his bills from December 2018 to January 2019.

According to the report, Hunter Biden "sent thousands of dollars" to individuals who were "potentially associated with prostitution" or engaged in "transactions consistent with possible human trafficking." Some of the women "then wired funds they had received from Hunter Biden to individuals located in Russia and Ukraine."

In text exchanges with Eva, the middleman who worked as his main point of contact with UberGFE, Hunter Biden revealed that his accounts had once been temporally suspended as a result of his attempts to pay Eva's "girls" using Russian email addresses raising too many "red flags" with his bank.

Between November 26, 2018, and March 10, 2019, the president's son spent more than $30,000 with Russian prostitutes connected to Eva and UberGFE. At least eleven times during that time, Eva gave him instructions to transfer money to bank accounts connected to Russian email addresses.

Related Article: Joe Biden Allegedly Knows Hunter's Business Deals with China's Spy Chief, Voicemail to His Son Reveals

@YouTube

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
AstraZeneca to acquire biotech firm TeneoTwo in a deal worth more than $1.27 billion

Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca on Tuesday announced an agreement to acquire TeneoTwo Inc, including its clinical-stage T-cell engager, strengthening haematological cancer pipeline.

AstraZenica plans to acquire all outstanding equity of TeneoTwo for an upfront payment of $100 million, with additional milestone-related payments of up to $1.17 billion.

TeneoTwos Phase I clinical-stage CD19/CD3 T-cell engager, TNB-486, is currently under evaluation in relapsed and refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

AstraZeneca said the acquisition of TNB-486 will help accelerate the development of this potential new medicine for B-cell haematologic malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma.

Building on the success of Calquence (acalabrutinib), which generated sales of more than $1.2 billion last year, TNB-486 will help further diversify AstraZenecas haematology pipeline that spans multiple therapeutic modalities and a broad spectrum of blood cancers.

TNB-486 belongs to a class of therapeutic antibodies known as T-cell engagers, which are emerging as a promising therapeutic approach in haematologic malignancies and solid tumours. T-cell engagers are bispecific molecules that are engineered to redirect the immune systems T-cells to recognise and kill cancer cells. By binding to both CD19, an antigen expressed on B-cells, and to the CD3 receptor on T-cells, TNB-486 activates and recruits T-cells to CD19-expressing tumours where they can elicit an immune response.

By redirecting the bodys natural immune response to target B-cell malignancies, TNB-486 alone or in combination with CD20-targeted therapy could potentially deepen clinical responses and improve patient outcomes. We believe this innovative molecule, which was designed to optimise the therapeutic window of T-cell activation, will enable us to explore novel combinations that have the potential to become new standards of care in this setting, Anas Younes, senior vice president of haematology R&D, AstraZeneca said:

AstraZeneca will acquire all outstanding equity of TeneoTwo in exchange for an upfront payment of $100m on deal closing.

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will make additional contingent R&D-related milestone payments of up to $805m and additional contingent commercial-related milestone payments of up to $360m to TeneoTwos equity holders.

Overall, the transaction will be accounted for as an intangible asset acquisition, recognised initially at the present value of non-contingent consideration, with future milestones capitalised into the intangible asset as they are recognised.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. The transaction does not impact AstraZenecas financial guidance for 2022.

iTeneoTwo, Inc, is a majority owned subsidiary company of TBio, LLC, a limited liability company formed in Delaware, US.
Boris Johnson resigns as British prime minister

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned on Thursday after months of discontent over Johnsons judgment and ethics within the governing Conservative Party erupted with the resignations of Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid within minutes of each other on Tuesday evening.

Johnson announced his resignation as prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party at a press conference in his official residence. He said he would serve till a new leader was appointed, sparking a leadership race.

Hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned, at least three top leaders have publicly expressed interest in becoming his successor. BBC reported that Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, Attorney General Suella Braverman and pro-Brexit MP Steve Baker have shown interest in the position.

At least 32 British lawmakers, including Sunak, have left Johnsons government in less than 24 hours, saying the Tory leader no longer has their confidence, plunging his government into crisis.

Boris Johnson, who reached the top amidst the Brexit crisis, was felled by crises of his own making, as the ethics allegations engulfed his government and turned his own party against him.

Speaking outside No 10 Downing Street, Johnson said he was immensely proud of the achievements of this government, from Brexit to steering the country through the pandemic, and leading the West in standing up to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Johnson also promised Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he will continue to work with partners to end the grain blockade in the coming weeks, a spokesperson for Johnson said.

"President Zelenskyy thanked the prime minister for his decisive action on Ukraine, and said the Ukrainian people were grateful for the UK's efforts," the spokesperson said following a call between the pair.

"The prime minister finished the call by praising President Zelenskyy, saying: 'You're a hero, everybody loves you'."

Robert Buckland, Britain's new Secretary of State for Wales, has suggested that the freshly formed cabinet will block Prime Minister Boris Johnson if he tried to make major policy moves in the coming weeks, a Telegraph journalist said on Twitter.

Former British Prime Minister John Major said outgoing leader Boris Johnson should not remain in Downing Street until a successor is found "for the overall wellbeing of the country".

Major, prime minister from 1990 to 1997 and from Johnson's Conservative Party, said deputy PM Dominic Raab could take over until a new leader is found, or the party could change the selection rules to speed up the process.

"The proposal for the prime minister to remain in office - for up to three months - having lost the support of his cabinet, his government and his parliamentary party is unwise, and may be unsustainable," he said in a public letter.
Yum Brands close to selling KFC business in Russia

Yum! Brands Inc said on Tuesday that it was in advanced stages of transferring ownership of its KFC restaurants, operating system and master franchise rights, including the network of franchised restaurants in Russia, to a local operator, in order to fully exit the country.

Last month, Yum! completed the transfer of ownership of all Pizza Hut franchise assets to a local operator who has initiated the process of re-branding locations to a non-Yum! concept. The company is also in advanced stages of transferring ownership of its KFC restaurants, operating system and master franchise rights, including the network of franchised restaurants, to a local operator.

The company opened its first KFC restaurant in Russia in 1995 and now has about 1,000 outlets in the country, nearly all of which are operated by independent owners under licence or franchise agreements.

This builds on the companys prior actions to suspend operations of all company-owned restaurants, halt all investment and restaurant development efforts, and redirect any profits from Russia operations to humanitarian efforts. Following completion of the KFC transaction, Yum! Brands intends to fully exit from Russia.

Western companies leaving Russia over the invasion of Ukraine have sped up the pace of their exits in recent weeks as Moscow is advancing a new law that would allow it to seize assets and impose criminal penalties on foreign firms.

McDonald's Corp, an icon of American capitalism in the dying embers of the Soviet Union, sold its business in Russia earlier this year. Its restaurants opened under new branding last month.

Yum Brands also said on Tuesday that it had completed the sale of its Pizza Hut business in Russia to a local operator who is re-branding the restaurants. The financial details of the sale were not disclosed.

Russian media reported last month the business was bought for 300 million roubles ($4.92 million) by Noi-M, which is linked to the operator of the Russian franchises of Costa Coffee and T.G.I. Friday's.
German govt may invest up to $9.4 bn to bail out Uniper

Germany is preparing for the possibility of taking a stake in Uniper, in order to rescue the country's largest buyer of Russian gas from certain death. Uniper has been done down by the German governments own denial of gas imports from Russia.

The ban on Russian energy besides driving up energy prices has had a knocking effect on the countrys utilities, forcing Berlin to take stakes in energy firms which run into financial trouble.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government has agreed legislation allowing Berlin to take stakes in energy firms which run into financial trouble.

Berlin fears that utilities could collapse due to soaring energy prices have now come true. Last week Uniper became the first German energy company to raise the alarm over scarce gas and soaring prices.

A report in the Handelsblatt newspaper said Berlin is in talks about infusing fresh capital into Uniper by subscribing to a package of new shares of up to 25 per cent in the energy utility.

Reports citing sources familiar with the situation said the talks are centred over a potential bailout package of around 9 billion euros ($9.4 billion).

The government may acquire Uniper shares at a nominal value of 1.70 euros apiece and remain a silent partner, without voting rights.

The volume of the deal could be between 3 billion and 5 billion euros, Handelsblatt added.

The government is looking at various options, including loans, taking an equity stake and also passing part of the surge in costs onto consumers, according to reports.

Uniper, which is a major investor in Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, said it would record a full impairment loss on the Nord Stream 2 financial claim,

Uniper will recognise an impairment loss of its loans towards Nord Stream 2 AG in the amount of 987 million. The book value results from the loans originally provided to Nord Stream 2 (695 million) plus the current amount of accrued interests (292 million). This non-operating impairment loss will impact the consolidated IFRS-result in the first quarter of the current financial year, but will not affect the adjusted earnings figures. Going forward, Uniper will stop accruing the related interest income of around 100 million per year.

It would also resume divestment process for its Russian subsidiary Unipro as and when possible.

Uniper is the majority owner of the Russian company PAO Unipro with 83.73 per cent stake. The company is listed on the Moscow Stock Exchange and operates independently within the framework of Russian legislation.

At the end of last year, Uniper started a divestment process of Unipro. Due to the current situation, this process has been halted for the time being and will be restarted as soon as it is feasible.

However, Uniper will not make any new investments in Russia and will not transfer any funds to Unipro until further notice.
Consumer spending fell by a massive 8% in Donegal last month according to analysis released by Bank of Ireland (BoI) today.

BoI say that debit and credit card analysis for June, revealed a 4% overall monthly fall in spending, with a drop in consumer outlay across sectors, but the biggest drop was experienced in Donegal.

Spending in each of the 26 counties fell in June, with Donegal dropping the most (-8%).

Kerry recorded a spending decline of -7%, the same as Roscommon, while negative trends continued in Limerick, Tipperary and Wicklow  which all recorded a spending drop of -6%.

In contrast to the trend last month, they say that total social spending fell by -5% in June as consumers scaled back their pub spend (-8%) compared to May, and also spent less money on fast food (-4%) and in restaurants (-3%).

The overcast weather in June may have played a part in people spending more in cinemas (+25%), but that increase was an outlier  with consumer spending on clothing and groceries both falling by -6% month on month.

Further afield holiday-makers flocked back to popular European locations following a relative decline in May, with June spending jumps recorded in Italy (+48%), Portugal (+45%), Spain (+38%) and France (+32%).

One constant with Mays spending picture was that teenagers (13 -17) had a striking spending rise in June (+19%), but thats where the similarities ended.

Every other age grouping posted a drop in spending during the past month, with 18 -25 year olds recording a monthly fall of -12%, 26 -35 year olds down by -8% and the 56 - 65 year olds falling by -5%.

Commenting on Junes spending data, Jilly Clarkin, Head of Customer Journeys & SME Markets at Bank of Ireland said:

Spending in June compared to May 2022 amongst BoI customers

Cost of living increases are a concern for everyone, and in that context it is not surprising to see Junes spending levels dropping a bit on last month. The spending data analysed by Bank of Ireland over the past few months has produced some uneven trends, so while total consumer outlay rose significantly in May, it then fell again in June.

Its probably too early to identify a clear trend, but some people may be getting more prudent with their money as they look ahead to the second half of the year. But were also entering peak holiday season, so some consumers could just be holding their spending until they get away.
Irish premier Micheal Martin has said that its a matter of deep regret to the Irish government that there has not been the same level of engagement with the British government on Northern Ireland as there has been on the invasion of Ukraine.

The Taoiseach also hit out at the British Government for failing to show a spirit of partnership over tackling issues on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

I think there is an opportunity to refresh relations, he said.

Mr Martin made the comments as political leaders gathered in Guernsey on Friday as part of the 37th British-Irish Council (BIC) Summit.

Mr Martin and other political leaders discussed the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, climate change, support for the people of Ukraine, and the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Good meeting of the British-Irish Council in Guernsey today. Raised my visit to Kyiv, and the strong EU/UK partnership on Ukraine. Also discussed hopes of progress and engagement on Protocol, cost of living and climate action. pic.twitter.com/rmvY17EMcA  Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) July 8, 2022

The Fianna Fail leader briefed the BIC on his recent visit to Ukraine and the terrible devastation inflicted on that country by the Russian invasion.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Martin reiterated previous comments made this week, saying that there was an opportunity to realign relations between the British and Irish governments, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland.

Mr Martin said that although there has been good engagement on Ukraine it is a matter of deep regret to me and to the Irish government, that that same level of alignment and engagement hasnt been happening in relation to Northern Ireland.

I have voiced my very serious concern about what I see as unilateral action in terms of legislation, which would misalign the application of the protocol  and thats something thats not acceptable to the Irish government.

He said the relationship with the British government and the Northern Ireland assembly since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was always based on trust, working together and giving each other heads up.

But unfortunately the legislation that has recently been taken and going through the House flies in the face of that spirit of partnership and engagement.

Unilateralism has never worked in the context of Northern Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement  you have to work towards agreement.

A spokesman for the Government said it is resolute in its support for and solidarity with the people of Ukraine, but regretted that the same spirit of partnership has been lacking when it comes to Northern Ireland and the protocol.

Unilateral action by the British Government is in breach of international law and is not conducive to making real progress, the spokesman said.

Nor is it based on the best interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseach said partnership, vision and compromise delivered and sustained the Good Friday Agreement. A return to that partnership approach by the UK Government, through honest dialogue and balanced agreement, can resolve the current implementation challenges with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Taoiseach also briefed colleagues on the Shared Island Initiative, including a recent allocation of 70 million euro for Shared Island investment projects and inclusive engagement through the Shared Island Dialogue series.

He also joined in discussions on common challenges in meeting climate ambitions and addressing the rising cost of living across the members of the British Irish Council.
Teachers and principals in Louth are invited to sign up for a free place on the popular litter-picking programme for the 2022/2023 school year.

Launched in 2019, the Picker Pals programme is now in 33% of the schools in Ireland. That's 30,000 children making the world a better place and having fun doing it. Applications are now being accepted for Picker Pals 2022-23 school year. Picker Pals materials are available in Irish and English versions.

Children learn why litter is a problem through fun activities and storybooks. They watch regular 'Picker Pals TV' episodes in class where they hear from characters like Craig the Crab. Then they take turns to head out to their towns, cities and villages with their families to make a positive change by removing litter with the picker-uppers and safety kit provided.

In 2022, children across Ireland have already removed litter equivalent to the weight of a blue whale! Children in over 30 schools in Louth are already playing their part as Picker Pals. One local teacher said, The children are always eager for their turn with the picker pack and to tell the rest of the class how they got on after litter picking at the weekend.

Picker Pals is run by Environmental NGO VOICE (Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment). The programme was created by children's author Patrick Jackson, who saw the need to teach the next generation about litter prevention at an early age. He says, "Children are the best ambassadors for environmental issues; they understand the connection between preventing litter and the benefits to people and animals. They naturally sense the right thing to do and bring this message home to their families. Their enthusiasm is fantastic!"

The scheme has been funded by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. Spaces are limited, so early sign-up is encouraged at www.pickerpalsworld.org.
As a probe into his alleged attempts to tamper with Georgia's 2020 presidential election results heats up, Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that he "did nothing wrong" there.

Despite President Joe Biden's close victory in Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her colleagues are investigating whether Trump and his allies improperly attempted to compel state authorities to declare him the winner.

Trump Says Not He But Others Did Wrong During 2020 Election

Trump's denial comes after two of his closest allies, Senator Lindsey Graham of the United States and his former attorney Rudy Giuliani, were among a group of individuals who were subpoenaed by Fulton County. Willis' inquiry is centered on a phone call Trump made to Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state for Georgia, in January 2021, in which the president urged Raffensperger to 'find' the votes he would need to win the state.

According to Daily Mail, the former president said, "I did NOTHING wrong in Georgia, but others did," in a subsequent tweet. Trump also hinted to a forthcoming "letter," most likely to the Fulton County prosecutors. With a margin of 11,779 votes, or less than 0.25 percent, Biden won Georgia.

Raffensperger added that Graham called him 10 days after the election and inquired as to whether he had the authority to revoke mail-in ballots from certain counties. Graham subsequently said he wasn't doing improperly and was just seeking information to better understand the mail-in ballot verification process.

Trump and his allies, according to Willis, have "a multi-state, coordinated plan in a court document submitted on Tuesday, "to sway the outcome of the November 2020 election in Georgia and internationally."

Graham and Giuliani were served with subpoenas on Tuesday as a consequence of the grand jury's investigation into the accusation, which began in early May. John Eastman, Kenneth Cheesebro, and Jenna Ellis, among others, were named as targets because they developed plans to reverse Biden's victory in

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who made calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff following Election Day, received a similar request. The inquiry into Trump and his legal team's attempts to void Biden's victory in Georgia and other crucial states includes the grand jury probe, as per NY Post.

Read Also: Joe Biden Has Read Brittney Griner's Emotional Letter; WNBA Star's Wife in Pain After POTUS Snub

Court Demands for Guiliani's Testimony

The 45th president also justified as "PERFECT" calls to Raffensperger in which he requested that he "find" 11,870 votes in order to surpass Biden's vote total in Georgia and win the state. According to the official figures, Biden received 11,779 more votes than Trump, making him the first Democrat to win Georgia since Bill Clinton did it in 1992. In March 2021, The Washington Post revised a correction to an article on a call Trump made to France that had been published on January 9, 2021.

Willis describes Giuliani as both a personal lawyer for Trump and "a major counsel for the Trump Campaign's legal actions aiming to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere" in the demand for Giuliani's testimony. She said that as part of those attempts, he and others sent a Georgia state Senate panel a video of election officials that Giuliani claimed showed them obtaining "suitcases" of illegal votes from unidentified sources away from election poll observers.

Within 24 hours after the hearing on December 3, 2020, Raffensperger's office rejected the veracity of the video and claimed to have discovered no evidence of voter fraud at the arena. Nevertheless, Willis said that Giuliani persisted in asserting widespread voting fraud using that refuted film in public speeches and in subsequent legislative hearings, as per Fox News.

Bob Costello, Giuliani's lawyer, said that he had no more comment and that no subpoena had been issued for his client. Attorneys Kenneth Chesebro, Cleta Mitchell, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, and Jacki Pick Deason are among the additional five possible witnesses for whom Willis also filed papers on Tuesday.

Related Article: Donald Trump Rails Against January 6 Committee Witness Cassidy Hutchinson, Calls Testimony "All Lies"

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Louth County Council has assured Dundalk councillors that fire safety certification took place at Halliday Mills in Dundalk, after concerns were raised of a Grenfell type fire risk at the apartment complex in Dundalk.

Cllr Emma Coffey raised the matter at the Dundalk Municipal District July meeting, referring to a press article in the media the previous weekend, where fears were raised about fire safety at the complex. The apartment complex, formerly known as Ard Dealgan, was renovated by Approved Housing Body, Co-operative Housing Ireland, and saw its first tenants move into the complex last January, having lain vacant since 2009.

Cllr Coffey asked at the meeting, if any enquiries or any approaches had been made to Louth County Council on foot of the article. It's quite troubling to hear that there's allegations that the fire safety standards have not been complied with by the developer", the Fianna Fail councillor commented.

In response, Senior Executive Office, John Lawrence, said that Hallidays Mill is owned, managed and run by Cooperative Housing Ireland and that they have sole responsibility for fire safety in the apartment complex. He went on to say that they are aware of some issues being raised but added, "however that property was inspected and fire safety certificates have been issued by Louth County Council."

He further added that "there is obviously something going on in the background", but Co-operative Housing Ireland are managing the property and if anything came out that Louth County Council have to act on, they would.

Cllr Coffey asked for clarification on whether or not Louth County Council carried out an onsite fire and safety inspection at Halliday Mills, with Mr Lawrence replying to say "fire safety certification has occurred in that property, that is in place and it couldn't be occupied until it was done."

Cllr Coffey replied to Mr Lawrence to say, "I understand that but my understanding is no onsite inspections are required for that to be issued." In reply, Mr Lawrence confirmed that "onsite inspection was done".
Louth Craftmark is back again with their highly anticipated outdoor Summer Fair which will once again return to the St Nicholas Quarter, Church Street, Dundalk tomorrow, Saturday July 9th.

The popular Summer Fair will be held from 10am to 5pm tomorrow

Featuring a host of professional designers and makers, the fair will have an eclectic array of tempting art, gifts, and high-quality crafts.

The Summer Fair is part of the Fringe Programme of the SEEK Contemporary Urban Arts Festival and is sure to be a buzzing vibrant addition to the town centre in July.

Founded in 2006, Louth Craftmark Designers Network is a collective of talented Northeast based artists, craftspeople, and designers, who have come together to promote and support each other.

The Summer Fair will comprise of 12 artists showcasing their beautiful work, representing various creative disciplines including ceramics, handmade scented candles, Irish designed textiles, glass giftware, artisan soaps, handmade skincare, jewellery, painting, and prints.

There will be something for everyones taste at the Summer Fair; where visitors can treat themselves to something special or buy a gift for a loved one.

Louth Craftmark is well known for their very successful annual Winter Fair, and the artists are delighted to have the opportunity to return to the St Nicholas Quarter, for a second time.

The spacious layout will give visitors ample opportunities to browse and peruse the stalls and see the wonderful art and crafts on offer.

Louth Craftmark is delighted to welcome new artists and designers to participate in the Summer Fair this year, including vibrant new Irish textile brand Jennie Ritchie.

Jennies brand is inspired by nature and the outdoors, mixing laid back luxe, bohemian, and colourful designs.

LORE Natural Skincare is also a new addition this year, handmade in the Cooley Peninsula using only natural, ethically sourced, and sustainable ingredients.

Well known wellness and home-fragrance brand Emma's So Naturals, with their collection of clean burning candles, wax melts, palm-free soaps, and new aroma diffusers will also be joining the Summer Fair for the first time.

Purchasing handmade products from Louth Craftmark is a great way to support local and buy Irish.

By buying from independent businesses, we are contributing to the local economy and encouraging our community to thrive.

Ceramicist Sarah McKenna from Louth Craftmark said: We are delighted to be bringing the Louth Craftmark Summer Fair back to Dundalk this July, after a very successful event last year.

Our network has grown to 68 members, and we cant wait to showcase the work of our talented local artists and craftspeople in the heart of Dundalk.
Shinzo Abe, a former Japanese prime minister, was shot in the chest on Friday at a political event. The incident shocked a country where gun violence is uncommon, leaving Abe unconscious and unresponsive.

According to a representative of his governing Liberal Democratic Party, broadcaster NTV said that Abe, 67, was shot twice from behind while running for office in the western city of Nara on Sunday. A local man in his 40s was detained by police.

Shinzo Abe in "Severe Condition"

NHK published two recordings that appeared to show gun smoke rising from behind Abe as he spoke and a security guard tackling a man on the street shortly after. According to local firefighters, Abe was taken to a hospital right away and may have experienced a cardiac arrest.

Fumio Kishida, the prime minister, and other cabinet members decided against running for office and returned to Tokyo. The incident may or may not affect the timetable of the election, which the LDP was predicted to easily win, as per NDTV.

Fukushiro Nukaga, a senior LDP member, remarked at the headquarters of the ruling party, "This comes as a great shock." Abe was referred to as "an exceptional leader of Japan and loyal ally of the United States" by US Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, who also stated that the American people were praying for him and Japan.

Abe, who served as prime minister of Japan for the longest period of time, retired in August 2020 to receive treatment for a serious illness. Still, he remained politically active lobbying for higher defense spending and warned China that any invasion of Taiwan would be terrible for its economy.

Japan is a country with among of the tightest firearms prohibitions among major countries and shootings are rare. However, there are still instances of political violence: in 2007, Itcho Ito, the mayor of Nagasaki, passed away after being shot twice by a gang member.

Read Also: Donald Trump Insists He "Did Nothing Wrong" as Giuliani, Graham Subpoenaed in Georgia Election Probe

Shinzo Abe Shooting Suspect in Custody

According to NHK, the man is being held for interrogation at the Nara Nishi police station and has been identified by the authorities as Yamagami Tetsuya, a local resident in his 40s. The suspect seems to have made the gun he used himself, CNN reported.

Shinzo Abe's status remains uncertain, according to Hirokazu Matsuno, chief cabinet secretary of Japan. Abe served as the former leader of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020 before stepping down for health concerns.

NHK broadcast video of the minutes leading up to Abe's collapse, including a loud bang that elicited yells and police pinning a guy to the ground close to where the former prime minister was standing. Smoke may be seen in the air in a different NHK video.

On the main Honshu island of Japan, Nara, the former capital, is situated directly east of Osaka. Since he was a teenager, Abe has had ulcerative colitis, which he claims can be treated with medication.

It was "gut wrenching," he told reporters at the time, to abandon so many of his objectives. He discussed his inability to address issues with Japanese who had been kidnapped by North Korea years before, a territorial conflict with Russia, and a change to Japan's constitution that prohibited war. He was quite divisive because of that last objective.

Per AP News, his zeal to normalize Japan's defensive posture infuriated many Japanese, while his ultra-nationalism infuriated the Koreas and China. Due to a lack of popular support, Abe was unable to officially rewrite the pacifist constitution, which was the country's founding document.

Related Article: Boris Johnson Resignation: Partygate, Other Scandals Lead to UK Prime Minister's Downfall



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EBRD-mobilised financing package of up to US$ 4.5 million for taxi company Sayohon in Tajikistan

Firm will procure 100 electric vehicles and 30 charging stations

GEF support and inclusive employment

More than 60 per cent of the nearly 900,000 residents of Dushanbe, Tajikistans capital and the countrys largest municipality will now be able to enjoy environmentally friendlier and safer taxi rides thanks to the introduction of electric taxis, a project supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The latest project under the EBRD Green Cities programme for Dushanbe will help reduce the environmental impact of the Sayohon taxi company, which operates the popular brand Rakhsh Taxi. A financial package of up to US$ 4.5 million, mobilised by the EBRD and consisting of an EBRD loan and a grant from the Banks Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change (FINTECC) programme supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), will allow Sayohon to procure 100 electric vehicles and 30 charging stations as well as to create the necessary charging infrastructure.

Sayohon will not only expand its service but will also reduce CO 2 emissions by 1,240 tonnes per year. The replacement of dated internal combustion engines with electric ones will also allow Rakhsh Taxi to cut emissions of other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide hat can cause severe respiratory problems.

As part of the project, Sayohon will commit to developing and implementing inclusive employment practices. In particular, it will help increase the number of women employees to at least 20 per cent of the total workforce and launch a specialised training programme for 250 employees on the management of electric vehicles.

Funded by the EBRD and GEF, FINTECC is part of a global drive towards climate technology transfer for developing economies.

EBRD Green Cities is supporting the development and implementation of Dushanbes Green City Action Plan (GCAP), a crucial tool to help the city set out its sustainable development vision and strategic objectives, in addition to the actions and investments required to address high-priority environmental issues.

To date, the EBRD has invested 892 million through 152 projects in Tajikistans economy.
CITESTE IN ROMANA

EBRD Vice-President Alain Pilloux starts three-day trip to Moldova on Monday

Pilloux, Moldovan authorities to discuss ways to support Moldova in context of war on Ukraine

Food and energy security, EU accession candidacy at heart of talks

Alain Pilloux, the EBRDs Vice-President, Banking, visits Moldova on Monday to underscore the EBRDs support for Moldova in the wake of the war on Ukraine, for discussions with Moldovan leaders that will focus on the countrys food and energy security and how to progress Moldovas European Union candidacy.

During his three-day visit, Mr Pilloux is also scheduled to visit Giurgiulesti International Free Port, Moldovas only sea-river port. The Bank is the sole owner of Danube Logistics SRL, the operator of the port. Giurgiulesti Ports throughput has doubled in 2022, since Russia imposed a blockade on Ukraines Black Sea ports, showing the ports value in boosting both Moldovan and regional food and energy security.

Mr Pillouxs visit follows the signing in June of a 300 million EBRD loan to support Moldovas energy security.

This fell within the 2 billion Resilience and Livelihoods Framework that the EBRD put together this spring to help Ukraine and neighbouring countries withstand the challenges of war, which has displaced millions of Ukrainians, including to Ukraine. The framework ranges from restructuring and emergency liquidity support for enterprises and recovery support for small and medium-sized enterprises to support for energy security.

In Moldovas case, the EBRD is working closely with the government both on boosting energy security and on food security, including by actively promoting the continued successful operation and development of Giurgiulesti Port, a key infrastructure asset for the country.

While in Moldova, Mr Pilloux will meet President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, Minister of Economy and EBRD Governor Sergiu Gaibu, National Bank of Moldova Governor Octavian Armasu, development partners and business clients, as well as colleagues at Giurgiulesti International Free Port.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Moldova and, to date, has invested 1.7 billion in the country through 158 projects. It has also provided advisory services to more than 1,000 Moldovan firms to help them improve performance and grow.

Its focus in Moldova is on creating an environment that supports private sector activity, promoting European standards across sectors and regional integration to bring domestic producers closer to their markets, as well as developing efficient and sustainable public utilities which have a direct impact on peoples lives.
WARNINGS have been issued about new psychoactive substances being sold to festival-goers under the guise of MDMA pills or cannabis.

It follows calls from a Cork woman for pop-up drug-testing labs to be introduced at music festivals, similar to those in the UK.

Nicole Ryan, from Millstreet, lost her brother, Alex, aged 18, when he took the synthetic N-Bomb drug. Now a pre-accredited addiction counsellor, she is spreading her harm-reduction message through her education programme, Alexs Adventure.

She is proposing that a similar model to the Glastonbury Festival be made available in Ireland, with a drug-testing lab for those in attendance.

UK organisation The Loop introduces pop-up labs to festivals and other major events through an initiative supported by local police forces. Organisers of the event enable the testing of drugs when they are found, surrendered, or seized on site.

Meanwhile, the HSE has already launched a campaign for people attending Irish music festivals, offering them practical drug harm-reduction information, as well as advice on how to reduce the risks associated with drug use.

However, Ms Ryan said that drug testing needs to be introduced to music festivals and major events across Ireland to save lives.

The shame and hiding away is killing people, Ms Ryan said.

Testing is a phenomenal idea that is being rolled out with great success in the UK. Its such a practical step to either deter someone from using or ensure they are staying safe while using.

She listed the potential benefits of drug testing at festivals.

If I can get something tested that I believe is ketamine that turns out to be the N-bomb, my life is saved. I know whats in it so Im not going to take it. It can be disposed of there and then and I dont get a criminal conviction or die. If I do decide to take it and, God forbid, I suffer an overdose, then emergency services will be able to treat me faster knowing what I have taken.

Ms Ryan underlined the challenges facing young people attending festivals.

People are scared of gardai and, in the event of an emergency or overdose, nobody knows what to do.

The reality is that the curiosity of a young person is powerful. They might feel pressured by peers or just be looking for a new experience. No matter what the reason is behind their drug use, the most important thing is that deaths are prevented from happening. This might take time and effort, but its better than people overdosing and dying, while others pretend this isnt happening.

Professor Eamon Keenan, HSEs national clinical lead, addiction services, said it is important that people are informed about worrying drug trends across Europe.

Nicole Ryan from Millstreet, after receiving a diploma in Substance Misuse and Addiction, at the Adult Continuing Education Autumn conferrings at UCC.Picture: David Keane.

As we approach the 2022 festival season, it is important that we keep up to date in relation to drug trends across Europe, Prof Keenan said. Although we have limited access to drug-market monitoring in Ireland, we are aware of the emergence of some very worrying trends across Europe.

As well as high-strength drugs appearing, as seen recently in the UK, we are currently concerned about the possibility of new psychoactive substances being mis-sold as MDMA pills or crystal, cocaine, and cannabis. New drugs are continuing to emerge and we must be aware of the risks they pose.

Prof Keenan also offered some harm-reduction guidance, adding: Our advice remains that its safer not to use at all. However, if you do, this summer festival season, its important to start very low and go slow to reduce your risk of coming to harm.

Nicki Killeen, volunteer trainer and emerging drug trends project manager with the HSE, spoke of steps the organisation is taking to promote harm reduction at festivals.

Nicole Ryan, from Millstreet, lost her brother, Alex, aged 18, when he took the synthetic N-Bomb drug.

Our festival volunteers will offer advice at events about drugs, Ms Killeen said. We will work with some event organisers and medical teams to help reduce harm and keep people safe.

Our new volunteer teams will offer non-judgmental and confidential support. They will operate between the festival community and medical teams to create a safe space for people who use drugs.

She outlined the measures being taken at festivals, including the Indiependence Festival being held in Mitchelstown this month.

The teams will be at an information tent, as well as through outreach teams in campsites and music arenas.

It is important that people dont delay getting medical help at events.

Sometimes, overconsumption could start as a headache or muscle pain, which people may not be aware of.

Our new booklets will provide people who use drugs with information about drug emergencies, trends, and practical steps to reduce the harms.
Vivienne Clarke

The HSEs chief clinical officer has repeated a call for anyone eligible for a booster Covid-19 vaccine to get it, as the number of people in hospital with the virus increases.

People who were not vaccinated or had not yet been boosted were disproportionally represented in hospital figures, Dr Colm Henry told RTE radios Morning Ireland.

His comments came as there were 905 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in hospitals around the country as of this morning.

Dr Henry said that while half of the people in hospital with Covid-19 had been admitted with other conditions and subsequently tested positive for the virus, the same preventative measures had to be put in place to stop its spread to the vulnerable.

It was important for people to return to basic public health measures, he urged. This including isolating if they experienced any symptoms, and getting the vaccine or booster.

Six-week plateau

A range of tests were now in place to determine the level of the virus in the community, including PCR tests  of which 41,000 were carried out last week and 36 per cent were positive.

Trends of Covid-like symptoms presenting at GP surgeries were also being monitored and wastewater was also being tested.

Ireland was now in week four or five of a six-week plateau, after which case numbers in the community are expected to decline, but there will be a lag time before there will be a decline in numbers in hospital, he explained.

Older people and people with underlying conditions needed to get their booster as the vaccine waned in time and protection was important, he said.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Protecting biodiversity isnt just important for its own sake; its essential for human wellbeing too.

A new report from the The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)  which is often described as the IPCC for biodiversity  found that billions of people depend on 50,000 wild species for food, medicine, fuel and income from activities like tourism.

70% of the worlds poor are directly dependent on wild species. One in five people rely on wild plants, algae and fungi for their food and income; 2.4 billion rely on fuel wood for cooking and about 90% of the 120 million people working in capture fisheries are supported by small-scale fishing, assessment co-chair Dr. Marla R. Emery said in a press release. But the regular use of wild species is extremely important not only in the Global South. From the fish that we eat, to medicines, cosmetics, decoration and recreation, wild species use is much more prevalent than most people realise.

The IPBES Assessment Report on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species took four years to complete but the summary was just approved by the IPBESs 139 member states in Bonn, Germany, this week. It was a collaboration between 85 experts as well as members of Indigenous and local communities. It included the work of 200 contributing authors and used more than 6,200 sources. That means it presents in great detail the extent to which human beings rely on the nature they are rapidly depleting.

The report identified five practices that define how people use wild species: fishing, gathering, logging, land animal harvesting and non-extractive uses like ecotourism. More than 10,000 species are used as food, while about a third of people depend on firewood for cooking, and 50 percent of wood goes towards energy. All told, about 50 percent of the worlds population benefits from the use of wild species of plants, animals, algae and fungi in some way, according to The Guardian.

The use of wild species involves both the practices associated with harvest or other direct interactions with wild species & the end purpose for which the species is used@IPBES #SustainableUse Assessment considers the following taxa, practices & types of use of wild species pic.twitter.com/qpihWFadCb  ipbes (@IPBES) July 8, 2022

Half of humanity uses and benefits from the use of wild species, Emery said, as The Guardian reported. Their sustainability is essential for biodiversity conservation, and for human wellbeing.

Unfortunately, that sustainability is jeopardy. The report comes three years after another IPBES report warned that one million species were at risk of extinction because of human activity. The main drivers identified in that report were unsustainable logging, fishing and hunting, according to BBC News.

Today one million species are at risk of extinction, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero said in the press release. And the unsustainable, illegal and unregulated use of species is a large part of the problem. For example, the illegal wildlife trade is a 23-billion-dollar annual business that lines the deep pockets of a few unscrupulous individuals. These people get rich at the expense of nature and ecosystems.

Other examples of unsustainable exploitation listed in the report involved wild marine fisheries  around 34 percent of which are overfished, forests  with 12 percent of wild tree species threatened with extinction, and land mammals  with 1,341 species threatened by overhunting.

However, the report offered examples of sustainable use, too. Communities work together to manage the population of pirarucu fish in the Amazon, in one instance, as The Guardian reported. In fact, the majority of the human uses described in the report were actually sustainable.

Thats a slightly different story to the one that we normally get told, which is usually much more negative, International Union for Conservation of Natures sustainable use and livelihoods specialist group head Dilys Roe said, as The Guardian reported.

Indigenous peoples and local communities remain leaders in the sustainable use of species in the approximately 40 percent of global protected areas that they manage, and protecting their rights is an important means of preserving biodiversity, something that the non-Indigenous scientific community is increasingly coming to understand.

If wildlife disappears, our culture is at risk, our lifestyle and our livelihood is at risk, Argentine Indigenous lawyer and activist Viviana Figueroa, who spoke with report authors, told The New York Times. There is still a lot of work to be done, but at least there is some recognition.

The report authors said that wild species faced threats in the future from the climate crisis, rising demand and technological advancements in harvesting, according to BBC News. They recommended things that could be done to promote sustainable use instead, such as preventing illegal extraction, protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples and improving forest management.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

The popular pastime of birdwatching has many healthy benefits for people and the planet, including immersion in nature  which has been shown to be beneficial for mental health  breathing fresh air, exercise, exposure to natural vitamin D, socializing and building togetherness through birdwatching communities and increased appreciation for nature.

There were approximately 15.23 million birdwatchers in America in 2020, reported Statista, up from 12.82 million in 2019. In Alaska, the well-loved pastime means an incentive for habitat conservation and a significant boost to the states economy, a press release from University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) said.

Alaska is home to nearly 500 bird species, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which makes for a rich birding environment for beginners as well as experts.

Thousands of birdwatchers venture to Alaska annually, the press release said, in the hopes of coming across birds like the seafaring harlequin duck, the tundra-dwelling bluethroat or eider  the largest duck in the Northern Hemisphere  in Utqiagvik, north of the Arctic Circle, where all four species of the bird can be found.

According to a new study by researchers from the UAF and Audubon Alaska, almost 300,000 birdwatchers came to the state in 2016, spending approximately $378 million.

The findings of the study, Small sight  Big might: Economic impact of bird tourism shows opportunities for rural communities and biodiversity conservation, were published in the journal PLOS One.

Birdwatching tourism isnt just a boon to the states economy, its a sustainable pastime thats beneficial for habitat preservation.

Once you have visitors who are coming to Alaska spending money on viewing rare species that our surroundings provide the critical habitat for on a global scale, it becomes an incentive to keep that habitat high quality for birds, said economist at the UAF International Arctic Research Center Tobias Schwoerer, who was the lead author of the study, the press release said.

The researchers pointed out that the portions of the tourism industry in Alaska that arent related to the rail, ship or cruise lines are frequently overlooked. Schwoerer feels these sectors offer possibilities for the development of specialized ecotourism.

Tourists who come to Alaska to birdwatch spend more, stay longer and trek to more remote areas of the state than other tourists. This means the revenue gets distributed more widely, potentially benefiting rural communities that may not see as much revenue from other industries, reported Earth.com.

These far-flung regions are the homes of many of the elusive bird species birders seek out, according to the press release.



A bluethroat sings near UAFs Toolik Field Station north of the Brooks Range. The mostly Eurasian birds range extends just over the Bering Sea into northern Alaska. If birders want to see a bluethroat in the Americas, they have to travel to Alaska. Seth Beaudreault / Toolik Field Station

Birders also have a tendency to take part in more activities in smaller groups, like guided tours, than other visitors.

Independent travelers are more likely to take a flight out to the Pribilofs, or go to the Aleutians to see an exotic species they cant find elsewhere, or book a trip with a small operator who drives Sprinter vans from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, Schwoerer said, as Earth.com reported.

The study was initiated by Natalie Dawson, formerly of Audubon Alaska, who led birdwatching bike rides and hikes at Haines Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and was inspired by its off-the-beaten path adventurers, the press release said.

This study gives us a glimpse of how diverse our states tourism is and can be in the future, as well as how intertwined our communities are with visitors in the shared experience of marveling at the wonders of birds, said Dawson in the press release.

According to the study, almost 50 percent of the tourism spending related to birds was on tours in the southeastern part of Alaska, with Nome being a hotbed for birdwatching revenue.

Sustainable and well-managed birdwatching is a growth sector. Birdwatching in Alaska is a type of tourism where Alaskans can capitalize on the regions intact lands and waters, said Audubon Alaskas interim executive director and director of conservation David Krause, in the press release. Its an exciting place of opportunity that protects irreplaceable and fragile ecosystems while supporting jobs.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

People walk by the Atlantic Ocean on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Changes in Rio's climate, including temperature and sea level rise, are projected to be the most dire of all cities in South America, according to the Urban Climate Change Research Network. Mario Tama / Getty Images

The supreme court of Brazil has ruled that the Paris Agreement, an international treaty adopted in 2015 to limit global warming to 2C or, preferably, 1.5C, is a human rights treaty that must take precedence over national laws. Brazil is the first country to declare such a ruling.

In the case PSB et al. v. Brazil (on Climate Fund) (ADPF 708), Brazils supreme court stated that the Paris Agreement is a supranational human rights treaty. The case was filed by four political parties (the Workers Party, Socialism and Liberty Party, Brazilian Socialist Party and Sustainability Network) after the government failed to distribute money from the national Climate Fund (Fundo Clima) since 2019. The fund was initially set up in 2009.

A session of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil in 2018. EVARISTO SA / AFP via Getty Images

The Brazilian government argued that the Climate Fund was not constitutionally protected and court interference would violate the countrys separation of powers.

The Supreme Federal Court ruled, Treaties on environmental law are a type of human rights treaty and, for that reason, enjoy supranational status. There is therefore no legally valid option to simply omit to combat climate change.

The ruling also means that any laws made by the Brazilian government will be invalid if they contradict the Paris Agreement, and violating this ruling or the Paris Agreement is a violation of the countrys constitution and human rights.

The constitutional duty to allocate the funds effectively means that there is a duty to mitigate climate change considering the international commitments under the climate change framework, Columbia Universitys Sabin Center for Climate Change Law case chart explained.

The Supreme Federal Court of Brazil is soon set to rule on two additional climate cases, one which is arguing for implementing the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon and the other which argues that the government has failed to manage the Amazon Fund. Funding for the Amazon has been in steady decline since Jair Bolsonaro became president, Climate Home News reported.

Brazil is considered highly insufficient in its climate actions to meet Paris Agreement targets, and deforestation is its No. 1 source of emissions, followed by agriculture. With business as usual, Brazil would contribute to an estimated 4C of warming. Even if it fully implemented current policies, Brazil would still only reach a target of 3C warming.

But the ruling could help more climate policies to be properly implemented on the basis of human rights. The ruling in PSB et al. v. Brazil (on Climate Fund) could create a lasting impact outside of Brazil, too.

Caio Borges, a law and climate portfolio manager at the Instituto Clima e Sociedade (iCS) in Brazil, told Climate Home News of the ruling, Having a constitutional court qualifying the Paris Agreement as a human rights treaty may spur a global movement for the courts to follow suit in that recognition.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

In 1982, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) voted to ban the practice of commercial whaling that had driven several species to the brink of extinction, as The New York Times reported at the time.

Now, a new study published in Scientific Reports Thursday shows how that decision has borne fruit. The study reported the first scientifically documented observation of fin whales feeding en masse off Antarcticas Elephant Island.

[I] you enforce management and conservation, there are chances for species to recover, study lead author and University of Hamburg marine mammal ecologist Dr. Helena Herr told The New York Times.

Fin whalesthe second largest whales on the planetwere once abundant in the Southern Ocean. In 1892, naturalist William Speirs Bruce wrote about what he had seen on an expedition to Antarctica. Whales backs and blasts were seen at close intervals quite near to the ship and from horizon to horizon, he said, according to the study.

However, such sights became a thing of the past as commercial whaling exploded during the 20th century, devastating the fin whale population.

They were reduced to 1 or 2% of their original population size, Herr said, as The Guardian reported. Were talking about a couple of thousand animals left for the whole southern hemisphere area.

Now, however, the whales are making a comeback. Herr and her research team conducted two expeditions to Antarctica in 2018 and 2019 and observed more than 100 different groupings of fin whales. In 100 cases, the gatherings consisted of one to four whales, according to The New York Times. But the researchers recorded eight times in which the number of whales reached as high as 150.

Id never seen so many whales in one place before and was absolutely fascinated watching these massive groups feed, study co-author and biologist Professor Bettina Meyer of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the University of Oldenburg and the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity said in an AWI press release.

The whale gatherings were caught on camera via drone by BBC wildlife filmmakers, according to The Guardian.

The water around us was boiling, because the animals were coming up all the time, Herr told The Guardian of the feedings.

While researchers dont know the total number of fin whales in Antarctica, the repeated sightings of large gatherings are a good sign, Meyer told AWI. And the whales comeback isnt just good news for the species, but for their ecosystem and the climate. Thats because, when whales feed on krill, they release the iron in the animals back into the ocean, The New York Times explained. This, in turn, encourages the growth of phytoplankton, which both absorb carbon dioxide and form the basis of the marine food web.

In times of climate change, biodiversity loss and species extinction, the recovery of a large whale population is not only a glimpse of hope; it is also likely to have a stimulating effect on primary production in the Southern Ocean, enhancing CO2 uptake and carbon sink capacities, the study authors wrote.




Philippines' fast food chains affected by chicken shortage



Fast food chains in the Philippines such as Jolibee Foods Corp and McDonald's have been unable to serve chicken as the country is affected by a chicken shortage caused by supply chain issues, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

In a statement, Jolibee said a number of their stores are unable to sell chicken because of increased consumer demand and limited chicken supply in the market that meets their standards.

Customers and restaurant staff members have told the Inquirer that chicken was unavailable at many Jolibee outlets.

Elias Jose Inciong, president of the United Broilers and Raisers Association, said the supply of chicken in the nation has been impacted by a number of factors, including the quality of feeds, rising feed input costs, and consumers' shifting preferences away from meat products.

But he added that it was still too early to say whether or not there was a widespread shortage.

Inciong said the Russia-Ukraine conflict made it more difficult to find high-quality feeds like soy and corn, which led to a decrease in chicken production and quality.

He pointed out that local corn and soy prices were at a five-year historical high. In addition to being the primary component of animal feeds, corn is one of the staple foods, ranking second only to rice.

He said the country has a problem with feed quality, and it's also more expensive.

Inciong said that soy is imported into the Philippines, but because of its "high energy" qualities, yellow corn is preferred by broiler raisers over imported corn.

He said corn farmers haven't felt confident in production for the last two years because the African swine fever (ASF) had a significant impact on their market.

Inciong said the 2019 ASF outbreak caused a supply surplus and completely wiped out a large portion of their market, which was made up of swine farmers.

He also mentioned the pressure put on them to produce more chicken as a result of consumers' "increasing shift" away from pork toward chicken.

Inciong said that because pork products have become more expensive, they are struggling to meet the increased demand for chicken.

- Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Daily Mail has lost Prince Harry's court battle. A High Court judge has found that portions of a Mail on Sunday article that claimed the Duke of Sussex sought to keep his legal action against the Home Office "secret" were defamatory.

The Duke of Sussex filed a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) after the publication of an article about a hearing in a separate High Court case he had about the security measures in place for him while in the UK.

Prince Harry Wins Defamation Claim Against Mail on Sunday

Justice Nicklin was tasked with determining the "natural and ordinary" interpretation of the passages in the claim and whether they were defamatory during a hearing in June.

Per Mirror, lawyers for Prince Harry argued the article was defamatory and meant that Prince Harry tried to manipulate public opinion and had tried to keep his legal fight with the Government secret from the public.

In response to a reader's interpretation of one of the article's meanings, Justice Nicklin said Prince Harry "was responsible for public statements, issued on his behalf, which claimed that he was willing to pay for police protection in the UK, and that his legal challenge was to the Government's refusal to permit him to do so, whereas the true position, as revealed in documents filed in the legal proceedings, was that he had only made the offer to pay after the proceedings had compelled him to do so."

Prince Harry's attorneys said the article was defamatory and that its claims that Prince Harry "lied," had improperly and cynically attempted to sway public opinion, and had tried to conceal his legal battle with the Government from the public were all insinuations that Prince Harry had "lied."

"Allegations that a person has lied to the public, misled the public, or tried to keep anything hidden that should rightfully be made public are severe ones that tend to diminish him in the eyes of right-thinking people," Justin Rushbrooke QC, speaking on behalf of Prince Harry, said.

Read Also: Princess Diana Cheated First? New Documentary Reveals "Unheard Truths" About Princess of Wales' Love, Life, and Death

Mail on Sunday to Release Statement in Response to Ruling

With Andrew Caldecott QC arguing that the article does allege that the claimant's PR team spun the story or added a gloss that was excessively favorable to the claimant, which caused inaccurate reporting and confusion about the nature of the claim, ANL's attorneys argued the article was not defamatory. The Duke of Sussex filed a libel lawsuit against ANL on Friday, and the publisher is now required to write a response to the ruling, as per The Sun.

Meanwhile, the High Court has now been put on hold while the Daily Mail asserts that Prince Harry and one of the Queen's senior advisors had a tense relationship. The legal team for the prince claims that there were "significant tensions" between the Duke of Sussex and Sir Edward Young, the Queen's Private Secretary.

The relationship between the two was revealed in today's High Court hearing related to Prince Harry's legal dispute with the Home Office over its decision to reduce his UK police protection.

The duke is suing the department after learning that, despite volunteering to pay for it, he would no longer receive the "same degree" of personal protective protection while coming from the US.

The 37-year-old prince is contesting the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures' judgment from February 2020. The Home Office is in charge of the company. However, the High Court was informed today about how the Royal Family was engaged in the choice of his police protection.

Related Article: Meghan Markle's Pal Accuses Royal Family of Using Lilibet as Tactic To Deflect Criticism, Bury Controversy

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Norway earns over US$7 billion from seafood exports thanks to high salmon prices





The Norwegian Seafood Council said Norway earned a record NOK 71.1 billion (~US$7.047 billion; NOK 1 = US$0.099) from seafood exports in the first half of 2022, thanks largely to high salmon prices, Fish Information & Services reported.

534,500 tonnes of Norwegian salmon were shipped valued at NOK 48.8 billion (~US$4.8 billion) in the first half of this year. Compared to last year, that is a 5% drop in export volume, but the high prices meant that export value jumped NOK 13.2 billion (~US$1.3 billion) or 37% year-on-year.

Whole salmon's average price rose to NOK 87.37 (~US$8.66) per kg from NOK 58.29 (~US$5.78) per kg.

The three top importers of Norwegian salmon were the US, France, and Poland.

Paul T Aandahl, seafood analyst with the Norwegian Seafood Council, said both record price and record value come as a result of a combination of demand growth and reduced production of Atlantic salmon globally.

He said they can observe that years with weak volume growth globally result in rapid price growth. The price has increased four times since 2010, and they occasionally notice this pattern.

The volume of supply is falling while demand is rising at the same time. Sales to the hotel and restaurant industry have grown, which contributes to this in part.

Aandahl also noted exports are declining due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with reduced exports to Ukraine, Belarus, and Asia. The latter was because of closed Russian airspace, affecting exports to Japan and South Korea.

He said exports of fresh salmon to Japan dropped 20%, and South Korea 18%, in volume.

Exports (in value) to France increased 50%, with export volume 7% up. Meanwhile, exports to Italy were 62% up in value and 3% in volume.

Norwegian producers exported 87,800 tonnes of salmon in June for NOK 8.8 billion (~US$872 million), an 11% decrease from June 2021. This represents a value increase of NOK 2.6 billion (~US$257 million), or 41%, when compared to June of the previous year.

In the first half of the year, Norway exported 23,800 tonnes of trout for NOK 2.1 billion (~US$208 million). In comparison to the first half of last year, export volume decreased by 5% while export value increased by NOK 562 million (~US$55.7 million), or 35%.

Norwegian trout, the third-largest species by export value so far this year, found its biggest markets in the USA, Thailand, and Japan. Only cod and salmon can beat it.

- Fish Information & Services
An early Eichler sales brochure summed it up this way: "One of the luxury features of an Eichler home is the cork floor... (It is) durable, easy to maintain, and easy on the feet; and its rich, natural tones add warmth and elegance to a room. Properly installed and properly maintained, it is virtually indestructible." Cork floors have an impeccable heritage: Frank Lloyd Wright used it in his iconic Fallingwater house.

For Eichler owners craving a warm, natural flooring surface, cork seems to fit the bill. But if it's not installed right, it can lead to headaches down the road. While the popularity of cork flooring is increasing among Eichler fans, it's still not an easy material to source and have installed properly. Many flooring stores don't sell it, and installation is tricky, even for a pro.

Proper surface preparation is critical. A clean, level concrete or plywood sub-floor is required. Don't install cork over any type of old flooring. Any irregularities in the sub-floor surface can show up after the cork tiles have been laid, so all irregularities have to be taken care of in advance. After he has removed the old flooring materials and hand-scraped the surface of the slab to take off any high spots, expert installer Perry Cordova, one of our flooring resources, uses a very thin (about 1/16 inch) skim coat of Ardex "Feather Finish" cement-based underlayment to smooth out the floor. The skim coat also serves to cover over and seal in old adhesives, and avoid the mess that machine sanding the floor would inevitably create.

Although cork has insulating properties, cork floors do not seem to adversely affect radiant-heat systems. After all, Eichler himself used cork tiles liberally in his subdivisions. Unlike in the '50s, there is now a choice between floating cork-floor panels and cork tiles glued directly to the floor. A floating floor will be significantly thicker than thin tiles, offering more resistance to radiant-heat transmission. In addition, it is noisier to walk on, and many homeowners prefer tiles for that reason. What's more, if a tile becomes damaged or a section of tile needs to be removed to repair a radiant-heat leak, tiles are easier to remove and replace than floating panels. Manufacturers of cork floating floors specify that a 6 to 8 mil plastic film "vapor barrier" be laid down between the sub-floor and the cork. Larry Wagner of Anderson Radiant Heating claims that plastic films will definitely make radiant-heat leak detection more difficult, given that helium leak detectors are the method of choice for pinpointing leaks in radiant tubing.

There are many size and style choices with cork tile. While Eichler used 12-inch square tiles, modern day homeowners often follow Eichler interior designer Sue Olson's advice to go with the slightly more expensive 24-inch square tiles. "Larger tiles mean fewer lines and a less busy look," says Olson. Some manufacturers also offer a range of rectangular dimensions. Tiles are available in a variety of shades, from quite light to very dark; and even in patterns, though Eichler purists will strive for a uniform, even look. Modern tiles start at 3/16 inch (Eichler used 1/8-inch thick tiles), and thicker tiles are available, but there seems little reason to use them, and they cost more.

Protecting a cork floor is the key to its longevity. While tiles are available unfinished, waxed, or varnished with a polyurethane sealer, Olson only uses the varnished variety, and recommends that after they are laid, two additional polyurethane coats be applied to seal the seams. Cork is a resilient material, yet pads should be placed under sharp furniture legs or other objects. It is not easily dented or marked, but if not sealed properly, staining may occur.

Like other natural materials, including wood and bamboo flooring, cork will fade when exposed to sunlight. Interior designer Patsy Zakian-Greenough lays it on the line for her clients: "Cork will always fade to a certain degree, and you have to be prepared for that." Generally, fading is more noticeable in the darker shades of cork. In part, it occurs due to heat and visible light, but the principal culprit is in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. Fortunately, UV-blocking window film is widely available, and also can include varying degrees of reflectance to visible light, if desired. If cork is used anywhere near a window, it is highly recommended that an appropriate window film be applied. Of course, window film offers other advantages to Eichler owners with walls of glass, as it can reduce solar heat gain, cut down on glare, and make original un-tempered glass safer around children and in earthquakes. Sun-Chek offers film in 72-inch widths.

Zakian-Greenough points out a benefit of cork that won't be full appreciated until after it is installed. A client of hers who was hard of hearing found that changing a hard floor surface over to cork made it was easier for her to have conversation in her kitchen. The cork absorbed sound better, resulting in fewer acoustic reflections.

Properly applied and protected, cork is a marvelous floor surface that fits perfectly with the Eichler style, and with proper care and maintenance will last for decades.
Drop-in sessions on Draft Area Plan

Drop-in sessions will take place in Peel next week where planning policy officers will be available to discuss the Draft Area Plan for the North and West.

Help will also be available for anyone requiring assistance to take part in the consultation, which is running until Friday 16 September.

The Draft Area Plan for the North and West covers an area containing Ramsey and Peel, the district of Michael and the parishes of German, Patrick, Jurby, Andreas, Bride, Ballaugh, Lezayre and Garff (Maughold ward only).
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow's willingness to engage in peace talks with Ukraine for the first time in weeks, saying it will be "more difficult" for Kyiv to "make a deal" if the war lasts longer.

Putin made his announcement following the Russian military victory in the province of Luhansk this week and their attack on Donetsk province in the Donbas region, per Fox News.

After Putin's army failed to capture Kyiv in the early stages of the conflict, Russia's attack on Ukraine has since focused on the eastern Donbas region.

The Russia-Ukraine War has been occurring for more than four months, and neither side shows signs of surrendering soon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Thursday that his country is unwilling to lose any of its territories to Russia and that giving up Ukrainian territory won't be a part of any diplomatic talks to stop the conflict.

Ukraine Not Willing To Give Up

In an interview with CNN, Zelensky said: "Ukrainians are not ready to give away their land, to accept that these territories belong to Russia. "This is our land, we always talk about that, and we are intending to prove it."

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of waging a proxy war in Ukraine on Thursday and said that the world should know the war is just beginning, nearly five months after launching the invasion.

In front of Russia's parliamentary leaders, Putin declared: "Everybody should know that largely speaking, we haven't even yet started anything in earnest."

He added that the "course of history is unstoppable" and the collective efforts of the West "to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail."

Read Also: Japan's Shinzo Abe Shot at Election Event, Suspected Dead After Local Officers Claim Former PM Shows No Vital Signs

Blinken: Putin's Peace Talk Offer Is Just Empty Words

US officials have recently stated that Russia's peace negotiations gestures are probably just empty rhetoric.

In last week's NATO Public Forum, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that Vladimir Putin is not exhibiting "any interest" in engaging in any kind of "meaningful diplomatic initiative."

However, as per CNN, White House officials admitted last week that even with the help of heavier and more advanced weapons that the US and its allies plan to give Kyiv, the hope is running out for Ukraine to reclaim all the territory it has lost to Russia since the war started in February.

Zelensky nevertheless expressed appreciation for the military assistance that Ukraine has got from the US, which has delivered weaponry that was more powerful as the conflict has stretched on, and he urged the West to keep providing military assistance to back Ukraine in its battle.

Ukraine's head of state acknowledged the United States' significant military assistance to Ukraine, but he said, "it's not enough to win."

"We want the increment of this help -- we're fighting for our land, we don't want people from different countries to fight for our territory. But the US is a world economy and can help us with both arms and finances," Zelensky noted.

In other updates, Blinken directly addressed Russia during the G20 meetings on Thursday, urging Moscow to allow Ukraine to export grain to the world, according to a Western official.

The official, who requested anonymity, told Al Jazeera that the US Secretary of State" addressed Russia directly, saying: 'To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,'" said the official who did not want to be otherwise identified.

Russia's blockade of Ukraine's grain and other agricultural exports is one of the drivers of the global increase in food prices, according to experts.

Related Article: Erdogan Reminds Sweden, Finland of Their Commitments to Ankara's Conditions Before Joining NATO

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The current head of the United States Secret Service, James Murray (pictured), will leave his role to head up security at Snap. Murray, who joined the Secret Service in 1995 and assumed the mantle of director in April 2019, will step down on July 30th. The Washington Post reports that Murray was looking to retire from public service for some time, and that his departure is unrelated to any recent scandals. The Verge reports that Murray will start at Snapchat on August 1st, working on employee protection and acting as a liaison with law enforcement when necessary.

The Secret Service has come under fresh scrutiny in recent years after a number of high-profile incidents dulled some of its reputation. This includes a series of security breaches during President Obamas tenure, agents soliciting sex workers while on duty. Politico reports that Murrays decision to allow service agent Anthony Ornato to take a role as White House political advisor to the previous administration was problematic for a body that is meant to be above politics.
When Tesla first launched its network of Supercharger stations, they were just for Teslas. But with increasing rival EVs, demand for charging station access has steadily risen, prompting Tesla to begin opening its existing charger network to third-party EVs.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted last year that the company's open-access Supercharger pilot program  already in 13 European countries  would head to the US.

Now, InsideEVs spotted in a recent White House fact sheet that open chargers could arrive by the end of the year: Later this year, Tesla will begin production of new Supercharger equipment that will enable non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to use Tesla Superchargers.. To access it, American EV owners will need to use the latest Tesla app and select the Charge Your Non-Tesla option from the menu.

The challenge will be ensuring interoperability. While open superchargers are operating in more than a dozen countries in Europe, only some stations are actually available to non-owners. Only in the Netherlands is every Supercharger open access.

For compatibility in North America, Tesla will need to install adapters at its stations to get around the company's own proprietary charging plug, as well as consider the software interactions between the charger and non-Tesla EVs.

 Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

When are two screens better than one?

Engadget

ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is the latest push from the laptop maker to make dual-screen laptops happen. And its getting there. According to Engadgets Sam Rutherford, this is an innovative option if you want to maximize screen space in a laptop, with a 16-inch main panel and a 14-inch secondary display. The main downsides include weak battery life, a somewhat bulky chassis and a high price. The costs of an extra screen.

Continue reading.

It still aims for the same close-to-realistic rowing experience as the original.

Hydrow

When it debuted back in 2019, Hydrows creators said they were building the Peloton of smart rowing machines. Now, the company is unveiling its second-generation ergometer, Hydrow Wave, with a lower price and a smaller footprint.

Continue reading.

A Quality of Mercy takes us to tomorrows Enterprise.

Were living in the age of the prequel, says Engadgets Dan Cooper. Ever since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was announced, it was blighted by this same hard stop, one dictated back in November 1966: Captain Pikes fate in the original Star Trek series. How does the latest show deal with that?

Warning: Significant spoilers ahead.

Continue reading.

It's committing $20 million and building its own factory in Germany.

Volkswagen Group held a groundbreaking at the site of its forthcoming EV battery cell plant in Salzgitter, Germany, and announced the formation of a new company, PowerCo, responsible for the VW Group's burgeoning battery business. PowerCo will handle the group's global battery activities, from producing the batteries themselves to conducting R&D on new battery technologies to "products such as major storage systems for the energy grid," according to the announcement.

Continue reading.

The leak shows every angle of the new wearable.

A leak from 91Mobiles shows two new Samsung wearables, apparently confirming a higher-end Pro model that will top the range. That unit, codenamed Project X, will come in black or gray titanium. The vanilla Watch5, meanwhile, will supplant the Watch4 as the more fitness-focused device in the lineup. Much like its predecessor, itll apparently have two case sizes and the option of an LTE modem, as well as a far broader variety of colors to choose from.

Continue reading.
A UFO-obsessed Republican Congressman has introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to offer new protection for UFO whistleblowers. Rep. Mike Gallagher has pushed for a new rule to establish a process for receiving reports concerning Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). Its hoped that, with these in place, soldiers and contractors will feel more comfortable sharing details of unexplained phenomena they see on the battlefield.

The Drive suggests that this could be a way of resolving the ever-present rumors that the government has evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Those who come forward should feel comfortable that they will not be breaking secrets laws, and will be protected from reprisals. There are some on the UFO speaker circuit, for instance, who say they have proof of alien life but cant reveal it for fear of imprisonment.

The notion that the US has had secret dealings with alien life is something of a hobby-horse for Gallagher. Back in May, Politico reported that Gallagher used a House Intelligence Committee meeting to needle Pentagon officials about a glowing orb floating over Montana that briefly shut down a nuclear weapons facility in 1967. That story apparently comes from the book Unidentified: The UFO Phenomenon, from former USAF airman Robert Salas. At the time, Pentagon officials denied that there was any secret trove of evidence concerning alien life.

In 2020, the Pentagon released a series of videos that it had received concerning UAPs, showing pilots capturing something moving across their view. But officials added that there was nothing more to share, and that it has not been able to prove to anyone's satisfaction that the events featured are the result of alien incursion.
United States President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday that will protect access to abortion, two weeks after the Supreme Court reversed a constitutional right to the procedure to terminate a pregnancy.

Biden outlined measures intended to alleviate some repercussions women seeking abortions may face after the ruling, but they are limited in their ability to protect access to abortion across the country as he came under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to be more assertive on the issue.

The president also acknowledged the constraints on his authority, noting that in the more than a dozen states that have implemented severe restrictions or outright bans on abortion as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling, access to abortion would need to be restored by an act of Congress.

In the upcoming weeks and months, an additional dozen states are expected to enact new prohibitions, per a report from Stratnews.

Biden Challenges Supreme Court

In his message, Pres. Biden noted that his decision "affects everyone, unrelated to choice, beyond choice."

He said: "We cannot allow an out-of-control Supreme Court, working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party, to take away freedoms and our personal autonomy."

Biden also urged women to vote in the November elections, claiming that the ballot box offers the "fastest way" to start the restoration of Roe, according to an ABC News report.

"We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice House to codify Roe as federal law," the president said. Your vote can make that a reality," the chief executive said.

According to the White House, the administration will also gather volunteer attorneys to offer free legal counsel to women and providers as they navigate new state regulations following the controversial Supreme Court decision.

Read Also: US Job Growth Still Strong Amid Economic Woes

Here's What You Need To Know

The following are the measures stated in the executive order according to a CNN report:

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, has been summoned by the president to report to him the efforts of his department in addressing the matter within 30 days. Additionally, Biden is assembling an interagency task force on access to reproductive health care.

According to the White House, HHS will take steps to increase access to long-acting reversible contraception like intrauterine devices, or IUDs, and emergency contraception. The department must ensure that patients' access to "the full rights and protections for emergency medical care afforded under the law."

To ensure Americans have "access to reliable and accurate information about their rights and access to care," the government will step up outreach and public education campaigns on abortion.

The president urges the head of the Federal Trade Commission to consider taking action to safeguard consumer privacy when they inquire about reproductive health care services to protect patient privacy.

Biden has mandated HHS to take further safeguards for sensitive data connected to reproductive health care, including those allowed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act,

The executive order also seeks to protect mobile clinics deployed to treat out-of-state patients to ensure the safety of people seeking and delivering abortion services.

Related Article: Latest Poll Reveals Almost 90% of US Respondents Don't Like Where the Biden Administration Is Heading

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The parallel coexistence of central and provincial spheres in education has a visible functional role but also a less visible political and an even less visible sociocultural role. Several decisions announced since the beginning of 2022 enable us to observe these disparate and simultaneous roles. Decisions taken in some of the states are quite noticeably related to impending assembly elections.

Since the beginning of 2022, education has been a busy site of politics and bureaucratic action. In Karnataka, a political move was backed by a circular from the department of education and further reinforced by a court order. In Gujarat, two decisions taken by the government were announced in the assembly: first, to start teaching English from Classes 1 and 2, and second, to include the Bhagavad Gita from Class 6 upwards. At the national level, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced its decision to drop certain topics from the syllabus of political science followed in affiliated schools. The University Grants Commission declared that a centralised admissions test will govern entry to undergraduate courses in all central universities. The course itself will now cover a four-year curriculum, with a wider range of choices, including vocational subjects and multiple exit options. And most recently, Haryana announced that it will replace grants to universities with loans.

The Context of Curricular Changes

All of these are decisions, first made, then announced, and then duly covered by the media. Why should that be noteworthy, one may ask, assuming that the governments job is to make decisions and then to implement them? In this assumption, no distinction needs to be made between the governments role in deciding what should be taught in schools and the polices role in which car should be purchased for use. Changes in financial allocations for different sectors of education are decisions of a different kind. They reflect changes in the states macro view of different domains of its responsibilities and how they are to be fulfilled. Decisions of this kind respond to a social universe and the ongoing assessment, by the state apparatus, of how that universe might accommodate the change. The Haryana governments decision to change financial grants into loans for state universities has now been reversed, reportedly because the original decision met with protests by students and teachers organisations. Unrest among college-level youth might have affected the course of the impending elections, media reporters were told.

Though significant, this episode does not offer us a general or theoretical basis to claim that educational decisions are politically important. The context plays a crucial role. The time left for an election and the specific constellation of parties and factions are two major ingredients of the context. Like Haryana, Karnataka is heading for elections, but the government stood firm over its decision on school uniforms. Apparently, the constellation of social and political considerations did not require the decision to be reviewed, let alone reversed, even though it was widely criticised within the state as well as outside. In this case, the governments firmness was politically more beneficial than the display of flexibility required for a review.

Karnataka has also gone ahead with its decision to make changes in the Kannada textbooks used in state board schools. These changes are consistent with the ideological predilections of the government. Quite similar is the decision taken in Haryana to develop new history textbooks for state board schools. The perspective and details of this new history present no surprise and require no examples worthy of comment. Indeed, the pursuit of ideological dominance through curricular decisions is no more in the stage where professionally inspired critical analysis might be needed to illuminate the nature of the decision. Examples of outrageously indefensible items of knowledge are also unnecessary, although a protest against the inclusion of wild information does provide some solace to the relatively more concerned reader in the midst of political gloom.

Autonomy, Elections, and Education

We also need not dwell on the absence of any lengthy or wide-ranging deliberation justifying these changes. The case of Gujarat governments decision to introduce the Bhagavad Gita is not all that different, although it seems so because it invokes the old, quasi-legal debate on whether religious learning can occur in state-supported schools. Professional issues like the writers commissioned to prepare curricular, age-appropriate frames for different sections of the Gita would also be superfluous. With the announcement of the governments decision to introduce the Gita in the states school curriculum, a political point has been scored in the pre-election ethos. It connotes ideological dominance. This is all that matters in the shrunken atmosphere of democracy.

The centrestate division is underscored by the various decisions taken in these past few months. The systemic structure of education marks out the boundaries of professional spheres. In school education, the kendriya vidyalayas (or central schools) and the CBSE override the geographical territories of the provinces (or states). From their inception in the 1960s, the kendriya vidyalayas have been symbols of high standard. The justification to run them centrally was originally given with reference to the need to provide the ease of curricular continuity to the children of central service cadres who were transferrable throughout India.

Central universities are also believed to signify higher standards and relative freedom from provincial politics. In reality, these symbolic qualities have proved to have little substance. The move to administer a centralised admission test for undergraduate courses in central universities marks an attempt to underscore their freedom from local or regional influences. Their curricular structure is also being resculpted under a centralised plan. The new structure offers an American look to learning during undergraduate years. In this import of a foreign model, two key features of the source countryinstitutional autonomy to choose students and the teachers autonomy to design the curriculumhave been ignored. Selective import of ideas is hardly new, and the poor record of transplanted ideas enjoys worldwide familiarity.

What happens at the provincial (state) level is mainly of political significance. Professional considerations are beyond the institutional capacity of emaciated organisations and committees. They function under permanent political and bureaucratic pressure in a social universe where the limited force of civil society is absorbed by the central or pan-India sphere (represented by the CBSE, Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, and now international boards). However, this situation may also be heading towards a change. The CBSEs announcement of its decision to drop certain topics from the political science syllabus has been received within its client schools with silence. A similar decision announced earlier in the context of online teaching showed that the CBSE was constrained to fiddle with the curricular structure shaped by the National Council of Educational Research and Training through its 2005 reform exercise. A new exercise is now underway and is due for completion in 2024.

Curricular changes in the states, with few exceptions, are sporadic and piecemeal. They affect the learning and also the cultural and ideological grooming of children whose parents income is lower than that of their peers whose children attend the CBSE schools. The pan-Indian character of these latter schools is both symbolic and real, that is, in terms of the market of jobs they are associated with. The schools affiliated to provincial boards use the appropriate regional language as the medium of instruction, whereas CBSE schools, including the kendriya vidyalayas, use English. This division occasionally acquires political meaning. A state heading for elections prefers to cover the language divide, and that explains why Gujarat has announced its decision to introduce English from Class 1. As a gesture, its politics is hardly an innovation. Political parties have reason to believe that this kind of gesture politics works. Silent gestures are also worth noticing. In Karnataka, the state governments order on school uniforms was irrelevant for the kendriya vidyalayas located in Karnataka, but they quietly complied with it.

Clearly, politics shapes education in more immediate ways than education shapes politics. The power play involved in politics unfolds in the present, whereas the influence that education might exert over politics takes a considerable length of time to consolidate and express itself. This contrast between the agencies of the two helps us appreciate why the benefits of education are accessible mainly to societies where historythat is, what happened in the pastis no longer capable of providing some political advantage.
Epicentre to Aftermath: Rebuilding and Remembering in the Wake of Nepals Earthquakes edited by Michael Hutt, Mark Liechty, and Stefanie Lotter, Cambridge University Press, 2021; pp xviii + 464, 90 (hardcover).



The earthquakes that hit central Nepal on 25 April and 12 May 2015 resulted in the loss of lives and livelihoods in 14 severely affected and another 17 neighbouring districts. With 9,000 people killed and approximately 10% of Nepals population in need of humanitarian assistance, these earthquakes disproportionately affected the poor and those in remote rural locations. Beyond the immediate suffering and humanitarian response aesthetically presented and circulated in international media, the aftermath of the earthquake has been characterised by challenges and aspirations for rebuilding and reconstructing the damaged infrastructures, lives, and livelihoods. Epicentre to Aftermath: Rebuilding and Remembering in the Wake of Nepals Earthquakes aims to capture the context of the disasters aftermath that is characterised not only by physical reconstruction but also by people seeking to build new lives, meanings, social relations, and memories in the face of state action (or non-action) and outpouring external aid to support the recovery process. The narratives are also laid out in the context of another Herculean task of state restructuring following the decade-long Maoist insurgency (19962005) and protracted political transition that followed Nepals peace process since 2006.

Varieties of Perspectives

Approaching the earthquakes from the vantage point of the aftermath, this 464-page-long edited volume with 15 chapters contributed by 33 authors and co-authors, approaches the consequences of the Nepal earthquakes from different disciplinary and methodological vantage points. The individual chapters are based on the field research in earthquake-affected sites and offer thoughtful observations on a range of themes, including livelihoods, state intervention, international aid, labour market, expertise, law, community participation, heritage, memory, and art among others. Despite this expansive coverage, this volume does not cover other obvious issues in the post-disaster aftermath context, such as mental health or the engagement of the Nepali diaspora, for which the readers may look elsewhere. In the introduction, the editors make a strong call for a collaboration between disaster studies and area studies. Given such a call, it would be great to see some disaster studies scholars or practitioners comment on this volume.

The editors have organised the 15 chapters under four sections. Part I (introduction) consists of two chapters. Chapter 1 by Mark Liechty and Michael Hutt sets the scene by introducing the scope of the volume, its conceptual framing and a brief four-page background on Nepal for those not familiar with the countrys context. Chapter 2 by John Whelpton gives a historical overview of the series of earthquakes in the entire Himalayan region, with a particular focus on their consequences/impact on social, political, and cultural change. Part II titled Rebuilding Lives and Livelihoods consists of five chapters.

Chapter 3, authored by 12 experts, based on fieldwork in three districts around Kathmandu Valley with a particular focus on private housing projects, shows how the reconstruction work has affected social relations at the local level. Chapter 4 shows that the displacement of labour in a major hydropower site and the arrival of international experts and volunteers following the earthquake had contradictory implications for the local labour market. Chapter 5 offers damning criticisms of an integrated settlement of the Majhi community in Sindhupalchok for its coercive approach to community participation and calls the approach flawed. Chapter 6 continues with criticisms of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) work as show-and-tell and how they fail to take sociocultural contexts, which contributes to further aggravate the issue of caste and untouchability.

Chapter 7 offers a clear and engaging discussion on the need to value different knowledge systems to mitigate the risks of landslides, which are a regular occurrence in the region. Part III titled Building Structures consists of four more chapters. Chapter 8 examines the politics of participatory governance of disasters. Chapter 9 claims that there has been a significant change in the perception of external aid by the Nepali state following the earthquake, which sought to assert itself for greater control. Chapter 10 shows the conflict between communitys claim to rebuild with government programmes that seeks to encode norms of heritage into rebuilding. Chapter 11 focuses on the contested politics of heritage activism.

Part IV titled Building Memories contains four essays that focus on commemoration as an active process of expression and articulation. Chapter 12 focuses on curatorial decision at Patan Museum. Chapter 13 focuses on artists role as activists in the aftermath. Chapter 14 explores memory work through their visual ethnographic work in Langtang. Chapter 15 focuses on literary response as a way to understand endogenous response from the exogenous one.

Why Does Context Matter?

Overall, the book takes an issue with failure of relief and reconstruction in the context of the disasters aftermath. The editors ask:

Why is it that bilateral and INGO-driven relief and reconstructionhowever well-intentionedfrequently flounder and fail in the chaotic context of a disaster aftermath? Why do disaster aftermaths so often stymie the best-laid plans of international experts who sweep into disaster zones earing not only tents and blankets but also elaborate predetermined reconstruction protocols and best practices? (p 9)

As the editors state and the authors show in different chapters, what gets rebuilt, how, and why is never predetermined. Rather it is always worked out and often contested. This suggests that it is not useful to take the failure (or success) of disaster response as self-evident; they are socially constructed through interpretation.

The editors and the authors argue that the complex realties of the aftermath context matters. Ideas about the importance of contextual insights are not new, rather across disciplines from international development to peace studies scholars have maintained a consensus on the primacy of context. As early as 1989, in her book Policies, Plans, and People: Foreign Aid and Health Development, Judith Justice claimed that international organisations fail to take local sociocultural contextual knowledge into account, and then she went on to explore why so much of sociocultural knowledge available in Nepal remained unused by policymakers.

It is a big claim to make that international experts, including INGOs and aid agencies, rush to intervene without contextual knowledge. Rather, international development and humanitarian practitioners today find themselves under the avalanche of contextual knowledge, and do not know what to make of the context. Or in other words, the logic that having contextual knowledge will somehow lead to effective actions might be flawed. I have found that international experts are often conscious of being labelled as parachute humanitarians and experts, and thus spend a considerable time and effort to appreciate the local context, and often consult local experts (many of them being sociologists, anthropologists, and political scientists), and involve them as experts, advisors and consultants and engage local research organisations and researchers as their partners and collaborators. It is almost impossible for international organisations to work on the ground without working with intermediaries and local brokers. Thus, one must interrogate the role of intermediaries and knowledge brokers and their politics in our quest for contextual knowledge and post-disaster interventions. Thus, while the collaboration between area studies and disaster studies is certainly important and should be encouraged, it is not sufficient.

Given the long history of planned development in Nepal, which is intimately tied to external aid, this context would have served as an excellent background to the volume. Many of the politicaleconomic dynamics that the authors describe in this volume are not only limited to the aftermath of the earthquakes but also resonates closely with the dynamics of development politics at the local level, whether these relate to building of roads, dams, embankments, school, and health post buildings, or other development interventions. A very good example of this is given in Chapter 4. Likewise, disaster aftermath is a regular phenomenon for many people in different parts of Nepal, albeit at a different scale, as people regularly cope with annual floods, landslides, or other hazards and their consequences.

Overall, the book offers a variety of perspectives on the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake. It will be of interest to scholars interested in the Nepal earthquakes as well as those interested in disaster studies. The editors must be praised for undertaking a challenging task of bringing together a host of themes, methodologies, disciplines, researchers, and perspectives in a single volume on the 2015 Nepal earthquakes.
TAKUBA QUITS MALI  The French-led Takuba task force of EU special forces has officially ceased operating in Mali, France announced Friday (1 July), ending a year-long anti-jihadist effort that soured after two military coups overthrew the civilian government. Takuba, operating with Frances Barkhane mission, was set up after French President Emmanuel Macron sought more help from European allies for the anti-terror campaign in the Sahel. Barkhane and Takuba had shown what Europeans can accomplish together in complicated security environments, with on-the-ground experience that would be critical for future joint operations, French army spokesman General Pascal Ianni has said. Announced in late 2019, Takuba at its peak brought together nearly 900 elite troops from nine of Frances allies  Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. Alongside the Barkhane force that at one point reached 5,100 soldiers, Takuba aimed to train and reinforce local armies trying to counter bloody insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group. But despite tactical successes such as the killings of some top jihadist leaders, the governments of the so-called G5 Sahel nations  Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger  have struggled to curtail the attacks against both military and civilian targets. In Mali in particular, two military coups in August 2020 and May 2021 resulted in diplomatic tensions with France, which deteriorated further when the ruling junta in Bamako developed closer ties with Moscow, bringing in military personnel that France says are mercenaries from Russias Wagner group.

NAMIBIAS SUNSHINE FOR EUROPE  As Europe struggles to decarbonize its economy and wean itself off Russian oil and gas, one of the worlds sunniest and most arid nations is pitching itself to the continent as an answer to its problems. The EU is planning a deal with Namibia to support the countrys nascent green hydrogen sector and boost its own imports of the fuel, EU and Namibian officials said. Hydrogen has long been touted as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, but while it has seen some uptake in the EU, chiefly in heavy industry and transportation, high costs and a lack of infrastructure have limited consumption, and the fuel covers just 2% of the blocs energy needs. The EUs energy strategy in May set a goal of importing at least 10 tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, with another 10 million tonnes to be produced within the bloc. Under the plan, the EU would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Namibia on hydrogen and minerals at the UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt in November, one EU official said. Last month, the EU signed a MoU with Israel and Egypt on gas imports, as part of its plans to seek alternative suppliers of energy and cut dependence on Russian oil, gas and coal. The deal contained a section dedicated to hydrogen, green energy production and energy efficiency. The EU also wants easier access to minerals in Namibia, and plans geological projects to explore the resources of a country which is nearly as big as the combined territory of France and Germany, the EU official said. Namibia is among the priority countries in the EUs Global Gateway strategy, Brussels version of the Chinese Belt and Road initiative, to boost infrastructure investment and diplomatic ties in developing countries.

GERMANY RETURNS BENIN BRONZES  Germany and Nigeria have signed an agreement that paves the way for the return of hundreds of artefacts known as the Benin Bronzes that were looted and removed from Africa more than 120 years ago  an accord that Nigerian officials hope will prompt other countries to follow suit. A British colonial expedition looted vast quantities of treasures in 1897 from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now southwestern Nigeria, including numerous bas-reliefs and sculptures. The artefacts ended up spread far and wide, including to the Ethnological Museum in Berlin. This is just the beginning of more than 1,000 pieces from the Kingdom of Benin that are still in German museums, and they all belong to the people of Nigeria, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Friday. It was wrong to take the bronzes; it was wrong to keep them for 120 years, Baerbock said. The bronzes are some of Africas greatest treasures, but they are also telling the story of colonial violence, she said. Two pieces held by the Berlin museum were handed over as German and Nigerian officials signed their joint political declaration at the German foreign ministry in Berlin. Germany has taken the lead in correcting the wrongs of the past, Nigerian Culture Minister Lai Mohammed said. Governments and museums in Europe and North America have increasingly sought to resolve ownership disputes over objects that were looted during colonial times.
In their first joint appearance, the heads of the FBI and MI5 appeared together in London to warn of security concerns posed by China and said the government in Beijing was the biggest long-term threat to the U.S. and its allies.
Local executives and politicians have long groused about a lack of nonstop flights from San Antonio International Airport, calling it a roadblock to companies expansion and relocation here.

The airports schedule is also a frequent complaint of leisure travelers, some of whom would rather drive 90 minutes to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to catch a direct flight.

Now, business leaders are opening their checkbooks to do something about it.

A fund launched by Greater:SATX to draw more nonstop flights to Europe, Canada, Mexico and the Bay Area has so far drawn $3 million from the private sector.

The new deal-making tool will put San Antonio on an equal footing with other cities in discussions with airlines, said Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, president and CEO of the regional economic development authority.

The challenge is, a lot of communities that have that high-growth perspective like San Antonio are having similar conversations, but they also have businesses at the table that are working and making some of these deals, she said recently.

The fund will primarily be used to guarantee airlines that a minimum number of seats will be paid for on flights.

Airport Director Jesus Saenz said the effort is about more than the airport.

Its an excellent opportunity for us to work collectively together as a team to continue to grow the San Antonio opportunity, not only in air service, but in economic development as well, he said.

The funding comes as the airport  which is criticized as drab and small  is in the midst of a $2.5 billion face-lift over the next 20 years to expand and modernize its facilities.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio International Airport  long deemed stodgy, small-time  to get new terminal by 2028

Reach the next level

Generating private sector muscle to lure more flights was one of the goals Greater:SATX set last year in its strategic plan. Along with the airport, the new fund will work with Visit San Antonio and the largest companies headquartered in the region.

H-E-B President Craig Boyan, an officer and former executive committee chairman at Greater:SATX, said the San Antonio-based retailer is committed to investing in our airport.

Its time for us to leverage our resources from across the region to reach the next level, he said in a statement. This initiative can help our greater San Antonio region attract more business investment that ultimately provides more jobs for San Antonians.

Business leaders have long contended that the state of the airport is hindering the citys progress.

An oft-cited example: AT&T moved its headquarters from San Antonio to Dallas in 2008, in part because of the airports limited service. Dallas had more convenient, time-efficient and cost-effective airports, then-CEO Randall Stephenson said at the time.

Airports struggles

But San Antonio International has struggled to attract direct flights to key destinations sought by travelers, and its rebound from the pandemic has been outpaced by other airports. Thats led to more travelers heading elsewhere to fly.

On ExpressNews.com: Waiting for takeoff: Airport recovery coming more slowly for San Antonio than other Texas cities

Even before the pandemic, the airport was losing about 7 percent of its potential local customers to the Austin airport and 5 percent to Houstons airports, according to an October 2018 report by Seabury Consulting commissioned by airport officials.

Along with other airports across the United States, San Antonio International is trying to recover from effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which decimated travel. Its made some progress. About 767,099 people flew through the airport in April, up 40.4 percent from April 2021 but still down nearly 11 percent from record volume in April 2019.

As San Antonios population swells, demand for flights is expected to increase. More than 10 million passengers fly in and out of the airport annually, a figure that could surge to 18 million in the next 20 years.

On ExpressNews.com: Drink and fly! San Antonio airport patrons can now consume alcohol in most public areas

Increasing demand is one factor for airlines considering service growth. Another is airport facilities.

Officials have long looked for ways to improve the airport. In 2018, Mayor Ron Nirenberg set up a 21-member commission to consider options for improving service. It developed a multiphase master plan, which the City Council approved last year.

One of the projects in the first stage is Terminal C, which could open to travelers by 2028.

Circa-1984 Terminal A  which has one of the narrowest concourses among large U.S. airports  will get a redo. A ground transportation center, a new parking garage, smart restrooms and a larger security checkpoint in Terminal B also are in the works.

Several gates are under construction and expected to open this year. The airport could have as many as 37 gates when the makeover is done, up from 23, to provide for increases in demand through 2040.

Paying for it

The airports overhaul is the citys priciest capital undertaking in decades, and federal money and airport revenue bonds are expected to cover the cost.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

The city plans to seek as much as $150 million per year over the next five years through the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package President Joe Biden signed last year.

The Biden administration announced last week that it was awarding almost $1 billion to 85 airports for terminal upgrades. Saenz said the San Antonio airport was not included in that round.

For the revenue bonds, passenger fees, concessions, airline rents and other items are to pay off the debt.

Last year, Greater:SATX set a goal of raising $38.5 million over five years for 10 initiatives, including airport improvements. That would boost its annual budget from about $4 million to $7.7 million.

It has raised about 85 percent of that total so far.

On ExpressNews.com: It makes a lot of sense: San Antonio Economic Development Foundation is now Greater:SATX

Saucedo-Herrera said the organization had conversations with officials in other cities about how they structured airport funds and with local executives about their desired destinations. They include London, Frankfurt, Toronto and Mexico City. The airport also tracks its key unserved markets.

Pent-up demand

We know the pent-up demand. We are actively having conversations with airlines, Saucedo-Herrera said, but the organization has lacked a means to address the issue. The new fund changes that. Every other community around the country does it. San Antonio was just behind the curve.

To get business leaders to invest, Greater:SATX, the airport and Visit San Antonio executives had to come up with a solution and demonstrate that a fund such as this will help make the airport more competitive, she said.

Said Saenz: We want to try and capture an opportunity to incentivize an airline to want to do business with us.

Greater:SATXs other initiatives include regional economic development, corporate recruitment, business retention and expansion, military growth and training and education programs. Manufacturing, aerospace, finance, bioscience and technology are among the industries Greater:SATX is targeting.

Last year, the organization opted to take a broader regional approach to economic development and focus on eight counties in the San Antonio area: Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson.

To reflect that, it changed its name from the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation to Greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership, or more simply, Greater:SATX.

Staff writer Megan Stringer contributed to this report.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
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Rating: Solid neighborhood option

The legendary Pig Stand on Broadway by the Pearl is the last of its kind, the only remaining outpost of the legendary chain that started in Dallas in 1921 and invented the drive-thru.

The San Antonio shop opened in the 1930s, and the interior is rich with its history, with black-and-white checkered floors, music you select and play from the booths, and pigs. Pigs here. Pigs there. Pigs everywhere, from the iconic neon pig sign to porcine figurines and cookie jars.

Mike Sutter / Staff

The pigs reference the restaurants name, of course, but also its iconic pig sandwich, made famous as the must-have of Aurora Greenway, the character Larry McMurtry created for his novel Terms of Endearment and who Shirley MacLaine made famous with her Oscar-winning portrayal in the 1983 tear-jerker of the same name.

The Evening Star, McMurtrys sequel novel to Terms of Endearment, features a Houston Pig Stand and Greenway mowing down several Pig Sandwiches. The film adaptation of Evening Star stars MacLaine and Jack Nicholson in scenes filmed at the long-since-closed Houston Pig Stand.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios Pig Stand diner has a heart that wont quit

Owner Mary Ann Hill has worked at the S.A. Pig Stand since 1967, and her love of the property is so profound, she knows her customers on a first-name basis. Several employees have worked there for decades.

Mike Sutter / Staff

There are eight other sandwiches beyond the famous pig, and they vary widely from fried fish to chicken and chicken-fried steak. All come with crispy fries or fried okra, corn, vegetable of the day or coleslaw, and the bread varies from standard white toast to toasted store-bought hamburger buns. Thats all fairly basic, but the pigs the thing.

In the last few years, Midtown has grown around the Pig Stand, dwarfing it with big buildings and some of San Antonios best restaurants and their big reputations. Still, the Pig Stand stands, a testament to the enduring appeal of nostalgia and barbecue pork.

Best sandwich: The pig sandwich ($8.59) has been on the menu since 1921. Slices of tender, well-seasoned roasted pork with a sweet barbecue sauce and a pickle relish served on a plain hamburger bun. That Aurora knows her stuff. I could eat this again today, and you should, too, for a true taste of San Antonio history.

On ExpressNews.com: The Big Pig in San Antonios Southtown has a hazy history that includes the Pig Stand restaurant, South Side tavern

This sandwich is so iconic, it has its own neon sign inside the restaurant. Hill has said that many offers have been made by customers to acquire it, and she considers it her retirement fund.

Other sandwiches: The chicken-fried steak sandwich ($9.89) is another winner. Overhanging the hamburger bun, the tender meat was encased in especially crunchy breading with a peppery bite, topped with lettuce, pickles and tomatoes. Note that the sandwich doesnt come with a side of gravy, so make sure to ask for it.

The perfect companion was a side order of onion rings (a $1 upgrade from fries) that came with a thick and shaggy crunchy breading oozing buttery flavor.

More Information The Pig Stand Location:1508 Broadway, 210-222-9923, Facebook: @MaryAnnsPigStand Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Sunday See More Collapse

Oddly, the Pig Stand is also known for its fish and chips, and they put that fried cod in a sandwich ($8.99). Served piping hot with housemade tartar sauce on toast with lettuce, pickles and tomatoes, the four lightly breaded cod fillets were well seasoned and crunchy without being greasy.

On ExpressNews.com: How to choose, prepare and cook the perfect pork chop, a tasty and thrifty alternative to steak

The ham sandwich ($8.99) failed to deliver on the promise of the pig. Served hot or cold, I ordered it hot and it came with thinly sliced ham that was so salty, the melted cheddar and buttery toast couldnt compete. Its one of the few sandwiches with the side option of soup, but they sold out of the broccoli and cheese soup before I could get a taste.

The club sandwich ($9.99) came off as more of a BLT with mayo. While the bacon was crispy and there was plenty of it, there wasnt much ham or cheese.

At the Pig Stand, its pig all the way.

cblount@express-news.net | Twitter: @chuck_blount | Instagram: @bbqdiver
A fire that has burned 357 acres outside Dripping Springs is about 90 percent contained as of this morning.

The Gatlin Creek Fire started at the Storm Ranch on Wednesday. The North Hays Fire Department was the first to jump into action, about 3 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Hays County Fire Marshal Mark Wobus said in a county news release.

Fire crews will remain on the ranch for the next several days to ensure the flames are completely out, Wobus said in the release.

On ExpressNews.com: Two men found fatally shot behind an abandoned gas station on the Northeast Side

Ten homes initially were under an evacuation order, but that was lifted Wednesday night.

Eighteen agencies from the state of Texas and Hays, Blanco, Travis and Comal counties responded to the fire.

Hays County Commissioner Walt Smith, Pct.4, and Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra in a news release applauded and thanked those who helped control the fire.

megan.rodriguez@express-news.net
Hays Consolidated Independent School District elementaries could see more law enforcement around campus this upcoming school year as the district, like many in San Antonio and beyond, looks to make campuses more secure following Uvaldes mass shooting.

The May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School killed 19 students and two teachers. Although Hays CISD officials said many existing safety measures simply are continuing, there are a couple of changes sprouting up as a response to the tragedy, including pushes to increase police presence and add more security cameras.

Were looking at some other options to try to think a little bit more creatively, said Jeri Skrocki, the district director of safety and security.

On ExpressNews.com: In wake of Uvalde school shooting, San Antonio school police chiefs rethink their mass-shooter plans

The district contracts with the Hays County Sheriffs Office to put officers at its six middle and four high schools, but there is none at the 15 elementary campuses. Skrocki said this is in part because most elementary students are under the age of 10 and cannot be charged with crimes. She also said staffing all 15 schools with their own officers would be a major challenge.

Even so, she said having law enforcement around can be a powerful deterrent to criminals, so increasing their presence on those elementary campuses has become a priority.

Skrocki said the district for a while now has encouraged officers to drop by the elementary schools whenever they want and use the free Wi-Fi in the parking lot if they need to file reports. But following the shooting in May, the district started pushing harder, and now its trying to designate space at each elementary school to better welcome local law enforcement officers if they want to work from the schools to file reports.

Additionally, she said there are discussions about having officers patrol elementary schools.

Increasing the number of security cameras and traffic gates to various district campuses also has been on officials radars for some time now, but Skrocki said the Uvalde shooting caused the district to ramp up those efforts.

Skrocki said pandemic-caused delays have slowed down the districts ability to get the equipment that they want to install on campuses, but officials are looking to fill the need for those increased security measures as soon as they can.

On ExpressNews.com: Hays CISD to get new elementary school, 55 new school buses with bond passage

Following the Uvalde tragedy, Gov. Greg Abbott charged the Texas Education Agency and the Texas School Safety Center with creating directives that could make campuses more secure. The directives the agencies lined up included things like requiring safety audits, scheduling safety drills and ensuring that campus officials are trained in campus safety procedures.

Skrocki said Hays CISD already was meeting all but one of the new requirements before the state made the announcement, and its working to comply with the other one  doing a safety audit of exterior doors. Skrocki said the audit asks that all schools inspect each exterior door of their buildings and log information about them. But even before this was a requirement, she said any problem with a door was a security risk, and fixing it was prioritized as emergency work.

Harvest Coats, Hays CISD communication director, said the district also is reviewing its emergency operations plan. Skrocki said the plan is reviewed annually.

Every day brings a new challenge, Skrocki said, noting that the district always looks for ways to improve safety, from protecting kids from summer heat to preventing drug use. Uvalde reminded all of us in the most horrific way that trying to manage all of those potential threats is super important.

megan.rodriguez@express-news.net
New Braunfels Police Department

A 15-year-old suspected of stealing a car died while fleeing from police early Friday, the New Braunfels Police Department said.

According to a news release, officers responded to reports of a male teen breaking in multiple vehicles in the Rivertree subdivision in New Braunfels at around 2 a.m. At one point, police said, the suspect became startled by a resident and fled in a stolen vehicle.
July 08, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " MEMO" ---- How do we understand the United States' initiation of a military front in Ukraine against Russia? The apparent fact of opening a military front in Ukraine indeed indicates that it was Russia that mobilised military forces and began to launch a war, or firing but, in fact, the US is behind preparing the ground for the outbreak of war in Ukraine. This is because of its relentless pursuit to expand NATO, to the extent that it was about to add Ukraine to it and to complete its encirclement and blockade of Russia to completely stifle it, or force it to acquiesce and surrender.

After the coup in Ukraine in 2014, the US wanted to change the Ukrainian regime, which is friendly to Russia, by dangerously arming the new regime loyal to it, as the war showed. This directly represents a threat to the Russian national security at the highest level, which means that the US forced Russia to wage war, while it hopes that Russia is subjected to a strategic defeat. This was demonstrated by all the steps it took to escalate the war and not to find a solution to calm it down, or to reach an understanding between Russia and Ukraine to stop the war.

The US applied all means of pressure on Europe to involve it in the war, by arming the Ukrainian army and supporting President Zelensky.

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You should read the American policies from the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, till today, since they represent a new strategy in dealing with Russia, backed by China.

The motive for this turn in the American policy, especially if the coming days and months prove that there is a new strategy adopted by the Pentagon, the deep state, and some centres of power in the US, is different from resolving the contradiction with Russia and China, through economic, scientific, political and financial competition, during an arms race similar to the situation in the Cold War era, with the Soviets and the socialist camp.

Therefore, several senior analysts expected a repeat of the Cold War against Russia and China, as the same situation in the years before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. But, depending on what we are witnessing now, in an escalation of the military confrontation in Ukraine, and moving to the phase of besieging Kaliningrad, which pushes the Russians to expand the war, it means that there is a new strategy that uses war without reaching the nuclear level, even if in contact with it. The American approach adopted to handle the contradiction between it along with its allies on the one hand, and China and Russia on the other, means that the war in Ukraine is the beginning and that the world has entered a phase of new global military conflicts, and will not return to the international situation before the war in Ukraine, and also will not return to a new type of appeasement.

If this conclusion is correct, this means that the world has entered into a phase of world wars that are below the level of nuclear among the major powers, and perhaps below the comprehensiveness of the first and second world wars.

At the same time, it is noticeable, through following-up of the European policies and the preparations for holding the Conference of the Group of Seven on 24-26 August, that these policies, in turn, tend to escalate the military situation in Ukraine, and the militarisation of Europe again, instead of trying  as many expected  to de-escalate the war in Ukraine. So far, the war has incurred a lot of damage, economic losses and social crises in Europe.

As for Europe, the other question is: Has it, in turn, entered into a new integrated strategy, or a parallel to the American one, is facing its contradictions with both Russia and China?

There were, indeed, some signs issued by Germany and France, which tended to find a solution to the military escalation and to search for a solution between Ukraine and Putin, but this went side by side with their military support for the Ukrainian army. Accordingly, we can say that both Germany and France (Europe, in general) are proceeding on the same track that the US began to draw. So, this means that all the calculations that were based on calculating European economic gains and losses, at the Group of Seven conference on 28 June, 2022, became subject to the war strategy that aims to defeat Putin. Of course, without reaching the nuclear level but almost at that level or these wars started to escalate, to almost being on the verge.

What remains now is to complete the explanation: Why is this shift in the American strategy toward wars that are below the nuclear level, as an alternative to the strategy of the Cold War, or similar to it, to what happened in the past, when the West defeated the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact?

The answer is that the Cold War had two main traits: first the arms race and, second, the economic, scientific, financial and political race. So, the second race became the most important and decisive, after excluding the option of world war due to the development of nuclear weapons on both sides.

Here, in the second race, the gap was wide in favour of the US and the West, which led the Soviets to be defeated (of course, for self-soviet reasons as well).

Today, China is an outstanding competitor in this second field (economy, scientific development and financial capabilities); it is a competitor, about to surpass the US. The US realised that it does not have a chance to compete with China, which intends to turn it into a cold war lasting for another twenty or thirty years.

Therefore, the US found that the current contradiction must be resolved through a military strategy, which is not limited to an arms race and peaceful competition, but rather takes the pattern of Ukraine, which may be generalised on a larger scale, later.

Accordingly, let us wait for a world of global wars among the major powers, even without reaching the nuclear level, if this world is "lucky" what a horrible world awaits humanity.
Two men were sentenced to prison on human smuggling charges in unrelated cases, and a third man pleaded guilty to similar charges, the Department of Justice said.

Nelson Bahena-Garcia, a 43-year-old man from Mission in the Rio Grande Valley, was sentenced to 21 years in prison after he left a woman to die on the side of a highway during a human smuggling attempt.

The woman's body was found on May 28, 2018 on a rural county road in Victoria County after her fiance called the police and said he had been unable to make a payment for her release.

On ExpressNews.com: Man in his 80s kills his wife and then himself in apparent murder-suicide at Medical Center hospital

Police later found the woman stripped naked and she appeared to have trauma on her body. According to the DOJ, she collapsed during the smuggling attempt and had to be carried.

A witness told investigators that the woman begged the human smugglers to "please don't leave me," but Bahena-Garcia told others to leave her in the brush to die.

According to the DOJ, Bahena-Garcia is not a U.S. citizen and operated a stash house for undocumented immigrants.

On ExpressNews.com: Texas couple sues Vrbo, homeowners after they were secretly recorded in the bedroom, lawsuit says

In an unrelated smuggling case, a Brownsville man was sentenced on Thursday to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty. The DOJ said Carlos Alberto Avila, 39, was caught in October 2021 transporting 26 people in a locked, near-freezing trailer.

Authorities said he attempted to drive a 2019 Kenworth tractor-trailer through a Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias, but a K9 alerted Border Patrol agents.

The individuals were forced to lie on top of piles of ice and pallets of frozen broccoli for over three hours before they were discovered, the DOJ said. They only had a single cellphone for light and had crawled to the trailer door for warmth.

On ExpressNews.com: The Proud Boys are co-opting Buc-ees brand, report says

Investigators said the individuals would have likely been in the trailer for four more hours and would have likely froze to death in the 33-degree trailer, the DOJ said.

In another smuggling case, Vince Ruiz III, of Houston, pleaded guilty Wednesday to attempting to smuggle undocumented individuals in October 2021.

Border Patrol agents at the Falfurrias checkpoint found 20 undocumented individuals inside a white Freightliner tractor-trailer that Ruiz was driving. The vehicle had two trailers attached marked "FedEx Ground."

Ruiz admitted to driving to Edinburg in the Rio Grande Valley to pick up the trailer, which he was going to drive to Cypress in the Houston area, according to the DOJ. After picking up the tractor-trailer, he stopped in a secluded area where the individuals were loaded into the trailer, the DOJ said.

Ruiz is facing up to five years in federal prison.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.net
Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor

A man in his 80s shot and killed his wife Friday morning before turning the gun on himself inside a room at Methodist Hospital in an apparent murder-suicide.

San Antonio police said the woman, who is also in her 80s, was a patient at the hospital located in the Medical Center. According to SAPD spokesperson Jennifer Rodriguez, a hospital employee went in to check on the patient at around 10:25 a.m. and found the husband and wife dead from gunshot wounds.
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Eight people in Houston have tested positive for monkeypox and health officials expect that number to rise in the coming weeks as the virus jumps to new hosts.

The virus can cause fever, chills and pimple-like blisters in addition to more serious complications. The Houston Health Department confirmed four cases of monkeypox among Houston residents who had recently traveled internationally. Texas Department of State Health Services reports five cases in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, seven around Austin and eight in Houston.

VIRAL OUTBREAK: What is monkeypox?

Of the 20 infected Texans for whom the state health agency has collected demographic information since the outbreak began earlier this year, one third had not traveled recently, DSHS spokesperson Lara Anton said. Some were close contacts of people who traveled. All were men.

Officials from local and state health agencies declined to specify where those infected had traveled, citing patient privacy. Most human cases originate in central and west Africa, where the disease was first observed in 1958.

Monkeypox blisters look different on each person, but tend to appear on a persons face, hands, chest, genitals or inside the mouth, according to the CDC. The lesions can take up to four weeks to heal and are sometimes occompanied by muscle aches and other flu symptons.

Texas ranks behind California and New York, which have reported 111 and 96 monkeypox cases respectively.

The nationwide outbreak came to Texas in early June, when doctors found the states first infection in a Dallas County resident returning from an international trip. It arrived one year after a Texas resident traveling from Nigeria contracted monkeypox, the first case seen in the U.S. in almost 20 years.

FROM JULY 2021: Dallas resident returns from Nigeria with case of monkeypox

While the virus is currently not a huge public health concern for the general public, it merits close attention and communication, Houston Methodist infectious disease specialist Dr. Ashley Drews said in a statement.

Most, but not all, current cases worldwide have been seen in men who have had sex with men, Drews said, but doctors are still trying to figure out why.

There is no clear evidence that the virus is sexually transmitted, but, said Dr. Drews, it can be spread from person-to-person via personal, intimate contact, which includes sexual contact."

nora.mishanec@chron.com
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Eight people in Houston have tested positive for monkeypox and health officials expect that number to rise in the coming weeks as the virus jumps to new hosts.

The virus can cause fever, chills and pimple-like blisters in addition to more serious complications. The Houston Health Department confirmed four cases of monkeypox among Houston residents who had recently traveled internationally. Texas Department of State Health Services reported an additional four cases in the greater Houston area.

VIRAL OUTBREAK: What is monkeypox?

Of the 20 infected Texans for whom the state health agency has collected demographic information since the outbreak began earlier this year, one third had not traveled recently, DSHS spokesperson Lara Anton said. Some were close contacts of people who traveled. All were men.

Officials from local and state health agencies declined to specify where those infected had traveled, citing patient privacy. Most human cases originate in central and west Africa, where the disease was first observed in 1958.

The four Houston residents monkeypox symtoms were first spotted by their healthcare providers, who contacted the citys health department for confirmation, department spokesperson Porfirio Villarreal said Wednesday afternoon. Doctors at the departments Texas Medical Center lab confirmed the diagnoses, as did scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, where the doctors sent samples.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Which Houston-area county is the healthiest?

The health department is monitoring the residents and testing their close contacts, Villarreal said.

We ask them to isolate at home until a fresh layer of skin has formed wherever they have blisters or rash, Villarreal added.

Monkeypox blisters look different on each person, but tend to appear on a persons face, hands, chest, genitals or inside the mouth, according to the CDC. The lesions can take up to four weeks to heal and are sometimes occompanied by muscle aches and other flu symptons.

Texas ranks behind California and New York, which have reported 111 and 96 monkeypox cases respectively.

The nationwide outbreak came to Texas in early June, when doctors found the states first infection in a Dallas County resident returning from an international trip. It arrived one year after a Texas resident traveling from Nigeria contracted monkeypox, the first case seen in the U.S. in almost 20 years.

FROM JULY 2021: Dallas resident returns from Nigeria with case of monkeypox

While the virus is currently not a huge public health concern for the general public, it merits close attention and communication, Houston Methodist infectious disease specialist Dr. Ashley Drews said in a statement.

Most, but not all, current cases worldwide have been seen in men who have had sex with men, Drews said, but doctors are still trying to figure out why.

There is no clear evidence that the virus is sexually transmitted, but, said Dr. Drews, it can be spread from person-to-person via personal, intimate contact, which includes sexual contact."

nora.mishanec@chron.com
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U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and several fellow members of Congress urged the Department of Homeland Security to take steps to protect survivors of the human-smuggling tragedy in San Antonios Southwest Side, which left 53 dead.

In a letter made public by a tweet from his official Twitter account, the San Antonio Democrat urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to exercise prosecutorial discretion by not deporting or detaining survivors. He also called for expediting humanitarian visa applications from the 11 individuals who survived the sweltering heat of the abandoned tractor-trailer.
A former state employee with the Texas Department of Public Safety was sentenced this week to two years in prison for taking bribes to hand people their commercial driver's licenses without actually testing them.

Alonzo Blackman, 68, took $1,000 a pop to issue 215 fraudulent CDLs.

During Blackmans senetencing on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez also ordered him to pay a $215,000 judgment.

The next day, the judge sentenced one of those who bribed Blackman  Marino Maury Diaz-Leon, 55  to a year and a day behind bars.

Blackman received bribes from Diaz-Leon, a Cuban national living in San Antonio, and Fernando Guardado Vazquez, 43, of San Antonio.

On Feb. 13, 2020, Blackman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. Diaz-Leon pleaded guilty in May 2021 to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Vazquez also pleaded guilty in May of this year to conspiracy to commit fraud. He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 10.

Jessica Phelps, Staff photographer / Jessica Phelps

This case represents an appalling breach of public trust and safety, U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff said in a statement. Our office will continue to work with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to hold corrupt officials and those who conspire with them accountable for their criminal actions.

According to prior FBI testimony, a DPS audit in December 2018 found that Blackman had an unusual number of CDLs being issued. An investigation by DPS and the Texas Rangers identified more than 200 license holders who had not been scheduled to take the skills test, which consists of an air brake safety inspection and a road test.

Applicants for CDLs are required to take the skills test in the same class and type of motor vehicle they plan to drive once obtaining the trucking license.

Eventually, 215 commercial drivers licenses were found to be fraudulent. Of those, 197 went to Cuban nationals, 11 to U.S. citizens, one to a Dominican Republic national, one to an Ethiopian, one to an Iraqi, one to a Puerto Rican, one to a Ukraine national and two to Mexican nationals.

Blackman had been with DPS since 2012, and had been testing people for CDLs since at least 2015 before he left under a cloud when he was caught, records show.

We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of public corruption and would like to thank our partners for their strong partnership and unrelenting pursuit of justice, said Oliver E. Rich Jr., who took over earlier this year as the special agent in charge of the FBIs San Antonio office.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
Hays County Sheriffs Office is investigating a man already facing fraud charges in another county.

Jesus Leonel Velerio-Santos has been accused of offering to do cabinet work at a discounted rate but then absconding with the money without doing any of the work.

The sheriffs office reported Thursday that it already is investigating several fraud cases. Its asking that anyone whos been contacted by Velerio-Santos to call them.

Velerio-Santos is already in Kerr County Jail in connection with cases that have occurred there.

Authorities say Velerio-Santos, who drives a red Ford F-150, collects half the payment up front for proposed cabinet work with the other half due when the job is done. But once hes collected the down payment, he doesnt return to do the job, officials say. In addition, the clients are unable to reach him.

He is believed to operate in Austin, San Antonio and the Hill Country, according to a news release from the Hays County Sheriffs Office.

People who have had dealings with Velerio-Santos are asked to to call detective Brian Wahlert with the Hays County Sheriffs Office at brian.wahlert@co.hays.tx.us or to contact their local law enforcement agency.

People also may call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-324-8477.
Police Chief William McManus took to Twitter this week to criticize the low bail set by a magistrate judge in the case of a San Antonio man accused of threatening to shoot up a local Amazon delivery station.

Rodolfo Aceves, 19, was arrested last week and charged with making a terroristic threat. Authorities say he threatened to attack an Amazon location on the South Side and a school.

Aceves, an Amazon subcontractor, also said he considered Salvador Ramos, the 18-year-old who shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, an idol.

Officers wasted no time arresting a man who not only planned to carry out a mass shooting at an Amazon warehouse, but also openly sung the praises of the Uvalde gunman, McManus said on Twitter. He was given a low bail and was released right after he was arrested.

All the mass shootings that have happened recently, and weve got a guy whos threatening to do the same and hes back out on the street? he said.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio Amazon worker called Uvalde school shooter an idol and threatened a mass

After Aceves was arrested on June 27, Magistrate Judge Marilisa Janssen set bail at $50,000. That means Aceves likely only had to pay about 10 percent  or $5,000  through an agreement with a bail bondsman to be released from jail. Some bail bondsmen require even less.

Alternatively, he could have paid the bail amount in full.

As a condition of Aceves bond, Janssen required him to be placed on house arrest, wear a GPS monitor, and submit to regular drug and alcohol testing, according to court records. She also prohibited him from possessing any firearms or weapons.

While he was in jail, Janssen required that Aceves be placed in the Special Needs Unit because his father told police that he had a history of mental illness.

Magistrates take a variety of factors into consideration when setting a persons bail, including recommendations from prosecutors, the circumstances of the case, the suspects criminal history, the suspects ability to pay and the risk the suspect poses to the community. Aceves did not have a criminal history in Bexar County, court records show.

On ExpressNews.com: Absolutely no excuse for law enforcement response in Uvalde, McManus says

McManus did not single out Janssen in his comments  instead focusing on how many magistrate judges, he believes, set bail too low.

Janssen did not respond to a request for comment.

Christian Henricksen, chief of litigation for the Bexar County District Attorneys Office, said prosecutors originally recommended setting Aceves bail at $65,000. They also recommended the slew of bond conditions, such as house arrest and GPS tracking, that the judge ended up requiring.

However, Henricksen said magistrate judges are limited in how high they can set a suspects bail. Under state law, a judge cant set bail so high that the defendant cant get out.

The purpose of bail is to ensure a person facing charges will return for their trial or hearing.

The gut reaction when someone commits a violent offense in particular is that they shouldnt get out in general, Henricksen said. The law doesnt allow for that. Unless theres a change in the law, people will bond out pretrial, as long as people are willing to pay.

Disturbing remarks

According to an affidavit for his arrest, police were dispatched to the Amazon delivery station on the South Side on June 27 after another employee reported that Aceves had made disturbing remarks about committing a mass shooting.

During a fire drill three days earlier, Aceves told an employee it would be a good idea to pull the fire alarm and have all the employees exit the building and to commit a mass shooting, the affidavit said. Aceves allegedly followed the statement by saying he would commit such an atrocity.

When the employee told Aceves that she had to pick up her children from school, he allegedly said he would follow her so that he would know which school to shoot up, the affidavit said.

The employee didnt immediately report Aceves because he had recently purchased a handgun and a rifle, and she feared retaliation, according to the affidavit.

Police interviewed Aceves father, who said that his son suffered from mental illness. He also said he was worried that Aceves had purchased weapons, the affidavit said.

While Aceves did not have a criminal history, McManus said his bail should have been higher. He said there are other cases where suspects do have criminal histories and yet their bail is low.

People often ask whats causing an increase in violent crime, McManus said on social media. One of the main reasons, I believe: No fear of consequences. Weve got people that were arresting, and re-arresting, and re-arresting again. To say that SAPD is not doing their job  thats simply not true.

Cash vs risk-based bail

In Bexar County, judges have not relied on a bond schedule, or a set guidelines to determine a suspects bail, for several years  due in part to a federal ruling in 2018 regarding similar practices in Harris County.

As a result of that case, misdemeanor defendants awaiting trial in Harris County are no longer jailed simply because they cant afford bail. A similar case regarding felony suspects is currently pending.

Henricksen said the federal ruling shows that you cant have a one-size fits-all approach for bail.

If you have two people charged with the same crime, if one guys poor and another guy is rich, the bond shouldnt be the same, Henricksen said. If they have money, they are probably going to post bond. If they dont, they probably are going to sit in jail. It doesnt help public safety. It doesnt create an equitable justice system.

He said an indigent defendant could be held in jail on a misdemeanor criminal trespassing charge for many months  simply because he doesnt have the $20 or $30 to post bail through a bail bondsman. But a capital murder defendant, held on a $1 million bail, might have the resources to pay.

Any reforms of the bail system would be up to the Texas Legislature because state law dictates many bond practices.

Under one potential reform, judges could hold a suspect before their trial if that person posed a significant risk to the community.

On ExpressNews.com: New version of Texas GOP's bail reform bill advances, as Democrats condemn changes

If judges had had that option in Aceves case, would prosecutors have sought to keep Aceves behind bars ahead of his trial?

I dont want to comment specifically on this case, Henricksen said. But if we have a good reason to believe that a person is going to shoot up a school or any sort of public place, then that person is dangerous. If the law was risked-base, instead of money-based, then the judge would have the ability to make that determination.

He also balked at the idea  that McManus articulated  that suspects in Bexar County dont fear consequences. He said the Bexar County jails population is the highest its been in five years.

Our prosecutors are in court, all day every day, trying to make sure, particularly on violent crimes, that suspects are being held accountable, he said. They are burning the midnight oil.

Staff Writer Taylor Pettaway contributed to this report.

eeaton@express-news.net
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Looks like Bexar County is in for another hot COVID summer. The local risk level is high and worsening.

Public health officials are closely monitoring the rapidly spreading coronavirus subvariant BA.5, and to a lesser degree BA.4, hoping the coming surge wont mirror what happened late last summer  when the delta variant caused hospitalizations to exceed 1,400 patients daily in a deadly surge that lasted from mid-July to mid-October.

Its certainly hard to predict, but were seeing encouraging signs as we look at outbreaks across the country, said Dr. Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer at University Health.

These subvariants of omicron appear to be far more infectious than earlier versions, evading antibodies produced by vaccinations and prior infections, he said, but the the rates of severe illness and deaths are lower.

Still, people continue to succumb to the virus especially in the southern parts of the county, according to San Antonio Metropolitan Health Districts online COVID-19 surveillance dashboard.

One more death was confirmed Thursday by Metro Health. So far, 5,341 Bexar County residents have died from COVID-19 since early 2020.

On ExpressNews.com: New virus strains drive San Antonios steady, slow increase of COVID cases

Alsip said that as COVID-19 has evolved, so have the first presenting symptoms of infection.

Now, theres just so many nonspecific symptoms that could look like a cold or allergies, and patients arent necessarily testing positive right away, which means they are spreading the virus to others, he said, adding that many patients also arent heeding the recommendation to wear masks for five days after a five-day isolation.

Another major difference this summer is that while there are more COVID-19 testing sites throughout the city, free tests for those without insurance are harder to come by.

Congress did not renew the federal CARES Act before it expired in March, which reimbursed providers for COVID-19 tests for Americans without health insurance throughout the pandemic.

This is a problem for places like Bexar County, where nearly 1 in 5 residents under the age of 65 are uninsured.

Metro Health has two free testing locations in San Antonio: a walk-up testing site at 7142 San Pedro Ave. for those with COVID-19 symptoms, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays; and at CentroMeds Palo Alto Clinic at 9011 Poteet Jourdanton Freeway, open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.

Curative, which has more than 35 local testing locations, charges people without health insurance $99 per test.

Other local clinics charge self-pay customers $130 to $175 per test. Some clinics require patients to pay for an office visit, which can raise the total price to more than $500.

Jamil Sabbagh, Curatives vice president of west field operations, said in an email Thursday that while many people seem to be avoiding testing sites, many more rely on at-home tests. These test kits cost about $20 at pharmacies, but they are more likely to produce false negative results.

On ExpressNews.com: COVID-19 hotspots in Bexar County

Alsip said that while more access to tests is good, this can be a problem when it comes to reporting.

We probably dont have a real good sense of the true count of cases in the community, he said. What we are seeing is an underrepresentation because they are only showing laboratory-confirmed cases.

laura.garcia@express-news.net
It has been almost two weeks since a tractor trailer packed with bodies was discovered on a long, desolate stretch of Quintana Road on the Southwest Side, near Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

Its where 53 human beings died from immense heat and inhumanity, where a makeshift memorial has been erected and where hundreds of bottles of water have been placed alongside candles and crosses.

On ExpressNews.com: Three arrested in human smuggling tragedy in San Antonio

For some, just enough time has passed to forget one tragedy and move on to the next. While many people have shown compassion for those who suffered, others couldnt quite muster it.

Among the latter was one person who took to social media to express callous disregard for those who cross the border illegally.

You do the crime, you do the time.

I presume that heartlessness was not meant to apply to children. The victims identified so far include eight teenagers, one of them just 13.

On ExpressNews.com: Too many bodies: Details emerge on human-smuggling disaster in San Antonio

J. Antonio Fernandez, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, cant understand the lack of empathy. His mission in life is to alleviate suffering, and he helped lead the agencys response to the June 27 tractor trailer tragedy.

The charitable arm of the Archdiocese of San Antonio provides aid to people in 19 counties, whether theyre Catholic or not, whether they have a faith tradition at all.

This week, Catholic Charities provided shelter and support to several survivors of the human smuggling incident.

Two are now headed north to be reunited with relatives. A third was recovering in a hotel, and another will remain in San Antonio while her brother recuperates in a local hospital.

A young Guatemalan named Marvin was set to leave San Antonio for San Francisco this week  but not before the agency celebrated his birthday.

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller was there, as was Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

Cake was served. Happy Birthday was sung.

Fernandez couldnt help thinking about another song that fills so many houses of worship around the world, including in his native Spain.

Theyll Know We Are Christian by Our Love.

Its a hymn inspired by the Gospels and the books of Romans, Galatians and Hebrews, among others.

Fernandez wonders sometimes how people of faith live out those words in the midst of so much hate and division. He wonders how much love were showing to the least among us, in our day-to-day lives and in our nations policies.

He wonders if migrants can recognize us by our love.

More equitable policies on immigration and asylum would help discourage people from taking the desperate step of climbing into a trailer to be hauled across Texas in unbearable heat, without air-conditioning, ventilation or water.

We, as a country, can find solutions that equitably allow for our fellow humans in neighboring lands to work at jobs that arent filled by native talent, Fernandez wrote in an essay he shared with me Friday.

Surely, theres a win-win solution in matching those who need workers with those who need work, he said.

This week, the city of San Antonio opened a Migrant Resource Center on San Pedro Avenue to organize assistance for those who have been released by immigration authorities after processing and have been given permission to travel within the U.S. to live with relatives or sponsors as they pursue their claims for asylum.

Fernandez said Catholic Charities will staff the Migrant Resource Center.

The agency addresses a lot of other ongoing emergencies, including food insecurity. The need has increased, he says.

The agency also provides counseling, including in Uvalde, where on May 24 an 18-year-old walked into an elementary school armed with a high-powered rifle and shot and killed 21 people, 19 of them children.

The agencys Project Cool is ongoing, too, and has run out of fans for seniors. It needs about 1,000 this month.

Then theres hurricane season. Its coming, so the agency is preparing to respond with food, water, clothes and a mobile unit that can go to a disaster site and provide access to showers, washing machines and dryers.

Marvin, the Guatemalan who escaped the tractor trailer alive, told Fernandez he survived by drinking his own sweat, squeezing it out of his shirt. Fernandez isnt sure thats literally true. Psychologically, thats how he thinks he survived.

Physically, Marvin is fine, Fernandez said. But has been having trouble sleeping. Recovering from such an ordeal could take a lifetime.

Fernandez hopes that w hen a small group of San Antonians sang Happy Birthday to him, Marvin recognized at least some of us by our love.

eayala@express-news.net
By Gideon Levy

July 08, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " Haaretz " ---- Imagine the unimaginable: Ilana Dayan (or Yonit Levi) [both are Israeli journalists & TV presenters] goes out of her comfort zone in order to report on the occupation. She is caught in an exchange of fire and a bullet hits her in the neck, in the area between her helmet and her ballistic vest. She dies. What happens then? Israel very quickly captures the Palestinian cell. It doesnt matter who fired, its entirely insignificant, all of its members are killed or sentenced to life in prison. Israel mourns the loss of its veteran journalist.

No one even considers forensic tests: Theres no need for them. Its clear to everyone who killed the journalist. The United States doesnt think to interfere with the investigation, only to censure the Palestinians and participate in the grief of the Jewish nation, and perhaps also to impose sanctions on the Palestinian Authority over the journalists murder. It is obvious to all that the Israeli journalist was killed because she was Jewish and because she was a journalist. Her murderers  thats what theyll be called, of course  intended to murder her. Every Israeli child will understand this.

But Shireen Abu Akleh was a Palestinian war correspondent, infinitely more courageous and determined than Dayan and Levi put together, and she was killed in Jenin. Israel washed its hands of any responsibility, as usual. Washed its hands and obfuscated. All of the investigations that have been published so far into the circumstances of her killing led to a single conclusion: The Israel Defense Forces shot her. But Israel continued to obfuscate.

And then came the forensic analysis, carried out in the presence of a U.S. military officer. And this is the result: The U.S. Department of State, which is concerned about the safety of civilians and is particularly shocked by harm caused to journalists, as proved in the Jamal Khashoggi case, announced that while it is impossible to determine with certainty who killed Abu Akleh, the gunfire likely came from IDF positions. And the punch line: The [U.S. Security Coordinator] found no reason to believe that [the gunfire] was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances. The damaged bullet that was removed from Abu Aklehs head whispered to the United States that the shooter didnt mean to kill her. It was the most elaborate ballistic test in history: a test that examines innermost thoughts, that discerns intentions.

Its difficult to imagine a more clumsy, unprofessional, ridiculous and even insulting mobilization in the service of Israeli propaganda. Once again it has been proven that America is willing to do anything, absolutely anything, to protect its precious darling; to conceal all its crimes, to make itself an object of ridicule, to disregard moral, legal and professional standards  all to cover up for Israel. America is telling Israel: Keep on killing journalists, as far as were concerned its fine. We will always say you didnt mean to, that tragic circumstances killed Abu Akleh and not soldiers in the Duvdevan counter-terrorism unit.

Americans also dont watch CNN. The networks investigation disclosed that three or four additional bullet holes can be seen on the tree Abu Akleh was standing against when she was hit  bullets that were fired individually, not in a burst. Does this also indicate that there was no intention to kill the journalist, who took cover under the tree?

Could it be that its possible to mute, obscure and deceive so much for the sole purpose of making President Joe Bidens upcoming visit to Israel more pleasant? Does the U.S. consider covering up for a crime an expression of friendship toward its perpetrator?

Who killed Norma Jean? Pete Seeger asked in the wonderful song he composed of Norman Rostens poem. Who saw her die / I, said the Night, and a bedroom light, we saw her die.  Wholl bear the pall? / We, said the Press, in pain and distress, / Well bear the pall. / Wholl soon forget? / I, said the Page, beginning to fade, / Ill be the first to forget.

Abu Akleh is dead, and with her the last remnants of trusting the United States to tell the truth about its ally. Thanks to it, Israel can continue to claim that well never know who killed Shireen. But it seems that we know very well who killed her. He walks among us now.

America is telling Israel: Keep on killing journalists, as far as were concerned its fine. We will always say you didnt mean to.
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The tractor-trailer had become a hellish furnace. Dozens of bodies overwhelmed first responders.

It was like nothing anybody had ever seen before, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said.

The survivors found in the back of the rig were hot to the touch, Fire Chief Charles Hood said. They were too weak to get out and help themselves.

But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott chose to frame this humanitarian crisis through a political lens.

These deaths are on Biden, he tweeted hours after the bodies were discovered June 27 on the outskirts of San Antonio. They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law.

Before we focus on what Abbott said in the immediate aftermath of tragedy  one in which 53 people died  lets focus on what he did not say.

He did not offer prayers for the people who died seeking a better life here. He did not offer condolences for their families. He did not acknowledge why immigrants might flee their home countries and entrust themselves to human smugglers at grave peril. He offered no recognition of their humanity.

Borders define nations, but humanity is transcendent and borderless.

That people would uproot and risk their lives to come here should be viewed as a blessing. In the United States, we are fortunate not to have to seek refuge in another nation.

In todays politics, though, the far right frames immigration as a burden, an invasion that requires a militaristic and dehumanizing response. In reality, what the nation desperately needs is comprehensive reform, which includes security but also recognizes the humanitarian and economic reasons for immigration and the uplift that comes from a functioning system.

This brings us to the absurdity of Abbotts tweet.

Yes, Biden has been hapless on border and immigration issues. But if the border were open, migrants would not take their chances with smugglers, trekking through the desert, wading across the Rio Grande or climbing into the back of tractor-trailers.

That people do take such risks is a byproduct of the broken immigration system Abbott exploits. Title 42, the Trump-era public health law used to circumvent asylum claims, has spurred the very border crossings Abbott decries. Why? Because, as Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior policy counsel with the American Immigration Council, told me in May, it carries no immigration consequences.

The most likely outcome of an expulsion under Title 42 is simply going to be a bus ride back to Mexico, if you are caught. And that incentivized a lot of people to start crossing the border repeatedly, rolling the die every time, he said.

If asylum-seekers could present themselves at the ports of entry, many of these dangerous, repeat crossings would eventually abate, he said.

To the degree Abbott has a defining immigration policy, it is one that amplifies deterrence and denies basic humanity  at any cost.

This can be seen in Abbotts Operation Lone Star, which has deployed more than 10,000 National Guard soldiers, as well as Department of Public Safety troopers to the border, and has cost some $4 billion.

Operation Lone Star, now under a Department of Justice investigation, has been plagued with pay issues and suicides among guardsmen. Many migrants, arrested on trespassing charges, have languished in detention without representation.

The lack of humanity  the pointlessness, suicides, alleged denial of civil liberties  is layered.

The hypocrisy  in April Abbott shifted mental health funding to support Operation Lone Star, which is plagued by suicides, and then in May sought to prioritize mental health care after the Uvalde massacre  is self-evident.

But perhaps Abbotts denial of humanity is best crystallized in his response in May to the baby formula shortage.

While mothers and fathers stare at empty grocery store shelves in a panic, the Biden Administration is happy to provide baby formula to illegal immigrants coming across our southern border, he said in a statement. Our children deserve a president who puts their needs and survival first  not one who gives critical supplies to illegal immigrants before the very people he took an oath to serve.

The babies, of course, are in federal custody and have to be fed. Once again, we see an othering of people, denying the inherent humanity of immigrant children while framing immigrants as taking something away (in this case formula) from American citizens.

I am reminded of Matthew 25:34-36:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

On Thursday, Abbott, citing the deaths of 53 immigrants here and responding to rhetoric of an invasion, issued an executive order for Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers to arrest immigrants for violating federal law and return them to the ports of entry.

Immigration is a federal issue, not a state one. And while this order might push that question, it also carries potential legal risk for the guardsmen and troopers, just as the rhetoric of invasion stokes anti-immigrant sentiment.

Immigration does not begin and end at the border, which is why a political response focused on deterrence fails. Thats not to say that border security isnt a crucial piece of comprehensive reform. It certainly is.

But solely focusing on deterrence will never address the root causes of immigration  the push and pull factors that inspire people to take enormous personal risks in search of opportunity and safety. To not see this  to frame a humanitarian crisis through a political lens  is to invite more tragedy.

jbrodesky@express-news.net
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After the oppressive U.S. Supreme Courts decision June 24 to overturn Roe v. Wade, and nearly 50 years of precedent protecting the right to abortion, Marisa B. Perez-Diaz, posted her outrage on Facebook.

Like many women, Perez holds many titles. Shes a wife, mother, Texas State Board of Education member, third-year Ph.D. student, foundation executive and business owner. Like many women, her heart, mind and soul were heavy. Her message resonated.

Then her second post came with caution: WARNING this will be LOUD, VULNERABLE, and MY CHOICE!!!

The 15-second video of Perez giving birth to her third child, Santi, was difficult to watch, but I marveled at her courage. There is no video of me giving birth to my son, and even if there were, I wouldnt share it.

Perez-Diaz, 37, chose to share it because after a weekend watching so many celebrate the oppression of women, relegating us to second-class citizens, I could not help but share the reality of what SCOTUS has just forced upon every female (and trans male) of reproductive age.

And her husband, Rafael Rafa Diaz, an education technology executive and school board trustee, supported her. Powerful words. Incredible vulnerability. Her choice, he wrote. Its way beyond our time to take an active role in family planning and protecting women. Too easily do men escape the reality and responsibility of children.

Her video offers a glimpse of the pain and trauma of a healthy, uncomplicated delivery for a woman in a loving marriage with health insurance and resources.

Shes a proud, loving mom to three beautiful children: Catalina Yaretzi, 6, Rafael IV, 5, and Santiago Santi Jadiel, 1. She thrives at motherhood and advocates reproductive freedom. She knows every pregnancy story is different; for many pregnant people, especially people of color, it can be complicated and dangerous.

University of California San Franciscos Turnaway Study examined the effects of denying abortions and found that women and their families experience years of economic insecurity, poorer physical health, reduced ambitions and negative effects on their relationships with their children.

Like so many, Perez-Diaz questions why anti-abortion policy goes so far as not to exempt rape and incest pregnancies, even in children.

Were already beginning to see the awful effects of reversing Roe v. Wade: reports of a 10-year-old child rape victim in Ohio who was six weeks pregnant and forced to travel to Indiana for an abortion.

Pro-choice isnt pro-abortion. Someone can value life, love babies and children, and not support forced pregnancy by our government.

The abortion ban is dangerous not only because abortions will become unsafe, as they were before Roe v. Wade, but also because pregnancy and childbirth are inherently dangerous.

Doctors and researchers have been sounding the alarm with science and data. The American Medical Association asserts the Supreme Court ruling is an egregious allowance of government intrusion into medicine.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists tweeted: Todays decision is a direct blow to bodily autonomy, reproductive health, patient safety and health equity in the United States.

A 2021 Duke University study estimated that banning abortion in the U.S. would lead to a 21 percent increase in pregnancy-related deaths overall and a 33 percent increase among Black women, simply because staying pregnant is more dangerous than having an abortion.

American women are 50 percent more likely to die in childbirth than their mothers were, according to a 2018 article in Harvard Health Publishing, and the risks are highest for Black women, who are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than white women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

My heart is heavy. I cant get the oft-repeated old rally chant out of my head: Pro-Life, your names a lie, you dont care if women die.

Why dont they care?

Nancy.Preyor-Johnson@express-news.net
As a principal corridor for migrants traveling north, San Antonio is once again the epicenter of tragedy following the discovery of dozens of victims in the back of a trailer on June 27. The death toll stands at 53  the largest mass casualty event in our citys history and the deadliest smuggling incident of its kind in the U.S.

Those 53 human beings searched in dangerous conditions for survival or the American dream. While those in power point fingers at lax immigration enforcement or the brutality of smugglers, this tragedy and many others are the predictable result of our failing immigration policy.

Decades of evidence show that restricting border crossing via more agents, electronic surveillance and walls are ineffective in deterring migrants. These approaches make the journey more dangerous. More recent attempts to shut the border to asylum-seekers with Title 42, the supposed public health initiative enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that allows border officials to expel migrants without a hearing, only exposes protection seekers to more danger. Fiscal year 2021, when Title 42 was in effect for the entire year, was the deadliest on record for border crossings.

Migration is a fundamental part of human history. Unless you are Native American, your ancestors migrated to the U.S. Many of them came here for similar reasons as those who lost their lives in the back of a trailer: to escape poverty or oppression, or to flee persecution. Other draws to the U.S. include opportunities to work, join family members or enjoy the freedom to live ones values.

We know why people  especially from Mexico and Central America  migrate. Decades of neoliberal policies, propping up U.S. business interests and meddling in politics created many of the structural problems plaguing those countries.

The most notorious street gangs that terrorize vast swaths of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and the 18th Street Gang, also known as Barrio or Mara 18, both have roots in Los Angeles. Organized criminal groups that began as drug-smuggling operations to feed U.S. demand have expanded to human smuggling, trafficking and other organized crimes. Along the way, they have become experts in torture, some trained by U.S. military officers at the infamous School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga..

We also know that due to natural disasters and climate change, many people can no longer live off their land.

Despite knowing the root causes pushing people from Mexico and Central America, U.S. immigration laws and policies remain largely unchanged.

For decades, we have known that our immigration laws do not match the needs of our economy or society. Businesses around the country are struggling because they cannot hire enough workers, yet our immigration system remains unresponsive.

Existing employment-based visas are inadequate and unavailable to economic migrants who lack formal education. Although there are visas for seasonal workers, those programs are fraught with problems and limited in scope.

For those who are poor, who dont have an advanced degree, or who dont have U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family members to petition on their behalf, there is no avenue for legal entry. These individuals seek entry in other ways, even if that means getting in the back of an unrefrigerated truck on a sweltering hot day to make it past the interior immigration checkpoints.

Until the countries of origin for these migrants meaningfully address the violence, poverty and lack of educational opportunities, they will continue driving migration. And criminals will exploit desperation for profit.

Closing the border and building walls have failed and wreaked havoc on the communities of South Texas. Until our immigration laws and foreign policies are reformed to deal with todays global reality, we will undoubtedly witness more death. The largest smuggling death toll in our nations history should be a wake-up call for immigration reform like the tragedy in Uvalde was for guns.

We cannot accept that immigration reform is impossible. We must do much more than end Title 42 and other measures that prevent asylum-seekers from making claims. It is time for radical change, including moving money away from immigration enforcement to supporting community development in Mexico and Central America.

In the meantime, we should address our reality: Businesses need workers and migrants want jobs. Likewise, millions who have made the U.S. home  the undocumented and those with temporary legal statuses  have family members abroad who long to join them. Those families need a path forward. We know they are going to come, one way or another. It is high time Congress acts to create legal avenues for migrants to travel safely and with the dignity they deserve.

Erica Schommer is a clinical professor at the St. Marys University School of Law, where she teaches the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic. The views presented are solely hers and do not represent the views of St. Marys University.
Its summertime, and one way to beat the scorching heat is to head to the cool confines of a movie theater to catch the latest blockbuster.

Now, imagine a story about how humanity faces an existential threat, but the heroes trying to save the day are stripped of their strongest and best powers. Suddenly, the story hinges on whether they can find other ways to save future generations from looming catastrophe.

If only such a plot were fiction. But this is, essentially, the story of climate change following the U.S. Supreme Courts recent 6-3 decision blocking the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon emissions from power plants.

Carbon dioxide is the leading contributor to climate change, lingering in the atmosphere for as long as 1,000 years. The burning of coal and natural gas at power plants releases vast amounts of this heat-trapping gas (as well as methane). The Biden administration had sought to prepare sweeping rules to limit the power sectors carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act, but the U.S. Supreme Court said it was beyond the EPAs scope to do so.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts found that due to the magnitude of the regulation and the potential impact on the larger economy, not just the power sector, such direction should fall to Congress, not unelected officials.

Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible solution to the crisis of the day, he wrote. But a decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body.

The consequences of this decision are wide-ranging. First, lets be honest about Congress. It is, in this political moment, incapable of passing any meaningful legislation to address climate change. Second, the ruling potentially puts the clamps on other regulatory actions well beyond environmental concerns. Third, it leaves no room for agency expertise, much less for Congress to delegate regulatory powers to these experts.

As Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent: Congress knows what it doesnt and cant know when it drafts a statute; and Congress therefore gives an expert agency the power to address issues  even significant ones  as and when they arise.

Climate change is often written about and discussed on a global scale  terrifying United Nations reports, melting polar ice caps, extreme weather, habitat destruction and potential diaspora  but it is also a local issue.

San Antonio is warming  an obvious reality underscored by this particularly searing spring and summer. June was the hottest on record in San Antonio, with 17 days reaching triple digits. May was also the hottest on record here, with five days in triple digits.

This is in part due to La Nina, which produces warmer, drier weather. But it is also climate change. In March 2020, the Office of the Texas State Climatologist at Texas A&M University released a report showing the number of triple-digit degree days in Texas doubled over the past 40 years and would likely double again by 2036.

And this will come at a cost. The recent extreme heat has played a role in increased CPS Energy bills. Flow rates in many area rivers are nonexistent. Drought threatens the Edwards Aquifer, our primary water supply. High temperatures can be fatal.

So, what can be done?

At the local level, CPS Energy officials must move forward with a plan to repurpose and shutter its coal-fired J.K. Spruce power plant. Spruce Unit 1 should cease operations, and the idea of a carbon-neutral geothermal project there is intriguing. The newer Spruce Unit 2 should be converted to natural gas. We also support the city requiring building owners to track energy usage.

Texas  land of natural gas and methane emissions  could also be a leader in climate innovation. The state leads the nation in wind energy production, but it has yet to fully tap into its solar capacity. It could foster battery storage innovation and carbon sequestration.

And at the federal level, Congress should approve a fee-and-dividend program, as the Citizens Climate Lobby has proposed, that would create market incentives to transition to green energy sources.

This ruling is a blow for climate progress  but not the urgency we possess for action.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to bolster access to abortion and other reproductive health services after the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

In his most pointed remarks since the ruling last month, Biden said he was outraged by the courts decision and would take every step within his power to curb the damage. But he said he has limited ability to prevent Texas and other states from cracking down.

The most extreme Republican governors and state legislatures have taken the courts decision as a green light to impose some of the harshest and most restrictive laws seen in this country in a long time, Biden said. What were witnessing is a giant step backwards in much of our country.

The directive instructs federal health officials to push back against state-led efforts to cut off access to federally approved abortion pills and out-of-state abortion services. It also calls for protecting privileged patient information around abortion and the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online.

IMPACT: Texas abortion funds freeze indefinitely as Supreme Court shakes landscape

But the order stopped short of more forceful responses that some fellow Democrats have pushed for in recent weeks, such as declaring a public health emergency and authorizing abortion care on federal lands in states with abortion bans.

Providers have stopped offering abortion services in Texas and other Republican-led states with laws that outlaw the procedure in nearly all instances, including rape or incest. This week, one of the nations largest independent abortion providers announced it was moving from Texas to New Mexico to support those facing limited abortion access.

Legal experts acknowledge that the president is limited in what he can accomplish.

Hes really not pushing the envelope on these executive orders, Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University, said Friday on MSNBC. And I think thats likely because the Supreme Court will surely be unreceptive to an executive order that would further declare a public health emergency or marshal the use of federal lands or federal property.

LOCAL PUSHBACK: Some Texas DAs say they wont prosecute abortion cases post-Roe, but it likely wont matter

But the order Friday could help clarify what doctors and clinics can do within existing law, such as whether medical malpractice companies are required to cover doctors when they prescribe abortion medication to patients in states where abortion is banned. The Food and Drug Administration has approved mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortion, through 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Through the order, the White House said it would also convene volunteer lawyers to help women and providers with pro bono legal assistance around new state restrictions. It is also setting up an interagency task force that includes Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Biden has said repeatedly that the best action is codifying the protections outlined in Roe into federal law. Under Roe and subsequent decisions, abortion access was protected until fetal viability, or about 23 weeks into pregnancy. The U.S. House has passed a measure protecting that access, but it is currently stuck in the Senate.

We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice House to codify Roe as federal law, Biden said Friday. Your vote can make that a reality.

While I wish it had not come to this, this is the fastest route available, he said.

Those who have called for a more forceful response said they were disappointed with the limited action Friday.

I believe that the President should take further, strong, immediate action to protect Americans rights by issuing an emergency health declaration to offer greater access to abortion, said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin.

Republican lawmakers in Texas have said they want to boost health services for pregnant women and new mothers in light of the Supreme Court ruling. Some have also said they would support prohibiting people from seeking abortions in other states.

Abortion-rights advocates warn that bans will most heavily impact women of color and those without the financial or legal means to leave their states. There are about 7 million women of reproductive age in Texas; half of them are already mothers, and just over a third are considered economically insecure.

Among developed nations, the United States has the highest rate of women dying from complications with their pregnancies. The rate is particularly high among Black women, who accounted for 31 percent of maternal deaths related to pregnancies in Texas, even though they account for just 11 percent of live births, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

jeremy.blackman@chron.com
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WASHINGTON  Border patrol agents chasing down Haitian migrants on horseback in Del Rio last year were acting at the request of the Texas Department of Public Safety  not taking orders from the federal chain of command  as they used what a U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigation released Friday deemed unnecessary force to drive asylum seekers back into the Rio Grande.

One of the agents used his horse to narrowly maneuver around a small child, standing on a slanted concrete ramp near the rivers edge, as he chased down one Haitian migrant, yelling denigrating comments, including: Hey! You use your women? This is why your countrys shit, you use your women for this.

But the investigation found no evidence that agents struck any people with their reins, intentionally or otherwise. One of the agents, however, involved reported twirling the reins toward a person as a distancing tactic.

The reins could be seen flying around fleeing migrants in widely circulated photographs that sparked outrage at the time as many believed they were being whipped.

It was horrible what you see, what you saw  to see people treated like they did, with horses nearly running them over and people being strapped, President Joe Biden said at the time. Its outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay.

RELATED: Coin showing border agent trying to grab migrant in Del Rio prompts investigation

CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said Friday that the agents involved face disciplinary action, but he would not offer details on what that may entail, saying the process is ongoing and the agents involved still have the opportunity to challenge the charges against them.

The situation in Del Rio at the time of this incident, it was chaotic and unprecedented, Magnus said at a press conference announcing the findings. There is no justification for the actions of some of our personnel, including unprofessional and deeply offensive conduct.

Magnus said the agents on horseback carried out an operation at the request of Texas DPS that directly conflicted with border patrol operational objectives.

A Texas DPS spokesperson said the department is reviewing the findings and declined to comment further.

Unnamed DPS officials denied requesting assistance from border patrol agents or ordering them to do anything in the 511-page investigative report.

A DPS sergeant who was on the scene denied asking for help from border patrol, but told investigators that he thought the agents hands were tied and expressed concern that they were told to let the asylum seekers enter the country.

The DPS sergeant added that if DPS had operational authority to make arrests, every migrant would have gone to jail using any force necessary to do so, the report says.

The border patrols mounted agents had been deployed on short notice the day before the incident, and border patrol had not established adequate command and control mechanisms with other agencies, including DPS, the report says.

Border patrol agents told investigators that DPS officials requested help in clearing the boat ramp where Haitian migrants were crossing into the U.S., according to the report. One agent told investigators that they assumed TXDPS had made the necessary notifications as they were the lead in the action being taken.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

The report concluded that the agents carried out the operation at the request of DPS as a result of a lack of command, control, and communications. The report says they did so with authorization from their supervisor who was unable to obtain additional guidance from higher in the federal chain of command at the time of the request.

Magnus said the confusion at the scene is indicative of the often chaotic situation on the border, where agents have worked to handle an unprecedented flow of migrants who have crossed into the U.S. over the last several months.

They have done so as Gov. Greg Abbott has sent state troopers and national guard members to the border as part of his Operation Lone Star border security initiative. Abbott stepped up that effort on Thursday when he authorized state law enforcement to return migrants suspected of entering the country illegally to southern ports of entry.

Magnus said Abbotts order threatens to make the situation even more difficult as CBP works to make clear to border patrol agents that they take orders from federal officials, not from Texas DPS.

It should be clear that while we work with various state officials and state organizations like Texas DPS, our personnel take their direction from our leadership, from their supervisors, Magnus said. When that doesnt happen, it just causes confusion, it leads to all kinds of problems, including safety problems for everyone involved.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Modern technologies aid preservation of millennium-old Potala Palace in SW Chinas Xizang

People's Daily Online) 09:26, July 08, 2022

The use of modern technologies and devices has injected fresh vitality into the Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a history of more than 1,300 years in Lhasa, capital of southwest Chinas Xizang Autonomous Region.

The Potala Palace is seen near the Lhalu wetland national nature reserve in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)

With nothing but the click of a mouse, people can observe 3D digital models and murals reproduced in the image of the architectural complex. Nearly 800 sensors placed around the structure have recorded over 10 million sets of data inside the palace compound for roughly the past 10 years. Over 1,500 monitoring devices and about 9 kilometers of sensing fiber optic cables have been installed to comprehensively monitor the conditions in and around the palace.

Dawa Ngodrup, director of the digital center under Potala Palaces administrative office, has already been working at the palace for 17 years after he got his start back in 2005. Back then, only traditional approaches were employed to record the cultural relics inside the palace.

In 2006, Dawa Ngodrup pursued further vocational studies at the Dunhuang Academy in Dunhuang city, northwest Chinas Gansu Province, where he was astonished by many of the technologies being applied there to map and protect the sites many murals and ancient structures.

After he returned from Dunhuang, Dawa Ngodrup participated in the digitalization of the Potala Palace, starting off by digitalizing several thousand square meters of murals, which was a huge challenge. To collect all of the necessary data on the murals in recorded images, over the years the man often worked extra-long hours and late into the day burning the midnight oil.

Another big challenge was building digital models of the whole architectural complex, given that the palace was built on a mountainside and is characterized by its complicated structure. Many technologies, including UAV aerial photography, 3D laser scanning, and multi-view image reconstruction, were used for rendering the digital modeling of the ancient architectural complex.

Our efforts have aimed to form a comprehensive database of the palaces cultural relics, facilitate researchers work, and dramatically reduce the risks of damaging cultural relics, said Thubten Tsering, an official with the administrative office of the Potala Palace.

Yang Na, a professor from Beijing Jiaotong University in Beijing, and her team customized a highly technical system for monitoring the structure of the palace.

After four years of preparations and seven months of installation and trial operations, the first phase of the structures monitoring system was officially put into operation in October 2012. The first phase of the systems operations was mainly applied to monitor key parts of the palaces wooden structures.

In 2015, Yangs team and the palaces administrative office began to conduct feasibility studies on the second phase of the structures monitoring system before putting it into operation, with a focus on the walls, foundations and caves featured at the architectural complex.

Staff members can now check data on the palaces walls via an app on their mobile phones, thanks to the installation of 388 sensors, including crack meters, inclinometers and soil moisture meters, which can realize the real-time monitoring of any movement across surface cracks, ambient temperatures, the angles of inclinations for walls and pillars, among other key parameters. The second phase of the systems operations, which was put into use in August 2021, can automatically create quarterly analysis reports.

We have recorded over 10 million sets of data about the palace in about 10 years, which has enabled us to understand the overall changes of the Potala Palace, said Yang.

Technologies aid in the preservation of the palace and will help us protect more cultural heritage sites on the plateau, said Jondan, who is currently serving as the director of the palaces administrative office.

In addition, an automatic fire alarm system, which consists of multiple detection devices that include 86 video fire detectors and 8,710 meters of sensing fiber optic cables, has been installed inside the Potala Palace in the hope of preventing incidents of fire to the greatest extent possible.

Digital technologies and multiple monitoring tools help us to better preserve the Potala Palace, a historical and cultural site with a history of over 1,300 years, Jondan stated.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Pets, fur babies, or just babies - these are the way we describe our lovable four-legged (or any kind of legged) animal companions that are like family to us.

Just like family members, we want what's best for our pets. Thankfully, there are some pet tech products that not just keep pets comfortable, warm, and safe, but also give us, their owners (or fur parents or just parents), a glimpse into their world.

Here are five techy pet products you might want to have in 2022:

PetPuls Smart Dog Collar

The Petpuls Smart Dog Collar gives your dog not just a cool, comfortable, water-resistant collar, but also gives their owners the ability to understand what their dogs' barks are saying.

According to the collar's Indiegogo page, the collar uses voice recognition technology to analyze a dog's emotional well-being. It can also help track a dog's activities and has a built-in accelerometer that calculates the number of calories a dog wearing the collar has burned.

It has 8-10 hours of battery life, however. This short battery life means that you'll need to charge the collar every night if you let your dog use it every day.

The PetPuls Smart Dog Collar has a price tag of $129 and can be bought at the official PetPuls website.

Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL

Being a pet owner is a great experience. Both of you gain a life-long friend who thinks the world of you. However, there will come a time when all that playing around ends, and you, the owner, will have to clean up the fur they just shed.

Fortunately, the Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL gets clean up out of your hair (pun intended) by automatically cleaning up a designated area and then emptying itself in its base, which also doubles as its charger, per Amazon.

The robot can hold dirt, dust, and fur inside its storage for 30 days, which is a time saver if your pet always sheds fur.

The Shark IQ Robot Self-Empty XL is available for purchase on Amazon for $599.99.

PetSafe Eatwell 5-Meal Automatic Dog & Cat Feeder

Feeding time is one of the most important parts of the day for both owner and pet. Without it, the pet in question will be neglected and will resort to finding food by themselves if necessary.

One neat device, called the PetSafe Eatwell 5-Meal Automatic Dog & Cat Feeder, allows you to feed your pet automatically without you, per Chewy.

It can hold 5 cups of dry food that can only be accessed one at a time, preventing your pet from overeating.

Read More: Estonian Start-Up Exhibits Reliable and Eco-Friendly Future e-Scooter

Additionally, it will rotate itself so that the next filled cup is ready accessible to your pet. Meanwhile, the newly emptied cup will be automatically filled with food.

The PetSafe Eatwell 5-Meal Automatic Dog & Cat Feeder is available for just $49.95.

Petcube Play

Pet owners loathe to be away from their pets either because they miss their fur babies, or they're afraid they might do something they shouldn't. Being away means no play time either.

However, Petcube Play not only helps pet owners keep an eye on their pets, but also gives them the ability to play with their pets at the same time.

The camera has features similar to a modern smart home camera, like two-way communication, per the Petcube official website. However, it also has a built-in laser toy that enables owners to interact with their pets and play with them.

Don't worry about the laser; Petcube stated it is safe for human and animal eyes.

The Petcube Play Cam now costs $199 - its original price is $229.

Pet on Wheels: Carrier System

Pets can be a challenge to transport when you only have a bicycle or motorcycle. This means you either walk your pet to the one place they probably hate the most - the vet's, or you carry them there.

Thankfully, Pet on Wheels developed a simple carrier system that helps pet owners with just two wheels transport their fur babies wherever they need to go, per Pet on Wheels.

Owners don't need to worry if their pet is comfortable inside. The carrier is fitted with vents and a closeable porthole that their pets can see through and even put their heads out of for a breath of fresh air.

Pet on Wheels' Carrier system costs around $213 and comes in all kinds of color combinations.

Related Article: New Investment and Partnership Announced by Pet Tech Startup Vetster
As the federal government under President Biden continues its attempts to undermine the authority of the states to regulate their own elections  unconstitutional and unprecedented federal actions  states are reasserting their power by passing reforms that will protect the integrity of the electoral process. Louisiana is a national leader on this and should continue its work of making it easy to vote and hard to cheat.

Election integrity is vital to a healthy democracy because Americans need to have confidence that their votes are protected. A breakdown in any part of ballot protection can weaken this confidence, lead to questions regarding the legitimacy of election outcomes, and create a deeper distrust of government and the men and women who serve in it.

Protecting the vote includes ensuring that ballots are cast securely, privately, and legally. It means making sure that every legally cast ballot is counted  and counted only once. It also means providing for the transparent and timely reporting of election results as well as a meaningful post-election audit system to ferret out any irregularities.

Election officials across the country work diligently behind the scenes to administer free and fair elections with these goals in mind. However, some election integrity measures are in full view of the public, and those measures are vital to public confidence in elections. One such measure is the use of voter ID, an issue Louisiana has addressed head on, requiring voters to prove their identity when casting a ballot.

I spent much of my adult life in Louisiana. There were many instances, because of work or being out of state on Election Day, that I had to vote by mail because I refused to let my vote go uncounted and my voice unheard.

Each time I requested and filled out a mail-in ballot, I had to enter a code from my Louisiana drivers license to verify my identity to the Secretary of State and the Clerk of Courts. Having to write down that four-digit audit code wasnt inconvenient or an undue burden on me. It was easy, and it gave me confidence that my ballot was secure.

Activists  both within the federal government and outside it  will try to convince you otherwise. Theyll tell you all kinds of lies about voter ID laws. But here are the facts: Voter ID does not reduce turnout, nor does it have an impact on election outcomes.

Louisiana voters are happy with this requirement. In a recent survey of likely voters in Louisiana conducted by the Center for Excellence in Polling, we found that 68 percent of Louisianans support requiring voters to prove their identity when voting by mail. Our results are consistent with previous nationwide surveys that found increasing support for photo ID requirements for voters.

Now, heres the kicker that the Left doesnt want you to know: Support for voter ID crosses party lines. In our survey, we found that 80 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of Independents support requiring voters to prove their identity on a mail-in ballot. But voter ID is not a partisan issue. A majority (52 percent) of Louisiana Democratic voters also support voter ID requirements on mail-in ballots.

As our country attempts to move forward, the Left will continue to use the unique circumstances of the 2020 election as an excuse to push their radical, Washington-focused, top-down election policies on the states. But the states should continue to push back against the federal intrusion into their sovereign responsibility. As Chief Justice Charles Hughes once wrote, this is necessary in order to enforce the fundamental right to vote.

Louisiana has long been a leader in making it easy to vote and hard to cheat. Its a legacy the Pelican State should be proud of, and one the legislature would be wise to continue. Nothing less than our democracy depends on it.

Travis N. Taylor, Ph.D., is senior market research analyst at the Foundation for Government Accountability.
Exports of lamb and beef from the UK increasing as the disruptive effects of Covid on international trade eases, trade figures show.

Trade figures for the first four months of 2022 have been analysed in the latest Monthly Market Bulletin by Hybu Cig Cymru  Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).

For the period from January to April this year, the volume of beef and veal exports have increased to 42,500 tonnes, up 57% against the same period in 2021.

And 24,500 tonnes of sheep meat was exported from the UK in the year to date, up 24.5%.

The figures follow on from the Welsh governments analysis of the countrys food exports in 2021, which showed trade hitting a record high in terms of its value to the Welsh economy, with meat leading the way.

Red meat imports into the UK are also up, although by a lower figure than the increase in exports.

Beef imports in the first four months of 2022 are 24% higher than the same period last year, with sheep meat imports up by 19%.

However the volume of sheep meat imports is still substantially lower than pre-pandemic levels.

The figures for pork run somewhat counter to the trends for beef and lamb, due to reduced demand from China as its domestic pig farming sector recovers.

UK pork exports are up just 2.5% on the same period in 2021, with imports rising by 27%.

Waless small and specialised pork sector, however, is largely geared to the domestic market rather than exports.

HCC data analyst, Glesni Phillips said: We saw through the pandemic that the financial value of Waless red meat exports continued to be robust.

"Although the physical volume of product traded was lower due to the impact of Covid restrictions on hospitality and foodservice in key markets.

The early data for 2022 shows that there is a firm international demand for both Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef."

She added: Imports are up somewhat, with an increase in beef coming into the country from Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany, reflecting the fact that the UK is not self-sufficient in beef and that domestic production is flat.

"There is also a rise in lamb imports from Australia, however it should be noted that the volume of imports is still lower than the long-term average, and that exports are out-performing imports, which will help support farm-gate prices in the short term.
Warrenton, VA (20186)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
Lenovo offers an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U CPU with Radeon 680M graphics for less than $1,000 on its ThinkBook computers.

The ThinkBook line, Lenovo's less expensive alternative to its well-known ThinkPads, looks similar to and exceeds the Dell XPS and the MacBook in terms of connectors.

Lenovo is Giving its ThinkBook Computers at a Lesser Cost

The following week is Amazon Prime Day, but Amazon isn't the only business having specials right now. Lenovo is running a deal on its ThinkBook notebooks, allowing you to get an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U CPU with AMD's integrated Radeon 680M graphics for much less than $1,000, which is something we haven't seen before.

For $862 ($209 off), Lenovo's ThinkBook 13S Gen 4 has the Ryzen 7 6000-series processor, 16 gigabytes of RAM (soldered), a 512 GB SSD, and a 13-inch IPS screen. To see this discount, you must apply the two promotional codes SUPERTHINKJULY and BFIJTHINKOFFER at checkout.

Is ThinkBook 13S Worth the Price? Check Out What it Offers

The ThinkBook range, Lenovo's more affordable alternative to its renowned ThinkPads, resembles the Dell XPS or MacBook in appearance yet outperforms both in terms of ports. You get a USB-C 4.0 port, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, a USB-A port, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a headphone jack. Moreover, a fingerprint reader is included.

AMD's most powerful laptop CPU, the Ryzen 7, is included within the Gen 4 and should be able to handle just about everything you throw at it. Although it lacks a standalone graphics card, most people can get by with the integrated Radeon 680M graphics.

Additionally praised for their long battery life is AMD's Ryzen 6000-series CPUs. Expect eight to nine hours, despite Lenovo's promises of 11 hours, which are valid under perfect circumstances.

Although the keyboard is flat and more like a MacBook than a ThinkPad, it is nevertheless quite pleasant to write on. The laptop weighs approximately as much as a MacBook Air, making it simple to carry about. The screen, an anti-glare IPS display measuring 13 inches and 1,920 by 1,200 pixels, is the one area where this ThinkBook makes compromises.

Even though it only has 300 nits of brightness, I still prefer anti-glare panels with lower resolutions to glossy panels with higher resolutions, plus the 16:10 aspect ratio provides you with some more vertical screen area.

Read Also: Shenzhou-14 Taikonauts Conducts Microgravity Experiments

Lenovo ThinkerSeries Laptops Could Empower New Gen SMBs | Here's Why

With the ThinkSeries, Lenovo introduces brand-new desktop and laptop models to meet the next Small, and Medium Businesses (SMBs) demands.

SMBs are perhaps the ones that the pandemic has struck the most in terms of business continuity. Many people still struggle to embrace hybrid working arrangements and keep up with the pace of the digital revolution.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is designed for hybrid workers who require higher levels of performance, better camera and audio capabilities for more immersive collaboration, and a more secure laptop to guard them against the daily demands of remote work.

It is powered by Intel vPro with 12th Gen Intel CoreTM processors running Windows 11. The updated communications bar, which includes better FHD webcam choices, Privacy Shutter, and 360-degree far field quad-array microphones, is a crucial design element. A camera with a bigger sensor than those typically seen on laptops is possible because of the bar design.

Its 1.4-millimeter sensor improves picture quality, particularly in low light.

The ThinkPad X1's up to 15 hours of battery life and RapidCharge technologies keep customers on target. It weighs 1.13 kg and can work anywhere. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is lightweight, but it performs like a workhorse SMBs need every day, at pricing that won't keep them up at night.

Meanwhile, the ThinkBook 14S Yoga includes dual-tone color accents, an anodized aluminum body, and four-side thin bezels. Its mart technology and high-performance features boost productivity, collaboration, and security.

It provides a flexible and multifunctional laptop to encourage future success. The 14s Yoga can adapt to user demands and maximize productivity with strong computing choices, vibrant screens, and state-of-the-art components.

12th Gen Intel CoreTM CPUs, Windows 11 Pro, fast SSD storage, Intel ThunderboltTM 4, and Intel Wi-Fi 6E connection enable users to perform demanding tasks locally or in the cloud. Smart Appearance, AI Meeting Manager, and intelligent noise suppression ease and improve collaborative work.

The Smart Power On, a fingerprint scanner built into the power button, helps secure data and identity. It's governed by the standard hardware discrete Trusted Platform Module 2.0. (dTPM).

Related Article: Lenovo Introduces ThinkPad X13, IdeaPad Gaming 3: What You Need to Know About These Gaming Laptops
Everything is smart so that Luka Jovic was new player of the Fiorentina. The attacker has arrived this Friday to Italy to fulfil with the medical recognitions so much of the club as of the Olympic committee Italian, and like this have the seen well so that all proceed as the agreed. The '9' will sign after a very irregular step in the Real Madrid, where did not have opportunities to show his talent.

In two seasons and averages inside Santiago Bernabeu, grieve could see door in three opportunities, some numbers more than disappointing for the 63 million euros that disbursed Florentino Perez by his services. Now, it will begin a new stage in Florencia, where expects to be taken in account and win a place inside the eleven of Vincenzo Italian

The 'violate' has desvelado his arrival to the airport trasalpino in his social networks went down the title of: "Luka Jovic is here", doing announcement that the Serbian will dress the elastic of the club in the 2022/23. In fact, the bond that will join him with Artemio Franchi will be by two campaigns and will not leave an alone euro to the arks of the Madrid. This yes, in case that it give a sale the group merengue has reserved 50% of his pass, with the hope to recover part of the invested in 2019.

A step backwards in his career

After concretising a campaign of dream in the Eintracht Frankfurt, where mark 27 goals and delivered 7 assistances in 48 commitments, was sold to the Madrid with the hope that it turned into the leading centre of the future. However, in his go through Valdebebas grieve contested 51 parties for a total of 1.566' minutes, what left him in the ostracism to the shadow of Karim Benzema.

The only positive is that it conquered five titles, between which stands out the Champions League of Paris in front of the Liverpool of Jurgen Klopp. With 24 years, still has 'gas in the tank' and expects to revive his career in Italy to consolidate like a forward of elite in the international panorama.
Bhutan will reopen to international visitors from September for the first time since the pandemic struck



The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan will welcome international visitors again from September 23, 2022. This will be the first time it will reopen since the COVID-19 pandemic struck.



The Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) has announced that tourists would be allowed to enter the country from September 23, 2022. All visitors will be charged a Sustainable Development Fee of US $ 200 each per night. This fee has been raised from the previous amount of US $ 65 that had been charged for three decades. Officials have explained that the new fee would offset tourists carbon impact.



Bhutan, always popular with travellers, is looking to revive its economy. Tourism is a major source of income for the country, which is known for its scenic beauty and its Buddhism-oriented culture. COVID-19 forced the constitutional monarchy to ban tourism in March 2020 when the first case was detected there.







COVID-19 has allowed us to reset  to rethink how the sector can be best structured and operated... while keeping carbon footprints low, Tandi Dorji, TCB chairman and the countrys foreign minister, said in a statement. Bhutan had also revised standards for service providers, such as tour operators, hotels, drivers, and guides.



It has also been revealed that, contrary to the earlier practice where visitors could only choose from packages offered by operators, travellers can now choose their own operators and plan itineraries with them.



What awaits you in Bhutan

Sited between India and China, Bhutan is distinctly different. Its people are known to be among the happiest in the world, and surprises await at almost every turn. Experiences include walking around Thimphu (dont miss the Great Buddha Dordenma and Tashichho Dzong), taking in the Punakha Dzong, trekking to Paro Taktsang (Tigers Nest Monastery  above), getting adventurous in Paro (trekking, mountain biking, rafting or kayaking, anyone?), and tucking into delicious local fare.





Must-tries include ema datshi (a dish of local cheese with hot chilli peppers), thingmo, a local bread and momos.



Images: Shutterstock



Also see: A New Way To Marvel At Niagara Falls
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

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CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / July 7, 2022 / Computer Modelling Group Ltd. ("CMG" or the "Company") announces that, at its annual meeting of shareholders held earlier today, all the nominees listed in its Management Information Circular dated May 18, 2022 were elected as directors of CMG. The detailed results of the votes are set out below.



Votes For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Tina Antony 52,261,031 99.95 28,275 0.05 Judith J. Athaide 47,473,783 90.79 4,815,523 9.21 John E. Billowits 47,401,150 90.65 4,888,156 9.35 Kenneth M. Dedeluk 52,267,231 99.96 22,075 0.04 Christopher L. Fong 47,396,775 90.64 4,892,531 9.36 Pramod Jain 52,260,331 99.95 28,975 0.05 Peter H. Kinash 48,749,757 93.23 3,539,549 6.77 Mark R. Miller 52,033,319 99.51 255,987 0.49

Additionally, all other resolutions put to shareholders were duly passed at the meeting. For additional details on the voting results with respect to other resolutions, please refer to the Report of Voting Results which is filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Computer Modelling Group Ltd. is a computer software technology and consulting company serving the oil and gas industry. CMG, recognized by oil and gas companies worldwide as a leading developer of reservoir modelling software, has sales and technical support services based in Calgary, Houston, London, Dubai, Bogota and Kuala Lumpur. CMG is the leading supplier of advanced processes reservoir modelling software in the world with a client base of international oil companies and technology centers in approximately 60 countries. The Company's shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "CMG".

For further information, please contact:

Pramod Jain

Chief Executive Officer

(403) 531-1300

pramod.jain@cmgl.ca

or

Sandra Balic

Vice President, Finance & CFO

(403) 531-1300

sandra.balic@cmgl.ca

www.cmgl.ca

SOURCE: Computer Modelling Group Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/707965/Computer-Modelling-Group-Announces-Voting-Results-Of-Election-Of-Directors
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Spirit Airlines Inc. (SAVE) has postponed its special meeting of stockholders in-connection with the proposed merger deal with Frontier Group Holdings Inc., until July 15, 2022. Previously, the special meeting was scheduled on July 8. The special meeting was postponed to allow the board to continue discussions with stakeholders of Spirit, Frontier, and JetBlue Airways Corp., Spirit said in a statement On Thursday. It is the third time Spirit has delayed a vote on its planned merger with Frontier. Spirit originally scheduled the special meeting on June 10 but had delayed the meeting until 30th June. Responding to Spirit's adjournment of special meeting, JetBlue said Thursday that it encouraged by its discussions with Spirit and is hopeful they now recognize that Spirit shareholders have indicated their clear, overwhelming preference for an agreement with JetBlue. JetBlue strongly recommends that Spirit shareholders continue to let the Spirit Board know they want to receive the superior value JetBlue has proposed, by voting against the Frontier transaction. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. was founded in 1997. It is a globalized automobile brand located in China.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005004/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

Over the past 20 years, Chery has always insisted on independent innovation, established a global automotive R&D team of more than 5,500 people, thus gradually establishing the holistic technology and product R&D system. In this way, Chery has successfully created product brands such as Arrizo, Tiggo, and high-end EXEED brand with cumulative global sales of more than 10 million units. The new pure electric OMODA series are also being deployed in the Italian market.

Chery has implemented a globalization strategy since its establishment and has become the first passenger car company in China to export complete vehicles, CKD parts, engines, manufacturing technology and equipment to the global market. Up to now, Chery has exports in more than 80 countries and regions, establishing more than 1,500 sales and service outlets with more than 1.8 million accumulative export volume, remaining the biggest exporter passenger vehicles in China for 19 years in a row.

In 2012, Chery and Jaguar Land Rover Motors jointly invested in the establishment of Chery Jaguar Land Rover Motors Co., Ltd., which is China's first Sino-British joint venture high-end automobile company.

In the future, the automobile market will enter the era of Electrification, Connection, Intelligence and Sharing. Chery Lion System emerges as the times require. The latest Chery Lion 2.0 system has been applied on Tiggo 8 and EXEED models, supporting the functions such as voice control, facial recognition, AR navigation, internet service and smart home. Chery has successfully developed the first and second generation of unmanned driving products and has planned to achieve L4 highly autonomous driving in 2025.

Based on information technology, Chery will integrate smart transport, intelligent manufacturing, IOT and block chain, dedicated to providing an intelligent interconnected lifestyle for global consumers in the new era.

Facebook: Chery Italia

link: https://www.facebook.com/cheryitalia

Facebook: Chery Spain

link: https://www.facebook.com/Chery-Espa%C3%B1a-105827098547919

Facebook: Chery France

link: https://www.facebook.com/Chery-France-111673837955296

Facebook: Chery Germany

link: https://www.facebook.com/Chery-Germany-106979888430597

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005004/en/

Contacts:

Zhijie Zhou

zhouzhijie@mychery.com

+86 18315371973
Jeff Bezos' superyacht may not see past the waters of the Netherlands anytime soon.

The Dutch city of Rotterdam announced it wouldn't be dismantling a part of its Koningshaven Bridge for Bezos's superyacht, the Y721, to sail through its waters, leaving it trapped and even possibly unfinished in the future, per CNET.

Bezos' superyacht is being constructed by a privately owned Netherlands-based custom yacht builder, Oceano.

Bezos' Superyacht Details

Bezos' superyacht, according to Boat International, measures 417 feet in length and has a three-masted schooner made of aluminum and steel. It allegedly stands at over 131 feet tall, per the Elite Traveler. Once it sets sail, it will dethrone the current largest sailing yacht, the Sea Cloud, which was commissioned for philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post back in the 1930s.

The superyacht is so large that if it stood vertically, it would be almost the same height as the Great Pyramid of Giza.

It features an on-deck swimming pool, a cinema, several lounges, and several business areas on its three decks, per Luxuo. It even has a support boat.

The support boat, according to Forbes, is mostly in charge of the superyacht's "toys" that won't fit in the superyacht, such as Bezos' submarine, aircraft, cars, and even other yachts.

The support boat also has a helipad for Bezos' helicopter to land on, per Bloomberg.

The superyacht's construction is expected to be completed sometime in 2022, most probably during the summer months.

The Problem With Bezos Superyacht

To say that Bezos' superyacht is huge is an understatement. However, its size may be its Achilles' Heel - the reason why it won't see past Dutch waters.

The bridge that Bezos' superyacht wants to pass under is the Koningshaven Bridge in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.

Read More: [RUMOR] Genshin Impact's Lisa and Ayaka Might Receive New Outfits Soon, Leak Suggests

Lovingly nicknamed "De Hef" or "The Lift," the bridge was built in 1877 and has suffered damage during the German bombings during World War 2. It has since been renovated, with the local municipality vowing that it will never be dismantled again.

However, the bridge only has a clearance of 131 feet, despite the lift. As such, the clearance the bridge provides is too small to the Y217 to pass under.

Unfortunately, the superyacht must pass through the bridge. SuperYacht News revealed that yachts or any other seacraft built by Oceanco have to pass through four bridges to get to the North Sea, and from there, the English Channel.

Oceanco's shipyard is located in the town of Albasserdam, along the Noord River. Bezos' superyacht will travel upstream pass the Brienenoord Bridge, east of Rotterdam, and then will go through De Hef the Koninginnebrug Bridge.

Afterwhich, it will have to pass through the Erasmus Bridge, and go through the Blankenburgverbinding Tunnel.

Once the superyacht clears the tunnel, it is now free to reach the North Sea and the English Channel.

However, since Rotterdam has denied Bezos' request to dismantle De Hef and let his superyacht pass through, the Y217 is essentially trapped within Oceanco's shipyard.

There is no other way out of the Netherlands unless Bezos could find a way to transport the superyacht across land and launch it onto another river.

Additionally, many of the Dutch were angered about Bezos' request to have De Hef temporarily disimantled due to it being a historical site as well as a functioning bridge.

Should Bezos' superyacht pass through De Hef, around a thousand dutchmen and women, mostly from Rotterdam, will allegedly come to throw rotten eggs at the superyacht as a sign of protest, per GeekWire.

Related Article: Jeff Bezos Presents New Amazon Super Bowl Ad Highlighting Alexa's Hunches Feature
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - Spearmint Resources Inc. (CSE: SPMT) (OTC Pink: SPMTF) (FSE: A2AHL5) (the "Company" or "Spearmint") is pleased to announce that the Company has hired Forage Fusion Drilling Ltd. as the driller for the maiden exploration drill program on the 100-percent owned "Goose Gold Project" directly bordering New Found Gold Corp.'s Queensway project in Newfoundland (see map below). The maiden drill program is anticipated to begin in July. Management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties in proximity to Spearmint may not necessarily be indicative to the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties.

James Nelson, President of Spearmint Resources, stated, "We are pleased to hire Forage Fusion Drilling Ltd. as the driller for the fully-funded maiden drill program on our 'Goose Gold Project' directly bordering New Found Gold Corp.'s Queensway project. With the drill permit now in hand and the driller hired, we anticipate our maiden drill program to begin in July. Not only do we border New Found Gold, but our 'Goose Gold Project' is approximately 1 km from their "Keats Zone" discovery making this one of, if not the closest projects to the discovery. This drill program is funded with flow-through funds on hand which included an investment by certain funds managed by Sprott Asset Management LP. Mr. Sprott is also one of the largest shareholders of New Found Gold. Spearmint also recently announced a major upgrade to our resource estimate in Nevada on our McGee Lithium Clay Deposit, having more than doubled the previous amount of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) to 1,369,000 indicated tonnes and 723,000 inferred tonnes of LCE for a total of 2,092,000 tonnes of LCE. We feel the second half of 2022 could have a significant impact for our shareholders."





Goose Gold Property Map

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4360/130300_804cc332044d8980_002full.jpg





Clayton Valley Ownership Map

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4360/130300_804cc332044d8980_003full.jpg

Qualified Person

Mr. Frank Bain, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained within this news release.

About Spearmint Resources

Spearmint's primary projects include three lithium projects in Clayton Valley, Nevada; the 'McGee Lithium Clay Deposit' which has a resource estimate of 1,369,000 indicated tonnes and 723,000 inferred tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) for a total of 2,092,000 tonnes of LCE., directly bordering Pure Energy Minerals & Cypress Development Corp.; the 'Elon Lithium Brine Project' which has access to some of the deepest parts of the only lithium brine basin in production in North America; and the recently acquired 'Green Clay Lithium Project' comprised of 97 contiguous claims totaling approximately 2,000 acres.

Spearmint's other primary projects include the 'Goose' Gold project directly bordering New Found Gold Corp. where Spearmint has sampled up to 973 ppb gold, and the Perron-East Gold Project consisting of 5 mineral claim blocks covering 11,608 acres located in the Abitibi greenstone belt of northwestern Quebec in the direct vicinity of Amex Exploration Inc.'s Perron property and past-producing Normetal mine. For a complete list of Spearmint's projects please visit spearmintresources.ca. Management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties in proximity to Spearmint may not necessarily be indicative to the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties.

If you would like to be added to Spearmint's news distribution list, please send your email address to info@spearmintresources.ca.

Contact Information

Tel: 1604646-6903

www.spearmintresources.ca

"James Nelson"

President

Spearmint Resources Inc.

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130300
LONDON, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Wine Challenge, the world's most influential, impartial and rigorously judged wine competition, has announced the 40 highest scoring wines in its 2022 competition.

Following a series of rigorous blind tastings, winners from sixteen countries were named the best wines in the world, as judged by a panel of leading global wine experts. Of these 40 exceptional wines, five were awarded the ultimate accolade of Champion, a title reserved for wines that are deemed the absolute best-in-class in the categories of red, white, sparkling, sweet and fortified.

NEW ZEALAND WINS CHAMPION WHITE TROPHY

For only the second time, the Champion White Trophy went to a New Zealand producer, Trinity Hill Wines, for its Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2020. The judges were impressed by its "expressive yet nuanced nose" while its environmental credentials were recognised with the IWC Sustainable Trophy. New Zealand was one of the top performing countries in this year's challenge, with a total of five wines in the top 40. Giesen Group had two wines in the top 40 with Single Vineyard Clayvin Syrah 2019 receiving the IWC Organic Trophy and The Brothers Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2017 claiming the New Zealand Sweet Trophy. Fellow Marlborough producer, Yealands Estate Wines, beat wines across the globe to secure the International Sauvignon Blanc Trophy for its Single Block S1 Sauvignon Blanc 2021.

AUSTRALIA WINS INTERNATIONAL GRENACHE TROPHY FOR FIRST TIME EVER

Australia came second for Gold Medals in this year's competition and had an impressive four wines in the top 40 list. For the first time ever, an Australian producer, Pinnacle Drinks, won the International Grenache Trophy for its The Ethereal One Fleurieu Grenache 2020, which the judges described as "soft and juicy yet elegant." Tasmania cemented its reputation as one of the county's leading wine producing regions with House of Arras winning the Australian Sparkling Trophy for its EJ Carr Late Disgorged 2006 and the Australian White Trophy going to Tolpuddle Vineyard for its Chardonnay 2020.

SOUTH AFRICA RECLAIMS FAIRTRADE AWARD

South Africa reclaimed the IWC Fairtrade Award for the first time since 2018 with the Spar Reserve Chenin Blanc Fairtrade 2021 from Breede River Valley producer Uniwines. South African winemakers saw wide success in this year's awards with the Whitehall Chardonnay 2020 from Neil Ellis Wines winning the South African White Trophy and Bouchard Finlaysonscooping the South African Red Trophy for its Tete de Cuvee Pinot Noir 2020.

Co-Chair Peter McCombie MW commented: 'The International Wine Challenge judging panel includes experts from all over the world and each trophy winning wine is tasted by at least three panels, meaning that each wine is judged as fairly as possible and entirely on its own merits. This year's top 40 features many familiar names but it is great to see wines from lesser-known regions standing up on the global stage too."

The 40 Best Wines in the World as judged by the International Wine Challenge 2022 include the below:

France Rare Champagne Millesime 2008 IWC Champion Sparkling Wine 2022, Champagne Trophy, Vintage Classic Blend Champagne Trophy France Maison Delas Freres Les Bessards 2019 IWC Champion Red Wine 2022, International Syrah Trophy, French Red Trophy, Hermitage Trophy, Rhone Red Trophy New Zealand Trinity Hill Wines Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2020 IWC Champion White Wine 2022, IWC Sustainable Trophy 2022, International Chardonnay Trophy, New Zealand White Trophy, Hawkes Bay Chardonnay Trophy Italy Tenuta Di Capezzana Vinsanto di Carmignano Capezzana Riserva 2014 IWC Champion Sweet Wine 2022, Italian Sweet Trophy Spain Bodegas Tradicion Oloroso Tradicion VORS IWC Champion Fortified Wine 2022, Sherry Trophy, Oloroso Trophy Australia The Ethereal One Fleurieu Grenache 2020 International Grenache Trophy, Australian Red Trophy, South Australian Grenache Trophy Australia Galway Pipe Rare Tawny 25 Years Australian Fortified Trophy Australia House of Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged 2006 Australian Sparkling Trophy Australia Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay 2020 Australian White Trophy, Australian Chardonnay Trophy, Tasmanian Chardonnay Trophy New Zealand Yealands Estate Single Block S1 Sauvignon Blanc 2021 International Sauvignon Blanc Trophy, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Trophy New Zealand Giesen Single Vineyard Clayvin Syrah 2019 IWC Organic Trophy 2022, Marlborough Syrah Trophy New Zealand McArthur Ridge Southern Tor 2020 New Zealand Red Trophy, Otago Pinot Noir Trophy New Zealand Giesen The Brothers Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2017 New Zealand Sweet Trophy South Africa Spar Reserve Chenin Blanc Fairtrade 2021 IWC Fairtrade Award 2022 South Africa Neil Ellis Whitehall Chardonnay 2020 South African White Trophy, South African Chardonnay Trophy South Africa Bouchard Finlayson Tete de Cuvee Pinot Noir 2020 South African Red Trophy

The full list of Trophy and Champion award winners at the 2022 International Wine Challenge released on 7th July can be found here.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The International Wine Challenge

In its 39th year, the International Wine Challenge is accepted as the world's most rigorous, impartial and influential wine competition. The International Wine Challenge assesses every wine 'blind' and judges each for its faithfulness to style, region and vintage.?Awards include medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and Commended awards.?Trophies are awarded to the very best wines in each category. The International Wine Challenge is committed to helping consumers discover great wine, and the medals displayed on winning bottles offer a trusted guarantee of quality.

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LONDON, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jandaz Cockapoos has been named as the UK Enterprise Awards Cockapoo Breeders of the Year 2022 by SME News.

The Welsh cockapoo breeder, based in Llandysul in Ceredigion, specialises in matching cockapoos with loving family homes in the UK, and abroad, and breeds all colours of puppies.

All Jandaz Cockapoos are micro-chipped, fully vaccinated, health-checked, wormed and treated for ear mites. The breeder also ensures all cockapoo parents are eye-tested and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) cleared and Phosphofructokinase (PFK) tested. The breeder also includes a puppy pack, brush, lead, bowl, shampoo, food, toys, chews, training pads, bed blanket, and after-care information sheet.

The UK Enterprise Awards, now in its sixth year, was set up to encompass a multitude of exciting and vibrant businesses and industries from all over the UK.

SME News, which has a magazine circulation of 78,000, look to honour the leading SME's, whatever their size, across the country, especially in the face of unprecedented hardship and uncertainty.

Jandaz Cockapoos has been rewarded for its dedication and innovation in the ways that they have not only adapted but weathered the COVID-19 storm to ensure the survival of their business.

An in-house research team carefully analysed the breeder's company background that is available both online and in the public domain as well as other materials supplied by them.

Jandaz Cockapoos is a family business and was founded in 1979 by Janice Griffiths. The breeder is now owned by Janice's daughter, Sarah, who remains as dedicated as her mother in the running of Jandaz Cockapoos for years to come.

For more information on Jandaz Cockapoos visit www.jandaz.co.uk
JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of market assessment report on "Global IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market By Application (Feed Optimization, Monitoring and Surveillance, Yield Analysis & Measurement, and Other Applications), By System Type (Smart Feeding Systems, Precision-fishing Techniques, Smart Buoy technology, Metocean Data Collection, Monitoring and Control Systems, Underwater ROV Systems, and Other System Type), Farm Type (Open Aquaculture Farms and RAS Farms)- By Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast Till 2030"

According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the global IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market size valued at US$ 415.37 Million in 2021 and it is expected to reach US$ 1232.32 Million in 2030, recording a promising CAGR of 13.2% during the period of 2022-2030.

Request for Sample Pages:https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1303

In recent years, IoT has already shown a vast array of application sectors. In Aquaculture sector, Internet of Things (IoT)-based devices are utilised to monitor aquaculture's fundamental demands and assist in the provision of fisheries necessities. Numerous water conditions will be monitored using IoT sensors to improve the fish habitat. These devices include sensors that detect the Potential of Hydrogen (pH) level and the water temperature, as well as two additional sections for the measurement of dissolved oxygen level and ammonia level using testing kits, which are required for proper fish farming in the appropriate water. Companies are focused on developing cloud-based analytical software tools, including artificial intelligence, for collecting data from smart sensors and satellites, making aquaculture operations more productive and environmentally friendly. Aquaculture's expanding popularity will drive future demand for IoT in the aquaculture market.

The growth of the IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market can be driven by the factors such as the increasing number of aquaculture farms, rising investments in R&D, innovation of products, fast adoption of advanced technologies, high demand for protein-rich aqua food, and increasing government support for infrastructure development in aquaculture. The key drivers of the market's expansion are the increasing use of aquaculture equipment in fish farms worldwide, the popularity of aquaculture farming using recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS), and the quick uptake of underwater ROVs in developing nations.

However, the development of the IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market may be hampered by complicated system procedures, high monitoring costs for aquaculture farms, a high capital investment requirement, a shortage of skilled operators, and a lack of farmers who are familiar with cutting-edge technologies.

Geographically, the Asia-Pacific market is expected to dominate during the forecast period due to the fast adoption of advanced technologies and the growing aquaculture industry. China, India, Indonesia, and Japan are the leading countries in this Region.

Some of the key Players of IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market are AKVA group (Norway), InnovaSea Systems (U.S.), Steinsvik (ScaleAQ) (Norway), Deep Trekker (Canada), Aquabyte (U.S.), Eruvaka Technologies (India), Akuakare (Turkey), CPI Equipment (Canada), Lifegard Aquatics (U.S.), Bluegrove (Norway), Imenco AS (Norway), In-Situ (U.S.), Signify (Netherlands), Jala Tech (Indonesia), Planet Lighting (Australia), Maritech Systems (Norway), OxyGaurd (Denmark), Aquaconnect (India), AquaMaof (Israel), MonitorFish (Germany), Observe Technologies (U.K.), Omso Systems (U.S.), Optimar AS (Norway), Sensorex (Norway), Marine Instruments, BlueTraker, NEC Global, Libelium, KDDI Corporation, HydroNeo, eFishery, Scatri, ORBCOMM, Blue Ocean Gear, GO Smart, Satlink, DHI Group, BOC MetOcean and Other Prominent Players

Enquiry Before Buying:https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1303

Key developments

In Apr 2022 , Deep Trekker Inc. has been acquired by Halma, a global consortium of life-saving technology firms. Deep Trekker will continue to be run as a separate business under Halma's management and will join the Environmental & Analysis sector.

, Deep Trekker Inc. has been acquired by Halma, a global consortium of life-saving technology firms. Deep Trekker will continue to be run as a separate business under Halma's management and will join the Environmental & Analysis sector. In Jun 2022 , A distribution partner agreement was established between eFishery and AquaEasy in order to implement an artificial intelligence (A.I.) solution supported by water quality internet of things (IoT) sensors. The goal of this multimillion-dollar partnership is to boost the productivity, financial success, and long-term viability of Indonesia's shrimp farming sector.

A distribution partner agreement was established between eFishery and AquaEasy in order to implement an artificial intelligence (A.I.) solution supported by water quality internet of things (IoT) sensors. The goal of this multimillion-dollar partnership is to boost the productivity, financial success, and long-term viability of shrimp farming sector. In May 2022 , Innovasea Unveils Tagless Fish Detection Technology that Counts Fish and Identifies Species in Real Time using imaging sonar, optical cameras and artificial intelligence.

, Innovasea Unveils Tagless Fish Detection Technology that Counts Fish and Identifies Species in Real Time using imaging sonar, optical cameras and artificial intelligence. In January 2020 , A significant provider of fish farming services in Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland Aqua Service Ltd (NAS), was acquired by AKVA group. Fish cages, docks, boats and barges, and nets are all manufactured by NAS, which also provides a full range of services, such as on-land net washing and disinfection, net manufacturing, testing, and mending/repair, and antifoulant treatment. Through this acquisition, the company hopes to increase its geographic presence in this region.

Market Segments

Global IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by Application, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Feed Optimization

Monitoring and Surveillance

Yield Analysis and Measurement

Others

Global IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by System Type, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

 Smart Feeding Systems

 Precision-fishing technique

 Monitoring and Control Systems

 Smart Buoy technology

 Metocean Data Collection

 Underwater ROV Systems

 Other System Type

Global IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by Farm Type, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Open Aquaculture Farms

RAS Farms

Global IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by Region, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

North America IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

U.S.

Canada

Europe IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa IoT for Fisheries and Aquaculture Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

For Customization:https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/1303

Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic:

Global Petcare IoT Platforms Market

Global Veterinary Digital Technology Market

Global Sustainable Feed & Nutrition for Aquaculture Market

Global Commercial Aquaculture Vaccines Market

Why should buy this report:

To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for the global IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market

To receive an industry overview and future trends of the IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market

To analyze the global IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market drivers and challenges

To get information on the global IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market size (Value US$ Mn) forecast to 2030

To get insights on investments, mergers & acquisitions in the global IoT for fisheries and aquaculture market industry

About Us:

InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain a competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets, and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

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The "Database of Freight Forwarders in Europe" database has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Database of Freight Forwarders in Europe is an Excel spreadsheet containing a list of the largest 6000 Freight Forwarders in Europe.

Each of the company lists displays the leading companies ranked by revenue in $USm.

Each Excel file contains the following:

Company name

Activity description (mainly for larger companies)

Address fields (address, zip postcode, country)

Telephone number

Website address

Revenue ($USm)

Employees

Name and job title of up to four management contacts

The Database will help:

To understand the leading companies in a particular industry

To track your competitors and to understand their size

If you have a product or service you wish to sell to companies in this sector

If you are looking for comparable companies for mergers and acquisitions activity

If you are researching the market and need to understand market shares

If you need names of key management within the leading companies in a sector

For more information about this database visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9wqrnp

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005150/en/

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Australia's Quinbrook Infrastructure has unveiled plans to build a AUD 2.5 billion (1.7 billion) data storage precinct in Brisbane that will be powered by renewable energy. It will include one of the largest battery storage installations in the National Electricity Market.From pv magazine Australia Quinbrook Infrastructure has announced plans to deploy a 2,000 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) backed by large-scale wind and solar generation, as part of plans to build one of the largest "green data" storage facilities in the Southern Hemisphere. The Supernode project will be developed ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jazeera Paints debuted a series of seminars titled All in One in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. These seminars will tour to several cities throughout the Kingdom. The seminars were held in Al-Qassim Province and the Eastern Province thus far before returning to Riyadh once again. The All in One seminar presented a comprehensive overview of the company's most recent and innovative products in the fields of paints, colors, and construction solutions.

Jazeera Paints introduced itself as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's only comprehensive national provider of construction solutions, where consumers can get all construction solutions products they need under one roof. A panoramic overview of the company's many building and construction products was showcased.

The second stop was in Al-Qassim Province, where the seminar was attended by a number of distinguished engineers and designers. The presenters demonstrated the company's latest products and informed the audience on how these products could help them with their various projects. The third spot was in Al Khobar, the Eastern Province, where interested members and interior design specialists met to discover the company's latest paints and construction solutions.

The All in One seminar was held once again in Riyadh, however this time it was specially intended for real estate developers to introduce them to the various products and services Jazeera Paints can offer them to complete their construction projects as efficiently as possible. The notion of All in One drew real estate developers because it allowed them to obtain all their project's construction necessities under one roof with high quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDRSfZJzdTE

In each of its All in One seminars, the company displayed a number of samples to demonstrate to the audience the high quality of their products, which range from insulation paint, architectural paint, decorative paint, industrial paint, to protective paint, metal paint, wood paint, eco-friendly paint, and fire-resistant paint, road marking paint, floor coatings, and dry mortar products, among other unique products, and illustrated the capabilities of the Jazeera Paints app.

About Jazeera Paints

Founded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1979, Jazeera Paints is a pioneering paint manufacturer in the Gulf Cooperation Council and Middle East and North Africa region, with an established reputation for manufacturing and exporting high-quality and eco-friendly paints. Since the founding of the company, its production capacity has grown to 400,000 tons annually, and Jazeera Paints is now displayed in more than 650 active showrooms.

Follow us on https://twitter.com/JPaintsGlobal.

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BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Finland's industrial production increased at a softer pace in May, mainly due to decline in manufacturing output, data from Statistics Finland showed on Friday. Industrial production increased a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent month-on-month in May, after a 3.4 percent rise in the prior month. In March, output decreased 1.3 percent. Production in manufacturing decreased 0.2 percent monthly in May and increased 5.2 percent from a year ago. Production in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply grew 3.6 percent on month in June and output in mining and quarrying rebounded 2.9 percent. On a yearly basis, industrial production rose a working-day adjusted 5.5 percent in May, after a 6.8 percent growth in April. Separate data from the statistical office showed that the industrial orders grew 10.9 percent annually in June, after a 0.8 percent drop in April. The chemical industry logged the biggest growth in orders at 33.4 percent. During the January to May period, industrial orders advanced by 9.6 percent. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DxPx Conference US for the first time in person in the US! The three-day partnering conference is taking place from July 26th to 28th, 2022 at the AACC Clinical Lab Expo in McCormick Place, Chicago. DxPx Conference US 2021 took place virtually due to the pandemic, and this year DxPx is taking industry investor partnering and networking to the next level by being in the flesh in the US! What's new this year is the strategic partnership with AACC (American Association for Clinical Chemistry) and the DxPx Startup City which features innovative startups and growth companies.

With renowned global players as knowledge partners, DxPx US is supported by one of the leading investment banks Brown Gibbons Lang Company LLC, as well as the international law firm McDermott Will Emery LLP. DxPx is proud to have AACC as a partner for this year's DxPx and looks forward to filling the in-person days with panel discussions and fireside chats. The DxPx US Startup City featuring innovative growth companies and promising entrepreneurs is something to watch out for because featuring the best innovation in the diagnostics, digital health, precision medicine, and life science tools is a big leap in these four interrelated industries. To further enable international partners joining the event who are currently subject to travel restrictions due to the pandemic, and therefore cannot be present in-person to participate, one-to-one business meetings can be arranged very efficiently via the digital partnering tool.

DxPx has always been aiming for one goal: to foster innovation and offer start-ups and growth companies a chance to connect with the most suitable investors and industry leaders. This is why DxPx is hosting the 42PLUS1,one of the highest prized Pitch Awards dedicated to supporting innovative startups and growth companies with over $2,000,000 funding. The satellite venue of 42PLUS1 is happening at the DxPx US and the 42PLUS1 jury consisting of accomplished industry experts and active investors will evaluate the submissions and invite 8 finalists to pitch live at the DxPx US taking place on stage at the Theatre at the AACC Clinical Lab Expo, Chicago, US on July 27th, 2022. The winner of the satellite 42event will get a wildcard to the grand finale taking place in Dusseldorf, Germany on November 15th and a safe spot to pitch for $2,000,000 as convertible loans!

Another endeavor of DxPx is the charity project called Diagnostics4Life. With the social engagement and helpfulness of the stakeholders, founders, and investors of DxPx, they also like to share this endeavor with all the participants. The founders of the DxPx Conference have always been motivated and inspired to improve the healthcare system. They have founded and built several companies focusing on diagnostics and life science tools. To further help communities that are not yet reached by current innovation and discoveries, the DxPx team along with their partners decided to launch Diagnostics4Life. This year, DxPx US is working with Conquer Cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology's foundation, for this initiative of raising awareness on conquering cancer and spreading the value our industries provide to our society. They have also been supporting their chosen DxPx EU charity, Elterninitiative herzkranker Kinder Koln by working together with the parents' initiative for children with heart disease in Cologne, Germany.

With the expertise in bringing people together, DxPx has proven to match life science decision-makers with numerous potential partners resulting in valuable business connections. Along with the innovative and engaging conference experience, DxPx has become a key date for executives of the industry to explore financing, licensing, and M&A opportunities; and to meet global leaders, investors innovative growth companies from +30 countries. With that, we are happy to announce the confirmed DxPx schedules for this year:

DxPx US

Three Days In-person: July 26th to 28th, 2022, AACC Clinical Lab Expo, McCormick Place, Chicago

2 Weeks Digital Partnering: July 15th 25th, 2022

DxPx EU

Two Days In-person: November 15th 16th, 2022, Maritim Hotel, Dusseldorf, Germany parallel to MEDICA

2 Weeks Digital Partnering: November 4th 15th, 2022

For this year's DxPx US Conference from July 26th to 28th, 2022, the DxPx team in cooperation with the AACC is well prepared regarding all recommended hygiene and protection measures and is looking forward to the safe and active participation of our visitors. To learn more about this focused partnering conference, visit https://dxpx-conference.com.

About DxPx Conference:

DxPx was first hosted in 2019 as an international Industry Investor Partnering Conference for executives from the Diagnostics, Digital Health, Precision Medicine Life Science Tools industries to explore financing, licensing, and M&A opportunities. The annual flagship conference takes place each November in Dusseldorf, Germany, and is accompanied by conferences in the US and China throughout the year.

About AACC:

Dedicated to achieving better health through laboratory medicine, AACC brings together more than 74,000 clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and business leaders from around the world focused on clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine, lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science. Since 1948, AACC has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing programs that advance scientific collaboration, knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more information, visit www.aacc.org.

About SLS Partnering GmbH:

SLS Partnering is an event and marketing agency that tailors its services to the specific needs of the Life Science industry. Built by scientists and marketeers, SLS Partnering is your trusted partner to translate technology and scientific content into high-quality marketable stories that trigger interest and emotion in customers and investors.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005167/en/

Contacts:

wordstatt GmbH

Dagmar Metzger

+49-172-8312173

info@wordstatt.de
XIAMEN, China, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from China Daily:

As a key port city of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt, the coastal city of Xiamen in East China's Fujian province has made contentious efforts to expand and improve maritime corridors and enhance economic and trade exchanges along the Maritime Silk Road.

Xiamen was historically significant as the beginning of the Maritime Silk Road. The city has the geographic advantage of connecting the north and south, as well as the east and west, and it has long played a crucial and necessary role in the country's development strategy.

Blessed with the above unique advantages, Xiamen has attached great importance to increasing interconnectivity in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aiming to build an efficient and convenient sea, land and air transport network for BRI countries and regions. All these efforts have proved successful for Xiamen to consolidate its position in land-sea transport under the BRI.

In 2015, the city launched the China-Europe Express (Xiamen), which has helped integrate the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road, and become a new engine for promoting the connectivity of the BRI.

As of the end of May, 1,147 China-Europe freight trains loaded with goods worth 27.71 billion yuan ($4.13 billion) departed from Xiamen for Europe, according to official data. The China-Europe Express (Xiamen) has opened three main routes from Xiamen to Hamburg in Germany, Central Asia and Russia.

A total of 2,026 standard containers carrying goods worth more than 1 billion yuan were handled by the combined sea-rail service from Xiamen, according to the freight operators.

The city's railway authorities have also launched innovative and tailor-made services for local enterprises, such as the TPV Display Special Train, enabling fast and convenient transport from Xiamen to the TPV plant in Poland.

In 2018, Xiamen launched the Silk Road Maritime, a new logistics facilitation platform, which aims to add tremendous value to shipping operations in the eastern region by optimizing routes currently in use.

As of the end of 2021, a total of 86 routes joined the Silk Road Maritime platform, connecting 102 ports in 29 countries, and the new logistics platform has been playing an important role in enhancing transportation networks and promoting trade in countries and regions involved in the BRI.
A Waymo autonomous car was attacked late Tuesday night in Tempe, Arizona, by an "erratic" pedestrian, breaking the windshield and hurting the safety driver, according to the company. It was the most recent case of people attacking Waymo cars in Arizona, as well as occasionally their safety drivers, as the company expands its commercial service in the state.

What Is Waymo?

Waymo divides its autonomous projects into two groups: Waymo One, a ride-hailing service for consumers, and Waymo Via, a division focused on the delivery of items locally and by truck.

Waymo One will be the main subject of this story.

In the Phoenix suburbs, Waymo, an Alphabet subsidiary that specializes in autonomous vehicles, introduced its first ride-hailing service in December 2018. This was a significant development for the former Google self-driving project, which has been developing the technology for almost ten years, as per The Verge.

In Phoenix and the other towns, such as Tempe, Waymo runs a commercial ride-hailing service employing both fully driverless vehicles (with no safety driver at the wheel) and vehicles with drivers. While the company has been warmly welcomed by government officials and business leaders in the area, not all people are thrilled about sharing the road with Waymo's autonomous cars.

Read More: Uber, Waymo Partner on Self-Driving Long-Distance Trucking

Waymo Vehicle Was Attacked

The company says that on July 5, a pedestrian ran out in front of a Waymo vehicle that was operating in autonomous mode. When the safety driver spotted the pedestrian, he or she put the car in manual mode and brought it to a complete stop before the pedestrian jumped onto the hood. The person, who Waymo spokesman Nick Smith called "erratic," then punctured the windshield, injuring the driver, according to another The Verge report.

A few hours after the incident, a video of the damaged Waymo vehicle-a wrecked Jaguar I-Pace electric car-was shared on Twitter.

A new Waymo Jaguar was in a single vehicle accident tonight. First responders confirmed it did not strike another vehicle. At least one person was transported as I arrived. Windshield is completely destroyed. Well lit area. #waymo #jaguar #SelfDrivingCars #tempe #google pic.twitter.com/oBqDflE45o  Andrew Hill (@AHill_) July 5, 2022

The Waymo driver was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment after the suspect was immediately caught by police, however Smith claims the driver was "not seriously harmed" and the company is "in discussion with local law enforcement" about the event.

Prior Incidents Where Someone Attacked Waymo Vehicles

In one incident held in August 2018, Waymo test driver Michael Palos was driving a self-driving van through Chandler, Arizona when he noticed a man pointing a handgun at him as the man's driveway.

Rocks have been tossed at Waymos. One was stalled in traffic when its tire was cut. The cars have been screamed at, chased, and one Jeep was in charge of chasing the vans six times off the road.

Many of the individuals bothering the van drivers appear to have a grudge against the company that has been conducting self-driving technology trials in the Chandler region since 2016.

The event is one of at least 21 incidents when people have obstructively approached autonomous vehicles and their human test drivers that Chandler police have recorded from 2016 to 2018.

Related Article: Waymo's Autonomous Semi-Trailer Trucks to Deliver Wayfair's Home Goods
Weiss Korea Opportunity Fund - Notice of AGM - Correction

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND OR SOUTH AFRICA OR TO U.S PERSONS

Weiss Korea Opportunity Fund Ltd.

(The "Company")

(a closed-ended investment scheme incorporated with limited liability

under the law of Guernsey with registration number 56535)

LEI Number: 213800GXKGJVWN3BF511

8 JULY 2022

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - CORRECTION

In relation to the Notice of Annual General Meeting that was sent to shareholders on 4 July 2022, there was a typographical error on the numbering of the resolutions. The content of the resolutions remains unchanged, however for the sake of clarity the amended Notice of Annual General Meeting is detailed below in full:

Weiss Korea Opportunity Fund Ltd.

(Company No. 56535)

(The "Company")

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Ninth Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the offices of Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited, Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, on 21 July 2022 at 1pm. (The "Meeting").

Resolution on

Form of Proxy Agenda Ordinary Business to be proposed as Ordinary Resolutions: 1. To elect the Chairman of the Meeting. 2. To receive the Accounts of the Company for the 31 December 2021. 3. To re-appoint KPMG Channel Islands Limited as Auditor of the Company until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting. 4. To authorise the Board of Directors to determine the Auditor's remuneration. 5. To re-elect Norman Crighton as a Director of the Company. 6. To re-elect Robert King as a Director of the Company. 7. To elect Gillian Morris as a Director of the Company. 8. To elect Krishna Shanmuganathan as a Director of the

Company. 9. To receive and adopt the Director's Remuneration Report as contained in the Annual Report. 10. To receive and adopt the Dividend Policy as set out in the Annual Report.



Special Business to be proposed as an Ordinary Resolution 11. THAT, the Company be generally and, subject as hereinafter appears, unconditionally authorised in accordance with section 315 of The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (the "Law") to make market acquisitions (within the meaning of section 316 of the Law) of its Ordinary Shares, PROVIDED THAT:



(i.) the maximum aggregate number of Ordinary Shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall be 27,722,831 Ordinary Shares (being a number equal to 40% of the issued Ordinary Shares (excluding Treasury Shares) as at the date of this Notice);

(ii.) the minimum price (exclusive of expenses) payable by the Company for each Ordinary Share shall be 0.01;

(iii.) the maximum price which may be paid for an Ordinary Share must not be higher than 10;

(iv.) the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2023, or, if the earlier, 18 months from the date of this resolution, unless such authority is varied, revoked or renewed prior to such time;

(v.) the Company may make a contract to purchase Ordinary Shares under the authority hereby conferred prior to the expiry of such authority which will or may be executed wholly or partly after the expiration of such authority and may make an acquisition of Ordinary Shares pursuant to any such contact; and

any Ordinary Shares bought back may be cancelled or held in treasury. Special Resolutions 12. THAT, the Directors of the Company be and they are hereby generally empowered, to issue, to grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert and make offers or agreements to issue Ordinary Shares (as detailed in Articles 5.1 and 6.1 of the Articles) for cash as if the pre-emption rights contained in Article 6.1 in respect of such Ordinary Shares did not apply to any such issue, provided that this power shall be limited so that it:

(i.) expires at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company after the passing of this resolution or on the expiry of 15 months from the passing of this resolution, whichever is the earlier, save that the Company may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would or might require Ordinary Shares to be issued after such expiry and the Directors may issue Ordinary Shares in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if the power conferred hereby had not expired; and

shall be limited to the issue of Ordinary Shares up to 6,930,707 Ordinary Shares being approximately 10 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company, as at the date of this Notice. 13. THAT, conditional on resolution 11 above having been passed, the Directors of the Company be and they are hereby generally empowered, in addition to and without prejudice to the power granted by resolution 9 above, to issue, to grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert and make offers or agreements to issue Ordinary Shares (as detailed in Article 5.1 of the Articles) for cash as if the pre-emption rights contained in the Articles in respect of such Ordinary Shares did not apply to any such issue, provided that this power shall be limited so that it:

(i.) expires at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company after the passing of this resolution or on the expiry of 15 months from the passing of this resolution, whichever is the earlier, save that the Company may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would or might require Ordinary Shares to be issued after such expiry and the Directors may issue Ordinary Shares in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if the power conferred hereby had not expired; and

shall be limited to the issue of up to 6,930,707 Ordinary Shares being approximately 10 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company, as at the date of this Notice.

Any Other Business.

Enquiries:

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

The Company Secretary

Trafalgar Court

Les Banques

St Peter Port

Guernsey

GY1 3QL

Tel: 01481 745001

END
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DGAP-News: Mirovia AB / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

Mirovia AB: Mirovia Nordics AB (publ)'s subsidiary Plenius by Mirovia AB acquires Mercanza S.L., Spain's leading Qlik implementor



08.07.2022 / 13:10

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Mirovia Nordics AB (publ)'s subsidiary Plenius by Mirovia AB acquires Mercanza S.L., Spain's leading Qlik implementor

July 8th 2022

Plenius by Mirovia AB, subsidiary to Mirovia Nordics AB (publ), acquires Mercanza S.L., Spain's leading supplier of Qlik solutions. In 2021, Mercanza had a revenue of 11,9 m EUR and an EBITDA of 1,8 m EUR.

Mercanza, a Madrid-based company, develops technological solutions for business management and business analysis. It was founded in 1991 and has since helped thousands of clients with the implementation of systems and projects.

"When I began the adventure of setting up an IT services company, I never imagined that, after 30 years, I would have 200 professionals on my team, more than 600 clients and such an enriching career journey", says Pablo Manuel Robles Rodriguez, CEO of Mercanza.

As the leading Qlik implementor in Spain, Mercanza helps their clients improve their business management and increase their productivity with business intelligence. Qlik is a Windows application that allows you to create visualizations, graphs, interactive dashboards and analytical applications for local and offline use.

"At Plenius we always look for the best companies, with continuous and stable growth over time. Mercanza's story amazed us from the beginning, but it was when we visited its offices for the first time that we fully understood the scale of this company", says Morten Duwe, CEO and Co-founder of Plenius by Mirovia AB.

About Mercanza:

Mercanza has been developing technological solutions for business management and business analysis since 1991. They offer solutions for Business Intelligence, improving their clients' business management and increasing the productivity of their technological resources. With over 1500 Qlik applications installed, Mercanza is the leading provider of Qlik applications in Spain.

About Plenius by Mirovia:

Plenius by Mirovia is a Spanish Group that invests in entrepreneurial companies offering software solutions and niche IT services. Mirovia was founded in 2020 with the goal of being an active owner and business partner to small and medium-sized companies that have continued control their own operations.

About Mirovia Group

Mirovia is a group that invests in entrepreneurial companies offering software solutions and niche IT services. Mirovia was founded in 2020 with the goal of being an active owner and business partner to small and medium-sized companies that have continued control their own operations.

For more information, please contact:

Sebastian Karlsson, CEO and Co-founder on sebastian@mirovia.io

www.mirovia.io

This information constitutes inside information that Mirovia Nordic AB (publ) is required to publish in accordance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU 596/2014). The information was submitted, through the care of the above contact person, for publication at the time specified by the Company's news distributor Cision at the time of publication of this press release. The above responsible persons can also be contacted for further information.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

08.07.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 8, 2022 / Amarc Resources Ltd. ("Amarc" or the "Company") (TSXV:AHR); (OTCQB:AXREF) is pleased to announce that it has engaged Kin Communications Inc. ("Kin") to assist with its investor relations activities.

Amarc President and CEO Diane Nicolson said, "With three copper-gold districts, each hosting a known porphyry copper deposit that is prime for moving toward development as well as multiple copper-gold deposit targets that are ready for drill discovery, we believe that Amarc is uniquely positioned to both provide copper to help fill the growing global copper supply gap and benefit from the opportunities from its exposure to gold."

Amarc has partnered with foremost copper producer Freeport Mineral Properties Canada Inc. ("Freeport") on the JOY Copper-Gold District, and our other Districts are also positioned for efficient, value-accretive programs and deals. Amarc has planned targeted programs for its DUKE and IKE Copper-Gold Districts and is working to establish funding to advance the development of both DUKE and IKE.

"As such, it is the right time to partner with a full-service IR firm like Kin, with an extensive network of investors to create a targeted communications program and broaden the reach of our message" added Nicolson. "Kin has a track record of enhancing communication and increasing the liquidity of the companies for which it provides services."

Under the terms of the Investor Relations Agreement with Kin (the "Agreement"), Kin has agreed to assist Amarc with investor relations, including communicating with and marketing to potential investors, shareholders and media contacts for a period of twelve months and on a month-to-month basis thereafter. In consideration for the services, the Company has agreed to pay Kin $12,500 per month for the initial 12-month period. In addition, the Company has granted Kin stock options entitling it to purchase 1,000,000 of the Company's common shares at a price of $0.11 per share with a five-year term, vesting in three instalments of 33%, 33% and 34%, with the first instalment vesting 90 days after the Effective Date of the Agreement. Kin is owned by President & CEO Arlen Hansen and has no direct relationship with the Company, other than as described in this news release.

The investor relations agreement with Kin and the grant of options thereunder is subject to regulatory approval.

About Amarc Resources Ltd.

Amarc is a mineral exploration and development company with an experienced and successful management team focused on developing a new generation of long-life, high-value porphyry copper-gold mines in BC. By combining high-demand projects with dynamic management, Amarc has created a solid platform to create value from exploration and development of its assets.

Amarc is advancing its 100%-owned IKE, DUKE and JOY porphyry coppergold districts located in different prolific porphyry regions of southern, central and northern BC, respectively. Each district represents significant potential for the development of multiple and important-scale, porphyry coppergold deposits. Importantly each of the three districts is located in proximity to industrial infrastructure - including power, highways and rail.

For further details on Amarc Resources Ltd., please visit the Company's website at www.amarcresources.com or contact Dr. Diane Nicolson, President & CEO, at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Dr. Diane Nicolson

President and Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor any other regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking and other Cautionary Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All such statements, other than statements of historical facts that address exploration plans and plans for enhanced relationships are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Assumptions used by the Company to develop forward-looking statements include the following: Amarc's projects will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses, studies and exploration of Amarc's projects will continue to be positive, and no geological or technical problems will occur. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, potential environmental issues or liabilities associated with exploration, development and mining activities, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and tenure and delays due to third party opposition, changes in and the effect of government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, exploration and development of properties located within Aboriginal groups asserted territories may affect or be perceived to affect asserted aboriginal rights and title, which may cause permitting delays or opposition by Aboriginal groups, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions, as well as risks relating to the uncertainties with respect to the effects of COVID-19. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Amarc Resources Ltd., investors should review Amarc's annual Form 20-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: Amarc Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/707962/Amarc-Progressing-Its-BC-Copper-Gold-Districts-and-Engages-Kin-Communications-Inc
Field crew was mobilized in June.

Several techniques (IP, MT, SWIR) are vectoring toward the best drill targets.

This program builds on prior work that was conducted on pieces of a now consolidated property.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - Mountain Boy Minerals Ltd (TSXV: MTB) (OTCQB: MBYMF) (FSE: M9UA) ("Mountain Boy" or the "Company") reports that field work commenced on the project in June and the geophysical survey is now underway. The geology team is applying multiple geoscientific techniques in addition to conventional geological work to define areas of favourable alteration and mineralization in preparation for drilling.

The program over the next few weeks involves ground geophysics (induced polarization and magnetotellurics) and on-site shortwave infrared analysis of rock samples which is used to identify alteration minerals that may be associated with mineralization. Geologists are continuing to map and sample the known mineralized areas and exploring other areas of the extensive property. The objective of this work is to define drill targets and establish a better understanding of the overall geological setting on the property.

Much of the historic work focused on the Dok target and included two drill holes which intersected sub-ore grade copper and gold mineralization. The Dok target is now seen as part of a six-kilometer trend which includes the Dok, Red Creek, Dok-X, and Nirvana Bowl areas and straddles the former property line near the middle of that trend. The area around the former property line exhibits several encouraging features, including elevated copper and gold values on surface, with many samples over 1% copper, up to 17.95%, anomalous copper and gold soil samples, widespread hydrothermal alteration consistent with porphyry-style mineralization and a chargeability high from the 2012 IP survey. The area has received only minimal exploration and remains untested. This area, in the middle of the six-kilometer trend, is currently interpreted as an important feature in the exploration of this extensive copper-gold porphyry system.

2022 Field Program, Including IP and MT Survey

A 14-line kilometre 3D induced polarization (IP) and magnetotelluric (MT) survey, using a Volterra distributed acquisition system, was designed to improve the understanding of the subsurface geology on the Telegraph project. The grid lines are oriented northeast to best test several features obliquely and complement the IP survey lines conducted in 2012. The current survey will better define the strong chargeability anomaly and encouraging alteration identified in the area around the southeast end of the 2012 IP survey. The current lines straddle the Dok, Dok-X and Red Creek targets and are immediately west-northwest of the Nirvana Bowl target.

Recent interpretation of the 2012 IP results suggests a buried intrusive unit corresponding to a resistive anomaly in the MT data. This is capped by a strong chargeability anomaly which is interpreted to be phyllic hydrothermal alteration of the volcanic rocks overlying the intrusive, a common feature of porphyry deposits. Chargeability anomalies also exist at the northwest end of the 2012 IP program. The current IP program will infill the 2012 lines to test the hypothesis that the northwest anomaly is an extension of the southeastern chargeability anomaly. If that is the case, the high-grade mineralization identified in the Nirvana Bowl area is on strike with this southeast trend. The terrain in the Nirvana Bowl is not well suited for ground IP and MT data collection, however there is good exposure for geologic alteration and structural mapping and sampling, which is currently underway.

To complement the geophysical surveys and structural and geological mapping, the Company is conducting a systematic rock sampling program for short wave near infrared (SWIR) analysis. This technique identifies alteration minerals in hydrothermal systems. Initial results from the SWIR data collected in 2021 confirm the presence of porphyry-style alteration minerals and suggest that multiple hydrothermal pulses have altered and mineralized the host rocks in both the Dok and Yeti targets on the property. SWIR analysis is useful for vectoring within a porphyry system.

Other targets on the property will also be examined during the 2022 field program including the Yeti target where historic sampling has yielded 81 samples over 1% copper and 18 samples over 10 grams per tonne gold, including a sample that assayed 515 grams per tonne (16.56 troy ounces per ton) gold.

Lawrence Roulston, Mountain Boy's CEO, summarized the intent of the current program: "Our in-house geological team, backed by some leading porphyry experts, have done an outstanding job of compiling, and interpreting the enormous amount of information that has been collected over the years on what is now a consolidated property position. An important aspect of the current program is the Border Zone, the area that straddles the previous property line, and was largely overlooked. The MTB geological work last summer highlights the importance of this area, which sits in the middle of a 6-kilometer mineralized trend. The present geological work, together with results from the IP, MT, and SWIR will provide the information needed to determine the best drill locations."

The 252 square kilometre Telegraph Project is located in BC's Golden Triangle, in the vicinity of several large porphyry deposits including Galore Creek (Teck - Newmont), Schaft Creek (Teck - Copper Fox), Big Red (Libero Copper and Gold), Saddle and Saddle North (Newmont) and the operating Red Chris copper-gold mine (Newcrest - Imperial Metals).

About Mountain Boy Minerals

Mountain Boy has six active projects spanning 624 square kilometres (62,464 hectares) in the prolific Golden Triangle of northern British Columbia.

The American Creek project is centered on the historic Mountain Boy silver mine and is just north of the past producing Red Cliff gold and copper mine (in which the Company holds an interest). The American Creek project is road accessible and 20 km from the deep-water port of Stewart.



On the BA property, 182 drill holes have outlined a substantial zone of silver-lead-zinc mineralization located 4 km from the highway.



Surprise Creek is interpreted to be hosted by the same prospective stratigraphy as the BA property and hosts multiple occurrences of silver, gold and base metals.



On the Theia project, work by Mountain Boy and previous explorers has outlined a silver bearing mineralized trend 500 metres long, highlighted by a 2020 grab sample that returned 39 kg per tonne silver (1,100 ounces per ton).



Southmore is located in the midst of some of the largest deposits in the Golden Triangle. It was explored in the 1980s through the early 1990s and was overlooked until Mountain Boy consolidated the property and confirmed the presence of multiple occurrences of gold, copper, lead and zinc.



The Telegraph project has a similar geological setting to major gold and copper-gold deposits in the Golden Triangle. The MTB geological team assembled the results of work spanning several decades by more than 50 companies, each working on small target areas.

The technical disclosure in this release has been read and approved by Andrew Wilkins, B.Sc., P.Geo., a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Lawrence Roulston

President & CEO

For further information, contact:

Caroline Klukowski

info@mountainboyminerals.ca

Tel:604.260.5490

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130307
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - Sensor Technologies Corp. (CSE: SENS) (the "Company" or "Sensor") would like to announce that it has retained Mr. Philip Wong as a financial consultant to the Company.

Mr. Wong, who is a Hong Kong resident, is currently the principal of Precious International Investment Management ("PIIM"), a private Hong Kong company that provides financing for companies, both in Hong Kong and internationally. Mr. Wong has also served as Vice President, China Canton Exchange Group, Guangzhou and Chief Executive Officer of GuangDong K-Banker Group, Guangzhou. In addition to PIIM, Mr. Wong has partnership interests in GuoHong PE Investment Fund Management Co. Ltd., China, Oneday Assets Management Co. Ltd., Hong Kong, EBullion, Inc. (EBML), USA and Guangdong HengHao Private Securities Investment Fund Management Co., China. Mr Wong holds a BBA from City University of Hong Kong (2014) and an MBA, University of Bradford, London (2020).

Mr. Wong will be assisting the Company with securing funds to carry out its proposed change of business transaction as disclosed in the Company's press releases dated December 7 and December 16, 2021.

About Sensor

Sensor currently develops non-intrusive asset health monitoring sensor systems for the oil and gas market to help operators track the thinning of pipelines and refinery vessels due to corrosion/erosion, strain due to bending/buckling and process pressure and temperature. Sensor's FT fiber optic sensor and corrosion monitoring systems allow cost-effective, 24/7 remote monitoring capabilities to improve scheduled maintenance operations, avoid unnecessary shutdowns, and prevent accidents and leaks.

Corporation contact:

Jay Vieira, President, CEO

email: jay@fox-tek.com

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note regarding Forward-looking Statements

This news release includes certain information and forward-looking statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statement will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Corporation disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether because of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130315
Less than three months after its launch, SiaXperience, the group's design and creativity brand, acquires New York-based creative agency, Addison, specializing in ESG communications (50 designers, $12mm 11.5m in revenue).

First acquisition for SiaXperience

In March 2022, the group brought together all its design, creativity and customer experience skills under a single brand, SiaXperience (siaxperience.com), in 10 design centers: Paris, San Francisco Bay, Montreal, London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Lyon, Seattle.

SiaXperience's ambition is to develop connectivity between brands and consumers, with a powerful analytical bias at the service of best practices in creativity and design. The offer is structured around three service lines: Digital Marketing, Collaborative Design and Growth Strategy.

Addison, founded in 1962 in New York and headed by Roger Byrom, has about 50 employees and specializes in digital financial communications. It is one of the pioneers of ESG financial communications, working for major players such as Blackrock, Brookfield and PepsiCo. Addison will generate approximately $12m in revenue (11.5m) in 2022.

The integration of Addison creates a fourth service line within SiaXperience, dedicated to ESG Communication. This acquisition allows us to establish an 11th design center, based in New York.

The Addison brand will continue to operate independently during the integration process within SiaXperience. Roger Byrom joins SiaXperience's global management team.

"With just over 30m in revenue and 7% of the group's activity, this merger confirms the development of a third solid business area, alongside management and strategy consulting and artificial intelligence. Our consulting origin defines our specific added value, thanks to the contribution of our experts and our business strategists who work hand in hand with the creatives. The integrated operation of our 11 design centers is a key differentiating factor for international brands," says Matthieu Courtecuisse. "We are pleased to develop a dedicated ESG activity, which fits perfectly with the thirty or so strategic consulting solutions around Consulting for Good, which represents nearly 20% of our overall activity."

The integration is effective as of July 1, 2022.

ABOUT SIA PARTNERS

Sia Partners is a next-generation management consulting firm and pioneer of Consulting 4.0. We offer a unique blend of AI and design capabilities, augmenting traditional consulting to deliver superior value to our clients. With 2,400 consultants in 18 countries and expertise in more than 30 sectors and services, we optimize client projects worldwide. Through our Consulting for Good approach, we strive for next-level impact by developing innovative CSR solutions for our clients, making sustainability a lever for profitable transformation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005151/en/

Contacts:

press@sia-partners.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - Big Ridge Gold Corp. (TSXV: BRAU) ("Big Ridge" or "Company") is pleased to announce that it has initiated a non-brokered private placement of 10,000,000 flow-through units of the Company (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.20 per FT Unit for gross proceeds of C$2,000,000 (the "Offering"). Each FT Unit will consist of one common share of the Company to be issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, an "FT Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of C$0.27 for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Offering.

The Use of Proceeds from the financing will be used for resource expansion drilling at the Hope Brook Gold Project.

The gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Units allocated to the FT Shares (the "FT Commitment Amount") will be used for "Canadian Exploration Expenses" (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (the "Qualifying Expenditures"), which will be renounced to the subscribers of the FT Units (the "Subscribers") with an effective date no later than December 31, 2022. If the amount of Qualifying Expenditures renounced to the Subscribers is reduced by the Canada Revenue Agency, the Company will indemnify each Subscriber for any additional taxes payable by such Subscriber as a result of the reduction.

The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about July 22, 2022 and is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals including the acceptance of the offering by TSX Venture Exchange. Finder's fees and finder's warrants will be payable in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The FT Shares, Warrant Shares and any common shares of the Company that are issuable pursuant to the exercise of the finder's warrants will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The Company intends to apply for approval from the TSX Venture Exchange for an aggregate offering size of up to approximately 11,060,000 Units in the event that First Mining Gold elects to exercise in part or in full its participation right to maintain its pro rata ownership percentage in the Company (which is currently approximately 10.6%).

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such Act.

About Big Ridge Gold Corp.

Big Ridge Gold Corp. is an exploration and development company managed by a disciplined and experienced team of officers and directors. The Company is committed to the development of advanced stage mining projects using industry best practices combined with strong social license from our local communities. Big Ridge owns a 100% interest in the highly prospective Oxford Gold Project located in Manitoba and the Destiny Gold Project in Quebec. Big Ridge is the operator of the Hope Brook Gold Project located in Newfoundland and Labrador. For more details regarding the Company's projects, please visit our website at www.bigridgegold.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

Mike Bandrowski,

President & CEO

For Further Information Contact:

Mike Bandrowski,

President & CEO

BIG RIDGE GOLD CORP.

18 King Street East, Suite 1400

Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4

Tel: 416-540-5480

Email: Mike@bigridgegold.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events, including the closing of the Offering. All forward-looking statements are based on Big Ridge's and its employees' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Big Ridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Big Ridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.

Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130339
Average score of 35.1 exceeds global average of 31.9

23.2% of Nord Anglia students achieve 40+ points

33% of Nord Anglia's IBDP schools celebrate a 'perfect 45'

LONDON, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading international schools group Nord Anglia Education announced today that its students are again celebrating outstanding International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) results. This year's results are well above the world average, with 23.2% of Nord Anglia's IBDP students achieving 40 points or more.

Nord Anglia is one of the world's largest providers of the IBDP, with over 1,600 students sitting the IBDP and 42 of its schools offering the programme.

The average IBDP score for Nord Anglia students was 35.1 for the 2021/2022 academic year, far exceeding the global average of 31.9. For the ninth year running, Nord Anglia's students have exceeded the global average.

This year, athird (33%) of Nord Anglia schools offering the IBDP saw students achieve a perfect score of 45 out of 45.

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES ACROSS NORD ANGLIA'S SCHOOLS

Across Nord Anglia's schools there were many standout performances. For example:

In Southeast Asia , Dover Court International School in Singapore achieved an average score of 39, with 56% of students earning 40+ points. British International School Ho Chi Minh City's average of 38 is particularly impressive given its large cohort of 122 IBDP students.





, Dover Court International School in achieved an average score of 39, with 56% of students earning 40+ points. British International School Ho Chi Minh City's average of 38 is particularly impressive given its large cohort of 122 IBDP students. In China , Leman International School Chengdu saw an exceptional average score of 38.2, while the British International School Shanghai, Puxi had an average of 38.3, with 52% of students scoring 40 points or more, including one student scoring a perfect 45.





, Leman International School Chengdu saw an exceptional average score of 38.2, while the British International School Shanghai, Puxi had an average of 38.3, with 52% of students scoring 40 points or more, including one student scoring a perfect 45. In Europe , College du Leman's average score was 36.5, and they also celebrated a top score of 45. Nord Anglia International School Dublin saw over 20% of its inaugural graduating students achieve an IB score of 40 points or more.





, College du Leman's average score was 36.5, and they also celebrated a top score of 45. Nord Anglia International School Dublin saw over 20% of its inaugural graduating students achieve an IB score of 40 points or more. For the Americas, the British International School of Boston achieved a 38-point average. British International School of Houston had an average of 35, with one perfect 45 and 20% of students achieving 40 points or more.





achieved a 38-point average. British International School of had an average of 35, with one perfect 45 and 20% of students achieving 40 points or more. In the Middle East , Nord Anglia International School Dubai achieved an average of 37.5, including a top score of 45 points. Compass International School Doha's average score was 34.7 with 23% of its students achieving 40 points or more.





, Nord Anglia International School Dubai achieved an average of 37.5, including a top score of 45 points. Compass International School Doha's average score was 34.7 with 23% of its students achieving 40 points or more. In India , Oakridge International School Bengaluru achieved an average score of 34 points.

STUDENTS ACCEPTED INTO THE WORLD'S TOP UNIVERSITIES

This year's outstanding results continue to see one in two Nord Anglia students attending the top 100 universities globally. Nord Anglia's students have secured offers from some of the world's best universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Cambridge, Stanford University, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and more.

Dr Elise Ecoff, Group Education Director at Nord Anglia, said: "As always, this year's IB results are testament to our students' hard work and dedication. These results reflect their commitment to learning and we couldn't be prouder of what they've achieved, which now sets them on the path to studying at the world's best universities. This year's exceptional results are all the more impressive given the challenges of the pandemic over the last two years. Our students' resilience and determination has been inspiring.

"It's also a time to celebrate for our talented teachers who've been there every step of the way helping their IBDP students achieve more than they ever imagined possible. We know just how much their support, creativity and inspiration means to our students and their families."

Recognised in more than 100 countries worldwide, the IBDP is one of the most highly regarded international curricula, well known for its breadth and academic rigour, which nurtures a global outlook and prepares students for success at university and in their working lives.

Media enquiries:

David Bates

Communications Manager

david.bates@nordanglia.com

+44 7787 135223

About Nord Anglia Education

As a leading premium international schools organisation, we are shaping a generation of creative and resilient global citizens who graduate from our schools with everything they need for success, whatever they choose to be or do in life.

Our strong academic foundations combine world-class teaching and curricula with innovative technology and facilities, creating learning experiences like no other. Inside and outside of the classroom, we inspire our students to achieve more than they ever thought possible.



No two children learn the same way, which is why our 78 schools in 31 countries around the world personalise learning to what works best for every student. Inspired by our high-quality teachers, our students achieve outstanding academic results and go on to study at the world's top universities.

To learn more or apply for a place for your child, go to nordangliaeducation.com.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1503193/Nord_Anglia_Education_Logo.jpg
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - Gold Tree Resources Ltd. (CSE: GTX) ("Gold Tree" or the "Company") announces that it has signed and closed a share purchase agreement dated July 7, 2022 (the "SPA") with 1314836 BC Ltd. ("BCCo") in respect of the Company's previously announced transaction (the "Transaction"), whereby the Company has acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of BCCo. BCCo's principal asset and undertaking is its wholly owned subsidiary Lithium Valley Holdings Corp., which owns the McDermitt Lithium Property located in Nevada, USA (the "Property").

Adrian Smith, Gold Tree's CEO commented, "We see the potential for the Property to host large-scale, long-life sources of lithium, occurring near-surface and falling within the lower end of the global cost curve. The project is located in a mining friendly jurisdiction with significant domestic lithium demand that is currently satisfied by imported material. We also see the opportunity to rapidly advance the project through the exploration stage to create significant value for the Company."

Pursuant to the SPA, the Company has issued an aggregate of 3,000,000 common shares (the "Consideration Shares") to the shareholders of BCCo at a deemed price per Consideration Share of $0.20, representing aggregate consideration of $600,000. The aggregate consideration paid under the Transaction was based on a report to confirm the economic geology potential of the McDermitt Lithium Property owned by BCCo dated June 27, 2022, which was prepared by a professional geologist.

The Transaction was completed pursuant to available prospectus exemptions in accordance with applicable securities legislation. The Consideration Shares are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from issuance pursuant to applicable securities laws. The Transaction was an arms-length transaction for the Company and did not constitute a fundamental change or result in a change of control of the Company, within the meaning of the policies of the CSE.

Adrian Smith, Gold Tree's CEO further commented, "We see this as a strategic acquisition of a key North American property located within one of the most sought-after lithium basins in North America which already hosts two of the largest lithium deposits in the USA."

About Gold Tree Resources Ltd.

Gold Tree Resources Ltd. (CSE: GTX) is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of North American mining projects. The Company seeks to identify large-scale source areas of economic mineralization to create value for its shareholders. Gold Tree owns 100% interest in the SkyGold Project, in the British Columbia's Cariboo Placer Gold Region, the highest producing placer gold camp in British Columbia, Canada. For further information, please visit http://www.goldtreeresources.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Adrian Smith, CEO

T: 604-687-2038

The CSE and Information Service Provider have not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the Company's expected benefits of the Transaction and opportunities which will arise from the acquisition of the Property. The forward-looking information reflects management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Such risk factors may include, among others, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation and environmental regulation; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; competition for, among other things, skilled personnel and supplies; incorrect assessments of the value of acquisitions; geological, technical, processing and transportation problems; changes in tax laws and incentive programs; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and dispositions; and the other factors. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; and (ii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company's management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available at www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130306




South Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun asked Friday for U.S. lawmakers' support for the passage of a key semiconductor bill as it is expected to help boost South Korean firms' business activities in the U.S. and bilateral trade, his office said.







During a meeting with the delegation of the U.S. Congressional Study Group on Korea (CSGK) in Seoul, Ahn asked for its backing for the CHIPS Act, which calls for a $52 billion package of incentives and subsidies to chip manufacturing in the U.S.







He also asked for their attention to the passage of the Partnering with Korea Act, which is meant to issue up to 15,000 visas per year for highly skilled South Korean professionals with "specialty occupations," according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.







"The bills are expected to create circumstances favorable to South Korean firms doing business in the U.S.," Ahn told the bipartisan study group on South Korea.







The two sides also discussed efforts by Seoul and Washington to boost trade and investment, and to ensure stable supply chains through the bilateral free trade agreement and the U.S.-led new economic framework of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), among other things, the ministry said.







"Ahn and the CSGK delegation shared the need for their coordinated role to respond to multiple global crises and vowed continued cooperation," the ministry said in a release.







Eight CSGK members visited South Korea, including U.S. House of Representatives Ami Bera and Young Kim. The study group was launched in 2018 as part of diplomatic efforts to deepen ties between Seoul and Washington, and currently consists of 55 U.S. representatives. (Yonhap)






Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - The Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) smashes the barriers, stereotypes and misrepresentation that inhibit Black men from succeeding in business at the National Black Men in Business Bootcamp on July 8 and 9, 2022. This bootcamp gives Canadian Black businessmen a unique opportunity to gain essential entrepreneurial skills and network with other Black professionals to grow and scale up their operations.

"We are fathers, sons, husbands, business men and contributing members of our communities," says Ross Cadastre, BBPA President. "The Black Men in Business Bootcamp not only provides much needed entrepreneurial training, networking and mentorship, it also allows us - as Black men - to tell and reshape our story."

The Black Men in Business Bootcamp launches with a plenary session on Friday evening featuring keynote speaker Trent Out Loud, Montreal entrepreneur and BBPA Harry Jerome Award winner. Saturday features skills development workshops including the Business Model Canvas and Business Plan Creation, Core Business Financials, Marketing your Specialty, Legal Basics for Entrepreneurs, Digital Literacy, Speed Business Networking Exercises, and Practice your Pitch. The event concludes with a fireside chat featuring six dynamic Black professionals, followed by dinner.

"With a multi-year pandemic plus the continued systemic barriers and stereotypes, Black men have been hit hard," says Nadine Spencer, BBPA CEO. "Since George Floyd's murder, we have all become more aware of the negative stigmas and societal misrepresentations that hold Black men back. These factors inhibit Black men from achieving economic success."

According to the May 2021 research study Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Exploring the Barriers Facing Black Entrepreneurs that was commissioned by African Canadian Senate Group and Senator Colin Deacon, 76% of the 300 respondents surveyed said their race makes it harder to succeed as an entrepreneur. Only 19% said they trust banks to do what is right for them and their community. And a majority of Black entrepreneurs said they do not know how to access support or advice when challenges arise in their business.

"One of the most critical needs for a Black man in business is finding the right mentor(s) to help build a sustainable network," says Cadastre. "This bootcamp is intended to help fill that need, and as the BBPA has done for the last four decades, we will continue to build a community of support around Black businesses."

Black Men in Business is a component of the BACEL (Black African and Caribbean Entrepreneurship Leadership) Training Program. BACEL, which was developed by the BBPA, Future Skills Canada and the Diversity Institute, is a 20-month program that provides skills, networking and mentorship to Canadian Black entrepreneurs. When the first phase of BACEL is completed in November 2022, data from this intersectional training program will undergo rigorous evaluation to show the economic benefits of delivering culturally appropriate, trauma-informed entrepreneurial skills training to Black business owners.

About the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA):

Founded in 1983, the BBPA is a charitable organization whose mission is to advance Canada's Black community by facilitating the delivery of programs that support business and professional excellence, higher education, and economic development. The BBPA presents the Annual Harry Jerome Awards, the National Black Business Convention (NBBPC), the BBPA National Scholarships, and workshops and programs at the BBPA Centre of Excellence. For more information, please visit www.bbpa.org or call 416-504-4097.

Media Contact:

April Wilson-Lange

april@brandeq.com

416-732-0202

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130276


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a grant of nearly $1 billion to improve the terminals of 85 airports across the United States.



This is the first tranche of $5 billion granted through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for this fiscal year for airport terminal development projects that address the aging infrastructure of the nation's airports.



Two grants will also be awarded to build and improve new air traffic control towers.



'Funded through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, today's grants will improve airport terminals while also creating good jobs in communities across the country,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.



From the funding, $20 million will be used to construct a new 700,000-square-foot landside terminal adjacent to the existing airside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport.



Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in Tennessee will get $5 million for phase one of a terminal expansion project that will expand its second level by nearly 27,000 square feet.



$10 million will be granted to Huntsville Intl-Carl T Jones Field in Huntsville, Ala., for maintenance and expansion.



Orlando International Airport (Orlando, Fla. will get $50 million for expansion.



The airports that benefit from 76 grants to increase terminal sustainability include Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Texas); Boise Airport, Boise, Ida.; Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; and Bishop International Airport, Flint, Michigan.



47 grants will go to improving airport access to historically disadvantaged populations and rural airports. Among them are Dexter Regional Airport, Dexter, Maine; Washington Municipal Airport, Washington, Iowa; Chamberlain Municipal Airport, Chamberlain, S.D.; and Fillmore County Airport, Preston, Minnesota.



New air traffic control towers will be built in General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport in Peoria, Illinois, and Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, N.C.



The funding is from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law provides $1 billion annually for five years for Airport Terminal grants.







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Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Hemp, Inc. (OTC Pink: HEMP) ("the Company"), a publicly traded company that was founded in 2008. Chief Visionary Consultant, founder and former CEO of the Company, Bruce Perlowin, joined Stock Day host Sever Copley.



Copley began the interview by commenting on Perlowin's current position as the Company's Chief Visionary Consultant, and asked if he works as a consultant with additional companies. "Yes," shared Perlowin. "I actually consult with a whole variety of companies," he said. "I have been a part the cannabis industry for 55 years, including Hemp specifically for the last 15 years," said Perlowin. "We were the first hemp publicly traded company."



Copley then asked about Hemp, Inc.'s new line of high-potency CBD, CBG and CBN products. "The industry began with 100mg per bottle, then we went to 250-500mg, and then 1,000mg," explained Perlowin. "We have come out now with a very high-potency product with a therapeutic dose," he said. "Our high-potency CBD/CBG is 7,500mg of CBD and 2,500mg of CBG," shared Perlowin. "For sleep, we have a CBD/CBG/CBN high-potency combination product available in capsules and tinctures."



"We have also come out with a coffee enhancer," continued Perlowin, adding that the product is also available in a 2 week supply so people can test it before purchasing the standard 30 day supply. "Lastly, we are coming out with a CBDA/CBGA in about the next 7-10 days," he added, noting that new research has indicated that these compounds block coronavirus spikes from attaching to live cells (at least in a Petri dish). "They are currently doing animal studies, and human trials will be next."



"We do something that nobody in the industry does, that we know of," said Perlowin. "We add a carbohydrate called beta-cyclodextrin because cannabinoids are oil soluble and will bond to that particular carbohydrate, which provides massive and rapid uptake."



"In addition to your own products, does Hemp, Inc. produce white label products for other companies?", asked Copley. "Yes, we are a contract manufacturer," explained Perlowin. "Our manufacturing is out of Las Vegas," he added. "If we can't supply a massive order, we contract it out," said Perlowin. "We will custom label for anybody out there."



To hear Bruce Perlowin's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8117167-hemp-inc-discusses-new-high-potency-line-of-cbd-cbg-cbn-products-and-upcoming-cbda-cbga-product.



Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/.

To catch up with the latest news on Hemp, Inc., be sure to check out:

Healthy Products for Healthy Living: A Look into Hemp, Inc.'s Pure, Premium, and Potent CBD and Wellness Products (June 16, 2022)

Hemp, Inc. Releases New High Potency CBD/CBG Vanilla Flavored Coffee Enhancer (June 9, 2022)

Hemp, Inc.'s King of Hemp CBD-CBG-CBN Natural Sleep Aid Capsules in Stock and On Sale (May 26, 2022)

King of Hemp Natural and Vanilla-Flavored CBD/CBG "Super" Tinctures Now in Stock (May 12, 2022)

Update: Hemp, Inc. Announces Launch of CBDA and CBGA Products in Response to New Covid Study Findings (January 18, 2022)

The Company will continue to keep its shareholders up to date on all pertinent material events, product releases, production plans, and inventory availability.

Hemp, Inc. Contact:

7380 S. Eastern Ave.

Suite 124-342

Las Vegas, NV 89123

Phone: (855) 436-7688

IR@hempinc.com

About The "Stock Day" Podcast

Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America.

SOURCE:

Stock Day Media

(602) 821-1102

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130338
Surge in the number of construction projects globally is generating profitable prospects in the waterproofing membranes market

The presence of sturdy construction industry in Asia Pacific makes it fastest growing market region

WILMINGTON, Del., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global waterproofing membranes market is estimated to register growth at a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2031, as per a study by Transparency Market Research (TMR).

Waterproofing assists in providing a building protection from different types of water damages and helps in avoiding further repair work pertaining to the structure, notes a TMR report on the waterproofing membranes market. Waterproofing membranes are gaining impetus in the construction industry owing to their ability to offer dependable protection against climatic conditions and condensation.

The competition landscape of the global waterproofing membranes market. Hence, players are focusing on the use of different business expansion strategies such as mergers, acquisitions, and product innovations in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Get PDF Brochure for More Insights - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14309

Liquid-applied membranes and sheet-based membranes are some of the key types of waterproofing membrane available in the market. Of them, the demand for liquid-applied membranes is being increasing in the construction industry as it cures in the air to form a joint-free, seamless membrane, notes a TMR report on the waterproofing membranes market. Moreover the application procedure of the liquid waterproofing is requires less time. As a result, the market players are expected to gain sizable growth prospects during the forecast period owing to the rising popularity of the liquid waterproofing membranes.

Waterproofing Membranes Market: Key Findings

Waterproofing membranes are being increasingly utilized in building foundations owing to their water repellant properties. The waterproofing membranes market is being driven by a rise in the application of elastomeric waterproofing membranes in building structures, roofing and walls, landfills and tunnel liners, and water and waste management. The report by TMR notes that the global waterproofing membranes market is projected to gain a value of US$ 43.0 Bn by 2031.

Players in the waterproofing membranes market are increasing investments in R&Ds in order to develop next-gen, sustainable, high-quality, and eco-friendly waterproofing membrane material that can reduce the maintenance and utility expenses. Moreover, several companies in the global waterproofing membranes market are investing heavily to develop energy-efficient construction materials and decrease the environmental impacts. These are some of the waterproofing membrane market growth factors, notes a TMR study.

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Waterproofing Membranes Market: Growth Boosters

Increase in the use of waterproofing membranes in different infrastructure applications is propelling the waterproofing membranes market

Rise in the adoption of sustainable waterproofing membranes in order to fulfill environment and energy regulations is estimated to help in the market growth

Players are estimated to observe a surge in the use of waterproofing membrane for roof

Request a Sample - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=14309

Waterproofing Membranes Market: Regional Analysis

The waterproofing membranes market in Europe is projected to maintain leading positon during the forecast period owing to a surge in the construction activities and increase in the use of waterproofing membranes in bridges, highways, and water treatment plants in the region

The Asia Pacific waterproofing membranes market is prognosticated to expand at prominent pace in the upcoming years due to rise in the infrastructure development activities in many emerging economies such as India

Make an Enquiry Before Buying - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=EB&rep_id=14309

Waterproofing Membranes Market: Key Players

Some of the key players profiled in the report are:

Pidilite Industries Ltd.

BASF SE

Fosroc International Ltd

Carlisle Companies Inc.

GAF Materials Corporation

Dow Chemical Company

Solmax

SIKA AG

Maris Polymers

Paul Bauder GmbH & Co.KG

Alchimica Building Chemicals

Soprema Group

CICO Technologies Limited

Johns Manville

Kemper System America, Inc.

Waterproofing Membranes Market Segmentation

Material

Bitumen

Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO)

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM)

Others (including Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Type

Liquid-applied Membranes

Sheet-based Membranes

Application

Roofing & Walls

Building Structures

Water & Waste Management

Landfill & Tunnel Liners

Others (including Bridges & Highways and Marines)

Regions Covered

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

Browse More Chemicals & Materials Reports by TMR:

Crop Protection Chemicals Market: Crop Protection Chemicals market is likely to register a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach a crop protection chemicals market share of US$ 106.7 Bn By 2031

Insecticides Market: Insecticides market is likely to register a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach an insecticides market share of US$23 mn by 2025

Herbicides Market: Herbicides market is likely to register a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach an herbicides market share of US$29.30 Bn by 2025

Lipids Market - Lipids Market is likely to register a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach a lipids market share of US$ 29.9 Bn by 2031

Detergents Market - Detergents Market is likely to register a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach a detergents market share of US$ 176.3 Bn by 2031

Polyethylene Terephthalate Market - Polyethylene Terephthalate Market is likely to register a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach a Polyethylene Terephthalate market share of US$ 58.47 Bn by 2031

Agricultural Biotechnology Market - Agricultural Biotechnology Market is likely to register a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach a agricultural biotechnology market share of US$ 64.7 Bn by 2031

Sulfur Hexafluoride Market - Sulfur Hexafluoride Market is likely to register a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach a sulfur hexafluoride market share of US$ 418.7 Mn by 2031

About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade.

Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports.

For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ

Contact Us:

Rohit Bhisey

Transparency Market Research Inc

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OSLO, Norway, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser AS, a subsidiary of Nel ASA (Nel, OSE:NEL), has received a purchase order for an alkaline electrolyser system from Skovgaard Energy Aps in Lemvig in Western Jutland, Denmark. The electrolyser system will be used for production of green ammonia.

The green ammonia plant, to be built by Skovgaard Energy and their Danish project partners, Topsoe and Vestas, will be the world's first dynamic green ammonia plant, where renewable electricity from wind and solar will be connected directly to the electrolyser. This is a demo plant that will test how an ammonia reactor can fluctuate operations based on renewable power input. This will be important learning prior to scaling for future large-scale power-to-X and green ammonia plants. The Danish partnership has been awarded financial support for the project by the Danish Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP).

"We are thrilled for this project, which will be an important milestone in the green transition as it showcases green hydrogen production into green ammonia directly from renewable sources. Skovgaard Energy is an exciting client, and we look forward to continue a fruitful relationship with the company and partners", says Henning Langas, Senior Tender Manager of Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser.

"For this project we selected the alkaline electrolyser technology from Nel as we do not want to risk the project with unfamiliar electrolyser technology. Nel's alkaline electrolyser is proven technology of high quality, and it will also match well with the intentions of the demonstration project of dynamic operation of the ammonia plant", says Pat A Han, Technical Director of Skovgaard Energy.

The contract has an approximate value of EUR 4m, and the system is expected to be delivered in Q3 2023.

For additional information, please contact:

Kjell Christian Bjrnsen, CFO, +47 917 02?097

Wilhelm Flinder, Head of Investor Relations, +47 936 11 350

About Nel ASA | www.nelhydrogen.com

Nel is a global, dedicated hydrogen company, delivering optimal solutions to produce, store, and distribute hydrogen from renewable energy. We serve industries, energy, and gas companies with leading hydrogen technology. Our roots date back to 1927, and since then, we have had a proud history of development and continuous improvement of hydrogen technologies. Today, our solutions cover the entire value chain: from hydrogen production technologies to hydrogen fueling stations, enabling industries to transition to green hydrogen, and providing fuel cell electric vehicles with the same fast fueling and long range as fossil-fueled vehicles - without the emissions.

This information is subject to a duty of disclosure pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This information was issued as inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation, and was published by Wilhelm Finder, Head of Investor Relations, at NEL ASA on the date and time provided.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/nel-asa/r/nel-asa--receives-purchase-order-for-an-alkaline-electrolyser-system-from-skovgaard-energy,c3599098

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SHANGHAI, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinix today unveils two new 5G smartphones in the NOTE 12 series lineup - NOTE 12 PRO 5G and NOTE 12 5G. Launching as the first 5G smart phones in the NOTE series, these models deliver 5G availability to everyone, and provide consumers with ultra-fast seamless connectivity, speedy and stable downloads and a truly breathtaking smartphone gaming experience.

The NOTE 12 5G Series comes equipped with a top-notch photography system with three high-definition cameras, which give the NOTE 12 PRO 5G an unparalleled smartphone photography experience thanks to the crisp 108MP camera. In addition, the NOTE 12 PRO 5G & the NOTE 12 5G feature a super large 6.7-inch true-color AMOLED display for an immersive viewing experience. Furthermore, a massive 5000mAh battery with ultra-fast 33W quick charge keeps the devices powered up all day long.

"The development of 5G technology has accelerated to a breakneck pace with the industry-wide adoption of 5G. 5G technology is now readily available for mid-range smartphones thanks to lower costs and faster production. To popularize 5G technology and its amazing benefits, Infinix has been working on powerful smartphones with stunning photographic capabilities, clear & vibrant screens, and trendy design language to meet the needs of users in emerging markets. We believe that the NOTE 12 5G series will allow consumers to fully utilize the speed and convenience of a smart 5G powered digital lifestyle." Vento Lin, Product Manager of NOTE Series at Infinix Mobility.

The Power of 5G Technology

The NOTE 12 5G series come fully loaded with the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 810, an ultra power efficient 6nm razor thin processor that's boosted by big core performance with CPU frequencies up to 2.4GHz that delivers a fantastic smartphone experience. By integrating a low-power 5G modem and fully supporting the independent (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) networking, the phone offers super-fast 5G networks for the global traveller. The NOTE 12 PRO 5G and NOTE 12 5G also support a 5G dual-card dual-standby functionality to offer the best network connection at all times for maximum connectivity and flexibility.

The NOTE 12 5G Series introduces self-developed SMART 5G technology that enables a reduction in power consumption of NOTE 12 5G Series smartphones by up to 20% [1]. SMART 5G improves the days of usage time by 4 hours [2] through the independent research and development and optimization of key technologies by Infinix, resulting in lower power consumption and longer battery life. SMART 5G can judge the network status and intelligently identify low-power scenarios, it enables a seamless handover of 30+ application scenarios in a smooth manner. SMART 5G also provides consumers with a better user experience through in-depth insight into consumer habits and customized optimized days of usage solutions for consumers.

Next-Level Smartphone Photography

Empowered with the latest Samsung 108MP sensor S5KHM6, the NOTE 12 PRO 5G enhances visual content and restores numerous details beyond human eye recognition. The f/1.75 aperture lens, which supports 9-in-1 Super Pixel, helps photographers to create truly stunning photographs. The 1/1.67-inch super large image sensor and 1.92m unit pixel size allow more light into the lens resulting in enhanced quality in lowlight for breathtaking night shots. By utilizing professional night shooting mode, the NOTE 12 Pro 5G and NOTE 12 5G can capture more light at night, restore realistic and richer details, and present clear and vivid portraits. Furthermore, for users looking for the perfect selfie, the NOTE 12 Pro 5G and NOTE 12 5G also offer a 16MP front camera for snapping the perfect shot. The NOTE 12 5G's camera unit raises the bar for mid-range smartphones photographic standards giving users a smartphone photography experience which is unparalleled in the mobile photography industry.

A Stunning Visual Experience

The NOTE 12 PRO 5G & NOTE 12 5G come with a stunningly slim 6.7-inch FHD+ true-color AMOLED screen which displays rich vivid colors. Compared with conventional LCD screens, AMOLED is more power-efficient and doesn't leak light. With a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and 100000:1 color contrast ratio, the NOTE 12 Pro 5G and NOTE 12 5G screens deliver a truly immersive visual experience. Designed around an aesthetically pleasing 92% screen-to-body ratio both devices provide an excellent viewing experience in a compact package to customers for the first time featuring an AMOLED screen on an affordable smartphone.

The devices are just 7.9mm in thickness thanks to careful & innovative design and arrangement making the NOTE 12 PRO 5G & the NOTE 12 5G a clear representation of Infinix's continuous journey of optimization and structural improvement of design and technology so that young consumers around the world can access top-notch technology at attainable price points.

Available in two glossy finishes - Force Black and Snowfall, the NOTE 12 5G Series stands out from the crowd its striking appearance is instantly recognizable.

All the RAM You Need

Thanks to the unique Extended RAM technology, the NOTE 12 Pro 5G provides extensive memory for buttery smooth app management and heavy usage. Sporting a massive 8GB+5GB (equivalent to 13GB) of RAM, which supports up to 20 apps running at the same time [3], this device effortlessly multitasks everything the user could throw at it. The NOTE 12 5G provides a memory space of 6GB+3GB (equivalent to 9GB), which offers amazing power and performance within its price range.

Additional key features

Infinix's Monster Game Kit provides consumers with visual, auditory, and tactile sensations for an immersive gaming experience, with the Dar-link 2.0 ultimate game booster, the XArena enhanced game system, the Linear Motor Tactile System, and the 9-layer graphene cooling system make smartphone gaming better than ever before.

Dual Speakers with DTS: The NOTE 12 5G Series creates a powerful 360-degree surround sound with enhanced audio.

The NOTE 12 5G Series creates a powerful 360-degree surround sound with enhanced audio. Graphene Cooling System: The NOTE 12 5G series has 9-Layer Cooling System with graphene for up to 5 degrees Celsius reduction in core temperature to keep the device running cool.

The NOTE 12 5G series has 9-Layer Cooling System with graphene for up to 5 degrees Celsius reduction in core temperature to keep the device running cool. Linear Motor Tactile Systems: The NOTE 12 5G series integrates a Linear Motor Tactile System giving users a completely new touch experience while gaming.

The NOTE 12 5G series integrates a Linear Motor Tactile System giving users a completely new touch experience while gaming. Infinix's Dar-Link 2.0: Software improves image stability based on an AI algorithm, while simultaneously optimizing device temperature, battery and memory during gameplay .

Software improves image stability based on an AI algorithm, while simultaneously optimizing device temperature, battery and memory during gameplay . XOS 10.6 Software: The NOTE 12 Series features new XOS 10.6 software based on Android 12, which includes new features such as Storage Optimizer, Lightning Multi-Window, Privacy Guardian and more.

Pricing & Availability

The NOTE 12 5G Series will be first available in India from July 8th. The NOTE 12 Pro 5G will cost about $249 alongside the NOTE 12 5G which starts at $199. The series will include variations based on customer and market demands. Prices and availability will vary from region to region.

About Infinix:

In?nix Mobility is a rapidly emerging technology brand that designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of smart devices worldwide under the In?nix brand, which was founded in 2013.

Targeting today's youth with ?rst in class technology, In?nix creates trendy, powerful and attainably priced smart devices that bring the latest technology on the market to users around the world at a time when they need it at a price that they want it.

For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/

[1] [2] [3] All data are theoretical values obtained by Infinix internal laboratories through tests carried out under particular conditions. Actual data may vary owing to differences in individual products, software versions, application conditions and environmental factors.

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LIBERTY Ostrava signs contract with Danieli for two hybrid electric arc furnaces

New furnaces will reduce LIBERTY Ostrava's emissions by over 80% by 2027

LIBERTY to invest CZK 8.6 billion ( EUR 350 million ) in Ostrava, the largest investment in the steelworks in a generation

Renewable energy partnership signed with CEZ ESCO and GFG Foundation launched in Czech Republic

PRAGUE, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At a special event held today at the Ostrava steelworks, LIBERTY signed a contract with Danieli, a leading global manufacturer of plant and machinery, for the delivery of two state-of-the-art hybrid electric arc furnaces at the centre of Ostrava's GREENSTEEL transformation plan. The CZK 8.6 billion (EUR 350 million) investment, which will be the largest investment in the steelworks for a generation, is a huge step forward in LIBERTY Ostrava's plan to become carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30).

The new furnaces, the first of their kind in Europe, will have a combined capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) and will reduce the overall CO2 emissions of the Ostrava steelworks by more than 80% by 2027. The two 200 tonne furnaces uses the innovative and patented Danieli QONE power electronics technology to control arc current and voltage for a more efficient and stable power delivery to the furnaces. This will allow the furnaces to be more flexible in the charge mix from large quantities of Hot Metal and Direct Reduced Iron (DRI/HBI) and up to 100% scrap in the second phase of the project. In doing so the plant will reduce its reliance on imported coal and iron ore and provide even greater production flexibility. The new furnaces are expected to be operational in 2025 and will be able to melt 100% scrap in 2027 following the planned installation of a 400kV electricity line into the Ostrava steelworks.

LIBERTY has also launched the tender process for similar hybrid electric arc furnaces for Ostrava's sister plant LIBERTY Galati, Romania, as it too transforms to GREENSTEEL technologies and the group targets 10 million tonnes of GREENSTEEL capacity in Europe over the next five years.

At the same signing ceremony LIBERTY Ostrava signed a Declaration of Cooperation with CEZ ESCO, part of the CEZ group which is one of Europe's largest energy companies. This partnership will identify and develop the renewable energy and hydrogen technologies required for Ostrava's GREENSTEEL transformation. The group also announced the launch of the GFG Foundation in the Czech Republic - a charity founded by Sanjeev and Nicola Gupta aimed at inspiring, encouraging and helping future generations into a career in industry.

Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman of LIBERTY Steel Group said: "The contract we have signed today is a historic milestone for the Ostrava steelworks and a massive step forward towards our GREENSTEEL and carbon neutrality plans here in Ostrava and across Europe. This is the largest investment in Ostrava for a generation and the start of a major transformation across Europe as we move away from older polluting production methods to the latest lower carbon production technologies. This will not only make us a cleaner and more sustainable producer but also a more responsive and dynamic player in the market. Our investment shows our long term commitment to the workforce here at Ostrava, the local community and the future generations that will come to work in what will be a modern, clean steel plant. I'd like to thank the team at LIBERTY Ostrava for all the work that has gone into preparing for this huge investment."

Giacomo Mareschi Danieli, Chief Executive Officer of Danieli, said:"Danieli is delighted to have been selected by LIBERTY Ostrava as the technology provider for this prestigious project that represents a milestone in European steelmaking history, being the first major project in Europe that will replace carbon based blast furnace technology with the latest electric arc furnace green steel technology. The two new 200 tonne hybrid electric arc furnaces, known as Danieli Digi Melter (DDM) will incorporate the latest design and technological packages in the field of electric arc furnace melting to ensure the lowest CO2 and NOx emissions, whilst also providing a significant improvement in liquid steel conversion costs, thereby improving the competitiveness of the LIBERTY Ostrava plant. Safety improvements shall also be derived through a suite of technological packages that automate tasks that have traditionally been carried out manually, hence removing operators away from the hazardous exposure to liquid steel. This contract is an excellent example that decarbonization does not mean a threat, but rather an opportunity for improvement. The new hybrid furnaces will be more efficient, produce high quality steel at a lower cost, with significantly lower emissions. This is an investment for the future of LIBERTY Steel alongside the future of the planet.'

Kamil Cermak, the chairman of the board and the CEO of CEZ ESCO, said:"The steel industry in Europe stands at an important crossroads. We appreciate LIBERTY Ostrava's decision to switch to low-emission steel production technology based on electric arc furnaces. We look forward to working with the LIBERTY Ostrava team, with whom we will seek and develop low-carbon and carbon-free technologies, especially in the field of renewable energy and hydrogen. Together we want to secure the future of steel mills and contribute to a substantial improvement of the environment in the Ostrava region."

Notes:

While the tender process for the furnaces has been underway the LIBERTY Ostrava team have also achieved some other important milestones in the company's move towards carbon neutrality:

Invested CZK 88 million, including CZK 28 million from the Czech Government's Operational Environment Programme, on the installation of a new exhaust pipeline at its sinter plant north, aiming to reduce fugitive emissions by around 46%.

Received approval for an amended Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to incorporate the new furnaces and submitted many applications for the required zoning, demolition and building permits.

Launched a tender for the pipe & pipe bridge, sewerage, cable and railway relocations required before ground-breaking can start for the furnaces.

Completed the tender for a General Designer which will responsibility for the integration of the many different transformation projects, other than that of the furnaces' installation.

In addition to the modernisation of the steel shop, LIBERTY Ostrava's transformation will also include an extensive modernisation of the steel rolling mills, which will improve the quality of steel and expand the product portfolio with high added value products. LIBERTY Ostrava has already announced extensive modifications worth almost a billion Czech crowns to its Hot Strip (Steckel) mill, the only producer of hot rolled strip steel in the Czech Republic. The investment programme will also see the creation of a renewable power plants for electricity production as well as the development of the GREENSTEEL Academy, which aims to upskill the plant's current workforce and encourage new people into the industry.

LIBERTY Ostrava initiated the tender process in November 2020 and has evaluated offers from a number of global technology providers.

Note to the editors:

LIBERTY Ostrava

LIBERTY Ostrava is an integrated steel business with an annual production capacity of approximately 3.6 million tonnes per annum serving construction, machinery and oil & gas industries. The company is a domestic leader in the manufacture of road barriers and tubes. In addition to the Czech market, it supplies its products to more than 40 countries around the world. Together with its subsidiaries in Ostrava, the company has 6,000 employees. The company manufactures its products with a minimum possible environmental footprint. www.LIBERTYostrava.cz

Danieli

Danieli is a leading plantmaker and its portfolio includes production processes ranging from reduction of iron ore to long and flat products finishing lines. Danieli is developing and improving technological processes to reduce greenhouse gases, increase energy efficiency and enhance the protection of the environment.

CEZ ESCO

CEZ ESCO (Energy Service Company), member of CEZ Group, focuses on modern energy solutions related to energy efficiency, decarbonization and climate change mitigation for industrial customers, municipalities and institutions. These include energy audits and energy efficiency products, construction and operation of photovoltaic plants and cogeneration units, implementation of metering systems, HVAC and renovation of heating systems. CEZ ESCO is also a supplier of services related to public and corporate electromobility. It also provides electricity, gas and heat to its customers. It has about 2000 employees. CEZ ESCO's subsidiaries include AirPlus, AZ KLIMA, CAPEXUS, ESCO Distribution Systems, CEZ Energeticke sluzby, CEZ ENERGO, CEZ LDS, Domat Control System, E-Dome, EP Roznov, ENESA, HORMEN and KART. More at www.cezesco.cz
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Commerce Department released a report on Friday showing wholesale inventories in the U.S. increased by less than expected in the month of May. The report showed wholesale inventories jumped by 1.8 percent in May after surging by an upwardly revised 2.3 percent in April. Economists had expected wholesale inventories to shoot up by 2.0 percent compared to the 2.2 percent spike originally reported for the previous month. The Commerce Department said inventories of both durable and non-durable goods advanced by 1.8 percent during the month. The report also showed wholesale sales rose by 0.5 percent in May after climbing by 0.8 percent in April. A 1.6 percent jump in sale of non-durable goods was partly offset by a 0.7 percent drop in sales of durable goods. With inventories increasing by much more than sales, the inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers inched up to 1.26 in May from 1.25 in April. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - Total Network Services (TNS), an ecosystem of apps and technologies enabling the new blockchain economy, has announced that the United States government is implementing the Electronic Medical Mobile Application (EMMA) to modernize the filing of workers' compensation, property, and tort claims. EMMA, which was developed in collaboration with Forward Edge-AI and Rypplzz, utilizes TNS' Universal Communication Identifier (UCID), making it the largest governmental use case of blockchain technology to date.

Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

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Figure 2

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The use of EMMA is meant to update and secure a census process that is well-known for its redundancies and inefficiencies. While the 500,000 field employees who are deployed throughout the country to collect data rely on smartphones to document and report their findings, the system is in need of streamlining.

One issue in particular has been the filing of claims by employees, who are exposed to hazards that include injuries, animal attacks, and property damage. Each census usually sees thousands of claims filed, each one generating days of paperwork that is then passed to three internal offices at the Census Bureau for further review. The filing and completion of a claim, then, is typically hindered by multiple issues within that process. The implementation of EMMA has the potential to solve many of the problems that employees experience both in the field and at the Census Bureau as well as enhance software security, device legitimacy, and data validity through the use of blockchain via UCID.

"EMMA has unique capabilities that will transform the 2030 Census and create significant efficiencies for thousands of government employees," says Thomas Carter, TNS' Founder and CEO. "It provides an intelligent interface for mobile devices, capable of understanding natural language and processing images to assess damage. It then completes and distributes reports automatically to the correct departments. This is all accomplished in minutes, a huge improvement on past workflows. Beyond this, TNS' blockchain-powered UCID provides the security layer by verifying the device, software, and source of data."

EMMA, TNS states, ultimately eliminates five legacy systems and other manual processes that made the filing of claims excessively time and labor-intensive. Once data from the field is received, Census Bureau employees will be able to analyze it and understand the reasons for the reporting. The goal is for EMMA's data to pave the way for safer censuses and for field staff to be better prepared for what they might encounter.

"EMMA represents a remarkable opportunity for other government and enterprise applications," says Carter. "With its successful implementation during the 2030 Census, it will demonstrate the huge market for blockchain technology in B2G solutions. We are only just starting to see the power of what blockchain will do, and TNS is thrilled to be at the forefront."

Total Network Services (TNS) was founded by entrepreneur and blockchain evangelist Thomas Carter. TNS is the developer of blockchain-focused products and services that are designed to empower its customers to transition to and integrate with the blockchain economy.

For more information about TNS, please see its website or contact:

Total Network Services

taylor@tnscorp.io

+1 (760) 260-8144

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130365
DGAP-News: Eleving Group S.A. / Key word(s): Rating

Eleving Group S.A.: Fitch Affirms Eleving Group at 'B-'; Outlook Stable



08.07.2022 / 17:41

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Fitch Ratings - Frankfurt am Main - 07 Jul 2022: Fitch Ratings has affirmed Eleving Group's Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and senior secured debt rating at 'B-'. The Outlook on the Long-Term IDR is Stable. A full list of rating actions is below. Eleving is the privately-owned Luxembourg-domiciled holding company of a Latvian-headquartered group primarily providing car finance in a number of eastern European, central Asian and African markets (mainly under its "Mogo" brand). At end-1Q22, it had total assets of EUR342 million. KEY RATING DRIVERS IDRs Eleving's IDRs are driven by its nominal franchise in a competitive niche, exposure to potentially volatile markets, large risk appetite, a largely secured funding profile and historically high leverage. The ratings also consider Eleving's strong profitability, experienced management team and improving leverage ratio. The Stable Outlook reflects that, in Fitch's view, Eleving's narrow franchise, high risk appetite, frequent changes in strategy and downside risk from the Russia-Ukraine war for some of its key markets (including second-order impact) offset recent improvements in some of Eleving's financial metrics, notably leverage and funding. Eleving's leverage ratio (defined as gross debt/tangible equity inclusive of subordinated debt to which Fitch has assigned equity credit) stood at 6.8x at end-1Q22 versus around 13x at end-2020. The company also placed two bonds in 4Q21 (EUR150 million senior secured bond in October 2021 and EUR25 million subordinated bond in December 2021) and made some progress in addressing its weak asset quality. Eleving's high risk appetite reflects, in Fitch's view, its targeted higher-risk client base, historically rapid growth and a considerable open foreign-currency (FX) position. Eleving targets below-prime clients in emerging markets who cannot afford newer cars, but which reflect the overall median earner in Eleving's countries of operations. Eleving's asset quality is reflective of its target market (impaired loans ratio of 19% at end-1Q22) and is normally mitigated by strong loan yields (interest income/average gross portfolio was 65% in 2021). Asset quality has been improving since impaired loans peaked at 24% at end-5M20 and Fitch expects that the generation of new impaired loans will remain at about 10% in 2022 of its total loans outside Ukraine (2% of net loans at end-1Q22, about EUR3.5 million at end-May 2022). The portfolio in Belarus is being run down, but remains performing in line with its loans in other countries. Eleving has reduced its FX risk appetite following sizeable credit and FX losses in 2020. However, its open FX position remains large (3.5x tangible equity plus shareholders' loans at end-2021) and Eleving's entry in unsecured high-cost consumer loans (about 20% of the net portfolio) indicates a still higher-than-average risk appetite. Eleving has historically maintained high leverage ratios and, although this has recently been managed down, Fitch still views the current leverage level as high, especially in relation to Eleving's exposure to credit and FX risks. The quality of capital continues to be a weakness, but has improved owing to gradual profit retention and the issuance of long-dated subordinated bonds. Receivables from related parties have also significantly decreased (EUR3.6 million or around 10% of capital at end-1Q22). Subordinated bonds qualify for equity credit under Fitch's criteria (see "Eleving's Ratings Unaffected by Junior Debt Refinancing", published on 29 December 2021 and available at www.fitchratings.com). Funding flexibility improved owing to the two bond issuances in 4Q21, which have materially lengthened the maturity profile of Eleving's liabilities. Eleving's EUR150 million bond has a bullet repayment in October 2026, resulting in refinancing risk from 2025. Eleving's funding profile is further supported by its proven access to Mintos, a peer-to-peer funding platform (EUR68 million at end-1Q22), which is also a modest source of contingent liquidity if needed. Eleving's corporate-governance framework is characterised by limited independent board oversight, a multi-layered holding structure, concentrated ownership and material, albeit declining, related-party transactions. This constrains Eleving's ratings and is reflected in Fitch's ESG scores of '4' for governance structure and group structure. Eleving's expansion into unsecured loans also exposes the company to regulatory risks concerning lending practices and Fitch has assigned Eleving an ESG score of '4' for customer welfare in line with other high-cost lenders'. SENIOR SECURED DEBT Eleving's senior secured debt rating is equalised with its Long-Term IDR to reflect the effective structural subordination to outstanding debt at operating entities, which despite their secured nature leads to only average recoveries, as reflected in a 'RR4' Recovery Rating. RATING SENSITIVITIES IDRs Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action/upgrade: -Rating upside is limited in the short term. In the medium term, a positive rating action could be supported by increased scale, improved corporate governance, a leaner corporate structure and demonstrated stability in Eleving's business model and strategy, combined with stable profitability and improved asset quality -Maintaining access to diversified funding sources and reduction of leverage to 5x, together with a lower open FX position and improved quality of capital could be rating-positive Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action/downgrade: -Marked deterioration in asset quality or further FX losses, ultimately threatening the company's solvency -Marked increases in Eleving's leverage, reducing its buffers to absorb credit and FX losses -Unexpected difficulties in accessing funding sources or increasing cost of funding from peer-to-peer platforms SENIOR SECURED DEBT Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action/upgrade: -An upgrade of Eleving's Long-Term IDR would likely be mirrored on the company's senior secured bond rating -Higher recovery assumptions due to, for instance, operating entity debt falling in importance compared with rated debt instruments, could lead to above-average recoveries and Fitch to notch up the rated debt from Eleving's Long-Term IDR Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action/downgrade: -A downgrade of Eleving's Long-Term IDR would likely be mirrored on the company's senior secured bond rating -Lower recovery assumptions due to, for instance, operating entity debt increasing in importance relative to rated debt or worse-than-expected asset-quality trends (which could lead to larger asset haircuts), could lead to below-average recoveries and Fitch to notch down the rated debt from Eleving's Long-Term IDR BEST/WORST CASE RATING SCENARIO International scale credit ratings of Financial Institutions and Covered Bond issuers have a best-case rating upgrade scenario (defined as the 99th percentile of rating transitions, measured in a positive direction) of three notches over a three-year rating horizon; and a worst-case rating downgrade scenario (defined as the 99th percentile of rating transitions, measured in a negative direction) of four notches over three years. The complete span of best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings for all rating categories ranges from 'AAA' to 'D'. Best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings are based on historical performance. For more information about the methodology used to determine sector-specific best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings, visit https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/10111579 REFERENCES FOR SUBSTANTIALLY MATERIAL SOURCE CITED AS KEY DRIVER OF RATING The principal sources of information used in the analysis are described in the Applicable Criteria. ESG CONSIDERATIONS Eleving has an ESG Relevance Score of '4' for both governance structure and group structure. The former reflects historically considerable related-party transactions and the material role of the founders in Eleving's strategy. The governance structure score is in line with that of other rated peers where the founder(s) plays a material role in strategy or operations. Group structure reflects our view that Eleving's organisational structure is complex relative to the company's business model. This has a moderately negative impact on the credit profile and is relevant to the rating, in conjunction with other factors. Eleving's '4' ESG Relevance Score for customer welfare reflects Fitch's view that Eleving's entry into the high-cost credit sector means that its business model is sensitive to regulatory changes (such as lending caps) and conduct-related risks. This has a moderately negative impact on the credit profile and is relevant to the rating, in conjunction with other factors. Eleving has an ESG Relevance Score of '3' for GHG emissions & air quality, to reflect possible, but minimal regulatory risk for the value of Eleving's collateral. This is higher than the standard score of '2' for finance and leasing companies, but in line with that of other rated peers with exposure to the automotive sector. Unless otherwise disclosed in this section, the highest level of ESG credit relevance for Eleving is a score of 3. This means ESG issues are credit-neutral or have only a minimal credit impact on the entity, either due to their nature or to the way in which they are being managed by the entity. For more information on Fitch's ESG Relevance Scores, visit www.fitchratings.com/esg

08.07.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a mausoleum for his late grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung to mark the 28th anniversary of his death, according to state media Friday.







Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of Kim Il-sung and the current leader's late father Kim Jong-il lie in state, on the occasion of the memorial day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, without specifying when the visit was made.







Kim Il-sung, who founded North Korea in 1948, ruled the country until his death in 1994.







The North's leader was accompanied by participants of a special workshop of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) that ended Wednesday in Pyongyang, as well as Jo Yong-won, secretary for organizational affairs of the WPK's Central Committee, and Ri Il-hwan, secretary of the WPK Central Committee.







"He paid homage to the President and the Chairman as a token of his best wishes for immortality to the great leaders who built the WPK into a powerful Juche-type revolutionary party," the KCNA said in an English-language article, referring to Kim's late grandfather and father, respectively. Juche means self-reliance.







The latest visit marked the first time that Kim was accompanied by participants of a particular gathering for the occasion, highlighting the recent workshop's importance.







The five-day workshop, which was attended by Kim Jong-un, was held to establish the "monolithic leadership system" of the party's central committee in an apparent move to tighten internal discipline.







Kim has paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on his late grandfather's death anniversary every year since he took power in 2012, with the exception of 2018. (Yonhap)






Industry presentation on July 13, 2022: "Enabling lung cancer screening with iBiopsy AI-based software as medical device"

Scientific paper presentation on July 15, 2022: "Development and validation of a machine learning based CADx designed to improve patient management in lung cancer screening programmes"

Median will present the latest developments on iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx1 Software as Medical Device (SaMD) at Booth AI-29, Expo X1, AI-area

Regulatory News:

Median Technologies (ALMDT) (Paris:ALMDT) announced today that the Company will be participating in the 2022 European Congress of Radiology (ECR), to be held in Vienna, Austria, July 13-17.

The Company will give an industry presentation and a scientific paper presentation. Details of the sessions include:

Industry presentation:Enabling lung cancer screening with iBiopsy AI-based software as medical device"

Session: AIX Theater

Date: July 13, 2022

Time: 3:25 pm 3:45 pm CEST

Scientific paper presentationRPS 1305-6 "Development and validation of a machine learning based CADx designed to improve patient management in lung cancer screening programmes"

Session: RPS 1305 Artificial intelligence (AI) in chest imaging: part 2

Categories: Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning, Imaging Informatics, Chest, Oncologic Imaging

Date: July 15, 2022

Time: 10:30 am 12:00 pm CEST

Median's team will be available at booth AI-29, Expo X1, AI-area to discuss the presentations and present the latest developments on iBiopsy LCS CADe/CADx SaMD from July 13 to 17, 9:00 am-5:00 pm.

The European Congress of Radiology (ECR) organized by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) is the premier European event in radiology and the second largest in the world. The congress conveys more than 20,000 with a split of more than 10,000 professional delegates (radiologists, technologists etc.), and ~8,000 industry participants (imaging modalities, PACS etc.). Radiology professionals from Europe and beyond attend to gather knowledge through educational courses, to see the latest innovations presented by technical exhibitors, and to discover groundbreaking research from scientific paper presentations. More about the ECR: https://www.myesr.org/congress

About iBiopsy: iBiopsy is based on the most advanced technologies in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science (DS), benefiting from Median's expertise in medical image processing. iBiopsy targets the development of innovative AI/ML-based Software as Medical Device, to be used in several indications for which there are unmet needs regarding early diagnosis, prognosis and treatment selection in the context of precision medicine. iBiopsy currently focuses on lung cancer, liver cancer (HCC) and liver fibrosis (NASH).

About Median Technologies:Median Technologies provides innovative imaging solutions and services to advance healthcare for everyone. We harness the power of medical images by using the most advanced Artificial Intelligence technologies, to increase the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment of many cancers and other metabolic diseases at their earliest stages and provide insights into novel therapies for patients. Our iCRO solutions for medical image analysis and management in oncology trials and iBiopsy, our AI-powered software as medical device help biopharmaceutical companies and clinicians to bring new treatments and diagnose patients earlier and more accurately. This is how we are helping to create a healthier world.

Founded in 2002, based in Sophia-Antipolis, France, with a subsidiary in the US and another one in Shanghai, Median has received the label "Innovative company" by the BPI and is listed on Euronext Growth market (Paris). FR0011049824- ticker: ALMDT. Median is eligible for the French SME equity savings plan scheme (PEA-PME), is part of the Enternext PEA-PME 150 index and has been awarded the Euronext European Rising Tech label. For more information: www.mediantechnologies.com

1 A radiological CADe device is "intended to identify, mark, highlight or otherwise direct attention to portions of an image that may reveal abnormalities during interpretation of images by the clinician." A CADx device is "intended to provide information beyond identifying abnormalities, such as an assessment of disease." Source: FDA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005258/en/

Contacts:

Median Technologies

Emmanuelle Leygues

Head of Corporate Marketing Financial Communications

+33 6 10 93 58 88

emmanuelle.leygues@mediantechnologies.com

Press ALIZE RP

Caroline Carmagnol

+33 6 64 18 99 59

median@alizerp.com

Investors ACTIFIN

Ghislaine Gasparetto

+33 6 21 10 49 24

ggasparetto@actifin.fr
Fitch Ratings - Frankfurt am Main - 07 Jul 2022: Fitch Ratings has affirmed Eleving Group's Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and senior secured debt rating at 'B-'. The Outlook on the Long-Term IDR is Stable. A full list of rating actions is below. Eleving is the privately-owned Luxembourg-domiciled holding company of a Latvian-headquartered group primarily providing car finance in a number of eastern European, central Asian and African markets (mainly under its "Mogo" brand). At end-1Q22, it had total assets of EUR342 million. KEY RATING DRIVERS IDRs Eleving's IDRs are driven by its nominal franchise in a competitive niche, exposure to potentially volatile markets, large risk appetite, a largely secured funding profile and historically high leverage. The ratings also consider Eleving's strong profitability, experienced management team and improving leverage ratio. The Stable Outlook reflects that, in Fitch's view, Eleving's narrow franchise, high risk appetite, frequent changes in strategy and downside risk from the Russia-Ukraine war for some of its key markets (including second-order impact) offset recent improvements in some of Eleving's financial metrics, notably leverage and funding. Eleving's leverage ratio (defined as gross debt/tangible equity inclusive of subordinated debt to which Fitch has assigned equity credit) stood at 6.8x at end-1Q22 versus around 13x at end-2020. The company also placed two bonds in 4Q21 (EUR150 million senior secured bond in October 2021 and EUR25 million subordinated bond in December 2021) and made some progress in addressing its weak asset quality. Eleving's high risk appetite reflects, in Fitch's view, its targeted higher-risk client base, historically rapid growth and a considerable open foreign-currency (FX) position. Eleving targets below-prime clients in emerging markets who cannot afford newer cars, but which reflect the overall median earner in Eleving's countries of operations. Eleving's asset quality is reflective of its target market (impaired loans ratio of 19% at end-1Q22) and is normally mitigated by strong loan yields (interest income/average gross portfolio was 65% in 2021). Asset quality has been improving since impaired loans peaked at 24% at end-5M20 and Fitch expects that the generation of new impaired loans will remain at about 10% in 2022 of its total loans outside Ukraine (2% of net loans at end-1Q22, about EUR3.5 million at end-May 2022). The portfolio in Belarus is being run down, but remains performing in line with its loans in other countries. Eleving has reduced its FX risk appetite following sizeable credit and FX losses in 2020. However, its open FX position remains large (3.5x tangible equity plus shareholders' loans at end-2021) and Eleving's entry in unsecured high-cost consumer loans (about 20% of the net portfolio) indicates a still higher-than-average risk appetite. Eleving has historically maintained high leverage ratios and, although this has recently been managed down, Fitch still views the current leverage level as high, especially in relation to Eleving's exposure to credit and FX risks. The quality of capital continues to be a weakness, but has improved owing to gradual profit retention and the issuance of long-dated subordinated bonds. Receivables from related parties have also significantly decreased (EUR3.6 million or around 10% of capital at end-1Q22). Subordinated bonds qualify for equity credit under Fitch's criteria (see "Eleving's Ratings Unaffected by Junior Debt Refinancing", published on 29 December 2021 and available at www.fitchratings.com). Funding flexibility improved owing to the two bond issuances in 4Q21, which have materially lengthened the maturity profile of Eleving's liabilities. Eleving's EUR150 million bond has a bullet repayment in October 2026, resulting in refinancing risk from 2025. Eleving's funding profile is further supported by its proven access to Mintos, a peer-to-peer funding platform (EUR68 million at end-1Q22), which is also a modest source of contingent liquidity if needed. Eleving's corporate-governance framework is characterised by limited independent board oversight, a multi-layered holding structure, concentrated ownership and material, albeit declining, related-party transactions. This constrains Eleving's ratings and is reflected in Fitch's ESG scores of '4' for governance structure and group structure. Eleving's expansion into unsecured loans also exposes the company to regulatory risks concerning lending practices and Fitch has assigned Eleving an ESG score of '4' for customer welfare in line with other high-cost lenders'. SENIOR SECURED DEBT Eleving's senior secured debt rating is equalised with its Long-Term IDR to reflect the effective structural subordination to outstanding debt at operating entities, which despite their secured nature leads to only average recoveries, as reflected in a 'RR4' Recovery Rating. RATING SENSITIVITIES IDRs Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action/upgrade: -Rating upside is limited in the short term. In the medium term, a positive rating action could be supported by increased scale, improved corporate governance, a leaner corporate structure and demonstrated stability in Eleving's business model and strategy, combined with stable profitability and improved asset quality -Maintaining access to diversified funding sources and reduction of leverage to 5x, together with a lower open FX position and improved quality of capital could be rating-positive Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action/downgrade: -Marked deterioration in asset quality or further FX losses, ultimately threatening the company's solvency -Marked increases in Eleving's leverage, reducing its buffers to absorb credit and FX losses -Unexpected difficulties in accessing funding sources or increasing cost of funding from peer-to-peer platforms SENIOR SECURED DEBT Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action/upgrade: -An upgrade of Eleving's Long-Term IDR would likely be mirrored on the company's senior secured bond rating -Higher recovery assumptions due to, for instance, operating entity debt falling in importance compared with rated debt instruments, could lead to above-average recoveries and Fitch to notch up the rated debt from Eleving's Long-Term IDR Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action/downgrade: -A downgrade of Eleving's Long-Term IDR would likely be mirrored on the company's senior secured bond rating -Lower recovery assumptions due to, for instance, operating entity debt increasing in importance relative to rated debt or worse-than-expected asset-quality trends (which could lead to larger asset haircuts), could lead to below-average recoveries and Fitch to notch down the rated debt from Eleving's Long-Term IDR BEST/WORST CASE RATING SCENARIO International scale credit ratings of Financial Institutions and Covered Bond issuers have a best-case rating upgrade scenario (defined as the 99th percentile of rating transitions, measured in a positive direction) of three notches over a three-year rating horizon; and a worst-case rating downgrade scenario (defined as the 99th percentile of rating transitions, measured in a negative direction) of four notches over three years. The complete span of best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings for all rating categories ranges from 'AAA' to 'D'. Best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings are based on historical performance. For more information about the methodology used to determine sector-specific best- and worst-case scenario credit ratings, visit https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/10111579 REFERENCES FOR SUBSTANTIALLY MATERIAL SOURCE CITED AS KEY DRIVER OF RATING The principal sources of information used in the analysis are described in the Applicable Criteria. ESG CONSIDERATIONS Eleving has an ESG Relevance Score of '4' for both governance structure and group structure. The former reflects historically considerable related-party transactions and the material role of the founders in Eleving's strategy. The governance structure score is in line with that of other rated peers where the founder(s) plays a material role in strategy or operations. Group structure reflects our view that Eleving's organisational structure is complex relative to the company's business model. This has a moderately negative impact on the credit profile and is relevant to the rating, in conjunction with other factors. Eleving's '4' ESG Relevance Score for customer welfare reflects Fitch's view that Eleving's entry into the high-cost credit sector means that its business model is sensitive to regulatory changes (such as lending caps) and conduct-related risks. This has a moderately negative impact on the credit profile and is relevant to the rating, in conjunction with other factors. Eleving has an ESG Relevance Score of '3' for GHG emissions & air quality, to reflect possible, but minimal regulatory risk for the value of Eleving's collateral. This is higher than the standard score of '2' for finance and leasing companies, but in line with that of other rated peers with exposure to the automotive sector. Unless otherwise disclosed in this section, the highest level of ESG credit relevance for Eleving is a score of 3. This means ESG issues are credit-neutral or have only a minimal credit impact on the entity, either due to their nature or to the way in which they are being managed by the entity. For more information on Fitch's ESG Relevance Scores, visit www.fitchratings.com/esg
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Austria's production index increased in May, amid a rise in industry output and construction, data from Statistics Austria showed on Friday Trade balance registered a deficit in April, as imports rose faster than exports. Production index increased 11.4 percent yearly in May, following a 7.1 percent rise in April. Industrial output advanced 12.8 percent annually in May and construction rose 6.9 percent. Among the main industrial grouping, energy output surged 41.3 percent year-on-year in May and capital goods increased 11.3 percent. Production of consumer non-durable and consumer durable rose by 10.0 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively. Production of intermediate goods gained 9.1 percent. On a monthly basis, the production index increased 2.1 percent in May, following a 0.5 percent rise in the prior month. Separate data from the statistical office showed that the trade balance logged a deficit of EUR 2.145 billion in April. Exports rose 9.3 percent annually in April and imports increased 15.0 percent. Imports of fuels and energy surged 143.6 percent, Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas said. 'Especially in terms of gas imports, price rises were the driving force behind the development in the period from January to April 2022: Despite a 21.2 percent lower volume compared to the same period of the previous year, the value of gas imports rose by 262.7 percent,' Thomas added. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / JULY 8, 2022 / Healthtech company Veriheal will soon be closing submissions for its third annual Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship and encourages eligible students to apply before the July 30 deadline. The winners of $25,000 in total awards will be notified in August.

The scholarship is available to U.S. college students, recent high school graduates, and high school seniors taking college courses. Applicants are asked to submit a 1,000-word essay in which they "think outside the box" on ways to improve and expand the cannabis industry. Students of all backgrounds and majors, from art to business to the sciences, are invited to offer up their most visionary solutions and ideas related to gaps and problems in the industry. Selected students will receive $5,000 each to apply toward college tuition and fees.

In light of the current economic climate and ever-rising college costs, the scholarship aims to mitigate barriers facing aspiring industry leaders. This year's scholarship fund was increased to $5,000 per winner, up from $1,000 in previous years, to offer more financial support for students. Veriheal has expanded the Innovation in Scholarship fund substantially since its inception in 2020.

Veriheal's philanthropic efforts also include donations to cannabis and health-centric organizations such as Equality Florida Action Inc., Last Prisoner Project, Wounded Warriors, and the American Cancer Society, among others.

About Veriheal

Veriheal is a healthcare technology company that is the largest facilitator of medical marijuana cards in the nation. Its mission is to educate and advocate on behalf of patients and secure their safe access to regulated medical cannabis products. The company has a culture of open communication and transparency with its clients, and operates as a concierge service to ensure HIPAA compliant connections between patients and physicians via its proprietary platform. Visit veriheal.com for more information.

Media Contact Information:

Anthony Dutcher

833-663-7284 Ext. 4

hello@veriheal.com

https://www.veriheal.com/contact-us/ and select the Press/Media option

SOURCE: Veriheal

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/708024/Veriheal-Reminds-Students-About-July-30-Innovation-in-Cannabis-Scholarship-Deadline
Internet, Everywhere--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - Shopify Inc. (NYSE, TSX: SHOP), a provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Deliverr, Inc.

"Together with Deliverr, Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) will give millions of independent businesses, on and off Shopify, an end-to-end logistics platform to unlock fast and easy fulfillment," said Aaron Brown, CEO of Shopify's logistics group. "I am delighted to officially welcome the over 400 talented employees of Deliverr to Shopify. Our combined team strengthens SFN's ability to manage merchant inventory from 'port to porch' as merchandise arrives at domestic ports, travels to and throughout the warehouse network, gets distributed across sales channels, and ultimately arrives at the consumer's doorstep."

Brown added, "SFN will allow all merchants to better align the supply of their inventory with buyer demand as we remove complexity for merchants in one of the most challenging areas they face today: logistics. And soon, we will roll out another powerful feature of SFN called Shop Promise, which will offer reliable two- and next-day delivery options across the U.S."

With the addition of Deliverr's world-class software, talent, data, and scale, SFN will offer merchants a one-stop shop for their logistics needs, from initial receipt of inventory to smart distribution, through to fast delivery and easy returns. Merchant benefits include:

Multichannel inventory management. Merchants will have a single place to view and ship their inventory for different sales channels, including Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, and platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Merchants will have a single place to view and ship their inventory for different sales channels, including Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, and platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Greater alignment between inventory supply and demand. Merchants will have their inventory automatically positioned near demand and fulfill orders from the closest possible warehouse utilizing proprietary software that predicts where customer orders are likely to come from.

Merchants will have their inventory automatically positioned near demand and fulfill orders from the closest possible warehouse utilizing proprietary software that predicts where customer orders are likely to come from. More flexible, independent logistics services. Merchants, whether or not they use SFN for fulfillment, can mix and match key services such as storage, freight, inventory preparation and returns so they can choose what's right for them as they scale.

Merchants, whether or not they use SFN for fulfillment, can mix and match key services such as storage, freight, inventory preparation and returns so they can choose what's right for them as they scale. Shop Promise. A new service that offers consumers reliable two-day and next-day delivery options across the U.S., Shop Promise utilizes an expanded network of partners and carriers, and guarantees merchants full ownership of their brand, business intelligence, and customer data.

The anticipated benefits of Shopify's acquisition of Deliverr are described in greater detail on our news page.

Transaction Terms

Under the terms of the agreement, Shopify acquired all of Deliverr's outstanding securities in a transaction valued at approximately $2.1 billion, consisting of $1.7 billion in net cash and $0.4 billion in Shopify Class A Subordinate Voting Shares, some of which are for post-transaction services that will be accounted for as stock-based compensation. Deliverr's key management elected to take a significant portion of their stockholder consideration as Shopify Class A Subordinate Voting Shares that will vest subject to certain conditions.

About Shopify

Shopify is a leading provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, offering trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size. Shopify makes commerce better for everyone with a platform and services that are engineered for reliability, while delivering a better shopping experience for consumers everywhere. Proudly founded in Ottawa, Shopify powers millions of businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Allbirds, Gymshark, Heinz, Tupperware, FTD, Netflix, FIGS, and many more. For more information, visit www.shopify.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Words such as "expect", "continue", "will", "plan", and "intend" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are based on Shopify's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends that management believes might affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by Shopify in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate. These projections, expectations, assumptions and analyses are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, events and achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Although Shopify believes that the assumptions underlying these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and readers cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors, including certain risk factors, many of which are beyond Shopify's control, including but not limited to risk factors disclosed previously and from time to time in Shopify's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the securities commissions or similar securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces or territories of Canada.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent Shopify's expectations as of the date of this post, or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made, and subsequent events may cause these expectations to change. Shopify undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

CONTACT:

INVESTORS:

Katie Keita

Director, Investor Relations

613-241-2828 x 1024

IR@shopify.com

MEDIA:

Alex Lyons

Senior Communications Lead

416-238-6705 x 302

press@shopify.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130373
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - SBD Capital Corp. (CSE: SBD), (the "Company") announces the resignations of Mr. Arvin Ramos as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company and the resignation of Mr. Daniel Nauth as a director of the Company effective June 29, 2022.

Mr. Chris Irwin has been appointed as a director of the Company. Mr. Irwin is a graduate of Bishop's University (B.A., 1990), the University of New Brunswick (Bachelor of Laws, 1994) and Osgoode Hall Law School (Masters of Laws, 2009). He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1996. Mr. Irwin represents several public companies, is an officer and/or director of several public companies, and serves or has served on the audit committee of several public companies.

In addition, the Company announces that it has provided notice to Grant Thornton LLP, the auditors of the Company, that they will be changing its auditor from Grant Thornton LLP to Jones & O'Connell LLP. The Company has provided notice to each of Grant Thornton LLP and Jones & O'Connell LLP in accordance with National Instruction 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations and will be filing the change of auditor package on the Company's SEDAR profile in due course.

Finally, the Company announces that it has applied to the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC") for a management cease trade order ("MCTO") with respect to its audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2022, annual management's discussion and analysis for the same period and management certifications of annual filings (collectively, the "Annual Filings"). The Company anticipates that the Annual Filings will not be filed by the prescribed deadline of July 29, 2022. The MCTO will not affect the ability of any other shareholders of the Company to trade securities of the Company. There is no guarantee that a MCTO will be granted.

Until the Company has filed the Annual Filings, members of the Company's management and other insiders are subject to an insider trading black-out. The Company confirms that, other than as disclosed in prior press releases and material change reports, there have been no material business developments since the filing of the Company's latest interim financial report. The Company is not currently subject to any insolvency proceedings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

SBD Capital Corp.

Aleem Nathwani

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (416) 361-2515

Email: aleem.nathwani@gmail.com

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130425
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - Hypercharge Networks Corp. (the "Company" or "Hypercharge") is pleased to announce the appointments of Vitaly Golomb, and Shahab Samimi, as independent Directors on the Board of Directors of the Company. In order to create room for the new independent directors, the number of directors has been increased to five and Sion Jones has resigned from the Board of Directors.

Vitaly Golomb is a technology investment banker with over 20 years of experience on all sides of the table as a venture-backed CEO, venture capitalist, and M&A advisor. Vitaly has deep expertise in the transportation and mobility sector, in addition to experience in artificial intelligence, software/SaaS, and advanced materials.

Shahab Samimi is an investor and strategic advisor who previously assisted in the allocation of funds at 7 Gate Ventures, a VC fund with offices in San Francisco and Vancouver, investing in a diverse portfolio of early-stage technology companies globally. He has unique and diverse experience investing in early-stage, high growth companies.

"We are pleased to welcome Vitaly and Shahab to the Hypercharge board as their extensive experience in capital markets will strengthen the board and further our commitment to good corporate governance," said David Bibby, President and CEO. "The Board also thanks Sion Jones for his contributions to the Company and looks forward to his continued work as VP of Operations."

The Company announces it has granted 310,000 stock options to the new directors at $0.60 per share for a three-year term and 300,000 restricted stock units ("RSUs"). The RSUs shall vest 25% on each of six, twelve, eighteen and twenty-four months. Each RSU represents the right to receive, once vested, one common share in the capital of the Company.

The Company also announces that it has reviewed its corporate governance initiatives, and, as a result, has adopted a new Board Charter, a majority voting policy, and constituted a Compensation and Corporate Governance Committee, which will undertake a review of additional new policies.

On behalf of the Board,

Hypercharge Networks Corp.

David Bibby, President & CEO

About Hypercharge

Hypercharge Networks is a clean technology innovator, connecting communities and driving the world forward by providing smart EV charging solutions, while accelerating the shift towards a carbon neutral future.

Media Contact:

Kyle Green | Senior Marketing Manager

kyle.green@hypercharge.com

604-992-1797

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "will", "estimates", "believes", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Company's intention to file a prospectus to qualify the Hypercharge Shares and list same on the NEO (including, without limitation, the anticipated timing of the completion of the Escrow Release Conditions, the use of proceeds from the Offering, and the satisfaction and/or waiver of the Escrow Release Conditions). Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and the actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as such information, although considered reasonable by the respective management of the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statement. Except as expressly required by securities law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130429
011h, a Barcelona, Spain-based provider of a building platform to accelerate the transition to a sustainable built environment, raised 25M in Series A funding.

The round was led by Redalpine, with participation from Seaya Andromeda, Breega, Aldea Ventures, Giuseppe Zocco, Foundamental and A/O Proptech.

The company intends to use the funds to further develop its digital platform and building system, as well as grow its team and strengthen its network of partners.

Led by CEO Lucas Carne and COO Jose Ojeda, 011h provides a building platform with a mission to mitigate climate change and shortage of affordable living, by standardizing and digitalizing the building process to make it repeatable and scalable, while incorporating sustainable and circular principles and materials  like mass timber  and preserving design flexibility. This enables architects, general contractors, real estate developers and investors to design, build and manage net-zero buildings in a faster, more reliable and cost efficient way.

Initially, the company will focus on projects in its home market of Spain. It will then pursue its goal of expanding in Europe, and opening the platform with global reach.

011h has delivered a major project with Renta Corporacion, a publicly-traded developer.

FinSMEs

08/07/2022

Patric Hellermann, General Partner of Foundamental, says, Since Day 0, we have been impressed with the teams drive to change the construction industry, and we are excited to continue partnering with 011h to build the leading multi-family construction platform in Europe. The ongoing EU plans to decarbonize Europes building stock  while ambitious  require technology to achieve our ambitions. 011h will spearhead that decarbonization, precisely because it is becoming a truly scalable net-zero building platform.

Beatriz Gonzalez, Founding Partner of Seaya, says, This investment reinforces Seaya Andromedas commitment to addressing the global sustainability challenges through technology, and our continued support to outstanding and mission-driven founders that target long-term, sustainable growth.

Ben Marrel, Co-founder and CEO at Breega concludes: With their outstanding innovation, drive and commitment to the future of our planet, the 011h team are pioneers helping to rebuild the construction industry. Transforming traditional practices and encouraging industry actors to join them in paving the way to a more efficient, greener, and more sustainable future. Breega is very proud to be backing 011h in this landmark series A round.
Deuna, a Palo Alto, California-based commerce operating system that enables a 1-click checkout buying experience and an expanded sales network for e-commerce merchants, raised a total of $37M in funding.

The round included a $30M Series A round led by Activant Capital with participation from Valor Capital, Abstract Ventures, Acrew Capital, Upload Ventures (formerly Softbank Early Stage) as well as founders from Plaid, Kavak, Jeeves, Xepelin, iFood, R2, and others.

The company intends to use the funds to consolidate its presence in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile, hire talent, continue investing in product, and keep expanding its user base and customers in the region through marquee relationships and partnerships. It will enter other countries in LatAm in the coming months.

Founded in late 2020 by Roberto Enrique Kafati Santos and Jose Maria Serrano, Deuna empowers e-commerce merchants to make online sales in LatAm quicker, easier and safer. Their commerce 3.0 operating system provides local merchants with a payments infrastructure that integrates into every major payments provider (PayPal, Kushki, Mercado Pago, etc), alternative payment methods popular in the region (Kueski, Aplazo, Oxxo, Baloto, etc) and provides access to a growing network of over 3 million users to drive sales and boost conversion.

The platform also handles payment orchestration, payment processing, fraud prevention, and life cycle management based on actionable user real time analytics, all of which are critical to the success of e-commerce merchants in LatAm.

Jose Jorge Molina (previously CMO at Bitso and multi awarded leader at Publicis Groupe ) has later joined as part of the founding team.

FinSMEs

08/07/2022






Headline, a tech-enabled global venture capital firm, raised $954M in new capital across three distinct early-stage funds.

The funds include:

Headline US VII, a $408M North America-focused fund based out of San Francisco;

Headline EU VII, a 320M pan-Europe-focused fund based out of Berlin; and

Headline Brazil III, a R$915M Latin America-focused fund based out of Sao Paulo.

The firm will use these three new funds to continue to utilize its global team and a data-informed investment approach to identify, track, and invest in the fastest growing early-stage technology companies at the Seed and Series A. This latest generation of early-stage funds will invest $1.5M to $15M into technology startups across B2B and B2C.

Each fund is regionally focused and independently managed by its respective local team.

Key people are:

Mathias Schilling, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the Headline US team

Romero Rodrigues, Managing Partner of Headline Brazil, based in Sao Paulo

Christian Leybold, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the EU team

Since its founding in 1999, the fund has worked alongside talented founders with global aspirations from Silicon Valley to Sao Paulo, Beijing to Berlin. Its portfolio includes category leaders across both B2B and B2C companies. Prior investments includes Acorns, Angies List, AppFolio, Bumble, Creditas, Farfetch, Fetch Rewards, Flutterwave, Gopuff, Grin, Gympass, Honeycomb, Icertis, Pismo, The RealReal, Scopely, Segment, SEMRush, Sonos, Sorare, Staffbase, and Yeahka.

FinSMEs

08/07/2022
Medical workers cool down near an air conditioner installed at a COVID-19 screening center in Songpa District, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap



Health ministry tightens monitoring of BA.4, BA.5 subvariants



By Lee Hyo-jin



Korea appears to be at the start of another COVID-19 wave, with the number of daily new infections nearly doubling in a week amid the growing presence of Omicron subvariant BA.5, according to medical experts, Friday.



The experts, however, gave different views on how big the wave will be. Some said it would be smaller and less fatal than previous ones, while others warned that daily cases may surge to the 100,000 daily infections range.



The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 19,323 new infections for Thursday, raising the aggregated total to 18,471,172. After rebounding to an upward trend since the end of June, the daily numbers of new infections this week have nearly doubled from the previous week.



Chon Eun-mi, a respiratory disease specialist at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, viewed that an uptick in travel and gatherings in the summer vacation season and the growing presence of BA.5 and other strains of the Omicron variant could fuel infections in the coming weeks.



"From what we know so far, the BA.5 subvariant is over 30 percent more contagious than the BA.2 subvariant (or 'Stealth Omicron'). Recent studies show that it may even evade immunity created from vaccines and previous infections," she told The Korea Times. "Plus, nobody can be sure whether BA.4 and BA.5 are the final strains."



In the last week of June, the BA.5 subvariant accounted for 24 percent of the total number of infections here, more than triple that of the previous week, according to the KDCA.



However, Chon was somewhat cautiously optimistic about how the situation could develop.



"On a positive note, the newly-emerging variants seem to be causing less severe symptoms. So if the BA.5 becomes dominant in the new wave, it is likely to cause fewer fatalities and socio-economic damage than previous ones," she said.



But she advised that the government should expand face-to-face treatment of coronavirus patients, which are currently allowed at about 6,000 designated local clinics, to general hospitals, in order to take care of elderly patients and those with underlying diseases better.



"The sixth wave has already begun. Through it is difficult to make a prediction right now, daily cases may surge up to 100,000 earlier than expected," said Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital.



Kim, who had often criticized the previous Moon Jae-in government's virus spread control measures, saying that many were driven by political intentions, said the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration isn't doing much better.





Vice Health Minister Lee Ki-il speaks during a COVID-19 response meeting held at the Government Complex Seoul, Friday. Lee has been presiding over COVID-19-related meetings since his appointment in May, as the health minister post has remained vacant for nearly two months. Yonhap
Myne, a Berlin, Germany-based startup which allows users to invest in shared holiday homes, raised 23M in Seed funding.

Backers included:

Ramin Niroumands FinTech Fund,

embedded/capital,

HomeToGo founder Nils Regges family office, TruVenturo,

Scope Hanson,

Rivus Capital and

CoastCap from Finanzcheck founder Moritz Thiele.

The company intends to use the funds to open up the platform to users across Europe, further develop the business including the European expansion of its technology and financing platform, as well as growing property offering to Italy and France.

Co-founded by Nikolaus Thomale and Fabian Lohmer, Myne provides a mode to purchase shares in a high-quality, individual holiday property in popular holiday destinations, with minimum investments starting from 50k. Via the digital platform, co-owners can have the properties managed on an ongoing basis for a monthly fee  from furnishing, to operation, to maintenance. A smart scheduling system ensures that all co-owners can use their property according to their personal preferences.

The company is currently available to German, Austrian and Swiss customers only but is planning to use its latest investment to open up the platform to users across Europe.

FinSMEs

08/07/2022
T40 Technologies, a Lagos, Nigeria-based Inter-City Transportation and Logistics tech startup, raised an undisclosed amount in Pre-Seed funding.

The round was led by Reflect Ventures with participation from Startup Wise Guys, and Roselake Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate growth, and expand operations.

Led by CEO Folarin Olulana, T40 provides a cloud-based transport and logistics operating system built for intercity service providers. Launched in 2020, the platform creates value in the intercity transport and logistics industry in Nigeria and across Africa by digitally enabling transport companies to sell tickets, manage inventory, and generate additional revenue.

The company is also building a retail network that will allow PoS agents and other merchants to sign-up to sell retail bus and car tickets on the network for a commission.

FinSMEs

08/07/2022
Zeed, a London, UK-based provider of an investment platform for Gen-Z generation, raised 205K in Pre-Seed funding.

The round was led by SFC Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to continue building the product, expanding the team, and producing exclusive content.

Led by CEO Salman Hussain, Zeed provides an investment platform that uses short-form video to empower Gen-Z investors in Europe. The mobile app, launching later this month, will enable users to watch the educational video content on investment trends and general financial knowledge. In the near future, the platform will also allow users to invest directly in UK and US equities in a TikTok-style feed.

FinSMEs

08/07/2022




South Korea and the United States held an inaugural session of their new economic security dialogue here in Washington on Thursday, informed sources said.







The meeting was held at the White House, involving Wang Yun-jong, secretary to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for economic security, and officials from the U.S. National Security Council (NSC), according to the sources.







Earlier reports said the U.S. side will likely be led by Tarun Chhabra, senior director at the NSC for technology and national security.







Wang arrived here Tuesday, along with several other government delegates.







The new dialogue was established as part of an agreement between Yoon and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, when the two held their first in-person summit in Seoul in May.







The two sides were widely anticipated to have discussed their countries' joint response to the global supply chain crisis, as well as the recent global food and energy price hikes. (Yonhap)


On July 1st and 3rd 2022, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Dr. Zhou Pingjian's article So-called Debt Trap  Pure Disinformationwas published on Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Capital FM, Business Daily and The Standard. The full text goes as follows:

Kenyaslargest creditor? Not China.Kenya owes less than 10% of its public debt, or, less than 20% of its foreign debt, to Chinese creditors. Labeling China as the main creditor of Kenya is clearly an overstatement.

Western investors, often in the forms of multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors, are the largest creditors of African countries such as Kenya. According to the World Banks 2022 International Debt Statistics, 28.8% of Africas external debt comes form multilateral financial institutions and 41.8% from commercial creditors. Together they account for nearly three-fourths of Africas total debt.

Development takes financing support, internal or external. Following their political independence, African countries have made tireless efforts toward national development and economic revitalization. In this process, a shortage of funds for development and the need for external financing are problems that African countries have to face.

China-Africa financing cooperation has provided Africa with new options to break the bottleneck of insufficient funds for development.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, China and other emerging markets and developing countries have actively supported Africas economic development. We have provided Africa with new financing channels different from the traditional Paris Club to help Africa build capacity for self-generated development.

Take China-Kenya financing cooperation. All the loans from China are project-specific based on equal-footed consultation and mutually beneficial cooperation. The fruitful and tangible outcomes of our cooperation are solid there for all to see.

Africas debt situation is in nature an issue of development. The solution lies in ensuring the effective use of funds and loans. Fact is, financing from Western countries mainly focuses on non-manufacturing sectors, and often comes with political strings attached, such as reforms in human rights, law and other areas. Instead of truly helping Africa to advance economic growth, generate more tax revenues, and increase exports and earn foreign exchange for improved balance of payments, such financing is used as a means to remold the continent.

China always respects the wishes of the African people and Chinas financing to Africa mainly focuses on infrastructure and manufacturing-related sectors to meet the regions real needs. To date, by putting various funds to use, Chinese companies have helped African countries build and upgrade over 10,000 kilometers of railway, around 100,000 kilometers of highway, 1,000 bridges, 100 ports, and many large-scale power plants, hospitals and schools. Such financing support has boosted economic growth, increased tax revenues, created jobs, and improved peoples lives in relevant countries, bringing tangible benefits to the African people.

On transparency, China-Africa financing co-operation always follows customary business practices and respects African countries sovereignty, will and domestic legal procedures. There is no interference or covert maneuver. In addition, China has never attached any political strings to debt agreements, never forced any African country to take out loans, and never pressed for debt service by any African country. Not a single Africancountry slid into debt predicaments or has been forced to mortgage its ports, mines or other strategic resources to Chinajust because it has financing cooperation with China.Tarnishing the transparency of China-Africa cooperation is an insult to the governance of African countries and the wisdom of the African people. Such attempts themselves, I am afraid, are driven by the least transparent of intentions.

Not a single developing country has ever fallen into the so-called debt trap because of Chinese loans. In fact, the so-called debt trap is a narrative trap created by those who wish to forever plunge Africa into a poverty trap and backwardness trap. It cannot be said that only the loans provided by Western countries in the past were development aids, while these from China now are called debt traps.

China is truly committed to supporting Africas development and revitalization, and has always been dedicated to easing Africas debt pressure.

China is fully implementing the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative for Poorest Countries (DSSI): it has put off more debt payments than any other G20 member, signed agreement or reached common understanding on debt relief with 19 African countries, and engaged in the case-by-case debt treatment of Chad and Ethiopia under the G20 Common Framework.

Unfortunately, commercial creditors as Africas main lenders only have limited participation in the G20 DSSI, and multilateral financial institutions have even refused to adopt debt relief measures under the Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI. In doing so, they are forcing Africas bilateral official creditors to offer debt relief, and they claim that this would be good for Africa. Truth is, this is not in the interest of African countries and would only cost Africa once again its access to the international financing market.

In November 2021, at the eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference, President Xi Jinping announced the exemption of debt incurred in the form of interest-free Chinese government loans due by the end of 2021 for LDCs in Africa, and pledged to channel to African countries 10 billion US dollars from its share of the IMFs new allocation of Special Drawing Rights.

China has also supported Africa in easing debt burdens by encouraging new means of financing based on market-oriented principles and commercial rules, including BOT, PPP and direct investment.

Furthermore, China is exploring suppliers credit in its financing cooperation with Africa.

To resolve Africas debt problems requires a systematic plan, which includes both stopgap measures such as debt relief and solutions to step up Africas capacity for independent and sustainable development.

China calls on the international community to beef up support to Africa, respect its will, heed its voice, and help African countries realize independent and sustainable development at an early date.
On June 10, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau held the third plenary session of the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee via video link.

Wang Yi said, Poland is a major country in Europe and the first Central and Eastern European Country (CEEC) to establish the Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee mechanism with China, and has taken the lead in launching China-CEEC cooperation. China attaches great importance to the development of China-Poland relations. In February this year, President Xi Jinping and President Andrzej Duda held a bilateral meeting during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, giving new strategic guidance to China-Poland relations and sending a strong signal that the two countries are committed to strengthening friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation under the new circumstances. China is ready to work with Poland to follow through on the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, carry forward the traditional friendship, enhance mutual trust, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, so as to maintain the sound and stable development of China-Poland relations under the turbulent and volatile international situation.

Wang Yi said, China appreciates Poland's adherence to the one-China principle and believes that Poland will unswervingly stay committed to the one-China principle. The two sides should give full play to the role of the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, advance cooperation in fields such as economy and trade, science and technology, environmental protection, energy and digital sectors, resume personnel exchanges in an orderly manner, expand mutual investment, and continuously expand the common interests of the two countries. China attaches importance to Poland's concerns and actively works for solutions. China hopes Poland will provide a fair, open and non-discriminatory investment and business environment for all foreign enterprises, including Chinese ones. The two sides should take the 10th anniversary of the launch of China-CEEC cooperation as a new starting point, strengthen confidence in cooperation, tap the potential of cooperation, and open up new prospects for cooperation. China is ready to work with Poland to enlarge the brand effect of China-Europe freight trains, and support enterprises of the two countries to explore the establishment of a two-way warehousing, logistics and distribution system for the European and Chinese markets with Poland being the distribution center, so as to realize the all-dimensional connectivity layout covering land, sea and air between China and Poland, and make Poland an important gateway to China-CEEC cooperation and China-EU cooperation.

Rau said, Poland attaches great importance to developing Poland-China relations and firmly pursues the one-China principle. Facing the profound and complex changes in the international situation, Poland is ready to strengthen communication with China, enhance personnel exchanges, expand exports to China, and promote greater development of bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, logistics, connectivity and other fields. Chinese enterprises are welcome to invest and do business in Poland. Poland supports strengthening EU-China cooperation and CEEC-China cooperation, and is willing to become the gateway to EU-China cooperation.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Wang Yi said, China's position can be summed up in one sentence, that is, promoting peace talks. We will continue to play a constructive role in this regard in our own way. The United States attempts to use the Ukraine issue to smear and suppress China. This move deserves vigilance and resistance.

Rau introduced Poland's position, reiterating that Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be safeguarded, and Poland is ready to cooperate with all parties to overcome the energy and food crises caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is lying on the ground after he was shot from behind by a man during an election campaign event for the July 10 Upper House election in Nara, Friday, in this screenshot from Kyodo News.





By Nam Hyun-woo







Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to the media upon his arrival at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, in this file photo taken on Aug. 24, 2020. AFP-Yonhap

President Yoon Suk-yeol offered his condolences for Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was brutally shot during a campaign speech, Friday.







According to the presidential office, Yoon offered condolences to Abe's widow, Akie Abe, hours after the former prime minister was pronounced dead.







"I deliver my condolences to the bereaved family and the people of Japan, who have lost the longest-serving prime minister in the country's constitutional history and a respected politician," Yoon said in his message.







While expressing his sorrow and shock, Yoon continued, "The shooting which took the life of former Prime Minister Abe is an unacceptable crime," according to the office.







Though it was not an official message, Foreign Minister Park Jin reportedly delivered words of consolation and wished for Abe's quick recovery to his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Bali, Indonesia.







According to Japanese news outlets, Abe, 67, was shot in the neck and chest during a campaign speech outside a train station in the southwestern city of Nara around 11:30 a.m. He was transported to Nara Medical University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 6 p.m.







A 41-year-old man, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, was suspected of carrying out the shooting and was arrested at the scene. Japanese media reported that he served in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years from 2005, and appeared to have used a small hand-held shotgun in the attack.







Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he condemns the shooting "in the strongest terms," adding it is "absolutely unforgivable."







Korea's main political parties also released messages of condolence and condemned the brutal crime.







"The Abenomics policies were his trademark and he is also remembered as a politician who strived to revitalized Japan's economy from a long-term slowdown," said Rep. Her Eu-na, spokesperson of the ruling People Power Party. "Terrorism cannot be justified for any reasons. Elections should be a festival of democracy, and the act of terrorizing elections is absolutely unacceptable."







The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea also condemned the shooting, saying "political terrorism is a serious threat to democracy."







Tetsuya Yamagami, bottom, is detained near the site of gunshots in Nara Prefecture, Japan, Friday. Yamagami allegedly shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fatally during a campaign speech. The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP





Abe, 67, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis. During his time in power, Abe had four Korean presidents as counterparts.







He is known as a hawkish conservative taking far-right steps on history issues with Korea. Throughout his tenure, he continued visiting Yasukuni Shrine that honors war dead including convicted war criminals from World War II.







Relations between Seoul and Tokyo soured during Abe's tenure, as Japan began restricting exports of key industrial materials to Korea in 2019, in an apparent retaliation to the Korean Supreme Court's ruling ordering Japanese companies to compensate surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor.







In response, Korea filed petitions to the World Trade Organization, and nearly let the Korea-Japan General Security of Military Information Agreement expire. Seoul conditionally suspended the decision to terminate the agreement following a resolution passed in the U.S. Senate calling on Korea to renew it. Korean citizens also countered the trade restrictions by boycotting Japanese products.






SEATTLE  June 22, 2022  Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center has announced 10 recipients of the 2022 Dr. Eddie Mendez award, honoring a physician-scientist and cherished colleague at Fred Hutch.

The recipients are postdoctoral researchers from across the U.S. with research expertise in cancer, infectious disease and basic sciences.

Applications were solicited from universities and cancer research centers around the U.S., this years awardees reflect the spirit of Dr. Mendez and represent a breadth of scientific research. Research topics include the study of emerging new coronaviruses, the identification of regulators of early-stage lung cancer, and the impact of social and environmental factors on tumor development.

"We are proud of this years awardees, whose accomplishments to both science and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are truly outstanding. We look forward to welcoming them to the Hutch this September and honoring the memory of Dr. Mendez, said Dr. Christopher Li who is the faculty director of The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and associate director of DEI for the Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium. He holds the Helen G. Edson Endowed Chair for Breast Cancer Research at Fred Hutch.

This program is one of our efforts to recognize the accomplishments of postdoctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds and support their careers, he added.

After leaving Puerto Rico, Mendez attended Princeton University and then obtained a medical degree from University of Maryland at Baltimore. He later came to University of Washington as a resident. He was known for being passionate about developing new therapies to help prevent cancer treatment side effects and save his patients lives.

In 2018 Mendez died of cancer, but his commitment to supporting early-career scientists who were underrepresented in science lives on through this award that was created by Fred Hutch leaders in 2019.

I was selected for the Eddie Mendez Symposium in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when I felt uncertain about my research and career prospects, said Dr. Christina Termini, assistant professor in the Hutchs Clinical Research Division.

My participation in the Symposium connected me with a new group of supportive scientists in and out of the Hutch, which helped reignite my drive towards a career in research," said Termini.

Now in its fourth year, the award has recognized a total of 28 recipients and this year will add 10 more to the cohort who has become a support system to other winners.

I was incredibly impressed by the caliber of the applicant pool, said Termini, who served on this years selection committee. From scientific accomplishments to proposed ideas to innovation within diversity, equity, and inclusion, no stone was left unturned. While it was difficult to select the awardees from such an accomplished set of scientists, those that were chosen most strongly embodied the spirit of the award.

The award includes an honorarium for the recipients, and they will be honored at a Sept. 19-20 symposium where they will give presentations on their research findings and network with other scientists.

This community is now a fixture in my daily life as faculty at the Hutch. Most serendipitous of all, my laboratory is now occupying a tissue culture space where Dr. Mendez lab worked in, which feels like the perfect place to start my research career, said Termini.

People interested in applying for next years Mendez award can reach out to diversity@fredhutch.org for more information. Solicitation for the next round of applications is expected in mid-October and with applications accepted through March 2023.

2022 Dr. Eddie Mendez award recipients:

Maria Angelica Bravo Nunez, Ph.D.

Harvard University

Lesley Chapman Hannah, Ph.D.

National Cancer Institute

Aileen Fernandez, Ph.D.

Yale University

Jaye Gardiner, Ph.D.

Fox Chase Cancer Center

Luis Hernandez-Nunez, Ph.D.

Harvard University

Alexis Jaramillo Caragena, Ph.D.

Broad Institute

Brittany Lord, Ph.D.

National Cancer Institute

David Martinez, Ph.D.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Aaron Moye, Ph.D.

Boston Childrens Hospital

Harvard Medical School

Daniel Fernando Zegarra-Ruiz, Ph.D.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

# # #

Media Contact:

Kat Wynn

206.667.2210

kwynn@fredhutch.org

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch) is an independent, nonprofit, unified adult cancer care and research center that is clinically integrated with UW Medicine, a world leader in clinical care, research and learning. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center was created in April 2022 by the merger of long-time partners, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures for the worlds deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

The first National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the Pacific Northwest, Fred Hutchs global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS, immunotherapy and COVID-19 has confirmed our reputation as one of the worlds leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and has network affiliations with hospitals in five states.
The ROKS Marado, left, and the USS Abraham Lincoln, right, at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 30. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min



Through mouthpiece, Global Times, Beijing expresses discontent over Seoul's participation



By Jung Da-min



The Republic of Korea Navy is participating in this year's international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise, sending its largest military force ever since joining the U.S.-led biennial exercise in 1990.



ROK Navy forces participating in RIMPAC 2022 include the 14,500-ton ROKS Marado amphibious assault ship with helicopter landing platform, 7,600-ton destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great, 4,400-ton destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great, 1,800-ton submarine ROKS Shin Dol-seok, a ROK Marine Corps amphibious assault company, the 59th Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, four ROK Navy UDT/SEAL teams, nine KAAV7A1 amphibious assault vehicles, two Lynx helicopters and 1,000 total personnel.





The ROKS Marado arrives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 20, to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise that kicked off on June 30. From RIMPAC official Twitter account



The ROK Navy sending its largest-ever fleet to RIMPAC is natural considering that its role in the exercise has been growing along with its force improvement and based upon the Korea-U.S. alliance. However, growing tensions between the U.S. and China, including maritime tensions in the South China Sea, have emerged as diplomatic challenges for South Korea.



On July 2, China's state-run Global Times cited Chinese experts who said South Korea's deployment of its largest-ever contingent to the ongoing RIMPAC 2022 sends "a dangerous signal that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is deviating from a neutral line amid China-U.S. competition and losing diplomatic autonomy to serve the U.S.'s Asia-Pacific strategy, which also faced concerns in South Korea over relations and cooperation with China."



South Korean experts said it is true that there has been a policy shift amid the power transition from the previous liberal Moon Jae-in administration to the current conservative Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which takes more firm positions when it comes to the Korea-U.S. military alliance, while the former took a more "low-key" position on the matter to push its peace diplomacy with North Korea.





The ROKS Marado is docked at Jeju Naval Base, May 31, before its departure to Hawaii to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise. / Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy

Republic of Korea Navy personnel participating in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise pose on the flight deck of the ROKS Marado, May 31, before departing for Hawaii. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy



But South Korean experts also said that the difference between the Moon Jae-in administration and the Yoon Suk-yeol administration lies in how openly it talks about South Korea's military alliance with the U.S., while the South Korean government has consistently sought to strengthen its military forces and keep a firm military alliance with the U.S.



Park Yong-han, an associate research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses' Center for Security and Strategy, said participating in this year's RIMPAC is a great opportunity for the ROK Navy which has been seeking to secure its own light aircraft carrier.



"When the ROK Navy's plan to secure a light aircraft carrier is in progress, the ability to actually operate it is required," Park said. "Its participation in RIMPAC means that it will gain indirect experience operating a light aircraft-led combat fleet by conducting joint exercises with various ships from other countries."



Park said the ROK Navy's role in RIMPAC has grown over time and will grow further in the future, and that its main intention is to cultivate its capabilities through such large-scale combined exercises.



But South Korean experts said they believe China could feel threatened by South Korea's participation, regardless of its intention.



"From China's point of view, South Korea's participation in RIMPAC is an extension of the Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance or the so-called siege strategy against China, when trade and maritime disputes between China and the U.S. are growing in the region," Park said.





A Republic of Korea Navy crew of a P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft participating in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise poses on the flight deck of the ROKS Marado, May 31, before departing for Hawaii. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy





Republic of Korea Navy personnel participating in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise pose on the vehicle deck of the ROKS Marado, May 31, before departing for Hawaii. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy



Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, said the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's contrasting position from the Moon Jae-in administration when it comes to South Korea's military alliance with the U.S. has been evident in several events such as this year's RIMPAC as well as the NATO Summit Yoon also attended last month.



"The difference is evident. The Moon Jae-in administration also participated in various multinational maritime exercises just as the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is doing, but the former did not publicize or announce them. The Moon government sent an evident message that it will minimize its participation in the U.S.'s alliance strategy," he said.



The professor said the U.S., by holding multinational joint military exercises like RIMPAC, seems to be seeking a new security strategy of establishing a NATO-like collective security system in the Indo-Pacific region, although it cannot be the same level of collective security as NATO.



"Although establishing a collective security system exactly like NATO in the Indo-Pacific region is simply not possible, the U.S. is still seeking to establish multiple small multinational cooperative bodies in the region by holding various multinational joint military exercises including RIMPAC," he said.



The professor said China's backlash is natural, but he believes it is hard for the Chinese government to explicitly pressure the Yoon Suk-yeol government.



"The Yoon Suk-yeol government has not made any explicit comments condemning or targeting China, nor has it announced any hostile policy against China. Although the state-run Global Times has 'warned' Seoul against standing closer to the U.S., the Chinese government itself seems to be refraining from making explicit comments," he said.



"Furthermore, the Chinese government believes that South Korea is a weak link among other allies of the U.S. If the Chinese government pushes the South Korean government too hard, then it is likely Korea would make a similar choice as Australia did, stepping even closer to the U.S. side."





The ROKS Shin Dol-seok arrives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 20, to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise that kicked off on June 30. From RIMPAC official Twitter account

The ROKS Sejong The Great arrives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 20, to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise that kicked off on June 30. From RIMPAC official Twitter account





The ROKS Munmu The Great arrives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 20, to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise that kicked off on June 30. From RIMPAC official Twitter account
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Welsh official, business leader call for deeper cooperation with China

Xinhua) 09:39, July 08, 2022

LONDON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Welsh government attaches great importance to relations with China and Wales is open to investment from China, said Welsh Minister for Economy Vaughan Gething on Wednesday.

While meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang, Gething said Wales has outstanding advantages in diverse fields including agriculture, high value-added manufacturing, life sciences and renewable energy. Wales hopes to further explore the Chinese market and looks forward to becoming a constructive partner of China, he said.

The minister expressed hope that the two sides will continue to deepen cooperation in other areas such as education, culture, tourism and sports.

Zheng spoke highly of the Welsh government's commitment to developing relations with China, saying China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Wales to match their respective advantages and work for mutual benefits.

The ambassador encouraged the business communities from both sides to strengthen dialogue and communication and explore more opportunities for investment and cooperation.

During another meeting on Wednesday, Chambers Wales President Paul Slevin said China has made world-acknowledged achievements in economic and social development, which has provided important opportunities for Welsh enterprises to expand cooperation with China.

The Chambers Wales is willing to support more local enterprises to establish partnerships with Chinese enterprises and actively expand mutually beneficial cooperation, Slevin said.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
A prototype of the KF-21 fighter jet moves along a taxiway during a media demonstration at the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps



By Kang Seung-woo



SACHEON, South Gyeongsang Province  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is poised to conduct the maiden flight test of the KF-21 Boramae later this month, as the domestic KF-X fighter jet program has been proceeding as planned.



The plan was unveiled during its media event, Wednesday, during which KAI, the nation's sole aircraft manufacturer, also carried out the fighter jet's first public runway test at its headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.



Currently, six flying prototypes have been rolled out.



"The first flight test is expected to take place in the third or fourth week of July," said Kim Nam-shin, a senior manager of the KF-X Program Division at KAI.



"If it occurs, the test flight will be conducted over some three days."



The KF-X program aims to produce 120 advanced multi-role fighter jets to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force's aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s by 2032. Korea and Indonesia signed a deal in 2010 to cooperate on the project, under which Jakarta would fund 20 percent of the total development cost of 8.8 trillion won ($6.76 billion), in exchange for a number of planes that would be manufactured there for the Indonesian Air Force, as well as technology transfers.



However, the specific number will be decided depending on Jakarta's funding of its share, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).



The KF-21 employs various high-end technologies, including the active electronically scanned array radar that tracks multiple targets with more advanced and efficient components. It also has an infrared search-and-track system that detects low-flying targets emitting infrared radiation, including anti-ship missiles.



The 4.5-generation fighter will be equipped with air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-2000 by Germany-based Diehl and the Meteor by Britain's MBDA. In addition, air-to-surface combat capabilities will be added during the second phase of the project from 2026 to 2028.



According to KAI, the first flight will last about 40 minutes, with the six prototypes set to conduct a combined 2,000 sorties over western and southern waters through 2026.



The company said the KF-21 will undergo a one-year "tentative" combat suitability test this year, with a view to achieving its final combat suitability in 2026  key procedures of the phased development process.



According to DAPA, the mass production of the domestically developed fighter jet is expected to last until 2032.



The arms procurement agency admitted that price competitiveness was the top consideration for the project.



"We are in talks with partner companies over the price and the final cost will be decided sooner or later," a DAPA official said.



"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the costs of raw materials have been increasing, but we are trying to prevent it from negatively affecting the price."



Along with the planned flight test, KAI successfully completed a ground test.



"The on-ground taxiing is aimed at checking the aircraft's basic integrity and operability," Kim said.






A man in his 30s has died on a railway track in central Seoul after he was struck by a train, police said Friday.







The incident, which happened shortly before midnight Thursday, temporarily shut down parts of the city's subway system and created delays for around 30 minutes.







The victim, whose identity has been withheld, was trespassing on the railroad in Seoul's Yongsan district before being hit by the moving train, police said.







Police said they are investigating the cause of the incident, including the possibility of suicide. (Yonhap)


July 2022 by European Committee of Regions

The growing digital divide between urban and rural areas is one of the major challenges faced by citizens and businesses in Europe. EU, national, regional and local governments must therefore intensify cooperation to ensure a decent access to internet and digital services in key areas such as healthcare, education, public services, social inclusion. This was one of the main messages that emerged from the meeting of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 8 July.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a growing digital divide between well-connected urban and rural areas, between those who know how to use the digital space and those who do not. The availability, actual use of technology and the ability to take advantage of the enormous opportunities offered by digital technologies has therefore a huge impact on cohesion in the EU and can jeopardise the achievement of the 2030 digital decade goals.

The need to promote digital cohesion in Europe is the topic addressed by a draft opinion adopted by the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the CoR during its meeting on 8 July. The opinion is seeking to add the digital dimension to the definition of economic, social and territorial cohesion recognised by the EU Treaties and to develop a clear understanding of the digital concept for the less developed regions so that they can catch up with the rapid digital transformation. CoR members particularly called for the provision of necessary resources in different regions so that they can invest more in digitisation, provide skills and training to citizens and ultimately develop a stronger digital capacity.

The rapporteur Gaetano Armao (IT/EPP), Vice-president and regional minister for Economy of the Region of Sicily, said: "We have an opportunity to make an eco-digital transition. We cant have one without the other. This is a crucial policy for the recovery of Europe on digital cohesion and focuses on the essential role that technology plays in our life: transport, administration, innovation, environment. We must not forget about the specificities of islands and that is why the digital transition is essential for them and to make sure nobody is left behind."

Furthermore, ECON members adopted the draft opinion on the European Chips Act, highlighting in particular the importance of chips to achieve the European Green Deals objectives and the need to produce semiconductors in a more circular way, in order to reuse raw materials and be less dependent on suppliers from outside the EU. The current crisis has revealed structural weaknesses in European value chains.

To support the expansion and diversification of the chip sector in the European Union, local and regional authorities urge the EU to invest more on the Chips Act implementation, building first on existing clusters and ecosystems. Cities and regions can play a major role to strengthen the European semiconductors industry by bringing together all involved actors to further develop local production and research facilities. In addition, they are ready to increase investment on training and upskilling at regional level, for example through the establishment of a "Semiconductor Academy" and a "Knowledge and Innovation Community".

The rapporteur Thomas Schmidt (DE/EPP), Minister for Regional Development of the Free State of Saxony, stated: "The European Chips Act is the right initiative at the right time. We must continue to consolidate our strengths in the EU and promote research and development of new technologies. To do this, the EU must provide more money and we need a take-up in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 20282034. A key to the success of the chips act is the training of skilled workers from research to production through the establishment of a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) Semiconductor and a Semiconductor Academy following the example of the Battery Academy. SMEs should also get access to new pilot lines and the new Chip Joint Undertaking."

ECON members also adopted the revised draft opinion "Protecting Industrial and Craft Geographical Indications in the European Union", where local and regional leaders assess the impact of recent proposal by the European Commission on protecting the intellectual property for craft products.

Martine Pinville (FR/PES), rapporteur of the revised opinion and of the first opinion adopted in 2021, Member of the Regional Council of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, stated: "I welcome the European Commissions proposal that recognizes industrial and craft geographical indications in a similar way as what already exists for agricultural products. The Commission proposal thereby follows up on what the Committee of the European Regions unanimously requested in 2021. We were heard and are confident that we will also be heard with suggestions for further improving the Commission proposal. Our thread remains the need to protect the skills, the know-how and the workforce behind these industrial and craft products, which are firmly rooted in European cities and regions and are often part of their identities."

All three opinions are scheduled to be adopted in the CoR plenary session, which will take place during the 20th European Week of Regions and Cities in October.

Furthermore, ECON members appointed Muhterem Aras (DE/Greens) as rapporteur for the opinion "Single Market Emergency Instrument", Rob Jonkman (NL/EPP) as rapporteur for the opinion on the "Review Report on the Implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility", Michele Pais (IT/ECR) as rapporteur for the "Interoperability Governance Act" and Ricardo Rio (PT/EPP) as rapporteur for the opinion "Progress in the implementation of SDGs".
Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses



LOS ANGELES, July 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Energy Transfer LP (Energy Transfer or the Company) (NYSE: ET) investors that a class action has been filed on behalf of investors. Energy Transfer investors that lost money on their investment are encouraged to contact Lesley Portnoy, Esq.



Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 844-767-8529 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses.

On August 8, 2019, Energy Transfer disclosed that in mid-2017, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Enforcement Staff initiated a non-public formal investigation regarding allegations that diesel fuel may have been included in the drilling mud at the Tuscarawas River HDD [i.e., Horizontal Directional Drilling Activities].

On this news, Energy Transfers stock fell $0.65, or 4.6%, over two trading days to close at $13.38 per share on August 12, 2019, thereby injuring investors.

Then, on December 16, 2021, FERC publicly issued to Energy Transfer the Order To Show Cause and Notice of Proposed Penalty, directing the Company to show cause why it should not be assessed a civil penalty in the amount of $40 million. The order alleged that the HDD crews intentionally included diesel fuel and other toxic substances and unapproved additives in the drilling mud during its HDDs under the Tuscarawas River.

On this news, Energy Transfers stock fell $0.24, or 2.8%, over two trading days to close at $8.25 per share on December 20, 2021, thereby injuring investors further.

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Energy Transfer had inadequate internal controls and procedures to prevent contractors from engaging in illegal conduct with regards to drilling activities, and/or failed to properly mitigate known issues related to such controls and procedures; (2) Energy Transfer through its subsidiary Rover Pipeline, LLC hired third-party contractor to conduct HDD for the Rover Pipeline Project, whose conduct of adding illegal additives in the drilling mud caused severe pollution near the Tuscarawas River when a large inadvertent release took place on April 13, 2017; (3) Energy Transfer continually downplayed its potential civil liabilities when the FERC was actively investigating the Companys wrongdoing related to the April 13 Release and consistently provided it with updated information about FERCs findings on this matter; (4) these issues were foreseeably likely to subject Energy Transfer to increased governmental scrutiny and enforcement, as well as increased reputational and financial harm, and would also materially impact Energy Transfers financial results; and (5) as a result, Defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

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DUBAI, UAE, July 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recently, MetaBitcoin (MBTC), which implements all Bitcoin ecosystems identically within the Metaverse ecosystem, was selected as the first investment destination for the Alawad Fund.

MetaBitcoin (MBTC) was issued by Meta Satoshi Nakamoto, and has the same elements as Bitcoin, 21 million total supply, 4-year halving, and mining compensation, can be purchased within.





"Alawad Fund," was launched on March 26 (local time) in Dubai, which is attracting attention as a "The holy land of crypto companies."

The fund was established as a joint venture between Sheikh Alawad and CEO jojo jiang, and announced that it plans to invest heavily in fostering the crypto industry.

The first fund of "Alawad Fund" is a total of $300 million and will be operated with the goal of quant investment, virtual asset and block chain-based startup investment, cryptocurrency exchange investment, and cryptocurrency cultural content investment with a focus on bitcoin mining is expected.

At the fund establishment ceremony, Alawad Fund's jojo said, "Bitcoin (BTC) is difficult to mine, there are many restrictions such as electricity bills and mining farms, and there are currently only 2 million mining volumes left. It has a high barrier to entry." She said, "It is difficult to rise more than several dozen times within a short period of time from now, but on the other hand, MetaBitcoin (MBTC) can be mined easily by anyone, and Bitcoin causes environmental problems. It is also free from the issue of being able to do it," she said.

She also stated, "MetaBitcoin (MBTC) was selected as the primary project of the Alawad Fund because of its low initial entry barrier and high evaluation of the fairness that both project sides and users start mining fairly."

MetaBitcoin started mining on May 3, and currently about 30,000 miners are participating in mining. Also from July 3rd, the upgraded miners from 500,000 to 2 million hashrate will be sold in three units.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently become known as a hub for virtual assets and blockchain-based startups. While the government is attracting foreign talent through friendly policies at the government level, many crypto companies such as Binance are flocking to Dubai and emerging as a 'holy land for crypto companies'.

"Alawad Fund", is famous in the blockchain by investing in promising projects with various key blockchain partners. Alawad Fund aim to grow as a promising fund.

Sheikh Alawad said at the Alawad Fund inauguration ceremony on this day, "Dubai is presenting the most friendly business environment for blockchain companies. Alawad Fund was launched. Afterwards, he expressed his hope that the slogan 'Blockchain as the future of finance and Dubai as the future of blockchain companies' would be widely known around the world by actively investing and supporting promising projects together with various oil conglomerates.

Media Contact

Company: MetaBitcoin

Email: info@meta-btc.org

Website: https://meta-btc.org/

SOURCE: MetaBitcoin
Pune, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service market report give you an overall analysis of the global market by the size of industry, shares, revenue in past and future estimation, year over year growth of Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service with the upcoming opportunities and challenges. Report also covers major players operating in the global Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service market with company details, recent developments, revenue, mergers & acquisitions, and expansion plans. Research reports also cover segmentation by product type, applications, and geographical regions, with market size of each type and application with respect to regions.

The Global Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service Market Size was estimated at USD 203.22 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 192.00 million by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of -0.81% during the forecast period.

Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) and may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.

There are two markets for carbon offsets. In the larger, compliance market, companies, governments, or other entities buy carbon offsets in order to comply with caps on the total amount of carbon dioxide they are allowed to emit. This market exists in order to achieve compliance with obligations of the Kyoto Protocol, and of liable entities under the EU Emission Trading Scheme.

Get a Sample Copy of the Report at - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/21147106



Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service market is split by type and by application for the period 2017-2028, the growth among segments provide accurate calculations and forecasts for revenue by type and by application. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets.

Market Segmentation (by Type): -

Industrial

Household

Energy Industrial

Others

Carbon Offset/

Market Segmentation (by Application): -

REDD Carbon Offset

Renewable Energy

Landfill Methane Projects

Others

Geographic Segmentation: -

North America (USA, Canada, Mexico)

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Rest of South America)

The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of MEA)

Inquire or Share Your Questions If Any Before the Purchasing This Report: https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/21147106

Key Players: -

Carbon Credit Capital

Terrapass

Renewable Choice

3Degrees

NativeEnergy

GreenTrees

South Pole Group

Aera Group

Allcot Group

Carbon Clear

Years considered for this report: -

Historical Years: 2011-2028

Base Year: 2021

Estimated Year: 2022

Forecast Period: 2022-2028

Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service market report delivers COVID-19 impacts on the upstream, midstream and downstream businesses. Also, this study delivers a detailed market estimation by emphasizing facts on several aspects covering market dynamics like drivers, barriers, opportunities, threats, and industry news & trends. Ultimately, this report also offers comprehensive study and expert guidance on how to face the post-COIVD-19 period.

To Understand How Covid-19 Impact Is Covered in This Report: https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-covid19/21147106

Detailed TOC of Global Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service Market

1 Research Methodology and Statistical Scope

1.1 Market Definition and Statistical Scope of Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service

1.2 Key Market Segments

1.2.1 Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service Segment by Type

1.2.2 Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service Segment by Application

1.3 Methodology & Sources of Information

1.3.1 Research Methodology

1.3.2 Research Process

1.3.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation

1.3.4 Base Year

1.3.5 Report Assumptions & Caveats

2 Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service Market Overview

2.1 Global Carbon Offset and Carbon Credit Trading Service Market Size (M USD) Estimates and Forecasts (2017-2028)

2.2 Market Segment Executive Summary

2.3 Global Market Size by Region
London, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Programs granting citizenship in exchange for economic investment in small island countries are growing in popularity. Over the last decade, these programs have become notable considerations for those looking to diversify their wealth; they offer benefits that most investors look for and cannot find in some parts of the world. Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis as well as Saint Lucia are some of the small island countries which offer citizenship by investment (CBI) programmes in the Caribbean. These countries offer profitable investment opportunities worth considering.

Obtaining citizenship in Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia comes with numerous benefits for investors. These benefits include favourable opportunities to plan and spread ones wealth, reduced citizenship application timelines, extending citizenship to the family, wide range of investment programmes, high standard of living and enjoying the general benefits that come with living in modern, diverse countries. In addition to this, the investment threshold is not as high as those of other countries. Individuals invest less to access the same benefits offered by relatively large countries.

Shorter citizenship application timeline:

When seeking a second citizenship, the citizenship timeline, or the time it takes for one to move from investor to citizen makes a huge difference. According to the 2021 CBI Index, the speed that it takes to process citizenship application in small island countries is rapid compared to other countries offering the same program. According to the same report, fast track CBI processing options which are available at an additional fee.

This is particularly important for time poor investors looking for effective and trusted options with little or no residence.

It must be noted that fast track options do not reduce the amount of due diligence performed on individuals. The same multilayer approach conducted by various external and local firms along with international police authorities applies to these programmes.

Obtaining citizenship with family:

The rise of increasingly complex family relationships is driving investors to seek CBI programs that allow for a more diverse range of family members to be included under a primary application. Even though a majority of CBI programmes provide for the inclusion of spouses and minor children, only a handful of countries do so for adult children and extended family. Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia were ranked high in this regard according to the CBI Index of 2021. These countries have multi-family member categories that can be considered with one primary application. The degree of flexibility in these categories means that points are awarded for adult children, parents, grandparents and even siblings. Investors who are seeking a second citizenship in these Caribbean countries do not have to worry about the breaking of family ties that comes with relocation and immigration.

Wide range of investment programmes:

Every investment option is evaluated based on its rate of return. When considering a CBI option, the types of investments are thoroughly scrutinised because they form basis of the income that investors will receive in the foreseeable future. The broader the investment programmes are, the better the diversification of an investors portfolio.

Individuals applying for the Dominica CBI can make contributions to the Economic Diversification Fund and Real Estate. The former supports private as well as public projects within the country whereas the latter entails investment in approved real estate projects.

St Kitts and Nevis offers a wide range of CBI options such as the Sustainable Growth Fund. This option follows the Dominica CBI focus which is the public and private real estate development.

Key investments in St Lucia include the National Economic Fund Investment and real estate amongst others. This diversification of investment options is advantageous because it enables investors to select suitable investments that are in line with their risk appetite.

High standard of living:

The United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), which encompasses factors such as life expectancy, education, access to healthcare, safety, and income is used to determine a countrys standard of living. Dominica, St Kitts, and Nevis, and St Lucia have an HDI of 0.742, 0.779, and 0.759 respectively. These country indices are higher than the countries where most investors come from, and they indicate fairly high standards of living.

Outside of economic factors, small island countries rank high in terms of freedom of expression, civil liberties, and political rights which all contribute to a high standard of living. Investments in these countries also tend to offer considerably stable returns because of reduced political risk from upheavals or conflict.

Low minimum investment outlay:

According to the CBI report of 2021, small island countries offer relatively lower investment outlays for their CBI programmes. The minimum investment outlay is an important measure because it is one of the most practical and foremost considerations for all investors. Overall, small island countries had the lowest minimum investment requirements, with some as low as USD 100 000 in Dominica. The low investment outlay means that investors can access similar benefits that come with being a citizen of a country, without paying a fortune.
Dublin, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Civic And Social Organizations Global Market Report 2022 by Products and Services, Type, Mode of Donation, Organisation Location" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global civic and social organizations market is expected to grow from $55.96 billion in 2021 to $59.56 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4%. The market is expected to reach $72.84 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 5.2%.



The civic and social organizations market consists of sales of civic and social services by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are engaged in promoting the civic and social interests of their members. Establishments in this industry may operate bars and restaurants for their members. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.



The main types of civic and social organizations are academia, activist groups, charities, clubs, community foundations, community organizations, consumer organizations, cooperatives and others. Academia relates to all academics in a region or country, as well as the institutions where they operate and the activities they do.

The different products and services include membership services, prepared meals and beverages, gaming services, rental of nonresidential space, private gifts, grants and donations, government grants and support, others and involves various modes of donations such online, offline. The several organization locations include domestic and international.



Increasing donations from corporates is driving the civic and social organizations market. Sponsorships from corporates are great sources of funding for these organizations to promote and fulfil the needs of society. These donations come in various forms such as philanthropic, event sponsorship, cause marketing, pro bono, matching gifts, paid release, in-kind gifts, and check-out campaigns.

For instance, in April 2021, The Ithaca, a New York-based online fundraising tool for nonprofits had assisted over 40,000 organisations in raising over $2 billion. During civic Giving Days in August 2020, it facilitated a record-breaking $124 million in donations.

Moreover, in June 2020, BMO Financial Groups, a financial service provider, announced plans to donate $1 million to a number of organizations in North America that provide support to social and racial justice, and inclusion. The increase in donations from corporates is positively impacting the growth of the civic and social organizations market.



Developing applications to engage the youth in sharing community issues is a major trend in the civic and social organizations market.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Civic And Social Organizations Market Characteristics



3. Civic And Social Organizations Market Trends And Strategies



4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Civic And Social Organizations



5. Civic And Social Organizations Market Size And Growth

5.1. Global Civic And Social Organizations Historic Market, 2016-2021, $ Billion

5.2. Global Civic And Social Organizations Forecast Market, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion

5.2.1. Drivers Of The Market

5.2.2. Restraints On the Market



6. Civic And Social Organizations Market Segmentation

6.1. Global Civic And Social Organizations Market, Segmentation By Products and Services

Membership Services

Prepared Meals And Beverages

Gaming Services

Rental Of Nonresidential Space

Private Gifts, Grants And Donations

Government Grants And Support

Others

6.2. Global Civic And Social Organizations Market, Segmentation By Type

Academia

Activist Groups

Charities

Clubs

Community Foundations

Community Organizations

Consumer Organizations

Cooperatives

Others

6.3. Global Civic And Social Organizations Market, Segmentation By Mode of Donation

Online

Offline

6.4. Global Civic And Social Organizations Market, Segmentation By Organisation Location

Domestic

International

7. Civic And Social Organizations Market Regional And Country Analysis



8. Asia-Pacific Civic And Social Organizations Market



9. China Civic And Social Organizations Market



10. India Civic And Social Organizations Market



11. Japan Civic And Social Organizations Market



12. Australia Civic And Social Organizations Market



13. Indonesia Civic And Social Organizations Market



14. South Korea Civic And Social Organizations Market



15. Western Europe Civic And Social Organizations Market



16. UK Civic And Social Organizations Market



17. Germany Civic And Social Organizations Market



18. France Civic And Social Organizations Market



19. Eastern Europe Civic And Social Organizations Market



20. Russia Civic And Social Organizations Market



21. North America Civic And Social Organizations Market



22. USA Civic And Social Organizations Market



23. South America Civic And Social Organizations Market



24. Brazil Civic And Social Organizations Market



25. Middle East Civic And Social Organizations Market



26. Africa Civic And Social Organizations Market



27. Civic And Social Organizations Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles



Companies Mentioned

The Boy Scouts of America

Boys and Girls Club of America

The Young Men's Christian Association

Rotary Club

Beacon Hill Civic Association Community Corner

Lions Club International

Civic Nation

Campus Vote Project

Andrew Goodman Foundation

Nonprofit Vote

American Association of State Colleges and Universities

HeadCount

Hispanic Association Of Colleges And Universities

Congressional Award Foundation

Atlanta Downtown Improvement District Inc

Society For Public Health Education

National Association Of Government Communicators

Ethics and Compliance Officer Association

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h2ub1h

Attachment
Dublin, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Robotic Welding Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global robotic welding market reached a value of US$ 6.08 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 10.1 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.83% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Robotic welding, also known as automated welding, is a process of fusing two materials together using mechanized programmable instruments that heat, mix, and cool metal materials. It ensures that weld integrity is enhanced with consistent results for fast quality welds while reducing human errors, fatigue and distractions that may cause defects.

As it helps in more accurate and precise welding, there are fewer scrap metals and wastes with robotic welding compared to manual welding. In addition, it performs different welding processes with less manpower and without the need for hiring additional staffing for production. As a result, it finds extensive applications in automotive, electronics, aerospace, defense, construction, and mining industries across the globe.



Robotic Welding Market Trends:

Due to reduced intensive labor injuries, improved order fulfilment speed and accuracy, and increased uptime with reduced costs, there is a rise in the utilization of robotic welding around the world. This, along with the growing demand for robotic welding to enhance the efficient use of working space and improve the supply chain performance in end-user industries, represents one of the key factors driving the market.

Moreover, key market players are extensively investing in research and development (R&D) activities to improve the functions and benefits offered by robotic welding. This, coupled with the rising customization of robotic welding for several requirements, such as cloud-based operations and remote monitoring, along with effective physical stature for improved compatibility with the human workforce, is positively influencing the market.

Additionally, the increasing employment of robotic welding in the automotive industry for resistance spot welding and arc welding in high production applications is offering lucrative growth opportunities to industry investors. Besides this, robotic welding requires minimal hard tooling as they are reprogrammable, which is projected to bolster the market growth.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being ABB Ltd., Comau (Stellantis N.V.), DAIHEN Corporation, FANUC Corporation, Hyundai Robotics Co. Ltd. (Hyundai Heavy Industries Group), Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., KUKA AG, Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp., Panasonic Corporation, Siasun Robot & Automation Co. Ltd. and Yaskawa Electric Corporation.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global robotic welding market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global robotic welding market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the payload?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global robotic welding market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Robotic Welding Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Type

6.1 Spot Welding

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Arc Welding

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Others

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Payload

7.1 Less than 50 Kg

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 50-150 Kg

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 More than 150 Kg

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End User

8.1 Automotive and Transportation

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Electrical and Electronics

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Metals and Machinery

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Others

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 ABB Ltd.

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 Comau (Stellantis N.V.)

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3 DAIHEN Corporation

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3.3 Financials

14.3.4 FANUC Corporation

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 Hyundai Robotics Co. Ltd. (Hyundai Heavy Industries Group)

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6 Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6.3 Financials

14.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.7 KUKA AG

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 Financials

14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.8 Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp.

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 Financials

14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 Panasonic Corporation

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9.3 Financials

14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.10 Siasun Robot & Automation Co. Ltd.

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 Financials

14.3.11 Yaskawa Electric Corporation

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11.3 Financials

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z1kzrq

Attachment
June Huh, the Korean American mathematician who won this year's prestigious Fields Medal, speaks to the media upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, Friday. On left is his son. Yonhap



June Huh, the Korean American mathematician who won this year's prestigious Fields Medal, said Friday he is "happy and delighted" to win the award and pledged to play a greater role in advancing the field of mathematics in South Korea.



Huh made the remarks upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, late Friday morning.



On Tuesday, the 39-year-old Princeton University professor, who also serves as a distinguished professor of mathematics at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), became the first-ever scholar of Korean descent to win the award handed down by the International Mathematical Union (IMU) every four years.



"I am a bit heavyhearted because (the award) seems to have enlarged the role I have to play for the advancement of the South Korean math field. But overall I am happy and delighted," Huh said.



He said he will be working at KIAS this summer, starting with a lecture session at the institute Wednesday.



Asked to give advice to young scholars, Huh said, "If you continue to carry on slowly but steadily in a step-by-step manner with a comfortable mindset you will have good results."



Mathematicians have often been told to never give up and continue for 10 years or 20 years but being able to give up at the proper time is also important, he noted.



Huh's family, including his wife and 7-year-old son, as well as KIAS officials, came out to the airport to welcome him.



The Fields Medal, first introduced in 1936, was founded to recognize and support younger mathematical scholars who have made major contributions in the field of mathematics. Awarded to mathematicians under 40, the Fields Medal is often referred to as the mathematical equivalent of the Nobel Prize.



Huh was born in 1983 in California but grew up in South Korea. He majored in physics and astronomy as an undergraduate at Seoul National University (SNU) and studied mathematics at the university's graduate school. Huh obtained his mathematics Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2014. (Yonhap)


New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Pet Food Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284483/?utm_source=GNW





The global pet food market is expected to grow from $76.69 billion in 2021 to $84.75 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5%. The market is expected to grow to $119.8 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9%.



The pet food market consists of sales of goods and services by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) associated with manufacturing cat and dog food and other animal food from ingredients such as grains, oilseed mill products, and meat products.The industry includes establishments that produce dog food, cat food, and other animal food.



Other animal includes birds, mammals, and aquatic animals. This market does not include agricultural animal food.



The main type of pet food is dog and cat food and other pet food.Dog and cat food is food specifically formulated and intended for consumption by dogs, cats, and other related canines.



Pet foods contain several ingredients which include animal derivatives, plant derivatives, and synthetic. These products are made available through specialized pet shops, internet sales, hypermarkets and Other Distribution Channels.



North America was the largest region in the pet food market in 2021.Western Europe was the second-largest region in the pet food market.



The regions covered in this report include Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.



The pet food manufacturing market growth is aided by stable economic growth forecasted in many developed and developing countries. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the global GDP growth reached 3.3% in 2020 and 3.4% in 2021. Recovering commodity prices, after a significant decline in the historic period is further expected to aid the market growth. Developed economies are also expected to register stable growth during the forecast period. Additionally, emerging markets are expected to continue to grow slightly faster than the developed markets in the forecast period. Stable economic growth is expected to increase investments in the end-user markets, thereby driving the market during the forecast period.



The outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has acted as a massive restraint on the pet food manufacturing market in 2020 as supply chains were disrupted due to trade restrictions and consumption declined due to lockdowns imposed by governments globally.COVID-19 is an infectious disease with flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing.



The virus was first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province of the Peoples Republic of China, and spread globally including Western Europe, North America, and Asia.Food and beverage manufacturers depend on the supply of raw materials from domestic and international suppliers.



As many governments restricted the movement of goods across countries and locally, manufacturers had to halt production due to a lack of raw materials.Also, restrictions on the trade of non-essential goods and fear of contamination through manufacturing facilities contributed to the decline.



The outbreak had a negative impact on businesses throughout 2020 and into 2021. However, it is expected that the pet food manufacturing market will recover from the shock across the forecast period as it is a black swan event and not related to ongoing or fundamental weaknesses in the market or the global economy.



Pet food manufacturing companies are using automation technologies such as advanced production lines and software solutions to improve safety and operational efficiency.These technologies automate formulation, batching, drying, coating, and liquid delivery processes.



This results in cost-effective processing and consistent product quality.For example, Champion Petfoods, a Canadian producer of pet food, has video-monitored production lines, with cooking processes connected through Rockwell hardware and software systems.



It also uses bulk bins and conveying systems, votator heat exchangers, and advanced extrusion and drying systems.United Pet Groups pet food manufacturing plant in St.



Louis used FactoryTalk software from Rockwell Automation to reduce overtime by 10% and increase labor efficiency by 15%.



The countries covered in the pet food market are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284483/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
Dublin, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Airborne Surveillance Market (2022-2027) by Component, Technology, Platform, Application, Geography, Competitive Analysis, and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Airborne Surveillance Market is estimated to be USD 4.87 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 6.58 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.2%.



Market Dynamics

Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Airborne Surveillance Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Airbus, Avigilon, BAE Systems, Honeywell International, L3Harris Technologies, Leica Geosystems, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Reutech Radar Systems, Textron Aviation, Thales, etc.



Countries Studied

America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States, Rest of Americas)

Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe)

Middle-East and Africa (Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Rest of MEA)

Asia-Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Airborne Surveillance Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.

The report analyses the Global Airborne Surveillance Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Airborne Surveillance Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Rising Demand for UAVs in Various Industries

4.1.2 IoT Leading to Increase in the Applications of Drones

4.1.3 Rising Adoption for Military, Security, and Defense Applications

4.1.4 Availability of Low-Cost UAVS

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Cost of LiDAR

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Enhancing Batteries to Increase the Flying Time of UAVs

4.3.2 Technological Advancements in the Airborne Surveillance Hardware

4.3.3 Rising Interest and Funding Toward UAVS

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Lack of Skilled Personnel

4.4.2 Possible Violation of Human Privacy



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Airborne Surveillance Market, By Component

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Radars

6.3 LiDAR

6.4 Imaging Systems



7 Global Airborne Surveillance Market, By Technology

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Manned Systems

7.3 1 Aircraft

7.4 2 Helicopter

7.5 Unmanned Systems

7.6 1 UAV/UAS

7.7 a Fixed Wing

7.8 b Rotary Wing

7.9 c Drones

7.10 d Vtols

7.11 2 Balloons/Aerostats



8 Global Airborne Surveillance Market, By Platform

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Fixed Wing

8.3 Rotary Wing



9 Global Airborne Surveillance Market, By Application

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Commercial

9.3 1 Engineering, Surveying, and Mapping

9.4 2 Inspection and Monitoring

9.5 3riculture and Forestry

9.6 4 Exploration

9.7 5 Insurance

9.8 6. Others

9.9 Military and Government

9.10 1 ISR and Targeting

9.11 2 Search and Rescue

9.12 3 Border Surveillance

9.13 4 Law Enforcement



10 Americas' Airborne Surveillance Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Argentina

10.3 Brazil

10.4 Canada

10.5 Chile

10.6 Colombia

10.7 Mexico

10.8 Peru

10.9 United States

10.10 Rest of Americas



11 Europe's Airborne Surveillance Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Austria

11.3 Belgium

11.4 Denmark

11.5 Finland

11.6 France

11.7 Germany

11.8 Italy

11.9 Netherlands

11.10 Norway

11.11 Poland

11.12 Russia

11.13 Spain

11.14 Sweden

11.15 Switzerland

11.16 United Kingdom

11.17 Rest of Europe



12 Middle East and Africa's Airborne Surveillance Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Egypt

12.3 Israel

12.4 Qatar

12.5 Saudi Arabia

12.6 South Africa

12.7 United Arab Emirates

12.8 Rest of MEA



13 APAC's Airborne Surveillance Market

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Australia

13.3 Bangladesh

13.4 China

13.5 India

13.6 Indonesia

13.7 Japan

13.8 Malaysia

13.9 Philippines

13.10 Singapore

13.11 South Korea

13.12 Sri Lanka

13.13 Thailand

13.14 Taiwan

13.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Competitive Quadrant

14.2 Market Share Analysis

14.3 Strategic Initiatives

14.3.1 M&A and Investments

14.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

14.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



15 Company Profiles

15.1 Airbus

15.2 Avigilon

15.3 BAE Systems

15.4 Bird Aerosystems

15.5 Boeing

15.6 Cobham

15.7 Elbit Systems

15.8 FLIR Systems

15.9 Honeywell International

15.10 Israel Aerospace Industries

15.11 L3Harris Technologies

15.12 Leica Geosystems

15.13 Leonardo

15.14 Lockheed Martin

15.15 Northrop Grumman

15.16 Pelco

15.17 Raytheon Technologies

15.18 Reutech Radar Systems

15.19 Saab

15.20 Safran

15.21 Teledyne Technologies

15.22 Textron Aviation

15.23 Thales



16 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8547iv

Attachment
Temecula, California, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FFF Enterprises Inc., the nations most trusted specialty drug distributor, celebrates 12,419 days of supplying healthcare providers and patients with high-quality, counterfeit-free pharmaceuticals.

I am humbled that today marks 34 years that FFF Enterprises has been able to provide our most precious patients with safe, reliable medications, said Patrick M. Schmidt, chief executive officer at FFF Enterprises, Inc. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, its that patient care is a community effort. And I feel blessed to have the honor of working with the industrys finest community of team members and manufacturing partners whose integrity and dedication to patients are evidence of our unwavering commitment to excellence.

Since its inception, the company has continued to set the standard for patient safety, product efficacy, and fair pricing through key partnerships, programs, and services, all in an effort to ensure patients receive reliable, responsibly sourced medicines when they need them.

As part of its mission of Helping Healthcare Care, FFF Enterprises was recently named the exclusive distributor of HarborPaths, Naloxone RightNow Program. Naloxone is a medication that counters the effects of opioids, which have killed more than 100,000 Americans due to overdose in the 12 months ending April 2021. With its state-of-the-art facilities in Temecula, CA; Kernersville, NC; and Flower Mound, TX, FFF will employ its experience, relationships, and reputation to offer Naloxone free through its specialty pharmacy company, Nufactor, and cloud-based inventory management system, RightNow Inventory solution suite.

We are pleased HarborPath selected us to work with them on this effort to save lives affected by the opioid crisis. The primary goal of providing citizens and communities suffering from opioid use disorder easier access to a life-saving medication is something we can wholeheartedly support, stated Schmidt. We cannot think of a better use for our smart storage technology and automated inventory management system than in support of this effort to place Naloxone supplies where they can do the greatest good.

About FFF Enterprises, Inc.

Founded in 1988, FFF Enterprises, Inc. is a privately held, multibillion-dollar specialty pharmaceutical distributor specializing in plasma products, rare and orphan drugs, and vaccines. FFF Enterprises is the parent company of leading specialty infusion pharmacy Nufactor, Inc., as well as InCircle, LLC and " rel="noopener">MinibarRx, LLC dba RightNow Inventory Product Management Solutions. Our partners include global pharmaceutical and biologics manufacturers, prestigious healthcare systems, large and independent retail pharmacies, and leading alternate care sites. Our nationwide commerce is supported by a network of distribution and infusion pharmacy locations utilizing world-class technology and cybersecurity solutions.

Please visit LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for more information.

Attachments
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Advanced Tires Market: Segmented: By Vehicle Type, By Technology, By Tire Type, And Region  Global Analysis of Market Size, Share & Trends For 20192020 And Forecasts To 2031" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06288790/?utm_source=GNW

Tires that are generally advanced are airless and cannot be punctured. When compared to other tires, it has a smaller surface contact area, which improves the vehicles fuel efficiency. Advanced tires maintain their grip even when the vehicles are operating at a higher speed, and they are less risky on wet roads. Furthermore, the sophisticated tire is a new technology that improves tire functionality and performance by sensing road conditions.



Market Highlights

The Global Advanced Tires market is expected to project a notable CAGR of 18.3% in 2031.



The overall demand for sophisticated tires is expected to rise due to rising premium car production and advancements in connected car technologies. Furthermore, tire manufacturers increased attention to technological advancements such as 3D printers, organic raw materials, and autonomous vehicles is projected to enhance demand for advanced tires in the future.



Global Advanced Tires: Segments

Light-Duty Vehicle segment to grow with the highest CAGR during 2021-31



Based on vehicle type, the market is classified into two categories: light-duty vehicles (LDV) and heavy-duty vehicles (HDV). The LDV industry is expected to have the highest share of the market. Increased demand for sophisticated tires has stemmed from the increased manufacturing of luxury vehicles in different regions, as well as an increase in the desire for linked technology. Furthermore, like premium cars, high-end SUVs are driving demand for advanced tires, and high-end SUVs are expected to be early investors in advanced tires.



Pneumatic tires segment to grow with the highest CAGR during 2021-31



Based on tire type, the market is split into Pneumatic tires, Run-flat tires, Airless tires, and others. During the forecast period, pneumatic tires are expected to have the biggest market share. Pneumatic tires are expected to have the highest installation rate in passenger vehicles since they provide superior grip and vehicle mobility. Pneumatic tires are also simple to produce mass for any tire manufacturer with existing manufacturing capacity. Furthermore, the need for improved pneumatic tires is fueled by the great durability of pneumatic tires combined with their high weight carrying capacity.



Market Dynamics

Drivers

The rise in demand for connected and autonomous technology



Chip-embedded, self-inflating, multi-chamber, as well as all tires, are examples of advanced tires. These technologies are projected to dramatically improve in-vehicle convenience. By monitoring tire pressure in real-time, these technologies help boost tire durability. Furthermore, maintaining a proper tire pressure enhances the vehicles fuel efficiency. As a result, modern tire technologies are predicted to reduce vehicle maintenance costs, resulting in increased demand for advanced tires around the world. Furthermore, continual new product innovations by top businesses are expected to move the advanced tire market forward for the foreseeable future.



Increasing concerns about fuel safety and efficiency



The main advantages of advanced tires are fuel performance and safety considerations. Governments are enacting strict tire performance regulations, including fuel savings and wet grip-related stopping distance reduction, to address safety concerns. As a result, tire manufacturers will have plenty of opportunities to launch tires that comply with regulatory rules. As a result of technological improvements, tire manufacturers are developing highly efficient tires that improve vehicle overall fuel efficiency. For example, a polymer-based engineering company has released a new line of advanced tires with attributes such as grip & durability. As a result, the growing concern for fuel safety and efficiency is expected to provide significant growth potential for innovative tire manufacturers.



Restraint

Raw material prices fluctuate



The worldwide advanced tire market is restrained by changing raw material prices due to increasing input costs due to reduced production of natural rubber & oil prices. Furthermore, practically all basic materials are crude derivatives, making crude oil prices a factor. Furthermore, the raw materials required to make advanced tires account for the total cost of manufacture, with synthetic & natural rubber being the most common. Crude oil prices have been rising in recent years all across the world. As a result, synthetic rubber or other crude substitutes used in tire manufacturing are projected to rise in price in the future years. As a result, the worldwide advanced tire markets growth is likely to slow.



Global Advanced Tires: Key Players

Bridgestone Corporation

Company Overview, Business Strategy, Key Product Offerings, Financial Performance, Key Performance Indicators, Risk Analysis, Recent Development, Regional Presence, SWOT Analysis



CEAT Ltd.

Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH

Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd.

Michelin

Nokian Tyres plc.

Pirelli & C. S.p.A.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Toyo Tire Corporation

Yokohama Tire Corporation

Other Prominent Players



Global Advanced Tires: Regions

The Global Advanced Tires market is segmented based on regional analysis into five major regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Europe holds a significant portion of the worldwide advanced tire market. In Europe, the high pace of adoption of linked technology in automobiles is likely to stimulate demand for innovative tires. Rapid development and advancement of technologies in the automotive manufacturing industry are also predicted to propel the market in the area forward. Furthermore, the markets growth is predicted to be aided by luxury and premium car manufacturers increased focus on high-performance automobiles during the projected period.



Impact of Covid-19 on Advanced Tires Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted a wide range of enterprises all across the world. The Advanced Tires Industry had a significant impact as well. To halt the spread of COVID-19, governments around the world implemented harsh restrictions such as border locks, lockdowns, and tight social distancing measures. These measures had a significant effect on the world economy, affecting a variety of industries. Furthermore, a decrease in raw material supply impacted global demand for sophisticated tire device manufacturers. When evaluating the current and prospective market size & growth patterns for all regions and countries, the effect of COVID-19 on market demand is taken into account.



Global Advanced Tires is further segmented by region into:



North America Market Size, Share, Trends, Opportunities, Y-o-Y Growth, CAGR  the United States and Canada

Latin America Market Size, Share, Trends, Opportunities, Y-o-Y Growth, CAGR  Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Rest of Latin America

Europe Market Size, Share, Trends, Opportunities, Y-o-Y Growth, CAGR  United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, NORDIC, Russia, Turkey, and Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific Market Size, Share, Trends, Opportunities, Y-o-Y Growth, CAGR  India, China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, and Rest of APAC

the Middle East and Africa Market Size, Share, Trends, Opportunities, Y-o-Y Growth, CAGR  North Africa, Israel, GCC, South Africa, and Rest of MENA

Global Advanced Tires report also contains analysis on:



Advanced Tires Segments:



By Vehicle Type

Light-Duty Vehicles (LDV)

Heavy-Duty Vehicles (HDV)

By Technology

Chip embedded tires

Self-inflating tires

Multi-chamber tires

All in one tire

Others

By Tire Type

Pneumatic tires

Run-flat tires

Airless tires

Advanced Tires Market Report Scope and Segmentation

Report Attribute Details

The market size value in 2021 USD 268 million

The revenue forecast in 2031 USD 1,433.3 million

Growth Rate CAGR of 18.3% from 2021 to 2031

The base year for estimation 2020

Quantitative units Revenue in USD million and CAGR from 2021 to 2031

Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends

Segments covered Vehicle type, Tire Type, Technology, and Region

Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa (MEA)

Key companies profiled Bridgestone Corporation, CEAT Ltd., Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH, Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd., Michelin, Nokian Tires plc., Pirelli & C. S.p.A., The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Toyo Tire Corporation, Yokohama Tire Corporation, and Other Prominent Players.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06288790/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Electronic Wet Chemicals Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284104/?utm_source=GNW

(US), Linde Plc. (Ireland), Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Dakin, and T.N.C. Industrial Co., Ltd.



The global electronics wet chemicals market is expected to grow from $3.46 billion in 2021 to $3.62 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.56%. The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $4.41 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 5.05%.



The electronics wet chemicals market consists of sales of electronic wet chemicals by entities (organizations, sole proprietors, and partnerships) that produce high purity chemicals that are used in cleaning and etching applications during semiconductor production and processing. Electronic wet chemicals are used in the production of products in a variety of industries, including consumer goods, automotives, aerospace and defense, and medicine.



The main types of electronic wet chemicals are Acetic Acid (CH3OOH), Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) (C3H8O), Hydrogen Peroxide (H2), Hydrochloric Acid (HCL), Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH), Hydrofluoric Acid (HF), Nitric Acid (HNO3), Phosphoric Acid (H3PO4), and Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4).These electric wet chemicals are of various forms, such as liquid, solid, and gas.



These are used in applications such as semiconductor etching and cleaning. The electric wet chemicals are used by end users, including consumer goods, automotives, aerospace and defense, and medical devices.



Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the electronic wet chemicals market in 2021 and is also expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.



The rise in demand for the use of semiconductors in various industries is driving the growth of the electronics wet chemicals market. The demand for innovative semiconductors is increasing as a result of various technological advancements in the electronic industry.This increase in demand for semiconductors is directly leading to the increase in demand for the electronic wet chemicals market. For instance, according to the semiconductor industry association (SIA), the sales of semiconductors were around $50 billion in October 2021, an increase of 24.6% from October 2020. Therefore, the rise in the demand for the use of semiconductors in various industries drives the electronic wet chemicals market.



Strategic collaboration between companies is a key trend gaining popularity in the electronic wet chemicals market.Companies manufacturing electronic wet chemicals are undergoing partnerships and collaborations to develop new technologies and products.



For instance, in January 2020, Solvay, a company operating in electronic wet chemicals based in Belgium, and SGL Carbon, a company specialising in manufacturing carbon fibre based in Germany, partnered to create new composites for aerospace. This partnership extends the portfolio of Solvay in the composites segment and can tackle the needs of aerospace.



In October 2021, Entegris, a company that provides specialty chemicals and material solutions for the microelectronics industry based in the United States, acquired the Precision Microchemicals business of BASF for $90 million.This acquisition will add value to Entregris in areas such as technical expertise, intellectual property, and talent.



The Precision Microchemicals business is part of the Surface Treatment business unit of BASFs Coatings division, operating under the Chemetall brand, which develops, manufactures, and markets high-purity materials based in Germany.



The countries covered in the Electronic Wet Chemicals market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284104/?utm_source=GNW



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WAWA, Pa., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wawa, Inc., today announced the launch of its brand-new 2022 Hoagiefest sweepstakes, giving customers a chance to win one-of-kind digital collectible artwork NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and special Hoagiefest swag. The campaign will make Wawa history by putting iconic Hoagiefest graphics and Wawa products into the virtual world for the first time ever. The NFTs will be released through a customer sweepstakes featuring 12 unique animated NFTs and thousands of generative NFTs inspired by past and present Hoagiefest artwork.

About Wawas NFTs

NFTs or non-fungible tokens are digital assets with unique identification codes and metadata that make each totally unique and distinguishable from each other. These collectable assets are each one-of-a-kind and can represent real-world objects like art, music, videos and more. The Wawa Hoagiefest NFT collection is based on the designs and visual elements of past and present Hoagiefest commercial illustrations. These illustrations were then used to create a series of 5,000+ unique collectible Hoagiefest NFTs, including 12 rare, animated NFTs and 5,000 generative NFTs that include a variety of characters, backgrounds, hoagies and accessories.

Our Hoagiefest campaign has always been filled with fun visuals over the years  from our hoagie wrappers to our commercials to our Associates t-shirts in store, said Todd Miller, Sr. Director of Brand Strategy and Experience for Wawa. Today, we are thrilled to bring a brand-new way to Hoagiefest through NFTs. This entirely new digital dimension of Hoagiefest 2022 is inspired by some of our most iconic artwork over the years that customers have come to know and love. We hope these one-of-a-kind collectables give customers a chance to own their own part of Hoagiefest history!

Wawa Hoagiefest NFT Sweepstakes Details

From July 8 through July 24, participants can enter the Wawa Hoagiefest NFT sweepstakes by visiting the www.wawa.com/hoagiefest-nft-giveaway landing page and submitting their contact information. In total, Wawa plans to create and giveaway more than 5,000 NFTs along with dozens of real-world prizes and surprises for a select group of winners. Winners will receive a combination of NFT and real-world prizes as follows:

11 prize winners will receive one (1) rare, animated Wawa NFT inspired by past or present Hoagiefest campaigns, a personalized t-shirt that matches their NFT artwork, and a Hoagiefest social swag pack.

will receive one (1) rare, animated Wawa NFT inspired by past or present Hoagiefest campaigns, a personalized t-shirt that matches their NFT artwork, and a Hoagiefest social swag pack. 1 prize winner will receive one (1) rare, animated Wawa NFT inspired by past or present Hoagiefest campaigns cobranded with Reeses, a personalized t-shirt that matches their NFT artwork, a Hoagiefest social swag pack, and a Reeses swag pack

will receive one (1) rare, animated Wawa NFT inspired by past or present Hoagiefest campaigns cobranded with Reeses, a personalized t-shirt that matches their NFT artwork, a Hoagiefest social swag pack, and a Reeses swag pack 50 prize winners will receive one (1) generative NFT, NFT t-shirt, and a Hoagiefest social swag pack

will receive one (1) generative NFT, NFT t-shirt, and a Hoagiefest social swag pack 3,950 prize winners will receive one (1) generative NFT

About Wawa Hoagies & Hoagiefest

Wawa offers hoagies for every appetite  built fresh-to-order and fully customizable at Wawas famous touch-screen ordering. Wawa hoagies are available in Junior, Shorti, and Classic sizes, all of which are featured in this years Hoagiefest. Wawa Hoagiefest was introduced in the summer of 2008. It has since grown to become an annual multi-week celebration that happens every year. This year, Hoagiefest runs from June 20 to July 31 and includes $5 Shortis and $6 Classic Hoagies.

About Wawa, Inc.

Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and certified process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, Georges grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #23 of Americas Largest Private Companies in 2021 and #12 on Forbes 100 Halo List in 2022. For more information, visit us on www.wawa.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at @wawa.

CONTACT: public.relations@wawa.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e238dcac-55eb-44b0-a6d1-0f028e34c938
NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Effective School Solutions (ESS), the leading provider of school-based mental health services for K-12 school districts, and the Madison Holleran Foundation (MHF), are proud to announce the winners of the 3rd Annual Madison Holleran Mental Health Action Scholarship. This scholarship was founded to not only drive awareness about suicide prevention but also to hear from high school students about innovative approaches they believe their schools can take to help young adults navigate through mental health challenges they are facing today. This topic is more important than ever given the impact the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have on mental health. The scholarship honors Madison Holleran, an Allendale, New Jersey, native and all-state athlete who died by suicide as a first-year student at the University of Pennsylvania in 2014.

As part of the scholarship process, high school seniors across the country submitted essays about mental health support programs they implemented at their high schools. The winners include:

Katie Contey, Mahwah High School: Katie wanted to help herself and her classmates overcome the impact of social isolation and virtual school due to the pandemic. As a result, Katie founded Students Relieving Stress. This club strives to provide an open forum and safe space for students to come together to cope with the stress they are experiencing.

Katie wanted to help herself and her classmates overcome the impact of social isolation and virtual school due to the pandemic. As a result, Katie founded Students Relieving Stress. This club strives to provide an open forum and safe space for students to come together to cope with the stress they are experiencing. Alyssa Cornetta, Midland Park High School: Alyssa is the founder of THRIVE, a club that focuses on reducing mental health stigma, normalizing conversations regarding mental health, creating healthy habits, and reducing student stress. Prior to finding THRIVE, Alyssa wrote a mental health column in her school's student newspaper as well as broadcasting mental health segments on her school's TV station.

Alyssa is the founder of THRIVE, a club that focuses on reducing mental health stigma, normalizing conversations regarding mental health, creating healthy habits, and reducing student stress. Prior to finding THRIVE, Alyssa wrote a mental health column in her school's student newspaper as well as broadcasting mental health segments on her school's TV station. Olivia Erler, Wilmington High School: Project See the Signs is a mental health awareness and suicide prevention program Olivia implemented this year at Wilmington High School. Due to her efforts, Olivia was asked to meet with her district's Behavioral Task Force.

Project See the Signs is a mental health awareness and suicide prevention program Olivia implemented this year at Wilmington High School. Due to her efforts, Olivia was asked to meet with her district's Behavioral Task Force. Claire Kosek, Saugus High School: As President of the Students Demand Action chapter at Saugus High School, Claire expanded the club's mission to include mental health awareness in addition to student safety and decreasing gun violence.

"This was another incredible set of submissions, and it was difficult to select just four winners. The silver lining of the pandemic is that mental health is being discussed and actions are being taken in schools. It has never been more important to support student mental health. This year's essays illustrate that change is happening," said Duncan Young, CEO of Effective School Solutions.

Carli Bushoven, Executive Director of the Madison Holleran Foundation, stated, "Our hope with these scholarships is to bring attention to mental health and wellness to the forefront of high school and college campuses, end the stigma, and ultimately encourage today's students to make strides in their community with regards to mental health."

Since 2009, Effective School Solutions has been a leader in in-school mental health. ESS partners with over one hundred districts across 10 states to provide comprehensive, cost-effective whole-school clinical programs to K-12 students.

The primary mission of the Madison Holleran Foundation is to prevent suicides and to assist those in crisis with resources that will assist them during their time in crisis. The Foundation also focuses on preparing high school seniors for their transition to college.

For more information, press only:

Lisa Murphy-Church, lmurphy-church@effectiveschoolsolutions.com

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ALICANTE, Spain, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Herbies Seeds today announced the launch of Cannabis Seeds online sales in Thailand. Find out why buying cannabis seeds in Thailand from Herbies is such a great idea and what makes shopping in our seed store such a satisfying experience.



Despite the recent legalization of growing marijuana in Thailand, buying weed seeds is still a sensitive subject for many Thai people who feel vulnerable when theyre getting ready to place their first order online. This post is intended to put you perfectly at ease and show how easy it is to purchase the coveted cannabis genetics from Herbies.

For decades, Herbies was in the business of turning the wary and the curious into long-time loyal customers who, season after season, buy first-rate genetic material to grow healthy, vigorous, high-yielding, and, above all, potent marijuana. Learn all about our choice of seeds, pricing policy, payment and delivery, customer support, and why they make Herbies the best source of cannabis seeds in Thailand.

Thousands of Seeds from the Worlds Best Breeders

Now is the most exciting time to grow cannabis because Thailand has just legalized weed cultivation. Even though there are no seed banks in Thailand, with a plethora of strains available at Herbies, you get access to genetics from every corner of the world and from every decade of the last half-century. All you need to do is find the right kind of seed shop, and Herbies is the mega-supermarket for weed seeds in Thailand.

Weve been selling weed seeds for about 20 years now and doing business with more than 120 seed breeders. For you, this means the chance to browse through 2,000+ marijuana varieties and find the perfect cultivar to suit your growing style and personality.

Basically, we have everything thats out there  and if you cant find a particular strain to grow your own cannabis in Thailand, contact us and well find it for you in no time. Our secret? We operate from Spain, the mecca of legal cannabis seeds, and practically in the same zip code as the worlds largest wholesalers.

Needless to say, by working with the worlds top seed banks, we guarantee the top quality of the seeds for sale. Every plant you grow from our beans is the pinnacle of years of selective breeding, careful crossing, and painstaking stabilization.

Herbies In-House Breeding Project

Whos a better judge of what growers and smokers need than those who have spent two decades catering to their every desire, listening to their feedback, and consulting them 24/7. This expertise shouldnt go to waste, so in 2020, we decided to launch our own line of seeds, and we can vouch for the quality of every feminized and autoflowering variety we offer.

The flagship strain in our collection is, without a doubt, Grandmommy Purple. With up to 33% THC in especially well-groomed samples, this freak of nature is so ridiculously potent that it was featured in the High Times magazine. Youd think this record isnt something that can be easily topped, but wait until you meet Apple Betty. Believe it or not, this newcomer to our collection likewise got her 15 minutes of fame at High Times, and with her 28-33% THC and a rare green apple taste, she deserves every minute of it and more.

We never rest on our laurels, tirelessly crossing and recrossing the markets trendiest lineages to create new remarkable strains all the time. When we make a new offering, we make sure that it has what our customers value best: over-the-top potency, mouth-watering flavors, and scale-busting yields. And since many of you want autoflowers, we dont forget about them either. Godzilla Cookies Auto, Gelato Auto, and many others proudly stand among our top sellers.

A Genuinely Client-Oriented Shop

Genetic diversity and quality are an excellent foundation for success, but modern online shoppers want so much more  24/7 customer support, different payment options, reliable and fast delivery to Thailand  and we guarantee them all.

Your satisfaction as a customer starts with the ability to chat with our support team, discuss your needs and expectations, and select seeds tailored to your personal requirements. You dont even have to know anything about weed growing  our friendly staff will consult with you until you can make an informed choice that youll be happy with going forward.

Then comes the easy part  paying for your order. You can pay in Bitcoin, credit and debit cards and wire transfers. With these payment methods, you can securely pay for marijuana seeds and safely get them by mail in unmarked, plain envelopes. Every order comes with a delivery guarantee and a germination guarantee  if something goes wrong, you can always text our 24/7 customer support, and we will always take your side!

A Stellar Reputation and Many Happy Customers

For Herbies, customer support doesnt stop after the purchase. You can count on us being there if something goes wrong, even if its no fault of ours. Growing cannabis is a lengthy process, and we understand that getting an order in the mail with our delivery guarantee is only the first leg of your long journey and you need all the help you can get.

Our team at Herbies has done an excellent job in this respect, and you can check for yourself how our customers value the support they receive. Weve got more than a thousand reviews at reviews.io and an average rating of 4.8. It means people trust us, and that the level of satisfaction is among the highest in the industry.

Herbies is well-known on cannabis forums and growers communities as well, and people there speak highly of the quality of our seeds and services. Check it out, and see for yourself why Herbies is a great place to buy cannabis seeds online in Thailand.

An Order is Worth a Thousand Words

A simple search for the most trusted seed shops and seed banks out there returns quite a few top lists, and you can ascertain that Herbies is prominent in most of them, as one of the industrys leaders should be.

Its safe and easy to buy cannabis seeds online at Herbies, and cannabis thrives in the Thai climate! Now, when growing weed is legalized in Thailand, why dont you give it a try? Youll find out immediately how smooth and seamless the shopping experience with Herbies is, and in a few weeks, youll have the excitement of having your order in the mailbox. And then will come the ultimate thrill of all  harvesting your first batch of super potent buds from Herbies.
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Hardwood Flooring Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284364/?utm_source=GNW

OG, Harris Wood, Formica Group, Anderson, Boral, Brumark, DuChateau, Eco Timber, Flooring Innovations, Inc., Gerflor Group., and Goodfellow, Inc.



The global hardwood flooring market is expected to grow from $45.16 billion in 2021 to $48.26 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.86%. The hardwood flooring market is expected to reach $58.03 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 4.72%.



The hardwood flooring consists of sales of hardwood flooring by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are produced with wood species that are readily obtainable and very hard.The examples of hardwood flooring include oak flooring, maple flooring, and cherry flooring.



Hardwood flooring are highly attractive, low cost and offers premium finish over the other flooring materials.



The main types of hardwood flooring are solid wood and engineered wood.Solid wood is preferred flooring option as it is made of solid wood of maple, oak or walnut.



The design outlook consists of plank, strip, parquet and others depending on the type of design preferred in hardwood flooring.Further, the raw materials used are red oak, white oak, maple and other.



The hardwood flooring is distributed through offline stores and online stores.



North America was the largest region in the hardwood flooring market in 2021.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in the hardwood flooring market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



The rapid inclination toward aesthetically appealing and sophisticated interiors by residential and commercial building customers is driving growth of hardwood flooring market.Residential and commercial building customers are increasingly focused on redefining the interiors with major focus on improving air quality, thermal comfort, quality of internal lighting, using recyclable materials and chemical-free materials.



According to the study published by Pinterest, 60% of users have used social visual network to make decisions for home decor purchases. The change in customer preferences is expected to boost usage of hardwood flooring in interior designing in different sectors across the globe.



Technological advancement is a key trend gaining popularity in the hardwood flooring market.Manufacturers operating in the hard flooring market are launching innovative products to offer high-performance hardwood flooring and products that are resistant to various external factors.



For instance, in June 2019, Lamiwood Flooring Company, an India-based provider of wooden flooring launched Holz Parket Hardwood Floors in the Indian market. These Holz Parket Hardwood Floors are treated to be resistant to moisture and temperature changes.



In February 2022, Paceline Equity Partners, a Dallas-based private equity manager, acquired AHF Products for an undisclosed amount.This acquisition by Paceline Equity Partners is focused on accelerating its penetration into new products, brands, and innovative technologies.



AHF Products is US-based company with a family of strong brands serving the residential and commercial markets that provides hardwood flooring.



The countries covered in the hardwood flooring market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06284364/?utm_source=GNW



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Ottawa, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global nuclear medicine market size was accounted at USD 9.49 billion in 2021. The use of radioactive isotopes or the use of nuclear medicines in treating cancer and various cardiovascular diseases has proven to be the most efficient way which will drive the market growth in the coming years.



Key Takeaways:

By product, the U.S. nuclear medicine market was estimated at USD 3.5 bn in 2021

By application, the oncology segment accounted highest revenue share of 40% in 2021

In 2021, cardiology application segment contributed market share of around 21%

By product, the diagnostic segment has garnered 81% of revenue share in 2021

In 2021, North American region has contributed 46% of market share

Asia Pacific region is anticipated to reach at a remarkable CAGR from 2022 to 2030

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Regional snapshots

The North American region is expected to dominate the market in the coming years. As there has been an increased amount of investment in the activities for conducting research and development in this field will drive the market in the North American region. The existence of the healthcare infrastructure which happens to be extremely efficient will also drive the market growth. Many facilities have been developed and dedicated for the manufacturing of radioisotopes. Radio isotopes of the commercial stage as well as the investigational stage are manufactured in the North American region. As there has been an increase in the number of cancer patients in the North American region the market for nuclear medicine is expected to grow during the forecast period.

Apart from the North American region the European region will also grow with a good amount of market share as there have been and entry of manufacturers in this region. There have been increased number of mergers and acquisitions in this region that shall lead to the growth of the market. As there has been an increase in the all varnas regarding the availability of nuclear medicines fault diagnosis and therapeutic purposes the Asia Pacific region will also see a growth in the coming years. In the developing nations one of the most important factors that will restrain the growth of the market will be the high cost of these therapies. In the developing nations the population with lower income may not be able to afford this treatment.

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Scope of the Report

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2021 USD 9.49 Billion Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 25.7 Billion CAGR 11.7% from 2022 to 2030 Largest Market North America Fastest Growing Region Asia Pacific Base Year 2021 Forecast Year 2022 to 2030 Key Players GE Healthcare, Nordion (Canada), Inc., Bracco Imaging S.P.A, Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd, NTP Radioisotopes SOC Ltd., The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, The institute for radioelements (IRE)

Market dynamics

Drivers

In most of the hospital's radioisotopes are used and they are preferred for the detection and the treatment of these major illnesses. As there has been an increase in the number of chronic diseases if the geriatric population the market is expected to grow in the coming year. Increased research and development activities have led to the adoption of new clear medicines for the treatment of cancer. What are the most important factors that are driving the growth of the market is effectiveness of these treatments in curing the disease is completely. The use of nuclear medicines has created a positive impact on the overall market. The use of different types of diagnostics as well as therapy which make use of radio pharmaceuticals will help in driving the growth of the market.

Restraints

Apart from the pet scan for detection of cancer and different types of imaging techniques that make use of nuclear medicines for detecting and treating the cardiovascular diseases there has also been an adoption of MRI and the CT scans that are available across the globe. The use of these alternatives for the diagnosis of various illnesses will restrain the growth of the market for nuclear medicines in the coming years. In the developing nations there has been an increase in the use of MRI and greater use of CT scans for detecting or diagnosing various illnesses as these options happen to be cost effective as compared to the nuclear medicines. In order to make use of these alternative ways there are many reimbursement policies available in the market. Owing to all of these reasons the market for nuclear medicine will be hampered.

Opportunities

The growth opportunities for nuclear medicine is that the effectiveness of the use of these radiopharmaceuticals. As compared to the other alternatives available in the market this happens to be the most effective treatment of all. Due to an increased awareness about the better outcome of the use of nuclear medicines in the treatment and the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer will provide better opportunities for the growth of the market in the coming years. Rapid urbanization and increase in the per capita income of the developing nations will make the use of nuclear medicines affordable.

Challenges

One of the most important challenging factor is the shelf life of these products. Another restraining factor for the growth of the market in the developing nations is bill lack of various equipments that are extremely important in the production of these but they do pharmaceuticals. Another challenge is that of the safety of the worker. The presence of the profit oriented organisations makes compromise on the safety of the workers. Another challenging factor is the disposal of the radioactive waste material. The lack of disposal facilities in the developing nations is another challenge for the growth of the market. The current condition for the reimbursement in case of nuclear medicines is extremely inadequate. It happens to be an expensive procedure and the high cost associated with this procedure is another challenge. The number of health care facilities that provide nuclear medicines for the diagnosis and the treatment of cardiovascular diseases or cancer in the developing nations is less

Report highlights

On the basis of the product type , the diagnosis segment will dominate the market as there has been an increase in the number of people suffering with different cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In order to detect these diseases, there has been an increase in the use of nuclear medicines. In order to detect tumors in patients there has been an increase in the use of radiotracers.

the diagnosis segment will dominate the market as there has been an increase in the number of people suffering with different cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In order to detect these diseases, there has been an increase in the use of nuclear medicines. In order to detect tumors in patients there has been an increase in the use of radiotracers. The oncology segment will dominate the market as there has been an increase in the number of deaths due to cancer. The research and development activities have provided medicines for treating cancer and this shall drive the market growth in the coming years. The introduction of different isotopes that shall be helpful in curing the patients suffering with the tumors of the neuroendocrine system will also lead to the growth of the market segment.

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Recent developments

The development of a facility that shall be helpful in manufacturing radiopharmaceuticals for the Boston region was announced by Eckert & Ziegler in the year 2021.

Penang Adventist hospital launched or center for the private nuclear medicine in Malaysia in the year 2022

Market Segmentation

By Product

Diagnostic Products SPECT TC-99m TL-201 GA-67 I-123 Other SPECT products



PET F-18 SR-82/RB-82 Other PET products



Therapeutic Products Alpha Emitters RA-223 Beta Emitters I-131 Y-90 SM-153 Re-186 Lu-117 Other beta emitters Brachytherapy Cesium-131 Iodine-125 Palladium-103 Iridium-192 Other brachytherapy products







By Application

Cardiology

Neurology

Oncology

Thyroid

Lymphoma

Bone Metastasis

Endocrine Tumor

Others

By End-user

Hospitals and Clinics

Diagnostic Centers

Others





By Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa (MEA)





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A flyer looking for Kim Ga-eul, who has been missing since June 27, after last being seen near Gayang Station in Gangseo District, southwestern Seoul. This flyer was made and distributed by Kim's sister. Screenshot from Instagram account of Kim's sister



By Lee Yeon-woo



If an adult goes missing under the current law, that person's family has no choice but to lead the search for their missing family member on their own, as police are not allowed to disclose the missing person's identity to the public.



However, seeing as more than 60,000 adults go missing annually, including those who disappear voluntarily, some are saying it is time to consider revising the law.



Kim Ga-eul, an office worker in her 20s, has been missing since June 27, after last being seen near Gayang Station in Gangseo District, southwestern Seoul. The family wanted to publicize her identity and photo with the help of the police, but they found it impossible under the current law.



"Without the person's consent, we cannot reveal the (missing person's) identity to the public," the police told the family. The family instead decided to reveal her profile photo and CCTV footage in multiple online communities in the effort to find any clues of her whereabouts.



Separately, when a family of three was found missing on June 26 in Wando, an island off the southwestern coast, the police took similar measures. The police revealed only the name and a photo of the family's 10-year-old daughter in the hopes of receiving clues, but kept those of her parents confidential for the same reason. The three were later found dead inside their family car when it was pulled out of the water off the coast of Wando.



The police said that if the reason a person went missing is unclear, they cannot disclose that person's private information, as no legal basis exists to do so for adults who go missing. The missing person could have run away voluntarily, even if the family deeply believes the case to be accidental or related to a crime. It could go against the missing person's wishes if the police were to disclose information on them and might violate the Personal Information Protection Act. The only exceptions are for adults who have intellectual disabilities or dementia.



On the other hand, the police are mandated to jump on investigations without delay if a child is reported to be missing, according to the Act on the Protection and Support of Missing Children. The police can reveal the child's identity publicly and track their location during investigations if necessary.



However, calls are growing that some missing adults are also in need of immediate search and rescue just like children. Considering the possibility of crime-related abductions and kidnappings, the identities of missing adults should be released to secure public testimonies. Under the current law, the family of the missing person has no choice but to struggle to search without help from the police or other government organizations.



Last year, 66,259 people over the age of 18 were reported missing, following 67,612 in 2020, 75,432 in 2019 and 75,592 in 2018, according to the Korean National Police Agency.


Richmond, Virginia, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virginia Venture Partners, the equity investment program of Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), today announced an additional investment in Richmond, Va.-based Linebird, developer of a solution that addresses the safety concerns of grid maintenance and monitoring with unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Since VIPCs initial investment in March 2021, Linebirds accomplishments include a product launch, closing the companys first sales, and raising $350k led by VVP, Trolley Ventures, Potential Energy DC and other Richmond area angels.

Power line inspection and maintenance is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States, as it often requires manned crews to make direct contact with high-voltage lines. With the use of drone technology, Linebird is transforming the way power transmission infrastructure is inspected and maintained while reducing risk factors that currently exist for work that is traditionally handled by a manned crew. Linebird addresses these risks by offering UAS payload systems that enable unmanned work in contact with live lines, greatly reducing cost and liability of operations and maintenance.

Since Virginia Venture Partners first investment, Linebird has more than quadrupled our customer funnel volume, said Michael Beiro, Founder and CEO of Linebird. Our safe and innovative UAS technology ensures that conducting repairs on live power lines can be done with boots safely on the ground rather than up in the air next to high voltage. We are grateful for the ongoing support of VIPCs Virginia Venture Partners to help foster our continued growth.

Using an unmanned system allows direct-contact, live-line work without the high-risk use of helicopters, bucket trucks and pole-climbing. The solution Linebird offers can be adjusted to accommodate any industrial drone, and the system can adopt other lineman tools to do inspection, maintenance and repair. Linebird recently announced two new products: Ampstik Adaptation Kit, that integrates SensorLinks Ampstik with the Osprey NPS, and the Navigator Installation Kit that integrates Power Delivery Products Navigator with the Osprey NPS. These products provide a groundbreaking, patent-pending new method for utilizing linemans tools on live lines.

The Linebird team is passionate about addressing the critical need to transform power transmission, and is making strides in advancing technology that makes these jobs safer and more efficient, said Tom Weithman, VIPC Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Virginia Venture Partners. Since VIPCs first investment in 2021, the company continues to demonstrate impressive growth and innovation between their new products, new sales and capital raise. The Virginia Venture Partners team at VIPC looks forward to being part of Linebirds continued impact.

About Linebird

Linebird is working to transform the way power transmission infrastructure is inspected and maintained, expanding the capabilities of unmanned systems to take work that was once costly and life  threatening and do it quickly, cheaply, and remotely with the power of automation. We are currently building a prototype to demonstrate that unmanned systems can bring lineman tools in contact with live transmission lines through a patent-pending process. For more information, please visit https://linebird.net/.

About Virginia Venture Partners

Virginia Venture Partners, formerly CIT GAP Funds, is the equity investment program of VIPC that makes seed-stage equity investments in Virginia-based technology, clean energy, and life science companies with a high potential for achieving rapid growth and generating a significant economic return for entrepreneurs, co-investors, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since its inception in 2005, Virginia Venture Partners has deployed $32.4 million in capital across more than 250 portfolio companies, including 17 companies in designated Opportunity Zones. Virginia Venture Partners investment decisions are guided by the Virginia Venture Partners Investment Advisory Board (IAB). This independent, third-party panel has drawn from the expertise of leading regional entrepreneurs, angel, and strategic investors, and venture capital firms such as New Enterprise Associates, Grotech Ventures, Harbert Venture Partners HIG Ventures, Edison Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Intersouth Partners, SJF Ventures, Carilion Health Systems, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Alpha Natural Resources. For more information, please visit www.virginiaipc.org/vvp.

About Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)

Connecting innovators with opportunities. The nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure, and policy initiatives to support Virginia's innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginias economy.

Programs include: Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) | Virginia Founders Fund (VFF) |Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) | Smart Communities | Unmanned Systems | Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) | Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) for SBIR & STTR | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. For more information, please visit www.VirginiaIPC.org. Follow VIPC on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Attachments
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Veterinary Imaging Market Research Report by Product, Animal Type, Application, End-user, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287175/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Veterinary Imaging Market size was estimated at USD 1,398.23 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 1,637.18 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 17.34% to reach USD 3,650.61 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Veterinary Imaging to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Product, the market was studied across Instrument, PACS, Reagents, and Services. The Instrument is further studied across CT Imaging, Radiography X-ray, Ultrasound Imaging, and Video Endoscopy Imaging. The CT Imaging is further studied across Multi-slice CT and Single-slice CT. The Radiography X-ray is further studied across Computed Radiography, Direct Radiography, and Film-based Radiography. The Ultrasound Imaging is further studied across 2-D Ultrasound Imaging, 3-D/4-D Ultrasound Imaging, and Doppler Imaging. The PACS is further studied across CVIS PACS and RIS PACS. The Reagents is further studied across MRI Contrast Regents, Nuclear Imaging, Ultrasound Contrast Regents, and X-Ray/CT Contrast Reagents. The Services is further studied across Advanced Imaging Services, Interventional Radiology & Endoscopy, and Teleradiology.



Based on Animal Type, the market was studied across Large Animals and Small Companion Animals.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Cardiology, Neurology, Oncology, and Orthopedics and Traumatology.



Based on End-user, the market was studied across Clinics/Hospitals and Reference Labs.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Veterinary Imaging market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Veterinary Imaging Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Veterinary Imaging Market, including Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Canon Inc., Carestream Health, Inc., Clarius Mobile Health, ClearVet Digital Radiography Systems, Drami?ski S.A., E.I. Medical Imaging, EPICA Animal Health, Esaote S.p.A, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, GE Healthcare, Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging Ltd., Heska Corporation, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., IMV Imaging, Konica Minolta, Mindray Medical International Limited, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SEDECAL, Shenzhen Ricso Technology Co., Ltd., Siemens Healthineers AG, Universal Medical Systems, Inc., and VetZ Limited.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Veterinary Imaging Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Veterinary Imaging Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Veterinary Imaging Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Veterinary Imaging Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Veterinary Imaging Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Veterinary Imaging Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Veterinary Imaging Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287175/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Affinor Growers Inc. (Affinor or the Company) (CSE: AFI; OTCQB: RSSFF), a vertical farming technology and operations company with a commercial production facility in Abbotsford, BC, announces that Rick Easthom has resigned as Chairman of the Company, effective immediately, to pursue his other business interests. Mr. Easthom will continue to serve as a director of the Company and as a member of the Companys Audit Committee.



About Affinor

Affinor is a publicly traded company listed on the CSE under the symbol AFI and on the OTCQB under the symbol RSSFF. Affinor is focused on developing vertical farming technologies and using those technologies to grow fruits and vegetables in a sustainable manner. The Company is currently growing strawberries for local markets in its 15,000 square foot greenhouse in Abbotsford, BC.

To learn more about Affinor, visit: www.affinorgrowers.com

Affinor Growers Inc.

Nick Brusatore:

nick@affinorgrowers.com

Tel: (604) 356-0411

www.affinorgrowers.com

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of competitive factors and competition for investment opportunities, challenges relating to operations in competitive markets, changes to the Company's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable based on current expectations, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market Research Report by Component, Deployment Model, Operator Type, Distribution Channel, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287067/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market size was estimated at USD 12.98 billion in 2021 and expected to reach USD 14.27 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 10.12% to reach USD 23.16 billion by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Telecom Billing & Revenue Management to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Component, the market was studied across Services and Solutions. The Services is further studied across Managed Services and Professional Services. The Solutions is further studied across Billing & Charging, Fraud Management, Mediation, Others, and Revenue Assurance.



Based on Deployment Model, the market was studied across Cloud and On-premises.



Based on Operator Type, the market was studied across Internet Service Providers and Mobile Operator.



Based on Distribution Channel, the market was studied across Hospital Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies, and Retail Pharmacies.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Telecom Billing & Revenue Management market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market, including Amdocs Group, BearingPoint Holding BV, Cerillion Technologies Limited, Comarch SA, Comviva Technologies Limited, CSG International Corporation, Enghouse Systems Ltd., Ericsson Group, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Intracom S.A. Telecom Solutions, Netcracker Technology Corp., Nokia, Openet, Optiva Inc., Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, Sterlite Technologies Limited, Subex Limited, and TEOCO Corporation.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Telecom Billing & Revenue Management Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287067/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Product Design & Development Services Market Research Report by Services, Application, End-Use, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287023/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Product Design & Development Services Market size was estimated at USD 6,148.46 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 6,692.59 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 9.10% to reach USD 10,371.29 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Product Design & Development Services to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Services, the market was studied across Concept & Requirements Development, Design Verification, Detailed Design & Process Development, Process Validation, Manufacturing Transfer & Design Validation, Production & Commercial Support, and Research, Strategy, & Concept Generation.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Biological Storage, Clinical Laboratory Equipment, Consumables, Diagnostic Equipment, Surgical Instruments, and Therapeutic Equipment.



Based on End-Use, the market was studied across Biotechnology Companies, Contract Research Organizations, Medical Device Companies, and Pharmaceutical Companies.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Product Design & Development Services market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Product Design & Development Services Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Product Design & Development Services Market, including Aran Biomedical, Biomerics LLC, Bresslergroup, Cambridge Design Partnership Ltd., Celestica, Inc., DeviceLAb Ltd., Donatelle Plastics Incorporated, Flex Ltd, Freudenberg Medical Europe GmbH, HS Design, Inc., Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc., Jabil, Inc., Nordson Corporation, Pininfarina S.p.A., Planet Innovation, Plexus Corp, Ranosys Technologies, RKS DESIGN INC., Starfish Medical, and Ximedica.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Product Design & Development Services Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Product Design & Development Services Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Product Design & Development Services Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Product Design & Development Services Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Product Design & Development Services Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Product Design & Development Services Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Product Design & Development Services Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287023/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
Washington, D.C., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Building on the success of the inaugural Clean Currents 2021, and with the overwhelming response from asset owners and exhibitors to join us in Sacramento in October 2022, the National Hydropower Association today announced Cincinnati as the location for Clean Currents 2023. Duke Energy, American Municipal Power and City of Hamilton have committed to serving as host utilities for the only national waterpower event that these three organizations are supporting in 2023.

Clean Currents 2021 opened a new chapter for the waterpower industry, as weve have taken ownership of our future and no longer rely on third-parties to decide whats best for us, said Malcolm Woolf, NHA President & CEO. We are thrilled to announce that Clean Currents 2023 will take place in Cincinnati. We thank Duke Energy, American Municipal Power and the City of Hamilton for not just servicing as host utilities for Clean Currents 2023, but for standing in lockstep with the hydropower industry. As the official waterpower industry event, 100% of the proceeds are reinvested back into advocacy and other priorities of the industry trade association. Our goal for 2023 is to develop an innovative event that brings every corner of the waterpower industry together to advance hydropower, pumped storage, small hydro, and marine energy.

Why Should You Choose Clean Currents?

Proceeds help support NHAs advocacy, which recently secured $900M in federal infrastructure grants for the hydropower industry

The event brings together the full array of waterpower technology companies, including utility generators, public power providers, equipment manufacturers, and engineering and technical consultants

The event is shaped by industry; not a for-profit, foreign-owned events company

About Clean Currents 2023

The event, which marks the evolution and growth of the waterpower industry, will be held at Duke Energy Convention Center. To learn more about this tradeshow and conference, visit the event website: https://cleancurrents.org

About NHA:

NHA is a national non-profit trade association dedicated exclusively to advancing the interests of the U.S. hydropower industry, including conventional, pumped storage, small hydro, and new marine and hydrokinetic technologies. NHAs membership consists of 280 organizations, including consumer-owned utilities, investor-owned utilities, independent power producers, developers, equipment manufacturers, environmental and engineering firms, and attorneys.

Attachment
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Aircraft Blind Bolts Market Research Report by Aircraft Type, Material, Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06165409/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market size was estimated at USD 332.81 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 351.98 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 5.93% to reach USD 470.44 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Aircraft Blind Bolts to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Aircraft Type, the market was studied across Commercial Aircraft, General Aviation, Helicopters, and Military Aircraft.



Based on Material, the market was studied across Aluminium, Stainless Steel, and Titanium.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Airframe Blind Bolts, Control Surface Blind Bolts, Engine Blind Bolts, and Interior Blind Bolts.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.



This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Aircraft Blind Bolts market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Aircraft Blind Bolts Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market, including 3V Fasteners Company, Inc., Arconic Inc, Cherry Aerospace, Clarendon Specialty Fasteners, Elite Fasteners, Inc., Howmet Aerospace Inc., J.O. King Incorporated, Kwikbolt Limited, LISI Aerospace, PCC Fasteners, Precision Castparts Corp., Stanley Black and Decker, Inc, The Boeing Company, TriMas Corporation, Wyandotte Industries, Inc., and ZAGO Manufacturing Co., Inc..



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Aircraft Blind Bolts Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06165409/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Medical Textiles Market Research Report by Product, Test, Fabric Type, Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06183351/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Medical Textiles Market size was estimated at USD 25.94 billion in 2021 and expected to reach USD 27.30 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 5.42% to reach USD 35.62 billion by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Medical Textiles to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Product, the market was studied across Face Masks, Hospital Beddings & Curtains, Operating Room Drapes, Staff Uniforms, Sterilization Wraps, Surgical Gowns, and Wipes.



Based on Test, the market was studied across Chemical Tests, Dimensional Stability Test, and Toxicology & Biocompatibility Test. The Chemical Tests is further studied across Finish Analysis Test and PH Test. The Toxicology & Biocompatibility Test is further studied across Abrasion Test, Physical Tests, Pilling Resistance Test, Strength Test, and Thermal Resistance Test.



Based on Fabric Type, the market was studied across Knitted, Non-Woven, and Woven.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Healthcare & Hygiene Products, Implantable Goods, and Non-Implantable Goods.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.



This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Medical Textiles market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Medical Textiles Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Medical Textiles Market, including Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj, Asahi Kasei Corporation, ATEX Technologies Inc., Bally Ribbon Mills, Biomedical Structures, Inc., Bluestar Silicones International, Cardinal Health, Inc., Elkem ASA, Getinge AB, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, KOB GmbH, Life Threads LLC, Medical Grade Innovations, LLC, Proxy Biomedical Ltd., Schouw & Co., Strategic Partners, Inc., The Freudenberg Group, TWE GmbH, and Vestagen Technical Textiles, Inc..



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Medical Textiles Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Medical Textiles Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Medical Textiles Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Medical Textiles Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Medical Textiles Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Medical Textiles Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Medical Textiles Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06183351/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Botulinum Toxins Market Research Report by Type, Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06167061/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Botulinum Toxins Market size was estimated at USD 3,713.68 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 4,278.29 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 15.38% to reach USD 8,761.85 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Botulinum Toxins to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Type, the market was studied across AbobotulinumtoxinA, IncobotulinumtoxinA, OnabotulinumtoxinA, and RimabotulinumtoxinB.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Aesthetic and Therapeutic.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.



This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Botulinum Toxins market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Botulinum Toxins Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Botulinum Toxins Market, including AbbVie Inc., Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services, Bausch Health Companies Inc., Daewoong Pharmaceuticals Co.Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd, Galderma S.A., Gufic Biosciences Ltd., Hugel, Inc, Hugh Source International Ltd., Ipsen group, JUVAPLUS, Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., List Biological Labs, Inc, Medytox Inc., Merz GmbH & Co. KGaA, Object Pharma, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Revance Therapeutics, Inc., Shanghai Haohai Biological Technology Co., Ltd., and US Worldmeds, LLC.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Botulinum Toxins Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Botulinum Toxins Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Botulinum Toxins Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Botulinum Toxins Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Botulinum Toxins Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Botulinum Toxins Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Botulinum Toxins Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06167061/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
Washington, D.C., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Liberty-minded organizations, distinguished civil liberties activists, and prominent leaders in the business community, including Phillip Goldstein, Mark Cuban, and Nelson Obus, are among the sixteen amici curiae who have filed briefs in support of the arguments presented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, in the Supreme Court case, SEC v. Michelle Cochran.

NCLA filed an opening brief last week on behalf of Michelle Cochran, a CPA from Dallas, TX, who is challenging the constitutionality of the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) in-house Administrative Law Judges. Ms. Cochran requests that her case be heard before a real Article III federal court that is competent to decide the claims at issue. SEC employees play judge, jury, and prosecutor, and unsurprisingly, the agency wins the vast majority of the cases it brings through administrative proceedings.

Ten briefs were filed in support of Ms. Cochran and against SECs deeply flawed administrative proceedings. Phillip Goldstein, Mark Cuban, Nelson Obus, and Investor Choice Advocates Network filed jointly, as well as Raymond J. Lucia, Sr., George R. Jarkesy, Jr., and Christopher M. Gibson. Separate amicus briefs were presented by Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Atlantic Legal Foundation, The Cato Institute, Citizens United, The Institute for Justice, Pacific Legal Foundation, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Washington Legal Foundation.

NCLAs lead counsel on the case, Senior Litigator Peggy Little, successfully argued it before the en banc Fifth Circuit. Latham & Watkins partner Greg Garre, a former Solicitor General of the United States, is Counsel of Record at the U.S. Supreme Court. He will present oral argument in the case later this year.

Excerpts from the ten amici curiae briefs submitted in support of NCLA follow:

The SEC inhouse prosecution scheme is indeed a Potemkin jurisdiction in which it acts as investigator, prosecutor, and judge of its own cause [and is thus] rigged against respondents. If the SEC wants to prosecute Ms. Cochran and seek substantial civil penalties, it should be required to prove up its case in federal court, subject to the protections of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence, not to mention Article III, due process, and the Seventh Amendment. The Constitution requires no less.

 Americans for Prosperity Foundation

Because the SEC does not possess the authority, competence, or expertise to address this issue, there is no reason to delay judicial review of Cochrans structural constitutional claim while she is forced either to participate in the charade of defending herself in a likely unconstitutional (as well as biased) administrative forum, or to indelibly stain her own reputation by signing an SEC-devised consent decree.

 Atlantic Legal Foundation

Eventual review, at some point in the remote future, is not meaningful review. The respondent  can default [o]r she can contest her guilt, in which case she can count on spending years more before the SECs interminable adjudicative regime.  The respondent is thus caught in a Catch-22  That is a choice worthy of Camus or Kafka, not America.

 The Cato Institute

When it comes to adjudicating before administrative agencies, the process often is the punishment. The mere whiff of an investigation may cause lasting reputational harms. The adjudication process is long, it is expensive, the procedural deck is stacked against respondents, and the reward for a successful challenge is often getting to start at square one and begin the whole process over again. That is what has happened in this case, where it is Groundhog Day at the SEC.

 Citizens United and Citizens United Foundation

The SECs ability to selectively forum shop violates the Seventh Amendment and leads to bizarre and unequal results for similarly situated defendants in SEC enforcement actions. A defendants constitutional rights should not be held hostage to the whim of a government plaintiff seeking home court advantage. The SEC can use its home field advantage to pressure defendants like Ms. Cochran to settle, inflicting grievous constitutional injuries without producing an appealable final order. Id. This is not a just, or constitutional, result.

 Phillip Goldstein, Mark Cuban, Nelson Obus, and Investor Choice Advocates Network

[T]he agencys choice to burrow its enforcement actions inside its own agency proceedings  divest[s] the district courts of their jurisdiction to consider constitutional claims,  violat[ing] the separation of powers [and] delegat[ing] to the SEC the legislative power to choose which subjects of its enforcement actions enjoy their full set of constitutional rightsincluding the right to seek redress of constitutional violations in federal court and the right to a jury trial.

 The Institute for Justice

[F]or yearslower courts refused to decide whether Amici were being forced to defend themselves before an unconstitutional tribunal. This Court therefore should ensure that nobody has to wait for nearly a decade before a court can adjudicate her structural-constitutional dispute with the government.

 Raymond J. Lucia, Sr., George R. Jarkesy, Jr., and Christopher M. Gibson

[U]sing administrative agencies as judicial fora to deprive parties of their private rights creates a problemone of constitutional magnitude Congress does not intend to do what it cannot do under the Constitution. Thus, this Court should clarify that [] every case raising jurisdiction stripping  must be read alongside key constitutional protections to fully guard against potential infringement of separation of powers and due process.

 Pacific Legal Foundation

The SECs structure and proceedings are riddled with constitutional problems.  Forcing private parties to suffer through unconstitutional agency proceedings just to challenge those proceedings later inflicts irreparable constitutional harm.  Delayed judicial review also perversely rewards the worst constitutional offenders. The SECs particular constitutional flawswhich overlap with and may even exceed the FTCs flawsunderscore the imperative of pre-enforcement review. to guard against arbitrary, unchecked agency power.

 The United States Chamber of Commerce

Litigation is not cheap.  The Securities and Exchange Commission relishes the ability to use its unlimited resources against individuals who must count their pennies. That is why it seeks review of the en banc Fifth Circuits correct decision here. At bottom, the SEC wants to exercise both executive and legislative power without meaningful review by a federal court. This lack of judicial review violates core separation-of-powers principles.  Thunder Basin was wrong when it was decided and is still wrong today. The Court should thus explicitly overrule it.

 Washington Legal Foundation

For more information visit the case page here or watch the case video here.

ABOUT NCLA

NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights.

###
People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok leaves after attending the party's ethics committee, held over allegations of sexual bribery and cover-up, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps





The ruling People Power Party (PPP) suspended the party membership of leader Lee Jun-seok for six months Friday over allegations of sexual bribery and a cover-up, a decision that is expected to unseat him as party chairman, throw the party into confusion and deepen an intraparty power struggle.







The PPP's ethics committee delivered the verdict after a near eight-hour meeting over allegations that Lee received sexual services paid for by a businessman seeking his influence in 2013 and attempted to cover up the wrongdoing earlier this year after the allegations surfaced.







Lee, who has pleaded innocence, said he will not step down as party chairman and will take all possible measures to reverse the ethics panel's decision, including filing for a court injunction and requesting a reexamination.







"I have no intention to do so," Lee said on KBS radio when asked if he would step down.







The decision represents the biggest crisis yet for Lee, who sensationally rose to the PPP chairmanship last year amid hopes the young, Harvard-educated politician would resuscitate the then moribund conservative party. He was the first person in his 30s to take the helm of a major political party in South Korea.







Under Lee, the PPP won March's presidential election and June's nationwide local elections.







Ever since taking over as leader, however, Lee has constantly been at odds with key party members considered close to President Yoon Suk-yeol, who have been collectively dubbed "Yoonhaekgwan"  an abbreviation of "Yoon Suk-yeol's core associates."







Lee has claimed the ethics committee meeting was political machinations engineered by Yoonhaekgwan.







"Why haven't I received congratulations and proper treatment from anyone even after winning the March 9 presidential election?" Lee told reporters Thursday night ahead of his attendance at the committee meeting, almost breaking into tears.






New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Polymer Nanocomposite Market Research Report by Polymer, Nanomaterials, End User, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06087027/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market size was estimated at USD 21.03 billion in 2021 and expected to reach USD 22.53 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 7.32% to reach USD 32.14 billion by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Polymer Nanocomposite to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Polymer, the market was studied across Epoxy Resin, Polyamide, Polyethylene, and Polypropylene.



Based on Nanomaterials, the market was studied across Carbon Nanotube, Metal Oxide, Nanoclays, and Nanofiber.



Based on End User, the market was studied across Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Electronics, Energy, and Packaging.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.



This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Polymer Nanocomposite market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Polymer Nanocomposite Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market, including 3D System, Arkema Group, BYK Additives, DuPont de Nemours, Inc, Evonik Industries AG, Foster Corporation, Hybrid Plastics Inc., Industrial Nanotech, Inc., Inframat Corporation, InMat Inc., Nanocor Inc., Nanocyl S.A., Nanophase Technologies Corporation, Nanoshel LLC, Nylon Corporation of America, Powdermet, Inc., RTP Company, Showa Denko Carbon, Inc., and Unitika Ltd.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Polymer Nanocomposite Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06087027/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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LOS ANGELES, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Toronto-Dominion Bank (Company) (NYSE: TD) investors that the firm has initiated an investigation into possible securities fraud and may file a class action on behalf of investors. TD investors that lost money on their investment are encouraged to contact Lesley Portnoy, Esq.

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On June 15, 2022, CNBC reported that Lawmakers led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked a key regulator to block Toronto-Dominion Banks $13.4 billion acquisition of a regional U.S. bank because of allegations of customer abuse. In a letter sent Tuesday to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency obtained exclusively by CNBC, Warren cited a May 4 report by Capitol Forum, a Washington-based investigative news outfit, that alleged that TD used tactics similar to those in the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal.

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Washington, DC, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Washington, D.C.) The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (Commission) opened a proceeding (Formal Case No. 1172) to identify available funding sources for Pepco and the Washington Gas Light Company (WGL) under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). The U.S. Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to invest billions of dollars in federal funds for local initiatives that support grid resiliency and reliability, electric generation and transmission, access to clean water, improved cybersecurity, and strategic deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is essential to enhancing the reliability and resilience of the Districts electric and natural gas distribution system. The federal funding will help minimize the burden on ratepayers as the District utilities pursue federal grant funds for infrastructure projects, stated Commission Chairman Emile C. Thompson.

To ensure transparency as Pepco and WGL pursue federal grant funds provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Commission has directed Pepco and WGL to file monthly reports with the Commission beginning August 31, 2022, on applications submitted for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds and establish a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Regulatory Asset to track Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related costs. These actions will help the District achieve its clean energy commitments.

Interested persons can file written comments in Formal Case No. 1172 identifying programs funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Pepco and WGL can pursue.
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market Research Report by Offering, Technology, Functionality, Application, End User, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06286831/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market size was estimated at USD 321.23 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 423.95 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 32.23% to reach USD 1,717.49 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Artificial Intelligence In Genomics to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Offering, the market was studied across Services and Software.



Based on Technology, the market was studied across Computer Vision and Machine Learning.



Based on Functionality, the market was studied across Clinical Workflows, Gene Editing, Genome Sequencing, and Predictive Genetic Testing & Preventive Medicine.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Agriculture & animal Research, Diagnostics, Drug Discovery & Development, Other, and Precision Medicine.



Based on End User, the market was studied across Government Organizations, Healthcare Providers, Others, Pharmaceutical & Biotech Companies, and Research Centers, Academic Institutes, &.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Artificial Intelligence In Genomics market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market, including BenevolentAI Ltd., Cambridge Cancer Genomics, Data4Cure Inc., Deep Genomics Inc., DNAnexus Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Engine Biosciences Pte. Ltd., Fabric Genomics Inc., FDNA Inc., Freenome Holdings, Inc., Genoox Ltd., International Business Machines Corporation, Invitae Corporation, Lifebit Biotech, Microsoft Corporation, MolecularMatch, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation, PrecisionLife Ltd., SOPHiA GENETICS, and Verge Genomics.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Artificial Intelligence In Genomics Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06286831/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
LOCK HAVEN, Pa., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terrapin, a national cannabis company with operations in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New York and Pennsylvania, today released its highly anticipated Double Bear Live Sauce Cartridges for medical use in Pennsylvania.

Delivering the convenience of a cartridge  and considerably more flavor and aroma than other oils  our new Double Bear Live Sauce Cartridges offer a flower-like medical marijuana experience that is sure to delight patients throughout the Keystone State, whether theyre new to cannabis or a concentrate connoisseur, said Peter Marcus, Vice President of Communications at Terrapin. The process of how we create these high-quality cartridges is unique  and honestly super cool. We are proud to answer the call and deliver this highly anticipated  and patient-requested  vape product to the Pennsylvania market. Terrapin is invested in Pennsylvania, so if we can help meet a need in the states medical cannabis community, thats something we want to be involved in.

The new Double Bear Live Sauce Cartridges will be available in 0.5-gram cartridges at select dispensary locations in Pennsylvania on July 10. Terrapin also has plans to introduce even more concentrated cannabis products throughout the commonwealth in the coming months.

The vaporizable oil form of the Double Bear Live Sauce is created using fresh-frozen cannabis to preserve the plants terpenes, cannabinoid content and other live properties. While a lot of sauces are made from the same general components, the proprietary Double Bear hydrocarbon extraction process results in a more terpene-rich final product and a more enjoyable vaporizing experience.

Our incredibly flavorful Double Bear Live Sauce Cartridges have been designed with all processing centering around terpene preservation, continued Marcus. We further deliver the rich terpene content by using a strain-specific fresh-frozen base, which produces a magnificent golden-colored decarbed live sauce  with no added distillate, terpenes, filler or boosters. This top-notch new product provides everything people love about flower  the flavor, the terpenes, the cannabinoids  but conveniently packaged in a compact vape.

Terrapin products are held to the highest standards, and the company continues to offer one of the few vapes in the Pennsylvania market that was not impacted by the massive February 2022 vape recall. Terrapin brand Double Bear uses cannabis-derived terpenes in product development, and Terrapin pioneered the recent Demand Clean Vapes initiative, which advocates for more transparency in cannabis product development and higher-quality products on the market.

For more information about the new Double Bear Live Sauce Cartridges, or how Terrapin supports the communities it serves, please visit terrapincarestation.com.

About Terrapin

Terrapin is a consumer-focused cultivator, processor and provider of high-quality medical and recreational cannabis products. Founded in 2009, there are six storefronts on Colorados Front Range and a medical cannabis grower/processor facility in Clinton County, Pa. Terrapin also operates a cannabis grower/processor facility in Grand Rapids, Mich. and recently opened a medical cultivation facility in Kansas City, Mo. For more information on the Terrapin brand, visit Terrapin.co. For information on retail locations, visit TerrapinCareStation.com. We plant local roots! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

###
United States, Rockville MD, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per the latest report published by Fact.MR, a market research and competitive intelligence provider, the global military defense vehicle intercom system market is slated to reach US$ 230 Million in 2022 and go steady with 6.8% CAGR over the forecast period of 2022 to 2032. Fact.MR anticipates significant potential in the market, due to the enhanced spending across end use industries.



Vehicle intercom system, in military tactical vehicles, does connect the vehicle radio systems with staff members. It is inclusive of a wire/cable, switch, tactical networking intercom system, crew control unit, IUU (intercom user unit), radio interface unit, and wireless intercom unit.

For Critical Insights on Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market, Request a Sample Report

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=402

It is a known fact that a military task does foster the necessity of effective, real-time communication. An intercom does deliver this in frigid environments, that too, with mitigation of noise. A military defense vehicle intercom system comprises modules connecting car radios to the base station equipment such as PA systems, loudspeakers, headsets, and field phones. Military modernization projects are bound to take the market to US$ 444 Million by the year 2032.

Which Intercom Type is Most Popular among End Users?

Military Vehicle Wireless Intercom Systems Mostly Preferred for Effective Communication

Based on intercom type, the market is segmented into military vehicle wired intercom systems and military vehicle wireless intercom systems.

Military vehicle intercom systems (VIS) are devices through which soldiers communicate with each other. Military vehicle intercom systems (VIS) are a collection of systems that address a wide range of user communication needs on all military platforms.

Demand for military vehicle wireless intercom systems is expected to rise due to the rising demand for power systems as a result of the integration of new technologies and increased power requirements in vehicles.

The Leonardo DRS Vehicle Intercom System (VIS) is a ready-to-use device that provides a versatile and future-proof platform-based audio solution.

Military intercom system manufacturers are adopting enhanced technologies to produce novel army vehicle intercom systems.

To learn more about Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=402

Key Segments Covered in the Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Industry Survey

Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market by Intercom Type :



Wired Military Defense Vehicle Intercom Systems

Wireless Military Defense Vehicle Intercom Systems



Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market by Technology :



Digital Military Defense Vehicle Intercom Systems

Analog Military Defense Vehicle Intercom Systems



Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market by Transmission Power :



Less than 50 W

50-100 W 100-200 W Above 200 W



Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market by Application :



Armoured Vehicles

Logistics Shelters Fast Patrol Boats



Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market by Region :



North America

Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia & Oceania MEA



Market Developments

The key participants in military defense vehicle intercom system market are into devising encrypted intercom system, so as to safeguard the security across the geographies.

Cobham, since August 2019, has been supplying full ESNACS (Emergency Services Network Aircraft Communications System), i.e. an aircraft radio to home office based out of the UK. This service is meant to make provisions for high speed data services along with push-to-talk services over LTE to the UK police and air ambulance.

Chelton has its intercom system for the armoured vehicles catering to 100% military specifications and resilience to high-level battles.

Get Customization on Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market Report for Specific Research Solutions

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=402

Key players in the Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market

Cobham

Harris Corporation

Pilot Communications

David Clark Company

Communications Applied Technology

EID (a Cohort Plc Company)

Wolf Electric, AT Communication

3M, B&G Electronics

Northrop Grumman



Key Takeaways from Military Defense Vehicle Intercom System Market Study

North America holds 24% of the market share.

Europe accounts for 29% of the overall market share.

Wireless technology is expected to dominate the market in the forecast period.





About the Technology Division at Fact.MR

Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the highly seasoned technology team at Fact.MR helps clients from across the globe with their unique business intelligence needs. With a repertoire of over thousand reports and 1 million-plus data points, the team has analysed the technology industry across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services.

Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Technology Domain-

North America Automated Weather Observing System Market- The North American automated weather observing system market will register substantial growth, with an expected overall valuation of US$ 200 Million in 2022. Between 2022 and 2032, the market's value will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6%, reaching a market value of US$ 358.1 Million.

Fire Testing Market- The fire testing market is predicted to grow at a fair CAGR of 5.9% during the projected period of 2022 to 2032. The fire testing market share is estimated to be worth more than US$ 13 Bn by 2032, increasing from US$ 7.1 Bn in 2022.

Fleet Maintenance Software Market- The fleet maintenance software market is predicted to grow at an impressive CAGR of 9.2% during the forecast period covering 2022 to 2032. The fleet maintenance software market share is estimated to reach a value of nearly US$ 30.9 Billion by 2032, expanding from US$ 11.6 Billion in 2021.

Fitness Applications Market- The recently released Fitness Applications Market analysis report by Fact.MR shows that the global fitness app market was held at US$ 1.1 Bn in 2021. The global market is expected to offer an absolute dollar opportunity of US$ 6.8 Bn, with a CAGR of 19.7% between 2022 and 2032.

U.S. Electronic Health Records Market- U.S. electronic health records market stands at a current valuation of US$ 8.1 billion and is estimated to surpass US$ 12.4 billion by the end of 2032. The market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast years of 2022-2032.

Reticle Pod Cleaning System Market- The global reticle pod cleaning system market currently accounts for US$ 56.7 million valuation and is forecast to reach US$ 107 million by 2032, expanding at a noteworthy CAGR of 6.6% from 2022 to 2032.

Europe Electronic Health Records Market- The European electronic health records market is predicted to increase from a valuation of US$ 6.7 billion in 2022 to US$ 10.5 billion by the end of 2032, registering a steady CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast years of 2022-2032.

Data Acquisition (DAQ) System Market- The global data acquisition (DAQ) system market was valued at US$ 1.7 Billion in 2021 and is projected to be valued at US$ 1.8 Billion in 2022. During the 2022-2032 period of assessment, demand is expected to rise at a 5.3% value CAGR, likely to reach US$ 3.0 Billion by the end of the said forecast period.

In-Building Wireless Market- The global in-building wireless market is expected to secure a market value of US$ 36 Billion from 2022 to 2032, with a healthy CAGR of 10.8%. The rapid digital transformation and growing trend of smart building methods are expected to contribute to the market growth in the forecast period.

Monolithic Microwave IC (MMIC) Market- During the forecast period of 2022 to 2032, the monolithic microwave IC (MMIC) market is expected to develop at a substantial CAGR of 9.8%. By 2032, the monolithic microwave IC (MMIC) market is expected to be valued at more than US$ 24 billion, up from US$ 9 billion in 2021.

About Us:

Market research and consulting agency with a difference! Thats why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range  from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Our sales offices in United States and Dublin, Ireland. Headquarter based in Dubai, UAE. Reach out to us with your goals, and well be an able research partner.

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New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Sucrose Esters Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06285829/?utm_source=GNW

Ltd., Guangzhou ZIO Chemical Co. Ltd, Guangxi Gaotong Food Technology, World Chem Industries, Felda Iffco LLC, and NatureWell Sucrose Esters.



The global sucrose esters market is expected to grow from $74.78 billion in 2021 to $83.15 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2%. The sucrose esters market is expected to grow to $109.52 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 7.1%.



Sucrose Esters market consists of the sales of sucrose ester products by entities (organization, sole-trader, and partnerships) that are a unique group of emulsifiers and low-fat alternatives used in food products including ice-cream, confectionery, dairy, and others.Sucrose Esters also perform other functions in food processing such as protein protection, aeration, hydrophilic-lipophilic, and starch interaction.



Sucrose Esters have good conditioning and stabilizing properties. Sucrose esters are also used in the production of personal care products, laundry products, and detergents.



The main types of sucrose esters are powder sucrose ester, liquid sucrose ester, and pellet sucrose ester.Powder sucrose esters are a form of sucrose esters that are obtained by esterifying sucrose and fatty acids.



Powder sucrose ester can be colorless, slightly yellow, soft solid, greyish-white powder, or thick gel in appearance depending on the type of fatty acid applied and grade of esterification. The different functions include protein and starch interaction, antimicrobial property, controlled sugar crystallization, emulsification, and aeration and are used in various sectors such as food and beverages, detergents and cleansers, cosmetics, and personal care, others.



Europe was the largest region in the sucrose esters market in 2020.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in sucrose esters market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



Increasing health awareness among the consumers is driving the growth of the sucrose esters market.Sucrose esters are a low-fat alternative in the food processing industry.



Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and diligent about their food consumption, and they are demanding low fat, low sugar foods such as baked foods, sweets, dairy products, and others.Sucrose esters, which have emulsification and fat-replacing properties, are increasingly being used in the food and beverage industries to produce healthy foods.



For instance, in 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the total intake of fat should be less than 30% of the total energy intake per person to stay healthy and avoid unhealthy weight gain.According to DSM, Dutch-based nutrition, health, and sustainable solutions providers global insights survey in 2019, 40% of the consumers choose low-sugar yogurt, and 20% opted for sugar-free flavored yogurt.



Consumer interest in low-sugar and sugar-free products is high across all markets, and awareness of the health consequences of excessive sugar consumption is significant and growing, particularly in emerging consumer markets. Therefore, the increasing health awareness among consumers is expected to propel the sucrose esters market going forward.



The growing consumption of convenience foods will drive the growth of the sucrose esters market in the forecast period.The demand for convenient or ready-to-eat meals is increasing globally as the working population prefers food that saves them time and energy.



Convenience foods are ready-to-eat meals that use sucrose esters as an emulsifier to protect and preserve the protein, texturization, and aeration of the food. For instance, according to the World Employment and Social Outlook 2020, around 3.3 billion are working population which is 57% of the total population. According to an Assocham (Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India) survey conducted in 2020, roughly 79% of Indian households prefer instant food due to lack of time. Therefore, the increase in the working population increases the demand for convenience food this, in turn, drives the market for sucrose esters.



The natural-based sucrose emulsifiers are a key trend gaining popularity in the sucrose esters market.Major companies operating in the sucrose esters sector are enabling the development of sustainable products for future use in skincare and detergent products.



For instance, in 2019, BASF, a Germany-based chemicals company launched Emulgade Sucro Plus, a natural-based emulsifier approved by COSMOS. Emulgade Sucro Plus is a 100% natural emulsifier that can be used in creamy lotions, gels, and sprays.



The countries covered in the sucrose esters market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06285829/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Intermediate Bulk Container Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06285823/?utm_source=GNW

Ltd., Buscherhoff Spezialverpackung GmbH & Co. KG, RDA Bulk Packaging Ltd, Gaoqing Anthente Container Package Company Limited, CorrPak Bulk Packaging, Environmental Packaging Technologies Inc. and Ven Pack.



The global intermediate bulk container market is expected to grow from $2.59 billion in 2021 to $2.93 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3%. The intermediate bulk container market is expected to grow to $4.18 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 9.3%.



The intermediate bulk container (IBC) market consists of sales of the intermediate bulk containers by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that refer to a pallet-mounted, industrial-grade reusable container that is used for storing and transporting bulk liquids, pastes, and solids.It is called intermediate due to its size which is bigger than a drum but smaller than a tank.



The hard outer container is usually made from galvanized tubular steel or iron, while the inner containers are often made from plastic such as polyethylene or high-density polyethylene (HDPE).



The main types of intermediate bulk containers are rigid IBC and flexible IBC.The rigid intermediate bulk containers (RIBC) are made up of plastic, metal cages, and a spout for convenient material dumping.



RIBCs are utilized in a variety of industries, including disaster relief, construction, and food delivery, to carry liquids with minimum loss of containment and reusable properties.The different grades include type A, type B, type C, type D, and food grade and involves various materials such as plastic, and metal.



It is used by various sectors including chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and others.



North America was the largest region in the intermediate bulk container market in 2021.Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in intermediate bulk container market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



The rising wine trade across the globe is expected to propel the growth of the intermediate bulk container market going forward.The increasing consumption of wine, especially during a celebration in many countries is increasing the demand for wine and its trade.



Plastic intermediate bulk containers are mostly used to carry liquids, such as wine or fuel.The intermediate bulk containers are one of the most cost-effective solutions and can be utilized safely in a variety of sectors.



For instance, according to Forbes, an American business magazine, in terms of value, the international wine trade climbed by 21% in the first semester of 2021 compared to the previous year.The main driver is trading in sparkling wine, which is up 26% in 2020, and the value of bottled wine climbed by 12% in 2020.



As a result, the growing wine trade around the world is propelling the growth of the intermediate bulk container market.



Technological advancement is a key trend gaining popularity in the intermediate bulk container market.Major companies operating in the intermediate bulk container sector are focused on developing a new technological solution to meet consumer demand and strengthen their position.



For instance, in November 2020, Schoeller Allibert, a Netherlands-based producer of recyclable, reusable, and returnable plastic packaging solutions launched ChemiFlow based on corrosion-resistant technology.ChemiFlow is an UN-authorized Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) built to transport hazardous and highly corrosive chemicals safely and without sacrificing performance.



ChemiFlow 1000L 8292 EPDM 6 runners were designed specifically to satisfy the changing requirements of the chemical sector, with features such as a central top-fill for easy filling at an automatic filling line, and automatic venting to limit the risk of overpressure, and an additional closed system to avoid odors from escaping.



In March 2020, Tank Holding Corp, a US-based manufacturer of rotationally molded poly and welded steel bulk storage acquired the IBC manufacturing assets from Hoover Ferguson for an undisclosed amount.The acquisition is expected to enhance Tank Holding Corps market position as the largest North American manufacturer of reusable and returnable intermediary bulk containers, also known as portable tote tanks, which are used to transport chemicals and food commodities.



However, Ferguson is a US-based manufacturer of intermediary bulk containers.



The countries covered in the intermediate bulk container market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.





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New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Load Monitoring System Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06285824/?utm_source=GNW

, Futek Advanced Sensor Technology, Euroload, MinebeaMitsumi, Yamato Scale, ZEMIC, Standard Loadcells, Strainsert and Thames Side Sensors.



The global load monitoring system market is expected to grow from $2.7 billion in 2021 to $2.82 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.3%. The load monitoring system market is expected to grow to $3.39 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 4.7%.



The load monitoring system market consists of the sales of load monitoring technologies by entities (organizations, partnerships, and sole proprietors) that are used to facilitate the energy savings by highlighting situations of non-efficient electricity use leading toward the corrective measures.The load cell is a force transducer that converts an input mechanical force such as weight, load, compression, tension, or pressure into another electrical output signal or physical variable that can be measured, converted, and standardized.



As the force applied to the force sensor increases, the electrical signal also increases proportionally.



The main types of technologies in load monitoring systems are analog load cells and digital load cells.Analog load cells measure stress and weight strain which is the most popular form of load cell used.



A digital load cell transmits data from each load cell, compared to analog systems. The load monitoring systems are used in the automotive industry, healthcare industry, marine industry, construction industry, aerospace industry, and oil and gas industry.



Europe was the largest region in the load monitoring system market in 2021.Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in load monitoring system market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



The increasing demand for digital load cells significantly drives the growth of the load monitoring system market.Digital load cells are used to measure pressure or force that can be built to perform virtually any force measuring task, regardless of the weight, size, and cost of the final product.



Compared with the conventional model, The Checkweigher I-Series reduces power consumption by 30% and the number of components reduced by 10%, thereby minimizing the impact on the environment. The increasing demand for digital load cells by different end-use industries is expected to increase the adoption of IoT, higher accuracy, digitization, and increasing demand for precision weighing in heavy lifting applications.



Internet-of-Things (IoT) adoption is a key trend gaining popularity in the load monitoring system market.Major companies operating in the load monitoring sector are focused on developing IoT solutions to strengthen their position.



The growing adoption of automation and industrial IoT is aimed to increase the demand for load cell controllers and indicators.The indicators and controllers help the users to understand the load measurements and carry out further activities.



Industrial IoT incorporates big data and machine learning technologies to harness the sensor data, M2M communication, and Automation technologies.IIoT bridges the gap between legacy industrial infrastructure and modern technologies such as edge computing, cloud, mobile, and machine learning.



IIoT helps industries optimize industrial operations to increase productivity and efficiency.



In March 2021, Mettler-Toledo International Inc, a US-based company that provides precision instruments and services acquired PendoTECH for $0.205 billion. Through this acquisition, PendoTECH will be part of Mettler-Toledo International Inc. PendoTECH is a US-based manufacturer and distributor of single-use sensors, transmitters, control systems, and software for measuring, monitoring, and data collection primarily in bioprocess applications.



The countries covered in the load monitoring system market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.





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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westhaven Gold Corp. (TSX-V:WHN) is pleased to announce the voting results from the Companys Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on July 7th, 2022.



The shareholders approved all motions put forth at the Meeting including the re- appointment of Smythe LLP, Chartered Accountants, as the Company's independent auditors, and the confirmation of the Company's Share Incentive Plan. The shareholders re-elected David Grenville Thomas, Gareth Thomas, Hannah McDonald, Victor Tanaka and Paul McRae to the Company's Board of Directors.

A total of 19,656,837 common shares were voted, representing the votes attached to 15.45% of all outstanding common shares.

The votes cast for each is as follows:

Resolution For % Withheld/Against % Number of Directors 99.23 0.77 David Grenville Thomas 94.10 5.90 Gareth Thomas 99.37 0.63 Victor Tanaka 99.37 0.63 Paul McRae 99.09 0.91 Hannah McDonald 99.36 0.64 Appointment of Auditors 99.52 0.48 Share Incentive Plan 98.57 1.43 Other Business 57.72 42.28

On behalf of the Board of Directors

WESTHAVEN GOLD CORP.



"Shaun Pollard"



Shaun Pollard, CFO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About Westhaven Gold Corp.

Westhaven is a gold-focused exploration company advancing the high-grade discovery on the Shovelnose project in Canadas newest gold district, the Spences Bridge Gold Belt. Westhaven controls 37,000 hectares (370 square kilometres) with four 100% owned gold properties spread along this underexplored belt. The Shovelnose property is situated off a major highway, near power, rail, large producing mines, and within commuting distance from the city of Merritt, which translates into low-cost exploration. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please call 604-681-5558 or visit Westhavens website at www.westhavengold.com.
President Yoon Suk-yeol answers reporters' questions at the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District, in this July 8, pool photo. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed regret Friday after the ruling People Power Party suspended the party membership of leader Lee Jun-seok over allegations of sexual bribery and a cover-up.



Lee's membership will be suspended for six months for causing damage to the party's reputation, the PPP ethics committee said after an hourslong meeting into the early morning. The decision was not based on a determination of whether Lee had received sexual favors, which is under a separate investigation by the police.



"As a member of the People Power Party, I feel it is a shame," Yoon told reporters hours after the decision was announced.



"As I've always said, I don't think it's appropriate for the president to comment on party affairs. ... I look forward to our party members coming together to quickly overcome the difficult situation."






GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On May 13, 2022, a federal lawsuit funded by We The Patriots USA, Inc. (WTP USA) was filed in the Western District of Michigan against Spectrum Health/Helen Devos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, alleging that Alisa Campau, a 17 year-old adoptee from Ukraine, had been denied medical evaluations necessary for placement on the pediatric kidney transplant list, for her refusal to receive the COVID-19 shot. The Campau family maintained a strong religious objection to the shot, and asserted a claim of religious discrimination in the lawsuit.

Today WTP USA is happy to announce that since the lawsuit has been filed, the hospital has provided Alisa with the medical evaluations necessary for placement on the pediatric transplant list. Although the hospital has not conceded that their change in course was the result of the lawsuit, WTP USA and the Campaus are hailing this as a victory for medical and religious freedom.

"We are so thankful for the quick and laser-focused help we received from We the Patriots USA when we reached out for legal assistance. We are convinced that their facilitation of legal defense was absolutely the reason that Alisa has now received the medical evaluations that were previously denied," Jenna Campau, Alisa's mother, said in a statement today. Campau added, "Without their help, we are certain that Alisa would still be denied access to these evaluations, which are a necessary prerequisite for placement on the kidney transplant list. Given these new developments, and after prayerful consideration, we have decided to withdraw our lawsuit against the hospital. However, we reserve the right to re-initiate legal action in the future if necessary to protect Alisa's medical and religious rights, and will continue to support others who are on similar journeys to protect their own medical freedoms and those of their children."

WTP USA would like to thank all of the individuals who so generously donated to Alisa's legal fund. WTP USA has just recently agreed to fund another lawsuit in defense of a Peoria, IL woman who is being denied a kidney transplant for refusing the COVID-19 shot. Donations to that legal fund may be made at https://www.givesendgo.com/brandi.

For press inquiries, please email info@wethepatriotsusa.org.

Source: We The Patriots USA, Inc.

Attachment
Date: July 28, 2022 Time: 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)

EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acadian Timber Corp. will release its 2022 second quarter results after market close on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, which will be available on our website at www.acadiantimber.com under Press Releases. The release will be followed by a conference call and webcast on Thursday, July 28, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss with members of senior management our financial and operating results.

To participate in the second quarter conference call, please register here, or follow the link on our website at www.acadiantimber.com/presentations_and_webcasts, to receive your unique PIN. The media and investing public may access this conference call via a listen-in mode only. The second quarter conference call will also be webcast live on our website, where it will be archived for future reference. For those unable to attend, a recorded rebroadcast will be available until 4:00 PM (Eastern Time) August 27, 2022.

If you have any questions about the second quarter conference call, please contact Susan Wood, Chief Financial Officer at +1-506-737-2345 or ir@acadiantimber.com.

Acadian Timber Corp. (TSX:ADN) (Acadian) is one of the largest timberland owners in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern U.S. and has a total of approximately 2.4 million acres of land under management. Acadian owns and manages approximately 761,000 acres of freehold timberlands in New Brunswick, approximately 300,000 acres of freehold timberlands in Maine and provides timber services relating to approximately 1.3 million acres of Crown licensed timberlands in New Brunswick. Acadians products include softwood and hardwood sawlogs, pulpwood, and biomass by-products, sold to approximately 90 regional customers.

Acadians business strategy is to maximize cash flows from its existing timberland assets through sustainable forest management and other land use activities while growing its business by acquiring assets and actively managing these assets to drive improved performance.
Not for Distribution to United States Newswire Services or for Dissemination in the United States



TORONTO, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Euro Sun Mining Inc. (TSX: ESM) (Euro Sun or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a convertible security funding agreement (the Agreement) with Lind Global Fund II, LP, an investment entity managed by The Lind Partners, a New York based institutional fund manager (together Lind), providing for a principal amount $1.5 million (the Loan Amount) convertible security (the Convertible Security) due two years from the date of issuance. All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Euro Sun intends to use the funding for development expenditures at its Rovina Valley Project and for general and corporate working capital purposes.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the drawn Loan Amount will accrue simple interest at a rate of 10% per annum. At closing, the Company will receive $1.5 million less a closing fee of $60,000. The Company will issue to Lind a Convertible Security with a face value of $1.8 million (the Initial Loan Face Value), which includes pre-paid interest of $300,000, as set out in the Agreement.

Lind will have the option to convert the Convertible Security into common shares of Euro Sun (Shares) at a price per Share equal to 85% of the five-day volume weighted average share price (VWAP) immediately prior to each conversion (the Conversion Price). Subject to certain conditions, Lind will be entitled to convert up to 1/24th of the Initial Loan Face Value per month into Shares.

In the event that the Conversion Price is below the Companys chosen floor price of $0.10, the Company will have the option to repay that conversion in cash (plus a 5% premium), in lieu of issuing Shares.

Euro Sun has the right to buy-back the outstanding face value of the Loan Amount at any time with no penalty. If Euro Sun elects to exercise its buy-back rights, Lind will have the option to convert up to 33% of such face value into Shares.

Concurrently with the funding of the Loan Amount, Lind will be issued 12,711,864 warrants of the Company (the Warrants). The Warrants will be exercisable for 48 months from the date of their issuance, subject to acceleration, with a warrant exercise price equal to $0.1357, being 115% of the 20-day VWAP of the Shares, immediately prior to execution of the Agreement.

The Convertible Security will be (i) secured against all of the assets and property of the Company pursuant to a general security agreement and (ii) guaranteed by SAMAX Romania Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company organized under the laws of Cyprus, which will also provide a share pledge agreement in favour of Lind.

The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) has conditionally approved the listing of the common shares underlying the Convertible Securities and the Warrants on the TSX. The listing is subject to the Company fulfilling all of the requirements of the TSX on or before August 8, 2022. Funding of the Loan Amount is expected to be completed on or before July 15, 2022.

About Euro Sun Mining Inc.

Euro Sun is a Toronto Stock Exchange listed mining company focused on the exploration and development of its 100%-owned Rovina Valley gold and copper project located in west-central Romania, which hosts the second largest gold deposit in Europe.

For further information about Euro Sun Mining, or the contents of this press release, please contact Investor Relations at info@eurosunmining.com.

About The Lind Partners

The Lind Partners manages institutional funds that are leaders in providing growth capital to small- and mid-cap companies publicly traded in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. Linds funds make direct investments ranging from US$1 to US$30 million, invest in syndicated equity offerings and selectively buy on market. Having completed more than 100 direct investments totaling over US$1 Billion in transaction value, Linds funds have been flexible and supportive capital partners to investee companies since 2011.

www.thelindpartners.com

Caution regarding forward-looking information:

This press release contains statements which constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words may, would, could, should, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar expressions and includes information regarding the Companys proposed use of proceeds, the ability of the Company to secure the Loan Amount, the ability of the Company to obtain final approval of the TSX and the timing for closing.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect managements expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the Company. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the combined business of the Company and market conditions, including (1) a significant change in market price; (2) there being no significant disruptions affecting the Companys operations whether due to extreme weather events and other or related natural disasters, labor disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; (3) permitting, development, operations and production for the Rovina Valley Project being consistent with the Companys expectations; (4) political and legal developments in Romania being consistent with current expectations; (5) certain price assumptions for gold and copper; (6) prices for diesel, electricity and other key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; (7) the accuracy of the Companys mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; and (8) labor and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with the Companys current expectations. This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, including the Companys annual information form, financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Tokyo, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global precision farming market size was valued at USD 8.16 billion in 2021. The main elements driving the development of the accuracy cultivating market is the Rapid reception of cutting-edge innovations in accuracy cultivating to decrease work cost, Increased reception of Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets in rural fields, Substantial expense reserve funds related with accuracy cultivating, Climate change and need to fulfill rising need for food and Increasing advancement of accuracy cultivating procedures by states around the world.



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Key Takeaways:

By offering, the North America precision farming market was estimated at USD 3.4 billion in 2021 with a registered CAGR of 11.5%.

Asia Pacific region is expected to reach at a CAGR of 15.5% over the forecast period 2022 to 2030.

In 2021, North America region contributed 46% revenue share.

Europe region has accounted market share of 24% in 2021.

The weather tracking and forecasting application segment is expected to drive growth at a CAGR of 17.8% from 2022 to 2030.

By offerings, hardware segment contributed 69% market share in 2021

The software segment is anticipated to reach at a CAGR of 15.8%.

By application, the yield monitoring segment contributed market revenue share of 45% in 2021

In 2021, remote sensing and variable rate technology segment has garnered market share of around 58%.





Regional snapshot

The accuracy cultivating market in APAC is supposed to observe the most elevated development from 2022 to 2030. Expanding modernization in the horticulture business in nations like China, India, and Indonesia is a main consideration driving the development of the provincial accuracy cultivating market. Populace extension in the district's emerging nations is mounting strain on the horticulture business to increment efficiency, filling the interest for accuracy cultivating hardware.

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Scope of the Report

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2021 USD 8.16 Billion Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 26.8 Billion CAGR 14.13% from 2022 to 2030 Largest Market North America Fastest Growing Region Asia Pacific Base Year 2021 Forecast Year 2022 to 2030 Key Players AG DNA, AG Junction, AG Leader Technology, AGCO Corporation, Agribotix, Bayer CropScience AG, Case IH Agriculture, ClearAg Operations, Conservis Corporation, Deere & Company

Report highlights

The main elements driving the development of the accuracy horticulture market are the quick reception of trend setting innovations in accuracy agribusiness to diminish work costs and the rising reception of Internet of things gadgets. Things (IoT) in the fields of horticulture, huge expense reserve funds related with accuracy cultivating, a changing environment and the need to fulfill the developing need for food, and the developing push for accuracy cultivating strategies by legislatures all over the planet. To acquire a more profound comprehension of various parts of farming, for example, water system and culturing, different innovations like IoT, GPS, and remote detecting application control are utilized.

The equipment fragment incorporates robotization and control frameworks, detecting gadgets, receiving wires, and passages. Equipment parts like robotization and control frameworks, detecting gadgets, and robots are terrifically significant in supporting ranchers.

Off-farm field observing and on-ranch yield checking are the two pieces of yield observing. Soil checking, then again, contains dampness and supplement observing; field planning, then again, incorporates limit and seepage planning. Because of its various purposes and high acknowledgment rate, variable rate application (VRA) drives the accuracy cultivating industry in the applications class.

The yield observing classification represented remarkable income in 2021 and is probably going to keep up with its predominance during the projection time frame as it helps ranchers in pursuing field choices. Ranchers can use on-ranch yield observing to get continuous information during harvest and foster a verifiable geological data set.

Drivers

The horticulture business was profoundly reliant upon workers for various exercises; notwithstanding, with mechanical headways, robotization is supplanting the errand of workers and empowering the business players to accomplish high result quicker than expected. The reception of cutting-edge innovations is assisting ranchers with covering a huge region of their fields quicker than expected and all the more effectively.

Market Restraints

Precision farming is a smart agricultural strategy that demands a thorough understanding of technology. A chasm exists between understanding and the use of precision farming concepts due to a lack of information regarding cutting-edge technology and its applications. Even though numerous governments and market partners across the world are initiating programs to give farmers training and consulting services on the use of precision farming techniques, many farmers remain out of reach. Farmers in rising countries like China, India, and Brazil, on the other hand, have less technical knowledge, which is hindering the establishment of the precision farming sector.

Challenges

The pandemic has become one of the biggest challenges in the field of agriculture. The COVID-19 epidemic has harmed the worldwide precision agricultural sector, with numerous manufacturing plants in China, India, Europe, Japan, and the United States temporarily shutting down. As a result, the production of precision farming equipment has seen a substantial delay. Government-imposed restrictions in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic harmed production and stifled customer demand for such expensive capital equipment.

These companies' precision farming goods are acquired by a variety of stakeholders for a variety of purposes. COVID-19 had an impact on not just the operations of precision farming manufacturers, but also the operations of their suppliers and distributors. In the medium term, the drop in export shipments and delayed domestic demand for precision farming, compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, is projected to hurt and slightly stagnant demand for precision farming. During the first half of 2020, the major players in this sector have seen the impact of the pandemic on their order intakes.

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Latest Developments

In December 2018, AgJunction Inc. gone into an organization with Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. With this understanding, both the organizations consented to set up a proclamation of work for the future improvement of items for the ranchers.

In October 2019, Deere and Company procured Unimil, a supplier of reseller's exchange parts to sugarcane gatherers. With this securing, the organization will assist clients in Brazil with diminishing their sugarcane creation costs.

In September 2020, Trimble presented the Trimble R12i GNSS recipient. It consolidates inertial estimation unit-based slant remuneration, which conveys 30% elite execution in testing conditions than different beneficiaries.

In May 2021, Raven Industries reported the send-off of its new independent item brand "OMNI." This brand features the organization's abilities in independent arrangements

In May 2021, AGCO, a rural hardware maker, worked together with Raven and different brands. The goal is to assess splashing innovation to make the utilization of harvest security items more successful and effective.





Market Segmentation

By Offering

Hardware Automation and Control Systems Displays Guidance and Steering Systems GPS/GNSS Devices Drones/UAVs Irrigation controllers Handheld Mobile Devices/Handheld Computers Flow And Application Control Devices Others Sensing and Monitoring Devices Yield Monitors Soil Sensors Moisture Sensors Temperature Sensors Nutrient Sensors Water Sensors Climate Sensors Software Local/Web-Based Cloud-Based Services System Integration and Consulting Services Managed Services Connectivity Services Assisted Professional Services Maintenance and Support Services







By Application

Yield Monitoring

Crop Scouting

Field Mapping

Variable Rate Application Precision Irrigation Precision Seeding Precision Fertilization Nitrogen VRA Phosphorous VRA Lime VRA Pesticide VRA

Weather Tracking and Forecasting

Inventory Management

Farm Labor Management

Financial Management

Others

By Technology

Precision Farming Guidance System

Remote Sensing Precision Farming

Variable-Rate Technology Precision Farming





By Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa (MEA)





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Ruling People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok leaves a meeting room of the party in the National Assembly, Seoul, Friday, after attending an ethics committee meeting which suspended his party membership for six months over sexual bribery allegations. Joint Press Corps





By Nam Hyun-woo







The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has been mired in internal turmoil, after suspending the party membership of its Chairman Lee Jun-seok for six months over allegations of sexual bribery and a cover-up.







As the party faces a leadership vacuum less than 60 days after President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration in May, this is anticipated to deal a heavy blow not only to the ruling party but also to President Yoon and his administration, already reeling from declining job approval ratings.







On the morning of Friday, the PPP's ethics committee decided to suspend the party membership of the 37-year-old leader for six months after nearly eight hours of discussion. Lee has been hit with allegations that he received sexual services paid for by a businessman in 2013 and attempted to cover up his misdeeds.







The decision came 78 days after the party began deliberating whether to punish Lee.







Following the decision, PPP floor leader Rep. Kweon Seong-dong told reporters that the suspension took effect immediately and he will be filling in as party chairman.







"This is very unfortunate for the party, and as the floor leader of the ruling party, I apologize to the public," Kweon said. "Nothing has been decided so far, and we will prepare to overcome this challenge."







Lee immediately resisted, saying that he will not step down during a radio interview with broadcaster KBS after the decision was made.







"The investigation on the allegations has yet to be completed, but I face a hefty punishment of a six-month suspension," Lee said. "While there are plenty of cases pending at the ethics committee, it chose the case related to me and handed down the verdict even though the investigation is not done."







He added that he will resort to possible measures to reverse the decision, such as requesting a reexamination or a court injunction.






Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, right, welcomes South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin during the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Friday. EPA-Yonhap



South Korea's top diplomat called for efforts to strengthen "rules-based multilateralism" and ensure resumption of food exports from Ukraine during a Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia on Friday, his office said.



Foreign Minister Park Jin underscored the importance of reinvigorating multilateral cooperation during the G-20 foreign ministerial meeting, which was largely overshadowed by geopolitical division over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



On his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage since taking office in May, Park shared South Korea's vision to play a greater role, as the world's 10th largest economy, for global freedom, peace and prosperity, his ministry said in a statement.






With only one practice session left in the Austrian GP weekend, it is already time for qualifying. Will Max Verstappen go for the maximum again in the sprint race or will Ferrari bounce back? Don't miss a thing of what happens at the Red Bull Ring with the GPBlog liveblog.

0

Liveblog

Sprint weekend in Austria

The first free practice session is more important than usual. There is only one hour of preparation for this afternoon's qualifying session. After this first practice, the right set-up has to be found for one fast lap, for a sprint race and for the full race on Sunday. The second 'sprint weekend' of the year, just like the previous ones, yields a possible 34 points.

This year, not three points are awarded to the winner, but no less than eight. The entire top eight earns one point less than the person in front of them. The winner of the sprint race no longer gets pole position behind his name in the statistics. That will be achieved this afternoon during qualifying. However, the winner of Sunday's sprint race will start at the front.

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Will Verstappen strike the first blow?

Max Verstappen won a record number of points in the previous sprint race. The Red Bull Racing driver won eight points for winning the sprint race, won 25 points for Sunday's race victory and picked up the extra point for fastest lap. It was a massive blow to title rival Charles Leclerc.

The question is whether Verstappen will do the same again in the second sprint race. All eyes are on the Dutchman to deliver the first blow in qualifying. Verstappen and Red Bull are generally very strong at the Red Bull Ring, so there are certainly chances to repeat the successful weekend in Italy in Austria.
Max Verstappen dealt his competitors a first blow on Friday afternoon. The Dutchman managed to set the fastest time in the first free practice session, ahead of Charles Leclerc and George Russell.

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Because of the sprint race scheduled for Saturday, qualifying already took place at the end of the afternoon on Friday. It made the first practice session of the race weekend immediately important. All drivers took to the track with the hope that the performance of the car would be good right from the start.

Verstappen made the biggest impression by ending up on top with a time of 1:06:302. His team-mate Sergio Perez came no further than P4 and was over five-tenths slower than Verstappen. Leclerc and Russell did manage to be in the top three.

Haas happy, problems at McLaren

The Haas team managed to get Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher both in the first ten drivers. Where the Dane was good for a sixth-place, Schumacher took P9. McLaren was less fortunate. The team saw Lando Norris retire, while Daniel Ricciardo recorded the seventeenth time.

Read more Perez follows Verstappen's example and opts for Austrian colours
From left to right, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin stand for a photo during a trilateral meeting at the G20 Foreign Ministers Summit in Nusa Dua, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali Friday. AP-Yonhap



The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan held a trilateral meeting in Indonesia on Friday, with their security cooperation against North Korea's nuclear and missile threat high on the agenda.



The trilateral session, between South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, took place on the resort island of Bali on the margins of the Group of 20 meeting that was held from Thursday to Friday.



The meeting began 30 minutes later than the scheduled time and the ministers expressed condolences for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed in a gun attack while giving an election campaign speech earlier in the day.



Park strongly condemned the shooting as "a violent criminal act that is unacceptable in any case," and Blinken mourned Abe as "a leader with great vision" who boosted relations between the two allies.






India-based global tire-maker Apollo Tyres, which markets its products under the global brands Apollo and Vredestein, will launch its first dedicated micro-mobility tire, the Vredestein Cargo. Developed specifically for electrically assisted cargo bikes used for urban deliveries, the new tire will make its debut at Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt, Germany (13 to 17 July).

The new tire will be available in one size, with a 20-inch (508mm) diameter and 2.2-inch (55 mm) width. Additional sizes will be announced in 2023.





The Vredestein Cargo is the result of more than two years of development and is designed to offer significantly higher levels of durability, stability and puncture resistance than conventional bicycle tires that are traditionally fitted to last-mile delivery e-bikes.

The Vredestein Cargo features an advanced compound, innovative apex design to strengthen the sidewalls, and a robust carcass with a steel wire bead, which combine to deliver more than six times greater lifespan than a standard bicycle tire.

Field trials indicate that the Vredestein Cargo will last for approximately 8,000 -10,000 kmfar in excess of the 1,500 km average mileage for a standard bicycle tire, and ensuring that the new Vredestein tire delivers a significantly lower total cost of ownership.

The high wear-rate of conventional tires used by cargo e-bikes can compromise the safety of riders, especially when road surfaces are wet or slippery. Due to its structural properties, which are heavily influenced by the design of Vredestein passenger car tires, the new Vredestein Cargo offers superior standards of comfort, grip and traction year-round and in all weather conditions.

Coinciding with the launch, Apollo Tyres has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with UK micro-mobility company EAV, which will fit the Vredestein Cargo to its new generation of advanced four-wheel eCargo bikes. EAV played a key role in shaping the design of the Vredestein Cargo, ensuring it met the most demanding user requirements.





Vredestein-brand products have a long heritage in the bicycle market, with the first products manufactured for the sector in 1910. Now part of the global Apollo Tyres product family, Vredestein tires are acclaimed for outperforming leading brands while being available at an affordable price point.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, and Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), attend the meeting of the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan held at the KCCI's headquarters in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of KCCI



By Baek Byung-yeul



Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), vowed to go all out to make Busan the host city of the World Expo 2030, they said Friday.



"Busan's hosting of the World Expo is not an event for just the city, but the whole nation should play as one team taking it as a national goal," the prime minister said during the first meeting of the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan, at the KCCI's headquarters in Seoul.



"If we gather the capabilities of the public and private sectors and engage in attraction activities as team Korea, we can certainly succeed," Han added.



Chey, who co-chairs the bidding committee with Han, said Korea will be able to win support from other countries by creating study groups for each country and building trust.



"I believe that if we tap it dozens to hundreds of times with the committee members here, we'll hit the jackpot, which is hosting the World Expo," Chey said.





Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, right, and Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), head to a meeting room for the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan's meeting held at the KCCI's headquarters in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of KCCI
DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, has signed an agreement with Hapag-Lloyd, a leading worldwide liner shipping company, for the use of advanced biofuels. As an initial step, Hapag-Lloyd will ship 18,000 TEU of DHLs volume using advanced biofuelsequivalent to a reduction of 14,000 tons of Well-to-Wake CO 2 -emisisons.

Advanced biofuels are based on raw biological materials, such as used cooking oil and other waste products. This material is used to manufacture a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) (biodiesel), which is then mixed with varying proportions of low sulfur fuel oil. Compared to standard fuels, this biofuel product lowers greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80%.

Biofuel will play a significant role in the upcoming years on our path to becoming net-zero carbon by 2045. This project will bring us a step closer to offering our customers biofuel-powered transportation as a commercial product and thereby to supporting them in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. Danny Smolders, Managing Director Global Sales at Hapag-Lloyd

Hapag-Lloyd has been testing advanced biofuels since 2020 and offers a carbon reduced transport solution utilizing biofuel blends instead of traditional fossil marine fuel oil (MFO). The resulting reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e) emissions can be offered as a Green Product on a Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) basis and thereby transferred to customers in order to help reduce their Scope 3 emissions.

DHLs GoGreen Plus service paves the way to transition to clean and sustainable transportation. As part of GoGreen Plus, DHLs customers are offered various solutions for minimizing logistics-related emissions and other environmental impacts along the entire supply chain. The remaining part of the supply chain is made climate neutral by full lifecycle emission compensation.

The emission reductions also help DHLs customers to achieve their climate targets. With the Book & Claim mechanism, DHL can pass on the benefits of lower greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 3 emissions) to its customers.
MAHLE Powertrain has opened two new facilities in Northampton, the result of a 15-million (US$18-million) investment over the last five years (including 3.6 million (US$4.3 million) of UK Government funding), that will deliver much-needed testing capability as the automotive industry accelerates its transition towards decarbonized propulsion.

The purpose-built facilities allow MAHLE Powertrain to support customers with every aspect of development for the future of mobility, permitting the safe testing of vehicles, batteries and hydrogen technologies, under even the most extreme simulated environmental conditions.

The new Vehicle Development Center supports the testing and verification of next-generation electric and hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The facilitys test chambers can accommodate both two- and four-wheel-drive vehicles tested at speeds up to 155mph.

Climatic conditions can be simulated from -40 C to +60 C with humidity ranging from 10% to 80%, while pressure control allows altitudes up to 5,000 m (16,400 ft) to be simulated. Hydrogen-fueled technologies can be rigorously tested in chambers that monitor and safely vent any escaping gases.

The new battery testing facility, meanwhile, with its own substation and dedicated National Grid connection, has the capability to test battery packs of up to 1MW with full fire protection in the event of a thermal runaway.
Chinese residents embrace better life thanks to renovation of urban residential areas

09:46, July 08, 2022 By Liu Shaohua ( People's Daily

The renovation of old urban residential areas is benefiting more and more urban residents in China. According to statistics, 114,000 old residential communities across the country kicked off renovation programs between 2019 and 2021, involving more than 20 million households.

A senior resident takes a newly installed elevator in an old residential community in Haian, east Chinas Jiangsu province, Dec. 14, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhai Huiyong)

China will basically complete the construction of an institutional framework, a policy system and a work mechanism for the renovation of old urban residential areas by 2022, and strive to finish the rebuilding of all communities built before the end of 2000 that need to be renovated by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, or 2025, says guidelines released by the State Council in 2020.

In 2019, Shihezi city of northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region launched a citywide renovation program for old urban residential areas. By the end of the last year, 22 old residential communities in the city had finished renovation, and 28 had completed renovation of specific items. The citywide renovation program will benefit 167,000 households when fully completed.

A worker is painting the outer wall of an old residential building in Chengnan neighborhood, Ganxian district, Ganzhou, east Chinas Jiangxi province, Nov. 19, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhu Haipeng)

According to Liu Fen, a citizen in Shihezi, the roads in the residential community she lives in have become wider after renovation, and illegal structures have been demolished. Besides, outer walls of residential buildings are painted in bright colors and elevators have been installed in the buildings, she said, adding that there are also small parks and leisure centers near her community now.

Her son, who works out of town, almost got lost in the renovated residential community when he returned home, the woman said.

The renovation of old urban residential areas includes not only infrastructure rebuilding, but also other sections that make residential communities more functional, such as expansion of parking space, installation of elevators, and construction of sports, elderly care, and childcare facilities.

The ultimate goal of the renovation is to improve the life quality of residents. Therefore, whether residents are satisfied matters.

To involve residents more in the renovation programs, Heze in east Chinas Shandong province improved its renovation plans based on the opinions they solicited from the public; Shijiazhuang, north Chinas Hebei province requests that renovation projects can be delivered only when 80 percent of residents are satisfied with them; in Beijing, renovation is carried out based on household surveys to ensure individualized plans for every household.

Photo taken on Dec. 10, 2021 shows the Ruyi Shanzhuang residential community in Dongan county, central Chinas Hunan province. The living environment in the community has been greatly improved after renovation programs had been launched to upgrade its sewage pipelines, roads, fire-fighting equipment, and greening design. (Peoples Daily Online/ Yan Jie)

The renovation of old urban residential areas has not only offered more sense of happiness for residents, but also generated a number of replicable cases and experiences.

China plans to launch renovation projects in 51,000 urban residential communities this year that cover 8.4 million households. In the first five months, 53.5 percent of the task has been completed. A total of 27,400 urban residential communities kicked off renovation projects, involving 4.74 million households.

The government work report this year said that China will proceed with urban renewal in a well-conceived way. The country will step up construction of public utilities and bolster capacities to prevent and mitigate natural disasters; identify and address safety hazards in old buildings and facilities; renovate another group of old residential communities in urban areas and support the installation of elevators in old residential buildings; and promote the development of barrier-free environments and renovation of public facilities for the convenience of senior citizens.

This year, the Ministry of Finance allocated special funds of 30.7 billion yuan, 22.41 billion yuan and 10 billion yuan to promote the progress of old residential areas renovation, affordable rental housing, and shanty town renovation, respectively.

More and more residents are embracing a more convenient and comfortable life thanks to the on-going renovation of old urban residential areas.

Communication cables are being installed near a residential complex in Sihong county, Suqian, east Chinas Jiangsu province, Oct. 29, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/ Xu Changliang)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks to members of the State Duma and the Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation in the Kremlin in Moscow, in this July 7 pool photo. AP-Yonhap



With Russia's military action in Ukraine in its fifth month, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow's terms or brace for the worst, adding ominously that Russia has barely started its action.



Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament, Putin accused Western allies of fueling the hostilities, charging that "the West wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian."



"It's a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it looks like it's heading in that direction," he added.



"Everybody should know that largely speaking, we haven't even yet started anything in earnest," Putin said in a menacing note.



He declared that Russia remains ready to sit down for talks to end the fighting, adding that "those who refuse to do so should know that the longer it lasts the more difficult it will be for them to make a deal with us."



"We are hearing that they want to defeat us on the battlefield," Putin said. "Let them try."



Earlier in the conflict, the Kremlin demanded that Kyiv acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, and recognize the independence of Moscow-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. Moscow also said it expected Ukraine to bow to the existing situation on the ground, a reference to other land gains it has made since Russian troops rolled into Ukraine on Feb. 24.



After failing to capture Kyiv and other big cities in Ukraine's northeast early in the campaign, the Russian military shifted its focus to the eastern industrial heartland of Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian troops since 2014.



Earlier this week, the Russian military claimed control of the Luhansk province, one of the two that make up Donbas, and is preparing to press its offensive into the second one, Donetsk.



In the early stages of the conflict, Russia won control of the southern Kherson region and part of neighboring Zaporizhzhia. Moscow is expected eventually to try to cut Ukraine off from its Black Sea coast all the way to the Romanian border. If successful, it would deal a crushing blow to the Ukrainian economy and also create a corridor to Moldova's separatist region of Transnistria, where Russia maintains a military base.



Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that the West is using the conflict in Ukraine to try to isolate and weaken Russia.



"They simply don't need such a country as Russia," Putin said. "This is why they have used terrorism, separatism and internal destructive forces in our country."



He charged that Western sanctions against Russia have failed to achieve their goal of "sowing division and strife in our society and demoralizing our people."



"The course of history is unstoppable, and attempts by the collective West to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail," Putin said.



Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, responded on Twitter: "There is no plan by the 'collective West"' and only a Russian army entered Ukraine. (AP)




GREENWICH  The new leader of the Greenwich Library Board of Trustees said she has fond memories of bringing her young children there for story times and mommy-and-me programs.

I am excited to join the conversation about where the library goes from here, said Peggy Edersheim Kalb, and I hope that together we can ensure that the library means as much to this community going forward as it has in the past.

Kalb, who has been a trustee since 2018, is senior editor for the Yale Alumni Magazine  a full-circle move following a long career in print and broadcast journalism after graduating from Yale in 1986.

She was elected president at a meeting of the trustees in May, according to a statement from Kate Petrov, public relations officer for the Greenwich Library. The other officers elected were Hank Ashforth, first vice president; Diana Seaton, second vice president; Philip Lochner, secretary; Ian Murray, treasurer; and John Blankley, member-at-large.

Ashforth has been a member of the Board since 2017 and is executive vice president of The Ashforth Company.

Our family has been involved with Greenwich Library for many generations, Ashforth said, and it is important that the library remain the information hub that it has always been.

Seaton has been a trustee since 2020 and is executive director of the American Friends of the Victoria and Albert Museum. She said she treasures her memories of time spent at the library searching through books and attending events, but she also remembers gathering with friends and family during town blackouts.

Lochner, who has been a trustee since 2016, was senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Time Warner until retiring in 1998.

Like many public institutions, the library can only thrive and fulfill its mission with the support of the town of Greenwich and everyone who uses the library, he said. I hope to contribute in some small way to seeing it succeed.

Murray, who has been a trustee since 2018, is a managing partner at the investment firm Peak Ten Capital. A Greenwich native, he said he remembers spending childhood afternoons at the library.

With the growth of the internet and mobile digital content, the role of libraries is changing, Murray said. Greenwich Library is advanced in its thinking about these changes and has plans to transform itself in order to retain its position as an important institution and community center.

Blankley, who has been a trustee since 2019, is the CEO of computer consulting and systems integration company Flagship Networks Inc., which he founded in 2000.

A library is the essential repository of human knowledge and culture and there is no better example than Greenwich Library, Blankley said.

Board elects four new trustees

Four new trustees were also elected to serve on the Greenwich Library Board at the annual meeting of the Friends of the Greenwich Library in May. Rosario Brooks, Michael Freitag, Pete Schwartzstein, and Sonal Seth will each serve three-year terms.

We are delighted to welcome such esteemed members of the community to the Board of Trustees, said Kalb, president of the board. They each possess the thoughtfulness, insight, and leadership ability key to community organization, and we know they will make valuable contributions to the librarys future.

Rosario Brooks is director of The Greenwich Spanish School, which she founded in 2010 to provide a bilingual preschool education option to the community.

I have always felt that the Greenwich Library is a phenomenal and responsive resource in our community, Brooks said. As an early childhood educator  and one who is fluent in Spanish  I am eager to assist the library in addressing the areas of technological infrastructure and language.

Michael Freitag previously served from 2014-21, including as first vice president. He is a partner at the public relations firm Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher. Freitag credits his lifelong love of reading to a teenage job shelving books at his local public library.

That experience instilled a strong and lasting respect for the role that libraries play as a communitys connective tissue, he said. I believe the Greenwich Librarys mission is as vital and relevant as ever, particularly as technological innovation continues to impact the quantity  and quality  of available content.

Pete Schwartzstein is vice president of Program Research for MSNBC and CNBC.

Over the years, Greenwich library has become a home away from home for my family, Schwartzstein said. I am grateful for everything the library has provided to my family, and I am excited to play a role in shaping its future.

Sonal Seth works in strategic initiatives and investments at Mastercard.

The Greenwich Library has responded to the challenges and opportunities presented by the changing landscape by providing differentiated services that best serve our local community, Seth said. I am excited and honored to serve on the board and help advance its mission to support the varied needs of its diverse community.

The Greenwich Library system consists of the Main Library and its Byram Shubert and Cos Cob branches. For information, visit www.greenwichlibrary.org.
Officials have determined that they will not charge a Ridgefield police sergeant with shooting and killing a black bear known as Bobbi earlier this year.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said, following a comprehensive investigation with the Newtown Police Department and the States Attorney's Office in Danbury, that there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against the homeowner. The homeowner was identified as Sgt. Lawrence Larry Clarke.

The investigation determined that the homeowner had numerous encounters with the same bear over multiple days that caused him to fear for the safety of his family, for himself, and for his livestock, DEEP said in a news release Friday.

A necropsy determined Clarke shot Bobbi four times in the head. DEEP seized an AR-15 rifle, seven bullet casings, 17 live rounds and a 30-round magazine as evidence from the incident, according to reports from DEEP obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The bear, tagged as #217, was something of a celebrity in the Newtown area. Residents would document their sightings on a Facebook group that was followed by hundreds of people.

Bobbi was survived by her two cubs, which were sent to a wildlife rehabilitation center in New Hampshire. The cubs will be trained to survive on their own and then be released back in Connecticut.

The Ridgefield Police Department placed Clarke on administrative leave with pay on May 17 during the investigation. Clarke was put back on duty on Friday, according to records from the police department.

Clarke, who was off duty at the time, fatally shot the 208-pound bear on May 12.

He told DEEP Environmental Conservation police that the bear was 30 feet away from his 3-year-old grandson, prompting Clarke to go outside and scare off the bear, according to reports from DEEP.

Over the next hour, Clarke said Bobbi kept returning to his chicken coop and he would yell at her, prompting her to retreat in the woods. He shot the bear with his AR-15 rifle after she tried to pull over his chicken coop and later took a step toward him, the reports said.

As part of the investigation, DEEPs Environmental Conservation Police reviewed historic reports of Bobbis sightings. In October 2017, the bear was captured in Waterbury, tagged and relocated to Mattatuck State Forest, according to a report from the agency. She was later relocated again in May 2018 to Naugatuck State Forest because she was showing signs of habituation, the agency said.

By 2019, Bobbi showed little to no fear of humans, the report said. That was also the first time Bobbi was seen with cubs.

Between 2017 and 2021, there were 191 reported sightings of Bobbi, mostly in the Southbury, Redding and Newtown areas. The majority of the sightings involved Bobbi damaging bird feeders and chicken coops and killing numerous chickens, according to a report from DEEP.

Based on bear #217s behavior and frequent interactions with humans it was considered a habituated and food-conditioned bear, meaning it had lost its fear of humans and had learned to associate humans with sources of food, DEEP said Friday.

Bears are protected in Connecticut, and theres no right to kill a bear, DEEP states. When a bear is killed, the Environmental Conservation Police investigate and the States Attorneys Office determines if a chargeable criminal offense occurred.

The States Attorneys Office only files charges if there is sufficient evidence for a specific charge beyond a reasonable doubt, DEEP said.

The state environmental agency said that, due to the increasing prevalence of human-bear conflicts and bears breaking into homes, further legislative clarity is needed to address bear-related incidents. DEEP said it has proposed legislation for multiple years that, if passed, would ban the feeding of bears.

The habituation of bears is dangerous for both bears and people, DEEP said in a statement. Habituated bears that find a food reward such as a bird feeder, garbage can, or any other human-associated food quickly become food-conditioned and pose a greater risk to public safety and often cause damage to houses, cars, pets, and livestock.

When bears associate people, pets, or livestock with sources of food, bear and human conflicts are more likely to increase, DEEP continued. Please do your part to help keep both bears and people safe by never feeding bears, intentionally or unintentionally.

What happened

DEEP officers were called to Clarkes home in Newtown at around 11:15 a.m. on May 12 for the reported fatal shooting.

Clarke, 55, told officers that the incident began at around 9:30 a.m. when his son and his 3-year-old grandson were in the front yard. The toddler was playing with a dump truck by a trampoline when his son spotted the bear about 30 feet away. Clarkes son said the bear was looking at the grandson and not at the chicken coop, prompting him to run, yell at the bear and grab the toddler, Clarke told DEEP officers.

The bear huffed and stomped on the ground toward Clarkes son and grandson. The two ran inside and told Clarke what happened. Clarke went outside to shout at the bear, causing her to retreat into the woods, according to reports from DEEP.

Over the next hour, Clarke said the bear kept returning to the chicken coop and pawing at it. He continued to go outside and yell at the bear to scare her off, the reports said.

Bobbi then returned on her hind feet and used her paws to try and pull over the chicken coop. Clarke told officers he went back into his home, retrieved an AR-15 rifle and walked toward Bobbi. The bear slowly walked away, according to reports.

The two were then about 20 feet apart  Bobbi, huffing and pouncing on the ground, while Clarke shouted to scare her off. Bobbi took a step toward him, he told officers.

Clarke then shot the bear once in the head. Bobbi got on all fours, stepped back and dropped to the ground still alive, the reports said.

The bear was alive and Clarke stated that he felt horrible, the reports state. The bear was having a seizure and Clarke could not allow himself to watch the bear suffer. Clarke then walked closer to the bear and fired 7 or 8 more rounds until it died.

Clarke told officers that this wasnt his first time encountering a bear. He said a bear had tipped over his chicken coop and killed three of his birds just two days before, the reports said.

Within an hour of noticing the coop being tipped over, Clarke said he saw a large black bear approach the coop. He ran outside and yelled at the bear, causing it to run into the woods, according to reports.

While repairing the chicken coop, Clarke saw the bear again about 15 feet away. Clarke went inside to retrieve a starter pistol and fired it twice to try and scare the bear. The bear did not leave, so he began yelling and walking toward it, causing the bear to retreat into the woods, the reports said.

Clarke told officers his wife called DEEP to report the bear in his chicken coop and that it had killed three of his birds.

That day, Clarke bought an electric fence to protect the coop. The report stated that, according to the electric fence manufacturer, the solar-powered fence takes three days to charge. He was unable to set it up beforehand.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  State investments are being buffeted by turbulent financial markets as New Mexico voters consider whether to divert more money each year toward early childhood education programs.

A report Thursday from the Legislature's budget and accountability office shows that the state's four major public pension and permanent funds shrank by about $825 million during the first three months of the year amid a federal interest-rate hike, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a wave of COVID-19 infections.
As you may have noticed already, the Nothing phone (1)'s specs keep appearing one after the other, day after day, whether by official teaser or - like in this case - through other means. A listing of the device on the TUV Sud website reveals that it will be capable of charging at up to 11V 3A, which equals 33W.

That's definitely not going to place the Nothing phone (1) at the forefront of quick charging these days, but considering its mid-range chipset and positioning it probably won't feel entirely out of place either. A few of its competitors go to the high 60s, Watts-wise, and there are some oddballs here and there that do even more, but 33W isn't bad. It's just not amazing either.

Interestingly, the phone was rated by TUV Sud alongside a charging brick which can do 45W. It's unclear whether that will ship with the phone in the box, or if Nothing will want to save the environment like Samsung and Apple by not sending you the power brick. In the latter case, presumably this 45W charger will be offered by the company as an extra purchase.

The Nothing phone (1) will finally get fully unveiled on July 12. It's going to sport a 6.55-inch 120 Hz AMOLED screen with an in-display fingerprint sensor, the Snapdragon 778G+ SoC, as well as wireless charging support. It should retail for 470 and up in the EU.

Source
The Enforcement Directorate of India carried out searches at 40 locations of Vivo India, and the state agency revealed details about the probe. According to an official press release, the company transferred INR 62,476 crore (thats nearly $8 billion) to China.

During the investigation, the ED seized 119 bank accounts with INR 465 crore (about $58 million) in them, as well as 2 kg gold bars, an extra INR 66 crore ($8.3 million) in FDs and 73 lakh (just under $100,000) in cash.

The statement by the Enforcement Directorate revealed the amount of money, funneled to China, is about half of all the sales Vivo India made. This was done to disclose huge losses in Indian incorporated companies and to avoid paying taxes on this money.

Vivo India directors Zhengshen Ou and Zhang Jie fled the country as the Directorate revealed that some Chinese Nationals, without mentioning any names, removed and hid digital evidence of the money laundering.

The money transfers were done through a shell company, based in Hong Kong - vivo India was registered as its subsidiary, and it had smaller entities in each major Indian region that operated on their own, at least for the books. Then they sent all profits to vivo India, which, being a subsidiary, directly funneled the funds into its parent company.

According to Vivo India representatives, the brand has been cooperating with authorities and is committed to full compliance with the Indian law. The parent company in China expressed hope that the ongoing investigations will be done in a truly fair and non-discriminatory business environment.

Source
Artist and OBRA secretary Renee Veksler describes her artistic background and the process of creating her piece, "What's Essential," in Hagatna on July 13, 2022. The exhibit is open from July 16-24, 2022, on the second floor of Agana Shopping Center. Follow @obraguam for more details and updates.
Application forms

Application forms are available online at dol.guam.gov and at the Department of Labor office at the GCIC Building in Hagatna, 404 West Soledad Ave, 8th Floor.

Application forms may also be submitted via email to pua.waivers@dol.guam.gov.
Sen. Joe San Agustin is asking the Legislature for a fast track to a $500 power bill rebate program.

The senator introduced Bill 325 Wednesday, to provide every residential and commercial ratepayer with the Guam Power Authority a $100 credit on their power bills from July through November. The hefty $25.3 million measure will require the Legislature to adjust the fiscal year 2022 budget by the same amount of $25.3 million, and provide the money to the Guam Power Authority. Currently, the General Fund is tracking to collect about $85 million more than what was budgeted by the end of the year, though that amount is unaudited.

San Agustin wrote two letters to Speaker Therese Terlaje on Friday, asking her to waive the requirement that Bill 325 be heard publicly, and to call an emergency session of the Legislature to approve the measure.

For the past two years, our island has been trying to stay afloat with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is right and just that we continue to work together to find ways to alleviate the increase of prices of goods and services for our people, San Agustin wrote in the letter for an emergency session.

Therefore, pursuant to your authority as Speaker of I Minatrentai Sais na Liheslaturan Guahan, I am calling upon your leadership to call for emergency session to discuss and deliberate Bill No. 325-36.

If passed by lawmakers, the bill will presumably be signed into law by Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, who announced during her State of the Island address late last month that she was working with San Agustin to move the measure forward.

It has the support of Sens. Telena Nelson, Clynton Ridgell, James Moylan, Jose Pedo Terlaje and Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes.

San Agustin, Sen. Terlaje, Speaker Terlaje, Muna Barnes and the governor are running for reelection. Nelson and Moylan are running for the delegate seat.
A man who is believed to be former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is carried on a stretcher as he arrives at a hospital in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, western Japan, in this July 8 photo taken by Kyodo. Reuters-Yonhap





Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raises his hand during a parliamentary session in Tokyo in this Mar. 23, 2020, file photo. AP-Yonhap

Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot, a government spokesman said Friday, as local media reported the ex-premier was showing no vital signs.



"Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 am," in the country's western region of Nara, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.



"One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former Prime Minister Abe is currently unknown."



"Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it," Matsuno added.



Local media including national broadcaster NHK and the Kyodo news agency said the former prime minister appeared to be in "cardiorespiratory arrest," a term often used in Japan before a feared death can be officially confirmed by a coroner.



It was a stunning development in a country with famously low levels of violent crime and tough gun laws, involving perhaps Japan's best-known politician.



Abe had been delivering a stump speech at an event ahead of Sunday's upper house elections when the apparent sound of gunshots was heard, NHK and Kyodo said.



"He was giving a speech and a man came from behind," a young woman at the scene told NHK.



"The first shot sounded like a toy. He didn't fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke," she added.




To remember the suffering of hundreds of CHamorus who were forced to build an airstrip for the Japanese in World War II, a ceremony was held at the Kalaguak Memorial in Tiyan Friday.

War survivors, politicians, community leaders, veterans and military service members gathered at the site where civilians of all ages were made to clear former ranch land by hand for the Japanese.

The men and women were beaten up if their work slowed and the women were beaten up if they fell behind on their chores, said Joseph Mafnas, who was less than a year old when American forces liberated the island.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero urged the island to never forget our war survivors, who with an indominable spirit raised our families and our entire island from the ashes of those dark days in our island history.

As part of the ceremony, wreaths were laid around the memorial by Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio, Speaker Therese Terlaje and Guam senators, the Barrigada Mayors Office, Barrigada Veterans Organization, Manenggon Memorial Foundation Board, Consul-General of Japan Toshiaki Kobayashi and war survivors.

Recollections

As Mafnas was growing up after the war, his parents shared their recollections.

He said families were devastated when they heard Japanese authorities were planning to send babies and toddlers who couldnt work, like him, to Saipan. It was so adults would only focus on constructing the runways, washing uniforms, cooking and other tasks demanded by the military, instead trying to care for their children.

Boys as young as 10 years old were used as forced labor to remove or crush rocks to construct the airfield, just as my father had done, said Barrigada Mayor June Blas.

Blas said its important to remember not only the suffering and tragedy of the occupation, but also the dignity and honor of the CHamoru people during the war.

Mafnas said he survived by being hidden with other infants and children, as well as women who were in danger of being raped by soldiers, in a cave behind where the memorial stands today.

During that time, our parents and friends were giving us whatever food and milk they could provide, mostly water, he said.

When U.S. forces found the cave, the children were sent to a temporary medical shelter for observation. Mafnas said he was so malnourished he had to stay at the medical facility for a week.

Those who survived still have nightmares to this day, he said.




Haiti - FLASH : Excellence scholarships from Mexico, applications open





The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico informs that the Secretariat for External Relations (SRE), through the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AMEXCID), has launched the 2022 Edition of the call for applications for excellence scholarships from the Government of Mexico for international students, interested in undertaking studies in Mexico, at the levels of specialty, masters, doctorate and postgraduate research, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate student mobility programs.



The call for candidacies is offered to more than 180 countries within the framework of bilateral conventions, multilateral mechanisms and special agreements. More than 70 Mexican Higher Education Institutions (IES) participate in this call and all of them have university programs registered in the National System of Higher Studies of the National Council of Science and Technology. These programs testify to the progress made by the country in various fields of sciences and humanities.



Thanks to the granting of excellence scholarships by the Mexican Government for foreign students, Mexico is strengthening its role as a responsible global player and reaffirming its commitment to promoting cooperative actions to promote the formation of high-level human capital. The presence in Mexico of foreign students, scholars and scientists, women and men, contributes to the construction of permanent and long-term bridges of dialogue that enrich the foreign policy agenda with actions of exceptional value for the country and for its foreign partners. Likewise, HEIs and the Mexican university community benefit from greater internationalization.



Interested candidates are invited to consult the ICETEX pages for all information related to the program and applications which must be written in Spanish https://www.gob.mx/amexcid/acciones-y-programas/becas-para-extranjeros-29785 and https://sigca.sre.gob.mx



Application deadline July 24, 2022



For further information related to the grant, interested parties may contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, located at 5 A, Delmas 60, Musseau.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Death of the President, message of sympathy



former President Michel Martelly:

"A year ago already. Nothing NOTHING has changed. Where there is no truth, there can be no justice. The hole of lies has no bottom. One day the truth will do you justice."



Sofia Loreus Minister for the Status of Women:

"Over to you SEM Jovenel Moise, whom the land of our ancestors snatched so early, your countless memorable memories have not left us women indifferent. From where you are, know that posterity will always remember your name for the innumerable sacrifices made and the incalculable services rendered to the Republic. You believed in gender equality ! You have always wanted women to be on the discussion table alongside men. You gave us hope ! But this glimmer of hope was too quickly extinguished. May justice be done to you so that you can rest in peace Jovenel Moise."



Former Deputy Gary Bodeau:

"This July 7 marks the commemoration of the assassination of an authentic son of the national majority. Jovenel Moise sacrificed his life for the well-being of the Haitian people. I take this opportunity to express my sympathies to his family and in particular Martine Moise who married both the man and his political fight. Bay kou bliye pote mak sonje . Yon jou lap jou !"



BNE : Memorial in memory of President Moise

The Ministry of Culture and Communication Haiti / in concert with the National Ethnology Bureau (BNE) installs, until July 15, at the BNE, a memorial in memory of President Jovenel Moise.



Vaccination campaign for dogs against rabies

PAHO/WHO supports the Ministry of Agriculture for a new dog vaccination campaign against rabies in the West department (June 20 - July 30).



Training of inmates

The NGO Terre des Hommes italia in partnership with the Directorate of Penitentiary Administration (DAP) has closed its training project for female prisoners (women and minors) imprisoned in 5 penitentiary centers (CERMICOL, Cabaret, Saint Marc, Mirebalais and Jacmel ). The beneficiary inmates were trained, among other things, in the sectors: IT, tiling, cutting and sewing, etc...



4 new Multi Service Centers

The Coordination of the South Response Project proceeded during the month of June 2022 to the final acceptance of 4 Multi Services Centers (CMS) of Mineur, Cavaillon, Formond and Miserne, for the benefit of four Farmers' Associations. These Centers will allow the effective development of activities in the rice sector, such as seed production, the installation of agricultural machinery for soil preparation, the management of the storage of equipment and spare parts and the installation of a mill for rice husking and drying.



HL/ HaitiLibre




















Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he was "lost for words" after the assassination of ex-premier Shinzo Abe on Friday, vowing that Japan's democracy would "never yield to violence."



"I was praying that his life would be saved, but despite that, I came to learn of (his death)," a visibly emotional Kishida told reporters. "It is truly regrettable. I am lost for words. I offer my sincere condolences and prayers that his soul may rest in peace."



Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister who stepped down in 2020 for health reasons, was shot dead while campaigning in Nara region ahead of Sunday's upper house election.



"During this election period, a despicable and barbaric act was committed, taking the life of former prime minister Abe. This is unforgivable. We condemn it once again in the strongest terms," Kishida said.



Election activities will continue with "full and thorough measures" taken to ensure safety, added Kishida, the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of which Abe was also a member.













"We must absolutely defend free and fair elections, which are the basis of democracy. We will proceed with our election campaign tomorrow as planned with the firm conviction that we will never yield to violence," he said.



Abe "assumed a heavy responsibility as prime minister for eight years and eight months," the longest period in modern history, added Kishida. "He guided the country in the face of a difficult domestic and international situation through his outstanding leadership and executive ability." (AFP)
A man looks at a television broadcast showing news about the attack on former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe earlier in the day, along a street of Tokyo on July 8. AFP-Yonhap



Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving leader, died on Friday after being shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, public broadcaster NHK said.



A man opened fire on Abe, 67, from behind with an apparently homemade gun as he spoke at a drab traffic island in the western city of Nara, Japanese media showed earlier.



It was the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese premier since the days of prewar militarism in the 1930s.



Twitter



Speaking before Abe's death was announced, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting in the "strongest terms" while Japanese people and world leaders expressed shock at the violence in a country in which political violence is rare and guns are tightly controlled.



"This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections - the very foundation of our democracy - and is absolutely unforgivable," said Kishida, struggling to keep his emotions in check.



A fire department official had said Abe appeared to be in a state of cardiac arrest when airlifted to hospital.





In this image from a video, Tetsuya Yamagami is detained near the site of gunshots in Nara, western Japan, in this July 8 photo taken by Kyodo News. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, an arch-conservative and one of the country's most divisive figures, was shot and critically wounded during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan. He was airlifted to a hospital but officials said he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder. AP-Yonhap



Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting had been arrested. NHK quoted the suspect, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, as telling police he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him.



Abe was making a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out at about 11:30 a.m. (0230 GMT). Security officials were then seen tackling a man in a grey T-shirt and beige trousers.




The U.S. Embassy in Mauritius and the Association Mauricienne des Femmes Chefs dEntreprises (AMFCE) have proudly presented the very first cohort of graduates of Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Startup Challenge.

The Graduation Ceremony was held at the Caudan Arts Centre in the presence of Andy Kelly, Ag. Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Mauritius and Seychelles, Rima Ramsaran, AMFCE President and Dr Armoogum Parsuramen, GOSK, as Chief Guest.

AWE was established in the United States in 2019 by the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and it was launched in Mauritius in July 2021 in partnership with AMFCE, the islands leading women entrepreneurs organization. AWE provides women entrepreneurs with the skills, tools, resources, and networks that they need to start and grow a successful business, raise capital, and effectively network with other successful business owners. Through AWE, women entrepreneurs participate in a localized entrepreneurship program supplemented with networking and mentorship opportunities.

AWE is based on the online training program, DreamBuilder, developed through a partnership between Arizona State Universitys Thunderbird School of Global Management and global copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan. AWE has been implemented in 75 countries, including 18 in Africa.

25 women entrepreneurs from Mauritius and Rodrigues enrolled in the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Startup Challenge 2021. Amongst them, two members of the Global Rainbow Foundation  a local NGO that specializes in the empowerment of persons with disabilities  followed the program for a year. Two aspiring women entrepreneurs from Rodrigues also participated in the program. All four are graduating. AWE Startup Challenge 2021s success rate is impressive with 24 participants having successfully completed the program.

In his remarks, Andrew Kelly, Ag. Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Mauritius and Seychelles stated : Today, Mauritian graduates will be joining an alumni network of more than 16, 000 women entrepreneurs from over 80 countries. AWE has helped you grow your business, networks and adapt to new economic realities under COVID-19. We recognize that entrepreneurship can be challenging, especially for women. Now, more than ever, we need to empower women to accelerate recovery from this crisis by ensuring that they are provided with access to opportunities to better their lives, their families and their communities.

Rima Ramsaran, AMFCE President, expressed her satisfaction after the completion of the program. She reminds that AWE Startup Challenge is not only about preparing a Business Plan but also guides on the creation of the business activity: Today, women are increasingly making the jump from working for others to setting up their own small businesses. At the AMFCE, we firmly believe in building the next generation of women entrepreneurs, leading solid and sustainable business activities. Starting a business is a great challenge, particularly, when you are a woman. The AWE program is an amazing kickstarter for our startuppers. This program has equipped women entrepreneurs with unique resources and capabilities to innovate and grow their businesses. They also benefitted from our dedicated professional mentors. We are looking forward to see the progress of their entrepreneurial projects. Remember that when more women become entrepreneurs, this strengthens innovation, productivity and creativity. And most importantly, women entrepreneurship helps our economy to grow. We are eager to run the program for the next cohorts around the Indian Ocean.

Dr Armoogum Parsuramen, GOSK, as Chief Guest, stated: Let me first and foremost congratulate all the participants, the AMFCE and the United States Embassy for this laudable project of empowering Women and guiding them through to become entrepreneurs specially in these trying and uncertain times. The path adopted by AMFCE is not that different to what we at the Global Rainbow Foundation (GRF) have also adopted, as the aim of the organization is to serve the most vulnerable groups especially persons with different types of disabilities. The activities of the organization are oriented towards educating, enabling, and empowering Persons with Disabilities while advocating for their rights.

A few hours before the graduation ceremony, the graduates had the opportunity to reconnect with their mentors or handholders. Ingrid Michel spent two months observing her mentor Adilla Diouman-Mosafeer in her everyday business environment. The startupper said: I am happy to have completed the AWE program. It was an amazing experience and I have learnt so much. Adilla Mosafeer recalls: Ingrid has had the opportunity to learn about Client experience firsthand.

Azita Hussain, mentor of Kathy Genevieve, is proud of her:

She has come a very long way. Initially she had lots of fears and doubts about her business project. Now, after the program, Cathy is more structured, she has structured her business. I believe she is ready to be an entrepreneur. Kathy Genevieve could not agree more: My major growth point in the program was to be able to take that leap of faith, to trust myself and take my project to the next step. I will continue to grow my business and help other women on their journey. Rita Heeralall, renowned and well-established hair and beauty salon owner in Mauritius, acted as mentor for Muskaan Shah, aspiring entrepreneur in the beauty business. Muskaan had a dream, a very big one. My journey with her has been long and fruitful. Together, we managed to bring her aspirations down to a more realistic and achievable level.

According to a 2021 survey of 1,000 AWE graduates:

74% of AWE entrepreneurs reported earning more revenue in their business, ;

44% reported expanding their product or service offerings, and

29% said they hired more staff after completing the program.

The recruitment campaign for the next Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Startup Challenge will start in August 2022, with the 30 seats available for participants from Mauritius, Rodrigues and Seychelles.

The AWE Start-Up Challenge is designed around the following key parameters:

 Participation in the program for the emerging women entrepreneurs is free;

 The duration of the program is 12 months and consists of comprehensive knowledge-transfer components through a series of workshops, one-to-one exchanges and regular networking.

 The participants are paired with handholders (mentors)  established entrepreneurs  who guide them through their journey.

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Looking to expand in one of Europe's strongest hotel markets, HVS has appointed Alexander Bock as director for Germany. Based in the Frankfurt area, he will be responsible for the German-speaking markets and expanding HVS's footprint therein.

A German national, Alex has been in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years. Prior to joining HVS, he gained extensive experience in Europe and Asia in various corporate operational and pre-opening positions, development and asset management with companies such as Kempinski, InterContinental Hotels Group and Mandarin Oriental. During his time in Asia, Alexander worked with HVS Hong Kong and HVS London on several consulting and asset management assignments. In his new role, he will be responsible for Germany and other German-speaking countries. Alex holds a bachelor's degree from Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne and a Hotel Real Estate Investments & Asset Management Certificate from Cornell University.
Hilton has named Senih Geray general manager of the new 263-room Waldorf Astoria Washington DC. Elegantly restored to its historic grandeur, Washington's iconic Old Post Office has been reimagined as Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, and under Geray's leadership, brings unforgettable experiences to guests visiting the Pennsylvania Avenue hotel. Previously, Geray served as general manager of The St. Regis New York and Residences.

With more than 30 years of hospitality experience, Geray started his career as a guest service agent at Sheraton Grande Torrey Pines before transitioning to financial controller at The St. Regis New York. Over the past two decades, he has held the position of general manager at Sheraton Voyager Antalya Hotel, Resort & Spa in Turkey, The St. Regis Aspen Resort and Residence and The St. Regis Atlanta and Residences before returning to New York City. Throughout his career, his teams have won numerous accolades, including Forbes Five Stars, AAA Five Diamonds and #1 hotel in the destination on TripAdvisor.

With a passion for growing talent in the hospitality industry, Geray is a repeat guest speaker at the Dedman School of Hospitality at Florida State University and Jonathan Tisch Center of Hospitality at New York University where he provides key industry insights to students.

Geray holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the United States International University in London and continued his education with studies in Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Hilton Hotels has appointed Iva Kutle as director of destination marketing for hotels across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey.

Kutle joined Hilton from Google MENA, where she spent seven years working closely with some of the largest travel and tourism organisations in the region, including Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Dubai Economy and Tourism, and Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism.

As part of her remit at Google, she helped them leverage Google's platforms to grow brand presence and achieve business objectives.

She first joined Google as industry manager, travel and tourism. After five years in that role, she moved up to global destination marketing partner, where she managed top destination marketing organisations globally.

Prior to joining Google, Kutle was a marketing and e-commerce director for Croatia's leading hospitality company, Valamar Hotels & Resorts, which operates 50 properties along the Adriatic coast.
Young people have always been an integral part of tourism. Countless destinations, in every global region, depend on them to support businesses and livelihoods, and the return of young travellers as the world opens up again brings hope for many millions of people. At the same time, young people also make up a significant proportion of the tourism workforce. Indeed, our sector is one of the leading providers of youth empowerment, providing opportunities for everyone, regardless of their backgrounds or academic attainment.

UNWTO recognizes the importance of youth. For this reason, youth empowerment, including through offering education and training opportunities as well as access to decent jobs, is one of our key priorities. But we are committed to going even further. Young people must not only be beneficiaries of tourisms restart, but they must also be active participants in it. Now is the time to bring young voices on board as we make big decisions that will set the course for our sector for years to come.

The first UNWTO Global Youth Tourism Summit confirmed that the young talent is there. So too is the determination to make a difference. For one week in Italy, we brought together some of the brightest young minds, to hear their concerns, but above all, their vision for the sector. This was a landmark first  for the young people, for UNWTO and for the tourism sector as a whole. It put young people in the driving seat. And it gave them a unique opportunity to engage directly with the sectors leaders, including business heads and Ministers of Tourism.

Out of the week came the Sorrento Call to Action, a call from the young participants to have a greater say in the decisions that will affect them whether as tourists themselves or as beneficiaries of the sector. While only signed by the delegates present in Sorrento, it is a true representation of the determination of global youth not to be left on the side-lines anymore. It also makes clear the priorities of the next generation of tourists and tourism leaders, namely accelerating the shift towards greater sustainability, most notably through the development and promotion of green transport, for greater inclusion and respect for human rights, and finally ensuring that the benefits tourism delivers are enjoyed as widely and fairly as possible.

To put these ideas and ambitions into action, young people need to be given a seat at the decision-making table. Youth-led organizations need to be invited to monitor and assess the development of tourism and, if necessary, be in a position where they can hold governments and businesses to account.

Every part of the wide global tourism ecosystem will benefit enormously from embracing the power of youth. Right now, the planet is home to around 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10-24 the largest generation of youth in human history. Almost 90% of them live in developing countries, and in many of them they make up the majority of the population. Its here that they can make the biggest difference, and tourism is without doubt the most powerful vehicle to drive transformation and growth.

As World Tourism Day 2022 makes clear in its theme, we now have an opportunity to rethink tourism  where we are and where we are going. Young people must be active protagonists in this vital process. The climate action movement has shown what can be achieved if young voices are brought on board. Here, young activists have helped set the agenda and pushed governments to raise their ambitions. Tourism must now do the same, and UNWTO is ready to lead by example.

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About The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency fostering tourism as a vehicle for equal, inclusive and sustainable development. Working with its Member States, international organizations and the private sector, UNWTO promotes safe and seamless travel for all. UNWTO also works to make tourism the foundation of trust and international cooperation and a central pillar of recovery. As part of the wider UN system, UNWTO is at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through its ability to create decent jobs, promote equality and preserve natural and cultural heritage.

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Julia James could rally people for a cause, her friends said, such as when she held the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag of her homeland to lead a March protest near Johnson Space Center decrying Russias war on Ukraine.

Julia aimed higher than community, said Bay Area resident Olga Zolochevskaya. She organized multiple protests against Russian aggression and the war in Ukraine. She advocated for childrens safety. She wanted to make an impact on the whole world.

The League City community is now mourning the loss of their friend and activist, who was found shot to death July 5 in her home.

A DESTINED LOVE STORY: At Gaido's in Galveston, a Ukrainian love story helps raise thousands in aid for the war-torn country

League City police officers also found the body of James ex-husband, Kent James, 64, in the residence, which she shared with him in the 4700 block of Eagle Cove Lane in the Magnolia Creek subdivision, police spokesman John Griffith said. A preliminary investigation indicates that James shot his ex-wife before shooting himself. The investigation is ongoing, said Griffith.

It feels surreal, Zolochevskaya said. She was everyones angel who always found time for other people and cared for every living being.

Julia Deegan of League City is also finding details of the death of her 43-year-old friend difficult to process, and she hopes they dont overshadow the spirit James exuded while alive.

She always had a big smile on her face, said Deegan, who also is from Ukraine, attended the same schools and also settled in the Clear Lake area.

James, who studied accounting in Ukraine, came to the United States in 2005. The longtime League City resident made friends easily and took in anyone who needed help, Deegan said. After Hurricane Harvey, Deegan lived with the James family for two months.

She was very outgoing, people-loving, life-loving, and just a great person, Deegan said.

In the last few months of her life, James dedicated much of her time to putting a spotlight on the war in Ukraine.

Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

To Narmin Backus, her friend had a true activists spirit.

Julia cared for people, she cared for truth, and she cared enough to fight for the truth, Backus said.

Sam Savanich, a 16-year-old musician who organized a local fundraiser for Ukrainian relief in April, knew James for a brief time. During preparations for the charity recital, James became an encouraging force.

She was an uplifting person, Savanich said. She reached out and wanted to be part of it, and at the time I was a little unsure because I had never organized an event like that, but she really put things in perspective for me. She made you feel like you were part of something and that you could have an impact. Im so glad I was able to work with such an amazing human being.

More Information Ivan and Svitlana Dykin have started a GoFundMe page for James's children: https://bit.ly/3RiIxSm See More Collapse

'LIKE A BAD DREAM': Ukrainian mother, daughter escape awful dream of Russian war to find refuge in Houston area

Faith was a major factor in Jamess life, according to Backus. James grew up in the Eastern Orthodox faith and visited friends churches in the Bay Area but didnt align to one denomination. Backus talked of how James became a surrogate caregiver to a young boy who had been paralyzed in a car accident and had lost his own parents.

She genuinely loved people open-heartedly and didnt care about nationality, background or social status, Backus said.

James three children, Valentina, 21, Valeria, 14, and Alexandra, 8, will be raised by their uncle, and grandparents, Valeri and Natalia Dykin.

The last time Julia James brother Ivan Dykin saw her was during a car ride to the airport in June for a flight back to Houston. James had spent two weeks visiting his family in Florida, and their goodbye was just like those theyd made before.

We hugged, and I asked her when she would be able to visit again, and she said it would be soon, Dykin said. I didnt expect that to be the last time I saw her  I still dont believe it.

Her friends say she became fascinated by NASA when she moved to the Bay Area. Backus husband, Ken, said he believes there was something about space exploration that appealed to her sense of wonder and adventure.

She was like this this big wall of energy, said Deegan. I think that is going to stay with us.

yorozco@hcnonline.com
Two Montgomery County associate judges and a court staffer are off the county payroll following an investigation concerning "overpayment" regarding the judges' work on evenings and weekends.

Montgomery County Board of District Judges agreed last month to terminate associate judges Paul Damico and David Bluestein. They also agreed to accept the resignation of Bernice Greathouse, a manager in the office of court administration.

County Commissioners on Tuesday accepted the boards recommendations. They also voted 4-0 to remove future funding for the two associate judge positions and demanded that Damico and Bluestein repay the overpaid funds, the sum of which weren't disclosed.

Additional information wasn't available because this is a county personnel matter, said Jason Millsaps, County Judge Mark Keoughs chief of staff.

Damico and Bluestein, both full-time employees, were not assigned to a specific court. They would fill in as needed for judges taking time off and get paid extra if they worked beyond their regular schedules.

Attorneys representing both of them said Thursday that county officials  not their clients  are to blame for any overpayments.

David Bluestein is the most honest human I have ever met, said Greg Gains, who is representing Bluestein. This is a system error with the payroll system with Montgomery County.

Gains said Bluestein was completely unaware of the overpayments, saying they were small amounts on his paychecks that spanned several months. He added Bluestein, Damico and Greathouse had been treated wholly unfairly adding they are the scapegoats in the countys continued payroll issues.

To treat them the way they did is just a shame, Gains said.

Attorney Celeste Blackburn, who is representing Damico, said Damico was also unaware of the overpayments. However, when he was informed, Blackburn said Damico immediately asked for the amount so he could repay the money.

Once the matter was brought to the attention of Judge Damico, he requested to be notified of any overage paid to him due to this administrative error so that it could be repaid, Blackburn said. This conversation occurred before any votes for termination.

Neither Gains nor Blackburn has been provided an amount that was overpaid, each lawyer said.

Paul Damico is a well-respected attorney, Blackburn said. He has served Montgomery County since November of 2010, first as a magistrate judge and then an associate judge. His reputation of honesty and fairness is built on years of working in the criminal justice system as an assistant district attorney, defense attorney and judge.

The personnel moves mark yet another judicial shake-up in the county this year; they come less than two months after a Conroe judge received a complaint over a Facebook photo.

Damico's position has been a source of some controversy in the past. In June 2020, Montgomery County commissioners approved a pay increase to $132,470 for Damico in a 3-2 vote, not including benefits. County Judge Mark Keough and Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack cast the "no" votes, explaining that they did not support midyear pay increases.

Damicos most recent annual salary is $139,094, and Bluesteins is $127,810, according to Millsaps.

Damico, who earned his law degree from St. Marys University School of Law, was appointed to the bench in 2010. In March 2016, he stepped in to cover in the 435th state District Court after then-Judge Mike Seiler resigned. Additionally, Damico was part of an effort in 2020 to establish a virtual court docket during the COVID-19 pandemic for defendants who had not bonded out of jail.

Bluestein was appointed as a part-time mental health associate judge in June 2020. Before that, he was an assistant district and county attorney. He became board certified in criminal law in 1995 after graduating from Florida International University in 1978 and the South Texas College of Law in 1982.

Greathouse, who couldn't be reached for comment, is the manager of indigent defense for the Office of Court Administration, according to her biography on the county's website. She began working for the county in 2003 and has a degree in political science from the University of Houston. Greathouse was primarily responsible for coordinating and supervising indigent defense in compliance with the Fair Defense Act and scheduling court interpreters as required by all district courts and county courts.

cdominguez@hcnonline.com
A Pennsylvania 911 operator faces a rare charge of involuntary manslaughter for failing to send an ambulance to the rural home of a woman who died of internal bleeding a day later, despite a plea from the woman's daughter that without medical help she's going to die.

A Greene County detective last week filed charges against Leon Lee Price, 50, of Waynesburg, in the July 2020 death of Diania Kronk, 54, based on Price's reluctance to dispatch help without getting more assurance that Kronk would actually go to the hospital.

I believe she would be alive today if they would have sent an ambulance, said Kronks daughter Kelly Titchenell, 38.

Price, who also was charged with reckless endangerment, official oppression and obstruction, questioned Titchenell repeatedly during the four-minute call about whether Kronk would agree to be taken for treatment.

Price was arraigned June 29 and released on bail. He did not reply to messages left at a home number listed in his name, and officials said a defense lawyer has not contacted district court.

It has to be very clear throughout the entire state, that when you call it's not going to be conditioned on somebody on the other end of the phone saying there's going to be a service provided or not, said Lawrence E. Bolind Jr., who represents Titchenell in a federal lawsuit filed last month. What we're trying to do here is make this never happen to somebody else.

In the 911 recording, an operator identified by police as Price replied to Titchenells description of her mother as needing hospital treatment by asking if she was willing to go to the hospital about a half-hour away from where she was living in Sycamore.

She will be, 'cause Im on my way there, so shes going, or shes going to die, Titchenell told Price as she drove from her home in Mather.

Price said he would send an ambulance but then added that we really need to make sure shes willing to go.

Shes going to go, shes going to go, Titchenell said. Cause if not, shes going to die, theres nothing else. She said that Kronk was not thinking clearly and that she was her mothers closest relation. When Price again asked if Kronk would in fact go, Titchenell replied: OK, well, can we just try?

After Titchenell told Price she was about 10 minutes from her mother's home, Price asked if Titchenell would call 911 back once she made sure Kronk was willing to go in an ambulance.

Im sorry, Titchenell said, and Price replied: No, dont be sorry, maam. Just call me when you get out there, OK?

When Titchenell and her three children arrived at the house, she said, Kronk was nude on the front porch and talking incoherently. She got her mother to put on a robe.

She just kept saying she was OK, she's fine, Titchenell said. She's the mom, you know  she doesn't listen to her children.

Titchenell said she could not call from the home because her mother's landline could not be located and there was not cell service. She also did not call on her way home, believing that her uncle would soon check on her and that another contact with 911 would be pointless.

This is unheard of, to me. I mean, theyll send an ambulance for anything, Titchenell said. And here I am telling this guy that my moms going to die. Its, like, her death, and she doesnt get an ambulance.

Her brother found the next day that their mother had died.

The prosecutor, Greene County District Attorney Dave Russo, said he is also investigating whether there was any policy or training under which the countys 911 dispatchers were allowed to refuse services to callers.

We all deserve equal protections, and we all deserve access to medical services, Russo said in an interview. I have a major concern as to the safety of the community in regards to this.

John Kelly, a Naperville, Illinois, lawyer who is general counsel to the National Emergency Number Association, said criminal charges against dispatchers for failing to send help are very rare but have happened.

In a case Kelly teaches in dispatcher training, a 911 operator in Detroit received a year of probation in 2008 and lost her job after, authorities said, she did not take seriously a boys calls to report his mother had collapsed. The 5-year-old boy testified that the dispatcher accused him of playing games and hung up on him, while the dispatcher testified that she could not hear the child.

Titchenell, on behalf of her mothers estate, sued Price and Greene County in Pittsburgh federal court last month, along with two 911 supervisors. The lawsuit accuses Price of callous refusal of public emergency medical services.

Marie Milie Jones, a lawyer for the county and 911 supervisors in the federal case, said her clients plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit and do not believe they are liable for Kronks death. She said there are personnel matters that are ongoing regarding Price but declined to elaborate.

It's unfortunate that this woman had died. Certainly, from a personal standpoint, thats very difficult, Jones said. Im not going to comment on the details of her circumstances.

Titchenell told Price that her mother had been drinking heavily for some weeks before she died, and that Titchenell had noticed she was losing weight and was turning yellow. She said the autopsy concluded Kronk, who worked in home health care, died of internal bleeding.

She said she thinks about her late mother every day  how the former longtime sub shop manager loved to cook, to help people and to spoil her five grandchildren, how she would pile a mountain of presents under the tree every Christmas.

She had the biggest heart, Titchenell said. If someone didn't have a place to live, she was going to take them in, give them a bed. That was Mom.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  A federal magistrate has ruled in favor of a former Delaware prison guard who was accused of assaulting and using excessive force against an inmate following a failed escape attempt.

The judge ruled Thursday that Cary Green had failed to prove claims of excessive force, assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Phillip Poorman.

The ruling came in a lawsuit that was filed by Green in state court in 2019 and later moved to federal court.

Green suffered several broken bones and was knocked unconscious when a makeshift rope made of bed sheets failed to hold his weight and he fell from the roof of a building at Howard Young prison in Wilmington in 2017. Green claimed he was forced into the escape plot by his cellmate, Gerald Nash.

Green alleged that as guards responded to the scene, Poorman raised him by the chain of his handcuffs, exacerbating the pain from his broken wrist, repeatedly smashed his face into a fence and punched him after putting him in a vehicle. He also claimed Poorman ordered another guard to pepper spray him and then threatened to shock him with a stun cuff on his ankle if he complained to medical personnel that Poorman had beaten him.

Magistrate Judge Sherry Fallon found no merit to Greens claims, noting his account of what happened was not credible or supported by other evidence or testimony.

Poorman, who is now a Wilmington police officer, was one of three defendants in the lawsuit. Fallon ruled in favor of another guard, Lt. Greg Esposito, in February.

A default judgment was issued last year against former correctional officer Shukriya Jenkins, who Green accused of having an improper relationship with his cellmate and turning a blind eye toward the escape attempt that put him in harms way. Jenkins was fired after the incident.

Fallon ruled Thursday there was no causal connection between Greens injuries and Jenkins failure to act or alleged indifference. She instead said Greens injuries were the result of the conduct of his cellmate and his own attempt at an illegal escape. The judge awarded Green zero dollars in damages against Jenkins.
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PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP)  A NATO senior official on Thursday said Western Balkan countries don't face an imminent threat from the war in Ukraine, and are of strategic interest to the Western alliance.

NATOs Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana was in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, to meet with local officials and visit the NATO-led KFOR mission.

Geoana denounced Russias illogical and brutal war in Ukraine and its aggressive and malign influence over the Western Balkans.

We have a strategic interest ... in the Western Balkans. I want to send a message of hope for all the people to the Western Balkans that ultimately all of us will find ourselves in the European and Euro-Atlantic family, he told The Associated Press.

Some Western Balkan countries are NATO members  Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia  while Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina are partners.

Kosovo has said it will apply for the Partnership for Peace membership, considered a first step in the NATO membership process.

NATO troops have been present in Kosovo since 1999 after a war between Serbia and its former province which ended with a 78-day NATO air campaign.

Geoana hailed NATO members in the region that have increased defense spending as a natural reaction when you see aggressive Russia, adding that NATO would defend all allies and every square inch of territory.

Geoana reconfirmed the alliances pledge to stand by Ukraine for the long haul.

They deserve our help. And that great nation deserves to be a free, independent, sovereign nation in Europe, he said.

___

Semini reported from Tirana, Albania
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Organizers of an education funding initiative turned in more than 100,000 petition signatures to the Idaho Secretary of State's office on Wednesday in hopes of getting the Quality Education Act on the November ballot.

Most of the signatures gathered by Reclaim Idaho have already been verified by local county clerks, but the secretary of state's office must conduct a final review before the measure officially qualifies for the ballot. The Quality Education Act would generate an estimated $323 million each year for K-12 education by increasing income taxes for corporations and the state's highest-earning residents. That's about a 14% increase over the current state funding.

Under the plan, the corporate income tax rate would increase from 6% to 8%, and individuals earning more than $250,000 in taxable income  or $500,000 for joint filers  would be placed in a new 10.925% income tax bracket. The revenue would be used for things like teacher and support staff salaries, reducing class sizes, hiring school counselors and psychologists, providing classroom supplies and materials and for special education services and programs like art, music, career-technical education and full-day kindergarten.

The crowd of cheering volunteers, in bright-green T-shirts, gathered on the Capitol steps for a rally before delivering the petitions, at which Luke Mayville, Reclaim Idaho co-founder, brandished a copy of the Idaho Constitution.

When the founders of our state drafted this document 132 years ago, they stated clearly that it is the obligation of our Legislature to provide a quality education to every Idaho child, he told the crowd. But in recent decades, especially in the last 20 years, the majority of our legislators failed to fulfill their obligation to Idahos children. They let Idaho sink to 50th out of 50 states in funding for education.

Idaho is dead last in the country for per-student spending, according to a 2021-22 ranking report from the National Education Association. The Gem State spends $8,662 annually per student. Utah is the only other state spending less than $10,000.

An initiative needs 65,000 valid signatures from registered Idaho voters to get on a ballot. Those signatures also must represent at least 6% of 18 different legislative districts across the state.

To become state law, a ballot initiative needs 50% plus one vote in November. Leah Jones, a second grade teacher in Twin Falls, is among those who signed the petition. She said she loves her job but staffing shortages, low wages and stress have overshadowed the classroom moments she loves the most.

The outcome of the initiative could be a deciding factor for whether she stays in her job, Jones said.

I might be one of those teachers that Ive watched leave, that went to college to be a teacher, that loves teaching and working with kids. And I just cant anymore, Jones said. There will be more like me leaving if nothing changes. And theyll be shorter on teachers. Theyre already short. Its just not, its not fair to our students. They deserve quality educators.
In pursuit of self-sufficiency, China injects stability into global food market

Xinhua) 10:13, July 08, 2022

Aerial photo taken on June 8, 2022 shows harvesters working in wheat fields in Xisong Village of Sansi Township, Xingtai City, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Zhu Xudong)

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- As food shortage grips many parts of the world, with the United Nations (UN) warning of "an unprecedented global hunger crisis," China's success story in grain self-sufficiency might help soothe the frayed market nerve.

Deemed the world's largest grain producer, China has secured a bumper wheat yield in the summer harvest, which traditionally accounts for one-fifth of its annual grain output. It has also completed nearly 80 percent of summer sowing of corn and other crops. The country is well on its course to surpassing 650 million tonnes of grain output for another year.

Securing such mammoth production is anything but easy, as Omicron flare-ups had disrupted the spring farming earlier this year and snarled up traffic when crop harvesters rumbled across the country for summer harvest. Late seeding of wheat due to heavy autumn precipitation last year and rising prices of agricultural input were among other headwinds.

Local farmer Bai Lucai shows newly-harvested wheat in Huyang Town of Tanghe County, Nanyang City, central China's Henan Province, May 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Haoran)

China's stable performance against all odds is not a coincidence. Rather, it is a result of the country's decades of efforts to achieve grain self-sufficiency.

With a population of 1.4 billion to feed, China has a stronger sense of urgency when it comes to the food supply. Yet it has only 9 percent of the world's arable land and 6 percent of the freshwater resource, making food security always an uphill task for the country. In fact, the World Food Programme stopped its grain aid to China as late as 2005.

In light of the situation on the ground, China's ability to feed itself is a major contribution to the world, and this is particularly true when rising food prices have gripped many countries. Any sign of food insecurity in China would be unaffordable for the world now.

This is why China spared no efforts to ensure spring farming and summer harvest despite recent Omicron outbreaks when some developed countries were busy playing the blame game for the food crisis.

According to the latest UN report, the world is moving backward in efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition, as the number of people affected by hunger globally shot up to a startling 828 million in 2021.

However, the good news is that China's efforts to become self-sufficient in food crops have paid off. Grain output has been above 650 million tonnes for seven solid years. The per capita food supply is well above the international standard of 400 kg. The country has achieved basic self-sufficiency in grain and absolute security in staple food.

Staff of local agricultural sector measure moisture content of wheat at Xiaodianzi Village in Pingluo County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, July 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

China's food crop production strategy is based on science and technology. The contribution rate of scientific and technological advances to its agriculture has risen sharply over the past few years, and the figure is expected to reach 64 percent by 2025.

Moreover, China does not stash its agricultural technologies. It shares them with the rest of the world.

Last week, a trial planting of Chinese water-saving and drought-resistant rice in Botswana was announced a success. This is believed to be of great importance to the food security of the southern African country.

With a combined agricultural GDP accounting for more than half the world total, BRICS, an emerging-market group that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, adopted a document on food security cooperation and established a forum on the agricultural and rural affairs on the sidelines of their most recent summit.

Actions speak louder than words. China not only cares about its own "rice bowls," but also works for the welfare of the rest of the world.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
Houston Police Department

The mother of an infant found alone at a southwest Houston apartment complex earlier this week was taken into custody late Thursday for a felony warrant, according to court records.

Police arrested Dana McGowan, 33, in the area of 10300 South Wilcrest Drive for a felony warrant regarding charges earlier this year of driving while intoxicated with a child under 15, court records show. She failed to appear before a judge on March 10, which forfeited her bond.
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Since 2011, pregnant Houstonians seeking abortions at the Planned Parenthood clinic off the Gulf Freeway have encountered a large blue bus parked outside the entrance, offering free and confidential pregnancy services and real choices.

But those choices do not include abortion.

In fact, the bus, run by the nonprofit Houston Coalition for Life, is one of 22 crisis pregnancy centers in the Houston area that seek to deter patients from terminating a pregnancy, often with medically unreliable advice.

RELIGIOUS RESPONSE: Southern Baptists 'rejoice' Supreme Court abortion ruling

They are not licensed clinics and are usually run by religious organizations. Supporters say their services  free ultrasounds, parenting classes and baby items  help low-income, expectant mothers who may feel they have no options outside of abortion. One Houston center, run by Catholic Charities, also connects new refugee parents with rent and utility assistance. But when it comes to health care, the American Medical Association says they should be considered sources of propaganda and misinformation that undermine womens health.

While the medical community has criticized the centers for years, last months overturning of Roe v. Wade puts them in a new spotlight. Abortion rights advocates and healthcare providers worry their advertising methods  using neutral language that gives the impression of a clinic  will absorb a rush of abortion-seeking patients who misunderstand the centers mission in states that offer no other alternative.

As states move to ban and criminalize abortion care, it is critical that people who need abortions are able to access evidence-based, non-judgmental health information from qualified professionals, not crisis pregnancy centers that use deceptive advertising and misinformation to spread their ideology, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists President Dr. Iffath Abbasi Hoskins said in a statement supporting new federal legislation that would crack down on abortion-related disinformation.

Government support

Crisis pregnancy centers are protected under the First Amendment right to free speech, but Hoskins joined a number of reproductive rights groups and religious organizations in support of the new federal effort to regulate them.

A group of Democratic Congressional members announced the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act on June 23, the day before the Supreme Court decided to strike down federal protections on abortion.

The proposed legislation would create civil penalties, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, for anyone who advertises deceptive or misleading statements about abortion. A violation would warrant a fine of $100,000 or 50 percent of the revenue earned by an entity over the previous 12 months.

The announcement followed a deluge of government support for crisis pregnancy centers in Texas and other states seeking to outlaw abortion. While the centers have existed in the U.S. since the 1960s, public health researchers at the University of Georgia noted a recent surge of centers in states that introduced legislation in 2018 and 2019 to curb or ban abortion. In that same time period, the Trump Administration diverted $5.1 million in family planning funds to an anti-abortion group that runs crisis pregnancy centers.

FAMILY PLANNING MONEY: Troubled Texas nonprofit tries for more family planning money

As of 2020, the researchers found more than 2,500 centers in the U.S., outnumbering abortion clinics three to one, with the highest concentration in the south and midwest. Part of their findings were published in a map of every known center in the country, including 198 in Texas  a number that could grow. The state last year injected an additional $100 million into Alternatives to Abortion, a program that supports the centers, the Texas Tribune reported.

One of the University of Georgia researchers, Dr. Andrea Swartzendruber, said she started looking into the clinics in 2015, when they received little public attention.

I knew about the centers, and I didnt think they were in the best interest of public health, so I went to the scientific literature base, she said. There were maybe a handful of articles. So even though they have been in existence for decades, public health hadnt paid attention to them.

There are no universal identifiers for a crisis pregnancy center, Swartzendruber said. Some clearly state they are a pro-life group on their website. Many tout abortion reversal  a treatment that is not based in science  and post-abortion recovery groups, which perpetuate the unsupported theory that abortion leads to mental health problems.

Research has shown the opposite is true: People who face barriers to accessing abortion care have more symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, according to the American Psychological Association.

Medical facts

The Roe decision brought crisis pregnancy centers into sharper focus for Norri Leder, a Houston gun control activist. She organized a small protest July 5in front of Blue Blossom Pregnancy Center, the Houston Coalition for Lifes brick-and-mortar hub on TC Jester.

I got mad, Leder said. I knew (crisis pregnancy centers) existed, because I knew that Texas had been funding them. I just didnt really understand to what extent.

Five abortion rights demonstrators joined Leders protest, holding up signs accusing the center of manipulating women and acting as a fake medical clinic.

But Houston Coalition for Life Executive Director Christine Melchor says her organization is honest with people who walk inside. It does not promote itself as a clinic, she said, and does not advertise medical services beyond free ultrasounds and pregnancy tests. The center provides free parenting classes on breastfeeding and nutrition. It gives away donated baby items such as diapers, strollers and toys. It also provides the documented proof of pregnancy needed to apply for Medicaid coverage in Texas.

The center does not receive state funds, she said, but benefits from a mix of private donations and grants from foundations, which she declined to identify.

She said if someone arrives seeking an abortion, volunteer staff will explain they neither offer that service nor provide referrals.

And we tell them why, because its a horrible procedure, not only the for the baby but for the women, said Melchor, who before coming to Texas worked for anti-abortion lobbying organizations in California and Arizona. We know that women are hurt mentally, psychologically, spiritually and a lot of times physically during abortion.

Melchor argues there is no clear evidence that restricting abortion is more psychologically harmful than terminating a pregnancy  you cant say women dont experience psychological impacts  and claims more than 90 percent of women seeking an abortion change their minds during an ultrasound administered by specially trained volunteers.

Its something thats very easily done when we show them their baby, she said. A lot of women may think its just a ball of tissue.

Melchor, who has served as the organizations executive director sine 2005, said volunteers only deliver medical facts by showing clients the fetus heart rate and explaining how far along they are into their pregnancy.

But, she added, we cant tie anybody up and make them have their baby.

julian.gill@chron.com
Gary Nakamura spent hours Googling articles and watching live reports from Japan after news broke that Shinzo Abe, the country's former prime minister, had been shot at a campaign rally.

Nakamura, executive director of Houstons chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, was glued to the news until early Friday morning when officials confirmed that the politican died.

"I was just absolutely stunned," he said. "A crime like this happening where the person used a gun...is just unheard of."

The shooting death of the 67-year-old prominent leader in a country where gun violence is practically non-existent has shocked and saddened people across the world, including members of the Japanese American community in the Houston region.

MORE: Japan's ex-leader Shinzo Abe assassinated during a speech

Nakamura exchanged text messages with other Japanese American friends who shared his disbelief.

Similarly, Susan Annoura said her Japanese husband sent her a text message Thursday night with the news. She shared it with another member of Houstons Japanese business community.

He was like, Wow, thats just totally unbelievable, she said.

Annoura spent more than a decade of her adult life living in Japan.

I used to live there, so I know that that country is one of the safest in the world, she said. And for something like this to have happened, I am just  Im shocked.

Japan has very strict gun laws. It had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, according to the Associated Press, resulting in one death and four injuries. Tokyo had no gun incidents, injuries or deaths in the same year, although 61 guns were seized, the outlet reported.

GUNS IN AMERICA: Rice University event on gun violence showcases local efforts to address public health crisis

The average person in Japan does not own a gun, Annoura said, adding that she never saw or heard a firearm during her time there.

You cant walk into a Walmart and just buy one, she said.

Annoura remembered Abe as a popular leader who was re-elected again and again.

Abe, the longest serving prime minister in modern Japanese history, resigned from the post in 2020 due to health concerns.

He was a friend to the United States, according to the Japan-America Society of Houston, and championed the organizations network across the U.S. and Japan.

The world has lost a dedicated leader and the United States has lost a trusted partner, the organization said in a statement.

Police have arrested a 41-year-old former member of Japans navy on suspicion of murder, according to the Associated Press. Authorities said the weapon was a homemade gun.

HOUSTON GUN VIOLENCE: As Texas reels from Uvalde, these 19 Houston-area kids are a reminder gun violence happens every day

Abe remained a highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party, the Associated Press reported, though his ultra-nationalist views made him a divisive figure to many.

Justin Cooper, a retired Navy captain who served as the Defense and Naval Attache and Senior Defense Official at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo from 2010 to 2013, described his reaction to Abes assassination as utter disbelief.

Japan rarely suffers the random acts of violence to which people in the U.S. have unfortunately become accustomed, said the former Houstonian who now lives in Maine.

Its such a safe country, he said of Japan. I was just stunned this morning when I saw it on the news. I just couldnt believe it.

Cooper said he first met Abe ten years ago at a barbeque involving representatives from the U.S. and Japan.

Abe sat down at a picnic table next to Cooper and talked for half an hour about his vision for Japan, Cooper said. Cooper did not see any security presence, he said, and there was no need for it  That sort of violence just doesnt happen.

Abe was a smart, approachable and engaging politician, Cooper said, who will be remembered as a firm ally to the U.S.

Its a great loss, he said.

anna.bauman@chron.com
Authorities have recently dismissed three separate murder charges, one aimed at a man accused in his wifes death and two stemming from gunfire during a highway race.

Each of the cases in the 2020 deaths lacked sufficient evidence to prove the defendants guilt in trial, according to court documents.

In one case, Brian Gron, 37, was accused of killing his wife, Christina Mata-Gron, in May of that year. At the time of his arrest, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences concluded that the 35-year-old woman died of blunt force trauma though the manner of her death was still undetermined.

An eight-month investigation by the Harris County Sheriffs Office followed her death, with charging papers, filed in 2021, noting a purported outcry from the couple's 6-year-old son.

A deputy with Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office initially dispatched to the wifes death saw scratch marks on Gron's neck and requested homicide investigators.

The husband then "admitted to having a physical altercation with her before going to bed," prosecutors said during a probable cause hearing. Gron purported that the two spent their day drinking and that she overdosed on alcohol and prescription medication, records show.

The motion to dismiss Grons charge, filed in June, clarifies that the case can be pursued again upon discovery of additional evidence.

A public defender for Gron said after his arrest that the charge appears reliant on the childs outcry and that the statement likely stemmed from a pending custody dispute.

Cases against two men accused in the shooting death of 21-year-old Isaac Mendoza during a November 2020 highway race were also dismissed. Andre Matthews and Christopher Vargas, both 25, were charged with murder in May 2021.

Authorities attributed Mendozas death to road rage. His mother believed her son met his assailants through an informal car club. Mendoza set off to race on Loop 610 North, with Houston Police Department investigators at one point believing that Matthews and Vargas were his challengers. During the race, gunfire erupted and Mendoza was killed, according to court records.

Prosecutors in Vargas and Matthews cases stated in court documents that the murder charge could be refiled as law enforcement continues to investigate what happened.

By the time of each dismissal, none of the murder charges against the three men had gone before a grand jury.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
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A man accused of killing his wife is slated in September to go before a jury  again  after a Harris County judge declared a mistrial over the possibility of a tainted pool of jurors.

Itani Milleni will return to trial for a second time in September on the murder charge stemming from the 2015 bludgeoning death of his estranged wife, Tuyet Tran, in her Chinatown beauty salon. The judge in the 339th District Court scheduled a second attempt at a trial Thursday and apologized to the defense attorney and prosecutors for abruptly bringing their trial to an end in June when she was made aware of speeches that prospective jurors earlier heard.

Those speeches were given during Jury Appreciation Week, where the Harris County District Clerks Office invited guests  ranging from TV news reporters, law enforcement officials and Texans cheerleaders  to thank jurors for fulfilling their civic duty.

In the process, defense attorney Sean Buckley worried, some speakers  District Clerk Marilyn Burgess among them  may have encouraged the jury pool to focus more so on the victims and their families.

Buckley, who represents Milleni, said each of the 12 jurors on his clients case heard at least one of the speeches though he was unsure of which speaker.

Videos obtained by Houston Public Media revealed Burgess remarks followed KPRC-TV reporter ReChelle Turner who spoke of justice for families of crime victims. In the footage, Burgess thanks the prospective jurors for showing up and continues the discussion about victims of crimes.

The victims of crimes are waiting for their day and to get that justice, the district clerk said. So you may have to give up a day or two  theyve been waiting years.

Following the mistrial, portions of those videos were deleted from social media pages maintained by the district clerks office. In court, Judge Teiva Bell hinted regret at how the mistrial unfolded and apologized to lawyers on both sides.

Had I known it had happened earlier  I would have definitely handled it differently, Judge Teiva Bell said in court. I sincerely apologize.

The judge urged Buckley to keep civil matters  including a subpoena issued to District Clerk Marilyn Burgess office for records  out of her courtroom.

Civil stuff? Thats civil  not my lane, Bell said.

The subpoena, issued soon after the mistrial, was addressed to Burgess and asked that her office provide documents related to jury selection and planning for four daylong tributes to jurors. Lawyers with the Harris County Attorneys Office filed a motion to quash the subpoena, saying that Buckleys request for records was too broad and that Burgess was not the target but instead, an unspecified district clerks office employee.

Burgess was additionally not required to attend the hearing, officials said. She scheduled Thursday off to celebrate her birthday, a spokesman for her office said. At least one member of Burgess staff was in the courtroom to observe the proceedings.

After the proceedings, Buckley said he and the district clerks office would come to an agreement outside of the courtroom to obtain the documents he seeks.

Buckley believes the documents could show that the mistrial stemmed from public corruption within the district clerks office and that could help dismiss the murder charge with a potential double jeopardy argument, he said.

Such circumstances would include the exact nature and scope of the corruption within Harris Countys jury assembly system, how long it had been going on, and the extent to which it was known by - or could be imputed to - certain officials, Buckley wrote this week in court documents.

Burgess Republican opponent Chris Daniel, who previously held the district clerk position, tweeted a reference to Senate Bill 944 about the preservation of public information and openly wondered if Burgess office preserved the tweets with the deleted videos, comments and all. The posts shared to Twitter and Facebook did not include the entirety of the speeches from Turner or KTRK-TV reporter Ted Oberg.

Buckley said his office saved copies of some of the tweeted videos.

The practice of the district clerks office hosting Jury Appreciation Week spans multiple administrations. The week of festivities stems from Senate Bill 565, authored by a Dallas lawmaker, to honor jurors for participating in the judicial system. Gov. Greg Abbott in 2015 signed the bill into law.

In a pamphlet, the State Bar of Texas encourages local counties to provide free refreshments, door prizes and to decorate their jury assembly buildings for the weeklong event. Inviting community leaders and celebrities to speak to jurors is also recommended.

Be aware that speakers who promote one perspective and who might influence the decisions of jurors during that week should be avoided, the pamphlet warns.

Last year, guest speakers included lawmakers, businessmen and an astronaut. In 2019, several judges addressed jurors. Under Daniels leadership, one of the guest appearances in 2016 included Clutch, the Rockets mascot.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
Regarding Texas not ready for a rise in births, (June 2): I was struck by the statement that the 27-year-old mother who was denied an abortion made: And if you're going to force women to have all of these babies that they are not equipped to have, then you need to provide support for women and children after the babies are born. While I agree that Texas needs to expand support for women and children, especially Medicaid, I strongly object to the implication that Texas forces women to have children. Birth control is often left out of the political discussions surrounding abortion. There are multiple forms of birth control options available for use. Texas needs to work to ensure that birth control is readily available to everyone, both women and men. After reading this article, I was left hoping that the woman rebuilds her life and also hoping that she and other women in her situation are fully informed about how they can avoid unplanned or unwanted pregnancies in the future.

Cheryl Palmer O'Brien, Houston

Regarding How to talk to your kids about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, (June 24). Women do not produce babies alone. It must be remembered that babies are created by men and women having sex, so every male and female of reproductive age in the Post-Roe Age must answer the following questions:

1. How many times do you want to have sex in your lifetime?

2. Since every sex act has the potential of creating another human being, how many children do you want to support until they are age 18, and beyond when there are disabilities?

3. If you dont want a child to result from each time you have sex, how are you going to prevent that?

4. What will you do if your method of prevention does not work during some of those times you engage in sex?

Unfortunately, victims of abuse, rape and incest do not have the opportunity to answer those questions.

If our society is going to mandate pregnancy, we must responsibly plan to support the results. That means medical care for the birthing mother and support for children of parents unable to do so.

The greatest gift we can give a child is to be wanted. The greatest gift for parents is to have a wanted child. That will happen only when we can responsibly conduct our sexual activities, privately seek medical care and honestly stress to children that sex can make babies.

Laury Adams, Houston

Regarding Essay: An IUD saved me. Supreme Court should leave contraceptive rights alone., (July 1): To paraphrase the Hyundai advertisement currently running on TV: No gas, no squeegee. For men: No condom, no sex.

Marie Engelhart, Houston

Second class citizens

Regarding Falkenberg: Independence Day? Texas controls my womb., (July 3): Im that house that always decorates for every holiday. But this year for the first time since I became a homeowner nearly 50 years ago there were no Fourth of July decorations in my yard. This year Ive had no desire for bunting or for sparkly red, white and blue across my front door. Ive been tempted instead to place a big sign in my yard that reads a second-class citizen lives here. While in reality I might not have that sign, rest assured there will be plenty of signs in my yard this November. On Election Day I will exercise my freedom of choice knowing that millions have lost that right of autonomy over their own bodies. On Election Day I will choose freedom  for all Americans.

Deborah Mowrey, Kingwood

How many Republicans whined and protested about having to wear a mask against a deadly disease? How many Republicans refused to be vaccinated to protect themselves and society at large? The government can't make me do that! many screamed. But now, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, they are screaming that the government can force a woman to bear a child from rape, to bear a child from incest and to bear a child with fetal abnormalities. Do they hear themselves?

With this ruling Republicans have virtually said that there are two types of citizens in the United States. There are men, and there are women. Men have all the rights, and woman cant even control their own bodies. This is an equality issue. Thanks to the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling, men are more equal than women. Well, we women and those men who support us can vote. We still have that right.

S. H. Walsh, Houston
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Thomas Bowler is running for a third term as Berkshire County sheriff.

Bowler Launches Re-election Campaign for Sheriff



Thomas Bowler speaks to the crowd at his campaign kickoff on Thursday at Country Club of Pittsfield. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Thomas Bowler said the driving force behind his re-election campaign is family, supporters, and his campaign group.

"Everybody here is a close and dear friend," he said at his campaign kickoff Thursday at a crowded Country Club of Pittsfield.

"That's what keeps this drive going for me, and to know that in some way shape, or form I can make their lives better and this community better with their help and their support."

The kickoff came on the heels of a candidate forum on Wednesday and two-term sheriff wasted no time addressing topics brought up during that event.

"A lot of you have recently heard about the controversy with bringing the women inmate population back to this community because supposedly we ripped them from this community to bring them down to Chicopee where, according to someone else, it wasn't the right thing to do," he said, referring to challenger Alf Barbalunga's advocacy for bringing incarcerated women back to Pittsfield from the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee.

The facility is nationally known and was recently accredited by the American Correctional Association, said Bowler, adding that Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi, who was in attendance, does a "phenomenal job" overseeing it.

"That facility was built specifically for women in the four Western Mass regions. They did feasibility studies back in the mid-2000s not only in just building the building but the programming as well. Between the four Western Mass sheriffs at the time and the legislative body, they felt that this was a necessity to give these women the opportunity to have available to them the same services as the men do," he added.

"When you have co-gender facilities, they don't have that opportunity. Those female inmates have to stay safe, sound and separate. Obviously, the females are a smaller number. All the programming is geared for the males. I would have to duplicate those services with more staff or more time and we just didn't have the facility at that time to do that. It only made sense for us to send the women to a facility where they're going to get gender-specific needs and services to better themselves."

Bowler also addressed his opponent's commitment to only serve one term and criticism that Bowler should have completed his goals during his 12 years in office.

"When you have a passion, and a vision and a group of individuals that work with you that are the most incredibly talented individuals in Berkshire County, that passion doesn't go away," he said.

"My passion is to create a safe, strong and healthy community. It's a quality of life that each and every one of you deserves, each and every one of us deserves, all our families as well as our incarcerated population."

When incarcerated individuals get the services they need to re-enter to the community as a better person than when they came in, Bowler said, it creates a safer community.

The Second Streets Second Chances initiative was highlighted as an effort to provide wrap-around services in a one-stop facility. It offers a wide array of post-incarceration services, case management, and workforce training from the former jail on Second Street.

Bowler began his career in law enforcement in 1985 with the Pittsfield Police Department, was sworn in for his first term as sheriff in 2011, and was re-elected in 2016. He has worked in the detective bureau, the drug unit as an arson investigator, and as the Assistant Deputy Superintendent-Security Affairs at the Berkshire County Jail and House of Correction.

Deputy Sheriff Robin McGraw spoke in support of Bowler at the event.

"In my seven years of working with him, I have found Sheriff Bowler to be a man of integrity, strong moral fiber, and unquestionable ethics. He is a kind, caring individual who aspires to provide all members of our community great services. Although he is an elected official, he is not a politician," he said.

"His discipline and determination to keep all of Berkshire County safe and secure is fueled by his immense passion to perform as the top law enforcement officer. In 2022 and beyond, we need experienced and unique leadership. We need an individual who is willing to think out of the box and encourage the development of unique strategies and programs for our inmates who are reentering society. You need look no further. He is here. He is here tonight."

Bowler and Barbalunga, chief probation officer of the Southern Berkshire District, will face off in Sept. 6's Democratic primary that will determine the winner as there are no other candidates.




iciHaiti - Economy : All about the new 100 Gourdes note





The Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) has unveiled the characteristics and security elements of the new 100 Gourdes banknote put into circulation on the national market.



Characteristics :

On the front of the note is the portrait of Henry Christophe (1767-1820). Hero of Independence, Henry Christophe was a seasoned military brilliant organizer. After the death of Jean Jacques Dessalines, Christophe ruled the Far North of the country from 1806 to 1820.







On the back is the Citadelle Henry, located at the top of Bonnet-a-l'Eveque. Military structure built at the beginning of the 19th century by Henry Christophe. This historic site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.







Security elements :

Tactility and intensity of intaglio colors indicating the amount in figures and in words.



Silver metallic band under ultraviolet light; one side of the strip is fluorescent yellow indicating the sign "BRH".



The BRH asks the Haitian population to be vigilant so as not to take any counterfeit notes that may be in circulation.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36957-icihaiti-economy-all-about-the-new-25-gourdes-note.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36972-icihaiti-economy-all-about-the-new-50-gourdes-note.html



IH/ iciHaiti


















The Editor in- chief of Gainako Online Newspaper, Yusuf Taylor, was arrested and charged with obstructing a policer officer and detained for four hours at the Senegambia Police Station on Tuesday, 5 July, 2022.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Gambia Press Union (GPU) in condemning this act of aggression and intimidation against a journalist who posed no security threat.

According to a statement issued by the GPU, Taylor was arrested after police officers forcibly tried to remove him from the stations premises and assaulted him when he tried to enquire about the detention of the Global Home of Medical Mission (GHMM) representatives Neneh Freda Gomez and Lamin Sey, whose case he has been following.

Global HoMM is involved in a dispute with the government over the ownership of a plot of land - for which the former has obtained court judgements in its favour - which the government is said to have earmarked for the construction of a hotel for the 2022 OIC Summit .

GPU President, Muhammed S. Bah, said the union condemns the actions of the officers and is dismayed by the trend of journalists being assaulted by security personnel, especially the police. It is also a stark reminder that while the exercise of free speech and press freedom guaranteed under the 1997 Constitution has significantly improved since 2017, more needs to be done to better protect the rights of journalists who continue to come under attack from security forces for simply carrying out their constitutional duty of holding the government accountable, Bah said.

IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger said that the arrest demonstrated the intolerance of security officers in allowing journalists to do their work without any form of harassment or intimidation.

He said: The government must ensure that it creates a conducive environment for journalists to exercise their duties without fear of harassment from security officers and guarantee the safety and security of journalists.
Against the backdrop of constantly evolving cyber threats, the Philippines needs to take a more active stance in prioritizing cybersecurity, Kasperskys findings suggest. A critical move towards achieving cyber-resiliency would potentially support the growth of local businesses, foster current digital opportunities, and mitigate dangerous risks to the country's economy.

Just like its neighbors in Southeast Asia (SEA), the past five years saw the country consistently hit by various cyber threats ranging from web attacks, remote desktop protocol (RDP) attacks, and mobile malware.

Genie Gan, head of public affairs & government relations for APAC & META at Kaspersky, during the press briefing in Makati

Data from Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) show that web threat attempts against Filipino users of Kaspersky software grew 432.75% from 9,487,775 in 2017 to 50,544,908 in 2021. In Kaspersky's global ranking of most attacked countries, the Philippines climbed from the 30th spot to 4th place in just five years.

With the pandemic-borne shift towards remote working, the overall RDP attacks versus local businesses rose by 141% from 2019 (2,549,698) to 2021 (6,150,891). RDP enables computers running Windows on the same corporate network to be linked together and accessed remotely, even when employees are at home.

Mobile malware attacks may have dropped sharply in the Philippines from 2019 to 2021 by 69% but according to Kaspersky, there are indications that Trojans are injected into third-party ad modules and new Trojans are being discovered proof that cybercriminals have become creative and sophisticated in their approach.

As far as the local government is concerned, legal policies and regulatory frameworks on cybersecurity have already been laid out and are currently in place. Kaspersky executives urge the state to collaborate with its neighbors and private companies to further build its cyber-resiliency.

"Looking at the Philippines' unique cybersecurity landscape and how it is dealing with cyberattacks, it appears that the country is now in the intermediate stage of cybersecurity readiness. Intermediate-level countries are those that have identified cyberattacks as areas they need to look into and have attempted to make some inroads. The goal is to have the country move to the Advanced stage where we hope to see it doing more in terms of development," said Genie Gan, Head of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Asia Pacific & Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Kaspersky.

Gan says that while the cybersecurity landscape in the Philippines is distinct from the rest of SEA, it is still interconnected with its regional neighbors in so many ways.

"This is why we encourage the government regulators to begin boosting its cyber capacity-building and cooperation efforts. These two are basically the building blocks of cybersecurity," she said.

Gan recommended the following specific action steps for the Philippines' cybersecurity:

Continuous promotion of security awareness and digital education for its more than 76 million users Growing its pool of cybersecurity talents Public-private partnerships Regional and international cooperation between countries and industries

From Kaspersky's experience, an effective formula includes constant improvement of security awareness. This includes engagement with the wider cybersecurity community and stakeholders including cybersecurity providers to validate and verify the trustworthiness of their products, internal processes and businesses  an important pillar held by Kaspersky and implemented within the overall framework of its pioneering Global Transparency Initiative (GTI).

One of the GTI's cornerstones included the opening of a network of Transparency Centers  in Zurich (Switzerland), Madrid (Spain), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Singapore, Tokyo (Japan), and Woburn, Massachusetts (the United States).

This global network of Transparency Centers serves as facilities for trusted partners and government stakeholders, responsible for cybersecurity, to review the company's code, software updates, and threat detection rules.

The Transparency Centers are fully operational and available for on-site (physical) and remote access.

With guidance from the company experts, visitors at the Transparency Center can conduct transparency review sessions in three different modes:

Blue Piste: overview of Kaspersky's security and transparency best practices and product portfolio Red Piste: review of the most critical parts of Kaspersky's source code by a client or regulatory stakeholder Black Piste: deepest and most comprehensive review of the most critical parts of Kaspersky's source code

Genie Gan, head of public affairs & government relations for APAC & META at Kaspersky discussed the 3 types of modes that the public can check at Kaspersky's transparency center

The GTI also paved the way for the creation of Kaspersky's Cyber Capacity Building Program to help government organizations, academia, and companies around the world develop mechanisms and skills for security assessment of ICT products they use. Requesting access is as easy as sending an email to TransparencyCenter@kaspersky.com.

Kaspersky also advised that countries like the Philippines continually promote skills training and enhanced collaboration to support incident response capabilities and ensure the safety and wellbeing of their citizens.

"Cyber threats are here to stay as it is parallel with the digitalization drive in the Philippines. A latest study even projected a five trillion peso digital economy in 2030, a huge opportunity that will be realized best if digitalization efforts are built upon trusted and transparent cybersecurity foundations, said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.

Organizations, industries, and governments will always be lucrative targets for cybercriminals but through collaborative multi-stakeholder efforts, we can explore strategies and expand our cybersecurity implementation as we enhance our confidence and trust in technology. When a country achieves cyber-resiliency, the digital future no longer becomes a scary unknown realm but a place with endless opportunities for growth," he adds.
Danijel Velicki, an Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) member in Southeast Virginia, is the founder and CEO of Sqwire, which helps low- to moderate-income families realize their financial promise through financial education. We asked Danijel how financial concerns play into the current hiring crisis. Here's what he shared:

In the midst of the most severe hiring crisis many of us have ever experienced, there is a lot of public discourse centered around figuring out how we got here. Some blame the economy, others blame the pandemic, and some suggest it's a generational thing.

While any one or combination of those things could be a contributor, there's one thought that's missing from the conversation: Are we, as business owners, part of the problem?

I have daily conversations with other CEOs about the state of their companies -- including what's working and what's not. I've learned three things that might provide insight into the mistakes that could be holding you back from growing your company into the future.

You're Not Pivoting

It all comes down to one little phrase that many of us use regularly: business as usual. Seems harmless, right?

But maybe "business as usual" is exactly the problem.

We're creatures of habit who are comforted by structure. So, when we settle into something that works, it feels right to just keep it going. We perfect our processes, develop policies, and hire managers to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Maybe we check in from time to time to make sure the machine's still functioning as designed. But how can we grow if we don't make room for change?

If the pandemic taught us anything, it's that agility is an absolutely necessary trait for any business owner. We learned a lot about how to pivot around a global shutdown and restructure our workplaces. But it shouldn't take a catastrophe for us to realize that change is good and necessary.

Business as usual -- though it may work for a while -- doesn't offer opportunities for growth. What feels like stability could actually just be stagnancy. And stagnancy does not promote a company culture where talented, ambitious employees can thrive.

You're Not Optimizing Your Roster

We must also apply agility to team management tactics. As the world changes around us, the demands of our businesses change, too. To meet those demands, we must make sure employees are functioning at their highest levels. That means placing each person in the right position, even if it requires changes to your original roster. This type of talent management requires you to understand your employees on a deeper level and ask a lot of questions.

By ensuring that each employee feels fulfilled, challenged, and encouraged in their work, you'll build a culture of care that is hard to leave and will reap the benefits of increased productivity and efficiency that come with a satisfied, engaged team.

You're Not Prioritizing Your People

What are your priorities as a business leader? I've found that many CEOs get stuck in a cycle of prioritizing profits over people. Sure, we love our employees, and we say all the time that we couldn't survive without them. But are we showing our employees that they are more than just numbers to us?

Let me get a little more specific. When it comes to your employee benefits package, do you offer the bare minimum because that's what everyone else is offering? Or do you thoughtfully provide benefits that contribute to employee total wellness?

I've seen a lot of companies that offer "the usual" -- medical, dental, vision, a 401(k) match, and some PTO. That's a great starting point. But today's workers deserve more. They need to be offered opportunities for success in and out of the workplace.

As an example, and because financial wellness is my specialty, according to a 2022 study, 84 percent of employees believe employers should be responsible for their well-being. With employees spending an average of 9.2 hours per week dealing with their finances at work, it stands to reason that prioritizing your employees' financial wellness will not only help them but will help you in the process! To attract and retain top talent in your industry, think more about what workers need, because the competition is stiff. And companies that are providing total wellness benefits to their workers are reaping the rewards of quick thinking and action.
Some of the fastest-growing technology companies of the past decade are now well-entrenched in retrenchment mode.

A case in point is Meta, which sees big challenges ahead. As The New York Times reported, CEO Mark Zuckerberg sees Meta facing one of the "worst downturns that we've seen in recent history." Meta's profits will decline because of a change in Apple's mobile operating system that limits how much data Facebook and Instagram can collect on its users.

The troubles are reflected in Meta's financial results and stock price. The company's February quarterly profit report disappointed, and its stock lost 26 percent of its market value -- plunging by more than $230 billion. Facebook is cutting costs -- announcing it will reduce by 30 percent to 40 percent the number of people it plans to hire in 2022.

Here are four strategies that Zuckerberg is poised to use to improve Meta's financial performance and prospects. Below, I comment on each of them and offer my view on what business leaders should do about them.

1. Collaborate on setting inspiring goals.

Business leaders ought to expect more from their people during tough times.

Meta is doing that. Zuckerberg recently told employees that the company would "turn up the heat on internal goals and metrics used to rate employees' performance." In addition, Chris Cox, Meta's chief product officer, urged employees to get more done in less time with fewer resources, noted the Times.

Here are some questions that Meta employees may be asking themselves:

How much of Meta's declining profit is due to my slacking off?

How much of the problem comes from Meta's strategies and approach to coordination of teams?

Will my underwater stock options regain their lost value?

If not, is there a compelling reason why I should not seek employment elsewhere?

This tactic could cost Meta many of its most talented employees. That's because I think people tend to perform better when they participate in setting the goals and feel empowered to find the best way to make them happen.

In short, business leaders should not try to scare employees into becoming diligent hamsters who run faster on the wheel to meet goals that top executives order them to achieve.

2. Get accurate data on what people are doing.

Rather than issue orders, Meta executives should collaborate with employees to set inspiring goals and judge their performance with facts.

Specifically, leaders at Meta (and at all publicly traded companies, according to my book, Scaling Your Startup) should do the following to hold people accountable:

Set goals in a process that inspires employees.

After goals are set, gather objective data on how well employees are achieving them.

Review with employees how well their actual performance compared with their goals.

Reward employees who exceed their goals.

For those who fall short, find out why and develop an improvement plan.

3. Cut people and projects that don't measure up.

During an economic downturn, business leaders should take a hard look at which people and projects should be kept and what to do about the rest.

There is always a danger in such situations that leaders will view these decisions from the perspective of what the most powerful executives want rather than what will enable the firm to sustain long-term value-creating relationships with customers and employees.

Beyond eliminating free laundry and dry cleaning services, Meta has not made clear which costs it will cut. However, employees clearly fear that Meta will reduce the number of employee paid-time-off days, according to the Times.

In general, I think Meta would be better off shutting down projects and parting ways with employees who no longer fit than to cut the benefits of those who do.

4. Keep investing in projects that will create the future.

During a downturn, business leaders must have a clear idea of which investments are likely to generate the most growth for the company in the future. In my view, leaders should pick the projects that pass four tests:

They satisfy a deep human need that rivals are not targeting.

They aim at a large, growing market.

They fit with the company's values and strengths.

Their cash flows will greatly exceed the investment.

Meta's biggest bet -- in the Metaverse -- will continue over the next decade or more. It will also develop Reels -- an Instagram-based TikTok-like video product; use A.I. to discover popular posts across its sites; generate revenue from its messaging apps; and boost e-commerce revenue.
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After a long wait of over three years, Bollywood fans finally got their first episode of 'Koffee With Karan7'.



The show has kicked off on an exciting note, with Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh gracing the 'Koffee' couch and answering some bizarre and hilarious questions by host and filmmaker Karan Johar.

Hulu

Actors Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, who will soon be seen in Dharma Productions' 'Rocky Aur Raani Ki Prem Kahaani', revealed some interesting details about their respective marriages in the first episode.

Hulu

The first game of the chat show, hosted by Karan Johar, was, titled Bingo.

Both Alia and Ranveer had to circle the things they did in life which included statements like, Didnt speak to my partner for over a week, woken up at an unknown place, Quickie in the vanity van, and many more set of statements.

The love and respect they have for each other  their friendship is so cute  #KoffeeWithKaran7 #Alia #Ranveer pic.twitter.com/K5OMNTftKB  i (@junglibilli_RS) July 7, 2022

Alia ticked off one such statement which read, Have had an embarrassing email-id." When questioned by Karan, the Raazi actor disclosed that she indeed had one when she was 13 years old.

Apart from Ranveer and Alia's 'confessions' on sex, marriage, and in-laws, there was much more to this 'juicy' episode of KWK. Here are 11 top moments from the show!

1. When Alia Bhatt explained how it felt to embrace the 'Kapoor Khaandaan.'

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2. When Alia Bhatt hilariously messed up a quiz round and KJo, Ranveer pulled her leg as 'Student of the year.'

Hulu

3. When Ranveer Singh made KJo and Alia Laugh with his accurate 'mimicry' of Bollywood actors, including Kartik Aaryan, Varun Dhawan, Ajay Devgn, and Aamir Khan.

Hulu

4. When Alia declared that she and Varun Dhawan have better chemistry than she and Ranveer (and Ranveer pretended to be upset about it).

hulu

5. When Alia Bhatt royally debunked the myth around 'Suhaag-Raat.'

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6. When Alia Bhatt shared her 'Masai Mara' proposal story and how Ranbir surprised her in the forest, (Fans have finally gotten their proposal story!)

Hulu

7. When KJo had the most bizarre question for Alia Bhatt, she cracked a double-meaning joke!

Instagram

8. When Karan Johar revealed how 'Pammi Aunty' AKA Ranveer Singh, got heavily invested in choosing jewelry for Alia's wedding functions.

Hulu

9. When Alia Bhatt was a total sport and auditioned for 'Ek Ek Ka Kaat Dungi.'

Instagram

10. When Alia Bhatt revealed she is a pro at staying friends with husband Ranbir Kapoor's ex-girlfriends. She openly declared that she is friends with Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone and likes them both.

Instagram

11. When Alia Bhatt shared her 'embarrassing' email id, a true blast from the past!

Instagram

Apart from all the fun and chatter, Bollywood diva Alia Bhatt spilled the beans revealing how her and Ranbir Kapoors love story actually began.

Hulu

We both talked about it on our flight to Tel Aviv to do a workshop on Brahmastra. So, I remember him walking in and he was supposed to sit next to me. He sat next to me. Something got stuck in his seat, some malfunction was happening in his seat so they were going to move him to another seat. And I was like, Why is my dream getting shattered? disclosed Alia.



Web Screen Grab

But then his seat got fixed, so he came and sat back. And then when we exchanged notes.. added Alia before going to explain that Ranbir was quite irritated that the seat had to break down at that moment when the duo was seated together nicely.



The newlywed Alia further said that the vibe between her and Ranbir started from there only, remarking that the rest was history, flashing her adorable smile.

Instagram story

In the rapid-fire round with Alia Bhatt, KJo questioned her, "What is the best compliment youve got from the industry for your work in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Gangubai Kathiawadi?"



YouTube

To which she replied, "Everyone in the industry is very sweet. But there is one person, Ibrahim Ali Khan, who is the cutest person I have ever met in my life. He sent me the most amazing message." Reading out Ibrahim's message, she read:



"Had to remove the time to message you personallyI cannot believe this is the same lady I learn from every time, and youre just phenomenal. Youre so so good as Gangu, and seeing you as Rani and then watching this film, its safe to say you mold yourself effortlessly, like water taking the shape of its container. So So good! Best actress in this country".

The fun episode ended on a happy note with the Padmaavat actor winning the gift hamper for the rapid-fire round with 71% of live audience votes and Alia beating him in the buzzer game.



Well, Ranbir-Alia were total firecrackers on the show, making the fans more excited about the show's upcoming episodes.

(With ANI inputs)

(To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.)


The capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, recently hosted the inaugural two-day "China-Horn of Africa Peace, Governance and Development Conference."

The special envoy for Beijing, Xue Bing, has stated that China wishes to play a "more significant role" in fostering security and stability in the Horn of Africa, but he also noted that the meeting did not discuss any particular conflict in the area.

According to Xue Bing, Beijing is prepared to assist the states in the area in finding peace and eradicating what he called outside interference.

What is the Horn of Africa?

The Horn of Africa is an island-shaped peninsula in northeastern Africa. It is the 4th largest peninsula in the world and is situated on the easternmost point of the African continent.

It stretches hundreds of kilometers into the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea from where it stands along the southern Red Sea's edge. The Ogaden Desert, the Ethiopian Plateau's highlands, the beaches of Eritrea and Somalia, and other locations make up the Horn.

The Horn of Africa is the area comprising Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The region has gone through neocolonialism, imperialism, the Cold War, racial conflict within Africa, poverty, sickness, famine, and many other things.

Worldatlas.com

The first-ever Chinese-led peace conference

Six countries from the Horn of Africa were represented at the summit, and Xue highlighted that tensions and divisions in the region are growing, the Cold War mindset and power dynamics have returned, and peace and development are encountering resistance.

According to reports, even while China has been a long-term trading partner with Africa, this appears to be the first time it has meddled in local politics, which represents a shift in China's foreign policy.

Early this year, Xue stated that China's outlook on peace and prosperity for the Horn of Africa was centered on the reality and history of the region and was intended to assist countries there in eradicating outside meddling.

He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to examine ways in which China could contribute more to the area's development and peace, in addition to commerce and investment.

He stated that China would "continue supporting nations in the region in upholding the idea of common, comprehensive, collaborative, and sustainable security." "To safeguard the peace and security of the area and to put an end to gunfire in the Horn of Africa."

AFP

China emphasized that it has always believed that the nations in the Horn of Africa possess the essential resolution to build strength through solidarity and the political wisdom to resolve issues via negotiation and consultation.

Chinas Interests in the Region?

The complete sponsorship of the 200 million dollars African Union headquarters in Addis Abeba was one of China's major projects. In addition, China has made investments in the Mombasa-Nairobi rail connection in Kenya and has already completed railway projects there.

Additionally, it has successfully finished more than 80 infrastructure initiatives there, including healthcare institutions, roadways, schools, and stadiums. Ethiopia also has a healthy market for military weapons.

Ethiopia, which has a debt of approximately USD 14 billion, is one of the top 5 African countries where China has invested. According to reports, 67 percent of Kenya's bilateral debt is owed to China.

Worldatlas.com

China is also interested in Ethiopian resources like oil, gas, precious gems, chemicals, mineral ores, gold, and other natural resources. Beijing has continued to invest in South Sudan, a supplier of petroleum commodities, ever since it got involved in the petroleum industry in 1995.

The only military base that China has outside of its continental borders is in Djibouti. China indicated in 2022 that this would be open to extending Eritrea's coastline so that it might interconnect to its projects in the landlocked nation of Ethiopia.

The United States has speculated that China intends to build a new military post in Kenya or Tanzania in order to increase its military presence in the area.

Other collaborations between China and Horn of Africa states

Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi emphasized growing infrastructure investments in African nations during his 17th trip to Africa in January 2022.

He denied allegations that China was using loans to enslave the countries and described China's 3 major objectives in Africa: controlling the epidemic, putting Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) agreements into action, and safeguarding mutual interests while rejecting hegemonic politics.

Getty Images

The FOCAC supports China's involvement in the infrastructure and social advancement of the Horn. The Dakar Action Plan, the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, the Sino-African Declaration on Climate Change, and the Declaration of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC were all adopted at the 2021 summit, in which the whole of the Horn of Africa took part.

The "2035 vision for China-Africa cooperation," launched by Beijing, promises to change the health sector, reduce poverty, encourage trade and investment, and boost digital innovation. The vision also emphasizes capacity building, enhancing intercultural exchanges, and promoting peace and security across the continent.

Why is China's presence a concern for India?

The northern tip of the Indian Ocean nation of Djibouti, together with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, make up China's "string of pearls" of strategic cooperation and partners that encircle India.

In recent days, China has increased activities in the Indian Ocean, which India believes to be within its area of influence, citing freedom of navigation and anti-piracy patrols. The Indian Navy has been compelled to increase surveillance of the strategic waterways.

AFP

A new playing field for nations aiming for a larger role in world events is the Indian Ocean. By constructing ports and other infrastructure in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, China hopes to increase its goodwill and influence in the nations around the Indian Ocean.

China's ambitious One Belt, One Road (OBOR) plan, which aims to create a new Silk Route, places a lot of emphasis on the Indian Ocean.
A recent report said that India to have 122 unicorns in the coming 2-4 years.

Hurun Research Institute and ASK Asset & Wealth Management conducted a study, that showed future unicorns of India, namely, Shiprocket, Zepto, Turtlemint, Pepperfry, and Juspay recorded a 36% jump in value compared to last year. Most of them are currently worth $49 billion.

Unsplash/Representational Image

The report is a ranking of privately held Indian startups, founded after 2000. They are worth at least $200 million and are expected to turn unicorn in the next 2-4 years. 17 startups classified by Hurun are expected to attain unicorn valuations in the next 2 years. These are Shiprocket, Zepto, Turtlemint, Ather Energy, Vivriti Capital etc.

What are Unicorns?

Unsplash/Representational Image

Unicorns are privately held startups that have reached a value of $1 billion or more. Their valuation is based on their growth potential as perceived by investors and venture capitalists but not on their current financial performance.

They offer creative solutions, new business models, etc., and have several categories like fintech, Edtechs, B2B (Business-to-Business) companies, etc.

Aileen Lee, an American venture capitalist coined the term in 2013. The term was used to emphasise the rarity of the emergence of such startups.

India and start-ups

Unsplash/Representational Image

India is the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world. The US tops the list followed by China. By 2021, there were 83 Indian start-ups, that have achieved the status of a unicorn.

In the same year, the start-ups of India raised more than $23 billion and 13 more startups are added to the unicorn club in 2022.

At present, India is recording rapid growth in the number of startups. According to Forbes, with a total valuation of $82.1 billion 42 unicorns emerged in India's startup ecosystem in 2021.

Since 2012, the number of cumulative start-ups has increased at a CAGR of 17% and crossed 1,12,000, as per the India Venture Capital Report 2021 published by Bain and Company,

Bengaluru is the unicorn startup capital of India

Reuters/Representational Image

With 46 probable unicorns, Bengaluru is the unicorn startup capital of India followed by Delhi-NCR (25) and Mumbai (16). Around 21 Indian future unicorns have overseas headquarters including the US, Singapore and the UK.

Huruns potential unicorn list featured 15 startups led by women and Pratilipi is the only company in the index with two women co-founders.

As per the Hurun index, 19 years old Kaivalya Vohra, co-founder of gazelle Zepto, is the youngest startup founder and 61 years old K Satyanarayana, founder of Ecom Express is the oldest founder.

The start-up ecosystem is expanding

Hurun Research Institute and ASK Asset & Wealth Management study showed that the future unicorns are focussing on various sub-segments including financial services, logistics, healthcare and education primarily.

Reuters/Representational Image

Anas Rahman Junaid, MD and chief researcher, Hurun India said that While compiling the ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2022, we discovered that the countrys start-up ecosystem is expanding at an unprecedented rate. In just one year, the number of unicorns has increased by 65%Probably, the pandemic has accelerated the disruption of traditional businesses and fostered the emergence of startups. The ecosystem is gradually attaining the requisite maturity and resilience.
Satish Agnihotri, the Managing Director of National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) and the person who was in charge of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has been sacked by the Railways.

The action by Railways came after a Lokpal court order in June directing the CBI to probe charges of a "quid pro quo" deal allegedly struck by the former NHSRCL MD with a private company during his nine-year tenure as CMD of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).

BCCL/ File

What are the allegations against Agnihotri?

The Lokpal court has directed the CBI to "ascertain whether any offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, is made out" against Agnihotri and to submit the probe report to the Lokpal office within six months or before December 12, 2022.

Agnihotri, a 1982-batch IRSE officer was facing multiple allegations including the misuse of official position and diverting funds in an unauthorised manner to a private company.

It is also alleged that Agnihotri took up a job in a private firm within a year of his retirement. This was in violation of government rules which prohibits retired officials from accepting commercial employment before one year of retirement without the Centre's approval.

AFP

Agnihotri who joined NHSRCL in July 2021 has over 20 years of experience in the implementation of mega rail infrastructure projects.

Following the termination of his service, Rajendra Prasad, Director, Projects, NHSRCL has been handed over the charge of MD for three months.

NHSRCL is a joint venture between the Union government and the government of the respective state in which a project is being undertaken.

Bullet train set to miss the deadline

This comes even as the Bullet train, said to be PM Modi's most ambitious infrastructure project is struggling to keep up with the deadline.

A total of 1,434.4 hectares of land will be required for the project including private, government, forest and railway land.

BCCL

Land acquisition for the 155-km rail route in Maharashtra has been stuck in limbo.

As of September 2021, only 30 percent of the required land was acquired by NHSRCL in Maharashtra.

Notably, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was not a big fan of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project and had even termed it a white elephant.

PM Modi's most ambitious project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then Japan's Premier Shinzo Abe had on September 14, 2017 laid the foundation stone for the ambitious Rs 1.08 lakh crore ($17 billion) project.

AFP/ File Image

The initial deadline to complete the ambitious project was December 2023. The bullet trains are expected to run at 350 km per hour covering the 508-km stretch in about two hours. In comparison, trains currently plying on the route take over seven hours to travel the distance, whereas flights take about an hour.

For more on news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Japan and the rest of the world have been left shocked by the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in broad daylight while making an election campaign speech.

Yamagami Tetsuya, the gunman was apprehended by the police immediately after he shot at Abe.

Very little is known about the 41-year-old assassin or his motive as of now.

AFP

Who is Yamagami Tetsuya?

Japan's state broadcaster reported that Yamagami, was previously in the Japanese navy, known as the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) until he resigned in 2005.



Yamagami used what appeared to be a homemade shotgun to attack Abe from behind.

He was believed to be standing behind Abe, 10 feet away, when he fired at him.

Yamagami fired two bullets at Abe, one hitting him on the chest and the second on the former PM's neck.

AP

The gunman did not try to flee the spot and Yamagami was soon tackled by the police who were present on the spot.

It is still unclear what made Yamagami murder Abe.

NHK reported that Yamagami admitted to the crime and said he tried to kill Abe because he was 'dissatisfied' with him. However, Kyodo News reported that the shooter said he had "no grudge against Abe's political beliefs".

Yamagami has been with attempted murder and there are also reports that explosives have been found at his house.

AP

Gun laws in Japan

Japan has some of the toughest gun laws in the world and it is extremely difficult for individuals to get a gun licence.

Japanese citizens must first get a recommendation from a shooting association and then undergo strict police checks before they are allowed to own a gun.

Shinzo Abe's political legacy

67-year-old Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister and held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

He was also Japans youngest prime minister and was 52 years old in 2006 when he was first chosen for the post.

Reuters/ File

Abe was a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi.

Under his rule and economic reforms which later came to know as Abenomics, Japan rose to become one of the top economies in the world.

Abe had also played a key role in Tokyo being chosen to host the 2020 Olympics.

For more on news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
(Trigger warning: This post is about depression and mental health issues)



The pressure of academics can sometimes lead students to take drastic steps. In India, peer pressure, the whole 'hustle' culture, and 'achieve all you can' still exist. Not everyone can take the pressure, which leads to the worst outcomes.



The Times of India

Just an hour before the annual High School Certificate (HSC) examination results were released on Wednesday, a private residential school student in class 10 allegedly committed suicide in Odisha's Ganjam district, according to police.

Shutterstock

They said the 15-year-old girl set herself on fire by pouring kerosene at her home in Digapahandi.



Police rescued her and took her to a hospital, where she was declared dead. "We suspect that she might have committed self-immolation over fears that she would be unsuccessful in the examination," a police officer said.

However, the girl passed with a B-1 and scored 421 out of 600 in the board exams.

Unsplash

Most of them are driven to take severe measures by the pressure to receive high grades. Not only do their parents put them under pressure, but also their friends and teachers.



Constant Pressure:

Agencies

Students are eventually pushed to the edge by others who seem to encourage them to succeed using relatively innocuous words and behavior. This nagging and pushing bring on stress and sadness.



iStock

In February 2022, a student of Delhi Public School in Haryanas Faridabad city allegedly died by suicide earlier. His mother claimed the boy was being harassed at his school for his sexuality. The mother said that the school authorities had threatened to expel the boy after she complained to them about the harassment, reported ANI.



My son should get justice. Senior authorities and DPS society should take the responsibility that they are admitting students without their background check just for the sake of earning money, Aarti Malhotra, mother of the deceased boy, told ANI.

(With agency inputs)

(For more trending stories, click here.)



(If you know anyone battling depression or other mental health issues, please contact someone who can help. AASRA Foundation: 022 2754 6669 Samaritans Mumbai: +91 84229 84528 / +91 84229 84529 / +91 84229 84530 Sanjivini Society for Mental Health: +911124311918)


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The Vermont man charged with killing his mother at sea in a plot to inherit millions of dollars has asked a federal court to authorize his release from custody pending trial.

The attorneys for Nathan Carman filed a motion Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Burlington saying the evidence against him is tenuous at best and he is not a flight risk or a danger to the community.

As conditions of release, Carman is willing to surrender his passport, submit to electronic monitoring and turn over all the money he has, $10,000, to a third party or post some of that money as bail, the filing says.

He has also been under criminal investigation for almost a decade and he has been facing civil litigation, but he has always shown up in court.

How Sunken Boat Insurance Claim Factors Into Vermont Murder Case

At no time during that lengthy period has Mr. Carman ever attempted to threaten a witness, contact a witness inappropriately or sought to influence a witness in any way, the filing says. There is no evidence to support such a claim now.

After Carmans arrest, prosecutors argued he should be held because he poses a flight risk and is a danger to the community.

Carman has been held since his arrest in May when he was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of his mother, Linda Carman of Middletown, Connecticut, during a fishing trip off the Rhode Island coast. Her body has never been found.

He was also charged with multiple counts of fraud.

Authorities also alleged Carman killed his grandfather, John Chakalos, at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 as part of a scheme to obtain money and property from his grandfathers estate, but he was not charged with that killing.

The Wednesday motion says that during his eight years living in Vernon, Vermont, Carman led a quiet life with solid ties to the community, participating in town forums, attending a local church and had many local friends.

Photo: Nathan Carman, center, carries documents as he arrives at federal court, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, in Providence, R.I. Carman faces civil charges in federal court over insurance issues regarding the boat aboard which he and his mother went out to sea for a night of fishing in 2016. The boat sank, Carman survived but his mother was never found. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Fraud Vermont
Lloyds Europe reports the appointment of Bertrand Heugues as chief underwriting officer effective 14 July.

He will be responsible for overseeing underwriting, delegated authority management, claims and the reinsurance business. Bertrand joins Lloyds Europe from Ageas in Brussels where he was global head of pricing and underwriting.

He has more than 18 years experience in the insurance industry as a non-life actuary with experience in underwriting, pricing, and risk and portfolio management.

Heugues began his career in 2005 as a commercial lines underwriter at Axa and then moved to Marsh where he was an alternative risk transfer advisor, responsible for structuring and negotiating tailor-made solutions for major customer segments and captive clients worldwide. He has also held a number of senior positions at Generali, including financial planning and analysis manager in France and chief technical officer in Belgium.

He joined Ageas in 2015 as the global head of pricing and underwriting and then became the non-life deputy chief operating officer in Portugal responsible for pricing, underwriting, claims and policy administration. He was also the head of environmental, social and governance (ESG).

Parsyl Opens London Office; Hires From Aon, McGill, Talbot

U.S.-based supply chain insurer Parsyl Inc. has opened a London office and hired a team of marine cargo professionals to serve Lloyds open market via Parsyls Syndicate 1796. Joining Parsyl are Kristopher Kimble, a director of Aon; Henry Wood, a partner at McGill; and Ed Colclough, head of cargo, fine art and specie at Talbot, an AIG company.

Parsyl insures goods in food, pharmaceuticals and life science industries as well as logistics participants within the perishable supply chain. It uses granular supply chain data to identify and manage risk and reduce waste of essential goods.

Wood joins Parsyl from McGill and Partners where he held the position of partner on the marine and energy treaty reinsurance team. He started the London cargo book of Torus/StarStone in 2012. Prior to his time with Torus/StarStone, Wood held various senior underwriting positions at Glacier Re in Zurich as well as AIG.

New underwriter Kimble brings 15 years of cargo and logistics insurance experience and joins from Aon where he was a director in the marine cargo division. At Aon, his responsibilities included broking and servicing of large and complex programs, business development and new product initiatives. Prior to joining Aon, Kimbles served as a divisional director at Willis Towers Watson in the global marine cargo practice, where hed spent 13 years.

Colclough joins Parsyl from Talbot Underwriting where he was head of cargo, fine art and specie. Having started on Talbots graduate programme over a decade ago, Colclough has worked across a number of lines of business, including four years in Dubai writing Talbots marine and energy portfolio. He has been involved in the Lloyds Lab including mentoring and advisory work across various cohorts.

Parsyls products include ColdCoverR, a suite of connected cargo insurance products, including a parametric temperature solution. Parsyls insurance coverages include cargo and stock throughput, shippers interest, cargo legal liability, warehouse legal liability, open lot, and errors and omission.

Parsyl said its risk management technology is deployed in 80 countries and is currently monitoring vaccines for more than 200 million people.

Earlier this year, Parsyl launched a U.S.-based managing general underwriter, and expanded the scope of 1796, its syndicate at Lloyds of London, to support global healthcare, perishable foods and pharmaceuticals. The syndicate was first created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Topics Excess Surplus Underwriting Europe Lloyd's London Trucking
3M Co. still faces the prospect of additional costs to resolve contamination liabilities in Belgium after reaching an agreement to clean up and remediate PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals used in many consumer goods, a government official said.

The St. Paul, Minnesota-based companys agreement with the Flemish government to pay 571 million ($581 million) doesnt release it from responsibility to address human health damage that arises from contamination, according to Zuhal Demir, the Flemish environment minister.

The pact is open-ended for 3Ms obligations for health and soil remediation, she said in a statement Wednesday. This agreement ensures we can take concrete actions on the ground.

3Ms manufacturing activities over several decades caused widespread contamination in the area surrounding its Antwerp factory, Bloomberg Businessweek detailed in a report last month. The Flemish government ordered 3M to stop production of PFAS in Antwerp last year after activists exposed the extent of the contamination around the factory, and tests on almost 800 local residents showed the vast majority had unsafe levels in their bloodstream. 3M resumed some PFAS production at the site last month.

While the new agreement gives 3M a path to move forward, officials in Belgium are focusing on the limits of the deal. The pact doesnt prevent local residents from bringing civil claims against 3M, doesnt stop an ongoing environmental-crime probe of the company, and doesnt cap future liabilities for health harms to local residents, a representative for Demir said.

It was important for us that the agreement was open-ended, spokesperson Andy Pieters said in an interview. If there is health damage to civilians because of 3M, we can come back to charge them with that.

In a regulatory filing Wednesday, 3M said it plans to take a $360 million pretax charge for the second quarter of 2022 for PFAS. The agreement will build the foundation for future certainty in 3Ms Belgium operations and address future potential liabilities, John Banovetz, its executive vice president and chief technology officer, said in a statement.

The U.S. company committed an additional 300 million beyond what it already announced for remediation of the area surrounding the Antwerp plant and installing PFAS treatment technology on its site. The agreement said theres no limit to 3Ms obligation to remediate the soil under a government decree.

Among the new funds announced, 3M will pay 100 million to help finance costs related to a state-backed 4.5 billion highway and tunnel project to complete the ring road around Antwerp, which has involved digging up soil that 3M contaminated with PFAS. It will also pay 100 million directly to the Flemish government for PFAS-related costs, including the running of blood tests on local residents.

Pieters said reaction to last months Bloomberg Businessweek story prompted 3Ms last, best and final offer in the negotiations.

3M shares rose less than 1% in New York trading Wednesday and have declined 27% so far this year, more than the 19% drop in the S&P 500 index.

Civil Claims

The agreement wont stop civil claims against 3M from going ahead, said Geert Lenssens, a partner at SQ Law in Brussels who is representing a local family with high PFAS levels in their blood. He says the case could usher in hundreds of additional lawsuits for compensation.

We are worried that civilians were not involved in the negotiations, Lenssens said. There are all kinds of personal, material and health damages now and in the future that are clearly not included.

Flemish politicians voiced concerns about the agreement. Hannes Anaf, who chaired the PFOS Commission in the Flemish parliament that investigated 3Ms contamination, said hes worried the agreement may allow the company to escape future liabilities despite government assurances.

This is one of the most polluted areas with PFOS in all of Europe, Anaf said. Its good that 3M makes a first funding commitment of 571 million and it may seem like a big number but it isnt in reality.

Minnesota Contamination

In the U.S., 3Ms costs to resolve PFAS contamination have been much higher. In 2018, the company reached an $850 million settlement with the state of Minnesota to address PFAS contamination in a deal that was set up to address contaminated drinking water in Cottage Grove and surrounding towns.

In Belgium, 3Ms pollution hasnt impacted drinking-water supplies.

The pact could lead to 3M accepting polluted soil from the highway-tunnel project on to its factory site to allow construction to continue. 3M committed to support services such as operation of an interim storage depot, landfill or mobile cleaning installation site on the site of 3M, Pieters said, adding that it could involve additional environmental permits.

The Flemish government concluded its agreement with 3M after just 10 months of negotiations, compared to eight years it took to settle the Minnesota case.

The government might have proceeded too fast. There are uncertainties and the complete picture of the damages isnt clear, Lenssens said. This is not the end of it. Its a start.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics USA Chemicals
A woman, stunned and speechless in the chaos of a July 4 parade massacre, walked up to Greg Ring and handed him a 2-year-old boy, covered in blood.

Ring had fled the scene in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park with his wife and three children to an area behind a popular pancake house.

We kind of met eyes and didnt say anything. I put my arms out, and she gave him to me, Ring said Wednesday, when describing the exchange with the unidentified woman, who then laid down in front of their car in shock.

The boy pointed in the direction of the parade route, saying Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy.

Rings wish to help the boy carried him back to the scene. He tucked the boys face in his chest, so he couldnt see the carnage. But Ring quickly realized it was too dangerous.

Active shooter! Get back down! a police officer shouted. Ring fled again.

He and his family got to their car and took the boy to a Highland Park fire station. I have a boy. Hes not ours, he told the department staff, who asked him to keep the boy as authorities searched for the shooter and helped the wounded.

They were getting ready for war, Ring said.

The family drove to Rings in-laws, where they hunkered down. There, the boy sat with Rings 4-year-old, watching a Mickey Mouse show.

He asked my wife to wipe him off because he had blood on him that wasnt his, said Ring, an insurance broker with Rampart Insurance Services.

They were later able to identify the boy and reunite him with his grandparents.

Aiden McCarthys parents, Kevin and Irina, both died in the shooting, which left five others dead and more than two dozen wounded.

Friends of the McCarthys said Irinas parents would care for the boy going forward.

Aiden  will have a long road ahead to heal, find stability, and ultimately navigate life as an orphan. He is surrounded by a community of friends and extended family that will embrace him with love, and any means available to ensure he has everything he needs as he grows, Irina Colon wrote on a GoFundMe account she created for the family and Aiden. Colon, who described Irina McCarthy as family on her Facebook page, has raised more than $2 million so far.

One of hundreds of donors wrote, Aiden, as a momma of another 2 year old boy, my heart is breaking for you. I am so sad your little heart has to endure such a devastating loss. No child should have to go through what you are. Stay strong, sweet boy!

On Wednesday, Ring was still trying to process what happened at the July 4 parade. He said hes not a hero and just did what anyone would have done in the situation.

Im just filled with immense gratitude. Im really sad. I dont know, I dont know how I feel. I have not slept for a minute the last two nights, he said.

What couldve happened _ it is nothing short of a miracle that the five of us _ me, my wife and my three kids _ one of us or all of us isnt dead. I do not understand. Everybody around us was hit or got shot.

The five others who died were identified as Katherine Goldstein, 64; Stephen Straus, 88; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Agencies
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Bayer and BASF have won a new trial on $60 million in punitive damages they were ordered to pay a Missouri peach farmer who said dicamba, a herbicide they produced, drifted onto his orchard and harmed his crops.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that a federal jury was wrongly told to assess punitive damages for Bayer and BASF together, rather than separately. It said a new trial was needed to determine punitive damages for each company.

BASF, which had argued on appeal that the joint award was unfair because the case focused on the conduct of Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, said in a statement that it was pleased with the ruling.

We are confident that BASFs reprehensible conduct and sizable net worth will result in an even larger punitive damages award upon retrial, Tracey George, a lawyer for farmer Bill Bader, said in an email.

Bayer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The order does not affect the jurys verdict that the companies are responsible, and leaves in place $15 million in non-punitive damages.

The jury originally awarded $250 million in punitive damages, but a federal judge later slashed the punitive portion to $60 million.

Baders lawsuit, one of more than 100 similar lawsuits over dicamba, went to trial in early 2020. Bayer in June 2020 announced it would pay up to $400 million to settle the remaining dicamba lawsuits.

Bader, who operates Missouris largest peach orchard, said dicamba drifted onto his property from nearby soybean and cotton farms.

Monsanto began selling dicamba-tolerant soybean and cotton seeds it developed in 2015 and 2016, respectively, leading to an explosion of dicamba use, Bader and other farmers have said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency imposed restrictions on the use of dicamba in November 2018.

Related:

Topics Lawsuits
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InsurTech Fund, a venture capital fund associated with InsurTech NY, has announced that it will be accepting applications for its first Digital MGA Lab, a three-month program focused on managing general agents.

The program is designed for digital brokers, analytics startups, and European managing general agents (MGAs) seeking to become MGAs in North America. The program will ru for three days in New York City: Model Day on Sep. 26, Capacity Day on Oct. 13, and Distribution Day on Nov. 14.

Companies will be accepted at any funding stage from Series Seed to pre-IPO. Applications will be accepted from July 7 through July 27.

The application is available through the InsurTech Fund website.

Digital MGAs and startup carriers have been the most successful class of insurtechs in terms of revenue growth and ability to attract funding, according to David Gritz, InsurTech NY managing director. Some early missteps with loss ratios have placed a long shadow on MGAs; however, we believe that the next generation of digital MGAs will outperform the current crop. We created this program to help digital MGAs get established properly from the beginning.

The three-month program will focus on actuarial modeling, insurance capacity and retail distribution. Startups in the program will gain access to program administrators, fronting carriers, and reinsurers looking to provide insurance capacity across major lines of property/casualty insurance. Founders will also gain access to mentors who have built or supported the insurance stack for companies including Hippo, Foresight and Cowbell Cyber.

The application is available through the InsurTech Fund website.

InsurTech Fund will be supporting the MGA Lab in parallel with the InsurTech NY accelerator and MGA Lab participants will be eligible to present at the InsurTech NY demo day.

Topics InsurTech Tech Insurance Wholesale Funding
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Technology giants including Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Google, facing questions about whether theyd hand over users personal data to authorities pursuing evidence on abortion seekers, are bracing for the multi-state legal quagmire that will govern privacy in a post-Roe world.

From map searches to private messages, a trove of information stored in the companies data centers could be used as a digital trail of breadcrumbs linking a patient to the termination of a pregnancy, a procedure being restricted in multiple US states, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The largest tech companies, which have in the past mounted high-profile legal opposition to law enforcement data requests, have been largely silent about what theyll do in these cases.

Consider a hypothetical online search for abortion pills: A woman in Texas searches for mifepristone and buys it from a New York pharmacy. Google may have a record of the web search, and the receipt may land in a Microsoft Outlook inbox. Google is based in California and Microsoft in Washington, but digital records of her queries and her inbox may be stored at Googles data center in New Albany, Ohio, or Microsofts in Des Moines, Iowa. If law enforcement officials in Texas seek evidence from Google or Microsoft, a clash of four different sets of state laws and two companies may ensue. Its a question that could be replicated across a host of different online services and data sourcesand involve information that in many states could incriminate not just patients, but their confidants and health-care providers.

The world has changed in many fundamental ways since 1972since the pre-Roe worldbut one of the most important ways its changed thats relevant here is we have a digital surveillance apparatus that didnt exist before, said Corynne McSherry, legal director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital-rights advocacy group based in San Francisco. Its going to be very, very messy, and a lot will depend on what companies decide to do in terms of pushback.

The situation may put technology companies under the most acute pressure over data-sharing practices since the backlash following Edward Snowdens revelations of big corporations cooperation with U.S. government surveillance in 2013. Those disclosures caused some companies, like Microsoft, to issue specific public guarantees to customers about how they would handle government data requests and fight them in certain instances.

Tech companies are already coming under pressure to similarly oppose abortion-related data requests. Still, because abortion views in the US are so polarized, the companies are almost certain to encounter pushback no matter what they decide to do, which may be why theyre staying mostly quiet for now, waiting for specific requests to publicly communicate a broad policy.

Some are taking early steps to reassure customers. Google on July 1 said it will automatically delete location-tracking records of user visits to sensitive places, including abortion clinics, and will make it easier to delete period logs from its Fitbit app. The Alphabet Inc.-owned search giant also underscored its track record of fighting government requests for information that the company deems inappropriate.

We remain committed to protecting our users against improper government demands for data, and we will continue to oppose demands that are overly broad or otherwise legally objectionable, the company said in a blog post. Google declined to specify if it would fight abortion-related data requests, and didnt mention the changing legal landscape at all.

Apple said it builds privacy protections into it products and is particularly careful with software and devices that relate to health care. For example, if a users iPhone is locked with a passcode, fingerprint or Face ID, the health and fitness data is encrypted. On the latest version of the operating systems for the companys watches and phones, if users opt for two-factor authentication, health and activity data cant be viewed by Apple, including information in the period-tracking features of the health app. Apple also places privacy requirements on developers who sell through its App Store. The company didnt comment on how it might respond to an abortion-related warrant or subpoena for user data.

Microsoft, which runs large email and chat apps, also declined to say what it will do. So did Meta Platforms Inc., owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Amazon.com Inc., the largest cloud-infrastructure company and owner of health-care services like Amazon Care and Amazon Pharmacy, also declined to comment.

Microsoft and Apple just a few years ago fiercely fought against US government or law enforcement demands that they turn over user data or unlock phones, gaining support from many other tech firms and privacy advocates for their stances. Apple in 2016 refused to unlock the phone of one of the gunmen in a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, even after it was sued by the FBI. Microsoft took the US Justice Department all the way to the Supreme Court with the companys refusal to turn over the emails of a suspected drug trafficker that were stored in Ireland.

Its unclear whether the companies will go to battle to protect women and health-care providers facing possible prosecution over abortions. The situation is complicated by the patchwork of state laws on reproductive choice, and an industry in which data isnt always stored in the state where a patient resides or where a company is based. Patients may have to travel to seek care, or seek pills from elsewhere, and its not known which jurisdiction would prevail in a tussle over data. Companies will be facing warrants and subpoenas in both civil and criminal cases.

There are also varying state laws protecting the privacy of health-care data specifically, as well as the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. The rules are different based on how a company is classified and what kind of personal information it holds, said Iliana Peters, shareholder at Washington DC law firm Polsinelli. Because health plans and care providers that take insurance from those insurers are covered by HIPAA, its probable that the cloud-computing providers that store data for them could be covered, too.

At the same time, a court order thats signed by a judge or court-ordered warrant could permit a HIPAA entity to provide the data, Peters said, but the entity could challenge the order if they felt strongly about not disclosing that information.

Some companies have referred to past statements and policies when asked about how theyd handle personal data requests related to abortion. We always scrutinize every government request we receive to make sure it is legally valid, no matter which government makes the request, Meta said in May. We comply with government requests for user information only where we have a good-faith belief that the law requires us to do so. In addition, we assess whether a request is consistent with internationally recognized standards on human rights.

Most large technology companies publish regular updates on how many requests they get from courts, governments and law enforcement in the US and other countries. Still, those reports indicate that the companies comply with the vast majority of requests. In its most recent summary, Meta reported it got about 215,000 requests globally for the final six months of 2021, and handed over at least some data in almost 73% of cases. In 70% of cases, the company wasnt allowed to notify the impacted users. For that same period, Microsoft received 25,182 requests and rejected a quarter of them. Googles most recent data, for the first half of last year, showed the search company got just over 50,000 requests and gave up some data in 82% of cases.

Tech workers are also pressuring employers to take a stand against sharing data. After Google released its updates on consumer privacy, the labor group Alphabet Workers Union called on the company to take decisive action in the face of legal challenges.

States where abortion remains legal have also been taking steps to bolster support for women living in areas with harsher restrictions. Washington Governor Jay Inslee pledged to block hardline anti-abortion jurisdictions from accessing information on who travels to his state for the procedure, and Californias Gavin Newsom signed an order preventing medical records and patient data from being shared by state agencies or departments as part of investigations by states that limit abortion access.

Meanwhile, some cases are testing law enforcement agencies right to access users search history as a dragnet to find evidence. A 17-year-old charged with setting a deadly fire filed suit in a Denver court challenging police use of something called reverse-keyword searching. A judges order had compelled Google to scan its records of all queries for anyone searching for the address of the home set on fire in 2020, NBC News reported.

Its going to be years of litigation before we really have clarity around the question of the data, EFFs McSherry said. And also of course, around whether you can prosecutewhether legitimate prosecution or notif its across state lines.

With assistance from Mark Gurman.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics InsurTech Tech
Kevin Robnett of Fort Worth has been appointed to the Texas Mutual Insurance Company board of directors by Gov. Greg Abbott. His board term for Texas Mutual, the states leading provider of workers compensation insurance, will expire on July 1, 2027.

Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge from the leadership positions he has held in the corporate and government sectors, said Rich Gergasko, president and chief executive officer of Texas Mutual. His experience makes him uniquely qualified for Texas Mutuals board, and we look forward to the leadership he will bring.

Robnett was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbot to replace Linda Foster-Smith, whose second term on the board ended in 2021. Foster-Smith served on the Texas Mutual board of directors for over 12 years.

I am appreciative to Gov. Abbott for appointing such a qualified individual to replace Linda, one of our longest-serving members, and someone who takes a wealth of knowledge with her, said the Honorable Ron Simmons, Texas Mutual Chairman of the Board. On behalf of the board, we welcome Kevin and thank Linda for her tremendous service.

Robnett is Co-CEO of Lithos, a critical materials exploration and production company, and previously served as senior vice president at Tiedemann Advisors. Robnett also formerly worked in Texas politics as deputy general counsel and senior policy advisor to Speaker Joe Straus of the Texas House of Representatives.

Source: Texas Mutual Insurance Company

Topics Texas
New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles!

AM Best has withdrawn its financial strength rating for Capacity Insurance, a commercial insurer with a small footprint in Florida, and the company has decided to withdraw from the Florida market.

Due to a variety of circumstances, the Florida market has undergone tremendous changes over the last year. As a result, we halted binding new business effective June 21, 2022, the Capacity website reads.

The insurer since 1989 has provided property-casualty coverage for light mercantile, offices, lessors risk, gas stations, houses of worship, trade contractors, funeral homes and other small-to-mid-sized businesses.

In 2009 Capacity was acquired by Team Focus Insurance Group, which was acquired by Peak6 InsurTech and investment firm one year ago. Capacitys affiliate and managing general agency, MacNeill Group, continues to work with other carriers, the companys website noted.

AM Best announced Thursday that it withdrawn Capacitys financial ratings after the company said it no longer wished to participate in the rating process. The rating firm had recently downgraded Capacitys financial strength rating to C++ marginal and said the outlook for the company is negative.

The downgrades reflect Capacitys balance sheet and an unfavorable shift in its capitalization, as well as erosion of its surplus.

Furthermore, the companys capital structure is dependent on a $7 million surplus note (due in 2029) that was issued in early 2022, AM Best wrote in the news release. The company has continued to report adverse loss reserve development stemming primarily from managements efforts to correct current reserves and subdue future deficiencies.

Recent corrective actions taken by the company did not solve the problem, AM Best noted.

A spokesman for Peak6 said Friday that the insurer has undergone significant changes in the last 18 months. Over the past year, the Florida market has been extremely difficult, especially in the reinsurance arena, further decreasing the profitability of Capacity Insurance, a statement from the company said.

On July 5, Capacitys board of directors accepted the resignation of its chairman and appointed Andy McGuire to the position. It also authorized management to move ahead with the plan to voluntarily withdraw from the state. Two days later, it submitted a withdrawal plan to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and is awaiting review. The carrier is committed to paying all outstanding claims from its existing book of business, the company said.

Capacity has only about 2,700 policies in force. In 2019, it had some $17 million in direct written premium, or less than 0.1% of the Florida market, according to a report from consultant Guy Fraker.

PEAK6 InsurTech continues to view Capacity Insurance as an asset and will retain its license to write in Florida so it may revisit opportunities to reenter the Florida market for all lines of coverage in the future, the Peak6 statement noted.

Topics Florida
A former Southern California woman who, along with her doctor husband, billed insurers $44 million for unnecessary cosmetic surgeries was sentenced to eight years in federal prison.

Linda Morrow, 70, also was ordered to pay $14 million in restitution. She pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit health fraud and contempt of court.

Morrow and her husband, David Morrow, ran The Morrow Institute, a surgical clinic in Rancho Mirage in the California desert near Palm Springs.

Prosecutors said that between 2007 and 2011, the Morrows billed insurance companies for procedures that were listed as medically necessary but in fact were merely cosmetic.

Tummy tucks were listed on paperwork as hernia repair or abdominal reconstruction, authorities said. Nose jobs were recorded as correcting a deviated septum. Breast jobs were supposedly to fix a tuberous breast deformity.

The case that involved recruiting patients, many of them public employees, with good insurance policies they could exploit.

Patients were promised free liposuction, nose jobs, breast augmentation and vaginal rejuvenation for free if they helped fudge the paperwork by signing testimonial letters or declarations with false statements.

While major insurers such as Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California and Cigna Health Insurance were listed as victims, local school districts were defrauded of more than $15 million, prosecutors said.

The Morrows fled the country in 2017 following their indictments but were later arrested in Israel and deported.

David Morrow, 77, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. He was stripped of his license as a plastic surgeon.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Fraud
On Saturday, July 16, hundreds of pilgrims will cram onto a flotilla of currachs, pleasure craft and fishing boats at the several inlets and piers of Mace Head in Connemara to cross about 2km of sea to honour the memory of a sixth-century saint. Not a lot is known about St Macdara but his legacy has lasted more than 1,500 years from when he chose this barren island to establish his church.

As my kayak glides onto the beach on the southwestern shore on a bright and breezy day the imposing sight of his church stands out like a beacon. This trip is two weeks before the pilgrimage and, of course, no multitudes are in evidence. It is the calm before the storm when hundreds of people will disembark into the shallows, (there is no pier and clement weather is much sought-after) to attend a mass in honour of the saints feast day.

St Macdara is the patron saint of Connemara fishermen, who tradition has it, dip their sails on passing the island in order to receive his blessing. And if they dont myth records a fierce vengeance unleashed from the seas on the unbeliever.

All the boats will be blessed on the day too.

Church on St MacDara's Island, Connemara, Co Galway. Picture: Dan MacCarthy

The only activity on arrival at this serene place, apart from this visitor, is of a cormorant drying its wings on a rock. In some years weather conditions have been very bad so it is with no little courage that the devout board the boats. Nine people drowned on the pilgrimage in a storm in 1907.

This is one of several summer pilgrimage sites in the west of Ireland: some of these are to islands such as Caher in County Mayo or the site that draws by far the greatest number of pilgrims  Croagh Patrick itself.

St Macdara is believed to have established an oratory of wooden construction here in the sixth century at the dawn of Christianity on this island. The current building dates from the 12th century and had its roof restored in 1977. In addition to the church, there are three penitential stations comprised of cross slabs, and a holy well. There are also the ruins of a much later bothy around which animals were once raised.

Nobody has lived there for more than 800 years. It is a cause for speculation if the island had some trees back in those days when it was significant enough to be self-sustaining. The soil seems reasonable to support the growing of some vegetables.

The church is unusual, though not unique, in its design. A very steep-pitched roof is its standout feature and is a curiosity in itself. The church has just one room and a few very small windows.

Its appearance is so sturdy as to suggest it could last for another 500 years without much repair. it is regarded as one of the finest early Christian oratories in Ireland and, for this reason, was commemorated in a stamp issued in the 1980s.

An Post stamp showing MacDara's Island

One of the cross slabs has a motif of a Greek cross which are relatively widespread in early Church history in Ireland. The condition of some of the cross slabs prompted the late writer, Tim Robinson, to speculate that the island was subject to Viking raids. The hermitage on Inishboffin was raided by the Vikings in 895 as was the church on Caher Island to the east. It is reasonable to assume that Macdaras Island was also attacked and that treasures from the church lie undiscovered in a hoard somewhere in Denmark or Norway.

Unsurprisingly the island has had many versions of its name including: Oilean Mhic Dara; St Mac Daras Island; Cruach na Cara; Crownacarro; Crunakarra; Mackdarra; and Inis mic Dara, Contemporary poetry has referenced the mystical appeal of the island. It is mentioned in The 12 0clock Mass, Roundstone by Paul Durcan.

After Mass, the rain had drained away/

into a tide of Sunlight on which we sailed out/

to St MacDaras Island and dipped our sails/

Both of us smiling.

How to get there: For the pilgrimage on July 16 inquire at Carna, or follow the crowds! Otherwise, kayak from a small strand near Ard just west of Carna.

Other: logainm.ie
The resignation of Boris Johnson was hailed as an opportunity to reset Anglo-Irish relations after a day of high drama in Westminster.

As resignations continued to pile up in Mr Johnson's government early on Thursday, the British prime minister bowed to internal party pressure and announced he would resign as party leader. However, he said he would stay on until his party chooses a successor, with the timetable for the contest to be announced next week.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said that the dramatic resignation represents a chance to end the impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol, although government sources also accept that any successor is also likely to be a hardline Brexiteer.

Its fair to say that over the last while that relationship has come under strain, and there have been significant challenges, Mr Martin said.

I believe opportunities may arise to reset that relationship, particularly to avoid unilateralism, to pull back from the unilateral moves in evidence in respect of legacy, in respect of human rights.

Micheal Martin: 'Its fair to say that over the last while that relationship has come under strain.' Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

We would like to see an opportunity to freshen the relationship but also to reset it on the basis of adhering to established agreements that have been entered into with the British government and European Union.

The Taoiseach added that the EU had been flexible on the protocol issues and that he was keen to see those resolved by negotiations.

I always think from a policy perspective it is a fundamentally wrong decision for Britain. And I think some of that has manifested itself already," he said.

There's very little planning. The outcome of Brexit is not good

Mr Martin said that he never said anything negative about the outgoing prime minister but they did fundamentally disagree on Brexit. However, he added that Mr Johnson was good company.

'Best job in the world'

In an address outside Downing Street, Mr Johnson revealed his sadness at giving up the best job in the world but vowed to support his replacement, whoever he or she may be.

However, his words also revealed his unhappiness with the actions of the stream of MPs who had deserted his Government over the last two days.

The herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves

Thems the breaks, Mr Johnson added.

In the last few days, I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when were delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when were actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in mid-term after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally.

Members of the public stand outside the gates of Downing Street as Boris Johnson resigns.

I regret not to have been successful in those arguments and of course its painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself."

Northern Ireland Protocol

British-Irish relationships have been strained in recent months due to the decision of the British government to pass legislation overriding the Northern Ireland Protocol, a bill that is likely to proceed despite the impending change of leader.

Commons leader Mark Spencer confirmed that three days of committee stage for the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will begin on July 13

The line-by-line scrutiny is then expected to continue on July 18 and conclude on July 19, two days before the summer recess for the Commons.

However, the bill will still have report stage and third reading to clear in the Commons and all stages in the House of Lords, which means Mr Johnsons replacement as Conservative Party leader and prime minister could halt its progress.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald also reacted to Mr Johnson's departure this afternoon.

She said his interactions with Ireland had been "wholly negative" and he would not be missed.
WHEN this nightmare is over  and it is over for Boris Johnson, but not yet for the rest of us  the Conservative Party owes the British public a grovelling apology.

It should hang its head in shame for foisting on the country a man so wholly unfit for office that he had to be dragged from it kicking and screaming and threatening to burn everything to the ground.

It should apologise for choosing a leader it knew to be a lightweight and a liar, and propping him up for three years at the British publics expense, long after its worst fears had been realised.

But most of all, it should apologise for repeatedly underestimating what he was capable of when cornered, and how hard he would be to remove.

Nor should it expect, having apologised, to be forgiven.

When Johnson finally threw in the towel on Thursday, you could almost hear Britain sigh with relief. Its goodbye to the worst prime minister any of us has ever known  and frankly, good riddance.

He has brought Britain to its knees, and his only legacy will be the long, painful years of clearing up the damage. But we are not quite out of the woods yet.

The prime ministers unhinged insistence on clinging to power long after that was tenable has brought Britain terrifyingly close to the brink over the last few days.

In his final hours, he was clearly positioning himself to go full Trump, arguing that he was the peoples choice, and only they could fire him.

"It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister," said Johnson in his resignation speech.

Thankfully, he has been persuaded to resign before he could attempt to mobilise the most deranged and paranoid strand of rightwing populism, ever ready to believe that their Brexit is being somehow stolen from them.

Nonetheless, there was something chilling about watching the liaison committees chairman Bernard Jenkin, a staunch Brexiter and former Johnson supporter, try but fail to extract a promise from a fading prime minister not to try to elude a no-confidence vote by calling a snap election.

It is those who understand Boris Johnson best who most fear the damage he could do on his way out of the door.

The deal that finally prised his fingers from the window ledge is that he must resign as party leader but will remain prime minister until this autumn, while a successor is chosen, with a final swansong at the party conference in October. That simply cannot hold.

British political convention dictates that a prime minister who loses a vote of confidence continues running the country in the national interest, while keeping out of the contest for the successor.

Doing so requires sensitivity, tact, and sufficient selflessness to put other peoples needs above your own.

Who imagines Johnson capable of any of that for a second? Hed rather leave scorched earth behind him, taking as many of his enemies as possible down with him.

That much was clear when he sacked Michael Gove, at a point where 40-odd ministers had already resigned, avenging a personal betrayal from two leadership contests ago.

He wont be able to bear the idea that someone else could succeed where he failed, nor to resist meddling in the succession.

Even on a practical level, its hard to see how this works. More than 50 ministers have resigned, some with stinging criticisms of him, which they would have to meekly swallow in order to return and make the government function.

Downing Street is in the middle of an urgent standoff with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol, which would be next to impossible to resolve while it effectively has no leader, but even harder with an interim leader whose own party has said  publicly  that he is a liar and not to be trusted.

His authority is even less likely to be accepted in Scotland and Wales than in England, threatening a fresh crisis for the union.

Within minutes of his resignation, Tory MPs were arguing that Johnson shouldnt be allowed to stay and that a caretaker leader such as his deputy, Dominic Raab, should step in  and they are right.

It has always been the case with Johnson that those who know him best trust him least.

What else?

First, the Conservative Party needs to organise the swiftest succession possible, limiting the time a wounded leader is on the loose, which might mean coalescing very quickly around a successor rather than going through endless hustings while a vacuum emerges at the heart of power.

Second, Whitehall, the British parliament, the devolved governments, and the main parties must urgently agree a Plan B that does not simply rely on a fallen leader doing the decent thing. British institutions cannot keep making the mistake of expecting Johnson to respond as a normal politician would, and then be surprised when that doesnt happen.

Third, a general election is now long overdue.

And fourth, Brexiter Tories must keep stressing that ditching Johnson is not a factional issue, but rather something that unites leavers and remainers, red wall and shire.

Leadership candidates must not at any cost, leave an opening to whip up the kind of toxic and dangerous emotions we saw at the height of the Brexit votes under Theresa May, ending in the routine and thuggish harassment of remain-voting politicians on the street.

The Conservative Party created a monster.

It should not underestimate, even now, how hard it may be to stop.

Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist
World leaders have expressed shock and anguish over the shooting of Japans former prime minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign speech.

Mr Abe was shot in western Japan and airlifted to hospital, where he was pronounced dead after efforts to save his life.

Police arrested a suspected gunman at the scene.

Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe.



My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 8, 2022

Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter that he was utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe.

He added: My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said America was deeply saddened and deeply concerned.

Dear @AbeShinzo, stay strong!



Our thoughts and prayers are with your family and the people of Japan. pic.twitter.com/WRQTTv7jX2  Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 8, 2022

Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan. This is a very, very sad moment, he said on the sidelines of a G20 meeting on Indonesias Bali island.

Former US president Donald Trump said the attack on Mr Abe was devastating. He described Mr Abe as a truly great man and leader and said he was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America.

Mr Trump added on his social media app: This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much.

Shocked to hear the news this morning about the attack on Shinzo Abe.



Violence has no place in politics and my thoughts are with his friends and family.  Ready For Rishi (@RishiSunak) July 8, 2022

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the sentiments.

Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot. Our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time, Mr Albanese tweeted.

New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was in Sydney meeting with Albanese on Friday, said she was deeply shocked.

He was one of the first leaders I formally met when I became Prime Minister. He was deeply committed to his role, and also generous and kind. I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is, Ms Ardern said.

My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan. Events like this shake us all to the core.

Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot - our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 8, 2022

Asian leaders were also stunned.

Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong attacked the senseless act of violence.

Mr Abe is a good friend of Singapore. I had just hosted him to lunch in May, on my visit to Tokyo. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr Abe and his family, Mr Lee said on Facebook.

Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo said he learned the news with great shock and dismay.

.@KarenPence and I were deeply troubled to learn of the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe-san was a remarkable leader of Japan and an unshakeable ally of the U.S. We join millions praying for this truly good man and his family. God bless Shinzo Abe pic.twitter.com/ojTYkOZxe8  Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) July 8, 2022

Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi, who is in Bali as president of the G20, conveyed the G20 foreign ministers deepest sympathies.

Malaysian foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah said he was saddened and shocked.

And former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd said an attack on any democratically elected political leader in the world is an attack on supporters of democracy everywhere.
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot in the street as he delivered a campaign speech.

The attack, in western Japan, has stunned the nation, which has some of the worlds strictest gun control laws.

Mr Abe, 67, who was the countrys longest-serving leader when he resigned in 2020, collapsed bleeding and was airlifted to a nearby hospital in Nara, although he was not breathing and his heart had stopped.

He was later pronounced dead after receiving massive blood transfusions, officials said.

Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Mr Abe suffered major damage to his heart, along with two neck wounds that damaged an artery.

He never regained his vital signs, Mr Fukushima said.

Police at the scene of the shooting in Nara arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japans navy, on suspicion of murder.

Police said he used a gun that was obviously homemade  about 40cm long  and they confiscated similar weapons and his personal computer when they raided his nearby one-room apartment.

The force said Yamagami was responding calmly to questions and had admitted to attacking Mr Abe, telling investigators he had plotted to kill him because he believed rumours about the former leaders connection to a certain organisation that police did not identify.

Video from broadcaster NHK showed Mr Abe standing and giving a speech outside a railway station in Nara ahead of Sundays parliamentary election.

Tetsuya Yamagami, centre, holding a weapon, is detained near the site of the shooting (Nara Shimbun/Kyodo News/AP)

As he raised his fist to make a point, two gunshots rang out and he collapsed holding his chest, his shirt smeared with blood as security guards ran towards him.

Guards then leapt on to the gunman, who was face down on the pavement.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which he called dastardly and barbaric.

He said the election, which chooses members for Japans less-powerful upper house of parliament, will be held as planned.

I use the harshest words to condemn (the act), Mr Kishida said, struggling to control his emotions.

He said the government planned to review the security situation, but said Mr Abe had the highest protection.

Even though he was out of office, Mr Abe was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai.

Opposition leaders condemned the attack as a challenge to Japans democracy.

A man prays in front of a makeshift memorial at the scene (Hiro Komae/AP)

In Tokyo, people stopped on the street to grab extra editions of newspapers or watch TV coverage of the shooting.

Flowers were placed near the scene of the killing.

When he resigned as prime minister, Mr Abe said he had a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he had had since he was a teenager.

He told reporters at the time it was difficult to leave many of his goals unfinished, especially his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal made him a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to create what he saw as a more normal defence posture angered many Japanese.

Mr Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the US-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Loyalists said that his legacy was a stronger US-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defence capability.

An employee distributes extra editions of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

But Mr Abe made enemies by forcing his defence goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Mr Abe was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi.

His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Tributes to Mr Abe poured in from world leaders, with many expressing shock and sorrow.

US President Joe Biden praised him for his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.

Mr Biden, who is dealing with a summer of mass shootings in the US, said gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it.

Japan is particularly known for its strict gun laws.

Mr Abe, center, on the ground after being shot (Kyodo News/AP)

With a population of 125 million, it had only 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in one death and four injuries, according to police.

Eight of those cases were gang-related.

Tokyo had no gun incidents, injuries or deaths in the same year, although 61 guns were seized.

Mr Abe was proud of his work to strengthen Japans security alliance with the US and shepherding the first visit by a serving US president to the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima.

He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was under control when it was not.

Mr Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, aged 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

Tetsuya Yamagami is detained (Kyodo News/AP)

The end of Mr Abes scandal-laden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of revolving door politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.

When he returned to office in 2012, Mr Abe vowed to revitalise the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his Abenomics formula, which combined fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defence role and capability and its security alliance with the US.

He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.
Interview Myanmar Junta Lets Its Soldiers Die in Vain: Karen Commander

Karen National Liberation Army fighters. / KNU

The Venom Commando unit of the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) and allied resistance forces launched their attack on Myanmar juntas Ukayit Hta outpost in Myawaddy Township near the Thai border in Karen State on June 26. Both sides suffered casualties and the resistance forces were close to seizing the outpost before they were pushed back. Fresh attacks were launched on Friday.

Venom suffered heavy casualties on the first day of the attack and the Cobra detachment, which included Karen National. Liberation Army troops and other resistance forces, had to reinforce Venom.

The assault has reportedly endured more than 125 airstrikes.

Venom commander Major Saw Win Myint recently talked to The Irrawaddy about the fighting.

What is the current situation?

Junta troops fought back fiercely. There have been many air raids. We got inside the perimeter fence. But as reinforcements fought back with close air support, we ran low on ammunition and had to withdraw. We heard deputy junta chief Soe Win is in Hpa-an [Karen State] and that the regime sent more than 1,000 reinforcements. But the soldiers inside the Ukayit Hta outpost dare not yet come out.

Has the KNDO aborted its mission?

Not yet. Our troops surround the outpost and we are discussing what to do next.

Can you estimate the casualties on both sides?

We have suffered eight fatalities and around 30 injuries. The regime suffered around 200 fatalities. Cobras commander has checked their casualties with a drone.

How are the airstrikes over Ukayit Hta different from previous raids in the area?

They are different. Previous aerial attacks were inaccurate and the aircraft only flew at high altitudes. But this time they flew low and were able to hit their targets. I dont think the pilots are from Myanmar as they are highly skilled. They must be foreigners.

What have you found out from captured junta soldiers?

Their comments are contradictory. They are high on drugs. One said all the soldiers want to leave but they cant. They know the people do not support them anymore.

What is the difference from other attacks?

They got information before our attack. They were fully prepared. They were deployed in houses in Ukayit Hta village and a mobile detachment was moving around outside the outpost. There were large numbers of heavily armed troops.

In our previous outposts attacks, soldiers were only from battalions nearby. But at Ukayit Hta, I think they replaced the original troops with experienced combatants.

At other outposts that we attacked, they stayed inside. But in Ukayit Hta, they are in defensive positions around the village. Their reconnaissance is good. They know our troop numbers.

Their weapons are powerful and they have air support and infantry reinforcements.

What lessons have you learned from Ukayit Hta?

Our weakness is that someone else decided to attack the outpost. He was not able to find out the exact number of troops at the outpost. When I inspected, I could not get close to the outpost. I could only observe from a distance and could not find out their numbers and how they had prepared. The village was isolated by regime soldiers.

Our communication devices are poor and we cannot effectively coordinate with each other in our attacks. And we cannot synchronize with our reinforcements and do not have enough weapons and ammunition. These are our disadvantages.

Why was Ukayit Hta chosen?

It is partly because people have requested that we attack the outpost. They will be trapped if they lose control of that outpost. And we will be able to take control of the strategically important hills.

What is your message about the fighting at Ukayit Hta?

We are not only fighting at Ukayit Hta. There is a war going on between us and the dictatorship. People should look at the fighting in other places. We have our weaknesses and so has the enemy. There is no need to feel downhearted even if we cannot seize the outpost.

We had to withdraw because of airstrikes. Their ground troops were not able to turn the situation around and fight back. Even when we withdrew, we defended ourselves and did not flee. They used large numbers of troops and the regime leaders are too overwhelmed to think clearly. They let their soldiers die in vain.
Burma Myanmar Regime Jails Former Election Chief and his Staff

Former UEC chairman U Hla Thein (left) and Secretary U Myint Naing. / The Irrawaddy

A Myanmar junta court inside Naypyitaw Prison has sentenced the former Union Election Commission (UEC) chairman and two former UEC members from the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government to three years in prison, a source familiar with the matter told The Irrawaddy.

UEC chairman U Hla Thein, secretary U Myint Naing and member U Than Htay have been detained since last years coup. They were charged under Section 130(a) of the Penal Code for alleged violations of electoral laws during the 2020 general election.

Despite restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UEC managed to successfully hold the 2020 poll and voter turnout was high, despite coronavirus.

The NLD led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory, as it did in the 2015 election. Local and international monitoring groups said the poll was largely free and fair, despite some flaws.

However, junta boss Senior General Min Aung Hlaing subsequently seized power from the NLD government, using electoral fraud as an excuse and detaining and imprisoning State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint on an array of charges.

The military regime has also detained NLD ministers and lawmakers on a variety of charges. The junta has since formed a new election commission and appointed U Thein Soe as its head to oversee the election which the regime plans to hold in August 2023. The former major general oversaw the 2010 general election, which was widely criticized as a sham.

The U Thein Soe-led UEC has charged and fined over 2,400 members of the former election body, citing alleged fraud in the 2020 general election.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint are also among some 500 individuals, including NLD ministers, lawmakers and campaign team members, who have been charged with alleged violations of electoral laws. Penalties have been handed down to 170 of them, according to U Khin Maung Oo, a member of the junta-appointed UEC.

U Khin Maung Oo did not say if penalties had been given to the polling station agents of the Myanmar militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party who were caught red-handed with counterfeit rubber stamps during the 2020 voting.
Burma Tamu PDF Names Alleged Killers of Two Indians on Myanmar Side of Border

A sign mourning the two Indian men killed in Myanmar attached near the border in Moreh.

The Tamu Peoples Defence Force (PDF) in Sagaing Region has named two pro-junta militia members who allegedly killed two Indian men in Tamu on the Indian border on Thursday to disprove Myanmar juntas accusation against the resistance group.

The two men from Moreh, aged 28 and 38, were shot dead near Saw Bwa ward in Tamu, a border town, on Tuesday. Tamu PDF stated that the men were shot by pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members.

However, Major General Zaw Min Tun told Myawaddy TV, a junta-controlled propaganda network, that the Tamu PDF assassinated the two men.

Tamu PDF said the killers were Phoe Sein and Zaw Ye, who were under the command of Maung Lay Win, a militia leader. The junta was lying, attempting to divide the people from the PDF, the resistance group said.

Saw Bwa has a Pyu Saw Htee base, according to Tamu PDF.

Moreh residents burned down a police outpost in Myanmar after they were stopped from bringing back the two bodies on Wednesday.

Zaw Min Tun said the corpses were cremated on Wednesday after no one claimed their bodies.

A Tamu PDF representative told The Irrawaddy that the military council cremated the corpses to hide the evidence.

The victims were shot three times in the head and their families would be shocked to see their dead bodies. The tension may rise. Everybody knows the regime is lying, they said.

Tamu PDF urged the parallel civilian National Unity Government to declare the truth in the case to ease relations with India.

There is aggression from communities in India towards the people of Myanmar now. This can get worse, the PDF representative said.

The border has been closed since the Indian authorities tightened security, according to a Tamu resident.

We heard the Indian authorities will shoot us if we enter Moreh, the resident told The Irrawaddy.

India on Wednesday prevented Tengnoupal District residents from crossing into Myanmar without permits.

Moreh in Manipur State is adjacent to Tamu and the border is the main trading point between India and Myanmar.
News Nearly 2,000 Civilians Displaced by Myanmar Regime's Arson Attacks in Magwe

illage in Pakokku Township, Magwe Region, on Friday morning after junta arson attacks. / CJ

Thousands of residents from six villages in Pakokku Township, Magwe Region, fled their homes on Friday as Myanmars regime forces raided and burned down two villages without being attacked.

The arson attacks came after a junta sergeant was seized by a resistance force.

Around 70 regime troops and Pyu Saw Htee pro-regime militia members raided Saiphyu and Shardu villages in the southwest of the township on Thursday and Friday and burned houses, according to residents.

An estimated 2,000 residents from six villages have fled their homes for the forests and other villages.

Almost 100 out of Shardus 187 houses were burned down and then troops torched houses in Saiphyu village, according to Pakokku Peoples Defense Force (PDF).

The exact damage is unknown as regime forces were still deployed in the village on Friday evening.

Ko Panda of Pakokku PDF told The Irrawaddy on Friday that another 100 troops are standing by in reserve to fight off resistance ambushes.

In June, three villages in the area were burned down by regime forces.

They are afraid of confronting the PDFs so they frighten civilians out of supplying the PDFs by torching their homes, said Ko Panda.

On Thursday, regime forces also burned down Hmawet Tone and Minywar villages in Pale Township, Sagaing Region, after a resistance attack, according to media reports.

Two male villagers in their 70s were reportedly found dead in burned houses and many civilians have been detained by the regime forces, while they were trapped in a monastery, according to news reports.

Amid daily attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed organizations, junta forces are committing atrocities, arbitrary arrests, killing civilians, carrying out torture, burning alive and using civilians as human shields, arial bombardment and shelling of residential areas and looting and burning houses, especially in Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kayah, Mon and Karen states and Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing regions.
World Former Japanese PM Abe Dies After Being Shot: Local Media

A man looks at a television broadcast showing news about the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier in the day, in Tokyo on July 8, 2022. / AFP

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died in hospital on Friday, local media reported, hours after being shot at a political campaign event in an attack condemned as absolutely unforgivable.

Citing a senior member of Abes Liberal Democratic Party, national broadcaster NHK said former prime minister Abe died at a hospital in Kashihara city, Nara, where he was receiving medical treatment. He was 67.

The death was also reported by other broadcasters as well as the Japanese news agencies Jiji and Kyodo.

The assassination of the countrys best-known politician comes despite Japans strict gun laws and with campaigning under way ahead of upper house elections on Sunday.

Earlier Prime Minister Fumio Kishida abandoned the campaign trail and flew to Tokyo by helicopter where he addressed reporters in a voice that wavered with emotion.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara and I have been informed he is in a very grave condition, he said.

I pray that former Prime Minister Abe will survive, he added, condemning a barbaric act during election campaigning, which is the foundation of democracy.

It is absolutely unforgivable. I condemn this act in the strongest terms.

The attack came before noon in the countrys western region of Nara, where Abe, 67, had been delivering a stump speech with security present, but spectators able to approach him easily.

Footage broadcast by NHK showed him standing on a stage when a man dressed in a grey shirt and brown trousers begins approaching from behind, before drawing something from a bag and firing.

At least two shots appear to be fired, each producing a cloud of smoke.

As spectators and reporters ducked, a man was shown being tackled to the ground by security. He was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, reports said.

Local media identified the man as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, citing police sources, with several media outlets describing him as a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the countrys navy.

He was wielding a weapon described by local media as a handmade gun, and NHK said he told police after his arrest that he targeted Abe with the intention of killing him.

A large bang

Witnesses at the scene described shock as the political event turned into chaos.

The first shot sounded like a toy bazooka, a woman told NHK.

He didnt fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke, she added.

After the second shot, people surrounded him and gave him cardiac massage.

Abe was bleeding from the neck, witnesses said and photographs showed. He was reportedly initially responsive but subsequently lost consciousness.

Officials from the local chapter of Abes Liberal Democratic Party said there had been no threats before the incident and that his speech had been announced publicly.

Kishida said no decision had been made on the election, though several parties announced their senior members would halt campaigning in the wake of the attack.

The attack prompted international shock.

This is a very, very sad moment, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at a G20 meeting in Bali, saying the US was deeply saddened and deeply concerned.

Thailands Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was very shocked at Abes shooting, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply distressed by the news.

Profoundly sad and shocking

Abe, Japans longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

He was a hawkish conservative who pushed for the revision of Japans pacifist constitution to recognize the countrys military and stayed a prominent political figure even after his resignation.

Japan has some of the worlds toughest gun-control laws, and annual deaths from firearms in the country of 125 million people are regularly in single figures.

Getting a gun licence is a long and complicated process for Japanese citizens, who must first get a recommendation from a shooting association and then undergo strict police checks.

Japan has seen nothing like this for well over 50 to 60 years, Corey Wallace, an assistant professor at Kanagawa University who focuses on Japanese politics, told AFP.

He said the last similar incident was likely the 1960 assassination of Inejiro Asanuma, the leader of the Japan Socialist Party, who was stabbed by a right-wing youth.

But two days before an election, of a [man] who is so prominent its really profoundly sad and shocking.

He noted, too, that Japanese politicians and voters are used to a personal and close-up style of campaigning.

This could really change.
World Former Japanese PM Abe Shot, Feared Dead

Then-Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe at the prime minister's office in Tokyo in March 2020 / AFP

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been shot, a government spokesman said Friday, as local media reported the ex-premier was showing no vital signs.

Former Prime Minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 a.m. in the countrys western region of Nara, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former Prime minister Abe is currently unknown.

Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it, Matsuno added.

Local media including national broadcaster NHK and the Kyodo news agency said the former prime minister appeared to be in cardiorespiratory arrest, a term often used in Japan before a feared death can be officially confirmed by a coroner.

It was a stunning development in a country with famously low levels of violent crime and tough gun laws, involving perhaps Japans best-known politician.

Abe had been delivering a stump speech at an event ahead of Sundays upper house elections when the apparent sound of gunshots was heard, NHK and Kyodo said.

He was giving a speech and a man came from behind, a young woman at the scene told NHK.

The first shot sounded like a toy. He didnt fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke, she added.

After the second shot, people surrounded him and gave him cardiac massage.

Abe, 67, collapsed and was bleeding from the neck, a source from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party told the Jiji news agency.

An official at Nara Medical University hospital told AFP: What we can share now is that his transfer here has been completed, declining to comment on the former leaders status.

Saddened and shocked

Several media outlets reported that he appeared to have been shot from behind.

Jiji said the government said a task force had been formed in the wake of the incident, and reaction was already beginning to pour in.

We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.

The US government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and people of Japan.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas special adviser Gen Nakatani told reporters terror or violence can never be tolerated, Jiji reported.

Abe, Japans longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

He is a hawkish conservative who pushed for the revision of Japans pacifist constitution to recognize the countrys military and has stayed a prominent politicial figure even after stepping down.

Japan has some of the worlds toughest gun-control laws, and annual deaths from firearms in the country of 125 million people are regularly in single figures.

Getting a gun license is a long and complicated process even for Japanese citizens, who must first get a recommendation from a shooting association and then undergo strict police checks.
The weekend is almost here and with Fridays, come the opportunity to celebrate making it through another week. Celebrate it!

Make it a perfect #burgerfriday while enjoying a burger - and more - from any of our participating #tasteofkeybiscayne restaurants this Friday July 8, 2022.

Costa Med Bistro

Sometimes all you need is a loaded burger and a lot of fries! A Costa Burger is the solution for this Burger--Friday  and the islands place to see and be seen has the best burger in Key Biscayne

Place your takeout order online by clicking here!

Costa Med, a TripAdvisor Traverlers Choice nominated restaurant, is located in the Square Shopping Center. 260 Crandon Blvd. Offering Indoor & Outdoor Dining with expanded seating, Takeout.

Reservations suggested. Call Antonio or Harold at (305) 361-7575

Hours.

Lunch Mon to Sat: Noon a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dinner Mon to Sat: 6 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. / Sun 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Golden Hog

Eat Local. Help Local. Shop Safely. Email us your order! Click here.

Want to treat yourself to something truly uniquely delicious? Try our special Burger! Grilled to perfection while you wait!

Todays menu:

Soups & Creams: Chicken Rice / White Beans / Tomato Basil

Main Course: Asado Negro (Eye Round) / Chicken Caprese / Salmon Fillet / Mushroom Ravioli

Side Dishes: Arroz con Pollo / Mixed Veggies / Plantain

The Golden-Hog has a complete line of specialty groceries for delivery.

Golden Hog puts safety first, and has taken steps to ensure the safety of employees and customers, investing in shields, masks and gloves for safety, and the store is set up for social distancing. Shop with confidence.

Call (305) 361-1300 to place a delivery or take out order; you can order online here.

Brasas KB

#burgerfriday special ... delicious Half-Pound Hamburger, with one side and a soda, only $10.99 - loaded it up with a fried egg, bacon, cheese and pickles to make it a "completa '' for only $4 more! Can't beat the quality! Unmatched value!

Have you tried our Peruvian Chicken Rotisserie for lunch or dinner that include 2 sides and sauce of your choice: huancaina, aji amarillo, huacatay and olivas negras peruanas.

Open for Outdoor Dining, Takeout or Delivery.

Call (786) 615-2399 to place a takeout order. Open Noon to 8 p.m.

328 Crandon Blvd, Galleria Shopping Center

DUNE Burgers on the Beach

Beachside dining - Ritz-Carlton - Dune - Perfection!

Beach, perfect burger, our signature Green Mojito and sweet potatoes fries the perfect Friday

DUNE is the stylish, yet casual, beach lounge at The Ritz-Carlton's beach for global appetizers, gourmet burgers & champagne.

Located in the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, 455 Grand Bay Dr, Key Biscayne. You can reach them at (305) 365-4500.

They are open Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For more information, click here.

Tacopolis

Come in this Friday and learn what a LOADED burger is!!!

Tacopolis was born as an idea in Cancun Mexico with the goal of creating a casual and relaxed atmosphere, serving authentic Mexican dishes

Open 7-days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Open for Outdoor dining, Takeout or delivery

Located in the Square Shopping Center at 260 Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne.

To place a phone order, call 786) 703-5523 or to order online click here

D'Lite Bistro & Bakery

Who says eating healthy means sacrificing taste and flavor? Not at DLite!

We are a unique and healthy restaurant that serves salads, wraps, sandwiches, bowls, protein smoothies and cold press juices made fresh every morning  including gluten-free, vegetarian and keto options.

Not in the mood for a burger? Try one of our delicious sandwiches, like our Italian sandwich in a freshly baked baguette

We open at 7 a.m. daily and close at 8 p.m. everyday except Sat and Sun when we close at 6 p.m.

DLite is located in the Arcade Mall, 180 Crandon Blvd. To place an order, call (305) 882-9284 or visit us online by clicking here.

Randazzo by Yesenia

Open for Indoor & Outdoor dining, Takeout or delivery. Reservations recommended

Burgers are nice. but enjoy a change of pace this Friday try Yesenia's Homemade Meatball. What is in it? Ground veal, beef, and pork. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Italian parsley, garlic, served with fresh ricotta cheese.

Please call (305) 456-0480 to order place an order or make a reservation

Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., open until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. NEW! Now open at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sundays for lunch.

Closed Tuesdays

328 Crandon Blvd Ste 112, Galleria Shopping Center

Delivery service with Postmates or UberEats

32 Degrees by MG

You deserve gourmet meal options that are fast and convenient.

Make it a Meatballs Saturday! Order today, enjoy tomorrow!

Fresh, fully cooked meals from 32 Degrees are a great mealtime option. We provide frozen, ready-prepared meals that are great for the busiest of lifestyles! We shop, prep, cook, and deliver to your doorstep, so you can experience the benefits of gourmet eating without the fuss or hassle.

Our fully cooked meals are created with passion by our chefs using only the freshest ingredients. We never use additives or preservatives. Our meals are ready to eat in the microwave in 5 minutes.

Place your order today by visiting 32-degrees.com.

Use code 32ISLANDER at checkout and receive 15% off* your first order.

*Offer good on orders of $40 or more.

Boaters Grill & Lighthouse Cafe / Bill Baggs

The restaurants inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park  the popular Boaters Grill, located at No Name Harbor and accessible by boat, and the beachside Lighthouse Cafe are open and ready to serve.

What says Burger Friday more than a perfectly cooked burger and fries, enjoyed beachside under the shadows of the Lighthouse?

Outdoor dining is our specialty.

Boaters Grill is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Lighthouse Cafe is open 7-days a week, from 9 a.m. to Sunset

The restaurants are located inside Bill Baggs State Park, at 1200 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne.

You can reach them at (305) 361-0080

Sake Room

This Friday, we are featuring our new Meat Roll! A must try!

Make it a Sushi Friday!

Or try us for lunch. Specials starting at $10.99

Open for Indoor & Outdoor Dining, Takeout or Delivery.

Or still enjoy Sake quality at home!

FREE* Crunchy Crab Salad!!!

New hours! 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Call (305) 456-0488 to place a takeout or delivery order directly

Following all CDC safety protocols

328 Crandon Blvd Ste 108, Galleria Shopping Center

Grub hub  UberEats also available. Please if you can call us first

*Offer good on any $50+ order

Kazumi

Open for Indoor & Outdoor seating, Takeout or Delivery!

Make it a Wagyu Beef Slider Friday! We top it off with a fried egg for perfection!

Modern Japanese fusion restaurant, offering creative treatments & creativity in our dishes for takeout and delivery by our own employees. Available for lunch and dinner.

Open Monday through Saturday from Noon to 10 p.m.

Only accepting credit card payments.

To place an order call (305) 361-2675 or order online here.

La Scala

Fridays are Osso Bucco days at La Scala and ours has the reputation of being the best on the island. Guaranteed.

Open for Indoor & Limited Outdoor Dining (reservations recommended) and Takeout

Come in even if just to say hello!. Please wear a mask when coming into La Scala.

The popular Italian Bistro now offers their delicious meals to enjoy at home and thanks you for the great support from the community while they enjoy La Scala cuisine at home.

To place a takeout order call (786) 773-3633 or visit us online by clicking here.

Check back tomorrow for more specials as we add more restaurants to #tasteofkeybiscayne-To-Go

And please remember to order from the restaurant directly before using one of the apps  this way we support the local restaurants by saving them the commission they are charged, which at times is as much as 30%
GUEST OPINION: Adding screener questions in your job application tells HR about you before they get to look into your resume . HRs use this to gather candidates' information and separate serious applicants from casual ones. Since you cant include all screener questions in half a page application letter, you must be strategic and answer only essential ones. Here are five job application letter screener questions you should consider.

Screener Questions to Include in Your Job Application

1. Who Are You, and What Qualifications Do You Have?

Here, you'll address why you fit the role you're applying for in terms of qualification. Does your qualification meet what the company advertised? What drove you to feel fit for the role? If you have any soft skills, that can be an added advantage. It's also an opportunity for the employer to know whether you'll need upskilling or reskilling.

2. Why Are You Looking for a New Job?

When youre looking for a new job, the prospective employer will want to know your previous place of employment, what role you had there, and the contributions you made. This serves three purposes:

It's a sneak peek into your previous employment information, including your place of work, experience, and level of engagement

It's an opportunity for HR to understand your passion level and how you feel about your former (or current employer), including the work environment you prefer

It gives HR a glimpse into your career ambitions to help them determine if you're a good fit for the role

Providing this information in your application letter is a statement to your employer that you are who you say you are in terms of experience and your fit with the company.

3. Why Do You Want This Role?

Before the company asks you why you want to work there, volunteer the answer in the application letter. HR departments will ask candidates about their desire to work in their company for four reasons:

To gauge their knowledge about the company

To understand their true interest or passion in the open role

To determine if the outlined job description are fit for the company's future adverts

To understand the contributions you will bring to the role

Candidates who understand the role and the company will have firm answers reflecting their understanding. This also makes background search and truth-finding simple for the company.

4. What Motivates You?

Tell the company what motivates you and the work environment you work best under. It's an insight into HR to see if your motivators, such as flexible work hours and specific benefits, fit with their company. If you did your background research, you'd be sure to note down the company culture and understand how the work environment can motivate your performance.

Endnote

Answering pre-screening answers to your job application can help you through the hiring process and position you as a potential candidate. It demonstrates your understanding of the role and the company. Remember to be brief, as you're writing an application letter and don't have the luxury of storytelling.
Research led by Monash and RMIT Universities in Melbourne has found a way to replace bulky 3D optics with a silicon chip.

"We have demonstrated a self-calibrating programmable photonic filter chip, featuring a signal processing core and an integrated reference path for self-calibration," explained lead investigator Monash University ARC laureate fellow Professor Arthur Lowery.

"Self-calibration is significant because it makes tuneable photonic integrated circuits useful in the real world; applications include optical communications systems that switch signals to destinations based on their colour, very fast computations of similarity (correlators), scientific instrumentation for chemical or biological analysis, and even astronomy.

"Electronics saw similar improvements in the stability of radio filters using digital techniques, that led to many mobiles being able to share the same chunk of spectrum: our optical chips have similar architectures, but can operate on signals with Terahertz bandwidths."

The researchers say applications include AI for driverless cars, medical diagnostics and natural language processing, plus smaller switches for reconfiguring optical networks

The approach was conceived by Dr Mike Xu from Monash University's Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering and now at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Professor Arthur Lowery from Monash University's Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, and Dr Andy Boes from RMIT and now at the University of Adelaide.

Professor Arnan Mitchell and Dr Guanghui Ren engineered the chip, and the project was funded by the Australian Research Council.

While photonic circuits manipulate and route optical channels of information, they can also provide some computational ability, for example, searching for patterns, something this is fundamental to many applications including medical diagnosis and internet security.

Traditional photonic chips have to be manufactured to nanometre tolerances  a difficult and expensive process  but self-calibration overcomes this problem.

"Our solution is to calibrate the chips after manufacturing, to tune them up in effect by using an on-chip reference, rather than by using external equipment," said Lowery.

"We use the beauty of causality, effect following cause, which dictates that the optical delays of the paths through the chip can be uniquely deduced from the intensity versus wavelength, which is far easier to measure than precise time delays. We have added a strong reference path to our chip and calibrated it. This gives us all the settings required to 'dial up' and desired switching function or spectral response."

This approach opens up other applications, including optical correlators that can almost instantaneously find patterns of data in data streams, such as images, and this is something the group has also been working on.

"As we integrate more and more pieces of bench-sized equipment onto fingernail-sized chips, it becomes more and more difficult to get them all working together to achieve the speed and function they did when they were bigger. We overcame this challenge by creating a chip that was clever enough to calibrate itself so all the components could act at the speed they needed to in unison," said Boes.

The self-calibrated chip is said to complement the optical microcomb chip  also developed at Monash University and RMIT  that achieved the world's fastest internet speed from a single fingernail-sized chip.

"This research is a major breakthrough  our photonic technology is now sufficiently advanced so that truly complex systems can be integrated on a single chip. The idea that a device can have an on-chip reference system that allows all its components to work as one, is a technological breakthrough that will allow us to address bottleneck internet issues by rapidly reconfiguring the optical networks that carry our internet to get data where it's needed the most," said Mitchell.
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This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Millions of netizens witness precious birth of baby Yangtze finless porpoise in central China's Hubei

People's Daily Online) 10:14, July 08, 2022

On the evening of July 6, the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei Province, released videos showing a Yangtze finless porpoise giving birth to a baby, which marked a new achievement in the artificial breeding and reproduction of the species.

Yangtze finless porpoise Fujiu swims about in the water at the Yangtze River Dolphin Aquarium operated under the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei Province. (Photo courtesy of Wuhan Baiji Conservation Foundation)

According to the clips released to the public, a Yangtze finless porpoise nicknamed Fujiu gave birth to a baby numbered F9C22 at about 9:35 p.m. on June 27. Altogether, more than three million people watched the videos.

This was the second time that Fujiu, now 14 years old, gave birth to a baby after her first delivery on Sept. 21, 2019 at the Yangtze River Dolphin Aquarium operated by the IHB. So far, both Fujiu and her baby remain in good health.

Fujiu was transferred from Poyang Lake in east Chinas Jiangxi Province to Wuhan in 2011 thanks to ongoing ex-situ conservation efforts.

File photo shows a Yangtze finless porpoise and her baby. (Photo courtesy of Wuhan Baiji Conservation Foundation)

In August 2021, researchers from the IHB discovered that Fujiu was more than one month pregnant after conducting a physical examination.

Hao Yujiang, an associate researcher with the institute, explained that researchers then made appropriate preparations to look after Fujiu properly over the course of her pregnancy by ensuring excellent water quality while maintaining a constant temperature below 28 degrees Celsius and a quiet environment, in addition to meeting all of the nutritional requirements for Fujiu during her gestation period.

The Yangtze finless porpoise is categorized as a national first-class protected animal in China. According to a survey conducted in 2017, altogether there were about 1,012 Yangtze finless porpoises tallied at that time. The marine animals females have a gestation period of 12 months and usually give birth to one baby at a time.

Yangtze finless porpoise Fujiu (L) swims about in the water at the Yangtze River Dolphin Aquarium located in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei Province. (Photo courtesy of Wuhan Baiji Conservation Foundation)

Over the past years, the IHB has worked together with various research and protection institutes and has achieved significant progress in porpoise artificial breeding and reproduction.

In addition to F9C22, there are six other Yangtze finless porpoises currently being kept in captivity, three of which were bred through artificial breeding programs.

The theoretical knowledge and basic techniques accumulated from the artificial breeding and reproduction of Yangtze finless porpoise are vital to the in-situ and ex-situ conservation of the species, said Wang Kexiong, a leading researcher at the IHB.

An aquarist plays with a Yangtze finless porpoise. (Photo courtesy of Wuhan Baiji Conservation Foundation)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has apologised to private doctors over delays they encounter at the hands of court officials when summoned to testify as witnesses.

The Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association (MDPPZA) on Wednesday wrote a letter to the NPA complaining about the way their members were treated at the courts.

On many occasions medical professionals have become reluctant to deal with courts as State witnesses because of the blatant delays they encounter at the hands of court officials. Doctors are at times required to give oral evidence, unfortunately they may be forced to warm the court benches for long hours while waiting to do so, wrote MDPPZA secretary-general Cleto Masiya to the NPA.

This is detrimental to their ethical duties of serving suffering patients in their respective clinics or hospitals taking cognisance of the gross understaffing in many healthcare facilities. This is different from a scenario where medical practitioners are the accused persons.

MDPPZA president Johannes Marisa also raised similar concerns in his weekly column published in NewsDay on Thursday, prompting the NPA to react.

Yesterday the NPA apologised to the doctors in a letter signed by an A Kumire from the National Inspectorate, Training, Legal Reform, Research and Anti-corruption Unit.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe sincerely apologises for the discourteous poor and insensitive treatment you were subjected to when you attended court at Harare Magistrates Courts (Rotten Row) as a witness and you were kept in attendance for six hours, Kumire wrote.

Our standard operating procedures for officers in the Magistrates Courts, High Court and Supreme Court provide that the importance of witness in the criminal justice system can never be over-emphasised. Witnesses who come to testify in cases must be treated with all the courtesy and respect which they deserve.

Remedial action will be taken through our National Inspectorate, Training and Anti-corruption Unit. We assure you that every measure will be taken to prevent a recurrence of this most disturbing episode.Newsday
A ZIMBABWEAN man who allegedly told his Motswana ex-girlfriend that he would kill her and escape back into Zimbabwe is now languishing in a Botswana prison pending trial over the matter.

Perfect Ndlovu (36) was hauled before Francistown Magistrates Court on Tuesday on charges of threatening to kill his wife. He was remanded in custody to July 14 for continuation of trial.

Ndlovu pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The court was told that on May 8 while at Mhakamme ward at Tonota, Ndlovu speaking in fluent Setswana, threatened his former girlfriend Gabotwaelwe Ithuteng.

I will kill you and jump to Zimbabwe, the State alleged Ndlovu said.

It is the State case that after the remarks, Ndlovu went into hiding, and the police tracked him down after Ithuteng made a police report.

Following his arrest, he was charged with threatening-to-kill and it was also discovered that he was in Botswana illegally. He now faces another charge of illegal entry into Botswana.

In opposing bail, investigating officer, Oscar Molome told court: We are yet to collect the statements from the witnesses and the accused person is an illegal immigrant who when given bail might go back to his country. Newsday
The top Russian and US envoys gathered on Friday for a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia, with the host immediately telling them the Ukraine war must end and differences be resolved through negotiations.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov joined their colleagues for the start of day-long talks, with Washington seeking to gain support from the world's top economies to pressure Moscow over the invasion of its neighbour.

"It clearly cannot be business as usual when it comes to Russia's involvement and engagement in enterprises like the G20," a senior US official said ahead of the meeting.

In comments to open the meeting on the resort island of Bali, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi directly addressed the war.

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield," Marsudi said, with Lavrov in the room.

While in Bali, Blinken will also seek to reopen dialogue with Beijing in talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the first in months after tensions strained over issues including Taiwan.

The G20 meeting is looking to tackle the war's impact on food and energy security, as well as the global economy's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the ravages of climate change.

But Blinken will shun a direct meeting with Lavrov, instead pointing the finger at Moscow for triggering global food and energy crises.

- No family photo -

However the US official indicated Washington did not want to embarrass Indonesia.

The hosts have addressed US concerns about Lavrov attending in part by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit later this year and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to Friday's meet.

"It's very important to us that we focus on the G20 agenda," the US official said.

The official declined to comment on the "choreography" in Bali between the American and Russian diplomats.

But there will be no family photo of the G20 ministers as is customary, an Indonesian government official told AFP.

Blinken arrived at the Mulia hotel on the palm-fringed island on Friday where he could be seen talking with South Africa's foreign minister before entering the same room as Lavrov, who he last met in January.

Russia's top diplomat was seated between the Saudi Arabian and Mexican foreign ministers as the meeting began.

Friday's meeting is a prelude to the leaders' summit on Bali in November that is meant to focus on the global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

But attention has instead shifted to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which has rattled global markets, sent food prices skyrocketing and led to allegations of Russian war crimes.

- British FM leaves -

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will prevent Russia using the meeting as a "propaganda forum" on the Ukraine war, his spokeswoman said Thurday.

Blinken's efforts to have a powerful Western stance against Russia at the G20 were diluted after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned as leader of the Conservative party on Thursday.

It prompted British Foreign Minister Liz Truss to cut short her Bali trip and pull out of Friday's meeting, where she was expected to join her American and European counterparts in criticising Moscow.

She flew out of Bali on Friday morning and was replaced by former British ambassador to the European Union Sir Tim Barrow, a British official told AFP.

The talks between Blinken and Wang on Saturday -- their first since October -- will seek to address tensions between the world's two largest economies.

A top US official for East Asia said the pair would discuss "guardrails" on competition but said Blinken would also explore areas of cooperation.

The meeting comes as US President Joe Biden voices hope for a conversation in the coming weeks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he last spoke in March.

Lavrov met Wang on Thursday to discuss Russia's invasion, which Moscow says it launched to stop Ukraine from joining the NATO military alliance.

The United States has condemned Beijing's support for Russia and Blinken is expected to reiterate those warnings in talks with Wang.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will herself meet Wang on the sidelines of the meeting on Friday to press China to end trade "blockages", she said.

"We all know we have our differences. There are challenges in the relationship. We believe engagement is necessary to stabilise the relationship," Wong told reporters.

It will be Australia and China's first foreign ministers' meeting since 2019.
Philippine Nobel Peace Prize winner and veteran journalist Maria Ressa has battled multiple legal cases and online abuse in her campaign for press freedom.

The former CNN correspondent co-founded investigative news site Rappler in 2012, bringing together multimedia reporting and social media savvy to offer an edgy take on Philippine current events.

Ressa, 58, has been a vocal critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte and the deadly drug war he launched in 2016, drawing what media advocates describe as a grinding series of criminal charges, probes and online attacks against her and Rappler.

She was named a Time Person of the Year in 2018 for her work on press freedom, but a series of arrests and a conviction for cyber libel further grew her international profile.

In October, Ressa and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to "safeguard freedom of expression".

Rappler has had to fight for survival after Duterte's government accused it of tax evasion and violating a constitutional ban on foreign ownership.

Days before Duterte stepped down on June 30, Philippine authorities ordered the news organisation to shut down.

Though Duterte's government said it had nothing to do with any of the cases against Ressa, press freedom advocates disagreed.

Throughout the campaign against her, Ressa, who is also a US citizen, has remained based in the Philippines and continued to speak out against Duterte's government despite the risks.

"What we have to do as journalists is just hold the line," she said after the Nobel Prize was announced.

Ressa has been on bail pending her appeal against the 2020 cyber libel conviction. On Friday, Rappler said she and a former colleague had lost the case and were considering their legal options.

It is one of seven cases she is fighting.

The cyber libel law was introduced in 2012, the same year Rappler was founded.

- Threats and abuse -

Ressa's position at the head of the Rappler news site meant getting, by her own estimate, up to 90 abusive online messages per hour at one point towards the end of 2016.

The threats came in the months after Duterte took power and launched his narcotics crackdown, which rights groups estimate has killed tens of thousands of people.

Rappler was among the domestic and foreign media outlets that published shocking images of the killings and questioned the crackdown's legal basis.

International Criminal Court judges have since authorised a full-blown investigation into a possible crime against humanity during the bloody campaign.

It was an entirely new set of dangers for Ressa, who was a veteran of conflict zones before co-founding Rappler.

As CNN's former bureau chief in Manila and Jakarta, Ressa specialised in terrorism, where she tracked the links between global networks like Al-Qaeda and militants in Southeast Asia.

The Princeton graduate later returned to the Philippines to serve as news chief at the nation's top broadcaster, ABS-CBN, which also fell foul of the Duterte administration.

Duterte has been succeeded by the son and namesake of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

After last week's order for Rappler to shut down, Ressa remained characteristically defiant.

"We continue to work, it is business as usual," Ressa said.
After captivating viewers with her performance in the Korean adaptation of Netflix's original series "Money Heist," Lee Joo Bin is already receiving calls for her potential next projects.

Will Lee Joo Bin Accept Drama Offer With Go Kyung Pyo and Park Min Young?

On July 7, the actress was reported to join the cast of the upcoming romance series "MonWedFriTuesThursSat." According to a media outlet, Lee Joo Bin has confirmed she received a casting offer to appear in the said tvN drama.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the actress' agency ANDMARQ released a statement that says, "'MonWedFriTuesThursSat" is one of the projects that have been proposed to actress Lee Joo Bin and is currently being reviewed."

Though the drama might be Joo Bin's next small-screen appearance, the agency did not disclose what role she was cast for.

What We Know So Far About 'MonWedFriTuesThursSat'

In May of this year, actress Park Min Young and "Reply 1988" actor Go Kyung Pyo confirmed their participation in the series.

"MonWedFriTuesThursSat" is a romance-comedy drama that follows the story of Choi Sang Eun, who gets entangled with handsome bachelor Jung Ji Ho, and is on a long-term exclusive contract for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Kang Hae Jin, who signs a contract for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The forthcoming project is scheduled to air in the second half of 2022. "My Roommate is a Gumiho," "Kkondae Intern," and "Kill It" director Nam Sung Woo will helm the drama.

Fans and viewers are now looking forward to Lee Joo Bin's potential series. Attention is also focused on whether she will be able to succeed in portraying a new challenging role.

Lee Joo Bin Returns to Spotlight With 'Money Heist Korea'

Recently, Lee Joo Bin occupied various online portals after she starred in Netflix's originals "Money Heist Korea." She made headlines alongside actor Kim Ji Woon for their impeccable performance in the Korean adaptation.

The celebrity also appears in MBC's legal-medical drama "Dr. Lawyer" along with So Ji Sub and Im Soo Hyang.

In addition to the proposed role in "MonWedFriTuesThursSat," the actress will also make her return to Netflix as she is confirmed to star in another rom-com drama "Love to Hate You." She is expected to share the frame with Yoo Teo, Kim Ok Vin, Go Won Hee, and might reunite with "Money Heist Korea" co-star Kim Ji Hoon, who is also cast to be part of the project.

"Love to Hate You" will be helmed by Kim Jeong Kwon, while the script is to be penned by writer Choi Soo Young.

What are your thoughts about the potential drama of Lee Joo Bin? Share it with us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity updates, follow and subscribe to KDramastars.

KDramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
The plot thickens as the main characters of "Yumi's Cells 2," starring Kim Go Eun and GOT7's Jinyoung, meet new people. As the webtoon-based series reaches its second half, Kim Yumi and Yoo Babi will face a relationship crisis.

"Yumi's Cells 2" depicts the story of Yumi, an ordinary office worker who ditches her regular job to become a writer. Interestingly, unlike normal human beings, her emotions, actions, and decisions are controlled by her cells led by her primary cell, Love.

The TVING series also illustrates her relationship and how she moves on from a failed romance.

In the second season, Kim Yumi is paired with her former colleague, Yoo Babi, played by GOT7's Jinyoung.

"Yumi's Cells 2" focuses on a different kind of love experienced by Yumi as she has to balance her new career path and being in a long-distance relationship. Unfortunately, the upcoming episodes highlight the struggles of the couple being apart.

'Yumi's Cells 2' Episode 9 Spoiler: Is Shin Ye Eun the Cause of Kim Go Eun, GOT7 Jinyoung's Relationship Crisis?

TVING released new still cuts, giving a sneak peek at what to expect in "Yumi's Cells 2" episode 9.

In the teaser, Yumi and Yoo Babi are about to spend their second Christmas together. It seems like Yumi visited her boyfriend at his home in Jeju, where he relocated because of work.

Based on the still cuts, Yumi is busy preparing for the holidays but she exudes an anxious expression as she looks up at a tree. The same goes for Yoo Babi who also looks at the tree decor with a stunned expression.

On the other hand, a teaser of Shin Ye Eun, who plays Yoo Da Eun, was also featured hinting about a surprising twist between the couple.

In the previous episodes, Yoo Da Eun was the intern at Daehan Noodle's Jeju branch and works under Yoo Babi's team. However, she was infatuated with her boss' charming and dazzling looks but was disappointed upon learning that he is in a relationship.

In "Yumi's Cells 2" episode 8, it showcases how Kim Yumi got jealous of Yoo Da Eun's closeness with Yoo Babi.

In one of the scenes, she even asked her boyfriend when he realized that he liked Yumi but Yoo Babi's cells prevented him from answering the trick question.

READ MORE: Kim Go Eun Shares Throwback Photos After Recovering Cyworld Account

Just when Yumi thought that their connection was merely a boss and intern type of relationship, the last part of episode 8 featured Yoo Da Eun admitting her feelings towards Yoo Babi.

Although she did not specifically mention his name, Yoo Babi felt that he was the one being described by Yoo Da Eun.

In the same episode, the intern also left the company for one of her reasons was to move on with her "office crush." Yoo Babi's cells felt an earthquake suggesting that Yoo Da Eun's confession struck him.

Where to Watch 'Yumi's Cells 2' Episode 9

Airing every Friday and Saturday, "Yumi's Cells 2" episode 9 will be released on July 9 via tvN and iQiyi for subtitles.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Go Eun Hints at Surprising News to Fans Following 10th Debut Anniversary



KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
As Gong Chan (Hwang In Yeop) seeks more truth about his past, he also tries to be distant from Oh Soo Jae (Seo Hyun Jin) in the upcoming "Why Her?" Episode 11.

Spoilers Alert!

In "Why Her?" episode 10, Oh Soo Jae discovered Gong Chan's real identity after seeing his past case record of being wrongfully accused of the murder of his stepsister. The female lawyer was shocked by what she had found out, remembering that Gong Chan was Kim Dong Gu, the first person she defended when she was still starting as a lawyer.

'Why Her?' Episode 11: Gong Chan Curious about Baek Jin Ki's Involvement in His Stepsister's Case

On July 8, ahead of "Why Her?" episode 11 broadcast, SBS released new stills showing what to anticipate in the drama. To begin with, Gong Chan and Seojung University Director Baek Jin Ki (Kim Chang Wan) cross paths at the charnel house. It was after someone's remains were discovered at a construction site that Gong Chan recalled some tragic memories of his stepsister Jeon Na Jung (Hwang Ji Ah).

But what surprised Gong Chan is to see Baek Jin Ki unexpectedly in the familiar site.

Adding to the tension of the drama is the photo revealing the confrontation between Gong Chan and Noh Byung Chul (Kim Han Joon) at the visiting room in the precinct. Byung Chul is the person who admitted that he was the one who murdered and abandoned Jeon Na Jung. The male student uses the chance to interrogate the convict with rage and sadness, while Byung Chul responds inattentively.

Gong Chan and Oh Soo Jae Are Distant of Each Other

Due to his busy schedule trying to figure out the truth about the real culprit behind the case of his stepsister, Gong Chan becomes distant from Oh Soo Jae.

In the other stills, Gong Chan is sitting under the rain. He looks lost in what's happening in his life. On the other hand, Oh Soo Jae goes straight in front of him. The female professor's cold expression and Chan's mournful gaze give hints of the distance between them.

Meanwhile, an official from the production shared that they should anticipate the change between the main characters, Oh Soo Jae and Gong Chan. Furthermore, the representative added that more intriguing stories and truth that wasn't revealed in the past would start to be unveiled.

Catch "Why Her?" Episode 11 this July 8 on SBS at 10:40 p.m. (KST)

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Insider' Episode 10: Kang Ha Neul Reunites With Kang Young Seok

Are you excited about "Why Her?" Episode 11? Share your comments with us!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Patrick Brown at a rally in Brampton, Ont., on Sunday, March 13, 2022. A Conservative party insider says Patrick Brown's exit won't likely change the outcome of the leadership vote, but it may encourage candidates to change their strategies as the race winds down.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Two handguns were seized during two separate traffic stops of Zion drivers, along with illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia Thursday according to a Pleasant Prairie Police Department release.

The first traffic stop occurred at 12:52 a.m. in the 3800 block of Springbrook Road for a traffic violation. The officer reported smelling marijuana emitting from the vehicle and a subsequent search found a loaded 9mm polymer gun. A ghost gun is a firearm that is un-serialized or otherwise untraceable. A small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia was seized as well.

20-year-old Daavid E. Branch-Campbell of Zion, Ill., was incarcerated on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.

The second traffic stop was at 4:46 p.m. after a patrol officer observed a traffic violation in the 10100 block of Sheridan Road. Again, the officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle while speaking with the occupants.

The driver turned over some marijuana to the officer upon request. A search of the driver found a 9mm handgun concealed in the suspects pants, and a search of the vehicle resulted in the seizing of additional illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Alexander Gomez, 18, of Zion, Ill., was incarcerated on possession with intent to deliver of LSD, possession of THC and carrying a concealed weapon.

Both incidents are a result of our hard-working proactive law enforcement officers, said Pleasant Prairie Police Captain Barry Ollila. The recovery of these firearms will assist in keeping the Village of Pleasant Prairie a safe community. Our law enforcement personnel will continue to carry out their duties with a professional, competent and compassionate emphasis.

The Pleasant Prairie Police Department asks residents to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Military physicians leaving the military have several issues that should be carefully evaluated before executing a contract with a civilian employer.

First of all, the income is definitely going to be higher than the military physician salary. Much like a physician coming out of training, military physicians should ask whether the salary is fair, not if they will be making more than they currently earn. Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) benchmarks can be utilized to determine if the salary is fair. Importantly, MGMA benchmarks can be analyzed based on years in the specialty. If MGMA has sufficient data for this analysis (not every subspecialty or specialty does have sufficient data), the years in specialty differentiation can be very helpful in analyzing an offer.

MGMA also has signing bonuses, CME, vacation, and call coverage compensation benchmarks. The MGMA data on relocation allowance is also of more than academic interest. Sometimes an employer can be convinced to add the relocation allowance to the signing bonus, so even if the military is paying for your move, you may still be able to utilize the relocation allowance benchmark to your advantage.

Military physicians also seem to be more accepting of the this is our standard contract line than their civilian counterparts are. Although that line is utilized frequently (because it works), only a tiny minority of institutions or practices actually require every physician to sign the identical agreement. The recruiter will frequently tell the military physician that the recruiter cannot make any changes to the agreement. This is often true since many institutions and practices only allow a senior executive, with legal input, to change an agreement. It is always worth asking if the recruiter can forward questions regarding the contract to somebody else.

Military physicians also need to carefully review provisions regarding the start date. Civilian employers will require you to be credentialed at hospitals and by managed-care companies. Many first drafts of civilian contracts allow the employer to terminate the agreement or delay the start date until all credentialing is completed. This can cause the physician to move to a new location and rent an apartment (or buy a house), expecting to have income on a given date. If the physician employment agreement does not allow you to start until all credentialing is completed, you may end up effectively unemployed. Landlords and mortgage companies are not particularly understanding if it turns out that you are not being paid when the rent or mortgage is due. The employer should agree to negotiate in good faith with you if not all credentialing is completed at the anticipated start date.

Another issue that the military physician needs to consider is the covenant not to compete. Many physicians feel that there should be no limitation on the ability to practice if the physician leaves an employer. However, most states do allow an employer to restrict the ability of an employed physician to compete with his or her former employer. Too many physicians rely on an attorneys opinion that a restrictive covenant is not enforceable by a court. In fact, the market will enforce a restrictive covenant that a court would never enforce. Your potential new employer will not risk going to court with the first civilian employer because they are allegedly intentionally interfering with contractual relations of the first employer.

The final issue that traps many physicians in their first civilian physician employment agreement is payment of tail coverage for malpractice insurance. There are two types of malpractice insurance: occurrence-based coverage and claims-made coverage. Occurrence-based coverage will cover any claim that occurred during the time that the policy was in place, so if a claim is made after you leave that employer it will be covered. However, claims-made insurance, as the name implies, only covers claims made when the policy was in place. If the employer has claims-made insurance, then an extended reporting endorsement (a tail) must be purchased.

Tail coverage can cost nearly half a physicians annual salary, so the physician may end up trapped in a position that the physician hates because it is simply too expensive to leave. The physician employment agreement should contain a provision addressing who is responsible for purchasing the tail. If the employer is not willing to cover the entire cost of the tail, sometimes they are willing to pay a portion of the tail based upon years of service (e.g., 1/5 of the cost of tail coverage for each completed year of service). When negotiating these agreements, I always attempt to require the employer to pay for tail coverage if the agreement is terminated without cause by the employer or because of the death or disability of the physician.

Military physicians should also realize that not all employers are equal or treat their physicians equally. It would be prudent to investigate how physicians rate their employer at a site such as RYHE.org.

Military physicians entering the civilian job market are in a sellers market. They should get a reasonable employment agreement. It is important to remember that while you were serving your country, you also gained valuable experience as a physician. Do not sell yourself short!

Dennis Hursh is a physician contract lawyer. He blogs at Physicians Contracts Blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
A seasoned hospitality professional, Andrew Phelan has been appointed General Manager at the 5-Star Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny.

Andrew has enjoyed a stellar career of more than thirty years and has held senior positions in some of Europes finest hotels and resorts including Mount Juliet, the Old Course St Andrews and Castlemartyr Resort.

He now joins the Xavier McAuliffe owned, Lyrath Estate from the world-famous Ashford Castle Estate, Cong, Co. Mayo.

Speaking about his new appointment Andrew Phelan said, "I am delighted to be returning to Kilkenny, my hometown at such an exciting time for Lyrath Estate.

"Following Xavier McAuliffes very significant investment in refurbishment and new product during the pandemic, the estate is now primed for a renewed focus on the guest experience.

"Ive been fortunate enough to work with some truly super teams and believe that when a hotel becomes a great place to work it tends to follow that its also a great place to stay. Great hospitality is the essence of a memorable guest experience and were excited to deliver that at the wonderful Lyrath Estate."

Xavier McAuliffe said that he is looking forward to working with Andrew at Lyrath Estate and that he has all the skills and experience needed to continue to offer the highest levels of service to guests.

"We pride ourselves in offering classic Irish hospitality and look forward to not just meeting our guests expectations but to exceed them," he said.

"We have made significant investments in the property over the last two years and have completely renovated all the bedrooms, built a brand-new bedroom block and created a luxurious drawing room for afternoon tea.

"All these additions are part of our ambitious capital programme which will continue over the next few months. I wish Andrew well and know he will be a great inspiration to our hard-working team."

For further information on Lyrath Estate or to make a booking see 'www.lyrath.com' or call (056) 7760088.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the HSE's appeal against a decision allowing consultant gynaecologist Professor Ray O'Sullivan to return to work following a lengthy suspension over allegations of misconduct.

Last March the Court of Appeal (CoA) ruled that Prof O'Sullivan was entitled to return to his job that he was suspended from on foot of the complaints against him in 2019.

It is alleged he carried out unauthorised and unapproved actions and procedures on five female patients in September 2018.

He denies the claims.

The CoA, however, upheld the High Court's finding that the HSE was entitled to recommend that Professor O'Sullivan be dismissed from his job at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny.

The HSE asked the Supreme Court to hear an appeal against the decision allowing Prof. O' Sullivan return to work at St Luke's.

It sought the appeal to ascertain the correctness of its procedures and to protect its decision to suspend Prof O'Sullivan, the Supreme Court heard.

Prof O'Sullivan opposed the application.

In a written determination a panel of three Supreme Court judges held that the HSE had raised an issue of general public importance that it should determine.

The Chief Justice Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell, Mr Justice Peter Charleton and Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe held that the issues that arise in this case concern challenges to an employer's power to suspend an employee deemed to pose an immediate and serious risk to health safety and welfare of patients and staff.

The Court will also consider what procedures are necessitated for suspension.

The investigation into the allegations against Prof O'Sullivan by a committee established by the Minister for Health is due to heard in September.

It is understood that he is preparing to undergo a training programme that will allow him to return to his post.

Prof O'Sullivan was placed on administrative leave from on full pay in August 2019, by his employer, the HSE, after complaints were made against him by other staff members for allegedly performing unapproved procedures on the five women.

None of the patients were informed about the research or consented to the procedure, nor were they aware of it until afterwards, it is claimed.

The court heard the women were not physically harmed by the procedures but on learning what happened were psychologically injured.

It is also alleged that Prof O'Sullivan did not obtain clearance from the hospital's ethics committee and had sourced the instruments for the procedures outside of the hospital's usual procurement channels with his own funds.

Following an investigation into the complaints Prof O'Sullivan was placed on administrative leave.

The HSE recommended to the ministerial committee that Prof O'Sullivan be dismissed from his role.

Prof O'Sullivan rejects all allegations of wrongdoing against him has claimed that a report conducted on the HSE's behalf states that he does not pose any risk to patient health and safety.

He claimed the investigation against him was flawed because he has been an "outspoken advocate for patient's rights and in particular pregnant women" and has made public remarks critical of St Lukes' management.

He claims that proper reasons were not given by the HSE regarding its recommendation that he be dismissed.

He further claimed that the report's recommendations are irrational and unreasonable.

Represented by Eoin Clifford SC and Frederick Gilligan Bl, Prof O'Sullivan brought judicial review proceedings seeking to have the decision to suspend him and the recommendation quashed.



In a judgement in 2021 the High Court dismissed Prof O'Sullivan's action.

That ruling was appealed to the CoA.

In its decision the CoA said his suspension should be lifted immediately.

The CoA found that his suspension should have been lifted when the HSE received a 2019 report, which identified no patient safety concerns regarding Prof O Sullivan.

The court also noted the reputational damage that can occur when a suspension gains high profile in the media.

The CoA said the damage to Prof O'Sullivan by the "deliberate leaking" of confidential information to the media about the disciplinary process had been "amplified".

The CoA was not however prepared to quash the HSE's recommendation to the Minister.

It agreed with the High Court that quashing that decision would be premature and that Prof O'Sullivan's rights will be fully respected protected by the committee.

The Ministerial committee was not bound by any findings made by the HSE and it is entirely at large to its own conclusions on these issues, the CoA added.

A second set of proceedings brought by Prof O'Sullivan over his suspension remain pending before the High Court.
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The Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, Ms Larysa Gerasko, will lead this years annual Famine 1848 Walk in Ballingarry in South Tipperary on Saturday, 30 July at 3pm.

Welcoming the visit of the Ambassador as Walk Leader, the historian Dr Thomas Mc Grath on behalf of the Ballingarry 1848 Society stated:

"The walk this year is an opportunity for everyone to come out and express our solidarity with the Ukrainian Ambassador and Ukrainian attendees on the terrible suffering they have endured since the Russian invasion of their country on February 24.

"Historic parallels between the experience of famine in Ireland and Ukraine and the contemporary danger of international famine will be drawn and referenced on the Walk. At the beginning of the Great Irish Famine, food was exported from the country and a million people died and another million fled into exile. In the famine in Ukraine in 1932-1933, many millions died. The Ukrainian famine known as the Holodomor was a man-made famine in a land traditionally described as the bread basket of Europe. The Soviet dictator Stalin took all the grain out of Ukraine and millions of Ukrainians starved to death as a result. In both the Irish and Ukrainian famines the pursuit of ideology was at the expense of peoples lives.

"Today, the threat of more famine in the world is also a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It has been predicted by the United Nations food relief agency, that the inability of the Ukrainians to export their vast supply of grain, because of the Russian blockade in the Black Sea, is likely to lead to famines in the Middle East and in Africa. Third world countries rely on receiving shipments of Ukrainian grain.

"Ukraine is now fighting for its very survival as a nation in the face of blatant Russian aggression. As Ukraine strives to maintain its independence, Ukrainian displaced people have been welcomed into Ireland and throughout the European Union.

"In 1848, the great year of revolutions across Europe, revolutionary activity stretched from west to east, from Ireland to Ukraine. In Lviv, then under Austrian control, the Ukrainians of the Habsburg Empire initiated their first political organisation. In Kyiv the year before, the poet and artist, Taras Shevchenko, a major figure of the Ukrainian national revival, was arrested by the Russian authorities. All his life and creative work were dedicated to the people of Ukraine. Statues of him can now be seen all over the country.

"In Ireland in 1848 in the middle of the Great Famine, and as a response to it, the Young Irelanders sought Irish independence. They tried, under the leadership of William Smith OBrien, MP, to stage a bloodless revolution but were defeated in Ballingarry when confronted by the force of the British state," he said.

The Famine 1848 Walk takes place, as usual, from the Young Ireland 1848 and National Flag monument in the village of The Commons to the national heritage monument, museum and visitor attraction, Famine Warhouse 1848, scene of the Rising and an important site in the European history of the 1848 Revolutions. The Walk covers a mile and a half of gently ascending ground and usually takes about forty-five minutes to reach the house. From the field in front of the house there are scenic and extensive views at 1,100 feet across south Leinster. The Ambassador will deliver the Walk Leaders speech in English and Ukrainian once walkers reach the house. Walkers are then free to complete the circuit, if they wish, and return to the starting point in The Commons by the Upper Road.

The Walk, an annual act of witness and remembrance at this site of memory, is now in its sixteenth year. It takes place whether it rains or it shines. Participants are advised to be prepared for changeable Irish weather conditions in the space of a few minutes and to bring both a sun hat and an umbrella.

Dr Mc Grath stated:

We anticipate that Ukrainians who are displaced people in Ireland will want to make the walk in support of their country and their Ambassador. We invite them to attend and we will welcome them. As a gesture of support for the Ukrainians, Tipperary walkers are asked to bring their Tipperary flags which are so similar to the colours of the Ukrainian national flag.
More than four out of 10 people want to see better roads and a better road network to help improve road safety, a survey has found.

Nearly one quarter of people also said there should be better signage on Irish roads.

The results were published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Friday.

The survey also found that more than one third of respondents felt that there is a need to reduce speed to improve road safety, while more than one quarter felt that there should be more appropriate speed limits to the type of road/motorway.

Close to four in 10 felt that there should be better education in schools on road safety, including the use of refresher training and the extension of the novice driving period.

The survey also found that nearly two thirds of road traffic collisions in 2021 involved a car with another car, down almost 3% on the same period in 2019.

Less than six in 10 road traffic collisions were reported to An Garda Siochana or an insurance company in 2021.

In one in six road traffic collisions the respondent sustained injuries, while for just one in 15 collisions other persons suffered an injury.

Statistician Maureen Delamere said: When this survey was carried out, there were still varying levels of Covid-19 in the community, with related restrictions in place.

Respondents were asked how road safety could be improved.

Better roads and a better road network were identified as the most popular factors in improving road safety  identified by over four in 10 respondents, followed by better education on road safety in our schools and colleges, including the use of refresher training and the extension of the novice driving period.

Over one third of respondents felt that measures such as reduce speed limit in built-up areas, more speed cameras and check points need to be introduced to reduce speed on our roads, while three in 10 said that there should be tougher sanctions for speeding and other offences such as for driving under the influence of drink/drugs, road worthiness of vehicles.

More cycleways and pedestrian routes, reducing traffic and more pedestrian zones in towns and cities was particularly voiced by people living in densely populated areas compared to three in 10 for people living in thinly populated areas.

Looking at the results by region, we can see that close to one third of people in Dublin cited better roads as something to improve on, compared to almost half of those living outside Dublin.

Over one third felt that there needs to be more cycleways and pedestrian routes, with persons in Dublin noting this less than those living outside Dublin.

Despite the pandemic, with reduced traffic on our roads, the incidence of road collisions remains at 3% of respondents interviewed, as in 2019.

Nearly two thirds of these collisions involved a car with another car, while one in 12 were single vehicle collisions with no other person involved.

One in 20 (5%) young men aged 18 to 29 years were involved in one road traffic collision in 2021, compared with 4% in 2019.

While young men report a higher rate of road collisions than young woman (3%), overall, more woman (3%) report being involved in a road collision than men.
EU ambassadors urge protection of UNIFIL personnel after recent attacks

Xinhua) 10:17, July 08, 2022

BEIRUT, July 7 (Xinhua) -- European ambassadors in Lebanon on Thursday called on all Lebanese parties to ensure the safety and security of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel and their free movement.

The remarks came after a 15-member delegation of ambassadors and senior officials from the European Union (EU) visited the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, south of Lebanon, to convey their commitment to the work of UNIFIL and Lebanese authorities in ensuring continued peace, security and stability in south Lebanon.

The EU ambassadors stressed "the necessity for all parties to ensure that UNIFIL personnel are safe and secure, and their freedom of movement is fully respected and unimpeded, so that it can fully implement its mandate," said a statement released by the EU Delegation to Lebanon.

The delegation also called on the Lebanese authorities to investigate all attacks against UNIFIL and its personnel and bring to justice the perpetrators of those incidents.

Those comments were made in reference to several recent attacks by citizens in southern Lebanon against UNIFIL peacekeepers.

The Ambassador of the European Union Ralph Tarraf said that UNIFIL's mandate has been critical in maintaining the cessation of hostilities, preserving stability along the Blue Line, and supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.

During their visit, the ambassadors reaffirmed their commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and stressed the importance of Lebanon in advancing the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 with the support of UNIFIL.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
COLUMBIA - The Mid-Missouri Civil Liberties Association (MOCLA) is asking the acting Boone County prosecuting attorney and the only declared candidate to succeed him to join the pledge to not use their resources to prosecute people who seek, provide or support abortions.

MOCLA sent out a press release Friday stating more than 80 prosecuting attorneys around the nation have signed a joint statement.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell already signed the joint statement and Jean Peters Baker, prosecuting attorney of Jackson County, made a similar pledge back in May.

Currently, under Missouri law, it is illegal to have an abortion in Missouri except in cases of medical emergencies.

Gov. Mike Parson made the proclamation declaring the law shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the constitutional right to the procedure was released.

Missouri's "trigger law" - Right to Life of the Unborn Child Act - states, "Any person who knowingly performs or induces an abortion of an unborn child in violation of this subsection shall be guilty of a class B felony, as well as subject to suspension or revocation of his or her professional license."

Health care providers could not only lose their license, but be looking at jail time as well.

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Dan Viets is a local attorney and the president of MOCLA. Viets said the statute does not protect women or those who assist with abortion services.

"What our state law says now is that women or people who seek abortions will not be prosecuted for conspiracy. That is the only thing they're protected from," Viets said. "There are various other charges that obviously and easily could be filed."

Prosecuting attorneys around the nation are signing the joint statement. The statement is a pledge "not to use the resources of their offices to prosecute people who seek, provide or support abortions."

MOCLA is asking the acting Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Nick Komoroski and the only declared candidate to succeed him, Roger Johnson, to make that pledge.

MOCLA believes there are "limited resources of police, and prosecutors should not be used to investigate or prosecute people who seek or obtain an abortion, nor those who assist them."

MOCLA said it is completely legal to make a commitment publicly to not pursue cases that deal with abortion because prosecuting attorneys are able to choose which cases to prosecute. Viets said prosecuting attorneys have a lot of power.

"They have the very important discretion simply not to prosecute," Viets said. "That's true in every single case that's brought to them. They're never obligated to prosecute a case, it is always a choice within the discretion of each prosecutor."

Viets explained the process of how these abortion cases get brought to the prosecuting attorney.

"It begins with an investigation by the police," Viets said. "The police bring their report to the prosecutor, they may or may not arrest their suspect in the meantime. What generally happens is the prosecutors receive a report from the police, and then they choose whether or not to proceed on that report."

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday aimed at protecting abortion rights in response to SCOTUS' landmark decision. It prompts Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to take steps to ensure access to abortion, including FDA-approved medication abortion and expanded access "to the full range of reproductive health services." Those services include "emergency contraception and long-acting reversible contraception like intrauterine devices (IUDs)," the fact sheet said. Biden asked the Justice Department to do "everything in their power to protect these women seeking to invoke their rights." Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which covers Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas, applauded Biden's order. Today the President reaffirmed what we have always known to be true: reproductive health care including abortion should be safe, legal, and accessible, Emily Wales, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said. KOMU 8 called and emailed Komoroski and Johnson for comment, but has not heard back at the time this story was published.
Highland Park shooter's rooftop position made it hard for police to find him quickly as parade turned into chaos, chief says
People pray and place flowers at the scene outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara where former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot earlier in the day on July 8. AFP-Yonhap



Friday's shocking assassination of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in one of the world's safest countries stunned leaders and drew condemnation, with Iran calling it an "act of terrorism" while Spain slammed the "cowardly attack."



Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western Japan while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital. Abe was Japan's longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons.



Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country, called the shooting "dastardly and barbaric."



U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking with the Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers at a trilateral meeting in Bali, said Abe's assassination was "profoundly disturbing" and a "personal loss for so many people."





People receive a special edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reporting the death of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo, Japan July 8. Reuters-Yonhap



"For the United States, Prime Minister Abe was an extraordinary partner and someone who clearly was a great leader for Japan and the Japanese people," Blinken said, adding that Abe, during his time in office, "brought the relationship between our countries _ the United States and Japan _ to new heights."



Leaders from Turkey to Singapore condemned the attack, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the shooting "despicable."



Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted his "deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time."



"This heinous act of violence has no excuse," he added.



South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's office cited him as saying that the shooting that led to Abe's death is "an intolerable criminal act." Iran condemned the shooting as "an act of terrorism."



"As a country that has been a victim of terrorism and has lost great leaders to terrorists, we are following the news closely and with concern," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.



People in Japan could be seen reading extra editions of the Friday paper with Abe's picture large on the front page, or stopping to watch the news on TV.





U.S. President Donald Trump meets South Korea's President Moon Jae-In and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ahead the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg, Germany July 6, 2017. Reuters-Yonhap



NHK public broadcaster aired dramatic footage of Abe giving a speech outside of a train station in the western city of Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. Footage then shows Abe collapsed on the street.



"We are shocked and saddened to hear about the violent attack against former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe," the White House said in a statement shortly afterward.



New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier expressed her shock about the shooting. She said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office and described him as deeply committed to his role, generous and kind.









"I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is," Ardern said. "Events like this shake us all to the core."



In the NHK video, security guards are seen leaping on top of a man in a gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.



Police have arrested a suspected gunman at the scene. Under Japanese law, possession of firearms, as well as certain kinds of knives and other weapons, like bowguns, is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal.



Leaders from Germany, Pakistan, Sweden and the Philippines were among those who gave their condolences, and many countries including Spain and France expressed solidarity with Japan. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Saturday as a one-day national mourning as a mark of the deepest respect for Abe.



"Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment," Modi said.



Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abe was one of Australia's closest friends and a "giant on the world stage," adding that "his legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia. He will be greatly missed."





China's President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People, on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, in Beijing November 10, 2014. Reuters-Yonhap



Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose time in office from 2005-2021 largely overlapped with that of former Japanese Shinzo Abe, said she was "deeply shocked and devastated" by the news that he had died of injuries "inflicted in a cowardly and vile assassination hours earlier."



"My first thoughts are with his wife and family," she said in a statement. "I grieve with them. I wish them comfort and support."



Taiwan's government said that "Abe spared no effort to push for the progress of Taiwan-Japan relations for many years," noting Abe's push amid the COVID-19 pandemic for the Japanese government to donate vaccines to Taiwan.



Italian Premier Mario Draghi offered his profound condolences and said Italy was embracing Abe's family, the government and the Japanese people.



"Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and reformist vision," Draghi said in a statement.



Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt noted that Abe was killed "while campaigning for his fellow party members. All politicians should be safe while executing their work for democracy."



Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who is president of the Group of 20 nations' foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia, lamented Abe's "untimely demise" and said he "will always be remembered as a prime example for all."



"It is with great dismay that all of us as participants have just learned that the former Prime Minister of Japan has passed away after the assassination," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said after the summit. "My thoughts, our thoughts here at the G-20 meeting are with his family, with his friends, and it is with great sadness that we also send our greetings to all the citizens of Japan."





International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe exchange smiles at the start of their meeting at Abe's official residence in Tokyo March 13, 2015. Reuters-Yonhap
Kim Kardashian feels "sassier" as a blonde.

The 41-year-old star - who has North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three, with ex-husband Kanye West - thinks she has a "different energy" when she's got blonde hair.

She explained: "Im sassier. Im more confident as a blonde.

"As soon as I go back to brunette, Im a boss. Im also a totally different person when I have long, fake nails on. I have so much confidence - and I hate long nails!

"Every once in a while, I need that b*****-boss energy. But when I have to write an essay, Im like, Get these nails off me! I cant type."

Kim has a huge social media following, including more than 300 million followers on Instagram.

And the reality star admits she pays more attention to her appearance than "90 percent of the people on this planet".

Kim - who is dating comedian Pete Davidson - told the August 2022 issue of Allure magazine: "I care. I really, genuinely care about looking good.

"I probably care more than 90 percent of the people on this planet. Its not easy when youre a mom and youre exhausted at the end of the day or youre in school, and Im all of the above. I do my beauty treatments usually late at night. After everyones in bed, Im doing laser treatments."

Despite this, Kim insists her beauty standards are attainable.

She said: "If Im doing it, its attainable. There are so many different beauty standards - whether its Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Marilyn Monroe. When I was a teenager, [the look] was just blonde waifs."

Kim recalled being wowed by Hollywood star Salma Hayek during her younger years.

She added: "My mentality was never like, you see them on TV or in magazines and pick who you want to be. It was always: be yourself, find beauty in everything."
James Caan has died at the age of 82.

The actor - who played Sonny Corleone in 'The Godfather' - passed away on Wednesday evening (07.06.22).

His family said in a statement on Twitter: "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.

"The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time."

The movie star began his career appearing in off-Broadway productions. He subsequently starred in numerous TV roles, including appearances in the ABC series 'Naked City', as well as 'Route 66', 'Alcoa Premiere' and 'The Untouchables'.

Caan made his film debut in 1963, when he starred in 'Irma la Douce', an American rom-com. He also appeared in 'The Glory Guy' in 1965 and 'Brian's Song' in 1971, before he landed his breakout role in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed 'The Godfather' in 1972.

In the iconic movie, he appeared alongside a host of Hollywood A-listers, including Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro.

Caan was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film, while he was also nominated for a Golden Globe.

The New York-born star reprised his most iconic character in 'The Godfather Part II' in 1974.

Caan only worked sporadically during the 1980s, but he still appeared in a number of well-known films over recent decades, including 'Thief' in 1981 and in the Christmas comedy 'Elf' in 2003.

Caan was also set to star alongside the likes of Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Adam Driver and Cate Blanchett in 'Megalopolis', the much-hyped new movie from legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.

Caan was married four times, but got divorced to his last wife, Linda Stokes, in 2017.
In what could be a landmark decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court said in a 4-3 decision Wednesday that surviving sex trafficking can be used as a legal defense for homicide in certain circumstances.

The decision could set a precedent that would allow survivors of sex trafficking greater defenses against criminal prosecution for just about any crime. The trafficking defense allows survivors to be protected against any criminal allegation they assert was the direct result of them having been trafficked.

Experts say a survivor who turns to drug use after escaping, or who was forced to use drugs, could use what is known as the "trafficking defense" when later accused of drug possession or drug dealing.

The Wisconsin law that provides the trafficking defense is incredibly broad, although rarely used. It was created by the state legislature in 2008.

Reacting to Wednesdays Supreme Court decision, Ian Henderson, Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault's director of legal and systems services, said in a phone interview, What the court did (Wednesday) is flush out what it means to be as a direct result  There has to be a logical, causal connection between the crime the person is accused of and the trafficking.

The case

Wednesdays decision allows Chrystul Kizer, 22, of Milwaukee, to argue she should be found not guilty of murder at her upcoming trial.

Kizer, when she was 17 in June 2018, killed Randall Volar III in Kenosha; he allegedly had been sexually abusing her and selling her to other adults for sex. For months before his death, Volar reportedly was on the radar of law enforcement for sex crimes committed against numerous underage girls, but no charges were ever filed.

Yasmin Vafa, a human rights attorney and the executive director of Rights4Girls, said that Wisconsins law should protect trafficking survivors like Kizer from being convicted for taking their safety into their own hands and acting against an abuser.

Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said Wednesday that, even after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Kizer, he believes prosecutors can convince a jury to convict Kizer. The DAs Office asserts the killing of Volar was not the direct result of abuse; according to court documents, Kizer said she killed Volar because she was tired of him touching her, but reported text messages sent by Kizer also indicate the killing was premeditated and she also intended to steal Volar's car.

State by state

The Supreme Courts decision clarifies ambiguity in the 2008 state law. Despite losing the appeal to the high court, Graveley called the ruling helpful as it can guide attorneys and law enforcement on how to treat survivors of trafficking within the criminal justice system.

Most states have such laws. Typically, the trafficking defense laws intend to protect those in vulnerable situations from being prosecuted for things like theft or prostitution because they were forced or coerced to commit the crime.

But experts say Wisconsins protection for victims of sex trafficking is perhaps the broadest in the country.

The trafficking defense in some other states, such as North Dakota, explicitly does not include violent crimes.

In Wisconsin, theres no such limitation.

A survivor could, for example, say, I turned to drugs to deal with the trauma I experienced. Therefore, I am not criminally liable for having been found in possession of heroin, even if its undisputed that they possessed the drug  in the same way that it is not disputed that Kizer pulled the trigger and killed Volar.

As courts become more aware of trafficking and begin to treat survivors more as victims than perpetrators, Vafa predicts that more laws and protections will be created (or at least talked about) to protect survivors from criminal prosecution.

Rights4Girls  along with Ms. Foundation for Women, and the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality  coined the phrase "Sexual Abuse-to-Prison Pipeline" in a 2015 report.

The report asserts that "sexual abuse is one of the primary predictors of girls entry into the juvenile justice system ... Once inside, girls encounter a system that is often ill-equipped to identify and treat the violence and trauma that lie at the root of victimized girls arrests. More harmful still is the significant risk that the punitive environment will re-trigger girls trauma and even subject them to new incidents of sexual victimization, which can exponentially compound the profound harms inflicted by the original abuse."

The report cited a 2006 study that found 93% of girls in Oregon's juvenile justice system had experienced physical and/or sexual abuse, compared to a rate of around 15% of teen girls in the general population. A 2009 South Carolina study and a 1988 California study found similar results, with 81% of girls in the justice system in both states having experienced sexual violence.

Girls of color are involved in this pipeline disproportionately. Black girls are 3.3 times more likely than white girls and 2.7 times more likely than Hispanic girls to be in a "residential placement," while Native American girls are more than 45% more likely to be involved in the system than black girls, according to the nonprofit Child Trends.

Kizer isn't the first trafficking survivor to aim to defend herself against conviction using a trafficking defense argument.

Cyntoia Brown of Tennessee was forced into prostitution at age 16 in 2004. That year, she fatally shot a 43-year-old youth pastor in Nashville who had allegedly taken her to his home with the intent of paying her for sex. After she began resisting him, Brown said she became scared he would kill her.

Brown claimed the killing was in self-defense, but a jury found her guilty and she was given a life sentence. Evidence used against Brown included that she, like Kizer, stole from the man she killed.

Advocates and later celebrities brought her case into public discourse about five years ago. Brown was supposed to become eligible for parole when she turned 67. But, then-Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam commuted her sentence. She was released on Aug. 7, 2019, when she was 31.

In allowing Brown to be released, Haslam, a Republican, wrote: "Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life. Transformation should be accompanied by hope."

If Kizer is convicted of the crime she is charged with, first-degree intentional homicide, the minimum sentence is life in prison.
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnsons campaign pulled a radio ad downplaying gun violence and emphasizing immigration before it was scheduled to air on July 6, two days after a mass shooter killed seven people and injured dozens in Illinois, according to a new report.

In the ad, which was leaked to The Intercept, Johnson draws attention to a mass death incident in San Antonio where more than 50 immigrants died in an abandoned trailer, attributing it to lenient liberal immigration policies.

The latest mass murder in America didnt involve guns, the Oshkosh Republican says in the ad that The Intercept reports was scheduled to air on July 6. Fifty-three people, including five children, were murdered by human traffickers because Joe Bidens open border policy is facilitating the multibillion dollar business model of some of the most evil people on the planet. Human, sex and drug trafficking are out of control because of Democrat governance. They have to be stopped.

A video version of the ad ran digitally beginning on July 1. The ad that was pulled was a separate radio ad based on the video version.

The Johnson campaign decided to pull the radio ad last minute, The Intercept reported, as the Illinois mass shooting once again put the conversation around gun control into focus and replaced the San Antonio event as Americas latest mass murder.

Asked why Johnsons campaign pulled the radio ad and whether they planned to run the ad again, Johnson spokesperson Alexa Henning provided a statement that didnt explain why the ad was pulled and said Johnson will continue to highlight Joe Bidens failure to secure the border and the human depredation that occurs as a result of that.

The ad does not downplay any recent mass shooting tragedy, Henning said.

In an email obtained by The Intercept, an executive from Katz Radio Group, a company that sells advertising space for radio stations, told colleagues to suspend the ad.

In an email with the subject line URGENT: Ron Johnson orders, a Katz Radio Group executive said on July 5, They need the creative pulled ASAP. ... If you listened to the spot it talks about mass shootings which obviously is not good creative after this past weekend (especially in Chicago), The Intercept reported.

The following day, a sales assistant at Cumulus Radio Group sent an email to colleagues stating, The rep for the Ron Johnson orders we entered yesterday is asking we pull the creative ASAP because of the nature of the message and how its a little too close to the mass shooting events over the weekend, The Intercept reported.

In May, Democratic senators rejected Johnsons effort to codify the Federal Clearinghouse on School Safety, which includes recommendations for making schools safer with information on bullying, emergency planning, mental health and other topics. That measure called for the clearinghouse to include information about threat prevention, preparedness, protection, mitigation, incident response and recovery.

Its a good idea, Johnson said at the time, after a gunman in Texas killed 21 people, almost all of whom were elementary school students. It could save lives. It is an action, when people are calling for action following this tragedy.

But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blocked action on the bill, saying he would focus instead on a measure that would authorize federal agencies to monitor, analyze, investigate and prosecute domestic terrorists. Republicans subsequently blocked that measure.

The measure Johnson proposed was later absorbed into a bipartisan gun control bill, later signed by President Biden, that Johnson voted against.

The package, which lawmakers heralded as the most effective of its kind in decades, includes grants for a program that would allow judges to block certain people deemed safety risks from owning firearms, known as red flag laws. The law also enhances background checks for gun buyers under 21, includes new federal gun-trafficking offenses and expands an existing law preventing people convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun.

This bill provides resources to states to adopt red flag laws without requiring sufficient due process to those accused  thereby eroding 2nd amendment protections, Johnson said in a statement last month. I simply cannot support it.

Fourteen Republicans voted in favor of advancing the legislation, which passed the Senate 64-34, including some who said the legislation didnt conflict with the Second Amendment.
Bangalore (Karnataka) [India] July 8 (ANI/NewsVoir): e-con Systems - a leading designer of embedded vision cameras for a range of industries, has recently opened its new center in Bangalore. The multi-national company already has a strong presence in several geographies like North America, Israel, South Korea, Japan, and Europe, among others. In India, it already has two development centers in Chennai. This new branch in Bangalore will primarily be a sales-focused premise where e-con can serve more customers in India.

After running the full-fledged profitable business for almost two decades, the founders of e-con Systems are now in the final stages of raising USD 10 million in funding from PE investors. This new investment will be utilized for an aggressive expansion spree, which will include geographical expansion of the sales force as well as strengthening and growing its R&D team. They are looking to grow their employee base by 50 per cent. Currently, e-con Systems has a workforce of 400 people and is poised to grow to 600 people by the end of 2023.

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e-con Systems is very bullish on the growth prospects for its embedded vision solutions. Along with the adoption of AI processing on the edge, embedded vision is transforming every single industry from manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, transportation, sports, health care, life sciences, and so on. These new technology applications are not only transforming the existing industries but also creating new markets and applications for embedded vision solutions. e-con Systems is a market leader in the segment and is very well positioned to leverage this opportunity for its growth and for creating value for every customer and the end-users.

Ashok Babu, Co-founder and President, e-con Systems India Pvt. Ltd., said, "We are seeing that Indian companies are leading the embedded vision-enabled transformation with their new products and solutions. For example, the e-commerce industry has germinated many companies in India offering autonomous mobile robots, vision guidance robots, etc., which are powered by embedded vision solutions, and with our new office in Bangalore, we will be part of the India Growth Story. Our customers can not only get the cameras from e-con but also customized solutions and complete system-level solutions to build their entire product."

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Started 18 years ago by Ashok Babu, Harishankkar and Maharajan Veerabahu, e-con Systems is one of the most well-renowned brands for camera solutions. e-con Systems has 250+ customers today actively using e-con's cameras in mass production. About 70 per cent of the business comes from The United States, 20 per cent from the EU, and the remaining from Japan and Korea.

Today, e-con Systems has evolved into a leading embedded vision camera designer and supplier with a robust global footprint, providing end-to-end camera solutions like MIPI camera modules, GMSL cameras, USB 3.1 Gen 1 cameras, stereo cameras, TOF cameras and more. The company is also powered by a strong partner ecosystem that enables it to offer end-to-end vision solutions, including sensor partners, ISP partners, and carrier board partners, to name a few.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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Jindal School of Public Health announces 100 per cent fully funded scholarships for 10 students in its Inaugural Masters' in Public Health (MPH) Course

Sonipat (Haryana) [India], July 8 (ANI/OP Jindal University): The Jindal School of Public Health & Human Development (JSPH) at O.P. Jindal Global University announced 100 per cent scholarships for the inaugural batch of the Masters' in Public Health Programme (MPH).

A total of 10 fully funded scholarships will be given to the students thus ensuring 100 per cent waiver of tuition fees and will provide financial assistance to students and help them build a global career in the field of public health and human development.

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Professor (Dr.) C Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of JGU announcing this news observed: "This extraordinary decision to institute 10 scholarships with 100 per cent tuition fee support has been taken to recognise the importance of public health education in a world that is barely recovering from the global pandemic.

JGU has been at the forefront of promoting excellence in teaching and research and these scholarships will enable and empower deserving students to pursue public health education with full financial support. Our commitment to providing high-quality education in the field of public health and human development will financially supporting students and ensure equity and access to public health education in India."

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The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 pandemic has brought urgent global attention to the need to respond effectively for public health exigencies. Jindal School of Public Health & Human Development acknowledges the need of nurturing socially conscious public health professionals. JSPH aspires to be a world-class institution becoming a hub for innovation to meet the constantly-evolving and dynamic needs of the public health sector.

JSPH follows a research-driven and interdisciplinary approach to create thought leaders who can in turn build a constantly evolving, adaptable and sustainable public health ecosystem for India and the world.

The flagship Masters' Degree Programme being offered by the JSPH consolidates JGU's extensive engagement in the field of public health in India. Grounded in a global health approach and building on a vast network of national and international collaborations, the MPH is a culmination of JGU's dedication to promoting public service.

Building on the high level of internationalization at JGU, the programme will introduce students to a multiplicity of approaches and build competencies through a range of core courses, electives, specializations, dissertations, and capstone options. In addition, students will have the option of undertaking semester exchange and study abroad programmes with key institutions and centers of excellence in public health.

Professor (Dr.) Upasana Mahanta, Dean, Admissions and Outreach at JGU provided more details about the scholarships and said, "At JGU, we focus on providing a world-class education to our students and also believe in reducing barriers to equal and quality education. Our interdisciplinary and academically rigorous Masters' Degree in Public Health programme is truly transformative in nature. Our decision to provide ten 100 per cent scholarships to our new students joining us in 2022 will enable students from diverse backgrounds to join a global institution of excellence and an "Institution of Eminence" such as JGU."

As India's No.1 Private University, JGU ensures that the scholarship reaches the right students and helps them in thriving a successful academic career.

This story is provided by OP Jindal University. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/OP Jindal University)

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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 8 (ANI/PRNewswire): Blue Blocks Montessori School, a K-12 school in Hyderabad collaborates with IIT Hyderabad design team to design their Space Lab and Science Lab for its students.

The quote 'The sky is the limit' is quite literal for the students of Blue Blocks, a leading Montessori-based, K-12 school in Hyderabad, when it comes to exploring the limitless possibilities of learning that this school offers.

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Among the series of innovative programs, the school has devised for its students over the years, the latest is a Space Lab in collaboration with the Department of Design, IIT Hyderabad.

In this latest project, the foundations of exploring the wonders of space, starts right from the ground level. The children get to collaborate with the students of the Department of Design, IIT-H, to plan and design the Space Lab within the premises of the school. By getting involved right from the planning stage, students become an integral part of the process and the program.

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The mysteries and science of space has always fascinated mankind, right from early philosophers to the tech billionaires of today - from discovering stars and comets to exploring the possibilities of sustaining life on other planets. By inculcating a sense of wonder and interest right from early years, students will get to explore the different facets and subjects that relate to Space sciences - rockets, satellites, astronomy, biochemistry, bioengineering -- the range of subjects are as vast as space itself. "The boundlessness, the limitlessness and the infiniteness of Space amazes children and adults the same," says Karthik Ponnala, Physics Mentor at Blue Blocks.

Blue Blocks has always strived to provide its students a learning that goes beyond the prescribed syllabus. Pavan Goyal, the founder and his able team believe that the best form of learning is outside the textbooks and from life and the world around. "We are highly excited about the Blue Blocks - IIT-H Tie up! It will be an amazing opportunity for Blue Blocks children to work hand-in-hand with IIT students - and sharing their design ideas while building their Space Lab," Pavan Goyal said.

Prof. Srikar, who is guiding the efforts through the Department of Design at IIT Hyderabad said that the idea of Space Lab for children is very intriguing and through unique participatory approach this will be one of a kind Space Lab for schools in India. He is bullish that through novel designs and pedagogical tools, Blue Blocks school children will be able to achieve wonders. Through the guidance of IIT Hyderabad design team, this space design and space program developed in collaboration, will create a platform for Blue Blocks school children to lean on to space sciences and potentially making them future space scientists.

Innovation and the skill set to create -- is a thinking principle well-ingrained within the ethos of the learning modules designed for the students of Blue Blocks. Students, right from as early as 6 years, are exposed to hands-on and experiential type of learning, and no subject is considered too young to start. Over the years, the school has exposed its students to subjects such as drone making and NFTs, where students learn not just the principles behind the subjects - such as STEM and finance but are encouraged to explore their potential to create live examples of each. The drone project had students patenting ideas in and youngsters have converted their art as NFTs.

To kick off the Space Lab project, the school has collaborated with IIT Hyderabad's Department of Design today. This is a One-of-its-kind Space Lab to be set up in a school. Again, in a departure from the norm, where children are kept away from such formal proceedings, the students also signed the agreement with IIT-H Design team along with the management of Blue Blocks.

The children of Blue Blocks are not just being readied for the future; they are given the opportunity to create a future.

Ranked amongst the leading schools in Hyderabad, Blue Blocks is a pioneering school and one of the few offering a pure Montessori-based education curriculum and Cambridge Affiliation. Established in 2009, Blue Blocks offers a strong and alternative method of learning that involves self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play.

Blue Blocks is an authorized Montessori School offering programmes for the ages of 1 to 16 years, from Pre-primary to High School. Blue Blocks imparts an application based learning and research-oriented thinking enabling students to gain experiential learning. Blue Blocks strongly believes in providing a rich and resourceful schooling environment to make children world ready.

This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)

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Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 8 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Tessolve India, based in Bangalore, is one of the leading engineering service/solution providers with over 2,000 engineers worldwide and a full breadth of pre-and post-silicon expertise.

The company provides a one-stop-shop solution with full-fledged hardware and software capabilities including its advanced silicon and system testing labs. To enable instant employee support services, Tessolve has decided to deploy Workelevate, a digital workplace service automation platform by Progressive Infotech.

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"We are excited to partner with Workelevate. The platform will enable us to provide better support to our employees and improve their experience." - Sundar M, Associate Director IT, Tessolve India

The Digital Workplace Service Automation Platform - Workelevate streamlines employee support services seamlessly through a rule-based chatbot that enables faster ticket resolutions, eliminates repetitive requests, and provides one-click remediations to end-users.

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Following an omnichannel approach, it allows employees to access support through the channel they prefer.

Led by automation, conversational chatbot, and a plethora of self-help capabilities that aim to resolve employee support requests (IT, HR & Admin/Field), Workelevate maximizes service desk efficiency for better hybrid work productivity.

Developed by Progressive Infotech having over 2 decades of expertise in end-user experience management, Workelevate is adopted by some of the top Indian and global enterprises across industries.

This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

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New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Four men were arrested for allegedly robbing Rs 56,000 from a non-banking financial company in east Delhi's Preet Vihar area, police said on Friday.

The accused have been identified as Amir, Talib and Tripesh Kumar alias Parvesh, all residents of Uttar Pradesh, and Sirajuddin alias Siraj, a resident of Khureji Khas in Delhi, they said.

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On Tuesday, a case was registered at Preet Vihar police station based on a complaint that four robbers entered the branch of a financial corporation at Vikas Marg around 10.30 am and robbed Rs 56,000 at gunpoint, a senior police officer said.

The accused also tried to rob gold articles lying in the strong room as they had snatched keys of the vault from the staff, but the branch manager pressed the security remote, which was kept in his pocket. The security alarm activated and started ringing loudly and the accused fled from the spot, the officer said.

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On Thursday, police got a tip-off that two criminals Amir and Talib, who were involved in the robbery, would come near AIIMS via Barrarpulla to commit some crime. A trap was laid at the Barrapullah loop towards AIIMS and around 7.40 pm, two suspects were apprehended, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Deo said.

They disclosed that the mastermind of the robbery was Sirajuddin who had planned and provided arms and ammunition. They further said that one Parvesh was also involved in the robbery, the DCP said.

Later, raids were conducted and Sirajuddin and Tripesh Kumar alias Parvesh were arrested on Friday, Deo said.

Three country-made pistols along with eight live cartridges, two stolen motorcycles used in crime, two robbed mobile phones and one toy pistol have been recovered from their possession, police said.

Aamir was a driver and Talib a construction labourer, police said.

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Nainital (Uttarakhand) [India], July 8 (ANI): At least nine people were killed and one person was rescued alive after a car in which they were travelling in, was washed away in the Dhela river of Uttarakhand's Ramanagar on Friday morning, police said.

The incident took place at 5 am.

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Four bodies have been retrieved and five bodies are still trapped in the car amid the heavy flow of water due to heavy rainfall in the state. Efforts are on to remove the bodies of the

"Nine people died, one girl was rescued alive and about 5 bodies are still trapped after a car washed away in the Dhela river of Ramanagar amid the heavy flow of water induced by rains early this morning, Kumaon Range, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Nilesh Anand Bharan told to ANI.

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"Five more people are still trapped in the car. Efforts are being made to rescue them. The car is badly stuck," he informed.

As Uttarakhand is witnessing heavy rainfall, the flow of water in the river is faster than usual, the accident occurred due to ignorance, the DIG said.

On July 4, the Meteorological Department had predicted heavy rain in Uttarakhand for the next four days. An alert of heavy rain was issued in Dehradun, Nainital, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Tehri, Pauri, and Champawat.

On Monday heavy rain lashed Dehradun in which several trees were uprooted and vehicles were damaged. The monsoon hit Uttarakhand last week raising concerns over landslides in the hill state.

People have been advised to be alert due to landslides, rock fall, debris on roads, erosion and water flow in river drains through sensitive areas due to heavy rains. (ANI)

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Bhubaneswar, Jul 8 (PTI) Describing Shinzo Abe as a "great friend of India", Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the assasination of the former Japanese prime minister.

He prayed for the wellbeing of Abe's family and the people of Japan.

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Taking to Twitter, Patnaik said: Deeply saddened to know about the assassination of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. He was a great friend of India & played a key

role in strengthening the Indo-Japan bond.

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"My thoughts & prayers are with the bereaved family members & Japanese people in this hour of grief.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started an election campaign speech at Nara in Japan. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead.

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Araria, July 8: In a shocking incident, a man in Bihar's Araria allegedly barged into a school with a sword and threatened teachers after he didn't get money for his child's school uniform.

Speaking to ANI about the incident, Jokihat Station House Officer (SHO) said, "The father reached his child's school with a sword and threatened teachers allegedly after he didn't get money for school uniform in Araria." Muslim Teacher in Bihar School Attacked for Not Singing Vande Mataram on Republic Day, Teacher Says,  Its Against His Belief.

Man Barges Into Classroom With Sword in Bihar

Bihar | Father reached his child's school with a sword and threatened teachers allegedly after he didn't get money for school uniform in Araria. "An FIR has been registered in this matter," said Jokihat SHO (07.07) pic.twitter.com/FFhaCwyES9  ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2022

The man, identified as Akbar, also threatened the teachers that if he doesn't get the money within 24 hours, he will come again. The incident happened in Jokihaat block under Bhagwanpur panchayat.

An FIR has been registered against the man following it. The headmaster of the school, Jehangir, complained about the matter to Jokihat BDO. The incident took place when the classes were underway in the school. The video of the man with the sword has gone viral on social media.

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Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 8 (ANI): The arrangements are in place for the two-day Plenary session of the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) starting on Friday in Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to ANI, Rajya Sabha MP and YSRCP leader V Vijayasai Reddy stated that this is the third plenary of YSRCP since it was constituted but this is the first to be held after YSRCP came to power.

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All the arrangements have been made at the venue located between Guntur and Vijayawada including food, accommodation and drinking water facilities. On the first day (July 8) approximately 1.5 lakh representatives are expected to attend the plenary and on the second day (July 9) around 4.5 representatives are to attend.

Right from panchayat level ward members to the Chief Minister, all the representatives of the party will be attending the plenary.

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"In the plenary, we will be discussing the future administration on how it is going to be and what we would be doing and resolutions will be passed," Reddy said.

He further said the plenary will bring the philosophy of the party to the common man and added that the philosophy of the party is to serve the common man, particularly the poor and the downtrodden.

"We need to ensure everybody irrespective of caste and creed should be benefited, all should be equal and no one should be discriminated against when it comes to the benefits that are being given by the party under various schemes," Reddy said.

He also alleged that the Telugu media is biased and divided on caste lines and added that this would be discussed at length in the plenary and those acting on the caste lines will be exposed by the leaders of the party.

Attacking N Chandrababu Naidu, Reddy said people have given plenty of opportunities to Naidu for 14 years but he had failed.

"Now people have given us the opportunity and we will rule the state, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be Chief Minister for the next 20 or 25 years," he added. (ANI)

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Kolkata, Jul 8 (PTI) The CBI on Friday filed a charge-sheet against nine accused in connection with the gang-rape and murder of a minor girl in West Bengal's Nadia district earlier this year.

The charge-sheet was filed in the court of special judge (POCSO Court).

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Investigation revealed that the minor victim was allegedly gang-raped by three accused after intoxicating her, the CBI said in a statement on Friday.

It was also alleged that the accused immediately took the dead body of the victim and cremated the body without giving an opportunity for medical examination, the probe agency said.

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The family members of the minor were also allegedly threatened by the accused, preventing them from taking her to hospital, it added.

The CBI, in compliance with orders of the Calcutta High Court, had registered a case in April against four accused and others.

The girl was allegedly raped on April 4 during a birthday party at the house of a TMC panchayat official's son in Hanskhali area of Nadia district, according to the police complaint filed by her parents.

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Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 8 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that the Congress leaders have "misused" Mahatma Gandhi's name and brought the country to a sorry state.

Speaking to media persons Bommai said, "A DIG was found involved in a PSI recruitment scam during the Congress regime, but the Congress government failed to take action. They did not even bother to question him or suspend him. But we have taken legal action. We have arrested high-ranking officers. They should realise their mistakes. Congress is in the position of a convict. They bowed to lobbies and covered up the scams. They do not have the moral right to preach to others."

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"There are more such scams which Congress has buried. They would be exposed in the coming days," he added.

Bommai further said that they did not suspend even a single person in the KPSC scam related to the recruitment of Public Prosecutors.

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The PSI scam case is related to the irregularities in the appointment of police sub-inspectors in the state.

MLA and former Minister Priyank Kharge had earlier alleged a huge scam in the PSI recruitment of more than 545 candidates and pointed at the involvement of the government and officials in the matter.

Notably, on May 12, Karnataka Minister for Higher Education CN Ashwath Narayan announced that the state government was investigating the PSI scam and had assured that the people involved with it would be exposed.

On April 29, the Karnataka government decided to cancel the results of the police sub-inspector (PSI) recruitment exam following allegations of corruption.

The government had stated that a fresh exam will be re-conducted and the dates for which will be announced soon. (ANI)

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New Delhi, July 8: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to decide on Vivo India's (petitioner) representation seeking permission to operate its bank accounts which were recently frozen in connection with a money laundering case.

The Bench of Justice Yashwant Varma on Friday also asked ED's counsel to obtain instructions on grievances and the issues raised in the petition and kept the matter for 23 July 2022 for the next hearing.

Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra submitted "We have 9,000 employees. There is a liability, freezing its accounts would lead to the company's 'civil death'," Luthra submitted. Vivo India's counsel submitted, "grave injustice will be caused to the company and will negatively impact on the reputation and business operations of the company."

The freezing of the bank accounts will not only impede the existing/prospective business operations of the petitioner conducted through the bank accounts but will also bear an adverse effect on the Petitioner's operations in India and across the globe, said the petition. ED Raids at Vivo: Companies Who Operate in India Need to Follow Law of the Land, Says MEA.

If amounts in the Petitioner's bank accounts remain frozen, it would not be able to pay its statutory dues to the competent authorities under various enactments, leading to the Petitioner being in further violation of the law. The freezing will also prevent the payment of salaries to the thousands of employees of the Petitioner.

Vivo India on Friday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the freezing of the company's bank account by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case.

ED in its statement had said that all due procedures as per the law were followed during the said operations at each premise. "The employees of Vivo India, including some Chinese nationals, did not cooperate with the search proceedings and had tried to abscond, remove and hide digital devices which were retrieved by the search," it added.

According to the ED, Vivo India's nearly 23 associated firms such as Grand Prospect International Communication Pvt Ltd (GPICPL) transferred huge amounts to the firm and out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crores, it remitted Rs 62,476 crores-- almost 50 per cent of the turnover-- out of India, mainly to China.

"These companies are found to have transferred huge amounts of funds to Vivo India. Further, out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crores, Vivo India remitted Rs 62,476 crores almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China," ED said in a statement.

These remittances were made in order to disclose huge losses in Indian incorporated companies to avoid payment of taxes in India. The ED in its statement revealed the information after it carried out a search at 48 locations spanning the country belonging to Vivo Mobiles India Private Limited and its 23 associated companies such as GPICPL.

The agency said these entities are Rui Chuang Technologies Private Limited (Ahmedabad), V Dream Technology and Communication Private Ltd (Hyderabad), Regenvo Mobile Private Limited (Lucknow), Fangs Technology Private Limited (Chennai), Weiwo Communication Private Limited (Bangalore), Bubugao Communication Private Limited (Jaipur), Haicheng Mobile (India) Private Limited (New Delhi), Joinmay Mumbai Electronics Pvt Ltd (Mumbai), Yingjia Communication Private Limited (Kolkata), Jie Lian Mobile India Pvt Ltd (Indore), Vigour Mobile India Private Limited (Gurgaon), Hisoa Electronic Private Limited (Pune), Haijin Trade India Private Limited (Kochi), Rongsheng Mobile India Private Limited (Guwahati), Morefun Communication Private Limited (Patna), Aohua Mobile India Private Limited (Raipur), Pioneer Mobile Private Limited (Bhubaneswar), Unimay Electronic Private Limited (Nagpur), Junwei Electronic Private Limited (Aurangabad), Huijin Electronic India Private Limited (Ranchi), MGM Sales Private Limited (Dehradun) and Joinmay Electronics Pvt Ltd (Mumbai).

ED said Vivo Mobiles India Pvt Ltd was incorporated on 1 August 2014, as a subsidiary of Multi Accord Ltd, a Hong Kong-based company and was registered at the Registrar of Companies in New Delhi. It further said GPICPL was registered on 3 December 2014, at Registrar of Companies, Shimla, with registered addresses of Solan in Himachal Pradesh and Gandhi Nagar in Jammu.

The company was incorporated by Zhengshen Ou, Bin Lou and Zhang Jie with the help of Nitin Garg, a Chartered Accountant. Bin Lou left India on 26 April 2018, while Zhengshen Ou and Zhang Jie left India in 2021.

PMLA Investigation by ED was initiated by recording an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on February 3 this year on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered by Kalkaji police station under Delhi Police on December 5 last year against GPICPL and its Director, shareholders and certifying professionals on the basis of a complaint filed by Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

As per the FIR, GPICPL and its shareholders had used forged identification documents and falsified addresses at the time of incorporation. The allegations were found to be true as the investigation revealed that the addresses mentioned by the directors of GPICPL did not belong to them, but in fact, were a government building and the house also belonged to a senior bureaucrat. China Slams ED Raids at Vivo and Other Chinese Firms, Says It Will Chill Investment Confidence.

ED's investigation further revealed that the same director of GPICPL, namely Bin Lou, was also an ex-director of Vivo. He (Lou) had incorporated multiple companies across the country spread across various states, a total of 18 companies around the same time, just after the incorporation of Vivo in 2014-15 and further another Chinese national Zhixin Wei had incorporated another four companies.

So far, the ED said, 119 bank accounts of various entities with a gross balance to the tune of Rs 465 crores including Fixed Deposits to the tune of 66 crores of Vivo India, 2 kg gold bars, and cash amount to the tune of approximately Rs 73 lakhs have been seized under the provisions of PMLA, 2002.

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New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said he was distressed to know that a cloudburst near the Amarnath shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has claimed several lives, and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

He said relief and rescue measures were in full swing to provide succour to those stranded, and hoped that the "yatra be soon resumed".

Also Read | Amarnath Cloudburst: 10 Dead, Many Missing After Cloudburst, Flash Floods at Cave Shrine.

At least 10 people died when the cloudburst near the holy cave shrine in the South Kashmir Himalayas triggered flash floods on Friday evening. Twenty-five tents and three community kitchens were damaged.

"I am distressed to learn that a cloudburst near Amarnath shrine has claimed several lives. My condolences to the bereaved families. Relief and rescue measures are in full swing to provide succour to those stranded. I pray and hope that the yatra be soon resumed," Kovind tweeted.

Also Read | Amarnath Cloudburst: Yatra Suspended Till Further Notice.

Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said he was disturbed to receive the news of the unfortunate incident and that he was in constant touch with the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory administration.

"Disturbed to receive the news of unfortunate cloud burst over the lower holy cave of Shri #Amarnath. I am in constant touch with the UT administration. The SDRF and NDRF teams have promptly swung into action to provide all possible relief and assistance," tweeted Singh, who is also the Lok Sabha member from J-K's Udhampur constituency.

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New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on pressing global issues including the crisis in Ukraine and the situation in Afghanistan.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers' conclave in the Indonesian city of Bali.

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"Met FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia on the sidelines of the Bali #G20FMM. Discussed bilateral matters of mutual interest. Also exchanged views on contemporary regional and international issues including the Ukraine conflict and Afghanistan," Jaishankar tweeted.

The Jaishankar-Lavrov talks came a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed in a phone conversation the state of global energy and food markets in the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis.

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India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

In the last few months, India has also increased the import of discounted crude oil from Russia notwithstanding increasing disquiet over it by several Western powers.

India's crude oil imports from Russia have jumped over 50 times since April and now it makes up for 10 per cent of all crude bought from overseas.

On Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov said Russia appreciates India for not supporting attempts to isolate it in multilateral forums and that bilateral trade between the two countries is on an upswing.

India has also been in touch with several leading powers including Russia on the situation in Afghanistan.

Last month, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a "technical team" in its embassy in the Afghan capital.

India had withdrawn its officials from the embassy after the Taliban seized power last August following concerns over their security.

The reopening of the embassy came weeks after an Indian team led by JP Singh, the external affairs ministry's point person for Afghanistan, visited Kabul and met acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and some other members of the Taliban dispensation.

In the meeting, the Taliban side had assured the Indian team that adequate security will be provided if India sends its officials to the embassy in Kabul.

India has not recognised the new regime in Afghanistan and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul besides insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.PTI MPB

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New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) India exported defence items and technology worth a record Rs 13,000 crore in 2021-22, an impressive 54.1 per cent rise over the previous year, a top defence ministry official said on Friday.

The country's defence exports are chiefly to the US, the Philippines and other countries in the South-East Asia, the Middle-East and Africa.

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"In 2021-22, we have recorded Rs 13,000 crore of exports which is the highest ever exports number that we have recorded in defence," Sanjay Jaju, Additional Secretary in the Department of Defence Production (DDP), told a press briefing.

The exports in 2021-22 were almost eight times of what they were about five years back, he added.

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India's defence exports were worth Rs 8,434 crore in 2020-21, Rs 9,115 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 2,059 crore in 2015-16.

"There has been good progress. Of course, two years of COVID-19 was a bit of a setback. But this year, we have been able to record this number (of Rs 13,000 crore)," he noted.

At an event titled "Artificial Intelligence in Defence" on Monday, the defence ministry will reward a private sector organisation and another from the public sector that performed the best in defence exports, he said.

Generally, he said, private sector companies dominate the defence exports market with a share of almost 90 per cent.

Last year, Indian public sector companies also did well contributing 30 per cent to the country's defence exports, he added.

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Amid the ongoing Kaali poster row in the country, filmmaker Leena Manimekalai struck another stir as she referred to Godess Kali as 'queer' and called her a free spirit who spits on patriarchy. Taking on a micro blogging site she wrote that Kali dismantles Hindutva. "My Kaali is queer. She is a free spirit. She spits at the patriarchy. She dismantles Hindutva. She destroys capitalism, She embraces everyone with all her thousand hands, " Leena Manimekalai tweeted. Kaali: Leena Manimekali Defends Poster of Her Documentary After Pic of 'Goddess' Smoking Cigarette Causes Backlash on Social Media.

Delhi Police on July 7 registered a case against the documentary film Kaali and its director Manimekalai for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with its poster. The Cyber Crime Unit of the Delhi Police registered an FIR under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between groups) and 295 A (outraging religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Check It Out:

My Kaali is queer. She is a free spirit. She spits at the patriarchy. She dismantles Hindutva. She destroys capitalism, She embraces everyone with all her thousand hands. As told to @VOANews Film on Hindu Goddess Sparks Anger in India https://t.co/6QQOaCqKFn  Leena Manimekalai (@LeenaManimekali) July 8, 2022

Also, the Indian High Commission on Monday urged the Canadian authorities to withdraw the disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods showcased as part of the 'Under the Tent' project at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. "We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all such provocative material," the Indian High Commission in Canada said.

The filmmaker has been accused of hurting religious sentiments after she shared a poster of her documentary 'Kaali' which portrays Goddess Kali smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag. The controversy followed huge reactions across the country. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who has been booked for her comment on Goddess Kali, on Wednesday dared the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to prove that whatever she said is wrong.

"I do not want to live in an India where BJP's monolithic patriarchal brahminical view of Hinduism will prevail and the rest of us will tiptoe around religion. I will defend this till I die. File your FIRs - will see you in every court in the land," tweeted Moitra. "I challenge the BJP anywhere in the country to prove anything that I said is wrong," Moitra added.

The TMC leader has been booked for allegedly hurting religious sentiments after her comment on Goddess Kali stirred a controversy. An FIR has been registered in Bhopal against Moitra under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for hurting religious sentiments. She had called Kali "meat-eating" and "alcohol-accepting". Kaali Poster Controversy: Meera Chopra Slams Leena Manimekalai for Showing Goddess Kaali Smoking a Cigarette.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Hindu religious sentiments have been hurt by Moitra's statement and that insult to Hindu deities will not be tolerated at any cost. Reacting to the complaints against her by the BJP leaders, the TMC MP said: "Bring it on BJP! Am a Kali worshipper. I am not afraid of anything. Not your ignoramuses. Not your goons. Not your police. And most certainly not your trolls. Truth doesn't need back up forces."

Soon after she made those remarks on Kali, the TMC distanced itself saying the comments were made in her personal capacity. In a tweet, the TMC said the comments made by Mahua Moitra and her views expressed on Goddess Kali have been made in her personal capacity "and are NOT ENDORSED BY THE PARTY in ANY MANNER OR FORM". "All India Trinamool Congress strongly condemns such comments," the party tweeted.

Moitra's remarks came after a controversy erupted over a poster of filmmaker Leena Manimekalai's documentary 'Kaali'. The poster of the film depicted a woman dressed in a costume portraying the goddess and smoking. A flag of the LGBT community is seen in the background.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi said that people must be careful when they play with the emotions of people which are reflected in such symbols, culture and faith. "We won't like to comment on other parties, but I believe that balance must be maintained in symbols and essence of our faith. Heart and spirit of our culture cannot be trivialised by anybody anywhere be it elsewhere, abroad or here," he said.

Meanwhile, Siliguri BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh from Siliguri lodged a complaint against TMC MP Mahua Moitra at Siliguri Police Station for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments. Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said, "All of us including Sanatan people will take out a rally in Krishna Nagar against her (Mahua Moitra's) filthy comments... If no action is taken, next week we will approach court for police inaction. TMC is an anti-Hindu party, does appeasement politics, and supports Rohingyas."

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New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut on Friday filed a petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging the criminal defamation proceedings initiated on the complaint of Mahinder Kaur before the Magistrate Court in Bathinda.

The defamation case is based upon a complaint filed in the month of January 2021 by Mohinder Kaur where he alleged that during the farmer protests, Kangana had made a defamatory tweet wherein "false imputations and remarks" were made against Kaur.

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In the alleged tweet, Mohinder Kaur was compared with the "Dadi" at Shaheen Bagh and it was stated that such protestors could be hired.

Based on the alleged tweet, the lady farmer, filed a complaint before the Magistrate Court, Bathinda, seeking initiation of criminal proceedings Under sections 499, and 500 for defamation against Kangana Ranaut as she had made false imputations.

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The magistrate Court Bathinda on the Complaint of Mohinder Kaur had summoned Ranaut early this year on February 22. Kangana Ranaut has sought to quash and set aside the proceedings initiated by the Magistrate Court Bathinda through her counsel Abhinav Sood.

The matter has been listed for today before the court of Justice Meenakshi I Mehta. (ANI)

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Lucknow, Jul 8 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court will on Monday resume hearing the bail plea of Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, allegedly involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that left eight people dead.

In the hearing Friday before the Lucknow bench of the high court, the victims' side cited the rejection of the bail pleas of co-accused Ankit Das and others in the case.

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The counsel also argued that Mishra's bail plea was not maintainable, citing new offences added against him during the police investigation.

Justice Krishan Pal fixed July 11 as the next date for the hearing.

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Four farmers, part of a protest against the now-repealed farm laws, were killed on October 3 last year when a car mowed them down near Tikonia village in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri. It was alleged that Ashish Mishra was sitting in one of the cars in the convoy.

In the subsequent violence, two BJP workers and a driver were killed. A journalist was the eighth victim.

That day the farmers were protesting against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to Ajay Mishra's native Banbir village.

In April, the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to the minister's son by the high court but directed that the HC could re-examine the matter.

Ashish Mishra then filed a fresh bail plea.

The violence during the farmers' year-long protest over the agri laws triggered outrage and the Opposition mounted a campaign seeking the removed of Ajay Mishra from the Union cabinet.

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Gorakhpur (UP), Jul 8 (PTI) A man, along with his friend, was booked for allegedly raping his wife and filming the act, police said on Friday.

The woman filed a complaint with the police alleging that for the past six months her husband after consuming liquor raped her in front of his friend. The husband's friend too sexually assaulted the victim, they said.

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She also alleged that they often beat her when she resisted, police added.

On Wednesday, when she offered a strong resistance, the two men not only raped her but also made a video clip of the act and threatened her to share it on social media, the police said.

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Police have registered a case against the woman's husband and his friend under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (criminal force to any woman with the intention of disrobing), 376 (rape), 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the IPC and section 67 of the IT Act on the direction of the ADG Gorakhpur zone, they said.

A hunt has been launched to nab the accused, police said.

A woman has accused her husband and his friend of having a forced relationship with her without her consent for the last six months. She has also alleged that when she resisted, they not only beat her but also issued threats of ousting her from the house," Superintendent of Police (city) Krishan Kumar said.

On June 6, the accused thrashed and raped her and also made a video clip of the act and threatened her to make it viral, he added.

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Jammu, Jul 8 (PTI) Batting strongly for collectivism and better coordination at all levels in the party, National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Friday said the party is set to fight a multi-front battle in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Srinagar MP also exhorted party functionaries to amplify their efforts to reach out to wider sections of society across the Union Territory.

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"As far as the NC is concerned, it is set to fight a multi-front battle (in Jammu and Kashmir)," Abdullah said while interacting with a number of delegations at his residence here.

Elaborating on the multi-front battle, he said, "On one front, we have to strive for an atmosphere, where basic needs of our people, including development and job creation, are addressed. On the other front it has to keep up its peaceful and constitutional fight for the restoration of people's abridged rights".

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The former chief minister said the "NC has long been associated with the real political aspirations of the people" and they are looking towards the party to protect Jammu and Kashmir's cultural, social, political frontiers and cultural individuality as ever before.

"To achieve this goal, the party's moves have to be marked by collectivism and better coordination at all levels," he told the NC functionaries.

Abdullah exhorted the party functionaries to amplify their efforts to reach out to wider sections of society across Jammu and Kashmir.

He said that for the NC to deepen its roots ever more than before, "it is imperative for our functionaries to value the party workers".

"Strengthening of the bottom-up model holds the key towards making the party stronger to take on the challenges in the future", he added.

On Thursday, Union minister Jitendra Singh said it was for the Election Commission (EC) to decide when assembly polls would be held in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ever ready for elections.

The EC has set in motion the preparations for holding assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the first since the Centre revoked its special status and made it a Union territory in August 2019.

The Election Commission will publish the finalised electoral rolls of Jammu and Kashmir on October 31, the Union Territory's first voters' list after the boundaries of the assembly seats were redrawn.

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New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI)In a relief to TV news anchor Rohit Ranjan, the Supreme Court on Friday restrained various state authorities from taking coercive steps against him to take him in custody in connection with multiple FIRs for playing a doctored clip of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the telecast of a programme on July 1.

The interim protection to the news anchor came from a vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and J K Maheshwari which also issued notices to the Centre and states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh seeking their responses on Ranjan's plea for quashing of complaints or FIRs concerning the telecast.

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Issue notice. Service on the Union of India be effected through the office of the Central Agency, the bench said.

In the meanwhile, there will be an interim order restraining the respondent-authorities from taking coercive steps against the petitioner to take him into custody in connection with the anchoring/telecast of DNA on July 1, 2022, the top court said in its order.

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The apex court was hearing the plea of the anchor who is facing FIRs in some states.

Ranjan later apologised and the news programme was withdrawn.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Ranjan, told the bench that as of now, three FIRs have been registered at Jaipur, Raipur, and Noida.

He said an unintentional error was committed in the programme and the petitioner had apologised also.

Luthra said two concerned persons of the company had accepted their fault and have resigned.

Today, my difficulty is, the first FIR is in Jaipur, the second FIR is at Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Luthra said, adding an FIR is also there in Noida.

In his petition filed through law firm Karanjawala and Co, the news anchor has sought relief including the quashing of FIRs or complaints or their clubbing and transfer to one place.

Ranjan has also sought a direction that no coercive action be taken against him for the withdrawn programme for which he and the channel have apologised.

The petition has sought security for the journalist, his family members, and his colleagues associated with the programme in question.

"The present writ petition is being filed under Article 32 of the Constitution praying for the quashing /clubbing of almost identical criminal complaints. FIRs were filed across the country against the petitioner. The petitioner prays for the stay of coercive action during the pendency of the present petition," the plea said.

It said Ranjan "anchored /hosted a programme on Zee News on July 1, 2022. The news show inadvertently misattributed certain quotes and the error was immediately rectified. An unconditional apology was tendered by the petitioner and Zee News and the news show was withdrawn even prior to the registration or filing of any FIR and complaint".

However, subsequently, multiple FIRs and complaints have been filed against the petitioner under various provisions of law for the same incident, it said.

Referring to various judgements, the plea said, There can be no second FIR and consequently there can be no fresh investigation in respect of the same cognizable offence or incident giving rise to one or more cognizable offences.

"Since it is impossible for the petitioner to approach various courts/police stations all over the country in respect of such FIRs/complaints, the present writ petition is being filed under Article 32 against the violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a) (freedom of speech and expression) and Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution," it said.

Furthermore, the issue was covered under the provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Programming Rules against the broadcaster, it said.

"Therefore, when there is special law dealing with the issues in question, there was no question to invoke the criminal statute or registration of FIRs," the plea said.

On Tuesday, a police team from Chhattisgarh had reached Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad town to arrest the anchor from his home but he was instead arrested by the Noida police who released him on bail later.

In Raipur, Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal had told PTI that a case was registered against Ranjan and others at Zee News on Sunday for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and outraging religious feelings of people based on a complaint by Congress MLA Devendra Yadav.

In his complaint, Yadav said a video, in which Gandhi described those attacking his Wayanad office as children and said he had no ill-will against them, was "mischievously" used by the TV channel on July 1 to suggest he was forgiving the killers of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal.

The FIR in Raipur was lodged under Indian Penal Code sections, including 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class), 467 (forgery), 469 (forgery to harm reputation), 504 (intentional insult).

On July 2, a day after the video was aired, Ranjan apologised for mistakenly playing Gandhi's statement out of context by linking it with the Udaipur murder case.

"It was a human error for which our team is apologetic. We apologise for it," he had tweeted in Hindi.

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Ahmedabad, Jul 8 (PTI) Amid a row over OBC quota in the Gujarat panchayat polls, the BJP government in the state on Friday announced the formation of an independent commission to collect and analyse data about the nature and implications of backwardness in the local bodies.

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A state government release said Chief Minister Bhuepndra Patel took the decision to form an independent commission to ensure members of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities get adequate representation in local body polls.

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The commission, being formed as per the directives of the Supreme Court, will be headed by retired Gujarat High Court Judge KS Jhaveri and it will collect and analyse data about the nature and implications of the backwardness in the local bodies, the release further informed.

As directed by the apex court, seats to be reserved for OBC candidates in each local body will be decided as per the recommendations of the commission following a detailed study, it added.

Under the Gujarat Panchayats Act, 10 per cent seats are reserved for OBC communities in gram panchayat elections.

Earlier this month, citing a recent SC judgement, the Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) wrote to all district collectors asking them to convert these 10 per cent seats into general category seats in the upcoming elections to over 3,200 gram panchayats.

The SEC said the apex court had directed all state election commissions to announce poll schedules where they are due by converting OBC seats into general category ones instead of waiting for the report from OBC commissions.

While the BJP said it would protect OBC rights notwithstanding the SEC directive, the opposition Congress accused the BJP government of not acting in time.

Following this SC judgement, senior Congress MLA Punja Vansh had written to CM Patel seeking immediate formation of an OBC commission.

"The Supreme Court had, in January, asked all the state governments to set up commissions to decide the proportion of OBC reservations. But even after six months, the Gujarat government has not yet formed such a commission," Vansh wrote.

As a result, people from OBC communities will not get the benefit of 10 per cent reservation, he added in his letter.

Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor has called an urgent meeting of the party's OBC leaders and MLAs in Gandhinagar later in the day to chalk out a strategy over the issue.

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Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 8 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Varanasi on Thursday, said a press release by Prime Minister's Office.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that 'our education system and young generation carry a big part of realizing the pledges of the 'Amrit Kaal', added the statement.

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He conveyed his best wishes for the Samagam while bowing to Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Akshay Patra Mid-Day Meal Kitchen at LT College, as per the statement.

He said that the high level of talent of the students that he interacted with is an indication of the effort that will be needed to harness that talent.

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The Prime Minister said that "the basic premise of the National Education Policy is to take education out of narrow thinking and connect it with the modern ideas of the 21st century."

The Prime Minister noted that in areas like space technology, where earlier only the government used to do everything, now a new world is being created for the youth through private players. Sectors that used to be closed to women are now showcasing their talent.

The Prime Minister highlighted that in the new policy, the entire focus is on making children skilled according to their talents and choices of the children. "Our youth should be skilled, confident, practical and calculative, education policy is preparing the ground for this", he said.

The Prime Minister lauded the effort that went into the preparation of NEP, however, he emphasized that the momentum was not let down after the preparation of the policy. There has been constant discussion and work on the implementation of the Policy.

The Ministry of Education is organising Shiksha Samagam from July 7 to July 9. It will provide a platform for eminent academicians, policymakers and academic leaders to deliberate and share their experiences and discuss the roadmap for effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The event is being organised as part of capacity building of more than 300 Academic, Administrative & Institutional Leaders from Universities (Central, State, Deemed, and Private), and Institutes of National Importance (IIT, IIM, NIT, IISER) from all over the country. Various stakeholders would present the progress of implementation of NEP in their respective institutions and would also share noteworthy implementation strategies, best practices and success stories.

During the three-day Shiksha Samagam, panel discussions on nine themes identified for Higher Education under NEP 2020 will be conducted. These themes are Multidisciplinary and Holistic Education; Skill Development and Employability; Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Capacity Building of Teachers for Quality Education; Quality, Ranking and Accreditation; Digital Empowerment and Online Education; Equitable and Inclusive Education; Indian Knowledge System; and Internationalisation of Higher Education. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed anguish over the loss of lives in an accident in Nainital in which a car was swept off a bridge by an overflowing river.

Nine people, mostly tourists, drowned on Friday morning when the car was swept off the bridge and washed away by Dhela river following heavy rains in Uttarakhand's Ramnagar.

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The accident occurred around 5:45 am when the car was returning to Punjab.

"Pained by the tragedy in Nainital district, where a car was washed away. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Rescue operations are underway to assist those who are trapped," Modi tweeted.

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The prime minister also condoled the loss of lives in a road accident in Tamil Nadu's Chengalpattu.

Six passengers, including two women, were killed and 10 injured when a state-run transport corporation bus they were travelling in rammed into a truck on a highway near Chennai.

"Pained by the loss of lives due to an accident in Chengalpattu. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon," Modi said.

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Chandigarh [India], July 8 (ANI): Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Punjab Minister Vijay Singla in a corruption case.

On May 24, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sacked Singla from his Cabinet following corruption charges against him.

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Shortly after that, he was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch.

The Punjab Chief Minister said that the AAP has a zero-tolerance policy against corruption. He said that he has sacked Singla from the cabinet and directed Police to register a case against him.

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According to Punjab CMO, Singla was demanding a 1 per cent commission from the officials for contracts and he also later confessed to them.

The Mohali court, on May 27, sent the former AAP leader and Punjab Health Minister Vijay Singla to 14-day judicial custody.

In an FIR filed on May 24, the sacked Minister Singla was accused of taking bribes through his OSD Pradeep Kumar.

A case was registered at Phase-8 police station of Mohali against Singla for demanding a bribe from Superintending Engineer (SE) Rajinder Singh posted in Mohali.

According to the FIR, on May 20, Rs 10 lakh was demanded from SE Rajinder Singh and he was asked to pay a commission of 1 per cent of further allotments.

Superintending Engineer Rajinder had told ANI, "In a recording, Minister Singla was talking about giving Rs 5 lakh to OSD Pradeep Kumar, Simultaneously Rajinder is asking Pradeep Kumar about sparing his career."

Speaking at a Press Conference, back then in May in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "Aam Aadmi Party is the only party in the country where there is no place for corruption and corrupt people."

Earlier, in the year 2015, the Delhi Chief Minister had sacked one of his Ministers in a corruption case, the Punjab CMO had said. (ANI)

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SAS Nagar (Punjab) [India], July 8 (ANI): Punjab Police arrested four people including police personnel, for snatching Rs 35 lakh posing as a GST employee.

According to Punjab Police, Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Khanna had filed a complaint at PS City Kurali that Rs 35 lakh was snatched from his employees from Kurali town by unidentified persons posing themselves as GST employees on June 6.

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A case was registered under section 379 B of IPC and the investigation was initiated. Police analysed the CCTV footage. Consequently, four members of the gang namely Gurdeep Singh alias Jassi, Barinder Singh, Charanjit Singh and Harjit Singh were arrested by police.

All the accused are residents of Fatehgarh Sahib.

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Notably, the accused Harjit Singh is a police personnel posted at Fatehgarh Sahib and was wearing a police uniform at the time of the incident.

Police recovered Rs 17,40,000 from the four arrested persons.

The accused will be produced in court and police remand will be obtained. The case is under investigation. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday granted relief to TV news anchor Rohit Ranjan and directed the concerned authorities not to take any coercive steps against him in connection with multiple FIRs lodged against him for running an alleged doctored video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari also issued notice to the Central government through the office of the Attorney General on Rohit Ranjan's plea.

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Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Rohit Ranjan, told the apex court that multiple FIRs were lodged against him for the same allegation.

In the plea filed through law firm Karanjawala and Co, the petitioner, Ranjan has sought various reliefs including quashing of FIRs filed against him or clubbing of multiple FIRs lodged against him in connection with a "misleading show".

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Luthra mentioned Ranjan's plea before the Supreme Court on Wednesday and apprised the court that he was arrested on Tuesday by Noida Police and later released on bail and now the Chhattisgarh Police wants to arrest him.

Luthra has said that the matter needs an urgent hearing as Ranjan will be in repeated custody due to multiple FIRs lodged against him.

He has informed the court that he does a show in which there was a mistake and he later apologized for it but multiple FIRs were filed against him.

Chhattisgarh Police on Tuesday reached the television channel news anchor's residence in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh after an FIR was registered against him following the broadcast of a misleading video on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for which the channel had issued an apology.

The anchor Rohit Ranjan, however, was taken into custody by Noida Police after he took to Twitter earlier and posted: "Chhattisgarh Police is standing outside my house to arrest me without informing the local police, is it legal".

He tagged Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and SSP Ghaziabad and ADG Zone Lucknow in the tweet.

Responding to Ranjan's tweet, the Raipur Police, Chhatisgarh, posted on its Twitter handle, "There is no such rule to inform. Still, now they are informed. The police team has shown you the court's warrant of arrest. You should in fact cooperate, join in the investigation and put your defence in court."

Meanwhile, ADCP Noida said, "In the course of an investigation registered at police station Sector 20, a person named Rohit Ranjan, working in a news channel is being questioned."

Ranjan on his show said, "In our show DNA, Rahul Gandhi's statement was taken in the wrong context by linking it to the Udaipur incident, it was a human error for which our team apologises."

The Congress filed a complaint in Raipur against Ranjan for allegedly "running a doctored video of Rahul Gandhi".

According to reports, the FIR filed by Congress said that Rohit Ranjan intentionally linked Rahul Gandhi's statements on the vandalization of his office to the Udaipur incident in an attempt to incite public sentiments.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi while referring to the attack on his Wayanad office had said, "The children who did this have acted in an irresponsible way. They are kids, forgive them." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has written to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, demanding a resolution to waterlogging issues at the Zakhira underpass which, he claimed, is caused by waste from railway land.

The government, in a statement, said a meeting was held last month to discuss the issue but no action has been taken by the railways despite the arrival of the monsoon.

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The meeting was held on June 20 under the chairmanship of the principal secretary of the PWD with officials of other agencies including the railways.

Railway officials were asked to increase the size of downstream pipes, remove waste from their land, de-silt culverts and pipe drains laid by the railways, as well as remove encroachment from their land, the statement said.

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Sisodia, who also holds the PWD portfolio, wrote a letter to Vaishnaw to highlight the issue.

He urged him for immediate intervention and timely action so that waterlogging can be prevented. In the letter, Sisodia said waterlogging at the Zakhira underpass during monsoon was a serious problem.

Noting that people face a lot of inconvenience during the rainy season, he said the PWD department of the Delhi government discussed it with other stakeholders but nothing has changed.

Saying that a lot of garbage and rags are spread all around the railway land, due to which the size of the culvert has decreased from 2 sqm to 0.44 sqm, Sisodia said de-silting and cleaning is yet to start.

The PWD minister demanded prompt action from the railways to avoid any inconvenience to the people.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam on Thursday wrote a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia expressing his concern over the "woeful and dire" safety conditions in which airlines are currently operating in the country.

This came in the wake of several safety-related incidents and emergency landings in the past few months.

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Viswam, in a letter to the Aviation Minister, said that there have been around 21 mid-air safety incidents across different airlines, out of which 10 of them have occurred in the last month alone. "Along with this, multiple airlines have faced malfunctions such as non-operation of air conditioning which led to suffocation of passengers with medical conditions," read the letter.

He further said that such a sorry state of affairs is unpardonable and creates tensions among the already apprehensive population regarding air travel.

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"It is a stark reminder that a meagre 4 per cent of the population uses air travel, placing India alongside some poorer African countries, in terms of the per capita consumption of air tickets. The rising burden of airlines with the increasing cost of aviation fuel further casts doubt in our mind regarding the compromise of safety procedures as a cost-cutting measure. However, it cannot be treated as an excuse to comprise on passenger safety," he added.

The CPI MP urged the Union Civil Aviation Minister to ensure a comprehensive review and audit of airlines across the country. The safety and well-being of passengers cannot be comprised under any circumstances, he added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chengalpattu (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 8 (ANI): At least six people were killed and over 10 injured after a bus allegedly rammed into a stationary lorry in Tamil Nadu's Chengalpattu on Friday, police said.

According to Chengalpattu district police, the bus was travelling to Chidambaram town from Chennai on the Trichy highway.

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The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Police have started to clear the traffic.

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The investigation into the matter is going on.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], July 8 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at multiple locations in Jharkhand that were linked to Pankaj Mishra, a close aide of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Mishra is also an MLA representative for Sahibganj constituency.

The raids are being carried out in connection with a tender scam at 18 locations, including Sahibganj, Berhait and Rajmahal in connection with the scam.

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ED is raiding in connection with an alleged scam done in availing marketplace tender in Sahebganj's Barharwa in 2020.

Shambhu Bhagat, who was also bidding for the tender had registered a case against Pankaj Mishra and a few others. He had alleged he was beaten up on the instructions of Pankaj Mishra and even threatened to back off from bidding. In the same tender brother of Jharkhand minister, Alamgir Alam was also bidding.

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The complainant had alleged that in order to get the tender allotted to the minister's brother, a big-scale scam was done through a fake company.

The ED had taken over the case which was registered at Barharwa police station and started an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday posted for hearing on July 11, a plea filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction challenging the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari's decision to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government and also the Speaker's election and floor test.

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari posted the matter for Monday, along with other pending pleas.

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Mentioning the matter for hearing, senior advocate Devadatt Kamath said the plea challenges the decision of appointing Eknath Shinde as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and asked that the fresh plea be heard on July 11 when other matters are coming up for hearing.

The bench then ordered the listing of the matter before the appropriate bench on July 11.

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The fresh plea filed by the Thackeray-led faction through its General Secretary Subhash Desai challenged the validity of Assembly proceedings on July 3 and 4 where the rebel faction supported BJP's new Speaker and then went in to prove majority in the House.

"Pass an appropriate writ/order/direction quashing the decision dated June 30, 2022 of the Governor to invite Respondent no. 4 (Eknathrao Sambhaji Shinde) to take oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and form the Government. Pass an appropriate direction quashing the illegal proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held on July 3 and consequently the election of the Speaker. Pass an appropriate direction quashing the illegal proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held on July 4 and consequently the Confidence Motion in favour of Respondent no. 4," stated the plea.

It further sought direction to call for the records of all pending disqualification petitions filed against rebel MLAs pending before the Speaker/Deputy Speaker.

Desai in the plea said, since rebel MLAs have not merged with other party, they are liable to be disqualified under the 10th Schedule.

"The facts of the present case there is no merger as envisaged under para 4 of the Tenth Schedule. These rebel MLAs have not merged in any other political party or formed a new political party, therefore even if it is assumed they formed 2/3rd strength of the Legislature party, para 4 of the Tenth Schedule is not at all attracted. Because the President of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) had publicly and admittedly not aligned/supported the BJP. In these circumstances, the satisfaction of the Governor for the purpose of calling upon Shinde to be the Chief Minister as the head of 39 rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena (which is not endorsed by the Shiv Sena Political Party) is by itself ex facie unconstitutional," the plea added.

On June 29, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. Refusing to stay the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30, the bench issued notice on Prabhu's plea against floor test.

On June 27, the top court granted interim relief to Shinde and other rebel MLAs to file their reply to disqualification notices issued to them by the Deputy Speaker by July 12, 5.30 pm. Earlier, the Deputy Speaker had granted them time to file a reply by June 27, 5.30 pm.

The order of the apex court had come while hearing the petitions filed by the Shinde group challenging the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker to 16 rebel MLAs as well as the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gurugram, Jul 8 (PTI) Four persons, including two bank employees, were booked for an alleged fraud of about Rs 12 lakh in Axis Bank, police said on Friday.

Ajay Kumar Dwivedi, the branch head of Axis Bank Ltd, Sector 10 A, Gurugram, filed a complaint with the police alleging fraud by two bank officials Dinesh Bansal and Mahesh Singh and one Rohit as well as four unidentified persons, they said.

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Two accounts, one saving and one current, were maintained by account holder RIT and Rohit Kumar (who was the same person). These accounts were having credit balances but not operated by the customers for long and the branch decided to close these accounts as these customers were not contactable, police said quoting the complaint.

Post closure of accounts, two demand drafts (DDs) -- one of Rs 4,14,040 and second of Rs 7,68,818.08 -- were issued from the two accounts respectively.

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These DDs were not delivered to the intending payees, instead revalidated and encashed through newly opened accounts of one Rohit (third person not linked to RIT and Rohit Kumar), they said.

Internal inquiry revealed that the two DDs were revalidated by the branch and the signatures of customers were forged. The DDs were lodged in the newly opened account and encashed through cheques bearing suspected forged signatures, police said.

Such act of encashment of DDs through third party account of Rohit cannot be undertaken without proper planning and assistance of an insider, as per the complaint filed with the police.

It alleged that Dinesh Bansal, who was the then branch head of Axis bank at Sector 10 A, Gurugram, processed the DDs.

Further, Rohit (third party) claimed that he had opened these accounts based on trust on Dinesh Bansal and Mahesh Singh (sourcing official of these accounts). It was also found that in one such cash payment of Rs 1.91 lakh, a related cheque was given by Dinesh Bansal through Arabinda Patra (housekeeping/pantry boy) who collected cash from the teller and handed it over to Dinesh Bansal, police said.

A preliminary exercise at our end to find out the reasons for occurrence of the fraud has indicated that Dinesh Bansal and Mahesh Singh of the bank are prima facie involved in the fraud along with customer Rohit, they said quoting the complaint.

The Bank demanded a detailed investigation into the matter.

Following the complaint, an FIR has been registered against a former branch manager of Axis Bank and others under IPC sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) at Sector 10 police station, police said.

We have sought records from the bank. After verifying the facts, action will be taken as per the law, said ASI Arun Kumar, the investigating officer in the case.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 8 (ANI): Two persons were killed and 38 others were injured after a bus fell into a deep gorge in Keya Morh area of Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, said Udhampur Chief Medical Officer Dr Vijay Basnotra.

Ten injured have been referred to district hospital Udhampur, added the Udhampur CMO.

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"Upon receiving the information, we immediately sent the ambulances to the spot. 10 injured have been referred to district hospital Udhampur," Dr Vijay Basnotra, CMO Udhampur told ANI. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Vivo India on Friday approached the Delhi High Court to challenge the freezing of the company's bank account by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case.

Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra on Friday mentioned the matter before the bench headed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma also comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad and submitted that ED has frozen all our bank accounts.

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"We have 9000 employees. There is a liability," Luthra said.

The bench consented to hear the matter on an urgent basis today.

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Vivo India, in the plea, submitted that grave injustice will be caused to the company due to this act of the Respondent (ED) and will negatively impact its reputation and business operations.

The freezing of the Bank Accounts will not only impede the existing/prospective business operations of the Petitioner conducted through the Bank Accounts but will bear an adverse effect on the Petitioner's operations in India and across the globe, the plea said.

"If amounts in the Petitioner's Bank Accounts remain frozen, it would not be able to pay its statutory dues to the competent authorities under various enactments, leading to the Petitioner, being in further violation of law. The freezing also prevents the payment of salaries to the thousands of employees of the Petitioner."

According to the ED, Vivo India's nearly 23 associated firms such as Grand Prospect International Communication Pvt Ltd (GPICPL) transferred huge amounts to the firm and out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crores, it remitted Rs 62,476 crores almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China.

The agency said these entities are Rui Chuang Technologies Private Limited (Ahmedabad), V Dream Technology and Communication Private Ltd (Hyderabad), Regenvo Mobile Private Limited (Lucknow), Fangs Technology Private Limited (Chennai), Weiwo Communication Private Limited (Bangalore), Bubugao Communication Private Limited (Jaipur), Haicheng Mobile (India) Private Limited (New Delhi), Joinmay Mumbai Electronics Pvt. Ltd (Mumbai), Yingjia Communication Private Limited (Kolkata), Jie Lian Mobile India Pvt. Ltd. (Indore), Vigour Mobile India Private Limited (Gurgaon), Hisoa Electronic Private Limited (Pune), Haijin Trade India Private Limited (Kochi), Rongsheng Mobile India Private Limited (Guwahati), Morefun Communication Private Limited (Patna), Aohua Mobile India Private Limited (Raipur), Pioneer Mobile Private Limited (Bhubhaneswar), Unimay Electronic Private Limited (Nagpur), Junwei Electronic Private Limited (Aurangabad), Huijin Electronic India Private Limited (Ranchi), MGM Sales Private Limited (Dehradun) and Joinmay Electronic Pvt Ltd (Mumbai).

"These companies are found to have transferred huge amounts of funds to Vivo India. Further, out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crores, Vivo India remitted Rs 62,476 crores almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China," ED said in a statement.

These remittances were made in order to disclose huge losses in Indian incorporated companies to avoid payment of taxes in India.

The ED in its statement revealed the information after it carried out a search at 48 locations spanning the country belonging to Vivo Mobiles India Private Limited and its 23 associated companies such as GPICPL.

ED said Vivo Mobiles India Pvt Ltd was incorporated on August 1, 2014, as a subsidiary of Multi Accord Ltd, a Hong Kong-based company and was registered at the Registrar of Companies, Delhi.

It further said GPICPL was registered on December 3, 2014, at Registrar of Companies, Shimla, with registered addresses of Solan in Himachal Pradesh and Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.

The company was incorporated by Zhengshen Ou, Bin Lou and Zhang Jie with the help of Nitin Garg, a Chartered Accountant.

"Bin Lou left India on April 26, 2018. Zhengshen Ou and Zhang Jie left India in 2021."

PMLA Investigation by ED was initiated by recording an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on February 3 this year on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered by Kalkaji police station under Delhi Police on December 5 last year against GPICPL and its Director, shareholders and certifying professionals on the basis of a complaint filed by Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

As per the FIR, GPICPL and its shareholders had used forged identification documents and falsified addresses at the time of incorporation.

The allegations were found to be true as the investigation revealed that the addresses mentioned by the directors of GPICPL did not belong to them, but in fact, it was a government building and the house of a senior bureaucrat.

ED's investigation revealed that the same director of GPICPL, namely Bin Lou, was also an ex-director of Vivo.

He had incorporated multiple companies across the country spread across various states, a total of 18 companies around the same time, just after the incorporation of Vivo in 2014-15 and further another Chinese national Zhixin Wei had incorporated a further four companies.

During raids, the ED said, due procedures as per law were followed at each premise but "the employees of Vivo India, including some Chinese Nationals, did not cooperate with the search proceedings and had tried to abscond, remove and hide digital devices which were retrieved by the search teams".

So far, the ED said, 119 bank accounts of various entities with a gross balance to the tune of Rs 465 crores including Fixed Deposits to the tune of 66 crores of Vivo India, 2 kg gold bars, and cash amount to the tune of approximately Rs 73 lakhs have been seized under the provisions of PMLA, 2002. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ballia, July 8: Amid growing discontent in the opposition camp, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Friday said he was waiting for "talaq" (divorce) from the Akhilesh Yadav side. Rajbhar, however, said he will not initiate any step to break ties with the Samajwadi Party (SP).

"I will not initiate any step to end the alliance with the SP. I will wait to be divorced by Akhilesh Yadav," Rajbhar told PTI before leaving for his party meeting in the neighbouring Mau district. Rajbhar also said he is "still with the Samajwadi Party, but will not remain together forcefully if Akhilesh Yadav doesn't want it." Bulandshahr Mob Violence: UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar Accuses RSS, Bajrang Dal and VHP for Riots; Points Fingers at BJP too.

The immediate flashpoint in their strained relationship is the SP supremo not inviting ally Rajbhar for a meeting called in Lucknow in support of the opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha on Thursday. On the other hand Jayant Chaudhary, chief of the SP's another alliance partner Rashtriya Lok Dal, was seen with Akhilesh.

"Akhilesh Yadav might have forgotten about me, so he didn't call me," the SBSP chief quipped. In Mau, the SBSP members held a meeting at Hindi Bhawan. Addressing the meeting, Rajbhar sought a reason from Yadav for not inviting him for the Thursday meeting.

Rajbhar told the office-bearers that they must hold such party meetings every month to discuss the progress being made by the workers and the work done by them.

Rajbhar, whose party has six members in the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly, said he will announce his decision on supporting the Presidential candidate on July 12.

Rajbhar has on several occasions commented on Yadav, asking him to come out of his air-conditioned room and toil among the masses to win their support.

The differences between the two leaders came out in the open after the defeat of SP candidates in the Rampur and Azamgarh Lok Sabha bypolls last month.

In an interview with the PTI recently, Rajbhar, an influential OBC leader, had made a strong case for the SP and BSP joining hands to take on the BJP in the 2024 general elections. When asked about Rajbhar's suggestion, Yadav had said, "The Samajwadi Party doesn't need anyone's advice."

The SBSP contested 19 seats in the recent Uttar Pradesh assembly elections as a partner of the SP-led opposition coalition and won six. In the 2017 assembly elections, the SBSP contested the polls with BJP and had won four seats. Rajbhar, however, broke this alliance after forming the government."

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) IIFL Wealth Management on Friday paid a settlement amount of over Rs 3 crore to markets regulator Sebi to settle a case pertaining to violations of regulatory norms.

The company was alleged to have violated stock brokers' regulation as well as PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) regulations.

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It was alleged that IIFL Wealth Management and IIFL Securities Ltd knowingly manipulated the reference price of Alkem Laboratories for a block deal.

Sebi had conducted an examination of block deals to check any manipulation of reference price considered for execution of block deal trades in the scrip of Alkem Laboratories for the period April to September 2019.

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Pending the proceedings, IIFL Wealth Management proposed to settle the case without admitting or denying the guilt.

The High Powered Advisory Committee of Sebi considered the settlement terms proposed by the company and recommended the case for settlement on payment of Rs 3.12 crore.

Sebi noted that the amount was remitted by the firm dated July 04, 2022.

"Therefore, in view of the acceptance of the settlement terms and the receipt of the settlement amount as above by Sebi, the instant adjudication proceedings initiated against the noticee...dated April 16, 2021, are disposed of," it added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) India is ready to raise thermal and coking coal imports from Russia to 40 million tonnes tonnes by 2035, provided logistics issues are fixed, a Russian official said.

The statement assumes significance as several parts of India had witnessed power outrages in the wake of coal shortages in the summer months of April and May.

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"The volumes of supplies to India have increased. No more than 7 million tonnes used to be delivered there. There exists an intergovernmental memorandum on coking coal, they are also interested in thermal coal.

"With all transport issues solved, India is ready to purchase 40 million tonnes by 2035, which means a five-fold increase," Head of the Russian Energy Ministry's Coal Industry Department Petr Bobylev said, according to Russian news agency TASS.

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While thermal coal is widely used as the principle means of generating electricity, coking coal is an essential input for production of iron and steel.

As per data provided by the Central Dispatching Department of Fuel Energy Complex, Russia exported 214.37 MT of coal last year.

Earlier, the Indian government had approved a pact between India and Russia regarding cooperation on coking coal, a key steel making raw material, for which domestic players remain dependent on imports from a select group of countries.

Around 85 per cent of India's coking coal demand is met through imports.

The cooperation with Russia will help India reduce its dependence on far-located countries like Australia, South Africa, Canada and the US for sourcing of coking coal. It will also reduce per-tonne cost of steel production, as Russia is geographically closer compared to the said countries.

"The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the MoU (memorandum of understanding) between the Ministry of Steel of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation on cooperation regarding coking coal," an official statement had earlier said.

The objective of the MoU is to strengthen cooperation between India and Russia in the steel sector. The activities involved in the cooperation are aimed at diversifying the source of coking coal, it had said.

Earlier, the steel ministry had asked the domestic steel makers to get coking coal samples from Russia and test the raw material at their plants and update on the result of the same.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New York, Jul 8 (AP) Hours after a gunman killed seven people at a July 4th parade in suburban Chicago, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tapped into the frustration of many fellow Democrats at the seeming inability of the US to curb gun violence.

If you're angry today, I'm here to tell you: Be angry. I'm furious, Pritzker said.

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But at the White House, President Joe Biden was more focused on reassurance than anger.

I know it can be exhausting and unsettling, he said, adding that we're going to get through all of this.

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In a summer marked by anger among Democrats over a string of mass shootings and the Supreme Court's decision to strip women of the constitutional right to an abortion, several governors, including Pritzker, are emerging as the party's leading voices of outrage.

Their willingness to speak  and act  in aggressive terms stands in contrast to Biden, who is coming under growing criticism from some Democrats for lacking a sufficiently robust response to what some in his party see as existential threats.

Some Democrats warn that the lack of a strong response will be a problem if the party hopes to turn out enough voters to maintain their narrow grip on Congress in the fall midterm elections.

The people that you're telling to vote aren't going to listen until we prove that we are handling this moment with urgency, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in an interview, referring to the party generally.

We have a lot of tools at our disposal, I think we have a lot of assets at our disposal, and we have to use them.

In this moment, governors may have tools that are more conducive to swift action than the president. Well positioned heading into the fall campaign and presiding over statehouses where Democrats are in control, Pritzker and Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York and Gavin Newsom of California have wide latitude.

In New York, for instance, Hochul was undeterred by a US Supreme Court ruling that struck down a state law and allowed most people to carry a handgun for personal protection.

She called a special session last week in which lawmakers passed new measures limiting where those licensed to have guns can carry them and toughening rules for obtaining the permits. The regulations include a novel requirement to screen applicants' social media accounts for threats.

They may think they can change our lives with the stroke of a pen, but we have pens too, Hochul said defiantly of the Supreme Court's gun ruling.

In Illinois, Pritzker has said he would convene a special legislative session in coming weeks, with support of Democratic legislative leaders, to more firmly protect abortion rights and address some of the challenges the state faces as one of the few places in the Midwest where abortion remains legal.

Abortion rights will be on the California ballot in November, after legislators with Newsom's blessing agreed last month to place a proposal before voters that would guarantee a right to an abortion in the state constitution.

The constitutional amendment is certain to drive turnout on both sides of the debate.

Newsom has been especially vocal in rallying against the repeal of abortion rights even before the Supreme Court ruled. When a draft Supreme Court opinion surfaced in May suggesting the conservative majority was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, he delivered a withering critique of the national party, suggesting it was suffering from collective lethargy.

Where is the Democratic Party? he asked at the time, without naming anyone specifically but appearing to exclude Biden from criticism.

Why aren't we standing up more firmly? More resolutely? Why aren't we calling this out?

With just a tenuous grip on Congress, however, Biden can't move legislation quickly. And even criticising Republicans could be politically dangerous if he needs their support on key votes.

Forcefully calling out the other side isn't a luxury he has if he wants to get anything done the rest of the year on anything, said Democratic strategist Joe Trippi. If you're Gavin Newsom, whose votes are you going to lose in the state senate or California assembly?

The White House insists Biden isn't backing away from a fight. In a passionate prime-time speech last month, he lamented that gun violence had turned schools, supermarkets and other everyday places into killing fields and asked, How much more carnage are we willing to accept?

Shortly after the Supreme Court's abortion ruling, Biden called the decision the realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error." He's expected to deliver remarks on Friday about protecting access to reproductive health care services, according to the White House.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday that you will hear more from him on issues including abortion as she underscored the administration's central message that winning the midterms is the best path forward.

The president has been very clear that he's going to do everything he can, that he has the legal authority to do, from here in the executive side, she said.

But we believe and he believes that the way that Roe goes into law or gets codified is if Congress acts. ... And so we have to continue to use our political capital, if you will, to fight as hard as we can. And to make sure we do the work that we need to have pro-choice congressional members.

Under increasing pressure, Biden will take executive action Friday to protect access to abortion, three people familiar with the situation said. They spoke anonymously to discuss his plans before they were announced.

Still, Biden is turning to governors. He convened a virtual roundtable last Friday with Pritzker, Hochul and seven other Democratic governors to discuss what steps were being taken in their states to protect abortion rights.

Biden reiterated that his administration will protect the rights of women to travel to other states for abortion services and ensure that abortion medication is available as widely as possible. But he acknowledged he didn't have votes in the US Senate for more sweeping actions and laid out the stakes for November's elections and the need to increase Democrats' majorities.

In the meantime, I want to hear what the governors are doing, he said.

With their reelections essentially secure, the aggressive action from some of the governors is sparking speculation about potential future presidential campaigns.

Pritzker, a billionaire businessman seeking his second term, raised chatter about a possible presidential bid when he spoke last month at the state Democratic party convention in New Hampshire, one of the early presidential nominating states. He has said he is focused on his job as governor and his reelection bid.

Newsom drew even more attention by running a television ad on Independence Day in Florida that was critical of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate.

In the ad, which features images of DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, Newsom warns viewers that freedom is under attack in your state.

I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight. Or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom  freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate and the freedom to love, Newsom said. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bali [Indonesia], July 8 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here and discussed various global and regional issues.

This year, the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting is being organised by Indonesia.

Also Read | Shinzo Abe Dies After Being Shot During Campaign Speech in Japan's Nara.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said that the present relationship between India and US allows the leaders of both countries to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness.

"Continued the conversation with @SecBlinken on global and regional issues, this time at Bali #G20FMM. Our relationship today allows us to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness," the External Affairs Minister tweeted.

Also Read | Shinzo Abe Shot: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Says 'Shocked Over Attack on Ex-Japan PM'.

Last month, Jaishankar and Blinken met on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo. Both leaders had discussed the Ukraine conflict and other regional and global issues.

Jaishankar also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed bilateral matters along with exchanging views on contemporary regional and international issues including the Ukraine conflict.

"Met FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia on the sidelines of the Bali G20 FMM. Discussed bilateral matters of mutual interest. Also exchanged views on contemporary regional and international issues including the Ukraine conflict and Afghanistan," he said.

The G20 countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The agenda for the G20 Foreign Ministers' meet is to be dominated by the war in Ukraine.

Since the war began in Ukraine, India has been calling for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing conflict.

Moreover, the External Affairs Minister also met UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall.

During the summit which is set to take place from July 7 to 8, the participating foreign ministers will hold talks on issues of contemporary relevance, such as strengthening multilateralism and current global challenges including food and energy security, read a release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The External Affairs Minister's participation in the G20 FMM will strengthen India's engagement with G20 member states. As a G20 troika member and as the incoming G20 President, India's role in the upcoming FMM discussions assumes even greater importance, the official statement read. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bali [Indonesia], July 8 (ANI): On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna and discussed the contemporary challenges for the world.

"My first meeting with new French counterpart Catherine Colonna. Discussed our strong relationship and will work closely to realise its full possibilities. Also spoke about the challenges confronting the world today," Jaishnakar said on Twitter.

Also Read | Shinzo Abe Shot: PM Narendra Modi Shocked by Attack on 'Dear Friend'.

"Met FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia on the sidelines of the Bali G20 FMM. Discussed bilateral matters of mutual interest. Also exchanged views on contemporary regional and international issues including the Ukraine conflict and Afghanistan," he said.

Notably, this year, the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting is being organised by Indonesia.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi 'Shocked' Over Attack on Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Prays for His Recovery.

The G20 countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The agenda for the G20 Foreign Ministers' meet is to be dominated by the war in Ukraine.

Notably, since the war began in Ukraine, India has been calling for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing conflict.

Moreover, the Indian External Affairs Minister also met UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall.

During the summit which is set to take place from July 7 to 8, the participating foreign ministers will hold talks on issues of contemporary relevance, such as strengthening multilateralism and current global challenges including food and energy security, read a release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The External Affairs Minister's participation in the G20 FMM will strengthen India's engagement with G20 member states. As a G20 troika member and as the incoming G20 President, India's role in the upcoming FMM discussions assumes even greater importance, the official statement read. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bali [Indonesia], July 8 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his Dutch and Korean counterparts - Wopke Hoekstra and Park Jin respectively on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting organized by Indonesia.

EAM Jaishankar discussed the situation in Europe and the Indo-Pacific with Hoekstra, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Also Read | Shinzo Abe Assassinated: Former Japenese PM Dies at 67, Hours After Being Shot While Addressing Rally in City of Nara.

"Nice to catch up again with Netherlands' DPM and FM @WBHoekstra. Discussed the strategic situation in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Assessed their global ramifications and the best ways to address them," tweeted Jaishankar.

Jaishankar also met the South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Park and exchanged views on Indo-Pacific issues.

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"Good to meet the new FM of the Republic of Korea @FMParkJin. Evaluated our bilateral ties and agreed on an early Joint Commission Meeting. Exchanged views on Indo-Pacific issues and decided to develop our convergences further," tweeted Jaishankar.

He also met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and discussed various global and regional issues.

Jaishankar also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed bilateral matters along with exchanging views on contemporary regional and international issues including the Ukraine conflict.

This year, the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting is being organised by Indonesia.

The agenda for the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting is to be dominated by the war in Ukraine.

Since the war began in Ukraine, India has been calling for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing conflict.

The G20 countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.

During the summit, from July 7 to 8, the participating foreign ministers will hold talks on issues of contemporary relevance, such as strengthening multilateralism and current global challenges including food and energy security, read a release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The External Affairs Minister's participation in the G20 FMM will strengthen India's engagement with G20 member states. As a G20 troika member and as the incoming G20 President, India's role in the upcoming FMM discussions assumes even greater importance, the official statement read. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad [Pakistan], July 8 (ANI): Ninety-seven people were killed and 101 others were injured in separate rain-related incidents across Pakistan over the last three weeks, media reported citing the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Balochistan province remained the worst hit where 49 people were killed and 48 others injured in the ongoing spell of monsoon rains that started on Monday in the province, according to a situation report released by the NDMA on Thursday.

Also Read | Shinzo Abe Shot: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Says 'Shocked Over Attack on Ex-Japan PM'.

A total of 17 people were killed in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province followed by 11 in Sindh, 10 in the north Gilgit Baltistan region, and 10 more in other parts of the country, the authority added, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The heavy downpour also caused flash-flooding and inundated several low-lying areas.

Also Read | Nunavut Day 2022: Date, Origin, Events and Significance of Celebrating the Day Dedicated to the Northern Canada Territory.

Reports said that two roads, five bridges, and five shops were swept away by flash floods across the country whereas 226 houses were completely destroyed and 481 others partially destroyed, Xinhua reported.

1,326 cattle also perished in separate incidents across the country.

Most of the deaths and injuries happened due to separate incidents of electrocution, roof collapse, and flash floods caused by blockages of large water drainages in urban areas.

The country's Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman told a press conference on Wednesday that the country has seen 87 per cent more rains than normal during the monsoon season this year, Xinhua reported.

She added that there had been 16 incidents of glacier bursts in the north Gilgit Baltistan region, caused by the extreme heatwave.

The minister said Pakistan is among the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world, stressing that the public should start taking measures to mitigate the weather impacts or things will get worse in the future.

"The recent rain disaster is a national tragedy. It is a matter of great concern, but we should realize that it is only the beginning and we have to prepare for it," she added.

The official warned that the water levels in the country are consistently falling, though an improvement has been witnessed due to the recent rains. The people have to use water with caution otherwise there might be an acute water shortage in the coming days.

She said the monsoon started earlier than usual this year, and the changing rain patterns are one of the obvious indicators of climate change.

During this monsoon season, the worst-hit regions of Balochistan and Sindh provinces received 274 per cent and 261 per cent more rains respectively than usual, Xinhua reported. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Shinzo Abe, a charismatic leader who was committed to deepening Japan's ties with India

New Delhi[India], July 8 (ANI): Shinzo Abe, who had been the longest-serving Japanense prime minister, was a friend of India whose tenure saw the bilateral ties gain new strength and depth and whose strategic vision left a deep imprint on the global stage.

Also Read | Shinzo Abe Assassinated: Former Japenese PM Dies at 67, Hours After Being Shot While Addressing Rally in City of Nara.

A charismatic leader, who was the first Japan Prime Minister born after the Second World War, Abe left a lasting economic legacy in Japan which became famous as 'Abenomics'.

Born on September 21, 1954, Abe belonged to a political family and moved up the ladder of Japan politics holding various responsible positions. His grandfather Nobusuke Kishi was Prime Minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960 and his father Shintaro Abe was country's Foreign Minister from 1982 to 1986.

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Abe first became Prime Minister in 2006. He again held the post in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2017 with his continued stint gave stability to the country while ushering faster growth. He announced his resignation in August 2020 as a chronic illness resurfaced.

Abe visited India during his first stint and addressed the Parliament. His fondness for India is reflected in his visits, the most by any Japanese Prime Minister.

In 2014, he became the first Japanese PM to be chief guest at the Republic Day parade. He also visited India in December 2015 and September 2017 and accelerated the pace of bilateral ties.

Abe's famous 'Confluence of the Two Seas' speech, which he made during his first visit to India as Prime Minister, laid the foundation for his concept of Indo-Pacific.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abe shared a personal chemistry and had an apparent convergence of views. The bilateral relationship was elevated to Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014. It was under Abe's leadership that India and Japan finally decided to sign the civil nuclear pact in 2016.

PM Modi referred to him as dear friend. Having known Abe since he was Gujarat Chief Minister, PM Modi chose Japan for his first bilateral visit outside the neighbourhood, in September 2014 in recognition of the significance India attaches to its ties with Japan. The relationship has grown into new areas and Japan is a key partner in India's infrastructure development.

A sensitive leader, Shinzo Abe apologised to the people of Japan after deciding to resign "for leaving my post with one year left in my term of office, and amid the Coronavirus woes, while various policies are still in the process of being implemented".

Abe sought to revise the post-war constitution to give more power to the military and increased defence spending. 'Abenomics' relied on quantitative easing, fiscal spending and structural reforms.

Shinzo Abe positioned himself as an enthusiastic advocate of promoting equality in Japanese society and this aspect of his policy came to known as "womenomics".

China's actions on the border also brought India and Japan closer and they have embarked on joint connectivity projects including Asia Africa Growth Corridor.

During his visit in 2007, Abe quoted Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh in the Indian Parliament highlighting the link between the Indian and the Pacific Ocean.

"Pacific & Indian Oceans are now bringing about a dynamic coupling as seas of freedom & of prosperity," he had said.

During his visit in 2015, Abe performed 'Ganga Aarti' with PM Modi in Varanasi.

PM Modi met Shinzo Abe in May during Quad Summit in Tokyo along with two other former Japanese Prime Ministers. After Abe announced in 2020 that he was resigning due to health reasons, PM Modi had recalled his contributions to the growth of bilateral ties.

"Pained to hear about your ill health, my dear friend @AbeShinzo. In recent years, with your wise leadership and personal commitment, the India-Japan partnership has become deeper and stronger than ever before," he had said.

The Prime Minister paid glowing tributes on Shinzo Abe's passing away stating that he dedicated his life to make Japan and the world a better place.

"I am shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe. He was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to make Japan and the world a better place," PM Modi said in a tweet.

The Prime Minister noted that Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. "Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment," he said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London, Jul 8 (PTI) The UK's Opposition leader, Sir Keir Starmer, and his deputy were on Friday cleared in a police investigation into alleged COVID lockdown rule breaches at a gathering in April last year.

Starmer and Angela Rayner had vowed to resign from their posts if found guilty of breaking the law in what became known as beergate, after the Opposition leader was pictured holding a bottle of beer with some colleagues following a campaign meeting.

Also Read | Shinzo Abe Assassinated: Former Japenese PM Dies at 67, Hours After Being Shot While Addressing Rally in City of Nara.

Durham Constabulary, which had opened an investigation into whether the gathering was held within the rules, concluded that no rules were broken as the event was within the lockdown exception in place for work meetings.

"Following the application of the evidential Full Code Test, it has been concluded that there is no case to answer for a contravention of the regulations, due to the application of an exception, namely reasonably necessary work, Durham Police said in a statement.

Also Read | Eid al-Adha 2022 Fireworks in UAE: Where To Watch Fireworks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi? All About the Popular Illuminations That Will Light Up the Sky on Bakrid!.

"Accordingly, Durham Constabulary will not be issuing any fixed penalty notices in respect of the gathering and no further action will be taken," the police force said.

The Opposition was quick to point out the stark contrast with the Metropolitan Police investigation into partygate allegations earlier this year, which resulted in 126 fixed-penalty notices or fines for rule breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall.

These fines also included one for Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a birthday party in the Cabinet Room in June 2020.

"I've always said no rules were broken when I was in Durham, Starmer said on Twitter. "The police have completed their investigation and agreed: there is no case to answer.

"For me, this was always a matter of principle. Honesty and integrity matter. You will always get that from me," he said.

Rayner echoed the views in her Twitter post that they had always maintained that no rules were broken.

"The police have completed their investigation and agreed, saying that there is no case to answer. Integrity matters in politics. The contrast with the behaviour of this disgraced Prime Minister couldn't be clearer," she said.

The Labour Party consistently denied the gathering was against the rules, arguing that he and those present were working, paused to eat food during a break and then returned to their duties.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Montevideo (Uruguay), Jul 8 (AP) Uruguay stopped administering coronavirus vaccine to children under age 13 after a judge ordered on Thursday that all inoculations in that age group halt until officials present documents relating to contracts signed with vaccine manufacturers.

Judge Alejandro Recarey issued the injunction under a petition filed by a lawyer who represents a group of anti-vaccine activists.

Also Read | Boris Johnson Resigns As UK PM; From Partygate to Chris Pincher Scandal, Here's a List of Events That Led to His Resignation.

The vaccinations in children under 13 had been on a voluntary basis, and the government said it will appeal the decision.

Alvaro Delgado, the secretary of the presidency, characterized the halt as a threat to public health.

Also Read | As Boris Johnson Continues as Caretaker PM of UK, Many Call Him Zombie Prime Minister; Heres What it Means.

We're convinced that it's crazy to suspend voluntary vaccination because it has a strong scientific backing, Delgado said at a news conference.

Vaccinations for those older than 13 will continue, the Health Ministry said in a news release.

The lawyer who sought the injunction, Maximiliano Dentone, represents anti-vaccine activists who have demanded that contracts with vaccine manufacturers be made public.

The judge ordered the vaccination after receiving on Thursday answers to 18 questions about the safety and chemical composition of the vaccines that was signed by Health Minister Daniel Salinas.

Salinas published an open letter after the ruling strongly defending the government's vaccination plan and criticising the judge for questioning the safety of vaccines.

Many Uruguayans under 13 have been able to receive the necessary doses, but others have not, Salinas wrote.

Dentone said the government had failed to present the contracts with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer that he had requested. The government has said a confidentiality clause in the contract prevents it from sharing the document.

The judge is seeking, among other things, to know whether there are clauses in the contracts that promised civil and criminal immunity due to any adverse effects from the vaccines. Recarey also wants information about the chemical composition of the vaccines.

COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in Uruguay in recent weeks along with other respiratory infections that are typical of winter months.

As of Thursday, 44% of Uruguayan children between ages 5 and 11 and 75% of those between 12 and 14 have received two doses of coronavirus vaccine, according to Uruguay government data. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Former beauty queen and actress Manushi Chillar is on a signing spree after her debut with Samrat Prithviraj. She will be seen sharing screen space with actor Vicky Kaushal in the upcoming film The Great Indian Family and has also signed the dotted lines for her third film. Prithviraj: Manushi Chhillar Posts an Emotional Note Thanking All Her Well-Wishers for Standing by Her, Says Its Literally an Epic Moment of My Life.

Manushi has reportedly signed another big ticket film, this time an action entertainer that will be shot in Europe. Source told IANS: "Manushi will be leaving soon for the UK, France and other parts of Europe, which are some of the locations for her intial shoot schedule".

The source says, "Manushi will be seen in an all new avatar in this action entertainer. She mesmerised everyone with her screen presence in Samrat Prithviraj in which she played the role of the gorgeous Indian Princess, Sanyogita." Pooja Hegde and Vicky Kaushal Team Up for a New Project.

"Now, she will train hard to impress everyone with her action avatar in this project. It is an ambitious project and the makers wanted to cast a new face with a great on-screen personality. Manushi fit the bill to a T. This will be the third film in her filmography." Details of the project are under wraps.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 08, 2022 03:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Details have come out about Robert "Bobby" Crimo III, the gunman in the Highland Park shooting during a 4th of July parade. The 21-year-old killed a total of seven people and severely wounded two dozen others.

It was found out that three years ago, Crimo had already admitted to police that he was a depressed teenage drug user who had threatened to kill everyone in his family. According to released documents, Crimo was already flagged as a "clear and present danger" in 2019, when he still was only 18.

Robert Crimo III's Family Already Reported That He Threatened To Kill Everyone

The document also showed that police were called into his home in Highland Park for a well-being check. A relative reported Crimo because he stated he was going to kill everyone, according to the New York Post.

According to the relative, whose name was redacted, they were afraid to go back home because of Crimo's threats to them. The relative also noted that the then-18-year-old also had a collection of knives in his bedroom. His father, Robert Crimo Jr., confirmed to police that his son was indeed the owner of the knife collection.

When the police arrived, they would ask Crimo some questions, with his mother, Denise Pesina, present during the questioning. There, he admitted to having depression and a history of drug use. The report did not explain which drugs he used at that time.

During the visit by police, the report noted that he and his mother were "not forthcoming as to the language he used." This is despite a relative being too scared to come home because of Crimo's threats.

The father did hand over the knife collection, which included 16 knives, a 12-inch dagger, and a Samurai-type blade. However, the father picked up the knife collection from the police precinct just four hours after the initial call.

The officers asked the then-18-year-old if he wanted to harm himself or others. To this, he simply answered, "No." The local police still found him a "Clear and Present Danger" in their report filed after the questioning.

READ NEXT: Highland Park Shooting: $2 Million Raised for 2-Year-old Boy Whose Parents Were Killed in Deadly Attack

Robert Crimo III Admits to the Shooting

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart told the media that Crimo admitted to carrying out the shooting. He also noted that Crimo admitted to the crime voluntarily, was read his Miranda warnings, and offered attorneys. He also admitted that he was also planning a second attack.

Crimo planned out his actions very carefully, according to CBS News. He waited for the parade to come by and opened fire with a high-powered rifle. He then discreetly escaped by dressing up as a woman to throw off investigators. He blended in with the crowd and escaped to his mother's home. Police found him eight hours later, and after a brief chase, they captured and arrested him.

CBS News also reported that investigators were able to identify Crimo through a combination of different methods, including videos from the attack and the expedited tracing of the recovered rifle, which was connected by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the suspect.

Crimo, who went by the stage name Awake the Rapper, had a YouTube channel as well. However, that channel had since been taken down. The channel had videos of his hometown, as well as animated videos featuring gun violence. The police are currently reviewing his videos, according to CBS News.

READ MORE: Highland Park Shooting: Key Details About Suspect That Killed 6, Injured 2 Dozens in Chicago

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Who is Robert Crimo III? - FOX 5 New York
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday blamed President Joe Biden for the influx of illegal immigrants on the U.S.-Mexico border and announced a new executive order that would send back the said migrants to the border.

Abbott called his order "unprecedented," claiming that Biden "refused to do his job" regarding immigration, according to New York Post.

"While President Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress, the State of Texas is once again stepping up and taking unprecedented action to protect Americans and secure our southern border," the Texas governor underscored.

In his executive order, Abbott pointed out that Biden's "failure" to safeguard the border has prompted action from the Lone Star State to ensure its safety, defend its sovereignty against violence, and territorial integrity.

Abbott also said in the order that Biden's open-border policies were referred to by the cartels as an invitation, which reflects the perception that the U.S. president welcomes immigrants, prompting them to engage in dangerous treks across the southern border.

READ NEXT: Texas Semi-Truck Driver No Show in Detention Hearing After Death of 53 Migrants

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's New E.O.

The executive order GA-41 announced by the Texas governor on Thursday allows the Lone Star State's law enforcement to return illegal immigrants apprehended in the state back to the U.S. border, Fox News reported.

Abbott has specifically ordered the Texas National Guard and The Texas Department of Public Safety to do the task. The governor emphasized that the move aims to stop criminal enterprises from endangering the state's communities.

It is known that only the federal government is allowed to enforce immigration laws.

However, Abbott called the issue an "invasion," leading him to justify his executive order through Article IV  4 of the U.S. Constitution, which states that the U.S. should protect each state against "invasion." The Texas governor then noted that the said issue forces the state to build a border wall and deploy military forces to secure it from illegal immigration that gives funds to the cartels.

Views on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's New E.O.

Previously, Former Donald Trump official Ken Cuccinelli said that he wanted Abbott to declare an "invasion" and enact a Title 42-style policy.

However, Cuccinelli on Thursday said in a statement that the Texas governor's move does not direct the law enforcement in the state to remove illegals across the border directly to Mexico.

"That is critical. Otherwise, this is still catch and release," he said.

Meanwhile, legal analyst Jonathan Turley previously told Fox News that Abbott's new executive order is a misinterpretation of the Constitution. Turley explained that "invasion" in the Constitution is interpreted as an attack from a foreign army or an organized force.

READ NEXT: Colorado Funeral Home Owner Admits Dismembering Corpses, Selling Body Parts Without Consent From Mourning Relatives

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Texas Governor Greg Abbott Battles With Biden Administration Over Immigration Policies - From CBS News
Mexico has announced a fentanyl bust this week, seizing more than half-ton of fentanyl from a warehouse in the northern city of Culiacan. The operation had also led to the arrest of 10 individuals found there.

The Mexico drug smuggling operation was announced by the Mexican Army and National Guard, saying that law enforcement located a property that had been used by criminals to smuggle drugs, according to The Blaze report.

Authorities found 542.72 kilograms of fentanyl which is believed to be worth around $230 million. Assistant Public Safety Secretary Ricardo Mejia said that it is the largest seizure in the history of this lethal drug.

Drug smugglers south of the U.S.-Mexico border disguise fentanyl as counterfeit pills for common medications like Xanax, Adderall, or oxycodone. The opioid is usually mixed with other drugs, resulting in deadly cocktails that have led thousands to overdose accidentally.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration believes China is handing the source materials for fentanyl, which is then made in Mexico. After its manufacturing, it is smuggled into the U.S. through the southern border.

Mexico's Defense Department noted that the warehouse stash was in the capital of Sinaloa state, Culiacan.

ABC News noted that soldiers also found a half-ton of methamphetamine on the July 2 raid, as well as cocaine, opium, and at least 70 tons of precursor chemicals.

READ NEXT: Mexico Sends 500 Additional Mexican Army Troops to Jalisco Amid Surge in Violence

Mexico Fentanyl

DEA noted that at least two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, with overdose deaths involving opioids like fentanyl rising by 38 percent in the U.S. between 2020 and 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Meanwhile, some drug users are unaware that other narcotics contain fentanyl, which is mainly made in secret labs in Mexico, as reported by the New York Post.

DEA said in a fentanyl fact sheet that fentanyl is being mixed in with other illegal drugs to increase the potency of the drug. The agency added that it is sold as powders and nasal sprays and increasingly pressed into pills made to look like legitimate prescription opioids.

Mexico Drug Smuggling

Transnational business in marijuana, opium, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl has been connected to at least 350,000 deaths and 72,000 disappearances over the past 15 years, according to Foreign Policy report.

The DEA alerted the public in May to a batch of cocaine laced with fentanyl circulating around the city.

Federal and local authorities have been warning the public about an increase in fentanyl trafficking and use.

El Paso Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Greg Millard said in a Border Report that stopping the flow and distribution of drugs, including fentanyl, is a top priority. Millard noted that the problem with the said drugs is quality control, saying that people have no idea what was mixed in the drug they are taking.

The DEA special agent said four out of 10 seized pills tested at DEA labs contained lethal doses.

The DEA reported in 2020 that Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel were the main top players exporting fentanyl from Mexico to the U.S.

READ MORE: Jalisco Cartel in Mexico Is Creating Homemade Bombs Similar to Those Use by Islamic Militants Amid Drug War

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Cartels Are Making Millions on Fentanyl-Laced Medicine | Crimewave - from VICE
Illegal gill nets have killed millions of marine life around the world, from sharks to dolphins to sea turtles. In the Gulf of California, this has caused problems as these illegal gill nets are also killing several endangered vaquita marina porpoises. Now, the Mexican navy is doing something about saving these tiny and elusive aquatic mammals.

The vaquitas are very rare. The Associated Press noted that as few as eight of them live in the Gulf of California. This is the only place they can live in, and they cannot be captured and bred in captivity.

Mexican Navy Plans to Drop Concrete Blocks and Set Hooks to Snag Nets

The Mexican government has set a 288-square-kilometer "zero tolerance" area near San Felipe, Baja California where the vaquitas are found. However, the government has largely given up on this, as fishermen in small vessels still set their gill nets in an effort to illegally catch a fish known as the totoaba, which is popular in China as its swim bladder is considered a delicacy in the country.

These nets are often hundreds of meters long, and many of them become abandoned to become ghost nets, which continue to kill sea life as they drift across the sea. The Mexican navy plans to set hooks on concrete blocks and just drop them in the ocean.

The plan is to sink 193 of these hooked blocks. However, the plan was approved without public comment, and environmentalists have voiced their concerns. According to environmentalists, the metal hooks may accumulate nets, but as the nets are still in the ocean, they may still trap and kill sea life.

The Center for Biological Diversity's Mexico Representative Alex Olivera argued that this might be a double-edged sword. He also argued that it is not clear whether these snagged nets would be recovered or not. If they are not recovered, the larger ones could become ghost nets and continue killing animals.

Another expert who asked to remain anonymous said the plan may discourage fishermen from casting their nets in the "Zero Tolerance Area." However, the expert also said it would be crucial for the navy to regularly clear out the nets.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Police Save Big Cats, Others From Animal Rescue After Reports of Mistreatment

Vaquita Marina Porpoises Are the Rarest Marine Mammal on Earth

The vaquita is not only the world's smallest cetacean but also the rarest marine mammal on the planet, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Its name means "little cow" in Spanish and is only found in the northern tip of the Gulf of California, part of the Sea of Cortez.

According to porpoise.org, it is the only species of its family found in warm waters. It numbered about 600 individuals in 1997, but due to illegal gill nets and other factors, it has declined to less than 20. There was also a 90% decline in the species between 2011 and 2016 alone.

Fishermen with gill nets remain their biggest threat, as they have largely ignored government warnings and the "Zero Tolerance Zone." The totoaba that the fishermen are fishing for is now also endangered because of heavy demand for their swim bladders in China, according to ABC News. Fishermen have also actively fought against efforts by Mexican authorities.

READ NEXT: Mexico Is Ending Daylight Saving Time

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: The race to save the last of the Vaquita l Nightline - ABC News
"Guardrails" for China-U.S. relations are three joint communiques: FM spokesperson

Xinhua) 10:30, July 08, 2022

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Thursday responded to recent U.S. statements on the need for "guardrails" on China-U.S. relations, pointing out that the "guardrails" of China-U.S. relations are the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

According to media report, a U.S. State Department official said that a critical objective of the upcoming meeting between Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to reinforce the guardrails in bilateral relations and add stability to the relationship.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing that China-U.S. relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. As the world's top two economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council, the two countries must make the relationship work and not mess it up, Zhao said.

The two sides need to uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation and bring the bilateral relations back to the track of sound and steady development. The United States needs to abide by the provisions in the joint communiques and the commitments it has made to China, Zhao added.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
The U.S. charged a 400 Mawozo gang member on Thursday in connection to the kidnapping of the missionaries in Haiti last year.

The announcement of the charge against Jean Pelice, also known as Zo, from Haiti was made by District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Mathew Graves and FBI Miami Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge John Bernardo, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Al Jazeera reported that the department accused Pelice of taking part in the armed kidnapping of the 17 Christian missionaries last October 17.

The complaint noted that Pelice, along with other 400 Mawozo Gang members, guarded the missionaries with firearms while they were being captive.

Pelice was reportedly transferred into U.S. custody on May 16. The man from Haiti has his first appearance in court on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The U.S. Justice Department said that the charges in the complaint against Pelice are "mere allegations," and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The department added that Pelice's sentence would be determined by the court if he is convicted of any offenses, based on the Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.

"The case is being investigated by the FBI's Miami Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert," the department added.

READ NEXT: Remaining 12 American, Canadian Missionaries Released by Haiti Kidnappers

Missionaries Kidnapping in Haiti

In October last year, at least 17 Christian missionaries were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo Gang near Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The victims were composed of 16 Americans and one Canadian. The group also included at least five children, one of whom was around eight months old. Reports also claimed that the Haitian driver of the missionaries from the Christian Aid Ministries was also abducted by the said gang.

One of the 400 Mawozo Gang's stated motives for holding the missionaries captive is the release of their leader Germaine Joly, the first defendant charged with the abductions. However, he has pleaded not guilty.

One leader of the 400 Mawozo Gang previously demanded a $1 million ransom per person, and they threatened to kill the hostages unless his demands were met.

Two of the hostages were released on or about November 18, then three more hostages were released on or before December 5. The remaining missionaries escaped their captivity on or about December 16.

Haiti's 400 Mawozo Gang

The 400 Mawozo gang is one of the largest criminal gangs in Haiti, and they are known for kidnapping civilians. The gang does not pick their target when it comes to kidnapping. Victims of the said group have a variety of backgrounds, including priests, Haitians, foreigners, and even police officers.

The 400 Mawozo gang is also behind the kidnapping of Dominican Republic Diplomat Carlos Guillen. The said diplomat was reportedly abducted while he was traveling in his country.

The said gang from Haiti controls a highly strategic area in the country, including the only road to the north and the only road that leads Port-au-Prince to the Dominican Republic.

In April, the gang's leader, Joly, was extradited into the U.S. for smuggling weapons and kidnapping Americans.

READ NEXT: Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott Green Lights Arrest of Illegal Immigrants From Mexico, Blames Joe Biden

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: 17 Missionaries Kidnapped in Haiti - From Inside Edition
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is going to prison after a federal judge sentenced him to 21 years.

Chauvin's actions sparked worldwide protest for civil rights and against police brutality when he killed George Floyd by kneeling on top of him after he complained that he cannot breathe. Three other officers were also implicated.

Chauvin pled guilty to his charges and entered into a plea agreement. The federal court later found him guilty and sentenced him to 21 years in prison.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the federal charges but changed it last December. He also admitted his guilt in a separate federal indictment where he was accused of depriving a 14-year-old boy of his civil rights in an encounter in September 2017.

READ NEXT: Latino and Black Police Officers Accuse Ohio Police Chief Of Racist Abuse

Judge Berates Derek Chauvin and Criticized His Actions

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson criticized Chauvin before handing out the 21-year prison sentence, according to the Associated Press. He called the former officer's actions "simply wrong" and "offensive," as videos showed Chauvin and the other officers kneeling on top of Floyd for over nine minutes while the victim pleaded his now-famous last words, "I can't breathe."

Judge Magnuson also presided over the trial and convictions of the three other officers. However, he placed most of the blame for George Floyd's death on Chauvin, the most senior officer at the scene.

A 911 call accused Floyd of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes, and Chauvin and the other three officers were the ones to respond. They got on top of Floyd while Chauvin placed his knee at the back of Floyd's neck. The other officers suggested that they should turn Floyd to his side, but Chauvin merely rebuffed them. Because of this, Magnuson told Chauvin that he had also destroyed the lives of the three other officers who were merely following his lead.

NBC News reported that the three other officers who were with Chauvin at the time of George Floyd's death were Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao. They were also convicted of violating Floyd's civil rights. Kueng and Thao were also convicted for not intervening to stop Chauvin from using excessive force.

Prosecutors Wanted 25 Years for Derek Chauvin

Federal prosecutors wanted 25 years for Chauvin. This is on the high end of the 20- to 25-year range of the plea agreement, according to NBC News. They argued that the former police officer abused his authority and also acted callously.

In counter to this, the defense would ask for 20 years, which is at the lowest end of the plea agreement's range. They argued that Chauvin was remorseful of his actions and that he fully accepted responsibility.

The 21-year sentence Magnuson decided on would credit the time Chauvin has already served, which means that the former officer will now only have to live out his sentence in around 20 years and five months.

It is noted that Chauvin is already serving a 22-year sentence for second-degree and third-degree murder at the state level. The federal sentence will be served concurrently with his state sentence.

Chauvin wished the family of George Floyd all the best in their life.

READ NEXT: Bill Cosby Sexually Abused Teenager At the Playboy Mansion In 1975 - L.A. Court

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Derek Chauvin sentenced to more than 20 years for violating George Floyd's civil rights - WCCO - CBS Minnesota
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reportedly proposed disciplinary actions against the Texas Border Patrol agents on horseback accused of "whipping" Haitian migrants last year.

On Thursday, a source told Fox News that the CBP has already sent out disciplinary proposals for the border agents. However, the source noted that the details of the punishments have yet to be released.

The insider said the CBP is expected to announce the results of the administrative investigation soon.

READ NEXT: Texas' Greg Abbott Slams Joe Biden Over Treatment of Horse-Riding Border Patrol Agents

DHS Seeks Punishment Among Texas Border Patrol Agents Accused of 'Whipping' Haitians

A few weeks ago, a federal source told the outlet that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would seek to discipline the Texas Border Patrol agents, who will have a chance to defend themselves.

The source noted that the charges would be "administrative violations" and not criminal, which the border agents were cleared of earlier this year.

Last September, horse-mounted Border Patrol agents were photographed chasing Haitian migrants along the Rio Grande in Texas. The agents were trying to stop the migrants from entering the country.

In one case, an agent on horseback grabbed onto a migrant's shirt. The photo sparked different opinions and speculations from U.S. officials.

Many Democrats and media outlets falsely described the border agents' long reins, which they use to control their horses, as "whips."

Some administration officials quickly condemned the agents even before an investigation had been undertaken. But witnesses and other officials defended the agents in question, with some saying that the whipping did not occur.

The photographer of the said images, Paul Ratje, earlier said he never saw the agents whipping anyone, although he saw some agents swinging the long reins of their horses. The DHS declined to press criminal charges last November.

The CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility (ORP) has spent the intervening months reviewing photographs and interviewing agents and witnesses. The OPR noted that the agents whose behavior is in question would be awarded "due process" and given a chance to respond.

CBP to Announce the Results of Probe Over Texas Border Patrol Agents Accused of 'Whipping' Haitian Migrants

The source told Fox News on Thursday that an announcement from the CBP is "imminent" regarding the findings of the investigation. However, the source did not mention a specific date on when it would be announced.

Three weeks ago, CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus also commented about the report on Border Patrol agents in Texas accused of "whipping" migrants.

"I will merely indicate that the report that you're speaking about, we anticipate to release within the next several weeks. We are following the administrative processes that protect the due process rights of the involved employees," Magnus said when he was asked about the ongoing investigation at a press conference.

Some Border Patrol agents have expressed outrage at reports that the DHS will punish multiple agents for the debunked "whipping" claims.

"I am through being surprised," one agent earlier told Fox News. Another described the DHS plan as a "f**k*** bulls***," adding that the border patrol agents in question did nothing wrong.

Some agents also told the outlet that they are either retiring early or know fellow agents who also plan to retire early due to how the job is now. They noted that many agents were also pushed into processing migrants rather than being out in the field.

READ MORE: Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott Green Lights Arrest of Illegal Immigrants From Mexico, Blames Joe Biden

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Former Border Patrol Horse Coordinator Refutes Biden's Allegations - From Fox News
A possible second Oprah Winfrey interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has reportedly been causing distress to the royal family.

According to She Knows, the buzz started to heat up after photos of the Sussexes driving over to Winfrey's house in June surfaced.

The outlet noted that the palace is paying attention to this news and are in "panic mode" that another TV special could happen in the future.

Royal expert Daniela Elser told the New Zealand Herald that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are "holding some pretty powerful cards," especially with Harry's upcoming memoir and the palace's refusal to release the bullying report from allegations against Markle.

Elser noted that the royal family's PR strategy has dramatically changed since the Platinum Jubilee last month. It is also what royal author Omid Scobie observed after Prince Charles hired a former tabloid editor as his new communications secretary.

Elser also commented on the official statement about Charles meeting the Sussexes' daughter Lilibet for the first time.

Claiming it was unprofessional, she said the statement "reads like the sort of frothy briefing an LA publicist would give a supermarket tabloid," with "six 'verys' in four sentences," and not something that usually comes from the royal houses.

READ NEXT: Queen Elizabeth Takes Note of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Daughter Lilibet in Her Christmas Speech

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Second Oprah Winfrey Interview

Nigel Farage, the former leader of the U.K Independence and Brexit parties, recently told Sky News Australia anchor Paul Murray that a rumored "second interview could be underway" between the Sussexes and Oprah Winfrey.

According to Newsweek, Farage told Murray in the interview that if it were true, "they won't succeed." Farage noted that another interview would be detrimental to their image.

Farage said if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do the interview again, the pair will look "vindictive, money-grubbing." He added that even those people who have given the couple the benefit of the doubt would start to turn against them.

Farage said his belief that "you do feel actually with the pair of them," the couple were beginning to "look a little bit desperate." He noted that the couple sought victimhood while "they jet around the world on their private jets," and "it's just not working."

Farage has been an outspoken critic of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the past. Oprah Winfrey and the Sussexes are neighbors. They both live in the Santa Barbara area of Los Angeles, California.

First Oprah Winfrey Interview With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle opened up about their royal life during the first Oprah Winfrey interview. Markle said life as a royal had made her suicidal, adding that she was ashamed to admit it to Harry, The New York Times reported.

The Duchess of Sussex noted that at one point, she asked a senior royal about the possibility of seeking inpatient care. She was told it would not be possible as it "wouldn't be good for the institution."

Markle further noted that the British tabloids were "vicious" to her, making racist comments about her. On the other hand, Prince Harry opened up about his relationship with Prince Charles.

He noted that his father was not taking his phone calls and even asked him to put things into writing when he and his wife were weighing taking a step back from their roles as senior royals.

Prince Harry later said that his father was now taking his calls again. However, he noted that there was still "a lot to work through there."

Meghan Markle also said the royal family had failed to correct the false narrative around her - about her "dive-like behavior" and how "she had bullied her staff."

READ MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Opt Not to Hold Daughter Lilibet's Christening in U.K. As It's Likely Be in California: Royal Sources

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Would Look 'Vindictive and Money Grubbing' With Second Oprah Interview - From Sky News Australia
Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and other Hollywood stars are mourning the death of legendary "The Godfather" actor James Caan.

On Thursday, Caan's family announced through the actor's Twitter account that he died on July 6. He died at age 82.

"It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time," the actor's family said.

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.



The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.



End of tweet  James Caan (@James_Caan) July 7, 2022

A cause of death has not been revealed. Tributes then flooded in for the actor, who was also famous for his roles in "Misery," "Elf," "Mickey Blue Eyes," "The Rain People," and over 100 other movies he acted in, according to Daily Mail.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Caan's "The Godfather" co-actor Al Pacino said the iconic actor was his "fictional brother and his lifelong friend."

In a statement to Deadline, Francis Ford Coppola, the director of "The Rain People" and "The Godfather" films, said Caan will "never be forgotten."

Francis Ford Coppola noted that Caan was "someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure I've ever known."

The director added that Caan will always be his "old friend from Sunnyside, my collaborator and one of the funniest people I've ever known."

Arnold Schwarzenegger also paid tribute to the actor, calling him an "icon" and a "legend." He said he was lucky to work with Caan and see his talent and "fantastic sense of humor."

Arnold Schwarzenegger added that he will "miss" the actor, who is a "true friend."

James Caan was an icon - a legend. He inspired everyone who has ever been in front of a camera. I was lucky to work with him and see his talent and his fantastic sense of humor firsthand. He was a great training partner in the gym and a true friend, and Ill miss him.  Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) July 7, 2022

James Caan's son, Scott Caan, told People that he had "no resentment" toward his father. Scott said his father made mistakes that affected both of them, but he was always been there for him "no matter what."

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Other Hollywood Co-Stars and Friends Who Paid Tribute to James Caan

Other Hollywood co-stars and friends also paid tribute to James Caan after his death. Robert De Niro said he was "very, very sad" to learn about the actor's passing.

Antonio Banderas called Caan a "great actor" and offered his condolences to the actor's family and loved ones.

A great actor has left us. Deepest condolences to all of his family and loved ones. RIP @James_Caan pic.twitter.com/GeDnlBVHvB  Antonio Banderas (@antoniobanderas) July 7, 2022

Barbara Streisand shared a photo of her and James Caan on Twitter and expressed sadness about the actor's death.

"I'm so sorry to hear about Jimmy. He was so talented," Streisand said.

Im so sorry to hear about Jimmy. He was so talented. #JamesCaan pic.twitter.com/5CB1NKTYa9  Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) July 7, 2022

Adam Sandler tweeted that he loved James Caan "very much" and always wanted to be like him.

"So happy I got to know him. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. His movies were best of the best. We all will miss him terribly. Thinking of his family and sending my love," the actor noted.

James Caan

James Caan was born in Germany during the Second World War in 1940. His Jewish parents then emigrated to the Bronx in New York City.

Caan managed to have a staggering six-decade career despite suffering from drug problems, minor brushes with the law, and temper outbursts.

The actor was best known for his role as Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather." Caan was married four times and had five children.

After the death of his sister, Caan battled clinical depression. He then opened up about using cocaine for a little while to cope with the sadness brought by the tragedy.

Last year, Caan was spotted using a walker after spending some time in a wheelchair to recover from his back surgery in 2020. According to Daily Mail, the actor was believed to have a net worth of $20 million.

READ MORE: U.S. Charges a 400 Mawozo Gang Member Over the Kidnapping of Missionaries in Haiti

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: James Caan, "The Godfather" Actor, Dies at 82 - From CBS Evening News
A notorious Mexican drug cartel boss had a grand plan to escape authorities and flee from being imprisoned, and that was through a surgery to change his looks, which eventually led to his death.

According to The Daily Star, Amado Carrillo Fuentes met his untimely death on July 7, 1997, or 25 years ago, during a botched plastic surgery as he attempted to make himself unrecognizable.

His death remains one of the most bizarre ways in which a notorious drug lord died. Carrillo Fuentes, nicknamed "The Lord of the Skies," started overseeing his uncle's drug shipments and quickly worked his way up in the cartel world.

Carrillo Fuentes was known to have killed his boss, Rafael Aguilar Guajardo, in 1993 to seize overall control of the Juarez Cartel.

The Lord of the Skies earned his moniker for being the first drug kingpin to use a fleet of private planes to smuggle cocaine from Colombia into Mexico and then to the United States.

READ NEXT: Homes of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, Fellow Drug Lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes in Mexico Are Now Owned by Lottery Winners

Who Is Mexican Drug Cartel Boss Amado Carrillo Fuentes?

Amado Carrillo Fuentes grew up with 11 siblings. His uncle, who introduced him to the drug trafficking world, was Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel.

Under the mentorship of his uncle, Carrillo Fuentes was able to start a drug-dealing business. He was tasked to monitor and oversee the Guadalajara Cartel's drug shipments, according to The Sun.

At the peak of his power as the head of the Juarez Cartel, he owned several planes and weapons and managed to expand the cartel's operations to the U.S.

As Mexico and the United States exerted more efforts to arrest him, Carrillo Fuentes decided to undergo a plastic surgery procedure at a private clinic in Mexico City on July 4, 1997 to evade being captured. One of the procedures he had undergone was liposuction.

He lost his life during the operation due to complications. Jaime Godoy Singh, the man thought to have carried out the surgery, and two assistants were found dead in unpleasant circumstances.

Their bodies were found stuffed into steel drums, partially filled with cement, and abandoned along the main highway between Mexico City and Acapulco on November 7, 1997.

Theories Surrounding the Death of Mexican Drug Cartel Boss Amado Carrillo Fuentes

A graphic video showing Amado Carrillo Fuentes in his coffin was reportedly released. Some conspiracy theorists claimed that the man in the coffin was not the real Mexican drug cartel boss but rather one of his aides.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has debunked this claim, but rumors that he was still alive continued to circulate. This was because his cousin, Sergio Carrillo, said after the funeral that the Mexican drug cartel boss was "fine" and "alive."

Sergio added that Carrillo Fuentes and a "poor unfortunate person" had surgeries "to make everybody believe it was him, including the authorities."

According to Washington Post, unlike other Mexican drug kingpins who became household names and faces in the 90s like Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, Carrillo Fuentes was one of the most mysterious men in Mexico as he lived discreetly, with no wild shootouts and late-night disco hopping.

Few pictures of him reportedly appeared in newspapers or television in the past years. The DEA described him as a low-profile Mexican drug cartel boss who behaved like a "businessman."

It was estimated that Amado Carrillo Fuentes had amassed a fortune of around $25 million. He attained this massive fortune by transporting illegal drugs, primarily cocaine.

READ MORE: Sinaloa Cartel Founder 'El Guero' Is Still in Custody of Mexican Authorities

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WATCH: The Untold Story of the Narco "El Senor De Los Cielos" Amado Carrillo Fuentes - From Nutty History
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known by his initials AMLO, said his government would not fabricate crimes and persecute anyone after the country's anti-money laundering agency launched a probe against his successor Enrique Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto is currently in hot water for alleged corruption. The former president has been accused of receiving millions of dollars in illegal funds.

According to Reuters, the investigations by the head of Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) will look at millions of dollars worth of money transfers involving Pena Nieto, in which the former president may have received "economic benefits."

This will be the first formal legal accusations against the former Mexican leader, who held the country's highest office from 2012-2018. According to the Associated Press, Enrique Pena Nieto has had plenty of corruption allegations. However, this marked the first actual case formally filed against him.

Mexico's President AMLO Reacts on Enrique Pena Nieto's Case

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made it his campaign promise to pursue and punish corruption. However, AMLO has not yet made any move to prosecute any of the former Mexican presidents.

The current president has been criticized for not going after his predecessors who had committed crimes despite his campaign promises. AMLO even said that "revenge isn't my strong point," and argued that Mexico should look into the future, not the past.

However, when he held a referendum on whether the government should prosecute former leaders last year, this failed to reach 40% participation, with critics pointing out that the government did not need the people's blessing to go after anyone who had committed crimes.

With the criminal complaint against Enrique Pena Nieto already filed, AMLO finally talked about the probe. According to El Universal, he promised that the government would not fabricate any crimes nor carry out summary trials. He also vowed that nobody would be persecuted.

For this case, the president said it was important to act responsibly and with enough evidence. AMLO noted that the government must only go after facts and not make any politically-made decisions.

READ NEXT: Mexico Is Ending Daylight Saving Time

Enrique Pena Nieto Allegedly Received Millions of Dollars From Firms While Serving as Mexico's President

Enrique Pena Nieto has not been charged yet with a crime. However, Pablo Gomez, the head of the UIF investigating the former president, said Thursday that federal prosecutors have already received the complaint, which alleged that Pena Nieto used illicit funds.

Gomez noted that three wire transfers totaling 26 million pesos or $1.26 million from a family member of Pena Nieto, sent from Mexico to Spain between 2019 and 2021, are being investigated.

He added that the former president was tied to two companies with alleged "financial irregularities," including a family business that sent hundreds of international transfers totaling close to $76 million over several years.

Gomez said the accounts of these companies and the former president have yet to be blocked. Enrique Pena Nieto, who moved to Spain after he left office. On Thursday, he argued that he obtained the money legally.

"I am certain that the appropriate authorities will allow me to clear up any questions about my holdings, and to prove their legality through legal channels. I have confidence in legal institutions," the former president tweeted.

READ MORE: Mexico: Police Save Big Cats, Others From Animal Rescue After Reports of Mistreatment

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Mexico: Attorney General's Office Has Opened an Investigation Against Enrique Pena Nieto - From TeleSur English
An Indiana man has admitted to shooting a female USPS worker in the chest after she stopped delivering mail to his house due to his "aggressive" dog.

According to Daily Mail, Tony Cushingberry-Mays, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, assaulting a federal employee, and discharging a firearm on Tuesday.

The Indiana man has been accused of shooting Angela Summers, 45, who was killed by a single shot to the chest. A federal district court judge will sentence him at a later date.

According to federal law, killing an off-duty federal worker can be punishable by death or a life sentence. The Daily Beast reported that the USPS worker was gunned down during her mail delivery route in east Indianapolis in April 2020.

Summers reportedly bypassed the suspect's home in compliance with a suspension that was put in place until he contained his dog. She was hand-delivering mails to the other homes on the block.

Cushingberry-Mays reportedly became hostile and aggressive towards Summers when he saw her pass his house on the day of the shooting. Investigators said the Indiana man confronted the USPS worker on a neighbor's porch and demanded mail.

Summers reportedly took out some type of self-defense repellant and sprayed it on Cushingberry-Mays as he approached her while on a neighbor's porch.

The Indiana man then pulled out a handgun and shot the female USPS worker point-blank in the chest. Summers died in the hospital.

READ NEXT: Indiana Mass Shooting: 3 Dead, 7 Wounded as Gunfire Erupted at July 4th Party

Indiana Man Shot and Killed the USPS Worker

According to court documents, the United States Postal Service (USPS) had suspended mail delivery at the suspect's home due to his vicious dog.

Two weeks before the shooting incident, Angela Summers complained and reported about "several issues" she had with the suspect's dog.

Because of this, the post office sent three warning letters to Tony Cushingberry-Mays' home, telling him to contain his aggressive pet. However, they were ignored, so the post office put a suspension in place.

A postal union representative believed the Indiana man was upset about not getting his COVID-19 stimulus check delivered to his home.

President of the postal union Paul Toms told Fox 59 in 2020 that Summers died just shy of securing career status with the post office, which meant she did not have life insurance. However, the union did help raise $72,000 for the daughter of the USPS worker.

Tony Cushingberry-Mays admitted to police that he ran away after shooting Angela Summers and went to his aunt's house before hiding the gun in the garage at his mother's. The Indiana man also told authorities that he did not mean to kill the USPS worker as he only wanted to scare her.

In a statement to USA Today, USPS Inspector-in-Charge Rodney Hopkins said this should serve as a "deterrent to those criminal actors who threaten the fundamental right of a safe work environment for our nation's postal employees."

Georgia Postal Service Worker Killed

Last month, a federal grand jury indicted a North Georgia man accused of killing a postal worker last year. The Atlanta Journal- Constitution reported that Larry Steven Grogan has been charged with the murder of U.S. Postal Service mail carrier Asa "Junior" Wood Jr., along with the assault on a federal employee using a deadly weapon.

He was also charged with the discharge of a firearm resulting in death and felon in possession of a firearm. Grogan was accused of killing 59-year-old Wood, who was delivering mail in Banks County. According to investigators, he also fired at two deputies during a pursuit.

Investigators have not released details about a possible motive. According to his online obituary, Wood has worked for the postal service for 28 years.

READ MORE: Texas Police Shoot, Kill Gunman at Youth Summer Camp After He Opened Fire

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Person of Interest in Custody in Connection With Indy Mail Carrier's Death - From WRTV Indianapolis
The administration of President Joe Biden has green-lighted the continuing of a Donald Trump-era project to complete a section of the border wall in California.

According to the Daily Mail, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas approved the border wall designs, which the Trump administration initially authorized in the budget for the Fiscal Year 2018.

The new plan would reportedly replace the existing barriers with two 30-foot walls across Friendship Park. It does not have a spot for a door on the U.S. side of Friendship Park, meaning pedestrians will no longer be able to get through to the park once this project is completed.

Friendship Park is reportedly a binational spot between San Diego in California and Tijuana in Mexico, where separated families could meet and touch without a wall between them. People from Mexico's side could still enter the park.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, people were allowed to enter Friendship Park each weekend through gates on the U.S. side of the wall. However, New York Post reported that this practice was stopped in 2020.

John Fanestil, head of the San Diego-based Friends of Friendship Park coalition, opposed the project since it would permanently close the U.S. side of the "historic" park.

In a statement, Fanestil said: "Joe Biden should not be putting the finishing touches on Donald Trump's border wall at Friendship Park."

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Joe Biden Under Fire After Stopping Construction of Donald Trump's Border Wall

Joe Biden was criticized for his decision to halt the construction of former President Donald Trump's border wall.

Early into his term, Biden ordered a "pause" on all border wall constructions within a week. It was one of the 17 executive actions he issued on his first day at the White House, alongside six other immigration-related dealings.

Biden reportedly did not want to build "another foot" of the controversial border wall. He gave his administration two months to find out how much it would cost to cancel contracts related to the construction and whether the money for the border wall could be spent elsewhere.

Republicans slammed Biden for his decision to stop progress on the border wall. In particular, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused the president of putting illegal immigrants' welfare before Americans.

McCarthy believed that Biden's first immigration orders were the "wrong priorities at the wrong time" and that the president should instead focus on the needs of Americans.

Rep. Diana Harshbarger called Biden's border wall pause a "liberal agenda." For her, the president's decision to halt the border wall construction was a way to "score points with the international community."

Border Wall Materials Left Unused in Texas After Joe Biden Cancelled Remaining Contracts

Joe Biden's order reportedly left billions of dollars worth of construction work on the unfinished border wall.

Last October, drone footage from Fox News revealed that materials for the project were left to waste in Texas.

The footage revealed the stacks of roughly 10,000 steel panels left sitting in Texas since January last year reportedly cost up to $100 million. The steels were seen rusting as they continued to remain under the sun.

Each steel panel was reported to cost about $5,000, which the taxpayers already paid.

READ MORE: CBP Proposes Discipline for Texas Border Patrol Agents Accused of 'Whipping' Haitian Migrants

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Donald Trump's Border Wall Has Left a Complicated Legacy - From VICE News
A cross county initiative between Laois and Carlow has seen new homes in Graiguecullen going to nearly 80 families from the two counties.

Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) launched Graigue na hAbhainn, a development of 77 homes in Graiguecullen, County Laois, on Thursday, July 7. The estate was originally given planning permission in 2008 but the project fell foul of the property crash.

However, the development was revived in recent years and has now been delivered for social housing under a partnership. The agencies involved included with Carlow and Laois local authorities, the Housing Finance Agency, the Housing Agency and the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage, and the estate was built by BHA Construction.

The development contains two and three -bed houses comprising of mid-terrace and semi-detached homes. Each household in Graigue na hAbhainn will be a member of the South Leinster Housing Co-operative.

A total of 57 applicants on Carlow's social housing waiting list have been housed in the estate while 20 families on the Laois listed have been accommodated in the estate on the Ballickmoyler Road.

Martin is resident of Graigue na hAbhainn.

We have more security in this place knowing our landlord isnt going to sell it. Our neighbours are lovely, its nice and multicultural, we have Brazilian neighbours on one side and Nigerian neighbours on the other. Our son, Domis, knew one or two kids from school who have moved in here and hes gotten to know more since weve settled in, he said.

Mary is another resident of the new estate.

"We need more models of housing like this, where everyone pays what they can afford, and they have a security of tenure going forward. It really makes a huge difference knowing this is going to be our forever home, she said.

Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Thomasina Connell, and Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Brian ODonoghue, opened the estate. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pearse OShiel, is the Chairperson of CHI.

CHIs delivery in Leinster has been a considerable achievement for the Co-operative," he said. "We delivered 386 homes in Leinster during 2021, accounting for over 65 per cent of the organisations output that year. 139 of these homes were in Carlow and Laois.

Mr OShiel said CHI provides 336 homes in Laois and Carlow. Most of the 77 homes are going to people who were on Carlow's waiting list.

"CHIs response to Carlow County Councils housing need has been our largest provision of homes to any local authority in Leinster outside of Dublin. This level of delivery would not be possible without the support and co-operation of the local authorities in those respective counties, he said.

Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Thomasina Connell, addressing CHI Members and attendees at the launch.

It is an honour to be here at the launch of Co-operative Housing Irelands (CHI) new housing development. It is a tribute to CHI, and the builder, BHA Construction, impacted by Covid-19 to deliver much needed housing for people in Laois and Carlow. The direct delivery of homes by local authorities, and Approved Housing Bodies like CHI, is crucial to providing a bright future for people and families, she said. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Speaking at the launch, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Brian ODonoghue, was delighted to officially welcome families to their homes in Graigue na hAbhainn.

"Its been great to meet members and to learn of the Members Association that has been established here, where new residents are banding together to address collective needs, he said.

CHI is a leading Approved Housing Body working with Local Authorities and others to meet the housing needs of low-income households on social housing waiting lists.

Laois County Council originally granted permission in 2008. This was extended twice and construction work started in August 2019. The Property Price Register shows that the houses were purchased were purchased three different lots in 2021 at a net combined price of nearly 14 million before tax for social housing in both counties.
Planning permission has been granted that will allow for the recommencement of underground mining at the former Galmoy zinc and lead mine which straddles Laois and Kilkenny.

More than a decade after mining ceased with the loss of 200 jobs, Kilkenny County Council has given the green light for phase one of a reopening of the project with a target to resume also in Laois.

Proposed works at the site, planned by 'Shanoon Resources Ltd', include an access portal, declines, ventilation shafts and extensions to existing underground workings.

Approved works will involve the refurbishment of a number of existing mine related surface structures, dewatering wells, and buildings including the 'Goul' pumphouse.

Three workshops, an administration building which includes provision for offices, laboratories, storage warehouse areas, toilets and washing facilities are also planned.

There are also plans for a fire and fresh water pumphouse, mine change house, security hut, weighbridge, transformers, sub-stations and switch-rooms, stormwater pond and conditioning pond, rock storage area for the storage of soil, overburden and rock from the mine workings and the ore storage structure (teepee) as part of the ore crushing plant.

Plans are also afoot to demolish the existing plant electrical building in order to provide for the provision of new ore screening and sorting plant and associated stock-piling areas and for the replacement of the previous water treatment plant with a new water treatment plant to treat mine and site water in a new location within the plant site.

The new water treatment plant will reuse and refurbish the existing backfill thickener tank as part of the revised plant.

The provision of a mine backfill plant consisting of feed-hoppers, crushing equipment, ball mill, 13.9m high cement silo and mixer is included in the plans and is to be located adjacent to the existing ESB sub-station in the north of the existing plant site.

Ancillary elements; structures for fuel and emulsion storage; water and other pipelines, water discharge diffuser and the installation of a new proprietary effluent treatment system to deal with foul water and wheel wash are all included in the plans.

In addition, the provision of two new wells and associated ancillary pumping infrastructures for the supply of supplementary water to the Galmoy-Rathdowney public water supply (GRPWS) was sought in the application.

The planning application was granted, subject to 44 conditions, by Kilkenny County Council, on June 29, 2022.

It is also proposed to extend the mine into the townland of Kyle, County Laois and a separate application will be lodged to seek permission to mine the orebody in Co Laois.

The mine closed in May 2009, two years earlier than planned. An estimated 200 jobs were lost at the time. Canada's Lundin Mining Corporation said the closure is due to the sharp drop in zinc prices.

A phased closure which began in 2008 was accelerated in 2009.
The Minister of State with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, Sean Fleming TD, has welcomed the commencement of the majority of provisions of the Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, with immediate effect.

Todays commencement of the key provisions within the Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 represents an important consumer protection enhancement, and complements Governments ambitious insurance reform agenda," Minister Fleming noted.

"In particular, the Central Bank of Ireland is now required to provide a timely assessment of its price walking ban, a new pro-consumer measure, the first of its kind in the EU. Price walking, effectively a loyalty penalty, is where customers are charged higher premiums relative to the expected costs the longer they remain with an insurance provider.

"Central Bank research shows customers who have stayed with their insurance provider for nine years or more, are paying, on average, 14 per cent more for private car insurance and 32 per cent more on home insurance. There are currently 2.2 million private motor and 1.3 million home insurance policy holders around the country.

"Other elements within the Act provide a legislative basis for the collection of data by the Central Bank on State supports deducted from claim settlements in its National Claims Information Database, bringing welcome clarity to this issue. The Act also protects consumer interests by enabling some UK firms provide service continuity to existing Irish policyholders," stated Minister Fleming.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael TDs must demand that Green Party Minister Eamon Ryan reverses his plans to prohibit the online sale of turf, a Laois Offaly TD has insisted.

Deputy Carol Nolan was speaking after she claimed that Minister Ryan confirmed that he intends to ban the sale of commercial turf through online websites and advertising.

The approach of the Greens to the sale of turf and the use of turf has always been absolutely pathetic and rooted in an abysmal failure to comprehend, appreciate or recognise the traditional value of turf cutting and the more recent need for its use to be maintained during a cost-of-living crisis.

It is now way past the point for Fianna Fail TDs and Fine Gael TDs to get off the fence; to stop their equivocating and their half-hearted defences of turf cutting and turf use and actually demand that this Green minister, who commands no meaningful support for his nanny state agenda is stopped in his tracks.

People in Offaly and Laois are consistently telling me they have lost all faith in Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to actually do something meaningful on this issue. They see, as we all see, that ultimately they will give the Green minister the green light to continue his attack on turf.

It was only in the last fortnight that Fianna Fail Minister, Charlie McConalogue, failed to provide me with robust assurances around the protection of turbary rights. That woke a lot of people up to the level of complicity that is going on between all of the government parties on this issue.

I am emphatically telling Minister Ryan and his cheerleaders in Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to back off from rural Ireland and to back off from the banning of the sale of turf in any way, shape or form, concluded Deputy Nolan.

Minister Ryan has said his proposals were being misrepresented.

The traditional arrangements  as when someone has turbary rights, selling to a neighbour -- that will not be restricted.

Where the restrictions will be introduced is on retail and the internet, he said.

He said they would be targeted at commercial operations.

This is about all sorts of fuels. This is about regulating, first and foremost, smoky coal. It will not affect those who are relying on traditional persons selling [turf] to them for their heating or their own use. Thats the case.
A Laois town that is a bottleneck for national traffic is bracing itself for months of roadworks.

From Monday, July 11, over three months of road improvement works will begin in Mountmellick on the N80 road.

The busy town centre road which takes some 10,000 vehicles and trucks a day, is showing "structural failures" in sections say Laois County Council.

It means that they have to remove and relaying sections of the road surface where needed.

It will be done in three phases, with the final phase taking place at night time.

First to be reconstructed is Irishtown, a 2.5km stretch between the Glanbia T-junction and Anngrove Stud roundabout on the Portlaoise road.

Work will take place between 7am and 7pm and traffic will be diverted around by Patrick Street and the hospital road, with only local residents given access. Footpaths will not be affected by the roadworks.

The council expects this phase to take some three weeks.

Phase 2 is works from the Anngrove Stud Irishtown Roundabout to the Junction of N80 and the R423 at Derrycloney bridge. The works on this section will also be day works from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Traffic will be diverted around by Portlaoise and Emo for the duration of this phase.

The final phase is on the main street, from Glanbia up to O'Moore Street roundabout.

"The works on this section will be night works and will be carried out from 7pm to 6am," Laois County Council has stated.

Roadstone Ltd. are the main contractors and the works will take approximately 15 weeks to complete, including repainting.

"Various temporary traffic management arrangements will be in place for the duration of the works with a particular focus on local, one-way traffic systems where possible. As works progress interim traffic management plans will be available on the Laois County Council website. Alternative routes will be fully sign posted. Further updates will issue as the various phases are completed. Local access will be retained but there may be interim interruptions. Pedestrians will not be subject to diversions."

The traffic clogged town is recommended by experts as needing new Western and Eastern relief roads, in a study commissioned by the council and given to the Transport Infrastructure Ireland back in 2020, with the council pushing the need for the bypass.

However the project was never placed on the National Development plan which lasts until 2027, the first step to qualify for Government funding.
Monasterevin Street Fest makes its return on Sunday, July 24 with a major international influence.

Hampered by the Covid pandemic and after a two year sabbatical, this year Street Fest promises to be bigger and even better than the inaugural one in 2019.

There are over 12 eateries represented in food and craft in an International Street Market.

Australia and New Zealand are joining forces to give us a good old sausage sizzle, said the organisers.

India is represented by the beautiful Aishu with her fantastic embroidery and traditional Indian cuisine. Poland, Moldova, Ukraine, Romania and Africa join traders from Ireland to showcase their culture in craft and food. There is something for everyone during the day with a baking competition, cooking demo as well as the kayaking club, while FabUD, the Black Paddy as he calls himself will be doing what he does best. Local artists will be singing, and Monasterevin Youth Action will return to host their out of this world amazing BBQ and burgers. Sandras Wheel of Fortune for the kids is a massive attraction.

The fire brigades involvement bring huge excitement with kids of all ages allowed to toot horns and sirens.

They said local groups and clubs will also be on hand to showcase their activities at this community event representing the multicultural town of Monasterevin.

From the 10am opening with a historical walk hosted by the eminent local historian Barry Walsh, everyone is in for a musical treat to the closing event with the jazz and blues band, Chapel Hill Gang . This is a day not to be missed, added the organisers.
The following deaths have occurred in the wider Leitrim area:

Archie Naughton, Corraun Village, Racecourse Road, Roscommon Town, Roscommon



ARCHIE NAUGHTON Corraun Village, Racecourse Road, Roscommon Town, July 7th, 2022; In the care of the exceptional staff of the Coronary Care Unit at the Mater Hospital, Dublin at age 16. Adored and irreplaceable eldest son of Paula and Padraic and much-loved brother to George and Isaac. He will be very sadly missed by his heartbroken family, his grandmother Nana Kerr, his uncles, aunts, cousins, neighbours, schoolmates, his many good friends and by all those who supported him throughout his illness. Reposing at Smyths Funeral Home, Roscommon, on Saturday afternoon from 3pm until 6pm (in light of the current Covid spike, this will be strictly walk-through only, without the shaking of hands). Removal from his home on Monday morning at 10.15am to the Sacred Heart Church, Roscommon (via Castle Street) arriving for Mass of the Resurrection at 11am. Burial afterwards in St Comans Cemetery. For those wishing to offer their sympathies, we suggest using the online condolence link below. The Naughton family very much appreciate your support at this time and are aware that people wish to offer their condolences but kindly request that this is done in a socially distanced way. Family flowers only. House private please. Please note that the funeral Mass will be broadcast in the Roscommon town area on the Parish Radio 105.9 FM and can also be viewed live on Monday at 11am by CLICKING HERE

Mary Fitzpatrick, Ardonan, Milltown, Belturbet, Cavan



Mary Fitzpatrick, Ardonan, Milltown, Belturbet, Co. Cavan 7th July 2022 peacefully at Lisdarn Unit surrounded by her loving family. Predeceased by her parents Francie and Rose Agnes. Deeply regretted and sadly missed by her loving family, brothers Francie and Ted, sister-in-law Margaret, nephews Noel, Michael, Enda and Fergal, grandnephews and grandnieces, relatives and friends. Remains will be reposing at her residence in Ardonan (H14 AR28) from 4pm until 6.30pm with removal at 7.30pm to arrive at St. Patricks Church, Milltown, for 8pm. Funeral Mass on Saturday morning, 9th July, at 10am with burial afterwards in Drumlane Cemetery.

Pat Flynn, Corrick, Drumlish, Longford



The death has occurred of Pat Flynn, Corrick, Drumlish, Co. Longford. July 5th (peacefully) in the loving care of the management, nurses and staff of Shannon Lodge Nursing Home surrounded by his loving family. Beloved husband of the late Kathleen, predeceased by his sister's Mary, Bridie and Catherine. Sadly missed by his daughters Rosemarie and Carina, son-in-law Colm, his beloved grandchildren Blanaid and Rian, nieces and nephews, sister-in-law Lizzie, relatives, neighbours and friends. Reposing at Glennons Funeral Home, Ballinalee Road, Longford Friday from 5pm until 7pm. Strictly walkthrough only. Funeral Mass on Saturday at 11am in St. Marys Church, Drumlish followed by burial in the new cemetery. Family flowers only please, donations, if desired, to Patient Comfort Fund Shannon Lodge Nursing Home, Rooskey c/o McGowan Funeral Directors, Dromod.

Gerry Gorman, Legga, Moyne, Longford



Gerry died peacefully in Cavan General Hospital, after a long illness bravely borne, in the tender care of the Palliative Care Team and surrounded by his family on 4th, July, 2022. He is predeceased by his parents John and Mary and his son Peter. Deeply regretted by his wife Maureen, sons Gerard, Joseph and Kevin, daughters Sinead and Monica, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, his beloved grandchildren Eve, Aine, Isobelle, Conor, James, Gary, Claire, Holly, Callum and Sarah, brother Patrick and sister Jenny, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends. Funeral mass at 12 noon on Friday 8th in St Mary's Church, Legga, Eircode (N39 XK11), followed by burial in Legga Cemetery. Family flowers only please, donations, if desired, to Croi Heart and Stroke Centre, c/o of Connell Funeral Directors or any family member. Please note there will be no evening mass in St. Mary's Church, Legga, on Friday 8th.

John Francis Fitzpatrick, St Elizabeth's Court, North Circular Road, Dublin / Carrigallen, Leitrim



John Francis Fitzpatrick, St Elizabeth's Court, North Circular Road, Dublin 7 and formerly Drumloona, Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim. Predeceased by his sister Mary. Deeply regretted by his brothers Pat, Jim and Michael, his sisters Kathleen, Margaret, Sr.Regina and Breege, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Funeral arrangements later

May they all Rest in Peace.
VITAL life-saving equipment has been stolen from a Limerick beach for the second time in a month.

A ringbuoy, located at Sandy Beach, otherwise known as Kilmurry beach on the grounds of the University of Limerick, has been replaced by the local authority, for the second time.

Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) took to social media to notify the public.

We've have to replace the Lifebuoy at Sandy Beach in UL for the second time in a month. Please do not throw the lifebuoy in the river unless its for an emergency.



A Stolen Lifebuoy - A Stolen Life @IWSie pic.twitter.com/Dk4kaxI1dz  Limerick Council - Comhairle Luimnigh (@LimerickCouncil) July 6, 2022

"We've have to replace the Lifebuoy at Sandy Beach in UL for the second time in a month. Please do not throw the lifebuoy in the river unless its for an emergency," they said on Twitter.

The tagline, "A Stolen Lifebuoy - A Stolen Life" which comes from Water Safety Ireland, was quoted by the local authority.

The council informed that any missing, damaged or defective lifebuoys can be reported to the Water Safety Development Officer at 061 556000 or wsdo@limerick.ie
TWO MOTORISTS who were separately caught travelling at high speed on the main Limerick to Kerry road are facing prosecution before the courts for dangerous driving.

According to gardai, the recent detections was made by members of the Kerry Roads Policing Unit on the main N21 between Abbeyfeale and Castleisland.

In one incident, a blue Skoda Octavia car was stopped after it was detected travelling at 160kph in a 100kph zone.

Kerry RPU detected this driver speeding at 160kph in 100kph zone on the N21, Castleisland.



The driver will appear before court for dangerous driving, and if convicted faces a fine and a mandatory 2 year disqualification.#SlowDown #SaferRoads pic.twitter.com/Dd4AyENgDB  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) July 7, 2022

"The driver will appear before court for dangerous driving, and if convicted faces a fine and a mandatory two year disqualification," read a post on social media highlighting the incident.

In a separate incident, a white Hyundai SUV was detected travelling at 164kpm on the same stretch of road.

Again, the driver of that car has been charged with dangerous driving and will be brought before the courts.

Both gardai and the Road Safety Authority are appealing to motorists in Limerick and across the country to slow down when driving this summer.

There has been a significant increase in the number of fatal collisions in Ireland this year with speed being a contributory factor in the majority of them.
AN INSPIRATIONAL woman from Limerick was one of 79 young people from across Ireland who have been commended for their outstanding commitment to personal development and contribution to society.

The first in-person Gaisce Gold Award ceremony since Covid took place, earlier this week at Aras an Uachtarain with President Michael D Higgins presenting Awards to each recipient

Grainne Ni Dhuinnin, who undertook the Gaisce Gold Award with Ballyhoura Macra na Feirme, represented Limerick at the ceremony.

At the height of Covid, over 40,000 young people aged between 14 and 25 answered the Presidents call to pursue a Gaisce Award, supported by over 1,200 Presidents Award Leaders in 750 organisations Nationwide.

The Gaisce Gold Award is the nations highest recognition of a young persons initiative, achievement, and voluntary contribution to society.

In order to complete a Gold Gaisce Award, each of todays recipients set and achieved their own goals across challenge areas that include personal skill, physical activity, community involvement, team adventure journey and a residential project.

The Gaisce Awards, founded in 1985, recognise young people's commitment to personal development and community action.

At the heart of Gaisce is a wide network of trained adult mentors, the Presidents Award Leaders (or PALs) many of them Gaisce Awardees themselves.

PALs are instrumental in providing mentorship to young people across a wide variety of organisations including community, education, sport, disability and justice.

CEO of Gaisce, Yvonne McKenna said Gaisce  The Presidents Award is unique in the sense that it encourages young people to set their own personal development goals within a framework that allows them to achieve them and contribute to their communities in their own way.

"Every single day, I am inspired by the courage, the energy and the commitment of young people doing their Gaisce Award, and I am so thrilled we are getting to celebrate the breath of their achievements, from tackling global challenges like biodiversity to local supports for neighbours in need, young people are consistently push themselves for others," she said.

With over 250,000 Awards achieved since 1985, there is an enormous community of like-minded awardees who we encourage to continue their involvement with Gaisce and inspire generations to come.
Leaders from across the United Kingdom are to meet for the first time since the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

They will gather in Guernsey today (Friday July 8) as part of the 37th British-Irish Council Summit and plan to discuss the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, climate change, support for the people of Ukraine, and the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The summit is the first meeting between the heads of state, including the First Ministers of Wales and Scotland, chief ministers, and the Taoiseach, since Mr Johnson agreed to step down.

Developments in Westminster will also be on the agenda as they discuss the political situation in each nation.

Michael Gove was due to represent the UK Government but was sacked on Wednesday, causing confusion over who would go in his place.

Beautiful morning here in St Peter Port in Guernsey. Looking forward to a busy day leading for UK Govt @BICSecretariat as new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland @ShaileshVara heads to NI. Must work to do to listen and work alongside the people of Northern Ireland pic.twitter.com/kTbO9PdbW4  Conor Burns (@ConorBurnsUK) July 8, 2022

Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns will now attend instead, following a mass exodus of Conservative ministers and MPs.

He said on Twitter: Today and tomorrow I will lead for the UK Govt at the meeting of the @BICSecretariat.

It is vital at this time that the job @NIOgov continues to be done.

I am committed to continuing to serve the wonderful people of Northern Ireland to the best of my ability at the tough time.

Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford said: The British-Irish Council is designed to foster strong working relationships between all the governments involved  and thats what well be doing today.

We are here to do the serious business of working together to make things better for the people in our respective nations and islands.

This is what the UK Government should be focusing on.

What we have seen over recent months has not just been about the fate of one person, it has been about the collapse of decent and effective government in London. We all deserve better.

Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will attend, as will Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Sinn Fein ministers Conor Murphy and John ODowd.

It is the fifth time the meeting has been held in Guernsey.

Leaders of the governments of the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey will also be taking part.

The British-Irish Council was created in 1998 as part of the Good Friday Agreement to develop good working relationships between the nations of Britain and Ireland.
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Delhi minister Satyendra Jain's wife Poonam Jain to appear before it on 14 July in connection with a money-laundering probe, reported news agency ANI .

This comes months after the ED arrested Satyendar Jain from his residence in connection with alleged hawala transactions related to a Kolkata-based company.

The ED had in April attached immovable properties worth 4.81 crore owned by companies named Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd, Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd, and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in connection with the disproportionate asset and money laundering case registered against the minister his wife and others.

On 25 August 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR against Satyendar Jain.

The ED had registered a criminal case against the AAP leader based on this FIR in which it had been alleged that Jain could not explain the source of funds received by four companies in which he was a shareholder.

Satyendar Jain had reportedly floated or bought several shell companies in Delhi. He also allegedly laundered black money worth 16.39 crore through 54 shell companies of three hawala operators of Kolkata.

Jain allegedly owned a large number of shares in companies named Prayas, Indo, and Akinchan. However, after becoming Minister in Kejriwal's government, all his shares were transferred to his wife in 2015, as per reports.

These companies used to transfer cash payments to their Kolkata counterparts and these companies would later, under the ruse of buying shares, "route back the money" to Jain by employing legal means. The companies have reportedly laundered money to the tune of 16.39 crores from 2010 to 2014 to Satyendar Jain.

Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has defended his minister saying he was as a "hardcore honest and patriot" person who was being framed in a "false case" and hoped he will come out clean after the ED probe.

Businessmen arrested

The ED earlier this month arrested two businessmen, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, allegedly linked to Satyendar Jain.

They were placed under arrest following questioning as officials claimed they were "evasive".

The federal probe agency had raided the two, alleged to be "business associates" of Jain, last month as part of this investigation.
Scientists recently grew mini brains with their own sets of "eyes," according to a new study.

Organoids are miniature versions of organs that scientists can grow in the lab from stem cells, or cells that can mature into any type of cell in the body. Previously, scientists have developed tiny beating hearts and tear ducts that could cry like humans do . Scientists have even grown mini brains that produce brain waves like those of preterm babies.

Now, a group of scientists has grown mini brains that have something their real counterparts do not: a set of eye-like structures called "optic cups" that give rise to the retina  the tissue that sits in the back of the eye and contains light-sensing cells, according to a statement .

Related: 11 body parts grown in the lab

In the human body , the retina sends signals to the brain via the optic nerve, allowing us to see images. "In the mammalian brain, nerve fibers of retinal ganglion cells reach out to connect with their brain targets, an aspect that has never before been shown in an in vitro system," senior author Jay Gopalakrishnan, a researcher at University Hospital Dusseldorf, said in the statement. (Ganglion cells are neurons located in the inner surface of the retina that communicate directly with the brain.)

Previously, researchers had grown optic cups individually in labs, but this is the first study that integrated optic cups into brain organoids, according to the statement.

Gopalakrishnan and his team adapted a technique they previously developed for turning stem cells into neural tissue in order to create the mini brains with optic cups. Once the stem cells had developed into mini brains, the organoids formed optic cups. The optic cups appeared as early as 30 days and matured within 50 days, a timeframe similar to how the retina develops in a human embryo, according to the statement.

In total, the researchers created 314 mini brains, and 72% of them formed optic cups. The organoids contained different types of retinal cells that formed active neuron networks that responded to light, according to the statement. The organoids also formed lens and corneal tissue.

"Our work highlights the remarkable ability of brain organoids to generate primitive sensory structures that are light sensitive and harbor cell types similar to those found in the body," Gopalakrishnan said in the statement.

Why are scientists growing mini brains like these in the lab? These organoids can be useful for studying human brain development and related diseases. Scientists could use the new organoids  with their optic cups  to study brain-eye interactions during embryo development, Gopalakrishnan said. What's more, they can be used to study retinal disorders and maybe even be used to create personalized retinal cell types for therapies.

The researchers now hope to figure out how to keep the optic cups viable for a long time and use them to research the mechanisms behind retinal disorders.

The findings were published Aug. 17 in the journal Cell Stem Cell .

Originally published on Live Science.
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Top Italian private broadcaster Mediaset, which is being rebranded as MediaForEurope (MFE), has completed the takeover bid of its Spanish TV subsidiary Mediaset Espana in what is being touted as the first step towards the creation of a pan-European group, the company has announced.

After launching a cash-and-shares takeover bid for the 44% stake of its Spanish unit that it did not own, the broadcaster controlled by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconis family now holds a roughly 83% stake in Mediaset Espana, which is Spains leading private free-TV player. Mediaset did not disclose the total cost of the takeover which has been valued at roughly 780 million ($791 million).

The stated plan now is to look into a merger of Mediasets Spanish unit with its Milan-based Italian core company. More importantly, moves are said to be underway for the Spanish operation to spearhead the MFE consolidation effort into other European countries.

Todays success is only the first step in the path towards the creation of a pan-European group made up of national TV companies focused on local content production and pan-European technological and commercial platforms, MFE said in a statement late on Thursday.

The long-gestating MFE strategy devised by MFE CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi, who is Silvio Berlusconis son, is to gain scale while establishing cross border ties between different MFE-controlled companies in Europe.

We want each broadcaster to have a national identity, but if you want to counter the onslaught of the streaming giants you have to grow, Pier Silvio Berlusconi said last week during a Mediaset upfront in Italy. The goal, therefore, is to operate a platform with enough firepower to compete with Amazon and Google for advertising deals, he added.

MFE finance chief Marco Giordani recently said the company will be looking at Channel 4 when, and if, the British broadcaster is put on the block.

More concretely, MFE has set its sights on German broadcasting giant ProSiebenSat.1, which is Europes second-largest TV group in terms of TV home penetration, in which they have been buying up shares. ProSieben operates free-to-air and pay-TV channels in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

MFE now holds more than 25% of ProSieben and have been bidding to increase their stake in what is widely believed to be an attempt to gain control. But the German giants top management are pushing back. In May ProSieben chief Rainer Beaujean told the Financial Times that he would always be open to smart ideas but that Berlusconis group had yet to come to him to discuss the merits of cross-border consolidation.

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Tesla mogul Elon Musk made a less-than-grand entrance at Allen & Co.s exclusive conference for billionaires at the Sun Valley Lodge on Thursday, Variety has learned.

His much-anticipated arrival, which happened through the back entrance away from the prying eyes of press, came following a day of chatter about a Wednesday report of him secretly fathering twins with a Neuralink exec last year, and just after the Washington Post published a story stating his $44 billion deal to buy is in serious jeopardy.

According to The Washington Post, the Musk-side of the deal has decided that Twitters data on spam accounts is unverifiable and is now ceasing talks with potential investors for the purchase.

The vast majority of the elite, uber-wealthy attendees at the Sun Valley event  which include Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal  arrived on Tuesday ahead of the first full day of the top-secret conferences sessions on Wednesday. Musk had yet to check in two days after Sun Valleys lineup kicked off, even as sources confirmed he would be coming at some point as he is scheduled to speak to his fellow guests Saturday.

Musk finally showed up at the Sun Valley Lodge in Idaho after 5 p.m. local time Thursday, being ushered through a back entrance by security and off to dinner with his guests at the summer camp for billionaires event. The Tesla chiefs low-key arrival mirrors that of high-profile moguls like Mark Zuckerberg and Rupert Murdoch, who have been on site for days but not yet spotted by press.

Sun Valley panels continue Friday, with Musks speech still set for Saturday. However, several Sun Valley regulars wont be around for Musks musings. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was packed up and left out the front entrance just before Musk arrived.

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Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister of Japan, was apparently shot during a campaign speech on Friday in Nara, according to the Associated Press and NHK public television.

NHK camera footage showed him collapsed on the street, holding his chest, with the broadcasting corporation reporting that he is experiencing heart failure. Abe was rushed to the hospital by helicopter following the incident and a male suspect has been arrested at the scene on the suspicion of attempted murder, according to NHK. The man is reported to have been a member of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force until 2005.

Japans current prime minister Fumio Kishida has returned by helicopter to his official residence in Tokyo from Yamagata, where he was making a campaign stop. In a statement to the press, Kishida said: I condemn this act in the strongest possible words and announced that he would convene a meeting of the cabinet.

Broadcaster TBS says that Abe was hit twice, once in the left chest area and once on the right side of his neck. He remains unconscious and his life is in danger.

Kishida said: All measures are being taken to save [Abes] life.

Ex-leader, Abe was making a campaign speech ahead of Sundays election for Japanese parliaments upper house.

Abe was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, having held office from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He announced his resignation from the post in August 2020 citing his ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

Despite winning multiple elections, Abe has long been a deeply divisive figure in Japan, due to an ultra-nationalist stance that saw him wanting to revise the countrys pacifist constitution and change the military from its current status as a purely defensive force.

His repeated visits to Tokyos Yasukuni shrine, which houses the remains of several war criminals, angered neighbors Korea and China. And under Abe a territorial dispute with Russia was revived.

Abe, the grandson of another former prime minister, has repeatedly spoken of his regrets at not fulfilling all his political goals and in recent months has sought a comeback. He was believed to be campaigning Friday (local time) on behalf of a Liberal Democratic Party candidate.

The attack on Abe undoubtedly comes as a shock to Japan and media coverage has been extensive. Japanese media is describing the incident as an assassination attempt and premeditated, given that the shooter apparently used a home-made gun that would not have been accurate from any great distance.

Japan has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world and has seen reported crime levels dropping steadily since the beginning of the 21st century. Japanese crime figures continued to drop during 2021, the first year of COVID.

While guns are a rarity in Japan, the country has experienced violence. The country recently marked the 27th anniversary of a terror attack on the Tokyo metro system that killed 14 people and injured 6,000. The Aum Shinrikyo cult used Sarin gas, rather than firearms.

In May, Japan released from prison Fusako Shigenobu, a woman once described as the empress of terror, who co-founded the Japanese Red Army, a group that carried out armed attacks worldwide in support of the Palestinian cause.

According to Business Insider, if a Japanese person seeks to buy a gun, they must attend classes, pass a written test and achieve more than 95% accuracy on a shooting-range test. They are also subjected to a mental health evaluation and background check, including interviews with friends and family. The class and written exam must be retaken every three years, and the only guns available are shotguns and air rifles.

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Gentleman Jack has been canceled at HBO after two seasons, Variety has confirmed.

Set in 19th century Yorkshire, the historical drama is based on the life of Anne Lister (Suranne Jones), a landowner and industrialist who is often referred to as the first modern lesbian due to her diaries, written in secret code, that documented her relationships with women. Gentleman Jack is a co-production with BBC One and also stars Sophie Rundle, Joe Armstrong, Amelia Bullmore, Rosie Cavaliero, Gemma Whelan, Gemma Jones, Timothy West and Tom Lewis.

HBO will not be moving forward with a third season of Gentleman Jack,' the network said in a statement to Variety. When we began this journey more than five years ago, we knew the series creator Sally Wainwright had a uniquely compelling vision, and its been tremendously gratifying to see how Anne Listers journey has resonated with viewers. We are incredibly grateful to Sally, to the impeccable Suranne Jones and Sophie Rundle, and to the entire cast and crew for bringing Anne and Anns story to life. Wed also like to thank our partners at BBC and Lookout Point for their collaboration on two remarkable seasons.

The show first premiered on HBO and BBC One in spring 2019. Its second season ran from April 25 to June 13 on HBO and consisted of eight episodes. Gentleman Jack is executive produced by Wainwright, Jones, Faith Penhale and Laura Lankester. Phil Collinson serves as a producer.

Deadline Hollywood was first to report the news of the shows cancellation.

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Mainstream Japanese media has gone into full all-hands-on-deck mode following the shooting of former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Most of the major networks, including public broadcast giant NHK, and the private sector NTV, TBS, Fuji and TV Asahi channels, have ditched their schedules to cover the shooting. The NTV and TBS CS (communications satellite) news channels are also airing non-stop coverage. TV Tokyo, a terrestrial channel that is a frequent counter-programmer, is sticking to its regular lineup. Print media, including the Yomiuri Shimbun, have also rushed out special editions.

Abe was speaking on the street at a campaign stop for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate in Nara Prefecture at around 11:30 am local time. Japan is holding a nationwide election for the upper house of parliament.

Phone images from spectators present at the event are appearing on national television, including NHK. But broadcasters are not showing the actual moment of the shooting, when Abe was felled by what appeared to have been two shots. That may be due to the jerky reaction of the person using a smartphone as a camera when the bullets hit.

Footage from immediately before and after Abe was felled by the shots is being aired, however, indicating his collapse to the ground are not included.

Smoke from the gun can been seen in the before footage and people gather around the fallen Abe can be viewed in the after footage.

Other amateur footage appears to show the moment the gun was fired. But NHKs broadcast cuts away before Abe falls to the ground.

Later, other cell phone images emerged of the shooter standing just three metres (approximately 10 feet) behind Abe as he spoke. Security at the event, largely provided by the local police force, rather than a specialist protective detail, has quickly been criticized.

An NHK reporter on the scene captured security police subduing the apparent shooter, a 41-year-old man, Yamagami Tetsuya, and seizing his weapon, which appears to be a handmade gun.

The shooter is being questioned by police, but his motives remain unknown.

NHK has been the only channel to cover live footage of current Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas press conference about the shooting.

NHK is also reporting the foreign reaction to the shooting, including reports on CNN and Reuters, as well as reaction of ruling LDP and opposition politicians.

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Karlovy Vary Film Festivals industry section Eastern Promises wrapped Tuesday, with Yemeni abortion drama The Burdened winning the top prize in the Works in Progress section. This followed a presentation of the projects on Monday, where a diverse lineup was on show.

Ten projects, in late stages of production or post-production, vied for the post-production service package and two cash awards of 5,000, given out by jurors Dennis Ruh, director of European Film Market, Beta Cinemas Cosima Finkbeiner, TRT Cinemas Esra Demirkiran, sound designer Michaela Patrikova, and Ewa Puszczynska, one of the producers of Oscar winner Ida, and also behind Karlovy Vary festival title Fools.

I want to welcome you all after talking to you online for two years. Which was fun for us, but I am not sure how fun it was for you, noted industry head Hugo Rosak, kickstarting the presentations, which included the likes of Polands Elephant, about a country boy falling in love with another man. The film, already sold to the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria, will premiere at New Horizons Film Festival later this month.

We like to think of Elephant as Call Me by Your Name happening in a little Polish village, with all the consequences [that come with it], said Jakub Mroz, co-founder and CEO of Tongariro Releasing, a distribution company focusing on LGBTQ+ films. The film marks its first move into production.

Since I decided to become a film director, I knew that my debut film will be a queer story. First of all because I am gay, so these topics are important to me, but also because I saw this big void in Polish cinematography, added director Kamil Krawczycki.

When I was younger, I needed this kind of film and I have never seen it. Now, we know that representation matters. I am glad we can be a small part of that change.

Once again mixing fiction and documentary projects, this years WIP selection welcomed a slew of highly personal projects, including Amr Gamals The Burdened (Yemen, Sudan), based on a true story and zooming in on a struggling family trying to get an abortion despite its communitys conservative stance.

We actually witnessed that dilemma, said producer Mohsen Alkhalifi, opening up about the difficulties of shooting in Yemen.

Its a country with no cinema industry, where no one believes in cinema and the resources are limited. But there are many stories to be told to the world. Its a long journey and a difficult one, but hopefully we will succeed in getting our voices heard.

On the documentary front, Georgias Part of Society will also reflect on the state of the LGBTQ+ community  this time in the Caucasus region. Following his short Prisoner of Society, nominated for the European Film Award in 2018, Rati Tsiteladze comes back to the harrowing story of transgender Adelina, locked away for 11 years by her parents.

When Adelina shared her story with me, it moved me in a profound way. I was touched by her raw honesty, noted the helmer. The film, co-written and co-produced by ArtWay Films Olga Slusareva, will be released in September 2023.

I knew we had to make this film, no matter the consequences. To be different, it means you are faced with a choice: to be invisible for the sake of society, or to fight for who you are, even if it may cost you your life, he added.

Windless, a Bulgarian-Italian co-production, will also explore a somewhat complicated relationship with ones past. Veselka Kiryakova produces for Red Carpet, alongside Alessandro Amato and Luigi Chimienti.

Its about a boy who comes back to the place where he spent his childhood, but he hates his childhood. He comes back to the place where his father used to live, but he hates his father. He comes back to his roots, but he hates his roots, said director Pavel G. Vesnakov, also noting the films philosophical aspect. Its first cut is expected at the end of July.

Sonia Ben Slama will take a closer look at traditional wedding musicians in her documentary Machtat (Lebanon, Tunisia, France, Qatar), as three women keep on performing despite their personal struggles. It wasnt the only female-centered story, however, with Anna Dziapshipa returning to her complicated family history in another doc from Georgia, Self Portrait Along the Borderline. Dziapshipa will direct, shoot and produce her feature debut for Sakdoc Film.

The Visitors helmer Veronika Liskova also embarked on a journey, deciding to follow her former classmate  and fellow anthropologist  to the worlds northernmost town, Longyearbyen.

When I saw the first photos from that place, I thought: I am looking at a moon colony. My fascination was also driven by her courage, said Liskova about the Czech-Norwegian-Slovak co-production, described as an intimate testimony about the sense of belonging. Kristyna Michalek Kvetova produces for Cinemotif Films, with The Thousand Images and Peter Kerekes Film also attached.

In another documentary, The Ice That Still Supports Us, Arko Okk will take on an old Estonian tradition: opening ice roads in winter time.

Ice road is a ghost road  nobody knows when it will appear and where. It erases borders between people, he said, with producer Sandra Heidov adding: It upsets daily balance and creates tensions. Its interesting to see how frozen water melts something inside peoples minds.

The filmmakers also mentioned their dream collaborator, who could hopefully provide the narration: Australian actor Geoffrey Rush, who will be awarded KVIFFs Crystal Globe at the closing ceremony.

We need to ask the festival for help. Could they arrange a meeting?, wondered Okk, cooling his audience with the films winter imagery.

Still, the atmosphere warmed up once again thanks to Brutal Heat and Endless Summer Syndrome. In the latter, produced by Gem Deger, Eva Larvoire, Cedric Larvoire and debuting director Kaveh Daneshmand, one familys quiet life comes to a halt after a deeply troubling revelation.

Brutal Heat  a road movie produced by Czech Republics nutprodukce and Slovakias Punkchart Films  will see a bored, lonely boy, tired of the hot weather and scared of the catastrophe that might or might not happen in the near future.

When he finally reaches his destination, he realizes he doesnt belong there anymore. But he is ready for whatever comes next, said director Albert Hospodarsky, calling the film, featuring his own brother, a low-budget labor of love and friendship.

We are playing around with the idea of presenting this film exclusively in open-air summer cinemas next year, added producer Lukas Kokes.

So that the audience can really feel the heat.

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A concert originally scheduled for Friday was canceled recently, and locals who wished to attend still have received no explanation why.

Last week, the Mexican Consulate General in Laredo announced the cancelation of the event featuring the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan that was scheduled for Friday July 8, 2022 at Sames Auto Arena.

The event was going to be hosted by the Mexican Consulate General in Laredo and the Instituo Cultural Mexicano de Laredo. No explanation was made as to the reason for the cancelation other than what was posted on Facebook.

We inform our followers that the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan Concert event in Laredo has been canceled. For any doubt or clarification, it is suggested to contact Ticketmaster, the Mexican Consulate General Facebook page stated.

Jorge Quijano, spokesman for the Sames Auto Arena, said they have not been told anything by the promoters of the event and were not even notified beforehand of the cancelation. In fact, at the time of the cancelation last week, the event was still on its website for people to purchase tickets before the arena had then taken away promotions for it.

LMT contacted the Mexican Consulate General in Laredo as well as Paola Damian Vargas, a spokesperson for the Mariachi Vargas, but no comment was provided.

The Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan posted last week on social media that its tour schedule included stops in the United States, Mexico, Spain and South Korea, but no Laredo, Texas dates were mentioned. In fact, they showed on their schedule they would be in Dallas on July 9, but had no mention of the Laredo show scheduled for the day prior.

Anyone who purchased tickets for the events via Ticketmaster or at Sames Auto Arena are asked to contact the arena for refunds.
Courtesy/U.S. Attorney's Office

A Nuevo Laredo resident has been convicted of trafficking cocaine via the World Trade Bridge, the U.S. Attorneys Office said on Thursday.

Sergio Bustos-Cruz, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Sentencing has been set for Oct. 18. At that time, Bustos-Cruz faces up to life in prison and a possible maximum fine of $10 million. Hell remain in custody pending that hearing.
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TOKYO (AP)  The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in broad daylight Friday shocked a world that has come to associate Japan with relatively low crime and strict gun control.

Japans longest-serving prime minister, Abe was shot in the back while campaigning in the city of Nara for parliamentary candidates. He died at a hospital, two days before the election.

The suspect apparently circumvented the nation's ultra-tight gun regulations by building his own weapon. Police said the 15-inch (40-centimeter) device was obviously homemade, and one expert compared it to a muzzle-loading gun. Authorities confiscated similar weapons when they raided the suspect's nearby one-room apartment.

The motive of the man, who was taken into custody at the scene, remained unclear.

Fatal gun violence is virtually unheard of in Japan, and most Japanese go through life without ever handling, or even seeing, a real gun. Stabbings are more common in killings.

Major universities have rifle clubs, and Japanese police are armed, but gun ownership rights have been a distant issue for decades. Even police rarely resort to firing their pistols.

With a population of 125 million, the country had just 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in a single death and four injuries, according to police. Eight of those cases were gang-related.

The densely populated capital of Tokyo had zero gun incidents, injuries or deaths during that same year, although 61 guns were seized there.

"Japanese people are in a state of shock, said Shiro Kawamoto, professor at the College of Risk Management at Nihon University in Tokyo.

This serves as a wake-up call that gun violence can happen in Japan, and security to protect Japanese politicians must be re-examined, Kawamoto said. To assume this kind of attack will never happen would be a big mistake.

Abes security team may face serious questions. But because such attacks are extraordinary in Japan, relatively light security is the norm, even for former prime ministers.

In remarks in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden described the profound impact of the shooting on the psyche of the Japanese people.

This is a different culture  theyre not used to" gun violence as unfortunately we are. Here in the United States, we know how deep the wounds of gun violence go from communities that are affected. And this assassination is a tragedy that all the people of Japan are feeling.

Japan's last high-profile shooting occurred in 2019, when a former gang member was shot at a karaoke venue in Tokyo.

Under Japanese law, possession of firearms is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal. The same rules apply to some kinds of knives and certain other weapons, like crossbows.

People who wish to own firearms must go through a stringent background check, including clearance by a doctor, and declare information about family members. They must also pass tests to show they know how to use guns correctly. Those who pass and purchase a weapon must also buy a special locking system for it at the same time.

Passing those hurdles will allow a license holder to shoot at clay targets. Hunting requires an additional license.

The weapon used in the attack on Abe was probably a craft-made firearm, according to N.R. Jenzen-Jones, the director of Armament Research Services, a specialist arms investigations firm.

He compared the weapon to a musket in which the gunpowder is loaded separately from the bullet.

Firearms legislation in Japan is very restrictive, so I think what were seeing here, with whats probably a muzzle-loading weapon, is not just an attempt to circumvent the control of firearms, but also the strict control of ammunition in Japan, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Lviv, Ukraine, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Jon Gambrell is on Twitter https://twitter.com/jongambrellAP

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
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MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP)  Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims from around the world raised their hands to heaven and offered prayers of repentance on the sacred hill of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Friday, an intense day of worship considered to be the climax of the annual hajj.

Multitudes stood shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet, for the emotional day of supplication in the desert valley where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon, calling for equality and unity among Muslims.

The experience sent many pilgrims to tears. Muslims believe prayer on this day at Mount Arafat, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of the holy city of Mecca, is their best chance at salvation and spiritual renewal. The pilgrims set out for Arafat before dawn, chanting as they trekked. They remained until nightfall in deep contemplation and worship.

I feel I am so close to God, said Zakaria Mohammad, an Egyptian pilgrim praying as the sky brightened over the hilltop. He gave me such joy. This is my feeling now  joy, great joy.

Men wore unstitched sheets of white cloth resembling a shroud, while women wore conservative dress and headscarves, their faces exposed.

The hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all Muslims physically and financially able to make the journey, which takes the faithful along a path traversed by the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago.

God brought me here, said Khadije Isaac, who traveled to Mount Arafat from Nigeria, her voice clipped with emotion. I cannot describe the happiness that I have.

Strict pandemic limits had upended the event for the past two years, effectively canceling one of the worlds biggest and most diverse gatherings and devastating many pious Muslims who had waited a lifetime to make the journey. This year's pilgrimage marks the largest since the virus struck, although the attendance by 1 million worshippers remains less than half of the pre-pandemic influx.

All pilgrims selected to perform the hajj this year are under age 65 and have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pilgrims spend five days carrying out a set of rituals associated with the Prophet Muhammad and the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael in the Bible, before him. The rituals began on Thursday with the circling of the Kaaba, the black cube in the center of Meccas Grand Mosque, which Muslims around the world face during their daily prayers wherever they are in the world.

Around sunset on Friday, the pilgrims marched or were bused 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) west to the rocky desert of Muzdalifa, where they combed the area for pebbles to carry out the symbolic stoning of the devil. That rite will take place on Saturday in the small village of Mina, where Muslims believe the devil tried to talk Ibrahim out of submitting to Gods will. Pilgrims stone the devil to signify overcoming temptation.

The ritual is a notorious chokepoint for surging crowds. In 2016, thousands of pilgrims were crushed to death in a gruesome stampede. Saudi authorities never offered a final death toll.

In their most noticeable effort to improve access, the Saudis have built a high-speed rail link to ferry masses between holy sites. Pilgrims enter through special electronic gates. Tens of thousands of police officers are out in force to protect the areas and control crowds.

With so many people from so many places crammed together, public health is a major concern. Saudi Arabias Health Ministry urged pilgrims to consider wearing masks to curb the spread of coronavirus, although the government lifted a mask mandate and other virus precautions last month.

Infections have increased steadily in the kingdom in recent months. There were no signs of social distancing in Friday's mass procession.

With the hajj a major source of prestige and tourism for Saudi Arabia, the government is keen to do away with pandemic restrictions. Saudi Health Minister Fahad al-Jalajel told state-owned Al-Arabiya TV that authorities had not recorded an outbreak of the virus at the hajj, without elaborating on individual cases. He said he expected authorities to expand quotas for pilgrims next year.

The ministry also advised pilgrims to drink water and be aware of the signs of heat stroke in the desert, where temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit).

Once the hajj is over, men are expected to shave their heads, and women to snip a lock of hair in a sign of renewal.

Around the world, Muslims will mark the end of the pilgrimage with Eid al-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice. The holiday commemorates the prophet Ibrahims willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail at Gods request. Muslims traditionally slaughter sheep and cattle, dividing the meat among the needy, friends and relatives.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  The wife of Nicaraguan political activist Felix Maradiaga told journalists her husband had lost more than 65 pounds during his year in prison and she feared for his health.

A day later, the government of President Daniel Ortega hauled the former potential presidential challenger before cameras for a previously unscheduled and unusual hearing to ratify the 13-year prison sentence he had already received earlier this year.

The fact that a pro-government news outlet was invited, but not Maradiagas family  or attorneys  showed the Sandista-led government is intent on challenging international condemnation of its sweeping crackdown on dissidents. Images from the weekend appearance showed that Maradiaga was thin, but appeared to walk and speak without difficulty.

Maradiaga had not been seen publicly since his arrest in June 2021  one of the nearly 190 people who are considered political prisoners by human rights groups and the U.S. State Department, including six others who could have challenged Ortega for the presidency in the election last November. None of them had been seen in images or video since their arrests until Maradiagas brief court appearance Saturday.

The government put on a show, a scene of public torture transmitted live to the people with the goal of instilling more fear, said Vilma Nunez, president of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights. She herself is a former political prisoner under the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza, who Ortega helped drive from office in 1979.

The United States and European Union have called for the release of the prisoners and denounced Ortegas November election victory as a farce. They have imposed sanctions on members of his family and inner circle, but his government has continued making arrests while driving independent press and nongovernmental groups from the country, most recently last week the nuns of the charity established by Mother Teresa.

Jared Genser, a U.S.-based law professor and prominent human rights attorney who represents Maradiaga and Juan Sebastian Chamorro, said in an online news conference Thursday with Maradiaga's wife and relatives of other prisoners that the situation of political prisoners in Nicaragua is among the worst he has seen during his career.

Maradiagas wife, Berta Valle, said at the conference that her husband and others are kept in unhealthy cells, given bad food and deprived of medical attention for chronic illnesses. They are not given reading material or allowed visits with their children, she said.

Our relatives feel that they are doing damage to his health that could be irreversible, Valle said. She herself fled to the United States and has been told of his condition by two siblings who have sometimes been able to visit him.

Nunez said that among the most troubling aspects for the family is the lack of communication. She said the information limbo creates desperation and anguish.

Valle said she hadn't known about Saturday's hearing for her husband before seeing a video of it. And she said last week that she had not even known her husband had started a hunger strike a week earlier to protest the conditions of his imprisonment.

Maradiaga was convicted of harm to the national integrity, a charge applied to many other dissidents as well. He denies the allegation.

Following Saturday's court appearance, a reporter from a government-allied news outlet put a microphone to Maradiaga and asked why he was lying about his health. Maradiaga appeared confused by the question and unaware that outside the prison there was a public debate about his well-being.

He responded that he was being held in total isolation and had been subjected to a political trial.

Renata Holmann, daughter of Juan Lorenzo Holmann, the jailed manager of the newspaper La Prensa, said Thursday that he suffered from chronic illnesses and additional health problems acquired in prison since his arrest last August.

The are killing them little by little, day by day, she said of the imprisoned dissidents.

In May 2019, opposition member Eddy Montes was shot dead by a prison guard during what the government said was a riot. In February, Hugo Torres, a former Sandinista guerrilla leader who turned Ortega critic, died in a Managua hospital while imprisoned.
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MANILA, Philippines (AP)  New Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tested positive for the coronavirus Friday following an antigen test and will go into isolation for about a week, officials said.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Marcos Jr., 64, has a slight fever but is otherwise OK. However, he will not be able to attend an event at the U.S. Embassy, and would join by video a meeting with governors and mayors regarding coronavirus booster shots.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Thursday issued an executive order empowering Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard officers to detain suspected undocumented migrants and transport them back to the Texas-Mexico border.

Abbott cited a "border crisis" caused by what he alleged to be policy failures under President Joe Bidens administration as the reason for the new directive.

"While President Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress, the State of Texas is once again stepping up and taking unprecedented action to protect Americans and secure our southern border," Abbott said in a press release. "The cartels have become emboldened and enriched by President Biden's open border policies, smuggling in record numbers of people, weapons, and deadly drugs like fentanyl."

President Biden pressed for a 13 percent increase in funding for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol last year, including a call for adding 300 more officers to the 60,000-person agency, according to the New York Times.

Abbott's executive order comes one day after the Texas Tribune and ProPublica broke news that the governor's Operation Lone Starthe governors signature $3 billion-plus border security initiativeis under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice over alleged violations of federal civil rights laws.

In June the governor blamed Biden for the deaths of 53 migrants in a commercial truck in San Antonio. He made no mention of his own initiative aimed at inspecting every commercial truck crossing the southern border as part of Operation Lone Star, which he discontinued a week and a half after their enactment.

Experts projected the period of enhanced inspections cost Texas $477 million in economic losses, much of it due to spoiled produce and foodstuffs sitting in cargo holds at border checkpoints. The governor defended the brief measure as vital tool in prompting historic agreements with leaders of several northern Mexico border states aimed at stemming the flow of undocumented immigrants into the U.S. But the agreements have yielded no measurable decline in the number of migrants entering the U.S., according to one expert who spoke with the Texas Tribune.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: July 08 2022

It was a pleasure to join with Syosset Troop 170 to celebrate Marks achievements and wish him all the best in his future endeavors, Legislator Drucker said.

Legislator Drucker is pictured with Eagle Scout Mark C. Kimoto at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at the Makom NY Center in the New Apostolic Church Building in Bethpage.

Nassau County Legislator Arnold W. Drucker (D - Plainview) recently congratulated Syosset Troop 170 member Mark C. Kimoto during an Eagle Scout Court of Honor held at the Makom NY Center in the New Apostolic Church Building in Bethpage.

Mark, who resides in Syosset, began with Scouts in 2011. He earned the Arrow of Light Award in 2015 and bridged over to Troop 170 in Syosset. During his pursuit of Scoutings highest rank, he earned 40 merit badges; his Eagle Scout project entailed the construction of a Sukkah to be used by those observing the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Marks dedication to community service and his commitment to his fellow Scouts illustrate the principles and values that are at the core of the individuals who achieve Scoutings highest rank, Legislator Drucker said. It was a pleasure to join with Syosset Troop 170 to celebrate Marks achievements and wish him all the best in his future endeavors."
(Alliance News) - A French court of appeal on Friday found meal delivery giant Deliveroo PLC guilty of "undeclared work" for classifying a courier as an independent contractor instead of an employee.

It was the latest European court ruling against the British company.

Countries are increasingly upholding the rights of "gig economy" workers, saying they should benefit from labour law protection for employees as well as social security contributions.

However, several other riders have seen their demands to be qualified as contractual employees rejected by courts and Deliveroo says it has updated its contracts to respect French labour laws.

Shares in Deliveroo were down 0.1% at 97.38 pence in London on Friday.

source: AFP

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Agronomics Ltd - Isle of Man, UK-based cellular agriculture company - Notes that portfolio firm Tropic Biosciences UK Ltd has raised USD35 million in its latest funding round led by food system investor Blue Horizon.

Tropical Biosciences UK is a gene-editing firm which develops commercial varieties of tropical crops, both with improved performance and protection. The business focuses on banana, coffee and rice crops.

Current stock price: 16.30 pence

12-month change: down 34%

By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Kavango Resources PLC on Friday said it regained full ownership of two projects in Botswana and reported the completion of diamond drill programme at its Ditau Camp project.

Kavango and Power Metal Resources PLC formed a joint venture, Kanye Resources, each comprising of 50% interest in the Ditau and Kalahari copper belt projects in southwestern Botswana.

Kavango now owns 100% working interests in 2 prospecting licenses in the Ditau Camp project, covering 1,386 kilometres; and 10 prospecting licenses in the Kalahari copper belt, covering 4,257 kilometres.

To settle the deal, Kavango has issued 60 million shares to Power at 3 pence each. Power will also receive 60 million warrants, with 30 million convertible at 4.25p, and the other half convertible at 5.5p.

Finally, Power Metal will receive a 1% net smelter return royalty across all the licence areas. It will also net a return should Kavango sell Kanye for over GBP7.5 million.

Shares in Kavango were down 11% at 1.79 pence each on Friday midday in London. Power was trading down 1.2% at 0.86p each.

Kavango Resources Chief Executive Ben Turney said: "Today's deal is a very important step forward for Kavango. After a period of considerable support from Power Metal Resources, we are now in a position to regain complete ownership of our crucial prospecting licences in the Kalahari Copper Belt and at Ditau. On completion of the transaction, Kavango will become one of the largest landholders for copper exploration in Botswana."

Power Metal Chief Executive Paul Johnson added: "Our joint venture partnership with Kavango has continued for two years. In this time they have become, in our view, a Botswana junior resource powerhouse and with this transaction will see 100% ownership of their Botswana portfolio restored."

Turning to operational updates, Kavango said four holes have been successfully drilled at Ditau. The final drill report is currently being prepared.

On the Kalahari copper belt project, the company also saw "encouraging momentum".

Kavango CEO Turney added: "In the Kalahari copper belt we have built a head of steam in our exploration programme in the first half of 2022. The momentum is highly encouraging and we are quickly moving towards defining drill targets for a campaign later this year."

By Xindi Wei; xindiwei@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Shares in Osirium Technologies PLC were up on Friday as it said that it expects to meet full-year bookings and revenue guidance, after a record half year.

Shares in the vendor of cloud-based cybersecurity & IT automation software were up 16% to 6.66 pence each in London on Friday morning.

Osirium said that it expects to report its "best six-month figures for bookings and revenue".

Revenue was up 23% to GBP910,000 in the first half of 2022, from GBP740,000 year-on-year. Annualised recurring revenue was also up 29% to GBP1.6 million from GBP1.3 million last year.

Bookings increased by 30% to at least GBP1.2 million from GBP910,000.

It added that more than 50% of bookings came from new customers, including notable wins in the healthcare, higher education and financial services sectors. Osirium expects these groups to be key drivers in the second half of the year.

The company also signed two deals in new geographies, the US and Finland, during the first six months of the year.

Osirium said that it is also generating revenue from cross-selling with its existing customers. A telecoms customer, which signed a three-year deal back in December 2020, is adding two other products to its contract the company added.

Looking ahead, Osirium said that with its "good pipeline of opportunity ahead", it remains "confident" of meeting revenue and bookings guidance for the full year.

The company will be required to raise additional capital in the second half of the year and the board continues to assess all available options, it said.

Chief Executive David Guyatt said: "Our record half for bookings and revenue shows the continued drive in the business as we increase our customer base as well as average total contract values. This is facilitated through the expansion of our products and additional licenses and our well-established channel partner network which extends into new territories underserved by our competitors."

By Sophie Rose; sophierose@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 66F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 66F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Far right activists such as Dave Rubin or Jordan Peterson must be fuming right now as Elon Musk's Twitter deal is officially done. His team of advisers sent a letter to Twitter to notify this on Friday. This week, Forbes released a report in which the platform confirmed they get rid of about 1 million fake accounts on a daily basis.

As such, Musk was already starting to realize what a monumental task it will be to properly manage this company. The letter said that Musk wanted out of the deal "because Twitter is in material breach of multiple provisions of that Agreement, appears to have made false and misleading representations upon which Mr. Musk relied when entering into the Merger Agreement, and is likely to suffer a Company Material Adverse Effect (as that term is defined in the Merger Agreement)."

According to a report from the Washington Post, Elon Musk doesn't think he is getting the fully detailed information he requested about all the fake accounts. This has been a tug-of-war from the very beginning, which means all Twitter executives have been doing everything in their power to demotivate Musk about going through with his buy.

All the media outlets going after him with hit pieces doesn't seem to be enough, but the Twitter fake accounts might just do the trick. If you want to see the world in the same optics as Elon Musk, first you have to look at how cost-effective a venture will be for him. Despite the sheer volume of spam accounts they delete on a daily basis, Musk still thought it wasn't enough information to move forward with the purchase.

Elon Musk to speak on Saturday in Idaho.

We will get to hear from the man on Saturday, when he addresses a hall full of people at the Allen & Co. Sun Valley conference in Idaho. There is an expectation he will address the Twitter deal on saturday but nothing has been confirmed yet. Out of all the media outlets that approached his team to comment, Musk has turned down every single one of them.

On Thursday, Twitter's media call caused the company's shares to rise 1.5 percent to $38.79 per share. Perhaps this seemed like a good scenario for Twitter a few months ago but having Musk pull out of the deal right now will make the company's shares plunge all the way down to $25 per share. Now that Elon is out, this will definitely go all the way to court.
Northwestern CS postdoctoral fellows secured faculty positions to continue pursuing research goals during the next stage of their careers.

Huck Bennett

Bennetts research focuses on theoretical computer science, with an emphasis on lattices and geometric algorithms. He is currently an assistant professor at Oregon State University.

A postdoc from 2017-19, Bennett was a member of the Northwestern CS Theory Group. Bennett was an instructor for several courses, including COMP_SCI 212: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science, COMP_SCI 396/496: Computational Geometry, and COMP_SCI 496: Lattices in Computer Science.

Stevie Chancellor

Postdoc mentor: Darren Gergle

Chancellor designs and evaluates human-centered machine learning for high-risk health behaviors in online communities. Chancellor is currently an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Minnesota.

A CS + X postdoctoral fellow from 2019-21, her research interests include quantitative social computing, human-computer interaction, data science, online communities, and mental health. Chancellor taught COMP_SCI 295: Lifting the Black Box: Computation for Social Scientists and COMP_SCI 396, 496: Human-Centered Machine Learning course.

Kathryn Cunningham

Postdoc mentor: Eleanor O'Rourke

Cunningham aims to broaden pathways to computing education by applying human-centered computing methods to improve the cognition and motivation of novice programmers. A 2021-22 Computing Innovation Fellow supported by the National Science Foundation, Cunningham will start a position as an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in fall 2022.

Cunningham is a member of the Delta Lab, an interdisciplinary research lab and design studio at Northwestern focused on social and crowd computing, human-computer interaction, learning sciences, civics, and innovation. She also works with the Center for Human-Computer Interaction + Design (HCI+D), a collaboration between the McCormick School of Engineering and the School of Communication.

Shravas Rao

Postdoc mentor: Aravindan Vijayaraghavan

Rao studies theoretical computer science, with an emphasis on derandomization and pseudorandomness. Rao will join the faculty at Portland State University in fall 2022.

A Warren postdoctoral fellow since 2019, his recent work relates to restrictions on the slice theorem and the relationship between the slice and the concept of high dimensional expanders.

Rao instructed several courses, including COMP_SCI 212, COMP_SCI 396/496: Foundations of Quantum Computing and Quantum Information, COMP_SCI 396/496: Analysis of Boolean Functions, and COMP_SCI 496: Expander Graphs and their Applications.

Emily Wall

Postdoc mentors: Jessica Hullman and Steve Franconeri

Wall, currently an assistant professor of computer science at Emory University, was a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern from 2020-21, where she worked on visualization recommendation systems for statistical inference. Her research was funded by a gift from Adobe Research.

Walls research focus centers around decision making using data visualizations and visual analytics. She leads the Cognition & Visualization Lab, which aims facilitate effective data exploration and decision making by quantifying potential human or algorithmic biases and designing interfaces that promote user reflection.

Jason (Willie) Wilson

Postdoc adviser: Ken Forbus

Wilson, currently an assistant professor of computer science at Franklin & Marshall College (F&M), leads the F&M Computational, Affective, Robotic, and Ethical Sciences lab. He aims to use computational approaches to study human reasoning and communication and then apply that research to develop socially aware agents. His research interests include affective computing, multimodal interaction, and human-robot interaction.

From 2017-20, Wilson contributed to Northwesterns artificial intelligence curriculum and served as a mentor for undergraduate and masters research projects. He instructed several courses, including COMP_SCI 396, 496: Affective Computing Seminar and the MSAI 348: Intro to Artificial Intelligence course.
Ranveer Singh is known for two things  his eccentric fashion sense and his undying love for his wife Deepika Padukone. His comments on Deepikas Instagram post have their own fan following, some even scrolling through her comments section solely for his witticisms.

Hes one of the few new-age actors who is redefining the idea of masculinity through his personal brand of fashion and his lifestyle. His unabashed expression of love, his pride in Deepikas success, and his wardrobe that blurs the binaries of gender  everything makes him the epitome of an ideal man. Especially one thats highly desirable to women.

On Ranveer Singhs birthday, lets understand what makes him so desirable to women:

I am of course a man who needs no introduction. I am Deepika Padukones husband- Ranveer Singh pic.twitter.com/2dctv1NXyi  elitestanning (@elitestanning) July 5, 2022

Ranveer and Deepika were invited to the Konkani Sammelan in San Jose, California. A video from the event went viral as Ranveer proudly introduced himself: I am of course a man who needs no introduction. I am Deepika Padukones husband.

He has always lauded Deepikas achievements and isnt shy about hyping her up like a dedicated cheerleader. When she was invited to be a part of the jury at Cannes, he said, I hugely admire her and I think nobody deserves it more than her because she is just so sincere in everything that she does and she works so hard. She deserves every bit of it and I am extremely proud of her.

2. He Is Respectful Of Deepikas Personal Space & Decisions

 Instagram

One of the things that have stayed with me till this day is Ranveer Singh saying this to Filmfare: I hugely admire her and I think nobody deserves it more than her because she is just so sincere in everything that she does and she works so hard. She deserves every bit of it and I am extremely proud of her.



This statement came at a time when my female friends and I were facing mounting pressure to start thinking about marriage because every girl has to get married at the right time. It was heartening to see that the right time is decided not by family or society, but by you and your partner.

3. He Is Secure About His Masculinity

Ranveers flamboyant fashion sense has become his public identity. There are multiple jokes about how he steals Deepikas clothes for events, especially on days when hes chosen to flaunt his androgynous fashion sense. However, this scathing critique of his wardrobe doesnt make him feel any less of a man.

In a Q&A with Twitter, he shared, "I used to feel cagey about expressing myself. I felt judged. I would alter my way of being in accordance with the effects those judgements were having on me. At one point, I let that go. I was like, people are gonna judge anyway so you do you, dress the way you want and I'm glad that I have been able to evolve into a person who does that consistently now."

Cant wait to see the outfit he has chosen for his birthday celebrations!

4. Hes Vocal About His Sexuality

From telling Karan johar about his sex playlist to endorsing a condom brand, Ranveer Singh has never shied away from endorsing enjoyable and safe sex. Bollywood actors rarely address sexual health, but Ranveer was more than happy to talk about having a raging libido or losing his virginity at the age of twelve.

He has practically shown a giant middle finger to all prudes who talk about sex in hushed tones, leading to misinformation and stigma around sexual health.
Europe and the UK right now, for Bollywood celebrities, have become like that new restaurant in your suburban neighbourhood that everyone starts frequenting over the weekend. Well, if you have the money to splurge, you splurge!

 Instagram

And if 2021 was the year for our stars to go for a Maldivian vacation, 2022 is about soaking in the sun, good food and the romantic vibes of Europe. Also, unlike the Maldives where you dress down, the perfect weather of Europe calls for some dressing up.



Heres a roundup of all the celebs who are currently vacationing in Europe and the UK in style:

1. Kartik Aaryan

Kartik is currently holidaying in Amsterdam with his team to celebrate the success of his film Bhool Bhulaiya 2. Apart from dishing major fashion goals in colourful polo shirts and funky sweatshirts, he also seems to be having a lot of fun with his fans.

In a video going viral now, some fans are seen running into the actor on the streets of Europe and actually asking him if he really is Kartik Aaryan. To which our charming boy responded, Aadhar card dikha du.

2. Varun Dhawan & Janhvi Kapoor

Varun and Janhvi have also been in Europe shooting for their upcoming film Bawaal.

From twinning their outfits to having the time of their life catching up with friends, the two legit have been living it up. They are currently in Poland shooting for the next leg of the film.

3. Malaika Arora and Arjun Kapoor

Lovebirds Malaika and Arjun had also been holidaying in Paris till last week, celebrating the latters 37th birthday. From relishing some french food to getting all loved-up in a foreign land, their getaway was as romantic as Paris can get.

4. Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput

Sweethearts Shahid and Mira are currently in the UK celebrating 7 years of their marriage.

Mira took to Instagram and shared a picture of the two from what looks like Scotland, relaxing on a hammock and captioned it as, The love of my life. Happy 7 baby I love you beyond the itch and back 

Even Shahid shared a selfie of the two and wrote a cheeky caption thanking Mira for putting up with him for 7 years, 7 down baby. Happy anni you made it through 7 hard long years. You a survivor. You a LEGEND ..  (sic)

5. Kareena & Her Girl Gang

Kareena Kapoor is having some time off with her girl gang that includes sister Karisma Kapoor and BFFs Amrita Arora and Natasha Poonawala in London.

The divas seem to be raising the glamour quotient on the streets of London by strutting looking their stunning best.

Earlier this week, Kareena had shared a bunch of pictures with her husband Saif Ali Khan, again from England, but guess, the nawab has left for the bay leaving the begum to have a whale of a time with her girls.

Now, if this is not living the best life, we dont know what is.
South Africa: Social compacts rollout to all KZN districts

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Executive Council has approved the rollout of the Social Compacts, which will also ensure sound local government and the implementation of local programmes aimed at development townships and rural economies.

Briefing the media following the Provincial Executive Councils ordinary sitting, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said that following work conducted by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Leaders and the KZN Economic Council, the Social Compacts will now be rolled out to all the districts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Zikalala highlighted that the Social Compacts are designed to bring partners and stakeholders together to create worker friendly and innovative solutions that will help drive economic revitalisation of the province following the floods and COVID-19 pandemic.

The Social Compacts are meant to create an enabling environment for business, labour and civil society to create jobs and economic growth. The rolling out of the Social Compact to districts will lead to concrete commitments between business, government and stakeholders on investment attraction and job creation at local level, Zikalala explained.

Social Cohesion and Moral Regeneration term extended

The Executive Council has also approved the extension of the term for the Social Cohesion and Moral Regeneration Council (SCMRC) of KwaZulu-Natal, and appointment of SCMRC Champions.

The SCMR was established to provide coordination, alignment, consultation and information sharing mechanism aimed at deepening social cohesion, moral regeneration and Nation Building in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Council includes all members of the Provincial Executive Council, metro and district mayors, representatives of labour, business, women and Faith Based Community (FBO), with each as equal partners within the context of good and participative governance principles.

Zikalala said the current membership expired in July 2021 after its three-year term with the Premier and a representative of civil society as co-chairpersons.

Mkhanyakude District Municipality intervention augmented

Meanwhile the Executive Council has resolved to augment the intervention uMkhanyakude District Municipality, following the persistent challenges facing the municipality.

Zikalala said the Provincial Executive Council received a report on the state of affairs in uMkhanyakude District Municipality, with the most recent one including the municipalitys failure to approve its 2022/2023 budget and Integrated Development Plan (IDP).

He emphasised that failure to adopt the budget requires a mandatory provincial intervention in terms of section 139(4)(b) of the Constitution.

The Executive Council believe that the consequences of failure to approve the budget are dire and may lead to the financial collapse of the municipality hence compromising the well-being of the community. The breakdown of council meetings has resulted in council failing to fulfil key executive functions.

The Provincial Executive Council has therefore resolved to augment the terms of reference of the Ministerial Representative and added more powers, which will now be assumed by the Provincial Executive Council in order to bring back stability and good governance to uMkhanyakude District Municipality, Zikalala said.

He said the Executive Council has delegated the Finance MEC to approve the temporary budget and associated revenue raising measures, in terms of section 139(4)(b) of the Constitution.

The Executive Council approves that the MEC for Finance delegates the responsibility to approve funds for the requirements of the municipality to be withdrawn from the municipalitys bank accounts, until such time as the municipal budget for the 2022/2023 financial year is approved in terms of section 24 of the MFMA to the current Ministerial Representative under the existing Section 139(1)(b) intervention.

This includes powers to appoint the municipal manager, including the acting municipal manager as provided for in terms of section 82 of the Municipal Structures Act and senior managers (including acting senior managers) reporting directly to the municipal manager as provided in the Municipal Systems Act or any other legal framework, the Premier explained.

The substantive reasons for the intervention include non-approval of the IDP for 2022/2023; non-approval of the budget for the 2022/2023 year commencing on 01 July 2022; and failure to consider investigations relating to unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in terms of Section 32 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).

The district has also failed to appoint senior managers, Audit Committee and the Disciplinary Board.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-07-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Huawei holds roadshow in Bulgaria

Xinhua) 10:39, July 08, 2022

SOFIA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Huawei, a Chinese tech giant in information and communication technology (ICT), showcased its latest solutions during its Enterprise ICT Roadshow 2022 here on Thursday.

Huawei's latest products, such as Campus Networks, full-stack Data Centers, and Huawei Clouds that provide stable and reliable cloud services, were presented in a truck in front of the National Theater "Ivan Vazov" in the heart of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.

During the one-day event held under the slogan "Digital Transition to New Value Together," Huawei also demonstrated cutting-edge solutions dedicated to the digital education transformation, and also covered industries such as e-government, finance, ISP and electric power.

This is the first time for Huawei to hold a roadshow in Bulgaria, according to the company.

Li Shaowei, chief executive officer (CEO) of Huawei Technologies Bulgaria, told Xinhua that "Huawei's intention with the roadshow is to encourage open discussions, share knowledge and give everyone a good idea of what will be in the future."

"Huawei actively supports the growth of Bulgarian communities and enterprises," Li said.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
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MANISTEE  Two new amendments to the city of Manistee's zoning ordinance were approved Thursday in a short meeting.

No members of the public attended the two public hearings regarding the amendments during the regularly scheduled Manistee Planning Commission meeting.

The first amendment regarded language that formally defined a storage shed in the zoning ordinance, and the different stipulations regarding the requirements needed in building a storage shed. The language was put forward by Manistee County Planner and Zoning Administrator Katie Mehl after she received many requests about storage sheds.

The language for the amendment reads as follows:

A Storage shed of 144 square feet or less in area is not classified as an accessory building. The following requirements shall apply:

A. Storage sheds must be in a side or rear yard and not less than 10 feet from any principal building or above-grade accessory structures. Such structures may be located on the waterfront, side or rear yard of the parcel, providing that all mandated setbacks and any other requirements are complied with.

B. Storage sheds must be secured to the ground using screw-in soil anchors or a minimum of 44-inch treated posts 18 inches deep at each corner and well secured to the structure.

C. In no case shall a storage shed be erected on any parcel lacking a principal building.

D. All parcels are allowed a maximum of one storage shed.

E. The lot coverage requirements of the district shall be adhered to.

F. The storage shed must be compatible in design and appearance with the principal building and adjacent properties (i.e., common siding and roofing material).

G. Membrane-covered storage structures and carports of any type shall not be considered a storage shed.

The amendment was approved unanimously.

In addition, an amendment was put forth stating that special use permits automatically expire two years after initial approval if no precise date was set for the permit to expire.

The amendment language reads as follows in regards to exceptions and permits that had no specific date of expiration.

"If a condition of approval included (a) stipulation to expire the special use permit by a certain date. If no date is stipulated the special use permit shall expire two years from (the) date of final approval if the applicant has not commenced substantial construction and is not diligently proceeding to completion. Upon written request by the applicant, stating the reasons therefore, the planning commission may extend the time for commencement of construction," the amendment reads.

This amendment was also unanimously approved.

The next Manistee Planning Commission meeting is set for Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.
The former Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 withdrew from the police force of a Pennsylvania town Thursday amid backlash and media coverage over his hiring.

Timothy Loehmann was sworn in Tuesday as the lone police officer in Tioga  a community of about 600 in rural north-central Pennsylvania, 300 miles (480 kilometers) from Cleveland  but left the $18-per-hour position without having worked a single shift, according to borough council President Steve Hazlett.

The community spoke. They got their feelings out, and we listened to them and were going to react to it and that will be that, he said in a phone interview. We thank the community for stepping forward and letting their voices be heard.

Messages seeking comment were left at phone numbers associated with Loehmann.

Tamir, who was Black, was playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center in Cleveland on Nov. 22, 2014, when he was shot and killed by Loehmann seconds after Loehmann and his partner arrived. The officers, who are white, told investigators Loehmann had shouted three times at Tamir to raise his hands.

The shooting sparked community protests about police treatment of Black people, especially after a grand jury decided not to indict Loehmann or his partner.

Cleveland settled a lawsuit over Tamirs death for $6 million, and the city ultimately fired Loehmann for having lied on his application to become a police officer.

Loehmann has since made multiple attempts to find work in law enforcement. He landed a part-time position with a police department in the southeast Ohio village of Bellaire in October 2018 but withdrew his application days later after Tamirs mother, Samaria, and others criticized the hiring.

The circumstances of Loehmanns arrival in Tioga began to emerge Thursday.

At first, Hazlett, the council president, declined to say whether Loehmann told council about the Tamir Rice case when he applied, or whether council knew of his background when voting to hire him. But in a later interview, Hazlett told The Associated Press that Tim held nothing back" in his application. He was upfront with everything. Thats all I can say, Hazlett said.

A council subcommittee reviewed Loehmann's application and interviewed him, then made a favorable recommendation to the full council, according to Hazlett. He said the full council was not privy to Loehmann's application file. Hazlett, who said he took part in the subcommittee review, declined to say why he supported Loehmann's hiring.

Mayor David Wilcox called for the resignations of Hazlett and two other council members he said knew about Loehmanns background, declaring in a Facebook post Thursday: You should be ashamed of yourselves.

The mayor told Cleveland.com he was under the impression that there was a thorough background check into him, that he didnt have any issues."

Wilcox has said he was not involved in the hiring process.

Word that Loehmann had been hired by Tioga drew protesters to the borough building on Wednesday night and brought condemnation from Tamir's family.

While its all well and good that Loehmann will not be inflicting a reign of terror with a badge and a gun upon Tioga Borough residents and visitors, borough officials must be held accountable for their demonstrably, atrociously poor judgment and ineptitude, Subodh Chandra, an attorney for the family, said in a statement Thursday.

This game of whack-a-mole with Loehmann shamelessly and repeatedly resurfacing as a cop elsewhere needs to end," he said.

The council will meet next week to take action on Loehmanns withdrawn application and consider next steps, according to Hazlett. He said Tioga still hopes to hire a police officer.
The upcoming Primary Election for the newly drawn District 98 for the Michigan State House of Representatives has four candidates for the Republican ballot and one candidate on the Democratic ballot.

The candidates on the Republican ballot are Gregory Alexander, Kurt Damrow, Joe OMara and Westley Tahash. Of the four candidates, both Alexander and OMara ran in the 2020 election, both missing the primary nomination for the former District 83. For Damrow, this will be the fourth time running for the states house, having won the 2010 election for District 84. This will be Tahashs first time running.

The Tribune attempted to reach all of the contested candidates for the August Primary, but only Damrow was available at press time. Alexander and OMaras platforms were listed on their respective websites.

One of the platforms is on election integrity with both Alexander and OMara pushing for legislation on residents having valid IDs upon voting, and Damrow said he is hoping to pursue and support a full audit of the 2020 election.

The state government and the countrys are going down the drain, Damrow said when asked why he decided to run. We need legislators in place that are conservative and have background and experience in both Lansing and in D.C. ready to fight. We do not have time for on-the-job training.

Another platform from both OMara and Alexander is the farming industry. Alexanders site says he wants to rebuild the supply chain so farmers can get their produce to market, and OMara hopes to lower taxes for farmers and to focus on the farming industry to self-regulate.

OMara also is the only candidate who is running with a stance on abortion this election, stating on his website that he is 100% pro-life to protect the rights of unborn children. Alexander has been endorsed by the Right to Life of Michigan for this election.

You can learn more about some of the candidates below Joe O'Mara https://www.votejoeomara.com/ Greg Alexander https://greg-alexander.com/ See More Collapse

For the Democratic primary Robert Mroczek is the only candidate and was unable to provide information at this time. He is unopposed on the primary ballot, and will face the Republican nominee in November.

This is a new district for Huron County, as the previous district line had the county in District 84, which included both Huron and Tuscola County. The new district lines, which were drawn by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission after the 2020 Census, now has Huron County sharing the district with most of Sanilac County, half of Tuscola County and a portion of the line covering Lapeer County. The new 84th District is now covering part of the Grand Rapids area. Phil Green, who is the current state representative for Huron County, will be running again for his new District 67.
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SPARKS, Nev. (AP)  Sandwiched between supporters holding BANS OFF OUR BODIES signs and TV cameras on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto portrayed her reelection campaign as a defining moment in a decades-long fight for reproductive freedom, even in pro-abortion rights Nevada.

I cannot stress this enough. This seat is the pathway to protecting our rights in this country, she said at a home in the city of Sparks, a Reno suburb. To preventing a federal abortion ban.

Cortez Masto is one of several Democrats up for reelection who are pushing reproductive rights to the center of their campaign in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Her race against Republican Adam Laxalt is expected to be among the most competitive in the country, one of a handful that could determine whether Democrats maintain control of the Senate.

As she courts moderate voters, Cortez Mastos campaign has noted longstanding support for abortion rights in Nevada. She has repeatedly referenced a 1990 statewide vote that codified abortion protections within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in Nevadas state law, with nearly two-thirds voting in support.

Cortez Masto's messaging represents a shift in strategy for some candidates after decades in which Roe v. Wade was believed to be settled law, said University of Nevada-Las Vegas Professor Rebecca Gill.

"Now that there is this real, significant, palpable threat to access to reproductive health care and abortion, it is certainly possible that some number of that pro-choice majority, may well be motivated to vote on choice issues above other competing concerns.

Laxalt, Nevada's former attorney general, has mostly stayed on message  and away from the subject of abortion.

He called the court decision a historic victory for the sanctity of life, and leaked audio revealed him calling Roe v. Wade opinion a joke, but his campaign has mainly continued to focus on crime, immigration and rising gas prices that are part of what he calls the Biden-Masto agenda.

In a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Thursday, Laxalt accused Cortez Masto of "lying and fear mongering, noting that the overturn of Roe v. Wade does not change Nevada law that legalizes abortion.

And it won't distract voters from unaffordable prices, rising crime or the border crisis, he said.

Though much attention is paid to how state governments respond to the new abortion guidelines, any national abortion ban would supersede state laws. Communicating that in states where voters tend to support abortion rights like Nevada could make a difference in the general election, said Gill.

Cortez Mastos target on Thursday was moderate women in Washoe County, a swing county that involves the city of Reno, suburbs including Sparks and a large rural swath that stretches north to the Oregon border.

No one is going to want to come and work here if we have laws in place, like in some states, where I, as a medical professional, can be charged, can be sued, for providing information for basic human healthcare, said KC Hicks, an emergency room nurse whos a registered Republican but said she identifies more as an independent. Laws criminalizing healthcare providers who perform abortions will only lead to more staffing shortages, she said, which affects everyone seeking medical care.

Still, the SCOTUS ruling also could require damage control from Democrats, who hold the majority in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

Democrats who are in Congress now have the problem of They havent done anything, said Mary Ziegler, professor at Florida State Universitys College of Law and the author of several books on abortions legal history. So I think theres been some of them who are in that case, highlighting what would change if Republicans control the House and Senate and White House.

Its a point Cortez Masto circled back to again and again on Thursday: what could happen if shes replaced in November.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Republicans in the Senate right now are writing a draft legislation to further restrict abortion in this country, she said. To actually try to pass a federal abortion ban. This election, it matters. Nevada is the seat thats going to stop that.

When asked what she has done to enshrine federal abortion rights in Congress, Cortez Masto instead pointed to her longstanding support of the 1990 Nevada abortion law. She later cited data federal privacy legislation she introduced that she said would help protect women who receive reproductive health care, and her support for the Affordable Care Act when Republicans tried to repeal it.

___

This story has been corrected to show that a 1990 referendum vote codified the right to abortion in Nevadas state law. The vote did not codify the right to abortion in the state constitution.

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Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Stern on Twitter @gabestern326.
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TOKYO (AP)  Shinzo Abe was a political blueblood groomed for power. Japan's longest serving prime minister, he was also perhaps the most polarizing, complex politician in recent Japanese history.

Abe, who was assassinated Friday, angered both liberals at home and World War II victims in Asia with his hawkish push to revamp the military and his revisionist view that Japan was given an unfair verdict by history for its brutal past.

At the same time, he revitalized Japans economy, led efforts for the nation to take a stronger role in Asia and served as a rare beacon of political stability before stepping down two years ago for health reasons.

Hes the most towering political figure in Japan over the past couple of decades, said Dave Leheny, a political scientist at Waseda University. He wanted Japan to be respected on the global stage in the way that he felt was deserved. ... He also wanted Japan to not have to keep apologizing for World War II.

Abe, who died after being shot during a campaign speech, was 67.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, which shocked many in Japan, one of the worlds safest nations with some of the strictest gun control laws. Near the suspect was a double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun.

Abe believed that Japan's postwar track record of economic success, peace and global cooperation was something "other countries should pay more attention to, and that Japanese should be proud of, Leheny said.

Abe was a darling of conservatives but reviled by many liberals in Japan. And no policy was more divisive than his cherished, ultimately unsuccessful dream to revise Japans war-renouncing constitution. His ultra-nationalism also angered the Koreas and China, both wartime victims of Japan.

That push for constitutional revision stemmed from his personal history. Abe's grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, despised the U.S.-drafted constitution, adopted during the American postwar occupation. For Abe, too, the 1947 charter was symbolic of what he saw as the unfair legacy of Japans war defeat and an imposition of the victors world order and Western values.

That constitution renounces the use of force in international conflicts, and limits Japan's military to self defense, although the country has a well-equipped modern army, navy and air force that work closely with the United States, Japans top ally.

Poor public support for the changes doomed Abe's push, but the goal still enjoys backing from his ultra-conservative supporters.

Abe bristled against postwar treaties and the tribunal that judged Japanese war criminals. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

He also was a driving force for Japanese conservatives efforts to whitewash wartime atrocities and push for an end of apologies over atrocities.

Supporters point to his efforts to raise Japan's profile on the international stage, and his proposal for a new order of like-minded democracies as a counter to Chinas rise, something Washington and others soon endorsed.

Abe was also a big influence on current Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas policies, pushing for the bolstering of military capability, including a preemptive-strike capability.

Abe stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said the ulcerative colitis hed had since he was a teenager resurfaced.

He told reporters at the time that it was gut wrenching to leave many of his goals unachieved. In addition to the failure on constitutional revision, he was also unable to settle several other unfinished legacies of the war, including normalizing ties with North Korea, settling island disputes with neighbors and signing a peace treaty with Russia formally ending their hostilities in World War II.

Abe was praised in Washington for his push for a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship, which he saw as a means of bolstering Japans defense capability. Japan hosts 50,000 U.S. troops as a bulwark in the region amid tensions with China and North Korea.

Abe charmed conservatives with his security policies because of fears of terrorism, North Koreas missile and nuclear weapons ambitions and Chinas military assertiveness.

But there has always been general public support for the pacifist constitution and divided views on amendments within Abe's governing party. Many lawmakers preferred to focus on economic growth.

Abe said he was proud of working for a stronger Japan-U.S. security alliance and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was under control when it was not.

Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of that scandal-laden term was the beginning of six years of annual Japanese leadership change, remembered as an era of revolving door politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his Abenomics formula, which combined fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.

Abe left office as Japans longest-serving prime minister by consecutive days in office, eclipsing the record of Eisaku Sato, his great-uncle, who served 2,798 days from 1964 to 1972.

___

Associated Press writer Stephen Wade contributed to this report.
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Leaders around the world condemned the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday as despicable, cowardly and terrorism while recalling him as a man devoted to peace, security and international cooperation.

Tributes poured in as governments expressed sorrow and solidarity with Japan over the loss of Abe, who was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western Japan while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The attack was especially shocking in one of the world's safest countries, where guns are strictly controlled.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened. He visited the residence of Japans ambassador to the U.S. on Friday to offer condolences. He placed a bouquet of flowers on a table set up near a koi pond and wrote in a condolence book that Abe was a man of peace and judgment.

This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him, Biden said. His vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country, condemned the unforgivable act. He said campaigning as well as Sunday's elections for parliament's upper house will proceed.

The free and fair election, which is the root of democracy, needs to be protected no matter what. We will not be defeated by violence," Kishida said.

Biden called Kishida a very solid guy and said he did not believe the killing was likely to have "any profound, destabilizing impact on Japanese security or Japanese solidarity.

Leaders from Turkey to Singapore condemned the attack. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the French foreign ministry called the shooting despicable," and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was cowardly.

The U.N. Security Council stood in silent tribute to Abe after the current council president, Brazils U.N. Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho, expressed our sadness and shock at the senseless assassination.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Abe will be remembered as a staunch defender of multilateralism, respected leader and supporter of the United Nations. Abe was committed to promoting peace and security, championing U.N. development goals and advocating for universal health coverage, Guterres said, according to his spokesman.

I have fond memories of meeting Mr. Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016, Queen Elizabeth II said in a written statement. His love for Japan, and his desire to forge ever-closer bonds with the United Kingdom, were clear.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted his deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time, while South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called the shooting an intolerable criminal act, his office said.

Iran said it was an act of terrorism.

As a country that has been a victim of terrorism and has lost great leaders to terrorists, we are following the news closely and with concern, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

Public broadcaster NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street.

Jordans King Abdullah II said he was shocked and saddened. The world lost a great leader, and Jordan and I lost a true friend, the monarch tweeted.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office and described him as deeply committed to his role, generous and kind.

I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is, Ardern said. Events like this shake us all to the core.

In the NHK video, security guards are seen leaping on top of a man in a gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.

Police arrested a suspect at the scene. Under Japanese law, possession of firearms is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal.

Leaders from Germany, Pakistan, Sweden and the Philippines were also among those who gave condolences, and many countries including Spain and France expressed solidarity with Japan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a day of national mourning on Saturday as a mark of deepest respect for Abe.

"Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment, Modi said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abe was a giant on the world stage," adding that "his legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia."

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose time in office from 2005-2021 largely overlapped Abe's, said she was deeply shocked and devastated by the cowardly and vile assassination.

Taiwan's government said Abe spared no effort to push for the progress of Taiwan-Japan relations for many years, noting his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic for the Japanese government to donate vaccines to Taiwan.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi said Italy was embracing Abes family, the government and the Japanese people.

Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and reformist vision, Draghi said in a statement.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt noted that Abe was killed while campaigning for his fellow party members. All politicians should be safe while executing their work for democracy.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who is president of the Group of 20 nations' foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia, said Abe will always be remembered as a prime example for all.

The International Olympic Committee praised Abe for his vision, determination and dependability that allowed it to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the Olympic flag will be flown at half staff at Olympic House in Lausanne for three days.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped Abes killer will be dealt with swiftly and harshly. Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD! he said on his social media platform. He said Abe was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan."

In China, however, Abe's shooting triggered unfavorable comments from tens of thousands of nationalist citizens on social media.

Some quipped, Hope hes not OK, while dozens half-jokingly called the shooter a hero or anti-Japan hero. Others said Abes injuries were a comfort to the souls of people who died in Japans invasion of China during World War II.

While not necessarily the view of most Chinese, the posts reflect strong public sentiment  encouraged by government propaganda  against right-wing Japanese politicians who question or deny that Japan's military committed atrocities in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China expressed sympathies with Abe's family and that the shooting shouldn't be linked with bilateral relations.

___

Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
Waterbury Police Department / Contributed Photo /

WATERBURY  A 9-year-old boy was sent to the hospital after he was shot outside in a housing complex Wednesday night, according to the Waterbury Police Department.

Police were called to the Truman Apartments Housing Complex on North Main Street around 10:55 p.m. for a report of shots fired, Lt. Ryan Bessette said in a news release.
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP)  A Minotaur II+ rocket exploded moments after takeoff from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base , officials said Thursday.

Base officials said there were no injuries after the rocket exploded at 11:01 p.m. Wednesday, raining debris down onto the launch pad, according to a base statement.

We always have emergency response teams on standby prior to every launch, said Col. Kris Barcomb, Space Launch Delta 30 vice commander.

The scheduled test launch was a first supporting the development of the Air Forces new Mk21A re-entry vehicle that will be used on the future LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, according to officials.

An investigative review board is being put together to determine the cause of the explosion, KEYT-TV reported.
The Army has awarded the Expert Soldier Badge 2,000 times since it was introduced in 2019, according to service data reviewed by Military.com. Yet senior leaders might face an uphill battle selling the necessity of non-combat arms troops conducting what is effectively an infantry test.

The 2,000 Expert Soldier Badges, or ESBs, have been awarded to a pool of roughly 20,000 soldiers who have undertaken tests for the badge. The ESB's introduction came amid the Army shifting from counterterrorism to training for conventional warfare, something that service planners have stressed will move small-unit tactics and individual soldier skills to center stage.

That shift in focus led Army officials to effectively rewrite core tenants of the service's training, including introducing a new fitness test, developing a more combat-focused marksmanship test and reintegrating land navigation into noncommissioned officer leadership training.

Read Next: The Power of Navy Leaders -- Especially Chiefs -- to Make or Break Sailors

The Expert Soldier Badge was created largely to push troops to master basic combat skills, even if they do not serve in front-line units, as Army planners want to be able to move soldiers between specialties more easily and make sure everyone in the force is capable of taking up arms during future conflicts.

"Before GWOT, most of your senior infantry NCOs had an EIB," Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, the service's top enlisted leader, told Military.com. "I want that to become the norm for all soldiers and the ESB."

Yet multiple soldiers interviewed by Military.com say finding the time to train for the test and earning the new badge can be a tall order for non-combat arms units due to a shortage of training gear, among other constraints. Another key hurdle is qualifying as an expert on the M4 rifle test, something that can be especially difficult for non-combat arms units, which get relatively little range time.

But most of the hesitancy is the lack of will from commanders and the soldiers themselves to take significant portions of time for their formations to train for tasks that aren't ultimately their jobs.

"If soldiers wanted to go, they went. It was probably less than 15 who wanted to go [earn the badge]," Capt. Mitch Carroll, a military police officer, told Military.com. "But once they realize there is a hearty amount of promotion points and learning the tasks is an incredible attribute, and once more emphasis is placed on it, I think it could catch on. I get more comments on my ESB than my Ranger tab, probably because it's new and a lot of people haven't seen them yet."

The Expert Soldier Badge is effectively the same as the Expert Infantryman Badge, introduced in 1943. Both badges are awarded to soldiers who pass a gamut of tests, including measurements of physical fitness, weapon proficiency and land navigation.

But the infantry badge was exclusive to that job and Special Forces. In addition to being an award, the Expert Infantryman Badge serves as a clear identification that a soldier is a grunt.

The soldier badge was created for all other personnel in the service to be tested on those basic combat tasks. Previously, the closest thing to parity was the cavalry spur ride, a similar series of tests for cavalry scouts and other soldiers on combat tasks that qualify soldiers to wear spurs, mostly during formal events. However, those are unofficial awards and do not count toward a soldier's promotion. A similar badge also exists for medical personnel, the Expert Field Medical Badge.

Most Expert Soldier Badges were awarded last year, with 1,112 soldiers earning the new award. The COVID-19 pandemic largely disrupted 2020 efforts, when only 310 soldiers earned the honor. As of June 21, 567 soldiers had earned the badge this year. Multiple installations are holding expert medical, soldier and infantry badge tests each month this year, including in Alaska; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Italy. Soldiers in other units are allowed to ask whether they can participate in those events, including Guardsmen and Reserve soldiers, who typically are given few opportunities to earn a badge.

Since 2019, 6,626 Expert Infantry Badges and 850 Expert Field Medical badges have been awarded.

But for Army leadership, the badge itself is secondary, with the test and all the preparation for it effectively serving as an excuse for soldiers to train.

"What I think is critical, is the more opportunities for soldiers to get reps and sets for the best individual training they'll ever get is a huge win in my book.  This fits into the broader idea of getting everyone to build on their fieldcraft," Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Hendrex, the top enlisted leader for Training and Doctrine Command, or TRADOC, said Wednesday in an interview with Military.com. "As we look at the world stage, we have to be ready. Soldiers don't get the option of choosing, but leaders do have the option of having them being properly trained."

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Army Tweaks Testing so More Soldiers Can Try to Earn Infantry, Soldier and Medical Badges
WASHINGTON  The U.S. will send another $400 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems, a senior defense official said Friday, in an effort to bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.

The aid comes as Moscow this week claimed full control of Ukraine's Luhansk province in the Donbas, but Ukrainian officials say their troops still control a small part of the province and fierce fighting continues in several villages.

The defense official said that the eight High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that were previously sent are still being used by Ukraine forces in the fight. And this will give them four more to help hit Russian command and control nodes, logistics capabilities and other systems that are further back behind the battlefront. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

Russia in recent days has launched dozens of missiles across Ukraine and pinned down Ukrainian forces with continuous long-range fire for sometimes hours at a time. Ukraines leaders have publicly called on Western allies to quickly send more ammunition and advanced systems that will help them narrow the gap in equipment and manpower. The precision weapons can help Ukraine hit Russian weapons that are farther away and are being used to bombard Ukrainian locations.

The latest aid is the 15th package of military weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine from Defense Department stocks since last August. In addition to the HIMARS, the U.S. will also send 1,000 rounds of 155 millimeter artillery which has an increased precision capability that also will help Ukraine hit specific targets. The package also will include three tactical vehicles, counter battery radar systems, spare parts and other equipment.

Looking ahead to the coming months, the official said that a key goal is to build up Ukraine's logistics and repair capabilities so troops can maintain its weapons systems and continue the fight into the future.

Overall, the U.S. has sent about $7.3 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began in late February.

Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, a region of mines and factories where pro-Moscow separatists have fought Ukraines army for eight years and declared independent republics that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before he sent troops into Ukraine.

Putin on Thursday warned that Kyiv should accept Moscows terms or brace for the worst, saying that Russia hasn't yet started anything in earnest.

U.S. and other western officials have said that Russia has been making slow, incremental progress in the Donbas but has not made gains as rapidly as Moscow initially intended. President Joe Biden has said that the U.S. is giving Ukrainians the aid needed to continue to resist Russian aggression.

"I dont know how its going to end, but it will not end with a Russian defeat of Ukraine in Ukraine, Biden said last week.
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Ace Ghanaian highlife musician and board chairman of the Ghana Music Right Organisation (GHAMRO), Rex Omar, has said the current trends in the music industry have made it far better than what was experienced some years ago.

According to him, globalisation has made the industry very lucrative and also opened doors for those who get into music with business minds to make money.

Because of globalisation there are open doors. If people approach it with a business mind, they can make money, Rex Omar told Kastle FM in Cape Coast in an interview monitored by MyNewsGH.com.

Rex Omar, however, noted that the industry today has become capital-intensive and not based on good music, advising that one must be ready to invest.

It is also capital-intensive so you cannot just get in and depend on good music. It doesn't work now. You must have your requisite capital, marketing strategy, marketing plan and everything, and if you have the know-how, you can succeed. So it is better than before but then it is also more capital-intensive and you have to understand the business aspect, he said.
Ongoing deliberations between the Ghana's team and the Zambia delegation

07.07.2022 LISTEN

The Zambian Minister for Mines and Minerals Development, Hon. Paul C. Kabuswe on Wednesday, 6th July, 2022 led a 6-member delegation to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to familiarise himself with operations at the Ministry, particularly on issues relating to the mining sector in Ghana.

Speaking at a brief meeting Chaired by the Hon. Deputy Minister for Mines, Hon. George Mireku Duker on behalf of the sector Minister, the Zambian Minister said his visit to Ghana was to basically study Ghana's Small Scale Mining sector, exchange ideas and learn best practices in the Ghanaian mining space.

He noted that for Africa to thrive and prosper in its own efforts and resources, there must be strong and closer collaborations among African countries.

"We need to collaborate and share ideas to help harness our resources as Africans and liberate ourselves economically because we are not yet economically powerful as a continent and as such, I believe it is time to it together and exchange views and not to stay aloof," he stated.

He disclosed that Zambia has recently discovered gold and wants to embark on a very robust minerals exploration to ensure the mineral does not end up in the wrong hands, adding that the country is mapping up the entire Zambia to among others help understand the extent of mineralisation within the country.

He also noted that they have taken the decision to clean up their license system because they believe that "mining starts at licensing stage and if you don't get it right from the beginning you miss the point and therefore you must get it right from the beginning."

He said to ensure an all-inclusive system, they have set themselves on the path to reorganise the mining sector of Zambia with a new mining policy framework to ensure it stands the test of time.

Hon. Kabuswe strongly touted that they believe Africa has the human resources to achieve whatever goal it set to achieve.

Hon. George Mireku Duker on his part updated the delegation on Ghana's efforts to improve the mining sector through its regulatory framework and decentralisation.

According to him, he is happy that Zambia has shown interest in Ghana's mining sector, disclosing that up to 500 companies have also shown their interest in the exploration of same and also harness opportunities in the country.

On value addition, Hon. Duker said the government through the Ministry has set up agencies like GISDEC and GIADEC to promote and develop an integrated bauxite, aluminium, iron and steel industry in Ghana.

He added that as part of Ghana's contribution to the Minamata Convention, government has procured mercury-free mining equipment which efficiently recovers more gold for artisanal and small scale miners and also encourages responsible mining in the country.

The delegation also paid a similar visit to the mining regulator in Ghana, Minerals Commission and to Precious Minerals and Marketing Company (PMMC) which among others promotes the development of precious minerals and jewelry in Ghana.
Stakeholders including the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been urged to increase the participation and benefits of the less privileged such as women, Person living With Disabilities and the youth in the Covid-19 recovery programmes.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Ghana in March 2020, government responded swiftly with several interventions. These interventions sought to curb the spread of the disease while others sought to ameliorate the hardship occasioned by the pandemic on Ghanaians.

Following concerns raised by a cross-section of the citizenry in most deprived communities in the Bono East and Upper West Regions indicates that less privileged persons accessed diminutive knowledge about the implementation of some Covid-19 recovery programmes.

Mr David Bagonluri-Paapa, Executive Director for Women Integrated Development Organization (WIDO) non-profitable organization working to promote the socio-economic development of women in society in an interview with this reporter on Thursday at Techiman, the Bono East Regional Capital hinted that in 2021, funding was secured from the Commonwealth Foundation in the United Kingdom (UK) to undertake the project dubbed Enhancing participation for effective Covid-19 responses.

Mr Bagonluri-Paapa noted that the organization carried out a survey in 2021 at the Techiman North District and the Techiman Municipality of the Bono East Region and some selected communities in the Upper West Region on 2,000 vulnerable persons as to whether they were aware or had received any form of covid-19 recovery benefits in which about 80 percent of women made up of 20 percent persons living with disabilities and the youth declined knowledge of such initiatives to their benefit.

Mr Bagonluri-Paapa hinted that there was low level of awareness about most of the interventions such as the Covid-19 Alleviation Programme Support Scheme (CAPBUSS). He noted that the total awareness created among the vulnerable groups was only 38.6 percent.

He hinted that there was weak collaboration between the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA) and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the implementation of the CAPBUSS.

Notwithstanding, Mr Bagoluri-Paapa noted that the free meals for Junior High School (JHS) candidates were considered the most impactful intervention for vulnerable people by 71 percent, while the free water and electricity was less relevant for the vulnerable people.

Mr Bagonluri-Paapa asserted that most rural dwellers did not have access to pipe-borne water and others did not even have access to potable water and electricity which became a challenge to the programme.

He further explained that the programme implementation gaps indicated that the Covid-19 alleviation interventions did not provide support equitable, since vulnerable people were less likely to benefit from the free water, electricity and CAPBUSS loan support.

He added that the awareness creation and application process of the CAPBUSS did not incorporate the needs of businesses owned by vulnerable people such as women and PWDs, who tend to be less literate and needed support to apply for loans.

Mr Bagonluri-Paapa further attested that governments Covid-19 interventions were timely and well-intended, however, implementation gaps led to limited participation by vulnerable people in society.

The non-profiting organization however suggested that the MMDAs through the Departments of Agriculture and Social Welfare set aside service support under the sector component care programmes to be supported to identify vulnerable groups.

Again government through its agencies should consult identifiable disability groups at both national and local levels in future Covid-19 related programmes development to ensure that such programmes capture the specific needs of vulnerable groups, he emphasised.
A million fully vaccinated Muslims from around the world have gathered in the holy city of Mecca for the five-day Hajj. It's a big increase in number since the pandemic upended the annual Saudi event in 2020. While foreign pilgrims have returned, a government-organised lottery system has put a squeeze on the numbers, creating much frustration.

The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, with every able-bodied Muslim expected to make the journey at least once in their lifetime.

Because of Covid-19, Saudi Arabia barred pilgrims outside the kingdom from travelling to Mecca in both 2020 and 2021. This year, they have introduced new rules.

The 2022 Hajj is open to 1 million foreign and domestic pilgrims who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, have tested negative, are under 65 and have not undertaken the Hajj in the last five years.

Authorities estimate around 850,000 percent have arrived from abroad  far lower than the 1.9 million overseas pilgrims in 2019.

Online registration

The Saudi government had already introduced annual quotas based on each nation's Muslim population and, this year, those quotas have been sharply reduced.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has sent just 100,000 pilgrims.

Nigeria, which has the largest Hajj quota among African nations, saw its allocation halved  from 95,000 in 2019 to 43,000 this year.

Prospective pilgrims from Europe, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand have faced the added challenge of having to apply online in June via the government-backed Motawif website.

Eligible candidates were then randomly selected via a lottery.

France was awarded just 9,000 places  well below the average of between 20,000 to 25,000 who undertake the Hajj each year.

The decision to change the process of travelling to Hajj for western Muslims has proven a big source of frustration for both worshippers and the Saudi-approved agencies in France (CHF) that organise the trips.

The internet site claims to replace the offer that Saudi-approved travel agencies were advertising. But the advantage of having agencies in the country of origin is that they could be sued by the judiciary in the pilgrim's country of origin, Salim Bouhidel, vice president of CHF, told RFI.

That guarantees the pilgrim has a right to recourse in their own country if a service isn't delivered.

Faced with the lack of guarantee, many French pilgrims opted to delay their trip altogether.

We knew nothing about the [Saudi] agency and there was no available information to allow us to travel and accomplish the Hajj with serenity, a man who had backed out of the pilgrimage told RFI.

Serenity is also a condition of doing the Hajj and this new procedure hasn't fulfilled those conditions."

Some of the CHF agencies reportedly discouraged pilgrims from going through the Saudi website  preferring to hang on to customers for another year when the booking rules could change. One woman told RFI she found the practice unacceptable.

I decided to enrol on the site because I thought the agencies had a conflict of interest, she said. I said to myself I shouldn't listen to them and I was losing nothing by enrolling.

Fewer restrictions

This year, pilgrims are not required to be masked or socially distanced as they have been the last two years.

But for the third year running they are banned from touching and kissing the black stone on the Kaaba  the holiest shrine in Islam  at the centre of the Grand Mosque's courtyard.

The Hajj is also showcasing de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's latest efforts to loosen social restrictions and transform the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia officially began allowing women to perform the Hajj without a male guardian, or mahram," last year.

Hosting the Hajj is a matter of prestige and a powerful source of legitimacy for Saudi rulers.

It's also a big source of revenue. Religious pilgrimages brought the kingdom $12 billion before the pandemic  accounting for the largest percentage of Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product after oil.
Pro-democracy groups in Sudan announced a "revolutionary council" Thursday to close ranks against coup leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, rejecting his offer of a civilian government, as protesters keep pressing for his resignation.

Burhan led a coup in October last year that derailed a transition to civilian rule, unleashing near-weekly protests and prompting key donors to freeze much-needed funding.

The transitional government he uprooted was forged between the military and civilian factions in 2019, following mass protests and a sit-in outside army headquarters that prompted the military to oust long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir.

But in a surprise move on Monday, Burhan vowed to make way for a civilian government -- an offer quickly rejected by the country's main civilian umbrella group as a "ruse".

On Thursday, pro-democracy groups, including local resistance committees, announced their plans to establish a revolutionary council in opposition to Burhan.

This "revolutionary council will make it possible to regroup revolutionary forces under the orders of a unified leadership", Manal Siam, a pro-democracy co-ordinator, told reporters.

The council will consist of "100 members, half of whom will be activists from resistance committees", according to another coordinator, Mohammed al-Jili.

The rest of the new organisation will come from political parties, unions, rebel movements opposed to the military and relatives of those killed in the repression of protests, Jili added.

A total of 114 people have been killed in a crackdown against protesters since the October coup, according to pro-democracy medics.

Activists are deeply sceptical of Burhan's promise to make way for a civilian government, not least because he pledged at the same time to establish a new "Supreme Council of the Armed Forces".

Opponents and experts foresee this new body being used to side-line any new government and maintain the military's wide-reaching economic interests, under the pretext of "defence and security" imperatives.

Burhan has also said he will disband the country's ruling Sovereign Council -- established as the leading institution of the post-Bashir transition -- and on Wednesday he fired civilian personnel serving on that body.

The protests against Burhan received a new lease of life last Thursday, when tens of thousands gathered, and they have evolved into new sit-ins in some areas.

Young protesters on Thursday sat on stone barricades and on felled pylons in the capital Khartoum, while also maintaining sit-ins in the suburbs and in Jazeera, an agricultural province to the south of the capital.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims journeyed from Saudi Arabia's Mecca to a white-tented city in Mina on Thursday as they neared the highlight of the biggest hajj ritual since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Worshippers took buses or walked to Mina, seven kilometres (four miles) from Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, where they circled the imposing black Kaaba at the start of the rituals on Wednesday.

Dressed in simple white robes, the pilgrims will spend the night in the air-conditioned white tents of Mina, which sits in a narrow valley surrounded by rocky mountains and is transformed each year into a vast encampment.

"I feel great. This is all to be closer to God," Tunisian pilgrim Khaled Bin Jomaa, 44, said as he entered the camp on foot, carrying an umbrella and a prayer mat.

The pilgrims are positioning themselves for the highlight of the hajj on Friday: ascending Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon.

Graphic on the annual hajj, a key pillar of Islam that all able-bodied Muslims are required to perform at least once. By Gal ROMA (AFP)

Worshippers will pray and recite the Koran for several hours at the mountain and sleep nearby. On Saturday, they will gather pebbles and perform the symbolic "stoning of the devil".

The hajj, one of the world's biggest religious gatherings, has not gone smoothly for everyone. Saudi Arabia's hajj ministry demanded the sacking of two top officials at a company that organises pilgrimages, over their failure to provide decent services, the official Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday.

State-run Al-Ekhbariya TV said the company handled pilgrimages from overseas and was responsible for "problems with food and accommodation" including a lack of air conditioning at the Mina camp.

'Breathing in my face'

Fridges packed with yoghurt, juice and water were waiting at the temporary accommodation in Mina, along with a food buffet and fruit baskets.

One pilgrim complained about the lack of space in his room, before the manager asked his assistants to move him to another one.

"It is too tight. I can feel the guy next to me breathing into my face," the pilgrim said.

One million people are allowed at the hajj after two Covid-restricted years. By Delil SOULEIMAN (AFP)

The crowds, capped at one million including 850,000 from abroad chosen by lottery, are the biggest since 2019 after two Covid-hit years when only tens of thousands were allowed.

All worshippers are fully vaccinated and submitted negative PCR tests, but the rituals are taking place against the backdrop of a resurgence of Covid-19 in the region.

Some Gulf countries have tightened restrictions to keep outbreaks in check.

The hajj ministry has said it is working on the highest levels of health precautions in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.

At Mina, the pilgrims were handed small bags containing masks and sanitiser, and ambulances were parked at the camp's entrances.

However, a requirement to wear masks has been largely ignored.

Temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) are another challenge. Four hospitals and 26 health centres have been prepared at Mina to treat pilgrims who might fall ill.

"We have taken all precautions. We have doctors here ready to intervene in case needed," said Ahmad al-Zinani, a camp manager.

Military helicopters

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means to do so at least once in their lives.

A Muslim pilgrim walks past the air-conditioned tents at the camp in Mina. By Delil SOULEIMAN (AFP)

Saudi state media reported that Mauritania's president and Indonesia's vice president were among the pilgrims landing in Jeddah on Thursday to perform the rituals.

In 2019, about 2.5 million Muslims from around the world participated in the event, which poses a considerable security challenge and has seen several disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 people.

The rites are taking place under strict security measures that include police checkpoints in parts of Mecca. In 1979, gunmen barricaded themselves inside the Grand Mosque in an assault that left 153 dead, according to the official toll.

Military helicopters will be used "around the clock... to support the public security", the commander of the Air Force Group participating in this hajj season, Colonel Khaled bin Abdullah al-Mutairi, told state media.

Overseas pilgrims were banned from the hajj in 2020 and 2021 to prevent Covid infections but they are back in the mountainous region this year, filling hotel rooms and visiting shops as business owners hope to recover their pandemic losses.
A prominent Fox News television presenter has triggered outrage in Kenya after she suggested that pregnant women cannot vote in the East African country.

During a panel discussion on Fox News' satirical show "Gutfeld" this week, Emily Compagno criticised a tweet by US pop star Katy Perry on the abortion debate which said "women in the US have fewer rights than an actual sparkler".

"What about in Kenya, where pregnant women can't leave the house, so they absolutely have no constructive right to vote," Compagno charged.

The 29-second clip went viral in Kenya and dominated the country's top trends on Twitter, with politicians and others denouncing Compagno's comment.

"That statement is incorrect, misleading, condescending and should be withdrawn," political commentator Pauline Njoroge said on Twitter.

Esther Passaris, the Nairobi County women's representative in parliament, declared: "Pregnant women in Kenya are allowed to leave the house. Pregnant women in Kenya can vote."

"Pregnant women get priority on voting lines. Pregnant women do give birth free of charge... Retract your statement," she tweeted.

"Wait, what? In Kenya, pregnant women can't leave the house? Emily Compagno probably (should) start by locating Kenya on the map first maybe?" mocked Charity Ngilu, one of three female county governors in Kenya.

Kenya heads to the polls on August 9 for presidential, parliamentary and county elections.

Under Kenyan law, every adult citizen has the right to be registered as a voter and cast their ballot in any election.

During Kenya's 2017 polls, AFP reported the case of a woman who went into labour while queueing outside a polling station and returned to vote after giving birth to a baby girl.
Continuously opting for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) does not make sense, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has said.

Also, he said it does not make one a proud Ghanaian.

Early this year, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said Ghana was a proud nation of strong people with the capability to find her own solutions to problems and, thus, would not run to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help.

Speaking at the third in a series of town hall meetings in the Northern regional capital of Tamale in February, Mr Ofori-Atta said:  I can tell you, as my colleague Deputy Minister said, we are not going to the IMF; whatever we do, we are not; the consequences are dire, we are a proud nation, we have the resources, we have the capacity.

Dont let anybody tell you  like when Joshua, Caleb and the 10 others went to spy on the Promised Land and only two of them came to say that, We can do it, and the 10 went around the community murmuring, You cant; da da da da da da; we are not people of short sight and we had to move on, so, lets think of us as who we are: a proud, strong people, the shining star of Africa and we have the capacity to do what we want to do if only we can speak by one language and ensure that we burden-share in the issues ahead.

However, upon the orders of President Akufo-Addo, Mr Ofori-Atta recently opened discussions with the IMF for a bailout.

The IMF team started discussions about a programme for Ghana a couple of days ago.

Commenting on the turn of events on Thursday, 7 July 2022, Kweku Baako said: Ive always had difficulties with the IMF and let me the honest with you: while it is the right of the government to opt for that, I felt disappointed.

I remember in 2015, I felt the same way even though I publicly said it was the right of the government to go for it but regrettable same with 2009, Mr Baako recalled.

So, it is not good enough and we cannot continue going in circles and each time we take a programme, we appear to have succeeded in implementing the programme and within three to four years, we are back to square one; it doesnt make sense. It doesnt make you a proud Ghanaian, Kweku Baako told Accra-based Metro TV.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Tunisia's Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party urged its supporters on Thursday to boycott a July 25 referendum on President Kais Saied's new constitution, saying it would "lead to a repressive, authoritarian regime".

"We call for a boycott of the referendum because what is being voted on is not in the interests of Tunisians," the party's spokesman Imed Khemeri said at a press conference in Tunis.

Saied in July last year sacked the government and froze the parliament dominated by Ennahda.

He later extended his powers in what critics see as a coup against democracy in the birthplace of the Arab Spring uprisings.

The constitution, the centrepiece of Saied's drive to remake the Tunisian political system, sparked instant criticism for the nearly unlimited power it gives the president.

"The draft that has been presented has been made to measure" for Saied, Khemeri said.

"This document did not come from the people or from a national dialogue."

The legal expert who headed a committee to draw up the new charter said the final text published by Saied had "nothing to do with the text we drafted and submitted to the president".

The expert, Sadeq Belaid, added that it risked paving the way for a "dictatorial regime", more than a decade after Tunisia's pro-democracy revolt sparked copy-cat uprisings across the region.

On Tuesday, Saied defended the proposed constitution in an open letter.

He said "this draft was built on what the Tunisian people have expressed from the start of the revolution up until the correction of its path" last July, and that those who worried about it creating a new autocracy hadn't read it properly.

Ennahdha, which has dominated Tunisia's politics since the revolt that toppled dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, has found itself under pressure since Saied's power grab.

A Tunisian court on Tuesday froze the bank accounts of its chief and speaker of the now-dissolved parliament Rached Ghannouchi, as well as his son Mouadh and former prime minister and one-time senior party member Hamadi Jebali, who is accused of money-laundering.

Later Thursday some 200 supporters of Ennahdha's deep ideological rival, the secular Free Destourian Party, also protested against the referendum.

They gathered outside the electoral commission's headquarters despite a heavy security deployment, some bearing signs reading "we don't trust your results" and "stop this illegal process".

Around 30 NGOs including the SNJT journalists' union and rights group the LTDH also called Thursday for a boycott of the referendum, saying the text was "written by a single person without participation by civil society or experts".
Founder of the All Peoples Congress (APC), Dr. Hassan Ayariga says Ghana is in a mess and on its knees due to the silence of the clergy, the Peace Council, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, July 7, 2022, the leader of APC noted that the time is now for people and institutions with authority to speak truth to power and let the government know things are not right.

Our country is on its knees due to the silence from the clergy, peace council, some civil society organizations whose voices have always been loud enough at other times but have suddenly gone to sleep and not awaken. What has changed? Lets rise above pettiness and greed.

Lets speak truth to power and save our country from sinking. Lets not be afraid and refuse to talk on behalf of our people who do not have a voice of their own. The indiscipline is one too many and something must be done now to curb the situation before it gets to an uncontrollable situation, Dr. Hassan Ayariga told journalists at his press conference on the way forward for Ghana.

Touching on the hardships in the country, the Founder of the All Peoples Party indicated that it is sad Ghanaians are no longer able to afford three square meals a day.

He said the state is on the brink of collapse because the economic management team of the government has failed in managing the economy.

Cost of goods and services keep rising as if there is no economic management team in government. Rising energy prices, tougher financial conditions, and rising food prices has hit our economy badly. Many are in deplorable situations and a looming state of state collapse.

The economy of Ghana is really looking terrible, the government owes every sector, Dr. Ayariga bemoaned.

He proposes that the government opens up on the economic challenges confronting the country and occasionally continue to engage with the populace.

He is of the view that it would make every Ghanaian appreciate the difficulties and also buy into government programs or changes in policy directions.
Demonstrations resumed Thursday in Conakry in protest at the arrest of three leaders of an influential political and civil society coalition who have now been charged after previous clashes that injured 17 police.

The police officers were hurt, one seriously, after violent demonstrations Tuesday and Wednesday following the arrests.

The clashes which began on Tuesday evening saw a lull earlier Thursday before demonstrators armed with stones and sticks again clashed with police in several Conakry suburbs, forcing stores to remain shuttered, an AFP journalist witnessed.

The previous clashes broke out in the suburbs of the capital during the protest against the arrest of members of the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC).

The FNDC coalition had been vocal against former president Alpha Conde, overthrown in September last year by a military junta.

This week, the demonstrators burned tyres, set up barricades, knocked over bins and threw projectiles at the police, who tried to disperse them with tear gas.

The protests were among the first against the administration of military ruler Mamady Doumbouya, who took power after the coup.

The three FNDC leaders were Mamadou Billo Bah, rapper Alpha Midiaou Bah also known as Djanii Alfa, and the coalition's national coordinator Oumar Sylla.

They were seized during a press conference and

supporters complained that Sylla and Bah were beaten and had their clothes torn by police officers.

'Insulting remarks'

The three men arrived at a court Thursday for an appearance before a judge.

One of their lawyers said they would appear for trial Friday.

There has been widespread political condemnation of the arrests, and the methods used.

According to prosecutors, Sylla and Bah face charges of having "produced and disseminated... insulting remarks" online against the National Transitional Council (CNT), a legislature appointed by the junta to pass laws pending a return to civilian rule -- officially due in three years.

The rapper, Alfa, had recently criticised comments made by the president of the CNT, before being threatened with arrest by the prosecutor, according to his lawyer.

The ruling junta had in May banned any public demonstrations prior to the next electoral campaign which could be construed, in their view, as threatening public order.

The FNDC had initially called protests for June 23 but indicated they were prepared to give the transitional government a "chance" to set a proposed dialogue in motion.

However, their patience snapped after a meeting with the authorities which the FNDC slammed as a "parody."

Last week the Heads of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in Ghana's capital Accra to assess efforts to secure guarantees for restoring civilian rule in Guinea as well as Burkina Faso and Mali.

But the junta has refused to accept an ECOWAS mediator while African Union chairman and Senegalese President Macky Sall has described the 36-month transitional period to restore democracy as "unthinkable".

Guinea is currently suspended from the bodies of the 15-nation bloc.
08.07.2022 LISTEN

Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has accused the Minister of Finance of breaching laws of the country by withdrawing funds from the Consolidated Fund for the construction of the national cathedral.

According to him, the minister engaged in the act without the required parliamentary approval.

Okudzeto Ablakwa in recent months has been on a crusade to expose what he calls the rot surrounding the national cathedral project.

Speaking to the press in Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the response to a right-to-information request he sent to the Public Procurement Authority indicates that the authority did not play any role in the selection of a contractor for the project.

The finance minister on the blind side of Parliament has instructed three withdrawals from the Consolidated Funds without parliamentary approval. The latest in this unending saga of the national cathedral is on the 4th of July. We activated an RTI request writing to the PPA to ask them to provide information. This is another layer in this scandal The PPA in response to our quest is stating clearly that they have no record on the construction o the national cathedral, Ablakwa revealed.

He said he is surprised that Ribade Company Limited, was chosen for the construction project without the involvement of the Public Procurements Authority.

citinewsroom
The management of Ideal College says 23 of its students have been left injured after they were manhandled by land guards and police, supposedly coming from the counter-terrorism unit of the Ghana Police Service.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the school, Naphtali Kyei Baffour, three of the students are in critical condition while the remaining 20 sustained minor injuries.

Unfortunately, we have three of them [students] who have been severely injured and about 20 with minor injuries. Most of the female students have been gripped with fear. Weve spoken to them to calm them down. Everything is under control at the moment, he said.

Narrating the circumstances that led to the melee, he said some land guards in the company of uniformed officers besieged a portion of the schools land where an assembly hall and hostel were being put up and attempted to pull down the substructure with a bulldozer without giving any reason.

They were land guards in the company of men in uniform who claim to come from the counter-terrorism unit. They came in a vehicle registered GV We have a part of the land where we are trying to put up an assembly hall and some hostels. They wanted to demolish where we have raised the foundation for the assembly hall. We have the permission from the assembly for the construction, he said.

According to him, some land guards in February 2022 indicated that a man known as Dzato sent them to demolish any property on the land because, he claims, the land belongs to the government.

We have not officially received anything from the school. But in February 2022, we saw some people on the land and when we asked them they say a certain Dzato says it is a government property, so they want to demolish it, Kyei Baffour said.

He said the school is preparing a petition that will be presented to the Inspector General of Police for action.

citinewsroom
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced in a federal court Thursday to 21 years in prison for violating George Floyds civil rights.

Chauvin previously pleaded guilty to the civil rights violation during Floyds May 25, 2020 arrest when the former officer pressed his knee on the back of Floyds neck for several minutes. The sentence will run concurrently with his state sentence of 22.5 years after he was convicted for second and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter.

The defense asked for 20 years, saying Chauvin accepts responsibility for what he did. Chauvin told Floyds family he wishes all the best for Floyds children during his brief remarks. He did not offer an apology.

My brother was murdered in broad daylight with a knee to his neck for nine minutes, Philonese Floyd, George Floyds brother, told the judge. The (Floyd) family and I have been given a life sentence, we will never get George back.

In a court impact statement, Chauvins mother said it wasnt her sons intent to kill Floyd.

Without the federal plea agreement, Chauvin would have faced a life sentence.

Under Minnesota law, Chauvin will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence. He has appealed the conviction.

In entering his federal plea, Chauvin for the first time admitted that he kept his knee on Floyd's neck  even as the Black man pleaded, I cant breathe, and then became unresponsive  resulting in Floyd's death. Chauvin, who is white, admitted he willfully deprived Floyd of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure, including unreasonable force by a police officer, during the May 2020 arrest.

Three other former Minneapolis police officers  Tou Thao, J. Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane  were convicted in February of federal civil rights charges in Floyds killing. Magnuson has not set sentencing dates for them.

Lane is also due to be sentenced Sept. 21 after pleading guilty in state court to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Thao and Kueng turned down plea deals and are due to be tried in state court Oct. 24 on aiding and abetting charges.

Source: Fox News
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan General Electricity Company (GECOL) has signed a power purchase agreement with the alternative energy company, EG, to implement the Ghadames solar energy project, with a production capacity of 200 megawatts
08.07.2022 LISTEN

Former Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo, has been appointed to the Audit and Finance Committee of Global Fund.

The board approved his appointment, together with 11 others on the committee, on 4th May 2022.

The Global Fund is a financing institution, providing support to countries in the response HIV, TB and malaria and commits about US$4 billion a year to the various programmes.

Domelevo who was relieved of his position by Ghanas President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after going on compulsory leave late 2020.

How was Domelevo retired?

Domelevo was asked by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to proceed on accumulated leave.

On March 2, a day before Mr. Domelevo was scheduled to return from his controversial forced leave , the Audit Service Board questioned his nationality and age.

The Board claimed Mr. Domelevo should have retired in 2020 and that he was a Togolese.

The Audit Service Board, based its claims on records at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) provided by the Auditor General.

His date of birth is said to be June 1, 1960, and not June 1, 1961.

Mr. Domelevo however refuted these claims in further correspondence.

The Presidency endorsed the retirement claims of the Audit Service Boar,d and said it considered Mr. Domelevo retired.

The President is of the view that you [Domelevo] have formally left office, the letter from the presidency said in response to the date of birth concerns.

In a letter, the Presidency thanked him for his service.

Although critics and Civil Society Organisations said the President acted in bad faith, Nana Akufo-Addo said his decision was justified.

By Citi Newsroom
The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of TUC (GH) has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to order the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) to stop intimidating its members.

In a press release, TEWU has accused CHASS of attempts to force non-teaching staff of various pre-tertiary public schools to remain in school and work despise the strike.

TEWU is one of the four teacher unions that declared a nationwide strike on Monday over the governments failure to yield to the demand for a 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

Insisting that TEWU does not want to have any confrontation with CHASS, the union has called on the Ghana Education Service to intervene and call CHASS to order.

It is sad to note this, information reaching us is that some members of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), are intimidating our members, the non-teaching staff, especially the kitchen staff and forcing them to remain at work. We find the actions of these CHASS members as very unfortunate, to say the least.

We, in the leadership of the Union, do not want to have any confrontations with anybody as far as this Industrial Action is concerned. No teacher is being forced and threatened to remain in the classroom so we do not see why the non-teaching staff are being treated this way.

We are by this medium, requesting the Director-General of GES to call these Heads to order and asked them to refrain from the threats and intimidations as we all seek the appropriate response from Government on our request, a press release from TEWU signed by General Secretary Mark Dankyira Korankye has said.

TEWU urges all Non-Teaching staff to withdraw all services and stay at home until further notice from leadership.

Below is a copy of the TEWU press release:
The Group of 20 foreign ministers met in Indonesia on Friday with the top envoys from the United States and Russia attending, their first gathering since the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov joined their colleagues for the start of day-long talks, with Washington seeking to gain support from the world's top economies to pressure Moscow over the invasion of its neighbour.

"It clearly cannot be business as usual when it comes to Russia's involvement and engagement in enterprises like the G20," a senior US official said ahead of the meeting.

In comments to open the meeting on the resort island of Bali, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi directly addressed the war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Denpasar. By Handout (RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY/AFP)

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield," Marsudi said, with Lavrov in the room.

While in Bali, Blinken will also seek to reopen dialogue with Beijing in talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the first in months after tensions strained over issues including Taiwan.

The G20 meeting is looking to tackle the war's impact on food and energy security, as well as the global economy's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the ravages of climate change.

But Blinken will shun a direct meeting with Lavrov, instead pointing the finger at Moscow for triggering global food and energy crises.

However the US official indicated Washington did not want to embarrass Indonesia.

The hosts have addressed US concerns about Lavrov attending in part by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit later this year and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to Friday's meet.

Blinken will shun a direct meeting with Lavrov, instead pointing the finger at Moscow for triggering global food and energy crises. By Stefani Reynolds (POOL/AFP)

"It's very important to us that the we focus on the G20 agenda," the US official said.

Blinken arrived at the Mulia hotel on the palm-fringed island on Friday where he could be seen talking with South Africa's foreign minister before entering the same room as Lavrov, who he last met in January.

Russia's top diplomat was seated between the Saudi Arabian and Mexican foreign ministers as the meeting began.

Friday's meeting is a prelude to the leaders' summit on Bali in November that is meant to focus on the global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

But attention has instead shifted to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which has rattled global markets, sent food prices skyrocketing and led to allegations of Russian war crimes.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi welcomes Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali. By Willy Kurniawan (POOL/AFP)

The US State Department declined to comment on the "choreography" in Bali or whether Blinken would walk out of any meetings where Lavrov is present.

But there will be no family photo of the G20 ministers as is customary, an Indonesian government official told AFP.

British FM leaves

Blinken's efforts to have a powerful Western stance against Russia at the G20 were diluted after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson -- who had pushed a tough line on Moscow's invasion -- resigned as leader of the Conservative party on Thursday.

It prompted British Foreign Minister Liz Truss to cut short her Bali trip and pull out of Friday's meeting. She flew out of Bali on Friday morning, a British official told AFP.

The talks between Blinken and Wang on Saturday -- their first since October -- will seek to address tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi shakes hand with Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss during bilateral meeting for G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali. By Sigid KURNIAWAN (POOL/AFP)

A top US official for East Asia said the pair would discuss "guardrails" on competition but said Blinken -- who recently identified Beijing as the main threat to world order -- would also explore areas of cooperation.

The meeting comes as US President Joe Biden voices hope for a conversation in the coming weeks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he last spoke in March.

Lavrov met Wang on Thursday to discuss Russia's invasion, which Moscow says it launched to stop Ukraine from joining the NATO military alliance.

Lavrov told Wang that Russia's position on Ukraine is finding support from "an increasing number" of countries.

The United States has condemned Beijing's support for Russia and Blinken is expected to reiterate those warnings in talks with Wang.
Finance Journalist Toma Imihere is worried about the reputation of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) after its decision to revoke the license of uniCredit Ghana Limited was overturned by the Court of Appeal on Thursday, July 7, 2022.

It is a dent on the Bank of Ghana's credibility because it means they did not adopt due process, he told Umaru Amadu Sanda on Eyewitness News.

uniCredit was among the 23 insolvent savings and loans companies and finance houses that had their licenses revoked in 2019.

Mr. Imihere remains sceptical that uniCredit will have the resources to leverage the courts decision to resume its financial services.

We are in totally uncharted territory. At this stage, I don't think financial analysts can predict what will come next. This is more of a legal tussle about due process.

Also speaking on Eyewitness News, Kwasi Adu Mantey, the lawyer for, Hoda Holdings Limited, the mother company of UniCredit, noted that it would be challenging to take the Bank of Ghana on after judgement.

In a regulated industry, taking Bank of Ghana to court is not a simple thing because the Bank of Ghana has a lot of power to do a lot of things, Mr. Mantey said.

So it would depend on exactly what uniCredit would want Bank of Ghana to do for them now and if Bank of Ghana refuses to do so then they will go ahead and do whatever they have to do, the lawyer added.

Hoda Holdings Limited first tried unsuccessfully to stop the Bank of Ghana from revoking its licence.

In 2020, a High Court dismissed a Judicial Review application filed by Hoda Holding challenging the revocation.

HODA Holdings eventually found success when it proceeded to the Court of Appeal, culminating in the ruling on Thursday.

citinewsroom
Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul does not side with calls for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to slash the number of its appointees amid negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.

Mr. Nitiwul posited that such calls are unfounded, as the current economic challenges are not being influenced by the current size of government.

Generally, how much is a Minister paidthat you think that the failure to reduce the Ministers is the reason Ghanaians are suffering? It may not be necessarily the caseMahamas government had between 85 and 86, we have similar numbers now, so to pin it [size of government] on the suffering of the masses is far-fetched, he argued.

Officials of the IMF have already met the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta and some key officials of the Finance Ministry to kickstart work on the bailout being sought by Ghana.

The meeting saw the IMF examining the government's fiscal expenditure and projections for the year 2022.

In the wake of calls for a reduction in government expenditure, there have been suggestions for the government to cancel some projects, such as the National Cathedral, to reduce the burden on the public purse.

However, Mr. Nitiwul disagreed, insisting the government's commitment to the National Cathedral project is necessary.

If you tell me Government has no place in helping the church where a catholic and Pentecostal can worship, it is not fair. The government continues to spend on religious bodies. We may criticize all that is being done, but let us not criticize what is being done for God.

Citinewsroom
Agricultural engineering graduates from the elite AgroParisTech university have called for fellow students to join them in deserting the agro tech industry. They want to use their skills to build a different kind of agriculture, more collaborative, more respectful of the environment and society.

France, the EU's largest agricultural producer, has developed its huge agribusiness industry thanks to intensive farming, pesticides and innovative technology.

Figures for the agri-food industry show that in 2020 some 15,479 companies generated 198 billion euros and employed more than 433,000 people.

As former agriculture minister Edgard Pisani famously said: If consumers wanted red milk and square tomatoes, French agriculture would know how to provide it.

The industry relies on big brains to tackle the 21st century challenges of balancing out productivity with sustainability under the heavy cloud of climate change.

Many of those bright minds graduate from AgroParisTech, an exclusive university devoted to the life, food and environmental sciences.

But at this year's graduation ceremony, eight of the 400 or so freshly qualified engineers turned their backs on the industry they were destined to join.

We don't want to pretend to be proud and deserving of a diploma for studies that have pushed us to take part in social and ecological devastation," said Lola Keraron during a seven-minute speech in which she and her colleagues explained why they were swerving away from the world of agribusiness.

"We don't see ourselves as 'talent' working for a sustainable planet  We see that agribusiness is waging a war on the living world and against farmers everywhere on earth."

The students rejected the idea of "green growth" and that climate change could be solved through technology.

The university, they said, was educating hundreds of students every year to work in "destructive" and "harmful" jobs that involved "tampering with plants in laboratories for multinationals that are increasingly enslaving farmers".

'Inspirational' generation

A video of their speech published on YouTube has been viewed more than 900,000 times.

It was retweeted by Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the hard-left France Unbowed party. "Listen to this. The biggest hope. That the new generation 'deserts' the absurd and cruel world we live in," he wrote.

Francois Gemmene, a contributor to the latest IPCC report on climate change, described the speech as "exceptionally inspirational" and a sign of growing malaise in top universities.

"A lot of students came to thank us, grateful that someone had finally said it," says Gwenn, one of the "deserters", adding that even the director had congratulated them.

In a cleverly worded statement, the university said it had "fulfilled its mission" to help students "choose the direction they'd like to give to their studies and their professional career".

Rejecting the system

The deserters are less kindly towards their school, and denounce its deepening ties with industry.

"A lot of the lessons were oriented to make us believe that agro industry can have solutions to the current crisis [but] it's actually doing more harm than good," Gwenn tells RFI.

"It's following the logic of profits for shareholders, for powerful people in society, and it's not acting in the interests of society and the environment."

The industry's interests are well represented in the university itself, she adds, with staff doing research for big companies.

"Some things in the school are funded by these big companies and private groups so for them it must seem normal that they can come to the school to make their propaganda."

Listen to a conversation with Gwenn in the Spotlight on France podcast

Selfish and irresponsible

The deserters, however, have their detractors. They've been mocked on social media as Amish types, turning their back on modernity and science.

Trashing their diplomas and training is seen as irresponsible, even selfish.

In an interview with Les Echos, a business daily, AgroParisTech's director appeared to change tack, criticising what he viewed as the students' fatalism and desire to retreat from society.

"He was warning us that we have a responsibility as engineers to do something about world hunger, that deserting and going to cultivate carrots in the mountains is not a solution," Gwenn says. "But that's not what we're saying at all."

Their call to desert is in fact accompanied by a call to engage.

The deserters are using their skills and knowledge to advance other more collaborative forms of agriculture and ways of living: beekeeping, collective farming projects, anti-nuclear activism and fighting construction on farming land.

Gwenn is developing her activities on a ZAD (zone to defend) near Nantes, in Brittany, where she moved a couple of years ago.

Green activists first occupied the area in Notre-Dame-des-Landes in the early 2010s to stop farmland, rich in biodiversity, being used to build an airport.

The project was abandoned but has remained a zone of resistance where people have developed an anti-capitalist lifestyle.

Some say that's too radical.

But Gwenn says the kind of projects they oppose  cement factories, pesticides, factory farms, nuclear plants  are even more so.

In France every nine years soil from land the size of a small region is removed and replaced with concrete, she says. "To me this is extremely radical."

Change from within?

Proponents of agribusiness say that given the extent of global warming and its impact on food production, France needs agricultural engineers more than ever. Change from within the industry makes more sense, they say.

"We've talked a lot about this and we believe that when you try to change the system from the inside the system changes you," Gwenn says.

"We aren't telling people to just disappear somewhere up the mountains in isolation, we're actually calling to fight against the system.

"We can put our knowledge and our intelligence to fight against the ... huge projects that are destroying land or destroying people."

A particularly critical article in Le Point suggested the deserters were part of a "nihilist fever" sweeping through France.

"We're not nihilist. It gives us energy to believe that we can emancipate ourselves and encourage others to emancipate themselves from the techno-industrial system to build something new."
Despite its significance in facilitating the work of journalists, the Right to Information (RTI) Law is not a media law but guarantees the right to information for all citizens, Mr Yaw Sarpong Boateng, Executive Secretary of the RTI Commission has said.

The Executive Secretary said the opportunity to access information by the public was provided for in Ghana under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution which guarantees the right to information by all persons, subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society.

The provision, he said, though succinct in how it was set out to operate, had proven difficult to implement subject to the processes and the ease with which individuals and organisations were able to access information.

He stated that such information ordinarily was supposed to be in the public domain or should be released to persons who put in a request for it, so long as that request fell within the qualifications and laws that governed it.

The Executive Secretary, speaking at a Civil Society forum in Accra on the implementation of the Right to Information Law in Ghana, said as part of efforts to clarify the position of the law to the citizenry, the Commission had embarked on a media sensitisation drive to educate their public and the media fraternity on the content of the RTI Act - Act 989.

Under its Rebuilding Civic Space Project, STAR Ghana Foundation (SGF), in partnership with Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) and Ghana Friends (GV) convened the forum with civil society organizations and other stakeholders on the implementation of the Right to Information Law in Ghana since its passage.

Mr Boateng said the operational functions of the Commission as required under the Law had so far been effectively discharged as outlined in its 2021 Annual report as presented to parliament.

He said in the year under review, 189 public institutions submitted their reports to the Commission in accordance with section 77 of Act 989.

Out of this number, 65 institutions received requests for information with the Department of Children receiving the highest number of 34 requests for information.

A total of 247 information requests were received by 65 public institutions. I59 of the 247 requests which translates to 64 per cent of requests for information were approved outrightly while seven requests were rejected outrightly representing three per cent, Mr Boateng disclosed.

Mr Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, Executive Director, SGF, said the convening, among other objectives, would strengthen civil society awareness of the implementation of the RTI Law, reflect on the challenges associated with it and support their mobilisation to influence its effective implementation to promote access to public information for public use in holding public officials to account.

Dr Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey, Lecturer, School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, who presented a technical paper that interrogated the relevance of the RTI Law, loopholes and potential for growth, found out that some public officials portrayed an antagonistic disposition to giving out information and had been used as coverup to deny information from the Presidency, which were not exempt.

Such exemptions, she said, were standards with every legal regime and should probably not be taken as blanket exclusions with the intent to deny access to information and that the provision for seeking reviews on application outcomes through the RTI Commission was pertinent to averting masked attempts to use exemptions as excuse to deny information.

Among others, Dr Adjin-Tettey, also, a Research Associate, Rhodes University in South Africa, recommended that awareness creation and education on the Law must be enhanced, explaining that information must include what the law says, how the public can use the law, and who to contact in specific districts for required information.

Mr Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), one of the advocates of the RTI Law, called on journalists to test the law and use it as a tool to enhance their practice.

We recognise that the RTI Law is not a law for journalists, but we also realise that it is a significant tool that enhances the work of journalists, and it is something that we will continuously push from the journalistic point of view, he emphasised.

He said the continuous invocation of the law was significant in dealing with the bottlenecks in access to information.

GNA
Ghanas former Auditor-General, Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo has been appointed a board member of the Audit and Finance Committee of the Global Fund.

His appointment was announced to the general public by an investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni on Thursday July 7 via a Facebook post spotted by Modernghana News.

According to Manasseh's post, Mr. Domelevo's new employer, the Global Fund, provides annual support of $4 billion or even more to countries, including Ghana to fight deadly diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and Malaria.

The former Auditor General of Ghana, Mr Daniel Domelevo, has been appointed by the Board of the Global Fund to serve on the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board.

"The Global Fund provides $4 Billion+ annually to countries (including Ghana) to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the post reads.

The former Auditor General also took to Facebook to express his heartfelt gratitude to the almighty God for bestowing such global acclaim on him.

To God be the glory, great things He hath done, So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life our redemption to win.

"And opened the life-gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

"Let the earth hear His voice;

"Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

"Let the people rejoice;

"Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory; great things He hath done, his post reads.

Some Ghanaians expressed joy over the appointment of the former Auditor General, claiming that Ghana could not appreciate the value in its own citizens.

A prophet is not recognized in his own land; congratulations! a happy Ghanaian expressed.

Check some reactions from Ghanaians below:
Kwame Sefa Kayi, a broadcaster of Accra-based Peace FM has chastised the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for constantly blaming Ghanas IMF move on the COVID/Russia-Ukraine war.

Before and after the country's move to the IMF, the communicators of the ruling NPP have openly refused to accept anything other than the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 as the cause of the country's economic predicament.

An NPP communicator on Thursday's edition of Peace FM's Kokrokoo morning show blamed the economic woes on covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine war which compelled the host of the show, Kwame Sefa Kayi challenged that claim.

According to him, the country's inability to effectively manage its finances has thrown the economy out of gear.

Why can't we accept that, whether it is COVID, whether the Russia-Ukraine war, whether the balance of payments supports or whichever, how we manage ourselves has been affected, hence we need to seek an IMF bailout?

Is that not the bottom line that our finances are not in good shape? he queried.

The communicator in his response insisted, Our financial strength is not in good shape because of the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.

But Sefa Kayi again refuted the claim saying That is not the only cause.

But according to the NPP communicator any person who blames the economic predicament on the government without acknowledging the negative impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 is just being hypocritical and propagandist.
Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey on Thursday, 7th July 2022, led the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to ascertain the level of destruction caused to Ghana's Ramsar sited at Tema in the Greater Accra region.

The Ramsar site is internationally recognized and supposed to hold water from different parts of the country and transit into the sea but the majority of lands have been encroached largely by developers causing flooding in communities due to the blockage of rainwater into the lagoon.

According to the Forestry Commission, the Government of Ghana acquired 4200 acres of the Ramsar site in 1998 which consist of buffer, transition, and core land.

In all, the Buffer and Transition are all encroached, and out of the 1200 acres of the core land, 700 acres have been encroached upon and the remaining 500 is been filled with sand for development.

In addition, the Municipal Chief Executive of Tema West, Hon. Anna Adukwei Addo disclosed that the over 4000 houses sitting on the Ramsar site are developed without a permit and pay no revenue to the government, using electricity and water.

Chairman of REGSEC, Hon. Henry Quartey after inspection with the team informed the media that, some houses within the core zone of the Ramsar will be demolished to pave way for the water to find its way into the lagoon.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - As Libyans prepare to mark this year's Eid Al-Adha, the Muslims festival of sacrifice on Saturday, the price of the single most important item for the celebration -- the sheep -- has shot up well beyond the means of the ordinary person
The United States and Western allies pressured Russia at G20 talks in Indonesia Friday over its "unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice" in Ukraine, but Moscow's envoy remained defiant.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov joined colleagues for day-long talks in their first meeting since the outbreak of war, with the host immediately telling them the conflict must end through negotiations.

Before the meeting on the resort island of Bali, Blinken met his French and German counterparts and a senior British official to discuss "Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice" in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement.

They "reviewed ways to address the global food security concerns that have resulted from Russia's deliberate targeting of Ukrainian agriculture", it said.

Blinken shunned a meeting with Lavrov and instead accused Russia of triggering a global food crisis, demanding Moscow allow grain shipments out of war-battered Ukraine.

"To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out," Blinken said in the closed-door talks, according to a Western official present.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Denpasar. By Handout (RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY/AFP)

Lavrov earlier told reporters he would not "go running" after Washington for talks.

"It was not us who abandoned contact, it was the United States," he said, adding that no ministers walked out of the talks.

"Our Western partners are trying to avoid talking about global economic issues," he added.

Abe shooting overshadows meet

Lavrov was absent as Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the meeting virtually in the afternoon session of the talks, three diplomatic sources told AFP.

The gathering was overshadowed by the shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign event on Friday, with Japanese premier Fumio Kishida saying he is in a "very grave condition".

Blinken voiced alarm and called it a "very sad moment" after the attack on a longtime ally of Washington and Japan's longest-serving premier.

Blinken will shun a direct meeting with Lavrov, instead pointing the finger at Moscow for triggering global food and energy crises. By Stefani Reynolds (POOL/AFP)

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, chair of the meeting, said Jakarta conveyed its "deepest sympathies" to Japan.

Before the news emerged, she addressed the war in a speech to the ministers including Lavrov.

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield," Marsudi said.

No family photo

A US official indicated Washington did not want to embarrass Indonesia at the meeting by walking out on Lavrov.

But there will be no family photo of the G20 ministers as is customary, an Indonesian government official told AFP.

The hosts have addressed US concerns about Lavrov attending in part by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit in November.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi shakes hands with Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss during the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali. By Sigid KURNIAWAN (POOL/AFP)

Blinken arrived at the Mulia hotel on Friday where he could be seen talking with South Africa's foreign minister before entering the same room as Lavrov, who he last met in January.

Russia's top diplomat was seated between the Saudi Arabian and Mexican foreign ministers as the meeting began.

He was later seen strolling and chatting to Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar before he met with Blinken.

In his meeting with Delhi's envoy, Blinken said many of the G20 member countries had criticised Moscow over its campaign in Ukraine.

"What we've heard today already, is a strong chorus from around the world... about the need for the aggression to end," he said.

British FM leaves

Blinken's efforts to have a powerful Western stance against Russia at the meeting were diluted after British Foreign Minister Liz Truss pulled out following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resignation as leader of his party on Thursday.

She flew out of Indonesia on Friday morning and was replaced by former British ambassador to the European Union Sir Tim Barrow, a British official told AFP.

While in Bali, Blinken will also seek to reopen dialogue with Beijing in talks on Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the first in months after tensions became strained over issues including Taiwan.

The meeting comes as US President Joe Biden voices hope for a conversation in the coming weeks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he last spoke in March.

Lavrov met Wang on Thursday to discuss Russia's invasion, which Moscow says it launched to stop Ukraine from joining the NATO military alliance.

The United States has condemned Beijing's support for Russia, and Blinken is expected to reiterate those warnings in talks with Wang.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will herself meet Wang on the sidelines of the meeting on Friday to press China to end trade "blockages", she said.
Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul says President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has not travelled in a rented private jet within the last three months, as part of the governments efforts at cutting down on government expenditure.

Over the last three months, the President has not flown in his rented private jet. He uses a commercial jet. I know that as a fact. We all recognise the situation we find ourselves in, and everybody must bring down his expectations, he told Citi News Umaru Amadu Sanda during an interview on Thursday, July 7, 2022.

He however said the presidents recent use of a chartered flight from Belgium to Kigali was an exceptional case.

He explained that it was due to the strike in the Belgian aviation sector and subsequent flight cancellations at the time.

Sometimes when the President is going for a particular program, the difficulty arises when he is supposed to arrive at a particular time and is delayed by using public transport.

However, the President has not used a private jet in the last three months. The only exception was when he was in Brussels, he used Air France, but he was having difficulties getting an aircraft to continue his journey, he noted.

Mr. Nitiwul indicated that the government has resorted to other austere measures, including slashing the salaries of Ministers to shore up enough revenue.

The Ministers will not live the same way they do. Ministers salaries have been slashed by 30 percentThe government is slashing expenditure.

President Nana Akufo-Addos travels in private jets have been a bone of contention between the government and some members of the Minority.

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has been at the forefront of a crusade to prevent President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo from using chartered flights for foreign trips.

According to him, the President has so far spent GH34 million of taxpayers' funds on chartered flights between May 2021 and now.

Through a series of questions on the floor of Parliament, Okudzeto Ablakwa has been demanding accountability and questioning why the Presidential Jet has seemingly been jettisoned.

citinewsroom
Deputy Lands and Natural Resources minister in a group picture with some traditional leaders

08.07.2022 LISTEN

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Mines, Hon. George Mireku Duker has disclosed the resolve by government to raise local champions in the mining communities.

According to him, it is the vision of the Akufo-Addo led administration to ensure that, the mining sector is dominated by Ghanaian industry players.

This, he says, will lead to the retention of revenue from the sector in-country which will result in the growth of the Ghanaian economy.

The large-scale mining firms are all owned by foreigners so when much of the profit is sent to their respective countries. This is why President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has brought up the concept of raising Ghanaian giants in the mining industry, he said.

Hon. Mireku Duker stated this during the launch of a Community Mining Scheme at Asamang- Tamfoe in the Atiwa West constituency of the Eastern Region.

He professed that mining policies like the Community Mining Scheme are geared towards enhancing Ghanaian participation in the industry which will ultimately lead to the creation of local champions.

Hon. Duker urged local investors to take advantage of the move by government and help create wealth in the mining industry through responsible mining.

Another indication of governments strong commitment to the small-scale mining sector, Hon. Duker reckons is the purchase of gold katchas to replace the use of mercury in mining.

It is important that we mine using the legitimate means. Just recently, President Akufo-Addo outdoored 100 mercury-free machines to replace the harmful use of mercury. He has also purchased speedboats to help secure our river bodies against illegal mining, he said.

He urged the traditional leaders to aid governments fight against illegal mining by reporting persons who engage in the act.

The Deputy Minister charged the security agencies to arrest anyone who is found to be mining without authorization from the Minerals Commission.

The Chief of the area commended government and assured that his community will support the project to achieve the intended result.
Russia's top diplomat stormed out of talks with G20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia on Friday as Western powers criticised Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Washington and allies condemned Russia's assault ahead of the meeting before Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov faced what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a barrage of Western criticism at the closed-door talks.

"What we've heard today already is a strong chorus from around the world... about the need for the aggression to end," Blinken said from the meeting on the resort island of Bali.

Blinken and Lavrov had joined colleagues for day-long talks in their first meeting since the outbreak of war, with the host immediately telling them the conflict must end through negotiations.

But Lavrov walked out of a morning session as German counterpart Annalena Baerbock criticised Moscow over its invasion, diplomats said.

He also left an afternoon session before Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the ministers virtually and was not present as Blinken condemned Russia.

"Our Western partners are trying to avoid talking about global economic issues," Lavrov told reporters outside the Mulia hotel. "From the moment they speak, they launch into fevered criticism of Russia."

Blinken shunned a meeting with Lavrov and instead accused Russia of triggering a global food crisis, demanding Moscow allow grain shipments out of war-battered Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Denpasar. By Handout (RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY/AFP)

"To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out," Blinken said in the closed-door talks, according to a Western official present.

Lavrov earlier told reporters he would not "go running" after Washington for talks.

"It was not us who abandoned contact, it was the United States," he said.

Abe killing overshadows meet

Before the meeting, Blinken met his French and German counterparts and a senior British official to discuss "Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice" in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement.

Blinken will shun a direct meeting with Lavrov, instead pointing the finger at Moscow for triggering global food and energy crises. By Stefani Reynolds (POOL/AFP)

But the gathering was soon overshadowed by the killing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign event on Friday.

After the shooting, Blinken voiced alarm over the attack on a longtime ally of Washington and Japan's longest-serving premier, calling it a "very sad moment".

Before the news of the attack emerged, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi addressed the Ukraine war in a speech to the ministers including Lavrov.

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield," Marsudi said.

No family photo

A US official indicated Washington did not want to embarrass Indonesia at the meeting by walking out on Lavrov.

But there will be no family photo of the G20 ministers as is customary, an Indonesian government official told AFP.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi shakes hands with Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss during the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali. By Sigid KURNIAWAN (POOL/AFP)

The hosts have addressed US concerns about Lavrov attending in part by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit in November.

In his address, Kuleba told ministers to "remember about 344 families who have lost their children when listening to Russian lies".

"The minister of the country responsible for their deaths appears in front of you today to share his thoughts on how Russia views cooperation in our globalised world," he added.

Blinken arrived at the Mulia hotel on Friday where he could be seen talking with South Africa's foreign minister before entering the same room as Lavrov, who he last met in January.

Russia's top diplomat was seated between the Saudi Arabian and Mexican foreign ministers as the meeting began.

British FM leaves

Blinken's efforts to have a powerful Western stance against Russia at the meeting were diluted after British Foreign Minister Liz Truss pulled out following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resignation as leader of his party on Thursday.

She flew out of Indonesia on Friday morning and was replaced by former British ambassador to the European Union Sir Tim Barrow, a British official told AFP.

While in Bali, Blinken will also seek to reopen dialogue with Beijing in talks on Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the first in months after tensions became strained over issues including Taiwan.

The meeting comes as US President Joe Biden voices hope for a conversation in the coming weeks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he last spoke in March.

Lavrov met Wang on Thursday to discuss Russia's invasion, which Moscow says it launched to stop Ukraine from joining the NATO military alliance.

The United States has condemned Beijing's support for Russia, and Blinken is expected to reiterate those warnings in talks with Wang.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma North, Sheila Bartels has admitted that the construction of the National Cathedral could have waited.

According to the Parliamentarian who is on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), although she is all for being ambitious, the balance of the needs of the people should have been prioritised.

As a government you always have to look at the balance and I am totally for being ambitious. Because if you are not ambitious in your plans, ideas and what you seek to do as a government you will be mediocre. You will finish and you wouldnt have achieve much.

For me honestly, I think that the Cathedral could have waited, that is my opinion. I think it could have waited. Even though I loved the concept, when I travel abroad I see the infrastructure that attracts tourism but I think it could have waited, Hon. Sheila Bartels told Starr FM on the Starr Chat programme.

This year, the National Cathedral Project has been very topical, especially after revelations that the government has unconstitutionally spent funds on the project.

From various posts made by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, he alleged that the government has already spent GHS200 million.

Amid the hardships in the country, many have urged the government to reconsider its focus on the National Cathedral Project and rather use available funds to embark on initiatives that will reduce the hardships facing Ghanaians.
08.07.2022 LISTEN

President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and his NPP administration have a backup plan to redeem the economy from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), says Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister.

Mr. Darko-Mensah brags that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has a track record of redeeming failed economies.

The lawmaker for the Takoradi constituency intimated that when the Mahama-led administration took the nation to the IMF, it was Akufo-Addo who worked hard to free the country.

When John Mahama went to IMF, it is Oseadeayo Akufo-Addo that brought us out of IMF. So if today, we have taken the decision to go to IMF to calm the temperatures in Ghana, Nana Addo will bring us back out of IMF because we have done it before, he stated.

Speaking at the opening of the Takoradi Technical University's (TTU) 'TESCON Lady's-YES ON' Chapter over the weekend, the Western Regional Minister ask former President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC to forget about winning the upcoming 2024 general elections.

Let them know that the NPP has a plan B, let them know that we are going to win the 2024 election he stated in an emphatic voice.

The government of Ghana will be entering the third phase of their discussion with IMF officials led by Carlo Sdralevich after beginning discussions on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.

Ghana is engaging the IMF for a bailout.
08.07.2022 LISTEN

A finance lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Seyram Kawor has stated that the Economic Management Team led by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia should lead the team negotiating with the IMF.

He said even though the Economic Management Team the Finance Minister and Ken Ofori-Atta are responsible for the economic mess, it was also proper to allow them the chance to lead the discussions with IMF for a successful programme to bring back the ailing economy.

Speaking on Joy News AM Show today, he noted that the negotiation team must first be honest with the IMF officials and admit their mistakes.

He added that, if the President was on top of the issues he should also be made to join the team.

It is a tough question looking at who should lead. As we speak we have the Finance Minister and then the deputies. We have the economic management team of the country and they have actually brought us to where we are today so if there is anyone that will lead the team to IMF I believe it should be the Economic Management Team of the country led by the Vice President, but the question to ask is are we going to the IMF with an open mind?

Are we going to open up to them and tell them that yes we have made errors and for that matter we are coming to you and these are the sincere positions we put ourselves in and therefore we want your solutions to it? The Economic Management Team of the country is supposed to lead this team and maybe the President if he is on top of the issues he can be a part of that particular team that will go the IMF to look out for the bailout, he intimated.

Meanwhile, negotiations with the IMF for a support programme have already begun since Wednesday.
President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given an assurance to the Ghanaians that his governments move to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be successful.

Despite seeking support from the IMF more than 15 times in the past, the story of Ghana unable to manage its finances wisely is one that is regarded as problematic by economic experts.

Swearing into office new Ambassadors and High Commissioners at a ceremony at the Jubilee House on Friday, July 8, 2022, President Akufo-Addo explained that his government is seeking help from the IMF in the short-run to repair the broken finances of the country.

He said, Currently, we have decided to seek the collaboration with the International Monetary Fund to repair, in the short run, our finances which have taken a severe hit in very recent times while we continue to work on the medium to long term structural changes that are our heart of our goal to create the Ghana beyond aide, that is building a resilient, robust Ghanaian economy.

The President stressed that he has no doubt with determination and hard work, the country will be successful in its dealings with the IMF this time around.

I am confident that with determination, hard work, unity and the proverbial Ghanaian sense of enterprise we will succeed, we will make it and indeed this too shall pass.

What these trends of event have taught all of us is that, we also have to strengthen and deepen our ties of cooperation and bonds of friendship with each other.

No country will be able to do it alone. We either succeed together or we perish together and that is where your work as ambassadors and High Commissioners will be needed the most, President Akufo-Addo noted.

A week ago, President Akufo-Addo directed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to engage the IMF for support in the midst of the troubling economic times the country finds itself.

Officially this week, in-person discussions have commenced as Ghana pushes for a bailout.
08.07.2022 LISTEN

A finance lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Seyram Kawor has said the Agriculture, Road and Gender Ministers should all resign.

He believes those ministries were strategically positioned to help the Finance Minister deliver but have all failed.

Joining the discussion on calls for Finance Minister to resign today, he indicated that the three ministries were supposed to work together to ensure that the plans of the Finance Minister succeed.

The call for the Finance Minister should not be for the Finance Minister alone. There should be other ministers that should join him. The Agric Minister, the Road Minister, the Minister for Gender and the rest must also go because these are Ministries that must work together to ensure that the agenda of the Finance Ministry and that of the government were in tangent with each other, he expressed on Accra based Joy News.

Mr. Kawor stressed that the ministers failed together work together in the interest of Ghanaians for which reasons they must all resign.
The victim (right)

08.07.2022 LISTEN

A Bolga Circuit Court presided over by His Worship Alexander Graham, has sent back to prison custody a 53-year old pastor accused of defiling a 13-year old girl and getting her pregnant in the process.

The suspect was said to have defiled the girl in December 2021 while she was being accommodated in the suspect's house in Zuarungu, in the Upper East Region.

On June 17, 2022, the lawyer of the suspect, Pastor John Amoah, pleaded with the court to grant him bail but the court denied and rather remanded him in prison custody to reappear on Monday, July 4, 2022.

On Monday, July 4, the lawyer representing the accused pastor was not in court for which reason he (Pastor John Amoah) will have to continue to be in prison to reappear on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.

In an earlier appearance in court, the prosecuting officer, Inspector Regina Ali Agong, told the court that about five years ago, the suspect was working as an administrator in the victim's former primary school, where he assisted the victim to pay her school fees and offered her other social support.

Inspector Agong said when the victim was promoted to Junior High School, the suspect assisted her to gain admission into a different school because her primary school did not have JHS attached.

The suspect, according to Inspector Agong, then convinced the family of the victim to allow her to live with him so that he could help improve her academic performance, which the family agreed.

The girl came to stay with the suspect and his wife at their marital home at Zuarungu, which created a cordial relation between the pastor's family and that of the girl.

In December, 2021, when the wife of the suspect had left home for Bible School, the suspect allegedly took advantage and started having sexual intercourse with the victim which resulted in pregnancy.

According to the prosecutor, the information got to the attention of the complainant, who is a staff of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council. She then reported the case to the Upper East Regional Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service leading to the arrest of the suspect.

Upon interrogation, the suspect admitted having sexual intercourse with the victim. He was charged for defilement under the criminal Offences Act of 1960, Act 29.

---Daily Guide
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
A public toilet facility has been left to rot due to demand for human sacrifice by the river gods of Ampabame No-1 in the Ashanti Region.

The construction of the facility was started in 2005 but was completed 15 years later due to the lack of funds.

Unfortunately, residents of Ampabame No-1 are unable to use the facility even after it was commissioned.

Information gathered indicates that when it was commissioned, the facility saw low patronage because of alleged spiritual issues.

From further engagements, a priestess serving the Tano gods, guardians of the Bomofia stream, close to the facility disclosed that the gods are angry with residents constant dumping of waste in the stream, which is close to the toilet facility.

Adding that the gods are also unhappy with the siting of a septic tank for the facility, she said the gods are demanding five human sacrifices before it can be used.

Speaking to journalists, Richard Ofosuhene who is Assembly Member for the Area confirmed that the demand for human sacrifice by the god has forced the closure of the toilet facility.

He said the shrine's demand for human sacrifice is a major concern especially when there is only one active public toilet facility serving the entire community.

He stressed talks are ongoing with the chiefs and elders of the community on the best way forward.

We have heard her [the priestess], we cannot abandon the facility, so we will do the needful to re-commission it, Richard Ofosuhene intimated.

The public toilet is a 32-seater facility that is expected to serve the community to deal with open defecation.
This week, Africa Calling podcast brings you audio-rich stories and voices from the African continent with our African correspondents. In Bamenda, people are still dealing with the Anglophone crisis, but some enterprising entrepreneurs are ensuring there's fresh fish. In Kenya farmers embrace GMO cotton seeds, but some experts warn about the negative impact. Elsewhere in Kenya, refugees are struggling with red tape and a long wait.

For this week's podcast, Cameroon correspondent Sylvie Yukfu talks to entrepreneurs Ayere Levis, an electrical engineer, and environmentalist Amah Wilson, founder of the Organisation known as Kizisky Biomass, Energy and Engineering Services, who both raise fish as a side hustle.

Ernest Mukrongho and Nuibougho Isidore Tih, both fish sellers, spoke to Yukfu about fish in the Bamenda area, as well as Stella Selamo, a grill chef. Director of Nkwen/Bambui Fish pond, Grace Fokem, talks about her business, too.

From Kenya, reporter Carole Gachacha Mucheru sits down with legal affairs, human rights monitoring and response advisor Damaris Bonareri at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, who explains the process to be followed to be declared a refugee as opposed to the process behind being declared an asylum-seeker. She also spoke to Kakuma refugee camp resident and refugee Benin Manyang.

Kenya correspondent Victor Moturi interviews cotton farmers Joseph Thika, Evans Ngure, and Johnson Mwai. Daniel Magondu, a lead BT cotton farmer and a chairman of Society for biotechnology farming of Kenya speaks of the positives of GMO cotton, while Kenya Organic Agriculture Network CEO Eustace Kiarie points out the numerous negatives of using GMO crops, with examples from Africa and around the world.

Listen to Kenya's multi-talented Bensoulmusic as selected by Alison Hird.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or your favourite podcast app.

Africa Calling is produced by Radio France Internationale. Editor and host, Laura-Angela Bagnetto, sound editing by Cecile Pompeani and Nicolas Doreau.

Follow us on Twitter: @Africa__Calling
The family of the slain lawyer, Richard Badombie has appealed to the Ghana Police Service to intensify its search for the killers of the late lawyer ahead of his burial scheduled for Saturday, July 9 in Kunchene in the Jirapa Municipality.

The family had visited the town where the attack took place and with the help of the people, we performed some rites to pave way for burial.

We want to know whether they were really armed robbers or a personal attack, Mr Leonardo Badombie, the father of the victim, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Tumu.

Mr Marcelinus Badombie, an uncle of the deceased, said the family suspected three circumstances that might have led to the untimely death of the lawyer.

Richard was politically active in his constituency, and as an Assembly Member of the Kunchene Electoral Area, he attempted to become a Presiding Member but was unsuccessful.

He once told me he had the political ambition and wish to contest to become a Member of Parliament to represent the Jirapa constituency, this we think did not go down well with some of the political actors, Mr Badombie explained.

He also said: The late Richard's chambers were also involved in a legal case that had to do with chieftaincy, but his hard-line position made it impossible for his opponent to penetrate and, therefore, we suspect some foul play.

His quick rise in his chosen profession as a lawyer after many years of struggle gives us a cause to be suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his death, Mr Badombie added.

The private legal practitioner with Lartey, Badombie & Co Associates taught English and French at the Tumu Senior High Technical School from 2008 to 2012 until he got admission into the University of Ghana to pursue Law Degree and subsequently to Makola for his professional course.

Kuoro Bamula Basinjia Chiemina, the Chief of Kandia in the Sissala West District, who was a friend to the late Badombie, described him as determined and loyal to his friends, he can sacrifice anything for a friend and would not abandon you in times of difficulty, we would miss him.

The late Richard Badombie died two days before his birthday on the 28th of May 2022 on the Bole Bamboi highway when he was allegedly stopped and shot by unknown gunmen.

According to the Police situational report, the late Richard Badombie was travelling from Accra to Jirapa with three relations in a Hyundai Accent saloon car with registration number GN 9890-17 when they were attacked.

Upon reaching a section of the road between the Banda Nkwanta and Nuoyiri communities on the Bole-Bamboi highway, three armed men emerged from a nearby bush and signalled them to stop.

Whiles slowing the vehicle down, one of the armed men immediately shot at Richard who was driving and killed him in the process.

The funeral is scheduled to come off 9th July 2022 at Kunchene in the Jirapa Municipality.

GNA
08.07.2022 LISTEN

Senior political science lecturer of the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has said the leaders of this country are either conniving with the foreigners to loot the country's natural resources or they are too lazy to think outside the box.

He said proper management of the country's natural resources could go a long way to develop the country and perhaps, save the country from always running to the IMF for bailouts.

Prof. Gyampo noted that instead of those leading the country put in place policies and enforcing same to help solve the economic hardship that has bewildered the citizenry, they are relaxed looking for a lazy approach such as the E-levy.

He made these assertions in a Facebook post on Friday, July 8, 2022, sighted by Modernghana News.

The political elites are either benefiting from the foreign national rape of our natural resources or they are just lazy thinkers when it comes to revenue generation. They knew that e-levy was never going to be the panacea to our woes, his post reads.

His comment follows Ghana's decision to seek an IMF bailout.

Ghana's government is in the third stage of talks with an IMF team led by Carlo Sdralevich for a programme to restore confidence in the economy.
The former President, John Dramani Dramani Mahama has narrated fond memories and contributions of the assassinated Japanese ex-Prime Minister to Ghana.

His Excellency Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, was murdered yesterday, July 7, 2022, while on a campaign trail.

The former President has expressed shock about the sad incident.

I am greatly shocked by the assassination of PM @AbeShinzo. His legacy will be remembered fondly by Ghana, Africa and the world at large for a long time to come. My thoughts & prayers are with his bereaved family and the #Japanese people in the wake of this senseless crime, he expressed his shock.

The former president recalled the late Shinzo Abe's numerous assistance to Ghana during his tenure as President and his (Abe's) as Japanese Prime Minister.

As President of Ghana, through my side meetings with him at international conferences and two official visits to Japan, I found him to be a leader passionate about opening up Japan's role on the world stage, inclusive of expanding Japan-Africa relations.

I recall our last meeting in May of 2016, which led to the official publication of the restoration of the Yen loan portfolio to Ghana and the announcement of Japan's commitment to assist Ghana with a number of important new and ongoing projects.

"These included Tema motorway interchange, expansion of Sekondi fishing harbour, expansion & upgrade of @NMIMR_UG into an Advanced Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, and the construction of a new bridge over the Southern Volta river at Volivo, among others, those were the words expressed in former President Mahamas tweet.

Find the tweets below:
Prices of sacrificial animals have seen an astronomical rise as Muslims across the globe prepare for the celebration of this year's Eid-ul Adha festival on Monday, July 11.

A visit by the Class news team to the famous Techiman Market in the Bono East Region reveals that the price for goats, sheep and cows as compared to last year are up by more than a hundred per cent (100%)

Eid ul Adha is the biggest of the three main festivals celebrated by Muslims across the globe.

The occasion is observed with the performance of rituals including the slaughtering of animals such as Carmel, cows, sheep and goats as an act of worship signifying prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael as a form of obedience to the Almighty Allah.

Haruna Abdullai, Vice-Chairman for the Goats and Sheep Dealers Association in the market explained the price range for rams has shot up and has further slowed the sale of the animal ahead of the celebrations.

He said some of the dealers get to buy the animals from villages within and outside the Techiman municipality while others travel to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Mr. Abdullai highlighted that the unattractive nature of the Cedi compared to CFA and the high cost of Agricultural inputs are some factors responsible for the high cost of the animals.

However, a non-market trader Alhaji Yeboah Seidu expressed satisfaction since he joined the animal trade over two decades ago.

According to him, one can only stand to gain if adequate capital and attention are committed to the business.

He sells between Gh8,000 to Gh10,000 per cow and Gh800 to Gh2,000 upwards for goats and sheep respectively.

Alhaji Yeboah Seidu who is also an educationist advised the youth to venture into the animal business because it is lucrative.

Source: Classfmonline.com
The 2021 Auditor-Generals report reveals that Ghana lost GHS17.4 billion to various financial infractions and irregularities by state institutions.

It represents almost GHS5 billion more than the GHS12.8 billion lost to the same infractions in 2020 per the A-Gs report.

Bemoaning the situation in a Facebook post, North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said: Even as the Akufo-Addo government commences IMF bailout negotiations, the tragic irony is that corruption is now totally out of control.

The latest 2021 Auditor-Generals report makes for grim reading, he said, adding: It indicates that financial irregularities have worsened from the GHS12.8billion recorded in 2020 to a gut-wrenching GHS17.4billion.

Mr Ablakwa said: Instead of stopping the massive haemorrhage so we can improve our economic conditions in this period of excruciating cost-of-living crisis, officials have disingenuously managed to create more loopholes by some additional GHS5 billion in a free-for-all plundering.

Instructively, the Electricity Company of Ghana alone, awarded illegal single-sourcing contracts without PPA approval to the explosive amount of GHS221.15millio, he referenced the report as revealing.

Most of the beneficiary companies have exceedingly interesting names such as: Adu Ofori Atta Enterprise, Adiepena 67 Enterprise, Cota-Q Enterprise, MasterMind B Venture, Kudirash Ghana Limited, Engineering and More, Nel Service Limited and Bentry Company Limited.

He said: Though Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta failed to provide information on the COVID-19 National Trust Fund in his COVID-19 expenditure statement to Parliament two weeks ago, thanks to the Auditor-General, we now know GHS67,907,330.33 was received in the form of donations from individuals and corporate organisations.

It is equally worth noting that the COVID-19 Private Sector Fund has been instructed by the auditors to refund GHS254,203.00.

Its been such a traumatising 746-page read. If we dont urgently, sincerely and aggressively confront and defeat corruption and deliberate leakages in public financial management, no magnitude of IMF bailout will save us.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Another meeting between representatives of government and the leadership of striking teachers from pre-tertiary public institutions has ended inconclusively today, Friday, July 8, 2022.

On Monday, July 4, 2022, four teacher unions including the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) declared an indefinite strike over the governments failure to pay a 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to members who they argue are struggling to survive.

Later on Wednesday, the Ministry in charge of Employment and Labour Relations held a meeting to discuss the way forward but the engagement ended inconclusively.

After a second meeting that involved the Ministry of Education, National Security, and Organised Labour, the Ministry of Employment has assured that the government is committed to finding a lasting solution to the demands of aggrieved public workers.

Government has taken note of the demand by Organised Labour for 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) in the light of the current economic conditions prevailing in the country.

Government is committed to engaging Organised Labour to find a lasting solution to same.

Government has appealed to the Teacher Unions to call off their ongoing industrial action, parts of a press release from the Ministry signed by Minister Hon. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah has said.

The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations notes that all parties have agreed to convene for another meeting on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) operator of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) has celebrated its 10-year anniversary of commercial operations in Ghana.

WAPCo was founded as a joint venture between public and private sector companies from Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana  to transport natural gas in a safe, responsible and reliable manner to create value for diverse stakeholders.

WAPCo is owned by Chevron West African Gas Pipeline Ltd (36.9%); Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (24.9%); Shell Overseas Holdings Limited (17.9%); and Takoradi Power Company Limited (16.3%), Societe Togolaise de Gaz (2%) and Societe BenGaz S.A. (2%).

The Managing Director of WAPCo, Gregory Germani, at an event to climax the celebrations, summed up the companys journey over the past decade as so far, so good, stating that management, staff and stakeholders have been very supportive to the success of the companys operations so far.

WAPCo collaborated with the Ministry of Energy, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) with technical support from Eni Ghana, to complete the extension of the WAGP in 2020 as part of the larger Takoradi to Tema Interconnection Project (TTIP), he added.

The completion of the TTIP, has transitioned WAGP into a multi-shipper environment, allowing access to multiple supply sources of natural gas to multiple customers.

In March this year, the WAGP set the highest monthly average record of 215 MMscfd delivery to customers and saw the highest one-day peak of 258 MMscfd, he noted.

Mr. Germani reiterated WAPCos commitment to providing cleaner and reliable energy for customers. WAGP guarantees a cost-effective, secure, cleaner, and reliable energy for power generation for regional economic growth and development that will benefit families, communities, businesses, and industries across the region

WAPCo has an enviable safety practice and record which reflects its commitment to safe operations to protect life and property. For us at WAPCo, safety is a foremost priority with over eight years and nine million workforce hours without a recordable injury, he concluded.

He further added that WAPCo will build on the strong foundations of the past 10 years to make greater impact in the sub-region as we fulfil our mission as an international company transporting natural gas in a safe, responsible, and reliable manner. We shall seek to further expand our customer base to industrial customers and new supply sources in the near future.

Sanjay Narasimhalu, Director, Commercial, Strategy and Business Performance at Chevron Nigeria Limited who spoke on behalf of the shareholders congratulated all stakeholders for making the WAGP project a reality. Moving the West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGP) from vision to reality was an incredible journey and accomplishment worth celebrating and made possible through shareholder partnership, government collaboration, a unified workforce, and the perseverance of all involved.

He added that the WAGP will be the backbone in West Africas energy transition to a lower carbon environment because it connects abundant low-cost and clean natural gas to the growing energy demand centers across West Africa to improve the quality of life of its people.

Miss Juliet Annang Nuerkie, a beneficiary of WAPCos scholarship scheme commended the company for supporting the vulnerable in the communities where it operates. She said WAPCo has been a great help to her family and the Kpone community. Their generosity has allowed me to make my dreams and goals a reality. I am confident that with WAPCos help, I will one day become a valuable member of my community and the nation at large, keeping my childhood vow of helping others.

The event, which took place at the Accra Marriott Hotel was under the theme Driving Regional Energy, and attended by management and staff of WAPCo, shareholders, board members, policy makers, CSOs, customers, and other stakeholders.
The Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project says it has concluded plans to support the National Population Commission towards digitizing its Civil Registration processes.

ID4Ds Project Coordinator, Musa Odole Solomon disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the National population Commission, Alhaji Isa Kwarra at the Commissions headquarters, Abuja.

Solomon described the National Population Commission a critical partner in the ID4D project implementation, assuring the Commission of the projects support.

Nigeria Digital ID4D is a Nigerian project, jointly funded by the World Bank, European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency. The Project Development Objective is to increase the number of persons with a National Identity Number (NIN), issued by a robust and inclusive foundational Identity system, that facilitates their access to services.

The project is designed, following an Ecosystem model and not limited to any single organisation. It therefore involves different agencies of government, the private sector and civil society. The project had since identified the National Population Commission as an important ecosystem partner, hence this visit.

Continuing, Solomon explained that the Nigeria Digital ID4D project would finance technical assistance to create the enabling legal and regulatory environment for the development of a digital Civil Register and strengthen its role in the countrys foundational ID ecosystem, including the digitization of existing birth registration processes.

On training, he said that the project has made adequate provisions for financing institutional capacity development, aimed at building trust and credibility within the countrys ID ecosystem.

We are determined to invest in the Civil Registry system to reinforce the foundational ID ecosystem by delivering National Identity Numbers at birth, as part of the birth registration process through links with the digitized Civil Register.

We therefore seek your collaboration and active participation in the implementation process.

Responding, Chairman, National Population Commission, Alhaji Nasir Isa Kwarra stated that the Commission is a willing partner in the countrys Identity project, even as he pledged the support and cooperation of the Commission to the Nigeria ID4D project.

Kwarra expressed delight at the projects readiness to support the digitization of the civil register, as well as capacity development, describing them as critical needs of the commission.

We are trying to modernize our civil registration systems. We register births and deaths. We are supposed to be registering marriages and divorce, etc. Modernizing and digitizing our processes is very important and that is where you come in.

We are willing to partner with you 100%. We are also involved in national identity coverage. I assure you of our total support and collaboration.

Speaking on the planned National Census, Kwarra said that we are planning to conduct the first Digital Census in Nigeria.

Adding her voice, Acting Director General of the Commission, Ugoeze (Mrs.) Patience Mbagwu lauded the ID4D delegation for the efforts, reiterating the Commissions readiness to partner the project.

Highlights of the meeting were exchange of souvenirs and gift items, among others.

In attendance at the meeting were the Commissions Federal Commissioners from different states of the federation, while the ID4D delegation was made up of top members of the management team.

Walter Duru, Ph.D

Manager, Communications

Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project

July 8, 2022
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Friday she hoped for a "new start" to relations with Britain after Boris Johnson's resigned as Conservative Party leader.

During Johnson's tenure, ties between London and Paris had been strained by a range of issues including Brexit, migrant crossings in the English Channel and fishing rights.

"It is up to the British to choose their government and their prime minister, and that happens first within the Conservative Party," said Catherine Colonna, who once served as French ambassador to London, in an interview at G20 talks in Bali.

Colonna said Paris was positive that a change of prime minister would "allow us to hope for a new start in Franco-British relations", calling the status quo "good" but with the "potential for improvement".

On defence and security issues and major crises like Ukraine, "we are very close", she said, adding that Brexit had "prevented our two countries from having a level of cooperation and trust commensurate with their responsibilities in the world".

Johnson was still clinging to power as late as Wednesday night despite a wave of resignations.

But a fresh round of high-profile government departures and warnings of a second no-confidence vote next week by Tory MPs changed his mind, and he stood down on Thursday.

But the scandal-ridden leader said he would stay on until a successor was found.

Colonna was due to meet British foreign minister Liz Truss  one of those touted for the UK's top job  at G20 talks on Friday, but Johnson's resignation prompted Truss to cut short her trip to Indonesia and fly back to London early.
Palestinians in Gaza are expecting little from the new Israeli caretaker government led by Yair Lipid. The new government was put in place at the beginning of the month after Naftali Bennett pulled the plug on the ruling coalition.

Elections will be held in Israel in November.

Barely appointed, Lapid has already been to France for a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.

French support for a positive continuation of nuclear negotiations with Iran dominated those talks.

"Iran's nuclear power poses a threat to world peace," Lapid told his French host.

On the domestic front, Lapid's four-month tenure will centre on Palestinian-Israeli relations.

This week, Israeli media reported that the Tel Aviv government is considering a prisoner swap with the ruling Islamist Hamas party in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas claims to hold four Israeli captives, including two soldiers taken prisoner in 2014. At least one of the four is known to be suffering major health problems.

Biden tours the zone

Later this month, Lapid will welcome US President Joe Biden.

The American leader is to visit Israel, the Palestinian territories and Saudi Arabia.

Most commentators see little hope of getting Palestinians and Israelis any closer to agreement on the two-state solution, long championed by Washington and supported by Lapid.

"Lapid's mandate does not allow him to forge any agreement on any political issues, including the long-envisioned two-state solution.

"He leads a branch of the Israeli left that has always believed in peace with the Palestinians.

"Unfortunately, he does not have much to offer since he is only the leader of a caretaker government," Dr. Mokhaimar Abu Se'da, a Gaza-based political analyst, told RFI in a phone interview.

Many Palestinians say the situation on the ground in the occupied territories is becoming more complicated because of increased settlement activity by Israel, and the military crackdown on Palestinian cities and villages.
Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister for Communication and Digitalisation, is expected to brief Parliament Tuesday, July 12, on the challenges confronting the National Identification Authority in the printing and issuance of the ECOWAS Identity Card.

Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament, presenting the Business Statement for the Eighth Week ending Friday 15th July, said the Leadership was also in discussions with Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister for Food and Agriculture to brief Parliament on the compensation package by the government for farmers impacted by the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2021.

He noted that the appropriate date for the briefing would be communicated to Members in the ensuing week, most probably on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

"Mr Speaker, Leadership is firming up discussions with the Minister responsible for National Security to brief Parliament at close sitting matters about the security of the state, particularly having regard to the recent spate of terrorist attacks within the West African sub-region.

"The date for the briefing barring any unforeseen developments shall be Tuesday, July 12, 2022," he said on the floor of Parliament on Thursday.

Mr Annoh-Dompreh said under the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, would on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 present the Mid-Year

Review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the 2022 Financial year.

He urged Members of Parliament to take note and avail themselves of the presentation.

According to the Majority Chief Whip, a total of 56 questions out of which eight would be urgent with the remaining 47 being oral would be responded to during the week.

He mentioned Communication, Roads and Highways, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Railways Development and Education ministers as among the seven ministers expected to attend upon the House to respond to the tabled questions.

The others would be the National Security and Interior Ministers.

GNA
Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Angola with an iron fist for 38 years, died on Friday at a hospital in Barcelona after suffering cardiac arrest, the government said. He was 79.

Seldom seen in public, dos Santos was nonetheless a presence in daily life for as long as most Angolans could remember, coming to power in 1979, before stepping down in September 2017 after nearly four decades at the helm of the Portuguese-speaking, oil-rich state.

He maintained fierce control throughout the country's devastating civil war, which ended in 2002, followed by an oil boom and recession in 2015.

With "great pain and consternation" the Luanda government posted on Facebook confirmation of dos Santos' death at 11:10 am (1010 GMT) at the Teknon Medical Centre.

"(The government) presents its deepest feelings of sorrow to the bereaved family," the statement read, describing the former leader as a "statesman of great historical stature" who led the country through very difficult times.

Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who is seeking re-election in August, declared five days of national mourning, starting Saturday.

A presidential decree ordered flags to be flown at half-staff and the cancellation of "all shows and public demonstrations".

Angola's dos Santos attends a G8 summit in Italy in July 2009. By - (POOL/AFP/File)

"This is very sad news... he has done a lot for the country", Luanda resident Santos Camuenho, a 40-year-old mason said.

Dos Santos was admitted to hospital in Spain and placed in intensive care after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 23.

Fears of foul play

The government gave no explicit cause of death in its statement and one of dos Santos' daughters swiftly demanded the hospital retain his body for an autopsy over fears of foul play.

She asked the medical centre to "hold onto the body... until an appropriate autopsy is carried out on fears it could be transferred to Angola," her lawyers said in a statement.

Welwitschia dos Santos, known as Tchize, had last Monday filed suit with the Catalan regional police, alleging her father's condition was the result of attempted murder.

According to the complaint, the 44-year-old believes her father's wife, Ana Paula, and his personal physician are responsible for the deterioration in his health.

In Friday's statement, her lawyers said the complaint included allegations relating to "attempted murder, failure to exercise a duty of care, injury resulting from gross negligence and disclosure of secrets by people close to him".

Police confirmed receiving the complaint and said they had opened an inquiry.

President Jose Eduardo dos Santos (L) handpicked his defence minister Joao Lourenco to succeed him in 2017. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP/File)

Born in the slums of Luanda, dos Santos was one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, using his nation's oil wealth to turn one of his children into a billionaire while leaving his people among the poorest on the planet.

'Billions embezzled'

Dos Santos avoided the personality cult so often favoured by dictators, but instead used secretive and authoritarian tactics he learned during the Soviet era.

And for as much as he controlled every aspect of Angolan life, he mismanaged his own transition away from power so badly that he ended up in temporary self-imposed exile, with a son in prison and a daughter facing international legal challenges.

When he stepped down, dos Santos handed over to former defence minister Lourenco, handpicked to replace him.

But Lourenco quickly turned on his erstwhile patron, starting an anti-corruption drive to recoup the billions he suspected had been embezzled under dos Santos.

Dos Santos's son Jose Filomeno has been in prison since 2019 on corruption charges.

His eldest daughter Isabel was once named by Forbes as Africa's richest woman, worth $3 billion (2.55 billion euros). She now faces a slate of investigations into her multinational business dealings.

Dos Santos died at the Teknon Medical Centre in Barcelona. By Pau BARRENA (AFP)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to dos Santos saying his "humble beginnings, his militancy, his exile from the country of his birth and his education in the then Soviet Union resonate profoundly with the journey many South Africans in our own liberation movement experienced".

Portugal's president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa described him as a "decisive protagonist" in the relations with Angola's former colonial power.

"I remember him as someone of exceptional intelligence, who was able to guarantee Angolan national unity in an extraordinarily difficult geopolitical context", ex-Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Barroso told Lusa news agency.

The former head of the European Commission had in the early 1990s worked as a mediator during peace talks between Luanda and rebel groups.

For much of his time at the head of his MPLA party, dos Santos fought a brutal civil war.

The conflict was a Cold War hotspot, with dos Santos receiving Soviet and Cuban backing while UNITA rebels had the United States and apartheid South Africa on their side.

Namibia's president Hage Geingob called dos Santos an "outstanding revolutionary" who dedicated his life to the pursuit of freedom, justice and equality.

"Today is a dark day for the African continent. Another giant tree has fallen," Geingob said in a statement.

When the 27-year conflict ended in 2002, dos Santos led Angola away from hardline Marxism and fostered a post-war oil boom and foreign investment surge that transformed central Luanda.

"My heart is bleeding," Nsimba Adao, a 39-year-old street vendor in Luanda, told AFP. "He brought us peace."
Former Ghana President, John Dramani Mahama has expressed shock at the news of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Shinzo Abe, 67, was shot by a man believed to be in his 40s on Friday, July 8, 2022, while delivering a speech.

He was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately did not survive.

Reacting to the death of the former Japanese Prime Minister, ex-President John Dramani Mahama says the legacy of Shinzo Abe will forever be remembered by Ghana, Africa, and the world at large.

I am greatly shocked by the assassination of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His legacy will be remembered fondly by Ghana, Africa, and the world at large for a long time to come, the former Ghana President said in a statement on his Facebook page.

He added, At this time, my thoughts and prayers are with his bereaved family and the Japanese people in the wake of this senseless crime.

Below is the full statement from ex-President John Dramani Mahama:

I am greatly shocked by the assassination of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His legacy will be remembered fondly by Ghana, Africa and the world at large for a long time to come.

As President of Ghana, through my side meetings with him at international conferences and two official visits to Japan, I found him to be a leader passionate about opening up Japan's role on the world stage, inclusive of expanding Japan-Africa relations.

I recall our last meeting in May of 2016, which led to the official publication of the restoration of the Yen loan portfolio to Ghana and the announcement of Japan's commitment to assist Ghana with a number of important new and ongoing projects. These included the Tema motorway interchange project, expansion of the Sekondi fishing harbour, expansion and upgrade of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research into an Advanced Research Centre for Infectious diseases, and the construction of a new bridge over the Southern Volta river at Volivo, among others.

At this time, my thoughts and prayers are with his bereaved family and the Japanese people in the wake of this senseless crime.
08.07.2022 LISTEN

The Anglo-Australian legal system has much to answer for. While robed lawyers and solemn justices proclaim an adherence to the rule of law, the rule remains a creature in state, more fetish than reality. Had the farcical prosecution of former ACT Attorney General Bernard Collaery gone on, all suspicions about a legal system slanted in favour of the national security state would have been answered.

Collaery, a sagacious and well-practiced legal figure, has been the subject of interest under section 39 of the Australian Intelligence Services Act 2001 (Cth), which covers conspiracies to reveal classified information. It all began when he was, in the natural order of things, consulted by former intelligence officer Witness K. Witness K has been convicted for revealing the existence of a 2004 spying operation conducted by the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) that led to the bugging of cabinet offices used by the Timor-Leste government.

The operation was instigated at the behest of Australias corporate interests. At the time, Canberra was involved in treaty negotiations with Timor-Leste on the subject of accessing oil and gas reserves. East Timors crushing poverty and salivating need for hard cash did not interest Australias own resource companies and the desk bureaucrats in Australias capital.

In 2013, both men lent their services to the East Timorese cause before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. Australias illegal operation was finally going to make it into international law proceedings, thereby invalidating the original agreement reached between Dili and Canberra.

Alarm bells sounded and raids in Canberra made, though the nothing stirred the prosecutors till 2018. Wishing to stake his claim to protecting national security, Attorney General Christopher Porter, in contrast to his predecessor, thought it appropriate to commence legal proceedings against Collaery and Witness K. As matters proceeded, Porters fascination, and obsession with secrecy, became evident. Attempts were made to hold the trials in utter secrecy and out of the scrutinising mischief of the press. The Attorney General also imposed a national security order that prevented the parties from divulging details of the prosecution to the public or press.

With Witness Ks conviction, Collaery was left standing to counter five charges alleging that he communicated information to various ABC journalists prepared by or on behalf of ASIS and allegedly conspired with Witness K to communicate that same information to the Government of Timor-Leste.

The efforts against Collaery began to resemble those of a smug and doltish inquisition keen to draw out proceedings and fritter away accountability. There were efforts made to restrict the accused from actually seeing the evidence that might be used against him in trial. There were attempts to prevent the release of the full published reasons of the ACT appeals court, which found that various identified matters in the Commonwealth case against Collaery should be made available to the public. Open justice can be such a nuisance.

Lawyers and observers covering the case noted how the proceedings against the barrister had descended into a charade. Kieran Pender of the Human Rights Law Centre, attending the sessions with almost religious dedication, compared it a lottery  would I be permitted into court today, or would the secrecy shrouding the case win out?

With the election of the Albanese government, a change of approach was aired. Australias new Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, decided to call an end to matters. I have had careful regard to our national security interest and the proper administration of justice, he claimed in making the decision. The decision to discontinue the prosecution was informed by the governments commitment to protecting Australias national interest, including our national security and Australias relationships with our close neighbours.

Dreyfus did all he could to suggest that this case was not a sign of future leniency to whistleblowers. It was an exceptional case. Governments must protect secrets and our government remains steadfast in our commitment to keep Australians safe by keeping secrets out of the wrong hands.

Independent MPs who had protested against Collaerys treatment expressed relief. Rebekha Sharkie, in welcoming the decision, condemned the previous Attorney General for pursuing a politically-motivated prosecution which was an embarrassment to the rule of law in Australia.

East Timorese notables long enchanted by the good grace of Collaery and Witness K were relieved by the decision. Xanana Gusmao, in a statement, commended the decision to discontinue the prosecution. Collaery had been prosecuted for alleged breaches of Australian national security laws by disclosing that the Australian intelligence services bugged Timor-Lestes cabinet room during oil and gas negotiations. Such bugging for commercial purposes had been illegal and unconscionable.

The Dreyfus decision does not end the matter. Prosecutions against whistleblowers in Australia, encouraged by weak and vague protections, remains current fare. The whistleblower David McBride, who revealed the extent of alleged war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, still faces the prosecutors brief. As does Richard Boyle, the Australian Tax Office whistleblower who revealed ill-doings at the tax office.

Pender suggests that these prosecutions should also be dropped. For the sake of the rule of law, his arguments are hard to fault. But the national security state clings and claws, preventing reforms. Even Dreyfus finds it hard to escape its embrace.

Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He currently lectures at RMIT University. Email: [email protected]
08.07.2022 LISTEN

Sorry, I dont intend to assault the intelligence of Ghanaians but if after my critical analysis one finds themselves bruised, so be it. After days of cogitation about the official announcement that Ghana is contacting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial bailout to relieve the country of the pains of the economic pressure come to bear upon the citizens, I have decided to wade into the ongoing brouhaha, but as a deep thinker.

Many a Ghanaian, wise, intelligent, well-educated, and you just name it, is making a mockery of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, accusing them of hurtling to the IMF like a frightened dog with its tail tucked in-between its two hind legs, scuttling away from danger for its sheer life.

Many have gone onto the social media and the airwaves airing their views in clearly a teasing manner without any shame. They are in sarcastic jubilation. They are happy that the NPP are suffering from the same problem for which they once accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of incompetence.

The NDC under former President John Dramani Mahama took Ghana to the IMF for economic bailout.

One may say, regardless of the different situations that compelled both governments to seek financial help from the IMF, once they have both been to the IMF, their competences or otherwise, are the same. They have both mismanaged the economy of Ghana hence seeking bailout of their economy from the IMF.

Most of the people that are jubilantly mockingly seeking to score equalization points, appear to be well-educated and wise, judging from their outward postures. While the hierarchy of the NDC and their teeming supporters believe it is a perfect chance for them to cause irredeemable damage to the credibility of the NPP in the eyes of Ghanaians to pave way for them (NDC) to come to power in 2024, others from the NPP camp have joined the chorus out of sheer bitterness for known and unknown reasons.

Be that as it may, and as wise as they seem, let it be known to them that it does not pay to jump into hasty conclusions as either wise or intelligent persons, without first critically analysing the circumstances.

Look at the following simple mathematical explanation.

2 + 2 =4 and 10-6=4. The results of both equations are the same. They both come out as 4. However, the determinant numbers involved in both equations differ apart from the results. Similarly, once youve gone to IMF, it is taken that youve gone to IMF, regardless. Nevertheless, different reasons as may be in the equations just stated may have compelled you to go to IMF.

Mismanaging your economy for the fact of being incompetent, insatiably greedy and corrupt, myopic and clueless, can force you to seek help from the IMF. On the other hand, external economic shocks that become world phenomenon of which you can never have any, or absolute, control over, can impact your countrys economy so severely that you will obligatorily have to fall on IMF for bailout.

During the era of the John Mahama-led NDC administration, Ghana went to IMF. It was purely down to his mismanagement of the economy where as corrupt and obviously greedy for illegal wealth as himself, cronies and top party members were, they somehow depleted the coffers of the nation.

Government contracts went overboard in terms of cost to the nation. They were so inflated to probably allow the officials awarding the contracts to receive some kickbacks from the contractors to whom the contracts were awarded. Take the Accra Circle interchange for example; constructed at a cost of $260 million.

The NPP going to IMF could partly be due to official corruption, the intrinsic trait of the Ghanaian politician, but principally as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia invasion of Ukraine. These two problems, the Covid-19 and the Russia/Ukraine war, have impacted worldwide economies. This is a fact that only a big fool who is as unreasonable as they are foolishly partisan will deny it.

Being a deep thinker, I, Rockson Adofo, the proud son of Kumawu/Asiampa, like a fountain overflowing with wisdom, will never rush to draw conclusions without first examining the situation and subjecting it to critical analysis.

Some Ghanaians argue that it is not only Ghana that has suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war, therefore, why should Ghana go to the IMF while others are not? Fine, I perfectly understand them. But my simple question to such people reasoning childishly is, do they accept that Covid-19 and the Russia/Ukraine war have exacerbated the world economy? Again, which countries have the right to go to the IMF and when, how and why?

In my days as a geography student, one of the reasons used to prove that the earth is spherical in shape but not flat, long before satellites were used to confirm it was, if the earth is a member of the universe and all the members of the universe are spherical or round in shape, the earth must also be round. It cannot be the only odd one among them to have a different shape

Subsequently, if throughout the world, all countries are complaining of suffering from the adverse effects of Covid-19 and the Russia/Ukraine war, why must Ghana be the exemption, as it is the view and expectation of the NDC and the enemies of the NPP government?

In Europe where I live, all the countries are complaining to have suffered, and continue to suffer, from the negative ripple effects of the Covid-19 and the Russia/Ukraine war. I read this from the newspapers every day.

In the United States of America, Canada and elsewhere, they are facing the same economic downturn or collapse, all because of Covid-19 pandemic as exacerbated by the Russia/Ukraine war.

Some wise and highly educated Ghanaians are arguing, thus, why should Ghana go to IMF seeing that many countries are facing the same problems but have not gone to the IMF? Good question. However, as a Ghanaian, and Ghanaians being noted for using a question to answer a question, I will ask the following question in response to their question. When, how, why and which countries, are allowed to go to the IMF and for what reason?

By the way, my checks reveal that it is not only Ghana that has gone to IMF since the Covid-19 and the Ukraine war. Some African countries and other countries from other continents have been.

Out of mere jealousy, stupidity and crazy yearning for power, quick wealth and fame, some people, especially the politicians and their sycophants, will do whatever it takes to bring their opponents or others down, using propaganda and pure lies.

Those condemning NPP for going to the IMF, blaming such a move as incompetence on their part are totally clueless about what they are talking about. They are not abreast with the situation in the world. They do not comprehend the impact of Covid-19 and the Russia/Ukraine war on the worldwide economies.

Is it not an Akan proverb that goes, The ceiling won't stay when the room is no longer there? When Covid-19 and the Russia/Ukraine war rip economies apart, can Ghana continue to improve her economy as though, nothing untoward had happened? No!

Those hypocrites and pretenders, please dont rush to conclusions in order not to expose your ignorance in intellectual debates.

Should IMF never be visited for help by any country?

Ghanaians, be honest with yourselves to draw a clear line between when a president or government is being incompetent to running the economy of a country and when worldwide forces beyond anyones control culminate in damage to economies. They are totally two different situations!

Rockson Adofo

Friday, 8 July 2022
The Ghanaweb article Social Media Users call for Akufo-Addos resignation as UK PM resigns (Jul.8, 2022) is interesting.

I would not blame Akufo-Addo for the economic hardship the whole world is seeing, but rather would join the callers for his resignation for

1. his inability to discipline his staff, including the 3,000 appointed by him some of who he may not remember, with the ghost names not being addressed; and yet

2. making no effort to reform the Constitution and improve on the 1992 document, and

3. inability to eliminate the conflict of interest in our governance system and initiate Ethical standards!!

Allowing his nephew Ken Ofori Atta to use his company Databank to earn an estimated $30-100 million or more, from loan brokerage procurement for Ghana, is wrong and should be illegal while we the taxpayers pay him! And

4. For failing to allow the rich commercial and residential property builders to contribute their fair share of taxes so we can build our roads and sewage systems and institute clean and healthy environment and sanitation!

EDUCATION:

Sure Nana Akufo-Addo was educated in UK in his earlier days, but one doubts if other than his English-speaking skills and accent he learned anything besides Arithmetic and English in England. Even the Arithmetic may be weak, or in doubt, as one examines his economic output.

Education was supposed to help us analyze and make decisions. How do you keep increasing government staff, while offering free SHS, and unable to predict the value of revenues from real estate! How do these people in Government think places like America and European nations generate revenue? By selling cocoa and minerals?

TALK -Vs- ACTION.

The man Nana Akufo Addo speaks well. I like him for being a leader on the ground and joining some us who were fighting to return Ghana to a democratic governance system in the 1990s. However, the good Book says:

In all labor there is profit but the TALK of the LIPS tendeth only to perjury (Ohia or poverty) (Proverbs 14:23)

Ghanaians like to TALK! Dialogue, conferences, Senkyi Summit conference and seminars, sitting allowances, Talk-Show, etc!

Ebeeeei!!

It seems Nobody in the world can out-talk us Ghanaians oo!!

But at the end of the day all the travels and education we acquired go to waste if we dont use our education and take templates from the places we have studied, and learn, copy and emulate, enforce discipline to build our nation!

The obstructive thinking- eha de saa principles, plus evil thoughts of envy, will keep us in the same boat forever till some other people come and take our people as slaves! Is that what we want?

Lets read history and it seems even in Biblical times our people have been about the only people who have been carted into slavery!

Today our women are being deceived and sold by crooked and evil Employment Agents as slaves (call it domestic servants) in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Some are being forced to have sex with dogs and their masters! What a disgrace for a people who refuse to fight!

LIFE IS WAR!!

Please read and watch how Shaka Zulu. He is the one leaders we recall in Africa who created a mighty empire with his strong Spirit and courage, defying traditions and using will power to discipline his people and creating a reasonable sized empire.

Supposing Shaka had the education and exposure to the rest of the world as we do in the modern day, his South African Zululand could have been the equivalent of the Netherlands or Germany and never allow those whites to take South Africa!

Today we run away like we did in the old Ghana Empire around 1237 - many of us (including this writer) have been forced to seek employment and livelihood and even retirement outside. We still invest a lot of our money in Ghana- and people like some of us will never give up on our people. We are now strategizing to fight in the courts and ignore the Naysayers!

Dr. K. Danso (Jul.8, 2022)

Intl President- GLU (Ghana Leadership Union).
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Senior High Schools (CHASS) has denied reports that it is forcing members of the Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU) to work in the wake of industrial action by teaching and non-teaching staff at the pre-tertiary level.

The group said, some kitchen staff are working but that was as a result of engagement and persuasion from management to keep schools running.

TEWU warned CHASS to stop intimidating its members following the strike by teacher unions.

On Monday, 4th July 2022, the four (4) Unions in Education, namely Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), TEWU and Coalition of Concerned Teachers , Ghana, withdrew their services in all the Pre-Tertiary educational space, to back their demand for the Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA).

This involved both Teaching and Non-Teaching staff.

TEWU however, said in a statement that it is sad to note this, information reaching us is that some members of CHASS, are intimidating our members, the non-teaching staff, especially the kitchen staff and forcing them to remain at work.

We find the actions of these CHASS members as very unfortunate, to say the least.

We, in the leadership of the Union, do not want to have any confrontations with anybody as far as this Industrial Action is concerned. No teacher is being forced and threatened to remain in the classroom so we do not see why the non-teaching staff are being treated this way.

We are by this medium, requesting the Director-General of GES to call these Heads to order and asked them to refrain from the threats and intimidations as we all seek the appropriate response from Government on our request.

We are by this medium also telling ALL the Non-Teaching staff to withdraw all services and stay at home until you hear from us, your leaders, the statement issued by the General Secretary of TEWU, Mark Dankyira Korankye said.

But CHASS fears a possible shutdown of schools should all the kitchen staff withdraw their services in the coming days.

National President of CHASS, Alhaji Yakubu Abubakar told TV3 in an interview on Friday July 8 that We know the reason for the strike is for the good of all teachers which all of us are involved though.

They have understood and cooperated with us. It is the same vein we also spoke with our teaching staff especially the non teaching people, given that the students are still in school and they must eat, definitely their services would be required. So if we get a total breakdown as far as the strike is concerned it means the students will not be fed.

So it our understanding as a result of persuasion that we have got some of these people to cooperate just so the system at least while we find solution to the strike action.

---3news.com
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East, Dr. Kwabena Donkor is urging Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to resign and save the little honour he has left.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, July 7, 2022, the Parliamentarian stressed that the time has come for politicians to accept responsibility when things do not go well in the delivery of their mandate.

In his view, the Finance Minister should not be allowed to lead Ghana in the discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if indeed the government wants the best for the country.

It is in the light of this that I call on Honourable Ken Ofori-Atta, as a matter of national duty and in order to save the little honour left, that he does the right thing and tender in his resignation. He can still act as an advisor to the government in the negotiations but not as the Minister responsible for Finance.

We have gotten to a level in our political development that ministers must begin to take responsibility. A Minister who categorically stated that we will never go to the IMF cannot be dragged unwillingly to IMF to lead our negotiations if we love our country, Dr. Kwabena Donkor shared.

According to the Pru East MP, parliament must push to remove Ken Ofori-Atta if he refuses to yield to the calls to resign from his position as the countrys purse holder.

We need somebody who will believe in what he or she will be doing to lead the negotiations. If Ken Ofori-Atta does not resign, I believe the Parliament of Ghana must keep faith with the people of Ghana and the people of Ghana deserve better than this.

Parliament has the power to ask him to go and Parliament must act. I am very passionate about this because Ken Ofori-Atta must resign to give the president a free hand to choose somebody to lead these delicate negotiations, Dr. Kwabena Donkor added.

In the midst of the economic challenges facing Ghana, President Akufo-Addo has directed the Finance Minister to engage the IMF for support.

A team from the IMF is already in the country and started in-person discussions with representatives from the government on Thursday, July 7, 2022.
A Circuit Court at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Bono Region has convicted and sentenced an ex-convict Kwabena Paterson, aged 28 to 14 years imprisonment for causing unlawful damage, unlawful entry, stealing and resisting arrest.

Paterson, also an apprentice mason, pleaded not guilty and was consequently convicted on all four charges by the Court.

Police Inspector (P/Inspt.) Emmanuel Asare, the prosecutor told the Court presided over by Mr Samuel Djanie Kotey that the complainant, a student at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Dormaa Campus, resided at SS whilst the convict also lived at Nkyenkyenkye, suburbs at Dormaa-Ahenkro.

The prosecutor said at 0700 hours on Thursday, April 21 this year, the complainant secured his door and left for school but received a telephone call from his landlady at 1100 hours asking why he left his door unlocked.

P/Inspt. Asare said the complainant rushed back to the house and detected the room had been broken into and his seven-kilogram gas cylinder valued GhC150.00 and DH electrical standing fan worth GhC125.00 had been stolen.

He said the complainant began his own investigation and was informed by a witness that he saw the convict carrying the aforementioned items.

P/Inspt. Asare said the complainant reported the case to the Police at Dormaa-Ahenkro and further investigation led to the arrest of the convict.

The prosecutor said the convict resisted arrest by engaging the Police in a fierce struggle but was overpowered and brought to the Police station.

P/Inspt. Asare said during interrogations, the convict denied the offence but later admitted and led the Police to his abode, adding that the convict even though was handcuffed, fled when they reached his residence but was pursued and re-arrested.

He said the fan was retrieved, but the convict sold the gas cylinder to one Charles at Brofoyedru, a farming community in the Municipality

GNA
An Adentan Circuit Court has imposed a fine of GHS3,600 on a driver's mate for exposing a child to danger.

Nana is said to have collected the victim from her mother when they reached their destination and alighted. Nyarko placed the victim, now deceased, close to the vehicle but the victim strayed to stand in front of the vehicle. The driver accidentally ran over when he moved the vehicle.

Nana Nyarko, who pleaded guilty to exposing a child to danger, in default will serve a year's imprisonment.

The Court presided over by Mrs Sedinam Awo Balokah also ordered him to pay compensation of GHS5,000 to the deceased family.

Prosecution led by Chief Superintendent of Police Patience Mario narrated that on March 4, last year, at about 12:40 pm, accused Nana Nyarko was on board a Hyundai Grace bus with registration number GR 5773-09 as the driver's mate from Madina heading towards Ashale Botwe.

On reaching Ashale Botwe Nanakrom, a female passenger, Regina Mangora who was on board with her two-year-old daughter by name Allu Akshita Koboasare, decided to alight at the bus stop.

The prosecution said Madam Regina Mangoria handed over her child to Nyarko so she could alight.

After collecting the child from her mother, the Prosecution said Nyarko left the child on the ground close to where the car was parked.

The prosecution said the child strayed away and stood in front of the vehicle and the driver ran over her.

The prosecutor said the child sustained severe injuries and she was rushed to the Pentecost Hospital at Madina Estates, but she was pronounced dead on arrival.

It said the child's body was deposited at the Police Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy,

The prosecutor said a duplicate docket was forwarded to the office of the Attorney General's office where the Police were advised to charge Nyarko with the offence to appear before the court.

GNA
The President of the Republic Of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo expressed sadness about the demise of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

In a post on his Twitter page, the chair of ECOWAS extended a message of condolence to the people of Japan and its Emperor Naruhito, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for their loss.

On behalf of the Government & people of Ghana, I send sincere condolences and deep sympathies to Emperor Naruhito, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the Government and people of Japan, and to his family, on the tragic murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which occurred today, President Akufo-Addo said in a Tweet this evening.

According to President Akufo-Addo, the Asian country has lost a noble patriot who will be missed by all for a very long time.

Japan has lost a noble son, a patriot, and a distinguished democrat. He will be missed by all who had the privilege and pleasure of knowing and meeting him.

May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen, President Akufo-Addo added in his Tweet.
Zimbabwean police arrested freelance journalist Anyway Yotamu on July 7, 2022, while he was filming an altercation between taxi drivers and parking attendants in the capital Harare.(Credit: Hilary Maradzika)

09.07.2022 LISTEN

Zimbabwean authorities should drop all charges against freelance journalist Anyway Yotamu, investigate his assault by police, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

At about 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 7, police officers assaulted Yotamu while he was filming an altercation between taxi drivers and parking attendants in the central business district of the capital, Harare, according to the journalist and his lawyer Shamiso Dhlakama, both of whom spoke to CPJ via messaging app, multiple local media reports, a Facebook post by the Zimbabwe chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern Africa, and a statement by the local Young Journalists Association, which CPJ reviewed.

A group of five officers ordered Yotamu to stop filming, hand over his phone, and give them his password; when he refused, the officers tried to grab his phone, knocking it to the ground and damaging it, and then beat Yotamu with truncheons all over his body, according to those sources. Yotamu told CPJ that he identified himself as a journalist multiple times during the incident, and the attack only stopped when a fellow officer told them not to beat journalists.

The officers brought Yotamu to the Harare Central Police Station and indicated he would be released without charge after his lawyer intervened, Yotamu and Dhlakama told CPJ. However, authorities reversed course soon after and charged the journalist with disorderly conduct and undermining the authority of the police, they said.

Again, police in Zimbabwe are assaulting and arresting journalists for simply doing their jobs. Freelance journalist Anyway Yotamu is their latest victim, and prosecutors must drop the spurious charges against him, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. It is high time that Zimbabwean authorities ensure that police officers end their attacks on journalists. Maintaining law and order is not a license to abuse power.

Yotamu sustained injuries to his knee from the beating, for which he received medical treatment, the journalist and Dhlakama told CPJ.

Yotamu is a freelance contributor to online publications, including Harare Times and Spiked Media.

If convicted of disorderly conduct, he could face a fine of 30,000 Zimbabwean dollars (US$83) and six months imprisonment; undermining the authority of the police carries up to two years imprisonment and a fine of 120,000 Zimbabwean dollars (US$332), according to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and schedule of fines.

Yotamu is scheduled to appear in court on Saturday, he and his lawyer told CPJ.

Zimbabwe police spokesperson Paul Nyathi told CPJ by phone that he was unaware of Yotamus arrest and subsequent charges.
Lithium developer Vulcan Energy Resources [ASX:VUL] rose as much as 8% on Friday after signed a binding collaboration agreement with Enel Green Power.

Despite the jump today, the VUL stock is down 45% year to date as ASX lithium stock valuations have taken a haircut this year.

Source: Tradingview.com

Vulcan Energy and EGP Take on Cesano

Vulcan Energy announced a binding collaboration agreement with Enel Green Power, the largest geothermal energy producer in Italy.

The binding agreement is to explore and develop geothermal lithium in Italy.

Vulcan and EGP are to commence a joint-scoping study under Vulcans Cesano licence, which covers 11.5 square kilometres of the Cesano area, 20kms from Rome.

EGP has explored and drilled several wells in the Cesano area previously, gathering data from local reservoirs.

VUL said the wells drilled by EGP in the Cesano area yielded hot geothermal brine with high lithium values.

Vulcan said it and EGP will explore the development of geothermal lithium projects in the area and potentially in other locations in Italy.

The Cesano license area will become co-owned 50:50 by Vulcan and EGP.

Vulcans Managing Director, Dr Francis Wedin, commented:

Vulcan is aiming to increase the future supply of our sustainable lithium product in response to significant customer demand, as we leverage our extensive experience in lithium extraction from heated brines to have a materially decarbonizing effect on global electric vehicle supply chains. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Enel Green Power on the development of geothermal lithium. As the largest producer of geothermal renewable energy in Italy, Enel Green Power is a leader in its field and has strong, positive relationships in the region. We look forward to working with Enel Green Power to make a lasting and sustainable contribution to the local community.

Vulcans EIA approval for Zero Carbon Lithium Project

Vulcan also updated the market on its Demo plant progress at the Zero Carbon Lithium Projects in Germany, having gained preliminary EIA approval for its Taro license and growing community support across the region.

Vulcan has now received initial approval to drill six wells in Taro for its lithium and geothermal exploration  relevant authorities deeming the wells environmentally-sound, speeding up the project development.

Vulcans Sorption Demo Plant, however, wont expect commissioning until the latter part of Q4, behind schedule due to previously flagged, unprecedented global supply chain issues.

Further, VULs DFS for phase one renewable energy and lithium production is progressing well but Vulcan flagged the increased likelihood of delays:

The Company flags that whilst its teams are working hard to achieve the H2 2022 completion target, local approval processes mean there is an increasing likelihood of the completion date moving into Q1 2023.

Now, the world where most of us drive EVs is still ahead of us, meaning the world will need plenty of battery materials to get us there.

Our small caps expert Callum Newman recently penned a report on battery material stocks.

He thinks there are ASX stocks flying under the radar who could be the next chosen ones  stocks tipped by Tesla to be their battery materials supply partners.

Callum thinks that one of the three battery stocks in his latest report could be one of the most exciting nickel projects in the world. Im not kidding.

To find out more, read Callums latest battery materials report, Elons Chosen One, here.

Regards,

Kiryll Prakapenka,

For Money Morning
China urges India to provide fair, non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises

Xinhua) 10:44, July 08, 2022

NEW DELHI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in India urged the Indian side to effectively provide a "fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in India."

On Tuesday, the Directorate of Enforcement raided Vivo and its dealers at 44 production and operation sites across the country for allegedly violating the provisions of The Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

In response to media queries on the raid, spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in India Counselor Wang Xiaojian said on Wednesday that "China wishes the Indian side to investigate and enforce the law in compliance with laws and regulations."

"The frequent investigations by the Indian side into Chinese enterprises not only disrupt the enterprises' normal business activities and damage the goodwill of the enterprises, but also impedes the improvement of the business environment in India and chills the confidence and willingness of market entities from other countries, including Chinese enterprises, to invest and operate in India," Wang said.

"The essence of China-India economic and trade cooperation is for mutual benefit and win-win results," the spokesperson added.

He said China-India trade volume has reached a historical record of over 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, which, he noted, "reflects the huge potential and broad prospect of economic and trade cooperation between our two countries."

"The Chinese government always asks Chinese enterprises to abide by laws and regulations overseas and firmly supports Chinese enterprises in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests," Wang said.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Bianji)
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
We all know the little girl from the Old El Paso ads who famously exclaimed "Por que no los dos?" (why dont we have both?) .

Mia Agraviador made her appearance in the ads 16 years ago, she was just six years old!

Now 22, Mia works as a barista in Sydney and is hardly recognisable after ditching the short bob, however, her Instagram bio proves she's still proud: Yep! Im the Porque No Los Dos Taco Girl.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
BEIJING (AP)  China has demanded the U.S. cease military collusion with Taiwan during a virtual meeting between the joint chiefs of staff from the two countries whose relationship has grown increasingly fractious.

Gen. Li Zuocheng told Gen. Mark Milley on Thursday that China had no room for compromise on issues affecting its core interests, which include self-governing Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

China demands the U.S. ... cease reversing history, cease U.S.-Taiwan military collusion and avoid impacting China-U.S. ties and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Li said.

The Chinese military would resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said. If anyone creates a wanton provocation, they will be met with the firm counterattack from the Chinese people."

Such language is fairly routine and Li was also quoted in a Defense Ministry news release saying China hoped to further strengthen dialogue, handle risks, and promote cooperation, rather than deliberately creating confrontation, provoking incidents and becoming mutually exclusive."

China routinely flies warplanes near Taiwan to advertise its threat to attack, and the island's Defense Ministry said Chinese air force aircraft crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait dividing the two sides on Friday morning. It said measures were taken in response, including the scrambling of Taiwanese jets.

Such provocative behavior ... has seriously damaged regional peace and stability," the ministry said.

Asked about the incident, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, This exercise by China is directed at external interference and separatist Taiwan independence forces."

The meeting between Li and Milley followed fiery comments by Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at a regional security conference last month that was also attended by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Wei accused the United States of trying to hijack the support of countries in the Asia-Pacific region to turn them against Beijing, saying Washington is seeking to advance its own interests under the guise of multilateralism.

At the same meeting in Singapore, Austin said China was causing instability with its claim to Taiwan and its increased military activity in the area.

And in May, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called China the most serious long-term challenge to the international order for the United States, with its claims to Taiwan and efforts to dominate the strategic South China Sea, prompting an angry response from Beijing.

The U.S. and its allies have responded with what they term freedom of navigation" patrols in the South China Sea, prompting angry responses from Beijing.

Despite not having formal diplomatic relations in deference to Beijing, Washington remains Taiwans chief ally and supplier of defense weapons. U.S. law requires the government to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, although it remains ambiguous on whether the U.S. military would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by China.

The latest round of heated rhetoric comes ahead of a meeting between Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Saturday at a gathering of foreign ministers from the G-20 bloc of industrialized nations in Indonesia that is expected to be overshadowed by disagreements over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

China has refused to criticize Moscow's aggression or even term it an invasion, while condemning Western sanctions against Russia and accusing the U.S. and NATO of provoking the conflict.

Along with Taiwan and the South China Sea, Washington and Beijing are also at odds over trade, human rights and China's policies in Tibet and toward mainly Muslim Turkic minorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
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KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP)  She had gone out to feed the cats when the shelling began.

It was afternoon, a residential neighborhood, a time to get errands done. But there is nothing routine about life near the front line in Ukraine.

Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city and a short drive from the Russian border, lives with the low thunder of distant artillery and the sickening booms of shells exploding much closer to home.

Natalia Kolesnik, like other residents, learned to live with the risks. Then, in a grassy courtyard on a hot and sweaty Thursday, the shelling caught her.

She was one of three bodies on the littered ground.

One body appeared unrecognizable. A second, with a torn yellow dress and a blue slipper blown off, lay beside a splintered wooden bench. Next to it, there was a box of half-eaten fruit, cherries and apples, speckled with blood.

Inside a purse left on the bench, a mobile phone rang.

Kolesnik was nearby.

Her husband, Viktor, arrived in shock. He didnt want to let her go. He stroked her head.

Dad, thats it, his son Olexander said, watching as first responders waited to close the body bag. She is dead. Get up.

Dont you understand? his father asked.

What dont I understand? the son said. This is my mother. Dad, please. Dad, please.

Kneeling, Viktor embraced what was left of his wife, one arm cradling her shoulder, his stubbled chin pressed against the grit on her face.

He picked up her left hand and placed it again, covering it with his own.

The pleading continued. Viktor again shoved his sons hand away.

Dad, go.

I cant go.

Look, you are covered with blood. People need to carry her away.

Viktor began to close the body bag himself, then the first responders took over.

As neighbors watched from the edge of a field, and as authorities began their now-routine hunt for shrapnel, Viktor was left alone on a bench to cry.

People suffered, for what? neighbor Sergey Pershin said as he watched medics tend to several people wounded. Its horrible. Im so sick of it. Every night you wake up 10 times, you wait for it to end, wait until they start shooting. What are the bastards doing? There are residential buildings here.

It was just one day in Kharkiv, where hundreds have died in 19 weeks of war. As Russia reassembles its troops to try to capture more territory in eastern Ukraine, it is safe to say more dead are to come.

As of Sunday, the United Nations human rights office had verified at least 4,889 civilians killed across Ukraine since Russia's invasion, a number it said likely represented a vast undercount.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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HIMEJI, Japan (AP)  Matches are more than just matches at century-old Nittosha.

The tiny but proud manufacturer is tucked away in the sleepy Japanese city of Himeji, famous for little other than an ancient castle, gourmet seawater eels and the matches.

Nittosha, which employs 130 people, is a testament to the hard work and dedication at small and medium-size companies that are the backbones of large economies, including the U.S. and Japan.

The matches are also a story of a family, the firstborn Onishi sons, who have inherited the business, in accordance with this nation's tradition, now for four generations.

Nittosha Co. speaks of an era when quaint, colorful book matches served as fashionable yet subtle advertisements, given out free at bars, restaurants and hotels.

That era has long gone, as disposable lighters became widespread and the number of smokers dwindled. Advertising has become digital.

But when the company recently announced it would stop taking orders for matchbooks at the end of June, the news drew an outpouring of emotions, especially on Japanese social media.

Some people said they associated lighting book matches with cool scenes in movies, while others shared images of their matchbook collections.

I was really surprised by the reaction, Kenji Kobayashi, who heads the factory, told The Associated Press.

Kobayashi, who has never smoked, believes matches serve the same function as postcards, as visual mementos of travel.

The main purpose for matchbooks was advertising. And so if people arent smoking, its not very effective advertising, he said.

Nittosha still makes matches. The wooden sticks with flammable tips go into boxes. Some are exported to the U.S.

Matchbooks  the kind Nittosha is discontinuing  have matches with stems made of hard-to-burn paper, stuck together comb-like at the bottom. They're encased in a paper cover, much like a book, with a strip for striking.

Theyre easier to carry around than a box of matches and, to aficionados, far more fashionable. And they were free.

In recent years, production of book matches fell to less than 1% of Nittoshas overall production.

In its factory, machines hum and clank on three floors, making boxes, paper coverings and matches. One machine has a giant rotating brush to paint a special chemical to make the rough surface for striking the matches to light them.

At each step, people busily sort matches by hand, as box after box streams by. Some are stacking the boxes as they come, one after the after, then putting them into bigger cartons.

Matches are everywhere.

Himeji has dominated match production in Japan. It's close to Kobe port, and the city's moderately dry climate is good for match-making.

Now, Nittosha is one of a handful of match makers left in Japan, accounting for about 70% of total output, according to the company.

Takahiro Ono has an extensive match collection and believes matches should live on forever. He says using them should be seen as a ritual, a bit like a prayer, that reminds people to handle fire carefully and treat it with respect.

Lighting a match is more difficult to do than turning a switch, he said, noting the scent of striking a match and the curling smoke as it burns.

And there are things one must do to clean up after a fire is extinguished.

Matches are still used at the Buddhist altars in Japanese homes, to light incense and candles, at barbecues, fireplaces and campfires.

Nittosha still has more than 1,000 customers. It also makes other products used for marketing such as miniature packets of tissue paper, known as pocket tissue in Japan, that are handed out for free on street corners and at stores, much like matchbooks in the past.

Even that practice is giving way to online marketing, as a labor shortage makes it costly to pay people to hand out pocket tissues.

Nittosha has expanded into making individually wrapped disposable wet towels and wet tissue packets. It faces competition from bigger rivals with such products, but such shifts are needed to tackle an uncertain future, said Jun Onishi, the fifth-generation firstborn  great, great grandson of Nittosha's founder and the current chief executives son.

It's unclear what the next hit product might be.

As long as we just stay a business that gets contracted out for production, our sales are always at risk. That was the way it was with matchbooks, then pocket tissues. And so maybe restaurants will one day stop using wet tissues, too, Onishi said.

Now a senior executive at the company, he quit smoking when he started working at a tennis school, which became a Nittosha group company after the site of a shuttered match factory was turned into a tennis court.

Growing up an Onishi firstborn was a heavy responsibility.

People told me I often looked as though I was trying to hide from that, he said.

He named his firstborn son the Japanese word for light. He is 3 years old.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
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POKROVSK, Ukraine (AP)  A Ukrainian regional official warned Friday of deteriorating living conditions in a city captured by Russian forces two weeks ago, saying Sievierodonetsk is without water, power or a working sewage system while the bodies of the dead decompose in hot apartment buildings.

Gov. Serhiy Haidai said the Russians were unleashing indiscriminate artillery barrages as they try to secure their gains in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk province. Moscow this week claimed full control of Luhansk, but the governor and other Ukrainian officials said their troops retained a small part of the province.

"Luhansk hasnt been fully captured even though the Russians have engaged all their arsenal to achieve that goal, Haidai told The Associated Press. Fierce battles are going on in several villages on the regions border. The Russians are relying on tanks and artillery to advance, leaving scorched earth.

Russia's forces strike every building that they think could be a fortified position, he said. They arent stopped by the fact that civilians are left there, and they die in their homes and courtyards. They keep firing.

Occupied Sievierodonetsk, meanwhile, is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe," the governor wrote on social media. The Russians have completely destroyed all the critical infrastructure, and they are unable to repair anything.

Haidai reported last week that about 8,000 residents remained in the city, which had a prewar population of 100,000. Some Ukrainian officials and soldiers said Russian forces leveled Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk province's administrative center, before Ukraine's troops were ordered out of the city late last month to avoid their encirclement and capture.

Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial region of mines and factories. Pro-Moscow separatists have fought Ukraine's army in the Donbas for eight years and declared independent republics, which Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before he sent troops into Ukraine.

After asserting full control of Luhansk, Putin said Russian forces would have a chance to rest and recoup, but other parts of eastern Ukraine have come under sustained Russian bombardment. The Russian leader warned the Ukrainian government in Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscows terms or brace for the worst.

Everybody should know that, largely speaking, we havent even yet started anything in earnest, Putin said while speaking with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament Thursday.

Ukraine's presidential office said early Friday that at least 12 civilians were killed and 30 wounded by Russian shelling over the past 24 hours. Two cities in Donetsk  the other Donbas province  experienced the heaviest barrage, with six people killed and 21 wounded.

In northeast Ukraine, four more people were killed and nine were wounded in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, where Russian shelling hit residential areas.

Commenting on Putins ominous statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader was reacting to statements by Ukraine's government and its Western allies about defeating Russia on the battlefield.

Russias potential is so big that just a small part of it has been used in the special military operation," Peskov told reporters. "And so Western statements are utterly absurd and just add to the grief of the Ukrainian people.

Russia's war in Ukraine, now in its fifth month, has driven millions of people from their homes, killed untold thousands and shattered European security that was arduously reconstructed after World War II. It has also rippled through the world economy by contributing to higher prices for food and fuel. Ukraine has been unable to export millions of tons of grain and other food, and Russia is facing international sanctions for its invasion.

Iryna Venediktova, Ukraine's prosecutor general, told the AP that her country has recorded 22,000 cases so far related to alleged Russian war crimes  including rape, torture and murder  and an estimated 200 to 300 new cases are recorded each day.

We must gather the evidence quickly, Venediktova said, suggesting the numbers could be even higher  largely because of a lack of access to some parts of the country. It is clear that prosecutors cannot work entirely in the Donetsk region, and the military will not allow it.

In other developments on Friday:

 The Biden administration said it will send an additional $400 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems. A senior defense official said the weapons will bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, where he met with troops and visited a hospital where wounded soldiers were being treated. He said in his nightly video address that he went to personally express his gratitude to those defending Ukraine and also to the doctors and nurses who save the lives of wounded soldiers and civilians.

 Germany's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden and Finlands requests to join NATO. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said the two countries accession would greatly strengthen NATO's northern and eastern flanks, noting their strong naval forces in the Baltic Sea and their land forces that know the region bordering Russia well. She suggested that Putins efforts to divide and destroy NATO had failed. He bet on our weakness, she said. Now he gets the opposite. All 30 member countries must agree before the Western military alliance can admit Finland and Sweden.

 A court in Moscow sentenced a Russian municipal council member who had publicly criticized the war in Ukraine to seven years in prison on charges of spreading knowingly false information about the Russian military. Alexei Gorinov, 60, criticized Russias military actions in Ukraine at a March meeting. A legal aid group said he is the first person ordered to serve prison time under a law that makes it illegal to disparage the Russian military. Russia's parliament rubber-stamped the law, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years, a week after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine.

 The British Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces have made advances near the Russian-occupied southern city of Kherson. Meanwhile, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian partisans blew up a railroad bridge 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Melitopol, which is to the east of Kherson, on Thursday to disrupt Russian resupply operations.

 On the energy front, the leaders of Greece and Bulgaria inaugurated a new pipeline that will supply natural gas from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, whose vital supply of Russian gas was cut off in April. And in Germany, energy supply giant Uniper said it is asking the government for a bailout during a growing natural gas crunch due to the war in Ukraine.

___

Murru reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Cara Anna in Kyiv, Ukraine, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Associated Press journalists from around Europe contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council failed in two rival votes Friday to extend humanitarian aid deliveries from Turkey to 4.1 million Syrians in the rebel-held northwest, with the U.S. ambassador warning that people will die because of this vote.

After days of consultations, the U.N.s most powerful body remained divided over the key issue of the length of an extension.

Almost all council members favored a year-long extension, which the U.N. secretary-general and more than 30 non-governmental organization insist is the minimum time frame needed, but Russia demanded a six-month renewal, with a new resolution required for another six months.

The failure of the U.N.s most powerful body to agree on an extension came two days before Sundays expiration of the councils current one-year mandate for deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing from Turkey to northwest Idlib.

Many ambassadors, including those from Ireland, Norway, the United States, France and China, said after the two votes that they will continue trying to get an agreement among the 15 council members so that aid is not stopped.

Soon after the two votes and speeches, council members went into closed consultations and discussions were expected to continue over the weekend.

Russias deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told reporters there was 99% agreement" on a resolution and Russia wouldnt support a nine-month extension, suggested by Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

Unless council members decide to go with the Russian six-month proposal, Polyansky said, he sees no possibility for an agreement. Asked whether that meant that Russia would veto any proposed resolution that didnt follow its draft with a six-month timeline, he replied Obviously.

The first vote was on the resolution for a one-year extension drafted by Norway and Ireland. It was supported by 13 countries, with China abstaining and Russia using its veto to defeat the measure.

Council members then voted on the rival Russian resolution for a six-month extension. The vote was just 2 countries in favor, 3 against and 10 abstentions.

China was the only country to join its ally Russia in supporting the resolution while the three other veto-wielding permanent council members  the United States, Britain and France  voted against it. But their vetoes were not needed because the resolution failed to get the minimum nine yes votes required for approval.

Calling it a dark, dark day in the Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told members after the vote that the impact on Syrians in the northwest will be swift and dire.

I have long said this is a life-and-death issue, she said, blaming Russias veto for the deaths that are likely to come.

Thomas-Greenfield, who visited Bab al-Hawa in June, said aid workers told her that a six-month renewal would be a disaster for their supply lines and would mean lifesaving assistance would shut off in the dead of winter when needs are at their highest, which would be a nightmare scenario for a region where millions of people are still displaced.

International aid groups urged the Security Council to reach an agreement before the July 10 deadline warning that the Russian veto will harm millions of people in urgent need of assistance.

International Rescue Committee President David Miliband said there is currently no viable alternative to cross-border assistance, which means this already extreme crisis is set to move to a humanitarian catastrophe.

Tamer Kirolos, Syria Response Director at Save the Children, warned that failing to reauthorize the Bab al-Hawa crossing risks the lives of hundreds of thousands of children" in camps who wont know where their next meal is coming from.

Mercy Corps CEO Tjada DOyen McKenna said people in northwest Syria are witnessing one of the most dire periods of the 11-year conflict, pointing also to worsening drought, economic crisis, and the war in Ukraines impact on food and fuel prices. Stopping aid from Turkey means the future of the 4 million people in the northwest who relied on those deliveries to provide food and other necessities for their families is now even more uncertain, she said.

Syrian military analyst Ahmad Rahhal, a former brigadier general who defected during the conflict and joined the opposition, tweeted that Russias crimes are not only through its military and support of President Bashar Assads government but now have reached the level of depriving children, women and elderly in north Syria or food.

Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador, vowed to honor her promise to aid workers and refugees that I would do everything in my power to renew this resolution.

In case the Security Council doesnt act, Thomas-Greenfield said aid groups told her they had pre-positioned about three months of supplies, and hopefully more supplies by now.

She stressed that if a U.N. resolution isnt adopted and U.N. monitoring of aid deliveries ends, the border is not closing, and we will continue to work with the humanitarian community to find ways to continue to provide humanitarian assistance directly to the Syrian people.

The U.N. said last week that the first 10 years of the Syrian conflict, which started in 2011, killed more than 300,000 civilians  the highest official estimate of civilian casualties. Northwest Idlib is the last rebel-held bastion in Syria and a region where an al-Qaida-linked militant group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is the strongest.

Russia, a close ally of Syrias government, has repeatedly called for stepped up humanitarian aid deliveries to the northwest from within Syria, across conflict lines. This would give Syrian President Bashar Assads government more control.

In early July 2020, China and Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have maintained two border crossing points from Turkey for humanitarian aid to Idlib. Days later, the council authorized the delivery of aid through just one of those crossings, Bab al-Hawa.

In a compromise with Russia, that one-year mandate was extended on July 9, 2021, for six months, with an additional six months subject to a substantive report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. This was effectively a year-long mandate because a second resolution wasnt needed.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric called cross-border aid critical for men, women and children in the northwest and stressed the importance of long-term planning, including to costs.

In 2021, we had 800 trucks of cross-border aid go through each month, consistently reaching about 2.4 million people, he told reporters Thursday. He said 4,648 trucks crossed in the first six months of this year.

The U.N. also carried out five deliveries across conflict lines last year and so far this year with about 2,529 metric tons of assistance including foods and health supplies, he said.

___

Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The mayor of San Francisco appointed an outspoken critic of ousted District Attorney Chesa Boudin as his replacement, saying that her pick was the right person to pursue criminal justice reform while holding offenders to account.

Mayor London Breed on Thursday announced that Brooke Jenkins will be the next district attorney after voters in the famously liberal city kicked out the politically progressive Boudin in a special recall election last month. Jenkins was sworn into office Friday.

Jenkins, who quit Boudin's office in 2021 to volunteer for the recall, is both Black and Latina. She is San Francisco's first Latina district attorney. Vice President Kamala Harris was the city's first Black DA.

We are a city of second chances. But the truth is we have to draw a line with people who choose hate, violence and a life of crime, said Jenkins at a press conference announcing her appointment. I want to make clear: holding offenders accountable does not preclude us from moving forward with vital and important reforms to our criminal justice system.

Boudin, a former public defender elected in 2019, was ousted in a June 7 recall election fueled by frustration over public safety in the deeply Democratic city. Viral video footage of people shoplifting and attacking seniors, particularly Asian Americans, rattled residents.

Breed said she picked Jenkins for her experience, sense of fairness and compassion toward both victims and offenders. The mayor did not disclose how she voted in the recall, but clashed with Boudin over enforcement.

She sacrificed her career to fight for people in this city, to fight for victims who needed a voice in the city, Breed said.

Jenkins, who also considers herself a progressive prosecutor, said during the campaign that Boudin was too rigid. He eliminated cash bail for defendants and declared that minors would not be tried as adults, no matter how serious the crime. Jenkins said she would like those tools available for prosecutors to use at their discretion.

In an interview with The Associated Press before the election, Jenkins said that being a progressive prosecutor meant being innovative about finding alternatives to incarceration, but trying to ensure our defendants dont re-offend.

Boudin, who has not ruled out running again for district attorney, said his time in office was hobbled by a pandemic that shuttered courts and the intensive treatment and counseling programs relied on to rehabilitate offenders.

Jenkins joined the San Francisco district attorney's office in 2014.

She said she plans to run in November to serve the rest of Boudins term through 2023.
VIRGINIA  A Virginia man convicted of multiple counts of first-degree murder was denied a new trial Thursday by a Cass County court.

Robert D. Harris, 72, was found guilty in May on six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in the shooting deaths of Kathleen G. Wzientek, 68, and Brenda G. Crum, 64.

Deputies were called about 1 p.m. Jan. 10, 2021, to 140 S. East St., where Crum and Wzientek were pronounced dead at the scene. Harris was arrested that afternoon in rural Morgan County.

David Miller, 47, of Virginia, who was shot in the head during the incident, testified during the four-day trial.

Harris' attorneys filed a motion in June arguing for a new trial, claiming the trial had several flaws that prevented a fair trial.

His attorneys, Denise Barr and Mark Wykoff Sr., argued Harris did not receive a fair trial because evidence was lacking, some evidence was improperly allowed and there was improper disclosure of experts.

According to the motion, Harris was not able to adequately aid in his defense because he is hard of hearing.

"Due to a known hearing impairment and having been provided with an antiquated/rudimentary assisted-hearing device, Defendant could only hear witness testimony, and not attorney questioning or argument, thus denying him the right to actively assist in his defense."

Cass County State's Attorney Craig Miller argued that at no point during the trial did Harris or his attorneys raise concerns about his ability to hear the proceedings, and Judge Timothy Wessel denied that argument, saying the court presented every support for Harris.

The motion argued that recordings of the 911 calls about the murders and autopsy photos that showed the wounds with placement of trajectory rods should not have been allowed to be admitted into evidence.

Both motions were denied on the grounds that they served a purpose and were relevant.

Wessel also said all experts were disclosed and their qualifications examined prior to trial with no issues raised.

Wykoff and Barr argued that the count of attempted murder was not proven because testimony by a homicide detective indicated that evidence did not show conclusively that David Miller was shot. Wessel said he had no evidence to the contrary and the jury found enough evidence to find Harris guilty of the charge, so he would not overturn it.

"The motion was based on the testimony of the lead detective that said (Daivd) Miller was confused by what had occurred to him and they argued that the elements were not met for attempted murder," Craig Miller said.

Craig Miller said he will be preparing for the sentencing hearing and working with the family to prepare victim-impact statements.

Harris is scheduled for a sentencing hearing at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 30.

He faces a life sentence because there was more than one victim, Craig Miller said.

Updated 11:35 a.m. Friday to reflect that Harris is hard of hearing, not hearing impaired.
Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Lamariss E. Fortune, 39, of 30 Maple Creek, Woodson, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 3:18 a.m. Sunday on a domestic battery charge.

 Geri L. McDaniels, 40, of 100 Main St., Franklin, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 5:44 p.m. July 1 on a residential burglary charge.

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Two juveniles  a 12-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl  were cited at 2:16 a.m. Thursday in the 200 block of West Oak Street on charges of violating curfew.

 David M. Brown, 37, of 2390 Literberry Prentice Road, Ashland, was arrested at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday on a battery charge after being accused of punching someone in the face multiple times in the 200 block of West Morgan Street.

 Carl R. Stark, 22, of 104 Woodfield Blvd. was arrested at 6:46 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of criminal trespass to state-supported land after police said he was at a location in the 100 block of West Independence Avenue from which he was prohibited.

 Isaac E. Blount-Stephens, 18, of 100 S. Fayette St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:15 p.m. June 30 on a charge of criminal damage to property.

 Christopher L. Gardner, 38, of 855 Case St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:52 a.m. Tuesday on a battery charge.

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 Merchandise was stolen between 6:18 and 6:58 p.m. Wednesday from a business in the 2200 block of West Morton Avenue.
PITTSFIELD  A social media post has resulted in the arrest of a Pleasant Hill man.

Keith E. Wright, 44, of Pleasant Hill was arrested at 3:27 p.m. Saturday on a Pike County warrant accusing him of threatening a public official.

Pike County sheriff's deputies and Pleasant Hill Police officers said they began investigating a comment made on a social media platform June 14. Officials did not provide details about the content of the threat or about where it was posted.

Wright, who also was being sought on an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant accusing him of violating parole, was being held in Pike County Jail.
BLUFFS  Bluffs board members have approved putting $1,000 toward stray cat control in the community.

Residents can now borrow traps provided by the village to catch unwanted stray cats that are causing problems. The animals will have to be taken to Protecting Animal Welfare Society in Jacksonville. The village must will pay a $25 fee to have each cat spayed or neutered in Springfield and $10 for PAWS to transport the cat to Springfield to have the procedure done.

PAWS is a no-kill facility. All sociable trapped cats will be placed for adoption. Non-sociable cats will be returned to the community.

Board members said it will be the responsibility of the resident who captured the cat to return any non-sociable animals to the village.

Board member Aaron Sharrow asked how people would know if they were trapping a stray cat or someone's outside pet, which would then be adopted by someone else.

Board member Chuck Pine, who presented the solution through Protecting Animal Welfare Society for stray cats in the community, said it is the owner's responsibility to put a collar on outside cats so the animals can be identified as a pet and not a stray.

In other business, Jamie Headen, representing the consulting company Benton and Associates, addressed board members about the ongoing water tower project. He said there was a preconstruction conference and Leander Construction of Canton is doing the labor.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency made a loan payment request of $42,077. The board approved payment and also payment of $7,500 to the attorney who wrote the bond.

Headen will address the board members each month with updates and payment requests.

Terry Kunkle was hired to be village treasurer. Kunkle is replacing Sharon Evan, who retired from the position.

The board approved spending $300 to provide 50 snow cones at two farmer's markets. The snow cones will be given out for free.

Mayor Linda Sapp said she is trying to find someone to replace Trash Queen for the villagewide trash pickup Aug. 8. Trash Queen was sold to the company GFL, but Sapp said the company did not inform the village it would not be doing the clean up.
Angela Bauer/Journal-Courier

Vicki Lockeby's home at 767 S. Church St. is this week's Jacksonville Yard of the Week. Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard picks a different property to honor each week in recognition of homeowners' efforts to keep their yards looking nice.
The front page of the July 8, 1947, Roswell (New Mexico) Daily Record seized the American imagination with the headline RAAF (Roswell Army Air Field) Captures Flying Saucer.

That announcement added fuel to the saucer craze of summer 1947 (Keep your raccoon coats, grandpa  weve got Martians!). But to the disappointment of believers in extraterrestrial visitors, the military issued a retraction the very next day, asserting that the debris found by rancher W.W. Mac Brazel was merely a run-of-the-mill weather balloon. (Nothing to see here. Move along ... but not like those slimy little ... never mind!)

Im not implying anything, but Uncle Sam has historically displayed a penchant for playing the weather balloon gambit when handling unpleasantries. (You claim we signed a treaty, Sitting Bull? No, no, that was a weather balloon we signed, silly!)

Most people have forgotten, but the military also demanded several other Daily Record retractions that week, thus explaining the newspapers abrupt discovery that Wimpy was really a vegetarian and Joltin Joe DiMaggio was in fact Americas premier ballerina.

Despite some initial objections from area residents, the Roswell incident was mostly ignored until the late 1970s, when UFO researchers thrust the clarification-slash-coverup back into the public consciousness.

Even with all the paranormal books and podcasts on the market, the average citizen is fuzzy concerning exactly what conspiracy theorists claim happened near Roswell. People often mention child-size corpses, Area 51 and Men in Black when pressed to venture an opinion about Roswell, but those elements were not part of the original report. Lots of different things get mixed up in our memories over the span of more than seven decades.

Dont believe me? One enthusiast was getting all worked up over an alleged Roswell crash survivor who  over the course of years of staying undercover  heroically saved Timmy from the well, tracked down the one-armed man, became stepfather of three very lovely girls and enjoyed some degree of dignity until one Cosmo Kramer dropped a Junior Mint into his body cavity during his alien autopsy.

In the 1990s, the Pentagon tried to drive a stake through the heart of the controversy by changing its story again, to confess that what crashed was really a Cold War device used to spy on potential Soviet nuclear tests. Oh, scampish Pentagon  where greetings of Workin hard or hardly workin? get met with Ill have that declassified for you in 50 years.

But the matter refuses to die, because of the steady drip of unearthed documents, deathbed confessions, Magic 8-Ball revelations, etc.

Proper vetting is still needed for some of the more sensational bombshells. Like the purported contraband singed license plate that declares, I brake for freakishly tall, pink-skinned oxygen-breathers. Or the diary with an entry about a rancher listening to his shortwave radio one night in July 1947 and hearing a garbled message that sounded something like Hold on to your tentacles! Mom and dad are going to be so (perturbed)!

I realize Im abdicating my role as an influencer by not digging more deeply into this mystery myself. It fascinates me, but I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions and to decide how to commemorate the 75th anniversary of ... whatever.

Yeah, I know the truth is out there; but my lovely wife, the air conditioner and episodes of the CWs Roswell, New Mexico are in here.
Air New Zealand confirms that Chair Dame Therese Walsh, and Director Jonathan Mason, will stand for re-election at the airlines Annual Shareholder Meeting in September 2022. Jonathan has been a director of the airline for 9 years and has agreed, subject to re-election, to serve for a maximum further term of one year to allow for continuity following recent board appointments. He will step down in 2023. Succession planning for when Jonathan steps down is currently underway.

This announcement is made pursuant to Listing Rule 3.20.1

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Former Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos dies at 79 View Photo

LISBON, Portugal (AP)  Jose Eduardo dos Santos, once one of Africas longest-serving rulers who during almost four decades as president of Angola fought the continents longest civil war and turned his country into a major oil producer as well as one of the worlds poorest and most corrupt nations, died Friday. He was 79.

Dos Santos died at a clinic in Barcelona, Spain, following a long illness, the Angolan government said in an announcement on its Facebook page.

The announcement said dos Santos was a statesman of great historical scale who governed  the Angolan nation through very difficult times.

Dos Santos had mostly lived in Barcelona since stepping down in 2017 and had been undergoing treatment there for health problems.

Angolas current head of state, Joao Lourenco, announced five days of national mourning starting Saturday, when the countrys flag will fly at half-staff and public events are canceled.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recalled dos Santos participation in the struggle that led to Angolas independence and his leadership through the signing of the peace agreement that put an end to the civil war in 2002, his spokesman said. During his tenure, Angola became an important regional and international partner and advocate for multilateralism.

The U.N. Security Council stood in silent tribute to dos Santos at the start of a meeting Friday after the current council president, Brazils U.N. Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho expressed its sadness at his death.

Dos Santos came to power four years after Angola gained independence from Portugal and became enmeshed in the Cold War as a proxy battlefield.

His political journey spanned single-party Marxist rule in post-colonial years and a democratic system of government adopted in 2008. He voluntarily stepped down when his health began failing.

In public, dos Santos was unassuming and even appeared shy at times. But he was a shrewd operator behind the scenes.

He kept a tight grip on the 17th-century presidential palace in Luanda, the southern African countrys Atlantic capital, by distributing Angolas wealth between his army generals and political rivals to ensure their loyalty. He demoted anyone he perceived to be gaining a level of popularity that could threaten his command.

Dos Santos greatest foe for more than two decades was Jonas Savimbi, leader of the UNITA rebels whose post-independence guerrilla insurgency fought in the bush aimed to oust dos Santos Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, or MPLA.

The MPLA had financial support from the Soviet Union and military support from Cuba in its war against UNITA. Savimbi was backed by the United States and South Africa.

The war would last, with brief periods of U.N.-brokered peace, until 2002 when the army finally tracked down Savimbi in eastern Angola and killed him.

Dos Santos abruptly shed his Marxist policies after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. He moved closer to Western countries, whose oil companies invested billions of dollars in mostly offshore exploration.

His supporters praised his ability to adapt to changing circumstances. His critics called him unscrupulous.

Dos Santos was invited to the White House in 2004 by then-president George W. Bush as the United States has looked to reduce its dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Angola became sub-Saharan Africas second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, producing close to 2 million barrels per day. It also unearthed more than $1 billion worth of diamonds each year.

However, the wealth never reached the Angolan people, who during and after the civil war were at risk from large areas of unmapped minefields and had little access to basic amenities, such as running water or roads. Education and health care were  and remain  sparse.

More than $4 billion in oil revenue vanished from Angolan state coffers between 1997 and 2002, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a 2004 report, based on an analysis of figures from the International Monetary Fund.

The U.S. State Department said that wealth in Angola is concentrated in the hands of a small elite, who often used government positions for massive personal enrichment.

Dos Santos was believed to own valuable real estate in Brazil, France and Portugal, as well as foreign bank accounts.

Under his rule, and despite the general poverty, street protests were rare and quickly broken up by the heavily armed riot police known popularly as Ninjas. A well-paid and well-equipped presidential guard was garrisoned inside dos Santoss palace and lined the citys grimy, potholed streets whenever he emerged.

A bricklayers son from Luanda, Angolas coastal capital, dos Santos began his political life with boots and a rifle in 1961 as an 18-year-old guerrilla for the MLPA in the fight for independence from Portugal.

MPLA bosses pulled him from combat in 1963 and sent him to the Soviet Union for training as a petroleum engineer and military communications specialist.

When he returned to Angola in 1970, he skillfully negotiated compromises to keep the MPLA from breaking up into splinter groups and as a reward was appointed to the partys central committee.

When independence arrived in 1975, dos Santos became foreign minister and later planning minister and deputy prime minister in the single-party Marxist state.

In a surprise choice, the MPLA elected dos Santos at 37 as president upon the death of Agostinho Neto, Angolas first leader, in 1979. Dos Santos was seen as a consensus figure between squabbling party veterans, but few anticipated his political longevity.

Dos Santos never sought to establish a personality cult and remained a mysterious figure. He reportedly once said in private he felt his true vocation was that of a monk.

Nor was he known for political sensitivity: He built a multimillion-dollar mansion on the fringe of a Luanda shantytown while millions of Angolans were fighting starvation during the civil war.

He was considered a sure loser against Savimbi in the countrys first democratic elections in 1992, following a peace treaty signed the previous year.

Margaret Anstee, a former U.N. special representative to Angola, described dos Santos as being almost the opposite of Savimbi.

His demeanor was grave and reserved, to the point that I traced a sense of shyness or timidity, absurd as this seemed. The contrast with Dr. Savimbis flamboyant personality could not have been more vivid, she wrote in her 1996 book on Angola entitled Orphan of the Cold War.

But in further evidence of his staying power dos Santos held on again, narrowly outpolling Savimbi for president while leading the MPLA to a parliamentary majority in the simultaneous legislative election.

When Savimbi rejected his defeat at the ballot box and returned to his armed struggle, Western support gradually swung behind dos Santos.

The foes signed another peace deal, brokered by the United Nations, in 1994, but that also unraveled four years later.

Meanwhile, dos Santos  with an army of around 100,000 troops, many with years of jungle combat experience  essayed a role as a regional power broker, starting with neighboring countries.

He sent 2,500 troops to Republic of Congo in 1997 to help President Denis Sassou-Nguesso seize power and the following year sent a contingent to Congo to help President Laurent Kabilas government fight rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

The end of Angolas civil war in 2002 brought an opportunity for broader economic development in the southern African country, which is more than three times the size of California.

But public infrastructure was devastated; 4 million people  about one-third of the population at the time  had fled their homes because of the fighting; and oil and diamond wealth continued in the hands of the political and military elite.

Berlin-based Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 named Angola as one of the worlds 10 most corrupt countries.

As land mine-maimed children begged in the streets, politicians wives flew to New York on the government health budget for nip-and-tuck cosmetic surgery, wrote John McMillan, a Stanford University economics professor, in a 2005 study on Angolan corruption.

Under pressure to finally hold a ballot, dos Santos announced legislative elections in 2008 and a presidential election the following year.

Dos Santoss MPLA won the most votes for parliamentary seats. But then the head of state changed tack, first postponing the presidential ballot and then scrapping it.

He altered the constitution so that the president is chosen by the party which wins the parliamentary elections. That kept him in power for another eight years.

However, with his health reportedly worsening, Dos Santos announced in 2016 he would retire.

He was replaced by Lourenco, an MPLA stalwart, who has made an anti-corruption drive his flagship policy. He has targeted dos Santos grown children, who possess fabulous personal wealth, but not his predecessor.

The change in fortune for dos Santoss family has prompted one of his daughters to suspect that a conspiracy was behind her fathers illness and death. Spanish prosecutors and police are looking into allegations by Tchize dos Santos that people close to the ex-president have tried to kill him, failed to care for him properly and acted negligently.

Dos Santos, who was married four times, was survived by his current wife, Ana Paula, by whom he had three children. He is known to have at least three other children and various grandchildren.

By BARRY HATTON

Associated Press
Australia, New Zealand say Pacific must discuss China View Photo

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australia and New Zealands prime ministers agreed Friday that the security implications of Chinas burgeoning influence must be discussed at a meeting of western Pacific leaders next week.

The neighboring countries are the wealthiest in the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum whose leaders will meet July 11-14 in the Fijian capital Suva.

Australia and New Zealand fear the security pact between China and the Solomon Islands struck this year could lead to a Chinese naval base being established in the south Pacific.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern agreed at a joint press conference in Sydney that the security implications of Chinas encroachment in the region needed to be on the agenda.

Theres no doubt that security and security agreements will be a topic at the PIF. Its one of the reasons why Im determined to attend, Albanese said. Its in Australias national interest for me to do so.

Albanese said Australia wanted to remain the security partner of choice for its Pacific island neighbors.

Australias position is that we will continue to engage and we want to cooperate with China where we can, but we will stand up for Australian values when we must, he said.

Ardern said while the agenda was controlled by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the meeting chair, the forums rules allowed for security agreements that effect the region to be discussed.

She said the island countries where not expected to choose between security partners.

It should be the Pacific priorities first and foremost. They should be free of coercion. There should be high quality investment in infrastructure because that is what our region deserves, Ardern said.

New Zealand is very clearly opposed to the militarization of our region, she added.

Due to the pandemic, the Suva summit will be Pacific leaders first opportunity for face-to-face meetings since 2019 when the forum met in Tuvalu.

In May, China fell short on a bold plan to have 10 Pacific nations endorse a sweeping new agreement covering everything from security to fisheries as some in the region expressed deep concerns.

But there were plenty of smaller wins for Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his island-hopping tour of the region.

Wang was in Fiji on May 30 to co-host a key meeting with the foreign ministers from the 10 island nations. At an unusual news conference afterward, Wang and Bainimarama spoke for about 30 minutes and then abruptly left the stage as reporters tried to shout out questions. That left many details of what transpired at the meeting unanswered.

It was clear the nations hadnt endorsed Chinas plan. But Wang managed to sign smaller bilateral agreements with the Pacific nations during his tour.

Albanese expects the forum will be more receptive to his government, which was elected in May, because it has promised more action on climate change and an additional 525 million Australian dollars ($358 million) spent on regional aid. Climate change is the forums greatest security concern.

China has eased a diplomatic deep freeze it imposed on the previous Australian government for more than two years, during which Beijing refused to return Australian government ministers phone calls. But Defense Minister Richard Marles met his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe in Singapore last month.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is scheduled to meet Wang on Friday as the foreign ministers from the Group of 20 richest and largest developing nations gather in Bali, Indonesia.

By ROD McGUIRK

Associated Press
Assassination of Japans Shinzo Abe stuns world leaders View Photo

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Leaders around the world condemned the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday as despicable, cowardly and terrorism while recalling him as a man devoted to peace, security and international cooperation.

Tributes poured in as governments expressed sorrow and solidarity with Japan over the loss of Abe, who was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western Japan while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The attack was especially shocking in one of the worlds safest countries, where guns are strictly controlled.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened. He visited the residence of Japans ambassador to the U.S. on Friday to offer condolences. He placed a bouquet of flowers on a table set up near a koi pond and wrote in a condolence book that Abe was a man of peace and judgment.

This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him, Biden said. His vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country, condemned the unforgivable act. He said campaigning as well as Sundays elections for parliaments upper house will proceed.

The free and fair election, which is the root of democracy, needs to be protected no matter what. We will not be defeated by violence, Kishida said.

Biden called Kishida a very solid guy and said he did not believe the killing was likely to have any profound, destabilizing impact on Japanese security or Japanese solidarity.

Leaders from Turkey to Singapore condemned the attack. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the French foreign ministry called the shooting despicable, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was cowardly.

The U.N. Security Council stood in silent tribute to Abe after the current council president, Brazils U.N. Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho, expressed our sadness and shock at the senseless assassination.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Abe will be remembered as a staunch defender of multilateralism, respected leader and supporter of the United Nations. Abe was committed to promoting peace and security, championing U.N. development goals and advocating for universal health coverage, Guterres said, according to his spokesman.

I have fond memories of meeting Mr. Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016, Queen Elizabeth II said in a written statement. His love for Japan, and his desire to forge ever-closer bonds with the United Kingdom, were clear.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted his deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time, while South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called the shooting an intolerable criminal act, his office said.

Iran said it was an act of terrorism.

As a country that has been a victim of terrorism and has lost great leaders to terrorists, we are following the news closely and with concern, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

Public broadcaster NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street.

Jordans King Abdullah II said he was shocked and saddened. The world lost a great leader, and Jordan and I lost a true friend, the monarch tweeted.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office and described him as deeply committed to his role, generous and kind.

I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is, Ardern said. Events like this shake us all to the core.

In the NHK video, security guards are seen leaping on top of a man in a gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.

Police arrested a suspect at the scene. Under Japanese law, possession of firearms is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal.

Leaders from Germany, Pakistan, Sweden and the Philippines were also among those who gave condolences, and many countries including Spain and France expressed solidarity with Japan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a day of national mourning on Saturday as a mark of deepest respect for Abe.

Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment, Modi said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abe was a giant on the world stage, adding that his legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose time in office from 2005-2021 largely overlapped Abes, said she was deeply shocked and devastated by the cowardly and vile assassination.

Taiwans government said Abe spared no effort to push for the progress of Taiwan-Japan relations for many years, noting his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic for the Japanese government to donate vaccines to Taiwan.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi said Italy was embracing Abes family, the government and the Japanese people.

Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and reformist vision, Draghi said in a statement.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt noted that Abe was killed while campaigning for his fellow party members. All politicians should be safe while executing their work for democracy.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who is president of the Group of 20 nations foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia, said Abe will always be remembered as a prime example for all.

The International Olympic Committee praised Abe for his vision, determination and dependability that allowed it to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the Olympic flag will be flown at half staff at Olympic House in Lausanne for three days.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped Abes killer will be dealt with swiftly and harshly. Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD! he said on his social media platform. He said Abe was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan.

In China, however, Abes shooting triggered unfavorable comments from tens of thousands of nationalist citizens on social media.

Some quipped, Hope hes not OK, while dozens half-jokingly called the shooter a hero or anti-Japan hero. Others said Abes injuries were a comfort to the souls of people who died in Japans invasion of China during World War II.

While not necessarily the view of most Chinese, the posts reflect strong public sentiment  encouraged by government propaganda  against right-wing Japanese politicians who question or deny that Japans military committed atrocities in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China expressed sympathies with Abes family and that the shooting shouldnt be linked with bilateral relations.

___

Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.

By EILEEN NG

Associated Press
Yellen to push price cap on Russian oil during Asia visit View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this month will visit the Indo-Pacific for the first time since taking over the department and will use the trip to make the U.S. case for a price cap on Russian oil aimed at reducing revenue to the Kremlin as it presses ahead with its attack on Ukraine.

Yellen will address the economic and humanitarian challenges wrought by Russias war in Ukraine as she represents the U.S. at Group of 20 finance minister meetings on Indonesias resort island of Bali and makes additional stops in Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea. During the July 12-19 trip, Yellen will notably avoid visiting China, although she did hold a call with Chinas vice premier on Monday.

Yellen has been a critic of Chinas economic relationship with Russia  urging China to use its  special relationship with Russia to persuade Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

Unlike the Group of Seven finance leader meetings in April, the G-20 will involve participant countries that are not united in taking action in opposition to the war in Ukraine. China, India, South Africa and Brazil have largely resisted signing on to efforts by the U.S. and its allies to punish Russia for its invasion. Russia is expected to participate as well.

Yellen will also tour an LG factory in South Korea and deliver a speech about the importance of strong international partnerships in building supply chains. LG in April announced plans to build a $1.4 billion battery plant in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Yellens trip to Asia will come days after the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nations most powerful and influential figures, was shot from behind during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, according to NHK public television.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN

Associated Press
US sending $400 million more in military aid to Ukraine View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration said Friday that it will send another $400 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems. The weapons, said a senior defense official, will bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.

The aid comes as Moscow this week claimed full control of Ukraines Luhansk province in the Donbas, but Ukrainian officials say their troops still control a small part of the province and fierce fighting continues in several villages.

The defense official said that the eight High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that were previously sent are still being used by Ukraine forces in the fight. This will give them four more to help hit Russian command and control nodes, logistics capabilities and other systems that are further back behind the battlefront. A senior military official said at least 100 Ukrainian troops have been trained on the HIMARs. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

Russia in recent days has launched dozens of missiles across Ukraine and pinned down Ukrainian forces with continuous long-range fire for sometimes hours at a time. The U.S. military official said that 10 to 15 Russian battalion tactical groups are in the Donbas region, but that Russia has sustained significant losses in the recent fighting and may have to pause to reorganize and reset equipment. There are between 800 to 1,000 troops in a battalion tactical group.

Ukraines leaders have publicly called on Western allies to quickly send more ammunition and advanced systems that will help them narrow the gap in equipment and manpower. The precision weapons can help Ukraine hit Russian weapons that are farther away and are being used to bombard Ukrainian locations.

The latest aid, approved by President Joe Biden on Friday afternoon, is the 15th package of military weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine from Defense Department stocks since last August. In addition to the HIMARS, the U.S. will also send 1,000 rounds of 155 millimeter artillery which has an increased precision capability that also will help Ukraine hit specific targets. The package also will include three tactical vehicles, counter battery radar systems, spare parts and other equipment.

Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Todd Breasseale said the assistance will meet critical needs for Ukraines fight.

Looking ahead to the coming months, the defense official said that a key goal is to build up Ukraines logistics and repair capabilities so troops can maintain its weapons systems and continue the fight into the future.

Overall, the U.S. has sent about $7.3 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began in late February.

Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, a region of mines and factories where pro-Moscow separatists have fought Ukraines army for eight years and declared independent republics that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before he sent troops into Ukraine.

Putin on Thursday warned that Kyiv should accept Moscows terms or brace for the worst, saying that Russia hasnt yet started anything in earnest.

U.S. and other western officials have said that Russia has been making slow, incremental progress in the Donbas but has not made gains as rapidly as Moscow initially intended. Biden has said that the U.S. is giving Ukrainians the aid needed to continue to resist Russian aggression.

I dont know how its going to end, but it will not end with a Russian defeat of Ukraine in Ukraine, Biden said last week.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

By LOLITA C. BALDOR

Associated Press
Harmoney Corp Limited (ASX/NZX: HMY ; Harmoney or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Monique Cairns and John Quirk as non-executive directors of the Company, effective 1 August 2022.

Ms Cairns and Mr Quirk will join the following existing Board members:

- Paul Lahiff (Independent Chairman);

- Tracey Jones (Independent Director);

- Neil Roberts (Founder, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Director); and

- David Stevens (Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director).

About Monique Cairns

Ms Cairns joins Harmoney with over 20 years of experience in strategy, communications, marketing and sales, across financial institutions and a range of sectors. She has a diverse governance experience with extensive shareholder engagement. She is currently the Deputy Chair of New Zealand Home Loans (NZHL), and the Chair of NZHLs People and Culture Committee. Monique is also a Director of DEC International, Unitec Institute of NZ, Manukau Institute of Technology, and a Trustee of the NZ Portrait Gallery.

Ms Cairns owns Caribou, a consulting provider in New Zealand, providing business strategy, brand marketing and communication advice to clients from diverse industry sectors, including Fintech and personal lending. Ms Cairns unique experience across governance and marketing will provide valuable insights for the Harmoney Board. Prior to her governance roles, Ms Cairns was the Chief Marketing Officer at GE Capital New Zealand, and the Head of Retail Sales Development and Customer Experience at the Bank of New Zealand. Ms Cairns is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the NZ Institute of Directors.

About John Quirk

Mr Quirk has over 40 years of experience in the technology space across several overseas or multinational information technology companies. He has held key leadership roles, including the position of Chief Executive Officer (Asia Pacific) of MI Services Group, an international management consulting organisation for information systems company. For the past 20 years, he has specialised in strategic advisory to high-growth technology companies like Harmoney.

Mr Quirk also has an extensive governance background, and has been actively involved in strategic, mentoring and M&A activity. Currently, he is Chair of Portainer.io, Cumulo9, a director of Aeroqual, and has recently been appointed to the New Zealand Government's 'Strong Public Media' Establishment Board. Previous roles have included Chair of Kordia Group, Clearpoint Group, SMX Limited, FrameCAD Group, merlot.aero, WhereScape Software, Farm-IQ Systems and Axon Computers. Mr Quirk is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.

David Flacks retirement

The appointments of Ms Cairns and Mr Quirk add an additional Board member and replace David Flacks, who had previously announced his intention to retire as a non-executive director, now effective 1 August 2022. Mr Flacks was appointed to the Board over eight years ago and was the Chairman of the Board until August 2021. The Board expressed its gratitude to Mr Flacks for his dedication and valuable insights displayed throughout his tenure.

Commenting on the Board changes, Chairman Paul Lahiff said:

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Harmoney team, I would especially like to thank David for his many years of dedication and support to the business. David led the Board for many years, including through the Companys initial public offering in 2020, and provided invaluable strategic, legal and regulatory insights. We wish him well in his retirement. Concurrently, we welcome Monique and John to the Board. Both Monique and John have extensive experience in their respective fields, and we are excited to have them on board as Harmoney continues to execute on its growth strategy.

This release was authorised by the Board of Harmoney Corp Limited.

-END-

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Calaveras Public Health updates weekly on Tuesdays. They report the death of a woman in her 80s from COVID-19. There are 66 new lab-confirmed cases from June 29th to July 5th. The number of cases is down from 83 new lab-confirmed cases among residents the week before. They report 24 active cases, last week there were 38 active cases. There is one active Covid hospitalization to report.

Calaveras is identified by the CDC as having decreased to the medium Community Covid Level with all other Mother Lode counties in the highest of the three tiers determined by the higher of the new hospital admissions and inpatient beds metrics, based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days. Community Transmission remains high in nearly all counties. From June 13, 2022 to June 19, 2022, unvaccinated people were 6.6 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who received their booster dose. Covid Hospitalizations per million statewide for unvaccinated people peaked on June 6th at 34.3 and have declined to 22.9.

Tuolumne County Public Health There are 202 new lab-confirmed community cases and 10 Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) inmate cases, with four hospitalizations from Saturday, June 2nd to today, Friday, July 8th. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports 17 active cases at SCC. There are 206 active community cases down from 212.

The newly reported Covid-19 community cases this week include 14 cases age 17 and younger and 79 cases age 60 or older. The new Covid cases demographics: 4 girls and 8 boys age 0 to 11, 1 girl and 1 boy age 12 to 17, 17 women and 8 men age 18 to 29, 26 women and 3 men in their 30s, 15 women and 8 men in their 40s, 19 women and 13 men in their 50s, 16 women and 11 men in their 60s, 18 women and 14 men in their 70s, 11 women and 4 men in their 80s, and 3 women and 2 men age 90 or older.

The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County increased to 49.8 from 38.5 per 100,000 population. A total of 476 more are counted as released from isolation, in all 12,014 have been released from isolation. The 7-day test positivity rate is 21.1% down from 24.2%.

Influenza Locally and throughout the region, levels of Influenza (the majority are A (H3N2)) have declined somewhat from last week. Influenza is a respiratory illness and the way to prevent spreading and getting sick with the flu is the same as protecting yourself and those around you from COVID-19:

Get vaccinated; contact your healthcare provider or pharmacy about flu vaccine

Wear a mask in public, especially indoors

Stay home when sick!

Keep your distance and avoid crowds when possible

Wash hands and clean surfaces frequently

Monkeypox Tuolumne Public health states there are 141 probable and confirmed cases in California, (up from 89 last week) none so far in Tuolumne County. The risk to the general public is considered low at this time. For more information, including about preventing monkeypox, go here.

COVID-19 Testing If you test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19  Isolation instructions (click here) To make an appointment for testing at the testing site visit: https://lhi.care/covidtesting

The Mother Lode testing is open 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with closures for meal breaks between 11 am  12 pm and 4 pm to 5 pm. The State testing site at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds launched Test to Treat operations as detailed here.

At-home test kits can be ordered for free at https://www.covid.gov/tests.

Families with school-age children may obtain free kits by contacting the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools office.

A limited number of free at-home kits are available at the Public Health Department (note, as a healthcare facility, masks are required at all times in our lobby).

At-home test kits are also available for purchase at pharmacies.

Testing sites at other locations near the area can be found by visiting: https://myturn.ca.gov/testing.html

COVID-19 Vaccine children aged 6 months to 5 years are now eligible for COVID vaccination. The Tuolumne Public Health team has added vaccinations for this age group to our clinic schedule beginning next week or families can check with their childs healthcare provider. Appointments for June 27, June 29, or July 1 at the health department on Cedar Road in Sonora are available at myturn.ca.gov. For more information click here: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-and-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccines-children

More information about Covid Vaccine booster shots can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html. Appointments in Tuolumne and Calaveras can be made through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255 or through local pharmacies, more details are here.

County

Date

New

Active (Hospital)

Est. Total 2022 All Cases (All Deaths) Amador

6/28 to 7/5 72 82 (9) 2,311 6,487

(78) Calaveras 6/28 to 7/5 66 24 (1) 3,201 7,836

(128) Mariposa 7/1 to 7/7 51 29 (5) 2,011 3,747

(36) Mono

7/1 to 7/8 15 N/A 1,135 3,081

(9) Tuolumne 7/2 to 7/8 212 206 (4) 6,860 15,148 (185) Colors indicate CDC Community Level: Green-low, Yellow-medium, Orange-high
Facing threats, some election workers weigh whether to stay View Photo

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  After polls closed in New Mexicos primary last month, a worker returning ballots and other election materials to the clerks office in Santa Fe was followed by a partisan election observer driving so closely that mere inches separated their bumpers.

The poll worker was so rattled by the ordeal that she said she may not return for the upcoming November election, according to Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark.

The incident is just one of many in which election officials and workers have felt threatened since the 2020 presidential election and the false claims that it was stolen from former President Donald Trump. A federal effort to investigate these threats has so far yielded three prosecutions since it was launched a year ago.

In the meantime, the harassment and death threats havent stopped against those who have pushed back against the false claims. The threats have contributed to an exodus of election officials across the country, particularly at the local level, and made recruiting poll workers even harder  adding to the challenges of conducting smooth elections in the fall.

Im a Republican recorder living in a Republican county where the candidate that they wanted to win won by 2-to-1 in this county and still getting grief, and so is my staff, said Leslie Hoffman, the top election official in Yavapai County, Arizona.

Hoffman announced last week that she was resigning to take another job, saying her decision was motivated largely by the nastiness that we have dealt with. Hoffman said the county elections director left for the same reasons.

On Friday, an official with the U.S. Department of Justice met with state election officials gathered in Louisiana for their summer conference and updated them on the work of a special task force, which was announced a year ago.

Three men have been charged by federal prosecutors, with one of them pleading guilty last month. In that case, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold was the subject of multiple threatening posts on social media.

Griswold said the threats have not stopped. Just last week, a caller to her offices public phone line said: Hey, Ive got a message for the secretary and I want you to pass it along. The angel of death is coming for her in the name of Jesus Christ.

The fact of the matter is theyve only done three prosecutions when we know there are literally thousands and thousands of violent threats going to election workers and secretaries of state, Griswold said. People are using threats as part of the attack on democracy to try to intimidate election workers, to try to intimidate county clerks and secretaries of state, and they are succeeding in some places.

Robert Heberle, deputy chief of the Justice Departments public integrity section, told state election officials Friday that federal investigators are working through each report to determine which cases can be prosecuted. He noted challenges in attributing threats often made anonymously and meeting a legal standard of proving a serious expression of intent to commit an act of unlawful violence.

Heberle walked through a few examples in which threats were hostile but vague and would need additional evidence to prosecute. He encouraged secretaries of state to continue reporting every threat and said that having law enforcement contact those making threats might deter them from doing so again.

I can assure you we take this set of issues, the threats to election workers, to election officials  whether they are elected, appointed or volunteers  incredibly seriously, Heberle said. We understand the gravity of the issue.

He said dozens of cases were still under investigation and more prosecutions were expected.

A survey released earlier this year by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYUs School of Law found one in three election officials knew someone who had left a job in part because of threats and intimidation, and that one in six had experienced threats personally.

Federal and state election officials and Trumps attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the election was tainted. The former presidents allegations of fraud also have been rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed.

Experts said it is critical that those making threats are held accountable to deter others from thinking they can do the same.

The steps that the task force has taken, election officials are appreciative. But absolutely there is more to be done, said Liz Howard, a former state election official in Virginia now at the Brennan Center.

Among the recommendations that the Brennan Center has made is to expand the task force to include state and local law enforcement agencies that are typically the first contact for an election official.

A group of former and current election and law enforcement officials recently formed the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, which plans to provide guidance and training for preventing and responding to threats and violence against election officials.

Last month, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission  which distributes federal grants to election offices  said its funding could be used to protect election officials against threats. Legislation has also been pursued at the state and federal level to increase penalties for those targeting election workers.

In Colorado, lawmakers passed a bill that makes it a misdemeanor to release online the personal information of election officials for the purpose of threatening them or their family.

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, held a hearing last year highlighting the threats and urging federal protections for election workers. Klobuchar and other Senate Democrats have sent a letter asking the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to issue a joint announcement to local law enforcement agencies to ensure that they are aware of both the recent increase in these threats against election officials and federal resources for reporting and countering them.

Back in Santa Fe, County Clerk Clark said anxiety remains high among her staff. Employees have been trained on active shooter situations, they have requested bulletproof glass be installed and GPS tracking is used during the transportation of ballot boxes.

While she is concerned about her safety, she says shes not ready to quit or change careers, noting her responsibility to voters who elected her.

My dad served in the military, my grandfather served in the military, Clark said. I dont feel its bad enough yet to feel that my public service is too much.

___

Associated Press writers Bob Christie in Phoenix and Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this report.

By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY

Associated Press
TOKYO (AP)  The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in broad daylight Friday shocked a world that has come to associate Japan with relatively low crime and strict gun control.

Japans longest-serving prime minister, Abe was shot in the back while campaigning in the city of Nara for parliamentary candidates. He died at a hospital, two days before the election.

The suspect apparently circumvented the nation's ultra-tight gun regulations by building his own weapon. Police said the 15-inch (40-centimeter) device was obviously homemade, and one expert compared it to a muzzle-loading gun. Authorities confiscated similar weapons when they raided the suspect's nearby one-room apartment.

The motive of the man, who was taken into custody at the scene, remained unclear.

Fatal gun violence is virtually unheard of in Japan, and most Japanese go through life without ever handling, or even seeing, a real gun. Stabbings are more common in killings.

Major universities have rifle clubs, and Japanese police are armed, but gun ownership rights have been a distant issue for decades. Even police rarely resort to firing their pistols.

With a population of 125 million, the country had just 10 gun-related criminal cases last year, resulting in a single death and four injuries, according to police. Eight of those cases were gang-related.

The densely populated capital of Tokyo had zero gun incidents, injuries or deaths during that same year, although 61 guns were seized there.

"Japanese people are in a state of shock, said Shiro Kawamoto, professor at the College of Risk Management at Nihon University in Tokyo.

This serves as a wake-up call that gun violence can happen in Japan, and security to protect Japanese politicians must be re-examined, Kawamoto said. To assume this kind of attack will never happen would be a big mistake.

Abes security team may face serious questions. But because such attacks are extraordinary in Japan, relatively light security is the norm, even for former prime ministers.

In remarks in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden described the profound impact of the shooting on the psyche of the Japanese people.

This is a different culture  theyre not used to" gun violence as unfortunately we are. Here in the United States, we know how deep the wounds of gun violence go from communities that are affected. And this assassination is a tragedy that all the people of Japan are feeling.

Japan's last high-profile shooting occurred in 2019, when a former gang member was shot at a karaoke venue in Tokyo.

Under Japanese law, possession of firearms is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal. The same rules apply to some kinds of knives and certain other weapons, like crossbows.

People who wish to own firearms must go through a stringent background check, including clearance by a doctor, and declare information about family members. They must also pass tests to show they know how to use guns correctly. Those who pass and purchase a weapon must also buy a special locking system for it at the same time.

Passing those hurdles will allow a license holder to shoot at clay targets. Hunting requires an additional license.

The weapon used in the attack on Abe was probably a craft-made firearm, according to N.R. Jenzen-Jones, the director of Armament Research Services, a specialist arms investigations firm.

He compared the weapon to a musket in which the gunpowder is loaded separately from the bullet.

Firearms legislation in Japan is very restrictive, so I think what were seeing here, with whats probably a muzzle-loading weapon, is not just an attempt to circumvent the control of firearms, but also the strict control of ammunition in Japan, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Lviv, Ukraine, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Jon Gambrell is on Twitter https://twitter.com/jongambrellAP

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
BEIJING (AP)  A former Chinese vice minister of public security went on trial Friday, accused of collecting 646 million yuan ($96.3 million) in bribes over nearly two decades.

Sun Lijun faces accusations of selling government positions, manipulating stock prices and illegally possessing firearms, in one of the most high-profile corruption trials in years.

Sun, who is also accused of abandoning his post amid the COVID-19 outbreak, has pleaded guilty, state broadcaster CCTV said in a report on the trial, which is being held at the Intermediate Court in the northeastern city of Changchun.

Sun was shown standing in the dock in a blue windbreaker, with uniformed police officers on either side of him.

It was not immediately clear when a verdict would be rendered. China's courts have a conviction rate of more than 99%. With prosecutors describing Sun's crimes as especially serious in nature," he is likely facing a lengthy prison sentence.

President and head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping has waged a decade-long campaign against corruption that has ensnared numerous serving and retired high-ranking officials in what some see as politically motivated prosecutions.

In an announcement last year on Sun's expulsion from the party, he was accused of having displayed extremely inflated political ambition and very poor political integrity, issuing groundless criticisms of the Partys policies and spreading political rumors.

Sun also engaged in superstitious activities and led a decadent lifestyle, the party's disciplinary body said.

Sun is also named in a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Justice Department against Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn last month to compel Wynn to register as a foreign agent because of lobbying work it says he performed at the behest of the Chinese government.

The lawsuit says the lobbying effort was done on behalf of senior Chinese government officials, including Sun, who sought Wynns help in trying to get a Chinese nationals visa application denied, according to the complaint.

Beijing was seeking the return of the man, who had been charged with corruption in China and was seeking political asylum in America. The effort was ultimately unsuccessful.
Associated Press Writer

Constellation Energy Group Inc. said Wednesday it agreed to sell six power plants to privately held Tenaska Power Fund LP for $1.64 billion in cash.

Constellation, the parent of Baltimore Gas & Electric and a supplier of electricity, natural gas and energy services nationwide, said it expects to net $1.5 billion and record a one-time gain of $245 million. The deal is expected to close in 2006 or early 2007, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

The gas-fired plants to be sold generate 3,145 megawatts of power. The are the High Desert plant in Victorville, Calif.; the Rio Nogales plant in Seguin, Texas; Holland Energy in Shelby Co., Ill.; Big Sandy in Neal, W.Va.; University Park in Chicago, Ill.; and Wolf Hills in Bristol, Va.

Constellation, which is in the process of selling itself to FPL Group Inc., parent of Florida Power & Light, said proceeds will be used to reduce debt until the company reaches a target leverage ratio, then will be used to invest in the business or buy back stock. FPL approved the sale.

The energy supplier said it expects the sale of plants will lower earnings modestly in 2008 and 2009 and is expected to add to earnings after that.

Paul Fremont, an analyst who follows Constellation for Jefferies & Co., said the plants have not been contributing significantly to cash flow or earnings and the sale helps Constellation improve its balance sheet.

In July, Constellation said second-quarter net income fell 24 percent because of higher fuel costs. The company blamed cost increases, which outpaced higher revenue from gas rates.

Fremont said uncertainty over the pending sale to FPL Group may have played a part in the decision, particularly concerns that the deal might not go through.

"It more looks to me like Constellation is positioning itself, you know, in the event the FPL deal does not happen," Fremont said.

If the sale goes through, FPL's assets will improve the combined company's balance sheet, with or without the sale. If the deal does not go through, the sale could be viewed as a protective move, leaving Constellation with a stronger balance sheet.

"That's how I would interpret it," Fremont said.

Constellation spokeswoman Angelique Rewers said the pending deal with FPL did not factor into the decision.

"This is part of our stand-alone business strategy. From our perspective, these gas-fired assets offer fewer synergies to our competitive supply portfolio or to our strategy of optimizing, basically, the efficiencies of our baseload coal and nuclear plants," Rewers said. "So, this was about bringing our assets in line with our business strategy."

Earlier this month, FPL Group announced it is suing the state of Maryland and the Maryland Public Service Commission over delays in the review of its pending purchase of Constellation Energy.

FPL is seeking a speedy hearing of the proposed $10.8 billion deal, which has been delayed by a bill passed during a special summer session of the state legislature to deal with increased electric rates brought on by deregulation.

Shares of Constellation rose 42 cents to $60.25 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Foreign analysts say Russia may be temporarily easing its offensive in eastern Ukraine as the Russian military attempts to reassemble its forces for what it hopes could prove decisive new assault on its neighbor. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned menacingly on Thursday that his forces haven't even started to fight.

Russian forces made no claimed or assessed territorial gains in Ukraine on Wednesday for the first time in 133 days of war, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The Washington-based think tank suggested Moscow may be taking an operational pause, but said that does not entail "the complete cessation of active hostilities."

Russian forces will likely confine themselves to relatively small-scale offensive actions as they attempt to set conditions for more significant offensive operations" and rebuild the necessary combat power, the institute said.

Russias Defense Ministry seemed to confirm that assessment, saying in a statement Thursday that Russian soldiers had been given time to rest.

The units that performed combat missions ... are taking measures to recover their combat capabilities. The servicemen are given the opportunity to rest, receive letters and parcels from home, read the statement, quoted by Russian state news agency Tass.

Putin warned Kyiv it should quickly accept Moscows terms to end the fighting or brace for the worst.

Everybody should know that largely speaking, we havent even yet started anything in earnest, he said in a menacing note.

Shelling continued in Ukraine's east, with the mayor of one Donetsk region city saying it was hit by the most powerful strike since the war began.

Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksandr Gorchenko said a Russian missile hit in the vicinity of the local government buildings shortly after noon. The city has been the center of the Donetsk regional government since 2014, when the city of Donetsk was taken over by Kremlin-backed separatists.

Earlier on Thursday, regional officials said at least one person was killed and six more were injured in the strike.

Volodymyr, 66, a resident who declined to provide his full name, sat in his overturned apartment, covered in blood.

I was just sitting and drinking tea, and then there was an explosion," he told the Associated Press. "You can see the result of it.

Asked if he felt safe staying in his apartment building block, he responded: Is it safe right now anywhere in Ukraine? It all just happened in one moment, and that was it.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, police said three people died and five were injured after the Nemyshlyanskii neighborhood was blasted from multiple-launch rocket systems.

People suffered, for what? local resident Sergey Pershin said as he watched medics tend to the wounded and put the dead in body bags.

It's horrible. I'm so sick of it. Every night you wake up 10 times, you wait for it to end, wait until they start shooting. What are the bastards doing? There are residential buildings here.

The Kharkiv region, which lies along the border with Russia, comes under daily shelling.

In Donetsk, 10 cities and villages came under shelling, and 35 buildings were destroyed, including a school, a vocational college and a hospital, officials said.

Donetsk is part of the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking industrial area where Ukraines most experienced soldiers are concentrated. Pro-Russian separatists have fought Ukrainian forces and controlled much of the Donbas for eight years. Putin recognized the independence of two self-proclaimed republics there just before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Putin on Monday claimed victory in Luhansk, the other Donbas province, after Ukrainian forces withdrew from the last city they controlled there. The governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, denied Wednesday that the Russians had completely captured the province.

The Ukrainian military said Thursday that Russian forces also carried out shelling and helicopter strikes in the Sumy region in the northeast.

Even as the fighting continued, the British Defense Ministry said it thinks Russia's military is reconstituting its forces. A ministry intelligence assessment issued Thursday said the heavy shelling along the front line in Donetsk is likely intended to secure previous Russian gains.

Further hostilities were reported in the Black Sea. The Ukrainian military said Thursday a national flag again stood on a strategic island that Russian troops withdrew from last month.

Ukraines southern military command said Ukrainian military units had cleared Snake Island, an outpost off Ukraines southwestern coast vital for guaranteeing sea lanes out of Odesa, Ukraine's biggest port.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation to take back the island took two months and was carried out by an array of military and intelligence forces.

And now let every Russian captain, whether of a ship or a plane, see the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island and know that our state cannot be broken," he said in his nightly video address.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that a Russian military aircraft launched a missile strike on the island as Ukrainian forces attempted to plant the flag. "As a result, some of the Ukrainian military personnel were destroyed, the rest fled, the ministry said. The claim could not be immediately verified.

When Russian troops withdrew from Snake Island on June 30, the Defense Ministry described it as a a goodwill gesture to ensure Ukrainian grain and other exports could resume.

Ukraine said Russia also fired two missiles at a Moldovan-flagged oil tanker in the Black Sea, setting it ablaze. Ukrainian officials said one hit the Millennial Spirit, which carried over 500 tons of diesel fuel, while the other went wide.

The ship has been without a crew, drifting at sea since the start of the war in February. Russia did not immediately acknowledge the strike on the vessel.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said it summoned the Turkish ambassador in Kyiv on Thursday over what it described as the theft of Ukrainian grain by a Russian ship.

The Zhibek Zholy was allowed to leave Turkey's Black Sea coast after Turkish authorities briefly detained it at Ukraine's request. Ukraine summoned the ambassador to complain.

Turkey, with its Bosporus Strait, is the key transit route for shipping out of the Black Sea. Ukraine has sought to pressure Ankara to stop Russian shipments of its grain, a vital source of revenue.

Also Thursday:

Zelenskyy said he spoke with Boris Johnson just hours after the British prime minister announced he would step down. Zelenskyy said he thanked Johnson, who visited Kyiv twice after the war began, for his support and especially for the weapons and money Britain has sent to Ukraine.

And although this reflects the position of British society, the leadership and charisma of the countrys leader always have special meaning. ... Its not surprising that Ukrainians feel a personal gratitude to Boris, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. He said Johnson and other British officials reassured him this strong support would continue.

___

Associated Press journalists Francesca Ebel in Kramatorsk, Ukraine; Jon Gambrell in Lviv, Ukraine; and Cara Anna in Kharkiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
TOKYO (AP)  Shinzo Abe was a political blueblood groomed for power. Japan's longest serving prime minister, he was also perhaps the most polarizing, complex politician in recent Japanese history.

Abe, who was assassinated Friday, angered both liberals at home and World War II victims in Asia with his hawkish push to revamp the military and his revisionist view that Japan was given an unfair verdict by history for its brutal past.

At the same time, he revitalized Japans economy, led efforts for the nation to take a stronger role in Asia and served as a rare beacon of political stability before stepping down two years ago for health reasons.

Hes the most towering political figure in Japan over the past couple of decades, said Dave Leheny, a political scientist at Waseda University. He wanted Japan to be respected on the global stage in the way that he felt was deserved. ... He also wanted Japan to not have to keep apologizing for World War II.

Abe, who died after being shot during a campaign speech, was 67.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, which shocked many in Japan, one of the worlds safest nations with some of the strictest gun control laws. Near the suspect was a double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun.

Abe believed that Japan's postwar track record of economic success, peace and global cooperation was something "other countries should pay more attention to, and that Japanese should be proud of, Leheny said.

Abe was a darling of conservatives but reviled by many liberals in Japan. And no policy was more divisive than his cherished, ultimately unsuccessful dream to revise Japans war-renouncing constitution. His ultra-nationalism also angered the Koreas and China, both wartime victims of Japan.

That push for constitutional revision stemmed from his personal history. Abe's grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, despised the U.S.-drafted constitution, adopted during the American postwar occupation. For Abe, too, the 1947 charter was symbolic of what he saw as the unfair legacy of Japans war defeat and an imposition of the victors world order and Western values.

That constitution renounces the use of force in international conflicts, and limits Japan's military to self defense, although the country has a well-equipped modern army, navy and air force that work closely with the United States, Japans top ally.

Poor public support for the changes doomed Abe's push, but the goal still enjoys backing from his ultra-conservative supporters.

Abe bristled against postwar treaties and the tribunal that judged Japanese war criminals. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a normal and beautiful nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

He also was a driving force for Japanese conservatives efforts to whitewash wartime atrocities and push for an end of apologies over atrocities.

Supporters point to his efforts to raise Japan's profile on the international stage, and his proposal for a new order of like-minded democracies as a counter to Chinas rise, something Washington and others soon endorsed.

Abe was also a big influence on current Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas policies, pushing for the bolstering of military capability, including a preemptive-strike capability.

Abe stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said the ulcerative colitis hed had since he was a teenager resurfaced.

He told reporters at the time that it was gut wrenching to leave many of his goals unachieved. In addition to the failure on constitutional revision, he was also unable to settle several other unfinished legacies of the war, including normalizing ties with North Korea, settling island disputes with neighbors and signing a peace treaty with Russia formally ending their hostilities in World War II.

Abe was praised in Washington for his push for a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship, which he saw as a means of bolstering Japans defense capability. Japan hosts 50,000 U.S. troops as a bulwark in the region amid tensions with China and North Korea.

Abe charmed conservatives with his security policies because of fears of terrorism, North Koreas missile and nuclear weapons ambitions and Chinas military assertiveness.

But there has always been general public support for the pacifist constitution and divided views on amendments within Abe's governing party. Many lawmakers preferred to focus on economic growth.

Abe said he was proud of working for a stronger Japan-U.S. security alliance and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was under control when it was not.

Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of that scandal-laden term was the beginning of six years of annual Japanese leadership change, remembered as an era of revolving door politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his Abenomics formula, which combined fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.

Abe left office as Japans longest-serving prime minister by consecutive days in office, eclipsing the record of Eisaku Sato, his great-uncle, who served 2,798 days from 1964 to 1972.

___

Associated Press writer Stephen Wade contributed to this report.
LONDON (AP)  Veteran counterterrorism police officer Mark Rowley will be the new chief of Londons troubled Metropolitan Police force, the British government said Friday.

Rowley, who was head of counterterrorism at the force between 2014 and 2018, becomes commissioner of Scotland Yard after a string of controversies undermined public confidence in the countrys largest police force. He will have the task of restoring the reputation of a force that was last month placed in special measures by the countrys police watchdog.
A 40-year-old man was arrested on June 30 at the 2500 block of W. 5th St. when officers conducted a traffic stop for reckless driving. The driver observed signs of intoxication during the stop and was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on June 30 at the 3000 block of W. 16th St. during a callout in reference to a suspicious male walking around the residence. He was located by officers who placed him in custody after finding he had two active warrants for failure to appear/bail jumping and for public intoxication. Upon further investigation, the suspects shoes were found in a backyard of a residence where damage to two window screens was reported. The individual was arrested and charged with the warrants and with criminal mischief.

A burglary was reported on June 30 at the 600 block of W. 5th St. Police responded to the location where burglary of a coin-operated machine was reported.

Identity theft was reported on June 30 at the 710 block of N. Columbia where a citizen in the lobby of the location reported the theft.

Damaged property was reported on June 30 at the 300 block of S. Garland St. Officers were dispatched to the location in reference to criminal mischief and noted an estimated $400 worth of damage.

A peeping tom was reported to the Plainview PD on June 30. A juvenile visited the department to report an adult male had used a cellphone to take photos or to record her while in the bathroom.

Theft from a vehicle was reported at the 100 block of W. 9th St. on June 30.

An assault was reported at the 1500 block of Gray St. on June 30. The victim told officers they were assaulted and strangled causing them to have trouble breathing. The suspect was not at the scene when officers arrived.

July 1

A burglary was reported on July 1 at the 700 block of N. Broadway. An iPad was reported stolen from the building.

An officer was dispatched to the 700 block of Houston St. on July 1 in reference to a terrorist threat.

A 27-year-old man was arrested on July 1 at the 2400 block of Dimmitt Road during a traffic stop. The individual was found to have two active warrants for driving with no license and for failure to appear/bail jumping.

Police responded to the 1300 block of Floydada St. on July 1 in reference to a shed being graffitied.

A 46-year-old woman was arrested on July 1 at the 500 block of Denver St. during a traffic stop. She was found to have multiple active warrants including charges for possession of drug paraphernalia, having an expired driver license, operating a motor vehicle without license plates or with one plate and with failure to appear/bail jumping.

A hit-and-run crash was reported on July 1 at the 2300 block of Xenia St.

A theft was reported at the 400 block of W. 5th St. on July 1. Officers were dispatched to the location in reference to a theft involving money that had already occurred.

July 2

A 49-year-old man was arrested on July 2 at the 4200 block of W. 13th St.

July 3

A 52-year-old man was arrested on July 3 at the 1000 block of W. 9th St. the individual was charged with assault causing bodily injury or family violence.

Police arrested 66-year-old Roberto Villanueva Romo on July 3 at the 1000 block of N. Columbia St. he was charged with an active warrant for driving with an invalid license with previous conviction/suspension without financial resolution. He was also charged with having a prohibited substance/item in a correctional facility, which is a felony.

Criminal mischief was reported at the 200 block of SE 5th St. on July 3. Damage to a vehicle was reported.

Fraudulent activity was reported on July 3 at the 100 block of W. 9th St. Illegal use of credit or debit cards was reported.

A stolen vehicle was reported at the 1100 block of N. Date St. on July 3.

An assault was reported at the 1400 block of W. 26th St. on July 3. Officers were called to the location in reference to a domestic disturbance.

July 4

Officers were dispatched to the 3100 block of W. 20th St. on July 4 in reference to a stolen vehicle.

A disturbance was reported at the 1400 block of W. 26th St. on July 4. An assault was reported. A 31-year-old man was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury or family violence.

A 36-year-old woman was arrested on July 4 at the 100 block of N. Columbia St. The individual was charged with an active warrant for criminal mischief.

An assault was reported at the 1400 block of W. 26th St. on July 4.

A 26-year-old man was arrested on July 4 at the 4000 block of Olton Road where officers were dispatched in reference to a disturbance. The victim told officers at the scene that their spouse had hit them and caused pain. The man was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury, family violence and with interfering with an emergency call.

A hit-and-run crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 400 block of W. 8th St. on July 4.

A 34-year-old man was arrested during a traffic stop on July 4 at the 2300 block of W. 5th St. The man was charged with multiple active warrants including four for failure to maintain financial responsibility.

An assault was reported at the 1600 block of N. Date St. on July 4.

Police arrested 36-year-old Michael Lee Rivera on July 4 at the 600 block of W. 5th St. for an out-of-county felony warrant. The warrants included charges for a parole violation and for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

July 5

An assault was reported at the 2600 block of W. 18th St. on July 5.

A 36-year-old man was arrested on July 5 at the 1300 block of Ennis St. during a traffic stop. The man was found to have multiple outstanding warrants for charges including failure to maintain financial responsibility, failure to appear/bail jumping and for running a stop sign.

A 31-year-old man was arrested at the 1000 block of N. I-27 on July 5 for an outstanding warrant for a charge for a parole violation.

A hit-and-run crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported on July 5 at the 2600 block of Dimmitt Road.

A 58-year-old man was arrested at E. 24th and N. Date St. on July 5. He was charged with multiple active warrants including charges for an open container and for failure to appear/bail jumping.
The application period is currently open for interested hunters for the upcoming hunting season.

The drawn hunt permits program, through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, is offering a chance for almost 10,000 permits in 62 hunt categories, according to a news release from TPWD.

The first wave of deadlines is Aug. 1 for alligator hunt categories, pronghorn, and private land dove hunts. Aug. 15 is the deadline for archery deer, general exotic and javelina.

A full list of category deadlines is available at https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/public_hunt_drawing/. Deadlines are the 1st and 15th of the month between Aug. 1 and Nov. 1.

After applications are completed, the status can be checked through the same website.

Those who receive the permits will be allowed to hunt on public and private lands across the state.

These drawings include selections for U.S. Forest Service Antlerless Deer Permits, both adult and youth hunts, 18 e-Postcard Selections for hunters using the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH) and hunts conducted on 10 National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) in Texas, said Kelly Edmiston, TPWD Public Hunting Program coordinator.

A current APH permit is required for those interested in applying for e-Postcard hunts and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Antlerless Deer Permits.

New areas included in this years drawn hunt catalog include the Muleshoe NWR and Powderhorn State Park. Devils Sinkhole SNA, Lost Maples SP, Village Creek SP, and Stephen F. Austin SP have re-entered the program this season. TPWD also created two new NWR hunt categories, for Antlerless Deer and Alligator, according to TPWD.

All applications and fee submissions are handled electronically. Those interested must have an email address and a credit or debit card prepared to apply. The hunting or fishing license ID number is the most effective way to get into the system, according to TPWD.

The cost to participate in the hunt categories ranges from $3 to $10. A special permit fee of $80 for regular hunts and $130 for extended hunts may also required.

Youth-only hunt categories do not require an application.

Reach out to hunt@tpwd.texas.gov or call (512)389-4505 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday regarding any additional questions.
Ceylon Chamber of Commerce notes that a number of political parties, professional associations and civil society organizations have called for mass protests on 9th July. While clearly understanding the views of the general public and recognizing their freedom of speech and right to express views through public protests, CCC appeals to all parties to carry out such protests in a peaceful and non-violent manner. We hope the authorities will also act with increased vigilance to prevent any recurrence of the kind of unwanted violence that took place on the 9th of May as any act of violence from either side would seriously undermine all efforts that are being taken to resolve the economic crisis that is causing enormous hardships to the people of this country.








John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

As the Hill Country keeps growing, so too does the interest of businesses and developers wanting to set up shop. A new shopping center in Boerne, with plans for multiple restaurants with drive-thru services just off I-10, has set a date to begin construction this fall.

Four buildings, all with drive-thru services, for the Boerne Town Center will cost an estimated $4.5 million to construct, according to separate filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The four buildings range from 5,053 square-feet to 5,865 square-feet with each building costing around $1.1 million. Construction on the site will take a little under a year with an expected start date of October 24 and an expected completion date of August 25, 2023, according to the filing.
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On the Fourth of July, a Texas woman was bit by something uncommon to clamp on a human while at Lake Corpus Christi. Joanne Garcia told KRISTV6 that an alligator gar bit her foot while she was in the shallow water.

"It was full pain immediately, there was no little bite, it was just clamped on, and as I shook my foot, I think that's where more damage was done," she told the news station. "I started kicking my foot, and [my sister-in-law] didn't know what it was, but she started kicking too. She saw the body come up out of the water and swim away, but he had gotten a hold of my foot, and tore it up pretty good."
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LONDON (AP)  WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has appealed against the British's government decision last month to order his extradition to the U.S.

The appeal was filed Friday at the High Court, the latest twist in a decade-long legal saga sparked by his website's publication of classified U.S. documents. No further details about the appeal were immediately available.

Assange's supporters staged protests before his 51st birthday this weekend, with his wife Stella Assange among people who gathered outside the Home Office on Friday to call for his release from prison.

Julian Assange has battled in British courts for years to avoid being sent to the U.S., where he faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse.

American prosecutors say the Australian citizen helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk.

To his supporters, Assange is a secrecy-busting journalist who exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A British court ruled in April that Assange could be sent to face trial in the U.S., sending the case to the U.K. government for a decision. Home Secretary Priti Patel signed an order on June 17 authorizing Assanges extradition.

The Australian government has been under mounting pressure to intervene, but last month Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected calls for him to publicly demand that Washington drop its prosecution of Assange.

Assanges supporters and lawyers maintain he was acting as a journalist and is entitled to First Amendment protections of freedom of speech. They argue that the case is politically motivated, that he would face inhumane treatment and be unable to get a fair trial in the U.S.

Assange remains in Londons high-security Belmarsh Prison, where he has been since he was arrested in 2019 for skipping bail during a separate legal battle. Before that, he spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Sweden dropped the sex crimes investigations in November 2019 because so much time had elapsed, but British judges have kept Assange in prison pending the outcome of the extradition case.
Members of the Proud Boys in Texas seem to be co-opting the iconic Buc-ees grinning beaver logo as an identifying symbol of their organization, Texas Monthly reported last week.

Members of the Liberal Women of Collin County who attended a Pride Month event in North Texas last month were met by a group of Proud Boys had shown up to menace the event, brandishing weapons while shouting "groomers" at attendees. The incident was the latest in a string of attempts by far-right groups to link LGBTQ events to child grooming and pedophilia.

During the event, several of the attending Proud Boys members donned face coverings depicting Bucky the beaver, a generally beloved symbol across Texas.

The group was also photographed wearing Bucky masks while counter-protesting outside the NRA convention in Houston in May, according to a recent Salon report, which also detailed Proud Boys members wearing red Buc-ees-themed neck gaiters at a Frisco City Council meeting designating June as Pride month.

Texas Proud Boys' adoption of Buckys image is only the latest example of white supremacists adopting easily recognizable pop-culture symbols to assert their place in mainstream political and cultural discourse, said Heidi Beirich, Ph.D., founder and leader of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism and the former leader of Southern Poverty Law Centers Intelligence Report and Hatewatch blog.

Its this idea that you need to get yourself dressed in mainstream clothing, and seep into society without being readily identified as a 'bad guy,' that people in the white supremacist movement have been aware of for a long time," Beirich said.

Beirich pointed to Ku Klux Klan leader David Dukes co-opting of popular skateboarding brand No Fear, Inc as an example of extremism latching onto popular mainstream culture. In 2000, No Fear, Inc. sued David Duke after his launch of a white nationalist organization called NOFEAR, an acronym for the National Organization For European American Rights.

Using pop culture symbols like Buc-ees and Fred Perrythe black and yellow T-shirts that have become synonymous with the Proud Boysis just the latest iteration of Dukes same strategy.

"Its both asserting that youre part of the mainstream and signaling to others what your politics are," Beirich explained.

Another popular brand that has seen its products "hatejacked" in recent years is Pit Viper Sunglasses, whose signature polarized shades have been adopted by Nick Fuentes of the "Groyper white nationalist movement and Kelly Neidert of North Texass Protect Texas Kids as symbols of their movements. Pit Viper has taken pains to distance itself from hate-driven ideologies.

We have never had contact with these people and do not know who they are, Jeff Nadalo, the general counsel of Buc-ees, told Texas Monthly, adding: No third party is going to prevent us from providing clean bathrooms equally to all people.

Neither Buc-ees nor Pit Viper Sunglasses immediately responded to requests for comment.
Two people are dead after a murder-suicide at a hospital in San Antonio.

A San Antonio police spokesperson said that an employee at Methodist Hospital discovered that a female patient in her 80s was shot and killed by her husband, also in his 80s, around 10:30 a.m. Friday, July 8. Police said they believe the husband shot and killed the wife before turning the gun on himself.

"This appears to be an unfortunate isolated incident involving a husband and a wife," SAPD spokesperson Jennifer Rodriguez said. "Very tragic situation."

Rodriguez said this was not an active shooter situation and police do not believe anyone else was in danger. No motive for the shooting is currently known, nor could police share details on how long the woman had been a patient at the hospital.

SAPD's homicide unit is continuing to investigate.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Dmitry Marchenko / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm

With air temperatures forecasted to reach over 103 degrees this weekend, the City of San Antonio has issued a heat advisory and opened the city's cooling centers. The centers will be operating at their normal posted hours through this weekend and next to provide relief from the heat, according to a City of San Antonio news release.

"Community members can visit the San Antonio Office of Emergency Management website for a map and listing of cooling centers," the statement reads. "VIA continues to offer free transportation to cooling centers and their buses are air conditioned."
Helen King/Getty Images

An Arizona-based developer is making plans for its second apartment complex in the Hill Country. Prose Lonesome Quail is the second apartment complex from Alliance Residential Company headed to New Braunfels in the past month.

The estimated $500,000 cost of the 4,908 square-foot Prose complex will be located at 128 Lonesome Quail in New Braunfels, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) filing. The filing states that the construction of the residential units, amenities, and parking lots will take about two years to complete. Construction is expected to begin on October 3 with a completion date of October 4, 2024.
My Nashville Post role has evolved since 2000 when I joined the now-defunct The City Paper. TCP became a Post sister publication in 2008 (when I began doing some Post work) and folded in 2013. I have been managing editor of the Post since late 2011.

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Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe  one of the most consequential leaders in Japans postwar history  died Friday, Japanese media reported, after being shot while he was giving a stump speech in the city of Nara.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had earlier described Abe as being in a serious condition.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a stump speech in Nara on Friday. He was shot immediately after this picture was taken. | KYODO

Abe was unconscious when he was rushed to a hospital and was bleeding from the chest.

The police have arrested the man suspected of attacking Abe, who was giving a speech in front of Yamato Saidaiji Station when the incident took place at around 11:30 a.m. Campaigning had been underway for Sundays Upper House election.

Videos of the incident showed two shots being fired. Japan is known for having one of the strictest gun control laws in the world.

Abe suffered an injury to the right side of his neck due to a gunshot and was bleeding internally in the left side of his chest, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. The former prime minister was transported via a medical helicopter to Nara Medical University in the city of Kashihara, south of central Nara, according to NHK, who quoted ambulance officials.

The man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and the gun was confiscated, according to the broadcaster. NHK identified the man as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old resident of the city of Nara.

NHK quoted government officials as saying that the suspect had been a Maritime Self-Defense Force officer for three years until around 2005.

Yamagami was said to have told investigators he had grievances with the former prime minister and had intended to kill him.

The gun used in the attack appeared to be hand-made, with the media footage showing an object with what looked like two barrels wrapped in black tape lying on the ground after the attack.

Shortly after flying back to the Prime Ministers Office in Tokyo from Yamagata Prefecture by helicopter, Kishida said that doctors were doing everything they could to save Abes life.

It was a despicable, barbaric act that happened during election campaigning, the foundation of democracy, Kishida told reporters. It is an unforgivable act.

Kishida said he ordered ministers campaigning outside of Tokyo to return to the capital immediately, and that he would convene a Cabinet meeting later Friday.

High school students who witnessed the shooting told NHK that a man came up from behind and fired two shots.

The first shot sounded like a toy bazooka, and the man then stepped back after the first one, a student said. After the attacker fired the second shot, a large amount of white smoke appeared, she added.

People in Japan expressed shock at the use of a gun in the attack, a rare occurrence in the country.

Kensaku Kimura, a Tokyo office worker in his 40s, said that, even with the recent spate of mass shootings in the U.S., its crazy that Japan is being affected in this way, especially in relation to one of the most influential people in the nation.

Yamagami is held down by security personnel after allegedly shooting Abe in Nara on Friday. | KYODO

Takeru Minakuchi, an office worker in Tokyo who has lived in the U.S., was almost in disbelief.

Having lived in the U.S. for two decades, it is surreal to watch an assassination attempt unroll on Japanese daytime TV, he said. I am nervous about the ramifications of this incident for the politics of the (Asia-Pacific) region (and beyond), but more so about further infringements of our personal freedoms in the name of public safety.

In an era of increased Chinese military and economic assertiveness, Abe is widely credited as the key architect of the Quad framework  a security grouping of Japan, the U.S., Australia and India  and with advancing values-based diplomacy promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

During Abes second time as prime minister, which ran from December 2012 to September 2020, he provided stability to Japanese politics following a period when the country was criticized for its revolving door prime ministers, in which the nations leader changed every year.

He previously became prime minister in 2005, only to step down a year later due to his health.

On the foreign policy front, Abe also formed a close personal relationship with mercurial former U.S. President Donald Trump, unlike most other world leaders, helping to stabilize Japans ties with its main ally during a time marked by various diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and other countries.

Abe, the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, was known for his hawkish policies, including his push to revise the pacifist Constitution to clarify the legal status of the Self-Defense Forces. Even after stepping down, Abe had been vocal about expanding the nations defense, urging the government to increase the related budget to 2% of gross domestic product.

In August 2020, he abruptly announced his intention to step down due to deteriorating health and was replaced by Yoshihide Suga, his right-hand man and the chief Cabinet secretary during Abes second administration.

Abes second administration saw him promote Abenomics  drastic monetary easing and fiscal spending in hopes of rejuvenating the domestic economy. But economists say Abenomics also led to wider inequality, prompting Kishida to propose a new capitalism focused more on the redistribution of wealth.

The former prime minister was a political blue blood. His grandfather was former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and his father was former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe.

He had long been seen as a prospective candidate for prime minister, serving as deputy chief Cabinet secretary under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and accompanying Koizumi to North Korea in 2002 for the return of five Japanese nationals abducted by the reclusive state in the 1970s and 1980s.

We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement prior to news of Abes death. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the United States. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and people of Japan.

Yamato Saidaiji Station is on the Kintetsu line, an artery connecting Japans ancient capital of Nara to Osaka and Kyoto.

Abe had traditionally received strong support in the area. One of his closest allies, Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Sanae Takaichi, represents Nara Prefectures second district, which lies just to the south of the station.

Information from Kyodo added
Lets first understand the indisputable reality about the execution of OPERATION COVID-19 and the subsequent implementation of the Covid Super Vaccination Agenda: The countless criminal conspirators who carried out this global genocide are extremely delusional psychopaths and criminally insane genocidal maniacs.

(Natural News) (Article republished from StateOfTheNation.com)

When such is the case, they are going to do a LOT of very stupid things in the course of committing their capital crime wave worldwide. In fact, these murderous psychos have made one mistake after anotherVERY BIG MISTAKES, that is. Yet its quite possible that these epic blunders were not mistakes at all; rather, just a reflection of the complete command and control that the New World Order globalist cabal currently exerts over the entire planetary civilization. Or, at least, thinks they exert.

Regardless of the true status of their global dominance, the NWO perpetrators of the COVID-19 biowar being waged against all of humanity have really screwed up. Their main miscalculation, by far, was the extent to which they believed they could maintain the cover-up of the Covid vaccine genocide.

Really, how do you attempt to vaccinate nearly 8 billion people across the planet with an extremely dangerous and deadly Covid injection(s), where millions soon die or sustain life-threatening injuries due to the lethal jab, and then expect that such a transparent depopulation scheme could be effectively covered up?!?! STUPID or what!

Austria sets worldwide precedent

The far-reaching ramifications and immediate repercussions associated with the shifting of responsibility from the state to the medical profession in Austria are truly staggering. And exhilarating!

Despite the federal government of Austria being the first nation in the world to recklessly and unlawfully mandate the Covid vaccine for every citizen (and resident) of Austria, the same government is now imposing up to a 14,000 Euro penalty on doctors for violating the obligation to report side effects or lack of effectiveness.

How ironic is it that the country that foisted the most draconian and illegal national vaccine mandate is now trying to eschew all accountability for their patently criminal conduct. Be sure to read the preceding article to comprehend the sea change thats occurring in Austria with regard to who will bear the responsibility for the Covid vaccine-induced mass death and disease. Its quite incredible.

You can be sure that, as the Covid vaccine deaths and injuries numbers skyrocket, and they are wherever they were administered in the greatest number, this same government blame game will heat up to the point of a HUGE public brawl.

Then, each of those nations that heedlessly pushed the frequently fatal Covid jabs on their citizenries will soon suffer the wrath of the people. For when the populace comes to correctly understand the true depth and breadth of this highly organized criminal conspiracy to deliberately deceive them to their death and/or serious injury, the world will witness an unparalleled societal explosion of anger and acrimony, exasperation and enmity, fury and ferocity, ire and indignation, rage and revenge, resentment and retribution.

Read more at: StateOfTheNation.com
(Natural News) German banks are preparing for a possible influx of companies defaulting on their loans as the country faces a looming energy shortage.

Quoting several high-ranking banking officials, Bloomberg reported that financial institutions in the European nation are expected to put aside extra funds. This, it added, sought to tackle a potential spike in defaults in the event that Russia completely cuts off supplies of natural gas.

Lutz Diederichs, CEO of BNP Paribas Germany, said Europes largest economy is projected to fall into a recession. He told media outlets that lenders will be required to bolster corporate loans with more capital. The remarks by Diederichs echoed those by Bettina Orlopp, CFO of Commerzbank, during her interview with the German weekly magazine Focus Money.

Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing warned that a complete loss of access to natural gas from the Nord Stream pipeline would force a deep recession that would hit the German economy hard. Germany is highly dependent on energy imports from Russia, but the Russia-Ukraine war and the Wests sanctions against Moscow put this deal in a precarious situation.

The banking executives reportedly expressed concern about scheduled maintenance at the Nord Stream pipeline, which supplies gas from Russia to Germany. Russian state-owned gas firm Gazprom, which operates the pipeline, said both strings of the pipeline will be non-operational from July 11 to 21 due to annual repair works. The operator added that the shutdown was previously agreed to by all parties.

Nevertheless, several officials in the European Union have cast doubt as to when the supply of natural gas via the pipeline will resume.

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck earlier warned that the country could experience a collapse similar to the one in 2008 if the problem is not addressed.

Companies would have to stop production [and] lay off their workers. Supply chains would collapse. People would go into debt to pay their heating bills, [and those] people would become poorer, he said.

Habeck, who also serves as Germanys economic affairs and climate action minister, said there could be a kind of Lehman Brothers effect in the energy market  and then a domino effect that would lead to a severe recession. (Related: Germanys economic minister warns of catastrophic economic collapse stemming from energy shortage.)

German authorities call on citizens to do their part by slashing energy usage

The head of Germanys Federal Network Agency (BNetzA)  which regulates electricity and gas usage  called on the rest of the population to reduce their energy consumption in order to minimize the impact of a possible supply cut.

BNetzA President Klaus Muller said on June 22: Everyone in industry and in their home life can contribute to this. This also includes jumpers, shower heads, turning the heating down a bit. All of these help. He also warned that consumers are set to see a two- to three-fold increase in their gas bills in the coming months.

A day before, Muller predicted that Germany could only live off of its gas reserves for less than three months without gas from the Nord Stream pipeline over the winter.

If the storage facilities in Germany were mathematically 100 percent full, we could do without Russian gas completely for just about two-and-a-half months, and then the storage tanks will be empty, he said.

The looming cuts in natural gas supply, paired with Germanys over-reliance on green energy from renewable sources, has put the country between a rock and a hard place.

In a bid to alleviate its energy crunch, Germany has resorted to reactivating its coal-fired power plants. Its fellow European countries  the Netherlands, Austria and Italy  have also announced plans to restart their fossil fuel plants in case Russia completely shuts off gas flows.

EnergySupply.news has more stories about Germanys scramble for energy supplies.

Watch this World Is One News report discussing if Europe can find alternatives to Russian oil and natural gas.

This video is from the NewsMax18 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russias Gazprom has cut natural gas flows to Germany by 60%  Western Europe is about to get the green energy nightmare it always wanted.

Gas storage in Germany hits record lows as Russia halts fertilizer shipments and European continent reels from high heating costs.

Western Europe forced to abandon failed green energy as Russian gas flows stop; Germany restarting coal power stations.

Natural gas prices expected to TRIPLE in Germany as Western Europe cuts off its own energy supply from Russia.

Germany to reopen coal-fired power plants as Russia throttles Europes gas supplies.

Sources include:

RT.com

Breitbart.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The entire country is at risk of blackouts this summer, say analysts. And the independent media is pointing to green energy as one of the culprits.

On July 4, Power the Future founder and executive director Daniel Turner told Fox News that a huge energy shortage is underway and that there is no place that is truly safe.

As fossil fuel plants get replaced with solar and wind farms, energy reliability declines. And that is the direction in which the United States has been going in recent years. (Related: The Wall Street Journal is also warning about nationwide blackouts.)

The areas of the country Id be most concerned about are the ones that already have inherent weaknesses, Turner added.

Texas, California, New Mexico, New York, all of New England. These are areas whose policies and political decisions have weakened their electric grid.

Every place in the world where so-called green energy is replacing reliable fossil fuel energy has seen its electric grid weaken. Now, the entire country is at risk of an energy collapse because of the transition.

Are you ready for a dark winter?

While many Americans are used to hearing about periodic blackouts in places like California, they are not so aware of the fact that the Midwest, for instance, is now in similarly dire straits.

Rolling blackouts and brownouts are expected this summer in places like Illinois and Missouri  places where a decade ago you never would have thought would have an energy crisis.

A recent generation capacity auction has revealed that the Midwest could fall short of needed generation capacity to serve the summer peak load under certain conditions, announced the Southeastern Illinois Electric Cooperative in a recent letter.

In the event that this happens, your Cooperative would be directed to disconnect a portion of the load in order to prevent an electric grid failure.

Several electric carriers in Michigan sent out similar letters to their customers warning that they need your help to keep the lights on in Michigan this summer and beyond, to quote Thumb Electric Cooperative General Manager Dallas Braun.

Electric reliability is at risk today and demand is projected to grow. As soon as this WEEK Michigan regulators are considering closing down more power plants in Michigan. Please join ME in telling them that reliability matters and that they shouldnt prematurely close these plants.

Michigan is expected to face power shortages this year as capacity shortfalls in both the north and central regions of the country, resulting in an increased risk of temporary, controlled outages to preserve the integrity of the bulk electric system, says JT Smith, executive director of the states Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).

MISO, which operates the power grid for about 42 million people in 15 central states, says it has never had to implement controlled power outages in Michigan. What is happening, in other words, is unprecedented in our nations history.

Michigan is going down the same route that before it New Mexico has gone, California has gone, Turner added during the Fox segment.

In the comment section, someone noted that once the power goes out, everyone who relies on electric cars and electric bicycles (e-bikes) to get around will no longer have transportation available to them  unless they have solar panels and it happens to be a sunny day.

Just wait until they mandate that we all drive electric cars, interjected another about the Orwellian future of electric vehicles.

The problem is that this is exactly what they want. It is not about green energy or the environment, it is about having total control over us!

The latest energy news can be found at PowerGrid.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) has announced force majeure on crude exports from its oil terminals amid ongoing blockades of production and ports that have seriously crippled Libyas oil exports.

Force majeure refers to an unforeseen set of circumstances preventing a party from fulfilling a contract.

The announcement came after weeks of protests and closures amid the new rift in Libyas political class featuring Fathi Bashaga, the prime minister appointed by the Libyan Parliament earlier this year, and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who was nominated last year through a process supported by the United Nations. (Related: Ecuador announces force majeure for oil, state of exception decree amid protests.)

Bashaga is currently based in Sirte in the eastern region of Libya, while Dbeibah is based in Tripoli.

The NOC previously stated that it was taking into consideration announcing force majeure unless production and shipment of oil continue in the Gulf of Sirte, which holds the oil export terminals of Zueitina, Brega, Ras Lanuf and Es Sider.

Our patience has run out after we have repeatedly tried to avoid declaring the state of force majeure, but the implementation of our obligations has become impossible, and we are forced to declare a state of force majeure on the terminals of Asidra and Ras Lanuf, in addition to the Al-Feel field, with the continuation of the state of force majeure on the terminals of Brega and Zueitina, NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla said in a statement on Thursday, June 30.

Political difference is a right, but the mistake is to use oil, the lifeblood of Libyans as a bargaining chip, added Sanalla, who described the use of oil as a bargaining chip as an unforgivable sin.

Libyas oil exports down big

Libyas exports currently ranged from 365,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 409,000 bpd, which is a decrease of 865,000 bpd compared to normal production rates under normal circumstances, the NOC said.

According to monthly oil market report by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Libya generated about 707,000 bpd in May, down 186,000 bpd from the previous month.

Meanwhile, the NOC on Friday, July 1, stated that implementing its obligations is no longer possible.

It has become impossible to feed the power stations of Zuetina, North Benghazi and Sarir with their needs of natural gas, due to the connection between crude oil production and gas from the fields of the Waha and Mellitah companies leading to a shortage of natural gas supply to the coastal pipeline, the NOC announced.

The most recent closures are likely to help oil prices that are proceeding to trade higher.

Brent, the standard for two-thirds of the worlds oil, was trading 1.52 percent higher at $110.69 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate, the yardstick that tracks United States crude, rose to 1.4 percent at $107.24 per barrel.

Libyas oil production affected by current political situation

Libyas oil production has decreased and declined sharply due to the present political situation in the country, according to Sanalla.

The country had seen much of its production down since the start of the civil war that broke out between factions after the overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The UN has warned that the nation could again return to insecurity under opposing governments.

The NOC in April announced force majeure at the Zueitina oil terminal and Brega oil port, as well as Al Sharara oilfield and El Feel oilfield owing to the political hostilities.

Last December, four oilfields in Libya were closed over payment issues by the Petroleum Facilities Guard, a force hired to guard oil installations.

Follow FuelSupply.news for more news about the global oil crisis.

Watch the video below to know how Libya has descended into chaos once again because of a power struggle.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

OIL LAUNDERING: India imports Russian oil at a discounted price, refines it and sells to the West for massive profits.

RED ALERT: Entire U.S. supply of diesel engine oil may be wiped out in 8 weeks no more oil until 2023 due to Force Majeure additive chemical shortages.

EUs embargo on Russian oil will cause oil prices to skyrocket  but Russia will be largely unharmed.

Another lie debunked: Russia set for record earnings in oil, gas in 2022, despite Western sanctions.

Sources include:

OilPrice.com

MSN.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The federal government of Switzerland has warned that it may ration energy in the event of natural gas shortages.

Switzerland gets most of its gas through trading hubs in neighboring countries in the European Union, which means that disruptions affecting the rest of the continent also make their way to landlocked Switzerland, even though the country has a relatively low demand for gas compared to its neighbors. (Related: More green insanity: Swiss firms told to brace for wave of power grid blackouts as government tells citizens to cut back on electricity.)

Natural gas represents around 15 percent of total energy consumption in Switzerland. Around 42 percent of the gas is used to heat households, and the rest is used by different industries, including manufacturing, services and transport.

But despite this low demand, Energy Minister Simonetta Sommaruga emphasized that Switzerland is very reliant on imported oil and gas. That is why no one can guarantee that there will always be enough gas for everyone, said Sommaruga.

Matters were made worse by Russias ongoing war with Ukraine. Forty-seven percent of Swiss gas imports come directly or indirectly from Russia.

We are not an island, so the war in Ukraine and the global energy crisis also affect Switzerland. In this context, there is no certainty about what awaits us, said Sommaruga during a press conference. She later admitted that the energy crisis could hit them hard.

Thats why we are concerned about reserves and preparing for emergencies, she added.

Swiss already have plans in place for possible natural gas shortages

Before Sommarugas comments, the Swiss federal government outlined plans to address the possibility of a natural gas shortage, especially this coming winter. The government warned that it would have no choice but to resort to rationing should other measures to shore up the national gas supply prove insufficient.

Back in March, Switzerland approved a plan to establish a gas reserve for the winter of 2022 to 2023. Both the government and the gas industry are preparing for this plans implementation.

Five regional gas utilities have already secured nearly 3.8 terawatt-hours of physical gas reserves. These are currently stored in neighboring countries and represent around 60 percent of the governments target. The government is working on securing additional energy reserve options.

Switzerland is also exploring purchasing natural gas from European countries to reduce reliance on Russian gas. Currently, France, Italy and the Netherlands provide Switzerland with about 20 percent of the gas it consumes during winter.

The government is also exploring rationing options that it said companies should prepare for now. For example, companies operating dual-fuel plants that can switch from using natural gas to extra-light heating oil should start filling their oil tanks now.

If the government does order the country to ration gas supplies, priority for getting gas would fall to households connected to natural gas networks and to basic social services outside of education and public administration.

The first to be hit by rationing would be businesses. Sommaruga said it would initially target non-essential functions, such as escalators and neon signs. Member of the Swiss Federal Council and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin added that energy could also be cut off from unoccupied buildings, and the government could force businesses to switch to biofuels via ordinances.

If the shortage persists despite these interventions, quotas on gas consumption would be implemented, at least temporarily. Exceptions will be granted for private households and essential services such as hospitals.

The role of the state is to guarantee a good supply of gas and electricity to the country. We want at all costs, to avoid a disruption in supply, which would have a strong impact on businesses and would then lead to an economic crisis, said Parmelin. We are doing everything we can so that our country can best adapt to this situation.

Watch this clip from WION featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a decree taking over oil and gas drilling in Sakhalin Island, further shoring up the countrys fuel supplies as Europe continues scrambling to deal with its energy shortages.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

Natural gas prices expected to TRIPLE in Germany as Western Europe cuts off its own energy supply from Russia.

Western Europe forced to abandon failed green energy as Russian gas flows stop; Germany restarting coal power stations.

European gas prices shoot up as Russia reduces supply to top buyers across the EU.

Russias Gazprom has cut natural gas flows to Germany by 60%  Western Europe is a bout to get the green energy nightmare it always wanted.

Switzerland to experience weeks or even months of power grid failures, warns president as nation continues to dismantle its own electrical infrastructure.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Reuters.com

TheLocal.ch

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A brave school resource officer shot and killed a suspect near the Walnut Park Elementary School in Gadsden, Alabama on a Thursday morning in June following a physical altercation.

(Article republished from en-Volve.com)

School Superintendent Tony Reddick discussed the incident, as you can watch here:

Law enforcement, commenting on the incident, noted that the altercation and shooting followed the mans attempts to enter the elementary school, with the School Resources Officer blocking him from doing so and fighting him off.

CBS42 reported much the same thing, noting that a man arrived at Walnut Park Elementary in Gadsden around 9:30 a.m. Thursday and attempted to gain entry to vehicles and buildings on-site.

That same report added that the school resources officer was injured in the attack but managed to kill the attempted intruder, shooting him dead following a physical altercation. In its words:

A school resource officer who also works for Rainbow City police responded and called for assistance from other law enforcement. A physical altercation ensued, police claimed, and the suspect was shot and killed. The resource officer, officials said, received minor injuries.

Tony Reddick, Superintendent of Gadsden City Schools, also commented on the incident, which he described as pretty bad, saying:

I got a call from the principal whos really distraught, and I really couldnt make out what was happening. But I knew it was something pretty bad.

It is as yet unknown why the man was attempting to enter the school, though the proximity in time of the incident to the horrific shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas makes it seem as if the intruder was attempting a copycat shooting.

Regardless, the school resources officers brave, speedy response shows what the cops in Uvalde should have done and why having armed guards on school campuses is a good idea: that way the schools are not soft targets, at least as long as there are brave men willing to step up and defend the children.

On that note, a 2019 study shows there wasnt a single school where a teacher was armed that had a non-suicidal gun violence incident during school hours. In that reports words:

After the Columbine school shooting 20 years ago, one of the more significant changes in how we protect students has been the advance of legislation that allows teachers to carry guns at schools, the study notes. There are two obvious questions: Does letting teachers carry create dangers? Might they deter attackers? Twenty states currently allow teachers and staff to carry guns to varying degrees on school property, so we dont need to guess how the policy would work.

There has yet to be a single case of someone being wounded or killed from a shooting, let alone a mass public shooting, between 6 AM and midnight at a school that lets teachers carry guns. Fears of teachers carrying guns in terms of such problems as students obtaining teachers guns have not occurred at all, and there was only one accidental discharge outside of school hours with no one was really harmed.

While there have not been any problems at schools with armed teachers, the number of people killed at other schools has increased significantly  doubling between 2001 and 2008 versus 2009 and 2018.

While 28 schools currently allow teachers to carry, whether Republicans will press that issue or work to hire others to protect schools is unclear, particularly given the GOPs fight against the educational establishment over the groomer issue.

Read more at: en-Volve.com
(Natural News) A new study from Qatar found that two doses of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) mRNA vaccine can actually lead to decreased protection against the virus it supposedly protects against.

The new study, conducted by a group of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in Al Rayyan, Qatar, was published in the prestigious and peer-reviewed New England Journal of Medicine. It showed that the level of protection offered against infection with the post-vaccine omicron variant of COVID-19 from natural immunity far outweighs the supposed protection offered by a two-dose regimen of bith the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines. (Related: Hong Kong medical experts find evidence suggesting COVID-19 vaccines cause heart disease.)

The study, published on June 15 and conducted between Dec. 2021 and Feb. 2022, analyzed some 100,000 individuals and demonstrated that prior infection with COVID-19 can provide more protection against the omicron variants two subvariants.

Natural immunity and no vaccine provided 46.1 percent and 50.2 percent levels of effective protection against the subvariants. Meanwhile, people who have never been infected and got fully vaccinated with Pfizers mRNA COVID-19 experienced a 1.1 and a 4.9 percent decrease in protection against the two omicron subvariants.

Individuals who had never been infected and got fully vaccinated with Modernas mRNA vaccine fared worse in the study, showing that their effective level of protection against any omicron variant dropped by 10.3 percent.

Those with natural immunity and subsequently received two doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine received what the researchers called hybrid immunity, and had a smaller level of protection against reinfection. They only had a 40.7 percent level of protection against any omicron subvariant.

Study shows vaccine immunity declines rapidly

Despite showing the ineffectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, the studys authors and the mainstream media outlets that ran stories regarding the study still believe that the way to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic is through vaccination.

We found that the rates of severe COVID-19 during Qatars omicron wave were very low even among those who had only two doses of vaccine or only a prior infection, said Dr. Heba Altarawneh, a postdoctoral research associate at Weill Cornell and the studys first author.

But Altarawneh later claimed that both natural immunity and full vaccination provided sufficient protection against the post-vaccine omicron variant of COVID-19. Weill Cornell claimed the vaccines were on par with natural immunity in providing durable protection from severe, critical or fatal omicron variant COVID-19 infection.

The researchers even tried to claim that the combination of full vaccination and prior infection provided the most protection against COVID-19, suggesting that people with strong and lasting natural immunity should compromise their immune systems by getting the experimental and deadly vaccines.

These findings demonstrate the benefits of vaccinating those with prior infection for optimal protection against the omicron variant, claimed Dr. Laith Abu-Raddad, a professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell and the studys senior author.

This study was published just over a week before another study published in the BMJ showed that both Pfizer and Modernas COVID-19 vaccines were more likely to hospitalize individuals due to serious adverse events caused by the vaccines than they would protect people from serious COVID-19 infection.

The authors concluded that there was no evidence of a reduction in overall mortality in the mRNA vaccine trials.

The latest data from the federal government-operated Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System also shows that at least 1.3 million people have experienced adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, including over 212,000 people who have experienced serious injuries and nearly 30,000 people who have died following vaccination.

Learn the truth about COVID-19 vaccines at Vaccines.news.

Watch this episode of the Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, explains how sudden deaths due to COVID-19 vaccines are becoming so common that there is a new syndrome named after this phenomenon.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

The late Dr. Zev Zelenko: COVID-19 vaccines were meant to keep people in state of mass psychosis.

Researchers discover that COVID-19 vaccines cause Type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Peter McCullough: COVID-19 should be fought with early intervention, not vaccines.

COVID-19 vaccines are reactivating the chickenpox virus in the vaccinated.

Post-mortem examinations find massive blood clot biostructures in bodies of the vaccinated.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com 1

ScienceDaily.com

LifeSiteNews.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) In response to the Supreme Courts recent Second Amendment ruling along with the continued reporting of false flag shooting incidents across America, logistics giant Saia Inc. has announced that it will no longer carry assembled or disassembled firearms.

An announcement from the LTL (less than truckload) carrier indicates that the ban covers the shipment of parts that could be assembled into a firearm once the carton was opened.

Saia continues to transport individual parts such as gun barrels and grips, the company clarified. It also continues to transport ammunition, which is a separate commodity classification, under its hazardous materials rules.

While LTL carriers have traditionally not been best friends with firearms manufacturers, despite the attractiveness of hauling their dense and heavy freight, Saia drew a clear line in the sand [i]n the wake of the spree of mass shootings in the U.S. over the past month, one report explained.

Saias move reflects the long-standing wariness of LTL carriers to move firearms, that same report adds. Even before the latest spate of shootings, carriers have distanced themselves from the commodity.

Firearms have never been a major segment of the typical LTL carriers portfolio. Today, it is easy to make the case for shedding the business due to negative optics, a general lack of comfort in hauling the product, greater liability and the risk of theft.

The following video from Legally Armed America has more on all this:

Five Democrats behind LTL carrier bans on firearms

Saia is not the only LTL carrier making such a move. It turns out that many in the industry have all of a sudden, in perfect tandem with one another, decided to no longer carry assembled or disassembled firearms.

Is this just a coincidence? The answer is: of course not. Five key Democrats  Edward J. Markey, Richard Blumenthal, Cory A. Booker, Dianne Feinstein and Christopher G. Murphy  issued a demand that trucking and rail companies procure gun shipment statistics as a solution to the mass shootings.

Their claim is that freight carriers have lax security and are not doing enough to stop these false flag incidents from occurring. To avoid further scrutiny, these companies appear to be caving to the Democrats demands, even though they more than likely did nothing wrong.

Five Democratic U.S. senators have asked 22 trucking and logistics companies and the countrys six Class 1 railroads to divulge firearms shipment data out of concern that security loopholes are contributing to rising gun violence, one report revealed.

So this was a veiled threat, in essence, that caused the freight industry to comply rather than fight back because it was probably just too much trouble for a sector of the economy that already is not that heavily connected to LTL freight in the first place.

The letter is clearly an open-ended threat of what things are coming, says Legally Armed America.

And, of course, with the fire being turned up with the Supreme Court rulings that are somewhat benefitting firearms owners, clearly this is going to be a retaliatory tool that they are going to use to force and intimidate some of these shipping companies.

As the war against guns reaches a fever pitch in this country, you can expect more of this type of behavior from the likes of Blumenthal, Feinstein and the others, all of whom have made it their personal crusade to stamp out the Second Amendment one way or another, even by directly interfering with and threatening the logistics industry. (Related: Gov. Greg Abbott wants to make Texas a Second Amendment sanctuary state).

More related news about the Second Amendment can be found at SecondAmendment.news.

Sources for this article include:

YouTu.be

NaturalNews.com
More firms to attend second China International Consumer Products Expo

Xinhua) 11:00, July 08, 2022

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- More companies will attend the second China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, the capital city of the southernmost Hainan Province, from July 26 to 30, Shu Jueting, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, said Thursday.

The number of firms attending the expo will be more than last year's figure, with an exhibition area rising to 100,000 square meters from 80,000 square meters, Shu told a regular press conference.

More than 40,000 buyers are expected to attend the expo, Shu said.

The proportion of the exhibition area for overseas enterprises will increase to 80 percent from 75 percent last year.

Firms from Japan, France, and the United States will each have a total exhibition area of around 3,000 square meters. Members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will see their exhibition areas up nearly 20 percent.

Over 100 events will be held on the sidelines of the expo, and a series of reports and indices related to consumption and the building of the Hainan free trade port will be released, Shu added.

"Through hosting consumption promotion activities like the expo, we aim to accelerate the recovery and sustained growth of the domestic consumer market and better leverage the role of consumption in driving economic growth," the spokesperson said.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
(Natural News) Three medical professionals sued Twitter for censoring their posts regarding the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The suit also accused Twitter of refusing to grant the doctors verified badges even though they met the criteria.

Drs. Robert Malone, Peter McCullough and Brian Tyson were named as plaintiffs in the suit filed June 27 at the Superior Court of California in San Francisco. The lawsuit argued that Twitter breached its own terms of service when it suspended the three plaintiffs for posting the truth. Thus, it asked the court to order Twitter to reinstate their accounts.

A truthful tweet regarding COVID-19 policy, diagnosis and/or treatment would not violate [Twitters] terms of service, community standards, content moderation policies or misinformation guidelines, noted the lawsuit. It also argued that the Big Tech platform violated its own terms by permanently suspending accounts that did not have five strikes. (Related: Federal judge: Twitter must explain why it CENSORED journalist Alex Berenson, who exposed many unpopular truths about COVID.)

Under the five-strike policy, the first one does not result in punishment. The second and third strikes merit a 12-hour suspension, while the fourth results in a seven-day suspension. Users who incur five strikes are permanently banned from Twitter.

The plaintiffs pointed out that they were banned from the platform even though none of [their] tweets qualified as a strike or otherwise violated [Twitters] stated rules. They added that they seek to hold the social media giant liable as the counter-party to a contract and as a promisor who has breached the terms it put in place.

Furthermore, the three doctors mentioned that Twitter refused to grant their accounts verified badges  shown as a blue check mark beside their names  on their respective profiles. Notable and active users such as activists, organizers and other influential individuals are qualified for these badges, which Twitter said were necessary to encourage and maintain trust on the platform.

Suit follows earlier letter by the plaintiffs counsel

The June 27 lawsuit followed a May 12 letter by attorney Matthew Tyson, legal counsel for the three doctors. The letter addressed to Twitters legal department called on the Big Tech giant to reinstate the plaintiffs accounts, alongside those of Dr. George Fareed and the late Dr. Vladimir Zev Zelenko.

Tyson wrote that the five doctors were among the most knowledgeable and helpful voices in the world regarding COVID-19 treatment that was disturbingly blocked on Twitter. He added that the five used Twitter as a valuable tool to share their firsthand experiences in treating COVID-19, relay important facts, express their personal viewpoints and opinions, and promote their products and services.

They were widely followed on Twitter and likely saved thousands of lives by posting messages from their accounts before each of them was suspended, noted the lawyer.

Tyson noted that while Twitter is a private company and that it was not bound by the First Amendment, it puts specific community standards to limit COVID-19 misinformation on the platform which it was bound to follow. None of these physicians posted false or misleading information, nor did they receive five strikes before suspension, he pointed out.

Its no accident that Twitter violated its own COVID-19 misinformation guidelines and suspended the accounts of [the five doctors]. Twitter received express and implied threats from government officials to censor certain viewpoints and speakers, lest [it faces] the amendment or revocation of Section 230, or antitrust enforcement, the lawyer continued.

Drs. Zelenko, Malone, Fareed, Tyson and McCullough are not bots, scammers or spammers. They are internationally recognized physicians with compelling messages that can save lives. Twitter should let them post, whether it or the current administration agrees with them or not.

Watch Veronika Kyrylenko of the New American interviewing Drs. Robert Malone and Peter McCullough at CPAC 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Nicki Minaj: Open your f**king eyes to COVID censorship, Twitter ban is making me think that theres something bigger going on.

Twitter complicit in GENOCIDE by censoring large-scale study revealing ivermectin can prevent 68% of covid deaths.

Twitter working on new censorship shtick: misinformation warning labels.

Twitters censorship of Big Pharma critics is a worldwide phenomenon.

Twitter declares telling the truth about COVID deaths to be unsafe.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

Docs.ReclaimTheNet.org 1 [PDF]

Docs.ReclaimTheNet.org 2 [PDF]

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos recently came clean about the governments plan to mass inject the population every NINE months. He told reporters that the definition of fully-vaccinated made no sense because every person will eventually need to prove that they are up-to-date with the latest round of injections. He said that citizens will NEVER be fully vaccinated against covid, no matter how many vaccines they take.

Governments around the world are dutifully ordering millions of new covid-19 boosters for the Fall of 2022. The out-of-control corporate media will soon be advertising the covid-19 pandemic again and pushing for new vaccine mandates.

The situation is far from over. When asked if mandates would return in the Fall, Duclos replied, We must continue to fight against Covid. Those who bend their knee to medical tyranny now will be forced to take injections every nine months, until they die. Its a cycle of control and sickness.

Canadians should brace for deadly vaccine mandates every nine months

Jean-Yves Duclos said that people should start asking themselves, So am I up-to-date in my vaccination? Have I received a vaccination in the last nine months?

Nine months is very clear and will help people understand why up to date is the right way to think about vaccination now, Duclos said.

In the United Kingdom, Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation that the government has decided to inject all adults (18 years of age and older) every THREE months. In the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci has pushed for boosters every five months. The US FDA has already implemented the World Health Organizations Future Framework which skips all clinical trials to automatically approve new boosters every year.

It doesnt matter how many vaccines a person takes  whether its two, three, ten or one hundred  the government will always require another dose. Its a system of enslavement, immune depletion and death. Every person, no matter their vaccination status, will ultimately be labeled an anti-vaxxer each time a new booster campaign is announced. This public humiliation tactic has been used repeatedly to shame people into compliance. People are made to feel isolated and alone if they do not go along with the narrative. The covid-19 vaccine program was always a psychopathic plot of pharmaceutical dependence, genetic enslavement to mRNA experiments, and ultimately a plan for accelerated depopulation.

Medical ethics destroyed worldwide as pharmaceutical overlords demand perpetual obedience

First and foremost, the mRNA vaccine platform was rolled out in violation of the Nuremberg Code. What we are witnessing today is an all-out assault on medical ethics and the informed consent principle. The deluge of covid-19 propaganda, coupled with coordinated acts of censorship, has allowed nefarious criminal forces to bribe, coerce, discriminate against, and restrain individuals, robbing them of their dignity. Many people have faced segregation and threats of starvation and have acted under duress in order to keep their jobs and livelihoods.

As corrupt world leaders threaten further vaccine mandates every nine months, individuals who were not killed by the weaponized vaccine lots will get another chance to stand up to their abusers and take their health and freedom back. Studies show that all vials are not the same. Adverse events are more prevalent in certain lots and may be 20-25 times more frequent in some lots compared to others.

This battle for the future of human rights and human health will go on, until more individuals speak up and stand their ground, demanding not only health freedom, but also justice against the perpetrators of mass murder and enslavement. Its time for populations to unite in their newfound unvaccinated status and demand an end to all mandates and medical fraud. For there to be full restoration of medical ethics, there must be trials for all criminal misconduct, medical fraud, and mass murder.

Sources include:

Zerohedge.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

TobyRogers.substack.com

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

TrialsiteNews.com
(Natural News) The Department of Defense (DOD) is having a hard time recruiting new members to fill out the ranks of the all-volunteer military despite generous enlistment incentives.

According to reports, there has been a poor recruitment environment not seen since the Vietnam War. All branches of the military are said to be under their projected recruitment goals, despite generous enlistment bonuses.

The Army offered up to a $50,000 enlistment bonus back in January, and now new recruits will be signed up for $10,000 if they show up to basic training in 30 days. The Navy is also offering incentives of up to $50,000 to qualified recruits depending upon the program and position sought. The Air Force, which usually receives many applications, is seeing warning signs in its recruitment efforts.

Army Chief of Staff General James McConville testified last month before Congress that only 23 percent of Americans aged 17-24 are qualified to serve without a waiver, which is down from 29 percent in recent years.

One of the reasons for lower recruitment numbers is the lingering effect of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Obesity, criminal records and cultural changes are the other reasons cited why Americans are refusing to be enlisted. Market labor shortages, where businesses are competing for young Americans, offering bonuses and incentives to potential employees, may have also contributed to the low turnout of recruits.

Woke agenda has been infecting the military

The New American reported: The Biden administrations idea of leadership and trust in our military is reflected more in their pan-global progressive ideology and morally bankrupt social experiments than providing for basic obligations to train and groom new successful military recruits.

For instance, the Army recently ran anime lesbian wedding ads. It may have pushed away potential recruits, especially young patriotic men and women from traditional backgrounds.

The advertisement titled Emma: The Calling, showed a girls childhood before she joined the Army. The video showed Emma watching her two mothers get married and it followed her as she joined a sorority at her university and fought for freedom at a young age by participating in a gay rights parade.

The Army has also released mandatory transgender pronoun training presentation titled Policy on the Military Service of Transgender Persons and Persons with Gender Dysphoria.

These efforts have prompted pushback from Republicans in Congress and some within the military who view the policy changes as an effort to promote woke propaganda within the service, the Washington Free Beacon noted.

The policy also stated that the Army allows transgender soldiers to serve openly. An otherwise qualified soldier shall not be involuntarily separated, discharged or denied reenlistment or continuation of service on the basis of gender identity, it said. It further mentioned that the Army commanders should approach a soldiers gender transition in the same way they approach any soldier receiving any other necessary medical treatment.

Dakota Wood, a Marine Corps veteran who specializes in defense issues, said that the new Army guideline could be a highly controversial argument and is promoted by the progressive left which could possibly be rejected by the conservative right.

Forcing soldiers to accept the premise that one can choose their gender and therefore change how they are to be treated creates frictions within organizations that are dependent on unity and cohesion to be successful in combat, Wood said.

As the Ukraine war threatens to spark a larger conflict, military analysts are saying that the Biden administration is prioritizing woke culture over protecting the American people.

The vaccine mandate has also decimated the countrys armed forces. Earlier this year, the Army reported that commanders had relieved a total of six regular Army leaders, including two battalion commanders, for refusing the vaccination order. (Related: Vaccine mandates, military vaccine injuries continue to threaten national security by killing our soldiers.)

The Army said that those who were discharged for refusing the experimental vaccine will not be eligible for involuntary separation pay and may have to return any unearned special or incentive pay. The Pentagon has made inoculation mandatory for service members in the summer of 2021.

Visit Wokies.news for more news related to the rampant woke policies disrupting government systems.

Watch the below video about military personnel refusing to take COVID-19 vaccines.

This video is from the Signposts channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Our nations security is at risk due to Bidens illegal military vaccine mandate, experts warn.

Biden announces permanent US military installation in Poland in response to threats from Russia.

White, liberal women driving woke culture rot in U.S.: Analysis.

Woke professor: Pedophiles are innocent, kids to blame for teasing them.

Sources include:

TheNewAmerican.com

Recruiting.Army.mil

WashingtonExaminer.com

Army.mil

FreeBeacon.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A black market for human body parts exists in America. A Colorado funeral home was able to traffic body parts for nearly a decade. From 2009 to 2018, Megan Hess and her mother Shirley Koch operated a nonprofit organization called the Sunset Mesa Funeral Foundation. Now these operators are being charged in a federal court with mail fraud, illegally trafficking body parts and giving clients fake ashes.

Families who sought cremation services from Sunset Mesa Funeral Foundation would receive fake ashes, as their loved ones were dissected and sold limb-for-limb through backdoor, mail-in Donor Services. Families who did consent to organ donation were also lied to, as the funeral home sold more body parts than what the families consented to.

Funeral home gave out fake ashes while selling body parts on the black market

Megan Hess and Shirley Koch offered cremation services to families for $1,000 or more. However, many of the cremations never occurred and families were given concrete mixes or ashes taken from other incinerated bodies. Behind closed doors, Hess and her mother picked apart the dead bodies in search of viable organs and limbs. After procuring the body parts, Hess and Koch would offer the limbs to third parties on the black market. Many of these third parties included medical research, surgical training and other educational outlets. There is communications evidence that Hess and her mother may have worked with hospice wards to identify specific organs that buyers demanded.

Hess and her mother were arrested in 2020 on six counts of mail fraud and three counts of illegal transportation of hazardous materials. Hess has only plead guilty to mail fraud. Several of the charges have been dropped as part of a new plea deal. Hess now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in a federal penitentiary, but she is realistically looking at 12 to 15 years, according to prosecutors.

Hess admitted in court that she and her mother defrauded at least a dozen families who paid to cremate their deceased loved ones. Authorities also accused the sinister duo of shipping bodies that tested positive for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. Some of the body parts they shipped through the mail were procured from people who died of infectious diseases. According to an investigation, Hess and Koch falsely advertised that these body parts were disease-free when they offered them to buyers. Additionally, one of Hesss former employees came forward and accused her of extracting gold teeth from one skull and selling them for $40,000.

Organ trafficking industry depends on the strategic brain death diagnosis of organ donors

According to communications evidence, Hess would also meet with medical professionals in hospice wards to identify potential organ donors. In a 2014 conversation with a potential body part buyer, Hess wrote that she was meeting with hospice on the 4th and that they would be opening the floodgates of donors.

Hess said, They have four or five deaths a day. Get ready!!!! She offered a deal to the prospective buyer. How about a deal on full embalmed spines  $950? she wrote.

These communications should open up a full investigation into practices at the hospice ward. If the demand for specific organs is so great and there are high-paying clients, then getting a brain death diagnosis could become a critical step in the body parts trafficking operation. Once a brain death diagnosis is obtained on an organ donor, the family is legally obligated to give their loved one over to organ procurement (albeit religious exemptions are available in most states).

Once a brain death diagnosis is secured, the organs are then harvested in a timely manner. The controversy behind the brain death diagnosis fuels speculation that there is a covert, legal body part trafficking operation happening right within the US medical system, with demand for organs growing worldwide. With this funeral home in Colorado helping facilitate the process, it becomes apparent that there is a very real and sinister body parts industry preying on organ donors and unsuspecting victims alike.

For more on this topic, check out OrganHarvesting.News.

Sources include:

NBCNews.com

NYPost.com

HopkinsMedicine.org
(Natural News) Every excuse under the sun is creeping out of the woodwork in an attempt to explain away why the global economy is unraveling. In Sri Lanka, where the economy has basically already collapsed, the latest excuse blames a government plan that sought to clean up the nations agriculture system.

Back in 2021, a law was passed banning chemical fertilizers to help cut nitrogen waste and make food in Sri Lanka more organic. We are told that this overnight shift, to quote economist Peter Earle, drastically reduced crop yields and is somehow also responsible for widespread fuel shortages that have crippled the countrys economy.

Earlier in the week, Sri Lankas prime minister declared that the country has now gone bankrupt, supposedly because of government efforts to promote organic farming last year (do they really expect people to believe such nonsense?).

Our economy has faced a complete collapse, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Plandemic tyranny is what pushed Sri Lankas already delicate economic situation over the edge

It turns out that Sri Lankas problems go a lot further back than 2021 when it decided to take a positive step towards ridding the country of highly polluting and extremely unhealthy chemical agriculture.

Rewind back to early 2020 and it becomes clear that Sri Lankas compliance with the global trend of imposing lockdowns and business closures due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is what really did the country in, pushing it over the edge into economic oblivion.

Sri Lanka is a tourist-driven economy, in part, which was crushed when the worlds globalist overlords decided that everyone needs to stay home in order to stay safe. The country lost much of its foreign exchange reserves, which also damaged imports of fuel and other necessities.

This was followed by the chemical fertilizer ban, which appears to have greatly upset the chemical industry, quickly resulting in widespread loss of fuel and civil unrest.

Earle, delivering a canned statement on behalf of Big Chemical and Big Agriculture, claims that chemical agriculture is part of Sri Lankas formerly more prosperous crop industry.

Agriculture is built not just on science, but its built on decades and centuries of trial and error and hard-won experience, he said.

Theres a certain degree of know-how in markets and in certain areas where the government should defer to the expertise of people in markets, people who are practitioners, rather than letting bureaucrats rule.

In some ways he might be right. An overnight shift was probably not the best way to go, but was it really the thing that is responsible for Sri Lankas current plight? Or perhaps a better way of wording that question might be: Did someone implement that law on purpose, at just the right time, to be the lynchpin in Sri Lankas undoing?

All around the world we are now seeing those lynchpins go off, much like the pin being pulled out of a grenade. The stage was set years ago for a total collapse of the global economy, and now the globalists are starting to pull all the pins at once, demonstrating their stranglehold over nearly all aspects of global commerce.

Now they can use Sri Lanka as an example of why organic agriculture, supposedly doesnt work, even though it does work when implemented correctly and with a proper timeline for conversion.

Keep in mind that chemical agriculture is the thing through which Mystery Babylon built up its global empire of control and tyranny. Of course taking it away on a dime will lead to chaos and destruction, which seems to be precisely the intent.

More related news coverage about the implosion of the global economy can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources include:

DailyCaller.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to assist foreign companies who manufacture baby formula in marketing their products beyond the current domestic shortage.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the regulator is developing a new framework to allow global baby formula makers to stay in the U.S. market. This framework will involve technical assistance to companies wanting to enter the infant formula market. It is planning to hold meetings in the summer with these firms to help determine the necessary steps and ensure zero supply issues.

The FDA also plans to issue guidelines in September 2022 for companies permitted to import or sell infant formula.

The change could help strengthen the formula supply chain after it was found to be vulnerable to disruptions, said the WSJ, noting that the baby formula shortages exposed the vulnerabilities in the more than $4 billion U.S. market for baby formula. The publication added that the FDAs proposal could also be a boon for manufacturers overseas that have been eager to enter the U.S., while injecting more competition into the concentrated market.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Director Susan Mayne said the agency expects that [its] continued efforts will help infant formula manufacturers who are new entrants to the U.S. market better understand their options to continue producing and supplying formula to the U.S. in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Supply chain snags caused by the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused the initial shortage of baby formula. However, the temporary closure of an Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan that manufactures baby formula added fuel to the fire.

The February 2022 shutdown and subsequent product recall stemmed from the death of an infant who consumed formula tainted with Cronobacter sakazakii, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Operations at the Sturgis plant resumed operations in June 2021, albeit under FDA supervision.

Biden administration flying in formula from overseas

The combination of regulations blocking international brands from entering the market and Washingtons role as the biggest formula buyer via the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children has restricted the flexibility and competition required to overcome the shortages.

Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said the federal government is working with manufacturers around the clock to ensure parents have the formula they need to feed their infants. He added: We will pursue all available options until we have stabilized the infant formula supply in the United States.

Importing infant formula from overseas through Operation Fly Formula was among these measures. Back in May 2022, President Joe Biden announced that 27.5 million cans of formula from Australia would be flown in to address supply snags. The formula from Bubs Australia is using goats milk instead of cows milk.

Ive got more good news: 27.5 million [cans] of safe infant formula manufactured by Bubs Australia are coming to the United States. Were doing everything in our power to get more formula on shelves as soon as possible, Biden tweeted at the time.

Later, Biden announced additional shipments of formula from the Land Down Under. In a July 6 press release, Washington announced that the two flights would transport infant formula from Bubs Australia to Ontario, California on July 10 and Columbus, Ohio on July 21. The two deliveries, amounting to approximately 318,000 pounds of baby formula from the Australian firm, would be sold through national and regional retailers.

Biden launched Operation Fly Formula to speed up the import of infant formula and start getting more formula to stores as soon as possible. By July 10, Operation Fly Formula will have transported more than 43 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents to the United States, said the statement.

FDA.news has more stories about the regulators actions amid the baby formula shortage.

Watch American Journal host Harrison Smith explaining how the FDA shut down the Sturgis plant below.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

WELFARE NATION: More than half of US-born babies are eligible for WELFARE benefits, including food assistance.

Biden finally addresses baby formula shortage, but its already too late: out-of-stock rates have soared to 74%.

Biden sends baby formula to illegals at border while grocery stores run dry.

Worsening baby formula SHORTAGE hits ten states, low-income families.

FDA, Abbott Labs both to blame for the ongoing baby formula shortage.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

CDC.gov

MSN.com

WhiteHouse.gov

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time despite being fully vaccinated and boosted.

Trudeau downplayed his infection in a tweet. Ive tested positive for COVID-19. Ill be following public health guidelines and isolating [myself]. I feel okay, but thats because I got my shots, Trudeau tweeted. He and his wife Sophie tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time back in January. They were cleared out in mid-February after the PM invoked rarely used emergency powers.

Analysts said he was incredibly lucky as his own governments data showed some shocking figures on current COVID death and hospitalization rates in Canada.

The administration publishes a daily COVID-19 epidemiology update, in which they sporadically provide new data on the current cases, hospitalizations and deaths  depending on how the numbers look.

Trudeaus government continuously deceives the public by providing a tally of cases, hospitalizations and deaths that stretches all the way back to Dec. 14, 2020.

News outlet Expose found a chart showing the number of COVID-19 deaths across Canada by vaccination status between Feb. 14 and May 29.

In the past five weeks, there were 1,707 COVID-19 deaths in Canada and the vaccinated population accounted for 1,472 of them. There were 41 deaths from the partly vaccinated, 318 deaths from the double vaccinated and 1,113 deaths from the triple vaccinated. (Related: Triple vaccinated individuals account for majority of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Canada this year.)

This means that the unvaccinated population accounted for just 14 percent of deaths. The vaccinated population accounted for 86 percent, with 76 percent from the triple jabbed.

Trudeau still encourages the public to take the booster, ignoring the death rate among the vaccinated population. If you havent, get vaccinated; and if you can, get boosted. Lets protect our healthcare system, each other, and ourselves, he said.

Canadians will be required to take booster shots every nine months

Though restrictions are beginning to loosen, people will still need to deal with the constant presence of vaccines in their lives.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told reporters that Canadians will be required to get a booster shot every nine months for the foreseeable future.

There will be no such thing as being fully vaccinated. Duclos said it no longer makes sense, explaining that it is more important the shots are up-to-date and whether or not a person has received a vaccination in the last nine months.

The health minister also said that the return of vaccine mandates in the fall is needed to continue to fight against COVID. Like the virus, our immunity also evolves. Two doses are no longer enough, Duclos said.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) stated in a press release that COVID cases, including associated hospitalizations and deaths, are currently declining in Canada. However, the likelihood, timing, and severity of a future wave of COVID-19 are uncertain, NACI said.

The Canadian agency, in their updated guidance released last week, said that people at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19 infection should be offered a booster shot this fall, regardless of how many boosters they have previously received.

This group includes everyone aged 65 and older. Everyone else, 12 to 64 years old, may be offered the additional doses in the fall, the advisory body said. NACI will provide recommendations on the type of booster to be given when evidence about multivalent vaccines becomes available.

Manufacturers are working on new COVID-19 vaccines, including multivalent vaccines and vaccines specifically targeting VOCs [variants of concern], although their exact characteristics and timing of availability in Canada are not yet known, NACI said.

Visit VaccineDeaths.com for more news related to deaths associated with COVID-19 vaccines.

Watch the below video that features Dr. Richard Urso saying that the triple jabbed are most at risk.

This video is from the SecureLife channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

4 Out of 5 COVID-19 deaths in Canada since mid-February are from the vaccinated population.

Canada is turning into a COVID Police State, warns constitutional lawyer.

Eighty percent of those DYING from covid in Canada are fully jabbed.

Exposed: Canada used covid plandemic to align itself with World Economic Forum agenda.

Sources include:

Reuters.com

Twitter.com

Expose-News.com

TorontoSun.com

Canada.ca

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A Canadian expert in messenger RNA (mRNA) was suspended for two months without pay for criticizing the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine for children.

Dr. Patrick Provost, microbiology and immunology professor at the Universite Laval (ULaval) in Quebec province, was punished for remarks he made in front of a panel of doctors and scientists back in December 2021. He said that the risks of injecting children with an experimental gene-altering mRNA COVID shot outweigh the potential benefits.

His remarks were not without basis as he studies mRNA in his own laboratory as part of his position at the university.

Being censored for doing what Ive been trained to do  and hired to do  well, its hard to believe, said Provost. I had some concerns about something, [so] I searched the literature, I prepared a speech [and] delivered it to the public.

The professor only learned on June 14 that ULaval was suspending him for eight weeks without pay.

We need to be allowed to question again, Provost remarked. We should be able to discuss any ideas [and] any opinions. Because I express opinions against the narrative of the government, I was suspended.

Provost was not the only academic who was punished for standing up against COVID-19 vaccines for children. ULaval also suspended biology professor Nicolas Derome for bringing up his concerns about the shots back in November 2021.

Simon Viviers, vice president of ULavals faculty union, said a grievance against the attack on academic freedom had been filed. He added that the penalties on Provost and Derome will make other professors think twice about making public comments on certain issues.

To allow [a university] to judge the validity of the comments made by a university professor in public and to sanction him in this manner is extremely problematic, he commented. It could really have a dissuasive effect [and] even lead to self-censorship.

MSM takes down Provosts article shortly after publishing it

Apart from his suspension from ULaval, Provosts article titled The true portrait of COVID-19 in Quebec was removed by the mainstream media outlet that first published it.

The piece published on June 22 in Le Journal de Quebec debunked the mainstream COVID-19 narrative. Provost wrote that the COVID-19 death rate is greatly overestimated due to a number of factors, including an infection rate several times higher than reported and the inclusion of deaths with, and not because of, COVID-19 in the tallies.

He went on to say that a higher rate of all-cause death amongst the elderly only took place during the first wave from April to June 2020, as well as shortly after the imposition of the holiday lockdown or curfew and the deployment of the third vaccine dose in January 2022.

While he did not associate the vaccines with higher death rates, he presented the data from around the world compiled by insurance companies showing an almost 40 percent spike of excess death-rate claims in largely vaccinated or boosted populations.

Provost asked: Did the pandemic  justify imposing such severe and comprehensive health measures, rather than targeted ones, to circumscribe a threat that targeted a well-known category of people?

Quebecor, the parent company of Le Journal de Quebec, took down the article  but independent media outlets such as Libre Media have republished it.

You are condemned by the media, by the government, and you are chased and put down, lamented Provost.

Visit MedicalCensorship.com for more stories about the silencing of doctors critical of COVID-19 vaccines.

Watch the video of a British TV executive revealing the MSMs shocking censorship on The HighWire.

This video is from the The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Study: mRNA vaccines more likely to put recipients at risk of serious injury than protect them from COVID-19.

The information battle of 2022 will be the war for what is left of America as big tech starts the year off with a devious new mass censorship campaign.

Science papers now subject to extreme censorship if they question the official narrative on anything: COVID, AIDS, vaccines, climate, virology and more.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com 1

NationalPost.com

LifeSiteNews.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Christian Concern is an advocacy group that seeks to promote Christian values, lobby for the rights of pre-born children, and defend religious liberty. It is also one of the most prominent evangelical organizations in the United Kingdom, with a mailing list of over 43,000 people. Their recent legal interventions include defending a pastor pushed out of his part-time job for tweeting that Pride events can be harmful to children; defending a doctor who prescribed the life-saving abortion pill reversal treatment; and defending street preachers for sharing the Gospel in public.

(Article by Jonathon Van Maren republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

It was this track record that got a Christian Concern training camp cancelled by Worcester College, a college at Oxford. After more than ten years of running a one-week conference called the Wilberforce Academy for university students and other young people on how to live their faith in the sphere of career, the college abruptly cancelled the event scheduled for September 2022 and apologized to students for their significant distress due to the hateful content of the conference. The cancellation came in the wake of complaints by woke students lobbying provost David Isaacformer chair of the LGBTQ lobby group Stonewallto terminate the conference over leaflets the group had allegedly passed out.

In response to these complaints, Worcester College told Christian Concern that the event was cancelled due to [u]nsolicited approaches by your conference delegates to staff and students within the confines of the College in respect of various issues, especially LGBT conversion therapy, which they found upsetting. This was especially the case for new students attending a parallel event, Opportunity Oxford, which prepares young people for their impending admission to Oxford University. When asked, a representative of the college admitted to Christian Concern that he could neither identify the offending delegates nor produce the allegedly offensive leaflet.

Christian Concern launched an independent review into the unsubstantiated allegations headed by charity lawyer Michael Stewart, who collected 114 witness statements from the 124 attendees of the 2021 Wilberforce Academy conference. Witness after witness rebutted the allegations, with one calling the conference delegates mature and respectful and other noting that the week was a very positive week where many of todays issues could be discussed in love and respect. Christian Concern CEO Andrea Williams noted that Worcester College had simply canceled the delegates for their Christian beliefs and had capitulated to complaints from a handful of students who appear to have felt offended following debate on some of the most important social issues of our time. It is disappointing that such a prestigious university and college should be canceling Christian beliefs, debate, and free speech.

Encouragingly, the colleges Free Speech Union wrote a letter to the provost calling on him to cancel his cancellation.

Now, in a rare about-face, Worcester College has apologized to Christian Concern for the allegations contained in the letter to students that had referred to the conference contents as hateful and has affirmed that Christian Concern will be invited back to the campus as soon as can be arranged. Worcester College then released a join statement with Christian Concern:

Worcester College and Christian Concern have met to reaffirm their mutual commitment to the right to freedom of speech and religious belief and the dignity of all people. After detailed examination of the circumstances of Christian Concerns conference in September 2021, Worcester College acknowledges that notwithstanding various accounts of events it was misleading to suggest that Conference delegates or representatives of Christian Concern acted improperly in an email to students in September 2021 which was subsequently leaked to the Cherwell Student newspaper.? Worcester College did not act with the intention of impugning Christian Concern or its reputation.? In a world where differing views are strongly and sincerely held it is important to come together and listen to each other. To that end, Worcester has invited Christian Concern to speak at a debate which will take place as soon as can be arranged. Worcester looks forward to welcoming Christian Concern back to College.

Toby Young of the Free Speech Union welcomed the news, stating that: The mistake Worcester College made was to immediately capitulate to the demands of an activist mob and ban a group from its premises without properly investigating the allegations against it. We see this kind of institutional cowardice again and again, particularly in the higher education sector, usually motivated by a desire for a quiet life. The way to force these institutions to take their responsibility to uphold free speech more seriously is to make it clear that organisations like ours will create an almighty fuss if they dont.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) Back in April, we warned you that a nefarious agenda was afoot that seeks to destroy the agricultural food chain and starve out the country. Now, that warning is being confirmed by the industry itself.

The latest reports suggest that animal feed users throughout the Southwest and West Coast are on the verge of completely running out of this critical input. Should that happen  and they are saying it might in a matter of days  then animals like cows, chickens, pigs and turkeys will starve to death.

If that happens, then people will starve to death, too, because these are animals raised for human nourishment. If the railroads stop delivering animal feed to companies like Tyson Foods, then you can expect more empty shelves at the grocery store and a hungry tummy.

What Im hearing from our members is fewer equipment issues and that the equipment and engines seem to be not breaking down, but the train times  the amount of time its taking to get the trains  and the reliability of receiving them is still quite a problem in quite a few areas of the country, says Mike Seyfert, president and CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA).

This really is the biblical end of days

Again, we predicted all this back in the spring when the railroads first started declaring a force majeure. The plan, we said, was to deny food producers the inputs they need to continue growing and raising food that we all rely on to live.

It was just a conspiracy theory back then, of course, but now it is a reality. We are witnessing in real time the controlled demolition of not only our food supply but then entire global economy, piece by piece and brick by brick.

Right during the peak of the spring planting season, CF Industries, a fertilizer supplier, announced that Union Pacific (UP) railroad was halting the delivery of its fertilizer products as part of an alleged railroad-mandated shipping reductions [will] result in nitrogen fertilizer shipment delays during the spring application season and that it [will] be unable to accept new rail sales involving Union Pacific for the foreseeable future.

One of only 30 companies to face these restrictions, CF Industries essentially spilled the beans about how Americas food infrastructure is being demolished on purpose and blamed on viruses, shortages and other made-up phenomena.

A few weeks back, feed and poultry producers in California essentially begged for relief from the federal government, urging regulators to issue an emergency service order prioritizing grain shipments to livestock farmers.

The point has been reached when millions of chickens will be killed and other livestock will suffer because of UPs service failures, wrote dairy cattle, chicken and turkey giant Foster Farms in a request to the Surface Transportation Board (STB).

These service failures, which began in February 2022, have resulted in numerous instances where Foster Farms has suspended its production and distribution of feed for tens of thousands of dairy cattle and tens of millions of chickens and turkeys which consume corn meal supplied by Foster Farms, the company added.

Foster Farms says it has had to incur considerable costs in an increasingly desperate and futile attempt to try to find alternative means and transportation modes to obtain and ship the huge quantities corn its facilities must have each week that UP delivered in the past with reasonable regularity but has demonstrated, without any doubt, that it can no longer do so for the indefinite future under its current operating plans and priorities.

More of the latest news about the engineered collapse of the food supply can be found at FoodCollapse.com.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

AgWeb.com

Trains.com
(Natural News) Cars in the United Kingdom are now being fitted with speed limiters as part of their mandatory measures, with the most commonly used variety being the Intelligent Speed Assistant (ISA).

The ISA works by using GPS data alone, with cameras for traffic sign recognition fitted to the front of the car  or a combination of the two. A speed limiter could also affect the engine power, which decreases the speed.

Speed limiters are designed to prevent drivers from exceeding certain speed limits and prompt them via audio, visual and haptic warnings until they slow down. While drivers can override the technology by pressing on the accelerator, the system does turn on as standard every time the car starts.

The mandate for this technology is similar to that of the European Union (EU) for all new cars. The European Commission first came up with this idea back in 2019, while the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) made the speed limiters a compulsory feature.

Under the EU General Safety Rule, manufacturers can choose how their systems notify drivers regarding a speed limit breach.

The purpose of the speed limiters is to improve road safety, and drivers can set their own limits or be subjected to automatic limits enforced by different zones.

Several car manufacturers have already included this technology in their vehicles, such as Ford, Nissan and Peugeot. The mandatory inclusion of speed limiters will be introduced gradually in terms of allowing drivers to have control over them. They are opt-in at the moment, and drivers can still turn them off. (Related: Automakers track and store your location as you drive.)

Speed daredevils and careless drivers will not get reined in automatically with this rule. The ISA system will only serve as a stepping stone toward the implementation of fully automated speed controls.

Recently, a speed limit geofencing project had been explored by the Ford company in Cologne, Germany, which prevents drivers from speeding in specific geographical areas, with speed control being the key component of expected advances in self-driving technology.

The government also plans that this option be removed completely in the future. If speed limiters are proven successful, the self-driving car industry could get an important boost.

British public amenable to speed limiters

Mark Gabriel, director of motor products at Admiral, talked about the public perception of speed limiters and whether or not they will be accepted. He said it is encouraging that around 47 percent of people welcome the use of the ISA technology, with 68 percent doing so because they want to see speeding being addressed, as well as improve road safety. (Related: Massive new airborne city surveillance system can track and record everywhere you drive your car in real time.)

Exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road tops the list of convictions that customers declare when they renew their policies, Gabriel said, adding that it accounts for 71 percent of the convictions reported to them. All types of speeding convictions actually account for 92 percent of declared convictions.

Gabriel pointed out that the minimum penalty for a speeding conviction is set at 100 ($120) with three penalty points added to the license unless one is given the option of attending a speed awareness course. Those with 12 penalty points over three years could lose their licenses.

Moreover, speeding convictions could also impact insurance premiums, adding around 23 percent to a persons annual car insurance premium for those who receive an SP30 and three points. Those who have seven points or more for speeding could see premiums increase by as much as 75 percent.

Law changes will be introduced in 2024, which will include mandates that all cars that have already been launched be fitted with ISA.

Visit RoboCars.news for more news related to high-tech additions to cars.

Watch the video below about some of the fastest cars in the world that could soon be fitted with speed limiters.

This video is from the chrisTV channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

EU calls for tracking computers in all vehicles to monitor, regulate travel.

Researchers prove your car can be tracked using just your starting location and driving speed.

20 vehicles most vulnerable to hackers, putting drivers at risk of theft, hijacking, tracking and remote assassination.

Your car is a double agent: Internet connectivity allows it to monitor and report your location and driving habits.

Uber is your Big Brother: It tracks you everywhere, even when youre not using the Uber app.

Sources include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

Express.co.uk

AutoExpress.co.uk

Brighteon.com
This photograph taken on June 15, 2022, shows piglets in French Sebastien Brishoual's pig farm in Tremeven, western France. (Photo : Photo by FRED TANNEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Several individuals prefer coconut water over carbonated beverages, regardless of the paucity of empirical proof that it is substantially extra hydrated than normal water.

However, Ugandan researchers have discovered that coconut water may be used for besides human refreshment - artifically inseminating pigs.

Artificial Insemination on Pigs

As per the International Livestock Research Institute, Uganda has the greatest pig demand in East Africa, with every individual consuming about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kilograms) of the meat annually, Live Science reported.

The translucent juice contained within coconuts is known as coconut water. Pig-breeding practices in several of Uganda's rural communities render it difficult for growers to raise sufficient meat to fulfill needs, SciDev.net claimed, a website devoted to new advances in poor countries.

In official interview study investigator Joab Malanda, a pig industry specialist at Egerton University in Njoro, Kenya, explained that beyond a boar's body, the spermatozoa might survive for around 4 hours, following that they will begin to deteriorate owing to malnutrition and climate variations.

Scientists determined that coconut water boosted clinical outcomes in sperm count transit as a component of the initiative, which began in 2017 and has encompassed over 1,000 producers. This demonstrated that pig cultivation cooperatives might employ assisted reproduction to expand production.

Investigators working on an initiative financed by Uganda's Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) have discovered that utilizing coconut water to transfer sperm enables the sperm survive 24 times further than usual (their findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed study).

African swine pneumonia, a lethal viral illness which generates flu-like symptoms and gastrointestinal injuries in pigs, and porcine childbearing as well as pulmonary sickness infection (PRRSv), a respiration illness that affects reproduction dysfunction in pigs, are significantly very common in the livestock.

Also read: Florida Burmese Python Population Runs a Hundred Thousand in the Everglades

Uses of Coconut Water Besides an Alternative For Energy Drinks

To address these issues, the Ugandan administration is looking into introducing artificial insemination to pig farming, which intercalates sperm from high-quality wild pigs into farm animals to get them impregnated without breeding.

Producers must therefore utilize proper sterilizing measures when obtaining coconut water for assisted reproduction, according to the study. The academics expect that by utilizing coconut water, similar producers in Africa would be able to genetically modify swine and increase pork output.

Specialists, on the other hand, are skeptical that coconut water is a good choice to protein powders. Researchers showed, meanwhile, that sodium and potassium in the liquid are equally beneficial in maintaining pig sperm viable.

While as per the Mayo Clinic, certain research shows that coconut water is equivalent to carbonated beverages.

The principal investigator of the study, Elly Ndyomugyenyi of Gulu University in Uganda have reportedly claimed that the fertility treatment can be used safely and expanded anyplace elsewhere, particularly amongst agricultural producers.

Nevertheless, because these boars are unusual and widely scattered, transferring sperm from these boars to ranches throughout the nation even before sperm expires is difficult.

As per the Mayo Clinic, it is abundant in electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and magnesium, along with vitamins, and it has a reduced glucose level, which has contributed to a certain individual utilizing it as a substitute to protein powders.

Related article: Armies of Native Spider Crabs Clump Together Australia's Southern Coast
TO GO WITH Japan-lifestyle-food-drink-economy,FOCUS by Daniel LEUSSINK This picture taken on December 25, 2015 shows a man looking at a display (L) for Zeria Pharmaceutical's turmeric and liver extract drink Hepalyse to cure hangovers at a drugstore in Tokyo. Zeria Pharmaceutical is expecting to chalk up big sales of its liquid and pill-based Hepalyse this holiday season, after rolling out the liver tonic in convenience stores four years ago. Bottled hangover cures are a multi-million-dollar business in Japan and 'tis the season for recovery tonics as millions turn up to "shinnenkai" gatherings to ring in 2016 with frosty mugs of beer. (Photo : Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP via Getty Images)

"The pre-drinking pill that works!"

A hangover prevention pill has made it to the UK market, known to break down alcohol in your body in minutes, according to ScienceAlert. The Swedish-made Myrkl supplement claims to reduce up to 70 percent alcohol concentration in the blood after 60 minutes of having a drink, which means if someone drinks 50 ml of 40 percent spirits containing 20 ml of pure alcohol, as little as 6 ml of the alcohol will enter the bloodstream.

Moreover, alcohol reduction is also believed to mirror reduction in the short-term effects of alcohol, such as euphoria and reduced anxiety. The Swedish firm suggests taking two pills of the anti-hangover supplement one to 12 hours before drinking alcohol.

Can the Pills Really Prevent Hangovers?

According to science, hangovers are mainly due to the dehydrating effects of alcohol, which produces headaches. Moreover, the direct effect of alcohol on the stomach can also cause a sore stomach and nausea. These are common group of unpleasant signs and symptoms that can develop after drinking too much alcohol as per the Mayo Clinic, adding that frequent hangovers, aside from what you can feel, are also associated with poor performance and conflict at work.

While most hangovers go away on their own, they can last up to 24 hours, thus the pills. However, since the pills only work after alcohol has passed through the stomach, they will not stop its effect on the stomach.

A single published research study in the journal SAGE shows evidence of how Myrkl works, where 24 healthy young white adults were asked to take either two Myrkl pills or dummy pills (placebo) each day for seven days. Then, they were given a small amount of alcohol (between 50 and 90 ml of spirits) based on their weight and tested their blood alcohol level for the next two hours.

Results show that the amount of alcohol in the blood was 70 percent lower in those who took Myrkl than with the dummy pill within the first 60 minutes. However, there are several problems that made the results weaker.

Also read: Listeria Outbreak in Across 10 States Linked to Ice Cream Brand from Florida

Weak Points and Unanswered Questions

The study was indeed considered as well thought-out and designed, but a few things may have made the findings weak in terms of accuracy. First, the researchers only reported results from 14 of the 24 people because ten had lower blood alcohol levels at the start, and second, results varied between different people.

Lastly, researchers tested seven days of treatment before a single drink of alcohol, but the company recommend only two pills one to 12 hours before drinking any amount.

There are also questions that have been raised such as its effectiveness on different groups of people (it is known that alcohol is absorbed differently according to weight, sex, physical activity, and food consumption), people with gut or liver disease (and does medication affect the pills?), differences in the effect of the pill between men and women, and many others.

Nonetheless, these factors need to be looked into more if the pills are to be marketed around the world.

While a pre-drinking pill to prevent the hangover would most certainly be of benefit to many people, the best cure for a hangover remains drinking less alcohol the day before.

Related article: Experimental Artificial Photosynthesis by NASA Seeks to Improve and Benefit the Future
ST OMER, FRANCE - JUNE 16 The Noisy frogs in the pony at the 7th green during the Fourth Round of the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open at St Omer Golf Course on June 16, 2013 in St. Omer, France. (Photo : Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

A prehistoric swamp in what we now know as Germany has been an unresolved puzzle since it was discovered by paleontologists, filled with remains of hundreds of ancient frogs.

What killed the amphibians was a mystery for decades, until findings offered an answer of why the frogs died some 45 million years ago. According to Daniel Falk, a paleontologist in University College Cork in Ireland, it is by process of elimination during mating is what killed them, like a sex death trap, ScienceAlert reported.

"As far as we can tell, the fossil frogs were healthy when they died, and the bones don't show any signs of predators or scavengers - there's also no evidence that they were washed in during floods, or died because the swamp dried up," Falk explains in EurekAlert. This watery death trap in the Geiseltal area in central Germany did not just claim lives of hundreds of frogs but also over 50,000 ancient beasts, such as small mammals, birds, reptiles, bats, and fish.

While past studies suggest that the Geiseltal frogs died during the desiccation of lakes and/or oxygen depletion in the water, exactly what killed these creatures was unknown to experts but they were able to narrow down the options.

A Sex Death Trap

The fossil bed in which the frogs were discovered is one of the most exceptional fossil sites in the world today, where ancient remains are preserved naturally by lignite, a sedimentary deposit, sometimes even preserving soft tissues and organs of the ancient remains.

The layer of 45-million-year-old frogs particularly was discovered at a swampy subtropical forest, in the Middle Eocene. However, most of these frogs were categorized as belonging to the Pelobatidae family - in a genus of frog that is not aquatic and lives on dry land, returning to the water only to breed.

Paleontologist Maria McNamara of University College Cork says female frogs are more at risk of drowning or suffocating as they are often submerged by one or more males, especially in mating congregations during the short explosive breeding season.

Apparently, this counterintuitive, and not particularly conducive mating style is not a problem in the world of frogs.

Also read: Florida Burmese Python Population Runs a Hundred Thousand in the Everglades

The Only Explanation that Makes Sense

The findings of the study published in Papers in Palaeontology took a universal approach to compare and test the relationship between preservation and palaeoenvironment for diverse fossil vertebrates. The fossil remains can provide insights into the body plan and lifestyle of ancient organisms.

In conclusion, most of the Geiseltal frogs are likely to have died during or after mating, and even a common phenomenon in frogs today.

One species of modern frog called the Amazonian Rhinella proboscidea, extracts eggs from a deceased female by squeezing her, yet it successfully fertilizes the eggs. While it hasn't been observed in modern Pelobatidae, it does not entirely go against the realm of possibility.

"What's really interesting is that fossil frogs from other sites also show these features, suggesting that the mating behaviors of modern frogs are really quite ancient and have been in place for at least 45 million years," McNamara says, adding that the new analysis can help understand frog evolution through the ages, and to contextualize ancient fossil frog beds.

Related article: Armies of Native Spider Crabs Clump Together Australia's Southern Coast
According to a growing social media trend, animals are being mocked and tortured in videos, an animal welfare coalition has discovered.

According to a report released on July 5 by Asia for Animals Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC), 200 videos of animals being tortured by teasing were shared on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube between February and May of this year.

Among the videos of tortured animals, one fad showed individuals spraying lemon juice at animals while making loud noises and donning ominous masks to frighten them.

Even young macaques were filmed in uncomfortable attire that restricted their moevements. In the video, individuals are seen filming as they feed monkeys that they could not reach due to clothing.

Content that promotes animal cruelty is forbidden on all social media sites.

According to YouTube's policy on violent and graphic content, the site does not allow violent or gory content intended to shock or disgust viewers, or content encouraging others to commit violent acts.

Animal-to-animal fight videos and human torturing or abusing live animals are also prohibited, according to Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram. Videos showing humans torturing or abusing live animals are also prohibited if there is no explicit context related to manufacturing, food consumption, hunting, processing, or preparation.

TikTok also forbids content that shows animal cruelty, tortured animals, mutilated, dismembered, charred, or burned remains, as well as animal slaughter or other non-natural deaths of animals.

The video is taken down if the social media platforms determine that the creator violates the content policies.

Meta

According to a spokesperson for Meta, Newsweek, the company removes posts that show animal cruelty from its platforms when they are discovered. The company urges users who encounter this content to report it using the tools available on our platforms so that our teams can look into it and take appropriate action.

TikTok

According to a TikTok spokesperson, Abhorrent animal abuse has no place on the platform. In their community guidelines, the company makes it clear that they forbid any content depicting animal cruelty on their platform and that they will take action against any such content or accounts.

YouTube

YouTube receives 720,000 hours of video uploads each day. 95 million images and videos are shared daily on Instagram.

It is not the first time that this issue has come up. In recent years, numerous videos of people torturing animals have appeared on video-sharing websites, many of which have remained live for months and received a lot of views and interactions.

Read also: South Carolina Police Arrests Animal Rescue CEO and Director in an Ironic Case of Animal Cruelty

SMACC

According to the SMACC, the social media sites are not doing enough to remove these videos.

To combat the growing amount of animal cruelty content on the platforms, the coalition is collaborating with Meta. The coalition expressed its hope that Meta will follow its advice and take "swift action." However, the social media platforms have thus far "taken little action" in response to a 2021 report from the coalition, which discovered an increase in the number of successful animal content videos.

In a press release, SMACC said that all but one company have not yet responded, and the coalition claims that even getting in touch with the platforms has been very challenging.

Alan Knight, president of International Animal Rescue, a member organization of the coalition, said in a press release that Social media behemoths cannot continue to turn a blind eye to posts depicting the cruel treatment of animals on their platforms. By watching, liking, and sharing these videos, a sizable global audience is sustaining the cruelty, whether knowingly or unknowingly, and it must stop.

Knight went on to say that most people would find the videos intolerable to watch because using teasing as a form of torture as described in this report is disgusting. It is unacceptable that platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are ignoring their obligations in this regard. Animals are purposefully tortured and even killed for human amusement, and those who have the power to stop it have a moral obligation to do so as soon as possible, Newsweek reports.

Related article: Lollypop Farm Seizes 800 Animals From Property, a Local Animal Exhibitor Is Arrested
An asteroid named, 2022 NF, will make a close approach yet a safe fly by on Earth this week, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The small asteroid, which is comparable to the size of a regular bus, is expected to pass our planet on Thursday evening, July 7.

Asteroid 2022 NF

No one knew asteroid 2022 NF will be coming until just a few days ago, according to Live Science.

When it does, it will be just 56,000 miles (90,000 kilometers) or 23% of the median distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Astronomers used data from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), which led to the detection of the sneaky space rock on Monday, July 4.

Also Read: Asteroid Impact: NASA Estimates Space Rock the Size of the Great Pyramid May Hit Earth on May 6

Planetary Defense Measures

A planet-killing asteroid impact or asteroid strike is extremely rare in contemporary times. This has been evident since the onset of both pre-recorded and recorded history of human civilization.

There were also no reports of such catastrophic event after the Chicxulub asteroid event approximately 65 million years ago, which wiped out the dinosaurs and most life forms at that time, according to the Planetary Science Institute (PSI).

Abundant geological evidence shows that a roughly 10-kilometer (6-mile) asteroid struck the Earth, as per PSI.

The direct hit caused a global-scale explosion and left an impact site, which is known today as the "Chicxulub crater" in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Still, NASA and other space agencies are continuously monitoring near-Earth objects (NEOs) just like the 2022 NF asteroid and other space rocks that preceded it.

While all asteroids are of great concern, space authorities focus more on large space objects that poses a great danger, particularly if their trajectory shift towards a direct hit on Earth.

NASA DART Mission

In November 2021, NASA launched the so-called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.

The program aims to test a method of deflecting an approaching asteroid and other NEOs through kinetic impact.

The DART mission includes a spacecraft sent into space during the launch and is projected to directly hit Dimorphos, a 525-foot-wide asteroid, in September 2022.

The head-on collision is reportedly not expected to destroy the Dimorphos but rather potentially change its orbital path.

The DART program was developed almost a decade before the massive and potentially hazardous asteroid named, 99942 Apophis, to make a close approach to the Blue Planet in April 2029.

It is considered to be the first planetary defense test mission, which was coordinated along Elon Musk's SpaceX company.

Known Earth Impactors

In March 2022, a large asteroid became Earth's "fifth known impactor" to be detected before it hit off the coast of Iceland, according to The Planetary Society.

The asteroid impact released an energy comparable to a 4.0 magnitude earthquake but with no reported casualties.

Other notable asteroid impactors were the asteroid strike in the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, which released the same amount of energy similar to 500 kilotons of TNT.

The strike occurred above ground and did not cause any direct damage.

Related Article: NASA: Massive Asteroid to Make a Close Approach to Earth on May 27
Although the ozone hole over Antarctica is well known, few people are aware that the protective ozone in the stratosphere periodically breaks down over the Arctic, depleting the ozone layer there.

Prior to that, it occurred in the spring of 2011 and most recently in the months of spring 2020.

Ozone depletion on the north pole

Climate scientists have recorded weather abnormalities every time the ozone layer has been breached, which has affected the whole northern hemisphere.

Those springtimes were extremely warm and dry in Siberia, central and northern Europe, Russia, and notably in the former Soviet Union.

However, there were other places, like the arctic regions, where it was damp, as per ScienceDaily.

These meteorological irregularities were most noticeable in 2020.

Additionally, that spring in Switzerland was abnormally warm and dry.

Climate science is divided on the issue of whether the loss of stratospheric ozone causes the observed weather anomalies.

Another factor is the stratospheric polar vortex, which develops in the winter and dissipates in the spring.

The facts and conclusions reached by scientists who have so far investigated the phenomena are incongruous.

The researchers performed simulations that included ozone depletion in two separate climate models in order to find potential causal relationships.

Due in part to the need for significantly greater processing capacity, most climate models solely take into account physical variables and ignore changes in stratospheric ozone concentrations.

The new estimates, however, make it abundantly evident that ozone loss over the Arctic is mostly to blame for the weather abnormalities seen in the northern hemisphere in 2011 and 2020.

The two models' simulations closely matched observational data from those two years, as well as eight more similar incidents that were used as comparisons.

However, the researchers were unable to replicate similar findings when they "switched off" ozone destruction in the models.

As currently understood by academics, the problem started with stratospheric ozone loss. The Arctic must have extremely low temperatures in order for ozone to be destroyed there.

Doctoral student Marina Friedel, member of the group headed by Thomas Peter, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at ETH Zurich noted that ozone degradation only takes place in the stratosphere, between 30 and 50 kilometers above the surface, when it is cold enough and the polar vortex is strong.

Also Read: Scientific Community Contradicts Study About a New Ozone Hole over Earth's Tropics Due to 'Unsubstantiated Assertions'

The current state of the ozone layer

Over the whole globe, stratospheric ozone is being depleted.

However, the Arctic region of the northern hemisphere (where this phenomenon is milder) than the southern hemisphere (Antarctica), as per the European Environment Agency.

This is because the Arctic experiences greater yearly weather fluctuation than the Antarctic.

Additionally, unlike in the Antarctic, the Arctic does not experience prolonged low temperatures in the stratosphere.

Since 2000, the ozone hole has generally shown indications of mending, mostly due to the Montreal Protocol's phase-out of ozone-depleting compounds.

At the same time, the stratospheric temperature has a significant impact on the size of the ozone hole, with warmer temperatures causing a smaller ozone hole, as was the case in 2019.

However, as greenhouse gases typically have a cooling impact in the stratosphere while they contribute to global warming in the troposphere, this is not directly related to human climate change.

With the exception of the polar areas, this stratospheric cooling has a favorable impact on the recovery of ozone.

Here, very cold temperatures may promote polar stratospheric cloud production, which aids in ozone depletion.

Volcanic eruptions can also occasionally have an impact on the ozone hole by increasing the number of particles in the stratosphere and reducing ozone levels.

This helps to explain those sporadic years when the ozone hole is rather substantial.

Related article: Protecting the Ozone Layer May Help Reduce Skin Cancer and Cataract Cases, Says New Research
According to information published by the UK MoD on July 7, 2022, HMS Montrose seized dozens of packages containing advanced weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles and engines for land-attack cruise missiles.

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Iranian surface-to-air missiles and engines for cruise missiles seized by the Royal Navy. (Picture source: UK MoD)

In early 2022, whilst on routine maritime security operations, the Royal Navy ship HMS Montrose seized Iranian weapons from speedboats being operated by smugglers in international waters south of Iran.

The weapons seized included surface-to-air missiles and engines for land-attack cruise missiles, in contravention of UN Security Council resolution 2216 (2015). This is the first time a British Naval warship has interdicted a vessel carrying such sophisticated weapons from Iran.

The seizures, which occurred on 28th January and 25th February 2022, took place in the early hours of the morning. HMS Montroses Wildcat helicopter, equipped with state-of-the-art radar systems, was scanning for vessels smuggling illicit goods. The helicopter crew spotted small vessels moving at speed away from the Iranian coast.

During the February interdiction, the United States Navy destroyer USS Gridley supported efforts by deploying a Seahawk helicopter to provide critical overwatch during the operation. On both occasions, the Wildcat helicopter pursued the vessels and reported back to HMS Montrose that they could see suspicious cargo on deck.

A team of Royal Marines approached the vessels on two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats before securing and searching the vessel. Dozens of packages containing advanced weaponry were discovered, confiscated, and brought back to HMS Montrose.

The seized packages were returned to the UK for technical analysis which revealed that the shipment contained multiple rocket engines for the Iranian-produced 351 land-attack cruise missile and a batch of 358 surface-to-air missiles.

The 351 is a cruise missile with a range of 1,000km. It is regularly used by the Houthis to strike targets in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was also the type of weapon used to attack Abu Dhabi on 17th January 2022, which killed three civilians.

About HMS Montrose

The current HMS Montrose is the eighth of the sixteen-ship Type 23 or Duke class of frigates, of the Royal Navy, named after the Duke of Montrose. She was laid down in November 1989 by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the Clyde and was launched on 31 July 1992.

She was designed to conduct anti-submarine warfare missions, but the frigate is equipped with an additional vertical-launched Seawolf naval surface-to-air missile system and the Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missile to be used as anti-surface warfare (ASuW) ship.

HMS Montrose is armed with one 32-cell Sea Wolf GWS.26 VLS canisters for able to fire Sea Wolf (range 110 km) or Sea Ceptor missiles (125+ km), two quad Harpoon launchers, two twins 12.75 in (324 mm) Sting Ray torpedo tubes, one BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun, two 30 mm DS30M Mk2 guns, or, 2  30 mm DS30B guns, two Miniguns, and four General-purpose machine guns.
The youth protesters of Sri Lanka who have coined the slogan GotaGoHome and brought it to the fore or the Opposition political parties which have subsequently borrowed or hijacked it from the former do not seem to have made a proper study or analysis of the practicality of it

by Victor Ivan

Mao Zedong said that a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. But the downfall that has occurred in Sri Lanka has not resulted in making a special gain in Sri Lankan wit. In the context of the present crisis, the ideological plane of the country is overwhelmed almost completely by anarchic ideas. This particular mentality has weakened to a greater extent, the countrys ability to recover from the deep abyss it has fallen into.

Sri Lanka has fallen to the first level of an immeasurably deep abyss of two levels. It is now in a situation where it is most likely to fall into the second level of it which is more deep and destructive. If the country fails to recover from the first layer of the abyss which it is now in, and falls into the second layer of it, it is inevitable that the country will be compelled to suffer a dreadful destruction not easy to recover from.

There is no doubt that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a person not fit for the Presidency. Although this crisis is not his creation, the wrong policies followed by him after he became the President have aggravated the crisis and escalated it to a level of explosion. Also, he can be considered as a member of a political family which is corrupt and scandalous. There is no doubt that if he is removed from the presidency and a competent leader who can manage this crisis efficiently could be appointed as the president, certainly it will contribute to the common good of the country.

But the attempts made to achieve this goal by removing him from his position outside the established constitutional framework and in the absence of an acceptable and legitimate method which would not aggravate the crisis, might invariably push the country into the second abyss, which is much worse and very difficult to get out of.

Presidential system

The presidential system is built in such a way that the person elected the president cannot be removed from office during his official term of office except by an impeachment. After the establishment of the presidential system of governance in Sri Lanka, no president has been ousted while in office. The presidential system in the USA is more than 230 years old. Except for Richard Nixon, no other president of the USA has been removed or expelled from the presidency while in office. Nixon also was compelled to leave the office due to an impeachment.

In the Philippines, the dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand E. Marcos was ousted by a powerful public uprising in 1986; it happened not when he was the president, but when he was out of presidency and contesting a presidential election. He won the election in a close contest; but had to flee since millions of Filipinos along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Metro Manila, and in cities all over the country took to the streets against him in a very aggressive and powerful protest following his election victory being declared to be corrupt; subsequently Corazon C. Aquino, his main rival was sworn in as the elected President. It showcased to the world the singular strength of the Filipino people.

A similar thing happened in Bolivia in 2019. Evo Morales ran for his fourth term in 2019.

Despite leading the presidential election in the first round, he was forced to flee after the public took to streets in a massive campaign against him when the international election monitoring groups declared that he had won the election through corrupt practices. Consequently, Jeanine Anaez, his opponent became the president of Bolivia. Later, a Bolivian court found Jeanine Anez guilty of orchestrating a coup that brought her to power during a 2019 political crisis and sentenced her to 10 years in prison.

But the youth protesters of Sri Lanka who have coined the slogan GotaGoHome and brought it to the fore or the Opposition political parties which have subsequently borrowed or hijacked it from the former do not seem to have made a proper study or analysis of the practicality of it.

Impeaching the President

If the President does not renounce the office voluntarily, it is inevitable that the removal of him from office through public protests orchestrated in the streets will become extremely difficult. Whatever may be the end result of the efforts made for that, it will inevitably jeopardise and confuse the ability to solve the balance of payments crisis and the economic crisis associated with it. On the other hand, following the first public uprising, there wont be a possibility of bigger popular uprisings except for sporadic struggles occurring at different places. Obviously, no Opposition party has been able to develop themselves to a level capable of challenging the Government despite the fact that the Government has deteriorated to the maximum level. Also, a rapid decline could be seen in the acceptance of trade union movements.

It is almost unheard of in world history that two major uprisings do not erupt at very close intervals. The first revolution in Russia broke out in 1905. The second revolution occurred 12 years later in 1917. The first insurgency of the JVP burst out in 1971 and their second insurgency occurred 17 years later in 1986. It is inconceivable that there will be a public uprising strong enough to overthrow the Government on the instigation of political parties.

It is important to note that the Opposition in Parliament is not strong enough to wield the power in deciding who should be the next president in case Gotabaya renounces the presidency due to strong resistance by the forces of the Opposition. So much so, the next president will be decided by the Parliament where the Pohottuwa party commands more power. Under the circumstances, how can we guarantee that a president elected in that way will be more efficient and better than the incumbent president? What will be the outcome if the next president elected that way too becomes a source of ridicule of the public?

Instead of having such a complicated and circuitous political program which has no clear end in sight, why shouldnt an interim all-party government be formed for the purpose of implementing a structural reform program that will lead to a profound change in the system while retaining the incumbent president in office as suggested by the Reform Movement?

Path to choose

It is only through such a government that the national consensus needed for adopting a macroeconomic policy framework as requested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is acceptable to it and the World Bank could be achieved. Also, such a government will be able to formulate and implement a pragmatic strategic plan to effectively control the disaster situation caused by the crisis. It is only such a government that will have the potential and the ability to generate a general consensus for a reform program that will lead to the creation of a new and incorrupt country where national harmony and the rule of law reigns supreme, and is capable of overcoming the failed situation which the country has fallen into.

According to the new terms and conditions proposed to the IMF by the United States Senate, it appears that such a reform program is an indispensable condition for Sri Lanka to receive IMF support. As our movement has proposed, a common consensus can be reached for a reform program which must be implemented in two stages that are interconnected in the constitutional sense and under the supervision of the United Nations as well.

In addition to the appointment of Commissions or Committees of Officers to inquire into the affairs of the first stage of the program which must be completed in one year, it would be possible to choose a suitable system of governance, make necessary legal reforms to ensure a free and fair election to appoint representatives for its legislature and conduct an election to give the people the right to elect a government of their choice. By doing so, the first phase of the reform program can be completed. The second phase will include the conversion of the new government elected by the people into an all-party government and implementation of the reforms including the making of a peoples participatory constitution as prescribed in the interim constitution.

Such a reform program will inspire new hopes for the nation that has lost hope. It will unite the people and create a situation where the political parties could work together. It will help integrate the divided nation and rebuild the country which has collapsed, and makes it a great national task that should be performed by the entire nation. Such a program will enable the country to overcome the current failed state and re-emerge stronger. Also, it will give the ability to restore the international recognition that has been lost, and build it stronger.
After 25 years at the UI, his last four as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, Andreas Cangellaris has been named the founding president of NEOM University, part of a sprawling project in Saudi Arabia.
According to a preliminary investigation, police said the victim was driving eastbound on University when an SUV pulled up next to his vehicle and fired multiple rounds at it, striking him. The victim crashed his SUV into a light pole and the suspect vehicle fled eastbound on University, police said.
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Our County Editor

Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
In a recent Toxicological Sciences study, scientists assess the challenges presented by cannabinoid vaping products during the analysis of their effect on consumers respiratory health.

Study: Cannabinoid Vaping Products Present Novel Challenges for Assessment of Respiratory Health Effects. Image Credit: Shannon L. Price / Shutterstock.com

Cannabinoid vaping products

Some of the common cannabinoid vaping products include D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (D9-THC), D8-tetrahydrocannabinol (D8-THC), as well as cannabidiol (CBD) products.

Several studies related to e-cigarettes or vaping have indicated the adverse effects, particularly in terms of their ability to cause lung injury, associated with cannabinoid vaping products. According to a February 2020 United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, 2,807 individuals were hospitalized and 68 deaths occurred due to utilizing cannabinoid vaping products.

Several studies have shown that among e-cigarette/vaping users with product use-associated lung injury (EVALI), 82% reported the use of THC vaping products, while only 16% reported using CBD vaping products.

Two of the main reasons associated with limited research on THC- and CBD-containing vaping products are regulatory factors and the significant evolution of the cannabinoid market. For example, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Controlled Substances Act has classified THC under Schedule 1, which restricts accessibility to THC-containing products for scientific research.

Previous studies have shown that both THC and CBD vaping products contain silicones, humectants, vitamins, flavorants, terpenes, pesticides, and metals. Moreover, cannabinoid vaping products are typically characterized as concentrated oils and diluted vape juice. Pen-type devices are used for both types of products, in which concentrated oils are used at concentrations ranging from 700 to 1,200 mg/ml and vape juice from 15 to 50 mg/ml.

Since September 2019, D8-THC can be sold legally in many U.S. states. Similar to D8-THC, D9-THC is highly analogous to marijuana use and produces perceptual, somatic, and psychoactive effects. As compared to D8-THC, D9-THC has a less psychoactive effect.

According to a recent study by Google Trends, since August 2020, there has been a significant increase in searches related to D8-THC. This compound is a minor constituent of hemp and can be easily extracted through acid-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of CBD. The method for the isomerization of CBD to D8-THC is easily available online; however, an improper chemical reaction could lead to product contamination.

Cannabinoid vaping products users

Researchers have pointed to a gap in research associated with the health effects of cannabinoid vaping products, especially related to vaping and inhalational exposures. One of the reasons for this lack of data is that the U.S. cannabinoid market is still relatively new. Interestingly, the majority of data on the effect of cannabinoid vaping products have been associated with adolescents.

According to a recent meta-analysis, the lifetime use of THC vaping products in adolescents was found to increase from 6.1% to 13.6% between 2013 and 2020. These studies reported that adolescents preferred THC vaping oil over cannabis flower.

Similar to this report, a U.S.-based survey showed higher use of cannabinoid vaping products in adolescents and young adults. However, this survey further reports that 26.1% of the adult participants of the study used CBD, while 18.9% used CBD vaping oils.

Previous findings on the health effects of cannabinoid vaping products among U.S. adolescent participants identified an increased risk of multiple respiratory symptoms including wheezing and dry cough. In addition to affecting the lungs, these products also appear to affect the brain and vasculature of users. Furthermore, prenatal studies on THC use have shown altered brain development.

Toxicological assessment of cannabinoid vaping products

In the current study, scientists conducted toxicological profiles of cannabinoid vaping products. Herein, they assessed the relevant dose-response patterns, the toxicity of additives and diluents, as well as inhalational exposures to inform federal policy.

In vitro experiments examining the effect of CBD vaping product exposure on airway epithelial cells have revealed a high concentration of toxicity markers present in exposed cells. Some of these markers include cellular reactive oxygen species, as well as those involved in cytotoxic processes and inflammation.

Recently, the U.S. Cannabis Council examined the chemical content of 16 commercially available D8-THC vaping cartridges. This study showed that all samples contained an increased level of D9-THC as compared to the 0.3% federal limit. Additionally, seven of the 16 samples contained a high level of chromium, nickel, or copper.

Importantly, unknown cannabinoid-like compounds were also found in the samples. Previous studies have shown that synthetic cannabinoid consumption produces psychosis, panic, dysphoria, anxiety, and accidental death in users.

Conclusions

Scientists strongly recommend more research to evaluate the pulmonary toxicity of emerging cannabinoid vaping products, as these studies are essential to determine the effects of these products upon inhalation exposure. More studies are also required to elucidate the cardiovascular and neurological toxicity associated with cannabinoid vaping products.
Lindley B. Wall, MD, a professor of orthopedic surgery and a member of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery's hand and microsurgery service, has been named director of the Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Orthopedics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Wall also has been named orthopedic surgeon-in-chief at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Wall is a national leader in the treatment of pediatric hand and upper-extremity congenital deformities and spasticity conditions. She also treats fractures and complex nerve injuries affecting the upper limbs. Wall has advanced the understanding of and therapies for these conditions through qualitative research focused on patient and caregiver expectations in these unique populations.

Dr. Wall is a national leader in pediatric hand surgery, and in her new position, she will drive excellence throughout the entire pediatric orthopedic program. Dr. Wall has been a key member of our hand and microsurgery service for a decade, and her leadership and commitment will enable the Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Orthopedics at Washington University to continue its ascent among the top programs in the country." Regis J. O'Keefe, MD, PhD, the Fred C. Reynolds Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and head of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Wall succeeds Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, a professor of orthopedic surgery who now is serving as the department's executive vice chair.

"It is an honor to have the opportunity to serve the Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Orthopedics in this new role," Wall said. "I look forward to working with St. Louis Children's Hospital to continue to elevate orthopedic care for children by developing new and exciting clinical programs and initiatives, and increasing our geographic reach."

Wall earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University before earning a medical degree and completing her residency in orthopedics at Washington University. She subsequently completed the Mary S. Stern Hand Surgery Fellowship in Cincinnati. After a pediatric hand surgery fellowship at the orthopedics hospital Scottish Rite for Children in Dallas, she returned to Washington University in 2013 as a faculty member in orthopedics. In 2017, she earned a master's of science in clinical investigation from the university.

An author on more than 80 peer-reviewed research papers, Wall was nominated and elected to the national medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha in 2011. She also is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America. Wall is an associate editor for The Journal of Hand Surgery (American Volume) and a reviewer for the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
In a recent study published in the Nature journal, researchers assessed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission using wastewater sequencing.

Before wastewater sequencing, the only way to do this was through clinical testing, which is not feasible at a large scale, especially in areas with limited resources, public participation, or the capacity to do sufficient testing and sequencing. Weve shown that wastewater sequencing can successfully track regional infection dynamics with fewer limitations and biases than clinical testing to the benefit of almost any community.

Timely detection of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants is essential for public health interventions. Detecting the SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) in wastewater can provide an effective indicator of regional viral dynamics, even though clinical testing for the inference of prevailing viral lineages is unfeasible to scale.

Study: Wastewater sequencing reveals early cryptic SARS-CoV-2 variant transmission. Image Credit: w.tab / Shutterstock

About the study

In the present study, the team reported a high-resolution approach for assessing community SARS-CoV-2 transmission by surveilling wastewater genomic profiles and estimating viral concentration.

The team performed SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing from wastewater samples obtained daily from almost 131 wastewater samplers across 360 campus buildings. The epidemiological transmission links were identified by sequencing all the wastewater and clinical samples that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using amplicon sequencing. The team also obtained and tested 21,383 wastewater samples, among which 19,944 were from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) campus and 1,475 were from the greater San Diego region. Sequences obtained from a total of 600 campus wastewater samples were compared to 759 genomes sourced from campus clinical swabs. The team employed a building-level wastewater surveillance system enabled by a geographic information system (GIS) that covered 360 buildings present on the UCSD campus.

Wastewater sampling essentially allowed us to swab the noses of every person upstream from the collector daily and to use that information to concentrate viral detection efforts at the individual level.

The team also analyzed the effectiveness of the genomic surveillance of the wastewater in assessing viral spread within a community. This was achieved by collecting near-complete viral genomes corresponding to wastewater samples having high cycle quantification (C q ) values. Furthermore, the team captured the viral diversity present in the community biospecimens by developing a tool called Freyja that evaluated the relative abundance of viral lineages present in mixed samples. Freyja could effectively recover relative linage abundance in mixed samples and perform site-specific weighting to explain the non-constant variance in single nucleotide variant (SNV) frequency estimated across sites.

Freyja was validated by sequencing spike-in synthetic mixtures obtained with five primary SARS-CoV-2 lineages, namely, lineage A, Beta, Delta, Epsilon, and Gamma at different concentrations ranging between 5% and 100% per sample. Furthermore, the team assessed if the wastewater could facilitate early detection of novel viral lineage by employing Freyja in the wastewater sequencing data. The team subsequently compared the collection dates corresponding to positive samples to the dates when the clinical samples were collected.

Additionally, the effectiveness of wastewater surveillance in detecting novel viral variants was tested by aggregating all data related to wastewater sequencing. This data was further used to predict the temporal profile correlating to the community prevalence of lineages.

Results

The study results showed that SARS-CoV-2-positivity of the wastewater samples was strongly associated with the number of clinical positive samples. This indicated that the wastewater samples could effectively represent the dynamics of community infection as per total viral load. Furthermore, the team found that the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 was remarkably greater among the wastewater samples as compared to the clinical samples. This indicated that several viral lineages, which were shed from different persons, were present in the wastewater samples while the clinical samples comprised only a single viral lineage.

Validation of Freyja revealed that Freyja consistently recovered the estimated lineage abundances for all sample mixtures. The team also noted that Freyja robustly identified the same lineages as detected in the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing, and also recognized additional lineages having SNVs. Altogether, this showed that Freyja robustly evaluated abundance in viral lineages from samples comprising mixed lineages.

The team noted that Alpha and Delta lineages were detected in the wastewater samples up to 14 days before they were first detected in the genomic clinical samples. Furthermore, wastewater as well as clinical genomic surveillance could effectively monitor changes occurring in the lineage abundance, while an increase in the frequency of lineage detection was found first in the wastewater samples.

Interestingly, the team found that the estimates of viral lineage abundance in wastewater samples facilitated the early detection of emerging variants and lineages, including lineages that were rarely detected by clinical surveillance. This was especially noted when the SARS-CoV-2 Mu variant was detected using wastewater surveillance on 27 July, while its first detection was reported in the clinical samples on 23 August. However, despite the consistent detection of the Mu variant in July and August in wastewater samples, the team did not detect the variant in either the clinical or the wastewater samples in September, indicating that the local community transmission of the Mu variant did not continue.

Overall, the study findings showed that enhanced viral detection in wastewater samples along with a novel approach to identifying multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants present in a mixed sample effectively detected the prevalent viral lineage in the community. Furthermore, the method also enabled the timely detection of novel viral lineages, which can subsequently improve the accuracy as well as the effectiveness of interventions.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers assessed the association between diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) and mortality among patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at multiple centers in Canada and Denmark.

Studies have reported higher death risks among COVID-19 patients with a history of diabetes; however, detailed analyses on the association between the severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and the presence of comorbid conditions are lacking. Moreover, previous studies that described the association between diabetes and the risk of COVID-19 deaths were conducted at single centers with analysis of regional data of patients with varying COVID-19 severity.

Study: The association between diabetes and mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19: Cohort Study of Hospitalized Adults in Ontario, Canada and Copenhagen, Denmark. Image Credit: Design_Cells / Shutterstock

About the study

In the present study, researchers assessed the association between diabetes and death among hospitalized COVID-19 individuals residing in Ontario and Copenhagen.

The study cohort comprised individuals aged >18 years who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 between 1 January 2020 and 30 November 2020 in Ontario (n=1,018) and Copenhagen (n=305). Patients admitted to 10 hospitals in Ontario were retrospectively analyzed and those admitted to eight hospitals in Copenhagen were prospectively analyzed.

Data were primarily obtained from electronic medical records of patients and secondarily obtained manually. Patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 were identified at departments of infection prevention and control of the hospitals and via central repository data comprising COVID-19 laboratory test reports.

Data were obtained on demographical parameters (sex, age, proficiency in English, and residential location before hospital admission) and medical history (including cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary diseases, smoking habits, and kidney failure). Data of medication use, within-hospital laboratory tests [completed blood count (CBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and troponin], imaging [chest x-rays (CXR), computed tomography (CT) chest, echocardiography (ECG), and doppler ultrasound (USG)] were also obtained.

Diabetic patients were identified by hemoglobin (Hb)A1C values greater than 6.5, current usage of 1 injectable or oral diabetic medication, or chart reviews of individuals with physician notes mentioning diabetes. The primary study outcome was 30-day death risks within hospitals, and proxy markers for COVID-19 severity included were CRP, creatinine, troponin, D-dimer, abnormal CXR findings, and oxygen supplementation requirements.

Chart abstraction analyses and Poisson regression modeling was used to determine the association between COVID-19 severity and comorbidities. The crude mortality rate ratio and the adjusted Poisson regression model values were calculated for both nations, and subsequently, a meta-analysis was performed to obtain composite values.

Results

A total of 1,438 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 were analyzed, of which 78.8% (n=1,133) and 21% (n=305) resided in Ontario and Denmark, respectively. Among the study participants, 33% were diabetic, comprising 405 Ontario residents and 75 Denmark residents. Diabetic individuals had an increased likelihood of being elder and having chronic renal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, elevated troponin levels, and antibiotic medication use than non-diabetics. COVID-19 hospitalized patients with a history of diabetes tended to have more severe COVID-19 (e.g., elevated CRP levels, worse CXR findings) and worse prognosis in Canada and Denmark.

In Ontario, the adjusted regression model and crude mortality rate ratio for diabetic COVID-19 patients were 1.2 and 1.6, respectively. The corresponding values for Denmark-residing diabetic COVID-19 patients were 0.87 and 1.27, respectively. The meta-analyzed values for both nations resulted in corresponding values of 1.11 and 1.55, respectively.

To conclude, based on the study findings, the risk of in-hospital COVID mortality was not significantly higher among diabetics compared to non-diabetics. However, it is not known whether a diabetic presented with more severe illness due to delayed seeking of appropriate care leading to potential bias in case selection. Further, factors with potential influence on COVID-19 severity, such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status, could cause confounding bias and therefore, further research must be conducted considering such factors.

Study limitations

The HbA1C values were not available for all the study participants, and therefore, COVID-19 severity could not be assessed for the entire study cohort. Further, for the diabetic individuals, type of diabetes viz. types 1 and 2 was not identified. Data on important health determinants such as race, educational status, income, and comorbidities such as obesity [elevated body mass index (BMI)] were lacking.

Therefore, the association found between diabetes and COVID-19-associated in-hospital deaths could have been overestimated in the present study. Both nations selected for the study were high-income nations with the presence of socialized health systems and therefore, the study findings may have low generalizability.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers performed an extensive library docking for new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (Mpro) covalent and non-covalent inhibitors.

Study: Large library docking for novel SARS-CoV-2 main protease non-covalent and covalent inhibitors. Image Credit: creativeneko / Shutterstock

Background

Antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 are urgently required to combat the ongoing CoV disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The MPro, also referred to as 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLPro), is a well-known SARS-CoV-2 enzyme. An approved medication, Paxlovid, and various experimental novel drugs, such as S-217622, target the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Nevertheless, there is still a need for novel chemical scaffolds targeting MPro, given the inherent drawbacks of the current novel medications and the threat of viral resistance.

About the study

In the present investigation, the researchers focused on the SARS-CoV-2 MPro structure for massive library docking in quest of novel starting points for non-covalent or covalent inhibitor discovery. They virtually coupled 1.2 billion non-covalent and a novel collection of 6.5 million electrophilic compounds against the Mpro enzyme structure from Enamine readily accessible (REAL) space.

The team simulated an aggregate of SARS-CoV-2 MPro coupled to a non-covalent SARS-CoV MPro inhibitor to characterize hot spots for ligand binding across the active site. Three of the refined non-covalent inhibitors' crystal structures, with resolutions spanning from 2.12A to 2.59 A, were established to study how the docked positions of the novel inhibitors matched up with their actual binding modes and to guide further refinement.

The authors conducted a second docking experiment because other researchers had discovered efficient inhibitors with comprehensive structure-activity-relationship (SAR) information and scaffolds similar to the ones used in the current work during the research period. They attempted to incorporate the conclusions drawn from the present findings and those of other investigations highlighting the identification of new chemotypes. The COVID-19 Moonshot consortium's non-covalent ligand MAT-POS-b3e365b9-1 (MPro-x11612.pdb), in conjunction with the SARS-CoV-2 MPro crystal structure, was the target of the novel docking screen.

The scientists searched the 1.4 billion compounds in the ZINC15/ZINC20 libraries for three Cys-reactive covalent warheads, nitriles, aldehydes, and alpha-ketoamides to find electrophiles that may covalently alter the catalytic Cys145. DOCKovalent was used to create dockable three-dimensional (3D) molecules for covalent binding.

The crystal structures of five aldehyde inhibitors bound with MPro were developed to examine how the docked positions of the covalent inhibitors correlated with actual binding modes and to support further optimization. While non-covalent and covalent inhibitor optimization progressed, the team evaluated various compounds in a reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) viral infectivity test in Henrietta Lacks-angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (HeLa-ACE2) cells.

Substrate design and assay development allows structure-based inhibitor discovery. (A) The chemical structure of the optimized NSP7 substrate shown as a schematic (top) of the substrate sequence highlights the role of each residue (bottom). The substrate contains the P4-P4 NSP7 extended substrate sequence (blue), the fluorophore (yellow), the fluorescent quencher (purple), and the residues for increasing solubility (green). (B) A list of the viral polypeptide NSP sequences (P4-P4) that are cleaved by MPro (left). The sequenceLOGO highlighting the substrate specificity of MPro, yielding a P4-P4 consensus sequence: ATLQ(S/A)XXA (right). (C) The Michaelis-Menten kinetics for the NSP7 substrate with MPro yield parameters indicative of an optimized, efficient substrate. (D) SARS-CoV-2 MPro active site (PDB 6Y2G)26 (green; sub-pockets S1, S1, S2, S3, S4), shown here with substrate preferences (pink; P1, P1, P2, P3, P4) (modeled after PDB 3SNE)27, was used to dock 1.2 billion non-covalent molecules and 6.5 million electrophile molecules. Top-ranked molecules were filtered and 395 were synthesized for in vitro testing. Some docking hits were prioritized for compound optimization, crystallography, pan-viral enzymatic activity, and cell-based antiviral activity. For C, experiments were performed in triplicate.

Results

In the current work, the authors identified 132 SARS-CoV-2 MPro inhibitors belonging to 37 different scaffold classes and exhibit half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) less than 150 M. Among these, 15 inhibitors across three scaffolds had IC50 values under 10 M and inhibited the enzyme. The most effective covalent inhibitor, '7021, was found to function reversibly, which was probably a reflection of the fast-on/fast-off kinetics of aldehyde covalent inhibitors.

Further, the team provided an improved MPro substrate for upcoming inhibitor evaluation. The scientists initially established an electrophile library using the expanding collection of tangible compounds, which included aldehydes, nitriles, and alpha-ketoamides. The community can openly access this library of more than 6.5 million new electrophiles at https://covalent2022.docking.org.

Eight of the novel inhibitors' crystal structures closely matched the docking estimates. The antiviral activities of two of the novel aldehyde inhibitors were comparable to their enzymatic IC50 values, indicating that further optimizing this class for on-enzyme efficacy may predict antiviral activity.

Non-covalent compound optimization to low-M potencies. (A) Progression of the 0273 scaffold. (B) Predicted binding pose of 0273. (C) Comparison of crystal structure (grey protein, red compound) and docked complex (green protein, blue compound) of SG-0001 (PDB 8DII). (D) Predicted binding pose of 0541. (E), (F) Comparison of crystal structures and docked complexes of 5548 (PDB 8DIG) and 6111 (PDB 8DIH), respectively. (G) Additional 0541 analogs with improved affinities. The 2fo-fc ligand density maps (blue contour) are shown at 1 s. Hungarian root mean square deviations (RMSD) were calculated with DOCK6.

Conclusions

Overall, the team found 37 different scaffolds of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors, with the most effective covalent and non-covalent compounds having an IC50 of 20 and 29 M, respectively. Inhibitors with low micromolar range activity were established after the optimization of several series. The docking projected binding modes were validated later by crystallography, which may serve as a template for future optimization. The compounds identified in the present work reveal novel chemotypes that assist in the future searching for MPro inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 and other potential CoVs.

*Important notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
A joint research team from the LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has discovered that the electrical stimulation of the eye surface can alleviate depression-like symptoms and improve cognitive function in animal models. These significant findings were recently published inBrain Stimulationand theAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences].

Background

Major depression is the most common and severe psychiatric disorder across the world. Recently, the World Health Organization reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had triggered a massive increase in the number of people with anxiety and depression. About a quarter of patients do not respond adequately to the treatments available.

Dr Lim Lee Wei, Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed and a former Lee Kuan Yew Research Fellow in Singapore, reported in 2015 that deep brain stimulation of the prefrontal cortex in the brains of animals could improve memory function and relieve depressive symptoms.

These therapeutic effects were attributed to the growth of brain cells in the hippocampus, a region of the brain known to be involved in learning and memory function. However, this technique, also known as deep brain stimulation, is invasive and requires surgery to implant electrodes in the brain, which may cause side effects such as infections and other post-operative complications.

Research findings and significance

A team of Hong Kong researchers headed by Dr Lim Lee Wei; Dr Leanne Chan Lai-hang, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, CityU; Professor Chan Ying-shing, Dexter H C Man Family Professor in Medical Science, Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Dean (Development and Infrastructure), HKUMed, and Director of the Neuroscience Research Centre, HKU, have been looking for alternative ways to treat neuropsychiatric diseases.

They discovered that the non-invasive stimulation of the corneal surface of the eye (known as transcorneal electrical stimulation, or TES) that activates brain pathways, resulted in remarkable antidepressant-like effects and reduced stress hormones in an animal model for depression. Furthermore, this technique induced the expression of genes involved in the development and growth of brain cells in the hippocampus.

In related experiments, Yu Wing-shan, PhD student, and other research members from the School of Biomedical Sciences, HKUMed, investigated whether this approach could be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, a common type of dementia with no definitive cure. They found that this non-invasive stimulation in mice drastically improved memory performance and reduced beta-amyloid deposits in the hippocampus, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

Dr Leanne Chan Lai-hang, an expert on the electrical stimulation of visual and non-visual brain targets, described this research, 'Transcorneal electrical stimulation is a non-invasive method initially developed to treat eye diseases, and it would be a major scientific breakthrough if it could be applied to treat neuropsychiatric diseases.'

These research findings pave the way for new therapeutic opportunities to develop novel treatments for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression and dementia. Nevertheless, clinical trials must be conducted to validate the efficacy and safety." Chan Ying-shing, Professor, The University of Hong Kong
The end of nationwide abortion protections has been met with a wave of calls from lawmakers and governors in at least a dozen states for special legislative sessions that would reshape the state-by-state patchwork of laws that now govern abortion in the U.S.

"I haven't seen so many states focusing their attention so quickly on one issue," said Thad Kousser, a professor who studies state politics.

Peverill Squire, a professor who specializes in legislative bodies, agreed. "The number of special sessions likely to be held this year directly in response to Dobbs is out of the ordinary," he said, referring to the June decision in which the Supreme Court struck down its 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.

But Kousser, Squire, and Mary Ziegler, a legal historian, said the rush to convene lawmakers during what otherwise would be legislative downtime was predictable.

After the Supreme Court granted states unfettered power to regulate abortion, the experts said, many want to address old laws, clarify conflicting laws, and create or extend enforcement mechanisms. And, Ziegler said, calls to restrict or expand abortion rights can be politically expedient for lawmakers, especially in deeply conservative states.

Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California-San Diego, said the coming lawmaking binge, triggered by the court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson's Women Health Organization, is unusual, even when compared with hot-button Supreme Court cases from the past. "Almost all of the Supreme Court rulings on social issues have taken power away from the states, and so there was no reason for states to call a special session after Obergefell v. Hodges because they lost their discretion, or after Griswold v. Connecticut," Kousser said, referring to the decisions that legalized same-sex marriage and contraception use nationwide.

But in Dobbs, the court overturned the constitutional right to abortion nationwide and in doing so gave states more authority over the practice.

Squire, a political science professor at the University of Missouri, said state legislatures have a practical reason for responding to the Dobbs decision with special sessions. "Given that most controversial U.S. Supreme Court cases are handed down at the end of their term, in May or June, at a time when many state legislatures are no longer in regular session, having to call special sessions to address the court's decision is not surprising," he said.

Ziegler is a law professor at the University of California-Davis and studies the history of abortion. She said state lawmakers who want to further restrict abortion face tricky legal questions, such as whether they can prevent people from traveling to other states for abortions or from receiving abortion medications in the mail.

"How is anybody going to stop that from happening?" she said.

The special sessions are "a product of our contemporary politics of abortion," Ziegler said, and differ from the reaction 49 years ago when the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. "There were definitely some special sessions that happened not long after Roe to restrict access to abortion in limited ways, but abortion wasn't the political hot-button issue then that it is now."

Ziegler said many calls for special legislative sessions are occurring in "politically uncompetitive states" where Republican majorities are in control. "I think in some instances, even if polling would suggest that people in those states don't want more abortion restrictions, Republicans don't really have to worry about that because they're not really worried about general elections," she said. "So there's probably, from their standpoint, no downside to doing this."

Backing anti-abortion laws during special sessions could be politically advantageous for lawmakers, Ziegler said, especially in Republican primary elections.

Just a handful of states have full-time legislatures. In 14 states, only the governor may call a special session; in 36, either the governor or lawmakers can.

Governors and politicians in at least a dozen states responded to the Dobbs ruling with calls for special sessions. Most were in conservative states seeking to limit abortion access; lawmakers in a few liberal states want to protect abortion rights.

Lawmakers in Indiana, South Carolina, West Virginia, and South Dakota are planning sessions to ban or further restrict abortion.

In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem and legislative leaders announced they will convene a special session even though abortion was immediately banned there after the Dobbs decision by the state's "trigger law." Republican Jon Hansen, speaker pro tempore of the state's House of Representatives, pledged to seek a litany of additional abortion restrictions.

In a May Twitter thread, Hansen outlined a half-dozen moves the legislature may consider, including criminalizing the use and shipment of abortion medications, prohibiting the advertisement of abortion services in the state, banning companies from paying travel costs for employees seeking abortions, and requiring out-of-state doctors to refer South Dakota abortion patients to third-party counseling before seeing them.

Leaders in multiple other states where abortion has been restricted have discussed, but not committed to, holding a special session. At least two Republican governors who have professed affinity for further restricting abortion have prioritized abortion-related litigation, instead of special sessions.

Other states have recently taken steps to expand abortion rights or plan to do so during special sessions.

At least nine states recently codified abortion rights or expanded access and protections. Gov. JB Pritzker in Illinois has called for a special session of the legislature to strengthen his state's laws. Pritzker, a Democrat, pledged that Illinois would also prepare for an influx of people seeking abortions from states that now have bans.

And on July 1, New York lawmakers advanced legislation to give voters a chance to install protections for abortion and contraception in the state constitution.

Less pronounced in the rush to commence post-Roe lawmaking are calls to expand assistance for women who no longer have access to abortions. In South Dakota, the statement released by Noem's office that calls for a special session mentions "helping mothers impacted by the decision." But Noem hasn't released a list of what, if any, social programs she proposes to add or expand.

Reporting and academic studies show that many states with laws that restrict abortion have limited participation in government assistance programs and high rates of poor health, economic, and social indicators. For example, South Dakota, which has high rates and racial disparities in infant and maternal mortality, has not expanded Medicaid eligibility or postpartum coverage, does not require paid family leave, and does not offer universal prekindergarten. Abortion restrictions are also associated with higher maternal mortality rates, according to a 2021 study by Tulane University researchers.

Ziegler questioned whether states that claim an interest in banning abortion will also claim a governmental duty to support pregnant people, suggesting they will instead "outsource" that role.

Will there "be anything actually done to support women other than just telling them to go to religious charities and crisis pregnancy centers?" she asked.
Two months after giving birth, Jennifer Magee noticed a change in her baby's feeding routine that scared her: She was starting to drink more formula, almost every hour.

Increased appetite is normal for growing infants, including Magee's daughter, Aubrey. But amid the national formula shortage, Magee, 25, had only one container left, barely enough to last three days.

"We're flying through formula," Magee said as the shortage worsened in May. "I'm afraid that pretty soon, if we don't stock up, we're not going to have it for her."

Finding more wouldn't be a straightforward task.

Magee faced the same strain many parents experienced during the past few months as they scrambled to find formula. But she felt an added strain because she relies on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC  a federally funded initiative meant to help low-income women buy food, including baby formula.

Her daughter was born in March, long after pandemic-related supply chain issues began to affect formula availability, and just weeks after the baby food manufacturer Abbott Nutrition shut down production at its Michigan factory and recalled its Similac, Similac Alimentum, and EleCare powdered formulas, further disrupting supply. In May, Dr. Robert Califf, head of the FDA, told senators he expected the shortage to resolve in late July. As of June, the agency was still importing formulas to increase supply.

For Magee and other parents who live near state borders, especially those in rural communities with limited and distant shopping options, WIC's limitations further exacerbate the ongoing formula shortage.

A resident of Bay City, Wisconsin, Magee must shop at a store that is authorized by her state to accept WIC benefits. Unlike people who receive money from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, another support for low-income families, WIC recipients can't use their benefits across state lines, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Bay City is a village of about 400 on the western edge of Wisconsin, across the Mississippi River from Red Wing, Minnesota, which has a population of about 16,500. Bay City has no WIC-approved grocery stores. Red Wing  less than 10 miles west  has three WIC-approved stores, but Magee can't use her Wisconsin benefits at any of them.

Instead, she drives nearly 50 miles to a WIC-approved Walmart Supercenter in Menomonie, Wisconsin, in search of the hypoallergenic formula her daughter needs.

While the formula shortage is not just affecting WIC families, it is "magnifying disparities that low-income families have faced for years," said Brian Dittmeier, senior director of public policy at the National WIC Association, the nonprofit advocacy organization that represents WIC programs.

Those disparities include low-income families being more likely to live in food deserts, or areas with little to no access to affordable healthy food, which limits their options for WIC-approved stores, he said.

Typically, WIC recipients have a designated formula they can purchase with their benefits as part of what the program calls a "food package." After the Abbott Nutrition recall, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued a list of substitutions for families whose designated formula was among those recalled.

Nutramigen, the formula Magee used to soothe her daughter's milk sensitivity, was not recalled, but that hasn't made it any easier to find since the shortage led to a nationwide scramble for other brands. Each time Magee drove to Menomonie for Nutramigen, she was making a "wild guess" she might find some.

She didn't.

In May, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services released tips for families navigating the shortage. Department officials told them to check smaller grocery stores and drugstores rather than big ones, and to search store websites before going in person. Yet some smaller stores don't accept WIC, and for women who must travel an hour or more to check a shelf, what's online may not reflect reality once they arrive. Like most states, Wisconsin does not allow WIC families to shop online with their benefits.

"Sometimes that's a barrier because of the cost of transportation," said Brittany Mora, the WIC director for Pierce County, where Magee lives, as she reflected on the amount of travel families have taken on in search of formula  especially as gas prices have soared to a national average near $5 per gallon.

If Magee were to drive through her county to check each of the four WIC-approved stores for her daughter's formula, she would travel about 65 miles round trip and risk coming home empty-handed anyway. Pierce County has no public transportation.

Mora's staff encourages parents to call stores before making long trips, in case the retailers can tell them what's in stock. Staffers can also give families tips they've heard on where formula might be available and change families' food packages to include formula available in-store.

Since the Abbott recall and plant shutdown, Mora has allowed families to call her personal cellphone for emergencies when her office is closed.

"My biggest fear is that, over the weekend, a family wouldn't be able to get a formula that was available at the store," she said.

Similar challenges have emerged for women receiving WIC in Minnesota. The state's WIC director, Kate Franken, said the families that come to her program for support sometimes don't have a car, "so they just don't have as many options for driving around and checking different stores."

Though Minnesota, like Wisconsin, now offers WIC recipients imported formulas to increase their options, the additions don't help all families equally, Franken said.

The Kendamil formulas coming in from the United Kingdom and Aussie Bubs from Australia fall under the category of standard milk-based formulas, she said. "That's good, and that's what most babies use, but that's also the category that we're seeing the best recovery in supply in general."

She said the standard milk-based formula import strategy doesnt address the lack of supply of formula for babies with milk intolerance or other digestive problems.

Those are babies like Magee's daughter.

When Magee realized she couldn't depend on her WIC benefits to immediately access hypoallergenic formula, she turned to family for help.

On May 23, Magee's soon-to-be mother-in-law, Geralyn Laurie, posted to Facebook: "Friends everywhere, my granddaughter, Aubrey Elizabeth, is in need of her specific formula. She needs Enfamil's Nutramigen for infants. It can also be house brands of this formula, which [are Tippy Toes and Well Beginnings]. If you find this, please buy it and I will happily Venmo you for this product and shipping."

Within weeks, 26 cans of hypoallergenic formula had made their way to the end of the farmland-bordered gravel road leading to Laurie's home in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, about 30 miles west of Bay City. Some arrived by mail, others by way of visitors coming by plane and train.

Laurie hadn't expected such a response.

"Everyone, I think, wants to help, and several people were just like, 'I'm on it,'" she said.

By the time her granddaughter was 3 months old, Laurie had spent more than $455 on formula.

Magee has yet to be able to use her WIC benefits to feed her daughter.
(Newser)  Update: An appeals court on Thursday rejected a $95 million defamation lawsuit against comedian Sacha Baron Cohen filed by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who said he was tricked into a television appearance that lampooned sexual misconduct accusations against him. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, upholding a lower courts ruling in favor of Baron Cohen, said Moore signed a disclosure agreement that prohibited any legal claims over the appearance. The three judges also found it was "clearly comedy" when Baron Cohen demonstrated a so-called pedophile detector that beeped when it got near Moore and no viewer would think the comedian was making factual allegations against Moore. Moore says he will appeal again. Our original story from July 13, 2021, follows:

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed failed Senate candidate Roy Moores $95 million lawsuit targeting comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. The lawsuit was filed after Moore complained he was tricked into an interview that lampooned sexual misconduct accusations against him. Judge John Cronan wrote that Moore signed a clear disclosure agreement that prohibited any legal claims over the appearance. He added that the absurd segmentin which the comic demonstrated a so-called pedophile detector that beeped when it got near Moorewas "clearly a joke" and no viewer would think the comedian was making factual allegations against Moore, the AP reports.

"The court agrees that Judge Moores claims are barred by the unambiguous contractual language, which precludes the very causes of action he now brings," Cronan wrote. The lawsuit centered on Moore's unwitting appearance on the comic's Who Is America? show in 2018. Moore had been told he was receiving an award for supporting Israel. But in the segment, Baron Cohen appeared as a faux counterterrorism instructor discussing bogus military technology, including the supposed pedophile detector. The judge noted the absurdity of the segment in dismissing Moores lawsuit. "The segment was clearly a joke and no reasonable viewer would have seen it otherwise," he wrote. Moore says he plans to appeal. (Baron Cohen is suing over a cannabis billboard featuring his Borat character.)
(Newser)  It's been exactly a year since Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his private residence, and the state of things in the Caribbean nation has only gotten worse, with a proliferation of gang violence, a despairing populace, and a "seeming state of lawlessness" in parts. That's how it's framed by the New York Times, which notes that when Moise was killed, many Haitians thought that "his assassination would be the country's new rock bottom," giving them hope that they "could start climbing back up." Instead, the paper lays out a "grim" picture of burned-out homes, gang rapes, beheadings and other dismemberment, and even the killing of minors over accusations of serving as informants for rival gangs, per a recent UN statement.

Thousands of children have been kept out of school due to the violence, there's been a fuel shortage after gangs seized critical fuel depots, and the economy is limping along. Confidence in leadership is shaky as well: Prime Minister Ariel Henry, now the nation's de facto leader, has been implicated in the assassination, an allegation he denies. "Every day is a fight," a former plumber-turned-motorcycle taxi driver tells NPR. "It's a fight to stay alive. It's a fight to eat. It's a fight to survive." "I see no future in Haiti for my kids," a mother in the capital of Port-au-Prince concurs to the Times. Meanwhile, one of the former Colombian soldiers accused of helping to murder Moise is now speaking out, per the Miami Herald.

"We among ourselves concluded that the president was killed by his own bodyguards," retired Sgt. Edwin Blanquicet Rodriguez told Colombian radio station La FM, insisting that he was innocent of taking part in the slaying. Blanquicet says he was in Haiti to make money as a security guard for Christian Emmanuel Sanon, an American preacher who himself has been accused in the plot, allegedly because he wanted to take over as president himself. The Times notes that while two probesone in Haiti, one in the UShave led to multiple arrests, no trials have yet come to fruition. The American investigation has spurred speculation that the assassins had ties to US intelligence agencies like the CIA. "I have so many questions without answers," Martine Moise, who was injured in the attack against her husband, told local media this week, per Al Jazeera. (Read more Haiti stories.)
(Newser)  TikTok has been sued again over the deaths of children who were participating in a challenge promoted by the social media platform. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County, says Heriberto Arroyo of Milwaukee found his 9-year-old daughter Arriani Jaileen Arroyo hanging in their home in February 2021. The same month, Lalani Erika Renee Walton, 8, of Temple, Texas, was found hanging at home. The suit says the "blackout challenge," which also goes by other names, encourages social media users to hold their breath until they pass out, USA Today reports.

TikTok's algorithm regularly made blackout challenge videos appear on the girls' "for you" pages, the Social Media Victims Law Center, which is representing the parents, said in the filing. The company specifically decided the blackout challenge videos "are appropriate and fitting for small children," the suit argues, per NBC News. A company spokesman did not comment on the new suit but referenced a statement issued after another suit was filed in December in the death of a 10-year-old girl. That statement said TikTok would immediately remove content related to the challenge if it was aware of it. "This disturbing challenge,' which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend," the statement says.

Authorities told Lalani's family that she had been watching videos of the challenge before trying it. The girl "did not commit suicide," they said, according to the lawsuit. Arriani had told her mother about a young girl in Italy who was killed attempting the challenge. Her mother informed her she was not allowed to try the challenge herself, the filing says. About a month later, Arriani was found hanging from a leash. (Read more TikTok stories.)
(Newser)  James Murray, director of the Secret Service since 2019, is leaving the government for social media. His new job is in security for Snapchat, the Washington Post reports. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas praised Murray as an adviser, and the agency issued a statement saying Murray "helped the agency navigate the unique challenges presented by the historic COVID-19 pandemic" while maintaining its role "of providing protection to senior elected leaders and investigating crimes targeting our financial infrastructure." Murray, who has worked for the Secret Service for 27 years, will leave at the end of the month.

Murray will be the top security officer for Snap, parent company of Snapchat, per the Hollywood Reporter. His responsibilities will include the safety of the company's more than 5,000 global employees. Murray is leaving shortly after Secret Service employees became embroiled in the House committee investigation of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Several agents reportedly disputed Cassidy Hutchinson's public testimony about then-President Trump's response to being told he wouldn't be taken to the Capitol that day. Their credibility has been questioned because of their close ties to Trump. It was Murray who allowed Anthony Ornato, whom Hutchinson quoted in her testimony, switch from the Secret Service to deputy chief of staff for Trump in 2019, per Politico. (Read more Secret Service stories.)
(Newser)  Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Thursday directing the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety to take undocumented immigrants to the Mexican border and leave them there. The order sets up a confrontation with the federal government, which has responsibility for enforcing immigration law, the Texas Tribune reports. The text even calls the federal government out. "As the challenges on the border continue to increase, Texas will continue to take action to address those challenges caused by the Biden Administration," it says, per KXAN.

White House officials didn't immediately comment. An immigrants rights organization dismissed Abbott's move as "another disgusting political stunt," calling it overreach and "a huge waste of state taxpayer dollars." The governor has faced pressure from fellow Republicans to declare "an invasion" of Texas, which they say would let him invoke war powers and the National Guard forcibly deport migrantsa scheme criticized by legal experts. Abbott also has said it might lead to federal prosecution of Texas law enforcement. The Thursday decision disappointed former officials in Donald Trump's administration, per KPRC. The Center for Renewing America, which is led by some of them, said Abbott's order should have mandated expelling migrants. "Otherwise this is still catch and release," a statement said, per the AP.

The order raises questions. The ports of entry are staffed by federal immigration officers, and it's not clear what Texas officers would do with the migrants they take there. A former head of the US Immigration and Nationalization Service said doesn't follow where Texas would derive the authority to transport people it suspects of breaking immigration law. "Were they to do that, I think that raises pretty basic civil rights violation questions," Doris Meissner said. The US Supreme Court has said state authorities can only enforce immigration law if the federal government allows them to, said Aaron Reichlin-Melnik, of the American Immigration Council. (Read more immigration law stories.)
(Newser)  Update: The drama intensifies. Elon Musk notified Twitter and the SEC late Friday afternoon that he wants out of his deal to buy the company, reports the Wall Street Journal. He accused Twitter of failing to provide all the information he has requested on fake accounts. Twitter, though, won't let him go without a fight. The board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement," tweeted board chair Bret Taylor. "We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Our story from earlier Friday follows:

Elon Musk's flirtation with becoming the new owner of Twitter has had plenty of drama, and it has ramped up even more in the last day or two:

In doubt: The Washington Post reported that Musk's deal to buy the company is in "serious jeopardy," with Musk's team continuing to claim thatTwitter has not provided enough information about the number of bogus, or bot, accounts on the platform. As a result, Musk is "expected to take potentially drastic action" to kill the deal, according to the story.

The Washington Post reported that Musk's deal to buy the company is in "serious jeopardy," with Musk's team continuing to claim thatTwitter has not provided enough information about the number of bogus, or bot, accounts on the platform. As a result, Musk is "expected to take potentially drastic action" to kill the deal, according to the story. Surprise: The deal-is-doomed nature of the Post report caught Twitter by surprise, reports the New York Times. While the Post didn't specify what actions Musk might take, the Times spells it out: "He could deliver a letter to Twitter saying he is terminating the deal, and he could sue Twitter." Those two things would likely happen at the same time. However, the Times story notes that Twitter is preparing to fight back hard to save the deal and would likely countersue.

Fightin' words: A story in the Financial Times buttresses the notion that Twitter won't let Musk drop the deal easilyand would try to at least make him pay a $1 billion fee for walking away from it. Parag wants to swing back more and is being more aggressive internally, a former Twitter exec tells the outlet, referring to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, per the New York Post. It seems Twitter is willing to go to war to make this deal happen. Agrawal, incidentally, would collect an estimated $42 million under the Musk buyout.

A story in the Financial Times buttresses the notion that Twitter won't let Musk drop the deal easilyand would try to at least make him pay a $1 billion fee for walking away from it. Parag wants to swing back more and is being more aggressive internally, a former Twitter exec tells the outlet, referring to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, per the New York Post. It seems Twitter is willing to go to war to make this deal happen. Agrawal, incidentally, would collect an estimated $42 million under the Musk buyout. Layoffs/shares: Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that Twitter is laying off one-third of its "talent acquisition team"ie, recruitersas it copes with a slowdown affecting the entire tech sector. On Friday, in the wake of all this news, Twitter's stock declined to about $37 per share, well below Musk's offer of $54.20 per share.

(Read more Elon Musk stories.)
(Newser)  Envelopes sent to every Republican member of the Ohio Senate marked what state Sen. Jay Hottinger on Thursday called "just another crappy day" in politics. Inside were feces. "It's gross and stupid, immaturity at its highest level," Hottinger, R-Newark, told the Columbus Dispatch. None of the packages, sent from Cleveland almost a week earlier, actually reached the 25 senators, listed here. Most were intercepted by the Statehouse post office, while a few were intercepted at post offices in Cleveland and Akron, per WEWS. Ohio Senate spokesperson John Fortney said the feces were assumed to be human.

He said it did not appear that Ohio's House Republicans were mailed similar envelopes, but noted the lawmakers were advised to use caution when opening mail at home. "I'm really angry about it," Fortney added, per WEWS, and he made that perfectly clear in subsequent comments. Those responsible "are a bunch of little scared, little cowards that wouldn't say s--- or a thing to you face-to-face," he said. "They should've just sent a selfie, because it's the same thing," he continued, per the Dispatch. "Id be more than happy to explain it to them in a parking lot or cornfield of their choice," he added, apparently suggesting a fight.

Fortney told Newsweek that the Ohio State Highway Patrol was notified and "the safety of all 33 members of the Senate, their staff, and statehouse employees remains a priority." The US Postal Inspection Service is investigating amid speculation about motive. "Some lawmakers reportedly suggested that the deliveries were timed to coincide with Ohio's six-week abortion ban going into effect following the US Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade," per Newsweek. WEWS reports there was no mention of abortion in the envelopes, nor was there a reference to gun rights, another controversial topic. (Read more feces stories.)
(Newser)  Returning for his fourth titled film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is on "a quest for inner peace" that's interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), whose mission you can surely guess. Enter Thor's ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and ally King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), who are called on for assistance in Thor: Love and Thunder, which carries a 68% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Here's what they're saying:



"It's a letdown that Thor: Love and Thunder lacks the fresh pow of Thor: Ragnarock," writes Peter Travers at ABC News. This film is "only half as funny, fierce, romantic and thrilling" as its predecessor. But "at its best," the "slapstick tragedy hits the sweet spot that makes you want to hang on for Thor's next adventure." And "in the role he was born to play, Hemsworth embraces giggles with no loss of gravity." In fact, "he's sensational."

"You can feel the director Taika Waititi having a good timeand it's infectious," writes Manohla Dargis at the New York Times. He shows "his irreverence and taste for kitsch," resulting in a movie that's "sillier than any of its predecessors." Unfortunately, Portman is "so tightly wound that she never syncs up with the loosey-goosey rhythms the way Thompson and Hemsworth do."

Mick LaSalle was left hoping the fourth film would mark the end of the Thor series. The worst of the four films, "it's not funny, and the action element falls flat," he writes at the San Francisco Chronicle. Though Bale "takes the acting prize," his villain character "is a bit of a dud," with a mission that's "too general," he adds. Portman, however, is "largely an asset  providing some welcome dramatic grounding."

Richard Lawson goes as far as to say Love and Thunder "may be the worst film yet in [Marvel's] long line of spectaculars, an erratic and fatally dull morass of limp jokes and aimless plotting." A waste of time and talent, it "seems to be laughing not at itself, but at audiences who have been duped into paying to see it," he writes at Vanity Fair. In the end, he was left wondering "if this whole cinematic universe machine has any idea where it's headed."

(Read more movie review stories.)
(Newser)  Sarah Palin may be able to see Russia from her house, but she may soon regret that proximity if one Putin ally and an unnamed "patriot" have their way. Newsweek reports that multiple billboards popped up in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk on Thursday, all bearing the same message in Cyrillic: "Alaska Is Ours!" The signage emerged just a day after State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, said to be slavishly devoted to the Russian president, advanced the idea that his country could snatch back the 49th state from the US due to US sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

"Let America always remember: There's a piece of territory, Alaska," he noted of the state that the US bought from Russia in 1867. "When they try to manage our resources abroad, let them think before they act that we, too, have something to take back." Another State Duma official jumped into the conversation by suggesting a "referendum" in which Alaskans could vote on joining Russia. Newsweek notes, however, that the billboards "do not appear to have been placed by the Russian government." One local told NGS24 that "some patriot" ordered the signage, and after some digging, the site traced the logo on the signs to a trailer factory named Alyaska.

The company verified it was behind the billboards, with one worker noting, "It's just that our director is very patriotic." Not everyone is sharing that patriotic sentiment, however. "They've gone totally mad," one Russian media watcher proclaimed on Twitter. "Tell him that he was wrong," another commenter noted of the supposed "patriot." The news also prompted Alaskan Gov. Mike Dunleavy to weigh in. "To the Russian politicians who believe they can take back Alaska: Good luck," he tweeted Thursday. (Read more Russia stories.)
(Newser)  Anne Pham was just 5 years old when she convinced her mother to let her walk the few blocks to kindergarten alone. Anne, the youngest of 10 children, never made it. Her body, suffocated and sexually assaulted, was found on an Army base a mile from her California school within days of her disappearance in 1982. Now, 40 years later, police have arrested a former soldier who lived just around the corner from her. "The guy is a complete monster," Acting Seaside Police Chief Nicholas Borges says of Robert John Lanoue, a 70-year-old who was 29 at the time of the murder, per People. "He's every person's nightmare. The world is a safer place with this guy off the streets."

Lanoue, now a resident of Reno, Nevada, "was never on the radar," said Borges, despite his proximity to the victim and her body as a soldier stationed at Fort Ord. Anne's bodywhich had been raped and sodomized, then smotheredwas found in bushes near a shooting range at the base two days after her disappearance on Jan. 21. "This guy went on with his life, to just create havoc and horror wherever he went," Borges tells People, noting he spent more than 20 years in prison for sexual assault offences. Then, in 2020, a new type of DNA testing identified him as the suspect in Pham's murder.

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni tells People that the new DNA process "involves DNA which doesn't come from the root of a hair" and "hasn't been used in a criminal conviction previously." "There are things that haven't been used [yet] science-wise related to the criminal justice system that will come out," Borges adds, per Monterey County Weekly. Lanouecharged Thursday with one count of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations that he murdered Anne while committing kidnapping and a lewd act on a child under the age of 14is being held in Nevada pending extradition to California. He has not made a plea. (Read more murder stories.)
(Newser)  This story has been updated with new details on Abe's condition. The former prime minister of Japan was reportedly shot in the chest during a political speech Friday afternoon. Media outlets were initially using words like "apparent shooting" to describe the still-unclear sequence of events, but photos from the scene show Shinzo Abe bloodied on the ground after collapsing. The details of his condition were difficult to determine: Bloomberg reported he was "unconscious and unresponsive" after the event, but police sources later said Abe was conscious and responsive while being rushed to a hospital.

Then a fire official said his heart had stopped and he was not breathing while he was airlifted. Per local media cited by the AP and CNN, Abe, 67, experienced heart failure and cardiopulmonary arrest. His current condition is unknown. A male suspect, described as young or middle-aged, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. Abe was giving an election campaign speech to support Liberal Democratic Party candidates ahead of Sunday's election for the upper house of parliament when he grabbed his chest and fell to the ground in Nara, in western Japan.

Witnesses reported hearing gunshots. Abe holds the record as Japan's longest-serving prime minister; he resigned in 2020 for health reasons. He served from 2006-07, then again from 2012-20, CNN reports. "For almost eight years I controlled my chronic disease, however, this year in June I had a regular check-up and there was a sign of the disease," he said in August of 2020, referring to the inflammatory bowel disease colitis. (Read more Shinzo Abe stories.)
(Newser)  A Black business leader and community activist who joined Tulsa civic leaders in fighting then-President Donald Trump's plan to hold a campaign rally on Juneteenth in a city known as the site of one of the nation's deadliest white-on-Black mob attacks has been killed in what police describe as a domestic incident at her home. Investigators were trying Thursday to develop a timeline that led to Sherry Gamble Smith and her husband, Martin Everett Smith, being fatally wounded in their home in the Tulsa suburb of Bixby, Oklahoma, the AP reports.

Police dispatched on a call about a reported death about 8am Wednesday went to the Smith home and found Gamble Smith dead and her husband wounded. The husband died later at a hospital. A Bixby police statement issued Wednesday night said Gamble Smith's death "appears to be domestic in nature but the investigation is still underway to determine the timeline and what (led) to this tragedy.

Gamble Smith was president of the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce, named after Tulsa's Greenwood commercial districtan area of concentrated Black wealththat white rioters burned in 1921. Up to 300 Black Tulsa residents were killed, and the area never recovered. She was vocal in her opposition to Trump's plans to hold his first campaign rally of the COVID era there on Juneteenth 2020. Trump's event was met with protests during a time of nationwide protests just weeks after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd. (Read more Oklahoma stories.)
(Newser)  Doctors were unable to save Shinzo Abe, Japan's former prime minister, after he was shot during a campaign event Friday. The 67-year-old died from his injuries after the attack in Nara, western Japan, public broadcaster NHK has confirmed. Abe, who resigned in 2020, was Japan's longest-serving prime minister. After the shooting, he was airlifted to a hospital where officials said he was in "grave condition" with wounds to his neck and chest; doctors tried to save him with a blood transfusion, the BBC reports. Footage aired by NHK showed Abe was shot from behind a few minutes after he started a speech.

A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene. Police identified him as Tetsuya Yamagami but did not provide further details, the Guardian reports. Gun crime is very rare in Japan, with an average of fewer than 10 homicides involving guns per year in a country with a population of 125 million, and police believe the weapon involved was homemade, according to local media reports. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting as "dastardly and barbaric," the AP reports. (Read more Shinzo Abe stories.)
(Newser)  World leaders are expressing sadness, shock, and outrage at the assassination of a man many of them knew personallyShinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister. Abe, who resigned in 2020, was fatally shot while delivering a speech at a campaign event in western Japan Friday. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott described Abe as Japan's most significant postwar leader, the BBC reports. "This is a dreadful loss for Japan, for Australia, and for a world where democracies stand strong and together," said Abbott, who worked closely with the Japanese leader. More:

"A dear friend." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the "heinous attack" on his "dear friend." In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe." Iran's foreign ministry condemned what it called an "act of terrorism."

A "dark day for Japanese democracy." In Europe, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said he was "shocked by the terrible attack, which affects Japan, its free democratic debate." In the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutt said a cabinet meeting "paused to reflect on this dark day for Japanese democracy," the New York Times reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the "heinous attack."

In Europe, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said he was "shocked by the terrible attack, which affects Japan, its free democratic debate." In the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutt said a cabinet meeting "paused to reflect on this dark day for Japanese democracy," the New York Times reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the "heinous attack." China distances itself from online remarks. Abe, a conservative nationalist, was a very controversial figure in China, but Beijing distanced itself Friday from remarks made by nationalists online, where the assassination was one of the leading topics and some people called the shooter a "hero," the Guardian reports. Foreign ministry officials said Beijing was "shocked" by the shooting and it "should not be linked to Sino-Japanese relations."

"Events like this shake us all to the core." Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office, and she remembers him as generous and kind, the AP reports. "I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is," she said. "Events like this shake us all to the core."

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office, and she remembers him as generous and kind, the AP reports. "I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is," she said. "Events like this shake us all to the core." "An act of cowardly barbarism." Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, praised Abe's achievements and vowed that free elections would be protected. "An act of cowardly barbarism has stolen Prime Minister Abes life," he said, per the Times. "It is absolutely unallowable, and I once again condemn it with the strongest words.

Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, praised Abe's achievements and vowed that free elections would be protected. "An act of cowardly barbarism has stolen Prime Minister Abes life," he said, per the Times. "It is absolutely unallowable, and I once again condemn it with the strongest words. Bullet penetrated Abe's heart. Hidetada Fukushima at Nara Medical University Hospital said a bullet penetrated Abe's heart. He received more than 100 units of blood in transfusions over four hours, but doctors were unable to stop the bleeding, reports Reuters. Fukushima said Abe arrived at the hospital in cardiopulmonary arrest.

Abe's legacy . The Washington Post looks at the legacy left by Abe, whose Liberal Democratic party has long dominated Japanese politics. Abe, who was in power from 2006 to 2007 and then from 2012 to 2020, sought to revive Japan's economy after a long period of stagnation and make the country a more assertive international player, though relations with China and South Korea deteriorated significantly during his time in power.

. The Washington Post looks at the legacy left by Abe, whose Liberal Democratic party has long dominated Japanese politics. Abe, who was in power from 2006 to 2007 and then from 2012 to 2020, sought to revive Japan's economy after a long period of stagnation and make the country a more assertive international player, though relations with China and South Korea deteriorated significantly during his time in power. The suspected assassin. Tetsuya Yamagam, 41, was arrested at the scene and an apparently homemade shotgun was seized, Reuters reports. According to reports in local media, the suspect, who served for three years in the military, told police he was dissatisfied with Abe.

(Read more Shinzo Abe stories.)
(Newser)  Last month, an unserved arrest warrant was unearthed in the basement of a Mississippi courthouse, calling for the detention of Carolyn Bryant Donham for the 1955 kidnapping of 14-year-old Emmett Till. The discovery prompted Till's family to call for Donham's arrest, and that demand hasn't abated in the time since. NBC News reports that Till's cousin, Priscilla Sterling, turned up the pressure Thursday on District Attorney W. Dewayne Richardson to finally serve the nearly 70-year-old warrant on Donham, who was married to one of the two white men acquitted of killing Till, who was Black. Donham is now in her 80s, with a last known address in North Carolina.

"The family wants Carolyn Bryant to face justice," Sterling said in a Thursday presser. "We want her to at least come here and defend herself." "Emmett Till never got to make it to 87," added attorney Malik Shabazz, who accompanied the Till family on Thursday. "Emmett Till never had a day where he could go to a nursing [home] or whatever, because his life was taken." Shabazz was apparently referencing where Donham is believed to now be living, and on Wednesday, dozens of demonstrators descended upon a senior living facility in Raleigh looking for her, reports WRAL. "Time to face your demons. Come on out," one protester was heard saying, just before some of the demonstrators entered the facility, prompting the police to be called.

The center had to be placed on a short lockdown as a result of the commotion. Donham's husband, Roy Bryant, and JW Milam, Bryant's half brother, were acquitted shortly after Till's murder, though they later admitted in a magazine interview to killing him. Donham was the one who accused Till of making improper advances toward her in a family store, and the one suspected of IDing Till to her husband and brother-in-law. WRAL reports the newly found arrest warrant charged the two men and Donham of kidnapping. A note from a local sheriff on the back of the warrant reportedly said Donham wasn't arrested because authorities hadn't located her, though a sheriff at the time is said to have told the media she wasn't arrested because she had two children to tend to. (You know about Emmett Till, but not about the barn.)
(Newser)  Maryland man David Bennett lived for only two months after he received a pig's heartbut doctors say the first-of-its-kind procedure counts as a success. Doctors at the University of Maryland School of Medicine say they determined that 57-year-old David Bennett died from heart failure but his body never rejected the organ from a genetically edited animal, NBC reports. They concluded that the heart failure was caused by a "complex array of factors," per a university release. They found that there was a thickening and stiffening of the heart muscle, which may have been caused by a drug Bennett was given to prevent organ rejection.

Another factor, doctors say, could have been a pig virus that "hitched a ride" into Bennett with the heart and wasn't detected until 20 days after the transplant. "We are still trying to figure out what went wrong; we dont have a single answer," said Dr. Muhammad M. Mohiuddin, director of the school's cardiac xenotransplantation program, per the Baltimore Sun. "But we dont consider this a setback. We consider that he lived through the surgery the first win." Bennett was in end-stage heart failure and near death when the procedure was approved. He didn't qualify for a normal heart transplant.

"When he seemed to be recovering and doing well for two months, we really thought that was a huge success," said Mohiuddin. "If we could have identified the reason his heart gave out suddenly, he might have walked out of the hospital." He described the case as an "important learning experience" that will lead to improved techniques in future procedures. A Food and Drug Administration spokesperson tells the Sun that requests for similar transplants in the future will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The spokesperson said xenotransplantationtransplants from animals to humans"represents an option" for dealing with a shortage of human organs. (Read more organ transplants stories.)
(Newser)  One theme that keeps emerging in coverage of Shinzo Abe's fatal shooting in Japan is that gun deaths are rare in Japan. But just how rare they areand how strict the nation's gun laws aremight still come as a surprise:

Comparison: Japan had a total of 9 deaths from firearms in 2018, compared to 39,740 in the US that year, according to research by Australia's Sydney School of Public Health cited by CNN.

Japan had a total of 9 deaths from firearms in 2018, compared to 39,740 in the US that year, according to research by Australia's Sydney School of Public Health cited by CNN. Low rate: Japan has a population of 125 million people and one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the world, per the Guardian. As in, close to zero. Its rate of gun homicides per 100,000 people was 0.02 in 2019, compared to 4.2 for the US, according to a University of Washington survey this year.

Ownership: The same low rates apply to gun ownership. A study in 2017 found that 377,000 guns were held by civilians in Japan, a rate of 0.25 per 100 people, according to the Geneva group Small Arms Survey. By comparison, the US rate was 120 guns per 100 people. The BBC notes that mass killers in Japan are more likely to use a knife than a gun.

The same low rates apply to gun ownership. A study in 2017 found that 377,000 guns were held by civilians in Japan, a rate of 0.25 per 100 people, according to the Geneva group Small Arms Survey. By comparison, the US rate was 120 guns per 100 people. The BBC notes that mass killers in Japan are more likely to use a knife than a gun. The laws: The main reason gun ownership is so low in Japan is that the nation has extremely strict laws, as the BBC explains. Handguns are outlawed, with only shotguns and air rifles allowed. But even then, prospective owners must pass a written test, a shooting-range test (with 95% accuracy), and clear an exhaustive and time-consuming background check in which even relatives and co-workers are probed. What's more, police inspect civilian guns once a year and make sure owners have them properly locked away, separate from their ammunition. Licenses expire after three years.

The main reason gun ownership is so low in Japan is that the nation has extremely strict laws, as the BBC explains. Handguns are outlawed, with only shotguns and air rifles allowed. But even then, prospective owners must pass a written test, a shooting-range test (with 95% accuracy), and clear an exhaustive and time-consuming background check in which even relatives and co-workers are probed. What's more, police inspect civilian guns once a year and make sure owners have them properly locked away, separate from their ammunition. Licenses expire after three years. Culture: Beyond the strict laws, gun ownership is simply not seen as part of the culture. Abe's killing is "not only rare, but it's really culturally unfathomable," Nancy Snow of the International Security Industrial Council tells CNN. "The Japanese people can't imagine having a gun culture like we have in the United States. This is a speechless moment. I really feel at a loss for words." Another example of this: Police officers in Japan rarely use guns and train more with bamboo swords than firearms, notes the BBC. Officers are generally expected to get a black belt in judo.

Beyond the strict laws, gun ownership is simply not seen as part of the culture. Abe's killing is "not only rare, but it's really culturally unfathomable," Nancy Snow of the International Security Industrial Council tells CNN. "The Japanese people can't imagine having a gun culture like we have in the United States. This is a speechless moment. I really feel at a loss for words." Another example of this: Police officers in Japan rarely use guns and train more with bamboo swords than firearms, notes the BBC. Officers are generally expected to get a black belt in judo. Suspect: The 41-year-old suspect in Abe's shooting was in Japan's navy for three years, and thus had weapons training, notes Insider. Early reports suggest his weapon was homemade.

(Read more Shinzo Abe stories.)
(Newser)  Shinzo Abe was a political blueblood groomed for power. Japan's longest serving prime minister, he was also perhaps the most polarizing, complex politician in recent Japanese history, the AP reports. Abe, who was assassinated Friday, angered both liberals at home and World War II victims in Asia with his hawkish push to revamp the military and his revisionist view that Japan was given an unfair verdict by history for its brutal past. At the same time, he revitalized Japans economy, led efforts for the nation to take a stronger role in Asia, and served as a rare beacon of political stability before stepping down two years ago for health reasons.

Abe was a darling of conservatives but reviled by many liberals in Japan. And no policy was more divisive than his cherished, ultimately unsuccessful dream to revise Japans war-renouncing constitution. His ultra-nationalism also angered the Koreas and China, both wartime victims of Japan. That push for constitutional revision stemmed from his personal history. Abe's grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishiwho co-signed the 1941 declaration of war against the US as a member of Tojo's cabinetdespised the US-drafted constitution, adopted during the American postwar occupation. For Abe, too, the 1947 charter was symbolic of what he saw as the unfair legacy of Japans war defeat and an imposition of the victors world order and Western values.

Abe's political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a "normal" and "beautiful" nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs. He was also a driving force for Japanese conservatives efforts to whitewash wartime atrocities and push for an end to apologies. Supporters point to his efforts to raise Japan's profile on the international stage, and his proposal for a new order of like-minded democracies as a counter to Chinas rise, something Washington and others soon endorsed. Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later because of his health.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his "Abenomics" formula, which combined fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, and structural reforms. He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power. He stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said the ulcerative colitis hed had since he was a teenager resurfaced. He told reporters at the time that it was "gut wrenching to leave many of his goals unachieved, including revising the constitution. He left office as Japan's longest-serving prime minister by consecutive days in office, eclipsing the record of Eisaku Sato, his great-uncle, who served 2,798 days from 1964 to 1972.

(Read more Shinzo Abe stories.)
(Newser)  For diabetics in California, economic relief may soon be on the way. On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a groundbreaking initiative that will allow the state to manufacture its own insulin, reports KION-TV. Half of the earmarked $100 million will go toward developing affordable insulin products, and the other $50 million will be used to build an insulin-manufacturing facility in the state. CBS News notes Newsom didn't offer a timeline or a specific cost for the insulin product, though he did indicate it would be "at a cheaper price, close to at-cost, and ... available to all."

"Nothing epitomizes market failures more than the cost of insulin," Newsom said in a video posted online. "Many Americans experience out-of-pocket costs anywhere from $300 to $500 per month for this lifesaving drug." Newsom added that the new plant would create well-compensated jobs and strengthen the insulin supply chain. The plan would position California as the first state to make its own drugs, per HuffPost, though the outlet notes that the state isn't the first to try to substantially bring down costs: In 2021, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis greenlit a bill that keeps insulin prices to $100 a month for residents with a prescription.

In April, CBS reported on how the three biggest makers of synthetic insulin Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordiskhave significantly boosted prices for their product over the past 20 years or so. Eli Lilly's analog (synthetic) insulin, for example, sold for $275 per vial in 2018a 680% increase from when it was introduced in 1996, according to Human Rights Watch. This cost spike has led some patients to ration their insulin intake, which has led to further sickness and even death in certain cases. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk say they've implemented programs in recent years to try to tamp down the price for some. At any rate, the Golden State hopes its big move will allow it to escape Big Pharma's grasp on this front. "California is now taking matters into our own hands," Newsom said. (Read more insulin stories.)
(Newser)  A 911 dispatcher was going to send an ambulance, he told the Pennsylvania woman on the phone whose mother couldn't walk or speak and was turning yellow. But he had questions first, according to a recording. "We really need to make sure she's willing to go," he said. Kelly Titchenell, who was driving to her mother's rural home, answered, "She will be, 'cause I'm on my way there, so shes going, or she's going to die." The dispatcher repeated the question, with Tichenell finally saying, "OK, well, can we just try?" He told her to call back when she arrived and made sure her mother would agree to go to the hospital. No ambulance arrived. The dispatcher, Leon Price, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, WTAE reports.

An investigation of the July 2020 call found that the dispatcher's actions violated protocol. "It is alleged Ms. Kronk's death is a direct result of 911's violation of those policies and procedures," the Greene County district attorney's office said in a statement. Price is also charged with recklessly endangering another person, official oppression, and obstruction, the office said. District Attorney Dave Russo said Kronk was denied medical services although three ambulances were available at the time. "I believe she would be alive today if they would have sent an ambulance," her daughter said, per the AP.

Kronk, 54, who had been drinking, died of internal bleeding the next day. Titchenell has filed a federal lawsuit against Price, the county, and two 911 supervisors, charging "callous refusal of public emergency medical services." Criminal charges against dispatchers are rare, said the National Emergency Number Association's general counsel. A 911 operator in Detroit was fired in 2008 and give a year's probation after hanging up on a 5-year-old who called to report his mother had collapsed, John Kelly said. (Read more 911 call stories.)
(Newser)  US Border Patrol agents on horseback engaged in "unnecessary use of force" against non-threatening Haitian immigrants but didn't whip any with their reins "intentionally or otherwise," according to a federal investigation of chaotic scenes along the Texas-Mexico border last fall that sparked widespread condemnation. In a 511-page report released Friday, the AP reports, Customs and Border Protection blamed a "lack of command control and communication" for mounted agents using their horses to forcibly block and move migrants during an influx of Haitians arriving last September at the border outside Del Rio, Texas.

"We're gonna learn from this incident, and we'll find a way to do better," CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus, who took over the agency in December, said during a news conference. "Not everyone's going to like all the findings, but the investigation was comprehensive and fair." Video and photos made it appear agents were whipping Haitians. The Biden administration promised a full investigation after many in the president's own party objected to such tactics with racial overtones. "I promise you, those people will pay," the president said at the time.

By Sept. 19, 2021, around 15,000 Haitian migrants had crossed from Mexico into the US and were concentrated in an encampment under the international bridge. Magnus said the investigation began the day after the incident and included testimony from more than 30 people, including witnesses and journalists. Investigators said they were unable to locate Haitian migrants involved to get their accounts, but used statements and court documents that some provided as part of lawsuits they filed against US authorities. Magnus said four Border Patrol personnel have been recommended for disciplinary action. Mark Morgan, who was an acting CBP commissioner under Trump, dismissed the entire investigation as politically motivated since no Haitians were actually whipped. "From the start, these agents have been smeared, lied about, and vilified by nearly everyone on the left," Morgan said in a statement.

(Read more Border Patrol stories.)
China, Argentina agree to strengthen coordination, Belt and Road cooperation

Xinhua) 11:11, July 08, 2022

BALI, Indonesia, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero have pledged to strengthen coordination and increase cooperation on building the Belt and Road between their countries.

They met Thursday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting held in Bali, Indonesia.

During the meeting, Wang said the solid mutual trust and friendship established between the two heads of state have provided strategic guidance for developing bilateral relations, adding that China appreciates Argentina's adherence to friendliness towards China.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and China is willing to work with Argentina to advance the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road, helping accelerate their respective development and revitalization, Wang said.

Wang said that both sides should take the opportunity of the 2022 Year of China-Argentina Friendship and Cooperation to increase mutual understanding to cement the popular support for bilateral friendship for the sake of bilateral pragmatic cooperation in the next 50 years.

Wang noted that the Chinese side understands and supports Argentina in maintaining its territorial sovereignty and national dignity, and will stand firmly with the Argentine side on issues concerning each other's core interests.

Both as important emerging markets, China and Argentina share extensive consensus and common interests on international and regional affairs, Wang said, adding that China is willing to join efforts with Argentina in practicing true multilateralism, maintaining basic norms governing international relations and safeguarding international fairness and justice.

Argentina and China enjoy a long history of friendship, Cafiero said, noting that the Argentine side admires China's development achievements and appreciates China for its support for Argentina in safeguarding the sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands.

He stressed that Argentina firmly pursues the one-China policy and hopes to enhance the synergy with the Belt and Road Initiative, make better use of the bilateral cooperation mechanism and chart the course for the next 50 years of bilateral cooperation.

Argentina speaks highly of China's important leading role in advancing global development and appreciates China for inviting Argentina to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) leaders' meetings, Cafiero said, voicing his country's readiness to strengthen the synergy with the BRICS mechanism.

He said Argentina appreciates China for taking an objective position on international affairs and appealing for a ceasefire to give peace a chance.

The Argentine side is willing to work with China to strengthen South-South Cooperation, uphold multilateralism and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of emerging markets, Cafiero said.

Both sides exchanged views on China-Latin America cooperation and agreed to boost communication and coordination, so as to help Latin America address the spillover effect of the Ukraine situation.

Wang expressed China's support for Argentina in assuming the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, saying China is ready to join hands with Argentina to build the China-Latin America community with a share future featuring equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and people-centered wellbeing.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. High 62F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain late. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Tim Parker is a candidate for House District 35 in west Fairbanks. On Saturday, July 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds, 1800 College Road, a group of advocates will get together to talk about whats next. Please attend.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

A leading private company in Bahrain has filed a complaint with the National Cyber Security Centre after its vital data was allegedly stolen by scammers. Our main server experienced an intrusion.

The intruder or intruders encrypted all the files and database on the server and have placed a note as a ransom against accessibility and retrieval of the files and data, a letter written by the company to facilitate internal communication, said.

An investigation is still in progress and we are waiting for the conclusive findings from the authorities. Although we are unaware of any actual misuse of information, we are providing notice to you and other potentially affected customers and suppliers about the incident, in order to protect against possible fraud, the letter adds.

Step up protection mechanisms

Speaking to the Daily Tribune, a cybersecurity expert Muhammed Shiras said all companies, both private and public, must step up their protection mechanisms as scammers are on the prowl in the region.

There is not a single established firm that is not at risk. Cyber scammers can deceive employees into giving up confidential or sensitive information, such as passwords or bank information. It often starts with a phishing email, social media contact, or a call that seems to come from a trusted source, such as a supervisor or other senior employee, but creates urgency or fear.

Scammers tell employees to wire money or provide access to sensitive company information. Other emails may look like routine password update requests or other automated messages but are actually attempts to steal your information. Scammers also can use malware to lock organisations files and hold them for ransom.

A more vigilant and conscious approach is advised for all the staff of public and private firms. One false click can take you to another unknown strange world compensating the companys money, privacy and data. Before following any account, try to check their pages, posts, followers, interest etc to verify their authenticity. And never click any malicious links before reviewing the background.

Iranian malware targets

Bapco A few months ago, the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) was targeted by scammers, suspected to be sponsored by Iranian regime, who planted malware in the companys network designed to delete data from infected computers.

The data-wiping malware called Dustman was allegedly used to target the company website.

Online banking fraud

The Daily Tribune has been carrying many reports in the last few months about fraudsters targeting the online banking and financial transaction network in the Kingdom.

The published articles carried the plight of many citizens and expatriates, who together lost thousands of Bahraini dinars to the scammers. Most of the victims have launched a complaint with the police department, pleading for an intense probe into the matter.

It is learnt that many banks are flooded with calls from frantic customers saying they have been conned out of their money by scammers after hacking their bank accounts or fund transfer system. Earlier, speaking to The Daily Tribune, Ali Beshara, the Head of Information Security and Risk Management at The BENEFIT Company, attributed the rise in online fund transfer scams to lack of alertness from the part of users.

Mr Beshara also pointed out that this kind of cybercrime involves social engineering - a term used by information security professionals to describe the action from the part of hackers, who deploy their highest social engineering skills to get information, which is supposed to be kept secret, private and never shared, from their victims.

Call for unified payment interface

Cybersecurity experts have always been highlighting the need to protect Unified Payment Interface and online transactions from scammers in light of increasing online payments.

They include not responding to calls and text messages from strangers along with putting up different passwords on different accounts and UPI apps. The Central Bank of Bahrain, many a time, has carried out campaigns and circulated messages alerting over the possibility of falling victims to online fraudsters.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is participating in the Royal International Air Tattoo, billed as "the greatest show on Earth and in the air" for the first time, announced RIAT 2022.

RIAT said Bahrain is sending its C-130J Hercules aircraft for a static display at the show held from July 15 to 17.

"Bahrain sending an aircraft for the first time! One of their C-130J Hercules aircraft will be coming to the Air Tattoo for static display, and we are very excited to welcome them to RAF Fairford next week," RIAT said in a statement.

Bahrain joins the show as the 57th nation at RIAT. This year the show features flypasts of Airbus BelugaXL, RAF Red Arrows with RAF Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the ROKAF Black Eagles, NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force and static display of C-2 transport aircraft of Japan Air Self Defence Force.
Bidding for a government-owned office property in Tokyo shows that the country's real estate market is still going strong, thanks to a weak currency and ultralow interest rates that have drawn both foreign and domestic investors eyeing healthy returns.

More than 10 companies submitted proposals to buy the government-held portion of the Otemachi Place complex, in the capital's financial district, before the deadline Thursday. The sale of the property, which was redeveloped in 2018, is being handled by Mizuho Trust & Banking. A final decision will be made in September.

While no specific monetary figures are required at this stage, the property is expected to go for around 300 billion yen ($2.2 billion) based on the location and rents in the area. It could top the Japanese record for a finished high-rise building, set by last year's estimated 300 billion yen sale of ad agency Dentsu's headquarters in Tokyo.

Many of the prospective buyers hail from outside the country, including American and Asian investment funds. Because borrowing costs are so low in Japan, investing in real estate may be more lucrative for them in Tokyo than in Singapore or Hong Kong. ...continue reading
Nara(Japan), July 8 (UNI) Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in critical condition after a shooting on Friday at a campaign rally in western Japanese city here.

Police have arrested a 41-year-old man for attempted murder. He was identified as Yamagami Tetsuya, a former member of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, the police was quoted as saying by Japanese media NHK.

The gunman admitted he tried to kill Abe because he was 'dissatisfied' with him, said the police. "Suspect 'intended to kill' former PM Abe," said the police.

There were two shots heard around 11.30 a.m., shortly after Abe began to speaking at the campaign rally. Police say that the former prime minister appears to have been shot around his chest and neck.

Abe reportedly remains in hospital without vital signs after being shot on the street here.

Investigative sources told NHK a gun seized at the scene appeared to be handmade.

The 41-year-old suspect lives in Nara city where the shooting took place. Defense sources said the suspect worked for the Maritime Self Defense Force for three years until around 2005.

Police say the suspect told investigators that he was dissatisfied with the former prime minister and intended to kill him.

Video taken by an NHK reporter appears to show security for the event apprehending someone.

There's no further update on Abe's condition. Emergency officials say he does not appear to have any life signs, the NHK report said.

Abe was in the city to support a candidate for Sunday's Upper House election.

The local Liberal Democratic Party office says Abe's appearance was decided on Thursday night and those details were later released to supporters.

UNI ING
Joey (left) and Justin Young, 24 of Brookfield will compete on season 19 of "The Bachelorette." (Photos courtesy of ABC's "The Bachelorette" via Facebook)

Joey (left) and Justin Young, 24 of Brookfield will compete on season 19 of "The Bachelorette." (Photos courtesy of ABC's "The Bachelorette" via Facebook)

Season 19 of ABCs The Bachelorette is set to premiere on July 11, and it will have viewers seeing double. Not only will there be two bachelorettes, there will also be a set of twins from Brookfield on the cast list.

For the first time, Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey are both set to star as the Bachelorettes.

Among the contestants, Justin and Joey Young, 24, from Brookfield. According to the brothers social media, both attended Quinnipiac University in 2016.

Matt Labagh, 25, might live in San Diego but he is a University of Connecticut Husky. According to UConn Phi Delt's twitter, Labagh is a UConn alum and was the 51st founding father of Phi Delt.

ABC/The Bachelorette on Facebook

This is not the first time contestants have Connecticut ties on the show. Season 26 of The Bachelor, in which both Recchia and Windey were on, featured Tess Tookes from Stamford and Yale Law School student Daria Rose.

It was it was like the least familiar experience Ive ever had, Tookes said in a previous interview. I cant compare it to anything else. I guess maybe its like going to the prom with no date ... hoping to meet someone that night.

Craig Sjodin/ABC

According to Windey's bio, the bachelorette doesn't have a physical type but if the contestant doesn't have a personality? "It's a hard pass." Her ideal man will challenge her, communicate their feelings and work hard to "equally carry the weight of the relationship."

Racchia is looking for someone who is as playful, passionate and spontaneous as she is, according to her bio. She wants them to be nurturing, empathetic and respectful. She wants to find "crazy, insane love that makes sense to no one else but her and her soulmate.

Season 19 will premiere on July 11 on ABC at 8 p.m.


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I have steak at home. Why should I go out for hamburger?

Thats how Hollywood legend Paul Newman described his marriage to actress Joanne Woodward in Paul and Joanne: A Biography of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward by Joe Morella and Edward Z. Epstein. Now their story is being told in a six-part HBO Max miniseries called "The Last Movie Stars." The trailer dropped this Thursday, and the series will premiere July 21.

According to Playbill, actor George Clooney will voice Newmans comments and Laura Linney will voice Woodwards. The documentary will also feature Sam Rockwell, Billy Crudup, Sally Field, Zoe Kazan, Karen Allen, Steve Zahn, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Oscar Isaac and Mark Ruffalo.

The six-part documentary will look into the lives and careers of Newman and Woodward, including their dedication to art, philanthropy and each other. The couple lived in Westport and has a legacy of philanthropy in Connecticut.

In 1982, Newman and his neighbor, writer A.E Hotchner, started Newmans Own, the company that sold Newmans original oil-and-vinegar dressing. The company grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All of the companys profits are donated to charities.

Newman also founded The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford around 1988. The camp was created for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. He then established similar camps in several other states and in Europe.

In November 2021, publisher Alfred A. Knopf announced that a memoir Newman worked on in his 1980s Westport home will be published. It will include Newmans thoughts on acting, directing, boyhood, family, fame, Hollywood, Broadway, love, his first marriage, his 50-year marriage to Joanne Woodward, drinking, politics, racing, his ultimate ride to stardom and aging gracefully. The untitled memoir is set to be released in the fall of 2022, according to the Associated Press.

"The Last Movie Stars" will premiere Thursday, July 21 on HBO Max.
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SRINAGAR, India (AP)  At least 13 people were killed when sudden rains triggered flash floods during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday, police said.

Officials said in addition to the deaths, at least three dozen people were missing while an unspecified number of injured devotees were airlifted to hospitals for treatment. Authorities rushed several teams of doctors and paramedics to the rugged area and were administering first aid to the injured.

The heavy rain Friday evening near the mountain cave revered by Hindus sent a wall of water down a gorge and swept away about two dozen camps and two makeshift kitchens, officials said. An estimated 10,000 people were in the mountains when the rains struck.

The regions disaster management department said emergency workers were searching for missing people despite inclement weather.

T he Amarnath pilgrimage began on June 30 and tens of thousands of pilgrims have already visited the cave shrine where Hindus worship Lingam, a naturally formed ice stalagmite, as an incarnation of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and regeneration.

Hundreds of thousands of Hindus from across India take part in the pilgrimage, which lasts up to 45 days. Groups of pilgrims are staggered over a month and a half for security and logistical reasons.

This year, officials expect nearly 1 million visitors after a two-year gap in the annual endeavor due to the coronavirus pandemic.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the deaths and said in a tweet that all possible assistance is being provided to the affected.

Worshippers trek to the cave along two routes through lush green meadows and rocky and forested mountain passes with a view of glacial lakes and snowy peaks. A traditional route via the southern hill resort of Pahalgam that takes three days while a trip through northeastern Baltal lasts one day. Some pilgrims use helicopter services to make quick visits.

The cave, at 13,500 feet (4,115 meters) above sea level, is covered with snow most of the year except for the short summer period when it is open to pilgrims.

Hundreds of pilgrims have died in the past due to exhaustion and exposure to harsh weather during the journey through the icy mountains. In 1996, thousands of people were caught in a freak snowstorm during their trek, leading to more than 250 fatalities.

The pilgrimage concludes on Aug. 11, a full-moon night that Hindus say commemorates Shiva revealing the secret of the creation of the universe.

Apart from weather-related hazards, officials have said that pilgrims face an increased threat of attacks from Muslim rebels who have fought for decades against Indian rule. This year, for the first time, devotees are tagged with a wireless tracking system. Tens of thousands of police and soldiers guard the pilgrimage routes.

The pilgrimage has been targeted in past attacks by suspected rebels who accuse Hindu-majority India of using it as a political statement to bolster its claim on the Muslim-majority disputed region.

At least 50 pilgrims have been killed in three dozen attacks blamed on militants since an armed rebellion began in Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1989 for the region's independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls a part of the territory.
NEW FAIRFIELD  A $110,000 funding request to hire an additional school resource officer in town will soon be presented to the Board of Finance for approval.

The money would be used to hire a permanent school resource officer for the Meeting House Hill School and Consolidated Early Learning Academy campus.

Construction on the learning academy  a roughly 44,000-square-foot addition to Meeting House  is on track to be completed by the start of the upcoming school year. The academy will be for preschool through second graders and replace the current Consolidated School.

Police coverage at Meeting House and Consolidated have historically been funded through overtime shifts, according to First Selectman Pat Del Monaco.

What we would like to do with the elementary schools is the same as what we have done at the high school and middle school: assign a permanent SRO, she said during the Board of Selectmens June 23 meeting. This would ensure some consistency in those buildings.

The proposal stems from a School Safety & Security Committee recommendation to the Board of Education, which the school board approved last month. It then went to the Board of Selectmen, which voted to forward the recommendation to the finance board.

The requested $110,000 appropriation would come from either the towns 2021-22 surplus or unassigned fund balance and go to a town meeting vote if approved by the finance board. The Board of Finances next meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. July 20.

School districts across the Danbury area have discussed increasing school security in the wake of the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two teachers. However, New Fairfield selectmen didnt discuss Uvalde specifically when weighing this proposal.

The $110,000 is the estimated total cost of adding an additional school resource officer position, said Olga Melnikov, New Fairfields finance director.

We take into consideration potential annual salary, contractual obligations (and) necessary equipment and firearms (needed) for the officer, along with a vehicle, she said.

Although the estimated first-year cost for all that comes to almost $215,000, adjustments in areas  including a $60,000 reduction in the school resource officer overtime account  would cut that amount nearly in half.

We are estimating some unspent funds in the SRO overtime line, so we dont need the 100 percent funding because a portion of that is already in place in the FY23 budget, Melnikov said.

In addition to not having to pay for overtime, there would also be a savings of almost $18,700 because the officer would start at the beginning of the school year, rather than the start of the fiscal year.

Not only that, Melnikov said, but the medical reserve fund is expected to absorb $20,000 in potential health care premiums, and the general fund is projected to absorb a portion of funds  an estimated $6,940  needed to cover the cost of some miscellaneous items that the officer might need.
The co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, Mohammad Zubair, had a FIR filed against him by the Uttar Pradesh police in Sitapur over a tweet in which he allegedly referred to three Hindu seers as hate mongers. Supreme Court granted interim release to Zubair for five days today.

A vacation bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Indira Banerjee declared that their interim bail ruling exclusively relates to the Sitapur FIR against Zubair and has nothing to do with the case filed in Delhi. The panel emphasized that the temporary bail was to the Sitapur FIR from June 1, 2022, and not to any other FIR against the petitioner.

However, due to the highest courts clarification that its order only relates to the Sitapur case, Zubair would continue to be held in judicial custody in a separate FIR filed by the Delhi Police.

Supreme Court placed conditions on bail, ordering him to refrain from tampering with electronic evidence in Bangalore or anywhere else.

The bench ruled that he must refrain from tweeting about the matter. Additionally, it was made clear that the investigation and evidence seizure in the Sitapur case will not be hindered by this decision.

The bench affirmed in its ruling The ruling rejecting the request for bail, as well as the order of the Judicial Magistrate First Class dated July 7, 2022, Sitapur, be translated into English and presented in court. A five-day interim order of bail would be given to the petitioner in the meantime, with Judicial Magistrate First Class imposing conditions.

In a complaint filed by the Delhi police for allegedly hurting religious sensibilities due to a tweet he put out in 2018, Zubair is already being held in judicial custody.

He was presented to the Sitapur court yesterday, and when his bail request was denied, the court put him into judicial custody.

Meanwhile, Zubairs request for protection from arrest and a challenge of the Allahabad High Courts decision to uphold the FIR that was filed in response to a tweet that was purportedly offensive to religious sensitivities was being heard by the Supreme Court.
Vivo India today filed a complaint with the Delhi High Court to contest the ED decision to freeze the company's bank account

Vivo India today filed a complaint with the Delhi High Court to contest the Enforcement Directorates (ED) decision to freeze the companys bank account in connection with a money-laundering investigation.

On Friday, Senior Attorney Siddharth Luthra brought up the situation before the Delhi High Court bench, which also included Justice Subramonium Prasad and Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma. He said that the ED had blocked all of our bank accounts. We employ 9000 people. There is an obligation, said Luthra.

The bench agreed to hear the case today in an urgent manner.

In its argument, Vivo India said that the Respondents (ED) actions will seriously damage the firm and harm both its reputation and commercial operations.

The appeal claimed that the freezing of the bank accounts will have a negative impact on the petitioners activities both in India and throughout the world in addition to impeding any current or future commercial operations of the petitioner conducted through the bank accounts.

If funds in the petitioners bank accounts continue to be frozen, the petitioner would be further in breach of the law if unable to pay its statutory obligations to the relevant authorities under different enactments. The freeze also prohibits the Petitioners hundreds of employees from receiving their salary.

According to the ED, out of the total selling revenues of Rs 1,25,185 crores, Vivo Indias almost 23 related companies, such as Grand Prospect International Communication Pvt Ltd (GPICPL), sent Rs 62,476 crores, or over 50% of the turnover outside of India, primarily to China.
Cooperation Yes - Joint Sovereignty No says Government

Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar has said it notes the positive statements by the President of the Junta de Andalucia on cooperation.

The President made the comments in the context of the political changes happening in the United Kingdom. The Government of Gibraltar says it welcomes positive mutual cooperation with Spain and with the region of Andalucia next door, with no strings attached.

'However, this Government, as a matter of policy, and Gibraltar as a whole will not entertain shared or joint sovereignty in any form. It will be recalled that in 2002 that very principle was put to the people of Gibraltar in a referendum and this was decisively and overwhelmingly rejected. That situation has not changed and it will not change and the British sovereignty of Gibraltar will not change or be shared.'

'There is nonetheless still scope, between the obvious differences on sovereignty, to be able to work together on practical issues to improve the lives of citizens on both sides of the border, all the more so following the U.K. and Gibraltars departure from the EU. So cooperation yes, joint sovereignty no! The two do not need to mix!'
Following news of the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese nationalists began posting jubilant posts on social media on Friday

Following news of the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese nationalists began posting jubilant posts on social media today, praising the hero attacker and wishing Abe death.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced in his live speech to the nation today that Abe, 67, was shot at as he was campaigning in the west Japanese city of Nara. He said that the former prime ministers condition was critical. A series of screenshots from several Chinese social media accounts were uploaded by Badiucao, a Chinese political cartoonist, artist, and rights activist residing in Australia, who appeared to be celebrating the attack on the former Japanese Prime Minister.

I wish its the current Japanese PM was shot), and Korean one too, another WeChat user said.

Chinese nationalists are already praising the killing of the former prime minister of Japan, Abe, on Weibo. Badiucao said on his official Twitter account that the group calls the attacker a hero and wishes Abe will die.

The protester also highlighted the reaction of the Chinese nationalists, which accentuates Beijings threat.

Australian activist said, From Weibo hashtag #An Bei Wu Sheng Ming Ti Zheng (Abe has no vital signals) Abe has no life sign went famous in China and a lot of Chinese nationalists rejoiced for death with this hashtag.

A screenshot published by Badiucao claims that China is pursuing an effort to assassinate Abe.

I wish its the current Japanese PM was shot), and Korean one too, another WeChat user said.

One user wrote, Thank you anti-Japanese hero (the attacker) Can I laugh?

Another WeChat user chimed in with Party Time, adding Hope the man has difficulties, Hope the gun is alright and Damn I am so pleased.

Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old inhabitant of Nara City, has been named by the Japanese Police as the suspect detained for shooting Abe, according to local media.

According to the initial media accounts, which were based on statements from the police, Abe looked to have been shot in the chest, and his condition was described as cardiopulmonary arrest.

Police reportedly apprehended the attacker and recovered a pistol from the site, according to local media. According to police reports cited by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK, the alleged gunman is being held at the Nara Nishi police station for interrogation and it appears that he constructed the pistol himself. The attacker made no attempt to flee while being apprehended by police.
Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan shot during a lecture in Nara City on Friday

Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, fainted while giving a lecture in Nara City today. He was taken to the hospital where he is now reportedly in cardiopulmonary arrest.

The ex-Japanese prime minister has been transported to the hospital and is in cardiac arrest, according to the local fire service. He will be transported via medevac to Nara Medical University Hospital in the prefectures Kashihara City.

According to police, Abe seemed to have been shot with a shotgun from behind. Police reportedly apprehended the attacker and recovered a pistol from the site, according to local media.

#BreakingNews | Japanese Media Reports say Abe's shooter has been identified as Yamagami Tetsuya. He's in his 40s and a local resident of Nara prefecture. #NewsX #ShinzoAbe #Japan pic.twitter.com/4YiYlLsZNF  NewsX (@NewsX) July 8, 2022

Police sources cited by Japans national broadcaster NHK, Abe was awake and alert while being taken to the hospital following the alleged shooting.

#BreakingNews | Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has collapsed on the street after being shot in the western prefecture of Nara. The fire department says he is showing no vital signs. Police say a man was arrested at the scene.#NewsX #ShinzoAbe #Japan pic.twitter.com/aLIfkwnP0A  NewsX (@NewsX) July 8, 2022

Abe passed out at approximately 11:30 a.m. while promoting a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the House of Councillors election on Sunday, according to local media. Witnesses reported hearing what seemed to be two gunshots.

The longest-serving prime minister of Japan, Abe, resigned in 2020, citing health concerns. He served as Japans prime minister twice, from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20. Yoshihide Suga and then Fumio Kishida succeeded him.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Shinzo Abe have a close connection, which was made clear during their meeting in May. The meeting served as a showcase for PM Modi and the former Japanese PMs strong personal chemistry.
HARTFORD  Two men pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking offenses Thursday in connection with an organization out of Enfield that allegedly had ties to a Mexican drug cartel, according to federal prosecutors.

A federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment in mid-May charging the two men  Juan Sanchez-Razon, also known as Juanito, 27, of Enfield, and Guillermo Capetillo-Cervantes, 34, of Enfield  and three others  Sergio Horta-Molina, 46, of Suffield; Octavio Razon-Mejia, also known as Pachas, 36, of Enfield; and Carlos Gutierrez-Fernandez, also known as Shaggy, 38, of Enfield, the U.S. Attorneys office said in a news release Thursday.

Horta-Molina, Razon-Mejia and Gutierrez-Fernandez were arrested on federal charges in early May. Sanchez-Razon and Capetillo-Cervantes were arrested on June 21. All five men are currently detained, according to U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.

The Drug Enforcement Administrations Hartford Task Force started investigating the five in October 2021 in connection with a drug trafficking organization operating out of Enfield and Springfield, Mass. Investigators believed the organization trafficked multiple kilograms of cocaine and heroin and had ties to a Mexican drug cartel, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Through the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Horta-Molina coordinated the shipment of cocaine and other narcotics to Connecticut. He distributed the drugs to other members of the organization, who then sold the drugs to street-level dealers and customers, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

Court documents allege that, during the investigation, Horta-Molina arranged a package with one kilogram of cocaine to be sent from California to Sanchez-Razons residence in Enfield. On April 27, 2022, Sanchez-Razon delivered the package to Gutierrez-Fernandez, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Law enforcement later stopped Gutierrez-Fernandez as he was trying to deliver the package to Horta-Molina and found the drugs, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The indictment charged the five men with conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances. If convicted, Horta-Molina, Razon-Mejia and Gutierrez-Fernandez each face at least five years in prison and up to 40-year sentences. Sanchez-Razon and Capetillo-Cervantes each face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Each man also was charged with one or more counts related to the possession and distribution of narcotics, the U.S. Attorneys Office added.

Horta-Molina was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest. He was charged in New Jersey with conspiring to distribute cocaine and heroin after law enforcement found about 23 kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of heroin in his Suffield residence in September 2017, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

In November 2019, Horta-Molina was sentenced to 40 months in prison and five years of supervised release for the offense out of New Jersey. He was released from prison in July 2020, and, because of his prior federal conviction, he faces enhanced penalties, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.
NEW MILFORD  Superintendent Alisha DiCorpo said Thursday that she will step down this fall, after about 11/2 years leading New Milford schools.

I am resigning from my position as superintendent to work as a member of a dynamic team at EdAdvance, DiCorpo wrote in an email sent to Hearst Connecticut Media Thursday morning, two days after a substantial roof fire at New Milford High School. I am thrilled for the opportunity and am looking forward to working to support school districts across the state.

DiCorpos last day as superintendent is expected to be Oct. 4.

Litchfield-based EdAdvance provides educational and related services to school districts.

Education board chairman Wendy Faulenbach said DiCorpo submitted her resignation to the board on Wednesday.

Faulenbach anticipates the board will formally accept DiCorpos resignation at its next meeting.

Faulenbauch added during DiCorpos tenure as superintendent, and assistant superintendent before that, the district faced unprecedented challenges ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to a statewide bus driver shortage. The board is grateful to Superintendent DiCorpo for her hard work and dedication on behalf of New Milford Public Schools students in the face of such challenges, and until her departure, looks forward to her leadership in response to Wednesdays fire at New Milford High School.

DiCorpo was named superintendent in February 2021. She began as interim superintendent in October 2020 after the departure of interim superintendent Paul Smotas.

Previously she was the districts assistant superintendent for four years, arriving in New Milford from Thomaston Public Schools, where she was director of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

DiCorpos performance as superintendent has been in the spotlight since April when New Milford High School Principal Raymond Manka announced his resignation, which he later rescinded after a walkout from students who supported him. The resignation prompted a petition calling for the superintendent to be ousted, with close to 2,000 signers blaming her for the departure of 10 staff members since she became schools chief.

DiCorpo and the education board entered into a three-year employment contract last July that remains in effect.

The Board of Education soon will begin a search for a new superintendent.

Superintendent turnover

New Milford has had a high turnover of superintendents since long-time superintendent JeanAnn Paddyfote retired in 2016.

Joshua Smith was interim, then permanent, superintendent after her, until leaving for Region 15 in 2018. Stephen Tracy held the position in the interim from August 2018 until Kerry Parker became the permanent superintendent in June 2019.

Parker resigned after a year to work for a district in Colorado, with Paul Smotas becoming interim school chief for a few months.

However, New Milford isnt the only district with superintendent turnover.

Last month, Kenneth Craw  former assistant superintendent of the Weston Public Schools  was appointed by the New Fairfield Board of Education as the districts next superintendent. He started July 1, succeeding Pat Cosentino, who retired in June from the position she has held since 2018. Cosentino will to serve as interim part-time superintendent in the neighboring town of Sherman.

In May, the Newtown school board chose Christopher Melillo from Hamden to replace retiring Superintendent Lorrie Rodrigue.

Melillo was initially in the running for the top job in Hamden, which is looking to replace Jody Goeler, who announced his retirement in January.

Danburys superintendent retired at the end of last June, and its school finance staff left, which had ripple effects on the city and schools audit this year. Superintendent Kevin Walston was appointed at the beginning of last academic year.

Last summer, Easton, Redding and Region 9 school districts had to fill 24 vacant positions, including its superintendent, four principals, and director of finance and operations. Jason McKinnon became superintendent for those districts at the beginning of last school year.

Before Ridgefield Superintendent Susie Da Silva came on board in January 2020, Ridgefield went through seven superintendent leadership changes in four years.
Two Iowa police officers are taking the unusual move of suing six people who participated in a 2020 protest in Des Moines after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, accusing them of assault.

All six people were arrested during the July 1, 2020, protest, and five already pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of assault on a police officer and/or interference with official acts. One of them, Indira Sheumaker, was later elected to the Des Moines City Council.

The lawsuit, first reported by Axios Des Moines, was filed by Peter Wilson and Jeffrey George as individuals and not as representatives of the Des Moines Police Department. They are seeking an unspecified amount for actual and punitive damages.

It will likely be met with skepticism by the court, said Robert Bloom, a professor at Boston College Law School, who noted that the claims of assault and battery appear to be applying criminal complaints to a civil action.

Experts also note that Iowa is among several states that have adopted whats known as the firemans rule, which holds that firefighting and policing are inherently dangerous jobs and generally bars emergency responders from suing or collecting damages for injuries that occur in the course of their duties. The rule typically includes some exceptions  such as gross negligence of a property owner or if injury was caused by willful, wanton or intentional action.

The protest was among demonstrations against racism and police brutality that erupted worldwide following Floyd's killing. It began as a rally at the Iowa State Capitol to push for the restored voting rights to felons and turned violent as police led away arrested protesters.

Des Moines protesters have said police escalated tensions and were heavy-handed in their handling of arrests.

The suit describes protesters actions as nothing short of domestic terrorism.

No charges related to the protest were found against one of the lawsuit defendants in online court records. Only one person was sentenced to jail time  four days  while the others received probation, fines or both.

One person named in the suit, Brad Penna of Des Moines, said he thinks it's intended to intimidate, function as a scare tactic, and to retaliate against protesters who fought back against what they saw as unjust police aggression.

Penna was originally charged by police with assault on an officer, but that was dropped when he pleaded guilty to interference of officials acts and paid a $250 fine. Penna was among five protesters who later successfully sued the state after the Iowa State Patrol banned them from State Capitol grounds.

The officers' lawsuit accuses Penna of pulling on Wilsons hands and arms to prevent an arrest, causing scrapes and bruises to the officer  an accusation Penna denies.

I did not touch Pete Wilson, or any officer, and the video footage and evidence shows that, Penna said Thursday in an email to The Associated Press. I urged and yelled at Pete Wilson to get off a young Black womans head. That was it. Someone may have scratched him, but it wasnt me. I did not hurt Pete Wilson, not to mention the comparison to protesters literally being thrown to the ground, pepper sprayed, and the like.

Des Moines attorney Mark Hedberg, who represents Wilson and George, did not return repeated phone messages left by the AP seeking comment.

Other defendants named in the lawsuit either could not be reached for comment or did not return messages seeking comment. That includes Sheumaker, who pleaded guilty in 2021 to a reduced misdemeanor count of assault on a police officer and was sentenced to two years probation.

Later that year, Sheumaker was elected to the City Council on a platform that focused, in part, on police reform.

Bloom, the Boston College Law School professor, wondered if the officers' lawsuit wasn't more about airing grievances over the Des Moines Black Lives Matter organization, which is mentioned throughout the complaint, though it is not named as a defendant.

Bloom said he doesnt expect to see more such lawsuits by police seeking damages from people they arrest.

The police already have a remedy in this case, and the remedy is to charge criminally, Bloom said.
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NEW HAVEN  Hundreds of people led by the family of paralized resident Richard Randy Cox, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump and state NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile marched two miles from the Stetson Branch Library on Dixwell Avenue to Police Headquarters Friday evening, calling out for justice and accountability.

Randy Coxs life matters! they chanted as they walked, along with No Justice, No Peace and When I say my neck is broke, dont take that as a joke!

Earlier, Crump said the family, which met with U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery Friday, would be seeking to have federal civil rights charges filed in the case.

Cox was injured June 19 while being transported in police custody after being arrested for having a firearm at a Newhallville block party.

Randys in a hospital bed, cannot speak, cannot use the bathroom on his own, Crump said on the steps of the police station. But I can tell you this: when he hears you all say, Justice for Randy Cox, hes going to make some sounds!

Hes listening to you right now, Crump said as one of Coxs sisters, LaQuavius LeGrant, FaceTimed with Cox via a phone held by a local minister who was with him. She was joined at the march by sister LaToya Boomer, at least one brother, the Rev. Jerry Jeff Brown of Tallahassee, Fla., and their mother, Doreen Coleman, who walked about halfway before being given a ride by Greg Johnson, president of the NAACPs Naugatuck Valley chapter.

More than 200 people joined the march at its start. Others joined along the way and at Police Headquarters, resulting in a crowd of more than 300. Mayor Justin Elicker and Police Chief Karl Jacobson were among those listening on the steps of the police station.

Elicker was among the people clapping when various speakers called for justice.

Im feeling the love from you guys. We really appreciate it, said Coxs brother, Jerry Jeff Brown, pastor of the Life Deliverance Ministry in Tallahassee, Fla., who flew up. You never think it will happen at your house.

But despite a host of changes Jacobson and Elicker announced earlier this week, Brown was not mollified.

I heard the mayor and the police chief. I read theyre going to do a new initiative and institute some new procedures, Brown said, his voice lapsing into preacher mode. What we want is some goddamn accountability!

Boomer said on behalf of her family, We are seeking justice  full justice. While the lawyers will handle the legal stuff, for me personally, getting (the officers involved) fired and arrested is my agenda. Thats my goal.

Coleman, speaking briefly at the library before the march, said of the march, Its a good thing, because people are coming together. Asked if she felt the family is being taken seriouslyand will eventually get the justice it seeks, she said, I believe we are.

We appreciate the support, said LeGrant.

At the post-march rally, speaker Tamika Mallory, who came in from New York for the march, said what she called the rough ride Cox got from police is nothing new.

For whatever reason, Black men being thrown in the back police vans without being tied down  we know whats going on!

She cited the 2015 death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Black man, who died from injuries he sustained in a transport van after being arrested by the Baltimore Police Department over his legal possession of a knife.

The only difference between Randy Cox and Freddie Gray is that one person died and the other is fighting for his life, Mallory said.

They keep telling us to be peaceful, she said. No. We are non-violent, but we are not peaceful ... Not peaceful, not calm. We are outraged!

NAACP lawyer Michael Jefferson, who is part of Coxs legal team said that African Americans are police differently and our lives are devalued. In addition, the dominant culture does not care about Black people in this country, he said.

This is about police legitimacy, said state Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven. We want legitimate police in our community.

Elicker said after the rally that I think listening was very important  and we are listening. Last week, at Stetson Library, a number of the speakers talked about the importance of Medical Miranda  officers asking people if they are alright. We announced that policy yesterday.

I am listening also to the very valid point that while policies are important, this is bigger than just policies, Elicker said. This is about ensuring a culture in the police department that allows officers to intervene when another officer is not following procedures.

Were not going to change the culture in a day. Weve been doing this work for two years, he said. But its not going to happen overnight .... Its about how we train, but its about accountability.

Earlier, Coxs family joined with attorneys and activists to call for justice and accountability in his name.

LeGrant said her brother, paralyzed from the chest down, is unable to form words.

The man cant eat. He cant sleep, he cant talk, he cant breathe. He cant do anything, at all, but cry, said LeGrant. He cries every time we come there  and all we do is cry.

The officers involved, Crump said, had violated Coxs rights under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, along with the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments.

When a person is in your custody, theyre in your care, and you have a fiduciary duty as a law enforcement officer to give them their proper duty of care, said Crump. Theres no explaining this. Theres no justifying this. There must be accountability  there must be accountability.

Boomer said there was no reason for the officers to ignore her brothers cries for help.

Cox was injured after he was placed unsecured in the back of a police van following his arrest on June 19. Police alleged he had possessed a gun at a block party.

According to state judicial records, Cox is charged with first-degree threatening, second-degree breach of peace, second-degree threatening, carrying a pistol without a permit and criminal possession of a firearm.

As police were transporting him, the driver, Officer Oscar Diaz, stopped abruptly to avoid a collision, causing Cox to be thrown and injured inside the van, according to accounts of the incident.

Videos show Cox slammed his head and called for help. He was taken to police headquarters, where officers removed him from the van and brought him to a cell in a wheelchair  a move New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said violated police procedures.

New Haven officials on Thursday announced a host of policy changes in response to the incident.

Among the changes announced were an order clarifying that police cruisers should be the primary means of transporting a prisoner, and that police vans should only carry prisoners under certain circumstances. The new policies also require police to inquire whether a person requires medical attention both when they are arrested and when they arrive at a detention facility.

Coxs family, supporters and legal representatives said they approved of the changes. But, they said, it should not be necessary to codify officers response in this case. Officers should treat people humanely out of basic decency, they said.

Were all for the new policies, but why do you need a policy that says, when someone needs help, you should give them help? That should never be a policy, Boomer said. That should be in your own brain already.

LeGrant described the situation as ridiculous. Cox was arrested, she noted; the consequences of that, she said, should not include paralysis.

Speaking later Friday, Elicker agreed that policies are insufficient without action. He said the city is committed to changing the culture around policing, noting, among other measures, that all departmental officers will undergo Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) training within the next six months.

I didnt see this as malicious (based on body camera footage), but it was extremely callous, and I think we need to respond effectively to that, said Elicker. My impression is that we all have the same goal; our goal is to ensure justice for Randy. I know we come at that through different roles and responsibilities, but at the same time, we all have the same goal.

The course, conducted by the Georgetown Law Center for Innovations in Community Safety, is designed to prepare officers to successfully intervene to prevent harm and to create a law enforcement culture that supports peer intervention, according to its website.

The hope, he said, is to foster an openness to intervene in questionable circumstances within the department, and provide officers with the language to talk through such circumstances with one another.

Elicker declined to weigh in on whether the officers should be fired, noting the ongoing criminal invesigation, as well as a planned internal inquiry.

Connecticut State Police are investigating the incident that led to Cox becoming paralyzed. Attorney R.J. Weber, also representing Coxs family, said they were cautiously optimistic about the departments ability to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

Avery said in a statement Wednesday that her office is monitoring the ongoing investigations into the circumstances that have left Mr. Randy Cox paralyzed and hospitalized after being taken into custody by the New Haven Police Department.

Mayor Elicker and Chief Jacobson have acted expeditiously and reported publicly on some actions already taken at the local level in response to this incident, including the suspension of several officers involved pending further investigation, and they have stated a commitment to reform NHPD practices, her statement went on to say.

If federal action is warranted, the Justice Department will pursue every available avenue to the full extent of the law, her office added.
SHERMAN  Emergency personnel were called to Candlewood Lake early Thursday evening after authorities say a boat struck another vessel in the area of Chicken Rock.

It was the second multi-agency response in a matter of weeks near the 25-foot-high rock at the southern tip of Green Island on the Sherman-New Fairfield border.

First responders were dispatched to the lake around 7:12 p.m. for a report of a vessel in distress with victims in the water and established a command post in the Sail Harbour area, according to the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department.

Emergency personnel from New Fairfield, Brookfield, Connecticut State Police, Candlewood Lake Authority and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protections Environmental Conservation Police also responded to the scene.

Within 15 minutes, authorities said three occupants of a vessel that had been struck by another boat were located north of Green Island in Sherman Bay.

None were seriously injured and they were all escorted safely to shore, according to the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department.

Once they were out of the water, the scene was turned over to DEEPs Environmental Conservation Police and Candlewood Lake Authority for investigation.

Due to the rapid response and great communication by Sherman Volunteer Fire Department and their mutual aid partners, the incident was quickly brought under control with an exceptionally positive outcome, the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department said in a Facebook post.

The area of Chicken Rock was the site of a recent fatal drowning.

The body of Bridgeport resident Denis Junio Rodrigues Pio was recovered from that area of the lake June 28, following a swimming accident four days prior. Authorities say the 20-year-old had been swimming back and forth from the rock to a boat anchored off Green Island when he started having trouble in the water.

His death was ruled an accidental drowning by the state medical examiners office.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  Invasive giant African land snails that can eat building plaster and stucco, consume hundreds of varieties of plants and carry diseases that affect humans have been detected once again in Florida, where officials said Thursday work has begun to eradicate the pests.

The snails, which grow as long as 8 inches (20 centimeters) and have a distinctive whirled, brown mottled shell, were confirmed by state agriculture officials in New Port Richey, Florida, on June 23. The location in Pasco County is just north of the Tampa Bay area on the Gulf coast.

Florida has twice before eradicated the snails in other parts of the state, most recently a 10-year effort in Miami-Dade County that cost $23 million and ended in 2021 after collection of about 170,000 snails. Now they are back again, most likely the result of the illegal international exotic pet trade or arriving hidden in cargo from overseas.

We will eradicate these snails. We've done it before and we will do it again, said Nikki Fried, commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, at a news conference Thursday.

The snails have been found in numerous parts of the world such as Hawaii and parts of the Caribbean, including in Cuba where an effort is ongoing to rid the island of the pests.

The snails are known to eat 500 different plant types, making them a major threat to agriculture including peanuts, beans, cucumbers and melons. They will also eat plaster and stucco in buildings, even tree bark, and carry a parasite called the rat lungworm that can cause meningitis in humans, according to the department. They can produce up to 1,200 eggs a year.

They are one of the most damaging snails in the world, said Fried, a Democrat who is also running for governor this year.

A quarantine area has been set up in Pasco County where the snails were found, initially by a homeowner. The properties involved will be treated with a molluscicide bait and snails are being collected by state workers aided by dogs trained to sniff them out.

Greg Hodges, assistant director of the state Division of Plant Industry, said it is illegal to import or possess giant African land snails in Florida without a permit. It is also illegal to move them from a quarantined area, such as the one in Pasco County, or to take away other material in the area such as soil, yard waste or building materials without an agreement with the state.

About 1,000 snails have already been collected in the quarantine area, Hodges said. He said anyone who spots a snail should not touch it but instead call 888-397-1517 to report the find.

Fried said people should definitely shy away from the snails, which are not the type one finds in escargot.

This is not something you want to touch. It is not something you want to eat, Fried said.
Elon Musk announced Friday that he will abandon his tumultuous $44 billion offer to buy Twitter after the company failed to provide enough information about the number of fake accounts. Twitter immediately fired back, saying it would sue the Tesla CEO to uphold the deal.

The likely unraveling of the acquisition was just the latest twist in a saga between the worlds richest man and one of the most influential social media platforms, and it may portend a titanic legal battle ahead.

Twitter could have pushed for a $1 billion breakup fee that Musk agreed to pay under these circumstances. Instead, it looks ready to fight to complete the purchase, which the companys board has approved and CEO Parag Agrawal has insisted he wants to consummate.

In a letter to Twitter's board, Musk lawyer Mike Ringler complained that his client had for nearly two months sought data to judge the prevalence of fake or spam accounts on the social media platform.

Twitter has failed or refused to provide this information. Sometimes Twitter has ignored Mr. Musks requests, sometimes it has rejected them for reasons that appear to be unjustified, and sometimes it has claimed to comply while giving Mr. Musk incomplete or unusable information, the letter said.

Musk also said the information is fundamental to Twitters business and financial performance, and is needed to finish the merger.

In response, the chair of Twitter's board, Bret Taylor, tweeted that the board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon" with Musk and "plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery.

The trial court in Delaware frequently handles business disputes among the many corporations, including Twitter, that are incorporated there.

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on his own social platform, Truth Social: THE TWITTER DEAL IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE TRUTH. Musk said in May that he would allow Trump, who was banned from Twitter following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, back onto the platform.

Much of the drama surrounding the deal has played out on Twitter, with Musk  who has more than 100 million followers  lamenting that the company was failing to live up to its potential as a platform for free speech.

On Friday, shares of Twitter fell 5% to $36.81, well below the $54.20 that Musk agreed to pay. Shares of Tesla, meanwhile, climbed 2.5% to $752.29. After the market closed and Musk's letter was published, Twitter's stock continued to decline while Tesla climbed higher.

"This is a disaster scenario for Twitter and its board, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to investors. He predicted a long court fight by Twitter to either restore the deal or get the $1 billion breakup fee.

On Thursday, Twitter sought to shed more light on how it counts spam accounts in a briefing with journalists and company executives. Twitter said it removes 1 million spam accounts each day. The accounts represent well below 5% of its active user base each quarter.

To calculate how many accounts are malicious spam, Twitter said it reviews thousands of accounts sampled at random, using both public and private data such as IP addresses, phone numbers, location and account behavior when active, to determine whether an account is real.

Last month, Twitter offered Musk access to its fire hose of raw data on hundreds of millions of daily tweets, according to multiple reports at the time, though neither the company nor Musk confirmed that.

One of the chief reasons Musk gave for his interest in taking Twitter private was his belief he could add value to the business by getting rid of its spam bots  the same problem that hes now citing as a reason to end the deal.

This whole process has been bizarre, said Christopher Bouzy, founder of research firm Bot Sentinel, which tracks fake Twitter accounts used for disinformation or harassment. He knew about this problem. Its odd that he would use bots and trolls and inauthentic accounts as a way of getting out of the deal.

On the other hand, Bouzy said, the letter from Musks legal team makes some valid critiques of Twitters lack of transparency, including its apparent refusal to provide Musk with the same level of internal data it offers some of its big customers.

It just seems as if theyre hiding something, said Bouzy, who also believes the number of fake or spam Twitter accounts is higher than what the company has reported.

Musk's lawyer also alleged that Twitter broke the agreement when it fired two top managers and laid off a third of its talent-acquisition team.

The sale agreement, he wrote, required Twitter to seek and obtain consent if it deviated from conducting normal business. Twitter was required to preserve substantially intact the material components of its current business organization, the letter said.

Musks flirtation with buying Twitter appeared to begin in late March. Thats when Twitter said he contacted members of its board  including co-founder Jack Dorsey  and told them he was buying up shares of the company and was interested in either joining the board, taking Twitter private or starting a competitor.

Then, on April 4, he revealed in a regulatory filing that he had became the companys largest shareholder after acquiring a 9% stake worth about $3 billion.

At first, Twitter offered Musk a seat on its board. But six days later, Agrawal tweeted that Musk would not be joining the board after all. His bid to buy the company came together quickly after that.

When Musk agreed to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share, he inserted a 420 marijuana reference into his price. He sold roughly $8.5 billion worth of shares in Tesla to help fund the purchase, then strengthened his commitments of more than $7 billion from a diverse group of investors including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

Inside Twitter, Musks offer was met with confusion and falling morale, especially after Musk publicly criticized one of Twitters top lawyers involved in content-moderation decisions.

Groups opposing the takeover from the outset  including those advocating for women, minorities and LGBTQ people  cheered Friday's news.

Despite what Musk may claim, this deal isnt ending because of Twitter bots or spam accounts. This deal is collapsing because of Elon Musks own erratic behavior, embrace of extremists and bad business decisions, said Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters, a left-leaning nonprofit watchdog group thats been critical of Musks Twitter bid.

Musk, he said, made it clear that he would roll back Twitters community standards and safety guidelines, which would turn the platform into a fever swamp of dangerous conspiracy theories, partisan chicanery and white supremacist radicalization.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson endorsed construction company co-owner Tim Michels for governor on Friday, after Thompson decided against a run earlier this year.

Michels, who is running as an anti-establishment outsider, also won the backing of former President Donald Trump last month. Thompson, in many ways, is the ultimate political insider with more than 55 years in public life, most recently serving as University of Wisconsin president, a job that won him bipartisan praise.

Thompson, elected four times as Wisconsin governor, said when he announced he wasn't running in April that he would consider endorsing in the primary because he wants a Republican to win. He said Friday that he believes Michels is the best candidate.

Thompson said in a statement that he has known the Michels family for decades and believes Michels has the experience to solve tough problems. The Michels family founded and operates Michels Corp., a Wisconsin-based construction company.

" Tim Michels knows how to lead large organizations and how-to get-tough jobs done, and thats what Wisconsin needs, Thompson said.

Michels said in a statement that he was happy the governor who reformed welfare and developed the first school choice program in America is now on our team.

Polls show Michels is in a tight primary race with former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. She served eight years as lieutenant governor under Republican Gov. Scott Walker. He has endorsed Kleefisch.

Minutes after Michels revealed the Thompson endorsement, Kleefisch announced that she was being backed by 50 Republican members of the Legislature. Republicans hold a strong majority in the Senate and Assembly but have been stymied by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and his veto.

A Republican governor would be able to enact a broad conservative agenda with the help of the GOP-led Legislature. Evers has made his ability to block the Republican agenda a cornerstone of his reelection campaign.

In addition to Michels and Kleefisch, state Rep. Timothy Ramthun is running. A fourth candidate, Kevin Nicholson, dropped out this week and said he would not endorse anyone.

The winner of the Aug. 9 primary will take on Evers.
WEST HAVEN  A question was raised, and now flags on city buildings could be lowered  at least until officials receive permission.

At a June City Council meeting, resident Larry Rice told council members he did not support seeing a thin blue line flag  a flag that denotes support for police  hanging from the Public Works garage, a building and department funded by city taxpayer dollars. Rice, who claims racial profiling from police in New Haven had a serious negative impact on his career, said the ascendant popularity of the flag correlates with the rise of a social movement opposed to police brutality against Black people.

Public Works Commissioner Tom McCarthy said the conversation led him to consult with city Corporation Counsel Lee Tiernan, and he realized something: the city charter does not specifically outline whether city departments can fly flags.

Even though we put up an Irish flag for St. Patricks Day and Italian flags for Columbus Day, it turns out we actually dont have any authorization to do so or had not been given prior authorization to do so according to our code  whether its archaic or not, he said. I will have to think about this.

McCarthy said he does not believe the city should cease flying flags in recognition of holidays or to acknowledge special interest groups, but pending a revision to the city charter he believes his department may request prior approval annually for which flags could be flown from public buildings on specific dates. He said he likely would use the holidays recognized in city union contracts to define holidays recognized by the city.

McCarthy said he believes the issue also extends to who has the authority to create special lighting displays on a city-owned bridge.

We want to avoid the personalization of bridge lighting and have there be a process, he said.

Tiernan said Thursday that he expects to present his legal opinion on the issue of who has authority to fly flags on public buildings to Mayor Nancy Rossi and the City Council shortly.

City Council Chairman Peter Massaro, D-6, said he does not believe the council should be involved in the issue, but, if it comes to that, the council will take a vote.

In neighboring New Haven, the displaying of flags is managed through the citys Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, according to New Haven spokesman Lenny Speiller.

Its the City of New Havens practice to display commemorative flags for special days and occasions. This is done both proactively by the City itself and the City also considers requests from New Haven residents and organizations as well, he said.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
WEST HAVEN  The University of New Haven is partnering with a California-based cannabis education company to develop several online certificate programs related to entry and advancement in the cannabis industry, according to the school.

The university announced Thursday it was partnering with Green Flower to provide four certificate programs in business, health care and medicine, law and policy and agriculture and horticulture.

The certificates are open to anyone, regardless of their skill sets, and are ideal for entrepreneurs, healthcare providers, legal professionals, and growers who want to learn more about opportunities in the emerging field of cannabis, the university said in a release.

Connecticut is one of 27 states that have decriminalized marijuana possession.

Trained professionals are needed to fill the jobs that are being created now and that will be created in the future, said UNH Provost and Vice President For Academic Affairs Danielle Wozniak in a statement. Students will receive cutting-edge preparation in these certificate programs to prepare them to excel in this emerging and highly competitive growth market while applying ethical business practices and quality standards to the Connecticut cannabis industry.

On its website, Green Flower argues there is a shortage of well-trained workers prepared for the growing cannabis industry.

UNH said the certificate programs consist of three eight-week courses and are led by faculty selected by Green Flower. The certificate programs, which begin Sept. 5, cost $2,950 but reduced costs are available for enrollment in more than one program. The university said that, as part of the program, students will have access to a robust employer network.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has reviewed the curfew imposed on troubled communities in Lamurde and Guyuk local government areas of Adamawa State...





Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has reviewed the curfew imposed on troubled communities in Lamurde and Guyuk local government areas of Adamawa State.





Curfew had been imposed on Waja and Lunguda-speaking communities of the two LGAs following a deadly clash over land ownership and use.





It is exactly one month today that I directed the imposition of curfew on Lafiya and Boshikiri as well as the surrounding villages of Mumseri, Mere, Kupte and Zakawon following the unfortunate breach of peace even after repeated attempts to broker peace in those Communities, Fintiri said in a statement passed to newsmen on Friday by his Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou.





The curfew which was 5pm to 6am is now eased to commence from 9pm to 6am daily and the review takes immediate effect, the governor said in the statement.





The development is as a result of the relative peace that has returned to the areas, Fintiri added.





He urged security agents to continue to discharge their duties and advised residents to cooperate with the agents to maintain the status of Adamawa State as one of the most peaceful especially during the Sallah break.





The government on June 8, 2022, imposed a curfew on the two LGAs in its bid to facilitate a return to peace after the bloody clash that claimed four lives.
The President, Muhammadu Buhari, arrived his country home, Daura, in Katsina State, for the Eid-el- Kabir, on Friday evening. The Pr...

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, arrived his country home, Daura, in Katsina State, for the Eid-el- Kabir, on Friday evening.

The President had earlier arrived the Umaru Musa YarAdua International Airport, Katsina, from where he was flown to the ancient town in a helicopter.

He arrived Daura few minutes to six in the evening to the warm embrace of the Emir, Alhaji Faruq Umar, and other important dignatories in the town.

According to sources, the President would be in Daura throughout the Sallah period where he is expected to join his kinsmen in celebrating the Sallah.

He is also expected to use the Sallah vacation to attend to private matters.
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has called for the sack of the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya and all t...

A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has called for the sack of the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya and all the military high command over the spade of insecurity in the country.

Fani-Kayode made the call while urging President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to do more to protect Nigerians.

He was reacting to reports that the Department of State Services, DSS, warned the military about the attacks on Kaduna train and Kuje prison by terrorists, but nothing was done.

In a series of tweets, the All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain wondered if the Nigerian Military High Command was incompetent or weak.

According to Fani-Kayode: A situation whereby the DSS not only WARNED the military about the Kaduna train attack & kidnapping but ALSO the Kuje prison break well BEFORE they both took place & the military REFUSED to act to prevent or resist either of them gives cause for alarm & raises many questions.

The DSS, NIA & NPF are doing their job & they have lost so many men in the course of this conflict.

Our young soldiers & junior officers who are fighting in the killing fields are doing their best too but why are our SENIOR OFFICERS & MILITARY COMMANDERS so INCOMPETENT & WEAK? Is there not more to this than meets the eye?

It is increasingly difficult to comprehend the glaring incompetence & lack of patriotism, professionalism, diligence & courage of the leadership of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Is this the same military that once proudly led ECOMOG to victory in the West African sub-region?

Is this the same military that once gave the Chadians & Libyans a bloody nose?

Is this the same military that once faced down the Cameronians & French in the Bakassi Peninsukrs?

Is this the same military that once kept us safe & protected us from enemies within & without?

Is this the same military that was once led by Murtala Mohammed, Benjamin Adekunle, Olusegun Obasanjo, T.Y. Danjuma, Sani Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida.

Is this the same military that was once regarded as the most powerful & effective fighting force in sub-saharan Africa?

Is this the same military that politicians and our people once spoke of with respect & in whispered tones. How are the mighty fallen!

Who will defend us from these foreign barbarians and invaders now?

Who will stand against the terrorists that have plagued our land & that slaughter our people like sallah rams & Xmas turkeys? This is no longer about party politics. This is now about saving the lives of our people who are being butchered & terrorised in a most horrendous way.

The entire military high command & the COAS have to go & the FG has to do far more to protect our people. We owe them that much. To criticise our own where we have gone wrong, though rare & unfashionable, is an act of patriotism & not one of rebellion. Nigeria must come FIRST!
Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has joined well meaning Nigerians in lamenting over the heightened state of insecurity in the cou...

Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has joined well meaning Nigerians in lamenting over the heightened state of insecurity in the country.

The rapper, in a post shared on Instagram, said that he was tired of feeling sad, helpless and ashamed.

His post read, At what point does this shit become too ridiculous?

Im really tired of feeling sad, ashamed and helpless.

Falz made this known as he shared tweets from President Muhammadu Buhari condemning the terrorists attack on Kuje correctional facility.

Buhari, while assessing the extent of damage during his visit to Kuje prison after the attack, expressed disappointment over the intelligence system.

The President added that cancelling his trip to Senegal at the time will mean the terrorists have succeeded, hence his decision to go ahead despite concerns from Nigerians.
Some ladies have indicated their interest to get married to Kenneth Aguba Jideofor, the ace Nollywood actor, who was allegedly homeless ...

Some ladies have indicated their interest to get married to Kenneth Aguba Jideofor, the ace Nollywood actor, who was allegedly homeless until recently.





This was after Chibuzor Chinyere, the general overseer of Omega Power Ministry (OPM), had put out some conditions for the intending wife of the actor.

Aguba has been in the public eye since Monday when photos of him in a dilapidated building surfaced and went viral on social media platforms.

His well-being and physical appearance had raised concerns among Nigerians on social media, with some users accusing the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) of abandoning one of its own.





The guild, however, dismissed claims that it abandoned Aguba on Tuesday, arguing that his case may be spiritual.

It was at this point Chibuzor offered to help the embattled actor.

The OPM general overseer gave the homeless movie star free accommodation in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers, and also ensured he got medical treatment.





On Wednesday, the cleric announced four conditions for whoever is interested to be Agubas wife.

The conditions were announced on his Facebook page after some ladies engaged in a heated war of words on the comment section of his page over the actor.

The conditions for marriage, according to Chibuzor, are;

You must live with him for ten years after wedding without separation or divorce. Meaning; both of you must live together for 10 years. After 10 years, you are free to either remain in marriage or divorce.

You shall operate a joint account for the business OPM is opening for both of you .Meaning; For any bank withdrawals, both of you must go to the bank together.

You must never deny him access to perform his conjugal rights after wedding.

A team from the church would be visiting your home once in a month to ensure that everything is going on well and peaceful.

The pastor added that any lady that agrees to these conditions should send your phone number so we can commence the marriage process then.

The post has been liked over 17,000 times, with a number of his female followers indicating their interest to be Agubas wife.

A Facebook user simply identified as Ada Mba wrote: Im very much interested. I can meet all the requirements.

On her part, Favor David said: Please am very interested.

Where are we dropping the application eeh?? Tarla Emelda asked.

Sir, pls can you reduce the 10 years to 2 years please cause am interested, but the 10 years dey fear me, Itz Blossom pleaded.

See screenshots below:




The Peoples Democratic Party candidate in Osun, Ademola Adeleke, has attributed his absence at Wednesdays governorship debate to his busy ...

The Peoples Democratic Party candidate in Osun, Ademola Adeleke, has attributed his absence at Wednesdays governorship debate to his busy campaign schedule.





Ahead of the July 16 governorship election in the state, four governorship candidates faced one another in a televised debate Wednesday speaking about their plans for the electorate if elected.





Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Goke Omigbodu, Social Democratic Party (SDP); Akin Ogunbiyi (Accord); and Yusuf Lasun (Labour Party) participated in the debate.





The organisers of the debate, Arise TV, said Mr Adeleke was on his way and would join before the end of the event, which lasted just over two hours.





The PDP candidate never showed up.





In a statement on Thursday, Mr Adeleke said he was out in the villages and local governments campaigning while the debate was ongoing.





On Wednesday, the candidate returned late to Ede from rural campaigns to towns and villages which insisted on hosting the gubernatorial flag bearer to directly listen to details of his five-point agenda, read the statement issued by his media aide, Oluwole Rasheed.





The candidate also used the local tour on Wednesday to meet opinion leaders and sectoral groups with special submissions on what they expect from a PDP government if elected into office.





The governorship candidate thanked the people for the special meetings, noting that meeting the people was the most important thing in a campaign, where he had the opportunity to brief them on his five-point agenda.





Meanwhile, the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Thursday, led Mr Adelekes campaign tour to Ede.





The Delta State governor used the opportunity to drum support for the candidate ahead of the election.





The Adeleke Campaign Organisation said the senator had already completed the tour of the 30 local governments and area offices in the state.





The organisation believes that Mr Okowas presence at Thursdays rally would prelude the grand finale scheduled for the new week.
The Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi has been cautioned against his reported choice of Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as his ru...

The Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi has been cautioned against his reported choice of Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate.

Deji Adeyanju, popular socio-political commentator, said Obis choice of Baba-Ahmed as his running mate was a political suicide.

Reports have it that Obi would pick Baba-Ahmed, who is the proprietor of Baze University in Abuja and Baba-Ahmed University Kano, as his running mate on Friday.

This followed the decision of Obis placeholder, Doyin Okupe, to step down as the partys presidential running mate.

However, Adeyanju said Baba-Ahmed cannot ensure LP win his local government area in 2023.

In a Facebook post, Adeyanju said an alliance with the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, would have made more impact.

He wrote: It is political suicide to pick a VP candidate who cannot deliver something as ordinary as his LGA for you in a presidential election. Anyways, everyone will wake up from the social media delusion soon.

Kwankwaso can deliver his state, and many former Govs will also do well. When we criticize, we are doing so with deep understanding of Nigeria. One thing is clear now, this is nothing serious but just a social media good feeling presidency dream.
Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on Nigerians to stand against terror and those w...

Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on Nigerians to stand against terror and those who want to break the peaceful order of society.

The APC presidential candidate spoke in a statement releaed on Friday in celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir festival.

Tinubus statement comes days after gunmen attacked the correctional service facility in the federal capital territory (FCT) and freed over 500 inmates, including Boko Haram suspects.

The Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Speaking on the spate of attacks in the country, Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain united in promoting peace and condemning violence.

Thus, as we celebrate Eid, let us use this moment to rededicate ourselves to greater adherence to the spiritually-enriching commands of Almighty Allah SWT, the statement reads.

We must show the true spirit of Islam in our lives and not just on these special holidays. The holidays are given to us not merely as special moments to celebrate, but as kind reminders to strive as we must to become the people and nation we are meant to be.

We face stiff challenges as a nation. Most troubling is the spate of violent attacks on innocent Nigerians. We must take a stand against terror and injustice. These evils lie forever outside our faith. Those who perpetrate such inhumanity do so in opposition to Islam and all that it means.

To be true Muslims is to adhere to the principles of peace, tolerance, justice, and charity. Our faith asks us to stand against those perpetrating evil and visiting untold misery on others. And we must remain forever obedient to the kind and life-affirming principles of our faith.

Yes, there are those who seek to bring this nation and Islam into disrepute through their destructive and violent actions. They seek to pit brother against brother, neighbour against neighbour, and religion against religion. They want to break the peaceful order of society. But Allah has placed us here to build a better Nigeria by taking care and seeing all of its inhabitants as our brothers and sisters regardless of ethnicity, faith and region. This we shall do. And no amount of evil or terror from whatever quarter shall stop us from fulfilling what Allah has commanded us to do.

Thus, I ask you to continue to believe in the excellent nation Nigeria can be. Let us eschew violence and those who cause and sponsor it. Let us not forget the poor and vulnerable among us. Let us demonstrate brotherly concern and compassion and give succour to those unable to help themselves.

This Eid, we beseech Almighty Allah to protect the weak, feed the poor and give us the courage and wisdom to subdue and defeat those who would seek to hurt the innocent and impair this nation.

We pray for our gallant soldiers and other security agents who, daily, sacrifice themselves to confront violent evil. Let us also remember President Muhammadu Buhari, our governors and other leaders in our prayers that they might find the wisdom and fortitude to surmount the challenges facing this country that, together, we can enjoy the benefits of a better Nigeria.

We pray for a greater nation and society where the light of democracy, peace, prosperity and hope shines on and for all of us and the darkness of poverty, violence and hatred is forever banished. We pray that Nigeria shall be faithful and remain true to its great calling and destiny.
The Igbo World Union (IWU) has called on the South-East Governors to boldly take a step and approach the Presidency for the release of Nnamd...





The Igbo World Union (IWU) has called on the South-East Governors to boldly take a step and approach the Presidency for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.





It also pleaded with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure that willing and eligible voters are not disenfranchised in the forthcoming general election.





President-General of the group, His Imperial Majesty, Mishak Nnanta said this in an interview with newsmen in Umuahia, Capital of Abia State.





Nnanta also appealled to President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his milk of human kindness to Ndi Igbo by applying a political solution to resolve Kanus case.





The group affirmed that though an unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu runs contrary to the doctrine of separation of powers between the Executive and Judiciary, President Buhari could use his prerogative to release Kanu from detention.





Nnanta regretted that the continued detention Kanu had introduced the monstrous and retrogressive sit-at-home order with the attendant massive deterioration of security situation and debilitation of the South East economy.





Also, the Abia state Governorship Candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, and founder, Vision Africa International, Bishop Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha called on the Federal Government to seek a political solution in Nnamdi Kanus case to reduce tension in the South East.





Bishop Onuoha, who was a member of the 2021 South-East delegation led by first republic minister, Chief Amaechi Mbazulike, to see President Muhammadu Buhari, appealed that the case of the proscribed IPOB leader be given a political solution.





Recall that Kanu is facing trial over an alleged treasonable felony and has been in the DSS custody in Abuja.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
For the past month Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been on the go. She hit the Big Apple and its exclusive Yale Club, huddled with other mayors in Reno, took in a music festival in Switzerland and enjoyed several shows at this years ESSENCE Festival. Theres nothing inherently wrong with mayors traveling, particularly as ambassadors for their cities. Problems arise when things at home are not going well. In Cantrells case, things at home are really not going well.

In the first week of June, while the mayor was in New York and Reno, 10 people were murdered in New Orleans. More than 20 more died violently before the beginning of July.

A series of heavy rains brought flooding back to the streets and homes of New Orleans as the citys drainage infrastructure failed to keep up with frequent  and increasingly intense  summer downpours.

The Supreme Court eviscerated womens right to make their own medical choices about pregnancy and abortion, leaving tens of thousands of New Orleanians scared and uncertain about the future.

July has started no better. New Orleans has already seen more murders and more flooding. The Lens has uncovered evidence indicating the Smart Cities corruption scandal is more widespread than previously believed. And last week, Gambits Sarah Ravits broke the news that visitors to our city have left more than tourist dollars: New Orleanians can now add monkeypox to our list of worries.

No doubt the mayor may be deeply involved in the work of governing behind the scenes. However, for someone who clearly appreciates the power of a photo op, its mind boggling that she would not devote more face time to reassuring citizens here at home.

Even when the mayor is engaged, it seems she appears blithely unaware of the challenges her constituents face every day  or how it looks when she deflects questions about our citys high violent crime rate. On July 7, as the states Department of Health briefed reporters on the monkeypox outbreak, Cantrell cut a ribbon celebrating a sidewalk repair project in the Fillmore neighborhood. Not a word about the pox.

That project undoubtedly is important and long awaited, but the scene was nevertheless surreal  not just because of its juxtaposition to the LDH briefing. In addition to Cantrell, Acting Public Works Director Josh Hartley was on hand. Why Hartley has served in an acting capacity since May 2021 is unclear. His status begs the question of whether there is something about his performance that has caused her to withhold her official stamp of approval.

This is no trivial matter. Those who understand the inner workings of government can tell you that an acting department head is no substitute for one who can operate with the mayors full confidence and support.

Each of these developments sets off alarm bells. Combined with Cantrells disengagement, they are a pox on our city  and they paint a disturbing picture of a mayor content to enjoy the trappings of office while blithely ignoring dangerous levels of corruption, violence and institutional rot.
UPDATE: A federal judge in Baton Rouge has rescinded the stay order halting the Nov. 8 Supreme Court race in Chief Justice John Weimers district in the Cajun parishes of south-central Louisiana. That election will now proceed as originally scheduled, with qualifying July 20-22.

U.S. Dist. Judge John deGravelles vacated the stay order on July 13 as part of his order allowing Weimer and others to intervene in a case brought by the NAACP, which challenged the makeup of Louisianas seven Supreme Court districts.

DeGravelles ruling delivers another defeat to Attorney General Jeff Landry, who is supposed to defend the existing districts as the states top legal officer, but who nonetheless agreed to a consent agreement with the NAACP to halt Weimers election. Its still unclear why Weimer would effectively throw in the towel on Weimer reelection after three other Supreme Court elections were held since the NAACP suit was filed in 2019.

In granting Weimers motion for vacate the stay order obtained by Landry and the NAACP, Judge deGravelles noted that Landrys position in opposing both the intervention and lifting the stay order halting the election "would certainly lead to absurd consequences. The judge also found Landrys other arguments unconvincing."

The judge stopped short of calling Landry a dumbass, but, as with Landrys other attempts at litigating, the record speaks for itself.

Republican state lawmakers have succeeded in their quest to preserve Louisianas five GOP congressional seats, at least for the Nov. 8 midterm elections. At the same time, Republican state Attorney General Jeff Landry has quietly (some say secretly) cut a deal with the NAACP to indefinitely postpone a key state Supreme Court election thats on the same ballot.

Its clear that politics drove the GOPs moves on congressional redistricting. Less obvious is what drove Landry to suddenly throw in the towel, at least temporarily, in the NAACPs lawsuit challenging the makeup of the state Supreme Courts seven districts.

Of particular interest now is when  if at all  Landry officially notified Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, the states chief elections officer and a named defendant in the lawsuit, of the AGs agreement to join the NAACP in seeking a stay of this years sole Supreme Court election in Chief Justice John Weimers district. Sources close to the litigation say Landry, not Ardoin, has made all key decisions in the case.

The NAACP and others have long felt that the state Supreme Courts decades-old district boundaries need to be reconfigured to account for major population shifts and to give Black citizens, who comprise a third of Louisianas population, more than one seat on the seven-member court.

Since the NAACP filed suit in 2019, voters have elected three state Supreme Court justices without Landry agreeing to any postponements. That fact magnifies two questions:

 Why did Landry suddenly decide, only months before Weimer came up for re-election, to agree to a stay in this years Supreme Court election?

 When  if at all  did Landry officially inform Ardoin and other named defendants of his agreement to join the NAACP in seeking a stay of this years election?

Ethically, attorneys must seek clients permission before agreeing to settlements, particularly those that give opponents major concessions. This much is certain: Any decision by Landry was likely driven by politics, with a healthy measure of dumbassery as well.

Meanwhile, Landry is opposing Weimers recent effort to intervene in the case to seek reinstatement of the election. Weimer says he only recently became aware of the stay, and time is of the essence. Qualifying is just around the corner  July 20-22.

Intervention by an interested party like Weimer should be a no-brainer, but for some reason U.S. District Judge John deGravelles of Baton Rouge punted the question to a magistrate. In recent days, the current president and several former presidents of the Louisiana State Bar Association issued a statement in support of Weimers intervention. The matter now appears to be fast-tracked, with decisions on the intervention and stay expected before qualifying opens.

As to why Landry created this chaos, heres a theory: Weimer turns 68 in October, and he cannot seek re-election once he reaches 70. Perhaps Landry wants to slow-walk the case till the Chief Justice ages out  so he can install a crony on the high court.

If thats the case, a decision in Weimers favor before July 20 would render this the latest example of Landrys craven dumbassery.
Frustrations are mounting among businesses on Severn Avenue in Metairie as a drainage project that was supposed to take only 16 months enters its third year. Officials now project completion by the end of October.

The stretch of busy road just west of Lakeside Shopping Center is a slow-moving maze of traffic cones and lane closures. Nearby shop owners say the project has made it more difficult to draw customers.

Its been a tremendous setback for us, said Chloe Mena, owner of Earth Potions on 17th Street, a block away from Severn.

Unexpected delays

The multimillion-dollar project, which involved ripping up the roadway and installing six-foot-wide drainage pipe, broke ground in June 2020 and was supposed to wrap up this past September, said Mark Drewes, Jefferson Parishs public works director.

But a series of unexpected delays, including two hurricanes, a labor shortage and supply chain holdups, pushed the end date to October 2022.

Were not happy, either, with how long its gone, but its been a difficult time for all our construction, Drewes said.

+29 Suburban malls continue to battle a tough retail environment, but are no stranger to reinvention Last week brought word that the owner of the Esplanade Mall  mostly vacant except for Target, Dillard's and Kenner City Hall  is in talks to

Some of the delays are due to changes in the design of the project.

Parish officials, at Lakesides request, decided to extend a lakebound right-turn lane to ease mall traffic. Drewes said the mall is covering half of those costs. The parish also updated its design to make it easier in the future to add street lights.

All told, the projects cost has grown from $11.6 million to about $14 million, Drewes said. The parish government is on the hook for 20% of those expenses, with the federal government covering the rest.

'A moving target'

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The project faced another setback when construction crews realized that subsurface water lines in the area were several feet off from where parish records indicated. Drewes said this happens frequently, adding that most of those lines were put in place during Jefferson's rapid population growth in the 1960s.

The parish government also had to pay contractors to clean out pipes near the West Esplanade Avenue end of the project, after they discovered that soil was seeping in through connecting joints, causing the roadway above it to cave in.

It has unfortunately been a bit of a moving target, said Kelly Commander, owner of Command Construction Industries, the contractor on the project. But I fully believe were going to be finished by the end of October.

'Is that real?'

Parish Council member Jennifer Van Vrancken, whose district includes the area, said shes asked to meet weekly with the Public works Department for updates.

I want this project to be brought to completion as quickly as possible, she said. I realize the inconvenience that it has on businesses.

Megan LaSalle, co-owner of Christines Boutique on 17th Street, called the construction hectic and annoying, and said customers frequently complain about road closures.

When told about the new October end date, Lasalle said, Is that real? I really hope so.
Relatives and friends of two sisters who were hacked to death with a machete in LaPlace must wait another month to learn whether murder defendant Oscar Urias is mentally competent to stand trial.

The 25-year-old Urias grinned and flashed a peace sign to his own relatives seated in the gallery for his court hearing Thursday in Edgard.

The gestures did not go unnoticed by shocked relatives of Elizabeth Tornabene, 31, and Hattie Denny, 15, the sisters Urias is accused of killing on Oct. 25, 2020, as they were seated on the other side of the gallery.

The two families also seem far apart on their opinions of what should happen to Urias, according to Rocky Tornabene, 60, father of Elizabeth Tornabene. He spoke briefly after the hearing with Urias' mother and two siblings  a brother and sister also wounded in the machete attack.

"My reason for wanting to speak to them was to see if they felt like I did, that he needs to be held accountable and spend the rest of his life in jail," Tornabene said, adding that Urias' mother "said, 'no.'"

Mental competency

Urias is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office investigators say he donned a devil-shaped red mask and butchered Elizabeth Tornabene, who was his girlfriend, with a machete in the Fairview Drive home they shared.

He allegedly attacked his 15-year-old brother and his 17-year-old sister when they tried to stop him, then chased Hattie from the residence, cornered her in an open garage about a block away and killed her.

+7 Relatives mourn sisters killed in vicious machete attack by suspect once considered 'kind' Elizabeth Tornabene had been many things  a talented tattoo artist, a loving daughter, a fearless free spirit and the best of friends  but r

Sheriff Mike Tregre called it one of the worst crimes he'd seen in his three decades in law enforcement.

Based on conversations with his client, a history of mental illness and the disturbing facts of the case, including evidence of possible Satanic worship, defense attorney Shannon Battiste requested a sanity evaluation to determine whether Urias is mentally competent to stand trial, according to court records.

But Judge Nghana Lewis of the 40th Judicial District Court continued the sanity hearing Thursday after prosecutors disclosed that only one of the two doctors ordered to evaluate Urias had submitted a report to the court.

Battiste also said the sole submitted evaluation was conducted without an interpreter; Urias, who is from El Salvador, speaks Spanish and has had an interpreter for court appearances.

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+8 'He looked like the devil': LaPlace resident's bloody encounter with machete murder suspect A 23-year-old man unleashed a shockingly violent and grisly attack Sunday afternoon, hacking his girlfriend to death and wounding his own teen

In the report, the psychologist who does not speak Spanish acknowledged a language barrier but said it could be surmounted with patience, according to Assistant District Attorney Phillip Prescott.

Battiste questioned the validity of the examination. He said his client must be re-examined.

"I'm just dumbfounded by it," Rocky Tornabene said. The language issue and resulting delay has shaken his and his familys faith in the judicial system.

"I dont want someone who's not competent to stand trial, but I also don't want someone's civil right's violated," he said.

No hate

Urias, wearing an oversized orange jumpsuit that seemed to swallow his thin frame, entered the courtroom flanked by sheriffs deputies. He was shackled at the waist and ankle and clean-shaven, his hair slicked back into a low bun.

He made eye contact with and waved to his mother and siblings, who were seated to his left. One of the women began crying. When he exited the courtroom, he smiled, raising his cuffed hands to chest height to flash a peace sign to his family. His mother blew him a kiss.

We dont hate him. We dont hate the family, Rocky Tornabene said. My daughter was in love with this man, so he must have some redeeming qualities.

The dead woman's surviving sister, Nicole Tornabene, 26, did not share the sentiment.

I dont think hes worth the energy of hating, but I dont wish anything good for him, she said.

The family will return to the gallery to represent Elizabeth Tornabene and Hattie when the court next takes up Urias sanity evaluation, on Aug. 3.

Were still standing. Were still strong, Rocky Tornabene said.
A Louisiana judge will be weighing a challenge to the state's "trigger law" abortion ban in Orleans Parish Civil District Court Friday morning.

UPDATE: Court challenge to Louisiana's abortion law must play out in Baton Rouge, not New Orleans

A ruling from a different judge last month temporarily allowed abortions in Louisiana to proceed while the lawsuit, which alleges the trigger laws are too confusing to enforce, is debated.

Here's what you need to know ahead of Friday's hearing:

What's happening?

Last month, Judge Robin Giarrusso, a Democrat first elected to the bench in 1988, agreed to a temporary injunction that stopped Louisiana's trigger law from taking effect soon after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and said there was no constitutional right to abortion.

+12 Who gets abortions in Louisiana? It might be different than you think. Last week, when abortion clinics in Louisiana reopened during what is likely a temporary reprieve from the states abortion ban, women rushed 

The law makes it a criminal offense to perform an abortion in Louisiana. It does not have an exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

Medical providers filed their lawsuit June 27 against the state of Louisiana. It alleged that a series of different and overlapping laws banning abortion were "unconstitutionally vague."

The lawsuit named as defendants the Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Courtney Phillips and Attorney General Jeff Landry. Landry has vowed to fight the lawsuit.

They are expected to argue that the injunction should be lifted because fetuses will suffer "the ultimate irreparable harm" if abortions are allowed to proceed.

On Friday, Judge Ethel Simms Julien, a Democrat, will rule on whether the temporary injunction should remain in place, which would allow clinics in Louisiana to continue to perform abortions for now.

Who's involved?

Plaintiffs include Hope Medical Group for Women, which operates an abortion clinic in Shreveport, and Medical Students for Choice, a nonprofit advocacy group.

+2 What you should know about the abortion pill in Louisiana A temporary restraining order on Monday allowed abortions to resume again in Louisiana after a brief ban following the U.S. Supreme Court ruli

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The defendants include Landry and Phillips.

How will the judge rule?

It's not clear.

Simms Julien is likely to take one of two steps. She could decide to allow the injunction to remain in place while the case plays out, or she could remove the injunction, effectively allowing the abortion ban to take effect.

It's possible that she issues a ruling on Friday from the bench, but she could also issue a written ruling in coming days.

Regardless of her decision, it is almost certain to result in an appeal to a higher court.

Are abortions allowed now?

Yes. Louisiana's three abortion clinics are serving women this week, and staffers have said they will continue to perform abortions until the ban goes into effect.

What happens next?

Anti-abortion groups and abortion-rights groups both acknowledge that the delay in the state's abortion ban is only temporary. Each say abortions will eventually be outlawed in Louisiana.

How will Louisiana enforce its criminal abortion laws? Officials arent sure yet As Louisiana enters an era in which abortion rights will be decided by a vehemently anti-abortion state government, observers and advocates ar

But the lawsuit questions whether the abortion bans are overly confusing, and therefore violate constitutional provisions that require laws to be written clearly enough so people know if they are breaking them and what the penalties could be.

If Simms Julien rules to keep the injunction in place  and a higher court leaves it in place should the state appeal  abortions will be able to be performed in Louisiana until the case makes its way through the legal system.

However, legislators could adjust the abortion ban's legal language, either in a special legislative session or next year during the legislature's regular session, to make the rules enforceable.

Follow live coverage from today's hearing below. Can't see the module? Click here.

Staff writers Sam Karlin, Blake Paterson and Emily Woodruff contributed to this report.
Fujian to host 14th Straits Forum

Xinhua) 11:19, July 08, 2022

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The 14th Straits Forum will be held in Fujian Province on the Chinese mainland from July 12, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said on Thursday.

A total of 43 events will take place both online and offline, which are to attract around 2,000 people from Taiwan for offline activities, according to spokesperson Zhu Fenglian.

This year's forum will carry on the theme of promoting people-to-people exchanges and deepening integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
An Inventor Retires as His Solar Technology Takes Flight

Greg Glatzmaier tests the high-temperature thermal and mechanical stability of sealants that are being used in process equipment that is installed at the 70 MW Nevada Solar One power plant. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

When Greg Glatzmaier left the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the last time after a career that spanned four decades, he was already planning trips to Nevada and Spain. But not to play poker or hang out on the beach. Instead, he will spend the next year working with solar power plant operators to implement a technology he created to make the plants run more efficiently.

"I still have a lot of work to do," Glatzmaier said, speaking from his office on his last day.

When Greg started at the laboratory in 1987, it was still called the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), a group of passionate solar researchers who wanted to change the world. Since then, he has watched NREL become a national laboratory and has seen solar balloon from a niche technology to a dominant one, comprising nearly half of all new electric generating capacity in the United States this year.[1] His innovations in concentrating solar power helped drive this change, collecting two R&D 100 awards and four patents along the way. While many research projects never make it out of the lab, Glatzmaier is retiring on a high note: He invented a product and took it all the way to the market.

"I have not met anyone else at NREL who can do the breadth of research that Greg has done," said Mark Mehos, who previously managed thermal systems research at NREL and has worked with Glatzmaier since the very beginning.

History at NREL

In 1987, when Glatzmaier was finishing his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of ColoradoBoulder, the job market did not look good. The U.S. economy was in bad shape after a major stock market crash. He considered taking a job in the oil sector, but then he saw an ad in the engineering building on campus. SERI was hiring a solar engineer. Glatzmaier had been interested in solar since going to college in Minnesota, appreciating the fact that it produced no pollutants or byproducts.

"I thought, I need to get this job," Glatzmaier said.

He headed straight to the office of a professor who had worked with researchers at SERI and asked for a recommendation. Glatzmaier landed an interview, then the job. He joined Mehos and a larger team working on concentrating solar power, a new technology that was just taking off in the United States.

Concentrating solar power (or CSP) plants use mirrors to capture heat from the sun then convert it to electricity through traditional steam turbines. This process produces a tremendous amount of heat, usually collected at temperatures above 300C, which researchers are always looking for new ways to exploit. In the early 1990s, Glatzmaier came up with a way to use this heat to create silicon carbide, a hard ceramic powder that can be used to make bearings, gaskets, and seals, and won an R&D 100 award for it.

But in the mid-'90s, renewables hit a lull. The sense of urgency created by the Gulf War a few years earlier had faded, and funding for clean energy had dropped off. While Glatzmaier and his fellow researchers were still making strides in the lab, they were not seeing a huge uptake in the marketplace. So, Greg decided to take a break from solar and left NREL to perform contract work for NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

In the early 2000s, growing concern about climate change revived public interest in clean energy. Renewables were on the rise, including CSP, and Mehos asked Glatzmaier if he would come back to NREL.

"When I came back in 2007, there was so much more interest and investment in solar. The technology was coming into its own," Glatzmaier said.

Since then, solar has seen meteoric growth. Over the past decade, generating capacity increased more than tenfold. Costs have plummeted by 70%, making solar the cheapest form of power globally. While today's market is dominated by solar photovoltaics, CSP still makes up a significant chunk, with 130 plants around the world. CSP plants produce approximately 6 GW of electricity in the United States, and they are bigas large as 250 MW, which is on par with a conventional coal-fired power plant.

Around 2014, plant operators started noticing a problem: They were producing less power. Solar power producers make money by selling a set amount of electricity at a set price over a span of 25 years or so. There are no fuel costs, since the sun is free, but you need to keep production at a certain level to pay off the initial investment. If the plant starts generating less electricity in year 5 or 10, it cuts into profits and scares investors away.

When plant operators voiced their concerns to NREL, Glatzmaier and his team went out to investigate, cruising up and down rows of CSP collectors taking infrared images. They confirmed that hydrogen was building up inside the glass tubes, causing them to lose heat and reducing their efficiency by as much 15%. For a large plant, this equated to millions of dollars of lost revenue each year.

"These plants had been dealing with this inefficiency issue for years," Glatzmaier said. "I thought, 'There's got to be a remedy for this.'"

In 2015, Glatzmaier tackled the problem with modeling and design work, and then he built a proof-of-concept module in the lab. He developed a hydrogen sensor and separator that measured and extracted hydrogen from the CSP plant components, including the receivers (the glass and metal tubes that trap the sunlight), and cleaned them out, restoring their efficiency. In 2018, plant staff from Acciona's Nevada Solar One power plant came to NREL to check out the invention. Nearing 10 years old, their CSP plant was struggling with this exact problem. Before the meeting was over, they wanted to install Glatzmaier's technology at their plant.

"They made their decision right during our meeting, which was a little bit disconcerting. And I thought, 'Did I oversell this?'" Glatzmaier said. He spent the past four years getting the technology installed and operating at the Nevada Solar One plant. After more than a year of pandemic delays, installation was finally completed last summer at the solar plant south of Las Vegas. Glatzmaier does not want to celebrate too soon, but so far it is doing its job. In fact, based on calculations, it should pay for itself in a matter of months. Glatzmaier is one of the few researchers who could pull this off, Mehos said. While he had help from colleagues along the way, he spearheaded the entire process: from diagnosing and modeling the problem to engineering and prototyping the solution, and ultimately scaling it to the real world. NREL research engineer Koenraad Beckers said he has learned a lot from Glatzmaier over the past five years, since Glatzmaier pulled him from the geothermal program to help develop his CSP technology. When you work with people like Greg, youll automatically love the type of research they do. He has had a whole career in solar and just knows everything about it. Ill miss him as a researcher but also as a friend.

"He was practically a one-man show," Mehos said.

Now CSP plants all over the world are interested. That is why Glatzmaier cannot fully retire yet. After his trip to Nevada, he will travel to Spain, where the technology is being licensed to another power plant. Another in North Africa is interested too. In the future, it could be used in every CSP plant in the world based on parabolic trough designbecause at some point, they will all run into the same problem.

Glatzmaier looks forward to seeing where CSP goes, especially because it can provide energy storage even cheaper than batteries. By the end of this year, he has promised himself to be done working full time. He will spend more time hiking and camping in the Colorado mountains with his wife, Mary. He will still see colleagues like Mehos, but on the ski slopes rather than in the lab. Many adventures await that have nothing to do with solar power.

But first, he has a trip to Spain.
Two Region startups affiliated with Purdue University Northwests Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center in Hammond landed investments in a regional pitch competition.

Startups Plantennas and Paradise Spreads received a total of $100,000 in the Elevate Nexus Northern Indiana regional pitch competition, which aims to help startups scale up.

Chesterton-based Plantennas scored $80,000 in seed funding. Schererville-based Paradise Spreads got $20,000 in pre-seed funding.

CMEC actively helps boost clients potential by augmenting their entrepreneurial qualification and concept viability, said Mont Handley, entrepreneur in residence and associate director of CMEC. The CMEC-affiliated entrepreneurs who pitched in this latest Elevate Nexus northern regional competition are going up against other very qualified, prepared entrepreneurs affiliated with other proven large economic incubators in northern Indiana, so we're punching above our weight.

Handley and fellow PNW staff member Alexandra Moran, a clinical instructor of entrepreneurship, founded Plantennas. The company places sensors in biodegradable pots to give plants unique IDs, monitor their health and control inventory. The robotics-powered sensors can be traced with radio-frequency identification as the plants are grown or shipped, which could ultimately protect against plant patent infringement.

Paradise Spreads is a variety of organic, gluten-free and plant-based spreads and snacks from the Schererville-based startup Emilys Foods, LLC. It was founded by Emily Edwards, who won second place in the 2021 PNW Big Sell competition.

CMEC helps foster such startups with services like consulting, prototype development and business planning, enabling Region entrepreneurs to commercialize their ideas and bring them to the market. It for instance helps guide companies through the Elevate Nexus regional pitch competitions in which entrepreneurs compete for funding from the Economic Development Administration and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation by making the case for their products' viability on the marketplace.
HOBART  Police have released surveillance photos in hopes the public can help identify a suspect in a check fraud case that resulted in the loss of several hundred dollars.

Police said they responded June 4 to the 7700 block of East 37th Avenue in reference to a check fraud that occurred on May 31.

Officers were told two fraudulent checks were written by the suspect shown in the surveillance images.

"The loss prevention officer also told the officer that the suspect shown in the surveillance images may have committed similar check frauds at other locations in Northwest Indiana," police said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Hobart Police Detective Cpl. Brandon Kissee at bkissee@cityofhobart.org or at 219-942-4588.
GARY  Police took a person of interest into custody Thursday after determining a bomb threat at several college buildings was unsubstantiated, officials said.

Police from Gary, the Lake County Sheriff's Department and Indiana University Northwest responded about 3:45 p.m. to the 3400 block of Broadway after dispatchers received a 911 call about a man with a gun and bombs.

Officers searched buildings operated by IUN and Ivy Tech Community College and found no threats inside, Gary police Cmdr. Jack Hamady said.

Police traced the 911 call back to person of interest, who was taken into custody in Hammond, he said.

IUN spokeswoman Marisa Villalobos also said officers were on campus and found no threat.

The university anticipated normal operations Friday, she said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detective Sgt. Douglas Drummond at 219-811-1210. To remain anonymous, call 866-CRIME-GP.
CALUMET CITY  More help has arrived for residents of a condominium complex hit by a fatal fire in May.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday said the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved a disaster declaration for the Park of River Oaks, where one person died and seven were injured  including three firefighters  in a blaze on May 30.

Wilhelmina J. Williamson, 85, who lived on the seventh floor of the 200 Park Ave. building, died in the fire, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The disaster declaration clears the way for residents, condo owners and businesses impacted by the fire to apply for low-interest loans to help pay for damages not covered by insurance.

In a statement, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said homeowners can apply for up to $200,000 in loans to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. In addition, homeowners or renters can apply for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, and businesses and non-profits can borrow up to $2 million to cover physical damages.

The SBA on Friday began staffing a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the condo complex. The center will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through July 21, when it will close at 4 p.m.

In the statement, Pritzker said 150 families were left homeless by the fire. "Some of these residents lost not just the structure of their home, but everything they owned," he said.

The city of Calumet City had previously declared a state of emergency to streamline the provision of aid for the approximately 200 people displaced by the fire.

Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones hailed the disaster declaration.

"This is great news for Calumet City residents," he said Friday, noting those impacted included 7th Ward Ald. Anthony Smith, who lives in a different building in the complex. "This announcement alleviates a bunch of concerns the residents have.

"I want to praise Gov. Pritzker for sealing the deal with this."

Jones also noted the assistance of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. "Money flows from the federal government to the state to the county to us," Jones said.

The recovery process has included the restoration of water and power to buildings in the complex. Jones also said the city will seek to have sprinklers installed when damaged units are repaired.

"What this SBA loan does, it allows people to rebuild and have some comfort," Jones said.

He added the city has continued to aid displaced residents with help in finding temporary housing, grocery cards and gas cards.
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP)  Deeply divided top diplomats from the worlds richest and largest developing nations failed to find common ground Friday over Russias war in Ukraine and how to deal with its global impacts, leaving prospects for future cooperation in the forum uncertain.

At talks that were were knocked off balance by two unrelated and unexpected political developments, including the shocking assassination of a former Japanese prime minister, far from the Indonesian resort of Bali where they were meeting, Group of 20 foreign ministers heard an emotional plea for unity and an end to the war from their Indonesian host.

Yet, consensus remained elusive amid deepening East-West splits driven by China and Russia on one side and the United States and Europe on the other. There was no group photo taken nor a final communique issued as has been done in previous years, and acrimony appeared pervasive, especially between Russia and Western participants.

Although they were present in the same room at the same time for the first time since the Ukraine war began, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointedly ignored each other.

Lavrov walked out of the proceedings at least twice: once when his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock spoke at the opening session and again just before Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was to speak by video at the second session, according to a Western diplomat present.

The meeting opened only hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation Thursday, prompting his foreign secretary, Liz Truss, to depart Bali, and was just underway when former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot. Abe later died of his wounds.

Both Johnson and Abe are well known to the G-20 family, having participated in numerous similar conferences and leaders' summits in the past. One goal of Friday's meeting was to lay the groundwork for the upcoming G-20 summit that Indonesia will host in November.

Many, if not all, of the participants expressed shock at Abe's shooting that occurred as they were holding the first of two plenary sessions on the importance of restoring confidence in multilateralism and upholding the global rules-based order.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi had urged the group  which included Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Blinken and several European counterparts  to overcome mistrust for the sake of a planet confronting multiple challenges from the coronavirus to climate change as well as Ukraine.

The world has yet to recover from the pandemic but we are already confronted with another crisis: the war in Ukraine, Marsudi said. The ripple effects are being felt globally on food, on energy and physical space.

She noted that poor and developing countries now face the brunt of fuel and grain shortages resulting from the war in Ukraine and said that the G-20 has a responsibility to step up and deal with the matter to ensure the rules-based global order remains relevant.

The Ukraine war has shaken that order, she said, as Lavrov appeared to shuffle papers without expression at his seat in between the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

Honestly, we cannot deny that it has become more difficult for the world to sit together, Marsudi said. She added plaintively: The world is watching us, so we cannot fail.

She said the Ukraine war was discussed at almost all bilateral meetings during the one-day gathering.

But after the meeting was over, Marsudi could not point to any agreements reached by all participants, although she said there had been broad concern about food and energy disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine. She added that only some countries expressed condemnation of the act of invasion."

Indeed, although they sat around the same large conference table neither Lavrov nor Blinken spoke to each other.

You know, it was not us who abandoned all contacts," Lavrov told reporters after the first session. "It was the United States. Thats all I can say. And we are not running after anybody suggesting meetings. If they dont want to talk, its their choice.

Asked why there had been no group photo, Lavrov snapped: I didnt invite anyone to pose for a photo together with me.

Its obvious that they used the G-20 for goals that werent envisaged when it was created, he said.

Shortly thereafter, Blinken took direct aim at the Russian delegation, accusing Moscow in the second G-20 session of blocking millions of tons of grain in Ukrainian ports and causing food insecurity in large parts of the world, according to a Western diplomat present.

Lavrov was not there for Blinken's comments and his stand-in began Russia's intervention by telling the group she did not have prepared remarks, according to the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the closed-door meeting.

U.S. officials had said they were determined not to allow distractions to divert attention from what they believe should be the primary focuses of the Bali conference: the disruption to world food and energy supplies caused by Russias war in Ukraine, blaming Moscow for it, and marshalling a response to halt shortages that are already wreaking havoc in Africa, Asia and elsewhere.

U.S. officials had hinted there would be no group communique as there has been in previous years when the group had produced joint statements on key issues like terrorism, transnational crime, climate and economic matters that have been viewed as blueprints for global action.

U.S. officials said it was less important for the G-20 to present a unified stance as an entity than it would be for smaller blocs of countries and individual nations to speak out and take action.

The competition for support among the sides has been fierce. Wang and Lavrov each stopped in various Asian capitals on their way to Bali, drumming up support for various Chinese and Russian positions and fortifying their ties among non-allied nations.

Blinken, the French, Germans and Brits, meanwhile, all arrived in Bali from two Western-oriented and organized gatherings in Europe last week: the G-7 and NATO summits at which there was little sign of rancor or debate and unity on Ukraine was assured.

With its broader membership, including countries like host Indonesia and large developing nations like India, Brazil, South Africa and others, the G-20 is far more diverse, skeptical of Western intentions and more open to entreaties and offers from big neighbors like China and Russia and more vulnerable to their threats.
10. And finally, do the hustle.

If you think you know hustle from Saturday Night Fever, think again. The movie has little to do with the partnered style that first emerged in the early 1970s in New York City. Hustle is fluid, fleet, as elegant as it is funky, and it is very much back.

At the center of its revival is Abdiel Jacobsen, a former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company who hosts regular dance parties in Central Park. Abdiel has found freedom in the movement, which offers a progressive, gender-neutral vision of partnered social dance. Hustle, Abdiel said, is about everyone coming together, just as they are, under the sermon of the music.

Have a freeing night.

Brent Lewis compiled photos for this briefing.

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The Post said in a news release that Mr. Shipley, 59, would be tasked with expanding the reach of the opinion section both nationally and globally. The section has a staff of more than 80 people.

Mr. Shipley led the opinion section at Bloomberg for more than a decade. Before that, he was a deputy editorial page editor and the Op-Ed editor at The New York Times.

Tim OBrien will become the new editor of Bloomberg Opinion, Bloombergs editor in chief, John Micklethwait, told staff in a note on Thursday.

Mr. Shipley also had a stint working for the Clinton administration in the 1990s and an interlude helping Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg, with his short-lived 2020 presidential campaign.
Spirit Airlines said Thursday that it had again delayed a shareholder vote on its proposed acquisition by Frontier Airlines, allowing it to continue discussions with Frontier and with JetBlue Airways, which has made a rival bid.

The vote, which was to take place Friday morning, was rescheduled for July 15.

The postponement is the third time in a month that Spirit has pushed back the vote as it has repeatedly spurned JetBlue, arguing that antitrust regulators would probably reject a combination of the two airlines. Instead, Spirit has encouraged shareholders to support the Frontier deal, which it has said has an easier path to regulatory approval.

JetBlue has argued that regulators are likely to scrutinize either deal and could find as much to object to in a combination of Spirit and Frontier, which compete in many markets. JetBlues all-cash offer also values Spirit more highly, at about $3.6 billion; Frontiers stock-and-cash proposal valued the company at about $2.4 billion.
Both Pincher and Johnson obviously behaved egregiously. The quaint part is the near universal condemnation of their behavior, and the widespread acknowledgment that, after years of bullying and dishonesty, Johnsons dissembling was the final straw. Imagine having final straws!

I felt similarly wistful contemplating Partygate, the scandal over Johnsons secret pandemic socializing that led conservatives to hold a no-confidence vote last month, which the prime minister survived. Occasionally Ive asked British people if there really was widespread anger at Johnson, or just satisfaction at catching him out. Under Trump, after all, Americans largely became inured to hypocrisy, even if they still felt the need to denounce it. Everyone I spoke to, though, told me that the outrage was real.

That was partly because Britains lockdown was much stricter than ours, and applied to the whole country; unlike Trumps partying in 2020, Johnsons violated rules his government was imposing on others. Still, to be really furious at hypocrisy, you have to have some expectation that people in power will follow the rules. And to be shamed by the revelation of hypocrisy, as the Tories seemed to be, you have to accept that the standards applied to others also apply to you. Another way of saying this is that intolerance of hypocrisy implies a democratic sensibility, in which everyone is at least supposed to be bound by the same strictures.

Johnsons career is ending, at least for now, the way Trumps should have ended  with public revulsion leading his own party to oust him. Like Trump, Johnson initially wanted to cling to power when it was no longer feasible; unlike with Trump, there was never a prospect of him summoning an armed mob. Watching Johnsons fall after living through Trump is like chasing a slasher film with a cozy mystery. Both may be murder stories, but only one has a reassuring order to it.

We deserve a better class of bastards, Dunt said on the podcast. We all do. Still, as an American, I have to say: Be thankful for what youve got.
LONDON  The influence of Africa and its fashion scene has redefined the geography of the fashion industry in recent years, breaking barriers with its vitality and its reimagining of what creativity can be.

A continent whose fashion has often been imitated, yet gone largely underrecognized by the West, is having a long overdue moment in the spotlight. Magazine editors and stylists like Edward Enninful and Ibrahim Kamara, have helped spur its celebration, along with critically acclaimed explorations of the African diaspora by designers like Grace Wales Bonner and the late Virgil Abloh. The emergence of a new generation of homegrown designers like Thebe Magugu, Mowalola Ogunlesi and Kenneth Ize has also been key.

Last week, at a time when many museums with colonial legacies are re-evaluating representation in their Eurocentric collections, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London opened a vibrant exhibition showcasing African fashion and textiles, the first in its 170 year history.
It appeared likely to complicate relations between state law enforcement officers and federal agents, who routinely work together along the border.

Mr. Abbotts office directed inquiries to the National Guard and to the Department of Public Safety, neither of which responded to a request for comment. The Department of Homeland Security and the Border Patrol also did not immediately comment on the order.

A White House spokesman cast doubt on the governors order by criticizing his record on immigration. His so-called Operation Lone Star put national guardsmen and law enforcement in dangerous situations and resulted in a logistical nightmare needing federal rescue, said the spokesman, Abdullah Hasan.

Several questions remain about how the order would be carried out on the ground. It was not clear, for example, how far from the border migrants would be apprehended, how they would be identified and what would happen to them once they were deposited at the ports of entry, which are at a series of bridges between Mexico and Texas.

Also unclear was how the order would dovetail with Mr. Abbotts existing efforts to address the arrival of migrants to Texas, one of which calls for law enforcement officers to charge those found on private ranches with trespassing. It was not expected to affect a state program in which migrants already processed by the Border Patrol have been offered rides to Washington or elsewhere on buses chartered by the state.

Kate Huddleston, a staff attorney at the A.C.L.U. of Texas, said that the order would encourage state law enforcement officers to racially profile Black and brown people and that it recklessly fans the flames of hate in our state.
WASHINGTON  The director of the Secret Service announced on Thursday that he would retire at the end of the month after a 27-year career with the agency that is charged with protecting the president of the United States.

The director, James M. Murray, has accepted a position with the social media company Snap, which is known for its messaging app, Snapchat, an agency spokesman said.

Mr. Murray was appointed by President Donald J. Trump in 2019 after Mr. Trump became disillusioned with the agencys director at the time, Randolph D. Alles. The director of the Secret Service is appointed by the president and does not require Senate confirmation.
A bill to ban abortion already introduced in the South Carolina Senate contains similar provisions.

Some Democrats say Republican leaders may not be willing to push too far past public opinion, which shows overall support for abortion rights, with some limits.

The first-term governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, has twice announced plans to call a special session of the State Legislature. South Dakota already has a complete ban on abortions with no exceptions for rape or incest. But a special session could allow Republican lawmakers to impose additional restrictions, like attempting to prohibit residents from traveling out of state to receive an abortion.

Yet Ms. Noem, a Republican who is facing re-election in November, has not called a special session.

Democrats say the governor is worried that a session to strengthen the states already sweeping ban could reveal that public opinion is divided on abortion. A representative for Ms. Noem said the special session was not in the immediate future.

I think that the governor is realizing she is out of step with the people of South Dakota, State Senator Reynold Nesiba, a Democrat, said.

South Dakota voters rejected two ballot initiatives, one in 2006 and another in 2008, that would have banned abortion long before Roe v. Wade seemed vulnerable to reversal. An effort is underway for a new ballot initiative that would enshrine the right to abortion in the State Constitution.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican who is up for re-election in November, has said he welcomed the House committees work on a new abortion bill. But he may face a difficult political decision if he is presented with a bill that does not include exceptions for rape and incest, which are in the current law.
DRUZHKIVKA, Ukraine  Four months after Russia invaded Ukraine, foreign combat veterans who answered the Ukrainian presidents call to fight are grappling with the grueling reality of a war unlike any they have seen.

Many are American and British veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where they could count on calling in airstrikes for protection and other critical support. In Ukraine, the military effort is essentially bare-bones, leaving Ukrainian forces  and their foreign-fighter allies  to face a larger and better-armed Russian invasion force without basics, like steady meals, and even some tools of modern warfare that would help them level the field.

This is way more intense than what I saw in Afghanistan, said Brian, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, who did not want his last name used for security reasons. This is combat, combat.
The problem is, Kims ideals arent off, she said. But the way shes going about them is.

Across five and a half seasons, Kims long slide toward perdition has become arguably the narrative keystone of the series. It wasnt always that way. When it began, Saul, a prequel to Breaking Bad, seemed primarily focused on the transformation of the slippery but fundamentally decent Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) into Albuquerques sleaziest lawyer, Saul Goodman. Kims ultimate role was uncertain then, even to the writers.

We had no idea, when we started, how important her character was going to be, said Peter Gould, the showrunner and a co-creator. If you watch the pilot of the show, she has probably three lines of dialogue.

It soon became clear, however, that Seehorns character, who began (outwardly) as a straight arrow with a promising legal career, would be integral to Jimmys metamorphosis. Like Jimmy, Kim was breaking bad. Unlike Jimmy, though, Kim never appears in Breaking Bad, which has led many fans to assume the worst. The stakes have always been potentially higher for her than for the guy with his name in the title.

That seems like a lot to carry, given that Saul is one of the most critically acclaimed series on television. But if it is, Seehorn, 50, who has been acting on screens and on stages since the 90s, handles it gracefully. Unlike the tight-lipped, inscrutable Kim, Seehorn isnt afraid to be vulnerable, either professionally or, as it turns out, in conversation. She has no problem, for example, talking at length about a rash. She is funny, and has a blinding, unguarded smile that made me wonder if I had ever actually seen Kim Wexlers teeth (all those tooth-brushing scenes notwithstanding).
CHILDREN OF THE FOREST, by Matt Myers

DRAWING OUTDOORS, by Jairo Buitrago; illustrated by Rafael Yockteng; translated by Elisa Amado

OUR FORT, by Marie Dorleans; translated by Alyson Waters

One summer, when I was a single mother raising my second and fourth graders in Brooklyn and the weeks ahead without child care loomed large, my friend Catherine and I rented a farmhouse in upstate New York for a month. She brought her 9-year-old twins, and we let the kids explore the woods while we worked. We gave them a loud whistle and generous boundaries  the distant stone wall, the serpentine stream, the neighboring field  and sent them off to run wild.

Alone in the forest, as they let their imaginations also run wild, what they actually did was establish order. They called their land Mimoss. They built houses, ran businesses, named and mapped landmarks. They held contentious town meetings on the Flat Rock and issued dire warnings about the perils of the Evil Snakey Forest, which loomed threateningly on all sides. This threat, giddily amplified, was crucial to the thrill of the experience, just as it is in three new picture books in which children let their imaginations loose in the great outdoors.

In Children of the Forest, by Matt Myers, it is wild beasts, a dragon and an intruder that threaten a boy and his little sister, who declare themselves children of the forest, raised by wolves. The boy, steeped in wilderness stories, valiantly protects his sister, even as they teeter on the edge of starvation. He guides her in the art of survival as they forage for food, fight off dangerous animals and set up camp for the night. There is an enjoyable tension between text and images, where what we are told is at odds with what we see. Older children will revel in being in on the joke: The beasts are the household cat and dog, the dragon is a leafy tree with twiggy teeth and the intruder is the kids mom.
Ive enjoyed the recent miniboom in locked-room mysteries, though I am starting to wonder if the number of impossible crime plots are finite. (Ill add that any crime novel comparing itself to And Then There Were None or the film Knives Out must meet an exceedingly high threshold.)

Fortunately, DEATH AND THE CONJUROR (Mysterious Press, 256 pp., $25.95), the debut novel from the veteran mystery short-story writer Tom Mead, sidesteps all these concerns: Its a loving tribute to the locked-room master John Dickson Carr and a sharply drawn period piece.

In 1930s London, the dour Scotland Yard inspector George Flint has noted a burgeoning subgenre of crime, which had rolled over the city like fog. These were the impossible crimes  typically high-society affairs, where men in locked rooms were killed under impractical circumstances. The renowned psychiatrist Anselm Rees, found with his throat slit in his study, is one such case. The door is locked from the inside and theres no weapon in the room. Unable to figure out how the murder was committed, Flint turns to an acquaintance, Joseph Spector, a magician whom hed once viewed with the guardedness he reserved for clever con men. But it turns out that the useful part about knowing a magician is learning how the tricks are done.
Boris Johnson agrees to resign as prime minister

Boris Johnson, Britains beleaguered leader, said that he would step down as prime minister after a dizzying 48 hours that included a wholesale rebellion of his cabinet, a wave of government resignations and a devastating loss of party support prompted by his handling of the latest scandal to engulf his leadership.

Johnson said he will stay on in his post until the Conservative Party chooses a new leader, which could take several months but will likely happen before the party conference in the fall. He said he expected the timetable for his departure and the selection of a successor to be decided on Monday by a committee of senior Conservative lawmakers.

His resignation brings an abrupt end to a tumultuous tenure that was distinguished by a landslide victory three years ago and a successful drive to pull Britain out of the E.U., but that collapsed under the weight of a relentless series of scandals. He initially resisted calls to step down, he said, because he felt it was his duty to remain in the role.
Experts have long debated why violence and poverty are linked. Is it something specific to poverty, such as insufficient housing or jobs? Is it the environment that poverty fosters, in which people are stressed and desperate  and more likely to act out?

One theory, cited by Sharkey, blames the breakdown of collective efficacy. That might sound academic, but the concept is straightforward: When societys institutions have unraveled, people feel that they are on their own. They are then less likely to watch over one another or come together to address common interests.

By reducing social trust, concentrated poverty hurts communities ability to enforce norms against violent behavior. And when people are left unchecked and feel they have nothing to lose, they are more likely to take extreme measures, such as violence, to solve their problems.

The past few years may help you understand this dynamic even if youre not poor. Many Americans felt a hit to their own collective efficacy because of the Covid pandemic, George Floyds murder and its aftermath, and the polarized political atmosphere. Sure enough, murders and other violent crimes increased during this period.

A spiral downward

It is difficult to talk about gun violence without talking about race, because Black Americans are most likely to be the victims of shootings. Poverty explains part of the disparity, since Black people are more likely to be poor. But individual poverty is not the full explanation.
Billions of people worldwide rely on some 50,000 wild species for food, energy, medicine and income, according to a sweeping new scientific report that concluded humans must make dramatic changes to hunting and other practices to address an accelerating biodiversity crisis.

The report, prepared for the United Nations over four years by 85 experts from 33 countries, is the most comprehensive look yet at the pathways for using wild species sustainably, or in ways that do not lead to the long-term decline of those resources and ensures their availability for future generations. It draws upon thousands of scientific studies and other references, including a body of Indigenous and local knowledge. Indigenous and poor communities are among the most immediately affected by overuse of wild species, the report said.

Half of humanity benefits from and makes use of wild species, and often without even knowing that theyre doing so, said Marla R. Emery, one of the co-chairs of the assessment, which was conducted by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. A summary was approved Thursday in Bonn, Germany, by representatives from 139 countries, including the United States, with the full report set for publication in a few months.
Dr. Joyce C. Lashof, who fought for health equity and broke barriers as the first woman to head a state public health department and the first to serve as dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, died on June 4 at an assisted living community in Berkeley. She was 96.

Her daughter, Carol Lashof, said the cause was heart failure.

Over a long and varied career, friends and family members said, Dr. Lashof always prioritized the fight for social justice. In the 1960s, she founded a community health center to provide medical care in a low-income section of Chicago. After her appointment as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health in 1973, the year of the Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade decision codifying the constitutional right to abortion, Dr. Lashof established protocols to provide women access to safe abortion in the state, Carol Lashof said.

In the 1980s, Dr. Lashof leveraged her powers as a top university administrator to organize initiatives to fight discrimination against people with AIDS and to protest Apartheid in South Africa.
Time travel and romance make for a good cinematic combination because we just want to believe that true love is out there, even if you need a temporal do-over or three to finally secure it. In Greg Bjorkmans assured debut feature, Laura (Clara Rugaard, from I Am Mother) and Harrison (Lewis Pullman, Top Gun: Maverick) meet, argue about the band Japanese Breakfast and fall in love. Then a car hits him and he dies.

The grieving Laura realizes that every time she plays a song from the cassette mixtape they had been putting together, she travels back to the days when Harrison was still alive. Seeing an opening to rewrite history, she changes the past to create a future in which he is still living. But each time she returns to those earlier days, Laura also creates unwanted ripple effects and must try again.

As so often happens in contemporary romances, the main protagonists are too idealized for their own good and cutesy quirks (reminder: a cassette plays a key role) substitute for personality. But the understated Rugaard  who feels like a Danish version of Alicia Vikander  bestows Laura with a warm poise, the love story does not feel sticky-gooey and Bjorkman sticks the landing.
Rumor has it youre playing a villain in that film. Or maybe youve complicated the idea of a villain?

I dont really know any other way of going about it, to be honest. I have to start with something real and emotional and authentic and build out from there. I have to understand the deeper meaning in my head.

I read about your engagement to Tom Hiddleston. Is it true you met doing Betrayal? Because the marriage in that play is not a good marriage!

Oftentimes, the most distressing, deep work has the happiest companies. The play was called Betrayal. But the play behind the scenes was absolute trust.

Well, Im still hoping that your marriage works out better. Its funny, youve been in this business for nearly 30 years, but when I Googled you, the top results all had to do with your personal life. Whats it like to experience this kind of scrutiny?

As a woman in this industry, you become quite attuned to your identity as an artist shifting in proximity to different people. Thats not specific to dating someone. If theres a conversation I would have off the back of this question, its really about letting women in this industry know that whatever point of career that youre in, shore up your identity and reason for being, because people will project onto you in the most intense way. When that happens, you have to have an internal anchor. You have to be delighted and joyful in the work that you do. Im not here to be a victim of projection. Im here to continually grow as an artist.
Imagine that you are a young woman setting out on your adult life in the United States of America in 2022. College is behind you; fulfilling personal and professional ambitions in a stimulating place is meant to come next. Ten or 20 years ago, depending on your interests, you might have moved, as if by reflex, to New York or Chicago, to Los Angeles or San Francisco. But those cities have become only more punishingly expensive. The average rental price of an apartment in Brooklyn is now $3,500, up 12 percent over last year, when we were still lingering in the misguided belief that the pandemic had perhaps changed the city irrevocably toward the softer and more accessible. (In Manhattan, the figure jumped 32 percent to $4,800.)

In recent years the untenable cost of housing in big cities on the East and West Coasts has sparked demographic shifts that the overturning of Roe v. Wade, among ramifications both intimate and systemic, seems poised to upend. In its annual study of where young people are moving, the financial technology firm SmartAsset has been drawing on census data from 180 cities around the country to determine patterns of migration. The most recent edition of the report, arriving last year, looked at prepandemic data and found that people in their 20s and 30s were already leaving the countrys largest cities in greater numbers. New York was chief among them with a net loss of 40,000; Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles followed.

Where was everyone going? On the list of top 25 destinations were five cities in Texas (Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Frisco and Dallas) and one in Oklahoma (Lawton, population 94,000)  states where abortion bans are now already in effect. Other places  Nashville, Boise, Phoenix and St. Petersburg, Fla.  are in states where abortion is likely to be prohibited or restricted, all of which leaves women to calculate trade-offs between material comforts and essential reproductive freedoms. Certainly one potential and not insignificant consequence of these new limitations on female autonomy is the undermining of a cultural and economic renaissance that so many smaller cities have experienced over the past decade, a renaissance that has led in turn to more progressive political environments.
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On his first night at the Brooklyn homeless shelter, Tin Chin met his best friend.

Estranged from his family, Mr. Chin was alone, stewing in anger and shame over all he had lost and how low he had fallen. The Chinatown restaurants he frequented with his wife and daughter, the elementary school drop-off routine, the friendly neighbors in Queens  these had been the trappings of a middle-class life that once seemed secure. A college graduate and former civil servant, Mr. Chin had to learn his city anew, and now  he could still hardly believe it  as a homeless person.

On that evening in 2012 in the Barbara Kleiman Residence in East Williamsburg, he saw only one other Chinese person in the room. The man was skinny, his ill-fitting clothes hanging loosely on his frame. Mr. Chin sized him up with an expert eye: an immigrant, most likely from Fujian Province; no family, no English, no documents.
Climate activists are pushing Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a two-year moratorium on certain energy-hungry fossil-fuel burning cryptocurrency mining facilities. Theyre also frustrated that a bill to curb installation of gas hookups in newly constructed buildings across the state failed to pass this year.

But some nitty-gritty climate bills, so nitty-gritty that they got little coverage, did make it into law. And while they dont sound as juicy, they are essential building blocks, experts say, for reaching the states goals: essentially, by 2050, to stop the entire New York economy from emitting the planet-warming gases driving the climate crisis.

Heres what those laws do:

Allow the state to set new energy-efficiency standards for buildings, appliances and machinery.

Without the Codes and Standards Act, agencies could not fully enforce the overarching climate law.

The new law allows them to make rules that govern the greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and the activities inside them, something that was never part of such codes before.

Allow utilities to get into a new business: thermal heating and cooling.

This one is important because it gives gas utilities something to do as the use of gas is phased out  hopefully, advocates say, lessening their intense lobbying efforts against other bills and actions that would limit its use.
After the ruling, a federal appeals court in New York vacated the conviction of Mr. Bruno, the State Senates former Republican majority leader, who had been found guilty in 2009 in Albany of two counts of mail fraud. Among the accusations was that he received tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from an Albany businessman disguised as a payment for Christys Night Out, a profoundly unsuccessful racehorse. Mr. Bruno was retried in 2014 and acquitted.

The trend continued in 2016, when the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the conviction of Bob McDonnell, the former Republican governor of Virginia, further narrowing the kinds of quid-pro-quo actions that could constitute corruption. There had to be formal and concrete actions taken by an official, like filing a lawsuit or making an administrative determination, not just routine political courtesies like arranging meetings, the court said.

In the wake of that ruling, the convictions of two of New York's most prominent former lawmakers  Sheldon Silver, the once powerful Democratic assembly speaker, and Dean G. Skelos, another former Republican Senate majority leader, were vacated on appeal. Both men were retried, convicted and sentenced to prison.

And two years ago, in the so-called Bridgegate scandal, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the convictions of two associates of New Jerseys Republican governor, Chris Christie, for trying to punish one of Mr. Christies political opponents by creating traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge. The court called the act an abuse of power but not a federal crime.

The prosecutions of Mr. Percoco and Mr. Kaloyeros, along with Mr. Silver and Mr. Skelos, were all part of a widely heralded campaign against official corruption led by Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and his successors, leading to convictions and prison sentences for a string of state lawmakers.
Dont quibble, dont be distracted by debates over whether or when a ban will happen. Instead, decide on a handful of action items around abortion access and get everyone who wants a vote or a dollar to say it out loud: I will support abortion access in these ways and if I dont follow through, you should kick me out.

I am honestly unsure if it matters what those action items are; I do know Democrats will have to throw out any concern for the appearance of moderation. Right now, all the ideas about bridging the gap to abortion access sound extreme. But so did the tax pledge at one point. So did overturning Roe v. Wade.

Take allowing abortions on federal land. Biden could declare the policy so. Candidates would only have to pledge to support it. Yes, the policy would invoke an avalanche of untested legal theories and complicated jurisdictional questions. But Democrats who want to save the lives of those in need of an abortion cant fall back on its complicated as an excuse to not even try.

If you want something less complicated  something that would also help roll out abortions on federal lands  make a pledge not to vote for any appropriation bill that carries the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for most abortions. On its own, abolishing the Hyde Amendment would not greatly expand access outside states where abortion is legal. But combined with abortion access on federal property, the government could act even more directly to help those seeking abortion care. Stonewalling Hyde-burdened budgets could lead to a government shutdown, but if you think that ruins a partys reputation forever, well, you are probably a current Democratic office holder.

Embracing a politics of fear on reproductive rights unites two of the constituencies the Democrats need to edge out the G.O.P. in key narrow races (Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia). First, hammering home the danger of a national ban may sufficiently alarm moderate voters in the suburbs, convincing them to abandon Republicans. Second, addressing the widespread sense of betrayal among progressive voters will help keep them activated. The threat of a national abortion ban is also a national message. Democrats can make it clear that the party cant risk a single loss, no matter how lopsided the polls are. And then there is the simple truth underpinning this entire strategy: Protecting abortion rights is popular.

This plan  where Democratic leaders take real political risks  is untried. But its worth the gamble. Bold action is the only way to assure voters that they are prepared to do whatever it takes when other rights are on the chopping block. Most significantly, prioritizing responsiveness to voters would reset the entire framework of Democratic campaigns.
Pollution deaths rarely if ever show up in coroners reports, since, as with many deaths, the etiology is multicausal. In fact, though 40,000 are estimated to die each year from it in the U.K., it was only in 2020 that air pollution was listed for the first time on a death certificate, that of the 9-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who has since inspired a landmark bill, called Ellas Law, to guarantee a British right to clean air. But the science of premature death does not operate by anecdote or coroners judgment. More simply, since everyone dies, the question is: When?

A.Q.L.I. maintains a remarkable and easy-to-use tool that allows you to trace that answer down to the county level, all around the world and working back through 24 years of data. Worldwide, life expectancy is being reduced by 2.2 years overall, the equivalent of 17 billion life years lost annually to smog.

In the United States  where separate research has suggested that 350,000 may die annually from pollution produced by the burning of fossil fuels  life expectancy is reduced by 0.2 years overall, according to A.Q.L.I. Perhaps that doesnt sound like much; by global standards, it isnt. But for health perhaps especially, relative measures are not the only ones that matter, and averages like these hide large differences between groups and regions. In California the impact is three times as large, and since 1998 the much vaunted air quality improvements throughout the state have not reduced the impact of pollution on mortality at all; it has actually risen, from 0.5 years then to 0.6 today. Today, in a line of counties stretching north from Los Angeles and another bundle north of San Francisco, the average resident would live more than a year longer if local pollution were reduced below the W.H.O. threshold.

Most of the country falls just above that threshold. But according to the State of Global Air, two-thirds of the worlds population lives in places where particulate matter exceeds 25 micrograms per cubic meter  a threshold five times as high as the W.H.O. standard. More than half live with pollution above 35 micrograms per cubic meter, seven times that standard.

In India, according to A.Q.L.I., meeting that standard would extend life spans by more than five years for more than a billion people. In the north of the country, where pollution is worst, air pollution reduces life spans even more significantly: in Delhi, by 10 years; in Bihar, eight; in Uttar Pradesh, eight. And because these are averages, which also account for those for whom the effect is smaller or even zero, it means that many millions could have their lives extended by much more.

As it is with any pollutant, lethality is not the only measure of harm  in fact, it is the strictest standard, producing ultimately the smallest figures, since many more suffer from pollution than die from it. Expand the aperture of impacts and the effect grows so large that it touches on, which is to say damages, nearly every quantifiable aspect of human health and flourishing: respiratory disease, heart disease, cancer and strokes; Alzheimers, Parkinsons and dementia; cognitive performance, memory and vocabulary; premature birth and low birth weight, infant death and heart malformation; A.D.H.D. and autism spectrum disorders; mental illness, depression, suicide and self-harm.
Then Adams, who first drew public attention early in his career as a police officer who criticized police brutality, advised them: You must be your brothers keeper. You must ensure that he or she never reaches the point where they tarnish the shield, because one officer could destroy all the work that we are attempting to do.

His younger brother, Bernard, a former police officer who is the director of mayoral security with a salary of $1 a year, told me that their mom drilled into them that you have to be your brothers keeper and watch out for the little guy who wasnt getting a fair shake.

Six months into the job, Eric Adams, 61, is at a crucial juncture. The honeymoon, filled with hope for a dynamic new mayor, is over. Adamss poll numbers have dived, which the optimistic politician took with aplomb. A C is not an A, but a C is not an F, he told reporters, adding that he interpreted the numbers from tough New York graders to mean Were going to give Eric a shot.

The New York Post, which endorsed his candidacy, has now given Adams the Homeric epithet club-hopping. The Timess Emma G. Fitzsimmons wrote that his efforts in Albany, where he once served as a state senator from Brooklyn, fell short of achieving long-term mayoral control of public schools and other measures. David Freedlander of New York magazine, asserting that Adams can boast of few accomplishments, wrote recently, Its become hard to escape the impression that New York City is being led by a mayor who is, frankly, winging it.

What Adams has brought to the job is a flair thats refreshing after eight years of the dyspeptic Bill de Blasio. Over the July 4 weekend, he tweeted a video of himself taking a spin on a jet ski and looking like a pro in Mill Basin between Brooklyn events. But the questions echo: Is he all hat and no cattle? Is he skewing too much to swagger at the expense of substance?

Its like the second coming of Beau James, Jimmy Walker, one top Democratic politico said, referring to the vivacious Roaring Twenties mayor (who left office in a cloud of scandal). But the most important thing is what you do between 9 and 5, not 5 and 9.
To the Editor:

We, the clergy leaders and spiritual leaders of the Kingston Interfaith Council in upstate New York, are calling for an immediate ban on all assault weapons and all modifications of weapons that transform them into assault-style weapons.

We call upon our neighbors and businesspeople who are financially benefiting from the sale of assault-style weapons to take the moral high ground and immediately stop those sales. We also ask that our law enforcement officials work together to create an ongoing buyback program for assault weapons and all guns that people are willing to relinquish.

Our children are being murdered in schools. Our youth are dying by suicide with the guns in our homes. Our siblings of color are being targeted and murdered in our streets, in our grocery stores and in movie theaters. Our neighbors are being targeted as well as murdered in their houses of worship. We must recognize that what we once called safe spaces are now sites of horrific and unspeakable violence. We can change this!
To this proposition someone might retort that not long ago, it may have also been difficult to imagine the high court undoing Roe, given how many Americans believe in a womans right to choose and the nearly half-century-old decision in that case having been affirmed by the court in its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

But opinions on abortion are less settled in America than those on racism and segregation: In Gallups most recent polling on the issue, 55 percent of Americans consider themselves pro-choice. But since 1995 that number has fluctuated, and at various times dipped below 50 percent. In recent decades Americans have been somewhat evenly divided on the pro-choice/pro-life question. There remain a great many Americans of all classes, races and levels of education  including Supreme Court justices  who see abortion as fundamentally immoral.

By contrast, a view favoring or tolerating legal segregation wouldnt be rooted in as singular a conviction as the one that views abortion as ending a human life, a position thats exceedingly difficult to alter.

Deep-seated racist bias is also difficult to alter, but the Civil Rights Act of 1964 didnt outlaw racist bias. Rather, it outlawed barring Black people (or people of any racial or ethnic group) from public accommodations, creating separate facilities for Black people and refusing to hire Black people based on race, whatever ones biases. A straightforward and relatively easy case to make in our times.

This is especially true given the diminishing proportion of Americans who grew up when legal segregation was not only allowed but considered normal. The justification for segregation, along the lines that Black people are inherently inferior to, and must therefore be kept apart from, white people is one that, as Oscar Hammerstein taught us in the Broadway musical South Pacific, youve got to be carefully taught. But American life teaches that lesson  to hate and fear people different from us  much, much less today than it once did. A society can develop morally, and this is belied neither by how slowly it happens nor by the inevitable existence of holdouts.

Yes, there are those who thought (and some who still think) that in the legal sense, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an overreach: In a 1964 Senate floor speech expressing opposition to the acts passage, Senator Barry Goldwater said, I am unalterably opposed to discrimination or segregation on the basis of race, color or creed, but at the same time against a federal regulatory course of action with regard to private enterprise in the area of so-called public accommodations and in the area of employment. That position was tested that same year in Heart of Atlanta Motel Inc. v. United States, and the Supreme Court found that Congress had acted within the scope of its power when it passed the act and made it unlawful for a motel to discriminate based on race.
When Madelyn Elizabeth Krebs and Tyler Christopher Fox met in August 2013, she was starting her second year at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a high school in Durham, and he was beginning his first.

The two went to lunch with some classmates at a local diner. By chance, they sat down next to each other, and when her spaghetti arrived, he was so transfixed by the sight of it that, without asking, he scooped up a forkful for himself.

I just couldnt help myself, she recalled him saying. I was so shocked.

Mr. Fox managed to talk his way past the transgression and into what quickly became a close friendship between the two, now both 26.
I have moved five times in the decade since, and they have never reappeared.

For years I grieved those pearls  the wasteful expense, the irresponsible loss. I imagined someone at Goodwill stumbling across the leather pouch while sorting through my bags of unwanted clothes, reveling in the little treasure. I hope they found a good home, maybe even on the neck of a happy bride.

Of course, I made other missteps after 22. Through most of my single years, I had sex with men I didnt want to have sex with because it felt easier than saying no  and I often did so while drunk, to dull the physical pain I had experienced since the miscarriage  until I discovered pelvic floor therapy, which radically changed my sex life and romantic relationships.

I worked at a series of jobs I didnt care about, berating myself for losing track of my so-called path, before finding, in writing and journalism, work about which I felt passionate. And I spent enough time in therapy to forgive my 18-year-old self for fumbling her way into pregnancy and marriage, for being tired and willing to give up the reins of her life for a little while. I try not to grip those reins too hard now but let them rest in my hands.

Today, I live in a Montana mountain town that doesnt have a Macys. Im 32 and plan to get married again next year, though Im not technically engaged; my partner and I have been talking about our intentions, envisioning what we want our life to look like. When we first started dating, we were disillusioned with marriage, so we have been surprised to learn, four years in, that we have warmed to the idea.

After weathering family crises and a pandemic, we would like to celebrate the joy we have found together with a small, festive ceremony. Were pretty sure we wont have children, and were considering revisiting our marriage contract every five years and consciously deciding whether to renew it. Maybe thats antithetical to the whole concept, but we like the idea of making the institution our own.
Tara Cannistraci was finishing dinner with a friend at El Barrio in Scarsdale, N.Y., in early May 2017, when Michael Todd Mondrone, a part owner of the Mexican restaurant, sent over some sorbet as a way to introduce himself. She thanked me on her way out, Mr. Mondrone said. I asked her to stay.

Ms. Cannistraci wasnt interested. She told him she had to work, and when he asked for her phone number, she instead handed him her business card with an email address. I didnt want him to have my number, she said.

Twenty minutes after leaving the restaurant, Ms. Cannistraci received an email from Mr. Mondrone. He wrote that he was pleased to meet her and her friend and also informed her that one of them had left a pair of sunglasses behind. Then, he asked her to join him for a drink. Im coming back for the glasses, she responded, and a pinot noir.
Theres a lot to worry about right now in our country and the world, Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, told a packed room of about 500 people gathered at the grand ballroom at the Manhattan Center on Friday afternoon. And I think we need theater and the arts more than ever.

Clinton was speaking at the seventh BroadwayCon  an annual haven for the most passionate theater fans  where she was moderating a panel celebrating women on Broadway. It was the first in-person edition of the three-day event, which continues through Sunday, since 2020. (The 2021 edition was virtual.)

The event allows musical theater aficionados  many of them costumed as favorite characters like Elphaba from Wicked and Anne Boleyn from Six  to meet and take photographs with the stars of their favorite shows.
Twenty years ago, with my life at a serious crossroads, I applied to every single airline, and a few months later I was officially a flight attendant. I loved my new job, and it came with a completely new and exciting life.

But I didnt sign up for what travel is like this summer.

The pandemic has changed flying more than any event I have experienced in my career. If 9/11 changed how we board planes and enter airports, Covid-19 changed the experience on the airplane all together. It created a strain and made everyone nervous. It brought politics into a realm that shouldnt be political.

In the initial days of the pandemic, the airlines tried to save as much money as they could. They allowed early retirements and furloughed many employees; on top of that, many other employees quit to be with their families. Now we have an employee shortage. Once the mask mandate was dropped, passenger counts started to grow faster than airlines could handle. Now we are short-staffed and overworked. Not just pilots and flight attendants, but also ground crews. You may not think about ground crews, but without them there is no one to park the planes, drive the jet bridges so you can board and get off, load your bags and retrieve them, or scan boarding passes.
The ascension of these candidates comes amid a wave of action across the country that advances cultural priorities for many conservative Christians. The most significant is the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to an abortion  on top of its recent series of decisions allowing for a larger role of religion in public life, such as school prayer and funding for religious education. States have also been taking action; many have instituted abortion bans. A Florida law prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in early elementary school, and Texas has issued an order to investigate parents with transgender children for possible child abuse.

Some of the candidates see the Supreme Courts recent string of decisions as a sign their mission is succeeding. In Georgia, Kandiss Taylor got only 3.4 percent of the vote in the Republican primary for governor. Im glad the SCOTUS decided to join me on the FRINGE! Jesus, Guns, & Babies, she said in a tweet, referring to her own campaign platform.

Declaring the United States a Christian nation and ending federal enforcement of the separation of church and state are minority views among American adults, according to the Pew Research Center. Although support for church-state integration is above average among Republicans and white evangelicals, many Christians see that integration as a perversion of faith that elevates nation over God. The fringe vying for power is still a minority among Christians and Republicans.

Like Mr. Mastriano, some of the candidates pushing that marginal view already hold lower-level elected positions but are now running for higher office where they would have more power, said Andrew Seidel, a vice president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

We are seeing them emboldened, Mr. Seidel said. They are claiming to be the true heirs of the American experiment.
Ms. Titchenell called 911 in Greene County on July 1, 2020, pleading for help for Ms. Kronk, prosecutors said.

She told the dispatcher that her mother was really bad, hadnt been out of bed in three days, had been drinking heavily, was turning yellow, had lost so much weight and was making noises, according to an audio recording of the 911 call released by Ms. Titchenells lawyer, Lawrence E. Bolind Jr.

The dispatcher asked Ms. Titchenell if her mother was willing to go the hospital. Shes going, or shes going to die, Ms. Titchenell said. The dispatcher said, We cant force her to go in an ambulance.

Image Diania L. Kronk Credit... Kelly Titchenell/Kelly Titchenell, via Associated Press

After he repeated that Ms. Kronk could not be forced to go to the hospital and had to be willing to go, Ms. Titchenell said, Shes got to go because, if not, shes going to die. She added, I dont think shes even in her right state of mind now.

The dispatcher ended the call to Ms. Titchenell, who was driving to the home where her mother was staying, by asking her to call back once she got there to make sure shes willing to go before we send resources out there, in case she says no. He added that as long as Ms. Kronk was willing to go, he would send an ambulance.
But advocates, such as Mini Timmaraju, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the executive order is an important first step in restoring the rights taken from millions of Americans by the Supreme Court.

Others have urged Mr. Biden to take bolder action, even if he risks being overturned in court. They want him to declare a public health emergency, a move that they say would enable the administration to move quickly to expand access to abortion, including by ensuring that abortion pills can be prescribed in states where abortion is illegal.

You need to be willing to take some risks  even if the anticipation is it might not work, Andrea Miller, the president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, said before the announcement. Because we are facing an immediate crisis.

The presidents order directs Mr. Becerra to develop a report identifying potential actions to protect access to abortion but does not say what those actions will be. Mr. Becerra will also identify steps to ensure that pregnant women have access to emergency care, it says, by considering updates to current guidance on obligations specific to emergency conditions and stabilizing care.

The order does not specify what those updates will be but directs Mr. Becerra to report back to Mr. Biden in 30 days.

In an effort to prepare for legal challenges from abortion opponents, the order directs the attorney general and the White House counsel to convene a meeting of private pro bono attorneys, bar associations, and public interest organizations to encourage robust legal representation.
As more and more migrants were crossing into Del Rio in the days before Sept. 19, the Border Patrol chief, Raul Ortiz, called for all available horse units to be at the rivers edge, where migrants were crossing, as a show of force and for crowd control, the report said.

Investigators learned that many of the agents on horseback had gone through little if any training in crowd control and did not have clear directions about their operational goals.

To me, this is less about the individual agents, although they should be held to account for the specific unprofessional actions they took, but a failure of leadership to address a situation that was very much overwhelming the patrol at the time, said Theresa Cardinal Brown, managing director of immigration and cross-border policy for the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Mr. Magnus said on Friday that the policy moving forward would be not to use horses for crowd control without the explicit approval of the C.B.P. commissioner. Mr. Ortiz was not at the news conference on Friday, but he told investigators that he took responsibility for what happened on Sept. 19.

The news conference on the findings of the investigation was unusual. Typically, C.B.P. does not publicly disclose the conclusions in these internal reviews. But during his confirmation hearing in October, Mr. Magnus pledged transparency and accountability on this report and other matters.

The four agents facing discipline have been moved to administrative positions. Mr. Magnus declined to describe the recommended disciplinary action because the review and appeal process was continuing.
In simulations conducted with House members from both parties, representative samples of citizens are solicited and given extensive information on a topic such as immigration or campaign finance and then meet with lawmakers to discuss solutions. The effort also includes a broader poll to assess sentiment in the members particular district.

Participants said it was striking, particularly in an era of intense congressional polarization and rampant misinformation, how much agreement they could find on issues that have bedeviled Congress for years.

What is interesting about this project is it confirms how much consensus on public issues would exist if we all took the time to talk to each other and base our views on careful consideration of the facts rather than tribal partisan messaging, said Representative Tom Malinowski, Democrat of New Jersey, who took part in a simulation on energy and the environment in March.

The exercise found significant majorities of both Democrats and Republicans in his district backed tax incentives for clean energy and requirements for power companies to use renewable fuels  the type of climate change policies that sharply divide Congress, with Republicans vehemently opposed.

Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat who took part in the exercise a few years ago, said he found a surprising public convergence among those participating on campaign and election issues, including backing for a new way to elect members of Congress by ranking favorites, rather than voting for one candidate in a head-to-head contest.

That emboldened me to become the lead sponsor of the ranked-choice voting bill, Mr. Raskin said.

The centers research found overwhelming public support for more extensive voter outreach. Three in four of those surveyed also said that members of Congress should be more responsive to the views of their constituents as a whole, rather than focusing on just those who voted for them.
On Friday, Mr. Evers called the courts latest decision a blow to fair elections in Wisconsin.

Politicians should not be able to abuse their power to prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots or cheat by changing the rules just because they didnt like the outcome of the last election, he said. Todays decision is another in a long line of Wisconsin Republicans successes to make it harder for Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote, to undermine our free, fair and secure elections, and to threaten our democracy.

Municipal clerks who oversee Wisconsins elections used drop boxes for years without controversy before the 2020 election, when about 500 were in place across the state, typically outside public libraries and municipal buildings.

After the election, which President Donald J. Trump lost in Wisconsin to Joseph R. Biden Jr. by about 20,000 votes, Mr. Trumps campaign and his supporters filed an array of lawsuits seeking to invalidate votes cast in drop boxes because the method of returning ballots was not explicitly permitted under state law  though it was authorized by the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

It is not possible to determine precisely how many Wisconsin votes were cast through drop boxes in 2020. About 40 percent of votes cast were absentee, though that figure includes ballots returned in the mail and during in-person early voting. Before the pandemic, in-person early balloting was the predominant method of voting in advance of Election Day in Wisconsin.

In the opinion issued Friday, Justice Bradley compared Wisconsins elections to contests rigged by dictators in Syria and North Korea and questioned whether past elections in the state had been legitimate.

Thousands of votes have been cast via this unlawful method, thereby directly harming the Wisconsin voters, she wrote. The illegality of these drop boxes weakens the peoples faith that the election produced an outcome reflective of their will. The Wisconsin voters, and all lawful voters, are injured when the institution charged with administering Wisconsin elections does not follow the law, leaving the results in question.
At home, Mr. Abe staked his legacy on trying to turn Japan into what he called a normal country, able to defend itself and even engage in combat after more than 70 years of pacifism imposed in a constitution written by postwar American occupiers. In Sundays election, the Liberal Democrats are running on a platform that includes Mr. Abes proposal to revise the constitution to explicitly acknowledge the existence of the countrys self-defense forces.

According to the Ministry of Defense, a man with the suspects name served in Japans marine self-defense forces for three years between 2002 and 2005.

Cellphone videos taken by bystanders at Friday mornings campaign event showed a man in a gray shirt and khaki trousers standing quietly behind Mr. Abe as he first began to speak.

Standing on a riser set against a traffic barrier on a street close to a train station in Nara, Mr. Abe shook his fist and declaimed into a microphone as he praised Kei Sato, 43, who is running for re-election in the Upper House of Parliament.

Suddenly, people heard two loud bangs like the sound of tires blowing out. Masao Nakanishi, 80, who was standing in front of Mr. Abe, said he saw the former prime minister topple onto the street. Cellphone videos shown on NHK, the public broadcaster, showed the man in the gray shirt and khaki trousers, later identified as Mr. Yamagami, taking aim at Mr. Abe and firing, smoke billowing out from his gun. Police said Mr. Abe looked behind him after the first shot and then was hit by a second blast.
The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign rally in western Japan was especially hard to fathom because it involved a gun  a type of crime that is extremely rare in a country with some of the most stringent laws on buying and owning firearms.

Gun violence is almost unheard-of in Japan. There was only one firearm-related death in all of 2021. Since 2017, there have been 14 gun-related deaths, a remarkably low figure for a country of 125 million people.

Expressing a common reaction, Erika Inoue, a 25-year-old designer in Tokyo, said the gun violence was hard to process.
Dr. Michael Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organizations Health Emergencies Program, said on Wednesday that the wave hitting Europe now could be worse than it seems and pointed to what he called almost a collapse in testing that could be obscuring the true spread of the virus.

Dr. Ryan added that while many European countries have seen an uptick in hospitalizations, what were not seeing is an increase in intensive care unit admissions, so the vaccines are still very much working.

While much of the world has dropped mandatory pandemic safety measures, a few areas have sometimes reversed course. On Friday, the Mediterranean island of Cyprus reinstated indoor mask mandates. And on Monday, Frances fifth-largest city, Nice, will require masks on public transportation, which goes further than the central governments recommendation. On the other hand, Austria recently discarded a vaccine mandate that it never enforced.

Professor Lawrence S. Young, a virologist and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick, told The New York Times that he does not think that masking restrictions will return in Britain. One exception he sees is at hospitals, many of which have reintroduced mandatory mask-wearing in recent weeks as cases have been rising.
As foreign ministers from the Group of 20 industrialized nations met in Bali on Friday to discuss some of the worlds most pressing challenges, including the war in Ukraine, the divisions playing out as a result of the fighting were to the fore diplomatically, too.

The nations in attendance have previously been divided about how to respond to Russias invasion of Ukraine, with major powers like India, China and Brazil unwilling to join in the Western-led sanctions against Moscow. The ministers here were unable to agree on a customary joint communique.

And in opening remarks by the events host, Indonesias foreign minister, breaking with largely unqualified Western expressions of support for Ukraines war effort, said that growing food and energy crises meant that it was the worlds responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield.
LONDON  A judge in Britain ruled on Friday that parts of an article in a tabloid newspaper about Prince Harrys fight with the government over police protection were defamatory, in an initial phase of Harrys libel case against the paper.

The newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, reported in February that Harry had tried to keep details of his legal battle to reinstate his police protection secret from the public and that, after the story broke, his public relations team had tried to put a positive spin on the dispute.

Harry has filed a legal claim against the government, after the Home Office declined to allow him to pay for police protection when he and his family are in Britain. He and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, lost their publicly funded security when they stepped back from their royal duties in 2020, and they now pay for their own security as private citizens living in Montecito, Calif.
A court in Moscow on Friday sentenced an opposition lawmaker to seven years in prison for denouncing Russias war in Ukraine, handing down the first prison term for what the government made a crime shortly after the invasion.

The sentence is likely to have a chilling effect on Russian society by further raising the stakes for anyone who publicly opposes the war that President Vladimir V. Putin began in late February. While thousands of people protested across Russia in the first weeks of the conflict, the dissent was quickly suppressed amid police violence and the passage of draconian laws that limited free speech.

The opposition lawmaker, Aleksei Gorinov, a municipal deputy in Moscows Krasnoselsky district, was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian Army and its activities, the Tverskoy Court said in a statement on Friday. It said Mr. Gorinov had conspired with others and had used his public office to commit that crime.
Image Uniper, Germanys largest importer of natural gas, formally asked the government for help, including a request that it take an equity stake in the company. Credit... Andreas Gebert/Reuters

As Europes energy crisis escalates, Uniper, Germanys largest importer of natural gas, asked the government for help on Friday, hours after Parliament passed a law aimed at keeping the energy provider afloat.

The companys finances have been hit hard by cutbacks of Russian gas. Most recently, Gazprom, the state-controlled giant in Russia, has pared back supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany.

Uniper, which functions as a kind of middleman between Gazprom and German factories and municipalities, is being forced to make up shortfalls of Russian fuel ordered on long-term contracts by buying more expensive supplies, like liquefied natural gas. But for now, the company is largely unable to pass those higher costs on to its customers.

Uniper is absorbing the lions share of the costs emanating from these curtailments and thereby has ended up in a very precarious situation, Klaus-Dieter Maubach, the chief executive, said on Friday during a news conference.

He said that in the last three weeks Uniper had seen gas supply cutbacks from Gazprom equivalent to what the companys home city, Dusseldorf, consumes in a year.

The companys daily losses are in the middle double-digit million euro area, he said, which we cannot tolerate for long.

Mr. Maubach said Uniper had been talking to the German government for weeks, but was making an urgent request for help now, less than 24 hours after the German Parliament passed an Energy Security Act devised to bolster Berlins ability to carry out bailout measures for companies deemed essential to keeping homes warm and industries running.

The law also includes a measure that permits power companies to bring coal-fired plants  recently mothballed in an effort to cut carbon emissions  back online to generate more electricity and free up more gas.

But the law sets a high bar for letting energy providers pass on the elevated price of gas to consumers and to ration supplies. And the countrys regulator would first need to determine that there was a gas crisis.

Uniper now appears to be counting on the government to intervene because the collapse of a company with such a large and varied presence in the gas markets could further complicate the already difficult energy situation in Germany and Europe.

Uniper is playing a part in the governments efforts to ease its dependence on Russian fuel by building what is expected to be the countrys first terminal for receiving liquefied natural gas from the United States and elsewhere, at Wilhelmshaven on the northwest coast. But that facility is not expected to begin operation until late December.

Mr. Maubach warned that if present trends continued, the governments goal of building up high storage levels of gas to head off shortages and potential rationing in the winter would be in jeopardy. He said Uniper might be forced to begin draining its own large gas storage facilities as soon as the coming week.

Image Klaus-Dieter Maubach, Unipers chief executive, spoke about the governments rescue plan at the companys headquarters in Dusseldorf on Friday. Credit... Ina Fassbender/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images

The government appears to be receptive to the requests.

We will not allow a systemically important company to go bankrupt and as a result cause turbulence in the global energy market, Robert Habeck, the economy minister, said Friday. With the new legislation in the Energy Security Act, we have various options for action, and we will act.

Mr. Habeck is also trying to arrange for the Canadian government to return a turbine that Gazprom has said is the reason for reducing flows through Nord Stream 1. Adding to worries, Gazprom plans on Monday to shut the pipeline completely for scheduled maintenance for 10 days. The fear is that the conduit could remain closed.

Germanys grid operator has said it had not been able to determine how the absence of one turbine could lead to such a significant reduction in gas flows, a point that Mr. Maubach echoed, saying it was not plausible. He said Uniper was making clear in conversations with the Russian company that we expect them to pay compensation for the damages that we are incurring.

Mr. Maubach has asked the government to compensate Uniper for higher costs, potentially by passing price increases through to customers.

Mr. Maubach also wants the government to beef up the 2 billion-euro credit line it already has from KfW, Germanys state-owned investment bank. Finally, he is proposing that the government take a substantial equity stake  more than 10 percent  in Uniper, in part to give more assurance to the financial markets and the rating agencies.

Investor confidence in the company has been draining away. Unipers share price has plummeted about 75 percent since January, and on Tuesday, S&P Global, the securities ratings agency, said it was putting the companys debt on watch for a possible downgrade. Uniper is now dependent on external factors including government support, it said.

Complicating the situation, Uniper is majority-owned by Fortum, a Finnish company, which would need to agree to bailout terms.

While it is not yet clear what steps the government will take, what seems certain is that some combination of consumers and taxpayers will ultimately pay to sustain the functions performed by Uniper and shoulder the increased costs of gas.

Customers are now receiving gas on terms agreed to in 2020 and 2021, when gas was selling for a tenth or even less of the current price. The big price increase wave will only be ahead, Mr. Maubach said.
Now, in the wake of Mr. Johnsons announcement, many on social media seemed to feel certain that whoever would replace him would also continue the legacy of commitment to Ukraine.

Mr. Zelensky on Thursday echoed that resolve, confident that the same commitment would come from Mr. Johnsons successor: Im sure the policy toward Ukraine of the U.K. will not be changing.

He may be right.

John Kampfner, the executive director of the U.K. in the World Initiative at Chatham House, a British think tank, said that while there will be considerable changes to Britains foreign policy under a new leader  at least tonally if not substantively, depending on who wins the Tory leadership  the policy on Ukraine is unlikely to shift.
NUSA DUA, Indonesia  He was like a skunk at the tropical resort party, shunned by many, though by no means all.

Russias foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, attended a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 industrialized nations in Bali on Friday, despite his countrys pariah status in Europe and elsewhere over its brutal war in Ukraine. His countrys invasion of its neighbor drove two central topics of discussion at the annual event: global disruptions of food and energy supplies.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken declined to meet with Mr. Lavrov, as did several other Western foreign ministers. So many attendees refused to pose with Moscows top diplomat that a customary group photograph was canceled.
Investors may pay lower fees for the mutual funds in their workplace plan than they would in an I.R.A.  even if they kept their money invested in the same funds, Pew found. That is because employer plans can negotiate lower fees available to institutional investors, while mutual funds may charge more for shares sold to retail customers to cover costs like marketing.

Pews new research identified mutual fund management companies with the most expensive and the least expensive fees, ranked by each companys average expense ratio for both institutional and retail shares. (The expense ratio is a funds annual expenses as a percentage of its holdings.) Using a database at the University of Chicagos Center for Research in Security Prices, Pew analyzed the fees charged in 2019 for more than 3,800 mutual funds offered by more than 200 companies.

Pew found that mutual funds holding primarily stocks generally charged significantly more for retail shares. The median expense ratio was 1.24 percent for retail investors, compared with 0.9 percent for institutions. Although the difference is just 0.34 percentage points, it can translate into thousands of dollars less in savings.

Here is a hypothetical example from Pew: Jim, 26, is leaving his job for a new opportunity. He is unsure how long he will stay at the new job, so he rolls over $30,000 in his 401(k) into an I.R.A. rather than into his new employers retirement plan. With no time to do research, he puts the money into the same stock mutual fund he had with his first employer. But the annual fee for the fund in the I.R.A. is 1.24 percent of his assets, compared with 0.9 percent in the 401(k). Over 40 years, the total fees paid in the I.R.A. would shave his retirement savings by almost $65,000 (assuming no new contributions and annual returns of 8 percent).
The Chain of Failures That Left 17 Dead in a Bronx Apartment Fire A Times investigation shows how a New York City high-rise became a deadly chimney of smoke. Video via Citizen

The main fire safety system failed disastrously in a blaze at a Bronx apartment building in January, killing 17 people, The New York Times has found. The deaths were preventable, experts said. No one died from the fire itself, which was largely contained in the two-story apartment where it started, Apt. 3N. But when multiple self-closing doors did not close properly, deadly smoke escaped the apartment and rapidly filled the buildings 19 stories, according to interviews, witness videos, analysis of 911 calls and a 3-D smoke simulation. A majority of the people who died had been at least a dozen floors above the fire.

Video via Citizen

How stairwells became chimneys

Twin Parks North West, an affordable-housing building constructed in 1972, is like many older residential high-rises in New York City that have minimal or no sprinklers in place: It relies primarily on compartmentation to keep smoke from spreading in case of a fire. That means doors must automatically close and latch after someone passes through. If the doors close, the smoke is largely contained. If not, residents are at risk of severe injury or death by smoke inhalation.

At Twin Parks North West, compartmentation broke down in at least three places on Jan. 9. Not only did the door to Apt. 3N, where the fire began, stay open, so did both doors to the third-floor stairwells for lengthy periods. Doors to stairwells in at least two higher floors also malfunctioned, allowing smoke to permeate the building.

You have a gross failure of compartmentation, because there is smoke everywhere in a few minutes, said Jose L. Torero, a professor at University College London who has investigated major fires including at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 and Grenfell Tower in Britain in 2017.

There is certain to be considerable debate  technical, political and legal  over who was responsible for so many doors being partially or completely open when their closure could have saved lives. Maintenance of the doors and the actions of building personnel and some tenants are likely to come under scrutiny.

Using evidence The Times obtained and a 3-D model of the building The Times created, a team led by Albert Simeoni, head of the fire protection engineering department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, created a simulation of the smokes path on Jan. 9. The simulation was for hallways, stairwells and the apartment where the fire started  the main conduits for smoke  but not for individual apartments in the building, where information on door openings was limited.

The fire was sparked by an electric space heater in a bedroom on the lower level of Apt. 3N. A mattress in the bedroom had caught on fire, and smoke filled the lower level of the apartment. Smoke quickly traveled to the apartments upper level. Residents described hearing fire alarms sometime before 11 a.m., but they did not take them seriously, given the history of false alarms in the building. Theres an alarm that always goes off in our building, said Desireth Melo, a sixth-floor resident. To us, thats normal. First compartmentation failure As the Wague family fled the fire in their apartment, the door never closed properly, creating the initial opening for smoke to enter the third-floor hallway. The door to Apt. 3N, like most doors in the building, had relied on simple mechanisms to close automatically in case of a fire: spring-loaded hinges and a latch. Interviews with residents and complaints lodged with the city indicate that, before the fire, doors routinely malfunctioned. Still, James Yolles, a spokesman for the buildings ownership group, Bronx Park Phase III Preservation LLC, said it had no knowledge of self-closing-door issues prior to the fire. As the volume of smoke intensified, the buildings complex configuration only added to the confusion and made it even more difficult for residents trying to escape. On the third floor, for example, eight units were duplexes with lower levels on the second floor. But the building stairwells and elevators were accessible only through hallways on the third floor  the second floor did not have hallways. Four units on the third floor were single-story apartments. The first 911 call came at 10:54 a.m., from Apt. 3M, next door to where the fire started. In the next four minutes, calls were made from four other apartments on the third floor, all reporting smoke. One of them came from a resident from Apt. 3N, who cried, Fire is in the bedroom! Among the most tragic calls came from Apt. 3J, directly across from where the fire started. A man yells into the phone for help as children are heard screaming. The apartment had been breached by smoke, as a video later confirmed. A city official said two people from the apartment died; public records indicate both were children.

Down the hall from the fire, a resident from Apt. 3E told a 911 dispatcher that she could not see outside her apartment door. Smoke continued to pour out of Apt. 3N and into the hallway, trapping some residents as it seeped through gaps under their apartment doors. As soon as she opened the door, the 3E resident said, a thick wall of smoke charged toward her, and it was pitch black. She went back in and put wet towels under her door, advice dispatchers gave to many residents to block the inflow of smoke. She survived. Second compartmentation failure By now, smoke had infiltrated the buildings two stairwells. If you lose the apartment door, you lose the floor, but losing the stairwell door, you lose the building, Professor Simeoni of Worcester Polytechnic said. Housed in a single central core, Stairwell A and Stairwell B were physically separated by a wall, with access on only certain floors. Residents said the door to Stairwell A on the third floor often malfunctioned. That morning, it remained open for long stretches of time. When firefighters arrived shortly before 11 a.m., they left the door to Stairwell B open and designated it as the attack stairwell. A standard operating procedure, the move allowed them to run a hose to put out the fire. A city official said that the door had been opened before the firefighters arrival and had not closed properly, simply burping, or swinging partially open and closed, as large amounts of smoke escaped. Third compartmentation failure Theres evidence that the stairwell doors on higher floors malfunctioned. A city official confirmed that the doors to Stairwell B on Floors 15 and 19 appeared to be open or partially open for a majority of the fire. Video captured by a witness that morning shows thick smoke gushing out of the 15th floor, confirming that compartmentation failed on the top floors, experts said.

Source: Video via Citizen That shows that everybody in the building is under threat, Charles Jennings, an associate professor in the department of security, fire and emergency management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said after reviewing the video.

Flames on the 2nd floor Flames on the 3rd floor Stills from videos by Citizen A review of other video showed flames coming out of Apt. 3Ns upper level several minutes after appearing to have died down on the lower level, compounding the flow of smoke. When the smoke rushed out of Apt. 3N, it initially pressed against the ceiling of the third-floor hallway as it spread from end to end, the simulation showed. Within 20 minutes of the start of the fire, smoke shot up the stairwells, entering hallways on higher floors. It seems pretty clear that the stairwell shaft was the most likely source of smoke migration, said Brian Meacham, a fire safety engineering consultant at Meacham Associates outside of Boston. Paradoxically, the top floors were among the most dangerous. Of the 17 people who died, 14 had been on the 15th, 18th and 19th floors. The hot air and combustion products of the fire  including deadly gases like carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide  made the stairwells and many hallways untenable. In addition to the deaths, which included eight children, more than 60 people were injured, according to the Fire Department.

Calls for help

The most direct indication of how swiftly the smoke moved through the building is also the most heartbreaking: calls to 911 from residents trapped in their apartments, struggling to breathe, some of them with children, pleading for help, guidance and information.

Within 10 minutes of the first 911 call, smoke was already reported on the 16th floor. Calls were made from more than 40 of the 120 apartments.

A number of frantic calls came from the 15th floor, where video captured smoke rushing out of two apartment windows and a stairwell door was stuck open even before the fire started. If I was to put my hand in front of my face, I wouldnt have been able to see it, Leslie Casanova of Apt. 15K told The Times. Next door in Apt. 15J, smoke breached the apartment of a family of four, who later perished. Ms. Casanova had heard the family banging on the walls and screaming for help. Then, one by one, the voices started silencing, she said. Four floors above, five residents from Apt. 19W and three people visiting Mabintou Tunkara  a 19V resident, according to public records  were among those killed. Two others from the 18th floor also died.

In the end, for those who decided to make a run for it, the only way out was through passageways that had become blinding: the stairwells. These interlocking scissor stairs are legal under the New York City building code in residential buildings, but fire safety experts have criticized them. Despite being the sole means of escape, they were not directly accessible from some floors. The reason why scissor stairs dont work is youre making the assumption that if you have access from two sides, there are two means of egress, Professor Torero said. It relies fully on the fact that the shaft is fully protected from smoke. In a way, youve created a single-point failure mode. An in-person inspection by Times reporters revealed narrow stairwells with little to no ventilation and no pressurization or smoke-extraction system on the roof. Video by Yesbely Fernandez via Storyful This video captured from a higher floor shows the inside of one of the stairwells as residents were being evacuated some time later. Walter Williams, one of the evacuated residents, described what it was like. I stepped on people that was passed out in the stairwell. People were already dead, laying there, he said. All the fire victims died from smoke inhalation, but it is unclear where they were found. The loss of life here was totally preventable. Totally, said Robyn Gershon, a clinical professor of epidemiology at New York University. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong here. Photograph by Ryan J. Degan/New York City Department of Buildings, via Associated Press

As the city waits for the results of an official investigation, the scale of the disaster is unquestioned. The Twin Parks fire is one of the worst in our citys history, said Laura Kavanagh, the acting fire commissioner, with innocent lives taken from a deadly combination of a space-heater fire and open doors on multiple floors that allowed smoke to spread throughout the building.

The investigation is likely to center around the self-closing doors. In interviews with The Times, Mr. Yolles, the spokesman for the buildings ownership group, and a city official said that when residents fled, the 3N door remained stuck open, possibly from an extra layer of flooring, though its unclear whether it was thick enough to make a difference. A lawyer representing the Wagues said there would be no comment from the family at this time.

Reliant Realty Services, the management company, said in a statement that the 3N door was signed off as working properly after an inspection last year, and that the Fire Department and building tenants were primarily to blame. The third-floor doors were opened multiple times during the fire by residents and the F.D.N.Y. for firefighting operations, which caused smoke to fill the stairwells and reach the upper floors, the company said.

The Reliant claims are difficult to square with visual evidence from security camera footage. This evidence has not been released publicly, but a city official described it to The Times. The official said the footage showed that a third-floor stairwell door never latched after a building worker opened it and that a 15th-floor stairwell door became stuck after a tenant opened it earlier.

To be very clear, prior to F.D.N.Y. arrival at this fire, the third floor, stairwell and multiple upper floors were filled with thick, choking smoke due to multiple open doors throughout the building, said James Long, a spokesman for the New York Fire Department. To state that firefighters bravely working to save the lives of residents are the cause of the smoke reaching upper floors is insulting and a gross deflection of responsibility, he said.

More modern high-rises in the city, or older ones that have been retrofitted, have numerous additional safety features, including sprinklers and fire alarms connected to central stations, and from there to firehouses. At Twin Parks North West, there was an alarm system, but it was not connected to fire stations, which the buildings owners confirmed.

Mr. Yolles, the spokesman for the building owners, said that, when the building was constructed, the system was consistent with the New York State code, and that the owners plan to upgrade it.

Additional protective measures provide redundancies, or backups in case another safety feature fails, said Jonathan Barnett, a fire safety expert who investigated the World Trade Center fires of Sept. 11 and has been a consultant on the official investigation into the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London. The point is that if youre going to rely on one system and one system only, youd better make sure it works, he said.
When a Ukrainian family returned to their war-ravaged home in Hostomel after four months, the last thing they expected to find was their beloved pet husky, Belyi.

In March of this year, when Russia started targeting Hostomels strategically important airport with its artillery, 35-year-old Kateryna Tytova and her family had to make a heartbreaking decision. Kateryna, her husband Olexandr and their two young children fled the city and left their white husky, Belyi behind. It sounds cruel, but those were desperate times. Russians were advancing, there was shelling around the airport, and there was no time to plan their escape. A photo of Kateryna holding her 5-year-olds daughter as they run from artillery shelling has made international headlines. But despite leaving Belyi behind, the family always hoped he would be waiting for them when they came back.

Those hopes, however, started weaning as the months past and they saw their hometown being rendered to rubble by invading forces. Still, as soon as it was safe, they left their friends house in Vinnytsia, where they had taken refuge, and returned home. And guess who was patiently waiting for them when they arrived?

It is nothing short of a miracle he survived without us, a crying Kateryna told reporters. He was waiting patiently as if wed popped out to the shops, rather than being away for months after running for our lives. I cry at seeing what is left of our town now. But Belyi being alive feels like a gift, and something positive to cling to as we try to rebuild our shattered lives.



Its believed that the Siberian husky somehow survived the shelling and stayed alive scavenging for food through the rubble. He also survived the Russian soldiers who had obviously ransacked the family home, but when his owners returned, he was waiting for them on the doorstep.

This is just one of the many heartwarming examples of dog loyalty weve featured on Oddity Central.
Scientists at the University of Chicago have developed a new algorithm that forecasts crime with up to 90% accuracy by analyzing data and learning patterns.

Minority Report is a very popular sci-fi film about a special police unit that can arrest murderers before they commit their crimes with the help of three clairvoyant humans called Precogs, which can visualize impending homicides. Its a brilliant film, if you like sci-fi murder mysteries, or youre simply a fan of Tom Cruise, but the reason we bring it up in this story is that a team of researchers claims to have come up with a real-world, AI-powered system that is also able to predict crimes with an accuracy of 90%. And their systems doesnt require Precogs, just past data so it can predict the future.

Photo: Minority Report poster

Data and social scientists from the University of Chicago have developed an advanced algorithm that works by learning patterns in time and geographic locations from public data on violent and property crimes. According to the University of Chicago, the new model isolates crime by looking at the time and spatial coordinates of discrete events and detecting patterns to predict future events. It divides the city into spatial tiles roughly 1,000 feet across and predicts crime within these areas instead of relying on traditional neighborhood or political boundaries, which are also subject to bias.

Apparently, the accuracy of the new algorithms predictions was up to 90% and worked not only for Chicago, but also with data from seven other U.S. cities: Atlanta, Austin, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland, and San Francisco.

We created a digital twin of urban environments. If you feed it data from what happened in the past, it will tell you whats going to happen in future, said Ishanu Chattopadhyay, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at UChicago and senior author of the study.

Photo: Michael Fortsch/Unsplash

The model was tested and validated using historical data from Chicago around two broad categories of crimes: violent crimes (homicides, assaults, and batteries) and property crimes (burglaries, thefts, and motor vehicle thefts), and, according to the recently-published study it could predict future crimes one week in advance with about 90% accuracy.

Maybe were not quite at Minority Report level of predicting crime just yet, but this AI-powered technology definitely seems like a step in that direction.
Air New Zealand, which will kick off its first non-stop flight from New York to Auckland on September 17, has hired Praytell to handle the brand's earned-first strategy and media relations campaign.

The shop will launch a consumer activation push tied to the inaugural flight.

Air New Zealand will operate the New York JFK International to Auckland International Airport three times a week.

It is one of the longest routes in the world: 17 and a half hours southbound and 16 hours northbound.

Air New Zealand resumed US service, which had been suspended due to COVID-19, in March with flights from Auckland to Los Angeles.

San Francisco service kicked off in April. Honolulu and Houston's flights began again this month.

Praytell has generated buzz for Air New Zealand's new Skynest, sleep pod lie-flat beds for economy passengers.

Travel + Leisure predicted the Skynest will be a "delight to passengers." CNN, CNET, Gizmodo and GMA also covered the Skynest news.
Declan Kellys Consello Group is serving as a financial advisor for Voyager Digital, which has filed for Chapter 11 as a casualty of the crash in cryptocurrency prices.

The Toronto-based cryptocurrency platform suffered losses of more than $650M on a loan it made to Three Arrows Capital, a failed crypto investor.

Its July 6 Chapter 11 filing is less than a week after it suspended trading and prevented customers from withdrawing funds.

Voyager CEO Stephen Ehrlich said the corporate restructuring is the best way to protect assets on the platform and maximize value for all stakeholders, including customers.

The reorganization, once implemented, would allow customers to access their accounts.

Kelly launched Consello in February after resigning as CEO of Teneo in May 2021. He stepped down from Teneo, which he co-founded, after becoming inebriated at a Global Citizen event.

Prior to Teneo, Kelly had top posts at Financial Dynamics and FTI Consulting and served as US economic envoy to Northern Ireland.

Consello is an advisory focused on merchant banking, corporate development and mergers/acquisitions.
David Shipley

The Washington Post names David Shipley as editor of its editorial page. He will assume his new position after Labor Day. Shipley comes to the Post from Bloomberg, where he co-founded the opinion section and served as senior executive editor. He was previously deputy editorial page editor and op-ed editor at the New York Times, served as a speechwriter and special assistant to President Bill Clinton and worked for Mike Bloombergs campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. David has been very good at surfacing a range of views at the places hes worked, and thats what makes him so good for the Washington Post.

The Italian edition of Harpers Bazaar, which launched as a digital-only publication in the fall of 2020, is moving into print. The print edition will be led by Daria Veledeeva, who was the editor-in-chief of Harpers Bazaar Russia for 13 years. Veledeeva left her post at Harpers Bazaar Russia earlier this year after Hearst Magazines International terminated its deals with Russian publishing partners following the invasion of Ukraine. The initial print edition of the magazine will be the November 2022 issue. Six issues will be published in 2023 and 10 issues are planned for 2024.

The number of newspapers continues to shrink at the rate of about two per week, according to a study from Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications. From late 2019 through the end of May 2022, the report says, more than 360 papers have shut down. Since 2005, it is estimated that the country has lost more than one-fourth of its newspapers. In addition, forty of the countrys largest 100 papers now deliver a print edition six or fewer times a weekand 11 deliver just two times a week or less. This has left seven percent of the nations counties (211) without a local newspaper. However, the report does indicate there are some signs of hope, with nonprofit digital local news startups slated in such cities as Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland and Houston. It also notes that 64 digital sites focused on state or local news have been established through philanthropic or corporate funding.
THE Grant Aerona R32 air to water, air source heat pump range has been awarded heat pump product of the year at the prestigious National ACR and Heat Pump Awards 2022, beating off some very strong competition.

Already renowned for its highly efficient, innovative heating technologies and commitment to reducing carbon emissions, this award is an endorsement of the Grants strong R&D heritage in product development. It is also the second time that the Aerona heat pump range has been recognised at these prominent industry awards, the first being after its initial launch in 2018 when it was highly commended.

The win also comes on the back of Grant being awarded Best Renewable Energy Product at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Energy Show 2022 for their HVO biofuel compatible Grant Vortex condensing oil boiler.

Judges were impressed with the Aeronas performance across all criteria including the benefits for customers and installers, energy efficiency and other key features.

Barry Gorman, National Renewables Sales Manager, Grant explains, With heat pump systems, there is no single design solution that satisfies 100% of all installations, but what is unique about the Aerona heat pump is its incredible versatility. The range enables installers to choose the method that is the best fit for their customer's requirements, be that using a low loss header, a buffer or even a plate heat exchanger. This flexibility is one of the reasons why the Aerona is popular choice with heat pump installers throughout the UK, Ireland and further afield.

The range which features four compact models in outputs from 6kW up to 17kW, achieves high SCOPs and is sustainable at low temperatures. The heat pumps are easy to install, use R32 refrigerant gas and boast an ERP of A+++. In addition, the Aerona range is MCS and Keymark approved, and the 13kW and 17kW versions have been recognised by the internationally acclaimed Quiet Mark, for their quiet operation.

A trusted brand in home heating for over 40 years, Grant continues to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable and innovative product development. Founder, Stephen Grant said: We are delighted that our Grant Aerona R32 Air Source Heat Pump received the top award in its category at these prestigious Awards and look forward to continuing to lead the industry in designing and manufacturing heating technologies that offer a low carbon and sustainable heating solution going forward into the future.

Grants portfolio of heating technologies currently includes HVO biofuel compatible condensing boilers, air to water, air source heat pumps, condensing wood pellet boilers, solar thermal panels, underfloor heating, hot water cylinders, aluminium radiators and smart heating controls.

For further information visit www.grant.eu .
THIS year marks two decades since the birth of the Route 66 Challenge which has seen over 750,000 miles accumulated and 5 million raised for Ireland's children's hospitals.

An exciting new book, spearheaded by award-winning photographer Darren Kennedy, documents the journeys behind the miles travelled -- all through the lens of visual storytelling.

Darren is a native of Belmont in county Offaly and is now living in Clonaslee in neighbouring county Laois.

This September, Darren plans to join an equally philanthropically minded group to embark on the bi-annual Route 66 trip -- becoming the first Irish photographer to produce a book about the experience. It will mark the dual realisation of a longheld dream and personal goal for the Clonaslee-based photographer. Since childhood, Darren has dreamed of travelling the famed route. From its depiction in John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath and classic movie Easy Rider, to the vast terrain and sweeping sights through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California, Darren's book will offer a window into the legendary locations, people and history along the highway. Over two weeks and four time zones, Darren will chronicle each step of the way with an ethos he has nurtured throughout his career.

"Photography is not something I produce, it's something that produces a change both in myself and my clients. In all my years and thousands of photo shoots, I have yet to finish a project and not look at the world in a new way. The camera lens captures what the human eye leaves behind. I consider myself nothing less than a chronicler of the human condition, for better or worse. When you see my photos, I think you'll agree."

Darren's photography spans commercial and portraiture photography. From family occasions, to fashion spreads and headshots, Darren takes a tailored approach to each shoot. He is a member of the Irish Photography Association, and clients have described his work as "amazing" and "technically superb".

The Route 66 journey is any photographer's dream. For Darren, it is a multi-pronged endeavour with a desire to give back at its core. Emerging from lockdown, Darren was determined to play his part in supporting Temple Street and utilised his skills and time to make a significant impact. A firm believer in 'helping yourself by helping others', Darren has been a committed advocate for Temple Street for years, most recently co-organising a High Nelly Club fundraiser in the village of Clonaslee in support of the children's hospital which raised 20,000. Undertaking the mammoth project of a book feels like a natural extension of his efforts to date, and Darren feels privileged to have the opportunity to challenge himself for a cause he is passionate about. The Offaly-born Kennedy has always had a natural affinity with children and, as a proud uncle, considers the heartbreaking realities families all over the country are facing when their child requires acute care. Witnessing the plight of incredibly young children during his previous efforts for Temple Street has brought a tear to his eye.

Proceeds from Darren's book will support the acute paediatric hospital which provides care for over 140,000 children every year. Since 1872, Temple Street has been providing critical care at times when families need it most. Today, their work and research is just as essential as it was when they first opened their doors. Their more than 30 patient specialities include neonatal and paediatric surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, nephrology and orthopaedics. Donations are always needed for continued ground-breaking research, the purchase of vital equipment, patient care and parental supports which allow patients to enjoy their childhoods with play therapy and fun activities despite undergoing treatment.

For decades, new and innovative means of fundraising for Ireland's children's hospitals have been underway. This book is a means of continuing to back the ongoing effort and a chronicle of those who revved their engines and took to the highway for Ireland's little heroes. Given the scale of the project, there are multiple expenses involved. All donations to assist in getting this book to print are immensely appreciated.

A link to Darren's Go Fund Me page: Fundraiser by Darren Kennedy : Route 66 book for children's hospital (gofundme.com)
Teagasc ran a photo competition in the run up to their National Beef Open Day, BEEF2022 and invited entries from beef farmers all over the country, which depicted what beef farming means to them and what day-to-day life is like on an Irish beef farm.

Elodie Gill from Clonbullogue, Co. Offaly scooped the second prize in the competition. Elodie snapped the photograph through a hedge while out on the farm one day and submitted it when she saw the competition.Elodie wrote A gap in the hedge leads to beautiful grazing cattle.

The first prize winner was Treasa Gibney from Kells in Co. Meath. Treasa submitted a photograph of her father Patsy with his granddaughter Ella (Treasas daughter) agreeing on a price to sell the cattle. Patsy and Treasa have been farming together for .

25 years and Ella now has a very keen interest in the cattle too

Teagasc Beef Enterprise leader Paul Crosson said; We were overwhelmed with the response to our competition and delighted to have received such high quality entries. The judges and I had a difficult task to whittle down over 150 entries to three winners and five runners up, all which showcased whats great about Irish beef farming. Congratulations to all the winners.

The third prize went to Kieran Beirne from Boyle, Co. Roscommon. When the photograph was taken, the cows had just moved into their new paddock and were enjoying the evening sunset.

There were five runners up also chosen. They were Colm Mulligan, Co. Leitrim; Bill Guinan, Co. Offaly; Aoibhin Coady, Co. Tipperary; Chris Gethings, Co. Offaly and Christopher Doughan, Co. Tipperary.

All entries were displayed at the National Beef Open Day and can now be viewed at www.teagasc.ie/thisisbeef
China, EU urged to uphold their comprehensive strategic partnership

Xinhua) 13:21, July 08, 2022

BALI, Indonesia, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday that China and the European Union (EU) are two major forces in the multi-polar world, and they should uphold the basic orientation of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

During a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting held in Bali, Indonesia, Wang said the two sides should maintain the positive momentum of dialogue and communication, and seek common grounds while shelving differences when they are faced with complicated challenges.

Wang said China and the EU should adhere to the mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, uphold true multilateralism and oppose any acts that trumpet decoupling and violate the law of the economy.

Both sides should reject zero-sum games, instigation of bloc confrontation and attempts to stoke a new Cold War, Wang noted.

He stressed that China is willing to work with the EU side to uphold the international system underpinned by the United Nations and basic norms governing international relations anchored upon international law.

For his part, Borrell said the EU believes that the two sides share more common interests than differences, and it is willing to pursue the one-China policy and conduct more strategic coordination and cooperation with China.

The EU is deeply concerned about the adverse impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and hopes China will play an important role in achieving peace.

On the Ukraine crisis, Wang said parties concerned should seriously reflect on the root causes of the conflict, address the legitimate concerns of every party, and fundamentally eliminate the potential dangers of war.

China's proposals have clearly expounded its positions on the Ukraine crisis, which would serve as a key guide for securing a lasting peace and security, Wang said.

In April this year, China made four proposals on the Ukraine situation, calling for promoting peace talks, preventing a humanitarian crisis on a bigger scale, fostering lasting peace in Europe and the Eurasian continent, and preventing the regional conflict from magnifying.

All the efforts China has made aimed to promote peace and facilitate talks, Wang said, adding that China will adhere to its objective and impartial position and continue to play a constructive role.

China supports the EU side in sticking to its strategic autonomy and playing a more active role of coordination to work out viable plans, Wang said.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the highest civilian awards of the United States. The award is not limited to U.S. citizens and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform. It was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, superseding the Medal of Freedom that was established by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 to honor civilian service during World War II.
The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and of supporting their family during their absence from home.
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Washington Post 11 Jul 2022

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The Group of Seven summit has ended with only modest solutions to the global energy and food crises. The struggles of poorer nations were sidelined by Russia's disastrous war in Ukraine.
Moscow has ordered a halt to Kazakhstan's crude exports from a port in the Black Sea, effectively cutting crucial supplies from the country to Europe. The Central Asian state is looking for alternative routes.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Police imposed a curfew in Sri Lankas capital and surrounding areas on Friday, a day before a planned protest demanding the resignations of the countrys president and prime minister because of the economic crisis that has caused severe shortages of essential goods and disrupted peoples livelihoods.



Critics have said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is responsible for the economic crisis, the worst since the country's independence in 1948. They also blame Ranil Wickremesinghe, who became prime minister two months ago, for not delivering on promises to end the shortages.



Civic and opposition activists have announced that thousands of people will gather in Colombo on Saturday for a mass protest. Police said the curfew, beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, will last until further notice in Colombo and its suburbs.



The announcement of the curfew drew criticism from government opponents and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, which said the curfew is blatantly illegal and a violation of the fundamental rights.



The bar association statement asked police to immediately withdraw what the association called an "illegal order imposing the curfew.



Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa called the curfewa fraud."



Get on to the streets tomorrow. Defy the dictatorship and join with the people to make democracy victorious. Yes we can, he said in a tweet.



Thousands of students wearing black clothes and holding black flags marched in Colombo on Friday demanding the resignations of Rajapaksa and Wickremesing. They shouted anti-government slogans and carried banners reading Enough  now go.



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The U.S. government on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, deploring the loss of a "champion" of the alliance between
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday the country is "shocked" by the shooting death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, extending condolences over the former
The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said that its commissioner, Charles P. Rettig, asked the inspector general to probe the rare, exhaustive audits of former FBI director James Comey and his deputy Andrew McCabe. The situation comes as the two officials are known enemies of the Trump administration.
Finland's Parliament passed amended legislation on border security that allows for the closure of crossing points with Russia amid fears Moscow could choose to send large numbers of migrants to the frontier.The move by lawmakers...
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Air Niugini wishes to advise our valued customers that the airline has suspended flights to Wapenamanda airport, Enga Province, effective Friday 08th July until further notice.

The decision to suspend flights follows the vandalization of the airport runway last night, which has resulted in NAC closing the airport and poses an unacceptable safety risk to the travelling public, our staff, aircraft, and property. The flight suspension is for an indefinite period.

Air Niugini management said, The airline (ANG) only resumed operations to Wapenamanda twelve months ago in July 2021, after the National Airports Corporation (NAC) and Government spent millions of Kina improving the airport runway and terminal infrastructure. The vandalism which occurred overnight shows a complete disregard for public property and facilities and is completely unacceptable."

We understand the inconvenience that the actions of a minority will cause the travelling public, however in the interest of safety we have no choice but to withdraw services indefinitely. Safety is always of paramount importance in our operations.

Prior to the flight suspension, Air Niugini was operating five weekly services to Wapenamanda using Dash8 aircraft.

Passengers who have already paid for tickets may have them rerouted to or from Mount Hagen at no extra charge, or apply for a refund.

Air Niugini is not responsible for passenger road transportation between Mount Hagen and Wapenamanda.

Ends.//





Source: Air Niugini media/One PNG News





Next: Hela Quality Checks underway for counting tomorrow




CUAMM will not walk away from Rumbek, says Chiara Maretti, coordinator of Doctors with Africa in South Sudan. She speaks just weeks before an announced aid cut that will bring health care in the country to its knees: the withdrawal of the Health Pooled Fund (HPF), the international donor consortium and main funder of South Sudans largest health care programme. The withdrawal is scheduled to become effective as of August 1, a choice dictated by the consequences of the Covid pandemic, but also by the continuing war in Ukraine that forces HPF to cut its contribution to Rumbek Hospital. The facility is where patients in the entire Lakes State, especially for obstetric and surgical emergencies, are referred to. It was handling more than 23 thousand admissions a year, and in 2021 it registered more than 2,600 deliveries, 131 percent more than in 2017.

CUAMM began its work in 2016 in that same hospital, mainly supporting and providing services for mothers and children. Subsequently, it extended its support to the rest of the wards and departments, also from a managerial point of view, and always in collaboration with the government. Rumbek Hospital Medical Director, Teran Madit Teran, explains that if the donors back out, 90 percent of our activities will have to be cut, and we dont know what the fate of this hospital will be as of August. In 2021 alone, over $1 million were poured into the hospitals coffers by HPF and managed by CUAMM. In 20 days that money, that covered many needs, will be entirely transferred to the government. We have five partners in this hospital, including CUAMM, Teran adds, we will ask them for help, we need everything; staff will have to be paid, and medicines and fuel for the generators will have to be bought.

Right now the health care system in South Sudan, Chiara Maretti explains, is completely in the hands of NGOs, with the total absence of the State, which is why Doctors with Africa CUAMM, has supported health centers scattered throughout the territory in addition to the hospital in Rumbek. There are eight large state hospitals throughout South Sudan that will no longer be supported and handed over to government management, which, Maretti points out, has declared that it has no funds. This means disastrous consequences for the hospitals; it is almost impossible to imagine the impact of this development. From August 1, where will the hospitalized patients go? And it is impossible for CUAMM to leave, knowing what will happen.

Vincenzo Riboni, who used to head the Emergency Room in the northern Italian town of Vicenza, is no stranger to South Sudan, where he worked in 2018 and 2019. This time its for longer, he points out. Today, at the hospital in Rumbek, he is a surgeon on duty 24 hours a day. His stethoscope around his neck, he hurries through the wards, stopping at every step to talk to staff, patients and family members. He makes sure the nurses understand his indications, and thanks to the help of translators he engages with patients and their families, watching helplessly as many of them die from causes that would have been treatable elsewhere. An immense amount of work is needed here, says Riboni, it is a difficult hospital, because of the people, because of the type of staff and also because of the logistics. The commitment is demanding, a commitment, the doctor concludes, that requires attention, patience, determination and lots of passion.

By Francesca Sabatinelli
Local organizations are reacting to a federal measure to ensure abortion access after the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion as he faced mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after the Supreme Court ended a constitutional right to the procedure two weeks ago.

Allison Wilcox of Midland, one of the Women of Michigan Action Network leaders, said the executive order is a positive step forward. She referred to the "Reproductive Freedom for All" petitions that aim to place an initiative on the November 8 ballot to repeal the 1931 state abortion ban.

"Michigan voters who signed the petition and will vote  want that (access to abortion) to be the case across the country," Wilcox said.

The actions Biden outlined are intended to mitigate some penalties that women seeking abortion may face after the ruling, but they are limited in their ability to safeguard access to abortion nationwide. The president acknowledged the limitations facing his office, saying it would require an act of Congress to restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling.

"I know they (Midland area supporters of reproductive rights) will say it's not enough," Wilcox said. "Because the president's executive orders can't make abortion accessible to women in states where it's limited...You have to do it before six weeks of pregnancy...I am sure people would say that's great, but we need more."

The reproductive rights petition effort has collected 800,000 signatures, which should be enough to be placed on the general election ballot. On Monday, local organizers are turning in signatures to the Secretary of State for certification.

Right to Life of Midland County was not immediately available for comment on Biden's executive order.

About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions in the coming weeks and months.

The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law, Biden said. "The challenge is go out and vote. For Gods sake, there is an election in November. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote!"

Biden formalized instructions to the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical abortion services. He was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.

Biden's executive order also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities  an effort to protect women who seek or utilize abortion services. He is also asking the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online and establish an interagency task force to coordinate federal efforts to safeguard access to abortion.

Biden is also directing his staff to convene volunteer lawyers to provide women and reproductive health care providers with pro bono legal assistance to help them navigate new state restrictions after the Supreme Court ruling.

The decision by the court is expected to make abortion illegal in over a dozen states and severely restricted in others. Privacy experts say that could make women vulnerable because their personal data could be used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion  or medical care for a miscarriage  as well as those who assist them, experts say.

Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states  serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebooks Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Local prosecutors may go before sympathetic judges to obtain search warrants for users data.

Last month, four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data to third parties.
Move over, David Hasselhoff.

Huron County has its own version of "Baywatch" crimefighters patrolling the waters off the county's almost 100 miles of shoreline, making sure boaters, bathers, kayakers and personal watercraft operators stay safe and secure during the busy summer months.

Deputies Brian Wisenbaugh and Chet Kowalski, both experienced in maritime law enforcement, come out of retirement every summer to man one of the Huron County Sheriff's Office watercraft.

Wisenbaugh spent more than 35 years with the Huron County Sheriff's Office, and Kowalski formerly served as police chief in Fairhaven Township and retired from the New Orleans Police Department in 2013.

On the Sunday afternoon of the long Fourth of July weekend, the duo picked me up at the Caseville Municipal Marina in the sheriff's offices 28-foot Boston Whaler.

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

The sheriff's office has a total of five watercraft, including the 1989 Boston Whaler, a 31-foot Grady White patrol boat, a 20-foot 2016 Midwest rescue airboat, a 21-foot 2001 Aquasport patrol boat and a 13-foot patrol boat. Patrol boats are stationed in Sebewaing, Caseville and Port Austin.

The deputies' patrol area stretches from Sebewaing all the way to Harbor Beach, they said, but on Sunday we stayed close to the highly trafficked waters off Caseville.

After a quick pit stop, we headed out of the marina along the break wall. Wisenbaugh served as the operator, or driver, of the boat as Kowalski stood in the back of the boat.

The sharp-eyed Kowalski soon spotted a child on a boat passing in the opposite direction who was wearing the wrong type of life jacket. Michigan law requires all children under 6 years of age to wear a United States Coast Guard-approved Type I or II personal flotation device when riding on the open deck of any vessel.

Kowalski told the parents their child needed a vest that extended up past the childs shoulders to keep the wearer's head above water in case of an emergency. The parents assured the deputy they would get their child a proper life jacket as we continued out into open water, chatting with anglers on the break wall about their luck that day.

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Conditions on the water were ideal, with bright sunshine and relatively mild temperatures, but the sun made the air feel much warmer when the boat slowed to a crawl or the breeze diminished. Wisenbaugh commented about the number of boats on the water, which he said seemed smaller than it had been the previous day.

Kowalksi, wearing a standard deputy's uniform, withstood the heat with little complaint as Wisenbaugh and I enjoyed the shade of the cabin. Kowalski had taken pity and surrendered his seat in the cabin to this reporter, who was struggling to get his sea legs and holding onto a rail in the back of the vessel as if his life depended on it.

We soon received a call about personal watercraft straying into the designated swimming zone off the shore of Oak Beach Park. I held on for dear life as Wisenbaugh opened up the throttle and headed east.

About 15-20 minutes later, we arrived in the waters off Oak Beach and spotted a couple of jet skis and a boat that had entered the area marked off by white buoys reserved for swimmers.

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Using the boat's horn and loudspeaker, Wisenbaugh instructed the watercraft operators they were someplace they weren't supposed to be. We stayed until the offenders exited the safety zone and headed back toward Caseville.

We eventually made our way around Sand Point, with Wisenbaugh carefully navigating the shallow waters. We soon arrived in Beadle Bay, exchanging pleasantries with pleasure boaters and vacationers enjoying themselves next to the water. We briefly stopped at a campground before heading back out into Lake Huron. Wisenbaugh pointed toward land to the northwest, which turned out to be the Pinconning area.

The day consisted of issuing warnings to boaters and jet-skiers who were breaking laws intended to keep everyone on the water safe, including a pair of personal watercraft operators who caught Kowalski's attention for apparently playing a game of "chicken."

After a stern warning from Kowalski, the young men on the jet skis promised to obey the law and sped off toward the shore.

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

Mark Birdsall/Huron Daily Tribune

After about four or five hours, we headed back to the Caseville marina, where we were greeted by Harbor Master Steve Louwers. Wisenbaugh and Kowalski walked into town to have dinner as I bid them farewell and headed back to Bad Axe.

If you're out on the water this summer and see the sheriff's patrol boat, be sure to give a wave to Wisenbaugh and Kowalski as they work to keep you and your loved ones safe.
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The Midland County Educational Service Agency is calling on voters for the first time in its history to pass a bond proposal, which would help some of the most vulnerable children in the local area.

The Educational Service Agency helps connect alternative learners with social and behavioral skills in a setting catered to individual needs. But Superintendent John Searles said one of the main service buildings no longer sustains the needs of staff or students.

"We're very concerned that all kids have equal learning opportunities," he said.

"It takes special facilities," Searles continued. "If you've been in schools at all, you'll see that there's quite a contrast between what we have and what kids have access to here (versus) what typical kids have at the other school districts."

The intermediate school district serves a majority of Midland County and collaborates with the other local school districts. However, the building as structured does not foster the same love, care and support as the staff members provide. Asbestos floor tiles, original to the 70-year-plus-old building, are chipping away underneath those who walk the Sugnet School building. That's just one reason why the county's Service Agency is seeking a $17 million bond proposal.

Two of three buildings are in need of funding for repairs and partial expansion, after years of a "band-aid" approach to maintain the facilities. Through collaboration with Three Rivers Construction, Searles described the potential plans as comprehensive. He said three approaches were considered and the agency chose the "modest" option.

The ballot proposal, if passed, would primarily fund a comprehensive reconstruction and add-on plan for the dated Sugnet School building. For roughly $50 a year from Midland County taxpayers, the proposal would also support necessary developments at the Longview Early Childhood and Family Center at the other end of town.

"They'll feel valued," Searles said in response to how the students would be impacted by voters choosing "yes" on the upcoming primary election ballot.

LaLonde's Market owner Scott MacNellis, whose business neighbors the Sugnet School, said it is important for voters to consider the measure because of the agency's community-wide impact. Other community partners, such as the Midland Business Alliance, have endorsed the bond proposal as well.

"The building that they have is tired and dilapidated," MacNellis said.

"The ESA (agency) is in a building where they have the best people ever, (who are) doing amazing things for children with special needs, but, the windows don't work...safety hazards...they need to put money into those facilities so that they can continue to give the programs that they give," MacNellis continued.

Searles described his staff members as adaptable workers who are dedicated to a high, intentional level of care and services for children and adults with disabilities, neurotypical individuals, those with special education designations, and students in the other local school districts. The range of the staff's professional expertise includes registered nurses to career coordinators.

The Midland County Educational Service Agency, which is headquartered in Midland, is one of 56 Michigan intermediate school districts that serve the educational needs of students, parents, and staff in local schools. For more on the programs that staff help provide, visit www.midlandesa.org/page/services.
A support group for family members and caregivers of persons living with a mental illness will meet on Monday, July 11 at 7 p.m. at Community Mental Health, 218 Fast Ice Drive in Midland.

The support group is offered by NAMI Midland. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Tim Kelly, Republican primary candidate for the 35th District State Senate seat, has decided to pull out of the League of Women Voters candidate forum on Monday, July 11.

In the past couple of weeks, the Voters Not Politicians have joined League of Women Voters as partners in collecting signatures for Promote the Vote 2022- a petition to codify election reforms that have both failed at the federal level thus far, and are key policies championed by the Democrat Party," Kelly wrote in a news release emailed to the Daily News on Friday.
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Kittens trapped in cupboards. Fistfights over dog food. Animals abandoned and abused.

Elizabeth Quarm of the Humane Society of Saginaw County said these are some of the problems that her agency is dealing with.

Its a nightmare, she said.

Many animal shelters across the state are experiencing similar issues with high volumes of pet returns from owners who can no longer care for their animals.

Blair Woodgate from the Gratiot County Animal Shelter suspects this is related to the pandemic.

They got pets through COVID because they were home, and then now that they're back to work and gas prices are so expensive, they're trying to give them up because the cost is a lot, said Woodgate.

As shelters are packed with animal returns and kitten season rescues, they also have to work against declining adoption rates.

Craig Goulet with the Bay County Animal Shelter said adoption rates have gone down by 40% comparing 2019 to 2021.

Quarm said it took 90 days for her to find a home for a full-blooded Pomeranian.

A couple years ago, we would have had a dozen applications in one day, she said.

Experts say abandonment is worst way to handle situation

According to a board member of the Humane Society of Saginaw County, they have taken on more than double the amount of animals they had last summer, many of whom were surrendered or abandoned by previous owners.

People tell us they keep letting their animals go, because they don't want them anymore and all the shelters are full and won't take them, Quarm said. We're seeing animal abandonment, friendly animals tossed outside.

The work of an animal rescuer is both physically and emotionally draining. Quarm recently took in a cat in Saginaw County that had nearly starved to death after being trapped in a cupboard for two weeks. The owners had also abandoned a puppy, which died before anyone was able to rescue it.

(They didnt) even leave the toilet seat up for water, she said.

Experts say that if you can no longer care for your pet, the worst thing you can do is let it go as a stray or abandon it.

Pet food assistance programs designed for need

Many shelters across Michigan offer services that can help provide food, litter or other necessities to pet owners who are unable to financially care for their animals.

I would certainly encourage people to reach out to their local shelter or Humane Society and see what is available in their area and what they need to do to go about getting some assistance, Goulet said.

These programs are designed for need, not greed. The Humane Society of Saginaw County had a pet food giveaway, which Quarm described as chaos." Their supply was gone within an hour. She said some people were lying, taking in excess, and abusing a program which is meant for people who cannot financially support their animals.

If you have four dogs that cost you 20 grand, you shouldn't be in our pet food line, Quarm said.

At the giveaway, Quarm said many pet owners lined up their cars while others came on foot for heavy bags of food to carry home to their pet. One young couple walked two miles because their dog so desperately needed food, she said.

Shelters need help

The bottom line  shelters need help. We're worried every day, Quarm said.

Quarm's non-profit does not have a physical shelter to work out of. Instead, she has 90 cats and two dogs living out of her own house.

It takes me six hours a day to clean, she said. I want to quit every day.

The Humane Society of Saginaw County has a goal to build and own a shelter to house the abundance of cats and dogs that wind up in its care. Quarm said ideally, they would magically come up with a donor."

We could live normal lives without 80 or 90 cats in our home, Quarm said. We just haven't found that person.

Goulet encourages people to consider adopting, but he also wants pet owners to remember to have a solid plan in place before adopting an animal.

Life can change, jobs can change, health can change. Have a plan for that animal, he said.

The Daily News reached out to Humane Society of Midland County, but no one there was available to comment for this story.

In an article in March, the Daily News reported that the Humane Society of Midland County, which is operating in severely cramped quarters, owns a 10-acre parcel of land across the street from its East Ashman Street location, donated by Dow.

But the Humane Society needs more donations to build a new shelter. The organization is planning to kick off a capital campaign in the near future.
Director of Content and Operations

Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half.
"The List" is PAPER's definitive roundup of the biggest fashion launches, capsules and collaborations of the month. Scroll through, below, to see July's newest arrivals.

Mr. Porter x Throwing Fits Courtesy of Mr. Porter James Harris and Lawrence Schlossman, founders of menswear podcast Throwing Fits (its tagline is "two grown dirtbags just tryna navigate the male zeitgeist"), have collaborated with Mr. Porter on a new capsule collection featuring 13 brands and over 70 pieces of clothing, shoes and accessories, all handpicked by the duo. There's also an edit of exclusive Throwing Fits merchandise. "Whether we've earned this privilege or it's simply karmic justice for a lifetime spent shopping and thinking more about men's clothing than anyone else on the planet is up to interpretation," the pair said of the partnership. "Either way, consider the bucket list checked. Finally garnering the respect of our friends and loved ones is just icing on the cake. Available now at Mr. Porter.com

Tommy Hilfiger Is Returning to NYFW After Three Years NYFW just got a big boost this season. Tommy Hilfiger will show its next see-now-buy-now collection on September 11 in New York City, its first show during New York Fashion Week in three years. It will also be live-streamed on Roblox with avatars dress in virtual pieces from the collection. "This season is all about the collision of my favorite archival inspirations with new live event concepts and virtual worlds," Hilfiger said. "Its the perfect expression of what we stand for as we pay homage to our roots with a return to NYFW."

Anyone Can Attend Diesel's Next Runway Show For the first time, Diesel is opening its upcoming Spring 2023 show to the public, inviting fashion enthusiasts, students, friends, and fans of the brand to attend. Registration to attend the live show in Milan is on a first come, first serve basis starting September 1 at Diesel.com.

Opening Ceremony Launches Collaboration With LUAR Courtesy of Opening Ceremony

New Luar bags just dropped! Well, in new colors anyway. The brand's popular It-bag, the Ana Mini, seen on everyone from Dua Lipa to Troye Sivan, is releasing two exclusive new colorways thanks to a collaboration with Opening Ceremony  ini tobacco pony hair-effect leather and black-and-cream snakeskin-embossed vegan leather. There's also a sweatshirt with artwork from Bony Ramirez's Feeding a Child of the Ocean." The collab is part of OC's 20th anniversary celebrations, which have included collabs with designer Peter Do and punk-rock band The Linda Lindas. Luar's Raul Lopez and OC's designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim go way back, when the retailer first stocked Hood by Air (which Lopez co-founded) and then Luar. When I started to take my first steps as a designer, OC was the first store to believe in me and support me, Lopez said. OC will forever be family to me.'' Available starting July 12 at OpeningCeremony.com and Farfetch.com

Acne Studios Musubi Bag Campaign by Talia Chetrit Photography: Talia Chetrit/ Courtesy of Acne Studios

Acne Studios tapped New York-based photographer Talia Chetrit, known for her still lifes and nude portraiture, to shoot a new campaign for their Musubi bag. She shot the bags on male dancers bodies which she chose because they resembled the figurative qualities in the bags.

Eckhaus Latta Launches Shoe Collection Courtesy of Eckhaus Latta/ Thomas McCarthy

Eckhaus Latta's first footwear collection, first seen on the brand's Fall 2022 runway, is here and features a mix of silhouettes (all made in Portugal), heel shapes and colors including the Mike boot and Zoe clog. The range builds upon previous collaborations with UGG and Camper Available now at EckhausLatta.com, Farfetch and Nordstrom

Givenchy Launches 101 Dalmations Capsule Courtesy of Givenchy
Swiss Post has acquired a majority shareholding in computer security company Hacknowledge.

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According to the company, Swiss Post is constantly under attack from online criminals because it houses critical national infrastructure in partnership with the Swiss economy and its SMEs. Approximately 70 Swiss Post employees currently work in the information security unit to ensure that sensitive customer data in Swiss Posts systems is exchanged safely and reliably with business and private customers. These cybersecurity specialists at Swiss Post identify threats, including persistent ones, and defend both the system and physical and digital services against them. Swiss Posts team successfully repels over 100 targeted hacker attacks every month, over 280 waves of phishing against customers and around 10 million spam and phishing emails each month.

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The acquisition of Hacknowledge is intended to strengthen Swiss Posts expertise and capabilities in cybersecurity while ensuring the secure exchange of confidential information and customer data online. Hacknowledge provides support in identifying and responding to targeted cyber threats aimed at public authorities, SMEs, partner companies and Swiss Post. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price or details of the acquisition.

Hacknowledge will continue to operate as an independent company after the takeover. Hacknowledge staff will remain employed by the company and have been informed about the new ownership structure. Based in Western Switzerland, the company was founded in 2016 and has 46 employees. It offers companies a professional security center without incurring the expense involved in infrastructure or related costs. The acquisition is expected to improve Swiss Posts ability to identify cyberattacks and quickly react to them.

Nicole Burth, head of communication services at Swiss Post, said, Swiss Post wants to bring into the digital world the trust that people and companies in Switzerland place in us the analog world, and strengthen it. Put simply, we want to transfer mail secrecy to the digital world.

In other Swiss Post partnership news, health insurer Sympany will be the first to move into Swiss Post branches from September 2022. Sympany will be present under the Swiss Post umbrella in eight municipalities in German- and French-speaking Switzerland, and Swiss Post staff will be responsible for arranging consultations with Sympany for interested customers at a further 90 branches. A gradual expansion of services is planned after this. The partnership between Swiss Post and Sympany is intended to be the beginning of the evolution of Swiss Post branches into service centers, where the focus will be on providing customers with physical advice, even in a digital age. Swiss Post has agreed a strategic partnership with the health insurer for a three-year period.

Roberto Cirillo, CEO of Swiss Post, said, Our own branches will continue to be the main pillar of Swiss Posts services in the future, covering the entire country and remaining accessible to all  in keeping with the aim of public service.

Michael Willer, CEO of Sympany, added, We want to bring Sympany even closer to our customers with our presence in Swiss Post branches. Talking to people face-to-face allows many queries to be answered. Similarly, many people appreciate personal contact with trained and trustworthy advisors  especially when it comes to health insurance. Thats why Im delighted that Sympany will be the first cooperation partner to provide consultations in Swiss Post branches.

Thomas Baur, head of PostalNetwork and member of executive management at Swiss Post, commented, Many companies want to offer their customers physical contact, even in the digital age. And many customers appreciate personal advice. We are present throughout Switzerland, our employees in the branches are close to the customers and enjoy a great deal of trust. Private customers and business partners can easily carry out several transactions with us under one roof. The interest is there, the new strategy is taking shape.
Photo: (Photo : JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images))

For 18 years, Brendalis Vega's life revolved around raising her kids. The Buffalo mom had never been away from her six children for more than a couple of days. She also had never been away for more than a few hours from her 2-year-old kid, but that all changed in early January when her health suddenly took a turn for the worse.

The stay-at-home mother from Hamburg, New York, began experiencing shortness of breath and chest pains at the start of the year. Vega went from being at home feeling healthy and energetic to getting treatment at a Buffalo hospital emergency room in a matter of days.

She was eventually rushed to UR Medicine Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester as her medical condition worsened. The 35-year-old discovered that she needed to get a heart transplant fast.

Vega terrified she would never see her children again

Vega left her kids, who range in age from 2 to 18, and her partner, Jose Collazo, to get treatment at Strong Memorial, where she would spend two months. Visitor restrictions brought upon by the COVID pandemic meant that Vega only had one designated adult visitor: her sister, who lives locally.

Fortunately for Vega, technology made it easier for her to communicate with her family as she could Facetime with her partner and their kids frequently. However, it could never fill the void she felt at the time. She was terrified she would never see her six children again as her condition worsened.

According to transplant cardiologist Sabu Thomas, M.D., M.Sc., Vega had experienced a rapid decline by the time she arrived in Rochester, with the cause of her heart failure still undetermined.

Thomas added that her heart was pumping at only 15 percent, with its normal ejection fraction only at about 60 percent. According to the Mayo Clinic, ejection fraction measures the percentage of blood leaving a person's heart each time it squeezes. They put her on medications and an intra-aortic balloon pump to support Vega's failing heart.

Read Also: Mom of US Military Veteran Held in Ukraine by Russian-backed Forces Speaks to Son by Phone

Vega given a second chance on February 4

She said that there is always a concern a heart won't become available in time because donor organs are scarce in their region and across the United States. Just when it seemed all hope was lost for Vega, the UR Medicine Transplant team delivered the best news a mother could hear. A heart suddenly became available on February 4, giving Vega and her entire family a second chance.

Her heart transplant was a huge success, the third for the UR Medicine team in just five days. Cardiac transplant surgeons Katherine L. Wood, M.D., and Igor Gosev, M.D., Ph.D., could not have been more pleased with the outcome of the transplant despite a snow storm causing minor delays in getting the new heart to Rochester, according to Buffalo News.

Vega's first thought after waking up from her surgery was her children, saying that she had been so worried she was not going to be alive for long. She added that a new heart meant she'd get back home to her young kids.

Related Article: New Jersey Mom Gets 5 Years in Prison for Assaulting Daughter Who Suffered Serious Brain Injuries
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

A teacher in Granite Oaks Middle School was publicly shamed for showing her seventh-grade students a 10-minute CNN news clip on COVID-19. The teacher, Katie Ragan, said she thought nothing much of it. After all, she had shown the daily news program to her students several times, and many teachers across the country are showing the same video in their classes.

The particular video was about a California law that required public school students to be vaccinated against COVID. The clip characterized the law as controversial and had a detailed parental view in support and against the requirement. The teacher then asked her students to summarize the clip.

However, the teacher did not know that the day's lesson was only the beginning of a nightmare she would go through in the coming months, Sacramento Bee reports.

Threatening letters, singling her in meetings

A few days after showing the news clip to her students, the teacher received an email from Josh Nagelman, the father of a student in her class. The letter expressed that the father was angry that she showed the video in her class.

Nagelman wrote on October 11 that she would be held liable in court if she again brainwashed the students to get the vaccination. The father also said that he recommends that she comes to the district meeting on October 20 because he would be putting her on notice.

Initially, the teacher tried to respond to the father but stopped when the emails got "nastier and nastier."

During the Rocklin Unified School Board Meeting on October 20, Nagelmann singled out Ragan by name, a violation of district policy for the safety and privacy of the school teachers and staff. However, members of the school board did not stop him, as per the YouTube Live Screen of the meeting.

He also threatened members of the school board during the meeting if the school pushed with the vaccination.

Read Also: Reasons Why Many US Working Moms Barely Support AAP's New Breastfeeding Recommendation

Lack of support for teachers

Ragan asked the principal and the district administrator if she should continue showing the video in class. They both allowed her to continue showing the video as it was acceptable under the California Education Code.

However, despite the verbal affirmation of support from her superiors, the teacher kept receiving emails from Nagelmann. Worst, the father posted her name, school, and email address on social media. Ragan said that she was publicly shamed but did not get her superiors' support.

The principal and the district administrators met with Nagelmann without her or her representative. In the meeting, the father asked the board to send a letter to all the parents to say that the video was biased and concerning. Sadly, the administration complied with the parent's request.

Fearing for her life and publicly shamed, Ragan took stress leave for months.

Later, the district's counsel sent Nagelmann a letter demanding that he cease and desist from contacting the teacher. However, the parent kept mentioning the teacher at other school board meetings.

Ragan's colleagues were disappointed with how the school administrators handled the concern. According to a teacher, parents need to be involved in their children's education, but in this instance, the "parents were able to bully their way to get the results that they wanted."

Travis Mougeotte, president of the Rocklin Teachers Professional Association, said that the district's handling of the situation was an example of not supporting teachers. Meanwhile, Ragan has yet to decide if she will return to teaching in the school when the academic year begins.

Related Article: What Drives Young Students to Became Gun Control Activists
Photo: (Photo : PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

Brad Hassig is thanking his lucky stars he is still alive today. His ten-year-old twin boys and their friend saved him from nearly drowning in their pool by dragging him out of the water and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him, using techniques they had seen in one of their favorite films.

Hassig said on NBC's "TODAY" that he was performing routine breathing exercises in his backyard pool in Alabama when he suddenly blacked out. He added that it seemed normal and then just nothing.

Twin boys and their friend jump into action to save dad's life

His son Christian knew something was wrong immediately. He noticed that his dad was not okay because he was lying on his side, and his face was starting to turn blue. With their neighbor Sam Ebert, Christian's twin, Bridon, jumped into action to save Brad's life.

Bridon said that he and Sam dove into the water, grabbed one arm, and pulled his drowning dad next to the steps. He added that the water made him lighter, and luckily, they are strong swimmers. According to Bridon, his father weighs about 185 pounds.

The twin boys realized their father's phone was locked. They did not have phones of their own, and their mother was not home. Faced with this predicament, Christian sprinted to a neighbor's house to ask for help. But when it became clear to him that they were not home as well, he decided to flag down a car and asked those inside the vehicle to call 911, according to ABC News.

Meanwhile, Sam and Bridon realized that they would need to perform CPR on the unconscious 46-year-old, but neither of them was trained. Bridon had to rely on the CPR steps he learned from a scene in the movie "The Sandlot" to do the procedure.

Luckily, the young child is very familiar with the CPR scene, in which one of the preteen characters in the movie tricks a female lifeguard into kissing him as she gives him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Read Also: New York Times Writer's Cheerful Obituary for Mother has People Crying and Laughing

CPR saves Hassig's life

Bridon's quick thinking worked as his dad started spitting up water as medics arrived. Hassig said he heard "Daddy, Daddy come back." He added that everyone was everywhere, there were first responders on the scene, and it was crazy.

Hassig recalled that he went from just complete peace, saying the Lord's Prayer, and then everything was just white, according to WECT. He said that as he was moving over to his side, he went from peace to being slammed on the pool's deck and then just chaos.

Hassig was taken to the hospital and has since recovered from the near-drowning. Bridon is relieved his father is fine, saying, "I've had some moments with him. Happy, sad and some mad moments. But I'm like I don't want this to be the last moment."

Related Article: Heartbroken Oklahoma Mom Forced to Travel Out of State to Abort Unviable Fetus
Photo: (Photo : CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images)

A first-time pregnant mom experienced the most severe morning sickness, medically known as hyperemesis gravidarum, that had her vomiting 60 times a day.

Stacey Teakle became pregnant at 28 years old in 2020 and had to be hospitalized when she dropped to almost 45 pounds after her typical morning sickness became severe. A medical team had to monitor her health and ensure that she doesn't get dehydrated.

Speaking with Daily Mail, Teakle said that her hyperemesis gravidarum had dashed her dreams of having a large family because her experience left her traumatized. Teakle suffers from the same pregnancy condition as Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, actress Mandy Moore, and comedian Amy Schumer.

However, unlike most pregnant moms whose severe morning sickness resolves after the first trimester of the pregnancy, Teakle still had dizzy and fainting spells and risked dehydration even in the seventh month.

Read Also: Mom With Hyperemesis Gravidarum Wins Discrimination Case After She Was Fired For 'Inconveniencing' Her Boss

Baby Ophelia, the best gift, was born healthy

In September 2020, Teakle and her husband, Sam, welcomed their daughter, Ophelia. Teakle said that she loves being a mother to their baby, who has been the best thing to happen in her life, per Wales Online.

However, Teakle could not shake off her awful pregnancy, and she recalled how the slightest thing could trigger her to vomit, even water. Her body descended into starvation mode to protect her organs. She suffered issues with her gallbladder but became too weak to get out of bed, so Sam had to take her to the bathroom if she needed to use the shower or the toilet.

On the 20th week of her pregnancy, Teakle was given more medication. In the final months of her pregnancy term, she needed to take 19 medications, including steroids, regularly.

To make matters worse, she was in the hospital during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. She couldn't have visitors and nearly had a mental breakdown because she could not connect with family and friends.

Fortunately, Ophelia was born a healthy baby despite her low blood sugar. The newborn had to be admitted to intensive care but was eventually released with her mother. After the birth, Teakle felt better instantly and celebrated by eating sausages and mashed potatoes.

"The first thing I said when I woke up was 'I don't feel sick anymore,'" the mom said. "It was just suddenly gone as if it was never there."

Hyperemesis gravidarum therapies to improve mom's suffering

About eight in 10 pregnant women will experience morning sickness, but only .5 to 2 percent of pregnant moms will experience hyperemesis gravidarum, per RareDisease.Org. Because the mother frequently vomits, doctors advise against food intake through the mouth. Thus, they must be hospitalized to receive intravenous fluids and electrolytes from infused medication.

A 2022 study cited hyperemesis gravidarum being linked to an appetite hormone gene, GDF15, and the placenta. Research is underway to develop novel treatments and therapies that may help block certain pathways that trigger the symptoms. Some studies also cited that the condition may be triggered by nutritional deficiencies, such as thiamine depletion or increased thyroxine levels.

Teakle's advice for mothers with hyperemesis gravidarum is to seek medical help because they will need the guidance of doctors and nurses to surpass this condition.

"You should have someone there who can fight for you," the new mom said.

Related Article: Relief for Morning Sickness? Pregnant Moms May Try Sour Candies


Photo: (Photo : JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

A city mom, who was arrested after cops said she left her two toddlers in her locked vehicle while she got her nails done, was granted time to hire a lawyer, according to the Connecticut Post.

Tiffany Covington asked Superior Court Judge William Holden during a brief court appearance on Tuesday morning for a continuance of her case while she arranges to hire a lawyer. The judge agreed and continued the case to August 25.

Covington, who posted a $75,000 bond previously, declined comment as she left the Golden Hill Street courthouse. The 28-year-old Eagle Street native was charged with two counts of risk of injury to a child, and one count each of assault on a public safety officer and interfering with police after her two sons, aged 4 and 1, were found unconscious in the backseat of her vehicle.

Toddlers appeared unconscious in the back seat of the hot car

According to Bridgeport police, they were dispatched to the Price Rite parking lot on Boston Avenue shortly after 5 p.m. on June 18 for a complaint of two toddlers being left unattended in the back of a car.

Police said officers found the silver Honda sedan with its windows rolled up and the ignition turned off. The two young children appeared unconscious in the car's back seat and not visibly breathing, according to WTNH.

Police said firefighters responded to the scene and broke open the car to rescue the kids. Cops said medics managed to revive the two toddlers, and were both taken to Bridgeport Hospital for evaluation.

Per authorities, it was more than 70 degrees in the car at the time of the rescue, and there was no air motion inside. No food or water had been left for the kids as well. Police added that Covington walked out of the nearby nail salon about five minutes later. According to the cops, she told officers that she had been inside the salon getting her nails painted.

Read Also: New Jersey Mom Shocked After Autopsy Shows Son's Treatment During Navy Seal Hell Week Training

Toddlers fortunate they did not die in the hot car

Officers said Covington became combative when she was approached and arrested by police. She punched one of them in the chest, knocking off the cop's body camera, before attempting to flee the scene. When an officer managed to bring Covington to the ground, she fought with them. She was biting the officers' hands when they tried to arrest her.

Covington was fortunate that police got to her two toddlers in time and that they did not die in the hot car. According to the nonprofit child safety organization Kids and Car Safety, 38 children die on average in a hot car-related death each year in the United States. The organization has reported that more than 1,000 kids have died in hot cars since 1990.

Related Article: Heartbreak for Honduran Mom as She Lost Her Two Sons in the San Antonio Migrant Truck Tragedy
Photo: (Photo : WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)

For women, there is no good time for the signs of perimenopause to emerge. In fact, for many moms, adding perimenopause to the mix of midlife is like a perfect storm as they are suddenly juggling high-stress responsibilities and hot flashes.

Apart from managing their teenager's mood swings, they are also dealing with their own emotional highs and lows. Some women are also dealing with their aging parents and the very clear signs that they are getting older, too. Dealing with perimenopause also means having lots of sleepless nights, irregular periods, brain fog, and low libido.

Unfortunately for women, this is not like pregnancy or puberty. There is not a lot of support for them during this stage of significant hormonal change, according to UVA Health. In fact, many of them are hesitant to admit that they are experiencing the early signs of menopause at all.

There is a stigma associated with perimenopause

OBGYN JoAnn Pinkerton, MD, said that around 42 percent of women have never talked about menopause with a doctor. She added that there is a stigma associated with this phase in a woman's life and they don't want to admit that they are showing symptoms of perimenopause because it means that they are aging.

Pinkerton, who is the director of UVA Midlife Health and executive director emeritus of the North American Menopause Society, said that women fear others may see them as less capable, particularly in the workplace, thus resulting in many of them suffering in silence. The thing is they don't have to as there are treatments to help them cope with the many symptoms of perimenopause.

So what is perimenopause? It is sometimes called the menopause transition, early menopause, or premenopause. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is the time when the woman's body naturally shifts into menopause. A woman's ovaries produce fewer hormones and release fewer eggs during this time. Periods are often irregular for them and eventually they stop altogether. When a woman has gone a year without a menstrual cycle with no other cause, she has reached menopause.

Pinkerton said that the average age of menopause is around 51 or 52 with most women having early symptoms of perimenopause in their late forties. Perimenopause symptoms last for about four years but they can last longer for some women.

Read Also: Mom of US Military Veteran Held in Ukraine by Russian-backed Forces Speaks to Son by Phone

Common signs of menopause

So what are some of the most common signs of menopause? Missing one's period is typically the first sign of perimenopause. Bleeding may be heavier than normal for women in some months, according to Mayo Clinic. Abnormal bleeding is often best controlled with low-dose contraceptives such as a pill, patch, or ring. These contraceptives stop ovulation to regulate cycles.

Hot flashes are the most common symptom of menopause and hormone therapy (HT) is used to treat them. HT is safest for women within 10 years of reaching menopause or women who start the treatment under the age of 60.

Related Article: New Jersey Mom Shocked After Autopsy Shows Son's Treatment During Navy Seal Hell Week Training
Photo: (Photo : Marco SABADIN)

A 16-year-old boy saved three girls and a police officer after the vehicle they were riding plunged into the river in the early morning of Sunday. The car carrying three teenage girls drove into the Pascagoula River in Moss Point, floated about 20 feet away from the shore then started sinking.

The driver said she was following her GPS and did not notice that she was going into the water.

Per Breit Bart, Corion Evans was at the right place at the right time and with the right skills. Mississippi residents know that bodies of water in the state have some grumpy inhabitants that do not take kindly to being disturbed, which means that when a person jumps in, they are probably taking a chance on bumping into anything from a jumping carp to an alligator. However, none of these stopped Evans from jumping to the rescue.

The Sixteen-Year-Old Couldn't Let Them Die

Evans was passing by the river when he saw a car drive off the road into the river with three girls inside. Without hesitation, he immediately stripped down to his shorts and jumped in to save them.

Aside from the girls, Evans also rescued Moss Point Police Officer Gary Mercer, who was struggling while also attempting to save the girls.

According to Upworthy, Evans explained that he had been swimming since he was 3, and the incident tested his skills.

"I was behind them trying to keep them above water and swim with them at the same time, 25 yards out, so it was a lot of swimming. My legs were so tired after. Anything could've been in that water, though. But I wasn't thinking about it," Evans said.

The officer and the three girls were instantly taken to the hospital afterward.

Read Also: Hero Dad from Sydney Rescues Young Girl from Drowning

Mississippi teen hailed as an angel

Moss Point Chief Brandon Ashley told ABC News, "The police department and I commend Mr. Evans's bravery and selflessness he displayed by risking his safety to help people in danger," adding that "If Mr. Evans had not assisted, it could have possibly turned out tragically instead of all occupants rescued safely."

On Tuesday, officials of Moss Point City presented Evans with a certificate of commendation for his heroism in rescuing the four people. They also recognized Mercer for his bravery in the rescue.

One of the girls involved in the accident posted a caption on Facebook expressing her gratitude towards Evans, saying that Evans saved her life before her last breath, so she is thankful for him.

Marquita, Evan's mother, also praised her son on Facebook, saying she's beyond proud of her son for not giving up and saving lives.

Related Article: Father and Son Save Neighbor's Toddler With Autism from Pool Drowning; Parents Offer Water Safety Tips
Photo: (Photo : Lake County Sheriffs Office via Getty Images)

Highland Park shooter, Robert Crimo III, also known as Bobby Crimo, has been appointed a public defender, while his parents, Robert Crimo Jr. and Denise Pesina, have hired Steve Greenberg, the high-profile criminal defense lawyer whose firm handled the sexual abuse case of celebrity R. Kelly.

While prosecutors have yet to indicate if charges will be brought forward against the mass shooter's parents, Robert and Denise decided to retain Greenberg, a Highland Park local, as they have been under scrutiny. According to NBC News, authorities have learned that the father sponsored his son's gun acquisition and permit in 2019 because Bobby was still underage.

Robert allegedly signed the gun's affidavit despite Bobby previously threatening to kill himself or a family member during one incident that the father described as a "childish outburst." The affidavit has a liability and culpability clause that the investigators are currently reviewing.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said that Robert could be subject to civil litigation. However, it's still early to tell what will happen to the parents due to the ongoing investigations.

Read Also: Michigan School Shooting: Parents of Ethan Crumbley Face Involuntary Manslaughter Charge

"Not the parents' fault"

Greenberg, however, said that public perception is making his clients the scapegoats when the most glaring issue is the failure to curb gun violence. The lawyer told ABC News that the parents are also distraught about the Highland Park shooting. They have friends in the parade who also lost a family member.

The defender reiterated that what happened was solely the fault of the son "who was allowed by the system" to buy military-grade assault rifles. He insisted that this is not a parenting issue, adding that the purchase of these types of weapons should be scrutinized as well.

By the way, the law does not require a parent to sponsor, the law simply requires them to consent that their child may apply. It is then up to ISP to decide if the individual is competent to own a gun  Steve Greenberg (@SGcrimlaw) July 6, 2022

Greenberg interjected that Robert, who once ran for mayor in Highland Park, was unaware of Bobby's threats and collection of knives, daggers, and swords when he was a teenager; thus, he signed the affidavit. However, the Illinois State Police had records of the Highland Park police's investigation into the younger Crimo. They even returned the weapons to Robert himself after the investigation.

Despite this, Bobby was not arrested, flagged, nor regarded as someone who could be a "clear and present danger" to the public. Because he had no police records and the threatened family member did not file a complaint, Bobby was cleared to get a state firearm owner's identification (FOID) after his father signed the affidavit. Bobby would then get three more FOIDs for his other gun purchases.

Bobby Crimo held without bond

Meanwhile, Bobby made his first appearance in court on Wednesday, July 6, with public defender Gregory Ticsay. Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered to detain Bobby at the Lake County jail without bond because he was a threat to the community.

CBS News reported that Bobby's parents hired private defense attorney Tom Durkin for their son. However, Durkin declared during the first court appearance that he was stepping back due to a conflict of interest.

Days after Greenberg had been speaking to the press on behalf of Crimos, the lawyer announced on Twitter Thursday evening, July 7, that he was also no longer representing the parents, also citing a conflict. The couple has hired George Gomez as their new counsel.

In light of a conflict that has arisen I am no longer representing the Crimo's. Please contact attorney George Gomez 224-944-2266, their new counsel.



I remain hopeful that at some point this terrible tragedy will result in meaningful change  Steve Greenberg (@SGcrimlaw) July 7, 2022

Related Article: Highland Park Parade Shooting: Dad Hid With Son and Dog Inside Dumpster; Mom Rescues Blood-Smeared Toddler
Photo: (Photo : JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)

David Bennett, the first man to receive a transplanted pig's heart, died of heart failure due to several factors and not because of organ rejection, leading the doctors involved in the trial to call the operation a success.

The 57-year-old dad received the genetically modified heart on January 7 after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency authorization on New Year's Eve. He had been hospitalized for six weeks with a life-threatening arrhythmia before the transplant and connected to a heart-lung bypass machine.

Bennett had end-stage heart failure and did not qualify for a traditional heart transplant. He died two months later. Doctors involved in the University of Maryland Medicine study said in a paper last month that a complex array of factors caused Bennett's heart failure.

Findings on Bennett's autopsy did not show organ rejection

Dr. Bartley Griffith, a transplantation professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the study's co-leader, said that when the heart was first transplanted, they were incredibly encouraged by Bennett's progress. He added that the patient's heart was strong, almost too strong for his frail body, but he had a strong will to live.

Griffith, also the clinical director of the school's cardiac xenotransplantation program, said that their findings from the autopsy did not show evidence of rejection. Instead, they saw a thickening and later stiffening of the heart muscle. That led to Bennett's diastolic heart failure, which means his heart muscle was unable to relax and fill his heart with blood as it should.

The school said the transplanted pig heart may have failed because a drug that is supposed to prevent infection and rejection might have damaged the muscle. According to the release, the transplanted heart was also found to contain evidence of DNA from a latent pig virus called porcine cytomegalovirus (pCMV).

It was first detected several weeks after the surgery through highly sensitive testing and was later confirmed during the autopsy of the organ, according to NBC News. Whether the said virus damaged the heart is still under investigation.

Read Also: Twin Boys Save Dad From Nearly Drowning With CPR They Learned From Movie 'The Sandlot'

A new era in organ transplantation

Infection control measures were in place, and the pig's heart had been tested just before the transplant. Study co-leader Dr. Muhammad M. Mohiuddin said they consider this an important learning experience, and knowing what they know now, they will alter some of their practices and techniques in the future.

Xenotransplants, the term used for transplants from a nonhuman species to a human, have been researched as the demand for organ replacement increases. According to the FDA, ten patients die awaiting donated organs per day.

According to the Harvard University Medical School, cow and pig tissues have been used successfully for valve replacements. These valves typically last about 15 years and don't require the use of anti-clotting drugs.

Related Article: New York Times Writer's Cheerful Obituary for Mother has People Crying and Laughing
Photo: (Photo : David McNew/Getty Images)

A 6-month-old baby may be suffering from long-term ear drum damage after his family was jolted by an unexpected blast due to fireworks that exploded inside their house. They were all asleep when the incident happened at dawn after the July 4th holiday.

Mom Brittany Meyer told 12 News that she has never heard such a loud explosion before. The fireworks narrowly missed hitting her and her baby on their bed at least two feet away.

The blast happened at 3:20 a.m. on Tuesday, July 5, and Meyer's husband immediately screamed for everyone to get out of the house. He grabbed their baby boy as their entire bedroom was filled with smoke. Sparks were going off all around.

Read Also: Parents of Highland Park Shooter Hire R. Kelly's Lawyer While Bobby Crimo Gets a Public Defender

Baby Boy's Hearing Was Tested

Meyer, who suffered some minor burns on her left arm, had her son's hearing tested when the doctor's office opened later that morning. She was worried because she temporarily lost her hearing as well. She knew her husband was screaming but did not hear anything.

According to ABC 15, the baby's preliminary results revealed he's not responding on the left ear. The boy also suffered some burns on his forehead.

Meyer's other child was staying in another room and was not harmed. But looking at the damage, Meyer said she is grateful that no one else was hurt and that everyone in their family is alive.

The mother said that they live in a fairly quiet and safe community where they did not have to worry about incidents like this. Now, she admitted that they are pretty shaken up after the blast left a huge hole in their bedroom. Meyer said that she's nervous to return to their house

"We're angry and upset," Meyer said. "But our lives were spared and that's the only blessing I'm trying to focus on."

The Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department are still conducting further investigations with no leads to the perpetrators. However, the authorities determined that the fireworks came from a moving vehicle driving down Chandler Heights Road.

By sharing their story, the Meyer family hopes someone will come forward with information about who ignited the fireworks. The Gilbert Police wants tipsters to phone them at 800-343-TIPS (8477).

Family's front lawn turns into a war zone

Another family in the U.S. was caught off guard when their fireworks for the July 4th celebrations were followed by a firestorm. According to Daily Mail, SimpliSafe released the footage of the accident, which was captured from the family home's security camera. It showed adults and kids gathered on the front lawn when the first firework went off.

After the first blast, a firestorm unexpectedly followed. Apparently, an entire box of fireworks was lit up by a shell from the first blast. The family scrambled to find a safe spot while the fireworks hit chairs, tables and blankets. It's unclear if people were hurt in this incident.

We've received many comments and inquiries today about whether this was a planned event. We exist to protect our customers and don't make light of events that put their safety at risk. If you are or know someone in this video please let us know if everyone involved is safe. https://t.co/qGbC3YYDtA  SimpliSafe (@SimpliSafe) July 6, 2022

Data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that more than 11,500 fireworks injuries occurred during the July 4th celebrations in 2021. Despite the pandemic and the increasing cost of commodities, more Americans bought fireworks over the past two years, prompting the National Safety Council to remind families that while it's legal, fireworks remain unsafe, especially for children and the inexperienced.

Related Article: Families Need to Watch Out for Signs of Heat Exhaustion as Heatwave Scorches 27 States
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One of the authors of a big report on pupil absenteeism in Angola has told the BBC that a serious lack of schools is to blame.



A recent Afrobarometer survey shows that two-thirds of school-age children do not go to class.



Its not a rural or urban problem but a national one, David Boio, co-researcher of the Afrobarometer survey, told BBC News.



Limited spaces in schools, no mode of transportation in the provinces and no system in place to monitor the absences all hinder children from receiving an education, Mr Boio explained.



Angola, which has a population of 29 million, may be rich in oil, but for the last two decades has been struggling to tackle the legacy a 27-year civil war that ravaged the country from its independence.



One of the major causalities of the conflict was education, with the destruction of many schools - and those remaining or recently built are often overcrowded.



Paulo Araujo, a senior Angolan education official, told the BBC that the government was trying to address this and had constructed more than 500 schools, under what is called the Integrated Plan for the Intervention of Municipalities (PIIM), over the last five years.



But the war has also affected attitudes towards education as most children growing up then did not go to school - and as parents today do not necessarily know they should register their own offspring for schooling, meaning they fall outside the system.



Plus, while public schools are free to attend they do cost parents money in terms of uniforms and books.



Those with an interest in educating their children will often prefer to pay for private schools as state-run institutions tend to have bad reputations.

Source: BBC









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Former Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has dismissed reports that workers at his media firm, Excellence In Broadcasting (EIB) Network are owed nine months' salary.



Duffuor in an interview with Accra-based Asaase Radio said he had a number of companies that were all on their feet and operating normally.



With respect to recent reports of a strike staged by some EIB staff, he said nothing of the sort had come to his notice explaining that salaries have been paid since January 2022.



I have so many companies. I have not had any information that they are not paying themselves  EIB has been there for how many years? For seven to eight years, why will the workers be there and not be treated well? he quizzed.



Duffuor added Since January they [EIB] have been paying them, there is no problem. Its previous arrears they are talking about. So the management is handling that problem. Arrears and not payment of salaries



He alluded to the matter having political propagandist undertones and that some political opponents in the opposition National Democratic Congress, were seeking to score cheap political points with it.



I dont believe that, it is propaganda, and if I want to support the grassroots of my party (NDC) what is wrong with that? Do you know what they go through? Go and see what they are going through in the rural areas  he said.



His reference to the party is relative to his Ahotor project which is seeking to financially support the grassroots of the NDC, a party whose flagbearer slot he is rumoured to be eyeing.













Source: ghanaweb.com









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A flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has denied claims that staff of his media empire, EIB, owners of several media houses (Starr FM, Live FM, Kasapa FM, Ultimate Radio, Agoo FM and Abusua FM, Empire FM, GHOne TV, Agoo TV, Starrfm.com.gh, Kasapafmonline.com, Livefmonline.com, Ultimatefmonline.com and the Heritage newspaper) across the country, are not being paid salaries.



Some staff of the media group went on a sit-down strike on Monday, according to the website of the state-run Daily Graphic newspaper.



They are angry that their founder is sponsoring grassroots of a political party with money, business schemes and donations while they rot away.



Some of the staff claim they are owed salary arrears for 15 months.



However, Dr Duffuor told Accra-based Asaase Radio in an interview that it is all propaganda and politics.



I have so many companies, he said, adding: I have not had any information that they are not paying themselves.



EIB has been there for how many years? For seven to eight years; why will the workers be there and not be treated well? he wondered.



I dont believe that. It is propaganda. And if I want to support the grassroots of my party, what is wrong with that? Do you know what they go through? Go and see what they are going through in the rural areas, he asserted.



According to him, Since January they [EIB] have been paying them, there is no problem. Its previous arrears they are talking about. So, the management is handling that problem. Arrears and not payment of salaries





Source: class fm









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Government has rejected suggestions that journalists should be licensed.



Some media watchers believe that the current free for all regime for journalists contributes to the falling standards of the profession.



The issue resurfaced in Parliament on Thursday when Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga threw the same question to Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.



In responding, the Minister said licensing journalists will be practically impossible thus periodic training is a solution to the excesses in the landscape.



Mr. Speaker, it will raise another question of what specification we are talking about. It is the specification for Public Relation or Journalists. The practice of journalism falls under the legal umbrella of freedom of expression. So it will be difficult to seek to legislate that if a person is not certified he cannot practice journalism, he disclosed.



According to the Minister, he practiced for close to a decade without any education but with help of training on the job he was able to excel.



Journalism today has gone to the extent that we have citizen journalists so will the certification also be extended to that person before he or she practice as a journalist? he quizzed



So Mr. Speaker, what we did at the policy level was to bring all the stakeholders together to ask whether we can put together various training programs through the media enhancement program. We will not subscribe to a certification of journalists, he added.





Source: starrfm









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Angola's former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Africa's second biggest oil producer for nearly four decades, died on Friday, the presidency said.



The 79-year-old died at the Teknon clinic in Barcelona, Spain, where he was being treated following a prolonged illness, according to the statement.



His successor, Angola's current President Joao Lourenco, declared five days of national mourning and described dos Santos as "unique figure of the Angolan homeland, to which he dedicated himself from a very early age."



One of Africa's longest-serving leaders, dos Santos stepped down five years ago.



He frequently described himself as an accidental president, taking the reins after Angola's first leader, Agostinho Neto, died during cancer surgery in 1979.



His rule was marked by a civil war lasting nearly three decades against U.S.-backed UNITA rebels - which he won in 2002 - and a subsequent oil-fuelled boom.



He was replaced in 2017 by Lourenco, who despite being from the incumbent's People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), swiftly moved to investigate allegations of multi-billion dollar corruption during the dos Santos era.



Dos Santos had been receiving medical treatment since 2019.



Portuguese news agency Lusa reported last month that the former president was admitted to an intensive care unit in Barcelona. read more



His daughter Tchize dos Santos said in an Instagram post that "fathers never die because they are the truest love that children know in all their lives. They live forever within us."

Source: Reuters









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On Saturday, July 9, 2022, Muslims in Ghana, and other parts of the world will celebrate Eid-ul Adha, the greater Eid, which follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage at the time of sacrifice.



The day of Eid-ul-Adha falls on the tenth day in the final (twelfth) month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar; Dhu-al-Hijjah, which allows families, loved ones, and communities to fraternize.



The day is also dependent on a legitimate sighting of the moon, following the completion of the annual Holy Pilgrimage of Hajj - which is an obligation for all Muslims.



Traditionally, the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha is to commemorate Prophet Ibrahims devotion to Allah (SWT) and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail.



At the very point of sacrifice, Allah (SWT) replaced Ismail with a ram, which was to be slaughtered in place of his son.



The command from Allah (SWT) was a test of Prophet Ibrahims willingness and commitment to obey his Lords command, without question.



Therefore, Eid-ul-Adha means the festival of sacrifice.



Depending on the country, the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha can last anywhere between two and four days.



The act of the sacrifice is usually carried out after Eid Prayers, which are performed in the congregation at the nearest Mosque on the morning of Eid.



It consists of slaughtering an animal as a sacrifice to mark the occasion in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahims sacrifice for Allah (SWT).



This is also known as Udhiya-the days of animal sacrifice - from the 10th to the 12th of Dhu-al-Hijjah.



The sacrificial animal must be a sheep, lamb, goat, cow, bull, or camel; the sheep, lamb or goat consist of one share, whereas a bull, cow or camel consists of seven shares per animal.



The animal must be in good health and over a certain age to be slaughtered, in a halal friendly, Islamic way.



The meat can then be divided into three equal portions per share; one-third for the owner and family, one-third is for friends, and the final third to be donated to those in need.



Traditionally, the day is spent celebrating with family, friends and loved ones, often wearing new or best attire and giving of gifts.



Some Muslims, the Ghana News Agency spoke to ahead of the celebrations thanked Allah for seeing them through the year and prayed that their supplications would be answered.



They expressed appreciation to all, who supported the Muslim community during the period and wished the rest of the world happy Eid celebrations.



Some traders, however, lamented poor business ahead of the celebration due to the current economic situation.



Times are hard, so this year people are not coming in to buy. In the past, as the celebration approached you will see that the market is full of people buying ahead of the celebration, but this year is totally different.



Hajia Salamatu Bawa, a trader at Makola, said: We cannot even feel the fever in the air, everybody is experiencing economic hardship.



Another trader, Madam Felicia Aboagye at Nima Market, said business was slow and called on the government to do its best to stabilise the economy.

Source: GNA









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KENYA: Police has arrested a 23-year-old medical student of Makindu Medical Training College, Kenya, after he staged his own kidnapping to milk money from his parents.



Directorate of Criminal Investigations-DCI, in a statement on Thursday, July 7, said Edwin Kamau disappeared last Sunday before he blocked his father and called his mother claiming to have been kidnapped.



"He told her that his kidnappers wanted a ransom of Sh70,000, to set him free before he hanged up on her," the statement read.



"His distraught parents reported the matter to police officers who immediately launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.



"However, the calls persisted with Kamau telling his mother that his kidnappers were on the verge of eliminating him.



"Determined to secure the life of their son, they sent Sh10,000 yesterday via mobile money and an additional Sh40,000 today.



"Immediately Kamau received the initial Sh10,000, he went to a club in Thika to irrigate his throat and make merry in the company of a babe he had met. And as fate would have it, the woman turned out to be a pishori admin who laced his drink with an unknown substance and stole the cash.













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Hundreds of Kenyans on Thursday, July 7, took to the streets of Nairobi and went to the office of the President to protest the high cost of living in the East African country.



According to the angry citizens, the price of basic commodities including cooking oil, maize flour, wheat flour, and sugar have doubled in recent weeks, putting pressure on households struggling to make ends meet. The protesters even threatened that election won't hold in the country if there's no food for them eat.



Business capital reported that some protesters who addressed the media accused leaders of failing to address the issue, leaving them with no option but to fight for themselves.



Our elected leaders have failed us and Kenyans are going through so much and that is why we are here to demand the reduction of prices for basic commodities, one of the activists said.



Another protestor said that the government shouldnt blame the Russia-Ukraine conflict for the high cost of living, claiming that the conflict has just worsened the situation.



The prices of food were high even before the issue of Ukraine came, we are in this situation because of too much borrowing and the money goes into the pockets of a few, he stated.



With just 32 days to the elections, the protesting Kenyans lamented that the two front runners in the presidential election , Raila Odinga and William Ruto, are just giving promises instead offering solutions.



Raila is a friend of the President so its just a phone call away, Ruto has been in government for ten years and he is also giving promises, why cant they help us now? another protester wondered.



Government Spokesperson, Cyrus Oguna defended President Uhuru Kenyatta over the high cost of living currently being witnessed in the country.



Oguna pointed out that the Head of State is not to be blamed for the situation as he attributed it to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.



It is not fair to put this blame on one person, it is not the President. The war in Ukraine has made things difficult for nations across the globe, he said, adding that the situation was not unique to Kenya alone.









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Bernard Allotey Jacobs has commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over his decision to seek financial support from the IMF.



A statement issued and signed by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said; "The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has authorized Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to commence formal engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), inviting the Fund to support an economic program put together by the Government of Ghana".



"The engagement with the IMF will seek to provide balance of payment support as part of a broader effort to quicken Ghana's build back in the face of challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and, recently, the Russia-Ukraine crises," the statement further read.



Following the announcement, President Nana Akufo-Addo and his government have come under a barrage of criticisms, particularly because the President promised Ghanaians he would never take Ghana back to the IMF.



But to social commentator, Allotey Jacobs, the President deserves respect for taking such a bold step.



"For President Akufo-Addo to say that let us go and negotiate with IMF in spite of all that he has said, let's give him respect for it."



He, however, called on the President to address the nation on the IMF bailout under his administration.



"I am pleading to the President that he should come out and speak to the nation reasons why he went to the IMF. It is very, very important," he stressed.



Allotey Jacobs made these submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" Wednesday morning.



Watch video below





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A Governance Lecturer at the Central University, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has taken a swipe at the minister for Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto who he accuses of being so fixated on his presidential ambition.



He further accuses the Agric minister of being more interested in putting up billbords for himself to project his presidential ambition than planting more crops which will yield more produce to shore up the country's food reserves.



Speaking on Okay FM's Ade Akye Abia programme, he explained that as a minister for agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto should been seen to be rolling out policies and programmes that will inure to the benefit of Ghanaians, especially farmers in this difficult times.



"There are so many billboards across the country projecting your presidential ambition than your works as an agric minister. The country is in crisis. Prices of farm produce and food stuff are skyrocketing like never before and instead of relieving Ghanaians with pragmatic solutions, you are spending millions erecting billboards to project your presidential ambition," he fumed.



Whiles slamming the Minister for always patting himself on the back, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah admonished him to channel the funds used in erecting the billboards across the country into regalvanizing the agric sector and possibly import fertilizers for the farmers, since success in that field will have ripple effect on his (minister's) presidential ambition.



"Ghanaians will not hesitate to accept you if you work to approve your self, but trust me you will not even garner a single vote should your party decide to put you up as their flagbearer for the next elections.



"He is always touting his credentials with having outperformed every sector with the planting for food and jobs programme, but Ghanaians are hungry. Farmers are not getting fertilizer to buy; even the poultry industry is failing, yet you claim to be a successful minister who wants to lead the country.



"At least this is what you can do to help the president in these difficult times," he counselled.



Watch video below





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









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Governance Lecturer at the Central University, Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has taken a swipe at the Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto over his performance at the agric sector.



For a long while now, farmers have been complaining bitterly about inadequate supply of fertilizers to fertilize their produce.



Those into animal rearing, particularly poultry and piggery, also complain about other challenges affecting them which some have accused the Agric Minister of paying no attention to their plight.



Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto is said to be focused on his presidential aspiration than he is on improving the livelihood of the farmers and enhancing the progress of the sector.



Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, who is also a farmer, told host Kwami Sefa Kayi how the Agriculture Minister's billboards about him announcing his desire to contest for the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been scattered everywhere.



Listing Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as one of the poor-performing Ministers, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah stressed that, "he should remember that he will lose the primaries", to wit the Minister should stop harboring such a vision to become a Presidential candidate and lead the NPP to the 2024 elections.



Watch video below





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Accra Circuit Court 8, on Thursday, July 7, 2022, struck out criminal charges pressed against the Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye.



Abronye, in February this year, was arrested and charged by the police with two counts of publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace.



This was after the politician had alleged in a radio interview that Former President John Dramani Mahama was involved in a coup plot.



The police said he had failed to substantiate the claims after he was invited and interrogated hence the decision to press charges against him.



However, the court on Thursday dismissed the case in its entirety.



Abronye during an interview with Hot 93.9 FM while commenting on the arrest of #FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, alleged that former President Mahama had recruited the activist to help him topple the current government.



The NPP stalwart said that John Mahama had met with Al-Qaeda militants to engage them on how to topple the governing party.

Source: ghanaweb.com









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The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has said that the Akufo-Addo-led administration has the track record to bring the country back from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the nation begins to engage the Fund for support to help it revive its failing economy.



He said that the New Patriotic Partys track record in economic management inspires confidence that Ghana would improve and shortly leave the IMF program.



When John Mahama went to IMF, it is oseadeayoo Akufo-Addo that brought us out of IMF. So if today, we have taken the decision to go to IMF to calm the temperatures in Ghana, Nana Addo will bring us back out of IMF because we have done it before



The Western Regional Minister made the remarks at the opening of the TESCON Ladys -YES ON Chapter of the Takoradi Technical University (TTU).



Mr Okyere Darko-Mensah noted that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent crisis between Russia and Ukraine, President Akufo Addos administration has done a fantastic job of managing the economy of the nation.



He said that the world has praised Ghana for its management of COVID-19 because it demonstrated how effective Ghana has been under President Nana Akuffo-Addo.



He emphasized that former President John Agyekum Kufuor successfully sought out IMF financing.



He lambasted former President John Mahama for consuming all the meat and leaving only bones, adding that the Akufo-Addo-led government rescued Ghana from the IMF program in December 2018 which is evidence that he can do same again.



Let them know that the NPP has a plan B, let them know that we are going to win the 2024 election he emphasized.













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Tema-based Delhi Private School International (DPSI) over the weekend held a successful fashion event at the National Theatre in Accra.



It was a colorful event at the National Theater as students of the school showcased some good fashion sense, displayed the Indian culture with much joy and excitement.



They were joined by the founder of the school and ace Indian businessman Mukesh Thakwani alongside other invited dignitaries.



Over 200 students of DPSI participated in the colorful event with some going home with amazing prizes.



DPSI was established in 2010 in Tema. It stands for academic excellence, wholistic development of the students, a dedicated team and preparing students on a global platform.



The motto of the school is Service Beyond Self.



The founder and director of the school, Mukesh Thakwani started the school with a dream of contributing to society.



He has groomed the entire team to be united and build the school to greater heights. The school is like an extended family.



Its philosophy is working for academic excellence and overall development of the students.



The school has a number of projects and activities that help the children go beyond the classroom, through interschool, interclass and exchange programs, because they believe every child has potential.



There is also an open-door policy at the school where parents are free to express their concerns that they may have so that it can addressed immediately, and that is what makes the school very different from others.



DPSI follows the Cambridge Assessment International Education curriculum which is broad and balanced.



As an IGCSE and A-Level curriculum school, DPSI enable students to get to the universities of their choices later on in college life.





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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China's spectacular achievements in space a benefit for entire humankind

Xinhua) 13:25, July 08, 2022

BUCHAREST, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China's spectacular achievements in space are actually a benefit for the entire humankind, Dumitru Prunariu, the first and only Romanian astronaut, told an international conference on Thursday.

Prunariu made the remarks when presenting in detail China's space program and its specific goals to an audience of academics, researchers, diplomats and ambassadors from 20 countries at a conference on "Asia's Century."

China's technological development "culminated in Yang Liwei's successful flight in 2003 into outer space which made China the third country to independently send humans into space," said Prunariu, the 103rd astronaut of the world and a retired general and former ambassador.

"In 2016, a 33-day crewed spaceflight mission proved that China was ready for a long-term space station built and maintained by its own," he said.

As a permanent representative at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) for 35 years, Prunariu has firsthand information about the space programs of all countries and a comparative view thereupon.

"In 2018, China performed more orbital launches than any other countries on the planet for the first time in history," said Prunariu, describing the scale of China's space program as "impressive" as it includes not only the biggest number of launches and their own space station, where they actually invited all countries to perform scientific experiments, but also crewed expeditions to the Moon, Mars and interplanetary missions to explore the Solar System and beyond.

In 2007, China became the fifth nation to send satellites into orbit. In 2013, China landed Chang'e-3 on the surface of the moon, making it the third country to ever successfully "soft land" on the moon. In 2020, China made a successful lunar sample return mission, marking the completion of China's three-step lunar exploration program of orbiting, landing and bringing back samples, which began in 2004.

"The Chinese are among the most active members, showing interest in peaceful and sustainable cooperation of outer space, with a specific emphasis on the Moon and other celestial bodies," said Prunariu.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
Rapper Okyeame Kwame has been appointed brand ambassador for Waylead Ghana Company Limited, a group of companies which specialises in residential, retail and commercial real estate development.



As a brand ambassador, Okyeame Kwame will lead the promotion of the companys products and image through interactions with customers.



At a press conference which also saw the signing of the terms of contract between the two parties at Waylead Properties, Sakumono, Accra today, July 7, Okyeame Kwame expressed his appreciation to Waylead Properties for the confidence reposed in his brand to push the fortunes of the company through increased sales by creating loads of attention.



The marriage is to foster sales and increase credibility and bring attention to Waylead so that people will buy houses, live in them and turn them into homes. It is, therefore, my singular honour to promise them that everything we have in this document, Im going to stick by it, and Im going to make everything a responsibility of mine plus 1.



So that at the end of the year, when we meet the media again and you ask, Okyeame Kwame became ambassador for Waylead, what was he able to do? my good works will be evident of everything that I was tasked to do by the terms of the contract, Okyeame Kwame said.



Okyeame Kwame's Works for 25 years, Okyeame Kwame has excelled in the music industry both in Ghana and abroad. In addition to his great gains in that field, he has also been committed to engagements to advance the well being of society through his Hepatitis B Foundation and Made-in-Ghana projects.



These initiatives have not only helped Okyeame Kwame to build and strengthen his bond with the public but has also created a positive image for his brand.



On his part, Managing Director of Waylead Properties, Keegan Wang, said these are the benefits that Okyeame Kwame is bringing on board and makes him the best fit as brand ambassador for the company.



As a reputable estate developer, we wish to promote our name to more Ghanaians, both at home and abroad, to help people discover suitable and quality homes. We believe Okyeame has the means to spread our name very far.



"Signing Okyeame Kwame is a strategic move to position Waylead in the luxury accommodation space.

With this collaboration, we aim to make our name known to every Ghanaian that Waylead can deliver a high-quality home regardless of budget and to help bridge the housing needs of the country.



That is why we are signing him on as our brand ambassador. Okyeame Kwame embodies our brand identity in every appearance, demeanour, and values and he would help create awareness and boost sales for our organisation.



"Together, we will help more Ghanaians to realise their dream of home ownership, he said.

Mr. Keegan disclosed that Waylead Properties which started operations in Ghana in 2011 and presently owns 48 acres land at Sakumono intend to turn it into more than 54 detached town houses, 106 semidetached houses and 800 multi room apartments.



The land was acquired with the blessing of Ghana Post and Tema Development Corporation (TDC) to provide Ghanaians with affordable homes without litigation.



Sustained Career



Speaking at the press conference, the Managing Director of Ghana Post, Mr. Bice Osei Kuffour congratulated Okyeame Kwame for sustaining his career for over 25 years.



Just like Okyeame Kwame has been able to sustain his career to be at the top, we are confident he will bring that experience to bear in increasing sales for Wayleads, he stated.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The annual Ghana Media Music and Dinner Night has been fixed for July 30th, 2022 at the Accra International Conference Centre.



Organizers of the event, Lakeside Village and Net Village, subsidiaries of Net 36 Vista have said, the dinner gala seeks to foster networking among members in the media fraternity.



CEO of Net 36 Vister, Dr Benard BNA Yartey said, We realize our brothers and sisters on the media front go through so much, they dont have social lives. We thought it prudent to put this together for them to make merry and deepen their already existing healthy relationship."



Its going to be the first of its kind, there will be a lot to eat, drink, dance and merrymaking, journalists worldwide go through a lot of stress, the primary objective is to destress them.



The event has received support by way of partnership from Rosewood Residence, UK, Trap (The Radio Advertising People), Forward Media Group, UMB (Universal Merchant Bank)













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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PokerNews Becomes the Official Media Partner of Dusk Till Dawn

July 08, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

PokerNews and Dusk Till Dawn have entered an exclusive partnership that sees PokerNews become the official media partner and live reporting team for Dusk Till Dawn events. Dusk Till Dawn is affectionately known as the "Home of British Poker" and has a glowing reputation for running some of the most prestigious live events in the industry, while PokerNews is the market leader for poker news content and live reporting services. Some may say this partnership is one made in heaven.

In addition to PokerNews being your first port of call for everything that is happening at Dusk Till Dawn, visitors to the Home of British Poker will see PokerNews branding on the club's poker tables.

Dusk Till Dawn owner Rob Yong is looking forward to promoting poker with PokerNews.

"DTD has had a long-standing relationship with PokerNews for many years, they have always been supportive of our Club, our global events, and the poker community. I am very happy that we have agreed to formalize this going forward and do more together to promote poker, especially in relation to grassroots UK-wide poker in addition to major events such as the Mediterranean Poker Party."

PokerNews Senior Commercial Manager Ben Cundall is excited about what the partnership will bring.

"It was a no-brainer for us to partner up with Dusk Till Dawn and offer live reporting at DTD events. Rob Yong has a proven record of hosting and organizing some of the most prestigious events in the world and we cant wait to be there to share them with you."

PokerNews and Dusk Till Dawn Gear Up For The Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party

Your first chance to see the new partnership is only weeks away at the Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party. Taking place at the luxurious Merit Royal Diamond Hotel in North Cyprus, a brand-new resort complete with a 200-table capacity poker room, between August 19 and September 18, the Mediterranean Poker Party sees several major live poker tours come together in one exciting poker festival, a series that is truly for the players.

The Eurasian Poker Tour (EAPT), iconic Italian live poker brands La Notte Degli Assi and La Casa Delle Carte, Ladies First, the Malta Poker Festival, and theIrish Open complement the Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party's bustling schedule.

The flagship event of the inaugural Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party is the $5,300 buy-in Main Event that features an incredible $5 million guaranteed prize pool. Other highlights include the $1,100 buy-in $1 million guaranteed MPP Open, and the $2,200 MPP Warm Up, the latter boasting of a $2 million guaranteed prize pool.

Everything you need to know about the upcoming Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party can be found right here.
On July 5, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko claimed that NATO is fully responsible for starting a second Cold War between the West and Russia.

"We do not want a return to the Cold War. It is NATO that is imposing it on us. We are not expanding; we are not setting up our bases somewhere ... " Grushko said in an interview with the Moscow city government-owned daily Argumenty I Fakty.

That statement is false and contradicts the history of the Russian militarys expanding presence abroad over the past 14 years.

Georgia, Armenia, Central Asia

Before the August 2008 Russo-Georgian War, Russia had two military bases in that Caucasus country. The Gudauta base was a training center for the Russian peacekeeping forces of the Commonwealth of the Independent States stationed in Abkhazia. The second base was in South Ossetia, where peacekeepers composed of Ossetians, Russians and Georgians were stationed under an OSCE monitoring mission.

After 2008, Russia expanded and transformed the CIS peacekeepers training center in Gudauta into a full-fledged military base for the Russian armed forces. This military base includes four mechanized infantry battalions, a tank battalion, two artillery battalions, a rocket artillery battalion, a sniper company, a drone company and a reconnaissance battalion.

In February 2009, the Russian Armed Forces established the 4th Guards Military Base for troops stationed in the occupied Georgian region of South Ossetia. That base and its 5,000 military personnel are mainly located in the city of Tskhinvali, but separate units are spread across South Ossetia.

In March 2022, units from both Russian military bases in Georgia were deployed to Ukraine to join the invasion forces. In order to staff the armed forces of the Russian Federation, the units of the 4th (Tskhinvali district, South Ossetia) and 7th (Abkhazia) military bases, which are part of the Southern Military District, were redeployed from the occupied territories of Georgia to Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted on Facebook.

In Armenia, Russia expanded its 102nd Order of Alexander Nevsky military base, which has existed there since September 1994, by including the 73rd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade in April 2010.

In Central Asia, Russia has been systematically increasing its military presence, modernizing and expanding its existing bases, and creating new military bases.

Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus

In February 2014, Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Later, new Russian military bases were built on the peninsula. Russias Defense Ministry also reopened old Soviet-era bases in occupied Crimea. Former Ukrainian military bases in Crimea have now also become Russian military bases. In September 2016, then British Defense Minister Michael Fallon expressed concern about Russias military buildup in Crimea and the militarization of the Black Sea region generally, adding that both Bulgaria and Romania felt very threatened.

Among the restored Soviet military bases in Crimea is Object-100 Utes, a complex of coastal missile positions located in the mountains near Sevastopol, a Black Sea Ukrainian city also under Russian occupation since 2014. In the fall of 2016, Russian media reported that this base had been restored and would be put into service with the Russian Black Sea Fleet. In 2017, cruise missiles were launched from this base during exercises, and the base was modernized in 2019. It is a functioning military base with an anti-ship missile system, a villager told Reuters in July 2016.

Russia also put back into service a chain of Soviet radar stations on the mountain slopes of Crimea. Those stations allow the Russian armed forces to monitor the Black Sea and the movement of ships from NATO members Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.

One of those radar stations in Crimea, located near the city of Feodosia, was built during the Soviet era but was not subsequently used by the Ukrainian army. It was put back into operation along with an air defense system and missiles, all of which are manned by Russian military personnel.

In February 2015, NATOs then supreme commander, Gen. Philip Breedlove, said that weapons systems ranging from air defense systems that reach nearly half of the Black Sea to surface attack systems that reach almost all of the Black Sea area had made the platform of Crimea a great platform for power projection into this area.

Russia has also expanded its air force capabilities on the peninsula. An erstwhile civilian airport in Belbek, Crimea, was converted into a military airfield.

Satellite imagery taken in March 2022 showed that Russia was actively using air bases in occupied Crimea to bomb Ukrainian cities.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that as of November 2021, Russia had built 10 military bases in the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine. Russias military used these bases to preposition tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery, self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons, etc., that were then used in the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

As of the beginning of July 2022, Russia wholly or partially occupied six Ukrainian regions, and had established temporary and permanent military bases in them.

The number of Russian military bases in Ukraine is constantly changing because the Ukrainian armed forces regularly hit and destroy them. For example, on July 3, the mayor-in-exile of the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol said that Ukrainian missiles had destroyed one of the four Russian military bases located in the city.

In Moldova, Russia has built a military base on the territory of the so-called Transnistrian Moldavian Republic with about 1,500 military personnel of the former 14th Army of the Soviet Union, now called the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria (OGRF). In 2013, Russia tried to strengthen this military base by increasing the number of military helicopters, but the Ukrainian authorities prevented that by banning Russian helicopters from flying over Ukraine.

By February 2022, there were two Russian military bases located in Belarus - the 43rd zonal communications center of the Russian Navy in the Minsk region and the 474th separate radio engineering center (ORTU) in the Brest region.

The fact that Russia formally had only two military bases in Belarus did not prevent the Russian army from using the Belarusian militarys nine air bases to launch missile and air strikes on Ukraine in February 2022.

On July 7, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that Belarus had transferred the Zyabrkovka airfield to the Russian army. The airfield is now being converted into a new Russian military base.

Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and more

The expansion of Russia's military presence abroad is not limited to the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Since August 2015, Russia has been using Syrias Khmeimim air base in the northeastern city of Latakia. At the end of 2017, Moscow announced the Khmeimim base would become a component of Russias permanent military contingent stationed in Syria. Khmeimim is now the main military base used for Russias military intervention in Syrias civil war.

In May 2021, Russia expanded its permanent military base in the Syrian sea port of Tartus, strengthening its military foothold in the eastern Mediterranean.

In February 2014, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia was looking to build military bases in Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Seychelles, Singapore and several other countries. The talks are underway, and we are close to signing the relevant documents, said Shoigu at that time.

In 2017, Russia reached an agreement with Sudan to host a Russian naval base. Russia then announced that it had signed a deal with Sudan on the construction of a logistics point for the Russian fleet in Sudan. In March 2022, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council, confirmed that Sudan is open to a naval base agreement with Russia.

In his interview with Argumenty I Fakty, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko complained that NATO is expanding and threatening Russia. In reality, NATO expansion is a response to Russias military activities. Most of the new members that joined NATO in the last 20 years cited Russias aggressive behavior as the main reason for their desire to join the alliance.

The fear of Russian military aggression is what prompted Ukraine to seek NATO membership starting in the 1990s. Russias 2022 military invasion of Ukraine prompted Sweden and Finland to join NATO. Asked what he would say to Russian President Vladimir Putin about his countrys bid to join NATO, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto responded: You caused this. Look in the mirror.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 73F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 73F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
A North Augusta man charged with murder has been brought to Aiken County.

Jason Glenn Miller, 42, has been charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime following the discovery of the body of Bobby Miller, 65.

According to the incident report from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, Jason Miller was Bobby's son and lived with him at the time.

According to the incident report, Aiken County deputies conducted a wellbeing check on Bobby Miller, the owner of a residence on Dogwood Drive, at approximately 6:30 p.m. on July 5.

After receiving no response at the home, deputies discovered the back door unlocked and entered the residence. While checking the home, they found Bobby Miller on the floor of the bedroom closet with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head.

The Aiken County Coroner's Office was called to the scene. An autopsy was scheduled to take place Friday morning in Newberry.

The Colquitt County Sheriff's Office in Georgia contacted the sheriff's office with information on the investigation and the possible suspect, Jason Miller. He was being held in the Colquitt County jail before being extradited to Aiken County on July 7.

North Augusta man to be charged in murder following discovery of body A North Augusta man is wanted for murder following the discovery of a deceased male on July 5.
Stephanie Hill is the education reporter for the Aiken Standard. Follow her on Twitter @stephanie_hill2 and Instagram @stephaniehillnews.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 73F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 73F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
COLUMBIA  Fifteen years after she created the Pink Sorbet clothing and accessories shop on Devine Street, Beth Baxley realized she wanted to spend more time with her grandkids.

To do that, though, she needed to step away from the store and find someone to take her place.

She then sat down for coffee last year with Alina Craft, a Cayce resident with a dream of running a boutique store. Craft reached out for advice on how to start and run a store, but Baxley offered something better.

That just kind of turned into selling the store to her, Baxley said.

Craft took over as the owner of Pink Sorbet on June 1 after working at the Columbia store since May 2021.

The store primarily sells clothes and accessories from designer Lilly Pulitzer.

The dresses are known for their bright floral patterns meant primarily for the warmer seasons, according to Baxley. She started the store in 2007 with help from her family.

The style of dress was created by Lilly Pulitzer, who lived in Florida around 1950. She decided to make a patterned dress that could hide stains itd get while she sold juice at Palm Beach.

However, as people became more interested in the dress than the juice, she decided to focus on selling dresses. She then made Lilly Pulitzer Inc. in 1959.

Baxley said Crafts knowledge of the product, accrued through 20 years of shopping the brand, and her willingness to go help customers and staff were what stood out to her when considering Craft as her successor.

I saw me in her, Baxley said. I feel like she's my younger sister.

Craft started shopping at Pink Sorbet in 2013 after a quick web search for stores that sold Lilly Pulitzer dresses. She said Baxley recognized her on her first visit from Craft's Instagram, where Craft tried on different dresses and reviewed them.

As she kept coming in, she'd continue to talk with Baxley. Baxley would even order items for Craft if they were out. Eventually, the two exchanged phone numbers and Baxley would personally keep her updated on orders and new items.

"It was kind of nice to pop in here on my lunch break and just be in a happy space and be around people I felt close to or comfortable with," Craft said.

After years of working in a corporate setting as a sales representative or business consultant, she finally had an opportunity to pursue her dream job. Besides loving the fashion, she loves retail because she gets the opportunity to create relationships with customers beyond just shopping for dresses.

To prepare for the role as owner, Craft worked within the brightly colored walls and forest of dresses in Pink Sorbet for a year starting last May. She ran the social media pages for the store and worked directly with customers, which she said is her favorite part of the job.

She also would be looking over Baxleys shoulder as she handled the more business-oriented side of things. While Craft has years of experience working in retail, running her own store was a new feat.

Learning the ins and outs of running one, however, meant she had to spend less time working directly with customers.

Despite this, though, she said she always tries to make time to go out and talk to those looking for a dress.

That gives me kind of a pick me up and helps me remember why I'm doing what I'm doing, Craft said.

The relationship between the customer and the store is more than just picking up a dress for some, according to both women.

Baxley said the store has hosted generations of women who come to shop. Shed even take pictures of different generations of a family wearing their dresses in the store when she got a chance.

Craft said shes talked with customers about their families, work or even talked to a customer about a bad day in the living room like setting in the middle of the shop.

You become almost like family with a lot of the customers, Craft said.

Craft is now a month in as the owner of Pink Sorbet. Shes brought in new accessories, such as jewelry, to the store and plans to make the website easier to use for those who may live further away from the store.

Meanwhile, Baxley is on a true vacation. No longer does she need to bring her laptop on every trip to keep running the store. She instead sends a few texts to Craft checking in on how things are going.

When you open a business you hope the next person will do exactly the way you did it or even better. I think Alina is going to do that, Baxley said.
GEORGETOWN  The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control designated Georgetown County's COVID-19 community level as "high" as of its most recent update.

Georgetown joins eight other South Carolina counties  Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Horry, Marlboro, Marion and Williamsburg with a designation of a "high" COVID-19 community level as of July 7.

The community level is based off of Georgetown's case rate of 205.81 per 100,000 population (for a total of 129), 12.2 COVID-related hospital admissions per 100,000 population and 4 percent staffed inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed COVID-19 over the week leading up to July 6.

Under a "high" community level, the CDC recommends wearing a mask in public indoor spaces and on public transportation.
GREENVILLE  Huey Magoo's has big plans to expand its franchise in South Carolina and beyond, and its latest addition is now open in Greenville.

The fast-food restaurant specializes in chicken tenders and bills itself as serving the "filet mignon" version of chicken tenderloin in every offering.

The restaurant opened at 2029 Wade Hampton Boulevard just past Bob Jones University on June 29, with the dining room packed and drive-thru lines stretching into the street.

Huey Magoos will open locations in Charleston and Asheville. The Greenville restaurant adds to 20 other locations currently, with a presence in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Alabama, Ohio and Nevada.

The restaurant was founded in 2004 by Matt Armstrong and Thad Hudgens, described as "two southern boys with a passion for quality chicken and a penchant for serving others."

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Former executives from one of the fastest-growing franchise chains, Wingstop, have partnered with the Huey Magoo's founders.

The restaurant is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Have a suggestion for whats Now Open? Email econnor@postandcourier.com or Facebook or connect @cericconnor on Instagram and Twitter
Clemson University joined several other public universities across the state in freezing tuition for South Carolina residents for the coming school year. However, the university increased the rate for out-of-state undergraduates for the first time in three years.

In a special virtual meeting on July 8, the Board of Trustees convened to hear a brief presentation on tuition and fees, among other action items. The trustees had access to materials involved in the presentation for several weeks and had opportunity in advance to ask questions of Clemson's Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations Tony Wagner.

After no discussion regarding the recommendation by the administration to the board, a roll call vote was 10-2, with one abstention. Trustee Nikki Haley and Vice Chair Bob Peeler both voted in opposition to the recommendation.

State residents attending Clemson as undergraduates this fall will pay $7,560 per semester, while out-of-state students will see a 2.5 percent increase to $19,532.

Tuition was frozen for all graduate students.

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Housing prices will increase by 3 percent at the university, along with a 4.5 percent dining increase. The university said the increase in dining costs was to help account for a nearly 13 percent increase in food expenses due to inflation.

The numerous tuition freezes for residents statewide  some for the third or fourth year in a row  are thanks to special funding approved by South Carolina lawmakers in the latest state budget.

The University of South Carolina board voted June 24 to keep tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students steady, while College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina University's tuition plans reflect Clemson's in keeping in-state rates flat and increasing out-of-state costs.

At USC's main campus, in-state undergraduates will pay $6,344 in tuition while out-of-state students will pay $16,964. College of Charleston will charge $6,259 per semester for in-state students, while out-of-state students can expect a 4 percent increase to $17,669 per semester. Residents attending Coastal Carolina University will also have frozen tuition at $5,820 per semester, while out-of-state students will see an increase of 4 percent to $14,245.

Jessica Holdman contributed to this reporting.
South Carolina health and veterinary officials are raising concerns after an invasive and fast-breeding species of tick was discovered in York County.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control said an infestation of Asian longhorned ticks was infesting a pasture at a cattle farm in York County.

Asian longhorned ticks are not native to the U.S. but were found here in 2010 and have spread to 17 different states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A small number of them had previously been found on shelter dogs from Pickens and Lancaster counties in 2020, DHEC said in a news release.

The recent infestation has experts across the state urging pet and livestock owners to consult with local veterinarians regarding tick prevention methods.

"This tick has major economic impacts for the livestock workers in our state," Melissa Nolan said, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of South Carolina.

Female Asian longhorned ticks are able to reproduce without a male, allowing for the quick development of hundreds or thousands of ticks in one area. These ticks can also carry over 30 different pathogens, including Theileria, Anaplasmosis, Bourbon virus and Lyme disease.

"Livestock owners especially should be aware that these ticks can carry the parasite Theileria," said Michael Neault, director of Clemson University's Livestock Poultry Health Department. "In Virginia, they already have spread this infection in sheep, and it also may spread to cattle."

And while these tick-borne bacterial infections commonly occur in livestock or dogs bitten by infected ticks, humans are also susceptible if bitten.

Nolan said the ticks can stay on a person or animal for several days and will get very large in size. She suggested using tweezers to remove the tick and monitor yourself or loved one for fever, rash or common flu-like symptoms.

"These diseases are treatable and your doctor can prescribe medication if you have been exposed," Nolan said.

Asian longhorned ticks were identified through South Carolina's Tick Surveillance Program, a joint effort between DHEC, the University of South Carolina and Clemson University Livestock Poultry Health Department to survey for ticks across the state.

"We can't be everywhere though," Nolan said.

So directors of the program are asking residents to submit ticks they find on themselves, an animal or around their home environment to help fill in gaps for the program's surveillance efforts.

Residents participating in the program are asked to place the dead tick in a zip-close bag and ship it in an envelop to the lab in Columbia, including information about where the tick was found, date it was collected and whether it was found on a human or animal.

"The information we gain from this public health work will help us better reallocate vector control resources and public health education campaigns," Nolan said.

Residents can mail ticks to the Laboratory of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 921 Assembly St. #417A Columbia, SC 29201.
The Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, established in March 2019, has grown to 25 sites in South Carolina with the recent addition of four. The network now includes 81 sites in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

The noncontiguous network, managed by the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, a project of the National Park Service, is a manifestation of an effort to highlight the short period of intense democratization that began during the Civil War and ended, many argue, in 1877 with the inauguration of President Rutherford B. Hayes.

The National Park Service is expanding the time frame to 1900, by which date the grip of Jim Crow had tightened nearly to its limit.

The newly added sites are:

Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site in Aiken County, which interprets the lives of Black and White people on the plantation and once was home to S.C. Gov. James Henry Hammond.

Randolph Cemetery in Columbia, where many Black leaders are buried, including Reconstruction-era congressmen.

The town of Lincolnville, located near Summerville in Charleston County, which was founded by seven free Black men in 1867 who purchased 620 acres for the purpose of building a community, and which survives today.

The Schofield Normal and Industrial School in Aiken, which was founded in 1871 by Pennsylvania Quaker Martha Schofield to educate formerly enslaved people.

The D.C. Legacy Project: Barry Farm-Hillsdale, five landmark dwelling in southeast Washington, D.C., the remains of a freedmens town.

Scott Teodorski, superintendent of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park, said the additional sites tell critical stories about Reconstruction.

"They join sites from across the country that focus on this important period in our history," Teodorski said in a news release. "We are pleased to welcome these new sites to the network and work with them to share their stories."

The Reconstruction Era National Historic Park includes three sites: the Old Beaufort Firehouse downtown, which serves as the visitor center; Darrah Hall at the Penn Center on St. Helena Island; and Camp Saxton, once a recruitment depot and training ground for Black soldiers located in Port Royal.

In April, the National Park Service announced it was adding to the network the First African Baptist Church in downtown Beaufort, which served as a school for formerly enslaved people during the Civil War and was the home church of Robert Smalls; Historic Brattonsville in York County, where the lives of newly freed Black people living and working on an 800-acre plantation are interpreted; Tabernacle Baptist Church in Beaufort, which doubled as a school during the Civil War (Smalls is buried in the churchyard); and the Robert Smalls House, a property at 511 Prince St. that he purchased in the 1863 Direct Tax Auctions in Beaufort.

Other South Carolina sites in the network include Claflin University, S.C. State University, Benedict College, Allen University, Congaree National Park, the Mather School, and Randolph Cemetery. For a complete listing, go to https://www.nps.gov/subjects/reconstruction/discover-the-network.htm.

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who has been active in establishing the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park, said the growth of the network is important.

Reconstruction is often a misunderstood part of our history, and these new sites build on the networks mission of accurately telling the complete story of this era," Clyburn, D-S.C., said in a news release. "These new additions will also greatly boost our states tourism industry by welcoming visitors from across the country who wish to learn about this important history.

The Reconstruction park works in partnership with private organizations such as the Penn Center on St. Helena Island.

Its the result of two decades of advocacy that began in 2000 when then-Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt and historian Eric Foner visited Beaufort to consider establishing a federal monument to Reconstruction.

In 2015, the National Park Service began to interpret the Reconstruction period with the aim of drawing attention to a neglected but fascinating part of American history. A consensus soon emerged among elected officials, civic leaders, academics and private-sector leaders that Beaufort should become the epicenter of the new enterprise.

In January 2017, President Barack Obama designated three new national monuments: the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, the Freedom Riders National Monument and Reconstruction Era National Monument in Beaufort. In March 2019, the monument became a park when President Donald Trump signed The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act into law. (That bill also converted Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie from a monument to a park; both are part of the Reconstruction network.)

Beaufort and Port Royal Sound were important Union strongholds in the South during most of the Civil War. Union forces took command of the area in late 1861, and local White landowners mostly fled. Before the end of the war in 1865, around 10,000 free Black people had purchased much of this property at auction and assumed control of the city and its environs.

They retained control of the area for a couple of decades  until political forces conspired against them and reasserted white supremacy.
Fifty-four years ago, in the tumultuous years of 1968 and 1969  the years that saw Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated and the Fair Housing Act passed, that saw James Brown release "Say It Loud - I'm Black and Proud" and two Black athletes raise their fists in Mexico  Judith Lewis was teaching at Belvederes Triune Elementary.

Triune was one of the more than 770 Equalization Schools in South Carolina, purposed to forestall the legal challenges the state was facing for its failure to provide adequate, or "separate but equal," education to its Black school children.

Fifty-four years later, a few pages in a sheaf of yellowing papers  papers that have moved with Lewis from North Augusta to Atlanta to Beaufort  made their way into the hands of those whod written free verse on them all those years ago in that fifth-grade classroom at Triune.

The neat cursive and 10-year-old's sketch of James Brown (erroneously captioned James Browne) made Lewis former student Steve Huff laugh, admitting his penmanship may have suffered over the years.

Huff and four others in Lewis fifth-grade class of 68 made the two-and-a-half-hour trip to Beaufort last month to reconnect with their former teacher.

Lewis, they recalled, was the first white teacher theyd had. For Lewis, her Triune students were the first Black students she'd taught.

At the time, South Carolina was on the cusp of integration.

Triune and South Carolinas Equalization Schools

Triune opened as a Black school in 1954, its construction the result of a 1951 South Carolina law that enacted the states first permanent sales tax with the intent of directing that funding toward bolstering public education of Black students.

That 1951 law also was an attempt to ensure continued segregation in South Carolina schools.

The state was at the time was facing legal challenges for not living up to the separate but equal requirement dictated half a century before by the 1896 Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson.

Plessy v. Ferguson had declared segregation in Americas schools permissible so long as all students had access to equal education: and equal education wasnt there.

The Clarendon County case of Briggs v. Elliot had been filed the year before, in 1950. That case, challenging school segregation in Summerton, would eventually make it to the Supreme Court, where it was rolled into the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education that called for desegregation.

In 1951, South Carolina felt so strongly about maintaining segregation in its school systems that it created its first permanent sales tax, said Rebekah Dobrasko. Dobrasko is a public historian who has researched South Carolinas Equalization Schools for more than 15 years.

More than 770 schools were built in South Carolina between 1951 and 1955 as a result of that new sales tax, including 10 in Aiken County. These schools were known as Equalization Schools, and though most were constructed as Blacks-only schools, some white schools also received funding as a way to drum up white voter support, according to Dobrasko.

Though they may have been intentioned to maintain segregation, said Dobrasko, the schools were also new buildings that materially improved a lot on the vast majority of the school buildings in South Carolina.

The schools, for many Black students, were the first they attended that had running water and heat, she said. This was the first time that South Carolina, as a state, had really paid attention to the Black school buildings and education.

But the books and furnishings were usually second-hand, and often the science lab equipment was inadequate, she said, so while there was a great material improvement, it wasnt complete. School districts were still able to show how they didnt really want to fund schools or Black education this way, too.

At Triune, that held true, at least by some accounts.

I did not quite have what I needed to teach those students, recalled Lewis.

A piano that the schools Black sixth-grade teacher (who also served as its principal) had been asking to have repaired for several years was still not tuned up by the time Lewis arrived in 1968. Lewis said she didnt quite know how to feel when she, a white woman, with her single request for its repair brought in a brand-new piano.

Everything was substandard, recalled Betty Abraham-Settles, who remembered books with long lists of other kids names in the front. Still, we walked across that stage at graduation.

Abraham-Settles was one of the 64-year-old kids (as Lewis still fondly calls her former students) to make the trip to Beaufort last month.

Former classmates Teresa Baskett Brinson, Curtis Butler, Steve Huff (of the James Browne drawing) and Joann Middleton also went. They were 10 years old when they had Lewis, herself just 27 at the time, as their fifth-grade teacher.

Lewis was the first white teacher theyd had, and they were Lewis first Black students.

It wasnt that we had to get used to her, it was that she had to get used to us, said Abraham-Settles, laughing. She and her classmates had been together for years and had built up their own camaraderie. We just knew we had to be polite to whoever walked in the building.

Said Teresa Baskett Brinson, One of the things I remember is asking my mother, Why did they have to bring a white teacher to teach us? Because, in my mind, we were doing just fine.

Lewis said it wasnt until their reunion last month that she learned from her students how at the time they didnt fully believe that she could teach them  because she didnt quite know how they lived, she said.

Integration: Equalization Schools close

It was in 1954 that the Supreme Court, ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, struck down segregation in the nations schools.

Another decade of court battles attempted to make that ruling  and desegregation  a reality, with a federal court eventually handing the state of South Carolina a deadline of full integration of its schools by 1970.

The solution that many school districts chose was to close their Black schools, schools that Dobrasko, the public historian, said had become central to Black communities.

Even if the school buildings dated to the 1950s, the school itself had a really long tradition in the Black community with alumni, a team their students supported and neighbors and pastors who had gone there, she said. You have these continuing decisions that are, at the time, seen as these good decisions, but that have this consequence of fracturing a lot of these communities.

The burden of integrating, of desegregating, the schools always fell on the Black community. All of a sudden, your kids arent going to the school in the neighborhood anymore, theyre going across the city maybe, she said.

When integration came, Triunes students had the option of going either to Jefferson or to Paul Knox Middle School. The experience was mixed.

After Triune, we integrated [into] white schools, and they did not want us there and made it known to us, said Baskett Brinson. There were a few white kids that were nice, of course.

But for Huff, the transition was smooth. Everybody was cordial on both sides [] it was a good experience.

Abraham-Settles said she remembers their sixth-grade teacher at Triune trying to prepare them for the next year, telling them that, Its going to be different; its going to be different [] he knew that desegregation was coming, but we didnt. We knew something was happening because the world was changing, but...

In some ways, she said, having Lewis did prepare them for seeing someone else.

Recalled Lewis, We compared the palms of our hands, and we would talk about all the different shades of color of our skin. You know, to me, that was as important as all the ABCs. These kids needed  they needed to just know that theres a lot to know about life, not just have books thrown at you.

It doesn't matter who you have, it matters whats in here, said Abraham-Settles. It doesnt matter who comes from wherever, whether you stay here; what matters is whats on the inside. And a lot of that comes from whoever raised you because that grounded-ness comes from home.

Abraham-Settles said that she and her former classmates had parents who would take no foolishness from them.

Lewis taught just the one year at Triune. She then left to continue teaching in Atlanta, where her husband was being transferred.

The year after she left Triune, in 1970, the Augusta Riots broke out.

Triune, like many Equalization Schools, is no longer standing. It was converted to the Belvedere Annex and hosted a Head Start program for a time before closing for good in the mid-1990s, according to an article in the Augusta Chronicle.

Abraham-Settles had gone by the old school grounds recently and snapped photos of the now empty and overgrown lot, pointing out where the May pole had been, the same May pole that Baskett Brinson remembered wrapping round with streamers.

Other such schools are still here and still serve the purpose of education. Byrd Elementary was one of the white schools at the time to receive funding from the program.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
The good news about Greenville Technical Colleges recent decision to hire a former procurement manager who is under SLED investigation for allegedly swindling $40,000 in his previous job is that he wasnt hired to oversee any of the schools spending.

Instead, the college hired Travis Braddy to teach classes in advanced manufacturing.

And certainly its also good that Greenville Tech let him go just three days later because of numerous discrepancies and material omissions in his application records.

The bad news of course is that those discrepancies didnt come to light before the hiring, which indicates that yet another S.C. governmental entity didnt bother to do the basics of vetting Mr. Braddy. And it underscores our earlier concerns that such basic vetting  independently verifying employment claims, checking references and doing simple internet searches  is going out of vogue.

The problem isnt hiring a single unvetted employee but larger patterns, and those patterns are only likely to become more pronounced as employers have an ever-harder time finding candidates who even look qualified on paper. Mr. Braddys case proves a useful illustration of how badly an employer can misjudge a candidate, because there were plenty of red flags for anyone who looked into his job history, from a bad-conduct discharge from the Army and a 30-month sentence in military prison for financial fraud in the early 2000s to the more recent problems with Columbia's Richland School District 1.

And as The Post and Couriers Avery Wilks reminds us, a Google search would have turned up our Uncovered articles from the spring detailing the allegations that as a procurement manager for Richland District 1, Mr. Braddy misspent $40,000 in tax money on hotel stays, rental of a 2020 GMC Yukon and what looks like a bogus purchase of COVID-19 supplies from a vendor that was suspicious enough that his supervisor instructed him to cancel it  which he didnt do. That should have knocked him out of contention for yet another state job even if he had not omitted his work at Richland 1 from his resume. Which he did.

In an era when its all the rage to complain about government paperwork, we dont hold out a lot of hope for our Legislature requiring all government officials to conduct those basic background checks before making hires, but certainly lawmakers can join us in making it clear that this needs to be done. And they can certainly make sure that those employers inside or outside of government who try to vet candidates for sensitive financial positions are able to find out about problems.

Like private employers, some government employers let problem employees leave rather than fire them for cause, because they dont want to have to deal with the red tape, or theyre worried about lawsuits. A state law can overcome that obstacle if its well-thought out: For instance, give the fired employee a chance to include a response in any reporting  and bar lawsuits as long as the response is included.

A 2018 state law prohibits police from letting problem cops just slither away to get a job at an unsuspecting agency elsewhere. Lawmakers were concerned enough about the problem that they included a provision in the law to strip police chiefs and sheriffs of their own certification as law enforcement officers if they fail to comply.

The Legislature should pass a similar law to deal with employees who have control over government spending  and require hiring officials to check the database before making job offers, even if they don't check anything else. That wouldnt have stopped Greenville Techs initial decision, since it was hiring an instructor, not a procurement manager. But we have to start somewhere.
SPARTANBURG  The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles is partnering with Spartanburg County to host its first Real ID roadshow.

The event will take place July 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lower level of the Cleveland Park Event Center at 141 N. Cleveland Park Drive. The roadshow will provide a mobile DMV for those who dont want to wait in long lines.

Real ID is indicated by a gold star in the upper right corner of the South Carolina driver's license. A Real ID will be required beginning May 3, 2023 to board flights, enter secure federal buildings and visit military bases.

This event is going to be an ease to get what you need, said Angela Allen, assistant regional manager for SCDMV Upstate branch services.

Photographs will be taken on site. Licenses will be mailed to owners.

The roadshow is starting in the Upstate, and more will be held across South Carolina until the deadline. SCDMV will have a roadshow in Greenville on July 26 and another one in Gaffney on July 27.

When SCDMV reached out to us about partnering for this event, it was a no brainer, said Scottie Kay Blackwell, Spartanburg County communications manager. We're always looking for ways to provide unique opportunities like this to Spartanburg County citizens.

In order to get a Real ID, proof of identity with a birth certificate or valid U.S. passport is required. You must also prove your social security number with a social security card or a W-2 with a social security number on it. Two proofs of a current, physical South Carolina address are also required. A current and correct address on a drivers license can count as one of the two proofs of a South Carolina address.

Those whove had legal name changes will also need to bring a marriage license or court order.
SPARTANBURG  Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette filed notice July 7 he intends to seek the death penalty for Duane Heard who is charged with murder in the death of a Spartanburg County sheriff's deputy.

A trial date will be set in 30 days after the notice is recorded and after Heard's attorney has been provided written notification, the 7th Circuit Solicitor's Office said.

Deputy Austin Derek Aldridge, 25, responded on the afternoon of June 21 with other deputies to Chaffee Drive in the Oak Forest subdivision, west of Spartanburg. He was shot as he approached a residence responding to a domestic call.

Aldridge died just before 9:30 p.m., that evening.

Heard, 63, of Spartanburg, was arrested after a chase and taken to a local hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds. A deputy spotted Heard's vehicle traveling on Anderson Mill Road toward Highway 290 and attempted to make a stop. Heard acted like he was going to surrender to deputies during the traffic stop but instead fired a shot at the deputy who returned fire, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies said Heard continued to drive down Anderson Mill Road and crashed his vehicle near a business just before Highway 290.

Aldridge was a Greenville County native, graduated from Wren High School in 2016 and attended North Greenville University. In 2019, he graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. He began his career with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office on April 8, 2019.

Aldridge and his wife, Jessica Link Aldridge, married in September 2019. She is expecting their first child in February.

The state Law Enforcement Division said there have been three shootings involving officers in Spartanburg County so far in 2022.

In 2021 there were 40 such shootings in South Carolina, with two in Spartanburg County.
Airtel Africa disclosed Friday it has settled nearly half of its $1 billion guaranteed senior notes set for maturity in May 2024, barely a fortnight after it made a call for redemption to investors.

The bond had been priced at 5.35 per cent originally at issue, according to a statement seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

But Indian-based Bharti Airtel Limited, the parent company of the telecommunications powerhouse, is executing plans to cut down its debt at group level, part of which is the decision to terminate $450 million of the value of the bond early.

Cash for defraying the debt came from the groups coffers.

When in June Airtel Africa first announced the move through its Netherlands operation called BAIN, it lined up a cash tender offer of $300 million for holders interested in parting with the instrument, a sum that would later rise by 50 per cent.

The original cap on the redemption of $300m, as mentioned in the release of 22 June, was increased on 6 July 2022 as BAIN, in its sole discretion, decided to achieve a larger debt reduction through the use of cash resources, said Airtel in the document posted on the Nigerian Exchange website.

The $450 million is the total principle sum considered for the transaction, which altogether has repaid $462.6 million to bondholders that submitted bids, including accrued interest and compensation for redeeming that portion of the debt ahead of time.

Airtel Africa affirmed in a previous disclosure there is an early tender deadline of 5 July 2022 for noteholders wishing to tender their notes for preferential early tender consideration, otherwise the tender offer will expire on 19 July 2022, unless amended or extended by BAIN at its sole discretion.

Shares in Airtel closed at N1,732.20 per unit on Custom Street in Lagos on Friday, recording no movement. The stock has been in the stagnant position since the start of July.
More than 30 armed officials were on ground during the Tuesday attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre in Nigerias Federal Capital Territory, PREMIUM TIMES learnt from officials briefed on the matter.

The security agents included officials of Nigerias correctional centre, police officers, immigration officers, civil defence officials and mobile police officers.

Shortly before midnight on Tuesday, the Kuje facility came under attack in yet unclear circumstances that led to the escape of dangerous criminals, including apprehended Boko Haram terrorists.

Boko Harams splinter group, ISWAP, has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed four inmates and injured sixteen.

The terrorists attacked the Kuje maximum prison with very high-grade explosives, according to Shuaib Belgore, permanent secretary of Nigerias Ministry of Interior.

About 994 inmates fled during the attack. PREMIUM TIMES understands that 115 refused to escape while 445 have been recaptured or have turned themselves in at police stations.

An official said 580 inmates are back in the facility as of Thursday and 414 of the escapees are still missing. Seven inmates have been taken to hospital following injuries they suffered during the attack, the official said.

The escapees include 64 suspects of the Boko Haram extremist group, said Bashir Magashi, Nigerias Minister of Defense.

Umar Abubakar, a spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, said officials will track all fleeing inmates and return them to custody,

This newspaper reported how the attackers used three bombs and forcibly took control of the entry and exit points of the facility.

Later on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari visited the prison where senior officials showed him around the facility. He then tweeted that he was saddened by the attack and disappointed with Nigerias intelligence system.

How can terrorists organise, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it? the president asked.

Communities lying outside the Abuja city centre have increasingly become prone to violent crimes, including abductions believed to be carried out by terrorists, often called bandits, operating in the Northwest and parts of the Northcentral, including the federal capital.

Boko Haram terrorists who attacked Kuje prison have waged a deadly insurgency in the countrys northeast for over a decade. The rebels have taken control of communities in Niger State while ISWAP has claimed attacks in Kogi State, another neighbouring state in the North-central.

Armed men present during the Kuje prison attack

Interior minister Rauf Aregebesola said the Kuje attack occurred despite the fortification of the prison with armed security operatives.

PREMIUM TIMES has now learnt that 10 armed officials of the Nigeria correctional centre were on the ground during the attack.

Five members of the Mobile Police Unit (Mopol) 21 and five from Mopol 50 were also on the ground, according to an official with knowledge of the matter.

Others were four members of the Kuje police division; four immigration officers; two Counter Terrorism Unit cops; and one civil defence officer. The civil defence official died in the attack, officials said.

Mr Magashi, the defence minister, told journalists security officials on the ground did their best to prevent the jailbreak.

However, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said during his visit to the prison that some security officials at the facility may have been compromised for the attack to be that successful. He called for a thorough investigation of the incident.

When our reporters visited Wednesday afternoon, bullet shells lay scattered around the prison premises while security agents combed nearby bushes in search of escapees.

The prisons gate was bombed and six vehicles were razed during the shootout. Two civilian vehicles were also burnt.

Worrying trend

Armed groups have carried out several jailbreaks around the country in recent years, causing massive release of inmates.

Last April, more than 1,800 inmates escaped from Owerri prison in south-east Imo State, with armed men using explosives to blast through walls after a gun battle with guards.

In November, armed criminals killed 10 persons and freed 252 inmates in an attack on the Jos Medium Security Custodial Centre.

Prior to that, 837 inmates awaiting trial escaped from the Abolongo Correctional Centre in Oyo Town, when gunmen attacked the facility in October.

This year, an inmate on death row and two others awaiting trial for armed robbery escaped from a prison in Ilorin, North-central Nigeria.

At least 4,307 inmates have escaped from Nigerias prisons since 2017, TheCable reported based on compiled media reports.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) has released the details and pictures of the 68 Boko Haram suspects who escaped from the Kuje Correctional facility.

According to a report by BBC Pidgin, the officials have also promised to release the details of other prisoners who escaped from the facility.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how suspected Boko Haram terrorists stormed the Kuje Custodial Centre (prison) Tuesday night.

The terrorists, using high explosives and guns, breached the facility, leading to the escape of over 800 of the 994 inmates on Tuesday night.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported that an NSCDC officer and four inmates were also killed during the attack.

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The spokesperson of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Umar Abubakar, on Wednesday, said over 400 of the escaped inmates had been recaptured while 443 were still at large. Another 16 inmates who sustained various degrees of injuries were receiving treatment.

About 24 hours after the incident, a terrorist group, Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP), claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a video shared by the terrorist group on Wednesday, many of the inmates were seen fleeing the prison while the terrorists chanted Allahu Akbar.

ISWAP is a breakaway faction of the Boko Haram sect that has terrorised the North-east region of Nigeria for over a decade.

Africa, particularly the Lake chad region, which the North-eastern region of Nigeria is part of, also battles ISWAP terrorists who are believed to be affiliated with ISIS.

Below are the pictures and other details of the fugitives:
Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo and Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos will today in Port Harcourt meet their Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, PREMIUM TIMES has gathered.

The development is believed to be connected with the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resulting from the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the main opposition party for the 2023 presidential election.

The crisis worsened after Atiku rejected the recommendation of an ad hoc committee of the party and picked Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.

The committee was reported to have recommended Mr Wike for the position, although the party later cllaimed that Mr Wike was only one of three nominees recommended by the committee.

The three South West governors are believed to be going to Port Harcourt for the meeting with Mr Wike as emissaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

The ruling party and Mr Tinubu are believed to be trying to capitalise on the crisis in the opposition party to seek the support of Mr Wike for the forthcoming presidential poll.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Fayemi, he confirmed that he was indeed travelling with his two fellow APC governors to the Rivers State capital.

He also confirmed that the itinerary of the delegation includes a meeting with Governor Wike.

However, he said the meeting is not connected to partisan matters.

Mr Fayemi said the visiting governors would only be paying a courtesy call on their colleague, Mr Wike, while using the opportunity to discuss issues concerning the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

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Mr Fayemi, who is the chairperson of the NGF, said the forum is having ongoing discussions on challenges related to national security, education and the economy, saying those would form the focus of the meeting of the visiting governors with Mr Wike.

We are going to Port Harcourt to meet members of the APC in the state but have decided to use the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on our colleague, the governor of the state, Mr Fayemi told this newspaper.

The Rivers State governor has tacitly remained opposed to his partys candidate, Atiku, since the former vice president announced Mr Okowa as his running mate.

Instead, he has hosted the presidential candidates of Labour Party, Peter Obi, and that of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, in Port Harcourt over the period, sparking speculations that he was looking to bale out of the PDP.

Last week, the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, decried the treatment the PDP and Atiku had allegedly meted on Mr Wike and advised the candidate to placate the governor.

Other leaders of the party, such as the chairperson of its Board of Trustees, Walid Jibrin, and former governor of Plateau, Jonah Jang, have also issued the same advice.

But an associate of Atiku, Adamu Waziri, a former minister who said he met Mr Wike in Turkey last week. raised an objection to the party sending a delegation to placate the Rivers governor, saying as a party man, he should be available at all times to support the PDP which had given him many opportunities.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Friday, finally named his running mate ahead of the 2023 General Election.

Mr Obi, at a press conference in Abuja, announced Yusuf Baba-Ahmed as his substantive vice-presidential candidate hours after his placeholders withdrawal from the race.

Doyin Okupe, who was the placeholder, on Thursday, announced the submission of his withdrawal letter to INEC and prepared the minds of many Nigerians for his substantive replacement.

His name was initially submitted by the LP to beat the June 17 INEC deadline.

The Kaduna State-born Baba-Ahmed is an economist and founder of Baze University in Abuja.

As an All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate, he was elected in 2003 to represent Zaria Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

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He served as a senator for Kaduna North from 2011 to 2012 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Obi was a presidential aspirant under PDP before his defection, the Baze University founder was among the aspirants jostling for the PDP governorship ticket in Kaduna State before pulling out in May.

He accused the other contenders in the race of overspending and said it would hurt the state treasury if any of his colleagues emerge.

At his unveiling on Friday, Mr Baba-Ahmed said he accepted to be Mr Obis running mate because he believes in the latters capacity to deliver true dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed Nigerias security agencies to ensure there is no further successful attack on any prison anywhere in Nigeria.

The president gave the directive in the aftermath of Tuesdays attack on the Kuje prison in Abuja during which over 800 prisoners escaped. About half of the escapees have been rearrested while the other half, including over 60 Boko Haram terrorists, are still at large.

Mr Buhari gave his order at at the National Security Council meeting, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

Details of the discussions were provided by the Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, who briefed journalists after the meeting.

The President was deeply concerned about these developments and he initiated todays meeting, to enable security agencies, service chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, to brief the Council on what actually happened and the way forward, Mr Dingyadi said.

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The service chiefs have been given very clear directives to ensure that adequate measures are taken not only to investigate what happened but also to take steps to forestall the occurrence of such incidents.

We had a very successful meeting and the meeting has agreed to take proactive measures that will ensure that a repeat of what happened these few days will not be witnessed anymore.

Mr Dingyadi assured Nigerians of a full-scale investigation into the attack, as he solicited their support in fighting all forms of criminality.

The president is surprised that what happened in Kuje actually took place in spite of all the security arrangements that have been made to ensure that such an incident does not happen.

We are assuring the nation and Nigerians in general, that arrangements have been made to ensure that full investigations are carried out and to ensure that a repeat of the incidents will not occur.

We call on Nigerians to continue to support the federal government in the effort to ensure that we fight criminalities to finish and to ensure that this country is brought back to normalcy in a more secure and a more peaceful atmosphere, he said.

The attack on the Kuje prison joins a growing list of attacks on prisons in the past two years. At least seven prisons across Nigeria have experienced similar attacks by different armed groups.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the interior minister, Rauf Aregbesola, said Thursday that the Kuje prison attack occurred despite the fortification of prisons nationwide after a similar attack on the Abolongo prison in Oyo State last October.

Hundreds of prisoners who escaped from the Oyo prison are yet to be recaptured.

On Friday, the Nigeria Correctional Service published the names and photos of the Boko Haram members who escaped from the Kuje prison.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the removal of Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini.

Blessing Agbomhere, the APC Zonal Organising Secretary, South-south, signed the petition addressed to the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.

The petition, dated July 7, called for the sack of Mr Igini within the next 48hours.

The APC in Akwa-Ibom has been in crisis for a while. There has been a power tussle between a former national secretary of the party, John Akpanudoedehe and Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of the state.

The tussle for the control of the party has created factions within the party and also parallel primaries. In Akwa-Ibom North-west, Udom Ekpoudom and Mr Akpabio emerged as senatorial candidates. , However, INEC recognised the election that produced the former.

Mr Akpanudoedehe has since defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Despite his defection, the crisis in the state persists.

Mr Igini in an interview with Arise TV, which was published by PREMIUM TIMES, said the APC in the state failed to abide by extant laws. He noted that a faction used forged documents to acquire fraudulent judgement.

The petition

In the letter, APC accused Mr Igini of incessant acts of biasness, injustice, sabotage and malevolence meted out on the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State.

According to Mr Agbomhere, Mr Igini has over the years, since his deployment, sabotaged and worked obviously against the APC in the state.

He added that Mr Igini has been partisan and supportive of a political party despite the provision of the law that by virtue of his position and membership of INEC, he is supposed to be unbiased, incorruptible and impartial umpire in every electoral process.

Mr Agbomhere stressed that a violation of the provision of Section 26 of the Electoral Act of 2022 is not without its consequences and the same are rightly captured in Section 120 of the Act.

He added that the party will be ready to approach the Code of Code Bureau and the Federal High Court to compel the Commission to dismiss Mr Igini.

From the foregoing facts we have just made available to you, Mr Chairman, there will be no gainsaying that Mr Mike Igini, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, has been compromised, shown partisanship and regrettably so, abused his office as an INEC official hence we make the following prayers to you;

That, Mr Mike Igini is not fit and proper to remain as the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner of the State. This is because a free and fair election begins with a free and fair process. Hence Mr Igini has compromised, he therefore lacks the capacity to conduct or supervise any election in the state.

That, Mr Mike Igini be committed to the relevant authorities for prosecution for the violation of Section 26 of the Electoral Act of 2022.

May I remind you, Mr Chairman, that the integrity of the Commission is greatly at stake here as this issue has generated not just statewide protests but also nationwide concerns by both members of our party and the generality of Akwa Ibomites and Nigerians.

We believe that Mike Igini is not the only INEC REC in Nigeria hence his position should not bring disrepute of any sort to the Commission neither should the same be used as an oppressive tool against the All Progressives Congress or any other political party.

Finally, Mr Chairman, we will be more than willing to approach the Code of Conduct Tribunal against Mr Mike Igini and also approach the Federal High Court to obtain an Order of Mandamus to compel the Commission in any event where our prayers and demands are not met within the time given.

Further justifying why Mr Igini should be sacked, Mr Agbomhere said: In 2019, Mr Mike Igini acted in gross violation of the Electoral Act by sabotaging the Senatorial Elections of His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio. He did this, by maliciously supervising the cancellation of the votes of the Distinguished Senator all in his bid to ensure his loss of the election.

He further went ahead, to ensure that the results of the election were mutilated and not announced at the INEC headquarters in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District which is at variance with the provision of Section 25(2)(e) of the Electoral Act of 2022 which provides that the results of Senatorial elections shall be announced at the Senatorial Districts collation centre. All of these led to the loss of Sen. Godswill Akpabio and Mr Mike Iginis malicious enterprise and unjustifiable onslaught against our party achieved.

After the landslide victory of Hon. Nse Ntuen, who emerged as the winner of the Essien Udim State Assembly Elections, Mr Mike Igini, in his usual act of dislike for our party in the state blatantly refused to issue a certificate of return to him as INEC REC of the state.

We resorted to seeking legal redress and the court, having seen the merits of our claims, granted us an order mandating INEC to issue a certificate of return to Hon. Nse Ntuen. It will interest and surprise you to know that this order of the court was rudely disobeyed and arrogantly flung out of the windows of INEC by Mr Mike Igini all because Hon. Nse Ntuen was a member of the APC.

The APC chieftain added that the party has been at the receiving end of injustice and ill-will since the deployment of Mr Igini to Akwa Ibom State.
The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board says 600 intending pilgrims who paid for the 2022 Hajj fares through the board will not perform the pilgrimage.

The boards Executive Secretary, Muhammad Abba-Dambatta, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kano.

He said that was due to the inability of the Hajj carrier to complete transportation of the pilgrims before the expiration of the deadline for the closure of Saudi-Arabian airports.

Mr Abba-Dambatta revealed that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) allocated 2,229 hajj seats to the state for the 2022 pilgrimage.

According to him, the state proposed Max Air as the carrier for the transportation of its intending pilgrims, but NAHCON approved Azman Air.

He explained further that they made several efforts to make NAHCON change the carrier, but were not successful.

Mr Abba-Dambatta claimed that Azman Air had small aircraft that carried less number of passengers.

Azman Air has small aircraft that carry about 100 to 400 passengers and spend six hours from Kano to Madina.

The carrier did seven flights and was able to transport only about 1,690 intending pilgrims, but big aircraft carry about 500 passengers and spend four hours from Kano to Saudi Arabia.

I, the board chairman and the remaining staff decided to come down and allow other people to go and perform the religious obligation.

We explained the situation to the affected people, and pray to Allah to avert future occurrence and reward all those who were unable to make it this year.

We will be with them after the Arafat to assist them in carrying out the remaining Hajj rites, he said.

NAN recalls that the General Manager, Azman Air, Alhaji Suleiman Lawal, had told newsmen that NAHCON gave them 14 states and the Armed Forces.

He said that We have finished all the states allocated to us except Kano.

And that was because the state rejected us initially as their carrier, that was why we decided to go to other states, he said.

Mr Lawal revealed that they were using two aircraft, one had 409 capacity, while the other one had 110 capacity in conducting the operations.

(NAN)
Over a million Muslim pilgrims have converged on Mount Arafat for the 2022 Hajj operations, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Staying the whole day at Arafat is one of the high points of the Hajj operations after starting with spending a night at Muna on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that standing on Arafat is an essential part of the Hajj because it is a site where all supplications by pilgrims are automatically accepted by Allah.

Pilgrims are expected to use the day for prayers for themselves, families, friends, the Muslim community as well as their countries.

The hill of Arafat is also known as Jabal ar-Rahmah, meaning Mountain of Mercy.

On the ninth day of Hajj, pilgrims leave Mina for Mount Arafat where they stand in contemplative vigil and pray and recite the Quran.

It is here that Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon to the Muslims who had accompanied him for the Hajj towards the end of his life.

A pilgrims Hajj is considered invalid if they do not spend the afternoon on Mount Arafat.

The Hajj, usually one of the worlds largest annual religious activities, is prescribed for all Muslims to perform at least once in a lifetime.

This year, no fewer than 42,000 Nigerian pilgrims from states and private tour operators are participating in the religious exercise.

(NAN)
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has condemned the manhandling of a popular prophet in the state, Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, otherwise known as Odumeje.

Some tax force members, supervising an on-going demolition of illegal structures in the state, were captured in a video clip manhandling the cleric on Thursday.

The clerics church building which was partially pulled down was among the illegal structures marked for demolition by the state government in Onitsha, Onitsha North Council Area of the state.

Mr Soludo said the manhandling of the cleric was imperfect and unprofessional, assuring that steps would be taken to correct the unfortunate incident.

This is highly regretted, and would never happen again. I have instructed that the tax force personnel involved in the manhandling of Prophet Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere (Odumeje) be treated in accordance with rules of public conduct which he roundly failed to uphold, Mr Soludo said via his verified Facebook page on Friday.

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He said his administration will remain undaunted in working to deliver on its mandate, saying the evoked emotions were against the manhandling of the prophet and not against the decision of the state government to demolish illegal structures.

On behalf of the government and good people of Anambra State, I condemn the assault and further ask for your continued support in the fight to restore the dignity of Onitsha and indeed the totality of our homeland, the governor added.

Church building not fully demolished  Official

Meanwhile, the clerics church, Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry, has said that the main church building was not among the demolished structures.

In a video clip posted on the clerics official Instagram page, an unidentified official of the church said the main church building was not affected and that church activities will continue as usual.

Odumejes church (building) has not been demolished but the security house at the front of Odumejes church, the official said. The security house that is a little bit close to the drainage was demolished. As you can see, Odumejes church is still intact.

The clip showed that the main church building was not demolished, although the entire structure was reportedly marked for demolition.

It is not clear, for now, if the main church will be demolished later.

Mr Soludo was silent on whether the rest of the church building will still be pulled down.
The police in Ondo State have arrested a suspected child thief who has confessed to selling two children she stole for N30,000 each.

Adeola Omoniyi was arrested on July 1, 2022, in Ore, while attempting to make away with a five-year-old child.

Funmilayo Odunlami, the police spokesperson in Ondo, said on Thursday that the minor lives with her grandmother.

A grandmother sent her granddaughter, Precious Aje female 5years, on errand and on her way she was accosted by one Adeola Omoniyi female of Ilutitun, Okeasa Street, held her and was taking her away but for the neighbours who recognized the child and raised the alarm before she was rescued, she said.

The suspect confessed to have stolen two kids which she sold for 30,000 each.

The police spokesperson also hinted that the suspects father allegedly aided in the sale of the children and had been arrested.

In a similar occurrence, the police command also has in its custody, a woman who was caught while attempting to escape with a three-year-old she stole in Ikare Aloko.

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According to Mrs Odunlami, one Mrs Bamitale on July 6 at Ikare-Akoko left the child in her shop to buy some toiletries, but before she came back, one Aanu Afolabi, 23, went into the shop and carried the little girl.

The suspect reportedly carried the child on her back. As she was about to cross the road, she was hit by a motorcyclist.

While the motorcyclist and people around were trying to help her, one of the sympathisers realize the child she was carrying belongs to her neighbour and raised alarm, Mrs Odunlami said.

She added that an android phone and a bucket were found in her possession.
Polaris Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of Nigerias Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as it announces the sponsorship of the 6th Lagos Fashion Souk 2022. The event is organized in partnership with Nigerias foremost event management company, EVENTFUL Limited.

The two-day Fashion Souk/business fair will hold on Saturday 9th and Sunday, July 10, 2022, at the Harbour Point facility on Victoria Island, Lagos.

Announcing the event, Polaris Banks Group Head Strategic Brand Management, Nduneche Ezurike, said, As an SMEs-friendly Bank, it is always our delight to explore opportunities to grow Nigerias Small and Medium Enterprises. Polaris Banks lead sponsorship of the 6th edition of the Fashion Souk, underscores our acknowledgment of the SMEs as the catalyst for Nigerians economic growth. Continuing, he noted that this years Fashion Souk is unique as it provides an opportunity for Eid-el-Kabir holidaymakers with an unforgettable shopping experience as visitors will behold the creativity of the Nigerian entrepreneurs, especially in the beauty and fashion space.

Mr Ezurike further stated that Polaris Banks continued partnership with EVENTFUL Limited in the last two years stimulated the entrepreneurial spirit of many Nigerians, especially the new-age innovators in the key sectors of the national economy. He commended Eventful Ltd for blazing the trail in showcasing the enterprise amongst Nigerians.

ALSO READ: Polaris Bank clinches healthcare excellence award

Commenting on the essence of the SOUK, Founder and Chairman of Eventful and Convener of the Fashion Souk, Yewande Zaccheaus, said: Eventful Limited has been deliberate in using the platform of the Fashion Souk to create the much-needed road to market for budding fashion entrepreneurs whilst also expanding the target market of the more established designers. In partnership with Polaris Bank, we are proud to once again contribute to the growth of the nations economy.

More than 130 SMEs in Nigerias fashion industry, cutting across manufacturers, retailers, and dealers, are billed to showcase their creativity and product lines at the Fashion Souk.

According to December 2021 industry report, the Sub-Saharan African fashion market is worth $31 billion, with Nigeria holding an expanding share of 15 percent.

In line with its SME focus, Polaris Bank has partnered with and supported businesses in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy, including health, education, manufacturing, agriculture, export, and others. The Bank has advanced credits to these sectors in excess of N20bn for the acquisition of medical equipment, machines, distribution and logistics of medical products; stationaries, furniture, classrooms, school bus; working capital for businesses, expansion, etc.

Polaris Bank is a digitally-enabled Bank focused on providing innovative products and services to its customers.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume, has taken a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari and the service chiefs over the worsening state of insecurity in the country.

Mr Ndume, an APC senator, representing Borno South, against the backdrop of the tragic attack on Kuje prison on Tuesday, said the countrys leadership has failed in its primary objective to the citizens.

Like a walk in the park, a continental terrorist group, ISWAP, in its latest attack, breached the Kuje Medium Correctional Centre in Abuja and released over 600 inmates.

All 64 Boko-Haram terrorists in the prison were among the inmates who escaped in the attack that led to the death of an NSCDC officer and the destruction of the facilitys properties.

Mr Ndume, on Thursday in an interview with Channels Television, said the attack would not have been such an easy one if the prison facility was adequately equipped with weapons and enough personnel.

Im sure if there was a proper response that day, those people would have apprehended or neutralized as you call them. But there was no proper response and they said it lasted for hours into the time they were attacked. No support from anyone, the Senator said.

Using the word Khakis strokers, he lamented the lacklustre disposition of the current administration who put people who are not capable of leading in places of power.

Mr Ndume said the performance of the countrys three arms of government has been at such lowest until the current administration.

Buhari, Lawan taking a hit

While the Borno South Senator did not mention names, he seized the moment to take a swipe at the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Mr Buhari over their comments after they visited the scene of the incident.

Hinging his vexation on Mr Lawans comment that the attack was an inside job, Mr Ndume challenged the senate President to spill names if he is not speculating.

I dont want to get into that. You dont just start speculating with serious business all this. If there is, let him say who it is or how.

All Im saying is that we have a problem with the fundamental purpose of government in this country. The fundamental purpose of government, as stated in the Constitution is the security and welfare of its citizens. And were not doing well and that the earlier we realize that we need to get more people to possess more intelligence, more security agencies, personnel, and do better for us, but were not doing good in that area, he said.

Mr Ndume also expressed disappointment with Mr Buharis disposition about killings in the country, a disposition he considered far below what his office is capable of.

Honestly, we are in trouble, we shouldnt take these things lightly. If we are serious, we should be talking about how to address this matter and what citizens need to do, not to be talking about or allowing people to be just speculative and we make it an issue.

Im disappointed. Im really disappointed with the response of so many leaders and its our responsibility. The responsibility of the government is the security and welfare of its citizens. And then you have leaders responding as if it is a casual thing and not their responsibility. I feel pained.

I feel paid to be called a senator and Im almost like helpless, he lamented.

Buhari should do better.

Taking the side of many Nigerians, the Senator expressed disgust at the ritualistic press releases of Mr Buharis spokespersons whenever a similar tragedy struck.

He said Mr Buhari should have been the one briefing the nation in such cases, not his media aides.

Putting himself in the presidents shoes, he said he would have called his service chiefs to brief him and address the nation as appropriate on what is going on.

The President is supposed to or whoever is responsible, is supposed to sit some people down and get results. This is not just by making statements. When it comes to issues like this, it is the President himself that is supposed to be talking to Nigerians, not some advisers on press, he noted.
The Peoples Democratic Party candidate in Osun, Ademola Adeleke, has attributed his absence at Wednesdays governorship debate to his busy campaign schedule.

Ahead of the July 16 governorship election in the state, four governorship candidates faced one another in a televised debate Wednesday speaking about their plans for the electorate if elected.

Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Goke Omigbodu, Social Democratic Party (SDP); Akin Ogunbiyi (Accord); and Yusuf Lasun (Labour Party) participated in the debate.

The organisers of the debate, Arise TV, said Mr Adeleke was on his way and would join before the end of the event, which lasted just over two hours.

The PDP candidate never showed up.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Adeleke said he was out in the villages and local governments campaigning while the debate was ongoing.

On Wednesday, the candidate returned late to Ede from rural campaigns to towns and villages which insisted on hosting the gubernatorial flag bearer to directly listen to details of his five-point agenda, read the statement issued by his media aide, Oluwole Rasheed.

The candidate also used the local tour on Wednesday to meet opinion leaders and sectoral groups with special submissions on what they expect from a PDP government if elected into office.

The governorship candidate thanked the people for the special meetings, noting that meeting the people was the most important thing in a campaign, where he had the opportunity to brief them on his five-point agenda.

Meanwhile, the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Thursday, led Mr Adelekes campaign tour to Ede.

The Delta State governor used the opportunity to drum support for the candidate ahead of the election.

The Adeleke Campaign Organisation said the senator had already completed the tour of the 30 local governments and area offices in the state.

The organisation believes that Mr Okowas presence at Thursdays rally would prelude the grand finale scheduled for the new week.
Media stakeholders, comprising the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ, the International Press Institute (IPI) and other media-focused groups have recommended the need for industry-wide involvement in the setting up of the structure for a framework for the regulation of journalism practice in the country.

The groups therefore recommended a timeline of six weeks for the setting up of the structure for the media regulation for review and take-off.

This is contained in a communique at the end of a strategic meeting in Abuja on Thursday and signed by Kabir Yusuf, President, NPAN; Mustapha Isah, President, NGE; Chris Isiguzo, President, NUJ; Musikilu Mojeed, President, IPI, and Dayo Ayeitan, Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).

Predicating their position on the renewed vigour by the National Assembly to reintroduce bills likely to stifle media practice in Nigeria, the stakeholders said that the media will continue to resist every covert or overt attempt to muzzle and criminalize journalism practice in Nigeria  whether through the obnoxious social media bill or the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Code of Practice.

The stakeholders further agreed that the basic principles of good journalism practice, which is truth, accuracy, balance, independence, and protection of journalists remain the basic tenets of journalism and should be upheld at all times.

We agreed that there is need for self-regulation based on the Code of Ethics, in addition to the need for further review of the existing code.

Stakeholders insist on the primacy of media freedom, and to jealously guard same, and are not unaware of the responsibilities that come with such freedoms.

Recommend the need for industry-wide involvement in the setting up of the structure for a framework for the regulation of journalism practice in the country, the communique added.

The groups, which recommended a timeline of six weeks for the said structure for media regulation for review and take-off, agreed that capacity building for media professionals should be prioritized.

Therefore, the training and retraining of all segments of the media, especially editors, reporters and bureaucracy of the various media associations and unions  NPAN, NGE, NUJ and IPI should be in focus. This is to enhance professionalism, institutional memory and sustainability, the media stakeholders stated.

The strategic meeting also tasked press organisations to also have an in-house framework, either at the level of individual organisations or in a collective.

The groups advised governments at all levels to desist from interfering in the editorial independence of public-owned media institutions.

The stakeholders added that the media will continue to resist every covert or overt attempt to muzzle and criminalize journalism practice in Nigeria  whether through the obnoxious social media bill or the NITDA Code of Practice.

Signed

IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

General Secretary

Nigerian Guild of Editors
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has apologised after over 1,500 Nigerians who had paid and prepared for this years Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca could not travel.

The failure to transport the pilgrims was largely due to inadequate planning by the government-owned agency. Over 30,000 Nigerian pilgrims were, however, able to travel for this years Hajj.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) humbly acknowledges the following: that it owes deep and unreserved regrets to entire intending pilgrims to 2022 Hajj for the hardships and disappointments experienced during outbound airlift operations to the holy land, the agency wrote in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

Specifically, the following numbers of affected pilgrims would not make it to Saudi Arabia before closure of Jeddah airport, hence they are sadly bound to miss this years Hajj. They are: Nine (9) pilgrims from Bauchi state; 91 pilgrims from Plateau state; 700 pilgrims from Kano state and an estimated 750 pilgrims from the Private Tour Operators sector.

Read the full statement by NAHCON below.

NAHCON Regrets All Inconveniences

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) humbly acknowledges the following: that it owes deep and unreserved regrets to entire intending pilgrims to 2022 Hajj for the hardships and disappointments experienced during outbound airlift operations to the holy land. The Commission offers similar apologies to the federal government of Nigeria, State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, Private Tour Operators, and the general public for any embarrassment the situation of the past few weeks might have caused.

Sadly, despite all efforts to airlift all Nigerian intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2022 Hajj, NAHCON was incapacitated in discharging this responsibility fully, majorly due to last minute setbacks that frustrated its plan to conclude airlift of pilgrims by 27th June of this year. Unfortunately, the chartered flights option that gave so much hope to NAHCON and the Private Tour Operators leadership also became a failure as their IBAN accounts failed accreditation by the respective authorities in Saudi Arabia.

Specifically, the following numbers of affected pilgrims would not make it to Saudi Arabia before closure of Jeddah airport, hence they are sadly bound to miss this years Hajj. They are: Nine (9) pilgrims from Bauchi state; 91 pilgrims from Plateau state; 700 pilgrims from Kano state and an estimated 750 pilgrims from the Private Tour Operators sector.

The Commission gives assurance that all affected pilgrims will be refunded their Hajj fares while it will work towards improving its deficiencies against next time. NAHCON has learnt a lot of lessons and is determined not to have a repetition of the unfortunate situation. Management knows that no number of apologies could pay for the disappointments some Muslim faithfuls are currently experiencing as a result.
The Corps Commander of the Ondo State Security Network (Amotekun), Adetunji Adeleye, has given details on how a student of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) was shot and killed by one of its operatives.

Mr Adeleye, a retired brigadier general, said the incident occurred while his men were trying to arrest some hoodlums. The victim was one of them, he said.

He said the hoodlums tried to disarm the operatives when the weapon of one of his men triggered off and wounded the victim.

The incident occurred on June 27, but the student later died of the injuries on Thursday, July 7.

Protest

Students of the polytechnic erupted in a wild protest on Friday to demand compensation from the security agency.

The victim, Folarera Ademola, was an ND1 student in the department of Science Laboratory Technology.

The protesting students gave the state government a 24-hour ultimatum to hand over the said officer to the Nigeria police for proper prosecution, take charge of the deceaseds burial, and compensate the family.

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Speaking on behalf of the students, the Students Union President, Olorunda Oluwafemi, confirmed that the boy was shot on June 27 by an officer of the Amotekun in front of his parents house.

Mr Oluwafemi added that the deceased suffered gunshot wounds for 10 days before he was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where he died Thursday.

He said the protesting students would march from the school gate through the Palace of Olowo before taking the protest to Amotekuns office to further express their grievances.

Meanwhile, Mr Adeleye said the corps received with sadness the news of the death of the student.

Mr Adeleye in a statement made available to journalists on Friday said the command would carry out a thorough investigation to reveal the real cause of his death.
The former president of Angola, Jose Dos Santos, died on Friday, the embassy of Angola in Nigeria has announced.

According to the embassy, Mr Dos Santos died in the city of Barcelona, Spain, due to illness. He had been receiving medical treatment since 2019.

Born on August 28, 1942, in Luanda, Jose Eduardo dos Santos was a unique figure of Angolan nationalism with his participation in the fight against colonization, in the conquest of national independence, in the affirmation of Angola in the context of Nations, in the conquest of peace, reconstruction and national reconciliation, the statement announcing his death said.

Angola will from midnight July 9 observe five days of national mourning in honour of the late former president.

The Embassy of Angola in Abuja, will open from Monday, July 11, a Book of Condolences in honor of the nationalist and patriot Jose Eduardo, it added.

One of Africas longest serving leaders, Mr Dos Santos stepped down five years ago.

The former president had referred to himself as an accidental president. He took over after Angolas first leader, Agostinho Neto, died during a cancer surgery in 1979.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on
Camel sellers in Kano State are smiling home or perhaps to the banks with millions of naira as residents are trooping in to buy camels as the prices of rams, which are the common livestock killed during Sallah festivals have skyrocketed beyond what many residents can afford.

On Friday, Kofar Naisa livestock market in the metropolis, PREMIUM TIMES noticed that camel sellers were making brisk business and dominated the selling points hitherto used by cows and ram sellers in previous years.

At one of the stalls still selling rams, Idris Illiyasu, a ram dealer from Sokoto, decried the low sale. He said the soaring cost of rams is the reason he was finding it difficult to get customers.

Mr Illiyasu said the prices of the rams start from N40,000 to N105,000. He said the rams selling at N105,000 were sold for N90,000 last year.

Rams selling at N50,000 now were sold at N35,000 last year, Mr Illiyasu said.

The surprising thing about this years rams market is that there is no panic buying as the Sallah celebration approaches, unlike in the previous years.

As the Sallah approaches, the prices of rams remain higher while the buyers are shrinking, Mr Illiyasu said.

I have been a ram dealer, coming to Kano for over a decade, but this is the year I witnessed such high cost of rams in all the years I have been engaging in the business, Mr Illiyasu added.

Muslims across the world use rams to celebrate Eid-el Kabir festival because it attracts the highest reward when compared to other livestock.

It Is recommended that one use a ram for the sacrifice provided one can afford it, the next in the reward is a cow.

Islam also recommends animals like the sheep, he-goat, and she-goat which are relatively cheaper than the ram, cow, and camel.

A survey of Kano livestock market suggests that the prices of cows have also skyrocketed.

Even when groups of people contribute to buying cows, the cost still places a huge financial strain on them.

Halliru Diso, a cow dealer in the Kofar Naisa livestock market, also complained about the increasing cost of the livestock.

He said cows are sold for between N250,000 and N1 million.

The cows are brought in from places like Yobe, Borno, and Bauchi. He said others are imported from the Niger Republic.

Compared with last years Sallah festival, Mr Diso said prices have almost doubled.

Mr Diso blamed the high cost on the instability of the naira.

Another cow dealer, Ado Garba, also attributed the high price of cows to the cost of transportation.

Previously we used to transport a cow at the cost of N4,000 from the North-east to Kano but now a cow is being transported at the cost of N20,000 this determines the prices because we cannot sell at a loss, Mr Garba said.

Elated camel sellers

While ram and cow dealers lament, camel sellers are glad as more customers are buying the livestock from them. Danazumi Alka, a camel dealer, said more people are buying camels because they are affordable.

He said unlike the cows, the camels are cheaper because of the nature of the pasture upon which they feed on, the camels can survive on grasses and any available leaves and can stay longer without feeding and drinking water.

On the prices of the camels in the Kano market, Mr Alka said the price ranges from N150,000 to N500,000.

We have sold more camels priced at N150,000 to N270,000 than any other price range. I believe that people return to the camel because of the value for money as a camel of N200,000 has more meat than a cow of 400,000, Mr Alka said.

From the start of the Sallah markets, we have sold more and rushed back to the market for about five trips now, there is nothing we can say unless we are grateful to God for the patronage. We are buying the camels from Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, and the Niger Republic.

Buyers speak

The buyer, Aminu Musa, said the camel is cheaper than the cow and ram and the camel has more meat.

A camel you can buy for N200,000 is equivalent to a cow of N500,000 in meat quantity. For me, I prefer to buy the camel instead of the cow or a ram to reach more people by sharing the meat.

Another buyer, Abubakar Haruna, said he resorts to the camel because of the meat in it.

The prices of the cows and rams are always higher but the meat is not enough to share with the households, but with the camel, I am okay with the price and the volume of the meat, Mr Haruna said.
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

SALLAH MESSAGE: PRESIDENT BUHARI CALLS FOR MORE PATRIOTISM TO BUILD A BETTER NIGERIA

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians to put the interest of the country above selfish interests and use religion as a motivation for the love of our common humanity.

In his Eid-el Kabir message to Nigerian Muslims and other citizens, President Buhari said that if we are putting the teachings of our religions into practice, most of the evils afflicting our society would have been solved.

According to the President, religion shouldnt just be used as a mere badge of identity, but as a motivator for doing good for our country and humanity.

He explained that the exploitation of the people by traders and the stealing of public funds by civil servants and other holders of public trust is a reflection of the abandonment of the teachings of our religions.

Our society is a bundle of contradictions. People display external religiosity without fear of God; they make life difficult for others; money becomes their god; leaders abandon their oaths of office by taking money meant for the welfare of the people and divert it to their private pockets, he said.

President Buhari congratulated the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and the world on the occasion of the Eid, citing for special mention, the brave men and women in uniform fighting terror on many fronts and their families, as well as others held hostage and kept away from their families by wicked and heartless terrorists.

He used the occasion to call on all Muslims to reflect on the significance of the sacrifice epitomised by Eid.

According to the President, We should show love and care to our neighbours and others while celebrating this spiritually important event in our lives.

President Buhari also advised Muslims to promote the good virtues of Islam through personal examples and practice, adding that Muslims should avoid association with violent extremist ideas that have wrongly given Islam a negative image or poor perception.

On the current security challenges and costs of living in the country, President Buhari assured Nigerians that I wont rest until I bring relief to Nigerians, adding that I am quite aware of the difficulties people are facing and working to resolve them.

The President hopes that this Eid will be a source of blessing, peace, prosperity and safety for all Nigerians, stressing that coexistence and stability will prevail in the country.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 8, 2022
Nigerias minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, has said adequate funding and collaborations are needed to mitigate the spread of HIV across borders.

Mr Ehanire, while speaking at the 2nd high-level meeting of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organisation (ALCO) in Benin Republic on Thursday, said no mandate can be achieved without adequate funding and collaborations.

He noted that an understanding of the importance of collaboration among member-states will guarantee success in the fight against the HIV epidemic.

Mr Ehanire said collaborations will also ensure the control of epidemic-prone diseases.

ALCO is an intergovernmental organisation created in 2002 by the five Heads of State of Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria to serve as an intervention in the fight against HIV.

Its mandate is to conduct a regional cross-border HIV prevention and management programme and facilitate the free movement of people and goods to complement national efforts.

ALCO birth

Various reports have shown that in Africa, long-range ground transport is a major route for the spread of HIV.

Drivers and their assistants stay overnight along their way and can spend days at border crossings waiting to clear customs and border formalities.

These stops and delays provide multiple opportunities for sexual encounters that can transmit HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). This further places truck drivers, other mobile workers, sex workers, and the people who live along the routes at increased risk for HIV.

A 1992 survey found that 33 per cent of truck drivers and 80 per cent of sex workers in Lome, Togo, were HIV positive. It also indicated that prevalence rates among truck drivers and sex workers in large cities along the corridor were higher.

In 2001, an estimated HIV prevalence rates among adults in the five countries linked by the corridor were; 9.7 per cent in Cote dIvoire, 6.0 per cent in Togo, 5.8 per cent in Nigeria, 3.6 per cent in Benin, and 3.0 per cent in Ghana.

These statistics prompted the heads of states to establish ALCO to mitigate the impact of the HIV epidemic.

Major interventions

Speaking at the meeting, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Gambo Aliyu, said about 30 million people live along West Africas main east-west route, which stretches from Abidjan in Cote dIvoire to Lagos in Nigeria.

Mr Aliyu, who doubles as the chairman of ALCO, said 14 million people travel along the corridor each year, making the route essential to the regions socio-economic development.

He said since its establishment, ALCO has leveraged the support of member countries and development partners to implement several health and transport sector programmes.

He said these interventions have contributed to improving public health response and promoting the free movement of people and goods along the Abidjan  Lagos corridor.

Mr Aliyu said the meeting was initially scheduled for 2020 but the contingencies of human existence plunged the world into a new pandemic which made the meeting impossible at the time.

He said the first regional high-level meeting was held in 2019.

Mr Aliyu explained that the meeting aims to enable ministers of health and transport to appraise the results of ALCO activities since its inception; propose ways of revising the initial mandate of ALCO and propose synergies between ALCO and the ECOWAS Commission in the areas of health, transport, trade, free movement of people and goods.

In his remarks, the executive secretary of ALCO, Idrissa Kone, said the initiative has helped the West African region to gain control of its HIV response.

Mr Kone said since the establishment of ALCO, a lot of impactful interventions have been made.

He, however, said the organisation faces some challenges, saying funding is a major one. He said low and delayed funding from member states is limiting the organisation from fully attaining its mandate.

He said two countries out of the five regularly pay their contributions in full. He urged other member states to adopt this so the organisation can fulfil its mandate.

In his remarks, the minister of health, Benin Republic, Benjamin Hounkpatin, said ALCO will enable the five countries to take up the initiative to strengthen the response to HIV.

Mr Hounkpatin said there is a high HIV prevalence among sex workers along the corridor.

He noted that the new era of ALCO is expected to raise recommendations for heads of states to adopt as part of the effort to end the HIV epidemic.
The best supplication is that of the Day of Arafah, and the best that anyone can say is what I and the Prophets before me have said: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shaiin qadir. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things.

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

All praise is for Allah, we praise Him, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our own souls and the wickedness of our actions, whoever Allah guides, there is none that can lead him astray, and whoever Allah allows to go astray, there is none that can lead him to the right path.

I testify and bare witness that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth but Allah, alone, without any partners. And I testify and bare witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His Servant and Messenger. As for whats after:

Dear brothers and sisters! Today Friday (Arafah day) and tomorrow Saturday (the day of Eid-ul-Adha) are great days in Islam. In these great days, the observant gather to remember Allah, thank him, and worship him in the best manner. And they honour His sacred ordinances and rituals. His Prophet (Peace be upon him) sacrificed and ordained it for his Ummah (nation). For it is among his most confirmed Sunnahs. So whoever is able to do so should not deny themselves.

So be conscious of Allah and obey Him. And magnify Him in His greatest days. For these days are the best days of this worldly life. Amass in them from righteousness and piety. And avoid sin and following desires. Allah Almighty said:

That [has been commanded], and whoever honours the sacred ordinances of Allah  it is best for him in the sight of his Lord. [Quran, 22:30]

There are many virtues of these great days. And some of them have characteristics that others do not have, like the day of Arafah and the day of Sacrifice. And this sermon is about the day of Arafah and what it contains of virtue. So that we know its value and honour its sanctity. And so that we do not waste a moment of it.

And when Arafah is mentioned, the eyes well with tears at the sight of the pilgrims, while they are in Arafah, invoking and supplicating Allah. Rejoicing over them, being happy for them and longing for the sacred sites.

Indeed the day of Arafah is from the days of the sacred months. And it is from the ten favoured days. And it is from the known days indicated in the Quranic verse as follows:

That they may witness [i.e., attend] benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known [i.e., specific] days over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. [Quran, 22:28]

And Allah Almighty took an oath by it in His Noble Book that indicates its virtue and significance.

And [by] the witness and what is witnessed. [Quran, 85:3]

And it is the day of perfecting the religion and completing the favour. As is in the Hadith of Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that Tariq Bin Shihab narrated:

A Jewish man came to Umar Bin Al-Khattab and said: O Commander of the Believers! There is a Verse in your Book which you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews we would have taken that day as a holiday. He said: Which Verse is that? He said: This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Al-Maidah (5) 3) Umar said: I know the place where it was revealed and the day on which it was revealed. It was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) at Arafah, on a Friday. [Bukhari, 45]

And it is also an Eid for the Muslims. As in the Hadith narrated by Uqbah Bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

The day of Arafah and the day of sacrifice and the days of At-Tashriq are our Eid, people of Islam, and they are days of eating and drinking. [Sahih Al Jami of Sheikh Albani]

And it is the day of boasting about the people who are at Arafah as was indicated in the Hadith of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

Indeed Allah boasts to the occupants of the heavens about the people of Arafah. He says to them: Look at my servants who have come to me disheveled and dusty. [Sahih Al Jami of Sheikh Albani]

And it is the day of ransoming from the fire as indicated in the Hadith narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

There is no day on which Allah ransoms more servants from the Fire than the Day of Arafah. He draws closer and closer, then He boasts about them before the angels and says: What do these people want? [Muslim]

And it is the day of supplicating. And the day of moistening the tongues and hearts with the phrase of Tawhid as indicated in the Hadith related by Talhah Bin Ubaidullah Bin Kariz that Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

The best supplication is that of the Day of Arafah, and the best that anyone can say is what I and the Prophets before me have said: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shaiin qadir. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things. [At-Tirmidhi]

Respected servants of Allah! The apparent is that the merit of supplication is not restricted to those staying in Arafah only. Acceptance is more hopeful for them than others due to them wearing Ihram and being in the purest of places. At the same time, supplicating with the phrase of Tawhid in the Hadith is not specific to the people of Arafah. Rather, people throughout the world should say it a lot on that great day.

And it is as if supplicating plentifully through the phrase of Tawhid on the Day of Arafah is to confirm the fulfillment of the covenant that Allah Almighty took from mankind before their existence on earth. And it is mentioned in the Hadith of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

Allah took the covenant from Adams back in Naman, that is Arafah, and brought forth from his loins all his offspring whom He created and scattered between His Hands like atoms. He then turned to them saying, Am I not your Lord? They said, Yes, we have testified. [This]  lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, Indeed, we were of this unaware. Or [lest] you say, It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done? (Quran, 7: 172-173). [Imam Ahmad]

So it is appropriate for the tongues of believers to recite the phrase of Tawhid on that great day. Also, on Arafah, Muslims wherever they are should make plenty of remembrance (Zikr) and supplication (Dua).

So  dear servants of Allah  strive in remembrance and supplication. Perhaps the Mercy of Allah will touch you on the Day of Arafah. So a person should not deny themselves Allahs favour and goodness on that great day.

And for those performing Hajj, is the triumph of staying in Arafah  the greatest pillar of Hajj. Nonetheless, for those not performing Hajj is fasting on that great day. And fasting it expiates the sins of two years as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

Fasting the day of Arafah, I anticipate, will expiate for the sins of the previous year and the year after it. [Muslim]

Dear servants of Allah! Also know that the Eid-ul-Adha is the biggest and best Eid of the Muslims. Because it is within the best and most noble days (the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah). And it contains the most and greatest devotional rites. And sacrifice is ordained in it and it is among the best and most honourable of deeds. And it is from the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as was related in the Hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) sacrificed two black-and-white rams and I saw him putting his foot on their sides and pronouncing the Name of Allah and proclaiming His greatness. He slaughtered them with his own hand. [Bukhari and Muslim]

And let us avoid the sacrificial animals that have defects. For it is an offering for the sake of Allah. And let us choose the best and fattest animal as Abu Umamah Bin Sahl said:

We use to fatten the sacrificial animals in Madinah, and the Muslims would gain weight.

And whoever decides on the Day of Sacrifice or afterwards to sacrifice can do so. Likewise, someone who initially could not afford to sacrifice but then found enough money to do so can also sacrifice. And one sacrificial animal is sufficient for one household. And it is a worship and a means of getting closer to Allah. And boasting and bragging about it are not permissible.

And it is not permitted to fast on the days of tashriq, which are the three days after Eid (the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) for what the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said about them:

The days of tashriq are days of eating and drinking and remembrance of Allah. [Muslim]

Dear brothers and sisters! The great and blessed season has come upon you. So be cautious of neglecting it. The merciful season has come upon you, so be among the forerunners and not among the laggards. So perhaps Allah will glance at you with mercy. And rectify your wife, children and your country. And perhaps Allah will glance at you with mercy and open for you through one righteous deed doors of righteous deeds that you were not able to perform previously. And perhaps Allah will glance at you with mercy and accept your supplication and rectify your religious affairs, your worldly affairs and your hereafter.

We ask Allah Almighty to accept from all the Muslims and us. And to record for us mercy, forgiveness and freedom from the fire. Indeed He is All Hearing, Answering.

Dear brothers and sisters! Our Mosque and Islamic center, Nagazi-Uvete Islamic Centre is soliciting for your help and assistance. We sincerely seek your financial support, help, assistance, donation and contribution on the buying of cows in this coming blessed Eid-ul-Adha Celebration for our orphans, widows and the students under our care. Your support is highly needed for Allahs sake (FISABILILLAH)!

As usual, we sincerely solicit for your kind and sincere contribution towards the Eid-ul-Adha Udhiyyah/Layyah (sacrifice) for our orphans, widows and students; and the development of our schools and Islamic Center financially, materially and morally.

Our aim and objective always is to have a standard Islamic center and Arabic/Islamic schools for orphans and less privileged Muslims children.

And if you want to pay your Zakah, our great Islamic center is waiting for your kind and merciful gesture. Sincerely, your donation will help distribute sacrifice meat, etc for our orphans.

Remember, Eid-ul-Adha Celebration will not be the same without our families, but unfortunately this is not a privilege enjoyed by everyone. This is the reason were steadfast in planning to provide meat for the orphans, widows and students under our care!

We planned to distribute meat package that worth amount up to 4000 widows and 2000 orphans In Shaa Allah, this year.

And your contribution is highly waiting as usual. May Allah rewards all your efforts and your good deeds, ameen.

Allah Almighty says:

If you support the course of Allah, He will support you. [Quran, 47: 7]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

Whoever relieves his Muslim brother of a hardship from the hardships of this world, Allah shall relieve him of a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Judgement. And whoever makes things easy for a person in difficulty, Allah will ease for him in this world and the Next. Allah is forever aiding a servant so long as he is in the aid of his Muslim brother.

And he (Peace be upon him) said:

Every act of goodness is considered as Sadaqah. [Al-Bukhari]

Account details

Account no.  0048647196

Account name  Murtala Muhammed

GTBank

For more enquiries contact, Imam Murtadha Muhammad Gusau, the director and Imam Of the Centre: 08038289761.

To donate cows, rams etc, contact the following Numbers: 08038289761, 08056557477

Jazakumullah Khairan as you kindly contribute.

Respected brothers and sisters! I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:

Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace. [Quran, 33: 56]

O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet (Peace be upon him) has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet (Peace be upon him) sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good.

Dear servants of Allah! Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.

Remember Allah, the Great  He will remember you. Thank Him for His favours  He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him  He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him  He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.

All praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okenes Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

This Jumuah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Dhul-Hijjah 09, 1443 AH (July 08, 2022).
To be sure, Wikes strengths are difficult to ignore. He has never left the PDP, not even in its trying times, and he has executed more projects than many other governors. Again, he has a large war chest and has built bridges across the length and breadth of the country.

As far as politicians in Nigeria go, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, must rank among the most successful. One may not be at home with his style but no one can take away the fact that he has been victorious on all fronts of his life. Few politicians have been more accomplished than Nyesom Wike; his defeat by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at the recently concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary election notwithstanding.

For 23 years, Wike has played key roles both in his home State, Rivers and at the centre. Wike began his political career as the executive chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State in 1999, a position he held until 2007, after being re-elected in 2003. He had served with distinction as the chief of staff to the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi between 2007 and July 2011, when he was appointed as the minister of state for Education by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Wikes profile appreciated quickly and assuredly over the years such that in 2015, he was drafted by the PDP to contest the 2015 gubernatorial poll in Rivers State. Before then Jonathan had promoted him the senior minister of Education following the resignation of Professor Ruqqayatu Ahmad Rufai.

Call him Nigerias Francis Underwood  from popular American series House of Cards  and you may not be far from the truth. Tenacious, dogged and daring, Governor Wike is one man who has made the political space interesting in the last seven years.

He has been a devoted son of the Niger Delta, almost always to be heard pushing for an improved living condition for the people of the region and, in this, he came to be known as one of the most outspoken governors from that part of the country. Wike is, however, first and foremost, an Ikwerre man, a lover of his people and a living symbol of all that is Rivers State.

This son of Rumuepirikom in Obio Akpor Local Government Area has brought to our politics a radiant devotion, an unmatched commitment and an inimitable bravery; the reason for which he currently features in almost all political discussions across the country as the countdown to the 2023 general elections begin.

To be sure, Wikes strengths are difficult to ignore. He has never left the PDP, not even in its trying times, and he has executed more projects than many other governors. Again, he has a large war chest and has built bridges across the length and breadth of the country.

Now, how would these positives impact the Atiku/Okowa candidature? First, the Rivers State governor has never hidden his love and passion for the PDP. So much that he made a vow during the presidential primaries: Let me vow, today, anybody who emerges here, Ill support the person to the fullest.

Ill support the person to the fullest because Im a committed party person. Because I love this party. Because since 1998 Ive been in this party. I work for this party. Im not going anywhere. This is my party, he vowed. Not forgetting how he visited almost all the states to woo delegates in the run up to last months PDP presidential primary, it therefore goes without saying that he has built a network of loyal friends across Nigeria. Wike has key supporters in the governors of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom and Oyo State, Engineer Seye Makinde and this can be a plus to the PDP at the presidential poll next year.

Second, the Rivers State helmsman has been vociferous in asking for improved conditions for the people of the Niger Delta who have suffered neglect over the decades. Being an outspoken leader from the South-South zone, Governor Wike now constitutes a rallying point of individual and collective heroism in the region. This will count in favour of the PDP in the presidential election billed for next year.

It is therefore understandable that the Board of Trustees (BoT) has risen to ensure that this important party man and other aggrieved faithful are appeased for the purpose of ensuring a clean sweep at next years poll. It is worthy of note that the partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has agreed to head the reconciliation committee and would meet with Wike on the former VPs return to Nigeria.

Like the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin explained in his statement on Monday, the disquiet in the party was not unexpected given the fact that the PDP remains the strongest and most prominent party that has all potentials to form government in 2023.

To underscore the importance of the planned reconciliation, Jibrin said the party was deploying all its top players; Atiku Abubakar; vice presidential candidate, Governor Okowa; PDP national chairman, Senator Ayu; NWC members; PDP BoT chairman, Jibrin himself; representative of BoT membership; the 13 governors on the partys platform; former PDP governors; former PDP ministers and some PDP elders from zones and states for the meeting with Governor Wike.

But perhaps the most important piece of information this week is that the APCs conspiracy theorists alluding to a crack in the ranks of PDP in Delta State, the home state of the partys vice-presidential candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa have been put to shame.

Drawing from my deep familiarity with the issues and the dramatis personae in Delta State politics, I can confirm that Okowa is not fighting James Onanefe Ibori over anything, including who becomes the states chief executive on May 29, 2023. The truth is that Ibori and Okowa have come a long way. They have fought many political battles together. They have shown uncommon loyalty to their friendship, and the common interest of their common political family. They have shown a strong feeling of support and allegiance to each other. Ditto with the immediate past governor of the State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan. Therefore, nothing; not even the shenanigans of the All Progressives Congress (APC) hawks can cause a crack in the PDP family in Delta State.

Wholly taken, it is safe to conclude that the PDP is just an inch away from Aso Rock Villa, since the 2023 presidential election is akin to the race between the tortoise and the hare, and in this race Atiku is clearly the hare, while Tinubu is the tortoise!

Phrank Shaibu is a publicist and Special Assistant, Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, the PDP Presidential candidate.
Zelensky is like a man who sets his home on fire, refuses the fire be put out and then shouts that it is a universal calamity for which he deserves a mansion as replacement. We, Africans, cannot be hoodwinked by such a freak; we have no inheritance in the House of Zelensky. We want peace and plenty, not war and scarcity. We have our own challenges and do not want to add avoidable ones to the burden we carry.

Africa, for centuries, has been entangled in European conflicts and wars in which it suffers on both sides.

The most terrible for Africans was the Second World War, for which youths, including high school kids from various parts of the continent, were conscripted to fight and many never returned home.

In Nigeria, it was known as the Burma War because that was the war theatre where many of our grandfathers were forced to fight a war they knew nothing about. African resources were seized to fund that war which, like the first, was essentially an all-European war in which the rest of humanity was forced to take sides.

In fact, three of the most famous generals produced in the Second World War made their fame fighting on African soil and devastating its rich environment. The famous Battle of El-Alamein was fought in Egypt. That was where General Bernard Law Monty Montgomery, The Spartan General, leading 230,000 British troops, became famous. It was also where General Erwin Rommel, leading the German Afrika Corps, made his name as the Desert Fox.

The desert, in question, is the Libyan desert. It was also where the American General George Patton, the Old Blood and Guts, scored his first victory against the Germans. Today, 77 years later, there are strenuous efforts by Europe and her American first cousin, employing deafening propaganda, claims of human rights, threats and outright blackmail, to drag Africa into another European conflict: the Russo-Ukrainian War.

As part of these efforts, and imbued with a sense of self-importance, Ukraines impudent President Volodymyr Zelensky, on June 20, called African presidents to a virtual meeting. Despite pressures from French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, only three African presidents attended his meeting: the organiser and African Union Chair, Macky Sall, who is also the president of Senegal; Cote dIvoire president, Alassane Ouattara; and Congo Republics President Denis Sassou NGuesso. All three are former French colonies.

Zelensky made Africans uncomfortable by reducing the rights of foreign students in Ukraine, and with the conflict breaking out in February, he said any African student who leaves Ukraine will not be welcome here once the war is over. When the war broke out and Africans joined the droves of Ukrainians fleeing across the borders, they were discriminated against on both sides.

Also, Mohammed al-Menfi, one of the claimants to the Libyan presidency, attended. The 51 other African countries ignored the Ukrainian comedian. This emphasised Africas position of neutrality; preferring a peaceful resolution of the crisis, rather than queuing behind one of the gladiators.

Besides, Zelensky has not been seen as an even-handed figure. Before becoming Ukranian president on May 20, 2019, he showed himself as a divisive figure and war monger. He described the Ukrainians in Donestsk and Luhansk, who had committed themselves to the 2014 and 2015 Minsk Peace Agreements, as Russian puppets and more or less repudiated the agreements by arguing that it makes no sense to speak to them.

Also, contrary to the agreement, he said the two regions will not be granted special status and he would not grant the rebels amnesty. In April 2019, he said he regarded Russian President Vladimir Putin as an enemy. Eighteen days before being sworn in, Zelensky declared that the border is the only thing Russia and Ukraine have in common. He also opposed the Nord Stream II gas pipeline project between Germany and Russia on the basis that it is a dangerous weapon that would enhance the Russian economy.

Zelensky made Africans uncomfortable by reducing the rights of foreign students in Ukraine, and with the conflict breaking out in February, he said any African student who leaves Ukraine will not be welcome here once the war is over. When the war broke out and Africans joined the droves of Ukrainians fleeing across the borders, they were discriminated against on both sides. Also, Ukraine has been illegally recruiting Africans as mercenaries to fight in its army. Already, a Moroccan, Brahim Saadoun, has been sentenced to death in the Donetsk region.

Zelenskys address to the four African leaders was quite uninspiring. He said: This war may seem very distant to you and your countries. But the food prices that are catastrophically rising have already brought (the war) to the homes of millions of African families. The truth, however, is that the war has not affected only African families; it has also affected millions of Asians, Latin Americans and Europeans, leading to protests over rising costs in countries like Britain and Chile. Also, he told them: The unjust level of food prices, which has been provoked by the Russian war, is being painfully felt on all continents. Unfortunately, this can be a particular problem for your countries. No, it is a particular problem for many countries across continents.

I am not sure the admonition by the AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat on the urgent need for dialogue to end the conflict to allow peace to return to the region and to restore global stability made any impression. Zelensky and his masters in Washington and Brussels are only interested in sending more arms to Ukraine, which keeps the Western war industrial complex busy and profitable, and where they can test their new weapons.

Perhaps the most unhelpful claim by Zelensky is that: Africa is in reality a hostage. He is a hostage of those who started the war against our state. This is patently false; what holds Africa, and indeed the world hostage, is the refusal to employ diplomatic means, including ceasefire and negotiated agreements, to end the war. I am not sure the admonition by the AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat on the urgent need for dialogue to end the conflict to allow peace to return to the region and to restore global stability made any impression. Zelensky and his masters in Washington and Brussels are only interested in sending more arms to Ukraine, which keeps the Western war industrial complex busy and profitable, and where they can test their new weapons.

The West insists on continuing the war it knows that Ukraine  whose Navy and Air Force have evaporated, populace is largely displaced, economy and schools, non-functional  cannot win. With their troops and populace out of harms way, the European Union and United States are mainly watching from the sidelines as Ukraine and Russia wear themselves out. They are hoping that the war and sanctions would weaken Russia and strengthen the hegemonic control of the world by a unipolar super power, whose word will be law across the world.

So, when poor Zelensky declared a fortnight ago: We are obliged to win the war unleashed by Russia for the hopes of all normal people for a peaceful progressive future to be realised, he was merely hallucinating. Hopping around in green T-shirts and camouflage trousers, making endless speeches, he lives under the illusion that he is the great war president destined to defeat Russia and rescue the world from a blood-thirsty dragon and its evil empire.

Zelensky is like a man who sets his home on fire, refuses the fire be put out and then shouts that it is a universal calamity for which he deserves a mansion as replacement. We, Africans, cannot be hoodwinked by such a freak; we have no inheritance in the House of Zelensky. We want peace and plenty, not war and scarcity. We have our own challenges and do not want to add avoidable ones to the burden we carry.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.
In pre-Independence Nigeria, Enahoros Motion set the pace for a handful of women to be nominated to two of the three regional legislative houses. Two years later, Aiyedun was replaced by Lady Oyinkan Abayomi. In 1959, Margaret Ekpo and Janet N. Mokelu were appointed as Special Members in the Eastern House of Chiefs. No woman was nominated to the Northern Regions legislative institutions.

The revered nationalist and pro-democracy activist, Chief Anthony Enahoro is best remembered for his 1953 motion calling for Nigerias Independence in 1956. This bit of history stayed with him throughout his lifetime. However, he should be identified with another equally important piece of history.

According to a transcript discovered in the National Archives in Abeokuta, on January 20, 1953, Enahoro, a member of the Action Group in the Ishan Division, then part of the old Western Region, sponsored the following Motion:

This House regrets that there are no women Members in the House and prays that the Lieutenant Governor, to recognise women as one of the special interests not adequately represented in this House and to exercise his powers under section 34 of the Nigeria (Constitution) Order in Council, 1951, to appoint at least one woman Member to the House.

He did not stop there but went on:

Owing to the slow development of the womenfolk of the country and the discriminatory methods of the electoral laws, not a single woman found her place in the House. The country might soon adopt the India system of reserving seats for women.

He also said that if the Motion was accepted, he wanted three important factors to be put into consideration, that: (i) The appointments should be of a representative character; (ii) women of moral integrity should be appointed; and also (iii) women of intelligence.

Enahoros Motion came at a critical time for women. Up to that year, they only occupied seats in local government councils. In 1949, four women  Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Amelia Osimosu, Victoria Adetutu Soleye and Nusiratu Oduola  won elections to the Egba Central Council; and Oyinkan Abayomi (by nomination in 1944) and Henrietta Lawson (elected in 1950) had seats in the Lagos Town Council.

However, women were absent from Nigerias regional and central legislative institutions and had no voice in major issues that affected their lives.

Alhaji Adegoke of the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NCNC), who sat on the Opposition Bench, gave the Motion his full commendation: If past performance would be taken into consideration in appointing a woman, there would undoubtedly be no difficulty in finding one who would sit on the NCNC bench.

Lets consider this example: In December 1949, when the Widows and Orphans Pension of African Officers Bill, was debated on the floor of the Western House of Assembly, it was roundly rejected. The report on the debate amongst the unofficial members was published in the Nigerian Tribune of December 18, 1950.

According to the newspaper, Chief W. E. Mowarin from Warri Province said he had consulted with many workers and they all agreed with him that if adopted, the law would bring endless trouble during and after the lifetime of the contributor. He advised that the scheme should only benefit orphans, because if the children of a woman are provided for, the woman herself is also provided for.

The report further stated that members such as the then Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi, Chief Timothy Odutola from Ijebu-Ode Province and several others all supported Chief Mowarins opinion of the Bill. Although the Honourable Members A. Soetan, the Aro of Kemta (Abeokuta), and Mr P. A. Oladapo from Ondo Province, believed in the spirit and letter of the Bill, they were in the minority, and ultimately, the Bill failed to pass.

Suffice to say, throughout the duration of the Second World War, press notices stating The governments regret at the casualties sustained by Units of the Nigerian Regiment serving overseas were published. For example, in August 1941, the Comet published the names of fallen Nigerian soldiers in the following categories: Killed in action; died of wounds received in active service; died on active service; missing believed killed on active service; accidentally killed on active service; wounded and missing on active service; and wounded in action on active service. The widows and orphans left behind necessitated the drafting of the Bill in the first place.

With the 1951 Macpherson Constitution, the old-timer nominees in the House of Assembly were swept away, and replaced by an elected crop of young and fiery nationalists like the 30-year old Enahoro.

Alhaji Adegoke of the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NCNC), who sat on the Opposition Bench, gave the Motion his full commendation: If past performance would be taken into consideration in appointing a woman, there would undoubtedly be no difficulty in finding one who would sit on the NCNC bench.

We can speculate that perhaps he may have been thinking of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who was the leader of NCNC Women in Western Region. She had also been a member of the Partys seven-person delegation that sailed to England to discuss the Richards Constitution, with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Arthur Creech-Jones in 1947.

in January 1953, Remilekun Iseoluwa Aiyedun, the wife of Reverend W. O. Aiyedun, pastor of St. Pauls Anglican Church, Igbore, in Abeokuta, became the first woman to take a seat in the regional legislature. She was not exactly a political outsider, having defeated Ransome-Kuti to win a seat on the Egba Alake Section of the Egba Central Council in 1952.

Support for the Motion came from Chief Joseph Odunjo, the renowned Yoruba poet from Egba Division: It was incumbent on the menfolk to encourage women to march forward with them in politics as well as in the field of education. When women have seats in the House of Legislature, they would be encouraged to come forward with their justifiable income tax.

Unfortunately, not everyone agreed. Prince Adedoyin Adeleke, a lawyer and a future speaker of the Assembly, objected to the idea on the grounds of its unconstitutionality. He said such a decision and discretion was up to the Lieutenant Governor. As we know, the latter  Mr Hugo Frank Marshall, C.M.G.  had the power to nominate and re-nominate Special Members to the legislature. He did this from the ranks of those into mining, banking and shipping etc, which in those years were exclusive male domains.

Another staunch opponent of the Motion was Chief Dennis Osadebay from Asaba Division. A legal practitioner, he is best remembered in history for several political posts, including being the Leader of NCNC Opposition in the Western House of Assembly and President of the Senate. The transcripts recorded Osadebay saying: The Order in Council provided seats for interests not otherwise represented and dont husbands, uncles and nephews of women in the House adequately represent the women interests? There is evidence to show that this view still has some credence in present-day Nigeria.

The Motion was saved by the Legal Secretary (unnamed) in the House, who said the Lieutenant Governor would be in order to appoint women. This seemed to convince those opposed to the idea, to change their minds. When subsequently put to the vote, the Motion was unanimously accepted.

Thus in January 1953, Remilekun Iseoluwa Aiyedun, the wife of Reverend W. O. Aiyedun, pastor of St. Pauls Anglican Church, Igbore, in Abeokuta, became the first woman to take a seat in the regional legislature. She was not exactly a political outsider, having defeated Ransome-Kuti to win a seat on the Egba Alake Section of the Egba Central Council in 1952.

Her appointment made the front page headlines: 1st Woman Legislator makes history proclaimed the Daily Service; for the Nigerian Tribune, it was : House of Assembly Okays Motion for Women Legislators. At a reception held in her honour at the Ibadan Catering Rest House, the Western Regions Minister of Education, Chief Stephen Awokoya, noted that: We all hope that many more women legislators will follow in 1956; the point of view of our women has always been lost in our legislature.

In pre-Independence Nigeria, Enahoros Motion set the pace for a handful of women to be nominated to two of the three regional legislative houses. Two years later, Aiyedun was replaced by Lady Oyinkan Abayomi. In 1959, Margaret Ekpo and Janet N. Mokelu were appointed as Special Members in the Eastern House of Chiefs. No woman was nominated to the Northern Regions legislative institutions.

Tayo Agunbiade is the author of Emerging From the Margins: Womens Experiences in Colonial and Contemporary Nigerian History.
Atiku was instrumental in birthing June 12 following his stepping down for MKO Abiola to emerge as the SDP candidate and eventual winner of that historic election. It was to his credit that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party worked assiduously for the exit of the military and enthronement of the democracy that he is still actively involved in deepening.

The events of the June 12 crisis are too well documented for anyone to seek to distort it. Keyamo told a blatant lie when he said Atiku abandon(ed) June 12. Atiku never abandoned June 12.

The truth is that the former vice president was marked for assassination because of his strident opposition to military rule. Indeed, Abacha actually appropriated his INTELS company, tried to kill him in Kaduna, and he managed to escape only after some of his security aides had been killed.

Flash back to the events leading up to the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries in Jos that threw up Abiola as its presidential candidate. What Keyamo will not say is that it was Atikus sacrifice of historic stepping down for Abiola that metamorphosed into his victory in the primaries and subsequent success in the June 12, 1993 election.

I wish to remind Festus that the same Atiku that he is in a hurry to malign was approached to serve as the Head of the Interim National Government (ING) while he was in London. And it may interest him also to know what Atikus response was: (I said) I am not going to be part of a brief administration.

We know those who participated in the Abacha government, which dealt a death knell to the revalidation of the June 12 mandate. Some are late, some are still alive. Atiku was one of those who did not want to have anything to do with the Abacha military rule, not even with a long spoon.

Atiku, it was, who was worried about the protracted political crisis in the country and decided to do something about it by sending an open letter to Abacha in 1994, in which he proposed a seven-point solution to the crisis, the highpoint of which was the hand over on January 1, 1995 to a democratically elected government. Atikus position was eventually adopted by a resolution of the 1994 Constitutional Conference to set an exit date for the military.

We decided not to participate in Abachas government because we did not want any more military rule, Atiku was quoted on page 237 of his biography by Dr Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba of blessed memory.

Even after prominent members of the political class, among them those close to Abiola, were picked to serve in Abachas government, no member of the YarAdua group, among them Atiku, wanted to serve in that regime, ostensibly because of their commitment to democracy.

Consequently, leaders like YarAdua and Atiku were marked down. And in continuation of its struggle to restore democratic rule, the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), the group that Atiku belonged to, addressed a press conference in Lagos on January 12, 1994 and asked the military to exit from the governance of the country by December 31, 1994. The aftermath of that was the arrest and detention of YarAdua in February 1994. Atiku and other PDM leaders challenged the detention in court.

Atiku, it was, who was worried about the protracted political crisis in the country and decided to do something about it by sending an open letter to Abacha in 1994, in which he proposed a seven-point solution to the crisis, the highpoint of which was the hand over on January 1, 1995 to a democratically elected government. Atikus position was eventually adopted by a resolution of the 1994 Constitutional Conference to set an exit date for the military.

But Abacha did not find this move funny. He caused the detention of YarAdua and sought to separate him from Atiku. He wooed Atiku to dump YarAdua and pave the way for him (Abacha) to work with Atiku. But Atiku is not one to sell anyone for a mere porridge. He didnt return to Abacha after he was asked to go think over the proposal to dump the Tafida, the man who helped him cut his teeth in politics.

Shortly after his mentors arrest in the phantom coup plot, Atiku narrowly escaped an assassination plot in his Kaduna home, in which seven lives were lost in the bid to foil the plot to kill him, because of his opposition to Abachas government and military dictatorship.

Even though Abacha was determined to neutralise YarAdua and his PDM, Atiku was not going to be a willing tool. Abacha eventually hatched a plot that implicated Obasanjo, YarAdua and others in a coup.

Shortly after his mentors arrest in the phantom coup plot, Atiku narrowly escaped an assassination plot in his Kaduna home, in which seven lives were lost in the bid to foil the plot to kill him, because of his opposition to Abachas government and military dictatorship.

But Abacha was not satisfied with the imprisonment of YarAdua and the intimidation of Atiku. His next move was to seize his lucrative business, NICOTES, renamed it INTELS (now you know how the name came into being and how in his legendary magnanimity the Waziri Adamawa did not revert to its original name) and appropriated Atikus and YarAduas shares in the logistics company he co-founded with Gabriel Volpi.

Following the bloody attack in Kaduna, Atiku was persuaded to proceed to exile. The import of this is to put a lie to Keyamos baseless claim that Atiku abandoned June 12 and was not consequential in the struggle to enthrone the democratic rule of today.

Atiku was instrumental in birthing June 12 following his stepping down for MKO Abiola to emerge as the SDP candidate and eventual winner of that historic election. It was to his credit that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party worked assiduously for the exit of the military and enthronement of the democracy that he is still actively involved in deepening. History is stubborn, and not even Festus Keyamo or any other can erase it.

Paul Ibe is a journalist and media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP.
Like a lot of other countries, Nigeria is facing a rise in the prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Factors like hypertension, diabetes and chronic infections such as Hepatitis B and C, the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), sickle cell anaemia, bleaching creams, coupled with chronic glomerulonephritis and interstitial, which are due to the high rate of bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections, have been pinpointed as major causes of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Nigeria.

Nigerians were recently hit with news of the arrest of former deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, who were charged to the Uxbridge Magistrate Court in the United Kingdom for conspiracy to facilitate the travel of another person for the purpose of organ harvesting.

Initial reports suggested that the Ekweremadus took an unsuspecting minor, one David Nwamini Ukpo, to the U.K. and tried to harvest his organs for their daughters badly-needed kidney transplant.

Transplants are only done after compatibility is established and when this was unavailable, the young man was no longer required to act as a donor and things got awkward as he went to the U.K. authorities and claimed to be a minor trafficked for organ harvesting without his consent.

These are serious allegations and the U.K. authorities responded by arresting the Ekweremadus and investigating the issue, while denying them bail.

However, while David reportedly told the U.K. police that he was only 15, the Ekweremadus claim that he is a 22-year-old who came willingly and gave consent. To buttress their argument, the Ekweremadus proceeded to a Nigerian court to compel the Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to produce Davids national identification number (NIN) to help guide the investigation and court process.

The comptroller general of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Idris, has said that their official records have Mr David Ukpo Nwamini as a 22-year-old who supplied the NIS with a birth certificate issued by the National Population Commission, showing October 12, 2000 as his date of birth. Isahs verbal statement wont pass as evidence in a U.K. court, so the information has to be officially released to the U.K. authorities.

While many Nigerians have expressed anger over the Ekweremadus story, it would be more beneficial to look at the big picture and reflect soberly on the implications for the average Nigerian If kidney disease has troubled the wealthy elite this much, how are average Nigerians dealing with the situation?

While proving that David is an adult would help the Ekweremadus, it wouldnt necessarily get them off the hook, if proven that they had offered to pay him for the kidney, since that is frowned at in some instances. Paying a donor for an organ, and moving them to get the transplant done is a crime under the UKs Human Tissue Act (HTA) 2004, which seeks to regulate activities concerning the removal, storage, use and disposal of human tissue.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) disapproves of illegal organ trading and a recent Global Financial Integrity report estimates that the illegal organ trade is worth between $600 million and $1.2 billion yearly. The kidney is the highest organ in demand in the market, going for as high as $150,000 in some instances. This makes it a valuable niche for illegal organ trade activity, making up to 75 per cent of the global illicit organ trade that sometimes happens without the donors consent. It is a thriving trade, with 2,500 kidneys purchased in Pakistan in 2007 via the legal organ trade market.

While many Nigerians have expressed anger over the Ekweremadus story, it would be more beneficial to look at the big picture and reflect soberly on the implications for the average Nigerian.

If kidney disease has troubled the wealthy elite this much, how are average Nigerians dealing with the situation?

How can we reduce the average cost of managing the ailment?

What is the present condition of the organ waiting list (which doesnt actually exist) and what can be done to make it capable of helping as many people as possible?

We have a terrible healthcare situation that will get worse if we dont commit to improving it.

Some estimates say that as much as 10 per cent of the Nigerian adult population has some form of kidney disease, partly because the black African origin comes with an Apolipoprotein L1 gene(APOL1) that makes us four times more likely to get kidney disease than people of other races.

Like a lot of other countries, Nigeria is facing a rise in the prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Factors like hypertension, diabetes and chronic infections such as Hepatitis B and C, the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), sickle cell anaemia, bleaching creams, coupled with chronic glomerulonephritis and interstitial, which are due to the high rate of bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections, have been pinpointed as major causes of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Nigeria.

Some estimates say that as much as 10 per cent of the Nigerian adult population has some form of kidney disease, partly because the black African origin comes with an Apolipoprotein L1 gene(APOL1) that makes us four times more likely to get kidney disease than people of other races.

Nigeria has fewer than 5,000 people actually undergoing dialysis treatments, while having at least 20,000 people added yearly to the number of those who need dialysis treatment.

This means that 15,000 people are basically left to just die off slowly and painfully.

In essence, instead of getting angry at the Ekweremadus, we need to actively work on improving our healthcare system.

Anger only drives us to pound on things, which weve been doing for well over half a century and the results are worth pondering on. Its time to explore a different emotional path that lends itself better to progressive actions. Anger has failed us.

Like a lot of other countries, Nigeria is facing a rise in the prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Factors like hypertension, diabetes and chronic infections such as Hepatitis B and C, the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), sickle cell anaemia, bleaching creams, coupled with chronic glomerulonephritis and interstitial, which are due to the high rate of bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections, have been pinpointed as major causes of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Nigeria.

Nigerians were recently hit with news of the arrest of former deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, who were charged to the Uxbridge Magistrate Court in the United Kingdom for conspiracy to facilitate the travel of another person for the purpose of organ harvesting.

Initial reports suggested that the Ekweremadus took an unsuspecting minor, one David Nwamini Ukpo, to the U.K. and tried to harvest his organs for their daughters badly-needed kidney transplant.

Transplants are only done after compatibility is established and when this was unavailable, the young man was no longer required to act as a donor and things got awkward as he went to the U.K. authorities and claimed to be a minor trafficked for organ harvesting without his consent.

These are serious allegations and the U.K. authorities responded by arresting the Ekweremadus and investigating the issue, while denying them bail.

However, while David reportedly told the U.K. police that he was only 15, the Ekweremadus claim that he is a 22-year-old who came willingly and gave consent. To buttress their argument, the Ekweremadus proceeded to a Nigerian court to compel the Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to produce Davids national identification number (NIN) to help guide the investigation and court process.

The comptroller general of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Idris, has said that their official records have Mr David Ukpo Nwamini as a 22-year-old who supplied the NIS with a birth certificate issued by the National Population Commission, showing October 12, 2000 as his date of birth. Isahs verbal statement wont pass as evidence in a U.K. court, so the information has to be officially released to the U.K. authorities.

While many Nigerians have expressed anger over the Ekweremadus story, it would be more beneficial to look at the big picture and reflect soberly on the implications for the average Nigerian If kidney disease has troubled the wealthy elite this much, how are average Nigerians dealing with the situation?

While proving that David is an adult would help the Ekweremadus, it wouldnt necessarily get them off the hook, if proven that they had offered to pay him for the kidney, since that is frowned at in some instances. Paying a donor for an organ, and moving them to get the transplant done is a crime under the UKs Human Tissue Act (HTA) 2004, which seeks to regulate activities concerning the removal, storage, use and disposal of human tissue.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) disapproves of illegal organ trading and a recent Global Financial Integrity report estimates that the illegal organ trade is worth between $600 million and $1.2 billion yearly. The kidney is the highest organ in demand in the market, going for as high as $150,000 in some instances. This makes it a valuable niche for illegal organ trade activity, making up to 75 per cent of the global illicit organ trade that sometimes happens without the donors consent. It is a thriving trade, with 2,500 kidneys purchased in Pakistan in 2007 via the legal organ trade market.

While many Nigerians have expressed anger over the Ekweremadus story, it would be more beneficial to look at the big picture and reflect soberly on the implications for the average Nigerian.

If kidney disease has troubled the wealthy elite this much, how are average Nigerians dealing with the situation?

How can we reduce the average cost of managing the ailment?

What is the present condition of the organ waiting list (which doesnt actually exist) and what can be done to make it capable of helping as many people as possible?

We have a terrible healthcare situation that will get worse if we dont commit to improving it.

Some estimates say that as much as 10 per cent of the Nigerian adult population has some form of kidney disease, partly because the black African origin comes with an Apolipoprotein L1 gene(APOL1) that makes us four times more likely to get kidney disease than people of other races.

Like a lot of other countries, Nigeria is facing a rise in the prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Factors like hypertension, diabetes and chronic infections such as Hepatitis B and C, the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV), sickle cell anaemia, bleaching creams, coupled with chronic glomerulonephritis and interstitial, which are due to the high rate of bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections, have been pinpointed as major causes of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Nigeria.

Some estimates say that as much as 10 per cent of the Nigerian adult population has some form of kidney disease, partly because the black African origin comes with an Apolipoprotein L1 gene(APOL1) that makes us four times more likely to get kidney disease than people of other races.

Nigeria has fewer than 5,000 people actually undergoing dialysis treatments, while having at least 20,000 people added yearly to the number of those who need dialysis treatment.

This means that 15,000 people are basically left to just die off slowly and painfully.

In essence, instead of getting angry at the Ekweremadus, we need to actively work on improving our healthcare system.

Anger only drives us to pound on things, which weve been doing for well over half a century and the results are worth pondering on. Its time to explore a different emotional path that lends itself better to progressive actions. Anger has failed us.

Cheta Nwanze is a partner at SBM Intelligence.
Sherriff Oborevwori has appealed against Thursdays judgement disqualifying him as the Delta State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming 2023 elections.

Mr Oborevwori raised nine grounds of appeal against the judgement in his notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday.

He also filed along with the notice of appeal, an application for a stay of execution of the verdict delivered on Thursday by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the lower courts Thursday judgement disqualifying Mr Oborevwori from participating in the forthcoming 2023 governorship election.

The judge, Taiwo Taiwo, cited the allegations of certificate falsification and forgery levelled against him in a suit filed by his closest rival in the contest for the partys ticket.

David Edevbie, who came second in the May 2022 governorship primary election of the party in Delta State, had pointed out inconsistencies in the names on the academic certificates submitted by Mr Oborevwori to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to back his candidature for the next years election.

The former Commissioner of Finance in the state who cited the discrepancies as evidence of falsification and forgery urged the court to declare Mr Oborevwori ineligible to participate in the forthcoming poll.

The judge upheld Mr Edevbies case but did not declare him or anybody else as Mr Oborevworis replacement.

The judge ruled that it was premature to declare anybody as the partys candidate when INEC had yet to officially publish the name of the partys governorship candidate.

He also did not order a fresh primary election.

Grounds of appeal

But challenging the verdict in his notice of appeal, Mr Oborevwori, who is currently the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, said the trial judge, misdirected himself by wrongly assuming jurisdiction to hear Mr Edevbies suit.

He argued through his lawyer, Joe Agi, a senior advocate, that no cause of action had arisen to give the plaintiff the right to sue over the candidacy when INEC had yet to publish the name of the partys candidate.

The 1st respondent, on oath, admitted that the name of the appellant was yet to be submitted and the trial court held that the 1st respondent by law need not wait for the publication of the name of the appellant by the Independent National Electoral Commission before approaching the court, the notice of appeal reads in part.

The appellant argued that unless the political party sponsoring a candidate submits the name and INEC publishes the name accompanied by a High Court affidavit indicating that he or she has fulfilled all the constitutional requirements for the election, that is the only time the court can be approached not before.

He also argued in another grounds of appeal that the trial judge erroneously agreed with Mr Edevbie that he failed to meet the constitutional requirement of sections 177(a) and 182(1)(j) of the Nigerian constitution because of his use of forged certificates.

Mr Oborevwori, who denied submitting forged certificates to INEC, contended that the requirement of sections 177(a) and 182(1)(j) of the Nigerian constitution could only come into play upon presentation of a forged certificate to INEC and no other body or person which is not the case before the court.

He said the court makes mockery of the law by relying on the documents he submitted to INEC in 2018 for his election to the Delta State House of Assembly of Delta State or to the PDP on April 30, 2022, which was way after 14 days of the filing of the suit contrary to section 285(14) of the Nigerian constitution.

The appellant also argued that the judge erred in law by holding that he did not challenge the claims that his certificate was forged.

He said the burden of proof is on the plaintiff and not on the weakness of the case of the defendant.

Among other grounds, the appellant argued that the case before the court was an intra-party affair of the PDP which he argued that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain.

He also faulted the courts decision for holding that the plaintiff has proved his case and therefore entitled to judgement.

He also contended that the trial judge erred in law by glossing over his explanation of the discrepancies in his name backed by a government gazette in a reply he filed on June 17, 2022.

Prayer, stay of execution

He sought an order granting his appeal and setting aside the lower courts judgement.

In a separate application filed at the Federal High Court, the appellant sought an order of stay of execution. He said the judgement, if not stayed, would render the appeal an academic exercise.

Background

Mr Edevbie came second behind Mr Oborevwori in the May 25, 2022, primary election of the PDP.

He sued Mr Oborevwori, PDP, and INEC as 1st to the 3rd respondents respectively.

According to the plaintiff, Mr Oborevwori used the names: Oborevwori, Sheriff, Francis and Orohwedor interchangeably in his certificates submitted to INEC in violation of the Nigerian constitution and the Electoral Act.

He contended that Mr Oborevwori was not eligible to participate in the primary election on the grounds of the alleged discrepancies in his academic qualifications.
The Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency says it plans to establish nutrition centres to address the problems of malnutrition in the state.

Chioma Ezenyimulu, the Executive Secretary of the Agency, disclosed this at the ongoing 2022 Revised Budget defence before the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation on Friday in Awka.

Ms Ezenyimulu said that the centres would be located in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) with a high rate of malnutrition in the three senatorial zones of the state.

She identified Awka North, Ihiala and Onitsha North as the endemic areas.

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Nutrition is one of our major programmes in the agency and the Federal Government gave us ready- to-use therapeutic foods for the treatment of acute malnutrition in children.

Establishing these zonal nutrition centres is one of the criteria to get these therapeutic foods from the federal government.

Other LGAs in the state can refer cases to these centres when they are fully set up.

It was captured in our budget and we hope that funds will be released to implement the project, she said.

The executive secretary said that the state, in collaboration with partners, conducted a survey on malnutrition in children where the LGAs were identified as endemic.

(NAN)
Many residents of Lagos were left stranded on Friday at various pick-up points as fuel scarcity continues to bite harder.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fuel scarcity had lingered for a week, leaving commuters struggling to board few vehicles available for commuting, thereby impacting negatively on the economic and social life.

The situation is most distressing as activities for the 2022 Eid-el-Kabir celebration are at their peak.

For instance, the long stretch of Iyana Oworo down to Lagos/Ibadan expressway and inner roads were partially blocked due to few filling stations dispensing fuel to the long queue of motorists.

There is also the issue of a hike in transport fares for both intrastate and inter-state commuting due to the fuel scarcity and the volume of people going to different destinations for the Sallah holidays.

The fare from Iyana Oworo to Berger which was formerly between N200 and N300 was increased to N500, while from 7up bus stop to Mowe, formerly N300, was increased to between N600 and N700.

The inter-state commuting was not left out as transport fare from Lagos to neighbouring towns like Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode, which was formerly between N1,500 to N2,000, from Berger had been increased to N4,000 among others.

Hafiz Taofeek said the fuel and transport situation is having a toll on preparations for the Sallah celebrations, especially in terms of purchasing food items and movement from one location to the other.

He appealed to governments to look into the situation and find solutions.

A veterinary doctor, Mr Olakunle, told NAN about his unpleasant experience commuting from Lagos to a neighbouring Ogun Community, Asese.

My experience commuting today had been terrible, I was expected to keep an appointment outside Lagos around Asese in Ogun State, and after spending 3 hours in the traffic, I had to turn back.

I had to call my client to inform him of my decision to turn back because I wont be able to make it down for my next trip.

On my way back to Lagos, I spent another two hours in the traffic, now I am on my way to Akure for an engagement.

We need the intervention of government so that the Muslim faithfuls can enjoy the Sallah holidays, he said.

Another commuter, Funmi Adegbola, said that almost all the inner and access roads in Lagos were not immune to the traffic snarl being experienced on the major roads

I have terrible experiences today; I left home around 1.30 p.m. On getting to Anthony Village, there was a downpour which caused traffic snarl due to flash floods.

It took about 3 hours to get to Otedola bridge from Anthony Village. Aside the traffic, the bus fares were increased astronomically and I think this is not fair on us.

This hardship is getting to us because almost every essential item is on the high side, things are very expensive now, she said.

Femi Adeoya told NAN that Lagos had been hectic in recent days adding that the situation needed government attention.

Government needs to bring sanity in Lagos because things are not working as they should; the transport system in Lagos has been a mono system.

Lagos is supposed to be a Mega City as claimed, but it is turning to something else, now Lagos has been ranked as the second-worst city to live in the world.

The government should review the mass transit bus arrangements which is almost collapsing; today many commuters have been left stranded at the bus stop.

In developed countries, their governments do ensure they took charge of the city transportation, but Nigeria has yet to look in such direction, he said.

Tunde Babalola told NAN that it was difficult for him to get a bus from Ikotun to Cele Bustop, and when a bus came, it was a struggle to get into it.

According to him, when he got to Cele, transiting from there to Oshodi was another hurdle and it took two hours of standing at the bus stop before he could get on a bus to his destination.

Sarah Ejiogu, a civil servant, said she had to get into four different buses before getting to Iganmu, her place of work,

Ordinarily, I get a straight bus from Ikeja to Costain but today, I had to keep breaking my journey because the buses were not available and I must be at work.

I took a bus from Ogba where I reside to Ikeja, another to Maryland, then to Ojuelegba and got another to Costain.

The drivers complained of non-availability of fuel and long queuing time at the filling stations.

It is becoming unbearable.

Government should please help the situation, Ms Ejiogu said. (NAN)
Hosted by the US enterprise software company Databricks, the Data + AI Summit 2022, the world's largest data and AI conference, was held from June 27 to 30 in San Francisco at the Moscone Center. Returning after a three-year hiatus, this year's Data + AI Summit was operated under the theme "Destination Lakehouse."

At the Data + AI Summit, AIMMO, a first-time participant and silver sponsor of the event, introduced AI and data companies from all over the world to its unique data generation, curation, and labeling services that support the full data management cycle.

The global companies in attendance were impressed with the ability of AIMMO's smart labeling technology to boost work efficiency and quality. AIMMO also drew attention for its Machine Learning Model Operationalization Management Team, which is dedicated to providing ongoing technical support, and for its customizable services that can be tailored to individual projects to produce optimal results.

AIMMO is engaged in different activities aimed at sharing the company's groundbreaking insights into data management and AI and forming successful partnerships with cloud operators in North America.

Prior to the Data + AI Summit, AIMMO also participated in the ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo (AVTE) held from June 21 to 23 in Stuttgart, Germany. The AVTE is Europe's most influential expo on automotive R&D and innovation. This year's AVTE was attended by over 70 companies from around the world, most of whom are focusing heavily on developing technologies in the field of autonomous driving.

At the AVTE 2022, AIMMO provided consultations on how its AI and data curation and labeling services can be applied to autonomous driving and gave a presentation on its smart labeling GTaaS (Ground Truth as a Service) and DaaS (Data as a Service) technologies. AIMMO's GTaaS data processing service allows AI and data experts to engage in autonomous driving projects to develop high-quality learned data. As part of AIMMO's DaaS service, the company's autonomous driving data collection vehicles are used to gather high-precision data that can be customized to meet the unique needs of individual customers. AIMMO's booth at the AVTE 2022 featuring the company's services and technologies was especially popular among European original equipment manufacturers and tier one automobile companies.

According to an AVTE official, expo participants were particularly enthusiastic about AIMMO's DaaS service and the company's proof of concept for its autonomous driving open dataset, scheduled for launch in August 2022. The AIMMO booth also drew representatives from various companies, who earnestly initiated talks with AIMMO representatives on potential partnerships.

AIMMO gained its wealth of experience and well-developed infrastructure by successfully completing projects for numerous clients both from Korea and abroad. Thanks to its advanced GTaaS and DaaS technologies, the company has cemented its reputation as one of Korea's top AI and data companies.

Doyle Chung, head of Global Sales of AIMMO, commented on the company's recent activities, saying, "The Data + AI Summit 2022 and the ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo 2022 were opportunities for us to better position ourselves in the data cloud market and increase our brand value. It was AIMMO's differentiated DaaS service and cloud-linked smart labeling technologies that really drew the attention of the companies in attendance of these events. AIMMO will continue to provide differentiated services that meet the specific needs of international clients to gain a solid foothold in the AI and data markets in Europe and North America."

About AIMMO

AIMMO is redefining how AI powers smart automation. At the heart of the AIMMO solution is a proprietary AI-driven approach to the acquisition, curation, labeling and augmentation of structured data that delivers highly accurate training data faster through a proven automated data operations process.

Through a number of groundbreaking supply and licensing models, AIMMO has developed smart applications that harness the efficiencies of automation for autonomous vehicles, smart cities, industry 4.0, robotics and security applications. For more information, please visit en.aimmo.ai

About Born2Global Centre

The Born2Global Centre, operated by Born2Global, is a full-cycle service platform that supports the global expansion of promising companies. Established in 2013 under the Ministry of Science and ICT, Born2Global has been setting the standards for a successful startup ecosystem in Korea and continues to expand and transform startups so that they are engaged, well equipped, and connected with the global market. For more information, please visit born2global.com

SOURCE Born2Global Centre
"Practical Chronicle" - "Close-up: 100 Moments for a Better China" art practice exhibition presents moments and close-ups of beautiful China. The exhibition originates from the nationwide investigation of the construction of "Beautiful China" conducted by China Academy of Art in the past decade, selects 100 art practice cases and builds China's first "Beautiful China" document database. As the core site of the action, the exhibition space is divided into a database and a study room. Each drawer of the database contains a practice archive. The curatorial team has collected the most detailed materials of each case as much as possible to excavate the whole process of practice development. Through whole database index, relationship diagram and case portrait, the document database has established a long-term research method for cases.

"Character Chronicle" - Beautiful China annual speech brings together academic experts, practitioners, social celebrities, media workers and representatives of social enterprises rooted in the forefront of urban and rural construction. By telling their real stories, 12 speakers focused on specific practices and pondered on the vision of the era of "Beautiful China".

"Thinking Chronicle" part includes "Urban and Rural Development Forum" and "Urban and Rural Questions and Answers Closed-door Meeting". The Forum adheres to the concept of "sharing" and has invited experts in urban and rural construction, think tank experts of the Research Institute of Beautiful China Initiative, designer groups, social enterprises, representatives of urban and rural cities and counties, and media workers to talk about their deep thinking on new ideas and practices in urban and rural landscape, social ethics, humanistic quality, industrial innovation, etc. under the new situation of contemporary urban and rural construction.

In the upcoming month, "Research Institute of Beautiful China Initiative's A-C-Tion 2022" will also be carried out in forms of urban and rural questions and answers, keynote speeches, and online and offline forums, to gather social forces from all aspects and build an "action network" of Beautiful China. The series of activities will last until July 25.

SOURCE China Academy of Art
Block8 received the NFT Excellent Brand Company Award selected by the SNS Journalist Federation of 1,300 media associations around the world

British Vocalist Paul Potts came to Korean National Assembly Building and received World's Best Person Award

Sheikh Salem, the Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah received World's Best Person Award

received World's Best Person Award Karla Drenner , Georgia Congresswoman received World's Best Person Award

, Congresswoman received World's Best Person Award Sung-hwan Son, Chair of WWF-Korea received Proud Korean Award

Jae-chang Choi, UNDSS Supervisor received Proud Korean Award

Woo-taek Jung, Kyung-tae Cho , Jung-sik Cho, and Sang-hyun Yoon, Member of the National Assembly Korea received Proud Korean Award

SEOUL, South Korea, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A conference hosted by the SNS Journalist Federation to expand NFT, Metaverse, and blockchain actualization was held in the main hall of the Parliament Building on June 21, 2022 with 7000 participants online and offline, according to Daily Associate News. The CEO of Block 8 Sung-gyo Yook received the grand prize in the NFT section of the International Leader Award with the presentation of INOFi.

At this international event, held in the US, Canada, Turkiye, the UK, Germany, and Korea, there were announcements of the UN Youth SDG action plan, startup nurturing plan, and NFT, Metaverse, and blockchain actualization plans.

In the International Leader Awards, Pol Potts came to Korea and received the award, along with foreign politicians and university professors who also received awards.

InnoDream's Innovation Finance INOFi project, a joint venture between Block8, a blockchain company, and Dream Freedom, which has an online and offline marketing network, is an NFT 2.0 equity/ funding platform that was created to manage/transact real financial assets based on blockchain NFT.

The core blockchain technologies, e.g., NFT Action, Fractional, De-Fi, Ticket, funding, and Staking, are possible to use within the platform. And users can easily trade NFTs and tokens without coding, so digital content and real assets can be funded in units of projects. It is rapidly gaining attention as a platform that has accelerated the commercialization of blockchain because transactions are possible across country borders.

SOURCE Daily Associated News
New facility will serve as an engineering and staffing center of excellence for the Duravent Group as the company continues its growth trajectory with revenue exceeding $500 million annually.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Duravent Group, a global leader in HVAC technology systems and solutions, launched its 22,000 sq-ft Grand Rapids Innovation Center today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event featured a tour of the center's design and prototype labs, airflow testing suites, its state-of-the-art office layout and robust printing capabilities. U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-MI, spoke at the event, which was attended by community, state leaders and excited company employees.

"Duravent is committed to a strong presence in Michigan as demonstrated by our new innovation center in Grand Rapids, and an expanding headquarters in downtown Detroit," said Simon A. Davis, president and CEO of the Duravent Group. "Our ability to innovate, lead and grow in the HVAC and emerging climate technology categories is largely the result of leveraging the deep engineering talent Michigan has to offer."

Since 2017, the leadership team has led the organization through several strategic activities, including the acquisition of 100-year-old Hart & Cooley in 2021, which tripled the size of the company. Today, Duravent has 2,400 employees and $500 million+ in annual revenue.

As part of the Grand Rapids Innovation Center launch, Davis and his team unveiled a new company identity  the Duravent Group  with the goal of unifying the company's culture and its family of established and respected brands, which include the following industry leading nameplates:

Duravent

Hart & Cooley

Selkirk

AirMate

Amerivent

Ampco

Heatfab

Lima

Milcor

PortalsPlus

RPS

Security Chimneys

Ward

"The Duravent Group is one team and one company focused on flexibility in manufacturing and distribution while responding quickly and efficiently to customers' needs. I'm proud of our team culture that embraces innovation and change while always putting our customers first," Simon said.

About the Duravent Group

The Duravent Group is a recognized global technology leader in the HVAC industry, and first-to-market with innovations in venting systems. Founded in 1956, this $500 million-plus company is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, and has 15 locations across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Duravent leads with best-in-class design and manufacturing capabilities, world-class distribution networks, and customer-first service and support. The company ensures quality and drives safety through scientifically proven materials and unequaled engineering.

Duravent acquired Grand Rapids-based Hart & Cooley in 2021. A leader in the HVAC industry since 1901, the Hart & Cooley acquisition brings a legacy of quality and service, robust manufacturing and distribution capabilities, and a suite of trusted brands into the Duravent family. As a combined company, Duravent is uniquely positioned as the next-generation leader in the interior climate technology industry. Learn more at duraventgroup.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Shaun Wilson, 313-530-7860

[email protected]

SOURCE Duravent Group
SALT LAKE CITY, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Extra Space Storage Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: EXR) announced today it will release financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 after the market closes. The Company will host a conference call at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 to discuss its financial results. Hosting the call will be Extra Space Storage's CEO, Joe Margolis. Joining him will be Scott Stubbs, Executive Vice President and CFO.

During the conference call, company officers will review operating performance, discuss recent events, and conduct a question-and-answer period. The question-and-answer period will be limited to registered financial analysts. All other participants will have listen-only capability.

To Participate in the Conference Call:

A live webcast of the conference call will be available online from the investor relations page of the Company's corporate website at www.extraspace.com. Telephone participants may avoid any delays in joining the conference call by pre-registering for the call using the following link to receive a special dial-in number and PIN: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI2bb007ca412e407b82c93299102763ba.

The conference call will also be available on the Company's website under Investor Relations at www.extraspace.com. To listen to a live broadcast, go to the site at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software.

Conference Call Playback:

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Extra Space Storage Investor Relations website beginning August 3, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. ET, and will remain available for 30 days after the call.

Full Text of the Earnings Report and Supplemental Data

The full text of the earnings report and supplemental data will be available at the Company's website at http://ir.extraspace.com immediately following the earnings release to the wire services after the market close on Tuesday, August 2, 2022.

About Extra Space Storage Inc.

Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust, and a member of the S&P 500. As of March 31, 2022, the Company owned and/or operated 2,130 self-storage properties, which comprise approximately 1.5 million units and approximately 164.2 million square feet of rentable storage space offering customers conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including boat storage, RV storage and business storage. The Company is the second largest owner and/or operator of self-storage properties in the United States and is the largest self-storage management company in the United States.

For more information, please visit www.extraspace.com.

SOURCE Extra Space Storage Inc.
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global 5G Technology RoI Market (2022-2027) by Component, Deployment Model, Network Function, Geography, Competitive Analysis, and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global 5G Technology RoI Market is estimated to be USD 5.1 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 328.97 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 130.1%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global 5G Technology RoI Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, Samsung, Oracle, Athonet, Casa Systems, Cumucore, etc.

Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.

Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global 5G Technology RoI Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.

The report analyses the Global 5G Technology RoI Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global 5G Technology RoI Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Adoption of Cloud-Native and Service-Based Architecture

4.1.2 Increasing Emphasis of Telecom Operators on Embb Services

4.1.3 Development of Smart Infrastructure

4.1.4 Differentiated 5G Services via Network Slicing

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Security Concerns in the 5G Core Network

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Low Latency Connectivity With URLLC

4.3.2 Demand for Private 5G

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Heavy Spending on Deploying 5G Core

4.4.2 Uncertainty Around Return on Investments



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global 5G Technology RoI Market, By Component

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Solutions

6.3 Services



7 Global 5G Technology RoI Market, By Deployment Model

7.1 Introduction

7.2 On-premises

7.3 On Cloud



8 Global 5G Technology RoI Market, By Network Function

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Access and Mobility Management Function

8.3 Session Management Function

8.4 User Plane Function

8.5 Policy Control Function

8.6 Network Exposure Function

8.7 NF Repository Function

8.8 Unified Data Management

8.9 Authentication Server Function

8.10 Application Function

8.11 Network Slice Selection Function



9 Americas' 5G Technology RoI Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Argentina

9.3 Brazil

9.4 Canada

9.5 Chile

9.6 Colombia

9.7 Mexico

9.8 Peru

9.9 United States

9.10 Rest of Americas



10 Europe's 5G Technology RoI Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Austria

10.3 Belgium

10.4 Denmark

10.5 Finland

10.6 France

10.7 Germany

10.8 Italy

10.9 Netherlands

10.10 Norway

10.11 Poland

10.12 Russia

10.13 Spain

10.14 Sweden

10.15 Switzerland

10.16 United Kingdom

10.17 Rest of Europe



11 Middle East and Africa's 5G Technology RoI Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Egypt

11.3 Israel

11.4 Qatar

11.5 Saudi Arabia

11.6 South Africa

11.7 United Arab Emirates

11.8 Rest of MEA



12 APAC's 5G Technology RoI Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Australia

12.3 Bangladesh

12.4 China

12.5 India

12.6 Indonesia

12.7 Japan

12.8 Malaysia

12.9 Philippines

12.10 Singapore

12.11 South Korea

12.12 Sri Lanka

12.13 Thailand

12.14 Taiwan

12.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Competitive Quadrant

13.2 Market Share Analysis

13.3 Strategic Initiatives

13.3.1 M&A and Investments

13.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

13.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



14 Company Profiles

14.1 Ericsson

14.2 Huawei

14.3 Nokia

14.4 Samsung

14.5 ZTE

14.6 Affirmed Networks

14.7 Cisco

14.8 Mavenir

14.9 NEC

14.10 Oracle

14.11 Athonet

14.12 Casa Systems

14.13 Cumucore

14.14 Druid Software

14.15 HPE

14.16 IPlook

14.17 Metaswitch



15 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yzisxg

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
MADISON, Wis., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gordon Flesch Company (GFC) has agreed to acquire Stan's LPS Midwest of Woodstock, IL, a family-owned provider of business technology services in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Pictured, left to right: Mark Steadman, President of Stan's, Bill Flesch, GFC Chief Development Officer and Tony Steadman, CFO of Stan's

Like GFC, Stan's LPS Midwest is a family-owned and operated independent office technology dealer. Stan's was founded in 1960 by Stanley Steadman and continues to be led by his sons, Mark and Tony. "Stan's is known for their honesty, respect and care they give their customers," says Patrick Flesch, President of GFC. "This acquisition will not only expand our geographical footprint in Illinois and Wisconsin but aligns perfectly with our company's values. We are excited to welcome Stan's into the GFC family."

The merged company will be known as the Gordon Flesch Company and will serve business customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio and South Dakota.

"We are proud of our legacy and reputation for high-quality service that we have built over the years at Stan's LPS Midwest," says Mark Steadman, President of Stan's. "Joining the Gordon Flesch Company family is a natural fit and an exciting opportunity that allows us to continue building on that legacy."

About The Gordon Flesch Company, Inc.

The Gordon Flesch Company is one of the largest independent providers of office technology solutions in the nation. Family-owned since 1956, the Gordon Flesch Company employs more than 600 people throughout 31 offices in the Midwest, with their corporate office in Madison, Wisconsin. They deliver unique business process expertise to solve challenging problems and achieve organizational goals. This includes integrating industry-leading software and hardware to build custom solutions that are supported by technical expertise, customer service and flexible, in-house financial services. Follow us on Twitter at @GordonFlesch .

About Stan's LPS Midwest

At Stan's, excellent customer service is more than the way they work, it's an ongoing commitment to excellence. In addition to high-quality customer service, Stan's staff is ingrained in technology. Technology is more than a business  it's their passion! The team has worked in technology for generations, and we are committed to providing the best product solutions to all our customers.

Contact:

Connie Dettman, Director of Marketing

Gordon Flesch Company

6084416336

[email protected]

SOURCE Gordon Flesch Company
Latest Drivers & Challenges of the Market-

Hair Color Market Driver:

Innovation in product formulation and formats:

Hair color is available in pre-measured sachets that are convenient to use. The market is driven by innovations in product formulation, composition, and the format through which it is sold in the market. The formulation of hair color is done in two stages. The first stage deals with the development of the product base and the second stage involves the formulation of the desired shade. During the process of the formulation, special attention needs to be given to factors such as dye stability, color wearability on hair, light fading, and the rheology of the product. The innovation is brought about in the shades of the finished product. Presently, most hair color manufacturers produce hair colors that help brighten the hair, contributing to the popularity of the product among consumers. This is followed by hair color variants that claim to be long-lasting, easy to use, and herbal. These innovations have led to an increase in customer acquisition, product visibility, and adoption rate, driving the price quotient of the market.

Hair Color Market Challenge:

Limited consumer pool for novelty and premium hair colors in developing countries:

The global hair color market is flourishing in the developed markets of North America and Europe. This is because a significant proportion of premium and mass segments of end customers are available in this segment. Hence, these markets have a balanced demand for hair colors from different price brackets. Unlike countries in North America and Europe, APAC and MEA do not have an equal distribution of consumer segments. The proportion of mass segment customers in these regions is higher than that of the end-end customers. This results in significant sales of low-priced hair colors in the markets of these regions. However, the sale of premium hair colors and novelty hair color in APAC and MEA is low due to the low presence of the segment. The low sale of premium hair colors leads to a small revenue turnover. Thus, the value of revenue generated from these regions is low.

Find additional information about various other market Drivers & Challenges available with Technavio. Download Sample Report

Segmentation Analysis & Forecasts

The hair color market is segmented by Product (Permanent, Semi-permanent, Temporary, and Highlight and bleach) and End-user (Women, Men, and Unisex). The hair color market share growth by the permanent segment will be significant during the forecast period. Many vendors in the global market are offering permanent hair colors that are fade-resistant and require minimal color maintenance. Such application-based hair colors available in the global market are expected to drive the growth of the permanent hair color segment of the market in focus during the forecast period.

For more key highlights on the regional market share of most of the above-mentioned countries. Request Sample Report

Vendor Insights-

Amway Corp.

Avon

Cadiveu Professional

Chatters Ltd. Partnership

Coty Inc.

The Estee Lauder Co. Inc.

Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Henkel AG and Co. KGaA

Hoyu Co. Ltd.

John Paul Mitchell Systems

Kao Corp.

LOreal SA

Madison Reed Inc.

Moroccanoil Inc.

NATULIQUE Ltd.

NATURIGIN

Revlon Inc.

Shiseido Co.Ltd.

Surya Brasil

Tints of Nature

Tish and Snookys NYC Inc.

Unilever PLC

The market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as focusing on product innovations by bringing about the concept of product differentiation and new product developments to compete in the market.

Find additional highlights on the vendors and their product offerings. View Sample Report

Didn't Find What You Were Looking For? Customize Report-

Don't miss out on the opportunity to speak to our analyst and know more insights about this market report. Our analysts can also help you customize this report according to your needs. Our analysts and industry experts will work directly with you to understand your requirements and provide you with customized data in a short amount of time.

Speak to our Analyst now! to take full advantage of every opportunity using competitive analysis created just for you

Here are Some Similar Topics-

Hair Color Spray Market by Distribution Channel and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The hair color spray market share is expected to increase to USD 340.97 million by 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 4.54%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers hair color spray market segmentations by the following: Distribution channel (Offline and online) and Geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa). Find More Research Insights Here

Hair Care Market in Brazil by Product and Distribution Channel - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The haircare market share in Brazil is expected to increase by USD 895.73 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 4.19%. The market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as price and quality of the end-product to compete in the market. Companies like Henkel AG and Co. KGaA offers a wide range of hair care products under brands such as Schwarzkopf Professional and BC Bonacure. Find More Research Insights Here

Hair Color Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.21% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 18.09 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 7.66 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution Europe at 30% Key consumer countries US, Japan, China, UK, and Brazil Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Amway Corp., Avon, Cadiveu Professional, Chatters Ltd. Partnership, Coty Inc., The Estee Lauder Co. Inc., Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Henkel AG and Co. KGaA, Hoyu Co. Ltd., John Paul Mitchell Systems, Kao Corp., LOreal SA, Madison Reed Inc., Moroccanoil Inc., NATULIQUE Ltd., NATURIGIN, Revlon Inc., Shiseido Co.Ltd., Surya Brasil, Tints of Nature, Tish and Snookys NYC Inc., and Unilever PLC Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for forecast period, Customization preview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 18: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 19: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 20: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 21: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 22: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 23: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 24: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Product

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 25: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 26: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 27: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 28: Data Table on Comparison by Product

5.3 Permanent - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 29: Chart on Permanent - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Permanent - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 31: Chart on Permanent - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Permanent - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Semi-permanent - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 33: Chart on Semi-permanent - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Semi-permanent - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 35: Chart on Semi-permanent - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Semi-permanent - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Temporary - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 37: Chart on Temporary - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Temporary - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: Chart on Temporary - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on Temporary - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Highlights and bleach - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 41: Chart on Highlights and bleach - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 42: Data Table on Highlights and bleach - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 43: Chart on Highlights and bleach - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on Highlights and bleach - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.7 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 45: Market opportunity by Product ($ million)

6 Market Segmentation by End-user

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 46: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

6.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 48: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

6.3 Women - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 50: Chart on Women - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Women - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 52: Chart on Women - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Women - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.4 Men - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 54: Chart on Men - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 55: Data Table on Men - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 56: Chart on Men - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 57: Data Table on Men - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.5 Unisex - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 58: Chart on Unisex - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on Unisex - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Chart on Unisex - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 61: Data Table on Unisex - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.6 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 62: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million)

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 63: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

8 Geographic Landscape

8.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 64: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

8.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 66: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 67: Data Table on Geographic comparison

8.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 68: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 70: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 72: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 74: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 76: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 77: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 78: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 79: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 80: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 82: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 83: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 84: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 85: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 86: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 87: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 88: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 89: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 90: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 91: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.9 Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 92: Chart on Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 93: Data Table on Brazil - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 94: Chart on Brazil - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 95: Data Table on Brazil - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 96: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 97: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 98: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 99: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.11 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 100: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 101: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 102: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 103: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.12 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 104: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 105: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 106: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 107: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 108: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9.1 Market drivers

9.2 Market challenges

9.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 109: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

9.4 Market trends

10 Vendor Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 110: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

10.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 111: Overview on factors of disruption

10.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 112: Impact of key risks on business

11 Vendor Analysis

11.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 113: Vendors covered

11.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 114: Matrix on vendor position and classification

11.3 Amway Corp.

Exhibit 115: Amway Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 116: Amway Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 117: Amway Corp. - Key offerings

11.4 Chatters Ltd. Partnership

Exhibit 118: Chatters Ltd. Partnership - Overview



Exhibit 119: Chatters Ltd. Partnership - Product / Service



Exhibit 120: Chatters Ltd. Partnership - Key offerings

11.5 Coty Inc.

Exhibit 121: Coty Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 122: Coty Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 123: Coty Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 124: Coty Inc. - Segment focus

11.6 The Estee Lauder Co. Inc.

Exhibit 125: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 126: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 127: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 128: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 129: The Estee Lauder Co. Inc. - Segment focus

11.7 Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 130: Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 131: Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 132: Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 133: Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

11.8 Henkel AG and Co. KGaA

Exhibit 134: Henkel AG and Co. KGaA - Overview



Exhibit 135: Henkel AG and Co. KGaA - Business segments



Exhibit 136: Henkel AG and Co. KGaA - Key news



Exhibit 137: Henkel AG and Co. KGaA - Key offerings



Exhibit 138: Henkel AG and Co. KGaA - Segment focus

11.9 John Paul Mitchell Systems

Exhibit 139: John Paul Mitchell Systems - Overview



Exhibit 140: John Paul Mitchell Systems - Product / Service



Exhibit 141: John Paul Mitchell Systems - Key offerings

11.10 Kao Corp.

Exhibit 142: Kao Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 143: Kao Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 144: Kao Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 145: Kao Corp. - Segment focus

11.11 LOreal SA

Exhibit 146: LOreal SA - Overview



Exhibit 147: LOreal SA - Business segments



Exhibit 148: LOreal SA - Key news



Exhibit 149: LOreal SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 150: LOreal SA - Segment focus

11.12 Madison Reed Inc.

Exhibit 151: Madison Reed Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 152: Madison Reed Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 153: Madison Reed Inc. - Key offerings

12 Appendix

12.1 Scope of the report

12.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 154: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 155: Exclusions checklist

12.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 156: Currency conversion rates for US$

12.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 157: Research methodology



Exhibit 158: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 159: Information sources

12.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 160: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

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Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
Lawsuit contended CHP knew officer was a threat and re-armed him

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A California man severely wounded in a violent 2018 murder-suicide involving a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the California Highway Patrol.

Philip "Trae" deBeaubien sued CHP and several of its officers, arguing they bore responsibility for the shooting in which Officer Brad Wheat shot and killed his estranged wife, Mary, and wounded Mr. deBeaubien, her boyfriend. Officer Wheat then killed himself.

According to the lawsuit, CHP was made aware that Officer Wheat had made threats against his wife and Mr. deBeaubien and was concerned enough to take away his firearms and place him on limited duty.

The lawsuit contended that despite its knowledge of the threats, not only did CHP not warn Mr. deBeaubien about the potential threat to his life, but the department also returned Officer Wheat's weapon and ammunition to him, which he then used in the shooting days later.

As part of the settlement, CHP has paid $4 million.

Hicks Thomas partners John Thomas and Eric Grant partnered on this case with Sacramento attorney Stewart Katz. "This case has been about a fair outcome for Mr. deBeaubien and everything he has had to endure," said Mr. Thomas. "We have now collected the settlement funds from all of the defendants and are pleased that this case can be dismissed."

"I cannot say enough about this team of lawyers and the incredible work they did together," said Mr. deBeaubien. "I am so grateful that I can now finally put this horrible chapter of my life behind me. I also hope this settlement means CHP will do more in the future to help its officers struggling with mental health issues."

Founded in 1997, Texas-based Hicks Thomas LLP is a premier litigation firm representing plaintiffs and defendants across the nation. With offices in Houston, Austin, Beaumont, Amarillo, and Sacramento, California, the firm provides in-depth experience in cases involving oil and gas, environmental, complex commercial, toxic tort, construction, products liability, corporate governance, securities, banking, insurance coverage, transportation, trade secrets and business litigation. Learn more: http://www.hicks-thomas.com.

Contact:

April Arias

[email protected]

800-559-4534

SOURCE Hicks Thomas LLP
PHILADELPHIA, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Independence Blue Cross (Independence) announced today that it has awarded six Clinical Care Innovation Grants (CCI Grants) to local health systems to support projects aimed at improving the quality and delivery of health care. The health systems receiving grants include Jefferson Health, Temple Health, Penn Medicine, and Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic.

"We are committed to investing in our community and are always looking for ways to improve the care our members receive," said Rodrigo Cerda, MD, MPH, senior vice president of Health Services and chief medical officer at Independence. "Supporting these grants is just one way that we work collaboratively with our excellent network of health care providers. This engaging and dynamic work we do with them helps to ensure our members receive the highest quality care and the best experience, at the most affordable cost. We're excited to see how the work these grants support will continue to improve the health of our community."

The six projects awarded grants include:

"Telehealth-Enabled Integrated Palliative Care for People with Dementia" led by Brooke Worster , MD, FACP, Director of Division of Supportive Oncology at Jefferson Health. This project uses a telehealth and web-based advanced care planning model to help reduce barriers that older people with dementia, who live in an urban setting, face when trying to access palliative care. The hope is that the model will improve health and wellness at a population level and potentially reduce overall cost of care.





This project uses a telehealth and web-based advanced care planning model to help reduce barriers that older people with dementia, who live in an urban setting, face when trying to access palliative care. The hope is that the model will improve health and wellness at a population level and potentially reduce overall cost of care. "Implementing Care Optimization for Person's Emotions, Mood, and Other Related Experiences" (I COPE MORE) led by Temple Health faculty physicians David O'Gurek , MD, and Rachael Clark , MD, and Lakisha Sturgis , of the Temple Center for Population Health, LLC. This project focuses on integrating behavioral and medical care using a behavioral health screening tool. The screening tool helps to quickly identify at-risk patients, streamline access to care, establish a foundation for value-based care, and provide treatment planning and care coordination. The goals of this project are to measure the success of the screening tool, identify links between behavioral and social factors and chronic disease, and evaluate the impact of socio-behavioral health integration on diabetes management.





This project focuses on integrating behavioral and medical care using a behavioral health screening tool. The screening tool helps to quickly identify at-risk patients, streamline access to care, establish a foundation for value-based care, and provide treatment planning and care coordination. The goals of this project are to measure the success of the screening tool, identify links between behavioral and social factors and chronic disease, and evaluate the impact of socio-behavioral health integration on diabetes management. "Healing at Home" led by Kirstin Leitner , MD, assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Penn Medicine and her colleagues Lori Christ , MD, assistant professor of Pediatrics; Laura Scalise , MSN, RN, nurse manager; and Emily Seltzer , senior innovation manager at the Center for Digital Health. The project is focused on a system that uses an artificial intelligence-guided chatbot to provide 24/7 assistance to new mothers with questions about their babies or their own needs during the "fourth trimester." The goals are to expand access to the system and its mental health monitoring and support offerings, and to evaluate what benefits it provides.





The project is focused on a system that uses an artificial intelligence-guided chatbot to provide 24/7 assistance to new mothers with questions about their babies or their own needs during the "fourth trimester." The goals are to expand access to the system and its mental health monitoring and support offerings, and to evaluate what benefits it provides. "Pregnancy Early Access Center (PEACE): Scaling a Value-Based Model for Urgent Pregnancy Care" led by Courtney Schreiber , MD, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and chief of Family Planning at Penn Medicine. This project focuses on a model that provides care for the early stages of pregnancy, including for miscarriages, which take place in one in every five pregnancies. It places a special focus on equitable follow-up care for those who experience miscarriage, especially among those who seek care at emergency departments (95 percent of whom now receive no continuing care).





This project focuses on a model that provides care for the early stages of pregnancy, including for miscarriages, which take place in one in every five pregnancies. It places a special focus on equitable follow-up care for those who experience miscarriage, especially among those who seek care at emergency departments (95 percent of whom now receive no continuing care). "CareConnect Warmline: Substance use Navigation and Low-Barrier Treatment to Reduce Disparities" led by Jeanmarie Perrone , MD, professor of Emergency Medicine and director of the Penn Medicine Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy. This project aims to decrease barriers to rapid access of buprenorphine (a medication that soothes cravings for opioids in the brain) for majority Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities in Philadelphia . It includes a telemedicine-based outreach and navigation service that guides people through various aspects of substance use treatment.





This project aims to decrease barriers to rapid access of buprenorphine (a medication that soothes cravings for opioids in the brain) for majority Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities in . It includes a telemedicine-based outreach and navigation service that guides people through various aspects of substance use treatment. "A Comprehensive Caregiver Support Model for the Seriously Ill" led by Naomi McMackin , MD, regional chief medical officer of the Clinically Integrated Network for Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. This project aims to assess patient and caregiver needs and interventions while also addressing downward health trajectory with serious illness conversations in the home setting. The project uses a model that engages health care partners across the care continuum (e.g., acute case management, spiritual care, palliative care, etc.) and innovates the care that is delivered.

This is the second year Independence has awarded CCI Grants, and already there are positive results being reported. For example, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic's primary care model Achieving Lasting Improvements Via Engagement is making progress with patient engagement to control chronic kidney disease. Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic's model has shown that in patients who received nutritionist consultation, there was a significant decrease in body mass index (BMI) when they had at least two measurements. The decrease was due to better nutrition, exercise, medication management, and education about their disease. Patients who did not have a decrease in BMI were counseled.

Health systems and large specialty groups in the Independence network that are currently enrolled in a value-based care program are eligible to participate in the CCI Grants process. Each entity is permitted up to three submissions a year. For more information, visit the CCI Grants website on ibx.com.

About Independence Blue Cross

Independence Blue Cross is the leading health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more than 80 years, we have been enhancing the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve. We deliver innovative and competitively priced health care products and services; pioneer new ways to reward doctors, hospitals, and other health care professionals for coordinated, quality care; and support programs and events that promote wellness. To learn more, visit ibx.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

MEDIA CONTACT

Diana Quattrone

215-815-7828 (cell)

[email protected]

SOURCE Independence Blue Cross
SHENZHEN, China, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 8th Shenzhen Global Shenzhen Entrepreneurs Convention and Guangming Science City Conference kicked off on July 5, and gathered global scientists and leading entrepreneurs together to the southern Chinese city. They're invited to share their perspectives on how the Guangming Science City will embrace a bright future in terms of the innovation ecology, the research-enabled economy, the life science and health, and the digital economy.

Fan Jianping, academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences and director of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology under Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in a keynote speech that Guangming Science city, supported by both the government and the market, is on track to become an innovation hub with large-scale science facilities, research institutes, universities and industrial parks.

To translate scientific exploration into industrial innovation, Guangming Science City has found a way to bridge the science with the market quickly. It is being built into a platform where innovative chain can be integrated with the industrial chain. It pioneered a model, the first of its kind in China, by holding innovation and business in one complex. The model helps bring the latest findings in upstairs labs directly to startups downstairs where their market feasibility and possibilities of mass production can be examined. Also, the researchers can be quickly informed when something needs to be fixed, thus substantially shortening the commercialization cycle and speeding up the science-enabled economy.

Guangming Science City, located in northern Shenzhen, will be built into a place to support a comprehensive national science center. It covers an area of 99 square kilometers and will be home to nine key science and technology facilities, 10 research institutes, two key labs at provincial level, and two research universities. Now, more than 3,000 high-quality researchers from over 150 innovation teams and over 20 academician-led groups are working in the City.

"We're going to embrace the opportunities of scientific and technological innovation," said Shang Yuanfang, president of Shenzhen Cellbri Bio-Innovation Technology Company. Shang spoke of how smart manufacturing empowers synthetic biology. Founded in February 2020, Cellbri is a leading biotech company in China specializing in producing the devices for cell and gene therapies.

Cellbri is one of many enterprises that grasped the opportunities brought by Guangming Science City. In the Guangming Investment Promotion Conference, held in Guangming District on July 6, a total of 200 Chinese companies inked 40 deals worth over 60 billion yuan. The contracts cover biopharma, new materials, smart manufacturing, new energy, scientific institute building and financial services.

Guangming District is home to over 78,000 businesses. It sees competitive industrial clusters of UHD video displays, new materials, and smart sensors. Among its star enterprises are China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), BTR New Material Group, and Sunwoda, a battery manufacturer. The District looks set to build a hub of original innovation to develop science-empowered economy and lure global innovators. In recent years, the enterprises in the district grew by an average of 15.7 percent annually, making it one of the most vibrant and promising area in Shenzhen.

Owing to the industry cluster effect, upstream enterprises in the industrial chain have been attracted to the district. Hengmei Optoelectronic Corporation (HMO), signed in the conference to settle in the district, is an example. HMO, specializing in the development, manufacturing and marketing of polarizers, functional optical films and optical compensation films, is one of CSOT's suppliers. It plans to move into CSOT's industrial park to support CSOT's next-generation panels, according to HMO's business director Tan Zhimin. "Guangming is now seeing a cluster effect for UHD video display manufacturing. It offers favorable industrial policies that can help businesses reduce costs. That is why we're optimistic about the district's growth."

Top Precision Engineering (TPE), another signee, is attracted by Guangming's lures for top global talent. The Foshan-based machinery parts manufacturer, built in 2012, is considering to base its R&D headquarters in the district in order to develop cobots and human-machine interaction technologies. Guangming Science City is advantageous in promoting innovation and R&D, luring talent, boosting growth and offering industrial policy support, said TPE's vice general manager Wang Yangxi. "Guangming enjoys a remarkable ecological environment, and it is a platform by which our company can lure more talent," he added.

Guangming will roll out a package of policies to support the growth of its major industries. Priority will be given to bringing in outstanding businesses on the industrial chain, commercializing key scientific innovations, building professional platforms for public services, incubating innovative startups and bolstering good climate for tech industries. Public supporting services will also be put in place accordingly.

SOURCE Guangming Science City
CHANGZHOU, China, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany. On July 7, "Jiangsu-Germany Dialogue 2022", with the theme of "Innovation, Cooperation and Win-win" opened in the Sino-German (Changzhou) Innovation Park. It has a main venue in Changzhou, China and a branch venue in Frankfurt, Germany, in the form of a combination of online and offline, to further promote the docking and cooperation between Changzhou and Germany in science and technology, economy and trade, and industry. At the meeting, 10 Sino-German cooperation projects were signed, according to the Information Office of Changzhou Municipal People's Government.

In recent years, Changzhou has carried out exchanges and cooperation with Germany in an all-round way, and has made positive progress in many fields. A number of high-quality German-funded enterprises such as Siemens, ThyssenKrupp, Bosch, Volkswagen, and Lanxess continue to invest in Changzhou. As of December 2021, there are 234 German-invested enterprises in Changzhou, and the actual foreign capital received is 110.8 billion dollars. It has formed the Sino-German (Changzhou) Innovation Park, Wujin High-tech Zone and Xuejia Foreign Capital Town and other German-funded gathering areas. Changzhou University and other universities and German universities have joined hands to carry out joint master training and professional laboratory construction. From urban exchanges, economic and education cooperation, scientific and technological innovation, Sino-German cooperation radiates many fields.

Du Chunguo, Consul General of China in Dusseldorf shared the story of "Two-way travel" since Jiangsu Province and North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany became sister provinces and states in a video speech. "There is huge potential for cooperation in trade, AI and other fields." Michael Jacke, Mayor of Minden, said in a video speech that Changzhou and Minden are inextricably linked to maintain a close partnership.

At the opening ceremony, Changzhou Municipal People's Government signed a memorandum of cooperation with the German Chamber of Commerce in China, Sino-German (Changzhou) Innovation Park and Commerzbank. Representatives of ThyssenKrupp, SVOLT Energy, and Star Charge launched a thematic dialogue about "New opportunities for Sino-German enterprise innovation and cooperation in the post-epidemic era" and "Paths and exploration of Jiangsu-German Manufacturing Cooperation".

SOURCE Information Office of Changzhou Municipal People's Government
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Contrast Materials Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

As the global frequency of chronic diseases rises, the demand for diagnostic imaging procedures also increases and, as a result, contrast materials. Chronic disease costs $3.5 trillion in annual health care costs, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

The Arthritis Foundation estimates that 55 million people have been diagnosed with arthritis. Moreover, about 305,000 newborns and toddlers suffer from arthritis or rheumatic disorders. Osteoarthritis affects approximately 55 million people worldwide. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 220 million women worldwide were affected by osteoporosis in 2019.



Due to the growing demand for imaging operations, contrast media manufacturers have invested much in R & D in order to bring new products to market and gain approval for new indications. Bracco, for example, received FDA approval in 2021 for Lumason, an ultrasound contrast agent, in a 20-vial pack design.

According to a report to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), the increase in the volume of imaging services per Medicare beneficiary is the largest among all other services offered by physicians. Imaging techniques like computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and X-rays have become a standard aspect of most disease diagnoses. Diagnostic imaging modalities are becoming more widely employed as a result of developments in the underlying technology, which includes everything from equipment to administration.

Novel solutions, such as syringeless injectors and innovative packaging, aid in the delivery of the correct dose of contrast agents while also reducing waste. The Gadavist Imaging Bulk Package with transfer spike, for example, was authorised by the US FDA in August 2020, allowing for weight-based and multi-patient dosing as well as addressing hospital vial waste issues. It is expected that the approval of such innovative packaging will raise demand for the chemical agent.



Contrast materials are usually regarded as safe for use in MRI and CT scans, among other diagnostic techniques. However, some of the adverse effects and allergic responses associated with its use may limit market expansion. Their side effects range from mild to severe; severe reactions are extremely rare, as are major allergic reactions to contrast materials. In addition, handling complex and sophisticated diagnostic imaging technologies necessitates a high level of technical ability and expertise. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of radiology technologists is expected to expand by roughly 7% between 2019 and 2029. Despite this, a scarcity of specialists and radiologists will pose a hindrance to industry expansion.



By region, North America is expected to drive the growth of the global contrast materials market during the forecast period.

The existence of prominent players in the region, the high prevalence of chronic illnesses, the growing elderly population, and the increasing use of minimally invasive procedures all contribute to the region's significant share of the market. In the United States, the first gadolinium-based contrast agent was approved.

Four agents have been certified in the United States in the last decade, indicating a clear trend in the industry to identify more efficient, accurate, and safe agents. In the future, sales of contrast materials are likely to rise in the United States. Contrast material sales for ultrasound may have a significant growth rate among the various imaging modalities. In the United States, the rise in chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and neurological diseases is the primary driver of market growth.



During the predicted period, Asia Pacific is also expected to increase significantly. This is because the region is home to a number of well-known local and worldwide manufacturers. For example, General Electric Pharmaceuticals (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., is a GE Healthcare subsidiary that manufactures diagnostic pharmaceuticals (CT/MR contrast media) in China and is one of the world's largest contrast material manufacturing facilities. This aspect is expected to continue to drive regional market expansion.



COVID-19 Insights

Due to fewer patient visits to hospitals, the COVID-19 outbreak had a detrimental influence on the contrast materials industry. As a result of the epidemic, healthcare systems have been severely stressed. To prevent the spread of the disease and conserve healthcare resources for COVID-19 patients, healthcare institutes and providers were told to halt performing elective surgical operations and medical evaluations. As a result, the volume of imaging cases in many radiology departments dropped dramatically.



Due to a fall in the volume of optional and non-essential procedures, lower utilisation of routine testing, decreased capital spending by customers, and a slowdown in research activity owing to laboratory closures and decreased clinical testing, the worldwide contrast materials market has been impacted.

Key Topics Covered:



1. INTRODUCTION



2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4. MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Powers of Buyers

4.3.3. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.4. Threat of New Entrants

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis



5. GLOBAL CONTRAST MATERIALS MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Iodine-based

5.3. Barium-Sulphate

5.4. Gadolinium

5.5. Saline and Gas

5.6. Others



6. GLOBAL CONTRAST MATERIALS MARKET, BY ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Oral

6.3. Rectal

6.4. Blood Vessel



7. GLOBAL CONTRAST MATERIALS MARKET, BY MEDICAL PROCEDURE

7.1. X-Ray/CT

7.2. MRI

7.3. Ultrasound



8. GLOBAL CONTRAST MATERIALS MARKET, BY INDICATION

8.1. Cardiovascular Disease

8.2. Oncology

8.3. Gastrointestinal Disorders

8.4. Neurological Disorders

8.5. Other Indications



9. GLOBAL CONTRAST MATERIALS MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHY

9.1. Introduction

9.2. North America

9.2.1. United States

9.2.2. Canada

9.2.3. Mexico

9.3. South America

9.3.1. Brazil

9.3.2. Argentina

9.3.3. Others

9.4. Europe

9.4.1. Germany

9.4.2. France

9.4.3. United Kingdom

9.4.4. Spain

9.4.5. Others

9.5. Middle East and Africa

9.5.1. Saudi Arabia

9.5.2. Israel

9.5.3. Others

9.6. Asia Pacific

9.6.1. China

9.6.2. Japan

9.6.3. South Korea

9.6.4. India

9.6.5. Others



10. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS

10.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

10.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

10.3. Mergers, Acquisition, Agreements, and Collaborations

10.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



11. COMPANY PROFILES

11.1. Bayer AG

11.2. General Electric Company

11.3. Guerbet

11.4. Bracco Diagnostic, Inc.

11.5. Nano Therapeutics Pvt. Ltd.

11.6. Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc.

11.7. iMax

11.8. Trivitron Healthcare

11.9. Spago Nanomedical AB

11.10. Jodas Expoim

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1mhl4l

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

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p[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Hyperloop Technology Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global hyperloop technology market is expected to reach a value of US$ 1.30 Billion in 2022. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach levels worth US$ 7.19 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 40.79% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Hyperloop technology is an ultra-high-speed ground transportation system with a capsule-like vehicle operating inside a sealed vacuum tube with low pressure. It comprises sealed and partially evacuated tubes that assist in connecting mobility hubs in large metropolitan areas and pressurized vehicles. It relies on magnetic levitation to reduce the friction of tubes and tunnels and carry passengers and cargo.

It is faster than alternative modes of transportation, such as air, water, road, and rail. Besides this, as hyperloop technology is energy-efficient, immune to bad weather conditions, and resistant to against earthquakes and other natural calamities, its demand is escalating around the world.



The growing need for a faster mode of transportation across the globe represents one of the key factors driving the market. Moreover, rising concerns about environmental degradation, depletion of natural resources and air pollution caused by conventional transportation vehicles are propelling the growth of the market.

In addition, the hyperloop technology decongests traffic and minimizes noise and its network requires lesser land area as compared to other transportation systems. Additionally, it is tolerant to earthquakes and other natural calamities as it is built on pylons wherein the tube carrying passenger pods are designed above the ground level.

These benefits, along with the rising utilization of solar energy to enhance fundamental transportation ways and making it more efficient and profitable, are expected to positively influence the market. Furthermore, key market players are extensively investing in research and development (R&D) activities to minimize the costs of hyperloop technology and test and display the developed technologies for commercialization. These strategies are expected to bolster the growth of the market in the upcoming years.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Aecom, Dinclix GroundWorks Private Limited, Hardt B.V., Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Tesla Inc., TransPod Inc., Virgin Hyperloop and Zeleros Hyperloop.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How the global hyperloop technology market will perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global hyperloop technology market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the component type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the speed?

What is the breakup of the market based on the carriage type?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global hyperloop technology market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Hyperloop Technology Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Component Type

6.1 Tube

6.1.1 Market Trends and Forecast

6.2 Propulsion System

6.2.1 Market Trends and Forecast

6.3 Capsule

6.3.1 Market Trends and Forecast

6.4 Others

6.4.1 Market Trends and Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Speed

7.1 More than 700 kmph

7.1.1 Market Trends and Forecast

7.2 Less than 700 kmph

7.2.1 Market Trends and Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Carriage Type

8.1 Passenger

8.1.1 Market Trends and Forecast

8.2 Cargo/Freight

8.2.1 Market Trends and Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Aecom

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 Dinclix GroundWorks Private Limited

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3 Hardt B.V.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 Tesla Inc.

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 TransPod Inc.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Virgin Hyperloop

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 Zeleros Hyperloop

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k27t63

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

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SOURCE Research and Markets
JUNO BEACH, Fla., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that it plans to report second-quarter 2022 financial results before the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, July 22, 2022, in a news release to be posted on the company's website at www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults. The company will issue an advisory news release over PR Newswire the morning of July 22, with a link to the financial results news release on the company's website. As previously communicated, the company will make available its financial results only on its website.

John Ketchum, president and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy, Kirk Crews, executive vice president, finance and chief financial officer of NextEra Energy, and other members of the company's senior management team will discuss the company's second-quarter 2022 financial results during an investor presentation to be webcast live, beginning at 9 a.m. ET on July 22. Results for NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP) also will be discussed during the same investor presentation.

The listen-only webcast will be available on NextEra Energy's website by accessing the following link: www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults. The financial results news release and the slides accompanying the presentation may be downloaded at www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults, beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on the day of the webcast. A replay will be available for 90 days by accessing the same link as listed above.

NextEra Energy, Inc.

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. NextEra Energy owns Florida Power & Light Company, which is the largest vertically integrated rate-regulated electric utility in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, and serves more than 5.7 million customer accounts, supporting more than 12 million residents across Florida with clean, reliable and affordable electricity. NextEra Energy also owns a competitive clean energy business, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from seven commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry on Fortune's 2022 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," recognized on Fortune's 2021 list of companies that "Change the World" and received the S&P Global Platts 2020 Energy Transition Award for leadership in environmental, social and governance. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.
Average score of 35.1 exceeds global average of 31.9

23.2% of Nord Anglia students achieve 40+ points

33% of Nord Anglia's IBDP schools celebrate a 'perfect 45'

LONDON, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading international schools group Nord Anglia Education announced today that its students are again celebrating outstanding International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) results. This year's results are well above the world average, with 23.2% of Nord Anglia's IBDP students achieving 40 points or more.

Nord Anglia is one of the world's largest providers of the IBDP, with over 1,600 students sitting the IBDP and 42 of its schools offering the programme.

The average IBDP score for Nord Anglia students was 35.1 for the 2021/2022 academic year, far exceeding the global average of 31.9. For the ninth year running, Nord Anglia's students have exceeded the global average.

This year, a third (33%) of Nord Anglia schools offering the IBDP saw students achieve a perfect score of 45 out of 45.

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES ACROSS NORD ANGLIA'S SCHOOLS

Across Nord Anglia's schools there were many standout performances. For example:

STUDENTS ACCEPTED INTO THE WORLD'S TOP UNIVERSITIES

This year's outstanding results continue to see one in two Nord Anglia students attending the top 100 universities globally. Nord Anglia's students have secured offers from some of the world's best universities, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Cambridge, Stanford University, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and more.

Dr Elise Ecoff, Group Education Director at Nord Anglia, said: "As always, this year's IB results are testament to our students' hard work and dedication. These results reflect their commitment to learning and we couldn't be prouder of what they've achieved, which now sets them on the path to studying at the world's best universities. This year's exceptional results are all the more impressive given the challenges of the pandemic over the last two years. Our students' resilience and determination has been inspiring.

"It's also a time to celebrate for our talented teachers who've been there every step of the way helping their IBDP students achieve more than they ever imagined possible. We know just how much their support, creativity and inspiration means to our students and their families."

Recognised in more than 100 countries worldwide, the IBDP is one of the most highly regarded international curricula, well known for its breadth and academic rigour, which nurtures a global outlook and prepares students for success at university and in their working lives.

Media enquiries:

David Bates

Communications Manager

[email protected]

+44 7787 135223

About Nord Anglia Education

As a leading premium international schools organisation, we are shaping a generation of creative and resilient global citizens who graduate from our schools with everything they need for success, whatever they choose to be or do in life.

Our strong academic foundations combine world-class teaching and curricula with innovative technology and facilities, creating learning experiences like no other. Inside and outside of the classroom, we inspire our students to achieve more than they ever thought possible.



No two children learn the same way, which is why our 78 schools in 31 countries around the world personalise learning to what works best for every student. Inspired by our high-quality teachers, our students achieve outstanding academic results and go on to study at the world's top universities.

To learn more or apply for a place for your child, go to nordangliaeducation.com.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1503193/Nord_Anglia_Education_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Nord Anglia Education
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'Global Airflow Management Market (2022-2027) by Offering, Cooling System, Data Center Type, Industry, Geography, Competitive Analysis, and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Airflow Management Market is estimated to be USD 801.31 Mn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 1210.46 Mn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8.6%.

Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Airflow Management Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.

As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are 2BM, Data Center Solutions, Data Clean, Degree Controls, EDP, HaltonPolargy, ProSource Technical Services, RLE Technologies, Schneider Electric, Upsite Technologies, etc.

Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.

Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Airflow Management Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.

The report analyses the Global Airflow Management Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Airflow Management Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Report Description

2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary

4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Increase in Number of Data Centre

4.1.2 Demand for Tool-Less Design

4.1.3 Improving Cooling Thermal Management and Efficiency in Data Centers

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Requirement of Specialized Infrastructure

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Accelerating the Green Data Center

4.3.2 Increasing Demand for Reduce Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) Levels

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Data Centers During Power Outages

5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis

6 Global Airflow Management Market, By Offering

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Components

6.2.1 Blanking Panels

6.2.2 Grommets

6.2.3 Air Filled Kits

6.2.4 Containment

6.2.4.1 Cold Aisle Containment

6.2.4.2 Hot Aisle Containment

6.2.5 Enhanced Brush/Top & Bottom Covers

6.2.6 Air Diverters

6.2.7 High-Flow Doors

6.2.8 Others

6.3 Services

6.3.1 Consulting Services

6.3.2 Installation & Deployment Services

6.3.3 Support & Maintenance Services

7 Global Airflow Management Market, By Cooling System

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Chilled Water System

7.3 Direct Expansion System

8 Global Airflow Management Market, By Data Center Type

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Enterprise Data Center

8.3 Hyperscale Data Center

9 Global Airflow Management Market, By Industry

9.1 Introduction

9.2 BFSI

9.3 IT and Telecom

9.4 Government and Defense

9.5 Research and Academic

9.6 Retail

9.7 Energy

9.8 Manufacturing

9.9 Healthcare

9.10 Others

10 Americas' Airflow Management Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Argentina

10.3 Brazil

10.4 Canada

10.5 Chile

10.6 Colombia

10.7 Mexico

10.8 Peru

10.9 United States

10.10 Rest of Americas

11 Europe's Airflow Management Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Austria

11.3 Belgium

11.4 Denmark

11.5 Finland

11.6 France

11.7 Germany

11.8 Italy

11.9 Netherlands

11.10 Norway

11.11 Poland

11.12 Russia

11.13 Spain

11.14 Sweden

11.15 Switzerland

11.16 United Kingdom

11.17 Rest of Europe

12 Middle East and Africa's Airflow Management Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Egypt

12.3 Israel

12.4 Qatar

12.5 Saudi Arabia

12.6 South Africa

12.7 United Arab Emirates

12.8 Rest of MEA

13 APAC's Airflow Management Market

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Australia

13.3 Bangladesh

13.4 China

13.5 India

13.6 Indonesia

13.7 Japan

13.8 Malaysia

13.9 Philippines

13.10 Singapore

13.11 South Korea

13.12 Sri Lanka

13.13 Thailand

13.14 Taiwan

13.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific

14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Competitive Quadrant

14.2 Market Share Analysis

14.3 Strategic Initiatives

14.3.1 M&A and Investments

14.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

14.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements

15 Company Profiles

15.1 2BM

15.2 42U (A DirectNET)

15.3 Aquila

15.4 CONTEG

15.5 Critical Environments

15.6 Data Center Solutions

15.7 Data Clean

15.8 Degree Controls

15.9 Digital Narrowcasting Associates

15.10 E Technologies

15.11 Eaton

15.12 EDP

15.13 Halton

15.14 Kingspan

15.15 NetRack Enclosures Private

15.16 Polargy

15.17 ProSource Technical Services

15.18 RLE Technologies

15.19 Schneider Electric

15.20 Subzero Engineering

15.21 Tripp Lite

15.22 Unitile

15.23 Upsite Technologies

16 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r0svgh

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
PITTSBURGH, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Schneider Downs, one of the 60 largest certified public accounting and business advisory firms in the United States, is proud to announce the addition of five new shareholders, as well as one new partner, to its affiliate, Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors, LP.

"We are thrilled to add these new members to our leadership team. At Schneider Downs, we are committed to the professional development of our people, so it is especially rewarding when we can draw from existing talent to expand our ownership group," says Christopher S. McElroy, Co-CEO of Schneider Downs. "We have watched these talented individuals grow throughout their years with us, and we are confident that each of them will advance the future of our firm and community in their new roles. What is particularly exciting is that these leaders join 7 new shareholders and partners from last yearas well as the recent additions of 3 lateral shareholder hiresto bring our new leader total to 15 in just the past two years. Growth creates opportunities."

The new promotions reach across several areas of the firm's service offerings, including the firm's tax, audit and consulting practices, as well as the growing wealth management practice.

Included among those promoted to Shareholder at Schneider Downs are:

David J. Mitros joined the firm in 2019. He has 14 years of experience working with national and regional firms, providing tax services to a variety of manufacturing, construction and real estate clients. David has a focus on privately held organizations, working with management, owners and other stakeholders to identify and achieve tax related objectives. With Schneider Downs, he has frequently been a valuable resource, assisting the firm's clients in significant M&A activity by leading transaction structuring negotiations. He is a graduate of Miami University and a member of both the American Institutes of Certified Public Accountants and the Ohio Society of Public Accountants.

Patricia R. Giudici joined the firm in 2016, following 12 years working for a regional and national firm. She has experience serving a diverse group of privately owned companies within the technology, distribution and logistics, manufacturing, real-estate and employee benefit plan industries, including significant experience working with start-up, private equity and venture capital backed companies. She is a graduate of Clarion University and is a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants. Patricia leads the firm's Employee Benefit Plan Group. She is also a board member of Bethlehem Haven, an advisory council member for Standing Firm, a member of the planning committee for the St. Jude Gala, and a member of the Women's Executive Board for the Pittsburgh Chapter of ACG.

Carley R. Taslov began her career at Schneider Downs in 2009 after graduation from Washington & Jefferson College. She specializes in helping clients identify, assess and manage risks through internal audit and risk management services. She delivers additional value to organizations in a variety of ways, including business process optimization and digital transformation. Carley's expertise spans multiple industries and her contributions to the firm have come from within the Risk Advisory Services and External Audit departments.

She is a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accounts (PICPA) and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), as well as a board member for Lending Hearts, a Pittsburgh-based not-for-profit.

Eric M. Fair joined Schneider Downs in 2011 and has 11 years of experience leading teams and clients collaboratively through IT governance, risk & compliance initiatives, including but not limited to IT internal audit co-sourcing and outsourcing, SSAE 18, business continuity, disaster recovery, data privacy and cybersecurity consulting. Eric holds an M.S. in Internet Information Systems from Robert Morris University, a B.S. in Information Systems Management from Robert Morris University and an M.S. in Accounting from Liberty University. He currently serves on a local advisory board and as a co-chair to a local chapter dedicated to the industry. He has previously served on a local non-profit board and continues to participate in the mentorship program for his alma mater. Eric is one of only 95 active Certified Business Continuity Lead Auditors (CBCLA) globally and is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Derek J. Eichelberger has been with Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors, LP (SDWMA) since 2015 and serves as the practice's Managing Partner. He advises high net-worth individuals, foundations, endowments and retirement plans. He is a graduate of Penn State University and received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors, LP (SDWMA) also announced the promotion of a team member to the role of partner:

Michael J. Bucci has been with Schneider Downs for 12 years and currently leads the Investment Advisory practice for the SD Retirement Solutions division of Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors. He is a graduate of East Carolina University and a Certified Investment Management Analyst

About Schneider Downs:

Schneider Downs is a top 60 independent Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm providing accounting, tax, audit and business consulting services to public and private companies, not-for-profit organizations and global companies. The firm offers Risk Advisory; Technology Consulting; Software Solutions; Personal Financial Services; Retirement Plan Solutions and Corporate Finance Services. Schneider Downs serves individuals and companies in Pennsylvania (PA), Ohio (OH), West Virginia (WV), New York (NY), Maryland (MD), and additional states in the United States with offices in Pittsburgh, PA, Columbus, OH and Washington D.C.

About Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors, LP

Schneider Downs Wealth Management, LP ("SD Wealth Management" or "SDWMA") is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor specializing in the Investment Management and Financial Planning Services for Individual Investors; Investment Management and Investment Committee Services for Institutions and Non-Profits; and Corporate Solutions and ERISA Fiduciary Services. Registration with the SEC does not imply any level of skill or training.

Contact: Alicia Furlan

[email protected]

SOURCE Schneider Downs
FireKing Workers Call on Company's Corporate Parent to Bargain Fair Contract

BOSTON and SAN FRANCISCO, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, members of Teamsters Local 25 and Teamsters Local 856 protested outside the Boston and San Francisco offices of Champlain Capital to pressure the private equity firm to bargain a fair contract for its workers at FireKing. Champlain Capital owns the manufacturer of fireproof safes and cabinets based in New Albany, Indiana, where 83 Teamsters have been on strike since May 9.

"The entire Teamsters Union has the backs of our FireKing brothers and sisters in Indiana, who are standing up to yet another corporate bully who is refusing to bargain in good faith," said Sean M. O'Brien, Teamsters General President. "These private equity firms are vultures that abuse workers and think they can get away with it. Teamsters are fighting back and we're not going to stand for it. Our local unions in Boston and San Francisco are proving that solidarity today by taking to the streets."

Teamsters at FireKing have patiently worked in good faith to negotiate a new agreement. But after the company's abusive behavior, which led to the filing of several unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, members were left with no choice but to go on strike.

"Many of these workers have been at FireKing for 15, 20 years  some even 30 years. They deserve the same loyalty and respect from FireKing that they give the company every day," said Avral Thompson, President of Local 89 in Louisville, Ky.

Teamsters delivered a letter addressed to Champlain Capital's managing partners, demanding FireKing stop violating the law and bargain a fair contract.

FireKing's workers have been trying to negotiate a new contract with the company for months. But the employer wants to maintain a high-deductible health insurance plan that could leave families with up to $13,000 in out-of-pocket costs per year.

After the strike began, FireKing management cut off workers' health care, retroactive to May 4. FireKing has also stated it won't workers to return to their jobs when the strike ends.

"When we went on strike, management cut off our insurance even though we'd already paid the premium for that month," said Veronica Tillery, a Teamster who started working at FireKing in August of last year. "I had a surgery scheduled that I had to cancel because of what they're doing to us. It's heartbreaking and frustrating to see how little they care about the employees who work hard for them."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit http://www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter at @Teamsters and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Ted Gotsch, (202) 508-6437

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Pic story: local surgeon engages in wild birds rescue work in Hebei

Xinhua) 14:05, July 08, 2022

Ma Xirong checks on a vulture at a wildlife rescue station in Kangbao County of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, July 6, 2022.

Ma Xirong, 56, a local surgeon in Kangbao, has been engaging in wild birds rescue work since 2009. Ma became president of Kangbao's protection association of relict gulls (larus relictus), which is under first-class state protection, in 2018. By far, over 1,300 wild birds have been rescued by the association. Currently more than 8,000 relict gulls have been spotted at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng)

Ma Xirong (R) and a staff member feed an eagle owl at a wildlife rescue station in Kangbao County of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, July 6, 2022.

Ma Xirong, 56, a local surgeon in Kangbao, has been engaging in wild birds rescue work since 2009. Ma became president of Kangbao's protection association of relict gulls (larus relictus), which is under first-class state protection, in 2018. By far, over 1,300 wild birds have been rescued by the association. Currently more than 8,000 relict gulls have been spotted at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng)

Ma Xirong feeds relict gulls (larus relictus) at a wildlife rescue station in Kangbao County of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, July 6, 2022.

Ma Xirong, 56, a local surgeon in Kangbao, has been engaging in wild birds rescue work since 2009. Ma became president of Kangbao's protection association of relict gulls (larus relictus), which is under first-class state protection, in 2018. By far, over 1,300 wild birds have been rescued by the association. Currently more than 8,000 relict gulls have been spotted at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng)

Ma Xirong observes birds at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, July 6, 2022.

Ma Xirong, 56, a local surgeon in Kangbao, has been engaging in wild birds rescue work since 2009. Ma became president of Kangbao's protection association of relict gulls (larus relictus), which is under first-class state protection, in 2018. By far, over 1,300 wild birds have been rescued by the association. Currently more than 8,000 relict gulls have been spotted at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng)

Ma Xirong checks on a swan goose at a wildlife rescue station in Kangbao County of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, July 6, 2022.

Ma Xirong, 56, a local surgeon in Kangbao, has been engaging in wild birds rescue work since 2009. Ma became president of Kangbao's protection association of relict gulls (larus relictus), which is under first-class state protection, in 2018. By far, over 1,300 wild birds have been rescued by the association. Currently more than 8,000 relict gulls have been spotted at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng)

Ma Xirong (R) presents relict gulls (larus relictus) rescue work at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, July 6, 2022.

Ma Xirong, 56, a local surgeon in Kangbao, has been engaging in wild birds rescue work since 2009. Ma became president of Kangbao's protection association of relict gulls (larus relictus), which is under first-class state protection, in 2018. By far, over 1,300 wild birds have been rescued by the association. Currently more than 8,000 relict gulls have been spotted at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng)

Photo taken on July 6, 2022 shows relict gulls (larus relictus) at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province.

Ma Xirong, 56, a local surgeon in Kangbao, has been engaging in wild birds rescue work since 2009. Ma became president of Kangbao's protection association of relict gulls (larus relictus), which is under first-class state protection, in 2018. By far, over 1,300 wild birds have been rescued by the association. Currently more than 8,000 relict gulls have been spotted at Kangba Noel National Wetland Park in Kangbao County. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng)

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
Teamsters Local 104 Members Authorize Strike After Weeks of Contentious Negotiations; Contract Expired July 3

PHOENIX, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This morning, more than 250 members of Teamsters Local 104 in Phoenix voted to authorize a strike at Sysco Arizona in Tolleson, Arizona. The vote to strike was nearly unanimous, with 97 percent of 228 participating members voting in favor.

"We are fed up with the company's attitude towards its essential workers. We aren't backing down because we know what we deserve," said Curtis Barney, a five-year driver and Local 104 Steward. "We dedicate our lives to keep our communities fed. The company likes to remind us that we are essential, but guess what, we know we are essential! We cannot put up with this treatment anymore."

The contract with Sysco expired on July 3 and covers fleet drivers, warehouse workers, facility maintenance mechanics and fleet mechanics.

"The company is delaying and stalling negotiations. We still have numerous economic and non-economic articles open, and the company straight out refuses to address our concern with strike language, which is our members' right under the National Labor Relations Act," said Ryan Proctor, Local 104 Business Agent.

Local 104 members service restaurants, schools, and other businesses throughout Arizona. If the labor dispute at Sysco Arizona isn't settled soon, the Teamsters warn there will be a national impact.

"The Teamsters Union is currently in negotiations at several locations on both coasts, and our members at Sysco are united. If the company fails to offer a fair and reasonable deal for Local 104 members, there will be widespread repercussions across the country," said Tom Erickson, Teamsters International Vice President and Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. "We are gearing up for a fight and coordinating with locals nationwide to get our members what they deserve."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
BUCHAREST, Romania, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tquila Automation, a leading intelligent automation consultancy, announced the opening of a new Global Service Delivery Center in Bucharest, Romania, to meet the needs of a growing client base in North America and Europe.

Plans to open a new Global Service Delivery Center were accelerated following unprecedented client demand in North America and a multi-million-dollar investment from a new equity partner.

To lead the delivery center, Tquila Automation have hired ex-Cognizant leader Ana-Maria Masoud as country manager. Ana-Maria is an experienced consultant with over 20 years in digital consulting, transformation and innovation and most recently led digital sales and delivery departments at Cognizant and CGI.

Under Ana-Maria's leadership, the center will implement RPA and other emerging technology projects, like UiPath's Document Understanding, AI Center and Task and Process Mining, on behalf of Tquila Automation's clients across North America and Europe. In addition to the current team based in Romania, the center will create fifteen new permanent roles for UiPath specialist developers in H2 2022, with further expansion planned for 2023.

Tom Abbott, CEO & Co-Founder says, "We're very excited to expand our capabilities in Bucharest, home to some of the most experienced UiPath talent in the world and a perfect place to support our AMER and EMEA operations. Ana-Maria's leadership, the center will continue to uphold high service excellence standards and drive true customer success."

Ana-Maria Masoud, Country Manager, says "There are so many talented developers in Romania, and Tquila is already working with many of them. The talent pool in Romania is well-known across the globe for its innovative mindset, customer-centric approach, and strong technical skills. I am very excited and eager to grow our delivery center from Bucharest."

Apply to join Tquila's Bucharest office via LinkedIn.

About Tquila Automation

Tquila Automation is a leading intelligent automation consultancy. It helps enterprising and ambitious businesses to dramatically improve the way that things are done by removing onerous tasks and processes, releasing human workers to focus on value-added productivity. It passionately believes that automation has the power to expedite business transformation, enhance enterprise value and deliver positive impact on people's lives.

Tquila is a global consultancy with offices in Austin, Bucharest, Cardiff and London. Discover more at tquila-automation.com.

SOURCE Tquila Automation
Get highlights on the current market scenario, market behavior across geographies, future growth opportunities, and much more. View Our Sample Report Now

Vendor Landscape

The global aircraft seating market is fragmented and competitive. Vendors in the market are focused on the adoption of new technologies and planning their investments as per changing market trends in order to benefit from emerging opportunities and thrive in the long run. Technavio identifies ACRO Aircraft Seating Ltd., Adient Plc, Airbus SE, Causeway Aero, Aviointeriors Spa, Collins Aerospace, EnCore Corporate Inc., Expliseat SAS, Geven Spa, JAMCO Corp., John Swire and Sons Ltd., Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd, Mirus Aircraft Seating Ltd., RECARO Holding GmbH, Thales Group, Thompson Aero Seating Ltd., TSI Seats Inc., ZIM AIRCRAFT SEATING GmbH, Safran SA, and Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. as some of the major market participants.

Although the growing demand for commercial aircraft, the need for cabin retrofitting to enhance passenger comfort, and growing investments in military aircraft will offer immense growth opportunities, the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry, supply chain complexities, and issues pertaining to seat design and layout will challenge the growth of the market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Read Our Report Sample for more insights into the vendor landscape and the factors impacting the growth.

Aircraft Seating Market 2022-2026: Segmentation

The global aircraft seating market is segmented as below:

Aircraft Type

Commercial Aircraft



Military Aircraft

The commercial aircraft segment will have the largest share of the market. The increasing number of air travelers is encouraging airline operators to add more aircraft to their fleet. This is creating high growth opportunities for cabin interior designers and MRO providers that have been collaborating with airlines to design and integrate newer seat variants in their fleet. The market growth in the commercial aircraft segment will be significant during the forecast period.

Geography

Europe



North America



APAC



Middle East and Africa

and

South America

About 33% of the overall market growth will originate from Europe during the forecast period. The increase in cabin retrofitting activities by airline operators is driving the growth of the regional market. In addition, the increase in air travel activities in the region is contributing to the growth of the aircraft seating market in Europe.

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our aircraft seating market report covers the following areas:

Aircraft Seating Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the aircraft seating market. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the aircraft seating market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Aircraft Seating Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist aircraft seating market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the aircraft seating market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the aircraft seating market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of aircraft seating market vendors

Related Reports:

Aircraft Seating Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 18.74% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 13.07 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 23.51 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution Europe at 33% Key consumer countries US, China, France, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled ACRO Aircraft Seating Ltd., Adient Plc, Airbus SE, Causeway Aero, Aviointeriors Spa, Collins Aerospace, EnCore Corporate Inc., Expliseat SAS, Geven Spa, JAMCO Corp., John Swire and Sons Ltd., Martin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd, Mirus Aircraft Seating Ltd., RECARO Holding GmbH, Thales Group, Thompson Aero Seating Ltd., TSI Seats Inc., ZIM AIRCRAFT SEATING GmbH, Safran SA, and Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table Of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Aircraft Type



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Aircraft Type

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Aircraft Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Aircraft Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Aircraft Type

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Aircraft Type



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Aircraft Type

5.3 Commercial aircraft - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Commercial aircraft - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Commercial aircraft - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Commercial aircraft - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Commercial aircraft - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Military aircraft - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Military aircraft - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Military aircraft - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Military aircraft - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Military aircraft - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Aircraft Type

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Aircraft Type ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 43: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 44: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 45: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 47: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 48: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 49: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 50: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 52: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 60: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 61: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 68: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 72: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 76: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 78: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 79: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 80: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 81: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 87: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 ACRO Aircraft Seating Ltd.

Exhibit 89: ACRO Aircraft Seating Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 90: ACRO Aircraft Seating Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 91: ACRO Aircraft Seating Ltd. - Key offerings

10.4 Airbus SE

Exhibit 92: Airbus SE - Overview



Exhibit 93: Airbus SE - Business segments



Exhibit 94: Airbus SE - Key news



Exhibit 95: Airbus SE - Key offerings



Exhibit 96: Airbus SE - Segment focus

10.5 Aviointeriors Spa

Exhibit 97: Aviointeriors Spa - Overview



Exhibit 98: Aviointeriors Spa - Product / Service



Exhibit 99: Aviointeriors Spa - Key offerings

10.6 Collins Aerospace

Exhibit 100: Collins Aerospace - Overview



Exhibit 101: Collins Aerospace - Product / Service



Exhibit 102: Collins Aerospace - Key news



Exhibit 103: Collins Aerospace - Key offerings

10.7 Geven Spa

Exhibit 104: Geven Spa - Overview



Exhibit 105: Geven Spa - Product / Service



Exhibit 106: Geven Spa - Key news



Exhibit 107: Geven Spa - Key offerings

10.8 JAMCO Corp.

Exhibit 108: JAMCO Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 109: JAMCO Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 110: JAMCO Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 111: JAMCO Corp. - Segment focus

10.9 John Swire and Sons Ltd.

and Sons Ltd. Exhibit 112: John Swire and Sons Ltd. - Overview

and Sons Ltd. - Overview

Exhibit 113: John Swire and Sons Ltd. - Business segments

and Sons Ltd. - Business segments

Exhibit 114: John Swire and Sons Ltd. - Key offerings

and Sons Ltd. - Key offerings

Exhibit 115: John Swire and Sons Ltd. - Segment focus

10.10 Safran SA

Exhibit 116: Safran SA - Overview



Exhibit 117: Safran SA - Business segments



Exhibit 118: Safran SA - Key offerings



Exhibit 119: Safran SA - Segment focus

10.11 Thompson Aero Seating Ltd.

Exhibit 120: Thompson Aero Seating Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 121: Thompson Aero Seating Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 122: Thompson Aero Seating Ltd. - Key offerings

10.12 ZIM AIRCRAFT SEATING GmbH

Exhibit 123: ZIM AIRCRAFT SEATING GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 124: ZIM AIRCRAFT SEATING GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 125: ZIM AIRCRAFT SEATING GmbH - Key offerings

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 126: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 127: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 128: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 129: Research methodology



Exhibit 130: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 131: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 132: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) will release its second quarter 2022 earnings after the market closes on Thursday, July 28, 2022. A printer-friendly format will be available on the company's website shortly thereafter.

In conjunction with this release, J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO, will host a conference call on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 5:15 pm ET/4:15 pm CT.

The conference call will be broadcast live through Gallagher's website at www.ajg.com and a conference call replay will be available on the company's website approximately two hours after the broadcast. The replay can be accessed by going to Investor Relations and clicking on Events & Presentations.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Contact:

Ray Iardella

VP - Investor Relations

(630) 285-3661  [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
NEW YORK and SYDNEY, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boral Finance Pty Ltd (the "Company"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boral Limited (ASX:BLD) ("Boral"), announced today the consideration payable as set forth in the table below in respect of the previously announced tender offer (the "Tender Offer") to purchase for cash up to US$300,000,000 aggregate principal amount (the "Maximum Tender Amount") of its outstanding 3.750% Guaranteed Senior Notes due 2028 (the "Notes"). The terms and conditions of the Tender Offer are described in the Offer to Purchase dated June 22, 2022 (the "Offer to Purchase"). The Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on July 20, 2022, or any other date and time to which the Company extends the Tender Offer (such date and time, as it may be extended, the "Expiration Time"), unless earlier terminated.

The consideration of US$966.47 per US$1,000 principal amount (the "Early Tender Consideration") for Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Time (as defined below) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer was determined in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase by reference to the fixed spread for the Notes specified in the table below, plus the yield to maturity based on the bid-side price of the U.S. Treasury Reference Security specified in the table below, calculated as of 10:00 a.m., New York City time, today, and is inclusive of the Early Tender Premium set forth in the table below.

Since the Early Tender Consideration determined as described in the Offer to Purchase is less than US$1,000 per US$1,000 principal amount of Notes, the Early Tender Consideration has been calculated based on the maturity date of May 1, 2028, the stated maturity date for the Notes, and not February 1, 2028, the par call date for the Notes.

Title of

Security CUSIP Nos. ISINs U.S. Treasury

Reference Security Bloomberg

Reference Page Fixed

Spread Early Tender

Consideration(1) Early Tender

Premium(1) 3.750%

Guaranteed

Senior Notes

due 2028 144A:

09952AAC0

Reg S:

Q1700EAB8 144A:

US09952AAC09

Reg S:

USQ1700EAB85 2.625% UST due May 31,

2027 FIT1 +140bps US$966.47 US$30













(1) Per US$1,000 principal amount. The Early Tender Consideration is calculated using the fixed spread specified in the table above.

Only holders of Notes who validly tendered their Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 6, 2022 (the "Early Tender Time") are eligible to receive the Early Tender Consideration. In addition, holders whose Notes are purchased in the Tender Offer will receive accrued and unpaid interest from the last interest payment date to, but not including, the applicable settlement date. The Company has elected to pay for Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase on July 11, 2022.

Since the principal amount of Notes tendered as of the Early Tender Time exceeded the Maximum Tender Amount, the Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Time will be subject to proration as described in the section "The Terms of the Tender OfferMaximum Tender Amount; Priority of Acceptance; Proration" of the Offer to Purchase. The Company has accepted for purchase an aggregate principal amount of US$300,000,000 of Notes in the Tender Offer using a proration rate of approximately 74.07%. The Company does not anticipate accepting for purchase any Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time.

Dealer Manager and Depositary and Information Agent

The Company has appointed Citigroup Global Markets Inc. as dealer manager for the Tender Offer. The Company has retained Global Bondholder Services Corporation as the depositary and information agent for the Tender Offer. For additional information regarding the terms of the Tender Offer, please contact: Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at (800) 558-3745 (toll-free) or 001-212-723-6106 (international). Requests for documents and questions regarding the tendering of securities may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation by telephone at (212) 430-3774 (for banks and brokers only), (855) 6542015 (toll-free) or 001212430-3774 (international), by email at [email protected] or at www.gbsc-usa.com/boral/ or to the dealer manager at its telephone numbers.

This press release shall not constitute, or form part of, an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy or an offer to purchase or sell any securities. The Tender Offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and only in such jurisdictions as is permitted under applicable law.

Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any disclosure document (as defined in the Australian Corporations Act 2001) in relation to the Notes has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and in Australia, the Tender Offer is only available to persons to whom an offer or invitation can be made without disclosure under Parts 6D.2 or 7.9 of the Australian Corporations Act.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are information of a nonhistorical nature or which relate to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given that the transactions described herein will be consummated or as to the ultimate terms of any such transactions. The Company and Boral undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or for any other reason, except as required by applicable law.

About Boral

Founded in 1946, Boral is the largest integrated construction materials business in Australia with operations in all states and territories. It produces and supplies concrete, quarry products, asphalt and cement, to build infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings. As at June 30, 2021, Boral's continuing operations spanned 367 operating sites in Australia and employed approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent employees and contractors.

Boral Limited ABN 13 008 421 761 - PO Box 6041, North Ryde NSW 2113 - www.boral.com

SOURCE Boral Finance Pty Ltd
Promoting Keelung's Features of Mountain and Sea by Recording the Beauty of the Port City

KEELUNG CITY, TAIWAN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In September last year, the Tourism Bureau, MOTC started a new trend of tourism that is different from brick-and-mortar exhibitions by establishing an online tourism platform  "Time for Taiwan - Virtual Exhibition" which allows people to know better about beautiful landscapes without any restriction, tourism attractions and accommodation in Taiwan within a short time. The latest Keelung tourism information is provided on the platform. In addition, to promote the city internationally, videos based on the features of different countries are presented, so that domestic and international tourists can visit Keelung at home without constraints.
SHANGHAI, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo New Energy", the "Company" or "we"), a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry, announced that its subsidiary Xinjiang Daqo New Energy ("Xinjiang Daqo") has provided estimates of its net profit in the first half of 2022 to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Xinjiang Daqo estimates that under PRC GAAP, its net profit attributable to Xinjiang Daqo's shareholders in the first half of 2022 would be in the range of RMB 9.4 - 9.6 billion, representing a 335.03%~344.28% increase as compared to net profit attributable to Xinjiang Daqo's shareholders of RMB 2.16 billion in the first half of 2021. Xinjiang Daqo has already reported its net profit attributable to Xinjiang Daqo's shareholders of RMB 4.31 billion in the first quarter of 2022.

A majority of Daqo New Energy's revenue and net income are contributed by Xinjiang Daqo. The estimated net profit described in this press release was prepared solely for Xinjiang Daqo in RMB in accordance with PRC GAAP and is subject to change upon completion of Xinjiang Daqo's internal financial closing and reporting processes, which are different from those for the Company's consolidated financial results in U.S. dollars under U.S. GAAP for the first half of 2022 ended June 30, 2022.

The estimated profit described in this press release is based solely on the information currently available to Xinjiang Daqo's management. Its actual results could vary materially from these preliminary estimates. As a result, investors should exercise caution in relying on this information and should not draw any inferences from this information regarding financial or operating data not provided. The estimated net profit should not be viewed as a substitute for full financial statements of Xinjiang Daqo prepared in accordance with PRC GAAP. In addition, the estimated net profit is not necessarily indicative of the results to be achieved by Xinjiang Daqo in any future period.

About Daqo New Energy Corp.

Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE: DQ) ("Daqo" or the "Company") is a leading manufacturer of high-purity polysilicon for the global solar PV industry. Founded in 2007, the Company manufactures and sells high-purity polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufactures, who further process the polysilicon into ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. The Company has a total polysilicon nameplate capacity of 105,000 metric tons and is one of the world's lowest cost producers of high-purity polysilicon.

For more information, please visit www.dqsolar.com

Daqo New Energy Corp.

Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

Christensen

In China

Mr. Rene Vanguestaine

Phone: +86 178 1749 0483

In the U.S.

Ms. Linda Bergkamp

Phone: +1-480-614-3004

Email: [email protected]

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "might," "guidance" and similar statements. Among other things, the financial estimate for the second quarter of 2022 contains forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the Company's control. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the demand for photovoltaic products and the development of photovoltaic technologies; global supply and demand for polysilicon; alternative technologies in cell manufacturing; the Company's ability to significantly expand its polysilicon production capacity and output; the reduction in or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for solar energy applications; the Company's ability to lower its production costs; changes in the political and regulatory environment; and the duration of COVID-19 outbreaks in China and many other countries and the impact of the outbreaks and the quarantines and travel restrictions instituted by relevant governments on economic and market conditions, including potentially weaker global demand for solar PV installations that could adversely affect the Company's business and financial performance. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the reports or documents the Company has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information or any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Daqo New Energy Corp.
EEO was founded in 2014 with the purpose of building an inclusive and student-centered learning ecosystem through the power of technology. Since 2019, EEO and Peking University joined hands to collaborate on digitizing physical learning environments, constructing specialized archeology classrooms, and adopting hybrid learning methods. It is a nonstop journey for EEO and Peking University to explore how to better motivate students and support educators in experimental teaching strategies. The project of Global Open Courses Program focuses on how hybrid learning gives rise to an enriched learning experience and expands learning communities.

Hybrid learning, a method that incorporates hybrid technologies and open educational practices, has witnessed increasing adoption in K12 and higher ed institutions globally. Teaching Economics as part of the Global Open Courses Program, Professor Huang Yiping successfully engaged students in the classroom and those joining virtually with group discussions and activities.

"Our professor came up with eight topics for discussion, encouraging us to form groups with students overseas. And we have been keeping in close touch with students online as well," Li Yipin, a student in Professor Huang's class, reported.

For many, the program's hybrid courses placed vast learning resources within reach. With abundant course offerings, students had extensive opportunities to explore emerging topics with a cohort coming from diverse background.

The platform of choice, ClassIn, is an all-in-one solution for online and hybrid learning with interactive virtual classrooms, a school management backend system, student learning reports, and more. Currently under internal testing, the product will support more innovative teaching methods by transforming into an LMS, a platform that caters to each step of the learning process in addition to the already powerful synchronous in-class interaction.

It is evident that EEO's product family is designed with the consideration of scientific methods, masterful teaching, and lifelong learning. ClassIn, one of the first online classrooms in the world, was released in 2015. Building on feedback from educators and in-depth research, EEO released ClassIn X, a new hybrid solution for the new era. The company is also in the process of developing TeacherIn, a curriculum co-construction platform. It helps teachers find like-minded partners, with whom they can design and share lessons.

As of now, EEO has partnered with more than 60,000 institutions around the globe and expressed great passion to collaborate with international educators and institutions, sparking the creativity of teachers and creating innovative learning experiences for students.

SOURCE EEO
SILVER SPRING, Md. , July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on additional steps it has taken that will lead to more infant formula available in the U.S. under the agency's recent increased flexibilities .

Company (Product Origin): Care A2+ (Australia)

Product(s): Care A2+ 0-12 Months Infant Formula

Type of Formula: General

Estimated Quantity: 4.875 million cans (about 8.6 million pounds or about 121 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles)

Availability: Initial product will be shipped the first week of August with multiple shipments thereafter.

More Information and Where to Find the Products: The product will be distributed to as many as 20,000 retail locations nationwide for a 91% coverage of the population, including CVS and Rite Aid Drug Stores, Whole Foods Market, Kroger, HCA Healthcare, Publix Super Markets, Safeway, The Vitamin Shoppe, Duane Reade Convenience Store and Peapod Online Grocer.

The FDA is exercising enforcement discretion for the importation of the infant formula products listed above following the review of information provided pertaining to nutritional adequacy and safety, including microbiological testing, labeling and additional information about facility production and inspection history.

The agency is leveraging a number of flexibilities to bolster the supply of products that serve as the sole source of nutrition for many infants while ensuring the infant formula can be used safely and provides adequate nutrition. The FDA remains in further discussions with manufacturers and suppliers regarding additional supply to ensure there's adequate infant formula available wherever and whenever parents and caregivers need it.

The FDA issued guidance on May 16 that outlined a process by which the agency would not object to the importation of certain infant formula products intended for a foreign market or distribution in the U.S. of products manufactured here for export to foreign countries. This guidance also may provide flexibilities to those who manufacture infant formula products domestically and may be able to further increase the quantity of domestically-produced product for the U.S. market. The agency has posted a webpage that will be updated with information about additional products headed to the U.S.

Ongoing FDA Steps to Increase Availability of Safe, Nutritious Infant Formula

The agency's around-the-clock work as part of the all-of-government efforts has already begun to improve supply and availability. The agency expects that the measures and steps it is taking, and the resumption of production at the Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis, Mich., facility, will mean more and more supply is on the way or on store shelves moving forward.

The FDA continues to advise against making infant formulas at home or diluting formula. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to work with their child's health care provider for recommendations on changing feeding practices, if needed. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also has additional information available at HHS.gov/formula, including information to help families find infant formula.

The agency also monitors online marketplaces for fraudulent products and works with major online retailers to remove violative and harmful products offered for sale on their sites. Additionally, since many of these fraudulent products originate overseas, the agency targets and examines these products at ports of entry. The FDA also monitors and follows up on various external signals such as consumer complaints about potential counterfeit and fraudulent products.

The FDA will continue to dedicate all available resources to help ensure that safe and nutritious infant formula products remain available for use in the U.S. and will keep the public informed of progress updates.

Additional Information:

Media Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, 301-796-4540

Consumer Inquiries: 888-723-3366

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Experts explore COVID-19 lessons learned about saliva-based testing and its role as a diagnostic solution for improved future public health and global emergency response

Space Limited! Please Register at SalivaDirectConference.com

NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The SalivaDirect Initiative of the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) will host its first annual conference on July 28-29, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Bringing together laboratory and industry professionals, researchers, and public health leaders, the agenda delves into the evolving role of saliva-based testing as a diagnostic solution for effective, efficient global emergency response efforts and improved public health, now and into the future.

"COVID-19 triggered a real need for and subsequent groundswell of interest in saliva-based testing, which makes sense to us," said Yale Research Scientist Anne Wyllie, PhD, Principal Investigator of the SalivaDirect Initiative. "Patients win because they can non-invasively self-collect their own saliva; it's pain-free. Importantly, research from us and others shows that saliva-based PCR tests can accurately detect SARS-CoV-2  as soon as three days earlier during infection as compared to nasal swabs."

"Extraction-free SalivaDirect workflows eliminate most costly, time-consuming part of the PCR test, while preserving test sensitivity" Tweet this

Wyllie pivoted early during the COVID-19 pandemic when testing was disrupted by collapse of the global supply chain. Armed with a decade of research to refine saliva-based laboratory methods for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae, she applied her biomolecular expertise to SARS-CoV-2. Based on Wyllie's eureka discovery, she and Yale colleagues innovated the saliva-based PCR test known as SalivaDirect. This innovation has been widely recognized, and even has been named a 2022 finalist in the Fast Company World-Changing Ideas Awards in the pandemic response category.

Specifically designed to be low cost, the SalivaDirect open-source COVID-19 PCR test can be performed with multiple types of readily available reagents and PCR equipment from different manufacturers, reducing supply chain pressure and enabling labs to easily scale testing without significant investment risk. The unique extraction-free SalivaDirect workflows eliminate the most costly and time-consuming part of the PCR process, while preserving test sensitivity.

Calling it an innovative game changer, the US FDA granted SalivaDirect an Emergency Use Authorization in August 2020  among the first five saliva tests available in the country. The FDA collaborated with Wyllie to change the regulatory landscape by allowing the YSPH to extend the SalivaDirect EUA to other high-complexity labs -- thereby reducing regulatory barriers and speeding availability of much needed COVID-19 diagnostics.

Now almost two years into the pandemic, Yale has designated more than 180 high complexity molecular laboratories under its SalivaDirect EUA. Together they have performed over 6.3 million tests to date. Wyllie's team continues to provide one-on-one onboarding assistance to speed use of its saliva-based PCR test. When laboratories started requesting additional labeling and workflows, Wyllie implemented a crowdsourcing model and harnessed the growing network as a development powerhouse. Collaborating across sectors and businesses, the SalivaDirect team, with input and data from its EUA labs, achieved more than 20 FDA EUA amendments  resulting in one of the most comprehensive SARS-CoV-2 test labels available. Efforts continue with EUA amendments for inclusion of additional reagents, saliva collection kits, and lab equipment.

As required by federal law, the SalivaDirect team routinely collects, analyzes and submits test-related data from all network labs to remain in compliance with its FDA EUA. This bimonthly regulatory process further honed the dozens of independent labs into an efficient network with the primary focus of providing broad access to low-cost, widely accessible COVID-19 testing. Dynamic communications also occur through biweekly video meetings, Google group email, a newsletter, and direct other correspondence.

"All our lab partners have been a vital part of SalivaDirect's past and present. I'm honored to call them colleagues and inspired by their dedication to the pandemic response" said Wyllie. "We're especially motivated by the intention of so many laboratory leaders to align with SalivaDirect goals of increasing access to equitable testing for all communities."

SalivaDirect hopes the current period of lighter COVID-19 testing demand allows generally over-overburdened lab professionals the time to gather in Chicago this month for reflection, planning and preparedness  especially for expected surges and new SARS-CoV-2 variants. During the two-day conference, international keynote speakers will report on research and industry experience during the pandemic. Participants will share pandemic learnings, participate in facilitated panel discussions, and discuss future needs for improved large-scale infectious disease testing response.

"Together, we will identify new opportunities to apply saliva-based testing," concluded Wyllie. "Also, I'm confident we will learn how best to continue supporting our SalivaDirect laboratory partners as public health champions both in their contributions to research and to healthcare in their communities."

Space at this inaugural event is limited and attendees are encouraged to register soon at SalivaDirect Conference .

About The SalivaDirect Initiative

SalivaDirect is an International Saliva Diagnostics Initiative advancing its open-source SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing protocol to support laboratory partners worldwide. As a not-for-profit within YSPH, the SalivaDirect Initiative is on a mission to advance the use of saliva-based testing as a readily-deployable, sensitive, patient-friendly option that increases access to affordable and equitable infectious disease diagnostics. Scaling quickly, the SalivaDirect Laboratory Network now includes more than 180 designated CLIA laboratories in 41 states and US territories. Collectively the network has administered more than 7.0 million SalivaDirect PCR tests to date. The SalivaDirect test also has been independently validated internationally in at least 12 countries.

With the support of Yale and other organizations, including the Rockefeller Foundation, Fast Grants, Tempus Labs, and Lighthouse Lab Services, SalivaDirect continues to expand its reach in the United States and around the world. SalivaDirect also receives support from Flambeau Diagnostics LLC, which is funded in part by the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative with federal funds from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health under Contract No. 75N92020C00017. The contract is funded from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services.

How to Obtain SalivaDirect EUA Designation

Laboratories interested in obtaining formal designation to administer the SalivaDirect open-source SARS-CoV-2 PCR protocol should visit the Designation Process page at SalivaDirect.org. By completing this Lab Authorization Request Form , labs can initiate the designation process today. With all necessary documentation in hand, many labs complete this process in three to four business days.

Important Regulatory Information

SalivaDirect has not been FDA cleared or approved but is authorized for emergency use by the FDA under an EUA for use by authorized laboratories. SalivaDirect has been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid form SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. The emergency use of this test is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C.  360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is revoked sooner.

About Yale School of Public Health

Established in 1915 as one of the first schools of public health in the United States, the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) is consistently ranked among the best schools of public health in the country. A CEPH- certified school of public health, YSPH is at the forefront of advancing education, science, and public health for the 21st century. The school has a long history of leading responses to emerging infectious diseases: contributing to the development of a polio vaccine in the 1960s, addressing arboviruses like dengue in the 1980s, HIV/AIDS in the 1990s, the epidemics of Ebola, Zika and most recently COVID-19.

Media Contact

Yale School of Public Health

Name: Colin Poitras

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE The SalivaDirect Initiative, Yale School of Public Health
Type - Fast food service, restaurant, cafes and bars, delivery and take away, and others

Service type - Conventional, centralized, ready-prepared, and assembly-serve

For more insights on YOY and CAGR, Read Sample Report

Vendor Insights

The foodservice market size in the US is fragmented and it is expected to remain fragmented as the vendors are deploying various organic and inorganic growth strategies to occupy the foodservice market share.

The changing economic conditions, consumer purchase patterns, consumer tastes: regional, national, and local economic conditions, and demographic trends affect the consumer living standards and the business operations of vendors. Market suppliers should focus more on the fast-growing segment's growth prospects while preserving their positions in the slow-growing sectors to make the most of the opportunity.

The profiles offer information on the main companies' production, competitive landscape, sustainability, and prospects, including:

Chick-fil-A Inc.

Doctors Associates LLC

Dunkin Brands Group Inc.

McDonald's Corp.

Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Starbucks Corp.

YUM! Brands Inc.

Find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by vendors and their product

offerings, Read Sample Report.

Geographical Market Analysis

According to our research report, the US will contribute 100% of the global market growth and is expected to dominate the market through 2026. The foodservice market size in the US is bifurcated into two branches - fast-growing regions and slow-growing regions.

The increase in the number of fast-casual restaurants is notably driving the foodservice market growth in fast-growing regions. The fast-growing foodservice market is being driven by new technological advances.

Foodservice operators are increasingly relying on smartphone technology to promote their establishments and to help the rate of online orders. The overall foodservice market in the US is expected to grow at a moderate rate during the forecast period.

Know more about this market's geographical distribution along with a detailed analysis

of the top regions. Request for Sample Report Now!

Key Segment Analysis

The conventional foodservice system segment is expected to witness steady demand growth during the forecast period. Conventional foodservice vendors ensure that the food is freshly prepared and customized according to customers' liking. Before being served to consumers, the food is kept in containers for a short time. Schools, universities, restaurants, and cafeterias are among the places where this food service system is implemented.

The key driver for conventional food service system is:

Good quality food, as it is prepared on-site

Flexibility in the menu

Foods are served right after preparation

View Sample: to know additional highlights and key points on various market segments

and their impact in coming years.

Key Market Drivers & Trends:

Increased snacking and indulgence consumption is notably driving the foodservice market growth in the US as many consumers are replacing their routine meals with on-the-go snacks and light meals. Vendors in the US are extensively offering healthy food options, such as doughnuts, bread, rolls, pies, sandwiches, and other similar products for breakfast that include healthy ingredients.

Though consumers have become more health-conscious and prefer healthy snacks, the demand for premium food kinds such as premium doughnuts, cakes, cookies, and pastries has been steadily increasing. The other factors driving the foodservice market in the US are changing lifestyles of consumers and increasing demand for allergen-free dining.

Furthermore, the demands for gluten-free restaurants and eateries are increasing from different consumer quarters, especially from people affected with celiac disease. Thus, allergen-free dining will fuel the foodservice market in the US during the forecast period.

Download sample for highlights on market Drivers & Trends affecting the foodservice

market in the US.

Customize Your Report

Don't miss out on the opportunity to speak to our analyst and know more insights about this market report. Our analysts can also help you customize this report according to your needs. Our analysts and industry experts will work directly with you to understand your requirements and provide you with customized data in a short amount of time.

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Related Reports:

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Specialty Coffee Shops Market by Type and Geographic Landscape - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

Foodservice Market Scope in US Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.14% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 269.04 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 5.9 Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Chick-fil-A Inc., Doctors Associates LLC, Dunkin Brands Group Inc., McDonald Corp., Restaurant Brands International Inc., Starbucks Corp., and YUM! Brands Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Country Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Type



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Service Type



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 07: Parent market



Exhibit 08: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 09: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 10: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 11: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 12: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 13: Chart on US: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on US: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 15: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 16: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 17: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 18: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 19: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 20: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 21: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Type

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 22: Chart on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 23: Data Table on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 24: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Comparison by Type

5.3 Fast foodservice - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 26: Chart on Fast foodservice - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Fast foodservice - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 28: Chart on Fast foodservice - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Fast foodservice - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Restaurant - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 30: Chart on Restaurant - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Restaurant - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 32: Chart on Restaurant - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Restaurant - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Cafes and bars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 34: Chart on Cafes and bars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Cafes and bars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Cafes and bars - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Cafes and bars - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Delivery and takeaway - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 38: Chart on Delivery and takeaway - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Delivery and takeaway - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Delivery and takeaway - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Delivery and takeaway - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 42: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 44: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.8 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 46: Market opportunity by Type ($ billion)

6 Market Segmentation by Service Type

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 47: Chart on Service Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Service Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Service Type

Exhibit 49: Chart on Comparison by Service Type



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Comparison by Service Type

6.3 Conventional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 51: Chart on Conventional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Conventional - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Conventional - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Conventional - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.4 Centralized - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 55: Chart on Centralized - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Centralized - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Centralized - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Centralized - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.5 Ready-prepared - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 59: Chart on Ready-prepared - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Ready-prepared - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Ready-prepared - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Ready-prepared - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.6 Assembly-serve - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 63: Chart on Assembly-serve - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Assembly-serve - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 65: Chart on Assembly-serve - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Assembly-serve - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.7 Market opportunity by Service Type

Exhibit 67: Market opportunity by Service Type ($ billion)

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 68: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 69: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 70: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 71: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 72: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 73: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 74: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Chick fil A Inc.

Exhibit 75: Chick fil A Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 76: Chick fil A Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 77: Chick fil A Inc. - Key offerings

10.4 Dominos Pizza Inc.

Exhibit 78: Dominos Pizza Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 79: Dominos Pizza Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 80: Dominos Pizza Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 81: Dominos Pizza Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 82: Dominos Pizza Inc. - Segment focus

10.5 Inspire Brands Inc.

Exhibit 83: Inspire Brands Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 84: Inspire Brands Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 85: Inspire Brands Inc. - Key offerings

10.6 Marcos Franchising LLC

Exhibit 86: Marcos Franchising LLC - Overview



Exhibit 87: Marcos Franchising LLC - Product / Service



Exhibit 88: Marcos Franchising LLC - Key offerings

10.7 McDonald Corp.

Exhibit 89: McDonald Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 90: McDonald Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 91: McDonald Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 92: McDonald Corp. - Key offerings

10.8 Papa Johns International Inc.

Exhibit 93: Papa Johns International Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 94: Papa Johns International Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 95: Papa Johns International Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 96: Papa Johns International Inc. - Segment focus

10.9 Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Exhibit 97: Restaurant Brands International Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 98: Restaurant Brands International Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 99: Restaurant Brands International Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 100: Restaurant Brands International Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 101: Restaurant Brands International Inc. - Segment focus

10.10 Starbucks Co.

Exhibit 102: Starbucks Co. - Overview



Exhibit 103: Starbucks Co. - Business segments



Exhibit 104: Starbucks Co. - Key news



Exhibit 105: Starbucks Co. - Key offerings



Exhibit 106: Starbucks Co. - Segment focus

10.11 The Wendys Co.

Exhibit 107: The Wendys Co. - Overview



Exhibit 108: The Wendys Co. - Business segments



Exhibit 109: The Wendys Co. - Key offerings



Exhibit 110: The Wendys Co. - Segment focus

10.12 YUM Brands Inc.

Exhibit 111: YUM Brands Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 112: YUM Brands Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 113: YUM Brands Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 114: YUM Brands Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 115: YUM Brands Inc. - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 116: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 117: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 118: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 119: Research methodology



Exhibit 120: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 121: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 122: List of abbreviations

About Us:

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

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SOURCE Technavio
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market (2022-2027) by Product Type, Application, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market is estimated to be USD 11.28 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 20.17 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.33%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are ABB Ltd, Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Dynex Semiconductor, Fairchild Semiconductor International Inc, Fuji Electric Co. Ltd, Hitachi Power Semiconductor Device Ltd, etc.

Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.

Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Growing Demand for Energy Efficiency Due to Focus on Renewable Energy

4.1.2 Rising Demand from Automobile Industry for Electric Vehicle

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Availability of Substitutes

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 High Replacement Demand and Positive Developments in the Data Center

4.3.2 Surging Usage of IGBT in Home Applications

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Technical and Economic Issues



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market, By Product Type

6.1 Introduction

6.2 IGBT

6.2.1 Discrete

6.2.2 IGBT Module

6.3 Super Junction MOSFET

6.3.1 Discrete Super Junction

6.3.2 MOSFET Module



7 Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market, By Application

7.1 Introduction

7.2 UPS

7.3 EV/HEV

7.4 Consumer Electronics

7.5 Industrial

7.6 Adapter/Charger

7.7 Motor Drives

7.8 Wind Turbines

7.9 Rail Traction

7.10 PV Inverters

7.11 Lighting

7.12 Others



8 Americas' Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Argentina

8.3 Brazil

8.4 Canada

8.5 Chile

8.6 Colombia

8.7 Mexico

8.8 Peru

8.9 United States

8.10 Rest of Americas



9 Europe's Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Austria

9.3 Belgium

9.4 Denmark

9.5 Finland

9.6 France

9.7 Germany

9.8 Italy

9.9 Netherlands

9.10 Norway

9.11 Poland

9.12 Russia

9.13 Spain

9.14 Sweden

9.15 Switzerland

9.16 United Kingdom

9.17 Rest of Europe



10 Middle East and Africa's Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Egypt

10.3 Israel

10.4 Qatar

10.5 Saudi Arabia

10.6 South Africa

10.7 United Arab Emirates

10.8 Rest of MEA



11 APAC's Global IGBT and Super Junction MOSFET Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Australia

11.3 Bangladesh

11.4 China

11.5 India

11.6 Indonesia

11.7 Japan

11.8 Malaysia

11.9 Philippines

11.10 Singapore

11.11 South Korea

11.12 Sri Lanka

11.13 Thailand

11.14 Taiwan

11.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Competitive Quadrant

12.2 Market Share Analysis

12.3 Strategic Initiatives

12.3.1 M&A and Investments

12.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

12.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



13 Company Profiles

13.1 ABB Ltd

13.2 Alpha & Omega Semiconductor

13.3 Dynex Semiconductor

13.4 Fairchild Semiconductor International Inc

13.5 Fuji Electric Co. Ltd

13.6 Hitachi Power Semiconductor Device Ltd

13.7 Infineon Technologies AG

13.8 Mitsubishi Electric Corp

13.9 Princeton Power System

13.10 Renesas Electronics

13.11 Sanyo Electric

13.12 Semikron Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG

13.13 STMicroelectronics

13.14 Toshiba Corp

13.15 Vishay Intertechnology Inc



14 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l6knr1

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Security Robots Market by Type (UAV (Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing), UGV (Wheeled, Tracked, Legged, Hybrid), UUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles)), Application, Component, End User and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The security robots market was valued at USD 33.7 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 89.6 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.7% from 2022 to 2027.

The major drivers of the market include the growing adoption of security robots for commercial and residential applications, rising emphasis on security at national or regional levels, increasing investments and spending on defense by countries globally, and surging demand for autonomous systems that make real-time monitoring smarter.



UAV held the largest share of the security robots market in 2021



UAVs are either remotely controlled, semi-autonomous, or autonomous unmanned aircraft that can be used for civil/commercial, homeland security, and defense applications. UAVs not only perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, but also attack, strike, suppress, and destroy enemy air defense; and combat search and rescue, among others.

A few of the advantages of unmanned aerial vehicles are these vehicles can enter environments that are dangerous to human life; reduce the exposure risk of the aircraft operators; can stay in the air for a long duration; perform a precise, repetitive faster scan of a region, day-after-day, night-after-night, in complete darkness, or fog, under computer control; and can be programmed to complete the mission autonomously.



Market for residential end-users is expected to grow at the highest rate from 2022 to 2027



Consumer drones have become popular among prosumers and hobbyists, vloggers, and videographers worldwide. This is because these drones are cost-effective and offer high-resolution wide-angle photography. Presently, governments of different countries worldwide are using drones for law enforcement and governance applications owing to their compactness and quick services. The demand for UAVs has significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with governments employing drones for carrying out surveillance activities, spraying disinfectants in public areas, and controlling crowds, along with the identification of the COVID-19 hotspots.



North America held the largest share of the security robots market in 2021



North America accounted for the largest share of 37.2% of the global security robots market in 2021. The US and Canada are the major countries contributing to the growth of the security robots market in North America. North America is a major hub for technological innovations and an early adopter of new technologies.

The presence of major players in the region also supports the demand and awareness regarding security robots. The US is the largest developer, operator, and exporter of military unmanned systems. UAVs are used to counter terrorist operations and are extensively used by the US police for crowd control. Major players such as Lockheed Martin (US) and Northrop Grumman (US) develop unmanned systems for commercial as well as homeland security applications. Several such UAVs have been developed by these major players for the defense and commercial purposes, in recent years.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Growth Opportunities for Security Robots Market

4.2 Security Robots Market, by Type

4.3 Security Robots Market, by End-user

4.4 Security Robots Market, by Region

5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Rising Defense Spending of Countries Worldwide

5.2.1.2 Surging Adoption of Security Robots in Civil and Commercial Applications

5.2.1.3 Increasing Capital Expenditure of Offshore Oil & Gas Companies

5.2.1.4 Growing Demand for Autonomous Systems in Defense and Commercial Sectors

5.2.1.5 Improvements in Regulatory Frameworks Related to Drone Operations

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Unreliability of Security Robots, in Terms of Their Functionality, in Military Operations

5.2.2.2 High Operational Costs of Security Robots

5.2.2.3 Lack of Trained Staff for Operating Drones and Infrastructures Such as Runways

5.2.2.4 Issues Related to Safety and Security of Security Robots

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Increase in Adoption of IoT and Cloud Technologies

5.2.3.2 Development and Incorporation of Advanced Technologies in Uuvs

5.2.3.3 Development of Fully Autonomous Ugvs

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Requirement for High-Level Expertise Associated with Security Robots and Their Hardware and Software Malfunctions

5.2.4.2 Requirement for Continuous and Uninterrupted Power Supply in Ugvs

5.3 Value Chain Analysis

5.3.1 Planning and Revising Funds

5.3.2 Research and Development

5.3.3 Manufacturing

5.3.4 Assembly and Distribution

5.3.5 Post-Sales Services

5.4 Ecosystem Analysis

5.5 Pricing Analysis of Security Robots

5.5.1 Average Selling Prices of Market Players

5.6 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Customer'S Business

5.7 Technological Trends

5.8 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.9 Key Stakeholders and Buying Criteria

5.9.1 Key Stakeholders in Buying Process

5.9.2 Buying Criteria

5.10 Case Studies

5.10.1 Swarmdiver by Aquabotix (Australia)

5.10.2 Vector Hawk from Lockheed Martin (Us)

5.10.3 UAVs Deployed by Various Companies for Delivery Services

5.10.4 UAVs for Delivery Services During Pandemic

5.10.4.1 Drones of Zipline Were Used to Transfer Test Samples to Research Laboratories During Pandemic in Rwanda, Ghana, and US

5.10.4.2 Delivery of Medical Prescriptions Using Drones by Manna Aero in Ireland During Pandemic

5.10.4.3 Mexico-Based Sincronia Logistica Uses Drones to Deliver Medical Supplies to Public Hospitals During Pandemic

5.11 Trade Analysis

5.12 Patent Analysis

5.13 Key Conferences & Events

5.14 Regulatory Landscape

6 Security Robots Market, by Type

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

6.3 Unmanned Ground Vehicles

6.4 Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

7 Security Robots Market, by Application

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Spying

7.3 Explosive Detection

7.4 Firefighting

7.5 Demining

7.6 Rescue Operations

7.7 Transportation

7.8 Patrolling

8 Security Robots Market, by End-user

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Commercial

8.2.1 Increasing Applications of Security Robots in Commercial Sector Owing to Their Efficiency in Operations

8.3 Civil/Residential

8.3.1 Ease of Usage of Security Robots for Residential Purposes to Drive Demand for Security Robots

8.4 Military & Defense

8.4.1 Rising Demand for Small Drones in Defense Sector for Surveillance and Reconnaissance Activities and Border Security Applications

8.5 Others

8.5.1 Law Enforcement

8.5.1.1 Increase in Terrorist Activities Has Resulted in Use of Security Robots for Law Enforcement Applications

8.5.2 Federal Law Enforcement

8.5.2.1 Ugvs Are Extensively Used by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies for Dangerous Missions

9 Geographic Analysis

10 Competitive Landscape

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Key Player Strategies/Right to Win

10.2.1 Overview of Strategies Deployed by Key Players in Security Robots Market

10.3 Top 5 Company Revenue Analysis

10.4 Market Share Analysis of Top Players, 2020-2021

10.5 Competitive Evaluation Quadrant, 2020

10.5.1 Star

10.5.2 Emerging Leader

10.5.3 Pervasive

10.5.4 Participant

10.6 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Evaluation Quadrant, 2020

10.6.1 Progressive Company

10.6.2 Responsive Company

10.6.3 Dynamic Company

10.6.4 Starting Block

10.6.5 Security Robots Market: Company Footprint

10.6.6 Security Robots Market: Startup Matrix

10.7 Competitive Situations and Trends

10.7.1 Product Launches

10.7.2 Deals

11 Company Profiles

11.1 Key Players

11.1.1 Aerovironment, Inc.

11.1.2 BAE Systems

11.1.3 Boston Dynamics

11.1.4 Saab

11.1.5 Cobham Limited

11.1.6 Eca Group

11.1.7 Elbit Systems Ltd.

11.1.8 Knightscope, Inc.

11.1.9 Kongsberg

11.1.10 Leonardo S.P.A.

11.1.11 Lockheed Martin Corporation

11.1.12 Northrop Grumman

11.1.13 Qinetiq

11.1.14 Smp Robotics

11.1.15 Thales

11.2 Other Key Players

11.2.1 Autonomous Solutions, Inc.

11.2.2 Boeing

11.2.3 Dji

11.2.4 Flir Systems

11.2.5 Textron

11.2.6 Rheinmetall Ag

11.2.7 L3 Harris Technologies

11.2.8 Reconrobotics Inc.

11.2.9 Robotex Inc.

11.2.10 Cobalt Robotics

12 Adjacent & Related Markets

13 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/spc5bw

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
PHILADELPHIA, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tonight, four members of the Cohen / Madonna Faction dispensed with all semblance of corporate governance to push their nominee, Ben Duster, who has multiple business interests in which Steven A. Cohen has invested, onto the Board of Republic First. The three Hill directors were not provided an opportunity to meet with or even speak to him before the vote. The Cohen/Madonna faction abandoned all norms of good corporate governance and the Company's own past practice of vetting proposed candidates for the board.

The Cohen / Madonna Faction refused our specific request to meet Mr. Duster prior to the vote or to consider any candidate proposed by the Hill directors, and refused to permit debate or even provide any meaningful information about their chosen nominee. This is a shocking and unfortunate dereliction of the Cohen / Madonna Faction's fiduciary duties to FRBK's shareholders.

SOURCE Republic Bank Hill Directors
LONDON, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) market is experiencing volatility with prices at record highs, coupled with tight supply caused by global outages. The need for context and clarity of market conditions has never been more important, to enable businesses to make better informed investment and planning decisions.

ICIS, a global leader in independent commodity intelligence services for plastics and polymers, now provides a European EVA price assessment, along with deeper coverage in Asia-Pacific. Weekly pricing analysis, assessments, insight, supply and demand drivers, a short-term outlook, as well as intelligence on upstream markets, provide a comprehensive and transparent market perspective

Redwan Hoque, Head of Commercial Strategy  Chemicals, at ICIS said: "The experience ICIS provides, along with our market relationships and proven methodology, means the EVA price assessment service provides a comprehensive and trusted understanding of the factors that impact this volatile market. Insights enable smart production and selling decisions and facilitate effective risk management with evaluation of the impact of new capacities or plant disruptions."

The launch of global EVA coverage, together with ICIS' three global benchmarks that influence EVA prices: polyethylene (PE), acetic acid, and vinyl acetate monomer, will provide the industry with unprecedented transparency and a deeper understanding of the key drivers across the entire PE sector.

Alongside the release of a European EVA price assessment, ICIS Asia coverage now includes three additional domestic China grades, based on VA content. US pricing coverage will follow shortly, making this the first global EVA pricing assessment service.

Notes to editors:

About ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)

EVA polymer is widely used as a co-polymer to make polyethylene more flexible. It is produced using the same process as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Production can be easily switched between the EVA and LDPE, depending on which is more profitable. EVA is a highly versatile and is valued for its high elasticity, sealability, low melting point, and clarity. Applications include everything from car wax, mouldable mouthguards, and foam shoes to nicotine patches, adhesive resin formulations, wire and electrical cables compounding, and solar panels.

ICIS follows the Asian EVA market closely, on a weekly basis, to enable consumers to understand current pricing volatility. Demand in China is partly driven by the country's low carbon policy. High VA grades are the encapsulating agent in solar panels, providing good radiation transmission and low degradability in sunlight. New domestic capacity in China was launched in 2021 and suppliers with 'swing' plants needed to know when to switch from LDPE to EVA in response to demand and higher margins. LDPE in China was already exceptionally tight at record high prices. Switching has left both grades at unprecedented levels.

In Europe, EVA continues to be traded at close to record high prices. Trade flows have been heavily disrupted by logistics and supply chain issues that continue to plague industries globally. Supply and demand balances have pushed price spreads between EVA and PE much further, more than doubling from normal levels. Prolonged high oil prices are further affecting the cost of feedstocks. This creates shortages of EVA feedstock materials. Local production is also reduced because of planned ethylene cracker outages.

About ICIS

ICIS is a trusted source of global commodity intelligence for the energy, chemical and fertilizer industry. We are a division of RELX, a FTSE 15 company with a market cap of 43.4 billion and an employee base of over 30,000 experts across 40 countries.

At ICIS, we help businesses make strategic decisions, mitigate risk, improve productivity, and capitalise on new opportunities. We make some of the world's most important markets more trusted and predictable by providing data services, thought leadership and decision tools. As a result of our unmatched global presence, we can deliver targeted connected intelligence to influence thousands of decisions across supply chains every single day. We shape the world by connecting markets to optimise the world's valuable resources. With a global team of more than 600 experts, ICIS has employees based in London, New York, Houston, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo and Perth.

About RELX

RELX is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs approximately 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. RELX PLC is a London listed holding company which owns 52.9% of RELX Group. RELX NV is an Amsterdam listed holding company which owns 47.1% of RELX Group. The shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX and RENX. Total market capitalisation is approximately 43.3bn | 51.1bn | $51.9bn.

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/619935/ICIS_Logo.jpg

SOURCE ICIS
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IMI, the original developer of the turnkey MILCURE steel wheel refinishing system and process, has partnered with Lesta to introduce automation into their solution by using robotics to apply powder coating to truck wheels.

"Inconsistencies in the powder coating application process can lead to excessive mil thickness on the surface of the wheel, which impacts torque and the overall safety of the wheel," says Faith Bramlet, Senior Director of Marketing at IMI. "We are pleased to team up with Lesta to bring a new, automated solution to our Commercial Tire Dealer customer base that enables them to add a self-learning robotic process to consistently apply the accurate amount of powder coating to the wheel each and every time."

Whether Tire Dealers are concerned about labor shortages, throughput, quality, or productivity, IMI has enhanced its MILCURE system with the Lesta robot to be a resource for the entire commercial trucking industry.

"We are very excited to offer this to our customers so they can take their steel Wheel Refinishing quality and production capacity to the next level," said IMI's President, Bob Fogal.

Lesta's President Derek DeGeest says, "We are happy to partner with IMI to take this new automation to their Wheel Refinishing market. After receiving inquiries from a few of the major Commercial Tire Dealers that led to installations, we discovered that IMI was a key player in this market with a solid reputation for their products and service. Our companies are nicely aligned by our focus on taking care of the customer."

Visit the IMI website to learn more about MILCURE Automated Finishing Solutions https://www.imiproducts.com/lesta-self-learning-robot/

About the Company

Based in Chambersburg, PA, IMI was founded in 1973. IMI has since led the way in developing innovative truck tire, wheel, and fuel-preserving solutions for the commercial trucking industry. With over 300 years of combined industry experience, IMI's success has come from understanding the challenges facing commercial trucking Fleets and their Dealers by creating exceptional products that increase productivity and improve safety on the road. Our goal at IMI is to deliver extra miles in extraordinary ways by providing high quality solutions and exceptional customer service. Solutions like IMI FLEXX, MILCURE, ALUMINATOR, STS Tire Sealants, and CHECKPOINT lead the industry with rigorous testing and scientifically proven advantages to meet industry challenges.

SOURCE IMI
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'Parenteral Nutrition Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global parenteral nutrition market reached a value of US$ 6.3 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 9.3 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.71% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

Parenteral nutrition (PN), or intravenous feeding, offers liquid nutrients like fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and electrolytes. It is a part of specialized nutritional therapy that providing nutritional support to patients who are unable to utilize their gastrointestinal tract. It aids in preventing malnutrition and maintaining energy, hydration, and strength levels. As a result, it is widely used among patients who are suffering from cancer, Crohn's disease, short bowel syndrome, ischemic bowel disease, and abnormal bowel function.

The rising prevalence of malnutrition, growing natality rate, and increasing premature births are among the primary factors catalyzing the demand for PN around the world. Moreover, there is a considerable rise in the number of individuals experiencing pediatric disorders, such as asthma, leukemia, tuberculosis, bronchitis, chickenpox, and anemia.

This, along with the rising geriatric population, which is relatively more prone to chronic diseases, is also influencing the demand for PN products positively. Furthermore, the growing consumption of fast food has resulted in the growing instances of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders.

This, in confluence with the rising incidences of hepatic insufficiency, renal insufficiency and protein-energy malnutrition, is increasing the consumption of amnio acid-rich and parenteral products. The market is further driven by significant improvements in the PN, such as lipid emulsions optimizations and utilization of indirect calorimetry. Some of the other factors, such as increasing expenditure on the overall development of the healthcare sector by the governing agencies and private entities of several countries and rising adoption of PN products by the healthcare sector, are anticipated to strengthen the market growth across the globe.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Aculife Healthcare Private Limited, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baxter International Inc., Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, Grifols S.A., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Servona GmbH.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global parenteral nutrition market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global parenteral nutrition market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the nutrient type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global parenteral nutrition market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:

1 Preface

2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends

5 Global Parenteral Nutrition Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast

6 Market Breakup by Nutrient Type

6.1 Carbohydrates

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Lipid Emulsion

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Single Dose Amino Acid Solution

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Trace Elements

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Vitamins and Minerals

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast

7 Market Breakup by End User

7.1 Hospitals

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Clinics

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Others

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

8 Market Breakup by Region

9 SWOT Analysis

10 Value Chain Analysis

11 Porters Five Forces Analysis

12 Price Analysis

13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Market Structure

13.2 Key Players

13.3 Profiles of Key Players

13.3.1 Aculife Healthcare Private Limited

13.3.1.1 Company Overview

13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2 B. Braun Melsungen AG

13.3.2.1 Company Overview

13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis

13.3.3 Baxter International Inc.

13.3.3.1 Company Overview

13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.3.3 Financials

13.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.4 Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA

13.3.4.1 Company Overview

13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4.3 Financials

13.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.5 Grifols S.A.

13.3.5.1 Company Overview

13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.5.3 Financials

13.3.6 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Inc.

13.3.6.1 Company Overview

13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.6.3 Financials

13.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.7 Pfizer Inc.

13.3.7.1 Company Overview

13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.7.3 Financials

13.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.8 Servona GmbH

13.3.8.1 Company Overview

13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yeba7u

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
CHICAGO, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE: JLL) will release its second quarter 2022 results Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at approximately 7:30 a.m. Eastern time, followed by a live webcast and teleconference call at 9 a.m. Eastern time.

The link to register for the webcast or audio conference can be accessed at the Investor Relations website, ir.jll.com. Registration is open throughout the call. However, to ensure connection for the full call, registration a day in advance or at least 10 minutes before the start of the call is recommended.

The webcast replay will be available for 12 months following the event on the Investor Relations website.

For further information, please contact JLL's Investor Relations department at: [email protected].

About JLL

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $19.4 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 100,000 as of March 31, 2022. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit ir.jll.com.

Connect with us

https://www.linkedin.com/company/jll

https://www.facebook.com/jll

https://twitter.com/jll

Contact: Gayle Kantro

Phone: +1 312 228 2795

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE JLL-IR
KANAZAWA, Japan, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a study recently published in the journal Small Methods, researchers from Kanazawa University used 3D atomic force microscopy to reveal the structural chemistry of chitin, a nanosized biomolecule derived from certain crustaceans

What do crabs, shrimps, and fungi have in common? Besides being culinary delicacies, they all contain a biomolecule called chitin on their external coating. Attributed to its strength and non-toxic nature, chitin is gaining popularity in bioengineering applications such as drug delivery systems. However, scientists are still uncertain about the exact structure of chitin and its interactions with water -- a medium it routinely comes in contact with during chemical processes. Now, a research team led by Ayhan Yurtsever and Takeshi Fukuma at Kanazawa University has used a form of high-resolution microscopy to understand the chemical nature of chitin's surface and its reaction patterns with water.

The researchers first isolated chitin from shrimp shells for their experiments. Its surface was then scrutinized using 3D atomic force microscopy (AFM) in addition to a traditional electron microscope. Both these techniques revealed a homogenous layer of highly organized needle-shaped crystals on the surface. Next, these crystals -- the primary points of interaction with water molecules -- were looked at up close. It was found that in addition to their highly crystalline nature they were surprisingly devoid of any structural disarray. This led the group to conclude that hydrochloric acid (which aided in the extraction of chitin from shrimp cells) was indeed successful in removing all other particles from the chitin surface, keeping only the crystals intact. The structural integrity of chitin was not compromised.

Finally, the team used simulations to observe the chemistry between the chitin and water molecules and found that the latter formed well-organized layers encapsulating the chitin surface. A closer analysis of their interface revealed robust chemical bonds between the two molecules. However, the water layer had a heterogeneous appearance with sporadic absences of water molecules. This pattern led the team to believe that the chitin surface consisted of two types of molecular groups: those that interacted with water and those that did not. Knowledge of this pattern is useful in formulating future chemical reactions with chitin.

"These findings provide important insights into chitin NC structures at the molecular level, which is critical for developing the properties of chitin-based nanomaterials," concludes the team. The chemical treatment of chitin, which is often a prerequisite for formulating functional nanomaterials, can be developed better with the structural knowledge of chitin nanocrystals in mind.

Background

Chitin: Chitin is a naturally occurring polymer found in the shells of crustaceans and the outer wall of fungi. It is responsible for providing strength to these external coatings of organisms.

In recent years, chitin has been used as a nanomaterial across engineering and medical fields. It has been used as reinforcement material, for water purification, and for the delivery of drugs. Creating nanomaterial from chitin requires chemically modifying its structure with enzymes (a reaction that often requires an aqueous environment). Thus, understanding the structure of chitin and its interactions with water are important for research in this area.

3D-AFM: Atomic force microscopy is a high-resolution tool used to elucidate the surface structure and topography of single molecules. This technique involves a pointed lever that grazes over a surface and sends out a signal based on its movement. The signals are then compiled to create an image of the molecule's surface. However, formulating nanomaterials accurately requires a three-dimensional overview of surfaces. Thus, the researchers used a more advanced version of AFM in this study, which captured the structure of chitin crystals in 3D.

Reference

Ayhan Yurtsever, Pei-Xi Wang, Fabio Priante, Ygor Morais Jaques, Kazuki Miyata, Mark J. MacLachlan, Adam S. Foster, Takeshi Fukuma. Probing the Structural Details of Chitin NanocrystalWater Interfaces by Three-Dimensional Atomic Force Microscopy. Small Methods 2022, 2200320

DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202200320

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smtd.202200320

Image

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/fig1-1.jpg

CC BY-NC

Figure 1. (A) Schematic illustration showing the 3D-AFM on an individual chitin nanocrystal (NC) immobilized on a solid substrate. The tip scans both in Z and XY directions. The tip follows a sinusoidal trajectory as depicted in the schematic. (B) The surface of chitin NC as seen by FM-AFM, revealing the detailed surface structure of chitin nanocrystals at the molecular level. (C) 3D-AFM image of the chitinwater interface. (D-F) Vertical 2D cross-sectional maps of the chitinwater interface taken along the long-molecular chain direction. The red, white, and blue ovals indicate the ordered hydration features. The regions marked with blue and red ovals correspond to the areas where water molecules are stabilized by a hydrogen bond with either the hydrogen or oxygen atom of the hydroxy groups in the chitin chain, and the regions with darker contrast (empty gap) in between these regions correspond to the regions where water molecules generally make no hydrogen bonds with the chitin surface.

Contact

Hiroe Yoneda

Vice Director of Public Affairs

WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)

Kanazawa University

Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +81 (76) 234-4550

About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/

Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases.

About Kanazawa University

http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/

As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.

The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa  a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.

SOURCE Kanazawa University
SALT LAKE CITY, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- O'NA Healthcare, Inc, a leading provider of holistic healthcare, today announced that Lisa Hughes has been named as President and Chief Executive Officer, a position she previously held. Ms. Hughes has returned to the company following complications arising from serious health concerns.

Hughes has more than 15 years of senior management experience, including a decade of strategic development and plan execution at Tribal Active Management Services, most recently as President and Chief Executive Officer, O'NA Healthcare, Inc. Prior to that, Hughes served as President and Chief Executive Officer of True Health, a Lean Process and Business Systems company.

"Lisa is the right leader for O'NA," said Elijah Cox, Snowfly Performance Inc. "Lisa and O'NA Care have provided our company health insurance for years now. We love their culture and their product. They promote health and lifestyle which aligns with our company culture."

"I am very excited to be returning to the O'NA Care team," said Lisa Hughes. "I believe O'NA Healthcare has a great business model and talented management team that are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the changing healthcare environment. As the industry evolves through restructuring, consolidation, and technology migrations, I believe O'NA Healthcare is uniquely positioned to provide quality, cost effective insurance to anyone looking for alternative healthcare in the United States."

As founder of the Conscious Healing Institute, Lisa successfully raised private capital and led the company through a reorganization and significantly grew annual revenues, guiding them to win a number of product awards as well as industry recognition. Before founding the Conscious Healing Institute in 2020, Hughes had had been a consultant, speaker, and educator on the subject of energy healing.

Hughes received a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah, and a Lean Product Development Certificate from the University of Michigan.

About O'NA Healthcare

O'NA Healthcare is a game-changing healthcare plan that's vision included providing people with a value-driven alternative to traditional health insurance offerings. The plan focused in providing coverage for protocols that included state of the art diagnostics to determine root cause, provide the treatments that heal and provide allowances that promote wellness and proactive healthy choices.

Contact:

Lisa Hughes

8052317617

[email protected]

SOURCE ONA Healthcare, Inc
For these reports, MBI gathered statistical information about the size and growth of the commercial modular construction industry. These reports have become the leading source of information on the industry and are used worldwide by investment firms, banks, the media, researchers, consultants, and students. Contents include General Industry Descriptions, Floors Shipped, Gross Sales, Sales by Market Segment, Dealer Gross Revenue, Lease Fleet Composition, Sale of Used Units, Industry Manufacturing Data, Industry Estimates, and Visuals of Contemporary Modular Buildings.

"These annual reports are one of MBI's most valuable member benefits," says Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of MBI.

These newly-released reports include detailing findings and analysis, including:

Key North American Markets, featuring detailed regional breakdowns of the United States and Canada ;

and ; Revenue & Market Share;

Overviews of the international modular construction market; and

Case studies from award-winning modular projects around the world.

"These annual reports have long been one of MBI's most valuable member benefits," said Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of the Modular Building Institute. "Considering the challengesand successesof the industry during the last couple of years, it's exciting to release these reports and help the industry further leverage all the great data and experience we've accumulated."

In addition to the release of the 2022 reports, MBI has also just made availablefree of chargeits annual reports from 2021. MBI's annual reports from 2020 are also available, providing a detailed three-year overview of the entire construction industry featuring data that isn't available anywhere else.

The complete 2022, 2021, and 2020 industry reports are available now at https://www.modular.org/industry-analysis/

About the Modular Building Institute: Founded in 1983, the Modular Building Institute (MBI) is the international non-profit trade association serving modular construction. With nearly 500 member companies around the world, MBI has grown to represent architects, engineers, owner/developers, builders, general contractors, suppliers, and more. As the Voice of Commercial Modular ConstructionTM, it is MBI's mission to expand the use of offsite construction through innovative construction practices, outreach and education to the construction community and customers, and recognition of high-quality modular designs and facilities. To learn more, visit www.modular.org.

Media Contacts: John McMullen, Marketing Director, Modular Building Institute | +1-434-296-3288, mailto:[email protected]

SOURCE Modular Building Institute
"Eating disorders are on the rise among adolescents, so expanding available care to this age group is essential," said Candy Henderson, MS, Chief Executive Officer of Monte Nido & Affiliates. "Coming back to the state where Monte Nido & Affiliates programs began over twenty-six years ago, Clementine Orange County will provide life-saving treatment for all genders struggling with eating disorders, with the mission of helping more teens realize their healthy selves and become fully recovered."

Treatment at Clementine Orange County will provide personalized, evidence-based care focused on restoring physiological and nutritional balance in the comfort of a home-like setting. The programming also implements mindful eating, 24-hour nursing, and academic and family support.

"Clementine's model of care has been designed to meet the specific needs of adolescents, who are particularly susceptible to eating disorders due the developmental stages they are at in their lives," said Melissa Spann, PhD, LMHC, CEDS-S, Chief Clinical Officer of Monte Nido & Affiliates.

Early intervention is key in the recovery process, as eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health illness. However, with the right tools, skills and support, recovery is possible no matter what stage a person is in with their eating disorder.

Monte Nido opened its original location, Monte Nido Malibu, in a secluded home in Calabasas in 1996. Today, there are six Monte Nido & Affiliates programs throughout California, and Clementine Orange County will be its seventh. Connecting back to Monte Nido & Affiliates' California roots and expanding care in the state, Clementine Orange County will complement Clementine Malibu Lake, a program for adolescent girls located just outside of Los Angeles.

For more information, or to inquire about treatment at Clementine Orange County, please visit www.clementineprograms.com or call 855-900-2221.

About Monte Nido & Affiliates

Monte Nido & Affiliates is one of the country's largest and leading eating disorder platforms, offering inpatient, residential, and day treatment programs for eating disorders. Founded in 1996, Monte Nido & Affiliates currently operates forty-seven programs in fourteen states, with residential programs being Joint Commission accredited. Monte Nido & Affiliates includes five distinct eating disorder program brands: Monte Nido, Walden Behavioral Care, Rosewood Centers, Oliver-Pyatt Centers, and Clementine.

Contact: Claire Vartabedian or Abigail Cox

L.C. Williams & Associates

312-565-3900

[email protected]

SOURCE Monte Nido & Affiliates
LEGAL ACTION ALSO CITES DAVID JANG AS 'ALTER EGO' OF IBT MEDIA, WORLD OLIVET ASSEMBLY & OLIVET UNIVERSITY, AS WELL AS NAMING OTHER DEFENDANTS

NEW YORK, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek has filed a suit against IBT Media, David Jang, World Olivet Assembly, Olivet University, Etienne Uzac and Younseok "Titus" Choi to recover more than $35 million in damage Newsweek has suffered as a result of IBT's admitted criminal acts of fraud and money-laundering, its alleged destruction of Newsweek's business records and its alleged theft of Newsweek's trade secrets. This suit also seeks to recover damages caused by IBT's mismanagement of Newsweek prior to its separation from IBT.

The World Olivet Assembly is reportedly founded by David Jang, a Korean American pastor. According to press reports, Jang started the church in 2000, and soon after founded Olivet University as a small Bible college in Riverside County, CA. Among its many investments, the organization founded a publishing arm, IBT Media, and that organization bought Newsweek in 2013 from IAC/Interactive.

One of IBT Media's principals Etienne Uzac pled guilty in 2020 to charges brought by the Manhattan DA in 2018 of fraud and money-laundering. Also in 2020 in Manhattan, IBT Media itself pled guilty to fraud and Olivet University pled guilty to engaging in conspiracy and falsifying business records.

In 2018 when the charges were brought against Uzac and others by the Manhattan DA, Pragad purchased 50 percent of Newsweek, while the other IBT Media principal Johnathan Davis retained his half of the company and became a silent partner, no longer involved in the management or journalistic operations of Newsweek. The contractual agreement separating Newsweek indemnified the company for losses that were due to IBT Media's mismanagement.

In addition to claims against IBT Media for exposing Newsweek to tens of millions of dollars of liabilities arising out of IBT's mismanagement -- including embroiling Newsweek in an ongoing lawsuit brought by IBT's landlord because IBT has failed to pay its rent, Newsweek's complaint asserts that IBT and its CEO Johnathan Davis intentionally destroyed over 1.8 terabytes of data  the equivalent of approximately 80 million pages of text  maintained on servers paid for by Newsweek. In doing so, Newsweek contends that IBT sought to conceal evidence of wrongdoing by IBT and its affiliates -- despite explicit instructions by Newsweek not to destroy any records because of ongoing legal actions. The complaint also seeks recovery for IBT's deliberate theft of Newsweek's trade secrets in a vain attempt by IBT to replicate Newsweek's envied success.

"Newsweek did not take the decision to sue IBT Media lightly. Indeed, it has long been Newsweek's hope that an amicable resolution to its many complaints could be achieved without resorting to legal action. However, IBT's decision to file its utterly baseless lawsuit left Newsweek no choice but to file a formal complaint against IBTwhich it did in the afternoon of July 6, 2022," said Robert Weigel of Gibson Dunn and Crutcher, counsel to Newsweek.

"In addition to bringing claims against IBT, Newsweek is also seeking to recover from several individuals and entities affiliated with IBT, including David Jang. David Jang has been named because he is the alter ego of IBT. As detailed in Newsweek's complaint, Jang has long directed a constellation of interconnected companies that include IBT for his benefit. Indeed, as the complaint shows, Jang has authorized a veritable laundry list of bad acts by IBT, including repeatedly causing IBT funds to be routed to other companies under his control at the expense of Newsweek and its indemnification rights," added Weigel.

While this case is underway, the Newsweek newsroom is continuing to cover the news about IBT Media, World Olivet Assembly, and Olivet University, maintaining a divide between editorial and management/ownership.

"We have rigorously covered developments related to our owners, and we will continue to do so. This is a standard ethical practice in U.S. newsrooms. To ignore the story would be passive, if not complicit. No one outside the newsroom has any influence on these stories," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor-in-Chief, Newsweek. "We are here to serve Newsweek's mission and our readers, and I believe our ongoing coverage is clearly the product of an independent newsroom, and that it demonstrates our commitment to honest, transparent journalism and the highest professional standards."

Since 2018, under Pragad's leadership, Newsweek has returned to profitability and eliminated its debt. In the last six months alone, Newsweek's journalism from the opinion section to the magazine has driven an increase in readership. At least one in five Americans visits Newsweek.com every month, helping the publication grow its audience almost every month this year. Traffic to its homepage has doubled and key measures of engagement such as pageviews per user and sessions per user have been growing at an extremely healthy 15 percent.

"Newsweek has had a phenomenal turnaround. It went from a few million visitors per month in 2018 to 100 million per month today. Unfortunately, Newsweek suffered considerably before my team and I got it to the place where it is now," said Dev Pragad, CEO, Newsweek. "Now is the time to seek redress and remedy all the unethical and bad management of the past."

About Newsweek

Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, over 85-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.

SOURCE Newsweek
The Journey will make three stops in the Des Moines area, from July 8 to 22. Please see locations and timing below.

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The All of Us Research Program's Journey mobile exhibit is traveling across the country to engage communities that have been historically underrepresented in medical research. All of Us is inviting one million or more people to help build one of the most diverse health databases of its kind and advance precision medicine.

Since the program launched in 2018, the mobile exhibit has visited more than 100 cities in over 40 states. In Iowa, the Journey will be available to educate and register new participants for the program. With more enrollment and representation from area residents, researchers can help better address health issues that are prevalent in the community.

LOCATIONS:

FIRST STOP: Ankeny Summerfest (1010 NW Prairie Ridge Drive, Ankeny, IA 50023)

(1010 NW Prairie Ridge Drive, 50023) Friday, 7/8, 510 p.m. CT



Saturday, 7/9Sunday, 7/10, 210 p.m. CT

SECOND STOP: Dallas County Fair (28057 Fairground Road, Adel, IA 50003)

(28057 Fairground Road, 50003) Wednesday, 7/13Friday, 7/15 , 11 a.m.6 p.m. CT

11 a.m.6 p.m. CT

Saturday, 7/16, 29 p.m. CT



Sunday, 7/17, 11 a.m.5 p.m. CT

THIRD STOP: Cowles Commons Performing Arts Center (313 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309)

(313 Walnut Street, 50309) Tuesday, 7/19Friday 7/22, 11 a.m.5:30 p.m. CT

EVENT DETAILS:

All of Us tour managers will be available for interviews before the event or at the event via Zoom or phone.

tour managers will be available for interviews before the event or at the event via Zoom or phone. Journalists are welcome to shoot B-roll and take photos at the event.

The mobile exhibit features hands-on activities to learn more about the program, including a digital gaming hub, an augmented reality experience, and more.

Only adults aged 18+ are able to register for the program at this time.

COVID-19 safety guidelines:

All staff are vaccinated against COVID-19.



Staff and attendees are required to wear masks, social distance, sanitize hands, and complete temperature screenings and digital tracing forms.

to wear masks, social distance, sanitize hands, and complete temperature screenings and digital tracing forms.

All surfaces are cleaned pre-, during, and post-event to reduce any possible contamination.

ABOUT ALL OF US:

More than 320,000 people nationwide have enrolled and completed the initial steps to participate in the research program, and over 80% of these participants belong to communities that have been historically underrepresented in biomedical research, including 50% from racial and ethnic minority groups. Researchers will use the data that participants contribute to learn how biology, lifestyle, and environment affect health. This may one day help them find more tailored ways to treat and prevent disease.

For more information, visit allofus.nih.gov . | To sign up, visit joinallofus.org .

SOURCE All of Us Journey
ROSEVILLE, Calif., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rachfal Enterprises announced the sale of two different examples of a widely coveted and iconic 1979 Kenner "Star Wars" action figure prototype: the Rocket-Firing Boba Fett  part of a special mail-a-way promotion that was scrapped at the time due to child safety concerns. Measuring just 3 " each, the rarest of the two up for sale is a unique hand-painted example featuring the L-slot latching configuration with impeccable provenance going straight back to the ex-Kenner employee who painted it. The second is a well-preserved J-slot specimen that represents what the final toy would have looked like, had it been released. Both figures have been professionally encased and graded by the Action Figure Authority (AFA) for preservation and authenticity.

Rocket Firing Boba Fett 3  Prototype Hand Painted Action Figure 1979 Kenner Rocket Firing Boba Fett 3 " Prototype action figure featuring the J-slot latching configuration with short stem variant - AFA 85 NM+ Pre-grading image. 1979 Kenner Rocket Firing Boba Fett 3 " Prototype Hand Painted action figure featuring the L-slot latching configuration - AFA 70 EX+ (only example known)

"By now, most people know the Rocket Firing Boba Fett action figure was never released," said collectible dealer Brian Rachfal. "So, when someone calls claiming to have had one as a child, you either think they had a Kenner connection  as Kenner employees were known to take samples home  or it is a false memory. Think the Mandela Effect, or as I like to call it, Rocket Fett Syndrome. Most people think they hit pay dirt at some garage sale when they find a similar toy, and it winds up being only a replica."

"Only once in my 30-year career was this not the case. Frankly, that J-slot Rocket Fett  the one we're currently offering - was a headscratcher, having originated in either California or Oklahoma  far from Kenner's home in Cincinnati, Ohio. But that Boba Fett prototype proved genuine in the end. After careful scrutiny, there is no doubt. That was an amazing moment."

For Sale: 1979 Kenner Rocket Firing Boba Fett 3 " Prototype "Hand Painted" Action Figure featuring the L-slot latching configuration, AFA 70 Serial #11193391  $400,000.00

This singular Rocket Fett entered the hobby community about two decades ago, and was once part of the Justin Kern's collection  an assemblage of nine different Rocket Fetts known to the "Star Wars" community as the "Nine Holy Grails in a Row," and later in a 2013 homage image "Rocket Fett Phases." This figure also features notably in John Kellerman's hobby resource "Star Wars Vintage Action Figures" and can be found online in the Star Wars Collectors Archive "SWCA."

The figure itself appears to be a typical blue-grey First Shot featuring the L-slot latching configuration and as expected, lacks all copyright and country of origin stamps to the back of the legs. It is paired with a red 4-sided missile which displays the expected ejector-pin marks along with other traits associated with genuine examples.

Provenance extends back to a known ex-Kenner employee, who worked at Kenner during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is believed up to 5 or 6 similar L-slots were hand painted, of which four examples have been recovered: two featuring the standard production paint scheme; two featuring an alternate paint scheme. Unlike the production paint scheme examples, both alternate examples were uniquely painted. So this Rocket Firing Boba Fett "is" one-of-a-kind!

For Sale: 1979 Kenner Rocket Firing Boba Fett, 3 " Prototype Action Figure Featuring the J-slot Latching Configuration with Short Stem Variant, AFA 85 Serial #12685679  $365,000.00

This figure has been painstakingly compared to a known genuine example sourced back in 1995 and has been verified authentic down to the uniqueness of the slot. The figure is light grey, similar to the static, non-firing mail-a-way examples, and shows the expected purplish age-spot speckling under magnification. The orange is more yellowish than that used on the mail-a-way figures, and the grove forming the J-slot is precisely indicative of the short stem variant, which differs significantly from the Long stem type.

"The tooling inside the groove is also what you'd expect from a genuine Kenner example," said Rachfal. "The red plunger has the appropriate break lines on the lever and dimpled indentation on top of the drum. Feet are unmarked, furthering the assertion that this figure was acquired outside the Kenner sphere, as most of those figures were marked at the testing lab."

Besides one other example, this is the only other known short-stem J-slot with unmarked feet. Roughly five long-stem variants are known with similar clean feet, mostly associated with bagged examples, explaining their pristine condition.

View the collectibles and read more details about their provenance by visiting www.rachfalenterprises.com

Media Contact:

Brian Rachfal

1-916-780-1908

[email protected]

SOURCE Rachfal Enterprises
California Traffic Violator School (Traffic School) allows drivers to mask their traffic ticket and prevent points from being added to their public driving record.

TORRANCE, Calif., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

Eligibility for Attending Traffic Violator School

There are a few very specific guidelines in place for determining who is and who is not eligible to take California traffic school. In addition, the state allows this course to be taken either in a classroom or online, making it much more convenient to choose a program that fits a driver's schedule.

You should be eligible to take traffic violator school online if you:

Received 1 point, or a minor moving violation

Have not taken traffic violator school in the past 18 months to mask a ticket

Unfortunately, not all drivers are eligible. You will NOT be allowed to mask a traffic ticket for any of the following reasons:

If you have a commercial driver's license and you received your ticket while driving a commercial vehicle

If you were convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol

If your speeding ticket was for driving more than 25 MPH over the limit

If your ticket carries a point value greater than 1 and/or your conviction requires a court appearance

About Online Traffic Education

Do you need to attend Traffic school for your traffic ticket? Are you looking for a licensed traffic school to dismiss your traffic violation? With Online Traffic Education you can take your Traffic School course completely online by visiting: www.OnlineTrafficEducation.com You will be able to register and take your Traffic school from the comfort of your home.

The course is a self-paced course, and most students were able to finish the course in just 2 hours. Once you successfully complete your course you will be able to print out or download your certificate of completion Instantly. Also, Online Traffic Education will electronically submit your certificate of completion the same DAY to DMV and courthouse for free.

Going to traffic school means that your auto insurance provider will not find out about your traffic violation ticket and your rates will be unaffected. Because of this you'll save yourself from paying hundreds or thousands of extra dollars in increased insurance rates.

From the standpoint of the DMV, the purpose of traffic school is to reconcile a mistake you've made while driving by getting further driver's education. The state believes that continued driver's education will help reduce the number of traffic violations.

Related Links

https://www.onlinetrafficeducation.com

SOURCE Online Traffic Education
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market (2022-2027) by Product & Service, End-User, Geography, Competitive Analysis, and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market is estimated to be USD 2.06 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 3.97 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 14.03%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Altay Scientific, Body Interact, CAE, Cardionics, Gaumard Scientific, Intelligent Ultrasound, IngMar Medical, KaVo Dental, Kyoto Kagaku, Laerdal, Limbs & Things, Medical-X, Mentice, Operative Experience, Simulab, Simulaids, Simendo, SYNBONE, VirtaMed, Yuan Technology, etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.

The report analyses the Global Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Demand Attributed to Build Skilled Healthcare Staff

4.1.2 Increasing Need to Achieve Enhanced Clinical Decision Making

4.1.3 Increasing Focus on Patient Safety

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Capital Investment Coupled with Unavailability of Governmental Funding

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Emerging Simulation Technologies Along with Rising Awareness Towards Hospital Care Management

4.3.2 Growing Popularity of Virtual Training with Higher Acquisition of Clinical Skills through Hands-On Practice

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Poorly Designed Medical Simulators



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market, By Product & Service

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Medical Simulation Anatomical Models

6.2.1 Dental Simulators

6.2.2 Endovascular Simulators

6.2.3 Eye Simulators

6.2.4 Interventional Surgical Simulators

6.2.4.1 Cardiovascular Simulators

6.2.4.2 Gynecology Simulators

6.2.4.3 Laparoscopic Surgical Simulators

6.2.4.4 Orthopedic Simulators

6.2.4.5 Spine Surgical Simulators

6.2.5 Patient Simulators

6.2.5.1 High Fidelity Simulators

6.2.5.2 Low Fidelity Simulators

6.2.5.3 Medium Fidelity Simulators

6.2.6 Task Trainer

6.2.7 Ultrasound Simulators

6.2.8 Web-Based Simulators

6.3 Medical Simulation Software

6.3.1 Performance Recording Software

6.3.2 Virtual Tutors

6.4 Simulation Training Services

6.4.1 Vendor Based Training

6.4.2 Educational Societies

6.4.3 Custom Consulting Services



7 Global Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market, By End-User

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Academic Institutes

7.3 Hospitals

7.4 Military Organizations



8 Americas' Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Argentina

8.3 Brazil

8.4 Canada

8.5 Chile

8.6 Colombia

8.7 Mexico

8.8 Peru

8.9 United States

8.10 Rest of Americas



9 Europe's Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Austria

9.3 Belgium

9.4 Denmark

9.5 Finland

9.6 France

9.7 Germany

9.8 Italy

9.9 Netherlands

9.10 Norway

9.11 Poland

9.12 Russia

9.13 Spain

9.14 Sweden

9.15 Switzerland

9.16 United Kingdom

9.17 Rest of Europe



10 Middle East and Africa's Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Egypt

10.3 Israel

10.4 Qatar

10.5 Saudi Arabia

10.6 South Africa

10.7 United Arab Emirates

10.8 Rest of MEA



11 APAC's Healthcare / Medical Simulation Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Australia

11.3 Bangladesh

11.4 China

11.5 India

11.6 Indonesia

11.7 Japan

11.8 Malaysia

11.9 Philippines

11.10 Singapore

11.11 South Korea

11.12 Sri Lanka

11.13 Thailand

11.14 Taiwan

11.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Competitive Quadrant

12.2 Market Share Analysis

12.3 Strategic Initiatives

12.3.1 M&A and Investments

12.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

12.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



13 Company Profiles

13.1 Altay Scientific

13.2 Body Interact

13.3 CAE

13.4 Cardionics

13.5 Gaumard Scientific

13.6 Intelligent Ultrasound

13.7 IngMar Medical

13.8 KaVo Dental

13.9 Kyoto Kagaku

13.10 Laerdal

13.11 Limbs & Things

13.12 Medical-X

13.13 Mentice

13.14 Operative Experience

13.15 Simulab

13.16 Simulaids

13.17 Simendo

13.18 SYNBONE

13.19 VirtaMed

13.20 Yuan Technology



14 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k38wl8



Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market (2022-2027) by Product, Pollutant Type, End-Use Application, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market is estimated to be USD 4.38 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 6.23 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.3%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are 3M Company, Aeraqual Ltd, Camfil AB, Daikin North America LLC, Emerson Electric Co., Envea SA General Electric Company, Honeywell International Inc, etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.



The analyst analyses the Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.



Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, The analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Growing Popularity of Smart Homes/Ambient Assisted Living

4.1.2 Supportive Government Regulations for Effective Air Pollution Monitoring and Control

4.1.3 Increasing Public-Private Funding for Effective Air Pollution Monitoring Pertaining to Healthcare and Environmental Implications of Air Pollution

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Costs Associated With Air Quality Monitoring Solutions

4.2.2 Technical Limitations Pertaining to Air Quality Monitoring Products

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Technological Advancements in the Field of Air Pollution Monitoring and Tapping Emerging Markets Growing Industrial Sector Fuel Need for Indoor Air Quality Monitoring

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Complex Nature of Indoor Pollutants



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market, By Product

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Fixed Indoor Monitors

6.3 Portable Indoor Monitor



7 Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market, By Pollutant Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Chemical Pollutants

7.3 Physical Pollutants

7.4 Biological Pollutants



8 Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market, By End-Use Application

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Government Buildings

8.3 Industrial

8.4 Commercial

8.5 Residential

8.6 Others



9 Americas' Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Argentina

9.3 Brazil

9.4 Canada

9.5 Chile

9.6 Colombia

9.7 Mexico

9.8 Peru

9.9 United States

9.10 Rest of Americas



10 Europe's Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Austria

10.3 Belgium

10.4 Denmark

10.5 Finland

10.6 France

10.7 Germany

10.8 Italy

10.9 Netherlands

10.10 Norway

10.11 Poland

10.12 Russia

10.13 Spain

10.14 Sweden

10.15 Switzerland

10.16 United Kingdom

10.17 Rest of Europe



11 Middle East and Africa's Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Egypt

11.3 Israel

11.4 Qatar

11.5 Saudi Arabia

11.6 South Africa

11.7 United Arab Emirates

11.8 Rest of MEA



12 APAC's Global Indoor Air Quality Monitor Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Australia

12.3 Bangladesh

12.4 China

12.5 India

12.6 Indonesia

12.7 Japan

12.8 Malaysia

12.9 Philippines

12.10 Singapore

12.11 South Korea

12.12 Sri Lanka

12.13 Thailand

12.14 Taiwan

12.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Competitive Quadrant

13.2 Market Share Analysis

13.3 Strategic Initiatives

13.3.1 M&A and Investments

13.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

13.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



14 Company Profiles

14.1 3M Company

14.2 Aeraqual Ltd

14.3 Camfil AB

14.4 Daikin North America LLC

14.5 Emerson Electric Co.

14.6 Envea SA General Electric Company

14.7 Honeywell International Inc

14.8 Horiba Ltd

14.9 Ingersoll Rand plc

14.10 Lennox International Inc

14.11 Merck KGaA .

14.12 Nest Labs Inc

14.13 Panasonic Corp

14.14 Siemens AG

14.15 Teledyne Technologies Inc .

14.16 Test SE & Co KGaA .

14.17 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc .

14.18 Trane Technologies plc

14.19 Trion Inc

14.20 TSI Inc



15 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/et7469



Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
Paxos will provide unprecedented level of disclosure for digital assets, consistent with federally required disclosures of the most conservative regulated products

NEW YORK, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Paxos , the leading regulated blockchain infrastructure platform, has disclosed the specific financial instruments backing its regulated stablecoins USDP and BUSD. Moving forward, Paxos will provide these detailed disclosures on a monthly basis in addition to its attestations. These reports provide the CUSIP of all instruments backing USDP and BUSD, showing that Paxos only backs its stablecoins with cash, overnight loans secured only by US Treasuries, and US Treasuries with a less than 90 day maturity. The monthly reserve reports are available on the Paxos website.

As a Trust Company chartered by the New York State Department of Financial Services ("NYDFS"), Paxos is legally required to hold all regulated stablecoin reserves in bankruptcy remote, fully-segregated accounts and in only cash & cash equivalents. Paxos-issued stablecoins have and always will be fully backed by a dollar. This design ensures that stablecoin holders will always be able to access their funds and redeem their stablecoins, as assets are not co-mingled with Paxos corporate funds. Additionally, Paxos cannot change its reserve composition without explicit approval from the NYDFS. The new monthly reserve reports underscore Paxos' commitment to transparency, trust and full dollar backing. No other stablecoin issuer provides this level of detail and full US dollar backing.

Charles Cascarilla, Paxos CEO and Co-Founder, commented, "The only way we can build trust in stablecoins and grow the adoption of this important technology globally is by continuing to embrace robust oversight and providing unprecedented transparency. Our stablecoins are a dollar backed by cash and equivalents and these enhanced disclosures underscore this point. Paxos has always offered the safest US dollar-backed stablecoins."

The recent volatility of crypto markets demonstrates the importance of full 1:1 dollar backing for stablecoins plus oversight by a primary prudential regulator. While many firms claim to offer stability and safety, without regulatory oversight from a primary prudential regulator, consumers cannot be assured that their funds and assets are safe, fully segregated and bankruptcy remote. The NYDFS recently issued stablecoin guidance that provides a foundational framework for the structure and issuance of stablecoins. Notably, Paxos stablecoins meet this regulatory guidance.

To learn more about Paxos and its regulated infrastructure and products, visit www.paxos.com .

About Paxos

Paxos is the leading regulated blockchain infrastructure platform. Its products are the foundation for a new, open financial system that can operate faster and more efficiently. Today, trillions of dollars are locked in inefficient, outdated financial plumbing that is inaccessible to millions of people. Paxos is replatforming the financial system to enable assets to instantaneously move anywhere in the world, at any time, in a trustworthy way.

Paxos uses technology to tokenize, custody, trade and settle assets. It builds enterprise blockchain solutions for institutions like PayPal, Interactive Brokers, Mastercard, MercadoLibre, Nubank, Bank of America, Credit Suisse and Societe Generale. Paxos is a top-funded fintech company with more than $540 million raised from leading investors including Oak HC/FT, Declaration Partners, Founders Fund, Mithril Capital and PayPal Ventures. With offices in New York, London and Singapore, Paxos takes a global approach to modernizing the financial system.

Media Contact: Becky Mcclain, [email protected]

SOURCE Paxos
MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pittco Management LLC, a single-family office located in Memphis, TN has appointed Corie T. Rivers, CPA, as Vice President of Finance. In this role, Ms. Rivers will oversee all tax compliance, internal and external reporting, as well as serving as a key liaison to the J.R. Hyde III Family Foundation board.

"Corie's promotion to Vice President of Finance is well deserved. She is a key member of Pittco's management team and her dedication to excellence is evident in all she does for Pittco and its affiliates. Her experience and knowledge are an invaluable asset to all of us," said Lorie Jernigan, CFO.

Ms. Rivers graduated from Mississippi State University summa cum laude with a Masters in Taxation and joined Deloitte LLP where she specialized in tax preparation and consulting for partnerships and high-net-worth individuals. She joined Pittco in September 2003 as Assistant Controller and has risen steadily through the ranks.

"My time at Pittco has given me countless opportunities to grow and expand my career. I am proud to serve this family and honored to be appointed VP of Finance", said Ms. Rivers when discussing her promotion.

About Pittco Management

Pittco Management is a single-family office for the family of Pitt Hyde, founder of AutoZone, and his wife, Barbara. Pittco was established over 30 years ago and provides investment, accounting, tax, and financial services from its headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.

Media Contact:

Pittco Management, LLC

[email protected]

SOURCE Pittco Management, LLC
Other award winners included Lay Hua So, Managing Director and Head of Group Transaction Banking of UOB; and Makoto Hasegawa, Head of Transaction Banking BNP Paribas Japan, as 'Transaction Banker of the Year'. Chintan Shah, APAC Head of Cash Management at Deutsche Bank; Yvonne Yiu, Regional Co-Head of Global Liquidity and Cash Management at HSBC APAC; and Erin Huang, China Head of Cash Management at Deutsche Bank were awarded 'Cash Management of the Year'.

Sunarso has dedicated the awards to all BRI employees, who have given their best performance and contributed a lot to Indonesia, as well as BRI's MSME customers who are the backbone of the Indonesian economy. "MSME customers in Indonesia need to be educated and informed rather than advocacy. Therefore, everything we have done and will do are focused on empowering and educating", said Sunarso.

The awards were obtained through assessment by credible external parties and several stages prior to being interviewed by Chito Santiago and Darryl Yu, Executive Editor and Deputy Editor of The Asset.

In March 2022, BRI's credit distribution reached IDR 1,075.93 trillion or grew 7.43% yoy, higher than national amount of 6.65%. Loan distribution to MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) grew 13.55%, the consumer segment grew 4.56%, and the small and medium segment grew 3.96%.

BRI's MSME loan portfolio grew 9.24% yoy, from IDR 826.85 trillion in March 2021 to IDR 903.29 trillion in March 2022, making the proportion of MSME loans compared to BRI's total loans to 83.95% and expected to be 85% in 2024.

BRI's focus on empowering MSMEs during the pandemic recorded a net profit of IDR 12.22 trillion. At the end of Q1 2022, BRI's assets reached IDR 1,650.28 trillion.

Putting more focus on MSMEs, BRI aspires to become 'The Most Valuable Banking Group in Southeast Asia and Champion of Financial Inclusion' by 2025.

Visit www.bri.co.id for more information.

SOURCE PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk (BRI)
NEW YORK, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prix Pictet, the world's leading prize in photography and sustainability, has announced 'Human' as the theme for the 10th cycle of the award.

The announcement was made at a presentation at the Theatre Antique of the work of Sally Mann, last year's Prix Pictet Laureate, as part of the annual photography festival Les Rencontres d'Arles on the evening of Thursday 7 July.

Commenting on the theme, Isabelle von Ribbentrop, Executive Director, Prix Pictet, said: "We quite rightly celebrate human creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship but too often our triumphs in science, engineering and technology come at monumental cost. The human story is more often a tale of conflict and despair than of nurture, love and co-existence.

"Yet it would be too easy to read the human story as one of tragic hubris. Yet it does not end here. We stand on the threshold of the future wondering which way the dice will fall. Our wager with posterity is that human ingenuity, intelligence, and resilience of spirit is powerful enough to insist upon a very different future for the human story."

The shortlist of photographers will be announced in early 2023. A major exhibition of the shortlisted portfolios will be held to accompany the award ceremony at the V&A in London in September 2023. The winner of the 10th cycle will receive a cash prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs (86,000, USD105,000).

The nine previous Prix Pictet winners are Benoit Aquin (Water), Nadav Kander (Earth), Mitch Epstein (Growth), Luc Delahaye (Power), Michael Schmidt (Consumption), Valerie Belin (Disorder), Richard Mosse (Space), Joana Choumali (Hope) and Sally Mann (Fire).

The Prix Pictet was founded by the Pictet Group in 2008. Today, the award is recognised as the world's leading prize for photography. On an approximately 18-month cycle, each theme aims to promote discussion and debate on critical issues of sustainability. The winner is chosen for the body of work that speaks most powerfully to the theme of the award.

Each cycle of the Prix Pictet tours globally, with exhibitions in over a dozen locations, bringing the work of the shortlisted photographers to a wide international audience.

The Prix Pictet podcast A Lens on Sustainability brings together global creators, thinkers and photographers to discuss photography and sustainability. Collaborators and guest speakers have included Don McCullin, Hannah Starkey, Sebastiao Salgado and Taryn Simon. The podcast is available via Spotify, Apple and the Prix Pictet website.

Media enquiries:

Rosario Lebrija Rassvetaieff

Prix Pictet

[email protected]

Jane Quinn/Dennis Chang

Bolton & Quinn +44 (0)20 7221 5000

[email protected] or [email protected]

Twitter: @PrixPictet

Instagram: @Prix_Pictet

Facebook.com/prixpictet

www.prixpictet.com

SOURCE Pictet Group
"The Production Sessions Program covers the growth and progress made in computer graphics technology across the industry," said SIGGRAPH 2022 Production Sessions Chair Stephanie Eisenberg. "This year is no different, and I'm excited to have these production teams share their stories, especially how new techniques advanced their work on films such as Dune, Lightyear, and Encanto . The SIGGRAPH 2022 Production Sessions program allows creators to showcase their work and discuss the highs and lows that happen during the production process."

Highlights from Production Sessions program include:

The VFX of Dune: Bringing an Iconic Story to Life [in-person]

Contributor: Stephen James, DNEG

'Dune: Part One' is the remarkable science fiction epic and the introduction of Denis Villeneuve's vision of Frank Herbert's Dune universe to viewers. DFX Supervisor Stephen James holds an eye-opening discussion of the pivotal role that DNEG played in bringing Villeneuve's immersive vision to life. He will share enthralling behind-the-scenes details of the project, and dive into the meticulously detailed VFX work, and impressive creatures that played a climactic role in the creation of an iconic film.

Lightyear: Beyond the Infinite [virtual]

Contributors: Nathan Fariss and Chris Wiggum, Pixar Animation Studios

'Lightyear,' Pixar's sci-fi action adventure, is the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy. In this Production Session, Nathan Fariss and Chris Wiggum trace their challenging journey to create a cohesive visual look that was both stylistically unique yet referential to the Toy Story world. This includes sets, characters, shading, tailoring & simulation, effects, compositing, and lighting. Their mission was one of ultimate complexity as they faced technological and artistic challenges all while racing against the clock to finish the film.

Weta FX Presents: The Batman [in-person]

Contributors: Beck Veitch and Dennis Yoo, Weta FX

The Batman is the 19th appearance of the Caped Crusader in film, and as such, director Matt Reeves needed to find a new angle for the titular hero. The result is a brooding, ominous tone befitting the Gotham City setting and reflective of Reeves' emotionally complicated version of the Batman. Compositing Supervisor Beck Veitch presents the work alongside Animation Supervisor Dennis Yoo. Beck and Dennis will also talk through the production of two major environments--the Batcave, an abandoned neo-gothic subway, and the City Hall, where the mayor's funeral is gate-crashed by an unlucky victim.

We Don't Talk About Bruno  An Encanto Musical Sequence Unveiled [in-person]

Contributors: Michelle Robinson and Tad Miller, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Encanto" tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. In this session, the filmmakers break down their collaborative process in creating the iconic song sequence, "We Don't Talk About Bruno," as well as discussing the work and tight focus that went into creating this large, diverse, magical family. From building characters for a musical set in Colombia to a deep dive into the cinematography process, the discussion will cover the theatrical inspiration and partnerships between choreography, layout, and animation.

The Champion: Neural Render Case Study [virtual]

Contributor: Mike Seymour, University of Sydney

The Champion of Auschwitz is the first full-length feature film that was neural rendered in order to allow the actors to be converted from performing in German to performing in English. In this Polish film, set in WW2, the entire production was filmed and finished in German. Using advances in AI and machine learning, the actors' faces have been replaced by inferred versions, visually built from English re-performances of the original dialogue. This production session discusses the important issues involved in doing professional neural rendering on a large scale - hundreds of shots, often with multiple characters in the same frame. Based on new technology, The Champion used only the footage already edited for the final German version of the film, combined with a robust and non-intrusive recording of the actors delivering the lines in English. The panel will discuss innovations in technology and provide insights into further advances that the team is working on, as well as the lessons learned and the advances in ML that allowed the wide-scale adoption of this technology in place of traditional dubbing or subtitles.

"For the Talks program, we're excited to discuss the latest techniques and technological innovations that are being implemented today," stated SIGGRAPH 2022 General Submissions Chair Chris Redmann. "The SIGGRAPH community continues to develop solutions to advance the computer graphics industry. From user solutions that can be applied to common workflows to unique practices that can assist in preserving history, our industry continues to evolve. These are conversations that I believe this year's participants and attendees will appreciate and value."

Highlights from the Talks Program include:

Sex and Gender in the Computer Graphics Research Literature [in-person]

Contributors: Ana Dodik, MIT; Silvia Sellan, University of Toronto; Theodore Kim, Yale University; Amand Phillips, Georgetown University

A discussion around a survey of the treatment of sex and gender in the computer graphics research literature from an algorithmic fairness perspective, which reveals scientifically incorrect and potentially harmful assumptions. The talk proposes ways of addressing these as technical limitations and pose open questions.

Fast and Robust Solution for Cubic and Higher-Order Polynomial [virtual]

Contributor: Cem Yuksel, University of Utah

Demonstration that shows cubic and higher-order polynomials can be solved easily and efficiently. A presentation of a fast and robust method for finding real roots of cubic and higher-order polynomials. It provides guaranteed convergence and satisfies the given error bound.

Modular Scene Filtering via the Pixar Hydra 2.0 Architecture [virtual]

Contributors: Tom Cauchois and Steve LaVietes, Pixar

A conversation about the design of the Hydra 2.0 architecture and how it enables modular pipeline- or workflow-specific scene transformations. The discussion includes two examples: configurable material network transformations, and fine-grained scene data merging for application integration and supporting proxy object workflows.

How We Reconstructed the Neighborhood Destroyed by the Tulsa Race Massacre [virtual]

Contributors: Yuliya Parshina-Kottas and Anjali Singvi, The New York Times

The New York Times used archival materials, data, and maps to make a 3D visualization of the African American neighborhood of Greenwood (Tulsa, Oklahoma), before it was destroyed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. This discussion will be around the use of geo-spatial data analysis, 3D, and machine-learning to recreate the lost neighborhood.

Building an Illustrated World in The Bad Guys [virtual]

Contributors: Jeff Budsberg, Pablo Valle, and Paolo de Guzman, DreamWorks Animation

The artistic style of "The Bad Guys" is inspired by the strong and simplified details of 2D illustration with its hand-drawn imperfections. Similar to traditional artists, the film needed techniques to selectively apply detail and thoughtfully deconstruct objects, focusing on artistic flexibility while maintaining scalability.

Access to the SIGGRAPH 2022 Production Sessions and Talks programs is available at varying registration levels. Learn more and register for the conference at s2022.SIGGRAPH.org/register.

About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH, and SIGGRAPH 2022

ACM , the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world's leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2022, the 49th annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place as a hybrid event, with live events 811 August at the Vancouver Contention Centre and virtual content available starting 25 July through 31 October. Click here for news from the conference and its partners.

SOURCE SIGGRAPH
NEW YORK, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Unity Software Inc. (NYSE: U) between March 5, 2021 and May 10, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 6, 2022.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Unity securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Unity class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7381 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 6, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) deficiencies in Unity's product platform reduced the accuracy of the Company's machine learning technology; (2) the foregoing was likely to have a material negative impact on the Company's revenues; (3) accordingly, Unity had overstated the Company's commercial and/or financial prospects for 2022; (4) as a result, the Company was likely to have to reduce its fiscal 2022 guidance; and (5) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Unity class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7381 mailto:or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
CHICAGO, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Safe Stays by ReloShare, which is transforming the way social service agencies secure safe emergency lodging for victims of crime, continues its expansion and growth with the addition of a prominent hotel brand and new social service agency users in multiple states.

The latest hotel addition to the Safe Stays portal is a prominent national company with hundreds of thousands of US hotel rooms across multiple brands. Rooms from this hotel brand now are available for online bookings by social agencies seeking lodging for people in emergency situations.

Since January, more than 135 new social service and governmental agencies also have been onboarded to the Safe Stays by ReloShare hotel-booking platform. In all, more than 220 agencies across the US now are using this custom platform to secure local lodging for crime survivors, ensuring complete anonymity via name aliases and without credit card and identification requirements upon check-in.

Ahimsa House, Georgia's first and only organization dedicated to helping the human and animal victims of domestic violence reach safety together, has increased its monthly bookings since using the ReloShare platform.

"Safe Stays by ReloShare is a total game-changer," said Justin Maslanka, victim services coordinator, Ahimsa House, Atlanta. "It now takes us less than 30 minutes to find and book a hotel, with quick confirmation from a ReloShare representative that they are taking care of all communication with the hotel. Before Safe Stays, we dreaded having to find a hotel for a client because it was so stressful. Now staff, volunteers, and clients alike all get excited when we say we can almost immediately find a safe place for the client."

YWCA of Richmond, Virginia, is a partner of EmpowerNet, a regional network of six domestic and sexual violence agencies in the Greater Richmond area. The agency believes Safe Stays simplifies and improves its client support.

"We love the efficiency that Safe Stays by ReloShare creates for our staff and the helpfulness they offer in securing safe housing for our clients," said Mica' Morgan, director of EmpowerNet, YWCA Richmond. "ReloShare takes care of confirming anonymous hotel space, ensuring that our clients do not have to share their name or provide identification upon arrival. They are prompt with their responses and keep us updated throughout the booking process."

Meanwhile, Safe Stays by ReloShare recently earned honorable mention in the "On the Rise: 0-4 years in business category" of Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards 2022. This Fast Company program is an annual recognition of the innovative ways companies and individuals are tackling the world's most prominent challenges. Earlier this year, Safe Stays by ReloShare was named to Fast Company's prestigious annual list of the World's Most Innovative Companies for 2022, honoring businesses that are making the biggest impact on their industries and culture as a whole.

"We and our partners are proud to continue our award-winning efforts in support of people who need help during their most vulnerable times," said Matt Singley, chief executive officer, ReloShare. "Safe Stays is driven to help social agencies be more efficient and effective in supporting their clients, while teaming with some of the top hotel brands to ensure room availability on an emergency basis. Together, we are making a great difference in a problem that unfortunately affects so many people in this nation."

About Safe Stays by ReloShare

Safe Stays by Reloshare offers social service nonprofits and government agencies the ability to find and secure local lodging from national hotel providers in real-time with built-in confidentiality featuresessential for people needing emergency housing due to domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and other crimes. Safe Stays is a business of ReloShare, the first real-time corporate housing and hotel booking and sourcing marketplace in North America, founded in 2020. The company, based in Chicago, is built on a foundation of technology, housing, and corporate travel experience and expertise. Visit us at https://www.reloshare.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram .

News Media Contact:

Safe Stays by ReloShare

[email protected]

312-485-1388

SOURCE ReloShare
Marriott Wealth Advisors becomes a division of mFORCE Capital, a Sanctuary partner firm

INDIANAPOLIS, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanctuary Wealth, home to the next generation of elite advisors, welcomes Marriott Wealth Advisors, an independent firm specializing in retirement planning in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Founded by Joseph Marriott in 2010, the firm is joining Sanctuary Wealth as Marriott Wealth Advisors, Inc., a division of mFORCE Capital, with approximately $140 million in client assets under advisement (AUA). The acquisition was made possible by Sanctuary Wealth's Partnership Program, which allows Sanctuary to make highly targeted acquisitions on behalf of its partner firms, by supplying capital while taking only a minority stake in the acquired practice.

"We're extremely pleased to have been able to facilitate Joe Marriott and his team joining Sanctuary Wealth through our partnership acquisition program," said Jim Dickson, CEO and Founder of Sanctuary Wealth. "They are a highly successful group of professionals who align perfectly in terms of philosophy, culture, and work ethic with our existing partner mFORCE Capital, and we were glad to make that match. We look forward to providing the resources they need to continue providing excellent advice and consistent service to their clients."

Marriott felt that at this point in his career it made sense to align his three-person firm with a larger independent who could provide long-term stability to his clients while also helping Marriott Wealth Advisors continue to grow. He knew exactly what he wanted in a partner and after much due diligence, found it in Sanctuary Wealth.

"Sanctuary Wealth had everything I was looking forintegrity, professionalism, a management team that had grown up in this business, modern technology, and a great open architecture platform. I told Sanctuary what my goals and objectives were, and they introduced me to a great partner in Brad Bruce and mFORCE Capital," said Joseph Marriott, RICP, President & Wealth Advisor, Marriott Wealth Advisors, Inc., a division of mFORCE Capital. "I found that Brad and I spoke the same language, approached investing client money in the same way, and always put our clients first. It just all came together seamlessly."

"We are fiercely committed to helping all our partner firms achieve their full growth potential, both organically and through acquisitions," said Michael Longley, Chief Growth Officer, Sanctuary Wealth. "Joe Marriott wanted a succession plan that would assure his clients continued to receive the care and attention that he and his team have delivered for so many years, and mFORCE Capital was looking for additional opportunities in a new market. The two teams were highly compatible, and we were able to help them come together in a way that allows each team to realize its own objectives."

A veteran of three decades in financial services, prior to launching Marriott Wealth Advisors, Joseph Marriott was a senior vice president and complex manager for two large Wall Street firms. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Iowa and is also a Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP). Also on his team are Operations Manager Lindsey Robinson and Administrative Assistant Deena Butler.

"From my first phone call with Joe Marriott, I could feel the connection. We both come from a wirehouse background and share a 'client first and always do the right thing' attitude. It just seemed like a natural fit," said Brad Bruce, Founder, CEO, and Wealth Management Advisor, mForce Capital. "And on top of that, as a native Arkansan, I had always wanted to have a footprint in the state. Together with mFORCE's COO Joana Horton, I'll be working to integrate Marriott Wealth Advisors into the Sanctuary network and doing all we can to help them be even more successful."

About Sanctuary Wealth

Sanctuary Wealth (sanctuarywealth.com/) is the advanced platform for the next generation of elite advisors, who have the entrepreneurial spirit to build and own their own practices and desire the freedom to deliver the tailored service their clients deserve. Sanctuary's ecosystem of partnered independence provides a complete technology and operations platform, as well as support from a community of like-minded advisors and the resources of invaluable affiliated businesses. Currently, the Sanctuary Wealth network includes partner firms across 20 states with over $22.0 billion in assets under advisement. The Sanctuary Wealth Group includes the fully owned subsidiaries Sanctuary Advisors, a registered investment adviser, and the broker-dealer Sanctuary Securities, as well as Sanctuary Asset Management, Sanctuary Insurance Solutions, Sanctuary Global, and Sanctuary Global Tax and Family Office.

CONTACT: Michaela Morales

JConnelly

973 224 7152

SOURCE Sanctuary Wealth
The projects cover various fields including biomedicine, new materials, intelligent manufacturing, new energy, financial services as well as scientific research institutions.

As a pilot zone for the comprehensive national science center of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Guangming is committed to developing itself into a hub of innovation, a pioneer in science-powered economy, and a settlement for innovative talents.

"Guangming is now in a golden period for development and construction, which contains precious opportunities for investment and growth," said Cai Ying, district mayor of Guangming, in a speech delivered at the conference. "We sincerely invite entrepreneurs from across the world to share with us the scientific dividends and join us to create a better future for Guangming."

At the conference, policies aimed to improve the district's industrial space and support various industries were presented, including manufacturing, financing, commercial and service industries, and software and information service industries, as well as eight emerging strategic industries and five future industries.

A plan to attract talents to the Guangming Science City was also unveiled. The plan consists of 20 measures that include programs to cultivate young talents in science and technology, outstanding engineers, as well as entrepreneurs who are also experts in science and technology.

According to the conference, Guangming will provide 40,000 more public housing apartments and 68,800 more school seats for compulsory education by 2025.

Foshan Tongtaisheng Precision Electromechanical Technology Co. Ltd., a precision machinery and automation equipment manufacturing enterprise founded in 2012 in Foshan, will locate its research headquarters in Guangming.

"We choose Guangming because of the advantages that Guangming Science City offers in innovation, research and development, talent attraction, economic growth and industrial policies," said Wang Yangxi, vice general manager of the company, adding that the excellent ecological environment of Guangming will also help the company attract more talents.

Hengmei Optoelectronics Co. Ltd. (HMO), an upstream enterprise of Guangming-based display maker TCL CSOT, will build a manufacturing base for polaroid, optical functional films and other products in a TCL CSOT industrial park. "An ultra-high-resolution display industrial cluster has taken shape in Guangming," said Tan Zhimin, vice general manager of HMO. "The district also has an advantage in its industrial policies, which will help enterprises to reduce cost. We're confident about our future development in Guangming."

Jiang Su Honghui Energy Engineering Co. Ltd. is an engineering company that provide services to high-end industries, such as semiconductor, biomedicine and new energy. According to Liu Yunyan, executive general manager of the company, they have decided to invest in Guangming because the district is accelerating the construction of a pilot zone for the comprehensive national science center of the GBA, and also because Guangming is a young district. "Guangming has advantages in its educational resources, medical services and the number of high-end talents. The higher education institutions in the district, such as the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology and Chinese Academy of Sciences, are also useful resources to help us improve our research ability," said Liu.

Thus far, industrial clusters in the fields of ultra-high-resolution displays, new materials and intelligent sensors have been formed in Guangming. Currently, the district is home to more than 78,000 enterprises, including 1,735 industrial enterprises above designated size, seven enterprises with an annual output of over 10 billion yuan, 50 with an annual output over 1 billion yuan, 26 listed companies and 1,703 national high-tech enterprises.

This is a Shenzhen Daily report:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/G4dBxXCIWVGZbNKHy8Ys8w

SOURCE Shenzhen Daily
NOIDA, India, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights the Solar Tracker Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 6% from 2021-2027. The analysis has been segmented into Technology (Photovoltaic and Concentrated solar power); Type (Single axis and Dual axis); Application (Utility and Non-utility); Region/Country.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

The report has been aggregated by collecting informative data from various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the solar tracker market globally. This report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the global market at regional and country levels.

Request for Sample Pages

Market Overview

The global solar tracker market is experiencing significant growth due to increasing environmental concerns over carbon emission, policy support from governments to adopt renewable technologies, and raise in energy demand along with their inherent thermal storage capacity. Typically, a solar tracking system adjusts the face of the solar panel or reflective surfaces to follow the movement of the Sun. Solar trackers are increasingly used in both utility and residential and commercial-grade solar panels due to improved and more efficient solar trapping technology. Furthermore, major players are focusing on developing technologically advanced products. For instance, in October 2021, Arctech Solar Holding Co. Ltd. and BIPV solutions provider announced the global launch of its latest horizontal single-axis solar tracking system SkyLine II, the first 1P (one-in-portrait) tracker designed with a pentagonal torque tube and synchronous multi-point drive mechanism. As per the company, Due to the design, SkyLine II utilizes the fewest posts per MW in the industry (180 posts/MW), which consequently decreases Engineering Procurement Construction's cost by about 2%.

COVID-19 Impact

The outbreak of COVID-19 had a neutral impact on the solar tracker market. Severe health crises across the world and several casualties led to lockdown across the globe. Hence, disrupted the installation and deployment of new renewable energy projects across the globe. In addition, Investment in renewable and clean energy fell due to lower economic capacity & disruption in the supply chain. Thus, the market has been slightly affected in terms of project delays and supply chain disruptions during Q1 and Q2 2020.

The global Solar Tracker market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on technology, the solar tracker market is classified into photovoltaic and concentrated solar power. Amongst technology, the photovoltaic category accounted for a significant share of the market. The tracking functionality in standard photovoltaic trackers is used to minimize the angle of incidence between the incoming light and the photovoltaic panel. This increases the amount of energy gathered from the direct component of the incoming sunlight. Furthermore, rising investments in various utility-scale projects across the developing nations will increase the share of solar in the renewable energy mix, which is expected to drive the market.

Based on type, the market is categorized into single axis and dual axis. Among these, the single-axis tracker accounted for the major share of the market in 2020. This is mainly attributed to the increased investor awareness and the need to maximize power output in a competitive market. Single-axis solar trackers are becoming increasingly popular in the market due to their low cost and lower design complexity when compared to dual-axis trackers.

Based on application, the market is bifurcated into utility and non-utility. Among these, the non-utility segment is to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The increasing adoption of solar PV systems in the non-utility areas (commercial and residential sectors) is primarily driven by expected savings in electricity costs, the need for an alternative source of electricity, and the desire to mitigate climate change risk.

Have a Look at the Chapters

Solar Tracker Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America ( United States , Canada , and Rest of North America )

( , , and Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , United Kingdom , Italy , France , Spain , and the Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , and the Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , India , Australia , Japan , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

Based on the estimation, China is likely to witness high growth due to stringent government regulations leading to a surge in demand for renewable sources of energy which needs a solar tracker system. It is expected that China will reach more than 50% total installed capacity of solar panels in the world by 2050 followed by North America at 20% and Europe and 10%. China has already made its initial 2030 target of reaching 20% and is now shifting from a feed-in tariff system to competitive bidding. Thus, growing solar power installations in countries like China and India are further expected to drive the APAC solar tracker market during the forecast period.

The major players targeting the market include

Valmont Industries Inc.

NEXTracker Inc.

Array Technologies, Inc.

PV Hardware Solutions SLU

Arctech Solar Holding Co. Ltd

Soltec Energias Renovables SL

Nclave Renewable SL

Ideematec Deutschland GmbH

Gonvarri Industries

GameChange Solar

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating globally. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the global Solar Tracker market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on market competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the global Solar Tracker market?

Which factors are influencing the global solar tracker market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the global Solar Tracker market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the global Solar Tracker market?

What are the demanding global regions of the global Solar Tracker market?

What will be the market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by the companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI)

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About UnivDatos Market Insights

UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

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SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
SEATTLE, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

United States District Court

SOUTHERN District of CALIFORNIA

In re BofI Holding, Inc. Securities Litigation Case No. 3:15-cv-2324-GPC-KSC



Class Action

SUMMARY NOTICE OF (I) PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT; (II) SETTLEMENT HEARING; AND (III) MOTION FOR AN AWARD OF ATTORNEYS' FEES, REIMBURSEMENT OF LITIGATION EXPENSES, AND LEAD PLAINTIFF'S SERVICE AWARD

This notice is for all persons who purchased or otherwise acquired shares of the publicly traded common stock of BofI Holding, Inc. (now known as Axos Financial, Inc.), as well as purchasers of BofI call options and sellers of BofI put options, between September 4, 2013 through and including October 13, 2015. Certain persons and entities are excluded from the Class as set forth in detail in the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement dated April 13, 2022 ("Stipulation") and the Notice described below.

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY; YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PENDING IN THIS COURT.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an Order of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California ("Court"), that the parties to the above-captioned action ("Action") have reached a proposed settlement for $14,100,000 in cash ("Settlement") that, if approved, will resolve all claims in the Action.

A hearing will be held on October 7, 2022, at 1:30 p.m., before the Honorable Gonzalo P. Curiel at the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse, Courtroom 2D, 221 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101, to determine: (i) whether the proposed Settlement should be approved as fair, reasonable, and adequate; (ii) whether the Action should be dismissed with prejudice against Defendants, and the releases specified and described in the Stipulation (and in the Notice described below) should be entered; (iii) whether the proposed Plan of Allocation should be approved as fair and reasonable; and (iv) whether Class Counsel's application for an award of attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses, and Lead Plaintiff's application for a service award, should be approved.

If you are a member of the Class, your rights will be affected by the pending Action and the Settlement, and you may be entitled to share in the Settlement Fund. This notice provides only a summary of the information contained in the detailed Notice of (I) Proposed Class Action Settlement; (II) Settlement Hearing; and (III) Motion for an Award of Attorneys' Fees and Reimbursement of Litigation Expenses and Lead Plaintiff's Service Award ("Notice"). You may obtain a copy of the Notice, along with the Claim Form, on the website for the Settlement, www.BofISecuritiesLitigation.com. .You may also obtain copies of the Notice and Claim Form by contacting the Claims Administrator at In re BofI Holding, Inc. Securities Litigation Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, P.O. Box 91425, Seattle, WA 98111; 1-888-921-1538; [email protected].

If you are a member of the Class, in order to be eligible to receive a payment under the proposed Settlement, you must submit a Claim Form postmarked no later than November 7, 2022, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Claim Form. If you are a Class Member and do not submit a proper Claim Form, you will not be eligible to share in the distribution of the net proceeds of the Settlement but you will nevertheless be bound by any releases, judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action.

If you are a member of the Class and wish to exclude yourself from the Class, you must submit a request for exclusion such that it is postmarked no later than August 8, 2022, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice. If you properly exclude yourself from the Class, you will not be bound by any releases, judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action and you will not be eligible to share in the net proceeds of the Settlement. Excluding yourself is the only option that may allow you to be part of any other current or future lawsuit against Defendants or any of the other released parties concerning the claims being resolved by the Settlement. Please note, however, if you decide to exclude yourself from the Class, you may be time-barred from asserting the claims covered by the Action by a statute of repose.

If you are a member of the Class and previously requested exclusion, you now have the opportunity to opt-back into the Class and participate in the Settlement. If you elect to opt-back into the Class, you will be able to submit a Claim Form and be eligible to share in the distribution of the net proceeds of the Settlement. If you elect to opt-back into the Class, you will be bound by any releases, judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action, regardless of whether or not you submit a Claim Form.

Class Counsel will apply to the Court to be paid from the Settlement Fund, and any payment will be made only in the amount that is approved by the Court. Class Counsel will ask the Court for an award of attorneys' fees of no more than 25% of the Settlement Fund (i.e., no more than $3,525,000). In addition, Class Counsel will ask the Court to reimburse them out of the Settlement Fund for the expenses they reasonably incurred and will incur in litigating this case on behalf of Class Members, in an amount not to exceed $1,400,000. Class Counsel will also ask the Court to approve a Service Award of up to $15,000 for the Class Representative as an award for its service to the Class as Plaintiff and Class Representative out of the Settlement Fund. Class Counsel will also request authorization to pay the Claims Administrator, directly from the Settlement Fund, all Notice and Administration Costs actually incurred and paid or payable up to $350,000, which Class Counsel and the Claims Administrator estimate to be the maximum amount likely to be required. Any amount in excess of that would be payable from the Settlement Fund only upon further approval of the Court. The amount of the Settlement Fund that remains after the payment of all Court-approved attorneys' fees, reimbursement of expenses, Service Award, and Notice and Administration Costs will be distributed to Class Members who have submitted valid claims for compensation and have not timely excluded themselves from the Settlement in a manner approved by the Court.

Any objections to the proposed Settlement, the proposed Plan of Allocation, and/or Class Counsel's motion for attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses and Lead Plaintiff's requested Service Award, must be filed with the Court and delivered to Class Counsel and Defendants' Counsel such that they are received no later than August 8, 2022, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice.

The issuance of this Notice is not an expression of any opinion by the Court concerning the merits of any claim in the Action, and the Court still has to decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Defendants deny the allegations of wrongdoing asserted in this Action, and deny any liability whatsoever to any member of the Class.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, DEFENDANTS, OR THEIR COUNSEL REGARDING THIS NOTICE. All questions about this notice, the Settlement, or your eligibility to participate in the Settlement should be directed to Class Counsel or the Claims Administrator.

Requests for the Notice and Claim Form

should be made to the Claims Administrator:

Inquiries, other than requests for the Notice

and Claim Form, may be made to Class

Counsel: In re BofI Holding, Inc. Securities Litigation c/o JND Legal Administration P.O. Box 91425 Seattle, WA 98111 888-921-1538 [email protected] www.BofISecuritiesLitigation.com

Richard M. Heimann, Esq. Katherine Lubin Benson, Esq. Michael K. Sheen, Esq. LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP 275 Battery Street, 29th Floor San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 956-1000 [email protected]

BY ORDER OF THE COURT

United States District Court

Southern District of California

SOURCE JND Legal Administration
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'Global Hospital EMR Systems Market (2022-2027) by Component, Type, Deployment, Hospital Size, Geography, Competitive Analysis, and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Hospital EMR Systems Market is estimated to be USD 18.12 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 25.65 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.2%.

Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Hospital EMR Systems Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.

As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Advanced Data Systems, AdvancedMD, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Athenahealth, Cantata Health, CareCloud, Cerner, ChartLogic, Computer Programs And Systems, CureMD Healthcare, Dr Chrono, eClinicalWorks, Epic Systems, GE Healthcare, Greenway Health, InterSystems, Kareo, MEDHOST, Medical Information Technology, Modernizing Medicine, MTBC, NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, WebPT, etc.

Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.

Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Hospital EMR Systems Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.

The report analyses the Global Hospital EMR Systems Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Hospital EMR Systems Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Report Description

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Growing Patient Volume and Requirement of EMR systems Associated with Management of Healthcare Data

4.1.2 Potential Demand Attributed to Growing Healthcare Sectors Across the Globe

4.1.3 Favorable Governmental Regulations to Incorporate EMR Systems

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Cost of EMR Installation Systems

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Increasing Adoption of Cloud-Based Data Systems for Data Management

4.3.2 Rising Investments in Healthcare Sectors by the Governmental Policies

4.3.3 Shift Towards Patient-Centric Healthcare Delivery

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Concern Related to the Privacy and Misuse of Medical Records

5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis

6 Global Hospital EMR Systems Market, By Component

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Hardware

6.3 Software

6.4 Services

7 Global Hospital EMR Systems Market, By Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 General EMR Solutions

7.3 Specialty EMR Solutions

8 Global Hospital EMR Systems Market, By Deployment

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Cloud-based

8.3 On-premise

9 Global Hospital EMR Systems Market, By Hospital Size

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Small Hospital

9.3 Large Hospital

10 Americas' Hospital EMR Systems Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Argentina

10.3 Brazil

10.4 Canada

10.5 Chile

10.6 Colombia

10.7 Mexico

10.8 Peru

10.9 United States

10.10 Rest of Americas

11 Europe's Hospital EMR Systems Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Austria

11.3 Belgium

11.4 Denmark

11.5 Finland

11.6 France

11.7 Germany

11.8 Italy

11.9 Netherlands

11.10 Norway

11.11 Poland

11.12 Russia

11.13 Spain

11.14 Sweden

11.15 Switzerland

11.16 United Kingdom

11.17 Rest of Europe

12 Middle East and Africa's Hospital EMR Systems Market

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Egypt

12.3 Israel

12.4 Qatar

12.5 Saudi Arabia

12.6 South Africa

12.7 United Arab Emirates

12.8 Rest of MEA

13 APAC's Hospital EMR Systems Market

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Australia

13.3 Bangladesh

13.4 China

13.5 India

13.6 Indonesia

13.7 Japan

13.8 Malaysia

13.9 Philippines

13.10 Singapore

13.11 South Korea

13.12 Sri Lanka

13.13 Thailand

13.14 Taiwan

13.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific

14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Competitive Quadrant

14.2 Market Share Analysis

14.3 Strategic Initiatives

14.3.1 M&A and Investments

14.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

14.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements

15 Company Profiles

15.1 Advanced Data Systems

15.2 AdvancedMD

15.3 Allscripts Healthcare Solutions

15.4 Athenahealth

15.5 Cantata Health

15.6 CareCloud

15.7 Cerner

15.8 ChartLogic

15.9 Computer Programs And Systems

15.10 CureMD Healthcare

15.11 Dr Chrono

15.12 eClinicalWorks

15.13 Epic Systems

15.14 GE Healthcare

15.15 Greenway Health

15.16 InterSystems

15.17 Kareo

15.18 MEDHOST

15.19 Medical Information Technology

15.20 Modernizing Medicine

15.21 MTBC

15.22 NextGen Healthcare Information Systems

15.23 WebPT

16 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v8nlul

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Medical Simulation Market (2022-2027) by Product & Service, End-User, Geography, Competitive Analysis, and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Medical Simulation Market is estimated to be USD 2.14 Bn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 4.33 Bn by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 15.14%.



Market dynamics are forces that impact the prices and behaviors of the Global Medical Simulation Market stakeholders. These forces create pricing signals which result from the changes in the supply and demand curves for a given product or service. Forces of Market Dynamics may be related to macro-economic and micro-economic factors. There are dynamic market forces other than price, demand, and supply. Human emotions can also drive decisions, influence the market, and create price signals.



As the market dynamics impact the supply and demand curves, decision-makers aim to determine the best way to use various financial tools to stem various strategies for speeding the growth and reducing the risks.

Company Profiles

The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitors in the market. It covers the financial performance analysis for the publicly listed companies in the market. The report also offers detailed information on the companies' recent development and competitive scenario. Some of the companies covered in this report are Adam, Rouilly, Advanced Electronic Devices, Altay Scientific, CAE, Cardionic, etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Ansoff Analysis

The report presents a detailed Ansoff matrix analysis for the Global Medical Simulation Market. Ansoff Matrix, also known as Product/Market Expansion Grid, is a strategic tool used to design strategies for the growth of the company. The matrix can be used to evaluate approaches in four strategies viz. Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. The matrix is also used for risk analysis to understand the risk involved with each approach.

The report analyses the Global Medical Simulation Market using the Ansoff Matrix to provide the best approaches a company can take to improve its market position.

Based on the SWOT analysis conducted on the industry and industry players, the analyst has devised suitable strategies for market growth.

Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Medical Simulation Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Huge Demand Attributed to Build Skilled Healthcare Staff

4.1.2 Increase in Target Population to Enhance Customer Care with Treatments

4.1.3 Increasing Demand to Achieve Enhanced Clinical Decision Making

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Capital Investment

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Ongoing Higher Private Fundings in Healthcare Sectors

4.3.2 Emerging Simulation Technologies along with Rising Awareness towards Hospital Care Management

4.3.3 Increasing Popularity of Virtual Training

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Stringent Rules and Regulations Associated with Healthcare Simulation



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Medical Simulation Market, By Product & Service

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Medical Simulation Anatomical Models

6.2.1 Patient Simulators

6.2.1.1 High-fidelity Simulators

6.2.1.2 Medium-fidelity simulators

6.2.1.3 Low-fidelity simulators

6.2.2 Task Trainers

6.2.3 Interventional/Surgical Simulators

6.2.3.1 Laparoscopic surgical simulators

6.2.3.2 Gynecology simulators

6.2.3.3 Cardiovascular simulators

6.2.3.4 Orthopedic surgical simulators

6.2.3.5 Spine surgical simulators

6.2.3.6 other surgical simulators

6.2.4 Endovascular Simulators

6.2.5 Ultrasound Simulators

6.2.6 Dental Simulators

6.2.7 Eye Simulators

6.3 Web-Based Simulation

6.4 Medical Simulation Software

6.4.1 Performance Recording Software

6.4.2 Virtual Tutors

6.5 Simulation Training Services

6.5.1 Custom Consulting Services

6.5.2 Education Societies

6.5.3 Vendor Based Training



7 Global Medical Simulation Market, By End-User

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Academic Institutes

7.3 Hospitals

7.4 Military Organizations



8 Americas' Medical Simulation Market

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Argentina

8.3 Brazil

8.4 Canada

8.5 Chile

8.6 Colombia

8.7 Mexico

8.8 Peru

8.9 United States

8.10 Rest of Americas



9 Europe's Medical Simulation Market

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Austria

9.3 Belgium

9.4 Denmark

9.5 Finland

9.6 France

9.7 Germany

9.8 Italy

9.9 Netherlands

9.10 Norway

9.11 Poland

9.12 Russia

9.13 Spain

9.14 Sweden

9.15 Switzerland

9.16 United Kingdom

9.17 Rest of Europe



10 Middle East and Africa's Medical Simulation Market

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Egypt

10.3 Israel

10.4 Qatar

10.5 Saudi Arabia

10.6 South Africa

10.7 United Arab Emirates

10.8 Rest of MEA



11 APAC's Medical Simulation Market

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Australia

11.3 Bangladesh

11.4 China

11.5 India

11.6 Indonesia

11.7 Japan

11.8 Malaysia

11.9 Philippines

11.10 Singapore

11.11 South Korea

11.12 Sri Lanka

11.13 Thailand

11.14 Taiwan

11.15 Rest of Asia-Pacific



12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Competitive Quadrant

12.2 Market Share Analysis

12.3 Strategic Initiatives

12.3.1 M&A and Investments

12.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

12.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



13 Company Profiles

13.1 Adam, Rouilly

13.2 Advanced Electronic Devices

13.3 Altay Scientific

13.4 CAE

13.5 Cardionic

13.6 Epona Medical

13.7 Gaumard Scientific

13.8 Intelligent Ultrasound

13.9 KaVo Dental

13.10 Kyoto Kagaku

13.11 Laerdal Medical

13.12 Limbs & Things

13.13 Mentice

13.14 Operative Experience

13.15 Simulab

13.16 Simulaids

13.17 Surgical Science Sweden

13.18 VirtaMed

13.19 Yuan Technology



14 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/oeaiyk

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
NEW YORK, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Voyager Digital Ltd. ("Voyager" or the "Company") (TSX: VOYG) (OTC Pink: VYGVF) (FRA: UCD2), today announced that it has given notice to the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") that the Company will voluntarily delist its common shares from the TSX. This action is being taken by the Company in response to the TSX notifying the Company that the TSX would be conducting a review of the eligibility for continued listing on TSX of the Company's common shares as a result of the Company and its main operating subsidiaries filing voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York.

Due to this review, trading in Voyager shares has been suspended by the TSX. Voyager has also been notified that, due to its bankruptcy filing, the Company no longer qualifies for the OTCQX International. Effective today, shares will trade on the OTC Pink Sheets. However, due to the TSX trading halt and delisting review, shares are also halted on the OTC.

The Company plans to apply to the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") to transition the trading of its common shares from the TSX to the CSE. While the Company expects that trading in its shares will transition from the TSX to the CSE, there is no guarantee that the CSE will approve the trading in the Company's shares or that such transition will occur.

Parties with questions about the chapter 11 process may contact the Company's Claims Agent, Stretto, at +1 (855) 473-8665 (toll-free in the U.S.) or +1 (949) 271-6507 (for parties outside the U.S.). They have also set up a website at http://cases.stretto.com/Voyager, which includes court documents and other information.

About Voyager Digital Ltd.

Voyager Digital Ltd.'s (TSX: VOYG) (OTC Pink: VYGVF) (FRA: UCD2) US subsidiary, Voyager Digital, LLC, is a cryptocurrency platform in the United States founded in 2018 to bring choice, transparency, and cost-efficiency to the marketplace. Voyager offers a secure way to trade over 100 different crypto assets using its easy-to-use mobile application. Through its subsidiary Coinify ApS, Voyager provides crypto payment solutions for both consumers and merchants around the globe. To learn more about the company, please visit https://www.investvoyager.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the intend to file an application to list the common shares on the CSE and the listing of such shares on the CSE, restructuring process, the restructuring Plan, available remedies for recovery from 3AC, intended filings as part of the restructuring process, resumption of account access, return of value to customers, the ability of Voyager to continue as a going concern, exploration of strategic alternatives, discussions with third parties in respect of strategic alternatives and the results of those discussions, the temporary nature of the suspension of the platform, future growth and performance of the business, the exploration of strategic alternatives, future adoption of digital assets, anticipated trends and challenges in our business and industry, the regulation of digital assets offerings, the impact of the 3AC default on the Company, the Company's liquidity and ability to satisfy customer orders and withdrawals and the Company's anticipated results may constitute forward looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements), which can be identified by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "intend," "continue" or "believe" (or the negatives) or other similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Voyager's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any of its future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. It is uncertain as to the timing or approval of any listing application with the CSE, timing or results of the restructuring process or the terms of the final restructuring plan, when account access will resume, the value to be returned to customers, what amount Voyager will be able to recover from 3AC for non-payment or the legal remedies available to Voyager in connection with such non-payment or the impact on the future business, cash flows, liquidity and prospects of Voyager as a result of 3AC's non-payment. Forward looking statements are subject to the risk that the global economy, industry, or the Company's businesses and investments do not perform as anticipated, that revenue or expenses estimates may not be met or may be materially less or more than those anticipated, that parties to whom the Company lends assets are able to repay such loans in full and in a timely manner, that trading momentum does not continue or the demand for trading solutions declines, customer acquisition does not increase as planned, product and international expansion do not occur as planned, risks of compliance with laws and regulations that currently apply or become applicable to the business and those other risks contained in the Company's public filings, including in its Management Discussion and Analysis and its Annual Information Form (AIF). Factors that could cause actual results of the Company and its businesses to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the results of the restructuring process and the terms of the restructuring plan, if such a plan is ultimately agreed to, the results from the exploration of strategic alternatives, the inability to resume trading, deposits, withdrawals and rewards on the platform in a timely manner, an inability to drawdown under the credit facility or access other sources of financing, an increase in customer demands for withdrawals from the platform, any insolvency or similar proceedings with respect to 3AC, our ability to find a strategic alternative, a decline in the digital asset market or general economic conditions; changes in laws or approaches to regulation, the failure or delay in the adoption of digital assets and the blockchain ecosystem by institutions; changes in the volatility of crypto currency, changes in demand for Bitcoin and Ethereum, changes in the status or classification of cryptocurrency assets, cybersecurity breaches, a delay or failure in developing infrastructure for the trading businesses or achieving mandates and gaining traction; failure to grow assets under management, an adverse development with respect to an issuer or party to the transaction or failure to obtain a required regulatory approval. Readers are cautioned that Assets on Platform and trading volumes fluctuate and may increase and decrease from time to time and that such fluctuations are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements, past and present performance and trends are not guarantees of future performance, accordingly, you should not put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, current or past performance, or current or past trends. Information identifying assumptions, risks, and uncertainties relating to the Company are contained in its filings with the Canadian securities regulators available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are applicable only as of the date of this release or as of the date specified in the relevant forward-looking statement and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after that date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. The Company assumes no obligation to provide operational updates, except as required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements, unless required by law. Readers are cautioned that past performance is not indicative of future performance. There is no assurance that the funds available under the loan agreement will be available or, even if available will, together with any other assets of Voyager be sufficient to safeguard assets.

The TSX has not approved or disapproved of the information contained herein.

SOURCE Voyager Digital Ltd.

Press Contacts

Voyager Digital, Ltd.

Voyager Public Relations Team

[email protected]

SOURCE Voyager Digital Ltd.
Cybersecurity business achieved record revenue and EBITDA since being acquired by WELL Health.

Iain Paterson has been appointed to the position of WELL's Chief Information Security Officer, from his prior role as CEO of Cycura Data Protection Services.

Peter Giannoulis , Founder and CEO of Cycura's wholly owned Source 44 subsidiary will now lead combined operations and is expanding the company's capabilities as the need for data protection grows in the healthcare industry.

Founder and CEO, Hamed Shahbazi provides details on family, tax and estate planning related to WELL shares.

VANCOUVER, BC, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) (OTCQX: WHTCF) (the "Company" or "WELL")  a practitioner focused digital health company that is positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare practitioners and their patients globally, is pleased to provide a business update on its cybersecurity business.

WELL's wholly owned cybersecurity businesses, Cycura and Source 44, achieved record revenue in Q2-2022, an increase of 240% compared to the same period a year ago. This growth has been driven by an increasing customer base and by an expansion of services offered to its customers. Both factors are driven by the increased need and complexity of cybersecurity in data-sensitive industries like healthcare.

"We at WELL believe cybersecurity and patient data protection is one of our top priorities" said Amir Javidan, Chief Operating Officer of WELL. "WELL and its subsidiaries have made significant investments in this area, and we look forward to providing more Canadian healthcare practitioners with the country's most comprehensive security solution for outpatient medical clinics."

Appointment of Chief Information Security Officer and New CEO of Cycura

WELL also announces the appointment of Iain Paterson to the position of Chief Information Security Officer of WELL. Iain Paterson was previously the CEO of Cycura which was acquired by WELL in August 2020. Prior to Cycura, Iain worked under the office of the CISO at eHealth Ontario, which houses the healthcare records of 13M Ontario citizens and acts as the main data share for most of Ontario's hospitals. Prior to that Iain was the Information Security Officer for Trillium Health Partners, one of the largest hospitals in Canada.

Mr. Paterson commented, "I am delighted to lead WELL's considerable and comprehensive information security efforts. We take cybersecurity protection and patient data privacy very seriously across all our businesses and the protection of data security is one of WELL's top priorities as a business as reflected in the Company's recently released ESG report."

Peter Giannoulis, the Founder and CEO of Source 44, which was acquired by WELL in Dec 2020, has been appointed the new CEO of Cycura. Mr. Giannoulis founded Source 44 thirteen years ago and grew it into one of Canada's prominent providers of cybersecurity products and services. Source 44 has been a strong performer in WELL's portfolio and has continued to grow.

Mr. Giannoulis commented, "I am excited to expand my responsibilities and lead Cycura's overall business activities. We have an outstanding opportunity to make a positive impact on the healthcare industry at a sensitive time where we believe there is a lot of patient data at risk in clinics across the country."

Expanding Our Capabilities as the Need for Data Protection Grows

Canadian healthcare is becoming an increasingly large target for cyber attacks, with 48% of all security breaches in Canada in 2021 directed at healthcare, a 37% increase from 2020. WELL has seen an increasing number of its customers who are experiencing cyber attacks. While compliant EMR systems generally do a decent job protecting patient data, other software or hardware being used in a clinical environment may not be protected to the same degree. In response, WELL is expanding its Incident Response offering and is actively working with healthcare clinics to implement enterprise-grade cybersecurity solutions through SecureSolutionsNow, a new offering that is assisting healthcare providers across Canada and the USA in protecting personal health information. For more information, please visit securesolutionsnow.com.

Cycura is now also providing customers with both 'hacker' and 'defender' capabilities, giving them the full spectrum of cyber capabilities for customers of all sizes. This offering can also be fully integrated with the rest of WELL's practitioner enablement platforms.



Family, Tax and Estate Planning by Founder and CEO

Hamed Shahbazi, WELL's Founder, Chairman and CEO today announced that he has indirectly transferred through Impactreneur Capital Corp., a company controlled by him, 6 million WELL shares to a family trust for family, tax, and estate planning purposes. The transferred shares represent approximately 27.8% of the total WELL securities owned directly or indirectly by Mr. Shahbazi. Mr. Shahbazi is neither a beneficiary nor trustee of the family trust. Also, as part of his overall tax and estate planning strategy, Mr. Shahbazi exercised 1.7 million stock options that were set to expire in the next 12 months.

Hamed Shahbazi commented, "WELL's business is stronger than it's ever been. Despite the current macro-economic conditions our business remains resilient. Upon much consultation with advisors, I have transferred a portion of my WELL shares to a family trust and exercised my expiring stock options strictly for estate and tax planning purposes. I remain one of the largest single shareholders of the Company and continue to be highly aligned for WELL's continued value creation journey."

WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

Per: "Hamed Shahbazi"

Hamed Shahbazi

Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director

About WELL Health Technologies Corp.

WELL is a practitioner focused digital health company whose overarching objective is to positively impact health outcomes to empower and support healthcare practitioners and their patients. WELL has built an innovative practitioner enablement platform that includes comprehensive end to end practice management tools inclusive of virtual care and digital patient engagement capabilities as well as Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) and data protection services. WELL uses this platform to power healthcare practitioners both inside and outside of WELL's own omni-channel patient services offerings. As such, WELL owns and operates Canada's largest network of outpatient medical clinics serving primary and specialized healthcare services and is the provider of a leading multi-national, multi-disciplinary telehealth offering. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WELL" and trades on the OTCQX under the symbol "WHTCF". To learn more about the Company, please visit: www.well.company .

Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain "Forward-Looking Information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including, without limitation: WELL's founder, director, and CEO's intentions. Forward-Looking Information is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. Forward-Looking Information generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "should", "will", "could", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such Forward Looking Information and, which are not guarantees of future performance. WELL's statements expressed or implied by Forward Looking Information are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and conditions, many of which are outside of WELL 's control, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-Looking is Information qualified in its entirety by inherent risks and uncertainties, including: direct and indirect material adverse effects from the COVID-19 pandemic; adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the primary healthcare sector in general; regulatory and legislative changes; that future results may vary from historical results; inability to obtain any requisite future financing on suitable terms; any inability to realize the expected benefits and synergies of acquisitions; that market competition may affect the business, results and financial condition of WELL and other risk factors identified in documents filed by WELL under its profile at www.sedar.com , including its most recent Annual Information Form. Except as required by securities law, WELL does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise.

SOURCE WELL Health Technologies Corp.
In Graves' Disease , the body's immune system for some reason turns against a part or parts of the thyroid. Graves' Disease symptoms include unexplained weight loss, heat intolerance or excessive sweating, anxiety, tremors, restlessness, difficulty sleeping at night, rapid or irregular heart rate, palpitations or chest pain, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, goiter or thyroid mass, prominent bulging eyes, blurred vision, double vision, muscle weakness, change in menstrual periods, increased frequency of bowel movements and more.

There are several different approaches in the management of Graves' Disease. These include medical management with anti-thyroid medication, radioactive iodine therapy, and thyroid surgery.

Surgery for Graves' Disease is the only 100% effective therapy. Surgery for Grave's Disease requires total removal of the thyroid gland. When the Graves' thyroid gland is very large, thyroid surgery is widely considered the preferred treatment. It is also the best treatment option when other treatments have been ineffective or if a patient cannot tolerate another form of treatment. This surgery should only be performed by expert thyroid surgeons and managed by an expert thyroid surgery team.

"Many patients don't do well with medical therapies for Graves' Disease," said Dr. Gary Clayman of the Clayman Thyroid Center. "Often their disease becomes difficult to consistently control and they can experience roller coaster symptoms of very high thyroid hormone levels followed by periods of very low thyroid hormone production. After a period of treatment, many patients get exhausted by these roller coaster hormone rides and seek surgery for Graves' Disease."

What is most important in the treatment of Graves' Disease is choosing the right treatment that best suits each individual patient. Surgery for Graves' Disease may be the best treatment for many patients and can be accomplished through several different approaches. Surgery for Graves' Disease may include minimally invasive thyroid surgery, robotic thyroid surgery which does not produce a neck incision as well as transoral thyroid surgery which uses an incision within the mouth. The best surgery for Graves' Disease requires the safe removal of the entire thyroid gland no matter which approach is chosen.

"Just this week I saw a patient who was diagnosed with Graves' Disease several years ago," said Dr. Rashmi Roy of the Clayman Thyroid Center. "She was trying to manage her disease with several medications, none of which were working for her. While trying these medications, her thyroid grew substantially, and she developed a large Graves' goiter in her neck as well as Graves' eye disease. Because her goiter was so large, she was suffering with significant symptoms including difficulty breathing, swallowing and speaking. I removed her thyroid gland with an operation that lasted about an hour. She spent some time in recovery and was discharged the following day without any complications. If you have Graves' Disease and medical management is failing you, please consider surgery. It's the best option for your recovery."

Founded by Dr. Clayman, the Clayman Thyroid Center is widely recognized as America's leading thyroid surgery center, performing nearly 2,000 thyroid operations annually. Patients from all over the world travel to Tampa to have their operation performed by the Clayman Thyroid Center's surgeons at the brand-new Hospital for Endocrine Surgery. The Clayman Thyroid Center is a full-service thyroid surgery center, offering the most advanced forms of thyroid surgery for all types of thyroid tumors, from small thyroid nodules to large Graves' goiters and complex thyroid cancer.

The Clayman Thyroid Center's philosophy centers on a customized surgery plan for every single patient which includes:

Complete and extensive ultrasound examination

Ability to biopsy even the smallest nodules or lymph nodes

Consultation regarding every option for your specific thyroid disease

Expertise in complex thyroid diseases

Expertise in robotic thyroid surgery that leaves no neck scar

Surgeons work as a team to assure highest cure rates and best outcomes

Highest volume, most experienced thyroid surgeons in America

"I am not one to fully trust testimonials, but I have to tell my story," said Carol, a recent patient at the Clayman Thyroid Center. "I was diagnosed with Graves' disease and had a long-distance phone consultation with Drs Clayman and Roy regarding my thyroid surgery. On the way to Tampa, I told my husband I was prepared to "just be a number" in the surgery process. Wow, I couldn't have been more wrong. It is amazing how individualized this treatment made me feel during this trying time. I cannot say enough amazing things about how I was made to feel and the level of treatment I was given. These people and this place are absolutely amazing. Not that I would wish this surgery on anyone, but if you need thyroid surgery, there is only one place to go."

About the Clayman Thyroid Center:

Founded by one of the nation's best-known thyroid surgeons, the Clayman Thyroid Center is the highest volume thyroid cancer referral center in the United States. The Center boasts the most experienced thyroid surgeons in the US who provide personalized care allowing the greatest opportunity for cancer cure, wellness, and cosmetic and functional outcomes via all types of thyroid surgery from minimal incision to scarless thyroid surgery to advanced cancer care.

www.thyroidcancer.com | (813) 940-3130

Media Contact: Julie Canan, [email protected]

SOURCE Clayman Thyroid Center
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Animal Wound Care Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global animal wound care market reached a value of US$ 1.06 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 1.57 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.77% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Animal wound care is a medical assistance given to animals by creating tissues with a similar structure at the site of injury to maintain their stability. It comprises stopping the bleeding, removing any foreign objects with tweezers, and cleaning, disinfecting and covering the wound with a bandage.

It relies on sterile bandages, cleansing solutions, antibacterial ointments, bandage scissors, elastic wrapping, tweezers, spray bottles, and clean towels to treat wounds. It assists in washing away both visible and microscopic debris, which reduces the risk of infection among animals. As a result, it finds extensive applications in hospitals, clinics, and home care across the globe.



Due to the increasing adoption of pets among individuals to relieve anxiety and reduce the effects of social isolation, there is a rise in the demand for animal wound care. This, along with the growing demand for veterinary surgeries, represents one of the key factors driving the market.

In addition, there is a rise in the number of vet visits to cure and diagnose infection for better health of animals and prevent diseases that are transferable from animals to humans. This, coupled with increasing enhancements in animal wound care products, is propelling the growth of the market.

Moreover, favorable regulations implemented by governments of several countries to support better care and treatment of animals are catalyzing the demand for animal wound care. In line with this, the growing demand for animal protein is positively influencing the market. Besides this, key market players are investing in research and development (R&D) activities to launch new animal care products.

Apart from this, the rising awareness among the masses about animal health and welfare is offering lucrative growth opportunities to industry investors.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Advancis Veterinary Ltd., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Elanco Animal Health Incorporated, Innovacyn Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Jorgen Kruuse A/S (Covetrus Inc.), Medtronic plc, Milliken & Company, NEOGEN Corporation, PrimaVet Inc., Vernacare and Virbac.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global animal wound care market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global animal wound care market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the product?

What is the breakup of the market based on the animal type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global animal wound care market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Animal Wound Care Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Surgical

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Key Segments

6.1.2.1 Sutures and Stapler

6.1.2.2 Tissue Adhesives, Sealants and Glue

6.1.3 Market Forecast

6.2 Advanced

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Key Segments

6.2.2.1 Advanced Wound Dressings

6.2.2.2 Foam Dressings

6.2.2.3 Hydrocolloid Dressings

6.2.2.4 Film Dressings

6.2.2.5 Hydrogel Dressings

6.2.2.6 Others

6.2.3 Market Forecast

6.3 Traditional

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Key Segments

6.3.2.1 Tapes

6.3.2.2 Dressings

6.3.2.3 Bandages

6.3.2.4 Absorbents

6.3.2.5 Others

6.3.3 Market Forecast

6.4 Others

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Animal Type

7.1 Companion

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Livestock

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End User

8.1 Veterinary Hospitals & Clinics

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Home Care

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis

13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Advancis Veterinary Ltd.

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2 B. Braun Melsungen AG

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.3 Elanco Animal Health Incorporated

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3.3 Financials

14.3.4 Innovacyn Inc.

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 Johnson & Johnson

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 Jorgen Kruuse A/S (Covetrus Inc.)

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Medtronic plc

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 Financials

14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.8 Milliken & Company

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 NEOGEN Corporation

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9.3 Financials

14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.10 PrimaVet Inc.

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11 Vernacare

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12 Virbac

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12.3 Financials

14.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/dou9lb

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'Deception Technology Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Deception Technology is a cybersecurity defensive practice that involves distributing a collection of traps and decoys across a system's infrastructure to deceive the hacker on the other side. Deception technology has greatly aided security teams by reducing alert fatigue, decreasing attacker dwell time on their network, and shortening the average time to detect and remediate threats. Market Trend

The increased threat of cyber-crimes and cyber breaches are expected to drive the market for deception technologies in the upcoming years. Besides that, the growing virtual environment has increased the need to adopt advanced cybersecurity measures, which has increased the demand for deception technology. Also, the advanced technologies backed up by machine learning and artificial intelligence are expected to drive the market further by the introduction of new features at every step.

The high initial costs of the technology, as well as the need for trained employees to handle it, can be significant market restraints. Growth Factors

The main driver of the market is the rise in cybercrime:

With the increasing cyber-crimes across the world, the demand for deception technology is projected to increase in the coming years. The rate of advanced persistent threats (API) in which an intruder establishes an illicit, long-term presence to mine highly sensitive data and zero-day attacks in which the intruder discovers software vulnerabilities and exploits them with other hackers has increased significantly, which has become a huge threat for government bodies as well. For instance, in 2020, a group of Russian hackers broke into U.S. federal agencies and also penetrated thousands of organizations globally.



Besides that, the threat of ransomware attacks, in which a hacker threatens to block the data or access the information until the owner pays a ransom fee, has also increased over the years. All these factors are expected to contribute significantly to the growth of deception technologies in the upcoming years. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and ITRC (Identity Theft Resource Center), nearly 98.2 million people were impacted by the 10 biggest data breaches in the first half of 2021.

The Increasing Virtual Environment Will Increase Demand for Deception Technology:

With the growth of the virtual environment, the need for deception technology is projected to increase further in the coming years. A virtual environment or computing environment that combines the use of internet-based and high-tech services like applications, software, and other advanced technology. With the increased dependency on the internet and the growing internet penetration, the demand for deception technology is expected to be impacted in a positive direction. For instance, according to World Bank data, individuals using the internet have increased over the years from just 0.0495 in 1990 to 56.727% in 2019.

Restraint

Huge installation costs are a major restraint on the market:

The major restraint on the global deception technology market is the huge investment costs associated with it. The technology and components that comprise the whole system make it expensive to be installed by every organization and body, which has restricted its use only to big organizations, and large firms like BFSI, government, military, defense, etc. is a factor is expected to be a barrier to market growth in the coming years. Besides that, the lack of trained employees and personnel to handle the deceptive technology can also serve as a restraint to the market's growth, not just across various sectors but also in underdeveloped economies.

The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the onset of COVID-19 imposed lockdown and curfew globally, companies and industries all around the world started working from home. his, in turn, exposed the companies' vulnerabilities on a large scale, increasing the chances of data theft and cyber breach. Therefore, the COVID pandemic increased the need to adopt cybersecurity measures to protect their business structure, which thus impacted the market for deception technology positively. Companies globally have adopted this technology to provide a secure shield to their businesses.

Key Topics Covered:

1. INTRODUCTION

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4. MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. Threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis

5. DECEPTION TECHNOLOGY MARKET ANALYSIS, BY DEPLOYMENT MODEL

5.1. Introduction

5.2. On-premise

5.3. Cloud

6. DECEPTION TECHNOLOGY MARKET ANALYSIS, BY ENTERPRISE SIZE

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Small

6.3. Medium

6.4. Large

7. DECEPTION TECHNOLGY MARKET ANALYSIS, BY APPLICATION

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Application Security

7.3. Data Security

7.4. Endpoint Security

7.5. Network Security

8. DECEPTION TECHNOLOGY MARKET ANALYSIS, BY END-USER INDUSTRY

8.1. Introduction

8.2. BFSI

8.3. Communication and Technology

8.4. Retail

8.5. Government

8.6. Military and Defense

8.7. Others

9. DECEPTION TECHNOLOGY MARKET ANALYSIS, BY GEOGRAPHY

10. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS

10.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

10.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

10.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

10.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix

11. COMPANY PROFILES

11.1. Rapid7

11.2. Allure Security

11.3. TrapX Security

11.4. Zscaler

11.5. Attivo Networks

11.6. eSec Forte Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

11.7. LogRhythm Inc.

11.8. Ridgeback Network Defense Inc.

11.9. Fidelis Cybersecurity

11.10. Illusive Networks

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uro2jc

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'Global and Japan Document Scanning Services Market, By Service Type, by Document Type, By End-use Industry, and by Region - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2021 - 2028' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Digitization is the process of scanning paper documents and converting them into electronic formats. Most of the companies are scanning documents, in order to save cost, increase productivity, and also to improve access to the information. The digitization of documents can prevent the loss of sensitive information by providing backup in case of loss or damage to the physical documents. The high-speed scanners are used to scan documents into digital images.

Document outsourcing consists of intelligent character recognition (ICR) and optical character recognition (OCR) methods, in order to convert hand-written documents into electronic information. Moreover, due to the increasing demand for outsourcing document scanning services in organizations, document outsourcing service providers are trying to solve a business challenge by providing value-added services to their customers.

For instance, Ricoh Ltd., specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems, and IT services, introduced document process outsourcing services for organizations in order to outsource their document business processes. The outsourced service providers help organizations to reduce the overall cost, enhance productivity, and improve workflow efficiencies in the organizations.

The increasing demand for document scanning services in the logistics sector in Japan is expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period. Logistics document scanning services help transport companies to digitize and organize documents in such a way that will improve operational efficiency.

These services are used by both small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises to keep track of their workflow. For instance, in September 2020, Ripcord Inc., a U.S.-based leading robotics digitization company announced joint venture with Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., a Japan-based company, which manufactures xerographic and document-related products and services, in order to bring digital transformation technologies in Japan and the APAC region. Through this joint venture, Ripcord Inc. and Fuji Xerox help their customers to streamline operations, accelerate digitization, reduce costs, reduce labor costs associated with digitizing and improve customer experiences.

The document scanning method captures detail from the paper document and converts it into digital format for ease of storage, retrieval, search, and use. Most of the business enterprises in Japan are adopting document scanning services, in order to save time and money in the organization. It can reduce storage costs and resources needed to maintain and retrieve records. Document scanning makes it easy to share documents and collaborate on projects without any need for paper information.

Document scanning not only benefits the business but also protects the environment as well. It enormously cut down the consumption of paper, stationery items, ink, and many others. Document scanning also plays important role in streamlining the work processes and improving workplace productivity. For instance, Canon Inc., a Japan-based company who manufacture lenses, cameras, medical equipment, and scanners, is taking steps to protect its business and reduce risk by converting paper documents into digital information. The document scanning services help businesses against loss of files, reduce operating costs, and enable safe transfer of products or business records.

Increasing adoption of document digitization services in Japan is driving the growth of the market. The companies prefer scanning paper documents and converting them into electronic formats in order to save cost, increase productivity, and also to improve access to the information.

For instance, in March 2021, NTT DOCOMO Inc., a Japan-based mobile operator company, signed a partnership with Ripcord, a U.S.-based robotic digitization company that launched a new digital transformation (DX) solution. The robotic approach to DX solution replaces manual, error-prone, labor-intensive processes and replaces traditional approaches with new automation technologies such as robotics and machine learning.

Key features of the study:

This report provides in-depth analysis of the global and Japan document scanning services market size (US$ Million) and compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for the forecast period (2021- 2028), considering 2020 as the base year

document scanning services market size (US$ Million) and compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for the forecast period (2021- 2028), considering 2020 as the base year It elucidates potential revenue opportunities across different segments and explains attractive investment proposition matrices for this market

This study also provides key insights about market drivers, restraints, opportunities, new product launches or approvals, regional outlook, and competitive strategies adopted by the leading market players

It profiles leading players in the global and Japan document scanning services market based on the following parameters - company overview, financial performance, product portfolio, geographical presence, market capital, key developments, strategies, and future plans

document scanning services market based on the following parameters - company overview, financial performance, product portfolio, geographical presence, market capital, key developments, strategies, and future plans Companies covered as a part of this study include Access Scanning Document Services, LLC, Ripcord, Inc., Armstrong Archives, LLC, Chicago Records Management Inc., Cube Records Management Services, The Scanning Company, Smooth Solutions Inc., VENSO Technologies, Shoreline Records Management, Inc., Pearl Scan, iGuana, Cleardata UK Ltd., KnowledgeLake, Microimage Technologies Limited, ScanWorld Station Limited, The Apache Software Foundation, Advanced Data Solutions, Inc., Blue-Pencil Information Security Inc., Iron Mountain Inc., Flatworld Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Royal Imaging, Pacific Records Management, DataGuard USA (Record Nations), Scanning America Inc..

(Record Nations), Scanning America Inc.. Insights from this report would allow marketers and management authorities of companies to make informed decisions regarding future product launches, product upgrades, market expansion, and marketing tactics

The global and Japan document scanning services market report caters to various stakeholders in this industry including investors, suppliers, managed service providers, third-party service providers, distributors, new entrants, and value-added resellers

document scanning services market report caters to various stakeholders in this industry including investors, suppliers, managed service providers, third-party service providers, distributors, new entrants, and value-added resellers Stakeholders would have ease in decision-making through various strategy matrices used in analyzing the global and Japan document scanning services market

Key Topics Covered:

1. Research Objectives and Assumptions

2. Market Purview

Report Description

Market Definition and Scope

Executive Summary

Market Snippet, By Service Type

Market Snippet, By Document Type

Market Snippet, By End-use Industry

Market Snippet, By Region

Publisher Opportunity Map

3. Market Dynamics, Regulations, and Trends Analysis

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Restraints

Market Opportunities

Regulatory Scenario

Industry Trend

Merger and Acquisitions

New system Launch/Approvals

Value Chain Analysis

Porter's Analysis

PEST Analysis

Impact of COVID-19

4. Global Document Scanning Services Market, By Service Type, 2020-2028 (US$ Million)

Introduction

Market Share Analysis, 2020 and 2028 (%)

Segment Trends

On-site Service

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Offsite Service

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

5. Global Document Scanning Services Market, By Document Type, 2020-2028 (US$ Million)

Introduction

Market Share Analysis, 2020 and 2028 (%)

Segment Trends

Medical Record Scanning

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Legal Document Scanning

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Blueprint and Map Scanning

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Proof of Delivery Scanning

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Human Resources Document Scanning

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Newspaper and Magazine Scanning

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Document Scanning

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Other (Survey Scanning, Book Scanning, etc)

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

6. Global Document Scanning Services Market, By End-use Industry, 2020-2028 (US$ Million)

Introduction

Market Share Analysis, 2020 and 2028 (%)

Segment Trends

Healthcare

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Legal Firms

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

BFSI

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Government

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Education

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

E-commerce and Logistics

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Architecture Firms

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

Others

Introduction

Market Size and Forecast, 2020-2028, (US$ Million)

7. Global Document Scanning Services Market, By Region, 2020-2028 (US$ Million)

8. Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles

Access Scanning Document Services, LLC

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Ripcord, Inc.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Armstrong Archives, LLC

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Chicago Records Management Inc.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Cube Records Management Services

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

The Scanning Company

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Smooth Solutions Inc.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

VENSO Technologies

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Shoreline Records Management, Inc.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Pearl Scan

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

iGuana

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Cleardata UK Ltd.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

KnowledgeLake

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Microimage Technologies Limited

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

ScanWorld Station Limited

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

The Apache Software Foundation

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Advanced Data Solutions, Inc.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Blue-Pencil Information Security Inc.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Iron Mountain Inc.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Flatworld Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Royal Imaging

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Pacific Records Management

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

DataGuard USA (Record Nations)

(Record Nations) Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Scanning America Inc.

Company Overview

Product Portfolio

Financial Performance

Key Strategies

Recent Developments/Updates

Analyst Views

9. Section

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6iqq7j

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

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SOURCE Research and Markets
SHANGHAI and SEOUL, South Korea, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi XDC, a global leading CRDMO (Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization) dedicated to end-to-end bioconjugates services, and AbTis, a Korean biotechnology company dedicated to the development of antibody drug conjugates (ADC), today announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed to form a strategic partnership in AbTis' portfolio of ADC products.

Under the partnership, AbTis will have access to WuXi XDC's integrated services for linker and payload manufacturing, ADC conjugation process development, ADC formulation and drug product manufacturing process development, as well as drug substance and drug product manufacturing. This full range of development and manufacturing services will be provided by WuXi XDC at facilities that are all located within a two-hour drive of each other.

"We are glad to be collaborating with WuXi XDC," said Dr. Sang Jeon Chung, CEO of AbTis. "This partnership will allow us to leverage WuXi XDC's world-class expertise in both innovative conjugation technologies and comprehensive capabilities for ADC development and manufacturing. We look forward to making more ADC products accessible to patients."

"With our integrated services and know-how, we are pleased to be enabling AbTis to develop and manufacture its portfolio of ADC products," said Dr. Jimmy Li, CEO of WuXi XDC. "This strategic partnership demonstrates the trust and confidence our clients have in our end-to-end services, maintained even during the COVID-19 lockdown period, when WuXi XDC teams showcased the strong execution and reflected our commitment to a culture of 'Putting the Customer First.' We will continue to accelerate and transform the discovery, development and manufacturing of bioconjugates, enabling our global partners and benefiting patients worldwide."

About AbTis

AbTis is a biotechnology company that specializes in antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) platform technology with its own proprietary patents and its own pipelines in developments in oncology areas.

AbTis pipelines are designed to enhance the safety and efficacy of the current antibody-drug conjugates by applying AbTis linker to the mAbs. Its platform ADC linker technology is site-specific and applicable to the native antibodies, commercial antibodies, or novel antibodies under development as it requires no mutation or engineering to antibody itself. Its stable, hydrophilic and cleavable linkers can be attached to various payloads, too.

Under the moto of "Patients First", AbTis has been striving to advance its ADC technology and to develop its pipelines with several other antibody and payload companies. AbTis' advanced ADC technology enables partners to co-develop pipelines together in a real open innovation setting. For more information about AbTis, please visit: https://www.abtis.co.kr

About WuXi XDC

WuXi XDC, a joint venture between WuXi Biologics and WuXi STA, provides end-to-end contract research, development and manufacturing of bioconjugates, including antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). The company's services cover antibodies and other biologics, chemical payloads and linkers, as well as bioconjugated drug substance and drug product. WuXi XDC has been successful in bringing multiple ADC projects to the Investigational New Drug (IND) filing stage in 15 months or less, nearly cutting in half the traditional development timeline. As of April 30, 2022, over 240 projects  from early stage to late-stage clinical  are being developed at WuXi XDC, including 26 IND-completed projects and eight projects in phase II/III. For more information about WuXi XDC, please visit: https://www.wuxibiologics.com/services-solutions/#XDC

SOURCE WuXi Biologics
Live Company Group PLC (AIM:LVCG)'s first KPOP.Flex festival in Frankfurt in May drew large crowds, with 70,000 tickets sold despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the company's CEO David Ciclitira told Proactive.

What's more, the event was profitable for LVCG, breaking the rule of thumb that it usually takes up to year five for an event to make a profit.

Ciclitira also provided an update on the company's other events and what investors should be watching out for this summer.
San Leon Energy PLC (AIM:SLE, AQSE:SLE, OTC:SLGYF) has provided details of a new set of agreements with Midwestern Oil & Gas to see the companys interests in the OML 18 asset consolidated and simplified.

A set of agreements will result in San Leons economic interest in the asset increasing fourfold to 44.1% and at the same time it will own 50% of ELI, which is advancing the ACOES pipeline project that will connect OML 18 to an export route.

OML 18 has, meanwhile, been reassessed through a new competent person's report (CPR) which details some 323mln barrels of proved and probable (2P) reserves, net attributable to San Leons stake, which the company said would be valued at around US$1.1bn.

It has also entered into a US$50mln loan facility with MM Capital and San Leon has granted further waivers to Midwestern against payments owed to San Leon.

San Leon further proposes to restructure its capital, including an issue of preference shares to shareholders giving them preferential rights to the first US$40mln of future dividends.

"We are delighted to have entered into these agreements to effect the proposed transactions, said San Leon chief executive Oisin Fanning.

We believe that this series of transactions, when completed, will be truly transformational for the company and will deliver value to our shareholders.

The transactions will not only increase our initial indirect economic interest in OML 18, a world class asset with unrealised potential, but also our interest in ELI and the new ACOES pipeline which we have long considered to be critical to the future success of OML 18 through the expected reduction of pipeline losses and increase in the uptime for export that it is expected to provide.

Fanning added: "Going forward these transactions will pave the way for the company to deliver its strategy of becoming a significant participant in the Nigerian oil and gas market, positioning San Leon to take advantage of further transactional opportunities to enhance and grow our business."

In a separate statement, the companys financial results for the 12 months ended 31 December 2021 confirmed that at the end of the period, San Leon had US$7.6mln of cash and equivalents.

It noted that US$2.2mln of payments, principal and interest were received during the period under the loan agreement with Midwestern and it stated that now some US$105.6mln was owed by Midwestern and is subject to the waiver agreements, whilst transactions to increase San Leons interests in OML 18 is completed.

Operationally, San Leon noted that some 4,400 barrels of oil per day was delivered to the Bonny terminal in 2021, with volumes affected by losses and downtime plus the impact of OPEC quotas.

Production downtime was stated at 9% and was said to be caused by third-party terminal and gathering system issues.

Historic issues with third-party export systems are expected to be substantially resolved by the implementation of the new ACOES route. Meanwhile, an oil barging operation is expected to begin later this month to move crude.

In its outlook statement, San Leon said that fuller barging operations from OML 18 to the FSO will commence soon and the proposed transactions are expected to complete later this year.

Further anticipated potential catalysts in 2022 include the commissioning of the ACOES pipeline, the restart of field operations at OML 18 and oil exports from the Oza field.

Recapping the year, Fanning added: The last year has been the most significant year in the company's development.

We embarked upon and announced today a transaction which we believe will create a significant West African oil and gas entity which is ideally placed to take advantage of the opportunities available to it and to deliver considerable future value to all our shareholders."
FTSE 100 falls ahead of US jobs data and as UK commentators assessed the post-Boris Johnson era.

Some bullishness from Vistry, which issued an upbeat outlook on the current year after trading in the first half beat its expectations. The FTSE 250 housebuilder reported good demand across all areas of its business, with the average weekly private sales rate rising 11%.

Today is the last opportunity for airlines using UK airports to scrap flights without fear of punishment. The amnesty slots were announced last month by the government to try and avoid last-minute cancellations.

Supermarket chain Asda said children will be able to eat a hot meal at its cafes for 1 with no minimum adult spend. The cost of living promotion runs at any of its 156 cafes between July 25 and September 4.

Among the small caps, AQRU has launched a weighted basket of 10 leading cryptos for retail investors. The product tracks crypto market movements based on price momentum and volatility.

Castings group Chamberlin said its underlying profit has risen by 112% and it will post a first full-year profit in five years. All three operating divisions have also started the current year strongly.

Litigation Capital Management said it anticipates 25% revenue growth and a 15% rise in adjusted operating profit hike in 2022. The legal case investor grew assets under management to A$414mln at end June.
Elon Musk has given Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) the cold shoulder in the latest sign that his proposed takeover of the social media platform has hit turbulent waters.

Shares in Twitter sank from US$38.97 to US$38.75 in the last hour of trading yesterday as it emerged that the deal could be in peril.

Musks entourage has reportedly ceased to engage in discussions with Twitter around funding the US$44bn takeover, the Washington Post reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The proposed takeover was expected to be financed with help from Fidelity International, crypto exchange Binance, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, business magnate Larry Ellison, and the Qatari state.

At the time of the agreement, the deal valued Twitters shares at US$54.20 each, a 38% premium to its closing share price on April 1 and a big upside on their value today.

The breakdown in discussions is the latest blow to the technology entrepreneurs plans to buy Twitter, after his lawyers claimed in early June that the social media platform was in clear material breach of the terms of the deal by withholding data around the volume of bots on the platform.

Twitters latest offer to simply provide additional details regarding the companys own testing methodologies, whether through written materials or verbal explanations, is tantamount to refusing Mr. Musks data requests, Musks lawyers said in a letter updating the initial 13-D filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Twitters effort to characterize it otherwise is merely an attempt to obfuscate and confuse the issue. Mr. Musk has made it clear that he does not believe the companys lax testing methodologies are adequate so he must conduct his own analysis. The data he has requested is necessary to do so.

Musk threatened to potentially pull out of the deal, claiming Twitter was actively resisting and thwarting his information rights under the merger agreement.

After he took to the social media platform to state the deal was on hold, Twitter permitted his team access to data supporting its claims that less than 5% of daily users were bots.

However, the social media platform has been reticent to allow additional access to information that could enable the data to be verified externally.

Terminating the deal could leave Musk potentially liable to pay US$1bn, as laid out in the original deal documentation.

If Twitter was proven to have materially breached the agreement, according to the arrangement the social media platform would be liable to pay the termination fee.

After reportedly waiving due diligence, Musk have to prove a material breach took place in court and that it impacted the price he should pay for the company.

Last month, Texas state attorney Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Twitter to test claims of false reporting the number of fake bots on its platform.

Twitter confirmed it will lay off a third of its employees in the acquisition team to manage costs amid the spat.
US bitcoin mining company Compass Mining has laid off 15% of its workers and lowered executive pay following the slide in bitcoin prices.

Senior managers will be forced to take pay cuts of up to 50% as part of cost-cutting measures.

"Given recent market downturn and anticipated future market conditions, we had to take a hard look at our spend and recalibrate for the future of the business," co-founders and interim chiefs Thomas Heller and Paul Gosker said in a statement.

As a result of "multiple setbacks and disappointments," the company's chief executive and chief financial officer resigned last week.

End-Thursday, there were just over 80 employees listed on LinkedIn for the bitcoin mining hosting company.

The announcement comes after Compass was accused of owing thousands of dollars in unpaid energy bills by crypto mining business Dynamics Mining.

Compass denied the allegations, saying in a statement, "Many of Dynamicss statements on social media are completely incorrect, lack any factual support and create further damage to Compass."

Crypto companies are on the verge of collapse after bitcoin's price fell almost 40% in a matter of weeks, with the value of digital assets worldwide sinking by almost 250bn in the past month, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Cryptocurrency broker Voyager Digital (CSE:VYGR, OTCQX:VYGVF) filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday after suspending customer withdrawals and trading.

Sam Bankman-Fried's Alameda holds considerable sway in the company.

Singapore-based crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital also went into liquidation in June after defaulting on a US$675mln loan from Voyager.
Power Metal Resources has agreed to the conditional disposal of its 50% interest in the Kanye joint venture to its partner Kavango Resources.

Consideration for the disposal is 1.2mln, which will be paid for by the issue of 60mln new Kavango shares, 60mln warrants and royalty over the JVs assets.

Paul Johnson, Power Metals chief executive, said: "The crystallisation of value from various Power Metal interests is a process we expect to continue. In doing so, we increase the financial strength of the company which will allow us to build a valuable and diverse portfolio of financial assets focused on the natural resource sector."

Kavango, which is the operator of the JV, added that Kanye owns 100% working interests in 10 prospecting licenses in the Kalahari Copper Belt, which cover 4,257km2, and two prospecting licences in the Ditau Camp project that cover an area of 1,386km2

"Today's deal is a very important step forward for Kavango," said Ben Turney, chief executive.

"After a period of considerable support from Power Metal Resources, we are now in a position to regain complete ownership of our crucial prospecting licences in the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) and at Ditau.

"On completion of the transaction, Kavango will become one of the largest landholders for copper exploration in Botswana,
Kavango Resources PLC (LSE:KAV, OTC:KVGOF) chief executive Ben Turney joined Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with details of a transaction with Power Metal Resources, which will result in the conditional disposal of Power's 50% interest in the Kanye Resource joint venture to Kavango.

Turney telling Proactive that after a period of considerable support from Power Metal, Kavango is now in a position to regain complete ownership of its crucial prospecting licences in the Kalahari Copper Belt and at Ditau.

He also provided an update on the company's projects.
The US Global Jets ETF co-creator Frank Holmes says airports are packed again as travellers take advantage of easing restrictions, resulting in 'binge tourism'.

The Monthly JETS Market Report for July notes that Bloomberg reported that the UK is the hottest destination among European travellers seeking an escape after years of restricted movement.

And the US dropping the COVID-19 testing requirement for inbound travellers in June has also incentivised tourists.

Holmes said he expects the recovery to continue and doesn't believe that the much-anticipated global recession will be as severe as feared.
Geopacific Resources Ltd (ASX:GPR) has announced a wholesale renewal of its board, with a group of new directors bringing the experience and capability to lead the companys strategy to derive maximum shareholder value from the Woodlark Gold Project.

In selecting the new directors, the company targeted experience in geology, technical and commercial assessment, optimisation and development of mining assets, and a strong corporate background. Importantly, it also sought hands-on experience in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Hands on global mining industry experience

Michael Brook, Richard Clayton and Hansjoerg Plaggemars have been appointed as non-executive directors, joining chairman Andrew Bantock on the companys board.

Mike Brook is a mining professional with hands-on global mining industry experience, providing a deep appreciation of mining investment, development and governance.

His previous roles have seen him lead the technical and commercial review and assessment of mining and minerals processing projects and companies from an investment perspective, across multiple jurisdictions and commodities, from early-stage exploration through to production.

He was previously chairman and manager of three successful African-focused resource investment funds and has served on multiple public and private investee company boards.

Technical, due diligence and valuation

Richard Clayton has more than 20 years of mining sector experience covering technical, advisory, and financial services roles, including at Investec Bank plc, where he had leadership responsibility as Australia desk head on Investecs Global Resources team and ultimate responsibility for all technical due diligence assessments across the resources sector.

He has also managed multi-disciplinary due diligence and valuation teams at SRK Consulting.

He currently operates a consultancy practice, providing advisory services to mining companies and financiers, including study management, business development and due diligence reviews.

M&A, governance and board experience

Hansjoerg Plaggemars has been appointed as a representative of the Delphi Unternehmensberatung Group, Geopacifics largest shareholder. Hansjoerg is an experienced company director with a strong background in corporate finance, corporate strategy and governance.

He has a strong mergers and acquisitions background and has served on the boards of many listed and unlisted companies, in a variety of industries including mining, agriculture, shipping, construction and investments. He is fluent in English and German.

New chair of subsidiary Woodlark Mining

Robert Igara has agreed to be appointed as chairman of Woodlark Mining Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Geopacific and 100% holder of the Woodlark Gold Project.

Igara is a former diplomat and former chief secretary to the government of PNG, with a long and distinguished career leading both public and private organisations. Since retiring from full-time public service, he has divided his time between running his family business, leading significant PNG national government appointed strategic review and reform roles, and contributing to the community through leadership of respected not-for-profit organisations.

He is currently chair of the Independent Review Group appointed by the PNG Minister for Treasury undertaking a review of the PNG Central Bank Act and wider financial sector regulation, and is chancellor and chairs the Interim Council of the University of PNG.

Igara has held leadership roles at companies including Oil Search Ltd, Orogen Minerals Ltd, POSF (now Nambawan Super Ltd) and Mineral Resources Development Company Ltd (MRDC).

He was founding CEO of the PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd and is an adviser on State  Ok Tedi  PNGSDP related matters and chairman of Financial Corporation Ltd, a licensed PNG financial services company, providing consumer and business finance facilities.

Decades of highly relevant experience

Geopacfic chairman Andrew Bantock said: I am pleased to complete the board renewal process and welcome Mike, Richard and Hansjoerg to the Geopacific board.

The new and refreshed board brings decades of highly relevant experience to the company in geology, technical and commercial assessment, optimisation and development of mining assets globally, as well as mine financing, corporate structuring and transactions.

These skills will provide valuable leadership and support for the management team as they advance our strategic efforts to generate maximum shareholder value from the Woodlark Gold Project.

The addition of Robert as chairman of Woodlark Mining adds a deep background of in-country experience and leadership in PNG and reflects the companys commitment to deliver a sustainable and lasting legacy for local communities from our actions on Woodlark Island.

I look forward to working with the new board as we focus on delivering the maximum value for shareholders from the Woodlark Gold Project.

Ian Murray and Colin Gilligan have resigned from the board of Geopacific. The board thanked Murray and Gilligan for their contribution.
From regulation to potential recovery there's a great deal going on in the crypto space at the moment. eToro market analyst and crypto expert Simon Peters gives his weekly take on events.

Bitcoin struggles continue

Bitcoins struggles continued last week, with weakness in price continuing through the week.

While BTCs price was subject to less volatility than in previous weeks of trading, it moved on a downward trend, having begun the week around US$21,000, trading down to its current level around US$19,000 by midweek. (Editor's note: Bitcoin has climbed this week to just over $30,000.)

A notable undercurrent is underway with BTC, however. As the price falls, so-called bitcoin whales, or holders with large accumulations of the cryptoasset, are moving to buy up more tokens. The largest non-exchange bitcoin wallet, whose identity remains unknown, acquired thousands more tokens as the price slid, taking its value to over $2.53 billion.

Ether experienced a similar slide in the week with the cryptoasset beginning around US$1,200 before trading down to around US$1,050 by Thursday. It is currently at $1,810.

The price weakness for ETH comes as progress towards The Merge rumbles forward. The Gray Glacier upgrade was successfully implemented on the Ethereum Mainnet last week, bringing The Merge a step closer  where the network will see a transition to proof-of-stake, which could have a major impact on the economics of the platform.

EU passes MiCa laws

The European Union has forged ahead with a new set of rules to govern cryptoassets and associated markets. It is a big step in regulation of cryptoassets, with few other jurisdictions applying such comprehensive rules to the sector.

Reserve requirements for stablecoins have been beefed up, new rules over transaction reporting are in place and ESMA has new powers to enforce actions upon crypto providers that dont protect investors or comply with market rules, threatening stability.

Of course, only time will tell what the economic impact will be on the crypto market. The EU is a large segment but not the biggest. Much innovation comes from Europe but in reality crypto is broadly in need of greater supervision to set key ground rules for players and stabilising markets, without stifling innovation. The EU is leading, but with the Financial Services and Markets Bill due in the UK, it is soon to follow.

Cardano upgrade reaches critical milestone

Smart contract blockchain Cardano has reached a critical step in its march towards a new hard fork for the platform. The introduction of pipelining, an attempt to improve performance for the blockchain, could have a transformational impact on efficiency.

Cardano forms one of several major competing blockchains that now essentially compete for the interest of blockchain and crypto projects as a basis for their work. As such, it's critical for the platform to continue developing to remain competitive.

Pipelining involves batching transactions together to save time for users of the network. It promises to speed up transaction times and increase traffic capacity. Whether this will pan out in practice remains to be seen  but the cryptoassets price could be an indication that the hard fork approach has been a success.

JPMorgan sees end to crypto winter

Major global investment bank JPMorgan, which has continued its march into crypto despite a tough quarter for investors, says it sees healthy funding and contagion backstops as signals that the crypto winter may soon be over.

The bank touches on a really important point in its affirmation that funding is still flowing towards crypto projects. What is different now from past pullbacks is that retail investors are no longer alone in experiencing the adversity.

Instead, multiples of major financial and other institutions are now there in the market too. The point JPMorgan makes is clear  while some money is flowing out of the sector, other smart money is still buying in. What is essential for investors therefore is to consider investment cases carefully and look at those that present the strongest long-term opportunities.
The ASX 200 added 0.6% today, as commodities rebounded on news that China is considering a stimulus program involving the sale of 1.5 trillian yuan in special bonds to boost growth over the coming year.

This news, which should have been pleasing to trading partner Japan, was shouldered out of the way by the shocking news that long-serving prime minister Shinzo Abe had been shot, and the Nikkei suffered losses shortly after.

The yen, however, gained as investors looked to a safe bet, trading 0.4% higher at 135.50 per US dollar at midday in Tokyo.

The stock market does not like uncertainty and there is a psychological reaction occurring, said Tetsuo Seshimo, head of the multi-manager investment division at Saison Asset Management.

What made news today?

Bojos exit bounce

Very different news about another leader on another continent had a positive impact on European markets, which seemed as elated as the revellers outside 10 Downing Street as the news broke.

The pound moved higher against the US dollar after Boris Johnson formally resigned, trading at $1.1999, up 0.6% just before close of business in the UK.

As he prepared to leave, the FTSE 100 rallied 80 points to 7188, with miners and banks leading the charge  Anglo American was up 105 points to 2735, while Standard Chartered moved 22 points to 600.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index gained 1.9%, Germanys DAX rose 2% and Britain's FTSE added 1.1%.

Back home, there were some big small-cap winners today, including explorer Elementos Ltd (ASX:ELT, OTC:ELTLF), which soared 30.56%, mining-AI company SensOre Ltd (ASX:S3N), which added 27%, and medtech business Artrya Ltd (ASX:AYA) (25.37%), which is making progress towards early detection of coronary artery disease, again using AI.

Chalice Mining Ltd (ASX:CHN, OTCQB:CGMLF) also made gains after posting drill results this morning, climbing 6.7% on the back of news of a new nickel-copper-sulphide zone at the Dampier Target  its best daily increase in a week and a half.

Heres a look at five of today's top small-cap stories.

Chalice Mining boosts indicated resource at Julimar to 70% with further extensional drilling

The work we have completed since publishing our maiden resource in November last year continues to demonstrate the world-class endowment, scale and quality of the Gonneville deposit," MD and CEO Alex Dorsch said.

Read more

Magmatic Resources hits 12.9 g/t gold at Bodangoras historic Dicks Reward; shares up 23.33%

Magmatic Resources Ltd (ASX:MAG) (Magmatic Resources Ltd (ASX:MAG)) has recorded strong and shallow gold at the Dicks Reward historic mine in the Bodangora prospect in New South Wales, giving the company's shares a 23.33% boost this afternoon.

Read more

MGC Pharmaceuticals secures South African ethics approval for CimetrA dose-finding study in patients with COVID-19

Small pharma company MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd (LSE:MXC, OTC:MGCLF, ASX:MXC) has received study approvals and an import permit from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority for a Phase 2b CimetrA dose-finding study in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Read more

Hawsons Iron appoints experienced mining executive to lead project team

Hawsons has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Andre du Preez, who will lead the Hawsons Iron Project, overseeing successful completion of the bankable feasibility study (BFS), along with construction and operation of the mine.

Read more

Kingston Resources strategic vision looks at increasing shareholder value

Andrew Corbett speaks with Proactives Elisha Newell about the strategic vision for the companys Mineral Hill asset and its Misima Project. The company recently kicked off its development and expansion strategy at Mineral Hill with a $10 million debt facility from PURE Asset Management (Resources Fund), which will enable the acceleration of the work programs required to restart mining.

Watch

On your six

Should investors buy physical gold or gold stocks as a hedge?

Everyone goes for gold in bleak times, but is it really the safe haven or hedge we all think it is?

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And one for good luck

Is the crypto winter over and just how will EU regulations work?

Winter is here for crypto  but the European Union has forged ahead with a new set of rules to govern cryptoassets and associated markets. Will the clouds clear soon?

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Brian McMaster, executive chairman of Harvest Minerals Limited (Harvest Minerals Ltd (AIM:HMI, OTC:HMIFF)) talks to Proactive's Katie about its final results for the year ended 31 December 2021.

As McMaster explains, these results represent a 'cleaning of the slate', with the decision to write off the value of some non-core assets and impair the recoverability of the Agrocerrado debt.

In the current year, sales are ramping up, costs are stable and things are looking good, he says.
Thor Explorations Ltd reported gold production of 23,785 ounces (oz) in the second quarter and narrowed its full-year guidance in an operational update released Friday for its Segilola gold mine in Nigeria. The 23,785 ounces of gold produced in the three months ended June 30 is an increase of 11% quarter over quarter, for a total of 45,128 oz produced in the first half of 2022.

AEX Gold Inc announced that it plans to change its name to Amaroq Minerals Ltd on July 11, 2022. The name change will be effective July 12, 2022 and is subject to acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange and AIM. Effective at the start of trading on or about July 12, 2022, the company will commence trading on the TSX Venture Exchange and AIM under the new name and the new stock symbol "AMRQ".

Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc acknowledged the strong support it had from US Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer for establishing a manufacturing facility in Ulster, New Yorks former TechCity site location. Senator Schumer said Zinc8s interest in expanding hundreds of new jobs into the Hudson Valley at Ulster Countys former TechCity site, now called iPark87, would be a win-win-win. A once-contaminated asbestos dumping ground can be revitalized and once again be the beating heart of Ulster Countys economy, all while powering a cleaner, brighter future, fighting climate change, and creating hundreds of good-paying jobs, added the Democrat from New York. "I made it clear to Zinc8 CEO, Ron MacDonald, that I stand ready to help their potential expansion in the Hudson Valley in any way, including fighting to secure the historic federal battery research & development incentives I passed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law.

Mountain Boy Minerals Ltd has announced that a geophysical survey is currently underway at its Telegraph Copper-Gold Project in British Columbias Golden Triangle. The program involves ground geophysics (induced polarization and magnetotellurics) and on-site shortwave infrared analysis of rock samples, which is used to identify alteration minerals that may be associated with mineralization, the company said. The goal is to define drill targets and establish a better understanding of the overall geological setting on the property over the next few weeks.

Nextech AR Solutions Corp said it has launched significant upgrades to its augmented reality spatial mapping platform, ARWay - previously referred to as ARitize Maps. The improvements to the platform include an upgraded mobile app for both IOS and Android devices, no-code capabilities, and a creator portal (web studio) that is connected to the mobile apps, including third-party and white label apps powered by the ARwayKit SDK. Both the creator portal as well as a beta software development kit (SDK) are now available to select early adopters.

American Eagle Gold Corp said it has decided to make a strategic shift to focus on exploration in Canada as it confirmed plans to change the name of the company to Drillore Exploration Inc. The news came as the company announced that at its annual and special meeting of its shareholders held on June 3, 2022, each item of business placed before the shareholders was approved, including the re-election of the current board of directors and the change of the name. The company said its focus will be exploring the NAK copper-gold porphyry project in Central British Columbia (BC). Since the acquisition of NAK in December 2021, an extraordinary amount of work has been put into the property, justifying the company's decision to focus its attention on exploring this property. Therefore, American Eagle said, it will exit the USA and focus on expanding its presence in BC by making a discovery, defining a resource at NAK and further consolidating the area.

Sonoro Gold Corp said the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a non-brokered private placement announced on June 6, 2022, and June 21, 2022, which will see the issue of 20.05 million shares at a purchase price of 15 cents per share, together with 20.05 million share purchase warrants with an exercise price of 22.5 cents for a two-year period with 62 placees.

Deep-South Resources Inc said the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation pertaining to a property option agreement dated March 28, 2022, between the company and World Class Mineral Ventures Ltd (Kavumba Ngoma, Nathan Sabao and Chisunka Chileya Mpundu), whereby the company can acquire an 80% interest in three large-scale copper exploration licences in the centre of the Zambian copper belt.

Bioharvest Sciences Inc said it has granted 30,000 stock options to a consultant of the company. The stock options granted will vest monthly over a two-month period and are exercisable to purchase a common share of the company at a price of 23 cents per share for a term of 10 years.

Endeavour Mining PLC has said it will release its Q2 and half-year 2022 financial results on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, before the London market open. Management will host a conference call and webcast on the same day, Wednesday 3 August, at 8.30am EDT / 1.30pm BST to discuss the company's financial results. The webcast can be accessed through the following link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/52ikoagj. Analysts and investors are also invited to participate and ask questions by registering for the conference call dial-in via the following link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI9ffe2c0effb94d0faae6b0f0271fa49a. The conference call and webcast will be available for playback on Endeavour's website.
The project lies prominently within the 160-kilometer-long Juneau Gold Belt, which has produced over seven million ounces of gold

Grande Portage Resources Ltd revealed that it has started its summer drill program at its 100%-controlled Herbert Gold project located approximately 25 kilometers north of Juneau, Alaska.

The Vancouver, British Columbia mineral exploration company said the fully funded drill program will test multiple targets from three platforms. The company intends to test the main mineralized structures at depths beyond 500 meters (m), while at the same time, penetrating additional structures at shallower levels and along strike.

The vein structures and mineralization show no signs of diminishing with depth, according to Grande Portage.

READ: Mountain Boy Minerals begins geophysical survey work at Telegraph Copper-Gold Project

In addition to drilling the deeper portions of the Goat, Main, and Deep Trench veins, one of the company's planned drill sites will test the eastern extension of the Deep Trench, the Floyd, and the Elusive Structure, which remains virtually unexplored to date, noted the firm.

The Herbert Gold property system is open to length and depth and is host to at least six main composite vein-fault structures that contain ribbon structure quartz-sulfide veins. The project lies prominently within the 160-kilometer-long Juneau Gold Belt, which has produced over seven million ounces of gold.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
Shares in Pantheon Resources PLC (AIM:PANR, OTC:PTHRF) and 88 Energy Ltd (AIM:88E, ASX:88E, OTC:EEENF) advanced this week as the former announced the start of drilling operations for the Alkaid-2 well in Alaska.

The potentially pivotal well promises to put a rubber stamp on what could become a major new multi-billion barrels oil asset, on American soil.

Success with a series of previous wells has sent Pantheon to a very substantial valuation  peaking at around 1bn immediately before equities slipped into a bear market, and, todays price of 89p pitches the market cap at close to 700mln.

Pantheons share price performance for the past year highlights the high-stakes nature of the Alkaid well, meanwhile, Alaskan neighbour 88 Energy is living somewhat vicariously through PANRs project, though more about that later.

Right now, lets focus on Pantheon and take a look at the reasons that Alkaid is going to be a very closely followed drill programme.

It is big

Boil the investment proposition back to its basics and the opportunity appear quite simple  theres a good chance that theres a lot of oil, or at least thats the theory.

Exploration experts, internal and external to the company, believe there are very large accumulations of oil in the region known as Alaskas North Slope.

Pantheons project area in located further onshore from previous coastal discoveries such as Prudhoe Bay (estimated to have some 33bn barrels of oil in place) and Kuparuk/West Sak (14bn barrels OIP), and is to the east of Smith Bay, Pikka-Horseshoe and Willow discoveries which measure in the hundreds of millions of barrels.

As the drill-bit began turning in the Alkaid-2 well Pantheon technical director Bob Rosenthal highlighted that the AIM-quoted explorer had discovered a lot of oil so far in its project area.

To date the oil-in-place volume is estimated at 23bn barrels, with 2.3bn of those presently deemed as potentially recoverable.

Alkaid-2 could lead to an upgrade on those already big numbers, depending on results.

Successfully testing the reservoirs at greater depth, in this location, is likely to increase the known scale of the resource, according to WH Irelands oil and gas analyst Brendan Long.

The WH Ireland analyst, who pitches his fair value estimate for Pantheon at some 208p (versus todays price of 90p), meanwhile, points to the other important aspect of Alkaid.

Going horizontal now

Pantheons successful Alaskan wells to date have all been vertical test wells, designed to confirm the presence of hydrocarbons and gather valuable data, but, any future development of the fields will comprise horizontal production wells.

For those unfamiliar with the methodology, the idea is pretty straightforward (and was the basis for much of the United States onshore oil boom seen over the past two decades).

A vertical pilot is drilled down until it reaches the depth of the reservoir (in such wells often referred to as the horizon or formation) at which point one or more lateral holes are drilled across and through the expanse of the oil-bearing feature.

It massively increases the surface area to which the well bore is exposed, and, as a result means much higher volumes of oil can be produced.

Understanding this fairly simplified explanation of such wells helps explain the excitement over Pantheons expectation beating wells drilling in 2019.

The most recent well, Theta West, was a vertical hole and flowed oil at a rate of 57 barrels per day in a brief period of testing and before that the Talitha A well confirmed a test rate of 32 bopd, and before that, its preceding Talitha well yielded 73 bopd.

Alkaid, Pantheons first vertical discovery well in Alaska, drilled in 2015 and flowed around 100 barrels during testing in 2019.

A cynic without much understanding of the oil industry would probably wince at the notion that Pantheons near 700mln valuation could be built on such a catalogue of test flows.

The companys point of view has, however, always been clear.

Pantheon is on the path to unlocking an enormous basin play, Bob Rosenthal said in March.

Pantheon has an opportunity to develop a number of large, discreet oil accumulations in an established oil province adjoining export infrastructure, which we believe is unique.

Chief executive Jay Cheatham added: we have collected enough data to confirm our expectations that we have discovered, and now appraised, an extensive resource which we believe meets or exceeds our pre-drill estimates.

Higher volume production statistics from a horizontal well like Alkaid-2 will be undeniable, and, of course, will go a long way to shoring up the commercial case for developing oil fields across Pantheons acreage in Alaska.

The Alkaid drill in detail

Pantheon has explained to investors that Alkaid-2 will have multiple objectives, over multiple formations.

It will test the oil zones discovered previously by the Alkaid-1 well, as well as being drilled deeper to appraise an oil target thats anticipated as an extension to oil resources seen in Talitha-1, and will also go for previously untested exploration targets.

Alkaid-2 will include what the company says will be a conservative lateral section  notably shorter than the 8,000 ft section thats envisaged for a full development scenario  in order to minimise operational risk.

Like other wells on the Alaskan North Slope (ANS) it is anticipated that the well will utilise unconventional oil production technologies, applied to conventional oil reservoirs, in order to maximize potential reserves and production.

Such stimulation has become standard operating procedure across the entire ANS, Pantheon noted.

Significantly, the sort of extend testing planned in a success case would open up a potentially lucrative revenue source for the company.

The Alkaid-2 well is the first production well in this new oil field using unconventional technology. As is typical in the industry, we will apply what we learn from this well to subsequent wells in order to optimise future drilling, testing and production, chief executive Jay Cheatham said in Thursdays statement.

"Commercial success at any standalone project, along with our geographic location, onshore and adjacent to export infrastructure in a low sovereign risk jurisdiction, would be transformational for Pantheon."

What analysts say

WH Ireland analyst Brendan Long, in a recent note, described the previous drill campaign as unambiguously positive, and, called the Lower Basin Floor Fan (seen in the Theta West well) as a giant elephant.

This is the basis of Longs fair value estimate for Pantheons shares pitched at 208p, suggesting more than 100% upside the current market price of around 90p.

Alkaid-2, meanwhile, is a baby elephant according to Long, who wrote in come cover and caveats ahead of the next well.

The Alkaid-2 well is not, in our opinion, a make or break well.

In our opinion, there is zero chance that any result at Alkaid would reduce our enthusiasm for the main prize, the Lower Basin Floor Fan of the Theta West structure.

It is also critical to appreciate that Alkaid#2 is an early-stage appraisal well. That it can be brought onstream on along-term production test (and thereby generate revenue) is reflective of the extraordinarily advantageous operating environment enjoyed by Pantheon Resources, inclusive of its access to road and pipeline infrastructure.

It is wrong, in our opinion, to expect the well to come on like a fully optimised developmental well: That is typically not the intention/expectation for the first-ever horizontal well completed in a large-scale resource play, based on our experience.

The analyst added: For us, we are most interested in gaining an understanding of the reservoirs flow behaviour over time.

If that behaviour is encouraging, we have confidence that both initial production rates and expected ultimate recoveries per well can be scaled up over time by drilling longer wells and fracking them more intensely.

Based on investor discussions and market commentary we would caution against putting the cart ahead of the horse due to the rather extraordinary ease with which Pantheon Resources is able to monetise oil production from its wells.

In our opinion, an appraisal well is an appraisal well, even if its production is monetised.

So, why is 88 Energy relevant?

Many of London small-cap investors were likely introduced to Alaskas North Slope via 88 Energy.

The exploration company has had an acreage position since 2015 and, has at different times garnered an awful lot of attention and speculation with its exploits.

It has drilled a number of wells and has progressed its own acreage, albeit (to borrow from WH Ireland and paraphrase) its results have been less unambiguously positive than Pantheons.

Whilst 88 Energy continues to progress its other exploration interest in the region (across its Project Icewine, Project Peregrine, the Umiat and Yukon projects), right now the activity of its neighbour is the most impactful catalyst for the company.

According to 88 Energy this is more than an exercise in nearology though. Studies commissioned by the company have determined that geologies observed by Pantheon, in its wells, crossover into a section of the Icewine territory.

Consultant Jordan & Pay evaluated the Shelf Margin Delta (SMD), Slope Fan Set (SFS) and Basin Floor Fan (BFF) play fairways across the Project Icewine acreage on Alaskas North Slope.

The consultants report, completed in May, used publicly available information related to the Pantheon wells and concluded that all of Pantheons reservoir units extend into the Icewine acreage.

At the same time, it had petrophysical data from a prior Icewine well was re-evaluated.

More recently, in June, it agreed to acquire data which are said to include 3D seismic data for an area it says covers the SMD, SFS and BFF  it spent US$1mln for this access.

All this desktop work is intended to culminate in a data package to support a farm-out process, which the company hopes will being in a new partner and funding for future exploration.

88 Energy says it wants to drill a well to test these targets in 2023.

Such is the timeline, 88 Energy shares are likely to follow the near-term fortunes of Pantheon and therefore its investors will keep a very close eye on the well programme.
"Zinc8 is evaluating potential manufacturing sites in the northeastern US and have been very impressed with the locations and related facilities in New York," said Zinc8 Energy CEO MacDonald

Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc (CSE:ZAIR) acknowledged the strong support it had from US Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer for establishing a manufacturing facility in Ulster, New Yorks former TechCity site location.

In a statement, Senator Schumer said Zinc8s interest in expanding hundreds of new jobs into the Hudson Valley at Ulster Countys former TechCity site, now called iPark87, would be a win-win-win.

A once-contaminated asbestos dumping ground can be revitalized and once again be the beating heart of Ulster Countys economy, all while powering a cleaner, brighter future, fighting climate change, and creating hundreds of good-paying jobs, added the Democrat from New York.

I made it clear to Zinc8 CEO, Ron MacDonald, that I stand ready to help their potential expansion in the Hudson Valley in any way, including fighting to secure the historic federal battery research & development incentives I passed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law. Zinc8s investment in the Hudson Valley would further power New Yorks leadership as a global battery manufacturing hub.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in 2021, has set aside $6 billion for federal incentives meant to expand capabilities of the US-based battery research and development, bolster domestic battery production, and shore up the American supply chain in an industry often reliant on foreign sources.

Zinc8 Energy noted that the carbon reduction policies of the Biden administration and the state of New York are spurring companies like it to bring advanced clean energy solutions to full commercialization and create well-paying green jobs.

"Zinc8 is evaluating potential manufacturing sites in the northeastern US and have been very impressed with the locations and related facilities in New York," said Zinc8 Energy CEO MacDonald. "Having the support of Senator Schumer for our company and technology will weigh heavily on our decisions on where to locate our first major production facility."

Zinc8 specializes in flow battery technology that relies on regenerating zinc particles to store and dispatch energy. The company focuses on developing and commercializing its low-cost, long duration ZESS for utilities, microgrid, and commercial and industrial markets.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
Johannesburg, July 8 : The US became South Africa's number one for the first time in terms of overseas tourism markets in 2021, replacing UK, which had been the number one market since 1994, South African Tourism has said.

The US topped the tourist revenue among the overseas markets in 2021, with 2.3 billion South African rands (about $143.8 million), and the average tourist spending of 31,100 rands was higher than pre-pandemic levels of 22,900 rands in 2019, the government's tourism marketing arm said in a statement.

The increase was driven by leisure tourism activities and shopping, which increased by 17 per cent and 22 per cent respectively, it said.

The US also led the growth in arrivals in 2021, with a total of 82,020 arrivals, a 14 per cent increase comparing to 2020, according to the agency. However, the total number of arrivals is still much lower than pre-pandemic level, as 373,694 people from the US visited South Africa in 2019, only behind UK's 436,559.

Statistics showed that in 2021, as it was in 2019, eating out, shopping, wildlife viewing, natural attractions, and socialising were among the top 5 activities that attracted US tourists. First-time visitors from US increased to 70.1 per cent in 2021, read the statement.
Washington, July 8 : Derek Chauvin, a former police officer of Minneapolis, in the US' Minnesota, was sentenced in a federal court to 21 years in prison for violating George Floyd's civil rights.

Chauvin previously pleaded guilty to civil rights violation during Floyd's arrest on May 25, 2020.

That day, Chauvin pressed his knee on the African American man's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds.

The sentence will run concurrently with Chauvin's state sentence of 22.5 years after he was convicted for second and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter, Xinhua news agency reported.

He will move from state prison to federal prison.

Floyd's death sparked massive demonstrations across the United States in the summer of 2020 against police brutality and systemic racism.

Three other former officers at the scene of Floyd's arrest were convicted earlier this year on federal charges of depriving Floyd of his civil rights. Their sentencing dates have not been scheduled.

The federal sentence for Chauvin came as protesters were decrying police violence and racism in the fatal shooting of African American man Jayland Walker in Akron, Ohio.

The Akron Police Department on Sunday released body-camera footage of the deadly encounter, which took place after midnight on June 27 during an attempted traffic stop.

Officers attempted to pull over Walker on unspecified traffic violations and they chased his vehicle on the expressway for several minutes, according to the police.

Walker then allegedly jumped out of his car while the footage showed officers pursuing him on foot before opening fire.

The police department said officers "reported a firearm being discharged from the suspect vehicle" during the encounter.

Walker, 25, suffered more than 60 gunshot wounds and was unarmed at the time, Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett told reporters on Sunday.

Eight officers who were directly involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave as part of the protocol in a police shooting.

Akron had contacted the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and requested an independent investigation into the incident. The process is underway.
Moscow, July 8 : Russia's aerospace forces have destroyed temporary deployment points and ammunition depots near the city of Artemovsk in Donetsk, the country Defence Ministry has said.

Up to 350 Ukrainian personnel and 20 armored combat vehicles were hit at the site, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the ministry.

The ministry added that the Ukrainian military has suffered heavy losses after Russian attacks on combat positions, with the total casualties of the 24th mechanized brigade amounting to around 2,500, and the Ukrainian 79th airborne assault brigade loosing more than 80 percent of its personnel.

There is no information available form the Ukrainian side for the time being to confirm the casualties and damage.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Jerusalem, July 8 : Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President of the UAE Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan talked over the phone about expanding normalisation deals in the Middle East.

The telephone conversation marked the first time the two leaders talked since Lapid took office last Friday, Xinhua news agency.

The two emphasised the importance of deepening the "warm ties" between their countries which normalized their relationship under the US-brokered Abraham Accords signed in September 2020, Lapid's office said in a statement.

They "expressed satisfaction" with the growing tourism and economic ties, and discussed "expanding the circle of peace to include additional countries in the region," the statement said.

President Mohammed "emphasized the importance of maintaining strong ties" between the two nations, while Lapid extended his best wishes to the UAE leader on the occasion of the Eid Al-Adha holiday which will begin on Saturday.
Photo provided by Italy's Alpine Rescue on July 3, 2022 shows a general view of Marmolada Glacier in northern Italy. At least six people were dead and more than a dozen were missing Sunday after a glacial ice shelf collapsed amid higher-than-usual te Image Source: IANS News

WELLINGTON, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, Fox Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with a terminal face as low as 300 metres above sea level. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian) Image Source: IANS News

Rome, July 8 : The number of deaths caused by a powerful landslide triggered by a melting glacier in northern Italy has climbed to ten, with another victim missing and feared dead.

The landslide on the Marmolada in the Dolomite Mountains occurred on Sunday after a glacier collapsed amid unusually high temperatures, Xinhua news agency reported.

The immediate death toll was announced as six -- all hikers and mountaineers -- with at least a dozen more reported as missing. Since then, the number of dead has climbed, and most of the missing have been accounted for.

The body of the tenth victim was recovered early Thursday local time.

Luca Zaia, the president of the northern region of Veneto where the Marmolada is located, said the final number of deaths caused by the tragedy was likely to reach 11.

Rescue workers continued the search for the final missing hiker using hound dog units.

Officials have attributed the tragedy to scorching temperatures. When the glacier collapsed, the temperature at the mountain peak was reportedly around 10 degrees Celsius, when a normal temperature for this time of year is below zero.

Via social media, Zaia called for a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to monitor melting glaciers in Italy's Alpine regions, to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
Tokyo, July 8 : Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot as he was addressing a crowd in Nara prefecture on Friday, state broadcaster NHK reported.

Citing Liberal Democratic Party sources, the NHK news report said they that Abe was shot in the chest and was taken to hospital.

Further details were awaited.
New Delhi, July 8 : Senior Congress leader and a G-23 member Anand Sharma has denied meeting BJP chief J.P. Nadda.

The meeting was said to have taken place on Thursday. Sources said that Sharma spoke to Nadda over the phone on some programme related issue where both of them are the invitees.

After the news spread, Sharma tried to put all speculation to rest and said as Nadda hails from the same state and university they have social and family ties.

He said that the Himachal University alumni had invited both of them to a programme. Both spoke about it and there were only ideological differences and no personal enmity, he added.

While asserting that if he had to meet Nadda he would do so openly. Sharma is a prominent leader of the Congress and an important member of G-23, which has been pushing for reforms in the party.

Sharma has been maintaining distance after being ignored for the Rajya Sabha, and most recently was absent from the 'Satyagraha' called by the Congress party against the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has been questioning Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

The tension is simmering within Congress since the names of Congress veteran leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Veerappa Moily did not figure in the Rajya Sabha candidate's list.

The Congress has tried to accommodate them in various forms like the political affairs group, Task Force 2024 and committee for 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.
Bengaluru, July 8 : The Karnataka government has directed the authorities concerned to ensure that cows are not slaughtered in the state on Bakrid which falls on Saturday.

No cow, calf, ox, buffalo and camel can be killed during the festival, it said.

To ensure its implementation, helplines and task forces have been set up to monitor and to lodge FIRs if needed.

Through these helplines, people can complain about instances of violations, including transportation of cows. Bakrid celebrations will begin on Saturday and culminate on Sunday evening.

Posters are being released on the government's official social media handles warning peple against it.

The government has also formed a task force to strictly implement the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020 which is popularly known as the Anti-Cow Slaughter Act.

A taskforce has been forced to keep vigil to prevent cow slaughter in the capital city Bengaluru. BJP state unit on its social media handle claims: "BJP does not approve of appeasement politics. It is a party which preserves culture and practices nationalism." "Protection of culture of the land, faith is the main objective of the party. On these lines, the government has undertaken many more measures for protection of cows. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has strictly ordered prohibition of cow slaughter during Bakrid. This is a commitment to ensure welfare of the majority," it states.

Minister for Animal Husbandry Prabhu B. Chouhan has already given a call not to sacrifice cows during the celebration of Bakrid festival. He had also directed the officials to initiate action to ensure prevention of slaughter of cows in the state.

The authorities must keep a hawk's eye on illegal transportation of cows and on those who smuggle beef from neighbouring states. He has also asked the general public to be alert and give information.

The new act enacted by the ruling BJP stipulates 3 years to 7 years of imprisonment for the cow slaughter and makes all offences under the act cognizable.

It further specifies that people exercising powers under this are deemed to be public servants and also states that no suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall be instituted against the competent authority or any person exercising powers under the act.

However, though BJP has made elaborate arrangements to prevent cow slaughter in the state during Bakrid, authorities fear the action in this regard would trigger a law and order situation in the state.
Guyana, July 8 : West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran smashed an unbeaten 74 off just 39 balls, embellished with five maximums, as the hosts romped to an easy five-wicket victory over Bangladesh with 10 balls to spare to complete a 2-0 T20 International series win at the Providence Stadium on Friday (IST).

The 26-year-old left-hander played an array of superb strokes on both sides of the wicket as he made his fourth T20I half-century in his last five innings. Set a challenging target of 164 in the final contest, Pooran ended the match in grand style with a magnificent straight six and held the pose for emphasis. He was named the 'Player of the Match' and 'Man of the Series'.

Opener Kyle Mayers added 55 off 38 balls at the top of the order, combining with Pooran in a record 85-run fourth-wicket partnership to pull the run chase around from a 43/3 in the seventh over. Mayers too was dominant, and his stay at the crease was highlighted by a majestic hook for six over deep-square as he continued the rich form which saw him earn the 'Man of the Series' for the recent Test series clean sweep.

Pooran smashed five fours and five sixes, racing to his ninth T20I half-century in the 15th over with a six over long on. Mayers, who has two fours and five sixes of his own, had earlier reached his maiden T20I half century off 33 balls at the start of the 14th over with a straight six off off-spinner Mosadek Hossain.

Pooran later lauded the team effort on CWI Media. "That is something I always wanted to do, make runs and be there to win the match for the team at the end. I think we are building well as a team and we look forward to continuously performing for the people of the West Indies," he said.

The win came on the heels of a 35-run victory for the West Indies at Windsor Park in Dominica, after the opening game at the same venue was rained off as a no-result.

The two teams will now play a three-match ODI series beginning at the Guyana National Stadium on July 10.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 163/5 in 20 overs (Litton Das 49, Afif Hossain 50; Hayden Walsh 2/25) lost to West Indies 169/5 in 18.2 overs (Kyle Mayers 55, Nicholas Pooran 74 not out) by five wicket.
Chennai, July 8 : The officials of Tamil Nadu's Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday searched the house of AIADMK legislator and former Minister R. Kamaraj at Mannargudi in Thiruvarur district and here, said sources.

The officials of Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DAVC) also simultaneously started search operations at the premises belonging to those of Kamaraj's sons -- Iniyan and Inban and three of his associates.

The DVAC has registered a case against Kamaraj for amassing wealth of about Rs 58 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2021.

The search operations are being carried out in over 20 locations in the state.

The DVAC had earlier raided the premises of former Ministers in the AIADMK government like M.R. Vijayabhaskar, C. Vijayabhaskar, S.P. Velumani, K.C. Veeramani and Thagamani.

Now Kamaraj is getting added to that list.
Prague, July 8 : Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said his country supports Croatia's accession to the Schengen area, the borderless zone of the European Union (EU).

"We are convinced that Croatia meets all the conditions, and we will do everything to ensure that during our Presidency a decision is made on the admission of Croatia from the beginning of next year," Fiala said in a statement following a meeting with his Croatian counterpart, Andrej Plenkovic.

The Czech Republic is currently holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU for the second half of the year.

The two leaders also talked about the EU integration of the countries of the Western Balkans and the main goals set by the Czech Presidency in this area.

"We would like to move forward on the issue of the integration of the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. There it is about candidate status, and in the case of North Macedonia and Albania, about the start of accession negotiations," the Czech Prime Minister said.

The two leaders also discussed cooperation in the energy sector.

Plenkovic said he appreciated the Czech Republic's support for his country's Schengen accession.

The two countries, he tweeted, want "a stronger partnership and economic exchanges, as well as cooperation in energy supply".

Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013, is also set to join the eurozone on January 1, 2023.
San Francisco, July 8 : Indian-origin Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani, the former business partner and 'boyfriend in secret' of Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of healthcare company Therano, has been found guilty of defrauding Theranos investors and patients in the US.

Balwani faced 10 counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

After a three-month trial, a jury has found him guilty of all 12 counts. He now faces up to 20 years in prison for each count, The Verge reported late on Thursday.

Youngest billionaire Holmes has already been found guilty of defrauding investors.

Indian-origin Balwani was Holmes' "boyfriend in secret".

"They met when Holmes was 18 and Balwani was 37 -- she moved in with him the year after she dropped out of Stanford. She also said during the trial that she was raped as a Stanford student, which is part of why she didn't finish her degree," according to an earlier TechCrunch report.

During the four months of court proceedings, Holmes detailed Balwani's controlling behaviour, including a written document that dictated her daily schedule, including what she ate, when she slept and how she dressed.

She said, "He was so disappointed in my mediocrity and he was trying to teach me how to be better." Holmes founded Theranos in 2003 and the company was once valued at more than $9 billion.

In 2015, an expose in The Wall Street Journal revealed major problems with Theranos' technology.

In 2018, Holmes and Balwani were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud.

According to the US Department of Justice, Holmes and Balwani used advertisements and solicitations to encourage and induce doctors and patients to use Theranos's blood testing laboratory services, even though, according to the government, the defendants knew Theranos was not capable of consistently producing accurate and reliable results for certain blood tests.

"It is further alleged that the tests performed on Theranos technology were likely to contain inaccurate and unreliable results," the Justice Department said.

Holmes and Balwani defrauded doctors and patients by making false claims concerning Theranos's ability to provide accurate, fast, reliable, and cheap blood tests and test results, and by omitting information concerning the limits of and problems with Theranos' technologies.
Tokyo, July 8 : Shinzo Abe, who was Japan's longest serving Prime Minister, was shot at while he was addressing an election rally in the city of Nara on Friday, following which he collapsed and showed no life signs, state media reports said, adding that a 41-year-old man has been arrested for attempted murder.

According to state broadcaster NHK, the incident took place at around 11. 30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while the 67-year-old former leader was making a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign.

The police said that he was shot twice, with the second shot hitting him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground.

The accused has been identified as Yamagami Tetsuya, a resident of Nara city.

Investigative sources told NHK that a gun seized at the scene appeared to be handmade.

Abe was transferred by medevac to Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara city .

Although there were no immediate updates on Abe's health condition, emergency officials have however said that the former leader does not appear to have any life signs.

The former Prime Minister was in the city to support an LDP candidate running in Sunday's upper house election and there was a crowd of people listening to his speech near the railway station when the incident occurred, says Kyodo News.

Confirming the incident, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters in Tokyo that "whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it".

Meanwhile, former Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe said in a tweet that Abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, a term often used before a death is officially confirmed in Japan, reports the BBC.

According to videos circulating on social media, the first shot appeared to have missed Abe but the second one hit in the back.

He immediately fell to the ground bleeding. Security then detained the attacker who made no attempt to run.

Abe became Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister after serving from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.

He however, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons.

He later revealed that he had suffered a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease, the BBC reported.

He was succeeded by his close party ally Yoshihide Suga, who was later replaced by Fumio Kishida.

Key figures from across the world have condemned the incident, with former Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd calling it an "attack on supporters of democracy", while US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, said Abe had been an "outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the US", adding that America was "praying" for his well-being.
New Delhi, July 8 : India saw a marginal decline in Covid cases with 18,815 infections reported in the past 24 hours, against previous day's 18,930 count, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

During the same period, 38 fatalities took the nationwide death toll to 5,25,343.

Meanwhile, the active caseload has also risen to 1,22,335 cases, accounting for 0.28 per cent of the total positive cases.

The recovery of 15,899 patients in the last 24 hours took the cumulative tally to 4,29,37,876. Consequently, the recovery rate stands at 98.51 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Daily Positivity rate has also marginally risen to 4.96 per cent, while the Weekly Positivity Rate currently stands at 4.09 per cent.

Also in the same period, a total of 3,79,470 tests were conducted across the country, increasing the overall tally to over 86.57 crore.

As of this morning, the Covid vaccination coverage exceeded 198.51 crore, achieved via 2,59,95,556 sessions.

Over 3.72 crore adolescents have been administered with a first dose of Covid-19 jab since the beginning of vaccination drive for this age bracket.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Srinagar, July 8 : An intruding terrorist and a soldier were killed after the Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kahmir's Kupwara district on Friday.

Defence sources said alert Army soldiers noticed a suspicious movement in Tangdhar sector of the LoC in Kupwara district this morning.

"When the intruding terrorists were challenged, they fired at the troops who retaliated the fire. A terrorist was killed while the infiltration attempt was foiled.

"One Army jawan also lost life in this operation. Searches are on in the area", the sources said.
Berlin, July 8 : German automaker Volkswagen will invest $20.38 billion to build electric vehicle (EV) batteries, creating 20,000 jobs and generating more than $20 billion in annual sales.

Volkswagen broke the ground for its first cell factory in Salzgitter, Germany in the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz late on Thursday.

The automaker will create a new company called Power Co under CEO Frank Blome and the production at the plant will start in 2025.

"Volkswagen is showing how the future of sustainable, climate-compatible mobility could look. Together, we are laying the foundation for shaping this future to a significant extent in Salzgitter," said German Chancellor Scholz.

Up to 2030, PowerCo will invest more than 20 billion euros, together with partners in the development of the business area, to employ up to 20,000 people in Europe alone.

"The battery cell business is one of the cornerstones of our new auto strategy which will make Volkswagen a leading provider of the sustainable, software-driven mobility of tomorrow. Establishing our own cell factory is a megaproject in technical and economic terms," said Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen AG.

The company will manage international factory operations, the further development of cell technology, the vertical integration of the value chain and the supply of machinery and equipment to the factories.

Looking ahead, further products such as major storage systems for the energy grid are planned.

The company said that following Salzgitter, the next cell factory is to be established at Valencia.

"Sites are currently being identified for three further cell factories in Europe. In addition to Europe, PowerCo is also already exploring the possibility of further gigafactories in North America," Volkswagen announced.

Volkswagen also unveiled the prismatic unified cell announced at the Power Day in 2021.

In future, the plant is to reach an annual capacity of 40 GWh -- enough for about 500,000 electric vehicles.

By 2030, the Volkswagen Group intends to operate six cell factories with a total volume of 240 GWh throughout Europe together with partners.
New Delhi, July 8 : Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed shock over the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"Shocked to hear the news of the attack on former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, who has been instrumental in deepening Indo-Japanese ties. Prayers for his recovery. My thoughts are with his family," he tweeted.

Shinzo Abe, who was Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, collapsed after he was shot at while addressing a crowd in Nara prefecture on Friday, state media said in a report, adding that the police have arrested a suspect.

According to state broadcaster NHK, the incident took place at around 11. 30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while the 67-year-old former leader was making a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign.

The local fire department says that Abe is in cardiopulmonary arrest and is scheduled to be transferred by medevac to Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara City in the prefecture.

According to the BBC, the term cardiopulmonary arrest is often used before a death is officially confirmed in Japan.

The NHK report further said that a gunshot was heard on site and Abe was seen bleeding.

Meanwhile, the police have said that Abe appeared to have been shot from behind with a shotgun, the state broadcaster reported.
Los Angeles, July 8 : 'Minari' star Steven Yeun has been cast to star alongside Hollywood star Robert Pattinson in filmmaker Bong Joon Ho's next sci-fi movie.

Though the film, set at Warner Bros., does not have a title, the science-fiction story is based on Edward Ashton's novel 'Mickey7'.

According to 'Variety', the project re-unites Yeun and Bong, who previously worked together on Netflix's allegorical drama 'Okja' in 2017.

According to the book's publisher, St. Martin Press, the high-concept cerebral thriller could be described as 'The Martian' meets 'Dark Matter'.

It follows an "expendable" - a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonise the ice world Niflheim - who refuses to let his replacement clone, dubbed Mickey8, take his place. Plot details for the movie have not been confirmed, and it's not clear how closely Bong (who is also writing the screenplay) plans to stick to the source material.

Along with Yeun and Pattinson, the cast includes Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette and Naomi Ackie.

Pattinson is expected to play the protagonist, but further casting details have not been confirmed.

Bong will also produce the upcoming film through his company Offscreen, along with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner of Plan B and Dooho Choi of Kate Street Pictures. Peter Dodd will oversee on behalf of Warner Bros.

The movie marks Bong's first feature since 2019's dark comedy-thriller 'Parasite', which became the highest-grossing South Korean film in history, as well as the first non-English-language movie to win best picture at the Oscars. He's also known for directing 'Snowpiercer', 'The Host' and 'Barking Dogs Never Bite'.

Up next for Yeun is director Jordan Peele's undercover thriller 'Nope', which co-stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer and opens in theatres on July 22.

The actor, whose other recognisable credits include 'The Walking Dead' and 'Burning', will next be seen in the Netflix comedy 'Beef' with Ali Wong.
Chennai, July 8 : Actress Sheela Rajkumar, who shot to limelight for her stellar performances in critically acclaimed films like 'To Let' and 'Mandela', will next be playing the female lead in director Justin's upcoming film that is to be shot entirely in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu.

The yet-to-be-titled film, which is being produced by Manjal Cinemas, may well be the first Tamil film to be shot entirely in the district.

Hari Krishnan, who shot to fame for his critically acclaimed performance in Pa. Ranjith's movie 'Madras', plays the male lead.

Talking to IANS, director Justin Prabhu says, "The story is about a woman who lives in a village in a mountain and her suitor who lives in a neighbouring village. There's a lot of nativity involved and therefore, the entire film will have to be shot in Krishnagiri district. I don't think there is another Tamil film that has been entirely shot in the same district." The film, the director says will revolve around a middle-class couple and among other things also showcase how society attempts to thwart a woman, looking to showcase her skills and individuality. How she overcomes all this will also be a part of what the film talks about.

The film will have cinematography by A Kumaran and editing by Ramanan and work on the film is expected to start soon.
San Francisco, July 8 : Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic partnered with Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, to design and manufacture its next generation motherships.

The mothership is the air launch carrier aircraft in Virgin Galactic's space flight system, that carries the spaceship to its release altitude of approximately 50,000 feet.

The two new motherships are expected to support 400 flights per year and the first is expected to enter service in 2025.

"Our next generation motherships are integral to scaling our operations. They will be faster to produce, easier to maintain and will allow us to fly substantially more missions each year. Supported by the scale and strength of Boeing, Aurora is the ideal manufacturing partner for us as we build our fleet to support 400 flights per year at Spaceport America," said Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Galactic, in a statement.

Aurora plans to manufacture the aircraft at its Columbus, Mississippi and Bridgeport, West Virginia facilities.

Final assembly of the motherships will be completed at the Virgin Galactic facility in Mojave, California.

In 2025, Virgin Galactic's first Delta-class spaceship is also expected to begin revenue payload flights.

The aerospace and space travel company said its upcoming commercial missions, carrying customers on a 90-minute journey to microgravity and back, are expected to start in the first quarter of 2023.

The first customers to make reservations paid $200,000 to $250,000, Colglazier said in the May call. At the time of the call, he said, Virgin Galactic was taking reservations for $450,000.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 8 : Locals at Dhoni near Palakkad staged a protest in front of the district forest officer's office against the callous attitude of the officials after a 60-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant on Friday morning.

Sivaraman was out on a morning walk at around 5.30 a.m. with his friends when a wild elephant attacked him.

According to eyewitness, the elephant chased Sivaraman and killed him in a few minutes.

Even though his friends rushed him to a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.

What has irked the locals was when they approached the forest officials, instead of being sympathetic, they questioned them on the need for venturing out so early.

The agitated locals, under the CPI-M leadership, staged a 'sit-in' front of the forest office.

"For long, we have been demanding the forest officials to make some sort of arrangements to tackle the man-animal conflict that has been lingering in our area for long. We have lost our friend and we want adequate compensation for his family," said an angry group women protesters.

Meanwhile, high-level officials arrived and convinced the protesters to call off the protest with assurance of strict action against the erring forest officials.
New Delhi, July 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he was "deeply distressed" over the attack on his "dear friend", former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, who was shot at earlier in the day.

Taking to Twitter, Modi said: "Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan." Abe, who was Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, collapsed after he was shot at while addressing en election rally in Nara city on Friday, state media said in a report, adding that the police have arrested a 41-year-old suspect.

According to state broadcaster NHK, the incident took place at around 11. 30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while the 67-year-old former leader was making a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign.

Abe did not appear to show any life signs following the attack, and is presently hospitalised.
Sonipat, July 8 : The Jindal School of Public Health and Human Development (JSPH) under O.P. Jindal Global University on Friday announced 100 per cent scholarships for the inaugural batch of the Masters in Public Health Programme (MPH).

A total of 10 fully funded scholarships will be given to the students, waiving off tuition fees and providing financial assistance to students and help them build a global career in the field of public health and human development.

"This extraordinary decision to institute 10 scholarships with 100 per cent tuition fee support has been taken to recognise the importance of public health education in a world that is barely recovering from the global pandemic. Our commitment to providing high-quality education in the field of public health and human development will financially support students and ensure equity and access to public health education in India," said Professor (Dr.) C Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of JGU.

The outbreak and spread of Covid-19 pandemic has brought urgent global attention to the need to respond effectively for public health exigencies.

The flagship Masters' Degree Programme being offered by the JSPH is grounded in a global health approach and building on a vast network of national and international collaborations.

The programme will introduce students to a multiplicity of approaches and build competencies through a range of core courses, electives, specialisations, dissertations, and capstone options.

In addition, students will have the option of undertaking semester exchange and study abroad programmes with key institutions and centres of excellence in public health.

"At JGU, we focus on providing a world-class education to our students and also believe in reducing barriers to equal and quality education. Our interdisciplinary and academically rigorous Masters' Degree in Public Health programme is truly transformative in nature," said Professor (Dr.) Upasana Mahanta, Dean, Admissions and Outreach at JGU.
Kolar : , July 8 (IANS) The Karnataka Police have filed a case against a member of a Hindu organisation for making 'terrorist' remark against the Muslims, police said on Friday.

The case was lodged against State Coordinator of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike Keshavamurthy following a complaint by the President of Anjuman-E-Islamia Zameer Amad.

The complaint has stated that Keshavamurthy had given defamatory statements against Muslims.

Keshavamurthy had made these remarks in his speech during a protest organised to condemn the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal, a Hindu tailor in Rajasthan for supporting expelled BJP leader Nurpur Sharma's statements on Prophet Mohammad.

The police have filed a case against Keshavamurthy under IPC Sections 153 (a) (wanton vilification or attacks on religion, race, place of birth etc), 153 (b) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 295 (a) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion and religious beliefs). Further investigation is on.
New Delhi, July 8: A senior leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be visiting Nepal next week, armed with the mission to unite Nepali communists ahead of the upcoming general elections.

Liu Jiancho, the head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, will arrive in Kathmandu on Sunday on a four-day visit, as part of his party's bid to expand influence by developing party-to-party relations with Nepali political parties.

Liu is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties of Nepal, according to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Besides political party leaders, Liu, who holds a ministerial rank in the CCP, will be holding meetings with Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during the upcoming visit, media reports said.

The Chinese leader's visit is taking place after he held back-to-back video calls with key leaders of the two major communist parties and a leader of the Nepali Congress in the last week of June.

Liu had held virtual talks with chairman of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda and chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) K.P. Sharma Oli on June 23 and June 24 respectively.

During these virtual talks, according to sources, the Chinese leader reportedly suggested they work out an electoral alliance among the communist parties in view of the upcoming federal and provincial elections which are likely to be held in the third week of November this year.

A key agenda of the Chinese leader's visit to Nepal this time will be to reiterate China's support to the communist parties if they agree on having an electoral alliance. Although the CCP leaders are more frequently in touch with the Nepali communist parties, they are also maintaining ties with the Nepali Congress party which is currently leading the government.

On June 30, Chinese leader Liu held virtual talks with Dr. Narayan Khadka, a key leader of the ruling Nepali Congress and also the country's foreign minister. The visit of the Chinese leader to Nepal is taking place just one and half months after he was appointed as the head of the CCP's crucial department, replacing Song Tao.

Liu will be the second Chinese leader to visit Nepal in the interval of three months. Earlier in March last week, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a visit to Nepal. The department is the CCP's de facto foreign ministry which maintains contacts with political parties in other countries. Prior to taking over the present responsibility, Liu served as deputy director at the Office for Central Foreign Affairs Commission since 2018.

The 58-year-old Liu is also a former Chinese diplomat. An Oxford-trained Liu had served as the Chinese foreign ministry's chief spokesperson between 2006 and 2009. He went on to become Chinese ambassador to Philippines and Indonesia and returned to Beijing in 2015.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
New Delhi, July 8 : The Supreme Court on Friday granted an interim bail for five days to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in connection with a case registered against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police for a tweet, where he allegedly called Hindu seers 'hatemongers'.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari said the relief is subject to the condition that he will not move out of the jurisdiction of the Delhi court (which is dealing with a separate FIR), and the petitioner will not put up any tweets. The bench added that Zubair shall not tamper with electronic evidence.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing Zubair, submitted that his client was promoting secularism and not promoting any enmity among religions.

Gonsalves said, "I capture hate speeches... I am defending the Constitution and I'm in jail...And for what?" Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted that the petitioner was a habitual offender and it was not a matter of one tweet or another, instead whether he was part of a syndicate which puts out tweets to destabilise the society.

Gonsalves said his client admitted the tweet, therefore there was no need for police investigation. "Where is the offence? If there is no offence, there is no investigation required...because of high court order, I am suffering," said Gonsalves.

Opposing Zubair's plea, Mehta contended that there was multiple suppression of facts in the petition filed by the petitioner. "Two orders of police remand and rejection of bail by different courts have been suppressed...this shows his conduct," said Mehta.

Mehta informed the top court that Zubair's bail was rejected by a trial court in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday and he was remanded to custody.

In June, a case was registered against him at the Khairabad police station on a complaint lodged by Hindu Lion Army district president Bhagwan Sharan. It was alleged that Zubair called three Hindu seers, Yati Narasinghan Saraswati, Bajrang Muni, and Anand Swaroop as hatemongers.

The bench said, "We are making it very clear that this (interim bail) is in relation to the FIR dated 1 June 2022 of Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh) and not any other FIR against the petitioner." The bench made it clear that it has not stayed the investigation in the FIR.

Zubair moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court's refusal on June 10, to quash FIR registered against him for allegedly calling Hindu seers "hatemongers".
Vientiane, July 8 : Laos exported over 14,559 tonnes of coffee worth more than $41 million in the first six months of 2022.

According to the Lao Coffee Association (LCA), the amount included exports to Asian and European countries and the US, reports Xinhua news agency.

A total of 30,398 tonnes of coffee, valued at $72.5 million were exported in 2021, the local daily Vientiane Times reported on Friday.

In the first half of 2022, the LCA recorded coffee exports worth more than $33 million to Asian countries, while exports to the European market were valued at nearly $7.5 million.

Last year, the LCA members exported more than 27,600 tonnes of coffee to Asian markets and earned nearly $65 million.

Exports to European countries in 2021 were valued at $7.1 million, while exports to the US were worth over $440,000.

The varieties of coffee exports included Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa, roasted, three-in-one and instant coffees.
Sydney, July 8 : New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese met in Sydney on Friday for their first annual Australia New Zealand Leaders Meeting.

The meeting aimed to "further cement the close renewed relationship between Australia and New Zealand", Xinhua news agency quoted Ardern as saying in a statement.

The Prime Ministers discussed cooperation and engagement in the Pacific region, climate change and the responsibility of countries to commit to ambitious climate change action among others.

Ahead of the meeting, Albanese said in a tweet that he and Ardern would discuss "opportunities for our countries to grow and improve living standards".

"We live in the most dynamic region in the world. The possibilities are boundless," he added.

The two leaders met informally in Australia in June shortly after Albanese won the election.
Kochi, July 8 : In a significant observation, the Kerala High Court pointed out the evolving nature of relationships among today's young adults.

This change in relationships has led to an increasing number of rape allegations after the couples break up and marry others, it added.

"However, this does not always imply that one of the partners was forced into having a sexual relationship on a false promise to marry," said Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas.

The court made these observations on Friday and granted bail to advocate Navaneeth. N. Nath, a Central Government panel counsel in Kerala, who was arrested in connection with a sexual abuse complaint made against him by a colleague, another lawyer.

Justice Thomas, while granting bail subject to some conditions, noted that even though the offences alleged are of a serious nature, the petitioner is not likely to flee from justice and has no criminal antecedents.

The allegation against Nath was that he had been in a relationship with his colleague, another lawyer, for over four years but in the end, he decided to marry another woman.

When the complainant learnt of this, she met Nath's fiancee at a hotel and allegedly tried to commit suicide by slitting her veins.

When she told the police the reason for her action, Nath was arrested last month and he then moved for bail at the Kerala High Court.

Counsel for Nath told the court that his party had every intention of marrying her and that the sexual relationship between them, which subsisted for many years, was absolutely consensual and loving.

His further told the Court that they were aware from the beginning that their relationship may face roadblocks as they belonged to different faiths but the complainant, knowingly took her chances and continued in the relationship.

The Judge pointed out that since the case arose between a couple who had been in a relationship for over four years, the prosecution case may be affected by the Supreme Court decision in Pramod Suryabhan Pawar v The State Of Maharashtra.

"What the Supreme Court held in Pramod's case is that the long period of a relationship is indicative of an absence obtaining consent by promising to marry. In your (complainant) FIS (first information statement), nowhere is it indicated that you indulged in sex only with the belief that he is going to marry," remarked the Justice.
Mumbai, July 8 : Former beauty queen and actress Manushi Chillar is on a signing spree after her debut with 'Samrat Prithviraj'. She will be seen sharing screen space with actor Vicky Kaushal in the upcoming film 'The Great Indian Family' and has also signed the dotted lines for her third film.

Manushi has reportedly signed another big ticket film, this time an action entertainer that will be shot in Europe.

Source told IANS: "Manushi will be leaving soon for the UK, France and other parts of Europe, which are some of the locations for her intial shoot schedule".

The source says, "Manushi will be seen in an all new avatar in this action entertainer. She mesmerised everyone with her screen presence in 'Samrat Prithviraj' in which she played the role of the gorgeous Indian Princess, Sanyogita." "Now, she will train hard to impress everyone with her action avatar in this project. It is an ambitious project and the makers wanted to cast a new face with a great on-screen personality. Manushi fit the bill to a T. This will be the third film in her filmography." Details of the project are under wraps.
New Delhi, July 8 : Fiery Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra landed in a major controversy with her alleged objectionable comments on Goddess Kaali.

Several FIRs have been lodged against the MP on the charges of hurting the sentiments of the worshippers of Goddess Kaali.

The controversy surrounding Goddess Kaali began when Madurai-born and Toronto-based filmmaker, Leena Manimekalai released an offensive poster that depicted a woman dressed as goddess Kaali and smoking a cigarette.

Reacting to the controversy, Mahua Moitra said, "Kaali to me is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess. You have the freedom to imagine your goddess. There are some places where alcohol is offered to the gods and in some other places it would be blasphemy." Mahua Moitra made these comments while participating in a conclave of an English News Channel. Within hours, TMC distanced itself from the objectionable remarks of Mahua Moitra. However, the Lok Sabha MP, known for her fierce speeches in the Lower House of Parliament, has said that she is ready to face and fight each FIR.

CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a countrywide survey on behalf of IANS to know people's views about police action against Mahua Moitra on the issue.

During the survey, the majority of Indians approved of the police action against the TMC parliamentarian. According to the survey data, 66 per cent respondents believe that the police action against Mahua Moitra is justified, however, 34 per cent did not share the sentiment.

During the survey, while a huge majority of NDA voters -- 76 per cent -- supported the police action against Mahua Moitra, views of opposition supporters were divided on the issue with a bigger proportion of them -- 58 per cent -- backing the police action.

The survey further revealed that a majority of both the urban and rural voters justified police action against Mahua Moitra. During the survey, 67 per cent urban voters and 65 per cent rural voters said that the police have taken the right step in lodging FIRs against the Lok Sabha MP for her offensive remarks on Goddess Kaali.
Tokyo, July 8 : Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is said be in "critical condition" after he was shot at on Friday while addressing an election campaign rally in Nara city, according to media reports.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Abe was in "critical condition", adding that the attack was a "despicable act that took place during an election period, which is the foundation of democracy", state broadcaster NHK reported.

"It is totally unacceptable. I condemn the act in the strongest possible terms." The Prime Minister added that "it is important for the government to prepare to take all necessary measures to deal with any possible situation".

According to NHK, the attack took place at around 11.30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while the 67-year-old former leader was making a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign.

The police said that Abe was shot twice, with the second shot hitting him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed that he had a bullet wound on the right of his neck, and also suffered subcutaneous bleeding under the left part of his chest.

He was rushed by medevac to Nara Medical University Hospital although showed no vital signs, according to local police and emergency services.

Meanwhile, the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya, a resident of Nara city, has been arrested for attempted murder.

Investigative sources told NHK a gun seized at the scene appeared to be handmade.

The sources added that the suspect worked for the Maritime Self Defense Force for three years until around 2005.

According to the police, the accused told investigators that he was dissatisfied with the former Prime Minister and intended to kill him.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, confirmed the attack earlier in the day and told reporters that any brutal act should never be tolerated, adding: "We strongly condemn this," Xinhua news agency reported.

Former Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe said in a tweet that Abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, a term often used before a death is officially confirmed in Japan, reports the BBC.

Abe became Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister after serving from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.

He however, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons.

He later revealed that he had suffered a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease, the BBC reported.

He was succeeded by his close party ally Yoshihide Suga, who was later replaced by Fumio Kishida.

Key figures from across the world have condemned the incident.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply distressed" over the attack on his "dear friend" Abe, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the incident a "despicable attack" Former Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was an "attack on supporters of democracy", while US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, said Abe had been an "outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the US", adding that America was "praying" for his well-being.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said his country was shocked by the attack and hoped for Abe's speedy recovery.
Srinagar, July 8 : The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday cancelled the controversial recruitment process of sub-inspectors of police and ordered a CBI probe into the scrapped selection process.

Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha's office said on the official Twitter page, "J&K Police Sub-Inspector recruitment has been cancelled & a CBI probe has been recommended into selection process".

The statement said that the CBI would probe the selection process and the culprits would be soon brought to justice.

The statement added that the cancellation of the selection process is the first big step towards securing the future of the youth.

"The government will soon decide the future course of action for fresh recruitment," the statement said.

After a public outcry over the fairness of the recruitment process, the J&K government had ordered a probe into the process by R.K. Goyal, principal secretary, home department.

Sources said the cancellation order followed submission of the probe report by the principal secretary home department to the government.
Chandigarh, July 8 : A student was killed and 14 others were injured when a 250-year-old peepul tree fell on them at the all-girls Carmel Convent School in Sector 9 here.

The about 70-feet tall tree uprooted naturally and fell on the students when they were playing under it.

Condition of a student and a woman conductor was stated to be critical.

The heritage tree was protected by the administration of the Union Territory.

Expressing grief over the incident, local Member of Parliament Kirron Kher tweeted by saying, "A very heart-wrenching incident of a tree falling at Carmel Covent School Chandigarh. My condolences to the bereaved families and I pray for a speedy recovery of the injured." Chandigarh has been experiencing moderate to heavy rains in the past one week.
Mumbai, July 8 : The Shiv Sena suffered another setback as at least 30 ex-municipal corporators joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's group, here on Friday.

The move has come as a jolt to the former CM Uddhav Thackeray, ahead of the upcoming civic elections in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and other major cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the state.

The development came a day after 67 ex-corporators of Thane Municipal Corporation met Shinde - who was also the Guardian Minister of Thane in the erstwhile MVA regime - and pledged to work together under his leadership for the progress of the city adjoining Mumbai.

After this, many Shiv Sena leaders, corporators, Shakha Pramukhs and other level of activists are contemplating similar action which could pose severe hurdles for the party in the civic elections in Kalyan-Dombivali, Ulhasnagar, Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar and other townships on the fringes of Mumbai.

The latest development came a week after Shinde was sworn in as CM and Bharatiya Janata Party's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Deputy CM after the MVA government collapsed on June 29.

There are ominous signs that many other Sena elected law-makers, party leaders and office-bearers at various levels may shift allegiance to the Shinde group in the coming weeks.

The Shinde camp claims that several Sena MPs are in touch and could join them soon even as the Shiv Sena Chief Whip in Lok Sabha Bhavana Gawali - MP from Yavatmal-Washim constituency, was removed on Wednesday and replaced by Thane MP Rajan Vichare.

The Sena is pinning hopes on the Supreme Court verdict of July 11, after which the party would chart its future course of action even as Thackeray has launched a massive interaction and communication with the grassroots workers.
Greece supports Romania's efforts to join Schengen area: PM

Xinhua) 14:13, July 08, 2022

ATHENS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Greece supports Romania's efforts for entry to the Schengen area, 15 years after the country joined the EU, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told his visiting Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca in Athens on Thursday.

"Greece supports without reservations the efforts of Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen zone," the Greek leader said during joint statements to the press after their meeting, according to Greek national broadcaster ERT.

"It would be a vindication for our country," Ciuca said.

Today the Schengen area comprises 26 European countries which have abolished border controls at their mutual borders, but there are still five EU member states that are not included until they fulfill all criteria.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation in many fields, as well as regional and international issues, they said.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
New Delhi, July 8 : Netflix has partnered German audio brand Sennheiser to bring spatial audio to across its catalog for its over 221 million users across the world.

Netflix said that spatial audio will help translate the cinematic experience of immersive audio to any stereo, "so the work creators do to bring you into the story happens no matter what device you use to watch Netflix".

Spatial Audio is a 3D audio technology that creates a more immersive soundscape by using dynamic head-tracking for a 'theatre-like' experience.

Spatial audio was rolled out across its catalog from Thursday, and people can hear it by typing "spatial audio" into the search bar and selecting a show or film that supports it in the search results.

"This magical combination of sight and sound will bring viewers closer to the story, and we're excited to add this capability to other features we support like 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos, and Netflix Calibrated Mode," the company said in a statement.

Currently, content that supports spatial audio includes the fourth season of "Stranger Things," "The Adam Project," "Red Notice," "The Witcher," "Locke & Key," among others.

Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking brings theater-like sound from the movie or video you're watching, so that sound seems like it's coming from all around you.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kolkata, July 8 : A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Friday, sought a report from Union ministry of Home Affairs on Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh's security withdrawal.

Although Singh got elected as a BJP candidate from Barrackpore in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas in 2019, on May 23 this year he returned to Trinamool Congress.

On July 5, the Union ministry of Home Affairs withdrew his "Z" category security facilities and also informed the MP about this decision. Singh approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the decision and also demanded an interim security for him.

However, on Friday, Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya on one hand dismissed Singh's plea for the interim security and on the other hand sought a report from the Union home ministry on this count within the next ten days.

Initially, after Singh joined BJP from Trinamool Congress before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Union government granted "Y+" category security. However, after he became the MP, his security was upgraded "Z" category, after Singh categorically complained of life threat from local goons backed by ruling Trinamool Congress. However, that security was removed a little over a month after he joined back Trinamool Congress.

Singh's counsel in the Calcutta High Court argued that since the security threat still looms on his client, central security should continue. However, the Union government's counsel Billwadal Bhattacharya argued that Singh was previously provided central security cover following his appeal since the state government then withdrew the state security cover. "The Union government now feels that "Z" category security cover is no longer required for him and so it has been removed. However, anyone can appeal for getting the security reinstated and the Union government will take a decision after reviewing the ground realities," he argued.

After that Justice Bhattacharya observed that the decision on security cover depends on the actual life threat for any individual and not on the party the individual is associated with. Thereafter, she dismissed Singh's plea for interim security and also asked the Union government to send a report on this count to the court within the next ten days. The next hearing in the matter will be on July 20.
Guntur, July 8 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's mother and YSR Congress Party's honorary president Y. S. Vijayamma on Friday announced her resignation from the party saying she needs to stand with her daughter Y. S. Sharmila, who has floated a political party in neighbouring Telangana.

Vijayamma made the announcement at the inauguration of the two-day plenary of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).

The development came a couple of hours after Jagan along with Vijayamma paid tributes to his father and former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy at his grave at Idupulapaya in Kadapa district on the occasion of his 73rd birth anniversary.

Sharmila, who launched YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) in Telangana on this day last year against the wishes of her brother, was also present during the prayers at YSR Ghat.

Vijayamma told YSRCP plenary that she was with her son during difficult times and her conscience tells that if she stand by him during the happy times, it would amount to doing injustice to her daughter Sharmila.

Making a brief but emotional speech, Vijayamma said she was taking the step to avoid controversies and speculations. While apologising to the party cadres, she said she would remain close to the heart of Jagan Reddy and people of Andhra Pradesh.

After Vijayamma concluded the speech, Jagan Reddy hugged her to convey the message to the party leaders and cadres that there is no bitterness in the family.

Both Vijayamma and Sharmila had stood by Jagan Reddy when he quit Congress party and floated YSR Congress party. They had also campaigned for YSRCP when he was in jail in cases relating to alleged disproportionate assets.

After Rajasekhara Reddy's death in a helicopter crash in 2009, Vijayamma was elected unopposed to the Assembly of then undivided Andhra Pradesh from Pulivendula constituency in Kadapa district.

In the by-elections held in 2011 following resignation of Jagan Reddy and Vijayamma from the Congress party, they were elected from Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies respectively by record margins.

Jagan's mother and sister had also campaigned for YSRCP in 2014. Vijayamma had contested unsuccessfully for Lok Sabha from Visakhapatnam. They also campaigned for YSRCP in 2019 elections but this time Vijayamma did not contest polls.

After YSRCP stomred to power Jagan Mohan Reddy became the chief minister in 2019, differences reportedly cropped up between him and Sharmila. Vijayamma blessed her daughter when she floated the party in Telangana.
Bhubaneswar, July 8 : National Democratic Alliance (NDA) presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu on Friday met Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs and MPs to seek their support for July 18 poll.

Murmu, who hails from Odisha, held a discussion with the BJD MLAs and MPs in the conference hall of the Odisha Assembly here. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also attended the meeting.

BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo said the Chief Minister has already announced to support Murmu for the presidential elections and all irrespective of political affiliation should support her.

"Murmu had tied Rakshi to Naveen Patnaik. So, they have a brother-sister relationship. Before her (Murmu) request for support, our CM had extended wholehearted support to her in this election," said senior BJD MLA Pramilla Mallick.

After meeting the BJD lawmakers, the NDA nominee met BJP legislators and MPs from Odisha at the state guest house.

"We are very happy that Draupadi apa, the daughter of the soil, will go to Raisina hills. We had a healthy discussion," said Bishnu Sethi, deputy leader of BJP in the state Assembly.

Murmu had lunch with the Chief Minister at the latter's residence, Naveen Niwas, after meeting BJP and BJD MPs and MLAs separately. She was accompanied by Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat. BJD MP from Puri, Pinaki Misra also attended the lunch.

Earlier, Murmu was accorded a grand reception at Bhubaneswar airport. Murmu is the first woman and a tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed a Governor in an Indian state. If elected, she will be the first tribal President and the second-ever female President.
Tokyo, July 8 : Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed away on Friday, hours after being shot while addressing an election rally in the city of Nara, according to state media.

A doctor attending on Abe in Nara Medical University Hospital said that the leader died at 08:03 GMT, BBC reported.

"During four and a half hour treatment, medics tried to stop the bleeding and carried out a blood transfusion, using more than 100 units of blood," the doctor said.

Abe sustained two wounds, believed to be bullet injuries, but medics could not find bullets during surgery, the doctor added.

Abe, 67, immediately collapsed after being shot and was seen bleeding before he was taken to hospital.

According to state broadcaster NHK, the attack took place at around 11.30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while Abe was making a speech during a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign.

The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya, a resident of Nara city, has been arrested.

According to the police, the accused told investigators that he was dissatisfied with the former Prime Minister and intended to kill him.

Investigative sources told NHK a gun seized at the scene appeared to be handmade.

Japan is slated to hold parliamentary election this Sunday.

Abe's visit was only confirmed late last night, so how the suspect managed to find out about this and carry out the attack remains an open question, said the BBC.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the attack was a "despicable act that took place during an election period, which is the foundation of democracy", state broadcaster NHK reported.

"It is totally unacceptable. I condemn the act in the strongest possible terms." The Prime Minister added that "it is important for the government to prepare to take all necessary measures to deal with any possible situation".

Sources added that the suspect worked for the Maritime Self Defense Force for three years until around 2005.

Abe became Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister after serving from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.

He stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons.

He later revealed that he had suffered a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease, the BBC reported.

He was succeeded by his close party ally Yoshihide Suga, who was later replaced by Fumio Kishida.

Key figures from across the world have condemned the incident.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a day-long national mourning for Shinzo Abe.
New Delhi, July 8 : Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Friday told the Supreme Court that the matter was not about a single tweet by Mohammad Zubair, the co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News, rather it was about whether he is part of a syndicate which puts out tweets to destabilise the society.

Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, contended before a bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari, said that on Thursday Zubair's bail plea was rejected by trial court in UP and he was remanded to judicial custody. Mehta said the issue was not one tweet or another, rather whether he is part of a syndicate which puts out tweets to destabilise the society. Mehta said the petitioner suppressed many facts, which includes his arrest by the Delhi Police, and also cited the issue with foreign contributions, which is under investigation.

Mehta said after Zubair's tweet there was a law-and-order situation and Yati Narasinghan was arrested and he is now out on bail, and the government is not defending him. He added that Zubair's tweet is under investigation and there is more than that meets the eye.

Not a simple case as being put up by the petitioner, said Mehta, adding that the Allahabad High Court noted that his request to quash the proceedings against him was premature. At this juncture senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, representing Zubair, said, "I am promoting secularism...not promoting enmity among religions. I am saying "stop hate speech".

Gonsalves argued that his client admitted his tweet, therefore no further investigation was required. Referring to a speech by Hindu seers, Gonsalves said: "I am not wrong when I say they are hatemongers...I captured the hate speech...how is my tweet an offence, where is the offence?" He added that when no offence was made out, why should there be a need for investigation? "Where is the need for custody? Where have I insulted a religion? If I am right, you can't take me into custody...I am defending the Constitution... Because of the high court order, I am suffering in custody," said Gonsalves.

Mehta said the matter is not of a single tweet, instead his overall conduct is under investigation and added that Zubair is a habitual offender and there are six cases against him. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the UP Police, said "He is tweeting...he is inciting violence...there is intent... The moment you call a religious leader, a hate monger... you are inciting violence".

Raju added that Zubair outraged the religious feelings of a large number of followers of Mahant Bajrang Muni Baba. "Whether it is deliberate or not, is a matter for trial...you call a religious guru a hate monger, outrage the feelings of a large number of people...attempt to promote disharmony," he added. Raju said if Zubair had issue with the speech, he could have sent a letter to the police, why tweet? He said prima facie a case is made out against him.

Referring to Zubair's claim of threat to his life, Mehta said he is in police custody, where is any fear of anybody killing you? He questioned Zubair's counsel submissions regarding urgency in the matter. The bench replied, "In a matter of deprivation of personal liberty, you can't say there is no urgency".

Mehta said in a matter of personal liberty, this court can intervene anytime but here, the petitioner has misled the court. The bench said: "We have not gone by death threats. We have gone by deprivation of liberty and that has happened..." After hearing the detailed arguments in the matter, the top court granted an interim bail for five days to Zubair in connection with a case registered against him by the UP Police for a tweet, where he allegedly called Hindu seers hatemongers. However, Zubair will continue to be in jail in a case registered by Delhi Police.

In June, a case was registered against him at the Khairabad police station on a complaint lodged by Hindu Lion Army district president Bhagwan Sharan. It was alleged that Zubair called three Hindu seers, Yati Narasinghan Saraswati, Bajrang Muni, and Anand Swaroop as hatemongers.

Zubair moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court's refusal on June 10, to quash FIR registered against him for allegedly calling Hindu seers "hatemongers".
New Delhi, July 8 : Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo on Friday moved a plea in the Delhi High Court challenging the freezing of its various bank accounts by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

In the writ petition, Vivo said the orders against it are in stark contravention to the mandate of Section 17 of the PMLA, as the same do not entail any reasons for freezing, let alone cogent "reasons to believe" as to why the bank account should be frozen. It is a generic order passed mechanically without any application of mind.

It said the total non-application of mind and arbitrariness is manifest from the fact that even the amount in question has not been quantified by the respondent and blanket orders for freezing all the bank accounts have been passed causing substantial and irreparable hardship to the petitioner and gravely impacting its business and reputation.

It further said the freezed accounts are utilised for the payment of salaries and statutory dues, opening of letter of credits for the petitioner's operations and for all kinds of expenses necessary for day-to-day functioning of the petitioner.

"Monthly payments of around Rs 2,826 crore have to be made towards statutory dues, salaries, rent, monies for daily business operations. Due to the freezing of the bank accounts, the petitioner will be unable to honour its aforesaid obligations not only towards various statutory authorities, but also towards its employees and customers," it said further.

Vivo has told the court that the circulation of the news about the ED searches has maligned its image among its suppliers and customers, "leading to reputational and financial loss, and irreparable damage to the years of goodwill developed" by it.

"The freezing of the bank accounts will not only impede the existing/prospective business operations of the petitioner conducted through the bank accounts but will bear an adverse effect on the petitioner's operations across the globe," it added.
New Delhi, July 8 : Shikharr Sood, the head of Ola's Talent Acquisition, and in charge of talent acquisition for the entire Ola Group, is now reportedly the latest executive to leave the firm.

His resignation comes amid several resignations by top executives.

Several former executives said that product complaints, unit closures, and 'act fast, think later' culture has led to recent Ola troubles, CNBC reported, adding that the company is yet to respond to the query on Sood's resignation.

Meanwhile, a recent media report also said that the ride-hailing platform Ola is planning to lay off up to 500 employees across departments as it aims to cut costs and streamline operations amid the ongoing funding winter.

Meanwhile, a recent report said that the ride-hailing platform Ola is planning to lay off up to 500 employees across departments as it aims to cut costs and streamline operations amid the ongoing funding winter.

According to reliable sources, SoftBank-backed Ola has asked senior executives to find employees in their teams on a performance basis who can be asked to go.

The company is reportedly looking at "leaner and consolidated teams" to keep its "strong profitability intact". Ola, which has delayed its IPO plans, has also reportedly shopped its global investment plans to further expand overseas.

The company currently has nearly 1,100 employees in its core ride-hailing business and directly competes with Uber.

Last month, Ola shut down its used vehicle business Ola Cars as well as Ola Dash, its quick-commerce business.

The company shut Ola Cars within one year of its launch, as it focuses on its electric two-wheeler and electric car verticals. Ola has so far shut down Ola Cafe, food panda, Ola Foods, and now Ola Dash.

Meanwhile, Ola Electric, facing a government probe into battery fires along with other EV players, has also seen some high-profile exits in recent months.
Mumbai, July 8 : Dismissing speculation in some media circles, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asserted that nobody can take away the party's iconic' bow and arrow' election symbol.

Referring to claims by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Group and media buzz to the effect, he made it clear that "nobody can steal anything that belongs to the Shiv Sena".

"They are trying to spread confusion... There's a difference between a legislature party and the registered political party in the field... No matter how many legislators go away, the party doesn't cease to exist. A false impression is being created in peoples' minds, don't fall it," Thackeray said.

Rejecting the contentions and claims, the party President said that he has already consulted top experts who have assured that the party's 'bow and arrow' symbol belongs to and will remain with the Shiv Sena.

He also lauded the 16 MLAs who stayed with him "despite all kinds of threats" but they were undeterred and stuck together with the belief in 'Saytyameva Jayate'.

Thackeray said that the Supreme Court decision on July 11 would give an indication towards which direction democracy will head in this country.

"The decision will be very significant as it will decide on upholding the Constitution... We have full faith in the judiciary," he declared.

Referring to nearly 100 former municipal corporators from Navi Mumbai and Thane who have quit to join the Shinde group, Thackeray said they may probably be worried they would be denied tickets for the next civic elections and hence taken the decision.

"The corporators may have gone, but the municipal corporations are still there. As long as the people are with the Shiv Sena, there is no danger," said the party chief, addressing the media at his residence.
New Delhi, July 8 : With an aim to make hybrid work easy and simple for users, tech giant Microsoft on Friday introduced four new features to Teams, including a new "co-organiser" role.

The company said that organisers can share control by assigning the new "co-organiser" role to up to 10 meeting attendees. "Co-organisers have most of the same capabilities as the organiser, including management of Meeting Options," the company said in a statement.

Limitations of the co-organiser role include an inability to create and manage breakout rooms, manage meeting recordings, and view or download attendance reports.

Organisers can add co-organisers through Meeting Options. Only invitees within the same tenant as the organiser are eligible for the co-organiser role.

Other new features let users customise meeting invites with multi-language support. With this feature, you can customise meeting invites to include the languages with which your users are most familiar and comfortable.

Customise meeting invites with multi-language support' enables administrators to display the join information in meeting invitations in up to two languages across all email platforms.

With the new update, IT administrators can now disable chat write access for non-federated users and unauthenticated users who join Teams meetings through a shared link.

"This provides an added layer of security, for all organisations. Disable the chat write access via PowerShell," the company said.

"You can also do this through the admin portal under - Chat in Meetings - policy - Turn it on for everyone but anonymous users. This setting can be applied to a subset or all tenant users," it added.

Once this is set by an IT administrator, a meeting organiser cannot override this setting through meeting options.
New Delhi, July 8 : Painting and embroidery give an emotional charge to the Tree of Life, a symbol for various far-flung cultures and mythologies, as seen in the scenography of the Dior autumn-winter 2022-2023 haute couture show in Paris. To continue blurring the lines between fine art and craft, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Dior women's collections, collaborated with Chanakya, a Mumbai-based atelier led by Karishma Swali, and Ukrainian artist, Olesia Trofymenko. The Tree of Life, which connects all forms of creation, is at the heart of Ukrainian artist Olesia Trofymenko's work. Through its branches and roots, it supports the sky and connects it to the earth.

To produce a refined shading of nuances, the embroideries of this scenography - conceived and created by the Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft - employ a melange of age-old techniques such as the punto croce or cross stitch and its variations, different forms of couching, and the feather stitch, as well as a range of satin stitches. The Tree of Life, Olesia Trofymenko's emblem, adheres to stylistic codes shared by many countries. The Chanakya ateliers and School of Craft have thus translated this iconographic language by drawing on a wealth of ancestral embroidery techniques that they perpetuate and reinvent through artistic encounters.

The Tree of Life is hand embroidered in satin stitches with fine threads, with jute threads in key areas, as well as various knotting and small needlepoint techniques. To capture the depth of the roses, the floral garlands and wheat crowns were made with cross stitch colour layering, while the wheat stems were made with organic threads, couching, and braiding.

With the establishment of the Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai in 2017, India's Chanakya ateliers have enabled women in local communities to gain new autonomy while preserving valuable techniques. Students at this one-of-a-kind school learn the roughly 700 gestures required to become a master craftsperson, a role traditionally reserved for men in India.

Maria Grazia Chiuri celebrates pluralistic beauty and the perpetuation of savoir-faire at the intersection of art, craft making, and haute couture by weaving exceptional collaborations with Chanakya & Karishma Swali. A virtuoso collective work, a work of hand poetry that transcends borders and eras by sublimating the priceless richness of cultures from India to France, from Mumbai to Paris.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Beijing, July 8 : Rattled at the alleged data leak of nearly 1 billion residents, China Premier Li Keqiang has stressed data security, calling on government bodies to "defend information security", media reported on Friday.

According to a report in the South China Morning Post, the Premier said that Chinese government bodies must "defend information security to protect personal information, privacy and confidential corporate information".

The comments came after sensitive personal information about more than a billion Chinese was leaked, possibly from the Shanghai National Police (SHGA) database, and put up for sale on Dark Web for 10 Bitcoins earlier this week.

The data included names, addresses, identification numbers and mobile phone numbers. The size of the alleged hack has triggered serious concerns in China, at a time when state authorities are allegedly collecting data from its citizens for social surveillance.

"China has 1.4 billion people. The seller claimed to include the data of 1 billion, and considering it was leaked from the police database, the quantity and quality of the data could be quite high," said Zhao Xuan, a cybersecurity lawyer at Beijing Bairui Law Firm.

Those responsible for the leak and hacking could be charged under China's criminal law.

"In 2022, the Shanghai National Police (SHGA) database was leaked. This database contains many TB of data and information on Billions of Chinese citizens," said the post by the user named 'ChinaDan' that also went viral on social media platforms.

The data breach was also referenced by rights activist Fu Xianyi on Twitter, who said the leak was from the "Shanghai public security database".

"Most likely it was leaked from Alibaba Cloud," reports said.
July 08 : Today the whole world woke up to a piece of deeply distressing and shocking news. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot to death at the age of 67 during a campaign speech on Friday in western Japan. Abe was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed and was treated for more than 4.5 hours but couldnt be saved.

Many national leaders and public figures have expressed their grief at the tragic turn of events. Taking to Instagram, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher shared his deep condolences at the death of the former Prime Minister of Japan.

Deeply saddened & shocked by the assassination of former PM of Japan #ShinzoAbe! He was one of the most compassionate world leaders! And a great friend of India! His face reflected kindness! Very rare for a person in politics! My condolences to his family & people of Japan! #OmShanti. he wrote.

Deeply saddened & shocked by the assassination of former PM of Japan #ShinzoAbe! He was one of the most compassionate world leaders! And a great friend of India! His face reflected kindness! Very rare for a person in politics! My condolences to his family & people of Japan! pic.twitter.com/sBrb4nOsqC  Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) July 8, 2022

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mourned the death of the legend. I am shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe. He was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to making Japan and the world a better place. he wrote on Twitter.

Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my dear friend, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Always passionate about strengthening India-Japan ties, he had just taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association. pic.twitter.com/Mw2nR1bIGz  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan, helped strengthen the relationship between India and Japan. The Japanese public is mourning the loss of the great leader by placing flowers at Nara, the site where he was assassinated.
New Delhi, July 8 : The Congress on Friday expressed condolence on the death of former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated while delivering a speech at an election rally.

In a tweet, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi said: "I am shocked at the assassination of Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan. For many years, Abe was a great friend and well-wisher of India. He did much to expand and deepen the bilateral relationship between our two countries.

"I recall my meeting with him very fondly and vividly. It is a huge misfortune that has befallen Japan and indeed, the entire international community. He will be sorely missed," she added.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "Deeply saddened by the demise of former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe. His role in strengthening the strategic relationship between India & Japan was commendable. He leaves behind a lasting legacy in the Indo-Pacific. My condolences to his family & to the people of Japan." Senior Congress leader and former Union minister P. Chidambaram said: "Shocked at the brutal assassination of Shinzo Abe, former PM of Japan. In my meetings with him and subsequently through his policies and actions, it was clear that he had profound admiration for India and the Indian people and he did his best to strengthen the relations between the two countries. His death is tragic for the people of Japan and for the developing world." Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar said: "Deeply saddened by the shocking news of passing away of Former Prime Minister of Japan Mr Shinzo Abe. The world has lost a great leader and a noble statesman who worked for the peace and development of Japan as well as the globe. May his soul rest in eternal peace." Abe died after he was shot while addressing an election rally in the city of Nara, according to state media.

"Officials say former Japanese Prime Minister #Abe Shinzo has been confirmed #dead. He was reportedly #shot during a speech on Friday in the city of #Nara, near Kyoto," official broadcaster NHK tweeted.

According to NHK, the attack took place at around 11.30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while the 67-year-old former leader was making a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign.

The police said that Abe was shot twice, with the second shot hitting him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground.
Beijing, July 8 : China has intensified its efforts at flood control and disaster relief in response to heavy downpours that have triggered severe floods in parts of the country, an official said on Friday.

A total of 487 rivers nationwide have seen alert levels breached, with 13 of them experiencing record-high floodwaters, Zhou Xuewen, vice minister at the Ministry of Emergency Management and the Ministry of Water Resources, told a press conference.

China has suffered from heavy rainfall since it entered the flood season, with national average precipitation reaching the highest level since 2017, meteorological data shows.

About 21.81 million people have been affected by flooding since the beginning of this year, with about 1.24 million people evacuated to safe places, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Zhou.

Responding to the downpours, China has dispatched 31 work teams and professional teams to assist with local flood-control efforts and deployed about 56,200 fire and rescue personnel to rescue and relocate the locals affected, Zhou said.

The number of people killed or missing stands at 40, down more than 70 per cent from the average level over the previous five years, thanks to efforts to ensure people's wellbeing and mitigate the impact of the disasters, according to Zhou.

He also warned that heavy rain may continue to lash northern, southern and southwestern China in July and August, and urged local departments to take precautionary measures to ensure people's safety and wellbeing
New Delhi, July 8 : An 80-year-old woman was found with her throat slit at her residence in the national capital on Friday, police said.

According to police, a PCR call was received at Shalimar Bagh police station around 11 a.m. regarding murder of an old woman in her house in BS block. A police team reached at the spot and found the woman lying dead on bed with her throat partially slit.

"No other injuries were apparently visible. Her ornaments were intact. Other household articles were also found intact," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Northwest, Usha Rangnani said, adding prima facie, it seemed that that the murderer was someone known to the victim as there were no signs of forced entry.

Police registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and launched investigations.

Rangnani said that CCTV footage is being analysed and four teams have been constituted to solve this case.

"Police have rounded up a few suspects and the accused will be arrested soon," she added.
Shimla, July 8 : The Ministry of Home Affairs through the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) will be hosting the 10th National Conference of Women in Police on August 5-6 in Shimla in association with Himachal Pradesh Police amid the attendance of 300 officers, Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu said on Friday.

The national summit is being organised bi-annually by the BPR&D in collaboration with states since 2002. The conference provides a platform for women police officers across ranks to share their experiences, issues relating to women-specific service condition, showcase achievers among women police officers and share best practices to address crime against women.

The summit is also a platform through which leadership qualities and abilities of women police officers are enhanced. At the conclusion of the conference, a policy paper is prepared for follow by the Central government and the state governments.

The first conference, held in 2002, was a monumental moment. It was inaugurated by L.K. Advani, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.

It led to the construction of toilets and restrooms for women in each police station across the country.

In the upcoming two-day conference, various sessions related to work, service conditions of women, interventions on tackling crimes against women and work life balance issues will be discussed.

As per the past practices, the conference is inaugurated by the Union Home Minister and attended by Supreme Court judges, women ministers in the Union Cabinet, among other dignitaries.

Around 300 women police officers and personnel from states, UTs and Central police forces are expected to participate in the event.
Mumbai, July 8 : Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan channelled his inner photographer to capture a beautiful picture of his girlfriend Saba Azad.

The couple, who reportedly made their relationship official earlier this year, are currently enjoying their holiday in the city of love -- Paris.

Hrithik, who is fondly called as the Greek God of Bollywood courtesy his sharp looks, clicked a candid portrait of Saba, who shared the "love-filled" picture on her Instagram.

The photograph shows her sitting in an an outdoor restaurant. A cup of coffee is seen in front of her while she looked away from the camera.

Alongside the picture she wrote: "Not a selfie, not my coffee. Image by @hrithikroshan." She gave the location to be Paris, France.

On the work front, Hrithik will be seen in the Hindi remake of the Tamil film 'Vikram Vedha' alongside actor Saif Ali Khan. The film is scheduled for release on September 30, 2022, and also stars Radhika Apte.
New Delhi, July 8 : The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 11 a fresh plea by General Secretary of Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray faction, challenging the governor's action of inviting Eknath Shinde to be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai, mentioned the matter before a bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari and said that they seek listing of the fresh plea along with other pending petitions which are scheduled for hearing on July 11.

"We are challenging the appointment of Eknath Shinde as chief minister," Kamat said.

The top court said it will be listed before an appropriate bench on July 11.

The plea said: "It is submitted that the action of the Governor dated June 30, 2022 in calling Respondent No. 4 to be the Chief Minister is completely arbitrary and unconstitutional.The president of Shiv Sena is Uddhav Thackeray. The last organisational elections were held in 2018 and the same was intimated to the Election Commission of India. There is no change to the organisational structure of the Shiv Sena and the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray is undisputed and unchallenged." A rebellion by Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLAs resulted in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

The plea submitted that the Governor cannot recognise rebel MLAs as a political party as that would ring a death knell on the working of a multi-party democracy.

The plea said there is no merger as envisaged under para 4 of the Tenth Schedule and the President of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) had publicly and admittedly not aligned/supported the BJP. "These rebel MLAs have not merged in any other political party or formed a new political party, therefore even if it is assumed they formed 2/3rd strength of the Legislature party, para 4 of the Tenth Schedule is not at all attracted," it added.

The plea contended in these circumstances, the satisfaction of the Governor for the purpose of calling upon Shinde to be the Chief Minister as the head of 39 rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena (which is not endorsed by the Shiv Sena) is by itself ex facie unconstitutional.

"The Constitution prohibits recognition of rebel MLAs of a political party under Tenth Schedule, and the action of the Governor legitimises what is expressly prohibited by the Constitution. The Governor has sought to recognise what the Constitution prohibits," said the plea.

In these circumstances, the Governor in his ipsi dixit guided by his political masters acted malafide and in the teeth of the provisions of the Constitution granted de-facto recognition to the 39 rebel MLAs by inviting Respondent No. 4 to be the Chief Minister." The plea sought a direction from the top court to quash the decision of the Governor to invite Shinde to take oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and form the government.

"Pass an appropriate writ/order/direction quashing the illegal proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held on 03.07.2022, and consequently the election of the Speaker; and/or c. pass an appropriate writ/order/direction quashing the illegal proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held on 04.07.2022, and consequently the Confidence Motion in favour of Respondent No. 4 (Shinde)," it added.
Lucknow, July 8 : Children studying in government schools in Uttar Pradesh will no longer have to travel long distances. The Yogi Adityanath government has provided school facilities within a radius of one to three km, so that no eligible child is deprived of education.

Under 'Operation Kayakalp', which is being run to enhance the facilities at government schools, more than 1.30 lakh schools have been transformed. As a result, the number of children enrolled in these council schools has reached over 1.90 crore.

According to a government spokesman, the Adityanath government had made extensive reforms in the primary, secondary and higher education sector.

Special facilities are being provided to the children of poor families studying in the council schools.

In order to ensure that every child gets benefitted, the Yogi government has given free uniforms, sweaters, schools, bags and shoe stockings to the students studying from class one to eight during its tenure. So far, a total of 1.57 crore children have benefited by the campaign.

In the past five years, there has been a lot of emphasis by the government on the transformation of the council schools.

Under the Kayakalp Abhiyan, 19 basic facilities have been made available in 1.30 lakh schools. Some industrial houses adopted some of their own schools and taken the initiative to transform them. As a result of this, many council schools have come into a position to compete with the convent schools.

The state government has also made arrangements to maintain the sanctity of the Uttar Pradesh Board exams, which was once infamous for copying and cheating.

For this, arrangements were made for online assessment of centres, online registration, online recognition and online duplicate marksheets.

To ensure cheating-less examinations, every centre of the Uttar Pradesh Board is being equipped with CCTV surveillance. As a result of this, the sanctity of examinations has been maintained.

The spokesman said that the government has given a lot of emphasis in the field of higher education.

The construction of three state universities is going on at a rapid pace in the state. These include Maa Shakumbhari University in Saharanpur, Maharaja Suheldev State University in Azamgarh and Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University in Aligarh.

Apart from this, 75 new government colleges are also under construction.

The government has established research units for research on great men and historical events.

Under this, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shodhpeeth has been established in 15 state universities, Bhaurao Deoras, Atal Sushasan Peeth and Mahatma Gandhi International Employment unit in Lucknow University, whereas the Chauri Chaura Study Centre has been established in Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University.
Tokyo, July 8 : Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed away on Friday, hours after being shot while addressing an election rally in the city of Nara, according to state media.

According to state broadcaster NHK, the attack took place at around 11.30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while Abe was making a speech during a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign.

A doctor attending on Abe at the Nara Medical University Hospital said that the leader died at 08:03 GMT, BBC reported.

Abe suffered cardiopulmonary arrest at the scene of the crime and no vital signs were detected when Abe was rushed to the hospital, the doctor said.

"During the four-and-a-half-hour treatment, medics tried to stop the bleeding and carried out a blood transfusion, using more than 100 units of blood, but he bled to death," the doctor said.

Abe sustained two wounds, believed to be bullet injuries, but medics could not find bullets during surgery, the doctor added.

Abe, 67, immediately collapsed after being shot and was seen bleeding before he was taken to hospital.

The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya, a resident of Nara city, has been arrested.

According to the police, the accused told investigators that he was dissatisfied with the former Prime Minister and intended to kill him.

Sources added that the suspect worked for the Maritime Self Defense Force for three years until around 2005.

Investigative sources told NHK a gun seized at the scene appeared to be handmade.

Japan is slated to hold parliamentary election this Sunday.

Abe's visit was only confirmed late last night, so how the suspect managed to find out about this and carry out the attack remains an open question, said the BBC.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the attack was a "despicable act that took place during an election period, which is the foundation of democracy", state broadcaster NHK reported.

"It is totally unacceptable. I condemn the act in the strongest possible terms." Kishida said he is "lost for words", describing Abe as a "personal friend".

Global leaders have expressed shock and grief over Abe's demise.

Expressing grief, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "I am shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe. He was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to make Japan and the world a better place." Prime Minister Modi also commended Abe for his "immense contribution" to elevating New Delhi and Tokyo relations and remembered his last meeting with the former PM.

"As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022," Modi wrote in another tweet.

In a telegram of condolence adressed to Abe's wife Akie Abe and mother Yoko Abe, Russian President Valadimir Putin said, "The hand of a criminal cut short the life of an outstanding statesman who headed the Japanese government for a long time and did a lot to develop good neighborly relations between our countries." "We maintained regular contacts with Shinzo, in which his excellent personal and professional qualities were fully demonstrated. The bright memory of this wonderful man will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew him," The Moscow Timnes quoted Putin as saying.

Taking to twitter, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that he was "deeply shocked by the odious attack" on Abe.

Macron paid tribute to Abe as "a great prime minister" and said "France stands at the side of the Japanese people." New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern said she was "deeply shocked" and extended condolences to Abe's family.

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his condolences to Japan, describing the shooting of Abe as an "unforgiveable act of crime" Former UK PM Boris Johnson tweeted, "Incredibly sad news about Shinzo Abe. His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people. The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time." Abe became Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister after serving from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.

He stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons.

He later revealed that he had suffered a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease, the BBC reported.

He was succeeded by his close party ally Yoshihide Suga, who was later replaced by Fumio Kishida.
Dharamsala, July 8 : On learning that former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, had passed away following a gunshot attack, His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Friday wrote to his wife, Abe Akie, to offer his condolences.

"I am deeply saddened to hear that my friend, Mr. Abe has passed away following a gunshot attack this morning. I pray for him and offer my condolences to you and members of your family.

"As you know, your late husband was a steadfast friend of the Tibetan people. I very much appreciated his friendship and support of our efforts to preserve our rich Buddhist cultural heritage and identity." His Holiness further added that "Abe truly lived a meaningful life in the service of others."
New Delhi, July 8 : As the world mourns the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, for many in India it brought back memories of leaders who suffered a similar fate like Mahatma Gandhi who was assassinated in 1948, Indira Gandhi in 1984, and Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

Known as "Father of the Nation' Mahatma Gandhi who played a significant role in the country's freedom movement fell to the bullets of Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948.

Godse, who held Gandhi responsible for the partition, was later tried in the court and hanged.

Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister in 1984, was shot by her bodyguards Beant Singh Satwant Singh and others on October 31 at her residence following Operation Blue Star at Golden Temple in Amritsar by removing Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed supporters from the premises which is a sacred site of the Sikh religion.

The guards were upset after the Army carried out the operation.

Similarly, her son and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE terrorist in 1991 during the poll campaign in Sri Perumbudur in Tamil Nadu. He was killed by suicide bombers on May 21. The attack on Gandhi was made by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, also known as Dhanu. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Dhanu operative of the organisation approached him and bent down to touch his feet, leading to an explosion in an RDX-laden belt.

Besides Rajiv Gandhi, 14 others were also killed in the blast.

Not just this, but Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh was also gunned down by the Sikh terrorists in 1995. He was killed at the secretariat complex in Chandigarh. The blast claimed the lives of 17 others, including Beant Singh who was accompanied by his close friend Ranjodh Singh Mann on the day of assassination.

In 2013, targetted by Left Wing Extremist organisation in Chhattisgarh, Congress leaders Vidya Charan Shukla and Mahendra Karma along with others lost their lives in the deadly attack.

Former Chief Minister of Punjab Partap Singh Kairon was killed after he stepped down from the chair and while travelling on GT Road on February 6, 1965 in Sonepat when he was on way from Delhi to Chandigarh.
Phnom Penh, July 8 : Cambodia has approved 87 fixed-asset investment projects worth about 2.7 billion US dollars in the first half of 2022, according to the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)'s report on Friday.

The approved projects included garment, footwear and travel goods factories, tire factory, hotels, hospitals, automobile assembly factory, electronic factory, and fruit processing and packaging factory, among others, the report said, adding that they are expected to generate tens of thousands of new jobs for locals, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) as well as the country's favorable new investment law are key to attracting investors.

"Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia has attracted a large amount of investment capital. This clearly shows that the Southeast Asian nation is a potential destination for both domestic and foreign investors, especially for the Chinese ones," he told Xinhua.

Both RCEP and CCFTA entered into force on January 1, 2022.

RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

"Both free trade agreements will give a big boost to our trade and investment growth in the long term," Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's undersecretary of state and spokesman Penn Sovicheat told Xinhua.
Kiev, July 8 : The new aid of 1 billion euros that was approved by the European Parliament for Kiev on Thursday will be used to ensure Ukraine's financial stability, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry said.

"The European Union (EU) Macro-Financial Assistance will be directed to the financing of priority budgetary needs and, in general, to ensuring financial stability in Ukraine," Xinhua news agency reported quoting the ministry's statement.

Earlier in the day, the European Parliament voted to support the European Commission's proposal to provide Ukraine with 1 billion euros in fresh aid to cover the country's urgent budgetary needs.

The decision to allocate new aid for Ukraine was announced by the European Commission on July 1. It must also be supported by the Council of the EU to come into force.

In April, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine needs 5 billion dollars a month to fulfill all social and humanitarian obligations amid the conflict with Russia.

Ukraine has received 1.2 billion euros (about 1.22 billion dollars) in two tranches from the EU since March.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Patna, July 8 : A day after former Union Minister R.C.P. Singh claimed that he is a self-made leader, Bihar minister and JD-U leader Ashok Chaudhary on Friday claimed that he does not even have capacity to assemble even 5,000 people.

"He can claim anything but everyone believes whatever he became only with the support of Nitish Kumar. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha, General Secretary and national President of the party only due to the blessings of Nitish Kumar," Chaudhary said about his party colleague.

"If he is claiming that whatever he achieves due to his own hard work, it means he became Union Minister without the wishes of Nitish Kumar. In JD-U, Nitish Kumar is the leader of the party. Any leader who is flourishing in the party is only due to the blessings of Nitish Kumar. I don't know how he is claiming that he is a self-made leader," he added.

Singh, who returned to Patna on Thursday, said that he is a self-made leader of Bihar.

Asked whether he would form another political party, he said: "I am a simple person and whatever I have achieved in my political career is due to my own ability and hard work. Now, I am going to my native village and will go to the places where my supporters would invite me."
New Delhi, July 8 : Believing it's a major achievement by India in its crusade against single-use plastic pollution, former UN Environment chief Erik Solheim on Friday said four years ago he worked with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on its ban.

"A huge moment for India's environment," tweeted Solheim, adding: "Four years ago, I worked with Prime Minister Modi on a ban on single-use plastics. Now the government has delivered. Bravo!" Posting a video of the World Economic Forum, it says India uses 14 million tonnes of plastic annually and plastic pollution is a growing problem in the country.

Solheim, the former Norwegian diplomat, politician and environment minister, played a crucial role in 2018 as the United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director in convincing India to phase out single-use plastics by 2022, a major achievement in his crusade against plastic pollution.

Solheim is optimistic that India can act as a catalyst for curbing greenhouse gas emissions too.

"India is right to point to the fact that developed nations have produced nearly all historic climate emissions and still pollute a lot more per capita than India. But there is no reason for India to follow the old paradigm that first you pollute horrendously and only when you get rich you start cleaning up," Solheim told IANS in a recent interview.

"The 21st century is about the win-win policies. India can urgently go green and create millions of jobs bringing people out of poverty at the same time," he had said.

The government banned the use of single-use plastic from July 1.

Following historic resolution at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in Nairobi in February to end plastic pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024, the process has begun for an international binding agreement to beat plastics, a menace to the people and the planet.

According to UNEP, plastic production has risen exponentially in the last decades and now amounts to some 400 million tonnes per year -- a figure set to double by 2040.
Bengaluru, July 8 : The health scheme for Karnataka government employees is set to be extended to retired employees too, and a formal announcement in this regard would be made soon after discussing it with the Finance Department, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday.

Addressing the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Karnataka State Retired Government Employees Association, he said that retired employees need not feel disappointed any more as the state government is aware of their experience and value. "Retired employees too could contribute for social development of the state," he said.

Describing serving employees and retired employees as the two eyes of the government, Bommai said that the major credit for Karnataka's reputation as a well-governed state should go to the retired employees.

The Chief Minister called upon the government employees to serve the state with honesty and greater efficiency, and stressed the importance of adopting to new technology and systems in this regard.

"Serving the poor and weaker sections of the society should be the motto for government employees. One should not compromise with humane values in the face of globalisation and privatisation," he said.
Kolkata, July 8 : As the 109th birth anniversary of veteran Marxist and longest serving West Bengal Chief Minister, Late Jyoti Basu was being observed in the Assembly on Friday, the BJP leaders remained conspicuous by their absence.

Slamming the saffron camp for their absence, state Transport Minister and Kolkata Mayor, Firhad Hakim, in his address on the occasion, quoted the words used by Basu once about BJP after the demolition of Babri Mosque.

"The observation of Jyoti Basu was that BJP is party of hooligans and barbarians. There can be differences in political ideologies and beliefs. But it is our duty that we all pay homage to the departed soul on such occasions," he said.

Incidentally, Basu's memorial event was held in a house where currently neither his party CPI-M nor the Left Front has a single representative after the 2021 Assembly Elections.

Assembly Speaker, Biman Banerjee, in his speech, lamented the total absence of the Left's voice in the house. "I really feel bad that the Left parties, whose unquestionable leader was Jyoti Basu, do not have a single representative in the house. The Left Front ruled the state for 34 years. We had clashes of ideology with them. But still it is unfortunate that there is no Left voice in the assembly," he said.

Referring to the positive sides of Jyoti Basu as a leader, Banerjee said that be it as a Chief Minister or as the Leader of the Opposition before 1977, Basu's role as a leader was very constructive and positive.

"There are documents in the state assembly that Jyoti Basu travelled together with his predecessor and legendary Congress Chief Minister, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy to New Delhi to voice the demands for West Bengal. He did not even hesitate to refuse the chair of the Prime Minister of the country following the decision of his own party. There lies his greatness," the Speaker said.

State BJP leaders, however, refused to make any comment on the absence of their legislators on the occasion.
New Delhi, July 8 : The Centre for Himalayan Asia Studies and Engagement (CHASE) and Tibetan Youth Congress jointly organized an international webinar on subject "CHALLENGES BEFORE THE DALAI LAMA" on July 3.

It was organized to commemorate the 87th birthday of the Dalai Lama that falls on July 6 next week. Panelist experts who participated with their presentations were Kai Mueller, the Executive Director of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) for Germany from Berlin; Nurgul Sawut, a leading Uyghur leader and the Executive Chairperson of Uyghur Freedom Forum (UFF) from Canberra, Australia; and Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar, a popular Tibetan leader and a Member of Tibetan Parliament from Dharamshala. Vijay Kranti, Chairman of CHASE and a veteran Tibetologist moderated the discussion.

Some major issues which were discussed included China's claims about its exclusive rights to select the next incarnational of Dalai Lama and the Dalai Lama's stand on this issue; common significance of Dalai Lama for people of Tibet, East Turkistan (Xinjiang), South Mongolia (Inner Mongolia), Hong Kong and the Democracy Movement inside China; the ongoing cultural genocide inside Chinese occupied Tibet and the resulting oppressive policies of Beijing government on Tibetan language, Tibetan Buddhism, forcible brainwashing of Tibetan children and the destruction of social fiber of Tibet; and the severe ecological damage happening in Tibet due to reckless exploitation of natural resources of Tibet.

Nurgul Sawut pointed out that the respect and influence earned by the Dalai Lama over past six decades of his exile is not only a great asset for the people of Tibet and their freedom struggle against Chinese colonialism but he is an equal asset for other nations like East Turkistan and South Mongolia who are fighting the same enemy for their own freedom.

She said that she and her fellow Uyghur countrymen are highly impressed by the discipline and organization skills demonstrated by the Tibetan people under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in establishing and the functioning of their government-in-exile.

She said that the Uygur people are also hoping to establish an equally effective government-in-exile to fight back against China's colonial rule on East Turkistan. She especially pointed out the Dalai Lama's wisdom in separating politics and religion from Tibet's freedom struggle.

Nurgul said that before China started its current campaign of destroying the religious and other cultural institutions in East Turkistan and widespread internment of Uyghur and other Turkic people, it had already refined these skills in Tibet over past decades. The world did not realize the impact of these policies on Tibet because of very small population of Tibet.

But these internment camps and destruction of mosques in East Turkistan have come to international attention because of the massive size of affected population. She recalled terrifying memories of July 2009 when Chinese Army and police shut down electricity in Urumqi city of East Turkistan, pulled out thousands of Uyghur citizens from their homes and massacred them in the streets. "It was the Dalai Lama who was the first among those international personalities who spoke in favour of and supported the Uyghur people in this tragic moment," she said.

Kai Mueller's main focus was on the ongoing cultural-genocide in Tibet which, he says, is one of major challenges facing the Dalai Lama and his countrymen today. "The onslaught of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) onto the Tibetan culture is systematic, gradual and tremendously consequential for the Tibetan culture," he said.

He spoke in details about China's onslaught on three major areas which are education and language, religion and the Tibetan way of life. Beijing's policy of replacing Tibetan language with the Chinese in schools as the language of instruction has caused serious damage to the Tibetan society.

At the same time, new campaign of China to forcibly put very young Tibetan children into Chinese boarding schools is aimed at brainwashing an entire generation of Tibetans with Chinese communist propaganda.

Mueller expressed concern over China's policy of relocating nearly two million Tibetan citizens, especially the nomads, from their traditional places to distant ones just to grab their productive lands and to detach them from their social and cultural roots.

"Unfortunately, all this is being done on false pretexts like saving the environment or improving their socio-economic condition," he said.

He gave examples to show how many though leaders who include intellectuals and writers, are being persecuted just for peaceful expression of opinion.

In many cases their expression is not even of political nature. He expressed concern that the CCP is now claiming its authority over the appointment of the next Dalai Lama.

"This strikes at the heart of Tibetan Buddhist religion. It is a protected standard of international law to determine and appoint one's clergy without state interference," he said.

However, Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar, a leading Tibetan Parliamentarian, assertively claimed that the people of Tibet are not going to let China's plans to install a puppet Dalai Lama as the 'reincarnation' of present one succeed.

Emphasizing the centrality of the institution of Dalai Lama in the Tibetan system and the achievements of the present 14th Dalai Lama she said that he has empowered the Tibetans and the Tibetan nation, both inside Tibet as well as in exile, so well that they can stand up to all challenges from the Chinese regime.

Giving examples of this empowerment she said that by the establishment of a democratic system and by winning hearts of millions of people across the world the present Dalai Lama has given a new self-confidence and determination to all Tibetan generations, especially during his six decades of exile.

Referring to frequent use of insulting and aggressive language against the present Dalai Lama the Chinese leaders have not only once and again proven the centrality of the Dalai Lama to the Tibetan issue, but they have also exposed their own failure and vulnerability as compared to him.

Challenging China's claims that Tibet has been always a part of China and the Chinese rulers' demand from Tibetans to accept this claim, she said that the communist rulers of China want us to change the history which Tibetans have refused to accept.

In his vote of thanks, SonamTsering, the co-host of the webinar and General Secretary of TYC, said that the present Dalai Lama's towering personality has won praise of not only the Tibetan people but of the entire world community also. His message of peace, non-violence and Universal Responsibility has become a guiding light for the world community today.

He assured the audience that the present Dalai Lama himself and the Tibetan community whom he has empowered enormously over recent decades, are capable of handling the Chinese onslaught on Tibet successfully.
Hyderabad, July 8 : The Telangana High Court on Friday refused to quash the FIR registered against rebel MP of Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party, K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju and his son for alleged kidnap and assault of a policeman.

The court dismissed the petitions filed by the Lok Sabha member from Narsapuram and his son Bharath.

The police opposed the petitions on the ground that they have strong evidence against them and told the court that the investigations are at a key stage.

The Cyberabad police had booked the MP, his son, his personal assistant and two personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on July 5.

On a complaint by a constable of the intelligence wing of Andhra Pradesh Police, a case was registered at Gachibowli police station for kidnap, assault, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation.

The CRPF had subsequently suspended Assistant Sub-Inspector K. Ganga Ram and constable Nanaware Sandip Sadhu, who were posted to provide security to the MP after the Centre gave him 'Y' category security cover last year.

A video clip showing CRPF personnel along with three others lifting a person from roadside and bundling them in a car had gone viral.

The MP and four others were booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 365 (kidnap), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from duties), 384 (extortion), 342 (wrongful confinement), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Constable Farooq Basha alleged that he was attacked when he was discharging his official duties. He alleged that he was illegally confined in the MP's house for three hours.

The constable, who was on spotter duty, told police that five persons including Raju attacked him. He said they forcibly carried him in their car though he told them that he is an intelligence constable.

The complainant alleged that his identity card and purse were snatched and the MP and others abused him and attacked him with sticks The incident had occurred on July 4 when Raju was planning to visit Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh to attend the launch of 125th birth anniversary celebrations of freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The MP was not invited for the event and Andhra Pradesh Police were keeping a watch over him following reports that he may try to reach Bhimavaram along with his followers.
New Delhi, July 8 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) may question a bureaucrat and few government officials on whose address a Chinese national and an ex-director of Vivo, had incorporated a firm.

The Chinese national had intentionally provided address of Solan, Himachal Pradesh and Gandhinagar, Jammu, and one of the addresses was found to be a government building and of a senior bureaucrat.

Chinese smartphone company Vivo's top executives, directors Zhengshen Ou and Zhang Jie, had fled from India via Nepal. The ED has learnt that the firm was involved in huge Hawala transactions.

In February this year, the ED initiated a money laundering case against them on the basis of an FIR lodged with Kalkaji Police Station of Delhi under sections 417, 120B and 420 of IPC, 1860 against Grand Prospect International Communication Private Limited (GPICPL) and its Director, shareholders and certifying professionals etc on the basis of complaint filed by Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

As per the FIR, GPICPL and its shareholders had used forged identification documents and falsified addresses at the time of incorporation. The allegations were found to be true as the investigation revealed that the addresses mentioned by the directors of GPICPL did not belong to them, but in fact it was a government building and house of a senior bureaucrat.

The ED has said that out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crores, Vivo India remitted Rs 62,476 crores. i.e, almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China.

A senior ED official said that on July 5 they carried out searchs at 48 locations spanning across the country belonging to VIVO Mobiles India Private Limited and its 23 associated companies such as GPICPL.

Vivo Mobiles India Pvt Ltd was incorporated on August 1, 2014 as a subsidiary of Multi Accord Ltd, a Hong Kong based company and was registered at ROC Delhi. GPICPL was registered on December 3, 2014 at ROC Shimla, with registered addresses of Solan, Himachal Pradesh and Gandhinagar, Jammu.

The said company was incorporated by Zhengshen Ou, Bin Lou and Zhang Jie with the help of one Nitin Garg, a Chartered Accountant (CA).

Lou left India on April 26, 2018 whereas Ou and Jie left India in 2021.

ED's investigation revealed that the same director of GPICPL, Lou, was also an ex-director of Vivo. He had incorporated multiple companies across the country spread across various states.

A total of 18 companies around the same time, just after the incorporation of Vivo in the year 2014-15 and further another Chinese National Zhixin Wei had incorporated further 4 companies.

"These entities are Rui Chuang Technologies Private Limited (Ahmedabad), V Dream Technology & Communication Private Ltd (Hyderabad), Regenvo Mobile Private Limited (Lucknow), Fangs Technology Private Limited (Chennai), Weiwo Communication Private Limited (Bangalore), Bubugao Communication Private Limited (Jaipur), Haicheng Mobile (India) Private Limited (New Delhi), Joinmay Mumbai Electronics Pvt. Ltd (Mumbai), Yingjia Communication Private Limited (Kolkata), Jie Lian Mobile India Pvt. Ltd. (Indore), Vigour Mobile India Private Limited (Gurgaon), Hisoa Electronic Private Limited (Pune), Haijin Trade India Private Limited (Kochi), Rongsheng Mobile India Private Limited (Guwahati), Morefun Communication Private Limited (Patna), Aohua Mobile India Private Limited (Raipur), Pioneer Mobile Private Limited (Bhubhaneswar), Unimay Electronic Private Limited (Nagpur), Junwei Electronic Private Limited (Aurangabad), Huijin Electronic India Private Limited (Ranchi), MGM Sales Private Limited (Dehradun), Joinmay Electronic Pvt Ltd (Mumbai)," the ED said.

The ED said that these companies were found to have transferred huge amount of funds to Vivo India. Further, out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crores, Vivo India remitted Rs 62,476 crores. i.e, almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China.

These remittances were made in order to disclose huge losses in Indian incorporated companies to avoid payment of taxes in India.

All due procedures as per law were followed during the said operations at each premise.

The employees of Vivo India, including some Chinese Nationals did not cooperate with the search proceedings and had tried to abscond, remove and hide digital devices which were retrieved by the search teams.

So far, 119 bank accounts of various entities with gross balance to the tune of Rs 465 crore including FDs to the tune of 66 crores of Vivo India, 2 kg gold bars, and cash amount to the tune of approximately Rs 73 lakh have been seized under the provisions of PMLA, 2002.
New Delhi, July 8 : Ride-hailing platform Ola has started laying off employees, as many as 500 from its nearly 1,100-strong workforce, across verticals as it aims to cut costs amid a challenging funding environment.

The SoftBank-backed company has also deferred appraisals as it aims at "leaner and consolidated teams" to keep its "strong profitability intact," according to sources.

In an internal communication on communication platform Slack, as first seen by The Economic Times, Balachandar N., who is Chief of HR said that "we understand the anxiousness around Driven (Ola's appraisal programme)".

"As you would know by now, we are working on the restructuring of some of our businesses and will follow it up with Driven," read the internal communication.

The layoffs begin as Shikharr Sood, the head of Ola's Talent Acquisition, and in charge of talent acquisition for the entire Ola Group, has put in his papers.

His resignation comes amid several resignations by top executives.

Several former executives said that "product complaints, unit closures and 'act fast, think later' culture has led to recent Ola troubles", reports CNBC.

Last month, Ola shut down its used vehicle business Ola Cars as well as Ola Dash, its quick-commerce business.

The company shut Ola Cars within one year of its launch, as it focuses on its electric two-wheeler and electric car verticals.

Ola has so far shut down Ola Cafe, food panda, Ola Foods, and now Ola Dash.

Meanwhile, Ola Electric, facing a government probe into battery fires along with other EV players, has also seen some high-profile exits in recent months.

Earlier this week, Yashwant Kumar, Senior Director and Business Head for Charging Networks at the company, decided to move on.
New Delhi, July 8 : The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take a decision on Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo's representation seeking permission to operate its frozen bank accounts.

A bench of Justice Yashwant Varma also asked ED's counsel to take instructions on Vivo's plea challenging the freezing of its bank accounts.

During the course of the hearing, Vivo's counsels -- Siddharth Luthra and Siddharth Aggarwal -- submitted that nine bank accounts have been frozen which hold nearly Rs 250 crore.

"Today, without any concern about the business model, source, where the money has come from, where it is going, a carte blanche order is placed which will be my sudden death," the petitioners said.

On the other hand, the probe agency argued that Vivo remitted 50 per cent of its total sales, i.e., Rs 62,476 crore, to China.

It earned nearly Rs 1.20 lakh crore in the last two years but remitted nearly half of it to avoid paying taxes, the ED alleged. This caused huge losses to the Indian incorporated companies, the ED said.

ED's counsel Zoheb Hossain further said that the probe agency was involved in a country-wide search.

"We went to 48 locations related to them (Vivo). Searches at all but one location is complete... They are not even cooperating," the ED submitted.

In its plea, Vivo said the orders against it are in stark contravention to the mandate of Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), as the same do not entail any reasons for freezing, let alone cogent "reasons to believe" as to why the bank account should be frozen. It is a generic order passed mechanically without any application of mind, the plea said.

It said the total non-application of mind and arbitrariness is manifest from the fact that even the amount in question has not been quantified by the respondent and blanket orders for freezing all the bank accounts have been passed, causing substantial and irreparable hardship to the petitioner and gravely impacting its business and reputation.

It further said the frozen accounts are used for the payment of salaries and statutory dues, opening of letter of credits for the petitioner's operations, and for all kinds of expenses necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the petitioner.

"Monthly payments of around Rs 2,826 crore have to be made towards statutory dues, salaries, rent, monies for daily business operations etc. Due to the freezing of the bank accounts, the petitioner will be unable to honour its aforesaid obligations, not only towards various statutory authorities, but also towards its employees and customers," it stated.

Vivo has told the court that the circulation of the news about the ED searches has maligned its image among its suppliers and customers, "leading to reputational and financial loss, and irreparable damage to the years of goodwill developed" by it.

"The freezing of the bank accounts will not only impede the existing/prospective business operations of the petitioner conducted through the bank accounts, but will bear an adverse effect on the petitioner's operations across the globe," it added.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 8 : Following complaints about the overall conduct of junior lawyers, the Trivandrum Bar Association has issued notice to them, warning of disciplinary action if they do not change their attitude.

Seniors have expressed their concern about the juniors' "disrespectful behaviour, casual conduct" and even their attire.

The notice said that the Bar Association has been receiving several complaints regarding the casual conduct and attire of junior lawyers.

"Several complaints regarding the indifferent attitude of certain junior members of the Bar are being received at the office continuously, relating to the disrespectful behaviour shown to the senior lawyers and casual dressing manner and submissions before the courts," the notice stated.

The seniors are upset because the juniors wear half-length trousers and sleeveless blouses, which according to the Association, is disrespectful of the dress code expected of lawyers.

"It is also noticed that certain junior lawyers are wearing dresses like three-fourth (calf-length) bottoms, sleeveless blouses causing total disrespect to the mandatory dressing code of our profession. Already a notice was issued on this behalf," it said.

Therefore, the notice urged senior members of the Bar to advise junior lawyers to amend their ways, failing which the Association may be forced to take disciplinary action.

"Senior lawyers of the bar may kindly advise the juniors attached to your office to wear proper uniform to maintain the dignity of our profession, if not, TBA will be constrained to initiate disciplinary actions against them," the association cautioned.

Just a month ago, the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) also asked junior lawyers and law interns to maintain decorum and follow the dress code prescribed for lawyers by the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Kerala High Court.
Bhopal, July 8 : A private college in Madhya Pradesh has penalised seven students for gathering without permission and reciting Hanuman Chalisa in the campus hostel. A fine of Rs 5,000 was also levied on the seven students each.

As per the reports, around 20 students of Management of Vellore Institute of Technology (MVIT) located in Kothri Kalan area, about 60 km from Bhopal, had gathered in hostel room where they chanted Hanuman Chalisa on July 4.

Some other students living in adjoining rooms objected to it and informed the college administration.

Subsequently, taking cognizance of the matter, the management acted upon the complaint and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each on seven students who were found to be leading the group.

The incident has sparked an outrage on social media with users wondering if chanting Hanuman Chalisa in college hostel is a "criminal offence".

The college administration defended the action saying, "Students can pray as they please, but no group event is permitted even inside hostel rooms without permission." As the incident sparked a controversy, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra jumped into action and defended the students.

Briefing the press on this issue on Friday, Mishra said that he has asked to college (MVIT) administration not to impose fine on students for chanting Hanuman Chalisa.

"Where will students recite Hanuman Chalisa if not in Hindustan?" Mishra said.

"We have asked the college there will be no fine. They should make students understand the issue. I have also told the District Collector to conduct an inquiry on this matter," Mishra added.

The college administration has also sought explanation from students leading the gathering on this matter. The administration also said some students had sought permission for the same but they were denied.
Mumbai, July 8 : Taking serious cognisance of the instance of cross-voting in the June MLC biennial elections and absence of 11 legislators during the July 4 vote of confidence by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Congress ordered a high-level probe, party sources said here on Friday.

The Congress has directed national spokesperson Mohan Prakash to conduct the enquiry into these lapses on an urgent basis.

"The Congress President has deputed Mohan Prakash to Maharashtra to make an enquiry and submit a report in the wake of the recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," said an announcement from AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal.

The developments came quick on the heels of meetings between Rahul Gandhi and ex-minister Naseem Khan and Chandrakant Handore -- the party's official nominee who lost the MLC polls on June 20.

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole had met Sonia Gandhi on Thursday and demanded action while the candidate Chandrakant Handore had met Rahul Gandhi and had complained about the seven MLAs who had cross-voted which was a precursor to the fall of MVA government where Sena rebels also cross voted .

Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap had said: "High Command should take action against the seven MLAS and the party has sent notice to 11 others who were absent during the trust vote." Similarly, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has sought disciplinary action against the errant legislators who may have cross-voted in the MLC polls and also 11 others -- including ex-Chief Minister Ashok Chavan -- for absenteeism during the Shinde government's vote of confidence on July 4.

Khan has pointed out to the party top brass how Handore -- the Congress official candidate was allotted 29 votes against the 26 quota, but managed to bag only 22, indicating a cross-voting by at least seven party MLAs.

Earlier, ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan had also accused 7 Congress MLAs of alleged cross-voting and demanded action against them.

Last month's fast-paced developments, starting with the Rajya Sabha (June 10) and MLC (June 20) polls saw the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi nominees suffering major reverses with the Bharatiya Janata Party getting advantage on both occasions.

Later, on June 20, the MVA ally Shiv Sena was beset by a sudden revolt that saw the collapse of the 31-month-old government in just 10 days, with the BJP-supported Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis sworn-in on June 30.
Kolkata, July 8 : Almost 30 hours have passed since three local Trinamool Congress leaders were killed in broad daylight at Canning in South 24 Parganas district on Thursday, but the police are still clueless about the masterminds behind the brutal murders.

Till now, a total of four persons have been interrogated, while the police have filed FIRs against six suspects. However, all the six persons against whom FIRs have been lodged, including the prime suspect, Rafiqul, are still missing.

Also, the police have not yet been able to locate a single weapon that was used in the killings. According to state police sources, the murder weapons always act as the key exhibit in such cases and hence locating them is equally important.

On Friday, a police team conducted search operations at Rafiqul's residence twice. However, no crucial clues were recovered from there. Rafiqul's mother was also questioned about her son's whereabouts. However, she could not give any satisfactory answer on this count. She went on claiming that her son was a close associate of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Meanwhile, a group of local residents ransacked the house of Rafiqul. They alleged that Rafiqul, a history- sheeter involved in multiple crimes including drug peddling, killed the three local Trinamool Congress leaders namely Swapan Majhi, Bhutnath Pramanik and Jhantu Halder.

All the three victims were both hacked and shot to ensure their deaths.

Meanwhile, local Trinamool MLA from Canning (West) constituency, Paresh Ram Das, who was close to all the three victims, has claimed that the situation has become so horrifying in the area that he is having apprehension that he might also be killed any time.

He also said that Swapan Majhi had informed the police almost a month back about his apprehension of life threat. "It is unfortunate that even after that he was killed in broad daylight," he said.

State BJP spokesman Shamik Bhattacharya said that when the MLA of the ruling party is apprehending life threat, the law and order situation in the state is imaginable.

"It is not just the common people or the supporters of the opposition parties for whom the situation is unsafe in West Bengal. The state is not even safe for the elected representatives of the ruling party," he said.
Hyderabad, July 8 : Heavy rains lashed parts of Telangana on Friday even as the India Meteorological Department has issued a red warning for some districts for the next two days.

Several parts of the state continued to receive rains since Thursday night. Two women were killed in a wall collapse in Nalgonda town.

The IMD said that heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sirsilla, and Siddipet districts. These districts have been issued red warning.

It has also forecast heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Jagityal, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Sangareddy, Medak, and Kamareddy districts. Heavy rain very likely to occur at isolated places in remaining districts of Telangana.

Telangana authorities have been alerted as the heavy rainfall is likely to result in water-logging in many low-lying areas, disruption of rail/road transport, electricity and other social disturbances, drainage clogging, and crop damages.

K. Naga Ratna, head of IMD's Hyderabad office, said heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal,Nizamabad, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Warangal (Rural), and Warangal (Urban) districts on Saturday.

Meanwhile, many parts of Telangana continue to receive rains, affecting normal life. Low-lying areas in some districts were inundated.

Water logging was reported from a few towns. Coal production was affected in a few open cast mines of Singareni Collieries in Khammam district.

Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Nalgonda, Khammam, Wararngal, Nizamabad and other districts received moderate to heavy rainfall since Thursday.

The incessant rains led to overflowing of rivulets, canals and lakes and submergence of roads affecting vehicular traffic at few places.

Irrigation projects in the state are receiving heavy inflows due to rains in the catchment areas. Gates of Komaram Bheem project in Asifabad district were opened to let the water flow downstream. Medigatta, Saraswati and Parvati barrages under Kaleshwaram project were also receiving inflows. Authorities opened the gates to release the water.

According to meteorologists, the state is receiving widespread rains under the impact of cyclonic circulation over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Odisha north Andhra Pradesh coasts.
Kochi, July 8 : As the world on Friday mourned the death of former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, UAE-based Indian entrepreneur Shamsheer Vayalil recalled his meeting with Abe.

In 2015, Shamsheer's business trip to Delhi coincided with Abe's official three-day visit to strengthen India-Japan bilateral ties.

Shamsheer, the founder and CEO of Burjeel Holdings, got a unique opportunity to meet Abe on the first day of his trip to discuss medical technology cooperation opportunities with Japan.

Ahead of the meeting, Shamsheer remembered reading about Abe's paternal grandfather's connection with India.

Abe's grandfather, the then Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, was introduced to Members of Parliament by the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, saying: "This is the Prime Minister of Japan, the country I respect the most." The memory of reading about Abe's grandfather inspired Shamsheer to pick out a golden beige-coloured Nehru jacket to present to the Japanese leader.

After greeting the former Japan Prime Minister, Shamsheer presented the jacket to him. "He was intrigued when he saw the golden beige jacket and said 'let us try it on now'." "He asked me to help him put the jacket over his white shirt. He then happily posed for a photo wearing the jacket.

"He didn't remove the jacket even when I left, making it seem like a symbol of friendship between India and Japan," Shamsheer recalls.

He further recalled that on the second day, along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Japanese leader visited Modi's parliamentary constituency of Varanasi.

It was a significant visit that attracted attention from the international media. The highlight of the day was when both the leaders participated together in the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, Abe was dressed in the golden beige jacket over a black shirt.

When the images of Abe walking towards the Ghat appeared on the TV, Shamsheer realised the extent to which his gift had been appreciated.

Abe died after he was shot while addressing an election rally in the city of Nara, according to state media.

"Officials say former Japanese Prime Minister #Abe Shinzo has been confirmed #dead. He was reportedly #shot during a speech on Friday in the city of #Nara, near Kyoto," official broadcaster NHK tweeted.

According to NHK, the attack took place at around 11.30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while the 67-year-old former leader was making a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign.

The police said that Abe was shot twice, with the second shot hitting him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground.
Shimla, July 8 : Ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled later this year, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday laid the foundation for four development projects worth Rs 55 crore in Shimla.

These include construction of a vegetable market at Darni Ka Bagicha, a flyover in Khalini and foot-over bridges near Vikasnagar.

While addressing a public meeting at Dhalli near here, the Chief Minister said these projects would not only prove to be a landmark for Shimla, but would also facilitate locals as well as tourists.

He said Shimla is not only the state capital, but also had the distinction of being the summer capital of British India besides being a popular tourist destination.

The state government is committed to restore the old glory of Shimla, besides making it a smart city, he said.

He said efforts are being made to widen the existing roads, construct pedestrian paths and parking slots, improve water supply and beautify parks.

Thakur said the Chabba water supply scheme at an outlay of Rs 70 crore was completed in a record time of nine months after Shimla witnessed unprecedented water crisis in the summer of 2018. He said this has solved the water problem of the town.

He also accused the previous state government for ignoring the interests of the people of Shimla. He said the present government has initiated several projects for Shimla to facilitate the people of the state capital.

The Chief Minister said a Rs 1,813 crore water supply scheme is being constructed for Shimla, which on completion would provide 24-hour water supply to the people of the town.

Thakur also said a double-lane tunnel is being constructed in Dhalli, which would ensure smooth and uninterrupted plying of vehicles on the busy route.

He added that not even a single tunnel has been constructed after Independence in Shimla.

Stating that he is a silent worker who does not believe in politics of vendetta and vengeance, the Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his benevolence towards the state and its people.

He said the Prime Minister chose Shimla for celebrating eight years of the NDA government and again for organising the chief secretaries' conference in Dharamsala, which showed his affection towards the state.

He said 20 more electric buses would be provided for Shimla and 15 for Dharamsala to facilitate the commuters of these towns. A charging station would also be setup at Taradevi near Shimla.
Bengaluru, July 8 : The Congress party's decision to host an event to mark the 75th birthday of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah next month is an attempt at a patch up between the warring factions of Siddaramaiah and state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar.

The Congress, buoyed by an internal survey which predicted a comfortable majority in Karnataka in the upcoming assembly elections, does not want to take any chances that the rivalry between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah may spoil the chances of attaining power in the state.

Siddaramaiah's birthday event will be organised on August 3. His supporters were planning to host a grand ceremony on the occasion highlighting his performance, much to the chagrin of the Shivakumar camp. It is an open secret that both the leaders are eyeing the post of chief minister if the Congress comes to power.

The ruling BJP's former minister K.S. Eshwarappa said that the Congress party in the state is going to split into two immediately after the celebration of Siddaramaiah's birthday.

He chided Shivakumar that he should have opposed the move to celebrate Siddaramaiah's birthday. The infighting has already started in the Congress. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are going to be defeated in the upcoming assembly elections, they are daydreaming of becoming CM, he maintained.

Rumours have started circulating that Siddaramaiah's associates, who have already given statements that he is the future CM, will use this opportunity to pitch him as the CM candidate. The party high command which sensed trouble in this regard, had decided to celebrate his birthday on the party's platform, say insiders.

Siddaramaiah talking to media persons on Friday stated that there are no sages in politics. "Are we sages? Are Rahul Gandhi, Shivakumar sages who have given up everything in life? The message is going there and the politics is very much there. My party leaders are only celebrating the birthday." Party insiders said that the Shivakumar camp is organizing a massive walkathon to mark the 75th Independence Day celebrations in the state to counter the birthday bash programmes. Commenting on this, D.K. Suresh, Congress MP and younger brother of Shivakumar, stated that there are no differences within the party.

"One lakh people are taking part in the massive walkathon to mark 75th Independence Day. He has done a good job as the CM of Karnataka. He has lived for 75 years. In the present age, living for 75 years is itself a tough job. A shepherd goes on to become the CM and present budgets, what more is required to celebrate, it is a major phase in terms of achievement," he stated.

Siddaramaiah hails from the Kuruba community and has a pan-Karnataka appeal among all the backward classes and minorities. His stinging remarks about the RSS, the ruling BJP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earned him a strong image in state politics.

Shivakumar on the other hand hails from the dominant Vokkaliga community. His loyalty to the party is unquestionable.

He played a key role in installing the JD (S)-Congress coalition government in the recent past which collapsed as major Congress leaders identified themselves with Siddaramaiah and chose to join BJP.

--IANS mka/bg

IANS
Ganderbal: Pilgrims being rescued after at least 10 pilgrims died while more than three dozen are missing as a cloudburst hit Baltal area, which houses a base camp for the Amarnath pilgrimage, in Ganderbal district on Friday, July 8, 2022. (Photo: Ni Image Source: IANS News

Srinagar, July 8 : At least 13 yatris were killed, five others injured and around three dozen missing after a cloudburst near the Amarnath cave shrine on Friday evening caused flash floods, officials said.

J&K DGP Dilbag Singh said 13 pilgrims were killed in the cloudburst that hit the area around 5.30 p.m.

At least three langars (community kitchens) and 25 Yatri tents were washed away in flash floods caused by the cloudburst. Aources said that around three dozen people are missing in this tragedy and efforts are on to locate them.

Rescue teams were immediately rushed to the spot, some using helicopter services. The rescue operation is still going on and the authorities are trying to ascertain the exact casualties or damage caused by the calamity. However, as darkness has engulfed the area, rescue operation are being impeded.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar had earlier told reporters that rescue operations by various agencies is underway, the situation is under control and the injured are being airlifted for treatment.

Officials said that following the cloudburst, water surged above/the sides of the cave after heavy rains at the upper reaches.

Earlier on Friday, the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway was blocked by landslides and mud slush triggered by rain at many places, affecting passage of pilgrims to the two base camps in the Kashmir Valley.

The yatra was flagged off on June 30 after remaining suspended for two years due to the Covid pandemic, and so far, over one lakh devotees have completed the pilgrimage.
New Delhi, July 8 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted searches in connection with the Rs 36,615 crore loan fraud case involving DHFL and its top officials, which led to the recovery of a large number of valuable paintings and sculptures estimated to be worth around Rs 40 crore.

"The premises of Rebecca Dewan and Ajay Ramesh Nawandar in Mumbai and Mahabaleshwar, respectively, were raided by our team," said a CBI official.

A CBI source said that a person named Vipin Kumar Shukla, DGM and head of Union Bank of India's Nariman Point branch, had lodged an FIR in this connection.

It was alleged that Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL), its former CMD Kapil Wadhawan, ex-Director Dheeraj Wadhawan, and other accused persons entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat a consortium of 17 banks led by the Union Bank of India.

"The Wadhawans and others induced the consortium banks to sanction huge loans aggregating to Rs 42,871.42 crore and siphoned off and misappropriated a significant portion of the said funds by falsifying the books of the DHFL and dishonestly defaulted on repayment of the legitimate dues of the said consortium banks. They caused a wrongful loss of Rs 34,615.00 crore to the consortium lenders," said the CBI.

The FIR was lodged against DHFL, the Wadhwan brothers, present Director Sudhkar Shetty, Amaryllis Realtors LLP (ARLLP), Gulmarg Realtors LLP (GRLLP), Skylark Buildcon Pvt Ltd, Darshan Developers Pvt Ltd, Sigtia Constructions Pvt Ltd, Creator Builders Pvt Ltd, Township Developers Pvt Ltd, Shishir Reality Pvt Ltd, Sunblink Real Estate and other unknown persons, including public servants.

The official said that it was found that the promoters had allegedly diverted the funds and made investments in various entities.

It was also alleged that the promoters had acquired expensive paintings and sculptures worth about Rs 55 crore using the diverted funds.

Earlier on June 22, searches were conducted at 12 locations in Mumbai at the premises of the accused persons which led to the recovery of incriminating documents.
Kolkata, July 8 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal on Friday wrote a letter to the Trinamool Congress MPs, seeking support for NDA's Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu.

The two BJP signatories in the letter are the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president and party MP, Sukanta Majumdar.

Murmu is expected to arrive here on Saturday for campaigning. She would also hold a meeting with the BJP legislators from West Bengal.

It was learnt that the Trinamool Congress MPs were not satisfied with the content of the letter, which read that since the victory of Murmu in the Presidential election is certain, Trinamool Congress MPs should caste their votes in favour of her.

Veteran Trinamool Congress leader and three-time party Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy said: "If the BJP leaders are confident of Murmu's victory then when they are appealing to Trinamool Congress MPs for their votes?" He added that since Yashwant Sinha is already being fielded as the united Opposition candidate in the Presidential polls, as of now, there is no question of replying positively to the appeal of Adhikari and Majumdar.

Recently, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee commented that she would have given a positive thought about Murmu had BJP confirmed her about their choice of candidate before Sinha was fielded as the opposition candidate.

After being nominated as the Presidential candidate, Murmu even called up the chief minister seeking her support. However, the chief minister expressed inability on this count.

Sinha was fielded as the opposition candidate after the first three choices namely Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah and Gopalkrishna Gandhi turned down the offers to contest.
Bengaluru, July 8 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday chaired a meeting to discuss the flood situation in various parts of the state and gave instructions for rescue and relief operations.

He was apprised that 12 people have been killed so far and 13 districts, 17 taluks, and 37 villages have been affected by floods.

As many as 495 persons are affected and authorities have rescued 90 persons and opened 4 care centres. Deaths of livestock are numbered at 65.

A total sum of Rs 735 crore has been made available with the Deputy Commissioners to take up rescue and relief operations.

With more rains forecast for the next 3-4 days, Bommai directed that precautionary measures should be taken to prevent loss of life and property.

He also instructed that roads damaged by floods should be repaired immediately to restore transport and communication, and in case of landslides, immediate measures should be taken to clear the roads.

He also said that as for crop loss, a survey should be conducted immediately after the floods recede and a report submitted without any delay. Compensation should be disbursed immediately in case of loss of human lives and death of livestock, he said.

Bommai also ordered that a control room be set up to respond to people in distress, and police personnel should be available for service 24X7.
New Delhi, July 8 : A married man has approached the Delhi High Court complaining of facing "unreasonable delay" in getting permission from authorities to export his embryo to a surrogate mother in the US.

The man, in his plea filed recently through advocates Parminder Singh and Vishnu Tallapragada, sought directions from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the matter.

As per the petitioner, he applied for the NOC prior to the implementation of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act 2021. Section 229 of the ART act prohibits the transfer or use of gametes, zygotes, and embryos, directly or indirectly to any party within or outside India except in the case of transfer of own gametes and embryos for personal use with the permission of the National Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board (NARTSB).

The petitioner also claimed that he followed up his case with the NARTSB, the ICMR, and the Centre after the change in the law.

The plea further said, the ICMR did not respond to him and caused unreasonable delay and in the due time, the ART Act was also enacted.

In the meantime, the original service agreement between the petitioner and the surrogate mother in California had lapsed, he said.

Seeking relief in the matter, the petitioner said the ICMR contravened his fundamental right to life as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The plea will be further heard on July 20.
Bhopal, July 8 : Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai C. Patel on Friday marked the completion of his one year in office by taking part at a programme organised by the Raj Bhavan in which around 60 Divyang children were the guests.

Though Patel had assumed office on July 6 last year, the programme was organised by the Raj Bhavan on Friday.

The children became the guests of the Governor at his official residence in Bhopal and they had lunch at the Raj Bhavan hosted by Patel.

The Governor office in an official statement said that Divyang children were overwhelmed by the soulful dialogue and affectionate behaviour of Patel.

"He lovingly offered them meal. With the blessings of his sweet words, affectionate behaviour and best wishes, the Governor drenched the hearts and minds of the Divyang children in the colour of joy." Patel asked the Divyang children to share their experiences of visiting Raj Bhavan with their friends and family.

Speaking about the hearing impairment of his grandson, he said: "If there is any deficiency in the body, then nature also provides some other divine power. The need is to recognise this power within you."
Kolkata, July 8 : A youth in Kolkata, who recently returned from Europe, has been admitted to the hospital with rashes and symptoms similar to the viral disease.

The state health department has not revealed the identity of the youth as the final test report from the National Institute of Virology in Pune is still awaited.

The Director of Health Services, Siddhratha Neogi, said that at this point of time, there is no reason to panic as whether the said youth has been infected by monkeypox can be confirmed only after receiving the report from the National Institute of Virology.

The state health department did not take any risk after the detection of rashes on the body of the said youth since he had recently returned from Europe, where he had gone for academic purposes.

He has been kept under isolation in a city-based hospital where the doctors are constantly monitoring his condition.

On a positive note, none of the other family members of the youth have shown similar symptoms, though they have been asked to remain alert and report to the hospital in case of any suspicion of similar symptoms.

Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak
Hyderabad, July 8 : Customs officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here seized gold valued at Rs 1.20 crore from a passenger who arrived from Dubai.

The Air Intelligence Unit of Hyderabad Customs at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) apprehended a male passenger who arrived by EK-526 from Dubai on Thursday. Officials said he tried to smuggle 2,290 grams of gold, valued at Rs 1.20 crore by concealing it in his suitcase's rods.

The accused was arrested on Friday and sent to judicial custody. Further investigation is in progress, officials said.

This came a day after the Air Intelligence Unit apprehended a female passenger who tried to smuggle 1,237 grams gold, valued at Rs 64.38 lakh by concealing in her rectum. She had also arrived by EK-526 from Dubai.
Madrid, July 8 : Real Madrid forward Rodrygo Goes has confirmed that he will renew his contract with the club until 2028.

The Brazilian told the Spanish newspaper ABC that "it was already a dream to come here, I've been here for three years and now I'm going to renew my contract." "I'm very proud of myself and the work I'm doing, but I still have a lot more to show," said the forward, who netted nine goals in 49 appearances last season.

Rodrygo's most important goals came within seconds of each other as Real Madrid came back from the dead to knock Manchester City out of the Champions League semifinals and he said he had "seen those goals again every day of my holidays." "We don't care people say the Champions League was luck because it wasn't, it was hard work. Once it can be luck but not three times. City played better than us, but in the decisive minutes we were better and deserved to qualify," he said.

He also spoke about Real Madrid's failure to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, after the French international decided to renew his contract, reports Xinhua.

"It may have indirectly benefitted me that he didn't come but I don't think about that," he said, setting his sights on winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or one day.

"I know that I have a lot of quality and if I continue training and with this mentality, I can win it one day. The only recipe is to work and train," he concluded.
Guwahati, July 8 : The Assam Home Department on Friday in a notification has directed the authorities to take steps to prevent illegal killing of animals including cows on the occasion of Eid.

Joint Secretary K.K. Sharma has written a letter to all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of the state for taking measures to prevent the illegal killing of cows, calves, and other animals during the upcoming Eid.

He has also recommended action against the offenders for violation of transport of animal rules on Eid.

Sharma has cited a reference from the letters of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying of the Union government.

On June 7, communications to all states from AWBI mentioned that a large number of animals are likely to be slaughtered during the Eid.

But, during the transportation of animals, some owners of the animals do not follow the laws which result in cruelty to the animals. Furthermore, as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Rules, 2001, camels cannot be slaughtered for food at all. Also, wherever the cow slaughter prohibition act is in force, the slaughtering of cows should not be allowed at all.

It is to be mentioned that, in Assam, restrictions had been imposed by the state government last year on the sale of beef in areas dominated by non-beef consuming communities and within a 5-km radius of temples and 'satras' formed by the 15-16th century saint-reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva.
Jaipur, July 8 : 'The Two Faces of Islam' is a famous book written by Stephen Schwartz, who described the profound philosophical and religious differences distinguishing the traditional beliefs from the radical sects that have sprung up over the past 1500 years.

Schwartz devoted years to the study of Islam and explained its complex history in his book.

However, the story of two faces of Islam came to life in Ajmer when two Muslim men, both named Salman Chishti, were seen trending on social media, but for different reasons.

While the first man is a history-sheeter who has been arrested for announcing bounty for the decapitation of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, the other is Haji Syed Salman Chishti, the Gaddi Nashin (hereditary custodian/head priest) of Dargah Ajmer Sharif, who has been pitching for peace and condemning the recent killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur.

In a strong statement, Chishti of Dargah Ajmer Sharif said, "The barbaric criminal act of killing a fellow Indian citizen in Udaipur is a heinous act of crime against humanity which does not represent any faith, religion or even region. The perpetrators must be dealt with strict punishment by the competent authorities at the highest level." Speaking to IANS, he said, "While the book presented the two faces of Islam elaborately, this small story of two men named Salman Chishti in Ajmer, I think, presents the same deep rooted message of the book and I hope the world understands the same." However, the other Salman Chishti, who has over 15 cases registered against him, is giving a harrowing time to the police by provoking the masses with his hate speech.
Patna, July 8 : Police in Bihar's Bhagalpur have charge sheeted a woman under the POCSO Act, as well for rape, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy in a October 2021 case.

The incident came to light when the charge sheet came before special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court judge Lavkush Kumar, and he directed the investigating officer to appear before the court and clarify the matter.

The incident is related to kidnapping and rape of a 17-year-old girl by Chotu Tanti on October 10, 2021 in Kahgaon village of the district. Following the police investigation, an FIR was registered against main accused Tanti, as well as his sister and sister in-law.

In the charge sheet, district police accused Tanti's sister of rape, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code as well as sections of the POCSO Act while Tanti was accused of criminal conspiracy and kidnapping under the IPC.

The special court judge has asked the investigating officer and SHO Niti Kumari of the women police station to appear before the court and explain.
Bengaluru, July 8 : The Karnataka Police have suspended an inspector and a sub-inspector for not initiating action against an undertrial who made threatening ransom calls from the Dharwad Central Prison, the police said on Friday.

The suspended officers have been identified as inspector M.L. Chetankumar and sub-inspector Prasannakumar, both attached to the Kalasipalya police station in Bengaluru.

The police said the accused officers turned a blind eye to the complaint lodged in this regard against Bombay Saleem and his associates.

Muyeez Ahmad, a Bengaluru-based realtor, had lodged a complaint with ADGP (Prisons) Alok Mohan seeking protection as he was getting threatening calls from the prison.

Mohan had forwarded the complaint to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy. In turn, Reddy had asked the Central Crime Branch (CCB) to probe the matter.

The probe had revealed negligence shown by the suspended police officers. According to the police, the complainant had a property dispute with a person named Riyaz. Riyaz had contacted Bombay Saleem, who is behind bars.

Saleem's associates had gone to the residence of the complainant on June 5 and threatened him to settle the issue with Riyaz. Saleem himself had made a video call from the prison and demanded a ransom of Rs 8 lakh.

After the complaint was lodged, Saleem increased the frequency of the threatening calls.

The CCB sleuths have arrested Saleem's associates Abdul Jaffer, Shooter Khadeem, Imran, Bombay Riyaz, Khadir and Ali. The CCB team has also taken Saleem into its custody.
Bengaluru, July 8 : The Karnataka Police have busted a call centre racket operating out of Bengaluru that used to target US citizens. The fraud call centre's activities involved cheating gullible people in the US by obtaining their bank details and siphoning off the money.

At least 72 employees of the call centre racket, including the kingpin were taken into custody in the operations conducted by teams from the Whitefield and Mahadevapura police stations.

A joint team of Whitefield and Mahadevapura police stations conducted simultaneous search operations on late Thursday evening at two locations after receiving information on a fake call cyber being operated from there.

A total of 138 computers and other equipment were seized during the operation.

According to police officers, the entire racket was being run by two individuals belonging to Ahmedabad.

Employing young graduates, mainly from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, the racket mainly targeted people from the US.

The modus operandi involved sending text messages to potential targets through text messages, voice mail etc that a fraudulent/ suspect transaction is noticed in one of their accounts such as bank account or Amazon account and they are calling on behalf of Amazon or their bank, to resolve the fraudulent transaction.

They would finally zero in on the gullible persons who would trust the callers.

The accused were also seen using vans disguised as school vans to transport the employees, police said.
New Delhi, July 8 : The adjudicating authority of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued show cause notice to Amnesty India International Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) and its CEO Aakar Patel for contravention of the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and imposed penalties to the tune of Rs 51.72 crore and Rs 10 crore on the two, respectively.

The ED had initiated investigation under FEMA on the basis of information that Amnesty International, UK, had been remitting huge amount of foreign contributions through its Indian entities (non-FCRA companies) following the FDI route, in order to evade the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to expand its NGO activities in India, despite the denial of prior registration or permission to the Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) and other trusts under FCRA by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The show cause notice issued by the ED has charged that during the period between November 2013 and June 2018, remittance which was received by AIIPL and claimed as receipt for business/management consultancy and public relation services for export of services to foreign beneficiary, was nothing but the amount borrowed from overseas remitter, thereby violating the FEMA provisions.

After getting detailed reply from AIIPL and following the principal of natural justice, the adjudicating authority of ED has held that AIIPL is an umbrella entity under Amnesty International Ltd, UK, which was declared to be set up for the cause of social activities in India.

However, AIIPL has been found involved in many activities which are not relevant to their declared commercial business, and a circumventing model has been applied by them to route the foreign funds in the guise of business activities to escape FCRA scrutiny.

All contentions and submission from AIIPL regarding the claim of remittance towards the export of services to Amnesty International have been dismissed, in the absence of concrete evidence.

Consequently, it is held that the funds that have arrived at the hands of AIIPL through inward remittances to the tune of Rs 51,72,78,111.87 is nothing but the fund lent by Amnesty International to AIIPL to ensure its objectives in the territorial jurisdiction of India, which is not in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 3 of Foreign Exchange Management (borrowing and lending in foreign exchange) Regulations, 2000.

"Accordingly, penalty to the tune of Rs 51.72 crore on AIIPL and Rs 10 Crore on Patel has been imposed under the provisions of FEMA," said an ED official.
Bengaluru, July 8 : Karnataka's BJP government on Friday finally approved funds for distribution of free socks and shoes for the students of government schools.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the approval has been given for distribution of socks and shoes to school children at a cost of Rs 132 crore.

The government has already given approval to uniforms. It will take some time to manufacture and distribute, and there is no need to create confusion in this regard, he said.

The opposition Congress, especially Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, had chided the ruling party for not distributing shoes and socks to children. "Has the government of Karnataka become so bankrupt that it is not able to provide shoes and socks for children?" he had asked.

Congress state President D.K. Shivakumar had said that his party would beg among the people of the state and get the money to buy shoes and socks for school children.

"This is a question of the self-respect and dignity of school children. I am ready to take this responsibility. Congress will formulate a plan for this," he had said.

Earlier, Education Minister B.C. Nagesh had sparked off controversy, by saying children go to schools to learn and get educated, not to wear socks and shoes.
New Delhi, July 8 : Around 11 out of the total 32 zonal liquor retailers in the national capital have surrendered their licences because of lower revenue and unfair competition in the market.

As per industry sources, the retailers who have surrendered their licences largely blamed some barriers in the new liquor policy, including arbitrary price fixing, for the non-viability of their business.

Many posh areas of the national capital are now without liquor shops with south Delhi being the worst-hit by liquor shortage.

"The barriers in the new policy and its faulty implementation have led to outlets shutting down across the city. Areas like Cannaught Place, Saket, Green Park and other pasrt of south Delhi are facing the liquor crisis," said a source from the industry.

"While the policy was good, there were faults at the implementation level which led to this pathetic situation," said Vinod Giri, Director General of the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC).

Underlining the faults, he said that the number of shops in each zone is high. The policy allowed 27 liquor vends in each of the 32 zones, which is not fair, Giri said.

Secondly, he said the bidding policy also led to heavy financial burden on the shop owners as due to higher number of shops, it didn't prove profitable.

With an average reserve price of approximately Rs 225 crore per zone, the reserve price for these zones added up to nearly Rs 7,000 crore. However, Delhi government earned about Rs 9,000 crore through competitive bidding.

Talking about the new excise policy, Giri said that apart from these barriers, another important factor was the protest staged by the opposition at the time of rollout of the programme.

Because of the protests at several places across the city, the rollout of the scheme was slow, and additionally the vendors were facing losses as they had already grabbed their respective licences through bidding process.

"Due to the new excise verification process added by the government to the already existing rules, the vendors had to bear more losses as it delayed the opening of the liquor outlets," said Giri.

He added that the ongoing discount on sale of liquor is the result of this delay, which ultimately led to huge losses for the vendors after which they chose to surrender their licences.
Ganderbal: Security personnel during a rescue operation after a cloudburst hit Baltal area, which houses a base camp for the Amarnath pilgrimage, in Ganderbal district on Friday, July 8, 2022. At least 13 pilgrims died while more than three dozen are Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, July 8 : Cloudburst is the reason that has been attributed as a cause of death of at least 13 Yatris in a flash flood near the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

But was it indeed a cloudburst? J&K DGP Dilbag Singh said 13 pilgrims were killed in the cloudburst that hit the area at around 5.30 pm. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that it was not a cloudburst.

Every year, IMD releases a special weather advisory for Amarnath Yatra. The general, daily forecast for the district on Friday was of yellow alert (means, keep watch). Even the evening forecast, up on the Amarnath Yatra forecast website at 4.07 pm, said, "Partly cloudy sky with possibility of very light rain" for all along the route from both Pahalgam side and Baltal side. There was no accompanying warning.

As per the data from the automatic weather station (AWS) at the holy cave, there was no rainfall from 8:30 am till 4:30 pm.

"Then there was just 3 mm rainfall between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm. However, between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm there was 28 mm rainfall," said an IMD scientist.

As per IMD criterion, only if there is 100 mm rainfall in one hour then it is termed as cloudburst.

Then what exactly happened? According to eyewitness accounts and the multiple videos going viral on social media, a stream between two mountain faces -- barely 200-300 metres away from the cave entry -- brought down heavy rubble along with large quantity of water. Clearly, it was the result of rainfall behind the holy cave.

"It was a highly localised cloud only over the holy cave. Such rain happened earlier this year as well. It was not a flash flood," said Sonam Lotus, who heads the Regional Meteorological Centre at Srinagar that looks after the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Lotus also confirmed that it was likely that there was severe rainfall at a higher altitude than the cave.

Anand Kumar Sharma, retired meteorologist and former north India head of IMD, explained: "Rainfall is a highly variable parameter, and it is especially true for mountains with peculiar orography. Plus, the Yatra happens in peak monsoon season. Rainfall may not happen in front of the cave but somewhere upstream, which will have an impact downstream." He also said that for any given mountain, there are so many faces and each of them can have different rainfall. Likewise, there are ranges after ranges of mountains. How many automatic weather stations can you install," he asked.

However, given the number of pilgrims increasing every year and the logistics involved, Sharma said there is a scope for increasing the AWS in the catchment areas and also raise the number along the route for better forecast.

Meanwhile, the weather outlook for the next two days warned of "intermittent scattered light to moderate rain thunder".
New Delhi, July 8 : The Environment Ministry on Friday notified yet another draft for demarking 46,832 sq km areas across five states sans Kerala as the Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) of the Western Ghats, delayed by almost a decade much to the chagrin of the environmentalists.

It is imperative to notify the final ESA as early as possible in view of the increasing extreme weather events leading to loss of lives and damage to property along the Western Ghats. It is exacerbated due to human activities that are, as per environmentalists, detrimental to the ESA in the fragile ecology of the Ghats.

A global biodiversity hotspot, the Western Ghats - parts of which are inscribed in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List - are the origin of Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery and a number of other rivers and extends over a distance of approximately 1,500 km from Tapti river in the north to Kanyakumari in the south through six states namely, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Originally, the Madhav Gadgil-led committee had recommended designating the entire region as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) -- more than 1 lakh sq kms -- in the 522 page report submitted to the Environment Ministry in 2011 while the Kasturirangan panel, constituted soon after that had diluted it to about 50 per cent area.

The Environment Ministry had constituted a High Level Working Group to study the ecology, environmental integrity and holistic development of the Western Ghats. It was to address the balance between protection of environment / biodiversity and aspirations of the communities. It had submitted its report on April 15, 2013 wherein it had identified approximately 37 per cent of the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive covering an area of 59,940 sq kms.

The first draft notification was issued on March 10, 2014 that mentioned ESA for other states as recommended by the High Level Working Group (13,108 sq kms) and for Kerala, mentioned the area as recommended by the state (9,993.7 sq kms). That was followed by consultation with stakeholders, including states and there came a series of drafts, last of which expired on June 30.

This time round, the latest draft notified on July 6 has recommended an ESA totaling to 46,832 sq km sans Kerala's. It comprises 449 sq kms in Gujarat, 17,340 sq kms in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq kms in Karnataka and 6,914 sq kms in Tamil Nadu.

"We have given 60 days for feedback from stakeholders, after which, it will be discussed with the states again," said a senior official of the Environment Ministry.

In the case of Kerala, the state's Biodiversity Board has been empowered to demarcate the area, and its recommendations would be accepted, he said.

Expressing displeasure -- and this is not the first time he has said this -- about the Kasturirangan report, Gadgil told IANS on phone, "They did not just reduce the area but also wanted to push it through bureaucratic methods. Their report can best be described as sabotage; it has no scientific basis." Elaborating on why he calls it undemocratic, Gadgil said, "We had suggested involvement of the local community. As per the Kasturirangan report says 'how can the local community have a say in decision making?' For instance -- a village facing landslides has the right to say yes or no for a mining project." The Centre may notify (the ecologically sensitive area), Gadgil said, "But it is the implementation that will be done in a bureaucratic manner and not in democratic manner."
New Delhi, July 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe an outstanding leader of Japan and said that the world has lost a great visionary while he has lost a dear friend.

Remembering Abe, Modi wrote in a blog that he first met Abe in 2007, during his visit to Japan as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and right from that first meeting their friendship went beyond the trappings of office and the shackles of official protocol.

Recalling his interaction with Abe, Prime Minister Modi wrote: "Our visit to Toji temple in Kyoto, our train journey on the Shinkansen, our visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, the Ganga Aarati in Kashi, the elaborate tea ceremony in Tokyo, the list of our memorable interactions is indeed long." Prime Minister Modi said he will always cherish the singular honour of having been invited to Abe's family home in Yamanashi prefecture, nestled among the foothills of Mt. Fuji.

"Even when he was not the Prime Minister of Japan between 2007 and 2012, and more recently after 2020, our personal bond remained as strong as ever. Every meeting with Abe San was intellectually stimulating. He was always full of new ideas and invaluable insights on governance, economy, culture, foreign policy, and various other subjects," Prime Minister Modi wrote.

Modi pointed that Abe's counsel inspired him in his economic choices for Gujarat and his support was instrumental in building Gujarat's vibrant partnership with Japan.

Modi noted that it was his privilege to work with him to bring about an unprecedented transformation of the strategic partnership between India and Japan from a largely narrow, bilateral economic relationship, Abe San helped turn it into a broad, comprehensive one, which not only covered every field of national endeavour, but became pivotal for our two countries and the region's security.

"His contribution to India-Japan relations was richly recognised by the conferment upon him of the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2021," Modi wrote.

The Prime Minister mentioned that among his greatest gifts to us and his most enduring legacy, and one for which the world will always be indebted, is his foresight in recognising the changing tides and gathering storm of our time and his leadership in responding to it.

"Long before others, he, in his seminal speech to the Indian Parliament in 2007, laid the ground for the emergence of the Indo Pacific region as a contemporary political, strategic and economic reality - a region that will also shape the world in this century," Modi wrote in the blog.

Recalling his recent interaction with Abe, Modi wrote: "During my Japan visit in May this year, I had the opportunity to meet Abe San, who had just taken over as the Chair of the Japan-India Association. He was his usual self - energetic, captivating, charismatic and very witty. He had innovative ideas on how to further strengthen the India-Japan friendship. When I said goodbye to him that day, little did I imagine that it would be our final meeting." Modi further noted that he will always be indebted for his warmth and wisdom, grace and generosity, friendship and guidance, and I will miss him dearly.

"We in India mourn his passing as one of our own, just as he embraced us with an open heart. He died doing what he loved the most - inspiring his people. His life may have been cut short tragically, but his legacy will endure forever. I extend heart-felt condolences on behalf of the people of India and on my own behalf to the people of Japan, especially to Mrs. Akie Abe and his family. Om Shanti," PM Modi added.
Patna, July 9 : A court in Bihar's Sheohar district has directed the police to register an FIR against two chemists for allegedly selling expired medicines 17 years ago worth Rs 70.

The incident dates back to October, 2005. Surendra Raut, a resident of Barahi village had complained of abdominal pain.

As the pain became severe, he purchased medicines on the way to hospital from the chemist shop of Nand Lal Shah located at Adauri Chowk.

"Nand Lal Shah gave me a syrup and a tablet which I consumed to get relief. However, after consuming the medicines, my health deteriorated more. My family members somehow admitted me to a private hospital where they treated me and saved my life. The doctors of the hospital said that the medicines I had consumed on the way to hospital had expired. Hence, the health had deteriorated more. When I was discharged from the hospital, I went there to the chemist shop to complain about expired medicines but Nand Lal Shah and his brother Sukh Lal Shah brutally assaulted me," Raut said on Friday.

"When I went to the police station and gave the written complaint, the police officials did not accept my application. Finally, I filed a complaint in sub-divisional court on October 6, 2005 against them. I continuously monitored the hearing of the case and spent Rs 20,000 in the last 17 years.

"On Thursday, Rakesh Kumar, the judicial magistrate of sub-divisional court Sheohar directed the district police to register the FIR against Nand Lal Shah and Sukh Lal Shah and investigate this case. I am finally satisfied with the court's decision. It has taken 17 years," Raut said.

"We have registered an FIR against two persons in the direction of the sub-divisional court. The matter is 17 years old. The investigation is underway," said an officer of Puranhiya police station.
The W4 office building in the Leudelange district to the southwest of Luxembourg City has been acquired under a single German pension fund mandate by Munich-headquartered Catella Real Estate AG (CREAG) in cooperation with Maastricht-based Catella Investment Management Benelux (CIMB). The property was purchased on behalf of the AVW European

Photos: Catella Real Estate AG



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L to R - Jim VanderGiessen (PROs CEO), Jeremy Vrieling (PRO), Matt Sa (Sales at SJVDE), Chris Jongsma, John Jongsma, Damon Reed (PRO), and Pablo Polanco (Frogs Leap Winery) Dairy farming today is all about the numbers, and the CO2 Chiller System is a bigger investment upfront, said Chris, our farm needs several thousand gallons of hot water each day to sanitize - the savings this system provides in natural gas alone helps justify the higher cost for the equipment.

Christopher Jongsma of South Creek Dairy in Pixley, CA, invited his grandfather, John Jongsma, to travel to North Carolina and check the status of his new chiller system. Chris continues the legacy of dairy farming that started in Friesland, Holland, 65 years ago milking 9 cows. Today Johns sons and grandsons have expanded the family business, climbing towards 20,000 cows served across the family's farms. Now their sights are set on increased efficiency and environmentally conscious cooling.

Chris watched closely when the first PROGreen CO2-charged chiller system was installed at his uncles, Bill Jongsma, dairy in August of 2021. He is excited to get an identical system shipped to California for startup this fall with the help of San Joaquin Valley Dairy Equipment.

This new system will cool the milk for his 3,900-cow dairy farm while also taking over 100% of the water heating load across the farm. Matt Sa, of San Joaquin Valley Dairy Equipment also made the trip and completed training on the system.

Dairy farming today is all about the numbers, and the CO2 Chiller System is a bigger investment upfront, said Chris Jongsma, our farm needs several thousand gallons of hot water each day to sanitize - the savings this system provides in natural gas alone will help justify the higher cost for the equipment.

Joining the group was Pablo Polanco of Frogs Leap Winery. Frogs Leap has been on the leading edge of sustainability since their inception and relies on their 100 HP PROChiller, operating on R404a, for over 10 years. Pablos goal was to learn more about the PROGreen R744 System as their winery searches for answers to reach their industry-leading climate goals.

We realize if we eliminate chemical refrigerants from our winery, we have a big opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint, offered Polanco. It is exciting to learn that CO2 can be used as a natural refrigerant.

Between Carbon Reduction and increased heat recovery, the list of justifications for an R744 System keeps increasing, added Damon Reed, who leads the PROGreen Product Group at PRO, It is so valuable to have long-term customers like Frogs Leap to challenge us with questions that many winemakers will also be asking soon. It is great to have him here.

About Pro Refrigeration

Auburn, Wash.-based Pro Refrigeration, Inc., is the US's leading cooling technology and equipment company for craft beverages and dairy. The company provides innovative solutions for delivering chilled fluid from 45 F to +45 F. In 2020, PRO created their PROGreen Solution Team focused on natural refrigerants and shifting away from PROs usage of chemical-based refrigerants. Visit http://www.prochiller.com/progreen for more information on their shift to natural refrigerants.

About South Creek Dairy

Chris Jongsma serves almost 4,000 animals on his Dairy Farm where he continues an extended family history of dairy farming that began 65 years ago. Located in Earlmart, California, this farm has been in the business of milk production since 2004.

About San Joaquin Valley Dairy Equipment

San Joaquin Valley Dairy Equipment has been providing wholesale machinery and equipment for dairy farms since 1992. They are based in Tulare, California with a secondary location in Bakersfield.

About Frogs Leap Winery

Frog's Leap is a family-owned winery dedicated to sustainable principles and committed to producing wines with balance, restraint and respect for terroir. Originally founded by the Williams Family in 1981 on a spot along Mill Creek known as the Frog Farm, today Frog's Leap makes its home in Rutherford at the historic Red Barn. Winemakers hand-craft 60,000 cases annually comprised of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, and an estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Visit http://www.frogsleap.com to learn more.
46% of all Google searches have local intent

46% of all Google searches have local intent. Thats an impressive 37,000 local searches per second. It matters because 76% of consumers that perform a local search on their phones visit a store that day, as shared by Backlinko. While Googles traditional ranking factors apply to local SEO, there are various other strategies that businesses, especially small ones, can leverage to increase exposure in local listings.

DesignRush, a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies, leveraged its 13,000-agencies-strong network for quick insights  or QuickSights  on the key local SEO tips small businesses should leverage to improve online visibility.

1. TARGET LOCAL KEYWORDS

In the opinion of Sachin Sahu, business head at Boodle Web Mart, small businesses should target local keywords and incorporate them in their Google Business profiles to increase search visibility.

"[...] small businesses should target local keywords to rank higher on Google. Also, they should emphasize on GMB (Google my Business) listing to bring it [to] first position [...] They should discover the key phrases their audience uses. Then, place these keywords in appropriate places on their websites and optimize the description in GMB with key phrases.

Nice Digital Studio Co-Founder Nikita Rudnyk agrees that collecting Google reviews can improve local SEO efforts.

"A Semrush survey shows that a high volume of reviews can help improve visibility in Google Maps results, said Rudnyk. Therefore, small businesses should encourage all of their satisfied customers to leave feedback on Google. Along with a well-optimized Google Business profile, they will manage to achieve higher positions for local queries."

2) FULLY OPTIMIZE YOUR GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE

Dave Place, owner of Let's Design Your Site, adds that businesses should make sure they complete all the details in their Google Business profiles to improve relevance.

Google Business Profile helps improve local SEO efforts by making it possible for local businesses to appear high in search results when users search for nearby places, said Place. All businesses serving their local markets, particularly small ones, should ensure their Google Business Profile is well-optimized to reach customers. This includes completing all elements of their profiles such as location and images as well as adding relevant keywords to improve relevance.

3) GATHER ALL REVIEWS ON YOUR GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE

Lastly, UR Digital Managing Director Pulkit Agrawal claims that small businesses should aim to collect all their reviews on their Google Business profiles, which they can also use for their websites.

A lot of local businesses do not have a streamlined process when it comes to reviews, said Agrawal. They are collecting it on different platforms. Whilst it is fine, it is not an ideal process. Research suggests that high numerical Google ratings are the #1 local search ranking factor. Therefore, make sure you collect all your reviews on your Google Business Profile to improve your local SEO efforts and exposure. Then, repurpose them on your website to kill two birds with one stone.

DesignRush ranked the best local SEO companies that help all types of businesses among industries to achieve higher positions for local queries.

1. SEOWizard - seowizard.ie

Expertise: SEO Audit, Local SEO, eCommerce SEO, and more

2. ConversionSpree - conversionspree.com

Expertise: Local SEO and GMB, PPC Management, Social Media Marketing, and more

3. Pivotal Point Marketing - pivotalpointmarketing.com

Expertise: SEO Audit, Local SEO, Content Writing, and more

4. Boodle Web Mart Technology - boodlemart.com

Expertise: Local SEO, eCommerce SEO, Advertising, and more

5. Adchemist Digital - adchemistdigital.com

Expertise: Keyword Research, Local SEO, Link Building, and more

6. webTIPS. - webtips.co.in

Expertise: eCommerce SEO, Local SEO, Content Marketing, and more

7. Profit Parrot Marketing - profitparrot.com

Expertise: Content Writing, Local SEO, PPC Management, and more

8. WriterArmy - writerarmy.com

Expertise: Content Marketing, Content Strategy, SEO Strategy, and more

9. Let's Design Your Site - letsdesignyoursite.com

Expertise: Web Design, Web Development, SEO, and more

10. Cyrusson - cyrusson.com

Expertise: SEO, Web Design, Content Creation, and more

11. SimplyGreat.Co - simplygreat.co

Expertise: Keyword Research, SEO, Content Creation, and more

12. OS Digital World - osdigitalworld.com

Expertise: Website Audit, Keywords Research, SEO, and more

13. YEAH! Local - yeah-local.com

Expertise: SEO Audit, Local SEO, PPC Management, and more

14. Deyo Digital - deyodigital.com

Expertise: Website Audit, Keyword Research, Content Creation, and more

15. Funnel Simplified - funnelsimplified.com

Expertise: Keyword Research, Local SEO, International SEO, and more

16. Nice Digital Studio - nicedigitalstudio.com

Expertise: Keyword Research, SEO, Content Management, and more

17. UR Digital - urdigital.com.au

Expertise: Technical SEO, Local SEO, SEO Consulting, and more

18. Business Refinery - business-refinery.com

Expertise: Web Design, SEO, Copywriting, and more

19. 10 Plus Brand - 10plusbrand.com

Expertise: Content Marketing, SEO, Web Design, and more

20. KS Global - ksglobal.com.my

Expertise: eCommerce Solutions, SEO, Digital Marketing, and more

21. Digitorm - digitorm.com

Expertise: Web Design and Development, SEO, PPC Management, and more

Brands can explore the top SEO companies by location, size, average hourly rate, and portfolio on DesignRush.

About DesignRush:

DesignRush.com is a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects.
Sexual Wellness is such an important part of supporting overall Mental Wellness and so many aspects of physical health and performance."

Amare Global, The Mental Wellness Company and category leader in all-natural mental wellness solutions, recently announced sexual wellness as the newest product category in their line of mental wellness offerings. Launched in New York City, Ignite For Her and Ignite For Him are proprietary blends formulated with clinically-backed ingredients to support normal hormone balance and sexual wellness. Amares newest product line contains specific ingredients such as Shatavari, Cordyceps Mushroom and Beet Root targeted to help maintain a healthy sexual desire by supporting mood imbalances, blood flow, and maintaining hormone balance for both men and women.

Sexual Wellness is such an important part of supporting overall Mental Wellness and so many aspects of physical health and performance. These products contain natural ingredients with a rich history of use throughout history and various cultures to help maintain hormone health and support sexual desire, said Dr. Shawn Talbott, Chief Science Officer at Amare Global. Amare Ignite for Her and Amare Ignite for Him contain are all-natural proprietary blends designed with clinically studied ingredients of adaptogens, herbs, and phytonutrients to support the balance of male and female hormones. These ingredients help increase the bodys ability to adapt to stress and promote normal physiological functioning by supporting and maintaining balance. Combining these powerful ingredients delivers a holistic, safe, and effective way to support sexual wellness from the inside-out.

Jared Turner, CEO of Amare Global said, Amare will continue to innovate the Mental Wellness category with all-natural products to help empower our customers to live their best and fullest lives. Our mission is to share this message and improve the lives of others all over the world.

About Amare Global

Amare Global (amare.com) is The Mental Wellness Company and is the category leader in creating holistic mental wellness solutions. The name Amare translates to love in Latin and a core part of its mission is to create more love, empowerment, and wellness in the world by providing high quality natural products that support holistic wellness. Amares patented and award-winning proprietary formulations leverage the powerful science of the gut microbiome and the gut-brain access (GBX), along with other clinically studied ingredients and blends. For more information, visit Amare.com, follow @amareglobal on Instagram, or visit us on Facebook.

For media inquiries, please contact prinquiries@amare.com
Douglas Smock, a retired newspaper reporter and magazine writer from Massachusetts, has completed his new book Forgotten Battles and American Memory: an informative and interesting read.

Forgotten Battles and American Memory is a military history book that brings to life long-ignored important conflicts through personal stories. Key figures include George Washington, Myles Standish, Daniel Morgan, Banastre Tarleton, Benjamin Franklin, Oliver Hazard Perry, Nathan Bedford Forest, Joseph Stilwell, Chiang Kai-shek, and George Marshall. The battles covered are the Plymouth Plantation militia attack on the Massachusett Tribe, the defeat of General Edward Braddock in the French and Indian War, Cowpens in the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812, the Fort Pillow Massacre in the Civil War, and the Battle for the Burma Road in World War II. The book also examines why the battles were lost to history and why they are still important today. In some cases, controversies remain, ranging from the depiction of Myles Standish on the Massachusetts flag to statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest. The book includes some never-reported information on the Battle for the Burma Road and the role of Pennsylvania militia in the War of 1812.

Michael Schaller, Regents Professor of History at the University of Arizona, author of, The U. S. Crusade in China, 1938-1945, considers Page Publishings book by Douglas Smock to be a very spirited and well-informed account of an immensely complicated battle that transpired amidst the war in the Pacific.

Readers who wish to experience this compelling work can purchase Forgotten Battles and American Memory at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Patrick Simmons, a licensed complex aircraft pilot who lives in South Florida with his wife, has completed his new book Survivors and Connivers on Moloka'i: a gripping and potent work that follows the journey of seventeen-year-old Doug Malone as he journeys to Mexico to escape his abusive father.

After an adventurous start, Dougs perk 35 Plymouth perishes near the Mexican border. In addition, he finds himself out of money and decides to return to Oregon. While hitchhiking home, Doug survives a car accident in remote, snow-packed southern Oregon. There, he is kidnapped by two reprobates, but he uses his .22 pistol to escape. Meanwhile, the 1950 Korean War intensifies.

Back Home, he finds a job and then enlists in the USCG when he turns eighteen. The coast guard sends Doug to an electronic technician school in Groton, Connecticut. Upon graduation, he volunteers for duty in Korea, but instead, is assigned to an isolated duty Loran station on NW Molokai, where he finds desolation, a deadly disease, axis deer, attacking sharks, connivers, a great friend, and several unusual events.

Published by Page Publishing, Patrick Simmonss captivating work follows Douglass time in Kaunakakai, Molokais only town, as he arranges a fishing trip, endears a lovely lady, and flies to the Kalaupapa leper colony on New Years Eve in 1953.

Readers who wish to experience this engrossing work can purchase Survivors and Connivers on Moloka'i at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Elyctis and BioRugged Alexandre Joly, CEO of Elyctis, declares: Were very happy to have been selected by BioRugged, a company with an excellent reputation for designing ruggedized yet user-friendly professional terminals, for their new border control device range.

BioRugged, a biometric systems expert, makes its specialty to propose devices designed to fit the requirements of ID market segments, including border control, law enforcement and elections. The company introduces its new product range for border control with a peculiar attention to the usual workflow of border control officers. Using a form follows function approach, the company designed its mobile solution analyzing the day-to-day operations in border control in many countries. BioRugged highly integrated BioWolf DEZ takes all these requirements into account. As an example, it allows the border control officer to hold the reader and the passport in one hand while keeping the other hand free. This design performance could only be achieved thanks to the compact form factor and ease of integration of Elyctis ID BOX One readers which provide MRZ, contact and contactless reading functions for all types of ePassports and eID cards.

BioRugged Marque 5.1 stationary multimodal biometric enrolment station, which provides all necessary features for biometric enrolment (fingerprint scanner, camera with LEDs for lighting, document scanner) is now also available with an integrated Elyctis ID BOX One document reader, which reads the MRZ, contact and contactless interfaces of all ID documents. Due to its small form factor and its specific design, it is ideal for use in any border control booth.

As BioRugged only serves professional needs via its international integrator network, the decision to integrate Elyctis readers became self-evident: the Elyctis ID BOX One ticks all the boxes when it comes to professional requirements. Not only it guarantees a fast reading of ID documents, but it has demonstrated compatibility with all types of ePassport and eID cards. Elyctis ID readers have been developed considering the specific conditions of reading ID documents, something that can only be achieved with a dedicated RFID chip and firmware. To fit with ID reading requirements, Elyctis readers have a very small footprint that makes their integration easy. In addition, Elyctis firmware, ID BOX SDK, which is delivered free of charge to integrators, guarantees an easy integration process for terminal developers.

Arnd Langguth, CEO of BioRugged, declares: Elyctis ID readers are proven to be the best fit for border control applications: they have been tested and validated to read fast and accurately all chips and all passports. Elyctis not only provides reliable, cost effective and easy to integrate readers, but also an outstanding support for hardware and software integration. They are recognized and used by Government authorities worldwide.

Alexandre Joly, CEO of Elyctis, adds: Were very happy to have been selected by BioRugged, a company with an excellent reputation for designing ruggedized yet user-friendly professional terminals, for their new border control device range. Unlike smartphone developments, our half-page readers are totally adapted to professional applications as they include a dedicated MRZ scanner which is able to read MRZ lines without movement in any circumstances and environmental conditions (dark, sunlight), and a dedicated RF chip (not a standard NFC reader as those common in smartphones).

About BioRugged

BioRugged specializes in biometric systems with a strong focus on durability and ease of use. We manufacture mobile solutions to register, identify and check individuals using different biometrics modalities quickly and effectively. Our devices are rugged and affordable for rural and urban deployment. They are widely deployed in Africa and Latin America.

Our products range from handheld systems to custom-built mobile enrollment kits that have unique features for any use case.

Through our partners we provide our hardware solutions to Governments and private entities worldwide. Our devices are used in National ID, Passport, biometric voter registration and registration, Know-Your-Customer (KYC), law enforcement and border control projects.

Founded in Africa, BioRugged is a privately held group of companies with offices in Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen. We have representative offices in Portugal, Germany, Nigeria, DR Congo, Ethiopia and Kenya and service partners in many countries across the globe.

For more information on BioRugged, please visit https://www.biorugged.com

About Elyctis

Created in 2008, Elyctis mission is to supply system integrators with mobile and fixed hardware to access data of eIDs (NICs, passports, resident permits, driving licenses). The company specializes in the development, industrialization, production and marketing of readers and terminals dedicated to Secure Identity Documents including e-passports, e-ID cards, e-driver licenses, ... The company, which now employs 25 people, has a longstanding expertise in eID projects, as well as hardware and software developments, especially in the combination of optics, antenna design, high security software and integration. Elyctis sells its products through its network of distributors and systems integrators, to whom it provides a development environment to facilitate the use of its readers. Elyctis is headquartered in Pertuis, France, and has a sales office in Hong Kong.

Alexandre Joly, Elyctis founder and CEO is a laureate of Reseau Entreprendre since 2011, and a laureate of the Reseau Entreprendre Ambition program in 2016.

More information at http://www.elyctis.com
As a Sage Intacct Marketplace Partner, Bitwave now offers a certified integration with Sage Intacct to address tax and accounting management for any organization bringing cryptocurrencies or digital assets onto their books.

Bitwave, the first enterprise-focused digital asset platform designed to manage the intersection of cryptocurrency tax, accounting, and compliance, announces today a new affiliation with Sage, a leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Bitwave is now an approved Sage Intacct Marketplace Partner and integrated with the Sage Intacct cloud financial management system.

Were pleased and excited to work with the Sage Intacct team, said Pat White, CEO and Co-Founder of Bitwave. As a Sage Intacct Marketplace Partner, were here to support enterprises and large businesses as they begin their journey into digital assets, and the enormous potential they hold.

As a Sage Intacct Marketplace Partner, Bitwave now offers a certified integration with Sage Intacct to address tax and accounting management for any organization bringing cryptocurrencies or digital assets onto their books. These emerging currencies and assets bring with them new and evolving compliance and regulatory responsibilities that require enhanced capabilities from accounting and financial systems of record. The combination of Bitwave and Sage Intacct provides users with the capabilities and confidence they need to unlock the opportunities associated with this new asset class.

Amy Kalnoki, COO and Co-Founder of Bitwave, will discuss these opportunities in her presentation, "The Digital Asset Finance Revolution, How Businesses Benefit from Crypto," during Sage Transform 2022, October 10-14, Orlando, Florida.

A recent Sage survey of finance executives showed that there is enormous interest in cryptocurrencies, with one in five respondents saying their company already accepts digital currencies and an additional 33% planning to start accepting it for payments in the next year, said Melody Williams, Sages Head of Business Development for Sage Intacct. This new integration will enable our joint customers to more easily account for and pay taxes on cryptocurrencies, NFTs, DeFi, and other digital assets.

Financial technology is a growing marketplace and field, now expanding to accounting and tax management, said White. We look forward to working with Sage Intaccts array of clients, to help solve the distinctive business challenges that come with implementing digital assets in enterprises, including handling complex issues like impairment, token based liability tracking, and more.

For more information on Bitwave, please visit Bitwave.io.

About Bitwave

Bitwave is the first enterprise-focused digital asset finance platform designed to manage the intersection of tax, accounting, and compliance for cryptocurrency, DeFi, and NFTs. Bitwave is purpose-built to help finance and accounting professionals mitigate the challenges of operating with digital assets with robust functionality, including everything from bookkeeping to AR/AP, bill pay, treasury management, and more. The firm was founded in 2018 by technology entrepreneurs Pat White and Amy Kalnoki and is based in San Francisco, CA.
Not of Them That Draw Back: a potent reminder of the power of prayer. Not of Them That Draw Back is the creation of published author Blessing I. Ehiagwina, a loving wife and mother who studied law in the University of Benin, Nigeria, where she obtained her LLB. Ehiagwina also attended the Nigeria Law School Abuja and obtained BL. She is currently working toward being a licensed attorney in the United States.

Ehiagwina shares, Not of Them That Draw Back is a book that inspires you not just to acquire faith but motivates you to be persistent and endure through all circumstances that can hinder faith, inspiring you practically to keep believing until you receive what you want from God. It teaches you that God is willing to give what you ask of Him, and He is not partial. It also explains the difference between the things that God gives and the things that those who do not believe in God possess. You will learn the scope of faith, the hindrances to faith, what helps endures in faith, the right attitude with faith, how faith changes situations and some inspiring acts of faith from people of old who did not draw back from believing. Gods desires that we go through this life triumphantly. He does not want us to go through it defeated. No matter the challenges that come our way, He is willing and able to deliver us from them all. Dont draw back from your faithmove on! Learn how to be persistent and endure through all hindrances of faith.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Blessing I. Ehiagwinas new book encourages readers in their faith and offers a helpful message for pursuing a deeper connection with God.

Ehiagwina presents an articulate discussion of faith that examines the need for consistency in prayer, having patience for Gods timing, and trusting in His word.

Consumers can purchase Not of Them That Draw Back at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Not of Them That Draw Back, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.


"Our long-term vision has been to help close the gap between institutional healthcare and community-based behavioral healthcare services by linking, leveraging, and aligning our mutual efforts and collective resources on behalf of improving the lives of our common constituency."

A Safe Haven Foundation (ASHF) is proud to announce a $2 million federal grant secured by Congressman Danny Davis to open up an ASHF Behavioral Healthcare Center at Its corporate flagship location in Chicagos North Lawndale Community. The funds will be applied towards converting and staffing the now-closed Chicago Innovation Award-Winning Covid-19 Medical Respite into A Safe Havens Behavioral Healthcare Center (ASH BHC). It is scheduled to open in the fall/winter of 2022.

The ASH BHC will be the latest addition and component of A Safe Havens fully integrated delivery system. It currently includes services such as individualized case management, substance abuse drug treatment, nutrition, education, job training, employment, and transitional, supportive and permanent affordable housing.

The addition of the ASH BHC will close the gap for the growing pent-up demands for mental and behavioral healthcare services by people living in one of the most socially and economically distressed communities and populations hit hardest by the opioid epidemic and mental health and homeless-related issues now made worse by the pandemic.

The new ASH BHC will be strategically located on the premises of A Safe Havens 140,000 square foot four-acre facility located in Chicagos impoverished North Lawndale Community and near some of Chicagos top safety net hospitals, Cook County Jail, the medical district, and two veteran hospitals.

The funding will help cover the cost of professional and peer-to-peer behavioral healthcare staffing and services. ASH has been at the forefront of understanding the importance of providing individualized assessments and comprehensive and holistic data-driven services to help individuals in crisis. The nonprofit also gives them access to a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to assess all their social determinants of health and connect them to appropriate coordinated services. ASH is uniquely designed to address and heal the root causes of complex health, nutritional, social, academic, and economic challenges to foster long-term success.

Since 1994, A Safe Haven has been recognized by many as the pioneering architect of one of the most vertically integrated social, economic, and housing models in the country. Today ASH serves as a trusted anchor organization in Chicago serving and meeting the needs of over 5,000 Chicagolands most vulnerable and homeless populations annually.

The community project concept is very instrumental in promoting unification and connectivity, especially among human service entities who sometimes end up working together on problems and issues so that they are very productive. This type of funding enhances output and generates results that otherwise may not be realized. A Safe Haven has a long record and great history of providing meaningful services to their clients and the community as a whole, said Davis.

We cannot thank Congressman Danny Davis enough for this catalytic level of support, said A Safe Haven Foundations President and Co-Founder Neli Vazquez Rowland. Our commitment to him, the community, taxpayers, and those we serve, alike, is that ASH BHC will do everything it can as trusted stewards to amplify our efforts as a proven model committed to successfully transforming the lives of people in crisis by providing them the tools and services they need to be successful and independent in a sustainable manner. Our long-term vision has been to help close the gap between institutional healthcare and community-based behavioral healthcare services by linking, leveraging, and aligning our mutual efforts and collective resources on behalf of improving the lives of our common constituency. The pandemic exposed the gaps in the system and accelerated the already growing challenges with the opioid epidemic, mental health, and homelessness. It has made evident to most that community-based behavioral healthcare must be prioritized, and easier to access, especially within the communities where people live and need these services the most. We have lots of lessons learned. There is no doubt that our front-line efforts and the work of others proven to be doing good work in the community, must be considered part of the public healthcare infrastructure. As fiduciaries and stewards of this funding, we hope to prove that a more compassionate, accountable, and integrated healthcare and community-based behavioral healthcare delivery system and model is in all of our best interest as desired, doable and scalable.

The ASH BHC will address and improve overall results from community prevention, ongoing services for current residents of A Safe Haven, and an institutional healthcare aftercare perspective. The strategic outreach of the new ASH BHC to the community will focus on raising awareness and encouraging referrals as a step down from healthcare, community, and government agency partners. The ASH BHC is committed to meeting and serving the multi-faceted needs of anyone that requires access to ongoing prevention and aftercare services on many levels.

The program's goal is to help mitigate and prevent more catastrophic consequences of unaddressed mental healthcare issues, improve overall outcomes, and achieve long-term recovery by utilizing evidence-based practices in the field, including abstinence-based programming. The new Behavioral Health Center targets vulnerable and homeless adults and/or adults at risk of developing substance use disorders (SUD), residents of Metropolitan Chicago, veterans, those living in poverty, women with children, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Among our many community and healthcare partners, ASHF has strong linkages and partnerships with state, federal, county, and city agencies such as SUPR, US Department of Veterans Affairs, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, IL Department of Children and Family Services, Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois Department of Corrections, and Cook County Sheriffs Office. ASHF accepts referrals that reside in Chicago and the surrounding counties and communities.

About A Safe Haven

A Safe Haven is a local, national, and internationally recognized 501(c)3 not-for-profit, social enterprise innovative private/public model designed to help people aspire, transform, and sustain their lives as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency with pride and purpose. A Safe Haven provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic, scalable model. A Safe Havens visible social and economic impact unites families, stabilizes neighborhoods, and creates vibrant, viable communities. For more information, please visit http://www.ASafeHaven.org.
Brook Highlands desirable location and roster of best-in-class, essential tenants presented the ideal opportunity to enter the market and expand our footprint in Alabama.

Vertically integrated real estate investment firm First National Realty Partners, LLC (FNRP) today announced the addition of Brook Highland Plaza in Birmingham to its rapidly expanding portfolio. This 549,500-square-foot asset marks the Red Bank, N.J.-based firms second grocery-anchored shopping center acquisition in Alabama.

FNRP established a foothold in the state with the purchase of Tannehill Promenade in Bessemer in February of this year.

A dense, rapidly-growing market catering to a highly affluent demographic, Birmingham is a great match for FNRPs targeted national expansion into primary and key secondary markets, said Matt Annibale, senior director of acquisitions. Brook Highlands desirable location and roster of best-in-class, essential tenants presented the ideal opportunity to enter the market and expand our footprint in Alabama.

One of the most dominant retail centers in Birmingham, Brook Highland Plaza is co-anchored by a 127,000-square-foot Lowes Home Improvement, which has been a tenant since 2002; and a 23,400-square-foot Sprouts Farmers Market. A publicly traded supermarket chain with over 340 stores across 23 states, Sprouts generated more than six billion dollars in revenue in 2021. Brook Highland also features national brands Burlington, Best Buy, HomeGoods, Petco, Dollar Tree, Ulta, Five Below, and Ashley Furniture.

Annibale noted that the remaining 11,650 square feet of vacant space at the center provides FNRP with significant upside potential by way of increased occupancy and cash flow.

Brook Highland is located in a densely populated retail corridor with proximity to downtown Birmingham and several of its wealthy suburbs. The property is situated at a signalized intersection along Route 280, the regions dominant east-west thoroughfare, which sees daily traffic of over 82,000 vehicles. A population of more than 79,000 with an average household income of over $134,000 lives within a five-mile radius of the center.

Brad Buchanan and Jim Hamilton of JLL in Atlanta, GA represented the seller in the Brook Highland Plaza transaction.

First National Realty Partners is focused on acquiring institutional-quality commercial real estate throughout the United States. An active, opportunistic, and value-add investment firm, FNRP is equipped to operate in all facets of the real estate acquisition process as an investor, developer, and asset manager of commercial real estate. The firm enhances the value of properties through hands-on management and targeted investments that result in superior, risk-adjusted returns for its investors.

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About First National Realty Partners, LLC

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Access First National Realty Partners media assets here.

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When you have investment decisions motivated by a financial plan, you have an advisor that is largely insulated from conflicts with clients and compliance departments

Featured June 21st on ThinkAdvisor.com, independent broker dealer recruiter Jon Henschens article "Which Firms are Really Driven by Financial Planning" addresses that, while consultative selling and financial plan-driven investing have grown dramatically, they are not as widely practiced as you may think.

Henschen notes that as some insurance broker-dealers resist the conversion to being financial planning driven, independent broker-dealer management increasingly discerns advisors that dont do financial planning as problematic.

One advisor who shared with Henschen his experience of joining an independent broker-dealer about about joining an IDB firm and his conversation with the president of that IDB. "The advisor commented, Your broker-dealer has some of the best brokers in the industry! The president responded, Thats the problem, theyre brokers! He continues, "When you have investment decisions motivated by a financial plan, you have an advisor that is largely insulated from conflicts with clients and compliance departments, while product-driven sales can be fertile grounds for customer complaints, such as claims of inappropriate investments or a failure of fiduciary duty.

Henschen also had a recent conversation with an independent RIA, and was reminded how sales driven some wirehouse advisors continue to be. The RIA operated a model that supplied office space, technology and staff for advisors, paying a 65% payout. "When you have investment decisions motivated by a financial plan, you have an advisor that is largely insulated from conflicts with clients and compliance departments, while product-driven sales can be fertile grounds for customer complaints, such as claims of inappropriate investments or a failure of fiduciary duty."

Curious to know how much things have changed over the years, Henschen reached out to blogger Michael Kitces to share his thoughts on the matter. From a recent research paper, Michael highlighted the following regarding financial planning and the different channels:

1. Broker-dealers are most likely to treat their financial planning software like nothing more than a big calculator to estimate a need/gap to sell a product into, while both RIAs and insurance companies are the most likely to customize the financial plan

2. Insurance companies tend to have the broadest-reaching, most comprehensive financial plan  primarily because they tend to actually cover the full range of the financial plan, while RIAs are less likely to cover the insurance side and broker-dealers tend to be narrower all around.

3. Both RIAs and insurance companies tend to spend more time on financial plans, while broker-dealers average almost 25% less time invested into each plan

4. The business model has a big influence on how much time and effort advisors put into producing a quality financial plan.

Depending on your cynical perspective, this is either because hourly advisors run the clock due to the fact theyre paid by the hour, or that AUM and Commission advisors give plans short-shrift because in the end theyre paid for by products or portfolios and not advice, Kitches explained.

Product-driven investing is increasingly being forced out, largely by FINRA fines." It has been four years since our recruiting firm received a call from a transaction-focused representative explaining to us that they are active stock traders. Henschen closes with how the industry has improved greatly with the public the beneficiary, but there continues to be room for improvement.

Jon Henschen is founder of http://www.henschenassoc.com, an independent recruiting firm focused on independent broker dealers and RIAs based in Marine on St. Croix, MN. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Jon is a staunch advocate for independent financial advisors, and is widely sought after by both advisors, broker dealers and RIAs for his expertise and insight on industry topics. He is frequently published and quoted in a variety of industry sources, including Wealth Management, ThinkAdvisor, Investment Advisor Magazine, Wealth Management Magazine, Financial Advisor IQ, Financial Advisor Magazine, Investment News and others.
Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys hosts FREE Phoenix backpack giveaway Lerner and Rowe is really excited to once again have the opportunity to give away hundreds of backpacks stuffed with school supplies to local kids.

Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is pleased to announce that their law firm is once again hosting a FREE backpack giveaway to benefit disadvantaged school-aged children living in the Phoenix Valley. Local families are invited to drive through this contactless backpack giveaway on Saturday, July 23, 2022 located at the Metro Auto Auction parking lot (2475 S 59th Ave, Phoenix 85043) from 10:00 a.m. through 12:00 p.m. As quantities are limited to 1,000 total, backpacks will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. K-12 students must be present in vehicles to receive a backpack.

Families are also asked to be mindful of pedestrians and other vehicles when entering and exiting the parking lot.

Attorney Kevin Rowe shares more about the law firms annual backpack giveaway in Phoenix, As the cost of everyday essential items continues to increase, local underserved families may find it more difficult to cover typical costs associated with getting ready for a new school year. Thats why our team is really excited to once again have the opportunity to give away hundreds of backpacks with school supplies to local kids. Its our hope that by doing so it will make it easier for students to get the tools they need to succeed and look forward to their first day.

For more information about Lerner and Rowes FREE drive-thru Phoenix backpack giveaway, please contact Cindy Ernst or Christa Luirette at (602) 977-1900. Like and follow Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys on Facebook to learn more about this and future giveaways.

More About Lerner and Rowe

Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is a powerhouse law firm in representing personal injury clients. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown their law firm into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country, with over 50 attorneys and nearly 400 support employees located in Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Alabama, and Tennessee. The law firms reputation for excellence can be attributed to the high levels of respect, dignity, and customer service shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident.

For those injured outside one of the previously listed states, Lerner and Rowe has an established network of attorneys across the country, ready to help. The firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct.

For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys in Phoenix, please call 602-977-1900. To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or become a fan of its Facebook page. Also, visit lernerandrowegivesback.com to learn more about the many other community services that the lawyers and legal support team of Lerner and Rowe actively support.

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BLRs EHS Daily Advisor honored this years winners of the 2022 Safety Standout Awards for demonstrating unmatched dedication to safety and performance at its EHS Now virtual ceremony, held June 16, 2022. The awards are sponsored by SafeStart, a human factors management company. After the ceremony, Peter Batrowny, an industry-leading global environment, health, safety, and physical security executive, presented a keynote session titled Speeding Up Safety Success!

EHS Daily Advisor extends its congratulations to the following winners on showing commendable dedication to safety and compliance in the workplace:

Best Overall Safety Program and Culture: Verizon

In its award application, Verizon discusses its risk management standard. We score the hazards, taking into account the level of controls we have in place to eliminate or manage them, to determine which hazards have the highest residual risks. In addition, Verizon has developed Lifesaving Principles, stressing work standards like work-zone protection, safeguard against electricity, safe driving habits, and much more.

Innovations in Safety Training Award: Ally Safety

Ally Safety is a company known for its accessible and engaging safety training videos. The company posts the videos for free on YouTube so anyone interested, specifically struggling small businesses, can access high-quality training content. Ally Safety has embraced using QR codes to access this content and plans to create virtual reality videos later this year.

Best Safety Committee: Phillips 66

Phillips 66 is an energy manufacturing and logistics company that transports, stores, and markets fuels and products internationally. The companys Energy Safety Improvement Teams (ESITs) mainly consist of volunteers, with high employee encouragement to join, as well. Its wide variety of experienced members ensures that all aspects of company safety are addressed and covered.

Moving Beyond Compliance Award: EV Construction

EV Construction is unique in its focus on growth of behavioral safety and company culture. This includes hiring for character, managements open recognition of safe behavior, and on-site project specific to safety committees to empower site staff to take safety seriously, among other distinctions. EV has a variety of programs and procedures in place that exceed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance, as well.

Young Safety Professional Excellence Award: Rocco Martini

Rocco Martini, safety specialist at Shell Polymers in Monaca, Pennsylvania, developed and led a series of EHS training for Shell employees, which would later become required. It is now considered the best practice for Shell employees for a safe mobilization to site. He is also the leader of Shells behavioral safety program, training its employees in performance, peer observation, and safety.

Read more details about the winners, and view the runners-up: https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2022/05/safety-standout-awards-2022-meet-our-latest-honorees/.

Receive on-demand access to the virtual ceremony by registering: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3740484/D91F6D691FF04CB360CABBAAEF642B0E?partnerref=ION.

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About BLR

Business and Learning Resources (BLR) is an industry-leading knowledge provider in the human capital management, EHS, learning and development (L&D), and legal markets. With over 43 years of experience, BLR provides publications, workflow platforms and tools, over 600 eLearning courses, instructor-led training, and additional solutions to deliver consistent training, achieve compliance, and maximize efficiencies for business workflows, resulting in measurable performance and financial improvements. Thats why the nations top companies and over 30,000 businesses rely on BLR for the most comprehensive and reliable state-specific and federal legal guidance, education, and learning opportunities to respond quickly in todays continuously evolving business environment. Visit https://www.blr.com/.

About the EHS Daily Advisor

The EHS Daily Advisor proudly serves more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies and has over 400,000 subscribers, including EHS professionals. The EHS Daily Advisor offers free webcasts, articles, and reports on key environment and safety topics and issues like chemicals, electrical safety, emergency preparedness and response, enforcement and inspection, safety culture and behavioral safety, training, EHS career trends/certification, and more. Subscribers are delivered a free new issue every business day right in their e-mail inbox, with 24/7 access to all content in an online archive at https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/.
We are so proud of Jamies contributions as a thought leader and Changemaker in our company and the industry. She has been a critical product champion helping us to redesign, position and launch our new motivational performance solution, AMPWorks, said Creative Group President, Janet Traphagen.

Creative Group, Inc., a full-service meeting, incentive and recognition company, announced that Jamie Schwartz, Senior Director, Individual Performance Strategy, was named to MeetingsNets 2022 Changemakers List.

Those selected are people that left a mark on the incentive industry with their innovation, resourcefulness, and results. Im so thrilled to be recognized among such a diverse and esteemed group of industry colleagues who are rising to the challenges that our industry faces, said Schwartz.

About Creative Group

Creative Group is a full-service meeting, incentive and recognition company that delivers business results by inspiring people to thrive. An industry leader, Creative Group has previously been honored with Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) awards and the CMI 25 Award, which recognizes the top 25 most influential meeting and incentive management companies in the U.S.

Creative Group was founded in 1970, and has served clients in financial services, life sciences, insurance, manufacturing, retail, technology, automotive and hospitality. Employing over 175 people, the company is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, and maintains offices in Detroit, San Francisco, Appleton, Wisconsin and Toronto, Canada. Creative Group was acquired by Direct Travel in 2015. For more information about Creative Group, visit - http://www.creativegroupinc.com
The Master of Science in Data Science enables our students to apply statistical methods to solve real-world business problems and prepare for careers in industry. - Dr. Jodi Reeves, National University

National University, as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored initiative, launches a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialization for advances in Optimization in the MS Data Science program. This new specialization will educate a diverse workforce to accelerate fundamental AI capabilities and pursue research and practical application of AI and machine learning across a wide plethora of industries, including engineering, healthcare, computer science, business, and cybersecurity.

In July 2021, to advance and achieve groundbreaking heights in AI nationwide, NSF awarded a $20 million grant to form an AI Institute from a partnership of prestigious universities led by the University of California, San Diego, and including National University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Texas at Austin. Together, these universities form The Institute for Learning-enabled Optimization at Scale (TILOS).

"This is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with some of the most prestigious universities in the world to create a state-of-the-art curriculum and bring AI and Optimization education to National University's students," said NU Associate Dean for the College of Professional Studies, Dr. Jodi Reeves, who is the Associate Director for Education and Workforce Development for TILOS.

National University has designed an MS Data Science curriculum that meets the current needs of the industry and now includes four specializations: Artificial Intelligence and Optimization, Business Analytics, Database Analytics, and Health Analytics. These specializations equip students with industry-current and cutting-edge credentials needed to succeed in the field as data scientists, data analysts, data engineers, and business intelligence analysts in a variety of industries.

"The design of the curriculum matches what industry is looking for: a blend of business, computer science, and statistical analysis skills," said Dr. Reeves. "The Master of Science in Data Science enables our students to apply statistical methods to solve real-world business problems and prepare for careers in industry."

Topics of study in the future-focused AI specialization include python programming for data science applications, optimization methods, neural networks, deep learning, model deployment in the cloud, and special topics in AI/Optimization based on TILOS foundational and applied research in computer chip design, robotics, and communication networks.

With the rapid advance in technology, the existing workforce must update their skills more frequently. We have worked closely with industry leaders to build an openly accessible program with continuous, long-term learning and skills renewal as its key tenet.

The MS Data Science program starts July 2022 with new student starts quarterly, in July and October 2022 as well as January and April 2023. The first AI specialization class starts August 2022.

The NSF requested a total of $868 million in AI initiatives, which Congress has approved. The NSF awarded a total of $220 million to 11 different partnerships as part of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes Program with each institute receiving approximately $20 million.

For more information about the MS Data Science program visit Master of Science in Data Science - National University (nu.edu)

About National University: National University, a veteran-founded nonprofit, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of hard-working adults by providing accessible, affordable, achievable higher education opportunities since 1971. As San Diegos largest private nonprofit university, NU offers over 75 online and on-campus programs and flexible four-week classes designed to help students reach their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its founding, the NU community has grown to over 25,000 students and 180,000 alumni around the globe, many of whom serve in helping industries such as business, education, health care, cybersecurity, and law and criminal justice. Learn more at NU.edu.


Our PRMI culture is incredibly important to us, and we go to great lengths to make our organization a welcoming and fulfilling work environment for our employees, said PRMI President of Retail, Chris Jones.

Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc. (PRMI) has been awarded multiple Cultural Excellence awards for 2022 by Top Workplaces. The list of honors awarded for 2022 include Leadership, Innovation, Compensation & Benefits, Work-Life Flexibility, Purpose and Values and Financial Services.

The Top Workplaces program surveyed PRMI employees to gauge their satisfaction. Through positive feedback regarding organizational health and workplace engagement, PRMI has received the reputable designation as a Top Workplace.

Our PRMI culture is incredibly important to us, and we go to great lengths to make our organization a welcoming and fulfilling work environment for our employees, said PRMI President of Retail, Chris Jones. I truly believe the important work we do of serving the homeownership needs of our communities and collaborating on community service missions are at the root of what makes PRMI a Top Workplace.

PRMI is always looking to hire talented professionals who share in its values of transparency, advocacy and empowerment. Individuals interested in building a career with PRMI are invited to visit the companys website at primeres.com/careers to learn more.
I would like to help further this effort by strengthening our investment in flood infrastructure and implementing a system that will protect our increasingly vulnerable coastal communities.

Woolpert Senior Vice President Melvin Spinks has been elected to a two-year term on the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas Board of Directors. Spinks, who serves as the president of CivilTech, a Woolpert Company, has participated in ACEC Texas at the local, state and national levels for the last 25 years. For the last six years he has been an active member of the ACEC Texas Public Policy Council, which is recognized as the official voice for engineering firms in Texas.

ACEC represents thousands of engineering companies across the country and advocates for the engineering industry in Washington, D.C. ACECs national, state and local chapters provide connections, education and resources to help engineering firms thrive, advancing business and economic growth. Spinks, who is a past president of the ACEC Houston chapter, said ACEC Texas works with legislators to ensure engineering contracts are professional and sound, provide a balanced approach to producing high-quality work, and successfully lobby for infrastructure funding for critical projects and initiatives across the state.

Thanks to the efforts of ACEC Texas and others throughout the state, Texas has passed huge transportation bills to support the state highway fund and increase mobility, and it has passed two propositions creating $2 billion in rainy day funds, Spinks said. Currently, ACEC Texas is heavily engaged in flooding and coastal resilience and is creating the first state infrastructure fund dedicated to flood-related issues. I would like to help further this effort by strengthening our investment in flood infrastructure and implementing a system that will protect our increasingly vulnerable coastal communities.

Spinks said flooding mitigation and coastal protection will require dedicated, long-term funding from the state.

Our legislators have to approach Texas flooding issues like we approached clean water initiatives, prioritizing funding and developing statewide campaigns, Spinks said. Texas is experiencing tremendous growth right now, and its coast is home to vital social, economic and environmental resources. Federal and state infrastructure funding is available and must be used to protect these communities now and into the future.

Spinks said he is honored to be a member of the ACEC Texas Board and to contribute to its great work.

ACEC Texas provides opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and partners and to identify synergies for innovative research and development, Spinks said. By promoting investments in transportation and water resources, we increase resilience and equity across the state. I am excited to start this new chapter with this outstanding group.

About Woolpert

Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, has earned six straight Great Place to Work certifications and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been Americas fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has 1,900 employees and more than 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.
Published on:

7 July 2022



Professor Colin Bailey greeting students at the Queen Mary, Malta Graduation Professor Colin Bailey greeting students at the Queen Mary, Malta Graduation

The ceremony was a success, opening with a procession and followed by addresses from His Excellency George Vella, President of Malta, the Honourable Prime Minster, Robert Abela, as well as the President and Principal of Queen Mary, Professor Colin Bailey and the Dean for Education, Professor Anthony Warrens. 19 students graduated with MBBS degrees, taught by Queen Mary's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, with the graduands representing 12 countries including UK, Belgium, Caymen Islands, Uganda, Philippines, Austria, Malta, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ireland and Canada.

Today is a celebration of all the hard work our graduands have put in over the last few years. said Professor Colin Bailey, President and Principal of Queen Mary.

The Queen Mary, Malta Campus is the first medical school located on Gozo. It supports the Government of Maltas activities in upgrading healthcare across Malta, and is a fundamental part of Queen Marys plans to develop a university-level education hub on the island. The state-of-the-art Campus is situated on the grounds of Gozo General Hospital and features access to a 21st century Anatomy Centre. The construction of the Medicine School was managed by Steward Healthcare and the project was completed in October 2019.

Now in its fifth year in operation on the Islands, the University offers its internationally renowned five-year MBBS programme which attracts students from around the world. Queen Mary, Malta Campus combines a London curriculum with a Mediterranean lifestyle, with students representing 51 different countries among the 237 strong student body.

The Malta Campus has permitted me to enjoy my studies, culture, weather and many other things Malta has to offer. The staff, curriculum and proximity to the hospital have allowed me to appreciate the medical education delivered. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and highly recommend it. Ali Sohail, Queen Mary Malta student.

As part of the student and staff commitment to the Gozo community, the Malta Campus hosts a broad programme of community initiatives and outreach events. In 2021, students and staff supported the Department of Health to provide vaccinations from the Covid-19 vaccine centre in Victoria, Gozo. The Medical School also hosted a Mental Wellbeing in Covid Times conference, in partnership with the Mental Health Association Gozo (MHAG). The online event delved deeply into Covid-19 related issues affecting Maltese and Gozitan people. The Medical School also provided additional space to Gozo General Hospital to enable the hospital to provide safer care while catering for Covid-19 patients.

The Campus has hosted organisations as diverse as the British High Commission Malta, the Gozo Chamber of Commerce and several community groups. Queen Mary will be expanding its business development activities with the aim of positioning the Campus as a hub for conferences, events, educational summer schools, and additional programmes over the coming months. Queen Mary, Malta Campus is a proud part of the local community, with a commitment to the area around it being in the roots of its institution, and maintains a proud culture of contributing to the local community through research, volunteering and partnerships.

The first graduation ceremony being held by Queen Mary, Malta Campus is an important milestone in Queen Marys determination to be at the forefront of medical education. We are delighted to be able to congratulate the first class of MBBS graduates from Queen Mary in Malta, and the Campus will continue striving to improve lives locally, nationally and internationally into the future.
Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio, who starred in the Netflix series Daredevil, are set to reprise their roles in a new Disney+ show called Echo.

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They will once again portray blind lawyer and superhero Matt Murdock/Daredevil and villain Wilson Fisk/Kingpin.

The Hawkeye spinoff is now shooting in Atlanta with Alaqua Cox as the lead Maya Lopez, Kingpin's deaf adoptive daughter who becomes the heroine Echo.

The show is expected to premiere on the streaming service in 2023.

It will follow Maya as she leaves New York City to reconnect with her Native American heritage after a fight with Kingpin who she learns was responsible for the death of her father, William Lopez (Zahn McClarnon).

Daredevil ran three seasons, ending in 2018.

Charlie Cox last played the superhero in the 2021 blockbuster, Spider-Man: No Way Home.
At 6 p.m. on Monday evening, many Athenians were celebrating the birth of American independence in 1776. Others were on the steps of the Athens-Clarke County courthouse calling attention to a government structure that they believe is actively paring away that independence.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, mainly cloudy late with a few showers. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, mainly cloudy late with a few showers. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
BRATTLEBORO  Trying to find solutions to stop crime and make people feel safer, town officials are listening to public feedback as they consider next steps.

Were feeling a lot of residual effects from the pandemic on a lot of different levels, Select Board member Tim Wessel said. Theres an uptick in issues with drugs in our community like every community in the United States.

Wessel requested an agenda item at Tuesdays board meeting to discuss downtown safety following the last two meetings, where community members expressed a desire for policing downtown then Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland announced the exploration of putting a police substation in the Transportation Center and updating cameras in the parking garage. Two retail units in the parking facility are currently vacant.

Brattleboro explores downtown satellite police station BRATTLEBORO  Responding to concerns about criminal activity in the downtown area, local off

For solutions to concerns on crime and making residents or visitors feel safer, Wessel suggested comments from the public can start to shape the direction the town takes. He recounted how community members believe theres an uptick in petty crime and vandalism.

Wessel said individuals must take responsibility for their actions but the town also needs to look at whats happening.

With a shortage of staff, Police Chief Norma Hardy said it would be difficult to have an officer dedicated to patrolling downtown. Officers have been able to move quickly to a call when needed, she added.

Board member Jessica Gelter commended Hardys prioritization on physical safety over property. Many calls involve someone hurting others or themselves, Hardy said.

I think a lot of it goes back to people just coming back into society so to speak after being sequestered, after being alone, people who lost family members, people who are just generally depressed, Hardy said.

Brattleboro is fortunate, she said, because its officers are part of the community. She spoke of how people ask for a specific officer to come and speak with them when theyre having difficulties.

On a recent ride along with police, board member Elizabeth McLoughlin noticed how the department needs to focus its attention on the more serious crimes with its reduced staff. She said she found that officers are really committed to the community and know all of the characters.

God bless them because they do know them and they do take the time to treat the residents of Brattleboro as individuals, she said. I was really impressed by the dedication of the officers but at the same time, I understood their scheduling and their lack of vacations and what that all means to the psychology of policing. I would just encourage us to all understand our issues of crime in town are being addressed as best they can right now.

Police staffing shortage prompts scheduling change BRATTLEBORO  After experiencing a prolonged shortage in staff, the police department has re

Regarding burglary data, Hardy said she sees no set patterns. Reported to the police were burglaries at 14 businesses and 48 residences in 2016; 34 businesses and 49 residences in 2017; 21 businesses and 26 residences in 2019, and 26 businesses and 37 businesses in 2020.

To date this year, police received reports of burglaries at 22 businesses and eight residences.

As you can see the numbers are kind of staying close to each other through those years, Hardy said. But what I find interesting is in 2021, we only have eight business burglaries. But also in 2021, we only have five residential burglaries reported.

Hardy said she thinks burglary reports dropped for some time when people were working from home during the earlier parts of the pandemic.

Downtown 'lawlessness' sparks calls for action BRATTLEBORO  Burglaries at Evan James Ltd. Diamond Jewelers & Goldsmiths are among some

Currently, Hardy is meeting with five community groups who want to have their own neighborhood watches. She encourages videos of crimes or suspicious activity be sent to the police department.

Her hope is to see the number of troubling incidents start to diminish.

I believe we should have cameras, she said of the request for them downtown. I could never venture to guess how many cameras we should have.

Cameras wont save downtown and the businesses, Hardy said. Theyre good but you have to have them with other acts and other thought processes and other deterrents because theyre not always deterrents.

Dick DeGray, former board member, requested cameras be installed in areas downtown about a month ago.

When you talk about 22 businesses being broken into, thats a huge concern, he said, wanting to see some concrete ideas come forward by August.

Greg Worden, owner of Vermont Artisan Designs and member of the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance board, also is a proponent of cameras. He said he knows it wont end crime but at least it will help provide clues to those who might be held responsible.

Michelle Simpson, executive director at the Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro and member of the DBA board, called for social service organization data to be presented. She wants to see the number of people rehabilitated, rehoused and detoxed from drugs.

Those systems need to be held accountable while we look at data, she said. Its not up to the community members to come up with solutions for these issues. I really need to put it on law enforcement and our social service organizations in town.
RCEP delivers tangible benefits to signatory countries in first half-year after implementation

People's Daily Online) 14:22, July 08, 2022

Customs officers in Taicang city, east Chinas Jiangsu Province, help a local refrigeration company to acquire authorized economic operator (AEO) status for customs simplification purposes. The adoption of the streamlined customs system will help the company to open up the refrigeration equipment market abroad. (Photo/Yang Zehao)

It has been half a year since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement took effect. Over the past half a year, the agreement has demonstrated strong vitality against a backdrop of increasingly aggravated geopolitical conflicts, emerging challenges to the international orders economic and trade rules, and sporadic waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agreement has promoted economic interconnectivity throughout the Asia-Pacific region and has already delivered tangible benefits to foreign trade companies and consumers.

According to statistics compiled by the Beijing Customs District, in the first half of the year, 770 million yuan ($114.88 million) worth of imports and exports that it handled have directly benefited from the RCEP agreement, and exports worth 687 million yuan have enjoyed about 6.87 million yuan in tariff exemptions and related reductions in destination countries.

Wang Wei, deputy head of the duty collection department with the Beijing Customs District, said that Japan has become Beijings top export destination for the issuance of RCEP certificates of origin by value. So far, 1,602 RCEP certificates of origin have been issued to Japan for over $103.5 million worth of goods.

Chinatex International Apparel Co., Ltd., affiliated to Chinatex Corporation Limited, mainly exports business suits and shirts to Japan.

The RCEP agreement has delivered huge benefits to our company. With the certificate of origin issued to our company, the tariff rate on our exports to Japan has been lowered from 10 percent to 8.2 percent. This has helped enhance the competitiveness of our products in the Japanese market, said Duan Tao, general manager of the company.

The RCEP covers over 30 percent of the worlds population, economic output, and trade volume. The agreement has taken aim at eliminating tariffs on as much as 90 percent of goods traded between participating countries.

The Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, south Chinas Guangdong Province, operates 23 international air routes between Guangzhou and other RCEP signatories. In the first half of the year, the airport handled over 100,000 tonnes of goods imported from other RCEP participating countries, a year-on-year increase of 49.8 percent.

According to statistics published by the Guangzhou Customs District, in the first half of the year, it received customs declarations for 2.91 billion yuan worth of imports, and granted 58.98 million yuan in tariff reductions on goods imported from foreign countries.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
WEST HARTFORD  A worker was injured Friday in an industrial accident in the Elmwood section of town, police and fire officials said.

The incident might have been a small chemical explosion or flash fire. The workers injury is not life-threatening, Fire Chief Greg Priest said.

It sounds worse than it actually was, Priest said Friday morning.

At 9:45 a.m., firefighters received a report of an explosion in a commercial building aty 19 Railroad Place, Abbott Ball Co., he said. A chemical was involved, and a worker was injured, they were told.

When firefighters arrived four minutes later, they learned that the employee had been working on a piece of equipment where a chemical was present, he said. The incident was limited to the employees work station, and no other workers were affected. The building remains occupied.

There was no active fire, no other workers were involved, there was no apparent release of a chemical not traditionally present in the area, and there was no danger to the public, Priest said. He said the incident might have been more of a flash fire than an explosion  which is one of the things being investigated by the fire marshals office.

In addition to fire investigators, representatives of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were called to the scene.
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MIDDLETOWN  Lifelong resident and 25-year district educator Jennifer Cannata  one who is unafraid to do difficult work in the trenches  was promoted to assistant superintendent of schools at this weeks Board of Education meeting.

Prior to her selection, Cannata was head of Performance Management and Strategic Processes for Middletown Public Schools.

Cannata said being selected is enormously honoring and humbling.

Above all else, its our communitys remarkable generosity that renews my commitment to the district time and time again, she said Wednesday.

Newly named Superintendent of Schools Alberto Vazquez Matos touted Cannatas capabilities at the board meeting earlier this week.

Anyone who has worked with Ms. Cannata knows well that she has an exceptional ability to navigate challenging situations with remarkable grace, humor and humility, all the while holding firm to what is right and what needs to be done, he said.

We, as a district, have accomplished a lot in the past year, and we have much to still do, Cannata said, echoing sentiments expressed by Vazquez Matos. To accomplish that, she added, we must begin to build trust, which requires us all to be reflective in our practices and be accountable for our actions.

Cannata is the districts first assistant superintendent, according to public schools Communications Director Jessie Lavorgna. Enza Macri, now superintendent in Cromwell, was the last administrator to serve as associate schools chief, she added.

Cannatas former district-level position was eliminated as Vazquez Matos reorganizes his superintendents cabinet, which, he said, is intended to realign the work with people.

He said the public schools are extraordinarily lucky to have Cannata.

She will oversee the human resources and technology departments; and, in the temporary absence of Chief of Operations Marco Gaylord, who has been out on administrative leave since January, will supervise those responsibilities.

What a great woman  not just in the community. Theres just something about Mrs. Cannata, BOE member Anita Dempsey-White said, commending Cannata for her ability to build strong relationships.

Shes not afraid to go into the trenches, and thats what I love about her, Dempsey-White added. She gets down and dirty; she communicates very well with all folks. She will do wonderful, and I know the best is yet to come.

Cannata told the board she has a great passion for the district and community. She pledged to work tirelessly to uplift the districts progress.

Shes also passionate about education. An assistant superintendent should be just as teachers, staff, students and families are  team players, said Cannata, who added that cooperation is essential to student success.

We are here for the primary purpose of educating our young people. That is work that is done in collaboration with others. No one person has the ability to do it all on their own, explained Cannata, who considers herself a servant leader.

My philosophy and daily objective centers upon being involved in doing whatever it takes to help staff, students and families, she said. I know that we have an incredible network of stakeholders across this district and community, all who are willing to work together and do what it takes to guarantee the success of our district.

Cannata has spent all but one year of her career with Middletown Public Schools. Starting as a teacher at Farm Hill Elementary, Cannata has held numerous positions in the citys elementary schools, as a reading recovery teacher at Spencer, elementary technology specialist at Moody, elementary instructional support teacher at both Moody and Macdonough, as well as principal at Snow and Moody.

Cannata has a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, a Master of Science degree in elementary education, Master of Arts in learning and thinking, and two administrative endorsements from the Connecticut State Department of Education.

Ms. Cannata is a well-respected person in the community, and certainly someone who teachers and administrators hold in high regard, said board Chairwoman Deborah Cain, who first met Cannata when she was principal at Snow Elementary School.

Cannata is someone whom other teachers and principals can look up to for movement in the district, Cain added.

Im looking forward to working collaboratively with others to ensure that were utilizing best practices for supervision, staff development, and performance management, with the overarching goal of positively influencing the climate and culture of our school district, Cannata said.
NEW MILFORD  Police are seeking the publics help in identifying a person of interest in a burglary investigation.

Authorities say the man was observed in two locations on Danbury Road on July 3, and was able to make entry and commit a larceny.
Jose Luis Magana/AP

WASHINGTON (AP)  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this month will visit the Indo-Pacific for the first time since taking over the department and will use the trip to make the U.S. case for a price cap on Russian oil aimed at reducing revenue to the Kremlin as it presses ahead with its attack on Ukraine.

Yellen will address the economic and humanitarian challenges wrought by Russia's war in Ukraine as she represents the U.S. at Group of 20 finance minister meetings on Indonesias resort island of Bali and makes additional stops in Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea. During the July 12-19 trip, Yellen will notably avoid visiting China, although she did hold a call with Chinas vice premier on Monday.
Shinzo Abe is mourned by Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, and was close to its first democratic leader Lee Teng-hui.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (L) and former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) in an undated photo.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on Friday, once remarked: "If Taiwan has a problem, then so do Japan and the United States."

On a democratic island facing the threat of invasion by neighboring China, that warning is quite a legacy.

In a post to her Facebook page on Friday, President Tsai Ing-wen eulogized Abe as "Taiwan's most steadfast friend," as well as a friend she had known for more than 10 years.

"Taiwan and Japan have worked together to overcome many challenges and build deep friendships, and I am grateful for Abe's support," Tsai wrote.

When Taiwan was still reeling from the 2019 Hualien earthquake, Abe had sent a personal message saying "Go Taiwan!", Tsai said.

He had also played a part in promoting the island's pineapple exports in the face of an import ban from China, she revealed.

The Japanese government had also made a point of shipping COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan in 2021, at a time when supplies were tight.

She said Abe had once more repeated his warning about the interconnectedness of Taiwan's national interests with those of Japan and the U.S. when they spoke via video call in March 2022.

"Taiwan and Japan will continue to support each other and prove to the international community that the axis of good will continue to stand in the face of violence," Tsai wrote.

Tenure as PM

Abe was born into a political family in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1954, becoming prime minister for the first time in 2006, one of the youngest to hold the office, and the first prime minister born after World War II.

In 2012, he served again as prime minister again for eight years, resigning due to illness. By then, he was the longest-serving prime minister in Japan and had been in Japanese politics for nearly 30 years.

One grandfather was Hiro Abe, a former member of the House of Representatives, while another was prime minister Nobusuke Kishi. His great-uncle was also a prime minister -- Eisaku Sato.

Japan is no stranger to the assassination of former prime ministers: Inuyo Hamaguchi, Ito Hirobumi, Takahashi Nissin, and others have met with the same fate as Abe.

Three days after Abe stepped down as prime minister, he visited the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where the Class-A war criminals of World War II are enshrined, triggering a backlash from China and South Korea.

Abe also urged the revision of the constitution, hoping to revise constitutional limits on Japan's military.

Both Abe and his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, successfully bid for the Olympics during their tenure, but neither of them actually presided over the opening of the Olympics their country hosted.

After taking office in 2006, Abe chose China instead of the United States for his first foreign trip, which was seen as an "ice-breaker."

Both sides were looking to end the diplomatic deadlock caused by former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine.

But Abe stepped down for health reasons after only one year in office.

Elected to the House of Representatives in 2009, he led a number of congressmen to visit Taiwan the following year and met with former President Lee Teng-hui, then-President Ma Ying-jeou and then-DPP Chairman Tsai Ing-wen.

In 2012, Abe led the Liberal Democratic Party to victory again, but Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands and over Abe's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine.

When he eventually visited China in 2018, it was the first time in eight years that a Japanese leader had met with a Chinese leader -- in this case, Xi Jinping.

Abe invited Xi Jinping to Japan in return, but the pandemic and further deterioration in Sino-Japanese ties meant that trip never happened. Abe also presided over the end of 40 years of Japanese economic aid to China.

Pro-Taiwanese leader

In Taiwan, Abe is seen as the most pro-Taiwanese prime minister Japan has ever had.

Five hours after he was fatally shot, many politicians and members of the public were offering prayers for him via social media.

When the news of Abe's death came, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, the Kuomintang, the Times Power Party, the People's Party, and the Fundamental Progress Party all issued statements of condolence.

When Abe was at a low ebb, politically, he was encouraged by former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui, who gave him some tips to aid his comeback.

Lee told Abe that nobody else could be trusted to do the job, and suggested Abe try to revise Japan's constitution.

The two former leaders were like father and son, according to some account.

Abe once said: "There is no politician in the world who thinks about Japan like Lee Teng-hui."

Chen Tang-shan, chairman of Taiwan's Friends of Abe Association, said there had been plans for Abe to visit Taiwan on the second anniversary of Lee's death at the end of July, but the schedule had yet to be finalized at the time of Abe's death.

"At a time when the international situation is at its most dangerous for Taiwan, we had a good friend who supported Taiwan very strongly," Chen said. "He sadly lost his life in the shooting. As a political figure in Taiwan, I am very grateful for his support."

"He saw Japan and Taiwan as bound together in the same community," he said. "We are very sad that someone who saw politics so clearly, and who had the courage to speak out publicly is no longer with us."

Chen Yongfeng, director of the Center for Japanese Regional Studies at Tokai University, said Abe's stance on Taiwan had become hugely influential in Japanese political circles.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Fears are growing over the health of Chinese dissident and former legal advocate Guo Feixiong, also known as Yang Maodong, who has been on hunger strike for several months while in detention.



Guo has been detained and held incommunicado since writing an open letter to Chinese premier Li Keqiang, asking him to lift a travel ban and allow him to visit his critically ill wife Zhang Qing in the United States.



His sister Yang Maoping told RFA that Guo now weighs less than 50 kilograms (110 pounds), citing a July 6 video call between Guo, who is being held in the police-run Guangzhou No. 1 Detention Center, and his defense attorney.



Yang said her brother began refusing food shortly after being detained, and is only still alive due to force-feeding by the prison guards.



"The lawyer told me that Yang Maodong has been on hunger strike since Dec. 5, 2021, and that they have been tube-feeding him, although his weight has dropped rapidly to around 100 pounds," she said.



"If he continues to lose weight, his life will be in danger," she said. "He has two children, and one of them is still a minor."



"I am very sad and don't know what to do ... I don't want his kids to be orphans," Yang said.



She said the state security police had tricked Guo into making a "confession" by promising he would be allowed to go to the U.S. to visit his then terminally-ill wife Zhang Qing, who died in January.



'Ridiculous accusation'

Instead, when he confessed, they charged him with "incitement to subvert state power," Yang said.



"It's a ridiculous accusation," she said. "Who is he supposed to be subverting? Can he do it all alone?"



"I kept writing letters to everyone in our country who could help him go abroad and see his dying wife," Yang said. "I even told them I was willing to be a hostage, but Zhang Qing died without seeing him."



An employee who answered the phone at the Guangzhou No. 1 Detention Center appeared to confirm the news of Guo's hunger strike.



"His going on hunger strike was his personal choice, but we are also carrying out ideological work with him," the employee said. "As for the next step, his lawyer should also [try to influence him], right?"



Zhang Lun, a professor at the University of Sergi-Pondoise in France who has been a vocal advocate for Guo internationally said he is very worried about Guo's health, given that his health was already poor after serving so many years in jail already.



Zhang said activists had appealed to U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to visit Guo Feixiong during her visit to Guangzhou in May, but to no avail.



"Naturally, I am very worried," Zhang said. "Mr. Guo Feixiong has been in prison several times before, to the great detriment of his health."



"I think the Commissioner has the responsibility to express her concern to the Chinese authorities," he said. "The United Nations High Commissioner must make a statement on this matter."



'The inhumanity of this tyranny'

U.K.-based scholar Wang Jianhong said the treatment of Guo and his family was tyrannical.



"Even when Guo Feixiong's wife Zhang Qing fell ill, the authorities still refused to allow him to leave the country and arrested him, instead," Wang said. "The tragic experience of this family shows us the inhumanity of this tyranny [regime]."



Wang said an international campaign over jailed Shanghai citizen journalist Zhang Zhan's hunger strike had led to a partial improvement in her health following her hunger strike.



"We have not achieved our goal of medical parole, but we learned in mid-February that Zhang Zhan's situation in prison had improved, so we should speak out for Guo Feixiong today," he said.



The U.S. State Department said in a statement on Zhang Qing's death on Jan. 10, 2022 that the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had subjected Guo to "years of mistreatment, imprisonment, routine harassment and surveillance."



"We call on [China] to immediately grant Guo humanitarian relief and allow his travel to the United States to be reunited with his children and grieve the passing of his wife," the statement said.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
UPDATED at 12:40 a.m. EDT on 2022-07-08

The shooting death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe Friday prompted grief across Asia, but mixed reactions on China's tightly controlled internet, with nationalistic Little Pinks openly celebrating Abe's death and government censors blocking a cryptic hashtag that could be a reference to public anger at the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s own leaders.

The news of Abe's death following a shooting by a gunman in Nara during an election campaign made it to the front page of the CCP's official People's Daily newspaper online edition, but as a fairly small headline below a plethora of stories about CCP leader Xi Jinping.

The paper carried a factual news report from state news agency Xinhua in full. However, its Japan channel also carried a Xinhua article about relations with South Korea dated July 6 and titled "From forced labor to 'comfort women,' Japan's human rights misdeeds cannot be denied."

This image taken from video provided by witness Toshiharu Otani and released via Jiji Press shows former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe (C) attending an election campaign before giving a speech at Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji station square in Nara, while a man (2nd R-behind) suspected of shooting Abe shortly after stands in the background. Photo: Jiji via AFP

China's nationalistic Global Times newspaper quoted Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida's reaction, condemning the "barbaric" attack, and Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian as saying that China was "shocked" by the incident.

"After Japan's announcement of Abe's death, Chinese Embassy in Japan also mourned Abe's passing and extended condolences to his family," the paper said.

It quoted "analysts" as saying that "Japanese right-wing forces may use this incident to push forward the trend of conservative transformation in Japanese politics ... bringing more security risks to the geopolitics of Northeast Asia."

It quoted Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, as saying that Abe's death could boost nationalistic sentiment in Japan.

"Japanese nationalism is also likely to be further strengthened by the incident," Da said. "People may have concerns about whether the volume of calls in Japan to return to the path of war will increase further."

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lies on the ground after being shot while campaigning in Nara, Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo via Reuters)

Hateful comments

Some online comments reacting to Abe's death on Chinese social media platforms were nakedly hateful, according to The Great Translation Project Twitter account, which translates and curates social media commentary in China.

"The people of Shaanxi extend our warm congratulations to this," the account translated one comment as saying. Several other comments followed with the exact same wording, but referring to different parts of China.

Meanwhile a hashtag #kexibushini, which translates as "a pity it wasn't you," but could also be read as hinting at the wording "but Xi it wasn't you" in a possible reference to CCP leader Xi Jinping, was blocked on social media platforms.

One comment read: "These censors seem to know [what we mean] better than we do!" while another replied: "It's so funny. Everyone knows."

"Someone is likely getting scared in Zhongnanhai," another comment read, referring to the headquarters of the CCP leadership in Beijing.

A man who is believed to have shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is tackled by police in Nara, Japan, on July 8, 2022. (The Asahi Shimbun via Reuters)

Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara, the Associated Press reported.

He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, the agency quoted hospital officials as saying.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, while prime minister Fumio Kishida and his cabinet ministers rushed back to Tokyo to respond to what Kishida called a "dastardly and barbaric" attack.

Sunday's parliamentary elections will go ahead as planned, he said.

Territorial, historical grievances

China and Japan have been at loggerheads over a disputed island chain, visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni shrine, where some Japanese war criminals are interred, and an ongoing war of words over Tokyo's recognition of past military aggression and human rights abuses in East Asia.

In 2012, a tense diplomatic standoff with Japan sparked nationwide protests and anti-Japanese riots over the Senkaku, or Diaoyu, Islands, while China held war drills in waters near Japan after then opposition leader Shinzo Abe visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo which honors Japan's war dead, including Class A war criminals.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is carried on a stretcher as he arrives at a hospital in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, Japan on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo via Reuters)

The CCP later launched a crackdown on "irrational" forms of nationalism at home, after thousands of people took to the streets in a wave of mass protests in Chinese cities that lasted for several weeks.

On the democratic island of Taiwan, where former president Lee Teng-hui was known to have a close relationship with Abe, President Tsai Ing-wen severely condemned the violence of the attack.

"Japan ... is an important democratic partner of Taiwan ... and former prime minister Abe was committed over the long term to deepening friendly ties between Taiwan and Japan," Tsai said.

A similar statement was issued by the office of former president Ma Ying-jeou.

Ko Wen-je, chairman of the Taiwan People's Party, said Abe's death was "a great loss for Taiwan-Japan relations."

Praise from Tibetans, Uyghurs, Southeast Asian leaders

In contrast to China, Tibetans and Uyghurs expressed grief for Abe and gratitude to him for championing their causes as people living unwillingly under oppressive Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama wrote to Abe's widow Akie Abe offering his condolences.

"I am deeply saddened to hear that my friend, Mr. Abe Shinzo has passed away following a gunshot attack this morning," the Tibetan exiled spiritual leader wrote. "I pray for him and offer my condolences to you and members of your family."

"As you know, your late husband was a steadfast friend of the Tibetan people. I very much appreciated his friendship and support of our efforts to preserve our rich Buddhist cultural heritage and identity," the letter said.

>>Shinzo Abe: A retrospective in photos

The Germany-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC) expressed shock at the killing of Abe, calling him a "genuine ally of the Uyghur people, by listening to their voices and defending the cause in international fora."

WUC President Dolkun Isa said Abe "always inspired great values, and he was a fervent supporter of the Uyghur cause, before and during his time as Prime Minister of Japan."

Further afield in Southeast Asia, leaders remembered Abe for his active diplomacy in the region that helped balance China's growing influence.

A woman reacts in front of a makeshift memorial outside Yamato-Saidaiji railway station in Nara, Japan, where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot earlier in the day on July 8, 2022. (AFP)

In strife-torn Myanmar, both the military junta that took power in a February 2021 coup and the shadow administration formed by members of the deposed civilian government hailed Abe as a friend to the Southeast Asian country.

"Myanmar's people will never forget the support and help which Mr. Abe offered to us. The people of Myanmar stand in solidarity with the people of Japan during this time of sorrow, said Zin Mar Aung, foreign minister of the National Unity Government.

Military junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, speaking before Abe's death was announced, said the regime "denounced the act" and was "deeply shocked.".

"Former Prime Minister Abe is an old friend and good friend of Myanmar," he said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed grief for Abe, who he called a ""a long-time good friend of mine and Cambodia."

"I was extremely shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the passing of His Excellency Abe Shinzo, resulting from the daylight assassination."

Abe, he said, "was an outstanding Japanese statesman who had been widely acknowledged and praised for his able leadership to move Japan forward and for his active contribution to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond."

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. voiced shock and deep sadness at Abes death and sent condolences to his family and the Japanese people.

He was a devoted friend and a supporter of the Philippines, and it was during his leadership that the Philippine-Japan relations truly flourished, he added.

Indonesias Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Abe will be remembered as the best role model for all in a message of condolences.

It is with utmost grief that I mourn the passing of a great friend, said Thailands Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha.

If there could be any consolation to this senseless tragedy  it is the fact that Prime Minister Abe made his beloved nation and the world a better place with his lifelong dedication to public service, he added.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Abe had played an important role in strengthening the ties between Malaysia and Japan while foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah noted that as prime minister, he had visited Malaysia three times and played a key role in advancing and diversifying further bilateral relations with Malaysia.

In Bangladesh, which said it will observe a day of state mourning on Saturday in Abes memory, foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen said "Shinzo Abe was a close friend of mine and he was also a friend of Bangladesh.

State media in Vietnam carried Abe's killing as top news, publishing photos of Hanoi's top leaders meeting Abe, who had stepped up Japanese diplomacy in Southeast Asia and cultivated ties with Vietnam as a counter to China.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed sorrow to Japan and to Abe's family and appreciation for the support Abe extended to Vietnam, including his forging of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

In Laos, state media also reported Abe's death, while the government had yet to release any reaction on Friday.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Additional reporting by RFA Burmese, Khmer, Lao, Tibetan, Uyghur and Vietnamese, and by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news outlet.
The Kwangmyong software provides access to the countrys intranet, but it allows real-time monitoring.

In this file photo, a man uses his mobile phone in Pyongyang, North Korea.

North Korea is forcing smartphone users to install an app to use the isolated countrys closed intranet, but the app also allows the government to remotely track their locations and monitor their devices in real time, sources there told RFA.

The Kwangmyong app connects users to a corner of the intranet where they can access their subscription to the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper and other educational and informational services.

But some North Koreans say that the app is a massive invasion of privacy, as it enables the Ministry of State Security and other law enforcement agencies to see exactly where they are or if they are using their phones to access forbidden content like movies from South Korea or foreign news.

At the post office these days, residents are lining up to pay the fee to get their quarterly [license] card, a resident of Pukchang county, South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, told RFAs Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Starting this month, cellphone users are forced to install an intranet app called Kwangmyong to get their quarterly cards, he said.

Citizens are not happy that they must agree to increased surveillance just to use their mobile phones.

They are reluctant to set it up because they know that they can be watched by the State Security Department at any time through the intranet. But the postal authorities stress that the Central Committee has ordered that they install Kwangmyong on all personal mobile phones. The cards cannot be issued unless Kwangmyong has been installed, said the source.

Many of the residents reluctantly installed Kwangmyong on their phones  but some have refused to install the app and have been able to buy the quarterly card on the black market, he said.

The black-market version of the quarterly communications license is U.S. $12, much more expensive than at the post office, where it costs just 2,840 won ($0.40).

Authorities have been touting the usefulness of the Kwangmyong app, a resident of Ryongchon county, in the northeastern province of North Pyongan, told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

They say that installation of Kwangmyong can provide mobile phone users with information about the Rodong Sinmun [newspaper], foreign language education, and cooking techniques, the source said.

The real intent is to monitor the residents through the Kwangmyong network installed on peoples mobile phones, he said.

Kwangmyong even tracks how devices are used as media players, according to the source.

When Kwangmyong  is installed on a personal mobile phone, the Ministry of State Security can monitor the users from that moment on. It can check when the users watched South Korean movies and how many times they read or downloaded illegal materials from abroad. It provides real-time monitoring, he said.

Because the North Korean intranet is not connected to the global internet, the illegal materials must be passed around from person to person on physical media like USB flash drives and easily concealable SD cards. With Kwangmyong installed, the authorities could easily learn that users viewed illicit material.

For this reason, many residents had been using their mobile phones without installing access to the intranet. But now, the post offices sell the quarterly cards only after they have installed it, he said.

They are accusing the authorities of using the intranet network as a surveillance tool, he said.

Another way that mobile phone users can avoid surveillance is to use a mobile phone smuggled from China, the second source said.

These phones are illegal, but can access the Chinese network in areas close to the border. They are also not registered with North Korean authorities, so it is not necessary to purchase quarterly communications licenses.

A 2019 report by the Washington-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea described in detail how the government was able at that time to monitor cellphone activity and file sharing.

The report said that all North Korean smartphones were required to have an application called Red Flag that kept a log of webpages visited by users and randomly took screenshots of their phones. Those could be viewed but not deleted with another app called Trace Viewer.

The system is sinister in its simplicity. It reminds users that everything they do on the device can be recorded and later viewed by officials, even if it does not take place online. As such, it insidiously forces North Koreans to self-censor in fear of a device check that might never happen, the report said.

Kwangmyong appears to have eliminated the need for a device check, as it allows remote monitoring through the intranet.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung O. Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Western sanctions and other challenges could limit the scope of an agreement, observers say.

Myanmars junta is in talks with Russia to address the countrys fuel and electricity shortages, although inking a deal may be difficult amid Western sanctions and other obstacles, according to observers.

A junta delegation attended the June 15-18 International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, that included Myanmars ministers of electricity and energy, international cooperation, planning and finance, investment and foreign trade, economy and trade, and the deputy governor of the central bank.

According to a June 20 report by the pro-military Myanmar Alin Daily, the delegation met with Russian Minister of Energy Shulginov Nikolay on the sidelines of the forum to discuss energy cooperation. During the meeting, the two sides held talks on Russian oil drilling in Myanmar and the export of oil and petroleum products, as well as the construction of a nuclear power plant, it said. They also discussed the possibility of direct exchanges of currencies between the two countries central banks and the purchase of fuel from Russia.

In May, the junta announced that Russia would soon begin participating in Myanmars energy industry in place of international companies that quit, in response to the exit of three big Asian firms from a gas field in the nation a month earlier, citing commercial reasons. At least one of the three  Japans ENEOS  also mentioned Myanmars current situation, including the social issues as one of the reasons for quitting, referring to human rights excesses by the military that have led to the deaths of at least 2,069 civilians since a Feb. 1, 2021 coup.

Speaking to RFA Burmese on condition of anonymity, a businessman with knowledge of Myanmars energy sector said that cheaper fuel imports from Russia could reduce the cost of high-priced commodities in the country that are the result of Western sanctions over the takeover and the juntas subsequent crackdown on its opposition.

If we can buy cheap oil from a country that produces a lot of oil and gas, itd benefit our energy sector and itll be good for energy security, the businessman said.

I think we might also get a break from the high costs of food and consumer goods.

More than 17 months after the coup, Myanmar is mired in political and economic turmoil, while life is increasingly difficult for average people due to the rising cost of food, as well as regular power and water shortages.

Even in Myanmars commercial capital Yangon, which is home to an estimated 7 million people, sources say power is cut off twice in every 24-hour period, with homes sometimes left dark for six hours each day. Only the capital Naypyidaw, where the countrys military junta is based, has enjoyed uninterrupted electricity since the overthrow of civilian rule.

A difficult deal

Myanmar-based political analyst Than Soe Naing said the junta is only in the beginning phase of negotiations with Russia to deal with its ongoing energy crisis and will need to overcome several obstacles before moving towards an agreement that will solve its problems.

Cooperation with Russia over a nuclear program is unlikely without Chinas support. In addition, the junta, which is facing a foreign exchange crisis, cannot afford to spend money on nuclear energy, he said.

The main purpose of [the junta attending] this business forum was to seek help as a way to resolve the current oil crisis in Myanmar. I think they are looking for a way to get engine oil and fuel. But it is unlikely that anything more than that would happen.

Than Soe Naing said it will be difficult for Myanmar to secure the help of Russia, which is itself facing sanctions as well as an economic downturn related to its invasion of Ukraine.

Amid the sanctions, the Kremlin has been forced to improve relations with countries in the Middle East, as well as China and India, in a bid to find new markets for its oil and natural gas. Myanmar, which has seen its fuel prices skyrocket as a result of Western sanctions, is one prospective buyer of said Russian exports.

However, a source in Yangon, who also declined to be named for security reasons, said he doubts that the juntas claims of cooperation with Russia will end Myanmars energy shortages.

The junta has said a lot about many things. For instance, they said they will produce electric cars and electric trains as soon as possible, said the source, who also has ties to Myanmars energy sector.

Nothing has happened since they seized power. In fact, our people see these promises as daydreams.

A car is refueled at a gas station in Yangon, in a file photo. Credit: RFA Seeking fuel imports

Sources from Myanmars fuel industry have told RFA that companies close to the son and daughter of junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing are in the midst of negotiating import deals with Russia, although the claims could not be independently confirmed.

RFA contacted Win Myint, secretary of the Myanmar Petroleum Importers and Distributors Association, seeking comment on the juntas alleged attempts to purchase fuel from Russia, but he declined to discuss the issue.

Oil traders say that even if Myanmar, which normally imports through Singapore, could buy fuel at a cheaper price from Russia, the cost of transporting it would essentially negate any discount.

Another member of Myanmars business community told RFA that, despite ongoing political instability, the junta must find a way to end the countrys energy shortages if it hopes to cling to power.

It is true that there is instability. Global politics are unstable  but people have to go on with their lives. They are struggling to survive. All nations must have food and energy security, he said.

The Ukraine conflict has been going on for four or five months, while the crisis in our country has continued for more than a year. We cannot stop our lives because of these problems. So we must find a way out.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The junta is jailing members of the National League for Democracy and former Union Election Commission members.

Myanmars military government is cracking down on its opposition ahead of national elections expected next year by handing out jail sentences to members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and former Union Election Commission (UEC) members.

UEC Chairman U Hla Thein and two UEC members from the pre-coup NLD-led government were sentenced to three-years in prison under Section 130 (a) of the criminal law, according to sources close to the court.

One source identified the three as UEC spokesperson Myint Naing, UEC member Than Htay and UEC Chairman Hla Thein. They were sentenced by a special court on Thursday.

The three UEC members have been in Naypyidaw Prison since November 2021 and were tried in the prison's court. The fate of other arrested UEC members is still unclear.

Section 130 (a) aims to penalize those who prohibit or omit existing laws and carries a maximum sentence of three years plus a fine.

Myanmars former president Win Myint and NLD leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi have also been accused of influencing and abusing their electoral power under Section 130 (a).

The Union Election Commission organizes and oversees elections in Myanmar as well as vetting candidates and parties. The day after last years February 1 coup the State Administrative Council appointed six members aligned with the military.

The sentences handed out on Thursday are the first convictions of UEC members who were responsible for the 2020 election, the results of which were annulled following the coup. Other senior NLD ministers have also been charged under Section 130 (a) although local and international observers said the election had been free and fair.

Sanchaung township NLD chairman Bo Bo Oo said that the military council is continuing to make mistaken legal judgements because it knows its claim to power is unfounded.

''The coup was illegal and it did not comply with the law, he said They broke the law by seizing power in the first place. They want to say what is right and wrong but in reality they are just making more mistakes. It has been one mistake after another from the beginning.

The junta-appointed UEC said in January that 422 people, including Aung San Suu Kyi had been arrested and charged with electoral fraud. Suu Kyi faces a series of charges that could lead to a sentence of more than 100 years.

In the 2020 election the UEC deliberated on 1,077 election-related cases, charging 546 people with breaches of the electoral law. Of these, 342 were prosecuted and 194 cases were dismissed. The UEC says 10 cases are pending as it awaits legal advice.
The northwestern region is where the fiercest armed resistance to the military regime is.

Burmese citizens with national registration cards indicating they reside in northwestern Myanmars Sagaing region face travel restrictions and other forms of discrimination under Myanmars ruling military regime because they hail from the part of the country with the greatest armed resistance to the junta, locals said Friday.

The junta which seized power from the elected government in February 2021 has faced the fiercest armed resistance in Sagaing region. Most of the regions 34 townships and more than 5,900 villages have been affected by fighting between military forces and members of the anti-junta Peoples Defense Forces (PDF). The hostilities and the burnings of villages have displaced thousands of residents in the region.

The junta announced in late March that authorities could check the national registration cards, also known as citizenship verification cards, of people in the region anywhere on demand.

Residents of the region told RFA that people holding national registration cards that identify them as being from the area are limited in where they can travel and cut off from employment opportunities.

A Myaung township resident, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said registration card holders have been subjected to stricter checks than are those registered in other regions and states since the junta made its announcement.

Theres nothing we can do about transportation or communications or getting jobs, he said. You cannot lie to them as every detail is on the registration card.

Though no one wants to accept people who have cards beginning with the numerical prefix that identifies them as Sagaing residents, locals are proud that they hold such ID documents, he said.

But we face a lot of difficulties in travelling and finding jobs, he said, adding that he was dismayed that employers in other areas of Myanmar discriminated against migrant workers from Sagaing.

A company worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said authorities question him now when he travels more than they do others.

Its just a normal trip, [and] there are many checkpoints along the way, he said. Theres a lot of questioning at some checkpoints. They gave you suspicious looks. You will be asked many questions even though its a normal business trip, just because you are holding a card with the prefix 5/ and you live in a township where there are concerning situations.

Im always worried they might not accept my answers and turn me back, the worker added.

Public security work

A hotel owner in central Myanmars Mandalay region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said regime authorities had not instructed hotels to conduct strict checks of Sagaing region citizens, though they had been told to maintain a list of guests and their phone numbers.

There are no specific orders to strictly check guests from what township or region they come from, he said, adding that he did not record the townships from which his guests came.

But we have been told to keep records of names and phone numbers of guests who stay here because of the current situation in the country and we have to send guest lists to [authorities] regularly, he said. They will take action against us if we dont follow the orders.

In the past, guests were allowed to stay at guesthouses without presenting their national registration cards if they could produce other identification documents.

Sagaing residents also told RFA that people from the region who want to go abroad for work have been subjected to strict censorship, and some have been refused passports.

Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said there were no special restrictions as such, however.

Even in places like [the capital] Naypyidaw, you can find people fleeing from the peoples Defense Forces violence in Sagaing region, he said.

Of course, there may be security checks in some places, he said. This is not done for these registration card owners. Theyre just doing their work for public security.

Nazin Latt, a National League for Democracy lawmaker for Sagaings Kanbalu township, described the discrimination as psychological warfare.

Its a violation of human rights to oppress people in areas with strong opposition, for jobs or travel whether it be for security reasons or not, he told RFA. On the one hand, it is seen as a systematic psychological warfare  being refused jobs or being refused to put up at guest houses, finding it difficult to get jobs in Yangon and Mandalay, all these issues. It also depends a lot on the employers.

A recent job announcement in Mandalays Pyin Oo Lwin township, said that people holding cards with the Sagaing numerical prefix on their ID cards could not apply.

RFA could not reach the recruiter by phone for comment.

In the past, during the height of armed conflict between national forces and the ethnic rebel Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine state, the military and military-controlled local administrative authorities imposed similar restrictions on citizens with the numerical code for the western state on their national registration cards.

The residents were prevented from traveling in other areas of the country, especially in northern Shan state, on suspicion that they might be heading there to participate in military training offered by AA near the border with China.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane for RFA Burmese. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
The junta's military is guilty of war crimes for laying mines in and near villages, according to rights groups.

Myanmars military is guilty of war crimes for its alleged practice of laying landmines in populated areas where they have killed civilians, including children, two ethnic rights organizations told RFA.

Landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Myanmar have maimed or killed at least 115 children since the military junta seized power last year, UNICEF Myanmar reported on June 24. The report said that one-third of all landmine and UXO casualties it tracked from the February 2021 coup to April 2022 were children.

In times of conflict, children are the most vulnerable, including from landmines and UXO. Since children are smaller than adults, they are more likely to take the full impact of the blast and are therefore more likely to suffer death or serious injury, the report said.

On June 19, two seven-year-old boys were killed when they played with an unexploded artillery shell near Kan Ywar village in Gangaw township in central Myanmars Magway region.

Pyae Sone Aung and Min Htut Zaw found a 40mm shell and began throwing it to each other, Yu Ko, a resident of the village, told RFA.

Afterwards, as they were hitting it with a rock, the shell exploded and the blast killed both of them, said Yu Ko. I heard there were three or four similar incidents elsewhere of unexploded ordnance going off once it got into childrens hands."

Chin state, in the countrys west, was one of the first regions in Myanmar to form militias to fight the military following the coup.

The military has shelled populated villages in response. It has also laid landmines that appear to target civilians, Hre Lian, a spokesperson for the Chin Human Rights Group, told RFA.

"The soldiers plant landmines, and people step on them and get killed and injured, he said.

They are planted purposely. The death toll from civilian casualties has risen sharply. Additionally, children are killed while playing with unexploded ordnance. Tragedies like these occurred last August when four children were killed and three were injured in Thantlang township.

He said Thantlang, Matupi and Mindat townships were the most affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance in the state.

The junta forces are guilty of war crimes for planting landmines in villages and settlements in Kayah state, Ko Banya, spokesperson for Karenni Human Rights Watch, told RFA.

"We need to put pressure on the junta. They planted mines in areas where they cannot move as freely as in the past. They often planted landmines not only in villages but also inside buildings, he said.

We can say that it is a war crime because they planted these mines intentionally to kill or injure civilians. War crimes are committed with an intent to kill. We hope the perpetrators of these actions will be punished at some point.

Around 20 civilians stepped on mines in Demoso and Hpruso townships and in the state capital Loikaw this year, two of whom have died, Ko Banya said.

RFA repeatedly attempted to contact Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, a junta spokesman, for comment, without success.

He previously told RFA that the military uses landmines only for security purposes and around military camps.

A lack of mine awareness, as a result of the breakdown of government since the coup, is also to blame for civilian deaths, Aung Thu Nyein, executive director of the Myanmar Strategic and Policy Study Group, told RFA.

"I think landmine awareness programs almost stopped soon after the coup. And then, there were fewer civil society organizations and mediating groups in the peace process, he said.

On the other hand, conflicts are escalating day by day. When educational talks and demining programs are lacking, the number of mine accidents naturally rises. So I think the number of victims will keep on increasing," Aung Thu Nyein said.

In its report, UNICEF Myanmar said that the agency and its partners provided Explosive Ordnance Risk Education to 20,000 children across the country in the first five months of 2022.

UNICEF calls on all parties to facilitate access for assistance to victims; to stop laying mines and to clear existing mines and UXO, the report said.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Police guard detainees as they stand in line apparently reciting or singing at the Tekes County Detention Center in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region in an undated photo.

Rabigul Haji Muhammed was stunned to see a former classmate on a leaked list of Uyghurs and other Turkic people detained in internment camps in Chinas far-western Xinjiang region.

The doctoral student in Turkology at Hacettepe University in Turkey was searching through a trove of classified documents published by a U.S.based human rights group in May. One of the groups researchers had been given the information from an anonymous source.

Muhammad saw that Nurali Ablet had been detained for engaging in online propaganda about violence and terrorism. Ablet majored in the Uyghur language at the Central Nationalities University, also known as Minzu University, in Beijing and graduated in 2015, she said.

I knew him very well from those five years in college. He was a very hard-working and active student at the university, she told RFA. People like Nurali are not just images for us, they are living beings like us and everyone else.

Muhammad and other Uyghurs living in exile have scoured the Xinjiang Police Files since the document was first published by the Washington, D.C.-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation on May 24, searching for information about missing relatives or friends, or on the off chance they might know someone who unbeknownst to them had been detained by Chinese authorities.

Many say that the abducted Uyghurs are college-educated, law-abiding and working-class  not terrorists in any sense of the word.

The extraordinary leak of evidence from internal police networks in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) describes prison-like re-education camps and provides fresh evidence of the direct involvement of top Chinese officials in the mass internment campaign.

The files were analyzed and authenticated by a team led by Adrian Zenz, a researcher at the foundation who is an expert on the region. They were peer-reviewed by scholarly research and investigative teams from several major global media outlets.

The documents include clear images and detailed information about camp detainees who were arrested in 2018 in Kashgar Kona Sheher (in Chinese, Shufu) county in Kashgar (Kashi), a southern city in the XUAR.

Among the countys more than 3,700 detainees labeled as trainees in Chinese government documents, the youngest is 14 years old, and the oldest is 73. Some photos show police minders wielding batons standing next to the detainees.

Previously leaked Chinese government documents contained only the names and identification numbers of some detained Uyghurs. The new information includes photos and more information about their alleged crimes.

The documents also describe a shoot to kill directive should the trainees try to escape what the Chinese government has called voluntary vocational training centers and the Chinese media has described as ordinary places of education.

In one of the leaked documents, Chen Quanguo, former Chinese Communist Party secretary of the XUAR, said in a classified speech in May 2017 that if that if they [trainees] try to escape, shoot them on the spot and report back later.

The Xinjiang Police Files prove that Chinas so-called vocational training centers are really prisons, said Andrew Bremberg, president and CEO of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, in a statement issued in May.

These documents conclusively demonstrate that Beijing has been lying about its gross human rights violations in Xinjiang, he said. The international community must take immediate and concrete action to hold China accountable for these atrocities.

Police guard detainees as they stand in line apparently reciting or singing at the Tekes County Detention Center in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region in an undated photo. Credit: AFP/The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

Revelations are very disturbing

The police files were obtained by a third party through hacking into computer systems operated by the Public Security Bureau in Kashgar Kona Sheher country and in Tekes (Tekesi) county in Ili (Yili) Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. Both areas are dominated by Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups.

Zenz authenticated the documents in a peer-reviewed academic paper published in the Journal of the European Association for Chinese Studies and in a second paper published in the online magazine China File.

These findings are significant because they provide us with frank policy implementation directives along with the thought processes and intentions that made them a reality, Zenz said in the statement.

This gives an unprecedented look into the personal attitudes of Chinese authorities and the personal involvement of [Chinese President] Xi Jinping, he said. Documents with this kind of insight have never before been published and their revelations are very disturbing.

The leaker, who managed to access some of the encrypted material, attached no conditions to the provision or publication of the documents, though the person requested anonymity due to safety concerns.

According to the files, Tajigul Tahirs son was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2017 for being a non-alcoholic and non-smoker  signs, according to authorities, of his extremism. The 60-year-old woman was later arrested herself because she was the mother of an imprisoned Uyghur.

Abdurrahman Qasim, a Uyghur based in Turkey, said he found the name of his former cellmate, Mehmutjan Nasir, in the leaked documents. They were in detention together in Hotan (Hetian), another city in southern Xinjiang, but met each other previously in Hotan when Nasir was a student at the Hotan Uyghur Medical College.

Authorities detained Nasir in 2010 for communicating with people who prayed. A few years earlier, he had posted his Chinese national identification card on WeChat, a Chinese instant messaging social media app, of which Qasim took a screenshot. Qasim said he was able to find Nasirs ID details when the files were published.

I searched the images in the files for people I know or any relative who might be among the images, and after looking at more than 1,000 images, I found Mehmutjan Nasir who was my cellmate in Hotan from late 2010 to early 2011, Qasim said. I was very saddened to find him on the detained Uyghurs list.

At least 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities are believed to have been held in a network of detention camps in Xinjiang since 2017, purportedly to prevent religious extremism and terrorist activities.

Beijing had denied the existence of detention facilities in the XUAR until fall 2018 when it claimed that they were vocational training centers voluntarily attended by students to study Mandarin and the law and to obtain new skills.

But the government has continued to deny repeated and credible accusations from multiple sources that it has tortured people in the camps or mistreated other Muslims living in Xinjiang.

County teachers detained

A U.S.-based Uyghur who requested anonymity to speak freely without fear of reprisal said he recognized from the leaked pictures of Uyghur detainees the son of his former teacher.

I found Nabijan Yusuf, who was the son of my high school teacher, he told RFA. I knew him Nabijan when he was a child. Later he went to Tianjin University. By looking at all the images I concluded that the Chinese government targeted more Uyghurs who were born in 1980s and 90s than other generations.

Nursimangul Abdureshid, a Uyghur living in Turkey who lost contact with her parents and siblings in Kashgar Kona Sheher country in 2017, searched for information on her family in the Xinjiang Police Files.

She recognized her childhood friends Buhelchem Memet, Memetjan Tursun and Qari Tahir. She also recognized family friends Baki Hussein and Hoshur Abliz, and Juma Tomur, a 60-year-old farmer.

Abduweli Ayup, a Uyghur rights activist and researcher based in Norway who is originally from Kashgar Kona Sheher county, recognized Tajigul Abdurusul and Iziz Atawullah, two Uyghurs who had been county primary school teachers for more than 20 years.

He also found a photo of his classmate, Matyar Ghopur, who used to work at the countrys water bureau, whom he described as a humble and calm person.

Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Vietnams annual September 2 National Day amnesty will not include anyone jailed for anti-state charges according to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. A presidential spokesperson announced his decision on who to consider for early release at a Monday news conference, state-controlled media reported.

This years amnesties will be granted to those sentenced to long or lifetime terms who will still be serving their sentences on August 31.

The long list of charges not to be considered rules political prisoners out of the running. The exclusions include people charged with national treason; activities aimed at toppling the government; spying; trespassing on national security sites; and violence and terrorism against the State. Other cases ruling out release include sabotaging the material and technical foundations of the State of Vietnam; making, storing, disseminating or propagating information, documents and items aimed at opposing the State; disrupting security; attacking or damaging detention facilities; and terrorism. Crimes against peace and humanity, and war crimes are also on the list of who to exclude from the presidential pardons.

RFA statistics show that Vietnam has arrested at least 12 dissidents from the start of the year through to Tuesday with five found guilty of conducting anti-state propaganda and sentenced to between five and eight years. The charges stem from crimes listed in the National Security provisions of the Criminal Code. These include abusing democratic freedoms" under Article 331 of the Criminal Code 2015 and conducting propaganda against the state" under Article 88 of the Penal Code 1999 or Article 117 of the Criminal Code 2015.

Last year at least 32 people were found guilty of posting opinions critical of the government, according to Human Rights Watch. It said at least 26 others were arrested on fabricated political charges.

In its World Report 2022 the independent pressure group was scathing in its criticism of the Vietnamese government and Communist Party.

Vietnam systematically suppresses basic civil and political rights. The government, under the one-party rule of the Communist Party of Vietnam, severely restricts freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, movement, and religion, it said.
The U.S. space agency, NASA, issued a rare rebuke of its Russian counterpart after three cosmonauts on the International Space Station posed with the flags of separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.

NASA issued the statement on July 7, three days after the Russian space agency Roskosmos released photographs showing the three Russians and the flags of Russia-backed fighters in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Russia last week claimed its forces completely controlled Luhansk, and its troops were advancing slowly in what appeared to an effort to take all of Donetsk, as well. Ukraine has denied that Russia controls Luhansk entirely, though Ukrainian forces have been forced to withdraw from the last major cities there. The photographs were released to coincide with Russian officials' proclamations.

NASA strongly rebukes Russia using the International Space Station for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine, which is fundamentally inconsistent with the stations primary function among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes, the agency said.

Roskosmos had no immediate public response to the U.S. statement.

Large parts of Luhansk and Donetsk have been largely controlled by Russia-backed separatists since 2014.

As relations between Washington and Moscow have deteriorated over the years, space exploration has been one of the rare places where the two countries have continued to cooperate.

Both nations have personnel on the orbiting station. The United States has relied heavily on Russian spacecraft to get its astronauts to and from the station, though the advent of private space travel is changing that.

Russia is negotiating to have its cosmonauts fly aboard a private U.S. space craft to the station under a barter-swap deal.

Even after Russias invasion of Ukraine in February drew sweeping economic sanctions from the West, NASA has continued operations with Roskosmos. In late March, a U.S. astronaut returned to Earth from the station along with two Russian astronauts aboard a Russian space craft.

NASAs administrator Bill Nelson last year scolded Russia after it conducted a test of an anti-satellite weapon, a test that sent a cloud of debris hurtling around the earth and threatening the space station.

"Their actions are reckless and dangerous, Nelson said at the time.

While NASA has been reticent to make political statements or air its criticism publicly, the director of Roskosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, has built a reputation for his sharp tongue and punchy rhetoric.

In April, two months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Rogozin warned that the stations future was at risk if the United States and the West did not lift punitive sanctions.
On July 2, the brother of Siberian scientist Dmitry Kolker filed a complaint with the Federal Security Service (FSB) protesting his brothers arrest two days earlier at a Novosibirsk cancer clinic where he was being treated for late-stage pancreatic cancer. In his appeal, he wrote that Kolkers transfer to Moscow could be fatal.

But at the moment the appeal was sent, Kolker was already dead.

The scientists family received a terse official telegram dated July 2 (below) informing them that Kolker, 54, had died in the early morning hours after being transferred from Lefortovo, the notorious FSB pretrial prison in Moscow, to a local hospital.

The FSB murdered my father, Kolkers son, Maksim Kolker, wrote on the Russian social media site VK in a post that has since been made private. Fully aware of the condition he was in, they dragged him from the hospital. They didnt even allow him to say goodbye to his family. I hope Investigator Morozov, the Novosibirsk judge, and the entire state machine will be held responsible for their actions.

It only took you two days to kill a man, and now my family is left without a father, he wrote.

When agents of the investigative department of the Moscow FSB show up, no one is going to ask whether the person wants to go with them or not.

Five days after receiving the telegram, Kolkers family still had no further information and no news on when Kolkers body will be returned to them.

It is very difficult to communicate with Lefortovo, Kolkers lawyer, Aleksandr Fedulov, told RFE/RL. They dont respond on principle. They dont say anything over the phone. When you speak to them in person, they tell you to talk to the investigator. But the investigator doesnt respond to any messages.

Fedulov has filed requests with the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), the Prosecutor-Generals Office, and the Investigative Committee requesting Kolkers passport and his remains. He has received no response.

Most likely, well have to write a tearful letter to the presidential administration asking them to get involved, he added.

Kolker, who held numerous patents and was the director of the Laboratory of Quantum Optics at Novosibirsk State University -- a major Russian scientific center -- was being investigated on suspicion of treason for purportedly sharing state secrets with China. The accusations stem from a series of lectures he gave in China in 2018 as part of an exchange between the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN) and Chinese scholars.

Kolkers son asserts the texts of Kolkers lectures were approved in advance by the FSB.

Kolker was charged with state treason, which carries a possible 20-year prison term, compared to the relatively mild charge of revealing state secrets, which is punishable by up to four years in prison.

Another scientist, 75-year-old Anatoly Maslov of the Institute of Theoretical and Practical Mechanics of the Siberian branch of the RAN, was also reportedly arrested in connection with the case and is also believed to be in Lefortovo.

Everyone who participated in the development of such a case will get a career boost."

At the time of Kolkers arrest, he was in extremely fragile health, being fed intravenously and heavily sedated.

Fedulov said the family will seek an explanation of how Kolker was discharged, since he was incapable of signing himself out.

I will ask the hospital about this, but I understand that they had no real possibility of not releasing him or doing anything else, he said. When agents of the investigative department of the Moscow FSB show up, no one is going to ask whether the person wants to go with them or not.

Fedulov added that he is 90 percent certain that no medical personnel accompanied Kolker on the three- to four-hour flight back to Moscow.

Officials at the medical center did not respond to RFE/RLs requests for comment.

Human right activist Marina Litvinovich wrote on Facebook that the court in Novosibirsk had no right to authorize Kolkers arrest when he was so ill.

She accused investigators of pursuing the case solely for careerist reasons because each year they have to submit a specific number of cases of state treason or espionage.

Russian lawyer Ivan Pavlov, who specialized in such cases before fleeing Russia under state pressure in September 2021, offered a similar assessment.

Everyone who participated in the development of such a case will get a career boost, Pavlov told RFE/RL.

Pavlov added that the judge in Novosibirsk who sanctioned Kolkers arrest had no choice in the matter.

We are talking about the Federal Security Service. The chekists dont ask, they demand, he said, using a Soviet-era term for security agents. Our judges have long been prisoners of the FSB.

His prediction about how the case will develop was dour.

Most likely, they will blame the defense lawyers for not requesting time to present the medical information, he said. Or they will blame the doctors who were forced to discharge him. But not one chekist will be punished. On the contrary, they will be promoted.

Activists say that under President Vladimir Putin, a longtime Soviet KGB officer who headed the FSB in 1998-99, scientists have frequently been targeted with trumped-up treason charges that are based on aboveboard international scholarly cooperation or the sharing of open-source information.

The July 1 club, which comprises dozens of members and corresponding members of the RAN, issued an open letter protesting the governments handling of Kolkers case and calling for all those guilty of the death of our colleague to be prosecuted.

The group also published a 2018 report by the RAN affirming that Kolkers lectures do no contain any restricted information that could be considered state secrets.

Written by Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RLs Siberia.Realities and Russian Service.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, claiming Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine and dared the West to try to defeat it on the battlefield. Everyone should know that, by and large, we havent started anything yet in earnest, he said. At the same time, we dont reject peace talks. But those who reject them should know that the further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us.

On July 7, as the war rhetoric escalated, missiles were launched against several Ukrainian cities in the Donbas, killing at least four civilians. Reuters and AP photographers captured the aftermath as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its 135th day.
A Russian court has sentenced a Moscow city lawmaker to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of knowingly distributing false information about Russias military.

Moscows Meshchansky District Court handed down the sentence against Aleksei Gorinov on July 8, the TASS news agency said.

The watchdog organization OVD-Info said several spectators applauded Gorinov during proceedings and were arrested by bailiffs.

Gorinov is the first elected official in Russia to be convicted under the distributing false information law that was passed in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine in February. He could have gotten up to 15 years in prison.

At a meeting of the Moscow city legislature in March, Gorinov criticized the Russian invasion, suggesting it was inappropriate to be holding a local childrens art competition while in Ukraine every day children are dying.

During a court hearing last month, Gorinov, who was detained in April, held up a sign that read I am against the war.

Prosecutors have launched dozens of investigations across the country into people who have criticized the Russian war or have merely called for peace. The Kremlin insists on calling the invasion a special military operation.

"Seven years in prison for words. Seven years in prison because of a denunciation, said Andrei Pivovarov, a prominent opposition activist who faces a five-year prison sentence for heading an undesirable organization.

A new dark page of repression in Russia has officially opened, he wrote in a post on Facebook, following Gorinovs sentencing.

With reporting by AP and TASS
Oleksandr Kraskivskiy, head of the village of Zamhlay in Ukraine's Chernihiv region, says he tried to reason with occupying Russian troops but he ended up being bound, beaten, and held captive. Kraskivskiy believes he survived after explaining that he had served with the Soviet Army in Afghanistan.
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Harrowing scenes in Kharkiv as Ukrainian officials say at least three people were killed and five were injured after Russian shells hit residential areas on July 7.
The United States says it will send more long-range multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukraine as Kyiv's forces prepare for a slow Russian advance to grab more territory in the eastern Donbas region.

The U.S. weapons package announced on July 8 will include four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, bringing to 12 the total number of these systems sent to Ukraine since last month.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, Western military aid, worldwide reaction, and the plight of civilians and refugees. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

The announcement came after Russias top diplomat clashed with his Western counterparts at a G20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia, and after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that continued sanctions against Russia could lead to catastrophic energy price increases for European households.



Russias ambassador to Britain, meanwhile, painted a bleak prospect for the war ending soon, predicting Russian troops would capture the rest of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine and were unlikely to withdraw from land across the southern coast.



Ukraine would eventually have to strike a peace deal or "continue slipping down this hill" to ruin, Ambassador Andrei Kelin told Reuters in London.



Russia is likely concentrating its equipment in the direction of Siversk, about 8 kilometers west of the current front line, Britain's Defense Ministry said.

Russian forces are likely pausing now to replenish before undertaking new offensive operations in the Donetsk region, while Ukrainian troops were preparing to push back another assault, the ministry said.



On the Donbas front lines, the Ukrainian military reported Russian shelling of towns and villages ahead of an anticipated push for more territory.



Civilian and military infrastructure was hit in towns near Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, while shelling continued along the contact line in eastern Ukraine, a report from the Ukrainian military's General Staff said on July 8.

WATCH: Oleksandr Kraskivskyi, head of the village of Zamhlay in Ukraine's Chernihiv region, says he tried to reason with occupying Russian troops but he ended up being bound, beaten, and held captive. Kraskivskyi believes he survived after explaining that he had served with the Soviet Army in Afghanistan.

Russia is conducting defensive operations in the Kharkiv direction and is trying to improve the tactical position in certain areas, the report said. The shelling of Kharkiv and its surroundings, as well as other populated areas of the region, continued.

The aid announced by the United States on July 8 is the 15th package of military weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine from U.S. Defense Department stocks since last August.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff on July 8 urged the West to send more heavy weapons to counter what he called Russia's "scorched-earth tactics."

"With a sufficient number of howitzers, SPG, and HIMARS, our soldiers are able to stop and drive the invaders from our land," Andriy Yermak tweeted.

Russia has accused the West of waging a proxy war against it by stepping up the supply of advanced weapons to Ukraine and by imposing economic sanctions.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, in comments that contrasted with those of the Russian ambassador to Britain, said he believes the war will end through one of three scenarios -- a negotiated settlement, a long drawn out war of attrition, or the collapse of the Russian Federation.



Speaking at a conference on July 8, Reznikov said in the case of the first scenario, before negotiations could take place the two sides would withdraw to the positions they held on February 24, the day Russia started its invasion.



The talks would cover the status of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Crimea.

And we will conduct these negotiations at the table with our powerful partners. There will definitely be no Minsk 3, he said, a reference to unsuccessful German-French efforts to find a peaceful solution with Russia after Russia-back separatists first seized parts of the Donbas and Crimea in 2014.



There will be no capitulation agreements, and no one will negotiate with a gun held at their temple," he said.

WATCH: Harrowing scenes in Kharkiv as Ukrainian officials say at least three people were killed and five were injured after Russian shells hit residential areas on July 7.



The second option, according to Reznikov, is the gradual destruction of the enemy -- "a war of resources against resources." This option would mean an end would not come quickly. Not until the end of this year, but maybe the beginning of the next, he said.



Reznikov also said more than 1 million people are currently defending Ukraine. The majority -- about 700,000 people -- are mobilized in the armed forces. The remainder are national guard troops, border guards, and federal police.



The announcement of the U.S. arms delivery comes amid reports that Ukraine has used HIMARS delivered thus far to successfully strike Russian locations deeper behind the front lines and disrupt Russia's ability to conduct artillery operations, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters.



Ukraine's forces have used them to attack targets such as ammunition dumps, hitting them with guided missiles launched from farther away, out of range of Russian artillery. They have not used them to strike outside of Ukraine, the official added.



The official acknowledged that Russian forces recently made progress in eastern Ukraine, seizing more territory, but called it very incremental, limited, hard-fought, highly costly progress and said it was in certain, select small spaces in the Donbas.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
Uzbekistan's president dismissed his chief of staff in what appeared to be fallout from last weeks spasm of violence in northwestern Karakalpakstan, the worst in the Central Asian nation in 17 years.

Zainilobiddin Nizomiddinov's dismissal was officially due to health reasons, according to a government statement. The office of President Shavkat Mirziyoev did not comment further on his departure.

Nizomiddiinov, 49, has worked closely with Mirziyoev since 2016. As chief of staff in the presidential administration, he was considered a powerful political figure.

Officials have told RFE/RL he was also instrumental in pushing proposed changes to the national constitution. Those changes were seen as sharply limiting the autonomy -- or even potential independence -- of Karakalpakstan, a sprawling desert region in northwestern Uzbekistan.

The current constitution states that Karakalpakstan is a sovereign republic within the country and has the right to secede by holding a referendum.

The region is largely inhabited by Turkic-speaking Karakalpaks who had special autonomy even under Soviet rule.

Sizable protests broke out in the regional capital, Nukus, and other towns after the changes were announced on June 27. In the ensuing turmoil, at least 18 people were killed -- including four police officers -- and 243 wounded in clashes with security forces, according to Uzbek prosecutors.

Rights activists and exiled opposition politicians say they believe the real toll is higher.

Mirziyoev on July 2 backed down on the proposed amendments.

He later blamed the violence on what he called foreign forces, and the Foreign Ministry described the disorder as "mass pogroms and atrocities.

The United States and the United Nations human rights chief called for a full and transparent investigation into the bloodshed, which is the worst since 2005 when the country was rocked by protests and a brutal security crackdown in the Andijan region.

With reporting by Reuters
Despite battlefield setbacks, heavy losses, and slow going during weeks of fierce fighting in the Donbas, politicians and pundits in Moscow are sounding self-assured about the outcome of the war in Ukraine, and President Vladimir Putin taunted Kyiv and the West with a warning that Russia is just getting started. Is it confidence born of calculation or a bullys bluff?

Here are some of the key developments in Russia over the past week and some of the takeaways going forward.

Tough Talk

Soon after Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, bombarding targets nationwide and sending troops and tanks toward Kyiv and other cities, it became clear that the apparent goal of the assault -- the ouster of President Volodymyr Zelenskiys government -- was not about to be achieved.

Less than 48 hours after the invasion began, when Putin urged the Ukrainian military to turn against Zelenskiy and seize power, it already sounded like he was living in a bubble, an alternative world outside of which almost everyone knew that would not happen. Ukrainians had rallied defiantly against the Russian invasion, and the prospect of a military coup that would hand control of the country to Moscow seemed absurd.

Nineteen weeks later, Russian forces are focusing on substantially narrower areas, making slow progress in their effort to control the Donbas and trying to hold onto territory they have seized farther southwest, where they now control the coast from the Russian border to the isthmus that links mainland Ukraine with Crimea.

For the foreseeable future, at least, the prospect of Russia seizing the Ukrainian capital -- or even Odesa, the main Black Sea port west of Crimea and east of the Moldovan border -- seems far-fetched.

In the shorter term, the Russian military has a very limited set of things that they can do, [and] I don't think they can recover from the losses that they've taken in personnel and equipment, Dara Massicot, a senior researcher at the U.S.-based Rand Corporation and a former senior analyst at the Pentagon, where she focused on the Russian military's capabilities, told RFE/RL late last week. So we might see [something] like a frozen conflict again, but you're not going to see another push to Kyiv or something like that.

Personnel Problems?

In the longer term, she indicated, there are questions about how much manpower Russia can mount, saying that what theyve done to their professional enlisted force is that they've basically committed all of it from the army and the air force to this war. They've taken significant casualties, and people do not wish to participate anymore. Many are not going to reenlist after they serve out their contract.

So why do some of the declarations and demands coming out of Moscow -- from influential officials and pro-Kremlin pundits alike -- sound so assertive, so confident, and so self-assured?

Reading recent remarks from Nikolai Patrushev, who is secretary of the presidential Security Council and may hold more sway with Putin than anyone else, one would be hard put to imagine that Russia has suffered major setbacks since the invasion.

At a meeting in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk on July 5, Patrushev said Russias goals in Ukraine will be achieved despite Western weapons supplies to the Ukrainian military, the state-run Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported.

The goals he listed, according to RIA-Novosti, included protecting the people from genocide on the part of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi regime, the demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine, and ensuring that neutrality is enshrined in Ukraines constitution.

Even reading between the lines of the blatantly false claims that the democratically elected Zelenskiys government is neo-Nazi and has committed genocide, these remarks suggest little change from the aims set out by Putin around the time of the invasion and evident in the Russian advance -- soon stymied and then repulsed -- on Kyiv in the first days and weeks afterward.

They echoed Putins remarks in his February 25 call for the Ukrainian military to seize power, when he said it would be easier for Russia to negotiate with generals than with a "gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis," as he falsely called the government.

Patrushev is not the only one suggesting the Kremlins aims have not changed much.

'Most Of Ukraine'

"Welook at President Putin and we think he has effectively the same political goals that he had previously, which is to say that he wants to take most of Ukraine," U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said on June 29. She described the most likely near-term scenario as a grinding conflict in which Russia makes incremental gains and neither side achieves a big breakthrough.

And on the Russian side, Kremlin-aligned analyst Andrei Sushentsov suggested in a July 5 article that Russia would or should seek Zelenskiys ouster, even if Ukraine and Russia reach some cease-fire or territorial agreement.

Ignoring entirely the fact that Russia attacked Ukraine, and not the other way around, Sushenstov wrote that Zelenskiy is fully invested in the project Ukraine At War and would be highly likely to want the country to have powerful weapons provided by the West if he were to remain in power once the crisis -- that is, the war Russia started -- is over.

Sushentsov, dean of the international relations department at the state-affiliated diplomatic institute MGIMO, deployed a quote from the 19th-century novelist Nikolai Gogol about Cossacks to argue his point, but included no other substantial evidence.

He also wrote that highly unfavorable terms that Russia may have been prepared to offer Ukraine in exchange for peace a few weeks ago were no longer on the table, and that any future proposals would be made from a position of greater strength.

The implication was that Ukraine missed its best chance and would have to bargain hard for even less favorable terms, or simply have them forced upon it, in the future.

Given the military setbacks Russia has suffered and the deep uncertainly about the outcome of its campaign -- with high casualties in the fierce Donbas fighting and Western artillery and rocket systems having what Zelenskiy called a very powerful effect on the battlefield there -- why such a show of confidence?

For one thing, it may be just that: a show, propaganda, tough talk aimed to erode Ukrainian morale and undermine support for Kyiv in the West or at least push the United States and the European Union to press Zelenskiys government into talks on a truce at a high price for Ukraine in terms of territory and sovereignty.

Thats what Putin was doing on July 7 when he said, essentially, We have not yet begun to fight.

Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefieldWell, let them try. Weve heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems like everything is headed that way, Putin said in comments given close attention by Russian state media.

Warning that the further this goes, the harder it will be to negotiate with us, Putin added: Everyone should know that we really havent really started anything seriously yet.

It was a striking remark from a commander-in-chief who by many accounts has lost more soldiers in less than five months than the Soviet Army lost in Afghanistan in a nearly a decade before withdrawing its forces.

Putin also repeated his false claims that Kyiv has committed genocide in the Donbas and that a Moscow-friendly Ukrainian president was ousted in an unconstitutional armed coup in 2014.

Zelenskiys adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak dismissed Putins comments as primitive propaganda from a country whose forces entered sovereign Ukraine, shelling cities and killing civilians.

Moscows outward confidence may spring more from weakness than from strength.

'Maximalist Demands'

The tragic irony is that military reverses have pushed the Kremlin into maximalist political demands as Putins government has to show Russians that the outcomes are worth the cost, Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies in London, wrote on Twitter on July 5.

Some Russian analysts, in fact, have suggested the Kremlin should seek to manage expectations in order to avoid the appearance of failure.

Dmitry Trenin, former director of the now shuttered Carnegie Moscow Center and a member of a foreign and security policy group that works closely with the Russian state, wrote that it is crucial for Russia to achieve strategic success in Ukraine within parameters that are set and are publicly explained to society.

It is necessary to clarify the stated goals of the operation, he wrote of Russias war against Ukraine, which the government has made illegal to call a war.

Not that Trenin was calling for a climbdown, or anything close. In his May 20 article, he wrote of what he called the new geopolitical, geo-economic and military-strategic realities in the Donbas and Novorossiya -- wording that and makes clear he sees Russian control over the whole of the Donbas and a large swath of southern Ukraine as one important goal.

He wrote that after achieving strategic success in Ukraine, the new challenge for the Kremlin would be to force NATO countries to actually recognize Russian interests and to secure the new borders of Russia, casting Russian control over at least parts of those regions as a fait accompli.

In the eyes of Ukraine and the West, and perhaps those of objective reality, he was speaking far too soon: The outcome of the war is impossible to predict, and its end may be months or years away.
Hong Kong: Police condemn act of impersonation

Police today strongly condemned the act of impersonating police officers and expressed concern over news reports to that effect.

Police are concerned about media reports stating that Hong Kong National Security Wing has sent emails to overseas legal practitioners alleging that they have breached the Hong Kong National Security Law, the force explained.

On June 30, 2020, the force established a department to safeguard national security, officially known as the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force.

Police appealed to the people concerned to provide further information or evidence to facilitate follow-up actions.

The force reiterated that, as a professional law enforcement department, Police would act in accordance with the relevant laws, established procedures and guidelines when executing duties.

Contravention of Hong Kong laws, including the National Security Law, will be investigated in accordance with the law, Police added.

This story has been published on: 2022-07-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
New Zealand PM says it's wrong to force Pacific island countries to take sides

Xinhua) 14:29, July 08, 2022

SYDNEY, July 7 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it would be wrong to characterize China's engagement with Pacific islands as new or to force the island countries to pick sides.

She made the remarks on Thursday while delivering a speech at the Sydney-based think tank, the Lowy Institute, during her visit to Australia to attend the Australia New Zealand Leaders' Meeting (ANZLM).

She highlighted engagement with Pacific island countries as an important principle for New Zealand's foreign policy, but noted that this doesn't mean other countries may not engage with this region.

"That is not to say there will not be others who have an interest in the Pacific, there are," she said, noting that France, Japan, Britain, the United States and China have all played a role in the Pacific for many years.

"It would be wrong to characterize this engagement, including that of China, as new. It would also be wrong to position the Pacific (island countries) in such a way that they have to pick sides. These are democratic nations with their own sovereign right to determine their foreign policy," she said.

As foreign ministers of the Pacific Islands Forum are due to meet in Fiji on Friday, Ardern highlighted the role of regional mechanisms such as the forum in solving regional issues, and called for more regional cooperation instead of competition.

"Rather than the increased strategic competition in the region, we need instead to look for areas to build and cooperate recognizing the sovereignty and independence of those for whom the region is home," she said.

The prime minister also stressed the use of diplomacy as the "strongest tool" in an increasingly contested environment and to strengthen trade and economic cooperation to bolster the region's resilience.

"At its heart, trade creates connections, mutual obligations, shared interests and joint benefits. And all those things reduce conflict, and ultimately contribute to peace and stability, and prosperity," she said.

She also called for more concerted efforts to tackle climate change, saying it should be a priority of foreign policy.

Ardern is leading New Zealand's ministerial delegation to attend the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) in Sydney. She is scheduled to meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for their first Australia New Zealand Leaders' Meeting on Friday in Sydney.

(Web editor: Sheng Chuyi, Liang Jun)
The Biden administration plans to set aside the Trump administrations weakening of the Endangered Species Act  changes that removed many protections for threatened species and allowed consideration of economic interests in future decisions  but wants to leave those policies in effect until it rewrites them, a potentially lengthy process. A federal judge in Oakland disagrees and has ordered the policies repealed immediately.

While the government argued that abruptly changing species-protection rules while they are being revised would cause confusion, leaving the regulations in place will cause equal or greater confusion, given the flaws in the drafting and implementation of those rules, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar said in his decision Tuesday.

He told the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to enforce the Endangered Species Act under rules that were in effect before August 2019 while it decides which of those rules to retain and which to change.

The law, signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973, prohibits harming imperiled species or destroying their habitat. It protects more than 1,700 species of plants and animals and has been credited with saving the bald eagle, the grizzly bear, the gray wolf, the humpback whale and other creatures from possible extinction.

The law initially had bipartisan support but soon came under attack from industries such as oil, logging and farming and their political allies. President George W. Bushs administration took steps to limit the scope of the law, but those moves were largely rejected by judges and by later federal legislation.

The August 2019 rollback by President Donald Trumps administration included new rules distinguishing between species that were classified as endangered, those in direct peril of extinction, and threatened, those likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. Under the new rules, it was no longer illegal to undertake projects that could kill or harm a species that was classified as threatened.

Another change allowed regulators to consider a private partys economic interests in deciding whether to approve farming, construction or other projects that could affect species. The new rules also made it harder for the government to consider the future effects of climate change on a species or its habitat.

Environmental organizations immediately filed a lawsuit challenging the changes, which was still pending when the Biden administration announced in June 2021 that it planned to repeal some of the new rules  specifically, the rule authorizing harm to threatened species  and revise others. But the environmental groups protested the administrations decision to leave all of the rules in place during the rewriting process.

In Tuesdays ruling, the court spoke for species desperately in need of comprehensive federal protections without compromise, said Kristen Boyles, a lawyer for the San Francisco nonprofit Earthjustice who represented the environmental groups. Threatened and endangered species do not have the luxury of waiting under rules that do not protect them.

Trumps gutting of endangered species protections should have been rescinded on day one of the Biden presidency, said Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity, a plaintiff in the case. He said he expects the administration to reject its predecessors consideration of the economic effects of protecting a species or its habitat, but fears it may weaken other parts of the law.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Karen Armstrong, a spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said Thursday the agency was reviewing the ruling, and declined to say whether it would appeal. The decision could also be appealed by industry groups and a group of Republican-led states that opposed the lawsuit.

The 2019 rules were years in the making and reflected a tremendous amount of serious and methodical work by the agencies and extensive public comment, said attorney Chris Carr, whose clients include farming groups, oil companies, loggers and home-builders. He said Tigar had wrongly thrown out years of considered rule-making merely because it was the subject of an ongoing lawsuit and because a new administration wanted to change policies.

The ruling would allow the Biden administration to achieve what it cannot lawfully achieve via the administrative process: immediate and nationwide rescission of the Trump administrations ESA rules, without (public) notice and comment and without any finding of illegality, said attorney Charles Yates of the Pacific Legal Foundation, representing other business organizations and supporters of the 2019 changes.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
As the punishing drought continues with a record dry year, Californians have finally begun showing some restraint at the tap.

Statewide municipal water use fell 3.1% in May, compared with the same month in 2020, according to state data released Friday.

The level of conservation, while modest, follows two months in which California cities and towns recorded double digit increases in water consumption, showing disregard for Gov. Gavin Newsoms increasingly desperate pleas in the face of a third year of drought.

It is heartening and important to see, Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, said after reviewing preliminary data last month suggesting water use was going to drop. The message is we must continue to conserve.

Since January, Californias municipal monthly water use has been, on average, more than 7% higher than it was two years ago. Since last July, when Newsom asked residents to voluntarily conserve 15% over the base year of 2020, cities and towns have cumulatively saved 2%.

Preliminary water data for June suggests that conservation may be continuing, with the fraction of water agencies that have so far reported for that month averaging 7.7% savings compared with two years ago.

The push for conservation comes as state water supplies are on the decline. Californias biggest reservoirs, including Shasta Lake, are approaching historic lows for the time of year. Groundwater reserves, meanwhile, are being squeezed and scores of wells have dried out.

Some water agencies have begun limiting how much water their customers can use, but no statewide quotas have been ordered like during the past decades drought. Newsom, instead, has preferred to let local suppliers determine whether restrictions are needed.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The state, though, has enacted prohibitions on many outdoor watering activities, including hosing down driveways and watering after rain, to try to drive down water use.

The first five months of the year marked the driest start on record for the state, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While conservation was up in May, many communities, particularly in Southern California, continued to use more than they did two years ago. The city of Colton in San Bernardino County used 48.7% more water, Desert Water Agency in Riverside used 44.2% more and El Segundo in Los Angeles County used 41.9% more, state records show.

In the Bay Area, water use in May was up the most in Rohnert Park and Burlingame, 10.9% and 9.9% respectively.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Sofia Lopez had high hopes for her senior year.

After three years participating in Galileo High Schools Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, the previously shy girl had been selected for the upcoming school year to serve as battalion commander, the programs top leadership position. It was a major accomplishment for Lopez, who had never thought of herself as a leader before joining JROTC.

San Francisco district officials, however, have other plans for the 17-year-old and her fellow cadets this fall.

Citing declining JROTC enrollment and budget constraints, district leadership decided in March to eliminate the program at Mission, Balboa and Galileo high schools as of this fall, while leaving it in place at Lowell, Lincoln and Washington  all high schools on the citys wealthier west side, where participation rates were slightly higher.

This isnt the first time the program, which has been in city schools for more than a century, has faced cuts if not outright elimination. Critics have long opposed a military presence in the district, and administrators have questioned the cost, which is shared between the school system and the Army. The school board voted in 2006 to boot the program, but resurrected it after failing to come up with an alternative leadership program for the 1,200 cadets participating in JROTC.

Again, supporters are fighting to save the program in the district, this time persuading the U.S. Army to increase its share of the funding by covering the entire cost of the salaries for 12 JROTC teachers for the next two years to help rebuild the program in the wake of the pandemic.

Historically, the military has paid half of the $121,000 average salary for each instructor  typically a former military officer  leaving the other half and an estimated $48,000 cost in benefits up to the district.

Don Feria/Special to The Chronicle

Its too late and not enough, according to district officials, who said the increased funding wouldnt cover all costs, including benefits, and it would create a significant logistical challenge to revamp student course assignments.

Schedules for all high school students beginning fall 2022 have already been created, said district spokesperson Laura Dudnick. We appreciate that the Army is willing to help. Were looking into how this might be feasible, taking into account that planning has already happened for the fall as well as the Armys expectations for the program.

Dudnick added that reinstating the program at the three schools would also require time to recruit staff and enroll enough students to meet the Armys policy of a minimum 100 cadets at each school. The fall semester starts in just over a month.

The Armys offer, however, has been on the table since May.

For Sofia, the hopes she had for her senior year have been crushed. And she worries about incoming freshmen who feel lost, like she did.

I feel like so many people wont find themselves the way that I did, she said. Were just losing so much potential of future leaders.

She and other supporters hope district officials will change their mind and accept the Armys offer of nearly $1.5 million this year to keep the program at all six schools.

U.S. Army Gen. Paul Funk, one of seven four-star generals in the military service, is scheduled to visit San Francisco on Monday to offer support for the program, an event Mayor London Breed, city supervisors, some school board members and new school Superintendent Matt Wayne are expected to attend.

As of Friday, however, the district had not signaled it would change its mind regarding the three schools, even though the math would add up in its favor.

If district officials take the money, it would mean that instead of paying $651,000, to cover half the salaries of six instructors at three schools as well as $48,000 each in benefits, they would pay only $576,000 in benefits for a dozen instructors  a savings of $75,000 each year.

Are they really not going to take the money? asked Quincy Yu, who has fought to keep the program in place for nearly two decades. The parents at Balboa are screaming. The parents at Mission are screaming. Weve been working on this for months.

Mission parent Jen Lum is among them.

Its frustrating more than anything, because I feel they arent putting the students first, she said. The district for some reason is dragging its feet and I dont understand why.

Her son Levi, a junior this fall, chose to enroll in the schools JROTC course his freshman year, but was assigned to mariachi class instead  a placement he protested and succeeded in reversing.

Lum, a single mom, watched Levi thrive in the program, which offered structure, mentoring and a community. He applied for a role in brigade command for the upcoming year and was named command sergeant major, a district-wide leadership position, she said, her pride in her sons accomplishment clear in her voice.

Its not just a class, she said. It has been such a formative experience for him.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Lum also noted that JROTC instructors brought in robotics to her sons school, something Lowell and other schools already had, but not Mission. There are also fencing and archery and other opportunities that would disappear with the program, she added.

Arguably these are the students who need it most, she said of Mission Highs enrollment, which is 61% Latino and 15% Black, with 60% from low-income families and a third English learners.

District officials said that enrollment in the JROTC program has declined over the past decade, falling below the Armys expectation that participating schools maintain enrollment of at least 100 students.

JROTC supporters say the district hasnt done enough to help spur participation in recent years, and especially in the wake of the pandemic.

Enrollment in the program is dependent in part on support from the administration at each school, said Doug Bullard, a JROTC instructor at Lowell and acting director of the district-wide program.

Sometimes students learn of the program only when they get to high school, which means they often need permission to transfer from physical education into JROTC, which counts as credit for physical education.

In addition, administrators at Galileo, Balboa and Mission have in recent years authorized only one JROTC instructor instead of the two typically needed to run a program for 100 students.

Bullard said if the district reinstates the program at the three high schools, he has five JROTC instructors ready to take the open jobs, and he believes enrollment would surge above 100 at all six sites this next year if the resources are in place.

The students want to be part of something, he said. Were teaching them character, were teaching them responsibility and all the things the district wants their student to have.

In the meantime, Sofia plans on getting ready to apply to colleges in the fall, hoping to study psychology. Her application will be filled with leadership and community service experience from her time in JROTC, she said.

Its made me much more confident and assertive, she said. JROTC is one of the best decisions I ever made.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
Travelers across the nation are encountering a surge in flight cancellations and delays during the summer travel season this year  and the hassles arent likely to let up any time soon.

Experts said most of the delays and cancellations were largely due to a continuing labor shortage and poor weather conditions.

Worker shortages across North America and Europe have affected airports, air traffic controllers and airlines, along with their suppliers, which include aircraft fuelers and caterers, the Associated Press reported.

Thousands of pilots retired during the pandemic, when air travel diminished precipitously, leaving fewer ready to fly now that flights have increased, NPR reported.

Even U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had a recent flight canceled just after meeting with CEOs of some of the nations largest airlines to discuss the nations enduring travel woes.

Industry experts said those problems are likely to persist through the summer, since this year is predicted to be the busiest travel season since the start of the pandemic. At least 1,833 flights were canceled and 16,379 were delayed across the county by midmorning Friday, according to Flight Aware, a live flight delay and cancellation tracker.

Heres what you need to know  and what you can do  if your flight is delayed or canceled in the Bay Area.

Prepare before your flight

There are things you can do even before getting to the airport that could help your chances of avoiding, or at least anticipating, a flight cancellation.

The first is downloading your airlines app for notifications and signing up for email and application notifications when you purchase your flight. These will notify you immediately if your flight has been canceled and delayed, and can make looking for alternative flights less hectic.

On the day of your departure, keep track of your flight status before you head to the airport. If youre not able to use the app, you can always check your flight status online. Oakland International Airport spokesperson Kaley Skantz emphasized reaching out to airlines directly through their mobile apps or websites if any issues come up with travelers itineraries.

Earlier  and weekdays  are better

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Doug Yakel, a spokesperson for San Francisco International Airport, recommended booking flights that depart early in the morning, as those typically experience the fewest delays and cancellations. If youre making a choice between an early flight and a midmorning flight this summer, travel experts said choosing an earlier flight is probably a safer assurance against complications. Weekend flights are typically the busiest, most expensive and potentially prone to complications, so if you can, consider traveling on a midweek day.

Mineta San Jose International Airport spokesperson Kayla Renelle recommended that people arrive early enough to the airport so that they have extra wiggle room, especially in the event of long lines. A good rule of thumb, she said, is arriving at the airport at least 2 hours prior to domestic departures and 3 hours prior for international departures.

Harness your resources

If your flight does get delayed, or canceled, there are a few things you can do. If you are at the airport already, get in line to speak with a flight agent. In most cases, airlines should be able to put you on the next flight available to your destination at no additional cost. If you are traveling internationally, you can also look into options you might have for other flights from your airlines partner carriers.

You can also check out what your airlines cancellation policy is.

Jessica Flores and Annie Vainshtein are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jessica.flores@ sfchronicle.com, avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores, @annievain
A few days after Thomas Fuller attended a large party over Pride weekend, he got a worrying text in a group thread. It was a screenshot from party organizers, alerting attendees that someone at the event had tested positive for monkeypox.

Fuller got to work. There were so many people there its almost impossible to know if I had contact with this person or not, he said. He researched the disease, learning that its in the smallpox family, is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and that theres a vaccine thats effective even after exposure. His doctor directed him to Strut, a health center in the Castro District operated by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. But when he reached out, Fuller was told he wasnt eligible.

The reason: a limited supply of vaccines. Despite months of advance warning that monkeypox cases were growing, and a 40% increase in cases citywide in just one week, Strut has just 60 doses of the Jynneos vaccine.

Its an eerily familiar scenario, and an infuriating one. Two and a half years into a global pandemic, how are we so deeply unprepared for monkeypox?

Many saw this coming. Tyler TerMeer, CEO of the AIDS Foundation, said they were concerned to only receive a few dozen doses of the vaccine before Pride. The disease has largely impacted people in the gay community, which through its many programs, the organization is well-prepared to serve.

We knew that there were limited cases in the U.S. at that point, but that it was growing, and that the number of cases could likely spike here in the Bay Area following Pride events, TerMeer told me.

That prediction turned out to be true. The alert that Fuller received went out to thousands of people. Outrage has ensued, with many taking to Twitter to lambast the vaccine shortage.

The city is drastically unprepared for even a small outbreak of monkeypox. Once again, we find ourselves reacting to a public health crisis that we had ample time to prepare for.

According to the city Department of Public Healths guidelines, anyone at two parties where cases were recorded are eligible for the shot. But the citys immunization clinic, which is offering vaccines on a first-come, first-serve basis, is so swamped its suspended all COVID and low-cost vaccines due to monkeypox demand, and notes on its website that due to staffing shortages it cant keep up with voicemails.

The AIDS Foundation is facing a similar surge. Within one day of setting up a monkeypox vaccine hotline, it received 500 calls. As of Wednesday afternoon, it had 300 people exposed to monkeypox on the waitlist for a vaccine.

The Department of Public Health told me Thursday theyd just received 2,000 doses and are figuring out where to deploy them. But that still may not be enough, and supply is low. Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it planned to distribute just 56,000 doses across the country. An order of 2.5 million doses from the Danish manufacturer of Jynneos is not expected to arrive for months.

In the meantime, the lack of preparation and attention from the federal government and drugmakers is reviving deep trauma for queer people from the early years of the AIDS epidemic.

Im a person whos been living with HIV for 18 years and have a lot of concern about how woefully unprepared we are in this country to respond to this, TerMeer said. It feels like that urgency is not there, which is hard to digest when you are someone who is queer identified and knows the history of whats happened to our community.

Next week, the AIDS Foundation plans to hold a town hall on monkeypox, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro, has called for a hearing on the citys response. But for the thousands of people who received exposure notifications after Pride, who are seeking timely testing and vaccines, a hearing is too little too late.

As for Fuller, hes quarantining at home, but not out of a fear of transmitting monkeypox. Sometime during the Pride festivities, he contracted COVID-19. The irony is not lost on him. My challenge right now is figuring out if my symptoms are related to monkeypox, or is it just COVID? he said.

Until San Francisco catches up, he cant test to find out.

Nuala Bishari is a San Francisco Chronicle opinion columnist and editorial writer. Email: nuala.bishari@sfchronicle.com

Correction: An earlier version of this column misstated Thomas Fullers first name.
Regarding Suspected parade gunman is charged with 7 murders (Nation, July 6): Parents of psychopathic young men who become mass murderers bear unusual burdens of blind grief. Parental concern before the fact of murder appears to be a subject that is off limits.

Yet, will someone inquire why the father in Highland Park would sign and sponsor an application for a gun permit for his son, who police say had threatened to kill his family? This kind of blindness is beyond belief.

Bruce Walker, San Francisco

S.F. can ban plastics

Regarding Newsom signs plastic reduction bill (Bay Area & Business, July 5): Kudos to the Legislature and governor for getting a plastic reduction bill passed.

But the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Mayor London Breed should embrace this cause. One major culprit: restaurants use of plastic takeout containers. Ive been delighted to support restaurants with lots of takeout for two years, but Im very tired of the plastic. While I machine wash and reuse these (and have given many away), Im sure most are used once and tossed in the garbage. Even those put into blue bins are unlikely to have been recycled.

Compostable paper cartons would work for about 95% of restaurant takeout orders: Why arent there incentives (taxes, stiff required add-on costs, prohibitions) to move the restaurants to compostable materials?

Marsha Cohen, San Francisco

Get fair representation

Regarding California may need to go it alone (Open Forum, July 6): Anyone considering the idea of secession should read H.W. Brands The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream.

Apparently, Californias admission as the 31st state to the Union as part of the Compromise of 1850 was one of the events that led to the Civil War because California was admitted as a free state, upsetting the balance between slave and free states.

If our admission to the Union helped cause a civil war, one can only imagine the dire consequences that secession might cause.

Another way to resolve the issues raised in Joe Matthews column might be a constitutional amendment to change the allocation of representation in the U.S. Senate.

Blue states like California probably contribute far more than their fair share of taxes to the federal budget and get proportionately less in return. Their rallying cry could be, no taxation without representation, a right that is deeply rooted in this nations history and tradition and implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.

Holly Kraemer, Alameda

California, get out now

Regarding California may need to go it alone (Open Forum, July 6): Joe Mathews is right: Its time to pack a bag. The Supreme Court, in its attempts to return the nation to pre-Civil War white, Christian colonialism, has declared war on us, the majority.

Voting rights, women as decision-makers, guns, even the very air we breathe is now beyond our control. Soon, same-sex marriage will be prohibited, care for transgender youth will be a crime nationwide and even scarier is the strong probability that the Supreme Court will place state elections solely in the hands of state legislatures, rendering the governor and the state courts powerless.

Coincidence? Hardly. Just look around to see where Republicans are in control. Thats how you rig an election. We are no longer safe in our own country. Its time to leave.
Its a paradox that while the internet teems with commentary and opinion, the hometown newspapers where viewpoint journalism was born are growing chilly to their progeny. Hence word that the countrys biggest local news chain, Gannett, is asking its 260 daily papers to dial back their editorial and op-ed pages from every day to once or twice a week.

Gannett has concluded, according to an internal PowerPoint from the editors who prepared the cutback recommendations, that its opinion pages are among our least-read ... (and) least-understood content and are directly tied to our problems in perceived credibility, trust, objectivity, balance ... 

Summing up, Overarching theme from our research: Readers dont want us to tell them what to think.

To be sure, for the biggest player in a troubled industry, money is also a concern. When Gannett was acquired in 2019 for $1.2 billion by the private-equity firm that owns GateHouse Media, it was expected to find $300 million in cost savings. The company, most of whose papers are small and whose flagship is USA Today, is still losing money, $135 million on revenue of $3.2 billion last year, thanks to the enormous debt it must repay to the asset management firm that is determined to make a bundle from the merger.

The dreary financials dont help, and as Rick Edmonds of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies pointed out, Gannett has been looking to scale back its opinion pages for the past five years. To a market-sensitive publisher that frets over any reader disaffection, they are a lightning rod for a fractious audience constantly spoiling for a scrap. Controversy is no longer considered, even relished, as a staple part of news publishing; now its an expensive luxury. Gannetts new policy will do away with nationally syndicated writers and put a premium on locally generated opinion focused on local matters  at lower cost, naturally.

So the question remains whether humility, its owners quest to be profitable or a simple loss of nerve is driving this new policy.

But at a moment when the country is convulsed by rancor over broad political direction, when deeply anti-democratic forces of unprecedented size and resolve are putting core institutions in jeopardy, its impossible to see Gannetts move as anything less than a sweeping act of unilateral disarmament. The companys supposed pivot to local matters is pure jive; local communities arent defined by zoning disputes and pet controls; they are torn by the same issues of justice and social purpose that obsess national audiences. How do you otherwise weigh in on the choice of local officials without declaring whether 2020 election deniers are qualified for office? Or on abortion access?

Moreover, as owner of one-fifth of the countrys dailies, Gannetts move cant help but darken the wider prospects for traditional opinion journalism  to the dismay of the shrunken corps of editorial cartoonists  and cast a shadow over the future of a discourse that once defined the essential civic mission of the whole news enterprise.

Nowadays its reporting, and the determination to expose hidden factual realities, thats the core duty that journalists are encouraged to pursue. But for many years it was the editorialist who epitomized the press  the crusader who sought to persuade not with fresh facts, but with a fresh insistence that known facts be understood in a particular light. The editorialist argues over what the facts mean and why they matter. An abolitionists polemic didnt break the news that slavery exists; it argued that slave holding was incompatible with the countrys values and urged ways to put an end to it.

Opinion writing is part of an engagement that some audiences may find irritating, but theres good evidence that when its done well readers throng to it as provocative and worthwhile. On a given day as many as half the New York Times most read offerings are from its opinion pages. The popularity of successive waves of internet-based commentators  via Twitter and other social media, their own sites, Medium, Reddit or podcasts  indicates a powerful hunger for interpretation, argument and reflection.

So why not via newspapers? Why disqualify the organizations whose entire mission consists of paying close attention to matters unfolding in the public sphere and explaining them to the rest of us?

True, as the Gannett critique points out, some of the chains opinion pages have grown stale and redundant, but that argues for an editorial reboot, not closure. And the idea that opinion columns improperly taint news reporting with institutional preference should be confronted, not surrendered to. Depriving readers of reasoned and thoughtful comment is no way to correct bias if its tilting news coverage.

Obviously, I write this with bias of my own, since Ive been writing opinion for a long time and believe firmly in the value of commentary. Moreover, this piece comes to you only thanks to this organizations belief in comment as part of a nuanced presentation of the issues of the day and its faith in controversy as essential to a robust public sphere.

City and regional newspapers have long been the backbone of the U.S. news business, and even now, they have been battered and diminished, but not replaced. The success of online commentators speaks to the publics hunger for content that interprets and explains, and the news business needs to feature fresh and imaginative ways to satisfy that hunger, not decide its no longer their job to satisfy, and shut down the countrys traditional home for local, independent voices.

Edward Wasserman is a professor and former dean at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley.
With Heather Knight out for the week, San Francisco Chronicle arts and culture columnist Tony Bravo takes Total SF co-hosting duties in to help pick the greatest San Francisco movies of all time.

Host Peter Hartlaub and Bravo choose 10 movies to show in a hypothetical two-day festival at the Castro Theatre. They quickly get five locks  starting with "Vertigo" and "Mrs. Doubtfire"  but struggle near the end, deciding whether to go with established classics or personal favorites. More for you Listen: Castro Theatre's organ player rises again

Listen: Secrets of the Orpheum Theatre!
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San Francisco public transit officials left Richmond District residents perplexed last week after announcing their decision to potentially allow vehicle traffic on a street formerly designated to remain free of cut-through traffic.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced that due to a lack of consensus among community members, vehicle traffic other than local traffic and deliveries may soon be allowed on Lake Street for the first time since the street was designated primarily for pedestrian and cyclist access in April 2020 as part of the citys Slow Streets program. The announcement came nearly a year after the SFMTAs Board of Directors voted to make Lake Street a permanent Slow Street in August.

Its just very puzzling, said Ruth Malone, a member of community organization Friends of Slow Lake Street. Malone suspects influence from Mayor London Breeds office is to blame for SFMTA backtracking on their August decision.

We dont know if shes gotten pressure from a political donor, Malone said. There clearly has been opposition from a lot of wealthy people in Seacliff that have always used Lake Street as their secret cut-through to get to Park Presidio.

Parisa Safarzadeh, spokesperson for Mayor Breeds office, said in a statement emailed to SFGATE that the mayor met with groups on both sides of the debate and encouraged them to work together to come up with a consensus for the future of Lake Street.

Unfortunately, no consensus has been reached as of this time, and we continue to hope that the neighborhood groups can come together, Safarzadeh said.

According to SFMTA, public outreach conducted on the topic resulted in roughly split results, with 54% of respondents in favor of less or no traffic diversion on the corridor and 44% who felt that the proposed diverters were insufficient to create a successful Slow Street. The results of a survey of Lake Street residents conducted by SFMTA in March were overall in favor of keeping the street free of most traffic, with 83.5% of respondents voting in favor of Slow Lake Street.

While the fate of the street is being decided, SFMTA is in the process of approving modifications to the street including stop signs, raised crosswalks and speed cushions. According to Nancy Mullane, a member of Friends of Slow Lake Street, it was announced during a June 29 meeting between the group and a spokesperson from Mayor Breeds office that the barriers on the street that deter drivers from using the street will be removed when those modifications are added.

It was a very strange, bizarre discussion, said Malone of the meeting. They were clearly so uncomfortable. But basically, they said that Slow Lake was not going to be Slow Lake anymore.

SFMTA said the earliest their board can take action on the matter is in September.

Editor's note: This story was edited at 11:15 a.m., July 8, to correct what type of traffic is allowed on Slow Streets.
Dave Schwarz/AP

Five executives from the poultry processing industry have been found not guilty of conspiring to fix prices.

A jury in a Denver federal court acquitted former Pilgrims Pride CEOs Jayson Penn and William Lovette; Roger Austin, a former Pilgrims vice president; Mikell Fries, president of Claxton Poultry and Scott Brady, a Claxton vice president.
BEIJING (AP)  Chinas auto sales fell 7.1% in the first half of 2022 from a year earlier but demand in the industrys biggest global market picked up in June, according to an industry group.

Sales from January to June totaled 12 million vehicles, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported by the official China News Agency. It said that was an estimate based on data from major companies, suggesting it might change later.
For Saturday's Washburn Fire update click here.

LATEST July 8, 5 p.m. A California fire burning in Yosemite National Park continued to tear through a parched landscape Friday afternoon, trigging more evacuations.

Evacuation orders were expanded to include Wawona and Wawona Campground on Friday afternoon.

"Please leave the area immediately," officials said. "Utilize Wawona Road (Hwy 41) northbound toward Yosemite Valley. Southbound traffic is closed at the Wawona Golf Course."

Just before 5 p.m., officials announced the Washburn Fire had burned 466 acres. The blaze started on Thursday at about 2 p.m. The cause of the fire is unknown. The national park had not released an update on the Mariposa Grove as of 5 p.m. Flames reached the grove overnight.

Find updates at InciWeb.

July 8, 9:30 a.m. A California fire that ignited within the southern part of Yosemite National Park on Thursday exploded overnight, quintupling in size and reaching the edges of the famed Mariposa Grove, park officials said.

Park spokesperson Scott Gediman told SFGATE on Friday morning that the Washburn Fire was 250 acres and flames had reached the ege of the Lower Grove. On Thursday night, the fire was mapped at about 46 acres.

The fire started south of the Mariposa Grove at about 2 p.m. on July 7. The grove was evacuated on Thursday and is closed until further notice, Yosemite National Park said.

You can find a map of the evacuation orders on the Yosemite National Park website.

Firefighters are responding to the blaze both on the ground and from the air.

Photos showed visible plumes of smoke for visitors in the park.

Yosemite National Park

One of the most popular visitor attractions in Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove has more than 500 mature giant sequoias. Giant sequoias are the largest trees in the world, and the grove holds trees that may be be thousands of years old. One of the best-known trees, the towering Grizzly Giant, is estimated to be 2,700 years old.

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley Grant Act into law, protecting the land, including Mariposa Grove, for the public and future generations. The bill would inspire what would become the National Park System.

Mariposa Grove was previously closed for three years, from 2015 to 2018, for a $40 million restoration project.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is a developing story and information will be added as it becomes available.
Marco Simoni/Getty Images/Collection Mix: Sub

Editor's note: This story and its accompanying photo have been updated on Saturday, July 9 at 11:00 a.m. to correct the location that Truck will reopen in.



San Francisco mourned when automotive-themed LGBTQ bar Truck closed its doors back in 2015. But seven years later, the divey Mission District bar is making a comeback: this time, in the Castro.

For now, Truck owner Paul Miller tells SFGATE that he's still nailing down a location, but confirmed that it'll be in the historic gay neighborhood. In the meantime, though, Miller told SFist, "The Castro isn't as fun anymore as it should be, and I want to give locals a reason to come back and make it their weekend stomping grounds again." The outlet says that the original Truck bar, which opened in 2007, was a destination off the beaten path on 15th and Folsom. Oftentimes, leather-clad attendees from Dore Alley and Folsom Street Fair would trickle in for their "raunchy" parties that required passwords for entry.
From the first bite I ever took of a Square Pie Guys pizza, back when their popular SoMa restaurant opened in 2019, I was sold. The thick Detroit-style creations with perfectly crispy edges are some of the best pizzas San Francisco has to offer.

With the SoMa location being so close to SFGATEs office, I used to regularly make excuses to duck into Square Pie Guys on a lunch break or after work. But since the pandemic, Ive only been able to enjoy the rectangular cheese bombs from the confines of a takeout box.

Over the Fourth of July long weekend, that changed. Square Pie Guys celebrated the grand opening of its newest location, right on the waterfront at Ghirardelli Square. Best of all, the 3,300-square-foot space is offering dine-in  the first Square Pie Guys location to properly do so in over two years.

Melati Citrawireja / Courtesy of Square Pie Guys

Square Pie Guys hit the jackpot with the new space, with Alcatraz visible from the patio seating. Walking into the sleek, modern space tucked into a brick-walled historic building, I ordered my usual: the How Mush-Room? (a white sauce roasted mushroom pizza) with a side of Green Goddess dressing for dipping.

I had been worried it would be slammed  when the Oakland location opened in early 2021, trying to order a pizza on opening day was a fools errand. But it wasnt difficult at all to find a seat for lunch on this cloudy Saturday afternoon. Either everyone was out of town for the holiday weekend, or people just hadnt yet caught on to the new restaurant.

Only a few minutes into contemplating the lovely view of the bay (and putting on my beanie to brace against the wind), my pizza arrived. While Square Pie Guys pizza generally translates quite well to takeout, something about crunching down on those cheesy edges from an actual plate made it taste even better. And the gorgeous setting certainly didnt hurt.

Melati Citrawireja / Courtesy of Square Pie Guys

We haven't had plateware in either store since March of 2020, said Square Pie Guys co-founder Danny Stoller. So to see our food on plates again, it's like, what? It feels nice.

On the lengthy hunt to add a third location to their arsenal, co-founders Stoller and Marc Schechter were looking for somewhere that would give them easier delivery access to folks in the western part of the city.

We were not expecting to open a location in Ghirardelli Square, Stoller said. Beyond just the fact that it has a reputation of being a bit more touristy, it just wasn't really on our radar as a neighborhood.

Melati Citrawireja / Courtesy of Square Pie Guys

But after checking out the waterfront space at 845 Beach Street, and hearing Ghirardelli Square landlord Jamestowns vision for the area  a curated collection of businesses that represent San Francisco, for locals and tourists alike  they were sold.

In the past few years, Ghirardelli Square has started to become a food destination in its own right, shedding its only-for-tourists reputation. Buzzy dim sum restaurant Palette Tea House and Latin pub Barrio both are pulls for locals to visit the neighborhood, as well as San Francisco Brewing Co. and the Cheese School. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience Store even recently got a slick renovation from the Bay Area design firm behind Apple's retail stores.

With Square Pie Guys now in the mix, Ghirardelli Square is sure to become even trendier.

Melati Citrawireja / Courtesy of Square Pie Guys

We want to get folks that live in Russian Hill, the Marina, Fort Mason, North Beach; we want them to come enjoy our patio, Stoller said. The ideal is you go on a hike in Marin, you come back on the Golden Gate Bridge, you get off, you come to Square Pie Guys, you sit on the patio, drink a beer, eat a pizza, look at the sunset. Life is good.

While still settling into the new restaurant, the Square Pie Guys team already has its eyes on even further expansion.

We're all going to take some time to recharge and refresh, but I think the goal is to get back on the growth focus, Stoller said. We have East Bay, we have two SF locations. What are some other counties where we think we would fit in? Is it Marin, is it South Bay, is it the Peninsula, is it deeper East Bay? Those are the conversations that we're starting to have right now.

Melati Citrawireja / Courtesy of Square Pie Guys

Square Pie Guys, 845 Beach St., San Francisco. Open Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m-10 p.m.
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Hey there friends. Its your ol pal Warner back for more ridicule. Weve been through a lot together over the many years and so Im glad for one of my first acts as president of this esteemed Lions club to be a missive directly from the Lions Club Oval Office. My family and I were honored to attend the 2022 Lions Club International Convention in Montreal this summer. We met Lions from all over the globe in a week-long celebration of service to communities. We got to meet the current International Peace Poster winner, Anja Rozen from Slovenia. She even signed a poster for us! We also were participants in the International Parade. It was the most fun you can have with your boots on. But enough about me, Id like to reserve the rest of my column today for the winner of the Lions Club International Peace Essay Contest, Shreya Zoy of India. Yall have had enough of my witty banter to last a lifetime anyway. And now, Ms Shreya Zoy:

We all know that comforting feeling when we are being physically embraced, feeling heard, emotionally understood and supported by another human being. This warm human connection is very important in maintaining our overall emotional and physical health. There is a saying in Sanskrit Vasudhaiva Kutumbikam mainly the world is one family. Certainly we can see that the whole world is populated by people who are working to attain same things - happiness, peace, security, resources like food and shelter and a hopeful future. Our real identity is not whether we belong to a certain ethnic group or culture. Yes, we may follow different paths or religions but these can be changed and the soul is above all such temporary designations. and the nature of soul is to love and be loved. Happiness is found in relations and no happiness is more than a deep loving relationship. But the highest relationship is that when we are spiritually devoted to the supreme being, the ultimate lovable object. That is eternal spiritual path. By having a solid knowledge of spiritual knowledge, we automatically are respecting all others regardless of their race, gender or species. This brings moral and peaceful social behavior in everyone towards, everyone. By having respect for everyone's spiritual identity, parts and parcels of Lord, also gives us innate happiness. We can understand that we are visiting this planet for a short time and we are all in this together. It is after thousands of destructive wars, humans realized the importance of peace. It applies on every angle like wars, pollution, natural disasters and more. When peace and harmony are maintained, things will continue to run smoothly without any delay. Moreover, it is a saviour for many who do not like to engage in destructing activities and more. I think there is another deeper lesson from Covid-19. A lesson about our interconnection and interdependence. It is now clear that if we follow the right measures of our own, if we wash our hands, if we wear a mask, follow proper social distancing, then we may prevent ourselves from Covid. Unless we are working to make those decisions and choices, then we aren't able to open the school, workplaces are not going to back up and running, our healthcare systems will be continued to be overtaxed and society won't essentially set up. And, one of the lessons of Covid is we can't respond alone. So, we have to mount a unified, thoughtful response. Unity is not just on a country basis, but between countries. We must be able to work together and put our common welfare ahead of our individual choices. If we want to build a unified response to Covid and future pandemics, we recognise that we are truly connected and we depend on one another. To conclude, We are birds of the same nest, wearing different skins, speaking different languages, believing in certain religions and belonging to different culture - yet we are in the same home - our earth. Born on the same planet, covered by the same skies, gazing at the same stars and breathing the same air, we must learn to progress together happily. For humans can live individually but can survive only collectively. Yes, we are all connected.
Lets preview a few things on the calendar for this week or the near future in Conroe.

An encore performance of Always ... Patsy Cline will be July 22-24 and Aug. 12-14 at the Owen Theatre. This is a fundraiser for The Players Theatre Company.

CYT Houston will present Footloose with kids and their parents July 29-31 in four performances at the Owen Theatre. Footloose tickets are only available at www.CYTHouston.org

Grease is the word through Sunday, July 24 at the Crighton Theatre. Get your tickets to Stay Cool with the Class of 1959 at www.CrightonTheatre.org presented by Stage Right of Texas.

The Brian Black Show with special guest musical artist Stephen Pride with a tribute to his late brother Country Music Legend Charley Pride at Pacific Yard House Saturday, July 16. Tickets available at https://bit.ly/3zM7dwl. This event is sponsored by Betty and Gene Wolf of Sharity Productions.

The Isaac Conroe Founders Day is coming up Tuesday, Aug. 2 at the Isaac Conroe Homestead, 202 Ave. A in Conroe from 6-8 p.m. Now owned by the City of Conroe, Conroe Connection Transportation Services are located in this building. This is a free event with elected officials, period costumed docents from the 1800s, cannons, and descendants of Isaac Conroe who died on Aug. 2, 1897.

The Isaac Conroe Look Alike contest will be featured in two age groups for those under 14 and those over 14 for a cash prize. The other contest is for Citizen of the Year. The candidates must live in Conroe, be over 21, have made a significant contribution to the City of Conroe, and must submit an email by July 18 to DGuin@CityofConroe.org. Self- nominations are acceptable with awards given to the winner on Aug. 2 at the event.

The Montgomery County Home and Outdoor Living Show is Saturday, Aug. 20 and Sunday, Aug. 21 at the Lone Star Convention Center. With the Fall and Holidays approaching it is time to plan the decor for your home. Get trendy Holiday Home Decor Ideas from Houston Chronicle Architecture and Design Writer, Diane Cowen, and Holiday organization tips from Professional Organizer, Ellen Delap. Mary Scalli of Simple Elegance, and Certified Interior Designer, will speak on Home Staging and Window Treatments with Hunter Douglas. New for the Fall Show is author and entertaining expert, Ronda Carmen with Holiday Decorating and Entertaining Tips.

Exhibitors still welcome! Special entry half off pricing for pricing for all School Teachers with school ID.

Active Military, Veterans, Fire, Police, and First responders receive a free admission with a valid ID.

Be safe. Shop Local.

- Margie Taylor

Send Historic Downtown Conroe news to margie@taylorizedpr.com.
ANTONIO PEREZ/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Robert "Bobby" Crimo III confessed to law enforcement Wednesday to shooting and killing parade-goers at an Independence Day celebration in Highland Park, Illinois. But according to what he told authorities, he considered doing the same thing in Wisconsin.

After killing seven people and injuring several others, Crimo drove from Highland Park, a northern suburb of Chicago, to Madison, Wisconsin (150 miles/2.5 hours) where he contemplated opening fire again, law enforcement told the media.
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PARIS (AP)  Hundred of firefighters backed by water-dropping planes battled a large forest fire Friday in southeastern France that has forced the evacuation of nearby villages.

Thirteen firefighters have been injured in Bordezac  the village where the fire started. Overall, 18 firefighters have been injured amid several forest fires that have burned for days in the region, according to France Info.

Unfavorable weather  drought, heat and strong winds  are complicating efforts to contain the blaze in the Gard region but its fire service said prospects were more favorable Friday. Other smaller fires have been extinguished.

The service said 880 hectares (2,100 acres) have burned so far in two different sites. More than 900 firefighters and two planes fought the flames in the region.

Near the Bordezac fire, villages were evacuated and roads closed. Laurent Joseph, a top official in the neighboring Bouches-du-Rhone region, told BFM TV that authorities expect to deal with the fire for several days.

The fire threaten the Cevennes, a mountainous region partially protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site that crosses a large section of southeast France.

The regional administration or prefecture on Friday banned people from entering several forests in the area until Monday, to reduce the risk of new fires starting while firefighters work to extinguish those still ablaze.

France's national meteorological service put several neighboring areas on red alert Friday for fire risks and France's Environment Ministry warned citizens in the area to pay careful attention to fire risks.

Wildfires have also hit other countries in Europe this summer, from Greece to Portugal. Scientists say climate change brings more drought and higher temperatures that make it easy for fires to start and spread.
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Alert: Fire official in Japan says Abe was not breathing, heart stopped while being airlifted to hospital for gunshot wound
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CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australia and New Zealands prime ministers agreed Friday that the security implications of Chinas burgeoning influence must be discussed at a meeting of western Pacific leaders next week.

The neighboring countries are the wealthiest in the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum whose leaders will meet July 11-14 in the Fijian capital Suva.

Australia and New Zealand fear the security pact between China and the Solomon Islands struck this year could lead to a Chinese naval base being established in the south Pacific.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern agreed at a joint press conference in Sydney that the security implications of Chinas encroachment in the region needed to be on the agenda.

Theres no doubt that security and security agreements will be a topic at the PIF. It's one of the reasons why Im determined to attend," Albanese said. Its in Australias national interest for me to do so."

Albanese said Australia wanted to remain the security partner of choice for its Pacific island neighbors.

Australias position is that we will continue to engage and we want to cooperate with China where we can, but we will stand up for Australian values when we must, he said.

Ardern said while the agenda was controlled by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the meeting chair, the forums rules allowed for security agreements that effect the region to be discussed.

She said the island countries where not expected to choose between security partners.

It should be the Pacific priorities first and foremost. They should be free of coercion. There should be high quality investment in infrastructure because that is what our region deserves, Ardern said.

New Zealand is very clearly opposed to the militarization of our region, she added.

Due to the pandemic, the Suva summit will be Pacific leaders first opportunity for face-to-face meetings since 2019 when the forum met in Tuvalu.

In May, China fell short on a bold plan to have 10 Pacific nations endorse a sweeping new agreement covering everything from security to fisheries as some in the region expressed deep concerns.

But there were plenty of smaller wins for Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his island-hopping tour of the region.

Wang was in Fiji on May 30 to co-host a key meeting with the foreign ministers from the 10 island nations. At an unusual news conference afterward, Wang and Bainimarama spoke for about 30 minutes and then abruptly left the stage as reporters tried to shout out questions. That left many details of what transpired at the meeting unanswered.

It was clear the nations hadnt endorsed Chinas plan. But Wang managed to sign smaller bilateral agreements with the Pacific nations during his tour.

Albanese expects the forum will be more receptive to his government, which was elected in May, because it has promised more action on climate change and an additional 525 million Australian dollars ($358 million) spent on regional aid. Climate change is the forum's greatest security concern.

China has eased a diplomatic deep freeze it imposed on the previous Australian government for more than two years, during which Beijing refused to return Australian government ministers phone calls. But Defense Minister Richard Marles met his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe in Singapore last month.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is scheduled to meet Wang on Friday as the foreign ministers from the Group of 20 richest and largest developing nations gather in Bali, Indonesia.
WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden delivered an emotional speech Friday announcing an array of steps aimed at bolstering abortion rights, responding to growing demands from activists that he take bolder and more forceful action two weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Biden, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, gave his fiery and at times angry remarks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House before signing an executive order to enhance access to reproductive health-care services. While abortion activists generally welcomed the move, many said it would likely do little for women in states where abortion is banned.

Biden himself acknowledged the limits of his executive powers as he railed against the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, calling it "the Supreme Court's terrible, extreme and, I think, so totally wrongheaded decision." He said the court's majority is "playing fast and loose with the facts" by misrepresenting the history of abortion rights in America.

"What we're witnessing wasn't a constitutional judgment," Biden said. "It was an exercise in raw political power."

While outlining steps to protect doctors, safeguard access to abortion pills, mobilize lawyers and accomplish other goals, Biden reiterated his conviction that the best way to enshrine abortion rights is through the ballot box. Specifically, he said the Senate needs two more pro-abortion rights senators to codify Roe, and he urged women to vote to reclaim their rights.

"The court has made clear it will not protect the rights of women -- period. Period," the president said. "After having made the decision based on a reading of a document that was frozen in time in the 1860s when women didn't even have the right to vote, the court now practically dares the women of America to go to the ballot box and restore the very rights they've just taken away."

Biden grew most visibly angry when he recounted reports that a 10-year-old girl who was raped had been forced to travel from Ohio to Indiana in search of a state where she could still get an abortion.

"Ten years old. Ten years old! Raped, six weeks pregnant, already traumatized, was forced to travel to another state," he said. "Imagine being a little girl -- just imagine being a little girl. . . . A 10-year-old girl shouldn't be forced to give birth to a rapist's child."

Biden's order directs Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to identify ways the administration can help expand abortion access. Most notably, Biden signaled his intention to protect access to medication abortion, or abortion pills, and ensure that pregnant people in emergency situations can access the care they need even if their state has banned abortion.

Washington Post photo by Katherine Frey.

Still, some abortion rights activists said Biden's proposals are unlikely to make medication abortion accessible in states that have banned abortion. Others, while applauding the president's tone, said he should have delivered the speech earlier.

Biden in his order also directed Becerra to protect access to "the full range of reproductive health care services," including emergency contraception, which many abortion rights advocates fear could soon face further restrictions from antiabortion lawmakers.

In a nod to legal battles ahead, Biden ordered the attorney general and the White House counsel to convene groups of private pro bono attorneys, bar associations and public interest groups to encourage legal representation for those seeking or offering reproductive health services.

"Such representation could include protecting the right to travel out of state to seek medical care," according to a White House statement.

Biden also sought to address concerns about patient privacy. He asked the chair of the Federal Trade Commission to consider steps to protect the privacy of consumers who seek information about reproductive health services. HHS will also consider additional actions to prevent information about patients from being disclosed.

Biden is also establishing an interagency Task Force on Reproductive Health Care Access, which will coordinate throughout the government on other potential policies.

Conservatives said Biden was willfully misstating and exaggerating the impact of the court's decision. Women's medical privacy rights, for example, are already protected by law, they said.

"Faced with mounting pressure by pro-abortion radicals, President Biden is using his executive authority to create false panic and spread harmful misinformation surrounding care for women and unborn children, and to inject lies into the public discussion," said Denise Harle, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom.

She added, "The president's new order is a monumental misuse of resources that could instead be channeled toward actually helping pregnant mothers who need support so that they don't feel like abortion is their only choice."

While it is far from clear how much impact the actions will have, advocates have been urging the president to at least try to fight back against abortion rights restrictions, rather than second-guessing them before even making an attempt.

Biden's actions come two weeks after the Supreme Court upended five decades of federal abortion rights.

White House officials have defended his sense of urgency, pointing to an initial speech he gave in the aftermath of the decision and saying the administration is determined to do everything it legally can. Biden's allies have also warned against raising expectations about what a president can accomplish unilaterally in the face of a decisive Supreme Court ruling.

Still, a growing number of Democrats have accused Biden of failing to use the moment to speak out more forcefully and to galvanize the party, noting that there was plenty of time to plan after a draft of the Supreme Court decision leaked two months ago.

Last week, after pressure from some Democrats, Biden called for overturning the filibuster to help codify abortion rights, though two key senators, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have reaffirmed their opposition to such a move, make it highly unlikely. Biden has so far resisted other efforts that Democrats have been pushing him to adopt, and his actions Friday are unlikely to satisfy those wanting bolder steps.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has pressed Biden to expand the Supreme Court, for example, but he has reaffirmed that he will not consider such a move, which would require congressional action in any case. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is among those calling on him to open federal lands to abortion clinics, a tactic the White House has rejected, saying it could jeopardize the safety of women who travel to the clinics.

Some Democrats have urged the president to declare a national health emergency, which they say would give the government more authority to guarantee access to abortion pills, for example. Others have questioned the effectiveness of such a move and noted it would face legal challenges.

Many Democrats welcomed Biden's announcement Friday as a move in the right direction. Warren write on Twitter that "today's actions are important first steps."

Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, highlighted the number of Black and poor women who lack access to abortion and called Biden's actions "a good start."

"We're encouraged by the Biden-Harris administration's work to defend abortion rights and access, and look forward to continuing partnership with the administration to make good on its commitment to championing reproductive freedom," said Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

But Ghazaleh Moayedi, an abortion provider who has worked in Texas and Oklahoma, said Biden's actions fell far short of what was needed.

Abortion, including medication abortion, is now banned in 13 states, and many legal uncertainties have arisen about what doctors and health-care providers can do even in life-threatening situations. Moayedi said many women -- including immigrants, military members and the incarcerated -- will struggle to find care, regardless of Biden's order.

"I want to be hopeful, y'all. I really do. I hope this is a first step, before BOLD action," she wrote in a lengthy Twitter thread. "My community is suffering. We needed help 10 months ago. We are pleading that the administration we voted for, protect our human rights."

Many abortion rights advocates were hoping for bolder, more creative solutions, said Renee Bracey Sherman, executive director of the abortion rights group We Testify. "I'm glad that 18 months into his presidency he has finally figured out he needs to do something about this abortion access crisis, but this is not the list that our movement has given him," Sherman said.

By issuing this executive order, she added, "Biden is choosing not to act."

Other abortion rights advocates were frustrated by the vagueness of the order, particularly its language on medication abortion.

In the executive order, Biden tasks the Department of Health and Human Services with "identifying potential actions" that would protect access to medication abortion. But it's unclear how the administration could intervene in states where abortion pills are already restricted.

Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani, D, said the language could confuse lawmakers, advocates and, most important, patients. Some, she said, might be left wondering whether they can now legally order medication abortion online in states where the procedure is banned.

"It's very unclear," Eskamani said. "We want to be as clear as possible to folks who need care, especially in places like Florida that are restricting access."

But some Democrats, like Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., said the Biden administration's options are limited. "They have the decision to make about what they are legally able to do," she said. "I hope they will continue to push that . . . but I don't think there is a magic thing the executive branch can do."

Biden has stressed from the outset that presidential power can do only so much in the face of a sweeping Supreme Court decision, and he has continued calling for a legislative response, and for voters to elect representatives who will enact a national law guaranteeing abortion rights.

"Go out and vote, for God's sake," Biden said Friday. "There's an election in November. Vote, vote, vote, vote."

He also said that he and his party are all that is standing in the way of plans by congressional Republicans to ban abortion nationwide, a preview of a likely Democratic message in November's midterm elections.

"Let me tell you something. As long as I'm president, it won't happen because I'll veto it," Biden said. "So the choice is clear. If you want to change the circumstance for women and even little girls in this country, please go out and vote."
LANGLEY, Virginia (AP)  President Joe Biden lauded the CIA as the bedrock of our national security during a Friday visit to the agency, which also is part of the wide-ranging intelligence effort to support Ukraine's resistance against Russia.

Biden marked the 75th anniversary of the agency's founding after World War II. While at the headquarters in Virginia, he thanked the CIA for its work in Ukraine and called America's intelligence officers the best in the world.

Predictions that Russia would invade Ukraine in February provided a public boost for spy agencies that are often criticized and facing new pressure to deliver insights on China and Russia. Biden authorized an unprecedented campaign to declassify findings that have been credited with helping build support for severe Russia sanctions and the ramp-up of military support to Kyiv.

It was thanks to the incredible work of our intelligence professionals that we were able to inform the world what Vladimir Putin was planning in Ukraine, Biden told the audience while standing in front of the agency's memorial wall.

Biden came to the White House with a long history of receiving intelligence briefings, having served eight years as vice president and 36 years as a senator from Delaware, where he led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and served on the Intelligence Committee when it was first created in the 1970s. The thing he missed most after leaving the vice presidency, he said, was reading the Presidents Daily Brief, the compilation of the intelligence communitys top collection and analysis.

Ive been involved with your agency for not 75 years, but  I hate to admit it  52 years, Biden said to laughs from the officers gathered. Its very hard to say.

Biden has reestablished a more traditional relationship with the CIA and other agencies after former President Donald Trump repeatedly cast doubt on intelligence findings and attacked what he alleged was a deep state of opponents.

Still, there were tensions last year concerning Afghanistan, with finger-pointing across the government during the fall of the American-backed government as the Taliban overran Kabul. Current and former intelligence officials worked frantically to evacuate Afghans who had helped the U.S. during the two-decade war.

Douglas London, a former CIA officer who has criticized the agency's direction in recent years, said the Russia-Ukraine war has shown the CIA is on its way to becoming an elite spy service again.

Its path to redemption has really been facilitated by Ukraine, said London, author of The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence.

Still, the U.S. intelligence community underestimated Ukraines ability to resist the Russian invasion and wrongly predicted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys government would fall within weeks.

The agencies are reviewing how they assess a foreign government's perceived will to fight  an issue the U.S. also misjudged in Afghanistan last year when it believed President Ashraf Ghani's government would hold out for months, only for Ghani to flee and the Taliban to take Kabul as the U.S. was trying to evacuate.

Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who sits on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees, said he's pushed intelligence officials to review why there were two significant breakdowns in a year.

The quality of the intelligence pre-invasion was excellent and absolutely world-class, King said in a recent interview. The problem was the assessment of what would happen after the invasion.

Most of the intelligence community's work since the war began has been kept secret. U.S. officials have disclosed that it is providing Ukraine with information that Ukrainian forces have in turn used to hit high-value Russian targets, including the flagship Moskva.

The White House has tried to tamp down suggestions that the U.S. is directly helping Ukraine attack Russia out of concern that Putin may see those suggestions as escalations. Biden has said he wants to avoid a third world war.

As Ukraine repelled Russian forces in the first weeks of the war, and under pressure from lawmakers in Washington, the Biden administration loosened its rules on sharing intelligence and is now providing more information to the Ukrainians. It has also committed $7 billion in weapons systems, ammunition and other military aid since the war began.

Ukrainian officials and observers say Ukraine still is vastly outgunned by Russia in what's become a grinding war of attrition heavily reliant on artillery fire. Putin is believed by U.S. intelligence to have not given up on his initial aims to neutralize Ukraine in his eyes.

The U.S. also is involved in shoring up the cyber defenses of Ukraine and other allies against Russia's capabilities to hack and steal from digital systems. And agencies are on watch for election influence or interference from Russia amid expectations that Putin may use U.S. support for Ukraine as justification for another campaign against an American election.

Ultimately, the U.S. calculus is this: We want to do everything we can to support the Ukrainians while avoiding a direct conflict with the Russians, said Dale Buckner, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret who now leads the security firm Global Guardian.
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By some standards, Drew Parker is the definition of an overnight success, even if hes officially around eight years into a career in country music.

I dont know what happened, Parker said by phone Wednesday from his home base in Nashville, Tennessee. All I ever wanted to do was to be able to play music and be able to provide for a family. In terms of that, it was pretty quick.

Parker was raised in the church and saw his musical ability as a God-given gift he had a responsibility to use. It didnt hurt that he simply loved music.

I started playing music at a very young age, he said. Its something I always loved, something I never got burned out on doing.

By 2008 he was a high school junior with something of a gospel music career.

I wasnt a large artist in the gospel industry, he said. Then the economy crashed and my shows kind of stopped.

Parker began playing country music gigs in bars and restaurants around Georgia and signed on with a promoter, opening for rising country stars from Nashville.

One of those rising stars was Luke Combs, with whom he hit it off during a performance in front of a crowd of barely more than a few dozen people.

They began writing songs together and Combs sold Parker on moving to Nashville.

Just knowing what the standard is, I convinced myself that it was quick, Parker said of his success since the move in 2015. But it was definitely a lot of hard work and a lot of nights wondering if I was doing the right thing with my life.

The thing it, its all he ever wanted to do.

My passion to do it outweighed every thought I had of giving up, he said.

Theres never really been a need to give up.

I always wanted to be an artist, Parker said. I wanted to be the guy on stage singing songs and entertaining fans. I had no intention of writing songs as a way to get there.

Still, he signed a publishing deal about 18 months after his move and continued writing music with Combs, including sharing writing credits on Combs Forever After All, a CMA Song of the Year Award nominee. He also shared writing credits on Jake Owens Homemade, which hit the No. 1 spot on country music charts in March 2020.

The week that song went No. 1, that was Sunday, Parker said. On Monday, I quit my day job  and my wife went into labor. Those 72 hours were a pretty crazy time in my life.

Albeit one for which he has an awesome little 2-year-old to show for it, alongside a continually growing career.

Despite being pleased about his success as a songwriter with a tendency toward neo-traditional country music, Parker still wants to be the guy on stage, in front of the band and entertaining a crowd.

He released the single Slow Down Small Town in 2016, followed by four more songs in 2018 and the EP While Youre Gone in 2020. The seven songs on that release were considered too him to let anyone else sing.

The title track of that EP eventually made it to No. 1 on SiriusXMs The Highway and charted on Billboards Country Airplay chart in just two weeks. Parker performed the tune at the Grand Ole Opry this past fall.

Odds are good Parker also will perform it Saturday night on the grandstand stage at the Morgan County Fair, where hes opening for Cody Johnson, with whom hes performed a lot of shows together, he said.

Going to the fair feels like middle-class America showing up to have a good time with their families and to forget about whats going on in the world  to eat all the corn dogs and enjoy being an American, he said. Its going to be a lot of fun.
A Danbury man was killed following an Independence Day motorcycle crash in Great Barrington, Mass., local authorities said.

Police identified the man who died as 68-year-old Antonio DeSousa. Police said he was airlifted to Albany Medical Center, where he died.

Shortly after noon on July 4, DeSousa was riding a 2006 Harley Davidson on Main Street, when he collided with a Honda Accord that was turning left into the driveway of a local restaurant, Great Barrington police said in a news release.

The operator and other occupants of the Honda Accord did not suffer any injuries, the statement from police said. Officers from the Great Barrington Police Department, the Great Barrington Fire Department, Canaan Ambulance, and Sheffield Police assisted on the scene.

Great Barrington police said they were investigating the crash along with the Massachusetts State Police crash unit and the Berkshire County District Attorneys Office.
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A Pennsylvania 911 operator faces a rare charge of involuntary manslaughter for failing to send an ambulance to the rural home of a woman who died of internal bleeding a day later, despite a plea from the woman's daughter that without medical help she's going to die.

A Greene County detective last week filed charges against Leon Lee Price, 50, of Waynesburg, in the July 2020 death of Diania Kronk, 54, based on Price's reluctance to dispatch help without getting more assurance that Kronk would actually go to the hospital.

I believe she would be alive today if they would have sent an ambulance, said Kronks daughter Kelly Titchenell, 38.

Price, who also was charged with reckless endangerment, official oppression and obstruction, questioned Titchenell repeatedly during the four-minute call about whether Kronk would agree to be taken for treatment.

Price was arraigned June 29 and released on bail. He did not reply to messages left at a home number listed in his name, and officials said a defense lawyer has not contacted district court.

It has to be very clear throughout the entire state, that when you call it's not going to be conditioned on somebody on the other end of the phone saying there's going to be a service provided or not, said Lawrence E. Bolind Jr., who represents Titchenell in a federal lawsuit filed last month. What we're trying to do here is make this never happen to somebody else.

In the 911 recording, an operator identified by police as Price replied to Titchenells description of her mother as needing hospital treatment by asking if she was willing to go to the hospital about a half-hour away from where she was living in Sycamore.

She will be, 'cause Im on my way there, so shes going, or shes going to die, Titchenell told Price as she drove from her home in Mather.

Price said he would send an ambulance but then added that we really need to make sure shes willing to go.

Shes going to go, shes going to go, Titchenell said. Cause if not, shes going to die, theres nothing else. She said that Kronk was not thinking clearly and that she was her mothers closest relation. When Price again asked if Kronk would in fact go, Titchenell replied: OK, well, can we just try?

After Titchenell told Price she was about 10 minutes from her mother's home, Price asked if Titchenell would call 911 back once she made sure Kronk was willing to go in an ambulance.

Im sorry, Titchenell said, and Price replied: No, dont be sorry, maam. Just call me when you get out there, OK?

When Titchenell and her three children arrived at the house, she said, Kronk was nude on the front porch and talking incoherently. She got her mother to put on a robe.

She just kept saying she was OK, she's fine, Titchenell said. She's the mom, you know  she doesn't listen to her children.

Titchenell said she could not call from the home because her mother's landline could not be located and there was not cell service. She also did not call on her way home, believing that her uncle would soon check on her and that another contact with 911 would be pointless.

This is unheard of, to me. I mean, theyll send an ambulance for anything, Titchenell said. And here I am telling this guy that my moms going to die. Its, like, her death, and she doesnt get an ambulance.

Her brother found the next day that their mother had died.

The prosecutor, Greene County District Attorney Dave Russo, said he is also investigating whether there was any policy or training under which the countys 911 dispatchers were allowed to refuse services to callers.

We all deserve equal protections, and we all deserve access to medical services, Russo said in an interview. I have a major concern as to the safety of the community in regards to this.

John Kelly, a Naperville, Illinois, lawyer who is general counsel to the National Emergency Number Association, said criminal charges against dispatchers for failing to send help are very rare but have happened.

In a case Kelly teaches in dispatcher training, a 911 operator in Detroit received a year of probation in 2008 and lost her job after, authorities said, she did not take seriously a boys calls to report his mother had collapsed. The 5-year-old boy testified that the dispatcher accused him of playing games and hung up on him, while the dispatcher testified that she could not hear the child.

Titchenell, on behalf of her mothers estate, sued Price and Greene County in Pittsburgh federal court last month, along with two 911 supervisors. The lawsuit accuses Price of callous refusal of public emergency medical services.

Marie Milie Jones, a lawyer for the county and 911 supervisors in the federal case, said her clients plan to vigorously defend the lawsuit and do not believe they are liable for Kronks death. She said there are personnel matters that are ongoing regarding Price but declined to elaborate.

It's unfortunate that this woman had died. Certainly, from a personal standpoint, thats very difficult, Jones said. Im not going to comment on the details of her circumstances.

Titchenell told Price that her mother had been drinking heavily for some weeks before she died, and that Titchenell had noticed she was losing weight and was turning yellow. She said the autopsy concluded Kronk, who worked in home health care, died of internal bleeding.

She said she thinks about her late mother every day  how the former longtime sub shop manager loved to cook, to help people and to spoil her five grandchildren, how she would pile a mountain of presents under the tree every Christmas.

She had the biggest heart, Titchenell said. If someone didn't have a place to live, she was going to take them in, give them a bed. That was Mom.
BANGOR, Maine (AP)  A man who crashed his car in Acadia National Park in 2019, killing three passengers, was sentenced Friday in federal court to more than three years in prison.

Praneeth Manubolu, 31, had pleaded guilty in January to charges of manslaughter, driving under the influence, and unsafe operation of a motor vehicle.
CINCINNATI (AP)  A former Cincinnati City Council member was convicted Friday of federal charges of bribery and attempted extortion but was acquitted on four other counts.

Democrat P.G. Sittenfeld, 37, had maintained his innocence against allegations that he agreed to accept $40,000 in payments to his political action committee to deliver the votes in the City Council for a proposed downtown real estate development. He had been considered a top contender to run for mayor before he was indicted in November 2020.
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SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP)  Nightly protests in North Macedonia over the past week have left dozens injured. At the heart of the turmoil is the small Balkan countrys long-running quest to join the European Union, a process that has faced one hurdle after the other.

The most recent obstacle is a veto by EU member Bulgaria. A French proposal for a compromise to address Bulgarias concerns has divided North Macedonia, sparking the sometimes violent protests. France's plan also met deep objections in Bulgaria and helped to bring down the government, which had accepted the compromise.

WHAT IS THE DISPUTE ABOUT?

North Macedonia has been an EU candidate for 17 years. The country emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and sought to forge a strong national identity. But in a region where borders and ethnicities have shifted and overlapped over centuries, it was beset by problems from the start.

The country's chosen name, Macedonia, sparked outrage in neighboring Greece, which said the term harbored expansionist aims against its own province of the same name and was an attempt to usurp Greek history and culture. Athens held up Skopjes EU and NATO membership bids for years, until a 2019 deal was reached that included the smaller country changing its name to North Macedonia.

But the following year, neighboring Bulgaria blocked the renamed nation's attempts to join the EU, accusing Skopje of disrespecting shared cultural and historic ties. Among Bulgarias key demands were acknowledgment that the language of North Macedonia derived from Bulgarian, and the recognition of a Bulgarian minority.

The size of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia is a matter of contention. Official data from the 2021 census put it at 3,504 people, or about 0.2% of the population. Bulgaria has doubted the figure, noting that about 90,000 of North Macedonia's roughly 2 million population received dual Bulgarian citizenship over the last two decades based on their family roots. About 53,000 more applications are pending.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

North Macedonias EU bid is tied to a similar bid by neighboring Albania. Both countries see joining the 27-nation bloc as a means of securing stability and prosperity in an increasingly unstable world. The EU prospects of the Western Balkan countries gained increased attention in the wake of the blocs efforts to bring Ukraine closer following the Russian invasion.

WHAT IS THE FRENCH PROPOSAL?

France held the rotating EU presidency between January and June and so has been deeply involved in negotiations to break the deadlock. EU leaders held a summit with Western Balkan nations last month, during the same week they made Ukraine and Moldova candidates for EU membership.

French President Emmanuel Macron hoped to present unblocking the EU bids of North Macedonia and Albania as a major success. On Thursday, the French Embassy in Skopje posted a message from Macron.

Once again, North Macedonia has reached a crucial moment in its history. Seventeen years after receiving candidate status, a historic opportunity has opened: .... The choice is yours, he said.

Macrons proposal envisages concessions from both sides. The government in Skopje would commit to changing its constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority, protect minority rights and banish hate speech.

The French leader stressed the proposal doesnt question the official existence of a Macedonian language, but he noted that, like all deals, it rests on compromises and on a balance.

HOW WAS THE PROPOSAL RECEIVED?

The compromises in the French proposal led to rifts in both countries.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkovs centrist government was toppled in a no-confidence vote on June 22. A junior governing partner quit the fragile four-party coalition, describing Petkovs willingness to lift the veto of North Macedonia as a national betrayal. An early election could result in a stronger presence in parliament of nationalist and pro-Russia lawmakers.

The National Assembly already has approved the proposal, but legislators set additional conditions for agreeing to North Macedonia's EU membership. They included proper constitutional protection for Bulgarians living in North Macedonia, and no assumption that Bulgaria would recognize Macedonian as a separate language from Bulgarian.

In North Macedonia, both President Stevo Pendarovski and the government of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevsk backed the proposal as a reasonable compromise. Accepting it will be neither a historic triumph, as one camp would call it, nor a historic failure or debacle, as those in the other camp say, Pendarovski said.

The government has stressed the proposal does not endanger national interests or identity. But the center-right main opposition party, the VMRO-DPMNE, as well as others, disagree, saying the deal favors Bulgarian demands that question North Macedonia's history, language, identity, culture and heritage.

Biljana Vankovska, a law professor at the Saint Cyril and Methodius University's Institute for Security, Defense and Peace, slammed the French proposal as bowing to the nationalistic and chauvinistic demands of Bulgaria.

It is unbelievable that a small nation was asked to give up its language, history and constitution-making powers to external powers in order to start the EU accession process, she said.

Political analyst Albert Musliu, head of the Association for Democratic Initiatives think tank, argued the proposal offers North Macedonia a chance to start membership talks with the EU.

If you ask me whether it is fair, then yes, the proposal is unfair, but international order is not based on fairness, he said.

WHATS NEXT?

Bulgaria has accepted the French proposal, which now requires the backing of North Macedonias parliament. The text is now at committee level in parliament. No plenary session has been scheduled.

___

Toshkov reported from Sofia, Bulgaria. Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed

___

Follow AP's coverage of the European Union at https://apnews.com/hub/european-union
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The family of a Black man in Connecticut, paralyzed when a police van without seatbelts braked suddenly, asked federal authorities Friday to file civil rights charges against the officers involved.

The driver was taking Randy Cox, 36, to a police station in New Haven, Connecticut, on June 19 for processing on a weapons charge when he braked hard to avoid a collision, police said, causing Cox to fly headfirst into the wall of the van. His family said he remains paralyzed from the chest down.

Cox's mother, two sisters and civil rights attorney Ben Crump spoke before meeting with U.S. Department of Justice officials in New Haven Friday, arguing that Cox's constitutional rights were violated.

You ask yourself, was it cruel and unusual punishment to put him in the back of that police transportation van with no seat belt, knowing that if you're speeding, if you slam on the brakes, that somebody is going to be seriously injured? Crump said.

Cox's supporters say the police mocked his cries for help and accused him of being drunk. Video shows the officers dragged him by his feet from the van and placed him in a holding cell at the police department before paramedics finally took him to a hospital. Cox remains hospitalized and unable to speak because of his breathing tube.

Hundreds of protesters led by Crump, members of Cox's family and the local NAACP staged a march Friday evening in New Haven to the city's police headquarters. With many carrying signs and banners with Cox's face and the hashtag #Justice4RandyCox, the crowd chanted slogans like "Randy Cox's life matters," protect Black people and no justice, no peace."

Using a bullhorn, Crump and others yelled to the marchers: "If I say my neck is broke." In unison, they responded: "Don't take it as a joke.

The city announced a series of police reforms Thursday stemming from the case. The reforms include eliminating the use of police vans for most prisoner transports and using marked police vehicles instead. They also require officers to immediately call for an ambulance to respond to their location if the prisoner requests or appears to need medical aid.

Cox's family said they appreciate the gesture but want more to be done.

Why do you need a policy that says if someone needs help for you to give them help? Latoya Boomer, Cox's sister, said. That should never have to be a policy. That should be in your own brain already.

Five members of the New Haven Police Department who were involved in the transport remain on leave while the episode is investigated.

I  slash we  want them fired and arrested, and I'm going to keep saying it until it happens, Boomer said.
FERNDALE, Wash. (AP)  The Ferndale Police Department has identified and is searching for a man suspected of shooting and killing a business owner in northwest Washington Thursday afternoon.

Police are searching for 49-year-old Todd D. Andersen on suspicion of first-degree murder, according to a news release from the city of Ferndale. Andersen is believed to be driving a rented silver 2020 Dodge Charger with Oregon license plates, according to the release.
HONOLULU (AP)  Hawaii's governor ordered the U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff to honor former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling the assassinated ex-leader a friend of the islands.

Because flags are already at half-staff honoring victims of an Independence Day parade shooting in Chicago, Hawaii Gov. David Ige said the flags will be lowered in Abe's memory from sunrise to sunset on Sunday.
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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  As missed warning signs pile up in investigations of mass killings, New York state is rolling out a novel strategy to screen applicants for gun permits. People seeking to carry concealed handguns will be required to hand over lists of their social media accounts for a review of their character and conduct.

Its an approach applauded by many Democrats and national gun control advocacy groups, but some experts have raised questions about how the law will be enforced and address free speech concerns.

Some of the local officials who will be tasked with reviewing the social media content also are asking whether they'll have the resources and, in some cases, whether the law is even constitutional.

Sheriffs havent received additional money or staffing to handle a new application process, said Peter Kehoe, the executive director of the New York Sheriffs Association. The law, he asserted, infringes on Second Amendment rights, and while applicants must list their social media accounts, he doesn't think local officials will necessarily look at them.

I dont think we would do that, Kehoe said. I think it would be a constitutional invasion of privacy.

The new requirement, which takes effect in September, was included in a law passed last week that sought to preserve some limits on firearms after the Supreme Court ruled that most people have a right to carry a handgun for personal protection. It was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, who noted shooters sometimes telegraph their intent to hurt others.

Increasingly, young men have gone online to drop hints of whats to come before executing a mass killing, including the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.

Under the law, applicants have to provide local officials with a list of current and former social media accounts from the previous three years. It doesnt specify whether applicants will be required to provide access to private accounts not visible to the general public.

It will be up to local sheriff's staff, judges or county clerks to scroll through those profiles as they check whether applicants have made statements suggesting dangerous behavior.

The law also will require applicants to undergo hours of safety training, prove theyre proficient at shooting, provide four character references and sit for in-person interviews.

The law reflects how the Supreme Court ruling has shifted responsibility to states for vetting those who carry firearms in public, said Tanya Schardt, senior counsel and director of state and federal policy for gun control advocacy organization Brady.

Her group said it was not aware of any other states requiring gun permit applicants to submit social media profiles.

The new approach, however, comes amid growing debate over the policing of social media posts and a legacy of unwarranted surveillance of Black and brown communities.

The question should be: Can we do this in an anti-racist way that does not create another set of violence, which is the state violence that happens through surveillance? said University of Pennsylvania social policy, communications and medicine professor Desmond Upton Patton, who also founded SAFElab, a research initiative studying violence involving youths of color.

Meanwhile, gun rights advocates are blasting the law.

Youre also going to have to tell them your social media accounts because New York wants to thoroughly investigate you to figure out if youre some of those dangerous law-abiding citizens who are taking the country by storm and causing crime to skyrocket, Jared Yanis, host of the YouTube channel Guns & Gadgets, says in a widely viewed video on the new law. What have we come to?

Hochul, who also has tasked state police with routing out extremism online, didn't immediately respond to a list of questions about the social media requirement, including how the state will address free speech and privacy concerns.

Often the sticking point is: How do we go about enforcing this? Metro State University criminal justice professor James Densley, cofounder of research initiative The Violence Project, said. I think it starts to open up a bit of a can of worms, because no one quite knows the best way to go about doing it.

It can be tricky, he said, to decode social media posts by younger people, who could simply be expressing themselves by posting a music video.

Where this will get tricky is to what extent this is expression and to what extent is this evidence of wrongdoing? Densley said.

Spokespeople for the social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, 4Chan and Parler didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

New York should instead consider giving the job to a trained group tasked with figuring out how to best reach out to people online who are showing signs of radicalization or trauma and may need help, Patton said.

There's a lot of nuance and contextual issues. We speak differently; how we communicate, that could be misunderstood, Patton said. Im concerned we dont have the right people or the right tools in place to do this in a way thats useful in actually preventing violence.

Adam Scott Wandt, a public policy professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said that he supports gun control, but that he worries the New York law could set a precedent for mandatory disclosure of social media activity for people seeking other types of licenses from the state.

New York's law is rushed and vague, said Wandt, who teaches law enforcement personnel how to conduct searches on people through social media.

I think that what we might have done as a state here in New York is, we may have confirmed their worst fears  that a slippery slope will be created that will slowly reduce their rights to carry guns and allow a bureaucracy to decide, based on unclear criteria, who can have a gun and who cannot, Wandt said. Which is exactly what the Supreme Court was trying to avoid.

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Maysoon Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter.
KINSHASA, Congo (AP)  Rebels attacked a hospital in Congo and killed at least 13 people, including infants and patients, according to hospital and military officials. The Congolese army said three attackers were killed when the military intervened.

Some hospital staff are missing and several houses were burned in the attack Thursday night on the medical center in Lume, North Kivu province. It's the largest health facility in the region.

Among those killed in the attack were three infants and four patients, hospital chief Kule Bwenge told reporters.

Four blocks of the medical center were set on fire. Several sick guards, as well as a nurse, are missing, he said.

The reason for targeting the hospital was unclear.

In the nearby village of Kidolo, four other people were killed with machetes and shot, apparently as part of the same attack.

North Kivu military spokesman Anthony Mualushayi said the attackers were Mai-Mai militia members from the Dido group. In addition to the attackers who were killed, one was captured in the ensuing clashes, he said.

But local civic groups accused rebels of the Uganda-based Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, of carrying out the attack. ADF rebels have been active in eastern Congo for decades and have killed thousands in the region since they resurfaced in 2013.

Other attacks were reported last week in the nearby towns of Bulongo and Kilya, also in North Kivu.

North Kivu is in eastern Congo and borders Uganda and Rwanda. Eastern Congo sees daily threats from armed groups battling for the regions rich mineral wealth, which the world mines for electric cars, laptops and mobile phones.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  A federal judge in North Dakota has denied the states request to throw out a lawsuit brought by two Native American tribes that allege the states new legislative map dilutes tribal members voting strength.

The lawsuit filed in February by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and the Spirit Lake Tribe alleges that the state's Republican-led Legislature's new map violated the Voting Rights Act.

U.S. District Judge Peter Weltes ruling Thursday dismissed the states argument that the tribes lacked the standing to sue.

Welte, who is based in Fargo, said the states argument was without merit and the tribes do have standing to protect the voting rights of its members.

Secretary of State Al Jaeger, the states top elections official, said Friday that he would not comment on ongoing litigation.

The Legislature approved the map in November. It separates the state House districts on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in northern North Dakota and the Fort Berthold reservation, which is home to the Three Affiliated Tribes and in the west of the state.

Turtle Mountain argues that the map packs tribal members into a single House district on its reservation while diluting their vote with non-native voters in the non-reservation subdistrict.

Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold were the only tribes of five that occupy American Indian reservations in the state that had the needed population to qualify under the Voting Rights Act for split House districts, which is about 8,450 people at present for each divided district.

Tribal leaders from Spirit Lake, which is less than 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the Turtle Mountain Reservation, appealed to legislators during the redistricting process to include its reservation with Turtle Mountain to bolster its voting power.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)  A Kentucky man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining pandemic small business loans totaling more than $1.3 million.

Federal authorities said he used some of the funds to pay off gambling debts.
DENVER (AP)  A man who allegedly made a threatening phone call against Colorado's top elections official has been charged with retaliating against an elected official, prosecutors said Friday.

Kirk Wertz, 52, was arrested Wednesday in suburban Denver over the June 30 phone call to the office of Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold after investigators tracked his cell phone moving from Goodland, Kansas to Colorado, according to a court document. Authorities have not revealed what the alleged threat was. His alleged statements to the person that answered the phone at Griswold's office and to a state trooper who called the number back later were redacted from a document explaining why he was arrested.
A man was taken into custody in Massachusetts on Friday in connection with the shooting deaths of two people in Gorham, New Hampshire, authorities said.

Craig Keville, 33, formerly of Berlin, New Hampshire, was taken into custody in Arlington, Massachusetts, police said. He was being held on a fugitive from justice charge.
Michigan officials are extending their condolences to the loved ones of a Detroit police officer who died Wednesday after a shooting on the city's west side.

The officer has been identified as Loren Courts, 40, authorities confirmed Thursday, as many people, including police in other cities, sent messages of condolence to the officer's family and colleagues.

"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of Officer Loren Courts and the entire Detroit Police Department in the wake of this tragedy, especially his wife and two children," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement Thursday. "May we honor and remember him as a hero and recognize the sacrifice those in law enforcement make on a daily basis."

Courts was a five-year veteran of the department and "comes from a long history of law enforcement officers." Detroit police Chief James White said Courts' father recently retired from the department.

He is survived by his wife, Kristine Courts, and his 15-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter who called him their Batman.

Kristine shared a tribute to her late husband on Facebook Thursday. "Me and my babies will never be the same," she wrote. "I already miss his hugs, his voice, his jokes, and his smile with those eyes. Rest in peace daddy, we will never stop loving you."

White said Courts and his partner responded about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to a call of a man firing a weapon in the area of Joy Road and Marlowe Street on Detroits west side. He said when the officers arrived, they were met by the suspect who was armed with an assault-style weapon and firing in their direction, according to reporting by The Associated Press.

White said Courts was struck and his partner returned fire, fatally striking the suspect. Courts was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

"With a heavy heart... I have to inform our department and our community that we lost one of our heroes today," White told reporters outside the hospital. "A very sad and tragic event..."

Governor Whitmer plans to lower U.S. and Michigan flags throughout the state of Michigan on the date of interment or another date chosen by the family.

"Michigan is heartbroken by the loss of Officer Loren Courts," Whitmer said in a statement Thursday. "Officer Courts was a dedicated public servant and proud Detroiter. He loved his job and put on his uniform every day to keep his community safe. Yesterday, he made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Officer Courts was a second-generation Detroit police officer. He followed in his fathers footsteps and was a hero to all those who knew him, especially his wife and kids."

Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield called Courts' "untimely death" tragic and an "unimaginable loss," noting that he "set out to protect and serve" and "we are humbled by his bravery and heroism."

The investigation is ongoing.

A GoFundMe was created Thursday. The funds will go toward raising the Courts' children, according to the page.
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MONTEVALLO, Ala. (AP)  Mourners remembered an Alabama sheriffs deputy who was shot and killed by a fleeing suspect as a hero at his funeral Friday.

Bibb County Sheriffs Deputy Brad Johnson, 32, died June 30, a day after being shot. Another deputy was shot and injured, but survived.

Its been said a coward dies a thousand deaths; a hero, but one. Brad Johnson was a hero, Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade said at the service.

Johnson, the father of two daughters, was killed ahead of his upcoming wedding, which was scheduled to be held soon in Florida, his father said.

Hold your loved ones close, because you never know when it will be their last time to see you," Johnsons father, Steven Johnson, said during the service.

Johnson had joined the sheriff's department in 2014 and became a canine handler. His K9, Bodie, was walked to the flag-draped coffin and sat by family members during the memorial service.

The deputy who was injured in the shooting, Chris Poole, sent a letter that read: You're my hero, brother. We didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve this, brother.

Poole said he wants the opportunity to face the man who shot them and ask why he did it in court.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered flags be lowered to half-staff until sunset the next day in honor of Johnsons funeral.

Austin Hall, 26, is charged with capital murder in Johnsons death and attempted murder in the shooting of Poole.
PAMPLONA, Spain (AP)  Authorities reported no gorings Friday during the second San Fermin Festival bull run in the Spanish city of Pamplona, though six people were taken to the hospital with injuries, the Red Cross said.

The running of the bulls, which lasted three minutes and 10 seconds, produced some hairy moments as runners slipped or tripped and fell while the bulls charged down the narrow streets of the event route.
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

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Experts warn against using herbs as abortion alternative

CLAIM: Herbs including pennyroyal, mugwort and parsley are viable alternatives to abortion.

THE FACTS: Experts strongly warn against trying to self-manage an abortion using any herbs, as many of these alleged remedies not only do not work but are dangerous or even deadly. In the weeks since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn constitutional protections for abortion, social media posts suggesting potentially toxic herbal remedies to end pregnancies have surged. TikTok videos touting herbal teas and essential oils as abortion alternatives have received massive engagement on the platform. Facebook and Instagram posts have instructed pregnant people to avoid herbs like pennyroyal, parsley, mugwort, rue, black cohosh and blue cohosh if they want to keep their pregnancies, with the subtext that people should try the herbs if they want to miscarry. The posts have alarmed obstetricians and toxicologists, who say herbal remedies are not only generally ineffective as abortion alternatives, but are often dangerous or even deadly for the pregnant person. There are no herbal remedies, period, that are safe and effective for inducing an abortion or preventing pregnancy, Dr. Ryan Marino, a medical toxicologist who teaches at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, told The Associated Press. Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a gynecologist and professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, also strongly urged women seeking an abortion not try any herbal therapies. This is how women can die. I am strongly urging women to contact their providers to talk about options, and if they dont have a provider, call the nearest Planned Parenthood, Minkin wrote in an email to the AP. For example, pennyroyal, a plant featured in many of the posts, contains a compound called pulegone that is toxic to the liver and potentially deadly. Theres no safe amount of pennyroyal that can be ingested, Marino said, and applying the oil topically is also not advised. Mugwort and wormwood, herbs also recommended in several posts, contain a compound called thujone that can cause very difficult-to-treat refractory seizures, he said. The herb rue can cause organ injury, black cohosh has been associated with liver injuries, and blue cohosh can make people sick to their stomach, he said. Even seemingly benign herbs like parsley if consumed in certain ways can be toxic to the liver, neurons and kidneys, Marino said. While such severe health effects might cause someone to lose a pregnancy, they can also cause the recipient to lose their life, he said. Representatives from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also warn against taking herbs as alternatives to abortion and following advice from social media. Dr. Nisha Verma, a Darney-Landy fellow at ACOG, noted in an email that people can safely self-manage medication abortions under the guidance of medical professionals.

 Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report with additional reporting from Graph Massara in San Francisco.

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Imagery shared with false context amid Dutch farmer protests

CLAIM: A video shows a tank purchased by Dutch farmers who will use it to block distribution centers.

THE FACTS: The tank in the video wasnt purchased by protesters. Instead, the video shows a vintage tank being returned to its owners warehouse after it was brought out to be featured at a museum. As thousands of farmers in the Netherlands protest the governments plans to slash emissions that livestock produce in their waste, old and out-of-context footage is circulating on social media with false claims that it shows the current demonstrations. A video of a tank being returned to a warehouse is spreading on Twitter with false claims that it was purchased by protesters. The video shows a tank with the number 34 emblazoned on its side, unloading from a truck and rolling down a street. So, uh.... Dutch farmers have purchased a tank to use to block distribution centres, read a tweet with the video shared more than 13,000 times. Farmers in the #Netherlands have just purchased a British tank from Russian arms dealers  to use against Dutch police, another tweet read. Yet a closer look at the video shows the vehicle is actually a restored vintage tank. The numbers printed on the tank match those of a restored WWII Sherman Firefly tank that was featured in an advertisement for a June 2022 Tankfest event held by the Tank Museum in Bovington, U.K. An online document showing Surviving Sherman Firefly tanks also features a photo of the tank, explaining it was built in 1943 and is located in the Netherlands. The document identifies the owner of the tank as Classic MVs. A Facebook page for Classic MVs, which did not respond to a request for comment, has posted several photos and videos of the tank in recent months. The footage includes the same background as is featured in the tweet, as well as showing the tank loaded on the same loading truck. Classic MVs explained in a June 29 Facebook post that the tank did not make it to its scheduled exhibition due to issues with customs/export papers etc. Instead, the owner wrote, they participated in an event nearby. Separately, a post claiming to show tractors packing a roadway during the current protests actually contains a 2-year-old photo. And footage of a 2020 protest against pandemic restrictions in The Hague is circulating with false claims that it shows undercover police at a recent farmer protest.

 Ali Swenson

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Posts mischaracterize Florida law on college campus surveys

CLAIM: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill requiring college students and professors to register their political views with the state.

THE FACTS: The 2021 law requires public universities in Florida to conduct annual intellectual freedom surveys, but it does not mandate respondents register their political views with the government. Criticism of the year-old Florida bill has reemerged online this week. Author Stephen King tweeted about the bill on Tuesday, stating, DeSantis signs bill requiring Florida students, professors to register political views with state. Kings tweet mirrored language used in a June 23, 2021, headline by Salon that was changed on Wednesday to say DeSantis signs bill requiring survey of Florida students, professors on their political views. An editors note stated that the headline was revised to more accurately reflect the language of the bill in question. The initial headline, and Kings tweet, are misleading because the survey is voluntary, according to multiple legal experts who reviewed the bill, including a University of Florida law professor. The bill requires the State Board of Education and The Board of Governors to create a survey to be administered annually by the Florida College System and the State University System that considers the extent to which competing ideas and perspectives are presented and how free members of the college communities feel to express their beliefs and viewpoints. The boards are required to publish the results annually, beginning Sept. 1, but officials have not said what will be done with the findings, the AP has reported. Language included in communications to employees and students make it clear that participation was not mandatory and the survey was anonymous. It is not required that faculty, staff and students have to register their political beliefs with the state of Florida, said Clay Calvert, a University of Florida law professor specializing in communications law and freedom of speech. Whats true is that state universities do have to administer surveys on intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity to students, faculty and staff. So thats where the disconnect is. Republican Rep. Spencer Roach, who sponsored the bill in the Florida House, called the recent interpretations calling it a mandatory registration factually inaccurate. Thats not what the statutory language said, Roach told the AP. He explained that the law states the survey has to be objective, nonpartisan and statistically valid. No one is requiring anyone on campus to declare their party affiliation, Roach added. When DeSantis signed the bill in June 2021, it didnt include many details about the survey. Many critics voiced concern that it could be used as a way to withhold state funds from universities if data suggests there is perceived bias on campus, despite factors that may skew the responses, Calvert said. The survey has been sent to students and employees within the state college and university systems, according to email communications reviewed by the AP. An email with the survey that was sent to faculty at the University of Florida in April stated: Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary. You are free to not answer any question or withdraw from the survey at any time. All responses are anonymous. An email sent to students at the University of Florida and other system schools used similar language. Still, a union representing faculty at Floridas state universities discouraged members from taking it and argued that faculty members could be identified and targeted through certain questions, the AP has reported.

 Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in New York contributed this report.

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NASA did not attribute climate change to the Earths orbit

CLAIM: NASA admitted that climate change is due to the Earths orbit around the sun, not greenhouse gas emissions.

THE FACTS: NASA has not made such a determination, and it agrees with the scientific consensus that climate change is driven by greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity, a spokesperson told The Associated Press. A blog post falsely claiming that NASA has acknowledged in the past that climate change is being caused by the Earths solar orbit, not human activity like consuming fossil fuels, spread widely on social media in recent days. The blog post, which is dated August 2019, claims that NASA has known for decades that changes to planetary weather patterns are completely natural and normal. The post stated that, in 1958, NASA first observed that changes in the solar orbit of the earth, along with alterations to the earths axial tilt, are both responsible for what climate scientists today have dubbed as warming. The AP has previously debunked similar claims made in 2019. NASA has reached no such conclusion, Tylar Greene, a spokesperson for the agency, confirmed. I am not aware of any official NASA statement or announcement making that claim or determination, Greene wrote in an email to the AP. The information in this post isnt accurate. Scientists are confident Earths recent warming is primarily due to human activities  specifically, the direct input of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into Earths atmosphere from burning fossil fuels or other anthropogenic activities, Greene added. The past eight years are the warmest years since modern record keeping began in 1880, he noted. The 2019 blog post asserted that climate change is explained by a theory promoted by the Serbian scientist Milutin Milankovitch about how changes in the Earths solar orbit affect the planets climate in the long-term. But Greene wrote that Milankovitch cycles, which include the angle of the Earths axis, the direction that Earths spin axis is pointed, and the shape of the Earths orbit, dont account for climate change. These cycles affect the amount of sunlight and therefore, energy, that Earth absorbs from the Sun. Milankovitch cycles have played an important role in climatic changes during Earths history, Greene wrote. However, they are not responsible for the current period of rapid warming Earth has experienced since the pre-Industrial period (the period between 1850 and 1900), and particularly since the mid-20th century.

 Associated Press writer Josh Kelety in Phoenix contributed this report.

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Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck

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PROVIDENCE, R.I.. (AP)  A Providence police officer accused of assaulting a woman at an abortion-rights protest last month pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday.

Patrolman Jeann Lugo entered the plea during an arraignment in Providence. He was ordered to have no contact with the complaining witness.

Lugo, 35, was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct in connection with the confrontation at the Statehouse on June 24. Jennifer Rourke, the chair of the progressive Rhode Island Political Cooperative seeking the Democratic nomination for a state Senate seat, said she was punched in the face at least twice by Lugo, who was off duty at the time.

Lugo was running for the GOP nomination for the same seat Rourke is seeking. He ended his campaign the day after the protest, which was held in response to the decision released the same day by the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion.

Lugo struck Rourke twice, according to an internal investigation by the Providence Police Department, which alleged that Lugo violated department rules and regulations governing conduct. Providences police chief has recommended that Lugo lose his job. He is currently on paid suspension.

Daniel Griffin, Lugos attorney, said this month that his client remains confident that the facts of this situation will be brought to light and show that he is innocent of any wrongdoing.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday received a call from Israel's caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, the first such conversation between Abbas and an Israeli premier in years.

The call came amid a rare flurry of high-level Israeli-Palestinian contacts ahead of President Joe Bidens visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank next week. The talks focused on calming tensions and coordinating security ahead of the visit.

A statement from Lapids office said he spoke with Abbas about the continuation of cooperation and the need to ensure quiet and calm. Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior Abbas aide, said Lapid congratulated Abbas on Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday starting Saturday, and discussed the latest situation briefly, without elaborating.

Abbas received Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz at his headquarters in the occupied West Bank town of Ramallah on Thursday and also spoke to Israeli President Isaac Herzog by phone.

The peace process collapsed more than a decade ago. High-level meetings between Israeli and Palestinian leaders are rare and tend to focus on day-to-day economic and security coordination.

Gantz met with Abbas a couple of times last year and announced measures to improve economic conditions in the occupied West Bank.

Lapid and Gantz, both centrists, are serving in a caretaker capacity ahead of elections planned for Nov. 1, in which religious and nationalist parties that take a hard line toward the Palestinians are expected to retain their majority in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Abbas heads the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank under interim peace agreements reached in the 1990s. He is deeply unpopular among Palestinians, in large part because of his close security coordination with Israel.

Biden is expected to meet with top Israeli and Palestinian leaders next week.

The Palestinians seek a state in the occupied West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, territories Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally and views the entire city as its capital. It withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but imposed a crippling blockade when the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power from Abbas forces two years later, limiting his authority to parts of the West Bank.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  A dispute about state funding for the University of Pittsburgh over its use of fetal tissue from elective abortions in research ended quietly Thursday when lawmakers approved the annual subsidy.

The Senate passed it 43-7 together with funding for the other three state-related universities  Penn State, Lincoln and Temple. Pitt is in line to receive $155 million in the current year.
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LISBON, Portugal (AP)  Portugals government on Friday declared an eight-day state of alert due to a heightened risk of wildfires, as the drought-stricken country prepares for a heat wave packing temperatures as high as 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit).

The torrid weather brings with it a significant worsening of the wildfire risk through July 15, a joint statement from five government departments said.

Declaring a state of alert gives the government temporary authority to order precautionary measures. The restrictions adopted Friday include barring public access to forests deemed to be at special risk, banning the use of farm machinery that might produce sparks, and outlawing fireworks that are commonly used at summer festivals.

Portugal has long experienced dramatic forest fires. In 2017, blazes killed more than 100 people.

Heat waves and droughts also arent uncommon in Portugal, but climate scientists say all of southern Europe can expect higher temperatures and lower rainfall as a consequence of global warming.

The European Unions executive arm, the European Commission, says climate change has the continent facing one of its hardest years for natural disasters such as droughts and wildfires.

In Spain, temperatures are forecast to climb to 42 degrees Celsius (107 F) over the weekend in some areas along the border with Portugal.

Spain's June rainfall was about half the 30-year average, and the country's reservoirs are on average at 45% capacity, according to government data.

Italy also recently endured a prolonged heat wave and is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years.

In Portugal, 96% of the country was classified at the end of June as being in either extreme or severe drought  the two highest categories.

While Portugals emergency restrictions are in effect, police and forest rangers will be on permanent standby and will conduct regular patrols.

The Portuguese government says that during the peak fire season from July to September, Portugal will have at its disposal almost 13,000 firefighters and associated staff, more than 2,800 vehicles and 60 firefighting aircraft.

Portugal has improved its forest management and other strategies since the 2017 deaths shocked the country; no one has died in a wildfire since then. Last year, the country recorded its lowest number of wildfires since 2011.

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Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
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BEIRUT (AP)  President Bashar Assad made a rare visit to the northern province of Aleppo on Friday to tour the country's largest city and inaugurate a power station that was once held by insurgents and suffered wide damages during the war, state media reported.

The visit by Assad and his family to the city of Aleppo  Syria's largest and once the nation's commercial center  was his first since government forces captured its rebel-held eastern neighborhoods in December 2016 after a monthslong battle.

Photographs published by the president's office show Assad, his wife, Asma and their two sons and a daughter walking through the historic covered market in Aleppo, one of the city's landmarks that suffered wide destruction during the conflict. Parts of the market are now being renovated.

Assad also toured the centuries-old Ummayad Mosque, known known as The Great Mosque of Aleppo, where renovation work has been ongoing for years.

The capture of eastern Aleppo in 2016, after four years in rebels hands, was Assad's biggest victory in the conflict at the time.

Before touring the city, Assad visited a power station in the eastern part of Aleppo province, according to his office and the state news agency, SANA.

Today, government-held parts of Syria endure more than 12 hours of power cuts a day as production is far less than the needs of the country. Syrias infrastructure saw much destruction during the 11-year conflict.

SANA also said Assad inaugurated a part of the Aleppo power station that was renovated and is ready to produce up to 200 megawatts. The report said work was underway to also fix other parts of the station.

Friday's inauguration comes on the sixth anniversary of Syrian troops retaking the station from militants, the report said.

Syrian government forces now control much of the country, thanks to allies Russia and Iran, which have helped tip the balance of power in Assads favor. The civil war that began in 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced half the countrys population and left large parts of Syria destroyed.

Syrias Prime Minister Hussein Arnous recently told parliament that the countrys needs stand at about 7,000 megawatts but stations only produce a a bit over 2,500 megawatts.

Arnous added that a main reason for electricity shortages is that Syrias production of natural gas dropped sharply during the conflict as some of the countrys largest oil and gas fields are held by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish-led fighters.

In November, Syria signed a contract with a group of companies from the United Arab Emirates to build a solar power station in a Damascus suburb. The station will produce 300 megawatts at peak rates.

A month earlier, Syrias electricity ministry signed a $115 million contract with an Iranian company to rebuild another power station in central Syria.
Darren Bailey's response to the Highland Park shootings sparked an immense response across the country.

The Republican candidate for Illinois governor released a video after the 4th of July parade massacre in the Chicago suburb and said "to move on" and celebrate Independence Day.

But in a press conference at the Illinois capital of Springfield, Bailey, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, issued an apology for his remarks.

"You guys know me," the current state senator said to reporters. "I'm a father, a grandfather and Cindy (Bailey's wife) and I are heartbroken for these families.

"The thought that my response could have caused more pain is certainly something that would keep me up at night  and I'm sorry."

Bailey then quote Psalms 112 from The Bible and asked for forgiveness

And once that was done, Bailey began blaming current Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for the mass shooting that took the lives of seven people and other shooting incidents that have occurred in the state. He said Pritzker refuses to acknowledge minority communities.

"The loss of life in African-American and minority communities matter just as much as the tragedy in Highland Park," Bailey said. "Governor Pritzker, you never talk about them, and it's time that you own it."

Bailey said more needs to be done about mental health issues and that state money should go to such programs, however, Prizker's campaign was quick to fire back by pointing out Bailey voted against the standing governor's proposed state budgets. The Pritzker campaign also referenced Bailey's opposition to the Firearm Owners Identity (FOID) program.

Bailey proposed legislation in April 2021 that would eliminate FOID cards. In press release from his office, Bailey said:

Its unacceptable to me to think someone would have to wait four months to be able to defend themselves and take part in their constitutional rights, especially when the FOID system no longer serves a real purpose.

There is no point in requiring people to have had a background check already in place to get their FOID card, just to get another background check performed every time they purchase a gun.

Bailey took to Twitter in January and reiterated his position on repealing FOID cards writing in part, "The FOID card serves no purpose other than to stand between honest and law-abiding Illinoisans and their constitutional rights."
MICHMORET, Israel (AP)  Over a dozen endangered sea turtles that were rescued after suffering major injuries in the Mediterranean scuttled their way over a beach in Israel on Friday after months of medical care.

The 15 loggerhead sea turtles and two green sea turtles were released back into the wild after months of rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Rescue Center in central Israel. Each had been brought to the facility run by Israel's Nature and Parks Authority over the winter suffering from various kinds of physical trauma, likely caused by underwater explosives.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  South Dakota Democrats are convening in Fort Pierre Friday as they look to reverse a slide that has dwindled their representation in the Statehouse to its lowest point in 60 years.

It's also been well over a decade since the Democratic Party won an election for a statewide office, but there have been some victories for progressives at the ballot box through citizen-initiated measures. Party activists will be discussing ballot measure strategy on Friday and Saturday, including whether to get behind a campaign to reverse a state law that banned abortions last month.

Democrats also believe the race for secretary of state is winnable and want to boost their candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. Here's what to watch from the two-day convention:

ABORTION

The state party has not always been clear-cut in its stance on the right to an abortion. In 2020, the party adopted a platform that said it supports the right for women to make medical decisions for their own bodies, but did not specifically mention the procedure.

However, the party's stance and activism around the issue will likely come to the forefront at the convention because South Dakota banned abortions last month when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Party Chair Randy Seiler said the convention would feature a robust discussion about the various aspects of choice and womens reproductive rights and government control.

The party will also discuss whether to get behind ballot campaigns to overturn the state's current outright abortion ban, which only allows the procedure to save the pregnant woman's life and has no exceptions for instances of rape or incest.

The Democratic Party has backed ballot measure campaigns in the past and has seen some success. Most recently, it helped defeat a constitutional amendment that would have made it more difficult for ballot measures that raise taxes or spend significant government funds.

South Dakota has an independent streak and a lot of prairie populism, Seiler said, adding that the defeat of the proposed constitutional amendment during the June primary sent a clear message that South Dakota voters value the ability to enact laws at the ballot.

SECRETARY OF STATE

The number of voters registered as Democrats has been shrinking in recent years, to the point that the Republican Party has an almost two-to-one advantage in registered voters. But Democrats are looking for winnable races as they hope for a momentum change and believe that the secretary of state's office might offer them an opportunity.

Last month, Republican candidate Monae Johnson beat out incumbent Secretary of State Steve Barnett for the GOP nomination. She formed her candidacy around election integrity in a nod to Republican fears that were instigated by former President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Seiler said he had been approached by moderate Republicans who suggested he run against Johnson, but added that several other Democrats have expressed interest in the nomination.

Dumping Steve Barnett and basically nominating an election denier is going to have consequences for the Republican Party, Seiler said. I think secretary of state will be a competitive race this time.

OTHER CANDIDATES

Democrats will also select a candidate to run against former Attorney General Marty Jackley, the Republican who is a favorite to get his old job back in November. The party is also expected to nominate state Rep. Jennifer Keintz for lieutenant governor after gubernatorial candidate Jamie Smith, a House lawmaker, announced her as his running mate Thursday.

The convention will also give Democrats an opportunity to fundraise and strategize for the gubernatorial campaign, as well as for U.S. Senate candidate Brian Bengs.
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NEZUK, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP)  Thousands of people joined a peace march on Friday through forests in eastern Bosnia in memory of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europes only acknowledged genocide since World War II.

The 100-kilometre (60-mile) march traces a route taken by men and boys from the Bosniak ethnic group, which is made up primarily of Muslims, as they tried to flee Srebrenica after it was captured by Bosnian Serb forces in the closing days of the countrys interethnic war in the 1990s.

I came here with my two sons and 50 other people from my hometown to pay respect to the victims, to remember their plight, said Ademir Mesic from the northwestern Bosnian town of Bosanska Krupa.

At some moments, in some places we passed by, I felt my skin creep, said Mirce Malic from the northeastern town of Tuzla. It is hard to think about what the (massacre) victims have gone through, walking through here and not knowing what awaits them around the corner."

In July 1995, at least 8,000 Bosniak males were separated by Serb troops from their wives, mothers and sisters, chased through woods around Srebrenica and killed by those forces.

Bosnian Serb soldiers dumped the victims bodies in numerous mass graves scattered around the eastern town in an attempt to hide the evidence of the crime.

Newly identified victims are reburied each year on July 11  the anniversary of the day the killing began in 1995  in the vast and still expanding memorial cemetery outside Srebrenica.

So far, the remains of more than 6,600 people have been found and buried at the cemetery. The remains of 50 more victims, recently found in mass graves and identified through DNA analysis, will be put to rest there on Monday. On Friday, people lined Sarajevos main street as a huge truck bearing their coffins passed by on its way to Srebrenica.

The truck stopped in front of Bosnias presidency where the people paying respect tucked flowers into its canvas. Among them was Fatima Aljic, whose son, husband and brother were killed in the massacre. Aljic is still searching for their remains.

Every year I come to bid farewell to the victims and it is difficult  it is very hard, Aljic said before tearing up. It would be hard even to witness what happened to us happening to someone else, let alone to experience it yourself."

The Srebrenica killings were the bloody crescendo of the war in Bosnia, which came after the breakup of Yugoslavia unleashed nationalistic passions and territorial ambitions that set Bosnian Serbs against the countrys two other main ethnic factions  Croats and Bosniaks.

The massacre has been declared a genocide by international and national courts, but Serb leaders in Bosnia and neighbouring Serbia continue to downplay or even deny it despite the irrefutable evidence of what happened.
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A tipster who warned police in Richmond, Virginia, about a potential mass shooting on July 4 told police the man who was planning the attack has connections to a drug gang that operates in Mexico and the U.S., according to a search warrant affidavit.

The tipster, who is described as a concerned citizen in the affidavit, identified the man planning the shooting as Rolman Chapin Balcarcel Ac, 38, one of two men arrested by Richmond police in connection with the alleged plot.

The tipster told police Balcarcel Ac has connections to the Los Zetas criminal syndicate. Detective Michael Kiniry wrote in the affidavit that Zetas is a reference to a gang affiliate with operations in Mexico and the U.S.

The tipster also told police that Balcarcel Ac showed him three guns on June 21.

The affidavit was used to obtain a warrant to search a home in Richmond where Balcarcel Ac lived with a second man who was also arrested in connection with the alleged plot, Julio Alvarado-Dubon, 52. It contains no details of the alleged plot, except to say that the tipster told police a mass shooting was planned in Richmond on July 4.

Authorities have said both men are from Guatemala and are in the U.S. illegally. The only charge against them is possession of a firearm by a non-U.S.-citizen, although Richmond police have said they could face additional charges.

During a news conference Wednesday, Richmond police Chief Gerald Smith said the tipster said the attack was planned for the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater, where an annual fireworks show is held. The search warrant application filed Thursday does not mention any specific location for the alleged planned attack.

The announcement from Richmond police that they had thwarted an attack came on July 6, two days after a gunman opened fire from a rooftop during a Fourth of July parade in the affluent Chicago suburb of Highland Park, killing seven people and injuring more than three dozen.

Richmond police have released few details about the alleged plot or said how formulated the plan was when they arrested Alvarado-Dubon on July 1. Balcarcel Ac was not arrested until July 5. They have not identified any motive for the alleged plot.

It was a very serious threat. Any threat against life and certainly that of a mass shooting is gravely serious. No further information is being provided about this beyond whats been provided at this stage, police spokesperson Tracy Walker said in an email Friday.

The suspect clearly announced a plan to carry this out and clearly had the means to do so based on the weapons and several hundred rounds of ammunition that was seized, Walker said.

Both men are being held in local jails, Balcarcel Ac in Charlottesville and Alvarado-Dubon in Richmond.

Immigration officials told news outlets that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged immigration detainers on both men. Detainers are notices that the Department of Homeland Security issues to law enforcement agencies to inform them that ICE plans to take custody of someone who is currently in their custody.

Court documents filed in General District Court in Richmond say Alvarado-Dubon has lived in Richmond for three years and works in the construction industry. The documents say his visa expired four years ago.

The search warrant affidavit says that after police received the tip about a planned mass shooting, they contacted Homeland Security, then went to a home in Richmond, where Alvarado-Dubon answered the door and allowed them to come inside.

Kiniri wrote that police saw two Glock magazines and a rifle round in plain view in the living room. The affidavit said a second man appeared and provided a Colorado identification with the name Rolman A. Balcarcel AC. The affidavit said the man had two Colorado driver's licenses, a Guatemala ID and a Mexico ID. An agent from Homeland Security Investigations determined that both men are in the U.S. illegally and that Balcarcel Ac has had two previous deportations, the affidavit states.

Alvarado-Dubon's attorney, Jose Aponte, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Friday. No attorney is listed on court documents for Balcarcel Ac.

Police said Wednesday that officers seized two assault rifles, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the home.
Blair Heagerty/SFGATE

The San Francisco-based social media tech titan Twitter laid off nearly a third of staff on its recruitment team Thursday afternoon, a staff cut that coincides with yet another round of Elon Musks gripes about the companys spam bot data.

As first reported by TechCrunch and confirmed by SFGATE, 30% of the companys talent acquisitions division was laid off  though a spokesperson declined to provide details regarding the number of employees affected and their severance benefits.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that parents suing the Madison School District over its gender identity policies must disclose their names to opposing attorneys, but they don't have to be revealed to the district or be made public.

The 4-3 ruling comes after a Dane County Circuit Court judge in 2020 temporarily suspended portions of the district's guidance on gender identity that a group of unnamed parents and a conservative law firm sued to overturn.

The case centers on a policy the district adopted in 2018 that calls for district personnel to call students by their preferred names and pronouns, and to not disclose students' gender identities to anyone, including their parents. Some parents sued in 2020, alleging the policy violates their right to parent their children as they see fit and their right to religious freedom.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom, both conservative law firms, are representing the parents. The firm's attorneys asked Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington to allow them to proceed without revealing the parents' names out of fear they would be subject to retaliation and harassment.

Remington ordered the firm to give the names to him and school district attorneys under seal. The firm refused, arguing that the district's attorneys could leak the names and that their identities aren't relevant. The firm has insisted that the parents are indeed Madison school district residents and, as such, have standing to sue.

The Supreme Court upheld Remington's order and remanded the case back to him to continue deliberations on the merits.

Justice Brian Hagedorn, a conservative who often acts as a swing vote, sided with the court's three liberal justices in upholding the order.

He wrote for the majority that court proceedings are presumed to be open to the public. The parents essentially want the justices to reformulate state law on anonymous litigation but nothing suggests the district attorneys would violate Remington's seal order.

While we protect certain vulnerable legal participants, such as children and crime victims, the business of courts is public business, and as such is presumed to remain open and available to the public, he wrote. In this case, the circuit court's decision to withhold the parents' identities from the public and the District, but not the District's attorneys, was well within its discretion.

Luke Berg, a deputy counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, called the ruling a disappointing loss and chided the majority for not ruling on the merits of the policy. He said the firm would talk to the parents and that it would be up to them to decide whether to continue to participate in the lawsuit.

We do not consider this case done. Not by a long shot," Berg said.

Roger Brooks, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, said the firm will discuss the effects of the ruling with the parents it represents but looks forward to proving in the circuit court that the district policy violates basic parental rights.
San Francisco's former deputy district attorney will take the oath of office from Mayor London Breed Friday afternoon to become the city's next district attorney.

Brooke Jenkins will be sworn in at noon Friday at City Hall.

Jenkins served as an assistant district attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office from 2014 to 2021, where she worked her way up, serving in the misdemeanor and felonies units before working as the office's hate crimes prosecutor. Jenkins was later promoted to the sexual assault unit and, eventually, the homicide unit.

Jenkins resigned in October 2021 as a result of mounting dissatisfaction with the direction of the District Attorney's Office. At the time of her departure, she prosecuted over 25 criminal jury trials and completed more than 100 preliminary hearings.

Before working in the San Francisco District Attorney's office, she spent years in private practice, both in Atlanta and in the Bay Area.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will be asked next Tuesday to approve a "Drought Response and Flood Control Coordination Project" in an attempt to get all agencies and departments on the same page regarding disaster response in the county.

The first step will be to extend the local emergency proclamation regarding drought conditions, which was initially extended on April 27 for 60 days, but needs to be renewed.

It might seem incongruous that Sonoma County faces the dual dangers of both drought and flooding, but it does, the county says. A 2019 study cited in the county's report to the supervisors entitled "Atmospheric Rivers Drive Flood Damages in Western States" published in Science says that Sonoma County experienced the highest flood damages over the period of 1978 through 2017 among the 11 Western U.S. states, costing the county $5.2 billion in damages over 40 years, according to the report.

Atmospheric rivers, also known as extratropical storms, intensify as the climate warms, the report said. While they aren't frequent, when they do occur, they are "wetter, longer, and wider," said the report in Science.

A committee created to review Santa Rosa's City Charter is recommending that the City Council agree to adding a ballot measure in November that would greatly increase the compensation for council members as well as the mayor. The committee's findings and recommendations will be presented to the council at Tuesday's meeting.

Cities in California have long grappled with city council compensation, which is by-and-large modest or bordering on poverty level in many municipalities. In Santa Rosa, council members are currently given $9,600 annually, paid in monthly stipends of $800, while the mayor receives $14,400 per year, amounts that have not changed since 2005. If a measure is introduced and passed this November, the elected officials will see a sixfold increase in their compensation.

The committee's recommendation that elected council members be better compensated points to several things. Though the community observes the elected officials working at council meetings twice per month on average, behind the scenes, council members are expected to read and absorb a voluminous amount of reporting and analysis about everything from pavement condition indexes to fentanyl overdoses.

San Jose officials announced Thursday that the city will donate more than $1 million in safety equipment to first responders in Ukraine.

The city plans to send 373 self-contained breathing apparatus air packs, 600 mask-mounted regulators, 183 air cylinders and several hundred self-contained breathing apparatus masks to the relief organizations Nova Ukraine and Firefighter Air Ukraine.

The two organizations will then disperse the equipment to firefighters and first responders across Ukraine as the country continues battling the invading Russian military.

BART riders can easily complete their trips to Berkeley with shared electronic scooters outside of rapid transit stations, BART officials said Thursday.

New LINK scooters are available throughout Berkeley and BART is allowing them to be locked outside of Berkeley BART stations. The 250 dockless scooters in Berkeley were provided by Superpedestrian.

Transit riders can plan their trip to Berkeley using BART's multi-modal trip planner at bart.gov or on BART's app. The trip planner shows the real-time availability of the scooters, a map to find them and a link to book the scooters.

Results from the trip planner provide door-to-door directions and the time to complete the trip as well as when walking or driving is quicker.

BART says the scooters are effective for navigating Berkeley's busy streets with limited parking. Real-time scooter availability for San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont can be found on BART's trip planner, too.

The LINK scooters are not allowed on BART trains or in the unpaid area of the system, but BART riders can bring their own folding, electric kick scooters on trains, BART officials said.

On BART property, e-scooters with locks are required to be locked to a bike rack to prevent the scooters from blocking station access, according to BART.

A company operating a sand mining facility in Alameda County must pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle allegations it discharged untreated wastewater into Alameda Creek last year, officials with the State Water Resources Control Board said Thursday.

Mission Valley Rock Company must pay nearly the statutory limit after it allegedly discharged 41,000 gallons of untreated wastewater from its Sunol facility in March.

According to the Water Board, Mission Valley Rock Company failed to properly decommission a pipeline, which ruptured, depositing several inches of sediment in the creek bed and along the bank. The discharged violated Mission Valley Rock's discharge permit, according to the Water Board.

Authorities in Santa Rosa are investigating an accident Thursday afternoon that sent a motorcyclist to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Santa Rosa police officers responded to a traffic collision at approximately 2:34 p.m. in the area of Cleveland Avenue and Francis Street.

Officers learned that a motorcyclist had been heading eastbound on Frances and lost control of the bike and drove straight into a concrete wall that borders Interstate Highway 101. Upon arrival, officers observed a person who had been riding a gray 2003 Honda motorcycle down on the ground. He was being treated by medical personnel.

Officers are still working on identifying the motorcyclist.

Anyone who may have witnessed the accident is encouraged to call the Santa Rosa Police Department's Traffic Unit at (707) 543-3636.

Two people were injured Thursday afternoon when a car crashed through a coffee shop in Cupertino.

Dep. Russell Davis, spokesperson for the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, said deputies received the call at 12:03 p.m. on a report of a vehicle crashing through a large glass window of Starbucks, located at 22390 Homestead Rd., located in the Homestead Crossings Shopping Center adjacent to Foothill Expressway.

Davis said the two bystanders who were injured were inside when the car, a BMW sedan, crashed through the glass window. They sustained non-life threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The driver, a woman in her 60s, was uninjured. She is cooperating with investigators.

Santa Clara County firefighters and emergency personnel also responded to the scene.

This is an active investigation.

A San Francisco Superior Court judge on Thursday postponed argument on the legitimacy of thousands of Bay Area lawsuits brought in federal court under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Judge Richard Ulmer said that he did not want to "spend judicial resources" on the dispute until he found out if the successor to recently recalled San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin will pursue the case.

Ulmer directed the district attorney's office to file a declaration by Aug. 4 stating whether the new district attorney expects to continue to prosecute the civil case. If the new district attorney elects to proceed, the judge said that he will then reschedule the hearing.

The court's decision appeared to take Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Markoff, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, by surprise. Markoff argued that the case was no different than any of the other 5,600 active cases the San Francisco District Attorney's Office is handling at present. In his view, a new district attorney might change the caption of the case, but wouldn't affect its prosecution.

The judge did not agree.

He said that there was a big difference between the case and many of the others in the District Attorney's Office, because the other cases weren't filed "in the middle of a political campaign, like this one was."

The National Weather Service forecast for Friday for the greater San Francisco Bay Area calls for a day much like Thursday with daytime highs in the 60s along the coast to the 70s around the Bay and the low 80s inland. Overnight lows Friday morning be in the 50s.

Copyright  2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

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By Mengyuan Dong

Bay City News Foundation

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, hosted a virtual roundtable discussion Thursday with community leaders addressing gun violence across California.

The conversation follows the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law last month. The purpose of the discussion, Padilla said, was to recognize and celebrate the passage of the legislation and motivate further actions toward gun safety.

The legislation passed last month improves background checks for purchasers under the age of 21, helps states implement red flag laws, strengthens protections for victims of domestic violence, and makes significant investments in community-based mental health services.

"We also know that much more needs to be done," Padilla said. "We keep up the fight to ban assault weapons ... and to expand and strengthen background checks, not just for potential buyers until the age of 21, but for everybody."

Community members from Everytown, Giffords Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation and others shared their efforts in improving gun safety in their local communities across the state. They also emphasized the need for more effective laws.

"Don't believe the people who say that gun control laws don't work," said Garen Wintemute with the Violence Prevention Research Program at University of California, Davis.

Gun laws have directly led to lower gun violence rates in California, Wintemute said.

He added that California is in the progress of awarding around $200 million to more than 80 communities around the state for evidence-based violence intervention programs.

Kanwarpal Dhaliwal with RYSE Center, an organization serving youth in Richmond, spoke specifically about how living in fear of potential gun violence adversely impacts young people.

"They navigate all aspects of their lives under this persistent threat from the systems, institutions and agencies responsible for their well-being, so young folks are always in a state of vigilance and hyper vigilance," Dhaliwal said.

Brian Malte, executive director of the Hope and Heal Fund, highlighted how gun violence has disproportionately threatened communities of color and urged the state to invest more in smaller rural towns.

Almost two-thirds of all gun homicides happen outside the 10 largest populated cities in California, Malte added.

"The future of gun violence in California must be localized, intersectional and led by residents of the most impacted communities," he said.

Copyright  2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
July 4th rang hollow this year.

While were still grieving the Uvalde, Texas massacre, during which two teachers and 19 children were shot to death in an elementary school, we learned of yet another mass shooting on the very day we celebrate our nations creation.

Public safety officials annually warn Americans not to discharge firearms to celebrate the Fourth, since doing so can be inadvertently dangerous. Our nation has now reached the point where guns are fired on July 4th for the specific purpose of killing other Americans who are celebrating our countrys birthday.

Since the Columbine, Colorado massacre in 1999, weve known that students are no longer safe in their classrooms. Now weve learned that merely participating in a July 4th parade can be a potentially deadly experience. Ironically, our nations latest mass shooting occurred less than a week after President Biden signed into a law the first major federal gun safety legislation passed in decades. God willing, its going to save a lot of lives, Biden said after signing the bill.

Lets hope so.

We dont merely fail to prevent mass shootings. We cant even agree on a definition of this horror. According to a July 6, 2022 article in the New York Times, There is no consensus on what constitutes a mass shooting, complicating the efforts of government, nonprofits and news organizations to document the scope of the problem. Different groups define mass shootings differently, depending on circumstances including the number of victims, whether the victims are killed or wounded, and whether the shooting occurs in a public place.

The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), which tracks incidents that involve gun violence, defines a mass shooting as "Four or more shot and/or killed in a single event [incident], at the same general time and location not including the shooter." Using this definition, the GVA states that at least 314 mass shootings have occurred this year this year. This figure includes the Independence Day massacre in Highland Park.

The motives behind mass shootings vary. The Buffalo, New York massacre on May 14 was clearly racially motivated. An 18-year-old white gunman opened fire at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood of that city. Ten people were killed and three wounded. The gunman fervently believed in Replacement Theory, a malicious racist fantasy that claims white people are being demographically and culturally replaced by non-whites. And who is supposedly behind this sinister replacement plot? Elitist liberal Democrats, of course! Replacement theory is openly promoted by some Republican ideologues, such as Tucker Carlson of Fox News.

The April 3 shooting in Sacramento, California, during which six were killed and 12 wounded, can be attributed to gang warfare.

A dissatisfied patient gunned down a doctor who had performed back surgery on him and three other persons at a Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital on June 1 before taking his own life. The patient blamed the surgeon for his recurring back pain.

A gunfight between two persons at a car show in Dumas, Arizona on March 19 left one person dead and 26 wounded. Five children were among the wounded.

The GVA defines a mass murder as  Four or more killed in a single event [incident], at the same general time and location not including the shooter.

There have been at least 20 mass murders since 2013. The deadliest occurred in 2017 when Stephen Paddock fired more than 1,000 rounds from his hotel window into a crowd at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. He killed over 60 persons and wounded over 400. Paddocks motive remains unknown.

The Orlando, Florida nightclub shooting, which occurred the previous year, occupies second place. Originally thought to be a hate crime directed against LGBTQ persons, additional research indicated that Omar Mateen, the perpetrator, had no idea the Pulse was a gay club. He killed 49 persons and wounded 53. During a 9-11 call he made during the shooting, Mateen stated his motive was retaliation for our nations military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Our nations bloody plight inspires gallows humor. One of my Facebook friends just posted an editorial cartoon that depicts a shopper making a selection at a display labeled Mass Shooting Condolence Cards. The card rack is divided into sections designated as Mall, Church, School and Concert. This cartoons copyright date reads 2017. If such a cartoon were to be drawn now, it would have to feature yet another section: Fourth of July Events.
Not another mass shooting.

Not another child under 10 being shot.

Not another gun left unattended.

When does it stop?

Gun violence refers to death or injury caused by the use of firearms and includes homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, suicide, and attempted suicides, as well as non-criminal violence like accidental death or injury.

Only a dozen of the USAs 50 states require permits to purchase a gun. There were 19,379 gun violence deaths recorded in the US in 2020; 612 mass shootings happened in 2020.

More than 75% of first and second graders know where their parents keep firearms. America's gun suicide rate is 10 times higher than many European countries. The USA sees 100 times more firearm-related deaths per 100,000 people compared to Germany.

There are 316 people shot in America every day. Eleven US presidents have been victims of an attempted assassination involving

Despite a functioning criminal justice system in the US and most socio-economic metrics being comparable with the best in the world, the rate of gun-related homicides and suicides is abnormally high.

Another key insight we can derive from the worldwide gun violence statistics is that gun violence is not uniformly critical everywhere in the world. Moreover, they also show that in most countries that top the list of firearm-related deaths, the reasons are different from the reasons in the US.

I hope you find these statistics helpful. You gain a clearer understanding of the seriousness of the problem and develop a more informed viewpoint on an important and often divisive political issue.

If you would like to discuss this problem with me, I can be contacted at rosettabrown@mchail.org.
As a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) president and a member of Congress, both of us have had the opportunity to speak to workers across the country and hear their stories. Many of these workers are struggling. They feel like they have fewer opportunities now than they did when they were first starting out.

Take our home state of California for example. It has the fifth largest economy in the world and is the birthplace of some of the greatest innovations of this generation. Californias 17th Congressional District alone, which encompasses Silicon Valley, has $11 trillion in market cap wealth. But even in a state like California that consistently leads the nation on progress and prosperity, too many working families are being left behind.

This is the reality for many workers in Californias fast food industry. The industry employs more than half a million workers in the state. Eighty percent of these workers are people of color and of that 80%, 60% are Latino. Despite working for massive global corporations, California fast-food workers are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than the overall workforce, and the vast majority rely on social safety nets to get by. Often when individuals speak up to report unsafe or discriminatory work conditions and demand improvements at work, they are disregarded or face retaliation.

Weve heard personally from workers, and the stories are shocking and heartbreaking. Back in the early days of the pandemic, Oakland McDonalds workers were given doggie diapers as masks, leading to an outbreak of two dozen workers and their family members, including a 10-month-old baby. When Sacramento-area Jack in the Box workers complained of extreme heat and heat exhaustion due to a broken AC unit, they were simply told they were going through menopause. In Los Angeles, when a 41-year-old father of three refused to accept a counterfeit $20 bill at the drive-thru of his Taco Bell, he was shot and killed. Workers there had previously asked for better security and bulletproof windows.

Despite many courageous workers banding together to wage strikes across the state and bring attention to these issues, unionization is particularly difficult for fast food workers due to high turnover rates and the fissured nature of the industry. But there are things we can do to make it easier.

On the federal level, we need to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to expand collective bargaining and ensure unions for all. The bill has already cleared the House, but it remains stuck in the Senate. Its time for the Senate to move to protect workers, immediately pass the PRO Act, and send it to the presidents desk.

In California, we should pass the FAST Recovery Act to set pay and workplace standards and hold corporations accountable. States like California are crucial laboratories for innovative, game-changing legislation that can immediately address issues workers are facing. This bill would create minimum standards for wages and work conditions, protect workers from being fired for organizing and establish sectoral organizing with a fast food worker council. It passed the Assembly in January and has cleared the Senate Labor and Judiciary committees. In August, it will be heard by the Appropriations Committee before a Senate floor vote and then Gov. Gavin Newsom has until the end of September to sign the bill into law.

For anyone who cares about the future of workers rights in America, this should be a top priority. It represents a potential breakthrough to empower hundreds of thousands of California fast food workers and set a new standard for how state governments can address workplace injustice and economic inequality.

Its time to give workers a platform to share their experiences, expose abysmal working conditions and bring them to the table to shape solutions they need on the front lines. Thats why, on Friday, we will be joining together with SEIU leaders and fast food workers for a roundtable discussion highlighting the most pressing issues in the industry. The roundtable will begin at 1 p.m. PT and can be viewed live at @FightFor15 on Twitter and on Facebook.

Change is possible with legislation like the FAST Recovery Act. We strongly believe that workers rights should be a major concern to the progressive community in both California and across the nation. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

David Huerta serves as president of SEIU California, which represents 700,000 nurses, health care workers, janitors, social workers, security officers, in-home caregivers, school and university employees, court workers, and city, county and state employees. Huerta also serves as president of United Service Workers West.

Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) is a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from Californias 17th District. He was a lecturer in economics at Stanford from 2012 to 2016 and is the author of Dignity in a Digital Age: How Tech Can Help All of Us.
As California and the nation at large anticipate increased transmission of monkeypox  a virus that spreads through close, skin-to-skin contact and has spread rapidly among gay and bisexual men  two Bay Area lawmakers are criticizing the Biden administration over shortages of the monkeypox vaccine.

The number of total probable and confirmed cases in San Francisco is 40, the largest of any city in California  the state with the highest number of monkeypox cases as of Friday with 141 confirmed and probable cases.

In a joint statement, state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Matt Haney condemned the Biden administration for not ordering enough doses of the vaccine.

We have very little time to contain this outbreak and prevent it from getting out of control and potentially becoming endemic, Haney and Wiener wrote. The good news is that we have an effective vaccine that prevents monkeypox. The bad news is that the federal government has once again had a public health failure, this time by failing to order enough vaccine doses to prepare for this foreseeable outbreak.

The first documented cases of monkeypox appeared at two raves in Spain and Belgium, where close sexual contact resulted in the virus transmission in these countries and abroad. The first case in California was reported in late May from an individual who had recently traveled to these areas.

The virus spreads through direct contact with body fluids or sores on an infected person, or with materials such as clothing that have touched body fluids or sores, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. It presents as a vesicular rash, similar to chickenpox, and other symptoms can include fever, headache and chills. It is also easier to control  and less contagious  than COVID-19.

And while the virus can infect anyone, gay and bisexual men have been especially vulnerable in the United States in June due to the occurrence of Pride events nationwide, according to Tyler TerMeer, the CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

TerMeer's organization, which prepared for the likely proliferation of monkeypox through a sex-positive, non-shaming, non-stigmatizing messaging campaign in the city, anticipated a healthy supply of vaccines for before and after Pride. It received 60 doses of the Jynneos vaccine, a total deemed inadequate by Wiener and Haney.

Its completely unacceptable that the the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and other community clinics are receiving so few doses, Wiener and Haney said in their statement. We need a sufficient quantity of vaccines so that everyone who is at risk has access.

The two-dose Jynneos vaccine, according to the California Department of Public Health, has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent smallpox in people older than 18. It can also be used as a post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, for anyone who has been exposed to monkeypox.

On Thursday, the Biden administration announced that it would make 144,000 doses of the vaccine available in addition to 56,000 released at the end of June. But in total, thats 200,000 vaccines  and if, of the doses already released, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation only received 60, the organization is likely bracing for another meager number of doses in the next batch.

As a result of the shortage, the foundation and other community clinics can only vaccinate close contacts of people who have or may have monkeypox.

SFGATE news editor Amy Graff contributed to this report.
So the bell tolls for you and your flight has been canceled. Following the gut punch and a shifting of your travel plans, if you decide not to rebook, the time has come to take back whats properly yours: a full refund.

Airlines are not financially inclined to make your right to refunds immediately visible. The email notifying you of your canceled flight may urge you rebook the flight but will likely omit the part about your right to a refund.

As a flier in the United States, youre entitled to certain protections when an airline cancels your flight, and the Department of Transportation is in your corner.

The most important reminder is that consumers are entitled to a full refund if the airline cancels a flight. It does not matter the reason for the cancellation or if the consumer chooses not to travel on a rebooked flight.

According to the contracts of carriage that we enter into when buying airline tickets, passengers are entitled to full refunds if the airlines cancel their flights for any reason. This applies to both refundable, non-refundable and even the cheapest basic economy tickets.

Youre also entitled to a refund if the airline issues a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays for a flight and you decide not to travel.

However, beware the ire of nuance. The DOT has not specifically defined what constitutes a "significant delay." Therefore, your refund depends on a few factors, such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight and the particular circumstances of your flight.

First, ask the airline you were flying with for a refund. If you're having trouble securing your refund, the next step is to file a complaint with the DOT.

The DOT determines whether you are entitled to a refund for a significant flight delay on a case-by-case basis, and you can file an Air Travel Service Complaint on the DOTs website.

If you originally paid for the flight with a credit card, the airline must forward a credit to your card company within seven business days after receiving the completed refund application.

Each airline operates under its own contract of carriage. Follow the links to access the conditions for each of these major airlines: Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit, Southwest and United.
More Information

2021 TPWD Hunter Accident Summary: How 12 Accidents Happened

Here's a synopsis of the 12 hunting-related accidents that occurred in Texas last year:

Accident 1: Fatality

Cause: Careless Handling

Comments: While unloading a .30-30 lever action rifle with the muzzle pointed towards the victim, shooter let the hammer after "unloading" it. However, there was one more cartridge still in the chamber. The shooter thought the firearm was after unloading a total of four rounds, but there were five total rounds.

Prevention: Always point the muzzle in a safe direction; get familiar with action types, especially on the firearms used; apply what is learned in hunter ed.

Accident 2: Self Inflicted, shotgun blast through hand.

Cause: Careless Handling

Comments: While changing choke tubes in the muzzle of his shotgun, shooter carelessly discharged his loaded shotgun and sent the blast of pellets through his hand.

Prevention: Always point muzzle in a safe direction; unload firearm when not hunting, especially when working on the action or changing choke tubes; handle firearms carefully; apply what is learned in hunter education.

Accident 3: Self-inflicted, victim struck by .22 caliber bullet in right calf.

Cause: Careless Handling

Comments: Victim carelessly discharged a handgun while exiting a vehicle to shoot a skunk.

Prevention: Always point muzzle in a safe direction; carry unloaded. cased firearms in vehicles with actions open, separate from ammo.; take care when loading/unloading a firearm, especially while in close quarters; apply what is learned in hunter education.

* Accident 4: Shot shell pellets to eye, face and shoulders.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire

Comments: Three friends were quail hunting with a guide and two bird dogs. Shooter fired on low-flying quail outside of his safe zone and shot towards the victim from about 30 yards. Five pellets struck victim in eye, face, and shoulder areas.

Prevention: Always point the muzzle in a safe direction and maintain a safe zone of fire; communicate with hunting companions; know where others are always positioned; make sure to identify the target clearly; identify what is in front of and behind the target before shooting; apply what is learned in hunter education.

Accident 5: Rifle bullet struck victim in his back/shoulder blade and exited tricep muscle.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire

Comments: Two hunters were hunting hogs with night vision scopes. One hunter shot towards companion, who stood close by, as he swung his .308 caliber rifle on running hogs.

Prevention: Same as above.

Accident 6: Rifle bullet struck victim in lower abdomen, exited the lower back.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire

Comments: Three hunters entered a field hunting hogs with night vision scopes. The victim split from the other two hunters, letting them know his approximate field location. Shooter missed a shot at a hog then swung his semi-auto rifle and fired towards a second hog, striking the victim.

Prevention: Same as above.

Accident 7: Victim struck in the face, arm and torso by 17 shot shell from 50 yards away.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire

Comments: Multiple shooters were firing at low-flying doves while victim was in sunflower field retrieving a downed bird. Game warden received account only from victim who did not know who from the group shot in his direction.

Prevention: Same as above.

Accident 8: Victim was struck by pellets to head and upper torso from 25-35 yards away.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire

Comments: Shooter fired at low-flying doves outside of his safe zone and peppered one of his hunting companions who had repositioned himself to another side of a pond.

Prevention: Same as above.

Accident 9: Victim peppered by shotshell pellets.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire

Comments: Shooter fired on low-flying dove outside of his safe zone and peppered his hunting companion who had left, then returned to the hunting location.

Prevention: Same as above.

Accident 10: Victim hit by shot shell pellets in the back, arm, neck, and head from 20 yards away.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire

Comments: Shooter fired on low-flying dove outside of his safe zone and peppered his hunting companion who was bent over, retrieving a downed bird.

Prevention: Same as above.

Accident 11: Victim was struck by shot shell pellets in the arm, shoulder, hand and lip.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire

Comments: Shooter fired at low-flying doves outside of his safe zone and peppered one of his hunting companions who was on the other side of a pond.

Prevention: Same as above.

Accident 12: Pellets struck victim in face, head, neck, and legs.

Cause: Swinging outside safe zone of fire.

Comments: A group of hunters were quail hunting with a guide and bird dogs. Shooter fired on low-flying quail outside of his safe zone and shot towards a 9-year-old victim who was lagging behind the rest of the group.

Prevention: Same as above.

Source: TPWD 2021 Hunting Accident Report
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 8, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Hansford County in the Panhandle of Texas...

East central Sherman County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 345 PM CDT.

* At 302 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 11 miles west of

Gruver, or 22 miles west of Spearman, and is nearly stationary.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Hail damage to vehicles is expected.

* This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of

southwestern Hansford and east central Sherman Counties.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Carson,

southwestern Hutchinson, northeastern Potter and southeastern Moore

Counties through 330 PM CDT...

At 304 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Sanford, or 10 miles northwest of Borger, moving northeast at 5 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Borger, Fritch, Stinnett, Sanford and Lake Meredith.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to

localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded

roadways.

LAT...LON 3558 10171 3576 10179 3592 10149 3562 10135

TIME...MOT...LOC 2004Z 242DEG 5KT 3576 10156

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN

MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 8, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Beaver County in the Panhandle of Oklahoma...

Southeastern Texas County in the Panhandle of Oklahoma...

Eastern Hansford County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Northern Ochiltree County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 545 PM CDT.

* At 444 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles northwest

of Perryton, and is nearly stationary.

HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail

damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles.

* Locations impacted include...

Perryton, Spearman, Waka, Bryans Corner and Farnsworth.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO LAKE CHARLES Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 9, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Lake Charles LA

337 PM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY...

* WHAT...For the first Heat Advisory, heat index values up to

109. For the second Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 111

expected.

* WHERE...In Louisiana, Vernon, Rapides and Avoyelles Parishes.

In Texas, Tyler, Northern Jasper and Northern Newton Counties.

* WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, until 8 PM CDT this

evening. For the second Heat Advisory, from 10 AM to 8 PM CDT

Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 109 expected.

* WHERE...Portions of central, south central and southwest

Louisiana and southeast Texas.

* WHEN...From 10 AM to 8 PM CDT Saturday.

...OZONE ACTION DAY...

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued

an Ozone Action Day for the Dallas-Fort Worth area for Saturday,

July 9, 2022.

Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing

high levels of ozone air pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area

on Saturday. You can help prevent ozone pollution by sharing a

ride, walking, riding a bicycle, taking your lunch to work,

avoiding drive-through lanes, conserving energy, and keeping your

vehicle properly tuned.

For more information on ozone:

Ozone: The Facts (www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/ozonefacts)

Air North Texas: (www.airnorthtexas.org)

EPA Air Now

(www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action.local_state&STATEID=45&TAB=0)

Take care of Texas (www.takecareoftexas.org)

North Central Texas Council of Governments Air Quality

(www.nctcog.org/trans/air/index.asp)

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 7, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Southeastern Eddy County in southeastern New Mexico...

Northeastern Culberson County in southwestern Texas...

Northwestern Reeves County in southwestern Texas...

* Until 930 PM MDT /1030 PM CDT/.

* At 627 PM MDT /727 PM CDT/, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms

producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 1.5

inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected

to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban

areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as

other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

mainly rural areas of Southeastern Eddy, Northeastern Culberson

and Northwestern Reeves Counties

This includes the following streams and drainages...

Salt Creek, Hay Hollow, Owl Draw, Delaware River, Red Bluff Draw

and Pecos River.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law

enforcement and request they pass this information to the National

Weather Service when you can do so safely.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Students at Nguyen Van Troi school perform a dance with the traditional Vietnamese hats on February 15, 2022.(Photo: VNA)



Ambassador Tung expressed delight at the progress of Vietnamese-invested projects in Artemisa, most of which are located in Mariel Special Development Zone.

He said that many Vietnamese firms have revealed their intention to invest in solar power, agriculture, tourism infrastructure and many other areas in Cuba.First Secretary of the Party Committee of Artemisa Gladys Martinez Verdecia highlighted the potential of the locality and challenges it is facing.Despite geographical distance, Vietnam and Cuba have always stood by each other, and Vietnamese people always keep in their mind the solidarity with the Cuban people, Ambassador Tung stressed.Visiting Martires de Tarara primary school, Amiguitos de los Vietnamitas kindergarten and Ben Tre village where Vietnamese bamboos grow, Ambassador Tung expressed his hope that the youth of both sides will continue to maintain and promote the special traditional friendship, comprehensive partnership and the absolute mutual trust between the two Parties, States and peoples.The same day, the Vietnamese diplomat visited Artemisa martyr monument.Earlier on July 6, he visited Mayabeque province, which is more than 50km East of Havana. At his working session with First Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Yuniasky Crespo Baquero and Governor Tamara Valido Benitez, both sides discussed the production in the locality and Vietnamese-invested projects to be developed this year.

Vietnamplus
Director of the HCMC Health Department Tang Chi Thuong is delivering his speech in the session. (Photo: SGGP)

This is the concern risen by Director of the HCMC Health Department Tang Chi Thuong in yesterday session of the 6th session of the 10th tenure HCMC Peoples Council.



Answering the concern of the delegate from Binh Chanh District, Director Tang Chi Thuong affirmed that HCMC still has sufficient Covid-19 vaccine doses for its residents, and is now injecting around 50,000 doses per day for eligible people.

As to BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants in Vietnam, the Health Ministry has reported a slight increase in Covid-19 infections lately in various locations, including HCMC from under 30 cases a day to over 50 cases. Therefore, the Director said that, when necessary, the city will re-activate the pandemic fighting system.

More worrying now is the severe dengue outbreak in HCMC, leading to possible overlapping pandemic. The current dengue case count in the city is nearly 22,000 (a rise of 184 percent compared to this time last year) and 11 deaths, while this figure of previous years was less than 10.

Director Thuong emphasized the importance of all localities determinedly destroying all possible containers of mosquito larvae to control the outbreak; otherwise, this outbreak will be even more serious. With the great effort of vaccinating eligible people and eliminating containers of mosquito larvae, the situation can become better.

The second medical issue is the risk of lack of medication and medical equipment. At present, most medical facilities have completed the bidding for medicines to common diseases. In July, HCMC establishes a trading center for medication and medical equipment especially for any facilities without the capacity to hold bidding. The HCMC Health Department will prioritize medication bidding for grassroots clinics.

The third and most worrying issue is the shortage of human resources in the public healthcare sector, mainly because the salary is too low for them to feel at ease working in public medical facilities. Only in 18 months from last year, more than 2,000 employees quitted their jobs, 500 of whom are doctors and 700-800 nurses.

The Health Ministry and the Government are aware of this fact and developing suitable policies for the medical staff. HCMC is preparing its own methods to boost the growth of its medical collaborator network to offer initial healthcare for the community in localities, said Director Thuong.

In the near future, the HCMC Health Department is going to introduce a pandemic prevention and monitoring channel for the public to report any cases of neglect of carelessness in applying disease prevention measures.

By staff writers  Translated by Thanh Tam
Japan's ex-PM Abe showing no vital signs following shooting: Kyodo

Xinhua) 16:33, July 08, 2022

TOKYO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is showing no vital signs after being shot Friday by a gunman during a speech in the western city of Nara, Kyodo reported citing a local emergency official.

Abe, former leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), delivered the speech in campaigning for a LDP candidate for Sunday's upper house election.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier said Abe is in a "serious condition" after being shot twice during the speech.

Calling the shooting "barbaric," Kishida condemned "in the strongest" terms the shooting, which has left Abe with no signs of life after being shot and collapsing to the ground during a speech he was giving in Nara.

Local police said that Abe appears to have been shot around his chest and neck, with emergency officials saying he does not appear to be displaying any vital signs.

Police arrested the suspected gunman Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a resident of the western city at the scene.

Yamagami worked for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years until 2005, Japan's public broadcaster NHK quoted defense sources as saying.

He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and local police retrieved what appeared to be a handmade gun from the vicinity of where the former prime minister was shot, according to government reports.

According to NHK, the assailant tried to kill Abe because he was "dissatisfied" with the former prime minister.

Abe was seen bleeding on the floor after he was shot from behind at 11:30 a.m. local time by a man with a gun, local police and firefighters said.

While speaking in front of Kintetsu Railway's Yamato-Saidaiji Station, ahead of Sunday's upper house election, Abe fell to the ground after the second shot rang out, according to the police.

Abe, 67, was rushed by medevac to Nara Medical University Hospital although showed no vital signs, according to local police and emergency services.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, confirmed earlier that Abe had been shot and that his condition remained unknown.

Matsuno told reporters that any brutal act should never be tolerated, adding, "We strongly condemn this."

Kishida will return to his office in Tokyo from Yamagata Prefecture where he was campaigning and all Cabinet members have been asked to gather in Tokyo, Matsuno said, to discuss the response to the shooting.

Abe who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, stepped down from his post due to a chronic intestinal disease.

On Aug. 24, 2020, Abe became Japan's longest-serving prime minister by number of consecutive days in office.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Liang Jun)
NITI Aayog's former CEO Amitabh Kant is tipped to take charge as India's new Sherpa of the G20.

He will replace Union Minister Piyush Goyal as the full-time Sherpa as India will hold the G-20 Presidency from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.

A Sherpa will have to devote a lot of time for meetings to be held in different parts of the country.

On the other hand, Goyal has other important tasks on hand like serving as the Leader of the Rajya Sabha and also handling the work in his important Ministries like Commerce and Industry, Textiles, and Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies.

Being a Sherpa, Goyal's foreign travel will be affected during Parliament sessions and he would want to focus attention on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks with the UK and the European Union (EU).

The UK and the EU are large markets and FTA would result in a boost to industries resulting in large number of jobs in sectors like textiles, leather, gems and others. The UK FTA is in advanced stages.

Goyal led the FTA negotiations with Unite Arab Emirates (UAE) and Australia regardless of the odd time zones.

A qualified chartered accountant, Goyal's guidance is also required at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as some countries may try to push India towards a compromise on important areas.

The UK and EU FTAs will be game changers for India's labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, gems & jewellery, helping artisans, weavers, farmers and creating lakhs of jobs in smaller towns. The minister's expertise is needed here.

The minister's guidance is also needed in the WTO. India achieved the best-ever outcome for the country in WTO's ministerial meeting last month. It became a dealmaker, demolishing Western propaganda about India being a dealbreaker. India protected the interests of its small fishermen and farmers, but some countries would try to push India to compromise on these key areas in future negotiations at WTO. This would require the minister's urgent attention from time to time.
Raj Subramaniam will replace Frederick W Smith, chairman, and CEO, who will step down from this position on June 1

FedEx Corp has selected Raj Subramaniam as its new chief executive officer, succeeding the man who invented express delivery almost 50 years ago. The worldwide courier service giant in the United States announced this respect. Raj Subramaniam would succeed Frederick W Smith, who would step down as chairman and CEO on June 1. The promotion of Subramaniam had been long anticipated. Smith's son, Richard W Smith, was designated the new head of the company's express division less than a month ago. For at least two years, the 77-year-old founder has stated that his long reign is ending.

Smith remarked that as they look toward what is next, he has a tremendous sense of satisfaction knowing that a leader of the level, Raj Subramaniam, would guide FedEx into a very successful future. Smith said he is looking forward to focusing on Board governance and global problems such as sustainability, innovation, and public policy in his new post. FedEx was started by Smith in 1971.

In a statement released by the FedEx post announcement, Raj Subramaniam opinioned that Fred is a visionary leader and a legend of the business world. Raj feels honored and finds it a privilege to take up this job and continue to expand one of the worlds most renowned companies. FedEx is headquartered in Tennessee and employs 600,000 people worldwide.

Subramaniam was elected to the FedEx Board of Directors in 2020 and will serve on the board indefinitely, according to the corporation. Subramaniam was president and CEO of FedEx Express, the world's largest express delivery company, before becoming president and CEO of FedEx Corp. At FedEx Corp., he served as executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, where he developed the company's strategy. A former president of FedEx Express in Canada, he joined FedEx in 1991. Additionally, he has worked in various management and marketing roles in Asia and the United States.
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Barely two weeks have passed since US investment group Blackstone took control of Crown Resorts, but it is already remaking James Packers casino operator in its own image.

With Ziggy Switkowskis board removed with the handover last month, Blackstone appointed one of its seasoned casino executives, Bill McBeath, to take the chair.

McBeath had only just stepped down as chief executive of another Blackstone business - The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas - after it was handed to new owners in what was one of the most profitable deals in the investment groups history. It was reflected in the $US5,000 ($7,300) bonus handed to each of the casinos 5,400 employees.

New CEO of Crown Resorts, Ciaran Carruthers, has had an extensive career in Macau and family roots in Australia.

On Thursday, Crown announced that the executive who was parachuted in last year to turnaround the groups fortunes, former Lend Lease CEO Steve McCann, will be replaced in September by casino veteran, Ciaran Carruthers, who straddles two important geographies for Crown.
An investigation by the resources industry regulator into a dangerous incident where an oil platform swung uncontrollably from a crane near the heads of two workers off the West Australian coast last is still going one year on with little indication of when it will be finalised.

Two workers were left scrambling for their lives during the removal of the Sinbad platform, owned by Santos, when it separated from the structure supporting it.

The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has been looking into the July 5 incident that happened near Varanus Island in the Pilbara for a year.

The watchdog issued a prohibition notice on Santos preventing it from undertaking any similar cutting and lifting operations until an investigation was completed.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Book critics Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction titles. Here are their reviews. Non-fiction pick of the week Credit: The Escape Artist

Jonathan Freedland, John Murray, $32.99 When Walter Rosenberg did the impossible and escaped from Auschwitz in April 1944 with a fellow inmate, their goal was to tell the world what was happening. Journalist and novelist Jonathan Freedland dramatically re-creates their tale (central focus on Rosenberg) in such a way that it reads like the best of thrillers, the more powerful for being true. Both men hid in a dug-out inside Auschwitz for three days and when the search for them was called off they walked by night across Poland to Slovakia, a nerve-wracking journey. Here, Rosenberg became Rudolf Vrba and dictated his story to the Jewish Council president, who got it to Churchill via a British journalist. Vrbas testimony was used at a war crimes trial in Frankfurt after the war. It sounds disrespectful to call it a page-turner, but it is, as well as being erudite, sad and inspiring.

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Credit: Marrul: Aboriginal Identity and the Fight for Rights

Inala Cooper, Monash University Publishing, $19.95 Marrul, the changing wind, is a fitting, even haunting title for this extended essay on, among other things, Reconciliation, the need for a treaty and justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. The winds of change, as Inala Cooper (daughter of Mick Dodson) acknowledges, have blown away some of the old, white colonial dispensation  but Marrul continues to blow and there is much to be done. This is also something of a synoptic family history, Cooper reaching back to the grandparents she never knew and their appalling treatment by colonial administrations, her time living on her maternal grandparents farm, near Port Fairy, Victoria, being taught respect for the land, to questions of identity when studying dance and wondering if she was Black enough to dance with Bangarra. The essay is heartfelt, clear-sighted and very engaging. Credit: Daughters of Durga

Manjula Datta OConnor, Melbourne University Press, $34.99

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The eponymous Durga is the mother-protector of the Hindu universe, the goddess of power. India-born, Melbourne-based clinical psychiatrist Manjula Datta OConnor, who treats survivors of domestic violence, mainly of Indian and South Asian heritage, asks in a searing, often shocking study of family violence Is the new Indian woman going to be brave and claim her power, like the goddess? Spurred by an outbreak of female suicides and murders around 2010, she contextualises the problem by examining it both in India and here. At its heart is dowry violence and murder, husbands railing against insufficient dowries and abusing their wives  one of her many case studies being Rima, a young, educated wife who put up with it until she left her husband. But there is hope that things can change and Durga will have her day. Credit: L Platers

Madonna King, Hachette, $32.99 In many ways this is a sequel to Madonna Kings earlier work on teenage girls, Being 14, except now theyre 17 and 18-year-olds. She interviewed 1000 girls and, like an echo of the Seven-Up series, says, I feel as though I know these girls well. And her detailed study of her subjects thoroughly justifies that claim. It amounts to a kind of cross-section of girls from a range of schools at a pivotal moment in their lives, a study that gives the girls a collective voice that covers a wide range of issues: the perils of comparing themselves to others, the anxiety of ATAR fixations, a touching mix of insecurity and perfectionism, as well as the impact of COVID. As King says, Wisdom works both ways, and in giving these girls a voice she also gives their parents a way of entering their mindset.

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Fiction pick of the week Credit: Bad Relations

Cressida Connolly, Viking, $32.99 Two deaths a century apart  one born of heroism, the other hedonism  mark this subtle and admirably compressed family saga from British author Cressida Connolly. It begins amid the horror of the Crimean War, with Captain William Gale cutting a lock of hair from the fresh corpse of his brother Algie. Williams gallantry makes him one of the first Victoria Cross recipients, though Connolly portrays with acuity the psychological price paid by William and his family in the years to follow. We then leap forward to the late 1970s, when a young man from Melbourne, Stephen, arrives one summer in Cornwall to stay with distant relatives, and tragedy strikes amid lust and drugs and music. Another Australian, Hazel, a descendant of William, completes the triptych in the 21st century on a visit to England. Bad Relations is a beautifully constructed domestic drama that sweeps through three time periods to haunting effect. Credit:

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The Lesbianas Guide to Catholic School

Sonora Reyes, HarperCollins, $19.99

Queer YA fiction was virtually non-existent when I grew up. The genres an international publishing phenomenon these days, and with novels as funny and ferocious as Sonora Reyes The Lesbianas Guide to Catholic School, thats no surprise. Our narrator, Yamilet Flores, was outed at her last school and shes determined to keep the closet door shut at her new one. Passing as straight is going to be a challenge: the only queer girl among her classmates, Bo, is pressing all her buttons, and Yami has a crush just thinking about her. But she faces rejection by her Latin American family, or worse, if the truth about her sexuality comes out, so Yami does mental gymnastics trying to get inside a straight girls head, while looking out for her brother and observing a range of other teen romances in the background. The book covers issues such as youth suicide and mental health, its bleak themes leavened by a whip-smart protagonist with an irrepressible, often hilariously authentic, teen voice.

Credit: August & Jones

Pip Harry, Lothian, $16.99 A fast friendship between contrasting kids buoys Pip Harrys latest childrens novel. Forced by drought to move to Sydney from her familys farm in country NSW, 11-year-old Jones Kirby struggles to adjust to city life in a tiny apartment. Her guide to her new school is August  a socially awkward library nerd who likes knitting, and is about as different from the outdoorsy, adventurous Jones as anyone could be.

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For cinema lovers, winter is the time to catch screen gems from around the world at both the Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival, but lately these major cultural events have been facing stiffer competition.

This winter a number of smaller, and sometimes overlapping, festivals are running in capital cities including the German, Polish, Japanese and Scandinavian film festivals, and thats just scratching the surface.

Popular at the Taiwan Film Festival this year: supernatural romance Till We Meet Again. Credit:Taiwan Film Festival

As well as the long-established annual showcase for French cinema, the festival calendar now includes  take a deep breath  Italian, Spanish, Lebanese, Jewish, Armenian, Turkish, Korean, British, Taiwanese, Russian, Palestinian, Greek, European, South African, Irish and Indian events.

Then there are also documentary, human rights, underground, sci-fi, LGBTQ, short film, childrens, genre, animation, smartphone and veterans film festivals.
An exponent of cold-blooded realism, White insists hes an accidental heretic. I started this process as a classic pro-American Australian defence public servant, he says. I had custodianship as a bureaucrat of some of the bigger, sexier parts of the alliance. Im still a pro-alliance person if I think its going to work. He pauses. I just dont think its going to work. Loading Whites first major foray into provocation came in 2010 with his first Quarterly Essay, Power Shift. His argument was that America should share power with China and relinquish its military supremacy in the Asia-Pacific, a position that detonated a fiery debate in the foreign policy community. Twelve years on, White thinks his idea of a power-sharing arrangement in Asia is no longer feasible. China has become too strong and the US too weak. The most likely outcome in coming decades, White argues, is that the US-led era in our region will give way to an Asia divided between two regional hegemonies ... India will dominate South Asia and the Indian Ocean, and China will dominate East Asia and the Asia Pacific. The pivotal question, White says, is whether America gives up its dominance in Asia peacefully or following a catastrophic conflict. The obvious trigger for such a war would be a move by China to send troops into Taiwan in an attempt to seize control of the island. China considers Taiwan part of its territory, but the democratically elected Taiwanese government operates autonomously from Beijing.

Since the 1980s, successive US presidents have pursued a policy on Taiwan known as strategic ambiguity. The policy means the US does not reveal whether it would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if Beijing were to invade. Its goal is two-fold: to prevent Taiwan from declaring independence from China while dissuading Beijing from launching an invasion. Loading Until now, the policy has worked. But with Beijing becoming increasingly assertive, its coming under intense strain. During a CNN forum last October, President Joe Biden was asked whether the US would come to Taiwans defence if it was attacked. Yes, we have a commitment to do that, Biden replied, setting off a frenzy of speculation. Did Biden misspeak or was he jettisoning the policy of strategic ambiguity? White House officials quickly clarified that Biden was not announcing a policy change, but his comments still provoked alarm in Washington. The president has a tendency to make gaffes but this is potentially quite dangerous, Bonnie Glaser, one of Americas most respected China experts, told me at the time. This is the only issue the US and China could go to war over so its something the administration has to be very careful on.

Bidens comments werent a one-off, however. During a visit to Tokyo last month, he replied yes when asked whether the US was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan. It remains unclear exactly what Biden is up to. Its possible he is trying to keep Xi Jinping off-balance or is clumsily referring to the Taiwan Relations Act, passed by the US Congress in 1979. The act commits the US to provide military support to Taiwan but does not oblige the US to intervene military if China invades. Loading Nevertheless, Bidens comments have been applauded by anti-China hawks in the US Congress and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles. On 7.30 this week, Marles said: I welcome President Bidens remarks because I do think that they represent a statement of a greater American intent in this part of the world  in the East Asian time zone, in the Indo-Pacific. White would be delighted to see the end of US strategic ambiguity, but in an entirely different way. He bluntly states that the US should abandon Taiwan to Beijing. And if the US wont do so of its own accord, Australia should make clear that it would not participate in a war over Taiwan. White concedes that a Beijing takeover would lead to great suffering for the Taiwanese people. His position sounds callous; indeed, it amounts to a pre-emptive capitulation to China. His analysis becomes more persuasive, however, when viewed in the context of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Biden has explicitly ruled out sending US troops into Ukraine to avoid provoking a wider war with a nuclear-armed power. The same argument can be applied to a theoretical Chinese invasion of Taiwan. China possesses nuclear weapons, if not as many as Russia. Unlike Ukraine, however, the US doesnt recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state. Why, then, would the US risk triggering World War III over Taiwan if it is not willing to put boots on the ground in Ukraine? Loading Whites essay contains other challenging arguments. The prospect of a Chinese military base on the Solomon Islands? White is remarkably sanguine, saying it is less of a threat to Australia than many assume. The much-hyped Quad grouping between the US, Australia, Japan and India? White argues the Quad holds meetings that result in grandiose commitments but never delivers anything concrete. What about the AUKUS pact, embraced by the Coalition and Labor as a landmark agreement that will help keep Australia safe? White regards it as a colossal folly, in terms of both defence procurement and geopolitical strategy. He says the mooted eight nuclear submarines, expected to be delivered around 2040, will take too long to arrive and will be too few to make much of a difference in a war with China. AUKUS, he says, is tying Australia closer to America when it should be pursuing a more nimble, independent foreign policy. There is much to question  and even vehemently oppose  in Whites essay. He is vituperative in his criticisms of Canberra and Washington policymakers, but applies little scrutiny to the competence of officials in Beijing. He regards Chinas rise as unstoppable, ignoring the possibility that its trajectory could be upended by a Chinese economic downturn or major strategic miscalculation.
Thousands of flood victims across NSW returned home on Friday amid better weather conditions with emergency leaders turning their attention to preventing the next major flooding event for the state.

Resilience NSW boss Shane Fitzsimmons said teams of just under 1000 had arrived en masse in flood-affected regions over recent days to begin the long clean-up effort.

A man cleaning a driveway in an area affected by floods in Moorebank, in western Sydney, on Monday. Credit:Flavio Brancaleone

Almost 40,000 people are still subject to evacuation orders throughout the Hawkesbury-Nepean area, the Central Coast and parts of the Lower Hunter, but as river levels continue to drop in the regions, more residents are being allowed back home.

About 50,000 residents across the state are now under return with caution to homes orders.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Shanaya Soni is weeks away from having her leg amputated. Already engaged in a David and Goliath battle for insurance, ahead lies the unknown - days, months or possibly years of life in limbo. Ironically, Soni says, her insurer has no leg to stand on. But they are still trying to make it difficult. Shanaya Soni, 34, hopes her total and permanent disability claim will be processed so she can reskill for another role. A decade ago, she had been planning to marry her girlfriend, the only person who knew and accepted her being transgender. But her partners death in a car accident was the first of many downward spirals Sonis life took.

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In 2017, Soni took out life insurance, total and permanent disability and income protection through an ANZ branch, which processed her application with Zurich, the parent company of One Path. Born with a bilateral club foot condition, Soni had undergone treatment and had her legs straightened as a child. She says she had no issues from about five years old onwards. But towards the end of 2017, the childhood diagnosis began to flare up unexpectedly. At the time Soni had been working on her health and fitness, having come out as transgender some years earlier. Shanaya Soni has undergone several surgeries in 2020, including having frames in her legs readjusted. But she felt she wasnt recovering after her F45 classes, and her leg - a condition she had thought was behind her - began to hurt. Now the pain is as figurative as it is physical, as the 34-year-old struggles with Zurich and One Path over her total and permanent disability claim.

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She says she was medically tested at the time she took out the protection policy, and she informed the company of her childhood diagnosis that had been treated. She says nothing prevented her taking out the policy. Soni now must prove she is unable to return to her work in a sales role, where she is regularly on her feet. I try to be as positive as possible because it helps you through, but there are times when I get really frustrated. I was a corporate salesperson where I had to visit so many clients; I used to walk at least 10 kilometres a day. So I cant do that. So I have to study something else to gain a new skill set to get back into the workforce. If I dont have education, if I dont have experience, if I dont have a skill set, who will hire me for that role?

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Zurich responded to questions about Sonis claims by saying it could not comment specifically on the case because of privacy laws. Soni is not the only one facing years-long battles over total and permanent disability claims. Rob Caruso, a former award-winning real estate agent in Perth, took out insurance with Zurich 10 years ago. Rob Caruso developed a spinal cord compression in 2018 then subsequently underwent surgery that left his spinal cord damaged. The 53-year-old was making up to $100,000 a month but is now an incomplete quadriplegic and had to leave his share of the business behind. Operations, medical appointments and scans every other day and this and that just make it impossible [to return to work], he says. It turns out I actually cant go back to anything.

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Something really, really needs to be done. I just want more people to know theyre probably better off [putting insurance money] towards paying their mortgage and selling their property and using the money to survive than having to rely on insurance, which is really sad. Caruso says the change from working hard and independently to now having to rely on income-protection money is taking a toll on him and his family, including his two daughters who are on the NDIS. Rob Caruso, an incomplete quadriplegic, undergoes regular scans and tests of his spine but still suffers chronic pain. Brisbane-based Farhad Nafar is in a similar situation, but with BT Superannuation fund. Nafar, who injured his back while employed as a labourer and forklift driver in 2017, now suffers chronic pain and requires a carer. His carer has signed a statutory declaration confirming she must help Nafar with basic living activities, including getting in and out of the shower, washing, drying and dressing, and moving him from his bed.

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A Queensland police sergeant has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and suffocation.

Police issued a statement on Friday confirming the sergeant, 51, had been charged with three counts of sexual assault and two counts of suffocating in a domestic relationship, with the alleged offences occurring while he was off-duty.

He appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday and was scheduled to reappear on July 18.

Police said the sergeant had been suspended from duty.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Shannon Demicoli Battisson loves overhearing locals who stop to talk about her home on evening walks in her new suburb. They ask, Why does it face such a funny angle? Why are there weeds in the driveway? Why is the roof upside down?, says Battisson, the newest national president of the Australian Institute of Architects. (The answers to this pop quiz are at the end of this article.) Australia has about 13,000 architects. Yet fewer than 6 per cent of homes are designed by them. Few architects are involved in high-volume housing projects, and they are largely absent from new suburbs and affordable housing. Battisson is determined to change this, and make her profession more relevant. I want to smash the image that architecture is only for the elite. She leads by example, by living and building affordable and sustainable homes for ordinary people in the suburbs of Canberra. Shannon Battison, the new national president of the Institute of Architects, has plenty to say. Credit:Zachary Griffith

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There will always be a place for incredibly bespoke whimsical, you know, magical, architectural houses, she says. But there is equally a place for architects in the affordable housing market. Its really easy to forget that those buildings that were building now should stand for 50-odd years before they need renovating. If we dont get them right, then were setting up multiple generations to live in really bad quality [homes]. As the climate is showing us, it is too high a cost not to get it right before we build. As she puts it, those people who most need well-designed homes to manage rocketing energy bills and keep the climate at bay are least likely to get them. When we meet for lunch on a windy cold Monday in Canberra, she is elated and tired after two weeks of speeches marking the start of her two-year presidency. At the ceremony, she was garlanded with a silver chain of office designed in 1964 by the Opera Houses architect, Jorn Utzon. Pressure much? Three days before lunch, Battisson and her practice, The Mill: Architecture + Design, had been awarded 2022s highest award for sustainable architecture from the ACT chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. It was for her home, The House with Old Roots, built in Denman Prospect, a greenfield suburb in Canberras Molonglo Valley currently being developed.

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There are not many trees growing there yet. Her home in this new suburb got its name and some history from the transplantation of a much loved magnolia tree from the Battisson familys first home, built by her husbands grandparents. The jury said her new home showed sustainable architecture didnt have to be costly, and could be beautifully integrated in a comfy family home. Shannon Battissons home in Denman Prospect. Credit:Anne Stroud Only 41, and the second-youngest national president ever, it was Battissons third big architecture award, including the ACT Presidents Medal in 2017 and the shared prize of Emerging Architect in 2018. To be honest, this interview with Battisson, didnt only take place over lunch at the Japanese restaurant Raku in Canberra. It started months before over coffee, and continued in phone calls, the last before she flew out to the United States in June for a month of conferences, vacation and to visit her favourite place, Palm Springs. It is the home of mid-century modernism with houses by A. Quincy Jones, Albert Frey, Herbert W. Burns  many with an upside-down butterfly roof like Battissons. She was born in Sydneys inner west to awesome humans. Her Maltese mother Julie Demicoli and Australian dad, the late Rob Anderson, were strong unionists, who also advocated for refugees, women and the environment. They taught her to have strong opinions, and to be prepared to fight for [them]. She has a lot to say, and already she has come out swinging on:

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House sizes: too big, too close to others, poorly insulated, and too reliant on air conditioning/heating. It is unbelievable that up to 40 people die in Canberra every year because their homes are too cold, she says.

The environment  it is time for architects to lead on environmental issues, she says. Residential buildings represent 12 per cent of carbon emissions and 24 per cent of electricity use.

Improving existing housing  Battisson is calling on the government to provide incentives for owners of existing housing stock  often described as tents with windows  to better insulate their homes. Harry Seidlers Bowden House in Canberra has a butterfly roof. Credit:National Archives of Australia The Palm Springs of Australia: Australians love to kind of rag on Canberra, but actually, we have an incredible percentage of unforgettable mid-century architecture. This includes Bowden House by Harry Seidler, Roy Grounds Academy of Science dome, and homes by Robin Boyd. Over lunch, she gives great chat. She doesnt like the smell of fish, a challenge for her growing up in a family of fish-loving Maltese migrants. That makes Raku, which does a roaring trade in sushi and sashimi, a curious choice for lunch. As we arrive, hulking bits of octopus sizzle on the grill. But Battisson likes Rakus service and its beef. She was also touched when its chefs made her a special fish dish to see if they could fix her aversion. Given these restrictions, I suggest she pick. She chooses the eggplant miso soup to start, followed by the 150-day grain fed Scotch fillet with three sauces, rice, some asparagus and spicy corn.

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I muck up the order. But the miso, minus the eggplant, which I failed to request, is warming. She picks at the Scotch fillet, saying she is a grazer who eats small amounts rather than a wolfer-downer like me. Bad luck for her; the fillet is delicious. The asparagus at Raku in Canberra. Credit: Zachary Griffith The local red wine, a Sangiovese from Collector, is so good that it sends me Googling to buy some later. The corn is perfectly charred and a bit sticky, enough to have awkward moments where kernels get stuck in my teeth. If she notices, she is too polite to say anything. That could be the legacy of her time working as a customer service officer at Qantas during her two-year gap period and later in university holidays. Her late dad was a Qantas baggage handler. She handled people.

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A Melbourne psychologist is accused of trying to steal up to $2.25 million from her dying partner by creating a fake will to exclude her family.

Kris Schroder, 61, offered to pay her partner Maree Harts niece and nephew $200,000 to drop action against the will and forged two friends signatures, prosecutor David ODoherty told jurors in a County Court trial on Friday.

Forensic psychologist Kris Schroder.

Schroder has pleaded not guilty to nine charges including obtaining financial advantage by deception, perverting the course of justice and perjury.

Prosecutors allege Schroder created a fake will for her dying partner that left about $2.25 million worth of property, inheritance and shares to her, and excluded family members who were named as beneficiaries in an earlier will.
If youre a healthy 30-year-old in Australia, you can get a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from Monday. So, should you?

The message from most epidemiologists is that it is a good idea which could ease the burden on the health system but, ultimately, the choice is yours.

Melbourne University epidemiologist Nancy Baxter went a step further than others, urging everybody to get the fourth dose to minimise the impending disaster of the next peak of the Omicron wave.

People at a walk-in vaccination centre in Broadmeadows on Friday. Credit:Wayne Taylor

So far, 588,906 Victorians have already had a winter fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Nothing undermines public trust in government more than ministers who fail to observe basic ethical standards of integrity and honesty.

The scandals that have just brought down British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are classic examples of the corrosive effect of ministers, and prime ministers, behaving badly.

The Tory leader lost the confidence of his party and the public because he flouted the rules on lockdowns and then he lied about it, and then he lied about his knowledge of allegations of sexual assault against a senior member of parliament.

Here in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a step toward raising standards on Friday by issuing an updated version of the code of ministerial conduct.

The document retains many features of earlier codes, including the so-called bonk ban on sexual relations between ministers and their staffers, which was introduced in 2018.
Michael Matthews has just missed out on earning back-to-back Australian triumphs at the Tour de France, beaten by the phenomenon that is Tadej Pogacar.

Matthews, looking in a good position to lift a second stage triumph of the Tour for Australian outfit Team BikeExchange-Jayco on Thursday, on an uphill finish that suited his explosive quality, found the double Tour champion Pogacar simply too good.

So the day after Melbournes Israel-Premier Tech rider Simon Clarke had won an epic cobbled outing, Matthews had to settle for second on the 220km sixth stage from Binche to Longwy, as Slovenian Pogacar rode to victory and into the race leaders yellow jersey.

Canberras 31-year-old Matthews, aiming for his fourth Tour stage win and his first in five years, simply couldnt compete with the power of Pogacar, who has already reminded everyone that he can do anything - from time-trialling to gliding over the cobbles.
Bali: Penny Wong has blasted Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine in an address to foreign ministers from around the world including Russias Sergei Lavrov, saying Moscow must be held to account or the cost will be borne by all of us.

Wong was among a series of foreign ministers who rose at Fridays G20 summit to denounce Russias invasion of Ukraine as the conflict in Europe dominated the agenda on the Indonesian island.

Penny Wong at Fridays G20 meeting in Bali. Credit:Johannes P Christo

Lavrov also spoke at the meeting, attempting to defend Russias actions in Ukraine, but was met with fierce condemnation of its deadly campaign from G7 nations and like-minded countries such as Australia.

Russias unprovoked, unjustified and illegal invasion of Ukraine is not only the cause of untold loss of life and damage, Wong told the meeting.
All political violence is tragic. But one of Japans leading politicians, Shinzo Abe, shot dead on the election trail? Not just shocking but virtually unthinkable until now.

Almost exactly a year ago, Haitis president Jovenel Moise was assassinated by a gang of mercenaries. It remains devastatingly common for political candidates to be killed in countries like Mexico and Brazil. All these nations have high levels of poverty, crime and corruption, making politics a potentially fatal career choice.

Mercifully, there has not been a serious assassination attempt on a US president since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981 by a mentally ill man who wanted to impress the actress Jodie Foster. But with such high levels of gun ownership and political polarisation, the risk remains ever present.

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was delivering a campaign speech in Nara before being shot. Credit:Getty

In 2011 Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head while meeting constituents in a supermarket parking lot; Republican congressman Steve Scalise was shot by a left-wing activist at a charity baseball game in 2017. Thankfully, both survived.
Three weeks ago, on the day that British Home Secretary Priti Patel approved the extradition of the WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange to America  for trial under the US Espionage Act  guards entered Assanges cell in Belmarsh prison. He was strip-searched, then locked in a bare cell and put on enhanced suicide watch.

This is the kind of thing Julian has no control over, his wife, Stella Assange, tells me. Assange, she says, is usually locked in his cell for more than 20 hours a day. So he was even more isolated than usual [while] processing that news. And then he was eventually moved back after two or three days and his cell had been searched.

Stella Assange speaks to supporters outside Belmarsh prison after marrying Julian Assange. Credit:Getty

Assange has been held in Belmarsh since April 2019, when he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He had spent seven increasingly surreal years there, after skipping bail to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault. The charges were later dropped.

For Stella, too, Patels decision was the latest blow in her relationship with Assange that, by any standards, has been extraordinary. For much of the 11 years she has been involved with Assange he has been in a condition of captivity  self-imposed as it was at the Ecuadorian embassy, where their two children, aged three and five, were conceived; and in Belmarsh, where the couple married in March. Unsurprisingly, she believes his detention is a travesty of justice and today sees the latest attempt by his supporters to put his side of the story, with the release of a documentary. Ithaka: A Father, a Family, a Fight for Justice chronicles Assanges battle against extradition through the eyes of his wife and his 75-year-old father, John Shipton.
Johnson, schooled at Eton and Oxford, had made a name for himself in the media, but when he was still in his early 30s he told friends he wanted more. For someone who had declared at the age of eight that he wanted to become world king, it should not have come as a surprise. They dont put up statues to journalists, he once said. First elected an MP in 2001, he continued with his writing, landing himself in controversy time after time with his commentary. He defied conventional political wisdom, survived gaffes and being caught lying and even overcame his marital infidelities to become the most remarkable and colourful British politician of his generation.

But if the Boris Project, as his aspirations became known, had always seemed inevitable, it was also inevitable that it would end in tears. Johnson, 58, announced on Thursday that he would step down as Conservative Party leader. He can, however, claim to be the most consequential British politician of his generation. He will be remembered in many ways by many people, but ultimately, as the man who took Britain out of the European Union. To many voters he seemed above politics. Certainly beyond party politics. He was his own separate brand. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a media briefing on coronavirus. His own staff did not observe lockdown rules. Credit:AP In the Brexit referendum and the 2019 election, his celebrity and famous irreverence helped turn out the disaffected. His rallying cries of Take Back Control and Get Brexit Done were effective at motivating those reluctant to vote. They helped drive Leave over the line to win the vote 52 per cent to Remains 48 per cent. They also helped deliver seats in the Red Wall  a set of constituencies mainly in the Midlands, northern England and north-east Wales which had historically supported Labour but switched to the Tories in 2019.

During that general election, Johnson pitched himself as the only person who could deliver on the Brexit promise, while vowing to invest in left-behind areas of England. Having stood up for bankers during the financial crisis, he now railed against Londons pre-eminence. He built a new electoral coalition uniting rural parts of southern England with seats in former industrial towns, where working-class loyalties to the Labour Party had frayed. It cemented his image as a Heineken politician; one who could reach parts of the country that other Conservatives could not. He won with a majority of 80 seats, the Conservatives largest since 1987. The victory was so large that it seemed Johnson could enjoy a decade as prime minister. But while he had previously been regarded as a lovable buffoon, his critics argued that after wooing progressives in London as mayor, hed pivoted to become a sort of British Trump, someone who would whip up xenophobia and ugly racism and shift his party to a hard-right populist grouping that polarised the country and threatened to break up the United Kingdom.

Of course, he was not Donald Trump. Nowhere near it. But he came close this week when he threatened to barricade himself in 10 Downing Street and ignore the mass resignations that triggered his downfall. He set himself apart from Trump again on climate, where he became the most outspoken world leader on ambitious action to reduce greenhouse emissions. Perhaps, one day, those on the progressive side of politics will recognise that he played a pivotal part in getting the worlds richest nations talking about decarbonisation as an economic issue. Boris Johnson was greeted with applause as he returned to Number 10 after the 2019 election victory. Credit:AP Boris Johnson was his own separate brand. In October last year, Johnsons father Stanley told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that his sons critics were often too quick to slag him off and underestimated his intellect and genuine interest in the environment, particularly around biodiversity and the proliferation of plastics.

When Britain finally left the EU on January 31, 2020, Johnson promised the start of a new act in our great national drama. He hailed the 2020s as a decade of prosperity and opportunity for post-Brexit Britain, saying the UK could turn the page on the division of the previous three years. Within a month COVID-19 hit, and he found himself contemplating health restrictions that went against his libertarian instincts. He was painfully slow to order national lockdowns, leading to the unnecessary deaths of thousands. Discharging patients without testing in accordance with government policy brought COVID-19 into aged care homes. But he won public sympathy when he himself almost died of the virus that year. A rapid vaccine rollout and billions of pounds of state support then steadied his position.

But it is how he behaved in private, not his policies, that undid him. Theres a pattern to Boris life, and it isnt the lust for office, or for applause, or for susceptible women, that mark out this pattern in red warning ink, Matthew Parris, a former Tory MP and political columnist for The Times wrote even before Hastings. Its the casual dishonesty, the cruelty, the betrayal; and, beneath the betrayal, the emptiness of real ambition: the ambition to do anything useful with office once it is attained. Things started turning against Johnson in late 2020 when his key aide, Dominic Cummings, travelled hundreds of kilometres to Barnard Castle at a time when Britons had been ordered to stay at home. Cummings had been the architect of both Johnsons finest achievements: Brexit and the 2019 election win. And so the prime minister went against a howl of public disgust and stuck by his man.

At the time Johnson said he had regrets but only about the anger and confusion the public felt over his aides 800-kilometre round trip. It came at a heavy political cost. But Cummings, involved in a power struggle within No. 10, soon resigned and spent his time outside politics attacking Johnson, whom he likens to a shopping trolley, smashing from one side of the aisle to the other due to his indecision. Dominic Cummingss unauthorised drive across England during lockdown became a pain point for the already struggling Johnson government. Credit:Getty Probity issues also plagued Johnsons government, with questions over who paid for his holiday to Mustique in the Caribbean in early 2020 and over the expensive refurbishments to his Downing Street flat. These stories bubbled up and faded, but never entirely went away.

In November last year, he demanded his party vote against the suspension of fellow Brexiteer and former cabinet minister Owen Paterson, who had breached rules on paid lobbying. It caused outrage and prompted an embarrassing U-turn and apology. And with each mishandling, more questions were raised over the prime ministers judgment. Perhaps the hammer blow was revelations of Downing Street parties during the pandemic. And it was Cummings who helped expose those breaches. Loading In December, Johnson approved an independent investigation into allegations that he and other officials held lockdown-breaking parties during periods when the public were under severe restrictions. His hand was forced after a stream of reports in newspapers led to explosive public anger over what became known as partygate.

The investigation, led by civil servant Sue Gray, was temporarily impeded when Metropolitan Police started their own probe into the events and ordered Gray to redact her findings until officers had finished their enquiries. On April 12, after months of speculation and building evidence against the prime minister, Johnson was fined 50 by police for attending his own birthday party in May 2020. He was the first British prime minister found to have broken the law while in office. Things came to a head last month with a no-confidence vote, which he narrowly survived, however two shocking byelection losses followed. For many Tory MPs, the final straw was a changing official account of what the prime minister had known about inappropriate behaviour by Tory MP Chris Pincher before appointing him as minister. None of these incidents merited so much as a mention in Johnsons resignation speech on Thursday evening (AEST), but that came as no shock to his colleagues. Again, he suggested he had done nothing wrong; he was instead the victim of relentless sledging and an eccentric decision by Tory MPs.
The whole thing is unbelievable. As I write these words, he is still holed up in Downing Street. He is like some illegal settler in the Sinai desert, lashing himself to the radiator, or like David Brent haunting The Office in that excruciating episode when he refuses to acknowledge that he has been sacked. Isnt there someone  the Queens Private Secretary, the nice policeman on the door of No 10  whose job it is to tell him that the game is up?

Boris Johnson announces his resignation outside No 10 Downing St on Thursday. Credit:Getty

Dont worry dear reader, I have not lost my marbles. Those are not my words but those of Boris Johnson, written for The Daily Telegraph on May 10, 2010, when he was the shambolic yet still likeable mayor of London and a Labour PM, Gordon Brown, was clinging to power.

The column, unearthed and shared widely in the 18 excruciating hours between Johnsons bullish and delusional appearance before Westminsters Liaison Committee and his subdued thems the breaks resignation speech outside No 10 exemplifies the fever dream nature of British politics this week.

Could it really be that only 30 months have passed since Boris Johnson led the Conservative Party to a landslide majority of 80 seats and 43.6 per cent of the popular vote  the highest for any party since 1979?
These were not isolated incidents, nor were they Johnsons personal fault. But the ongoing failure to address Westminsters culture will only see more leaders brought down by the unscrupulous who get drunk, literally and figuratively, with power. Johnson, despite the rot setting in around his leadership over the numerous parties held at No.10 Downing Street against lockdown rules, has never been a partier himself. But his well-documented affairs  he is thrice-married  meant he could never require a standard of personal behaviour like the bonk ban Malcolm Turnbull imposed on his cabinet after Barnaby Joyces affair with then staffer Vikki Campion. Indeed, in 2004 then opposition leader Michael Howard sacked Johnson from his frontbench for lying about his affair with writer Petronella Wyatt, and Johnsons third and current wife Carrie was working for the party as its director of communications when they began their affair.

This, combined with his innate libertarianism, perhaps explains why Johnson was quick to dismiss concerns about Chris Pinchers personal behaviour when he made him deputy whip in February. Pincher by name, Pincher by nature, was how Johnson had famously referred to him, according to Johnsons former chief adviser Dominic Cummings. Johnson has not denied using this expression. Imagine being a rookie fresh from school and needing to raise a complaint about your bosss unwanted advance when the office manager is their spouse, relative or friend. It all came undone last week, spectacularly, when Pincher was accused by two men of groping them after a drinking session at the members-only Carlton Club. Johnsons office initially said he was not aware of any previous allegations of misconduct when he gave Pincher the key government post, but his office later acknowledged Johnson knew about an investigation that upheld similar complaints in 2019.

It was one lie and one concealment too many for his key ministers. Johnson is right to point to alcohol as a factor, but it is not the whole story. One only needs to glance through the 37-page report into the Downing Street parties compiled by civil servant Sue Gray to see how ingrained the problem is. It documented the excessive alcohol consumption and drunkenness culture that ended in red wine spilled on the wall, fights and vomiting after pizza and karaoke sessions. Chris Pincher, whose appointment as deputy chief whip in the Johnson government brought his prime minister undone. Credit:AP That this was done during lockdown was politically criminal. That it happens in a workplace at any time says much about what passes as acceptable in the British halls of power. Boozing and schmoozing have always been seen as somewhat necessary in relationship-based fields like politics, but in Westminster if you want to get on the drinking train until 3am on any given night you can, and too many do.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces his resignation. Credit:Getty But staffers who have worked in both Canberra and Westminster say other factors contribute. They point to Britains particularly low rates of pay for parliamentary researchers, poor resourcing of MPs offices and a culture of nepotism in political offices. The pay, as low as 21,000 ($36,800), means only the young or very ambitious are attracted. This makes them vulnerable to an MP who tells them that loyalty, shutting up and putting your head down are the way to get ahead. They also complain about a general lack of professionalism in the way Commons staffing is run, with no centralised Department of Finance, as in Australia, and ad hoc administration.

Imagine being a rookie fresh from school and needing to raise a complaint about your bosss unwanted advance when the office manager is their spouse, relative or friend. None of this serves as an excuse for those who still, in 2022, cannot understand that groping, asking and pressuring for sex are not on. Drinking alcohol does not alone make a sex pest. But it does go towards creating an environment ripe for power imbalance and exploitation. More often than not, it is young staffers who are most at risk in this environment. (This is separate to special advisers, mostly male, who are paid very well and work for cabinet ministers rather than backbenchers.) The MeToo movement often focuses on younger women at the mercy of sleazy male MPs, but Salma Shah, a former special adviser, says young gay men are also vulnerable. She says this is partly because of the complexities of airing complaints concerning those who are not yet out, as well as perceptions of gay culture. I think it is different for gay men, she said. There is a different culture. I think that can be more difficult, especially in circumstances where people arent open about their sexuality.

Loading Another former staffer who worked at the highest levels in the British government said the late nights, MPs and staffers working away from home, the attraction to power and the risk-taking politicians often indulge in were also factors. But the nub of it all is that the reluctance to actively address the culture means victims are not empowered to speak out. Which is why Johnson identifying alcohol as a problem is only part of the journey required for genuine enlightenment. Sexual harassment scandals contributed to Boris Johnsons demise, but the structural problems long pre-date him.
The collapse of Boris Johnsons government has been gripping to watch. This story has it all: the downfall of a toxic prime minister who less than three years ago secured the biggest parliamentary majority since Margaret Thatcher; sleaze and booze at the upper echelons of politics; self-interest, ignorance and lies; and unashamed ambition from a wide field of contenders vying to replace him.

It is also the latest sign that longevity and stability in politics are increasingly rare. Australia has a global reputation for chucking out prime ministers at an astonishing rate but Britain seems determined to catch up. Since 2016, the United Kingdom has had three prime ministers  David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson  and will soon get a fourth once Conservative Party members select a new leader over the coming months. The last British prime minister to be directly elected by voters and discarded by them at a general election was John Major back in the 1990s.

Boris Johnson announces his resignation as prime minister outside Number 10. Credit:AP

In 2019  the same year Johnson became Tory leader  world leaders gathered in the French coastal town of Biarritz for the annual G7 summit. Angela Merkel of Germany, Giuseppe Conte of Italy, Donald Trump of the United States, Donald Tusk of the European Council and Johnson of the United Kingdom have all since left the stage. Only Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron remain. Scott Morrison was also at the Biarritz G7 as a guest, and we know what happened to him on May 21 this year.

Shinzo Abe of Japan was also at the G7. He resigned due to ill-health in 2020 and earlier today was assassinated while delivering a speech in the city of Nara. Abe was a good friend to Australia and this violence is shocking, senseless and deeply concerning.
Kyiv/Kramatorsk: Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of decades of aggression towards Moscow and warned that any attempt to beat his country on the battlefield would bring tragedy for Ukraine.

His remarks came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov prepared for a closed-door meeting of foreign ministers at a G20 gathering in Indonesia on Friday  the first time Putins top diplomat will come face-to-face with the most vocal opponents of the invasion of Ukraine since it began in February.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a warning to the West. Credit:AP

Russian shells fell in eastern Ukraine before an expected new offensive, while three people were killed in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, authorities said.

In televised remarks to parliamentary leaders on Thursday (Moscow time), Putin said: We have heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that everything is heading towards this.
SABA/STATIA:--- Notarial services for residents of St. Eustatius and Saba have been restored effective today, Friday 8 July 2022, with the virtual swearing-in of Mrs. Marcia Bouterse, LL.M, currently working in St. Maarten, as acting civil law notary.

Notarial and legal services have been a major challenge for St. Eustatius and Saba for the past several years. The travel restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic further adversely affected notarial services. The situation became acute when the notary in St. Maarten who handled clients from St. Eustatius and Saba indicated earlier this year that per July 1, 2022 services for the two islands would be ceased.

The Public Entities Saba and St. Eustatius, including the Island Councils, have been actively lobbying in The Hague for a solution to this urgent matter. The pressing issue was raised multiple times in talks with national government officials, ministries, and the Dutch Parliament. Letters were also sent to The Hague to underscore the urgency of the situation.

Earlier this year, Statia Government Commissioner Alida Francis continued discussions with the Ministry of Justice and Security (JenV) to have notarial services restored on the short term. The Ministry of JenV and the President of the Joint Court of Justice, Mr. Mauritsz J. de Kort worked on the process of appointing an acting notary for Saba and Statia. With the swearing-in of Mrs. Bouterse, Saba and St. Eustatius finally have proper access to notarial services again. Mrs. Bouterse will shorty place an announcement in the local paper containing her contact information.
PHILIPSBURG:--- After 67 years, the Dutch State has finally opened the door for COHO, as well as, the Kingdom Charter to be tested versus international law. On July 4th, 2022, Pro Soualiga received a letter from State Secretary Van Huffelen whereby she intimated that COHO can be subjected to screening. In the said letter, Van Huffelen states that if a conflict exists between a rule of international law with a peremptory character (dwingend karakter) like the right to self-determination and national legislation (COHO), international law takes precedence over such national legislation. In other words, if COHO violates the right of self-determination, which is a peremptory norm (dwingend recht) of the CAS islands from which there is no deviation, then, according to State Secretary Van Huffelen, the peremptory norm of the right of self-determination supersedes the Draft Kingdom Law COHO. Interestingly, State Secretary Van Huffelen intimated that the Dutch State considers Rijskwet COHO to be "in accordance with the right of self-determination of peoples." (Bear in mind that in May of 2022, the Court of First Instance struck down an immigration policy because it was not in compliance with the European Human Rights Treaty which is a legal instrument of international law.)

Van Huffelen's letter of July 4, 2022, should be cause for emergency meetings for the Parliaments of Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten. St. Eustatius should be sending a high-level delegation to the Netherlands to demand an explanation as to how the "Tijdelijke Wet" can function while they possess the inviolate right to self-determination, while the CAS islands should be asking how can COHO function while their right to self-determination is to be exercised "without outside pressure or interference" according to the Dutch State. Urgent high-level delegations should be dispatched to the Netherlands post haste.

Pro Soualiga Foundation
The space race was a series of competitive technology demonstrations between the United States and the Soviet Union, aiming to show superiority in spaceflight. It was an outgrowth of the mid-20th-century Cold War, a tense global conflict that pitted the ideologies of capitalism and communism against one another, according to an online exhibit from the National Air and Space Museum (opens in new tab).

From the late 1950s to the mid-1970s, the two superpowers were embroiled in a bitter competition over who could 'conquer' outer space first. Beginning with the launch of the first satellite and culminating with a joint mission between the two superpowers, the space race was a unique period in space exploration.

How the space race began

A technician working on the Soviet satellite, the first manmade object to orbit the earth (Image credit: Getty: Sovfoto / Contributor)

Following the end of the Second World War, a bitter ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union known as the Cold War (opens in new tab), began. The Cold War had many battlefields, from the United States intervention in Vietnam to the nuclear arms race. Another area of conflict was the battle to 'conquer' the exploration of space first. The first aim in this "space race" was the launching of an unmanned object, a satellite, which could successfully orbit the earth.

The United States first began planning this venture in 1954, according to an article by NASA. However, on Oct. 4, 1957 the Soviet Union announced that they had successfully launched a satellite, Sputnik. A month later they followed this with the launch of Sputnik 2, which carried a dog named Laika, making the Soviets the first to send a living creature into outer space, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich (opens in new tab).

In the United States, the response to the news that the Soviet Union had sent an object into outer space, caused public panic. "When Sputnik launches, President Eisenhower doesn't see it as an existential threat," according to Brian C Odom, acting Chief Historian for NASA. "He sees it as just what it was, the Soviet Union launching a transceiver transmitter into orbit. But the American public saw it differently, right because they saw it as this larger cold war competition."

Following the launch of Sputnik, it was deemed appropriate that a private organization should be founded in order to to best facilitate the burgeoning American Space Program, according to (opens in new tab) NASA. In late 1957, America's first attempt at a satellite, the Vanguard TV-3, almost immediately crashed back onto the launchpad, according to The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (opens in new tab). Although the successful launch of Explorer 1 on Jan. 31, 1958 did help soften this blow, it was still decided that a private body should be set up.

A NASA scientist examining the design of a rocket engine in the first year of the organization (Image credit: HUM Images / Contributor)

There were other factors involved too. "Eisenhower's chief problem during this period was which branch of the military would be responsible for developing a launch vehicle," according to Odom, "however, this was problematic because it put the various branches in competition with each other. Eisenhower was really trying to disentangle all the military branches from being in competition with each other and move space exploration into a government agency dedicated to peaceful, open communication."

NASA officially opened for business on Oct. 1, 1958. However, the early years of NASA were a far cry from what the organization would become. The fledgling institution was in a process of finding its feet and discovering how it would approach the various problems concerned in launching both humans and objects into space. "In those early years, particularly 1958-1961, NASA was working to understand what its overall program would be," Odom said.

"What were its priorities, where would it apply the majority of its funding? There was a huge element of NASA that was thinking, what are the scientific questions that this agency is going to answer? Questions like what can we do with satellites in space? It was kind of a wild west, It was trying to figure out what it wanted to be."

The first man into space

A postcard of Yuri Gagarin, the first man to enter outer space (Image credit: getty: Rykoff Collection / Contributor)

On the April 12, 1961, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man into space when he successfully completed a 108 minute flight orbiting the earth a single time, According to New Scientist (opens in new tab). Following the flight Gagarin became a celebrity within the Soviet Union but was kept from returning to space due to the authorities fears that, were there to be an accident, they could lose a useful propaganda tool, according to the BBC (opens in new tab). However on March 27, 1968, Gagarin died in an accident during a routine training flight, according to Phys.Org (opens in new tab).

A month after Gagarin's historic flight, on May 5, 1961, the United States were able to catch up with their Soviet Rivals, when Navy Test pilot Alan Shepard became the second man into space, according to The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. (opens in new tab) Because of the placement of the portholes in the capsule, Shepard was unfortunately unable to view any stars, according to his flight report (opens in new tab).

"Following Shepard's flight in May 1961, it became very clear that the space race was continuing," Odom said. "President Kennedy committed to the lunar program and once that commitment was made, the resources came with it. NASA's attention for the next seven or eight years was focused on putting a man on the moon."

A major turning point in the space race occurred that same month, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy stood before legislators in Congress and announced that he had committed NASA to landing people on the moon before the end of the decade.

Dangers of the space race

Image showing the damaged Apollo 1 spacecraft following the flash fire that killed all astronauts onboard during a simulated launch (Image credit: Getty: Heritage Images / Contributor)

Alongside the victories there were also many losses, reaffirming just how dangerous space flight could be. On Jan. 27, 1967, the U.S. program had its first major disaster when a flash fire broke out during a simulated launch for the first lunar module, Apollo 1 . The first death of an astronaut during a mission was that of the Soviet Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. On the April 24, 1967, Komarov's craft Soyuz 1 crashed when its parachute became tangled, according to the BBC (opens in new tab).

But how does contemporary, or more recent spaceflight, compare to these early pioneering years? "One thing to stress is that space exploration has not gotten easier," Odom said.

"The challenges that were there in the very beginning are still the challenges that we face today. Yes, they were developing brand new systems and putting human beings at the top of rockets that were built for nuclear delivery systems [the Mercury and Gemini programs] but what we've learned over the decades of space exploration is that it hasn't gotten easier."

Aim for the moon

President John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United states (Image credit: Getty: Central Press / Stringer)

On the Sept. 12, 1962, President Kennedy delivered a speech at Rice University Stadium, providing a clear goal for Americans in the developing space race: to put a man on the moon with the Apollo Program. "We choose to go to the Moon" Kennedy began" in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills," according to the JFK Library (opens in new tab).

Kennedy's speech followed an earlier one made to congress on the May 25, 1961, following Yuri Gagarin's successful spaceflight, according to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (opens in new tab). Shortly after this speech, NASA's budget would increase by 89% and it's research would now have one clear long term aim in mind - though there would be other victories and developments in the short term.

"The space race was really a race to the moon," according to Odom."Kennedy wanted to get to the moon first. It would be a great propaganda coup. In the global South, you had a lot of countries becoming independent from former colonial powers. What system would they follow? Would they follow the US liberal democracy or would they follow the Soviet example of communism? Kennedy saw the race to the moon as a way to demonstrate American technological power and the benefit of one system over another."

Who won the space race?

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the moon (Image credit: Getty: NASA / Contributor)

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched from the Cape Kennedy space center. Four days later, at 10.56 PM EDT on July 20, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. Although conspiracy theories persist that the moon landing was a hoax, more than half a billion people watched the historic event, which was broadcast on television.

This was a victory for the United States over the Soviet Union, whose own lunar program had made a number of failed attempts. Between 1963 and 1965, 11 rockets had been launched carrying small landing objects with air bags to cushion the impact, all unsuccessful, according to Popular Mechanics.

Achieving this goal in 1966, they then shifted their researchers to putting the first man on the moon. However, various issues with rocket launches caused the Soviet scientists to consider a robotic launch instead. Days before the Apollo rocket took off, the Soviet Luna 15 launched. This automated module was intended to achieve a soft landing and bring back samples from the lunar surface, however communication was lost and it is suspected it crashed into the moon's surface, according to The New York Times (opens in new tab).

The Soviet Union's Luna 16 moon sample return spacecraft (Image credit: NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive)

Over the next few years, each side in the space race reached several further world-firsts. The Americans achieved the first interplanetary flyby when Mariner 2 sped past Venus in 1962, followed by the first Mars flyby in 1965 with Mariner 4.

The Soviets sent the first woman into space, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963  a feat that would take the U.S. 20 more years to achieve). Other nations launched their own rockets and satellites, including Canada in 1962, France in 1965, and Japan and China in 1970.

Though there were additional American and Soviet missions, after the successes of the Apollo program, the space race was widely believed to have been won by the U.S.. Eventually, as the Cold War came to an end, both sides agreed to cooperate in space and construct the International Space Station, beginning in 1998.

As the 1970s began, relations between the two superpowers improved and discussions on topics such as arms control began according to the Office of the Historian (opens in new tab).

Following the moon landing, the Soviet space program switched its focus to placing the first space station in orbit, according to Astronomy.com (opens in new tab).

However the astronauts in the Soyuz 11 capsule were all killed when a faulty valve, triggered after the instrument modules were separated from the orbital capsule, caused an oxygen leak. The Soyuz 11 crew are the only humans to have died in space, according to The National Space Center (opens in new tab).

In 1975, as a symbol of cooperation between the two superpowers, a joint mission (called the Apollo-Soyuz mission) between the USA and the USSR was launched. On July 17 an Apollo shuttle docked with the Soyuz mission, and the crews greeted each other, according to (opens in new tab) NASA. symbolic handshake, broadcast globally, between commanders Tom Staffford and Alexi Leonov. In many ways this can be seen as a symbolic end to the space race.

Yet despite the space race coming to an end, its impact is irrefutable. "We can't forget about the Cold War context for all this activity and the seemingly existential threat of the Soviet Union," according to Odom.

"As a historian looking at this from a contextual standpoint, I can tell you that I don't think Kennedy would commit to going to the moon without the race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Without the Apollo program, how far and how quickly would our technology have advanced to the point it is at today? The Cold War made the moon landing a priority in Kennedy's mind and his commitment to it really does change America and American technology."

Is there a current space race?

Now, some believe that a new space race has begun with the United States pitted against superpowers such as China and India, as well as old rival Russia. But some criticise this notion.

"The Russians don't have a stated public interest in going to the moon with human spaceflight," Wendy Whitman Cobb, a political scientist at Cameron University in Oklahoma, told Space.com . "[The Chinese] have taken a purposefully slow, methodical approach to spaceflight and for them, I think the motivations are more in the military and national-prestige realms."

The world is much more complex today than it was during the Cold War, when two major superpowers vied for dominance. Now, private companies, such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, have joined in a new contest to show off their spaceflight capabilities, according to the BBC (opens in new tab). While there are some competitive aspects, such as the potential for fights over limited lunar resources , tomorrow's space races will involve a greater number of actors and more muddled win-lose scenarios than before.

Additional resources:

The NASA History Division (opens in new tab) contains a wealth of information and documentation for anyone wishing to research the history of the organization. For a comprehensive list of important dates relating to the Space Race, check out Royal Museums Greenwich (opens in new tab) timeline. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has a number of items related to the space race among it's collections, which can be viewed here (opens in new tab).

Timeline of the space race

Oct 4, 1957: The Soviet Union successfully sends the first man-made object into space. Sputnik is the world's first orbital satellite.

November 3, 1957: The second experimental spacecraft successfully launched into earth orbit, Sputnik 2 contained onboard the dog Laika - the first biological organism to enter space.

January 31, 1958: The United States launches its first satellite, Explorer 1, following the launch of Sputnik three months earlier.

October 1, 1958: On 29th July 1958, President Eisenhower signed the Aeronautics and Space Act which established the organisation of the same name, commonly known as NASA.

September 12, 1959: The Soviet Union launches Lunar 2, the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of the moon.

April 12, 1961: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man into space when he successfully completed a 108 minute flight orbiting the earth a single time.

August 19, 1960: The USSR launches Sputnik 5 carrying two dogs, Belka and Strelka, who became the first animals to return to earth following a day in space.

January 31, 1961: NASA sends Ham, a Chimpanzee into space. Despite the capsule losing pressure, Ham is saved by his spacesuit and returns to earth.

May 5, 1961: Alan Shepard becomes the first American astronaut in space. Purportedly, due to the placement of the portholes he was unable to see the stars.

May 25 1961: President Kennedy makes a speech to congress in which he announces that the United States will put a man on the moon before the end of the decade.

June 16, 1963: Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman into space, orbiting the earth 48 times across almost three days.

July 14-15, 1965: The Mariner 4 becomes the first spacecraft not only to successfully travel to Mars but also the first to take a photograph of another planet from space.

March 18, 1965: For 12 minutes Soviet Cosmonaut Alexi Leonov floats freely in outer space on the end of nearly 16 foot long tether, becoming the first astronaut to 'space walk'.

February 21, 1967: Astronauts Virgil I Grissom, Edward Higgins White and Roger Chaffee lose their lives when a fire breaks out on their spacecraft during a launch rehearsal test.

July 20, 1969: At 10.56 PM EDT Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.

April 11-17, 1970: When an oxygen tank explodes aboard Nasa's third moon landing mission, Apollo 13, astronauts are fortunately able to return home in the lunar module, averting any loss of life.

April 19, 1971: Salyut 1 is launched by the U.S.S.R. becoming the first space station, orbiting the earth 3,000 times during 157 days in orbit.

July 15-24, 1975: As a policy of detente leads to a cooling of tensions between the two superpowers, a joint mission between the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. is launched.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  The Chinese capital Beijing appears to have backed off a plan to launch a vaccine mandate for entry into certain public spaces after pushback from residents.

While not explicitly saying it had dropped the plan, a city official was quoted in state media late Thursday saying that people could enter venues with a negative virus test result and a temperature check, as has been the norm. They also said vaccinations would continue on the principle of "informed, voluntary consent.
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SALEM, Mass. (AP)  A retired corrections officer charged in the decades-old killing of a New Hampshire girl in Massachusetts pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Marvin C. McClendon Jr. was also ordered to remain in custody. Hes due back in Essex County Superior Court in Salem, Massachusetts, late next month.

The 75-year-old Alabama resident has been charged with fatally stabbing Melissa Ann Tremblay on Sept. 12, 1988.

The 11-year-old from Salem, New Hampshire, had been playing outside in Lawrence, Massachusetts, while her mother was inside a local social club. Tremblay's body was found in a nearby railway yard the following day.

McClendon's lawyer, C. Henry Fasoldt, said after Thursday's arraignment that his client looks forward to holding the government to its very high burden of proof.

Tremblay's cousin, Daneille Root, said the family never gave up hope the young child's killer would eventually be found and face judgment.

Over the years, some people have said that we didnt care about her, but that is not true, she said in a statement provided by the Essex District Attorneys Office. "She has always been in our thoughts."

Many people have blamed my aunt for Missys death, Root added. While I dont believe she made the right decision that night, that is between her and God. Ultimately the only person responsible for Missys death is the man we saw in court today.

McClendon has been held without bail since May, when he was extradited from Alabama, where he lives.

Prosecutors have said the state crime lab generated a DNA profile from Tremblays body, leading them to McClendon. They also said the former corrections officer, who retired in 2002, had worked and attended church in Lawrence at the time of the killing.
The new Minister of Agriculture, Petre Daea, sent a message to the Romanian farmers on Friday, after being sworn in office, announcing that he will immediately enter "working mode", so that the goals provided for in the government program are carried out on time.

"Dear food makers of the country! Dear Romanians! Through profession and dedication I have been, am and I will remain by your side! My participation in the elaboration and negotiation of the governing program within the PSD-PNL-UDMR [Social Democratic Party-National Liberal Party-Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania] political coalition, together with Adrian Chesnoiu, has prompted me to accept the party's proposal to take up again the difficult mission of minister. The responsibility of the entrusted mission motivates me to enter immediately into working mode, to set the table of daily activity with all the structures in the agri-food sector, so that the goals set forth in the government program can be achieved on time," Petre Daea wrote on Facebook.

He mentioned that the irrigation program is vital for agriculture and the food industry and must be carried out by all available means, emphasizing that the directions of action of the Common Agricultural Policy must be harmonized with the interests of farmers.

"Agriculture and food industry programs are a priority and will be treated as such, but due to climate change, the irrigation program is vital and we must achieve it using all the means at our disposal. The Common Agricultural Policy we are a part of sets new directions of action we must harmonize with the interests of farmers, capitalizing on the resources we have depending on the specifics of each area, so that production levels and their superior capitalization positively influence the economic life of Romania. The National Strategic Plan gives us this chance and we must harness it in the next period. I am well acquainted with the European working mechanisms, Romania's term at the Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2019 allowed me to know them first hand so as to use them in the interest of the country," the new Minister of Agriculture transmitted.

Last but not least, Daea pledged a judicious use of resources in order to be able to overcome the difficulties of the moment. "I know the work capacity of the officials in the system, I rely on their professionalism. By judiciously using our resources we can overcome the difficulties of the moment. Work and good faith will help us achieve the goals the country needs. You will find me at the scene of action!," the Minister of Agriculture wrote on the social network. AGERPRES
None of us has full rights when there are others who don't have any rights still, British Ambassador Andrew Noble said on Thursday at a reception organized in collaboration with several diplomatic missions in the Capital City Bucharest, called "32 Years of Equality, Inclusion and Freedom in Romania."

We rightly demand that we have freedom of expression, in order to be the best version of ourselves, the right to education, the right to be loved, the right to work and to contribute to society and the economy, the right to marry and to have children, to travel safely or just to be safe in our homes and to have food on the table. Too many people do not have this freedom. So I call on our governments to ensure our freedom by guaranteeing human rights for all individuals and groups in society, the British diplomat said.

The event brought together representatives of organizations advocating for minority rights, diplomats and politicians.

In this context, the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, appreciated that "the change of mentalities is the most difficult thing to achieve in a society."

Israel's ambassador, David Saranga, remembered how two years ago, when the rainbow-coloured flag was hoisted at his embassy, as a symbol of support for the LGBT community, a "huge" number of hateful comments appeared on the diplomatic mission's Facebook page.

In her turn, the executive director of the Accept Association, Teodora Ion-Rotaru, reminded that in Romania "the LGBT community still does not have basic rights, such as the recognition of family life, marriage and parental rights."

Adrian Coman also spoke on this topic. Together with his husband, he sued Romania with the ECHR so that their marriage would be recognized in the country.

AGERPRES
This interconnector will transform the energy map of the region, Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said at the ceremony marking the completion of the construction the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector which took place at one of the gas stations along the pipeline in Komotini, Greece, reports BTA.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov also attended the ceremony.

Petkov expressed his conviction that the project will strengthen the energy connectivity between the two countries.

"By receiving Azeri gas in the next few weeks, Bulgaria achieves true diversification and puts an end to the Russian energy monopoly," Petkov pointed out.

According to him, July 8 will go down in the history of Bulgarian-Greek relations. "It will go down in the memories of our contemporaries as a symbol of our efforts to achieve political, economical and energy independence, a symbol of our values and geopolitical choice," the Bulgarian PM said.

"I feel proud that I headed a government that managed to complete in six months this project that has been in talks for years," he added.

Petkov thanked Mitsotakis for his cooperation for the completion of the gas pipeline which, in his opinion, represents a new type of "geopolitical friendship".

Mitsotakis stressed that today is a very important moment for Komotini, Greece and Bulgaria, pointing out that the commissioning of the interconector is yet another push for the common European goal of achieving energy diversification.

The Greece-Bulgaria interconnector links the natural gas transmission networks of the two neighboring countries, thus providing access to the Southern Gas Corridor and a range of new gas sources. It will carry gas from Azerbaijan via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline and from other sources via a planned liquefied natural gas terminal at Alexandroupolis, in northern Greece. The gas pipeline is 182 km long, of which 151 km in Bulgaria and 31 km in Greece, with a design capacity of up to 3 billion cu m/year, which may be increased to 5 billion cu m/year if there is market demand. It runs from Komotini (northeastern Greece) via Kurdjali, Haskovo and Dimitrovgrad to Stara Zagora (southeastern Bulgaria).

It has a capacity to carry 3 billion cubic metres of gas annually, which can be increased to up to 5.5 billion cu m at a later stage.

A memorandum of understanding for the project was signed back in 2009 and a joint company, ICGB, was registered in 2011. The initial plan was to commission the pipeline in December 2014.

News item picked by BTA to be promoted and published by AGERPRES with no text editing, as per the agencies' cooperation agreement.
The Secretary of State for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations in the Ministry of National Defence, Simona Cojocaru, said on Friday that, from a strategic point of view, Moscow aims to return to the paradigm of the Cold War in terms of security and to stop NATO enlargement.

She said Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine was a "strategic shock" to regional, European and Euro-Atlantic stability, as well as "the biggest security crisis in Europe" since the end of World War II. Cojocaru also stressed that Romania supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and strongly condemns the "unprovoked and unjustified" war of the Russian Federation.

The clarifications were made during the 4th edition of the "Atlantic - Black Sea Security Forum", with the theme "What New European Security Architecture after Russia's war on Ukraine?", an event organized by the Aspen Romania Institute together with "German Marshall Fund of the US "in Bucharest, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defence and the French Embassy in Romania.

"From a strategic perspective, Moscow is aiming to return to the Cold War paradigm on security matters and to stop NATO enlargement. (...) We can see that at the operational level, Russia is looking to create a land corridor between Donbas and the mouth of the Danube and take all majority pro-Russian regions of Ukraine. History was not supposed to play out this way, at least 12 years ago, when Russia was defined as a strategic partner in the previous strategic concept of the Alliance. Russia is focused today on eastern Ukraine without putting aside its plans for the south. Odessa sticks in Russia's plans as part of a later stage of long-term military actions. From this perspective, the most dangerous scenario for Ukraine, Romania and NATO would be the creation of a land corridor to Odessa and the connection with Republic of Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria," the secretary of state said.

She noted that if Russia succeeds in achieving its military objectives in the eastern part of Ukraine, "most likely, its operational efforts" will focus on the Ukrainian territories in the northwestern Black Sea. In this sense, the risk of regional instability could increase "significantly", representing "a major concern" for Romania.

"In any case, it is clear that Russia could not keep up the intensity of aggressive actions in the long term. Russia's retreat from Snake Island is proof of this. Nevertheless, we are facing a protracted war and we should be ready for an undesired reality in the long term. For regional security, this is the worst case scenario," she said.

Simona Cojocaru added that over the last few months the EU and NATO have recognized the importance of collective action. She mentioned that the NATO summit in Madrid represents a historic moment, during which decisions of strategic importance were taken, in order to adapt the long-term defence posture.

"Practically, last week in Madrid, we witnessed the birth of a new era of collective defence. (...) NATO's strategic concept is one of the main achievements of the Madrid summit. (...) From Romania's perspective, I would like to mention some important aspects included in this essential document, fundamental document for the Alliance. We appreciate the pragmatic approach on the relation with Russia, the reaffirmation of collective defence as the main purpose of the Alliance, the strong commitment of the Alliance to defend each and every inch of allied territory, the guidance on adapting the collective deterrence and defence posture, the inclusion for the first time of the Black Sea region in NATO's strategic concept, as of strategic importance for Euro-Atlantic security," Cojocaru said.

AGERPRES
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca sends the Romanian Muslim community wishes of peace, good health and prosperity, as they prepare to celebrate Kurban Bayrami - the Feast of Sacrifice.

"Starting Saturday, July 9, Muslims in Romania celebrate for four days Kurban Bayrami - the Feast of Sacrifice, one of the most important events in the Islamic religion. The public celebration of religious beliefs is a sign of peace, tolerance and inter-ethnic and intercultural harmony. I convey to the Muslim believers in our country wishes for peace, good health and prosperity, and may the Feast of Sacrifice - Kurban Bayrami bring light into their souls and hearts," the Prime Minister said as cited in a statement issued by the government's Press Office. AGERPRES
On Friday, Romania's President Klaus Iohannis posted a message of support for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was in critical condition after being shot, strongly condemning the attack.

"Strongly condemn the shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. In these very difficult moments, our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and the people of Japan!," Iohannis wrote on Twitter.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Friday that his predecessor Shinzo Abe was in a grave condition after being shot while giving a speech at an election event in Nara.

According to the media, Abe was shot at in the street by a former member of the Japanese defence forces, with two bullets having hit him.

AGERPRES
President Klaus Iohannis signed on Friday the decree appointing Petre Daea as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Presidential Administration announced.
Romania will play a key role in the reconstruction of Ukraine, given its strategic position, Economy Minister Florin Spataru said on Friday.

"I believe that the reconstruction of Ukraine is the responsibility of a civilized European society. And we, all the European Union countries, must contribute to this," Spataru said at an event organized by the Aspen Institute Romania in partnership with the Bucharest office of the German Marshall Fund of the US.

In a complementary approach, the Economy Minister stressed that the reconstruction of Ukraine has already begun on the first day of the war. "How come? Because there were thousands, millions of refugees who left Ukraine attempting to find a way out, a solution for themselves and their families, seeking to survive in the next period. And what happened? Poland and Romania, the countries that border on Ukraine, offered support from day one, humanitarian aid in the first place," Spataru stressed.

He mentioned that the Romanian government has made it possible for thousands of Ukrainians to have a job, to integrate in society, giving also refugee children the possibility to attend school.

"This is the foundation for the reconstruction of Ukraine, because at some point those people will return to Ukraine and will continue to work because they are proud people, proud of being Ukrainians," Spataru added, noting that "with their families there these people will surely return to their place".

In his opinion, as a direct neighbor to Ukraine, Romania will definitely have a significant contribution to this country's reconstruction.

"We have already started making the infrastructure connections in Galati. We have completed the railway line that transports grain from Ukraine and business carries on, not as before, but it continues - let's say in order to ensure survival and funding for the people who work and fight back there," Spataru said.

He went on to note that it is very important that Romania shows Europe that "it is ready for this".

"We will play a key role in this [long-term project] and in the whole configuration of reconstruction plans which will take years. A significant amount will be allocated for this," said the Minister, who stressed that Europe and the US have pledged recovery support.

"It's about people, about countries, about business continuity, as we all know it should be. And from this perspective I would say that thanks to its strategic position and advantages, starting from the first day of the war, Romania is set to play a key role in rebuilding Ukraine's future," the Economy Minister concluded. AGERPRES
ST. LOUIS  Build-A-Bear has been posting some of its best-ever earnings in recent months. But one of the retailers biggest shareholders thinks it can do better  especially for the share price.

David Kanen, a former A.G. Edwards broker who now runs his own firm, sent the company a message Friday lashing management for lackluster returns and calling for a big stock buyback to make amends.

He said the company could get started by selling its distribution center in Ohio and leasing space instead. The proceeds could be combined with other company cash for a $100 million share repurchase program, he said.

Kanen, who is based in Florida, said the move could more than double the companys share price, helping it ditch a stubbornly low position relative to its strong earnings.

The company has a huge opportunity here, he said.

Build-A-Bear did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. The company is currently executing a $25 million buyback plan announced last year. When analysts suggested increasing that amount on an earnings call in May, CEO Sharon Price John suggested there might be an opportunity to do so with the board of directors consent, but did not make any commitments.

Build-A-Bear has heard criticism before from Kanen, who owns 6.5% of the company and is its second-largest shareholder. He has said board members dont buy or hold enough stock to align their interests with shareholders, and said management doesnt do anything transformative to grow the company.

He reiterated those positions in his statement Friday after calling for buybacks. He said that directors selling their shares was grotesque and abusive and labeled John a mediocre CEO who cant execute an idea that isnt her own.

He also included a few of his ideas for growth, like setting up stores within stores at chains like Chuck E. Cheese to multiply reach, a big push into pet toys and partnerships with elementary schools.

They do those things, this stock is $40, maybe $50, he said.

Build-A-Bear shares closed at $15.46, up 12 cents, on Friday.
EXPANDING

San Francisco-based architecture and design firm Blitz is expanding with a new office in St. Louis. Principal Justin Beadle will lead the new location.

Lucias Pizza, makers of the frozen pizza brands of Mama Lucias Pizza and 4 Hands Brewery Inspired Pizzas, is increasing production at its facility at 10989 Gravois Industrial Court to meet sales demands. The firm plans to increase its production team by 30 full-time employees and implement a three-day, 36-hour work week.

HELPING OUT

Whitebridge Pet Brands sent five truckloads of dog and cat food to assist refugees and relief workers helping pets in need in Ukraine.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

Core & Main Inc. acquired Earthsavers Erosion Control LLC, a full-service provider of geosynthetics products based in California.

4M Building Solutions acquired Country Club Janitorial in Kansas City.

OPENINGS

Coopers Hawk Winery & Restaurants opened a new location:

5300 North Service Road, St. Peters

Juiced Wheels opened a juice, smoothie and e-bike shop:

221 Spencer Road, Suite N, St. Peters

Stretch U opened a new location:

6143 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, St. Peters

Marc and Amy Del Pietro and Brian and Lea Doherty, the restauranteurs behind 58hundred and The Block, announced the opening of a new eatery, Cleaver & Cocktail:

13360 Clayton Road, Town and Country

PROJECTS

BEX Construction Services transformed a century-old building at 132 North Meramec in Clayton into a modern animal care facility for VCA Clayton Animal Hospital.
I visited the Badlands of South Dakota a few years back on the way to Yellowstone. The otherworldly rock formations and striking colors made the hikes my family took memorable, but a historical novel I read for one of my three book clubs in June made me realize how harsh that environment could also be.

The Personal History of Rachel DuPree

By Ann Weisgarber

What I thought  Life on the prairie in the Badlands of South Dakota  a beautiful but arduous place in the early 20th century  is hard. Rachel and her husband, Isaac DuPree, along with their growing family, are African American homesteaders, lured by the promise of free land.

Rachel, hired help in Isaacs mothers Chicago boardinghouse, is not only trying to survive the harsh environment but also prove her worth to her husband, who only agreed to marry her so he could double his shares of land from the Homestead Act.

In Weisgarbers debut novel of 2009  she has since written other historical novels  she transports you to a place where the land and wind keep beating the DuPree family down. Through her writing you can feel their pangs of thirst, their dry throats, the familys desolation and the isolation that envelops Rachel.

At book club  Though most of us found the ending unsatisfying  it was titled the History of Rachel Dupree, and we wanted more of her life or at the very least an epilogue  we enjoyed this novel about the history of Black pioneers. While owning more land seems to be Isaacs highest priority, Rachels loyalty to her husband and her strength of character are tested with wanting what is best for her children.

Family obligations, compromises in marriage and prejudices were all issues we could relate to today, and as we enjoyed delicious, gourmet cupcakes, we gave thanks for running water and electricity, among other necessities that we take for granted.

The Aosawa Murders

By Riku Onda

What I thought  The way this story unfolds is unique. Each chapter is told from a different persons point of view as they speak to an unknown interviewer. But it wasnt a formula that worked for me. It took at least half of every chapter just to figure out who was being interviewed, at what point of the story we were, and how each person related to a crime that took place 30 years earlier in the 1960s. Seventeen people die of cyanide poisoning at a birthday party hosted by the owners of a clinic in a coastal Japanese town, and the only survivor is the physicians beautiful daughter, who is blind. The police and others who are interviewed are sure the daughter had a role in the murders.

I enjoyed most of the books middle portion, but the ambiguous, muddled ending furthered my frustrations.

At book club  The member who selected this book liked the ending and the chapters that came together like a puzzle. In life, sometimes you never know what really happened, and it is not even possible to know the real story, she said. And in the book, where the only survivor of the crime is blind, each person provides a personal perception of the truth.

But I wasnt the only reader confused by the ending or having a hard time engaging with the story. Two had not finished the book, and two others who had finished immediately went online (like I did) to figure out what the heck just happened in the last 10 or so pages.

Some of the symbolism  why did the author go on and on about that crepe myrtle tree?  may have been lost in translation. Riku Ondas novel was published in 2005 in Japan and was translated to English in 2020.

It All Comes Back to You

By Beth Duke

What I thought  It All Comes Back to You had potential. Ronni is a nurse at an upscale assisted living facility. She bounced among foster families as a kid and has low self-esteem. Violet, an elegant, spirited resident at the facility, has plenty of self-esteem and confidence. The two form a friendship, and when Violet dies, Ronni learns shes in Violets will. She will collect a hefty sum, but Ronni must pursue her dreams of becoming a writer and finish a book about Violets life in order to collect the money.

There was mystery and secrets (as you might expect), but the book had a few too many coincidences and failed to hook me. I struggled to finish it.

At book club  Everyone at book club enjoyed the novel more than I did. One reader was surprised by it. I thought it was going to be trite and cliched, but I ended up loving it, she said.

30 new books to pack in your beach bag this summer The quintessential summer book is an easy page-turner, a "beach read" with love, mystery or both. A few of those  and many others  are on th

Bonus books

In the summer I mostly look for lighter fare. A few of the books I read in June are featured on the New York Times list of 88 Books to Bring Your Summer Alive.

 The blurb I read on Our Kind of People suggested it for fans of HBOs The Gilded Age. And while I have not watched that show, I am a fan of Bridgerton, a similar Netflix series. The book, set in the late 19th century in New York, involves Helen Wilcox, who is from old money. Her two daughters are teens, and Helen is determined that they be properly launched into society. Her husband, an unconventional match who makes risky ventures (he cant just live off the interest of his inheritance like most men in society), doesnt make it easy. Carol Wallaces historical romance novel was just the kind of book I like to settle in with on my patio on a summer day.

 A vacation gone horribly wrong in The Island may make your own travel glitches seem minor  very minor. In a twisted, bizarre and sometimes unbelievably outlandish survival thriller, author Adrian McKinty takes you to the Outback. Newlyweds Heather and Tom Baxter, along with Toms two kids, are in Australia so Tom can attend a medical conference. The tweens are bored and not thrilled with being left in the care of their young stepmom for most of the trip. When they finally have a day out with the whole family, the kids want to see koalas or some other wildlife. When they meet two men who live on a private island, which they promise is abundant with wildlife, the family jumps at the chance. What they find instead is a little close to Deliverance. Hulu has acquired the rights to develop the novel as a limited series.

 In another juicy read, author Lucy Foley keeps you guessing in The Paris Apartment. Jess has just traveled from London to Paris to stay with her half-brother, Ben. But when she arrives, Ben is nowhere to be found, and Jess is having a hard time getting answers from the neighbors in his swanky apartment building. (How does Ben afford this?) Some may guess the ending, but this fast-paced mystery is entertaining enough to enjoy poolside or underneath a beach umbrella.

 Over the past two months, detective Casey Duncan and sheriff Eric Dalton have kept me company on long walks and commutes to work. In This Fallen Prey, Watcher in the Woods and Alone in the Wild  Books 3, 4 and 5  Kelley Armstrong continues the story of Rockton, an off-the-grid community in the Yukon where the residents are running from the past. The town may be small, but trouble is always brewing.

In The Fallen Prey, the council that governs Rockton has dropped a dangerous criminal into the town with no plan for how to imprison him. In Watcher in the Woods, a U.S. marshal arrives demanding the release of one of the residents. The marshal is dead before he can tell them who. And in Alone in the Wild, Casey and Eric are taking a much-needed camping vacation when Casey hears a baby crying in the woods. The sounds lead her to a woman buried under the snow, murdered, but with a baby still alive in her arms.

I read the first book of Armstrongs series  City of the Lost  because the concept of a remote town in the Yukon where people go to disappear intrigued me (I read the books in order, and the first helps with setting up the series). Armstrongs smart, suspenseful series with some romance thrown in continues to entertain. I am currently listening to A Stranger in Town. The Deepest of Secrets completes the seven-book series.
THURSDAY, July 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The concept of "hangry" helps sell candy bars, and it's a convenient excuse to snap at someone when you're in a foul mood.

But is hangry -- being angry when you're hungry -- a real thing? Do people really become more irritable when they want food?

"My wife sometimes used to tell me, 'you're being hangry.' And I kind of always thought that's not a real thing -- it's not a real psychological condition to be hangry," said Viren Swami, a professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University in East Anglia, England.

Now, Swami admits he's proven himself wrong, releasing study results that suggest hangry is indeed real.

Greater self-reported levels of hunger among dozens of central European study participants were associated with stronger feelings of anger and irritability, Swami and his colleagues reported July 6 in the journal PLOS ONE.

"Our study suggests that when you feel hungry, you also are more likely to feel angry," Swami said. "When you're hungry, you're more likely to feel more irritable and experience less pleasure."

Hangry is such a common term that it's been included in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

But up to now very little research has been dedicated to the phenomenon, Swami noted.

For this study, his team recruited 64 Europeans who self-reported their hunger levels and answered questions about their emotional well-being over a 21-day period.

Participants used a cellphone app to report feelings of hunger and their emotional state five times a day, which allowed researchers to collect data throughout each person's daily life.

The study found that hunger was strongly associated with mood swings. Hunger was tied to 37% of a persons variation in irritability; 34% of variation in anger, and 38% of variation in feelings of pleasure.

Negative emotions -- irritability, anger and unpleasantness -- also appeared to be caused by both day-to-day fluctuations in hunger as well as continuing levels of hunger.

"Ours is the first study to examine being hangry outside of a lab," Swami said. "By following people in their day-to-day lives, we found that hunger was related to levels of anger, irritability and pleasure."

There are a couple of potential explanations for being hangry as a phenomenon.

Low blood sugar levels can have a direct effect on brain function, said Jennifer Cholewka, who reviewed the findings. She's a clinically advanced nutrition coordinator at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

"When our blood sugar starts to drop, our brain starts to kind of malfunction, and we get confused, we get irritable," Cholewka said. "But I don't know if acute hunger can cause hypoglycemia to where we would see a brain fog type of situation."

Another theory holds that when people are hungry, they are more likely to interpret cues from the world around them in a negative light, Swami said.

"As a very simple example, if I'm feeling hungry right now, I'm much more likely to interpret other people being in my presence or heat or any kind of stimulus in the environment as a negative stimulus," he said. "And that causes me to feel angry."

It's important to understand hangry as a real emotional state so that people can better manage themselves, Swami noted.

"Once you're able to understand your emotional state, once you understand that you are feeling hangry, there are things you can do about it," Swami said. "Once Im able to label the emotion that Im experiencing, it makes me easier to resolve it."

It also can help explain why hungry kids do poorer in school, and why some employees might be less productive if they haven't eaten, he said.

But Cholewka said she thinks more research needs to be done to cement hangry's status as a true emotional state.

Future studies should take measurements of blood sugar and hormones related to hunger, like ghrelin and leptin, to firmly establish that people truly are biologically hungry, Cholewka said. That will allow for a firmer correlation between hunger and its effect on emotions.

"I feel like they did a very thorough job in terms of finding correlations between our emotions and hunger, but theres more research that should be done, which is usually the case," Cholewka said.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more about being hangry.

SOURCES: Viren Swami, PhD, professor, social psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, East Anglia, England; Jennifer Cholewka, RD, CNSC, CDCES, CDN, clinically advanced nutrition coordinator, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City; PLOS ONE, July 6, 2022
The grinding two-plus years of the pandemic have yielded outsize benefits for one company  Pfizer  making it both highly influential and hugely profitable as COVID-19 continues to infect tens of thousands of people and kill hundreds each day.

Its success in developing COVID medicines  including essential work performed in Chesterfield  has given the drugmaker unusual weight in determining U.S. health policy. Based on internal research, the companys executives have frequently announced the next stage in the fight against the pandemic before government officials have had time to study the issue, annoying many experts in the medical field and leaving some patients unsure whom to trust.

Pfizers 2021 revenue was $81.3 billion, roughly double its revenue in 2020, when its top sellers were a pneumonia vaccine, the cancer drug Ibrance, and the fibromyalgia treatment Lyrica, which had gone off-patent.

Now its mRNA vaccine holds 70% of the U.S. and European markets. And its antiviral Paxlovid is the pill of choice to treat early symptoms of COVID. This year, the company expects to rake in more than $50 billion in global revenue from the two medications alone.

Paxlovids value to vaccinated patients isnt yet clear, and Pfizers COVID vaccine doesnt entirely prevent infections, although each booster temporarily restores some protection. Yet, while patients may recoil at the need for repeated injections  two boosters are now recommended for people 50 and older  the requirement is gold for investors.

Hopefully, we could be giving it annually and maybe for some groups that are high-risk more often, CEO Albert Bourla told investors this year. Then you have the treatment [Paxlovid] that will, lets say, resolve the issues of those that are getting the disease.

Just last week, the Biden administration agreed to buy another 105 million doses of Pfizers COVID vaccine for the fall booster campaign, paying $3.2 billion. At $30.47 a dose, its a significant premium over the $19.50-a-dose rate the government paid for the first 100 million. The vaccine is being modified to target early omicron variants, but newer variants are gaining dominance.

Because the virus keeps mutating and will be around for a long time, the market for Pfizers products wont go away. In wealthier countries, the public is likely to keep coming back for more, like diners at an all-you-can-eat restaurant, sated but never entirely satisfied.

The reliance on Pfizer products at each stage of the pandemic has steered the U.S. response, including critical public health decisions.

When last year Bourla suggested that a booster shot would soon be needed, U.S. public health officials later followed, giving the impression that Pfizer was calling the tune. Some public health experts and scientists worry these decisions were hasty, noting, for example, that although boosters with the mRNA shots produced by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech improve antibody protection initially, it generally doesnt last.

Demand for annual booster shots

Since January, Bourla has been saying that U.S. adults will probably all need annual booster shots, and senior FDA officials have indicated since April that they agree.

At a June 28 meeting of FDA advisers considering a potential fall vaccination campaign, Pfizer presented studies involving about 3,500 people showing that tweaks to its COVID vaccine allowed it to elicit more antibodies against the omicron variant that began circulating last December. But most of the advisers said the FDA should require the next vaccine to target an even newer omicron variant, known as BA.5.

That would mean more work and expense for Pfizer, which called on the FDA to enable it to make future changes to the COVID vaccine without human trials  similar to how annual influenza vaccines are approved. If such a process were implemented, responses to future waves could be substantially accelerated, said Kena Swanson, Pfizers vice president for viral vaccines.

FDA officials at the meeting did not immediately respond to the suggestion.

As societies abandon other efforts to control COVIDs spread, such as mask mandates and physical distancing, Pfizers prospects look even brighter, especially now that the company has brought out the first oral COVID treatment, Paxlovid.

People are going to get out there, Angela Hwang, president of Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group, told investors May 3. We know with all of that, infections are going to increase, and thats the role that Paxlovid can play.

During a recent investor call, a Pfizer official could spin the recent reports that the virus can hide from Paxlovid into good news, predicting that, as with the vaccine, patients may need multiple courses.

Immunocompromised patients may carry this virus for a very, very long time, Dr. Mikael Dolsten said in the investor call. And we see that area as a real new opportunity growth area for Paxlovid to do very well, where you may need to take multiple courses.

Lobbying to promote vaccination programs

Pfizer has spent handsomely to bolster its influence during the pandemic. Since early 2020, it has shelled out more than $25 million for in-house lobbying and payments to 19 lobbying firms, pushing for legislation to protect its products and promote more robust U.S. vaccination programs.

Pfizers donations to political candidates in the 2020 cycle were larger than those of any other drug company, totaling about $3.5 million, with the greatest share going to Democrats. Joe Biden got $351,000; Donald Trump just $103,000.

Unlike Moderna, Sanofi, Novavax, and Johnson & Johnson, which got billions of dollars in U.S. support, Pfizer did not seek government money to develop its vaccine, saying it would work independently.

Pfizer did benefit from $445 million the German government provided to BioNTech, Pfizers partner in developing the vaccine. And, in the end, Pfizer relied substantially on U.S. government logistical support, according to a new book by former Health and Human Services official Paul Mango.

Pfizer recorded $7.8 billion in U.S. revenue for its COVID vaccine in 2021. The government has options to buy 1.6 billion Pfizer vaccine doses and has so far bought 900 million of them, including 500 million purchased at not-for-profit prices to be donated to poor countries.

Pfizers terms in the contracts exclude many taxpayer protections. They deny the government any intellectual property rights and say that federal spending played no role in the vaccines development  even though National Institutes of Health scientists invented a key feature of Pfizers vaccine, said Robin Feldman, a patent law expert at the University of California.

The agreement could set a precedent, in which another company could cite Pfizers contracts to argue the government has surrendered any rights to an invention, she said.

The government also has agreed to buy about 20 million five-day courses of Paxlovid for $530 each.

Prices for the COVID drug and vaccine will go up once the pandemic period is over, Bourla said at a January event, to reflect the cutting-edge technology.

Pfizer spokesperson Sharon Castillo declined to respond to specific questions about Pfizers influence on pandemic policy. She released a statement saying that since Day 1 of this pandemic, we have been laser-focused on working collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders to bring to the world two medical breakthroughs. In doing so, we have moved at the speed of science, complied with the strict regulatory processes, and relied on our scientists expertise and manufacturing prowess.

There is little question that the company ripped a scientific home run in responding rapidly to meet the medical needs created by the pandemic. It used artificial intelligence to track the spread of the virus and find the best places to recruit volunteers for its vaccine trials and deployed rapid drug-screening tools to develop Paxlovid.

Why some vaccinologists are worried

Its success with the COVID vaccine has raised hopes for a Pfizer vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, a danger to babies and older adults. The company is also moving toward seeking licensure for shots that protect against Lyme disease and hospital infections.

Pfizer had long shunned the vaccine business, with its historically modest financial returns. It dropped out of human vaccine production in the late 1960s after the recall of its disastrous measles vaccine, which sickened scores of children after exposure to the virus caused unexpected reactions with antibodies stimulated by the shot. The company returned to the field in 2009 when it bought Wyeth, which was making a highly effective and uncommonly profitable vaccine against pneumonia and ear infections.

Now, Pfizer is a new kind of global powerhouse. In 2021 alone, the company hired nearly 2,400 people. We are a household name right now to billions of people, Bourla said in January. People are trusting the Pfizer vaccines.

The companys power worries some vaccinologists, who see its growing influence in a realm of medical decision-making traditionally led by independent experts.

During a recent investor call, analyst Evan Seigerman of BMO Capital Markets asked whether the world was kind of walking blindly into recommending boosters so frequently.

Data from Israel, which uses only Pfizers vaccine and has provided most of the studies that have led to vaccination booster recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggests that third and fourth doses of the mRNA vaccines increase antibody levels that quickly wane again. Added boosters saved some lives in the over-60 population, but the data is less clear about the benefit to younger adults.

When President Biden in September 2021 offered boosters to Americans  not long after Bourla had recommended them  Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and a developer of a vaccine for an intestinal virus, wondered, Wheres the evidence you are at risk of serious disease when confronted with COVID if you are vaccinated and under 50?

Policies on booster recommendations for different groups are complex and shifting, Offit said, but the CDC, rather than Bourla and Pfizer, should be making them.

Were being pushed along, he said. The pharmaceutical companies are acting like public health agencies.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said this week it was notified of a Missouri resident with a laboratory-confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic, single-celled, free-living amoeba that can cause a rare, life-threatening infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis.

The Missouri patient is being treated for PAM in an intensive care unit of a hospital, the state health department said.

Health officials are still investigating the source of the patients infection, and said Friday that they are working closely with the Iowa Department of Public Health on the case.

The Iowa health department temporarily closed the Lake of Three Fires in Taylor County for swimming because of potential exposure. The lake is about 120 miles north of Kansas City.

Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouris state epidemiologist, said these situations are extremely rare.

But its important for people to know that the infection is a possibility so they can seek medical care in a timely manner if related symptoms present, Turabelidze said.

State health officials did not provide further details about the patient, but they said no additional suspected cases of PAM were being investigated in the state.

The amoeba is commonly found in warm freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers and ponds, but PAM itself is extremely rare, the state health department said. Since 1962, only 154 known cases have been identified in the U.S., and the only other case identified in a Missouri resident occurred in 1987, officials said.

People become infected by Naegleria fowleri when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose from freshwater sources. The amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys brain tissue. This infection cannot be spread from one person to another, and it cannot be contracted by swallowing contaminated water, officials said.

Health officials cautioned that people can take actions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose. These actions include:

 Hold your nose shut, use nose clips or keep your head above water when taking part in water-related activities in warm freshwater bodies.

 Avoid putting your head under the water in hot springs and other untreated thermal waters.

 Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater bodies during periods of high water temperature.

 Avoid digging in or stirring up the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.

Those who experience the following symptoms after swimming in any warm body of water should contact their health care provider immediately because the disease progresses rapidly: severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status or hallucinations.

The Joplin Globe and Kansas City Star contributed to this report.

Updated at 12:30 p.m. Friday, July 8.
RAPID CITY, South Dakota  The end of nationwide abortion protections has been met with a wave of calls from lawmakers and governors in at least a dozen states for special legislative sessions that would reshape the state-by-state patchwork of laws that now govern abortion in the U.S.

I havent seen so many states focusing their attention so quickly on one issue, said Thad Kousser, a professor who studies state politics.

Peverill Squire, a professor who specializes in legislative bodies, agreed.

The number of special sessions likely to be held this year directly in response to Dobbs is out of the ordinary, he said, referring to the June decision in which the Supreme Court struck down its 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.

But Kousser, Squire, and Mary Ziegler, a legal historian, said the rush to convene lawmakers during what otherwise would be legislative downtime was predictable.

After the Supreme Court granted states unfettered power to regulate abortion, the experts said, many want to address old laws, clarify conflicting laws, and create or extend enforcement mechanisms. And, Ziegler said, calls to restrict or expand abortion rights can be politically expedient for lawmakers, especially in deeply conservative states.

Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California-San Diego, said the coming lawmaking binge, triggered by the courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jacksons Women Health Organization, is unusual, even when compared with hot-button Supreme Court cases from the past. Almost all of the Supreme Court rulings on social issues have taken power away from the states, and so there was no reason for states to call a special session after Obergefell v. Hodges because they lost their discretion, or after Griswold v. Connecticut, Kousser said, referring to the decisions that legalized same-sex marriage and contraception use nationwide.

But in Dobbs, the court overturned the constitutional right to abortion nationwide and in doing so gave states more authority over the practice.

Squire, a political science professor at the University of Missouri, said state legislatures have a practical reason for responding to the Dobbs decision with special sessions. Given that most controversial U.S. Supreme Court cases are handed down at the end of their term, in May or June, at a time when many state legislatures are no longer in regular session, having to call special sessions to address the courts decision is not surprising, he said.

Ziegler is a law professor at the University of California-Davis and studies the history of abortion. She said state lawmakers who want to further restrict abortion face tricky legal questions, such as whether they can prevent people from traveling to other states for abortions or from receiving abortion medications in the mail.

How is anybody going to stop that from happening? she said.

The special sessions are a product of our contemporary politics of abortion, Ziegler said, and differ from the reaction 49 years ago when the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. There were definitely some special sessions that happened not long after Roe to restrict access to abortion in limited ways, but abortion wasnt the political hot-button issue then that it is now.

Ziegler said many calls for special legislative sessions are occurring in politically uncompetitive states where Republican majorities are in control. I think in some instances, even if polling would suggest that people in those states dont want more abortion restrictions, Republicans dont really have to worry about that because theyre not really worried about general elections, she said. So theres probably, from their standpoint, no downside to doing this.

Backing anti-abortion laws during special sessions could be politically advantageous for lawmakers, Ziegler said, especially in Republican primary elections.

Just a handful of states have full-time legislatures. In 14 states, only the governor may call a special session; in 36, either the governor or lawmakers can.

Governors and politicians in at least a dozen states responded to the Dobbs ruling with calls for special sessions. Most were in conservative states seeking to limit abortion access; lawmakers in a few liberal states want to protect abortion rights.

Lawmakers in Indiana, South Carolina, West Virginia, and South Dakota are planning sessions to ban or further restrict abortion.

In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem and legislative leaders announced they will convene a special session even though abortion was immediately banned there after the Dobbs decision by the states trigger law. Republican Jon Hansen, speaker pro tempore of the states House of Representatives, pledged to seek a litany of additional abortion restrictions.

In a May Twitter thread, Hansen outlined a half-dozen moves the legislature may consider, including criminalizing the use and shipment of abortion medications, prohibiting the advertisement of abortion services in the state, banning companies from paying travel costs for employees seeking abortions, and requiring out-of-state doctors to refer South Dakota abortion patients to third-party counseling before seeing them.

Leaders in multiple other states where abortion has been restricted have discussed, but not committed to, holding a special session. At least two Republican governors who have professed affinity for further restricting abortion have prioritized abortion-related litigation, instead of special sessions.

Other states have recently taken steps to expand abortion rights or plan to do so during special sessions.

At least nine states recently codified abortion rights or expanded access and protections. Gov. J.B. Pritzker in Illinois has called for a special session of the legislature to strengthen his states laws. Pritzker, a Democrat, pledged that Illinois would also prepare for an influx of people seeking abortions from states that now have bans.

And on July 1, New York lawmakers advanced legislation to give voters a chance to install protections for abortion and contraception in the state constitution.

Less pronounced in the rush to commence post-Roe lawmaking are calls to expand assistance for women who no longer have access to abortions. In South Dakota, the statement released by Noems office that calls for a special session mentions helping mothers impacted by the decision. But Noem hasnt released a list of what, if any, social programs she proposes to add or expand.

Ziegler questioned whether states that claim an interest in banning abortion will also claim a governmental duty to support pregnant people, suggesting they will instead outsource that role.

Will there be anything actually done to support women other than just telling them to go to religious charities and crisis pregnancy centers? she asked.
There are some real tragic impacts that we are going to see in the coming days, weeks and months, said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.
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(THE CONVERSATION) As a scholar of Islamic ethics, Im often asked, What does Islam say about abortion?  a question that has become even more salient since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed 50 years of constitutional protection for the right to get an abortion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling on June 24, 2022.

This question really needs to be reframed, because it implies a singular view. Islam isnt monolithic, and there is no single Islamic attitude about abortion. The answer to the question depends on what kinds of Islamic sources, scriptural, legal or ethical, are applied to this contemporary issue by people of varying levels of authority, expertise or religious observance.

Muslims have had a long-standing, rich relationship with science, and specifically, the practice of medicine. This has yielded multiple interpretations of right and wrong when it comes to the body, including ideas about and practices surrounding pregnancy.

Islamic frameworks for thinking about abortion

The typical framing of the question of whether abortion ought to be legal hinges upon American Christian debates about when life begins. Muslims who get abortions dont always ask when does life begin? to ascertain Islamic positions on the matter. Rather, as my research in the Abortion and Religion project and forthcoming book Women as Humans has found, Muslims who get abortions generally consider under what circumstances abortion would be permitted in the Islamic tradition.

Further, the Quranic verses and hadith  recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad  are not about abortion per se, nor the moment when life begins or whether abortion is akin to taking a life. Instead, they are descriptions for people to reflect on Gods miracle of what happens in the womb, or rahm in Arabic, which is part of Gods mercy and compassion.

It is often a deeply theological discussion about human actions in context of Gods will, omnipotence and omniscience when it comes to life and death. The dialogue often yields answers that are specific to the persons cosmic and religious beliefs about Gods nature and mercy and their circumstances in the abortion decision-making process.

Many contemporary Muslim jurists and bioethicists point to specific verses in the Quran as well as hadiths with descriptions of the stages of human gestation that are mapped onto the pregnancy timeline in the contemporary abortion debate. The often-cited Quranic verses are 23:12-14: And indeed We created humankind from an essence of clay. Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a resting place firm; then We created the sperm-drop into a clinging substance, then We created the clinging substance into an embryonic lump, then We created from the embryonic lump bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We produced it as another creation. So blessed is God, the best of creators.

Then there is the hadith in which Prophet Muhammad describes what happens in the womb: The human being is brought together in the mothers womb for forty days in the form of a drop of fluid, and then becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period.  Then the soul is breathed into him. 

These scriptural traditions divide the pregnancy timeline into stages. Muslim jurists consider the 120-day mark of ensoulment (40 days x 3 stages), when God is believed to blow life into the fetus, as the point at which the fetus becomes a legal entity with financial rights. The fetus is believed to have inheritance rights; it can leave an inheritance to its siblings or other kin if it dies, or provide its parents with blood money in the event of a violent action against the mother.

While reference to the scriptural tradition might be enough for many Muslims, some might look to the Muslim legal tradition for precedence. Premodern jurists inquiries into stage of pregnancy were mainly to settle questions such as what inheritance laws might come into effect in the event of fetal death. They werent asking when life begins to settle abortion questions. And even as they touched on the question of legal personhood of a fetus, they ruled on a case-by-case basisrather than through blanket pronouncements.

Contemporary jurisprudence

Most Muslim jurists and bioethicists today argue that abortion before 120 days of pregnancy is permissible on certain grounds and after this term in cases of mortal danger to the mother. When it comes to abortion, the Islamic legal principle of preservation of life is universally interpreted to mean the mothers life. Other grounds for abortion vary depending on school of thought but include health concerns for mother or fetus and sometimes include unintended pregnancy, depending on the circumstances of how the pregnancy came about.

Since maternal health can be a nebulous category, acceptance of mental health reasons for abortion may depend on whether people take mental health itself seriously. Concerns might include the mental capacity of a mother to care for herself or a child, or potential suicidal thoughts that put the mothers life at risk.

Financial affordability is generally frowned upon as a reason for abortion because God is seen as provider, but still accepted in some schools of thought, as the tradition generally promotes mercy above else.

Regardless of contemporary jurists positions on the subject, however, Muslims who pursue abortion often do so based on their broad Islamic understanding of Gods compassion rather than in consultation with religious authorities who might act as gatekeepers.

American Muslims post-Dobbs

Part of Islamic discourses nuance about abortion is the result of a long relationship between medicine and Islamic thought. For American Muslims, that history is overshadowed by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the heavy dominance and influence of one Christian view as the only American view on abortion.

There is often a global assumption, which is held by many Muslims as well, that Muslim rules about gender and womens rights are stricter than dominant Christian American ones. There have been many problematic comparisons of the Dobbs decision and Sharia. Some have called it Christian Sharia to characterize the ruling and abortion bans nationwide as religious, yet in doing so they draw on anti-Muslim sentiment and stereotypes of Islam as uniquely gender oppressive.

When American Muslims themselves mirror evangelical Christian views on abortion, however, it may be a form of virtue signaling or out of ignorance of Muslims rich historical relationship with medicine.

Even in so-called religiously conservative Muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, laws on abortion are much more liberal than in U.S. states banning abortion. Legally, not only is the life of the mother always prioritized, but because the idea that ensoulment occurs at 120 days is taken seriously, abortion before that point may, and often does, take place in a variety of circumstances such as rape, serial births, mental health issues, untimeliness of pregnancy, etc.

Many American Muslims are speaking in support of the right to abortion. Organizations such as the American Muslim Bar Association, Heart to Grow and Muslim Advocates have issued statements about abortion in Islam and published information on American Muslims rights to abortion. The one prevailing commonality among these and diverging Islamic views on abortion is the Islamic concept of Gods mercy and compassion.

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content.
Susan Scotti's parents are now caring for the three children after she died of a fentanyl overdose. "My main concern," her father said, "is that no one else gets this stuff."
CLAYTON  A St. Louis County judge on Friday sentenced a man convicted of killing his pregnant wife and hiding her body to life in prison without parole.

Beau Rothwell, 31, was convicted in April of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence and abandoning the corpse of his 28-year-old wife, Jennifer Rothwell, who was six weeks pregnant at the time.

At the hearing, Jennifer Rothwells mother, Robin von Hausen, appeared on video and spoke about the milestones her daughter would miss, big and small, like the final Game of Thrones book and quiet moments with family.

But most of all, von Hausen said, shed miss the joy of being a parent.

Jennifer will never know the joy of holding her child in her arms, her mother told the court. Instead, she walked her through heavens gates.

At his trial, Rothwell testified that he never planned to kill his wife on that day in November 2019, but he became angry after she pressed him about the identity of his mistress and said her pregnancy was the result of an affair with another man.

During the argument, he struck her with a mallet, he said, and followed her as she stumbled toward the garage door where he delivered the fatal blow.

After he killed her, Rothwell bought bleach and paper towels to disinfect the house and drove her body an hour north to an area near Troy, Missouri. He wrapped a plastic bag around her head with duct tape, dumped her naked body in the woods and covered her in brush.

He then threw away a tarp he had used to cover her body and soiled cleaning supplies in a business trash bin off the highway he spotted during his morning drive from Lincoln County.

He said he then abandoned her car to make it appear as if shed had car trouble on her way to work and texted her phone to make it seem as though he was worried about her. He reported her missing and also participated in search parties with her relatives and co-workers.

He testified he was in panic mode, trying to appear normal.

It was this feeling of needing to keep up the facade, he said.

In the end, jurors did not buy Rothwells argument he had killed his wife in a red haze of rage. They convicted him of first-degree murder, which requires premeditation.

First-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole, but on Friday, Rothwells lawyer, Charles Barberio, asked the judge to run sentences for the other two charges at the same time as the murder sentence.

Barberio said his client did not want to go to trial, but there were no plea agreements offered by prosecutors.

He tried to cooperate, Barberio said.

Rothwell apologized to his wifes family for his actions.

I think about Jennifer every single day, he said. I am just sorry for everything.

Circuit Judge Ellen Nellie Ribaudo then sentenced Rothwell to life without parole, plus four years on the other two charges. One will run concurrently with the life sentence.

Rothwell told the judge he planned to appeal.

Outside the courthouse, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell and St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory said their thoughts were with Jennifer Rothwells family.

We are hoping that the family has some kind of relief, Bell said.

Post-Dispatch reporter Joel Currier contributed to this report.
ST. LOUIS  The Quintana-Sanchez family plans to put their seven children through St. Cecilia Catholic School, and now they will have state tax-credit scholarships to help.

Jesus, entering first grade, and Maria, entering kindergarten, are expected to be among the first children to receive the $6,375 annual vouchers for private school starting this fall.

Its a blessing to be able to put our children in a particular school and especially this school that is Catholic because that is our religion, Lorena Quintana-Sanchez said, speaking in Spanish to the schools principal Emily Roth.

More than 800 families have applied to the MOScholars program since it launched last month, said state Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick at a press conference Friday at the school in the Dutchtown neighborhood.

Under a new state law, MOScholars allows residents and businesses to receive a credit of up to 50% of state tax liability for donations to the program. Nonprofit groups certified as Educational Assistance Organizations then grant the scholarships to eligible students, prioritizing those with special needs or from low-income families who are entering kindergarten or first grade.

Requests by families interested in the program far exceed available funds at this point. Close to $500,000 in tax credits have been committed since donations opened July 1, according to the treasurers office. The initial funds are only enough to provide about 70 full scholarships after administrative expenses.

The program only works with the generosity of people who are willing to contribute, Fitzpatrick said Friday.

The six nonprofit groups, which are all connected to religious education, are responsible for raising the scholarship funds. Total donations are capped at $25 million in the programs first year.

The Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation at the Archdiocese of St. Louis has received 314 applications for the tax-credit scholarships in the last two weeks, according to Julie Soffner, executive director.

The foundation plans to offer the scholarships to dozens of parochial and independent private schools, including Miriam School for students with learning differences.

A recent Supreme Court ruling allowing government funding of religious school tuition in Maine could ease a path for a similar expansion of MOScholars in the state budget, Fitzpatrick said.

The state Legislature should prioritize funding students instead of institutions, allowing parents to direct their tax dollars to a school of their choice, he said.

Parents have become more involved in their childrens education and want to send them to schools that align with their social beliefs, Fitzpatrick said.

Representatives from the religious groups said Friday they hope the law establishing the scholarship fund will be expanded statewide. The legislation was pared back to gain approval from rural Republican legislators. Only students in charter counties including St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson counties or cities with more than 30,000 people can participate.

Fitzpatricks twin 6-year-old sons, who have autism and other developmental disorders, do not qualify for the tax-credit scholarships because they live in rural southwest Missouri.

I do believe we have good public schools in this state. ... I also know many families whose needs arent met in the public schools, he said.

Posted at 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 8.
JEFFERSON CITY  One of the leading candidates in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate said Thursday two other major candidates were avoiding the debate stage in the run-up to the Aug. 2 contest.

The Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, said Nexstar, which owns KTVI (Channel 2) in St. Louis, informed the Hartzler campaign that a debate planned for Wednesday was being canceled due to logistical concerns.

Hartzlers campaign manager said the two opponents, former Gov. Eric Greitens and Attorney General Eric Schmitt, were in hiding.

Our opponents are airing ads of themselves with flamethrowers, flash grenades, and sniper rifles, but remain in hiding at the possibility of answering questions about their records, Mike Hafner, campaign manager for Hartzler, said in a statement.

Audrey Prywitch, vice president of news for KTVI and KPLR (Channel 11), said in an email that not all major candidates committed to a debate, but didnt say who.

We attempted to organize a debate, but we could not secure the participation of all the key candidates, she said. We are hoping to do longform interviews with all candidates polling above 5% prior to the August 2nd Primary.

Prywitch said the debate was scheduled for July 13 in St. Louis but was called off this week.

Rich Chrismer, spokesman for Schmitts campaign, suggested in a text message that Schmitt didnt commit to the Nexstar debate because Greitens wouldnt.

This is a two-candidate race between Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens, and as weve said all along, if Eric Greitens agrees to participate, Eric Schmitt would look forward to the opportunity, Chrismer said.

Chrismer said Schmitt had already attended two debates  one at the state Lincoln Days event in February, and a second at the Jasper/Newton counties Lincoln Days in March.

Eric Greitens refused to participate in either, Chrismer said.

Hafner described both events as forums, not debates. He said the biggest difference between the two formats is that in a forum, candidates arent allowed to criticize their opponents.

Meanwhile, Greitens campaign said he is scheduled to attend a debate in Clayton on Monday hosted by Real Americas Voice and The Gateway Pundit, but that Hartzler and Schmitt havent committed.

Another candidate, U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, accused Hartzler of dodging that debate. Hafner said when the debate was proposed in June, that Hartzler already had events scheduled on the day of the debate.

Hafner said the Nexstar debate, called off this week, was first proposed in January.

Thursdays comments followed news Wednesday that a planned debate among Democratic U.S. Senate candidates was canceled because one of them, Trudy Busch Valentine, did not respond to multiple invitations to participate.

Democrat Lucas Kunce, who had committed to the debate on Gray TV, which owns KMOV (Channel 4) in St. Louis, issued a news release after the decision to postpone the debate.

I hope that my opponent will have the respect for Missouri voters to show up and debate, Kunce said.

Organizers only invited Kunce and Valentine to the debate.

Scott Diener, news director for KMOV, said Wednesday on Twitter that organizers limited debate participation to candidates that had garnered at least 5% support in a Real Clear Politics average of polls or the Gray TV/Survey USA poll.

Candidates could also win a spot on the stage if they had at least 5,000 individual contributions with the Federal Election Commission, Diener said.

News of the cancellation prompted criticism from one of the nine other Democrats running, entrepreneur Spencer Toder of Olivette.

Ive campaigned across this state for 14 months and have earned a place on the debate stage, he said on Twitter. The medias efforts to judge candidates on the basis of money instead of on commitment to community is a disservice to Missourians. Ill debate anyone any time. Who would tune in?

The Gray TV/Survey USA poll from May found Kunce had 10% support among those polled. Valentine had 8% support, while Toder had 3%.

Sixty-three percent of respondents were undecided.

The media has a responsibility to inform citizens of candidates actions. But they only report on extremist Republicans and money, Toder said. Eliminating a platform for me to be heard is exactly why 63% of @KMOVs land-line polled potential voters were undecided. I will not stay silent.

Peverill Squire, political science professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, said avoiding debates is an understandable tactic for candidates that enjoy wide leads in the polls.

Avoiding debates allows a candidate to try and control the narrative about their candidacy and to sidestep awkward or embarrassing questions that they may not want or be able to answer, he said in an email. It is an understandable approach for a candidate enjoying a big lead, but a bit baffling for candidates locked in tight battles.

Hafner, Hartzlers campaign manager, said another debate is planned for July 19 on Gray TV stations. He said he didnt know if Greitens or Schmitt had committed.

Our opponents know the only way they can win is to mislead voters with false attacks, Hafner said. Missourians deserve a U.S. Senator who isnt afraid to answer tough questions and we want to thank Gray Television for their planning and commitment to airing the debate statewide in Missouri on network affiliates.
JEFFERSON CITY  The National Press Club has awarded St. Louis Post-Dispatch data journalist Josh Renaud a press freedom award after his discovery that teachers Social Security numbers could be exposed to the public due to flaws on a state website.

After Renaud alerted the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education about the problem, Gov. Mike Parson directed the Missouri State Highway Patrol to investigate Renaud and described the incident as a hack.

The National Press Club announced Thursday that Renaud had won the 2022 Domestic John Aubuchon Award. Aubuchon was a former press club president who had a keen interest in issues of press freedom, the Press Club said.

The club chooses one domestic and one international honoree every year.

In a joint statement, Jen Judson, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, said Renaud had produced a strong body of journalistic work over his career but that the Press Club was particularly impressed with Joshs recent journalism involving a vulnerability he uncovered on a website belonging to the State of Missouris Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

That vulnerability had left the Social Security numbers of public educators exposed and Joshs diligence led to the security flaw being corrected, the Press Club said. For this work Josh received the Horace Mann Friend of Education Award from the Missouri National Education Association. But his watchdog reporting also elicited scorn and threats from Missouri Governor Mike Parson.

Parson announced a criminal investigation into Renauds work and called his public service reporting a hack and accused the Post-Dispatch of having a vendetta against him, the statement continued.

Parson had pledged at a news conference that he would not let this crime against Missouri teachers go unpunished and vowed not to be a pawn in the news outlets political vendetta.

The Press Club said, While it has become a deeply regrettable national trend for some public officials to attack the press, this seemed to us a particularly egregious example as the Missouri governor was calling for Renaud to be punished before an official investigation had even taken place.

It pointed out that Renaud alerted Missouri public education officials to the security flaw in advance of story publication and agreed to hold the story until officials had time to fix it.

Indeed, Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven planned to thank Renaud before Parson threatened him, the Post-Dispatch reported, citing records obtained from the governors office through a Sunshine Law request.

After the Highway Patrol finished its investigation, the agency forwarded its report to the Cole County prosecutor, who declined to press charges in the case.

Were honored that the National Press Club has chosen to recognize Josh for his work, and for his courage and grace in enduring a difficult situation, said Post-Dispatch Executive Editor Alan Achkar. We have an obligation to serve the public and hold government bodies accountable. Public officials can try to bully us, but we wont waver from our mission. Josh is a first-rate journalist, and he proves on a regular basis why public service journalism remains critical to our society.

In a statement, Renaud said, I feel privileged to work as a journalist in a country where freedom of the press is enshrined in law. But my ordeal shows that we cant take that freedom for granted. We must hold accountable public officials who use their power to intimidate journalists.

A spokeswoman for Parson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
ST. LOUIS  A $1 million fund to help St. Louis women get abortions in Illinois and other states where the practice remains legal won first-round approval Friday from the citys Board of Aldermen.

We have an incredible opportunity ... to really show the rest of our state and the nation what a response can look like in this moment following the recent Supreme Court reversal of the Roe v. Wade ruling, said Alderman Christine Ingrassia, 6th Ward, one supporter of the measure.

The bill, endorsed on a 15-8 vote, will come up for final passage next week.

The measure would allocate federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for transportation, child care and other logistical help for women getting abortions outside Missouri, where a state ban was activated by the Supreme Court ruling.

The sponsor, Alderman Annie Rice, 8th Ward, said were not going quietly here. Were going to do everything within our power to make sure they have the health care access that they need.

An opponent, Alderman Joe Vaccaro, 23rd Ward, called the bill nothing more than a political stunt that will tie up some of the citys federal pandemic aid funds in a lengthy court fight.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt already has said he will file suit to try to block the bill.

Alderman Marlene Davis, 19th Ward, complained that the court battle over the abortion-related money would delay and perhaps jeopardize other ARPA health allocations also in the bill.

To avoid that, she said, Rice and others who initiated the bill should have put the abortion-related funds in separate legislation.

Were playing politics with peoples lives, said Davis, who voted present on the bill.

The abortion access money would go to a new Reproductive Equity Fund in the city Health Department, which would contract with private organizations to spend the funds.

The bill also allocates $500,000 to the same fund for other reproductive health services such as access to doulas and lactation support and $250,000 for administrative oversight and evaluation.

The measure also includes $1.64 million for additional COVID testing, treatment and vaccination at local health clinics and $500,000 for a new round of $100 gift cards to be used as an incentive to getting COVID shots.

Rice said after the reproductive health care part of the bill was put together, the health department asked that the other money be added.

If it appears that the latter amounts will be significantly delayed by the court case, she said, the money could be put in another bill to be passed later.

Schmitt, the attorney general, has said the proposed St. Louis ordinance would violate a state law barring public money from being used for the purpose of performing or assisting an abortion not needed to save the life of the mother.

Supporters of the bill note that the bill specifies that the money would only be used to provide access to abortion and wouldnt fund or assist abortion procedures or encourage or counsel individuals to get an abortion.

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, a Democrat, supports the legislation and has traded sharply worded comments on the issue on social media with Schmitt, a Republican and a U.S. Senate candidate in the Aug. 2 primary.

All board members on both sides of the issue are Democrats. Among those voting in favor of the bill were the two declared candidates for aldermanic president in a special primary election Sept. 13  Megan Green, 15th Ward, and Jack Coatar, 7th Ward.

The acting board president, Joe Vollmer of the 10th Ward, was among those voting no.

Pro-Choice Missouri, a leading abortion rights group, worked with Rice on the bill. A representative of the group said at a hearing that the measure addresses a concurrent crisis of maternal mortality and abortion access in the state by supporting all pregnancy outcomes.

A leader in an anti-abortion group, Missouri Lawyers for Life, has said its a shame that city officials are getting involved in the abortion issue when St. Louis faces so many challenges such as crime and trash collection.

The St. Louis County Council is considering using $1 million of the countys ARPA allotment for a similar abortion access plan, which Schmitt also has said he would fight in court.

Other ARPA money

City aldermen on Friday also gave preliminary approval to separate legislation allocating $3.6 million in ARPA money for youth programs in the summer and year-round and $10 million to expand violence prevention programs in the city.

The anti-violence efforts would be overseen by a new Office of Violence Prevention in the citys Department of Public Safety.

Updated at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 8.
ST. LOUIS  Bus riders in St. Louis and St. Louis County encountered a second straight day of delays Friday as more than 80 drivers didnt show up for work amid an ongoing contract squabble.

Jerry Vallely, a spokesman for Metro Transit, said most delays were up to 30 minutes but a few routes had buses arriving 45 minutes to an hour late.

Taulby Roach, president and CEO of the Bi-State Development Agency  which operates Metro  had asserted Thursday what he called a sickout was part of an organized effort by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 788.

Union officials have denied coordinating the absences. But they said drivers are upset with a 2% pay raise proposed by management on Wednesday and that some on an individual basis are responding. The union is seeking at least a 5% salary hike.

As on Thursday, Vallely said, Metro bus routes in St. Clair County were not affected much by the delays.

He also said Friday afternoon that MetroLink trains were running on time with managers filling in for train operators who didnt come in for work.

The next contract negotiation meeting is scheduled for Aug. 18.

Roach has said the 2% raise was proposed only for a short-term contract extension while negotiations continue toward a longer-term deal.

On Friday, Roach issued a statement that the two sides had agreed to federal mediation and that a mediator will be present at the August meeting.

We very much look forward to this negotiation, but are also open to begin these conversations as soon as possible, Roach said.

Reginald Howard, Local 788 president, said later Friday that he had yet to confirm that with his unions national office, which he said had talked with Metro about that.

Roach in his Friday statement also said we have tremendous respect for our operator team members and the responsibility they have moving the St. Louis region.

He also reiterated that employees deserve pay increases but they must be within reasonable economic bounds to maintain the financial integrity of the system.

Updated at 5:45 p.m. Friday, July 8.
CLAYTON  The St. Louis County Council will resume talks Saturday over competing proposals for roughly $74 million in federal funding, now that it knows which projects the state will match.

Gov. Mike Parson signed the state budget last week, setting aside up to roughly $74 million in matching grants for St. Louis County projects.

That includes up to $6 million for the demolition of Jamestown Mall, $23 million for a new law enforcement center, $40 million for a makeover of the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus, $4 million for an expansion of the MET Center job training site in Wellston, and $1.2 for a nonprofit, Family Forward, that provides social services for families.

The council had delayed decisions on how to spend the countys remaining federal aid until it was certain how much state funding might be available.

Now the seven-member body has to decide how the state funding fits in with a list of other proposals for the countys federal aid that, all together, call for more that $99 million, more than the $74 million in federal funding the county has available.

These are going to be difficult decisions, Council Chair Rita Heard Days, D-1st District, said Thursday.

Days said her priority for the Saturday meeting is to figure out how much the council would dedicate for each of the projects to match state funding, and then tackle other proposals afterward.

We dont have enough money for everyones projects, we knew that going in, Days said. Were looking at whats on the table right now. If any of the bills out there fit any of those, thats great. If they dont, then we have to put that aside until we get leftover monies.

Councilman Tim Fitch, R-3rd District, said he expects a very spirited discussion, but the federal aid should be focused on boosting funding for county departments, like police. Fitch, a retired county police chief, is calling for more spending on police services.

Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, D-5th District, has proposed funding for early childhood care and to help women get abortions across state lines. She said she hopes the councils decisions are based on data and the merits of each proposal, and not on politics.

County Executive Sam Page on Wednesday named the Jamestown Mall demolition, the MET expansion and UMSL campus makeover as priorities based on input from the community for more job training, higher education, and mental health services.

At least one of the projects is all but guaranteed to move forward.

The county committed $6 million in April to demolish the mall, under a push by Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, D-4th District, to make the site shovel ready for redevelopment into a possible community center. The state matching grant puts a total $12 million behind the demolition.

The state has set aside $4 million for expansion and renovation of the job training and education hub in Wellston, under a plan pushed by Page. Days, who represents Wellston, said she supports the project.

While the state set aside $23 million for a new law enforcement center in the county, Fitch said Thursday that he may have to tweak his spending proposals for county police in order to match 100% of the funding.

Fitch has proposed separate bills that would use about $23 million to build the new precinct, a new regional intelligence operations center, a new property control facility and a training complex that includes a firearms range. But the state funding doesnt include a new central county precinct, he said.

Among other proposals for the countys federal aid, Councilman Ernie Trakas, R-6th District, has called for $25 million for a range of infrastructure projects, business support and social services in his mostly unincorporated south St. Louis County district, arguing that other parts of the county benefit from $133 million in ARPA funds split among the countys 88 municipalities.

One of the few bills to undergo a council hearing this year is a proposal by Clancy to give a nonprofit supporting early childhood development $5.6 million in federal aid to support teachers and caretakers.

Clancy has also called for $1 million to help women get abortions across state lines, a plan endorsed by Page but criticized by council Republicans.

Other proposals include bills sponsored by Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway, D-2nd District, to give $1.2 million each to three nonprofits providing social services for children and families.

And Days and Webb have introduced bills calling for a total $7 million to address food insecurity in their districts in north St. Louis County.

The county has appropriated more than $109 million from a total $193 million American Rescue Plan Act windfall last year. The bulk  $80 million  was put, at Pages recommendation, into the countys general operating budget through 2024 to avoid cuts from revenue losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local governments have until the end of 2024 to obligate money and until the end of 2026 to cash out.

The council has set aside three hours Saturday to discuss federal aid spending. The videoconference hearing, which starts at 10 a.m. will be streamed live on BoxCast.

The council is meeting by videoconference until September, while the council chambers in the county building in downtown Clayton undergo renovations to make them more accessible to people with disabilities.

Members of the public who wish to speak at the meeting can register at https://bit.ly/3IgfCtQ between 9:00 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. Saturday to address the council by web conference.

Posted at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 7.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australia and New Zealands prime ministers agreed Friday that the security implications of Chinas burgeoning influence must be discussed at a meeting of western Pacific leaders next week.

The neighboring countries are the wealthiest in the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum whose leaders will meet July 11-14 in the Fijian capital Suva.

Australia and New Zealand fear the security pact between China and the Solomon Islands struck this year could lead to a Chinese naval base being established in the south Pacific.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern agreed at a joint press conference in Sydney that the security implications of Chinas encroachment in the region needed to be on the agenda.

Theres no doubt that security and security agreements will be a topic at the PIF. It's one of the reasons why Im determined to attend," Albanese said. Its in Australias national interest for me to do so."

Albanese said Australia wanted to remain the security partner of choice for its Pacific island neighbors.

Australias position is that we will continue to engage and we want to cooperate with China where we can, but we will stand up for Australian values when we must, he said.

Ardern said while the agenda was controlled by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the meeting chair, the forums rules allowed for security agreements that effect the region to be discussed.

She said the island countries where not expected to choose between security partners.

It should be the Pacific priorities first and foremost. They should be free of coercion. There should be high quality investment in infrastructure because that is what our region deserves, Ardern said.

New Zealand is very clearly opposed to the militarization of our region, she added.

Due to the pandemic, the Suva summit will be Pacific leaders first opportunity for face-to-face meetings since 2019 when the forum met in Tuvalu.

In May, China fell short on a bold plan to have 10 Pacific nations endorse a sweeping new agreement covering everything from security to fisheries as some in the region expressed deep concerns.

But there were plenty of smaller wins for Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his island-hopping tour of the region.

Wang was in Fiji on May 30 to co-host a key meeting with the foreign ministers from the 10 island nations. At an unusual news conference afterward, Wang and Bainimarama spoke for about 30 minutes and then abruptly left the stage as reporters tried to shout out questions. That left many details of what transpired at the meeting unanswered.

It was clear the nations hadnt endorsed Chinas plan. But Wang managed to sign smaller bilateral agreements with the Pacific nations during his tour.

Albanese expects the forum will be more receptive to his government, which was elected in May, because it has promised more action on climate change and an additional 525 million Australian dollars ($358 million) spent on regional aid. Climate change is the forum's greatest security concern.

China has eased a diplomatic deep freeze it imposed on the previous Australian government for more than two years, during which Beijing refused to return Australian government ministers phone calls. But Defense Minister Richard Marles met his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe in Singapore last month.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is scheduled to meet Wang on Friday as the foreign ministers from the Group of 20 richest and largest developing nations gather in Bali, Indonesia.
Staff members pack goods ordered online at Jiamei Supermarket in Sixian County, Suzhou City, east China's Anhui Province, July 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan) HEFEI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Shortly after returning home for summer vacation, Xu Xiaoxuan, a college student from Sixian County, east China's Anhui Province, registered to volunteer at a COVID-19 nucleic acid testing station. Struck by a resurgence of COVID-19, from June 26 to July 5, a total of 267 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,002 asymptomatic carriers had been logged in Anhui, of which 259 confirmed cases were in Sixian, Suzhou City. Three days after the outbreak hit this small county, the sophomore signed up as a volunteer, performing her duties in a protective suit under the scorching sun. "I want to do my part in epidemic prevention and control," said Xu. "Braving the summer heat with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, the sweat drips from the sleeves of my protective suit. I have realized the hardship of the job," said Xu. She said her 18th birthday is several days away, and the experience that she has had is an unforgettable memory coinciding with her coming-of-age ceremony. In addition to the grassroots anti-epidemic forces consisting of college students on summer vacation and local residents, the county has required all local government officials to take part in volunteering in communities to provide services including keeping the order of queuing for nucleic acid testing, ensuring daily supplies and offering psychological counseling amid the epidemic fight. Xu Ke, 27, a rural revitalization official in the county, has become the head of the Taoliwenyuan community and coordinates with 82 community workers to ensure the needs of daily supplies to households. "Many community workers themselves are grassroots officials. In this special time, we need to unite against the epidemic and do anything we can do," Xu said. Not far from Sixian County, more than 10,000 volunteers are playing a key role in containing the spread of COVID in Lingbi County, another virus-hit area in Anhui. Su Can, a 21-year-old student majoring in preventive medicine at Peking University, joined the local volunteer team after she returned home from Beijing. "I have had an internship at a hospital in Beijing, and I am sharing my experience in how to protect people and conduct nucleic acid tests properly," said Su, who is responsible for providing door-to-door COVID-19 tests for local residents with other medical staff. Su also shares what she has learned in school, such as basic epidemic prevention and control measures, with her fellow villagers in their WeChat group to improve people's public health awareness. "I have to do something for my hometown, even if they are trivial things," said Su.
CHICAGO (AP)  Two of the victims of a July Fourth parade massacre in a Chicago suburb left behind a 2-year-old son. Another was staying with family in Illinois after he was injured in car wreck.

For some, it was a tradition. They were avid travelers, members of their synagogue and professionals. But in a hail of gunfire they became victims in the nation's latest horrific mass shooting.

The victims were Kevin McCarthy, 37; Irina McCarthy, 35; Katherine Goldstein, 64; Stephen Straus, 88; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69.

KEVIN and IRINA MCCARTHY

It was supposed to be a fun day for the couple, who brought their 2-year-old son, Aiden, with them to watch marching bands and patriotic floats.

Instead they were killed in the gunfire, leaving their son orphaned. A stranger scooped up the blood-covered toddler and handed him to Greg Ring as he took cover with his wife and three children behind a popular pancake house.

We kind of met eyes and didnt say anything. ... I put my arms out, and she gave him to me, Ring said Wednesday, when describing the exchange with the unidentified woman, who then lay down in front of their car in shock.

The boy pointed in the direction of the parade route, saying: Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy.

The family was later able to identify the boy and reunite him with his grandparents. Friends of the McCarthys said Irinas parents would care for the boy going forward.

Irina Colon wrote on a GoFundMe page that the boy would have a long road ahead to heal, find stability, and ultimately navigate life as an orphan."

STEPHEN STRAUS

Straus showed up to the parade early and was attending alone, according to his grandchildren, who ate dinner with him the night before.

The Independence Day parade was an annual tradition for Straus  one of the many ways the 88-year-old financial advisor stayed active and involved in his community. According to his family, Straus rode the train to work every day, walked and biked regularly, and loved to visit art museums and festivals.

Despite his age, he was taken too soon, said grandson Maxwell Straus.

Maxwell and his brother, Tobias, fondly recalled going out for Sunday night dinners with their grandfather, a weekly routine that persisted despite the COVID-19 pandemic, when the grandsons would visit outside his window.

Losing their grandfather was a surreal experience, the brothers said. You never really imagine something like that can happen to you or your loved ones, said Maxwell Straus.

Stephen Straus is survived by a brother, a wife, his son and four grandchildren.

JACQUELYN SUNDHEIM

Sundheim loved her synagogue, where she once taught preschoolers and coordinated bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies. She had worked there for decades and was a devoted, lifelong member known for her kindness and warmth, synagogue officials said in a statement.

There are no words sufficient to express the depth of our grief for Jackis death and sympathy for her family and loved ones, three synagogue leaders said in the statement.

Sundheim, 63, was survived by her husband, Bruce, and their daughter Leah, according to an email the synagogue sent to congregants.

KATHERINE GOLDSTEIN

Goldstein's husband described her as an easygoing travel companion who was always game to visit far-flung locales.

She didnt complain, Craig Goldstein, a hospital physician, told The New York Times. She was always along for the ride.

Goldstein was a mother of two daughters in their early 20s, Cassie and Alana. She attended the parade with her eldest daughter, Cassie, so she could reunite with friends from high school, Goldstein said.

He said his wife had recently lost her mother and had given thought to what kind of arrangements she might want when she dies.

He recalled that Katherine, an avid bird watcher, said she wanted to be cremated and to have her remains scattered in the Montrose Beach area of Chicago, where there is a bird sanctuary.

NICOLAS TOLEDO-ZARAGOZA

Toledo-Zaragoza had come to Illinois to visit his family about two months ago, his granddaughter, Xochil Toledo, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

His family wanted him to stay permanently because of injuries he had suffered after being hit by a car a couple of years ago during an earlier visit to Highland Park. The newspaper reported that he was hit by three bullets and died at the scene.

His death left behind a large, loving family mourning his loss.

Nicolas was a loving man, creative, adventurous and funny, Toledo wrote in an online fundraising post, describing him as a father of eight and grandfather to many. I love you abuelito.

EDUARDO UVALDO

For the Uvaldo family, like others in the Highland Park area, the Independence Day parade was an annual tradition, according to a GoFundMe page organized by his granddaughter, Nivia Guzman.

When gunfire erupted from a rooftop along the parade route, Eduardo Uvaldo was shot in his arm and the back of his head. His wife, Maria, was struck in the head by bullet fragments and his grandson was shot in the arm.

Eduardo Uvaldo was brought to the hospital where, after receiving treatment and evaluation from doctors, the family was told there was nothing left to do, Guzman wrote. A GoFundMe update shows he was taken off life support Tuesday.

Uvaldo died just before 8 a.m. on Wednesday at Evanston Hospital.

Savage reported from Chicago and Venhuizen reported from Madison, Wisconsin. AP journalists Martha Irvine in Chicago and Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, also contributed to this report.
Ghosting her competitors

Trudy Busch Valentine may be new to politics, but the Democratic candidate for Missouris open Senate seat apparently has already learned one strategic lesson  and not an admirable one. Valentine has been dodging efforts to get her on a debate stage with her top primary opponent, Lucas Kunce. Her campaign hasnt responded to repeated invitations.

This is a standard maneuver for candidates who appear to be leading, as Valentine is, because it allows them to avoid direct questioning in forums they dont control while denying their opponents the chance to engage them. But its unfair to the voters and bad for democracy.

Valentine is an heir to the Busch beer fortune, a factor that has some Democrats excited about her prospects for putting up a realistic financial fight against the eventual Republican nominee in a red state. She has already garnered some big endorsements  but that doesnt justify political cowardice.

The debate was to air this Tuesday on KMOV (Channel 4) and partner stations in Jefferson City and Joplin. Organizers still hope to stage a debate before the Aug. 2 primary.

Scales finally fall from Joe Rogans eyes

Podcaster Joe Rogan gained notoriety for spreading outright wrong information about the coronavirus and vaccines. His right-wing messaging so rankled musicians like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell that they delivered an ultimatum to Spotify: either drop Rogan, or well pull our music from the platform. Spotify opted to keep Rogan, its biggest seller, but did urge him to down down the rhetoric.

Boy, did Rogan tone it down.

He stated this week that he would no longer accept offers by ex-President Donald Trump to appear on the show. Hes such a polarizing figure that so many people felt like they could abandon their own ethics and morals and principles just to attack him and anybody who supports him because he is an existential threat to democracy itself, Rogan said.

It was enough to rankle other pro-Trump personalities like former adviser Steve Bannon, who labeled Rogans listeners as low information voters. Funny, but Rogans audience doesnt seem terribly different from the listeners Trump used to love to talk to.

Tasty for all eternity

The newest trend in gravestones is a delicious one: Some families are honoring loved ones by having their favorite family recipes engraved on their stones. The New York Times reports that in cemeteries across the U.S. and in other countries, family recipes  mostly desserts  are being immortalized alongside birth and death dates. The trend is driven in part by technology that allows more intricate and detailed engraving on the stones than was possible in the past.

Recipes are such a beautiful way of remembering people, one enthusiast of the practice, Allison C. Meier, of Brooklyn, told the newspaper. Youre still following in their footsteps and putting ingredients together the way they did.

There are some hazards to it, though. One monument containing a family fudge recipe called for too much vanilla due to a mistake by the engraver in 2000. A generation of cemetery visitors presumably made the too-runny fudge before the mistake was corrected almost 20 years later, the Times reported.

Phillips 66 gas and illegal gambling dont mix

Its sad when a global corporation does a better job of supporting Missouri law than Missouri lawmakers do. As legislators continue to allow an unlicensed gaming-machine industry to thumb its nose at state gambling statutes, Phillips 66 has publicly condemned the machines and has declared that its gas stations arent allowed to host them.

The thousands of electronic gaming machines at gas stations and bars around the state take in money from players and pay some of it back to lucky winners. This is the dictionary definition of gambling, but the machines owners refuse to submit to state licensing and oversight. They dont pay anything to the state, while drawing gambling dollars away from legitimate casinos that do.

The owners political muscle has thwarted legislative efforts to crack down. But as the Post-Dispatchs Kurt Erickson reports, Phillips 66 isnt playing their game. We expect the operators of these branded stations to abide by local and state laws, a spokesman said in an email. We do not condone illegal gambling or any other illegal activities. What a novel idea.

Next time, bring a zoom lens

The score so far this summer: sharks-4, bison-3, humans-0. Somethings seriously wrong with Team Human. In the last few weeks, according to various reports, there have been multiple interactions between humans and animals to the detriment of the former. Climate change is warming the waters, bringing sharks closer to the shore, believed to be a factor in many attacks. Human vigilance is the only short-term solution there.

But in the case of bison-versus-human attacks, chalk the casualties up to pure stupidity by humans, who frequently ignore signage and warnings from park rangers to keep respectable distances from the animals.

According to the National Park Service, bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Their thrashing tails can be a forewarning of a pending attack. Too many people ignore the signs, thinking they can pose up close for that perfect photo for everyone to admire online.

Additionally, bison can run up to 35 miles per hour, making escape unlikely. The bison are defending their homes, just as humans would do if an intruder tried to come inside their abode. Bison are not a part of some outdoor photo-op petting zoo.
If you and your significant other are planning a trip and considering buying travel insurance, you want to be sure your plus one is covered. A solid travel insurance policy can safeguard your trip investment by compensating you for canceled trips, non-refundable costs, medical emergencies and lost personal items.

Ensuring both of you are entitled to travel insurance benefits can be as easy as filling out an R.S.V.P. card, but there are some issues to keep in mind, especially if you dont live together.

Heres what unmarried couples need to know about buying the best travel insurance for their next getaway.

Travel Insurance for Domestic Partners and Unmarried Couples

If you and your partner live together and have the same trip itinerary, you can usually buy one travel insurance plan that covers both of you, says Daniel Durazo, spokesman for Allianz Global Assistance. Be sure to list both names on your plan, so you both receive benefits.

Comprehensive travel insurance plans can provide protection for the people listed on the policy by packaging together the following coverages.

Trip cancellation

Trip cancellation insurance reimburses pre-paid, non-refundable, forfeited costs when you cancel a trip for reasons listed in your policy, such as severe weather or a serious injury.

Trip interruption

Trip interruption insurance pays to fly you home and for unused, non-refundable portions of your trip if you curtail your trip due to unforeseen events, such as a family emergency back home.

Medical expenses

Travel medical insurance covers expensesup to your policy limits for hospital and doctor bills, X-rays, lab work and medicine when youre injured or become ill during your trip.

Medical evacuation insurance can help pay for the cost to airlift you to the nearest adequate treatment center.

Travel delay insurance

Your travel delay insurance can help pay for meals, lodging and toiletries during layovers when your trip is delayed after a specified amount of time due to unexpected events. For instance, if your flight is delayed due to mechanical problems or severe weather.

Baggage and personal effects

Baggage insurance can compensate you for the depreciated value of your belongings if lost, stolen or damaged, up to your policy limits. Be aware that some items, such as cash and gold, are excluded.

Baggage delay benefits kick in after a waiting period listed in your policy. This can help pay for necessities to tide you over until your luggage arrives.

Do Partners Qualify as Family for Your Travel Insurance Benefits?

Domestic partners and civil unions are generally defined in travel insurance policies as same-sex or opposite-sex couples who have lived together for a specified amount of timeusually six or 12 monthsand who share financial assets.

Many travel insurance plans include domestic partners and civil union partners in their definition of family, which means the same benefits apply under trip cancellation, trip interruption and travel delay coverage.

In addition to covering you and your traveling companion, these benefits allow you to file a claim if a family member who is not traveling with you suffers from an unexpected incident listed in your policy.

For instance, lets say a family member is critically injured and hospitalized right before your trip. You typically would be eligible to file a trip cancellation claim because an injury to a family member is an acceptable reason for canceling.

So, would you be covered if its a domestic partner and not a spouse? Yes, if your travel plan lists domestic partnerships as part of its family definition. However, its important to note that you will probably have to provide documentation when you file your claim.

For example, you may be asked to submit documentation proving you have lived together for a specified amount of timefor instance, six or 12 months. Also, you may have to show that you share finances, by providing copies of a lease or documents for a shared bank account, says Durazo.

You may also have to provide an affidavit of domestic partnership, depending on your state laws and travel insurance company.

Travel Insurance for Couples Living Separately

If you and your significant other dont live together in the same house, but live in the same state and are following the same trip itinerary, you may be able to buy one policy that covers both of you.

On policies where the travelers reside at different locations, one insured must be selected as the primary policy point of contact, says Sarah McWilliams-Guerra, a spokesperson with Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider. Their information, including address, email and phone number, would be kept on file.

Couples who live in different states and are traveling together usually need to buy separate travel insurance plans. Thats because insurance laws vary by state, so terms and conditions for travel insurance policies can vary by state, says Durazo.

Different departure locations and different flight costs may also mean you need separate travel insurance policies, he says. Whats most important is that each persons name is listed on the travel insurance policy to ensure both people are covered.

Is Couples Travel Insurance Cheaper?

Durazo says a joint travel insurance policy is usually less expensive than buying two separate policies.

A Forbes Advisor analysis of travel insurance costs found that the average cost of travel insurance for one adult, age 40, is $294 per trip. For two adult travelers on the same policy the average cost is $311. That means a travel insurance policy for a couple is about $277 less than two separate policies.

Keep in mind that if one of you is over age 65, the price of your coverage will likely be based on the oldest traveler, so in that case it might be cheaper to buy two separate policies.

Generally, your travel insurance cost will be 5% to 6% of your trip costs, according to a Forbes Advisor analysis of travel insurance rates. But if youre a senior planning a trip, expect to pay 8% to 18% of your trip cost for a senior travel insurance policy.

Travel Insurance for Couples FAQ Would my travel insurance plan cover my partner as a travel companion? Travel insurance plans cover youthe insuredfor unexpected events that happen to you or your traveling companion that trigger a cancellation or interruption of your trip. Your travel insurance coverage does not extend to your travel companion unless their name is on the policy. For a fellow traveler to be covered, they would need to have their own travel insurance policy or be listed as insured on yours. Do most travel insurance plans include domestic partners as family? Many travel insurance plans do include domestic partners and civil union couples in their definition of family. However, some states dont recognize domestic partnerships, so policies sold in those states may not. For example, the Louisiana policy language for Seven Corners RoundTrip Choice plans excludes domestic partners from its definition of a family member. What if my partner and I have multiple trips planned? If you and your partner plan to travel frequently, an annual travel insurance plan is worth a look. All your trips are covered under a single year-long policy, providing both convenience and cost savings over purchasing multiple products for each excursion, says Durazo.
Russian commercial airlines have about 800 aircraft and nearly all the large ones are Western airliners from Boeing and Airbus. To facilitate sales Boeing and Airbus will lease their airliners rather than sell them outright. Most airlines prefer the more efficient leasing route, making it easier to downsize when poor economic conditions warrant it. Currently 71 percent of Russian airliners are leased and these aircraft are subject t0 repossession if lease payments are not made on time. The increased sanctions imposed on Russia after February 2022 made it difficult, then impossible for Russia to make the lease payments, which must be in dollars.

Soon after February Russia began to default on all foreign loan payments that had to be made in dollars. Rather than return their leased Western airliners, Russia went outlaw and used them only for domestic flights. As long as these aircraft remained inside Russia, they could not be seized. That also meant these aircraft could not obtain major upgrades or mandatory modifications to maintain flight safety. Another problem is that all Western parts and support service for leased or owned foreign airliners must be paid for in dollars. There are solutions available to Russia, but these involve improvisations that may take too long to keep all the commercial aircraft flying.

Russian airlines are grinding to a halt because they can no longer obtain legal spare parts. China manufactures some of these spares under license but many other unauthorized (counterfeit) components continue to be made and quietly sold. The Chinese counterfeits have improved their quality levels because one of these components causing an accident in a Western built airliner used by a Russian airline causes major problems for the airlines involved. The Chinese counterfeits also show up with U.S. airlines and even American military aircraft. This is where Chinese counterfeit parts are usually discovered because the American military is much more diligent about authenticating the source of components. Russian counterfeits are not as reliable nor are those from outlaw manufacturers in several other countries. China is taking risks violating sanctions to keep Russian military and commercial aircraft flying. The risk is seen as acceptable because China is now building locally designed airliners and is better at it than Russia. In the future China will be an alternative to Boeing and Airbus for airliners. China has always had a marketing edge because they will sell to anyone who can pay. No political or ideological background check required.

Russia still has an aircraft manufacturing industry that produces components, including engines and avionics for military aircraft and tries to build competitive (with more cost-effective and safer) Western airliners. That is still a work in progress for Russia but China is having more success. Neither Russia or China has been able to build the larger jet engines used by most Western airliners. China is closer, but not there yet. China could justify increasing its efforts to build competitive large turbofan engines. China can provide some, but not all of the spare parts these engines require. If Russia remains an outlaw state over more than a few years the damage done by the sanctions to the entire Russian economy will be catastrophic and unsustainable because more of the population would demand a new government and peace in Ukraine. Russia currently believes it can outlast the West in this Ukraine endurance test. That is seen as unlikely because the longer Russia keeps the war going the more war crimes accusations it accumulates and the rest of the world is not willing to waive punishment for the Russian politicians and military commanders responsible. Russia citizens experiencing lower and lower living standards are not in a forgiving mood either. That way the seemingly formidable Soviet government fell in 1991.

Russia and China have already organized a method for conducting trade in Russian rubles and Chinese yuan. A few other nations are willing to join this network, but none of them can help with the Russian airliner spare parts problem. China sees the situation as a useful and low risk challenge while for Russia it's more a matter of life and death for airline passengers facing lower flight safety levels and Russian officials responsible for the war crimes in Ukraine. Substitute spares can keep the airliners flying for a year or so but then the need for more difficult to counterfeit components will make this massive improvisation more difficult and unsafe.

China is involved but Russia is committed to making this work and willing to risk lives to make it happen.
The year-long political deadlock between the two main factions over national elections, and the presence of foreign troops provided by Russia and Turkey, is gradually being resolved by developments few expected.

First came the steady and continuing reduction of Russian forces in Libya. The Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered economic sanctions against Russia that reduced its ability to maintain any forces in Libya. Turkey has made smaller reductions because of severe economic problems in Turkey. The pressure on Turkey over its operations in Libya received a major and unexpected boost recently when Turkey was forced to reveal details of how its clandestine operations in places like Libya operated. This was due to recent publication of details on how Turkey managed to get involved in the Libyan Civil War. The UAE (United Arab Emirates) got Turkey to admit details on the Turkish Libya operation via year-long negotiations to get a key Turkish agent and organizer of such operations freed from prison. These details did not receive much publicity until recently, in part because of speeches the freed Turkish agent gave after he returned home.

On November 29th, 2021 Turkey finally got Mehmet Ali Ozturk freed from a UAE prison. Ozturk was serving a life sentence for running a Turkish government-sponsored Islamic terrorist network that was part of a secret Turkish effort to create and use suitable Islamic terror groups to support Turkish foreign policy throughout the Maddie East. This included areas like Syria and Libya where Turkey and the UAE were opponents. The Turks believed it was safe for Ozturk to travel to the UAE, which he did in 2018 on a business trip for BLC, the successful family firm he worked for. Ozturk has spent most of this life with his family run firm and was recruited by MIT in 2012 because Ozturk supported Turkish president Erdogans secret use of cooperative Islamic terror groups to do business with, including covertly hiring them as mercenaries. Turkey maintained the loyalty of these Islamic radicals by providing them access to Turkey to obtain supplies and sometimes as a safe place to put their families while the men were off fighting for their cause. This policy was harmful to Libya as well as the UAE.

In 2018 Ozturk was arrested in the UAE and changed with a long list of crimes involving Islamic terrorist groups. A diplomat from the Turkish embassy was at the trial, which took ten weeks to complete. The Turks learned that the UAE intel officials knew a lot more about Ozturk and his work for MIT than the Turks realized. The Turks continued trying to get the Turkish businessman Ozturk freed from prison and all the Turks were offered in return was the possibility of freedom for Ozturk if Turkey provided confirmation of the charges against Ozturk and details of Ozturks work for the Turkish government. President Erdogan of Turkey resisted that until he realized that the UAE and Israel had long been sharing intelligence data, that all the details of MIT operations the UAE wanted would probably come out soon anyway, and here was a chance to come clean and repair relations with the UAE, Israel and maybe even the Americans all at once. The Turks confirmed that the Ozturk network was one of several operating in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and Europe. The primary purpose of these groups is to protect Turks, especially Turkic minorities in other countries that are persecuted because they are a minority, not just because they are Turkic. This aid even extends, from time to time, to Turkic Uyghurs in northwest China who are being persecuted, jailed and killed for not cooperating with Chinese efforts to turn them into loyal Chinese citizens. Most of the MIT efforts with Islamic terrorists have less noble goals, usually involving supporting Turkish foreign policy. That is what MIT sought to do in Syria to maintain good relations with the Iranians while persecuting the local Kurds and placating the Iran-backed Assad government of Syria. The goals in Libya are purely about money and gaining access to Libyan oil and offshore deposits in waters between Libya and Turkey that by international law belong to Greece. The MIT networks often disguised themselves as humanitarian groups to provide cover for MIT operations that often caused or exacerbated humanitarian disasters. Ozturk was released from prison at the end of 2021 and was hailed as a Turkish hero back home and became a popular speaker at pro-Erdogan gatherings in Turkey. Erdogan now has to clean up the mess all these recent MIT revelations identified. This was the cost of getting a key MIT operative out of jail and was considered worth it by supporters of the Erdogan-run Turkish government. Libya sees this as an opportunity to obtain active UN support in forcing the Turks out. The UN was hobbled by lack of information about the MIT operations in Libya as well as Russia using its permanent UN veto. Mainly because of the Turkish reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia is less inclined to use its UN veto to support illegal (according to most UN members) Turkish operations in Libya. For Turkey the Libya operations are proving to be more and more of a liability.

There are other pressures at work in Libya. Political uncertainty is made worse by economic problems since April because both eastern (Fathi Bashagha) and western (Abdulhamid Dbeibah) factions have caused oil exports to decline by half, and caused chronic electricity shortages for both factions. This is forcing the Tripoli faction to reconsider its deal with the Turks and opposition to elections. This lack of unity has been around since the decades old dictatorship was overthrown in mid-2011. The UN stepped in with an official presence but because of the militia violence in the capital of Tripoli, the UN mission has been headquartered in neighboring Tunisia. For the same reason Fathi Bashagha, the leader of the eastern Libyan government does not plan to rule all of Libya from Tripoli until the violent militias there are pacified. This is what the eastern forces were close to accomplishing in 2019 before the Turks got involved.

After 2011 the UN was able to impose control over Libyan oil revenues deposited in European banks, to curb corruption, but benefits for the Libyan population were disrupted and reduced by the continuing disorder. What it comes down to is that there is no sense of national unity. The best post-2011 Libya has been able to do is create somewhat stable coalitions in eastern and western Libya. Partition of Libya into east and west is now seen as a serious solution to the continued deadlock. The UN is unlikely to accept the partition solution and the new revelations about Turkish dirty deeds and the continued losses Russia is suffering is making a compromise acceptable to all more likely.

There is less and less violence in Libya because of the stalemate, and that means there is currently no war in Libya. Over the last decade most of the casualties have come from rival militias in Tripoli fighting each other and the Islamic terrorists in the east and south attacking locals and each other. Libya can best be described as a failed state, similar to what happened to Somalia after the 1990 anti-government rebellion and in Afghanistan after the Russians left in 1987 and again in 2021 when Pakistan-backed Taliban overthrew a government that had existed since 2002. In Somalia Islamic terrorist groups (mainly al Shabaab) eventually tried to take over, but failed. In Afghanistan it was the Taliban, which took over most of the country in the late 1990s, but was overthrown in late 2001 when the U.S. came to the aid of the tribes that were still fighting the Taliban. The clear lesson here is that someone will have to intervene to prevent the Islamic terrorists from gaining too much control over the country, or simply to stop the violence before the economy (oil industry) is destroyed. At the moment no one is stepping forward to intervene, mainly because it is an expensive and thankless job. Someone may still intervene to back the government and that is what the government is hoping for.

The current stalemate was caused when the western GNU (Government of National Unity) officially refused to recognize the western (HoR, or House of Representatives) government approval of Fathi Bashagha as the new GNU prime minister. The HoR government represents more Libyans than the Tripoli-based GNA (Government of National Accord). The GNA and HoR are in the process of using the GNU to merge but that process, and the long-sought national elections, are currently blocked by a dispute within the GNU between the newly elected former interior minister Fathi Bashagha as the new GNU prime minister and the original GNU prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, whose term of office ended in December. This dispute has been going on since January and the UN efforts to resolve the dispute have, as usual, failed so far.

Dbeibah turned out to be corrupt and willing to accept the Turkish presence in Libya. Dbeibah and members of his cabinet refused to cede power to Bashagha, who is backed by the eastern HoR faction and its LNA (Libyan National Army) forces, which still control most of Libya. Bashagha believes he can organize national elections in 14 months, unless the UN backs Dbeibah or does nothing to block interference from Dbeibah. Bashagha backed Turkish intervention in 2019 and 2020, but turned against the Turks when the Turks indicated they were not leaving Libya.

The December 24 elections did not happen and there are disagreements in Libya and the UN over a new date for national elections. The UN also wants to replace many of the local officials in the GNU. In late 2020 the UN brokered the creation of the GNU, yet another temporary government to unite Libya. The Turks, Russians, GNA, HoR and LNA agreed to withdraw their forces as part of a late 2020 ceasefire/national unification plan. This agreement called for national elections to be held by the end of 2021. That did not happen, mainly because of the continued presence of Turkish forces and disagreements over the new constitution and who can run for office. The Turks realize they dont have to fight to remain in Libya, just disrupt and delay any efforts, like elections or a UN condemnation, to force them to leave or fight to stay.

Libyans have not been able to agree on a new government since the overthrow of Kaddafi in mid-2011. There was some unity because by 2015 there were two major factions, one in the capital Tripoli and backed by the UN and the other in the east, based in Tobruk. The primary dispute between the two factions was support of Islamic political parties and some Islamic terrorist groups. In most of Libya, especially the east, that attitude was not acceptable and the growing number of Islamic terror groups in Libya had become a major threat to most Libyans. The most effective opponent of the Islamic terrorists was a former Libyan army officer, Khalifa Haftar, who fled Libya in the 1980s after incurring the wrath of dictator Kaddafi. Now an American citizen, he returned to eastern Libya in 2013, revived some of the units of the Kaddafi-era military and began taking control of military bases from militias and Islamic terrorists. Eastern tribes rallied to Haftar, who had organized the most effective counterterrorism effort in the country. Haftar had the support of most Arab states, especially Egypt and the UAE. Egypt has a vulnerable border with Libya that was being used by Islamic terror groups to move people in and out as well as smuggle weapons into Egypt.

Egypt provided a land route to Libya for supplies and weapons for the LNA, largely paid for by the UAE and other Arab oil states. Egypt, the UAE and other Arab states support the new Bashagha government and oppose the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Turkey backs Ukraine more than it opposes Russia but is trying to play both sides. The UN was forced by nearly all its members to strongly condemn Russia for the Ukraine invasion. The Ukrainian situation has also taken away any UN attention to the Libya crisis. Currently the UN has not proposed any solution to the GNA/HoR dispute or the illegal presence of Turkey in Libya. The UN tends to avoid offending major UN members, especially the five nations with veto power. That group includes Russia but not Turkey. The UN does not have armed forces, aside from peacekeepers who are supplied by member states and paid for by UN members, especially the U.S. and other industrial nations that provide most of the UN budget. UN leaders have found that the safest thing for them to do when major powers have disputes is to find ways to offend no one, even if that means serious disputes go on far longer than necessary.

Russia backed Haftar early on and by 2016 Haftar was making regular visits to Russia to discuss cooperation in the fight against the Islamic terrorists in Libya. What impressed the Russians was Haftars long-range plan for uniting Libya, holding elections and allowing the Libyan economy to thrive once more. Russia began providing military assistance, in the form of advisors and technicians to repair and restore a lot of Russian tanks, artillery and aircraft that were still intact but out of action because of a lack of repairs and new parts. Russia and Arab allies also helped Haftar with logistics.

Haftar forces were effective and loyal because Haftar took care of them and minimized friendly casualties. The Russian and Arab support enabled the LNA to pacify 90 percent of Libya and by early 2019 Haftar was closing in on Tripoli, where the UN-backed GNA was barely able to maintain order in Tripoli and two other eastern cities dominated by Islamic militias who openly feuded with each other and barely tolerated the GNA. By mid-2019 the LNA offensive was working its way towards taking Tripoli when Turkey showed up with an offer the GNA couldnt refuse; military intervention against the LNA. In return the GNA would sign a treaty with Turkey granting it somebody elses offshore oil rights. The GNAs UN patron did little more than protest as Turkey began moving in weapons and troops, especially 10,000 of its own Syrian Arab mercenaries, to halt the LNA advance. By February 2020 the LNA agreed to a ceasefire. This held and led to a peace deal in which the GNA and eastern HoR governments agreed to merge and carry out national elections. Part of the deal was Russia and Turkey withdrawing their troops. Russia began doing so but the Turks did not. The Russian force was much smaller (about 1,200 Wagner Group military contractors and Russian technicians for maintaining equipment as well as a larger force of Arab mercenaries) than the 12,000 Turkish troops and Arab mercenaries. Russia had another reason for pulling out most of its personnel; it could no longer afford it. That was the result of economic sanctions imposed after the 2014 Russian attack on Ukraine. In 2022 that escalated into a larger operation and Russia is now burdened with even heavier sanctions. This could lead to the departure of all Russian military personnel. The Turks are now the major obstacle to Libyan unity and elections. Russia also has forces in Syria, where it is an ally of Turkey.

The key issue is getting the Turks out of Libya but no one has the military capability to force the Turks out as long as the Turks refuse to leave. Bashagha, the new GNU leader, promises to use negotiation to get the Turks out. The Turkish forces are still concentrated in the west, around Tripoli and Misrata. In both these cities the militias violently feud with each other. This happens despite Turkish efforts to train militia members to be professional soldiers. The militiamen accepted the training and new weapons, but their first loyalty remained to their militia leaders, who often represented populations in the two cities.

After 2015 the LNA served as a successful counterterrorism force the destroyed or neutralized Islamic terrorists in the east and south and by 2019 was preparing to do the same with the feuding Islamic militias in Tripoli and Misrata.

Not all the troublesome militias were in the major cities. Some are from rural areas around oil production facilities and serve as PFGs (Petroleum Facilities Guards). General Haftar and his LNA tamed these PFGs via negotiation and in a few instances by force. Despite that, and the fact that jobs as PFGs are among the best paid and secure in the country, some PFG groups have internal political problems that occasionally result in a PFG threatening to shut down the facilities they guard unless they are paid more. Its still up to the LNA to settle these disputes with a minimum of violence or lost production. Most Libyans are aware of the rising cost of grain imports and that the national bank has exhausted most of its cash reserves. That means that any serious disruption of oil production will soon mean less access to food or cash for government payrolls, including the PFGs.

The PFGs have long been seen as a permanent source of corruption. PFGs are tribal militias hired (or bribed) by previous or post-2011 governments to keep oil fields, pipelines and port facilities secure. Soon after Kaddafi was deposed in 2011 many, if not most, PFGs went rogue, shut down the facilities they guarded and, in effect, tried to blackmail whoever was paying them to pay more. This was driven by tribal feuds over how oil revenue should be allocated. Libya has always been very corrupt and Kaddafi remained in power for decades by playing the tribes off on each other with oil income. Those who cooperated got more, those who caused trouble got less. With Kaddafi gone many tribes wanted payback for past real or imagined injustices. Many of the PFGs came to support the GNA but, as long as some of them continue to resist, oil income is crippled and the much-feared food crisis is no longer approaching, it is here. General Haftar and the HoR government have been successful negotiating with the PFGs and offering a better deal (larger share of oil income) and less corruption. Haftar has a reputation for being much less corrupt. PFGs often shut down oil fields and ports because GNA has not paid them. In these cases, GNA often delivered the cash but some or all of it was stolen by PFG leaders who denied they were stealing. The GNA has to collect and publicize enough evidence of the theft to convince other militias and tribal leaders that the corrupt PFG men must be replaced. This is difficult to do and meanwhile PFGs are constantly demanding adequate compensation before they will allow oil to be pumped, moved via a pipeline to the export facilities or loaded on tankers. The details of how much adequate compensation any PFG is paid is usually kept secret because in Libya the feeling is that no one group is getting their fair share of the oil wealth that has kept the country functioning since the 1970s. Without the cash provided by oil exports Libya could not import enough food and other essentials to keep the population alive. PFGs are acutely aware that if they lose control of the facilities they protect they lose their jobs so they are extremely defensive and paranoid. The overall problem is that PFG compensation has little relationship to how dangerous the work is but rather is more a matter of tribal politics. It has taken several years for tribes in areas where there are oil facilities to realize that if they do not cooperate everyone will suffer, which is what has been happening and is getting worse.

Libyans are exhausted and frustrated, but not so much that they will unite, or fight.

July 7, 2022: Persistent and increasing anti-government protests in all urban areas (not just Tripoli and a few other large cities) has put all Libyan leaders under pressure to compromise, hold national elections and address the self-inflicted economic problems that are impoverishing all Libyans. There is also an embarrassment factor, with both Turks and Arab nations seeing the deadlock as confirmation that Libya cannot maintain its existence as an independent state. Regional and tribal divisions have always been stronger in Libya than in neighboring states like Algeria, Egypt and Sudan. These neighbors have maintained their national unity for centuries with Egypt being one the oldest nation-states in the world. The implication is that Libya is worse than a failed state, it was never really a unified state at all. Over half a century of oil wealth created a unique incentive to unite under a monarchy, then a more durable dictatorship that eventually failed in 2011. If the stubborn factions dont unite, Libya as a unified state will disappear and more traditional and ancient regions and city-states will return, each with a portion of the oil wealth and unable to prevent neighbors from annexing neighboring portions of what used to be Libya that are worth having because of the oil and natural gas. Egypt has been planning for something like this since the oil and natural gas were discovered. Now the opportunities for annexation have never been better.

July 1, 2022: In the east (Tobruk) an angry crowd set fire to the parliament building, causing considerable damage. This angry demonstration was but one of several breaking out in all Libyan cities with a major presence of GNA or HoR facilities. There has always been more of this violence in Tripoli but now there is a lot more of it because the electrical power is on only six hours a day, if that. Libya imports all its food and the war in Ukraine has disrupted grain exports by Russia and Ukraine, which account for about 30 percent of such exports worldwide. The government deadlock has disrupted a lot of other necessities, like meeting the payroll.

June 27, 2022: Turkey still maintains several thousand Syrian Arab mercenaries in Syria. These cost the Turks about $5 million a month for pay, supplies and transportation back to Syria when their term of service is completed or for a vacation in the middle of their tour. There are also a few hundred Turks, most of them military personnel to supervise operations. The Turks are dealing with low morale because the Syrians are not returning to Syria on time, or at all for the 30-day vacations. This has caused more mercs to simply desert and cross the border into Algeria where they can contact family in Syria or elsewhere and arrange passage back to Syria and somewhere that the Turks have no control over.

The Russia presence is much (about 80 percent less) smaller and the Russians are having a harder time paying for it. The Arab mercs get from $800 to $2,000 a month depending on rank and experience. Its less dangerous than working for the Turks in Syria but is far from home and among fellow-Arabs who see them as traitors to the Arab cause because they serve the Turkish oppressor of most Arabs before the Ottoman Empire fell a century ago.

June 22, 2022: In Tripoli there was another violent clash between rival militias that left one militiaman and a civilian bystander dead. These clashes in the capital are the main source of casualties during periods of relative peace in the rest of Libya. GNA efforts to use some of its new, Turkish trained or advised military units to deal with this violence failed when the military units took sides and fought each other. There has been increased militia violence in and around Tripoli since mid-2018 that the GNA was unable to deal with. There was a truce of sorts when the LNA began its offensive to take Tripoli in early 2019. The LNA almost succeeded but the Turks arrived at the end of 2019 and forced the LNA to back off. By mid-2020 the Tripoli militias felt safe enough to resume fighting each other.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 8, 2022 / Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd. ("Naturally Splendid", "NSE" or "the Company") (FRANKFURT:50N)(TSXV:NSP)(OTC PINK:NSPDF) announces its unaudited financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022. All amounts are in Canadian dollars and are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

During this reporting period, Covid-19 uncertainty negatively affected sales of existing product lines as well as impaired launches of new product lines. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") a global pandemic resulting in governments worldwide, including the Canadian government, enacting extensive measures in an effort to limit the spread of the virus. These measures, which include social distancing, travel restrictions, outright travel bans, and closures of non-essential businesses including restaurants, created a challenging period for the Company.

Naturally Splendid CFO Mr. George Ragogna stated "We are continuing to implement our strategic plan focused on plant-based opportunities. The Company is evolving the manufacturing capabilities and capacities of our existing certified food manufacturing facility as our product mix shifts to more plant-based entrees and appetizers from bars and bites. We have shifted our product mix due in large part to the ten (10) year Canadian exclusive manufacturing and distribution agreement that we executed with Australia's largest plant-based manufacturer, Flexitarian Foods. This agreement is renewable for a further ten (10) years. Naturally Splendid has also secured licensing rights from Flexitarian Foods for the exclusive use of the PlanteinTM trademark in Canada. With the PlanteinTM trademark now secured, we have completed all retail packaging and websites to support this brand. The Company has attended several trade shows recently to promote the launch of the PlanteinTM retail line and national distribution relationships have been formed with Canada's two largest distributors, Sysco Canada and Gordon Food Services (GFS)."

Mr. Ragogna adds, "The Company has completed the design and begun the re-purposing of our existing certified food manufacturing facility in Pitt Meadows, BC. All manufacturing equipment required to produce our plant-based entrees has been ordered with many significant components of the manufacturing line having already arrived at the Pitt Meadows facility. However, there have been delays in receiving some components required to complete the full build-out of the new production lines due to ongoing logistics challenges that much of the manufacturing industry continues to experience. We will continue to receive our plant-based inventories from Flexitarian Foods while the manufacturing lines are still being set up in our own facility. Once the new manufacturing lines in our facility are commissioned, the Company will see an almost immediate return by way of reducing product costs, and improved inventory control, resulting in an anticipated increase in margins. We look forward to providing updates in a timely manner." Naturally Splendid recorded a net loss and comprehensive loss of $747,787 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to a net loss of $767,478 during the three months ended March 31, 2021. Gross profit margins increased by 29% of sales in the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021, this is due to the increased profit margins in the new plant-based sales. The Company's sales decreased by approximately $160,000 from the comparative period. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2022, selling and distribution expenses decreased by approximately $35,000 largely due to a decrease in production (facility costs, quality assurance and lab testing).

Administrative expenses increased in 2022 compared to 2021 by $22,000. The increase was primarily due to an increase in office, rent and salaries and management and consulting and decreases were primarily due to bank charges and interest. Office rent and salaries reflect the cost of the production, warehouse, office and outside freezer storage premises, and corporate salaries, the increase was due to some employee severances and an increase in freezer storage, otherwise, the office, rent and salaries remained consistent. Management and consulting fees increased due to new consultants for the new plant-based product line.

Naturally Splendid recorded sales of $93,453 during the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $144,143 for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The Company's sales decreased by approximately $50,690 from the comparative period. During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company's sales decreased by approximately $160,000 from the comparative period. The Company had decreased sales in its private-label bars and bites business by approximately $71,000. Branded hemp products decreased by approximately $2,500 and its Natera Sport products decreased by approximately $101,000. The Company had sales of approximately $50,000 in its new Plant-based products. This is in line with the Company shifting its focus on the new plant-based entrees for contract manufacturing, private label and branded products and will continue to sell to the international Korean markets.

The cost of Sales during the three months ended March 31, 2022, was $54,463 compared to $221,587 in 2021. The Company's gross margin percentage is 41.7% of sales, during the three months ended March 3, 2022.

The Company continues to focus on its higher-margin products and new commercial opportunities for its new plant-based products. The bulk hemp seeds sold at a lower gross margin percentage than compared to plant-based products and private label sales. The Company is now focused. Gross profits for the three months ended March 31, 2022, were $38,990 (42% of sales) compared to $31,791 (13% of sales) for the three months ended March 31, 2021.



For the Three

Months Ended

March 31, 2022 For the Three

Months Ended

March 31, 2021

$ $ Statements of Loss Data Revenue 93,453 253,378 Cost of sales (54,463 ) (221,587 ) Gross Profit 38,990 31,791 Selling and distribution expenses (105,246 ) (140,166 ) Administrative expenses (681,531 ) (659,103 ) Net income (loss) (747,892 ) (743,636 ) Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share (0.00) (0.00)

About Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd.

Founded in 2010, NSE operates a food manufacturing facility just outside Vancouver, BC in Canada. The Company has established numerous healthy, functional foods under recognized brands such as Natera Sport", Natera Hemp Foods, CHII, Elevate Me" and Woods Wild Bar", and most recently Natera Plant Based Foods, a line of delicious plant-based meat alternatives for the rapidly growing plant-based market segment. The Company has a myriad of new products and line extensions under development that are approaching launch. NSE, through its joint venture Plasm Pharmaceutical, has been approved for conducting a phase 2 clinical trial approved by Health Canada for treatment of COVID-19. NSE has also developed proprietary technologies for the extraction of high-demand, healthy omega 3 and 6 oils from hemp.

NSE contract manufacturers for healthy, functional food products and ingredients focusing on plant-based ingredients. The Company provides contract manufacturing services for many healthy food companies, private labeling a wide variety of nutritional food products destined for global healthy food markets.

For more information e-mail [email protected] or call Investor Relations at 604-5700902 (ext. 101)

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Mr. J. Craig Goodwin

CEO, Director

Contact Information

Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd.

(NSP - TSX Venture; NSPDF - OTCQB; 50N - Frankfurt)

#108-19100 Airport Way

Pitt Meadows, BC, V3Y 0E2

Office: (604) 570-0902

Fax: (604) 465-1128

E-mail : [email protected]

Website: www.naturallysplendid.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Naturally Splendid cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Naturally Splendid's control including, Naturally Splendid's ability to compete with large food and beverage companies; sales of any potential products developed will be profitable; sales of shelled hemp seed will continue at existing rates or increase; the ability to complete the sales of all bulk hemp seed purchase orders; and the risk that any of the potential applications may not receive all required regulatory or legal approval. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Naturally Splendid undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

SOURCE: Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd.

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SASKATOON, Saskatchewan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cameco (TSX: CCO; NYSE: CCJ) released its 2021 Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Report today. The report illustrates Camecos integration of ESG principles and practices in its overall strategy and day-to-day operations, including 2021 performance metrics and feature stories highlighting the companys ESG commitments and targets.

In this report, Cameco has incorporated the relevant ESG performance indicators issued by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and continued its progress toward integrating the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). The report can be downloaded or read online at www.cameco.com/esg.

This is Camecos 17th annual report on our sustainability performance, recapping a year in which the volatility of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to frustrate society and strain the economy, said Cameco president and CEO Tim Gitzel. Despite the challenges 2021 presented, Cameco once again proved our resilience. We kept our focus on ensuring the safety of our workers, collaborating with our partner communities, advancing innovation, developing our people, and contributing to global decarbonization efforts. Were proud of our ESG performance for the year, which demonstrated our commitment to continuous improvement and added value for our shareholders.

The 2021 ESG Report includes several notable highlights for Cameco:

Through the dedication and diligence of our workforce, we recorded the best safety performance in our companys history in 2021 (as measured by the Total Recordable Injury Rate), achieving a record performance for the fifth year in a row.

Cameco remained one of Canadas largest employers of Indigenous people and a leading supporter of Indigenous business, purchasing 82% of the services used at our operations in northern Saskatchewan from local companies and suppliers.

We established an inclusion and diversity committee with representation from each of Camecos Canadian workplace locations to bolster our efforts in these areas. All new employees with our company received respectful workplace and unconscious bias training in 2021.

About 200 individuals enrolled in 15 training courses that we offered free of charge to Residents of Saskatchewans North to enhance employability and build capacity in areas such as digital readiness, knowledge of the mining industry and understanding of Camecos operations.

We implemented a northern Saskatchewan Indigenous apprenticeship program for instrumentation technologists in 2021. Five individuals from this program are now working with Cameco, three of them (60%) being women.

Cameco ranked in the top 10% (18th out of 222 companies) in the Globe and Mails Board Games 2021 evaluation of TSX-listed corporations, based on a wide-ranging set of governance criteria.

Cameco established a multi-departmental climate transition working group in 2021 to intensify our analysis of opportunities and risks, focused on the identification of initiatives aimed at achieving incremental and transformative energy and GHG reduction, evaluating climate-related physical risks to our northern Saskatchewan operations, and conducting a TCFD gap analysis.

More than 90% of Cameco employees participated in virtual, interactive culture workshops in 2021, discussing topics such as safety, diversity, corporate citizenship and building our companys future.

Camecos stakeholders expect us to be good corporate citizens and to manage the company for long-term sustainability, Gitzel said. Our ESG reports enable our partner communities, workers, investors, customers, governments and others to see Camecos objectives in action and gauge our performance for themselves.

Camecos board of directors and executive team oversee the companys ESG strategy, execution and reporting. With the inclusion of a third-party limited assurance on a number of performance indicators, todays release continues the evolution in Camecos ESG reporting. In addition to SASB and TCFD, the report contains other key ESG performance indicators that we believe have an important bearing on Camecos long-term sustainability, some of which are unique to our company and some of which are based on the GRI Standards framework that we used as the basis of our sustainability reporting prior to 2020.

Profile

Cameco is one of the largest global providers of the uranium fuel needed to energize a clean-air world. Our competitive position is based on our controlling ownership of the worlds largest high-grade reserves and low-cost operations. Utilities around the world rely on our nuclear fuel products to generate power in safe, reliable, carbon-free nuclear reactors. Our shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Our head office is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This news release includes statements considered to be forward-looking information or forward-looking statements under Canadian and U.S. securities laws (which we refer to as forward-looking information), including: our views on the transition to a low-carbon economy, the demand for clean electricity, and the role of nuclear energy; our expectations regarding Camecos role in combatting climate change; our target of reducing Camecos GHG footprint and ambition of reaching net-zero emissions; our key ESG goals; and our expectation that we will continue to progress in addressing TCFD recommendations. This forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions, including assumptions regarding: carbon emission reduction, the demand for clean energy and the contribution that could be made by nuclear energy to reduce climate change; our assumption that our GHG footprint reduction targets can be achieved; and our ability to advance our ESG goals and address TCFD recommendations. This information is subject to a number of risks, including: the risk that carbon reduction goals may not be achieved within the expected timeframe, if at all; the risk that the demand for clean electricity will not meet the level we expect, or that nuclear energy will not make the contribution to carbon reduction that we expect; the risk that we may not be successful in achieving our GHG footprint reduction and carbon emission goals; the risk that our estimates and forecasts and the data underlying them may be inaccurate; and the risk that we will face unexpected challenges or delays in advancing our ESG goals or addressing TCFD recommendations. Additional assumptions and risks are detailed in the Caution About Forward-Looking Information in our ESG Report. The forward-looking information in this news release represents our current views, and actual results may differ significantly. Forward-looking information is designed to help you understand our current views, and may not be appropriate for other purposes. We will not necessarily update this information unless we are required to by securities laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220707005727/en/

Investor inquiries:

Rachelle Girard

306-956-6403

[email protected]

Media inquiries:

Jeff Hryhoriw

306-385-5221

[email protected]

Source: Cameco
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- FB Financial Corporation (FB Financial or the Company) (NYSE: FBK) announced today that it will release its 2022 second quarter results of operations on Monday, July 18, 2022, after the close of market trading. The Company will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Central Time on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, to discuss its second quarter results of operations. For investors or analysts who want to attend the call, the dial-in number is 877-883-0383, confirmation code 2771231. A telephonic replay will be available approximately two hours after the call through July 26, 2022, by dialing 877-344-7529 and entering confirmation code 6433151.

A live online broadcast of FB Financials conference call will also begin at 8:00 a.m. Central Time, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, at FBK 2Q22 Webcast. An online replay will be available on the Companys website approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call and will remain available for 12 months.

About FB Financial Corporation

FB Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK) is a financial holding company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. FB Financial Corporation operates through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, FirstBank, the third largest Tennessee-headquartered community bank, with 81 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and North Georgia, and mortgage offices across the Southeast. FirstBank has approximately $12.7 billion in total assets.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005069/en/

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jeanie M. Rittenberry

615-313-8328

[email protected]

www.firstbankonline.com

FINANCIAL CONTACT:

Robert Hoehn

615-564-1212

[email protected]

[email protected]

Source: FB Financial Corporation
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of the Audience Management and Fulfillment Business of its client, KVK Worldwide LLC (dba TriMax Direct) to Stamats Communications, Inc. The transaction closed April 1, 2022.

Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, TriMax Direct (TriMax) founded in 2001, is an outsourced data, research, and marketing agency. The Company helps clients understand and build their customer and prospect databases by providing quality data management and analytics. The Company helps its clients find, understand, and build their customer base -- by providing list brokerage, research, and marketing solutions. That means they help reach the right person, with the right message, at the right time. TriMax generates revenue from a wide range of industries, including Higher Education, Trade Magazine Publishers, Health and Fitness, and variety of other end markets.

Stamats Communications (Stamats) located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, creates business value by building strong and enduring relationships between companies and their customers. The company is a full-service digital marketing and branding agency providing a wide range of services including: Customized research, brand strategy, website development, social media services, digital strategy, content management, audience management, and planning & paid media. Services are designed and customized to meet every clients individual needs.

Generational Equity Executive Managing Director of M&A  Central Region, Michael Goss, and his team led by Senior M&A Advisor, Stephen Dinehart, with the support of Vice President, M&A, Jacob Mangalath successfully closed the transaction. Senior Managing Director, Thomas Hamm established the initial relationship with TriMax.

TriMax was seeking a great firm to service its audience management and fulfillment customers, they found it in Stamats, said Dinehart.

About Generational Equity

Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), Generational Wealth Advisors, Generational Consulting Group, and DealForce are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America.

With more than 300 professionals located throughout 16 offices in North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing growth consulting, merger, acquisition, and wealth management services. Their six-step approach features strategic and tactical growth consulting, exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, M&A transactional services, and wealth management.

The M&A Advisor named the company Investment Banking Firm of the Year three years in a row, Valuation Firm of the Year in 2020, and North American Investment Bank of the Year in 2022. For more information, visit https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005051/en/

Carl Doerksen

972-342-0968

[email protected]

Source: Generational Equity
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- KBRA releases its solar loan index publication, providing monthly credit trends of securitized residential solar loans.

Click here to view the report.

About KBRA

KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered in the U.S., the EU, and the UK, and is designated to provide structured finance ratings in Canada. KBRAs ratings can be used by investors for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005402/en/

Brian Ford, CFA, Managing Director

Structured Finance Research

+1 (646) 731-2329

[email protected]

Business Development Contact

Ted Burbage, Managing Director

+1 (646) 731-3325

[email protected]

Source: KBRA
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LTC Properties, Inc. (NYSE: LTC) will release second quarter earnings on Thursday, July 28, 2022 after market close.

LTC will conduct a conference call on Friday, July 29, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. Pacific / 11:00 a.m. Eastern, to provide commentary on the performance and operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.

Conference Call

Interested parties may access the live conference call via the following:

Webcast www.LTCReit.com USA Toll-Free Number 1-844-200-6205 Canada Toll-Free Number 1-833-950-0062 Conference Access Code 898490

Conference Call Replay

A replay of the call will be available one hour after the live call and through August 12, 2022.

USA Toll-Free Number 1-866-813-9403 Canada Local Number 1-226-828-7578 Conference Access Code 214260

An audio replay of the conference call and the Companys earnings release and supplemental information package for the current period will be available on the Companys website at: https://ir.ltcreit.com/Investors.

About LTC Properties

LTC is a real estate investment trust (REIT) investing in seniors housing and health care properties primarily through sale-leasebacks, mortgage financing, joint-ventures and structured finance solutions, including preferred equity and mezzanine lending. LTCs investment portfolio includes 202 properties in 29 states with 33 operating partners consisting of real property investments, first mortgages, mezzanine loans, working capital notes and unconsolidated joint ventures. Based on its gross investments, LTCs investment portfolio is comprised of approximately 50% seniors housing and 50% skilled nursing properties. Learn more at www.LTCreit.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that are not purely historical and are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding the Companys expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. All statements other than historical facts contained in this press release are forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Please see LTCs most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and its other publicly available filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. All forward looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update such forward looking statements. Although the Companys management believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The actual results achieved by the Company may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties of such statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005007/en/

Mandi Hogan

(303) 913-4721

Source: LTC Properties, Inc.
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., the worlds leading provider of corporate governance and responsible investment solutions and independent proxy advisor, recommends Canagold shareholders vote FOR change on Sun Valleys BLUE proxy card

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sunvalley Company DMCC (Sun Valley), a strategic and long-term focused investor owning 17.6% of Canagold Resources Ltd (TSX: CCM) (Canagold or the Company), releases the following statement from Vikram Sodhi, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Sun Valley:

Bradford Cooke and the board of directors of Canagold (the Board) are at it again. Another day, another missive of excuses for Mr. Cookes inability or unwillingness to comply with basic securities laws and a plummeting share price.

The members of this Board are either too arrogant to admit they have made mistakes or simply do not care about your failing investment. (And why would they, the independent directors lumped together only own 1.17% of the Company.)

Since their excuses havent changed and shareholders are still left without answers, it is important to remind you of the facts and once again ask the Board to provide legitimate answers.

Had Sun Valley not taken up this campaign for change, the following would never have come to light:

If you invested $100 in Canagold when it was listed on TSX, you would have less than $2 today .



At the same time as there has been a 98% in value destruction, Mr. Cooke was rewarded with over $2.6 million in cash .



Directors have given themselves a 1,127% increase in the value of directors fees last year . Now, they are looking to reload their stock option plan and dilute shareholders by 20%.



In the recommendation given by Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), among other negative points, ISS states the proposed plan as having Excessive Plan Cost, Excessive Dilution and Excessive Burn Rate.



Mr. Cooke sold shares ahead of the press release announcing a major private placement, then bought shares at a deeply discounted price, reducing his cost by $123,000. In late 2020, he obtained shares representing approximately 3.5% of the Company at prices up to a 40% discount to market at the time closing, most of this purchase he only filed on SEDI last month.



It is not at all clear where he got these shares from and he is giving no explanation to shareholders.



And this is but one example of his highly unusual trading and poor governance.



There is no credible rationale for why New Polaris has not advanced in 28 years. Management excuse is that the ore is refractory and therefore the project couldnt advance until they discovered BIOX. But while Canagold management did nothing, approximately 20 other projects built processing plants for refractory ore, most of them using BIOX. ISS point this out:



it seems inappropriate to write off the majority of the company's history, the decline in share value as a result of multiple decades of financings, and the speed at which it has been able to advance its core asset as being due to a case [of] technology needing to catch up to asset complexity



Then ISS points out what we have been saying and trying to achieve:



a board comprised of the three dissident nominees could deliver shareholder value by completing an appropriately sized capital raise, a feasibility study, and advancing the permitting process of New Polaris so that a mine may be built  things that have not occurred under the stewardship of the current board during the company's entire existence.



The dissident slate, and strategic plan by extension, introduce a credible potential financing option to fund a feasibility study, a proposed timetable that can serve to enhance the accountability of the board and management

Sick of the arrogance of Mr. Cooke and the current Board and the notion that the rules should not apply to them and that your invested money is theirs?

We are too.

Its time for a change.

Do what ISS, the world's leading provider of corporate governance and responsible investment solutions and independent proxy advisor recommends  vote ONLY on the BLUE proxy form. Many of your fellow shareholders have already voted their BLUE proxy. Click here to add your vote to the growing list of shareholders who are sick of seeing their investment go down the drain and want a new accountable Board.

Vikram Sodhi, Sun Valley

17.6% Shareholder

PS  Shareholders have asked why the Board has zeroed in on our one office in Dubai and me personally. We wonder too. If you want the real facts call 1-888-213-0093.

DO NOT WAIT: VOTE THE BLUE PROXY NOW

Time is running out. Only your vote can save your investment. Shareholders are encouraged to vote only the BLUE proxy FOR all three of Sun Valleys highly-experienced, independent nominees  Dr. Carmen Letton, Ms. Sofia Bianchi and Mr. Andrew Trow.

Dont wait, voting is fast and easy. Please vote well in advance of the proxy voting deadline of Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. ET. If you have questions or need help voting, contact Kingsdale Advisors at 1-888-213-0093 or at [email protected].

Advisors

Kingsdale Advisors is acting as strategic shareholder and communications advisor to Sun Valley. McMillan LLP, Wildeboer Dellelce LLP and Crawley Mackewn Brush LLP are acting as legal counsel to Sun Valley.

About Sun Valley

Sun Valley is a private equity firm focussed on the precious metals industry with portfolio companies and branch offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Sun Valley seeks to invest in sustainable development projects and operations with growth potential, low cash costs of production, or the operating flexibility to insulate against volatility in the commodity markets.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In general, forward-looking information refers to disclosure about future conditions, courses of action, and events. All statements contained in this press release that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are forward-looking, and the use of any of the words anticipates, believes, expects, intends, plans, will, would, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of Sun Valley and currently available information. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Sun Valley undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

Disclaimer

The information contained or referenced herein is for information purposes only in order to provide the views of Sun Valley and the matters which Sun Valley believes to be of concern to shareholders described herein. The information is not tailored to specific investment objectives, the financial situations, suitability, or particular need of any specific person(s) who may receive the information, and should not be taken as advice in considering the merits of any investment decision. The views expressed herein represent the views and opinions of Sun Valley, whose opinions may change at any time and which are based on analyses of Sun Valley and its advisors.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220708005270/en/

Sun Valley:

Daniel Henao

Partner / VP Business Development

Phone: 6042607046

Email: [email protected]

Kingsdale Advisors:

Tom Graham

Executive Vice President, Western Canada

Direct: 587-330-1924

Email: [email protected]

Media:

Hyunjoo Kim

Vice President, Strategic Communications and Marketing

Direct: 416-867-2357

Email: [email protected]

Source: Sunvalley Company DMCC
FILE PHOTO: The Airbus logo pictured at the company's headquarters in Blagnac near Toulouse, France, March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo

By Tim Hepher

PARIS (Reuters) -Europe's Airbus posted flat first-half deliveries on Friday as it struggles to convert rising production plans into handovers to airlines amid tight global supply chains.

The world's largest planemaker said it delivered 60 commercial airplanes in June, bringing the total for the year so far to 297, unchanged from the halfway point last year.

"Airbus appears impacted by some production constraints," said Jefferies analyst Chloe Lemarie, who had earlier predicted the 21% year-on-year drop in June deliveries to 60 airplanes.

Airbus needs to boost second-half deliveries by 35% to reach its full-year target of 720 units, she said in an investor note.

Airbus posted an adjusted net total of 295 first-half deliveries after deducting two jets originally destined for Russia's Aeroflot that it had booked last year.

On the demand side, Airbus reported 442 orders, or a net total of 259 after cancellations in the first half, up sharply from 38 net orders at the same point last year.

That included seven A350 Freighters to at least one undisclosed buyer. Airbus also booked a recently announced major order for 52 jets to Australia's Qantas, including 12 wide-bodies amid signs of a pickup in demand for large models.

Delta Air Lines topped up a fleet of A330neo jets with one extra order. The U.S. major is widely expected to announce an order for some 100 Boeing 737 MAX 10 in coming days, following talks first reported by Reuters.

Airbus confirmed that it had cancelled an order for an undelivered A350 for Qatar Airways, bringing the total number of A350 orders revoked as part of a legal dispute with the airline to four.

A fifth jet is expected to be cancelled later this month.

Airbus also reported two A350 cancellations from one or more airlines whose names have not been disclosed.

Abu Dhabi's Etihad cancelled orders for six A321neos, according to a breakdown of outstanding business.

Boeing is expected to issue first-half data on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Jan Harvey and Leslie Adler)
CBIZ, Inc. (NYSE: CBZ) ("the Company"), a leading provider of financial, insurance and advisory services, announced today that it has acquired Stinnett & Associates ("Stinnett") of Tulsa, Oklahoma, effective July 1, 2022.

Founded by Melinda Stinnett in 2001, Stinnett is a professional advisory firm and certified Women's Business Enterprise providing internal audit, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, cybersecurity reviews, business continuity and disaster recovery, and fraud investigations to businesses of all sizes including Fortune 1000 organizations in a variety of industries.

With offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Denver, Stinnett has 90 employees and approximately $16.4 million in annual revenue.

Jerry Grisko, President and CEO of CBIZ, stated, "In alignment with our long-term growth strategy, we continue to expand and strengthen our advisory services through the acquisition of best in class firms that bring deep expertise, valuable talent and diverse clients to CBIZ. Our acquisition of Stinnett & Associates, a leading provider of in-demand advisory services including cybersecurity and SOX compliance, will enable us to better serve our combined clients and create new opportunities to accelerate growth. In Stinnett, we found a partner with a strong commitment to client service and a values-based culture that aligns closely with our own. We are excited to welcome Melinda and the entire Stinnett team to CBIZ."

Melinda Stinnett, Managing Director of Stinnett, stated, "We have spent the past 21 years building an exceptional professional advisory services firm with a strong focus on our people, our clients, and the communities in which we work and live. We are excited to join CBIZ which we know shares that same passion. We look forward to expanding the solutions we can deliver to our clients as well as the growth and development opportunities available to our team members."

About CBIZ

CBIZ, Inc. is a leading provider of financial, insurance and advisory services to businesses throughout the United States. Financial services include accounting, tax, government health care consulting, transaction advisory, risk advisory, and valuation services. Insurance services include employee benefits consulting, retirement plan consulting, property and casualty insurance, payroll, and human capital consulting. With more than 100 Company offices in 32 states, CBIZ is one of the largest accounting and insurance brokerage providers in the U.S. For more information, visit www.cbiz.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that the anticipated benefits and perceived advantages of the acquisition may not be achieved; the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business and operations and those of our clients; the Company's ability to adequately manage and sustain its growth; the Company's dependence on the current trend of outsourcing business services; the Company's dependence on the services of its CEO and other key employees; competitive pricing pressures; general business and economic conditions; and changes in governmental regulation and tax laws affecting the Company's insurance business or its business services operations. A more detailed description of such risks and uncertainties may be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cbiz-acquires-stinnett--associates-professional-advisory-firm-with-offices-in-oklahoma-texas-and-colorado-301583023.html

SOURCE CBIZ, Inc.
(Reuters) -Cryptocurrency exchange Blockchain.com could lose $270 million on its loans to bankrupt crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), a source with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

The development comes days after 3AC filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy, seeking protection from creditors in the United States after one of the most high-profile blow-ups of the crypto crash this year.

"Three Arrows is rapidly becoming insolvent and the default impact is approximately $270 million worth of cryptocurrency and U.S. dollar loans from Blockchain.com," Blockchain.com's Chief Executive Officer Peter Smith said in a letter to shareholders, according to a company spokesperson.

The news was first reported by CoinDesk.

Earlier this week, digital asset exchange Genesis Trading also said it had been exposed to 3AC, but had mitigated its losses after the hedge fund failed to meet a margin call.

Aggressive rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve and recession fears have led to a turmoil in equities and sparked a selloff in cryptocurrencies. The crypto winter has hit several companies in the sector including lending platform Celsius Network and Voyager Digital.

(Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru and Krystal Hu in New York; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
By Satoshi Sugiyama and Chang-Ran Kim

NARA, Japan (Reuters) -Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader of modern Japan, was gunned down on Friday while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country where guns are tightly controlled and political violence almost unthinkable.

Abe, 67, was pronounced dead around five and a half hours after the shooting in the city of Nara. Police arrested a 41-year-old man and said the weapon was a homemade gun.

"I am simply speechless over the news of Abe's death," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Abe's protege, told reporters.

Earlier, as Abe still lay in hospital where doctors tried to revive him, Kishida struggled to keep his emotions in check.

"This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections - the very foundation of our democracy - and is absolutely unforgivable," he said.

Abe had been making a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out. Security officials were then seen tackling a man in a grey T-shirt and beige trousers.

"There was a loud bang and then smoke," businessman Makoto Ichikawa, who was at the scene, told Reuters. "The first shot, no one knew what was going on, but after the second shot, what looked like special police tackled him."

Kyodo news service published a photograph of Abe lying face-up on the street by a guardrail, blood on his white shirt. People were crowded around him, one administering heart massage.

Abe was taken to hospital in cardiopulmonary arrest and showing no vital signs. He was declared dead at 5:03 p.m. (0803 GMT), having bled to death from deep wounds to the heart and the right side of his neck.

He had received more than 100 units of blood in transfusions over four hours, Hidetada Fukushima, the professor in charge of emergency medicine at Nara Medical University Hospital, told a televised news conference.

Police said the gunman had admitted to shooting Abe with a handmade firearm he had fashioned out of metal and wood.

Media reported his name as Tetsuya Yamagami. Police said he was a Nara resident who worked at Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Forces for three years but now appeared to be unemployed. They were investigating whether he had acted alone.

Investigators found "several" other handmade guns at his one-room flat in Nara city, police added.

The suspect said he bore a grudge against a "specific organisation" and believed Abe was part of it, and that his grudge was not about politics, the police said, adding it was not clear if the unnamed organisation actually existed.

FLOWERS LAID

Members of the public laid flowers near the spot where Abe fell. TV Asahi reported that Abe's body would be transferred to his Tokyo home on Saturday.

It was the first killing of a sitting or former Japanese leader since a 1936 coup attempt, when several figures including two ex-premiers were assassinated.

Post-war Japan prides itself on its orderly and open democracy. Senior Japanese politicians are accompanied by armed security agents but often get close to the public, especially during political campaigns when they make roadside speeches and shake hands with passersby.

In 2007, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword. A few other prominent politicians have been attacked but not injured.

Two years since stepping down, Abe had remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), controlling one of its major factions.

Kishida, who won the premiership with Abe's backing, said the LDP would continue election campaigning on Saturday to demonstrate its resolve to "never give in to violence", and to defend a "free and fair election at all cost".

'STUNNED, OUTRAGED'

"I am stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the news that my friend Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement.

"This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him... He was a champion of the alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people."

The United States is Japan's most important ally.

Similar messages of sympathy and shock poured in from around the world following news of Abe's death, including from neighbouring Taiwan, China and Russia, as well as from across Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The yen rose and Japan's Nikkei index fell on news of the shooting, partially driven by a knee-jerk flight to safety.

Abe is best known for his Abenomics policy of aggressive monetary easing and fiscal spending.

He also bolstered defence spending after years of declines and expanded the militarys ability to project power abroad.

In a historic shift in 2014, his government reinterpreted the postwar, pacifist constitution to allow troops to fight overseas for the first time since World War Two.

The following year, legislation ended a ban on exercising the right of collective self-defence, or defending a friendly country under attack.

Abe, however, never achieved his goal of revising the U.S.-drafted constitution by writing the Self-Defense Forces, as Japans military is known, into the pacifist Article 9.

Abe hailed from a wealthy political family that included a foreign minister father and a grandfather who served as premier.

He first took office in 2006 as Japans youngest prime minister since World War Two. After a year plagued by political scandals and an election drubbing, Abe quit citing ill health.

He became prime minister again in 2012, winning three election landslides in a row before stepping down in 2020, again citing his health.

(Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama in Nara, Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Robert Birsel and Hugh Lawson; Editing by William Mallard and Peter Graff)
COLUMBIA, S.C., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allen University welcomes Dr. Lisa Long, as the new Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Most recently, she served as acting president at Talladega College in Alabama, as well as its chief academic officer. Dr. Long is a proven leader with a distinguished educational career and background.

In addition to her academic leadership, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in human resources, strategic planning, marketing, and budget development. Her involvement and expertise in accreditation led to her election to the Commission/Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges.

Dr. Longs accomplishments at Talladega included the launch of its first graduate program, an M.A., in History, recruiting and maintaining a strong faculty, and cultivation of the largest single donation ever received of $2.5 million. Her rise at the institution was progressive, having successful posts as department chair, dean, provost, and ultimately acting president.

Dr. Longs experience, talent, collaborative style of engaging, active listening, and abiding respect for shared governance made her the perfect addition to the leadership team at Allen, said President Ernest McNealey.

Contact:Tiana ScarlettDirector of Marketing and Communications[email protected](803) 605-7524 (c) (803) 376-5717 (w)

Allen University is a private Historically Black College/University (HBCU), and a leading liberal arts institution dedicated to shaping scholars into innovative thinkers, impactful workers, and community change agents. Located in Columbia, SC, Allen University is the only HBCU in the state a seminary, universal e-books, and an all Apple technology environment.

Dr. Lisa Long, new Vice President of Academic Affairs at Allen University Dr. Lisa Long, new Vice President of Academic Affairs at Allen University

Source: Allen University
Washington, DC, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Washington, D.C.) The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (Commission) opened a proceeding (Formal Case No. 1172) to identify available funding sources for Pepco and the Washington Gas Light Company (WGL) under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). The U.S. Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to invest billions of dollars in federal funds for local initiatives that support grid resiliency and reliability, electric generation and transmission, access to clean water, improved cybersecurity, and strategic deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is essential to enhancing the reliability and resilience of the Districts electric and natural gas distribution system. The federal funding will help minimize the burden on ratepayers as the District utilities pursue federal grant funds for infrastructure projects, stated Commission Chairman Emile C. Thompson.

To ensure transparency as Pepco and WGL pursue federal grant funds provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Commission has directed Pepco and WGL to file monthly reports with the Commission beginning August 31, 2022, on applications submitted for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds and establish a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Regulatory Asset to track Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-related costs. These actions will help the District achieve its clean energy commitments.

Interested persons can file written comments in Formal Case No. 1172 identifying programs funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Pepco and WGL can pursue.

Kellie Didigu Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia 2026265124 [email protected]

Source: Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia
DENVER, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NBHC) expects to report its second quarter financial results after the markets close on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Management will host a conference call to review the results at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Interested parties may listen to this call by dialing (800) 207-0148 using the participant passcode of 656517 and asking for the NBHC Q2 2022 Earnings Call. A telephonic replay of the call will be available beginning approximately four hours after the calls completion through July 25, 2022, by dialing (888) 203-1112 using the confirmation code of 8588483. The earnings release and an on-line replay of the call will also be available on the Companys website at www.nationalbankholdings.com by visiting the investor relations area.

About National Bank Holdings Corporation

National Bank Holdings Corporation is a bank holding company created to build a leading community bank franchise delivering high quality client service and committed to stakeholder results. Through its bank subsidiary, NBH Bank, National Bank Holdings Corporation operates a network of 81 banking centers, serving individual consumers, small, medium and large businesses, and government and non-profit entities. Its banking centers are located in its core footprint of Colorado, the greater Kansas City region, Texas, Utah and New Mexico. Its comprehensive residential mortgage banking group primarily serves the bank's core footprint. NBH Bank operates under a single state charter through the following brand names as divisions of NBH Bank: in Colorado, Community Banks of Colorado and Community Banks Mortgage; in Kansas and Missouri, Bank Midwest and Bank Midwest Mortgage; and in Texas, Utah and New Mexico, Hillcrest Bank and Hillcrest Bank Mortgage. Additional information about National Bank Holdings Corporation can be found at www.nationalbankholdings.com.

For more information visit: cobnks.com, bankmw.com, hillcrestbank.com or nbhbank.com. Or, follow us on any of our social media sites:

Community Banks of Colorado: facebook.com/cobnks, twitter.com/cobnks, instagram.com/cobnks; Bank Midwest: facebook.com/bankmw, twitter.com/bank_mw, instagram.com/bankmw;Hillcrest Bank: facebook.com/hillcrestbank, twitter.com/hillcrest_bank; NBH Bank: twitter.com/nbhbank; or connect with any of our brands on LinkedIn.

Contact: Analysts/Institutional Investors: Media: Aldis Birkans, 720-554-6640 Jody Soper, 303-784-5925 Chief Financial Officer Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] [email protected]

Source: National Bank Holdings Corporation

Source: National Bank Holdings Corporation
SAN ANTONIO, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Network Builders IT has been named as one of the world's premier managed service providers in the prestigious 2022 Channel Futures MSP 501 rankings.

For the past 16 years, managed service providers (MSPs) from around the globe have submitted applications to be included on this prestigious and definitive listing. The Channel Futures MSP 501 survey examines organizational performance based on annual sales, recurring revenue, profit margins, revenue mix, growth opportunities, innovation, technology solutions supported, and company and customer demographics.

MSPs that qualify for the list must pass a rigorous review conducted by the research team and editors of Channel Futures. It ranks applicants using a unique methodology that weighs financial performance according to long-term health and viability, commitment to recurring revenue, and operational efficiency.

Channel Futures is pleased to name Network Builders IT to the 2022 MSP 501.

"Being named to the MSP 501 list for the third time is a wonderful honor for our team," said Bill Bunnell, CEO, Network Builders IT. "It helps validate that we are meeting our goal to match leading technology solutions to the needs of our partners. Our team is made up of skilled, passionate, and customer-focused individuals. This award reaffirms our commitment to high standards of service and being the best for our partners."

This year's list once again attracted a record number of applicants, making it one of the most competitive in the survey's history. Winners are being recognized on the Channel Futures website and will be honored at a special ceremony at the Channel Futures MSP Summit + Channel Partners Leadership Summit, Sept. 13-16, in Orlando, Florida.

Since its inception, the MSP 501 has evolved from a competitive ranking into a vibrant group of innovators focused on high levels of customer satisfaction at small, medium, and large organizations in the public and private sectors. Today, many of their services and technology offerings focus on growing customer needs in the areas of cloud, security, collaboration, and support of hybrid workforces.

"The 2022 Channel Futures MSP 501 winners are the highest-performing and most innovative IT providers in the industry today," said Allison Francis, senior news editor for Channel Futures. "The 501 has truly evolved with the MSP market, as showcased by this year's crop of winners. This is also the fifth consecutive year of application pool growth, making this year's list one of the best on record."

"We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2022 winners, and gratitude to the thousands of MSPs that have contributed to the continuing growth and success of the managed services sector," said Kelly Danziger, general manager of Informa Tech Channels. "These providers are most certainly driving a new wave of innovation in the industry and are demonstrating a commitment to moving the MSP and entire channel forward."

The complete 2022 MSP 501 list is available on Channel Futures' website.

Background

The 2022 MSP 501 list is based on confidential data collected and analyzed by the Channel Futures editorial and research teams. Data was collected online from Feb. 1-April 30, 2022. The MSP 501 list recognizes top managed service providers based on metrics including recurring revenue, profit margin and other factors.

About Network Builders IT

Network Builders IT, founded in 2006, provides our clients with the highest quality customer service while helping them be competitive using technology. We service customers throughout Northern California, Orange County and Los Angeles County, California and San Antonito, Texas. Network Builders IT helps companies navigate tough business technology decisions by providing Managed Cyber Security, Managed IT Services, Network Support, Data Backup and Business Continuity, Security Services, Cloud Computing and Voice-Over-IP. Our vision is to be the best IT Service Provider to partner with. Contact us to see how our people, passion, and pride differentiate us from our competition. For more information please visit us at https://nbit.com

About Channel Futures

Channel Futures is a media and events platform serving companies in the information and communication technologies (ICT) channel industry with insights, industry analysis, peer engagement, business information and in-person events. We provide information, perspective, and connection for the entire channel ecosystem. This community includes technology and communications consultants, integrators, sellers, MSPs, agents, vendors and providers.

Our properties include the Channel Futures MSP 501, a list of the most influential and fastest-growing providers of managed services in the technology industry; Channel Partners events, which delivers unparalleled in-person events including Channel Partners Conference & Expo, the MSP 501 Summit and Channel Partners Europe; and Allies of the Channel Council (ACC)and DEI Community Group, our initiatives to educate, support and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the ICT channel industry. Channel Futures is where the world meets the channel; we are leading Channel Partners forward. More information is available at channelfutures.com.

Channel Futures is part of Informa Tech, a market-leading B2B information provider with depth and specialization in ICT sector. Every year, we welcome 14,000+ subscribers to our research, more than 4 million unique monthly visitors to our digital communities, 18,200+ students to our training programs, and 225,000 delegates to our events.

Media Contacts

Allison Francis

Senior News Editor, Channel Futures and MSP 501

[email protected]

Ginette Andre

Associate Marketer, VIP Relations

[email protected]

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Source: Network Builders IT
Date: July 28, 2022 Time: 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)

EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acadian Timber Corp. will release its 2022 second quarter results after market close on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, which will be available on our website at www.acadiantimber.com under Press Releases. The release will be followed by a conference call and webcast on Thursday, July 28, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss with members of senior management our financial and operating results.

To participate in the second quarter conference call, please register here, or follow the link on our website at www.acadiantimber.com/presentations_and_webcasts, to receive your unique PIN. The media and investing public may access this conference call via a listen-in mode only. The second quarter conference call will also be webcast live on our website, where it will be archived for future reference. For those unable to attend, a recorded rebroadcast will be available until 4:00 PM (Eastern Time) August 27, 2022.

If you have any questions about the second quarter conference call, please contact Susan Wood, Chief Financial Officer at +1-506-737-2345 or [email protected].

Acadian Timber Corp. (TSX: ADN) (Acadian) is one of the largest timberland owners in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern U.S. and has a total of approximately 2.4 million acres of land under management. Acadian owns and manages approximately 761,000 acres of freehold timberlands in New Brunswick, approximately 300,000 acres of freehold timberlands in Maine and provides timber services relating to approximately 1.3 million acres of Crown licensed timberlands in New Brunswick. Acadians products include softwood and hardwood sawlogs, pulpwood, and biomass by-products, sold to approximately 90 regional customers.

Acadians business strategy is to maximize cash flows from its existing timberland assets through sustainable forest management and other land use activities while growing its business by acquiring assets and actively managing these assets to drive improved performance.

Source: Acadian Timber Corp.
HOUSTON, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Paris Tribunal judiciaire has issued a decision, recognizing an award rendered in favor of renowned Houston entrepreneur, economist, academic, educator and philanthropist Dr. Maya Dangelas, and her two U.S. Companies. The award ordered the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to pay to Dr. Dangelas and her two U.S. Companies the majority of their fees and costs in the jurisdiction phase of an arbitration against Viet Nam. The decision of the Paris Tribunal judiciaire allows Dr. Dangelas and her two U.S. Companies to seek to enforce the award upon the assets of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. In parallel, the arbitration will now proceed to the merits phase. Dr. Dangelas, the Chairwoman of Tan Tao Energy Corporation, U.S. Global Institute, Inc., and Angels Company, Inc., is breaking her silence, she said:

"This is the fight of my life against corruption, bribery, extortion and money laundering of tens of billions of dollars taken and stolen from American and other foreign investors in Vietnam by Nguyen Tan Dung, the then Prime Minister of Vietnam. I am calling on all American and other foreign investors to bravely stand up for what is right and fight for their investments that were unjustly stolen. Many financiers were threatened and extorted, and thus gave up all the money they had saved and invested in Vietnam business ventures and opportunities. My voice and actions through this arbitration shall serve as a wake-up call to all of the wrongdoing so that American and other foreign investors can feel secure and trust that investing in Vietnam is a safe and wise investment choice."

Dr. Dangelas further added:

"We launched these proceedings in September 2019 against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for lost investment and lost profit damages due to the misconduct of its then Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung. The Vietnamese Government, led by the then Vietnam Prime Minister, illegally terminated the Tan Tao Energy Corporation's Power Plant Project, after approximately $340 million had already been invested, resulting in billions of dollars of economic loss by both Vietnam and the U.S. investors."

Dr. Dangelas continues to explain:

"This award will help to stop government corruption and hold the Socialist Republic of Vietnam accountable for the misdoings of its then Prime Minister, Nguyen, Tan Dung. We must provide a level playing field for current and future investors and ensure foreign investment laws between the United States and other foreign countries such as Vietnam are respected and hold those accountable who do not play by the rules.

"Here is our saga: on July 15, 2007, the government of Vietnam agreed to create an investment project for an industrial park, urban area power plant, and deep seaport in Kien Luong District with Tan Tao Investments. Nine years into the project, in March 2016, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung requested the removal of the Kien Luong Thermal Power Complex without justification, after an update to the National Power Development Plan from 2011 to 2020 with Visions Extended to 2030. This removal excluded the project from the list pf power projects to be put into operation during 2016-2030 and prevented its advancement, thus violating the treaty between U.S. and Vietnamese Government by the then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. I am seeking and demanding damages in violation of the international obligations of Vietnam to U.S. Investors via the misconduct of its then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung who was serving his own interests. I am seeking an award in an amount of not less than US $2.5 billion.

Through my companies, the Kien Luong Thermal Complex would have created an economic boost of countless billions of dollars which would have provided employment and educational opportunities for the underserved in Vietnam and the United States. This arbitration matter is not only a legal case for me, but it is the cause of my lifetime."

The Kien Luong Power Plant Arbitration was demanded under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Paris is the seat of arbitration due to its worldwide recognition as a leading forum for international arbitration.

Dr. Dangelas finally confides:

"The United States, and in particular, Houston, has been my home and the center of my life and is the place where my family members and I have finally found safety and protection. In this country, I have found the most valuable gifts that can be bestowed upon an immigrant in a foreign land: love and acceptance. Most importantly, I am forever grateful to America for giving me opportunities, not only to be able to support myself and my family, but also for allowing me to give back to America by providing employment opportunities, academic scholarships, and promoting scientific development. I draw inspiration from the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta: 'I alone cannot change the world, but [together with you] can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.'"

###

About Dr. Maya Dangelas

Dr. Dangelas was born and educated in Vietnam. From 1992 to 2011, she worked diligently to bring business and academic opportunities to Vietnam through her enterprises: Tan Tao Group, Tan Tao Corporation, Tan Tao Investment and Industry Corporation, and Tan Tao Energy Corporation ("Tan Tao Companies"). Dr. Dangelas holds a doctoral degree in higher education and resides in Houston, Texas. She was recently named "Honorary Professor of Academic Union, Oxford."

Contact: Tammy Tran, Tammy Tran Attorneys At Law, LLP, 832-372-4403, [email protected]

Source: ITACO
Elon Musk's Twitter profile is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration taken April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Greg Roumeliotis

(Reuters) - Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla and the world's richest person, said on Friday he was terminating his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter because the social media company had breached multiple provisions of the merger agreement.

Twitter's chairman, Bret Taylor https://twitter.com/btaylor/status/1545526087089696768?s=20&t=7sx_IvK_zZkztdHdh8pwQQ, said on the micro-blogging platform that the board planned to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement.

"The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk...," he wrote.

In a filing, Musk's lawyers said Twitter had failed or refused to respond to multiple requests for information on fake or spam accounts on the platform, which is fundamental to the company's business performance.

"Twitter is in material breach of multiple provisions of that Agreement, appears to have made false and misleading representations upon which Mr. Musk relied when entering into the Merger Agreement," the filing said.

Musk also said he was walking away because Twitter fired high-ranking executives and one-third of the talent acquisition team, breaching Twitter's obligation to "preserve substantially intact the material components of its current business organization."

LEGAL BATTLE

Musk's decision is likely to result in a protracted legal tussle between the billionaire and the 16-year-old San Francisco-based company.

Disputed mergers and acquisitions that land in Delaware courts more often than not end up with the companies re-negotiating deals or the acquirer paying the target a settlement to walk away, rather than a judge ordering that a transaction be completed. That is because target companies are often keen to resolve the uncertainty around their future and move on.

Twitter, however, is hoping that court proceedings will start in a few weeks and be resolved in a few months, according to a person familiar with the matter.

There is plenty of precedent for a deal renegotiation. Several companies repriced agreed acquisitions when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 and delivered a global economic shock.

In one instance, French retailer LVMH threatened to walk away from a deal with Tiffany & Co. The U.S. jewelry retailer agreed to lower the acquisition price by $425 million to $15.8 billion.

"I'd say Twitter is well-positioned legally to argue that it provided him with all the necessary information and this is a pretext to looking for any excuse to get out of the deal," said Ann Lipton, associate dean for faculty research at Tulane Law School. Shares of Twitter were down 6% at $34.58 in extended trading. That is 36% below https://tmsnrt.rs/3aoza2X the $54.20 per share Musk agreed to buy Twitter for in April.

Twitter's shares surged after Musk took a stake in the company in early April, shielding it from a deep stock market sell-off that slammed other social media platforms.

But after he agreed on April 25 to buy Twitter, the stock within a matter of days began to fall as investors speculated Musk might walk away from the deal. With its tumble after the bell on Friday, Twitter was trading at its lowest since March.

The announcement is another twist in a will-he-won't-he saga https://tmsnrt.rs/3ACFgY1 after Musk clinched the deal to purchase Twitter in April but then put the buyout on hold until the social media company proved that spam bots account for less than 5% of its total users.

The contract calls for Musk to pay Twitter a $1 billion break-up if he cannot complete the deal for reasons such as the acquisition financing falling through or regulators blocking the deal. The break-up fee would not be applicable, however, if Musk terminates the deal on his own.

Some employees expressed disbelief and exhaustion on Friday, publicly posting memes on Twitter, such as of a rollercoaster ride and a baby screaming into a phone, in apparent commentary on the breakup. Employees have worried about the deal will mean for their jobs, pay and ability to work remotely, and many have expressed skepticism about Musk's plans to loosen content moderation.

DIGITAL AD WOES

Musk's abandonment of the deal and Twitter's promise to vigorously fight to complete it casts a pall of uncertainty over the company's future and its stock price during a time when worries about rising interest rates and a potential recession have hammered Wall Street. Shares of online advertising rivals Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Snap and Pinterest have seen their stocks tumble 45% on average in 2022, while Twitter's stock has declined just 15% in that time, buoyed in recent months by the Musk deal.

Daniel Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, said Musk's filing was bad news for Twitter.

"This is a disaster scenario for Twitter and its Board as now the company will battle Musk in an elongated court battle to recoup the deal and/or the breakup fee of $1 billion at a minimum," he wrote in a note to clients.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis; Additional reporting by Chavi Mehta and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Sheila Dang in Dallas; Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Hyunjoo Jin and Katie Paul in San Francisco; Noel Randewich in Oakland, Calif.; David Shepardson in Washington; and Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Writing by Anna Driver; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Lisa Shumaker)
FILE PHOTO: The logo for Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Alphabet Inc's Google has offered concessions to avoid a potential U.S. antitrust lawsuit alleging that the company abuses its clout in the advertising technology business, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Google has proposed spinning off parts of its business that auctions and places ads on websites and apps into a separate company under Alphabet that could be valued at tens of billions of dollars, the report added https://on.wsj.com/3Iw28uf.

Alphabet in a statement to Reuters said that it was engaging with regulators to address their concerns, adding that it has no plans to sell or exit the ad-tech business.

"We're deeply committed to providing value to a wide array of publisher and advertiser partners in a highly competitive sector," the Google-parent said.

A spokeswoman for the Justice Department declined comment.

Brandon Kressin, an antitrust lawyer representing publishers and companies in the ad tech space, seemed skeptical that the offer would be sufficient.

"I dont see how spinning off the business but keeping it under the Alphabet umbrella would solve the issue, however. Google would still have an incentive to self-preference," he said in an email.

The department under President Joe Biden has expressed a strong preference for asset sales, also called structural remedies, to resolve antitrust concerns.

The U.S. Department for Justice sued Google in October 2020, accusing the company of illegally using its market muscle to hobble rivals, in the biggest challenge to the power and influence of Big Tech in decades.

Britain's competition regulator in May launched its second probe into the advertising practices of Google, saying the search giant could be distorting competition and may have illegally favored its own services.

Google also faces a probe from regulators in Europe that in June last year opened an investigation into whether its digital advertising business gives the Alphabet unit an unfair advantage over rivals and advertisers.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru and Diane Bartz; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi and Louise Heavens)
By Guy Faulconbridge

LONDON (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Friday that continued sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine risked triggering catastrophic energy price rises for consumers around the world.

Putin, who casts the sanctions imposed on Russia as a declaration of economic war, said that Western calls to reduce reliance on Russian energy had made global markets "feverish" with spikes in oil and gas.

European Union customers have said they want to wean themselves off Russian gas while Group of Seven leaders said last month that they wanted to explore "price caps" on Russian fossil fuel, including oil.

"Sanctions restrictions on Russia cause much more damage to those countries that impose them," Putin told the leaders of Russia's oil and gas industry, including Rosneft Chief Executive Igor Sechin and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

"Further use of sanctions may lead to even more severe - without exaggeration, even catastrophic - consequences on the global energy market."

Putin's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine and the West's imposition of the most severe sanctions in modern history have undermined the assumptions of the energy and commodities markets - while crimping global growth.

As Putin grapples with a major war, the biggest geopolitical crisis and the biggest Russian economic challenge since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, the 69-year-old Kremlin chief has repeatedly signalled he is in no mood to back down.

Energy is one area where the Kremlin still holds sway - and European powers including Germany fear he may be about to cut supplies.

Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of natural gas and the world's largest wheat exporter. Europe imports about 40 percent of its gas and 30 percent of its oil from Russia.

GLOBAL SUPPLY

With prices already rising, the world is bracing for further supply disruption from Russia: The Nord Stream 1 pipeline under the Baltic, a vital supply route to Germany, is due to undergo maintenance from July 11 to July 21.

Gazprom cut capacity through the pipeline to just 40%, citing the delayed return of equipment being serviced by Germany's Siemens Energy in Canada due to sanctions.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which carries about 1% of global oil, was ordered by a Russian court to suspend operations on Tuesday. Flows continue, but it is unclear for how long.

"We know that the Europeans are trying to replace Russian energy resources," Putin said. "However, we expect the result of such actions to be an increase in gas prices on the spot market and an increase in the cost of energy resources for end consumers."

In the last few months, Russia has cut off gas flows to Bulgaria, Poland, Finland, Danish supplier Orsted, Dutch firm Gasterra and Shell for its German contracts, after they all rejected a demand to switch to payments in roubles in response to European sanctions.

Putin said that the West's economic "blitzkrieg" had failed but admitted damage had been done to the $1.8 trillion economy.

"We should feel confident in ourselves but you should see the risks - the risks are still there," Putin said.

Putin said the situation on the Russian fuel and energy sector remained stable, citing an increase in oil and gas condensate output to 10.7 barrels per day in June.

But he said Russian energy companies should prepare for an EU oil embargo set to come into force around the end of the year.

"The government is currently considering options to develop the railway and pipeline infrastructure to supply Russian oil and oil products to friendly countries," Putin said.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
FILE PHOTO: A view shows freight cars, following Lithuania's ban of the transit of goods under EU sanctions through the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, in Kaliningrad, Russia June 21, 2022. REUTERS/Vitaly Nevar

(Reuters) - Russia warned Lithuania and the European Union on Friday that it could adopt "harsh measures" against them if the transit of some goods to and from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad did not resume.

"If the situation does not stabilize in the coming days, then Russia will take harsh measures against Lithuania and the European Union," Maria Zakharova, spokesperson of the Russian foreign ministry, said in a statement. "The issue has taken too long to resolve."

Lithuania has banned the transit of goods subject to European Union sanctions across its territory to and from the Baltic exclave. Russia has pledged to retaliate.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
What began in 2002 as the Zigbee Alliance with 15 companies and a vision to change the Internet of Things (IoT) is now a catalyst for global growth, with 500 companies devoting their time and talent to deliver simple, secure, and reliable connectivity and interoperability.

DAVIS, Calif., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Connectivity Standards Alliance, an organization consisting of hundreds of companies that create, maintain, and deliver open global standards for the Internet of Things (IoT), today celebrates 20 years of innovation and collaboration  driving the next generation of home and commercial network connectivity forward.

Connectivity Standards Alliance celebrates 20 years of delivering open, global IoT standards

"The secret to success for our members has been creating the right environment where companies, both large and small, can work side-by-side with an equal voice and energy to address the barriers to interoperability and growth in the IoT," said Tobin Richardson, President, and CEO of the Alliance. "What began as cutting edge work to create Zigbee, our reliable mesh networking standard, has expanded to include our latest IoT standard Matter. This is joined by industry leading efforts in Data Model development, Access Control, and creating strong Product Security. The Alliance's growth and reach reflects a holistic approach to solving the challenges of an ever-evolving IoT."

As a global standards organization, our key measures of success are adoption, certification, and the use of the standards created. In 2021, our membership grew by 38%, with members evenly distributed across the Americas, EMEA, and China/Asia Pacific regions. Year-to-date in 2022, another 60 companies have chosen to participate in Alliance work and adopt Alliance standards. In-market use shows there are currently more than 4,500 products and platforms that have been certified by the Alliance, with millions of Zigbee-capable devices in the market today. This positive trajectory will continue with Zigbee and with Matter, where according to ABI Research, within five years more than half of the world's key smart home devices will ship supporting Matter*.

"Alliance standards have been invaluable to the growth of smart homes and buildings, enabling reliable mesh networking and low-power solutions, with Zigbee Green Power, to reduce customers' and consumers' carbon footprint. Now, we are driving what's next in IP-based interoperability and IoT security," said Bruno Vulcano, Head of R&D at Legrand and Chair of the Alliance Board of Directors. "Over 20 years, we've had a positive environmental impact on our planet. Our impact has now even traveled beyond the bounds of earth's gravity with NASA using Zigbee technology for communication between the Mars rover and its companion drone."

Looking ahead at the next two decades, the Alliance will continue its mission to simplify and harmonize the IoT by creating standards and brands of trust for the industry and consumers alike. This fall, the Alliance is slated to formally introduce its latest standard, Matter, a common language and IP-based protocol for the IoT. Products incorporating the Matter standard will feature a unique logo, signifying interoperability with certified Matter products from any manufacturer.

About the Connectivity Standards Alliance

The Connectivity Standards Alliance, formerly the Zigbee Alliance, is the foundation and future of the Internet of Things (IoT). Established in 2002, its wide-ranging global membership collaborates to create and evolve universal open standards for the products transforming the way we live, work and play. With its Members' deep and diverse expertise, robust certification programs, and a full suite of open IoT solutions the Alliance is leading the movement toward a more intuitive, imaginative, and useful world. Learn more about the Alliance at www.csa-iot.org, and Matter at www.buildwithmatter.com.

*ABI Research Press Release: "Matter and its Smart Home Impact" application analysis report.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/after-two-decades-the-connectivity-standards-alliance-continues-to-deliver-open-global-iot-standards-enabling-connected-devices-everywhere-301582788.html

SOURCE Connectivity Standards Alliance
DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, plans to announce second quarter 2022 results on Friday, July 29th, 2022 in a news release to be issued at 5:00 am Central Time. Greg Case, CEO, will host a conference call at 7:30 am Central Time on Friday, July 29th, 2022. The conference call will be broadcast live through Aon's website at www.aon.com. A replay will be available shortly after the live webcast. The earnings release and supplemental slide presentation will be available on Aon's web site at www.aon.com.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better  to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.

Follow Aon on Twitter and LinkedIn. Stay up-to-date by visiting the Aon Newsroom and sign up for News Alerts here.

Investor Contact

Investor Relations[email protected] +1 312 381 3310

Media Contact

Nadine Youssef[email protected]+1 312 381 3024

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SOURCE Aon plc
SAN DIEGO, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In their continued efforts in emerging as a national advertising agency, San Diego-based InnoVision Marketing Group has launched InnoVision Espanol, adding to their portfolio of in-house services that include digital media, traditional media, web development, design, public relations, film production and more.

InnoVision Espanol will serve businesses and brands wanting to reach the Hispanic community and Hispanic-oriented clients and companies.

An important and valuable sector of the entire country and San Diego County, the Hispanic team at InnoVision is representative of this community, which makes up a very large percentage of San Diego County.

Hispanic consumers remain an underserved demographic for many marketers. Given that the population of Hispanics in the US is 18.7% in 2020, and around 34% in San Diego, only 6% of overall industry investment is spent toward the Hispanic community, per the Hispanic Marketing Council.

"Many of our team members are either native Mexicans, Mexican Americans or from South America. Spanish is their first language. In fact, our two longest-tenured members are spearheading the new Hispanic division  Giselle Campos, our senior vice president, and senior creative director and Jose Carrillo, our senior vice president and executive art director. There's an art to marketing to the Hispanic community and Giselle and Jose not only understand it, they've mastered it," says Ric Militi, CEO and Executive Creative Director of InnoVision Marketing Group.

"Marketing to any specific ethnic group is very different from marketing to the English-speaking population. Considerations must include accurate colloquial translation of the message, slang usage, improper insinuations, values and much more. Our Hispanic team at InnoVision are part of the Hispanic community, so the messaging is much more authentic," he says.

"Growing up in a Mexican-American household, I have witnessed first-hand what it's like to not see your culture or language represented in advertising and the impact that lack of connection can have on an audience. It is important to me to create narratives that the Hispanic market can connect with and actually make sense based on how the message is being delivered. Serving ads to the Hispanic community that have been run through Google Translate, have subtitles, or are just replicas of the English messaging is just not enough anymore. I'm so excited to bring this authenticity to the Hispanic marketing mix," says Giselle Campos, Sr. Vice President/Sr. Creative Director of InnoVision Marketing Group.

InnoVision has been executing Hispanic campaigns for clients such as Palomar Health, Penske Automotive, Valley View Casino and Fresh Start Surgical Gifts for several years now, so formalizing the division was only a matter of time. This opens up the opportunity for the company to serve an even larger audience of thriving Hispanic businesses that make up a large part of the San Diego community and more importantly, bring them to light.

Representing brands in multiple categories including airports, automotive, fast-casual dining, food & beverage, healthcare, soft drinks, casinos, tribal government, economic development and nonprofit, the agency serves clients across the US.

To learn more about InnoVision Espanol, please click here or contact Bianca Kasawdish at [email protected].

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SOURCE InnoVision Marketing Group
Production Teams Discuss the Achievements and Challenges Behind Blockbuster Films Such as Encanto, The Batman, and Dune; Dialogues from Talks Include Race, Gender, and Preserving History

CHICAGO, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SIGGRAPH 2022 accentuates the advances of technology in computer graphics as part of its Production Sessions and Talks programs. Industry leaders from the film, VFX, and animation sectors will share their behind-the-scenes stories for their projects in the Production Sessions program. Another program that allows creators to impart successes and trials of their work is with the SIGGRAPH 2022 Talks. The Talks program includes conversations from a variety of subjects that affect the SIGGRAPH community and address important topics, such as race and gender. The 49th annual conference will run 811 August in person, with on-demand talks from participants available virtually 25 July31 October 2022.

SIGGRAPH 2022 highlights advances of technology in computer graphics its Production Sessions and Talks programs.

"The Production Sessions Program covers the growth and progress made in computer graphics technology across the industry," said SIGGRAPH 2022 Production Sessions Chair Stephanie Eisenberg. "This year is no different, and I'm excited to have these production teams share their stories, especially how new techniques advanced their work on films such as Dune, Lightyear, and Encanto. The SIGGRAPH 2022 Production Sessions program allows creators to showcase their work and discuss the highs and lows that happen during the production process."

Highlights from Production Sessions program include:

The VFX of Dune: Bringing an Iconic Story to Life [in-person]Contributor: Stephen James, DNEG'Dune: Part One' is the remarkable science fiction epic and the introduction of Denis Villeneuve's vision of Frank Herbert's Dune universe to viewers. DFX Supervisor Stephen James holds an eye-opening discussion of the pivotal role that DNEG played in bringing Villeneuve's immersive vision to life. He will share enthralling behind-the-scenes details of the project, and dive into the meticulously detailed VFX work, and impressive creatures that played a climactic role in the creation of an iconic film.

Lightyear: Beyond the Infinite [virtual]Contributors: Nathan Fariss and Chris Wiggum, Pixar Animation Studios'Lightyear,' Pixar's sci-fi action adventure, is the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy. In this Production Session, Nathan Fariss and Chris Wiggum trace their challenging journey to create a cohesive visual look that was both stylistically unique yet referential to the Toy Story world. This includes sets, characters, shading, tailoring & simulation, effects, compositing, and lighting. Their mission was one of ultimate complexity as they faced technological and artistic challenges all while racing against the clock to finish the film.

Weta FX Presents: The Batman [in-person]Contributors: Beck Veitch and Dennis Yoo, Weta FXThe Batman is the 19th appearance of the Caped Crusader in film, and as such, director Matt Reeves needed to find a new angle for the titular hero. The result is a brooding, ominous tone befitting the Gotham City setting and reflective of Reeves' emotionally complicated version of the Batman. Compositing Supervisor Beck Veitch presents the work alongside Animation Supervisor Dennis Yoo. Beck and Dennis will also talk through the production of two major environments--the Batcave, an abandoned neo-gothic subway, and the City Hall, where the mayor's funeral is gate-crashed by an unlucky victim.

We Don't Talk About Bruno  An Encanto Musical Sequence Unveiled [in-person]Contributors: Michelle Robinson and Tad Miller, Walt Disney Animation StudiosWalt Disney Animation Studios' "Encanto" tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. In this session, the filmmakers break down their collaborative process in creating the iconic song sequence, "We Don't Talk About Bruno," as well as discussing the work and tight focus that went into creating this large, diverse, magical family. From building characters for a musical set in Colombia to a deep dive into the cinematography process, the discussion will cover the theatrical inspiration and partnerships between choreography, layout, and animation.

The Champion: Neural Render Case Study [virtual]Contributor: Mike Seymour, University of SydneyThe Champion of Auschwitz is the first full-length feature film that was neural rendered in order to allow the actors to be converted from performing in German to performing in English. In this Polish film, set in WW2, the entire production was filmed and finished in German. Using advances in AI and machine learning, the actors' faces have been replaced by inferred versions, visually built from English re-performances of the original dialogue. This production session discusses the important issues involved in doing professional neural rendering on a large scale - hundreds of shots, often with multiple characters in the same frame. Based on new technology, The Champion used only the footage already edited for the final German version of the film, combined with a robust and non-intrusive recording of the actors delivering the lines in English. The panel will discuss innovations in technology and provide insights into further advances that the team is working on, as well as the lessons learned and the advances in ML that allowed the wide-scale adoption of this technology in place of traditional dubbing or subtitles.

"For the Talks program, we're excited to discuss the latest techniques and technological innovations that are being implemented today," stated SIGGRAPH 2022 General Submissions Chair Chris Redmann. "The SIGGRAPH community continues to develop solutions to advance the computer graphics industry. From user solutions that can be applied to common workflows to unique practices that can assist in preserving history, our industry continues to evolve. These are conversations that I believe this year's participants and attendees will appreciate and value."

Highlights from the Talks Program include:

Sex and Gender in the Computer Graphics Research Literature [in-person]Contributors: Ana Dodik, MIT; Silvia Sellan, University of Toronto; Theodore Kim, Yale University; Amand Phillips, Georgetown UniversityA discussion around a survey of the treatment of sex and gender in the computer graphics research literature from an algorithmic fairness perspective, which reveals scientifically incorrect and potentially harmful assumptions. The talk proposes ways of addressing these as technical limitations and pose open questions.

Fast and Robust Solution for Cubic and Higher-Order Polynomial [virtual]Contributor: Cem Yuksel, University of UtahDemonstration that shows cubic and higher-order polynomials can be solved easily and efficiently. A presentation of a fast and robust method for finding real roots of cubic and higher-order polynomials. It provides guaranteed convergence and satisfies the given error bound.

Modular Scene Filtering via the Pixar Hydra 2.0 Architecture [virtual]Contributors: Tom Cauchois and Steve LaVietes, PixarA conversation about the design of the Hydra 2.0 architecture and how it enables modular pipeline- or workflow-specific scene transformations. The discussion includes two examples: configurable material network transformations, and fine-grained scene data merging for application integration and supporting proxy object workflows.

How We Reconstructed the Neighborhood Destroyed by the Tulsa Race Massacre [virtual]Contributors: Yuliya Parshina-Kottas and Anjali Singvi, The New York TimesThe New York Times used archival materials, data, and maps to make a 3D visualization of the African American neighborhood of Greenwood (Tulsa, Oklahoma), before it was destroyed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. This discussion will be around the use of geo-spatial data analysis, 3D, and machine-learning to recreate the lost neighborhood.

Building an Illustrated World in The Bad Guys [virtual]Contributors: Jeff Budsberg, Pablo Valle, and Paolo de Guzman, DreamWorks AnimationThe artistic style of "The Bad Guys" is inspired by the strong and simplified details of 2D illustration with its hand-drawn imperfections. Similar to traditional artists, the film needed techniques to selectively apply detail and thoughtfully deconstruct objects, focusing on artistic flexibility while maintaining scalability.

Access to the SIGGRAPH 2022 Production Sessions and Talks programs is available at varying registration levels. Learn more and register for the conference at s2022.SIGGRAPH.org/register.

About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH, and SIGGRAPH 2022

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world's leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2022, the 49th annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place as a hybrid event, with live events 811 August at the Vancouver Contention Centre and virtual content available starting 25 July through 31 October. Click here for news from the conference and its partners.

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SOURCE SIGGRAPH
SEATTLE, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

United States District CourtSOUTHERN District of CALIFORNIA

In re BofI Holding, Inc. Securities Litigation Case No. 3:15-cv-2324-GPC-KSCClass Action

SUMMARY NOTICE OF (I) PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT; (II) SETTLEMENT HEARING; AND (III) MOTION FOR AN AWARD OF ATTORNEYS' FEES, REIMBURSEMENT OF LITIGATION EXPENSES, AND LEAD PLAINTIFF'S SERVICE AWARD

This notice is for all persons who purchased or otherwise acquired shares of the publicly traded common stock of BofI Holding, Inc. (now known as Axos Financial, Inc.), as well as purchasers of BofI call options and sellers of BofI put options, between September 4, 2013 through and including October 13, 2015. Certain persons and entities are excluded from the Class as set forth in detail in the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement dated April 13, 2022 ("Stipulation") and the Notice described below.

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY; YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PENDING IN THIS COURT.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an Order of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California ("Court"), that the parties to the above-captioned action ("Action") have reached a proposed settlement for $14,100,000 in cash ("Settlement") that, if approved, will resolve all claims in the Action.

A hearing will be held on October 7, 2022, at 1:30 p.m., before the Honorable Gonzalo P. Curiel at the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse, Courtroom 2D, 221 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101, to determine: (i) whether the proposed Settlement should be approved as fair, reasonable, and adequate; (ii) whether the Action should be dismissed with prejudice against Defendants, and the releases specified and described in the Stipulation (and in the Notice described below) should be entered; (iii) whether the proposed Plan of Allocation should be approved as fair and reasonable; and (iv) whether Class Counsel's application for an award of attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses, and Lead Plaintiff's application for a service award, should be approved.

If you are a member of the Class, your rights will be affected by the pending Action and the Settlement, and you may be entitled to share in the Settlement Fund. This notice provides only a summary of the information contained in the detailed Notice of (I) Proposed Class Action Settlement; (II) Settlement Hearing; and (III) Motion for an Award of Attorneys' Fees and Reimbursement of Litigation Expenses and Lead Plaintiff's Service Award ("Notice"). You may obtain a copy of the Notice, along with the Claim Form, on the website for the Settlement, www.BofISecuritiesLitigation.com. .You may also obtain copies of the Notice and Claim Form by contacting the Claims Administrator at In re BofI Holding, Inc. Securities Litigation Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, P.O. Box 91425, Seattle, WA 98111; 1-888-921-1538; [email protected].

If you are a member of the Class, in order to be eligible to receive a payment under the proposed Settlement, you must submit a Claim Form postmarked no later than November 7, 2022, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Claim Form. If you are a Class Member and do not submit a proper Claim Form, you will not be eligible to share in the distribution of the net proceeds of the Settlement but you will nevertheless be bound by any releases, judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action.

If you are a member of the Class and wish to exclude yourself from the Class, you must submit a request for exclusion such that it is postmarked no later than August 8, 2022, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice. If you properly exclude yourself from the Class, you will not be bound by any releases, judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action and you will not be eligible to share in the net proceeds of the Settlement. Excluding yourself is the only option that may allow you to be part of any other current or future lawsuit against Defendants or any of the other released parties concerning the claims being resolved by the Settlement. Please note, however, if you decide to exclude yourself from the Class, you may be time-barred from asserting the claims covered by the Action by a statute of repose.

If you are a member of the Class and previously requested exclusion, you now have the opportunity to opt-back into the Class and participate in the Settlement. If you elect to opt-back into the Class, you will be able to submit a Claim Form and be eligible to share in the distribution of the net proceeds of the Settlement. If you elect to opt-back into the Class, you will be bound by any releases, judgments or orders entered by the Court in the Action, regardless of whether or not you submit a Claim Form.

Class Counsel will apply to the Court to be paid from the Settlement Fund, and any payment will be made only in the amount that is approved by the Court. Class Counsel will ask the Court for an award of attorneys' fees of no more than 25% of the Settlement Fund (i.e., no more than $3,525,000). In addition, Class Counsel will ask the Court to reimburse them out of the Settlement Fund for the expenses they reasonably incurred and will incur in litigating this case on behalf of Class Members, in an amount not to exceed $1,400,000. Class Counsel will also ask the Court to approve a Service Award of up to $15,000 for the Class Representative as an award for its service to the Class as Plaintiff and Class Representative out of the Settlement Fund. Class Counsel will also request authorization to pay the Claims Administrator, directly from the Settlement Fund, all Notice and Administration Costs actually incurred and paid or payable up to $350,000, which Class Counsel and the Claims Administrator estimate to be the maximum amount likely to be required. Any amount in excess of that would be payable from the Settlement Fund only upon further approval of the Court. The amount of the Settlement Fund that remains after the payment of all Court-approved attorneys' fees, reimbursement of expenses, Service Award, and Notice and Administration Costs will be distributed to Class Members who have submitted valid claims for compensation and have not timely excluded themselves from the Settlement in a manner approved by the Court.

Any objections to the proposed Settlement, the proposed Plan of Allocation, and/or Class Counsel's motion for attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses and Lead Plaintiff's requested Service Award, must be filed with the Court and delivered to Class Counsel and Defendants' Counsel such that they are received no later than August 8, 2022, in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice.

The issuance of this Notice is not an expression of any opinion by the Court concerning the merits of any claim in the Action, and the Court still has to decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Defendants deny the allegations of wrongdoing asserted in this Action, and deny any liability whatsoever to any member of the Class.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, DEFENDANTS, OR THEIR COUNSEL REGARDING THIS NOTICE. All questions about this notice, the Settlement, or your eligibility to participate in the Settlement should be directed to Class Counsel or the Claims Administrator.

Requests for the Notice and Claim Form should be made to the Claims Administrator: Inquiries, other than requests for the Noticeand Claim Form, may be made to Class Counsel: In re BofI Holding, Inc. Securities Litigation c/o JND Legal Administration P.O. Box 91425 Seattle, WA 98111 888-921-1538 [email protected] www.BofISecuritiesLitigation.com Richard M. Heimann, Esq. Katherine Lubin Benson, Esq. Michael K. Sheen, Esq. LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP 275 Battery Street, 29th Floor San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 956-1000 [email protected]

BY ORDER OF THE COURTUnited States District CourtSouthern District of California

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SOURCE JND Legal Administration
FILE PHOTO: A logo of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) is seen at China International Semiconductor Expo (IC China 2020) following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China October 14, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Son

By Alexandra Alper, Karen Freifeld and Stephen Nellis

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Biden administration is considering new targeted restrictions on shipments of chipmaking tools to China, seeking to hamstring advances by China's largest chipmaker, SMIC, without slowing the flow of chips into the global economy, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Commerce Department, which oversees export policy, is actively discussing the possibility of banning exports of chipmaking tools to those Chinese factories that make advanced semiconductors at the 14 nanometer node and smaller, the people said, to stymie China's efforts at making more state-of-the-art chips.

In the meantime, the agency would allow those same tools to be sent to plants owned by the same firms but which make less advanced semiconductors, to safeguard the supply of commodity chips as the world recovers from a chip shortage.

A spokesperson for the Commerce Department did not comment directly on the idea, but said "with respect to semiconductor-related export license applications in particular, (Commerce) and the other reviewing agencies ... consider a variety of factors in making licensing decisions, including the technology node for the proposed export."

The agency also stressed that the Biden administration regularly consults with allies and the industry about how best to tailor measures to deny China access to advanced technologies with both civilian and military uses.

SMIC did not respond to a request for comment.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said: "By repeatedly seeking to politicize, weaponize and ideologize economic and trade issues and exercise technological blockade and decoupling against other countries, the U.S. would only remind other countries of the risks of technological dependence on the U.S. and prompt them to quickly become independent and self-reliant in science and technology."

If the nascent idea moves forward, it would be the first time the Commerce Department officially takes a factory-by-factory approach to export policy, although sources said unofficially it was now applying the approach to SMIC.

It would also allow the Biden administration to tighten export controls on SMIC's most advanced factories, while allowing tools to flow to its facilities that make commodity chips for automobiles and everyday consumer electronics.

That, in turn, would help further the U.S. goal of halting China's progress toward more advanced node semiconductor manufacturing, to safeguard U.S. competitiveness and national security.

SMIC, or Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, has said it began production of 14-nanometer chips in late 2019.

The company was added to a trade blacklist by the Trump administration over alleged military ties in 2020, but the measure banned only exports of a small subset of chipmaking equipment destined for the firm.

That policy left decisions on exports of everything else up to the discretion of U.S. agencies, leading to long delays in approvals for licenses to ship to the company, as agencies bickered about what exports to greenlight.

Reuters reported in December that the Biden administration was still at loggerheads over whether to tighten the restrictions on SMIC, but had raised the possibility of discussing with allies further restrictions on selling chip-making equipment to China.

If the Commerce Department plows ahead with the concept, which has not yet been drafted into a formal proposal, the United States would seek to bring on board allied countries that boast top chipmaking equipment producers like the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea, the sources said, though that might prove challenging.

An official from the Commerce Department discussed the possible changes with companies on Friday at the end of an annual conference led by the agency, two sources said.

It is not clear if the Biden administration would also seek to block shipments of other items to the targeted facilities as well, one of the sources said. Other agencies within the U.S. government would need to vet any Commerce Department proposal before it could be implemented.

A surge in purchases of cars and personal electronic devices during the coronavirus pandemic fueled a global chip crunch in late 2020. But as the global economy cools, a drop in demand is eliminating shortages for products like personal computers, Android smartphones and television sets, even as production of some goods like automobiles remains hampered by shortages, according to Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with Bernstein.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper in Washington, Karen Freifeld in New York and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by David Shepardson, Matthew Lewis and Christopher Cushing)
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)

Registration No. 333-258749

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT NO. 5

(to prospectus dated March 15, 2022)

Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.

16,749,984 ORDINARY SHARES

OFFERED BY ARDAGH METAL PACKAGING S.A.

517,571,133 ORDINARY SHARES and

5,716,982 WARRANTS

OFFERED BY THE SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS

This prospectus supplement amends and supplements the prospectus dated March 15, 2022 (the Prospectus) which forms a part of our Registration Statement on Form F-1, as amended and supplemented (Registration Statement No. 333-258749). This prospectus supplement is being filed to update and supplement the information included in the Prospectus with the information contained in our Report on Form 6-K, furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on July 8, 2022 (the Form 6-K). Accordingly, we have attached the Form 6-K to this prospectus supplement.

This prospectus supplement updates and supplements the information in the Prospectus and is not complete without, and may not be delivered or utilized except in combination with, the Prospectus, including any amendments or supplements thereto. This prospectus supplement should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus and if there is any inconsistency between the information in the Prospectus and this prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement.

Our Ordinary Shares and Warrants are traded on The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol AMBP and AMBP.WS, respectively. The last reported sale price of the Ordinary Shares was $6.26 per share on July 7, 2022, and the last reported sale price of the Warrants was $0.90 per warrant on July 7, 2022 as reported on NYSE.

You should read the Prospectus and any prospectus supplement or amendment carefully before you invest in our securities. Investing in the Companys securities involves risks. See Risk Factors beginning on page 18 of the Prospectus.

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued under the Prospectus or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of the Prospectus or this prospectus supplement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus supplement is July 8, 2022.

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of July, 2022

Commission File Number: 001-40709

Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.

(Name of Registrant)

56, rue Charles Martel

L-2134 Luxembourg, Luxembourg

+352 26 25 85 55

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F x Form 40-F 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): 

EXHIBIT INDEX

The following exhibit is filed as part of this Form 6-K:

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Date: July 8, 2022

Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. By: /s/ Oliver Graham Name: Oliver Graham Title: Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 99.1

On July 8, 2022, Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. (the Company) held an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (the EGM) by way of proxy without physical presence of shareholders in accordance with the Luxembourg law of September 23, 2020 as amended. At the EGM, the Companys shareholders voted on three proposals as set forth below, each of which is described in detail in the proxy statement filed by the Company on June 17, 2022 and available on the Companys website (the Proxy Statement). Each of the three proposals was approved at the EGM by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes validly cast by the shareholders entitled to vote at the EGM. The percentage of the number of votes cast as for each proposal exceeded 84%.

1. Amendment of the Articles of Association of the Company and restructuring of the share capital of the Company to rename the shares in issue as Ordinary Shares and create a new class of redeemable preferred shares, with the rights set out in the amended Articles of Association. The amendments to the Articles of Association are included as Exhibit A to the Proxy Statement and available to the shareholders on the Companys website and at the registered office of the Company.

2. Renewal and extension of the authorization granted to the Board of Directors to increase the issued share capital up to the authorized share capital with authority to limit or cancel the shareholders preferential subscription right, during a period of five years ending on the fifth anniversary of the EGM and amendment to article 7.3 of the Articles of Association accordingly.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 7, 2022

WARPSPEED TAXI INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Wyoming 333-252505 85-3978107 (State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer

Identification Number)

2261 Rosanna Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89117

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

Registrants telephone number, including area code: (269) 692-9418

N/A

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 Written communication pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425).

 Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12).

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)).

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)).

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On March 15, 2022, we entered into an agreement with a United States-based joint venture partner (the JV Partner) whereby we will form a U.S. corporation (the Corporation) for the purpose of operating a ride-hailing and delivery business using our WarpSpeed Taxi computer application (the Application). The agreement provided that we will be responsible for licensing the Application to the Company and making any modifications to the Application that are necessary in order to customize it for operation in U.S. markets. The JV Partner will be responsible for operating the Companys business, including, retaining all employees and independent contractors necessary to commence and continue business operations, handling customer service queries, complying with all applicable regulations and legal requirements, and handling all legal and accounting matters. We will have a 51% equity interest in the Corporation and our JV Partner will have a 49% interest. We will also receive an Application licensing fee equal to 2.5% of all gross revenues that the Corporation generates, as well as a monthly fee (i.e., the greater of $5,000 or 2.5% of each months sales) payable on the Corporations commencement of revenue-generating operations.

On July 7, 2022, we amended our agreement with the JV Partner to extend two payment deadlines by three months each. As a result of the amendment, the JV Partner must pay $1,000,000 (i.e., $20,000 upon execution of the agreement (paid), an additional $250,000 by October 31, 2022, and the balance by January 31, 2023).

The agreement contemplates that the Corporation shall initially commence operations in Nevada and subsequently expand its business to other United States cities in all 50 states.

1

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

WarpSpeed Taxi Inc. Date: July 7, 2022 By: /s/ Daniel Okelo Daniel Okelo, President
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSRS

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act File Number 811-07102

The Advisors Inner Circle Fund II

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

SEI Investments

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, PA 19456

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

SEI Investments

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, PA 19456

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrants telephone number, including area code: (877) 446-3863

Date of fiscal year end: October 31, 2022

Date of reporting period: April 30, 2022

Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.

A copy of the report transmitted to stockholders pursuant to Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Act) (17 CFR  270.30e-1), is attached hereto.

The Advisors Inner Circle Fund II

Investment Advisor

Kopernik Global Investors, LLC

KGGIX | KGGAX

Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund

KGIIX | KGIRX

Kopernik International Fund

Semi-Annual Report

APRIL 30, 2022

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

The Funds file their complete schedule of investments with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its report on Form N-PORT (Form N-Q for filings prior to March 31, 2020). The Funds Forms N-Q and Form N-PORT reports are available on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov, and may be reviewed and copied at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to fund securities, as well as information relating to how a Fund voted proxies relating to fund securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, is available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-855-887-4KGI; and (ii) on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

SECTOR WEIGHTINGS:

 Percentages are based on total investments.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS COMMON STOCK  80.1% Shares Value AUSTRALIA  4.4% Newcrest Mining, Ltd. 5,036,705 $ 94,472,573 BRAZIL  2.1% Banco do Brasil SA 412,900 2,772,738 Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA 5,256,311 43,250,181 46,022,919 CANADA  20.3% Artemis Gold, Inc. * (A) 4,098,604 22,652,153 Bear Creek Mining Corp. * (A) 3,625,815 3,358,673 Cameco Corp. 1,624,922 41,939,237 Centerra Gold, Inc. 3,151,771 29,171,025 Dundee Corp., Cl A * (A)(B) 2,419,423 2,636,665 Equinox Gold * 5,299,201 37,785,141 Fission Uranium Corp. * (A) 23,309,500 15,785,829 Gabriel Resources, Ltd. * (A)(B) 60,679,056 8,974,445 Gabriel Resources, Ltd. *(A)(B)(C) 3,471,971 513,505 IAMGOLD* 5,611,511 15,824,461 International Tower Hill Mines, Ltd. * (A) 6,548,183 6,024,328

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

1

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCK  continued Shares Value CANADA  continued Ivanhoe Mines, Ltd., Cl A * 1,917,935 $ 15,377,520 MEG Energy Corp. * 900,318 13,525,970 NexGen Energy, Ltd. * 4,842,902 23,862,974 Northern Dynasty Minerals, Ltd. (CAD) * 2,873,848 984,309 Northern Dynasty Minerals, Ltd. (USD) * (A) 15,400,762 5,467,270 Novagold Resources, Inc. * 2,350,316 14,618,965 Pan American Silver Corp. 1,077,371 26,710,985 Sabina Gold & Silver * 10,613,228 10,905,275 Seabridge Gold, Inc. (CAD) * 1,422,848 25,153,060 Seabridge Gold, Inc. (USD) * 1,233,038 21,775,451 Sprott, Inc. 228,831 10,538,000 Turquoise Hill Resources, Ltd. * 1,939,944 52,844,075 Western Copper & Gold Corp. * 2,339,413 4,461,575 Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. 590,629 26,495,617 437,386,508 CHINA  2.8% CGN Power, Cl H (C) 86,146,000 24,228,951 China Communications Services, Cl H 21,484,000 9,782,344 Guangshen Railway Co., Ltd., Cl H * (A) 42,448,679 7,091,333 Hi Sun Technology China, Ltd. * 26,154,000 3,136,748 Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd., Cl H * 37,450,000 9,127,868 Sinopharm Group, Cl H 3,524,800 8,120,710 61,487,954 FRANCE  2.8% Electricite de France SA 6,600,154 59,736,590 GREECE  0.2% Tsakos Energy Navigation, Ltd. 380,012 4,579,145 HONG KONG  2.7% CK Hutchison Holdings, Ltd. 3,988,000 27,883,189 First Pacific 31,060,000 12,520,933 Luks Group Vietnam Holdings Co., Ltd. (A) 9,255,000 1,580,438

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

2

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCK  continued Shares Value HONG KONG  continued WH Group, Ltd. 24,687,500 $ 17,064,786 59,049,346 INDONESIA  0.1% Indofood Sukses Makmur 4,776,700 2,076,691 JAPAN  8.9% Fukuda Corp. 170,200 6,033,446 Icom, Inc. 258,900 4,778,829 Inpex Corp. 917,000 11,058,426 Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd. 473,400 9,407,972 Kamigumi Co., Ltd. 1,002,050 17,034,164 Kato Sangyo Co., Ltd. 412,200 10,628,084 KYORIN Holdings, Inc. 1,010,900 14,691,918 Mitsubishi Corp. 880,400 29,604,400 Mitsui & Co., Ltd. 1,213,300 29,313,073 Organo Corp. 113,000 7,752,238 Ryosan 116,200 2,068,517 Suzuken Co., Ltd. 932,500 27,499,965 Tachi-S Co., Ltd., Cl S 302,700 2,362,460 Toho Holdings Co., Ltd. 622,800 10,104,650 West Japan Railway Co. 258,600 9,580,146 191,918,288 KAZAKHSTAN  2.9% Halyk Savings Bank of Kazakhstan JSC GDR 957,566 9,241,493 NAC Kazatomprom JSC GDR (C) 1,110,803 31,577,362 NAC Kazatomprom JSC GDR 767,524 21,818,796 62,637,651 LEBANON  0.0% Solidere ADR *(D)(E) 174,732 964,521 MALAYSIA  0.3% Oriental Holdings 3,509,400 5,716,610

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

3

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCK  continued Shares Value NORWAY  0.7% Stolt-Nielsen, Ltd. 837,781 $ 15,196,880 RUSSIA  6.3% Etalon Group GDR (A)(B)(D)(E) 12,510,957 4,430,130 Federal Grid Unified Energy System PJSC (B)(D)(E) 17,511,927,373 9,842,022 Gazprom PJSC (B)(D)(E) 23,317,157 31,425,057 Gazprom PJSC ADR (B)(D)(E) 1,291,032 3,516,900 Lenta International PJSC GDR *(B)(D)(E) 6,411,473 5,670,307 LSR Group PJSC, Cl A *(B)(D)(E) 1,673,664 4,738,334 Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC *(B)(D)(E) 14,741,764 7,833,900 Polyus PJSC GDR (B)(D)(E) 613,103 23,673,072 RusHydro PJSC *(B)(C)(D)(E) 6,483,174,688 29,167,471 RusHydro PJSC ADR (B)(C)(D)(E) 459,437 208,906 Sberbank of Russia PJSC *(B)(D)(E) 12,648,865 9,133,420 VTB Bank PJSC *(B)(D)(E) 48,243,439,862 5,409,215 135,048,734 SINGAPORE  4.1% First Resources, Ltd. 17,489,200 26,856,482 Golden Agri-Resources, Ltd. 230,312,100 53,512,591 Yoma Strategic Holdings, Ltd. * (A) 66,818,200 7,326,332 87,695,405 SOUTH AFRICA  2.3% Gold Fields, Ltd. 1,564,774 21,485,701 Harmony Gold Mining ADR 4,184,519 17,114,683 Impala Platinum Holdings, Ltd. 855,782 11,136,830 49,737,214 SOUTH KOREA  11.7% DL E&C Co., Ltd. 116,594 5,484,386 GS Holdings 129,241 4,467,565 Hankook Tire Worldwide Co., Ltd. 1,356,342 15,561,421 Hyundai Department Store 92,064 5,474,580 Korea Electric Power Corp. * 2,076,395 37,815,412 Korea Electric Power Corp. ADR * 232,125 2,061,270

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

4

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCK  continued Shares Value SOUTH KOREA  continued Korean Reinsurance 718,002 $ 5,496,108 KT Corp. 2,510,077 71,013,536 KT Corp. ADR 1,413,459 19,689,484 LG Corp. 580,686 33,650,692 LG Uplus 4,507,998 49,742,083 LX Holdings * 36,588 288,306 PHA Co., Ltd. 349,032 2,495,035 253,239,878 SRI LANKA  0.1% Hemas Holdings PLC (A) 16,019,905 1,928,296 THAILAND  0.2% Kasikornbank PLC 1,145,400 5,075,099 UKRAINE  1.5% Astarta Holding NV (A) 659,000 3,536,431 Kernel Holding SA (A) 2,478,524 14,385,300 MHP SE (LSE Shares) GDR (B) 3,342,148 14,695,352 MHP SE (USD Shares) GDR (A)(B)(C) 44,627 196,224 32,813,307 UNITED KINGDOM  0.9% Yellow Cake PLC * (A)(C) 3,856,532 19,598,883 UNITED STATES  4.8% Hyster-Yale Materials Handling 54,601 1,677,343 Range Resources Corp. * 1,120,274 33,541,003 Royal Gold, Inc. 206,258 26,912,544 Southwestern Energy Co. * 5,587,886 41,909,145 104,040,035 TOTAL COMMON STOCK

(Cost $1,679,860,403) 1,730,422,527

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

5

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

UNIT TRUST FUND  2.1% Shares Value CANADA  2.1% Sprott Physical Uranium Trust * 3,539,064 $ 46,557,569 TOTAL UNIT TRUST FUND

(Cost $27,597,907) 46,557,569 PREFERRED STOCK  1.9% GERMANY  0.2% Draegerwerk & KGaA 0.900% 105,789 5,226,444 SOUTH KOREA  1.7% Hyundai Motor Co.4.170% 462,137 34,065,726 Hyundai Motor Co. 4.170% 19,031 1,396,654 35,462,380 TOTAL PREFERRED STOCK

(Cost $42,803,178) 40,688,824 RIGHTS  0.1% Number of

Rights CANADA  0.1% Pan American Silver Corp., Expires 02/22/29#(B)(D) (E) 2,532,384 2,076,529 TOTAL RIGHTS

(Cost $) 2,076,529 CONVERTIBLE BOND  0.0% Face Amount INDIA  0.0% REI Agro, Ltd., CV to 1,007 Shares

5.500%, 13/11/14(D)(E) $ 723,000  TOTAL CONVERTIBLE BOND

(Cost $723,000)  U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS  9.8% Face Amount Value United States Treasury Bills 1.697%, 03/23/23(F) $ 71,810,200 70,654,143 1.177%, 10/13/22(F) 71,065,000 70,654,659

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

6

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS  continued Face Amount Value 0.736%, 07/14/22(F) $ 70,773,100 $ 70,661,304 TOTAL U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS

(Cost $212,074,318) 211,970,106 SHORT TERM INVESTMENT  0.8% Shares Dreyfus Treasury Securities Cash Management Fund,

Cl Participant Shares, 0.010%(G) 16,469,185 16,469,185 TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENT

(Cost $16,469,185) 16,469,185 TOTAL INVESTMENTS 94.8%

(Cost $1,979,527,991) 2,048,184,740 Other Assets and Liabilities, Net  5.2% 111,298,433 NET ASSETS  100.0% $ 2,159,483,173

* Non-income producing security.

 Restricted Equity.

# Expiration date unavailable.

(A) Affiliated investment.

(B) Securities considered illiquid. The total value of such securities as of April 30, 2022 was $164,141,454 and represented 7.6% of Net Assets.

(C) Securities sold within terms of a private placement memorandum, exempt from registration under Section 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may be sold only to dealers in that program or other accredited investors. The total value of such securities as of April 30, 2022 was $105,491,302 and represents 4.8% of Net Assets.

(D) Security fair valued using methods determined in good faith by the Funds Fair Value Pricing Committee. The total market value of such securities as of April 30, 2022 was $138,089,784 and represented 6.4% of Net Assets.

(E) Level 3 security in accordance with fair value hierarchy.

(F) Zero coupon security. The rate reported on the Schedule of Investments is the effective yield at time of purchase.

(G) The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of April 30, 2022.

ADR  American Depositary Receipt

CAD  Canadian Dollar

Cl  Class

CV  Convertible

GDR  Global Depositary Receipt

JSC  Joint-Stock Company

LSE  London Stock Exchange

Ltd.  Limited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

7

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

PJSC  Public Joint-Stock Company

PLC  Public Limited Company

USD  U.S. Dollar

The following is a summary of the level of inputs us as of April 30, 2022, in valuing the Fund s investments carried at value:

Investments in Securities Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Common Stock Australia $  $ 94,472,573 $  $ 94,472,573 Brazil 46,022,919   46,022,919 Canada 437,386,508   437,386,508 China 3,136,748 58,351,206  61,487,954 France  59,736,590  59,736,590 Greece 4,579,145   4,579,145 Hong Kong  59,049,346  59,049,346 Indonesia  2,076,691  2,076,691 Japan  191,918,288  191,918,288 Kazakhstan  62,637,651  62,637,651 Lebanon   964,521 964,521 Malaysia  5,716,610  5,716,610 Norway  15,196,880  15,196,880 Russia   135,048,734 135,048,734 Singapore  87,695,405  87,695,405 South Africa 17,114,683 32,622,531  49,737,214 South Korea 21,750,754 231,489,124  253,239,878 Sri Lanka  1,928,296  1,928,296 Thailand  5,075,099  5,075,099 Ukraine  32,813,307  32,813,307 United Kingdom  19,598,883  19,598,883 United States 104,040,035   104,040,035 Total Common Stock 634,030,792 960,378,480 136,013,255 1,730,422,527 Unit Trust Fund Canada 46,557,569   46,557,569 Preferred Stock Germany  5,226,444  5,226,444 South Korea  35,462,380  35,462,380

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

8

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Investments in Securities Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Total Preferred Stock $  $ 40,688,824 $  $ 40,688,824 Rights Canada   2,076,529 2,076,529 Convertible Bond India     U.S. Treasury Obligations  211,970,106  211,970,106 Short Term Investment  16,469,185  16,469,185 Total Investments in Securities $ 680,588,361 $ 1,229,506,595 $ 138,089,784 $ 2,048,184,740

The following is a reconciliation of the investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were

used in determining fair value:

Common Stock Convertible

Bond Rights Total Beginning balance as of November 1, 2021 $77,3451 $  $1,873,458 $2,646,909 Accrued discounts/ premiums     Realized gain/(loss)     Change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) 191,070  203,071 394,141 Purchases     Sales     Transfers into Level 3 135,048,734   135,048,734 Transfers out of Level 3     Ending balance as of April 30, 2022 $136,013,255 $  $2,076,529 $138,089,784 Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings related to securities still held at reporting period date $191,070 $  $203,071 $394,141

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2  Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following issuers are affiliated with the Funds; that is, the Adviser had control of 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities during the period from October 31, 2021 through April 30, 2022. As defined in Section (2)(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940; such issuers are:

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

9

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Value as of 10/31/2021 Purchases at

Cost Proceeds from

Sale Realized Gain/

(Loss) Change in Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) Value as of

4/30/2022 Dividend/

Interest Income Artemis Gold, Inc. $ 13,996,358 $ 6,699,457 $  $  $ 1,956,338 $ 22,652,153 $  Astarta Holding NV 8,936,097    (5,399,666 ) 3,536,431  Bear Creek Mining Corp. 5,097,704    (1,739,031 ) 3,358,673  Dundee Corp., Cl A 2,893,298    (256,633 ) 2,636,665  Etalon Group GDR 16,219,802 3,030,227 309,538 (309,538 ) (14,819,899 ) 4,430,130 1,596,035 Fission Uranium Corp. 13,115,966 5,022,269   (2,352,406 ) 15,785,829  Gabriel Resources, Ltd. 11,521,960    (2,547,515 ) 8,974,445  Gabriel Resources, Ltd._ 659,271    (145,766 ) 513,505  Guangshen Railway Co., Ltd., Cl H 7,474,415    (383,082 ) 7,091,333  Hemas Holdings PLC 5,789,372    (3,861,076 ) 1,928,296  International Tower Hill Mines, Ltd. 4,245,588 808,852   969,888 6,024,328  Kernel Holding SA 24,091,785 9,307,744   (19,014,229 ) 14,385,300 913,559 Luks Group Vietnam Holdings Co., Ltd. 1,582,051    (1,613 ) 1,580,438  MHP SE (USD Shares) GDR 339,165    (142,941 ) 196,224 11,616 Northern Dynasty Minerals, Ltd. (USD) 4,844,175 1,641,951   (1,018,856 ) 5,467,270  Yellow Cake PLC 18,551,677    1,047,206 19,598,883  Yoma Strategic Holdings, Ltd. 6,185,000 623,842   517,490 7,326,332  Totals: $ 145,543,684 $ 27,134,342 $ 309,538 $ (309,538 ) $ (47,191,791 ) $ 125,486,235 $ 2,521,210

Amounts designated as   are either $0 or have been rounded to $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

10

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

SECTOR WEIGHTINGS:

 Percentages are based on total investments.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS COMMON STOCK  74.2% Shares Value AUSTRALIA  4.6% Newcrest Mining, Ltd. 1,480,660 $ 27,772,474 BRAZIL  0.9% Banco do Brasil SA 111,200 746,739 Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA 570,060 4,690,590 5,437,329 CANADA  15.5% Cameco Corp. 601,591 15,527,064 Centerra Gold, Inc. 652,057 6,035,074 Equinox Gold * 863,075 6,154,024 Ivanhoe Mines, Ltd., Cl A * 919,874 7,375,318 MEG Energy Corp. * 446,597 6,709,471 Novagold Resources, Inc. * 1,506,776 9,372,147 Pan American Silver Corp. 222,215 5,509,320 Turquoise Hill Resources, Ltd. * 682,255 18,584,626 Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. 397,305 17,823,102 93,090,146

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

11

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCK  continued Shares Value CHINA  8.1% Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. * 438,500 $ 5,406,575 CGN Power, Cl H (A) 23,801,000 6,694,138 China Communications Services, Cl H 6,152,000 2,801,200 China Shenhua Energy Co., Ltd., Cl H 990,000 3,164,498 China Telecom Corp, Ltd., Cl H 41,840,000 15,648,176 Guangshen Railway Co., Ltd., Cl H * (B) 10,844,000 1,811,562 PAX Global Technology, Ltd. 4,545,000 3,940,108 Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd., Cl H * 9,326,000 2,273,071 Shanghai Mechanical and Electrical Industry, Cl B 4,311,615 4,780,862 Sinopharm Group, Cl H 932,800 2,149,058 48,669,248 FRANCE  1.1% Electricite de France SA 720,306 6,519,336 HONG KONG  3.5% CK Hutchison Holdings, Ltd. 930,000 6,502,349 K Wah International Holdings, Ltd. 7,668,000 2,869,743 SJM Holdings, Ltd. * 15,616,000 6,567,327 WH Group, Ltd. 6,861,500 4,742,887 20,682,306 INDONESIA  1.2% Indofood Sukses Makmur 16,336,800 7,102,494 JAPAN  6.4% Inpex Corp. 542,200 6,538,581 Kamigumi Co., Ltd. 247,400 4,205,631 Mitsubishi Corp. 135,400 4,552,971 Mitsui & Co., Ltd. 193,800 4,682,167 Suzuken Co., Ltd. 324,900 9,581,489 TS Tech 451,800 4,717,934 West Japan Railway Co. 115,400 4,275,131 38,553,904 KAZAKHSTAN  3.8% Halyk Savings Bank of Kazakhstan JSC GDR 396,311 3,824,807

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

12

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCK  continued Shares Value KAZAKHSTAN  continued NAC Kazatomprom JSC GDR 339,249 $ 9,644,004 NAC Kazatomprom JSC GDR (A) 335,296 9,531,630 23,000,441 NETHERLANDS  0.5% AerCap Holdings * 66,123 3,088,605 RUSSIA  9.5% Federal Grid Unified Energy System PJSC (C)(D)(E) 3,021,385,233 1,698,074 Gazprom Neft PJSC (C)(D)(E) 2,817,940 6,587,700 Gazprom PJSC (C)(D)(E) 8,122,810 10,947,294 Lenta International PJSC GDR *(C)(D)(E) 1,271,467 1,124,485 LSR Group PJSC, Cl A *(C)(D)(E) 510,671 1,445,768 Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS PJSC *(C)(D)(E) 6,027,519 3,203,075 Polyus PJSC GDR (C)(D)(E) 249,258 9,624,325 RusHydro PJSC *(A)(C)(D)(E) 991,278,397 4,459,711 Sberbank of Russia PJSC *(C)(D)(E) 8,292,394 5,987,724 VEON ADR * 16,018,241 10,836,340 VTB Bank PJSC *(C)(D)(E) 11,647,406,497 1,305,946 57,220,442 SINGAPORE  2.3% Golden Agri-Resources, Ltd. 59,433,500 13,809,264 SOUTH AFRICA  2.3% Gold Fields, Ltd. 359,393 4,934,777 Harmony Gold Mining ADR 1,071,365 4,381,883 Impala Platinum Holdings, Ltd. 322,747 4,200,110 13,516,770 SOUTH KOREA  10.0% DL E&C Co., Ltd. 101,172 4,758,961 GS Holdings 47,327 1,635,986 Hyundai Mobis, Co., Ltd. 17,092 2,766,049 Korea Electric Power Corp. * 286,545 5,218,572 Korea Electric Power Corp. ADR * 280,070 2,487,022 KT Corp. 398,865 11,284,440

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

13

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCK  continued Shares Value SOUTH KOREA  continued KT Corp. ADR 793,207 $ 11,049,374 LG Corp. 138,207 8,009,081 LG Uplus 1,128,911 12,456,613 59,666,098 UKRAINE  0.6% MHP SA GDR (B)(E) 792,536 3,484,763 UNITED KINGDOM  2.4% Fresnillo PLC 760,950 7,509,311 Yellow Cake PLC *(A) (B) 1,350,705 6,864,278 14,373,589 UNITED STATES  1.5% Royal Gold, Inc. 67,826 8,849,937 TOTAL COMMON STOCK

(Cost $477,027,140) 444,837,146 PREFERRED STOCK  0.7% SOUTH KOREA  0.7% Hyundai Motor Co. 4.170% 57,314 4,224,814 TOTAL PREFERRED STOCK

(Cost $4,382,043) 4,224,814 UNIT TRUST FUND  0.0% CANADA  0.0% Sprott Physical Uranium Trust * 9,565 125,831 TOTAL UNIT TRUST FUND

(Cost $104,739) 125,831 U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS  19.6% Face Amount United States Treasury Bills 1.697%, 03/23/23(F) $ 39,771,200 39,130,932 1.177%, 10/13/22(F) 39,357,900 39,130,641

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

14

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS  continued Face Amount Value 0.736%, 07/14/22(F) $ 39,196,200 $ 39,134,284 TOTAL U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS

(Cost $117,453,573) 117,395,857 SHORT TERM INVESTMENT  1.0% Shares Dreyfus Treasury Securities Cash Management Fund, Cl Participant Shares, 0.010%(G) 6,000,485 6,000,485 TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENT

(Cost $6,000,485) 6,000,485 TOTAL INVESTMENTS 95.5%

(Cost $604,967,980) 572,584,133 Other Assets and Liabilities, Net  4.5% 27,065,925 NET ASSETS  100.0% $ 599,650,058

* Non-income producing security.

(A) Securities sold within terms of a private placement memorandum, exempt from registration under Section 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may be sold only to dealers in that program or other accredited investors. The total value of such securities as of April 30, 2022 was $27,549,757 and represents 4.6% of Net Assets.

(B) Affiliated investment.

(C) Security fair valued using methods determined in good faith by the Funds Fair Value Pricing Committee. The total market value of such securities as of April 30, 2022 was $46,384,102 and represented 7.7% of Net Assets.

(D) Level 3 security in accordance with fair value hierarchy.

(E) Securities considered illiquid. The total value of such securities as of April 30, 2022 was $49,868,865 and represented 8.3% of Net Assets.

(F) Zero coupon security. The rate reported on the Schedule of Investments is the effective yield at time of purchase.

(G) The rate reported is the 7-day effective yield as of April 30, 2022.

ADR  American Depositary Receipt

Cl  Class

GDR  Global Depositary Receipt

JSC  Joint-Stock Company

Ltd.  Limited

PJSC  Public Joint-Stock Company

PLC  Public Limited Company

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

15

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

The following is a summary of the level of inputs us as of April 30, 2022, in valuing the Funds investments carried at value:

Investments in Securities Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Common Stock Australia $  $ 27,772,474 $  $ 27,772,474 Brazil 5,437,329   5,437,329 Canada 93,090,146   93,090,146 China  48,669,248  48,669,248 France  6,519,336  6,519,336 Hong Kong  20,682,306  20,682,306 Indonesia  7,102,494  7,102,494 Japan  38,553,904  38,553,904 Kazakhstan  23,000,441  23,000,441 Netherlands 3,088,605   3,088,605 Russia 10,836,340  46,384,102 57,220,442 Singapore  13,809,264  13,809,264 South Africa 4,381,883 9,134,887  13,516,770 South Korea 13,536,396 46,129,702  59,666,098 Ukraine  3,484,763  3,484,763 United Kingdom  14,373,589  14,373,589 United States 8,849,937   8,849,937 Total Common Stock 139,220,636 259,232,408 46,384,102 444,837,146 Preferred Stock South Korea  4,224,814  4,224,814 Unit Trust Fund Canada 125,831   125,831 U.S. Treasury Obligations  117,395,857  117,395,857 Short Term Investment  6,000,485  6,000,485 Total Investments in Securities $ 139,346,467 $ 386,853,564 $ 46,384,102 $ 572,584,133

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

16

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

The following is a reconciliation of the investments in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value:

Common

Stock Beginning balance as of November 1, 2021 $ Accrued discounts/premiums  Realized gain/(loss)  Change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation)  Purchases  Sales  Transfers into Level 3 46,384,102 Transfers out of Level 3  Ending balance as of April 30, 2022 $46,384,102 Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings related to securities still held at reporting period date $

For more information on valuation inputs, see Note 2  Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Financial Statements.

The following issuers are affiliated with the Funds; that is, the Adviser had control of 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities during the period from October 31, 2021 through April 30, 2022 As defined in Section (2)(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940; such issuers are:

Value as of 10/31/2021 Purchases at Cost Proceeds from Sale Realized Gain/(Loss) Change in Unrealized

Appreciation/

(Depreciation) Value as of 4/30/2022 Dividend/

Interest Income Guangshen Railway Co., Ltd., Cl H $ 1,909,425 $  $  $  $ (97,863 ) $ 1,811,562 $  MHP SA GDR 4,347,618 1,172,166   (2,035,021 ) 3,484,763 148,906 Yellow Cake PLC 5,580,239 2,378,890 (1,908,742 ) 318,451 495,440 6,864,278  Totals: $ 11,837,282 $ 3,551,056 $ (1,908,742) $ 318,451 $ (1,637,444 ) $ 12,160,603 $ 148,906

Amounts designated as   are either $0 or have been rounded to $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

17

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES Kopernik

Global All-Cap

Fund Kopernik

International

Fund Assets: Investments, at Value (Cost $1,792,433,851 and $591,258,269) $ 1,922,698,505 $ 560,423,530 Affiliated Investments, at Value (Cost $187,094,140 and $13,709,711) 125,486,235 12,160,603 Cash 95,256,147 22,998,951 Foreign Currency, at Value (Cost $12,544,716 and $2,905,567) 12,853,043 3,028,556 Dividend and Interest Receivable 4,026,577 1,092,587 Receivable for Investment Securities Sold 2,996,563  Receivable for Capital Shares Sold 1,605,475 2,507,706 Reclaim Receivable 595,386 66,547 Prepaid Expenses 35,385 58,604 Total Assets 2,165,553,316 602,337,084 Liabilities: Payable for Investment Securities Purchased 3,912,834 1,740,579 Payable for Capital Shares Redeemed 92,605 370,225 Payable due to Adviser 1,655,502 452,013 Payable due to Administrator 129,738 35,423 Distribution Fees Payable (Class A Shares) 18,666 2,363 Payable due to Trustees 8,514 2,437 Chief Compliance Officer Fees Payable 4,031 159 Other Accrued Expenses and Other Payables 248,253 83,827 Total Liabilities 6,070,143 2,687,026 Net Assets $ 2,159,483,173 $ 599,650,058 Net Assets Consist of: Paid-in Capital $ 2,015,935,101 $ 607,635,112 Total Distributable Earnings/( Loss) 143,548,072 (7,985,054 ) Net Assets $ 2,159,483,173 $ 599,650,058

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

18

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES Kopernik

Global All-Cap

Fund Kopernik

International

Fund Class A Shares: Net Assets $ 93,877,117 N/A Outstanding Shares of beneficial interest

(unlimited authorization - no par value) 6,968,953 N/A Net Asset Value Offering and Redemption Price, Per Share* $ 13.47 N/A Maximum Offering Price Per Share $13.47/94.25% $ 14.29 N/A Class I Shares: Net Assets $ 2,065,606,056 $ 586,634,911 Outstanding Shares of beneficial interest (unlimited authorization - no par value) 154,004,449 40,272,384 Net Asset Value Offering and Redemption Price, Per Share $ 13.41 $ 14.57 Investor Shares: Net Assets N/A 13,015,147 Outstanding Shares of beneficial interest (unlimited authorization - no par value) N/A 897,224 Net Asset Value Offering and Redemption Price, Per Share N/A 14.51

* Class A Shares are subject to a maximum contingent deferred sales charge of 0.75% if shares are redeemed within 18 months of purchase.

N/A  not applicable

Amounts designated as   are either $0 or have been rounded to $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

19

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS Kopernik

Global All-Cap

Fund Kopernik

International

Fund Investment Income: Dividends $ 20,497,014 $ 4,728,185 Dividends from Affiliated Investments 2,521,210 148,906 Interest 160,823 86,713 Less: Foreign Taxes Withheld (3,193,615 ) (758,120 ) Total Investment Income 19,985,432 4,205,684 Expenses: Investment Advisory Fees 10,074,394 2,754,520 Administration Fees 788,456 215,579 Distribution Fees (Class A Shares) 124,026 14,028 Trustees Fees 17,558 4,720 Chief Compliance Officer Fees 5,823 1,656 Custodian Fees 208,138 51,673 Transfer Agent Fees 55,251 33,536 Registration and Filing Fees 39,994 44,908 Printing Fees 25,972 7,407 Legal Fees 18,735 5,104 Audit Fees 12,788 15,268 Other Expenses 28,968 8,571 Total Expenses 11,400,103 3,156,970 Less: Fees Paid Indirectly  Note 4 (440 ) (258 ) Net Expenses 11,399,663 3,156,712 Net Investment Income 8,585,769 1,048,972 Net Realized Gain (Loss) on: Investments 218,182,747 35,065,273 Affiliated Investments (309,538 ) 318,451 Purchased Options (12,341,970 )  Foreign Currency Transactions (473,760 ) (164,200 ) Net Realized Gain 205,057,479 35,219,524 Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on: Investments (351,957,165 ) (116,799,221 ) Affiliated Investments (47,191,791 ) (1,637,444 ) Purchased Options 2,043,790  Foreign Currency Transactions (223,294 ) 37,493 Net Change in Unrealized Depreciation (397,328,460 ) (118,399,172 ) Net Realized and Unrealized Loss on Investments, Affiliated Investments, Purchased Options and Foreign Currency Transactions (192,270,981 ) (83,179,648 ) Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations $ (183,685,212 ) $ (82,130,676 )

Amounts designated as  are $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

20

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS Six Months Ended

April 30, 2022

(Unaudited) Year Ended October

31, 2021 Operations: Net Investment Income $ 8,585,769 $ 19,656,796 Net Realized Gain on Investments, Affiliated Investments, Purchased Options and Foreign Currency Transactions 205,057,479 93,760,586 Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments, Affiliated Investments, Purchased Options and Foreign Currency Transactions (397,328,460 ) 477,319,664 Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting From Operations (183,685,212 ) 590,737,046 Distributions: Class A Shares (8,728,029 ) (3,267,954 ) Class I Shares (188,247,298 ) (62,824,946 ) Total Distributions (196,975,327 ) (66,092,900 ) Capital Share Transactions:(1) Class A Shares Issued 18,938,041 44,061,843 Reinvestment of Distributions 6,523,848 2,760,218 Redeemed (20,240,613 ) (27,235,290 ) Net Class A Share Transactions 5,221,276 19,586,771 Class I Shares Issued 288,424,308 976,403,280 Reinvestment of Distributions 142,111,899 43,187,195 Redeemed (263,530,102 ) (347,853,890 ) Net Class I Share Transactions 167,006,105 671,736,585 Net Increase in Net Assets From Capital Share Transactions 172,227,381 691,323,356 Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets (208,433,158 ) 1,215,967,502 Net Assets: Beginning of Period/Year 2,367,916,331 1,151,948,829 End of Period/Year $ 2,159,483,173 $ 2,367,916,331

(1) For share transactions, see Note 6 in the Notes to Financial Statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

21

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS Six Months Ended

April 30, 2022

(Unaudited) Year Ended October

31, 2021 Operations: Net Investment Income $ 1,048,972 $ 3,247,140 Net Realized Gain on Investments, Affiliated Investments, Purchased Options and Foreign Currency Transactions 35,219,524 21,824,259 Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments, Affiliated Investments, Purchased Options and Foreign Currency Transactions (118,399,172 ) 71,475,016 Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting From Operations (82,130,676 ) 96,546,415 Distributions: Class I Shares (32,578,533 ) (7,396,925 ) Investor Shares (590,017 ) (47,460 ) Total Distributions (33,168,550 ) (7,444,385 ) Capital Share Transactions:(1) Class I Shares Issued 265,753,184 310,899,893 Reinvestment of Distributions 25,377,608 5,485,612 Redeemed (156,635,963 ) (55,412,773 ) Net Class I Share Transactions 134,494,829 260,972,732 Investor Shares Issued 10,631,364 9,932,078 Reinvestment of Distributions 501,729 46,975 Redeemed (3,293,080 ) (4,644,422 ) Net Investor Share Transactions 7,840,013 5,334,631 Net Increase in Net Assets From Capital Share Transactions 142,334,842 266,307,363 Total Increase in Net Assets 27,035,616 355,409,393 Net Assets: Beginning of Period/Year 572,614,442 217,205,049 End of Period/Year $ 599,650,058 $ 572,614,442

(1) For share transactions, see Note 6 in the Notes to Financial Statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

22

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Selected Per Share Data & Ratios For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period

Class A Shares Six Months

Ended April

30, 2022 (Unaudited) Year Ended

October 31,

2021 Year Ended

October 31,

2020 Year Ended

October 31,

2019 Year Ended

October 31,

2018 Year Ended

October 31,

2017 Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period $ 15.91 $ 11.45 $ 9.75 $ 9.55 $ 10.78 $ 10.14 Income (Loss) from Investment Operations: Net Investment Income* 0.04 0.12 0.11 0.09 0.06 0.07 Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) (1.22) 4.94 1.86 0.11 (0.85) 0.88 Total from Investment Operations (1.18) 5.06 1.97 0.20 (0.79 ) 0.95 Dividends and Distributions: Net Investment Income (0.73) (0.35 ) (0.27 )  (0.44 ) (0.31 ) Capital Gains (0.53) (0.25)     Total Dividends and Distributions (1.26) (0.60) (0.27)  (0.44) (0.31) Net Asset Value, End of Year/Period $ 13.47 $ 15.91 $ 11.45 $ 9.75 $ 9.55 $ 10.78 Total Return  (7.70)% 45.38% 20.64% 2.09% (7.76)% 9.60% Ratios and Supplemental Data Net Assets, End of Year/Period (Thousands) $ 93,877 $ 105,632 $ 59,266 $ 56,434 $ 57,586 $ 72,257 Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets(1) 1.26%   1.28% 1.30% 1.30% 1.29% 1.30%(2) Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, Recaptured Fees and Fees Paid Indirectly) 1.26%   1.28% 1.30% 1.30% 1.29% 1.30% Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets 0.55%   0.81% 1.01% 0.93% 0.54% 0.66% Portfolio Turnover Rate 36%    45% 50% 31% 44% 37%

* Per share calculations were performed using average shares for the period.

 Total return is for the period indicated and has not been annualized. Returns shown do not reflect the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 Annualized.

Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and has not been annualized.

(1) The ratio of expenses to average net assets excludes the effects of fees paid indirectly. If these expense offsets were included, the ratio would be equal to the ratio presented.

(2) Ratio includes previously waived advisory fees recaptured. The net expense ratio would have been lower absent the impact of the recaptured fees.

Amounts designated as  are either not applicable, $0 or have been rounded to $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

23

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK GLOBAL ALL-CAP FUND

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Selected Per Share Data & Ratios For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period

Class I Shares Six Months

Ended April

30, 2022 (Unaudited) Year Ended

October 31,

2021 Year Ended

October 31,

2020 Year Ended

October 31,

2019 Year Ended

October 31,

2018 Year Ended

October 31,

2017 Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period $ 15.87 $ 11.41 $ 9.73 $ 9.53 $ 10.75 $ 10.11 Income (Loss) from Investment Operations: Net Investment Income* 0.06 0.15 0.13 0.12 0.08 0.10 Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) (1.22 ) 4.93 1.85 0.10 (0.84 ) 0.88 Total from Investment Operations (1.16 ) 5.08 1.98 0.22 (0.76 ) 0.98 Dividends and Distributions: Net Investment Income (0.77 ) (0.37 ) (0.30 ) (0.02 ) (0.46 ) (0.34 ) Capital Gains (0.53 ) (0.25 )     Total Dividends and Distributions (1.30 ) (0.62 ) (0.30 ) (0.02 ) (0.46 ) (0.34 ) Net Asset Value, End of Year/Period $ 13.41 $ 15.87 $ 11.41 $ 9.73 $ 9.53 $ 10.75 Total Return  (7.62)% 45.83% 20.81% 2.36% (7.45)% 9.88% Ratios and Supplemental Data Net Assets, End of Year/Period (Thousands) $ 2,065,606 $ 2,262,284 $ 1,092,683 $ 930,874 $ 988,391 $ 1,080,471 Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets(1) 1.01% 1.03% 1.05% 1.05% 1.04% 1.05%(2) Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, Recaptured Fees and Fees Paid Indirectly) 1.01% 1.03% 1.05% 1.05% 1.04% 1.05% Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets 0.78% 1.06% 1.25% 1.18% 0.83% 0.97% Portfolio Turnover Rate 36% 45% 50% 31% 44% 37%

* Per share calculations were performed using average shares for the period.

 Total return is for the period indicated and has not been annualized. Returns shown do not reflect the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 Annualized.

Portfolioturnover rate is for the period indicated and has not been annualized.

(1) The ratio of expenses to average net assets excludes the effects of fees paid indirectly. If these expense offsets were included, the ratio would be equal to the ratio presented.

(2) Ratio includes previously waived advisory fees recaptured. The net expense ratio would have been lower absent the impact of the recaptured fees.

Amountsdesignated as  are either not applicable, $0 or have been rounded to $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

24

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Selected Per Share Data & Ratios For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Year/Period

Class I Shares Six Months

Ended April

30, 2022 (Unaudited) Year Ended

October 31,

2021 Year Ended

October 31,

2020 Year Ended

October 31,

2019 Year Ended

October 31,

2018 Year Ended

October 31,

2017 Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period $ 17.42 $ 13.21 $ 12.38 $ 11.31 $ 11.92 $ 11.31 Income (Loss) from Investment Operations: Net Investment Income* 0.03 0.14 0.14 0.16 0.13 0.15 Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) (1.95) 4.50 1.01 1.04 (0.58) 0.60 Total from Investment Operations (1.92) 4.64 1.15 1.20 (0.45) 0.75 Dividends and Distributions: Net Investment Income (0.34) (0.26) (0.16) (0.13) (0.11) (0.04) Capital Gains (0.59) (0.17) (0.16)  (0.05) (0.10) Total Dividends and Distributions (0.93) (0.43) (0.32) (0.13) (0.16) (0.14) Net Asset Value, End of Year/Period $ 14.57 $ 17.42 $ 13.21 $ 12.38 $ 11.31 $ 11.92 Total Return  (11.51)% 35.71% 9.41% 10.78% (3.83)% 6.68% Ratios and Supplemental Data Net Assets, End of Year/Period (Thousands) $ 586,635 $ 565,278 $ 215,822 $ 168,011 $ 128,401 $ 82,845 Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets(1) 1.03% 1.09%(2) 1.10% 1.10% 0.93% 0.47% Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, Recaptured Fees and Fees Paid Indirectly) 1.03% 1.06% 1.11% 1.12% 1.13% 1.60% Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets 0.35% 0.83% 1.11% 1.32% 1.06% 1.24% Portfolio Turnover Rate 31% 56% 61% 45% 34% 21%

* Per share calculations were performed using average shares for the period.

 Total return is for the period indicated and has not been annualized. Returns shown do not reflect the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 Annualized.

Portfolioturnover rate is for the period indicated and has not been annualized.

(1) The ratio of expenses to average net assets excludes the effects of fees paid indirectly. If these expense offsets were included, the ratio would be equal to the ratio presented.

(2) Ratio includes previously waived advisory fees recaptured. The net expense ratio would have been lower absent the impact of the recaptured fees.

Amountsdesignated as   are either not applicable, $0 or have been rounded to $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

25

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK INTERNATIONAL FUND

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Selected Per Share Data & Ratios For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period/Year

Investor Shares Six Months Ended April

30, 2022 (Unaudited) Year Ended

October 31,

2021 Year Ended

October 31,

2020 Period Ended

October 31,

2019(1) Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year/Period $ 17.36 $ 13.18 $ 12.36 $ 11.41 Income (Loss) from Investment Operations: Net Investment Income* 0.01 0.11 0.13 0.14 Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) (1.95) 4.48 0.98 0.94 Total from Investment Operations (1.94) 4.59 1.11 1.08 Dividends and Distributions: Net Investment Income (0.32) (0.24) (0.13) (0.13) Capital Gains (0.59) (0.17) (0.16)  Total Dividends and Distributions (0.91) (0.41) (0.29) (0.13) Net Asset Value, End of Year/Period $ 14.51 $ 17.36 $ 13.18 $ 12.36 Total Return  (11.66)% 35.39% 9.12% 9.61% Ratios and Supplemental Data Net Assets, End of Year/Period (Thousands) $ 13,015 $ 7,336 $ 1,383 $ 250 Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets(2) 1.28%   1.34%(3) 1.35% 1.35%   Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, Recaptured Fees and Fees Paid Indirectly) 1.28%   1.31% 1.36% 1.37%   Ratio of Net Investment Income to Average Net Assets 0.10%   0.68% 1.02% 1.32%   Portfolio Turnover Rate 31%    56% 61% 45%

* Per share calculations were performed using average shares for the period.

 Total return is for the period indicated and has not been annualized. Returns shown do not reflect the deductions of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares.

 Annualized.

Portfolioturnover rate is for the period indicated and has not been annualized. (1) Investor Class Shares commenced operations December 10, 2018.

(2) The ratio of expenses to average net assets excludes the effects of fees paid indirectly. If these expense offsets were included, the ratio would be equal to the ratio presented.

(3) Ratio includes previously waived advisory fees recaptured. The net expense ratio would have been lower absent the impact of the recaptured fees.

Amountsdesignated as   are either not applicable, $0 or have been rounded to $0.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

26

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Organization:

The Advisors Inner Circle Fund II (the Trust) is organized as a Massachusetts business trust under an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated February 18, 1997. The Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company with 11 funds. The financial statements herein are those of the Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund and Kopernik International Fund (each a Fund and, collectively, the Funds). The investment objective of the Funds is long-term growth of capital. The Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund is diversified and invests primarily (at least 40% of its net assets) in equity securities of companies located in at least three countries other than the U.S. The Kopernik International Fund is diversified and invests primarily in equity securities of companies located throughout the world. The financial statements of the remaining funds of the Trust are presented separately. The assets of each fund are segregated, and a shareholders interest is limited to the fund in which shares are held.

Effective September 27, 2018, the Kopernik International Fund Class A shares were redesignated as Investor Class Shares. This share class name change had no impact on any Fund operations or investment policies. The Investor Class Shares commenced operations on December 10, 2018.

2. Significant Accounting Policies:

The following are significant accounting policies, which are consistently followed in the preparation of the financial statements of the Funds. The Funds are investment companies that apply the accounting and reporting guidance issued in Topic 946 by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

Use of Estimates  The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates and such differences could be material.

Security Valuation  Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued at the last quoted sale price on an exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded on valuation date (or at approximately 4:00 pm ET if a securitys primary exchange is normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale on the valuation date, at the most recent quoted bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed

27

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

to identify the market value for such securities. Such methodologies generally consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to specific securities in arriving at valuations. On the first day a new debt security purchase is recorded, if a price is not available on the automated pricing feeds from our primary and secondary pricing vendors nor is it available from an independent broker, the security may be valued at its purchase price. Each day thereafter, the debt security will be valued according to the Trusts fair value procedures until an independent source can be secured. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value provided that it is determined the amortized cost continues to approximate fair value. Should existing credit, liquidity or interest rate conditions in the relevant markets and issuer specific circumstances suggest that amortized cost does not approximate fair value, then the amortized cost method may not be used. The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates.

Options for which the primary market is a national securities exchange are valued at the last bid price on the exchange on which they are traded, or, in the absence of any sale, at the closing bid price for long positions and at the closing ask price for written options. Options not traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last quoted bid price.

Securities for which market prices are not readily available are valued in accordance with fair value procedures established by the Funds Board of Trustees (the Board). The Funds fair value procedures are implemented through a fair value committee (the Committee) designated by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using fair value procedures include: the securitys trading has been halted or suspended; the security has been de-listed from a national exchange; the securitys primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when under normal conditions it would be open; the security has not been traded for an extended period of time; the securitys primary pricing source is not able or willing to provide a price; or trading of the security is subject to local government-imposed restrictions. When a security is valued in accordance with the fair value procedures, the Committee will determine the value after taking into consideration relevant information reasonably available to the Committee. As of April 30, 2022, the total market value of securities in the Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund valued in accordance with fair value procedures was $138,089,784 or 6.4% of the Funds net assets. As of April 30, 2022, the Kopernik International Fund valued in accordance with fair value procedures was $46,384,102 or 7.7% of the Funds net assets.

For securities that principally trade on a foreign market or exchange, a significant gap in time can exist between the time of a particular securitys last trade and the time at which the Funds calculate their net asset values. The closing prices of such securities may no longer reflect their market value at the time the Funds calculate net asset values if an event that could materially affect the value of those securities (a Significant Event) has occurred between the time of the securitys last close and the time that the Fund calculates net asset value. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector. If the Adviser of the Funds becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a security or group of securities after the closing of the exchange or market on which the security or securities principally trade, but before the time at which the Fund calculates net asset value, it may request that a Committee meeting be called.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

The Funds use Markit Fair Value (Markit) as a third party fair valuation vendor. Markit provides a fair value for foreign securities in the Funds based on certain factors and methodologies (involving, generally, tracking valuation correlations between the U.S. market and each non-U.S. security) applied by Markit in the event that there is a movement in the U.S. market that exceeds a specific threshold established by the Committee. The Committee establishes a confidence interval which is used to determine the level of correlation between the value of a foreign security and movements in the U.S. market before a particular security is fair valued when the threshold is exceeded. In the event that the threshold established by the Committee is exceeded on a specific day, the Fund values its non-U.S. securities that exceed the applicable confidence interval based upon the fair values provided by Markit. In such event, it is not necessary to hold a Committee meeting. In the event that the Adviser believes that the fair values provided by Markit are not reliable, the Adviser contacts SEI Investments Global Fund Services (the Administrator) and may request that a meeting of the Committee be held.

If a local market in which the Funds own securities is closed for one or more days, the Funds shall value all securities held in that corresponding currency based on the fair value prices provided by Markit using the predetermined confidence interval discussed above.

In accordance with authoritative guidance on fair value measurement under U.S. GAAP, the Funds disclose fair value of its investments in a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure the fair value. The objective of a fair value measurement is to determine the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (an exit price). Accordingly, the fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3).

The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1  Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access at the measurement date;

Level 2  Other significant observable inputs (includes quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, referenced indices, quoted prices in inactive markets, adjusted quoted prices in active markets, adjusted quoted prices on foreign equity securities that were adjusted in accordance with pricing procedures approved by the Board, etc.); and

Level 3  Prices, inputs or exotic modeling techniques which are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (supported by little or no market activity).

Investments are classified within the level of the lowest significant input considered in determining fair value. Investments classified within Level 3 whose fair value measurement considers several inputs may include Level 1 or Level 2 inputs as components of the overall fair value measurement.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

The following table summarizes the quantitative inputs and assumptions used for items categorized as recurring Level 3 assets as of April 30, 2022. The following disclosures also include qualitative information on the sensitivity of the fair value measurements to changes in the significant unobservable inputs.

Asset Fair Value at

April 30, 2022 Valuation

Techniques Unobservable Inputs Inputs Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund Common Stock $964,521 Fair Valued Adjusted Trade Price 85% Common Stock $135,048,734 Fair Valued Adjusted Trade Price 60% Adjusted Recent Rights $2,076,529 Trade Adjusted Trade Price $0.74

Asset Fair Value at

April 30,

2022 Valuation

Techniques Unobservable Inputs Inputs Kopernik International Fund Common Stock $46,384,102 Fair Valued Adjusted Trade Price 60%

The unobservable inputs used to determine fair value of recurring Level 3 assets may have similar or diverging impacts on valuation. Significant increases and decreases in these inputs in isolation and interrelationships between those inputs could result in significantly higher or lower fair value measurement.

For the six months ended April 30, 2022, there have been no significant changes to the Funds fair valuation methodology.

Federal Income Taxes  It is the Funds intention to qualify as a regulated investment company for Federal income tax purposes by complying with the appropriate provisions of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Accordingly, no provisions for Federal income taxes have been made in the financial statements.

The Funds evaluate tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Funds tax returns to determine whether it is more-likely than-not (i.e., greater than 50-percent) that each tax position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority based on the technical merits of the position. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold are recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current period. The Funds did not record any tax provision in the current period. However, managements conclusions regarding tax positions taken may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, examination by tax authorities (i.e., the last three tax year ends, as applicable), on-going analysis of and changes to tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

As of and during the six months ended April 30, 2022, the Funds did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Funds recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statements of Operations. During the six months ended April 30, 2022, the Funds did not incur any significant interest or penalties.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Security Transactions and Investment Income  Security transactions are accounted for on trade date. Costs used in determining realized gains and losses on the sale of investment securities are based on specific identification. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income is recognized on the accrual basis from settlement date. Certain dividends from foreign securities will be recorded as soon as the Fund is informed of the dividend if such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are accreted and amortized.

Foreign Currency Translation  The books and records of the Funds are maintained in U.S. dollars. Investment securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars on the date of valuation. The Funds do not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains and losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. These gains and losses are included in net realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments on the Statement of Operations. Net realized and unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net foreign exchange gains or losses from foreign currency exchange contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of the investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Funds books and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid.

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts  The Funds may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts to protect the value of securities held and related receivables and payables against changes in future foreign exchange rates. A forward currency contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell currency at a set price on a future date. The market value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked-to-market daily using the current forward rate and the change in market value is recorded by the Funds as unrealized gain or loss. The Funds recognize realized gains or losses when the contract is closed, equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed. Any realized or unrealized gains (loss) during the period are presented on the Statements of Operations. Risks may arise from unanticipated movements in the value of a foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar. Risks may also arise upon entering into these contracts from the potential inability of counterparties to meet the terms of their contracts and are generally limited to the amount of unrealized gain on the contracts at the date of default. There were no forward foreign currency contracts for the six months ended April 30, 2022.

Options Written/Purchased  The Funds may purchase and write put and call options on indices and enter into related closing transactions. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract. The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date. Premiums received or paid from writing or purchasing options which expire unexercised are treated by the Funds on the expiration date as realized gains or losses. The difference between the premium and the amount paid or received on effecting a closing purchase or sale transaction, including brokerage commissions, is also treated as a realized gain or loss. If an option is exercised, the premium paid or received is added to the cost of the purchase or proceeds from the sale in determining whether a Fund has realized a gain or a loss. Any realized or unrealized gains (loss) during the period are presented on the Statements of Operations. Risks associated with options transactions include: (i) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (ii) there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them; (iii) there may not be a liquid secondary market for options; and (iv) while a Fund will receive a premium when it writes covered call options, it may not participate fully in a rise in the market value of the underlying security. The Funds did not have open written or purchased option contracts as of April 30, 2022.

Illiquid Securities  A security is considered illiquid if it cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days or less for its approximate carrying value on the books of a Fund. Valuations of illiquid securities may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had an active market value for these securities existed.

Restricted Securities  As of April 30, 2022, the Global All Cap Fund owned private placement investments that were purchased through private offerings or acquired through initial public offerings or acquired through restructuring and cannot be sold without prior registration under the Securities Act of 1933 or pursuant to an exemption therefrom. In addition, the Funds have generally agreed to further restrictions on the disposition of certain holdings as set forth in various agreements entered into in connection with the purchase of these investments. The acquisition dates of these investments, the enforceable right to acquire these securities, along with their cost and values at April 30, 2022, were as follows:

Number of Shares Acquisition

Date Right to

Acquire

Date Cost Market Value % of

Net

Assets Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund Artemis Gold, Inc. 4,098,604 11/9/2020 11/9/2020 $ 14,031,575 $ 22,652,153 1.1% Gabriel Resources, Ltd. 3,471,971 5/31/2021 5/31/2021 704,137 513,505 0.0 $ 14,735,712 $ 23,165,658 1.1%

Cash  Idle cash may be swept into various time deposit accounts and is classified as cash on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. The Funds maintain cash in bank

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

deposit accounts which, at times may exceed United States federally insured limits. Amounts invested are available on the same business day.

Expenses  Most expenses of the Trust can be directly attributed to a particular fund. Expenses which cannot be directly attributed to a particular fund are apportioned among the funds of the Trust based on the number of funds and/or relative net assets.

Classes  Class specific expenses are borne by that class of shares. Income, realized and unrealized gains (losses), and non-class specific expenses are allocated to the respective class on the basis of relative daily net assets.

Dividends and Distributions to Shareholders  The Funds distribute substantially all of their net investment income annually. Any net realized capital gains are distributed annually. All distributions are recorded on ex-dividend date.

3. Transactions with Affiliates:

Certain officers of the Trust are also employees of the Administrator and/or SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the Distributor). Such officers are paid no fees by the Trust, other than the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) as described below, for serving as officers of the Trust.

The services provided by the CCO and his staff, whom are employees of the Administrator, are paid for by the Trust as incurred. The services include regulatory oversight of the Trusts Advisors and service providers as required by SEC regulations. The CCOs services and fees have been approved by and are reviewed by the Board.

4. Administration, Distribution, Shareholder Servicing, Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreements:

The Funds and the Administrator are parties to an Administration Agreement under which the Administrator provides management and administrative services to the Funds. For these services, the Administrator is paid an asset-based fee, which will vary depending on the number of share classes and the average daily net assets of the Funds. For the six months ended April 30, 2022, the Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund and Kopernik International Fund paid $788,456 and $215,579, respectively, for these services.

The Funds have adopted a distribution plan with respect to the Class A Shares and Investor Class Shares in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Funds assets continuously, over time, these fees will increase the cost of your investment. Under the distribution plan, the Funds may receive up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A Shares and Investor Class Shares as compensation for distribution and shareholder services.

DST Systems, Inc. serves as the transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent for the Funds under a transfer agency agreement with the Trust.

During the six months ended April 30, 2022, the Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund and Kopernik International Fund earned cash management credits of $440 and $258, respectively, which were used to offset transfer agent expenses. These amounts are labeled Fees Paid Indirectly on the Statements of Operations.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acts as custodian (the Custodian) for the Funds. The Custodian plays no role in determining the investment policies of the Funds or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Funds.

5. Investment Advisory Agreement:

Under the terms of an investment advisory agreement, the Adviser provides investment advisory services to the Funds at a fee calculated at an annual rate of 0.90% of the Funds average daily net assets. The Adviser has contractually agreed (effective November 1, 2013 for the Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund and June 30, 2015 (revised February 8, 2017 and March 1, 2018) for the Kopernik International Fund) to reduce its fees and/or reimburse expenses in order to keep total annual fund operating expenses after fee reductions and/or expense reimbursements (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses and extraordinary expenses (collectively, excluded expenses)) from exceeding certain levels as set forth below until February 28, 2023 (the Contractual Expense Limit). Refer to waiver of investment advisory fees on the Statement of Operations for fees waived for the six months ended April 30, 2022. This agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board, for any reason at any time, or (ii) by the Adviser, upon ninety (90) days prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on February 28, 2023.

Class A

Shares Class I

Shares Investor

Class Shares Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund 1.35% 1.10% N/A Kopernik International Fund N/A 1.10% 1.35% N/A/ - Not Applicable

Prior to March 1, 2018, the Contractual Expense Limit for the Kopernik International Fund was 0.70% for Investor Class Shares and 0.45% for Class I Shares.

If at any point it becomes unnecessary for the Adviser to reduce fees or make expense reimbursements, the Adviser may receive from the Funds the difference between the total annual fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the Contractual Expense Limit to recover all or a portion of its prior fee reductions or expense reimbursements made during the preceding three-year period during which this agreement (or any other agreement) was in place.

For the six months ended April 30, 2022, the Funds have completed recapturing previously waived fees by the Adviser.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

6. Share Transactions:

Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund Six-Month

Period

Ended

April 30, 2022

(Unaudited) Year

Ended

October 31, 2021 Shares Transactions: Class A Shares Issued 1,314,590 3,100,556 Reinvestment of Distributions 456,886 209,677 Redeemed (1,440,488 ) (1,848,849 ) Increase in Class A Shares 330,988 1,461,384 Class I Shares Issued 20,325,257 67,304,778 Reinvestment of Distributions 9,998,794 3,295,231 Redeemed (18,873,357 ) (23,783,555 ) Increase in Class I Shares 11,450,694 46,816,454 Kopernik International Fund Six-Month

Period

Ended

April 30, 2022

(Unaudited) Year

Ended

October 31, 2021 Shares Transactions: Class I Shares Issued 16,744,184 19,112,691 Reinvestment of Distributions 1,554,402 373,308 Redeemed (10,472,737 ) (3,379,175 ) Increase in Class I Shares 7,825,849 16,106,824 Investor Shares Issued 658,080 597,370 Reinvestment of Distributions 30,841 3,205 Redeemed (214,400 ) (282,817 ) Increase in Investor Shares 474,521 317,758

7. Investment Transactions:

For the six months ended April 30, 2022, the purchases and sales of investment securities other than long-term U.S. Government and short-term securities were:

Purchases Sales and

Maturities Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund $ 708,367,780 $ 721,699,152

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Purchases Sales and

Maturities Kopernik International Fund $ 279,348,466 $ 139,183,853

There were no purchases or sales of long-term U.S. Government securities.

8. Federal Tax Information:

The amount and character of income and capital gain distributions to be paid, if any, are determined in accordance with Federal income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. GAAP. As a result, net investment income (loss) and net realized gain or (loss) on investment transactions for a reporting period may differ significantly from distributions during the year. The book/tax differences may be temporary or permanent. To the extent these differences are permanent in nature, they are charged or credited to distributable earnings (loss) or paid-in capital, as appropriate, in the period that the differences arise.

The tax character of dividends and distributions declared for the Funds during the years ended October 31, 2021 and October 31, 2020 were as follows:

Ordinary

Income Long-Term

Capital Gain Total Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund 2021 $ 66,092,900 $  $ 66,092,900 2020 29,180,680  29,180,680 Kopernik International Fund 2021 6,321,991 1,122,394 7,444,385 2020 4,063,436 243,099 4,306,535

As of October 31, 2021, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

Kopernik Global

All-Cap Fund Kopernik

International Fund Undistributed Ordinary Income $ 179,963,136 $ 25,913,376 Undistributed Long-Term Capital Gains 6,508,208 5,053,665 Unrealized Appreciation 337,737,277 76,347,135 Other Temporary Differences (10 ) (4) Total Distributable Earnings $ 524,208,611 $ 107,314,172

For Federal income tax purposes the difference between Federal tax cost and book cost primarily relates to passive foreign investment companies, derivatives and wash sales which cannot be used for Federal income tax purposes in the current year and have been deferred for use in future years. The federal tax cost and aggregate gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation on investments, including derivatives, held by the Funds at April 30, 2022, were as follows:

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Federal Tax

Cost Aggregate

Gross

Unrealized

Appreciation Aggregate

Gross

Unrealized

Depreciation Net Unrealized

Appreciation/

Depreciation Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund $ 1,979,527,991 $ 427,370,484 $ (358,713,735) $ 68,656,749 Kopernik International Fund 604,967,980 75,121,002 (107,504,849) (32,383,847)

9. Risks:

The Funds invest in securities of foreign issuers in various countries. These investments may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with investments in the United States as a result of, among other factors, the possibility of future political and economic developments and the level of governmental supervision and regulation of securities markets in the respective countries.

The Funds may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which they invest. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The Funds accrue and apply such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. The principal risk factors affecting shareholders investments in the Funds are set forth below. The following risks pertain to the Funds, unless otherwise noted.

Convertible and Preferred Securities Risk  Convertible and preferred securities have many of the same characteristics as stocks, including many of the same risks. In addition, convertible securities may be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than stocks. Convertible securities may also have credit ratings below investment grade, meaning that they carry a higher risk of failure by the issuer to pay principal and/or interest when due.

Depositary Receipts Risk  Depositary receipts are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer that are issued by depositary banks and generally trade on an established market. Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities, including, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad, currency movements, and different legal, regulatory and tax environments.

Equity Risk  Since the Funds purchase equity securities, the Funds are subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of the Funds equity securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. In addition, the impact of any epidemic, pandemic or natural disaster, or widespread fear that such events may occur, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which the Funds invest, which in turn could negatively impact the Funds performance and cause losses on your investment in the Funds. These factors contribute to price volatility, which is the principal risk of investing in the Funds.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Foreign Currency Risk  As a result of the Funds investments in securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies, the Funds will be subject to foreign currency risk. Foreign currency risk is the risk that foreign currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar or, in the case of hedged positions, that the U.S. dollar, in which case, will decline in value relative to the currency hedged. In either event, the dollar value of an investment in the Funds would be adversely affected.

Foreign/Emerging and Frontier Market Security Risk  Non-U.S. securities may be subject to additional risks due to, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad, currency movements and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. Non-U.S. securities are also subject to risks associated with the potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, periodic U.S. Government restrictions on investments in issuers from certain foreign countries may require the Funds to sell such investments at inopportune times, which could result in losses to the Funds. These additional risks may be heightened with respect to emerging and frontier market countries since political turmoil and rapid changes in economic conditions are more likely to occur in these countries.

Geographic Focus Risk  To the extent that a large portion of their portfolios is invested in a particular country or region, the Funds may be more susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers within that country or region. As a result, the Funds may be subject to greater price volatility and risk of loss than a fund holding more geographically diverse investments.

Liquidity Risk  Certain securities, including privately placed securities and securities of emerging or frontier market issuers, may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time and the price that the Funds would like. The Funds may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on Fund management or performance.

Private Placements Risk  Investment in privately placed securities may be less liquid than in publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Funds or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Further, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that might be applicable if their securities were publicly traded.

Sanctions Risk  In response to recent political and military actions undertaken by Russia, the U.S. and the European Union have instituted various sanctions against Russia. These sanctions and the threat of additional sanctions could have further adverse consequences for the Russian economy, including additional downgrades in the countrys credit rating and a significant decline in the value and liquidity of securities issued by Russian companies or the Russian government. The U.S. and/or the European Union have continued to impose broader sanctions targeting specific Russian issuers or sectors of the Russian economy. Sanctions and/ or retaliatory actions by Russia have required Funds to assess existing investments in Russian companies, prohibited Funds from purchasing these Russian companies, and limited the opportunity to divest of Russian investments if an Adviser so chooses. These sanctions and/or any retaliatory action by Russia impacts the Funds liquidity.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Small and Medium Capitalization Companies Risk  The risk that small and medium capitalization companies in which the Funds invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, small and medium capitalization companies may have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, small capitalization and medium capitalization stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies. Small capitalization and medium capitalization stocks may be traded over-the-counter or listed on an exchange. The market for small and medium capitalization companies may be less liquid than the market for larger capitalization companies.

Valuation Risk  Valuation risk is the risk that certain securities may be difficult to value and/or valued incorrectly. This risk may be especially pronounced for investments that may be illiquid or may become illiquid.

10. Concentration of Shareholders:

At April 30, 2022, the percentage of total shares outstanding held by shareholders for each Fund, which are comprised of omnibus accounts that were held on behalf of multiple underlying shareholders was as follows:

No. of

Shareholders %

Ownership Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund, Class A Shares 3 59% Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund, Class I Shares 4 71% Kopernik International Fund, Class I Shares 4 78% Kopernik International Fund, Investor Class Shares 2 69%

11. Other:

In the normal course of business, the Funds enter into contracts that provide general indemnifications. The Funds maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on future claims that may be made against the Funds and, therefore, cannot be established; however, based on experience, the risk of loss from such claim is considered remote.

12. Subsequent Events:

The Funds have evaluated the need for additional disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued. Based on this evaluation, no additional disclosures and/or adjustments were required to the financial statements as of April 30, 2022.

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THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

DISCLOSURE OF FUND EXPENSES

All mutual funds have operating expenses. As a shareholder of a mutual fund, your investment is affected by these ongoing costs, which include (among others) costs for fund management, administrative services, and shareholder reports like this one. It is important for you to understand the impact of these costs on your investment returns.

Operating expenses such as these are deducted from the mutual funds gross income and directly reduce your final investment return. These expenses are expressed as a percentage of the mutual funds average net assets; this percentage is known as the mutual funds expense ratio.

The following examples use the expense ratio and are intended to help you understand the ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in your Fund and to compare these costs with those of other mutual funds. The examples are based on an investment of $1,000 made at the beginning of the period shown and held for the entire period (November 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022).

The table on the next page illustrates your Funds costs in two ways:

 Actual Fund Return. This section helps you to estimate the actual expenses after fee waivers that your Fund incurred over the period. The Expenses Paid During Period column shows the actual dollar expense cost incurred by a $1,000 investment in the Fund, and the Ending Account Value number is derived from deducting that expense cost from the Funds gross investment return.

You can use this information, together with the actual amount you invested in the Fund, to estimate the expenses you paid over that period. Simply divide your ending starting account value by $1,000 to arrive at a ratio (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply that ratio by the number shown for your Fund under Expenses Paid During Period.

 Hypothetical 5% Return. This section helps you compare your Funds costs with those of other mutual funds. It assumes that the Fund had an annual 5% return before expenses during the year, but that the expense ratio (Column 3) for the period is unchanged. This example is useful in making comparisons because the Securities and Exchange Commission requires all mutual funds to make this 5% calculation. You can assess your Funds comparative cost by comparing the hypothetical result for your Fund in the Expense Paid During Period column with those that appear in the same charts in the shareholder reports for other mutual funds.

40

THE ADVISORS INNER CIRCLE FUND II KOPERNIK FUNDS APRIL 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

Note: Because the return is set at 5% for comparison purposes  NOT your Funds actual return  the account values shown may not apply to your specific investment.

Beginning

Account

Value

11/01/21 Ending

Account

Value

4/30/22 Annualized

Expense

Ratios Expenses

Paid During

Period* Kopernik Global All-Cap Fund Actual Fund Return Class A Shares $1,000.00 $923.00 1.26% $6.01 Class I Shares 1,000.00 923.80 1.01 4.82 Hypothetical 5% Return Class A Shares $1,000.00 $1,018.55 1.26% $6.31 Class I Shares 1,000.00 1,019.79 1.01 5.06 Kopernik International Fund Actual Fund Return Class I Shares $1,000.00 $884.90 1.03% $4.81 Investor Shares 1,000.00 883.40 1.28 5.98 Hypothetical 5% Return Class I Shares $1,000.00 $1,019.69 1.03% $5.16 Investor Shares 1,000.00 1,018.45 1.28 6.41

* Expenses are equal to the Funds annualized expense ratio multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 181/365 (to reflect the one-half period shown).

41

Kopernik Funds

P.O. Box 219009

Kansas City, MO 64121-9009

855-887-4KGI

Adviser:

Kopernik Global Investors, LLC

Two Harbour Place

302 Knights Run Avenue, Suite 1225

Tampa, Florida 33602

Distributor:

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, PA 19456

Administrator:

SEI Investments Global Funds Services

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, PA 19456

Legal Counsel:

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

1701 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

This information must be preceded or accompanied by a current

prospectus for the Funds described.

KGI-SA-001-0900

Item 2. Code of Ethics.

Not applicable for semi-annual report.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

Not applicable for semi-annual report.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Not applicable for semi-annual report.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.

Item 6. Schedule of Investments.

Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Report to Shareholders filed under Item 1 of this form.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There have been no changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrants Board of Trustees during the period covered by this report.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

(a) The Registrants principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, have concluded that the Registrants disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Act (17 CFR  270.30a-3(c)), as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report, are effective based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the Act (17 CFR  270.30a-3(b)) and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Exchange Act, as amended (17 CFR  240.13a-15(b) or  240.15d-15(b)).

(b) There has been no change in the Registrants internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act (17 CFR  270.30a-3(d)) that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrants internal control over financial reporting.

Items 12. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to open-end management investment companies.

Items 13. Exhibits.

(a)(1) Not applicable for semi-annual report.

(a)(2) A separate certification for the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer of the Registrant, as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Act (17 CFR  270.30a-2(a)), is filed herewith.

(b) Officer certifications, as required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Act (17 CFR  270.30a-2(b)), also accompany this filing as an exhibit.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

(Registrant) The Advisors Inner Circle Fund II By (Signature and Title) /s/ Michael Beattie Michael Beattie, President Date: July 8, 2022

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By (Signature and Title) /s/ Michael Beattie Michael Beattie, President Date: July 8, 2022 By (Signature and Title) /s/ Andrew Metzger Andrew Metzger, Treasurer, Controller, and CFO Date: July 8, 2022

CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940

and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Michael Beattie, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSRS of The Advisors Inner Circle Fund II (the Registrant);

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information, included in this report fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The Registrants other certifying officer(s), if any, and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the Registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrants disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report, based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrants internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The Registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the Registrants auditors and the audit committee of the Registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrants ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrants internal control over financial reporting.

Date: July 8, 2022

/s/ Michael Beattie Michael Beattie President

CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940

and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Andrew Metzger, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSRS of The Advisors Inner Circle Fund II (the Registrant);

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information, included in this report fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The Registrants other certifying officer(s), if any, and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the Registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrants disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report, based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrants internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The Registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the Registrants auditors and the audit committee of the Registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrants ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrants internal control over financial reporting.

Date: July 8, 2022

/s/ Andrew Metzger Andrew Metzger Treasurer, Controller, and CFO

CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,

As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906

of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The undersigned, Michael Beattie, the President of The Advisors Inner Circle Fund II (the Fund), with respect to the Funds Form N-CSRS for the period ended April 30, 2022, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:

1. such Form N-CSRS fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2. the information contained in such Form N-CSRS fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Fund.

Dated: July 8, 2022

/s/ Michael Beattie Michael Beattie President

CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,

As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906

of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The undersigned, Andrew Metzger, the Treasurer, Controller, and CFO of The Advisors Inner Circle Fund II (the Fund), with respect to the Funds Form N-CSRS for the period ended April 30, 2022, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:

1. such Form N-CSRS fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2. the information contained in such Form N-CSRS fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Fund.

Dated: July 8, 2022
 Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-04808), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 1996 , covering (i) 70,000 shares of Common Stock of the Company, issuable under the ADTRAN, Inc. 1995 Directors Stock Option Plan and (ii) 488,100 shares of Common Stock of the Company, issuable under the ADTRAN, Inc. 1996 Employees Incentive Stock Option Plan; and  Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-83982), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 9, 1994 , covering 1,738,045 shares of Common Stock of the Company, issuable under the ADTRAN, Inc. Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan.

On January 6, 2022, the Companys stockholders approved, at a special meeting of the Companys stockholders, a Business Combination Agreement, dated as of August 30, 2021, by and among the Company, ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (formerly Acorn HoldCo, Inc.,  ADTRAN Holdings ), Acorn MergeCo, Inc. ( Merger Sub ), and ADVA Optical Networking SE, pursuant to which, among other things, the Company and ADVA Optical Networking SE agreed to combine their businesses through a merger and an exchange offer, respectively, and become subsidiaries of ADTRAN Holdings. As a result of the filing of a Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, Merger Sub was merged with and into the Company and the Company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADTRAN Holdings (the  Merger ), effective at 7:00 am Eastern Time on July 8, 2022 (the Effective Time). Each share of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time was canceled and automatically converted into and became the right to receive one share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of ADTRAN Holdings.

As a result of the Merger, the Company terminated at the Effective Time all offerings of its securities pursuant to its existing registration statements, including the Registration Statements. In accordance with an undertaking made by the Company in each of the Registration Statements to remove from registration, by means of a post-effective amendment, any shares of its Common Stock which remain unsold at the termination of the offering, the Company hereby removes from registration all shares of Common Stock registered under the Registration Statements which remained unsold as of the Effective Time.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13E-3

RULE 13E-3 TRANSACTION STATEMENT UNDER SECTION 13(E)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Steel Connect, Inc.

(NAME OF THE ISSUER)

Steel Connect, Inc.

Steel Partners Holdings L.P.

SP Merger Sub, Inc.

Handy & Harman Ltd.

WHX CS Corp.

Steel Partners, Ltd.

SPH Group LLC

SPH Group Holdings LLC

Steel Partners Holdings GP, Inc.

Steel Excel Inc.

Warren G. Lichtenstein

Jack L. Howard

(Names of Person(s) Filing Statement)

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

(Title of Class of Securities)

858098106

(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)

Steel Connect, Inc. Attn: Jason Wong 2000 Midway Ln

Smyrna, Tennessee 37167

(914) 461-1276 Steel Partners Holdings L.P. Attn: Maria Reda 590 Madison Avenue, 32nd Floor

New York, New York 10022

(212) 520-2300

(Name, Address, and Telephone Numbers of Person Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications on Behalf of the Persons Filing Statement)

With copies to





Colin J. Diamond

Andrew J. Ericksen

Adam Cieply White & Case LLP 1221 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10020-1095 (212) 819-8754 Victor H. Boyajian

Ira L. Kotel

Ilan Katz

Dentons US LLP 22 Little West 12th Street New York, New York 10014

(212) 376-7800 Brian H. Blaney Alan I. Annex Greenberg Traurig, LLP 333 SE 2nd Avenue, Suite 4400

Miami, Florida 33131 (602) 445-8322

This statement is filed in connection with (check the appropriate box):

a.  The filing of solicitation materials or an information statement subject to Regulation 14A, Regulation 14C or Rule 13e-3(c) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

b.  The filing of a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933.

c.  A tender offer.

d.  None of the above.

Check the following box if the soliciting materials or information statement referred to in checking box (a) are preliminary copies: 

Check the following box if the filing is a final amendment reporting the results of the transaction: 



Neither the SEC nor any state securities regulatory agency has approved or disapproved the Merger, passed upon the merits or fairness of the Merger or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of the disclosure in this document. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Introduction

This Rule 13E-3 Transaction Statement, together with the exhibits hereto (this Transaction Statement), is being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) pursuant to Section 13(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), by: (i) Steel Connect, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company or Steel Connect), and the issuer of the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock) that are subject to the Rule 13e-3 transaction; (ii) Steel Partners Holdings L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (Parent or Steel Partners); (iii) SP Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger Sub and, together with Parent, the Parent Parties), (iv) Handy & Harman Ltd., a Delaware limited company, (v) WHX CS Corp., a Delaware corporation, (vi) Steel Partners, Ltd., a Delaware limited company, (vii) SPH Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, (viii) SPH Group Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, (ix) Steel Partners Holdings GP, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (x) Steel Excel Inc., a Delaware incorporation, (xi) Warren G. Lichtenstein, an individual, and (xii) Jack L. Howard, an individual. Collectively, the persons filing this Transaction Statement are referred to as the filing persons.

This Transaction Statement relates to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated June 12, 2022 (as it may be amended from time to time, the Merger Agreement), by and among the Company and the Parent Parties. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, if the conditions to the closing of the merger are either satisfied or waived, as applicable, Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving entity and becoming a private, wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the Merger). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, each issued and outstanding share of Common Stock (other than (i) shares owned by the Company or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries or by Parent or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, Excluded Shares) and (ii) shares for which appraisal rights have been properly and validly perfected and not withdrawn or lost will be converted into the right to (a) receive $1.35 in cash per share, without interest and subject to any withholding taxes and (b) one contingent value right to receive, subject to the terms of the Contingent Value Rights Agreement among the Company, Parent, a rights agent to be determined thereunder and a shareholder representative to be designated therein (substantially in the form attached to the Merger Agreement), the ModusLink CVR Payment Amount as provided for in the Merger Agreement.

The board of directors of the Company (the Board), acting on the unanimous recommendation of the special committee of the Board (the Special Committee), has adopted resolutions (i) determining that the terms of the Merger Agreement and the Merger and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the Transactions) are advisable, fair to and in the best interest of the Company and the holders of capital stock of the Company (other than holders of Excluded Shares), (ii) approving and declaring advisable the Merger Agreement and the Transactions and (iii) recommending that the holders of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote, vote for the adoption of the Merger Agreement. The Board of Directors of Steel Partners Holdings GP, Inc., the general partner of the Company, has also approved the Merger Agreement and the Transactions.

Concurrently with the filing of this Transaction Statement, the Company is filing with the SEC a preliminary proxy statement (the Proxy Statement) under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act. The Board will solicit proxies from the stockholders of the Company in connection with the Merger pursuant to the definitive version of the Proxy Statement. The Proxy Statement is attached hereto as Exhibit (a)(1). A copy of the Merger Agreement is attached to the Proxy Statement as Annex A and is incorporated herein by reference.

Pursuant to General Instruction F to Schedule 13E-3, the information in the Proxy Statement, including all annexes thereto, is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, and responses to each item herein are qualified in their entirety by the information contained in the Proxy Statement. The cross-references below are being supplied pursuant to General Instruction G to Schedule 13E-3 and show the location in the Proxy Statement of the information required to be included in response to the items of Schedule 13E-3. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Transaction Statement have the meanings given to them in the Proxy Statement.

All information concerning the Company contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this Transaction Statement was supplied by the Company. Similarly, all information concerning each other filing person contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this Transaction Statement was supplied by such filing person.

i

Item 1. Summary Term Sheet

Regulation M-A Item 1001

(a) The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Item 2. Subject Company Information

Regulation M-A Item 1002

(a) Name and Address. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerThe Parties to the Merger

The Parties to the Merger

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectCompany Background

(b) Securities. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerRecord Date and Quorum

(c) Trading Market and Price. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectMarket Price of Our Common Stock

(d) Dividends. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectDividends

(e) Prior Public Offerings. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectPrior Public Offerings

(f) Prior Stock Purchases. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectPrior Stock Purchases

Item 3. Identity and Background of Filing Person

Regulation M-A Item 1003

(a)-(c) Name and Address; Business and Background of Entities; Business and Background of Natural Persons. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

The Parties to the Merger

Important Information Regarding the Parent Group Members

Proposal No. 3: The Election ProposalInformation Concerning the Directors and the Boards Nominees

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectCompany Background

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectExecutive Officers and Directors

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectSecurity Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

Where You Can Find Additional Information

Item 4. Terms of the Transaction

Regulation M-A Item 1004

(a) Material Terms. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

1

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsPlans for Steel Connect after the Merger

Special FactorsCertain Effects of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Special FactorsMaterial U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger

Special FactorsRegulatory Approvals

Special FactorsAnticipated Accounting Treatment of the Merger

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalVote Required

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalSupport Agreement

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalForm of Contingent Value Rights Agreement

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

Annex C: Voting and Support Agreement

Annex D; Form of Contingent Value Rights Agreement

(c) Different Terms. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Special FactorsCertain Effects of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

(d) Appraisal Rights. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerRights of Appraisal

Special FactorsRights of Appraisal

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

Annex E: Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware

(e) Provisions for Unaffiliated Security Holders. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under following the caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Other InformationProvisions for Unaffiliated Stockholders

(f) Eligibility for Listing or Trading. Not applicable.

Item 5. Past Contacts, Transactions, Negotiations and Agreements

Regulation M-A Item 1005

(a) Transactions. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Important Information Regarding the Parent Group MembersPast Transactions of the Parent Group

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectTransactions in Common Stock

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectTransactions between Steel Connect and the Parent Group Members

(b)-(c) Significant Corporate Events; Negotiations or Contacts. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

2

Special FactorsPlans for Steel Connect after the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Important Information Regarding the Parent Group MembersPast Transactions of the Parent Group

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectTransactions in Common Stock

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectTransactions between Steel Connect and the Parent Group Members

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectExecutive Officers and Directors

Where You Can Find Additional Information

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

Annex C: Voting and Support Agreement

Annex D: Form of Contingent Value Rights Agreement

(e) Agreements Involving the Subject Companys Securities. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsCertain Effects of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Important Information Regarding the Parent Group MembersPast Transactions of the Parent Group

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalVote Required

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalSupport Agreement

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectTransactions in Common Stock Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectTransactions between Steel Connect and the Parent Group Members

Where You Can Find Additional Information

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

Annex C: Voting and Support Agreement

Annex D: Form of Contingent Value Rights Agreement

Item 6. Purposes of the Transaction and Plans or Proposals

Regulation M-A Item 1006

(b) Use of Securities Acquired. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerCertain Effects of the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Special FactorsCertain Effects of the Merger

Special FactorsDelisting and Deregistration of Common Stock

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

(c)(1)-(8) Plans. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPlans for Steel Connect after the Merger

Special FactorsCertain Effects of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Special FactorsDelisting and Deregistration of Common Stock

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

3

Proposal No. 2: The Amendment Proposal

Proposal No. 3: The Election Proposal

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectDividends

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

Annex C: Voting and Support Agreement

Annex D: Form of Contingent Value Rights Agreement

Item 7. Purposes, Alternatives, Reasons and Effects

Regulation M-A Item 1013

(a) Purposes. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerPurposes and Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsCertain Effects of the Merger

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

(b) Alternatives. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerPurposes and Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

(c) Reasons. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerPurposes and Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsCertain Effects of the Merger

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

Annex B: Opinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc.

(d) Effects. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

4

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsPlans for Steel Connect after the Merger

Special FactorsProjected Financial Information

Special FactorsCertain Effects of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Special FactorsMaterial U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger

Special FactorsDelisting and Deregistration of Common Stock

Special FactorsAnticipated Accounting Treatment of the Merger

Special FactorsRights of Appraisal

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalForm of Contingent Value Rights Agreement

Annex A: Agreement and Plan of Merger

Annex D: Form of Contingent Value Rights Agreement

Item 8. Fairness of the Transaction

Regulation M-A Item 1014

(a)-(b) Fairness; Factors Considered in Determining Fairness. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerPurposes and Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerOpinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., Financial Advisor to the Special Committee

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsOpinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., Financial Advisor to the Special Committee

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Annex B: Opinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc.

(c) Approval of Security Holders. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerRequired Votes

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalVote Required

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

(d) Unaffiliated Representative. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerPurposes and Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Summary Term SheetOpinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., Financial Advisor to the Special Committee

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsOpinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., Financial Advisor to the Special Committee

Annex B: Opinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc.

5

(e) Approval of Directors. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerPurposes and Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

(f) Other Offers. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Item 9. Reports, Opinions, Appraisals and Negotiations

Regulation M-A Item 1015

(a)-(b) Report, Opinion or Appraisal; Preparer and Summary of the Report, Opinion or Appraisal. The discussion and/or presentation materials and other selected observations prepared by Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc. and provided to the Special Committee, dated March 9, 2021, March 31, 2021, September 7, 2021, September 9, 2021, October 21, 2021, January 10, 2022, April 4, 2022 and June 12, 2022, are set forth as Exhibits (c)(1)-(c)(8) respectively, hereto and are incorporated herein by reference. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerPurposes and Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Summary Term SheetOpinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., Financial Advisor to the Special Committee

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsPurposes and Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsOpinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., Financial Advisor to the Special Committee

Special FactorsProjected Financial Information

Special FactorsFees and Expenses

Where You Can Find Additional Information

Annex B: Opinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc.

(c) Availability of Documents. The reports, opinions or appraisals referenced in this Item 9 and filed herewith and will be made available for inspection and copying at the principal executive offices of the Company during its regular business hours by any interested holder of Common Stock or by a representative who has been so designated in writing. The reports, opinions or appraisals referenced in this Item 9 will also be transmitted by the Company to any interested holder of Common Stock or representative who has been so designated in writing upon written request at the expense of the requesting holder of Common Stock.

Item 10. Source and Amounts of Funds or Other Consideration

Regulation M-A Item 1007

(a)-(b) Source of Funds; Conditions. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerFinancing

Special FactorsFinancing

Special FactorsFees and Expenses

Proposal No. 1  The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

Proposal No. 1  The Merger ProposalForm of Contingent Value Rights Agreement

(c) Expenses. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerExpense Reimbursement and Termination Fee Provisions

Special FactorsFees and Expenses

6

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the MergerCompensation of the Special Committee

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalThe Merger Agreement

(d) Borrowed Funds. Not applicable.

Item 11. Interest in Securities of the Subject Company

Regulation M-A Item 1008

(a) Securities Ownership. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Special FactorsInterest of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Important Information Regarding the Parent Group Members

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectSecurity Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

(b) Securities Transactions. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectTransactions in Common Stock

Item 12. The Solicitation or Recommendation

Regulation M-A Item 1012

(d) Intent to Tender or Vote in a Going-Private Transaction. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Important Information Regarding the Parent Group Members

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalVote Required

Proposal No. 1: The Merger ProposalSupport Agreement

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectSecurity Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

Annex C: Voting and Support Agreement

(e) Recommendations of Others. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsThe Parent Group Members Purposes and Reasons for the Merger

Special FactorsPosition of the Parent Group as to Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Item 13. Financial Statements

Regulation M-A Item 1010

(a) Financial Information. The audited financial statements included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal years ended July 31, 2021, and July 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 29, 2021, are incorporated herein by reference and included as Exhibits (a)(6) and (a)(7), respectively, hereto. The unaudited financial statements included in the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 14, 2022, are incorporated herein by reference and included as Exhibit (a)(8) hereto. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectSelected Historical Consolidated Financial Information

7

Important Additional Information Regarding Steel ConnectBook Value Per Share

Where You Can Find Additional Information

(b) Pro Forma Information. Not applicable.

Item 14. Persons/Assets, Retained, Employed, Compensated or Used

Regulation M-A Item 1009

(a)-(b) Solicitations or Recommendations; Employees and Corporate Assets. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following captions is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the Merger

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting and the Merger

Special FactorsBackground of the Merger

Special FactorsReasons for the Merger; Recommendation of the Special Committee; Recommendation of the Board; Fairness of the Merger

Special FactorsOpinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., Financial Advisor to the Special Committee

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Special FactorsFees and Expenses

Annex B: Opinion of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc.

Item 15. Additional Information

Regulation M-A Item 1011

(b) Golden Parachute Compensation. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement under the following caption is incorporated herein by reference:

Summary Term Sheet Relating to the MergerInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

Special FactorsInterests of Steel Connects Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

(c) Other Material Information. The information set forth in the Proxy Statement, including all annexes thereto, is incorporated herein by reference.

8

Item 16. Exhibits

Regulation M-A Item 1016

9

SIGNATURes

After due inquiry and to the best of each of the undersigneds knowledge and belief, each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Dated: July 8, 2022

STEEL CONNECT, INC. By: /s/ Jason Wong Name: Jason Wong Title: Chief Financial Officer

STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS L.P. By: Steel Partners Holdings GP Inc.,

its general partner By: /s/ Jack L. Howard Name: Jack L. Howard Title: President

SP MERGER SUB, INC. By: /s/ Gordon A. Walker Name: Gordon A. Walker Title: President

HANDY & HARMAN LTD. By: /s/ Jason Wong Name: Jason Wong Title: Senior Vice President

WHX CS CORP. By: /s/ Jason Wong Name: Jason Wong Title: Senior Vice President

STEEL PARTNERS, LTD. By: /s/ Jack L. Howard Name: Jack L. Howard Title: President

10

SPH GROUP LLC By: Steel Partners Holdings GP Inc.,

its managing member By: /s/ Jack L. Howard Name: Jack L. Howard Title: President

SPH GROUP HOLDINGS LLC By: Steel Partners Holdings GP Inc., its Manager By: /s/ Jack L. Howard Name: Jack L. Howard Title: President

STEEL PARTNERS HOLDINGS GP INC. By: /s/ Jack L. Howard Name: Jack L. Howard Title: President

STEEL EXCEL, INC. By: /s/ Jason Wong Name: Jason Wong Title: Senior Vice President

WARREN G. LICHTENSTEIN /s/ Warren G. Lichtenstein JACK L. HOWARD /s/ Jack L. Howard

11

Exhibit (c) (2)

Project Carbon PRESENTATION TO THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MARCH 9, 2021 | CONFIDENTIAL | PRELIMINARY DRAFT

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW Agenda 2  Process Update  ModusLink Preliminary Observations  Additional Considerations  Next Steps

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW (dollars in millions) Fiscal Year Ended July 31, Fiscal Year Ending July 31, CAGR CAGR 2018 2019 2020 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E 2025E 2018 to 2020 2021E to 2025E Revenue $345.9 $332.9 $338.5 $234.2 $236.5 $240.3 $249.5 $259.3 -1.1% 2.6% Growth % NA -3.8% 1.7% -30.8% 1.0% 1.6% 3.8% 3.9% Base Business VAR 143.5 131.6 145.2 114.2 116.6 116.0 118.3 123.3 New Business VAR 7.8 9.9 3.0 6.2 5.0 7.5 10.0 10.0 VAR $151.3 $141.5 $148.2 $120.4 $121.6 $123.5 $128.3 $133.3 -1.0% 2.6% Growth % NA -6.5% 4.7% -18.8% 1.0% 1.6% 3.8% 3.9% % of Revenue 43.7% 42.5% 43.8% 51.4% 51.4% 51.4% 51.4% 51.4% Cost of Goods Sold (119.4) (106.0) (84.4) (71.5) (72.0) (74.1) (77.0) (80.0) Gross Profit $31.9 $35.5 $63.8 $48.9 $49.6 $49.4 $51.3 $53.3 41.3% 2.2% % of Revenue 9.2% 10.7% 18.8% 20.9% 21.0% 20.6% 20.6% 20.6% % of VAR 21.1% 25.1% 43.0% 40.6% 40.8% 40.0% 40.0% 40.0% Operating Expenses [1] (31.3) (39.3) (35.8) (36.6) (35.4) (35.4) (35.4) (35.4) Depreciation and Amortization 6.8 5.6 4.1 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 Total Adjustments [2] (12.4) 3.4 0.4 2.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Adjusted EBITDA ($4.9) $5.2 $32.5 $18.6 $17.7 $17.5 $19.4 $21.4 NMF 3.5% % of Revenue -1.4% 1.6% 9.6% 8.0% 7.5% 7.3% 7.8% 8.3% % of VAR -3.3% 3.7% 21.9% 15.5% 14.6% 14.2% 15.1% 16.1% Preliminary ModusLink Financial Observations Note: Operating expenses burdened with $800k payable to Steel Partners for certain services. 1. FY 2021E operating expenses consist of $33.8 million of recurring SG&A expense and $2.8 million of one - time expenses added - b ack to arrive at Adjusted EBITDA, which include (i) $1.2 million restructuring expense and (ii) $1.6 million one - time non - cash charge. 2. FY 2018 Adjustments consist primarily of $12.7mm reversal of gain on sale of long - lived assets. FY 2019 Adjustments consist primarily of $3.0mm add - back of asset impairment charge. Adjustments also include strategic consulting & related fees, executive severance & employee retention, restructuring expense, other gain or loss on s ale of long - lived assets and dormant entity non - cash charge. Adjusted EBITDA refers to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, adjusted for certain non - recurring ite ms; CAGR refers to Compound Annual Growth Rate; E refers to Estimated; FY refers to Fiscal Year; NA refers to not available; NMF refers to not meaningful figure; VAR refers to Value - Added Revenue. Source: Company management. After stabilizing in FY 2018  FY 2020, VAR is projected to decline ~20% in FY 2021 before rebounding at a CAGR of ~2.5% over th e projection period. VAR declines in FY 2021 are attributable primarily to (i) customer exits and (ii) organic volume declines at certain top cust ome rs. Gross profit doubled from FY 2018 to FY 2020 amid a management program to cut direct labor costs and exit unprofitable accoun ts, with gross margins generally projected to remain elevated. Management is forecasting that EBITDA will grow at a CAGR of ~3.5% after FY 2021, driven primarily by (i) new business VAR ou tpa cing erosion in the baseline business and (ii) continued cost discipline supporting elevated profit margins. 3 C B A Selected Commentary C A B

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW $390 $346 $298 $304 $289 $254 $193 $186 $151 $142 $148 $120 $122 $124 $128 $133 $35 $36 $37 $37 $38 $39 $41 $46 $49 $50 $52 $54 $56 $58 $61 $- $100.0 $200.0 $300.0 $400.0 $500.0 $600.0 $700.0 $800.0 $900.0 $1,000.0 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021E FY 2022E FY 2023E FY 2024E FY 2025E $0.0 $10.0 $20.0 $30.0 $40.0 $50.0 $60.0 $70.0 CAGRs 2 VAR IVA 10 - Year (2010  2020) (9.2%) 4.0% 3 5 - Year (2015  2020) (10.2%) 5.6% 4 - Year (2021E  2025E) 2.6% 4.4% ModusLink Long - Term Value Added - Revenue (VAR) Performance 1. Defined as the market value of goods and services produced by the industry minus the cost of goods and services used in p rod uction. Also described as the industrys contribution to GDP, or profit plus wages and depreciation, per IBIS World; 2. Refers to fiscal years for ModusLink and calendar years for industry data; 3. Represents 9 - year (CY 2011  2020) CAGR due to unavailability of CY 2010 data. CAGR refers to Compound Annual Growth Rate; E refers to Estimated; FY refers to Fiscal Year; VAR refers to Value - Added Revenue. Source: Company management, IBIS World, World Bank. ModusLink VAR vs. Third Party Logistics Industry Value Added (IVA) 1 (VAR dollars in millions; IVA dollars in billions) VAR: New Business vs. Erosion (dollars in millions) New Business Erosion VAR IVA / / 4 $45 $31 $42 $20 $33 $26 $12 $8 $10 $3 $6 $5 $8 $10 $10 $89 $80 $36 $35 $67 $87 $19 $43 $20 - $4 $34 $4 $6 $5 $5 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021E FY 2022E FY 2023E FY 2024E FY 2025E Erosion has exceeded new business in 8 of the last 10 years, leading to a ~(9)% CAGR over the past decade New Business refers to new customers or new programs with existing customers Erosion refers to VAR declines from existing customer programs

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW ModusLink Profitability Observations 1. Data shown for FY 2010  FY 2017 represents information for the entire company (prior to the acquisition of IWCO). E refers to Estimated; FY refers to Fiscal Year VAR refers to Value - Added Revenue. Source: Company management, Capital IQ, public filings. Gross Profit 1 (dollars in millions) Gross Margins 1 $111 $81 $69 $74 $75 $54 $25 $36 $32 $36 $64 $49 $50 $49 $51 $53 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021E FY 2022E FY 2023E FY 2024E FY 2025E 5 12% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 5% 8% 9% 11% 19% 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% 28% 23% 23% 24% 26% 21% 13% 20% 21% 25% 43% 41% 41% 40% 40% 40% FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021E FY 2022E FY 2023E FY 2024E FY 2025E Gross Profit as % of Revenue / Gross Profit as % of VAR /

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW $31.9 $63.8 $48.9 $5.0 $1.5 $6.5 $1.8 $0.0 $10.0 $20.0 $30.0 $40.0 $50.0 $60.0 $70.0 FY 18A FY 20A Customer Y Customer Z Customer B Other Net Erosion FY 21E $151.3 $148.2 $120.4 $20.4 $7.8 $11.7 $7.7 $4.5 $4.0 $4.4 $7.7 $7.6 $4.9 $80.0 $100.0 $120.0 $140.0 $160.0 $180.0 $200.0 FY 18A Growth Erosion FY 20A Customer Y Customer Z Customer B Other Net Erosion FY 21E ModusLink FY 2018 to FY 2021E VAR & Gross Profit Bridge 6 FY refers to Fiscal Year; VAR refers to Value - Added Revenue. Source: Company management. Gross Profit Bridge (dollars in millions) VAR Bridge (dollars in millions) Gross profit growth is attributable to the following factors : (i) elimination of approximately $ 23 million of direct labor costs between FY 2018 and FY 2020 ; (ii) exits from unprofitable customers ; and (iii) organic growth in VAR at certain high margin customers Exits from unprofitable customers Organic growth from existing programs at Customer A and B Customer exits Organic declines in existing programs $31.9 Growth

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW 2H FY'21 2H FY'21 Original Current Difference ($ in millions) Budget Projections $ VAR Base Business VAR 53.7 50.5 ($3.1) New Business VAR 7.3 4.3 ($3.0) Total VAR $61.0 $54.8 ($6.2) % of Revenue 45.0% 52.2% 7.2% Cost of Goods Sold 35.8 35.4 ($0.4) Gross Profit $25.2 $19.4 ($5.8) % of Revenue 18.6% 18.5% -0.1% % of VAR 41.3% 35.4% -5.9% Recurring SG&A 18.7 17.5 ($1.2) Nonrecurring Opex 1 0.0 0.0 $0.0 Add: Depreciation and Amortization 1.7 1.7 ($0.0) Adjusted EBITDA $8.2 $3.6 ($4.5) % of Revenue 6.0% 3.5% -2.6% % of VAR 13.4% 6.6% -6.8% C A Summary Comparison of FY 2021 Forecast vs. Original Budget 1. Recurring SG&A and non - recurring opex sum up to $36.6 million of FY21E operating expenses shown on page 3. 2. Non - recurring opex consists of restructuring expense ($0.7 million budgeted vs. $1.2 million actual), as well as $1.6 million actual non - cash charge that was not budgeted. Adjusted EBITDA refers to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, adjusted for certain non - recurring ite ms; FY refers to Fiscal Year; H refers to Half; NMF refers to not meaningful figure; SG&A refers to Selling, General and Administrative expenses; VAR refers to Value - Added Revenue. Source: Company management. A B 1H VAR  Base business outperformance driven by outperformance at most accounts (including ~$2.5mm variance from delayed Customer Y / Customer Z exits) offset by underperformance in new business generation. 1H Costs  Gross margins elevated given VAR outperformance, with SG&A below budget primarily due to reductions/delays in certain budgete d sales hires and marketing spend. 2H VAR  2H VAR forecasted to be lower than budget primarily due to headwinds tied to existing Customer B program (~$5mm negative vari ance), continued delays in new contracts tied to COVID - related logos and substantial reduction in the pipeline. 2H Costs  Despite lower VAR forecast than originally budgeted, COGS largely unchanged due to certain fixed costs. SG&A forecast below budget due to pull - back in sales/marketing spend amid pipeline reduction. 2H Adjusted EBITDA  2H Adjusted EBITDA forecast of $3.6mm is lower than 1H Adj. EBITDA due to (among other factors): (i) headwinds at Customer B, (ii) Customer Y and Customer Z exits, (iii) elevated COGS margins due to VAR reduction and (iv) slightly higher SG&A level. B 7 1H FY 2021 2H FY 2021 Selected Commentary D C D D B 1H FY'21 Original 1H FY'21 Difference ($ in millions) Budget Actual $ VAR Base Business VAR 58.8 63.7 $4.9 New Business VAR 3.3 1.9 ($1.5) Total VAR $62.1 $65.5 $3.4 % of Revenue 44.1% 50.8% 6.6% Cost of Goods Sold 35.3 36.1 $0.8 Gross Profit $26.9 $29.5 $2.6 % of Revenue 19.1% 22.8% 3.8% % of VAR 43.2% 45.0% 1.7% Recurring SG&A 19.3 16.3 ($2.9) Nonrecurring Opex 1,2 0.7 2.8 $2.1 Add: Depreciation and Amortization 1.9 1.8 ($0.1) Adjusted EBITDA $9.5 $15.0 $5.4 % of Revenue 6.8% 11.6% 4.8% % of VAR 15.3% 22.8% 7.5% E E E

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW Financial Projections Comparison 1. SG&A for FY 2021 excludes restructuring expenses of $0.7 million in the September Projections and $1.2 million in the Curr ent Projections. Adjusted EBITDA refers to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, adjusted for certain non - recurring ite ms; CAGR refers to Compound Annual Growth Rate; SG&A refers to Selling, General and Administrative expenses; VAR refers to Value - Added Revenue. Source: Company management. 8 Below is a comparison of the current financial projections prepared by ModusLink management to a prior set of projections developed in connection with a refinancing process undertaken in September 2020 (that did not ultimately result in a refinanc ing ) Key differences include: Cumulative impact of lower new business assumptions due to lack of momentum in new customer pipeline / contract delays Lower profit margins due to factors including operating leverage VAR CAGR : ~6% Gross Margin : ~300 to 400 bps expansion SG&A : ~$3 million increase relative to recent levels to support growth VAR CAGR : ~2.5% Gross Margin : ~50 bps compression SG&A : Remains near recent levels Cumulative VAR Reduction : ~9% Cumulative Adjusted EBITDA Reduction : ~29% September Projections Current Projections Difference Fiscal Year ended July 31, Fiscal Year ended July 31, Fiscal Year ended July 31, (dollars in millions) 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 VAR Base Business VAR 112.5 119.7 126.7 131.4 141.3 114.2 116.6 116.0 118.3 123.3 1.8 (3.1) (10.6) (13.1) (18.1) New Business VAR 10.7 10.0 10.0 15.0 15.0 6.2 5.0 7.5 10.0 10.0 (4.5) (5.0) (2.5) (5.0) (5.0) Total VAR $123.1 $129.7 $136.7 $146.4 $156.3 $120.4 $121.6 $123.5 $128.3 $133.3 ($2.8) ($8.1) ($13.1) ($18.1) ($23.1) Growth % -16.9% 5.3% 5.4% 7.1% 6.8% -18.8% 1.0% 1.6% 3.8% 3.9% -1.9% -4.4% -3.7% -3.3% -2.9% Less: Cost of Goods Sold 71.1 73.9 76.5 80.5 84.4 71.5 72.0 74.1 77.0 80.0 0.4 (2.0) (2.4) (3.5) (4.5) Gross Profit $52.1 $55.8 $60.1 $65.9 $71.9 $48.9 $49.6 $49.4 $51.3 $53.3 ($3.2) ($6.2) ($10.7) ($14.6) ($18.6) % of Revenue 18.8% 19.4% 20.2% 21.2% 22.1% 20.9% 21.0% 20.6% 20.6% 20.6% 2.1% 1.6% 0.3% -0.6% -1.5% % of VAR 42.3% 43.0% 44.0% 45.0% 46.0% 40.6% 40.8% 40.0% 40.0% 40.0% -1.6% -2.2% -4.0% -5.0% -6.0% Less: SG&A 1 38.0 38.0 38.0 38.0 38.0 35.4 35.4 35.4 35.4 35.4 (2.6) (2.6) (2.6) (2.6) (2.6) Add: Depreciation and Amortization 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) (0.1) Add: Adjustments 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Adjusted EBITDA $17.7 $21.4 $25.8 $31.5 $37.6 $18.6 $17.7 $17.5 $19.4 $21.4 $0.9 ($3.7) ($8.3) ($12.1) ($16.2) % of Revenue 6.4% 7.4% 8.7% 10.1% 11.5% 7.9% 7.5% 7.3% 7.8% 8.3% 1.5% 0.0% -1.4% -2.3% -3.3% % of VAR 14.4% 16.5% 18.9% 21.5% 24.0% 15.5% 14.6% 14.2% 15.1% 16.1% 1.1% -2.0% -4.7% -6.4% -8.0%

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW ModusLink Process Observations 9  200+ parties contacted between launch in early 2019 and re - launch in early 2020  Four LOIs received, with offers ranging between ~$15mm - $60mm 1  FY 2020 results reflect profitability turnaround, but certain topline headwinds have surfaced in FY 2021  Certain considerations raised by parties during sales process remain:  No clear path to winning new logos and/or top - line growth  Complexity of global operations raises scalability concerns  Unsustainable lack of investment in the business 1. Documentation of $60 million offer subject to confirmation. Source: Company management and financial advisor.

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW Next Steps & Timing 10  ModusLink Next Steps  IWCO Projections & Corporate Review  Preparation of Preliminary Financial Analyses  Discussion of Potential Response Considerations

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW This presentation, and any supplemental information (written or oral) or other documents provided in connection therewith (collectively, the materials), are provided solely for the information of the Special Committee (the Committee) of the Board of Directors (the Board) of Steel Connect, Inc . (the Company) by Houlihan Lokey in connection with the Committees consideration of a potential transaction (the Transaction) involving the Company . This presentation is incomplete without reference to, and should be considered in conjunction with, any supplemental information provided by and discussions with Houlihan Lokey in connection therewith . Any defined terms used herein shall have the meanings set forth herein, even if such defined terms have been given different meanings elsewhere in the materials . The materials are for discussion purposes only . 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CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW All budgets, projections, estimates, financial analyses, reports and other information with respect to operations (including estimates of potential cost savings and expenses) reflected in the materials have been prepared by management of the relevant party or are derived from such budgets, projections, estimates, financial analyses, reports and other information or from other sources, which involve numerous and significant subjective determinations made by management of the relevant party and/or which such management has reviewed and found reasonable . The budgets, projections and estimates (including, without limitation, estimates of potential cost savings and synergies) contained in the materials may or may not be achieved and differences between projected results and those actually achieved may be material . 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CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW 13 CORPORATE FINANCE FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING FINANCI AL AND VALUATION ADVISORY HL .com

Exhibit (c) (3)

Project Carbon SELECTED OBSERVATIONS MARCH 31, 2021 | CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL Steel Connect: Trading History (Last 3 Years) 1. Per Capital IQ, as of 3/30/21 close . FY refers to Fiscal Year; Q refers to Quarter. Sources: Capital IQ and public filings. Event a Date Comment 11/19/20 Steel Connect announced that Steel Partners made a non - binding expression of interest to acquire the remaining interest that it did not already own in Steel Connect on November 19, 2020. Under the proposed transaction, each share of Steel Connects common stock will be exchanged for a per share consideration consisting of cash and units of Steel Partners Holdings L.P.s publicly traded 6% Series A Preferred Units, imp lyi ng a $0.65 - $0.72 per share value range of the Steel Connects common stock. Various Announcement of Steel Connects recent quarterly or annual financial results 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 $0.00 $0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 3/30/18 6/30/18 9/30/18 12/31/18 3/31/19 6/30/19 9/30/19 12/31/19 3/31/20 6/30/20 9/30/20 12/31/20 Steel Connect Daily Trading Volume Steel Connect Stock Price Closing Stock Price ($) Daily Volume (millions) Selected Key Events 1 - Year 3 - Year Average Daily Trading Volume 1 0.42mm 0.16mm High Closing Stock Price 1 $2.67 $2.67 Low Closing Stock Price 1 $0.46 $0.46 Q2 FY 2021 (1/31/21) Q1 FY 2021 (10/31/20) Q4 and FY 2020 (7/31/20) Q3 FY 2020 (4/30/20) 2

CONFIDENTIAL Steel Connect: Relative Stock Performance (Last 1 Year) 1. Since 11/19/20, the date in which Steel Partners made a non - binding expression of interest to acquire the remaining interest tha t it did not already own in Steel Connect. Sources : Capital IQ as of 3/30/21. Steel Connect vs . S&P 500 Index Indexed Prices -50% -25% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 225% 250% 275% Mar-20 Apr-20 May-20 Jun-20 Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20 Jan-21 Feb-21 Steel Connect S&P 500 Index Steel Partners makes non - binding expression of interest to acquire the remaining interest it did not already own in Steel Connect on 11 / 19 / 20 Relative Stock Performance as of 3/30/21 Since Proposal [1] 1-Year Steel Connect 179.4% 139.8% S&P 500 Index 10.5% 50.7% 3

CONFIDENTIAL Steel Connect: Trading History (Last 2 Months) 1. Per Capital IQ, as of 3/30/21 close. 2. VWAP based on cumulative trading activity over designated number of trading days (based on intraday trading) per Bloomberg as of 3/30/21. VWAP refers to Volume Weighted Average Price. Sources: Capital IQ , Bloomberg and public filings. Current Stock Price: $1.97 1 1 - Day 5 - Day 10 - Day 20 - Day 1 - Month 2 - Month $1.98 $1.93 $1.88 $1.82 $1.82 $1.90 (dollars per share) Historical VWAPs 2 Daily trading value of ~ $ 1 . 7 mm on 3 / 29 / 21 2 - Month Average Daily Trading Volume 1 0.36 mm 2 - Month High Closing Stock Price 1 $2.09 2 - Month Low Closing Stock Price 1 $1.68 0.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 $0.00 $0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 1/29/21 2/5/21 2/12/21 2/22/21 3/1/21 3/8/21 3/15/21 3/22/21 3/29/21 Daily Volume (millions) Closing Stock Price ($) Steel Connect Daily Trading Volume Steel Connect Stock Price Current Steel Connect Stock Price [1] 4

CONFIDENTIAL Steel Connect: Selected Historical Trading Activity 1. Since 11/19/20, the date in which Steel Partners made a non - binding expression of interest to acquire the remaining interest tha t it did not already own in Steel Connect. 2. Based on VWAP over specified period (last two months or one month ). VWAP refers to Volume - Weighted Average Price. Source : Bloomberg as of 3/30/21. Total VWAP Volume: 5.6 million VWAP 2 : $1.82 Since Proposal 1 Last Three Months Last Two Months Last One Month Total VWAP Volume: 62.6 million VWAP 2 : $2.02 Total VWAP Volume: 57.0 million VWAP 2 : $2.13 Total VWAP Volume: 14.2 million VWAP 2 : $1.90 5.5% 13.4% 28.0% 37.0% 16.2% $1.60- $1.70 $1.70- $1.80 $1.80- $1.90 $1.90- $2.00 $2.00- $2.13 14.1% 27.0% 38.5% 20.5% 0.0% $1.60- $1.70 $1.70- $1.80 $1.80- $1.90 $1.90- $2.00 $2.00- $2.13 6.2% 7.8% 2.1% 2.6% 0.0% 4.3% 17.1% 5.5% 5.3% 49.2% $0.60- $0.80 $0.80- $1.00 $1.00- $1.20 $1.20- $1.40 $1.40- $1.60 $1.60- $1.80 $1.80- $2.00 $2.00- $2.20 $2.20- $2.40 $2.40- $2.50 3.1% 2.3% 2.3% 2.8% 0.0% 4.7% 18.8% 6.1% 5.8% 54.0% $0.60- $0.80 $0.80- $1.00 $1.00- $1.20 $1.20- $1.40 $1.40- $1.60 $1.60- $1.80 $1.80- $2.00 $2.00- $2.20 $2.20- $2.40 $2.40- $2.50 5

CONFIDENTIAL Selected Historical and Projected Financial Information * Per Company management, projected figures for IWCO exclude the impact of 606 adjustments and sales and use tax accruals; as su ch, the projected figures for IWCO are presented on a slightly different basis than the historical financials, which are based on the figures reported in the Companys public filings. 1. Historical Adjusted EBITDA based on figures reported in the Companys public filings. A refers to Actual; Adjusted EBITDA refers to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization, adjusted for ce rta in non - recurring items; E refers to Estimated; FY refers to Fiscal Year; Q refers to Quarter. Source : P ublic filings, Company management. Gross Profit By Quarter (FY 2019  FY 2021) 10.0% 14.0% 18.0% 22.0% 26.0% 30.0% $0 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 Q1 2019A Q2 2019A Q3 2019A Q4 2019A Q1 2020A Q2 2020A Q3 2020A Q4 2020A Q1 2021A Q2 2021A Q3 2021E* Q4 2021E* ModusLink IWCO Consolidated Gross Margin % (dollars in millions) Adjusted EBITDA 1 By Quarter (FY 2019  FY 2021) ( dollars in millions) 0.0% 3.0% 6.0% 9.0% 12.0% 15.0% 18.0% $0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 Q1 2019A Q2 2019A Q3 2019A Q4 2019A Q1 2020A Q2 2020A Q3 2020A Q4 2020A Q1 2021A Q2 2021A Q3 2021E* Q4 2021E* Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA Margin % 6

CONFIDENTIAL Observations from Recent Shareholder Communications Overall Business 1  A discounted valuation to peers EV/EBITDA multiples, FCF yield, and sum - of - the - parts valuation scenarios ( valued at $6.00  $10.00+ per share )  $6.00 to $10.00 per share referenced by shareholder (based on current capital structure) implies the following 2 : x ~$700mm  $950mm enterprise value x ~8x  11x FY 2020 EBITDA of ~$87mm x ~10x  14x FY 2021E EBITDA of ~$69mm IWCO & ModusLink Sum of the Parts  Upside based on a sum - of - the - parts analysis x ModusLink EV ~$250mm  $400mm x IWCO EV ~$500mm  $700mm  Results of recent ModusLink process  IWCO purchased for TEV of ~$475mm in 2017 x LTM EBITDA of ~$82mm at time of acquisition vs. EBITDA of ~$60mm today NOL  Partial value for the companys $2.1 billion in NOL tax assets ( valued at $2.00  $3.00 per share )  $1.8 billion of NOLs expire by 2023 Litigation  Value for pending shareholder litigation advancing against the company and SPLP for the dilutive convertible preferred issue in December 2017 (valued at $1.00 per share)  Related discussions in progress Shareholder Observations Additional Observations 1. Does not include potential value from NOLs or pending litigation. 2. Does not treat convertible preferred notes on an as - converted basis per shareholder method, despite being in the - money. CY refers to Calendar Year; EBITDA refers to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization; EV refers to Ent erp rise Value; FCF refers to Free Cash Flow; NOL refers to Net Operating Loss. Source: Shareholder communications quoted from Seeking Alpha articles dated 3/26/2021 and 2/9/2021. EBITDA figures and NOL information cited in Additional Observations per Company management . Observations Related to Cited Value Drivers The Special Committee is completing their 11 th week of review which likely includes management interviews, business forecasting, company and individual business segment valuation and advanced negotiations with Steel Partners. Investors should expect an update any day [We] would not support a deal to tender our STCN shares below $4.00 per share in cash  General Process Observations 7

CONFIDENTIAL This presentation, and any supplemental information (written or oral) or other documents provided in connection therewith (collectively, the materials), are provided solely for the information of the Special Committee (the Committee) of the Board of Directors (the Board ) of Steel Connect, Inc . (the Company) by Houlihan Lokey in connection with the Committees consideration of a potential transaction (the Transaction) involving the Company . This presentation is incomplete without reference to, and should be considered in conjunction with, any supplemental information provided by and discussions with Houlihan Lokey in connection therewith . Any defined terms used herein shall have the meanings set forth herein, even if such defined terms have been given different meanings elsewhere in the materials . The materials are for discussion purposes only . Houlihan Lokey expressly disclaims any and all liability, whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise, to any person in connection with the materials . The materials were prepared for specific persons familiar with the business and affairs of the Company for use in a specific context and were not prepared with a view to public disclosure or to conform with any disclosure standards under any state, federal or international securities laws or other laws, rules or regulations, and none of the Committee, the Company or Houlihan Lokey takes any responsibility for the use of the materials by persons other than the Committee . The materials are provided on a confidential basis solely for the information of the Committee and may not be disclosed, summarized, reproduced, disseminated or quoted or otherwise referred to, in whole or in part, without Houlihan Lokeys express prior written consent . Notwithstanding any other provision herein, the Company (and each employee, representative or other agent of the Company) may disclose to any and all persons without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure of any transaction and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses, if any) that are provided to the Company relating to such tax treatment and structure . However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws . For this purpose, the tax treatment of a transaction is the purported or claimed U . S . income or franchise tax treatment of the transaction and the tax structure of a transaction is any fact that may be relevant to understanding the purported or claimed U . S . income or franchise tax treatment of the transaction . If the Company plans to disclose information pursuant to the first sentence of this paragraph, the Company shall inform those to whom it discloses any such information that they may not rely upon such information for any purpose without Houlihan Lokeys prior written consent . Houlihan Lokey is not an expert on, and nothing contained in the materials should be construed as advice with regard to, legal, accounting, regulatory, insurance, tax or other specialist matters . Houlihan Lokeys role in reviewing any information was limited solely to performing such a review as it deemed necessary to support its own advice and analysis and was not on behalf of the Committee . The materials necessarily are based on financial, economic, market and other conditions as in effect on, and the information available to Houlihan Lokey as of, the date of the materials . Although subsequent developments may affect the contents of the materials, Houlihan Lokey has not undertaken, and is under no obligation, to update, revise or reaffirm the materials, except as may be expressly contemplated by Houlihan Lokeys engagement letter . The materials are not intended to provide the sole basis for evaluation of the Transaction and do not purport to contain all information that may be required . The materials do not address the underlying business decision of the Company or any other party to proceed with or effect the Transaction, or the relative merits of the Transaction as compared to any alternative business strategies or transactions that might be available for the Company or any other party . The materials do not constitute any opinion, nor do the materials constitute a recommendation to the Board, the Committee, the Company, any security holder of the Company or any other party as to how to vote or act with respect to any matter relating to the Transaction or otherwise or whether to buy or sell any assets or securities of any company . Houlihan Lokeys only opinion is the opinion, if any, that is actually delivered to the Committee . In preparing the materials Houlihan Lokey has acted as an independent contractor and nothing in the materials is intended to create or shall be construed as creating a fiduciary or other relationship between Houlihan Lokey and any party . The materials may not reflect information known to other professionals in other business areas of Houlihan Lokey and its affiliates . The preparation of the materials was a complex process involving quantitative and qualitative judgments and determinations with respect to the financial, comparative and other analytic methods employed and the adaption and application of these methods to the unique facts and circumstances presented and, therefore, is not readily susceptible to partial analysis or summary description . Furthermore, Houlihan Lokey did not attribute any particular weight to any analysis or factor considered by it, but rather made qualitative judgments as to the significance and relevance of each analysis and factor . Each analytical technique has inherent strengths and weaknesses, and the nature of the available information may further affect the value of particular techniques . Accordingly, the analyses contained in the materials must be considered as a whole . Selecting portions of the analyses, analytic methods and factors without considering all analyses and factors could create a misleading or incomplete view . The materials reflect judgments and assumptions with regard to industry performance, general business, economic, regulatory, market and financial conditions and other matters, many of which are beyond the control of the participants in the Transaction . Any estimates of value contained in the materials are not necessarily indicative of actual value or predictive of future results or values, which may be significantly more or less favorable . Any analyses relating to the value of assets, businesses or securities do not purport to be appraisals or to reflect the prices at which any assets, businesses or securities may actually be sold . The materials do not constitute a valuation opinion or credit rating . The materials do not address the consideration to be paid or received in, the terms of any arrangements, understandings, agreements or documents related to, or the form, structure or any other portion or aspect of, the Transaction or otherwise . Furthermore, the materials do not address the fairness of any portion or aspect of the Transaction to any party . In preparing the materials, Houlihan Lokey has not conducted any physical inspection or independent appraisal or evaluation of any of the assets, properties or liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of the Company or any other party and has no obligation to evaluate the solvency of the Company or any other party under any law . Disclaimer 8

CONFIDENTIAL All budgets, projections, estimates, financial analyses, reports and other information with respect to operations (including estimates of potential cost savings and expenses) reflected in the materials have been prepared by management of the relevant party or are derived from such budgets, projections, estimates, financial analyses, reports and other information or from other sources, which involve numerous and significant subjective determinations made by management of the relevant party and/or which such management has reviewed and found reasonable . The budgets, projections and estimates ( including, without limitation, estimates of potential cost savings and synergies) contained in the materials may or may not be achieved and differences between projected results and those actually achieved may be material . Houlihan Lokey has relied upon representations made by management of the Company and other participants in the Transaction that such budgets, projections and estimates have been reasonably prepared in good faith on bases reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments of such management (or, with respect to information obtained from public sources, represent reasonable estimates), and Houlihan Lokey expresses no opinion with respect to such budgets, projections or estimates or the assumptions on which they are based . The scope of the financial analysis contained herein is based on discussions with the Company (including, without limitation, regarding the methodologies to be utilized), and Houlihan Lokey does not make any representation, express or implied, as to the sufficiency or adequacy of such financial analysis or the scope thereof for any particular purpose . Houlihan Lokey has assumed and relied upon the accuracy and completeness of the financial and other information provided to, discussed with or reviewed by it without (and without assuming responsibility for) independent verification of such information, makes no representation or warranty (express or implied) in respect of the accuracy or completeness of such information and has further relied upon the assurances of the Company and other participants in the Transaction that they are not aware of any facts or circumstances that would make such information inaccurate or misleading . In addition, Houlihan Lokey has relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, that there has been no change in the business, assets, liabilities, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects of the Company or any other participant in the Transaction since the respective dates of the most recent financial statements and other information, financial or otherwise, provided to, discussed with or reviewed by Houlihan Lokey that would be material to its analyses, and that the final forms of any draft documents reviewed by Houlihan Lokey will not differ in any material respect from such draft documents . The materials are not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an indication of interest to purchase any security, option, commodity, future, loan or currency . The materials do not constitute a commitment by Houlihan Lokey or any of its affiliates to underwrite, subscribe for or place any securities, to extend or arrange credit, or to provide any other services . In the ordinary course of business, certain of Houlihan Lokeys affiliates and employees, as well as investment funds in which they may have financial interests or with which they may co - invest, may acquire, hold or sell, long or short positions, or trade or otherwise effect transactions, in debt, equity, and other securities and financial instruments (including loans and other obligations) of, or investments in, the Company, any Transaction counterparty, any other Transaction participant, any other financially interested party with respect to any transaction, other entities or parties that are mentioned in the materials, or any of the foregoing entities or parties respective affiliates, subsidiaries, investment funds, portfolio companies and representatives (collectively, the Interested Parties), or any currency or commodity that may be involved in the Transaction . Houlihan Lokey provides mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and other advisory and consulting services to clients, which may have in the past included, or may currently or in the future include, one or more Interested Parties, for which services Houlihan Lokey has received, and may receive, compensation . Although Houlihan Lokey in the course of such activities and relationships or otherwise may have acquired, or may in the future acquire, information about one or more Interested Parties or the Transaction, or that otherwise may be of interest to the Board, the Committee, or the Company, Houlihan Lokey shall have no obligation to, and may not be contractually permitted to, disclose such information, or the fact that Houlihan Lokey is in possession of such information, to the Board, the Committee, or the Company or to use such information on behalf of the Board, the Committee, or the Company . Houlihan Lokeys personnel may make statements or provide advice that is contrary to information contained in the materials . Disclaimer (cont.) 9

CONFIDENTIAL 10 CORPORATE FINANCE FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING FINANCI AL AND VALUATION ADVISORY HL .com

Exhibit (c) (4)

Project Carbon PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION MATERIALS FOR THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 | CONFIDENTIAL | PRELIMINARY DRAFT

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW Table of Contents 2 Page 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Preliminary Financial Analyses Summary 6 3. Preliminary Financial Observations and Analyses 12 IWCO 13 ModusLink 25 4. Preliminary Considerations Related to Proposal 35 5. Appendices 45 Supplemental Financial Analysis Schedules 46 Form of Consideration Observations 48 6. Disclaimer 52

Page 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Preliminary Financial Analyses Summary 6 3. Preliminary Financial Observations and Analyses 12 4. Preliminary Considerations Related to Proposal 35 5. Appendices 45 6. Disclaimer 52

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW Executive Summary Proposal Overview On November 19 , 2020 , the Board of Directors of Steel Connect, Inc . (Steel Connect, SC or the Company) received a non - binding expression of interest from Steel Partners Holdings L . P . (Steel Partners or SP) to acquire all of the outstanding shares of SC common stock not already owned by SP (the "Proposal") for consideration consisting of an unspecified mix of cash and SP publicly traded 6 % Series A Preferred Units The Proposal indicated a per share value implied by the consideration in the range of $ 0 . 65 to $ 0 . 72 The high and low ends of the range stated in the Proposal reflect a premium of ~ 2 . 1 % and a discount of ~ 7 . 8 % , respectively, in each case over the Company's closing stock price as of the unaffected date 1 The range stated in the Proposal reflects a discount of ~ 60 % - 70 % relative to recent stock prices The Proposal is conditioned on approval by the Special Committee and a majority of holders of outstanding shares of SC common stock excluding SP, senior management or their respective affiliates (such holders, the Unaffiliated Stockholders) SP also indicated that it does not intend to sell its interest in the Company or support an alternative corporate transaction Situatio n Overview & Preliminary Observations Steel Connects assets consist primarily of holdings in IWCO Direct Holdings, Inc. (IWCO) and ModusLink Corporation (ModusLink or ML), and ~$2.1 billion of federal NOLs (~$1.8 billion of which expire in 2023) 2 IWCO and ModusLink are operated as discrete businesses with separate management teams, customer bases, operations and balance sheets (debt facilities are non - recourse and allow specified distributions to Steel Connect) ModusLinks topline has declined at a ~10% CAGR over the last decade. An operating improvement program has recently restored profitability to the business 3 and enabled a renewed focus on topline growth, but meaningful new wins have not yet materialized IWCO is a direct mail business that consistently generated gross profits above $100mm prior to CY 2020 4 Since that time IWCOs financial performance has come under pressure amid secular industry challenges, departures of key management and sales personnel, and ensuing customer attrition and volume reductions IWCO has launched a competitive improvement program to stabilize the business that appears to have the support of its lenders, but refinancing risk remains on its ~$365mm credit facility, which matures in December 2022 Market feedback related to a recent sales process for ModusLink and refinancing process for IWCO may provide insights on implied third - party perspectives on value Limited float / liquidity / analyst coverage, with limited capital return opportunities since 2011 Two months following announcement of the Proposal, the stock experienced particularly elevated trading volume over a 2 - day period of ~30mm shares at a $2.47 VWAP and a closing high of $2.67 (surpassing the $2.60 closing high otherwise observed over the last 5 years). Since that time (and including the 2 - day period) the stock has traded in a range of $1.49 to $2.67 5 , with an overall VWAP of $2.18, a 3 - month VWAP of $1.98 and a 1 - month VWAP of $1.78 Shareholder base with substantial retail component, with outreach by a number of investors related to the Proposal See following page for footnotes. 4

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW Executive Summary (cont.) Potential Next Steps & Other Considerations Special Committee to determine whether and how to respond to the Proposal, taking into consideration the status of ongoing discussions with IWCO lenders, as well as FY 2021 results / FY 2022 budget Preliminary observations subject to continued diligence / review of the following: Final FY 2021 results for IWCO and ModusLink FY 2022 budgets for IWCO and ModusLink Usability of federal and state NOLs (including, but not limited to, allocations to each of IWCO and ModusLink income streams) Status of discussions with IWCO lenders (financial projections assume that IWCO will be able to extend the maturity on its credit facility, but there are no guarantees it will be able to do so ; inability to obtain an extension or alternative financing would result in material adverse implications for the business not reflected in the financial projections, per SC management) Further consideration to f actors impacted by scenarios in which IWCO does not operate as a going concern / have positive equity value including (i) potential wind - down costs incurred by SC, (ii) potential changes to corporate cost structure and (iii) usability of NOLs Certain illustrative assumptions associated with the selected transactions approach Limited observations / analyses have been conducted to date on Steel Partners 1. Based on closing price on November 19, 2020, the last trading day prior to the date in which the Proposal was publicly announ ced . 2. Per SC management. 3. ModusLink generated adjusted EBITDA of $34.4mm in FY 2020 and $16.9mm in FY 2021, with ML management projecting adjusted EBIT DA of $21.4mm by FY 2025 based on the ML projections prepared by ML management, in consultation with SC management, as authorized by the Special Committee for Houlihan Lokeys use in thes e p reliminary discussion materials (the ML Projections). 4. IWCO generated adjusted EBITDA of $60.3mm in FY 2020 and $56.3mm in FY 2021, with IWCO management projecting adjusted EBITDA of $65.6mm by FY 2025 based on the IWCO projections prepared by IWCO management, in consultation with SC management, as authorized by the Special Committee for Houlihan Lokeys use in th ese preliminary discussion materials (the IWCO Projections). 5. Based on closing stock prices between January 19, 2021 and September 2, 2021. Source: SC, IWCO and ML managements, public filings, Capital IQ, Bloomberg. All FY 2021 figures preliminary. 5

Page 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Preliminary Financial Analyses Summary 6 3. Preliminary Financial Observations and Analyses 12 4. Preliminary Considerations Related to Proposal 35 5. Appendices 45 6. Disclaimer 52

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW b Low High Low High Low High Overview of Approach to Preliminary Financial Analyses IWCO & ML (General)  Businesses are valued on a sum - of - the - parts  basis given that each unit has discrete management teams, operations and balance sheets  IWCO debt facility is non - recourse and permits annual cash flow distributions to SC of up to ~$5 (not including tax distributions)  ML debt facility allows ~$10 distribution to SC in FY 22, and further amendments may be sought to allow for incremental distr ibu tions, assuming sufficient cash flow generation and liquidity IWCO  Management projections assume successful (i) implementation of competitive improvement plan (CIP) and (ii) extension of credit facilities beyond December 2022 maturity (which may not occur, as discussions with lenders remain ongoing)  Enterprise value derived using selected companies, selected transactions and discounted cash flow approaches (without giving effect to one - time CIP outlays)  Equity value derived by adjusting enterprise value for ~$39 cash balance, ~$364 debt balance and ~$33 present value of one - time CIP outlays Enterprise Value: $115.0 to $424.9 Equity Value: $0.0 to $66.3 Enterprise Value: $281.5 to $394.1 Equity Value: $0.0 to $35.4 Enterprise Value: $337.2 to $460.7 Equity Value: $0.0 to $102.0 ModusLink  Enterprise value derived using selected companies, selected transactions and discounted cash flow approaches  Equity value derived by adjusting enterprise value for ~$20 net cash balance Enterprise Value: $67.7 to $106.2 Equity Value: $87.6 to $126.1 Enterprise Value: $67.7 to $101.5 Equity Value: $87.6 to $121.5 Enterprise Value: $79.5 to $103.4 Equity Value: $99.4 to $123.4 Corporate  Corporate costs 1 : present value of ~$7.0 - $7.5 projected annual corporate SG&A costs 2 using a discounted cash flow analysis. Corporate costs consist of: (i) ~$3.7 management & personnel expenses for time allocated specifically to corporate/accounting/audit matters; (ii) ~$1.1 board fees; (iii) ~$1.5 professional fees (legal, stock exchange) and (iv) ~$0.8 taxes and other expenses (except for illustrative selected transactions approach, which assumes corporate entity is liquidated and incurs $5 of wind - down cash outlays)  Balance sheet adjustments for ~$38 cash, ~$15 convertible note 3 and ~$35 preferred stock 4 (based on higher of outstanding balance / liquidation preference or as - converted) $(39.2) to $(61.0) $(5.0) $(39.2) to $(61.0) $(11.8) 3,4 NOLs  NOLs based primarily on ~$300 of federal NOLs assumed to be utilized over 8 years per the Consolidated Projections ($1.8 billion of NOLs expire in 2023). Value ascribed to NOLs in illustrative selected transactions approach gives consideration to S382 limitations; while certain selected companies have NOLs, for conservatism full NOL value is ascribed to selected companies approach $36.8 to $48.5 $4.2 to $4.8 $36.8 to $48.5 Litigation Settlements  Per SC management, Reith litigation assumed to be settled through extinguishment of ~2.9 million shares of common stock and ~0.5 million unvested RSUs , pursuant to publicly - disclosed agreement between the parties, which remains subject to judicial review Overview of Approach to Preliminary Financial Analyses Description / Treatment Selected Companies Approach Illustrative Selected Transactions Approach Component Discounted Cash Flow Approach (dollars in millions, unless otherwise noted) Note: Present values as of 9/9/21; mid - year convention applied. No weighting ascribed to any particular methodology. 1. Value ranges do not vary across methodologies since analyses are solely based on a discounted cash flow approach, except in t he case of the Illustrative Selected Transactions Approach. 2. Based on SC projections prepared by SC management, as authorized by the Special Committee for Houlihan Lokeys use in these preliminary discussion materials (the SC Projections and , together with the ML Projections and IWCO Projections, the Consolidated Projections). 3. Figures shown above are illustratively based on outstanding principal balance of $14.9 million; for indications in which the conversion option is imp lie d to be in - the - money (implied per share equity value greater than $2.37 per share), the balance sheet deduction is reduced to $0 and the diluted shares outstanding is increased by 6.3 million shares. 4. Figures shown above are illustratively based on liquidation preference of $35.0 million; for indications in which the convers io n option is implied to be in - the - money (implied per share equity value greater than $1.96 per share), the balance sheet deduction is reduced to $0 and the diluted shares outstanding is incre ase d by 17.9 million shares. Source: Refer to pages 9 - 11 for additional details and sources for figures referenced above. 7

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW $1.22 $1.27 $1.26 $1.24 $1.41 $2.15 $1.69 $2.57 $2.30 $2.97 Current Stock Price [1]: $2.00 Steel Partners Proposal Price [2]: $0.65 - $0.72 $0.00 $0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 $4.00 Selected Companies Analysis FY 2021E Adjusted EBITDA ML: 4.0x - 6.0x IWCO: 5.0x - 7.0x Selected Companies Analysis FY 2022E Adjusted EBITDA ML: 4.0x - 6.0x IWCO: 5.0x - 7.0x Selected Companies Analysis FY 2023E Adjusted EBITDA ML: 4.0x - 6.0x IWCO: 5.0x - 7.0x Selected Transactions Analysis FY 2021E Adjusted EBITDA ML: 4.0x - 6.0x IWCO: 5.0x - 7.0x Discounted Cash Flow Analysis ML Perpetual Growth Rate: 0.0% - 2.0% ML Discount Rate: 13.0% - 15.0% IWCO Perpetual Growth Rate: 0.0% - 2.0% IWCO Discount Rate: 11.0% - 13.0% Implied Equity Value Per Share Reference Range Preliminary Financial Analyses Summary Steel Connect Implied Equity Value Per Share Reference Ranges Note: No particular weight was attributed to any analysis. 1. Based on closing stock price as of 9/2/21. 2. Steel Partners Proposal based on consideration in the form of cash and Steel Partners 6.0% Series A Preferred Units, impli ed by Steel Partners to be valued in a range of $0.65 to $0.72 per share. Adjusted EBITDA refers to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization, adjusted for certain non - recurring it ems. E refers to Estimated. FY refers to Fiscal Year. Source: Refer to following page for additional details and sources. Preliminary Illustrative Only NOL value reference ranges across Selected Companies and DCF approaches reflect implied per share values ranging between $0.57 and $0.81 for conservatism, and remain subject to continued review and diligence, which will likely have a downward impact on per share value reference ranges shown below  particularly in scenarios where IWCO does not have positive value 8

CONFIDENTIAL - PRELIMINARY DRAFT - SUBJECT TO FURTHER REVIEW [Preliminary Illlustrative Only] Selected Companies Selected Companies Selected Companies Selected Transactions Discounted Cash Flow Analysis Analysis Analysis Analysis [10] [11] Analysis FY 2021E FY 2022E FY 2023E FY 2021E Perpetual Growth Rate Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA 0.0% -- 2.0% Implied Equity Value Reference Range - IWCO [1] $0.0 -- $35.4 $0.0 -- $0.0 $0.0 -- $66.3 $0.0 -- $35.4 $0.0 -- $102.0 Implied Equity Value Reference Range - ModusLink $87.6 -- $121.5 $90.7 -- $126.1 $90.0 -- $125.0 $87.6 -- $121.5 $99.4 -- $123.4 Present Value of Steel Connect Corporate Expenses [2] (39.2) -- (61.0) (39.2) -- (61.0) (39.2) -- (61.0) (5.0) -- (5.0) (39.2) -- (61.0) Present Value of Net Operating Losses [2] [3] [4] 36.8 -- 48.5 36.8 -- 48.5 36.8 -- 48.5 4.2 -- 4.8 36.8 -- 48.5 Steel Connect Cash and Cash Equivalents as of 7/31/2021 [5] [6] 38.1 -- 38.1 38.1 -- 38.1 38.1 -- 38.1 38.1 -- 38.1 38.1 -- 38.1 Convertible Senior Notes as of 7/31/2021 [5] [7] (14.9) -- (14.9) (14.9) -- (14.9) (14.9) -- 0.0 (14.9) -- (14.9) (14.9) -- 0.0 Series C Convertible Preferred Stock as of 7/31/2021 [5] [8] (35.0) -- 0.0 (35.0) -- (35.0) (35.0) -- 0.0 (35.0) -- 0.0 (35.0) -- 0.0 Implied Total Equity Value Reference Range 73.4 167.6 76.5 101.7 75.7 216.8 74.9 179.8 85.2 251.0 Diluted Shares Outstanding [5] [9] 60.2 -- 78.1 60.2 -- 60.2 60.2 -- 84.4 60.2 -- 78.1 60.2 -- 84.4 Implied Equity Value Per Share Reference Range $1.22 -- $2.15 $1.27 -- $1.69 $1.26 -- $2.57 $1.24 -- $2.30 $1.41 -- $2.97 Preliminary Financial Analyses Summary (cont.) Steel Connect (dollars and shares outstanding in millions, except per share values) Note: Refer to following pages for derivation of IWCO and ML equity value reference ranges. Present value of Steel Connect co rpo rate expenses based on the SC Projections of ~$7.0 - $7.5mm of corporate expenses, tax - affected and based on a discount rate range of 11.0% to 15.0% across the selected companies and DCF approaches; selected transactions approach assumes liquida tio n of corporate entity and $5 million of wind - down/severance cash outlays, based on discussions with SC management. 1. In the event that certain equity value reference range indications for IWCO are not positive, values are shown as "0" for con ser vatism given that IWCO debt is non - recourse. However, it is possible that SC may incur wind - down costs or otherwise use its cash balance to support IWCO activities. 2. Scenarios resulting in equity value for IWCO that is not positive would limit usability of NOLs and may present opportunities fo r a reduction in corporate costs. While factoring in such adjustments would likely result in net diminution in the low end of th e implied equity value per share reference ranges shown above, given insufficient information and for conservatism, no adjustme nts have been made. Subject to continued review. 3. NOL value reference ranges subject to continued diligence and review. Reflects net present value of tax savings from federal and state NOLs. Net present value of tax savings from utilization of the Company's federal NOL balance of ~$2.1 billion (of which ~$1.8 billion expires in 2023) based on the Consolidated Projections and a discount rate range of 15.0% to 18.0%. Per S C m anagement, state NOLs are not projected to have material value; as such, the low end of the range ascribes zero value to the state NOLs and the high end of the range ascribes $2.5mm of value to the NOLs, based on the maximum potential value pe r S C management. Foreign NOLs are not projected to be utilized, per SC management. 4. While a number of the selected companies have NOL balances that may impact their TEV/EBITDA multiples, we have added the full pr esent value of the Company's NOLs to all of the selected companies approaches for conse
WASHINGTON  Michael Flynn, the retired Army general and onetime adviser to President Donald Trump, was cited by the Defense Department inspector general for failing to disclose lucrative speaking engagements and other business arrangements with foreign entities, prompting the U.S. government to pursue tens of thousands of dollars in penalties against him, according to documents.

Investigators determined that Flynn received nearly $450,000 from Turkish and Russian interests in 2015, including for an appearance in Moscow alongside President Vladimir Putin, but found no records that he had sought government approval beforehand. Their findings are detailed in a January 2021 memo to the Army released through the Freedom of Information Act on Thursday.

The Army notified Flynn in a May 2 letter, obtained by The Washington Post, that it would seek to recoup $38,557.06 from him, zeroing in on money and in-kind compensation he received for a gala dinner celebrating the 10th anniversary of RT, the Kremlin-run news agency. Putin sat beside Flynn at the event and later told NBC News that he didnt even really talk to him.

Flynn did not respond to a phone call and emails seeking comment.

Craig R. Schmauder, an Army lawyer, wrote in the letter that Flynns failure to obtain the approvals of the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of State resulted in a violation of the Emoluments Clause, a provision of the U.S. Constitution that prohibits retired military personnel from receiving money from foreign governments without prior authorization.

When there is a finding that a military retiree has violated the Emoluments Clause, the United States Government may pursue a debt collection, Schmauder wrote to Flynn.

Schmauder added that the Army was requesting that the Defense Financing Accounting Service seek recoupment from you of a debt in the amount of $38,557.06. It was not clear why the Army sanctioned Flynn for the Moscow visit but not his other work.

Sean ODonnell, the acting Defense Department inspector general, wrote in the January 2021 memo released Thursday that Defense Department regulations state that if a retired U.S. service member receives money from a foreign government without prior approval, it is considered received by the retired member for the United States.

A debt in favor of the government is created which is to be collected by withholding from retired pay, ODonnell wrote.

In addition to the RT dinner in December 2015, ODonnells memo highlights Flynns paid appearance at an October 2015 conference sponsored by Kaspersky Government Security Solutions, an entity that appears to be controlled by the Russian government, and Flynns work for Inovo BV, a corporation organized in the Netherlands that assisted the Turkish government.

The Army determined April 28 that Flynn violated the emoluments clause, Michael Brady, an Army spokesman, said in an email. The Army forwarded its findings to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, which calculates how much is owed and handles collection.

Flynn acknowledged the financial penalty in a television interview broadcast in May, saying the Defense Department was going to reach into my retirement and ... take some money out.

Yeah, it means something, but at the end of the day, this country means a heck of a lot more than what they will do to me, Flynn said then, suggesting the punitive action was politically motivated.

Flynn was Trumps first national security adviser but became ensnared in the Justice Departments investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. He abruptly left the White House just weeks into the administration, later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russias ambassador to the United States, and then attempted to reverse course before Trump eventually pardoned him in November 2020.

After Trumps defeat, Flynn suggested to Trump that he declare martial law and force a rerun of the contest in key states that went for President Biden.

The Defense Department inspector generals investigation was opened in April 2017 but languished for years while Flynn was the subject of a criminal investigation.

ODonnell, the acting inspector general, wrote in his memo that his investigation had been held in abeyance since June 2017, pending the resolution of criminal allegations against LTG Flynn. LTG stands for lieutenant general, Flynns rank when he retired from the Army in 2014.

After Trump pardoned Flynn, the Justice Department informed ODonnells office that their interest in this matter is moot and that the inspector generals office may proceed in a manner we deem appropriate, the memo said.

The Washington Posts Nate Jones and Shane Harris contributed to this report.
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  A projectile that apparently shattered a glass pane Wednesday at a home near the Marine Corps Camp Hansen did not come from any of the camps live-fire ranges, a Marine Corps spokesman said Friday.

Okinawa prefectural police collected a 2-inch-long bullet from a kitchen door in Kin town about a quarter mile from Hansen on northern Okinawa, a town spokeswoman told Stars and Stripes by phone on Friday. A resident heard the glass break between 2 and 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper on Friday.

A neighbor reported the incident to the Kin town hall at 1:35 p.m. Thursday, the spokeswoman said.

The projectile didnt come from any of the ranges nearby, according to a spokesman for III Marine Expeditionary Force on Friday.

Marine Corps officials have examined the object and determined the aged and corroded projectile could not have been fired by any weapon system used during carefully observed and controlled live-fire training aboard Camp Hansen on Wednesday and Thursday, according to an email to Stars and Stripes from 1st Lt. Zachary Voss.

The Okinawa Defense Bureau notified Kin town that Hansen would hold live-fire training sometime between July 4 and Sunday, the town spokeswoman said.

After the report, Camp Hansen range safety personnel rapidly took action to inspect live-fire ranges taking place to ensure all safety measures were in place, and that proper safety procedures were being followed, according to Voss.

The bullet broke one of two panes of glass and lodged between the glass and a screen, the town spokeswoman said. Japanese government officials customarily speak to the media on condition of anonymity. No one was injured in the incident, she said.

Only the outside glass pane was broken, according to a statement Friday from the Okinawa Defense Bureau.

Kin Mayor Hajime Nakama met with bureau officials and requested they confirm the facts as soon as possible, the spokeswoman said.

In a 2018 incident, a mango farmer discovered two broken windows in his shed and 2-inch-long bullet on the floor. The bullet was traced back to nearby Range 10 at Camp Schwab. Okinawa politicians filed a criminal complaint of attempted murder against the III MEF commander at the time, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, and others, but police dropped the matter.
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan  Capt. Rich Jarrett, who steered the Navys largest overseas installation through the coronavirus pandemic, relinquished command Friday to Capt. Les Sobol during a ceremony at a base theater.

Jarrett, 48, of Charleston, W.Va., took command in July 2019, just months before the coronavirus emerged in China. He contended with the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two years, during which base lockdowns and quarantined ships became familiar events. The naval base, homeport of the 7th Fleet and headquarters of the U.S. Navy in Japan, was struck hard by the virus and often reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases among U.S. bases in Japan.

We had very little information in 2020 when this began, but we learned a little bit each step of the way, Jarrett told reporters after the ceremony. I think we had very good health outcomes, both here and in the local community.

Sobol, 51, of Jersey City, N.J., moves over from a post with 7th Fleet as an operations officer and director of integrated air and missile defense at Yokosuka. He previously served as the chief staff officer for Amphibious Squadron 11, homeported at Sasebo Naval Base, Japan, and as commander of the guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez.

Im so very grateful for the opportunity, Sobol said during the ceremony. Im really excited to serve this community.

Sobol enlisted in 1988 and served 10 years as a sonar technician before he was commissioned through Officer Candidate School.

He deployed several times with operations Restore Hope in Somalia, Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Inherent Resolve in Syria, Iraq and Libya. Sobol said his experiences as an enlisted sailor and an officer will be his foundation as the new commander.

The experiences that you fall back on are the leadership talents and traits that you develop over the course of your time serving, he told Stars and Stripes after the ceremony. Im going to have to fall back on all of that, and then some, to make sure that Im able to provide unreserved support to the fleet, to our alliances, to our families and to our partners.

The naval base on Tokyo Bay is home to approximately 9,500 sailors and 6,500 dependents, along with another 11,000 contracts and local workers.

Jarrett is heading to a staff job at Naval Installations Command in Washington, D.C.

In March 2020, a sailor aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, homeported at Yokosuka, became the first U.S. sailor to test positive for coronavirus. The pandemic waxed and waned at U.S. bases in Japan for the next two years.

In December 2020, for example, the naval base reported what was the highest number of COVID-19 cases of the unfolding pandemic when several people violated liberty restrictions. Jarrett was direct in his response.

These individuals then brought illness to their place of work and to their shipmates they work with, he said. He predicted hundreds of service members and their families would spend the holidays in quarantine, as a result.

This outcome is unacceptable, he said at the time, and it was almost entirely preventable.

The base reported nearly 2,500 cases of COVID-19 during the pandemic, although the U.S. military at times did not publicly report case numbers. It reported nearly 700 cases in 2021 with no reported fatalities.

However, in January the base reported more than 1,400 cases, its highest one-month total of the pandemic.
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Its that time of year again, when thousands of military families box up their lives and throw the dice. Unfortunately, moving is a gamble. No matter how much you plan and prepare, something always gets lost, stolen or broken. You can only hope that its that ugly microwave cart that youve always hated.

Our first movers name was Rusty, a swarthy old truck driver who had seen many a move. Over lunch, he sat on the hydraulic platform on his rig telling stories. Even back in my drinkin days, he boasted with a mouthful of ham and cheese, Never had a late delivery. Why, one time after a fifth of Wild Turkey, I drove from Mississippi clear into Texas and had absolutely no recollection of it.

As we watched him drive off with our priceless belongings, we prayed that he would stay off the sauce.

The next two moves were without incident, but our moving luck began to shift during our move from England to Virginia. Our English movers were friendly mates, requesting fish, chips and lager for lunch. They ate at our kitchen table with us like one big happy family. At the end of the day we bid them tarah with warm smiles, and they drove away with our neatly packed belongings.

Only later did we realize that theyd nicked our telly.

With a toddler and a new baby, we bought our first house in Virginia and scheduled a full unpack. When the truck arrived (two hours late), I asked the foreman, Well cover lunch  does your crew prefer sandwiches or 

Well take fried chicken, biscuits, gravy, mashed potatoes and sweet tea, the foreman interrupted. Envisioning disgruntled movers breaking my Polish pottery, I spent a small fortune at the local deli filling their demands.

During lunch, a crew person introduced himself. Hello Maam, Im Mohammed. Todays Ramadan  would you mind if I found a quiet place to pray somewhere here today?

Of course, I said. Mi casa es su casa!

Later that afternoon, my arm was numb from carrying the baby. Needing a private place to get her down for a nap, I laid down with a blanket and a baby monitor in the spare bedrooms well-ventilated closet, closed the door and began nursing. Ten minutes later, shed drifted off to sleep, when I heard the spare bedroom door open, and a rhythmic chant began. Peeking through the closet door slats, I saw Mohammed, kneeling and deep in prayer.

What should I do? I thought. Walk out of this closet and surprise him, or wait it out with the baby?" In the end, my naptime freedom outweighed Mohammeds sacred privacy.

Howdy, Mohammed! I popped my head out of the closet. Ill just scoot on out of here and leave you in peace. Toodle-oo!

Years later, we were naively hopeful for a problem-free move to Germany. After supplying doughnuts, coffee, lunch, cold drinks, storage bags, markers and tape, I watched out a window in horror. A crew member formed a little hammock with his shirt and filled it with nuts and bolts from our disassembled bicycles. He carried them over to the truck, and threw them into a wooden crate between furniture and boxes.

I ran outside and protested, reminding him of the baggies I gave him for this purpose. Trust me, Maam, he replied. When you get to your new place, just shake the paper at the bottom of the crate out. Youll see, all the piecesll be there.

Of course, they were not.

Two years after my husbands irreplaceable military Challenge Coin collection was stolen during our move to Florida, we arrived in Rhode Island, home to the Patriarca Mafia Crime Family and its boss, Anthony Spucky Spagnolo. With one of the highest percentages of Italian-Americans, the tiniest states unofficial motto is I know a guy. So, it shouldnt have come as a surprise when our moving crew lost Francis expensive cross-training bicycle and our Persian living room rug.

Chances are, something will go wrong during PCS moves, so should we stop planning and preparing? Of course not. Take the gamble, but take comfort that one things for certain: That ugly microwave cart will always survive.

Read more at themeatandpotatoesoflife.com, and in Lisas book, The Meat and Potatoes of Life: My True Lit Com. Email: meatandpotatoesoflife@gmail.com
NAIROBI, Kenya  Ethiopian police and soldiers are dying on a "daily" basis as the country grapples with insurgencies in Oromia and elsewhere, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Thursday.

Abiy in a parliamentary address repeated a vow to destroy the Oromo Liberation Army, a rebel group his government blames for two recent massacres targeting members of the Amhara ethnic group.

"As a government, the fact we are not able to prevent the acts they committed, we feel quite sad," Abiy said. "Daily police officers die, security forces die" while fighting the Oromo rebels, he said.

In a rare admission of government losses, Abiy also said that "hundreds" of district officials have been killed in attacks.

The increase in violence in Oromia comes as the 20-month-long conflict with the Tigray People's Liberation Front appears to be reducing. Last month Abiy revealed a committee has been set up to negotiate with the TPLF, but if the talks fail he suggested his government is ready to renew military efforts.

"The unity and the interests of our country, if it becomes difficult to secure it peacefully, we will pay sacrifices with our lives," Abiy told lawmakers. "Outside of that, we believe there is hope. Our door will remain open for peace."

In Oromia, the latest killings occurred on Monday, resulting in the deaths of an unknown number of civilians in the unstable West Wellega area. It followed a separate attack in the region last month that witnesses said killed hundreds.

The Oromo Liberation Army, or OLA, an outlawed group that the government refers to as Shene, denies carrying out the killings.

In response to the violence, regional and federal forces have stepped up their offensive against the OLA. Abiy said counterinsurgency efforts have been "95%" successful in saving civilian lives and compared the recent ethnic-based killings to gun violence in the United States.

"The security forces serve the country at a high cost, so the parliament should recognize their efforts," Abiy said, describing the mass killings as "inhumane acts" perpetrated by "destructive, evil forces."

On Wednesday Ethiopia's parliament set up a special body to investigate the killings in Oromia, where regional government forces have also been accused of human rights abuses.

Human Rights Watch in a statement this week said a "culture of impunity" has "emboldened unaccountable security forces" that it says are responsible for a spate of extrajudicial killings in Oromia.

The killings are putting pressure on Abiy's government to do more to protect civilians as waves of ethnic unrest persist in Africa's second-most populous country with a population of 115 million people. Ethiopia has more than 90 different ethnic groups, according to its census. The Oromo are the largest group with an estimated 34% of the population followed by the Amhara with 27%.

Violence between various ethnic groups has increased in recent years as a result of longstanding rivalries.
LISBON, Portugal  Jose Eduardo dos Santos, once one of Africa's longest-serving rulers who during almost four decades as president of Angola fought the continent's longest civil war and turned his country into a major oil producer as well as one of the world's poorest and most corrupt nations, died Friday. He was 79.

Dos Santos died at a clinic in Barcelona, Spain following a long illness, the Angolan government said in an announcement on its Facebook page.

The announcement said dos Santos was "a statesman of great historical scale who governed ... the Angolan nation through very difficult times."

Dos Santos had mostly lived in Barcelona since stepping down in 2017 and had been undergoing treatment there for health problems.

Angola's current head of state, Joao Lourenco, announced five days of national mourning starting Saturday, when the country's flag will fly at half-staff and public events are canceled.

Dos Santos came to power four years after Angola gained independence from Portugal and became enmeshed in the Cold War as a proxy battlefield.

His political journey spanned single-party Marxist rule in post-colonial years and a democratic system of government adopted in 2008. He voluntarily stepped down when his health began failing.

In public, dos Santos was unassuming and even appeared shy at times. But he was a shrewd operator behind the scenes.

He kept a tight grip on the 17th-century presidential palace in Luanda, the southern African country's Atlantic capital, by distributing Angola's wealth between his army generals and political rivals to ensure their loyalty. He demoted anyone he perceived to be gaining a level of popularity that could threaten his command.

Dos Santos' greatest foe for more than two decades was Jonas Savimbi, leader of the UNITA rebels whose post-independence guerrilla insurgency fought in the bush aimed to oust dos Santos' Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, or MPLA.

The MPLA had financial support from the Soviet Union and military support from Cuba in its war against UNITA. Savimbi was backed by the United States and South Africa.

The war would last, with brief periods of U.N.-brokered peace, until 2002 when the army finally tracked down Savimbi in eastern Angola and killed him.

Dos Santos abruptly shed his Marxist policies after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. He moved closer to Western countries, whose oil companies invested billions of dollars in mostly offshore exploration.

His supporters praised his ability to adapt to changing circumstances. His critics called him unscrupulous.

Dos Santos was invited to the White House in 2004 by then-president George W. Bush as the United States has looked to reduce its dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Angola became sub-Saharan Africa's second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, producing close to 2 million barrels per day. It also unearthed more than $1 billion worth of diamonds each year.

However, the wealth never reached the Angolan people, who during and after the civil war were at risk from large areas of unmapped minefields and had little access to basic amenities, such as running water or roads. Education and health care were -- and remain -- sparse.

More than $4 billion in oil revenue vanished from Angolan state coffers between 1997 and 2002, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a 2004 report, based on an analysis of figures from the International Monetary Fund.

The U.S. State Department said that wealth in Angola is "concentrated in the hands of a small elite, who often used government positions for massive personal enrichment."

Dos Santos was believed to own valuable real estate in Brazil, France and Portugal, as well as foreign bank accounts.

Under his rule, and despite the general poverty, street protests were rare and quickly broken up by the heavily armed riot police known popularly as "Ninjas." A well-paid and well-equipped presidential guard was garrisoned inside dos Santos's palace and lined the city's grimy, potholed streets whenever he emerged.

A bricklayer's son from Luanda, Angola's coastal capital, dos Santos began his political life with boots and a rifle in 1961 as an 18-year-old guerrilla for the MLPA in the fight for independence from Portugal.

MPLA bosses pulled him from combat in 1963 and sent him to the Soviet Union for training as a petroleum engineer and military communications specialist.

When he returned to Angola in 1970, he skillfully negotiated compromises to keep the MPLA from breaking up into splinter groups and as a reward was appointed to the party's central committee.

When independence arrived in 1975, dos Santos became foreign minister and later planning minister and deputy prime minister in the single-party Marxist state.

In a surprise choice, the MPLA elected dos Santos at 37 as president upon the death of Agostinho Neto, Angola's first leader, in 1979. Dos Santos was seen as a consensus figure between squabbling party veterans, but few anticipated his political longevity.

Dos Santos never sought to establish a personality cult and remained a mysterious figure. He reportedly once said in private he felt his true vocation was that of a monk.

Nor was he known for political sensitivity: He built a multimillion-dollar mansion on the fringe of a Luanda shantytown while millions of Angolans were fighting starvation during the civil war.

He was considered a sure loser against Savimbi in the country's first democratic elections in 1992, following a peace treaty signed the previous year.

Margaret Anstee, a former U.N. special representative to Angola, described dos Santos as being almost the opposite of Savimbi.

"His demeanor was grave and reserved, to the point that I traced a sense of shyness or timidity, absurd as this seemed. The contrast with Dr. Savimbi's flamboyant personality could not have been more vivid," she wrote in her 1996 book on Angola entitled "Orphan of the Cold War."

But in further evidence of his staying power dos Santos held on again, narrowly outpolling Savimbi for president while leading the MPLA to a parliamentary majority in the simultaneous legislative election.

When Savimbi rejected his defeat at the ballot box and returned to his armed struggle, Western support gradually swung behind dos Santos.

The foes signed another peace deal, brokered by the United Nations, in 1994, but that also unraveled four years later.

Meanwhile, dos Santos  with an army of around 100,000 troops, many with years of jungle combat experience  essayed a role as a regional power broker, starting with neighboring countries.

He sent 2,500 troops to Republic of Congo in 1997 to help President Denis Sassou-Nguesso seize power and the following year sent a contingent to Congo to help President Laurent Kabila's government fight rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

The end of Angola's civil war in 2002 brought an opportunity for broader economic development in the southern African country, which is more than three times the size of California.

But public infrastructure was devastated; 4 million people  about one-third of the population at the time  had fled their homes because of the fighting; and oil and diamond wealth continued in the hands of the political and military elite.

Berlin-based Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 named Angola as one of the world's 10 most corrupt countries.

"As land mine-maimed children begged in the streets, politicians' wives flew to New York on the government health budget for nip-and-tuck cosmetic surgery," wrote John McMillan, a Stanford University economics professor, in a 2005 study on Angolan corruption.

Under pressure to finally hold a ballot, dos Santos announced legislative elections in 2008 and a presidential election the following year.

Dos Santos's MPLA won the most votes for parliamentary seats. But then the head of state changed tack, first postponing the presidential ballot and then scrapping it.

He altered the constitution so that the president is chosen by the party which wins the parliamentary elections. That kept him in power for another eight years.

However, with his health reportedly worsening, Dos Santos announced in 2016 he would retire.

He was replaced by Lourenco, an MPLA stalwart, who has made an anti-corruption drive his flagship policy. He has targeted dos Santos' grown children, who possess fabulous personal wealth, but not his predecessor.

That change in fortune for dos Santos's family has prompted one of his daughters to suspect that a conspiracy was behind her father's illness and death. Spanish prosecutors and police are looking into allegations by Tchize dos Santos that people close to the ex-president have tried to kill him, failed to care for him properly and acted negligently.

Dos Santos, who was married four times, was survived by his current wife, Ana Paula, by whom he had three children. He is known to have at least three other children and various grandchildren.
BEIJING  China has demanded the U.S. cease military "collusion" with Taiwan during a virtual meeting between the joint chiefs of staff from the two countries whose relationship has grown increasingly fractious.

Gen. Li Zuocheng told Gen. Mark Milley on Thursday that China had "no room for compromise" on issues affecting its "core interests," which include self-governing Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

"China demands the U.S. ... cease reversing history, cease U.S.-Taiwan military collusion and avoid impacting China-U.S. ties and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Li said.

The Chinese military would "resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "If anyone creates a wanton provocation, they will be met with the firm counterattack from the Chinese people."

Such language is fairly routine and Li was also quoted in a Defense Ministry news release saying China hoped to "further strengthen dialogue, handle risks, and promote cooperation, rather than deliberately creating confrontation, provoking incidents and becoming mutually exclusive."

China routinely flies warplanes near Taiwan to advertise its threat to attack, and the island's Defense Ministry said Chinese air force aircraft crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait dividing the two sides on Friday morning. It said measures were taken in response, including the scrambling of Taiwanese jets.

Such "provocative behavior ... has seriously damaged regional peace and stability," the ministry said.

Asked about the incident, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, "This exercise by China is directed at external interference and separatist Taiwan independence forces."

The meeting between Li and Milley followed fiery comments by Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at a regional security conference last month that was also attended by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Wei accused the United States of trying to "hijack" the support of countries in the Asia-Pacific region to turn them against Beijing, saying Washington is seeking to advance its own interests "under the guise of multilateralism."

At the same meeting in Singapore, Austin said China was causing instability with its claim to Taiwan and its increased military activity in the area.

And in May, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called China the "most serious long-term challenge to the international order" for the United States, with its claims to Taiwan and efforts to dominate the strategic South China Sea, prompting an angry response from Beijing.

The U.S. and its allies have responded with what they term "freedom of navigation" patrols in the South China Sea, prompting angry responses from Beijing.

Despite not having formal diplomatic relations in deference to Beijing, Washington remains Taiwan's chief ally and supplier of defense weapons. U.S. law requires the government to treat all threats to the island as matters of "grave concern," although it remains ambiguous on whether the U.S. military would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by China.

The latest round of heated rhetoric comes ahead of a meeting between Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Saturday at a gathering of foreign ministers from the G-20 bloc of industrialized nations in Indonesia that is expected to be overshadowed by disagreements over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

China has refused to criticize Moscow's aggression or even term it an invasion, while condemning Western sanctions against Russia and accusing the U.S. and NATO of provoking the conflict.

Along with Taiwan and the South China Sea, Washington and Beijing are also at odds over trade, human rights and China's policies in Tibet and toward mainly Muslim Turkic minorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
TOKYO  A former Japanese prime minister, delivering a $1.5 million donation to the American Red Cross on Thursday, was moved to tears remembering U.S. sailors service to his country 11 years ago during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Junichiro Koizumi, prime minister from April 2001 to September 2006, praised the sailors during a speech at the International House of Japan before handing over a ceremonial check from his foundation.

Koizumi in 2016 met the sailors whose health issues they say arose from their service during Operation Tomodachi, the relief effort following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and the resulting Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster.

In March 2011, more than 20,000 American troops worked alongside their Japanese allies during the emergency response to the magnitude 9 earthquake, the biggest ever recorded in Japan. The resulting massive tsunami that inundated the northeastern coast killed more than 19,000 and caused a meltdown at the nuclear plant.

All Japanese citizens were aware of the relief efforts made by U.S. forces, Koizumi said.

Few knew that some U.S. troops may not have worn protective gear during their work, he said.

Koizumi, who is from Yokosuka, homeport of the U.S. 7th Fleet, said he visited the Navy veterans in San Diego and over four days interviewed 10 who participated in the earthquake response.

Sailors in their 20s and 30s who otherwise would be quite healthy may have been affected by sickness due to their efforts in Operation Tomodachi, he said Thursday. These otherwise healthy sailors were beginning to experience problems with their sight and even walking.

Instead of asking for compensation, the sailors told Koizumi they bore no grudge toward Japan and liked the Japanese people, he said.

The sailors said they had only fulfilled their responsibilities as members of the U.S. armed forces. The sailors words remained in my head for some time, he said, wiping away tears.

On his return to Japan, the former politician established the Koizumi Fund to raise money for the veterans medical costs. In August 2016, he spoke in Osaka at an event organized by architect Tadao Ando that drew in 1,300 people who each donated $100.

Koizumi also met with business leaders, including furniture retailer Akio Nitori, whose company donated $1 million in February 2017, Koizumi said.

The fund has helped about 430 U.S. veterans of Operation Tomodachi with medical costs. Some had filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the Fukushima plant, Julian Victoria, an administrator for the Koizumi Fund, said by phone Friday.

Operation Tomodachi was an example of the close and special relationship between Japan and America, U.S. Naval Forces Japan commander Rear Adm. Carl Lahti told Koizumi at the event Thursday.

Thank you for your personal involvement and care for the sailors who participated in Operation Tomodachi, Lahti said.

Randall Bagwell, director of the Asia Pacific Division of the American Red Cross, accepted the check. He told Koizumi the Red Cross helps about 250,000 American service members, veterans and family members each year.

This money will go to the benefit of service members, veterans and their families in the U.S. military communities like the one in your hometown, he said. When you saw a need you took action, and that action has been very meaningful to American service members.
World leaders past and present expressed shock and sadness at the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated Friday campaigning at a political rally.

News of the shooting of modern Japans longest-serving prime minister reverberated around the globe and cast a spotlight on political violence and gun culture in the country and elsewhere.

European Union leader Ursula von der Leyen called the attack a brutal and cowardly murder, adding that a wonderful person, great democrat and champion of the multilateral world order has passed away.

In Asia, the top Philippine diplomat, Enrique Manalo, remembered Abe and said he would be very much missed.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called his death an act of terrorism during an election period, that attacked the very foundation of democracy. He also sent a letter of condolence to Abes wife, Akie. Seoul has historically had a tense relationship with Tokyo, which colonized Korea, but Yoon has sought to develop closer ties since taking office this year.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Abe a dear friend and said his country would observe a national day of mourning on Saturday, as a mark of our deepest respect.

Wary of an assertive China, Abe developed close ties between Japan, Asias richest democracy, and India, the regions most populous. He was a particularly vocal proponent of the Quad, an informal network of Japan, India, Australia and the United States that is viewed as a counterweight to Beijing.

A spokesperson at the Chinese embassy in Japan said Abe had made contributions towards improving China-Japan relations during his term, Reuters reported. We express our condolences on his death and send our sympathies to his family.

President Joe Biden said he was stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the news.

This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him, he added. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy. Biden added that gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it. The debate over guns in the United States has heightened in recent weeks following a number of mass shootings, including at a grocery store, an elementary school and a July Fourth parade.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking on the sidelines of a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia, called the assassination profoundly disturbing, and said to the United States, Prime Minister Abe was an extraordinary partner.

Former president Barack Obama tweeted his shock at the assassination of his friend. He recalled moving visits to Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor with Abe in 2016.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel also said Friday that he was deeply saddened by the news, calling Abe a friend of America.

Former president Donald Trump, who developed close ties with Abe while in office, put out a message on his social media platform hailing Abe as a unifier and a man who loved and cherished his nation.

Trump also called for swift and harsh punishment for Abes killer.

Tokyos relations with Moscow have become strained in recent months, as Japan imposed sanctions in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. However, Russia sent its sympathies.

The Kremlin strongly condemned the killing, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Abe was a patriot who defended Tokyos interests at the negotiation table.

As prime minister, Abe worked to improve relations with Russia with hopes of resolving a long-running dispute over islands near Japan that the Soviet Union seized in 1945. Russia withdrew from talks to resolve the issue in March. Ultimately, Abe tried to fix the dispute as prime minister but couldnt persuade the Kremlin to shift its position.

Horrible news of a brutal assassination, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This heinous act of violence has no excuse.

Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that it was incredibly sad news and said Abes global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many.

We stand closely by Japans side in these difficult hours, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that the assassination left him shocked and deeply saddened.

Australia, Sweden, France, Turkey and dozens of other nations also condemned the assassination.

Abe, who came from a high-profile political family and resigned as prime minister in 2020 because of illness, was shot at a campaign event Friday, Japanese officials said. Japan has among the worlds strictest firearms laws, and gun violence there is rare.

The 67-year-old had been giving a speech in Nara, near Osaka, ahead of elections for Japans upper house of parliament on Sunday. Videos showed a chaotic scene, with Abe, unmoving, lying on the ground as attendees yelled for an ambulance.

Police arrested a suspect, a man from Nara in his 40s named Tetsuya Yamagami, and seized a gun. Yamagami was a member of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years, defense officials told Japanese media.

- - -

The Washington Posts John Hudson in Nusa Dua, Indonesia; Grace Moon, Katerina Ang and Min Joo Kim in Seoul; Regine Cabato in Manila; Robyn Dixon in Riga, Latvia; Rick Noack in Parisand Eva Dou contributed to this report.
NUSA DUA, Indonesia - Secretary of State Antony Blinken called out Russia for blocking Ukrainian grain exports amid rising global food prices in a contentious closed-door session at a meeting Friday of the top diplomats from the worlds largest economies.

The Group of 20 meeting hosted by Indonesia on its resort island of Bali is the first time top U.S. and Russian diplomats have been in the same room since the invasion of Ukraine. The deep divisions between East and West - as well as North and South - at the conference hampered discussions on an array of pressing concerns, including rising energy and food costs, climate change, poverty and pandemic responses.

To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out, Blinken said, according to a Western diplomat in the room who spoke on the condition of anonymity to relate events at the session.

Ukraine, the worlds fourth-largest grain exporter, has seen its exports shrink dramatically as fighting along its southern coast blocked its ports.

Blinken also disparaged Moscows contributions to the World Food Program, noting that it has provided only a fifth of 1% of the donations to the organization.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was not in the room during Blinkens remarks, having walked out of both plenary sessions as soon as his Western counterparts began to speak. But he lashed out at the Western diplomats present, accusing them of rabid Russophobia, which they turn to instead of finding much-needed common ground on key issues on the global economy and finances, for which the G-20 was created.

Ahead of the clash, Indonesias foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, implored her fellow diplomats to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield.

But signs of collaboration were sparse.

Blinken and other Western diplomats refused to be photographed with Lavrov for the traditional family photo that caps a G-20 conference and they ruled out bilateral meetings with Lavrov.

News events outside the meeting, including the Friday assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and the Thursday resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, also jolted diplomats in attendance.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who was scheduled to meet Blinken and other G-20 diplomats, returned to Britain early as Conservatives there began the jostle to succeed Johnson as prime minister.

Japans foreign minister, Hayashi Yoshimasa, said he would attend a meeting with his U.S. and Korean counterparts but appeared poised to return to Tokyo immediately afterward.

The shooting, a rarity in Japan, where firearms laws are among the worlds strictest, prompted a wave of sympathy from ministers, including Blinken, who said he was deeply saddened and deeply concerned by the assassination attempt.

During the meetings, Marsudi urged diplomats to move past their differences to address the pressing problems facing the entire world.

The question is, can we solve these global problems on our own? The answer is no. Global challenges require global solutions, she said.

She emphasized that soaring fuel and grain prices were disproportionately affecting poor and developing countries and that the absence of a response from the G-20 would undermine the credibility of the multilateral system put in place after World War II.

The current world situation makes people lose faith in multilateralism and its capacity to respond effectively to global challenges, she said.

U.S. officials said they were determined not to let differences over Ukraine undermine the meeting, though they had hoped Indonesia would not invite Lavrov in the first place.

The large and diverse list of countries attending the G-20 meeting has traditionally resulted in Western countries facing more skepticism about their initiatives than at meetings of the more aligned G-7 industrialized democracies. Several of the G-20 countries have remained reluctant to join the West in condemning or sanctioning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including China, India, Brazil and South Africa.

As a result, U.S. officials organized meetings and joint statements with subgroups within the G-20, such as a meeting of representatives of Germany, France and Britain. Without anyone to push back, the allies put out a statement assailing Russias unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice and Moscows deliberate targeting of Ukrainian agriculture.

Blinken will meet with at least one less friendly counterpart, however, in a bilateral discussion on Saturday with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

Lavrov met Wang on Thursday as part of a series of bilateral discussions with Asian leaders in advance of the conference. He is expected to meet with his Mexican, Brazilian and South African counterparts, as well.

In urging collaboration, Marsudi, the Indonesian minister, acknowledged it was an uphill battle. Honestly, we cannot deny that it has become more difficult for the world to sit together, she said.
BOSTON  A former U.S. Department of Defense employee will plead guilty to charges that he used government funds to create a no-show job for a friend and pay for 31 personal trips to Orlando, Fla., Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins announced Friday.

Thomas Bouchard, 59, was working as a U.S. Army contracting officer in Massachusetts when he arranged for a private defense contractor to hire his friend, Chantelle Boyd, in 2014. Boyd, who also faces charges, allegedly made nearly $500,000 over four years for doing little to no work. Her salary was paid using federal funds.

Authorities said Bouchard also used government money to pay for dozens of vacations, including 31 trips to Orlando. Boyd often accompanied Bouchard and the pair frequently shared a room and spent work hours at amusement parks and resorts, according to prosecutors.

Bouchard allegedly falsified travel reimbursements to conceal the expenses.

Bouchard has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of theft of government funds. He and Boyd, a Maryland resident, were initially charged in 2020.

Bouchard faces possible prison time and fines when he is sentenced.

Messages left with Boyd and an attorney for Bouchard were not immediately returned Friday.
POKROVSK, Ukraine  A Ukrainian regional official warned Friday of deteriorating living conditions in a city captured by Russian forces two weeks ago, saying Sievierodonetsk is without water, power or a working sewage system while the bodies of the dead decompose in hot apartment buildings.

Gov. Serhiy Haidai said the Russians were unleashing indiscriminate artillery barrages as they try to secure their gains in eastern Ukraine's Luhansk province. Moscow this week claimed full control of Luhansk, but the governor and other Ukrainian officials said their troops retained a small part of the province.

"Luhansk hasn't been fully captured even though the Russians have engaged all their arsenal to achieve that goal," Haidai told The Associated Press. "Fierce battles are going on in several villages on the region's border. The Russians are relying on tanks and artillery to advance, leaving scorched earth."

Russia's forces "strike every building that they think could be a fortified position," he said. "They aren't stopped by the fact that civilians are left there, and they die in their homes and courtyards. They keep firing."

Occupied Sievierodonetsk, meanwhile, "is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe," the governor wrote on social media. "The Russians have completely destroyed all the critical infrastructure, and they are unable to repair anything."

Haidai reported last week that about 8,000 residents remained in the city, which had a prewar population of 100,000. Some Ukrainian officials and soldiers said Russian forces leveled Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk province's administrative center, before Ukraine's troops were ordered out of the city late last month to avoid their encirclement and capture.

Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial region of mines and factories. Pro-Moscow separatists have fought Ukraine's army in the Donbas for eight years and declared independent republics, which Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before he sent troops into Ukraine.

After asserting full control of Luhansk, Putin said Russian forces would have a chance to rest and recoup, but other parts of eastern Ukraine have come under sustained Russian bombardment. The Russian leader warned the Ukrainian government in Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow's terms or brace for the worst.

"Everybody should know that, largely speaking, we haven't even yet started anything in earnest," Putin said while speaking with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament Thursday.

Ukraine's presidential office said early Friday that at least 12 civilians were killed and 30 wounded by Russian shelling over the past 24 hours. Two cities in Donetsk  the other Donbas province  experienced the heaviest barrage, with six people killed and 21 wounded.

In northeast Ukraine, four more people were killed and nine were wounded in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, where Russian shelling hit residential areas.

Commenting on Putin's ominous statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader was reacting to statements by Ukraine's government and its Western allies about defeating Russia on the battlefield.

"Russia's potential is so big that just a small part of it has been used in the special military operation," Peskov told reporters. "And so Western statements are utterly absurd and just add to the grief of the Ukrainian people."

Russia's war in Ukraine, now in its fifth month, has driven millions of people from their homes, killed untold thousands and shattered European security that was arduously reconstructed after World War II. It has also rippled through the world economy by contributing to higher prices for food and fuel. Ukraine has been unable to export millions of tons of grain and other food, and Russia is facing international sanctions for its invasion.

Iryna Venediktova, Ukraine's prosecutor general, told the AP that her country has recorded 22,000 cases so far related to alleged Russian war crimes  including rape, torture and murder  and an estimated 200 to 300 new cases are recorded each day.

"We must gather the evidence quickly," Venediktova said, suggesting the numbers could be even higher  largely because of a lack of access to some parts of the country. "It is clear that prosecutors cannot work entirely in the Donetsk region, and the military will not allow it."

In other developments on Friday:

 The Biden administration said it will send an additional $400 million in military equipment to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems. A senior defense official said the weapons will bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, where he met with troops and visited a hospital where wounded soldiers were being treated. He said in his nightly video address that he went to personally express his gratitude to those defending Ukraine and also to the doctors and nurses who save the lives of wounded soldiers and civilians.

 Germany's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden and Finland's requests to join NATO. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said the two countries' accession would greatly strengthen NATO's northern and eastern flanks, noting their strong naval forces in the Baltic Sea and their land forces that know the region bordering Russia well. She suggested that Putin's efforts to divide and destroy NATO had failed. "He bet on our weakness," she said. "Now he gets the opposite." All 30 member countries must agree before the Western military alliance can admit Finland and Sweden.

 A court in Moscow sentenced a Russian municipal council member who had publicly criticized the war in Ukraine to seven years in prison on charges of spreading "knowingly false information" about the Russian military. Alexei Gorinov, 60, criticized Russia's military actions in Ukraine at a March meeting. A legal aid group said he is the first person ordered to serve prison time under a law that makes it illegal to disparage the Russian military. Russia's parliament rubber-stamped the law, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years, a week after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine.

 The British Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces have made advances near the Russian-occupied southern city of Kherson. Meanwhile, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian partisans blew up a railroad bridge 15 miles north of Melitopol, which is to the east of Kherson, on Thursday to disrupt Russian resupply operations.

 On the energy front, the leaders of Greece and Bulgaria inaugurated a new pipeline that will supply natural gas from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, whose vital supply of Russian gas was cut off in April. And in Germany, energy supply giant Uniper said it is asking the government for a bailout during a growing natural gas crunch due to the war in Ukraine.

___

Murru reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Cara Anna in Kyiv, Ukraine, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Associated Press journalists from around Europe contributed to this report.
Thwarting Iranian missiles and drones will be a key part of the conversations between President Joe Biden and regional heads of state on his upcoming trip to the Middle East, officials and analysts said.

Biden will discuss greater collaboration in the Middle East on air defense, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday.

The trip, which begins next week with stops in Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia, will include talks on how the U.S. can help integrate the air defenses of Middle Eastern countries concerned about Irans growing aerial arsenal, Kirby said.

These efforts would require Israel, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf nations to work together after decades of mistrust, experts said.

But Middle Eastern countries are starting to find common ground because of their worries about Iran, said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Theyre always going to be a little suspicious, but they do seem to be moving in the right direction toward greater cooperation, Karako told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday.

Tehrans robust drone and missile systems have forced Saudi Arabia and others to bolster their air defense systems, Karako said.

Irans drone capabilities have developed to the point where the U.S. is operating without complete air superiority for the first time since the Korean War, former U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told Congress this spring.

Iran and the militant groups that it backs in the region have seasoned missile system and drone operators due to their extensive use in Yemens civil war, Karako said.

That conflict, which began in 2014, pitted Houthi rebels backed by Iran against Yemens government, which was backed by Saudi Arabia. The war is now in the fourth month of a cease-fire, but hundreds of thousands have died from airstrikes or starvation.

Houthi actions against Saudi Arabia have included a missile strike on the capital Riyadh hours before former U.S. President Donald Trump visited in 2017 and an attack on a key oil facility earlier this year.

Another attack claimed by the Houthis, on the United Arab Emirates in early 2022, targeted sites including Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts the U.S. Air Forces 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.

For decades, the U.S. has wanted its allies in the Middle East to cooperate more on air defense, said Michael Eisenstadt, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. But regional rivals have been hesitant to share such information, he said.

This lack of coordination could lead to confusion should a missile come streaking across the Persian Gulf, Eisenstadt said.

Gen. Michael Kurilla, current commander of CENTCOM, told Congress in February that Israel and others in the region are cooperating on integrated air and missile defense.

His predecessor, McKenzie, attended a secret meeting with Israeli and Arab military officials about possible air defense coordination in March, The Wall Street Journal reported in June.

Some Arab leaders want access to Israels advanced military technology and experience with anti-air systems such as Iron Dome, the newspaper reported.

A partnership between Israel and the Arab countries would have been unlikely in years past, when the nations were adversarial over the issue of Palestinian statehood.

But an agreement signed under the Trump administration has opened the door for greater cooperation, experts said. That deal, the Abraham Accords, called for the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Similar agreements were signed afterward involving Israel, Bahrain, Oman and Sudan. Following the deal, the U.S. moved Israel to Central Commands area of responsibility.

Israeli forces also have joined military exercises with the United States and the other Abraham Accords signatories as well as other CENTCOM partners, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Pakistan.

Israel has a lot of expertise that it can share, Eisenstadt said.

Besides air defense, Biden will have other important security issues to discuss on his Middle East trip, experts said.

Gulf states and Israel will want to discuss maritime security in the Middle East, home to some of the worlds busiest shipping lanes.

Iran has been accused of transporting weapons, narcotics and oil to fund and support the armed groups it backs in the region.

British officials announced Thursday that in late February they had seized smuggled Iranian surface-to-air missiles and other advanced weapon components potentially intended for the Yemen rebels. And the U.S. seized nearly 9,000 illicit weapons in 2021, according to the Navy.

Biden also may discuss concerns over Irans possible nuclear weapons ambitions and Saudi Arabias oil production, experts said.

The president must strike a delicate balance on his trip, said Barbara Slavin, the director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

Theres a risk that discussions on coordinating defenses against Iran will further antagonize Tehran if not handled correctly, Slavin said.

I dont envy the speechwriters, she said.
(Tribune News Service) CHICAGO  Highland Park police were called to the family home of the alleged Independence Day parade sniper at least nine times between 2010 and 2014 in response to domestic disputes, according to newly released police records.

Most of the incidents involved allegations of verbal or physical altercations between the shooting suspects parents, Robert Crimo Jr. and Denise Pesina. The reports, released by the Highland Park Police Department, paint a picture of the sometimes tumultuous home where Robert Bobby Crimo III grew up before he allegedly shot dozens of people enjoying a Fourth of July parade. Seven of those shot died, and Bobby Crimo is charged with seven counts of first-degree murder.

During one altercation in August 2010, Crimo Jr. told police his relationship with Pesina was failing, and that Pesina had struck him in the head with her shoe and was intoxicated. Pesina told police that Crimo Jr. had disrespected and belittled her after making comments about her appearance, and that those comments led her to drink. Police said they offered Pesina a packet with information about domestic violence, but that she reported already having a packet from a different domestic incident days earlier.

Reporters attempts to contact the defendants parents for comment in person and through their attorney were unsuccessful, and neither Pesina or Crimo Jr. have been charged with domestic violence in Lake County, according to court records.

But the parents of Robert Crimo III have drawn attention in recent days after it was revealed that the shooting suspects father sponsored the FOID card application that allowed Crimo to legally purchase the gun he allegedly used to terrorize Highland Park holiday paradegoers.

A review of public records show repeated Highland Park police involvement at the Crimo family home over the years, especially between the mother and father. Crimo Jr., the former owner of a now-shuttered Highland Park deli, unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2019.

In October 2010, police were called to the home because of a fight between Pesina and Crimo Jr. According to the police report, Crimo Jr. said Pesina had been trash talking him, knocked all his belongings off his dresser, and hit him with a screwdriver. Pesina, in a statement to police, said that Crimo Jr. had been making mean statements to me like always, calling me names. Crimo Jr. later told police that Pesina had not tried to hit him with the screwdriver and declined to put that detail in his statement to police.

On two occasions, Crimo Jr. and Pesina called the police on one another for attempts to drive while intoxicated, which escalated. In June 2011, Crimo Jr. called police contending Pesina was attempting to drive to pick up her daughter while intoxicated, and that after being confronted about this she blocked Crimo Jr. from leaving. In November 2013, Pesina called police contending that Crimo Jr. had been trying to drive to work while intoxicated.

Pesina pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Lake County in 2012. In 2002, Pesina pleaded guilty to a child endangerment charge after leaving Crimo III, then about 2 years old, alone in a car with the windows rolled up for 27 minutes in the parking lot of a toy store, according to court records. It was approximately 79 degrees outside during that incident.

In September 2019, a few months before Crimo III applied for a gun permit, police conducted a wellness check following a report that days earlier Crimo III had made a threat in the household stating he was going to kill everyone. The police report notes that a person whose identity is redacted in the report said they were afraid to go home because of the threat and Crimos collection of knives.

Police removed the knives from Crimos possession and filed a Clear and Present Danger report to the Illinois State Police.

Crimo Jr., told the New York Post and ABC News that he is not responsible for the attack despite his role in sponsoring his sons gun permit application because he said he was following the law.

You know, he went through the legal process. I dont know if its guilt. I feel horrible as to what happened. Beyond horrible, Crimo Jr. told ABC News.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly declined to comment Wednesday on whether Crimos father could be held liable.

Steve Greenberg, an attorney who briefly represented the defendants parents, told the Tribune that Crimo Jr. was unaware of the 2019 threats when he sponsored his sons FOID card application months later. Crimo Jr. was at least aware that police had confiscated weapons that were in his sons room, according to the police report. The father later collected the weapons from police, including a 24-inch samurai sword, 16 knives and a dagger.

In April 2019, Highland Park police again got involved with the shooting suspect after the department received a call requesting a wellness check for the then 18-year-old. Crimo III had reportedly attempted suicide with a machete. Medical professionals had been involved, according to the police report.

A neighbor of the family, who declined to be named, told a Tribune reporter Thursday that police would come to the Highland Park home on a seemingly weekly basis when the alleged shooters parents lived there together.

A reporter saw a woman on the front porch at the home Thursday but no one answered the door. Grass grew wild in the front lawn. Faux stained glass-style vinyl stickers decorated the windows, behind which white curtains were drawn. In the backyard, a haunting painting appeared on the faded reddish-brown brick: a tall figure holding a long rifle dressed in military camo with a yellow smiley face for a head. Its black smile and eyes dripped down.

The neighbor told the Tribune that on the day of the shooting, they saw Crimo III pull away from the house in his mothers silver Honda Fit when they returned from the halted Independence Day parade.

Crimo III is not believed to have stayed in the Highland Park home with his mother, but rather lived in an apartment on the property of his fathers house in Highwood, according to his uncle, Paul Crimo.

Crimo, 55, said the massacre shocked him and that he didnt know his nephew had guns as he pulled into his driveway. Im sorry from the bottom of my heart. Im devastated, Crimo said.

He lives in the next apartment. We didnt see each other, he said, referring to another structure on the lot. He showed no aggression to me or nothing. Ever. Theres no indication of nothing that I saw.

A logo the mass shooter used in violent music videos and social media posts was nailed over the door of a shed next to the house. The logo appeared to be nearly identical to the logo of Suomen Sisu, a far-right, nationalist Finnish political association, but the Southern Poverty Law Center, which was poring over Crimos online record, said earlier this week its meaning, if any, remains unclear.

A silver Acura Coupe sat in the homes front lawn, weeds growing around its tires. A sharp-toothed red smile was taped on the front bumper, and the number 47 was painted on the doors. Paul Crimo said the car belonged to his nephew.

A neighbor of Crimo III, who declined to give their name, said the father would occasionally exchange pleasantries, but that his son didnt socialize with those who lived nearby. The 21-year-old alleged mass shooter would often ride his electric scooter, they added, and wear all black and blast harsh, loud music.

Chicago Tribunes Madeline Buckley contributed.

2022 Chicago Tribune.

Visit chicagotribune.com .
SANTA TERESA, N.M.  Women in the military have always been patients at Dr. Franz Theards abortion clinic in New Mexico, a roughly 30-minute drive from Fort Bliss, Texas.

Even before all these laws [restricting abortions], we had Army people, the 73-year-old former Army doctor said.

When Texas enacted a law in September that halted all abortions after six weeks, Theard said he began seeing more service women traveling to his clinic from Fort Hood and Joint Base San Antonio  both nearly 600 miles away. Then came reports that the Supreme Court could overturn its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed women access to a safe, legal abortion.

He said he read a news story in which Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., discussed the impact the decision could have on military readiness and wanted to do something to help.

So Thread decided to begin offering abortions to enlisted service women free of charge, though they would still have to make their own travel arrangements.

In the last two months, he said he has given a full refund to nine military women whove come to his clinic.

The Supreme Court ruling in June to overturn Roe v. Wade has allowed states to ban abortions, though it hasnt changed the Defense Departments policy on the procedure. Federal law only allows abortions at military facilities in cases of rape, incest or where the mothers life is at risk. However, the ruling could mean women in the military seeking an abortion while stationed in one of the 26 states that either have banned or are expected to ban abortions will need to take medical leave and travel.

There's already a very negative stigma around women's health care in the military broadly, said Kyleanne Hunter, a Marine Corps veteran and a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. How are commanders going to work to prevent backlash against women who seek abortions and who require aftercare?

Hunter recently wrote for Lawfare, a blog published in cooperation with the Brookings Institution, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C., that overturning Roe v. Wade could have an outsized effect on women in the military.

Women in the service are nearly twice as likely as civilian women to have an unintended pregnancy, according to research from Ibis Reproductive Health, a global nonprofit organization with a mission to improve women's reproductive autonomy, choices and health worldwide. There are about 13,860 unintended pregnancies in the military each year, according to the groups research.

However, data on how many women in the military seek abortions is scarce because they must do it on their own, Hunter wrote.

Deployments and overseas assignments contribute to service womens increased chance of unintended pregnancy because it can often cause disruptions in prescribed contraceptives, said Lory Manning, a retired Navy captain and director of government relations for the advocacy group Service Womens Action Network. Training events, rotational shift work and just a lack of knowledge on whats available to them can also have an effect, she said.

Contraception may be new to them, or they don't know who to ask to find out what's available. Maybe they're embarrassed about asking about it. We need to do a better job of educating them. I mean, the military basically supplies just about [any contraception] you want for free, Manning said.

When Manning was a commander in Panama in the early 1980s, she said she had enlisted women working for her who found themselves pregnant and couldnt afford to fly back to the U.S. to have an abortion, but the officers could.

That's where I first began to notice that the officers can afford this, but the junior enlisted women just have the baby, Manning said. It impacts the command, too. The women who I dealt with at least were first-time mothers. They had no family in Panama to help.

At Theards clinic in New Mexico, where Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order June 27 to protect abortion access in the state, the physician typically charges $700 to see women and provide medication for them to take once they leave the clinic that will terminate their pregnancy.

[Its] a fairly hefty figure, Theard said of the cost. Im offering a solution.

He said he is focusing his offer for free services to enlisted women traveling from surrounding states where abortion is banned or is expected to be soon, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arizona. Service women in other states likely have a closer option, he said.

The Army was good to me, and Im trying to be good to them, Theard said. What I would like to do is have all the clinics follow my lead.

Drafted just after the end of the Vietnam War, Theard spent seven years as an Army surgeon. He arrived in Germany in 1976, commissioned directly to major, and spent three years with the 97th General Hospital in Frankfurt.

He served under a program known as the Berry Plan, which allowed him to finish his medical school and residency training before fulfilling his military obligation.

While serving in Germany, Theard performed surgical abortions on women who were flown into the hospital from around the globe, he said. It was a time when the militarys policies on abortions were rapidly changing to adapt to new executive orders and mandates from Congress.

Before the Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade in 1973, the military allowed for abortions to occur at its facilities. The military health insurance at the time even covered the procedure.

Between 1976 and 1980, the military was able to allow women to have abortions at its facilities if they paid out-of-pocket for the procedure, Hunter said. In 1980, a law known as the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal money from being used toward an abortion, was extended to the military.

Former President Bill Clinton tried in the 1990s to codify private-payment access, but ultimately failed, she said.

As Congress debates the defense budget and policy legislation for fiscal 2023, Hunter said the recent Supreme Court decision has already sparked new proposals about what the military can offer women.

Access to abortion is once again a hot-button issue, she said. What is the role of [Defense Department] doctors and/or [military health insurance] in any follow-up care?

As those issues are sorted out in Washington, Theard said he is looking at ways to make certain that he can continue to offer free services to enlisted women and has begun to set up a fund for donations.

For those women in the military who can pay something  no matter how much less than the $700 fee  he asks they contribute to the fund to help him pay for the pills for the next enlisted woman who might want an abortion.

I would like to keep the fund going, so this doesnt die out, Theard said.
Likewise, the Head of State lamented that Congress' Budget Commission had rejected Bill No. 02422/2021-PE intended to create a food grant for vulnerable populations so as to alleviate the rise in food prices linked to the global crisis.

"I hope that a reconsideration will be made because this is about the most vulnerable families in the country; this is about the families who do not have how (mechanisms) to support their relatives," he said.

In this sense, he mentioned the supplementary credit worth S/7.246 billion (about US$1.868 billion), of which more than S/2 billion (over US$515 million) will be allocated for the delivery of food grants to benefit approximately 1.5 million Peruvians in vulnerable condition.

"Today, we are going to sign that supreme decree through which we are going to democratize the Derrama Magisterial," he added.

Finally, the President affirmed that the Executive Branch will immediately review the bill which authorizes exceptionally and for the only time within the framework of the health emergency the change from CAS-COVID contract to CAS contract for healthcare personnel in said sector.

El presidente @PedroCastilloTe exhorto al Congreso a apoyar el proyecto de ley que otorga un bono alimentario para las familias mas vulnerables del pais. "A traves de un monto de S/2000 millones vamos a beneficiar a un millon y medio de peruanos", preciso desde Cajamarca. pic.twitter.com/4ZfHnEmdgm
The United States will send four rocket artillery systems to Ukraine and advanced howitzer rounds in a new $400 million security assistance package approved Friday by President Joe Biden, Pentagon officials said.

With the new round of aid, the Pentagon has now provided the Ukrainian military with 12 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, for its war against Russia. Since their arrival on the battlefield in recent weeks, HIMARS, which can strike targets about 50 miles away, have bolstered Ukraines efforts to attack Russian targets  including command and control nodes  behind enemy lines, a senior U.S. defense official said Friday.

The White House announced last month that it would send eight HIMARS to Ukraine to help the countrys battle for its eastern Donbas region, which has been controlled largely by Russian troops since shortly after their February invasion. The fighting in the Donbas has been largely an artillery battle that has seen few major changes in territorial control, despite large numbers of casualties, according to the Pentagon and outside war observers including the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

The HIMARS have proven especially important and effective in assisting Ukraine in coping with the Russian artillery battle in the Donbas, said the Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the new assistance package ahead of the White Houses expected announcement Friday afternoon.

Increasingly in the last week, what we've seen is the ability of the Ukrainians to use these HIMARS systems to significantly disrupt the ability of the Russians to move forward, the official said.

The new weapons package announced Friday also included additional HIMARs rounds, three tactical vehicles, demolition munitions, counter-battery systems, and spare parts and other equipment, the official said.

The 1,000 howitzer rounds included in the latest security package were described by the senior defense official as greater precision 155 mm artillery rounds than those the United States has provided Ukraine previously. The official declined to provide specifics about the type of artillery round but said the new ammunition would provide Ukraine with a new precision capability for specific targets.

The Pentagon did not rule out sending more HIMARS and advanced artillery rounds to Ukraine in the future, as officials on Capitol Hill and elsewhere have called on the White House to do more to help Ukraine.

The defense official said the specific timing for Fridays announcement was tied to its training program to teach Ukrainian forces on the specifics of operating the HIMARS. The United States has provided Ukrainian crews weekslong training programs to operate the truck-mounted rocket launching system. Enough crews have now been trained to operate a dozen HIMARS, the official said. That training will continue, the official added.

The military aid announced Friday is at least the 15th weapons package that the United States has sent to Ukraine since August  the vast majority of which has been sent since Russias Feb. 24 invasion, according to the Pentagon. The United States has provided some $7.3 billion in military aid since the start of the war, according to the Pentagon.
Mr Hutch and former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall, both accused of murder, were in court today along with three co-accused while there was also a notable garda presence.

The defendants are seeking to have the cases against them dropped on the grounds that there is insufficient evidence under Section 4E of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1967

However, the Special Criminal Court must first determine a preliminary issue on whether it has jurisdiction to hear the application.

Lawyers for the defendants have said it would be "absurd" to deny them this on the basis that they were initially charged before the non-jury court in Dublin rather than the District Court.

Mr Hutch and former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall, both accused of murder, were in court today along with three co-accused while there was also a notable garda presence.

They are due to go on trial in October in relation to the fatal shooting of Kinahan gang member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016.

Senior counsel Brendan Grehan, defending Mr Hutch, today said it was an "absurd interpretation" of the Act if the State can choose the mode where an accused is charged and then deny them the "obvious benefits" of bringing the 4E application.

He described this as "extraordinary" and said their complaint related to the "availability of an important statutory right" to apply to have charges dismissed in advance of a trial.

Counsel also said it called for something beyond the literal reading of the relevant section and that Mr Hutch would be "discriminated and treated unequally" before the law by the literal interpretation.

Mr Grehan said there was "no earthly conceivable reason why this lacuna" should occur and that there was no justification for it.

He said his client has been in custody since September and that his pre-trial incarceration could be brought to an end if the court accepted that there is insufficient evidence to put him on trial.

Senior counsel Michael O'Higgins, defending Jonathan Dowdall, said that whoever drafted the legislation "inadvertently took their eye off the ball" and created circumstances nobody intended to.

He said it was "incredible" that it has taken 20 years for the matter to be litigated and that it was safe to say the DPP never intended to gain such an "arbitrary" advantage.

Mr O'Higgins referenced the case of convicted ISIS member Lisa Smith, who was able to bring a failed application to dismiss charges before the non-jury court. This was described by counsel as a "fortuitous entitlement" because Smith was originally charged in the District Court.

He submitted that the case should be adjourned for four weeks to allow the Oireachtas remedy the matter.

Fiona Murphy SC, for the State, said a literal reading of the Act means the court does not have jurisdiction to hear the application.

She also said that it seemed the legislator was "very clear as to the purpose of it".

Ms Justice Tara Burns, presiding, said the three judges would rule on the matter next Friday.

The court also heard that the defence would also be challenging certain evidence gathered by gardai.

Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch (58), of The Paddocks in Clontarf, is charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel on the Swords Road in Whitehall on February 5, 2016.

Former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall (43), with an address on the Navan Road, Cabra, is also charged with Byrne's murder.

His father Patrick Dowdall (65), also of the Navan Road, Jason Bonney (51) of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock, Dublin 15, and Paul Murphy (60) of Cherry Avenue in Swords are each accused of a single offence contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 as substituted by Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act, 2009.

Mr Hutch, wearing a white shirt, beige chinos and sporting a thick greying beard, sat in the dock beside Mr Murphy and the Dowdalls, while Mr Bonney sat in the body of the court.
When Boyles home was searched, hundreds of thousands of disturbing images were found

40,000 images of womens and girls legs, groins and buttocks, including up-skirt photos of school girls, were found on Paul Boyle's mobile phone when an off-duty garda spotted him acting suspiciously on a Luas carriage.

A follow up search of Boyles home at Sandyford View, Blackglen Road, Dublin 18 found 100s of thousands of similar images.

Dublin Criminal Circuit Court heard that on December 16, 2019 the off-duty garda noticed that a fellow passenger kept moving throughout the carriage and was holding a mobile phone below waist level.

Detective Garda Colm Grogan told Eoin Lawlor, BL, prosecuting, that the garda could see from the reflection in the Luas window that the man was taking photographs of a womans buttock.

The garda followed the man off the Luas, identified himself, and confronted him. He then alerted an on-duty garda, and the mans phone was seized, and he was brought to Dundrum Garda Station. The man refused to give his name and address to gardai but eventually handed over his work ID.

Paul Boyle (45) was questioned but made no admission to gardai.

His phone was searched and the 40,000 images were found. These included up-skirt images of girls wearing school uniforms, Det Gda Grogan told the court.

A search warrant was obtained for Boyles home and several flash drive devices were found and seized. Over half a million images were found on one flash drive; 275,800 were images of the groins and buttocks of women, young ladies and girls. These images were taken between June 2018 and January 2020.

The court heard that a disturbing child pornography video was also found on a flash drive which showed an eight-year-old child being bound and raped. Det Gda Grogan told the court that from liaising with authorities in other countries, this video first came to light in 2002, and the child has since been located and is being cared for.

He said the video was extremely explicit, and it was the first time that this video had come to the attention of gardai in Ireland.

Other images seized by gardai contained images of Boyles co-workers. When contacted, these women were very distressed and felt horrified and violated.

Victim impact reports were handed into court. He has several previous convictions from his time living in Scotland, some of which were of a similar nature.

Last March (2022) Boyle pleaded guilty to harassment at a place in Dublin city between November and December 2019. He also admitted possession of child pornography, the video, at his home on January 28, 2020.

Morgan Shelley, BL, defending, said his client is originally from Scotland and came to Ireland in 2018 for a fresh start.

The court heard that Boyle was previously addicted to alcohol and gambling and felt deep regret for his actions. Mr Shelley said his client has a good work history and entered a guilty plea which spared his victims from giving evidence.

A psychiatric assessment outlined that Boyle is off a medium risk of reoffending but that he appears focused on his recovery. However, it also said that he finds being in custody impossible and very difficult.

Judge Martin Nolan described Boyles behaviour as being on an industrial scale of photographing and recording young children and women. He said the accused did not restrict himself to taking images in his workplace, but he photographed women and girls throughout Dublin, especially in the Ranelagh area.

Concerning the child pornography video, Judge Nolan described it as an extremely explicit fifteen-minute video of an eight-year-old child being abused. He also said Boyle's previous convictions were an aggravating factor in this case.

Judge Nolan took into consideration Boyles guilty plea and that he is remorseful, regretful and shameful of his actions.

Judge Nolan sentenced Boyle to three years imprisonment for the harassment. On the count of possession of child pornography, he imposed a five year prison term, to run consecutive to the other sentence.

However, Judge Nolan suspended the final two and a half years and backdated it when Boyle went into custody in March 2021. He ordered that Boyle can never make any form of contact with any of the victims of who he took images and also imposed two years of post release supervision.
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is investigating a record number of 1,770 targets across the country.

These targets are either criminal groupings or individuals.

The bureau also handed more than 5m back to the Exchequer last year, of which 1.14m was seized as the proceeds of crime.

Around 4.4m was taken in taxes and 300,000 was from social welfare overpayments.

CAB had possession of a total of 61 properties across the country at the end of last year.

More than 45,000 was raised in an online auction last December in which 55 seized designer items  including handbags, watches and clothes  went on sale, while the bureau gained another 653,000 from the sale of four properties.

A geographical breakdown of CABs targets reveals the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) West Garda division, which polices areas including Blanchardstown, Finglas and Clondalkin, had the highest number of targets at 293.

In Limerick there were 147 CAB targets, while 139 were in the capitals DMR North division.

The county with the least targets was Mayo, which had only six, followed by Cork North (13) and Cork West (14).

At the end of last year, CAB was targeting 27 criminals not resident in Ireland.

Between 1996 and 2021, a total of 204m was returned to the Exchequer, comprising 165m in tax settlements, 33m in proceeds of crime and 6m in social welfare recoupments.

More than 360 proceeds-of-crime applications have been brought to the courts, involving almost 170m in assets.

CAB had 552 profilers working with it at the end of last year in divisions across the State, made up of 527 gardai, 17 customs officers and eight officers from the Department of Social Protection.

This allows the organisation to ensure there is a focus on local criminal targets throughout the State.

Commenting on the report, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: CAB has been a vital tool in our arsenal in the fight against organised crime.

"CAB hits criminals where it hurts  in their pockets  by targeting the ill-gotten gains of criminal conduct.

In 2021, the 25th anniversary of the bureau, over 5.5m was returned to the Exchequer.

"I am also pleased to note the recovery and return in one notable instance of 5.4m to six defrauded injured parties.

Earlier this year I launched the Community Safety Innovation Fund Scheme, which will reinvest proceeds of crime seized by CAB back into the communities that need it. We are also looking at how best to support CAB in its important work  last year my department completed a review which presented a number of recommendations.

One which I am intending to pursue as a priority is reducing the timeframe for the making of a disposal order.

At the moment, once the High Court has determined that an asset is a proceed of crime, it can take a further seven years before it may be ultimately confiscated.

She added, My intention is to substantially reduce the statutory timeframe before a disposal order can be made from seven years.

"Reducing this period would mean that those who generate criminal assets cannot benefit from them for extended periods.
Patrick Hollywood told his victims they would be visited by men wearing balaclavas

A Co. Armagh maths teacher and high school vice principal who sent a deluge of threatening and intimidating letters to staff and managers at CCEA and CCMS was handed a four-year sentence today.

Patrick Hollywood (41) threatened the lives of his victims and some of their children with visits from balaclava-wearing IRA men.

Some of the victims watched proceedings at Newry Crown Court where Judge Gordon Kerr QC ordered Hollywood to serve two years in jail and two under supervised licence conditions.

Commenting that among the catalogue of charges against Hollywood the most serious are the threats to kill, the judge also imposed five-year restraining orders in the victims favour, banning Hollywood from contacting them.

Jailing the disgraced cheating maths teacher, Judge Kerr said Hollywoods planned and sophisticated behaviour was aggravated because he had made multiple threats to multiple victims whose fear was increased when he referenced the IRA and the offences were carefully designed to achieve his purpose to dismiss sanctions on his appeal.

Hollywood, from the Upper Fathom Road in Newry, who was a teacher and vice principal at St Patrick's High School in Keady, entered guilty pleas to seven charges of making a threat to kill, six of harassment, four of attempted intimidation and single counts of forgery and causing another person to fear that violence would be used against them, all committed between 31 December 2016 and 1 December 2018.

Having been sanctioned for helping pupils cheat on maths exams, Hollywood faced losing his job and career and his campaign of fear and intimidation was designed to stop those sanctions.

Summarising the case during his sentencing remarks, Judge Kerr outlined that in 2017, there were several whistleblowing reports exposing malpractice and cheating at the school and the former principal Pat McGuckian began receiving anonymous letters demanding that she leave her job, signed by your loyal and concerned staff.

An investigation found that there had been cheating and sanctioned several members of staff, including the Head Mistress and VP Hollywood, sanctions which would likely have resulted in the loss of his job and future potential employment.

Judge Kerr said there was evidence that if the CCEA appeal was not finalised, the CCMS would not uphold the sanctions thereby saving Hollywoods career and it was that end result which was his motivation.

In total Hollywood made threats against nine victims having sent poison pen letters to six different victims where he threatened them and their children.

The court heard that he wrote to the HR manager of the CCEA threatening violent action against her and naming her children, claiming that "we have the complete support of local IRA volunteers" and warning that if they made the wrong decision, you will get a visit to your home by men in balaclavas who will ensure that you will listen.

Otherwise there will be direct violence against you and your children. Do not view this as an idle threat. We know exactly who you are and where you live and know that you are in a position to fully carry out our requests. The lives and safety of you and your children depend upon it, Hollywood had written.

Understandably, she "believed the lives of her two children were in grave danger".

With Mrs McGuckian initially taking a leave of absence and then resigning her position, Hollywood also made threats against her replacement Dr Fionnuala Moore.

Judge Kerr told the court she had received a letter warning that if she became principal of St. Patricks she would be "putting your life and your family's life in danger".

He said that embarking on his single-minded mission to muddy the waters surrounding the sanctions and appeals process, Hollywood also claimed to have received threatening letters as he sought to paint himself as a victim.

However the former VP refused to hand over the letters he supposedly received or to cooperate with the police investigation.

The court heard that in his efforts to create confusion about his career-ending sanctions, Hollywood had even written anonymously to his own solicitor, ordering her to withdraw from the case or there would be violent action against you and your family.

Describing the offences as well planned and sophisticated, Judge Kerr said Hollywood would have had to intentionally research his victims before threatening them and he revealed that when police seized his mobile and a laptop hidden at his parents house, detectives discovered he had googled methods to disguise his offending and avoid detection.

He told the court while he had received medical evidence that at the time Hollywood had been suffering from an organic delusional disorder, it was also clear from the report the disorder did not detract from his perception of right and wrong or that what he was doing was illegal.

The judge said the condition had also not stopped Hollywood from planning his offences in that he had researched his victims, how to get away with it and had hidden evidence in his self serving behaviour orchestrated to lessen or eradicate sanctions derived from his knowledge of professional misconduct.

Taking a starting point of six years, Judge Kerr said he was giving credit and discounting the sentence for Hollywoods guilty pleas, clear record and medical condition so imposed the four-year sentence.
The arrest was part of Operation Triassic

A man in his 40s who was arrested in connection with an investigation into a West African gang has been released without charge.

The suspect was detained on Wednesday, July 6th as part of the money laundering enquiry, Operation Triassic.

The arrest came after Gardai from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) conducted searches in Co. Louth and seized 40,000 in cash.

The man was detained in Drogheda Garda Station under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.

Following his release, a file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardai say investigations are ongoing.

The operation is being conducted by investigators at the Money Laundering Investigation Unit (MLIU) at the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB).

This operation is separate from a previous GNECB investigation, Operation Joggle, which is an ongoing investigation into a separate West African OCG that is suspected of being involved in trade-based money laundering.
Victims identified after a hidden stash of vile videos is discovered

Prostitutes working for Ulsters biggest and most prolific pimp had to have unprotected sex with him and with a multitude of customers, a court has heard.

Craigavon Crown Court also heard that unbeknownst to the women, Mucky Martin Heaney (59) would secretly record the trysts  and it was when those videos were uncovered that many of the victims were identified by detectives.

The prosecuting authorities will also be seeking to seize 150,000 in Heaneys bank account, labelling it was ill-gotten criminal profits.

Heaney, with an address at Maypole Park in Dromore but currently residing at HMP Maghaberry, was due to be sentenced on Friday but Judge Patrick Lynch QC adjourned that until this Friday, given the wealth of material put before him and that he has to make a determination regarding whether Heaney is dangerous.

As long ago as last November, Heaney finally admitted his guilt to almost half of the 62 charges against him, many of them committed against drink- and drug-addicted, vulnerable women.

Paedo-turned-pimp Heaney entered guilty pleas to ten counts of controlling the prostitution of ten women in expectation of gain for yourself, ten counts of human trafficking females in that he arranged or facilitated the travel of ten women with a view to them being exploited and seven charges of voyeurism by recording another person doing a private act for the purpose of sexual gratification and knowing they did not consent to being recorded.

Heaney also admitted single counts of inciting a female to become a prostitute and acquiring criminal property namely cash and money transfers, with all of the offences committed over more than eight years between June 1, 2011, and September 30, 2019.

'Mucky' Martin Heaney

Among the 32 offences not proceeded with are charges of inciting a child and five women to become prostitutes, trafficking 12 women within the UK and Republic of Ireland for sexual exploitation, paying one child for sexual services, trying to pay a second child for sex, causing a person to engage in sexual activity, paying for sexual services, using and possessing criminal property.

Heaney was once described in court as the Deliveroo of sex and formally opening the facts of the Crown case, prosecuting QC David McDowell said that, overall, the offences were committed against 12 women over a period of eight years between August 2011 and September 2019.

It is apparent that a number of common features exist between the stories of the women, said the senior barrister, who outlined how Heaney had corrupted many of the women.

While some were willing prostitutes, a number of the women had wished to engage only in dancing and stripping but were turned eventually to prostitution, he told the court, explaining how many of them were young, some just 18 and most if not all, were from difficult circumstances, often living in temporary accommodation and some of them had drug habits.

The court heard how Heaney was in charge of advertising, using photographs he had taken himself.

Many times, he held the phone attributable to each woman, taking the calls, arranging the appointments, liaising with customers and taking them into his trust.

Frequently making the women use multiple names and profiles to increase business and profit, he drove them to appointments with customers on both sides of the border.

He would also take them to his house in Dromore to have sex with customers and some, he would take to a sex cinema in Dublin, where they would have sex with more than one man, revealed Mr McDowell, adding that in many occasions, there were multiple clients on one night.

In addition to meeting clients, Heaney suggested the women do Webcam work  performing sexual acts on a webcam and sometimes, one woman would be required to work with another.

It was the obese, roly-poly pimp who set the rates and his cut was anywhere between 20 to 50 per cent.

The voyeurism charges arose because Heaney would sometimes film the sex with the customer without the womans consent ... indeed, some of the women were identified by their presence on video recordings found in the search of his home.

As well as having sex with multiple customers, including unprotected sex at the behest of Heaney, it is apparent that the women were required to have sex with him (for which he would often pay) and to satisfy his particular perversions including:

Asking them to urinate on him and on his face

Shaving his testicles

Performing sex acts on them after they engaged in unprotected sex with customers

When one of the women stopped working for him, Mr McDowell said she was paid a visit by three men who shoved their way into her house and told her not to use any of his contacts.

Arrested in September 2019, Heaney did his best to play down his role, claiming that he would drive a couple of girls and they would throw him a couple of pound for the fuel and wear and tear but given his pleas, Mr McDowell said the enterprise was on a significant scale with significant financial gain.

He suggested the offences were aggravated by reason of the multiple victims, the corruption of many of them, the additional potential health risks when they had to engage in unprotected sex and Heaneys previous convictions, namely two offences of indecent exposure in 1980 and 1982 and sexual activity with a child and indecent exposure in 2013.

Lodging a plea in mitigation on Heaneys behalf, Patrick Lyttle QC said while the pimp has been portrayed as a monster, he is not.

There was never any violence or threat of violence in any of his contacts, said the lawyer. Many of these women were not innocents abroad and many of them have significant criminal records.

Mr Lyttle revealed that at different times during the offending, Heaney was in a relationship with two of the women, suggesting that whatever his proclivities, he turns 60 in September so those will be waning with old age.

He argued that Heaney was entitled to substantial credit for his guilty pleas which avoided a lengthy and complicated trial and spared the women the ordeal of having to give evidence and also that, potentially, he has already served more jail time than the judge could or should impose.
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenian travel agencies call the facilitation of visa procedures for the citizens of Egypt a very important step.

Anriva Tour, which is the official representative of Air Cairo in Armenia, is operating regular flights from Armenia to Egypt for already five years. The tour agency hopes that the visa facilitation will ensure a great tourist flow to Armenia. Director of Anriva Tour Lilit Muradyan told Armenpress that this step of the government will positively affect Armenias economy.

We take quite a large number of Armenian tourists to Egypt, it would be much better if Egyptians visit our country and have a chance to discover it. Previously, the procedure of obtaining visa was quite complex, but now in fact the citizens of Egypt can apply for a visa online or visit a diplomatic mission of Armenia. Moreover, the citizens of Egypt, who have a visa of EU countries, the USA and a number of other countries, can obtain the Armenian visa at the Zvartnots airport. As you see, the process is quite simplified. These new regulations come into force from July 11, we should wait for its launch in order to understand how long it takes to give an answer, and then we will organize our work, she said.

She said that they have received many inquiries from Egyptian citizens for spending their vacation in Armenia, especially during the New Year. As the previous procedures of obtaining visa were difficult, it was taking a long time, and they could not understand how to regulate the process.

Now its a very good chance for many Egyptian tourists to visit Armenia. We spread information about country, about the tours in Egypt via the Armenian community and our partner companies. We have sent packages in average prices. We are already working, but now we will do it more intensively because the biggest problem with visas is already solved, she said, adding that they also consider increasing the number of flights.

President of the Armenian Tourism Federation Mekhak Apresyan also called this visa facilitation for Egyptian citizens an important step. He said the proposal on this direction was made years ago.

Egypt is a very big market, its a country with a population of over 100 million. Lets not forget that there are 10 million Copts. We have a lot to do to attract the attention of Egyptian tourists to Armenia. I want to inform that we have an initiative within the frames of which we are planning to organize mutual cognitive visits of tour operators. The Egyptian tour operators will visit Armenia, we will present them our tourism opportunities. The member companies of the Federation will be hosted in Egypt. The tourism opportunities of Egypt will be presented. This mutual activeness will greatly affect our countrys economy. Those who will organize flights to Egypt will not work unilaterally, they will not take tourists from Armenia only, but will bring tourists from Egypt. As a result, the airlines will start operating actively and the flights will become more frequent, Mekhak Apresyan said.

Armenia is facilitating visa procedures for citizens of Egypt

Interview by Anna Gziryan
A security guard saw the artists spraying the carriage on CCTV

Luis Garcia Diaz (30), Francisco Espinosa (27) and Jonay Gallo (25), described as "talented" artists, caused "massive inconvenience and expense" to Irish Rail when they defaced the two trains with spray paint, a court heard.

Suspending sentences, Judge Pauline Codd said it was not acceptable to use trains as a "canvas" for some "misguided artistic endeavour."

The three pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to criminal damage charges.

Diaz, a Madrid factory worker of no fixed address and Espinosa, a construction worker from Seville with an address at Susan Terrace, Dublin 8 were each given two-year suspended sentences.

Gallo, a waiter from Burgos living at Mount Shannon Road, Dublin, was given a longer two-and-a-half year suspended sentence because he had also recorded the graffiti on his phone.

Garda Richard Ledwidge said four carriages on two separate side-by-side trains were sprayed with tags at Fairview Dart Depot on October 10 last year.

The cost of the damage was 12,193, with a loss of revenue of 6,554 as the carriages could not be used for two days - the total was 18,747.

The court heard a security guard saw four guys spray painting the carriages while monitoring CCTV at 2.59pm.

He went onto the tracks and saw one of the men recording the others. When told the gardai would be called, they kept spraying. He followed them as they crossed the tracks and dumped their bags in a ditch. Gardai arrived and the four split up and fled down roads in East Wall. Gallo and Diaz ran down a dead end and sat down when they were told to get on the ground.

Espinosa kept running and was chased before being caught and brought to the ground. The fourth man was not apprehended.

Video and photos of the spray painting were found on Gallos phone. Only Diaz said anything of evidential value in interview, telling gardai: I didnt come especially for painting trains I did not come intentionally to cause trouble.

He took responsibility for a Skab tag on one train.

None of the accused had any prior convictions and all had apologised.

Gallo has a degree in graphic design and had worked in the field in Madrid before coming to Ireland to learn English, his barrister Oisin Clarke said. He was a talented individual with an interest in street art but had used his talent on the day to do something that was inappropriate and a criminal offence in a very foolish endeavour.

He had lost his job here as a content moderator for Facebook as a result of publicity from the case. Judge Codd asked if the video he took was to be posted on the internet for a lark.

Mr Clarke said there was no real, good explanation and it was one afternoon of madness. This kind of offending was a much more minor offence in Spain, he said.

Judge Codd said it seemed to be some kind of misguided and misplaced artistic endeavour using Irish Rails trains as a canvas.

Luigi Rea, for Diaz, said there had been artistic content that some might regard as graffiti while others would regard it as art.

If the word "Banksy" had been on the carriage it would be worth millions at this stage, he remarked.

He said the activity was more commonly engaged in on the continent and in a sunny climate there might be a more attractive aspect to it than in a wet dreary Irish winter.

The offence was a misdirected application of (Diazs) passion for art onto the carriages of Irish Rail.

Diaz had come "late to the party", arriving in Ireland for the weekend at the time.

Espinosa had worked as a lifeguard and was in Ireland to learn English, his barrister Tom Horan said. He had a passion for art and had been paid to paint the sides of buildings in Spain. He accepted what he did on this occasion was absolutely inappropriate".

It was all very well for people to have artistic temperaments, but it was not acceptable to use the property of others as a canvas, Judge Codd said.

There has to be a disincentive to people carrying out this kind of handiwork, however talented they are, the judge said.

Each of the accused had considerable artistic talent but there had to be a deterrent to expressing it in this way, she said.

Partial compensation was paid by each accused and Judge Codd gave them a year to pay the balance, totalling 12,000. She said she was not requiring them to pay the full amount because of their limited means.

The judge took into consideration charges of trespassing on a railway and possession of items with intent to cause criminal damage.
If we are at strategic places, throughout the world, we can make a real difference in terms of interdicting movements of criminal finance

Garda Headquarters is developing close links with police in Bangkok to stymie the flow of money stolen from unsuspecting victims of deception crimes in Ireland and which is electronically wired through the baking system via the Thailand Capital.

Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, said this long term operation is part of an expansion of the Garda Liaison Officer (GLO) Network, whereby senior gardai are being deployed across Europe, America, Middle East, Southeast Asia Australia and Columbia, to make connections with local law enforcement agencies in order to stymie Irish and foreign gangs involved in drugs, murder, deception, cryptocurrency theft, financial fraud and other crimes.

Speaking at the graduation of 54 new Gardai, including from Russia, Tajikistan, Poland, Mauritius, Iraq and England, at the Garda Training College, Templemore, Co Tipperary, Friday, Commissioner Harris said Gardai must have an international footing as we are always concerned with organised crime, and always in the pursuit of those engaged in it.

The new links with Bangkok is in respect, really, of our concerns around the flow of money through criminal assets worldwide, in terms of the following through on large scale fraud, and money that's been defrauded from individuals through various forms of deception, which then moves down into the banking system, said Mr Harris.

If we are at strategic places, throughout the world, we can make a real difference in terms of interdicting movements of criminal finance, he added.

The Minister for Justice has also approved a new GLO post in Abu Dhabi as Gardai pursue members of the Kinihan drugs cartel, which has also been implicated in a plethora of Irish gangland murders.

The overall purpose of this is to make connections with law enforcement worldwide, and where we've placed the Garda Liaison Officers, we've always benefited and profited really from the amount of information leading to investigations and bringing individuals to justice here in Ireland, or indeed, in other jurisdictions, said Mr Harris.

The GLOs primary function is around supporting us in terms of organised crime, terrorism; weve a good network already in Europe, and that's well established, we moved on to the United States of America, in 2020, and we moved down to Bogota, last year and those are very significant deployments for us.

Bogota has been very important, and just practically having someone there making the connections with local law enforcement, but also then with the other, liaison officer network, it makes a big difference and it puts us on a global stage.

Commissioner Harris also encouraged the public to continue to continue provide tip offs to the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) about other people showing off vast amounts of wealth without any apparent income.

People do see things, do notice, in effect wealth been shown, which is difficult actually, to understand how an individual could be showing this wealth, even in terms of their personal possessions, what they're doing to their house, the cars they own or drive. So please tell us, please tell CAB and we have a very extensive network now of local assets consideration and investigation, said Mr Harris.

We are not just after the Mr Bigs, important as they are, we are pursuing mid-level dealers and taking from them their trappings of wealth where they've been they've been obtained from crime.
Nicholas Rossi travelled to Ireland from the US in 2017 before vanishing without a trace

An American man who vanished in Ireland has reappeared in Scotland under a false name.

Nicholas Rossi, who was wanted in the US on rape charges stemming back to 2008, travelled to Dublin from the USA in 2017. After entering the country, the fugitive vanished without a trace.

It has now been revealed that he made his way to Glasgow undetected where he has been living under the false name of Arthur Knight.

His real identity was discovered in December 2021 when he was admitted to hospital with Covid-19.

On Thursday, he appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court charged with acting aggressively toward staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on Wednesday. It has been alleged that he shouted, swore, lunged at and pursued a consultant and a nurse. He pled not guilty to the charge.

The court further heard how fingerprints taken from officers suspicious of his identity last year have confirmed that he is in fact Nicholas Rossi.

In January 2020 he told media he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma before faking his death a month later.

Nicholas Rossi, who has also used many other aliases including Nicholas Alahverdian is wanted in connection with the rape of a woman (21) in Utah in September 2008.

He is also alleged to have assaulted other women in Rhode Island, Ohio and Massachusetts.

The man in question insists that his name is Arthur Knight and has claimed he has never set foot in the United States.

In opposing his request for bail, prosecutor Julie Clark said: "He appears today as Arthur Knight but has previously been identified by medical professionals and civilians as Nicholas Rossi.

"He has at least 10 aliases and is known in the US as Nicholas Rossi or Alahverdian and speaks in an American accent.

"He is known by his wife's family as Nicholas Brown and speaks in an Irish accent.

"He is recorded at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital as Arthur Winston Brown and identified himself on Tuesday as Arthur Knight and speaks in an English accent, she continued.

"Fingerprints taken when he was arrested for this matter were confirmed to be Nicholas Rossi."

Appearing in court in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, prosecutors say that there is nothing wrong with him.

The Crown have received a number of medical reports from doctors involved in his care which state there is no concern related to his lungs, Julie Clark continued.

"The description of seizures given by those who have witnessed them were satisfied they were otherwise faked.

Clark said that extensive investigation found that he travelled to Dublin in 2017 but there was no record of him entering the United Kingdom, and it is not known how he made it to Glasgow.

"He was involved in a relationship with a UK national. He then found another relationship and married in February 2020 using the name Nicholas Brown, which is on the marriage certificate."

As bail was denied, a trial date has been set for August 19th.
Bulgarian woman Dr Ruja Ignatova is accused of defrauding investors out of $4bn by selling a fake cryptocurrency called OneCoin

Wanted: Ruja Ignatova faces charges of money-laundering and fraud charges in the US and is on Interpols red list

A Bulgarian woman who is wanted by the FBI for an alleged scam involving cryptocurrency was in Ireland before she vanished, according to a British journalist who has been searching for her for years.

Dr Ruja Ignatova is accused of defrauding investors out of $4bn (3.3bn) by selling a fake cryptocurrency called OneCoin.

The FBI recently added Dr Ruja to its 10 most-wanted fugitives list and is now offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to her capture.

British journalist Jamie Bartlett is the author of The Missing Cryptoqueen, and the star of the BBC podcast with the same name.

He spoke to the Indo Daily about the illusive Dr Ruja, who he described as one of the richest criminals of all time, and her connection to Ireland.

Mr Bartlett said Dr Ruja was originally indicted by US officials two weeks before she disappeared.

"I think she may have been in Dublin a couple of weeks before she was arrested as well, and no one knows why and no one can be sure.

"So, if anyone was in Dublin October 2017 and vaguely remembers her, please get in touch.

He continued: Shes a German-Bulgaria businesswoman, who basically turned up in 2014, aged 34, saying to the world youve heard of Bitcoin, youve seen everyone getting rich from Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency thats going to revolutionise money and youve missed the boat with that one. But the good news is that Ive got a better one. Its called OneCoin. Its simpler, its clearer, it's early. So, if you invest now, the price of this will keep going up, he said.

Mr Bartlett said by 2016 OneCoin captured the imagination of investors around the world and over 1 million people, from 175 countries invested roughly $4 billion in the product.

However, the investors never got the payoff which Dr Ruja repeatedly promised and by October 2017 she disappeared.

Mr Bartlett said Dr Ruja modelled herself as a type of messianic figure, but what she really created was a sophisticated pyramids scheme.

He said she escaped with at least $500 million.

"It seems possible that she may have actually made a very clever deal back in 2015 to trade her company for 230,000 Bitcoin, which at the time was worth $50 million but at the moment is worth something like $4 to $5 billion, he said.

"If she did that, and shes still holding onto those Bitcoin, I mean were now talking about someone whos one of the richest criminals of all time. So, I dont know if she spent a lot of that money because to hide, to be protected; thats expensive.

"You need to keep paying people off. So, she may have burned through a lot of money as well.

OneCoin was essentially a multi-level marketing scam according to Mr Bartlett, where people would buy thousands of euro worth OneCoin and then recruit others to also buy the cryptocurrency. He said while people could never cash out their OneCoin, they would get a some commission for recruiting others.

"Each time that happened a small commission would make its way up the pyramid but were selling sort of thin air to people, he said.
Tracey Connelly, who is now 40, was released from HM Prison Low Newton in County Durham Wednesday after a government bid to block her getting out of jail was thrown out

Tracey Connelly, who is now 40, was released from HM Prison Low Newton in County Durham Wednesday after a government bid to block her getting out of jail was thrown out.

Connelly was jailed at the Old Bailey in 2009 following the brutal death of her son Peter Connelly, widely known as Baby P in Tottenham, North London, in August 2007.

The 17-month-old endured months of horrific abuse at the hands of his mum, stepdad Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen and had suffered more than 50 injuries, despite being on the at-risk register.

Barker was jailed in 2009 for a minimum of 32 years for torturing the toddler to death while Owen received a six year jail sentence for allowing him to die.

Connelly was jailed indefinitely with a minimum of five years but has now been released after serving 13 years.

She was released in 2013 but was recalled to prison in 2015 for selling naked photos of herself and breaching her licence conditions by 'developing intimate personal relationships' online.

The Parole Board considered her case for a third time in November 2019, following previous reviews in 2015 and 2017, and refused to either release her or move her to an open prison.

In 2019, the convict launched a bid to be freed from prison so she could try to spend Christmas with her lover.

She became besotted with a 37-year-old insurance salesman named Paul and told fellow prisoners she want to move in with him in Reading.

The abuser said she believed she was ready to leave prison a 'changed woman'.

Connelly insisted her relationship was genuine because she had known him for many years.

In March, the Parole Board announced Connelly had been cleared for release and the killer mum who now reportedly weighs more than 20 stone, is now free, subject to 20 licence conditions.

She will have to wear an electronic tag and disclose all her relationships while her Internet use will be monitored.

She will also be forced to obey a curfew and probation officials have warned her that any breach of her release terms could put her back behind bars.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab describer the announcement of her release as a sign the Parole Board is in need of changes, as his attempt to block her release had failed.

Mr Raab said: Tracey Connellys cruelty was pure evil, which is why I strongly opposed her release. The decision to let her out demonstrates why the Parole Board needs a fundamental overhaul, including a ministerial block, to protect the public and keep dangerous offenders off our streets.

A Parole Board spokesman said in a statement: "Following the reconsideration application from the Secretary of State, a judge has ruled that the decision made by independent Parole Board members to release was not irrational, as stated in the reconsideration application, and the original decision is upheld."
It has been reported that the role will be unpaid

Announcing his new position in a post to LinkedIn, he shared: Im happy to share that Im starting a new position as Adjunct Full Professor at University College Dublin.

In a statement, College Principal Professor Cecily Kelleher said: The appointment of someone of such high calibre and experience in guiding national policy and response to the Covid-19 pandemic will contribute enormously to our future research, education and planning.

I greatly look forward to working with him, she added.

It has been reported that the role with UCD will be unpaid.

It comes after the former CMO abandoned a new role at Trinity College Dublin following controversy over his salary.

He was due to take up the position of Professor of Public Strategy and Leadership but decided not to take up the job after it was revealed the open-ended secondment would come with a salary of 187,000 per year, funded by the Department of Health.

The terms of the position also meant that he would keep his public pension.

READ MORE: Dr Tony Holohan will NOT take up job at Trinity College and is set to leave public service

READ MORE: Dr Tony Holohan says his 'fingerprints' were all over creation of 187k Trinity post

READ MORE: Leo Varadkar hits out at political opponents who alleged he broke the law

In a statement issued by the Department of Health, Dr Holohan said: "I have decided not to proceed with my secondment as Professor of Public Health Leadership and Strategy, Trinity College Dublin.

"I do not wish to see the controversy of the last few days continuing. In particular, I wish to avoid any further unnecessary distraction that this has caused to our senior politicians and civil servants.

"My strong belief is that this was a significant opportunity to work with the university sector to develop much-needed public health capacity and leadership for the future, he added.

Dr Holohan left his position as CMO at the start of July after 14 years with the HSE.
Helen McDonald was found by a neighbour on the ground early in the morning

An elderly Dublin woman died from hypothermia after suffering a fall and spending an unknown period of time in the driveway of her home in late autumn two years ago, an inquest had heard.

Helen McDonald (91) was discovered by a neighbour getting up early to go to work on the morning of October 2, 2020 on the ground in their shared driveway at Castle Close, Clondalkin.

Although rushed by ambulance to Tallaght University Hospital, Ms McDonald was pronounced dead a few hours later with hypothermia given as the cause of death.

The neighbour who discovered Ms McDonald, said he was leaving for work at around 6.30am when something caught his eye on the ground.

Teddy McAuliffe said his elderly neighbour, who was wearing clothes and a jacket, was still breathing and he could hear her groaning.

Mr McAuliffe said his wife brought out a blanket for Ms McDonald to make her comfortable while they were waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

He said he tried to reassure her that everything was going to be OK.

Mr McAuliffe said he had no information to help indicate how long Ms McDonald might have been lying on the ground outside her home.

The coroner, Aisling Gannon, told a sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court that a post-mortem had not been able to provide any explanation as to what had caused Ms McDonald to fall.

Ms Gannon said the deceased had not suffered any heart attack or stroke.

There is no clear explanation why she fell, the coroner observed.

Ms Gannon said there had been some bruising to Ms McDonalds face which raised concern about whether it had been caused by a third-party.

However, Garda Aideen Cronin who was in charge of the investigation in Ms McDonalds death, said gardai were satisfied there was no foul play or anything suspicious about the matter.

A nurse who attended Ms McDonald in the accident and emergency department of Tallaght University Hospital, Niamh Tedders, said the patient had not been able to recall any events about how she had come to fall outside her home.

Ms Tedders said Ms McDonald had also been unable to speak full sentences.

Medical records showed the patients lips were blue when she arrived at the hospital, while her temperature was 26.3C.

The inquest heard she suffered a cardiac arrest while being treated in the hospital.

A post-mortem showed Ms McDonald had not suffered from any problems with her chest, stomach or head, while toxicology reports confirmed she had not taken any alcohol.

The post-mortem concluded she had died as a result of hypothermia.

Returning an open verdict, the coroner explained that Ms McDonald had suffered an unwitnessed fall and it was unclear how she had come to be in her driveway and how long she had been lying on the ground before she was found.

Ms Gannon said the evidence was not conclusive to allow the court to make a finding that Ms McDonald had died as a result of an accident or from natural causes.
He is the founder of right-wing party Identity Ireland

Gardai in Co. Cork are asking for the publics help to locate missing Cork politician Peter OLoughlin.

The 37-year-old, who is the chairman of the political party Identity Ireland, has been missing from his home at Lee Road in Cork since Monday July 4th.

Described as being approximately 58 in height with a slim build, he has brown hair and green eyes.

It is not known what he was wearing at the time of his disappearance.

Gardai and Mr OLoughlins family are concerned for his welfare.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts are asked to contact Gurranabraher Garda Station on 021-4946200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Peter founded Identity Ireland in 2015 alongside two others.

The party and their policies are considered to be right-wing.

In 2016, OLoughlin ran for general election in the Cork North-Central constituency as an independent but did not win a seat.

He also unsuccessfully ran for the 2014 European Parliament election for the South constituency and in the 2015 Carlow-Kilkenny by-election.
Were going to go into the Dail next week, were going to put forward our efforts at a time at which the country was tested so much.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald confirmed this morning Sinn Fein is tabling the motion, following the Government losing its majority after Fine Gael TD resigned the Fine Gael whip.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien said the Government will have time next week to show what ministers have achieved so far.

I look forward actually to the opportunity next week if thats what Sinn Fein want to use their time on, on a no confidence motion, debating that with them and showing them what we have done particularly in the area of housing, he said.

Next week affords us an opportunity actually across all the different sectors that weve been working on, for all the different ministers to put forward what the government actually has been doing.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said the Government is not interested in sowing the seeds of division.

Were going to go into the Dail next week, were going to put forward our efforts at a time at which the country was tested so much. We recognise the challenges that so many face at the moment but were interested in helping, not sowing the seeds of division, said Mr Donohoe.

It comes as the Taoiseach was forced to hit the phones last night after 30 Fianna Fail TDs and Senators met secretly to discuss party policy while Micheal Martin was in Ukraine.

Fianna Fail ministers denied it was secret and said it was a sign of a healthy party communicating and working with each other.

Minister Donohoe said he has full confidence in Fianna Fail as a coalition partner and joked that he hopes he will be invited to the next secret Fianna Fail meeting.

I have absolute confidence in the stability of this Government.

This is a cohesive, effective Government that has faced extraordinary challenges. Yes we do have political parties and within those political parties of course theres debates and discussions, he added.
The woman experienced serious head trauma

An elderly wheelchair-bound woman (73) is in hospital with serious injuries in Spain after being knocked down by a vehicle while on holiday.

The woman was rushed to hospital in Tarragona on Thursday afternoon with serious head trauma after her motorised chair was driven into oncoming traffic.

According to local police, for unknown reasons the chair bolted off the sidewalk and into traffic where the occupant was knocked unconscious.

The victim is being treated at Joan XXIII hospital in Tarragona where she is said to be in a serious condition.
YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 67, is in grave condition after being shot on Friday during a campaign for a parliamentary election, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, reports Reuters.

Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting in the western city of Nara during the campaign for Sunday's upper house election as an unacceptable attack on the foundation of Japan's democracy.

Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday while campaigning for a parliamentary election, with public broadcaster NHK saying a man armed with an apparently homemade gun opened fired at him from behind.

Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting in the western city of Nara had been arrested.

Kyodo news agency and NHK said Abe, 67, appeared to be in a state of cardiac arrest when airlifted to hospital, after having initially been conscious and responsive.

TBS Television reported that Abe had been shot on the left side of his chest and apparently also in the neck.
That's life. You know you have consequences for actions. He made a choice. He didn't have to do that.

The father of the Fourth of July Highland Park shooter who killed seven and wounded dozens more has said he wants his son to serve a long prison sentence.

Robert E Crimo III (21) who was arrested in connection with the shooting in suburban Chicago, admitted to authorities he was the gunman, prosecutors have alleged.

He faces seven counts of first-degree murder and a sentence of life in prison, if convicted. Illinois abolished capital punishment in 2011.

"I want a long sentence," the suspect's father, Robert Crimo Jr said, according to the New York Post. "That's life. You know you have consequences for actions. He made a choice. He didn't have to do that."

However, authorities have not ruled out criminal charges against his father.

According to State Police Director Brendan Kelly, Robert Crimo Jr faces potential civil liability as the criminal investigation continues into the Fourth of July shooting that slaughtered seven people in the Chicago suburb.

Theres probably going to be civil litigation. There is ongoing criminal prosecution and criminal investigation, he said Wednesday, NBC reported.

Issues of culpability, liability, who may have responsibility in certain circumstances, are all part and parcel of that process. Making a conclusionary statement, the Illinois State Police, weighing in on that, is not appropriate, he said, adding that the matter would ultimately be decided in court.

Crimo, a 21-year-old wannabe rapper, threatened everyone in his family in September 2019, prompting cops to remove a dagger, sword and 16 knives from his home, Illinois State Police have revealed.

Three months later, Crimo Jr sponsored his son when he applied for a firearm owners identification card  or FOID.

The couples new attorney, George Gomez, downplayed the possibility of criminal charges being filed against them when reached by The Post early Friday.

At this moment, were not concerned about any type of criminal charges, Gomez said during a brief interview. The family is cooperating with local and federal authorities.

Gomez declined further comment while saying things are in the works without elaborating.

But some legal experts believe charges against the couple could be on the table, including an attorney whose firm has represented many mass shooting victims, CBS Chicago reported.

In a separate interview with ABC News, Crimo Jr acknowledged he "filled out the consent form to allow my son to go through the process that the Illinois State Police have in place for an individual to obtain a FOID card."

"They do background checks," he said. "Whatever that entails, I'm not exactly sure. And either you're approved or denied, and he was approved."

Following the shooting in Highland Park, Crimo left the scene and drove to Madison, Wisconsin, where he "seriously contemplated" committing another shooting, according to Lake County Major Crime Task Force Deputy Chief Chris Covelli.

The firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered near the scene, but Crimo had another gun in his vehicle during his arrest, police said. That weapon was a Kel-Tec rifle, Covelli said Wednesday. Crimo had approximately 60 rounds of ammunition in his car at the time, Covelli added.

When Crimo located another celebration in the Madison area, he "seriously contemplated using the firearm he had in his vehicle to commit another shooting," Covelli said, though "indications are that he hadn't put enough thought and research into it."

The FBI alerted Madison police Monday afternoon that Crimo was on the run and may be in the area, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Wednesday. "We feel for the grieving families in Highland Park and all those forever impacted by the events of Monday's shooting. We recognize tragedy very well could have taken place in our own community," said Barnes.

After he was detained Monday evening in northern Illinois, Crimo "went into details about what he had done; he admitted to what he had done" in voluntary statements during questioning to Highland Park police, Covelli said.

Crimo was appointed a public defender and is due in court again July 28.
This screen grab shows former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe lying on the ground after he was shot from behind by a man during an election campaign for the July 10, 2022 Upper House election in Nara, western Japan, July 8, 2022 in this photo taken by Kyodo. Kyodo/via REUTERS   REUTERS

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks on after arriving for his speech in Nara, Japan, July 8, 2022, in this still image obtained from social media video. TWITTER @MAKICHANMAN37/via REUTERS   @MAKICHANMAN37 via REUTERS

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives for his speech in Nara, Japan, July 8, 2022, in this still image obtained from social media video. TWITTER @MAKICHANMAN37/via REUTERS   @MAKICHANMAN37 via REUTERS

FILE - Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to the media as he arrives at the prime minister's office for a cabinet meeting in Tokyo on Sept. 16, 2020. Japanas NHK TV says on Friday, July 7, 2022, former Prime Minister Abe apparently was shot at and collapsed during a campaign speech. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)   AP/PA Images

Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting in the western city of Nara had been arrested.

Kyodo news agency and NHK said Abe, 67, appeared to be in a state of cardiac arrest when airlifted to hospital, after having initially been conscious and responsive.

"Such an act of barbarity cannot be tolerated," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters, adding that Abe had been shot at about 11:30 a.m.

He said he did not know Abe's condition.

NHK showed video of Abe making a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out, after which the view was briefly obscured and then security officials were seen tackling a man on the ground. A puff of smoke behind Abe could be seen in another video shown in NHK.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives for his speech in Nara, Japan, July 8, 2022, in this still image obtained from social media video. TWITTER @MAKICHANMAN37/via REUTERS   @MAKICHANMAN37 via REUTERS

A Kyodo photograph showed Abe lying face-up on the street by a guardrail, blood on his white shirt. People were crowded around him, one administering heart massage.

TBS Television reported that Abe had been shot on the left side of his chest and apparently also in the neck.

Political violence is rare in Japan, a country with strict gun regulations. The gun used in the shooting appeared to be home-made firearm, NHK said.

In 2007 Nagasaki Mayor Iccho Itoh was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword.

"I thought it was firecrackers at first," one bystander told NHK.

Police identified the suspected shooter as Tetsuya Yamagami, a resident of Nara.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks on after arriving for his speech in Nara, Japan, July 8, 2022, in this still image obtained from social media video. TWITTER @MAKICHANMAN37/via REUTERS   @MAKICHANMAN37 via REUTERS

Abe served two terms as prime minister to become Japan's longest-serving premier before stepping down in 2020 citing ill health.

But he has remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), controlling one of its major factions.

His protege, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, goes into Sunday's upper house election hoping, analysts say, to emerge from Abe's shadow and define his premiership.

Kishida suspended his election campaign after Abe's shooting and was returning to Tokyo where he was due to speak to media at 0530 GMT.

The government said there was no plan to postpone the election.

The ambassador of the United States, Rahm Emanuel, said he was saddened and shocked by the shooting of an outstanding leader and unwavering ally.

"The U.S. government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and the people of Japan," he said in a statement.

Abe is best known for his signature Abenomics policy featured bold monetary easing and fiscal spending.

He also bolstered defence spending after years of declines and expanded the militarys ability to project power abroad.
USA birth rate has been below min sustainable levels for ~50 years, he tweeted, before pinning the tweet to his profile.

According to court documents obtained by Business Insider, the children were born in November 2021, just weeks before the Tesla CEO welcomed his second child via surrogate with his on-again off-again partner Grimes.

Elon Musk, 51, is now a father to a total of nine children. The billionaire shares five children with ex-wife Justine Wilson  one set of 18-year-old twins and one set of 16-year-old triplets. Musk also has two children with Canadian musician Grimes (real name Claire Boucher)  son X AE A-XII and daughter Exa Dark Siderl  and two children with Zilis.

Since the report was published that Musk had fathered two more children, a Twitter thread posted by the SpaceX founder in which he discussed declining birth rates in the US has received renewed attention.

On 24 May, Musk tweeted a graphic from the Wall Street Journal which showed that the total fertility rate in the US has remained below the replacement level for the last 50 years.

USA birth rate has been below min sustainable levels for ~50 years, he tweeted, before pinning the tweet to his profile.

Contrary to what many think, the richer someone is, the fewer kids they have, he added. I am a rare exception. Most people I know have zero or one kid.

Three weeks later, Musk posted another tweet to the thread, this time noting his own contribution to the countrys population. Past two years have been a demographic disaster, he said. I mean, Im doing my part haha.

In another tweet, he added: Civilization sterilised.

Following reports that he fathered twins with 36-year-old Zilis, Musk addressed the news in a string of tweets, echoing a similar sentiment about declining birth rates from his previous thread.

Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis. A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far, he said. I hope you have big families and congrats to those who already do!

Musks previous Twitter thread has received hundreds of new replies since it was reported that he fathered twins with 36-year-old Zilis.

Timely tweet, said writer Kirsten Korosec.

Man. He wasnt kidding tweeted another user.

This tweet has renewed perspective now, one person said.

The one thing this man is true to his word about, another Twitter user wrote.

Court documents show that Musk and Zilis filed a petition in April to change the twins name to have their fathers last name and contain part of their mothers last name. A Texas court approved the request in May. The documents also show the pair listed the same home address in Austin, Texas, where Tesla is based.

Zilis, a Yale-educated artificial intelligence specialist, is currently the director of operations and special projects at Neuralink, a Musk-led firm which designs computer implants to allow peoples brains to control electronic devices.
The Sculpted By Aimee founder shared the exciting news with her 156k followers

The Sculpted By Aimee founder shared the exciting news with her 156k followers, as she announced her boyfriend John Greene had proposed on their holiday to Mexico.

She wrote: Last night while waiting on the sunset in Holbox, I said yes.

Irish influencer Louise Cooney commented: Oh my goddd! Congrats.

James Patrice wrote: YESSSSSSSSSSS.. Absolutely fabulous.

Muireann O'Connell added: Ahh Aimee! Huge congratulations to you and John!!! This is fab!

James Patrice said: YESSSSSSSSSSSSAbsolutely Fabulous.

Congratulations you two love birds, Oonagh O Hagen said.

Angela Scanlon declared: Aghhhhh congrats beauty x

Jack Keating says he really enjoyed his Love Island experience and has no regrets

Hairdresser reveals how to get Laura Whitmore's new pink do

Tommy Fury and soul mate' Molly-Mae Hague celebrate third anniversary

Aimee launched her cosmetics brand in 2016, and sells a range of makeup brushes, palettes, lipsticks, lashes, foundations, and instant tan.

As the chief executive and owner of the popular make-up brand Sculpted by Aimee, Connolly (29) has become extremely successful at a young age.

While she is driven and self-motivated, Aimee said her ambition comes from her estate agent mother, Clare (62) who has been a huge influence on her.

As I get older I realise that a lot of my inner belief has come from my mum, she said previously.

She was a single mum who raised me on her own, and she went through financial challenges in the last recession and persevered through them. Then she started a new business in her fifties. She is the most resilient, hard-working woman I have ever met.
Marking the occasion the global superstars will play a triumphant and emotional gig in the shadow of the McKee clock on the seafront with Bangor marina providing a spectacular backdrop

Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol performs at Ward Park Bangor to a packed crowd. PHOTO Kirth Ferris / Pacemaker

Rock giants Snow Patrol are set for a seafront gig in Gary Lightbodys home town.

Bangor boy Lightbody will join bandmates for a huge summer special when then they take the stage at the coastal citys marina.

The end of August show coincides with the frontman being granted freedom of his home city.

To mark the occasion the global superstars will play a triumphant and emotional gig in the shadow of the McKee clock on the seafront with the marina providing a spectacular backdrop.

The show is scheduled for August 31 the day after Lightbody heads to Bangor Castle to have the freedom of the borough conferred on him  the first time the councils highest honour has been conferred on an individual.

The show will be on a much smaller scale than the bands record breaking appearances at the citys Ward Park over the years.

More than 40,000 flocked to three sell-out concerts  the 2022 version will be a more intimated acoustic set as part of the citys Open House Festival.

Announcing the gig, Lightbody said he was looking forward to the occasion.

I was born and grew up in the borough and though I may have wandered for a few years I made my home back in Bangor again.

Johnny, Nathan and myself are really looking forward to playing on Bangor seafront for the very first time. It will be great craic.

This town  indeed newly minted city  has been part of me and always will be. I do still mourn Pauls chippie on the seafront though.

Ards and North Down Mayor Karen Douglas said it will be a special occasion for one of the citys favourite sons.

Hes an international name, but his most and loved by the people of Bangor, she said.

They will join in extending heartfelt congratulations on receiving this award and grateful thanks for everything he does for our local community.
Residents around the Hauraki Gulf and Coromandel are being urged to report sightings of kekeno/NZ fur seals over the next three months.

The call comes as part of a new research project on the species.

The marine mammals are an increasingly common sight around New Zealand beaches in winter and early spring, as they haul out (come ashore) during their seasonal departure from breeding colonies.

Marine Science Advisor Laura Boren says DOC is aware the kekeno population is increasing, and thats being seen in an expansion of the species north  however, theres little knowledge of their breeding and non-breeding sites.

There are no known kekeno colonies in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park (which includes the Coromandel).

Due to a tagging programme on the West Coast we know at least some juveniles are coming all the way from Cape Foulwind.

Their expanding range means more dead kekeno are also being found on beaches around the North Island.

In 2021, citizen scientist Shaun Lee led a successful project which documented 57 kekeno deaths throughout the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park (HGMP). Most of those were juveniles. says Laura.

With the support of the Hauraki Gulf Forum, DOC is continuing this mahi with a seasonally focused citizen science project urging the public to report seal sightings, in particular dead seals.

This is an opportunity for the public to contribute to science on one of our most visible and interesting marine mammal species.

DOC is requesting information and photos of all dead seals found in the region, and from this will assess whether the specimen meets the criteria for necropsy.

The key factor is freshness  the fresher the specimen, the greater chance of determining the cause of death.

From those necropsies, well be able to gather important information on the species, why some of the individuals have died, and what we can do going forward.

For this reason, its important to report as quickly as possible.

Regardless, all reports, images and information collected will help build understanding of the kekeno population.

Laura says while people around all parts of the Hauraki Gulf and Coromandel are encouraged to report kekeno sightings, the area of particular interest is around Whitianga and Mercury Bay.

This area was a hot spot for kekeno sightings in 2021 and has coastal settlements where the public can be our eyes on the beaches.

In reporting kekeno sightings, and providing photographs, people should take photos of the whole animal from several angles, including one straight down the animal and with something for scale, and note the date, location, and if the animals is tagged before sending to kekeno@doc.govt.nz.

Shaun Lee says seeing kekeno in the HGMP is a delight, and a weekend highlight for many people  but the reality of nature is some people will encounter dead animals.

Seeing dead or dying kekeno can be very distressing for many people, he says. Finding out why kekeno die in the HGMP will help us prevent unnecessary deaths and aid in their recovery.

As their numbers recover, we may have to change our behaviour to make space for them.

Joe Davis, kaumatua for Mercury Bay iwi Ngati Hei, says mana whenua support the project and the intention to learn more about kekeno.

We echo DOCs call to our community to enjoy seals from a distance, and not get too close to these mammals.

People who encounter seals around the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park can provide their information and photographs by email to kekeno@doc.govt.nz
The Government has commissioned a Defence Policy Review to ensure that New Zealands Defence policy, strategy, and planned capability investments remain fit for purpose.

Minister of Defence Peeni Henare says this is due to Covid-19, the escalating impacts of climate change, and the intensification of geo-strategic competition.

Our Defence Force is essential in protecting New Zealanders and their interests, and alongside our partners they work daily to protect the security and stability of our region.

We remain committed to ensuring that Defence have the policies and equipment they need to do their jobs. The importance of this review is paramount so that we can make sure future investments are fit for purpose in a post Covid-19 environment, a Pacific region grappling with climate change and the intensification of strategic competition, and a world which is seeing a brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

The current capability work programme will continue while the review is underway, with all individual capability investments continuing to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

This Governments record is already one of historic investments in our Defence Force, having already invested approximately $4.5 billion in 12 major defence capability projects since taking office. This investment, amongst other things, will see the delivery of four new P-8A Poseidon aircraft, five new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, and 43 Bushmaster vehicles.

the Defence Capability Plan 2019 will continue to guide our investment, developments in Ukraine, on climate change, and in the scale and regularity of natural disasters remind us that unforeseen events require an agile and dynamic approach to strategy and defence capability.

Cabinet has agreed to the Terms of Reference for the Review, which will reflect the Governments priorities for Defence - People, Infrastructure, and Pacific, and will also draw on the recent Defence Assessment, reflecting our commitment to regenerate the Defence Force in a post-Covid-19 world while putting a stronger focus on the region in which we live.

Work will now begin on a defence policy and strategy statement which will set out a high level strategy for Defence. In addition, a set of design principles will be developed to help shape the future New Zealand Defence Force so that theyre enabled to undertake activities that may be required of them.

Similar to previous reviews, a Ministerial Advisory Panel will be established to provide independent advice throughout.

The policy and strategy statement will be delivered to the Government by the end of the year, with the future force design principles to follow in the first half of next year. The Government will take further decisions as to the next steps in the review process based on the findings of these initial products.

New Zealanders can be immensely proud of the contribution our Defence Force is making here in New Zealand, and around the globe. In the past few years alone, they have worked to keep New Zealanders safe from Covid-19, responded to natural disasters in the Pacific, and provided support to Ukraine in its defence against Russias aggression.

The Defence Policy Review will ensure that our people are best enabled to continue their vital work to protect our interests.
Police are launching its Lumi drug scanning tool to frontline Police nationwide, following a six-month pilot.

The Lumi drug scan device can immediately identify with 95 per cent accuracy if an unknown substance in clear plastic packaging is methamphetamine, cocaine or MDMA, providing better information to an officer about the most appropriate course of action to take with the drug holder.

With this level of information provided on the spot, the pilot showed people were more likely to disclose what the substance was, says Assistant Commissioner Lauano Sue Schwalger.

This meant the officer could then directly assess if they were more suitable for a warning, health referral or to go through the courts process.

This allowed better informed Police discretion, showed that negative samples wouldnt require further evidential testing and reduced the need for an officer to bring a person back to the station for further questioning.

Lumi has been co-designed by police and Environmental Science and Research, following a police need to more effectively test unknown substances in the field, and reduce the risk for officers handling them.

The hand-held devices have been built to detect methamphetamine, cocaine or MDMA  the three most prominent illicit substances affecting community drug harm.

A total of 150 Lumi devices will be rolled out to all police districts over the next two months, where the devices can best respond to the harm and drug profiles of each area.

Lumi also allows police district leadership to better identify harmful drug hotspots and trends, and help planning to deploy resources to where theyre needed most.

With police intercepting thousands of unknown substances each year, the use of Lumi has shown a real resource saving, and impact on Polices strategy of community harm reduction, says Assistant Commissioner Schwalger.

We will be evaluating this nationwide rollout with a view to further developing the Lumi devices to identify other substances, if needed.

Lumi wont replace other drug and alcohol testing devices and is a practical addition to police tools for reducing drugs harm in New Zealand.

Lumi continues police and ESRs longstanding collaboration on developing tools and methods to improve evidence-based decision making in the field.
A classroom of students at Omokoroa Point SchooI is campaigning to get the area of the place they live spelt correctly with a macron above the first letter of Omokoroa.

Room 10 at OPS stumbled upon the incorrect spelling when writing thank you letters and has turned to campaigning for Omokoroa to be spelt correctly  with a macron  by their community.

We found this issue at the start of Term 2 now were trying to make all signs around our community change to have a macron over the first O in Omokoroa, says Room 10 student Leila Cook.

Most places weve looked at dont have the macron, says fellow classmate George Palade.

If we dont put the macron on Omokoroa it could change the entire meaning of the place and it could be offensive! If this issue remains unchecked for too long future generations could forget the macron and the entire Omokoroa would have changed forever!

Significant

Teacher Deirdre Duggan approached Maori language specialist, Whaea Terania Ormsby-Teki at Maungatapu School, who says all places in New Zealand with a capital O with a macron have significant meaning.

Either somebody lived there that was significant; or something like a war, death or event, happened there that was significant, says Deirdre.

Room 10 student Maia Groucott says many words in te reo Maori have macrons because they mean different things without one.

Weta with a macron means insect; without the macron weta means poo. Keke means cake; if you add a macron to the last e then keke means armpit.

The class contacted the Pirirakau hapu, with Koro Nicolas responding.

Weve had a korero with some of our people from Pirirakau and were still working on our narrative for Omokoroa.

In time well put together resources to help with understanding the rohe but for now what weve seen on the Facebook page [the students campaign] is great!

All names have whakapapa and the whakapapa should be respected. Names of places, people and events are never given frivolously.

History lost

Deirdre says many stories exist of where the name Omokoroa came from.

Some say were named after a lizard, some say a huhu grub  the actual history of where the name came from has been lost over time. Regardless, to pronounce the name correctly  it needs a macron.

The class has also contacted Western Bay of Plenty District Council to request it change street signs to include a macron. The class has been invited to present their project to the council on July 26.

Asked why the project is so important, Willow Grant responded: Because people dont pronounce it right and it is respectful to pronounce it right and spell it right.

Anna says her schools 2022 focus is kia tika, which means doing the right thing  thats why we think this is important.

Sune` Steenberg, who has a mark above her first name to pronounce a short vowel, says if Omokoroa doesnt have macron it might be rude  like if people spelt my name without a mark above it.

George also wants to inspire other schools to do the right thing if they have problem with their name.

Principal Sandra Portegys says OPS has used a macron for Omokoroa in the last few years.

Weve added a macron to website, Facebook page, newsletter  but we still have some signage to change in our school as well.
Ross Prestidge is hanging up his well-worn tools at Maungatapu Primary School, after serving as the caretaker for more than 31 years.

The 75-year-old first joined the school as a caretaker at age 44, and says that the friendly staff and children have kept him going for so long.

Ross was an active member of the Mangatapu school committee prior to being offered the job, and cleaned the swimming pool in his spare time.

I live on the boundary of the school, and I was getting a quite a bit of rubbish thrown over. I started throwing rubbish back over the fence, and received a letter from the school committee complaining saying I wasnt to do it.

I then decided to go to the Annual General Meeting, which held the following week, and when I came out of that meeting Id ended up on the school committee, Ross laughs.

Cranes and forklifts

I was then offered the caretaker role after being made redundant at my job on the waterfront, where I drove cranes and forklifts for the Waterside Workers Union.

Ross says the redundancy came after working for 17 years during the 1989 waterfront industry reform.

It all just fell into place, I thought: I have my three kids there, and I live quite close to the school.

Ross enjoyed ride-on lawn mowing the most out of his caretaker duties, as he says it brought back fond memories of his days operating the heavy machinery on the waterfront.

One of Ross favourite memories at the school was 25 years ago, when a school teacher raised some chickens at the school, three of which were gifted to Ross.

Since then our amount of chickens has grown, and sometimes the kids come up and feed them.

The school is holding a farewell for Ross in coming weeks. Ross says hes looking forward to spending more time with his five grandchildren, and getting more involved at Tauranga Rotary Club.

Rotary and grandkids

Im looking forward to getting a bit more involved now that I have the extra time.

Three of my grandkids, Leonardo, Monet and Alexander, live nearby, so it will be great to spend more time with them.

Ross other two grandchildren, Samara and Annah, are in Australia, which he has not been able to meet yet due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maungatapu Primary School staff say Ross has been a valued member of the school whanau for many years now.

On those cold frosty mornings in the middle of winter we would arrive at school to see Ross wearing his wooly balaclava with his transistor radio in his pocket listening to the talkback as he got the school ready for the day, says a comment made on behalf of the staff.

His trusty leaf blower greeted us too, and could be heard far and wide across the school. Ross did a great job of keeping our school pool clean and ready for those mid-summer swims.

As he lives on our school boundary, the children were lucky enough to get regular visits from his roaming chickens. And as a member of the Rotary Club, Ross would offer their services to help out at many fundraising ventures across the school.

Ross has three grandchildren who attend Maungatapu School. His plan was to retire once his oldest granddaughter started school. That was five years agobut he just wasnt ready then!
The Preservation Association of Central New York will host a public information session with the Preservation League of New York State on Wednesday, July 20, in Auburn.

The session will take place at 6 p.m. in the Havana Room at the Phoenix Building, 2 South St., Auburn.

Information about historic districts, listing on the National Register of Historic Places and the potential benefits of using historic rehabilitation tax credits will be presented. Staff from the New York State Historic Preservation Office will attend remotely to answer questions as well.

The session is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be available. Local owners of residential and commercial property are encouraged to attend.

The local association is a nonprofit historic preservation advocacy organization that serves Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties.

For more information, visit pacny.net.
The Ministry of Health is reporting 13,344 community cases and 587 current hospitalisations.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 8313.

"We are sadly reporting the deaths of 23 people with Covid-19," says a spokesperson for the ministry.

"The majority (18) of these deaths occurred in the current month; four others occurred in May and June.

"There is one death from January last year now being reported following the cause of death assessment now being completed. In some instances it can take some time for the full clinical assessments to be finalised.

"Todays new cases of Covid-19 show a further rise in case numbers. We are continuing to keep our response to the current community outbreak of Covid-19 under review and will adapt it as the outbreak and pandemic evolve, and as part of our resurgence planning."

Keeping tamariki well over the school break

As every parent well knows, winter means cold weather but also more days indoors where children can more easily pick up and pass on germs, colds and flu, says the ministry.

"Its normal for children to have 8-10 viral illnesses each year, which will likely include coughs, runny noses and intermittent fevers.

"But with so many respiratory illnesses circulating, the Ministry is encouraging New Zealanders to pay extra attention to their childrens health, and their own, over the coldest months of the year."

Here are some winter wellness tips to help keep children healthy:

When theyre unwell, keep them at home to give them the best chance to rest and recover, and reduce the spread of infections on to others.

If children have Covid-19 symptoms like a fever, cough, sore throat and headache  rapid antigen test them.

Encourage good hygiene - help them to wash their hands regularly and show them how to sneeze or cough into their elbow or a tissue. This will help stop the spread of germs.

A sick child who is still eating and drinking well, can be watched at home until theyre feeling better.

To help avoid serious illness, ensure children are up to date with their vaccinations like measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); flu; chicken pox; whooping cough; and for over five year olds, their Covid-19 vaccine.

Ventilate your home by opening windows and doors throughout the day to increase fresh air flow.

Provide children with healthy food and fresh water to help maintain good health and wellbeing.

Encourage them to be active, especially outside, to help maintain good health and wellbeing.

Encourage your children to wear a mask if they are old enough.

Finally, support children to get enough sleep.

Following these tips not just for children but for all of us can help us all fight off seasonal illnesses and get through the next few months in good shape. Stay well this winter, Aotearoa!

Covid-19 hospitalisations

Covid-19 Cases in hospital: total number 587*: Northland: 13; Waitemata: 128; Counties Manukau: 38; Auckland: 35; Waikato: 57; Bay of Plenty: 32; Lakes: 14; Hawkes Bay: 20; MidCentral: 18; Whanganui: 6; Taranaki: 11; Tairawhiti: 2; Wairarapa: 4; Capital and Coast and Hutt Valley: 60; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury and West Coast: 90; South Canterbury: 15; Southern: 31.

Weekly Covid-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 499 (This time last week 377)

Average age of current Covid-19 hospitalisations: 66

Cases in ICU or HDU: 9

Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital**: Unvaccinated or not eligible (39 cases); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (no cases); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (57 cases); received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (307 cases).

*Overall hospitalisation numbers are elevated by a sustained high number of hospitalisations in Waitemata which makes up 22% of the total number reported today.

**These are new hospital admissions in the past 7 days prior to yesterday who had COVID at the time of admission or while in hospital, excluding hospitalisations that were admitted and discharged within 24hrs. This data is from Districts with tertiary hospitals: Auckland, Canterbury, Southern, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital & Coast, Waitemata and Northland.

Covid-19 vaccinations administered

Vaccines administered to date: 4,028,700 first doses; 3,981,241 second doses; 33,291 third primary doses; 2,686,244 first booster doses: 70,777 second booster doses: 264,549 paediatric first doses and 136,044 paediatric second doses

Vaccines administered yesterday: 32 first doses; 49 second doses; 39 third primary doses; 877 first booster doses; 11,160 second booster doses; 39 paediatric first doses and 261 paediatric second doses

More detailed information, including vaccine uptake by District, is available on the Ministry website.

Tests

Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,506

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 16,101

PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,185

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 7 July 2022): 2.5 million

Covid-19 cases

Total number of new community cases: 13,344

Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 390

Seven day rolling average of community cases: 8,313

Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 6,422

Number of active cases (total): 58,170 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)

Confirmed cases (total): 1,404,119

Location of new community cases by district over past 24 hours

Please note, the Ministry of Healths daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a District or local public health service level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO.

COVID-19 deaths

Todays reported deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with COVID-19 to 1,651 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 16.

Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today: seven were from Auckland region, one each from Waikato, Lakes, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Tairawhiti, Whanganui and MidCentral, two were from the Wellington region, four were from Canterbury / West Coast, and two from Southern.

One was in their sixties; three were in their seventies, 13 were in their 80s, and six were aged over 90. Of these people, nine were women and 14 were men.

This is a very sad time for whanau and friends and our thoughts and condolences are with them. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment on these.
The first forfeiture from the major police operation targeting methamphetamine supply in Kawerau has been completed.

Operation Notus, the award winning six month long covert investigation by NOCG and Bay of Plenty staff, into methamphetamine supply in Kawerau and other towns in the eastern Bay of Plenty that began in October 2017.

More than 50 people were arrested, including senior members of the Kawerau Mongrel Mob leadership during the investigation which served as a massive blow to organised crime.

The Tauranga High Court has now ordered the forfeiture of a residential property in Kawerau and the proceeds from the sale of a Ford Ranger ute, both bought with money obtained through significant criminal activity, namely from the sale and supply of methamphetamine and cannabis.

The judgement states that the two items are tainted from being funded through significant criminal activity.

The estimated value of these items are $420,000, says Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Nick OBrien of the Waikato / Bay of Plenty Asset Recovery Unit.

"While the dollar value of these items might not be significant compared to other forfeitures, it is the impact this will have within the Kawerau community that is most significant.

"We are acutely aware of the negative impacts and social harm caused by the sale and supply of illicit drugs, particularly in small communities such as Kawerau."

Nick says Operation Notus was hugely significant as the gang was "preying on Kawerau community members and profiting from their own whanau and friends addiction through the distribution and supply of these drugs".

He says this forfeiture shows that even after an initial termination, police are still looking to target those criminals who are continuing to prey on vulnerable communities and strip them of their assets.

"We want to reassure our communities that Police will continue to target and disrupt groups and individuals that align themselves with them who profit from the proceeds of crime."

Anyone who is aware of or concerned about criminal activity in their communities, particularly that of the sale and supply of methamphetamine is asked to contact police, either on 105 or anonymously on 0800 Crimestoppers.
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As food shortage grips many parts of the world, with the United Nations (UN) warning of "an unprecedented global hunger crisis," China's success story in grain self-sufficiency might help soothe the frayed market nerve.

Deemed the world's largest grain producer, China has secured a bumper wheat yield in the summer harvest, which traditionally accounts for one-fifth of its annual grain output. It has also completed nearly 80 percent of summer sowing of corn and other crops. The country is well on its course to surpassing 650 million tonnes of grain output for another year.

Securing such mammoth production is anything but easy, as Omicron flare-ups had disrupted the spring farming earlier this year and snarled up traffic when crop harvesters rumbled across the country for summer harvest. Late seeding of wheat due to heavy autumn precipitation last year and rising prices of agricultural input were among other headwinds.

China's stable performance against all odds is not a coincidence. Rather, it is a result of the country's decades of efforts to achieve grain self-sufficiency.

With a population of 1.4 billion to feed, China has a stronger sense of urgency when it comes to the food supply. Yet it has only 9 percent of the world's arable land and 6 percent of the freshwater resource, making food security always an uphill task for the country. In fact, the World Food Programme stopped its grain aid to China as late as 2005.

In light of the situation on the ground, China's ability to feed itself is a major contribution to the world, and this is particularly true when rising food prices have gripped many countries. Any sign of food insecurity in China would be unaffordable for the world now.

This is why China spared no efforts to ensure spring farming and summer harvest despite recent Omicron outbreaks when some developed countries were busy playing the blame game for the food crisis.

According to the latest UN report, the world is moving backward in efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition, as the number of people affected by hunger globally shot up to a startling 828 million in 2021.

However, the good news is that China's efforts to become self-sufficient in food crops have paid off. Grain output has been above 650 million tonnes for seven solid years. The per capita food supply is well above the international standard of 400 kg. The country has achieved basic self-sufficiency in grain and absolute security in staple food.

China's food crop production strategy is based on science and technology. The contribution rate of scientific and technological advances to its agriculture has risen sharply over the past few years, and the figure is expected to reach 64 percent by 2025.

Moreover, China does not stash its agricultural technologies. It shares them with the rest of the world.

Last week, a trial planting of Chinese water-saving and drought-resistant rice in Botswana was announced a success. This is believed to be of great importance to the food security of the southern African country.

With a combined agricultural GDP accounting for more than half the world total, BRICS, an emerging-market group that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, adopted a document on food security cooperation and established a forum on the agricultural and rural affairs on the sidelines of their most recent summit.

Actions speak louder than words. China not only cares about its own "rice bowls," but also works for the welfare of the rest of the world.
The campaign activity is picking up with six weeks to go until the congressional primary elections in New York.

Wells releases first ad

Steve Wells, a Republican running in the 22nd Congressional District, highlighted his background in his first television commercial released this week.

Wells, R-Cazenovia, is a former prosecutor and a founding partner of American Food and Vending Corporation, a Syracuse-area company. In the ad, he accuses President Joe Biden and the far left of "crushing our community" through economic and immigration policies.

At the end of the ad, he pledges to "stand up to Biden to make our community safe and affordable."

The 30-second ad is airing on broadcast and cable TV stations in the Syracuse and Utica media markets.

The 22nd district includes all of Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties, plus a portion of Oswego County.

Conservative Party renews support of Williams

It's a newly drawn district, but that hasn't changed the Conservative Party's view that Brandon Williams is the best candidate for the job.

State and local Conservative Party leaders reiterated their support for Williams, a Sennett Republican who is running in the 22nd Congressional District.

"With the district lines now officially settled, we at the state party wanted to let everyone know that we still back Brandon Williams for Congress in New York's 22nd district," said Jerry Kassar, chairman of the state Conservative Party. "Brandon is the right choice because he has the honor, integrity and fortitude to stand up for what is right for central New York in D.C."

The Conservative Party endorsed Williams for Congress in the previous version of the district that has since been thrown out. The state Court of Appeals ruled that New York's congressional district maps were unconstitutional and had to be redrawn.

When a court-appointed special master drew new maps, they placed Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties in the new 22nd. There is also a small piece of Oswego County in the district.

Even though Williams lives in Cayuga County, he decided to continue his campaign in the 22nd. Members of Congress do not have to live in the districts they represent.

Williams said in a statement that he values the Conservative Party's endorsement "because it's based on principle, unlike opportunistic insider endorsements that are common in politics today."

Wells and Williams are the candidates in the 22nd district GOP primary. The primary election will be held on Aug. 23.

Seneca County GOP backs Fratto (again)

The Seneca County Republican Committee is once again supporting Mario Fratto for Congress.

Fratto, R-Geneva, is seeking the GOP nomination in the 24th Congressional District, which stretches from western New York to the North Country. The district includes all of Cayuga and Seneca counties.

The Seneca GOP held a meeting on Thursday and voted to endorse Fratto, according to his campaign.

"I am grateful to the county GOP and to their chairman, Tom Fox, for holding this forum and for their decision to endorse my candidacy," Fratto said.

There is a three-way primary for the Republican line in the 24th district. Along with Fratto, U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney and former Broome County Legislator George Phillips are also in the race.

The primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 23.
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Mahindra Electric has already teased as many as three upcoming EVs for India. The carmaker is gearing up to unveil the first electric vehicle on August 15.

Mahindra and Mahindra has signed an agreement with British International Investment in an effort to increase investment to manufacture its upcoming electric cars for India. The duo will put in 1,925 crore each which will help financing the production of Mahindra Electric's upcoming EVs under the Born Electric brand. The deal comes as a fillip for a new EV company as the agreement says. Mahindra revealed the details about the tie up in a regulatory filing late on Thursday.

Mahindra Electric has already teased as many as three upcoming EVs for India. The carmaker is gearing up to unveil the first electric vehicle on August 15. Mahindra's new electric vehicles are being developed and designed by the Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE) located in the UK, under the leadership of the automaker's chief designer Pratap Bose.

The deal says that the British company will invest the money in the form of compulsory convertible instruments at a valuation of up to 70,070 crore. This would give the BII a stake in Mahindra's new EV company which will range between 2.75 percent to 4.76 percent ownership. Mahindra's new EV company will get a total investment of around 8,000 crore between 2024 and 2027.

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Anish Shah, MD and CEO at Mahindra and Mahindra, said, "We are extremely delighted to have BII as a partner in our SUV electric journey. In BII, we have found a like-minded long-term partner who is committed to combating the climate emergency. Mahindra has been a pioneer in the electric vehicles space, and we are confident we will be the leaders in the electric SUV market in the future."

Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director of Auto and Farm Sectors at Mahindra and Mahindra, said, Mahindra has very exciting plans to be a leader in the electric SUV space. We would share our vision that includes our comprehensive product technology, and platform strategy at the UK event on August 15, followed by a reveal of the electric XUV400 in September." Jejurikar also said that the carmaker aims to have at least two to three SUVs among 10 to be electric by 2027.

Mahindra has already teased its upcoming electric SUV which will be unveiled next month. While the automaker has not revealed the name of the upcoming car that has been teased online, it is believed that it is the premium SUV XUV900. Expect the production model to hit the market sometime in 2023 or 2024.

Earlier, the automaker had teased its range of electric SUVs. The first to come out of the Mahindra's stable would be the XUV400, which would compete with rivals like Tata Nexon EV, MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona EV upon launch. The all-electric iteration of XUV300 will arrive as part of the automaker's committed seven electric SUV fleet under the Born Electric range.

First Published Date:
Bhargav7 BHPian

Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Bangalore Posts: 50 Thanked: 220 Times

Re: New labour codes in effect from July 2022



1. Basic salary to be 50% of Gross is a good decision. There was an earlier Supreme court judgment that says that PF has to be deducted on the entire salary and not just basic. With this guideline, Organisations do not have the risk and uncertainty on the quantum of PF deduction. Today, most organizations are sitting with a serious risk if the PF department asks to pay the historical dues based on the supreme court judgment.



2. While I appreciate that the contribution to PF should be made optional, I prefer the present way. Most of the employees are not financially literate and are not capable of planning a good corpus for retirement. In many cases, PF balance can be the only difference between a retired employee being homeless or being able to pay rent. In the interest of the employees, PF/NPS contribution should always be mandatory - just my view and it need not be right



3. For the folks who do not want a fixed return, or who want the money to be invested in public companies - they can opt for NPS instead and choose the aggressive investment option.



4. Exclusion from PF for employees with a salary above 15k - This is applicable even today and no one can force an employee to opt-in for PF when they have an option. Yes, they need to really push it with their HR teams to make it happen. Also, a point to be noted is that once you are registered in PF, you cannot opt-out even when the salary crosses 15k.



5. The 12-hour workday should not become a practice, hopefully. There is no way someone can consistently work 12 hours a day without being stressed out, even with 3 day weekend. Now, a counter-argument may be made that most of the corporate employees are already working 12-hour days - ask them, they are already stressed out. The solution here is to reduce the daily working hours; not making the increased work hours a norm. Some of my views here -1. Basic salary to be 50% of Gross is a good decision. There was an earlier Supreme court judgment that says that PF has to be deducted on the entire salary and not just basic. With this guideline, Organisations do not have the risk and uncertainty on the quantum of PF deduction. Today, most organizations are sitting with a serious risk if the PF department asks to pay the historical dues based on the supreme court judgment.2. While I appreciate that the contribution to PF should be made optional, I prefer the present way. Most of the employees are not financially literate and are not capable of planning a good corpus for retirement. In many cases, PF balance can be the only difference between a retired employee being homeless or being able to pay rent. In the interest of the employees, PF/NPS contribution should always be mandatory - just my view and it need not be right3. For the folks who do not want a fixed return, or who want the money to be invested in public companies - they can opt for NPS instead and choose the aggressive investment option.4. Exclusion from PF for employees with a salary above 15k - This is applicable even today and no one can force an employee to opt-in for PF when they have an option. Yes, they need to really push it with their HR teams to make it happen. Also, a point to be noted is that once you are registered in PF, you cannot opt-out even when the salary crosses 15k.5. The 12-hour workday should not become a practice, hopefully. There is no way someone can consistently work 12 hours a day without being stressed out, even with 3 day weekend. Now, a counter-argument may be made that most of the corporate employees are already working 12-hour days - ask them, they are already stressed out. The solution here is to reduce the daily working hours; not making the increased work hours a norm. Last edited by Bhargav7 : 6th July 2022 at 19:54 . Reason: Adding the 5th point
What just happened? Microsoft recently changed Office's default behavior to block a popular malware attack vector. The company has now reversed that decision, drawing the ire of security researchers and users. Microsoft intends to explain the rollback in-depth soon.

This week, a Microsoft spokesperson admitted that the company rolled back its decision to block downloaded macros in Office files. Some think the reversal will make office users more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Hackers have often used macros  automated processes within Office files  as malware payloads. In February, Microsoft announced it would update most versions of Office on Windows so that, by default, they wouldn't run macros in downloaded files, warning users of their security risks.

Sad decision. Blocking Office macros would do infinitely more to actually defend against real threats than all the threat intel blog posts.



I always see our main mission in threat intelligence is to drive the changes to protect people. https://t.co/JFMeyzefov  Shane Huntley (@ShaneHuntley) July 8, 2022

So far, Microsoft has only said its reversal is in response to feedback and is preparing an update explaining the decision. However, some are disappointed that Microsoft backtracked before informing users.

Many users may have complained to Microsoft because they didn't understand why their macros stopped working. One commentator on Microsoft's website blamed the company for caving to uninformed users. Shane Huntley of Google's Threat Analysis Group called the rollback a "sad decision," saying informative blog posts wouldn't be as effective as blocking macros by default.

To manually change macro settings, head to Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings. You should find multiple options to enable or disable macros with or without notifications or to enable macros only when they are digitally signed.

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is currently on sale for $39. This lifetime license for one computer doesn't require a subscription.
(Photo : Unsplash/ Emiliano Cicero) Galaxy Watch

One of the most anticipated smartwatches for 2022 is Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 series. There have been several leaks about the upcoming smartwatch, and so far, we have learned that Samsung will launch two models in its latest lineup.

Samsung will be releasing Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, both of which will have larger batteries and faster-charging capabilities.

Samsung to Release Two New Galaxy Watch 5 Models

According to XDA Developers, leaker Evan Blass has shared renders of the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro through 91mobiles.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro shows an updated design with a new magnetic strap and no rotating bezel around the display. Just like the Galaxy Watch 4, the smartwatch features two buttons on the right edge, with one of them having a red accent.

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will also have a microphone on the right edge and a speaker grille on the left side. According to The Verge, fans can choose between two color variants: black and titanium.

Also Read: Rumor Says Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Series Could Get a Third 'Pro' Model with Bigger Batteries

Meanwhile, the regular Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is not that different from the Galaxy Watch 4 in design. It also features a traditional watch-style strap, two buttons on the right side, no rotating bezel, and a speaker grille on the left side.

The regular Galaxy Watch 5 will also have a couple of additional colorways and two case sizes. Both smartwatch models will be available in LTE and Bluetooth-only variants.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a more recessed display. The raised bezel should greatly protect the display from bumps and nicks due to daily use. The regular Galaxy Watch 5 does not have the same protection, and its display sits with the bezel.

Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Watch 5 series together with its next-gen foldable smartwatches in August.

Release Date for Galaxy Watch 5

According to Tom's Guide, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 release date is on Aug. 26. The watch's announcement could happen around Aug. 10, during the next Samsung Unpacked event. Fans who have been waiting for the smartwatch can start pre-ordering on Aug. 10.

The timeline was revealed by leaker Jon Prosser. However, Tom's Guide reported that the dates could still change. All that is confirmed is that it will be revealed before the company's next Unpacked event.

Samsung has always held their Unpacked event every August. However, the timing varies, but the tech giant has established a routine of releasing the Galaxy Watch 5 smartwatch with the Samsung Galaxy Z-series smartphones and the new Galaxy Buds.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S-series flagships will come out around the start of 2023.

As for its price, the Galaxy Pro model could be a bit more expensive than the other Samsung smartwatches. The new Pro model will cost around $550 for the LTE version, while the other models, such as the Bluetooth-only, will cost around $300.

As for its features, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 got Google Assistant support recently, so it is possible that the Galaxy Watch 5 may also have the same software and get Google Assistant support.

Related Article: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Leaks: Infrared Temperature Health Sensor Coming to Wearable for Next Release?

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Following the 13th flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the company successfully deployed more than 53 Starlink internet satellites on Thursday, July 7.

The liftoff started in Florida, particularly from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Releases New Batch of Starlink Satellites

(Photo : Tim Mossholder from Unsplash)

SpaceX's Falcon 9 has launched 53 Starlink satellites recently.

According to Spectrum News, SpaceX's two-stage rocket completed its 13th takeoff at around 9:11 EDT.

Along with its flight, the space firm's Falcon 9 rocket deployed 53 Starlink satellites in the planet's low orbit. SpaceX representatives confirmed the milestone via a tweet.

Deployment of 53 Starlink satellites confirmed  SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 7, 2022

The recent mission was the 13th time that Falcon 9 reached the first stage. It tied its "reuse" record that the SpaceX set did over the previous month when it launched the Starlink satellites to space.

Falcon 9 Rideshare Mission

Aside from conducting Starlink launches recently, the booster has been a huge help for the space company in accomplishing its first crewed exploration en route to the International Space Station two years ago.

According to Space.com, Falcon 9 was involved in a couple of "rideshare" missions where the rocket carried 12 satellites on transit. These include seven Starlink satellites and ANASIS-II military communications satellites from South Korea.

For CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX has gone a very long way because of the "rapid rocket reuse." This achievement has been breaking barriers across the cosmos.

The company is planning to launch an all-in reusable rocket for future launches. SpaceX wants to bring Starship into the spotlight soon. It should be noted that Falcon 9's upper stage is dispensable.

Related Article: SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches its 13th Flight! One of Three Flights in 36 Hours?

Starlink Satellite Constellation

SpaceX wants to be the leading internet service provider in the world. To achieve that, it should be consistent in releasing its Starlink satellites in low orbit.

So far, the company has managed to send over 2,700 satellites. As of writing, it's planning to deploy 12,000 more spacecraft. On top of that, there are 30,000 that are still pending for approval.

This year, the company has succeeded in sending 16 Starlink-related missions out of 28 flights.

July 7 is a memorable day for SpaceX since the company commemorates this date as the day when it achieved the 100th Falcon landing. Not only that since it also marked the 50th Starlink takeoff of the firm.

Last month, Tech Times reported that the Falcon 9 rocket was able to launch communications satellites to orbit in Egypt. This venture is in line with the company's worldwide network upgrade.

In other news, three Chinese astronauts aboard Shenzhou-14 are now conducting scientific tests on their way to Tianhe orbit core module. The upcoming exploration will take place this month, Tech Times wrote.

The taikonauts will be performing a series of tests as part of the further assessment to see if they are fit to thrive in the Space Station. They are training to reduce the microgravity in their bodies.

Read Also: Shenzhou-14 Taikonauts to Prepare for Future Space Explorations This Month

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A self-proclaimed super-hacker has taken over the social media accounts of Disneyland. The hacker had made racist posts to seek "revenge" on the famous theme park.

Hacker Takes Over Disneyland Accounts

According to CBS News, the hacker identified himself as David Do. He took over Disneyland's Instagram and Facebook accounts on July 7, making a slew of racist and derogatory posts, threatening black people.

Do also made several posts featuring the n-word, and he has claimed to have invented COVID-19 and even posted that he was working on a new COVID20 virus.

He also revealed in the post that the hack is revenge against the theme park after a Disney staff who mocked him for having "small genitalia."

Disney immediately deleted Do's posts from their social media accounts after an hour. The theme park's accounts have more than 8.4 million followers, according to Fox 11.

Also Read: 'Hey, Disney' Voice Assistant is Coming to Disneyland in 2022

Do's Controversial Posts

Do posted his first post on July 7, alleging he was a "super hacker" to "bring revenge upon Disneyland." In another post, he said that he "invented COVID-19," and he blamed the virus on Wuhan, according to Newsweek.

Do also shared an image of two men with a racist caption watching Disney Channel, a jab at the company's mid-2000s promotion used by their TV station.

In the promotional video, Disney stars would say the catchphrase "You're watching Disney Channel," and draw the iconic mouse ears using a magic wand.

Do also encouraged the public to follow his private Instagram account @chi11estpanda. The account does belong to a David Do, but it is not confirmed if it is the same David Do who has hacked the Disneyland social media accounts.

Feud with Gov. DeSantis

The social media hack marks the latest controversy for the Disney company, which sparred off with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after an employee walkout over the state's Don't Say Gay bill.

In March, the Republican governor of Florida signed a law into a measure that ends the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the private government Walt Disney World controls on its property.

The move came after the company criticized Gov. DeSantis' Don't Say Gay bill. The bill forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity to children, especially in schools.

Teachers can't talk about sexual orientation and gender identity to children from kindergarten through third grade.

As a type of "punishment," Gov. DeSantis' has ended the 55-year-old deal that allowed the company to regulate land, enforce building codes and treat wastewater.

The end of the Reedy Creek Improvement District could cost Disney millions in lost local taxes and $2 billion in bond debt.

Disney claims that there is a clause in its contract that stipulates the state is responsible for its bond debt, and the company has issued those bonds to fund the expansion of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

However, unwinding the Reedy Creek Improvement District means families from Orange and Osceola counties would be on the hook for between $2,200 and $2,800 each, as residents need to be taxed equally because the district would be absorbed into both counties.

Related Article: Disneyland, Disney World US Drops Face Mask Requirements on June 15 for COVID-19 Fully Vaccinated People Only

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Beijing (Gasgoo)- Great Wall Motor sold 101,186 vehicles in June, edging up 0.52% compared to a year ago, with the TANK brand almost doubling its monthly sales year over year.

TANK 300; photo credit: Great Wall Motor

From January to June, Great Wall Motor sold 518,525 vehicles cumulatively, representing a 16.12% decline from the year-ago period. The automaker sold a total of 62,823 vehicles overseas in the first half of this year, accounting for 12% of the groups total sales volume.

In the sixth month of 2022, HAVAL and WEY were the only two brands that saw a year-over-year decline in sales, with a respective volume of 51,274 and 2,887 vehicles.

With 11,516 vehicles sold, ORA saw a 6.72% year on year increase in June. In the first half of 2022, ORAs cumulative sales volume summed up to 59,126 vehicles, climbing up 12.52% from a year ago.

Meanwhile, Great Wall Motors popular off-roader brand, TANK, sold 14,258 vehicles in June, skyrocketing 99.13% from the previous year. The brands mainstay model, the TANK 300, has accumulated a delivery volume of over 130,000 vehicles since it hit the market.

Additionally, Great Wall Motor sold 13,451 vehicles overseas in the month. For the first six months this year, the accumulative export volume of the company summed up to 62,823 vehicles. Up to now, the automaker has carried out its business to over 170 countries and regions globally, with nearly 700 sales channels established.
Solana, the dubbed Ethereum-killer, is about to face one of its biggest challenges yet. Only this time, the opposing force is not from the cryptocurrency market.

Solana Labs Figures Itself in a Class Action Lawsuit a la Ripple (XRP)

A group of people filed a class-action lawsuit against Solana Labs before the California federal court recently. According to the case, Solano labs and the people within the ecosystem made illegal revenue by promoting their own token, which is not registered under the US securities and exchange commission.

According to a Forbes report, the lawsuit could create a lasting impact on the future of the whole cryptocurrency industry. Many expect this will not be good news because cryptocurrency has always criticized government institutions and other financial experts for the longest time.

Many believe that if the case results in SOL token being considered a security, it could reverberate towards the whole market. According to the report, we can expect that its outcome could further endanger the view of regulatory agencies towards crypto, which has been viewed negatively by many for the longest time. Moreover, it is also expected to open up a floodgate of changes that could be felt in many cryptocurrency exchanges, such as Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, and more, that are listing similarly-natured cryptocurrencies.

If the ruling on the case goes against the favor of SOL, the likelihood of the token being delisted on many exchanges is high. The same assumption can hold water for other cryptocurrency tokens in the market today. The report from Forbes harkened back to the dark past of Ripple and its native token, the XRP, where they also faced a regulatory challenge before the SEC for selling $1.3 billion tokens to the public. The same argument against SOL today was the same stance taken against XRP - that they were selling unregistered securities.

What Does the Lawsuit Against Solana (SOL) Say?

The lawsuit against Solana was filed by Mark Young, Roche Freedman LLP, and Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky. They said they were representing investors who were allegedly lied to drive up SOL token sales from March 24, 2020, to the present. According to the plaintiffs, SOL earned a lot of profit from the sale without telling retail investors that they were buying unregistered securities.

The defendants stated in the lawsuit include Solana Labs, a for-profit organization backing the Solana ecosystem, and its chief executive officer, Anatoly Yakovenko. Included as well are organizations related to Solana, such as the Solana Foundation, crypto venture capital firm Multicoin Capital along with its chief executive office Kyle Samani, and a trading platform by the name of FalconX.

The lawsuit against Solana claims that they were violating the federal and state securities law by not putting the token on registration as a 'security.' Another point stressed in the lawsuit is that Solana caused its investors enormous losses, which must be charged to the plaintiff as one of their liabilities to their investors.

However, beyond the Forbes report and the lawsuit, it has to be noted that the cryptocurrency market and the top tech stocks globally have been on a tumultuous season in the investment area for the past few weeks. Several problems have caused the bloodbath that many crypto tokens are experiencing today, including SOL.

Moreover, above many crypto tokens in the space, SOL created huge profits for most of its investors last year. As many may remember, SOL was one of the fastest-growing tokens in the space, which even recorded an all-time high of around $260 in November 2021. It also attracted investment from one of the richest men in crypto, Sam Bankman-Fried. SOL performed well in recent years despite the outages it experienced over the last few months.

But over and above the mentioned considerations for Solana, according to Young, the project was a highly centralized cryptocurrency. Moreover, Young alleged that there were a lot of insiders within the Solana ecosystem who stood to benefit significantly at the expense of the investors who were unaware of the real picture.

Related Article: Solana Outage Now Solved After 'Durable Nonce' Bug Hits Blockchain | Here's What Happened

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(Photo : Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries leaves after a Cabinet Meeting on July 7, 2022 in London, England. After many ministerial resignations over the last 48-hours forced Boris Johnson from his roles as Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister, he called a cabinet meeting of his newly appointed ministers. Johnson will remain as the caretaker Prime Minister for now.

The UK government pushes new amendments to the online safety bill to promote and safeguard credible news reporting. This time, they are focusing on influential tech platforms.

Prominent Social Media and Tech Sites Now Prohibited From Filtering Content Instantly

Ministers have decided that IT companies should be prohibited from removing news information in the UK until an appeal against any amendment is heard. According to the proposed change in the internet safety bill, items that violate the terms and conditions of service cannot be withdrawn or buried before the publisher has been notified and has received the outcome of any appeal to the platform.

Nadine Dorries, UK's culture secretary, stated that democracy rests on the public's access to reliable journalism and news reporting. She also warned against tech firms removing legitimate journalism from their platforms without any credible justification. Moreover, Dorries stressed that what we need today is to address the lack of transparency in the way tech firms regulate online content. According to her, it is important because if the online spaces are not protected from tech firms exercising too much sovereignty, it could seriously affect public discussions.

The legal change is designed to avoid a repetition of last year's situation when YouTube abruptly suspended the digital station TalkRadio from its platform for breaching its content restrictions. After 12 hours, it was reinstalled. The amendment applies to the most popular digital sites, including Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, and is intended to address concerns that the bill's provisions on protecting users from dangerous information may encourage tech companies to excessively delete or degrade content.

The new rule does not apply to unlawful content, referred to as a priority offense in the bill. It includes material such as terrorist and child sexual abuse, which can be removed without recourse. It will also not apply to sanctioned news channels such as the Kremlin-backed RT and Sputnik.

What Change Does the Amendment Espouse?

The amendments also require the communications watchdog, Ofcom, to review the bill's impact on news publisher content within two years of the bill has become law. There will also be further protections for reader comments on articles. The bill is due to return to parliament next week before being implemented early next year.

The News Media Association (NMA), which represents 900 titles in the national, regional, and local news industry, said the changes were "essential" to protecting press freedom. According to Sayra Tekin, legal director at the NMA, the change's goal is to maintain the essence of media independence while encouraging consumer access to accurate news and information online. Tekin adds that the rule on deleting content arbitrarily can ensure that no digital news provider can suppress information at their whim.

In their terms and conditions, major platforms will have to explain how they would deal with that content, including if it will result in takedowns, which Ofcom will monitor. Furthermore, Tekin concludes that this is a step forward in the battle against misinformation and deception. The government also revealed potentially hazardous information that it wants tech platforms to handle. Among the categories are online bullying and harassment, promoting eating disorders, and advocating self-harm.

Related Article: UK's Online Safety Bill Aims to Prevent Harmful Content on Websites and Social Media Platforms, But Can it Really Work?

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On Thursday, July 7, Netflix announced that it had enabled Spatial Audio for all its users, not just those using compatible Apple devices.

The activation of the Spatial Audio is done through a special partnership that sees its use Sennheiser AMBEO technology that allows the audio to work on any device or speaker.

Netflix Activates Spatial Audio

According to 9to5Mac, the announcement means that all Netflix users can now enjoy 3D positional audio, not just those using an iPhone 13, Apple TV, or other streaming stick connected to a non-smart TV. Also, users do not have to attach additional speakers.

So long as the content supports Spatial Audio, the feature will work, according to TechRadar.

Netflix stated that users could search its library specifically for content that supports Spatial Audio too. Users won't need to have a specific plan either because Spatial Audio is available across all of the devices.

The feature will also be included in the upcoming Netflix ad-supported tier.

Also Read: Apple Music Claims Spatial Audio Feature Boosts its Listeners

What is Spatial Audio?

Netflix's Spatial Audio feature can help translate the "cinematic experience of immersive audio to any stereo," so the creators can bring their work into the story, and it can happen matter what device you use.

The Spatial Audio feature will roll out across the platform's catalog starting Thursday, July 7. Users can hear it by typing "spatial audio" into the search bar and choosing a show or film that supports it in the search results.

Meanwhile, Apple's own Spatial Audio implementation needs either specific built-in speakers or a pair of headphones, including the AirPods.

The Sennheiser AMBEO implementation removes those requirements, giving users the chance to use Spatial Audio where they might otherwise not be able to.

Netflix's Price Hike

The activation of Spatial Audio came after the streaming platform decided to increase its prices again.

However, the price hike is only applicable to new subscribers in the United States and Canada, but Netflix did confirm that it will gradually increase the prices of its plans across the board for everyone else.

The change took effect on Apr. 17, and subscribers received emails from the streaming platform informing them of the cost of their plans.

Standard plan subscribers would now need to pay $15.49 a month instead of the previous price of $13.99.

Basic plan subscribers will now need to pay $9.99 a month instead of the previous price of $8.99 a month, and Premium plan subscribers will now have to pay $19.99 a month instead of the previous price of $17.99.

The latest Netflix price hike was first announced back in January for subscribers in the United States and Canada. The price increase is due to the sudden decrease in their subscriber count.

Netflix has been increasing its prices since 2016. According to The Verge, the first significant increase in the prices started for Standard plan subscribers.

In 2015, the price for the plan was $10, and in 2016 it increased to $11. As of 2022, it is now $15.49.

Related Article: Apple Spatial Audio Not Working for iPhone XR, iPad Mini 5, iPad 8th Gen and Below, Says Support Document

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Elon Musk introduced a new electric vehicle concept for the world, focusing on bringing people more seats and cargo space that would help transport more, unlike their current cars now. It is the "Tesla Robovan," and it will be the company's new focus once it reveals a prototype that will bring the future of clean energy transportation.

Tesla Robovan: Electric Vehicle with More Seats and Cargo Space

(Photo : Doge Designer @cb_doge via Twitter)

Tesla Robovan is a new idea concept from the famous tech CEO and top billionaire, and Elon Musk is talking all about this vehicle on Twitter. Musk said that "maybe," Tesla should build a "highly configurable Robovan" that would bring more space for people as it would have additional seats and cargo space for the groups.

Musk said that the idea for the Robovan will also be a vehicle that people may use for remote living or glamping, something that would have a solar canopy that would extend its roof area for shade. Moreover, it doubles as a solar panel that would gather a charge for the EV, add power for an extended range, and possibly use it as an outlet source.

Maybe with an optional solar power canopy that extends both sides of the van, tripling roof area  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2022

Read Also: Non-Tesla Supercharger Project To Roll Out in the US This 2022! Expect Over 35,000 Units

Elon Musk Loves the Idea, But Is It Coming Soon?

An online Twitter user provided a design render that may be the future look of the Tesla Robovan, showing a unique design for the vehicle and its many seats inside. Elon Musk loved the idea and said it is "not bad," The CEO also commented on its design look that would give it a more futuristic vibe, something the executive wants for the Robovan.

A Tesla Robovan will be lit  pic.twitter.com/lMU4pQLRNS  DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) July 7, 2022

Tesla and its Many EV Innovations

Tesla has not yet revealed much about its new vehicle concepts in recent times, and it still sticks to its strengths regarding the different "Model" units that are available for the public. One of its prototypes and the latest upcoming vehicle is the Tesla Cybertruck, which will bring its version of the electric pickup, with its expected release date coming soon.

There is also another concept vehicle from the company, and it is one of the latest there is from the team. The so-called "Tesla Solar Trailer" that got its revelation in Hanover, Germany, is a new concept that would allow people to tow a solar receiver and a power bank for the EVs while bringing a satellite internet connection with Starlink.

Electric vehicles are getting more common nowadays, but it all focuses on the 4-door with trunks or 5-door SUVs or hatchbacks that bring the clean energy cars for all. However, not a lot of concepts or releases focused on an electric van that would help transport many people using their private vehicles, as it is not yet the focus of many companies.

It seems that Tesla would be the first to introduce the idea, which is perfect for large families or groups.

Related Article: Kanye West 'Donda Foam Vehicle' In the Works: Built by Elon Musk's Tesla?

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NASA's James Webb space telescope released a new deeper photo of the universe, but it is only a test shot of its different sensor, not the actual instruments that would provide the world with the snapshots. However, these test shots proved it is a powerful device as they captured an astonishing deep image of the universe for the world to see.

The national space agency is still gearing up for its actual release of the new images coming next week, July 12.

NASA James Webb: New Test Shot Images Bring a Deeper Look

(Photo : NASA, CSA, and FGS team)

According to NASA's blog post, the James Webb space telescope got experimental with its Fine Guidance Sensor and brought a test shot for the world to see. Initial expectations do not anticipate any significant output for the FGS, but NASA gathered an incredible image that brings stars and galaxies from deep space.

The new photos bring a different look to the deep space shot of NASA's James Webb, particularly with its FGS that is not meant for this venture or function. Nevertheless, it provided an image showcasing a new world far from its location to where it floats now.

The new test shot is something that NASA tried to capture, and the space agency was successful with its image. Moreover, it shows more of its potential apart from its dedicated array for taking photos.

Read Also: NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: 5.6 Gigapixel Map of Mars Available Now

NASA's Actual James Webb Shots to Come Next Week

NASA is still on track to reveal the first images captured by the James Webb space telescope for the world to see, and it aims to deliver new information that will focus on the deeper parts of the world beyond. The upcoming reveal will be next week, July 12, and it aims to showcase what James Webb discovered so far in its mission to scan the other unknown regions.

James Webb Space Telescope's Capabilities

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is a device that the company intended for more deep space images and discoveries that it will focus on to bring more information to different locations. One of its recent ventures brought the world an insight into a new galaxy that it saw in space, giving the world its first images of the distant location.

The James Webb is meant for deep space, and NASA aims to find new worlds and other space phenomenons that the spacecraft would study in future ventures. Nevertheless, it provides the world with further information and discoveries that aim to help improve space research that helps in supplying the public with vital data.

The space agency only launched the James Webb space telescope last year, and after several delays, the company got the spacecraft to where it wanted it in the celestial heavens. Its goal is to explore deeper parts of the universe and see more galaxies that are unknown as of this moment, and soon to reveal its first images on a deeper look at space.

Related Article: NASA Finally Reestablishes Contact With New Spacecraft to the Moon

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The Meta Quest VR headset required a Facebook account to sign in to use the many social interaction features it brings for the experience, but that is no longer needed now. There is a new social profile system that the company is requiring, and it is with the new Meta account that it would use to connect online.

Meta Quest VR: Facebook Account No Longer a Need

(Photo : Unsplash/Vinicius )

Oculus Quest 2

Meta Quest's VR use no longer needs a Facebook account, and users may access its social experience already without the need to create an account on the social media platform. According to Meta, users will need a new account for this, called the "Meta Account," which would be the information people need to enter for access.

According to The Verge, Meta will bring the Meta accounts by August 2022, and the company will let people access their existing accounts for migration until January 2023. People with an Oculus account tied to their Facebook profiles will also have access to its changes until the first month of the following year.

Read Also: Meta 'Horizon Worlds' to Bring 'Voice Mode,' Controls for Users to Have a Safer Experience

Create your Meta Account for Quest VR Use

Creating a Meta account will no longer require Facebook, and it will give people the freedom and chance to experience the Quest VR's online features without the social media platform's requirements. It is a way to avoid mixing their Facebook accounts or creating one (if a person went with the Facebook Boycott) in their access to the Quest experience.

Meta Quest and its Ventures

Meta's Quest VR venture is at a high now, and it is because more people are accustomed to gaining access to the experience and the many features it brings to the world. Now that Meta has set up its version of the metaverse, more people want the online experience where they can live their life in the virtual world, with a 240% increase in global revenue this Q1 2022.

One of the many changes in the virtual reality world is how people use it and its online interactions, creating a new experience that puts games, apps, and social media on one platform. Also, it minimizes the need to sit in front of a screen and explore the worlds there, as people may go on their feet and head to their new life there.

There even is a new "Metaverse Standards Forum" which Meta, Microsoft, Disney, and other Big Tech companies are a part of for its regulation.

Meta is a famous company that went all-in with the metaverse, and now, it allows people to access the Quest VR experience without needing a Facebook account. It would require a new tab with Meta, but users without Facebook no longer need to create their social media to access the many social features of the mixed reality.

Related Article: Meta's Multilingual Translation Machine Struggles with Armenian, Greek, Oromo, and Others: Here's Why

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A Minotaur II+ rocket exploded following a launch on a test mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. It exploded about 11 seconds after liftoff, according to a press release.

(Photo : Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - MAY 19: In this handout photo provided by NASA, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launches from Space Launch Complex 41 on May 19, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Boeings Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) is Starliners second uncrewed flight test and will dock to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 launched at 6:54 p.m. ET, and will serve as an end-to-end test of the system's capabilities.

Fortunately, there were no injuries reported. There was also no debris as they were contained in the immediate vicinity of the launch pad. An investigative review is ongoing to determine the cause.

"We always have emergency response teams on standby prior to every launch," Col. Kris Barcomb, Space Launch Delta 30 vice commander said, according to Space.com.

Also Read: Failed Russian Satellite Could Fall Back to Earth! Here's the Estimated Re-Entry Date-What Happened to Angara A5

The Failed Launch

The launch was supposed to support the development of a re-entry vehicle for the US Air Force, Mk21A that will eventually, ride on an LGM-35A Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that is in the works.

Based on CBS News, "The test launch was intended to demonstrate preliminary design concepts and relevant technologies in operationally realistic environments," according to Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center officials.

The Sentinel program is meant to replace the Minuteman III ICBM as most of its fundamental infrastructure still uses the original equipment. Once ready, the new Sentinel ICBMs will replace the 400 Minuteman III ICBMs at Air Force bases in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota.

Their plan is to upgrade the launch facilities, missile alert, and communication systems to support the new Sentinel weapon system.

The Causes of Rocket Failures

In the past, there have been a lot of failed launches. While these failed launches had a lot of different causes, failures seem to come from two main areas: technical and human error.

Technical Errors

While there are many reasons for technical failures, the most common are problems in the missile and rocket itself. These include engines and guidance.

Problems with the missile and rocket itself often arise from the beginning of the design process. An engineer must first decide what type of rocket they are going to use. They then have to decide the fuel, and the number of stages. The final choice is the type of engine that will be used.

Once the overall design is chosen, the engineers have to begin designing the individual parts of the rocket. This includes the fuel tanks, engines, and guidance system. To make sure that all of the designs are compatible and work together, there needs to be a lot of trial and error.

The engineers must also do stress tests and try to recreate events that are likely to happen, like turbulence or a sudden stop. Then they must make sure that the rocket can withstand these events.

Human Errors

Humans make a lot of mistakes that lead to failed launches, especially the launch personnel. This could be from issues with the training, and understanding of the launch.

Many times, the launch personnel fail to follow the proper procedure simply based on a misunderstanding or not understanding it at all.

As a general rule, human errors tend to occur when either the training is inadequate, or the personnel is not competent enough to understand the procedures.

Related Article: Astra Fails to Launch NASA CubeSat: Upper Stage Flew Out of Control After Detaching

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Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot during his campaign on Friday, July 8, in Nara, Japan. He was 67.

The loss of one of Japan's prime leaders has been devastating for the whole nation. As his fellowmen weep for his tragic passing, let's take a glimpse at his important legacy in the field of science and technology.

Shinzo Abe's Contribution to Science and Technology

(Photo : FRANCK ROBICHON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Take a look at Shinzo Abe's legacy in the field of science and technology and how he helped in boosting the industry in Japan.

In another series of unexpected events, Japan lost a good leader in a blink of an eye.

With the bullet piercing through his heart, the doctors did all their best to stop the bleeding. Still, they could not save the life of the longest-serving Japanese PM in history as he succumbed to his injuries.

It's no wonder why Japanese people admire their leader like no other. Since Abe became prime minister in 2012, he set his mind to lift Japan's progress toward science and technology.

According to Chemistry World, Abe was very interested in bringing new innovations to the land of the rising sun since he began his tenure as a government official.

Japan, as one of the most progressive countries in Asia, remains to be the epitome of other countries when it comes to technological advancements and inventions.

After launching "Abenomics," or Abe's set of economic policies, the former PM knew that Japan should further strengthen its position in technology.

As a result, he allocated a big budget for science and expanded partnerships in society. To do this, the private industry should collaborate with the academic sector.

According to Riken's executive director Yuko Harayama, Abe has contributed a lot to lift the status of science and technology in the community.

Harayama, who previously served as the Council for Science and Technology Policy's executive member, cited that the legacy of Abe was mixed for several specializations.

At the same time, Abe wanted to launch an economic recovery plan for Japan, although he knew the budget wouldn't suffice.

Indeed, Shinzo, right from the start, has a clear vision of expanding scientific research across the country. Furthermore, he considered the declining number of researchers in Japan, and this led him to boost the tech industry by establishing new collaborative techniques with their partners.

Related Article: Japan PM Shinzo Abe Hopes Japan Can Compensate For Aging Workforce By Developing Better Robots

Shinzo Abe on Strengthening Japan's Military System

As per Nikkei Asia, Abe had been on the lookout to bolster the country's military power in the long run. He witnessed the tension in several territories.

As part of their strategic plan, the former PM joined the United States and Taiwan in collaboration to strengthen mutual defense. According to Abe, if China pursued "military adventurism," this could be a suicidal move.

For Shinzo, Taiwan deserves to be called a "nation," rather than China's province. After all, he saw that the small country was in dire need of help in warding off the Chinese militia on the east coast.

Read Also: Japanese Government Could Soon Export Fighter Jets, Missiles to a Dozen Countries

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Roscosmos announced that they would use their part at the International Space Station in any way necessary.

(Photo : photo by NASA)

Newly released IMAX images from December 1998, show the crew of Space Shuttle Mission STS-88 beginning construction of the International Space Station, joining the U.S.-built Unity node to the Russian-built Zarya module.

The Russian space agency shared this plan after NASA criticized it for putting Russian-backed territory flags at the orbiting laboratory.

This is not the first time that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has criticized Roscosmos.

Previously, NASA said that the statement made by Dmitry Rogozin, Roscosmos' head, is inappropriate since it suggests sabotaging the space station.

Now, another issue is brewing between NASA and Roscosmos as the international space agency considers the recent act of the Russian space company as anti-Ukraine propaganda.

Roscosmos Says It Will Use Its ISS Part in Any Way

According to Independent UK's latest report, Dmitry Rogozin said that Roscosmos would use its part of the ISS to do everything they consider useful and necessary.

(Photo : Photo by ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) and the State space corporation Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin (L) listen to Director of Russian rocket engine manufacturer NPO Energomash Igor Arbuzov in Khimki, outside Moscow on April 12, 2019. (Photo by Alexey NIKOLSKY / SPUTNIK / AFP)

Also Read: [WATCH] Roscosmos To Bring Back Longest ISS-Staying NASA Astronaut! Here's Where You Can View Vande Hei's Return

This new issue began after the cosmonauts used two flags of Russian-backed separatist territories in eastern Ukraine; Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic.

NASA criticized Roscosmos after seeing the photos of the cosmonauts, saying that the International Space Station should be politically neutral.

"Nasa strongly rebukes Russia using the International Space Station for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine," said a NASA spokesperson.

The official added that Roscosmos' previous action is not appropriate since it doesn't follow the main goals of ISS, which is too advanced science and technology for peaceful reasons.

Russian Cosmonauts' Flag Photos

Space.Com reported that the Russian space agency shared photos of their cosmonauts holding the Russian-backed territory flags.

Roscosmos posted the images on their Telegram account on Monday, July 4.

After seeing the controversial images, NASA and other critics claimed that the action of the Russian agency is a misuse of the International Space Station.

This is not the first time that Roscosmos used ISS for political reasons.

Previously, the Russian space company said that if U.S. sanctions continue, they will actually leave the International Space Station.

On the other hand, the Russian space agency said that Roscosmos' ISS cooperation might be affected by sanctions against the country.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk claimed that SpaceX would save ISS from Roscosmos' threat.

For more news updates about the issue between Roscosmos and NASA, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: [BREAKING] Russia Suspends ISS Cooperation With NASA, ESA; Here's What Roscosmos Demands

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/CardMapr.nl) Apple Maps

Apple has rolled out its Apple Maps feature to three more countries. The Apple Maps feature is now available to 16 countries in total.

The tech giant started the process of creating its own mapping data in 2018, and the latest expansion covers Monaco, New Zealand, and France.

The new map data offers more detail in 2D and 3D representations, with the main difference being the buildings and their designs.

Apple Expands Apple Maps

According to MacRumors, the tech giant first announced that it was starting again with its mapping data with the release of iOS 12 back in 2018.

The first area to be remapped was San Francisco and the Bay Area, and Maps was eventually expanded to Northern California.

Apple SVP Eddy Cue, who now manages Apple Maps, said in an interview that the department had decided to upgrade the maps after six years to be able to fix the issues that they had when they first introduced it.

Also Read: iPhone Offline Maps: Here's How You Can Navigate Even Without Internet Service

Cue said that when Apple launched Apple Maps, a lot of it was "all about directions and getting to a certain place." It is also all about finding the place and getting directions to the destination.

Cue added that they had made a massive investment of making millions of changes, adding several locations, updating the map, and changing it frequently over the past six years.

The advantages of the new mapping system include the ability to correct and update data in real-time. Cue said the new Apple Maps infrastructure would allow the tech giant to address road work and corrections faster than the current version.

The new Apple Maps will also be the first version to use data collected by the Maps vans that have been driving across the country for the past six years.

According to TechCrunch, each of the vans is equipped with a Mac Pro, several solid-state drivers, and an iPad. This is in addition to the GPS, LiDAR array, and high-resolution cameras.

Apple completed the remapping of the United States in 2020 and has added 15 new countries and territories since. Further improvements in iOS 15 were also added, including augmented reality for select cities.

New Details on Apple Maps

With iOS 15, Apple Maps got the biggest update ever with a city experience that offers rich details, driving routes with better navigation, immersive walking directions via augmented reality, and more.

The update is now available in Los Angeles, London, New York City, and San Francisco, and the tech giant has confirmed that there will be more cities to come.

Apple Maps Coverage

According to NZ Herald, it took Apple 39 days of public testing before rolling out the Apple Maps feature to France, New Zealand, and Monaco.

Now, the feature is available to 16 countries and territories, including the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Australia, Andorra, Germany, Singapore, Monaco, France, and New Zealand.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple is preparing to add more countries and territories in iOS 16, including Belgium, Liechtenstein, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Palestinian Territories, and Switzerland.

Related Article: EV Routing on Apple Maps, CarPlay Arrives to Ford Mustang Mach-E! Here's How to Get it

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- In the sixth month of 2022, Tesla sold 78,906 China-made vehicles in wholesale, more than doubling from the previous month, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

With 52,557 vehicles sold, the Model Y was crowned the best-selling passenger vehicle in the country in June, followed by the Wuling Hongguang MINI EV, with 46,249 vehicles sold. In the past month, the US electric vehicle maker saw 968 vehicles Shanghai-made vehicles ship overseas, greatly slashed month over month.

In the first half of this year, the cumulative wholesale volume of locally-made Tesla vehicles summed up to 294,757 vehicles, 97,182 units of which were exported to overseas markets.

Photo credit: Tesla

Judging from the overall monthly retail volume of new energy vehicles in China, Tesla secured 14.6% of the market in June, climbing up 2.4 percentage points year over year. At the same time, Chinas locally-owned brands accounted for 61.1% of the entire new energy vehicle market, increasing by 1.5 percentage points from a year ago. The market share of new energy vehicle startups amounted to 16.7% in the past month, dropping 1.7 percentage points compared to the earlier year.

Overall, Chinas new energy passenger vehicle wholesale volume reached a historic high in June, with BYD, Chery Holding, and GAC Group leading the way.

In June, Chinas new energy passenger vehicle wholesale volume zoomed up 35.3% from May and soared 141.4% year on year to 571,000 vehicles, maintaining its growth momentum despite the tax cut on traditional vehicles in the country. From January to June, there were a total of 2.467 million new energy passenger vehicles sold via wholesale, more than doubled from a year ago by 122.9%.
At 9 o'clock last night, there were already over 70,000 confirmed cases... The 'peak' seems to be getting faster
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Xiaomi says leaked autonomous driving test vehicles are not Xiaomis vehicles

Xiaomi responded to the leaked photo of an autonomous driving vehicle with Xiaomi Pilot Test stickers that the vehicle is just a medium for the company to test out its autonomous driving technology. The car is not a Xiaomi car.

Photo credit: Xiaomi

Honda Motor to recall 31,984 vehicles in China

Honda Motor will recall 31,984 units of the 2011-2014 versions of the SPIRIOR manufactured between April 12th, 2011 and January 4th, 2014 in China. The recall will take effect from October 31st, 2022.

Ford to recall 2,274 Mustangs in China

Ford will recall 2,274 units of the 2015 Ford Mustang model manufactured between August 7th, 2014 to July 31st, 2015. Meanwhile, 2,638 units of the Lincoln MKZ produced between June 11th, 2014 to March 29th, 2015 will also be recalled. The recall will take effect on July 8th 2022.

Chinas Anhui province aims to deploy over 180 battery swap stations by 2025

East China's Anhui province aims to build over 70,000 public charging piles and more than 180 battery swap stations by the end of 2025, according to a document released by Anhui Provincial Development and Reform Commission on July 4.

Tesla sells 78,906 China-made vehicles in June 2022

In the sixth month of 2022, Tesla sold 78,906 China-made vehicles in wholesale, more than doubling from the previous month, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Great Wall Motors TANK brand sales almost double YoY in June

Great Wall Motor sold 101,186 vehicles in June, edging up 0.52% compared to a year ago, with the TANK brand almost doubling its monthly sales year over year.

China's locally-made PV retail sales jump 22% YoY in June 2022

In June 2022, China's passenger vehicle ("PV") retail sales amounted to 1.967 million units, jumping 22% compared to the previous year, while also leaping 43.2% from the previous month, according to the the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Boschs joint venture UAES brokes ground on Taicang factorys phase 

United Automotive Electronic Systems Co., Ltd. (UAES), Bosch's joint venture in China with Zhonglian Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd., held a ground-breaking ceremony for the second phase of the factory in Taicang, Jiangsu province, marking a milestone for the company's development of new energy vehicle-related business.

JAC Groups June sales up MoM, YoY

Chinese auto group, JAC Group, witnessed its monthly sales volume boost up from the previous month and the previous year in June.

XPengs CEO says annual output threshold for smart EV startup should be lifted to 400,000 units

The basic annual output threshold for an intelligent electric vehicle startup should be raised to 400,000 units, He Xiaopeng, chairman and CEO of XPeng Inc., said on July 7 at the 14th China Auto Bluebook Forum (CABF 2022).

Xiaomis autonomous vehicle spotted on road

An autonomous driving vehicle labeled with stickers from Chinas smartphone giant Xiaomi was spotted on road recently, according to a photo posted on Chinese social media Weibo.
MONTREALGay banner Icon Male is set to release the inaugural volume of new compilation series Massage Loving Men, arriving on DVD July 13 through distributor Mile High Media.

Offering a collection of the studio's best massage fantasies, the debut installment features Trenton Ducati and Josh Pierce on the cover, joined in the cast by Michael Delray, Roman Todd, Josh Stone, Hans Berlin and more.

Icon Male fans will be enthralled by the intensity and charm of this star-studded cast of performers in this new massage fantasy must-have, said Mile High vice president Jon Blitt.

The DVD includes an animated chapter index, photo gallery and more.

The latest Icon Male trailers can be seen at www.IconMale.com

For Icon Male sales and distribution, contact [email protected]
Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission
HOUSTONNational Prostate Health Month in September is getting closer and preorders have begun for the annual Aneros Goes Blue campaign. Aneros has created the blue MGX Syn Trident Prostate Health and Awareness Special Edition for the event, and similar to last year, Aneros will donate a portion of every product sold to ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer.

Aneros has also curated special retail kits for stores to decorate and join in on the celebration. The Aneros Goes Blue kits include five blue MGX Syn Trident "Special Edition" products, five tote bags, five lanyards, two wobblers, two table tents, 30 inserts, two posters, and two T-shirts of varying sizes.

Said Aneros director of sales and marketing Brent Aldon, The Aneros team is thrilled to partner with ZERO again and donate to such a noble and worthy cause. We are excited to take another popular product, the MGX Syn Trident, and turn it blue to help promote the event and bring more awareness to prostate health issues. Prostate awareness is essential to sexual health and wellness, and to be frank, it can be a lifesaver. Its a mindset thats best adopted early but its never too late to start. The Aneros Goes Blue campaign is our way of getting people talking about prostate health through outreach to distributors, retail stores and online shops, so they can continue the process and educate their customers."

A display contest will be hosted by Aneros for any retail store that purchases a kit and sets up a Prostate Health Month display to commemorate and honor the month. Retailers are encouraged to decorate their entire store, aisle, table or endcap using the kit items and the color blue. A winner will be selected for different categories: Most Creative, Best Use of the Aneros Goes Blue Kit and Best Use of the Color Blue. The winners will receive a staff lunch hosted by Aneros, Aneros product credit and gift cards. Simply post a photo of the display to social media with the #anerosgoesblue hashtag or email [email protected].

For more questions and more information on contest details, email [email protected] or [email protected].

Follow Aneros on Twitter @Aneros, Facebook @Aneros and Instagram @Aneros_Official for updates.
Speaking of breweries at the micro-scale, nearby in Duke Street, Teska Carson agents Matthew Feld and Michael Taylor recently sold the Moondog Brewery for $1.8 million. Dion Lee The Melbourne home of Sydney-based boutique, Dion Lee, is going to auction next month. The shop, in the heart of the Armadale fashion strip at 1052 High Street, is part of a large portfolio of investments held for more than 50 years. The portfolio includes the Lu La Belle Studio at 12 Beatty Avenue, opposite Toorak railway station, which has a new three-year lease. Its expected to sell for under $1 million. The Melbourne home of Sydney-based boutique, Dion Lee, is going to auction next month. Credit:

Dion Lee occupies the High Street building on a five-year lease, with no further options past 2026, and the shop is likely to fetch around $3 million. Records show the same estate, owned by the Joachim family, also offloaded a row of shops on Glenferrie Road, Malvern late last year. The five shops at 255263 Glenferrie Road, Malvern, sold to a local investor for $7.75 million on a passing yield of 2.64 per cent. The divestment of the estate is being handled by Stonebridges Nic Hage, Rorey James and Sarah Xi, alongside Ainsworth Properties Zelman Ainsworth. Frankston sale

Prominent Frankston-based builder Ralph Mackie has scored more than $13 million from the sale of two properties in the outer bayside suburb. A not-for-profit organisation snapped up a vacant two-level office at 401403 Nepean Highway for around $5 million. Records show Mackie paid $1.025 million for the office in 1997 which, until recently, was occupied by his building company. A not-for-profit organisation snapped up a vacant two-level office at 401-403 Nepean Highway for around $5 million. Credit: The 982 square metre office is on a large, 1575 square metre piece of land two blocks back from the beach.

The second property was a cleared, 6018 square metre parcel of land at 97 Cranbourne Road which was purchased by Mackie in two tranches, in 1981 and 1987, for a total $163,600. CBRE agents David Minty, Nathan Mufale, Scott Hawthorne and JJ Heng handled the transactions. There was strong interest in the office from international parties and corporates who were considering relocating to the coast. We facilitated 13 inspections with international landbank developers, most of whom didnt want to develop in the short term, which is a testament to the appetite for property on the peninsula, Heng said. The property is close to the old cinema at 438444 Nepean Highway, for which Pace recently paid $16 million.

Munro market Coffee chain St Ali is among the first hospitality operators announced for stage one of the new Munro development at the Queen Victoria Market. The new 1800 square metre area, on the corner of Queen and Therry Streets, is being built by developer PDG on the remains of the old Munro building and the Mercat Cross Hotel, opposite the markets deli section  the place where market patrons already buy their coffees, bratwursts and boreks. New food and beverage purveyors will include the Brick Lane Tavern, Only Mine Chocolates, Moonfishh, Rewine and Market Lane Coffee. The deals were negotiated by Colliers agents Jennifer Tai and Adam Lester, with rents ranging from $800-$1600 a square metre.

Heres hoping the latest attempt to jazz up the Queen Vic market with a new eating precinct is more successful than the one, attempted in the 20th century, on the Victoria Street side of the meat and fish hall. City fringe Another week and another slate of city-fringe development sites, held by their owners for decades, is hitting the market. A single-level office-showroom at 227 Napier Street, Fitzroy, is going to auction next month. The 394 square metre holding is sandwiched between two apartment buildings south of Johnston Street, with rear access to Young and St David streets. The property, held for 35 years, is leased to a music publishing business until September.

Any development on the mixed-use zoned site could go up to seven levels. JLL agents Josh Rutman, Nick Peden, Tim Carr and MingXuan Li are running the August 12 auction. It should sell for around $4.5 million. In Richmond, a car park at 5761 Murphy Street, near the corner of Burnley Street and Bridge Road, is expected to sell for between $2.5$3 million. Records show the 481 square metre piece of land last changed hands five years ago for $1.55 million. Its still got industrial 3 zoning but is in an area where seven to nine level projects have obtained permits.

Teska Carson agents Matthew Feld and Michael Ludski, with Statewide Property Advocacys Andrew Sutherland, are selling the property via expressions of interest. Dance studio Down the road at 432 Church Street, a dance studio near the corner of Swan Street is also on the market. The 721 square metre first level property is currently leased to Forever Dance but has clearly been a nightclub in the past. It boasts two dance floors, a lounge, bar, toilets and a one-bedroom apartment.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Every disaster movie starts with a scientist being ignored, so the saying goes. In the Hollywood version, the lone researcher stares at a screen, eyes widening as the ominous data comes through, and leaps for a phone to try to alert the world. The flood disaster that enveloped large swaths of the state this week showed that the same patterns play out in real life, albeit in the more gradual, mundane form of council hydrological studies and government reports. There is a vast body of evidence, ranging from the accounts of Indigenous Australians and early colonists right up to present-day scientific journals, showing that in the conditions we have seen this week, the great curves of the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers would flood. We have been repeatedly warned. I get frustrated with the way the can is kicked down the road, said Ian Wright, a water expert at the School of Science at Western Sydney University. This really has happened again and again. But the new suburbs, the infrastructure, keep going up on the floodplain. The floods in the Hunter Region as seen from above on Friday. Credit:David Swift One of those suburbs is Shanes Park, which straddles Penrith and Blacktown about 50 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD. Suzette Turner was scraping the mud out of her property there this week  the fourth time her extended family has been forced from home by floods in two years. How many times do we have to go through this? Turner said. It is heartbreaking to put stuff in the back of a ute and on the side of the road. We were financially wiped out last time, we were still recovering and building until a few days ago  we were still in recovery mode. You get on top of things, but then get wiped out again, how much more can people take? Turner said her heart broke when she opened the door to her mothers flat at the back of their property, and found the memories of 85 years - family photos, horse-riding trophies, and wooden furniture that had been there for generations  mud-soaked and destroyed.

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I dont have the heart to bring her back, Turner said. I dont have the words, its heartbreaking to see her whole life  just in piles of flood and rubbish, again. It is hard to be positive, its hard not to be dragged down, its hard to get up and fight every day and there are little kids watching you, she told the Herald. It is hard. You cry after they have gone to bed, you cry in the bathroom, and then you put a happy face on and walk out. We are all in the same boat, weve got nothing together. We will [clean] this house and then the next house and then the next house. The Turner family children were rescued on Tuesday from the second storey of their Shanes Park home in north-west Sydney. Credit:Dean Sewell What hit the city and much of the states east coast this week has been described as an atmospheric river  a concentrated ribbon of water vapour moving about a kilometre above the Earths surface. Usually, these rivers of the sky bring beneficial rainfall to agricultural areas, but if they hit a nasty cold front, they can be quickly forced higher into the atmosphere where vapour condenses and falls as torrential rain. When this river interacted with the low-pressure system off the east coast, the water vapour was converted from a gas to a liquid, said Kimberley Reid, an atmospheric scientist from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes at Monash University.

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The effect on the ground was shattering. Camden in Sydneys south-west, had over 15 centimetres of rain in one day. Parts of the Illawarra had an astonishing 35 centimetres. The warnings were timely: the Bureau of Meteorology had been watching the low-pressure system develop. On Wednesday, June 29, it flashed out its first warning of heavy rainfall for the weekend of July 2-3, and the update was rapidly circulated to emergency agencies, and to the general public via the media. The first flood watch was issued by the bureau on Thursday, June 30. Soon, dozens of local rainfall records were being smashed. In the first week of the month, it is already Sydneys eighth-wettest July in over a century of records  with three weeks still to come. Around the state, more than 85,000 people were displaced from their homes or warned they may have to leave. Many are yet to return. It wasnt just the intensity of the cloudburst that caused so much damage, but the fact that it fell on ground already thoroughly saturated after months of unseasonably heavy rainfall. The double-dip La Nina that has kept much of eastern Australia drenched for the past two years ensured that there was nowhere for the water to go but into rivers that then spilled out onto land. The streets of Windsor, in Sydneys north-west, were deep underwater on Monday. Credit:Brook Mitchell Human-induced climate change is already playing its part in making these weather patterns more intense, Reid says, but her research suggests much more is to come. In a study of the downpour that caused major floods in Sydney in March 2021, Reid found that similar rain events would be 80 per cent more likely in coming decades.

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We looked at the high emissions scenarios, with business-as-usual leading to a four-degree temperature rise by the end of the century, and scenarios where there was just a two-degree temperature rise, and were seeing a very similar rise in probability for these events  about 80 per cent, Reid said. So massive rainfall events for Sydney look set to increase at a high rate this century, even if the world slows down the pace of climate change with significant cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, Reids world-first study suggests. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet surveys the floods in the Hunter Region in a helicopter on Friday morning with Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke. Credit:David Swift New research also hints that even the mighty El Nino-La Nina weather patterns that govern heat and rainfall across much of the Southern Hemisphere may be starting to dance to the tune of human-induced climate change. More heat in the upper layers of the oceans  one of the results of adding heat-trapping greenhouse gases to the atmosphere  may be bringing both more frequent La Ninas and El Ninos, and also making them more intense when they arrive. Flooding in and around Maitland on Friday morning. Credit:David Swift The long-term records of El Nino and La Nina weather patterns do show greater variability in recent decades, with a tendency for more events clustered together  like those seen affecting eastern Australia for the past two years. But there have been fluctuations in the pre-industrial era too. The possible links between changes to El Nino and La Nina are at the cutting edge of climate science, so scientists are still treating findings with caution.

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With this latest generation of climate models, used in the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes] Sixth Assessment Report, we see that the majority are showing an increase in variability, said Agus Santoro, a senior scientist at the Climate Research Centre at the University of NSW. There is uncertainty though  although the majority of models show an increase in variability, some show a reduction. There is a need for more research. Flooding in and around Maitland on Friday morning. Credit:David Swift What is known, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, is that as the world warms, more energy builds up in the atmosphere, making storms more frequent and weather more volatile. More heat doesnt just mean more drought  it also leads to more evaporation, which can drive more rainfall, especially in the form of damaging storms. For Sydney, this last week may be a taste of weather to come. This seems to have been accepted by the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, who said in relation to the floods this week that the impacts of climate change had made some current planning redundant. Camden residents Les Hallack and Haley Lines, who in six months have endured four flooding incidents, this particular episode being the worst. Credit:Dean Sewell Were seeing these events which we call one-in-1000 year events or one-in-100 year events now becoming one-in-one year events, Perrottet said.

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The NSW attorney-general is seeking advice from his department after a Supreme Court judge was unable to deliver a verdict in the trial of the man accused of murdering missing woman Leisl Smith because the accused died by suicide hours before her decision.

Justice Elizabeth Fullerton was poised to deliver her verdict on Friday in the trial of James Scott Church, 53, who was accused of murdering Smith, 23, after she vanished from a Central Coast railway station in 2012. Smiths body has never been found, and her family remain desperate to know what happened to her.

Leisl Smith disappeared in 2012. Credit:NSW Police

The 68-day trial ended on Friday without a verdict after Church, who was on bail, killed himself on his Inverell property on Thursday.

Speaking in court on Friday, Fullerton acknowledged Smiths family and friends, including her mother Sandi Harvey who attended each day of the trial and her father Storm Smith who gave evidence.
Sydney cop faces court over sexual assault charges

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The Billings woman killed July 3 in the South Side of Billings has been identified.

Jessie Jane Guardipee, a 24-year-old Apsaalooke woman, died of a stab wound to the torso at a home on the 200 block of South 27th Street, Yellowstone County Deputy Coroner Rich Hoffman told the Gazette on Friday.

Billings police responded to a stabbing July 3. They found Guardipee, who was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead later that night, according to a statement from BPD Lt. Shane Sheldon.

BPD Lt. Matthew Lennick said Tuesday investigators have identified all of the parties involved in the stabbing, but no arrests have been made. There have been claims the stabbing was done in self defense.

Guardipee, a mother of two, grew up in Billings and Pryor, according to an obituary posted online. As a child, she helped raise over $10,000 by singing to help her family pay for her little sisters heart surgery. Her family held her funeral service Friday.

Nearly 85% of all Indigenous women in the United States face violence during their lifetime, according to data from the National Institute of Justice. Native American women and girls in Montana are murdered at rates that are 10 times higher than the national average.

At least seven people have died violently in Billings so far this year, most of them by gunfire. Most recently, Billings police officers opened fire on a man in a neighborhood near North Park in May after a brief chase. All of the officers involved were placed on administrative leave and the investigation into the mans death is still ongoing. Earlier that same month, a woman was shot dead in her home near Wilson Park. David Antonio Rodas is facing one count of deliberate homicide and has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting the 48-year-old woman.
Twelve horses have died in a stable fire at the home of a prominent harness racing family, near Kilmore.

Emergency services were called to the Mifsud familys property on the Kilmore-Lancefield Road at Forbes, about 80 kilometres north of Melbourne, after residents heard what sounded like popping noises about 12.30am Friday.

The blaze at the stables left 12 horses dead Credit:nine News

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said when those at the property, known as Grand Lodge, went outside to investigate, they found the horse stables, adjacent to the family home, alight and raised the alarm.

A number of horses were able to be retrieved from the burning stables, the spokeswoman said. Sadly, it is believed 12 died in the blaze.
Australias retail and hospitality peak bodies have joined with the union movement and medical experts in calling on the government to reintroduce a COVID sick-leave safety net as cases surge.

Labor last week axed the $750-a-week pandemic leave disaster payment, which cost almost $1.9 billion since it was introduced by the Morrison government in August 2020 to tide over COVID-positive Australians without sick leave.

Julian ONeill, who works at Eatz Cafe, Darlington, is waiting on a pandemic relief payment after he needed to isolate for seven days in late June. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The Albanese government backed the Coalitions decision last year to scrap the payment at the end of the 2021-22 financial year, citing a $1 trillion national debt and less stringent restrictions. However, as daily cases surpass 43,000 across Australia, those who test positive are still legally required to isolate for seven days in all states and territories.

Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said in a statement the nation was in a different phase of the pandemic now where we live with community transmission.
Apple will roll out a new maximum security feature for its iPhones later this year, designed to protect the likes of political leaders and journalists from highly sophisticated state-sponsored attacks.

Lockdown Mode, which the company describes as an extreme, optional protection, comes after an investigation last year alleged widespread abuse of powerful cyber tools created by Israeli firm NSO Group.

Lockdown Mode will make the iPhone less useful as a personal device, but much harder to hack.

The investigation from Amnesty, Citizen Lab and others indicated that activists, politicians and journalists were victims of state-sponsored surveillance, as well as presidents, prime ministers and even a king. NSO licenses its incredibly powerful spyware  which can infect a target iPhone without the victim needing to do anything  to governments around the world.

While the vast majority of users will never be the victims of highly targeted cyberattacks, we will work tirelessly to protect the small number of users who are, said Apples head of security engineering Ivan Krstic, in announcing the feature.
Our London team at WhatsOnStage recently paid a visit to the London Palladium to meet a few of the stars of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, who graciously agreed to compete against each other in a little quiz we like to call "Be Our Guest... Take Our Test!"

It's Courtney Stapleton (who plays the role of Belle) vs Shaq Taylor (the Beast) vs Sam Bailey (Mrs. Potts) in a triple threat match... with three triple threat performers!

Find out which cast member won in the video below:





Disney Theatrical's current revival of the company's inaugural production (which received a glowing review from WhatsOnStage) continues its West End run until September 17, before heading to the Bristol Hippodrome (September 29) and Dublin's Bord Gais Energy Theatre (November 24).
A bomb threat was reported at the City College Thursday afternoon. Students and employees were ordered to evacuate the area by campus police.

Campus police, Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and Montana Highway Patrol arrived on the scene shortly after the call was made. The call was received in the college's health and science building, but was originally thought to be from the tech building. Both buildings were checked and no bomb was found. Students and faculty were cleared to re-enter within the hour.

The phone number that made the threat was from Kentucky, leading investigators to suspect it was a prank call.

Most summer classes are conducted online and it is not believed there were many people in the building during the time of the evacuation.
In the future, a "Valley of Innovation" will be built in Hefei, Anhui Province, which will rely on the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and other institutes to gather global talents. On the morning of July 7, the Information Office of Anhui Provincial People's Government held a press conference to inform the relevant policies and measures of the"Implementation Plan for the Construction of the Silicon Valley of the USTC" issued by the Anhui Provincial Government. According to the plan, the government will build "one core, two parks and one town" and introduce 22 high-quality policies to create a benchmark of science and technology innovation and build a highly dynamic, future-oriented, and world-renowned "Valley of Innovation." What is "Silicon Valley of USTC"? Based on the new area of Hefei, with the global alumni of universities and institutes such as the USTC as the link to gather global innovation power, the Silicon Valley of USTC is a source of innovation and a cluster of emerging industries. It will focus on the transformation of innovative achievements, the incubation of innovative enterprises, and the optimization of innovation-ecology to play the leading role in scientific and technological innovation. What are the advantages of building "Silicon Valley of USTC"? Xu Zhi, deputy director of the Anhui Provincial Development and Reform Commission, said that the USTC has an important influence at home and abroad, cultivated many talents with outstanding achievements in all walks of life, and has great potential in attracting capital and talents. Fu Yao, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the USTC, said that the USTC will establish a "Science and Technology Business School" to cultivate professional talents for the "Silicon Valley of USTC." Besides, it will create two types of funds and launch three programs to provide innovation and start-up guidance for teachers and students. How to build it, and how is it laid out? "one core, two parks and one town." According to the "Plan," the "Silicon Valley of USTC" will initially plan to build a functional carrying area of "one core, two parks and one town," that is, a core area of "Silicon Valley of USTC," two parks in Shushan District and Hi-Tech Development Zone, and an "iFLYTEK Town". In the future, high-end industrial clusters and several specialized areas will be built in Hefei Canal New City, Economic Development Zone, Baohe District, and other regions. What are the supporting policies? The "Plan" puts forward 22 valuable policies, including the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, talent incentives, investment, and financing. For example, researchers who put their scientific and technological achievements in the "Silicon Valley of USTC" will be rewarded according to specific standards; Subsidies will be given to high-end talents and urgently-needed talents who have been identified by certain procedures and work in the "Silicon Valley of USTC"; For fund companies that invest in start-ups and small companies or whose investment ratio reaches a certain standard, will receive incentives and subsidies. Vision The "Plan" proposes that by 2025, more than 100,000 outstanding talents of various types such as the alumni of USTC and talents from domestic and foreign universities will be gathered there; a multi-level fund system will be formed, and the fund scale will exceed 200 billion yuan (about 29.82 billion U.S. dollars); more than 10,000 scientific and technological innovation service institutions will be gathered there; 1,000 high-tech enterprises will be cultivated, and the number of listed companies and unicorn companies in the valley will reach 50. Reporterd by Wang Hongyi Translated by Zheng Chen
In their latest attempt to dismantle public elk hunting throughout the Big Sky State, the United Property Owners of Montana, a group representing wealthy, out-of-state interests and some resident landowners, is suing Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Helena Hunters and Anglers, Hellgate Hunters & Anglers, Montana Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Montana Bowhunters Association, Montana Wildlife Federation, Public Land Water Access Association and Skyline Sportsmen's Association have requested to formally intervene in the lawsuit. Our groups reject UPOMs agenda and are committed to defending Montanas elk hunting and management solutions.

Here's why:

The UPOM lawsuit attacks wildlife management and public hunting. Given UPOM's history, it's hard to believe this is really about managing elk. We've repeatedly pointed to existing solutions and new ideas to address problematic concentrations of elk. But we're met with opposition from the same party crying wolf  UPOM dismisses these solutions and demands bull elk tags for landowners as the remedy.

In the 2021 legislative session, UPOM pushed bills that would have forced FWP to change from equitably allocated permit hunting to unlimited over-the-counter tags for bull elk, awarded large landowners 10 free non-resident bull tags, and given outfitted hunters 60% of non-resident elk tags. Each of these was largely defeated, leading UPOM to seek other avenues.

Later in 2021, UPOM lobbied the commission and FWP to change hunting regulations to allow for unlimited bull elk hunting on private lands while cutting the number of available public land hunting opportunities in half.

In early 2022, UPOM again leaned on the commission and FWP to drastically increase the number of bull tags available to landowners, while staying mostly silent on proposals that would have addressed elk distribution issues, like more aggressive and targeted cow elk harvests.

During February 2022s commission meeting, new regulations were passed that allowed six months of cow elk hunting in virtually all districts at or above the stated and outdated population objectives. Many of these opportunities are now unlimited for both residents and non-residents alike, and hunters are allowed to take up to three elk per season. But UPOM filed suit, pointing to outdated and socially created elk objective numbers from 2005, to get what they really want: bull elk tags. It appears that their aim is not to address elk concentration issues but rather to benefit monetarily from selling unrestricted opportunity to hunt bull elk.

Unfortunately for UPOM, things just dont add up.

Consider the district UPOM cites in its lawsuit: Hunt District 417 near Lewistown. UPOM filed suit in Fergus County because theyre challenging FWPs management mainly in that hunting district, but others, too. In that district for the 2022 season, 79 either-sex (bull) permits already are set aside for landowners (by law, 15% of the total number of permits 525). Of these, only 21 were claimed by landowners in the draw. In the very same district UPOM claims needs more bull elk tags for landowners, 74% of bull elk tags reserved for landowners are left unclaimed. (Similar trends emerge in previous years). HD 417  among many others  now allows hunters to hunt cow elk with a general tag, plus offers an unlimited number of cow elk tags, valid for five-and-a-half months on both public and private.

UPOM is seeking not just bull permits for landowners but bull permits that they then can monetize. Theres a big difference. High-value bull elk permits are what they wanted in the 2021 Legislature and what they wanted in the 2022 season-setting process. That's what this lawsuit is really about.

While FWP signals they intend to defend themselves, the key leadership positions at both FWP and the commission are politically appointed, making this issue subject to politics and influence. Montanans deserve to have a voice.

FWP has shown that they're willing to settle with UPOM and even admitted at a legislative hearing that they were behind the UPOM-supported HB 505, which would have given landowners 10 transferable non-resident bull tags. We don't want this to happen again. Thats why we've asked the judge in Fergus County to let us help defend the publics interest.

We have the tools we need to effectively manage elk in Montana. But advancing a false narrative fueled by entitlement and an insatiable appetite, like UPOM is doing, runs counter to Montanas long-held tradition of balancing public and private interests in wildlife.

We know what this lawsuit is really about, and were calling bull.
Several years ago, I was asked to speak to a womens group at a conservative, ethnic, Christian church about issues facing modern women. I was a bit nervous as I went in to talk about the need for an Equal Rights Amendment, equal pay for equal work, and womens places in society.

I need not have worried. It was one of those wonderful evenings when women of all ages and from very different backgrounds meet on common ground. The women saw that I was a wife and mother, as concerned about children as I was about women, and I saw that they were far more knowledgeable and open than I had been led to believe.

The inevitable question came from the audience, What do you think about abortion? I said that while freedom of choice was the personal and constitutional right of every woman, I also believed that one could be a feminist and yet be personally opposed to abortion.

One of the older women in the group stood up and said, We must not be hypocrites. We all know that in the old country we knew women friends, relatives, ourselves, who had abortions. She asked, How many of you know this? How many of you know that our priest knew and gave us forgiveness?

Women overburdened with the weight of far too many children for health and income level sometimes used abortion as the only available means of birth control. I do not mean to imply that everyone agreed over the abortion issue that evening, but the lively discussion that followed did allow for the idea that freedom of choice and conscience appealed to the majority of those in the room.

Women have always had an underground of abortion information long before abortion was legalized in the U.S. When I was growing up on the plains of North Dakota in the 1950s and 1960s, we knew which doctor in town did abortions, and we knew which doctor did D and Cs for women who believed abortion was a sin. These were not items of hot discussion; nor did most of us ever think we would use the information. However, the information was passed along as one of the basic points of knowledge about our community, much the way we passed along information about who was the best pediatrician in town.

Now the Supreme Court of the United States has eradicated our constitutional right to privacy, and they have infringed on our basic right to freedom of religion. Not all religious groups think abortion is a sin. The church I belong to has, since 1967, maintained its unequivocal opposition to any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would abridge or deny the right of individuals to reach informed decisions (about the termination of pregnancy) and to act upon them,

The U.S. Supreme Courts recent decree to do away with Roe v. Wade will not eradicate basic human needs and the decisions we make about those needs. The right to reproductive freedom for women was a long, slow, uphill battle, encompassing years of lawsuits, court decisions, and individual women deciding their own destinies. Supreme Court Justice Brennans opinion in Eisenstadt v. Baird (1973) stated, If the right to privacy means anything, it is the right of the individual, married or single, to be free from unwarranted government intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to bear or beget a child.

In 1973 the Supreme Court issued the landmark decision that our Constitution protects a womans right to have an abortion. Now, 49 years later, the justices have taken away this constitutional right. This decision will not stop abortions; it will only criminalize women and providers. What will significantly reduce abortions are sex education and readily available, low-cost contraceptives.

Justice Clarence Thomas has indicated that contraception and gay marriage may be next on the chopping block. It looks like we are headed back to the Middle Ages.
The North Dakota Wheat Commission and the North Dakota Corn Council will host a Corn and Wheat Marketing Update on Tuesday starting at 9 a.m. Central time.

The webinar will focus on key factors affecting corn and wheat markets, which have been volatile this year due in part to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

North Dakota State University Extension Crops Economist Frayne Olson will cover general supply and demand trends for both crops and marketing strategies for 2022. Ron Williams and Thomas Lahey with Columbia Grain will discuss export prospects for wheat and corn and how the ongoing war in Ukraine might affect U.S. export potential. Bill Wilson, NDSU agribusiness and economics professor, will provide an in-depth look at the wheat and corn production and export prospects in Russia and Ukraine.

The webinar is free, but registration is required. To register and for more information, go to bit.ly/CornWheat or www.ndwheat.com.
A recent rise in COVID-19 cases in North Dakota attributed to highly contagious coronavirus mutations continued over the past week, and the virus transmission risk in Burleigh and Morton counties jumped from low to high.

The state Health Department's coronavirus dashboard on Friday showed 1,583 confirmed cases in the past seven days, the most since the state went to weekly reporting in mid-March. The previous week's total was 1,411. A month ago, the weekly total was 1,084.

The case count for Burleigh and Morton counties this week was 289, up from 271 the previous week and up from 138 a month ago.

County-level COVID-19 risks determined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be found at https://bit.ly/3Clifrq. Burleigh and Morton counties both went from low to high this week, bypassing medium. Five other counties also are at high risk -- Golden Valley, Billings, Dunn, Stark and Wells. Twenty counties are at medium risk, and 26 are at low.

New COVID-19 hospital admissions statewide totaled 93, a sharp rise from 49 the previous week. Coronavirus patients made up about 3.5% of occupied inpatient beds -- up from 2.4% last week -- and 4% of intensive care unit beds statewide, up from half a percent last week.

Federal data showed no virus-related deaths over the week, leaving North Dakota's pandemic total at 2,296. County-level death data is not available. There have been 251,876 confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Dakota during the pandemic that began in March 2020.

More information

Federal data shows that North Dakota continues to have some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country: 66.8% of adults in the state are fully vaccinated, with the rate for all vaccine-eligible people -- age 5 and older -- at 60.4%. The national averages are 76.9% and 71.2%, respectively.

COVID-19 booster shots are recommended for people 12 and older. North Dakota's first booster rate is 45.7%, compared to 49.5% nationally. Second booster doses are available for three main groups of people:

All adults 50 years and older.

All people 12 years or older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

Adults 18 to 49 years who received two doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

State Health Department guidance and resources for businesses is at https://bit.ly/3w0DpKj.

Go to https://www.ndvax.org or https://bit.ly/3N3IMxb or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available. Information on free public testing and free test kits is at health.nd.gov/covidtesting. More detailed pandemic information is at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
Two children are among the six people who died Friday evening in a massive crash after a Montana dust storm caused blackout conditions on Interstate 90. Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson said investigators so far have found no other factors that contributed to the pileup that also sent eight others to area hospitals with varying degrees of injuries. The incident happened just west of Hardin, though additional ambulances had to be called in from Billings to help. The identities of the dead and conditions of the survivors are not yet being released. Gov. Greg Gianforte said on Twitter that he was deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty crash.
At midnight on July 8, 2022, luxury mansion was abruptly caught on fire at No.9-11 Anderson Road, Kowloon Peak, Hong Kong. The Mega Castle, is owned by Taiwanese Mega movie star Brigitte Ling Tsing-hsia. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times)

$1.4 Billion Mansion in Hong Kong in Flames for 8 Hours

At around midnight on July 7, 2022, a three-level, HK$11 billion (US$1.4 billion) mansion at No.9-11 Anderson Road, Kowloon Peak, Hong Kong caught on fire and it took firemen about 8 hours to quell the blaze.

Based on several posts on a Facebook group called Hong Kong Emergency Report Group, at about 01:43 a.m, the fire was so fierce that the Fire Department of Hong Kong raised the fire alarm to level three, which is classified dangerous and with a tendency to spread.

The detached house, also known as The Mega Castle, is owned by Taiwanese Mega movie star Brigitte Ling Tsing-hsia. Ling was not inside the house when the fire occurred.

About 20 employees, drivers and maids were evacuated with pets, and were escorted by two vehicles to leave the scene to safety. No injuries have been reported so far.

After burning for almost eight hours, the fire finally diminished at about 8:30 a.m.

As of writing this report, Hong Kong Fire Department is still trying to lower the temperature on site.

Front-line fire support vehicles Rest 15 arrived at the scene for firefighters to rest and recharge, while their physical condition is being closely monitored.

Hong Kong Building Department personnel also arrived at the scene to inspect the structural safety of the mansion during the fire.

According to Hong Kong 01, firefighters used drones to detect fire sources at high altitude for the first time. The drones were also used to aid the rescue.
Buildings in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan on April 6, 2014. (Ahmed El-Moghrabi/AFP via Getty Images)

9 Killed Including 5 Sudanese in Bus Crash in Southern Egypt

CAIRONine people including five Sudanese citizens were killed and 43 people were injured in a road collision in southern Egypt early on Thursday, a senior health ministry official said.

Of those injured, 40 were thought to be Sudanese, though identification procedures were ongoing, said health ministry undersecretary Ehab Hanafi.

Witnesses told Reuters the bus came from Sudan and was heading for the southern Egyptian city of Aswan.

The bus veered off the road and overturned after colliding with a truck, two security sources said.

By Farah Saafan and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan
A Huge Shock: Ambassador Warns Queenslands Mining Tax Hike Could Deter New Japanese Investment

The Queensland governments massive coal royalty tax could push away Japanese investors and undermine the decades-long partnership between both countries, Japans ambassador to Australia has warned.

The stark comments from Yamagami Shingo come after the Palaszcuk government announced it would introduce three extra tiers of taxes to the states mining royalty scheme.

Going forward, from July 1, the state government will charge a 20 percent tax on each tonne of coal sold for more than A$175; 30 percent for prices above A$225 a tonne; and 40 percent for prices above $300 per tonne.

Queenslands previous coal royalty tax was a flat rate of 15 percent per tonne, yet it was already one of the highest in the world. In fellow Australian states New South Wales and Western Australia, coal royalties are under 10 percent.

Shingo on July 6 said the new royalties regime will hit the bottom lines of mining companies, including major Japanese firms that have operated in the state for decades.

A bucket-wheel dumping soil and sand removed from another area of the mine in Newcastle, Australia, the worlds largest coal exporting port, on Nov. 5, 2021. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

He noted that the mining industry has been taken by surprise by the new tax and that they were not consulted on the changes.

Make no mistake, this is a huge shock for Japanese companies, he told members at a meeting with the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology at the University of Queensland (UQ).

The future of the successful partnership between Japanese businesses and Queensland, as a competitive investment destination could be at great risk.

The ambassador added that the effect of the new coal tax is beyond the coal industry, as Japanese companies are also involved in hydrogen development, infrastructure, and cutting-edge technologies.

Some Japanese companies are already questioning whether Queensland will continue to be the safe and predictable place to invest that they had known for decades.

The new royalty scheme is estimated to add A$1.2 billion (US$820 million) in royalty revenue, bringing the total to A$5.5 billion (US$3.75 billion).

Queensland Government Firm on Tax

The Queensland state government has stood firm by the scheme, choosing to frame the issue as one where locals benefit at the expense of multinational corporations.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia on March 15 2020. (Jono Searle/Getty Images)

Theyre his comments, and hes obviously looking after the companies from Japan, and hes welcome to those comments, Resources Minister Scott Stewart told reporters on July 7.

But we need to make sure that we look at those multinational companies, looking at those super profits theyre making, and some of that money thats owned by every single Queenslanderbringing that back to our communities to provide for our schools and our hospitals.

Treasurer Cameron Dick said the states relationship with Japan was strong.

Its only fair that we look to get A$1.2 billion over four years back to our people so we can invest in hospitals across Queensland, particularly in regional Queensland, where this money will go, he told reporters.

We Grew Together

Japanese investment in the Australian mining industry stretches back as far as the 1960s.

The BHP-Mitsubishi Alliance alone has been credited with creating over 10,000 jobs in Queensland, contributing to the construction of airports, sea ports, rail, and other mining infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Japans second largest petroleum refiner, Idemitsu, said it has generated more than A$835 billion in value for Queensland over the past 12 years, created one in six jobs in the state, and contributed to over 15,000 businesses.

Companies also get involved in Australias mining communities in non-economic ways, with Mitsubishi Development in 2021 coining an agreement with UQ to educate the next generation of the mining engineers.

No other country in Australias history has been so involved in every stage of the resources supply chain: finding, digging and shipping, Yamagami said. Let me put it this way: we grew together.

A coal train is seen moving parallel to the A4 Highway in the Clermont and Blackwater region in Queensland, Australia, on April 29, 2019. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Currently, Japanese coal-related companies pay over A$2 billion in taxes, with Mitsubishi and Mitsui being the eighth-and ninth-highest taxpayers in the country.

Yamagami described Japanese companies as good corporate citizens of Australia, and added that both countries have stood by each other when the other was subject to economic coercion from China.

For Japanese companies, Australia is not a house, its a home, the Japanese ambassador said. They didnt come here for short-term profits. Theyre in it for the long haul.

However one major Japanese firm, Mitsui, headquartered in Queensland, has already begun selling-off key coal assets amid the the ongoing net-zero push.

Queensland Opposition Meets With Ambassador

Queenslands state opposition leader David Crisafulli has said he could not undo the betrayal of the new royalties but said he would make a commitment that this would never, ever happen under a government he leads.

Crisafulli met with the ambassador on July 8 seeking to convey the long-term friendship and respect between Queensland and Japan.

It is important he conveys back to Japan how much we value that partnership.

The relationship between Australia and Japan is valued and enduring  Today I assured his Excellency that Queensland values this partnership and commitments in the future will always be honoured. pic.twitter.com/tCKOHsvynm  David Crisafulli (@DavidCrisafulli) July 8, 2022
Airbnb app on a smartphone in this photo illustration taken on Feb. 27, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Airbnb Obliged to Provide Information to Tax Authorities, EU Court Adviser Says

BRUSSELSShort-term accommodation services company Airbnb is obliged to provide information in rental contracts to tax authorities, an adviser to Europes top court said on Thursday, in another potential legal setback in Europe for the company.

Airbnb has in recent years found itself at loggerheads with authorities in several European Union countries, arguing that taxation and other requirements contravene the EU principle of the freedom to provide services across the 27-country bloc.

The latest case involves a 2017 Italian law requiring Airbnb and other short-term rental sites to forward information from their rental contracts and withhold 21 percent from the rental income and pay it to tax authorities.

The company challenged the law in an Italian court which subsequently sought guidance from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

ECJ Advocate General Maciej Szpunar backed the Italian law. His opinion is non-binding but the ECJ usually follows four out of five such recommendations.

Article 56 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) in relation to the freedom to provide services does not preclude the obligation to collect and transmit information or to withhold tax, Szpunar said.

It is perfectly consistent to impose the obligation to withhold tax on intermediaries involved in the payment of rent, given that the activity of a large number of natural persons who are not subject to the obligations incumbent on professionals is, by its nature, difficult to audit for tax purposes.

He agreed with Airbnbs argument in one aspect.

However, the obligation to appoint a tax representative constitutes a disproportionate restriction on the freedom to provide services, Szpunar said.

Airbnb said: Airbnb wants to be a good partner on tax and we support a consistent, standardized approach to information sharing, which is why we welcome the agreement by EU Member States on a common tax reporting framework for digital platforms, known as DAC 7.

The CJEU will rule on the case in coming months. In April, the court rejected a similar challenge by Airbnb to Belgian regional legislation requiring it to provide information to tax authorities on tourist transactions.

The case is C-83/21 Airbnb Ireland and Airbnb Payments UK.

By Foo Yun Chee
An American Airlines Airbus A321-200 plane takes off from Los Angeles International airport on March 28, 2018. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

American Airlines Pilots to Receive Triple Pay for Working on Routes Affected by July Scheduling Glitch

American Airlines pilots who were affected by a computer glitch that left thousands of flights with understaffed cockpits are set to receive triple pay after the company and its pilots union, Allied Pilots Association, reached an agreement on July 6.

The agreement came after 12,000 American Airlines flights set for July were briefly allowed to be dropped by pilots due to a computer glitch that has since been fixed.

Managements trip trade system allowed many July trips to turn green last night, resulting in more than 2,000 sequences and 37,000 flying hours to be dropped into open time, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) said in a statement on July 2.

The computing error occurred at a time when dozens of U.S. carriers, including American Airlines, face mounting criticism over continued flight delays and cancellations amid the peak summer travel season.

APA said in a statement on July 6 that the airline would provide a 200 percent premium, or triple pay, to pilots who fly the routes that had been removed and then non-contractually added to pilots schedules in July.

The triple pay is a one-time payment.

However, pilots will also receive regular double pay for specific holiday periods as part of the agreement between the airline and the union.

We did not create the present situation and have worked hard to resolve the problems that management created, the union said in a statement.

While we of course cannot and should not fix managements problems, we will continue to offer solutions to mitigate the negative impact on our members lives and improve the working relationship between APA and management.

Continued Delays

In a statement to Insider, an American Airlines spokesperson said the company was pleased to have reached an agreement with the APA and appreciate their partnership in coming to a resolution quickly to take care of our pilots, our team and our customers.

As of the morning of July 8, there were 130 cancellations and 782 delays listed for incoming, outgoing, and domestic flights in the United States, according to Flight Awares live tracker.

The delays and cancellations came as AAA forecast that 47.9 million Americans would travel 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day weekend from June 30 to July 4.

Of those traveling, 3.55 million were expected to travel by air.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned in June that Americans could face challenges when attempting to travel over the July 4 holiday weekend, citing chronic labor shortages and unpredictable weather combined with increased demand.

Buttigieg told NBC Nightly News on June 28 that a lot of pilots had been nudged into early retirement by the airlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced the labor force.

Often, were hearing the lack of a pilot ready to go cited as an issue or a problem thats contributing to a delay or a cancellation, Buttigieg said.

In response to staff shortages, a number of airlines have opted to raise wages for pilots, or are in negotiations to do so.

American Airlines recently offered its pilots a nearly 17 percent wage increase through 2024, CNBC reported.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, on July 7, 2022. (Dean Lewins - Pool/Getty Images)

Ardern Warns Against Black and White View of Competition With Beijing

Prime minister says no need to frame Ukraine conflict as "democracy vs. autocracy"

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has spoken out against framing the conflict in Ukraine and countering ongoing Chinese aggression through a black and white lens, saying nations do not need to choose between autocracies or democracies.

Arderns latest views stand in stark contrast to that of U.S. President Joe Biden, who has vowed to fight for a free and open Indo-Pacific region against increasing Chinese aggression.

This is what this is about, democracy vs. autocracywe have to make sure democracy is delivered, Biden said in May.

In a speech to Australias Lowy Institute on July 7, Ardern instead, appeared to soften her language towards Beijing arguing that many countries had played a role in the Pacific region for many years.

It would be wrong to characterise this engagement, including that of China, as new, she said. It would also be wrong to position the Pacific in such a way that they have to pick sides.

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (not in frame) in Sydney, Australia on July 8, 2022. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

These are democratic nations with their own sovereign right to determine their foreign policy engagements. We can be country neutral in approach, but have a Pacific bias on the values we apply for these engagements.

She said there was a need to ensure the region remained from coercion and that nations should engage with multilateral bodies like the Pacific Islands Forum.

Ultimately, rather than increased strategic competition in the region though, we need instead to look for areas to build and cooperate, she said.

The honest reality is that the world is bloody messy. And yet, amongst all the complexity, we still often see issues portrayed in a black and white way. This is one of the challenges to an independent foreign policy.

Ukraine War No Black and White Matter

Ardern said the world was bloody messy and pointed to the Ukraine conflict as an example.

She said the war was unquestionably illegal and unjustifiable and Russia must be held to account.

While there are those who have shown overt and direct support, such as Belarus, who must also see consequences for their role, let us not otherwise characterise this as a war of the west vs. Russia. Or democracy vs. autocracy, she said.

It is not, she added. Nor should we naturally assume it is a demonstration of the inevitable trajectory in other areas of geostrategic contest.

The New Zealand leader said diplomacy needed to become the strongest tool and de-escalation the loudest call.

We wont succeed, however, if those parties we seek to engage with are increasingly isolated and the region we inhabit becomes increasingly divided and polarised.

She summed up her governments foreign policy as: collectivism or global cooperation, values, and place.

UN Failed in Ukraine Conflict

Ardern said multilateral institutions like the United Nations was imperfect and have failed.

And when they do fail, our first port of call must always be to find ways to make them stronger.

She said there was no better failure than that of the UNs response to the war in Ukraine because of Russias position on the Security Council.

A morally bankrupt position, in the wake of a morally bankrupt, and illegal war. Under these circumstances, waiting for our multilateral institutions to act was not an option for New Zealand.

Softens Language Towards Beijing

Arderns stance on Beijing has noticeable softened in recent weeks, with her latest speech calling for shared interests to be pursued.

Yet previously the Labour government appeared firmly aligned with allies the United States and Australia.

During a visit to the White House in May, Ardern told reporters New Zealand was in an increasingly contested region and that engagement in the area had to be on our terms, respectively and not in response to Beijing.

In a joint statement by the United States and New Zealand, the governments expressed grave concerns on the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) human rights record.

Later, during the NATO summit in Madrid in June, Ardern said the CCP, in recent times, had become more assertive and more willing to challenge international rules and norms.

We must respond to the actions we see, she said.

In response to both speeches, Beijing rejected Arderns comments warning that they were not helpful for deepening trust between the two countries.

The spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand claimed the regime would be willing to work with New Zealand through win-win cooperation by having mutual respect and dropping differences.

Rebecca Zhu Follow Rebecca Zhu is based in Sydney. She focuses on Australian and New Zealand national affairs. Got a tip? Contact her at rebecca.zhu@epochtimes.com.au.
Arizona Governor Signs Universal School Choice Law: The First in the Nation

Arizona, with a new law granting scholarship funds to all families that wish to customize their childs education, has become the state with the most expansive school choice policy in the nation.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday signed into law HB 2853, which passed the Republican-majority state legislature last month in a party-line vote. The bill allows the states 1.1 million students to tap into the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) and use their share to enroll in any education program that best meets their needs.

This is a monumental moment for all of Arizonas students. Our kids will no longer be locked in under-performing schools, said the Republican governor. Today, were unlocking a whole new world of opportunity for them and their parents.

Launched in 2011, Arizonas ESA has been limited to a rather small group of students, such as those who have a disability, have a parent serving in the armed forces, attend a failing public school, live in foster care, or live on a Native American reservation.

Qualified students receive about $6,500 each year to attend a school of their choice, which can be a public school outside their school district, a public charter school, a private school, a religious school, a home school, or any other kind of educational services. According to pro-school choice think tank Goldwater Institute, the program primarily benefits students from low-income families that otherwise cant afford their preferred alternatives.

With HB 2853 becoming law, the ESA is now available to all K-12 students across the state, regardless of their backgrounds or what type of school they are enrolled in.

In Arizona, we fund students, not systems, because we know one size does not fit all students, said the bills sponsor, Arizona House Majority Leader Ben Toma.

While critics decry the ESA expansion for directing public funds away from public schools, school choice proponents argue that ESA is a more efficient usage of taxpayers dollars. On average, Arizona spends more than $11,000 on each public school studenta price 70 percent higher than the $6,500-per-child voucher.

In fact, a 2019 policy analysis (pdf) by the Goldwater Institute suggests that the program actually increases Arizonas per-child public school spending, because it works in a way that every time a student leaves a public school with an ESA, over $600 is put back into that public school system.

According to Arizonas education department, parents who want to take advantage of the ESA have to follow a set of rules designed to prevent fraud or abuse. Specifically, participants must verify their Arizona residency; hire education providers that have proper credentials and are not immediate family members; make sure to use some of the ESA money for reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science; and submit receipts on a quarterly basis.

To protect the ESA program and taxpayer dollars, the Department pursues all misspending and disallowed expenditures, reads a lengthy parents guidebook (pdf). The education department has a zero-tolerance policy on substantial misuse of funds with the intent to defraud and will refer these cases for potential prosecution.
Assassinated Japanese Leader Was Close Friend to Canada: Trudeau

OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau says the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is shocking, and that Canada has lost a close friend with his death.

Abe was assassinated Friday on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech  an attack that stunned the country that has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

The 67yearold Abe, who was Japans longestserving leader when he resigned in 2020, collapsed bleeding and was airlifted to a nearby hospital in Nara, although he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead after receiving massive blood transfusions, officials said.

The assassination of (Abe) is incredibly shocking  and Im deeply saddened, Trudeau said on Twitter on Friday.

The world has lost a great man of vision, and Canada has lost a close friend. My thoughts are with his wife, Akie, and the people of Japan as they mourn this loss. Youll be missed, my friend.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, attending the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia, said she expressed Canadas condolences to Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

We are saddened and horrified by the recent news coming from Japan, she said.

In a statement released by the White House, U.S. President Joe Biden said he was stunned, outraged and deeply saddened by the news that my friend Abe Shinzo, former prime minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning.

Above all, [Abe] cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy. While there are many details that we do not yet know, we know that violent attacks are never acceptable and that gun violence always leaves a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it. The United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief. I send my deepest condolences to his family.

Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Abe suffered major damage to his heart, along with two neck wounds that damaged an artery. He never regained his vital signs, Fukushima said.

Prefectural police in Nara arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack and identified him as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japans navy. Broadcaster NHK reported that he said he wanted to kill Abe because he had complaints about him unrelated to politics.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which he called dastardly and barbaric. He pledged that the election, which chooses members for Japans lesspowerful upper house of parliament, would go on as planned.

I use the harshest words to condemn (the act), Kishida said, struggling to control his emotions. He said the government planned to review the security situation, but added that Abe had the highest protection.

Even though he was out of office, Abe was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was deeply shocked.

He was one of the first leaders I formally met when I became Prime Minister. He was deeply committed to his role, and also generous and kind. I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is, Ardern said. My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan. Events like this shake us all to the core.

Asian leaders were also stunned.

Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong slammed it as a senseless act of violence.

Mr. Abe is a good friend of Singapore. I had just hosted him to lunch in May, on my visit to Tokyo. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Abe and his family, Lee said on Facebook.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said he learned the news with great shock and dismay. I extend my deep sympathy and pray for his early recovery, he said.
In this image from a video, Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan shortly before he was shot Friday, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Assassination of Japans Shinzo Abe Stuns World Leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, MalaysiaFridays shocking assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in one of the worlds safest countries stunned leaders and drew condemnation.

Tributes poured in as governments expressed sorrow and solidarity with Japan over the loss of Abe, who was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western Japan while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

Pedestrians are silhouetted against a large public video screen showing an image of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in the Akihabara district of Tokyo on July 8, 2022, after he was shot and killed in the city of Nara. (Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened, and he visited the residence of Japans ambassador to the United States on Friday to offer condolences. He placed a bouquet of flowers on a table set up near a koi pond and wrote in a condolence book that Abe was a man of peace and judgment.

This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him, Biden said. His vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country, condemned the unforgivable act. He said campaigning as well as Sundays elections for parliaments upper house will proceed.

The free and fair election, which is the root of democracy, needs to be protected no matter what. We will not be defeated by violence, Kishida said.

Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, speaks to media at the Prime Ministers official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)

Biden called Kishida a very solid guy and said he did not believe the killing was likely to have any profound, destabilizing impact on Japanese security or Japanese solidarity.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped Abes killer will be dealt with swiftly and harshly. Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD! he said on his social media platform. He said Abe was a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shake hands during a meeting on trade in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, on Sept. 25, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Many world leaders condemned the attack. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the French foreign ministry called the shooting despicable, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres horrific, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cowardly.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on Twitter his deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time, while South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called the shooting an intolerable criminal act, his office said.

Iran said it was an act of terrorism.

Public broadcaster NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street.

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Jordans King Abdullah II said he was shocked and saddened. The world lost a great leader, and Jordan and I lost a true friend, the monarch tweeted.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office and described him as deeply committed to his role, generous, and kind.

I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is, Ardern said. Events like this shake us all to the core.

In the NHK video, security guards are seen leaping on top of a man in a gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.

A man (C) is detained near the site of gunshots in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Police arrested a suspect at the scene. Under Japanese law, possession of firearms is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal.

Leaders from Germany, Pakistan, Sweden, and the Philippines were also among those who gave condolences, and many countries including Spain and France expressed solidarity with Japan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a day of national mourning on Saturday as a mark of deepest respect for Abe.

Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment, Modi said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abe was a giant on the world stage, adding that his legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose time in office from 20052021 largely overlapped Abes, said she was deeply shocked and devastated by the cowardly and vile assassination.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) talk about an EU flag at the start of talks at the latters official residence in Tokyo on March 9, 2015. (Kimimasa Mayama/AFP/Getty Images)

Taiwans government said Abe spared no effort to push for the progress of Taiwan-Japan relations for many years, noting his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic for the Japanese government to donate vaccines to Taiwan.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi said Italy was embracing Abes family, the government and the Japanese people.

Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and reformist vision, Draghi said in a statement.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt noted that Abe was killed while campaigning for his fellow party members. All politicians should be safe while executing their work for democracy.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who is president of the Group of 20 nations foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia, said Abe will always be remembered as a prime example for all.

The International Olympic Committee praised Abe for his vision, determination, and dependability that allowed it to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the Olympic flag will be flown at half staff at Olympic House in Lausanne for three days.

In China, however, Abes shooting triggered unfavorable comments from tens of thousands of citizens on social media.

Some quipped, Hope hes not OK, while dozens half-jokingly called the shooter a hero or anti-Japan hero. Others said Abes injuries were a comfort to the souls of people who died in Japans invasion of China during World War II.

While not necessarily the view of most Chinese, the posts reflect strong public sentimentencouraged by the Chinese communist regimes propagandaagainst right-wing Japanese politicians who question or deny that Japans military committed atrocities in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China expressed sympathies with Abes family and that the shooting shouldnt be linked with bilateral relations.
As I was watching a film with my son the other day, we began to hear chanting below us. We looked out the window and saw protesters marching in the streets shouting, Hey Hey! Ho Ho! The white man has got to go! The protesters were themselves white. The protest was in response to the ruling handed down by the Supreme Court on June 24, overturning Roe v. Wade and handing back to state legislators the responsibility for making laws regarding abortion. The white man chant was a reference to the fact that most of the men who sit on the Supreme Court happen to be white (as they were, it should be noted, when Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973).

What has been interesting to see in terms of the fallout of the SCOTUS decision has been how race has been used to justify the need for access to abortion. One New York congresswoman recently asserted (on Twitter) something like this, proclaiming that the poor and marginalized will somehow suffer most. It is a commonplace among educated, progressive elites to insist that black and Latina women will now struggle to get access to abortions in ways that white women will not. This is a curious way to frame the discussion, considering the racist history of abortion laws in the United States, which have traditionally targeted black, indigenous, Hispanic, and immigrant groups in efforts to curb their reproduction. In fact, Charles C. Camosy recently noted that ones attitude toward abortion will largely be informed by social class, meaning that progressives elites views are not in line with the majority of those they claim to represent. The irony here points to the significant disconnect between those who are outraged over the ruling last Friday and the facts of history, which are contrary to what popular pundits and politicians are saying on TV and online. It also highlights the continuous need to defend the dignity of the person in a free society.

To be clear, abortion has been around since the beginning of world history, though in the United States it has a very ugly and racist history. The modern debate about abortion goes back to the so-called Progressive Era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This era was marked by a centralized approach to American government that was fueled by an ideology known as eugenics, an outgrowth of Darwinian theory that viewed certain races as higher on the evolutionary scale than others (or, to quote Wiki, eugenics is a set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population, historically by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or promoting those judged to be superior). In order to respect the survival of the fittest, some races simply needed to be prohibited from breeding (although why the fittest wouldnt continue to survive regardless remains unclear). Historian Thomas C. Leonard explores this history in his book Illiberal Reformers: Race, Eugenics, & American Economics in the Progressive Era. Leonard explains the role that eugenics played in the formation of top-down policies and social engineering. Many notable philanthropists and politicians, including President Theodore Roosevelt, bought into at least some aspects of the eugenicist program. In fact, John D. Rockefeller III founded the Population Council, which was rooted in eugenicist theories. Rachel Ferguson, in her new book Black Liberation Through the Marketplace, writes that, It cannot be overstated just how academically acceptable, and indeed popular, eugenics was in America during the first three decades of the twentieth century. She adds, In short, far from being a minority position among white American progressives, eugenics was central to their worldview. Birth control was part of this worldview and particularly promoted by figures like Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood and a firm believer in the eugenics project. Moreover, during the Progressive Era many black and indigenous women, as well as certain immigrant groups, were sterilized against their will, atrocities still remembered by many in those communities. Despite this, even the great black scholar W.E.B. du Bois advocated for access to abortion as a way to curb poverty. These eugenics programs also gave legitimacy to Jim Crow laws in the South and were used by Nazi Germany to justify their own eugenics projects.

Whats missing from most peoples ideas about abortion in America are the names of those who were staunchly against abortion. In an article for Reason magazine, Jesse Walker points out that Senator Ted Kennedy was once staunchly pro-life, and that as late as 1976 Jesse Jackson had an anti-abortion stance. In fact Jackson argued that abortion represented an attack on the black population in the United States, a position that Walker notes was also held by the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 70s.

The larger problem that abortion poses for a free society is that it is a blatant attack on the dignity of the human person. Every human being, beginning at conception as a human person, is created in the image of God and consequently has an inherent dignity and value. Human beings are to respect this God-given dignity when developing policies that affect the greater society. The problem of eugenics and its components, such as abortion, is that it begins with a flawed anthropology that elevates one race (or class) above others to the point that it is justifiable to discourage lesser groups from reproducing, even to the point at times of doing so against their will. Ironically, the pro-choice side in this debate downplays the pressures a progressive culture imposes on individuals to make only one choice.

Not everyone, thankfully, has forgotten the facts of history or argues their position in the same way. For example, in an interview with progressive journalist Bari Weis, Yale law professor Akhil Amar maintained that while he supports abortion rights legislation, he acknowledges that Roe v. Wade was erroneously decided and that abortion was not a right that was protected under the U.S. Constitution as understood in its original context. He also defended the integrity of Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett against those who suggest that they lied in their confirmation hearings when asked about Roe v. Wade. Amar did not feel the need to distort the facts of history to defend his own position regarding abortion; instead, he made an intellectually honest defense of his views.

At the end of the day, the outrage against the end of a bad law is uncalled for, though in todays discourse it is almost impossible to have a civil discussion about such heated topics like abortion. If there is something worth arguing about, however, it is getting the history of the abortion rights movement correct and not allowing the narrative to get hijacked by those who are either ignorant of the real role race and class played in its history or who would simply like this history to remain forgotten.
A large group of illegal immigrants crowd under a shady tree as Border Patrol agents organize transport near Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 20, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Biden Administration Asks Supreme Court to Let It Keep Releasing Criminal Illegal Aliens

President Joe Bidens administration on July 8 asked the Supreme Court to stay a lower court order that is preventing it from implementing guidance that narrows which illegal immigrants can be arrested and deported.

The ruling by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals this week has forced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to halt all implementation of the Guidance that had been charting the agencys course for months and thousands of DHS workers have been told that they must disregard their training and stop considering the Secretarys instructions, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, a Biden appointee, told the court in an application for a stay.

The appeals court on Wednesday upheld a district judges ruling that found the guidance in question, promulgated in 2021 by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, doesnt adhere to federal law that instructs the U.S. government to arrest, detain, and remove illegal aliens convicted of certain crimes.

U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, a Trump appointee, ordered the government shortly after the guidance was issued not to implement it.

Mayorkas had told his agency not to take action against illegal immigrants solely due to a conviction, while also describing it as improper to move against an alien solely due to their being in the country illegally.

Mayorkas has claimed that the United States lacks the resources to take action against all illegal immigrants, which are estimated to number between 10.5 million and 22 million.

In a separate case concerning the same order, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year overturned a nationwide preliminary injunction against the order, Prelogar noted to the nations top court.

She said the Supreme Court should stay Tiptons ruling in full, or at a minimum, in all states besides Texas and Louisiana, which brought the case that triggered the ruling.

That judgment is thwarting the Secretarys direction of the Department he leads and disrupting DHSs efforts to focus its limited resources on the noncitizens who pose the gravest threat to national security, public safety, and the integrity of our Nations borders, she said.

The Biden administrations attempts to curtail enforcement against illegal immigrants and unprecedented numbers of aliens into the country have spawned a series of court battles. The case could force justices to address an issue they explicitly avoided when they recently said Biden could end the Trump-era Remain in Mexico program, which forced many asylum seekers to wait in Mexico until their claims were heard.

In the majority opinion, justices said they need not and do not decide whether the detention requirement outlined in federal law is subject to principles of law enforcement discretion, as the Government argues, or whether the Governments current practices simply violate that provision.
Biden Administration Cannot Ignore Federal Law, Must Remove Illegal Alien Criminals: Court

President Joe Bidens administration cannot ignore federal law that says authorities must arrest, detain, and remove illegal aliens convicted of certain crimes and/or aliens who are ordered deported, an appeals court has ruled.

Federal law says the attorney general shall take into custody, shall detain, and shall remove illegal aliens convicted of certain crimes and aliens who are ordered deported. But the Biden administration has attempted to prevent the holding and removal of some illegal immigrants convicted of those crimes.

The fact an individual is a removable noncitizen therefore should not alone be the basis of an enforcement action against them, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a Biden appointee, said in a memorandum in September 2021 outlining new guidance that narrowed immigration enforcement priorities.

Mayorkas also said that immigration agents should not rely on the fact of conviction  alone when deciding to take action against an alien.

That has led to a sharp drop in criminal aliens detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said. The memo and others like it has led to a spike in the rescinding of criminal detainers, or orders to local authorities to detain aliens, court documents show. One hundred and seventy aliens had detainers rescinded in Texas between Jan. 20, 2021, and Feb. 15, 2022, with at least 17 failing to comply with their parole conditions and four committing fresh crimes.

The data show that the Final Memo increases the number of aliens with criminal convictions and aliens with final orders of removal released into the United States, and Texas has shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the cost of that reality has fallen on it and will continue to do so,' the panel said in a ruling dated July 6.

DHS is trying to claim it acts within the bounds of federal law while practically disregarding that law, it added.

The panel upheld an earlier ruling from U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, a Trump appointee who said the policy had resulted in criminal aliens roam[ing] free and ordered the department not to follow the memo.

The Biden administration had appealed, arguing that the lower court order should be overturned because the states lack standing, because they have not suffered any injury, and because any injury that the speculative injury was not traceable to the Mayorkas memo. The appeals court panel disagreed.

Response

Biden tried to throw out immigration law, saying DHS didnt have to detain criminal illegals. The court now says he must, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

Had the administration won its stay, it would have gone on releasing criminal aliens while its appeal of the district courts ruling wound through the courts, added Dale Wilcox, executive director of the Immigration Reform Law Institute, which filed a brief in the case. We are pleased that didnt happen, and applaud the Fifth Circuit for denying the administration the extra time it sought to violate the law and endanger Americans.

The administration is expected to appeal, which could send the case to the full Fifth Circuit or to the Supreme Court, which recently ruled the administration can end the Trump era Remain in Mexico policy while explicitly avoiding weighing in on whether the detention requirement outlined in federal law is subject to principles of law enforcement discretion and whether the administrations current approach to immigration enforcement violates the provision.

The panel consisted of Judges Edith Jones, a Reagan appointee; Edith Clement, a George W. Bush appointee; and Kurt Engelhardt, a Trump appointee.

Its ruling diverged from an opinion from the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in a similar case brought by the states of Arizona, Montana, and Ohio that in April overturned (pdf) a lower courts nationwide preliminary injunction that blocked the same guidance.

The Fifth Circuit panel said its divergence is explainable by the benefit of bench trial and precedent in other cases brought before the court. Until there is a contrary ruling from the Supreme Court, we adhere to our precedent and the facts found by the district court, it said.
Mock-up vials labeled "Monkeypox vaccine" in this photo illustration taken on May 25, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Biden Administration Faces Criticism For Poor Planning In Securing Monkeypox Vaccines

The White House is facing criticism for its failure to secure the stockpile of JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccines it owns in Denmark.

A June 28 letter sent to the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Preparedness and Response pointed out that Americans have spent $2 billion since 2007 to develop, manufacture, and stockpile doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine as part of a federal security program.

At present, Washington owns over a million doses of the vaccineenough to vaccinate more than 500,000 citizens affected by monkeypoxnoted the letter sent by healthcare activist groups PrEP4All and Partners In Health.

But members of the at-risk community in the United States are being turned away from monkeypox vaccination because these vaccines are not available in sufficient quantity in the U.S., but instead sitting in freezers in Denmark. We must not allow the same failures of vaccine production and distribution that hampered the global COVID-19 response cause us to fail to contain the current monkeypox outbreak, the letter said.

The United States is unable to distribute its vaccines stored in Denmark to American citizens because the FDA failed to conduct a timely inspection of the facility holding the vaccines. The FDA then refused to accept inspection results from the European Unions regulatory arm, which had deemed the facility as safe.

Dr. Raj Panjabi, the senior director of the White House National Security Council leading pandemic preparedness, argued that the FDA by policy will not accept EU sign-off or reciprocity for any vaccine, according to the New York Post.

Monkeypox Vaccine Situation

James Krellenstein, co-founder of PrEP4All, which helped to expand access to medications that prevent HIV, strongly dismissed Panjabis statement, telling the Post that the Biden administration is not being transparent about what is going on.

Why were the Europeans able to inspect this plant a year ago, ensuring these doses can be used in Europe and the Biden Administration didnt do the same, he said. The FDA is making a judgment that theyd rather let gay people remain unvaccinated for weeks and weeks and weeks than trust the European certification process.

In late June, monkeypox vaccines in Washington and New York City ran out the same day it was offered to citizens. The federal government was reportedly sending an additional 8,195 vaccines to New York.

In Los Angeles, officials are handing out doses to people who have had contact with an infected individual or those who attended an event deemed a high risk for exposure.

On July 1, the HHS ordered 2.5 million more doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine. As of July 7, there were 700 confirmed monkeypox cases across the United States.

Health officials say the infection spreads through contact with bodily fluids, sores, or shared items such as bedding or clothing that were contaminated with fluids. It can also be transmitted through saliva and sexual contact.

Most people who develop monkeypox only have mild symptoms that go away within two to four weeks without treatment.
U.S. President Joe Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom wave to the crowd at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, Calif., on Sept. 13, 2021. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Biden, Newsom Conspire to Implement Radical Open-Border Plan

Commentary

Amid the biggest border crisis in generations, California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to pour gas on the fire. As part of his new budget, he announced that California will offer illegal immigrants free food and health care. In so doing, hes sending a loud and clear message to those considering joining the masses illegally crossing our southern border: California is here to welcome you with free stuff.

The benefits are on top of the free education for your children and the guarantee that many will be safe from deportation, which California already had in place. (Illegal immigrants are often safe from deportation even if they are arrested, convicted, and serve time in a California prisonmany are released without ever being asked their immigration status.)

Most incredible about the new benefits is that there are no limitations on who can qualify. Those who illegally cross the border tomorrow still qualify!

In the past, the question of how to deal with the illegal immigration problem has been a thorny one for both sides. Conservatives reluctantly acknowledge that deporting all illegal immigrants isnt practical, and also concede that having millions essentially living underground, and not paying taxes, isnt healthy for a society. Meanwhile, liberals also acknowledge that they cant demand a path to legal residency, or citizenship, without restricting it to those already hereotherwise, it will only encourage more to come.

Thus, virtually every bipartisan solution proposed to provide a pathway to legal status has applied only to people who entered the country before a certain date and has been coupled with increased border security to finally and effectively end illegal immigration. Any other plan would encourage more illegal immigration and thus not address the problem.

But Democrats are no longer liberals, they are progressives. And progressives dont think that America should have borders. They dont want a solution to more illegal immigration. They want more illegal immigration! So, they offer benefits to those yet to come as a carrot.

This is the grand conspiracy between President Joe Biden and Newsom. They are working together to implement their collectivist, globalist, socialist, America Last agenda. Newsom lures them to come with the promise of sanctuary and free food, health care, and education, and Biden leaves the door open.

They learned this scheme from the globalist European Union, which, in 20152016, allowed millions of so-called asylum-seekers to enter (even though most didnt qualify for asylum) and provided them with a host of benefits upon arrival.

Biden opened the door by ending President Donald Trumps Remain in Mexico policy. The Supreme Court recently ruled that Biden wasnt required to maintain that policy because the law states merely that the government may return asylum-seekers to Mexico, not must. However, the law also states that asylum-seekers shall be detained as they await their hearing. The Biden administration is blatantly violating that provision.

Of course, Biden couldnt implement the second part since providing federal benefits to illegal immigrants would require changing federal law. But thats where Newsom comes in, offering such benefits from the countrys largest state.

And if he gets his way, he will soon attempt to implement it across the nation as president. We know he plans to run because Biden is physically incapable of running, Biden has no support, even within his own party, Newsom has started running campaign ads in Florida where his likely opponent resides (DeSantis or Trump), and hes been running for president his whole adult life.

If you think a lethargic President Biden is bad, the prospect of an energetic President Newsom is far scarier.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
President Joe Biden speaks before signing an executive order aimed at ensuring access to abortion pills, at the White House in Washington on July 8, 2022. (Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Signs Executive Order Aimed at Making Sure Women Can Get Abortions

President Joe Biden on July 8 signed an executive order aimed at ensuring women can get abortions.

Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand access to various methods of abortion, including a Food and Drug Administration-approved pill called Mifeprex that can be taken to kill a fetus up to the 10th week of pregnancy. The agency will also make sure pregnant women have access to emergency medical care and step up efforts to educate the public on abortion access.

Biden also directed his administration to review potential actions to protect the privacy of Americans who seek information about abortion and women who obtain abortions.

Theres an increasing concern that extremist governors and others will try to get that data off of your phone, which is out there in the ether, to find what youre seeking, where youre going, and what youre doing in regard to your health care, Biden said in prepared remarks at the White House in Washington before signing the order.

In addition, the White House announced that Attorney General Merrick Garland, a Biden appointee, and White House lawyers will convene a group of attorneys and outside groups to encourage representation of women seeking abortions, including representing women who travel to another state to get the procedure done.

Order Doesnt Protect Against Dangers of Pill: Expert

Dr. James Studnicki, vice president of data analytics at the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute, told The Epoch Times via email that the safety of abortion pills is greatly exaggerated, pointing to a study of emergency rooms and data from Europe and California.

The increasing dominance of chemical abortion and its disproportionate contribution to emergency room morbidity is a serious public health threat, and todays Executive Order does nothing to address or mitigate the very real dangers to women, which are proven by real-world data, Studnicki added.

The FDA has been under pressure to rescind the approval of Mifeprex but has taken no action as of yet.

Danco Laboratories, which manufactures the pill, told news outlets earlier this year that it has a stable and plentiful supply of the drug.

More than half of the abortions in 2020 were done through the pill, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.

Mifeprex is still being sent to women in all 50 states, despite abortion bans recently being enacted in some.

Senate Health Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) was among others praising the order.

These are good, important steps: but this fight is far from over, she said in a statement. As we continue living through a post-Roe health care crisis, I urge the President to continue doing everything he can to fight back and Ill continue the fight here in Congress.

Supreme Court Ruling

Bidens order follows the Supreme Courts striking down of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that had declared access to abortion a constitutional right. A majority of the court in June said the ruling had no basis in American law or the Constitution.

Following the recent ruling, a number of state abortion bans took effect, while others are the subject of court battles.

Biden decried the restrictions and urged people to vote in the upcoming midterms so that Congress can enact a law that replaces Roe v. Wade, which he would sign.

We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice house to codify Roe in law, Biden said.

Democrats hold slim majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but some Democrats are pro-life, as are many Republicans. The abortion law passed by the House, which would have greatly expanded on Roe in terms of abortion access, was blocked by Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) in March.

Bills in the Senate typically require 60 votes, meaning more than two more pro-abortion senators would be required to pass the legislation or a similar bill.
A new biography of an unappreciated Civil War general describes him as sympathetic to underdogs, pugnacious, and honest

Few today remember Benjamin Butler. Those that do generally consider him an incompetent Union general during the American Civil War, or as Spoons Butler, enriching himself through stealing silver from Confederate sympathizers while he was military governor of New Orleans.

Benjamin Franklin Butler: A Noisy, Fearless Life, by Elizabeth D. Leonard, is a new and sympathetic biography of Butler. It reveals the beauty within Beast Butler. It also explains how he obtained his Beast Butler reputation.

Butlers defense of the downtrodden, especially his support of black and womens rights, led to the disdain of his peers and hatred from post-war Lost Cause Confederates. He was pugnacious and never forgave a slight.

Despite an impoverished youth, through sheer determination Butler obtained a then-rare college education. He became a lawyer, a Democratic politician, and a successful businessman. Childhood poverty gave Butler lifelong sympathy for underdogs, initially mill workers and poor white laborers.

Butler applied to attend West Point while in college, but he could not get an appointment. Instead, he joined the local militia, rising to brigadier general in the Massachusetts militia. Laissez-faire about slavery before the Civil War, he was an ardent Unionist. He became one of slaverys bitterest opponents after Secession.

Leonard shows how Butler bulled his militia command through Baltimore to relieve Washington in the wars opening weeks. While commanding Fort Monroe, he treated runaway slaves as contraband of war, depriving Confederate slave owners of their property. In New Orleans, he raised black regiments, advocating arming blacks. Later, he helped sponsor the 14th Amendment, served as a manager in Andrew Johnsons impeachment trial, and introduced the first amendment to give women the franchise.

Leonard blows away many hoary myths about Butler. Butler was scrupulously honest. She shows that while he confiscated Confederate property as military governor in New Orleans, he turned over everything seized to the Federal Government. While Butler did not personally profit, his brother did. Leonard shows how brother Thomas played a role similar to that of Billy Carter during Jimmy Carters presidency.

Leonard occasionally ignores Butlers faults. Although an outstanding military administrator, Butler was a wretched field commander, something Leonard never acknowledges. She also ignores the collapse of the Freedmans Bank that Butler organized for freed blacks, as well as Butlers dodgy acquisition of the yacht America, which he owned for two decades. Despite this, Benjamin Franklin Butler is well worth reading. It offers an interesting look at a maligned figure.

Benjamin Franklin Butler: A Noisy, Fearless Life by Elizabeth D. Leonard (The University of North Carolina Press, May 2022).

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
A well-researched novel leaves loftiness behind in favor of a fly-on-the-wall walk beside Lincoln to appreciate his wit, intellect, and discernment during dark years in American history

In all the commemorative and even demonizing books written about 16th president Abraham Lincoln since his assassination 157 years ago, none show us his towering, 6-foot-4-inch frame squatting. But John Cribbs 2020 novel, Old Abe, opens with, He squatted,  whittling on a pine stick.

It is a picture of an average American man passing time. Only Lincoln wasnt just passing time. On May 9, 1860, he was waiting outside a makeshift convention hall in Decatur, Illinois, to hear if he would be named the Illinois Republican Party candidate for president of the United States. Suddenly he heard cheers, and a crowd hoisted him into the air and demanded a speech.

As his Gettysburg Address would forever solidify three years later, brevity ensued. Lincoln spoke few words, yet he was cheered and admired by the crowd.

But later that evening, Cribb has the great man sprawled on the grass in a patch of woods  to talk over his next move with friends. In sense-of-place writing that has us sitting right there, we experience the same pollen that leaves smudges on the mens black trousers.

The books sensory intimacy adheres us to the mundane and the monumental of Lincolns last five years: stirring coals, feeding his horse, quipping about becoming president, climbing stairs, boarding trains, dozing off at his desk, sobbing over his dead son, and much more.

We are in on Lincolns private meeting with Frederick Douglass, running with him toward burning stables when he realizes his sons ponies and goats may be inside, and following him as he assesses the smoldering ruins of Richmond, Virginia.

Cribb brings us so close to Lincoln in Old Abe that we shudder to read Chapter 52, titled April 14, 1865. Knowing the result of that fateful day, we ache when Lincoln says to Gen. Grant (who chose not to attend the evenings theater performance), Were going to have good times now, and a united country. And we swallow hard when, just before Lincoln is shot, Cribbs prose reveals the presidents thoughts about his family: They must all make more time for each othermore time for laughing, for afternoon drives, for evenings at the theater.

Old Abe gives us history, some of which weve read before and some of which is revealing, but it does more: it gives us Abe Lincoln in the flesh.

Old Abe: A Novel by John Cribb (Republic Book Publishers, 2020).

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
Bulgaria has blocked a bank transfer worth some $890,000 to the Russian embassy because of EU sanctions, Finance Minister Assen Vassilev said on Wednesday, several days after Sofia expelled 70 Russian diplomatic staff from the Balkan country.

There is a bank transfer to the Russian embassy which falls directly under the European Commission sanctions. There are no frozen bank accounts, Vassilev told reporters.

Vassilev said the Russian embassy had sought a derogation because the funds were needed to pay staff salaries. He said the Bulgarian government was currently holding talks with Brussels on whether to waive the sanctions to allow the transfer.

The Russian embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria, on April 29, 2021. (Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)

Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member state and once a close ally of Russia, has been roiled by diplomatic tensions after outgoing Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced on June 28 the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomatic staff on espionage concerns.

Moscow has said it would retaliate in kind, while the Russian ambassador to Sofia has said she would ask the Russian government to close the embassy.

The EU and other Western countries have slapped sweeping economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Diplomatic Expulsions

A Russian government airplane carrying diplomats expelled by the Bulgarian government took off from Sofia to Moscow on Sunday ahead of a deadline for them to leave the country.
California Will Develop Its Own Low-Cost Insulin: Newsom

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that the state will develop its own low-cost insulinan essential hormone that many rely on to treat their diabetesmaking the state the first in the country to pursue such an effort.

In a video shared on Twitter, he said that people should not go into debt to receive life-saving medication.

Many Americans experience out-of-pocket costs anywhere from $300 to $500 per month for this life-saving drug, he said. California is now taking matters into its own hands. The budget I just signed sets aside $100 million so we can contract and make our own insulin at a cheaper price, close to at cost, and make it available to all.

Newsom last week signed a $308 billion state budget. He said on Thursday that $50 million in the budget will go toward developing low-cost insulin products and another $50 million will go towards a California-based insulin manufacturing facility that he says will provide new, high paying jobs and a stronger supply chain for the diabetes medication.

An insulin kit. (Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images)

Millions of people with diabetes, whose bodies cannot make insulin or respond well to it, use injections of the manufactured version of insulin to keep their blood sugars within normal ranges to ward off multiple health complications.

Of the 37 million people in the United States who have diabetes, about 8.4 million use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association. Medical costs in the United States for people with diabetes are more than double those incurred by people without diabetes, and about one out of every three Medicare dollars goes to treating people with diabetes.

Earlier this month, senators in Congress introduced a bipartisan insulin bill to cap insulin costs. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) praised the bill, introduced by the co-chairs of the U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and said he would bring it to a vote on the Senate floor very soon. The bill, if passed, would take effect for those with coverage on Jan. 1, 2024.

The price of a product usually falls over time, but insulin continues to rise in cost to consumers. Three companiesSanofi SA, Eli Lilly and Co., and Novo Nordiskown some 90 percent of the market for insulin, which was first isolated in the 1920s.

About one in five insured Americans pay more than $35 per month for the treatment, while the rest pay about $23 per month, according to a 2021 report on drug prices by health information company IQVIA.

The Trump administration previously announced a program in May 2020 to cap the price of insulin for many Medicare recipients. The program went into effect in January 2021 and remains in place. Under the program, more than 1,750 Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans have voluntarily capped the co-payments for insulin at $35 per month.
By Lynn ORourke Hayes

From FamilyTravel.com

When planning a family vacation, it can be a challenge to narrow the voluminous options.

Here are five categories to consider.

Make Road Trip Memories

Explore along the historic Route 66, where your family will marvel at the wide-open spaces, the changing landscape and the rich history discovered as you follow the path of the original Mother Road. Plan for a stop in the small town of Oatman, Arizona, where its said there are more wild burros than people. The burros are the offspring of the original critters that worked alongside gold miners back in the day.

Some shops even sell carrots that can be fed to the four-legged creatures. The colorful town might have faded into history were it not for the resurgence of interest in the Mother Road. And the burros, of course.

Today, visitors channel the Wild West history (be on the lookout for staged shootouts on Main Street), stroll along wide-planked wooden sidewalks, and hike in the adjacent wilderness areas.

For more: www.VisitArizona.com

Theme Park Thrills in Carlsbad

Pair a little SoCal sunshine with some theme park fun during a visit to LEGOLAND California, where more than 60 rides, shows and attractions beckon children ages 2 to 12. (Note some rides have height restrictions.) Youngsters will enjoy testing their skills in the Junior Driving School and will get a thrill out of the Coastersaurus. Later, they can cool off in the on-site water park. Dont miss the chance to build, test and race your own Ferrari in the new attractions garage, also home to a life-size, bright red Ferrari F40 model crafted from more than 350,000 LEGO elements.

The entrance to Legoland California in Carlsbad, California. (Arne Beruldsen/Dreamstime/TNS)

For more: www.Legoland.com

Saddle up With the Clan

With an authentic and scenic setting as the backdrop, you and your family can enjoy beautiful places and learn horsemanship from experienced hands who will tailor the instruction to your skill and interest level. Opt to ride in open meadows, on mountain trails or in the desert Southwest.

Will your family members choose to participate in a real cattle drive? Are you up for a horse pack trip into the backcountry? Will your youngsters be eager to learn the skills required for team penning and other arena games? Or will you be happy to relax during daily trail rides. The options are yours at working dude ranches and guest ranches across the country.

For more: www.duderanch.org.

Go for the Island Vibe

If youve ever dreamed of casting away to a tranquil hideaway where white sand beaches stretch for miles and your worries dissolve in soft ocean breezes, then this coral island is for you. The only resort on a small spit of land in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Four Seasons Desroches Island in the Seychelles pairs warm and welcoming service, top notch cuisine and rustic luxury with a pristine natural environment. Stay in villas, suites or expansive residences, each with private pools and beach access. Ride bikes to the Island Conservation Societys Giant Tortoise Sanctuary before stopping on a private stretch of beach for a family picnic. Explore your choice of 14 world-class dive sites around the island or soak up the sun in a kayak or on a stand-up paddleboard. Youngsters can explore with the Kids for All Seasons crew while adults spend the day deep-sea fishing or relaxing in the open-air spa. Later, connect for a spectacular sunset atop the Lighthouse, the beachfront restaurant with fresh-caught seafood.

For more: FourSeasons.com/SeychellesDesroches

Explore a Wild World

Learn about the evolution, habitat, social interaction and historical significance of the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang herd during a visit to the extraordinary 38,000-acre landscape that is their home outside of Lovell, Wyoming. Its one of only four designated wild horse ranges in the country. Many believe the magnificent creatures are descendants of Spanish horses brought to the area by Native American tribes, including the Crow. During a visit, bighorn sheep and other wildlife sightings are possible as you traverse land that straddles the Montana and Wyoming border.

For more: www.pryormustangs.org; www.visitmt.com; www.travelwyoming.com.

Lynn ORourke Hayes (LOHayes.com) is an author, family travel expert and enthusiastic explorer. Gather more travel intel on Twitter @lohayes, Facebook, or via FamilyTravel.com

2022 FamilyTravel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
One of my most memorable museum visits was to the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. I remember staring in shock and fascination at an eight-foot-long "mega colon" that had belonged to a man who suffered from Hirschprung's Disease and who had died of severe constipation. The colon, at the time of the man's death, contained 40 pounds of feces. The colon (along with photographs of the man and descriptions of the man's condition), is one of hundreds of similarly jarring displays at the museum, a collection that functions, as Colette Copeland argues, as a "dark tourist sitea site associated with death, disaster, and/or suffering."

As part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the Mutter Museum was once used to teach doctors about treating diseases and human anatomical anomalies. The museum's website notes, "America's finest museum of medical history, the Mutter displays its beautifully preserved collections of anatomical specimens, models, and medical instruments in a 19th century 'cabinet museum' setting."

Its current educational mission is to "help the public understand the mysteries and beauty of the human body and to appreciate the history of diagnosis and treatment of disease." The museum's tagline explains that the collection is "disturbingly informative."
Unemployment is ticking upnow at a 6-month high. A new report shows that job cuts are looming as employers trying to cut costs buckle down for a possible recession.

In a rare joint statement, FBI head Christopher Wray stands with a top UK intelligence officer to give a warning about the biggest threat to America and our allies.

Texas Congressman Pat Fallon joins us to weigh in on the threat from China as well as the growing movement in Texas to label the border crisis an invasion and what that classification could mean moving forward.

As UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns, what does it mean for the United States? And how is President Joe Biden reacting to it?

Conservatives in several states want to close primaries to make sure only registered Republicans are voting to choose Republican candidates. We take a look at how this could affect Trump-backed candidates in the 2024 election cycle.

Arizona has been at the center of the election fraud debate. The state has passed a new election law that has gotten the attention of the Department of Justice.

The Biden administration is awarding $1 billion to improve U.S. airports. This money is part of the infrastructure package approved last November.

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A Chinese national flag flutters near the surveillance cameras mounted on a lamp post in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, on March 15, 2019. (Andy Wong/AP Photo)

China Exerting Growing Influence Over Global Tech Standards, UK Lawmakers Warn

The Chinese regime and other malign actors are trying to exert their influence over global technological standards, but the UK governments response has been incoherent and muted, a committee of MPs has warned.

In its latest report published on July 8, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons said that malign actors such as the Chinese and Russian regimes are trying to rewrite the rules underpinning our international systems and technology development, and technological standardization provides them with the opportunity to do so.

Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat asks a question as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (not pictured) gives evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in London on Sept. 1, 2021. (House of Commons/Screenshot via PA)

Despite the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) explicit strategy for exporting and embedding its own authoritarian principles of technology governance across the world, the MPs said, the British governments response has so far been incoherent and muted.

In the ongoing battle between authoritarian and rights-based technological standards and values, the committee said, it is vital for the government to work with others to avoid a future in which rights-based and human-centered technology standards are not the norm.

Increasingly Assertive

The committee warned that China is exerting growing influence and is becoming increasingly assertive in international standards-setting organizations.

Between 2016 and 2019, 90 percent of the standards proposals for surveillance technologies at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) were put forward by China, the report said.

In a recent example cited in the report, a small number of exclusively Chinese-owned companies were involved in the shaping of the ITUs new rules around facial recognition.

Facial recognition is a particularly high-risk area when it comes to human rights, as the technology is widely used in China in the regimes crackdown on dissidents and Uyghur Muslims, among others.

ITU is not the only global standard-setting body infiltrated by the Chinese regime.

According to the Financial Times, Chinese-owned companies were responsible for 16 of the 65 proposals for new technical committees at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) since 2014.

According to the committee, while these organizations are supposed to let the best technology win, there have been instances of Chinese participants reportedly being forced by the Chinese government to vote for proposals tabled by Chinese technology companies such as Huawei.

Stronger Response Needed

The committee said a strong and cohesive response by the UK and its allies is needed to restrict the growing influence of authoritarian governments in global standardization processes.

But the MPs found the UK government has yet to demonstrate that it understands the impact that technology has on foreign policy and global governance, and has so far neglected to develop and implement a global technology governance strategy.

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the committee, said: Authoritarian malign states, such as Russia and China, are exploiting technological developments to further their geopolitical agendas.

By not claiming our seat at the table, we give foreign states permission to make critical decisions that affect the daily lives of UK citizens, said the senior Conservative MP, who has launched his bid to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister.

The report urged the government to extend the UKs influence within the global technology landscape, to ensure that future technologies are developed and used in ways that align with our values and, crucially, uphold the rights and freedoms of people in the UK and across the world.
The words 'Made in China' are pictured on a box of products imported from China. (Regis Duvignau/Reuters)

Chinas Fashion Giant Shein Hit With Copyright Lawsuit Amid Allegations of Unethical Labor Practices

News Analysis

Shein, Chinas ultra-fast fashion online store and the most downloaded shopping app in the United States, is hit with a new lawsuit as it faces criticism for the alleged poor treatment of its workers.

On June 15, Magdalena Mollmann, a Florida-based artist professionally known as Maggie Stephenson, filed a lawsuit of more than $100 million in damages for copyright infringement against Sheins parent company, the Hong Kong-based Zoetop Business, and the Los Angeles-based Shein Distribution Corporation.

Starting in 2018, Shein (pronounced She-in) encountered lawsuits alleging design theft involving artists and name brands such as Los Angeles-based indie brand Valfre and Levi Strauss.

The fast-growing e-commerce platforms success is due to its speedy production, but its labor practices have recently received attention. Shein faces criticism for alleged poor work conditions in its workshops in China.

The Path to Ultra-Fast Fashion

Shein saw astronomical growth since 2015, gaining about 177.5 million app downloads across the world in 2021, according to Statistas report. Sheins main customer bases are in America, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East. The company does not have any domestic customers in China.

The company earned the nickname Instant Fashion for its speedy production. It contracts with small and medium manufacturers and shops in China, and primarily caters to young women under the age of 25 worldwide.

According to the companys 2021 report, Shein works with 6,000 on-demand suppliers.

Shein Distribution Corp. delivers more than 6,000 new fashion, beauty and lifestyle products daily with more than 600,000 items available, the company stated on its official platform.

According to Chinese sources, Shein reportedly shortened a three-week production process to three daysfrom the initial proofing and design to the procurement, production, and the final market of new products, allowing their consumers to receive orders in one week.

Theres little public information about the company and its founder, even in the Chinese media.

The founder, Chris Xu, started as a wedding dress e-tailer with a platform, SheInside.com, in 2008. In 2012, the company changed its name to Shein. Xu and his associates have kept a low profile.

However, the companys success has been under scrutiny.

In the past three years, Shein or Zoetop have been involved in at least 50 federal lawsuits in the United States alleging trademark or copyright infringement, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

While its success is the result of the Chinese logistics market, warehouse automation, online influencers, and super low prices, the negative side of the operation received minimal attention from mainstream media.

Employees produce down coats at a factory for Chinese clothing company Bosideng in Nantong in Chinas eastern Jiangsu Province on Sept. 24, 2019. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Unethical Labor Practices

The companys speedy production came under scrutiny when a TikTok user uploaded a video in May, revealing unethical labor practices.

The video shows various Shein products shipped to consumers that contained notes from workers, asking for help and raising public awareness about their plight.

One note (initially written in Chinese and translated to English) reads: SOS! SOS! SOS! We are prisoners in Xiangnan Prison, Hubei Province, China. We have long been producing clothing for export. We work 15 hours a day and eat food that is inferior to what pigs and dogs would eat. We call on the international community to condemn the Chinese government for its violation of human rights.

Shein denied the allegations and posted a statement on TikTok: We want to make it very clear that we take supply chain matters seriously. Our strict Code of Conduct prohibits suppliers from using child or forced labor and we do not tolerate non-compliance.

However, a Zurich-based non-governmental organization exposed Sheins alleged labor law violations.

In Chinas southern Guangzhou city, thousands of Chinese workers spend up to 12 hours a day sewing together fabrics to make teen dreams come true, Public Eye reported in November 2021.

Furthermore, in the so-called Shein Village near Sheins headquarters in Panyu, a district in Guangzhou, employees typically worked overtimein some cases, over 75 working hours per week, the report said.

According to Article 36 of Chinas labor law, a work week cannot exceed 44 hours.

Shein denied Public Eyes allegations with the following statement: Our customers are responsible for the operations of their business within their leased premises on our property. With respect to the concern you raised, we have no knowledge of non-compliance.

The Epoch Times contacted Shein for comment regarding its labor practices. The company has not responded as of press time.
People visit the BYD booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China, on April 19, 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Chinese EV Maker BYD Is Beating Tesla

Tougher tariffs on China would level the playing field

Commentary

The competition over electric cars is heating up, and Chinas BYD just pulled ahead of Tesla.

BYD sold 641,000 vehicles in the first six months of the year, with Tesla selling 564,000. Tesla only sells electric vehicles (EVs), whereas BYDs strength is not only EVsabout half of unit salesbut also plug-in hybrids useful for longer trips, heavier loads, and rural and highly urbanized areas with fewer accessible charging stations.

BYDs growth markets and supply chains are better protected than Teslas. As a Chinese domestic company, BYD is advantaged in sales to Chinas 1.4 billion consumers. Its computer chip and battery operations are in-house, while Tesla relies on Chinas battery manufacturers, including BYD itself, according to a BYD executive (whose interview was later deleted).

Just as the going gets tough for Tesla, its founder and CEO, Elon Musk, is distracted. He sold more than $8 billion in Tesla stock to attempt to bring Twitter private. The man isnt demonstrating total commitment to Tesla during its time of need.

Tesla lost about 46 percent of its value since a high last year. The market is bullish on BYD relative to Tesla, with the latters price-to-earnings ratio at 92 compared to 270 for BYD.

BYD benefits from the regime in Beijing, which will move mountains to ensurethrough subsidies and regulatory preferencesthat it succeeds in sales globally, from Europe to the United States and throughout the developing world.

Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD Auto, the biggest global electric brand by sales volume, prepares to show the latest cars during the Auto Shanghai 2019 show in Shanghai on April 16, 2019. (Ng Han Guan/AP)

BYD has another major advantage. It already sells EVs for under $25,000. For Musk, thats merely a dream. His strong suit is stuck in the high-end, liberal luxury market of the United States and Europe, which has its limits.

Chinas market is only available for Tesla to the extent that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allows. Now that BYD is pulling ahead, including technologically in some respects, Musks star is setting in Beijing. The regime also doesnt appreciate his Starlink satellite support to Ukraine.

BYD is positioned to provide affordable EVs to consumers not only in China, but globally, as governments worldwide force their citizens to convert from gas to electric, and China offers the cheapest manufacturing conditions.

The autocratic countrys lower wages, worse labor standards (including the enslavement of Uyghurs), lackluster environmental protections, and state-sponsored industrial espionage give its car industry major cost advantages over those in the United States, Europe, and Japan that must compete on an uneven playing field. Ford, Nissan, BMW, Volvo, and Volkswagen are in the same sorry situation as Tesla.

On July 6, the heads of the FBI and MI5, Britains intelligence agency, issued an unprecedented joint warning to business leaders that the CCP is accelerating its state-sponsored industrial espionage and is attempting to influence our democratic policymaking processes.

We must do more to defend ourselves.

That includes our EV industry. The United States, Europe, and Japan can and must protect EV markets from China, which will otherwise use the revenues to fund its military, territorial expansion, and literally cutting-edge human rights abuses.

Defending against Beijing requires an all-fronts effort, including the defense of global EV markets from cheap and unethically produced Chinese cars.

First, negative externalities should be included in Chinese vehicles, which will raise their prices. To do so, democracies can tax Chinas EV batteries, for example, at the point of import, to offset their arguably higher pollution levels in the production process.

That includes Chinese batteries imported as part of Tesla vehicles, for example. Tesla must be incentivized to source all of its batteries and vehicles outside China to help deprive Beijing of the economic power it needs to achieve its hegemonic goals.

Second, general tariffs on Chinese goods help to protect U.S. markets. They will incentivize Tesla and other manufacturers to build more factories in the United States.

The price effect of U.S. tariffs is minuscule. Overall, China tariffs have only increased prices in the United States by approximately 0.25 percentjust a quarter for every $100 spent. And they improve Americas gross domestic product, job market, industrial ecosystem, and tax base.

The benefits from U.S. manufacturing multiply over time in a virtuous circle and thus strengthen the United States and democracy, whereas price breaks on Chinese imports empower the United States greatest adversary to the same multiplicative extent.

Third, American allies can also benefit by mirroring U.S. tariffs to make them truly effective for all concerned.

Tesla and other U.S. and allied manufacturers can beat China, but we must take action together.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Rachel Carson Bridge over the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh is shown on Nov. 26, 2020. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo)

City of Pittsburghs Vaccine Mandate Will Decimate Already Struggling Police Force, Says Detective

In the waning days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Pittsburgh is cracking down on unvaccinated employees, telling them to get their COVID-19 shots or they can expect to lose their jobs, despite the fact that the police department is already dealing with a staffing crisis.

Employees in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, the Bureau of Police, and building inspectors are among those who received letters in June 2022 warning that unvaccinated workers who were denied accommodation exemptions would start being suspended from their jobs as of June 15, and would face discharge by July 29.

In November 2021 under former Mayor Bill Peduto, a Democrat, Pittsburgh issued the vaccine mandate for city employees and gave them until Dec. 22, 2021, to request an exemption from the shots. Those who requested an exemption were given a questionnaire to fill out, and then they heard nothing.

Ed Gainey, the new Democratic mayor, was sworn in on Jan. 3, 2022.

It is unclear if Pittsburgh allowed any exemptions at all. Maria Montano, press secretary for the mayors office, did not respond to an email requesting information about the vaccine mandate, the number of exemption requests, and the potential impact on staffing numbers.

When reached by phone, Montano told The Epoch Times, We have no comment to offer at this time.

Worked for Months Without Shots

In Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is located, the daily average of COVID-19 deaths on Dec. 21, 2021, was 17 people. On June 27, 2022, the daily death average was zero.

Unvaccinated workers kept working for six months from Dec. 22, 2021, until the June reprimand letters, and were surprised to learn vaccine mandates would now be so strictly enforced.

We worked through the height of the pandemic without reservation. We continue to work, and we are happy to do it, Amy Dice, a detective with the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, told The Epoch Times.

Through conversations with other union members and social media groups, Dice said she estimates at least 200 police officers requested exemptions and could now be facing job loss, a move that would be devastating among the already understaffed force.

Dice requested a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate on Dec. 15, 2021.

I truly believe that we are all made in the image of God, she said. I feel that being forced to inject my body with an experimental medicine is wrong. Theres something guttural within me thats telling me something bad is going on. God has control over my bodythis government doesnt.

Fighting for the Children

Dice is a detective handling intensely emotional cases in the Major Crime Special Victims Unit, investigating child abuse and sex crimes against children and adults.

I did not choose this job, Dice said. God chose this job for me. And God said the children are to be protected. I feel like my niche in life is to be a detective in the Special Victims Unit because thats where I can do Gods plan.

We have had children who are brutalized, they are raped  and they have looked at me and theyve asked me for help. They say, Can you save me? And I always say, Yes child, I can. So, by the city threatening my job the way that they are, they have started a religious war with us, Dice said. I will continue to fight for those children that need me, that are brutally beaten, that are sexually assaulted. When they have no one else left, who do they go to? They go to the police. We will stand up for them and we will fight for them. It is wrong what the city is doing.

The city is putting citizens at risk, Dice says.

Citizens have no idea how they are being abandoned by our city government. Theyre being abandoned and they will be left with a decimated police force who will no longer be able to protect them.

In addition to the roughly 200 police officers that Dice estimates will be fired, about 270 Bureau of Police employees are currently eligible for retirement, she says. There is likely some overlap between the two groups. But police are already working extra shifts, and those eligible to retire may be more likely to leave the job if theyre asked to cover the work of the many employees being fired over the mandate.

The police have about 850 sergeants and patrol officers, Dice said.

With the department already understaffed, fewer 911 calls get a live police response. Many calls go to the Telephone Reporting Unit, which handles issues on the phone that at one time would have been addressed by an officer responding in person.

No new officers have been hired in more than two years due to a hiring freeze prompted by the Defund the Police movement, a WPXI TV news report says.

A Right to Bodily Autonomy

Jeff Schott, a labor and civil rights attorney at the Scaringi Law Firm in Harrisburg, is representing Dice.

Schott says that in every case hes heard of out of Pittsburgh, the city cites workplace safety as the reason for denial of religious exemption requests, even though data has established that the virus spreads among the vaccinated.

The sick irony is that while claiming workplace safety as the basis for rejecting every exemption request without any individual consideration of the requests, the city is not only violating the law and potentially gutting the police force over its policy but is also jeopardizing the safety of its citizens who are experiencing an actual pandemic of criminal activity, Schott told The Epoch Times. Should the unions efforts in negotiations fail, or should the city proceed with discipline as threatened, my client intends to seek an injunction on behalf of herself and all other affected employees who submitted sincere religious exemption requests.

On June 24, the mayor posted a response on his Facebook page to the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Todays ruling by the Supreme Court is an attack on the civil and human rights of our entire country. Abortion is healthcare and denying the right to bodily autonomy of women, trans men, non-binary, and disabled people in America is stripping them of their fundamental right to privacy, he said. We must ensure that people can make decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures and all of us must recommit ourselves to the work of making America more just and equal for everyone.

In the post, Gainey calls for bodily autonomy for all, but Dice said that principle apparently doesnt apply to her.

I have to give up my righteous work that I believe God has put me to, if Im not going to get a vaccine.
Supporters protest outside the court in Ottawa where Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lichs bail hearing was held on July 8, 2022. (Limin Zhou/The Epoch Times)

Convoy Organizer Tamara Lich Denied Bail, Will Remain in Custody to Await Trial

Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich has been denied bail after appearing in an Ottawa court on July 8. She will remain in custody to await trial on allegations she breached bail terms set previously. Her next court date is scheduled for July 14.

Defence lawyer Lawrence Greenspon said Lich is understandably disappointed and that she wishes to regain her freedom as soon as possible.

The hearing was held after the Crown alleged Lich had breached her bail conditions when she attended a June 16 award ceremony in Toronto, at which she interacted with fellow convoy organizer Tom Marrazo.

Marazzo, a military veteran, volunteered as a spokesman for the truckers Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa in February, which called for an end to the federal governments COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions.

During Lichs previous hearing on July 5, Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee argued that she had breached her bail conditions, presenting as evidence a photograph of Lich and Marazzo appearing together at the ceremony in Toronto where Lich was presented with the 2022 George Jonas Freedom Award. A video recording was also presented in court, which shows Lich approaching Marazzo and the two interacting.

At that hearing, Greenspon pointed out that a brief congratulatory exchange after winning an award wouldnt lead to illegal activity and isnt a breach of bail conditions. The court also heard testimony that lawyers who were present at the event approved the picture taken of Lich and Marazzo. Greenspon said Lichs bail terms specified that there should be no communication with convoy organizers except in the presence of counsel.

However, on July 8, Justice of the Peace Paul Harris said he was siding with the Crown, saying that Lich chose to sit at a table with Marrazo and that it is absolutely ridiculous for her to believe she could justify interacting with Marazzo by having her lawyers in the room.

Harris said Lich still poses a risk to public safety, as some Freedom Convoy protests continue to be held in Ottawa from time to time.

Dozens of supporters holding Canadian flags and signs reading Free Tamara gathered outside the court on July 8.

Bail, Rearrest

As a key Freedom Convoy organizer, Lich was first arrested on Feb. 17 and charged with counselling to commit mischief and obstructing police, among other charges.

She was initially denied bail on Feb. 22 by Ontario Court Justice Julie Bourgeois, and after spending 19 days in custody, she was released on bail on March 7 after Ontario Superior Court Justice John M. Johnston overturned Bourgeois decision. Johnston said Bourgeois had weighed Lichs offences against the impacts on Ottawas residents rather than other offences in the Criminal Code, which he said was too subjective in its assessment of their gravity.

Lich was released under a number of bail conditions, including having no contact with fellow convoy organizers and not setting foot in Ontario.

In April, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms selected Lich as the winner of the 2022 George Jonas Freedom Award, and invited her to accept the award in a ceremony in Toronto on June 16.

Crown prosecutors said in May that by agreeing to attend the award ceremony, Lich had violated her bail conditions and should be sent back to jail to await trial. Then on May 25, Ontario Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips ruled that Lich didnt breach her bail conditions, saying that courts are not a thought police.

But on June 27, just days after attending the award ceremony, Lich was rearrested in her hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta, and was transferred to Ottawa for her bail hearings. She has been held in custody ever since.

Andrew Chen Follow Andrew Chen is an Epoch Times reporter based in Toronto.
A 15-year-old receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the CCP virus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on May 13, 2021. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)

COVID Vaccines Significantly Increase Risk of Myocarditis After Second Dose, Especially in Young Males: Study

Another peer-reviewed study based on passive surveillance from Ontario, Canada, found that the rate of myocarditis was greater in younger males than females, and also greater after the second dose than the first dose of an mRNA vaccine.

On June 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for children as young as 6 months old.

On June 24, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) started recommending COVID vaccines to everyone aged 6 months or older and COVID-19 boosters for everyone ages 5 years and older.

Dr. Sanjay Verma, a cardiologist from California, told The Epoch Times that the agency is doing this regardless of risk stratification or prior infection with SARS-CoV2. Using data mostly from VAERS, supplemented with VSD (Vaccine Safety Datalink) data, CDC continues to assert that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.'

Previous studies have shown rapidly decreasing vaccine efficacy (VE) in children as well as adolescents during the first few months after completing vaccination.

The decreasing VE then begs the question if the benefits outweigh the risks in healthy children and young adults given the known increased, albeit rare, risk of myocarditis, Verma said.

The study had the goal of assessing the association between specific vaccine products to differences in rates of myocarditis or pericarditis; Further estimating the rates based on age, sex, dose number, and interval between the shots.

The study found 97.3 cases of myocarditis per million doses of BNT162b2 (Pfizer) for 1217-year-old males and 299.5 per million doses of mRNA-1273 (Moderna) for 1824-year-old males.

The population-based cohort study was published on June 24 and conducted from December 2020 to September 2021 and used data from Ontarios COVID-19 vaccine registry and passive vaccine-safety surveillance system.

As the authors also mention in the discussion, this is substantially higher than the VAERS data reported by CDC (38.5 per million for mRNA-1273 doses in males and 69.1 per million BNT162b2 doses for males 16-17 years old,) Verma said.

Furthermore, the authors continue, using data from four claims databases, FDA reported a rate of 283 cases of myocarditis per million of mRNA-1271 doses for males 18-25 years old. This is closer to the rate found in this study (299.5 per million). Vaccine Safety Data (VSD) data, the authors note, found the adjusted rate of myocarditis or pericarditis to be 2.72 times greater for dose 2 of mRNA-1273 than dose 2 of BNT162b2.

Child Vaccination

Dr. James Thorp, a maternal-fetal medicine expert, believes that children should not take the vaccine.

Thorp told The Epoch Times that: There is absolutely no basis for giving lethal experimental injections to babies and children. There is absolutely zero epidemiological or clinical data to support this. There is no emergency use authorization when there is no emergency.

Thorp thinks that the vaccines would cause much more harm than good, and that the Chinese Communist Party virus can be treated with other methods.

The COVID-19 injections were never necessary. The scientific verdict is in and 95 percent of COVID-19 deaths are prevented by early therapies with nutraceuticals, vitamins, and repurposed medications, Thorp said.

The CDCs Interim Clinical Considerations said in regards to issues of interchangeability of shots from different manufacturers (when one takes a first dose from Pfizer and then a second form Moderna), that in exceptional situations in which the mRNA vaccine product administered for a previous dose(s) of the primary series cannot be determined or is not available, any age-appropriate mRNA COVID-19 vaccine product may be administered.

And as for the vaccine boosters, the CDCs recommendations are, Any age-appropriate mRNA vaccine can be used for the booster dose(s): it can be the same mRNA vaccine as the primary series (homologous booster dose) or a different mRNA vaccine (heterologous booster dose).

However, Verma said: In the Supplementary Online Content of this study, the authors report that when vaccines are mixed (i.e., dose 1 and dose 2 are different manufacturers), the rate of myocarditis can be as high as 799 per million if mRNA-1273 is the second dose after initial BNT162b2 dose. The risk with heterologous dosing thus is 2.67 times higher than homologous dosing.

Myocarditis refers to the inflammation of the heart musclea life-threatening condition. There are many established causes for this heart condition. The leading causeaccording to modern sciences most recent discoveriesis viruses; but during the pandemic, COVID mRNA vaccines have earned a place as a top suspect for myocarditis.

New York Protests

On Wednesday, about 20 police barricaded a vaccine center in New York due to demonstrators protesting against the COVID vaccination of babies and children.

On July 2, protestors were recorded outside a vaccination center in Times Square begging parents taking their children into the center not to vaccinate them and asking them to do more research before doing a potentially irreversible medical procedure.
Members of the public wait to be vaccinated at a COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic in Midland, an eastern suburb of Perth, Australia on Sep. 9, 2021. Western Australia currently has the lowest percentage of people double-vaccinated in the country. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)

D-Day Approaches for Remaining Vaccine Mandates in Western Australia

Commentary

We may assume that the worse of all those COVID-19 restrictions and emergency powers have finally gone in Australia. However, this is not entirely so, particularly in Western Australia (WA), where vaccine mandates remain in place and thousands of local workers across numerous industries have either stood down or are being stood down.

In this context, in October last year, WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson, soon to commence his appointment as the new Governor of Western Australia, imposed a harsh policy forcing all non-vaccinated police officers and police staff to have two COVID-19 vaccine doses by Jan. 1 or face summary dismissal.

As a result, WA police officer, Senior Constable Ben Falconer, decided to challenge these mandates and successfully secured a Supreme Court injunction for officers who refused to subject themselves to this sort of measure.

On Dec. 24, Justice Jeremy Allanson granted Falconer an injunction preventing the commissioner, until trial, from carrying out his serious threat to sack him for not being vaccinated by the deadline. Commissioner Dawson, after initially stating that the judicial decision applied only to Falconer, then relented and gave an undertaking that all unvaccinated police officers would not be dismissed until after the outcome of the trial.

On Dec. 23, it emerged during another hearing that all public sector mandatory vaccine directions in the state are the same as those for the WA Police Force. Therefore, the lawyers for Falconer received instructions to commence several other proceedings in the Supreme Court against the Chief Health Officer Dr. Andy Robertson.

Fair Trial

These proceedings challenge the chief health officers directions applying to workers in a range of industries including education, construction, mining, fire and emergency services, health, corrections, and critical infrastructure. They have been held over, pending the outcome of Falconers challenge.

The trial was initially listed for March 29 but, at an urgent hearing the day before this was due to start, Ken Pettit S.C., counsel for the states chief health officer, communicated that his client would no longer be called to give evidence at the trial. This about-face appears, to any reasonable person, to be a very clear attempt to avoid any form of scrutiny.

At that urgent hearing, Falconers counsel Shane Prince S.C. argued that the chief health officers withdrawal had deprived his client of the crucial opportunity to cross-examine him on an affidavit filled early March, and so the trial would not be fair if it proceeded in the way proposed by Pettit.

Justice Allanson agreed and so he decided to adjourn the trial, stating in his oral reasons: I am not satisfied that the trial should proceed in the manner proposed. I am not satisfied that it would be fair and that it would be seen to be fair.

Email Survey About Vaccine Mandates Deleted

In a troubling backdrop to this important legal challenge, internal emails to WA Police employees asking for their thoughts on vaccine mandates were allegedly wiped from all staff inboxes without explanation.

Former police officer Jordan McDonald sent this survey on Feb. 27 to approximately 90 percent of the entire workforce. About 300 responses had already been received, out of which 60 percent manifested opposition to these mandates.

WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson receives his COVID-19 vaccination at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, in Australia on March 7, 2021. (Simon Santi  Pool/Getty Images)

A spokeswoman for WA Police stated the organisation was not interested in the opinion of their employees.

The WA Police administration would not conduct a similar survey because, in her words, this would be a waste of resources and would not change the agencys mind. She dismissed any concerns some officers might have, stating: The commissioner will not speak on behalf of [these officers]. They are entitled to their opinions, however, when it comes to enforcing laws and abiding by workplace regulations therell be no debate.

This disregard for the opinion of police officers may explain why a great number of experienced, senior police officers have decided to leave the profession in Western Australia. As referred above, the entire police force was forced into double vaccination by Jan. 1, or face dismissal. There have been no less than 236 resignations between January and May this year. By comparison, there were only 149 resignations of police officers in the whole of 2019.

Astonishingly, Dawson, who will leave the top job in a matter of weeks, seems oblivious to everything that is occurring. He attributed this dramatic increase in resignations solely to strong labour market and job opportunities, in some cases with higher pay, elsewhere!

Problems in the Workplace?

This survey was seeking to identify the reasons for so many resignations this year. According to the results, the primary reason for the resignation was the disturbing lack of empathy from senior executives in the police force.

Indeed, this union survey revealed that at least 77 percent of all the officers who resigned over the last five months blamed poor culture and dissatisfaction with WA Police management for their decision.

In one submission, a member said the WA Police Force management doesnt care about its people. In another, the respondent stated: I participated in an internal interview in which was treated worse than how were expected to treat suspects. The whole system is broken.

These findings help understand why the police administration suppressed that other survey over vaccine mandates. The WA Police management apparently does want these officers entertaining such thoughts.

The Falconer trial is now listed to commence on July 13. One of the witness at the trial will be Nikolai Petrovsky, a professor of medicine at Flinders University and director of endocrinology at Flinders Medical Centre. His evidence will call into question the scientific credibility of the WA governments decision in October of last year to impose vaccination mandates on a large proportion of WAs workforce.

Petrovskys evidence was a critical factor in the judicial review by the High Court of New Zealand, where the police and defence force vaccine mandates in that country were struck down.

Unfortunately, the trial will not be livestreamed, due to opposition from counsel for the chief health officer and police commissioner. Indeed, the lengths the state of Western Australia and Dawson have allegedly gone to potentially obfuscate, delay, and perhaps suppress information that may cause harm to their position is extraordinary and takes ones breath away.

If successful, this case may provide an opportunity for sacked or disciplined workers to be re-instated and have sanctions removed. We commend all those involved in this legal challenge for their courage to stand up against the oppressive measures of a government that is drunk with power.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Augusto Zimmermann Follow Augusto Zimmermann is professor and head of law at Sheridan Institute of Higher Education in Perth. He is also president of the Western Australian (WA) Legal Theory Association, editor-in-chief of The Western Australian Jurist, and served as a member of WA's law reform commission from 2012 to 2017. Zimmermann is an adjunct professor of the University of Notre Dame Australia, and has authored numerous books, including "Direito Constitucional Brasileiro," "Western Legal Theory," and "Christian Foundations of the Common Law."
Department of Labor Fines Hawaiian Restaurant Group for Tip Violations

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a statement against a group that operates numerous steak and seafood restaurants in Hawaii, claiming it has engaged in illegal labor practices at the expense of its servers.

On June 30, the DOL issued a statement on the labor practices of the DK Restaurant Group, alleging that it had required employees to share $58,855 in tips with managers whose salaries had been cut. This constitutes a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which stipulates that managers and supervisors may not share tips given to servers.

The DK group has four locations in Hawaii under the brand Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar as well as one eponymous steakhouse. The company was founded by Hawaiian chef and entrepreneur Dave D.K. Kodama, who opened the first Sansei restaurant in 1996, and has since expanded to three of the Hawaiian islands.

A review by Conde Nast Traveler noted the Sansei chains popularity among locals, praising Sanseis adventurous sushi offerings as well as the restaurants Cheerful and high-energy service.

Customers tips to restaurant staff for good service are the private property of those workers in the tip pool, such as servers, bartenders, and other front-line workers. Any attempt by management to misuse a portion of these tips violates tipped workers wage rights, said the Department of Labors Honolulu District Director Terence Trotter. The U.S. Department of Labor is determined to protect workers right to keep all their earnings, and prevent employers from gaining a competitive advantage by reducing their labor costs.

In June, Hawaii Governor David Ige signed legislation that would require employers to pay workers a minimum wage of $18 per hour, the highest minimum wage law heretofore in the United States. However, the transition to this rate will be gradual, with the full amount not being required until 2028. At present, the states minimum wage is $10.10 per hour, but restaurants and bars may pay employees less so long as tips are sufficient to compensate for the difference.

Throughout the United States, wage theft, defined as the failure of an employer to pay wages rightfully owed to their workers, remains an endemic problem. Many estimates place the total value lost to wage theft well above other forms of theft and larceny, yet the phenomenon is rarely discussed and remains widespread.

Employers steal from you by working you off the clock, paying you below minimum wage, or not paying for overtime, said former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. A study of just three cities found that employers stole $3 billion dollars from low-wage workers in just a single year. On that basis, researchers estimate $50 billion is stolen from the countrys low-wage workforce every year. Many of them, as a result, have to rely on public assistance, meaning we all subsidize corporate theft.

The DOL has recovered a total of $117,710 from the DK group, comprising the aforementioned $58,855 in lost tips plus the same amount in damages. There was an additional penalty of $8,580 for the willful nature of its violations. The DK group did not respond to a request for comment.
Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides over Chauvin's sentencing at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minn., on June 25, 2021. (Court TV via AP/Pool)

Derek Chauvin Gets 21-Year Sentence in George Floyd Civil Rights Case

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was on Thursday sentenced by a federal court judge to serve 21 years in prison for violating the civil rights of convicted felon George Floyd.

Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal civil rights charges in December 2021. Prosecutor LeeAnn Bell sought a full 25-year sentence, to be served concurrently with his 22-and-a-half-year sentence for his state convictions of murder and manslaughter.

Bell told the judge that Chauvin wasnt a rookie and had admitted that his conduct was wrong and he did it anyway.

In handing down his sentence, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson opted for the low end of the plea agreement.

I really dont know why you did what you did. To put your knee on a persons neck until they expired is simply wrong, Magnuson said.

Your conduct is wrong and it is offensive, the federal court judge added.

Chauvin was accused of depriving Floyd of his rights by conducting unreasonable seizure, which includes the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer.

The former Minneapolis police officer will likely spend around 18 years in prison, with parole and presuming good behavior.

There are differences in parole eligibility in the state and federal systems. The state sentence should make Chauvin eligible for parole after 15 years, but he will serve more time on his federal sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

His state sentence of 22 and a half years will run at the same time as his most recent federal sentence of 21 years. He will be incarcerated in a federal prison.

Chauvin didnt testify during his trials but offered his condolences to Floyds family during his state sentencing hearing, and wished Floyds children all the best in their life, during his federal sentencing hearing.

Conviction

Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in the death of Floyd by Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill late last year.

Floyd died on May 25, 2020, while being arrested for allegedly attempting to purchase cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 note in Minneapolis.

Floyds death triggered left-wing demonstrations, riots, and violence across the country. Amid the protests were calls to defund the police, which some critics said led to a significant rise in crime across major U.S. metropolitan areas.

Minneapolis was particularly hit hard by weeks of riots, arson attacks, looting, and violence in the wake of Floyds death, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
How stupid can Senator Ron Johnson be? Well, stupid enough to record a radio campaign ad in which he says, "The latest mass murder in America didn't involve guns," referring to the 53 migrants who died in a tractor-trailer last week in San Antonio (listen to ad below).

In a country that has seen more than 300 mass shootings this year so far  or more than one per day, according to The Washington Post, how did the Wisconsin Senator think his MAGA-pandering ad would stay relevant? Of course it didn't. In fact, stable genius Johnson, who thinks Covid vaccinations could cause AIDS, had to quickly take down his ad before it even aired  it had been schedule for July 6, two days after the 4th of July mass shooting that killed seven people in Highland Park, IL.

Sen. Ron Johnson's campaign scrambled to have this planned radio ad downplaying gun violence pulled after the mass shooting on July 4th in Highland Park. They kept it from airing, but it has since been leaked to me.



Full story: https://t.co/MEc1DdMIE0 pic.twitter.com/YwpryJlBi3  Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) July 7, 2022

From The Intercept:
A man stands outside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) building in Tukwila, Wash., on March 3, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images)

DHS Officer Indicted for Helping China to Harass Chinese Dissidents in US

A deportation officer with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and a retired DHS law enforcement agent were among five people indicted on July 6 in a widening federal investigation over an alleged plan to hunt down Chinese dissidents in the United States.

Craig Miller, whos currently assigned to DHSs Emergency Relief Operations in Minneapolis, and former DHS agent Derrick Taylor, whos presently employed as a private investigator in Irvine, California, were accused of obtaining and disseminating sensitive and confidential information from a restricted federal law enforcement database, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on July 7.

This case exposes attempts by the government of the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] to suppress dissenting voices within the United States, Alan Kohler Jr., assistant director of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division, said in a statement. Actions taken by the defendantstwo of which are current or former federal law enforcement officersdemonstrate how the PRC seeks to stalk, intimidate, and silence those who oppose it.

The plan was first revealed in March, when the DOJ announced charges against three individualsMatthew Ziburis, a former correctional officer in Florida; Liu Fan, president of a purported New York-based media company; and Sun Qiang, a China-based individual who allegedly acted as an intermediary for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The three were indicted along with Miller and Taylor on July 6.

Under Suns direction, Liu aimed to silence three dissidents in the United States by ruining their reputations. One of the dissidents was Arthur Liu, the father of U.S. Olympic skater Alysa Liu. Another was Chen Weiming, an artist who created a sculpture depicting the Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a novel coronavirus molecule.

In Chens case, Liu tried to illegally obtain his federal tax returns, believing that Chen had evaded taxes, a crime he could make public to discredit the artist.

The Alleged Plot

The latest DOJ announcement revealed that Lius co-conspirators retained Taylor to obtain information on three dissidents, including their passport information, photos, and flight and immigration records. The DOJ didnt identify the three dissidents, but they likely include Liu and Chen.

Liu, Ziburis, and Sun used this information to target and harass these U.S. residents while acting on behalf of the PRC government, the DOJ stated.

To obtain information for Liu and his co-conspirators, Taylor first turned to a retired former depositions officer with DHSs Enforcement and Removal Operations in 2021. The deposition officer accessed the restricted federal enforcement database and turned over information on at least one of the dissidents, including his birthday and visa status.

The deposition officer eventually refused to cooperate with Taylor, who then turned to Miller for assistance, according to a court document.

In a text conversation that took place on Nov. 10, 2021, one of Lius co-conspirators asked Taylor if he could obtain passport information on a dissident and his daughter.

A client is willing to pay $800 for two passport numbers. Please let me know if you can help, the co-conspirator wrote, according to the court document.

Six days later, Miller ran queries through the database using the two peoples names.

He eventually provided Taylor with individuals residences, flight records, and photographs, according to the court document. Taylor provided Miller with a gift card to Wine & Times as a thank you for his cooperation.

When confronted by FBI agents, Taylor and Miller initially liedthe former saying that he obtained some of the information on the dark web, while the latter said he hadnt been in extensive contact with Taylor since relocating to Minnesota in 2015, according to the court document.

Taylor was Millers boss from 2009 to 2011 while the DHS officer was stationed in Los Angeles, the court document states.

We will defend the rights of people in the United States to engage in free speech and political expression, including views the PRC government wants to silence, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen said in a statement.

Miller and Taylor are charged with obstruction of justice, while Taylor is also charged with making a false statement to the FBI, the DOJ stated.

If convicted, Taylor faces up to 25 years in prison, while Miller faces up to 20 years, according to the DOJ.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic (R) shakes hands with Britain's Cameron Norrie after winning their men's singles semifinal tennis match on the twelfth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 8, 2022. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images)

Djokovic Hits Back to Beat Norrie, Sets Up Wimbledon Final With Kyrgios

LONDONTop seed Novak Djokovic set up a blockbuster Wimbledon final against Nick Kyrgios after recovering from a torrid start to overwhelm Britains Cameron Norrie 26 63 62 64 on Friday.

For an hour on a sun-baked Centre Court, inspired ninth seed Norrie outshone the 20-time Grand Slam champion and looked capable of a huge upset in his first major semifinal.

The partisan home crowd roared its approval as Norrie capitalized on a rash of errors from a tense-looking Djokovic to win five successive games and take the opening set.

Djokovic, bidding for a fourth successive Wimbledon title and seventh in all, found his usual rhythm though and gradually seized the initiative as Norries level dropped.

From the moment the Serbian broke Norries serve in the eighth game of the second set it was one-way traffic.

Norrie battled hard in the fourth set as the crowd found its voice again but ultimately could not resist Djokovics march into a mens record 32nd final from 68 Grand Slam events.

Australian Kyrgios, handed a walkover in the semifinal by injured Spaniard Rafa Nadal, now stands between the 35-year-old Djokovic and a 21st Grand Slam title.

Djokovic, who received a few boos after gesturing at a heckling fan after match point, admitted he had struggled to get to grips with Norrie early on.

I didnt start off well and he was the better player for the first set, Djokovic, who has now won 27 consecutive matches at Wimbledon dating back to 2017, said.

In a Grand Slam semifinal, theres always lots of pressure and expectation, Cameron didnt have much to lose and he was playing the tournament of his life.

I got a lucky break at 43, he kind of gifted me that game, and then the momentum shifted a little bit.

Serbias Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his semifinal match against Britains Cameron Norrie in London on July 8, 2022. (Hannah Mckay/Reuters)

Long Odds

New Zealand-born left-hander Norrie was long odds to become the second British man in the professional era to reach the Wimbledon singles final.

They were being slashed after a surprising first set in which Djokovic, contesting his 11th Wimbledon semifinal, labored in the face of Norries depth and accuracy.

A huge roar erupted around the court and on the adjacent hill where thousands watched on a screen as Norrie won a net exchange to break serve in the opening game.

Djokovic replied immediately but his precision game looked badly out of sync as former U.S. college player Norrie romped to the first set.

Djokovic is an old hand at dealing with adversity though and after changing his racket and donning a white cap he transformed into his metronomic self.

Norrie saved break points at 12 and 23 in the second set but Djokovic kept probing and Norrie missed an easy volley at 34, then a forehand, to concede serve.

Djokovic slipped 030 behind as he served for the set but reeled off the next four points to level the match.

Norrie shanked a forehand over the baseline to drop serve at the start of the third and Djokovic seized control as hopes of an upset melted away in the sun.

The crowd tried to revive Norrie with chants of Lets go Norrie, Lets Go in the fourth set but it was in hope rather than expectation as Djokovic turned the screw.

He will need to start better against Kyrgios on Sunday with the Australian leading their head-to-head series 20.

The job is not finished, he said. One thing is for sure there are going to be a lot of fireworks emotionally from both of us. Ive never won a set off him. Hopefully it can be different this time.

By Martyn Herman
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pictured as he attends the start of the production at Tesla's "Gigafactory" in Gruenheide, southeast of Berlin on March 22, 2022. (Patrick Pleul/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk Walks Away From $44 Billion Twitter Deal; Twitter to Sue

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has filed to exit a multibillion-dollar deal with Twitter over concerns about its spam bots, a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing shows.

While Section 6.4 of the Merger Agreement requires Twitter to provide Mr. Musk and his advisors all data and information that Mr. Musk requests for any reasonable business purpose related to the consummation of the transaction, Twitter has not complied with its contractual obligations, reads the SEC filing dated July 8.

For nearly two months, Mr. Musk has sought the data and information necessary to make an independent assessment of the prevalence of fake or spam accounts on Twitters platform.

Bot Accounts

Musks lawyers argued that, despite multiple requests from the tech billionaire, Twitter failed to provide information on the pervasiveness of the social media platforms bot accounts that is fundamental to Twitters business and financial performance and is necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

The information on fake and spam accounts on the platform, Musks lawyers state, is needed to ensure Twitters satisfaction of the conditions to closing, to facilitate Mr. Musks financing and financial planning for the transaction, and to engage in transition planning for the business.

Additional information Musk has been requesting from Twitter includes the monetizable daily active usage or users (mDAU), Twitters process for auditing the inclusion of spam and fake accounts in its mDAU count, the platforms methods for catching and suspending bot accounts, and materials showing Twitters financial condition.

The SEC filing says Musk and his Morgan Stanley advisers have been requesting this information since May 9, but Twitter has failed to provide much of the data and information requested.

Accordingly, for all of these reasons, Mr. Musk hereby exercises X Holdings I, Inc.s right to terminate the Merger Agreement and abandon the transaction contemplated thereby, and this letter constitutes formal notice of X Holding I, Inc.s termination of the Merger Agreement pursuant to Section 8.1(d)(i) thereof, the SEC filing reads. X Holdings is a company Musk formed to fund the purchase of the social media platform.

A Rocky Deal

Musks July 8 announcement ended a tumultuous couple of months in which his $44 billion deal with Twitter hit snags over concerns of fake accounts on the platform.

Twitter first announced the deal with Musk in an April 25 news release, saying it had entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an entity wholly owned by Elon Musk, for $54.20 per share in cash in a transaction valued at approximately $44 billion.

The electric vehicle tycoon later announced on Twitter in May that he was putting the deal on hold until the platform showed the number of bot accounts to be sufficiently low.

Twitter deal temporarily on hold pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users, Musk wrote in a post on Twitter on May 13.

You cant pay the same price for something that is much worse than they claimed.  The more questions I ask, the more my concerns grow, Musk, in a video call, told audiences at an event hosted by The All-In Podcast in May.

After Musk expressed his doubts about Twitters bot accounts, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal responded on the social media platform on May 16. We suspend over half a million spam accounts every day, usually before any of you even see them on Twitter, he wrote. We also lock millions of accounts each week that we suspect may be spam  if they cant pass human verification challenges (captchas, phone verification, etc).

Our actual internal estimates for the last four quarters were all well under 5%  based on the methodology outlined above. The error margins on our estimates give us confidence in our public statements each quarter.

An SEC filing on April 25 shows that upon the termination of the merger, either Twitter or Musk may need to pay a $1 billion breakup fee.

Bret Taylor, chairman of Twitters Board of Directors, said on June 8 that Twitter is committed to closing the deal with Musk.

The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery, Taylor wrote on Twitter.

Twitter didnt respond to a request for comment.
SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks on after arriving on the red carpet for the Axel Springer award, in Berlin, Germany, on Dec. 1, 2020. (Hannibal Hanschke/File Photo)

Elon Musk Pokes Fun at Bill Gates Claim That Cheap, Green Hydrogen Would Be Massive Breakthrough

Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared to poke fun at Bill Gates on Thursday after the Microsoft founder claimed that clean hydrogen energy could zero out emissions and help tackle climate change.

Gates, on his Twitter account, had earlier posted a link to a blog entry titled To cut emissions, use this Swiss Army Knife; a screenshot of which was captured and shared by The Whole Mars Catalog on Twitter.

Cheap clean hydrogen would be a great breakthrough we have many uses for it. Also if we could bottle the tooth fairy and clone Santa Claus, and replace public transport with unicorns wed be all good, one Twitter user commented in response to the blog post, to which Musk replied with a laughing face emoji.

Hydrogen is an energy carrier, not an energy source, and can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity, or power and heat. In the United States, it is predominantly used to refine petroleum, treat metals, produce fertilizer, and process foods.

Because its conversion into electricity does not emit greenhouse gases, Hydrogen could potentially serve to meet climate change coals set out by President Joe Biden as well as other world leaders.

However, critics note that while it is a renewable source and has only minimal impact on the environment, it doesnt come without its risks: it is more flammable than natural gas and its flame is nearly invisible.

Scientists have also warned that hydrogen leaked into the atmosphere can contribute to climate change by increasing the amounts of other greenhouse gases, thus indirectly resulting in global warming.

Cheap, Green Hydrogen Would Be a Massive Breakthrough in Clean Energy

Hydrogen is also difficult to store, given its low volumetric energy density, and must be compressed into gas or liquid at extremely low temperatures.

It also isnt commercially viable right now.

Gates blog post notes that cheap, green hydrogen would be a massive breakthrough in clean energy and that the world already uses 70 million tons of hydrogen each year as a chemical in some manufacturing processes like making fertilizer of which nearly all is produced from fossil fuels.

If we make that hydrogen clean, we eliminate the 1.6 percent of global emissions that it is responsible for now, the billionaire wrote.

Electrolysis is the process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, which takes place in an electrolyzer, according to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

However, the process can be expensive and energy-intensive.

There are four different electrolyzer technologies being developed, and the price of each one needs to go down to make electrolyzed hydrogen cost-competitive, Gates wrote on his blog.

Finally, there are reserves of hydrogen in geologic formations around the world, and in theory, geologic hydrogen has the potential to provide a vast supply of affordable, zero-emissions hydrogen, Gates continued. Scientists are still in the early stages of researching ways to find and extract geologic hydrogen from natural reserves.

Pointing to Russias war in Ukraine and the Wests aim to reduce dependence on Russian natural gas imports, Gates noted that the European Union has already announced plans to produce and import 20 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030.

Load Of Rubbish

Musk has previously called hydrogen fuel cells a load of rubbish and claimed that success with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is simply not possible.

This is not the first time that Musk and Gates have appeared to butt heads.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, in May Gates claimed that Musk could actually could make it worse, while referring to misinformation and his planned takeover of the social media platform, Twitter.

However, the tech billionaire noted: Thats not his track record.

In April, the businessman became embroiled in a public spat when Musk said he confronted Gates over his short-selling of shares of Tesla, despite vowing to combat climate change.
Entrepreneurship Should Be the Goal, Not White-Collar Jobs

Commentary

Black entrepreneurship in the United States has a remarkable history. Even during the inhospitable climate of Southern slavery, both enslaved and free blacks managed to establish lucrative ventures. Research on black entrepreneurship has revealed that in the Antebellum South black entrepreneurs pursuits spanned the entire gamut of industry, ranging from merchandising to transportation.

Indeed, the success of some black entrepreneurs was so astounding that the demand for their services transcended the boundaries of race and class. The case of Archy Carey, a black slave who acquired his freedom, merits attention. Carey was the proprietor of a successful hack-driving business, owner of several investment properties, and was even revered by eminent whites (pdf). He is a person of Good character, honest deportment, and without exception in his behavior, they noted in a petition.

Notwithstanding the illustrious pedigree of black entrepreneurship, researchers have observed that black businesses are failing to attain parity with their white counterparts. Experts cite numerous factors to illuminate the underperformance of black businesses, but the relevance of human capital is insufficiently explored. In their research on disparities in business performance, Robert Fairlie and Alicia Robb posit (pdf) that sizeable variations in the inheritances of business are unable to explain the weaker performance of black businesses relative to white businesses.

Instead, they argue that the lack of prior work experience in a family business among black business owners, perhaps by limiting their acquisition of general and specific business human capital, negatively affects black business outcomes. Working in a family business equips youngsters with the work ethic and human capital to launch scalable businesses, and invariably blacks are missing out on opportunities to hone human capital by failing to get involved in family enterprises.

Although blacks are entrepreneurial, black businesses are constrained by cultural dynamics. The black social theorist Elizabeth Wright once noted that black Americans express strong preferences for white-collar employment at the expense of entrepreneurship. Wright submits that in black intellectual circles from the era of W.E.B. Du Bois there has been a tendency to belittle commerce and what some would describe as menial work:

A highbrow snob, Du Bois dismissed as unworthy the labor of craftsmen, farmers, and business owners. In his zeal to drag all blacks through his beloved halls of ivy, he talked of turning carpenters into men. For, in that peculiar world into which he had assimilated, one who labored or was bereft of a college degree could hardly be considered a man. It is this pretentious spirit that was to become the hallmark of the black elite, whose overriding influence would shape the thinking and behavior of future generations of blacks.

As a result, blacks might start trades, but rather than encouraging their children to embrace the mantle of entrepreneurship, they implore them to become professionals. Due to the disdain assigned to petty trades, these businesses are never transformed into power players by the second generation. Such ventures are started to generate income for the family so that funds will be available to finance the childrens tertiary education. In sum, the goal is for children to matriculate in the professional class rather than to become entrepreneurs.

Cultural economists would characterize blacks as having an aristocratic mindset, emphasizing status signaling instead of accumulating wealth through entrepreneurship. For instance, in his survey of the black elite in America, Lawrence Otis Graham reveals a group obsessed with status and producing the next generation of doctors and lawyers. Unfortunately, intellectual elites fail to appreciate that although doctors and lawyers can become rich, the most sustainable path to wealth is to own a business.

Additionally, another barrier to the success of black enterprises is financial illiteracy. Sourcing capital and investment partners requires an understanding of company finances and performance metrics. Business people who are incognizant of the criteria financial institutions employ to gauge business prospects will be unlikely to secure loans or receive equity financing.

According to a study published by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, 82 percent of respondents in the 1830 category failed to display financial literacy. Lead researcher Dr. Tiffany Howard observed that respondents didnt demonstrate  knowledge of ones own credit score, basic knowledge of the Minority Business Development Agency or Small Business Administration, and knowledge of the minimum years of operation typically required for a business owner to apply for a small business loan from a traditional bank.

Even more serious is that the Financial Literacy and Wellness among African Americans report shows that blacks trail whites on the Personal Finance Index by double digits. Financial literacy makes black Americans better entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurship can narrow the wealth gap. Hence closing the financial literacy gap is a laudable goal, however, it is quite surprising that racial gaps in financial literacy are observed in the information age.

A possible explanation could be that the thirst for financial information is not embedded in black culture. In fact, many argue that black culture is marred by conspicuous consumption. Therefore, to remedy the problem, policy makers should not only build institutions to sell financial literacy and entrepreneurship in black communities but also incorporate the star power of influencers to promote positive messages to black people. Entertainers are the thought leaders in the black community, so using them to advertise financial literacy is likely to garner success.

Linking the misfortunes of black Americans to racism is fashionable, but a more sober argument is that problems afflicting blacks in entrepreneurship and other areas can be solved by a positive transformation of black culture.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Lipton Matthews Follow Lipton Matthews is a researcher, business analyst, and contributor to Merion West, The Federalist, American Thinker, Intellectual Takeout, Mises.org, and Imaginative Conservative. His YouTube channel features interviews with a variety of scholars.
This week, we feature an insiders look at the Nixon administration and a chilling novel illuminating the terrors of the Soviet regime.

Fiction

A Study in Provincial Life

Middlemarch

By George Eliot

Middlemarch (187172) is considered Eliots masterpiece. Set in the early 19th century, the novel explores views on art, religion, science, and politics. Brilliant portraits are painted of characters dealing with stymied love, and idealistic goals and their loss.

Wordsworth Editions, 1998, 736 pages

A Novel of Deadly Ideologies

A Postcard From the Volcano: A Novel of Pre-War Germany

By Lucy Beckett

Here, we follow the young Prussian aristocrat Max von Hofmannswaldau, his family, and his friends between the world wars as they encounter the ideologies that came into play during this period. We see the results of the horrors of war, concentration camps, and totalitarianism that killed tens of millions of people. Professor of literature Lucy Beckett brings all her talents to bear in this intelligent and deeply moving story of the devastating effects of these conflicts on countries and on individual lives.

Ignatius Press, 2009, 520 pages

Language Arts

A New Yawk State of Language

You Talkin to Me? The Unruly History of New York English

By E.J. White

You know New York English when you hear it. Its unique and serves as a cultural marker. A study of New York linguistics, told by linguistics expert E.J. White, Talkin to Me isnt a dry, scholarly tome. It tells the story of New York Englishabout why and how New Yorkers talk the way they do. As lively as Brooklynese, told with Bugs Bunnys insouciance and Archie Bunkers confidence, its fascinating and it captures New Yorks spirit in a captivating look at American English.

Oxford University Press, 2020, 320 pages

History

How Repeating Firearms Remade America

Gun Barons: The Weapons That Transformed America and the Men Who Invented Them

By John Bainbridge Jr.

They say God created all men, but Samuel Colt made them equal. This saying originated in the American West and gives testimony to the impact that repeating firearms had in 19th-century America. Along with Colt, the brand names Smith & Wesson, Winchester, and Remington still resonate. This is an accurate, interesting history of the firearms industry; the eccentric, colorful men who brought their innovations to market; and the companies they started.

St. Martins Press, 2022, 352 pages

Memoir

A Clear View of Nixon

The Presidents Man: The Memoirs of Nixons Trusted Aide

By Dwight Chapin

Dwight Chapin, the longtime aide to former President Richard Nixon, provides an in-depth look at Nixon and his administration, detailing some of the most historic moments, including the presidents visit to China, the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) agreement, and, of course, Watergate. Chapin gives a straightforward, yet sympathetic view of the Nixon years.

William Morrow, 2022, 480 pages

Classics

The Nightmare of Totalitarianism

Darkness at Noon

By Arthur Koestler

Set in the late 1930s, this historical novel takes place in an unnamed country, but its clearly Soviet Russia. Nikolai Rubashov is an aging Bolshevik imprisoned and tried for treason. As we learn about his complicated past and his sacrifices for the Communist Party, we also experience his life in prison and the show trials that were so common at that time. Disillusioned with Soviet communism, Koestler wrote his novel in part to show that to totalitarian governments, the individual has no value except to forward the partys agenda.

Scribner Reprint, 2019, 272 pages

For Kids

Dont Be a Goop!

Goops and How to Be Them

By Gelett Burgess

First published in 1900, the Goop book remains popular with the preschool set today. Simple, silly drawings and advice on topics from cleanliness to bravery are found on every page of this childrens classic. Highly recommended.

Independently published, 2019, 90 pages

A Residential Plea

The Old Tree

By Ruth Brown

Residents of an old tree (a rabbit, badger, squirrel, crow, and others) aim to save their home from being cut down. Elaborate illustrations, including a pop-up surprise at the end, give great life to this fun and endearing tale.

Candlewick, 2007, 32 pages
Chae Woo-seok, President of Koreas Association of Defense Industry Studies, stressed that South Korea and the United States should form a defense alliance to ensure containment of China and North Korea in an interview with The Epoch Times on June 14, 2022. (Lee Yu-jeong/The Epoch Times)

Experts Recommend South Korea and US Sign a Defense Agreement to Deter China and North Korea

South Korea maintains strong relations with the United States and is strengthening its defenses as a precaution against the nuclear threat posed by its neighbor North Korea. Military experts see value in these precautionary steps but suggest the more reliable approach to deterring both North Korea and China would be for South Korea to sign a formal alliance with the United States.

During a summit meeting in May, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden met to explore new avenues of cooperation, expanding the security and economic alliance between the two countries into a comprehensive global alliance that includes technology and supply chains. The talks focused on strengthening global security, improving supply chains, and sharing the latest technology, including chips, batteries, core minerals, quantum technology, biotechnology, energy, and space.

The talks also addressed the importance of deterring the ongoing threats posed by North Korean President, Kim Jong-un. Representatives for the United States reaffirmed their commitment to South Korea and both countries agreed on the merits of conducting joint military exercises. If required, the United States would also make its strategic weapons available to South Korea.

While the meeting did not result in a formal alliance, both countries agreed to further explore the signing of a Korea-U.S. Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP) agreement. The RDP is a memorandum of understanding used by the U.S. Department of Defense and its allied nations to strengthen relations and supply chains, and to expedite the joint manufacture of defense equipment. As such, the RDP mitigates trade barriers to the mutual procurement of products for export by the signing nations.

Since the late 1980s, the United States has encouraged Korea to join them in signing an RDP. Korea however, has remained steadfast in rejecting this idea. While the Koreans acknowledge there is value in having greater access to U.S. markets, they fear opening their markets to the U.S. could be problematic. Koreas limited technology, smaller manufacturers, and product pricing are not on the same level as those in the United States.

Today, Koreas concerns about an RDP with the United States. are not as great as their concerns about North Korea and China. In speaking with The Epoch Times, Chae Woo-Seok, President of Koreas Association of Defense Industry Studies, said if an RDP is signed, there will be no big blow since most of Koreas weapons are already imported from the United States. He said by signing with the United States and entering the worlds largest military market, Korea would benefit even more.

Chae explained that if Korea and the United States were joined by a defense industry supply network, the alliance between the two countries would be strengthened. Not only would an RDP improve Koreas national defense and security it presents an opportunity for defense manufacturers to boost their revenues and production rates.

Chae said that Koreas defense industry has a trade deficit with the United States because of its lagging technology, and the remedy to address this is an RDP. The joint research and development enabled by the agreement would help revitalize Koreas defense industry and national security. He believes the RDP would function as an export bridge between Koreas defense industry and developed countries, particularly the United States.

According to Chae, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has weaponized the monopolistic structure it built for its economic benefit using government subsidies and labor costs. As a countermeasure, it would be wise for Korea and the U.S. to establish an alliance. Through the Korea-U.S. defense alliance, we can ensure containment not only against North Korea but also against China (the CCP), he said.

Koreas Defense Industry Grows and Exports Soar

According to a triennial report published in late 2021 by Koreas Research Institute for Defense Technology, the countrys defense industry has demonstrated considerable growth in recent years. Titled, Defense Science & Technology Level Assessment by Country, the report says Koreas defense spending totaled $45.7 billion in 2020, a 41 percent increase since 2011.

During the period 2016 through 2020, Korean arms exports rose 210 percent year-on-year, ranking 9th in the world. This accounted for 2.7 percent of all global arms exports, an increase of 649 percent over 2005.

Koreas Defense Agency (KDA) also confirmed that from 2010 to 2020, the countrys defense exports remained at about $3 billion per year. Then, in 2021 Korean arms exports reached $7 billion, exceeding the total imports for the first time.

The launch of the medium-range ground-to-air interceptor missile Skybow 2 that was developed using Korean technology. (Provided by the Korea Defense Agency)

According to Chae Woo-Seok, the Korean defense industrys greatest competitiveness lies in price/performance ratio and after-sales service. He expects future export prospects will be very bright as well.

Korea and US to Jointly Build Space and Missile Networks

The day after North Koreas provocative launch of eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) on June 5, South Korea and the United States launched a total of eight long-range guided missiles, the Army Tactical Ballistic Missiles (ATACMS).

Chae suggested this recent incident provided the justification necessary to proceed with the South Korean-U.S. alliance. He said integrating South Koreas low-altitude defense system with the U.S. high-altitude defense system would create a complete missile defense system.

Because North Koreas missiles are becoming more advanced, Chae said South Korea should further develop its air defense assets, introduce advanced command and control systems, and upgrade to a space and missile defense system.

South Korea plans to expand its deployment of Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) missiles and is further developing its intermediate precision-guided missiles with a range covering Beijing. Although Beijing is likely to object, Chae believes Korea has the right to take these steps since the CCP has missiles capable of reaching Seoul. He said, The CCPs pressure will not impede the defense rights of independent states.

Lee Yun Jeong Contributed to the article.
A person holds a smartphone set to the opening screen of the ArriveCan app in a photo illustration made in Toronto, on June 29, 2022. (Giordano Ciampini/The Canadian Press)

Feds Signal ArriveCan May Be Used Beyond Pandemic

The federal government has hinted that ArriveCAN, originally intended to provide travel and public health information during the COVID-19 pandemic, may be kept beyond the pandemic.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino recently signalled the Liberal governments plan to use the app to modernize our border and allow travellers to complete their customs declaration forms in place of the traditional paper forms and digital kiosks installed in Canadian airports.

ArriveCAN was originally created for COVID-19, but it has technological capacity beyond that, Mendicino said during a press conference on June 28.

The app, launched in April 2020, was initially a short-term policy to ensure travellers entering Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic would comply with the governments 14-day quarantine rules. In November that year, it was made mandatory for all travellers, which Ottawa said would help contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce imported cases.

On June 30, the federal government announced that existing COVID-19 restrictions will be extended for travellers entering Canada until Sept. 30, including the use of the ArriveCAN app.

A recent update to the app added the optional function to allow passengers arriving at Toronto Pearson and Vancouver International airports to submit their customs and immigration declaration prior to landing, reported Global News, which first reported on the issue. This feature will be expanded to Montreals Trudeau International Airport later this summer and to other airports in the future.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said this feature was part of the governments border modernization strategy that was already underway before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was added to ArriveCan because people are already familiar with this app.

Due to Canadians familiarity with the ArriveCAN app and its widespread association with border processing, the CBSA opted to incorporate the advance declaration components being developed into that platform rather than the distinct application envisioned, a CBSA spokesperson told Global News.

Once travel and public health measures are no longer needed, ArriveCAN will continue to be available for those who choose digital interaction at the border.

Opposition

During a June 15 press conference, a group of mayors and business representatives from communities near the CanadaU.S. land border said the federal app discourages cross-border travel.

Here in Niagara, 40,000 people count on tourism to feed their families. Weve always said follow the science. Well, the scientists are telling us now theres no reason to have the ArriveCan app, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said.

Mark Weber, president of the Customs and Immigration Union, which represents CBSA employees, also said the app has contributed to delays at the border.

The last few months have shown that ArriveCan neither facilitates cross-border travel nor does it improve operational efficiency. In fact, it does exactly the opposite, he said during a House of Commons committee hearing on June 15.

What in the heck is this response? End all remaining mandates.

Cancel the failed #ArriveCan app.

pic.twitter.com/srFHE3Tcfu  Sen. Denise Batters (@denisebatters) July 7, 2022

When asked about the reasons behind the prolonged existence of the app, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said as the epidemiological situation changes in Canada, her government constantly looks at which measures are appropriate and which are not, and constantly make modifications and adapt.

ArriveCan, Freeland said, is one of the measures that were part of her governments highly-effective COVID response.

I do want to say one thing that Canadians should be quietly proud ofcollectively, all of us togetherand that is how we have gotten through COVID so far, she said during a press conference on July 6.

I think overall, yes, the measures that we all endured during COVID were unpleasant and were difficult, and  maybe you want to call it the COVID recession hangover that were getting through right now is not pleasant. But lets not lose sight of the fact that, by and large, these measures worked.

Isaac Teo and Noe Chartier contributed to this article.
Fiji Grants Licenses to Chinese Mining Firm to Search for Gold

Fijis Lands and Mineral Resources Ministry has issued two special prospecting licenses to Chinese mining company Ding Jing Mining Pty Ltd more than a year after local residents raised objections to the move.

It comes amid concerns of Beijings ongoing influence in the Pacific following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yis tour of eight Pacific nations.

In a statement published on June 17, the ministry confirmed that a special prospecting license had been granted to Ding Jing to prospect Vuda in Lautokanorth west of the islandand the other license to prospect Rakirakito the north in Ra province.

The Vuda and Rakiraki mineral prospects are both attractive and underexplored, which is an incentive in itself for Ding Jing Mining to progress historical exploration work that has been undertaken on both prospects, according to the media statement.

The Ding Jin group of companies has a diverse investment portfolio in Fiji and their latest venture is in mineral exploration and mineral development with the formation of Ding Jing Mining Pty Limited.

Potential Gold Mine

Vuda, located about 10 kilometres from Lautoka in Fijis western region, was first explored prior to the World War IIintermittent mining activity took place between 1938 to 1954 where 22.6kg of gold and 5.5kg of silver was produced.

Rakiraki was first explored in the 1930s and continued to be actively explored from the 1980s until 2018 when the tenement holder surrendered its license.

Fijian Minister Jone Usamate congratulated the Chinese firm for acquiring the license and successfully completing the Mineral Resources Departments rigorous application process.

Ding Jing Mining Pty Limited, in acquiring the two special exploration licenses, is fully cognisant of the risk associated with mineral exploration and the commitment of risk capital which does not guarantee any returns at this stage until a viable or mineable mineral resource is discovered or determined, he said.

Local Concerns

In March 2021, more than 40 residents in Rakiraki village attended a public consultation meeting held by the islands mineral resources ministry where they voiced concerns over the granting of the prospecting licence to Ding Jing, reported the Fiji Sun.

There, Noa Tuiloma, the ministrys spokesperson revealed that no other companies had a mining licence to operate within the boundaries of Ra province.

Villagers were also reported to welcome the development but preferred a local company. At the same time, they were cognisant of the need for another source of economic development in the region after the closure of the Penang Sugar Mill.

Ding Jing has only applied for prospecting which would involve geological mapping, soil sampling and surveys. Most of this is done above ground, if granted the licence, said Raymond Mohammed, director of the ministry of mineral resources.

If they then wish to go further, they have to apply for an exploration licence.

This then goes a bit deeper, but landowners need to understand nothing will be done without their permission. Environmental impact assessments and rehabilitation costs will have to be considered with their budget.

Mohammed also said he received two letters from villagers in Ra objecting to the project.

We have heard their views and reservations, but we cannot make a decision on biases as we do not discriminate when reviewing applications, he said.

Chinese Mining in the Pacific

A trade data analysis by The Guardian revealed that in 2019, China was the recipient of over half the total tonnage of seafood, wood, and mineral exports from the Pacific regionworth $3.3 billion.

Shane Macleod, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute, said that Chinas proximity to the region helped it become the dominant customer.

They just have the appetite. They have the need for natural resources and theyre looking for sources and the Pacific is geographically close. It has the added benefit that the supply lines are shorter, Macleod told The Guardian.

So you can look at the Ramu nickel mine in Papua New Guinea (PNG). That is providing raw material for China in the region, directly, without having to be transported from the other side of the planet.

Data from American Enterprise Institute showed more than US$2 billion was invested by Chinese companies in Pacific mining in the past two decades, including the controversial Porgera, Ramu Nickel, and Frieda River mines in PNG.

In 2020, the PNG government cancelled the mining lease of a part-Chinese owned Porgera gold mine in Enga, claiming that the country was not getting its fair share of its profits.
A resident paddles a kayak to commute in the Sydney, Australia, on July 6, 2022. - Thousands of Australians were ordered to evacuate their homes in Sydney as torrential rain battered the country's largest city and floodwaters inundated its outskirts. (Muhammad Farooq/AFP via Getty Images)

Flood Damage Bill for New South Wales Close to $100 Million

Australian insurers are bracing for a surge of flood insurance claims as heavy rains and flooding begin to recede in parts of New South Wales (NSW).

According to the Insurance Council of Australias latest data, NSW residents have so far lodged 8,415 claims, an increase of around 28 percent compared to figure released on July 7.

Around 84 percent of the claims were for property, while 14 percent were for motor and the remaining two percent for commercial.

The council said the estimated flood damage bill could be around $97.9 million (US$66.88 million) and called on policyholders whose properties, businesses, or vehicles had been damaged to file claims as soon as possible.

The new wave of claims comes just months after similar devastating floods swept through Queensland and NSW in late February and early March.

The Council said the flood crisis was the countrys third-most costliest extreme weather event causing an estimated $4.8 billion in damage (US$3.27 billion).

Flooding is shown by helicopter in New South Wales, Australia, on July 8, 2022. (David Swift-Pool/Getty Images)

Insurers have received nearly 225,000 insurance claims in both states, with almost 30 percent of the claims closed.

So far, insurance companies have paid $1.5 billion to policyholders, with insurance costs also rising 12 percent in June due to increasing material and labour costs.

The sheer scale of the extreme weather event that devastated Queensland and New South Wales is something we have never seen before, and the cost continues to rise, said Andrew Hall, the CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia, in a statement.

Insurers are working hard to resolve claims as quickly as possible and have put on hundreds of extra staff to support claims processing as delays not only impact the policyholder. In most cases, they also add costs to the insurer.

Threats Still Remain Despite Heavy Rains Subsiding

Meanwhile, thousands of NSW residents are breathing a sigh of relief as rains begin slowing. However, authorities warned of threats of flooding and landslips.

Around 40,000 people were under evacuation orders, with state NSW authorities now considering lifting these orders to allow communities to return home.

The flood waters may be receding in some areas, but we know there are other regions that are still at the emergency stage, where the focus will be on keeping our communities safe, federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.

At the same time, the NSW state government has extended financial relief to six additional flood-affected communities, with the total number of disaster-declared areas reaching 29.
Two local nonprofit social services agencies are planning renovation projects in the Delaware Avenue corridor, as they seek to enhance their ability to serve clients.

Child & Family Services of Buffalo wants to relocate one of its residential treatment centers to a rear carriage house on its Delaware Avenue campus, enabling each of the children residing there to have their own bedroom instead of sharing rooms.

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The agency, based at 330 Delaware Ave., operates a residential campus for children at 824-846 Delaware, with four children's homes.

Two of them  Hollands Hall at 824 and Miller Hall at 830  are facilities regulated by the state Office of Mental Health for children with more severe psychiatric difficulties who need 24-hour supervision.

The other two  Fitz and Gane, at 832 and 832 Delaware  are treatment centers authorized by the state Office of Children and Family Services for children who have been removed from their homes by the Department of Social Services, and also need 24-hour supervision.

The agency is proposing to move Gane to a rear carriage house at 846 Delaware, on the property behind the historic Richmond-Lockwood House at 844 Delaware. Under plans by Ashwood Architectural of North Tonawanda, that rear structure would be renovated to provide eight single bedrooms and one respite bedroom. The current Gane facility has four bedrooms, with two children in each.

Originally built in 1888, the 2.5-story Tudor manor house in front was owned by Jewett M. Richmond, president of Marine Bank, and also a city councilman. The property, including the carriage house, was later owned by Thomas B. Lockwood from 1918-1950, and was then sold to the Catholic Diocese, first for use as the Mother of Mary Retreat House, then as an annex for Bishop McMahon High School and finally as a boys seminary.

It was acquired by Child and Family Services in 2002.

Headquarters renovation

Jewish Family Service is renovating its headquarters space at 70 Barker St., where it occupies part of a building that is sandwiched between Temple Beth Zion and the Jewish Community Center's Holland Building.

Plans by architect James Allen Rumsey call for renovating the interior finishes on the second floor and the northern end of the first floor of the long and slender two-story tan-brick building, which is owned by the synagogue. An elevator will also be retrofitted into the building, while two bathrooms will be updated in the $500,000 project by BRD Construction.

When completed, the space will include 22 offices and a reception area on the second floor, and a conference room and three offices downstairs.
A self-described federal informant warned of Antifa and Black Lives Matter activists dressed as Trump supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Steve Baker/The Epoch Times)

Former Federal Informant Warned of Antifa, BLM Infiltrators at Capitol on Jan. 6

Law enforcement aware large crowds would be travelling to Capitol from the Ellipse, documents show

The man whose posting on social media warned authorities that agent provocateurs from Antifa and Black Lives Matter would be at the U.S. Capitol dressed as Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, is a self-described government informant tied to former deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein.

Rosenstein warned about a soft coup against then-President Donald Trump in fall 2020.

On Jan. 4, 2021, an account under the name @JohnHereToHelp posted on Twitter that Antifa and BLM agitators were being bussed from Baltimore to Washington to cause trouble at the Capitol on the day of Trumps speech at the Ellipse.

Pantifa/BLM, Balt./DC branches, are already bussing people in to disturb Jan. 6, the post read. Orders [were] given to dress like MAGA, blend in [and] cause trouble, especially around cameras. At night, arson has been ordered. All to be blamed on Trump supporters attending. Please be careful.

The post caught the attention of an assistant commander in the Intelligence and Counterterrorism Branch of the United States Park Police, who forwarded it to officials at the U.S. Capitol Police, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies.

The now-suspended Twitter account belonged to Ryan Dark White, also known as Jon McGreevey.

McGreevey has described himself in court papers and interviews as a former Department of Justice informant who supplied information on corruption in the federal government, law enforcement, and the Trump administration.

He once used the name Ryan White as a cover but now identifies as McGreevey. He is running for federal office in Maryland.

JohnHereToHelps original post was shared more than 6,000 times before it hit the radar of the Park Police.

At the time, McGreevey had more than 120,000 followers on Twitter, according to an archived version of his page stored at the Wayback Machine.

Twitter later suspended his account.

There are multiple replies to this comment that says BLM/Antifa will wear MAGA hats backwards, wear camo, and attempt to blend in with MAGA crowd, the Park Police official wrote to his colleagues on January 5, 2021.

The Wayback Machine archive of Whites post shows nearly 600 replies, but the replies are not visible from links on the website.

Infiltrator Warning

The emails, part of a trove of documents obtained in 2021 through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Judicial Watch, show that federal law enforcement knew that infiltrators could be among the crowds at the Capitol.

They also back up anecdotal reports of BLM and Antifa activists from Oregon, Maryland, and other states causing disruption and committing vandalism on Jan. 6.

Trump supporters tangled with alleged Antifa provocateurs in several spots on Jan. 6, including the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol.

Victoria White of Rochester, Minnesota, scuffled with a man attempting to break an arched window adjacent to the Capitols tunnel entrance.

As the tightly-packed crowd chanted [expletive] Antifa, White wrestled for control of the red wooden club wielded by the man, who wore a green helmet with Trump stickers.

Im like, We dont do that. We dont do that. Trump supporters, we dont do that, White told The Epoch Times in an interview for an upcoming documentary, The Real Story of January 6, on Epoch TV.

And then theres other people [who said] No, were all on the same team. Im like, No. No, were not.

Victoria White lunged to grab a club from a protester as the crowd shouted [expletive] Antifa! at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Who brings something like that to a Trump rally, let alone to break out the Capitol windows? White said. Thats not us. Thats not what patriot Americans do. We dont do that stuff.

After another man got control of the club and began smashing the window, White helped pull him down before she was pulled away by other bystanders.

Members of the crowd vented anger at the vandals. We are not Antifa! one protester shouted. A man with a green stocking cap pulled over his MAGA hat pulled what appeared to be a stereo speaker from a backpack, spurring more howls of protest from the crowd.

At the same window, the crowd shouted at a man dressed all in black. No, no, Antifa! a woman yelled from the crowd. Antifas breaking the windows! Antifas breaking the windows!

While conducting a live stream on January 6, independent journalist Tayler Hansen recognized a protester in a gas mask from her appearance at riots in Portland, Oregon.

I recognize you from Portland, Hansen told the woman as she quickly turned away from the camera.

So youve got Antifa here, too. You have Antifa and Trump supporters within the same vicinity here for the same thing. This is absolutely [expletive] crazy.

The documents obtained by Judicial Watch include other disclosures that run counter to the prevailing Jan. 6 narrative that a mob incited by Trump rampaged to the Capitol to storm the building and upend the counting of Electoral College votes.

A Daily Operational Snapshot circulated by U.S. Park Police on Jan. 5 noted multiple events planned for the area around the Capitol.

Large crowds expected to gather at and travel between the Ellipse and the U.S. Capitol, the document said.

This map shows the multiple events planned at or near the Capitol on January 6. (Wayback Machine/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Other scheduled events included a Freedom Rally, Jericho March, the March for Trump, and the Wild Protest.

A MAGA Rally Map Guide said of the Wild Protest: We the people must take to the U.S. Capitol lawn and steps and tell Congress #DoNot Certify on #Jan6! U.S. Park Police circulated a copy of the map to other agencies.

The WildProtest.com website said, The Congress cannot certify this fraudulent Electoral College. Our presence in Washington D.C. will let Members of Congress know that we stand with Rep. Mo Brooks and his colleagues in the House of Representatives who will bravely object to the certification of the Electoral College.

The activist group ShutDownDC circulated a statement asking people to call hotels and demand they cancel reservations of people coming to town to undermine democracy on Jan. 6.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on April 7, 2020. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Pool via Reuters)

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Assassinated

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday while on the campaign trail giving a speech, according to Japans NHK public television.

Abe, the countrys longest-serving prime minister, was shot shortly after he began his speech in the western Japanese city of Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital after the shooting and later pronounced dead.

Police cited by Reuters said a 41-year-old suspect had been arrested.

The shooter, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, was cited by NHK as telling police he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted him dead.

The 67 year old former prime minister was delivering a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party of Japan candidates election campaign ahead of upcoming elections when, at around 11:30 am, two shots rang out.

There was a loud bang and then smoke, said businessman Makoto Ichikawa, who was at the scene.

The first shot, no one knew what was going on, but after the second shot, what looked like special police tackled him.

Video from the scene shared on social media showed what appeared to be security officials tackling a man in a grey T-shirt and what looked like a sawed-off shotgun lying on the ground.

Act of Brutality

Speaking before Abes death was announced, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting.

This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the electionsthe very foundation of our democracyand is absolutely unforgivable, he said.

A reporter for public broadcaster NHK, who was at the scene, said she heard what sounded like two consecutive gunshots and then saw Abe bleeding.

Footage aired by the station captured the moment he fell on the street, after which several security guards ran toward him. He was holding his chest.

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe lies on the ground after being shot in Nara, western Japan July 8, 2022. (Kyodo via Reuters)

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Cardiopulmonary Arrest

NHK, citing police sources, reported that Abe was conscious and responsive while he was transported to the hospital. The same broadcaster also reported that Abe later appeared to show no vital signs, citing the local fire department.

Yoichi Masuzoe, a former governor of Tokyo, said on Twitter at 12:04 p.m. local time that Abe was in cardiopulmonary arrest, or heart failure. In Japan, officials sometimes use the term to describe situations where victims are no longer alive but before a formal declaration of death has been made.

Two bullets had struck the left side of Abes chest from behind, Fuji News Network reported, citing officials from the Liberal Democratic Party. TBS Television reported that Abe had been shot on the left side of his chest and apparently also in the neck.

A general view shows workers at the scene after an attack on Japans former prime minister Shinzo Abe at Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji station square in Nara on July 8, 2022. (STR/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images)

A man, center, is detained near the site of gunshots in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that police arrested a male suspect at the scene.

The suspect was identified as Yamagami Tetsuya, a resident of Nara in his 40s, NHK reported, citing police sources. A gun that appeared to have been handmade was retrieved from the scene, according to the broadcaster.

The suspect didnt try to run away and was being held at Nara Nishi police station for questioning. According to local media reports, the man was a former member of the Japanese Navy.

Such an act of barbarity cannot be tolerated, Matsuno told reporters.

Japan has strict gun control laws. To obtain a gun, an individual must undergo multiple tests and police checks. Deaths due to firearms are regularly in single figures each year.

Japans Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Shinzo Abe answers questions at the party headquarters in Tokyo on Oct. 22, 2017.

(Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images)

Abe served as Japans Prime Minister and as the president of Japans Liberal Democratic Party from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.

His latest term was due to end in September 2021 but he resigned in August 2020, citing concerns over his health. He later shared that he had a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease.

Abe was known for his signature economic strategy Abenomics.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Tom Ozimek Reporter Follow Tom Ozimek has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education. The best writing advice he's ever heard is from Roy Peter Clark: 'Hit your target' and 'leave the best for last.'
A time to commemorate the banner of a great nation

Wonder. Awe. Pride. Love of country and love of my countrymen. These are the emotions that sweep over me when I see our flag flying, or when I hear the National Anthem that our flag inspired. The flag was intended to be a universal emblem to unite Americans, and it has a rich history, which led to the establishment of a holiday recognizing its importance as a national symbol. Do you know the story?

Flag Day is celebrated each year on June 14, the date on which the American flag was officially adopted in 1777. While it is an oft overlooked holiday, it presents a great opportunity for teaching our children about history, and the symbolism which our flag represents.

When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, the Colonies were not yet united and therefore did not have a flag to represent them as a whole. Instead of one unifying flag for the colonial forces, troops fought under a variety of ensigns with different symbols and slogans, including Dont Tread on Me, Liberty or Death, and Conquer or Die. The need for a single American flag that the troops could unify around became evident, but the first flag design was too similar to the British flag to further galvanize the colonists. On June 14, 1777 the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution, which stated that the flag of the United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.

We know that the 13 stripes and stars were chosen to represent the 13 colonies, but why were these colors chosen? The Flag Resolution does not elaborate, but in 1782, the Congress of the Articles of Confederation selected the same colors for the Great Seal of the United States. The colors were symbolic: Red represents valor and hardiness, white stands for purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

Folklore and legends abound regarding the creation of the first flag, but what we do know for certain is that the first design did not remain static for long: the American flag has undergone many revisions since the original was flown in 1777. As the young United States began to grow, her flag also underwent growth. At the time of the War of 1812, 2 new states had joined the original 13 so that there were now 15 stripes and 15 stars in the new flag design. It was this flag, flying high over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, that inspired the writing of The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key, which was ultimately chosen to be the national anthem of the United States of America.

As more states were admitted to the United States it became obvious that additional stripes could not continue to be added for each new state, as that would generate an overcrowded flag. In 1818, Congress determined that the flag should retain the original 13 stripes representative of the original colonies, while new stars would be added to represent new states as they entered the union. The final state to join the United States was Hawaii in 1959, and since that time our flag has featured 50 stars in the design with which most of us are familiar.

This brings us back to Flag Day, which we celebrate thanks to the vision of Wisconsin schoolteacher Bernard Cigrand, who imagined a nationwide event to honor the flag of the United States of America. Cigrand organized a Flag Day observance at his school in 1885 and began to advocate for a wider recognition of this important anniversary. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 should become a nationally observed event, but a National Flag Day only became official in 1949, when Congress designated June 14 as the date of celebration.

How can we share this history with our children to undergird the importance of the unifying symbol that is the American flag? Countless opportunities exist, which are only limited by our imagination. You might consider flying a flag outside your own home and talking to your children about why you have chosen to do so. You can teach them flag etiquette, which is the proper way to handle the flag when it is being carried or raised and lowered. Learning the proper way to fold a flag can provide a hands-on experience in which we can demonstrate the reverence fit for such a task. As a family, you can study the many transitions the flag has undergone since its inception. Begin to notice the flags flown in your communityparticularly related to government buildingsand talk about the difference between a flag flown at full-mast and half-mast. Engaging in casual conversations and serving as living examples for our children are often the primary means by which we pass cultural traditions from one generation to the next, and discussing a symbol of our nation, like the flag, creates a great opportunity for such things.

Many books have been written that connect our children in an engaging manner to the American flags symbolism and history. Picture books such as the Little Golden Book classic Our Flag by Carl Memling and Flags over America by Cheryl Harness are two examples, while a longer text like The Story of the American Flag by Wayne Whipple is something that can be incorporated into a childs history studies.

These are just a few ideas we can use to instill a sense of reverence for the flag in our children, and restore it to its rightful place in our culture as a unifying symbol of national pride. Lets reclaim the oft unrecognized Flag Day celebration this year, and commit to learning the history of this national symbol and educating our youth regarding the greatness that it represents.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 16, 2022. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Government Expert Panel Suggests Regulating Private Communications Through Online Harms Legislation

Many experts on a panel handpicked by the federal government to lay the basis of a future online harms reduction bill say private communications should be included under the framework, a Heritage Canada document indicates.

Some experts highlighted that a lot of times a high level of harmful content, such as terrorist content or child pornography, are shared in private communications instead of on public forumsand that excluding these types of communications would leave a lot of harmful content on the table, said a summary of the first session held by the expert panel, on April 14.

Many experts supported the notion that private communications should be included under the scope of the legislative framework.

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced in March that 12 experts would be holding discussions, also attended by bureaucrats from different agencies, to provide advice on the drafting of an internet content regulation bill.

Ten sessions were held from April to June, and government-provided summaries have been posted online.

While the experts pointed to terrorist content or child exploitation as needing to be countered in private communications, they identified at their eighth session, on June 3, that disinformation is one of the most pressing and harmful forms of malicious behaviour online.

While calling for the government to tackle disinformation, the experts nevertheless said the issue would be hard to define in legislation. They also said the government should not be deciding whats true or false.

As for regulating private communications, the experts suggested at their first session, on April 14, that platforms use tools that would mitigate the risk before it emerges or have reporting mechanisms to address harmful content.

In this way, regulations wouldnt need to impose a proactive monitoring obligation on platforms to monitor private communications to mitigate harms, the panel said.

Legal yet Harmful

Freedom of expression is protected in Canada, and hate speech is prohibited under existing laws, but the panel explored how to counter content online that could be lawful yet deemed harmful.

Some experts asserted that a balance would need to be struck between preserving charter rights while also addressing legal yet harmful content, reads the summary of the April 8 introductory workshop.

It was also stated that lawful but harmful content cannot legally be banned but could be regulated by means other than take-down measures.

Some experts argued that the law should be left ambiguous to incentivize platforms to [do] more to comply in regulating content, whereas others argued it would offer platforms too much leeway.

Despite disagreements, Heritage Canada said there was a consensus among the experts that a regulatory regime is needed to tackle harmful content online.

The experts said the way the government communicates its efforts to regulate content is important because such a framework has the potential to contribute to, erode, or reinforce the publics faith in Government and other democratic institutions.

Regarding platforms compliance with regulation, the experts said at their second session, on April 21, that public shaming or profit incentives would be key to a successful framework.

Politicization

A previous analysis of the panel of 12 experts showed they mostly share the governments ideology on different issues such as COVID-19 measures, advocating for more vaccine mandates, labelling alternative viewpoints as conspiracies, and criticizing the recent freedom-themed protests.

Some experts warned during the April 21 discussions that any legislation introduced to regulate content must not be susceptible to misuse by future governments.

Included in the range of harmful content they seek to regulate is propaganda, false advertising, and misleading political communications.

The discussion summaries are often steeped in progressive jargon.

Many experts stated that it would be important to find a way to define harmful content in a way that brings in lived experiences and intersectionality, said the April 21 summary.

They explained that a number of harms online are exemplified by issues like colonization and misogyny, and a regulatory framework would need to recognize these factors.

At the fifth session, on May 13, some experts expressed concern that platforms could become over-policed, labelling activist content like material from Black Lives Matter campaigns as extremist content.

Digital Safety Commissioner

Another area of consensus among the experts is the need to create a digital safety commissioner.

At the fourth session on May 6, they said the commissioner should have powers to audit, inspect, administer financial penalties, and launch investigations.

There was disagreement, though, on the scope of powers that should be afforded to this new position. Some experts said it should have teeth in order to force compliance.

The idea of creating a digital safety commissioner had already been proposed by the Liberals last year, and it featured in a technical paper published by Heritage Canada in April.

Complementing the new commissioner position, some experts said there should be a cyber-judge to determine the legality of content posted online, citing that platforms do not have the legitimacy to make those decisions.
Geocaching is a fun activity sure to inspire love for the great outdoors

What child, or adult for that matter, doesnt love the thought of going on a treasure hunt? Did you know that there are real-world treasure hunts that you and your family can participate in no matter where you are traveling or where you live? Well, that is exactly what geocaching is! With summer upon us, geocaching is a great way to get outdoors and learn, and its fun for all ages.

There are millions of treasures or geocaches hidden all over the world. Yes, I said world! There are official treasures called geocaches registered on the internet site Geocaching.com. To find them, you must become a member and download the geocache app. Although the app does cost about $10, everything else about geocaching is absolutely free. After you make an account, you can search for geocaches near me or you can specify an area if you are going on a trip. After using filters like within 5 miles, or easy, or handicap accessible, you will come up with a list of geocaches you can search for. Choose one, and you are on your way to finding your first treasure!

If you are a teacher or even a parent, you can use geocaching as an educational activity, but most importantly it is a family activity that is fun for all ages. Here is how I used it in my fifth grade classroom. Use it as I did or adapt it to fit your situation.

Latitude and Longitude

One evening, I was preparing a geography lesson on latitude and longitude. As all good teachers do, I wanted to begin by making it relevant. I looked up the latitude and longitude of the school where I taught.

Hmmm interesting, I thought to myself. Those are the same numbers that most of the GPS coordinates begin with when I am looking for geocaches in the area with my friends after school. The lightbulb went on, and after 40-some years I suddenly understood the real meaning of those imaginary lines I was taught about in fifth grade! I suddenly knew the meaning of the GPS coordinates, too. They were the same thing! Maybe I should be embarrassed, but I told you anyway. The moral of the story is I now knew how I was going to teach my students latitude and longitude. I would teach them about geocaching.

First, I needed to create a geocache, but what exactly is that? A geocache is a container of any size, ranging from micro to large. A micro geocache is only big enough to insert a rolled-up piece of paper as the logbook. All geocaches must have a logbook so that the finders can sign their names when they find it. Larger containers can hold anything from a few to many items (the treasure) and a logbook. The finder may take one item from the container but must replace it with an item of his or her own. This is really fun when you are geocaching with small children. Before embarking on the adventure, you have them go through their toys and find a few items to bring with them that they are willing to give up and swap out during the treasure hunt. After you sign the log and swap out treasure, you must put the geocache back exactly where you found it and exactly the same way you found it.

Back to teaching my fifth graders, I put together a container that held some stickers, erasers, and other various treasures. I also inserted a small notebook to use as a logbook. Then, I hid the container in the schoolyard habitat. After determining the GPS coordinates and writing them down, I was ready to teach my fifth graders about latitude, longitude, GPS, and geocaching.

The Lesson

Each student had a laptop with the Google Earth app installed. Students put in their addresses and looked at their houses. Then, I asked them to notice the GPS coordinates at the bottom of the screen. Students walked around the room and compared their coordinates to each other and discussed what the numbers meant, and quickly I heard such phrases as west of my house or north of my house. I was excited! They were beginning to understand what the numbers meant and that the increase or decrease in number correlated with direction. Next, I had the students open flat maps, and I introduced/reintroduced latitude and longitude to them. Just as the light bulb went on for me, I looked around the room and saw it light up in their faces as they connected GPS to latitude and longitude.

Finally, I asked them to get out their cell phones if they had one or grab a partner with one. I wrote the coordinates of the geocache I had placed in the habitat and asked them all to write it down on a piece of paper and bring it and their device with them to the schoolyard habitat. Using the compass app, I asked the students to find the coordinates they had written down on the piece of paper. Lots of whoops and hollers were shouted when they found the geocache, and I explained that they would learn about geocaching the next day.

To extend on the latitude/longitude lesson, any time we had a few extra minutes I would point to a city or landmark on a map or globe. Students would use whiteboards to write down a latitude/longitude guess for where that might be. Using our towns coordinates as base, the students became pretty good at giving reasonable guesses. Some became excellent!

Geocaching

The next day, I taught the students about geocaching. We went to the geocaching site, watched all the videos, and discussed when and how they could do this wonderful activity with their families. My school district is in a small town with a population of around 6,000 people. It is situated in rural Pennsylvania and is 80 miles from a large city. I asked the students how many geocaches they thought might be in a 10-mile radius of their small town. They made some guesses, but none came close to the 347 geocaches listed after they did a search! I allowed them to play with the filters, and one student realized that there were 27 geocaches within a mile of the center of Greenville! This was a treasure hunt game they could play without ever leaving their town!

The beauty of geocaching, however, is that you can leave your town. You can leave your state and even the country. Geocaches are everywhere, and so are geocachers! Beware of muggles, though! What are muggles, you ask? They are those pesky people who dont have a clue about geocaching. They are suspicious and they wonder what you are doing, or they find geocaches and dont know what they are, so they throw them in the trash. Lucky for youyou are no longer a muggle!

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
A scooterist rides past an advertisement of Chinese mobile phone maker Vivo, painted on a shuttered shop of a market in Mumbai on July 31, 2020. (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)

India Seizes $58.7 Million From Chinese Smartphone Maker Vivo Over Tax Evasion

Indias anti-money laundering agency said on Thursday that it seized 119 bank accounts containing 4.65 billion rupees ($58.75 million) from Indian businesses linked with Chinese smartphone maker Vivo for tax evasion.

The Indian Enforcement Directorate said that Vivo India remitted 62.47 billion rupees ($7.9 million), or almost 50 percent, of its total turnover outside the country, mainly to China.

These remittances were made in order to disclose huge losses in Indian incorporated companies to avoid payment of taxes in India, the directorate said in a statement.

It conducted searches in 48 locations belonging to Vivo India and 23 related entities on July 5, after an initial probe found that shareholders used forged identification documents and falsified addresses at the time of incorporation.

Vivo Indias employees, including some Chinese nationals, did not cooperate with the search proceedings and had attempted to abscond, remove and hide digital devices, the directorate said.

It also claimed that the addresses provided by the directors of Grand Prospect International Communicationone of Vivo Indias shareholderswere a government building and the residence of a top bureaucrat.

Vivo India was incorporated in August 2014 as a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Multi Accord Ltd. All of its three directors, Zhengshen Ou, Bin Lou, and Zhang Jie, fled India in 2018 and 2021, according to the directorate.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Vivo India for comment.

Chinese Embassy Response

The Chinese Embassy in India criticized Indian authorities for the frequent investigations into Chinese firms, saying that such moves impede the improvement of business environment in India and chill the confidence and willingness of businesses from other countries.

We are following the issue closely, the embassy told reporters, adding that the Chinese regime had reminded Chinese enterprises to abide by laws and regulations overseas.

The investigation on Vivo India comes after the directorate raided Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi in May, and seized $725 million over the companys illegal remittances to three foreign-based entities in the guise of royalty payments.

Xiaomi later stated that its royalty payments were legit and truthful as they were used for in-licenses technologies and IPs used in our Indian version products.

India last year retained its ban on 59 Chinese mobile applications, including ByteDances video-sharing app TikTok, Tencents messaging app Wechat, and Alibabas UC Browser, citing national security and sovereignty concerns.
Though drug regulators were originally set up to regulate the drug industry, a new investigation by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) shows that conflict of interest (COI) is pervasive within agencies globally. Pharmaceutical companies are the biggest funders of major regulatory agencies.

The study found some national drug agencies are almost exclusively reliant on pharmaceutical money, serving as a prime example of institutional corruption, said sociologist Donald Light in the study.

Drug Industry-Funded Drug Regulator

Over the past decades, regulatory agencies have seen large proportions of their budgets funded by the industry they are sworn to regulate, wrote the studys author Dr. Maryanne Demasi, a medical investigative journalist.

Her research on the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, UK, and Japan found that industry money makes up more than 50 percent of drug regulators annual budget.

Comparing major drug regulators on conflicts of interest, according to data by Maryanne Demasi. (The Epoch Times)

Out of the six countries, Australias Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) was almost exclusively funded by the drug industry.

The industry paid for 96 percent of TGAs budget from 2020 to 2021 and the agency approved more than 9 out of every 10 drug applications.

Europe, the UK, and Japan very closely followed with over 80 percent of their agencys budget coming from industry money.

The United Statess Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and Canadas Health Canada (HC), had lower proportions of industry funding with 68 percent and 50.5 percent of their budget paid through the drug industry.

Despite almost exclusively relying on the pharmaceutical industry, Australias TGA firmly denies that its funding is a conflict of interest (COI), wrote Demasi.

The agency said all fees and charges are prescribed in our legislation. To provide transparency, the TGA fees and charges are published on the TGA website.

Like the FDA, the TGA was founded to be an independent institute. However, being largely funded by fees from the companies whose products it is charged to evaluate is a fundamental conflict of interest and a prime example of institutional corruption, said Light in Demasis study.

External Independent Advisors Funded by the Agency

Concerns of COI are not just limited to those who work in the agency, but also external advisers on expert panels intended to provide expert advice to regulatory agencies.

Studies have shown several independent advisors for the FDA, TGA, and the UKs Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have all had financial ties with pharmaceuticals. Further, a 2021 study found that several COVID-19 advisory members in the UK and the United States all had financial ties with vaccine developers, which the regulators judged as acceptable.

Australias TGAs members of the Advisory Committee on Vaccines are published on the agencys website, but forms for recording past and current financial and non-financial interests are not, however, made public, Demasi wrote.

Documents provided to the BMJ under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in 2021 for financial relationships had the names and details of the disclosures redacted (pdf).

According to Demasi, the BMJ sought additional details from the released documents but the TGA indicated it was personal information and therefore exempt under the act.

Committee members were also approached through emails asking if they will be willing to publish COI declarations but were instead referred back to the TGA which revealed that 5 of the 10 members disclosed COI but did not say which members or provide specific details, according to Demasis report.

Of the 6 major regulators approached by the BMJ, only Canadas drug regulators did not routinely seek advice from an independent committee, and its evaluation team was the only one completely free of financial COIs, Demasi wrote.

European, Japanese, and UK regulators publish full declarations online with public access while the FDA judges COIs on a meeting-by-meeting basis.

Data Transparency

Another major concern is the lack of transparency in the approval process in evaluating the safety and efficacy of certain treatments.

Though Europes EMA, Health Canada, and Japans PMDA all publicize substantial amounts of clinical data from drug sponsors, the FDA and Australias TGA remain largely untransparent in their approval process.

In 2020, the FDA was sued by a group of 80 clinicians and professors to publicize Pfizers vaccine data following expedited approval through emergency use authorization.

Since 2021, documents on the Pfizer vaccine trials have gradually been released, with shocking findings in the documents of increased disorders in the nervous system, cardiac system, and blood system when compared to influenza vaccines.

While FDA staff have at least evaluated documents submitted by pharmaceutical companies, TGAs FOI request has shown that the agency has not seen the source data for the COVID-19 vaccine trials, rather the agency evaluated the manufacturers data in summary form. The agency does not have individual data on participants in regards to the COVID-19 vaccine trials either (pdf), which are held by the vaccine manufacturer.

Accelerated Drug Approvals

Demasi argued the prevalent expedited approvals are also harming the safety of consumers.

With 68 percent of drugs approved in the United States passing through the accelerated approval process, and 50 percent in Europe, these put consumers at greater risk of harm.

Previous studies have shown accelerated approval processes have resulted in new drugs being more likely to be withdrawn due to safety concerns and more likely to carry black box warnings.

Bottles of antidepressant pills, (L-R) Wellbutrin, Paxil, Lexapro, Effexor, Zoloft, and Fluoxetine, photographed in Miami, Fla., on March 23, 2004. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The accelerated approval pathway explicitly changes the underlying efficacy standard in that it allows approval based on changes to a surrogate (non-standard) measure that is not well validated, and is only reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, says Prof. Aaron Kesselheim from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital in the study.

Kesselheim also said accelerated approvals generally have a lower standard for proof of efficacy.

RegulatorIndustry Revolving Door

A revolving door mechanism between regulators and industry also contributes to the corruption of drug regulators, according to the study.

Nine out of 10 past FDA commissioners between 2006 to 2019 went on to secure positions in pharmaceutical companies.

FDAs 24th and the most recent past commissioner, Stephen Hahn, is currently working for Flagship Pioneering, a company that invests in new biopharmaceutical companies.

The current FDA commissioner, Robert Califf, was rehired to the position he previously held under the Obama administration, though some senators argued that his ties to the pharmaceutical industry made him unfit.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf speaks to members of Congress in Washington on June 16, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Califf previously worked at Verily Life Sciences and financial disclosure forms showed he was paid $2.7 million by the company. He also served in advisor positions on the boards of two pharmaceutical companies, AmyriAD and Centessa Pharmaceuticals in 2021.

Steps to Change

Experts have proposed minor and both major changes to drug regulators.

Light argued for the setup of an additional watchdog to regulate the drug regulators or other non-for-profit drug evaluators like Germanys Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, which claims no relationship with the pharmaceutical industry.

Some experts argued for reforms in advisory committees, including public disclosure of all financial COIs as well as an explanation of why these experts cannot be replaced with those without COIs.

There needs to be more clarity about the endpoints and what the scientific basis is for choosing an endpoint. Kesselheim proposed in the study, advising re-examination and reform to expedited drug approvals.

The study was published in the British Medical Journal, a reputable peer-reviewed journal, on June 29.
Irvine Officials to Consider District Elections, Adding 2 Councilors

IRVINE, Calif.The city council will discuss July 12 if voters will decide in November if the council should expand from four to six seats and change the way locals cast ballots in elections.

The item, brought forward by Councilman Larry Agran Tuesday, intends to not only increase the size of the council, but to split the city into six districts of roughly 52,000 residents each.

The changes would start in November 2024 and mean voters would only cast ballots for representatives in the district where they live. Currently, voters elect councilors in what is called at-large voting, meaning residents vote for all five candidates as well as the mayor.

Rules for mayoral elections would not change under the new system.

If approved, the changes would appear as ballot measures in the November General Election and need more than a 50 percent vote from Irvine voters to pass.

Agran told The Epoch Times that Irvine is the largest city in the statewith a population of over 300,000still using at-large elections.

With a city of our size, simply electing people by district is a better form of representation ensuring all areas of the city are represented in the composition of the city council, he said.

Residents, he said, would have their own councilmember who actually lives in that district and is more familiar with the problems and opportunities that people have in that district.

He also said district elections make campaigning more personal.

The campaign can be a truly grassroots campaign where you knock on every door in the district where you cant do that citywide, Agran said.

Councilwoman Tammy Kim seconded Agrans motion but said district electionswhich she usually supports because, she said, they protect minority votes from being dilutedare unnecessary, as the city has no ethnic enclaves.

Irvine is a thoroughly integrated city, and district voting would not represent the population, she said.

If the city council approves the issue, city staff will draft ballot measures and return them for council final approval by July 26, according to Agran.

Sophie Li and Rudy Blalock contributed to this report.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (C) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Judge Allows Louisiana Abortion Restrictions to Come Into Force

Louisiana may enforce a near-total ban on abortions after a state judge refused to extend an injunction, allowing the states so-called abortion trigger law to go into effect on July 8.

The ruling came the same day as President Joe Biden signed an executive order designed to protect access to abortion-inducing pills and emergency contraception. It also came amid a flurry of litigation nationwide two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the seminal 1973 precedent that overturned state laws and legalized abortion in the United States.

A trigger law is a law that takes effect when a specific event occurs. In this case, Louisianas trigger law, enacted in 2006, provides it becomes effective if Roe v. Wade is struck down. The law, one of many abortion restrictions passed in the state in the last few years, forbids abortions except when the pregnant womans life is in danger. Violations of the law count as felonies and can be punished with 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Louisiana is one of several states with trigger laws predicated on the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Similar laws in Utah and Kentucky have been temporarily blocked by courts.

Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ethel Julien said on July 8 that she lacked authority to extend a restraining order recently issued by another judge that prevented the laws from taking effect. Because the lawsuit brought by abortion provider Hope Medical Group for Women claims the laws are unconstitutionally vague, the case must be heard in state court in the state capital of Baton Rouge, according to an Associated Press report.

The abortion provider argued that the trigger laws were unconstitutionally vague because they dont provide any protection against arbitrary enforcement as required by the due process clause of the Louisiana Constitution.

Days after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling which had held there was a constitutional right to abortion, Robin Giarrusso, who is also a judge of Orleans Parish Civil District Court, granted a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the law.

Jeff Landry, Louisianas Republican attorney general, whose office had argued the case should be transferred to the court in Baton Rouge, celebrated Juliens ruling in a brief Twitter post.

Fighting and Winning for Louisiana! he wrote.

Landry added that there were reports that Biden is planning #abortion executive order. If he does, we will meet it with legal action and defeat him in court again!

Joanna Wright, a lawyer for plaintiffs fighting the ban, said the case will continue.

The fight is far from over, and were looking forward to litigating the trigger bans before the court of Baton Rouge, the Washington Post quoted her as saying.
Young Thug (L) and Gunna attend the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta on Oct. 1, 2021. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

Judge Concerned About Witness Intimidation in Young Thug, Gunna Case

By Shaddi Abusaid

From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTACiting concerns about witness intimidation ahead of next years trial, the Fulton County judge overseeing the case of rappers Young Thug and Gunna is prohibiting defense attorneys from sharing certain information about the states witnesses with their clients.

Judge Ural Glanville issued the order Wednesday after District Attorney Fani Willis filed a motion citing numerous threats to kill or harm witnesses planning to testify for the prosecution.

Prosecutors have accused the rappers, whose real names are Jeffery Lamar Williams and Sergio Kitchens, of being the leaders of a criminal street gang responsible for much of Atlantas crime. The musicians were among more than two dozen alleged YSL members indicted earlier this year.

Kitchens was denied bond a second time Thursday morning over the objections of his attorneys, who argued the state has shown little evidence linking the musician to any criminal activity.

Both he and Williams are accused of conspiring to violate Georgias criminal racketeering law, but the sprawling May indictment outlines more serious crimes allegedly carried out by their associates ranging from drug possession to murder. Attorneys for the rappers deny the allegations, contending YSL, or Young Stoner Life, is just a popular record label, not a violent street gang as prosecutors allege.

In a motion filed this week, Willis asked the judge to restrict certain information to protect the states witnesses. The DA said YSL has a history of intimidating witnesses, obstructing investigations and even attacking police, citing a February incident in which co-defendant Christian Eppinger allegedly shot an Atlanta police officer six times.

Additionally, in speaking with unindicted cooperating co-conspirators of YSL, the state has learned that gang members have made numerous threats to kill or harm witnesses, Willis wrote. Witnesses have advised prosecutors that they fear not only for their own lives, but for their families lives should they testify.

She cited the recent arrest of Quartavius Mender, an 18-year-old relative of one of the defendants who is accused of threatening to kill the Fulton County sheriff and his wife over Young Thugs arrest.

The state has significant safety concerns for all the officers, lay witnesses, cooperating witnesses and any potential cooperating co-defendants who could be called as witnesses in this trial, Willis said.

In his temporary order restricting the disclosure of certain evidence during discovery, Glanville said attorneys may investigate as necessary to prepare for trial, but that counsel may not share that contact information with their clients in the interest of preventing those witnesses from harm.

Attorney Steve Sadow, one of several lawyers representing Kitchens, tried once again Thursday to have his client released on bond.

The only thing Mr. Kitchens wants is to be released, to be in his home to produce music and meet with counsel to prepare for trial, Sadow told the judge.

Though prosecutors allege Gunna is a leader of YSL, Sadow said the state has offered littleif anyevidence proving its claims. Some of those named in the indictment are charged with violent offenses such as murder or armed robbery, Sadow noted. But Kitchens faces just one count of conspiring to violate Georgias racketeering law.

Once again, Sadow offered to have his client wear an ankle monitor, put up a large bond, and list several of his properties as collateral. He also said he would be OK with statements from the prosecutions witnesses being allowed at trial, even if those witnesses are unable or unwilling to testify in person.

We have no reason to believe Mr. Kitchens will in any way attempt to threaten and intimidate witnesses or otherwise obstruct justice, Sadow said.

Arguing Kitchens should remain in jail, lead prosecutor Don Geary said the YSL gang existed long before the record label was ever created.

He also said a medical assistant recently accused of smuggling drugs into the Fulton County jail was found with a list in her purse that included Kitchens name and location in the facility, both of which were highlighted.

The 24-year-old dropped her bag and fled security when someone asked to search her belongings, the sheriff said. Inside the bag deputies discovered nearly 200 grams of marijuana, more than 20 grams of cocaine and 200 cigarettes, authorities said.

Sadow said just because his clients name was on a list doesnt mean he did anything illegal.

The medical assistant was arrested last month in Mississippi and Kitchens has since been moved to the Henry County jail.

Glanville has scheduled the trial for Jan. 9, 2023.

2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A state corrections officer who was suspended after mocking the victims of the Tops Markets massacre in an online post has retired from his job.

Gregory C. Foster II, a guard at the Attica Correctional Facility, was placed on unpaid leave and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision announced it would seek to terminate Foster for sharing the crude social media meme.

Instead, as he awaited a disciplinary hearing, Foster agreed to retire, the department told The Buffalo News this week.

"The comments made by Correction Officer Gregory Foster II are despicable, stand in violation of multiple department rules and will not be tolerated. The vile posting does not represent the morals and values of the thousands of staff members in the department," the department said in a statement.

The offensive meme showed a photo of a Tops Markets above the words, "Clean up on aisle 3, no wait 4, also on 7, 9, 12 and 13."

Foster punctuated the meme with the comment, "Too soon? This should weed out some FB friends," followed by a laughing emoji.

He shared the meme days after the May 14 attack, when an avowed white supremacist is accused of driving more than 200 miles from the Southern Tier to Buffalo to kill as many Black people as possible. Ten people died and three others were injured in the supermarket attack.

The meme spurred outrage online, especially as it became apparent the person who shared it was a corrections officer, and it drew national attention.

On May 17, DOCCS said it had suspended Foster without pay, was launching an investigation and would seek further discipline of department employees who engaged with the post.

State lawmakers urged the department to act swiftly.

"If we are going to root out hate and bigotry in all forms, Greg Foster can no longer be allowed to serve in this role and in the department. In addition, any DOCCS correction officer who engaged with Mr. Fosters post, or any officer who has committed such despicable behavior, must also face consequences," Assemblyman Kenny Burgos, D-Bronx, and State Sen. Julia Salazar, D-Brooklyn and chair of the Senate Committee on Crime and Correction, wrote May 19 to Anthony Annucci, the department's acting commissioner.

Payroll records show Foster, who joined the department in 1997, earned $185,482 in 2020. He could not be reached for comment Friday.

His retirement, which has not been previously reported, took effect June 16.

The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association declined to comment on Foster's retirement but pointed a reporter to the statement the union released following his suspension.

"Simply put, hateful rhetoric has no place in our organization. As a statewide entity representing individuals from across all ethnicities, genders, races and backgrounds, we pride ourselves on being engrained in the fabric of our respective communities through volunteerism and participation in community efforts to better the lives of our neighbors," union President Michael Powers said then.

In a May 17 email to union members, the NYSCOPBA executive board condemned the original, "obscene" post and those who responded with laughing emoji and predicted they would face "swift discipline," according to an image shared on Facebook.

"As your union, we will ensure you receive your due process rights all the way through to the bitter end, but we do not support the actions that brought you to this point," the board wrote.

The corrections department said it had started disciplinary proceedings against five other employees. Two have accepted their punishment, which the department did not reveal, and the process involving three others continues.

In response to complaints from the public, the Cheektowaga Police Department is looking into whether one of its part-time employees also engaged with the offensive meme, Chief Brian Gould said, an investigation that remains open.
Matthew Graves is the Department of Justice lawyer who has denied Trump supporters their constitutional rights and subjected them to cruel and unusual punishment, including torture and illegal detention. And yet almost no one knows the name of the man who has shredded our legal system to exercise revenge on behalf of the ruling establishment.

In this stunning new episode of Over the Target, journalist Julie Kelly speaks with Lee Smith to reveal the truth about Graves and the sinister forces driving him.

* Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List.

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Rolman Balacarcel (L) and Julio Alvarado in mugshot photographs. (Richmond Police Department via The Epoch Times)

Men Arrested in July 4 Mass Shooting Plot Are Illegal Immigrants

The two men arrested for allegedly planning to attack a July 4 celebration in Virginia are both in the United States illegally, with one having been deported twice, according to U.S. officials and court documents.

Julio Alvarado-Dubon, 52, was arrested on July 1 for allegedly plotting the mass shooting with Rolman Balacarcel, 38, who was arrested on July 5.

Both were charged with being non-U.S. citizens in possession of firearms.

Initial documents filed in General District Court in Richmond say the men are in the U.S. illegally. The documents say Alvarado-Dubon has an expired visa.

Both men are Guatemalan nationals, an official with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to The Epoch Times in an email.

Balacarcel was deported twice from the United States before, the official said, once in October 2013 and again in August 2014.

Immigration detainers were placed on both men.

Bond

Court documents note bond was set at $15,000 for Alvarado-Dubon, but the Richmond City Jail, where he was booked, still lists him as an inmate.

Colette McEachin, the commonwealths attorney for the city, told WRIC-TV reported that Dubon was released and that her office objected to the decision to grant bond.

Nevertheless, the General District Court judge granted a bond and decided on the $15,000 amount himself, she said.

The lawyer listed for Dubon declined to comment. His next hearing is on Aug. 2. Authorities in Richmond did not respond to queries.

Balacarcel remains in custody, Col. Martin Kumer, superintendent of the Albermarle County Jail, told The Epoch Times via email.

It wasnt immediately clear if Balacarcel had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Richmond police officials said in an earlier briefing that a tipster from a hero citizen led police to an apartment Dubon and Balacarcel shared. Dubon let officers inside, where they saw clear evidence backing the tipster, Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith told reporters at a briefing.

The pair were planning to shoot up the Independence Day event at the Dogwood Dell amphitheater, which seats 2,400 and is located outdoors, according to officials. A concert and fireworks were held for the event.

The charge each man faces is a class 6 felony. Under Virginia law, the charge can bring a term of imprisonment of one to five years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The longest running record of human-shark interaction in Australia is now accessible online, detailing over 1,000 shark encounters that have occurred Down Under over the past 230 years.

Formerly known as the Australian Shark Attack File, the Australian Shark-Incident Database (ASID) will assist scientists to identify patterns and links between shark attacks and environmental, biological, or social factors.

This will enable conservationists, authorities, and the public to better determine the conditions influencing shark-bite risk and make informed decisions when considering mitigation measures.

Founded in 1980 and maintained by Taronga Conservation Society Australia since 1984, data for this record of shark incidents was gathered using questionnaires completed by shark-attack victims or witnesses, media reports, and information provided by government fisheries departments.

This photo taken on May 1, 2016 shows Australian shark attack survivor Dave Pearson standing on Crowdy Head beach south of Ballina, where he was attacked by a three metre bull shark in 2011. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images)

The dataset has recently been standardised, and according to curator of the database, Tarongas Phoebe Meagher, that comprehensive datasets like the ASID were rare in the field of marine science.

Sharing these data in a de-identified, peer-reviewed manner means we can learn from these tragic events, and how to secure a shared ocean for sharks and people, she said in a release on July 7.

The database provides the location and time of the incident, weather conditions, activity at the time of bite, victim recovery status, and species of shark, but has removed all identifying information about the people involved. The information will give researchers insight into the larger patterns around shark behaviour.

Shark Bite Incidents Vary

According to Professor Charlie Huveneers from Flinders University, shark bites of humans have risen steadily over the past few decades, and while the cause behind the increase is unclear, he said the phenomena was not happening everywhere, with some regions seeing a decrease in attacks and others remaining at a steady rate.

This reflects the high variability of the risk of being bitten by a shark, Huveneers said.

It is unlikely to be linked to only one factor and a combination of reasons likely contributes to the increased number of shark bites, including a growing human population spending more time doing water-based activities and recovering shark populations, or changes in shark occurrences along the coast.

Environment and habitat variation, such as changing water temperature and redistribution of prey were also suggested as potential reasons for the increased bites in some regions.

Database to Assist with Shark Mitigation Measures

Lead author and shark-bite researcher from Flinders University, Madeline Riley, said the data could be used to optimise the design of mitigation measures.

For example, shark deterrent devices currently under development can be prioritised for integration into wetsuits or surfboards to reduce injury severity and fatalities.

A surfer shows her surfboards shark-shield, at the Saint-Leu surfing spot, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, on April 2, 2021. (Richard Bouhet/AFP via Getty Images)

The company Ocean Guardian already has a range of devices which use their Shark Shield technology to deter sharks. These devices create a powerful current that repels sharks and have been proven to work on great whites, tigers, and bull sharksthe species responsible for the majority of attacks.

One example is FREEDOM+Surf, which connects to the tailpad of a surfboard, has a sticker-thin adhesive antenna which adheres to the underside of the board, and apparently does not impact performance.

The Shark-Incident Database is also expected to help policymakers with decisions about selecting mitigation responses.

Shark scientist at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Vic Peddemors, said the database could assist with swimmer safety.

Enabling access to a standardised database of shark-human interactions allows ongoing determination of their trends and in developing potential shark hazard mitigation measures, such as those implemented by the NSW government in the new $85 Million Shark Management Program, he said.

This program utilises shark nets between Newcastle and Wollongong (north and south of Sydney), a continuing rollout of smart drum lines between Bega and Tweed Heads, drone surveillance, and surveillance using tagged shark listening stations.

Smart drumlines are designed to intercept sharks that come close to shore, and have proven effective for catching target sharksgreat white, bull and tiger sharksbut minimising the catch of non-target animals.

The Australian Shark-Incident Database can be viewed here.
The Orange County Board of Education trustees in Costa Mesa, Calif., on July 6, 2022. (Mei Li/The Epoch Times)

OC Board of Education Renews Lawsuit to End Newsoms COVID Emergency Powers

COSTA MESA, Calif.The Orange County Board of Education filed new legal action July 6 in a renewed effort to end Gov. Gavin Newsoms COVID-19 state of emergency, which was enacted more than two years ago in March 2020.

The board, along with child health advocacy group Childrens Health Defense, filed an amended motion to its existing November lawsuit against Newsoms state of emergency. The motion will be heard by Orange County Superior Court Judge Theodore Howard on Aug. 11, according to board officials.

Board members spoke about the lawsuit during a press conference Wednesday ahead of the board meeting.

This isnt about masks. Its not about vaccines. Its about giving California back to Californians and getting back to the government and business as usual, said Trustee Mari Barke.

Trustee Tim Shaw urged Newsom to call for the state Legislature to vote on the state of emergency.

To me, theres a fundamental question here, Shaw said. We dont just give all power to one individual to make our rules and our laws for us  I would hope that the governor would see the error of his ways and at least call for a vote of the legislature.

While mask and vaccine mandates have been relaxed, trustees warned that such mandates could potentially return at any moment with the state of emergency in place.

The state of emergency allows the governor to issue a mandate at any time, Barke said. We believe that the power should be with the local school districts.

This is not the first time the board has taken legal action against the governors pandemic state of emergency.

Last summer, attorneys for the board filed two petitions in the state Supreme Court seeking to end the state of emergency and mask mandates for studentsboth of which were ultimately denied.

This time around, the boards attorneys filed a suit against Newsom in the Orange County Superior Court.

Barke also noted at the press conference that each suit hasnt cost taxpayers a dime as attorneys working on the case were doing so pro-bono.

The announcement comes the same day Trustee Lisa Sparks, along with Barke and Shaw, were sworn in for another term following their respective June re-election victories.

At the start of the meeting, the board unanimously voted for Sparks to represent them as president and for Shaw as vice president. Barke and Trustee Ken Williams previously served as president and vice president, respectively.

Earlier this week, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that the LA Unified School District cannot require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend in-person classes.

Newsoms office was not immediately available for comment.
Orange County's Veterans Cemetery Breaks Ground in Anaheim, Calif., on Dec. 8, 2021. (Courtesy of the County of Orange)

Orange County Supervisors Fund First Responders Cemetery

SANTA ANA, Calif.Final taps will be played for Orange Countys police and firefighters at a special, 10-acre section next to the new Southern California Veterans Cemetery site that soon should be built in Anaheim Hills. It will be the first cemetery in the nation dedicated to first responders.

The Orange County Supervisors unanimously passed item S58D on June 28, allocating $1 million from the discretionary funds of Supervisor Don Wagner of the Third District, which includes Anaheim Hills, for the special site. His original proposal passed the board on March 8.

The Southern California Veterans Cemetery is expected to be built soon after a decade of wrangling in the county and the California Legislature. An assembly bill has been introduced to get the project approved by the state. Orange County currently has no state or federal cemetery for veterans, the closest being Riverside National Cemetery.

Each day police and fire personnel put their lives in peril to keep every resident of Orange County safe, Wagner told The Epoch Times. He said the project is long overdue.

The grant provides for 200 burial spaces, 100 each for police officers and firefighters, providing a dignified eternal resting place, and proper respect for their service, according to a statement from Wagners office. Each space includes two plots, the second for a spouse or other loved one.

The location of the Veterans Cemetery itself has been a nightmare of delays. In 2019, the Irvine City Council approved putting it in the citys Great Park, previously the site of the old Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.

Then discussions stalled, with almost no funding allocated for the project or plans to move forward in construction.

By December of last year, all 34 cities in Orange County agreed to the Anaheim Hills location.

Ive been working on this cemetery since my time in the legislature, said Wagner, a former assemblyman, after the funding passage. Political games played by opponents of the veterans desires forced us to abandon Irvine.

Wagner, a Republican and former Irvine mayor, also has spearheaded a $20 million contribution from the county to further demonstrate commitment to the project. He also received bipartisan support.

Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) sponsored Assembly Bill 1595, which would replace Irvine with Anaheim Hills as the cemetery site. It is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Steven Choi (R-Irvine)another former Irvine mayorwho represents Anaheim Hills.

The bill passed the Assembly on May 23 and the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on June 28, each without opposition. Its currently in the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Quirk-Silva said she hopes the bill can be on Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk for his signature by this fall.
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I had the chance to sit down with Maj Toure, the co-founder of Black Guns Matteran educational movement designed to enlighten those in urban communities to the lifestyle of being a responsible gun owner.

Toure holds free instructional classes in urban communities across America teaching responsible gun ownership principles like firearm safety, conflict resolution, de-escalation principles, and Second Amendment constitutional rights.

We discussed some of the challenges facing those who, like him, are attempting to spread a message of conservative values in the hoods throughout America, in places that are traditionally democratic strongholds.

Stay tuned for our newsletter so you wont miss out on our exclusive videos and private events.

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An Air Canada jet takes off from Trudeau Airport in Montreal, June 30, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

Passengers, Advocates Cry Foul on Air Canada Compensation

Passengers and advocates say Air Canada is giving them the runaround on refunds, compensation and reasons cited for flight delays and cancellationsincluding a case of harsh weather highlighted nearly two weeks in advance.

Despite thousands of scrapped flights and late arrivals, customers are struggling to file successful complaints and navigate the nuances of complex regulations amid the overwhelming surge in summer travel.

The countrys largest carrier informed some passengers their flight to Lisbon would be delayed due to bad weather, 12 days before it was slated to leave Montreal on July 17.

Another traveller recently received a $60 eCoupon due to a days-long baggage delay rather than the direct luggage-fee refund shes entitled to under both federal rules and Air Canadas passenger-carrier contract.

Itd be great if I could get that money back rather than a coupon. Especially since I am still without my bag and fronting interim expenses, said Air Canada Rouge passenger Leanna Durdle.

On Tuesday, the airline cancelled a flight from Nashville to Toronto citing a technical issue. But data on tracking service Flightradar24 shows the same plane that was scheduled to fly into Nashville for the trip instead took off for Boston an hour after the original departure time, despite the stated mechanical problem.

Liam Walshe, a paralegal who advocates for consumer protection, called the reasons cited questionable and suspect. Technical or mechanical malfunctions do not qualify as within the carriers control and thus exempt it from having to compensate customers, he noted.

I was pretty shocked with what I was seeing, he said.

How would they say its for maintenance and then an hour later the aircraft flies to Boston instead? Why wouldnt they just delay the Nashville flight slightly?

Walshe said that taken together, the myriad instances of technical or maintenance issues along with travel vouchers rather than reimbursement create an appearance the airline is trying to avoid paying out.

People have been submitting claims and theyve been getting denied, he said. Youll see all kinds of people saying that theres inconsistent reasons.

Air Canada said in an email the weather explanation on the Lisbon flight was an incorrect notification that has since been revised.

Air Canada fully appreciates the disappointment and inconvenience schedule changes cause customers, and does its utmost to mitigate these regrettable situations, the airline said in a statement.

It notes travellers can request a refund in the original form of payment at any time, and says it will pay additional compensation where due under the passenger rights charter.

The airline has struggled to cope with the traveller tidal wave amid staffing shortages in recent months, with positions from pilots to baggage carriers as well as security and customs agents going unfilled.

The result has been long airport wait times, constant delays and labyrinths of late luggage, along with mounting complaints and compensation demands.

The airline has said its payroll is at 93 percent of 2019 levels, even as it cut more than 15 percent of summer departures. Announced last week, that move reduces its flight schedule to far below 80 percent of pre-pandemic figures, which it had been operating at since late spring.

Meanwhile the federal government says nearly 1,200 screening officers have been hired since Aprilthough not all have clearance to work the scannersand 700-plus student border officers have taken up spots at checkpoints.

Yet the travel turbulence continues, with Air Canada racking up a higher share of flight delaysabout two-thirdsthan any other large airline worldwide for four days in a row starting Saturday. Other carriers and airports are also experiencing inordinate hold-ups, from Londons Heathrow to Chinas Guangzhou.

Gabor Lukacs, president of the Air Passenger Rights advocacy group, says travellers frustration underscores the complexityand loopholesof Canadas three-year-old Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR).

For example, travellers have no ready way to disprove an airlines claim that mechanical issues are behind a delay and that no cash is owed.

These are not easily understandable, easily enforceable rights. Its a sham, Lukacs said, pointing to a small claims court decision in Nova Scotia from July 2021.

When consumer protection is the intended outcome of a regulatory regime, it should be assumed the regime will be in plain language, easy to understand and supports a simple claims process, the ruling reads.

The APPR, which was intended to accomplish enhanced passenger rights, accomplishes none of these. The language is complex and legalistic; one needs detailed or specific knowledge to invoke the claims system; and the process to seek compensation, once invoked, does not lend itself to quick resolution.

Under the regulations, passengers are owed alternate travel arrangements or a refundtravellers choiceif they were informed more than two weeks in advance that their flight was cancelled or delayed by three hours or more for reasons within the carriers control.

If the trip was cancelled within 14 days or less, passengers are owed $1,000 for a cancellation or delay of nine hours or more, and between $400 and $700 for delays of three to nine hours.

No matter how long the notice, a passenger who opts to reject a rebooking should receive $400 in compensation, on top of a refund.

The airline must aim to rebook passengers on a flight on its network that takes off within nine hours of the original departure time. If it cant, it must offer to book them on another airline network as soon as feasible, free of charge, according to the passenger rights charter.

By Christopher Reynolds
Federal Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre speaks at an anti-carbon tax rally in Ottawa on March 31, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle)

Poilievre Responds to Media Article Painting Him as Sympathetic to Far-Right

Conservative MP and party leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre is criticizing a media outlet that published an article that accuses him and some of his colleagues of sympathizing with the far-right, saying No wonder trust in the media is at an all-time low.

One of Global News so-called journalists decided to smear me & thousands of other Canadians because we criticized the federal governments unscientific & discriminatory vaccine mandates, Poilievre tweeted on July 7.

Poilievre was commenting on Global News July 7 article How close is too close to the far-right? Why some experts are worried about Canadas MPs.

The article criticizes Poilievres and other Conservative MPs support for veteran James Topp, who walked across Canada to protest vaccine mandates, as well as for the Freedom Convoy.

The experts quoted in the article are an academic and the director of the taxpayer-funded Canadian Anti-Hate Network, both of whom have been steadily critical of freedom-themed protests.

The thesis of the article is that because some of the supporters of Topp and the Freedom Convoy have far-right views, MPs who support Topp and the freedom movement could be legitimizing extreme ideas.

Instead of just covering the news, unprofessional journalists like you try to set disingenuous traps to attack your opponents, Poilievre said in a statement responding to the piece.

The July 7 statement says Poilievre will continue to support those who want to restore freedoms, while at the same time condemning those who engage in illegal behaviour or express heinous views.

The statement adds that Poilievre cant be held accountable for the words and deeds of everyone he meets as well as those he hasnt even met.

Reactions

There was a flurry of reactions on social media to Poilievres response, which Aaron Wudrick of the MacDonald-Laurier Institute characterized in a tweet as a perfect political Rorschach test.

This story & response to it are such a perfect political Rorschach test. To those who dislike [Poilievre], these are important questions and hes thin-skinned/cagey! To those who like [Poilievre] its a perfect example of an over-the-top, biased story and a justifiably unapologetic response!

Rorschach test refers to a psychological test where people under examination are provided with abstract images and asked to provide their interpretation of the images.

Some journalists said Poilievre should have simply answered the questions in a straightforward way, while others pointed out that the journalist appeared to hold a pre-existing bias.

Let me repeatedly ask a candidate if he is a white supremacist on a recurring basis every two weeks and then when he says no well write an article explaining how actually he still is. This is definitely journalism, said Anthony Koch, a spokesperson for Poilievre, in a tweet on July 7.

Poilievre is the presumed front-runner in the Tory leadership race. His campaign claimed in June having signed over 300,000 new party members. Disqualified candidate Patrick Brown had claimed to have signed 150,000.

New members who reportedly signed with Poilievre count for a little under half of the total Conservative Party membership of 675,000.
A woman holds a sign reading "Feminism = Equality" as she takes part in a nation-wide women's strike for wage parity outside the federal palace in the Swiss capital Bern, on June 14, 2019. Nearly 30 years after staging a first strike, women across Switzerland stage mass demonstrations for equal pay. Events planned throughout the day range from pram marches, to whistle concerts, to extended lunch breaks and giant picnics, with huge demonstrations planned on June 14 evening in several cities, including in front of the government in Bern. (Stefan Wermuth/AFP/Getty Images)

Religious Fervor Among the Woke

Commentary

The woke havent only adopted the ideology of social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and assertions such as diversity is our strength (Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau), but they adhere to these ideas not so much as preferred guidelines or scientific hypotheses, but as religious truths that arent to be questioned.

Any misguided or malevolent soul who does question these unchallengeable truths is considered to be a heretic who must be smote with extreme prejudice, what today we call canceled: censored, marginalized, silenced, fired, prosecuted at law, and erased from society.

Whats unquestionable for the woke isnt the spiritual beings of traditional religions. Rather, its identitythe subjective adherence of an individual to a category of humanity, usually a category defined by sex or gender, race, sexual preference and practice, ethnicity, or ability or disability. But the woke are discriminating; not all identities are equal or justify respect or defense. Just as in traditional religions, not all spiritual beings are regarded as worthy of belief: Christians dont recognize the spiritual authority of Shiva, Vishnu, or Ganesh. Orthodox Jews, while they might recognize Jesus as a Hebrew historical figure, dont grant him spiritual authority. Muslims reject the trinity of the Catholic deity.

Woke discrimination focuses on the identities of categories of people; some categories are seen as negative, not worth defending, and often require attacking. Whites are regarded as evil, Asians are white adjacent, and Jews are hyperwhite and share in white evil. Zionists are hyper-evil, males are toxic, and Christians are knuckle-dragging fascists.

Wokeness is being aware of these enemies of virtue and coming to the defense of females (as long as they arent trans-exclusionary radical feminists), all BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color), all LGBT, the disabled, the poor, and the homeless. Then, of course, there are those who are woke to the existential threat of climate change and the need to return to foraging, as long as one remains vegetarian.

You may wonder about the designation religious granted to wokeness. Its worth remembering that definitions of terms such as religion arent empirical facts, but are conventions of arbitrary use. Definitions can be judged in terms of degrees of helpfulness or unhelpfulness in understanding, and its often useful to find the definition most suited to the purpose. Its conventional to use the term religion for the worship of certain spiritual beings. But theres also a functional type of definition that may be useful in elucidating some belief systems.

Anthropologist Clifford Geertz has provided such a definition:

A religion is (1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men [and women and non-binary individuals] by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.

Many ideologies that we would label secular, i.e., not about supernatural figures, are well described by this definition. National Socialism (Nazism) and communism have exclusivist ideologies with founding human deities, holy books, required ceremonies, visions of historical destiny, and severe penalties for heretics. Many people have had such faith in these ideologies that they committed the most horrid mass crimes with the belief that they were doing good.

Woke ideologies fulfill Geertzs definition of religion by drawing on what might be a natural tendency of human beings to feel comfortable with people who are like themselves compared to people who are unlike them by emphasizing primordial identity characteristics such as sex and race and deeply embedded characteristics such as ethnicity and sexual orientation. The woke formulate conceptions of a general order of existence by defining society in the Marxist fashion as distinct classes of oppressors and oppressed and by applying that model to redefine relations between females and males, BIPOC and whites (and Asians and Jews), LGBT and heterosexuals, Muslims and Christians (and Jews and Zionists), and disabled and abled, the former in each pair a victim of the other who oppresses them.

The woke, in drawing their class conflict picture, also draw on the human tendency to envy others who have more of whats regarded as valuable and to believe that the advantage of the other has been unfairly gained and that that other is privileged. The aura of factuality is encoded in the concept of equity, which identifies statistical disparities in educational achievement, health outcomes, income, etc., and attributes them to the malevolence of the other.

The evidence-free explanations of disparities are the by now rote accusations of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, and the like. This all seems, as Geertz puts it, uniquely realistic to the woke.

Religious devotion to DEI principles has engendered an atmosphere in which no criticism is allowed. Anyone who objects, for whatever reason, is a heretic that must be silenced and canceled, thus the infamous cancel culture that stains our public life. But the woke havent limited themselves to attacking critics of identity politics pieties; theyve energetically vilified the values and principles of liberal democracy.

Colorblind policies and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s plea to judge people by their characters rather than by the color of their skin are rejected by the woke as racist. The basic principles of meritocracy and economic mobilitymerit, achievement, and potentialare now condemned as white supremacy. Other principles presumably beneficial for negotiating the real worldhigh expectations of performance, courtesy, logic and evidence, objectivity, and promptnessare denounced as features of whiteness that should be rejected.

The entirety of Western Civilization is rejected by the woke because its largely the product of white men and is thus seen as white male supremacy.

The religious fervor of the woke has been highly effective, as demonstrated by the woke takeover of almost every major institution in North America and the West generally: schools and universities, research-granting agencies, the media, the legal profession, the medical profession, many business organizations, the Democratic Party in the United States and the Liberal Party in Canada, and the U.S. and Canadian governments, which use their power to impose woke policies. Our totally corrupted schools and universities have disregarded their respective mandates of educating pupils in basic knowledge, seeking truth, and advancing knowledge, in favor of woke social justice and its preferred categories of people.

Only the Republican Party in the United States and the Peoples Party of Canada, some state and provincial governments, some courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court have so far resisted the tentacles of the woke.

Religious fervor, whether manifested in theology or secular politics, has throughout history led to countless atrocities and widespread misery. Woke fervor has made great strides in destroying the United States, Canada, and much of the West. History may be written by the woke winners (see The 1619 Project), but the reality isnt progress, but retrogression.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Rep. Gohmert: Violations of American Rights of Jan. 6 Prisoners Mind Blowing

Jan. 6 prisoner's fiance recalls: 'We were covered head to toe from all directions with red laser dots from their assault rifles'

At a June 15 press conference in Washington, three GOP representatives joined forces with the Patriot Freedom Project and family members of Jan. 6 prisoners to call out the injustice and denial of due process rights for those incarcerated. According to Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), the violations of American rights is mind-blowing.

We are extremely concerned to see a Department of Justice, not about justice, Gohmert said at the press conference. Its about vengeance. Its about intimidation and the tactics that weve been seeing from this DOJ and the disregard for rights coming out of investigations showing the FBI lied, intel lied. The DOJ lies. It ought to concern every single American.

Rep. Troy Edwin Nehls (R-Texas), Patriot Freedom Project Founder Cynthia Hughes, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). (Courtesy of Cynthia Hughes)

As a former felony judge and chief justice, its particularly mind-blowing for me during a time when we should have the most fair courts in our history. We have more violations of Americans rights than even under the Hoover FBI, Gohmert told The Epoch Times in a June 22 interview. Its just incredible. People that have been nominated and confirmed by the Senate as federal judges, granting warrants that dont specify with any particularityas the Constitution requireswhat theyre for. Whats worse, when they find out they were lied to under oath by DOJ. But theyre not really bothered. They dont do anything about it. For heavens sake. Have respect for your position if you have no respect for yourself.

Also in attendance were Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).

Reps. Troy Edwin Nehls (R-Texas), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and Cynthia Hughes, founder of the Patriot Freedom Project. (Courtesy of Cynthia Hughes)

According to Cynthia Hughes, founder of the Patriot Freedom Project, the press conference was a great day.

We finally got some support from people in congress, which we needed, Hughes told The Epoch Times. We are feeling powerful and strong.

Hughes also said she was glad to finally have the opportunity to personally call out [Rep.] Liz Cheney and know that she could possibly hear about that.

Things are finally moving, Hughes said. I think we moved the needle. I just looked at representatives and the incredible women around me and I think we felt more hope than we ever have in almost 18 months now. It was a good thing.

Family Members Speak

Following the press conference, The Epoch Times was able to speak with each of the family members to learn the stories of their loved ones they say the rest of the media refuses to tell. They want the American people to learn about the citizens their government has locked away in prison.

Sharon Caldwell of Berry Hill, Virginia, said she is grateful for Cynthia Hughes and the Patriot Freedom Project for the opportunity to have a press conference where she and the wives, mothers, and family members of Jan. 6 prisoners could speak about what they are going through.

Sharon and Thomas Caldwell at the Peace Monument in Washington, during the Jan. 6, 2021, protest. (Courtesy of Sharon Caldwell)

Some of us have done interviews on the news but we never really had the support of Congress people, Caldwell told The Epoch Times. I felt like we had that [at the press conference] with three GOP representatives. It was awesome.

Sharons husband, Thomas Caldwell, has been charged with Seditious Conspiracy Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting Conspiracy to Prevent an Officer From Discharging Any Duties Tampering with Documents or Proceedings and Aiding and Abetting (pdf).

According to the Save Our Farm website, the DOJ has falsely claimed that [Thomas] commanded a group called the Oath Keepers to overthrow the U.S. government. The allegations are ridiculous and outrageous.

Sharon and her husband Thomas Caldwell, enjoy an outdoor concert. (Courtesy of Sharon Caldwell.)

According to Save Our Farm, the government has already been forced to admit several mistakes in its investigation:

Tom was NEVER Commander of a group called the Oath Keepers, nor was he ever a Leader or a member of this group.

Tom did NOT enter the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Tom did NOT commit any acts of violence, damage any property, or threaten anyone, including law enforcement.

Tom did NOT participate in a plan to enter the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

But since his incarceration, he has been subjected to solitary confinement, physical and mental abuse, and denial of medical care, including life-sustaining prescription medications.

The cost of his defense is about to cost the family the historic family farm he has lived on since he was a child. They have a donation website for those who want to help.

I think thats something the American people need to hear because I think theyre not hearing it, Sharon said. Our loved ones are not being viewed as human beings. I think I can safely say this for most of us, I feel we and our loved ones are being treated like political pawns and not as actual people. Theyre undergoing character assassination and there is so much good in these people who are rotting in these jails who have no criminal history, not even a traffic ticket in many cases and theyre being held in pre-trial detention for over a year, 17 months in some cases. Its crazy.

Marine veteran and Jan. 6 prisoner Ryan Nichols holds his son. (Courtesy of Bonnie Nichols)

Bonnie Nichols said her husband Ryan has been incarcerated in the D.C. gulag for 514 days, in prolonged solitary confinement under torturous conditions. From his four years as a Marine, Bonnie said Ryan suffers from PTSD and the prolonged solitary confinement only exacerbates his condition. Ryan faces 11 charges, including multiple infractions with the words Deadly or Dangerous Weapon, attached. Lesser charges include Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building.

He has been denied access to due process rights, access to his discovery to defend his case, and he has been denied access to nutritional food and sunlight for months, she asserted. The narrative they are painting of my husband isnt accurate. Hes not an insurrectionist.

According to Bonnie, Ryan owns a nonprofit called Rescue The Universe. He goes around the country rescuing people and animals during natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and tornados. In 2018, Ryan was seen on multiple news outlets rescuing six dogs abandoned by their owner in a locked chain-link cage in Leland, North Carolina.

Hes a hero in his community, Bonnie said. He just went to the Capitol to peacefully protest. I never thought in a million years this would be happening to our family.

Bonnie and Ryan have two children, ages five and eight. A few months ago, she said the youngest told his dad he didnt think he was ever going to see his daddy again. He doesnt even remember what daddy looks like.

It was heartbreaking, Bonnie said. My family is suffering. He was the breadwinner in the family and I just cant believe that a Marine who served his country would be treated this way in America. Its unjust. Its unconstitutional. Its wrong.

Bonnie and Ryan Nichols with their sons. (Courtesy of Bonnie Nichols)

Like many other Jan. 6 prisoners, defendants, and their family members, Bonnie is convinced theres no way were going to get a fair trial in D.C. with the narrative the January 6 Committee and the DOJ are painting in the media. The committee and the media have edited video footage and shared it with the public, specific parts have been cropped out of that footage. It was done to strategically push a one-sided narrative. America deserves the truth.

So I have decided to stand up and share my story to awaken America to the truth about whats happening in our country so people can do their research and realize theres more than one side to the story. Our Constitutional Rights, our freedom of speech is under attack. We need to come together and agree that this justice system is abusing their powers. Families have been tortured over this.

As Bonnie explained, they have received hate mail. They had to shut down their business for several months due to hate mail, harassment, and attacks from news media stations like CNN and other people on the left just because of what theyve heard on the news.

Something needs to be done about it, Bonnie demanded. For those in Congress, who swore an oath to defend the Constitution, its time for them to do their jobs and to fight for these families. No American should be treated this way. Death row inmates, prisoners at Guantanamo Bay get treated better. They have rights. We are supposed to have rights here in America and were arent getting them an no one is doing a damn thing about it. They have a GiveSendGo account established for those who want to help with Ryans ongoing legal expenses.

Robert Morss: AKA Lego Man

Angela Morss said her son, Robert, is a good man. He is a former Army Ranger who loves his country. He has no criminal history and he treats others with respect. He is also known as Lego Man.

Jan. 6 prisoner Robert Morss, also known as The Lego Man, faces multiple charges related to his presence in Washington during the Jan. 6, 2021 protests. (Courtesy of his mother, Angela Morss.)

He has loved Legos since he was a little boy, Angela reminisced. He has thousands and thousands of them and he always had these massive containers of Legos, which I had to move.

In fact, Angela said her son has so many giant containers of Legos, she had to move them to a storage unit.

When he was arrested they said he had a Capitol Building in his home built out of Legos, Angela noted. He did not. The FBI is trying to make this huge deal out of him having a Capitol Building built out of Legos but they just had the box and thats what they have a picture of. But it did get him the nickname of Lego Man, which hes actually proud of.

Robert wants people to know he is political prisoner, Angela said,  and he doesnt want people to forget about him or the other political prisoners, because if we forget about them it would be a devastating thing for our country.

When Robert was arrested on July 11 at his home in Pennsylvania, Angela was at her home in Nevada. He has now been incarcerated for over a year. His attorney has made several unsuccessful efforts to have him released on bond. She said one of the main reasons why they have refused to allow him bond is because of his elite soldier status. The government recruited him and trained him and now they are using that against him. He spent the first several months of his incarceration at the D.C. gulag where the conditions are just horrifying. Hes no longer in D.C. because he was assaulted by five guards. It was in retaliation for a meeting he had with his attorney. It was after the meeting with his attorney, as Robert was strip-searched, that the assault took place. There were sexual components to it, Angela added.

January 6 prisoner Robert Morss, also known as Lego Man, pictured during his graduation. (Courtesy of his mother, Angela Morss.)

After that, they went to court and Robert was immediately transferred to Northern Neck Regional Jail, which is dorm style.

When Robert gets out, Angela said they both want to do something that would make life in prison not so horrible. The idea came to him when he received a birthday card that prison officials destroyed. The googly eyes had been ripped off and the little noise things that were in it had been ripped out, too. She and Robert want to work with someone like the online card company Day Spring, in order to make cards that speak to people who are incarcerated and reflect themes only they would find the humor in.

For example, they eat a lot of sardines, Angela said. There are so many funny things you say about sardines and being in prison that other people wouldnt understand. To find a birthday card for someone who is in prison is very difficult. I just want to make some communication that would be positive and I hope someone will reach out and want to do that with me. Angela has set up a GiveSendGo account to help cover her sons ongoing legal expenses.

Haley McLean said the shock and awe campaign the government is conducting against Jan. 6 protesters and their families is totally unnecessary.

Her fiance, Jack Wade Whitton, is faced with 22 charges (pdf), including multiple counts of violent entry with a deadly or dangerous weapon, those being a baton, a flag pole, and crutch.

Jack Wade Whitton. (Courtesy of Haley McLean)

I would say its a form of bullying, Haley told The Epoch Times. When they arrested my husband it was two months after they first called him. The FBI called him in February of 2021 and he had a lawyer call to speak to them on his behalf. At the time he didnt have charges against him but they advised that if they file charges he would be able to turn himself in. We never heard back from them until they showed up at their house just before 7 a.m.

According to Haley, a flood of people came into their driveway and surrounded their home. There was a Humvee there with a battering ram. There were men in paramilitary gear surrounding the house. Conservatively, she said Jack estimated there to be around 40 agents.

Jack Wade Whitton and Haley McLean. (Courtesy of Haley McLean)

We were covered head to toe from all directions with red laser dots from their assault rifles, Haley reflected. I felt that would be the last day I ever saw Jack. I thought they were going to kill him. When he went outside, they screamed for him to put his hands up. They kept screaming for him to freeze and put his hands up but he was doing that. He did exactly what they said but they acted like he wasnt doing it. He was cooperating. It kept escalating and they kept repeating themselves and I thought they were going to kill him. But they didnt, and when they took him away it was the last time I saw him.

A message received by Haley McLean on April 13, 2021, from Jack Wade Whitton from prison, revealing he had planned to propose that weekend. (Courtesy of Haley McLean)

My home hasnt been the same, Haley said, crying. They just took away any sense of peace, any sense of hope. Hes been denied bond. He has no criminal history. He owned and operated a fencing company that has folded in his absence. Weve lost everything.

For those who want to help, Bonnie has set up a GiveSendGo account.

Geri Perna of Port Charlotte, Florida, is the aunt of Matthew Perna.

My nephew walked through the Capitol on January 6 and he went through an open door, ushered in by Capitol Police, took pictures with his cell phone, and chanted, USA, USA, Geri told The Epoch Times. He later found out that his picture was on the FBIs website and he turned himself in immediately. He was never jailed. He was released and he obtained a lawyer.

Matthew Perna holds the little boy he met during a mission trip to Haiti. At first, the boy would not smile or talk. They bonded, and a week later he was attached to Matthew. (Courtesy of Matthews aunt, Geri Perna)

According to the Criminal Complaint (pdf), Matthew was charged with Obstruction of an Official Proceeding, Aiding and Abetting, Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds, Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building.

Initially, Geri said Matthew was charged with misdemeanors. But later they added the felony charges of obstruction of Congress.

It became a nightmare for Matt, Geri recalled. It was a year of constant delays and postponements for his hearings and he got to the point where it was mentally exhausting.

In order for the ordeal to end sooner, Geri said Matthews attorney advised him to plead guilty. So he plead guilty. About a week before his sentencing Matthew found out the government was planning to add a terrorist enhancement, which would have increased his sentence drastically from six to 12 months to five to six years.

That Friday night [on Feb. 25] at 5:30, he went into his garage and he hung himself, Geri said tearfully. He could not handle this anymore. He was a wonderful man, 37 years old. He had a great living. He traveled world wide. He didnt have a hateful bone in his body.

While on a mission trip to Haiti, Geri said Matthew met a little boy who wouldnt smile or talk when they first met. He bonded with this boy, and by the end of the week he was attached to Matt.

He didnt commit any acts of violence while in the Capitol. He didnt touch anything. He didnt break anything, steal anything, or have any altercations with anybody at all. He simply exercised his freedom of speech.

Multiple social media posts linking to Matthews obituary have been scrubbed from the internet. Many of the accounts have been suspended.

Like the others, Geri said the whole ordeal has been a nightmare. In the wake of Matthews suicide, family and friends were forced to pick up the pieces and move on.

Matthew Perna attended the protest at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Due to his fear of being incarcerated for up to six years, he hung himself on Feb. 25, 2022. (Courtesy of Geri Perna)

So many people have no clue of how January Sixers are being treated, she said. They have no clue that they are sitting in jails and havent been convicted of a crime. They are clueless because of the media and our government and I am fighting for the justice Matthew did not receive while he was alive.

To retain an attorney to fight for what happened to her nephew and to provide assistance to other Jan. 6 prisoner families, Geri has set up a website called Justice For Matthew.

The press conference proved to be a bittersweet day for Geri. While she is grateful they all had an opportunity to tell their stories, she said they all have one thing she doesnt have.

Hope, she said, her voice breaking with emotion. They still have hope. I have no hope left. My nephew is gone. There is no hope of him ever coming back. Unless people wake up and unless there are more than three Republican Congress people speaking out for these J-6ers, there will be more death. There will be more people who do what Matt did because they are tormenting them mentally. The human spirit can only take so much. I miss my nephew terribly and the world lost a wonderful human being. They are all human beings but our Department of Justice is not treating them as such and its a shame. Its a tragedy of epic proportions. Never had a speeding ticket. Never had a parking ticket or a DUI. Now suddenly he was facing a lengthy prison term and he was terrified, and rightfully so, because the way these J-Sixers are being treated in prison is unconstitutional. Its inhumane, and my nephew was terrified to be in that position and he took his own life. Not because he was a coward, but because they broke him.
General Li Zuocheng, member of Chinas Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department, holds video talks at invitation with General Mark Milley, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on July 7, 2022. (Photo by Li Xiaowei)

General Li Zuocheng, member of Chinas Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department, holds video talks at invitation with General Mark Milley, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on July 7, 2022. (Photo by Li Xiaowei)

BEIJING, July 8 -- General Li Zuocheng, member of Chinas Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department, held video talks at invitation with General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Thursday.

General Li said that Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that China and the US should respect each other, coexist peacefully and cooperate for win-win results in the new era. China attaches great importance to US President Biden's positive remarks of "five assurances" on many occasions, that is, the US does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the United States does not support Taiwan independence; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China.

As long as we follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and implement the important consensus reached by them, China and the US can surely achieve common development and mutual benefits," General Li said. He pointed out that under the current circumstances, the two militaries should adopt an objective and rational attitude of mutual respect, further strengthen dialogue, manage risks and promote cooperation, rather than deliberately creating confrontation, stirring up troubles or excluding each other.

General Li stressed that on issues concerning Chinas core interests, there is no room for compromise or concession, and if anyone wantonly provokes, he will surely meet the firm countermeasures of the Chinese people.

China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three joint communiques, stop turning back the wheel of history and stop making the military collusion with Chinas Taiwan region, so as to avoid undermining China-US relations and the stability across the Taiwan Straits. The Chinese military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Li.

The two sides agreed that it is in the common interests of both sides to maintain stable development of military relations and avoid triggering conflicts and confrontation, and the two sides should maintain communication in this regard. The two sides also exchanged views on maritime and air military security as well as the Ukrainian Crisis.
A man from outside Syracuse was sentenced Friday to more than eight years in federal prison for robbing banks in Buffalo and a Rochester suburb, as well as trying to rob a bank in Niagara Falls.

U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer handled down the 100-month sentence to Michael Tyo, 34, of Liverpool.

Rochester-based Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, said Tyo robbed a Citizens Bank branch Aug. 24, 2019 inside the Tops Market in Brighton by giving a teller a detailed note that said, if I even glimpse a dye-pack I will not hesitate to elevate the situation and you will be the first casualty.

Three days later, he robbed a second Citizens branch inside the Tops Market on South Park Avenue in Buffalo, Hartford said, demanding $50 and $100 bills, and threatening in a note that he would use a gun if the teller didn't comply.

Tyo tried to rob a Key Bank branch on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Niagara Falls but left after the teller told him she couldn't access money because of a computer problem.

The Brighton Police Department and FBI investigated the case.
Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas) stands with her family and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) for a portrait after being sworn-in on June 21, 2022, in Washington. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Republican Mayra Flores Is Keeping the Faith in Congress

Newcomer responds to criticism she is a 'far-right' Latina

Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas), whose political Cinderella story made her the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress, isnt feeling any love from the left.

Flores ran on a conservative platform of God, family, and country in a special election to flip Texass 34th Congressional District red for the first time in more than a century.

On July 6, The New York Times labeled her and two other South Texas Latina candidates as far-right.

It amazes me that because my values are rooted in God, family, and country, the liberal media takes it upon themselves to attack me and label me far-right,' she said in a statement posted on Twitter. But at least they used the word Latina over their other made-up terms. Seguimos Adelante!

The newspaper highlighted social media posts asserting Floress belief that Donald Trump had won reelection in 2020 and that President Joe Biden should be impeached. The article questioned her use of QAnon hashtags in the past. It noted her pro-life conservative views and that her pastor appeared at her swearing-in.

Flores has denied any connection with QAnon.

She has brushed off the criticism and is sticking to her platform, where she openly says, Make America Godly Again.

Mayra Flores, a Republican, won the Texas 34th Congressional District special election on June 14, 2022. (Photo by Bobby Sanchez for The Epoch Times.)

That phrase is the key to understanding how Floress path took her to the halls of Congress from the cotton fields of Texas.

She told The Epoch Times that her faith became the driving force behind her decision to run for Congress, although she had little political experience.

It played the biggest role for me, Flores said. I feel our values are being lost. So for me, it was really about God.

She wants to take Jesus to Congress and believes that people need to stand up and not fear criticism for their faith. She believes that people are hungry to hear about God and want to see prayer put back into the classroom.

We are in so much of a mess because we have put God aside, she said.

Flores, of Harlingen, won a special election in the heavily Hispanic Rio Grande Valley, with 51 percent of the vote, while her main Democratic rival, Dan Sanchez, received 43 percent. Shell finish the term of Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas), who resigned to work for Akin Gump, a Washington law and lobbying firm.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, called for a special election to fill the vacancy left by Vela.

Flores hopes to win a full term in Congress in November by defeating Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), whos switching districts because the Republican-led Texas Legislature redrew the South Texas voter map, moving his McAllen, Texas, home to the states 34th Congressional District from the 15th Congressional District.

But the midterm election stands to be a more challenging race for Flores, given that the redrawn 34th District is much more favorable for a Democratic win.

Gonzalez is running on some popular Democratic themes, such as free college and pre-K.

Hes more moderate on border issues. He supports compassionate immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship, but remains committed to the health and safety of the people hes sworn to represent.

As a Catholic, Gonzalez said hes pro-life, but believes in the separation of church and state, according to an article in The Hill.

His campaign hasnt responded to a request for an interview.

Floress celebrity status as a Latina Republican has Democrats pushing back and vowing to put the muscle of their political machine to work into flipping the seat back to blue.

Gonzalez recently told Newsweek that Flores was an unqualified opponent and a pawn of the Republican Party.

But Flores is keeping the faithliterally. From the beginning, she has turned to City Church in Harlingen and Pastor Luis Cabrera for support.

Pastor Luis Cabrera gives a special blessing to Mayra Flores (C), and her husband (L) using a Tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl, during a get-out-the-vote rally at City Church Harlingen. (Bobby Sanchez/The Epoch Times)

So, it stands to reason that Cabrera became a major player in her decision to run for office. Eventually, the church would serve as her headquarters.

Cabrera told The Epoch Times that he met Flores during the Trump train rallies in South Texas in 2020. His group set up a tent and prayed for the participants. Flores started attending his church, and on Easter 2021, Cabrera baptized her.

He said he remembers the day Flores told him she was running for Congress and wanted him to be her campaign manager. He told her that he couldnt take the job, but ended up accompanying Flores on the campaign trail to pray for her and the volunteers.

Cabrera, who has been preaching that the United States needs to be Godly again, was happy that Flores carried the mantle into her campaign. It dawned on him that electing candidates of faith is a way of returning the country to God.

Throughout her campaign, people tried to talk her out of using God in her platform, but she stood firm, he said.

At one point, Flores was doubtful about her prospects in the new 34th District, which is heavily Democratic. The Biblical story of David and Goliath came to mind, Cabrera said, and he saw her through that time of uncertainty.

He said churches and Christians across the country need to get involved in politics. He said millions of Christian voters didnt turn out in 2020.

Cabrera said the crowning moment of his venture into politics was when he stood on the stage when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) swore in Flores.

I shook her hand and said, Madam Speaker, were going to take this country back for God. And her reaction was priceless. She didnt know what to say.
Heavily armed San Diego police officers approach a house in this file photo taken in San Diego, Calif., on April 27, 2019. (John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)

San Diego Sees Exodus of Officers Over Vaccine Mandates, Anti-Police Sentiment

The San Diego Police Department lost 236 officers last yearthe highest number in a decadeciting the citys COVID-19 vaccine mandate, anti-police sentiment, and a high cost of living among reasons for leaving, according to a department spokesman.

The persistent and negative law enforcement narrative in recent years has left many feeling demoralized and under greater scrutiny while continuing to face the increased challenges of providing public safety in a major city, San Diego Police Department spokesman Lt. Adam Sharki told The Epoch Times.

Officers are leaving the state in some cases, and some are leaving the profession, he said.

Police form a skirmish line to block counter-protesters in San Diego on Jan. 9, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

The department lost 77 more officers than the previous yeara 48 percent increase. Of those, 63 officers left to join other law enforcement agenciesa 37 percent jump from the year before.

The department saw similar numbers of officers leaving in 2009, because of significant changes and cuts to police pay and benefits, Sharki said.

The vacated positions run the gamut from seasoned officers serving as homicide investigators, collision reconstruction experts, SWAT officers, canine handlers, training officers, and police helicopter pilots, he said.

The department reported in June that 1,886 sworn officers remained, which is 150 fewer than budgeted.

Were below where we should be, as far as staffing goes, Sharki said.

Police officers walk by the convention center during Comic-Con Special Edition in San Diego on Nov. 27, 2021. (Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)

The number of sworn officers available for service is actually lower than that, San Diego Police Sgt. Jared Wilson, president of the San Diego Police Officers Association, told The Epoch Times.

About 200 sworn officers are new recruits or trainees who cant respond to calls, and about 100 officers are out on family medical leave, leaving about 1,500 sworn officers available for a city with 1.4 million residents, he said.

San Diego, the nations eighth-largest city, has about 13 police officers for every 10,000 residents, compared to Los Angeles, which has 24 officers per 10,000 residents, and New York, with more than 42 officers per 10,000 residents, according to a 2015 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data.

As a result of low staffing, the departments response times have suffered, Wilson said. It now takes about 34 minutes on average for the officers to respond to high-priority emergencies, such as burglaries in progress, shootings, or other felony crimes.

That means were not getting to these calls to prevent things like homicides or shootings, he said.

Officers respond to other, lower priority callssuch as rape reports or domestic argumentsin about two hours on average now, he said.

Staffing shortages have also reduced the number of detectives available for narcotics-related incidents to six from 20, Wilson said.

As an 18-year law enforcement veteran, he says hes never seen crime rates this bad.

Officers are seeing more homeless on the streets, hard drug use rising in all areas of the city, and homicides increasing, he said.

In San Diego, weve seen a 13 percent rise in crime, year-over-year, he said. Its tragic and its affecting neighborhoods that usually dont have crime.

The city recorded 12 murders in city parks in the past year, according to Wilson.

In this file photo, emergency crews work at the scene of an accident, in San Diego on March 15, 2021. (Gregory Bull/AP Photo)

Thats horrifying when its a place where children should be playing, he said.

On July 3, Wilson arrested a gang member who allegedly was carrying a ghost gunan untraceable firearm that is illegal in the statein the citys affluent Pacific Beach neighborhood.

The suspect was out on bail on similar charges and was released again the day after Wilson arrested him.

Its a repetitive cycle of crime we cant impact anymore, he said.

Officers also see hard drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, used out in the open and they are powerless to do anything about it, he said.

Three California lawsPropositions 57 and 47, and Assembly Bill 109lessened penalties for parole violations and made it difficult to lock up serial offenders for drug and property crimes.

The city is also considering new restrictions on how police can stop or search drivers and their vehicles. The Protect Act will require San Diego police to have probable cause to stop, ask for identification, question, and search people.

Proposed by the citys Coalition for Police Accountability and Transparency, proponents of the ordinance say they hope it will reduce racial profiling, according to the groups website.

The San Diego City Council hasnt yet set a date to consider the proposed ordinance. If its approved, the measure would ban officers from stopping drivers for some equipment violations, including expired registrations, non-functional taillights, headlights, turn signals, brake lights, and noise or other violations.

Officers who violate the ordinance could face misdemeanor charges.

Its an attempt to abolish proactive stops in law enforcement, Wilson said. Our officers see that and are demoralized and arent interested in being part of something that radical.

Anti-police legislation needs to end, he said.

We need to put an end to anti-police legislation on the local, state, and federal level, and support our police officers, he said.

San Diego Police line up in downtown San Diego on May 31, 2020. (Ariana Drehsler/AFP via Getty Images)

Officers also are leaving because of high gasoline prices, he said. Many live in Riverside County or Temecula, and some of them have decided to join police forces closer to home to avoid paying a high price for fuel, Wilson said.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said hes confident the city is responding to officer shortages using a variety of initiatives, including a 10 percent pay raise in the next year.

Recognizing the importance of a fully staffed Police Department, Mayor Gloria has led various initiatives to invest in the recruitment and retention of top-notch officers, Rachel Laing, the mayors spokeswoman, said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times. These efforts include a 10 percent pay raise in the recently approved contract with officers; proposed bonuses for lateral moves from other jurisdictions; increasing the budget for recruitment; and holding a number of successful recruitment drives that have led to the most diverse academies in department history.

With these efforts, Gloria is confident the department can reach full staffing, Laing said.

However, an additional 20 sworn officers face termination after failing to complete COVID-19 testing requirements, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

As part of the citys vaccine mandate, enacted last year, employees could get religious and medical exemptions but were required to be tested regularly. Nearly 420 officers were granted exemptions.
Sen. Lena Gonzalez Shows Whats Going on in California

Commentary

I have a saying: If you listen to people long enough, theyll tell you whats really going on. If you want to know whats going on in California, read the entire interview state Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) gave to Capital and Main, a left-wing publication. Also note the website didnt bring up the topics I will here.

Gonzalez sponsored SB 1173, which in the bills language would prohibit the boards of the Public Employees Retirement System and the State Teachers Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a fossil fuel company. And would require the boards to liquidate investments in a fossil fuel company on or before July.

Among the six reasons the bill gives for these actions are:

(2) Climate change affects all parts of the California economy and environment, and the Legislature has adopted numerous laws to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to a changing climate.  (4) The production of fossil fuels and the effects of climate change resulting from the use of fossil fuels all lead to disproportionate adverse impacts on low-income communities and communities of color. (5) A transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy will create greater employment, support the economy, and improve public health.

The article says the bill was supported by more than 100 environment and climate-focused groups and others, including the state Treasurers Office, the city of Los Angeles and the California Federation of Teachers.

SB 1173 passed the Senate, but was killed in the Assembly because Public Employment and Retirement Committee Chairman Jim Cooper (D-Sacramento) dropped it before it was taken up for a vote.

Gonzalez huffed, So Cooper just decided he wasnt going to hear it. Which I think stymies the democratic process.

Actually, what Cooper did is the democratic process. Any democratic body larger than a New England town hall is going to have committees to investigate numerous issues, then take votes on bills. A committee chairman always will wield great power. Democracy is not about fulfilling the whims of a single senator from Long Beach.

Note the origin of this bill. When asked how the bill would have served her constituents, Gonzalez said, The bill came from one of my constituents. He was a Sierra Club member. Hes an environmentalist back home in Long Beach, and he wrote an op-ed in the local newspaper in Long Beach saying we should divest fossil fuels from CalSTRS and CalPERS pensions. And if anybody can do it, Lena Gonzalez can do it.

Its natural for a legislator to get ideas for bills from constituents. When I was state Sen. John Moorlachs press secretary from 2017-20, constituents always were feeding him ideas, some quite good. He was limited to 20 bills a yearjust eight in the COVID year of 2020so he had to pick his best shots. But those ideas helped the process.

Gonzalezs description shows the kind of constituents she listens to, in this case environmentalists. (Who are known to exaggerate the threats the fossil-fuels industry poses to the environment.) The regular constituents in her district, who will pay for this bill as described below, are an afterthought, if that.

As you can see driving around her Long Beach district, the area boasts a large refining district. Thats where the gas comes from to pump into your vehicle. Unless youre well off and can afford a Tesla. Destroying that industry would throw into unemployment lines tens of thousands of her constituents who take home good, middle-class paychecks to support their families.

Investment Genius

Heres a great quote from her in the interview on why she sponsored the bill: Secondly, the financialswith the war in Ukraine and oil prices that are very highIve been told by many economists and experts that the time to get out is now.

If she can predict the oil market, why isnt she a billionaire? And who are these economists and experts? The oil industry is notoriously volatile, especially in wartime.

Just over two years ago, the oil price was just $20 a gallon in April 2020, as the pandemic started. Did she predict that? And in April 2020, did she predict the price would quadruple to $104 in July 2022?

Then I just read this in Fortune: JPMorgan Chase analysts warn global oil prices could reach a stratospheric $380 a barrel if Russia were to retaliate against the sanctions imposed by the G7 countries by cutting its crude oil output. But Citigroup is signaling crude oil could collapse to $65 a barrel by the end of the year and possibly even slump to $45 by the end of 2023, if a recession brings on a destruction in the demand for energy.

The Problem with Divestment

This is why divestment is so dangerous. If a pension fund loses money due to being forced to avoid a good investment, the shortfall has to be made up either by reducing the payout to retirees, or by raising taxesprobably the latter. Ultimately, the fund could go bankrupt.

Thats why CalPERS, CalSTRS, and the other big funds employ high-paid investment analysts. Theyre experts in these fields. Of course, they can make mistakes too, such as CalPERS losses from speculative real estate investments.

In 2001 CalPERS divested from tobacco companies. According to CIO.com, CalPERS has lost $3.581 billion in investment gains by divesting from tobacco stocks, which amounts to about 1 percent of current assets, during a 17-plus-year period ending June 30, 2018, shows a new report by Wilshire Associates, the pension systems general investment consultant.

Meanwhile, CalPERSs account is only 80 percent funded; and CalSTRS is only 67 percent funded, according to the latest reports.

It makes no sense to hurt these funds further by divesting from the worlds biggest commodities industry.

Just a Drop in the Ocean

Gonzalez downplayed the size of the divestment, Weve seen other portfolios that have divested within a year, portfolios with far more invested in fossil fuels than what we have in our own state pension funds, which is up to $11 billion.

Then why does she think this will have any influence on the global markets other than being another California virtue-signaling moment that actually hurts our people?

Her $11 billion divestment would be just a drop in the ocean of a global oil and gas sector of $2.1 trillion in 2021. Any California divestment obviously would see the stocks snapped up quickly by other global investors.

Is Vladimir Putin going to be impressed by such posturing? How about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman? Theyre raking in record oil profits.

In Europe, theyre facing a long, cold winter because of the war boycott of Russian energyeven as they cant entirely cut off their supply from Moscow. Meanwhile, first Germany, and now Holland and Austria, are going back to using coal, the dirtiest energy source.

I spent three winters in Germany in the U.S. Army from 1979-82. I can report that, although not as frigid as my native Michigan, Northern Europe can get mighty cold. Global warming hasnt yet turned Amsterdam into Gonzalezs balmy Long Beach.

What This Tells Us

What does this escapade tell us about California? It shows us a powerful state senator represents a sector of the state political establishment that has become totally divorced from reality. They think their posturing is going to reduce oil drilling from Azerbaijan to North Dakotas Bakken fields.

But there are a few members of this Democratic majority machine with a little sense, such as Sen. Cooper. When one party dominates so much, inevitably rifts develop. Thats whats now happening.

Because the states massive budget surpluses have covered over the rifts by spreading the money around to everybodyexcept the taxpayers who pay for everythingthese rifts have been only partly visible so far. But the onrushing recession is going to open up those rifts like the Grand Canyon.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Shell Boosts Oil and Gas Asset Value as Refining Soars

LONDONShell said on Thursday it would reverse up to $4.5 billion in writedowns on oil and gas assets after it raised its energy prices outlook following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

In an update before second quarter results on July 28, Shell said its refining margins almost tripled over the period, boosted by recovering global demand from the pandemic, a lack of refining capacity, and lower fuel exports from Russia.

Earnings from oil and refined products trading were expected to be strong in the quarter but lower than the first quarter of 2022, Shell said.

Shells indicative refining margin rose in the second quarter to $28.04 per barrel from $10.23 a barrel in the first quarter and $4.17 a year earlier.

Shell shares were up 0.6 percent at 8:50 a.m. GMT, significantly lower than the 2.4 percent gains to the broader energy index.

Shell, which posted a record quarterly profit of over $9 billion in the first quarter, said its cash flow in the second quarter was hit by an outflow of about $6 billion. It said prevailing volatility in the market would hit cash flows.

We see the statement as neutral given a number of offsetting impacts to results, with the main uncertainty being around the magnitude of working capital outflows, RBC Capital Markets analyst Biraj Borkhataria said in a note.

Oil and gas prices remained elevated in the quarter, with benchmark Brent crude averaging about $114 a barrel.

In the second quarter 2022, Shell has revised its mid and long-term oil and gas commodity prices reflecting the current macroeconomic environment as well as updated energy market demand and supply fundamentals, it said.

Shell increased its assumed price for Brent to $80 a barrel in 2023, up from $60 in its 2021 annual report. For 2024 and 2025, the Brent price was increased to $70 a barrel compared with $60. The long-term price was $65, compared with $63.

The upgrade will result in post-tax impairment reversals of $3.5 to $4.5 billion. Shell wrote down more than $22 billion in 2020 after the collapse in oil prices due to the pandemic.

Shell said it completed its $8.5 billion share buyback program during the second quarter.

Shells oil and gas production was expected to be up to 2.93 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in the quarter, its lowest in at least seven years, as a result of high field maintenance.

Shell, the worlds largest trader of liquefied natural gas (LNG), said its quarterly LNG production was expected to be in a range of 7.4 million to 8 million tonnes.

The figure reflects the removal of LNG volumes from the Sakhalin-2 plant in eastern Russia which Shell plans to exit.

Shells larger rival Exxon Mobil last week signaled that skyrocketing margins from fuel and crude sales could generate a record quarterly profit.

By Ron Bousso
After a nearly two-year break from the stage, New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was one of the first companies to emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic with a world tour. To meet the anticipation and demand of waiting audiences, the normally half-year tour season was extended to run from July 2021 to July 2022nearly a full year of shows.

Thousands of people around the world poured into theaters, calling the event a much-needed return to normalcy and a celebration of humanity.

The four performances at The Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington from July 15 to July 17 will be this seasons last.

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, bringing losses to countless people in countless ways, the world was shocked to realize the inhumanity of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that had enabled the pandemic. But where people saw the CCP as the cause of such grief, in Shen Yun they saw the antidote.

Im glad that I lived at a time where I could see [Shen Yuns artistic directors] productions instead of just reading about them in a history book, because they will be in history books someday, archeologist and best-selling author David West Reynolds said after seeing a performance on Oct. 9 in Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. Chinese civilization is so powerful, and to see that so much has been lost, but so much has been savedShen Yun has saved so much before it was too late.

They were there to convey powerful messages of what it means to be human and what our potential is, and thats exactly what I saw tonight.

China Before Communism

In 2006, artists from around the world, many of whom had fled China seeking religious freedom, established a performing arts company in New York, where they could create art that wasnt meant to glorify the CCP, but rather to portray pure beauty and pure goodness.

For 5,000 years, Chinese civilization was divinely inspired. Once called the Celestial Empire and The Land of the Divine, the people of the ancient civilization were deeply spiritual, and society was centered on the idea of harmony between heaven, earth, and humankind.

This was the belief that the CCP sought to root out through means of violence and propaganda, and this was the culture the artists who established Shen Yun sought to recover. Through music and dance, Shen Yun aims to show 5,000 years of divinely inspired civilization. This years taglineChina Before Communismputs this mission in plain terms.

I am overwhelmedwith beauty, with joy, with the work behind it and the creativity, Iris Galey, a bestselling author from New Zealand, said after she saw Shen Yun on May 20 in Basel, Switzerland.

Canadian lawmaker Ron Schuler felt Shen Yun was a beautiful reminder that we need spirituality in our lives.

Civil libertiesno matter at what point in time in your civilizationare fundamental, Schuler said. This concert today is all about civil liberties and having rights and standing up for what you believe in.

Despite CCP interference by way of political calls to theaters and even slashing the tires of Shen Yuns vehicles, Shen Yun has prevailed. In a half dozen years, the fledgling music and dance company had become world-renowned. Its set design involves patented technology that creates the animated backdrops that audiences so often inquire about. Shen Yun has come to set the standard for the art form of classical Chinese dance. It grew from one to now seven equal-sized touring companies, each with its own orchestra and each performing about 100 shows in cities around the world every season.

Reviving Hope

Reynolds has spent his career studying civilizations, and hes concluded that without faith, one cant understand all of human experience.

Im most grateful for this performance that it makes me believe that the ancient traditions, the ancient values are what will get us through all of this thats so heartbreaking in the modern world, he said. Powerful art is willing to take on powerful themes. Shen Yun does this; it shows us the whole range of who we are, but it also shows us who we can be, and thats the hope.

Joel and Lina Carlsen saw a performance in Illinois earlier this year and said they were blown away by the artistry and themes of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

It brought me to tears actually, said Lina Carlsen, who grew up in Lithuania while it was under Soviet rule and knows firsthand the suffering that communism can bring to people.

For the couple, Shen Yun was a reminder of the beauty of humanity that can arise absent of such evil.

It really opened my eyes to the beauty in the world and the impact of a communist regime and the beauty it can suppress and take away  or hide, Joel Carlsen said. [Shen Yuns] goals and mission [are] bigger than just a performance. Its really to bring to light the divine joy in beings that we all are. So I enjoyed it, I really enjoyed it!

Lina Carlsen said: What I saw was just pure art.  It was [purely] amazing. I want to go home and be a better person.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug. 28, 2020. (Franck Robichon - Pool/Getty Images)

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Hospitalized, in Critical Condition After Being Shot

Showing no vital signs

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was taken to hospital after he was reportedly shot on Friday in Nara, a city in western Japan, and was said to have been in a critical condition.

Abe, Japans longest-serving prime minister, collapsed and appeared to have been shot in the chest around 11:30 a.m. local time near Yamato-Saidaiji Station.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida suspended his election campaign after Abes collapse. At a press conference, Kishida condemned the shooting, calling it an unacceptable attack on the foundation of Japans democracy, while adding that Abe was in critical condition and that doctors were doing everything they can.

The 67-year-old Abe was delivering a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party of Japan candidates election campaign ahead of elections for Japans upper house, the less powerful chamber of its parliament, to be held on Sunday.

A reporter for public broadcaster NHK, who was at the scene, said she heard what sounded like two consecutive gunshots and then saw Abe bleeding. Footage aired by the station captured the moment he fell on the street, after which several security guards ran toward him. He was holding his chest.

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe lies on the ground after apparent shooting in Nara, western Japan July 8, 2022. (Kyodo via Reuters)

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Cardiopulmonary Arrest

NHK, citing police sources, reported that Abe was conscious and responsive while he was transported to the hospital. The same broadcaster also reported that Abe later appeared to show no vital signs, citing the local fire department.

Separately, Makoto Morimoto, an official from a local fire department, said Abe was in cardiopulmonary arrestmeaning he was not breathing and his heart stoppedwhile he was being airlifted to a prefectural hospital.

Yoichi Masuzoe, a former governor of Tokyo, said on Twitter at 12:04 p.m. local time that Abe was in cardiopulmonary arrest, or heart failure. In Japan, officials sometimes use the term to describe situations where victims are no longer alive but before a formal declaration of death has been made.

Two bullets had struck the left side of Abes chest from behind, Fuji News Network reported, citing officials from the Liberal Democratic Party. TBS Television reported that Abe had been shot on the left side of his chest and apparently also in the neck.

A general view shows workers at the scene after an attack on Japans former prime minister Shinzo Abe at Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji station square in Nara on July 8, 2022. (STR/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images)

A man, center, is detained near the site of gunshots in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)

Suspect Appeared to Have Used Handmade Gun

Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that police arrested a male suspect at the scene.

The suspect was identified as Yamagami Tetsuya, a resident of Nara in his 40s, who was immediately detained by police on suspicion of attempted murder around 11:30 a.m., NHK reported, citing police sources. A gun that appeared to have been handmade was retrieved from the scene, according to the broadcaster.

The suspect didnt try to run away and was being held at Nara Nishi police station for questioning. According to local media reports, the man was a former member of the Japanese Navy.

Such an act of barbarity cannot be tolerated, Matsuno told reporters.

Japan has strict gun-control laws. To obtain a gun, an individual must undergo multiple tests and police checks. Deaths due to firearms are regularly in single figures each year.

Japans Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Shinzo Abe answers questions at the party headquarters in Tokyo on Oct. 22, 2017.

(Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images)

Abe had served as Japans Prime Minister and as the president of Japans Liberal Democratic Party 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He quit in 2007 citing ill health.

His latest term was due to end in September 2021 but he resigned in August 2020, citing concerns over his health. He later shared that he had a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease.

Abe was known for his signature economic strategy Abenomics.

America Praying for Abe

We are shocked and saddened to hear about the violent attack against former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a White House spokesperson said following the shooting. We are closely monitoring the reports and keeping our thoughts with his family and the people of Japan.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said before a meeting with Indonesias Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Bali: We dont know [Abes] condition, we do know hes been shot and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, with the people of Japan. This is a very, very sad moment and were waiting news from Japan.

Former President Donald Trump called the attack on Abe absolutely devastating news.

Absolutely devastating news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a truly great man and leader, has been shot, and is in very serious condition, he said in a statement on social media. He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family!

Former Vice President Mike Pence said in a statement on Twitter that he and his wife Karen were deeply troubled to learn of the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He added: Abe-san was a remarkable leader of Japan and an unshakeable ally of the U.S. We join millions praying for this truly good man and his family. God bless Shinzo Abe.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel expressed sadness and shock, writing on Twitter: Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan.

Site after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was apparently shot in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. (Kyodo via Reuters)

Other World Leaders Reactions to Shooting

Messages of support also came from other government officials around the world.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said on Twitter he was absolutely shocked upon hearing about the attack on Abe. I am thinking of him, his loved ones and everyone in #Japan on this dark day, he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter: Dear @AbeShinzo, stay strong! Our thoughts and prayers are with your family and the people of Japan.

European Council President Charles Michel, said on Twitter he is shocked and saddened by [the] cowardly attack.

Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed on the platform: Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the news shocking. He added on Twitter, our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressed that she was deeply shocked by the news. He was one of the first leaders I met when I became PM. He was deeply committed to his role but also generous & kind. My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan. Events like this shake us all to the core, she said on Twitter.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter: Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen wrote in a post on Facebook, translated from Chinese: I believe everyone is as surprised and sad as I am. Taiwan and Japan are both democratic countries with rule of law. On behalf of my government, I would like to severely condemn violent and illegal acts.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
A container ship is pushed to its berth by a tug at the Port of Melbourne, Australia, on June 6, 2018. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

Soaring Coal Exports Takes Australias Trade Surplus to Record $16 Billion in May

Australias trade surplus hit a record $16 billion (US$10.9 billion) in May following a hike in coal exports.

The surplus went up by $2.7 billion compared to the previous month and far exceeded market expectations by around $10.5 billion.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that exports grew by around $5 billionor 9.5 percentto a total value of $58.4 billion during the month.

This was fuelled by significant increases in shipments of coal, coke and briquettes (up 22.1 percent), and other mineral fuels (up 5.3 percent).

In addition, total goods exports were up 10 percent compared to April, while total service exports also climbed 4.8 percent.

Meanwhile, imports increased $2.3 billionor 5.8 percentto $42.4 billion, driven by fuels and lubricants (up 22.9 percent), non-industrial transport equipment (up 18.5 percent), and machinery and industrial equipment (up 6.5 percent).

Room to Grow for Tourism Market

Taylor Nugent, an economist at National Australia Bank, said while economists had expected sharp rises in coal and liquefied natural gas exports, the surplus still came as a surprise due to an upward revision to the April balance.

This picture taken shows a bucket-wheel dumping soil and sand removed from another area of a coal mine in Newcastle, Australia, on Nov. 5, 2021. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

There was also a rebound in travel exports, with tourism related activity rising 10.1 percent. Yet tourism levels in May was still below pre-COVID-19 pandemic figures.

So far, the increase in the value of tourism-related exports (inbound travel) has outpaced the lift in tourism-related imports (outbound travel), Nugent said.

According to Capital Economics Marcel Thieliant, Australias growth figures could increase by as much as two percentage points due to the rise in net exportsone of the largest contributions to Australias economy.

While the reopening of the border seems to have provided a bigger boost to services exports than to imports so far, that should change as more Australians make holidays overseas, he said.

Among Australias trading partners, China was overwhelmingly the largest export market for merchandise in May, followed by Japan, and Korea.

Although Australias exports to China went up by 7.4 percent to $172.9 billion in the 12 months to May, imports from China also rose sharply by 13.2 percent to a record $99.3 billion during the period.
Two armed US-made F-16V fighters fly over at an air force base in Chiayi, southern Taiwan on Jan. 5, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwan Military Repels Chinese Incursion Over Median Line

Taiwans military repelled several Chinese fighter jets that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland.

The incursion comes amid a visit by U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to Taiwan, which the Chinese communist regime condemned.

Taiwans Ministry of Defense said that its air force forcefully expelled the intruders and deployed ground-to-air missiles while monitoring the situation.

The ministry also said that the Chinese aircraft acted deliberately and provocatively, in a manner that has seriously damaged regional peace and stability.

The median line, also known as the Davis Line, is the midpoint in the Taiwan Strait that forms an unofficial maritime buffer between China and Taiwan. While Chinas military regularly incurs into Taiwans air defense identification zone, direct crossings over the median line are less frequent. Such incidents have occurred a number of times since 1999, however.

In addition to traversing the median line, Chinese forces also made the unusual move of approaching from the northwest, flying straight across the line and circling until Taiwanese forces repelled them.

The incident follows a series of combat readiness exercises, patrols, and combat drills in the sea and airspace around Taiwan, which Chinese defense spokesperson Wu Qian said were a response to collusion and provocations by the United States and Taiwan.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which currently rules mainland China as a one-party state, claims that Taiwan is part of its territory and aggressively condemns any action by the United States that it perceives as legitimizing Taiwans independence.

Nevertheless, Taiwan has its own flourishing democratic government, has been self-ruled since 1949, when the CCP took over China, and has never been under the control of the CCP.

CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping has vowed to unite Taiwan with the mainland regardless and has not ruled out the use of force in doing so. To that end, the CCP regularly sends military excursions into Taiwans air defense identification zone in the hope that such intimidation will whittle down the Taiwanese peoples resolve to resist forced unification.

The political military officers of the regime have also taken up the responsibility of promoting increasingly bellicose and propagandistic talking points regarding the future of Taiwan of late.

In the leadup to the incident, Chinese general Li Zuocheng told U.S. military leadership that China had no room for compromise on the issue of Taiwan independence and that China would counterattack any who supported it.

The remarks echoed similar sentiments from June, when Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe threatened U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that the CCP would not hesitate to start a war over Taiwan.

Taiwans political leadership has remained consistent through its trials and tribulations with China. Earlier in the month, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen reiterated Taiwans commitment to self-determination everywhere.

Unprecedented threats from authoritarian actors will not deter us in Taiwan from working with our partners around the world to uphold liberal values [and] strengthen democratic institutions, Tsai said in a tweet.
An anti-abortion demonstrator debates with an abortion rights activist as they protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on June 27, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The Overturning of Roe v. Wade Does Not Constitute a Crisis, Despite Politicians Rhetoric

Commentary

We seem to be living through an era of chicken-little politics, in which the politicians maintain their grip on the voters by manufacturing crisis after crisis. The sky is falling.

The latest crisis concerns the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed the Mississippi legislature to regulate abortion. The decision has been greeted with predictable derision by the politicians on the left, who have openly attacked the legitimacy of the court.

It is easy to get lost in the emotions surrounding the case. In point of fact, the legal significance of Dobbs is not that it overturned Roe v. Wade. It is that it overturned another case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which considered the limits of the doctrine of stare decisis, or precedent. The doctrine runs into problems because judges make mistakes, like everyone else, and there has to be some mechanism to correct them.

The court in Casey was unhappy with Roe v. Wade, but felt that it would cause too much of an upheaval in the system to overturn it. That is where the judges in Dobbs disagreed. They held that the decision was so manifestly wrong that it had to be overturned.

Their problem with Roe v. Wade, at the end of the day, is that the judges in the case simply went with their own views. That is a problem because the constitution says that these kinds of difficult moral decisions should be made by the people, through their democratic institutions. There are limits, and the politicians have to respect the constitution, but the judges basically have to step aside and let the legislature decide. The allegation that the judges in Dobbs over-stepped their limits accordingly has it backwards. Whether you agree with the court or not, the case stands for the proposition that judges have no right to impose their moral views on the rest of us.

The courts view of abortion has also been misrepresented. The Mississippi legislation prohibited abortion in cases where the probable gestational age of the fetus is greater than 15 weeks. So it needs to be stressed, with all the misinformation out there, that it allowed abortion in the first 15 weeks. It also recognized exceptions. The statute was not a radical piece of legislation and adopted the kind of balanced position that the courts tend to favour, which leaves enough room for legitimate action on both sides.

The important point is that the majority took no position on abortion and merely said that the legislature had taken a rational position in the circumstances, which served a legitimate legislative purpose. The rest of it must be decided by the voters.

In Canada, the key opinion was written by Bertha Wilson, the first woman on the Supreme Court and a recognized liberal, in R. v. Morgentaler, which overturned the Criminal Code provisions that regulated abortion in Canada.

Madame Justice Wilson had no difficulty with the regulation of abortion. The protection of the fetus, she wrote, is a perfectly valid legislative objective. It is the same position that the court took in Dobbs. The question, then, is at what point in the pregnancy does the protection of the fetus become such a pressing and substantial concern as to outweigh the fundamental right of the woman to decide whether or not to carry the fetus to term?

Justice Wilson took the conventional position. In the early stages of a pregnancy, a womans decision is absolute. In the later stages of pregnancy, however, the interests of the fetus have to be considered and the state can legitimately step in to protect it. She then suggested that the point at which the state can intervene might fall somewhere in the second trimester. That is naturally the position adopted by the Mississippi legislature, and the reality is that the court which gave women the right to choose an abortion in Canada would probably have upheld the Mississippi law.

The point is that the position taken by the court in Dobbs is moderate and qualified, and the attacks on the legitimacy of the court are highly irresponsible. The only motive for the attacks, as far as I can see, is that many politicians dislike the decision. They have responded, rather typically, with wild allegations that the decision will outlaw all abortions in the United States.

The suggestion is lamentable. No one really knows what the courts will decide and the politicians need to take a deep breath and wait, like the rest of us, and see what happens. There is nothing out of the ordinary in Dobbs and the outlines of the law will slowly emerge, piece by piece, as the judiciary works its way through the other cases in the system. That, I daresay, is how the common law is supposed to work.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the nation as he announces his resignation outside 10 Downing Street on July 7, 2022. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

UKs Most Consequential PM Since Thatcher: Former Australian High Commissioner on Johnson

George Brandis, Australias former high commissioner to the United Kingdom, has called Boris Johnson the most consequential prime minister of the UK since Margaret Thatcher.

The former attorney-generals comments come after Johnson announced he would be stepping down as prime minister following the resignation of 55 Conservative Party MPs from the ministry.

Brandis Q.C., now-professor of national security at the Australian National University, said Johnson was a real fighter who would have been keen to see out his tenure but in the end knew he was entirely politically unviable.

He said the lockdown party incident was untidy but it should not overshadow his achievements, saying the former British prime minister had defied expectations to win an electoral mandate to push through with Brexit.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the nation as he announces his resignation outside 10 Downing Street on July 7, 2022. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Now there are very strongly differing views about whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, but theres no doubt at all that it was the most important inflection point in British history in our lifetimesand it wouldnt have happened without Boris Johnson, Brandis told ABC RN Breakfast on July 8.

[S]o his agency as the person who created that turning point in British political history does in my view make him the most consequential British prime minister since Margaret Thatcher.

Strong Public Support for Johnson

In an op-ed published in The Age, Brandis said that after winning two elections as London mayor, Johnson had the biggest Tory majority since Margaret Thatcher by smashing and winning over the so-called red wallthe 60 or so seats in the industrial north of England which had been Labour Party heartland for generations.

[Johnson] managed to connect with working-class voters in a way [ex-PM David] Cameron never could. In fact, the demographic in which, at the time of the last election, he scored highest of all was older working-class men.

Brandis also thought that Britains response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict was the most immediate, the most unequivocal and expressed with greater moral clarity than any European or North Atlantic nation.

At a time when all the focus has been on the negatives about Boris Johnson, I think it behooves us to remember that he was a very strong political leader who, but for carelessness and personal recklessness, I think would have gone on to even greater things.

Australian Political Leaders Respond to Resignation

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was unfortunate that Johnson was forced out by his party but is confident that the relationship between the two countries remained unchanged.

Albanese presented Johnson with a South Sydney Rabbitohs jersey just two weeks ago while in Madrid for the NATO Summit.

A warm meeting with @BorisJohnson ahead of the NATO summit today in Madrid. We discussed how we can strengthen our unique strategic relationship through AUKUS, action on climate change, and engagement in the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/GB8zmJPDPm  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 29, 2022

Australia and the United Kingdom  have close personal links, defence ties and close business ties and it is absolutely critical that that continue in a seamless fashion. Im certain it will. Our countries are close, Albanese told Channel 7.

We will work with whoever the next UK prime minister is  Our relationship isnt just one between individuals.

Albanese added that Johnsons resignation was a reminder of how tough politics can be.

In his resignation speech on July 7, Johnson said that he was giving up the best job in the world, and that while it was painful to give up the top job, nobody was indispensable.

Both Brandis and Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham said that Johnson would be remembered as the prime minister who sealed the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement.

Johnson was also one of the signatories of the AUKUS agreement between U.S. President Joe Biden and former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The deal will see the United States and UK both assist Australia with acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.

Johnson is expected to be interim prime minister as he reassembles his Cabinet.
Thirteen of the indictment's 27 counts involved using a firearm to commit hate crimes, and the 12-page document revealed the weapons and ammunition law enforcement seized from the suspect's car at the Tops shooting as well as from two addresses in his hometown of Conklin.
A military re-enactment unit wearing War of 1812 uniforms at the Fort York National Historic Site on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of York, in Toronto on April 27, 2013. (Canadapanda/Shutterstock)

Torontos Fort York Is Under Attack Again. This Time Its an Inside Job

Commentary

For nearly 70 years, visitors to Fort York in Toronto have been greeted by the trill of fifing, the beating of drums, the crash of muskets, and the boom of cannon. These authentic 19th-century sounds, along with the colourful sight of red-coated soldiers of the Fort York Guard, have brought Canadian history to life for countless tourists and residents alike.

The most significant episode recalled by these costumed re-enactors is the Battle of York when, during the War of 1812, 1,800 American troops landed near what is now Sunnyside Beach and overwhelmed a few hundred British, Canadian, and indigenous defenders. The invaders went on to capture Fort York, loot the townthen the capital of Upper Canada, now Torontoand burn several public buildings, before leaving five days later.

Today, Fort York is under attack once again. But its not American soldiers the forts defenders need worry about. This time its being attacked from within, by decolonizers intent on erasing the foundational elements of our countrys own history.

Fort York is one of many historic sites across Canada that feature staff in period military dress for the benefit of tourists. This includes the famous Fort Henry Guard in Kingston, Ontario, and the Halifax Citadels 78th Highlanders in Nova Scotia. More than merely educational devices, these units are powerful branding assets and often featured in travel ads in Canada and around the world.

But despite ample evidence of its usefulness and popularity, the Fort York Guard has recently gone missing in action. In early May, the volunteer support group Friends of Fort York reported they have not been able to obtain support from the city to operate the Fort York Guard this summer. Toronto staff say the city is putting its relationship with Friends of Fort York on pause.

What explains this sudden lack of civic support for something thats been a part of Torontos summers since 1955? It cant be budgetary. The volunteer group shoulders a large share of the Guards modest budget and it thus costs the city a pittance. A more likely reason concerns a recent and radical change in how Torontos museums view Canadian history.

Torontos 10 history museums, including Fort York, are guided by a strategic plan that is quite different from traditional strategic plans for museums, in that it has almost nothing to say about history or historical artifacts. Rather, it is obsessed with decolonizing the entire museum system. According to the plan, the citys museums, tend to privilege the white male experience and ultimately reinforce Euro-centric ableist narratives of patriarchy, exploitation, colonization and heteronormativity.

This is an opinion shared by Armando Perla, the citys new chief curator. Institutional racism and the upholding of white supremacy isa structural problem that is pervasive in the museum sector across the country, he wrote prior to assuming his new position in January. Museums and universities, some of the whitest institutions in the western world, have been tools in the maintenance and dissemination of colonial thought. The solution, said Perla, lies in dismantling a system that oppresses us. Perlas training, by the way, is as a human rights lawyer rather than a historian.

Where once museums were repositories of history as it actually occurred, today theyre being used to actively dismantle our past in the furtherance of progressive identity ideology. And from this perspective, it seems entirely logical to conclude the demise of Fort Yorks famous red-coated, Euro-centric, patriarchal, colonial-era Guard is just one more step in this dismantling process.

First came demands for the renaming of public buildings when some claimed to be offended by the original honoree. Then came the vandalization, destruction, and removal of public monuments and statues across Canada. Now, historical animators who bring Canadas colonial past to life for the benefit of tourists may be the next antique shoe to drop.

But this raises the question of how one decolonizes the history of a colonial country like Canada. It is plainly absurd to try to tell the story of the Battle of York from the perspective of our modern eras fixation on identity. The War of 1812 was a very significant event in Canadian history at a time when what is now Canada was merely a set of colonies and trading concessions. And it was the lived experience of the people on the border at that time, mainly settlers of European origin, soldiers of European origin, and indigenous peoples.

Canada today may be a very different and far more diverse country than what it was in 1813, but we should be capable of accepting and celebrating our new reality without feeling the need to destroy all evidence of what came before. It is, in fact, impossible to fully comprehend the wonderfully accepting nature of modern Canada without an appreciation for the rich historical legacy from which it sprang. And that should include the Fort York Guard.

A longer version of this story first appeared at C2CJournal.ca

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Patrick Brown announces his candidacy for the federal Conservative leadership at a rally in Brampton, Ont., on March 13, 2022. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

Tory Leadership Race Committee Says Patrick Brown Knew Full Well Nature of Allegations

The committee organizing the Conservative Party leadership race says disqualified candidate Patrick Brown was well aware of the allegations against him, contrary to what he has stated in his defence.

In an email to party members on July 8, chair of the Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) Ian Brodie sought to reassure that the move to disqualify Brown earlier this week was justified.

I would love to share all that we have. But we have legal restrictions of what we are to say when we are dealing with allegations of breaking federal law. Thats why we referred this case to Elections Canada, Brodie wrote.

Brodie repeated that the party had credible and verifiable information about alleged wrongdoing by Brown, and that his campaign failed to properly address the allegations.

Every opportunity was given to the campaign to clarify the issue, he said.

To be clear, the Brown campaign knew full well what the allegations were. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply incorrect.

Brown told CTV News on July 6 that he wasnt aware of the specific nature of the allegations.

Its an anonymous allegation being made. How do you respond to a phantom allegation? he said.

All we know is theres an anonymous allegation that a corporation was paying someone who worked on my campaign.

Since then, the whistleblower from within Browns campaign, who worked as a regional organizer, has come forward.

Mr. Brown told me that it was permissible for me to be employed by a company as a consultant, and then for that company to have me volunteer with the campaign, Debra Jodoin said via a statement by her lawyer on July 7.

He connected me by text message with a third-party for that purpose. I trusted him, but as time went on I became increasingly concerned with the arrangement and suspected it was not OK.

Browns campaign reacted to Jodoin stepping forward by saying it learned about the details of the issue through the media.

Once Ms. Jodoin provided information, it was the obligation of the Conservative Party to conduct themselves fairly and transparently, says a July 7 statement.

They have failed to do so and instead, chose to use this for other obvious purposesthose purposes have nothing to do with the integrity of the Party or a genuine desire to hear out our campaign.

The campaign says the goal was to remove Brown to narrow the field.

Brodie said the LEOC could not afford the risk of having a leadership candidate under the investigation of Elections Canada for breaking federal law.

Our leadership race is to select a person to contend for the role of prime minister of Canada. The process must be beyond reproach and in full compliance with the law.

Canadas elections commissioner has confirmed it is reviewing the allegations made against Brown.

Brown has retained the services of counsel Marie Henein in a bid to appeal the disqualification decision, and warns of potential legal action.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
US Senators Meet With Ukrainian President, Discuss Designating Russia as State Sponsor of Terrorism

U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the capital city of Kyiv on July 7 to discuss legislation that would assign a terrorism designation to Russia.

The proposed bill seeks to designate Moscow as a state sponsor of terrorism and would place Russia alongside countries like North Korea, Syria, and Iran, Graham told Reuters in the joint interview with Blumenthal.

Graham insisted that the proposal could garner near-unanimous support in the U.S. Senate.

Blumenthal pointed to photos of suspected atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in the Ukrainian town of Bucha back in March 2022 to support his argument that Russia deserved the state sponsor of terrorism designation.

If that isnt terrorism, I dont know what is, Blumenthal said.

International prosecutors are still investigating the incident with Ukrainian counterparts.

The meeting between the U.S. senators and the Ukrainian president came as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned about more serious military action against the smaller nation.

Everybody should know that largely speaking, we havent even yet started anything in earnest, Putin said during a meeting with leaders of the Russian parliament. We are hearing that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. Let them try.

The Russian president also accused the West of wanting to fight us until the last Ukrainian, and said that attempts of the collective West to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine, dismissed these statements, adding that there was no collective West plan and that Putins mantra of war to the last Ukrainian is proof of deliberate genocide, he said in a July 8 tweet.

Arming Ukraine

During the meeting, the Ukrainian president broached the subject of the United States providing more arms to his country.

We appeal to you so that the Congress supports Ukraine in the matter of supplying modern air defense systems. We must ensure such a level of sky security that our people are not afraid to live in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, according to the official website of the Ukrainian president.

In their interview with Reuters, both senators agreed that Ukraine could use U.S.-supplied weapons systems in insurgency campaigns within Russian-occupied territories.

Blumenthal expressed support for further arming Ukraine, including providing air defense systems, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and HIMARS rocket systems with longer ranges, provided Kyiv does not use them to attack any Russian territory.

Long-range artillery is very, very important. But so is the hand-to-hand insurgency that we are hoping to see in eastern Ukraine, in the territory thats already been occupied by the Russians, Blumenthal said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police officers stand near a plane reported by British media to be first to transport illegal immigrants to Rwanda at MoD Boscombe Down base in Wiltshire, Britain, on June 14, 2022. (Hannah McKay /Reuters)

UK Government Press on With Rwanda Migrant Plan Despite Boris Johnson Resignation

Downing Street has confirmed the government will carry on with the Home Office plan to send illegal immigrants who have crossed the English Channel to Rwanda, despite Boris Johnsons resignation as prime minister on Thursday.

The prime ministers official spokesman said on Friday: This is a pre-agreed government policy. Convention doesnt prevent or preclude government from seeking to fulfil that policy and that would include defending cases in court as required.

A legal challenge to the policy is due to be heard in the High Court in London on July 19 but Downing Street says they might try to get a plane full of illegal immigrants sent to the east African country before that date.

Home Secretary Priti Patelone of the few government ministers who did not resign during a tumultuous week in British politicssigned what she called a world-first agreement with Rwanda in April.

The plan was not only to send the cross-channel illegal immigrants to Rwanda while their asylum applications were considered but to leave them there if they were unsuccessful.

A chartered Boeing 767 to Rwanda was due to take off on June 14 but it was halted at the last moment when the European Court of Human Rights issued an interim measure, which effectively scuppered the flight.

That infuriated Patel and many Conservative MPs, some of whom have demanded the government withdraws from the European Court of Human Rights.

Archbishop Called Rwanda Policy Ungodly

It is unclear if any of the leading candidates for the leadershipRishi Sunak, Sajid Javid, Liz Truss, Ben Wallace, and Tom Tugendhatwould ditch the policy, which was described by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, as ungodly in his Easter sermon.

Johnson will remain as prime minister until the beginning of September, by when the Conservative Party will have chosen a new leader, who can replace him.

While he remains a caretaker prime minister, he has promised not to push through any new policies but he remains committed to the Rwanda plan.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, from Amnesty International UK, has urged the government to rethink the plan and said: The UK government is so far removed from reality and lacking in humanity that they are not only destroying the asylum system but also peoples lives.

More than 13,000 people have arrived in England this year after crossing the English Channel from France.

Earlier this week a massive operation overseen by Eurojust, and involving Britains National Crime Agency, led to 40 arrests and claimed to have smashed a major cross-channel people-smuggling ring.
Unexplained Deaths: 23 Senior Cuban Military Officers Die Within 12 Months of Anti-Government Protests

Mystery surrounds the deaths of 23 high-ranking military officers within Cubas Communist Party who have died since July 2021.

Concurrently, trials continue on the politically embattled island nation for protesters who participated in the landmark anti-government demonstrations last year.

And experts think theres a connection between the events.

One of the nations most powerful men, Gen. Luis Alberto Rodriguez Lopez-Calleja, is now among the nearly two dozen deaths. He died of a heart attack on July 1.

Not all analysts think this is a coincidence, but rather more a symptom of the regime cleaning house in a bid to restore order.

The sudden death of General Luis Alberto Rodriguez Lopez-Calleja raises questions about the stability and durability of the communist tyranny in Cuba, Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, an analyst and coordinator for the pro-democracy coalition Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, told The Epoch Times.

He notes there are a couple of reasons why, of the 23 military officer deaths since July 2021, Lopez-Callejas is a good barometer for the state of affairs within Cubas regime.

First, was the sudden nature of it: a fatal heart attack. Second, Lopez-Calleja was a symbol of power and continuity within the regime.

The U.S. government has long since known Havana has at its disposal biological weapons that can induce health complications. The scope and possible applications were discussed at length during a 2002 Senate hearing.

In a foreign relations committee hearing that same year, Carl Ford, then-assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, stated he believed Cuba had at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort.

Lopez-Calleja functioned as the right-hand man and adviser to current President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel.

At one point, the general was married to the daughter of Raul Castro and was also executive president of the Business Administration Group of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Gutierrez-Boronat asserts that Lopez-Calleja was the real power within the communist regime, saying he ran the state within a state.

His death may be more significant than Raul Castros will be, he said.

Whether Lopez-Callejas demise was from natural causes or something more sinister remains unknown. However, in the wake of last years nationwide anti-government protests, a pattern has emerged.

On July 11, 2021, the largest anti-communist demonstrations in decades ignited and spread like wildfire throughout the country.

Diaz-Canel condemned the protesters as mercenaries and deployed an armed response to bring the dissenters to heel.

Police and soldiers rushed to stem the tide of a new revolution. They made efforts to identify organizers and group leaders, who were swiftly arrested and continue to this day to face trial, torture, and lengthy prison sentences.

Yet just seven days after Cubas armed forces struggled to douse the flames of rebellion, Cmdr. Agustin Pena Porrez, 58, died on July 17, 2021. Then five other military officers of high rank followed less than 10 days later.

Two generals even died on the same day: Reserve Brig. Gen. Manuel Eduardo Lastres Pacheco and Brig. Gen. Armando Choy Rodriguez, both on July 26, 2021.

Of the initial six, all were reportedly cremated immediately after their demise with no autopsy or discussion of funeral arrangements. The Cuban government also withheld any details regarding their causes of death.

This was repeated a couple months later when two more communist military generals died on the same day, Sept. 30.

The regime declined to explain or provide further details to the public.

When taken as a whole, since the July 11, 2021, protests, four officers died in August 2021, six in September, two in October, and one in December. The greatest number of military officer deaths16occurred within 60 days of the historic July 2021 demonstrations.

I think criticism of the regime response to the July 11 protests may have triggered an internal purge, Gutierrez-Boronat said.

This year, another four Cuban generals died, including one military general per month in February, March, June, and July.

Though when it came to the death of Lopez-Calleja, the communist leadership core broke its silence.

A revolutionary has left us, a man who served the Homeland and the Revolution in all its trenches, Diaz-Canel posted on his Twitter account.

Some experts attribute the sudden departure of Cubas old guard to the devastating effects COVID-19 has had on the country.

To date, more than 1 million cases of the disease have been reported in the small island nation, along with 8,529 deaths, according to World Health Organization data.
U.S. Border Patrol mounted agents attempt to contain illegal immigrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

US Border Patrol Agents Didnt Whip Anyone at Border, Despite Reports: Internal Review

Nine months after horse patrol agents were accused of whipping illegal immigrants at the border in Del Rio, Texas, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus said an internal review found no evidence Border Patrol agents struck any person, intentionally or otherwise.

The investigation concluded that there were failures at multiple levels of the agency, a lack of appropriate policies and training, and unprofessional and dangerous behavior by several individual agents, states the Office of Professional Review report.

Magnus said during a press conference on July 8 that four agents are facing disciplinary charges, some related to deeply offensive conduct.

One Border Patrol agent who was found to have used denigrating and inappropriate language and to have maneuvered his horse unsafely near a child, CBP said in a statement.

Magnus declined to provide more detail on the pending disciplinary charges, citing due process.

Despite the actions taken by certain agents, there was no evidence any migrant was forced to return to Mexico or denied entry to the United States, Magnus said.

Magnus said agents are now prohibited from twirling or spinning their split reins as a distancing technique or in crowd control situations.

Magnus said the report took so long, in part, because the U.S. Attorneys office took months before declining to prosecute the agents involved.

The Biden administration was quick to condemn mounted Border Patrol agents last September as media outlets showed video clips and photographs and accused the agents of whipping Haitians after they crossed illegally into the United States; incorrectly calling their reins whips.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN on Sept. 21, 2021, two days after the incident: I was horrified by what I saw. We will let the investigation run its course, but the pictures that I observed troubled me profoundly.

On the same day, he wrote on Twitter that the results of the DHS investigation will be available by the end of next week & Ive committed to making the results public.

He said the agents involved had been placed on administrative duties.

On Sept. 23, 2021, then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced that all horse patrol units in the Del Rio Sector had been suspended.

President Joe Biden said: To see people treated like they did, horses barely running over, people being strapped  its outrageous.

I promise you, those people will pay. There will be an investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences, Biden said during a news conference on Sept. 24, 2021.

The incident occurred as up to 30,000 mostly Haitian illegal immigrants gathered under the international bridge in Del Rio, creating a primitive campsite while they waited to be processed by Border Patrol. The camp was on the bank of the Rio Grande, through which the illegal immigrants waded back and forth to obtain supplies from the Mexican city of Acuna.

We had a lot of medical emergencies. We had 10 women give birth, there was a miscarriage. We had diabetic emergencies. Some heart issues, dehydration. There was no COVID testing, of course, said Jon Anfinsen, head of the Del Rio Sector Border Patrol Council.

He said the horse patrol agents were directed to stop people from crossing the river illegally into the United States the day the incident occurred.

Magnus said the request had come from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told The Epoch Times at the time that horse patrol agents are trained to use their reins to keep illegal immigrants away from their horses.

The horse patrol agents, under the administration, are trained to ensure the safety of the migrants, to keep them away from the horses, because the horses can harm peoplethey can inadvertently step on them, they can rear up, they can kick them, Judd said.

And so agents have to keep the migrants away from the horses for their own protection. And so they will use the reins, to twirl the reins, so that they will stay away from the horses. But they do not use those reins to lash out, to try to strike people. Those agents did not use those reins in any way, shape, or form to try to strike anybody.

Two months later, DHS provided an update stating that the investigation had first been referred to DHSs Office of Inspector General (OIG).

The OIG declined to investigate and referred the matter back to CBPs Office of Professional Responsibility, the DHS stated on Nov. 16, 2021.

According to DHS policy, the OIG would have taken up the investigation if it regarded the incident as serious misconduct.

In February, Anfinsen confirmed that two of the horse patrol agents involved were still on desk duty.
A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected onto him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Kacper Pempel/Reuters)

US Says North Korean-Backed Hackers Targeting Health Care Sector With Ransomware

North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors have been targeting hospitals and health care facilities in the United States with ransomware since May 2021, according to U.S. intelligence agencies.

The FBI, Treasury Department, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint advisory on July 6 about Maui ransomware.

The agencies suspect that hackers deployed Maui ransomware to encrypt servers responsible for health care servicesincluding health records, medical imaging, and intranet systemsand demand ransom from the victims.

The North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors likely assume healthcare organizations are willing to pay ransoms because these organizations provide services that are critical to human life and health, the advisory reads.

Because of this assumption, the FBI, CISA, and Treasury assess North Korean state-sponsored actors are likely to continue targeting [health care and public health] sector organizations.

The advisory states that in some incidents reported to the agencies, Maui ransomware disrupted health care services for prolonged periods, and the initial access vector for these cases is unknown.

The agencies warned that paying a ransom does not ensure the recovery of files. Rather, it emboldens adversaries to target more organizations, encourages other criminal actors to distribute ransomware, and funds illicit activities.

According to the advisory, Maui ransomware is operated manually by a remote actor using a command-line interface to interact with the malware and to identify files to encrypt.

Cybersecurity company Stairwell said in its report about the ransomware that there are many aspects to Maui ransomware that are unknown, including usage context.

The U.S. government has blamed North Korea for a number of high-profile cyberattacks in recent years, including the multimillion-dollar cryptocurrency heist of Axie Infinity, a game in which players can earn cryptocurrency tokens.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in its 2021 Annual Threat Assessment report (pdf) that North Koreas cyber program poses a growing espionage, theft, and attack threat.

North Korea has conducted cyber theft against financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges worldwide, potentially stealing hundreds of millions of dollars, probably to fund government priorities, such as its nuclear and missile programs, the report said.
Canada's International Trade Minister Mary Ng speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Nov. 29, 2021. (Reuters/Blair Gable)

US to Lift Tariffs on Canadian Solar Products

The United States has agreed to lift tariffs on Canadian solar products after a trade dispute settlement panel sided with Ottawa earlier this year, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng and the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said.

Canada, arguing that the tariffs violated the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), had sought the assistance of a dispute settlement panel last year.

In February, Canada said the panel had confirmed that the tariffs were unjustified and in violation of the trade pact. The United States, too, said it had prevailed on some aspects of the panels decision.

Washington and Ottawa have been engaged in talks to resolve the dispute since then.

Today, I welcomed the agreement reached with the United States to remove the U.S. safeguard tariffs on solar products from Canada, Ng said in a statement on Thursday.

The MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) also contains a mechanism to ensure that solar product imports from Canada do not undermine the existing U.S. safeguard measure on imports of solar products, Tais office said in a separate statement.

Ng said the U.S. and Canada shared goals and commitments to fight climate change and that the removal of tariffs would bring stability and predictability to our renewable energy sector and strengthen North American competitiveness.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump first imposed the Section 201 safeguard tariffs on imported solar panels and cells in January 2018, but did not exempt Canada and Mexico from the duties. The terms of the USMCA eliminate most tariffs among the North American partners.

U.S. President Joe Biden extended the tariffs for another four years in February, but in a major concession to installers he eased the terms to exclude a panel technology dominant among big U.S. projects.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the National Education Association 2022 Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois, on July 5, 2022. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

Vaccine Mandates, Abortion Advocacy, LGBT Inclusive Language Debated at Teachers Union Convention

A volley of policy proposals has been put up for debate at the annual conference of the nations largest teachers union, including one that called for the organization to support making masks and COVID-19 vaccines mandatory in public schools.

About 6,000 delegates of the National Education Association (NEA), who collectively represent more than 3 million employees in public education, convened in Chicago from July 36. Its the first time theyve assembled in person to debate on issues and set policy agenda since the start of the pandemic.

Prior to 2022, anyone could use the NEA website to track the status of proposed agenda items, which are now only accessible by registered attendees of the assembly. A complete list of those proposals has been obtained and publicized online by Terry Stoops, a K-12 education expert at the John Locke Foundation.

One of the proposals, classified as New Business Item 37, called on the teachers union to support a national policy of mandatory masking and COVID vaccines in schools, as well as high-quality virtual education for immune-compromised students and all families who want it by publicizing successful virtual education programs in public schools throughout the nation in existing media outlets.

The item is similar to last years New Business Item 33, which didnt get approved. Proposed by a representative from Oakland, California, it called for mandatory safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations and testing for all students and staff before returning to face-to-face instruction in the fall of 2021.

Another proposed measure in the 2022 assembly, New Business Item 41, called on the NEA to take all necessary steps to defeat and overturn Floridas new education law that bans the discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through 3rd-grade classrooms, as well as other laws that are deemed homophobic and anti-transgender.

The NEA delegate who submitted the agenda item referred to the Florida law as the Dont Say Gay Bill, despite the actual law not including any such language.

The NEA will publicize our continued commitment to LGBT youth and all young peoples right to learn about and develop their own sexual orientation and gender identity, the resolution reads. The NEA will demonstrate its support for the independent mass actions of youth to defend their existence, dignity, and rights of the LGBT community by encouraging membership participation in rallies, pickets, etc.

The other one, New Business Item 63, urged the union to replace certain terms with LGBTQIA+ inclusive alternatives. For example, parental leave, birthing parent, and non-birthing parent are considered better replacements of maternity leave, mother, and father, respectively.

Using this contract language, members need not worry about how a Board of Education/solicitor defines maternity leave, mother, and/or father; the language is an inclusive reflection of how LGBTQIA+ members build their families, wrote the NEA delegate from New Jersey.

In New Business Item 34, a delegate from California called on the NEA to publicly stand in defense of abortion and reproductive rights. If adopted, the NEA would encourage members to participate in activities including rallies and demonstrations, lobbying and political campaigns, educational events, and other actions to support the right to abortion, contraception, and a persons decision about their health.

NEA is a social justice union that is a majority female and trans and gender non-conforming folx who will fight against these attacks, it explained, describing reproductive rights as something not limited to women, but all persons who are able to.

Vice President Kamala Harris came to Chicago to deliver her remarks the day before the assembly concluded, praising the union for teaching the principles of liberty and freedom in your classroom and accusing Republican leaders of taking the educators freedom away.

These so-called leaders are taking freedoms away, Harris said on July 5, reiterating the progressive narrative. Freedom away from women and the freedom to make decisions over their own bodies; freedom away from a kindergarten-to-third-grade teacher in Florida to love openly and with pride; and away from every American as they intentionally try to make it more difficult for folks to vote.

We are 126 days away from an election, and we all know what we need to do, she said.

The political contributions from the NEA overwhelmingly go to Democrats. According to watchdog website OpenSecrets, in the 2022 election cycle, the union has so far donated $1,418,866 to Democrat candidates, compared to just $11,320 to Republican ones.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the NEA to confirm the status of the aforementioned agenda items.
Villanueva Fires Back After LA Supervisors Eye Power to Remove Sheriff

LOS ANGELESOne day after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors made public a proposal that could give them the power to remove an elected sheriff from office for cause, Sheriff Alex Villanuevas reelection campaign fired back on July 8saying the supervisors have no business seeking such authority.

The people of Los Angeles would be better served if the supervisors spent their time doing their jobs by reducing homelessness and improving healthcare, instead of trying to seize even more power, according to a statement from Villanuevas campaign. The sheriff is an elected position, just like the supervisors. Just as the sheriff has no business asking for power to fire the supervisors, the reverse is also true.

The supervisors and the sheriff have clashed over a range of matters during Villanuevas time in officeand on July 12, the supervisors plan to consider a proposal that would ask voters in November to give them the power to remove an elected sheriff from office for cause.

Villanuevas bid for a second term is headed for a November runoff against former Long Beach police Chief Robert Luna. They finished 12 in a nine-candidate field in the June primary.

The removal motion by Board Chair Holly Mitchell and Supervisor Hilda Solis would direct county attorneys to draft the required documents and ordinance to put before voters on Nov. 8 that would allow the board to remove an elected sheriff with a four-fifths vote.

Under the motion, such a move would be allowed for causewith such cause defined as a violation of any law related to the performance of their duties as sheriff; flagrant or repeated neglect of duties; a misappropriation of public funds or property; willful falsification of a relevant official statement or document; or obstruction of any investigation into the conduct of the sheriff by the Inspector General, Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, or any government agency with jurisdiction to conduct such an investigation.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the boards proposal, a sheriffs department representative called the maneuver a politically motivated stunt orchestrated while Villanueva is seeking reelection.

If passed, this illegal motion would allow corrupt supervisors to intimidate sheriffs from carrying out their official duties to investigate crime, the representative told the Los Angeles Times. Creating a pathway for politicians to remove a duly elected sheriff is a recipe for corruption, particularly when cause is whatever suits their political agenda.

Supervisor Janice Hahn said she plans to support the motiongiving it the three votes needed for approval on July 12. Supervisor Kathryn Barger told The Times she questioned the motivations of the proposal, asking why it only targets the sheriff and not other county leadership positions.

Villanueva has repeatedly clashed with the board, accusing members of defunding his agency at the expense of public safety, while also rebuffing subpoenas to appear before the countys Civilian Oversight Commission.

The motion does not mention Villanueva by name, but states, The current sheriff has been openly hostile to oversight and transparency and has tested the functionality of existing oversight structures by consistently resisting and obstructing these systems of checks and balances.

The motion also refers to previous sheriffs Lee Baca, who was sent to federal prison on corruption charges, and Peter Pitchess, who resisted any involvement in the first internal investigation of deputy gangs from outside the department.

According to the motion, despite board efforts to provide oversight of the department, the board has nevertheless been limited in its ability to serve as a sufficient check against the sheriffs flagrant disregard of lawful oversight and accountability.

If the motion is approved, county attorneys would draft the necessary paperwork to put the issue on the November ballot, then return to the board for a July 26 vote on whether to move forward.
A fugitive considered by government officials to have been among the worst  if not the worst  rental housing operators in Buffalo surrendered Tuesday at the federal courthouse.

Facing criminal charges related to lead-paint violations, Angel Elliot Dalfin made his initial court appearance by participating remotely by videoconference from the U.S. Marshals Service cellblock, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Buffalo.

At the height of his operation, Dalfin owned or controlled more than 150 single- and two-family homes on the city's East Side, rented mostly to low-income people of color. At least 63 of the houses were cited for lead paint hazards, and 29 children living in 22 of the homes suffered lead poisoning, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

Dalfin operated using a web of 19 companies, shuffling properties among them, according to court records. His houses were among the tens of thousands of rental properties in Buffalo constructed before 1978 that contain lead paint. Lead poisoning can be prevented if the homes are properly maintained. But Dalfin failed to maintain them, allowing lead paint to deteriorate, and he also provided deficient and false lead disclosures  or no disclosures at all  to tenants and purchasers of his properties, according to the civil lawsuit brought by the state Attorney General's Office.

With the poisoning of children from lead paint in aging rental housing an ongoing public health crisis in Buffalo, state and federal authorities turned their attention to Dalfin, who they say flouted their efforts to hold him accountable by concealing his location, identity and assets, according to court records. By the time the state sued him in September 2020, he was already unloading the properties.

Dalfin eventually stopped replying to court orders and never personally appeared at any hearings in the state court civil case, and he was considered a fugitive in a related criminal case over the lead paint allegations filed in federal court in May 2021, according to court records.

At his court appearance Tuesday, the judge entered a plea of not guilty on Dalfin's behalf, and Dalfin waived a preliminary hearing.

Federal prosecutors did not oppose his release from custody under certain conditions. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. released him on a $50,000 cash bond and placed him on home detention with electronic monitoring, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Dalfin faces counts of wire fraud and making and using a materially false document.

Dalfin retained attorneys Michael Blotnik and Herbert Greenman to represent him, according to court records. Neither could be reached for comment.

Federal law requires sellers and landlords to disclose reports concerning lead-based paint to purchasers and tenants when selling or renting a home, even if the hazard has been mitigated.

From 2010 until 2018, the only tenants in Dalfin's properties who received lead disclosures were the 40% to 50% of tenants with Section 8 funding, who received the disclosures under the direction of the public housing agencies that worked directly with the low-income tenants, according to an affidavit from a special agent with the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The 50% to 60% of tenants who were not part of the Section 8 program did not receive any lead disclosures until 2018 or later, if at all.

"Even when tenants were provided the lead disclosure forms mandated by federal law, those disclosures repeatedly contained false statements to the tenants or prospective tenants, concealing hazardous conditions and the existence of reports pertaining to lead paint hazards in the premises," according to the EPA affidavit.

In April, State Supreme Court Justice Catherine Nugent Panepinto entered a default judgment against Dalfin, banning him from renting out or managing residential properties in New York State. She ruled that he engaged in 126 instances of deceptive acts or practices, engaged in repeated fraud and created a public nuisance. At a hearing before her, Assistant Attorney General Patrick Omilian said the state intended to seek a $5,000 fine for each of the 126 violations the state cited in its civil complaint against Dalfin, totaling $630,000.

Last month, Paul R. Heil of Williamsville, a Buffalo Public Schools teacher who was the manager for Dalfins property holdings, was fined $15,000 by a federal judge. Heil pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting the failure to provide a lead paint hazard warning notice for a property on two occasions. The plea settled the felony criminal charges he initially faced.
Virgin Galactic Partners With Boeings Aurora to Develop New Motherships

Virgin Galactic announced Wednesday that Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences will help design and build its next-generation motherships.

The mothership is a dual-fuselage aircraft carrier that takes off and carries the Virgin Galactic spaceship to its release altitude of around 50,000 feet, where the spaceship then launches from atop the mothership into space.

The current generation of mothership is called the VMS Eve, which stands for Virgin Mothership Eve, and was built by American aerospace company Scaled Composites.

Our next generation motherships are integral to scaling our operations, said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier. They will be faster to produce, easier to maintain, and will allow us to fly substantially more missions each year.

The partnership with Boeings Aurora allows Virgin Galactic to tap into highly skilled labor pools and new innovation and technology to build two new motherships to support its goals of 400 flights per year at Spaceport America.

Aurora President and CEO Per Beith said the Boeing subsidiary was thrilled to support Virgin Galactics mission to pioneer space travel.

This partnership between Aurora and Virgin Galactic brings together teams that share a passion for aerospace, innovation, and exploration, Beith said.

Auroras decades of experience in aircraft design, composite manufacturing, and vehicle integration, coupled with our world-class engineers and manufacturing technicians, enables us to provide the unique expertise and capabilities necessary to complete these next generation aircraft.

Access to Innovation

Swami Iyer, president of Virgin Galactics Aerospace Systems, said Aurora has some of the industrys top engineers and manufacturing facilities.

With Aurora, we are accessing the best of the nationwide aerospace ecosystem, Iyer said.

By utilizing third-party suppliers as part of its manufacturing strategy, Virgin Galactic also aims to improve efficiency and allow its in-house team to focus on complex and critical elements such as design, engineering, and final assembly, the aerospace and space travel company said in a release.

Aurora is headquartered in Virginia but plans to manufacture the motherships at its Columbus, Mississippi, and West Virginia facilities. Final assembly will be completed at Virgin Galactics facility in Mojave, California.

Space Ship Two Unity relocates to Virgin Galactics Gateway to Space, Spaceport America, New Mexico on Oct. 16, 2020. (Virgin Galactic)

Boeing is excited to contribute our culture of safety, our operational excellence, and our expertise in aircraft design and manufacturing to help advance human space travel, said Todd Citron, Boeings chief technology officer.

Todays announcement expands our collaboration with Virgin Galactic to accelerate transformative aerospace technologies.

Aurora has 30 years of experience designing and building novel and complex aircraft. It is expected to immediately begin development of two motherships.

The first new mothership is expected to begin commercial flights in 2025. Virgin Galactics first Delta-class spaceship is also expected to begin commercial flights that year.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during a bilateral meeting at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on July 8, 2022. (Willy Kurniawan/Pool/Reuters)

West Seeks to Unblock Ukraines Grain Ports, Russian Envoy Says Pull-Back Unlikely

KYIVUkraines Western allies on Friday urged Russia to allow Kyiv to ship grain out to the world as the four-month-old war threatened to bring hunger to countries far away from the battlefields.

Moscow for its part accused the West of waging economic warfare on Russia by attempting to isolate it with sanctions imposed over the Feb. 24 invasion.

And in a further indication that the Kremlin was in no mood for compromise, Russias ambassador to London told Reuters that its troops would defeat Ukrainian forces in the whole of the eastern Donbass region and were unlikely to withdraw from a swathe of land across the southern coast.

Sooner or later, Ambassador Andrei Kelin said, Ukraine would have to decide whether to strike a peace deal with Russia or continue slipping down this hill to ruin.

On the frontlines in the Donbass, officials reported continued Russian strikes of towns and villages ahead of an anticipated new push to grasp more territory.

Local residents look on as smoke rises after strikes during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in Donetsk, Ukraine, on July 7, 2022. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

At a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Bali, Indonesia, some of the staunchest critics of the Russian invasion confronted the Kremlins top diplomat Sergei Lavrov.

High on their concerns was getting grain shipments from Ukraine out through ports blockaded by Russias presence in the Black Sea and naval mines. Ukraine is a top exporter and aid agencies have warned that countries in Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere face devastating food shortages if supplies do not reach them.

Earlier, Lavrov had berated the West, saying that instead of focusing on how to tackle global economic problems at the meeting, ministers had embarked on frenzied criticism of Russia over the Ukraine conflict.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in a virtual address to the meeting, said the international community should not allow Russia to blackmail the world with high energy prices, hunger, and security threats.

The meetings host, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, said the repercussions of the war, including rising energy and food prices, would hit poor countries the hardest.

Reintegration of Ukraine and Russias grain and fertilizer into supply chains was critical, she said.

It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not at the battlefield, Retno said.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that the prospects of finding a solution to the conflict were dim right now, saying Russias campaign in Ukraine had barely got started.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via video link in Moscow, Russia, on June 22, 2022. (Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin via Reuters)

Ambassador Kelins remarks, in an interview with Reuters in his London residence, gave an insight into the potential Russian endgame in Ukraineessentially a forced partition that would leave Russias former Soviet neighbor shorn of more than one fifth of its post-Soviet territory.

We are going to liberate all of the [Donbass], Kelin said.

Of course it is difficult to predict the withdrawal of our forces from the southern part of Ukraine because we have already [experienced] that after withdrawal, provocations start and all the people are being shot and all that.

Since the invasion, Russian forces have seized control of a big chunk of territory across Ukraines southern flank above Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Kelin said the West did not understand the true causes of the conflict and had ignored Russias concerns.

Is escalation possible? Of course, he said.

Moscow declared on Sunday it had liberated Luhansk and now plans to capture parts of Donetsk it does not already control.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield accounts.

In a post on Telegram messaging app, Zelenskyy said he visited troops along the Dnipropetrovsk frontline in central Ukraine.

By Pavel Polityuk
In this undated file photo by China's Xinhua News Agency, two Chinese SU-30 fighter jets take off from an unspecified location to fly a patrol over the South China Sea. (Jin Danhua/Xinhua via AP)

When Will the Chinese Regime Start Shooting Down Taiwanese, American, Japanese, and Australian Aircraft?

Commentary

A dangerous May 26 close-in harassing maneuver by a Chinese jet fighter against an Australian patrol aircraft operating near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea reminds us that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) are prone to calculated endangerment in their pursuit of military coercion.

This derives from the CCPs penchant for fighting wars of decisioninitiating offensive wars that, by their shocking violence, cause fear and self-deterrence in opponents that help create future strategic options for the CCP.

In late 1950, Mao Zedong unleashed 260,000 troops to attack U.S. and allied forces in Korea, forcing a great retreat that would deter Washington from considering real attacks against his fragile revolution. By joining Joseph Stalins plans, Mao gained a massive windfall of then-modern Soviet military and industrial technology.

Then in 1979, Deng Xiaoping led a brief punitive war against Vietnam. On the surface, it was disastrous for the PLA. Still, it helped convince the Carter and Reagan administrations that Deng was opposed to the Soviet Union and deserving of the cornucopia of new military technology and investment that started communist Chinas current rise.

The CCP and its PLA have initiated a number of smaller but still violent skirmishes also designed to shape Chinas strategic environment to benefit the CCP.

In the mid-1970s and late-1980s, the Chinese regime used violent attacks to contain Vietnam and began its conquest of the South China Sea. In January 1974, the regime attacked a weakened South Vietnam, killing 75 Vietnamese troops to capture the Paracel Islands.

Then, in January 1988, Chinese forces attacked the Vietnamese-occupied Johnson Reef in the Spratly Islands group, using 37mm cannon on ships to obliterate Vietnamese soldiers standing in the water, helping to deter Vietnam from opposing Beijings encroachments in the Spratly Islands.

On the night of June 15, 2020, in the disputed India-China border area of the Galwan Valley, Chinese troops, taking advantage of longstanding agreements not to use firearms during border clashes, made surprise use of nailed clubs to attack Indian soldiers, killing at least 20.

This video frame grab taken from footage recorded in mid-June 2020 and released by China Central Television (CCTV) on Feb. 20, 2021, shows Chinese (foreground) and Indian soldiers (R, background) during an incident where troops from both countries clashed in the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley, in the Karakoram Mountains in the Himalayas. (AFP Photo/China Central Television (CCTV)

This tradition of optional offensive wars will position the CCP well as it seeks global strategic hegemony. This requires a reflexive capacity to intervene in countries around the world in support of favored factions, even to support their wars to assure long-term military access to their territory.

But to be able to project military power globally, the CCP will first require control of Taiwan.

Taiwan is essential for next-generation warships, nuclear ballistic missile submarines, strategic nuclear missiles, and naval/air projection force bases, already positioned to dominate naval and air transport routes across Asia. Chinese control of Taiwan will largely result in the deaths of democratic Taiwanese should the United States and others retaliate against these bases.

Killing democratic Taiwan is also necessary to destroy the credibility of U.S. alliance guarantees and to create a political moral authority for the CCP to destroy other democracies unwilling to subordinate themselves to the CCP.

But on the way to its war over Taiwan, which shows no desire to surrender to CCP slave status, the CPP has to prove to the world that it is willing to kill as part of an escalating coercive campaign to prevent the United States from forming a military coalition to defend Taiwan.

For about a decade, the United States has waged a largely unpublicized virtual war against increasingly aggressive military posturing by the PLA that increasingly includes Russian forces, conducting harassment maneuvers against Taiwan and Japan, and training their troops for future blockades and combat.

American and increasingly Japanese forces have established a pattern of naval and air deployments that respond to Chinas increasing naval-air deployments; in 2021, Japan intercepted 772 Chinese and 226 Russian aircraft probing its aid defense zones.

In May, the PLA conducted its first joint maneuvers with a PLA Navy carrier battle group and successive groups of PLA combat aircraft to the south and east of Taiwan, with the addition on May 25 of the fourth joint China-Russia nuclear-capable bomber patrol over likely interdiction routes to be used by U.S. forces that would assist Taiwan.

The Chinese and Russian air forces conduct their third joint bomber exercise as U.S. President Joe Biden was leaving Asia on May 24, 2022. (Japan Ministry of Defense)

In behavior reminiscent of many Cold War-era incidents at sea involving Soviet and U.S. Navy ships, during May, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force used its largest helicopter carrier to visibly track the PLA Navy aircraft carrier battle group.

But it was the May 26 incidentin which a PLA Air Force (PLAAF) J-16 fighter fired infrared jamming flares very close to the Royal Australian Air Force P-8A anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraftthat indicated the PLA might try to get away with either capturing a P-8A or killing it and its crew.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles called the incident very dangerous. China could easily modify its flares, which bloom hair-thin aluminum strands with much thicker strands that may cause real damage when ingested into one of the P-8As two turbofan engines.

A potential future Chinese attack could be timed to damage the P-8As engines and force its landing at one of Chinas new South China Sea bases, allowing intelligence exploitation of this cutting-edge anti-submarine aircraft. This would be similar to Chinas concocting of the accident that forced the emergency landing of a U.S. Navy EP-3 electronic surveillance aircraft on Hainan Island on April 1, 2001.

On June 7, a Chinese defense ministry spokesman said, The Australian warplane has seriously threatened Chinas sovereignty and security, and the countermeasures taken by the Chinese military are professional, safe, reasonable, and legitimate. In reality, the regime will continue its dangerous harassments.

Just days before, on June 1, the Canadian defense ministry revealed that during its deployment of the Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 anti-submarine and patrol aircraft to Japan from April 26 to May 26, patrolling near North Korea to enforce economic and military sanctions, a PLA aircraft had harassed the Canadian aircraft on several occasions.

On two recent occasions, the PLAAF deployed combat aircraft for intimidation missions near Taiwan simultaneously with the arrival of visiting members of the U.S. Congress.

On Nov. 9, 2021, the PLAAF sent four J-11 fighters into the Taiwan Strait area as a U.S. delegation landed in Taiwan on a U.S. military flight.

And on April 15, 2022, the PLAAF sent six J-11 and J-16 fighters in reaction to a visiting delegation led by Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

There is a point when the Chinese regime will decide that it can get away with killing or shooting down a Taiwanese, Japanese, Canadian, Australian, or American aircraft. That event is just as likely to be a surprise strike or designed to follow an alleged provocation by any of these countries.

The regime will craft the attack for maximum shock impactwith no regard at all for the loss of lifeto produce a deterrent effect, one that likely causes a limitation in U.S. support for Taiwan, Japan, or South Korea in the event of a Chinese, Russian, and North Korean attack.

But the timing of such an attack may also be determined by Chinas growing confidence that it can quickly establish military superiority over the area of the incident. In other words, the CCP would be more willing to use its PLA for deadly effects if it becomes larger and more effective.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Patrick Brown gestures at the Conservative Party of Canada English leadership debate in Edmonton on May 11, 2022. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Whistleblower Says Patrick Brown Arranged Her Payment by Third-Party Company

OTTAWAA longtime Conservative organizer says Patrick Brown was personally involved in an arrangement that saw her paid by a thirdparty company for work she did on his leadership campaign.

Debra Jodoin, through her lawyer, released a statement Thursday evening after the party spent the past two days dealing with the fallout from Browns disqualification from the race.

The chairman of the partys leadership election organizing committee said Tuesday its members voted 11 to six to disqualify him from the campaign due to serious allegations of wrongdoing.

Brown has maintained he was not provided with details by the party about the accusation against him. He said what the committee was presented with was an anonymous allegation that someone working on his campaign was being paid by a corporation.

While the party hasnt released details of the allegation, it has said it appeared to contravene financing rules under the Canada Elections Act and came from within Browns own campaign.

On Thursday, Jodoin, who describes herself as an experienced organizer who has been involved with the party and its predecessor for more than 20 years, revealed herself to be the whistleblower.

Jodoin said in April 2022, the month after Brown announced he would enter the contest to replace former Tory leader Erin OToole, she joined the campaign at his request to assist as a regional organizer.

Mr. Brown told me that it was permissible for me to be employed by a company as a consultant, and then for that company to have me volunteer with the campaign, she said.

He connected me by text message with a thirdparty for that purpose. I trusted him, but as time went on I became increasingly concerned with the arrangement and suspected it was not OK.

The statement said in June, she asked Brown that the campaign pick up her expenses, saying that he expressed surprise and communicated he was on it.

A corporation paid me and paid for my expenses, not the Brown campaign, she said.

Her lawyer Jason Beitchman said Jodoin shared her concerns with the party and requested that her identity be kept confidential.

On that basis, she felt it was her obligation to raise her concerns, and leave it to others to determine what further steps should be taken, if any, said Beitchman.

Ms. Jodoin expressly rejects any suggestion that she was coerced or pressured by others to come forward and did so of her own volition.

After Jodoin released her statement Thursday, Browns campaign responded, reiterating that the party had an obligation to provide them with the full details of the matter, and said they only learned those through the media.

Once Ms. Jodoin provided information, it was the obligation of the Conservative Party to conduct themselves fairly and transparently, read a statement circulated by campaign spokesman Chisholm Pothier.

It said what typically happens over the course of a campaign, where thousands of people are involved, is that issues arise that are directed to the campaign in question to fix.

Unfortunately, that didnt happen in this case because of course that was not the goal. The goal was to disqualify Patrick Brown from the leadership race and narrow the field.

Brown himself has accused the partys top officials of pushing him out of the race as a way to advantage his main rival, longtime Ottawaarea MP Pierre Poilievre.

Poilievres campaign had said the allegation did not come from them.

The allegation that led to Browns ousting was presented to them last week and was the subject of letter exchanges between it and the party.

Pothier posted a section from a letter he said the campaign sent to the partys election organizing committee last week in response to concerns it had. He said it identifies the situation involving Jodoin.

The letter says it was Jodoin who approached Brown asking for work on his campaign. It says there was none at the time and Brown referred her to a friend of his, who was also a supporter.

The campaign said it was Browns understanding that Jodoin was volunteering for him outside of the work she was doing for his friend.

The campaign said if that hadnt been the case, it was prepared to reimburse the amount, which it understood to be less than $10,000. The campaign said it wasnt aware of similar instances.

Canadas elections commissioner confirmed Thursday it was reviewing information about the allegation made against Brown, but a spokesperson, citing privacy, wouldnt divulge the nature or details of what it received.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the allegation against Brown included documents and text messages.

Dimitri Soudas, who was once a communications director for former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, said in a statement that Jodoin has always put the Conservative cause above herself and is clearly doing so this time.

Liberal MP Adam van Koeverden also sent a letter to the elections commissioner requesting an investigation into the party, saying it could have financially benefited from Browns supposed violations.

Since his removal, Brown has hired highprofile lawyer Marie Henein as his legal counsel, who requested the party and those involved in deciding to remove him from the campaign prepare for anticipated legal action.

He is also seeking to appeal his ousting, even though party rules dont appear to allow an appeal process.

The ousting of Brown occurred during the same week as when some Conservative party members began receiving their ballots in the mail.

They are due back by Sept. 6. The new leader will be named Sept.10.

By Stephanie Taylor
Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh speaks during his ceremonial public swearing-in, in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 8, 2018. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

White House Responds After Police Were Called to DC Restaurant for Harassment of Supreme Court Justice

No one has been arrested

Police officers in Washington were called this week to Mortons Steakhouse in Washington, where Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was being harassed.

A call for service was lodged at approximately 8:55 p.m. on July 6, a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.

It appears some suspicious individuals were trying to enter the VIP room in the restaurant. I do not have confirmation on who those people in the VIP room were. The individuals fled the location prior to police arrival, the spokesperson said.

A police report is not yet available. But Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, left the District of Columbia location of the chain, which sits on Connecticut Avenue, around the same time, according to ShutDownDC, a protest group that summoned activists to the scene after receiving a tip he was there.

Mortons referred comment to its parent company, Landrys, which did not respond to a request for comment.

A company representative told Politico that Kavanaugh was dining at the restaurant on Wednesday.

Honorable Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh and all of our other patrons at the restaurant were unduly harassed by unruly protestors while eating dinner at our Mortons restaurant, the spokesperson said. Politics, regardless of your side or views, should not trample the freedom at play of the right to congregate and eat dinner. There is a time and place for everything. Disturbing the dinner of all of our customers was an act of selfishness and void of decency.

A request for comment from Kavanaugh sent to the Supreme Court was not returned.

White House Weighs In

Asked whether President Joe Biden believes it is appropriate to harass a Supreme Court justice while they are dining out, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that we condemn any intimidation of judges.

We have said that we want to see peaceful protests. We want to see the protests be peaceful, but when it comes to intimidation, that is something we condemn, she added later. We condemn intimidation, we condemn any violence, and we have been very clear, it is a clear definition. Peaceful protest, people should be allowed to be able to do that. If its outside of a restaurant, if its peaceful, sure.

Activists are upset that Kavanaugh signed onto the majority opinion that struck down Roe v. Wade, delivering the full ability to regulate abortion back to states.

The Biden administration has refused to prosecute people who have gathered outside the homes of Kavanaugh and others in recent weeks, despite a federal law that prohibits protesting outside a judges home with the intent to intimidate.

Many protesters made clear that they wanted to convince the justices not to strike down the 1973 ruling.

The administration did order around-the-clock security at the homes of all nine justices, and Biden signed a bill to bolster security for the justices.

A California man was arrested in June after flying to Maryland to Kavanaughs home. He had a gun and burglary tools and planned to break into the house and kill Kavanaugh, according to court documents. The man called 911 on himself after seeing U.S. marshals in front of the house, on the advice of his sister. The man pleaded not guilty on June 22.
Mock-up vials labeled "Monkeypox vaccine" in this photo illustration taken on May 25, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

WHO Reports 2 New Monkeypox Deaths, Cases in New Areas

GENEVAThe World Health Organization reported two new deaths from monkeypox since its previous disease update on June 27, bringing the total to three since the start of the year, and said the disease had spread to new areas.

Cases have shot up 77 percent since the last report to 6,027, the WHO said, with the bulk of them reported in the European region. However, all three deaths have been reported in Africa, the report showed.

The update also showed that over 99 percent of the cases for which gender information was available were among men.

The outbreak continues to primarily affect men who have sex with men who have reported recent sex with one or multiple male partners, suggesting no signal of sustained transmission beyond these networks for now, it said.

The Geneva-based U.N. agency will reconvene a meeting of the committee that will advise on declaring the outbreak a global health emergency, the WHOs highest level of alert, in the week beginning July 18 or sooner, its director-general said on Wednesday.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is also due to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday morning, a WHO spokesperson confirmed, without giving details. Spain has reported 802 cases so far, WHO data showed.

At a separate briefing, Africas top public health body said the monkeypox outbreaks in other parts of the world were probably proving less lethal because of early diagnosis and medical care.

The core of it is the ability of the person who has been infected to be diagnosed early and then provide the correct medical attention, said Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

This really removes a lot of the bite from the monkeypox virus, he said.

The West African strain of the virus spreading globally also has a case fatality rate of around 1 percent, milder than a strain known as the Congo Basin clade which is spreading in some parts of Africa.

Since the beginning of 2022, there have been at least 73 monkeypox deaths in Africa, CDC data showed.

By Emma Farge, James Macharia Chege, and Jennifer Rigby
Residents drop mail-in ballots in a ballot box outside of the Tippecanoe branch library in Milwaukee, Wis., on Oct. 20, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Wisconsin Supreme Court: Ballot Drop Boxes Are Illegal

Drop boxes that enable people to drop off ballots cast by themselves and others are illegal under Wisconsin law, the states Supreme Court ruled on July 8.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) in two documents in 2020 said drop boxes can not only be utilized, but that they can be unstaffed and permanent. Further, the agency said a family member or another person can drop off a ballot on behalf of a voter.

The guidance was problematic because Wisconsin law states that a voter is the only individual who can deliver their ballot, either in person or via mail, a lawsuit filed last year stated.

In the July 8 ruling, a Wisconsin Supreme Court majority agreed.

We hold the documents are invalid because ballot drop boxes are illegal under Wisconsin statutes, Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote in the majority opinion. An absentee ballot must be returned by mail or the voter must personally deliver it to the municipal clerk at the clerks office or a designated alternate site.

The decision upheld a circuit court ruling that concluded an elector must personally mail his or her ballot and that there are only two lawful methods for casting an absentee ballot. Those are mailing the ballot and delivering it in person.

Because WECs memos conflict with these statutory directives, they are invalid, Justice Brian Hagedorn wrote in a concurring opinion.

The memos were promulgated by the WEC in response to questions from local election clerks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This decision provides substantial clarity on the legal status of absentee ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting. While the question of whether an agent may mail an absentee ballot remains open, Wisconsin voters can have confidence that state law, not guidance from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, has the final word on how Wisconsin elections are conducted, Rick Esenberg, president and counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, told The Epoch Times in an email.

The institute brought the case.

Dissent

Three justices dissented, including Justice Ann Walsh Bradley.

Writing for the minority, Bradley said a drop box is a simple and perfectly legal solution to make voting easier, especially in the midst of a global pandemic.

But it is apparently a bridge too far for a majority of this court, which once again rejects a practice that would expand voter participation, she added.

Bradley took issue with allowing two Wisconsin voters to challenge the guidance.

Taken to its logical conclusion, the majority/lead opinion indicates that any registered voter would seemingly have standing to challenge any election law. The impact of such a broad conception of voter standing is breathtaking and especially acute at a time of increasing, unfounded challenges to election results and election administrators, she wrote.
Lawmakers in the Netherlands discuss matters at the Dutch House of Representatives in The Hague, on Jan. 20, 2022. (Bart Maat/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Work-From-Home to Be a Legal Right in This European Country

Lawmakers in the Netherlands have moved to make work-from-home a legal right, a move that would make the European country one of the first in the world to enshrine remote work flexibility in law.

The Dutch Parliament approved the measure earlier this week, per Bloomberg, with the legislation now heading to the Senate for final approval before becoming a fixture of the legal framework.

Steven van Weyenberg, a lawmaker for the D-66 Party and co-sponsor of the bill, told Bloomberg in late June that the measure had union backing.

We have the green light for this new law thanks to the support we received from both employees and employers unions, Weyenberg told the outlet. We are very hopeful it will pass before the summer.

Current law in the Netherlands lets employers deny employee requests for remote work without having to justify their decision.

The new measure, if it clears the upper legislative chamber and is signed into law, will force employers to consider work-from-home requests and provide a rationale for rejecting them.

Work From Home Trend

For legions of employees, the pandemic upended work arrangements, with many going remote or hybrid.

While a growing number of workplaces have begun asking staff to return to the office, many workers want to keep the flexible option.

A recent Owl Labs survey on the remote work trend in Europe concluded that hybrid work is here to stay, noting that 76 percent of employees are worried that their employer will not adopt policies to allow for hybrid work.

The same survey found that the top policies that would most likely cause workers not to accept a job offer were not permitting flexible hours (37 percent), not allowing flexible work location (28 percent), and forcing staff to work in-office full time (28 percent).

Polling shows flexible work arrangements have also become popular in the United States where, prior to the outbreak, around 6 percent of Americans worked remotely, while during the pandemic, over a third shifted to working from home.

A recent Morning Consult survey showed that 61 percent of employed adults in the United States would be more likely to apply for a job that offers a remote work option.

The same poll showed that 56 percent of respondents enjoy working away from the office, while 50 percent said theyre more productive working remotely.

But a growing number of U.S. companies are keen to get staff back into office.

A recent study by Microsoft found that 50 percent of companies already require or, in the year ahead, plan to require workers to be back in the office five days a week.

Employees, on the other hand, want flexibility, with the study showing that 52 percent of workers are considering switching to a full-time remote or hybrid job in 2022.
Commentary

When the average person thinks of the Nazis, what often comes to mind is World War II, the Holocaust, and rousing speeches of hate. However, the National Socialists also had economic and political policies, policies many just assume were either free-market or New Deal-style public works projects such as the Autobahn. But Nazi policy was not so cut-and-dried.

The Nazis were socialists, and it showed in many of the policies they implemented after coming to power in 1933. First, like the Soviets, the Nazis initiated a war on private property. Not surprisingly, property rights were severely curbed by National Socialism in the name of public welfare.

How did the National Socialists combat private property in Germany? The first step came shortly after the Nazis took control, when they abolished private property. Article 153 of the Weimar Constitution guaranteed private property, with expropriation only to occur within the due process of the law, but this article was nullified by a decree on Feb. 28, 1933.

With this, the new National Socialist government had complete control of private property in Germany. While it did not take complete control of the land, as the Bolsheviks did in Russia in 1917, the Nazis issued quotas for industries and farms and later reorganized all industries into corporations run by members of the Nazi Party.

The War on Business

Peter Temin wrote about this in Soviet and Nazi economic planning in the 1930s:

Both governments reorganized industry into larger units, ostensibly to increase state control over economic activity. The Nazis reorganized industry into 13 administrative groups with a larger number of subgroups to create a private hierarchy for state control. The state could therefore direct a firms activities without acquiring direct ownership of enterprises. The pre-existing tendency to form cartels was encouraged to eliminate competition that would destabilize prices.

The Nazis, ironically, called this reorganization privatization, although the owners of these corporations were either removed from board positions and replaced by Nazi Party members or sold out and became Nazi Party members. They included IG Farben and the Junkers airplane factory. IG Farben was a chemical company founded in 1925 by Carl Bosch and Carl Duisberg, who were both Jewish, and had a capitalization of about 1 billion marks by 1926. By 1938, all of the companys Jewish workers had been purged, and the supervisory board was replaced by Nazis (see Joseph Borkins book The Crime and Punishment of I.G. Farben).

IG Farben was a clear example of the reorganization of industry the Nazis undertook for their benefit. Sybille Steinbacher, a professor of Holocaust studies, wrote about the public-private partnership in her book Auschwitz: A History:

Otto Ambros and IG Farben director Fritz ter Meer held a board meeting in Berlin with Carl Krauch who was not only a member of the board of directors of IG Farben, but also a member of the circle of industrialists around Reichsfurhrer-SS known as Himmlers Circle of Friends.

After the Nazis took power, this kind of cooperation was common. Private businesses became merely public entities, and industrialists who resisted the Nazi commissars and their policies were removed from their positions, and their businesses were seized.

The Junkers airplane factory did not fare much better, according to Temin:

Prof. Junkers of the Junkers airplane factory refused to follow the governments bidding in 1934. The Nazis thereupon took over the plant, compensating Junkers for his loss. This was the context in which other contracts were negotiated.

This Nazi war on business left industrialists and other businessmen worried that they would have their livelihoods taken from them, as Gunter Reimann explains in The Vampire Economy.

Reimann quoted a letter from a German businessman to an American businessman:

The difference between this and the Russian system is much less than you think, despite the fact that officially we are still independent businessmen.

The letter continues:

Some businessmen have even started studying Marxist theories, so that they will have a better understanding of the present economic system.

This German businessman also complained of arbitrary government decisions concerning quantity, quality, and prices of foreign raw materials. But businessmen were not the only members of the private sector who faced mass amounts of bureaucracy and control. The farmers faced it as well.

The War on Agriculture

When the Nazis came to power in 1933, a major interest for them was Lebensraum (living space) for the pure German citizen. Professor Adam Tooze talked about the hereditary farm in his book The Wages of Destruction:

For the purpose of protecting the peasantry as the Blood Source of the German People, the law proposed to create a new category of farm, the Erbhof (hereditary farm), protected against all debt insulated from market forces.

These farms were to be passed down from generation to generation to keep the soil pure, and Reich officials even thought that Erbhof farmers should assume collective responsibility for each others debts. This policy was introduced and supported by the Reich central bank and Reichsnahrstand (RNS, State Food Society) officials.

Farming price subsidies were also common in the Nazi Reich even before World War II broke out. The RNS was created to fix prices and create production controls in agriculture. In his book, Hitlers Beneficiaries, German historian Gotz Aly described the measures the German government took in the farming sector.

Gotz stated, The prices producers were paid for milk and potatoes were raised by 25 to 35 percent in the course of the war.

These subsidies would cause shortages as early as August 1939, when meat and egg rationing was imposed to keep the industry focused on grain production.

Life in Prewar Germany

In high school history textbooks, very few pages are dedicated to prewar Germany (19331939). However, two details are always covered: the Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht), which saw thousands of Jewish businesses vandalized and destroyed, and the Autobahn, a massive public works program that improved many lives and made travel easy.

Because of this, people may reach the conclusion that prewar life was bad for the Jews, but beneficial for non-Jewish citizens. It is true that Jews suffered immensely, not only socially, but also economically. At the start of 1933, there were an estimated 100,000 Jewish businesses; by 1938, only 39,552 remained. In the same year, a capital levy was put on Jews; they needed to register all their assets with the local tax office, which placed a 20 percent and later a 25 percent capital levy on them.

But for ordinary non-Jewish citizens, life was also hard. Private sale negotiations were subject to official rules, these rules being set selling prices for whatever good someone had. If a dealer wanted to increase his prices, he had to get a special permit from a price commissar, who needed a detailed statement of necessity and other data, such as production and distribution costs.

R.J. Overys War and Economy in the Third Reich and Richard Evanss Third Reich in Power talk about the shortages that came out of the industries at these times. In 1936, German steel producers were only producing 26 percent of Germanys domestic output requirement. The German government in 1937 would encourage citizens to hand in their scrap metal, and in the same year, authorities, including the Hitler Youth, would search peoples homes for old metal keys.

Metal was strictly rationed, and fines were handed out to building contractors who installed metal central heating pipes. Iron lamp posts and railings were replaced with wooden ones, but this was halted when there was a wood shortage, which also led to a paper shortage.

All of this happened in 1937, two years before the war. Building projects had to cut back on wood, and people were encouraged to burn peat instead of wood. Even coal was rationed. All industries under price controls were in the same situation, such as agriculture, where egg and dairy shortages led to the distribution of ration coupons.

Conclusion

The Nazi government took control of the economy, which is what one expects from socialism.

Unfortunately, the U.S. economy today has similarities to the Nazi economy, from vast subsidies to price controls and stakeholder advocates making even wilder demands. History tells us where these policies lead: the road to serfdom.
NORWALK  About 100 people, many wearing anti-gun violence shirts and sweatshirts, filled every seat in the Common Council chambers of City hall to listen to experts discuss ways to bring about change.

A panel consisting of local gun control advocates, a Quinnipiac University professor, domestic violence survivor advocates, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling and U.S. Rep Jim Himes, D-4, had gathered to publicly discuss the passage of the federal bipartisan gun legislation.

Many of the provisions in the federal gun violence bill were already in place in Connecticut; panelists turned their attention to decreasing gun violence in this state beyond simply adding more legislation.

Ebony Epps, a Bridgeport native who runs the non-law-enforcement nonprofit Street Safe Bridgeport, said funding needs to be invested in programs to keep young adults busy and employed to deter misbehavior.

When a young person gets shot and dies in Bridgeport, thats a mass shooting to me. These kids are so desensitized, Epps said. They need resources and jobs. If theyre busy, theyre not on the streets. Put them to work in their communities so they dont have to feel unsafe going on this side of town. We need to put more resources into education and jobs. So many grants are focused on data.

Asked by Himes what can be done to spread the anti-gun violence message and advocacy to the most at-risk groups, including Black men between the ages of 18 and 34, Epps said inviting people like her to the table was a good start.

Because Ive come to this table, I go back and I share. We have to constantly share, Epps said. People want to feel like you care about them, not just when things are happening, not just in the midst of the violence. Were here to make a difference in our communities too, because we want to leave it better than we found it.

Epps urged officials to make their presence known, work to end gun violence, and remain active, not just when violence happens, not just when an election happens.

Echoing Epps, Rilling agreed one of the main ways to curtail gun violence in Connecticuts cities is to invest in community centers and programs.

They did research years ago dealing with the crime issue. The most effective (solution) is ... providing opportunities. The least effective was a strong law enforcement approach, Rilling said. We have a summer youth employment program. We get 400 applicants and we can only employ maybe 100. The desire for young people to be actively engaged is there, the money is not. We need the money, and we need it yesterday.

Despite Connecticuts stringent gun laws, illegal and legal weapons flood the streets of more urban areas, panel members said. The state recently added two new legal protections that are not part of any federal legislation.

Police now can ask the court to issue a protective order that prevents a person at immediate risk of causing personal injury to themselves or another person from having or getting firearms, deadly weapons or ammunition pending a hearing.

Also, it is now possible for a member of the public  neighbor, partner, coworker, relative or stranger  to ask a police officer to take firearms and ammunition away from someone in immediate danger of harming themself or others, pending a hearing.

As part of this process, the police officer and the states attorney may ask the court to keep the firearms and ammunition away from that person for up to one year, the law reads.

Generally speaking, its not a confrontational situation. Usually, we get cooperation. The weapons removed we store for safekeeping, then theyll go to court and have a hearing, Norwalk Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik said. We hold them for 14 days. A hearing must be scheduled. If its not, the guns get returned anyway.

Norwalk police seize about one gun a week through the second type of warrant, Kulhawik said.

Of larger concern is access to weapons from neighboring states with more lenient gun legislation, Kulhawik and Epps agreed.

The ability to easily purchase guns in other states and bring them over the border is where the issue falls on federal lawmakers shoulders, Himes said.

One of the objections to doing anything is (critics of gun restrictions who say), Look at Chicago, it has terrible gun violence and the strictest gun control legislation. Because Indiana, which is a 45-minute drive away, does not, Himes said. If we dont act federally, it doesnt make that much difference in Connecticut, because theyre not coming from Connecticut.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
A new push for $25 million in federal funding to fix Main Street between Goodell Street and the Kensington Expressway aims to put Buffalo in the fast lane to revitalize and connect East Side neighborhoods and link them to downtown.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer joined Mayor Byron W. Brown and others Friday outside the Summer and Best streets Metro Rail Station to announce the city's application for the competitive Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation, which would fund the project.

"It will be part of a $42 million project to invest in infrastructure on Main Street to make the street safer, to bring the street into the 21st century, to make the ease of commute better and smoother for different, multi-mobility users, as well as pedestrians," Brown said.

Both he and Schumer alluded to the chronic disrepair of the section of Main Street. It includes cracked pavement and potholes, due in part to renovations related to the construction of the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus along the corridor. The conditions make it dangerous for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, as well as serve as a barrier between the East Side and rest of the city, they said.

"Main Street should be the main artery that links Buffalo's neighborhoods and businesses," Schumer said. "As too many Buffalonians know, Main Street's poorly designed infrastructure has made a barrier to progress within this city. "The new effort would finally repave the crumbling section of Main Street separating East Buffalo from downtown, give the community the roadway it deserves, boost safety, would create bike paths and walkable streets and boost good-paying local jobs.

"When you redo a street," he added, "the businesses come, the people come. So it's a real economic engine. It's a shot in the arm economically for East Buffalo and for all of Buffalo."

Pastor James Giles of Back to Basic Ministries agreed.

"We know that projects, like money, beget money. So this project will lead to other projects," Giles said.

Schumer said he has written to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg advocating for the city's RAISE grant application, which will transform nearly 2.5 miles of Main Street adjacent to the Masten Park neighborhood to reconnect the East Side to downtown via a more walkable, modern street.

The project would also increase safety, add bike lanes, boost walkability and breathe new economic energy into reconnected communities.

As envisioned, it would include plans to completely mill and repave Main Street and provide for a new, safer traffic design. It would add new crosswalks and curbs with ADA-compliant ramps and signals. New bike lanes with barriers to prevent accidents would be added, and improvements made to roadway aesthetics with the addition of new benches, bike racks, signs, LED lighting and greenspace.

The plan would also showcase the works of local artists with commissioned items meant to highlight the city's cultural heritage.

GObike Buffalo spokesman Kevin Heffernan lauded the plan, noting that too many Buffalo streets are built for high speed, leaving 25% of city residents who do not own a personal vehicle, along with those out walking or biking, in greater danger. Heffernan and Richard Guarino, acting executive director of the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council, said proposed lane reductions and raised bike paths would increase safety and comfort.

"These raised cycle paths are a huge deal to us," Heffernan said. "They would recognize and address this issue of safety we have on our roads. To make the center line in our city, Main Street, which is so often pointed to as the dividing line of race and class, to be the place where everyone can cross and connect within a beautiful streetscape would be the gem of the entire city."

"Every time the senator has supported one of these major federal infrastructure grants for the city," Brown added, "we have been successful in securing that grant."

Schumer said he has made Main Street a top priority for two decades.

"We delivered more than $33 million to bring vehicle traffic back to Main Street, a project that is finally in the home stretch," he said. "Now we're turning our attention to middle Main Street."
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WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback engaged in unnecessary use of force against non-threatening Haitian immigrants but didn't whip any with their reins intentionally or otherwise," according to a federal investigation of chaotic scenes along the Texas-Mexico border last fall that sparked widespread condemnation.

In a 511-page report released Friday, Customs and Border Protection blamed a lack of command control and communication for mounted agents using their horses to forcibly block and move migrants during an influx of Haitians arriving last September at the U.S. border outside Del Rio, Texas.

Were gonna learn from this incident and well find a way to do better, CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said during a news conference announcing the report. Not everyones going to like all the findings but the investigation was comprehensive and fair.

Video and photos of the incident made it appear agents were whipping Haitians, which caused outrage among advocacy groups and civil rights leaders. The Biden administration promised a full investigation after many in the president's own party objected that such tactics with racial overtones were the kinds of policies the U.S. was supposed to be moving away from after years of hardline immigration tactics under President Donald Trump.

A former police chief, Magnus took over the nations largest law enforcement agency in December and is being watched closely for shepherding the ongoing investigation. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement Friday that the organizational failures of policy, procedures, and training that the investigation identified were a disservice to the agents and the public they serve.

Last fall, Biden called images of what occurred horrible and outrageous.

I promise you, those people will pay, the president said then. There is an investigation underway right now and there will be consequences.

Asked if the politically charged environment marred the investigation, Magnus said it was inevitable, certainly not surprising, that there was going to be a reaction to that from the community, from those in the media from elected officials, from different advocacy groups.

But he said he instructed investigators that all of these things were to be put aside, to be disregarded.

I was counting on them to do a fair, through, comprehensive investigation with no attention to this outside influence, Magnus said.

By September 19, 2021, around 15,000 Haitian migrants had crossed from Mexico into the United States and were concentrated in an encampment underneath the international bridge.

Magnus said the investigation began the day after the incident and included testimony from more than 30 people, among them witnesses and journalists. Investigators said they were unable to locate Haitian migrants involved to get their accounts  but used statements and court documents that some provided as part of lawsuits they filed against U.S. authorities.

Magnus said four Border Patrol personnel have been recommended for disciplinary action for their conduct, though he declined to discuss exactly what each had done to warrant possible punishment, or elaborate on what sanctions they could face. That comes after prosecutors in April declined to pursue criminal charges, he said.

Disciplinary actions are separate from Friday's findings and won't be announced until later. All four CBP officials have been on administrative duty since the investigation began, according to senior agency officials who briefed reporters before Friday's report was released.

Mark Morgan, a former acting CBP commissioner under Trump, dismissed the entire investigation as politically motivated since no Haitians were actually whipped.

From the start, these agents have been smeared, lied about, and vilified by nearly everyone on the left," Morgan said in a statement.

Federal investigators said no migrant was struck with a whip, forced to return to Mexico or denied entry into the U.S. during the approximately 15 minutes that they were forcibly blocked and moved by mounted agents. One agent yelled inappropriate comments about a migrants national origin including, You use your women while also narrowly missing crashing his horse into a child walking nearby while pursuing a migrant.

Agents acted with the permission of their supervisor, who was unable to get guidance from higher up the Border Patrol chain of command, the report said. Communication occurred on a radio channel that wasnt recorded, further complicating investigation into the incident.

The use of force drove migrants back into the Rio Grande, despite their having been well within U.S. territory and not presenting threats  which was counter to CBP's mission, the report found.

It also said the incident began after authorities from a state agency also working in the area at the time, the Texas Department of Public Safety, requested help from federal authorities.

That conclusion follows Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this week authorizing state forces to apprehend migrants and return them to the U.S.-Mexico border  raising questions about his state's enforcement powers as top GOP leaders have slammed the Biden administration for failing to curb the rising number of crossings.

Magnus said Friday that his agency has "a shared interest with Texas" in maintaining a safe, orderly, humane immigration process, and that federal officials stand ready to work with Texas to achieve these goals.

"But the challenge is, when any state, such as Texas, takes unilateral action, that just makes it harder for us to do this, he added.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  Protesters in Burkina Faso demonstrated Friday against the return of former President Blaise Compaore, as the ruling junta faltered in its efforts to hold a summit on the crisis of jihadi violence.

Compaore, the longtime military strongman ousted by a popular insurrection in 2014, returned to Burkina Faso Thursday to attend the unprecedented meeting with other former leaders.

Junta leader Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba called the meeting which was to include five former presidents. But on Friday only two ex-leaders showed up for the meeting: Compaore and Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo, who ruled the country for nine months between 1982 and 1983 when it was known as Upper Volta.

The meeting devised by Damiba, who had himself appointed interim president, was an attempt to discuss Burkina Fasos future amid escalating jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million people.

Former President Roch Marc Christian Kabore who was ousted by Damiba in January, was prevented from attending by protesters who surrounded his house, according to internal security reports for aid workers seen by The Associated Press.

Riot police gathered outside Kabores house Friday to control the protesters.

If Roch Marc Christian Kabore still has some dignity he should normally refuse to go to this meeting. So I am in front of his doors and I said he must not move, said Ahmed Ki, a Kabore supporter.

Others in the capital protested the return of Compaore, who ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly 30 years. Although in exile in neighboring Ivory Coast, a Burkina Faso court recently convicted him of complicity in the murder in 1987 of former President Thomas Sankara and sentenced him to life in prison.

Lawyers for the Sankara family have called for his arrest.

Mr. Blaise Compaore was sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial of the military court of Ouagadougou and he is still subject to an arrest warrant issued against him by the military court, said Benewende Stanislas Sankara, spokesman for the Sankara family.

Local rights organizations warn that by giving Compaore impunity the junta has taken an extremely serious step, that undermines the rule of law in Burkina Faso, Chrysogone Zougmore, president of the Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights, told The Associated Press.

In a statement on state television, Damiba defended his decision to allow Compaore to visit the country.

To the Burkinabe who have expressed their opinions against our approach, we tell them that the process is not made to consecrate impunity, but to contribute to the search for solutions for a Burkina Faso of peace and cohesion, he said.

The junta will continue discussions with those who were unable to attend the meeting, he said.

The juntas message of forgive and forget isnt going to be accepted easily by the public, said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory.

This urgent meeting has proven unsuccessful thus far, and it is, if anything, eroding the already fragile public trust in the governing junta, he said.
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CARSTAR Maryville hosted its annual Soaps It Up car wash last month, raising more than $3,100 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Triad High School (THS) Cheerleading Organization. With the help of the community and the THS cheerleader volunteers, both organizations received more than $1,500.



We are very blessed to have such a supportive community that came together to help make this possible, said Nicole Burgess, general manager, CARSTAR Maryville. I want to give a big thank you to the THS Cheerleaders. They did an amazing job and we are very proud of their commitment and time they put into this event.



CARSTAR Maryville and its community members have made a great contribution to this years Shine Season, an annual donation period that runs from June through September. CARSTAR Maryville has been a long-time supporter of both the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and local schools and charities in their community.



We prioritize community engagement because a business or person is only as good as the community they represent and follow, Burgess said. At CARSTAR Maryville, we are always happy to give back and we are proud that we were able to support both our local cheerleaders and a cause close to the CARSTAR family.



Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a fatal genetic disease with no cure. CF mainly affects the digestive system and lungs but can affect other systems. CARSTAR began fundraising for cystic fibrosis 25 years ago, when a franchise partners granddaughter received a cystic fibrosis diagnosis. Since then, the CARSTAR commitment to its charity of choice has only grown, as have the funds raised, totalling more than $4 million across North America.



For more information on CARSTAR visit CARSTAR.ca.
On this weeks episode of Segue, Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles weekly radio program exploring the lives and work of the people on campus and beyond, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Kevin Leonard, PhD, interviews Richard Essner, PhD, professor in the CAS Department of Biological Sciences.

This episode of Segue airs at 9 a.m. Sunday, July 10. Listeners can tune into WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound or siue.edu/wsie.

Essner earned both a bachelors and masters in biology from Southeast Missouri State University in 1993 and 1996, respectively. He later obtained a doctorate in biological sciences from Ohio University in 2003 and joined the SIUE faculty in fall 2005 after completing his fellowship in Pennsylvania.

On this episode, Essner talks about his most recent research on the pumpkin toadlets intriguing inability to land after jumping. The research findings were published in the prestigious, open-access scholarly journal Science Advances and became a popular topic of discussion on social media. Essner has since received numerous media requests both nationally and internationally.

How did you become interested in biology? begins Leonard.

It goes way back, probably some of my earliest memories are reading encyclopedias about animals, Essner says. I remember wearing out the pages from those and then watching television programs like Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom; I had to watch that every week. I was really interested in dinosaurs and wanted to be a paleontologist and at that time the closest thing I could find were reptiles and amphibians. Now, as I teach ornithology, I know that birds are actually dinosaurs, but back then it was reptiles and amphibians and I developed a love for them.

Though a biology enthusiast, Essner had not considered a career in the discipline until after he finished college and did research work on fish diversity as a field technician. The experience led him to graduate school, where he developed an interest in studying animal locomotion.

Is locomotion your primary area of interest? asks Leonard.

I started working with mammals, Essner explains. I actually worked on flying squirrels for my masters and doctoral research. That was a case where we didnt know much about how flying squirrels move through the air, and I decided to do my PhD on that topic because I had helped with filming a documentary with the BBC at the time. They came to our lab because we had a colony of squirrels, and they were doing a documentary on gliding mammals. For the first time I got to see with high-speed video what their behavior looked like because it happened so fast when they glide from tree to tree, so thats kind of where that started.

You along with a few other researchers recently had a study published in Science Advances. Can you give us a brief overview of the study? asks Leonard.

This actually goes back to my study of this ancient group of miniature frogs that split off from other frogs 200 million years ago, says Essner. We found that this group of frogs diverges from other frogs before they evolve with the ability to control landing.

When a normal frog lands, Essner explains, it folds up its legs in midair and hits the ground with its fore limbs, then sweeps its folded hind limbs underneath its body, readying itself to jump again immediately. This particular group of frogs, however, diverged before the appearance of that controlled landing behavior.

These frogs basically just kept their legs extended, barely flopped and skidded to a stop, and then they would recover their legs. So, we proposed that it was an ancient behavior, and that jumping evolved with powered jumping with the hind limbs appearing really early and controlled landings appearing later.

Essner collaborated with other researchers from Brazil, who surprisingly encountered his earlier work on Twitter. These findings have garnered a lot of media attention, with interviews running on CNN, CBC and NPR.

Tune in at 9 a.m. Sunday, July 10 to WSIE 88.7 The Sound to hear the entire conversation.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  After polls closed in New Mexicos primary last month, a worker returning ballots and other election materials to the clerks office in Santa Fe was followed by a partisan election observer driving so closely that mere inches separated their bumpers.

The poll worker was so rattled by the ordeal that she said she may not return for the upcoming November election, according to Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark.

The incident is just one of many in which election officials and workers have felt threatened since the 2020 presidential election and the false claims that it was stolen from former President Donald Trump. A federal effort to investigate these threats has so far yielded three prosecutions since it was launched a year ago.

In the meantime, the harassment and death threats havent stopped against those who have pushed back against the false claims. The threats have contributed to an exodus of election officials across the country, particularly at the local level, and made recruiting poll workers even harder  adding to the challenges of conducting smooth elections in the fall.

Im a Republican recorder living in a Republican county where the candidate that they wanted to win won by 2-to-1 in this county and still getting grief, and so is my staff, said Leslie Hoffman, the top election official in Yavapai County, Arizona.

Hoffman announced last week that she was resigning to take another job, saying her decision was motivated largely by the nastiness that we have dealt with. Hoffman said the county elections director left for the same reasons.

On Friday, an official with the U.S. Department of Justice met with state election officials gathered in Louisiana for their summer conference and updated them on the work of a special task force, which was announced a year ago.

Three men have been charged by federal prosecutors, with one of them pleading guilty last month. In that case, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold was the subject of multiple threatening posts on social media.

Griswold said the threats have not stopped. Just last week, a caller to her office's public phone line said: Hey, Ive got a message for the secretary and I want you to pass it along. The angel of death is coming for her in the name of Jesus Christ.

The fact of the matter is theyve only done three prosecutions when we know there are literally thousands and thousands of violent threats going to election workers and secretaries of state, Griswold said. People are using threats as part of the attack on democracy to try to intimidate election workers, to try to intimidate county clerks and secretaries of state, and they are succeeding in some places.

Robert Heberle, deputy chief of the Justice Department's public integrity section, told state election officials Friday that federal investigators are working through each report to determine which cases can be prosecuted. He noted challenges in attributing threats often made anonymously and meeting a legal standard of proving a serious expression of intent to commit an act of unlawful violence.

Heberle walked through a few examples in which threats were hostile but vague and would need additional evidence to prosecute. He encouraged secretaries of state to continue reporting every threat and said that having law enforcement contact those making threats might deter them from doing so again.

I can assure you we take this set of issues, the threats to election workers, to election officials  whether they are elected, appointed or volunteers  incredibly seriously, Heberle said. We understand the gravity of the issue.

He said dozens of cases were still under investigation and more prosecutions were expected.

A survey released earlier this year by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYUs School of Law found one in three election officials knew someone who had left a job in part because of threats and intimidation, and that one in six had experienced threats personally.

Federal and state election officials and Trumps attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the election was tainted. The former presidents allegations of fraud also have been rejected by courts, including by judges Trump appointed.

Experts said it is critical that those making threats are held accountable to deter others from thinking they can do the same.

The steps that the task force has taken, election officials are appreciative. But absolutely there is more to be done, said Liz Howard, a former state election official in Virginia now at the Brennan Center.

Among the recommendations that the Brennan Center has made is to expand the task force to include state and local law enforcement agencies that are typically the first contact for an election official.

A group of former and current election and law enforcement officials recently formed the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, which plans to provide guidance and training for preventing and responding to threats and violence against election officials.

Last month, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission -- which distributes federal grants to election offices -- said its funding could be used to protect election officials against threats. Legislation has also been pursued at the state and federal level to increase penalties for those targeting election workers.

In Colorado, lawmakers passed a bill that makes it a misdemeanor to release online the personal information of election officials for the purpose of threatening them or their family.

On Capitol Hill, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, held a hearing last year highlighting the threats and urging federal protections for election workers. Klobuchar and other Senate Democrats have sent a letter asking the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to issue a joint announcement to local law enforcement agencies to ensure that they are aware of both the recent increase in these threats against election officials and federal resources for reporting and countering them.

Back in Santa Fe, County Clerk Clark said anxiety remains high among her staff. Employees have been trained on active shooter situations, they have requested bulletproof glass be installed and GPS tracking is used during the transportation of ballot boxes.

While she is concerned about her safety, she says shes not ready to quit or change careers, noting her responsibility to voters who elected her.

My dad served in the military, my grandfather served in the military, Clark said. I dont feel its bad enough yet to feel that my public service is too much.

___

Associated Press writers Bob Christie in Phoenix and Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this report.
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The family of a Palestinian-American reporter killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank lashed out at President Joe Biden in a letter released Friday over his administration's response to her death.

Relatives of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh expressed grief, outrage and (a) sense of betrayal, accusing the U.S. of trying to erase Israel's responsibility for her death. A U.S. statement earlier this week that said Israeli fire likely killed her but that the May 11 shooting in the West Bank town of Jenin was not intentional.

Fallout from the killing is likely to cast a shadow over Biden's trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank next week. The family asked Biden to meet with them when he visits the region. The White House declined to comment on the letter or the request for a meeting.

A reconstruction by The Associated Press lent support to Palestinian eyewitnesses who said she was shot by Israeli forces without making a final determination. Investigations by CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post, as well as monitoring by the U.N. human rights office, reached similar conclusions.

Israel denies she was deliberately targeted, and says she could have been shot by an Israeli soldier or a Palestinian militant during an exchange of fire. The State Department said in a July 4 statement that the bullet that killed her was too badly damaged to determine who fired it.

The statement said the U.S. had summarized separate investigations by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, concluding that she was likely struck by Israeli fire. But it found no reason to believe that this was intentional, saying it was the result of tragic circumstances.

The U.S. did not explain how it reached those conclusions or cite evidence to support them.

The Abu Akleh family said all available evidence suggests she was deliberately killed by an Israeli soldier and that the administration had thoroughly failed to meet the bare minimum expectation of a credible, independent investigation.

Instead, the United States has been skulking toward the erasure of any wrongdoing by Israeli forces, they said. It is as if you expect the world and us to now just move on. Silence would have been better.

Asked about the letter, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had not yet seen it and declined to comment on Biden's travel plans. She said Biden has been closely monitoring the investigation and that senior U.S. officials are in touch with the family.

We feel their pain. We cant even imagine what they must be going through, she said. We continue to urge cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on next steps and we definitely continue to urge accountability.

U.S. lawmakers have pressed the administration for an independent investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh, a veteran on-air correspondent for Al Jazeera's Arabic language service who was widely known and respected across the Arab world.

Abu Akleh, who was 51, had spent a quarter-century reporting on the harsh realities of life under Israeli military rule. Palestinians view her as a martyr to journalism as well as their national cause.

Israeli police drew widespread criticism when they beat mourners and pallbearers at her funeral in Jerusalem on May 14. An Israeli newspaper last month reported that a police investigation found wrongdoing by some of its officers, but said those who supervised the event will not be seriously punished.

___

Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
A Pontoon Beach man was charged with a firearm felony on Wednesday by Madison County.

Derek D. Brooks, also known as Derex D. Brooks, 53, was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony. The case was presented by the Pontoon Beach Police Department.

According to court documents, on July 4, Brooks allegedly discharged a firearm in the direction of two people, one being a minor.

Bail was set at $100,000.

Other felonies filed by Madison County on July 6 include:

Isaac Lawrence, 36, of Madison, was charged with possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class 2 felony, and possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Madison Police Department. According to court documents, on June 30, Lawrence allegedly possessed more than 500 grams of cannabis, with the intent to deliver, and 15 grams of MDMA. Bail was set at $75,000.

Darron J. Murphy, 43, of Edwardsville, was charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony, and possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Bethalto Police Department. According to court documents, on July 5, Murphy allegedly had a stolen or converted 2016 Honda sedan and less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $60,000.

Reginald D. Curry, 32, of Granite City, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony, and electronic harassment, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on July 5, Curry allegedly struck an officer of the Granite City Police Department in the chest and scratched their face. He also allegedly threatened injury to another person through electronic communications. Bail was set at $50,000.

Dallas L. Rivers, 30, of Collinsville, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On June 22, Rivers allegedly pushed a person 60 years of age or older, causing them to fall through a door. Bail was set at $50,000.

Jennifer L. Ripley, 38, of Collinsville, was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On June 4, Ripley allegedly struck another person with a blade longer than three inches, causing a laceration. Bail was set at $25,000.

Karla K. Peters, 64, of East St. Louis, was charged with retail theft over $300, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Glen Carbon Police Department. On June 16, Peters allegedly took a lawn mower, clothing items, bath towels, earbuds and batteries from the Glen Carbon Walmart. Bail was set at $15,000.

Belinda G. Hagopian, 49, of the 3100 block of West Chain of Rocks Road, Granite City, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Pontoon Beach Police Department. On May 9, Hagopian allegedly had less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $15,000.

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Curtis R. Eaton, 49, of Troy, was charged with criminal damage to property over $500. The case was presented by the Troy Police Department. On July 1, Eaton allegedly damaged a Samsung 75-inch LED 4K Smart television. Bail was set at $15,000.
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Cindy Menses favorite part about the 2022 I Scream for Ice Cream Ride is the family fun associated with the event.

Mense is the CEO of Trailnet, a St. Louis based non-profit that focuses on making walking, biking and public transit more accessible and safer for everyone in the region.

Our mission is to create healthy, vibrant and active communities where walking and biking become a way of life, Mense said.

The bike ride takes place on Sunday. Check-in is at 6 a.m. and the ride starts at 8 a.m. at The Cyclery in Edwardsville, who is one of the sponsors of the event. Schlafly Beer and GU Energy are other sponsors.

At the start, an Edwardsville police escort will block traffic for riders to get to the Madison County trails safely. Once on the trails, participants may walk or ride at their own speed.

There are four different route lengths of seven, 23, 35, and 54 miles on the MCT trail system.

Upon finish when returning to The Cyclery, each participant will receive a free treat from Cool Times Ice Cream Truck.

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The bike ride has been going on for roughly 20 years, and last year it saw just under 400 participants, which Trailnet is hopeful to see that same number this year.

Its one of our most popular and family-friendly rides, Matt Hartman said. This ride appeals to all different types of rides, fitness levels, ages and abilities. It has the widest region of accessibility for anyone on all types of bikes.

When Trailnet hired Hartman in 2020 to be the rides director, the southern Illinois Trailnet bike rides were renamed as classics.

These are traditions for sure, Mense said.

The event Sunday is the furthest south bike ride, with one in Calhoun County and one in the St. Louis area celebrating the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge ride isnt happening this year because of bridge construction, and Trailnet helped raise money for refurbishment.

Trailnet was also one of the contributors that helped build the first bike trails in the region, especially in Illinois. They also advocate for safer policies for those who walk and bike.

Were really looking to use our rides to help communities better embrace walking and biking, Mense said. Were always looking for ways to dig deeper into the communities. We want to make people come back and see the community. People on bikes spend more money locally than those in cars.

Trailnet has been working with the city of Edwardsville to plan the event.

It really illustrates how walking and biking can liven up a community, Mense said.

Registration to participate or volunteer for the bike ride can be found on the Trailnet website.
Finding all of the vital facts about our ancestors is a great place to start. But it is only the beginning of the story. Information such as birth date, death date, and marriage date, puts our ancestors in a specific place at a specific time. But what else is happening in their world and how does it affect their lives?

If you or your local library have access to an online newspaper service, it is a great resource to add more information to the basic facts. You can search using a surname along with a date or range of dates and a location.

Carefully check the results that you find and dont dismiss them if it is not your direct ancestor. Stories concerning family members or neighbors can provide additional clues to your ancestors life. Be sure to save these snippets of news and also include a brief summary and source notation in the timeline you have created for your ancestor.

If there are no results for a surname search, take the time to read a few issues of the local paper during the time your ancestor was living there. In the 1800s, many small local newspapers included a local news column which could include the local weather, general business news such as new railroads or work opportunities, politics in the area, news about the local churches, and even illnesses that may be spreading, such as cholera.

If the local newspaper is not included in an online newspaper service, contact the local genealogical society, library, or historical society for suggestions on accessing the newspaper on microfilm or digitally. Also, if the newspaper is in Illinois, contact the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library for information on their newspapers on microfilm collection or search their website for the information.

What if your ancestor lived in a city and was an average person who probably would not be featured in society columns or business news? Once again, check with the local genealogical and historical societies for information on organizations or other records that might be available. Maybe a local society has records from a church or fraternal organization. Did your ancestor belong to a union? Newspapers often carried news about local unions. Males in the family were typically the ones out in the workforce, but even if the women were only taking care of the children and home, they could also be involved in church or other organizations.

Newspapers often include listings of upcoming court cases and probate filings, especially if the newspaper is located in a county seat or state capital. Dont ignore these listings, especially the probate cases.

Learning about your ancestors lives beyond the bare facts is fun and it can lead to great stories to share at the next family gathering.
That release could not be found.
LISBON, Portugal (AP)  Jose Eduardo dos Santos, once one of Africas longest-serving rulers who during almost four decades as president of Angola fought the continents longest civil war and turned his country into a major oil producer as well as one of the worlds poorest and most corrupt nations, died Friday. He was 79.

Dos Santos died at a clinic in Barcelona, Spain, following a long illness, the Angolan government said in an announcement on its Facebook page.

The announcement said dos Santos was a statesman of great historical scale who governed ... the Angolan nation through very difficult times.

Dos Santos had mostly lived in Barcelona since stepping down in 2017 and had been undergoing treatment there for health problems.

Angolas current head of state, Joao Lourenco, announced five days of national mourning starting Saturday, when the countrys flag will fly at half-staff and public events are canceled.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recalled dos Santos participation in the struggle that led to Angolas independence and his leadership through the signing of the peace agreement that put an end to the civil war in 2002, his spokesman said. During his tenure, Angola became an important regional and international partner and advocate for multilateralism.

The U.N. Security Council stood in silent tribute to dos Santos at the start of a meeting Friday after the current council president, Brazils U.N. Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho expressed its sadness at his death.

Dos Santos came to power four years after Angola gained independence from Portugal and became enmeshed in the Cold War as a proxy battlefield.

His political journey spanned single-party Marxist rule in post-colonial years and a democratic system of government adopted in 2008. He voluntarily stepped down when his health began failing.

In public, dos Santos was unassuming and even appeared shy at times. But he was a shrewd operator behind the scenes.

He kept a tight grip on the 17th-century presidential palace in Luanda, the southern African countrys Atlantic capital, by distributing Angolas wealth between his army generals and political rivals to ensure their loyalty. He demoted anyone he perceived to be gaining a level of popularity that could threaten his command.

Dos Santos greatest foe for more than two decades was Jonas Savimbi, leader of the UNITA rebels whose post-independence guerrilla insurgency fought in the bush aimed to oust dos Santos Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, or MPLA.

The MPLA had financial support from the Soviet Union and military support from Cuba in its war against UNITA. Savimbi was backed by the United States and South Africa.

The war would last, with brief periods of U.N.-brokered peace, until 2002 when the army finally tracked down Savimbi in eastern Angola and killed him.

Dos Santos abruptly shed his Marxist policies after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. He moved closer to Western countries, whose oil companies invested billions of dollars in mostly offshore exploration.

His supporters praised his ability to adapt to changing circumstances. His critics called him unscrupulous.

Dos Santos was invited to the White House in 2004 by then-president George W. Bush as the United States has looked to reduce its dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Angola became sub-Saharan Africas second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, producing close to 2 million barrels per day. It also unearthed more than $1 billion worth of diamonds each year.

However, the wealth never reached the Angolan people, who during and after the civil war were at risk from large areas of unmapped minefields and had little access to basic amenities, such as running water or roads. Education and health care were -- and remain -- sparse.

More than $4 billion in oil revenue vanished from Angolan state coffers between 1997 and 2002, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a 2004 report, based on an analysis of figures from the International Monetary Fund.

The U.S. State Department said that wealth in Angola is concentrated in the hands of a small elite, who often used government positions for massive personal enrichment.

Dos Santos was believed to own valuable real estate in Brazil, France and Portugal, as well as foreign bank accounts.

Under his rule, and despite the general poverty, street protests were rare and quickly broken up by the heavily armed riot police known popularly as Ninjas. A well-paid and well-equipped presidential guard was garrisoned inside dos Santoss palace and lined the citys grimy, potholed streets whenever he emerged.

A bricklayers son from Luanda, Angolas coastal capital, dos Santos began his political life with boots and a rifle in 1961 as an 18-year-old guerrilla for the MLPA in the fight for independence from Portugal.

MPLA bosses pulled him from combat in 1963 and sent him to the Soviet Union for training as a petroleum engineer and military communications specialist.

When he returned to Angola in 1970, he skillfully negotiated compromises to keep the MPLA from breaking up into splinter groups and as a reward was appointed to the partys central committee.

When independence arrived in 1975, dos Santos became foreign minister and later planning minister and deputy prime minister in the single-party Marxist state.

In a surprise choice, the MPLA elected dos Santos at 37 as president upon the death of Agostinho Neto, Angolas first leader, in 1979. Dos Santos was seen as a consensus figure between squabbling party veterans, but few anticipated his political longevity.

Dos Santos never sought to establish a personality cult and remained a mysterious figure. He reportedly once said in private he felt his true vocation was that of a monk.

Nor was he known for political sensitivity: He built a multimillion-dollar mansion on the fringe of a Luanda shantytown while millions of Angolans were fighting starvation during the civil war.

He was considered a sure loser against Savimbi in the countrys first democratic elections in 1992, following a peace treaty signed the previous year.

Margaret Anstee, a former U.N. special representative to Angola, described dos Santos as being almost the opposite of Savimbi.

His demeanor was grave and reserved, to the point that I traced a sense of shyness or timidity, absurd as this seemed. The contrast with Dr. Savimbis flamboyant personality could not have been more vivid, she wrote in her 1996 book on Angola entitled Orphan of the Cold War.

But in further evidence of his staying power dos Santos held on again, narrowly outpolling Savimbi for president while leading the MPLA to a parliamentary majority in the simultaneous legislative election.

When Savimbi rejected his defeat at the ballot box and returned to his armed struggle, Western support gradually swung behind dos Santos.

The foes signed another peace deal, brokered by the United Nations, in 1994, but that also unraveled four years later.

Meanwhile, dos Santos  with an army of around 100,000 troops, many with years of jungle combat experience  essayed a role as a regional power broker, starting with neighboring countries.

He sent 2,500 troops to Republic of Congo in 1997 to help President Denis Sassou-Nguesso seize power and the following year sent a contingent to Congo to help President Laurent Kabilas government fight rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

The end of Angolas civil war in 2002 brought an opportunity for broader economic development in the southern African country, which is more than three times the size of California.

But public infrastructure was devastated; 4 million people  about one-third of the population at the time  had fled their homes because of the fighting; and oil and diamond wealth continued in the hands of the political and military elite.

Berlin-based Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 named Angola as one of the worlds 10 most corrupt countries.

As land mine-maimed children begged in the streets, politicians wives flew to New York on the government health budget for nip-and-tuck cosmetic surgery, wrote John McMillan, a Stanford University economics professor, in a 2005 study on Angolan corruption.

Under pressure to finally hold a ballot, dos Santos announced legislative elections in 2008 and a presidential election the following year.

Dos Santoss MPLA won the most votes for parliamentary seats. But then the head of state changed tack, first postponing the presidential ballot and then scrapping it.

He altered the constitution so that the president is chosen by the party which wins the parliamentary elections. That kept him in power for another eight years.

However, with his health reportedly worsening, Dos Santos announced in 2016 he would retire.

He was replaced by Lourenco, an MPLA stalwart, who has made an anti-corruption drive his flagship policy. He has targeted dos Santos grown children, who possess fabulous personal wealth, but not his predecessor.

The change in fortune for dos Santoss family has prompted one of his daughters to suspect that a conspiracy was behind her fathers illness and death. Spanish prosecutors and police are looking into allegations by Tchize dos Santos that people close to the ex-president have tried to kill him, failed to care for him properly and acted negligently.

Dos Santos, who was married four times, was survived by his current wife, Ana Paula, by whom he had three children. He is known to have at least three other children and various grandchildren.
As the nation Nigeria braces up for the 2023 general election in the country, many personalities, mostly of the old order, with a sprinkle of very distinguished and development focused personalities, have indicated interest to contest for the nations number one position- the Presidency.

However, as this angling rages, one thing stands out; with the prevailing security challenge, harsh economic situation in the country, a state of depression (or is it a recession) that has been designed by yet to be established architects, the countdown to the next general elections appears to be comical, yet laced with trepidation. Many young Nigerians who were not of age in 2015/2019 will get the chance to vote for the first time, while those who voted last time will want to activate their dreams in another call for change; this time for the better.

After seven years of unfulfilled change/Next Level, the electorate mostly the youths, should be excused if they enter 2023 with a new dream on their minds, and head to the polls with a different mentality from what they had in 2019. The new orientation would be shaped by recent fiscal, sociological, political and communal happenings in the country; coupled with the pockets of ethno-religious upheavals and misgivings from one region against another or powerful personalities against each other.

It can, therefore, also be safely deduced that many different strata, sectors, and sections of the country will be looking up to 2023 as a year to settle various scores  both idealistically and holistically. Recently, the talk has been about making a point and calling for a change to the current dispensation through mild aggression, in the form of protests, rallies, sit-at-home and heated public comments.

Though 2023 will again accord Nigerians the chance to make a change through a legitimate and democratic means, tension is already up and has again heightened by the realization that the nation is still being governed by people who do not feel the pinch the common man is made to endure, or that the leaders have simply chosen to be compassionate by proxy.

Consequently, the political leaders have fractured our nations geography into polarised ethnosyncrasies and idiosyncrasies, all of which have led to agitations of different sorts and capacities. These have disjointed the amalgams of the country and made the nation that was once called The Giant of Africa now be referred to by friends and foes as a wobbling tripod.

Also, these developments have made 2023 a year with history in that its a year of elections, a year for another session of politicking when elections into various offices from the Presidency down to the state Houses of Assembly are billed to hold. Most importantly, 2019 is bound to be a year in which the peoples actions and decisions will shape their political destiny and determine their socioeconomic future.

Obviously, that year will be pregnant with high hopes and has equally necessitated the need for electorates to develop an objectified oneness as well as an action plan that will aid them in taking whole. Its a year for the masses and youths, in particular, to team up and fight the common enemy called bad leadership and its proponents. If the masses can achieve these, every other thing including restructuring shall be added unto it.

This role is pivotal because the strength of a nation is a direct result of the strength of her leaders. Everything rises and falls on leadership. This remark is visibly evident in the qualities of leaders the nation has unfortunately blessed herself with since May 1999. The result of these political miscalculations led us to rhizomes of excuses thereby turning the country into a nation of narrative rather than action. The score cards of the present crop of leaders have visibly advertised them as being clueless, lacking in creativity and outright lack of propensity to perform.

To exit this vicious circle of mal-performance, the people need reprogramming of their mind- set as once the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free. To make the reorientation work, early preparation is key as once remarked he that arrives first and takes a position is at ease while he that arrives late labours.

Conventionally, 2023 may be far but viewed from political pragmatism, it is just a stone throw. So, this is the time for the citizens to start asking solution-providing questions as well as perform the agenda setting roles. This is not the time to start waiting for the visitors called politicians whose visits occur once in four years and that are the electioneering period. Also, the masses have in recent elections voted based on vanity without recourse to their consciences.

The worrying side of this narrative is that this is a nation filled with a people that predominantly practice religiosity signposted with symbolism but completely bankrupt in spirituality. This attribute has always given them away without resistance to their nefarious politicians who know how to buy their consciences with paltry sum and at the end leave them to suffer protracted neglect for four years.

This has played out for over two decades.

To therefore arrive at the Nigeria of our dreams, this is time to say no to this illicit incentivizing by these politicians now that the nation prepares for another round of political ultimate search come 2023. Voting based on pecuniary inducement or stomach infrastructure should be discouraged.

To make 2023 bear the anticipated political result as proposed, the people need the moral force to activate a shift in paradigm. Part of this needed strategy is the admission of the youths into their political school and calculations. The youths have watched for too long the political drama involving their nation from the political gallery.

It is time for political apprenticeship for our youths. Supporting the constitutional amendment which we hope will open the window of opportunities with the not too young to run bill waiting before our parliament should be considered as the right step in the right direction as their involvement will help soak up the mal-performance flood created by cluelessness. We have to brace up with trends as it unfolds on the world stage.

Again, enthroning upright personalities as our leaders is important as leadership is about vision and is also about creating a climate where the truth is heard and brutal force confronted. My imagination tells me that all we have been having were not leaders but sets of opportunists that appear from the political moon, fed us with what we want to hear, win the election and that ends the political oratory and relationship till the next election year.

We obviously need to take this step as we have previously seen some of our elected officers become the reality to worry about as they became visibly determined to work across purpose with us while some of them consumed by the vertical pursuit of self-aggrandizement. Allowing this trend and expecting a different result is tantamount to insanity. For us, as a people, to break out from this vicious circle of worries and poverty, the time to cause a real change is now.

Utomi is the Programme Cordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via; j [email protected]/08032725374








Governor Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has raised the alarm that terrorists are massively moving southward and hiding themselves in the forest.

The governor also said the need for state police is imperative in order to ensure security of lives and property of people.

He disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force is overstretched, understaffed and lacks the capacity to adequately protect the people.

The governor made this disclosure in his office on Thursday, while hosting the new Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 17, Yunnus Akeera.

In his words, We do not run away from the fact that the police force is overstretched. The same thing, we do not run away from the fact that a single police command in Abuja will not be adequate to police the large populace of the country. This has led to our demand for state police.

We can complement each other. I have had senior police officers who agree on state police. Maybe they cant say it in public. Go to Ekiti and even here in Ondo State, most of the police stations have no vehicle. Look at the unfortunate incident that happened in Owo, police said they had no vehicle to pursue the perpetrators.

Let us all sit down and agree that we should have a system that will create division of labour. We can have the federal police and then, the state police. You can face a major task like intelligence gathering and pass it to the state police to work on.

What is happening, if not for lack of intelligence people will not go to Kuje and attack the place in Abuja. We need your cooperation too in this our cry for a dual police system that we can work together. People are moving down south to take refuge in our forest. You dont have the men and officers to secure the country. Police is understaffed. We appreciate your limitations in terms of men, ammunition and so on."
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) issues this public health advisory given the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Nigeria and globally. This is based on the prevailing risk from the virus and the need for religious organisations, community leaders, and Nigerians, in general, to take necessary precautions ahead of the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

According to the latest situation report from the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of weekly COVID-19 cases has increased globally for the third consecutive week. Similarly, our national surveillance system has detected a gradual increase in the daily COVID-19 cases recorded in the country. Although confirmed cases increased from 267 to 445 between weeks 21 to 24, hospitalisation and fatalities have remained low suggesting these are mostly mild to moderate cases or we are in the lag phase before we see the accompanying increase in severe disease and hospitalisation. Since Nigerias first case was detected on 27th February 2020, we have had 256,695 confirmed cases with 3,144 deaths across 36 states and the FCT. Genomic surveillance confirms Omicron and its various offspring (sub lineages) remain the dominant circulating variant of concern associated with the spread of the disease in the country. The recent increase in cases may be in part or whole due to increased testing over the last few weeks, increased circulation of Omicron sub-lineages (BA.4 and BA.5 as seen elsewhere), and an increase in seasonal illness with cold and cough symptoms as well as poor adherence to preventive measures such as the use of masks.

Over the last 2 years, Nigeria, just like the rest of the world has battled a pandemic that led to the hospitalisation and deaths of thousands and beyond health, also disrupted livelihoods and economies. The national multisectoral response is coordinated by a Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PSC-COVID-19) with the NCDC leading the public health response. In April 2022, due to the declining number of COVID-19 cases, the availability of vaccines, and the increasing number of people vaccinated in Nigeria and globally, there was a further easing of the COVID-19 restrictions and protocols.

Despite easing restrictions, the NCDC and Federal Ministry of Health through the National Multisectoral COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre (COVID-19 EOC) has been working closely with states and other partners to monitor the epidemiology of the virus and sustain response activities in the country. The national EOC maintains active surveillance in conjunction with State Epidemiologists, supports states to ensure that access to testing is provided for prompt management of confirmed cases, and coordinates genomic surveillance to detect emerging variants. Our focus is to ensure response continuity for COVID-19 and improve our health system while giving needed attention to other priorities within our mandate including the ongoing monkeypox response.

In addition to the COVID-19 situation in Nigeria and globally, the upcoming Eid-El-Kabir celebrations against a backdrop of suboptimal COVID-19 vaccination uptake and increasing COVID-19 case numbers calls for increased individual and collective responsibility. The virus that causes COVID-19 is more likely to spread in mass gatherings and when people do not adhere to preventive measures such as physical distancing, mask use, and hand hygiene. As we celebrate, we urge Nigerians to prevent the onset of a full-fledged fifth COVID-19 wave by remaining mindful of the high risk of spread of COVID-19 and acting in tandem by adhering to recommended public health safety measures.

How you can protect yourself and those around you:

 Visit the nearest government health facility to get vaccinated if you have not been previously vaccinated. If you received your first two vaccine doses up to 6 months ago, please go and get your booster dose.

 Maintain a physical distance of at least 1.5 metres from others, even if they do not appear to be sick.

 Avoid crowding (indoors and outdoors) and close contact.

 Wear a properly fitted face mask when in crowded open and closed places, especially in poorly ventilated settings.

 Wash hands frequently with soap under running water or clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based sanitiser.

 Cover your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.

 Dispose of used tissues immediately and clean hands regularly.

 If you develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, self-isolate until you recover.

About the NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is the country's national public health institute, with the mandate to lead the preparedness, detection, and response to infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies. The Bill for an Act to establish NCDC was signed into law in November 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari. The mission of the NCDC (2017-2021) is, 'To protect the health of Nigerians through evidence-based prevention, integrated disease surveillance and response activities, using a One Health approach, guided by research and led by a skilled workforce.

Contact

NCDC Toll-free Number: 6232 | SMS: 08099555577 | WhatsApp: 07087110839 Twitter: @NCDCGov | Facebook: @NCDCgov | Instagram: @NCDCgov | NCDC Media Releases

Signed:

Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa

Director General

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention


The National Vice President of Ohaneze, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene has revealed that every part of Nigeria is being marginalized today, judging from the current state of under-development in every part of the country.

Chief Okene-Ogene revealed this while speaking at the 2022 Bloggers Summit, organised by the Anambra State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, in collaboration with Life International Hospital, and which is currently ongoing in Awka, the state capital.

He called on bloggers to always use their pens to confute, criticize and tell the leaders of the country the bitter truth about the affairs and worsening state of the country, as they have always done.

He noted that the people who laid the foundation of the country were all youths then, and wondered why , today, even people above 80 are still desperately struggling to be the President of the country.

If things continue like this, that means time may come when people would even go and exhume a buried corpse to come and contest election in this country. They keep saying that youths are the leaders of tomorrow; when will that tomorrow ever come?" he said.

He said the bloggers and media practitioners can help to change the narrative by reorienting the youths to take over their country from the old men and bad leaders.

He said: You must use your pen to disengage them, because we don't have the arms to do so, but you have your pens. Pen is mightier than sword. I like the way you criticize, even though there may few junks among.

Also, always try to be objective in your criticisims. Always check and investigate well before publishing.

According to Ogene, bloggers are usually freer because they and their addresses are not usually known, unlike the conventional media whom are known and can be sued or sanctioned at anytime.

Reacting to the recent attack at Kuje prison, Abuja, which is the highest prison in the country; he further urged bloggers to openly remind President Muhammadu Buhari that the country's system has totally collapsed, and that people are no longer safe.

The elderstatesman, Ogene, who chaired the Bloggers Summit also used the opportunity to call on every qualified Nigerian to get his or her PVC and get ready to change the narrative in 2023; even as he also called for the restructuring of the country.
It has been very interesting watching Nigerian youth go out in droves to register towards voting in the next elections. There is this infectious optimism that they can effect a change at the national level by electing a President of their choice. This President is of course the Obidient Peter Obi, who is charismatic, says the right things and is energizing or is being energized by Nigerias young population. The goal and thinking of the youth is clear and very commendable: they are out to enthrone a government of their choice within the ambit of the law. This is what democracy is about.

Peter Obi, their choice, is contesting on the platform of the Labour Party, that, in political parlance, is said to be a party that currently has no structures. The term structures here is taken to mean physical party offices across the 774 LGAs in Nigeria; membership across the 774 LGAs in Nigeria; and a fair spread of elective office holders. These structures or machinery are deployed to ensure that the party has champions who can drive votes at the local level, protect these votes through party agents and sometimes use state resources and influence, even though illegally, in swaying issues at critical times to favor the party. The question is whether the Labour Party with very little of all of this, can win a presidential election which translates to receiving a majority of the vote and over and 25% of the vote in at least 24 of the 36 states.

The Labour Party in truth is therefore a party without structures, fielding a Presidential candidate who appeals to ideals, passion, discontent in the land etc. The youth and admirers of Peter Obi, presently an internet sensation pulling vociferous youth support, refer to themselves as his political structure.

In a recent Facebook poll by the writer, the question was posed as to what is more important in winning elections between ideals and party structures.

The reason for the poll was not stated to ensure unadulterated responses. 20% of respondents said ideals were superior, while 80% went for structure and the remaining 20% insisted on both. Interestingly the youth formed 90% of the respondents.

Analysis of the responses evidenced that structures are critical to winning elections, especially when the magnitude of the election is the presidency. This singular reason gives room for some reflection as to where the youths currently stand with regard to installing a president in Nigeria in 2023. Can they do it? Will they?

EndSARS if anything, evidenced the power of the youth in mobilization, creativity, and discipline when they are focused on certain objectives. In the early days of the movement, yes, the author views ENDSARS as a movement, before it became ungovernable, Nigeria witnessed the youth set up a parallel government that was effective and efficient. We saw the youth organize themselves across the country, carrying out peaceful protests for days; ensuring the supply of water and food to thousands on the streets and sharing same with police officers.

Resources that were channeled by groups and individuals both at home and abroad in support of the protest appeared to be properly managed with no complaints of embezzlement etc. NOTE: this author is referencing the early days of EndSARS. It is quite unfortunate that the movement was eventually hijacked and ultimately degenerated into lawlessness evidenced in the killing of law enforcement officers, arson, and destruction of public properties. The EndSARS protests therefore ended in ignominy and can safely be categorized as a riot.

So, did the youth miss anything that would have had a positive, telling effect going forward? The answer is an emphatic YES! With the EndSARS gone bad, the youth missed a golden opportunity of building sustainable planks that could have been built upon and galvanized into installing a national government in Nigeria by 2023. What they missed is what is today referred to as structures, which it is argued, might make their intention of installing the next President, a bit of a fantasy.

It is the authors considered opinion that the youth wasted a golden opportunity to set up structures in the wake of the ENDSARS owing to a lack of coordination and a display of passion not tempered by reason.

At the height of the EndSARS protests, government invited the youth for a round table discussion asking the youth to send in their leaders. The youth flatly rejected this offer, insisting they had no leaders. This was very strange as any organized assembly must have a spokesperson. The refusal and or reluctance of the youth to present spokespersons that would dialogue with the government denied them the opportunity of planting that seed that could have grown into some form of structure at the national level, or at least a figure to build the semblance of a structure around.

As if this was not enough, government then set up state investigative panels with clearly defined ToRs towards some remedial measures on the cause of the protest, and invited the youth to go to the states and table their grievances. This was a wonderful opportunity for the youth to have organized themselves at the state level into some form of structure, alongside the issues of SARS. Such a structure would have links to the national arm, towards alignment of positions on the issues. These efforts would have entailed setting up structures, which, no matter how porous, structures yet would have been. Again, the youth spurned this opportunity.

This would have been one of the lasting legacies of EndSARS where there would have been a structured movement of Nigerian youth powering social change.

One might argue that social media has empowered the youth and can make them organize themselves within the shortest possible time. While this is true to an extent, this would be much more potent and effective if it was wrapped around federal and state structures.

This is where the gap in the support for Peter Obi becomes evident. Labor Party has no structures, fact. The youth have no structures, fact. No matter the frenzy and passion of support, it is very unlikely that it might result in the election of a new President. Those who argue that social media frenzy doesnt translate to anything significant in the absence of structures, point to the recently concluded Ekiti state gubernatorial elections held a few weeks ago. The youth population in votes cast stood at 18% for Ekiti and is projected to be less in Osun, notwithstanding the excitement exhibited in registration and collection of PVCs.

One can only hope that Peter Obi and the youth movement show the critical need for organizing, understanding, facilitating and building a base for coordinated actions, which a structure affords any movement or organization. This cannot be ignored as to win, a candidate requires 25 percent of votes cast in 24 of the 36 states of the federation. Undoubtedly, the power of the internet and social media can do wonders and magic, as it did for Barack Obama and President Buhari in the past, yet these two figures had structures (political parties) that the social media wove itself into.

Make no mistake though... Peter Obi will cause uncomfortable moments and stir desperation in the old order. He will handsomely shift electoral gains around in several states and upend many theories as to winners in several constituencies. This too is some win for the youth. What is happening is beautiful and this writer prays, the youth do not miss the present opportunity to do what is necessary which for now is for the youth to seize the moment and use the Peter Obi candidacy to start creating and sustain structures, powered by the youth across Nigeria. If they can successfully do this, then they will have a big say come 2027. Failure to so do will be another lost opportunity like that of the EndSARS.

Yet, you never know, despite all odds the youth just might do itinstall a President in May 2023. It may not be a bridge too far after all.

*Rommy Mom Esq is a human rights activist and President of Lawyers Alert Nigeria, a human rights body.
The Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State Command, Commandant Agboola Sunday has reiterated his readiness to step up the Command's operational strategies towards fulfilling the mandates of the Corps. To combat crimes and make sure there is adequate protection for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, the Osun NSCDC boss said all prayer grounds would be effectively provided with adequate security.

The Commandant made this known at the State Headquarters, on Friday, 8th July, 2022, in a press release by the Commands Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Corps II (ASC II) Atanda Olabisi. He urged the Muslim faithful to use the medium of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations to pray for the country.

Commandant Agboola assured the public that the command has deployed adequate personnel to all entry points in the state, praying grounds, recreation centres and other public places across the state of Osun to ensure safety of lives and property.

Furthermore, Commandant Agboola Sunday explained that the command would continue to perform its statutory mandates of protecting the critical national assets and infrastructure. He added that there would be collaborations with other security agencies to ensure that the celebration is peaceful. He said "patrol vehicles have been put in place to prevent crimes, personnel have been deployed to residential areas, recreational and resort centres and around critical national assets and infrastructure in the state.

He assured members of the public that personnel deployed will discharge their duties with a high level of professionalism and dedication. The Commandant, therefore, called on members of the public to be security conscious and report any suspicious movement to the authorities for immediate intervention.

Commandant Agboola wishes all Muslim faithful across the state a wonderful and hitchfree celebration.

In conclusion, the commandant appealed to the public to always give proactive intelligence to the nearest security agency in their environment. He advised that "security is everybody's business, and everybody's business should be taken as a serious business." Commandant Agboola enjoined all residents of Osun State to go about their lawful businesses and enjoy their celebrations, as officers and men of the Corps are adequately and strategically on ground to protect lives and property.

E-SIGNED.

ASC II ATANDA OLABISI, FHNR, FWIP

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

NSCDC, OSUN STATE COMMAND.


Lusaka, July 8, 2022  Zimbabwean authorities should drop all charges against freelance journalist Anyway Yotamu, investigate his assault by police, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

At about 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 7, police officers assaulted Yotamu while he was filming an altercation between taxi drivers and parking attendants in the central business district of the capital, Harare, according to the journalist and his lawyer Shamiso Dhlakama, both of whom spoke to CPJ via messaging app, multiple local media reports , a Facebook post by the Zimbabwe chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern Africa, and a statement by the local Young Journalists Association, which CPJ reviewed.

A group of five officers ordered Yotamu to stop filming, hand over his phone, and give them his password; when he refused, the officers tried to grab his phone, knocking it to the ground and damaging it, and then beat Yotamu with truncheons all over his body, according to those sources. Yotamu told CPJ that he identified himself as a journalist multiple times during the incident, and the attack only stopped when a fellow officer told them not to beat journalists.

The officers brought Yotamu to the Harare Central Police Station and indicated he would be released without charge after his lawyer intervened, Yotamu and Dhlakama told CPJ. However, authorities reversed course soon after and charged the journalist with disorderly conduct and undermining the authority of the police, they said.

Again, police in Zimbabwe are assaulting and arresting journalists for simply doing their jobs. Freelance journalist Anyway Yotamu is their latest victim, and prosecutors must drop the spurious charges against him, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. It is high time that Zimbabwean authorities ensure that police officers end their attacks on journalists. Maintaining law and order is not a license to abuse power.

Yotamu sustained injuries to his knee from the beating, for which he received medical treatment, the journalist and Dhlakama told CPJ.

Yotamu is a freelance contributor to online publications, including Harare Times and Spiked Media .

If convicted of disorderly conduct, he could face a fine of 30,000 Zimbabwean dollars (US$83) and six months imprisonment; undermining the authority of the police carries up to two years imprisonment and a fine of 120,000 Zimbabwean dollars (US$332), according to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and schedule of fines .

Yotamu is scheduled to appear in court on Saturday, he and his lawyer told CPJ.

Zimbabwe police spokesperson Paul Nyathi told CPJ by phone that he was unaware of Yotamus arrest and subsequent charges.
Crocodiles not starving at Phuket tourist attraction, officials confirm

PHUKET: The owner and operator of a Phuket crocodile tourist attraction that was forced to close during the pandemic has refuted allegations that the crocodiles still on site are neglected to the point that they are starving and eating each other.

animalsSafetytourism

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 8 July 2022, 10:13AM

The response, supported by officers from the Department of Fisheries who have inspected the venue, Phuket Crocodile World on Chao Fa West Rd in Chalong, follows the allegation being posted online through TikTok, which also alleged that the crocodiles had been abandoned.

Sittiphon Muangsong of the Phuket Fisheries Office, inspecting the venue in person yesterday (July 7), explained that all crocodiles on site must be registered with his office.

The crocodile farm when opening some seven years ago had initially registered 32 crocodiles, of which four had died over the years.

The remaining 28 were not suffering in health, Mr Sittiphon said. We can see they are not thin, he noted.

The allegation followed the operator posting online an open invitation for members of the public to come and see the crocodiles for free, despite the venue still being closed as a tourist attraction.

People were also invited to bring food for the crocodiles.

Aunt Kaew, who still serves as the caretaker of the venue explained, If no one comes to feed the crocodiles, the owner will bring the food himself. But now we think this is better than the crocodiles staying alone, so we allow people to come and see them for free.

The venue is open from about 8-9am to about 5-6pm each day, but the lights are usually switched off to save money, Aunt Kaew added.

If possible, I want a lot of people to come and see the crocodiles so they will not be lonely, she said.

Sakul Nganwiwatthaworn, owner of Phuket Crocodile World, said he understood why people might think that the crocodiles had been abandoned, with the electricity at the site switched off, but refused the allegation that the crocodiles were being neglected.

They are always fed and taken care of, but tourists come to see the state of the place and think of it as abandoned. We actually feed them regularly and regularly change the water, he said.

His caretaker, Aunt Kaew, is in regular contact with Department of Fisheries officers, he added.

We talk with the officers once a month, and officers often come and bring food, Mr Sakul explained.

The crocodiles are not starving, Mr Sakul said.

However, Mr Sakul did offer the crocodiles as available for sale.

The big ones cost about B10,000 each, and the small ones sell for B1,000 baht each. There are 28 crocodiles now. But if you dont want to buy one, you can save your money and come and see them for free, he added.

Mr Sittiphon of the Phuket Fisheries Office pointed out that he had asked Mr Sakul to improve safety at the venue by posting more signs to warn visitors of the crocodiles.

If anyone comes to see the crocodiles they must contact the staff first for their own safety, otherwise it may be dangerous for them, he said.

But if you look at the crocodile pond, they cannot escape. The area is in the right place and is stable and strong. Crocodiles cannot escape from here, he added.
Phuket residential drug den raided

PHUKET: Officers have arrested three men and seized 500 pills of methamphetamine (ya bah) after a tip-off posted online identified a house in Srisoonthorn that was openly engaging in drug trade, Phuket Provincial Police have revealed.

drugscrimepolice

By The Phuket News

Friday 8 July 2022, 04:12PM

Image: Phuket Provincial Police

The arrests followed a post on Monday morning identifying a house in Moo 4 Srisoonthorn where drug trade was obvious, Phuket Provincial Police announced in an unnamed statement issued yesterday (July 7).

Are the police sympathetic or not? the post said.

The post was brought to the attention of Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikong, who ordered officers to investigate, said the statement.

Police on Tuesday (July 5) raided the house, which was unregistered and without a house address number.

At the house, officers found three men, but no narcotics, the statement read.

However, two of the men confessed to police that they both used ya bah and crystal meth (ya ice), the statement explained.

Hence, all three were taken to Phuket Provincial Polices drug-testing laboratory, where the three suspects underwent urine tests for drugs.

The two men who confessed both tested positive, while the third man tested negative.

The two men who tested positive were both charged, the statement confirmed. The third man was not.

However, police continued their investigation, which led to the arrest of a man in Tha Chatchai with 500 pills of ya bah, the statement noted.

The statement did not name any of the suspects involved.

Police are expanding their investigation into the drug network with the aim of making more arrests, the statement concluded.
UK PM Johnson quits after cabinet bloodbath

LONDON: Boris Johnson resigned yesterday (July 7) as leader of Britains Conservative party, triggering a prolonged race to succeed the scandal-dogged premier after an extraordinary exodus of ministers from his government.

politicsCOVID-19

By AFP

Friday 8 July 2022, 09:41AM

Boris Johnson. Photo: AFP

Johnson acknowledged it was clearly the will of the parliamentary Conservative party that there should be a new leader of that party, and therefore a new prime minister.

In a six-minute speech outside 10 Downing Street that was devoid of contrition for the many missteps that brought him down, he said he would stay on until his successor is found.

But calls built for Johnson to leave immediately, and for an acting leader to head the worlds fifth-largest economy.

Conservative John Major, who was prime minister from 1990 to 1997, said Johnsons extended tenure - and the vast powers that still go with it - was unwise and may be unsustainable.

The leadership election is expected to take place over the coming months. The victor will replace Johnson by the partys annual conference in early October.

But polling suggested most Britons favour his rapid exit, amid claims that Johnson is only hanging on to enjoy a wedding party with wife Carrie at his government-funded country retreat.

Johnsons tumultuous three years in office were defined by Brexit, the COVID pandemic and non-stop controversy about his reputation for mendacity.

Best job

The 58-year-old said he was sad... to be giving up the best job in the world, justifying his refusal initially to surrender to his herd of Tory critics because he won a personal mandate in the Brexit-dominated general election of December 2019.

Johnson also promised support for Ukraine for as long as it takes.

He reiterated his backing in a call afterwards to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Downing Street said.

Zelensky said he and Ukraine would be sad to see Johnson go, praising his personal leadership and charisma.

Russia expressed hope for more professional people to come to power in Britain.

But at the moment there is little hope for that, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Defence minister Ben Wallace and Rishi Sunak, whose departure as finance minister Tuesday sparked the cabinet exodus, were among the early frontrunners, a YouGov survey of Tory members suggested.

Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat said late yesterday he was launching his bid to succeed Johnson, the first candidate to announce their campaign since the premier announced his resignation.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, another potential contender, said Johnson had made the right decision as she cut short a trip to Indonesia for a G20 meeting.

We need calmness and unity now and to keep governing while a new leader is found, she tweeted.

Lame duck

Even while eyeing the exit, Johnson sought to steady the ship, making several appointments to replace departed cabinet members.

They included Greg Clark, an arch remainer opposed to Britains divorce from the European Union, which Johnson had championed.

The inexperienced Shailesh Vara was put in charge of Northern Ireland, with the government locked in battle with Brussels over post-Brexit trading rules for the tense territory.

Irish premier Micheal Martin said Johnsons exit was a chance to reset strained and challenged relations.

Convening the new-look cabinet after his resignation speech, Johnson confirmed his lame-duck status by saying major fiscal decisions should be left for the next prime minister, according to Downing Street.

As late as Wednesday night, Johnson had been defiantly clinging to power despite a wave of more than 50 government resignations.

But a fresh round of high-profile departures early yesterday, and warnings of a second no-confidence vote next week by Tory MPs, tipped the balance.

Arrogant and delusional

Johnson triumphed in 2019 with a vow to get Brexit done following Britains shock referendum decision three years prior. But for many, the populist, convention-defying leader had outstayed his welcome.

The Conservative infighting erupted at a time when millions of Britons are battling the worst slump in living standards since the 1950s, fuelling by rocketing energy prices on the back of the war in Ukraine.

Johnsons popularity had already slumped over a series of lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, which saw him become the first prime minister to receive a police fine.

About time, isnt it? Seriously, I mean have you ever known anyone be so arrogant, ignorant, delusional? Helen Dewdney, 53, who works in consumer rights, told AFP.

While Johnson ran a successful coronavirus vaccine campaign, the former journalist also oversaw one of Europes worst death tolls, and nearly died himself from COVID in April 2020.

Boris Johnsons legacy is the deaths of nearly 200,000 British people on his watch, said Lobby Akinnola, from the campaign group COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice.

After-dinner speeches

Whilst Johnson will move on to a life of writing newspaper columns and being paid eye-watering amounts to give after-dinner speeches, there will be no moving on for the families like mine that have been ripped apart by his actions, he said.

Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid started the ministerial exodus when they quit late Tuesday, after Johnson apologised for his February appointment of a senior Conservative MP to a prominent role in parliament.

Chris Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip last week following accusations he had drunkenly groped two men.

Downing Street officials eventually conceded that Johnson had known about other allegations against Pincher back in 2019, and many ministers recoiled at having to defend the leader yet again.

Tony Travers, director of the think tank LSE London, said the party had once again shown its propensity to turn on unpopular leaders after previously ditching premiers Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.

The truth is that the reason the Conservative party is so durable is that it will get rid of its leaders when it thinks they are harming the party, he told AFP.

And this allows the party to start again with a new leader and say, look, were a completely different enterprise.
Headlines are crowded with all examples of existential crises plaguing our country. Yellowstone National Park had to shut down for the first time in history. Other headlines blanketing papers that week reported extreme heat waves across the nation.

Climate change is here, yet government leaders still seem to favor wealthy corporate interests over climate action. Nowhere is this more apparent than New York, as Gov. Kathy Hochul refuses to commit to signing the first-in-the-nation crypto-mining moratorium bill.

The bill, passed by the State Legislature following a flood of support from grassroots activists, would put a two-year pause on new and renewed permits for fossil fuel power plants that want to start mining crypto. It would also require a thorough study of crypto-minings environmental effects. In the middle of a climate crisis, its obvious that we shouldnt allow offline power plants to power back up and poison our air.

But at the same time, Hochul is taking money from out-of-state crypto billionaires. She might delay her decision about crypto-mining until the end of the year, putting those wealthy interests over New Yorkers and the planet.

Proof of cryptocurrencys harmful impact on the environment is obvious and, like most injustices, disproportionately harms the poor, working class and people of color.

Bitcoin relies on what is called proof-of-work technology, in which miners compete against each other to validate transactions in an energy-guzzling process that, globally, adds up to as much greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere as the entire country of Argentina. Here in Western New York, after advocates and the community fought to end the environmental devastation of Tonawanda Coke, the North Tonawanda plant is the latest fossil fuel plant to come back online and threaten the climate. Crypto-mining isnt even a job creator; the Greenidge Generation plant threatening the Finger Lakes, which just had its permits denied by the DEC, has only 48 employees. Compare that to the 60,000 jobs in the local agritourism economy.

People opposing the legislation are predominantly those who get paid by the crypto lobby, including the Koch brothers-funded Club for Growth  the same group boosting anti-abortion laws and Floridas Ron Dont Say Gay DeSantis. Boosters claim the decentralized currency will fix the racial wealth gap, conveniently ignoring the fact that Bitcoins wealth gap is wider than that of the U.S. dollar.

An ever-growing, powerful crypto lobby is fighting with local, grassroots climate activists. They have made their priorities and loyalties clear. Now it is the moment for Hochul to do the same.

India Walton was the Democratic nominee for Buffalo mayor in 2021.
Payday ringed on a calendar

Written by Amy Legate-Wolfe at The Motley Fool Canada

As the markets deepen, getting closer and closer to recession territory, Motley Fool investors have been flocking to passive-income stocks. These dividend stocks are a great way to create income while you wait for the market to correct.

However, dont just choose any passive-income dividend stock. There are plenty of options on the TSX today, but far less that offer monthly payouts. So today, Im going to cover three dividend stocks Motley Fool investors can buy for monthly passive income.

NorthWest Healthcare: A stable investment

NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT (TSX:NWH.UN) pays out $0.067 per share every month. If youd invested $20,000 in this stock on the TSX today, that would bring in $107 per month! That dividend of 6.47% certainly gets you a lot.

NorthWest isnt just one of the great dividend stocks for its yield, however. Its also great because the company continues to grow thanks to investment in the healthcare property industry. Its lease agreements last a long time, and it continues to reach record revenue as it acquires more properties.

Shares of the passive-income stock are also up 64% in the last three years alone. While there was a crash back in March 2020, the stock hasnt come near those levels even now. Furthermore, its cheap trading at 6.88 times earnings. So, this is a solid stock to consider today.

Extendicare: A strong future ahead

Did you know that about a quarter of the Canadian population are senior citizens? The baby boomer population is aging, and once many hit their 80s, there could be an increase in demand for senior care. That would put an investment in Extendicare (TSX:EXE) at a huge advantage right now.

Extendicare is one of the dividend stocks that delivers $0.04 per share each month. If you were to invest $20,000 in this stock on the TSX today, you would bring in $112 each and every month. That come from a high yield of 6.8%.

Now, the stock has been hit hard, as news came out that executives at long-term-care homes gave themselves hefty bonuses during the pandemic. Pretty gross. But once the pushback disappears, its still a great investment. And hey, you might as well take advantage while you can! Shares are down 9% year to date but up 74% in the last decade.

Story continues

Boston Pizza: A surprise growth story

Now that Canadians are able to get back to restaurants, Boston Pizza Royalties Income Fund (TSX:BPF.UN) looks like a solid option. The company has been making a strong comeback with restrictions easing, and deliveries up for the company.

Boston Pizza is one of the dividend stocks also offering a high yield at 6.91%. That comes to $0.085 per share each and every month. So, if you were to invest $20,000 in the stock, that would serve up $114 in your portfolio every month.

During its latest earnings results, Boston Pizza reported a 38.5% increase in franchise sales, with same-restaurant sales up 39.1% year over year. Of course, COVID-19 restrictions easing certainly helped, as its still down 10.5% from 2019 levels. The company still has growth on the way and looks cheap trading at just 8.27 times earnings. Shares are only down 1.3% year to date and up 66% in the last decade.

Foolish takeaway

While these monthly dividend stocks may not seem all that exciting to Motley Fool investors, they certainly offer stability. That comes from both reasonable share growth coupled with long-term passive income. That makes them the perfect way to bring in cash over decades.

The post 3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks That Pay Passive Income Monthly appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has positions in NORTHWEST HEALTHCARE PPTYS REIT UNITS. The Motley Fool recommends NORTHWEST HEALTHCARE PPTYS REIT UNITS.

2022
Laurence H. Tribe is the Carl M. Loeb University professor emeritus at Harvard Law School. Dennis Aftergut, a former federal prosecutor, is currently of counsel to Lawyers Defending American Democracy.
A Nigerian politician and his wife, who are accused of plotting to harvest a mans kidney, face trial at the Old Bailey.

Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a district senator and lawyer, and his wife Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, are alleged to have transported the 21-year-old man from Nigeria to the UK.

Prosecutors claim they planned to have his kidney removed so it could be given to their daughter.

The man is said to have refused to consent to the procedure after undergoing tests at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north-west London.

The Ekweremadus allegedly treated him as a slave before he escaped and went to Staines police station in Surrey.

The pair were arrested at Heathrow Airport (PA)

The couple were arrested at Heathrow Airport on June 21 after arriving on a flight from Turkey and appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Ike Ekweremadu is charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, while his wife is charged with arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

The couple were not asked to enter pleas, but the court heard they have indicated not guilty pleas.

They deny the alleged facts and that there was a criminal conspiracy, and will say no exploitation occurred, it was said.

Deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram remanded them in custody ahead of their next appearance at the Old Bailey, for a plea and trial preparation hearing, on August 4.
Thank you to everyone who made Relay For Life a success
The relationship between humans and their pets has changed over time. ManyPets has outlined historical findings on how pets were treated in different regions.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Collinsville man has been charged with the burglary of a garage by the Madison County States Attorneys Office.

James C. Williams Sr., 51, of Collinsville, was charged July 7 with burglary, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department.

According to court documents, on April 20 Williams allegedly entered a garage in Collinsville to commit theft.

Bail was set at $40,000.

Other felony charges filed July 7 include:

 David G. Stone, 35, of East Alton, was charged with retail theft over $300, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Bethalto Police Department. According to court documents, on June 20 Stone allegedly took a Toro lawnmower valued in excess of $300 from Ace Hardware in Bethalto. Bail was set at $25,000.

 Lisa D. Warre, 41, of Glen Carbon, was charged with unlawful use of a credit card, a Class 1 felony. The case was presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. On May 24 Warren allegedly took items valued at less than $300 using another persons credit card. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Ricky A. Wedderburn, 28, of Alton, was charged with retail theft under $300 (second subsequent offense) and unlawful use of credit card, both Class 4 felonies. The case was presented by the Wood River Police Department. On Jan. 23 Wedderburn allegedly took a crossbow valued at less than $300 from the Wood River Walmart and, on May 15, tried to buy Gatorade valued at less than $300 using another persons credit card without their permission. He has a 2019 conviction for burglary out of Madison County. Bail was set at $30,000.

 Lindsey R. Moore, 29, of South Roxana, was charged with retail theft under $300 (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Wood River Police Department. On May 29 Moore allegedly took womens clothing valued at less than $300 from the Wood River Walmart. She has a 2016 conviction for stealing (third subsequent offense) out of Jackson County, Missouri. Bail was set at $20,000.

 Heather L. Kelly, 34, of OFallon, Illinois, was charged with retail theft under $300 (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. On July 6 Kelly allegedly took clothing, makeup and other merchandise valued at less than $300 from the Granite City Walmart. She has a 2011 conviction for forgery out of St. Clair County. Bail was set at $20,000.

 David A. Clark, 50, of Jacksonville, was charged with retail theft under $300 (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. On July 1 Clark took various food items valued at less than $300 from the Godfrey Walmart. He has a 1996 conviction for burglary out of Madison County. Bail was set at $15,000.
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WOOD RIVER  Riverbend residents soon will be able to relive the history of the Mississippi River Festival.

Starting Saturday, the Wood River Museum and Visitor Center at 40 W. Ferguson Ave. will showcase artifacts from the festival (MRF). The exhibit will be available 1-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays until July 30.

The MRF ran every summer 1969-1980 on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) campus. The exhibit is run by Lyle Ward who was not only involved with the MRF but was there at its inception.

The SIUE graduate started working for the college in 1965 at the SIUE University Center, now called the Morris University Center. Ward said the festival was to bridge the river and to get people on both sides of it to learn more about each other, and increase enrollment. The enrollment aspect was the goal for then SIUE President John Rendleman, according to Ward.

"He used students a lot and really trusted students," Ward said. "He was one of those people who never forgot a name."

SIUE entered an agreement with Peter Peter Pastreich, who was the managing director for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra at the time, to create a festival similar to those going on in New York, Washington D.C and other large cities.

"There was a lot of trust between those two organizations," Ward said.

Ward was director of the MRF from 1969 through 1977. In 1977, the control was turned over to the Cultural Arts Department of SIUE, which ran the festival until 1980. On May 22, 1981, SIUE officials announced the festival would not continue.

The outdoor venue was on a hill, forming a natural amphitheater characterized by a large circus-like tent, an acoustic shell at the bottom of the hill, and a single entrance area at the top of the hill. Students were able to attend shows at a discount.

Over the years, MRF hosted many of music's most popular acts through an agreement between the MRF and festivals in larger cities. The artists would use the MRF as a means to be selected for the other festivals.

Noted MRF performers included Ella Fitzgerald, The Grateful Dead, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Chick Corea, Yes, Chicago, Joan Baez, The Eagles and Ike and Tina Turner, along with the St. Louis Symphony. In addition, the festival hosted numerous dance troupes and theater performances.

In the first year of the festival, Bob Dylan did a short surprise performance with The Band. It was his first performance since a motorcycle accident in 1966.

In 1971, The Who made an appearance with Wishbone Ash, recording the MRF's largest attendance ever with about 32,000 in attendance, according to Ward.

Ward's favorite story is about comedian Bob Hope who Ward had to pick up from the airport.

"As soon as we left the airport, he started a conversation like we were old friends," Ward said. Hope asked about SIUE and the festival, never taking notes but using the information for his performance,

"He said, 'I've never given a concert with such an audience on grass,'" Ward recalled.

When Ward retired from SIUE in 2000, he was asked to display his festival memorabilia in an exhibit that was well received. He was asked twice more by SIUE to do an exhibit, in 2009 and 2019.

Space limitations in Wood River, however, will limit what Ward can display.

"I am always happy to share it (the exhibit) with people because even people my age and older were there on a regular basis," he said. "The number of people interested stretches through a long period of time."
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EAST ALTON  Though shes been grooming dogs since 1997, Sheri Harmon started Sheris Mobile Spaw just two and a half years ago during the pandemic.

Mobile grooming is something new for me, said Harmon, of East Alton, who began working with dogs in 1993 at a groomers business where her cousin worked.

During the holidays, Harmon's cousin recruited her to help out.

I started working in the kennel, scraping poop, Harmon recalled. Then bathing, and then got into grooming.

Harmons big opportunity came when the groomer she worked for was having a baby. Harmon took over managing her grooming business.

I learned how to groom, for real, Harmon said.

I always loved animals Harmon said. They saw I was a hard worker and I started bathing, and they wanted me to learn how to groom.

Harmon purchased her mobile dog grooming business trailer, thanks to the COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Harmon reverted to a mobile business with PPP assistance.

The Paycheck Protection Program was enacted by the U.S. Small Business Administration to give loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the height of the COVID crisis.

Not only did Harmon continue to work, she hired a groomer, Kristin Goretcke, of Edwardsville, owner of Tinas Pet Grooming, who closed the shop.

A lot of people know her from her shop, Harmon said.

During the pandemic, Harmon purchased the trailer from a friend who had been doing a mobile grooming for about seven years. She was ready to sell and Harmon bought her trailer.

Operating a mobile grooming business made sense to Harmon.

People didnt have to leave their homes, but I could go there and wear a mask while grooming, Harmon said, They just let me handle their dogs.

Most of Sheris Mobile Spaws clients are pre-set and booked two weeks out, but Sheris is accepting clients at this time.

Harmon said that mobile grooming cuts down on the animals anxiety, especially if they resist getting into a car.

People have us come because they cant get their dog in the car, or their dogs get car sick, or anxiety from being gone so long at a shop, Harmon noted.

All those things cut down dramatically with mobile grooming.

Clients furry companions, many of whom Harmon has groomed for years, remember her, she said.

They are really happy to come out and see us, Harmon said.

Im really good with dogs that have behavior issues," she noted. "Their owners will say Ill have trouble, but I have no trouble. Im known for being able to work with those type of animals. Theyre fine with me because Ive been doing this a long time, and Im confident in what I do. The dogs feel that, how confident I am, and that makes them feel better.

Sheri's Mobile Spaw grooming services include bath, blueberry facial, glands, ears cleaned, nails filed, conditioner, basic brush out, cologne and more.

Sheris Mobile Spaw goes anywhere in Madison County Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and Friday.

Harmon grew up in St. Louis and moved to Glen Carbon when she was 15. She started grooming dogs in Missouri, until about 2000, when she moved back to Illinois.

For more information, text Harmon at 618-670-3063 and/or follow Sheris Mobile Spaws Facebook page
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)  The first Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court was sworn in Thursday, celebrating the event as recognition of the undeniable value and merit women and people of color can offer.

Lisa Holder White, formerly a 4th District State Appellate Court justice, took the oath to replace the retiring Justice Rita Garman, who was the state's longest-serving active judge.

A 54-year-old Republican from Decatur, Holder White has sat on the bench for 21 years, beginning as an associate circuit judge in Macon County in 2001 with an oath administered by Garman.

In remarks at the ceremony in the Union Theater of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Holder White said that during a recent visit to the museum, she viewed one of the original copies of the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared Black slaves free when Lincoln issued it in 1863.

My heritage is a heritage that once involved minds and bodies that were shackled, and doors that were so, so long closed," Holder White said. Taking my oath in this place today... recognizes the undeniable value and merit of what I as a Black woman... have to contribute to the work of our states highest court.... It is a testimony to the notion that as women and people of color, we need not limit our dreams or settle for less because when we prepare ourselves, doors will open."

Garman, 78, who first donned the jurist's black robe 48 1/2 years ago, had been expected to seek a third, 10-year term on the Supreme Court in the November election before abruptly tendering her resignation in May. By delaying her departure until after the June 28 primary election, she spared Holder White from campaigning this fall. The vacancy's future will be put to the voters at the 2024 election.

Holder White's inauguration comes just a week after the U.S. Supreme Court welcomed its first Black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The Illinois high court's first Black member was Charles Freeman, who served from 1990 to 2018. The first woman was Mary Ann McMorrow, elected in 1992. With her assumption of the role of chief justice in 2002, McMorrow became the first woman to lead any of the state's three branches of government. She retired in 2006.

___

Follow Political Writer John OConnor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor
EDWARDSVILLE  A third of the Madison County Board members voting Wednesday to limit chairman Kurt Prenzler's powers won't be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

At Wednesday's special meeting that lasted nearly two hours, county board members voted 19-6 to remove some of Prenzlers powers. Seven of those votes were cast by board members who won't be a candidate this fall.

The board voted to amend county ordinances relating to the appointment and termination of appointed officials and department heads, and oversight for many of the countys day-to-day operations. Those powers will be transferred to a yet-to-be-named chairman pro tem.

Proponents said limited the chairman's powers had been considered for more than a year amid problems ranging from inept management to multiple personnel-related lawsuits. Prenzler blamed the vote on his support of a proposed Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) referendum.

Voting in favor of reducing the chairman's powers were Stacey Pace, R-Troy; Bobby Ross, R-St. Jacob; Mick Madison, R-Bethalto; Valerie Doucleff, R-Godfrey; Mike Walters, R-Godfrey; Michael Doc Holliday, D-Alton; Bill Stoutenborough, D-Alton; Bruce Malone, D-Alton; Robert Pollard, D-East Alton; Mike Babcock, R-Bethalto; Christopher Hankins, D-Pontoon Beach; Victor A. Valentine Jr., D-Edwardsville; Jack Minner, D-Edwardsville; Aaron Messner, R-Granite City; Denise Wiehardt, R-Granite City; John Eric Foster, R-Granite City; Nick Petrillo, D-Granite City; Gussie Glasper, D-Madison; and Jamie Goggin, R-Edwardsville.

Seven of those members  Walters, Foster, Glasper, Goggin, Malone, Minner and Messner  will not be on the Nov. 8 ballot because they are either retiring from the board or lost their June 28 primaries.

Voting against reducing the powers were Bill Meyer, R-Hamel; Dalton Gray, R-Troy; Matt King, D-East Alton; Chris Guy, R-Maryville; Liz Dalton, D-Collinsville; and Ryan Kneedler, R-Collinsville.

Members Judy Kuhn, R-Trenton; Terry Eaker, R-Bethalto; and Erica Conway-Harriss, R-Glen Carbon, were absent. Meyer, Doucleff and King participated in Wednesday's meeting by phone.

The meeting began with five public speakers, including two members of the Edgar County Watchdogs, an Illinois group that claimed the meeting and any action taken was improper because it failed to meet the Illinois Open Meetings Act requirements. They also questioned the validity of the county having a chairman pro tem.

Three speakers defended Prenzler, noting his selection in countywide elections and arguing voters should be able to vote on the PTELL referendum as sought by Prenzler.

Prenzler then went through a series of rulings he said made Wednesday's meeting and the ordinance out of order. In each case the board voted to override his rulings. Debate on the issues included an argument between Prenzler and Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine, one of five countywide Republican officeholders who on Tuesday issued a written statement backing the power limitations.

Prenzler said Haine was the board's attorney and, because of a conflict between the board and the chairman, Prenzler should have separate legal counsel as he had requested, but was not provided.

Prenzler said Wednesday's meeting did not meet the required four working days notice required by county ordinance. Notice was given at noon Friday; with the holiday weekend, the total notice time was 2 days. Haine said Wednesday's meeting was called under a different county ordinance that only required two days notice.

Prenzler referred the proposal to the boards Governmental Relations Committee as new business. However, Haine noted the special meeting was called for the sole purpose of addressing the issue.

Prenzler said a chairman pro tem is not technically allowed under the countys form of government. Instead, Prenzler said, the county should have a vice chairman whose only legal duty is to fill in for the chairman if he is absent.

Prenzler also said the ordinance was out of order because it transfers powers and duties from the elected chairman to a county administrator. That would require the administrators agreement, he said, and for the Personnel Committee to change the job description and compensation, because it increases the county administrators workload.

Several board members opposed the ordinance out of deference to the chairmans position, saying the position is elected by voters throughout the county. At times, the discussion became personal.

Wiehardt, who lost her primary race to a Prenzler-backed opponent, criticized a letter he sent stating her opponent was what a woman should be; married to her husband ... for 20 years. Wiehardt is a regional program manager for the St Louis Crisis Nursery, an agency that serves women and children in crisis.

I was saddened, but not surprised, Wiehardt said in a released statement after the vote. How dare he decide what a 'real woman' should be? Though I am divorced, I am very proud of the children I have raised and the career that Ive built. I find his letter disturbing and offensive.

Ive dedicated my life to serving real women in very difficult situations, said Wiehardt. This comment was personally offensive to many and the last straw. He has lost my confidence in his ability to lead.

Prenzler apologized for the letter during Wednesday's meeting, saying he had taken the language from a template letter written for another candidate, John J. Janek, who defeated Foster in the primary. At that point Foster jumped in, complaining about "misogynic" and "homophobic actions by Prenzler, but offering no details.

Democratic Party Chairman Randy Harris attacked Republicans in a press release issued after the meeting, calling it one of the worst, most blatant, and egregious examples of sour grapes after an election.

The Republicans are admitting they simply cannot be trusted to be adults and run the county, Harris said. "This effort is just another reason people are disgusted and fed up with politics and the trust of our government is at an all-time low.
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MOSCOW (AP)  With Russia's military action in Ukraine in its fifth month, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow's terms or brace for the worst, adding ominously that Russia has barely started its action.

Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament, Putin accused Western allies of fueling the hostilities, charging that "the West wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian.

It's a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it looks like it's heading in that direction, he added.

Everybody should know that largely speaking, we havent even yet started anything in earnest, Putin said in a menacing note.

He declared that Russia remains ready to sit down for talks to end the fighting, adding that those who refuse to do so should know that the longer it lasts the more difficult it will be for them to make a deal with us.

We are hearing that they want to defeat us on the battlefield, Putin said. Let them try.

Earlier in the conflict, the Kremlin demanded that Kyiv acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, and recognize the independence of Moscow-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. Moscow also said it expected Ukraine to bow to the existing situation on the ground, a reference to other land gains it has made since Russian troops rolled into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

After failing to capture Kyiv and other big cities in Ukraine's northeast early in the campaign, the Russian military shifted its focus to the eastern industrial heartland of Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian troops since 2014.

Earlier this week, the Russian military claimed control of the Luhansk province, one of the two that make up Donbas, and is preparing to press its offensive into the second one, Donetsk.

In the early stages of the conflict, Russia won control of the southern Kherson region and part of neighboring Zaporizhzhia. Moscow is expected eventually to try to cut Ukraine off from its Black Sea coast all the way to the Romanian border. If successful, it would deal a crushing blow to the Ukrainian economy and also create a corridor to Moldovas separatist region of Transnistria, where Russia maintains a military base.

Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that the West is using the conflict in Ukraine to try to isolate and weaken Russia.

They simply don't need such a country as Russia, Putin said. This is why they have used terrorism, separatism and internal destructive forces in our country.

He charged that Western sanctions against Russia have failed to achieve their goal of sowing division and strife in our society and demoralizing our people.

The course of history is unstoppable, and attempts by the collective West to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail, Putin said.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, responded on Twitter: "There is no plan by the collective West and only a Russian army entered Ukraine.
HARTFORD  Park projects in Hartford, Carrollton and Roodhouse are among 87 selected to share $30.3 million in grants to acquire open space and develop and improve recreational facilities.



Hartford will receive $90,000 for Lewis and Clark Tower Park. Carrollton will receive $200,000 for improvements to Fry Park. And Roodhouse will receive $400,000 for improvements to REZ Park.

Investments in our local parks are investments in our communities, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday. Park projects dont just create jobs and boost local economic development  they open the gateway for a healthier, happier Illinois. Every family in our state deserves nearby access to outdoor public spaces where they can gather with their friends and neighbors  and enjoy some sunshine, too.



The grants announced today are through the states Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). OSLAD grants can provide up to one-half of a projects funds and, when combined with the investment of local matching funds, will support more than $56 million in local park development projects and land acquisitions statewide.



The OSLAD program began in 1987 and has invested $433.5 million in 1,816 local park projects. The program receives dedicated funding from a percentage of the states Real Estate Transfer Tax.


EDWARDSVILLE  An Alton man and an OFallon man both allegedly used vehicles as weapons in separate cases and have been charged with aggravated battery by the Madison County States Attorneys Office.

Samuel T. Taylor III, 35, of Alton, was charged July 7 with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor.

The case was presented by the Alton Police Department.

According to court documents, on June 12 Taylor allegedly used a 2009 Nissan Armada to strike a 2015 Ford Explorer being driven by a household or family member.

Bail was set at $30,000.

In an unrelated case, Derek D. Brown, 33, of OFallon, Illinois, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery, both Class 3 felonies.

The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department.

According to court documents, on June 29 Brown allegedly used a 2004 Chevrolet Impala to strike another many in an alley in the 700 block of Vandalia, Collinsville.

Bail was set at $50,000.

Other felony charges filed July 7 include:

 Lindsey K. Quigley, 31, and Nicholas K. Stoeckel, 32, both of the same address in Wood River, were charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The cases were presented by the Wood River Police Department. According to court documents, on April 22 Quigley allegedly sprayed a man in the face with pepper spray and Stoeckel allegedly hit the victim at the Wood River Hit N Run. Bail was set at $30,000 each.

 Madelyn K. Bryant, 20, of Edwardsville, was charged with criminal damage to government supported property over $500, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. On June 30 Bryant allegedly damaged a laptop valued in excess of $500 belonging to the Edwardsville School District. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Melvin S. Surratt IV, 36, of Godfrey, was charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the East Alton Police Department. On June 22 Surratt allegedly was driving a 2008 Dodge Caravan when he fled from an East Alton police officer, reaching speeds in excess of 21 miles above the posted speed limit. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Edgar R. Desantiago, 31, of Dupo, was charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On May 4, DeSantiago allegedly was driving a Chevrolet Equinox when he fled from a Collinsville police officer, disobeying at least two traffic control devices. Bail was set at $25,000.

 Clinton R. Gibson, 45, of Granite City, was charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. On June 26 Gibson was driving a 2016 Nissan Sentra when he fled from a Madison County Sheriffs Deputy, reaching speeds in excess of 21 miles above the posted speed limit. Bail was set at $15,000.
Lucinda Turner is pictured with her artwork, Shaman in a Trance, in 1992. She died at 63 early this week. (Burke Museum/YouTube - image credit)

Indigenous artists and allies are mourning the death of Lucinda Turner, a British Columbian artist who worked to expose fraudulent Indigenous artworks, and helped repatriate Indigenous artifacts to their rightful owners. Turner died on Monday at the age of 63.

Turner was born to British immigrants in 1958. After studying art at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, she started working as an apprentice for Nisga'a master sculptor and carver Norman Tait in 1991.

Over 26 years, Turner and Tait created notable artworks, including eagle- and salmon-shaped carvings commissioned by the former Vancouver Stock Exchange.

After Tait passed away in 2016, Turner retired. When she discovered copies of Tait's work being passed off as originals, she devoted her time to exposing other artworks falsely claiming to be Indigenous North Coast art.

In 2017, she created a Facebook group where she challenged and posted about Indigenous artworks in Canada that claimed to be authentic. The group currently has more than 4,300 members.

In an interview with CBC News in December 2017, Turner said she discovered that the fakes were being mass produced, undercutting Indigenous artists and making it harder for young First Nations carvers to make a living.

Burke Museum/YouTube

In support of Indigenous artists, Turner, together with members of the Facebook group, also wrote to online sellers whose products  including masks, t-shirts, coffee mugs and pillows  copied North Coast artworks and designs without permission, and requested for those products to be removed. She shared these efforts in an open letter to various government agencies last November in hopes of raising awareness on the issue.

Turner once gave a lecture at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle about imitation carving manufactured and imported from overseas, including Indonesia and the Philippines. She said one of them, an imitation of Tait's Medicine Beaver carving, sold for $160 online.

Story continues

Among other fakes she identified were reproductions of 19th-century carvings in major museums, such as a beaver rattle from the British Museum in London, and imitations of artwork by contemporary northwest coast artists, including acclaimed carver Bill Reid.

WATCH | Lucinda Turner Burke Museum lecture on the misappropriation of Indigenous art

'The kind of ally that we need'

Victoria-based Kwagiulth artist Carey Newman, a member of Turner's Facebook group, says Turner's efforts to expose imitation First Nations artworks may be "a game of whack-a-mole" given the rapid growth of the problem, but he says he has a deep appreciation for her as a non-Indigenous person who worked tirelessly to fight for the interests of First Nations artists.

"Lucinda was the kind of ally that we need more when we talk about reconciliation, when we talk about decolonization and building better relationships," Newman said.

Courtesy of Carey Newman

Turner also lobbied the federal government for greater protection for Indigenous artists and called for a law  similar to one in the U.S.  that would impose hefty fines for selling fake Indigenous art.

The U.S. Indian Arts and Crafts Act criminalizes misrepresentation and copying of Indigenous art. The U.S. also has a hotline dedicated to reporting fake Indigenous artworks.

A growing number of advocates, including art historian and Sen. Patricia Bovey, are pushing for reforms in Canadian copyright law in order to give more protection to Indigenous artists. Bovey recently called for a mechanism to track down foreign companies fabricating Indigenous works or failing to pay artists' royalties.

Bree Madory, a U.S.-based administrator of Turner's Facebook group, says she learned a lot from Turner how to identify fake Native American art, and adds that Turner's knowledge has enlightened many fellow Americans on the issue.

"[Turner's influence] really has no borders  anyone from anywhere can learn from her," Madory said.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsins conservative-controlled Supreme Court ruled Friday that absentee ballot drop boxes may be placed only in election offices and that no one other than the voter can return a ballot in person, dealing a defeat to Democrats who said the decision would make it harder to vote in the battleground state.

However, the court didn't address whether anyone other than the voter can return his or her own ballot by mail. That means that anyone could still collect multiple ballots for voters and, instead of using a drop box, put them in the mail.

Republicans have argued that practice, known as ballot harvesting, is rife with fraud although there has been no evidence of that happening in Wisconsin. Democrats and others argue that many voters, particularly the elderly and disabled, have difficulty returning their ballots without the assistance of others.

Supporters argue drop boxes are a better option than mailing ballots because they go directly to the clerks and can't be lost or delayed in transit.

Twenty-nine other states allow for absentee ballot drop boxes, according to the U.S. Vote Foundation.

The decision sets absentee ballot rules for the Aug. 9 primary and the fall election; Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers are seeking reelection in key races.

Johnson and other Republicans hailed it as a win for voter integrity.

This decision is a big step in the right direction, Johnson said.

Evers and other Democrats said the ruling will make it more difficult for people to vote.

Its a slap in the face of democracy itself, said Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler.

Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson, a Democrat, said ballot drop boxes are "monitored, secure, and provide citizens a way to cast their ballot safely. He vowed to work within the confines of the law to provide as much access to the polls as possible in Milwaukee County, home to the state's largest population of Democrats.

It's good that the court still allows returning a ballot by mail, but voters should have as many options as possible, including drop boxes, said Shauntay Nelson, state director of the advocacy group All Voting is Local.

The courts 4-3 ruling has critical implications in the 2024 presidential race, in which Wisconsin will again be among a handful of battleground states. President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in 2020 by just under 21,000 votes, four years after Trump narrowly won the state by a similar margin.

The popularity of absentee voting exploded during the pandemic in 2020, with more than 40% of all voters casting mail ballots, a record high. At least 500 drop boxes were set up in more than 430 communities for the election that year, including more than a dozen each in Madison and Milwaukee  the states two most heavily Democratic cities.

After Trump lost the state, he and Republicans alleged that drop boxes facilitated cheating, even though they offered no evidence. Democrats, election officials and some Republicans argued the boxes are secure.

The conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty sued in 2021. State law is silent on drop boxes. The court said the absence of a prohibition in state law does not mean that drop boxes are legal.

Nothing in the statutory language detailing the procedures by which absentee ballots may be cast mentions drop boxes or anything like them, Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote for the majority.

The court said absentee ballots can be returned only to the clerk's office or a designated alternative site but that site cannot be an unstaffed drop box. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission had told local election officials the boxes can be placed at multiple locations and that ballots can be returned by people other than the voter, but put that on hold pending the Supreme Courts ruling.

Rick Esenberg, president of the conservative law firm that brought the case, said the ruling provides substantial clarity on the legal status of absentee ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting. He said it also makes clear that state law, not guidance from the Elections Commission, is the final word on how elections are run.

Concerns about the safety of drop boxes expressed by the majority is downright dangerous to our democracy Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote in the dissent.

But concerns about drop boxes alone dont fuel the fires questioning election integrity, she wrote. Rather, the kindling is primarily provided by voter suppression efforts and the constant drumbeat of unsubstantiated rhetoric in opinions like this one, not actual voter fraud.

Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature have also tried to enact laws limiting the use of absentee ballots, but Evers has vetoed them.

Republicans have made similar moves since Trumps defeat to tighten access to ballots in other battleground states.

Bradley was joined in the majority by fellow conservative Justices Patience Roggensack, Brian Hagedorn and Chief Justice Annette Ziegler. In addition to Ann Walsh Bradley, fellow liberal Justices Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky dissented.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 71F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
The clattering train of government has not been brought to a total halt by the shenanigans in the Tory party.

Desirable tax changes, including the reversal of next year's swingeing corporation tax rise from 19 per cent to 25 per cent, are off the Cabinet table but will feature on the hustings.

In the City, a new chairman for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) comes none too soon. Ashley Alder has been plucked from the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong, not always the happiest of hunting grounds for City enforcers.

Political vacuum: One of the great potential wins for Britain outside the EU is the ability to cut itself loose from Brussels red tape

Martin Wheatley, the Hong Kong regulator-turned-FCA chief who 'promised to shoot now and ask questions later', was removed in 2015 by then Chancellor George Osborne. He managed to wipe billions of pounds off the stock market value of UK insurers with an ill-timed briefing.

The FCA could do with an injection of energy. Unfortunately, Alder will not be making an immediate difference as he won't start his 170,000-a-year job until 2023.

As a Hong Kong regulator, it would be fascinating to know what Alder did to preserve freebooting capitalism there during Beijing's clampdowns on political and economic freedoms. One also wonders what he made of the London Metal Exchange's (LME) botched handling of the nickel market at the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange owns the LME, which is the subject of an unpublished probe by the Bank of England and the FCA.

It was hoped that the arrival of Nikhil Rathi as the FCA's chief executive, after the leadership of Bank Governor Andrew Bailey, would see the backlog of unfinished business cleared.

A dozen years after the great financial crisis a report into managerial culpability at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) is still tied up in legal knots.

The outcome of another quest to find out whether there was a cover-up by Lloyds, over the fraud at the former HBOS branch in Reading, is still unknown.

This writer and many readers await publication of a probe into how up to 1billion of savings were placed at risk when Neil Woodford's investment funds were shuttered in 2019. The scandal is a permanent shadow over the FCA, the authorised director of the Woodford funds Link and investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, which shamelessly promoted the crashed outfit.

Industrial action: The FCA has been the subject of ill-tempered industrial action

If all this were not enough, the FCA has been the subject of ill-tempered industrial action and is tasked with getting Brexit done for the financial services sector.

It doesn't help that the City Minister John Glen, trusted in the Square Mile, is a victim of the Tory leadership struggle.

One of the great potential wins for Britain outside the EU is the ability to cut itself loose from Brussels red tape.

As the Bank of England's top regulator Sam Woods has noted it is a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape insurance regulation'. Whether that can happen in a political vacuum is unclear.

Nigel Wilson, chief executive of insurer Legal & General, wants early action on an overhaul of the rules.

If it doesn't happen, prized investment in infrastructure could escape to the US and elsewhere. The self-inflicted Tory leader ship tussle exposes the Square Mile to serious jeopardy.

Blunted arrows

Very few Japanese politicians have left as great a mark on the global economic thinking as Shinzo Abe. His assassination is a tragedy not just for the Japanese people but for radical ideas.

Abe's 'three arrows reform' of flexible fiscal policy, monetary expansion and structural reform jolted Japan out of the inertia which led to the 'lost decade' after the collapse of its real estate bubble and a period of deflation.

When I reported on the crisis two decades ago, Japan seemed a lost cause.

Parks were turned into neat, tented cities for the unemployed, and families were trapped in negative equity.

Since then there have been bursts of innovation, with Japan at the front of the pack with hybrid and hydrogen cars, advanced electronics and carbon fibre for a new generation of aircraft.

Abe's $116billion fiscal package in 2013 was designed to restore a consistent 2 per cent level of growth. Targets were not fully achieved but Abe hauled Japan back from deflation, restoring faith in capitalism when the postwar miracle looked to have dissipated.
BEIJING, July 8 -- A naval rescue detachment under the PLA Northern Theater Command conducted a rescue training drill of wrecked submarine in a sea area off Qingdao, Shandong Province.

Some sea, air and submarine rescue forces participated in the drill, including the PLA's only deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV). It docked with a submarine rescue platform under the water to evacuate the crew members.
Support for environmental and social topics among energy companies slipped meaningfully this year, according to a report by the Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY).

Backing for environmental, social and governance (ESG) proposals at shareholder ballots during this years annual general meeting (AGM) season fell from last years highs, as minds turned to matters of energy security amid the burgeoning crisis.

Updated guidance from the US Securities and Exchange Commission about how no action requests from corporates would be handled led to an increase in the overall environmental and social ballots lodged.

However, RBC said investors on the whole were not enamoured by the prescriptive nature of some of the shareholder proposals, which they believed may not have made it to the vote in previous years.

This ties in with comments from BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, earlier this year that it will not vote in favour of as many shareholder resolutions at AGM this year as many were too prescriptive and demanding for companies.

While the number of governance proposals on the ballot far exceeded prior years, RBC said support for these resolutions slipped compared to 2021.

A significant portion of climate-related resolutions on the ballot this year related to greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, both near and long term. Some focused on aligning climate disclosures and targets with existing policy frameworks.

Whereas proposals targeting the industrial and consumer sectors saw high levels of support, those focused on financed emissions saw low support levels, RBC said in its report.

One area of environmental governance that received widespread backing was around sustainable packaging and plastic waste at retailers, which the bank said gleaned higher than last year.

However, political lobbying made up a smaller portion of total shareholder proposals this year, a change from during the tail-end of the pandemic last year when healthcare, industrial and communication sector lobbying was top of the agenda.

Racial equity audits also reached the ballot papers this year, especially in the finance sector, and were particularly popular with many getting majority support.

This year we saw this topic increase in focus, with proposals targeting a much broader mix of sectors, the bank said in its report.

Ballot issues such as concealment clauses around harassment and discrimination, and disclosures on racial and gender pay gaps also received very high support levels.
Global mining giant BHP has lost an appeal in a London court that sought to block a 5billion lawsuit by 200,000 Brazilians over a 2015 dam failure that triggered the South American country's worst environmental disaster.

In what claimant lawyers described as a 'monumental judgment', the Court of Appeal overturned previous judgments and ruled that the group legal claim could proceed in the UK.

The lawsuit will be one of the largest ever to be contested in the English courts.

Disaster: The collapse of the Fundao dam killed 19 people as more than 40m cubic metres of mud and mining waste swept into the Doce river

'The days of huge corporations doing what they want in countries on the other side of the world and getting away with it are over,' said Tom Goodhead, managing partner of law firm PGMBM, which represents Brazilian individuals, businesses, churches and municipalities.

BHP, the world's largest mining company by market value with shares listed in London and Sydney, said it would consider a Supreme Court appeal.

The collapse of the Fundao dam, owned by the Samarco venture between BHP and Brazilian iron ore mining giant Vale, killed 19 people as more than 40million cubic metres of mud and mining waste swept into the Doce river, obliterating villages and reaching the Atlantic Ocean more than 400 miles away.

The lawsuit is the latest to establish whether multinational companies can be held liable on their home turf for the conduct of overseas subsidiaries, emulating cases brought in London against miner Vedanta and oil giant Shell over alleged pollution and oil spills in Africa.

BHP has dismissed the case as pointless and wasteful, saying it duplicates legal proceedings and reparation and repair programmes in Brazil, which will already cost nearly 5billion.

But claimant lawyers argue most clients have not brought proceedings in Brazil or sought compensation that excludes them from English proceedings, and that Brazilian litigation is too lengthy to provide full redress in a realistic period of time.

The case had a turbulent start after both the High Court and, initially, the Court of Appeal had blocked it for being 'irredeemably unmanageable'.

But yesterday, senior judges said there was a realistic prospect of a future trial yielding a 'real and legitimate advantage' for claimants.
As a result of the change in focus to British Columbia, the company said it will not pursue its interests on any claims in Nevada

American Eagle Gold Corp (TSX-V:AE) said it has decided to make a strategic shift to focus on exploration in Canada as it confirmed plans to change the name of the company to Drillore Exploration Inc.

The news came as the company announced that at its annual and special meeting of its shareholders held on June 3, 2022, each item of business placed before the shareholders was approved, including the re-election of the current board of directors and the change of the name.

The company said its focus will be exploring the NAK copper-gold porphyry project in Central British Columbia (BC). Since the acquisition of NAK in December 2021, an extraordinary amount of work has been put into the property, justifying the company's decision to focus its attention on exploring this property.

Therefore, American Eagle said, it will exit the USA and focus on expanding its presence in BC by making a discovery, defining a resource at NAK and further consolidating the area.

The company noted that the vast amount of historical data and new interpretations on NAK has provided confidence that a high-grade underground deposit could exist. Compared to exploring in Nevada, it said, BC offers a far superior risk-reward ratio, making it in the best interest of shareholders to shift focus to a jurisdiction that is more cost-effective for exploration drilling and managing a business.

At NAK, drilling will begin this year, and the company said it will test 5-7 drill site locations with a minimum of 3,000 metres (m) of drilling. The company added that it has contracted ITL Drilling, and drills will begin turning within two weeks of receiving permits.

The company pointed out that historical results at NAK have been encouraging, with the majority of the historical drill holes ending in copper and gold mineralization. The property exhibits an extensive copper-gold bearing alteration footprint with indications of higher grades occurring at depth. Historical drilling has been restricted to the upper parts of the mineralized alteration zone and limited drilling has been undertaken below a vertical depth of 170m. NAK shows strong geological similarities with Newcrest's Red Chris and Newmont's Saddle copper-gold deposits located to the north of NAK.

As a result of the change in focus, the company said will not pursue its interests on any claims in Nevada as its management believes that NAK and other opportunities in the company's strategy offer better prospects and higher potential risk-adjusted returns for shareholders.

American Eagle Gold is fully funded for NAK's 2022 exploration program and is awaiting its permit to begin drilling. It has contracted C.J. Greig and Associates to advise and execute the company's exploration program at NAK.

The company thinks the NAK project offers it a valuable risk-reward proposition to drill test a new geophysical feature within a well-understood geologic environment. NAK's known copper-gold porphyry mineralization is open at depth and is defined by a compelling geophysical signature analogous to Newcrest's Red Chris Mine and Newmont's Saddle deposit located in Northwest BC.

The drilling targets of NAK were defined and supported by the analysis and reinterpretation of geochemical, geophysics and drilling data, all of which demonstrated coincidental anomalies.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Shinzo Abe, Japans longest-serving prime minister, was in grave condition on Friday after being shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, with public broadcaster NHK saying a man with what appeared to be a homemade gun opened fired on him.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting in the western city of Nara in the strongest terms.

Japanese people and world leaders expressed shock at the assassination attempt, an extremely rare attack in Japan that its political parties condemned.

Struggling to keep emotions in check, Kishida said Abe, 67, was in grave condition and the assault on him during the campaign for Sundays upper house election was an unacceptable attack on the foundation of Japans democracy.

Everything that can be done is being done to revive him. Im praying from the depths of my heart that his life will be saved, Kishida told reporters. He said he was not aware of any motive for the absolutely unforgivable attack.

Earlier, a fire department official said Abe appeared to be in a state of cardiac arrest when airlifted to hospital.

Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting had been arrested. NHK quoted the suspect, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, as telling police he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him.

Abe was making a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out at about 11:30 a.m. (0230 GMT). Security officials were then seen tackling a man in a grey T-shirt and beige trousers.

There was a loud bang and then smoke, businessman Makoto Ichikawa, who was at the scene, told Reuters, adding that the gun was the size of a television camera.

The first shot, no one knew what was going on, but after the second shot, what looked like special police tackled him.

Kyodo published a photograph of Abe lying face-up on the street by a guardrail, blood on his white shirt. People were crowded around him, one administering heart massage.

TBS Television reported that Abe had been shot on the left side of his chest and apparently also in the neck.

Political violence is rare in Japan, a country with strict gun regulations.

In 2007 the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword.

Senior Japanese politicians are accompanied by armed security agents but often get close to the public, especially during political campaigns when they make roadside speeches and shake hands with passersby.

Airo Hino, political science professor at Waseda University, said such a shooting was unprecedented in Japan.

There has never been anything like this, he said.

Police said the suspected shooter was a resident of Nara. Media said he had served in Japans military.

Abe served two terms as prime minister, stepping down in 2020 citing ill health. But he has remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), controlling one of its major factions.

Kishida, Abes protege, had been hoping to use the election to emerge from Abes shadow and define his premiership, analysts have said. Kishida suspended his election campaign after Abes shooting.

VERY SAD

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern over Abes condition.

Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan, Blinken said on the sidelines of a G20 meeting on the Indonesian island of Bali. This is a very, very sad moment. And were awaiting news from Japan.

The United States is Japans most important ally.

The yen rose and Japans Nikkei index (.N225) fell on news of the shooting, partially driven by a knee-jerk flight to safety.

Abe is best known for his Abenomics policy of aggressive monetary easing and fiscal spending.

He also bolstered defence spending after years of declines and expanded the militarys ability to project power abroad.

In a historic shift in 2014, his government reinterpreted the postwar, pacifist constitution to allow troops to fight overseas for the first time since World War Two.

The following year, legislation ended a ban on exercising the right of collective self-defence, or defending a friendly country under attack.

Abe, however, did not achieve his long-held goal of revising the U.S.-drafted constitution by writing the Self-Defense Forces, as Japans military in known, into the pacifist Article 9.

Abe first took office in 2006 as Japans youngest prime minister since World War Two. After a year plagued by political scandals, voter outrage at lost pension records, and an election drubbing for his ruling party, Abe quit citing ill health.

He became prime minister again in 2012.

Abe hails from a wealthy political family that included a foreign minister father and a grandfather who served as premier.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japans longest-serving leader, died on Friday hours after he was shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country in which political violence is rare and guns are tightly controlled.

The shooter opened fire on Abe, 67, from behind as the former premier addressed members of the public on a drab traffic island in the western city of Nara. Japanese media reported that the weapon appeared to be a homemade gun.

This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections  the very foundation of our democracy  and is absolutely unforgivable, said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Abes protege, struggling to keep his emotions in check.

It was the first killing of a sitting or former Japanese leader since a 1936 coup attempt, when several figures including two ex-premiers were assassinated.

Doctors were unable to revive Abe, who was taken to hospital in cardiopulmonary arrest and showing no vital signs. He was declared dead at 5:03 p.m. (0803 GMT), about five and a half hours after being shot.

He bled to death from deep wounds to the heart and the right side of his neck, despite receiving more than 100 units of blood in transfusions over four hours, Hidetada Fukushima, the professor in charge of emergency medicine at Nara Medical University Hospital, told a televised news conference.

Police said a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting had been arrested. NHK quoted the suspect, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, as telling police he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him. The suspect told police he had made multiple handmade explosives and guns in the past, NHK said.

BANG AND THEN SMOKE

Reuters Graphics

Abe was making a campaign speech outside a train station when two shots rang out. Security officials were then seen tackling a man in a grey T-shirt and beige trousers.

There was a loud bang and then smoke, businessman Makoto Ichikawa, who was at the scene, told Reuters.

The first shot, no one knew what was going on, but after the second shot, what looked like special police tackled him.

Kyodo news service published a photograph of Abe lying face-up on the street by a guardrail, blood on his white shirt. People were crowded around him, one administering heart massage.

Later in the day, members of the public laid flowers near the spot where Abe fell.

Senior Japanese politicians are accompanied by armed security agents but often get close to the public, especially during political campaigns when they make roadside speeches and shake hands with passersby.

Political violence is rare in post-war Japan. In 2007, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword. A few other prominent politicians have been attacked but not injured.

Police said the suspected shooter was a resident of Nara. Media said he had served in Japans military for three years until 2005.

Abe served two terms as prime minister, stepping down in 2020 citing ill health. But he remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), controlling one of its major factions.

Kishida, who came to power last year, had been hoping to use the election to emerge from Abes shadow and define his premiership, analysts have said. Kishida suspended his election campaign after the shooting. All main political parties condemned the attack.

VERY, VERY SAD

Speaking on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Indonesia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the assassination of Abe shocking and profoundly disturbing and described him as a leader of great vision.

The United States is Japans most important ally.

Similar messages of sympathy and shock poured in from around the world following news of Abes death, including from neighbouring Taiwan, China and Russia, as well as from across Asia, Europe and the United States.

The yen rose and Japans Nikkei index (.N225) fell on news of the shooting, partially driven by a knee-jerk flight to safety.

Abe is best known for his Abenomics policy of aggressive monetary easing and fiscal spending.

He also bolstered defence spending after years of declines and expanded the militarys ability to project power abroad.

In a historic shift in 2014, his government reinterpreted the postwar, pacifist constitution to allow troops to fight overseas for the first time since World War Two.

The following year, legislation ended a ban on exercising the right of collective self-defence, or defending a friendly country under attack.

Abe, however, never achieved his goal of revising the U.S.-drafted constitution by writing the Self-Defense Forces, as Japans military is known, into the pacifist Article 9.

Abe first took office in 2006 as Japans youngest prime minister since World War Two. After a year plagued by political scandals, voter outrage at lost pension records, and an election drubbing for his ruling party, Abe quit citing ill health.

He became prime minister again in 2012.

Abe hailed from a wealthy political family that included a foreign minister father and a grandfather who served as premier.

SOURCE: REUTERS
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the raising of the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island in the Black Sea was a sign his country would not be broken, as President Vladimir Putin warned the West that its efforts to defeat him would bring tragedy to Ukraine.

In a hawkish speech to parliamentary leaders more than four months into the war, Putin said Russia had barely got started in Ukraine and the prospects for negotiation would grow dimmer the longer the conflict dragged on.

We have heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that everything is heading towards this, he said.

Zelenskiy, in his nightly video message on Thursday, responded with defiance, saying that the two-month operation to retake Snake Island was a warning to all Russian forces.

Let every Russian captain, aboard a ship or a plane, see the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island and let him know that our country will not be broken, he said.Advertisement  Scroll to continueReport an ad

Snake Island, a speck south of the port of Odesa, has become a symbol of Ukrainian determination.

In February, when ordered to surrender the small Ukrainian garrison on the island swore at their Russian attackers and were hit by an air strike.

Russia abandoned the island at the end of June in what it said was a gesture of goodwill  a victory for Ukraine that Kyiv hoped could loosen Moscows blockade of Ukrainian ports.

On Thursday Ukraines raised its blue-and-yellow flag on its recaptured Snake Island. Moscow responded with its warplanes striking the island and destroying part of the Ukrainian detachment there, it said.

Putin invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, in what he called a special military operation to demilitarise Ukraine, root out dangerous nationalists and protect Russian speakers. Ukraine and its allies say Russia launched an imperial-style land grab.

The biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two has killed thousands, displaced millions and flattened scores of Ukrainian cities. Kyiv and the West accuse Russian forces of war crimes, but Moscow says it does not target civilians.

KEY ALLY LOST

On Thursday, Kyiv lost one of its main international supporters after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would step down. Moscow did not conceal its delight at the political demise of a leader whom it has long criticised for arming Kyiv so energetically.

In a phone call, Johnson told Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskiy Youre a hero, everybody loves you, a spokesman for Johnson said.

Britains support for Ukraine will not change whatever happens in the corridors of power in London. Boris and all our friends in the United Kingdom have assured us of that, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

Johnsons resignation comes at a time of domestic turmoil in some other European countries that support Kyiv and doubts about their staying power for what has become a protracted conflict.

After failing to quickly take the capital Kyiv, Russia is now engaged in a war of attrition in Ukraines eastern, industrial heartland of the Donbas.

On Sunday, Moscow declared it had liberated the Luhansk region and now plans to capture parts of neighbouring Donetsk it does not control. Luhansk and Donetsk make up the Donbas.

The mayor of the Donetsk city of Kramatorsk said Russian forces had fired missiles at the city centre in an air strike on Thursday and that at least one person was killed and six wounded.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region, said the missile had damaged six buildings including a hotel and an apartment bloc in the large industrial hub.

Reuters could not independently verify those assertions.

RUSSIAN FANTASY

In Kramatorsk, mechanic-turned-soldier Artchk helped shore up defences against imminent Russian attack while, nearby, farmer Vasyl Avramenko lamented the loss of crops supplanted by mines.

Of course were already prepared. Were ready, Artchk, identifying himself by his nom-de-guerre, told Reuters.

Its their (Russians) fantasy to occupy these cities, but they dont expect the level of resistance. Its not just the Ukrainian government, its the people who refuse to accept them.

The regional governor of the northeastern city of Kharkiv said late on Thursday that three people had been killed and another five wounded after Russian forces shelled the city.

In the aftermath, bodies lying on the ground near a park bench were covered in sheets by emergency services. Two women who had gone out to feed cats in the area had been killed, said local resident Yurii Chernomorets.

A man fell to his knees weeping as the bloodied corpse of his wife was placed in a body bag. He kissed her hand.

Dad, she is dead, please get up, said a man who identified himself as their son.

Source: Reuters
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ALBANY - Gov. Kathy Hochul is still deciding whether to sign a bill passed by the Legislature last month that would benefit the families of the Schoharie limo crash victims and others who have filed wrongful death lawsuits.

The bill is known as the Grieving Families Act and would substantially expand how much economic exposure defendants have in such cases. It has been opposed by the insurance lobby. It would allow for the recovery of emotional damages, instead of just the economic damages now allowed in New York courts. It would also expand which family members could sue in such cases.

"Gov. Hochul is reviewing the legislation," Hochul spokesperson Avi Small told the Times Union Friday.

The state Senate passed the bill 57-6 on June 2, with state Sen. Neil Breslin among the six senators who opposed the legislation. Breslin, a Bethlehem Democrat who could not be immediately reached for comment, also voted against the bill in several prior committee votes.

The Assembly passed the bill the same day.

Although some news outlets have previously reported that Hochul is expected to sign the bill into law, Small said the governor does not comment on pending legislation before she signs it into law. The bill has yet to be sent to Hochul by the state Senate, so she cannot technically sign it until that task is completed.

The office of state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins did not respond to a request for comment.

The families of the victims of the 2018 Schoharie limo crash, which killed 20 people, have supported the Grieving Families Act, along with NYPIRG, which is the non-profit New York Public Interest Research Group.

Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein of Brooklyn, who was first elected in 1980 and is the longest-serving woman in the history of Assembly, said she has been working to expand the wrongful death laws in New York for three decades.

"It is well known that New York's antiquated wrongful death law has had a disproportionate effect upon women, children,

and senior citizens, by valuing their lives at a fraction of the worth of others," Weinstein said back in May about her support of the bill. "This is why I have been fighting to change this law for nearly 30 years."

Still, the state Supreme Court judge overseeing evidence discovery in the Schoharie limo crash civil lawsuits in Albany, says that the delay of the signing of the bill is causing some headaches.

"Given the uncertainties about whether the pending Grieving Families Act will be signed into law, the schedule for completing paper discovery and depositions is otherwise being held in abeyance," Acting Justice of the Supreme Court Denise Hartman wrote attorneys in the cases on June 17.
In an effort to engage students before theyre old enough to vote, the Ulster County Board of Elections launched a contest in 2021 inviting 13- to 18-year-olds to submit art to be used on the I Voted stickers handed out on election days. Last years winner was a tidy red, white and blue graphic with stars, designed by Giuliana DiBenedetto of New Paltz High School.

This year, an entirely different type of concept looks set to win, featuring a quirky multicolored monster with a humanoid head, bloodshot bug eyes, and spider-like legs. Its teeth look like Chiclets. Its hair is a wild scribble of bright lines. On the right-hand side of the sticker, the words I VOTED pop out in a thickly painted blood-red text. It looks as if the monster is screaming his (or her) civic commitment.

The design is by Hudson Rowan, a 14-year-old from Marbletown who will attend Rondout High School in the fall. Rowan learned about the Ulster Votes contest from his mom, who has taken him to the polls with her in the past. I wasnt totally jumping at it but thought Ill give it a shot, see what happens. I wasnt expecting it to go anywhere. I was really surprised when I found out that thousands of people are voting for me, he said.

The Board of Elections office sent out its 2nd annual ask to local schools as well as homeschool groups in April. The deadline for 2022 submissions was mid-June, to coincide with the end of the school year. While voting on six finalists continues through the end of July, the large-headed crab creature is a clear frontrunner: As of Friday morning, it had garnered 81 percent of more than 70,000 votes cast.

We got probably 14 submissions, said Democratic Commissioner Ashley Dittus. Hudsons was the first. I immediately showed it to everyone in the office. Its a fan favorite. We all love it.

The creature is unclassifiable. It bears a loose resemblance to Reddit rage comics, though takes its inspiration from no one in particular. Its six turquoise legs conform to no known species of arachnid, which have eight legs, usually black. Rowan himself is not entirely sure what the creature is or what it signifies.

Its not a set thing. Its more of a creative creature concept thing, he said. I dont know how to describe it. I was just experimenting with different designs and styles. I decided to add some color to try to catch the eye.

There are no rules or restrictions for submissions, though other finalists used more traditional imagery (the American flag, a bald eagle).

The sticker contest process goes as follows: Submissions come into the County Clerks office via email. They get printed and placed on a large table. The staff picks their top three and then they whittle them down to six finalists. Next, the public is invited to vote on the finalists online.

We go by our gut. What do we like? What might voters like? There are lots of different opinions in this office. Its a bipartisan office. Its a bipartisan effort, Dittus explained.

Rowans creature was a nearly universal first pick at the Board of Elections office. Every time someone looks at it, they smile. It evokes a feeling, Dittus said. Around the office, people thought it represented how it feels when you go to the polls and an inspector cant find your name in the voter roll. Others imagined it as a commentary on the state of politics today.

Democracy is in crisis. With your help Ulster County can get the I Voted sticker for which this moment calls, tweeted Ulster County Legislator Abe Uchitelle.

It has really touched a nerve in a crazy cycle we have this year with extra elections, Dittus said. It has been kind of a whirlwind for us here at the Board. All of our inspectors and voters are confused. We think it will at least make people happy when they are leaving their voting experience.

For Rowan, who doodles a lot during school but is also really interested in acting and film, the idea that tens of thousands of Ulster County voters may be wearing his art on general election day Nov. 8 is surreal.

Its going to be truly amazing and insane, he said. While he just made a new Instagram account for his piece, which is currently untitled, he hasnt been working to get his vote tally up. Its crazy; its going up extremely fast.

Assuming Rowan wins, which Dittus says is a fair assumption, hell be given a Pride of Ulster County Award. All finalists will get certificates as well as goody bags of back-to-school supplies. In addition, several Ulster County fixtures are considering having his drawing tattooed on their bodies. Alexandria Wojcik, deputy mayor of New Paltz tweeted that she intends to, and a few others agreed.

Wow, this is news to me, said Rowan, laughing. That sounds awesome.

For the Board of Elections, this level of youth civic engagement is gold. Its hard to break through, said Dittus. She and her Republican counterpart John Quigley are relatively young commissioners in New York  both are in their 30s  and are eager to educate students about voting. The reaction to the viral sticker contest has been a thrill and they hope will create higher voter turnout.

Students wishing to submit for the 2023 contest need not wait until an art teacher or a parent tells them about it next spring. Theres a Student Resources page on the Ulster County Board of Elections website where artists can submit. We push it in April but would take them all year round, Dittus said. I would love to get hundreds of designs. I want it to be hard to pick the top ones.

Her second favorite design this year is of the U.S. Capitol. It was hand-drawn. A lot of them are done on a computer. Overall, Dittus loves knowing students are thinking hard about what voting means to them as they create. Its positive. Not everything we have been dealing with lately is positive.

There will be a sign at polling sites in November letting voters know about the origins of the sticker and the student contest. It is very creative, Dittus marveled about Rowans creature. Maybe someday he will be a famous artist, and this will be a collectors item. You never know.
ROME (AP)  Rescue crews in northern Italy recovered a tenth body Thursday and said they were looking for just one more hiker following a deadly avalanche sparked by the collapse of a chunk of melting glacier.

Alpine rescue crews using dogs and drones were able to recover the remains in the debris of Sunday's avalanche on the Marmolada glacier, east of Bolzano, said the head of the Trento province, Maurizio Fugatti.
CAMBRIDGE  The Cambridge Central School District district may appeal to the states highest court over its Indian mascot.

The school board decided Thursday night to direct its attorneys to file a notice of appeal. However, the board has not yet authorized an appeal. The notice is simply to allow the district to appeal if the board decides to do so later.

The resolution stated that the board wants to keep open the legal options and remedies that might be available to the extent it decides to further appeal those decisions.

For two years, the community has been debating whether it should continue using a mascot called the Indian, which shows the profile of a stereotypical North American indigenous man with feathers in his hair. The district held moderated group discussions, researched the history of the United States treatment of indigenous people and of tribes view of mascots like Cambridges, and asked the leaders of local tribes to weigh in. (They said such mascots should not be used.)

Finally, the board voted 3-2 to retire the mascot and then, three weeks later, reversed the decision after newly elected board members were seated. The school board election had largely revolved around the issue, with many voters posting protect the pride signs in support of the mascot in their front yards. The pro-mascot candidates won in a landslide.

Several residents filed a complaint with the state Education Department, and Commissioner Betty Rosa said that the reversal vote was arbitrary and capricious. She ordered the district to stick with its original vote to retire the mascot, and gave them a deadline  later extended  to remove the images from school buildings and signs. The school board sued.

On June 21, Acting Justice Sara W. McGinty ruled that Rosa acted within her authority when she annulled the reversal vote. The boards new resolution didnt have the level of detail needed to explain why the previous decision was wrong, McGinty decided.

There is no meaningful explanation as to why the evidence which was so compelling in June was given short shrift only three weeks later, McGinty wrote.

Her narrow ruling focused on whether Rosa acted correctly, not on the larger issue of whether mascots of Native Americans are acceptable. About 60 other school districts in the state still have nicknames or mascot images that reference North American indigenous people, Rosa said. Sometimes these mascot or team names  such as Red Raiders, Savages or Warriors  represent negative stereotypes of Native Americans as violent people. Rosa wants those districts to voluntarily drop their mascots, as Cambridge did initially.

In an interview after the ruling, Rosa said the community needed to think deeply about the issues surrounding indigenous people.

Im hopeful that the community will accept it and truly work through the differences and find common unity in community, she said.
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RABAT, Morocco (AP)  The European Commission vowed Friday to step up its work with Morocco to fight human smugglers who are using new, extremely violent methods"  a move that comes two weeks after 23 people died at the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla.

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska met with Morocco's Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit in Rabat to discuss the events of June 24, when hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants and asylum-seekers attempted to storm through a border post and scale a border fence into Melilla. In addition to the deaths, some 200 Moroccan and Spanish law enforcement officers and more than 70 civilians were injured.

We have discussed how we can further cooperate on fighting the smugglers, preventing such violent and dangerous situation as we saw two weeks ago, Johansson said in a video message after the meeting.

There were no further details on what exactly the new, violent methods being used by smugglers were but the European Commission said it would enhance police cooperation with Morocco, including with joint investigations.

Mustafa Baitas, a spokesman for the Moroccan government, said Thursday the events at the Nador-Mellila border were planned and orchestrated in a way that was not typical of other attempts to storm the border into Spain.

At the time, Moroccan authorities said the migrants had died as a result of a stampede. But several human rights organizations have called for an independent investigation into the deaths and condemned authorities on both sides of the border for excessive use of force. Morocco's Human Rights Association says 27 migrants died, four more than Morrocan authorities have reported. Many of the victims were believed to be Sudanese, it tweeted.

"The Commissioner and the two ministers welcomed the fact-finding commission set up by the Moroccan National Human Rights Council," the EU Commission statement said. Spanish prosecutors also announced last week they had launched an investigation into June 24.

Videos showing countless Black men lying on the ground that day, some motionless and bleeding as Moroccan officers stood over them, sparked public outrage and condemnation from the United Nations chief. Other images showed groups of men climbing a fence while hurling rocks at Moroccan anti-riot police and then collapsing on the ground.

We profoundly lament the death of those migrants, Grande-Marlaska said Friday while calling the events a violent assault on our borders."

Both Grande-Marlaska and Johansson praised Morocco for its work, which according to the European Commission has prevented 26,000 irregular departures and dismantled around 100 criminal trafficking networks.

___

Follow APs coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
A small number of monkeypox vaccine doses are coming to Saratoga County, the only location in the Capital Region getting the vaccine right away.

The county will receive 300 doses, the state Department of Health announced Thursday. There are no confirmed cases in Saratoga County.

Nationally, there are 56,000 doses available, and the federal government is allocating 8,195 to New York state, mostly to New York City.

Those eligible to be vaccinated include: people who were exposed in the last 14 days; people at high risk of being exposed, including men who have sex with men; and people who had skin-to-skin contact with someone whose social network includes people who have gotten monkeypox. That can include men who meet sexual partners through websites, apps, or at social events, such as a bar or a party.

So far, almost all of the people diagnosed with monkeypox are men and most are gay or bisexual, but the infection spreads through skin contact with sores and rashes, regardless of sexual orientation. The current focus on men who have sex with men is because the virus is spreading through that group.

The Saratoga County Department of Health will administer the vaccine and establish its own appointment process, as will each department as they receive doses, the state said.

The Department is aware that demand for doses in this first distribution is likely to be high relative to supply. More doses will be needed from the federal government to meet the prevention needs of our residents, with additional allocations anticipated in the coming weeks and months, the department said in a news release.

Those who know they were exposed to someone with monkeypox  or someone with suspected monkeypox  should discuss vaccine eligibility with their healthcare provider or their county department of health.

The state Health Department also advised all New Yorkers to ask about rashes before having skin-to-skin contact with anyone. The infection is primarily spread through close contact, the state said. No one has died in the current outbreak, but symptoms can be extremely painful and can lead to permanent scarring, the state said.
WHITE CREEK  A 38-year-old man was arrested for allegedly firing a rifle at law enforcement officers Thursday night.

A state trooper and Washington County deputy responded to a residence on Jermaine Hill Lane before 11 p.m. Thursday after receiving a report of a landlord-tenant dispute, Maj. Richard O'Brien of Troop G said during a press conference Friday. Matthew Parent, the tenant, retrieved a rifle and fired several rounds at the uniformed officers, O'Brien said. There were no injuries and no cars or homes were struck by the bullets, he said.

After firing at the officers, Parent barricaded himself in his home with his girlfriend for hours, O'Brien said. A SWAT team and several law enforcement personnel responded, including members from the State Police crisis negotiation unit, who negotiated with Parent for hours.

Parent ultimately tried to drive away from the home in his van around 4:45 a.m., but was stopped and arrested. Police recovered a rifle in his van, but O'Brien said it is unclear whether it was the rifle Parent used to shoot at officers the night before.

O'Brien did not release information on what caused the dispute, whether Parent had a history of disputes with the landlord, or whether there was a history of calls to that address. He also said it was too early to comment on whether the rifle Parent had was legally owned.

Parent is facing charges of attempted murder, reckless endangerment and menacing a police officer. It is unclear whether his girlfriend may face charges, but O'Brien noted that she was not cooperative.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina district attorney has cleared a police officer in the fatal shooting of a man who repeatedly stabbed his stepdaughter inside their home in December.

Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather said Thursday. that a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police SWAT officer saved the life of the 13-year-old girl by firing two fatal shots at her stepfather, The Charlotte Observer reported.
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (AP)  Patients and staff were evacuated Friday from a western Missouri hospital following a report of an armed man there, but authorities said no shots were fired and no one was injured.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the report at the Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg around 9 a.m., Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Andrew Bell said. Ambulances were at the ready. But just a couple of hours later, Bell gave the all-clear.

It was never an active shooter, he said. We dont have any reason to believe there is an active threat.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said officers later arrested and jailed a man possibly connected to events at the hospital, though it did not explain how he was involved and said he was not even near the facility.

The state patrol first tweeted that it was investigating a report of an armed man at the medical center at 9:03 a.m. The facility tweeted at 9:18 a.m. that the active shooter report came from the medical centers main building. The medical center has about 50 beds.

Police on site, and staff and patients being evacuated now, the hospital tweeted. This is not a drill.

The nation has been on edge because of gun violence. Only four days earlier, a gunman opened fire during a July Fourth parade in a Chicago suburb, killing at least seven people and wounding more than 30. It was the latest high-profile mass shooting, following attacks at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in June.

The vulnerability of health care facilities was highlighted June 1 when a gunman killed four people and himself at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The assailant entered the Saint Francis Hospital with little trouble, just hours after buying an AR-style rifle, authorities said.

The Warrensburg hospital's spokesperson has not returned a telephone message seeking comment Friday.

The town of Warrensburg has a population of about 20,000 people, and is 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, Missouri.
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UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council delayed Thursdays expected vote on extending humanitarian aid deliveries to rebel-held northwest Syria from Turkey after failing to reach a compromise on how long it would run.

Russia, which is one of the veto-wielding members, is demanding an extension of only six months, while many other council members, the U.N. secretary-general and more than 30 non-governmental groups are pushing for another year-long mandate.

The council scheduled a meeting for Friday morning, but it was unclear whether there would be further consultations or a vote.

Closed consultations among the 15 council members that continued into Thursday evening were unable to bridge differences between the original draft resolution by Ireland and Norway to extend cross-border deliveries for 12 months and a rival Russian text calling for a six-month extension, with a new resolution needed for a later six-month extension.

Were working on getting a basis for consensus, Irelands U.N. ambassador, Geraldine Byrne Nason, said after Thursdays meeting. No one in that room wants to be divided on an issue of such importance, but we have more work to do. And were going to get working now, work overnight and hope to be back in the morning with the solution.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, said there is 99% agreement on a resolution, but he said Russia insists on a new resolution after six months.

Byrne Nason, asked whether there was any way around the Russian demand, replied: Were working on it overnight.

The U.N. said last week that the first 10 years of the Syrian conflict, which started in 2011, killed more than 300,000 civilians  the highest official estimate of civilian casualties. Northwest Idlib is the last rebel-held bastion in Syria and a region where an al-Qaida-linked militant group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is the strongest.

Russia, a close ally of Syria's government, has repeatedly called for stepped up humanitarian aid deliveries to the northwest from within Syria, across conflict lines. This would give Syrian President Bashar Assads government more control.

In early July 2020, China and Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have maintained two border crossing points from Turkey for humanitarian aid to Idlib. Days later, the council authorized the delivery of aid through just one of those crossings, Bab al-Hawa.

In a compromise with Russia, that one-year mandate was extended on July 9, 2021, for six months, with an additional six months subject to a substantive report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. This was effectively a year-long mandate because a second resolution wasnt needed, and that mandate expires this Sunday.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric called cross-border aid critical for men, women and children in the northwest and stressed the importance of long-term planning, including to costs.

In 2021, we had 800 trucks of cross-border aid go through each month, consistently reaching about 2.4 million people, he told reporters Thursday. The number of trucks that crossed in the calendar year, from January of this year to June 30th of this year, was 4,648 trucks.

The U.N. also carried out five deliveries across conflict lines last year and so far this year with about 2,529 metric tons of assistance including foods and health supplies, he said.

Russias Polyansky said he wasnt certain what would happen Friday, but U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters, Tomorrow were going to vote on a resolution and hopefully that is a vote that extends the resolution for 12 months.

Thomas-Greenfield, who recently traveled to the Bab al-Hawa crossing, added: A six-month resolution does not provide the certainty and the confidence that the Syrian refugees require and NGOs require in order to continue to plan for and provide for support.

Six months ends in January, in the middle of winter, the worst time possible, she said.

If no compromise could be reached, the draft resolution by Ireland and Norway would be voted on first. If it failed to get nine votes, or was vetoed by Russia, the Russian resolution with a six-month extension would then be put to a vote.
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Zahra Ayubi, Dartmouth College

(THE CONVERSATION) As a scholar of Islamic ethics, Im often asked, What does Islam say about abortion?  a question that has become even more salient since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed 50 years of constitutional protection for the right to get an abortion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling on June 24, 2022.

This question really needs to be reframed, because it implies a singular view. Islam isnt monolithic, and there is no single Islamic attitude about abortion. The answer to the question depends on what kinds of Islamic sources, scriptural, legal or ethical, are applied to this contemporary issue by people of varying levels of authority, expertise or religious observance.

Muslims have had a long-standing, rich relationship with science, and specifically, the practice of medicine. This has yielded multiple interpretations of right and wrong when it comes to the body, including ideas about and practices surrounding pregnancy.

Islamic frameworks for thinking about abortion

The typical framing of the question of whether abortion ought to be legal hinges upon American Christian debates about when life begins. Muslims who get abortions dont always ask when does life begin? to ascertain Islamic positions on the matter. Rather, as my research in the Abortion and Religion project and forthcoming book Women as Humans has found, Muslims who get abortions generally consider under what circumstances abortion would be permitted in the Islamic tradition.

Further, the Quranic verses and hadith  recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad  are not about abortion per se, nor the moment when life begins or whether abortion is akin to taking a life. Instead, they are descriptions for people to reflect on Gods miracle of what happens in the womb, or rahm in Arabic, which is part of Gods mercy and compassion.

It is often a deeply theological discussion about human actions in context of Gods will, omnipotence and omniscience when it comes to life and death. The dialogue often yields answers that are specific to the persons cosmic and religious beliefs about Gods nature and mercy and their circumstances in the abortion decision-making process.

Many contemporary Muslim jurists and bioethicists point to specific verses in the Quran as well as hadiths with descriptions of the stages of human gestation that are mapped onto the pregnancy timeline in the contemporary abortion debate. The often-cited Quranic verses are 23:12-14: And indeed We created humankind from an essence of clay. Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a resting place firm; then We created the sperm-drop into a clinging substance, then We created the clinging substance into an embryonic lump, then We created from the embryonic lump bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We produced it as another creation. So blessed is God, the best of creators.

Then there is the hadith in which Prophet Muhammad describes what happens in the womb: The human being is brought together in the mothers womb for forty days in the form of a drop of fluid, and then becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period.  Then the soul is breathed into him. 

These scriptural traditions divide the pregnancy timeline into stages. Muslim jurists consider the 120-day mark of ensoulment (40 days x 3 stages), when God is believed to blow life into the fetus, as the point at which the fetus becomes a legal entity with financial rights. The fetus is believed to have inheritance rights; it can leave an inheritance to its siblings or other kin if it dies, or provide its parents with blood money in the event of a violent action against the mother.

While reference to the scriptural tradition might be enough for many Muslims, some might look to the Muslim legal tradition for precedence. Premodern jurists inquiries into stage of pregnancy were mainly to settle questions such as what inheritance laws might come into effect in the event of fetal death. They werent asking when life begins to settle abortion questions. And even as they touched on the question of legal personhood of a fetus, they ruled on a case-by-case basisrather than through blanket pronouncements.

Contemporary jurisprudence

Most Muslim jurists and bioethicists today argue that abortion before 120 days of pregnancy is permissible on certain grounds and after this term in cases of mortal danger to the mother. When it comes to abortion, the Islamic legal principle of preservation of life is universally interpreted to mean the mothers life. Other grounds for abortion vary depending on school of thought but include health concerns for mother or fetus and sometimes include unintended pregnancy, depending on the circumstances of how the pregnancy came about.

Since maternal health can be a nebulous category, acceptance of mental health reasons for abortion may depend on whether people take mental health itself seriously. Concerns might include the mental capacity of a mother to care for herself or a child, or potential suicidal thoughts that put the mothers life at risk.

Financial affordability is generally frowned upon as a reason for abortion because God is seen as provider, but still accepted in some schools of thought, as the tradition generally promotes mercy above else.

Regardless of contemporary jurists positions on the subject, however, Muslims who pursue abortion often do so based on their broad Islamic understanding of Gods compassion rather than in consultation with religious authorities who might act as gatekeepers.

American Muslims post-Dobbs

Part of Islamic discourses nuance about abortion is the result of a long relationship between medicine and Islamic thought. For American Muslims, that history is overshadowed by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the heavy dominance and influence of one Christian view as the only American view on abortion.

There is often a global assumption, which is held by many Muslims as well, that Muslim rules about gender and womens rights are stricter than dominant Christian American ones. There have been many problematic comparisons of the Dobbs decision and Sharia. Some have called it Christian Sharia to characterize the ruling and abortion bans nationwide as religious, yet in doing so they draw on anti-Muslim sentiment and stereotypes of Islam as uniquely gender oppressive.

When American Muslims themselves mirror evangelical Christian views on abortion, however, it may be a form of virtue signaling or out of ignorance of Muslims rich historical relationship with medicine.

Even in so-called religiously conservative Muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, laws on abortion are much more liberal than in U.S. states banning abortion. Legally, not only is the life of the mother always prioritized, but because the idea that ensoulment occurs at 120 days is taken seriously, abortion before that point may, and often does, take place in a variety of circumstances such as rape, serial births, mental health issues, untimeliness of pregnancy, etc.

Many American Muslims are speaking in support of the right to abortion. Organizations such as the American Muslim Bar Association, Heart to Grow and Muslim Advocates have issued statements about abortion in Islam and published information on American Muslims rights to abortion. The one prevailing commonality among these and diverging Islamic views on abortion is the Islamic concept of Gods mercy and compassion.

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content.
Coal industry executives must be glowing after the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority not only gutted the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate air pollution, but went out of its way to do so.

It's up to Congress now to fix the damage  quickly. The United States  indeed, the world  cannot afford to let progress on combating climate change be thwarted by a reactionary court as hostile to environmental protection as the most shameless industry-funded global warming denier.

The court majority ruled on a case brought by West Virginia and other states concerning the EPA's Clean Power Plan. Developed under President Barack Obama, the plan was aimed at putting the nation on a more sustainable course of cleaner energy by setting, for the first time, limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. The Supreme Court had initially blocked its implementation, and the Trump administration repealed the plan. So, for all practical purposes, it was moot.

But the court's conservatives, apparently champing at the bit to deal a blow to the EPA, ruled anyway, declaring that the agency overstepped its authority. While the EPA could address pollution from individual power plants, the majority ruled, it could not impose regulations so sweeping  in this case, emissions caps  that they would effectively force a system-wide change in how power is generated. The requirements, the majority concluded, would have been impossible for coal plants to satisfy. Establishing such a consequential policy, the court said, was the purview of Congress, not a regulatory agency; Congress needed to give the EPA explicit authority to exercise such power.

Congress, of course, did give the EPA such power when creating it during the Republican Nixon administration and enabled the agency to select the best system of emission reduction for power plants  broad authority that the dirtiest of the U.S.'s major power industries now seek to curtail. And so its allies on the court have done. And they've preemptively tied President Joe Biden's hands as his administration works to design new rules on power plant emissions.

With no higher legal authority to appeal this wrong-headed decision to, the Biden administration will have pursue what for now is the unlikely path of working with Congress to grant EPA the authority the court says it lacks. That's no easy lift: Climate legislation would need to overcome a likely Republican filibuster, and with Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia unlikely to support any bill that harms the coal industry, at least 11 GOP senators would need to cross the aisle.

Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter.

Even as the evidence of looming catastrophic global warming becomes harder and harder to ignore, in a scenario in which the choice comes down to saving the planet or preserving political careers, it is, sadly, hard to be optimistic. But it is a choice worth Mr. Biden pressing Congress to make now, if for no other reason than to underscore how high the stakes are, in November, in our lifetimes, and even long after that.
A Dickinson College alert sent around 3 p.m. Friday announced that police had completed their investigation and nothing was found. As of 3:30 p.m. the area was clear.

Posted at 2:15 p.m. on Cumberlink:

Carlisle Police are investigating what Chief Taro Landis described as a "threat of some type of hazardous device" at Dickinson College Friday afternoon.

Landis said police are not sure what the hazardous device is.

Dickinson College sent a red alert message to students and staff around 1:30 p.m. announcing that a "non-specified" threat was called into the county and that police are utilizing dogs for further investigation. The alert also asked students to avoid the Holland Union Building as well as any other areas specified by responding officers.

Police blocked off North College Street between High and Louther streets around 1:30 p.m., with police cars at each end of the block. They also blocked off the North College Street entrance to the HUB, though Landis only listed Dickinson College as the location for the threat.

Landis did not provide details on when the threat became apparent.

Further details regarding this incident will be released on Cumberlink when they become available.
ALBANY  Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo dictated the process by which his controversial 2020 book was approved while state ethics commission staff allowed misrepresentations to go unchecked, according to an internal report released Thursday.

The staff at the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics, charged with verifying that Cuomo's lucrative authorship followed state rules, were pressured into accepting demands by top Cuomo aides. And as "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic" was rapidly greenlit, ethics commissioners questioning the process were denied key information, the report found.

The report was authored by the law firm Hogan Lovells, which was retained by the commission to examine what went wrong during the approval process and to gather lessons for the future. The decision to make public the firm's report  which had been confidential  was the last act of the commission, which ceased to exist as of Friday. A provision in April's state budget agreement replaced it with a new ethics body.

During its 11 years, the entity was often accused of being overly influenced by Cuomo, who appointed six of the 14 commissioners. In a Times Union op-ed published Friday, Commissioner George Weissman  a longtime Senate Republican appointee to the body often at loggerheads with Cuomo appointees  wrote the acronym JCOPE should have instead become known as the "Joint Commission on Protecting [the] Executive."

Cuomo resigned from office last August over a spate of sexual harassment allegations and, since that time, the body has grown less friendly to Cuomo, with four of his six appointees having been replaced by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

All state employees seeking to earn substantial outside income were required to receive approval from the ethics agency. The Hogan Lovells report concluded that during the approval process for Cuomo's book, "the Executive Chamber overpowered JCOPE, and JCOPE failed to assert itself as a watchdog agency against the governor."

"Rather than JCOPE telling the Executive Chamber what information it needed to provide in order to obtain approval, the Executive Chamber told JCOPE what information the governor would provide, which was not much," the report stated. "The Executive Chamber also successfully coerced JCOPE into expediting the approval and rushing through the process with very minimal due diligence."

Over the past year, Cuomo's book has been the subject of multiple investigations, principally over his use of state government staff to turn around the 300-page work in a matter of months. When Cuomo's governmental counsel, Judith Mogul, sought approval for the book in a July 10, 2020 letter, she explicitly said state personnel would not be used, echoing a longstanding ethics requirement for state workers seeking to author books.

Mogul did not disclose that government workers had already extensively been used for the book by the time Cuomo was seeking the approval. Her letter included no caveats about government workers "volunteering" to help, an explanation Cuomo has used since his staff's work on the private venture came to light in 2021. In a private memo Mogul wrote during the summer of 2020 detailing her interactions with commission staff, she never mentioned telling them that government workers were being used.

Despite the misrepresentation, the firm's report asserted that top JCOPE staff should have known that Cuomo could not turn around the book so quickly without help from Executive Chamber staff, especially during a period when the COVID-19 pandemic was surging.

"It strains credulity that Gov. Cuomo could write a book about the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic  and publish it just a few months later in the fall  without receiving substantial assistance from others in that effort," the report found. "JCOPE staff blithely accepted the governor's representation that the book would not involve state personnel as true, without probing the issue further with the Executive Chamber."

The report was principally concerned with aspects of the approval process where JCOPE staff failed to demand information undercutting Cuomo's representations about his authorship.

While many staffers and commissioners were interviewed for the Hogan Lovells report, Mogul declined to be interviewed as did another former top Cuomo aide, Linda Lacewell. The women's interaction with top staffers at the commission formed a key aspect of the findings.

On July 12, 2020  two days after Mogul sent her letter seeking the approval  commission deputy counsel Martin Levine received a Sunday phone call from Mogul and Lacewell regarding his request for information about the book publishing contract.

Lacewell  known internally within Cuomo's office as his "Minister of Defense" and enforcer  tried to convince Levine to back down, Levine recalled to the investigators. He added Mogul or Lacewell had offered to provide a letter from Penguin Random House that would state Cuomo's compensation would be "usual and customary." Cuomo ended up being paid more than $5 million in book royalties.

Mogul told Levine that there was reluctance within Cuomo's office to share the figure with JCOPE because it was perceived that the commission was a "highly politicized organization" and that members "often leaked information to the press for political purposes."

Instead of insisting on seeing the contract, the report found, Levine and JCOPE chairman Michael Rozen settled for a high-level description of some of its terms  on the condition that they would not share that information with the rest of the commission  and a letter from the publisher, dictated verbatim from Cuomo's literary agent, stating the contract's terms were "usual and customary."

On July 11, Weissman began raising questions about whether Levine was moving too quickly to approve the book without certain information. In an email to other commissioners, Weissman asked questions about the process and requested a copy of the contract.

"I have no problem with any public officer or employee supplementing their income properly," Weissman wrote to other commissioners. "However, when a statewide elected official is involved in such a request, it is incumbent upon JCOPE to recognize its actions will be scrutinized."

Commissioner Jim Yates, an Assembly Democratic appointee, added: "I dont understand why these things always seem to be on a rush basis. The governor must have been contemplating and negotiating this deal for a period of time. Without opining on whether staff approval is right or wrong, I feel we are being 'jammed' on something that might (if George (Weissman) is right) require some thought and discussion."

A Cuomo appointee, Colleen DiPirro, responded that the commission should simply approve Cuomo's book.

Just before 6 p.m. that July evening, Levine sent a draft email to Rozen, which Levine intended for Rozen to then send to the other commissioners in Rozen's own name.

Rozen sent out an edited version of the email, stating, "I have no reason to doubt staff's conclusion that the governor entering into negotiations for a book deal with this publisher is appropriate." He also said that he'd directed Levine to convey the staff's approval for Cuomo to enter into negotiations for a book contract.

The approval came as there was a rush on Cuomo's end to obtain it: Earlier that evening, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa  who extensively helped Cuomo with the book  exchanged emails with Penguin Random House concerning the logistics for quickly and securely transmitting the draft manuscript.

If Levine had demanded a copy of the contract, another alleged misrepresentation by Cuomo's camp would have become apparent, the report found.

In seeking approval, Mogul had written, "Gov. Cuomo is seeking to author a book in the very near future, which will be a memoir of his professional and personal life since his last book, published in October 2014." In fact, the manuscript for the book was nearly completed: 70,000 of a promised 80,000 words were already written. The contract with Penguin Random House included a manuscript delivery due date of July 17, just a week after Cuomo had first sought approval.

July 17  the day the manuscript was due  was the same day Levine issued a letter signing off on Cuomo writing the book. If Levine had demanded the contract, he likely would have surmised that it was already substantially completed, the report argues.

The contract's description was also much more detailed than what Mogul had provided to JCOPE staff when she'd stated that "American Crisis" would be a continuation of Cuomo's 2014 memoir, "All Things Possible."

The "American Crisis" contract stated the nonfiction work would provide "leadership lessons" from the COVID-19 crisis "and a behind-the-scenes account of the author's experiences during the pandemic, including his interactions with health, federal, and other officials."

"The fact that the governor sought to commercialize his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic should have raised serious concerns among JCOPE staff regarding potential ethical/conflict of interest issues," the report issued Thursday found. "One JCOPE staff member acknowledged that had JCOPE known that the book would be focused on the governor's official duties in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, that would have sparked an entirely different discussion within the office, as it would have presented the potential for a clear ethical violation."

Cuomo was selling material he was in the process of creating in real-time through his actions and policies, creating a possible financial incentive to generate content that would serve his book, the report concluded. Further, the report said that although Levine did not review the book contract, he had other indications it would at least partially be about COVID-19.

If JCOPE staff had known Cuomo was set to earn over $5 million, they might have realized Cuomo had a "significant financial incentive that might not be aligned with his official responsibilities." Indeed, Cuomo's critics later questioned whether he suppressed the full tally of deaths in nursing homes for the book's benefit.

The report stated it was "quite plausible that JCOPE staff would not have approved" Cuomo's request to write the book if it possessed all the information in the contract that was kept from Levine.

As the Times Union previously reported, Cuomo also never submitted a form, required for all state employees seeking to earn outside income, detailing the number of hours, times and days per week he planned to work on the book.

The report on Thursday notes that Mogul had indicated Cuomo would be willing to submit the form if required. But Rozen stated on July 21, 2020, that staff had advised him that no form was necessary, if all required information was in Mogul's request letter.

Mogul's letter had not detailed the number of hours per week Cuomo planned to work on the book or the times and days  and JCOPE staff never sought that information.

"On the contrary, not only did Gov. Cuomo fail to provide any estimate of how much time he would spend on the book going forward, but he also failed to disclose that he and his staff substantially completed a draft of the book," the report stated.

Hogan Lovells, which began working on the book investigation in early 2022, was later retained by JCOPE to defend the commission in litigation filed by Cuomo  a lawsuit concerning JCOPE's efforts to force Cuomo to repay $5.1 million in book royalties. While much of the Hogan Lovells report is based on internal emails and interviews, Cuomo's spokesman contends the inquiry lacked independence.

"As we said all along, on advice of counsel all staff who volunteered on the book worked on their own time  and as finally acknowledged today, we provided any and all information that JCOPE required for approval," said Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi. "There is some poetry to the fact that this feeble stunt  authored by the very law firm that is representing JJOKE in our lawsuit  is the last act from this incompetent, biased, score-settling dinosaur of a bureaucracy."
WFO CORPUS CHRISTI Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, July 7, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX

252 PM CDT Thu Jul 7 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 111 expected.

* WHERE...Inland Kleberg, Inland Nueces, Jim Wells and Inland

San Patricio Counties.

* WHEN...From 2 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT FRIDAY...

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY...

* WHAT...For the first Heat Advisory, heat index values up to

108. For the second Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 109

expected. For the third Heat Advisory, heat index values up to

109 expected.

* WHERE...Portions of southeast and southern Oklahoma and

northern Texas.

* WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, until 8 PM CDT this

evening. For the second Heat Advisory, from 1 PM to 8 PM CDT

Friday. For the third Heat Advisory, from 1 PM to 8 PM CDT

Saturday.

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 107 expected.

* WHERE...In Oklahoma, Tillman County. In Texas, Baylor and

Wilbarger Counties.

* WHEN...From 1 PM to 8 PM CDT Friday.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
A Sinn Fein minister has appealed for calm ahead of the lighting of traditional Eleventh Night bonfires across Northern Ireland.

Conor Murphy said it is a time of tension and concern for a number of families.

Last night (Thursday July 7), police said they were treating an incident where petrol bombs were thrown near a bonfire at Adam Street in north Belfast as a hate crime.

The bonfire, which was the subject of failed legal action to stop its erection last year, has been built close to an interface with a nationalist area.

It has long been tradition to burn bonfires in loyalist neighbourhoods across Northern Ireland on the night of July 11 as a way of celebrating the upcoming Twelfth.

Most Eleventh Night fires pass off without incident, with organisers promoting them as family-friendly community celebrations, but a number have become the source of controversy in recent years.

This year it is estimated that about 250 bonfires will be lit across Northern Ireland.

Stormont Finance Minister Mr Murphy said he hopes the Twelfth celebrations will pass peacefully.

He said: We hope for that.

A lot of the tensions are around what can be described as hate crimes where various effigies or images of people on the other side of the political divide are featured on bonfires.

Mr Murphy said he hopes there can be dialogue in the future to ensure the same issues do not keep repeating.

He said: Unfortunately for a lot of communities, particularly in Belfast and other urban areas, it becomes a time of tension and worry and concern for families of young kids.

Earlier, DUP Policing Board member Joanne Bunting urged those preparing for celebrations on July 11 and 12 not to be provoked.

She said: The attack on the Adam Street bonfire is an obvious and deliberate attempt to increase tensions and to provoke a response.

I would urge everyone, both in that area and across Northern Ireland, not to respond to such attempts.

The enjoyment of celebrations over the 11th and 12th July period should not be destroyed by the intolerance of others and attempts to provoke trouble.

So far this year we have not faced some of the difficulties that have arisen in previous years.

Unfortunately there are some elements within our society who want to provoke this trouble, but I would urge cool heads at this time.

We want to see the many events that will take place over the next few days highlighted as the cultural and community celebrations they are, not because of trouble arising.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging anyone enjoying the Twelfth celebrations to be aware of the dangers of excessive alcohol intake.

Kevin Bailey, the PHAs regional lead for drugs and alcohol, said: Many will be making plans to celebrate the Twelfth and we are encouraging those who will choose to drink alcohol to keep an eye on what and how much theyre drinking.

We understand that its a time to relax and let off some steam, but by setting a plan you can avoid binge drinking, which has been shown to have adverse effects on our health and safety.

Binge drinking, which can be as little as just a few drinks, can have a major impact on health such as causing damage to the liver, heart, brain and stomach.

Over-indulging in alcohol can also affect relationships and spoil the holiday for you, your family and friends.

Drinking too much can also mean more risk-taking behaviour, causing more accidents and impacting on an already under pressure health service.
Because we have respect for all of the guys in this post . . . We won't call this political exposition "old school" or something pejorative on this #TBT . . . Instead, we prefer to think of this story as a "vintage" throwback to better times for many of our readers.

To wit . . .

BEHIND THE SCENES LONGTIME POLITICAL DENIZENS ARE GAINING TRACTION FOR AN EPIC POLITICAL COMEBACK!!!



We hope there's plenty of time to talk more about this but right now here are the basics . . .



Missouri political powerhouse & Northeast leader Henry Rizzo was encouraged by a community of supporters to challenge council dude Eric Bunch given that NOBODY can get a hold of the incumbent for anything but cyclist biz.



We noted this before but it deserves a repeat . . . Jackson County Legislator Dan Tarwater is looking at an easy win in the 6th District.

And finally . . . Local 42 powerhouse Bill Galvin is running for the 5th At-Large and likely has the full support of every firefighter that knows playing politics is the key to career longevity.



To wit . . .

THESE ESTABLISHMENT POLITICAL LEGENDS PRESENT A THREAT TO MAYOR Q'S DOMINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL!!!



Here's the deal and the reason why this is important . . .

SHOULD ANY OF THESE STRONG CONTENDERS WIN . . . NONE OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE PUSHED AROUND OR EASILY IMPRESSED WITH MAYOR Q.

They're all political veterans, they all know as much as anyone else about KCMO politics.



Moreover . . . We've made a few calls and thanks to insiders we understand that there's big money backing all of these candidates from traditional union & police sources but also a bit of underground cash as KC's progressive politics have garnered the interest of conservatives at the national level.

Again . . . This should provide us a lot of fun in the future.

Overall . . .

This establishment power move might remind voters that all politics is a dialectic. Amid years of progressive advances, more traditional voices were bound to emerge and garner support from frustrated voters.

Developing . . .


Per ushe . . . A letter from a newspaper reader is completely out of touch with political reality and the world as we know it . . .



Somebody's grandma wrote this and the newspaper saw fit to publish it and make this poor woman's life a living hell for the next few days . . .



"Our politics are moderate and tolerant, with many offices elected on a nonpartisan basis. Potential new arrivals are turned off by polarization. But there are those who would torch the welcome mat.



"They want to sabotage public education, chop justified public spending, slash support for cultural amenities and, perhaps most damaging, do all they can to fan partisan rancor. They fear the future. Dont let them destroy our shot at 21st century success."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Johnson County's strength is its moderation. Don't let bomb-throwers ruin a great thing OPINION AND COMMENTARY Johnson County is poised for a breakthrough future. New technology that was accelerated and proven by the pandemic allows many people to live and work anywhere. Why sign up elsewhere for a multimillion-dollar mortgage on a house that can be had here for six figures?

A worthwhile retort from our JOCO SOB friend . . .



JOCO Liberals are now crying to the Star (this ain't JOCO NO more) Holy crap! Back to back days of crying from progressives to a progressive media outlet about people not backing their political beliefs. The piece is called JOCO moderation , but seriously, I mean come on, read the last paragraph and tell me that those are the words of a moderate.

You decide . . .


Don't worry that headline wasn't supposed to make sense in much the same way that Mayor's Q social media stunt hopes to confuse locals about his standing on funding police.



First, let's pay credit to his tech confusion . . . Here are the basics from a social media open letter posted by Mayor Q today . . .



The officer states their coworkers are in the 1-5 year range with the department. Mayor Q posted it on his Facebook page Thursday morning.



They say poor starting pay, leadership, specifically deputy chiefs, and being overworked are the three reasons workers are leaving KCPD.



"I think more fundamentally the people of Kansas City have a fundamental right to say, 'Where's all the money going?' Lucas said in an interview Thursday.

To the uninitiated the rant was a sympathetic overture dedicated to securing more pay for police and all city workers.

But here at TKC . . . We are initiated.



Reality check . . .

MAYOR Q IS SOON TO START YET ANOTHER LAWSUIT AIMED AT DEFUNDING KANSAS CITY POLICE AFTER MISSOURI MANDATED MORE MONEY!!!

It's all pretty confusing and even the newspaper refuses to admit that Show-Me legislation is an overall increase in funding . . . Instead they piddle with Handcock Amendment concerns and share wild theories with readers about a funding decrease.

We like Fox4 reporting inasmuch as they at least offer the surface level of this story.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Go ahead and try to shut down local biz . . . Until there's a zombie apocalypse . . . Which might not be far away.

What's obvious on local streets is that both progressives & conservatives have run out of f*cks to give about the pandemic.

For those who are immuno-compromised or have underlying health consolidations (far more people than anyone realizes) this means extra precautions and realization that public concern has been far too politicized for many people to show compassion.

Reality check . . . The numbers are, in fact, rising and this merits concern . . . But realistically, the fading economy won't allow for any more changes to daily life.



Here's a bit more info . . .



All countries remain at high transmission levels, which means that your risk of catching the highly contagious BA.5 variant in public is elevated. While local experts hope that infections will begin to stagnate, case numbers in the metro are the highest this week that theyve been since the omicron variant surge.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

'Good news and bad news': Doctor on what to know about BA.5 and BA.2.75 omicron subvariants The omicron subvariant BA.5 now makes up more than half of COVID-19 cases in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the subvariant accounted for nearly 54% of infections across the country last week. The closely related BA.4 variant makes up about 16% of cases.

Kansas City COVID cases highest since omicron, hospitals feel strain of BA.5 variant For the first time during the most recent pandemic wave, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified all five counties that make up Kansas City as having "medium" community levels of COVID-19. This means that the healthcare system is feeling the strain of rising case numbers.

Johnson County, KS joins area counties now in medium COVID-19 level KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Johnson County, Kansas, became the latest county in the Kansas City area to reflect an uptick in COVID-19 levels. In Thursday's COVID-19 Community Levels map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johnson County joins Wyandotte County in the medium or yellow community level.

Developing . . .
The basics . . . Politics & culture are causing people to lose money in the Sunflower State.

Nobody likes haggling and it turns out Midwestern mores are very effective at keeping customers in line.

Don't get it twisted . . . We aren't advising anybody to skip out on the rent. BUT . . . Just as landlords want their money, renters should know their rights.



Here's a sign that the plebs might need to do a bit more homework . . .



The Kansas Supreme Court established the committee to examine best practices in anticipation of a spike in evictions after state and federal moratoriums expired in October 2021. Judge Sarah Warner, of the Kansas Court of Appeals, led the committee, which included judges, trial clerks, attorneys who routinely represent tenants and property owners, and representatives of landlords in Wichita and Hays. The 29-page report, dated April 20, was released on Wednesday.



The committee examined the evictions process and court filings going back to the 12-month fiscal year that ended in June 2017. The panel found that tenants didnt respond to half the filings, resulting in an automatic judgment for the landlords. A quarter of the cases were dismissed because property owners had not provided a three-day notice required under state law for a tenant to come up with overdue rent.



Courts reported about 14,500 eviction filings per year in the three years before the pandemic, but no more than 150 cases went to trial in any of those years.



The committee questions the wisdom and equity of this judicial model, which relies, at least in part, on litigants ignorance to stay afloat, the report said.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
HARRISBURG  The Pennsylvania House, nearly a week into the states new fiscal year, began passing budget legislation Thursday to add billions into surplus accounts, significantly boost education spending and fund new environmental programs.

The House passed the main budget bill with little debate on a 180-20 vote hours after representatives were briefed on the details. All of the no votes were Republicans.

Leaders of the majority GOP caucus touted the $42.8 billion spending plan for how it would affect transportation, police and election operations.

One, it responsibly saves money, two, it responsibly invests money and three, while making sure that were taking care of today were also planning for tomorrow, House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, told reporters.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolfs spokesperson called it a bipartisan deal that increases spending on education and other of his priorities.

The governor urges the Legislature to continue to move to get a budget to his desk, Wolf press secretary Beth Rementer said after the House vote.

In the Senate, things were less clear, and Republican caucus spokesperson Erica Clayton Wright said the framework was under discussion as the House voted.

Theres no deal yet, Clayton Wright said.

House Republicans said the plan would repay some $2 billion in borrowed money and increase the rainy day fund from $2.9 billion to $5 billion. It also would leave about $3.6 billion unspent for future needs.

Rep. Stan Saylor, R-York, the Appropriations chair, called the deal exactly the medicine this commonwealth needs to right ourselves and be the most competitive state in this nation and return ourselves to the Keystone State we should be.

K-12 education spending would go up by more than a half-billion dollars, and the states 100 poorest districts would split an additional $225 million. The plan would also increase subsidies for early childhood education, special education and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

A program that gives tax credits in return for private school tuition would see an increase of 45%, to more than $400 million.

Wolf has agreed to pull charter school regulations that had been approved in March.

On the environment, the framework would spend some $220 million in federal funds to help clean streams, about $150 million to fix up parks and forest land, and more for sewer and water infrastructure, flood control and storm water projects.

A $45 million expenditure for elections through a state agency would help counties with the costs of voter registration, preparing and administering elections and auditing the results. Private donations to pay for elections would be prohibited.

A child care tax credit would be created, along with more money for a property tax and rent rebate program for seniors and to help lower-income people afford the cost of heating their homes.

The corporate net income tax rate, currently 10%, would drop by 1 percentage point this year and then be on track for half-point cuts in future years until it would hit 5%.

This is what bipartisan compromise looks like on an issue that has confounded this chamber for literally decades, said the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Matt Bradford, of Montgomery County.

The budget would pay for 200 new state troopers and shuffle funding for state police out of a fund that can therefore afford more transportation projects.
A woman is being sought in an arson investigation in the Weston neighbourhood. Toronto police allege a woman set fire to four vehicles parked on Weston Road near Victoria Avenue and set an object on fire on the front porch of a house on nearby Sykes Avenue, resulting in the house being engulfed in flames, around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
After a fatal shooting near the Scotiabank Arena around 8 p.m. Saturday, Toronto police locked down and evacuated Union Station. Police said they located a man with gunshot wounds near York Street and Bremner Boulevard, where the man died.
Earlier this week we celebrated our nations Independence Day. Personal independence allows us to proceed through our daily lives without hindrances.

The potential of an altered level of independence is one reason people fear aging. All too frequently an event that threatens the independence of older adults is hospitalization. The reason why may be a surprise.

Advances in medical knowledge are allowing people to live longer. However, they are frequently living with one or more chronic illnesses that may require periodic treatment in a hospital. Illness and hospitalization are commonly equated with a need for rest. But when older adults are hospitalized, one of the worst things they are likely to receive is too much rest.

Why is rest bad for your health and independence? Changes in multiple body systems can begin within 24 hours of bedrest. A nurse from the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Centers (operating under the Department of Veterans Affairs), reported the following in a presentation on the consequences of bedrest:

5 percent decrease in blood volume within 24 hours of bedrest, and 10 percent decrease in 10 days. One result of this decrease is dizziness when rising to a sitting or standing position, which can lead to falls and fractures.

Increased resting heart rate (the heart is working harder)

1-3 percent loss of muscle strength per day with total inactivity

3 percent loss of muscle mass in the thigh muscles within one week

40-50 percent of older adults become incontinent after one day in the hospital (in addition to decreased activity, medications and environmental factors contribute to this issue)

Changes in the way the body processes glucose by day 3

These are only some of the changes that occur with decreased activity levels and bedrest. A few of the potential complications that can develop as a result of these changes include pneumonia, blood clots, skin breakdown, constipation and cognitive changes/delirium.

What may initially begin as a short-term hospitalization for a generally healthy older adult can quickly turn into a complicated and lengthy illness. If an older adult is debilitated even before a hospitalization, this event may take the individual over the edge of the cliff and into a progressive decline, resulting in permanent care facility placement and an earlier death.

Is the importance of physical activity sinking in yet? Unfortunately for hospital patients, mobility isnt often a focus of care.

Professionals must make sure that each patient receives and that documentation is completed for ordered medications, treatments, tests and meals. A walk in the hall becomes an intervention that is relegated to if there is time. If a patient has been sitting in a chair for a couple of hours, he/she may be too tired to walk by the time a staff member is available to assist him/her.

In addition, the staff, visitors and volunteers who help patients by attending to their every need (and because it is quicker than allowing someone who is moving more slowly to do it themselves) are in reality doing the patient an injustice by not encouraging as much self-participation as possible. Research has demonstrated that changes to an individuals daily routine which occur during hospitalization can lead to depression, poor sleep quality, functional decline, and a decrease in overall well-being.

One daily physical therapy session is often not enough to help a patient maintain or improve their balance, strength and mobility, all of which are essential if an older adult wants to be discharged home. Dr. Seth Landefeld, chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, was quoted in an article in Kaiser Health News referring to hospital care as a smart bomb approach in which We blow away the disease, but we leave a lot of collateral damage.

If you are fortunate enough to rarely require hospitalization, you arent completely off the hook. Some of the same complications that result from inactivity during a hospitalization can also occur when older adults are inactive in their own homes.

A heart-thumping, hard-breathing exercise regimen is not possible for many people, but everyone can benefit from regular movement throughout the day. If independence sounds like a quality you would like to keep; when your condition permits, insist on getting out of bed when you are hospitalized and avoid the temptation of being a couch potato at home.
The former Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 withdrew from the police force of a Pennsylvania town Thursday amid backlash and media coverage over his hiring.

Timothy Loehmann was sworn in Tuesday as the lone police officer in Tioga  a community of about 600 in rural north-central Pennsylvania, 300 miles from Cleveland  but left the $18-per-hour position without having worked a single shift, according to borough council President Steve Hazlett.

The community spoke. They got their feelings out, and we listened to them and were going to react to it and that will be that, he said in a phone interview. We thank the community for stepping forward and letting their voices be heard.

Messages seeking comment were left at phone numbers associated with Loehmann.

Tamir, who was Black, was playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center in Cleveland on Nov. 22, 2014, when he was shot and killed by Loehmann seconds after Loehmann and his partner arrived. The officers, who are white, told investigators Loehmann had shouted three times at Tamir to raise his hands.

The shooting sparked community protests about police treatment of Black people, especially after a grand jury decided not to indict Loehmann or his partner.

Cleveland settled a lawsuit over Tamirs death for $6 million, and the city fired Loehmann for having lied on his application to become a police officer.

Loehmann has since made multiple attempts to find work in law enforcement. He landed a part-time position with a police department in the southeast Ohio village of Bellaire in October 2018 but withdrew his application days later after Tamirs mother, Samaria, and others criticized the hiring.

The circumstances of Loehmanns arrival in Tioga began to emerge Thursday.

At first, Hazlett, the council president, declined to say whether Loehmann told the council about the Tamir Rice case when he applied, or whether the council knew of his background when voting to hire him. But in a later interview, Hazlett told the Associated Press that Tim held nothing back in his application. He was upfront with everything. Thats all I can say, Hazlett said.

A council subcommittee reviewed Loehmanns application and interviewed him, then made a favorable recommendation to the full council, according to Hazlett. He said the full council was not privy to Loehmanns application file. Hazlett, who said he took part in the subcommittee review, declined to say why he supported Loehmanns hiring.

Mayor David Wilcox called for the resignations of Hazlett and two other council members he said knew about Loehmanns background, declaring in a Facebook post Thursday: You should be ashamed of yourselves.

The mayor told Cleveland.com he was under the impression that there was a thorough background check into him, that he didnt have any issues.

Wilcox, who said he was not involved in the hiring process, did not return a message seeking comment.

Word that Loehmann had been hired by Tioga drew protesters to the borough building on Wednesday night and brought condemnation from Tamirs family.

While its all well and good that Loehmann will not be inflicting a reign of terror with a badge and a gun upon Tioga Borough residents and visitors, borough officials must be held accountable for their demonstrably, atrociously poor judgment and ineptitude, Subodh Chandra, an attorney for the family, said in a statement Thursday.

This game of whack-a-mole with Loehmann shamelessly and repeatedly resurfacing as a cop elsewhere needs to end, he said.

The council will meet next week to take action on Loehmanns withdrawn application and consider next steps, according to Hazlett. He said Tioga still hopes to hire a police officer.
Ottawa is sending 39 armored combat support vehicles as military aid for Ukrainian soldiers to help during the Russian invasion, Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Thursday.

That's according to CBC, Ukrinform reports.

The vehicles are part of a wider $500-million package of military aid noted in the last federal budget, in a bid to further arm Ukrainian defenders with modernized military equipment.

The deal for the vehicles was first announced in Madrid last month, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended a NATO summit with other members of the military alliance.

The 39 vehicles were destined to be used by the Canadian Armed Forces, but have been diverted by the federal government to the front lines of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's hoped the vehicles will help bolster Ukrainian defenders waging a grinding war of attrition against their enemy.
Mykhailo Podolyak, the advisor to the head of the President's Office, called Putin's statements claiming the West allegedly wants to fight with Russia "to the last Ukrainian" another proof of deliberate genocide committed by the Russians.

The advisor addressed the issue on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

"There is no collective West plan. Only a specific z-army which entered sovereign Ukraine, shelling cities and killing civilians. Everything else is a primitive propaganda. Thats why Mr.Putin's mantra of the war to the last Ukrainian is yet another proof of deliberate Russian genocide," Podolyak tweeted.

It should be recalled that during a meeting with the Russian State Duma faction leaders on July 7, Putin said Russia had not yet taken any serious action in the course of its "special operation" in Ukraine.

"Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say, let them try. We have already heard many times that the West wants to fight with us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that everything is heading towards this. But everyone should know that, by and large, we haven't started anything yet in earnest," Putin said.

At the same time, according to Podolyak, Moscow "does not reject peace negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the frontline positions of the Ukrainian military in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

"The frontline positions in the Dnipropetrovsk region. I spoke with our defenders, presented them with awards. Their mood is determined, confidence in our victory is in their eyes," Zelensky said in a Telegram post.

"Thank you for your work and the heroism with which you defend our state, our Ukrainian families and the sovereignty of Ukraine. I want to wish you health, all the best for you and your families. And I wish us all victory. Glory to Ukraine!" the President said.

As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting on the operational situation in the territory of the Kryvyi Rih district of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

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In eastern Ukraine, the military repulsed attempted offensives in three directions. In particular, the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted powerful fire damage on the enemy's positions in the area of Verkhniokamyanske.

This is stated in the latest report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00, July 8, published on Facebook.

The units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus reconnoiter in Volyn and Polissya directions, intensify countermeasures against technical means of intelligence, primarily unmanned aerial vehicles.

"In Belarus, the closure of airspace over the southern part of the country has been extended until October 7. The ban on civil aviation flights has been in effect since February 24," the report reads.

There are no significant changes in Siversky direction.

In Kharkiv direction, the enemy conducts defensive operations and tries to improve its tactical position in certain areas. The invaders fired tube and rocket artillery on Kharkiv city and its outskirts, as well as the areas of the localities of Udy, Dementiyivka, Lebyazhe, Pishchane, Zamulivka, Petrivka, Pytomnyk, Mospanove, Korobochkyne, Slatyne, Svitlychne, Shevelivka, Peremoha, Verkhniy Saltiv, Nove, and Bayrak. Near Dementiyivka, the Ukrainian defenders twice repelled enemy assaults and pushed Russians back. The enemy launched an airstrike near Petrivka.

As noted, in Slovyansk direction, the enemy tries to improve its tactical position. The areas of Dolyna, Mazanivka, Krasnopillia, Husarivka, Novopavlivka, Chervone, Virnopillia, and Khrestyshche came under mortar, tube and rocket artillery fire. The offensive actions of the enemy in the area of  Bohorodychne were choked by fire damage. The Russians retreated with losses.

In Kramatorsk direction, the enemy shelled civilian and military infrastructure in the areas of Siversk, Serebrianka, Karpivka, Slovyansk, and Kryva Luka. An airstrike was recorded near Tetianivka.

The General Staff informed that the Defense Forces of Ukraine inflicted heavy fire damage on enemy positions in Verkhniokamyanske area, forcing enemy units to withdraw from the locality.

In Bakhmut direction, the enemy shelled Ukrainian positions near Spirne, Ivano-Daryivka, New York and in the area of the Vuhlehirsk TPP. The invaders launched airstrikes near Berestove and Pokrovske.

With the support of artillery and operational-tactical aviation, the invaders unsuccessfully tried to go on an offensive in the areas of Spirne and Ivano-Daryivka. They suffered losses and retreated.

Fighting continues near Vesela Dolyna.

In Avdiivka, Kurakhove, Novopavlivsk, and Zaporizhzhia directions, mortar, tube and rocket artillery strikes are ongoing along the contact line. The enemy launched airstrikes near Novoandriivka.

The enemy units tried to conduct offensive actions in the area of Velyke Artakove in the Southern Buh direction. Ukrainian soldiers quickly suppressed this attempt and pushed the invaders back. There is a great threat of missile strikes on the region's critical infrastructure.

"The enemy naval group continues to perform tasks in the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, the civilian shipping is still blocked in the northwestern part of the Black Sea," the report reads.

As reported, the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated about 36,900 Russian soldiers from February 24 to July 8.

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Currently on display at the Farmington Public Library is the artwork of Farmington resident Vada Galvan, a veteran artist who has painted for more than 50 years.

I started out as a decorative painter, she said. I became a member of the Society of Decorative Painters and belonged to a chapter in St. Louis. Decorative painting has to be on a useful surface.

"If you go back to the beginning of our country, decorative painting was the first art form that came to this country. The itinerants came in from Italy and France and painted on household goods and did charcoal drawings of people that lived here. Rufus Porter was one of the more famous ones and you can see his stuff in museums.

As a result, Galvan became a decorative arts teacher in 2003. She acknowledged that she has been fortunate to take classes from well-known decorative painters from around the world.

I would go to their conventions and they were really interesting," she said. "You may have someone from South America or Japan teaching the class, but they would have interpreters in there.

In order to display her artwork in galleries, she has moved away from decorative painting and into portraiture. Each section in the display is of a different type of subject. Her work is eclectic, fanning off in many different directions. One of them is western-themed art based upon her youth. Galvan was born and raised on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming where her father worked in the oilfields.

Thats one of the reasons for that section, she said. That lives in my heart and its my home and where my family all live. (Husband) Ben and I met here in Missouri, but hes from Montana. Ive been in Missouri going on 60 years, so I feel like a local.

Another section on display is fantasy art painted in acrylic that shows fanciful troll-type figures on print backgrounds.

Galvan has won several awards for her work over the years. This year, Galvan painted a mule from a photograph and entered it into the Art is Ageless competition at Presbyterian Manor.

I took best of show with him, she said. Last year I took best of show with a painting of a lady.

One of her best pieces is featured on Presbyterian Manor's 2020 calendar. The cover features a sheep and butterfly called The Beauty and the Fleece. That year, it was the first painting in the history of the Art is Ageless competition that took two top prizes  judges choice and peoples choice.

The painting also placed in the professional category and then advanced to the tri-state level where it was selected for the 2020 calendar cover. Galvan entered the same painting in the Southeast Missouri Art Council competition where it took first place. It was there that she lost the painting.

There, you had to put a price on it, she said. I really didnt want to sell him because I loved him and he lived above my fireplace. One of the ladies said to put a really high price on it. Somebody bought it. It had taken a long time to paint. I painted on it all one summer  I didnt rush it.

As with her subjects, Galvan also likes to experiment with different mediums and types of paints.

There isnt a particular medium," she said. "Im one of those people that likes to hop around. I took a watercolor class and painted one, but Im not a watercolor painter. I like too much control. I like doing detail.

Galvan even has a pencil drawing in the display, but she doesnt do much of those, either.

I do paint in oil, she said. Genesis is my favorite [brand of] paint. I painted a chair with gourds. I worked on it forever  it was a struggle. I love the way it looks. Theres a depth in oils that you do not see in other mediums.

She added that Genesis paint will not dry until heated to 270 degrees for at least 15 minutes.

I love doing still life, Galvan said. The one thing I dont do is get outside and paint mountains and stuff. I have a couple of mountains from around here. I like painting animals, but I dont do it a lot.

A devout Christian, Galvan and her husband attend First Baptist Church Farmington and her faith is an integral part of her paintings.

I have called my painting my God gift, she said. I didnt go to school for it. I was talking to one of my sisters on the phone and she said I was born with a Crayola in my hand. She said she never saw a little kid color like I did. She said I never went out of the lines.

"I feel gifted, I feel blessed. I try to share my gift, I teach an advanced class on Tuesday mornings at the nutrition center. We are on week number five and they are still having a good time, but doing their own thing. It makes me really happy and I feel like my class is a kind of ministry. I tell them we have to pray before we meet.

When asked about how she decides what to paint, Galvan said she doesnt really know. A lot of things I feel are inspired by the Holy Spirit. When I did [The Beauty and the Fleece], all of sudden I got up one morning and this was what I was told to do and even the name was there. That happens once in a while.

Galvan did a painting a couple of years ago that was of old hands holding a violin and on the curl of the violin is a bird. She borrowed a violin from Music Makers and the hands were of a friend with whom she attends church.

That was one that I was inspired to do, she said. I called it the Maestros Duet, because the little bird had his head back.

Chuckling about having a lot of junk at home, Galvan related that, if she goes to an antique store, she will see an old crock or antique bottle and think she needs to paint it. She also utilizes her library-sized collection of art books.

Galvan is also a member of the Ste. Genevieve Art Guild where she displays some of her work and volunteers. She summed up what she wants people to think of her work.

I like it to stir something in that person, she said. I like it to tell a story or bring back a happy memory. To bring happiness and gentleness  our world doesnt have enough of either, anymore.
Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that after the launch of the interconnector from Greece to Bulgaria, his country will be able to ensure gas supplies to Ukraine and Moldova.

The head of government made the statement during his visit to Greece on the occasion of the launch of the interconnector, Ukrinform reports with reference to Digi24.

Ciuca emphasized that the pipeline is extremely important for the European gas transmission network.

"In principle, the interconnector will provide gas supply to both Bulgaria and Romania. And, of course, we will be able to provide gas supply to our eastern partners  Ukraine and Moldova," he emphasized.

As reported earlier, in two weeks, the European Commission will submit an emergency action plan in case of interruption and complete cessation of Russian gas supplies. It will provide for the supply of gas to the most vulnerable nations and population strata.
Russias unjustified and unprovoked aggression toward Ukraine has caused a global food crisis, which made over 323 million people worldwide face the threat of actual food shortage, while 1.2 billion have become exposed to hardships due to a combination of high prices of food and energy amid declining incomes.

Thats according to EU High Representative Josep Borrell, who spoke at the session of the G20 foreign ministerial in Bali on addressing food and energy security, Ukrinform reports.

Russias war of aggression against Ukraine is dramatically aggravating the food crisis. In just 2 years, the number of seriously food insecure people in the world had already doubled from 135 million before the COVID-19 pandemic to 276 million early 2022, and 323 million today. Now, with this unjustified and unprovoked, 1.2 billion people - one in six of the worlds population - are severely exposed to the combination of rising food prices, rising energy prices and tightening financial conditions, Borrell said.

The high representative noted that things can get worse as Russia is blocking 20 million tons of grains in Ukrainian storage facilities. This is a deliberate attempt to use food as a weapon of war, not only against Ukraine, but against the most vulnerable countries in the world, Borrell said

Africa is the most severely affected region, Borrell noted, adding that many countries heavily depend on grains and fertilizers from Russia and Ukraine.

This food crisis is not caused by the European restrictive measures. The agricultural sector in Russia is not targeted. Our sanctions do not prohibit the import of Russian agricultural goods, or fertilizers, nor payment for such Russian exports, the high representative said.

The crisis is entirely caused by Russias actions: it has invaded a breadbasket of the world and it has turned the shipping lanes of the Black Sea into a war zone, said Borrell.

The EU is working on four strands of action:

First, solidarity. The EU will mobilize over EUR7 billion until 2024 for the global food security response. Another priority is supporting food affordability by addressing the macro-economic stability of vulnerable countries.

Second, production. The EU works to boost production capacity and resilience of food systems. We have lifted all constraints to facilitate the export of agricultural production in Europe.

Third, trade. As UN efforts on Black sea route are being stalled by Russia, we are achieving progress through EU led Solidarity Lanes, helping Ukraine to export its grains via an alternative to the blocked ports: 2.5 million tons were exported in June, compared to 1 million in April. But it is costly and slow to address the issue.

An additional 50 million tons are expected with the next harvest. Freeing storage capacity becomes more and more urgent.

And fourth, multilateralism. Everyone should commit to anchoring food security response in the multilateral system and to tie in with the UNs Global Crisis Response Group. In the energy sector, too, restrictive measures are not the reason for high prices and a tight market. The real reasons are artificial supply shortages, especially of gas, by Russia.

The EU is strengthening engagement with our partners, through solutions that support stability in global energy markets, by maximizing production capacities.

The green energy transition will be a key remedy for sustainable, and affordable energy worldwide. This crisis will force us to boost and accelerate this transition. We will also diversify energy supply by engaging in hydrogen partnerships with reliable partners, Borrell said.

An even quicker answer to many of these issues remains in the hands of one man: President Putin, who should stop this senseless war and avoid a global food and energy calamity, the official concluded.

As already reported, on February 24, 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked war against Ukraine. As a result of the Russian attack, Ukrainian ports and the export bulk of more than 20 million tons of grain, which were intended, including for aid to the most vulnerable nations within the framework of the UN World Food Program, were blocked.

The European Union has organized "corridors of solidarity" on the borders with Ukraine to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain via other routes, including internal waterways, rail, and road transport.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba believes that the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not change the country's policy toward Ukraine.

This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to RFE/RLs Ukrainian bureau.

"Undoubtedly, amid this war, Boris Johnson proved to be a brave person and someone who is not afraid to take risks. At least recall his visit to Kyiv in April. He is such a person that is very difficult to replace  there will never be anyone like him. But, I am convinced that whoever becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain, the countrys policy and support for Ukraine will remain unchanged. We will continue cooperating with them and they will provide help to us," Kuleba said.

It should be recalled that on July 7, Prime Minister of Great Britain Boris Johnson announced his resignation. He also promised that the United Kingdom would continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

According to the Financial Times, key figures in the Conservative Party are in favor of appointing a new British prime minister by early September, when the House of Commons returns from summer recess.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
In a closed-door session at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reminded the Russian delegation that Ukraine is a sovereign state.

The relevant statement was made by The Washington Post, referring to a Western diplomat who cited Blinken, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out, Blinken said.

Blinken also disparaged Moscows contributions to the World Food Program, noting that it has provided only a fifth of 1 percent of the donations to the organization.

A reminder that the two-day G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting hosted by Indonesia on its resort island of Bali opened on July 7, 2022. The meeting will focus on the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, and its effects.

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When addressing the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for a resolute global response to the Russian aggression.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Addressed the G20 ministerial today upon invitation by Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi and called for a resolute global response to Russian aggression which threatens the world with food and energy crises. Putting Russia in its place is the global challenge number one and the meeting today proved it, Kuleba wrote.

A reminder that a two-day G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting hosted by Indonesia on its resort island of Bali opened on July 7, 2022. The meeting will focus on the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, and its effects.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

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United States Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea Tamila Tasheva discussed the issue of Russias militarization of the peninsula.

The U.S. ambassador wrote this on her Twitter account, Ukrinform reports.

Spoke with Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea Tasheva about the Kremlin's continuing occupation and militarization of Crimea. Russias repression of the local population, and its use of Crimea to support its brutal war against the rest of Ukraine, are appalling. Crimea is Ukraine, she wrote.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Office of the Presidents Representation for the Autonomous Republic of Crime called on citizens in Crimea to sabotage the mobilization that the Russian Federation is preparing for in the temporarily occupied territories.

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Ukraine has already formed the concept of a new security architecture and is ready to discuss it with international partners. In addition, Ukraine should consider various options for alliances.

"To date, at the level of President Volodymyr Zelensky, a concept has already been clearly formed, which was publicly presented as a response within 24 hours. It is communicated by our partners, primarily the United States, Great Britain, Turkey, Germany, France, and it is not concealed from our other partners that we are ready to sit down at the negotiating table with our partners, discussing a new security architecture," Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov said during the Building Together online conference organized by Forbes, answering a question about the future guarantees of Ukraine's security, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The defense minister believes that although Ukraine is not a NATO member de jure, its already in NATO de facto.

"If we say that Ukraine is not yet considered by NATO countries as a full-fledged member de jure, because there must be a consensus among the NATO countries, we actually already become a de facto member of the Alliance. Because we are on the eastern flank, we are given NATO equipment, we have already mastered more than 300 NATO standards, etc. The only thing that worries our partners is Article 5, which they would be very much unwilling to apply if Ukraine became a member of the Alliance," Reznikov emphasized.

He believes that today it is necessary to build new alliances with the countries of the Anglo-Saxon sector, as well as with Poland, the Baltic states, within the framework of the Three Seas Initiative, etc.

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Exactly three years ago, Egils Levits assumed the powers of the country's president. Latvia is a parliamentary republic, but the post of the head of state is of great weight here. Levits' tenure fell on stormy years  the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the pandemic of Russian aggression. On the receiving end is Ukraine, but it also leads to tectonic shifts in all of Europe and the rest of the world. At the same time, the president of Latvia, on all platforms, proves himself as one of the most proactive and principled allies of Ukraine.

BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE WHOLE SOCIETY HELP UKRAINE

- As a Ukrainian, Id like to thank the president of Latvia for the multifaceted support his nation is providing to Ukraine.

- Yes, this help is self-evident for us Latvians as we understand the current situation well. We dont need to be told anything separately about Russian imperialism, so our support is natural. Both the government and the whole society help Ukraine.

- Probably, it would be logical to start off with the topic of Ukrainian refugees.

- We have already registered more than 30,000 displaced from Ukraine. In Latvia, a special law on the support of Ukrainian refugees has been adopted, laying down special forms of support. In particular, financial assistance is provided for refugees, and it is similar to that received by citizens of Latvia. This includes both a one-time payment when a person has just arrived in the country and a regular monthly allowance, which is very similar to that offered to Latvian citizens if they have no income.

This law also provides that a separate work permit is not required  a person can start working immediately. At the same time, it should be taken into account that there is labor shortage in Latvia. Actually, the problem is not about unemployment, but about a lack of workers  its become more difficult for enterprises to find employees. So its not difficult for those willing and able to work to find themselves a job.

- How do you address housing issues?

- At the very start, after a person arrives in Latvia, during the first four months, the government helps with accommodation. This includes facilitating the fact that the residents of Latvia - private individuals - welcome migrants from Ukraine in their homes and receive partial compensation from the government. Its so that they accept more people. There are also other topics in this regard... So this is one thing  refugees. Its very important. But there is no less, and perhaps more important issue  providing defense assistance to Ukraine.

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE FEEL THE RUSSIAN THREAT BETTER

- Yes, and here, it seems, the numbers are really telling.

- Latvia has already provided defense aid in the amount of approximately EUR 250 million. This is about a third of our defense budget this year. If counted by the share to gross domestic product, among other nations, Latvia and Estonia provide Ukraine with the largest aid - approximately 0.8% of GDP. I should clarify that this is about defense assistance. Aid to refugees is counted separately. Also, large humanitarian aid is mainly provided by non-governmental organizations. But the largest amount of aid is defense assistance. In the list of military donors, Latvia, despite being a small nation, is at the top of the list in terms of its capabilities. [In absolute terms] the USA gave the most (25 billion), then theres Great Britain (EUR 2.5 billion, Poland (1.8 billion), Germany (1.4 billion), Norway (0.5 billion), Latvia and Estonia (about EUR 250 million each).

- As you can see, the war is dragging on. At the same time, the Kremlin provokes energy, food, and other crises. Is the democratic world ready for this? Is there a long-term strategy to support Ukraine, which is repelling Russian aggression?

- Last week I participated in the NATO summit in Madrid. The war has been going on for four months already. And allies, democratic countries, understood that it would be a long-term war. This is also recognized in the documents adopted in Madrid, including the new NATO concept. It states that Russia is the main enemy of the Alliance. This is a really new concept, from which comes the understanding that Ukraine needs long-term help  primarily in the military sense, as well as in the economic one.

At the same time, there is an important question of public attitudes in Western nations, since the difficulties of the economic nature and those in the energy field have arisen or are just emerging,. This will be a certain challenge for the solidarity [of democracies] with Ukraine. A positive point is that the main political forces in the West understand that Ukraine will need long-term assistance, and at the same time they stand for solidarity. However, in every country, there are populist forces and in every country, they will deny the need to help Ukraine. But, fortunately, they are in the minority so they dont determine their countries policies.

- To what extent is it possible to bring the positions of Eastern and so-called Old Europe closer together?

- From the onset of the [full-scale] war, it was the countries of Eastern and Central Europe - Poland, the Baltic nations, Romania  that took the initiative to help Ukraine, which is currently getting assistance from all across Europe Why so? The countries of Central and Eastern Europe are located closer to the existing source of threat. Therefore, they better understand the problem of Ukraine than the countries of Western Europe, which are geographically farther from Russia... I think that we succeeded in convincing these more western countries, "Old Europe", that Russia is a threat to everyone, not just Eastern Europe. Its a threat to all NATO allies. An example of such awareness is the decision of the Madrid summit, which I have already mentioned. We discuss the same issues on other platforms  for example, within the "Bucharest Nine". Recently (June 10 - ed.) a meeting in this format took place in Bucharest. This is all about the leadership role assumed by the nations of Central and Eastern Europe.

A NEW COURT SHOULD BE SET UP TO CONSIDER THE GENOCIDE OF UKRAINIANS CASE

- This is a question for you as an acclaimed lawyer. Have you read the report "Independent legal analysis of the Russian Federation's violation of the Convention on Genocide in Ukraine and the obligation to prevent it"? How would you rate this research?

- I can provide a legal and political assessment: there is evidence that Russia is indeed committing genocide in Ukraine. Also, the parliaments of all the Baltic nations have decided that genocide is currently taking place in Ukraine. Canada made a similar decision. Perhaps Poland and some other countries will make the same one. Regarding legal aspects, there is an International Court of Justice (the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague, - ed.). However, in a procedural sense, consideration of this issue is beyond its jurisdiction. Currently, a complaint has been filed by Kyiv: Ukraine accuses Russia of committing genocide, while accusing Ukraine of committing it in Donbas. And this is a violation of the Genocide Convention.

- So its a "mirror accusation" by the real perpetrator of the genocide, which is one of the genocide "markers," right?

- Right. This claim is currently being considered by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The first hearings were held early March. This is a legal assessment and its important from the point of view of jurisprudence  it was decided that Russia shall stop committing genocide. Of course, Russia doesnt take this into account. But it is important that there is already such a resolution. It was a temporary ruling, and well have to wait a few more months until the final ruling is handed down... Regarding the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, no international court can accept it for consideration at the moment. Perhaps, on the initiative of Ukraine, a new court will be set up to consider the case. After all, we have precedents regarding Yugoslavia and Rwanda, when new courts were created. I support this. And I spoke about it in Madrid, too. This opinion, this initiative needs to be developed so that a group of countries is formed that will deal with the issue. Because, unfortunately, the case wont make it through the UN Security Council (where Russia has the right of veto).

REFORM REQUIRES AN INSTRUMENT - PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

- At the final meeting of the spring session of the Saeima (parliament of Latvia - ed.) and in anticipation of parliamentary elections coming this fall, you delivered an interesting speech  on the need for reforms in the Republic of Latvia. Could you single out a few of its main theses for Ukrainians?

- For Ukraine... In order to effectively implement reforms in the country, the government must have a sharp, clear tool to this end. And this tool is public administration. Therefore, it would be logical to conclude that, first of all, public administration is needed, which will deal with the implementation of reforms. In Latvia, a lot has already been done in this sense. Our public administration functions satisfactorily. But reforms never stop. They must be continued by addressing new tasks. This is an ongoing process.

For example, in the 1990s, when we did not yet have a well-functioning public administration in Latvia, there was such a position as "Minister for Public Administration Reform." Accordingly, his task was to reform public administration itself. Perhaps such an official would be relevant for Ukraine as well. That is, this person would not be engaged in all reforms in the entire society, but only in the development of this tool  the reform of public administration. All of this, of course, involves training of public officials, the correct arrangement of the institutional organization of the state, the eradication of corruption, and everything else so that public administration works more efficiently. One of my proposals is to create a state council that would be an independent body and provide its conclusions about the laws  whether the adopted legislation corresponds to permanent (long-term - ed.) policies. All this can improve the legislative process and the activity of public administration.

Oleg Kudrin, Riga

Photos by author
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk has called on Ukrainians who currently stay in the territory of the Russian Federation and have decided to "wait out the war" there, to leave at least to the European Union, as they may soon be deprived of such an opportunity.

Currently, the Russian authorities are already setting up filtration camps on the EU border and making it difficult for Ukrainians to cross out, the official said, speaking on the issue on the air of a nationwide telethon, as reported by Ukrinform.

"I urge such people to make a decision in favor of Ukraine, and also at least to leave toward the territory of the European Union. There is already an iron curtain over Russia, only cracks and narrow channels remain, which will allow Ukrainians and Ukrainian citizens to leave to the territory of the EU. Russia will do everything to ensure that these people who are there work and also serve - they can be mobilized into the Russian army - and then all legal paths will be severed," urged Vereshchuk.

Read also: Relatives of abducted residents of Kherson region forced to obtain Russian passports

She said that, even in the absence of a passport and other IDs, Ukrainians can reach the border of Ukraine in any way or the border of Estonia and Latvia, and call 15-48 to get help.

Commenting on the information that the Russians are already starting to set up filtration camps on the border of Estonia and are actually preventing Ukrainians who seek to leave for EU territory, the Deputy Prime Minister noted: "Not only on the border with Estonia, unfortunately, we are aware of filtration camps along the entire Russian border with other states."

In addition, Vereshchuk reported that, as of now, there are indeed cases being reported where people are held in filtration camps for weeks. However, there are even more cases where there is an opportunity to leave Russia but people dont dare, believing that in Ukraine, they will be considered collaborators. She assured that all Ukrainians, who for various reasons ended up in the territory of the aggressor power, can always return to Ukraine and receive government assistance.
Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic failed to mitigate risks for refugees, including the worsening of educational inequalities for refugee children.  UNHCR/Zahra Nazari

GENEVA - The collective global response to the COVID-19 pandemic fell short in protecting the rights of refugees despite extraordinary efforts by local actors and the international community, according to a major international report released today.

The international evaluation, a first of its kind, was conducted by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and other actors as a part of the COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition.

It assessed the extent to which refugee rights -- from access to asylum, health care and vaccines, to child protection and protection from gender-based violence -- were safeguarded during the pandemic.

The most serious consequences of the pandemic for asylum seekers and refugees were measures taken by dozens of states to deny rights to access territory and seek asylum. Taken to protect public health, they often resulted in forced returns to situations of danger, in contravention of international law.

Responses were largely inadequate to mitigate rising risks to refugees, from gender-based violence to worsening educational inequalities, child protection issues, rising xenophobia and vaccine scarcity.

Weve been urging vigilance ever since the onset of the global health emergency, warning that it would test global commitment to protecting the forcibly displaced, said UNHCRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs. This evaluation illustrates the extent of the damage. It shows clear evidence the pandemic was used to justify restrictive measures detrimental to the rights of refugees. More than two years on, some of these troubling policies and practices remain in place.

The evaluation did, however, find some positive evidence, especially about inclusion, international cooperation and sharing responsibility. These are the core principles that underpin the Global Compact on Refugees, affirmed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018.

The evaluation highlighted the extraordinary efforts of local actors and the international community in supporting refugees and asylum seekers. It praised innovations around remote delivery, which enabled the continuation of many critical refugee services despite lockdowns and movement restrictions.

Health inclusion was critical to stem transmission. Most countries extended coverage to refugees in national vaccination plans. But vaccine nationalism has impeded procurement and distribution in low- and middle-income countries, which hosted 84 per cent of refugees in 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic stretched to breaking point the capacity and willingness of states to live up to their international responsibilities and obligations to refugees, said the OECD DAC Chair, Susanna Moorehead. DAC donors stepped up during the pandemic, increasing Official Development Assistance to record levels. Despite the additional resources, this timely evaluation shows that we need to work together better, across the unhelpful humanitarian-development divide. Development effectiveness, impact and accountability are needed more than ever in times of global crisis.

To prevent and address violations of refugee rights as a result of the pandemic, the report makes six recommendations to governments, international protection actors and UN organizations. These include strengthening preparedness efforts and ensuring continuity of essential protection services and training national authorities and border officials on international refugee law compliance for future pandemics.

The report will be launched at a global virtual event Refugee rights and protection during COVID-19: hard lessons & concrete actions on 8th July, at 14.00 CET. Register to participate.

Notes to editors:

The COVID-19 Global Evaluation Coalition is an independent collaboration of evaluation units from bilateral development co-operation providers, multilateral institutions, United Nations agencies and partner countries. The management group of the evaluation includes UNHCR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Governments of Colombia and Uganda, and the humanitarian system network ALNAP.

The Evaluation Brief is available here.

More information can be found here: https://www.covid19-evaluation-coalition.org/

Media contacts:
(434) 422-7398

A national shortage in skilled workers in the construction industry has left a key instructor position at the Charlottesville Albemarle Technical Education Center vacant for the coming school year.

CATEC has not yet found an qualified instructor to lead its Building Trades program, director Stephanie Carter said. Sixty students are signed up for classes in the program for the coming school year.

We have 60 students that have signed up because they want to learn building trades, Carter said. If we dont have an instructor, thats 60 potential future employees that arent gonna get the opportunity to learn it.

The Building Trades program at CATEC teaches students the ins and outs of residential construction from carpentry to plumbing. Those classes used to include instruction related to the electricity industry, but CATEC recently expanded to start a separate electricity program following a three-year effort to build out the programs.

The construction industry nationally is facing a workforce shortage, according to February 2022 report from the Associated Builders and Contractors. The organization estimated that the industry would need to bring in nearly 650,000 workers to meet the expected demand in 2022.

What were hearing from our business partners really is that they also are struggling to find any employees, Carter said. If we dont have the instructors to train [students], the shortage is just going to get worse.

A qualified candidate for the position would be somebody who has worked in the construction industry for at least five years and is licensed in one of the construction trades, Carter said. CATEC will work to get the instructor licensed through the state. A bachelors degree isnt required.

An instructor with five years of experience would start at $56,047, according to Albemarle Countys teacher salary scale. Carter said the job would offer a schedule conducive to someone with a family. The position also for 10 months out of the year and comes with paid holidays off and full-time benefits.

Direct impact

In May, the school held a ceremony to recognize 22 students who were going to work full-time with a local company after graduation, Carter said. Students who complete a CATEC program earn an industry certification. Some students also have internships with local businesses through CATEC.

If CATEC doesnt have instructors, its a direct impact to our local workforce, Carter said.

The building trades position is CATECs only vacant instructor job for the coming school year. However, the school will need to hire more instructors in order to reduce its waitlist. Currently, about 100 students are waiting for a spot at the school.

Carter said enrollment requests at CATEC were up 40% compared to the 2019-20 school year. Compared to the recent school year, requests are up 48%. Every program at CATEC has a waiting list, including building trades.

Because our waiting list is so long and our enrollment is so high, the only way to really address it is to hire, Carter said. This isnt a problem thats going to be solved by filling this one position. Were going to need more people.

Carter said the enrollment increase is driven in part by students who are concerned about taking on student debt after high school and want to take advantage of CATECs free programs.

CATEC is a great deal, and its also hands-on, Carter said. I think post-pandemic, students are really enjoying a hands-on class that allows a certain level of freedom and self-expression and a project-based approach.

For those who have signed up for the building trades classes, Carter said she doesnt want to tell those students no.

The new building trades instructor would use a curriculum thats already been created.

We also have a team that meets to help plan and plan the instruction, Carter said, adding that theres professional development available through the county school division.

For more information, go to albemarleva.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=7504.
By Duan Ting

Protesters against NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain (File photo)

Leaders of NATO members approved the new Strategic Concept 2022 at the summit held in Madrid, Spain at the end of June. The new document evaluated the security environment faced by NATO and specified its core tasks in the next ten years.

Yet as the blueprint guiding NATOs future development, the new Strategic Concept is fraught with confrontation, zero-sum mindset, and ideological prejudices.

The new Strategic Concept exaggerates security threats and agitates bloc confrontation

NATOs new Strategic Concept views major-country competition as the most severe security challenge in the next decade, and views Russian Federation as the most significant and direct threat. It also makes groundless attacks against China, labeling it as posing systemic challenges to NATOs interests, security, and values. It regards the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination as a threat too.

There is no doubt that the documents highlight of major-country competition is based on Americas strategic intention and aimed to help the US oppress its rivals and maintain its hegemony. However, the differentiation between threat and challenge made by the document reveals the differences between the US and Europe regarding security concerns and geostrategic considerations. It also indicates that NATOs European members dont see completely eye to eye with the US on the China issue.

The new Strategic Concept emphasizes collective defense and shows an aggressive tendency.

The new Strategic Concept reiterates that ensuring the collective defense and security of all Allies is NATOs core task and goal. It lists deterrence and defense, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security as NATOs three core tasks for the next decade. This reflects how it will use its military capacities in the next ten years, and also the offensive and defensive sides of its strategy.

First of all, NATO believes that in an environment of strategic competition, it must enhance its global influence and conduct deterrence, defense, competition and denial in all domains and directions. In other words, it will fulfill the task in a more proactive way, which demonstrates NATOs outward, aggressive strategic thinking.

Second, NATO vows to further enhance the war-preparedness, responsiveness and maneuverability of its troops, reinforce pre-deployment of troops and equipment, upgrade military infrastructure, and make speedy reinforcement more reliable. This means NATO will be more flexible and proactive with military means when responding to or dealing with crises in the future.

The new Strategic Concept serves American hegemony and undermines world peace.

NATO was the outcome of the Cold War. It should have been dissolved with the end of the Cold War. Nevertheless, it has experienced five rounds of eastward expansion under Americas lead since then, and has fanned flames, made trouble, and constantly threatened to use force around the world. It is the organization itself that has brought the greatest harm to world security.

Under the leadership of the US, NATOs new Strategic Concept is rife with examples of calling black white  it describes the intentional containment of China as self-preservation, and it accuses China of trying to split NATO while it is NATO that initiates confrontation. The document in no way reflects NATOs self-claimed defensive nature, but exposes its true color of drawing ideological lines, instigating conflict and confrontation, and undermining world peace. The Strategic Concept follows Americas strategic intention and serves to help maintain America's hegemony in the next ten years.

In the new Strategic Concept, the US makes the top-level design for NATO to put its fingers in the Asian Pacific pie and forces its allies onto the America-laid track of suppressing China. Washington spares no effort in instigating the EU-Russia confrontation in hopes of continuously weakening Moscow, getting Europe to step up its defense, and consequently lessening its own defense burden on the continent. The document reveals Americas well-calculated plan to kill three birds with one stone  containing China, weakening Russia, and harming Europe. Such a sinister motive is ingrained in Americas strategic tradition. It always views the Eurasian continent as a geopolitical chess piece, and believes that it can only maintain its hegemony by wrecking and blocking any possible cooperation among China, Russia, and the EU.

Its easy to imagine if the international situation evolves as what America has planned, Asia Pacific and Eurasia will know no end of chaos and conflict. At that time, the only one to benefit is Uncle Sam.

(The author is from the National Security College, China PLA National Defence University)

NATO Response Force conducts a tactical exercise in Munster, a city in northern Germany. (Photo by Xinhua)
Retired Henrico County police officer Richard C. Crowder was drunk and agitated as professional movers were inside his home wrapping the belongings of his wife and stepdaughter, who Crowder is accused of fatally shooting before they could move out, according to court papers filed in the case Wednesday.

The two movers working inside Crowders home Saturday told police they spoke with a woman inside, who stated to stay away from the male resident as he was drunk and agitated. The movers were upstairs working when they heard a series of f-  you being uttered and four to eight gunshots, police wrote in an affidavit for a warrant to search Crowders home.

The two movers then fled the residence by jumping from the second-floor window, the affidavit says.

Police were notified that Crowders adult son had received a call from his father, advising he had committed a firearm violation.

The 9:35 a.m. shooting at Crowders home at 7655 Phillips Wood Dr. triggered a large police response and standoff that didnt end until nine hours later when Crowder surrendered while on the phone with police.

Following the standoff, police discovered the bodies of Crowders wife, Diane Crowder, 53, and his stepdaughter, Carrie Szaksz, 35. Crowder was subsequently charged with two counts of second-degree murder in their deaths, along with two counts of using a firearm in a felony.

In addition, Crowder, 60, was charged with attempting to maliciously wound a Henrico police officer and using a firearm in connection with that offense. Crowder fired shots at one of the first officers to respond to his residence, according to the affidavit.

After establishing a perimeter around Crowders property Saturday, police observed multiple cameras affixed to his actual home, as well as game cameras along the perimeter.

The cameras, along with the fact that Crowder had fired shots at a Henrico officer and was believed to have shot the two women inside, made police wary of making a daytime approach to his house to serve the search warrant, according to the affidavit.

It would put the tactical elements Henrico police would use at an extremely high risk for officer safety, the affidavit said.

Crowder was hired by the Henrico Division of Police in 1986 and retired from the force in November 2014 as K-9 officer, Henrico officials said Wednesday.

Crowder is being held without bond in the Henrico Jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 19 in Henrico Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

A Gofundme account has been established by Diane Crowders aunt to help with funeral expenses and other family needs: https://bit.ly/3IgJ6YN

A tragedy occurred when the lives of a loving mother and daughter ended due to domestic violence, Judy Pulley wrote. The loss of these two lives will be felt in many different ways.

One major role they both played was being daily caretakers for their parents/grandparents who have major health issues, Pulley added. They made sure that their family was cared for even while trying to make a new safe life for themselves. We will never really know how this could have worked out differently because one person made that decision for us all.

What we can do now is help their loved ones today and with what is to come. All proceeds will be used for funeral expenses for Carrie and Diane (Sissy) and, Dianes son Alex who has just graduated high school and will be transitioning into adulthood without his mother and sister.
On a sunny and warm Thursday afternoon, downtown Albany comes alive with activity. Conversation, music and enticing scents float through the air as visitors weave in and out of merchants stalls in the great outdoors.

This lively atmosphere signifies the welcome return of Albanys oldest annual event: Crazy Daze, and it's a scene that will repeat through Sunday.

Sponsored by the Albany Downtown Association, the event originated in 1898 under the name Bargain Days. After WWII, it was retitled Crazy Daze, and the name has persevered for decades. Every year at the beginning of June, merchants will reduce the prices of apparel, home and lifestyle items for four days.

There are different takes on what makes it crazy and fun, Lise Grato, executive director for the Albany Downtown Association, said. Currently, there are around 20 merchants participating. There are canopies and sale tables in the streets. Its busy out there.

Lux + Lu Boutique, one of the vendors for Crazy Daze, has participated in the event for two years. The womens clothing store opened mid-pandemic, in June of 2020. Employee Amy Ireland said the business involvement was inspired by its downtown Corvallis location joining with other businesses there to host their own version of Crazy Daze.

It was really a matter of making a phone call and committing ourselves, Ireland said.

While some downtown businesses like Lux + Lu are only a few years old, others are local pillars, fortified through family bonds. Emma Downtown, a womens home and lifestyle boutique located on First Avenue, was established by Peggy Udolf and her daughter Mandy Beauchamp in 2000.

Its nice to find things Id normally purchase but at a cheaper price, shopper Emily Howry said. She and her friend Julie Lorain have frequented the sale for seven years.

Grato said she expects Crazy Daze will occur indefinitely in the future, upholding its widely-loved tradition of providing good deals to the people of Albany.

It has been around for 124 years, and I hope it continues for many years to come, she said.

Crazy Daze will run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday, July 10 in downtown Albany. Entrance is free to the public.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) Syrian Kurds at the moment have no ongoing talks with international companies on the oil fields in the region, as the looming threat of Ankara's invasion wards off investment, Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Representative in the United States and member of the Presidential Committee, Bassam Saker, told Sputnik.

"There is no discussion because of the lack of stability in the area," Saker said. "The threat of invasion especially wards off investment."

Last fall, Saker told Sputnik that the Syrian Kurds would be willing to cooperate with the American energy companies on their oil fields if the US Government granted a waiver.

Ex-US President Donald Trump signed the Caesar Act, which set out Washington's plan to impose sanctions on Syrian government officials as well as foreign companies that work with Damascus to help reconstruction efforts, back in December 2019.

In August of 2020, Trump signed a deal for a US company, Delta Crescent Energy, to develop oil fields in Syrian territories in the country's northeast, which are under control of the Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

Former US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey then said that the United States was not involved in private oil deals made by Kurds in northeast Syria.

Damascus has said the United States is in Syria illegally and is engaged in theft of Syrian oil under the excuse of fighting the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia).
(@FahadShabbir)

Kashihara, Japan, July 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jul, 2022 ) :World leaders recoiled in horror after Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead Friday during a campaign speech -- an especially shocking assassination given the country's strict gun laws and low rates of violent crime.

The gunman -- an unemployed 41-year-old former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the country's navy -- opened fire at close range as the 67-year-old Abe delivered a campaign speech.

The suspect admitted targeting the hugely influential politician, saying he held a grudge against an organisation to which he believed Abe, Japan's longest-serving leader, was linked, authorities said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was visibly emotional as he addressed reporters, described the killing as a "barbaric act" that was "absolutely unforgivable".

Leaders around the world expressed their outrage: US President Joe Biden visited the Japanese embassy in Washington to offer personal condolences, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol described the killing as an "unacceptable act".

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that the "brutal and cowardly murder" had shocked the world. Biden ordered flags to fly at half-mast on US government buildings through Sunday, and a day of mourning was declared in India.

Abe, who held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, was shot shortly before noon while campaigning in the western region of Nara ahead of weekend upper house elections.

He was flown by helicopter to a hospital where he was pronounced dead several hours later, despite a team of 20 medics trying to resuscitate him.

Doctors said the politician had suffered two gunshot wounds to the neck and died of massive blood loss.

After Abe's death was confirmed, a visibly emotional Kishida said he was "lost for words".

"During this election period, a despicable and barbaric act was committed... this is unforgivable. We condemn it once again in the strongest terms," said the prime minister, having abandoned the campaign trail and flown back to Tokyo.

The attack occurred as Abe delivered a stump speech with security present but spectators able to approach him easily.

Footage from public broadcaster NHK showed him standing on a stage when a man dressed in a grey shirt and brown trousers approached from behind, before drawing a weapon from a bag.

At least two shots appeared to be fired, each producing a cloud of smoke. As spectators and reporters ducked, a man was shown being tackled to the ground by security.

The suspect, identified by police as Tetsuya Yamagami, was wielding a handmade gun.

Officers later confiscated "several handmade gun-like items" at the suspect's home, according to police.

- 'Large bang' - Witnesses described shock as the political event turned into chaos.

"The first shot sounded like a toy bazooka," a woman told NHK.

"He didn't fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke." Later in the day, mourners came to pay their respects as news of the attack sank in.

"I just couldn't sit back and do nothing. I had to come here to dedicate flowers," said Nara resident Sachie Nagafuji, 54, visiting the scene with his son.

"I really respected him and had faith in him as a politician." Officials from the local chapter of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party said there had been no threats before the incident and that his speech had been announced publicly.

Several parties announced their senior members would halt campaigning for Sunday's election in the wake of the attack, but the ruling LDP and its coalition partner Komeito said canvassing would resume on Saturday.

- Strict gun laws - Abe was forced to step down in 2020 due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.

The hawkish conservative had pushed for the revision of Japan's pacifist constitution to recognise the country's military, and stayed a prominent political figure even after his resignation.

Japan has some of the world's toughest gun control laws. Annual deaths from firearms in the country of 125 million people are regularly in single figures.

Getting a gun licence is a long and complicated process for Japanese citizens, who must first get a recommendation from a shooting association and then undergo strict police checks.

Corey Wallace, an assistant professor at Kanagawa University who focuses on Japanese politics, said the incident recalled the 1960 assassination of Inejiro Asanuma, the leader of the Japan Socialist Party, who was stabbed by a right-wing youth.

He noted that Japanese politicians and voters were used to a personal and close-up style of campaigning.

"This could really change," he said.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Bali, Indonesia, July 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :Indonesia called Friday for an end to the war in Ukraine as it led a Group of 20 meeting attended by Russia's foreign minister.

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at the opening of the meeting in Bali.

She said that the world was just recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic when it was "already confronted with another crisis -- the war in Ukraine." "The ripple effects are being felt globally -- on food, energy and fiscal space," she said.

"As always, developing and low-income countries are affected the most.

" Indonesia, which has friendly relations with the United States but was a founder of the Non-Aligned Movement, has previously called for an end to the war without embracing the Western push to isolate Moscow politically and economically.

Indonesia allowed the attendance of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov but also invited Ukraine's foreign minister, who will attend virtually.

US officials say that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will refuse to speak separately with Lavrov.

They last met in Geneva in January when Blinken warned Russia of massive consequences if it went ahead with the invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow, July 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :A Moscow court on Friday sentenced a city councillor to seven years in prison for denouncing President Vladimir Putin's Ukraine intervention, an AFP reporter said.

Alexei Gorinov, 60, was found guilty of spreading "knowingly false information" about the Russian army.

Gorinov is the first elected member of the opposition to be sentenced to jail for criticising Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine.

He appeared in court with a poster that read: "Do you still need this war?".

Court bailiffs used their hands in an effort to cover the poster from cameras, before Gorinov removed it himself.

His wife Alla cried in court as the sentence was read out, and some supporters stood up to applaud him, before being removed from the courtroom.

Gorinov is accused of discrediting the Russian army under strict legislation that rights activists say is part of Moscow's increasing efforts to snuff out the last vestiges of dissent.

He spoke up against Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine during a work meeting in March that was recorded on video and is available on YouTube.

During his speech, he questioned plans for an art competition for children in his constituency while "every day children are dying" in Ukraine.

Judge Olesya Mendeleyeva said Gorinov committed the crime "as part of a group of persons by prior agreement based on political hatred."She said he and another deputy, Yelena Kotyonochkina who has since fled Russia, "misled" Russians over the Kremlin's military campaign in Ukraine and caused them to "feel anxiety and fear."
Bali, Indonesia, July 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday he would not chase after the United States for talks as his counterpart Antony Blinken declined to see him at a G20 meeting in Indonesia.

"It was not us who abandoned contact; it was the United States," Lavrov told reporters on the island of Bali. "We are not running after anybody suggesting meetings." The United States has sought to isolate Russia on the world stage and aides to Blinken said they saw no point in speaking to Lavrov so long as Moscow pursues its war in Ukraine.

Lavrov, while saluting host Indonesia, denounced the approach of Western nations at the Group of 20, which was set up as a club of the world's major economies.

"Our Western partners are trying to avoid talking about global economic issues," he said.

"From the moment they speak, they launch into fevered criticism of Russia over the situation in Ukraine, calling us aggressors and occupiers," he said.

"Everyone is telling us to put an end to the operation and reach a peaceful solution."But he added: "Despite the behaviour of our Western colleagues, this is a useful discussion."
Jakarta, July 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :For 30 years, Indonesian artist Agus Suwage has created hyper-stylised selfies -- from caricatures of himself to imposing his face on a dictator -- to document his search for identity in the turmoil of the country's recent history.

The Macan Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jakarta is devoting an exhibition -- "The Theater of Me" -- to the work of the artist with more than 80 pieces on display spanning three decades of his career.

Suwage's self-portraits document his life as an artist deeply influenced by political change in Indonesia, such as the fall of dictator Suharto's regime in 1998 and the hopes raised by the democratic revival that followed.

The 63-year-old depicts himself in unconventional ways and his unnerving installations play with racial and cultural stereotypes in the Southeast Asian archipelago.

The exhibition has been on hold for several years after being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, which closed museums for months.

"During this long hiatus, I had forgotten a lot of the process and the artworks we planned to exhibit. So this is an important moment of rediscovering, reminiscing and rekindling the works I've done -- just like meeting an old friend," Suwage told reporters.

One of the works, "Self-Portrait and the Theater Stage", has never been shown until now.

Dozens of ironic or grotesque versions of the artist's head adorn a large wall -- in flames, like a bird, a pitbull or a kettle -- to create a cynical, visual commentary on the many different faces of politics.

In Suwage's work, "the self-portrait came from the beginning," Aaron Seeto, director of the Macan Museum, told reporters.

"He began making self-portraits firstly because he believes that one must be self-critical before you criticise others, and also there was an economic pragmatism about it, he would use his own body and wouldn't have to pay models," he said.

- Agents in a cage - Suwage's later installations give pride of place to dark humour, and their provocative nature increasingly tests the tolerance of the public in the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

In one, a skeleton sits in a bathtub of rice ("Luxury Crime"), in others a pyramid of one thousand beer bottles is topped by a "guardian angel" skeleton and a statue of a half-naked Frida Kahlo hangs on the cross, her body pierced by arrows.

The Suharto regime forced the artist, from a Chinese-Indonesian merchant family in Central Java, to adopt a more Indonesian-sounding name in 1967 from his birth name of Oei Hok Sioe.

Suwage went on to study graphic art in the Indonesian city of Bandung where a photographer roommate captured the images he would use as the basis of his early self-portraits.

At the end of the 1990s he lived through the repression of student movements and deadly riots in Jakarta, a period that would shape his development as an artist.

After experiencing success around the world -- his works can be found in museums from Japan to the United States -- and seeing the price of his pieces soar, Suwage is not shy to criticise the art market.

In the "Toys 'S' US" series from 2003, he miniaturises himself as a wire toy in various forms to explore the relationship between artist and collector, and how he felt infantilised and forced to work by those around him in the art scene.

In his "Passion Play" installation, he puts life-size mannequins representing his collectors and agents in a large cage.

"Through this process of reflection since my beginnings as an artist, I have seen a close relationship between art, politics and society," Suwage said.

It is an "exploration of memory, fear, alienation, dreams, identity and humour."The exhibition runs until mid-October.
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Tokyo, July 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :World leaders condemned Friday's assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, while paying tribute to him as a "great" leader.

Here are some key comments: - Britain - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the leadership role taken by the former premier, saying the UK stands with Japan "at this dark and sad time".

"Incredibly sad news about Shinzo Abe. His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many," Johnson tweeted.

- Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin called the death an "irreplaceable loss".

In a telegram to Abe's family, Putin called Abe an "outstanding statesman" who had done a lot to develop "good neighbourly ties between our countries".

- South Korea - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol termed the killing an "unacceptable act of crime".

"I extend my consolation and condolences to his family and the Japanese people for having lost their longest-serving prime minister and a respected politician," Yoon said.

- France - French President Emmanuel Macron said "Japan has lost a great prime minister".

Abe had "dedicated his life to his country and worked for stability in the world", he said in a tweet.

- Germany - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed shock and solidarity with Japan over the killing.

"The deadly attack on Shinzo Abe has left me aghast and deeply sad," the German leader tweeted. "I extend deep sympathy to his family, my colleague Fumio Kishida and our Japanese friends." - India - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a day of national mourning would be held in honour of Abe.

"I am shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe," Modi wrote on Twitter.

"We stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment." - Ukraine - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky extended his condolences to Abe's family.

"Horrible news of a brutal assassination of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. I am extending my deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time.

This heinous act of violence has no excuse," he tweeted.

- United States - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken mourned the slain former premier as a visionary leader who boosted relations between the two allies.

Meeting his Japanese and South Korean counterparts jointly at a G20 meeting in Bali, Blinken called Abe "a leader with great vision" who "brought the relationship between our countries, the United States and Japan, to new heights".

- European Union - "The brutal and cowardly murder" of Abe "shocks the world," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted.

"I will never understand the brutal killing of this great man," said European Council President Charles Michel in a separate tweet.

- The Netherlands - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte termed the attack "cowardly" and said his thoughts were with Abe's loved ones and the Japanese people.

"At today's cabinet meeting we paused to reflect on this dark day for Japanese democracy. I have fond memories of our friendship and the work we did together," he said.

- Italy - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that his country was "shocked by the terrible attack that hits Japan and its free democratic debate." - Turkey - "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, in an armed attack. I condemn those who carried out this heinous attack," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

- China - The Chinese embassy in Japan said it was "shocked" by the shooting.

"During his tenure, former Prime Minister Abe made contributions to the improvement and development of China-Japan relations. We express our condolences on his passing and express sympathy and solicitude for his family," an embassy spokesperson said.

- Australia - "Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted after the attack.

"Our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time."
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday termed martyred Kashmiri youth Burhan Muzaffar Wani as a symbol of Kashmiris' courageous resistance against the Indian occupation.

On the sixth martyrdom anniversary of Wani, the prime minister paid tribute to him and said the Indian troops in Occupied Kashmir unjustifiably tortured Wani and forced him to pick guns instead of education.

PM Sharif said Burhan Wani was the dear son of a Kashmiri mother who used to teach Holy Quran and of a teacher father who taught students.He said Wani had written a chapter of great sacrifice against the illegal occupation of India and added that even 0.

9 million troops could not deter the commitment of such brave sons of soil.

The prime minister said for over 70 years, the courageous Kashmiri people were struggling for their right to self-determination.

He urged the international community, particularly the United Nations to ensure implementation of the resolutions of the Security Council by holding a plebiscite in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He vowed Pakistan's continued support to the just struggle of the Kashmiri people and prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs including Burhan Wani.
Pakistan's UN Ambassador, Munir Akram, has paid tributes to "valiant" Burhan Wani on the 6th anniversary of his martyrdom, calling him as a symbol of courage, unwavering commitment and just freedom struggle of Kashmiris against Indian occupation

UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :Pakistan's UN Ambassador, Munir Akram, has paid tributes to "valiant" Burhan Wani on the 6th anniversary of his martyrdom, calling him as a symbol of courage, unwavering commitment and just freedom struggle of Kashmiris against Indian occupation.

Wani was killed by Indian security forces at a house in occupied Kashmir's Kokernag area in 2016"This day the Kashmiris and the People of Pakistan reaffirm that they would continue their freedom struggle against the Indian oppression and occupation for the realization of their right to self-determination in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions," he said in a statement.
Oregon State University history professor and author Jacob Darwin Hamblin has been awarded the 2021 Oregon Book Award in general nonfiction for his book The Wretched Atom: Americas Global Gamble with Peaceful Nuclear Technology.

Hamblin accepted the award April 25 at Literary Arts first in-person ceremony since 2019.

Hamblins book, published by Oxford University Press, is a historical examination of the United States pattern of promoting nuclear solutions in developing nations across the world, and how these proposals are inextricably linked to race, the environment, colonialism, the arms trade and nuclear weapons.

Hamblin is one of several OSU faculty members to win an Oregon Book Award in the last decade. Most recently, Elena Passarello, director of the Master in Fine Arts program, won for nonfiction in 2018, while Tracy Daugherty, writing professor emeritus, won for his biography of Joan Didion in 2017. Writing instructor George Estreich won in 2012 for creative nonfiction, and OSUs poet-in-residence David Biespiel won for nonfiction in 2016 and for poetry in 2011.

Hamblin teaches courses on the history of science and technology, along with environmental history, in OSUs School of History, Philosophy, and Religion within the College of Liberal Arts.

His research for The Wretched Atom took him to archives across Europe to uncover stories of different campaigns to bring nuclear energy projects to the developing world over the past seven decades.

He wrote about how both the U.S. and Great Britain promised nuclear-based solutions for a wide variety of problems, such as grain disinfection using radiation, crop fertilizers, medical uses with nuclear isotopes and nuclear power plants connected to water desalination plants used to irrigate deserts.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has reignited interest in and concern about nuclear issues across the world, and Hamblin is among many nuclear scholars who have received press inquiries seeking to better understand current risks of nuclear war or contamination.

The climate crisis has also heightened discussion of nuclear power. Hamblin said his book aims to highlight the ways political rhetoric is used to link environmental problems to nuclear solutions.

Hamblin is co-editing a book of essays with OSU history instructor Linda Richards about contested histories of radiation contamination and exposure at locations around the world.

The Wretched Atom is available through Oxford University Press and all major booksellers.
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One million pilgrims hailing from every nook and cranny of the world including Pakistan on Friday offered 'Waqoof-e-Arafah' at Arafat with religious zeal and zest

MAKKAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :One million pilgrims hailing from every nook and cranny of the world including Pakistan on Friday offered 'Waqoof-e-Arafah' at Arafat with religious zeal and zest.

On this occasion, Dr Al Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al Issa delivered the Hajj sermon, urging the entire Muslim ummah to be united for the supremacy of islam and deal with the prevailing challenges with concerted efforts. The Muslims should follow the divine commands in letter and spirit to uphold the respect and dignity of Muslim community on the globe, He added.

The pilgrims, after the 'Waqoof-e-Arafah', are ready to move towards their next destiny, Muzdalifah, where they would offer Namaz-e-Maghrib and Isha together as they offered Namaz-e-Zuhr and Asr in Arafat jointly. They would also stay in the following open-aired field till Namaz-e-Fajr and later on, depart for Rami Al Jamarat, another religious ritual of Hajj in which the pilgrims would throw seven pebbles on each Shaitan as practiced by Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) for three days consecutively.

On Thursday, the government of Saudi Arabia, in a bid to manage the huge crowd of faithful in proper manner, transported the pilgrims from Mina to Arafat as per its elaborated plan.

After reaching Arafat, a large number of people thronged to the Mount Arafah that is also called the 'Jabl-e-Rahmat' and Masjid-e-Nimrah to seek the blessings of Allah Almighty. The Arafat was roused with the voice of Talbiya, Labaik Allahumma Labaik, which means ('Here I am, O'Allah, here I am).

It is pertinent to mention here that this beautiful moment is being observed once a year particularly on the day of Arafah, otherwise, this sacred premises is kept close for the visitors.

Talking to APP, the pilgrims lauded the splendid services of the host country and said they were feeling like at home. The way, Saudi government had served them keeping in view the needs of the day, they could not express their feelings in the words, they added.

Chaudhry Saqib, a pilgrim from Pakistan, said the Saudi government had transformed the whole Hajj process on the scientific lines through introducing online applications, developed for smooth sailing of Hajj operation.

He said all the departments of Saudi government were performing their duties in more professional way to facilitate the pilgrims.
As the people of Kashmir observe the sixth martyrdom anniversary of Kashmiri youth Burhan Wani on Friday, President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid him tribute calling him a "symbol" of Kashmiri freedom struggle

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :As the people of Kashmir observe the sixth martyrdom anniversary of Kashmiri youth Burhan Wani on Friday, President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid him tribute calling him a "symbol" of Kashmiri freedom struggle.

"Martyred Burhan Wani has become symbol of Kashmiri freedom struggle against brutal Indian Occupied Forces," the president wrote on Twitter.

He said the martyrdom of Kashmiri youth Burhan Wani in 2016 had rekindled the passion of Kashmiris for freedom of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

He said Wani's martyrdom also gave a reminder to reemphasise the resolution of Kashmir dispute in spirit of the UNSC resolutions.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called Wani a "symbol of Kashmiris' courageous resistance" against the Indian occupation.

He said the Indian troops in IIOJK unjustifiably tortured Wani and forced him to pick guns instead of education.

He said Wani had written a chapter of great sacrifice against the illegal occupation of India and that even 0.9 million troops could not deter the commitment of such brave sons of soil.

The prime minister said Burhan Wani was the dear son of a Kashmiri mother who used to teach Holy Quran and of a teacher father who taught students.

The prime minister said for over 70 years, the courageous Kashmiri people were struggling for their right to self-determination.

He urged the international community, particularly the United Nations to ensure implementation of the resolutions of the Security Council by holding a plebiscite in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Shehbaz Sharif vowed Pakistan's continued support to the just struggle of the Kashmiri people and prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs including Burhan Wani.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office spokesperson, in a statement said that the government and people of Pakistan paid strong tribute to the life and legacy of Kashmiri youth Burhan Wani for his selfless contribution to his Kashmiri brethren to attain their inalienable right to self-determination.

"While paying homage to Burhan Wani as the face of the indigenous Kashmir freedom movement, Pakistan once again urges the government of India to desist from indiscriminate use of force and relentless targeting of Kashmiris especially the youth," the spokesperson said.
Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Angola with an iron fist for 38 years, died on Friday at a hospital in Barcelona after suffering cardiac arrest, the government said. He was 79

Luanda, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Angola with an iron fist for 38 years, died on Friday at a hospital in Barcelona after suffering cardiac arrest, the government said. He was 79.

Seldom seen in public, dos Santos was nonetheless a presence in daily life for as long as most Angolans could remember, coming to power in 1979, before stepping down in September 2017 after nearly four decades at the helm of the Portuguese-speaking, oil-rich state.

He maintained fierce control throughout the country's devastating civil war, which ended in 2002, followed by an oil boom and recession in 2015.

With "great pain and consternation" the Luanda government posted on Facebook confirmation of dos Santos' death at 11:10 am (1010 GMT) at the Teknon Medical Centre.

"(The government) presents its deepest feelings of sorrow to the bereaved family," the statement read, describing the former leader as a "statesman of great historical stature" who led the country through very difficult times.

Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who is seeking re-election in August, declared five days of national mourning, starting Saturday.

A presidential decree ordered flags to be flown at half-staff and the cancellation of "all shows and public demonstrations".

"This is very sad news... he has done a lot for the country", Luanda resident Santos Camuenho, a 40-year-old mason said.

Dos Santos was admitted to hospital in Spain and placed in intensive care after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 23.

- Fears of foul play - The government gave no explicit cause of death in its statement and one of dos Santos' daughters swiftly demanded the hospital retain his body for an autopsy over fears of foul play.

She asked the medical centre to "hold onto the body... until an appropriate autopsy is carried out on fears it could be transferred to Angola," her lawyers said in a statement.

Welwitschia dos Santos, known as Tchize, had last Monday filed suit with the Catalan regional police, alleging her father's condition was the result of attempted murder.

According to the complaint, the 44-year-old believes her father's wife, Ana Paula, and his personal physician are responsible for the deterioration in his health.

In Friday's statement, her lawyers said the complaint included allegations relating to "attempted murder, failure to exercise a duty of care, injury resulting from gross negligence and disclosure of secrets by people close to him".

Police confirmed receiving the complaint and said they had opened an inquiry.

Born in the slums of Luanda, dos Santos was one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, using his nation's oil wealth to turn one of his children into a billionaire while leaving his people among the poorest on the planet.

- 'Billions embezzled' - Dos Santos avoided the personality cult so often favoured by dictators, but instead used secretive and authoritarian tactics he learned during the Soviet era.

And for as much as he controlled every aspect of Angolan life, he mismanaged his own transition away from power so badly that he ended up in temporary self-imposed exile, with a son in prison and a daughter facing international legal challenges.

When he stepped down, dos Santos handed over to former defence minister Lourenco, handpicked to replace him.

But Lourenco quickly turned on his erstwhile patron, starting an anti-corruption drive to recoup the billions he suspected had been embezzled under dos Santos.

Dos Santos's son Jose Filomeno has been in prison since 2019 on corruption charges.

His eldest daughter Isabel was once named by Forbes as Africa's richest woman, worth $3 billion (2.55 billion Euros). She now faces a slate of investigations into her multinational business dealings.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to dos Santos saying his "humble beginnings, his militancy, his exile from the country of his birth and his education in the then Soviet Union resonate profoundly with the journey many South Africans in our own liberation movement experienced".

Portugal's president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa described him as a "decisive protagonist" in the relations with Angola's former colonial power.

"I remember him as someone of exceptional intelligence, who was able to guarantee Angolan national unity in an extraordinarily difficult geopolitical context", ex-Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Barroso told Lusa news agency.

The former head of the European Commission had in the early 1990s worked as a mediator during peace talks between Luanda and rebel groups.

For much of his time at the head of his MPLA party, dos Santos fought a brutal civil war.

The conflict was a Cold War hotspot, with dos Santos receiving Soviet and Cuban backing while UNITA rebels had the United States and apartheid South Africa on their side.

Namibia's president Hage Geingob called dos Santos an "outstanding revolutionary" who dedicated his life to the pursuit of freedom, justice and equality.

"Today is a dark day for the African continent. Another giant tree has fallen," Geingob said in a statement.

When the 27-year conflict ended in 2002, dos Santos led Angola away from hardline Marxism and fostered a post-war oil boom and foreign investment surge that transformed central Luanda.

"My heart is bleeding," Nsimba Adao, a 39-year-old street vendor in Luanda, told AFP. "He brought us peace."
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US President Joe Biden said on Friday he will speak with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida soon in the wake of the assassination of former prime minsiter Shinzo Abe by a man with a homemade firearm

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) US President Joe Biden said on Friday he will speak with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida soon in the wake of the assassination of former prime minsiter Shinzo Abe by a man with a homemade firearm.

"I tried to put a call in to the present Prime Minister ... it was very late there at night.

I'll be talking there in the morning. I'm going to be stopping to sign a condolence book at the Japanese Embassy on the way to the CIA," Biden said following an executive order signing.

Abe was shot Friday morning during a campaign speech in the city of Nara by gunman Tetsuya Yamagami. Abe was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital at the age of 67.
BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) The Chinese military has carried out various military drills near Taiwan, Army Senior Colonel Shi Yi, the spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese Army, said on Friday.

"The Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army recently held joint patrols of various kinds and types of troops and practical military exercises in the sea and airspace around Taiwan Island," Shi said in a statement, published on Chinese social media WeChat.

The colonel added that the United States has lately been taking continuous steps to support Taiwanese separatist forces advocating "Taiwan independence," which is "absolutely useless and only harms peace in the Taiwan Strait and aggravates regional tensions.

"

Shi noted that the Chinese military is ready to defend national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability by suppressing any attempts to organize "the independence of Taiwan."

Taiwan became alienated from Beijing after becoming a stronghold of the Chinese Nationalist Party (the Kuomintang) that suffered defeat to the Communist Party in a civil war in 1949. The Chinese mainland and the island resumed business and informal contacts in the late 1980s. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign countries with Taiwan and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.
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Police of Japan's Nara prefecture announced on Friday the creation of a 90-member team to investigate the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) Police of Japan's Nara prefecture announced on Friday the creation of a 90-member team to investigate the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"The group will be headed by the chief of the criminal department," the police told a press conference.

Officers of the prefecture's police did not respond to a reporter's question regarding security measures during the incident.

Abe was attacked on Friday morning in the Japanese city of Nara during his campaign speech. Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, approached the politician from behind and fired two shots from a distance of about 10 meters (33 feet). Police said Abe was conscious immediately after being wounded, but then, during transportation, his condition became critical "with cardiac and pulmonary arrest." Later in the day, Nara Medical University hospital pronounced him dead. Abe was 67.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) Russia is able to guarantee the energy security of Europe and prevent sky-high bills for EU citizens, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

Earlier, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck called on Canada to resolve the issue with the turbine for Nord Stream, asking to send the turbine to Germany, and not to Russia, if this was a legal question for Ottawa.

"We completely reject any hints or direct statements that the Russian side is using gas or oil as a weapon of political pressure. This is not the case. Russia is consistently fulfilling all its obligations, and Russia is still able to guarantee the full energy security of Europe. And Russia is able to guarantee the prevention of sky-high bills for electricity and heat, which taxpayers in European countries are now receiving," Peskov told reporters.
UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) Russia proposed a second draft extending a cross-border mechanism for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria to the members of the UN Security Council on Thursday, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said.

"We also put forward our new draft text, which is 99% the same. There is only one stumbling block," Polyanskiy told journalists after the meeting, adding that Russia prefers a shorter time frame for the mechanism than Western countries.

The representative said it is difficult to plan anything in this setting.

The point of contention is that Russia prefers to have the mechanism extended for six months, followed by a possibility for another six months. But the second 6-month period will be subjected to review and a subsequent UNSC resolution. On the other hand, the United States and the European Union want to have six months, with automatic addition of 6 months unless there is a new resolution canceling the second six-month period.

"The Western states say that the extension will be automatic if there will be no resolution saying otherwise," a source in the UN Security Council told Sputnik.

Western countries are trying to pressure Russia by requesting extra time for negotiations to achieve better results.

Before the new texts from today, Russia had its draft extending the mechanism for six months until January 10, 2023. It stipulated a special working group to follow up on the implementation of the resolution. On the other hand, the Norwegian and Irish resolution stipulated the extension of the border crossing through Bab al-Hawa for 12 months until July 10, 2023. The Norwegian-Irish draft also did not include the working group for follow-ups, which Western countries claimed was unnecessary.

A similar scenario happened in 2021 when the cross-border mechanism was extended for half a year, with a possible rollover for another half a year after lengthy discussions between Russian and US negotiators. However, the US promoted it as their winning, claiming it is an automatic extension for 12 months. The misrepresentation upset Russia and China; therefore, Russia is trying to avoid the same situation this time.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) The Syrian Kurds cooperate militarily with Damascus for the sole purpose of maintaining the state's sovereignty as well as its unity against Turkey amid Ankara's plans to conduct a military operation in the northern part of the country, SDC Representative in the United States, Bassam Saker, told Sputnik.

"Our military cooperation with Damascus is about maintaining Syrian sovereignty and unity against a foreign invader that seeks to occupy Syrian territory," Saker said.

Nuri Mahmoud, spokesperson for the People's Protection Unit (YPG), told Sputnik earlier that they are working in coordination with Syrian officials to develop a common working formula and draw up a defense plan in case of a Turkish invasion.

"Our relations with Damascus remain strictly military," Saker said. "We seek to meet with all Syrian political actors to reach a political solution, but the Damascus government does not want to meet and discuss political negotiations right now."

Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said earlier that Ankara stands ready to undertake a new military operation in northern Syria that could begin at any moment. Damascus has repeatedly called the presence of Turkish forces in the border area and in Syria illegal and has urged Ankara to withdraw its troops.

"We would like to have both, international and Syrian support to counter the Turkish threat, especially a no-fly zone," Saker said. "Syrians must stand united against foreign invasions and the international community has a responsibility to prevent an attack that will only benefit ISIS (Islamic State terror group, banned in Russia)."

The armed conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011, with various insurgent groups, including terrorist organizations, fighting the Syrian Army to oust the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. In late 2017, the Islamic State was declared defeated in Syria and Iraq, but counterterrorism mop-up operations are still underway.

The United States backs Kurdish armed groups in Syria despite protests from Damascus. The US military currently controls parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Raqqa, Aleppo and Deir Ez-Zor, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located.

The Syrian government does not recognize the so-called autonomous administration of northern and eastern Syria, and calls the presence of the US military on its territory an occupation and its theft of Syrian oil - state piracy.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, is in touch with the US government about Turkey's planned military operation in northern Syria and have been reassured that Washington stands opposed to it, SDC Representative in the United States, Bassam Saker, told Sputnik.

"We are in contact with the United States about the planned operation and they have assured us that they are against any Turkish operation," Saker said. "They are speaking to the Turks and trying to diplomatically prevent an attack, however, beyond diplomacy, the assistance they provide is strictly related to the fight against ISIS (Islamic state terror group, banned in Russia) and this will not change."

Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said earlier that Ankara stood ready to undertake a new military operation in northern Syria that could begin at any moment. The Syrian government has repeatedly pointed out that the presence of Turkish forces in the border area and inside Syria is illegal and has urged Ankara to withdraw its troops.

Saker said the cooperation between the Syrian Kurds and the United States remains strong.

"It is focused on the anti-ISIS mission and countering the continuing threat of ISIS cells, while also promoting stability in liberated areas," Saker added.

The armed conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011, with different insurgent groups, including terrorist organizations, fighting the Syrian Army to oust the government of President Bashar Assad. In late 2017, the Islamic State was declared defeated in Syria and Iraq, but counterterrorism mop-up operations are still underway.

The US government backs Kurdish armed groups located in Syria despite protests from the Syrian government. The US military currently controls parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Deir Ez-Zor, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located.

The Syrian government does not recognize the so-called autonomous administration of northern and eastern Syria, and calls the presence of the US military on its territory an occupation and state piracy as it steals Syrian oil.
Lebanon police allege a New York man met a local girl online and then traveled west to meet her. The suspect has been arrested on suspicion of multiple sex crimes.

Officers arrested Albert Guo, 22, on Friday, July 1 following a 7 a.m. call from a home at the 3200 block of Oak Terrace Drive. The caller reported that a man was in his 11-year-old daughters bedroom, according to a news release from the Lebanon Police Department.

Police identified the suspect as Guo, and through investigation discovered Guo had allegedly established an online relationship with the girl and flew from New York to Oregon to meet her.

Guo was booked into Linn County Jail. He was arraigned in Linn County Circuit Court on Tuesday, July 5 on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of first-degree sodomy and one count of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration.

During the arraignment, Judge Keith Stein appointed Arnold Poole as Guos defense attorney and set bail at $400,000, according to Oregons online court database.

The next court hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 18.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Scott Barnes at 541-258-4340 or Detective Sgt. Jeremy Weber at 541-258-4342.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, has received assurances from Russia that Moscow will not green light Turkey's planned military operation in northern Syria, SDC Representative in the United States Bassam Saker told Sputnik.

"Russia has assured us that they will not give a green light to Turkey to invade and their forces have not changed. They have increased patrols in certain areas," Saker said.

Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said earlier that Ankara stood ready to undertake a new military operation in northern Syria that could begin at any moment. The Syrian government has repeatedly called the presence of Turkish forces in the border area or inside Syria illegal and has urged Ankara to withdraw its troops.

Saker said a Turkish invasion would destabilize the region, cause death, destruction and displacement, and will contribute to the spreading of terrorism.

"We call upon all nations to act to prevent Turkish hostilities against Syria. Syrians must unite and reach a political solution for a peaceful, stable and prosperous future," he said.

Saker also pointed out that the Syrian Kurds have good relations with both Russia and the United States and have undertaken diplomatic visits to both countries.

"We hope to have more of them soon," he added.

In June, Russia's special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told Sputnik that a possible Turkish military operation in northern Syria will create new threats to Turkey's security itself.

Lavrentyev emphasized that the possible military operation may boost separatist sentiments among the Kurds, who may try to establish their own state. Such a scenario is not in line with the interests of Turkey and neither with those of Syria, Iraq and Iran.

The Russian diplomat added that the operation would have negative consequences for the whole region and finding a diplomatic solution would be the best option.

The armed conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011, with different insurgent groups, including terrorist organizations, fighting the Syrian Army to oust the government of President Bashar Assad. In late 2017, the Islamic State (terrorist group banned in Russia) was declared defeated in Syria and Iraq, but counterterrorism mop-up operations are still underway.

The United States backs the Kurdish armed groups in Syria despite protests by Damascus. The US military currently controls parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Deir Ez-Zor, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located.

The Syrian government does not recognize the so-called autonomous administration of northern and eastern Syria, and calls the presence of the US military on its territory an occupation and state piracy as it steals Syrian oil.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) The Syrian Kurds are warning that a potential military operation by Turkey in northern Syria will make it impossible to safeguard prisons there and thousands of fighters from the Islamic State terror group (banned in Russia) may break free, Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Representative in the United States, Bassam Saker, told Sputnik.

"There are no changes (at present) but we are worried about being able to properly guard the prisoners and administer the facilities in the event of a Turkish attack," Saker said. "A Turkish invasion would destabilize the region, and would make it nearly impossible to continue to guard the ISIS (Islamic State) prisoners. If Turkey invades, thousands of ISIS detainees may break free to terrorize the world once again."
The authorities of Thailand are extending for another two months the state of emergency, introduced in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said on Friday

BANGKOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) The authorities of Thailand are extending for another two months the state of emergency, introduced in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said on Friday.

"The state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended for the period from August 1 to September 30, 2022. The extension is caused by the need to continue the control of the coronavirus spread and because of the concern for the health of citizens," head of CCSA Taweesin Visanuyothin was quoted as saying by Krungthep Turakij online newspaper.

According to Visanuyothin, Thailand should get ready to acknowledge the coronavirus as an endemic disease, which would entail an implementation of programs related to the development of mechanisms for assessing and predicting the rate of transmission of COVID-19 and other potentially dangerous diseases.

Currently 25,082 patients with COVID-19 are hospitalized in Thailand, the daily increase is about 2,000 cases and the number of deaths due to the coronavirus is about 20 per day, according to the CCSA statistics.

Since March 26, 2020, Thailand has been under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic, which makes the current extension the 19th. In June, the government eased the mask regime and allowed the entrance of international tourists with a special medical insurance that covers COVID-19 cases.
UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2022) The United States, France and the United Kingdom on Friday vetoed the Russian resolution submitted to the UN Security Council to extend the cross-border mechanism for delivering aid into Syria through Turkey.

Russia's resolution proposed a shorter time frame for the cross-border mechanism to function from 12 to six months, but the Western states said they believed it would worsen the situation for the Syrian people.

"A renewal for only six months would not be enough. It would not allow for sufficient planning of operations. These need predictability and stability.

A six-month renewal would be all the more problematic given the fact that it would plunge Syrians into uncertainty in the midst of winter," French Ambassador to the United Nations Nicolas de Riviere said.

Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said the Western countries always said they you wanted the situation to improve, but, in fact, showed their stance was false.

"Today, that's what's been demonstrated about the situation with the cross-border mechanism," Polyanskiy said.

Before the vote on the Russian draft resolution, Norway and Ireland tabled their resolution that Russia vetoed.
Former Corvallis City Councilor Roen Hogg is making another run for mayor.

Hogg, who worked in systems, software and project management roles at Oregon State University, HP Inc. and the state of Oregon, previously served four terms on the council. He ran for mayor in 2018 and lost. Hes lived in Corvallis for 29 years.

With two-term Corvallis Mayor Biff Traber not seeking reelection  he said he plans to leave office at the end of the year  the field is wide open. So far, Councilor Charles Maughan and Council Vice President Andrew Struthers have thrown their hats into the ring.

Maughan and Hogg have faced off once before, when the former challenged the latter unsuccessfully in 2016.

When Hogg was first elected in 2010, he pushed for a goal to help people experiencing homelessness, wrangling money to fund different service-oriented nonprofits. He worked with community members and the city to site the Men's Cold Weather Shelter, which he says has been a real life-saver, especially during the pandemic.

The reason why Im running for mayor is to help make Corvallis a better place to live, Hogg said.

While on council, Hogg collaborated with Oregon State University on issues affecting neighborhoods around the campus. He said OSU expanding its population at the time led to concerns among nearby residents related to livability, such as noise and parking as well as overcrowding and affordable housing.

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If hes elected, Hogg hopes to take on climate change issues and advocate for solutions that come to the council. He feels like climate change has been on the backburner, making slow progress in the city since his time on council. The affordable housing supply has dwindled too, he said.

Its really making it very difficult for people that want to work here to actually live here, he said.

Struthers and Maughan were elected in November 2018, taking office in January 2019. Both were reelected in 2020.

Maughan has served on the Middle Housing Task Force and the Home, Opportunity, Planning and Equity Advisory Board and has been council liaison to the King Legacy Advisory Board, the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Downtown Corvallis Association. He has focused on issues around affordable housing, climate change and homelessness.

Along with being council vice president, Struthers is the vice chairman of the Corvallis Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and has led council committees on charter review and advisory board restructuring. He has focused on issues such as business growth, housing affordability, the climate crisis and challenges facing Corvallis families.

A nomination petition is expected to be published July 18. Candidates will officially file for the election between Aug. 1 and Aug. 19. City staff suggest candidates allow sufficient time for their petition to be approved before the filing period ends.

There was no primary election for the mayors office because its a nonpartisan position. Corvallis mayors are elected to four-year terms and city councilors for two-year terms. Voters will cast ballots Nov. 8.

Hogg's campaign can be reached at RoenMayor@gmail.com and 541-224-7947.
In South Sudan, Cardinal Parolin blesses almost two-year-old Nelson, a child who could go blind

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin urges the clergy of Juba to show tenderness and be unified, and encounters a 2-year-old boy who suffers from a degenerative disease and could soon go blind unless his mother receives help to cover emergency surgery, and calls for something to be done to help him and other children suffering in the African nation.

By Salvatore Cernuzio - South Sudan

As Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, continues his visit to the African nation of South Sudan on Pope Francis' behalf, he is calling for tenderness, aid, and closeness to a suffering people, and in a special way, its suffering children.

Read also 07/07/2022 Cardinal Parolin at Mass in Juba: War and corruption cannot bring peace Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin celebrates Mass in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and calls for forgiveness and love to overcome the tendency toward violence and ...

The Cardinal seemed disturbed by what he was told, and inquired: "Can nothing be done?"

Nelson, one year and seven months old, is sick with a degenerative disease, which, if left untreated at this stage of life, risks making him blind very soon.

On Thursday, he was sucking his thumb and staring at a spot in the void, wearing pink Crocs that the parish nuns got for him. Despite the Cardinal's closeness and attention, Nelson turned away, taking refuge in the arms of his mother, Bakhita.

Bakhita's surname is Mansur. She is 25 years old and during the encounter, she never raised her eyes to look at the Cardinal, unlike other women who stretched out their arms for greetings. One elderly woman, who was blind, even dropped to her knees and kissed the Cardinal's hands and pointed to her covered eyes.

Cardinal Parolin with the blind woman in Juba

Bakhita's story

Bakhita, on the other hand, stayed silent, with eyes that looked they could burst into tears at any moment. Another woman, Amer, urged her to speak up, but Bakhita only mouthed an inaudible 'Thank you'. Nothing else.

Nor would she respond to Vatican News' requests that she share more about Nelson's condition, and what else is needed to help him.

"Pray," she replied, turning away. Amer intervened again to explain that the child would need money to move to Khartoum where his aunt lives and where there are specialist clinics.

Just pray

Bakhita had already spent whatever little savings she had to travel to Wau and Juba. She made this journey alone with the child, as her husband is a soldier.

She had been told that her child could be treated in Juba, but that has not been possible. Now she would just like to go to Khartoum, but she did not want to leave her number or other contact information.

"Pray. Pray," she said.

The Cardinal made the Sign of the Cross over her and assured her of spiritual closeness, not only his own, but also the closeness of the Pope whom the Cardinal was representing in these days in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The clergy of Juba

Cardinal Parolin went on to hold the meeting with the local clergy in Juba.

According to the inhabitants of Juba, the area where the meeting was held is best described as 'chic'.

To get there one has to cross roads that are impassable on foot, dusty, uneven, and full of bumps and potholes where rubbish is burned. In the smell of rot and over the remains of charred plastic, children play in flip-flops and bare feet or sit with their mothers watching the cars go by. The children are watched by armed soldiers dressed in camouflage sitting in jeeps.

They went back and forth in front of the parish while Cardinal Parolin spoke to the priests, nuns and religious about being clergy committed to and ready to serve the poor. Some of the clergy told the Secretary of State of their own stories of service of the people or for education. Every so often, the Cardinal looked out toward little Nelson.

Cardinal Parolin and the ill toddler, Nelson

Church's action

"Children are the hope for the future," the Cardinal underscored.

However, he lamented in his address, oftentimes they lack what they need to survive and thrive.

While in Europe there is a demographic winter, in Africa small lives continue to be born and grow. However, for them, there are not enough resources. This reflects a severe paradox in a fertile and resource-rich land like South Sudan that could easily live off exports.

Cardinal Parolin also highlighted that the Church also does something to help, like providing food and medicine, however, "everything remains insufficient," he added.

A commitment of the International Community is needed, he suggested, "given that in South Sudan, in the coming months, almost a third of the population will be left without humanitarian assistance from the World Food Programme due to severe food insecurity."



About 1.7 million people are at risk of dying from hunger. "A commitment to solidarity is needed to alleviate the suffering of others," said Cardinal Parolin.

Cardinal Parolin in Parish of St. Joseph in South Sudan

Prophetic voice

He suggested that the Church, for her part, in addition to material aid, has to better spiritually assist the people.

"It must be a prophetic voice," urged the Secretary of State, reassuring the consecrated men and women that "the Church in South Sudan is not alone, but is in communion with the Pope. This is a great source of inspiration, consolation and encouragement for you."

It is a Church, moreover, that despite the difficulties it faces, must consider itself "fortunate" because, the Cardinal pointed out, "people have not lost the religious sense of life".

To these people, "the Church must be a model and example of communion," Cardinal Parolin concluded, urging them to go beyond difference and show God's tenderness.
This edition of Tax, Accounting, and Audit Guide for 2021, produced in collaboration with our tax experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, aims to provide an...
Assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will go down in history as a staunch U.S. ally who supported Western strength in East Asia to counter the rise of China, analysts said Friday.

Abe, Japans longest-serving prime minister, died Friday after being shot earlier in the day during a campaign rally in the Japanese city of Nara.

The conservative leader stepped down in August 2020 after serving a combined nine years as prime minister. He remained active in politics, especially as a voice in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Abe was known for ambitious foreign policies that bound Tokyo closer to Washington and U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific region, analysts said.

Abe was "very active" in his approach to foreign policy, which was needed to bring a greater "Japanese presence" to global affairs, said Akiko Horiba, senior program officer with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation research body in Tokyo.

Abe cemented relations with the United States, a Japanese treaty ally since 1951, including through a meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump just after Trump took office in 2017, Horiba said.

He went on to foster Japanese and U.S. ties with Australia and India to counter the rise of China, said Jeffrey Kingston, history instructor at the Japan campus of Temple University. Abe had advocated free international use of the Indo-Pacific, in part by preparing to export arms to Vietnam and the Philippines. Both Southeast Asian countries contest tracts of the South China Sea with Beijing.

China, a former Cold War foe of the United States, has enlarged its naval fleet during the past decade, expanding into the near seas and into the South Pacific.

What he did do was strengthen relationships with the United States, shored up the alliance, Kingston said. He did tout his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, he did advocate for cooperation between the U.S., Japan, Australia and India, and he also forged security partnerships around the region  all in response to anxieties about Chinese regional hegemonic ambitions.

Abe became such a strong voice that his successor, Fumio Kishida, all but must uphold Japans pro-U.S. policy, said Wang Wei-chieh, a Taiwanese university student and co-founder of the FBC2E International Affairs Facebook page.

I think their Indo-Pacific strategy wont have significant change even if Abe dies because I think theyve set a direction, he said before the death was announced. They already initiated a strategy.

His death would silence a strong pro-Taiwan voice, Wang added. Abe and Kishida had openly backed U.S. statements of potential military support for Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China.

Foreign policy shortcomings

Abe, despite regular meetings with foreign officials, met little success in improving relations with China, Russia or South Korea, Kingston said. Japan and Russia still dispute sovereignty over some of the Kuril Islands, he said, although Abe had met Russian President Vladimir Putin more than once.

China and South Korea remain angry at Japanese leaders, including Abe, for memorializing moments in World War II that hurt surrounding Asian countries.

Abe advocated as well for Japan to revise its pacifist constitution, which was drafted by U.S.-led Allied forces occupying the country after the war. That ambition riled Japans Asian neighbors as well as some war-wary Japanese. Domestic opposition had cooled the idea down by 2019.

Abe's Abenomics strategy of revitalizing a flat economy through more spending and a bigger money supply worked at the start but eventually ran up against debts, Kingston said.

Abe inevitably ran into controversy because he served for so long as prime minister, Horiba said.
A 27-year-old Haitian man has been charged in the United States for his alleged role in last year's kidnapping of 16 American Christian missionaries, the Justice Department said Thursday.

Jean Pelice, also known as "Zo," an alleged member of the powerful 400 Mawozo gang, was brought to the United States in May to face charges, the department said in a statement.

Pelice is accused of involvement in the October 2021 kidnapping near Port-au-Prince of 17 Christian missionaries, 16 of whom were U.S. citizens, by 400 Mawozo.

The gang made ransom demands and asked for the release from a Haitian prison of Joly Germine, a 400 Mawozo leader who allegedly continued to run the gang from his cell.

Two of the hostages were released in November 2021. Three were freed in December 2021 and the remainder escaped captivity later that same month.

Germine, 29, also known as "Yonyon," was extradited to the United States in May and has been charged with conspiracy to commit hostage taking and other offenses.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is high on the agenda as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with other foreign ministers from the Group of 20 largest economies, or G-20, this week in Bali, Indonesia.

Before the first session of the meeting got under way Blinken met with the transatlantic Quad foreign ministers  French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and British Second Permanent Under Secretary and Political Director Tim Barrow.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement Friday that they discussed joint efforts to provide Ukraine with additional security and humanitarian support and reviewed ways to address the global food security concerns that have resulted from Russias deliberate targeting of Ukrainian agriculture.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov walked out the G-20 ministers meetings twice Friday  the first time when Baercock was speaking during the session on strengthening multilateralism, and the second just before Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, addressed the session on food and energy security by video link. Lavrov was not in the room when Blinken spoke.

In his remarks, Blinken addressed Russia directly, saying: To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out.

Blinken, after meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, whose country will host the G-20 next year, said the organization "is a vital institution for trying to deal collectively with some of the most significant problems and challenges that the world faces.

Blinken said many of those challenges stem from the Russian war on Ukraine, and that others at the G-20 expressed similar concerns: "So I think what we've heard today already, is a strong chorus from around the world  not just the United States, but around the world  about the need for the aggression to end so that we can actually focus on the challenges that are affecting people in their lives.

Blinken will participate in bilateral meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday.

This is part of an ongoing, and I think important, series of conversations with our Chinese counterparts across the government to make sure that we are responsibly managing the relationship, a senior State Department official said Thursday, adding that the relationship has different aspects to it, from profound competition being at the heart (but also) elements of cooperation, and there are elements of contestation.

On the agenda of the meetings between top U.S. and Chinese diplomats is possible cooperation on climate change, global health, counternarcotics and the situation in Myanmar, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink.

Blinken will have two lengthy meetings with Wang, with the first session likely focusing on bilateral relations and the second focusing on regional and international issues, according to diplomatic sources.

Blinken's meeting with the Chinese foreign minister would be their first in person since the chief U.S. diplomat unveiled the Biden administration's strategy to outcompete the rival superpower.

In his remarks at the time, Blinken said that the U.S. was not seeking to decouple from China and that the relationship between the world's two largest economies was not a zero-sum game.

Russia's participation in G-20 events has created tension within the group, which comprises the Group of Seven leading industrialized economies, or G-7, and other large developing economies.

No formal meeting has been scheduled between Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Bali. The U.S. is not ruling out the possibility of a walkout to protest Lavrov's presence at the G-20.

Lavrov and Wang met Thursday ahead of the ministerial meeting, Agence France-Presse reported. They were seen together on an Indonesian resort island.

According to a Russian foreign ministry statement, Lavrov updated Wang "about the implementation of the main missions of the special military operation" in Ukraine and reiterated Moscow's rhetoric that its aim is to "denazify" the country.

After the G-20 ministerial, Blinken will head to Bangkok, where he is expected to discuss the situation in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

This week's ministerial will not produce an official document or communique, according to G-20 co-sherpa Dian Triansyah Djani.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been one of the Wests most ardent supporters of Ukraine in its war with Russia. So will his resignation, announced Thursday, prompt a change of policy from Britain?

Close bond

Johnson was among the first Western leaders to visit Kyiv following the Russian invasion, marching through the streets of the capital alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just days after Russian troops had withdrawn from the outskirts of the city.

The two men forged a close bond, frequently posting public messages of admiration and support of each other on social media. In recent weeks, Zelenskyy was explicit in his desire for Johnson to remain in post.

In his relatively brief resignation speech Thursday, Johnson made special mention of Ukraine. Let me say now to the people of Ukraine that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes, Johnson said.

Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy on the phone immediately after his resignation, reiterating Britains support. According to government officials he ended the conversation by telling the Ukrainian president, Youre a hero, everybody loves you.

Sadness

Zelenskyy expressed "sadness" at the resignation.

Britain's role in protecting freedom is truly global, he said in a video recorded Thursday evening. And although it is a reflection of the position of British society, the leadership and charisma of the state's leaders are always of particular importance. Especially during these times  the time of Russia's full-scale anti-European war, which launched an attack on all Europe via our country. So, it is not surprising that Ukrainians feel personal gratitude to Boris.

Many Ukrainians shared their presidents view of Johnsons resignation.

"Britain will offer further support. But it will not be in the same way as with Boris Johnson. We can say he is a friend of our country, Kyiv resident Dmytro Usikov told Agence France-Presse.

I have personal sympathy for him, said Vitaly Chervyakivsky, the owner of a fast-food restaurant in the capital. He was helping Ukraine very much. He was one of the first who came here  he was not afraid that there was shelling here. A lot of respect for him. It is very sad that he resigned.

Military aid

Britain is second only to the United States in the amount of military aid it has given Ukraine  including antitank rockets, missile systems, artillery, and, most recently, advanced multiple launch rocket systems or MLRS. Hundreds of Ukrainian troops are receiving training in Britain.

In total, Johnson pledged $2.8 billion of military support alongside $1.8 billion in humanitarian and economic aid.

Will his resignation spell a change in Britains level of support for Ukraine? Unlikely, said analyst John Kampfner, executive director of the U.K. in the World Initiative at Chatham House in London.

Whoever will take over from Johnson will, I suggest, pretty much continue the policy as is. Not only because it has been, by the standards of this conflict, as successful as any countrys approach has been, but also domestically its popular too, Kampfner told VOA.

No change

Britain Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, himself a possible contender to be the next prime minister, emphasized there was cross-party backing for the military support given to Ukraine.

Britain is full square behind them. You know, the assistance to Ukraine we give is not just one person, not me, not the prime minister, it's the whole effort, Wallace told reporters Thursday.

Moscow welcomed Boris Johnsons resignation. A foreign ministry spokesperson said the moral of the story was do not seek to destroy Russia.

AUKUS

Johnson sought to reposition Britain in other security arenas, emphasizing the importance of the AUKUS security pact with Australia and the United States in the Indo-Pacific.

This shift more towards Asia and specifically the power and the threat posed by China, which was set out in the governments Integrated Review of just over a year ago, is an important thing. But Britain can only be a player alongside the other AUKUS countries  the United States in particular, Australia, and Japan; but also the European Union is increasingly an important player, as are countries like South Korea, Kampfner said.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.
Britain's Royal Navy says one of its warships seized Iranian weapons, including surface-to-air-missiles and engines for cruise missiles, from smugglers in international waters south of Iran early this year.

A helicopter from the frigate HMS Montrose spotted speedboats moving away from the Iranian coast on January 28 and February 25, and dozens of packages containing the advanced weaponry were confiscated, the Royal Navy said in a statement Thursday.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected Britains claim, accusing it of being complicit in the war against Yemen by selling arms to the Saudi-led coalition.

"By continuously selling advanced weapons to the self-proclaimed military coalition against the defenseless people of Yemen, Britain has been a partner in the war and aggression against Yemen, and it is not in a position to make such baseless accusations about the Islamic Republic of Iran and assume a humanitarian face, the ministry said in a tweet, quoting its spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani.

Therefore, he said, Britain does not have the moral authority to make a claim against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Royal Navy said: "The seized packages were returned to the U.K. for technical analysis, which revealed that the shipment contained multiple rocket engines for the Iranian-produced 351 land attack cruise missile and a batch of 358 surface-to-air missiles."

It did not say where the missiles were bound, but it did say the 351 cruise missile, with a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), is often used by Yemen's Houthi group to target Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gridley supported the February seizure, the Royal Navy said. Both seizures occurred while Montrose was on routine maritime security operations, it added.

"This action demonstrates that we will not allow irresponsible and aggressive acts by Iran to go unchecked on land, sea and air," U.S. Central Command spokesperson Colonel Joseph Buccino said in a statement.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have been at war with the Iran-aligned Houthis since 2015, in a conflict widely seen as a proxy war between the two Western-backed Arab Gulf states and Iran.
Britain's Royal Navy said Thursday one of its warships seized Iranian weapons, including surface-to-air-missiles and engines for cruise missiles, from smugglers in international waters south of Iran early this year.

A helicopter from the HMS Montrose frigate spotted speedboats moving away from the Iranian coast on Jan. 28 and Feb. 25 and dozens of packages containing the advanced weaponry were confiscated, the Royal Navy said in a statement.

"The seized packages were returned to the U.K. for technical analysis which revealed that the shipment contained multiple rocket engines for the Iranian produced 351 land attack cruise missile and a batch of 358 surface-to-air missiles," it added.

It did not say where the missiles were bound, but said the 351 cruise missile, with a range of 1,000 kilometers, is often used by Yemen's Houthi group to target Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gridley supported the February seizure, the Royal Navy said. Both seizures occurred while HMS Montrose was on routine maritime security operations, it added.

"This action demonstrates that we will not allow irresponsible and aggressive acts by Iran to go unchecked on land, sea, and air," U.S. Central Command spokesperson Colonel Joseph Buccino said in a statement.

The Iranian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Houthi officials were not immediately available to comment.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have been at war with the Iran-aligned Houthis since 2015, in a conflict widely seen as a proxy war between the two Western-backed Arab Gulf states and Iran.
Analysts say a meeting this week between China and the new government of the Philippines has set the stage for mending ties that have been frayed by a festering maritime sovereignty dispute.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Manila Tuesday and Wednesday with Philippine Foreign Secretary Luis Enrique Manalo, an official in the week-old government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The new leader is the son of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Experts in Manila say Wang probably wanted to get to know Manalo, a career diplomat, and find out something about the new president. They also say the two sides could work on reviving a friendship that was cemented in 2016 despite the Philippine governments historic alliance with the United States.

There are a lot of issues, but one thing I think that could continue to be done is that there will still be accommodations on both sides, because they want to have good relations, said Ramon Casiple, an independent political analyst in Manila. The China friendship of years past, he said, will certainly be continued on into this administration.

Chinese coast guard vessels and fishing fleets have returned over the past four years to tracts of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines, testing former president Rodrigo Dutertes initial friendship with Beijing. More than 200 Chinese boats that moored last year off a reef contested by the two countries particularly angered people in Dutertes Cabinet.

Chinas official Xinhua news agency reported after the meetings that the Philippine side believes that the problem involving islands and reefs in the South China Sea should be settled through diplomatic means and peaceful consultations with a view to jointly safeguarding peace and stability there.

Marcos also had told reporters before the meeting he was open to military exchanges with China.

Wang advocated good-neighborliness and friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, Xinhua reported.

Steady Sino-Philippine ties would reduce U.S. influence in East Asias waterways, experts have told VOA. Beijing resents U.S. warship passages and military training in Southeast Asia for hindering its activity in the South China Sea. Washington wants the resource-rich 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea to remain open internationally, despite Chinese claims to about 90% of it.

The younger Marcos has had a close relationship with Beijing and appears ready to prioritize Philippines-China ties even above those with the United States, the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. research institution, said in a June 24 commentary.

Marcos is expected to tap China for economic help as Duterte did in 2016, the commentary said. Beijing put money behind transportation infrastructure but missed a pledge of $24 billion. The two countries may restore a plan floated under Duterte to drill together for gas or oil under the South China Sea, Casiple forecast.

Whether Marcos Jr. is able to get China to deliver on more of what it promised Duterte  more funding for infrastructure projects that actually get built  may determine whether he is able to pull off this move closer to China, or whether public opinion will swell to even higher anti-Beijing heights, limiting his options with China, like Duterte in the latter part of his presidency, the Council on Foreign Relations commentary said.

Wang probably tried this week to gauge Marcos character and learn better how China should relate to him, said Jay Batongbacal, international maritime affairs professor at the University of the Philippines Quezon City.

Although Marcos said during his campaign he wanted closer ties with Beijing, Batongbacal said the new leader has not spelled out a clear China policy. The South China Sea dispute will inevitably play a part in it, he said.

Even though both sides kept emphasizing that Philippines-China relations should not be defined by the South China Sea issues, still it does impact gravely on perceptions as well as on (overall) relations, the professor said.

Some Filipinos think China has already made a significant impact via infrastructure project funding and private business investments by Chinese entrepreneurs, said Marivic Arcega, a politically active owner of a livestock feed business in the mountains near Manila. Basically, theyll be like buddies when it comes to regional international issues, she said.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has published a detailed report on human rights violations over the past year. According to the findings, the country has suffered its worst record of rights violations as conflicts result in a surge of civilian killings.



The report documents violations in almost all parts of Ethiopia, from conflict in the north to fighting on Oromia and ethnically motivated killings in the southern Gambela, among other regions.



According to the report, 740 civilians have been killed, including women, children and the elderly, due to the war with Tigray that has advanced into the Amhara and Afar regions. The Oromo Liberation Army, an entity that the Ethiopian parliament calls Shane and has labeled a terrorist organization, has also been implicated in civilian killings in the Amhara, Oromia, Gambela and Benishangul regions.



The report also notes an alleged massacre in western Oromia last June. In Gambela and Benishangul, other groups have carried out ethnically targeted killings during the past year, while in the south several people have died due to unrest.



The report also blamed government forces for violations targeting civilians, including killings, torture and the jailing of over 50 media personnel.



The rights commission called on the conflicting parties in northern Ethiopia to solve differences and bring individuals implicated in rights violations to justice. It has also called on federal and regional authorities to release all detainees in police custody without due process.
Oregon has now committed virtually all of the $389 million in federal and state money to provide emergency rental assistance to more than 60,000 households.

The program had a target of June 30, but some applications are still being processed. Tenants who gave proof of applications to their landlords  either to the state program or others in several Oregon counties  will still have state protections against evictions for nonpayment through Sept. 30 or until their applications are closed, whichever comes soonest.

The protections do not forgive any rent owed.

The state Department of Housing and Community Services reported that the money distributed over the past year helped keep more than 100,000 people from losing their housing during the coronavirus pandemic. The size of the average household was 2.2 persons  and according to a May 31 report by the agency, the average payment per household was $6,400, which went directly to landlords.

Andrea Bell took over the agency April 1 after her predecessor, Margaret Salazar, became the regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"A one-time payment keeps a family in their home, and a landlord is made whole," Bell told lawmakers on the House Committee on Housing last month. "It saves the community three to four times the value of the rental assistance, if the family had become homeless."

As of June 30, the agency reported that it had committed $386.66 million to 60,166 households.

Applications from Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties accounted for 49.4% of the statewide total. The counties took up $221.1 million of the $386.7 million paid (57.2%), no surprise given that rents are more expensive in the metro area.

Of the total paid, 60% of the households were white, 12% Black, 2% Asian, and 5% two or more races. Hispanics, who can be of any race, accounted for 15% statewide. Some households chose not to state their race.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

The agency distributed $289 million in federal money, some if it from legislation that Donald Trump signed in the final weeks of his presidency, and the rest from the $2.2 trillion American Rescue Plan Act that President Joe Biden signed in March 2021.

The Oregon Legislature added $100 million more from the 2021-23 state budget; another $150 million in state funds were spent before the current budget cycle started in mid-2021.

According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, Oregon now leads all states in the share of money paid out or obligated for emergency rental assistance.

There are no moves in Congress or the Legislature to replenish the fund, which was intended to be temporary.

Landlords can obtain state payment for some costs they incur from now through Sept. 30 through a separate guarantee fund.

In the next phase, as emergency rental assistance winds down, the state agency and the community action agencies it works with can tap $100 million that the Oregon Legislature approved in December 2021 for eviction prevention. The state also has federal funds for this purpose.

Some money can be spent on rental assistance, but the community action agencies are empowered to spend it on mediation services, legal services and case management.

Among them are agencies in each of the three metro counties, one for three northwest Oregon counties, one each for Marion and Yamhill counties, and one for the three Central Oregon counties.

For Multnomah County, it's $8.16 million; Clackamas County, $2.66 million; Washington County, $1.7 million; Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties, $1.2 million; Yamhill County, $893,700, and NeighborImpact of Central Oregon, $2.1 million.

Related stories:
The European Union has had a bumpy ride with Britain's outgoing prime minister, Boris Johnson.

The EU and Britain see eye to eye in supporting Ukraine militarily and politically against Russia's invasion  with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanking Johnson as a "true friend" of the country.



Russian politicians are celebrating Johnson's departure. But some experts, like senior analyst Amanda Paul of the Brussels-based European Policy Center research group, predict it will not weaken Britain's hand  or European unity  when it comes to Kyiv.

"I think whoever goes into Downing Street will give the same strong support to Zelenskyy. The issue is important to the UK  first of all, because they understand the security threat emanates from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But secondly, because this part of the world  the Black Sea Region, the eastern flank  has always been a priority for the UK in terms of the security support they've given there ... it's also important for the UK's global Britain policy," Paul said.

When it comes to matters closer to home, EU relations with Johnson are tense. He was the leader who exited Britain from the bloc, following months of bitter talks.



French politician Michel Barnier, who led the EU's Brexit negotiations, tweeted he expected Johnson's departure would "open a new page" in relations between the two sides.



Irish leader Micheal Martin warned London against trying to unilaterally scrap a key Brexit trade agreement regarding Northern Ireland  something critics claim Johnson is pushing.



The EU's executive arm won't comment on Johnson's departure. But when pushed about whether Brussels had ordered extra bottles of champagne to celebrate, one spokesman offered this reaction: "No  we've a very limited consumption of alcohol and beverages in the commission I think, and I can't tell you anything about that."

In France, where rivalry with Britain stretches back centuries, reactions are mixed. The country's leading Le Monde newspaper predicted Johnson's departure could help heal Brexit wounds. Another, Le Figaro, suggested the French presidency was probably breathing a sigh of relief.



But analyst Paul said Europeans shouldn't be counting on London to radically change its EU policies under a new prime minister.

"I guess, as well, some of them will actually miss Boris, because the guy's a character. Despite the fact there's obviously some animosity  he's the sort of guy you have a love-hate relationship with  I think the French and some others can't really help but to like the guy," Paul said.

Johnson has at least one champion in France. Far-right mayor Louis Aliot, of the southern city of Perpignan, praised the prime minister for delivering so-called independence to Britain with Brexit. Johnson may have made mistakes, Aliot told French TV, but his policies were right.


There is public outrage in India over the depiction of a Hindu goddess that critics say disparages the religious figure.

The image appears in a poster promoting the new short film Kaali by Canadian-based Indian filmmaker Leena Manimekalai. The poster depicts Hindu goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette and holding an LGBTQ+ flag.

After filmmaker Leena Manimekalai shared the poster in a tweet Saturday, the day a museum in Toronto hosted the films first showing, the image of the smoking goddess sparked a furor in India with angry Hindus demanding a ban on the film and legal action against the filmmaker.

Monday, the Indian High Commission in Canada said it had received complaints from Hindu community leaders over the disrespectful depiction of Hindu gods in the poster, and it urged the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all provocative materials related to the film.

A day later, the museum issued an apology, saying the film was no longer being shown there, and that it regretted having inadvertently caused offense to members of the Hindu and other faith communities.

Manimekalai wrote and directed the film as one of the cohorts of the academic program Under the Tent managed by Toronto Metropolitan University.

In the film, Manimekalai is an incarnation of the goddess Kaali. Living as a queer female filmmaker in Toronto, she attempts to find belonging in a land stolen from its rightful inhabitants  the First Nations.

As the goddess of death, time and change, the dilemma of the reincarnated goddess in the film finds a resolution only at the end, when it dawns on her that ultimately, the land can be owned by no one; the universe is in a state of constant flux. The promotional poster shows a scene in which, dressed as the goddess Kaali, Manimekalai shares a cigarette with a homeless man.

When I embody Kaali, I am Kaali myself. My Kaali is queer. She is a free spirit. She spits at the patriarchy. She dismantles Hindutva. She destroys capitalism, Manimekalai told VOA. She embraces everyone with all her thousand hands.

Death threats

Manimekalais tweet of the poster went viral Saturday with tens of thousands of members of the Hindu community retweeting it with a hashtag reading Arrest Leena Manimekalai.

Police cases were filed against her in several states for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.

One Hindu group said in a police complaint that the depiction of the goddess Kaali in the poster was completely unacceptable to Hindus and Manimekalai deliberately distorted the Hindu religion and culture with malicious intent to insult Hindu religious feelings.

Manimekalai said she and her family members received death and rape threats from more than 200,000 social media accounts. In a video that surfaced online, a Hindu priest from the north Indian temple town Ayodhya threatened: Do you want your head to be severed from your body?

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Manimekalais native state in India, police arrested the female leader of a Hindu right-wing group for allegedly threatening her with death. The leader allegedly posted a video online in which she condemned her using strong words and threatened to kill her.

Twitter on Wednesday removed Manimekalais poster tweet.

Reacting to Twitters action, she said in a tweet, "Will @TwitterIndia withhold the tweets of the 200000 hate mongers?! These lowlife trolls tweeted and spread the very same poster that they find objectionable. Kaali cannot be lynched. Kaali cannot be raped. Kaali cannot be destroyed. She is the goddess of death."

The filmmaker said that the reaction in India against her film cannot be termed just an outrage.

If a person in the street pounces upon you, it is a crime. If a person violates your body in a public place, it is sexual harassment. If a person throws acid on your face, it is an attempt of murder. If a person uses foul language against you, it is abuse. If a person goes after your family and friends and supporters and threatens them, it is violence. If all this is done by a mob, how can you call it just an 'outrage'? she asked.

How can I report 200000 ids? Where should I report? Who is going to take action? There is no law in India. The Constitution of the country is dead.
The war in Ukraine and its impact on energy and food supplies dominated G-20 talks Friday in Bali.

The G-20 host country called on ministers to "find a way forward" in discussing the war and its impact on rising food and energy prices.

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner rather than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not at the battlefield," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at the opening of the meeting, invoking the U.N. charter to urge multilateralism and trust.

Foreign ministers shared concerns about getting grain shipments out of Ukraine and avoiding devastating food shortages in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. But talks were marked by sharp tension: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sat at the same table but did not speak directly.

Lavrov accused Western ministers of straying "almost immediately, as soon as they took the floor, to the frenzied criticism of the Russian Federation in connection with the situation in Ukraine."

"You know, it was not us who abandoned all contacts," Lavrov told reporters after the first session. "It was the United States  and we are not running after anybody suggesting meetings. If they don't want to talk, it's their choice."

Lavrov walked out of the meetings twice Friday  first, as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addressed a session on strengthening multilateralism, and second just before Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, addressed the session on food and energy security via video link.

At a plenary session, Blinken urged Moscow to release Ukrainian grain to the world, according to a Western official.

"He addressed Russia directly, saying, 'To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out,'" the official said.

Lavrov was not in the room when Blinken spoke.



Blinken, after meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, whose country will host the G-20 next year, said the organization "is a vital institution for trying to deal collectively with some of the most significant problems and challenges that the world faces."

Blinken said many of those challenges stem from the Russian war on Ukraine, and that others at the G-20 had expressed similar concerns.

"So, I think what we've heard today already, is a strong chorus from around the world  not just the United States, but around the world  about the need for the aggression to end so that we can actually focus on the challenges that are affecting people in their lives," he said.

Blinken will participate in bilateral meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday.

"This is part of an ongoing, and I think important, series of conversations with our Chinese counterparts across the government to make sure that we are responsibly managing the relationship," a senior State Department official said Thursday, adding that the relationship has "different aspects to it, from profound competition being at the heart [but also] elements of cooperation, and there are elements of contestation."

The agenda for the meetings between top U.S. and Chinese diplomats includes possible cooperation on climate change, global health, counternarcotics and the situation in Myanmar, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink.

Blinken will have two lengthy meetings with Wang, with the first session likely focusing on bilateral relations and the second focusing on regional and international issues, according to diplomatic sources.

Blinken's meeting with the Chinese foreign minister will be their first in person since the chief U.S. diplomat unveiled the Biden administration's strategy to outcompete the rival superpower.

In his remarks at the time, Blinken said that the U.S. was not seeking to decouple from China and that the relationship between the world's two largest economies was not a zero-sum game.

After the G-20 ministerial, Blinken will head to Bangkok, where he is expected to discuss the situation in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

This week's ministerial will not produce an official document or communique, according to G-20 co-sherpa Dian Triansyah Djani.

VOA's Cecily Hilleary contributed to this report.
The war in Ukraine and its impact on energy and food supplies dominated G-20 talks Friday in Bali.

The G-20 host country called on ministers to find a way forward in discussing the war and its impact on rising food and energy prices.

"It is our responsibility to end the war sooner rather than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not at the battlefield," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at the opening of the meeting, invoking the U.N. charter to urge multilateralism and trust.

Foreign ministers shared concerns about getting grain shipments out of Ukraine and avoiding devastating food shortages in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. But talks were marked by sharp tension: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sat at the same table, though they did not speak directly.

Lavrov accused Western ministers of straying almost immediately, as soon as they took the floor, to the frenzied criticism of the Russian Federation in connection with the situation in Ukraine.

You know, it was not us who abandoned all contacts, Lavrov told reporters after the first session. It was the United States  and we are not running after anybody suggesting meetings. If they dont want to talk, its their choice.

Lavrov walked out of the meetings twice Friday  first, as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addressed a session on strengthening multilateralism, and second just before Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, addressed the session on food and energy security via video link.

At a plenary session, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Moscow to release Ukrainian grain to the world, according to a Western official.

He addressed Russia directly, saying, To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out, the official said.

Lavrov was not in the room when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke.

Agencies warn of looming famine

The meetings follow the release of the latest World Food Program (WFP) report Wednesday. It shows a decline in global efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.

Up to 828 million people, or nearly 10% of the world's population, were affected by hunger last year, 46 million more than in 2020 and 150 million more than in 2019, agencies, including the WFP, Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization said in the 2022 edition of the U.N. food security and nutrition report.

There is a real danger these numbers will climb even higher in the months ahead," said WFP Executive Director David Beasley, adding that climbing prices of food, fuel and fertilizer stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war threaten to push countries into famine.

Ukraines agriculture ministry said Friday that in most regions of the country, farmers have begun the early harvest of wheat and legumes, gathering more than a million tons of grain so far, the Kyiv Independent media outlet reported.



Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expected up to 60 million tons of grain to be harvested by fall, and that if blockades are not lifted, Ukraine will be in a really difficult situation.
Lawmakers in Germany voted overwhelmingly Friday to approve Finlands and Swedens membership in NATO, with Polands lower house moving the ratification forward as well.



NATO allies meeting in Madrid last week signed the accession protocols for the two countries to join the alliance. The move must now be ratified by the governments of all member states.



Following the vote in Berlin on Friday, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht told lawmakers their vote strengthens freedom and democracy  and sends a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He bet on our weakness," she said of the Russian leader. "Now he gets the opposite.



For decades, Sweden and Finland, while always working with NATO, had historically remained neutral. But Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine in February prompted the nations to pursue membership. Public approval for joining the alliance swelled since the invasion.



Germany joins Canada as the first two nations to fully ratify the NATO expansion.



Meanwhile, the lower house of Polands parliament, the Sejm, on Thursday approved Sweden and Finlands accession to NATO, a vote that also was received with a standing ovation.



The ratification bills now go to the upper-house Senate, where they are also expected to easily pass before final approval is given by President Andrzej Duda, who supports accession.



Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Former prime minister Shinzo Abe, one of Japans most prominent post-war political figures, has died after being shot in the chest during a campaign speech Friday, medical officials said.

The 67-year-old Abe died at a hospital in Nara Prefecture, where he had been receiving treatment after being shot with what appeared to be a handmade gun.

Abe had been speaking at a small campaign event on a street outside a train station in the city of Nara, just east of Osaka, at about 11:30 a.m. local time when a man rushed at him and fired two shots.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show bystanders scrambling to help, amid a cloud of white smoke, as Abe lay on the ground motionless.

Hospital officials said Abe did not show vital signs after being airlifted to the hospital. Doctors attempted to stop the bleeding, and to conduct blood transfusions, but Abe was declared dead at 5:03 p.m. They said one of the shots penetrated Abes heart and the other hit his neck.

The alleged shooter, a 41-year-old man from Nara, has been detained. It said the man, who state broadcaster NHK identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, served three years in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. The man told police that he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him, NHK added.

Video of the shooting aftermath appeared to show a box-like weapon with two thick barrels lying on the street after the suspect was detained. Media reports said the weapon appeared to be homemade. Japan has very tough gun laws that make it almost impossible to buy a gun.

Abes death will leave a void in Japanese politics. Both during and after his two terms in office, Abe had a profound impact on the direction of the country. He was a major proponent of countering Chinas growing strength and boosting his countrys military budget.

Abe had been speaking at a small campaign event ahead of Japans upper house election, which will be held Sunday. His public schedule had been published a day earlier.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the sneaky barbaric attack, saying it occurred during elections that form the very heart of Japans democracy. He declined to comment on the political implications of the shooting. Japanese officials have said the election will continue.

Abe was Japans longest-serving prime minister. He stepped down in August 2020, citing ill health, but had remained active in politics. He remained an influential voice in the countrys ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Even before the shooting, Abe was expected to have a major impact on Sundays election, the outcome of which could be crucial not only for Japans economy but also its future defense posture.

Abe had been one of the most prominent voices calling for Japan to revise its pacifist constitution, which was drafted by U.S.-led Allied forces occupying the country after World War II.

Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan, said the U.S. was saddened and shocked by the shooting. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S., he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is attending a G-20 summit in Indonesia, said it is a very, very sad moment.

Japans last political assassination occurred in 2007, when the mayor of Nagasaki was shot by a yakuza gangster. A Japanese Socialist Party official was also killed during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing assassin with a samurai sword.

The Abe shooting could lead to more security at Japanese campaign events, which are relatively accessible compared to many countries.

Most Japanese have gotten quite used to being familiar and intimate with politicians. Its part of the political culture here, the democratic culture, that you can get quite close to the politicians and listen to them and talk to them. What happened today flies in the face of all of that, said Corey Wallace, who teaches global security courses at Yokohama's Kanagawa University.

Although Sundays vote will proceed as planned, most campaign events were suspended following the shooting. But Lully Miura, a political scientist at Tokyos Yamaneko Research Institute, said she expects most Japanese politicians will continue to be accessible at public events moving forward.

They dont want that. They want a freer environment, they want more handshaking and a closer relationship with the public, she said.
Shinzo Abe, Japans influential former prime minister, is in serious condition after being shot in the chest during a speech Friday, according to Japanese officials.

Medical workers are rushing to save Abes life, an emotional Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a press conference late Friday afternoon, local time.

Earlier Friday, Abe was speaking at a campaign event outside a train station in the city of Nara, just east of Osaka, when he was approached from behind by a man with a gun.

Following two loud blasts, Abe fell to the ground and was bleeding. Videos posted on social media appeared to show bystanders scrambling to help Abe, who was lying on the ground motionless.

The 67-year-old was taken to the hospital, where local media say his heart stopped.

Japans NHK broadcaster said that the alleged shooter, a 41-year-old man from Nara, has been detained. It said the man, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, served three years in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. The man told police that he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him, NHK added.

Video of the shooting aftermath appeared to show a box-like weapon with two thick barrels lying on the street after the alleged shooter was detained. Media reports said the weapon appeared to be homemade.

Abe had been speaking at a small campaign event ahead of Japans upper house election, which will be held Sunday. Abes public schedule had been published a day earlier.

Kishida condemned the sneaky barbaric attack, saying it occurred during elections that form the very heart of Japans democracy. He declined to comment on the political implications of the shooting. Japanese officials have said the election will continue.

Abe is Japans longest-serving prime minister. He stepped down in August 2020 but has remained active in politics. He remains an influential voice in the countrys ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Even before the shooting, Abe was expected to have a major impact on Sundays election, the outcome of which could be crucial not only for Japans economy but also its future defense posture.

Abe had been one of the most prominent voices calling for Japan to revise its pacifist constitution, which was drafted by U.S.-led Allied forces occupying the country after the World War II.

A White House spokesperson said in a statement We are shocked and saddened to hear about the violent attack against former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. We are closely monitoring the reports and keeping our thoughts with his family and the people of Japan.

Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan, said the United States was saddened and shocked by the shooting. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S., he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is attending a G-20 summit in Indonesia, said he is deeply concerned about Abes condition.

Our prayers are with his family, with the people of Japan. This is a very, very sad moment, he said.

News of the shooting rattled Japan, where it is almost impossible to buy a personal firearm and where there is very little gun violence.

Japans last political assassination occurred in 2007, when the mayor of Nagasaki was shot by a yakuza gangster. A Japanese Socialist Party official was also killed during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing assassin with a samurai sword.

The Abe shooting could lead to more security at Japanese campaign events, which are relatively accessible compared to many countries.

Most Japanese have gotten quite used to being familiar and intimate with politicians. Its part of the political culture here, the democratic culture, that you can get quite close to the politicians and listen to them and talk to them. What happened today flies in the face of all of that, said Corey Wallace, who teaches global security courses at Yokohama's Kanagawa University.

Although Sundays vote will proceed as planned, most campaign events were suspended following the shooting. But Lully Miura, a political scientist at Tokyos Yamaneko Research Institute, said she expects most Japanese politicians will continue to be accessible at public events moving forward.

They dont want that. They want a freer environment, they want more handshaking and a closer relationship with the public, she said.
Here is a summary of Native American-related news around the U.S. this week:



Cherokee veteran receives highest military honor

President Joe Biden awarded Cherokee Nation citizen Dwight Birdwell Americas highest military decoration during a White House ceremony Tuesday. Birdwell, 74, was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during the Tet Offensive, a series of shock and awe attacks by North Vietnamese forces in January 1968.

Im grateful for all you have given our country and that at long last your story is being honored as it should have been always, Biden told Birdwell (see video below), noting that Native Americans serve in U.S. armed forces at a higher percentage rate than any other cohort.

More than 42,000 Native Americans and Alaska Natives served in the Vietnam War, 90% of them voluntarily. Two-hundred-twenty-six lost their lives.

Nevada county removes barriers to Shoshone vote



Native Americans face a number of obstacles to participating in national elections, including access to polling sites and language access for those who arent proficient in English. Nye County, Nevada, this week became the first county in America to provide Shoshone language assistance to Native American voters  in this case, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation. The 1975 Voting Rights Act requires certain states and local governments to provide voter registration forms, ballots and other election materials where 5% or more of eligible voters are minority language speakers. U.S. Census data from 2021 show the tribe now meets that standard. Nye County first in nation to offer voting in Shoshone language

Blackfeet tribe using dogs to nose out disease



Researchers on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana are running a yearlong study to see whether dogs can be trained to sniff out chronic wasting disease (CWD) and other toxins in wild game and plants that are consumed or used in traditional cultural practices. While CWD hasnt infected humans yet, scientists worry about the health risk of eating or handling infected wild game such as deer, moose or elk.

Dogs could help sniff out chronic wasting disease on a reservation in Montana

Works by father of modern Native art on display



New Yorker magazine this week highlights the art of Oscar Howe (Mazuha Hokshina, or Trader Boy), a Yanktonai Dakota artist from the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota (1915-1983), whose work merged traditional tribal art with contemporary abstract styles and earned him regard as the father of the Native American fine art movement. His work is on display until September 11, 2022, at the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of the American Indian in New York; the exhibition will be on view at the Portland Art Museum, October 29, 2022May 14, 2023, and at the South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University, June 10, 2023September 17, 2023.

A Frequently Misunderstood American Master

Google honors noted Native comedian



Google Doodle this week marked what would have been the 71st birthday of Charlie Hill, the first Native American comedian to appear on U.S. national television. A citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Howe used humor to shed light on many of the grim realities of the Native American experience, poking fun at stereotypes about Natives and non-Natives.



Hills portrait/Doodle is the work of Alanah Astehtsi Otsistohkwa (Morningstar) Jewell, a French-Haudenosaunee artist from the Oneida Nation of the Thames in Ontario, Canada.

Charlie Hill's 71st Birthday
Leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda meeting in Angola this week agreed to ease tensions and normalize diplomatic relations. The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting resurgent M23 rebels, who in June seized a border town from the military.

Rights groups and analysts have welcomed the detente but say a lasting peace means addressing root causes of militias in the DRC.



Twizeere Bastiste is a livestock farmer in the eastern DRC. He said he fled his village last week to a camp at Rutshuru in North Kivu province after M23 rebels attacked while his animals were grazing. Two of his brothers were killed.

He said his livestock was stolen and his house was demolished. He asked for an end to the war so people can go back to their homes and to end peoples suffering in the camps.



At least 1.9 million civilians have been displaced in North Kivu this year, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.



Dozens have been killed since the M23 rebel group resurfaced after a fragile, nearly decade-long ceasefire. They began a major offensive in Congo's eastern borderlands in March.

The re-emergence of M23 is stirring a political rivalry between Congo and Rwanda. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting M23 to destabilize the country, an allegation Rwanda denies.



Officials from the two countries agreed Wednesday to de-escalate tensions from the rebel insurgency, but barely a day later, on Thursday, fresh clashes broke out between the military and M23 rebels.



Right groups say peace cannot be achieved unless both sides address root causes of the conflict, such as lack of accountability for atrocities.



"Justice is not on the agenda, said Jean Mobert, Amnesty Internationals research on Congo. As long as those who have committed serious crimes in the DRC in the last decades feel like they can continue to kill, to rape, to loot without consequences, this is just going to continue."



Macharia Munene, an analyst on international relations in Kenya, told VOA that despite the efforts to achieve peace in eastern Congo, mistrust between leaders of the DRC and its eastern neighbors, Rwanda and Uganda, is a major obstacle.



"First of all, reduce the suspicions among key leaders in order to be able to agree on how to deal with M23, Munene said, because as long as they are quarreling and disagreeing, the likelihood of having a common approach is very difficult and very hard."



The M23 militia are currently pursuing their biggest offensive in several years.



Congo has accepted a proposal for an East African regional force to be deployed to the volatile provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu  on the condition that Rwanda does not take part.
Somalia's new president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has vowed to shut down revenue streams for al-Shabab terrorists. The Islamist militants are believed to make millions of dollars per year from taxes they impose in areas of Somalia under their control. But security analysts say cutting off the terrorist funding wont be easy.

Somalias President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud this week said his government will crack down on funding steams for the al-Shabab militant group.

Speaking Tuesday to Somali troops training in Turkey, Mohamud accused the Somali group of using extorted taxes to help finance terrorism across Africa and the world.

His remarks were carried on Somali National Television.

Mohamud says they have evidence that the money collected by al-Shabab is used in financing terror groups in Mozambique and Nigeria, with some going to al-Qaida terrorists.

The Somali president did not elaborate on the evidence, which the militant group dismissed in a Thursday press release as baseless accusations.

Mohamuds comments were the first by Somalias government acknowledging that al-Shabab earns money through extortion.

The U.N. Panel of Experts report on Somalia earlier this year said al-Shabab has about 100 checkpoints throughout the country where they impose taxes on trucks transporting goods.

The Mogadishu-based Hiraal Institute think tank estimates al-Shabab earns enough to spend $24 million per year on weapons.

Security experts say a crackdown on terrorism funding would mark a departure from Somalias previous government, which focused more on fighting political battles, but it wont be easy.

Matt Bryden is a security expert and strategic advisor at the Britain and Kenya-based Sahan Foundation think tank.

Speaking via a messaging application, he says al-Shabab has a sophisticated system of tax collection while government oversight of banking and Islamic money transfers, called hawala, is poor.

"The group also is able to move its funds around Somalia to conduct transactions and transfers partly because of the very weak regulatory framework in Somalia," Bryden said. "The banking system, the money transfer system, or hawalas, that are still very poorly overseen by the government. Al-Shabab has exploited these weaknesses to the maximum. And so, a government crackdown on the financial sector and tightening up the loopholes is also going to be key to combating al-Shabab and drying up its resource base."

Bryden says Mohamud, who was elected in May, is already taking security steps against the Islamist militants.

Somalias Danab special forces have been back in action against al-Shabab in several areas of the country.

Abdurahman Sheikh Azhari is director of the Mogadishu-based Centre for Analysis and Strategic Studies (CASS).

He says multiple fronts are needed to defeat al-Shabab, including military operations, fighting against their finances, and fighting against their ideology.

The al-Qaida-affiliated militants have been fighting against Somalias Western-backed government and African Union peacekeeping troops since 2007 to impose strict Islamic law.

The U.S. announced in mid-May that it would reestablish a military presence in Somalia to help fight the militants after pulling out troops in 2020.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday authorized state forces to apprehend migrants and return them to the U.S.-Mexico border, pushing the boundaries of their enforcement powers and the Republican's escalating efforts to curb the rising number of crossings.



The federal government is responsible for the enforcement of immigration laws. The White House criticized the move and one immigrant rights group called for swift intervention from the Justice Department.



For more than a year, Texas has patrolled the border with an increasingly heavy hand. Abbott stopped short Wednesday of authorizing Texas troopers and National Guard members  who he has already deployed to the border by the thousands  to take migrants across the ports of entry and into Mexico, disappointing former Trump administration officials who have urged him to do so.



The impact of the order was unclear, including how widely it would be used and under what circumstances. But the authority described by Abbott would amount to a significant and untested expansion of the normal powers of the National Guard and state police, who until now have turned migrants over to Border Patrol agents, and in some cases, made arrests on state trespassing charges.



Among the questions the move raises is the training state forces receive in order to detain and transport migrants. Legal experts expected the move to invite court challenges.



Crossings are at or near the highest in about two decades. On the Texas border, U.S. authorities stopped migrants from crossing illegally 523,000 times between January and May, up from 417,000 over the same span a year ago.



Abbott has blamed the Biden administration and spent more than $3 billion in state funds on a massive border security apparatus. But the state operation has not stemmed the flow of migrants.

"As the challenges on the border continue to increase, Texas will continue to take action to address those challenges caused by the Biden Administration," Abbott said.



The White House responded by criticizing the results of Abbott's massive border mission, known as Operation Lone Star, including a week in April when additional commercial truck inspections gridlocked Texas 1,200-mile border with Mexico for a week.



"Governor Abbott's record on immigration doesn't give us confidence in what he has cooked up now," spokesman Abdullah Hasan said.



Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said in a statement it "rejects" Abbott's move, saying immigration policy was a federal  not state  matter and that the decision was a purely political gambit.



"This action can only be understood as part of the Texas state electoral campaigns," the department said.



Laurence Benenson, of the National Immigration Forum, said he expects legal challenges to Texas trying to set its own immigration enforcement policy, which conflicts with longstanding legal precedence that responsibility lies with the federal government.



He also said it's unclear how Texas troopers would pick up people solely for being out of legal status and not having committed a crime. Attempts to broaden state powers in enforcing immigration policy have failed in the past, including Arizona's "papers, please" law that the Supreme Court struck down in 2012 when Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that "the state may not pursue policies that undermined federal law."



The Supreme Court recently struck down a Republican-led Texas and Missouri lawsuit to prevent the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy that forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their request is considered. That ruling, Benenson said, affirmed the federal government's role in enforcing immigration law.



"There is a recognition that we don't want to open the flood gates to having states set 50 different immigration enforcement policies," Benenson said.



Abbott announced the order in a statement and his office did not immediately respond to questions about how it would be implemented.



The announcement comes two days after former Trump administration officials and sheriffs in several South Texas counties called on Abbott to declare what they have called an "invasion" and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war. Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures.



The idea has existed on the right fringes of the GOP for years but has gained traction among conservatives since Biden took office.



The Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials, has been driving the effort and criticized Abbott's order since it does not call for expelling migrants.



"That is critical. Otherwise, this is still catch and release," the group said in a statement.



U.S. border authorities are stopping migrants more often on the southern border than at any time in at least two decades. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago.



Comparisons to pre-pandemic levels are complicated because migrants expelled under a public health authority known as Title 42 face no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. Authorities say 25% of encounters in May were with people who had been stopped at least once in the previous year.



The advocacy group RAICES, which provides legal services to immigrant families and refugees, called Abbott's move an overreach of power and urged the Biden administration to step in.
Humanitarian assistance for more than 4 million Syrians living in opposition-held areas appeared in jeopardy Friday, after Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have extended the mission for another year.



This was a life-or-death vote for the Syrian people, and Russia chose the latter, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.



The authorization for the operation that moves aid from Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing into northwest Syria will expire on Sunday night, leaving little time for the 15 council members to find a new compromise.



We need to reach a solution in the immediate term, a solution which renews the mandate for cross-border aid, Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said. There is simply no time to waste. The Syrian people are counting on us.



Ireland and Norway, which hold the humanitarian file on Syria in the council and led the negotiations, offered a compromise of a total of a 12-month extension of the cross-border mechanism.



This is our effort to reach a compromise, Norwegian Ambassador Mona Juul told council members. This resolution would renew the border crossing of Bab al-Hawa. The resolution ensures that humanitarian assistance reaches all those in need, facilitates further early recovery, and encourages regular follow-up meetings on the implementation.



A year would have given humanitarians planning and procuring space, and it would have gotten the people who rely on the aid through the coming winter. Now they could lose assistance during the harshest months.



Moscow wanted a six-month renewal, with the possibility for six more  but only after another council resolution, and the potential for another veto, in January. To that end, the Russian delegation put forward its own draft resolution for a vote.



I hope you will support our draft, because the alternative to that would be the ultimate closure of the crossing, Russias Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said before their vote.



Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of having greedily and disrespectfully hijacked the negotiations from Ireland and Norway.



The Russian proposal failed to get the minimum of nine votes in favor. Only Russia and China voted for it. Britain, France and the United States voted no, and the 10 non-permanent council members all abstained.



After the two failed votes, council members went into a private meeting to discuss where to go from here. Kenya and Brazil both suggested in the public meeting that a nine-month extension should be explored as a compromise. That would at least get the aid recipients through the winter.



Russia has long sought to end the operation, which Damascus does not like, and Polyanskiy signaled that Moscow is not interested in any further compromise.



You had the choice, and you made the choice, he told his fellow council members. And now this page of history has finally been turned and cannot be turned back.



He later told reporters that his delegation would veto any text that was not the one they had just put forward.



Staggering needs



More than 4 million people live in northwest Syria, in an area outside of government control. Humanitarians reach about 2.4 million people each month with vital assistance through the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey.



Russia, China and Syrias regime argue that all humanitarian assistance to the countrys north should move from within Syria, across conflict front lines, under the control of the government of President Bashar al-Assad. But the United Nations and aid agencies on the ground say the so-called cross-line convoys alone are insufficient to meet the tremendous demands.



Since the resolution was renewed a year ago, only five cross-line convoys  one with only 14 trucks  crossed from government-controlled areas into the northwest. By comparison, in the first six months of this year, 4,648 trucks entered the region from Turkey  or about 800 each month.



When the council initially authorized the aid operations in 2014, four crossing points were activated  two from Turkey, one from Iraq and one from Jordan. In 2019 and 2020, Russia and China forced the closure of all but one  Bab al-Hawa, which connects southern Turkey with northwest Syria.



After more than a decade of war, a pandemic and an economic crisis, 90% of Syrians now live below the poverty line. A recent report from the World Health Organization said an unprecedented number of the countrys children and women are struggling with soaring rates of malnutrition.



Needs are higher now than at any other time during the conflict. The U.N. said 14.6 million Syrians need humanitarian assistance, of which 12 million are food insecure. The U.N. has appealed for a staggering $10 billion this year to assist people both inside the country and those who have sought safety in neighboring countries. The U.N. says nothing short of a permanent cease-fire will end the suffering.
The U.N. Security Council delayed Thursday's expected vote on extending humanitarian aid deliveries to rebel-held northwest Syria from Turkey after failing to reach a compromise on how long it would run.

Russia, which is one of the veto-wielding members, is demanding an extension of only six months, while many other council members, the U.N. secretary-general and more than 30 non-governmental groups are pushing for another year-long mandate.

The council scheduled a meeting for Friday morning, but it was unclear whether there would be further consultations or a vote.

Closed consultations among the 15 council members that continued into Thursday evening were unable to bridge differences between the original draft resolution by Ireland and Norway to extend cross-border deliveries for 12 months and a rival Russian text calling for a six-month extension, with a new resolution needed for a later six-month extension.

We're working on getting a basis for consensus, Ireland's U.N. ambassador, Geraldine Byrne Nason, said after Thursday's meeting. No one in that room wants to be divided on an issue of such importance, but we have more work to do. And we're going to get working now, work overnight and hope to be back in the morning with the solution."

Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, said there is 99% agreement on a resolution, but he said Russia insists on a new resolution after six months.

Byrne Nason, asked whether there was any way around the Russian demand, replied: We're working on it overnight."

The U.N. said last week that the first 10 years of the Syrian conflict, which started in 2011, killed more than 300,000 civilians - the highest official estimate of civilian casualties. Northwest Idlib is the last rebel-held bastion in Syria and a region where an al-Qaida-linked militant group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is the strongest.

Russia, a close ally of Syria's government, has repeatedly called for stepped up humanitarian aid deliveries to the northwest from within Syria, across conflict lines. This would give Syrian President Bashar Assad's government more control.

In early July 2020, China and Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have maintained two border crossing points from Turkey for humanitarian aid to Idlib. Days later, the council authorized the delivery of aid through just one of those crossings, Bab al-Hawa.

In a compromise with Russia, that one-year mandate was extended on July 9, 2021, for six months, with an additional six months subject to a substantive report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. This was effectively a year-long mandate because a second resolution wasn't needed, and that mandate expires this Sunday.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called cross-border aid critical for men, women and children in the northwest and stressed the importance of long-term planning, including to costs.

In 2021, we had 800 trucks of cross-border aid go through each month, consistently reaching about 2.4 million people, he told reporters Thursday. The number of trucks that crossed in the calendar year, from January of this year to June 30th of this year, was 4,648 trucks.

The U.N. also carried out five deliveries across conflict lines last year and so far this year with about 2,529 metric tons of assistance including foods and health supplies, he said.

Russia's Polyansky said he wasn't certain what would happen Friday, but U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters, Tomorrow we're going to vote on a resolution and hopefully that is a vote that extends the resolution for 12 months.

Thomas-Greenfield, who recently traveled to the Bab al-Hawa crossing, added: A six-month resolution does not provide the certainty and the confidence that the Syrian refugees require and NGOs require in order to continue to plan for and provide for support.

Six months ends in January, in the middle of winter, the worst time possible, she said.

If no compromise could be reached, the draft resolution by Ireland and Norway would be voted on first. If it failed to get nine votes, or was vetoed by Russia, the Russian resolution with a six-month extension would then be put to a vote.
The U.N. Human Rights Office is urging Sri Lankan authorities to rein in their security forces to prevent expected large-scale demonstrations from turning violent in Colombo on Saturday.

Human rights officials warn tensions are high because of Sri Lankas worsening economic crisis. They say they are worried that Saturdays demonstrations, called to protest the rising cost of food, fuel and other commodities, could become as violent and deadly as those held in May.

During demonstrations in Colombo May 9-10, supporters of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful protesters, reportedly killing eight people and injuring more than 250.

U.N. Human Rights Office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani says worrying signs have emerged that Saturdays planned peaceful protests could get out of control.

Reports have been received of several confrontations between individuals and members of the police force and the armed forces at fuel stations where thousands of desperate members of the public have queued for hours and sometimes even days," she said. "Police have used tear gas and water cannons at times in an unnecessary and disproportionate manner. On occasions, armed forces have also fired live ammunition.

Shamdasani says High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has been in contact with Sri Lankan authorities on several occasions urging them to show restraint in the policing of assemblies. She has told authorities that all Sri Lankans have the right of freedom of assembly and expression, including through protests.

Shamdasani notes that under international law, using force to disperse gatherings can be permitted only as a last resort and must be proportionate.

As a general rule, the military should not be used to police assemblies," she said. "In exceptional circumstances, where members of the military carry out law enforcement functions, they are bound by international norms and standards and must remain fully subordinate to the civilian authority, and they must be accountable under civilian law.

Shamdasani says the high commissioner is calling on the government to hold an open and genuine dialogue to tackle the root causes of the crisis and grievances of the people.
Ukrainian soldiers are in Britain to receive training on the frontline skills needed to battle the Russian forces that have invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainians are stationed at various British Defense Ministry locations across the country.

The approximately 1,000 Ukrainians in Britain are the first of about 10,000 expected to participate in the program developed by the British army.

"Using the world-class expertise of the British army we will help Ukraine to rebuild its forces and scale-up its resistance as they defend their country's sovereignty and their right to choose their own future, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.

The United States is sending more military aid to Ukraine aimed at helping Ukrainian forces target, disrupt and destroy Russias ability to wage war in the Donbas region and beyond.

U.S. officials on Friday unveiled a new $400 million package for Ukraine, including four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 1,000 rounds of 155 millimeter precision capable artillery ammunition, a type that has not been provided to Kyiv until now.

These [weapons systems] are precise, a senior U.S. defense official said, briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon. We expect them to be used by the Ukrainians to great effect given their success so far.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Biden administration on Twitter for the military equipment, which he described as priority needs.

"It is what helps us press on the enemy," he said.

The U.S. has high hopes, in particular, for the new, precision artillery rounds.

It offers Ukraine precise targeting, precise capability for specific targets. It will save ammunition. It will be more effective due to the precision, the official said. So, it's a further evolution in our support for Ukraine in this battle in the Donbas.

But the U.S. hopes the latest package, part of what is being described as a steady drumbeat of support, does more.

A big element of what we are looking at now is that lift, which is vital for the Ukrainians to be able to continue the fight and most importantly, I would say, for the Russians to know that the Ukrainians are going to be able to continue the fight, the official said.

U.S. officials have been quick to praise Ukrainian forces for the way they have integrated an earlier shipment of eight HIMARS into their efforts to slow the Russian advance in the Donbas and, in some cases, managing to hold the Russian forces at bay.

We know that they're going after targets that have major effect on the battlefield, said a second senior U.S. defense official, also briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The Ukrainians are targeting command and control nodes, and logistics supply areas  all those things that, although they're not on the front line, have a big-time impact, the official said. Many of the ammunition locations that they've destroyed have had a significant impact on the [Russian] organizations they were meant to resupply.

So far, more than 100 Ukrainian troops have been trained on how to use the system, and U.S. officials held out the possibility more HIMARS and other similar systems could be included in future aid packages

The announcement of additional U.S. aid comes just days after Russian forces declared victory in Ukraines Luhansk province, after Ukrainian forces retreated from their last stronghold in city of Lysychansk.

Western intelligence assessments believe Russian forces are now positioning themselves for a push into the Donetsk region.

Russia is "likely concentrating equipment on the front line in the direction of Siversk, approximately 8 km west of the current Russian front lines," Britains defense intelligence arm said Friday.

"There is a realistic possibility that Russias immediate tactical objective will be Siversk, as its forces attempt to advance towards its most likely operational goal of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban area," it said.

But U.S. officials continued to describe Russian gains as incremental and highly costly.

They're [Russian forces] way behind on their timelines They're far behind on their objectives, the first senior U.S. defense official told reporters. The Ukrainians are, in localized places, launching effective counteroffensives.

We don't see this at all as Russia winning this battle, the official added. But the fighting is hard.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Kremlin on Thursday that Russia's campaign in Ukraine had barely started.

"Largely speaking, we havent even yet started anything in earnest, he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday that Putin was reacting to statements by Ukraine and its Western allies that Russia would be defeated.

Peskov called such Western statements utterly absurd and said, Russias potential is so big that just a small part of it has been used in the special military operation."

In addition to the new HIMARS and the precision 155-millimeter artillery rounds, the new U.S security package also includes more ammunition for the eight HIMARS already in Ukraine, tactical vehicles, demolition munitions, counter battery systems and spare parts to help Ukrainian forces maintain systems that are getting heavy use.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
World leaders expressed shock and sadness after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed Friday in western Japan while giving a campaign speech.

U.S. President Joe Biden offered condolences to Abes family. This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him, he said in a statement.

Biden spoke about his personal connection with Abe.

I had the privilege to work closely with Prime Minister Abe. As vice president, I visited him in Tokyo and welcomed him to Washington. He was a champion of the alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people, Biden said. The longest-serving Japanese prime minister, his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure.

"Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy.

Biden said he had ordered the U.S flag to be flown at half-staff to honor Abe.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement saying, Prime Minister Abe was a global leader and unwavering ally and friend of the United States, whose vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific lifted our alliance cooperation to new heights.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement, Abe was devoted to both the country he served and the extraordinary alliance between the United States and Japan. I will always remember the work we did to strengthen our alliance, the moving experience of traveling to Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor together, and the grace he and his wife, Akie Abe, showed to me and Michelle.

Current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the unforgivable act, saying, The free and fair election, which is the root of democracy, needs to be protected no matter what. We will not be defeated by violence.

A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also issued a statement Friday.

The secretary-general recalls Shinzo Abes commitment to promoting peace and security, championing the Sustainable Development Goals and advocating for universal health coverage," said Farhan Haq. As the longest-serving prime minister, he was dedicated to reviving his countrys economy and serving the people of Japan.

In Britain, Queen Elizabeth also tweeted her condolences.

My family and I were deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden and tragic death of former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, the queen said. I have fond memories of meeting Mr. Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016. His love for Japan, and his desire to forge ever-closer bonds with the United Kingdom were clear.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was shocked and saddened beyond words. Modi also said that India would observe one day of national mourning on Saturday to respect the former prime minister.

Many other world leaders reacted to the news, including leaders of Canada, Germany, Pakistan, Sweden, the Philippines, Australia, Spain, France and Italy.

The International Olympic Committee praised Abes vision, determination and dependability, which enabled the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics for one year because of the global spread of the coronavirus. The IOC said it would have the Olympic flag flown at half-staff in the Olympic house in Lausanne, Switzerland, for three days.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 

Former prime minister Shinzo Abe, one of Japans most prominent post-war political figures, has died after being shot in the chest during a campaign speech Friday, medical officials said.

The 67-year-old Abe died at a hospital in Nara Prefecture, where he had been receiving treatment after being shot with what appeared to be a handmade gun.

Abe had been speaking at a small campaign event on a street outside a train station in the city of Nara, just east of Osaka, at about 11:30 a.m. local time when a man rushed at him and fired two shots.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show bystanders scrambling to help, amid a cloud of white smoke, as Abe lay on the ground motionless.

Hospital officials said Abe did not show vital signs after being airlifted to the hospital. Doctors attempted to stop the bleeding, and to conduct blood transfusions, but Abe was declared dead at 5:03 p.m. They said one of the shots penetrated Abes heart and the other hit his neck.

The alleged shooter, a 41-year-old man from Nara, has been detained. It said the man, who state broadcaster NHK identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, served three years in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. The man told police that he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him, NHK added.

Video of the shooting aftermath appeared to show a box-like weapon with two thick barrels lying on the street after the suspect was detained. Media reports said the weapon appeared to be homemade. Japan has very tough gun laws that make it almost impossible to buy a gun.

Abes death will leave a void in Japanese politics. Both during and after his two terms in office, Abe had a profound impact on the direction of the country. He was a major proponent of countering Chinas growing strength and boosting his countrys military budget.

Abe had been speaking at a small campaign event ahead of Japans upper house election, which will be held Sunday. His public schedule had been published a day earlier.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the sneaky barbaric attack, saying it occurred during elections that form the very heart of Japans democracy. He declined to comment on the political implications of the shooting. Japanese officials have said the election will continue.

Abe was Japans longest-serving prime minister. He stepped down in August 2020, citing ill health, but had remained active in politics. He remained an influential voice in the countrys ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Even before the shooting, Abe was expected to have a major impact on Sundays election, the outcome of which could be crucial not only for Japans economy but also its future defense posture.

Abe had been one of the most prominent voices calling for Japan to revise its pacifist constitution, which was drafted by U.S.-led Allied forces occupying the country after World War II.

Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan, said the U.S. was saddened and shocked by the shooting. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S., he added.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is attending a G-20 summit in Indonesia, said it is a very, very sad moment.

Japans last political assassination occurred in 2007, when the mayor of Nagasaki was shot by a yakuza gangster. A Japanese Socialist Party official was also killed during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing assassin with a samurai sword.

The Abe shooting could lead to more security at Japanese campaign events, which are relatively accessible compared to many countries.

Most Japanese have gotten quite used to being familiar and intimate with politicians. Its part of the political culture here, the democratic culture, that you can get quite close to the politicians and listen to them and talk to them. What happened today flies in the face of all of that, said Corey Wallace, who teaches global security courses at Yokohama's Kanagawa University.

Although Sundays vote will proceed as planned, most campaign events were suspended following the shooting. But Lully Miura, a political scientist at Tokyos Yamaneko Research Institute, said she expects most Japanese politicians will continue to be accessible at public events moving forward.

They dont want that. They want a freer environment, they want more handshaking and a closer relationship with the public, she said.
Two Zimbabwean policemen are currently nursing severe injuries at a Harare hospital after they were attacked by an angry crowd, which accused them of conducting an illegal traffic operation in the countrys capital city, Harare, resulting in the death of a local resident.

Police have confirmed the incident saying they will punish the two officers involved in the incident.

Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said they are taking stern action against its members, who attempted to illegally stop the commuter omnibus, leading to the death of a 54 year-old Harare man.

In a tweet, Nyathi said, The ZRP regrets the fatal incident that occurred this morning at around 1140 hours, along Highglen Road near Mashayabhande Road in Harare, where a man (54) died after police officers who were not deployed for that activity engaged in an unsanctioned act.

The ZRP Command has directed that criminal charges and disciplinary measures be taken against the officers and definitely the law will take its course. The ZRP passes its deepest condolence to the bereaved family.

The policemen involved were allegedly assaulted by members of the public and taken to a local hospital.

A police memo leaked to the press indicated that the two police officers  one only identified as Constable J. Mapfumo and Constable Demetrius Chimutanda - conducted an unsanctioned deployment when they arrested a kombi driver working for a Kuwadzana businessman while clad in police reaction group kit.

Police said the kombi driver resisted arrest and wrestled with the police officers when the vehicle was in motion.

During the scuffle, the vehicle veered off the road and hit Trymore Chinyamakobu who was walking by the roadside near the intersection of Highglen and Mushayabhande Roads. The vehicle went on to ram onto a pre-cast wall at Goodness and Mercy Ministries.

Trymore Chinyamakobvu sustained head injuries and died on the spot while the informant  who was a passenger in the kombi sustained injuries on the chest and left leg. This prompted the mob to severely assault the two police officers.

Police noted that the two officers officers sustained multiple injuries and are in a critical condition. They were referred to Sally Mugabe Hospital for treatment under guard.

Police are looking for the kombi driver with the intention of charging him and the two officers for allegedly contravening Section 49 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 09:23 as read with section 64 of the Road Traffic Act Chapter 13:11, Culpable Homicide.
WASHINGTON 

The United States is sending more military aid to Ukraine aimed at helping Ukrainian forces target, disrupt and destroy Russias ability to wage war in the Donbas region and beyond.

U.S. officials on Friday unveiled a new $400 million package for Ukraine, including four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 1,000 rounds of 155 millimeter precision capable artillery ammunition, a type that has not been provided to Kyiv until now.

These [weapons systems] are precise, a senior U.S. defense official said, briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon. We expect them to be used by the Ukrainians to great effect given their success so far.

The U.S. has high hopes, in particular, for the new, precision artillery rounds.

It offers Ukraine precise targeting, precise capability for specific targets. It will save ammunition. It will be more effective due to the precision, the official said. So, it's a further evolution and our support for Ukraine in this battle in the Donbas.

But the U.S. hopes the latest package, part of what is being described as a steady drumbeat of support, does more.

A big element of what we are looking at now is that lift, which is vital for the Ukrainians to be able to continue the fight and most importantly, I would say, for the Russians to know that the Ukrainians are going to be able to continue the fight, the official said.

U.S. officials have been quick to praise Ukrainian forces for the way they have integrated an earlier shipment of eight HIMARS into their efforts to slow the Russian advance in the Donbas and, in some cases, managing to hold the Russian forces at bay.

We know that they're going after targets that have major effect on the battlefield, said a second senior U.S. defense official, also briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The Ukrainians are targeting command and control nodes, and logistics supply areas  all those things that although they're not on the front line, have a big-time impact, the official said. Many of the ammunition locations that they've destroyed have had a significant impact on the [Russian] organizations they were meant to resupply.

So far, more than 100 Ukrainian troops have been trained on how to use the system, and U.S. officials held out the possibility more HIMARS and other similar systems could be included in future aid packages

The announcement of additional U.S. aid comes just days after Russian forces declared victory in Ukraines Luhansk province, after Ukrainian forces retreated from their last stronghold in city of Lysychansk.

Western intelligence assessments believe Russian forces are now positioning themselves for a push into the Donetsk region.

Russia is "likely concentrating equipment on the front line in the direction of Siversk, approximately 8km west of the current Russian front lines," Britains defense intelligence arm said Friday.

"There is a realistic possibility that Russias immediate tactical objective will be Siversk, as its forces attempt to advance towards its most likely operational goal of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban area," it said.

But U.S. officials continued to describe Russian gains as incremental and highly costly.

They're [Russian forces] way behind on their timelines They're far behind on their objectives, the first senior U.S. defense official told reporters. The Ukrainians are, in localized places, launching effective counteroffensives.

We don't see this at all as Russia winning this battle, the official added. But the fighting is hard.

In addition to the new HIMARS and the precision 155-millimeter artillery rounds, the new U.S security package also includes more ammunition for the eight HIMARS already in Ukraine, tactical vehicles, demolition munitions, counter battery systems and spare parts to help Ukrainian forces maintain systems that are getting heavy use.
GABORONE, BOTSWANA 

Botswana is hosting an international meeting aimed at strengthening democracy and adherence to constitutions in Africa. Participants are calling on African militaries and leaders to respect term limits after several recent coups and efforts to extend time in power.

The three-day summit, organized by Botswana and the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute (NDI), has attracted former heads of state and civil society activists from across Africa.

Nigers former president, Mahamadou Issoufou, speaking via videolink, said there is concern over the state of democracy in Africa.

"We have some  results from certain countries, but democracy is regressing in certain countries, and especially through military coups, he said. I am happy Botswana and Niger are speaking with one voice." Countries have to respect the two-term limit, he added.

Issoufou left office after two terms in 2021 and was awarded the five-million dollar Ibrahim prize for good governance.

Botswanas president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, said his country, Africas longest-running democracy, was the ideal location for the meeting.

He said Africa requires strong institutions to promote constitutionalism and to ensure democracy flourishes.

We remain resolute in the belief that we are better served by strong institutions rather than strongmen or women or anything in between, he said. My firm belief is that this summit represents our strong partnerships to renew and strengthen efforts to respect constitutional term limits as a pillar of democratic governance and peaceful political transitions across our continent.

Peaceful political transitions remain elusive in some African countries. In the last 16 months alone, leaders have been ousted by coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Sudan.

U.S. Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, in a recorded statement, said her country will continue to support Africas efforts to uphold democratic principles.

The United States is proud to support todays convening and we will continue to back our partners efforts to bring attention to the efforts of constitutional term limits as they are key to democratic governance, she said. We all know from public opinion research that constitutional term limits have widespread popular support across Africa.

National Democratic Institute President Derek Mitchell said the Gaborone summit comes at an opportune time.

There is no more important moment to reaffirm and embrace the eternal truth than today when democracy is under attack in so many corners of the world, he said. Democracy must be protected, defended, cultivated through regular civic practice and education. Respect for constitutionalism promotes rule of law and political accountability.

The Gaborone meeting is a follow-up to a 2019 summit held in Niger to promote the respect of constitutional limits.
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In compliance with the unilateral European Union sanctions imposed against Russia, traffic between the Federation and its Kaliningrad exclave via both the Polish Suwalki corridor and Lithuanian rail lines was interrupted.

However, international treaties require Poland and Lithuania to guarantee the supply of Kaliningrad.

A discreet agreement has been reached between Moscow and the Brussels Commission which restored conditional transport through the Suwalki corridor, but Lithuania refuses to apply it arguing that the agreement was not approved by the European Council, made up of the Heads of State or government of all EU countries.
Maneskin resist doctors' calls to postpone Rome concert over covid fears.

Rome bar owners are protesting over "unfair" alcohol restrictions in the city centre on Saturday 9 July for the Maneskin concert at the Circus Maximus.

The order, introduced by the capital's prefect, bans the takeaway sale of alcohol in glass bottles in the streets around the Circus Maximus area, stretching from Piazza Venezia to Via Merulana, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

Traders complain that the ban of takeaway alcohol does not apply to supermarkets and that once inside the venue a "noted brand of beer" can sell its product freely to concert-goers.

Bar and restaurant owners in the centre also stress that no such restrictions were in place for recent large-scale events at the Circus Maximus, notably the Vasco Rossi concerts in June.

Earlier this week the Eurovision-winning Maneskin faced down calls from Rome doctors to postpone their sold-out show, due to fears of it acting as a "mega-cluster" for new covid infections.

The city's councillor for major events Alessandro Onorato criticised the medics' "specious" calls and confirmed that the much-anticipated concert would go ahead as planned on Saturday.
Shelley planned to spend the summer of 1822 sailing along the coast of Tuscany but he drowned when his new boat went down in a summer storm.

Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned in a summer storm in the Gulf of Spezia on 8 July 1822. He would have been 30 years old less than a month later, on 4 August. It took 10 days before his almost unrecognisable body was found on the beach just north of Viareggio.

There has been constant speculation in the two centuries since then as to what happened, and his early and tragic end has lent itself to all sorts of romantic and dramatic tales.

Shelley's last journey

On the bicentenary of his death it is generally now accepted that the sinking of his new boat and the drowning of all on board were caused by a summer storm, but the circumstances surrounding Shelley's last journey were complicated and full of enough emotions to have left a trail of stories behind.

The first accounts speculated that he took his own life. Although he was known to be depressed and had recurring bouts of ill health, this narrative seems unlikely considering that there were two other people on board, his good friend and sailing buddy Edward Williams and a young boat hand Charles Vivian. All of them had extensive sailing experience behind them.

Another story that spread was that the boat was attacked by pirates, but there was no evidence of a struggle and all the signs were that the boat sank rapidly and almost without warning.

It is certain from the evidence available that there was a sudden summer storm and such storms along the Mediterranean coast can be very violent. It is also certain that Shelley decided to set sail regardless from Livorno to get back to Lerici, where both the Shelley and Edwards family were living for the summer, rather than wait for better weather.

A mock-up of what Shelley's new boat might have looked like, with Casa Magni in the background.

Mary Shelley had recently had a serious miscarriage, but perhaps even more than that Percy was caught up in one of his endless romantic relationships, this time with Edward's common-law wife, Jane. He may also have wanted to get home quickly because he had been disappointed by the meeting with Lord Byron and Leigh Hunt about the launching of their new magazine, The Liberal.

He was out of sorts with Byron, which was not unusual. Although he had persuaded Byron and his entourage to move to Tuscany from Ravenna for the summer, their friendship was under strain. Byron's rowdy parties and hunting expeditions as well as a rough and bad-tempered run-in with a member of the Pisan garrison all put pressure on the friendship.

Masi affair

The Masi affair, as it was known, started outside the city when a member of the local Pisan garrison tried to ride his way at speed through the Byron entourage strung out across the road. Scuffles and insults flew and eventually Sergeant-Major Masi was wounded by one of Byron's entourage. Relations between the Pisans and the English community were at a low ebb and so were Shelley's relations with Byron.

Shelley's recurring rivalry with Byron resurfaced. As he wrote to Hunt:

"Particular circumstances -- or rather I should say, particular indispositions in Lord B's character render the close and exclusive intimacy with him in which I find myself, intolerable to me; thus much my best friend I will confess and confide to you...However....I will take care to preserve the little influence I may have over this Proteus in whom such strange extremes are reconciled until we meet." Richard Holmes. Shelley. The Pursuit. page 704. Shelley to Hunt, Letters Vol 2.

Lerici

It was in part to get away from Byron that Shelley decided to move to the coast in the spring of 1822. Another reason why the Shelleys and the Williams moved to Lerici was so that Shelley and Edward could sail throughout the summer.

They were sailing buddies and even though Shelley had never been able to swim they both had considerable experience in small boats in lakes and most recently in the inland canals and rivers around Pisa.

For Shelley an additional advantage was that Jane, his latest romantic attachment, would also be there. For Mary, who never liked Casa Magni, the house they had rented on the edge of the sea, it put an additional strain on her uneasy relationship with Shelley, at a time when she was having another difficult pregnancy.

Edward Trelawny

The summer was going to be different from what either Shelley or Williams were used to. Byron who was living in Pisa had recently commissioned a large sea-going yacht, the equivalent of a schooner or a brigantine, to be built in Genoa by Captain Dan Roberts. Shelley, egged on by their mutual friend Edward Trelawny, decided he was not to be outdone and added his own commission, again to be overseen by the flamboyant Trelawny.

These boats were not the usual small skiffs that Shelley loved so much for river sailing, but large sea-going yachts, the super yachts of the early 19th century. Their main characteristic was the two masts and a large area of sail. Byron's yacht was to be called Bolivar, after the South American hero who led most of the continent to independence. Shelley was more romantic. He wanted his yacht to be called Ariel, the character from Shakespeare's play The Tempest. Why Ariel?

Jane Williams

Shakespeare's sprite Ariel was clearly on his mind and The Tempest was one of his favourite Shakespeare works. It was the name with which he identified his relationship with Jane Williams. This could not be more obvious than in the first stanzas of his poem With a Guitar. To Jane

Ariel to Miranda - Take

This slave of music for the sake

Of him who is the slave of thee;

And teach it all the harmony,

In which thou canst, and only thou,

Make the delighted spirit glow,

Till joy denies itself again

And too intense is turned to pain;

For by permission and command

Of thine own prince Ferdinand

Poor Ariel sent this silent token

Of more than ever can be spoken;

Your guardian spirit Ariel, who

From life to life must still pursue

Your happiness, for thus alone

Can Ariel find his own;

So in Shelley's mind the boat had a clear association with Jane. Many still refer to the boat as Ariel. Even a reference to Shelley on the Royal Museums Greenwich website calls it Ariel. Why then did it become known as Don Juan?

Like many of the stories and legends that surround Shelley and Byron the name Don Juan can also be traced back to their friend, adventurer and general mischief maker Trelawny. He was responsible not only for the commissioning of the yachts but he was supposed to have persuaded Shelley to call the boat the Don Juan in honour of Byron's epic satirical poem of the same name, which was causing considerably notoriety at the time and which Byron was still writing in summer 1822.

Portrait of Jane Williams by George Clint, painted circa 1822.

A somewhat different association could be placed on Trelawny's renaming of Shelley's boat. The connotations of Don Juan and Don Giovanni the fictional womaniser could not have been lost on Shelley and his entourage. Shelley was openly writing about his cooled relationship with Mary at the time. His flirtation with Jane, the wife of his friend Edward, was plain for all to see and his infatuation with Teresa (Emilia) Viviani was the inspiration for his poem Epipsychidion.

No less complicated was Byron's and Percy's relationship with Claire Clairmont, Mary's step-sister. Claire and Byron had an illegitimate daughter, Allegra, who was born in England in early 1817 and who died in April 1822 in the convent where Byron had sent her, much against Claire's wishes. Percy was more often that not the arbiter between Byron on one side and Claire on the other when it came to Allegra and tensions were high in spring 1822 when Allegra died aged five. Claire's open connection with Byron did not help allay suspicions about the relationship between the inseparable Percy and Claire, always the cause of considerable gossip and much of Mary's anguish.

With this in mind the re-naming of Shelley's boat the Don Juan is something more than just a homage to Byron, but also a reference to Percy's way of life as a notorious womaniser. Was this what Trelawny had in mind? No one will ever know. But that Trelawny was a key figure in the lives of the Romantic poets at this time is beyond discussion.

An illustration of the cremation on the beach, organised by Edward Trelawny. A copy of the work, by Louis Edouard Fournier, is in the Keats-Shelley House.

After the discovery of Shelley's body north of Viareggio it was Trelawny who stage-managed the dramatic cremation on the beach. It was Trelawny who was responsible for arranging the internment of Shelley's ashes in the Protestant cemetery in Rome, managing to secure a burial space for himself alongside Shelley at the same time. He may also have been in love with Mary himself and certainly became one of her close entourage after Shelley's death.

Whatever the stories and suspicions that circulated after Shelley's death there were also good technical reasons why the boat went down in the storm. Shelley wanted the area of sail increased to make the yacht faster, so that he could outrace Byron, according to yet another story. But putting on more sail meant that the boat became unstable.

In order to counteract what would have been a potentially dangerous heel when sailing in high winds more ballast was put on board. But as a result the boat sat lower in the water than it should have been in its original design. The danger was obvious enough, but probably no-one expected that Shelley would be out sailing in heavy weather. When the storm hit the boat took on too much water and went under fast.

Of course seafarers and the superstitious will point out that changing the name of a boat is unlucky and should be avoided at all costs. According to this age-old superstition Ariel/Don Juan never stood a chance. And what bitter irony that Shelley took the name Ariel for his boat from one of his favourite Shakespeare works, The Tempest.

By Mary Wilsey

This article was published in the April 2022 edition of Wanted in Rome magazine.
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Japan has been brought to a standstill by the news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died after being shot on the campaign trail for Sundays upper house elections. A lone gunman attacked Abe, who was pronounced dead at a hospital in Nara from wounds in his chest and neck. This is a tragedy that will have repercussions far beyond this weekends voting.

Its hard to think of a more unexpected place for this to happen: Japan prides itself on being a safe society. The impact of sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, nearly 30 years on, still reverberates precisely because such incidents are so rare  shootings in particular. The unsolved 2013 killing of Takayuki Ohigashi, the head of a famous restaurant chain shot outside his company headquarters, still linger in memory. Political assassinations are even more extraordinary: The yakuza-related fatal shooting of the mayor of Nagasaki in 2007 might be the only recent corollary.

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Random attacks of violence do occur. Recent years have seen an uptick in such events, such as the mass murder of 26 in Osaka last December, where the suspect set a mental health clinic on fire, killing himself in the process; or the knife attacks on Tokyos subways last Halloween, which mercifully resulted in no fatalities.

While some guns are available in Japan for the likes of hunters, any purchase requires stringent checks. Photos apparently from the scene show an unusual, almost handmade-looking firearm. Last year, a man killed himself in Ibaraki with a gun believed to have been made with a 3D printer. But because of Japans safety record, security at political rallies is weak. Its not at all unusual to see former prime ministers or other big-wigs campaigning at a street corner or in front of a train station, without a visible police or security detail.

The assassination of Abe will have a resounding effect on the country. While outsiders might think of him as a former politician, he maintained immense influence at home. He led the largest faction in the Liberal Democratic Party, and at just 67, was still in his prime. Many speculated he could have taken another run at the premiership. Even if he didnt, Abe was certainly in place to help decide the next prime minister.

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At the time of writing, we know little of the suspect and nothing of his motivations. Abe has attracted violent protest in the past, including a 2014 self-immolation against security legislation that he spear-headed. But this kind of attack on a national figure of his stature is utterly without precedent in the countrys modern history.

One thing seems certain: July 8 is a day that will scar Japan forever.

(Updates throughout with news of the death of Shinzo Abe.)

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg News senior editor covering Japan. He previously led the breaking news team in North Asia and was the Tokyo deputy bureau chief.

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The young immigrants known in the US as Dreamers, and the federal program known as DACA that was designed to protect them from deportation, have dominated the fraught debate over immigration reform in Washington for the better part of a decade. President Joe Biden wants to put Dreamers on a fast track to citizenship. But nine states are suing to have DACA declared illegal, which could lead to these immigrants being kicked out of the country.

1. Who are the Dreamers?

The term refers to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children and have lived in America much or most of their lives, despite technically not being allowed to be there. The name originated with a bill first proposed in the 2001-2002 Congress, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, that aimed to help such undocumented immigrants attend college in the US and earn legal permanent residency upon graduating. Though revised and re-introduced many times, the bill has never passed Congress, and its been upstaged in recent years by the more pressing debate over DACA, which Bidens predecessor, Donald Trump, repeatedly vowed to repeal.

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2. What is DACA?

Its a program -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals -- established by President Barack Obama in 2012 without congressional involvement to shield many of the Dreamers from deportation. The program allows them to apply for renewable, two-year permits that protect them from deportation and allow them to work legally. Applicants must have arrived before 2007 at an age younger than 16 and must have been younger than 31 as of 2012. They must have no significant criminal record and be enrolled in high school or have a diploma or the equivalent. The program doesnt provide a path to permanent residency or citizenship. Obama said it was not intended as a permanent fix but was merely a temporary stopgap measure until Congress finally approved the Dream Act. (Critics say Obamas action was an egregious example of presidential overreach.) Nevertheless, DACA is still around. In one of his first acts as president, Biden issued an executive order calling on the secretary of homeland security to take all appropriate actions to preserve and fortify DACA.

3. How many people are protected by DACA?

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The Migration Policy Institute estimates that 646,000 people are enrolled in DACA. The vast majority are from Mexico, with smaller contingents from Guatemala, El Salvador and other countries. Most had no connection to their previous countries. Some didnt know they were undocumented until they sought drivers licenses or college aid. Current law makes it difficult for them to obtain legal status unless they leave the US and apply. Another 685,000 people meet all the criteria to apply for DACA, the institute estimates. Under Trump, whose efforts to abolish DACA were thwarted by the courts, the government stopped accepting new applications for more than three years. In December 2020, a district court ordered officials to resume taking them. After another court ruled that DACA was illegal in mid-2021, the government stopped granting new requests, though it continued to accept them.

4. Whats the lawsuit about?

In a case before a federal appeals panel in New Orleans, nine Republican-led states claim that a president cant legally usurp congressional authority to set immigration policy or alter federal programs without following all required rule-making steps. They also complain that DACA grants federal benefits -- which the states must pay for -- to whole classes of people in the country illegally in violation of immigration law. Lawyers for the Biden administration argued that DACA complies with existing immigration law because agents retain discretion to reject specific applicants on a case-by-case basis, while focusing limited resources on expelling higher-priority offenders. They stressed in court papers that Dreamers ability to lawfully work, access employer health care, buy homes and pay property taxes reduces the financial burden on states to provide education and health services to undocumented immigrants.

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5. What does Biden propose?

He has urged Congress, as part of an overhaul of US immigration policy, to pass legislation making Dreamers eligible to apply immediately for permanent residency in the US and eventually for citizenship. In March 2021, the House of Representatives, where Bidens Democratic Party has a majority, passed such a bill, the Dream and Promise Act, but it stalled in the Senate, which is split 50-50 between the two parties.

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Ford recalls 100,000 vehicles over fire risk Share with The Post: Whats one way youve felt the impact of inflation? ArrowRight Ford Motor said Friday it is issuing a new recall for 100,000 U.S. vehicles over fire risks and expanding an earlier recall after reported fires. The new recall covers certain 2020 through 2022 model year Ford Escape, Maverick and Lincoln Corsair vehicles with 2.5-liter hybrid/plug-in hybrid engines. Ford said that in the event of an engine failure, significant quantities of engine oil and fuel vapor might be released and could accumulate near ignition sources, resulting in a potential under-hood fire.

Dealers will modify the under-engine shield and active grille shutter to address safety concerns. There are no accidents or injuries associated with this issue, and customers do not need to park the vehicles outside.

Ford is separately expanding its recall of 2021 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs for under-hood fire risks by another 27,000 U.S. vehicles after five additional fires were reported after its recall of 39,000 vehicles announced in May, following 16 fire reports. One injury has been reported.

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The U.S. automaker is still advising customers to park those vehicles outside and away from structures until repairs are completed.

Vehicles may pose a risk of under-hood fire, including while the vehicle is parked and switched off.

Ford said it has recall parts available for about one-third of vehicles with an 800-watt cooling fan system but will not have all parts available for vehicles with a 700-watt cooling fan system until September.

 Reuters

USDOT warns airlines on children's seating

The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday warned airlines it might issue regulations prohibiting them from charging extra fees to allow young children to sit next to accompanying family members.

The agency cited a 2016 law that required it to review U.S. airline family-seating policies.

The agency issued a notice urging airlines to ensure children ages 13 or younger are seated next to an accompanying adult with no additional charge to the maximum extent practicable and said it could take regulatory action later this year after it reviews airline policies.

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The Transportation Department said that it has received few complaints about the issue but that even one incident is one too many.

It added that airlines should implement policies enabling workers to make immediate adjustments as needed to ensure young children are able to be seated adjacent to accompanying adults but are not required to provide seats that would result in an upgrade.

The agency said airlines using seat blocking should monitor its ability to ensure adequate numbers of seats are blocked to meet demand for adjacent seats for passengers traveling with young children.

Airlines for America, a group representing major carriers, did not immediately comment Friday.

 Reuters

Five executives from the poultry processing industry have been found not guilty of conspiring to fix prices. A jury in a Denver federal court acquitted former Pilgrim's Pride CEOs Jayson Penn and William Lovette; Roger Austin, a former Pilgrim's vice president; Mikell Fries, president of Claxton Poultry; and Scott Brady, a Claxton vice president. In October 2020, Pilgrim's Pride reached a plea agreement with the U.S. government over charges of price-fixing in the chicken industry.

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The U.S. Treasury on Friday said it was moving to terminate a 1979 tax treaty with Hungary in the wake of Budapest's decision to block the European Union's implementation of a new, 15 percent global minimum tax. A Treasury Department spokesperson said that since Hungary lowered its corporate tax rate to 9 percent  less than half the U.S. rate of 21 percent  the benefits of the tax treaty unilaterally benefit Hungary.

The share of the U.S. workforce that's self-employed has climbed to the highest level since the Great Recession, as the pandemic jobs shake-up spurred many Americans to try working for themselves. About 16.8 million people were classified as self-employed in June, according to Bloomberg calculations based on the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's an increase of 1.4 million workers over the past two years, representing more than one-third of the expansion in the labor force during that period.

 From news reports

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One of the worlds biggest battery companies is mulling a reversal on a $1.3 billion project to churn out electric vehicle powerpacks in Arizona. South Koreas LG Energy Solution Ltd. cited surging costs and slowing demand as it now rethinks the investment announced in April. Share with The Post: Whats one way youve felt the impact of inflation? ArrowRight Thats a blow to EVs and batteries, and to the US as it tries to build out its supply chain. It is however, a much-needed opening for funding for under-the-radar technology breakthroughs.

So far, the energy storage industry has been dominated by giants like Chinas Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd, BYD Co., Samsung SDI Co. Ltd and LG Energy Solutions Ltd. Their existing scale has allowed them to gain market share and supply existing demand. By making incremental improvements to their batteries energy density and fast charging, its been enough to keep investors satiated. Thats largely shut out big-ticket funding for smaller, more promising technology upstarts. Whats more, investors prefer to focus on the electric car makers more than they do on batteries that power them.

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Now, as costs for everything from labor to raw materials rise, splashing out to make multi-billion dollar, headline-grabbing investments isnt as easy. Large players  like LG  are being forced to reconsider their overall strategy to meet forecasts.

As the South Korean firm contemplates cutting back in Arizona, it separately struck a non-binding deal with a Kansas-based miner, Compass Minerals, to supply lithium carbonate and hydroxide to secure raw materials and beef up its supply chain. In June, the firm broke ground on a nickel processing plant in Indonesia. Without raw material access, there will be no powerpacks to make.

Regardless of the potential impact of LGs move, the recalibration is an opportunity to get investors focused on technologies that actually stand to move the needle. Nomura analysts estimate over 40% of its battery production capacity will be in the US by 2025.

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Several startups are researching options for better and cheaper batteries for electric vehicles and grid use, along with EV charging and the infrastructure needed around it. Across the energy storage supply chain, small firms are looking for lower cost options by using more abundantly available materials like sodium, sulfur, manganese and in some cases, no metals at all. With progress on the cathode-side of the battery topping, firms are now focused on other parts like the anode, separator and electrolyte. Others are looking for manufacturing processes that will help store more energy.

Yet, they consistently run into funding issues given the scientific and hard-to-understand nature of their product. On the face of it, the numbers dont look too bad: $3.3 billion of investments have been disclosed by around 34 battery-related startups since 2017, according to BloombergNEF analysts. Considering the global green goals that need to be met, its a paltry sum. Juxtaposed with the fast funding for jazzy electric car startups that havent quite delivered on their promises, its even smaller and the $210 billion invested in fintech last year  led by crypto and blockchain interest  its miniscule. Lets be honest, as millions of people sit through power outages across the globe, there is no doubt the energy crisis needs solutions.

It isnt surprising, then, that we are so far behind on EV and energy transition. Venture capitalists shy away from such complex, difficult innovation that isnt a cloud-based or digital platform. Electrochemistry hasnt exactly been a hot investment space, either. Investors cant quite assess the efficacy and incremental nature or risk the way scientists can, some small firms say. Nor are they willing to put their conviction and money behind technologies that are focused on high-tech manufacturing.

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Even the likes of Tiger Global are writing relatively small checks. Late last month, Chase Colemans firm led a $25 million Series A round for Indias Battery Smart, a battery-swapping provider, along with a couple existing investors. Compare that to the $650 million Series E round in a rocket builder (arguably far less useful in the near future than powering our homes and businesses) last year.

The prospective vacuum created by LG (and potentially its peers in the near term) will open the battery investment landscape, but the barriers to entry remain far too high because of the large incumbents. Focused venture capital and private equity firms  those that are led and run by scientists and engineers, not just financiers  should open their eyes a bit wider and come to terms with reality: There will be no big breakthrough anytime soon.

Instead, several battery chemistries are likely to co-exist. The choice of range and safety will be left to consumers. Itll go beyond the two choices drivers currently have: nickel, cobalt, manganese packs that will take cars further and perhaps less stable and more expensive or lithium iron phosphate. The latter represent the tried, tested, safer version that wont take you as far, but do the job for now. Silicon anodes, sulfur-based cathodes, cheaper lithium anodes and cell architecture where companies like the Warren Buffett-backed BYD have had success are where high-profile investors need to start putting their money and lead the way. If even Charles Kochs energy empire that has long been against climate regulation is now betting hundreds of millions on batteries than surely this is the only way forward.

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Startups take over three years to run positive cash flow. Meanwhile, scaling up new technologies from the lab to mass production can take as long as 10 years, according to BloombergNEF analysts. Without money, that will take far longer and EV mass adoption will be even further out.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Could This EV Battery SPAC Ease Supply Chains?: Anjani Trivedi

 U.S. Needs a Strategic Reserve for Green Energy: Conor Sen

 The U.S. Is Losing the EV Battery Race: Anjani Trivedi

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Anjani Trivedi is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies in Asia. Previously, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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No single term is as ubiquitous in the strategy documents of the free world today as Indo-Pacific. And yet the phrase never appeared in defense white papers or summit readouts two decades ago. The geopolitical, geo-economic, and military links between these two great oceans, as well as the democracies that depend on them, are so widely understood today thanks to one man: Shinzo Abe.

Abe, modern Japans longest-serving prime minister, tragically assassinated on Friday while taking part in a campaign rally, invented the Indo-Pacific. In a landmark speech to Indias Parliament during his first term in office, he urged the two nations to create a broader Asia at the confluence of the two seas  an Asia that would necessarily include other maritime democracies such as Australia, Indonesia and the United States.

The Indo-Pacific is more than a catchphrase. It has become an aspiration. Abes words and policies defined a security and economic architecture that now has a chance of preserving free thought and free trade in Asia, the Pacific and beyond. For that alone, Abe arguably deserves to be remembered as the most consequential democratic leader of the 21st century thus far.

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India, for one, has long oriented its security around the Eurasian continent. That it has now begun to think of itself as a maritime nation is partly thanks to Abe and his relentless, if polite, pushing of sea-based alliances. If countries dependent on the Indian and Pacific Oceans are not to be condemned to living in a unipolar world, with China as that single pole, then Abes innovations  including the Quad grouping bringing together the US, Japan, India and Australia  are their best hope.

Even so, Abe leaves a reputation in Asia marked by two almost irreconcilable facets. In many countries where Japanese occupation and wartime atrocities are an open wound  kept open, in most cases, by domestic populists  Abes quest to remilitarize Japan was not precisely welcome. I write this column in Berlin, a capital that is also rearming for the first time since the war, but where few of its neighbors can accuse the political leadership of being apologists for pre-war militarism the way that Abe often appeared to be.

Domestically, his liberal opponents understandably saw Abes quest to move beyond Japans postwar identity as dangerous. He sometimes implied that the values  including pacifism  in Japans constitution had been imposed on the country by the victorious Americans; his opponents fundamentally disagreed.

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Yet, in other parts of Asia, Abe was seen as a democrat first: someone who grounded his activist foreign policy in the quest for an essential common purpose for the worlds democracies. When he wrote the need for a free and open Indo-Pacific into multiple joint statements and shared strategies, he may have meant it as a statement about protecting free trade in the worlds most crowded and contested shipping lanes. But he also wanted it read as a defense of basic, universal rights in an age of rising authoritarianism, and that is also how most of his partners saw it.

Certainly, those writing the position papers and policies about new alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific  including here in Germany  want a Japan that looks outward, one that takes on more security responsibilities. Thats the Japan that Shinzo Abe promised all of us.

How to embrace a remilitarizing Japan without defending its past militarism is an open question and one that Abe himself  descended, after all, from the countrys wartime elite  was poorly placed to answer. An Abe-ism after Abe might find it easier to thread that needle. To me, at least, the populist tide that has overrun democracies the world over since Abes first term makes his own nationalism look somewhat less dangerous.

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Indeed, its now easier for me to remember him instead, in David Frums words, as one of the great internationalists of his era, the leading architect of collective security in the Indo-Pacific region. In India, certainly, there is no doubt as to whether Abe was a friend: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the country would observe a day of official mourning for him, an honor very few foreign leaders receive.

Nationalist or internationalist? Militarist or democrat? In the end, how Abe will be seen will depend on the actions, over the next decades, of the Japan that he shaped. In an op-ed written on the very day that he took office for the second time, in 2012, Abe said his top priority was to expand Japans strategic horizons. He did. But he also insisted that Japans diplomacy must always be rooted in democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

A Japan that serves proudly as a keystone for a democratic, open and inclusive economic and political architecture in the Indo-Pacific will leave the world in no doubt about which of Abes two faces should ultimately be remembered.

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More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Abe Made Japan Assertive. Can It Stay the Course?: Gearoid Ready

 Why Japan and Germany Are Ready to Fight Again: Ian Buruma

 Mrs. Watanabe Is Giving the Yen Carry Trade Cover: John Authers

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Mihir Sharma is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, he is author of Restart: The Last Chance for the Indian Economy.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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In the summertime, wealthy people in 19th century Baltimore left their downtown mansions and the soupy air of the inner city for opulent countryside homes. Baltimoreans of today dont need an invitation to stop by the Crimea, once the summer destination for an eccentric Russophile railroad builder. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The summer estate owned by Thomas Winans, along with its four-story mansion, Gothic chapel and winding wooded trails, is located within Leakin Park in Baltimore. The property was acquired by the city during the 1930s and 1940s at the urging of one of the nations foremost landscape architects. Today, it is one of the hidden gems of Baltimore.

From inside the stone mansion, called Orianda House, trees obscure any evidence of a city, and a breeze whispers through the doors from the balcony into the ballroom. Upstairs live staffers for Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound, which leases the building from the city and operates in the surrounding park.

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While the mansion itself is off limits to the public, Rick Smith Sr. ran a small museum inside it until a 2019 renovation. Smith, who grew up playing in the park in the 1960s and 1970s, recalls hearing stories about the property from friends and neighbors who had once worked in the mills of nearby Dickeyville. The area was just this magic place for kids, he said. Today, Smith is well-versed in the history of the land and its onetime owner, Winans.

Winans was something like the Elon Musk of his day. He made his fortune in Russia, where he helped build the railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. With his Russian wife, he returned to Baltimore, building an opulent urban estate on Hollins Street he called Alexandroffsky. Twelve-foot-high walls obscured the view of statues that had scandalized his neighbors.

In the summer, it was off to the Crimea and the breezes of Orianda House. Iron eagle statues at the park entrance date back to the era of Winans.

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Winans also built a fortification on the property, complete with cannons. It is unclear exactly what purpose the fort served. Some accounts call it a mock fort designed to throw off Union troops during the Civil War.

Others say it was meant to commemorate the Battle of Balaklava of the Crimean War, immortalized in the poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade, by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them,

Volleyed and thundered.

Today, remnants of the fortress can still be found during a hike through the park, along with ropes courses owned by Outward Bound.

It was not a given that the Crimea would become part of Leakin Park. When he died in 1922, attorney Wilson Leakin left four downtown properties to the city with the intention that the proceeds be used to build a park.

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But city officials could not agree where that park should be located. Some argued for the Crimea, a choice bolstered by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., who wanted Baltimore to preserve its stream valleys from development.

Others said West Baltimore already had enough parks. In fact, Leakin Park adjoins Gwynns Falls, which opened in the early 1900s. Others suggested sites in Cherry Hill or the Jones Falls Valley.

Championed by Mayor Howard Wilkinson Jackson, the crowd supporting the Crimea won out, and the city purchased the estate for around $130,000, according to the Baltimore Sun archives.

Wandering through the wooded park today, it is easy to see how the place must have cast a spell on Olmstead and the city officials who argued for its purchase.

With the thick growth of trees overlooking a stream, a visitor feels as though they might be in the Shenandoah Mountains, aside from a few heaps of trash that had been unceremoniously dumped in the picnic area.

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Sadly, many Baltimoreans know Leakin Park as a gruesome dumping ground, where killers once discarded the bodies of their victims.

Park advocates like Smith bristle at the mention of its gory reputation, which came up in the podcast Serial. The series revisits the death of Hae Min Lee, whose body was found in Leakin Park in 1999.

Leakin Park is a place where a person can go from a crowded urban road to a secluded wooded path in minutes, then-Sun reporter Peter Hermann wrote in 1997. But what makes the wilderness expanse a sanctuary for city dwellers makes it attractive for killers as well.

In the same article, Jonathan Foley, president of Friends of Gwynns Falls and Leakin Park said, It is something we live with, and it is something that holds us back in a lot of ways.

Park advocates have also encountered another foe: development. In the 1970s, residents in the area gathered to protest the expansion of Interstate 70, which would have cut through Leakin Park. Instead, the highway ends abruptly in a park-and-ride lot just inside the Baltimore Beltway.

 Baltimore Sun

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Officer who fatally shot Tamir Rice resigns Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The former Cleveland officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 resigned Thursday as the lone police officer in a small Pennsylvania town, two days after his swearing-in sparked backlash from residents and the mayor. Timothy Loehmann withdrew his application to be a Tioga, Pa., officer on Thursday, according to the towns website, and the mayor called for three borough council members to resign over their roles in the hiring.

Loehmann was sworn in Tuesday after a unanimous vote from the council, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette reported.

David Wilcox, mayor of the 700-people borough, said he was not made aware of Loehmanns background when the members of the borough council found the officer and agreed to hire him.

The hiring sparked protests and anger, including from Samaria Rice, Tamirs mother, who told The Washington Post on Thursday morning before Loehmanns resignation that the decision was a big mistake.

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On Nov. 22, 2014, Loehmann shot Rice from the passenger seat of a patrol car within seconds of arriving at a park where Rice was playing with a pellet gun that officials have said was indistinguishable from a regular pistol. After Ohio authorities investigated the case, a grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against Loehmann in December 2015. Loehmann was fired from the Cleveland Police Department in 2017 for not disclosing on his job application that he had left his previous position in Independence, Ohio, due to an inability to emotionally function as an officer.

 Timothy Bella and James Bikales

Okla. governor orders special audit of Tulsa schools: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) on Thursday called for a special audit of Tulsa Public Schools for what he said was a potential mishandling of public funds. Stitt said he ordered the audit at the request of Tulsa school board members E'Lena Ashley and Jennettie Marshal, who wrote to Stitt on July 1 to complain that state contract laws may have been violated. Stitt also raised concerns that the school district may be violating a new state law the Legislature passed and he signed last year that prohibits teaching certain concepts of race and racism.

 Associated Press

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SRINAGAR, India  At least 13 people were killed when sudden rains triggered flash floods during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday, police said. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Officials said in addition to the deaths, at least three dozen people were missing while an unspecified number of injured devotees were airlifted to hospitals for treatment. Authorities rushed several teams of doctors and paramedics to the rugged area and were administering first aid to the injured.

The heavy rain Friday evening near the mountain cave revered by Hindus sent a wall of water down a gorge and swept away about two dozen camps and two makeshift kitchens, officials said. An estimated 10,000 people were in the mountains when the rains struck.

The regions disaster management department said emergency workers were searching for missing people despite inclement weather.

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T he Amarnath pilgrimage began on June 30 and tens of thousands of pilgrims have already visited the cave shrine where Hindus worship Lingam, a naturally formed ice stalagmite, as an incarnation of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and regeneration.

Hundreds of thousands of Hindus from across India take part in the pilgrimage, which lasts up to 45 days. Groups of pilgrims are staggered over a month and a half for security and logistical reasons.

This year, officials expect nearly 1 million visitors after a two-year gap in the annual endeavor due to the coronavirus pandemic.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the deaths and said in a tweet that all possible assistance is being provided to the affected.

Worshippers trek to the cave along two routes through lush green meadows and rocky and forested mountain passes with a view of glacial lakes and snowy peaks. A traditional route via the southern hill resort of Pahalgam that takes three days while a trip through northeastern Baltal lasts one day. Some pilgrims use helicopter services to make quick visits.

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The cave, at 13,500 feet (4,115 meters) above sea level, is covered with snow most of the year except for the short summer period when it is open to pilgrims.

Hundreds of pilgrims have died in the past due to exhaustion and exposure to harsh weather during the journey through the icy mountains. In 1996, thousands of people were caught in a freak snowstorm during their trek, leading to more than 250 fatalities.

The pilgrimage concludes on Aug. 11, a full-moon night that Hindus say commemorates Shiva revealing the secret of the creation of the universe.

Apart from weather-related hazards, officials have said that pilgrims face an increased threat of attacks from Muslim rebels who have fought for decades against Indian rule. This year, for the first time, devotees are tagged with a wireless tracking system. Tens of thousands of police and soldiers guard the pilgrimage routes.

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The pilgrimage has been targeted in past attacks by suspected rebels who accuse Hindu-majority India of using it as a political statement to bolster its claim on the Muslim-majority disputed region.

At least 50 pilgrims have been killed in three dozen attacks blamed on militants since an armed rebellion began in Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1989 for the regions independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls a part of the territory.

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Johnny Depp appears to have forgiven Australia in the years since former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce threatened to have his dogs killed.

When the Hollywood A-lister announced hed be donating $800,000 to four charitable institutions, one name stood out  the Perth Childrens Hospital.

Johnny Depp is spending his crypto windfall on Perth. Credit:John Shakespeare

The donation came from money raised when Depp sold a series of his NFT (non-fungible token) paintings  the faddish, blockchain-backed digital artwork beloved by the celebrity class.

Since he was dropped from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise last year, Depp has had more time to indulge his artistic side, releasing a series of NFT artworks titled Never Fear Truth, which may or may not be a reference to his successful defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard over allegations of domestic abuse.
BEIJING, July 8 -- Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for Chinas Ministry of National Defense (MND) answered press questions Friday on the recent visit to Taiwan paid by US Florida Senator, Republican Rick Scott, saying that China is firmly opposed to the US senators visit to Chinas Taiwan region.

Snr. Col. Wu said that China firmly opposed such move by the US side, which seriously violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, severely undermined the political foundation of China-US relations, heavily damaged the relations between the two countries and the two militaries, and gravely escalated regional tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

In response to the vicious acts of collusion and provocation by the US and the Taiwan region, the PLA Eastern Theater Command has recently organized joint combat-readiness security patrol and combat training exercises involving troops of multiple services and arms in the airspace and waters around the Taiwan Island, Wu said.

He also pointed out that the Taiwan question is purely Chinas internal affair. The reunification of the country is absolutely to be realized, and the interference by external forces is doomed to fail. The PLA troops maintain full-time combat readiness and are capable of fighting at any time, and will take all necessary measures to resolutely thwart external interference and the "Taiwan independence" secessionist plot, and resolutely safeguard China national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wu stressed.
All travellers returning from Bali must be subject to special biosecurity screenings for the highly contagious foot and mouth disease, farmers warn, as fears mount that just one case of the disease would wreak economic devastation across Australia.

While Australian customs staff have been instructed to warn people on arrival to declare any contact with farm animals in Bali, National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson said this measure did not go far enough. She warned that an outbreak would wreak disaster for everyone by wiping out up to $80 billion from the economy.

Travellers returning from Bali are being asked to declare any contact with farm animals after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which people can carry on their shoes or clothes. Credit:Bloomberg

Every person should be at least questioned by a biosecurity officer, if not subject to an inspection, Simson told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

Australians have been flocking to Bali in the months since pandemic-era travel bans were lifted in March this year but an outbreak of foot and mouth, confirmed on Tuesday, threatens to disrupt tourism on the holiday island. It has spread across the Indonesian archipelago from the island of Java, where it was detected in May.
The interests of the country must be given priority, Major said. With so many long-term and critical issues before us, an imaginative response  even at the risk of some bruised feelings within the party  is most definitely in the national interest. Former science minister George Freeman, who resigned from the government on Thursday morning, also called for a caretaker PM to be installed. Boris Johnson announces his resignation as prime minister outside Number 10. Credit:AP He said it was difficult to see how Johnson would be able to put together a government that next week will escape from the insecurity and chaos weve seen this week. I just worry that he isnt going to be able to bring the stability that we need. Hes got a chancellor whos already said he doesnt have any confidence in him and two or three other members of the cabinet, he told Sky News. The attorney-general is outwardly campaigning for his job. Its just not a credible way to form a government.

Sir Bob Neill, the chairman of the Justice Select Committee, said Johnson must leave Downing Street sooner rather than later. I, personally, think that he should go sooner than waiting until October precisely because if this is about integrity and trust, then that is not going to change between now and October and the damage is done there, he told Sky News. Johnson tried to allay fears that he would be an interventionist interim leader during a cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon. A Downing Street statement said Johnson made clear the government would not seek to implement new policies or make major changes of direction, rather it would focus on delivering the agenda on which the government was elected.

He said major fiscal decisions should be left for the next prime minister, the statement said. The BBC reported that Johnson had told cabinet colleagues: I dont expect you will be browbeaten by No.10 to do radical or strange new policies, but warned them there was no excuse to take your foot off the pedal. Loading Former prime minister Theresa May, a fierce Johnson critic, told the Institute for Government that there was a precedent. When I stepped down there was a process. The new leader of the party was determined and during that period of time I was still there as prime minister, able to do some things, she said.

But, crucially, you have to restrict yourself in what you do during that period of time for several reasons. The Mirror reported on Friday that Johnson and his wife Carrie would make the most of the remainder of his time in office to throw a lavish wedding party at Chequers, the prime ministerial 16th-century Buckinghamshire retreat, in just three weeks time. The paper reported that sources claimed the long-awaited bash was one of the reasons Johnson was determined to cling on as caretaker Tory leader, backed wholeheartedly by his wife. One Conservative source told the Mirror: Its a national asset, not his personal home. The Johnsons should do the decent thing and find a different venue. And Boris should do the decent thing and leave No.10 immediately. A second source added: Its crass if it goes ahead.

The London Telegraph, quoted sources saying the couple had insisted they would cover the costs of the event. In a statement on Friday morning (AEST), US President Joe Biden said the special relationship between the two nations would remain strong and enduring. I look forward to continuing our close co-operation with the government of the United Kingdom, as well as our allies and partners around the world, on a range of important priorities, he said, not mentioning Johnson by name. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Johnson for his swift action in sending weaponry to Kyiv to help the fight against Russias invasion. The pair have become close since the conflict began in late February, and Johnson has visited Kyiv twice. However, he has earned ridicule for pivoting towards the war, releasing press releases of conversations between the pair every time he was embroiled in a domestic scandal.
FILE - This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. Health authorities in Africa said Thursday, June 30, 2022 they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak there as an emergency and are calling on rich countries to share the world's limited supply of vaccines in an effort to avoid the glaring equity problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Built between 1873 and 1918, these seven hotels in Colorado offer visitors a piece of history alongside modern amenities. Step back in time to the Old West in Durango, enjoy traditional afternoon tea in Denver and more.
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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 473 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN DELAWARE THIS WATCH INCLUDES 1 COUNTY IN NORTHERN DELAWARE NEW CASTLE IN MARYLAND THIS WATCH INCLUDES 2 COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND KENT QUEEN ANNE'S IN NEW JERSEY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 13 COUNTIES IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY MERCER MONMOUTH IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY HUNTERDON MIDDLESEX MORRIS SOMERSET SUSSEX WARREN IN SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY BURLINGTON CAMDEN GLOUCESTER OCEAN SALEM IN PENNSYLVANIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES IN EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA BERKS LEHIGH NORTHAMPTON IN NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA CARBON MONROE IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA BUCKS CHESTER DELAWARE MONTGOMERY PHILADELPHIA THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALLENTOWN, BETHLEHEM, BLAIRSTOWN, CAMDEN, CENTREVILLE, CHERRY HILL, CHESTERTOWN, DEPTFORD, DOYLESTOWN, EAST BRUNSWICK, EASTON, EDISON, FLEMINGTON, FREEHOLD, GLASSBORO, JIM THORPE, MEDIA, MOORESTOWN, MORRISTOWN, MOUNT HOLLY, NEW BRUNSWICK, NEWTON, NORRISTOWN, NORTH BRUNSWICK TOWNSHIP, PENNSVILLE, PERTH AMBOY, PHILADELPHIA, READING, SAYREVILLE, SOMERSET, STROUDSBURG, TOMS RIVER, TRENTON, WEST CHESTER, AND WILMINGTON.
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Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Humid with limited sunshine. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, most widespread later in the afternoon. Watching for gusty winds, heavy downpours and possible localized flooding. .

Tonight

An evening shower or thunderstorm; otherwise, mostly cloudy and muggy. There might be some clearing late.
Kazakhstans state-backed operator Kazakhtelecom (KT) has published its roadmap for launching 5G in a bid to kick-start the digital transformation of the countrys economy.

CommsUpdate reports that the 5G Concept document was developed across 2021 and 2022 by KT under an agreement with the government, in line with a directive issued by the Prime Minister in May 2019 to create a plan for implementing 5G.

KTs Chief Innovation Officer Nurlan Meirmanov claimed that the 5G Concept covers everything required to implement 5G, including allocating frequencies, boosting data speeds, economic impact, security, financing, regulation, and exploring how the population will react to the technology and its previously unavailable capabilities.

The document lays out several proposals for the use of different spectrum frequencies, as well as suggestions for reducing Kazakhstans dependence on network equipment manufactured overseas. This, it notes, would lower costs as well as encourage innovation from new vendors by changing Kazakhstans mindset of relying on imports.

Around 40 telecoms specialists contributed to the document, which proposes ideas including shutting down 2G and 3G networks, converting existing networks to virtual RAN (vRAN), and implementing Open RAN. 5G Concept outlines several routes for a gradual transition to Open RAN, detailing the resources and government support that would be required in each instance.

Kazakhstan is gearing up to hold an auction of 5G-ready 3.5GHz spectrum in line with its stated goal of launching 5G services in major cities by the end of 2022. In March this year, the Ministry of Justice suggested that auctions would be held before June, but the timeframe has evidently slipped. Nonetheless, operators - including KTs mobile unit Kcell and its rival Tele2-Altel - are currently conducting 5G trials.
Russias State Commission for Radio Frequencies (SCRF) has agreed to repurpose millimetre wave (mmWave) frequencies for 5G access networks.

The 24.25GHz-27.5GHz band is currently used for radio relay stations, but TelecomDaily reports that the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications & Mass Media now plans to update the national frequency table to reflect the resolution. An additional resolution cleared proposals to use the 4GHz band for public wireless services as a means of facilitating 5G network deployment. The initiatives are expected to come into effect from 2023.

TeleGeography reports that in July 2020, market leader MTS was issued a nationwide 5G mmWave licence in the 24.25GHz-24.65GHz band with a five-year validity period. However, the operator has stated that its ability to offer services using the band will likely be restricted by a Ministry edict that all 5G deployments must use Russian-made equipment.

Perhaps as a means of broadening its options, MTS has after some delay chosen to take a 25% equity stake in New Digital Solutions, a 5G joint venture in which its rivals MegaFon, Rostelecom and Vimpelcom also each hold a 25% stake. As reported by Interfax, New Digital Solutions was formed in 2018 by MegaFon and Rostelecom, with Vimpelcoms Beeline signing up to the venture in 2021.

One of the goals of New Digital Solutions is to enact measures aimed at releasing spectrum currently in use for other applications  including in the 694MHz-790MHz, 3.4GHz-3.8GHz, 4.4GHz-4.99GHz and the aforementioned 24.25GHz-29.5GHz bands. In November 2021, the SCRF granted the joint venture a two-year permit for spectrum in the 4400MHz-4990MHz band to conduct 5G trials, while MTS, MegaFon, Rostelecom and Beeline all hold 5G trial permits in the 25.25GHz-27.5GHz range.
James Graham's critically lauded new play Best of Enemies will transfer to the West End this year.

Set in 1968, the piece follows Gore Vidal and William F Buckley Jr as they battle to become the new President of the United States. Their encounter will later shape the way in which leadership campaigns were run across the 20th and 21st centuries. It is inspired by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon's documentary about the subject.

The show, directed by Jeremy Herrin, first premiered last December and received a glowing five-star review from WhatsOnStage's Sarah Crompton.

Crompton said: "Graham has taken a piece of history and made it relevant to today, explained how it shaped the culture wars we are still living through, and how it made the politics that we experience...a huge achievement". It also won the Critics Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play.

The West End transfer is produced by Second Half Productions, Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Wessex Grove, the Young Vic and Headlong.

Casting, specific dates and venue for the transfer are to be announced, though the show is set to open in November. Be sure to sign up to WhatsOnStage's newsletters to be the first to know when it arrives.
If you are willing to listen carefully enough, this play whispers many of its secrets to you within the first few minutes, which comes as little surprise from the playwright whose name has become synonymous with theatrical foreshadowing. The levity of this early exposition readies the audience for two acts of uncharacteristically funny Chekhov, though director Jamie Lloyd has other ideas.

The Seagull is the latest in Lloyd's season of bold revivals at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End, originally planned to open at The Playhouse in 2020. His striking direction here furthers his reputation as the bad boy of the British classical theatre scene, a title which admittedly is not difficult to earn. Known to attract high wattage names to his projects, his latest company member is Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke who takes on the role of Nina.

Clarke, who makes her West End theatrical debut with this production, shimmers with modest adoration throughout, her expressive brow often upturned with a determined self-deprecation. Usually, plays which feature high profile casting such as this either celebrate the individual's stardom or make heavy-handed attempts to make them indiscernible among an ensemble with demanding, celebrity subverting feats. Here it is the latter, as the company go shoeless and sit together onstage for a quarter of an hour prior to the commencement of the first scene.

Try though the staging might, however, it cannot convince that either Clarke's Nina nor rising star Daniel Monks' tortured Konstantin are the central protagonists of this narrative. Though we do follow the emotional journeys of these two as aspiring actress and cynical playwright, it is the magnificent turn of Clarke's former Game of Thrones co-star Indira Varma as self-indulgent actress Arkadina which steals focus throughout. Varma is delicious in her obnoxiousness and earns plenty of laughs with her delivery of backhanded compliments.

As with most of Chekhov's plays, The Seagull explores themes of isolation, anguish, and devastatingly unrequited love. His work pairs best with a glass of whisky and a helping of existential despair. The last time one of the celebrated Russian playwright's works was at this theatre (Uncle Vanya in 2020) it boasted a stunningly realistic set, while this comparatively sparse design from Lloyd's longtime collaborator Soutra Gilmour is a minimalistic one which closely resembles an enormous chipboard version of an IKEA Kallax.

Regrettably, as with Lloyd's previous production, Cyrano de Bergerac, an engaging and well-paced first act gives way to a sluggish second. One of the most rapt audiences I've witnessed grew restless, spluttering intermittently on their interval wine as they grew increasingly more fatigued by extended, woeful dialogue. Further to this, the audience is ill-equipped to contend with such gravitas, with the play's tone having established itself as more light-hearted. One example of this is Masha's awkward comedy which undercuts the gravity of her subsequent disclosures and makes it difficult for the audience to take her sorrows seriously  though she is superbly portrayed by Sophie Wu.

Audiences facing their first foray into Chekhov needn't fear this production whatsoever. Its stripped back staging and threadbare aesthetic are a carefully calculated choice to amplify the profundity and tenacity of Anya Reiss' feisty, contemporary translation and though the decision to deliver much of the dialogue forwards rather than between the conversing actors diminishes some of the potency of the characters' relationships, the phenomenal acting performances of this universally brilliant company are what endures.
Nokia and the Indian Institute of Science opened a centre of excellence (CoE) to develop the vendors capabilities in robotics and advanced communication technologies in 5G and AI.

In a statement, the vendor detailed the centre will be based at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), a city that is known as the technology hub of the South Asian country.

The CoE will work to develop use cases across industrial automation, agriculture and disaster management. It will also engage academics, start-ups and industry paters to develop new use cases.

The agreement to set up the centre was concluded in 2020. Nokia will fund the centre for three consecutive years to sustain the first phase of the partnership between it and the Indian Institute of Science.

Nokia chief strategy and technology officer Nishant Batra said: We want India to drive global innovation in an era of convergence where a few years from now, extended reality (XR) and digital-physical fusion will allow us to create, collaborate and communicate in unprecedented ways. There is substantial untapped intellectual capability and competence in India, and our collaboration with a prestigious institution like IISc will enable exciting possibilities for industry and society.

Indian Institute of Science director Professor Govindan Rangarajan added: Next-generation communication technologies like 5G and 6G will contribute enormously to the growth of Indias economy. Our collaboration with a world-class company like Nokia will enable us to explore new frontiers for advanced technology research to benefit society as well as provide state-of-the-art training to our students to enable them to become technology leaders in the coming decades.
WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government is preparing to ban encampments, vandalism and vehicle blockades from the legislature grounds.

A headless statue of Queen Victoria is seen overturned and vandalized at the provincial legislature in Winnipeg on July 2, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Geraldine Malone

WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government is preparing to ban encampments, vandalism and vehicle blockades from the legislature grounds.

The Progressive Conservative cabinet has spelled out a list of banned activities that also includes setting a fire, brandishing a weapon, and depositing generators, firewood or other items to support an encampment.

People who break the rules could be evicted from the grounds and face fines of up to $5,000, although people may apply to the head of security for an exemption from the rules in some circumstances.

The government has yet to say when the new rules take effect.

The list of banned activities follows a law passed earlier this year that gave cabinet the authority to determine what can and cannot occur on the grounds.

There have been three encampments in recent months, including a noisy protest against COVID-19 restrictions that involved large trucks blocking the main entrance to the grounds during the winter.

"The right to legally demonstrate is critical in a free and democratic society. The right for people to live and work safely is also an important part of our democratic institutions," Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in a statement Friday.

"The new Legislature Security Act balances these rights by allowing for protests while ensuring those who visit, work at, or demonstrate at the legislature and the surrounding area are safe. As with all illegal activities, it will be left to law enforcement officials through their discretion to enforce these laws including any that occur on the legislative grounds."

Two encampments remained on the grounds Friday. One, in place for more than a year, includes several tents and some wooden structures on the legislature's east lawn. It was set up after the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools.

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A second, more recent encampment sits on the front lawn. Parked nearby are vehicles with messages opposing COVID-19 public health restrictions.

Last summer, protesters hauled down a statue of Queen Victoria and removed its head. No one was charged.

The government has said the statue was damaged beyond repair and there is no word yet on what will be installed in its place.

"Those are all discussions that we're continuing to have right now and consultations on what will it look like out (front)," Premier Heather Stefanson said earlier this week.

"If you go to Saskatchewan, they don't have really anything out there. They've got beautiful gardens and everything else. We'll just see  no decisions have been made."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2022.
TORONTO - A widespread Rogers Communications Inc. outage that caused trouble for 911 services, retailers and transit operators Friday had many warning the incident is a sign that oligopolistic telecommunications companies need more competition.

A Rogers Wireless store in Toronto amid a countrywide outage of the telecommunication company's services, Friday, July 8, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

TORONTO - A widespread Rogers Communications Inc. outage that caused trouble for 911 services, retailers and transit operators Friday had many warning the incident is a sign that oligopolistic telecommunications companies need more competition.

"The outage is illuminating the general lack of competition in telecommunications in Canada," said Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University's master of public policy program.

The country's telecom sector is dominated by three large carriers  Rogers, BCE Inc. and Telus Corp.  and their hold on the industry has long been a concern of academics, who have called for regulators to increase competition for mobile and internet services in Canada.

The Competition Bureau is currently fighting Rogers' plans to purchase Shaw Communications Inc. for $26 billion despite the planned sale of its Freedom Mobile business to Quebecor Inc. because the regulator feels the deal would only bolster Rogers' monopoly and not create a viable fourth carrier.

When the outage began Friday, Rogers, Shaw and the Competition Bureau had just wrapped a two-day mediation period that ended with no resolution.

The Rogers-Shaw transaction already has approval from shareholders and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, but remains subject to review by the Competition Bureau and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

Federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagnes has long been monitoring Rogers and its Shaw deal, but on Friday chimed in about the outage.

"This unacceptable situation is why quality, diversity and reliability are key to our telecom network," he tweeted.

The company started restoring service Friday evening, but offered no explanation for the outage or number of customers affected and their locations.

When everything from 911 services to GO Transit is impacted by a Rogers outage, the reach of telecommunications companies is very obvious, Bednar said.

"But unless we're going to see people switching their providers today or new publicly run options suddenly springing up, there's not much more that we can do right now other than perhaps factor in people's anger and frustration, as the pending Rogers-Shaw deal is considered."

She added that people should be compensated for the disruption.

"It's a huge expense to Rogers, but even a modest decrease on people's bills would acknowledge some kind of deficit."

Rogers said in a statement late Friday afternoon that some customers have already raised the question of credits.

"Of course we will be proactively crediting all customers and will share more information soon," the statement said.

Beanfield, an independent fibre network operator, called the outage "every telecom providers nightmare," but said it was also an example of why it has long been concerned with the lack of rivals for Rogers, Telus and BCE.

"A lack of competition and choice can lead to a building with the population of a small town going completely dark- cut off from all communications," the company said on Twitter.

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"If you can't even get help from a neighbour, where do you go? How do you call 911?"

The business implications are likewise tremendous, the company added.

"The consequences of such an outage for the financial sector, the lack of functioning ATMs, of working bank branches, can be catastrophic," it said.

"Not to mention the independent businesses across the country with no way of processing payment."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI, TSX:BCE, TSX:T)
NARA, Japan (AP)  Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nation's most powerful and influential figures, has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, hospital officials said.

FILE - Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to the media as he arrives at the prime minister's office for a cabinet meeting in Tokyo on Sept. 16, 2020. Japans NHK TV says on Friday, July 7, 2022, former Prime Minister Abe apparently was shot at and collapsed during a campaign speech. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

NARA, Japan (AP)  Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nation's most powerful and influential figures, has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, hospital officials said.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, hospital officials said.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack that shocked many in Japan, which is one of the worlds safest nations and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which he called "dastardly and barbaric."

Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Abe suffered major damage to his heart in addition to two neck wounds that damaged an artery, causing extensive bleeding. He was in a state of cardio and pulmonary arrest when he arrived at the hospital and never regained his vital signs, Fukushima said.

Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday. (Kyodo News via AP)

Abe was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020.

Public television NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in the western city of Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street, with security guards running toward him. He holds his chest, his shirt smeared with blood.

In the next moment, security guards leap on top of a man in gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.

Investigators work near the site of gunshots in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday. (Kyodo News via AP)

Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder. NHK reported that the suspect served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years in the 2000s.

Other videos from the scene showed campaign officials surrounding Abe. The former leader was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai. Elections for Japan's upper house, the less powerful chamber of its parliament, are Sunday.

"I use the harshest words to condemn (the act)," Kishida said as he struggled to control his emotions. He said the government planned to review the security situation, but added that Abe had the highest protection.

An employee distributes extra editions of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reporting on Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot, Friday, July 8, 2022, in Tokyo. Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan and was airlifted to a nearby hospital but he was not breathing and his heart had stopped, officials said. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Opposition leaders condemned the attack as a challenge to Japans democracy. In Tokyo, people stopped on the street to grab extra editions of newspapers or watch TV coverage of the shooting.

When he resigned as prime minister, Abe said he had a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he'd had since he was a teenager.

He told reporters at the time that it was "gut wrenching" to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japans war-renouncing constitution.

An employee distributes extra editions of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reporting on Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot, Friday, July 8, 2022, in Tokyo. Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan and was airlifted to a nearby hospital but he was not breathing and his heart had stopped, officials said. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to create what he saw as a more normal defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Loyalists said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japans defense capability. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, is secreted to speak to media at the Prime Minister's official residence Friday, July 8, 2022, in Tokyo. Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan and was airlifted to a nearby hospital but he was not breathing and his heart had stopped, officials said. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Abe was a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a "normal" and "beautiful" nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Many foreign officials expressed shock over the shooting.

Abe said he was proud of working while leader for a stronger Japan-U.S. security alliance and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was "under control" when it was not.

In this image from a video, Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, is attended on the ground in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Abe was shot and critically wounded during a campaign speech Friday. He was airlifted to a hospital but officials said he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. (Kyodo News via AP)

Abe became Japans youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of Abes scandal-laden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of "revolving door" politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.

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When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his "Abenomics" formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, pauses as he speaks to media at the Prime Minister's official residence Friday, July 8, 2022, in Tokyo. Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan and was airlifted to a nearby hospital but he was not breathing and his heart had stopped, officials said. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japans defense role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japans international profile.

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Yamaguchi and Klug reported from Tokyo.

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Follow AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
LONDON (AP)  Prince Harry won the first stage of a libel suit against the publisher of Britains Mail on Sunday newspaper as a judge ruled Friday that parts of a story about his fight for police protection in the U.K. were defamatory.

FILE - Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, depart after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London, June 3, 2022. Prince Harry won the first stage of a libel suit against the publisher of Britains Mail on Sunday newspaper as a judge ruled Friday, July 8 that parts of a story about his fight for police protection in the U.K. were defamatory. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, file)

LONDON (AP)  Prince Harry won the first stage of a libel suit against the publisher of Britains Mail on Sunday newspaper as a judge ruled Friday that parts of a story about his fight for police protection in the U.K. were defamatory.

High Court Justice Matthew Nicklin hasnt yet considered issues such as whether the story was accurate or in the public interest, defenses that the newspaper will be able to offer in the next phase of the proceedings.

The suit revolves around the newspapers coverage of a separate High Court action Harry filed in an effort to force authorities to provide police protection for the prince and his family when they are in the U.K. The government withdrew the familys round-the-clock protection when Harry and his wife, Meghan, gave up front-line royal duties and moved to California.

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On Feb. 20, 2022, the Mail on Sunday reported that Harry sought a far-reaching confidentiality order to keep the details of his action against the government secret. Despite public statements by his spin doctors that the prince had always been willing to pay for police protection, that offer wasnt made in his initial bid to overturn the government's decision, the newspaper said.

Harry claims that the Mail on Sunday libeled him when it suggested that the prince lied in his initial public statements about the suit against the government and that he cynically tried to confuse the public by authorizing his representatives to put out false and misleading statements about his willingness to pay for police protection.

Nicklin ruled that natural or ordinary meaning of the article was defamatory. But he stressed that the decision didnt apply to other issues in the case.

This is very much the first phase in a libel claim, the judge wrote in his decision. The next step will be for the defendant to file a defense to the claim. It will be a matter for determination later in the proceedings whether the claim succeeds or fails, and if so on what basis.

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Follow the APs coverage of Prince Harry at https://apnews.com/hub/prince-harry
The Chinese government warned of lowered confidence in conducting business in India after smartphone maker Vivo became the latest to be hit with frequent investigations by Indian authorities on Chinese businesses.

In a statement, Chinese embassy counsellor Wang Xiaojian said the Directorate of Enforcement raided smartphone company Vivo and its dealers at 44 production and operation sites across India, for alleged money laundering.

The Chinese government firmly supports Chinese enterprises in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, said Wang.

The raids and investigations by the Indian government not only disrupt enterprise but also chills the confidence of international companies to invest in India, warned Wang.

The counsellor noted the bilateral trade volume between the Asian nations hit a historical record of over US$100 billion in 2021, which showed the huge potential and broad prospect of economic and trade cooperation between our two countries.

Vivo is the latest to be investigated, as rival Xiaomi saw US$725.5 million seized from its local bank accounts, for allegedly violating remittance laws.
OTTAWA - A longtime Conservative organizer says Patrick Brown was personally involved in an arrangement that saw her paid by a third-party company for work she did on his leadership campaign.

Patrick Brown takes part in the Conservative Party of Canada French-language leadership debate in Laval, Quebec on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The Commissioner of Canada Elections has confirmed it is reviewing information related to the campaign of the disqualified Conservative leadership candidate's alleged breach of financing rules.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

OTTAWA - A longtime Conservative organizer says Patrick Brown was personally involved in an arrangement that saw her paid by a third-party company for work she did on his leadership campaign.

Debra Jodoin, through her lawyer, released a statement Thursday evening after the party spent the past two days dealing with the fallout from Brown's disqualification from the race.

The chairman of the party's leadership election organizing committee said Tuesday its members voted 11 to six to disqualify him from the campaign due to "serious allegations of wrongdoing."

Brown has maintained he was not provided with details by the party about the accusation against him. He said what the committee was presented with was an anonymous allegation that someone working on his campaign was being paid by a corporation.

While the party hasn't released details of the allegation, it has said it appeared to contravene financing rules under the Canada Elections Act and came from within Brown's own campaign.

On Thursday, Jodoin, who describes herself as an experienced organizer who has been involved with the party and its predecessor for more than 20 years, revealed herself to be the whistleblower.

Jodoin said in April 2022, the month after Brown announced he would enter the contest to replace former Tory leader Erin O'Toole, she joined the campaign "at his request" to assist as a regional organizer.

Mr. Brown told me that it was permissible for me to be employed by a company as a consultant, and then for that company to have me volunteer with the campaign, she said.

"He connected me by text message with a third-party for that purpose. I trusted him, but as time went on I became increasingly concerned with the arrangement and suspected it was not OK.

The statement said in June, she asked Brown that the campaign pick up her expenses, saying that he expressed surprise and communicated he was "on it."

"A corporation paid me and paid for my expenses, not the Brown campaign," she said.

Her lawyer Jason Beitchman said Jodoin shared her concerns with the party and requested that her identity be kept confidential.

"On that basis, she felt it was her obligation to raise her concerns, and leave it to others to determine what further steps should be taken, if any," said Beitchman.

Ms. Jodoin expressly rejects any suggestion that she was coerced or pressured by others to come forward and did so of her own volition."

After Jodoin released her statement Thursday, Brown's campaign responded, reiterating that the party had an obligation to provide them with the full details of the matter, and said they only learned those through the media.

"Once Ms. Jodoin provided information, it was the obligation of the Conservative Party to conduct themselves fairly and transparently," read a statement circulated by campaign spokesman Chisholm Pothier.

It said what typically happens over the course of a campaign, where thousands of people are involved, is that issues arise that are directed to the campaign in question to fix.

"Unfortunately, that didnt happen in this case because of course that was not the goal. The goal was to disqualify Patrick Brown from the leadership race and narrow the field."

Brown himself has accused the party's top officials of pushing him out of the race as a way to advantage his main rival, longtime Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre.

Poilievre's campaign had said the allegation did not come from them.

The allegation that led to Brown's ousting was presented to them last week and was the subject of letter exchanges between it and the party.

Pothier posted a section from a letter he said the campaign sent to the party's election organizing committee last week in response to concerns it had. He said it identifies the situation involving Jodoin.

The letter says it was Jodoin who approached Brown asking for work on his campaign. It says there was none at the time and Brown referred her to a friend of his, who was also a supporter.

The campaign said it was Brown's understanding that Jodoin was volunteering for him outside of the work she was doing for his friend.

The campaign said if that hadn't been the case, it was prepared to reimburse the amount, which it understood to be less than $10,000. The campaign said it wasn't aware of similar instances.

Canadas elections commissioner confirmed Thursday it was reviewing information about the allegation made against Brown, but a spokesperson, citing privacy, wouldn't divulge the nature or details of what it received.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the allegation against Brown included documents and text messages.

Dimitri Soudas, who was once a communications director for former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, said in a statement that Jodoin has always put the Conservative cause above herself "and is clearly doing so this time."

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Liberal MP Adam van Koeverden also sent a letter to the elections commissioner requesting an investigation into the party, saying it could have financially benefited from Brown's supposed violations.

Since his removal, Brown has hired high-profile lawyer Marie Henein as his legal counsel, who requested the party and those involved in deciding to remove him from the campaign prepare for anticipated legal action.

He is also seeking to appeal his ousting, even though party rules don't appear to allow an appeal process.

The ousting of Brown occurred during the same week as when some Conservative party members began receiving their ballots in the mail.

They are due back by Sept. 6. The new leader will be named Sept.10.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2022.
A nationwide Rogers Communications service outage Friday was making life difficult for anxious Manitobans who rely on the companys wireless technology.

A nationwide Rogers Communications service outage Friday was making life difficult for anxious Manitobans who rely on the companys wireless technology.

The problem, which the telecommunications giant acknowledged on its website, assuring customers "our teams are fully engaged to resolve the issue as soon as possible," affected incoming and outgoing cellphone calls, texting, debit and credit card processing and access to cash at ATMS. Myriad government services were also hobbled.

SUPPLIED ATMs installed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, which kicked off Thursday at Birds Hill Park, werent functioning.

Both the Winnipeg Police Service and Manitoba RCMP posted notices on their social media accounts advising people requiring emergency service to call 911 via a landline or cell on a network other than Rogers.

It was proving to be a difficult day for small-business owner Michael Bumsted, who operates Whodunit Bookshop on Lilac Street.

"The inability for people to use digital payment services is quite serious for us and if its going to continue, we might not be able to open for the rest of the weekend," he said, adding several customers were unable to make purchases Friday morning.

"Its incredibly inconvenient, particularly in a pandemic world where a lot of people dont have cash. The fact that one telecom service can shut down a huge percentage of Canadas banking is ridiculous.

"These are the slings and arrows of running a small business. Its unfortunately not something we have any control over. I hope that people are patient with us and other small businesses who have no control over this problem."

The situation was getting stale in a hurry at Omas Bakeshop in East Kildonan.

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"Our debit machine is down. Its accepting some credit cards, but debit is out of the question," said owner Quinn McMurray. "We have a bank close to us but its ATM is also down, so people arent able to take cash out to come buy anything."

A driver for SkipTheDishes, who asked to remain anonymous, said the outage made his day almost unbearable and forced him to rely on Wi-Fi provided by customers and restaurants.

"I cant do my job without (cell service). Look how it shuts down the world when it doesnt work."

The driver said he doesnt get paid if he cant go online to complete his orders. He tried to remove himself from the work roster, but had been sent a new order while offline, so he had to find a way to complete it.

ATMs installed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, which kicked off Thursday at Birds Hill Park, werent functioning. Volunteers were currently trying to tap into a different network to get the machines running again.

bryce.hunt@freepress.mb.ca
Not long ago, on one of the first warm and rainless days of summer, I brought a young Ukrainian family to The Forks for an afternoon of exploring the grounds. Id first met them in Poland, while reporting on the humanitarian needs that flowed out from the war; theyd arrived in Canada a few weeks earlier, and I was excited to show them around.

Not long ago, on one of the first warm and rainless days of summer, I brought a young Ukrainian family to The Forks for an afternoon of exploring the grounds. Id first met them in Poland, while reporting on the humanitarian needs that flowed out from the war; theyd arrived in Canada a few weeks earlier, and I was excited to show them around.

It was a beautiful day to discover. The kids scampered up hills and cavorted over the playground near the main market site. Their mother, delighted, snapped photos of the verdant path by the river, the Ai Weiwei bicycle sculpture and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. We had french fries and ice cream, and bought a bag of mini-donuts.

And I was proud then to see The Forks through fresh eyes, to notice which parts of it inspired a first-time visitor to pull out her phone and capture the image forever. It is beautiful, when you step back to observe it: the trees, the river, the sandstone monoliths that stand vigil at the Oodena Celebration Circle. A graceful site, balanced, accessible and lively.

In a city which struggles to enact any long-term, visionary rehabilitation of urban space, The Forks is a rare exception. Ive written before that its evolution since the 1990s has been, in my mind, one of the few such projects this city has truly done right. The proof is in the people: how many of us take visitors there first, wanting to show Winnipeg in its best light?

That is why it hit the public consciousness so hard, when a string of violent attacks struck The Forks last week.

The first incident came on June 27. A father and a daughter were walking back to their car, when they were assaulted in the parking lot by a group of teen girls who had demanded money; chilling, because it was so random, and because it happened in the full light of early evening. Less than 30 hours later, two men were stabbed near the market after midnight.

And on the night of July 1, two newcomers from Ukraine were leaving The Forks, walking back to the downtown apartment theyd just moved into that day, when they were confronted by a group of people. One of the Ukrainians, a 22-year-old man, was stabbed in the neck. He will live, but has told a bystander who helped him that he wants to leave Winnipeg.

I read that news with a knot in my chest, remembering how, just a few weeks earlier, I had taken my own Ukrainian friends there, wanting them to see those best parts of the city. Wanting to show them the places where Winnipeg thrives, where we can all gather and savour the simplest good things in life. Wanting them to know, in so doing, that they belonged.

So that incident horrified Winnipeggers, for understandable reason. The converging details of place and victims stood as a bitter betrayal of the hope we carry for The Forks, and by extension the whole city. We wish for our communities to be safe and to be welcoming, especially for those who most need it; but we cannot always make them that way.

At the same time, we must guard against overreaction. Every week, thousands of visitors flock to The Forks, and most enjoy their day without incident; its not common for the site to have such an outburst of violence in so few days. As of now, there is little reason to think that something fundamental has changed, and so any response ought to be measured.

Yet these incidents should prompt us to consider safety, especially at these sites where people most gather.

On a broad level, we have a pretty good sense of what affects the rate of violent crime. The root causes are tangled, but they are no mystery: enforced poverty, intergenerational trauma and inadequate or outright harmful social support systems are all things that play a big role. That is a song we have sung for many years, and will keep singing for a long time.

In regard to the June 27 incident, for instance, I hope we can agree that if children aged 13 to 15 are assaulting strangers, then something in their lives has been terribly broken through no fault of their own. There can be no big picture of public safety in Winnipeg without confronting those issues; unfortunately, none of them can be solved overnight.

ETHAN CAIRNS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Every week, thousands of visitors flock to The Forks, and most enjoy their day without incident.

But what else can we do, to hold up the faith that our most important community sites can, and ought to be, safe?

On Twitter, mayoral candidate Glen Murray wrote that "we need eyes on the street in and around the Forks," and proposed, among other things, beefing up community policing and putting beat cops in the area. Im not so sure thats the answer: for one thing, police time is expensive, yet increased police expenditures do not typically correlate with a decrease in crime.

The bigger wrinkle, though, is that communities experience of policing is unequal. The presence of police would make some feel safer, but it does not have that effect on people who, due to race or class, are most impacted by overpolicing. In that way, boosting police presence would also send a more divisive message about who The Forks is perceived to be for.

Last year, I joined a march through The Forks, in memory of children stolen by residential schools. As the group passed by Johnson Terminal on their way to the Oodena circle, police suddenly surrounded an Indigenous man, holding him against their cruiser. The man did not physically resist, but only pleaded to know why he was being detained.

I overheard an officer say theyd been told the man had a knife; but a search found no such thing. The crowd, including now-suspended Manitoba Grand Chief Arlen Dumas, intervened, and after a few minutes the man was released. It wasnt a major incident, in the grand scheme of things, but it did underline who police are most likely to view with suspicion.

The presence of police would make some feel safer, but it does not have that effect on people who, due to race or class, are most impacted by overpolicing.

We dont need more of that, at The Forks. We must, above all, hold it as a place where all who come can feel free.

But there could be other options. Community patrol groups, such as Bear Clan, have provided effective security and support at many public events, and their work focuses on providing a safe presence through non-violent intervention; Winnipeg as a whole could benefit from engaging and adapting this model further. Maybe The Forks could too.

Whatever route it chooses to take, it must not lose its spirit. The Forks is, by its nature, an idealistic endeavour, an ancient meeting place continued in modern directions. Its a place for families, teens with skateboards and countless first dates. A place for tourists and newcomers to Canada. A place for all of us to share the simplest joys of life together.

To remain all these things, it cannot be a place of violence. But neither should it become more closed. For years, The Forks has been working towards becoming a living model of what Winnipeg as a whole can be: open, diverse and welcoming. Let us not allow the heartbreaking events of last week cloud the light it has been shining.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
The family of a two-year-old child who died last month in Norway House Cree Nation is claiming medical negligence and calling for a review of Manitobas northern health-care system.

The family of a two-year-old child who died last month in Norway House Cree Nation is claiming medical negligence and calling for a review of Manitobas northern health-care system.

On June 27, Santaya Tyo-Greyeyes was running a temperature and having difficulty breathing. Her mother, Angel Tyo, says she brought the child to a Norway House nursing station but the staff there did not adequately treat the child.

SUPPLIED Angel Tyo and her daughter, Santaya.

Within 24 hours, Santaya was dead.

"We believe that Santayas death was a result of the lack of health care in northern communities," NDP MLA Bernadette Smith (also Tyos sister) said Thursday in Winnipeg. "They said that Angel was doing everything that she should be doing as a mom, and to take (Santaya) home (and) give her Tylenol."

According to Smith, Tyo was concerned about her daughters health and slept with her that night to monitor her breathing. On June 28, Tyo left Santaya in the care of her teenage siblings to run errands. When she returned around 5 p.m., she believed the child was asleep on the couch.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Tyo checked on her daughter and realized she wasnt breathing, Smith said. Santaya was rushed to the local health centre, but did not recover.

Smith and Tyo met with media Thursday afternoon, outside an Inkster Boulevard funeral home, where services were held for Santaya.

Tyo had difficulty speaking, however, and could only confirm Smiths account of what happened between sobs.

"They worked on her and did everything they could for 45 minutes," Tyo said, tears streaming down her face. "I just told them, Thats enough."

Smith and Tyo say staff at the nursing station (located some 460 kilometres north of Winnipeg) did not properly assess Santaya upon her initial visit. The decision to send her home without care led to her death, they alleged.

"No parent should be ever having to bury their child," Smith said. "Santaya should have been triaged. A nurse should have looked at her (or) a doctor. They should have assessed her breathing  they did none of that."

On July 1, Smith asked RCMP to retrieve video footage from the nursing station from the time in question. "When I went there, I wasnt very assured that they would get that footage," the Point Douglas MLA said.

RCMP did not confirm to the Free Press whether they were looking into such recordings: "In general, in these instances, the RCMP responds and takes direction from the medical examiner. The investigation is ongoing, but at this time, the death does not appear to be suspicious."

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy, and the family had expected to hear the results Thursday, Smith said.

The family is asking Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak to advocate for an inquest. It would like to see the northern medical system held accountable, Smith said.

"On behalf of MKO, I extend sincere condolences to the parents, siblings, family, and community of Santaya Tyo-Greyeyes from Norway House Cree Nation. Our hearts are heavy when we lose a child," MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said in a news release. "We need to know if, and where, the health system failed Santaya and ensure that no other children are harmed as a result of health systems failure."

Settee also called Manitobas health-care system "broken," and called upon the provincial and federal governments to create efficient and innovative models to strengthen it. He promised to partner with other Indigenous organizations to provide support for Santayas family.

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"We can do better, and we have to do better As the family lays Santaya to rest today, I pray for all those that loved her in the difficult days ahead," he said.

Patty Hajdu, minister of Indigenous services and MP for Thunder BaySuperior North, also provided an email statement to the Free Press.

"This is a tragic and deeply concerning situation, and my thoughts are with the family. Indigenous Services Canada will thoroughly investigate to ensure we understand what has happened, and provide supports to the family and community as needed," she said.

ISC previously said it plans to hold a patient safety review into Santayas death. The review will involve staff interviews, an examination of patient records, and possible recommendations to improve care.

 with files from Dylan Robertson

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux has started taking a panic button to his weekly chats with constituents in his northwest Winnipeg riding.

OTTAWA  Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux has started taking a panic button to his weekly chats with constituents in his northwest Winnipeg riding.

"Without the panic button, I dont know to what degree Id be as open," the government backbencher said.

MPs are becoming increasingly worried about their safety because of the growing divide between people on opposite sides of the political spectrum, and increasingly heated and angry debate over topics like gun control. Against this backdrop, House of Commons security officials have decided to beef up security for MPs.

"Theres a certain percentage of the population that has really taken the issues to the heart and theyre very vocal  and (with) a smaller (subset) of them, it can be very threatening and intimidating."

Without the panic button, I dont know to what degree Id be as open.  Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino recently revealed that Parliament Hill security, known as the Parliamentary Protective Service, has increasingly offered members of Parliament what it calls "mobile duress alarms." The discreet devices, which work at any location in Canada, alert their officers or local police to an imminent security risk.

Mendicinos office says during the pandemic, the devices werent snapped up because people were staying at home.

An all-party committee approved the devices in October 2020, at a one-time cost of $203,220, plus an annual $313,021 to maintain the service.

The committee also approved "a web-monitoring service," as well as security assessments for MPs homes and constituency offices. Last month, it agreed to launch a pilot program "for the provision of security" for MPs while they undertake duties outside the parliamentary precinct.

"These include providing security assessments, security equipment and advice, security awareness and training, and outreach with local police forces," Commons administration spokeswoman Miriam Fleury wrote Thursday.

"For security reasons, detailed information about these programs is not shared publicly."

Lamoureux said anger and outrage towards public figures has become nastier since he entered politics in 1989, particularly since the pandemic.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MP Kevin Lamoureux said he doesnt stick out as an MP in Ottawa, but hes often recognized in Winnipeg. While he welcomes strong feedback from disgruntled citizens, he said a small but growing minority is getting radicalized.

Hes held a weekly availability for constituents at the McDonalds on Keewatin Street, first when he was an MLA, and then when he was elected an MP in 2010.

Since then, the Manitoba legislature and Parliament Hill have both curtailed public access to buildings, following the 2014 shooting on the Hill by an ISIS sympathizer, a 2017 bomb threat at the legislature and the 2020 storming of Rideau Hall in Ottawa by a rural Manitoba reservist.

Lamoureux said he doesnt stick out as an MP in Ottawa, but hes often recognized in Winnipeg. While he welcomes strong feedback from disgruntled citizens, he said a small but growing minority is getting radicalized.

He saw that during last falls election, when constituents shouted at him and canvassers about COVID-19 restrictions. Often, they espoused conspiracy theories.

"If youre not prepared to be engaged with the public, you shouldnt be a politician," he said, and yet "youd get some very vocal insulting, like Id never experienced," he said about last falls election campaign, in which the Liberal party was blasted for vaccine mandates.

If youre not prepared to be engaged with the public, you shouldnt be a politician.  Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux

Lamoureux noticed the abuse almost always came from "a middle-aged white male" with a pickup truck in the driveway. "It was truly amazing how we could ultimately profile it."

So, earlier this year, he decided to carry a panic button. Its his trusty sidekick when he goes to his weekly McDonalds meeting.

"The last thing I would want to do is discourage people from getting into public life. There are many rewards, but things have changed."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MP Kevin Lamoureux said anger and outrage towards public figures has become nastier since he entered politics in 1989, particularly since the pandemic.

One other Winnipeg MP started carrying a panic button after the freedom convoy protests this winter and threatening calls to their riding office. The Free Press agreed not to identify the MP or their party, as they feared more threats to their staff.

Winnipeg Liberal MP Jim Carr said he has noticed a sharper tone in Canadian politics, but he hasnt felt the need to get a panic button.

"I have never felt insecure or unsafe as a member of Parliament," said Carr, who was elected in late 2015.

Carr said he once had to briefly hire a commissionaire when climate activists occupied his constituency office in 2016; he said the group was extremely disruptive to his staff, but didnt seem dangerous.

"I havent had to deal with (threats) directly, but I know colleagues who have, from all parties, and its real."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg Liberal MP Jim Carr said he has noticed a sharper tone in Canadian politics, but he hasnt felt the need to get a panic button.

Carr said some of his colleagues were particularly shaken by the freedom convoy that occupied downtown Ottawa for weeks in the winter. While the large occupation had a carnival-like atmosphere in some areas; other participants harassed locals who wore masks and yelled at anyone wearing a suit.

"Politicians have become targets. In a way, they have always been targets, because we live our lives out in the open; most of us are accessible, in person, by phone or in our offices. And its important we remain so," said Carr.

Hed be open to more security measures if, like some of his colleagues, he felt they were necessary to continue to attend public events in his riding.

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I havent had to deal with (threats) directly, but I know colleagues who have, from all parties, and its real.  Winnipeg Liberal MP Jim Carr

"Unfortunately, thats a sign of times, but it should not be ignored."

The Free Press surveyed all 14 Manitoba MPs about panic buttons; some agreed to be interviewed later this week.

Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen, who represents Portage-Lisgar, did not respond to an interview request this week. She told the Toronto Star last month that shes had a panic button for at least a decade, and has never felt the need to use it.

MPs outside Manitoba have told the media they were shaken by the slayings of two British MPs, in October 2021 and June 2016, and American lawmakers being threatened by angry mobs.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
A second man who pleaded guilty to torturing and killing a Bolivian man, who had moved to Canada to seek a better life, has been sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 20 years.

A second man who pleaded guilty to torturing and killing a Bolivian man, who had moved to Canada to seek a better life, has been sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 20 years.

Jonathan Bradley Narvey, 27, admitted in March to the slaying of Gerhard Reimer-Wiebe at a home on Alfred Avenue in June 2020.

Gerhard Reimer-Wiebe

The 27-year-old victim had been staying there after falling back into alcohol and drug use. His wife and two children were living in Steinbach, where the couple had moved to from their native Bolivia in 2015.

The victim was tortured for three days and killed. His body was taken to Portage la Prairie, where it was burned and buried on the edge of a field.

Crown attorney Mike Desautels and defence lawyer Evan Roitenberg jointly recommended Narvey serve 20 years for second-degree murder before being eligible for parole. The minimum is 10 years. Justice Vic Toews accepted the recommendation.

Narvey showed little visible emotion throughout the sentencing hearing Friday as the Crown read the facts of the case, detailing the severity of the victims injuries, and the impact of his death on his widow.

He spoke softly as he addressed the court.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Police investigate the scene at 381 Alfred Ave. in July, 2020.

Im sorry for the way things went I wish I could go back and change it, but I cant. Ill do what I have to do to get better Im sorry to his wife and his kids who dont have a dad anymore because of me, he said.

Four people were charged in relation to Reimer-Wiebes killing.

On June 29, Kyle Evan Sinkovits, 31, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

Bobbi-Lynn Hall, 28, pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the fact and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Chelsea OHanley, 26, stood trial in May on charges of first-degree murder, indignity to human remains, and accessory to murder after the fact. The judge has not yet delivered a verdict.

Following his submissions Friday, Desautels said: A number of kids are going to lose their parents in this, and thats the absolute tragedy of this entire sentencing.

He was referring to the victims children, as well as the child of Narvey and OHanley.

All four accused were living or staying at an Alfred Avenue home in mid-June 2020, when Hall told Sinkovits (her boyfriend) and Narvey (a close friend) she had awakened in bed with Reimer-Wiebe and believed he had sexually assaulted her.

Halls allegation was never substantiated by evidence at trial.

The victim was subjected to three days of torture before being killed.

Roitenberg said the home was a drug-fuelled setting, specifically methamphetamine.

Tragedy is everywhere in this case, Desautels said. All of it stems from not even the actual sexual assault of Ms. Hall it was the chance that she might have been sexually assaulted that Mr. Sinkovits and Mr. Narvey went absolutely bananas The level of depravity cant be overstated.

He said the level of violence committed speaks to Narveys anger and hate.

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Can someone like that be rehabilitated is really a genuine question. I ask, as a human being a person who can do those kinds of things over that kind of time period to a victim. Its scary is what it is, Desautels said.

Roitenberg noted the use of hard drugs is a key component of the tragic violence.

My friend characterizes the lack of control as rage and anger, and he may very well be right, its certainly part of it. But whats missing in this (is) the lack of control. (The) real sadness that I see in this case, across the board, is the evils of hard drugs in our society, he told court.

It speaks to a much greater social ill thats upon us.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera
The union representing Winnipeg Police Service officers is calling on police Chief Danny Smyth to tackle an increase in violent crime, noting attacks on innocent people appear to be more common.

The union representing Winnipeg Police Service officers is calling on police Chief Danny Smyth to tackle an increase in violent crime, noting attacks on innocent people appear to be more common.

Winnipeg Police Association president Moe Sabourin pointed to several recent incidents, including one on Canada Day, when two Ukrainian refugees were attacked at The Forks.

"The victims are, as far as were concerned, innocent bystanders," Sabourin said Thursday. "It seems its more everyday people who are being targeted in these situations.

"Were extremely concerned for the safety of the citizens of Winnipeg, and also for our members, whove been exposed to the same amounts of violence.

Officers have been bitten and punched by suspects recently, Sabourin said, adding violent crime isnt confined to downtown or the North End; serious incidents, including homicides, are occurring all over the city.

"The level of crime, especially violent crime, is extremely concerning," he said.

Recent incidents, including three attacks in five days last week at The Forks, should make Smyth "really concerned about whats going on," the union leader said.

In response to Sabourins comments, Smyth has called a news conference Friday afternoon to address the issue.

Police have so far declined to comment this week on violent-crime trends, initially saying Smyth would answer questions when the 2021 annual report is released next week.

The WPS latest monthly statistical report shows a jump in reports of violent crime. The number of reported incidents increased by 18.3 per cent between April 2021 and March 2022 compared with the previous 12-month period.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Were extremely concerned for the safety of the citizens of Winnipeg, and also for our members, whove been exposed to the same amounts of violence, said Moe Sabourin, president of the Winnipeg Police Association.

The total was 3.7 per cent higher than the five-year average.

In March, as Manitobas last remaining COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, reports of violent crime were 19.7 per cent higher than March 2021.

Sabourin said burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder levels among officers are "way above what weve seen in the past" due to the heavy workload.

General-patrol officers going from call to call have no time to do "proactive" policing or patrols, he said.

In the short-term, Sabourin wants the chief to increase the minimum standard of 28 two-person cruiser cars per shift; one or two additional cars in each of the citys four divisions would be a good start, he said.

"We really need to get back to having general patrol resourced properly," he said.

The incidents at The Forks havent done any favours for the reputations of downtown or the city, in general.

"Any time you have matters of public safety, like every community in Canada has issues of public safety, its obviously not something you want to see in any community," Mayor Brian Bowman told reporters at a Winnipeg Transit funding announcement Thursday.

He said the attack on the Ukrainian refugees was a "terrible situation that nobody wishes for."

Both men were attacked with bear spray and one was stabbed near Israel Asper Way and York Avenue at about 10:40 p.m. last Friday.

Good Samaritans who helped the men, who are in their 20s, said the victims were attacked after accidentally bumping into a group of people and apologizing.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Heather Stefanson, who attended a transit funding event on Thursday, said police officers are doing amazing work and need to be supported.

"We dont want to see anyone being hurt, whether theyve lived here for their entire life or they are refugees," said Bowman. "Our thoughts are with the victims of that particular incident."

Asked if he is satisfied with the public communication from Smyth, Bowman said he cannot direct the police chief and will let him respond to the media "in due course."

"Obviously, the more forthcoming they can be, in a timely way, wed obviously welcome that," said Bowman.

Premier Heather Stefanson, who attended the transit event, cited the need to address factors, such as mental health and addictions, which contribute to crime. She said the province has a mental health and addictions strategy to help people in need.

Stefanson said police officers are doing "amazing work" and need to be supported.

"Its a difficult thing when they go out every single day and they dont know what they will face," she said.

The major crimes unit is looking for multiple suspects in the Canada Day attack.

The stabbing victim is hoping to be released from Health Sciences Centres soon, said Julya Zan, a Winnipegger who stopped to help the man after the incident and has visited him in hospital.

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In one of the earlier incidents, two men in their 20s were stabbed and a woman suffered minor injuries when two groups were involved in a June 29 altercation outside The Forks Market at about 12:30 a.m.

Police said Thursday two 15-year-old girls and an 18-year-old man have been charged in the incident. All three were released on an undertaking.

Before that incident, a father and daughter were attacked, allegedly by three teenage girls, in a parking lot at The Forks Market at about 8 p.m. on June 27.

 with files from Danielle Da Silva

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching
Business owners in parts of the Whiteshell Provincial Park hard hit by flooding are holding on to hope traffic will rebound, as some provincial campgrounds remain closed to visitors for at least another three weeks.

Business owners in parts of the Whiteshell Provincial Park hard hit by flooding are holding on to hope traffic will rebound, as some provincial campgrounds remain closed to visitors for at least another three weeks.

White Lake Resort co-owner Stefanie Giasson said traffic at the store and restaurant at her north park-area business has dropped 70 per cent compared to last year, due to flooding and the ongoing closure of the provinces White Lake campground.

"Were trying to keep our heads up and just provide as many services as we can to the surrounding areas," Giasson said in a phone interview with the Free Press. "If the campground doesnt open this summer, were already at about a $50,000 loss in revenue just off of traffic in the restaurant and the store.

"Its going to probably be our worst summer in the eight years weve been here."

On Wednesday, the provincial government pushed the reopening of the White Lake and Otter Falls campgrounds back another three weeks, until at least July 29.

Giasson said she is grateful to see a main road to her resort  Provincial Road 307  fully reopen, but doubts the through traffic will replace sales from campers who would patronize her business. Now that one boat launch is accessible, Giasson is hoping it may also draw people into the resort.

"Weve gotten used to, after the last few years, being very careful with our money, so were just keeping that up," Giasson said.

She said provincial parks staff have a lot of work ahead of them to restore the campground. Much of the once-sandy beach has been washed away, roads are in rough shape, and the pump house and washrooms were under water for a period of time.

Giasson suspects labour shortages and supply chain issues are slowing efforts.

"A lot of the clean up and repair are taking a long time because theres clean up needed everywhere. So, I think thats thrown a wrench into things, is not having enough man power to be able to fix things and clean them up when they need to, and by the dates that theyre setting," she said.

"I dont blame anybody for it," she added. "It would be nice to see a little bit more work getting done here, as far as the clean up and repairs go."

About 35 kilometres northwest, at Otter Falls Resort, owner Amy Vereb said she is doubtful the nearby provincial campground will open for peak season.

"The campground closure is a huge hit for us," Vereb said. "Theres a lot of work that needs to be done in there. Theres still water all over the lakefront sites, everything has to be inspected from electrical, to water, to the sewage.

"They cant get in there yet. That could take weeks, if not months, so fingers crossed they open, but my guess is probably not."

Customers have been stopping in from seasonal campgrounds in the area and the reopening of PR 307 should bring more traffic through Otter Falls, but Vereb said business at her store and take-out window has been slow. Fortunately, cabin bookings have been strong and day-trippers are making a point of visiting, she added.

She wants Manitobans to know the park is opening and while the two campgrounds remain closed, there is still plenty to do in north Whiteshell Provincial Park.

"The water is going down, there are wayside beaches to use, theres trails open," Vereb said. "We want people to know things are operational here and theyre welcome to come to the park."

Vereb also said parks staff appear to be working short handed. "Theyre doing the best that they can with the workers that they have."

The provincial government did not make anyone from Manitoba Parks available for an interview Thursday.

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In a statement, a spokesman said the department is evaluating damage caused by flooding in parks, but it is still too soon to provide details about the scope of repairs or cost estimates.

"Work will progress as quickly as possible, with the goal of minimizing any impact to campers or camp reservations," the spokesman said. "We appreciate the publics patience at this time and will make every effort to offer comparable bookings in other parks or alternate dates for those affected by cancellations."

The spokesman said staffing levels remain static compared to last year, and the department is ensuring staff are appropriately deployed across impacted regions.

Opposition environment critic Lisa Naylor said the provincial government needs to prioritize the restoration of damaged infrastructure in provincial parks.

"Families want to spend as much time as possible camping in our provincial parks, but these campgrounds need some maintenance work so they can be safe and clean. That means more investments from the (Progressive Conservatives)," the NDP MLA said.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca
You could call it a cautionary tale. Or perhaps a teachable moment.

Hospital CEO paid $615K in year she quit SASHA SEFTER / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Former St. Boniface Hospital president Martine Bouchard earned $615,170 in 2021. In 2020, she took home $294,358 in total remuneration. Posted: 7:00 PM Jul. 6, 2022 A former St. Boniface Hospital chief executive officer  criticized for her regular long-distance commutes from Montreal  earned more than twice her typical salary in 2021 after bowing out of the job 18 months early. Public compensation disclosure reports show former president Martine Bouchard earned $615,170 in 2021; the year prior, she took home $294,358 in total remuneration. Read Full Story

Of course, some Manitobans might be inclined to apply a more direct one-word descriptive  "outrage"  to the revelation that former St. Boniface Hospital president and chief executive officer Martine Bouchard was paid $615,170 in 2021, despite having resigned from her position in mid-October, a full 18 months before her contract with the institution was set to expire.

Considering Ms. Bouchards earnings during her last full year of employment at SBH  2020  were $294,358, according to public sector compensation disclosure, one is left with the conclusion the former CEO received a very generous severance package in return for her resignation.

Or, viewed in more blunt terms, it seems SBH leadership concluded it was worth a prorated additional payment of upwards of $360,000 for the hospital to shed itself of the adminstrative and public-relations burden Ms. Bouchard had apparently become.

SASHA SEFTER / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Former St. Boniface Hospital president and CEO Martine Bouchard received a very generous severance package in return for her resignation.

Her tenure as CEO was controversial from the outset. Shortly after she took the helm of the provinces second largest hospital in May 2018, it was reported that Ms. Bouchard was not based in Manitoba while doing the job. Instead, she commuted home to Montreal on weekends, and sometimes only worked four days a week in Winnipeg.

SBH leadership defended the arrangement at the time, with board chair Tom Carson stating, "There is no issue with the quality and time of service she gives the hospital. There is absolutely no doubt that we get more than 40 hours a week out of her."

A hospital spokesperson also noted taxpayers were not on the hook for Ms. Bouchards frequent commutes; rather, the institutions sponsoring organization, the Catholic Health Corp. of Manitoba, covered the travel costs.

Having a non-locally-based CEO during a time of tremendous upheaval brought on by the Pallister governments ambitous health-care restructuring did not sit well with some. And perceptions only became more negative when the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic made Ms. Bouchards travel  indeed, everyones travel  markedly more problematic.

Having a nonlocallybased CEO during a time of tremendous upheaval brought on by the Pallister governments ambitous healthcare restructuring did not sit well with some.

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After leaving Winnipeg in April 2020 to attend to a family emergency, Ms. Bouchard did not return to in-person duties at SBH until August, with Mr. Carson citing Quebecs status as "an epicentre of COVID" as the reason she could not return to Manitoba without "major risk issues."

Again, the chair defended the arrangement, stating "the board is very happy with the way shes operating, with the way her team is operating, and with how well St. Boniface Hospital has handled the pandemic."

In August 2020, with COVID-19 raging, it was revealed Ms. Bouchard travelled from Montreal to Winnipeg and did not self-isolate for the required 14 days upon arrival, seemingly applying to herself an exemption intended for front-line health-care workers. And in December 2020, at the height of pandemic-related restrictions, the CEO travelled to Quebec for the holidays at a time Manitobans were being told in no uncertain terms to stay home.

SASHA SEFTER / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES After leaving Winnipeg in April 2020 to attend to a family emergency, Martine Bouchard did not return to in-person duties at SBH until August.

In the end, Ms. Bouchards exit from SBH was described as being for personal reasons, including to care for a family member. But a purely voluntary exit doesnt exactly square with an out-the-door payout that more than doubled her previous annual stipend. Clearly, the hospital was ready for her to leave, and willing to sweeten the pot considerably to make it happen.

It is, as NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara put it, "not a good look." One can only hope SBH and other health-care institutions will heed the lessons offered by this cautionary tale about corporate control, commitment to community, crisis communication and compounded compensation.
A man found snoring near the Baraboo River after running from a crash in downtown Baraboo recently appeared in Sauk County Circuit Court on multiple felony charges.

Rory E. Thundercloud, 37, of Wisconsin Dells, made an initial appearance June 29 from the Sauk County Jail. Circuit Court Judge Michael Screnock set his bond at $50,000 cash with the conditions that he maintain absolute sobriety and not drive.

According to the criminal complaint:

Thundercloud was found lying in the weeds near the bridge along Walnut Street by emergency workers called to a collision he allegedly caused just before 4 a.m. June 28 at the intersection of Water and East Street.

A man called police to report the crash. He told an officer he was driving along Water Street when a vehicle came down the hill at a high speed and likely ran through the stop sign, hitting the right side of his Ford Explorer. He said the driver of the Dodge Caravan, who he identified as Thundercloud by description, ran to him, yelling and asking why he had hit the Caravan.

Authorities allegedly found several empty shooters in the vehicle along with a prescription bottle belonging to Thundercloud.

While being arrested, Thundercloud denied being in the Caravan and said he had no idea how it had gotten there. He slurred his speech and was off-balance. Thundercloud also refused to take part in field sobriety tests and denied a preliminary breath test more than once. A blood sample was taken from him and sent to the state laboratory for toxicology testing.

The other driver was taken to SSM St. Clare Hospital for a forearm laceration and pain in his neck, shoulder and upper left arm.

Thundercloud was charged with ninth-offense drunken driving, drunken driving causing injury as a repeater, hit-and-run involving injury, felony bail jumping, driving with a revoked license and obstructing an officer. He faces a maximum prison sentence of more than 23 years and up to 11 years of extended supervision.

According to court records, Thundercloud was convicted of OWIs in Wisconsin in April 2002, January 2003, April 2005, December 2005, January 2006, October 2008 and January 2014. He is scheduled to return to court Sept. 15.
JUNEAU  A 24-year-old Beaver Dam woman made her initial appearance in court earlier this week charged with head-butting a deputy during an OWI arrest.

Marianna Gonzales faces a felony count of battery to a law enforcement officer and misdemeanor counts of resisting an officer and criminal damage of property. If convicted of the felony count, she could face up to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision.

Gonzales appeared before Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Martin De Vries who placed Gonzales on a $1,000 signature bond. As conditions of the bond, she may not have violent or abusive contact with anyone. She must maintain absolute sobriety and may not operate a vehicle without a Wisconsin drivers license.

According to the criminal complaint, the car Gonzales was driving was pulled over on Highway G during the early morning hours on Sunday for speeding. The deputy noted that the car was swerving within the lane. Gonzales told the deputy that she had been at a family reunion but hadnt drank much due to driving. She was driving to a family members house with two passengers in her vehicle.

Gonzales allegedly attempted to strike the deputy while he was putting handcuffs on her. She was able to head-butt the deputy and knocked his glasses off of his face. The deputys glasses were damaged from the impact.

Field sobriety tests were not attempted. Gonzales submitted to a Breathalyzer test at Dodge County Jail which resulted in a reading of .138. The legal limit for operating a vehicle in Wisconsin is 0.08%.

Gonzales has a preliminary hearing on Aug. 11.
FOND DU LAC  District Attorney Eric J. Toney announced that David G. Worley, 30, was sentenced to eight years of initial confinement and seven years extended supervision from a drunken driving crash that killed his passenger.

According to a criminal complaint, on Sept. 15, 2020, at approximately 4:25 a.m., Worley was driving northbound on Main Street in a Ford Focus and went through a red light at the busy intersection of Main Street and Johnson Street in the City of Fond du Lac. He struck an ambulance transporting a patient, which ejected the 21-year-old passenger of his vehicle resulting in his death.

A blood test taken after the crash showed that Worley had a prohibited blood alcohol concentration of .21%. The legal limit for operating a vehicle in Wisconsin is 0.08%.

Worley was transported from the scene and then flown by Theda Star to Theda Medical Center in Neenah for treatment.

The lone passenger of the Ford Focus was identified as an adult male. He was later pronounced deceased as a result of injuries sustained during the crash. According to law enforcement policy the victims name will not be released.

The state recommended 10-15 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision. The defendant faced a maximum possible sentence of 15 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision.
Role of universities as public interlocutors of dialogue

STATEMENT: Universities have an important role to play in upholding democracy, in speaking truth to power, and in facilitating debate.

Institutions of higher learning are also crucial in providing a platform for diverse voices to be heard.

For 100 years, Wits has participated in the intellectual debates of the day which have enabled robust engagement between parties and entities with differing views, ideas, and ideologies.

As an institution, we remain committed to:

academic freedom, autonomy, accountability, tolerance of difference of opinion, and transparency,

democracy, justice, equality, and freedom from racism and sexism as enshrined in the Constitution,

promoting freedom of enquiry and the search for knowledge and truth,

fostering a culturally diverse, intellectually stimulating and harmonious environment within which there is vigorous critical exchange and communication, and

freedom of speech and public debate, through facilitating dialogue and interaction between different parties, with the goal of increasing mutual respect and trust, amongst others.

It was in this context that we invited the Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr Pravin Gordhan to speak on campus at a public event on the Reform and Governance of State-Owned Enterprises, as part of its efforts to discuss critical issues around governance and public policy. The Minister completed his speech and was then regrettably heckled during the Q&A session. Rather than engaging constructively, a few attendees made derogatory remarks and began shouting and insulting the Minister, thus not allowing him to respond to questions, which led to the facilitator ending proceedings. Notwithstanding the frustrations that everyone feels regarding the current energy crisis, the nature of the engagement subsequent to the delivery of the speech was not constructive.

As this was a public event open to all, including students from other universities, the University is in the process of reviewing the video footage in order to determine the next course of action.

The University will continue to encourage critical debate and the tolerance of diverse views, whilst providing an opportunity for different voices to be heard in a respectful manner.

Thank you

SENIOR EXECUTIVE TEAM

8 JULY 2022
BEIJING, June 8 -- Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), said on Friday that the PLA Eastern Theater Command has recently organized joint combat-readiness security patrols and combat training exercises involving troops of multiple services and arms in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Island.

Shi pointed out that the recent moves by the US side on the Taiwan question to bolster the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces are totally futile and result in nothing but only disturb peace across the Taiwan Strait and escalate the regional tension.

He stressed that Taiwan is a part of China. Troops of the PLA Eastern Theater Command stay on high alert at all times, keep strengthening military training for war preparedness, and will firmly safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability, and resolutely smash any "Taiwan independence" plot.
Only 34 waterfalls in the world run into an ocean, and only 4 of these waterfalls are situated in the United States. The Alamere Falls - the largest Bay Area waterfall, is located just a little more than an hour from San Francisco, making it the ideal day excursion for anyone looking to get away from the chaos of the city.

Geography Of Alamere Falls

Alamere Falls, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California.

A stunning location where Alamere Creek flows into a sandy beach is where Alamere Falls is located. It is situated in California's Marin County in the Point Reyes National Seashore, close to Bolinas, and is a tidefall waterfall that empties into the Pacific Ocean. There are only two tidefalls in this region, the other being McWay Falls. Water pours down a 12 m sheer cliff onto the south end of Wildcat Beach near a rocky peninsula called Double Point, creating a stunning spectacle at this hidden waterfall. The stream cuts a path through the sand to the ocean after winding its way through a green valley in the open environment and then tumbling over a black and green rock wall. While not a short hikea minimum 20-kilometer round-trip journey is required to reach this breathtaking location that is a popularand occasionally overcrowdedvisitor lure.

Geology Of Alamere Falls

Upper Alamere Falls.

Alamere Falls, in addition to being incredibly beautiful, also has a unique and recognizable structure. It is referred to as a "tiered waterfall," yet it is not satisfiable to be a typical one. It is divided into two areas that are relatively far apart. Those not paying enough attention to the first section's nature frequently ignore it. The upper part continues to be the most intricate, while the bottom area gets most of the attention. The upper falls are situated further upstream from what is thought of as the main Alamere Falls. There are really three drops in this area. Unusually, each developed with about the same dimensions and a little dip equivalent to around 3.1 m. But the detached lower portion of this fantastic waterfall alone descends over 12.2 meters. This extra drop gives the entire cascade a total descent of around 21.3 m. Despite having little height, it has a remarkable appearance.

Alamere Falls Hike

Young female hiking up the path to Alamere Falls, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California.

A long hike is still necessary for the most direct access to Alamere Falls (4 miles each way). The strenuous hiking path leads to an overlook with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, Tomales Bay, and the mouth of San Francisco Bay. The trek travels through lovely coastal woodlands, coastal prairie, and along the edge of a bluff overlooking the shore. It begins at the Palomarin Trailhead and mostly follows the Coastal Trail. Pelican Lake and Bass Lake are located along the way. The going gets a little difficult after following the beach route, which diverges off the Coast Trail, and it may be necessary to use your hands for balance to reach the falls. Many hikers opt for an unapproved shortcut to take a quicker, more direct path. Following a steep, sometimes slick track through a heavily wooded environment is required for this, and informal direction markers made of sticks and stones are typically used to show it clearly. Due to the presence of hazardous plants, some hikers have given this path the nickname "Poison Oak Alley" since it is not without risks. There should be extreme caution and awareness since ticks can potentially be an issue.

Brief History

The first people to settle in the Point Reyes Peninsula are the Miwok Indians from North America. The first white person to visit Point Reyes was the Spanish adventurer Lieutenant Manuel de Oyarvido in 1815. Following this, Point Reyes saw a large inflow of European settlers who started farming and ranching. There were several dairy farms by 1968 that yearly generated around 15 million gallons of milk while owning around 400 cows. The first Alamere Falls path was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1939. An old dirt route that crossed a farm field and followed the coastal cliffs formerly led to the waterfall. The National Park Service started enhancing this path in 1990 by building a brand-new, 1.5-mile hiking trail to Alamere Falls. The Coastal Trail and other paths in Point Reyes National Seashore were also improved as part of this $8 million project, which Congress financed in 1984. One of the greatest waterfall hikes in the United States is undoubtedly at Alamere Falls. Its hiking trek is one of the most well-liked hiking locations in the Bay Area. The Palomarin trailhead sees a practically constant flow of hikers on a lovely weekend afternoon.
In an outrageous attack on freedom of speech and democratic rights, Dr David Berger, a highly experienced remote area general practitioner, was ordered by the Medical Board of Australia on June 7 to undertake a disciplining education program. If he failed to do so he would be deregistered.

The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) contacted Berger but he was not prepared to make any comment because he was under Australia Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA) conditions.

Dr. David Berger (Photo: Supplied)

A well-known and dedicated fighter for a scientific approach to COVID-19, Berger has written thousands of comments on Twitter refuting pandemic misinformation and issuing timely warnings about what must be done to combat the deadly disease. In April, he gave a powerful video interview with the WSWS detailing the consequences of the unscientific government responses to the coronavirus and voicing his support for the Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Medical Board of Australia directive, which is published on the AHPRA website, is based on anonymous claims that Berger violated the Medical Board of Australias code of conduct on social media and behaved unprofessionally towards colleagues.

Berger has been falsely accused by internet trolls, right-wing commentators and others of undermining public health messaging about COVID-19 on social media because he has exposed government lies and corporate media falsehoods about COVID-19. It is believed that AHPRA has recently issued similar disciplinary measures against other medical practitioners.

The compulsory program of education must be approved by the Medical Board of Australia and AHPRA, paid for by Berger, and completed within six months. It is to be accompanied by reports to AHPRA by senior medical officials where he has worked during this period.

The ominous disciplinary process requires Berger to produce a reflective practice report [emphasis added], in relation to behaving professionally and courteously to colleagues and other practitioners, including when using social media, in accordance with Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia.

The report must show that the Practitioner [Berger] has reflected on the issues that gave rise to this condition [of not behaving professionally and courteously to colleagues and other practitioners] and how the Practitioner has incorporated the lessons learnt in the education into the Practitioners practice.

The allegations against Berger are flat out lies and have nothing to do with unprofessional or discourteous behaviour. Their purpose is to intimidate or gag Berger and other registered medical practitioners and stop them speaking out about those responsible for the health catastrophe engulfing the country, and the profit-driven motivations that have produced this disaster.

The timing of AHPRAs repressive actions against Berger is no accident. The measures were activated as coronavirus infections and deaths in Australia climbed to record levels.

The countrys per capita infection rate is currently among the highest in the world at over 30,000 cases per day, taking the total death toll to just over 10,000 deaths, three-quarters of them this year. Hospital and ambulance services are at total breaking point.

What is crystal clear to doctors and medical scientists, health workers and broad layers of the population is that the health catastrophe ripping through Australia is a direct result of the let it rip policies adopted in December and the systematic and ongoing removal of basic COVID-19 safety procedures.

The new Albanese Labor government and all the state and territory governments who have made clear there will be no lockdowns, are dismantling the remaining rudimentary public health measures to stop the spread of the virus. Overseas travellers arriving in Australia will no longer need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and mask-wearing mandates in airport terminals were scrapped last month across Australia.

The Medical Board of Australia and AHPRA has said nothing about these murderous decisions, which will dramatically increase infection and death rates.

It is not possible in this article to detail all of Bergers scientifically based refutations of false claims by governments, senior health officials and right-wing media commentators.

Among some of the claims by government and senior health authority were that children did not get COVID-19, the virus is not airborne, schools are safe, vaccine only policies would stop the coronavirus, the highly contagious Omicron was mild, and that the pandemic would become endemic.

All of these were refuted and warned about by Berger, other principled epidemiologists, and by the WSWS.

Along with his social media comments and broadcast media interviews, Berger has written extensively on the pandemic, and how to fight it. His articles published in the Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Guardian, BMJ (formerly, British Medical Journal) and the Medical Journal of Australia.

The question must be asked: Who has been right about how to fight COVID-19Berger, or those who seek to silence him? Bergers warnings have been tragically vindicated.

The response and modus operandi of the Medical Board of Australia and AHPRA is to cover up this reality, shoot the messenger, and attempt to intimidate others planning to speak out.

Parallels can be made with the ongoing imprisonment of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange in Britains Belmarsh Prison. Assange is treated like a criminal and persecuted for exposing US war crimes while those who perpetrated them roam scot-free. According to AHPRA, doctors who speak out about the government failure to protect citizens from the pandemic must keep their mouths shut while those responsible for this historic social crime against humanity remain free to continue their work.

Many of Bergers 33,000 Twitter followers have voiced their anger over the AHPRAs disciplinary measures, describing them chilling and a threat to all doctors and medical practitioners and offering their support.

One wrote: This is more than a slippery slope. We have entered a Brave New World where doctors recommend actions which harm us because they are in lockstep with the governments rhetoric. This behaviour by our health care registration board is frightening for our country.

Others have thanked him, declaring that his advice had protected them and their families from COVID-19 infections. Can we write to AHPRA to support you. It is beyond disturbing that freedom of speech is under threat.

These responses, an important first step, must be taken forward. Doctors, medical practitioners, health workers, teachers and other sections of the working class must publicly condemn AHPRAs disciplinary action against Dr David Berger and demand that it be immediately withdrawn. This is an essential part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the government and big-business corporations that are allowing this highly infectious fatal disease infection to spread.

Send us your statements of support for Dr. Berger and we will publish them in the coming days.
By every metric, the coronavirus pandemic in Australia is the worst it has been, except for the absolute peak of an Omicron tsunami that swept across the country in DecemberJanuary. Infections, hospitalisations and deaths are once again approaching record levels, as the highly-infectious BA.4 and BA.5 variants of Omicron take hold.

Under these conditions, the newly-elected federal Labor government has made clear that it will continue the let it rip program adopted last December. The profit-driven policies, involving the withdrawal of public health measures that limited infections and deaths during the first two years of the pandemic, mean that the population is at the mercy of continuous surges of the virus.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler (Photo: Facebook/Mark Butler MP)

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) this morning, Labor Health Minister Mark Butler stated that the country had moved beyond coordinated public health measures. The message is take responsibility, make your own choice, Butler said. Were deep into the third year of the pandemic and we need to make sure that people feel theyre able to take control of their own circumstances.

The line is identical to that of the previous Liberal-National government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Even as Labor acknowledges that infections and illnesses will rise over the coming weeks, it is insisting that no measures will be taken that impact upon big business. In the first instance, this means ensuring that the schools and workplaces remain open, no matter what, so that workers remain on the job and full profit-making operations continue.

Not only did Butler rule out lockdown measures, he also ruled out any broader mask mandates. Most state and territory administrations, Labor and Liberal alike, have removed such mandates, even in airport terminals and crowded indoor locations. They remain in place only on public transport, where they are not enforced, and in the hospitals.

The rejection of this most basic form of infection control has no scientific basis. The population has been encouraged to dispense with masks solely because they are a reminder that the pandemic continues and their continued presence could limit economic activity, such as retail shopping.

The ABC interviewer pointedly asked Butler if his position meant sitting back and accepting rising death and illness. Butler said his government would boost the hospital system and expand vaccine access, including by rolling out a fourth booster shot, which has previously been limited to those aged over 65 and the immunocompromised.

At the first meeting of the National Cabinet after the election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last month ruled out any increase to hospital funding. He extended the federal pandemic healthcare funding by only six months.

Butlers reference to vaccination was equally duplicitous. The new Omicron variants have substantial vaccine-evading properties. While immunisation is crucial, the COVID surge of the past seven months has demonstrated that, separated from broader public health measures, it cannot end illness and death alone.

Butlers comments came just days after Australias total COVID death toll exceeded 10,000. All but 2,239 of those fatalities have occurred this year. Average daily deaths remain over 40, equating to 300 or more a week, almost as high as at any time before.

Hospitalisations are rising rapidly, signalling that deaths will also increase. As of today, there are 3,982 COVID patients in hospitals across the country. That compares with 2,967 on June 24, and the recent low of 1,655 on March 12.

Medical experts are warning that the healthcare system is already at breaking point, with mounting COVID admissions compounded by influenza and other seasonal ailments.

Chris Moy, vice-president of the Australian Medical Association, told the Guardian yesterday that hospital overcrowding is the worst he has seen.

Its pretty desperate, Moy stated. They are as full as they ever have been. Everybody is telling me its horrific. Its winter, and theres the flu, but theyre also seeing a lot of mental health patients at the moment. Covid is adding an extra layer.

University of South Australia Professor of Biostatistics Adrian Esterman added: We are seeing a very steep increase in case numbers. Should we be worried? Yes, because the health system is under enormous pressure right now.

Esterman noted that the hospital crisis extended across all states and territories: Theres the usual problem with bed blockages. They cant get people out of acute care, or from the ED [emergency department] to acute care, or from the ambulance to ED, so a lot of capital cities have ambulance ramping.

The increasing hospitalisations indicate a major rise in infection numbers. The extent of the spread, however, is entirely unknown because all governments have dismantled the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing system. Instead, cases are primarily self-reported by individuals who are responsible for administering their own, less reliable, rapid antigen tests.

According to the official case numbers, there are on average roughly 33,000 infections per day. Case numbers exceeded 40,000 on both Wednesday and Thursday for the first time since late May. Experts, however, state that the real number of infections is at least double the number that are being identified. That means Australia could already have 100,000 or more infections per day, a tally approaching the DecemberJanuary explosion of cases.

Almost all state and territory administrations have acknowledged that case numbers will increase, even as they reject any measures to halt the spread.

In Queensland, there are more than 2,000 health workers furloughed at any one time due to infection or exposure. Overall hospitalisations have increased in the state by 140 percent over the past month. Queensland Labor government Chief Health Officer John Gerrard warned this week that hospitalisations were likely to be at least as bad as the first wave in January.

Gerrard, however, declared that he was not in favour of an indoor mask mandate. Such a measure would be divisive and not helpful, because these waves are likely to continue off and on every few months for some time to come, it could be years. Instead, the Labor government is discussing suspending elective and other non-urgent health procedures.

In New South Wales, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant encouraged people to wear masks indoors, while the states Health Minister Brad Hazzard flatly ruled out any mandate.

Under these conditions, the announcement yesterday of an expanded fourth booster dose is aimed at placating growing concerns over the surge, and justifying the refusal to institute other public health measures.

For weeks, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and the federal Labor government stonewalled increasingly urgent demands from medical experts for the fourth shot to be made available. This means that the rollout will not begin until the new surge is well and truly underway.

Third-dose booster rates, moreover, have stalled for months. Only 67 percent of the adult population has received a third shot. That is the result of the vaccination campaign having been wound back since early this year, and the continuous barrage of official misinformation proclaiming the pandemic over.

Those with only two doses of vaccine have virtually no protection against the new, virulent strains of Omicron. ATAGI noted that the efficacy of the third shot, wanes over the course of several weeks.

While it trumpeted ATAGIs recommendation for a fourth dose, the Labor government was silent on a key passage in the statement from the immunisation authority permitting the measure. It explained:

However, the impact of this expanded vaccine booster recommendation alone is expected to be limited. ATAGI advises that other public health and social measures, in addition to vaccination, will have the greatest impact against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 surge in infections.

It is precisely those other public health and social measures that the capitalist political establishment, including the federal Labor government, have rejected.
Workers occupying Fords Maraimalai Nagar assembly plant. (Supplied to the WSWS by a Ford worker)

The strike 1,500 militant, mainly young workers have mounted against the plans of the transnational Ford Motor Co. to close its assembly plant on the outskirts of Chennai, the capital of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has been suppressed and betrayed by the Chennai Ford Employees Union (CFEU).

Working in collusion with Ford management and Tamil Nadus DMK government, the CFEU called off the five-week-long strike on July 2, without any discussion with, let alone vote by, the striking workers.

Under an agreement reached with Ford behind the workers backs, the union completely abandoned the workers demand for job security. Underscoring its opposition to the workers struggle, the union has agreed that Ford can slash the severance pay of any worker who henceforth engages in job action or seeks to impede production at the plant before its planned permanent closure at the end of this month.

Although the union has done the companys bidding, Ford has not restarted the plants second shift, meaning 1,300 of the 2,638 permanent workers are now without work and wages. It is expected Ford will maintain one-shift production until it ceases production on July 31. This will allow it to keep many of the younger, more militant workers who initiated the strike on May 30, independently of the CFEU, out of the factory until it is shuttered.

In the months immediately following last Septembers closure, Ford got rid of a thousand contract workers at the assembly plant piecemeal. When workers at ancillary auto parts plants are included, the closure of the plant is predicted to lead to the loss of some 40,000 jobs, most of them in the Sriperumbudur industrial belt outside Chennai.

However, the unions, including those led by the Stalinists and Maoists which have a sizeable presence in Tamil Nadu, have mounted no struggle against the impending closure of the Ford factory nor sought to unite the Ford workers with their class brothers and sisters at the feeder plants.

Similarly, the Stalinist-led labour federations, the CITU and AITUC, did nothing to mobilize workers in support of the strike at the Ford India plant, thereby facilitating the CFEUs efforts to isolate and end the strike.

The Ford workers at the Chennai plant showed great militancy, repeatedly defying threats from management and the police. Faced with a fait accompli, the CFEU sanctioned the strike, but from the beginning it refused to raise the workers demand for job security, focusing instead entirely on urging management to provide a few more crumbs in severance pay.

The CFEU continuously worked to isolate the strike, demoralize the workers and finally end the strike by signing the orders of management dictated in the form of an agreement made before the Assistant Labour Commissioner in Chennai. Having signed the agreement without consulting striking workers, the CFEU did not even put it up for any democratic discussion and vote by workers and just ordered them to return to work. The agreement says that for those workers who continue the protest, the severance package would be reduced to its initial offer, i.e., 87 days of base wages per year worked, and it also points to the unions agreement with the advice of the Labour Commissioner to avoid any protest or sitdown strikes until production is completed.

Contrary to the unions claims that management has agreed to increase the severance package from its later offer of 115 days to 121 days of base wages per year worked, the agreement says nothing concretely about the compensation. It says only that exact severance packages will be decided later through mutual discussions between the management and the union. The agreement also says nothing about managements earlier offer on continuation of current medical insurance until March 2024.

While workers were demanding job assurance, since that is their only means of livelihood, the management with the help of the union have now pressured the workers to continue production in order to complete the remaining cars and to accept its proposed settlement package. These moves by Ford India management to crush a strike by the militant young workers who fought for more than a month and had completely halted car production was attainable only through the treachery of the unions, who isolated the workers militant job action. This includes not just the officially-recognized CFEU in the Ford Chennai plant but also the complete silence of the Stalinist-led union federationsthe Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), and also the Maoist-led LTUC (Left Trade Union Congress) which have a substantial presence, especially in Sriperumbudur Maraimalai Nagar industrial areas. Affiliated respectively to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM and the Communist Party of India (CPI), the CITU and AITUC have a substantial membership in Tamil Nadu as across India, including in the auxiliary and supplier industries of Ford plants in India.

This again proves the warnings given by the WSWS during the course of the strike about the role of unions in the era of globalised production. On June 28, at an online meeting with striking Ford workers in Chennai who were interested in forming rank-and-file committees, Jerry White, WSWS Labor Editor explained the international significance of the struggle of Chennai Ford workers and pointed out that Ford is also threatening to close its plant in Saarlouis, Germany. Unions like IG Metall have rejected any real struggle to defend the jobs, living standards and working conditions of more than 5,000 workers at the plant, thereby guaranteeing the orderly winding down of production. He emphasized that the allies of workers at Ford Chennai and Ford Saarlouis are workers all over the world who are resisting corporate and government attacks everywhere and they can only defend their jobs through a rebellion against Fords co-managers in the trade union bureaucracy and by organizing themselves independently and establishing international collaboration through rank-and-file committees, uniting Ford workers in Valencia (Spain), Cologne (Germany), Craiova (Romania), Turkey, the US, etc.

Saman Gunadasa, Assistant Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka, explained how the Sri Lankan workers have shut down nearly the entire country during general strikes on April 28, May 6 and 10, demanding the resignation of the Rajapakse government. He pointed out specifically about the criminal role of unions, saying that the unions are preventing the working class from mobilising its industrial and political power and developing it into a challenge to capitalist rule. He then emphasized the urgent need to break free of the political and organizational control of the pro-capitalist trade unions and build rank-and-file committees as genuine fighting organizations of the working class.

Ramesh, who participated in this important meeting, commented later on the unions suppression of the strike: I came to know that the strike was called off by the union only a few hours later through my colleague. The union never asked our opinion about the agreement it signed with management, nor was any discussion held about calling off the strike. These actions were taken arbitrarily by union leaders themselves. Your [WSWS] analysis is fully vindicated. Union, management and government are acting together against the interests of workers and cheating us.

Ram, a permanent worker said: The majority of workers still demand job security. It is our union that had said its a useless and unattainable demand. But now, to restart production, it is trying to convince workers that those who still demand a job can go through legal means using the courts once the production target is completed, after July 31. Its clear the union leadership is acting on behalf of management.

I agree that there is a need to join hands with Ford workers in Germany, Spain and other countries, breaking with unions so as to challenge the Ford corporation.

The workers either in India or in Germany or in Spain or anywhere in the world must draw the lessons from past years. Ford workers can only achieve their rights by linking with workers internationally in a network of fighting action committees and to fight against the capitalists, to place their corporations under public ownership and to reorganize the world economy based on a socialist programme that places social needs over private profit. So, we urge Ford workers across the world to form their own rank-and-file committees to join with the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), independent of the treacherous trade unions in order to protect their jobs and working conditions.
A Kroger storefront (FoodIndustry.com)

Kroger workers in Indianapolis are livid over the second contract proposal which the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union is attempting to push through. On Tuesday, UFCW Local 700 announced that they reached an agreement with Kroger for a new, three-year contract, weeks after workers rejected the first one.

It is clear even from the UFCWs self-serving highlights handed out to workers in stores Wednesday that this is not a new contract. The UFCW has not indicated when workers will even be able to look at the full contract. Pay raises for workers at the top pay rate will only be $0.65 for the first year and $0.50 for the next two years. For clerks in the Third Step, currently the highest tier, pay will only rise to the poverty level of $17.60 an hour by the end of the contract in May 2024. For the lower two tiers, clerks will make just $15.75 in the First Step and $16.50 in the Second Step by the end of the contract.

The UFCW is trying to sweeten the pot with signing bonuses that will barely put a dent in the rapidly increasing costs of food, gas and housing. Full-time workers at top pay who are not leads or department heads are being enticed with a pitiful $2,500 bonus and part-time top pay workers just $1,000, which will be reduced through taxes and union dues. The highlights did not even list signing bonuses for non-top pay workers.

There have been no changes from the original proposal on the number of personal days and vacation time, regardless of seniority. This is in spite of the fact that workers have worked long hours for months to make up for being chronically short-staffed due to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and unsafe working conditions.

Its the same contract in different wording, one worker told the WSWS. It doesnt appear than anything has changed. Popeyes pays more than this starting out. The union sold us out. They dont care about us Kroger is getting exactly what they want.

The union wont let us have any oversight. Theyre hardly a union and dont take anybodys suggestions, except Krogers. Everyone in my store that Ive talked to is dropping the union if this passes.

Another Central Indiana worker questioned the UFCWs counting of votes for the last proposal. I am in full agreement that it looks like the same thing just presented clearer. They said last proposal had only 56 votes more for no than yes, but I cant find a single person that voted yes.

Another worker said, in reaction to the latest proposal, I feel its bull and we all need to stand up for one another and go on strike! We deserve better!

Comments on social media have proceeded along the same lines:

No changes, just the same contract reworded. Voting NO again!

VOTE NO! SAME CONTRACT AS LAST TIME.

Considering yall didnt seem to actually do anything I see another round of NOs coming! Hopefully this time with enough for the 2/3 needed to strike.

Its like the UFCW doesnt want us having time to read through a contract thoroughly. Why do yall always leave out information on an online format? Must be garbage again.

This contract is still the same contract, nothing different about this contract. It so pathetic that these union rep is working for Kroger, not the employees.  everyone should say hell no to this contract and go strike. Let Kroger suffer because they are letting their employees suffer. No no no no no to this contract also it looks like they are helping the people in charge instead of the workers

Its pathetic they are still going to use the same exact contract that got denied last time and they will try and enforce the same one and still push it through. I will vote no if I even vote They are forcing employees to vote yes. Its pathetic how they dont care about us employees and dont ever take our opinions into consideration. Union does nothing for us. I vote no.

Workers are furious in particular that the UFCW has refused to call a strike even though workers are ready for it and a strike would have hit Krogers profits the hardest if they walked out during the July 4th holiday. The UFCW tried to shift the responsibility to workers for not meeting the arbitrary 2/3 majority no vote of those voting to call a strike.

But it was the UFCW who made it as difficult as possible for many workers to exercise their right to vote on the contract, and this time is no different. The voting will take place across three days only, from July 13 to July 15. There is no mail-in or online option for voting, and workers at each store will have only one-and-a-half-hour windows in which to vote.

On Wednesday, Local 700 posted that members of the negotiating committee and union representatives would apparently be in stores to discuss the tentative contract and answer questions. Like last time, many workers will be working shifts that make it inconvenient to vote in person at their store or will be on their days off, putting workers in a position where they either must travel to exercise their right or not vote at all.

This contract does not simply arise from bad individual union leaders. The UFCW is virtually a business unto itself controlling over $1 billion in assets, according to federal reporting, controlled by an apparatus whose top officials make six figure salaries. Concerned only with protecting their Wall Street assets and lining their own pockets, the union stands with management against workers.

The contract must be voted down, but experience has shown this by itself will not be enough. Rank-and-file workers must take matters into their own hands by joining the Kroger Workers Rank-and-File Committee to organize a struggle not only against Kroger but against the betrayals of the UFCW, and demand strike action.

The committee, founded in the aftermath of the first contract rejection, seeks to break the unions isolation of Indianapolis Kroger workers and unite with Kroger workers around the country as well as Costco workers, airline workers, health care workers and industrial workers throughout the world who are fighting against sellout contracts.
The popular uprising of workers, youth and rural toilers in Sri Lanka against the Rajapakse government over unbearable conditionsincluding scarcity, daily power outages, and skyrocketing prices for essentials goodsis now reaching a new stage.

Kandy Hospital health workers march through the city on July 7, 2022

The high price of food items is leading to conditions of mass starvation. The Rajapakse-Wickremesinghe government has placed the country on a virtual lockdown because fuel has run out. Schools have been closed, and public sector institutions have been instructed to call only essential staff for work. The lack of fuel has led to the collapse of public transport. These conditions have brought popular anger against the government to a boiling point.

Under these conditions, the social media activists who are leading the protest at Galle Face Green in Colombo, also known as Gota Gogama, have announced a massive peoples protest for July 9, claiming that it will be the greatest uprising in the history of Sri Lanka. This date will mark three months since the protest started at Galle Face Green.

However, the Action Plan for the Future of Struggle, issued by protest leaders on July 5, does not provide any program to address the burning issues confronting the masses. Rather, it would trap workers, youth and rural toilers within bourgeois rule and capitalist profit system, which is the root cause of the crisis.

Their program calls for an interim government, i.e., an alternative bourgeois government, which has been promoted by opposition parties in parliament, including the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), supported by pseudo-left groups like Frontline Socialist Party (FSP). A leading organiser of protests, Anuruddha Bandara, told Economynext that the opposition partiesthe SJB, JVP and othersare almost onboard.

The main tenets of the Action Plan include the demand for resignation of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Cabinet of Ministers and all the government appointees to high posts. Their alternative is an Interim Governance but with no indication as to who will make up this regime. It is implied, however, that all the parliamentary political parties are to be included in this interim government, as proposed by the opposition parties themselves.

This Interim Governance is supposed to subscribe to the economic, social and political aims and aspirations of the peoples struggle. While they have included securing the supply of essentials, like fuel and food, in their long list of aims and aspirations, they have not advanced any concrete program on how to provide them. They just hope that the Interim Governance will provide them if pressured to do so.

A Peoples Council is also proposed, in which representatives of the Peoples Struggle, will be able to effectively engage and mediate with the Interim Governance. That is, the task of the Peoples Council will be to exert pressure on new government. This is the same program advocated by pseudo-left FSP. The Action Plan proposes within a year to establish a new constitution through a referendum, which would abolish the executive presidency and create an appropriate process for a fair election.

In opposition to the program of the Galle Face protest leaders for formation of an alternative bourgeois government, the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) advocates a revolutionary socialist program for the working class. We call for the independent mobilisation of the working class on a clear program of action to fulfill their basic needs against the Rajapakse government and bourgeois rule.

The SEP insists that there will no solution to the burning issues confronting the masses within bourgeois rule and the capitalist profit system. There is no national solution. No amount of pressure exerted on this government or any future bourgeois government will make the ruling class provide the basic needs of the masses.

While supporting the main demand of the struggling masses for the resignation of President Rajapakse and his government, the SEP insists that it should not be replaced with another bourgeois government, but with a government of workers and peasants committed to socialist policies.

As explained in our statement issued on April 7, at the very beginning of mass uprising and also reiterated in subsequent statements, the SEP calls for the immediate abolition of the executive autocratic presidency along with repressive laws such as the Essential Services Act, the Public Security Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which give police state powers to the security forces. Over the past month, Rajapakse invoked essential service laws against electricity and health workers. He used his emergency powers to deploy the military to the streets to repress workers languishing in queues for days to obtain fuel.

Irrespective of the bourgeois government that may replace the Rajapakse-Wickremesinghe regime, it will continue the same harsh austerity measures dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It will seek to force working people and rural toilers to bear the full burden of the economic crisis.

All the opposition parties, including the SJB, JVP and Tamil National Alliance, have expressed their open or tacit support for IMF policies. Therefore, the so-called interim governance proposed in the Action Plan will become an instrument of the capitalist ruling elite to brutally implement those policies and crush all opposition from the working class and rural toilers.

The brutality of the IMF program was indicated in Prime Minister Wickremesinghes speech to parliament on Tuesday. Referring to the coming period, which will be stamped by IMF dictates, he said: This will be a difficult and bitter journey if things do not change, the whole country will collapse.

The changes include massively downsizing the public sector, privatising state-owned enterprises, and broadening the tax base with increased taxes. They will lead to cuts in jobs, wages, and other benefits of workers in public sector, increases in water and electricity prices, and a further slashing of subsidies.

The working class must reject this brutal class-war policy and all interim government traps. Workers must develop their own independent political intervention based on a program that addresses their needs and unleashes immense social power, which was demonstrated during general strikes on April 28, May 6 and May 10. This program must be based on the social needs of workers and the rural toilers, not the profit demands of big business.

The first step in fighting for this program is to form democratically-elected independent action committees of the working class in factories, workplaces, plantations and working-class neighborhoods throughout the country. The action committees must be independent of the capitalist parties and the trade unions, which act as stooges and apologists of the capitalist ruling establishment.

The SEP encourages and will assist workers in forming these action committees, which will advance a working-class solution to the socio-economic crisis created by the capitalist class. The struggle of the working class must be internationally integrated through the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, initiated by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI).

The SEP advances the following demands as the fighting program for the Action Committees to overcome the mass suffering created by capitalism:

* For workers democratic control over the production and distribution of all essential items and other resources critical for the lives of people! Nationalise the banks, big corporations, plantations and other major economic nerve centres!

* Repudiate all foreign debts! No to the austerity demands of the IMF and World Bank that represent the international bankers and financial institutions!

* Establish a state monopoly of foreign trade to eradicate corruption in export and import processes and also ensure the supply of all essentials!

* Seize the colossal wealth of the billionaires and corporations!

* Cancel all debts of poor and marginal farmers and small business holders! Reinstate all subsidies, including fertiliser subsidies for farmers!

* Guarantee jobs for all with decent and safe working conditions! Index wages to the cost of living!

An independent movement of the working class organised through action committees based on the above demands will rally the rural poor and other oppressed masses. It will create the foundation for a mass movement aimed at establishing a government of workers and peasants, committed to socialist policies.

The fight for this program is part of a broader struggle for socialism in South Asia and internationally, which must be waged through a united movement of the working class globally.

The potential for such an independent movement of the working class has been clearly demonstrated in the powerful intervention of the working class in popular uprising in Sri Lanka. This includes the massive general strikes on April 28, May 6 and May 10, in which millions participated.

The struggle of workers in Sri Lanka is part of an upsurge of the working class throughout the world. The international airline industry has been affected by strikes in recent weeks, following the strike of 50,000 British rail workers struck. From Latin America to Asia, and from Europe to the United States, educators, auto workers, transportation workers, health care workers and all sections of the working class are entering into struggle against soaring prices, exploitation and inequality.

We urge workers and youth to join the SEP to and take up this struggle for a socialist program and perspective.
The German parliament is planning to pass a package of laws this week giving energy companies billions in aid from the state treasury but this will mean financial ruin and cold homes for working class families. The government introduced the legislation on Tuesday and is thus passing on the costs of the proxy war that NATO is waging against Russia in Ukraine to the general population.

The Bierwang gas storage facility belonging to energy company Uniper in Unterreit near Munich (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

On May 21, the Energy Security Act, originally ratified in 1975 in response to the oil crisis at the time, was renewed. The new version allows energy companies to pass on price increases along the supply chain to end customers, even if they have committed themselves to fixed prices in long-term contracts. They must only announce the increase one week in advance. The prerequisite is that the Federal Network AgencyGermanys regulatory office for electricity, gas, telecommunications, post and railway marketsinvokes the second or third stage of the emergency gas plan.

The new laws go even further. They provide for the introduction of a levy, with which the price increases of particularly hard-hit companies can also be passed on to the gas customers of all other companies. The levy is in addition to the price increases that are already expected.

The increase in heating and gas costs that will result will be unbearable. About one in two homes in Germany is heated using gas. Last year, about 30 percent of all gas in Germany was consumed by private households. Many consumers will be shocked when they get a letter from their energy supplier, Klaus Muller, President of the Federal Network Agency, told Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers. He spoke of a possible tripling of prices.

Udo Sieverding of the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Centre has also cited this figure, saying, We assume that gas prices could triple compared to pre-crisis levels. Many suppliers had already raised tariffs for private consumers: from six or seven cents per kilowatt hour to an average of about 13 cents, and for new customers even to 20 to 25 cents, he said.

And prices are continuing to rise. Prices are already high, and we have to be prepared for further increases, said Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).

This will result in an additional annual burden of several hundred or thousand euros per household. According to the Verivox consumer comparison website, an average household with an annual consumption of 20,000 kilowatt hours paid just under 1,200 for gas a year ago. If the price tripled, this would result in an additional annual burden of 2,400. In contrast, the governments one-time flat rate energy payment of 300 to private households, with which it wants to compensate for the cost increase in September, is a joke.

While private consumers at the end of the supply chain will have to bear the full burden of the price increases, distressed energy companies will be supported by a rescue package worth billions. Under the new laws, they will be propped uplike the banks in the financial crisis and companies like Lufthansa in the pandemicwith generous state loans and equity investments.

The Dusseldorf-based Uniper Group alone, Germanys largest gas importer, is currently negotiating a rescue package worth 9 billion with the German government.

Uniper is in trouble because gas deliveries from Russia have failed to materialise. Since mid-June, only 40 percent of the possible volume has flowed through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline becauseaccording to Gazproma Siemens turbine that was being serviced in Canada fell victim to anti-Russian sanctions. Starting next Monday, the pipeline will be out of action while being serviced for 10 days and there are doubts whether it will resume operations after that.

To fulfill its supply contracts, Uniper has been forced to buy gas on the spot markets. Prices there have exploded; with speculators making a fortune. On the Dutch TTF trading exchange, a megawatt hour currently costs over 170. In the past, long-term contracts were concluded at 20 to 30.

But instead of drying up the speculation, the German government is fuelling it by providing billions in subsidies to the energy companies and enacting new laws to pass on the costs to end consumers. Tackling speculation would require close international coordination. But this is strictly rejected by the governments of the imperialist powers. While they spare no effort to intensify the war against Russia, the speculators profits are sacrosanct.

Many working class families will freeze this coming winter simply because they can no longer pay their gas and heating bills. But the new laws also provide for coercive measures to curb the heating supply. They give the government new powers to prescribe the saving and reduction of consumption of coal, oil and gas by legal decree.

The Suddeutsche Zeitung reports that a housing cooperative in Dippoldiswalde, Saxony, has already announced the rationing of hot water to its tenants. At night, in the morning and in the early evening, water is only available cold. This is a small foretaste of the coming winterthe time for which the government is also feverishly making preparations, the newspaper comments.

Contrary to official propaganda, the current energy crisis is a consequence of the governments policies. It is the price being imposed on the population to intensify the war against Russia and for Germany to once again become the leading military power in Europe.

Since German corporations and the government of the Soviet Union signed the Natural Gas Pipe Contract on February 1, 1970, the Soviet Union, and later Russia, has always reliably supplied the agreed quantities of gas throughout all economic and political crises. But in recent years, this has been sabotaged more and more openly by the German side in order to expand its own military and economic influence in Eastern Europe.

Now the gas flow from Russia is threatening to come to a complete standstillwith catastrophic economic consequences. Not only would private households and countless small businesses be affected because they can no longer afford the energy prices, but there is also the threat of a deep recession taking off.

The head of the Bavarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Klaus Josef Lutz, sees entire industries and domestic production of basic foodstuffs in danger due to the current economic war. If we dont have the appropriate gas supply, we may not only be talking about short-time working, but also unemployment, he warned.

Bavarian state Premier Markus Soder spoke of needing emergency energy and gas measures for our state. And the Bavarian Business Association predicts losses in German economic output of 12.7 percent in the event of a halt in Russian gas supplies.

But this will not stop either the federal coalition government of the Social Democrats (SPD), Liberal Democrats (FDP) and Greens, or the Christian Democratic (CDU/CSU) opposition from further intensifying the confrontational course against Russia. They all see Russias reactionary attack on Ukraine, deliberately provoked by NATO, as a welcome opportunity to put their great power and militarist plans, long cherished, into practice. To this end, they are also declaring war on the working class in their own country.
President Joe Biden took the unusual step Tuesday of awarding the top US military medal, the Congressional Medal of Honor, to four Vietnam veterans who have already received multiple awards for their military actions, and one of whom has been dead since 1967. All of the actions for which honors were distributed took place more than a half century ago, and two of the surviving recipients are in their 80s.

US soldiers during Operation Thayer II search a village in Binh Dinh province

In order of the dates of the combat engagements for which they were honored, the four are:

Edward N. Kaneshiro: His platoon entered Phu Huu 2 village in Binh Dinh province on December 1, 1966 and came under fire from National Liberation Front (NLF) forces. The platoon commander was killed in the initial ambush, but Kaneshiro was able to suppress the initial attack with hand grenades and rifle fire and ultimately succeeded in extracting his unit. Three months later, Kaneshiro was killed in combat.

Dwight Birdwell: The tank soldier received the medal for actions on January 31, 1968, near the Saigon airport, on the first day of the Tet Offensive, the nationwide surprise attack launched by the NLF. After his tank commander was wounded and put out of action, Birdwell kept firing until his ammunition was exhausted, then continued firing with machine guns, while assisting the rescue of the wounded. He was repeatedly decorated for his actions. After the war he went to law school, became a judge in the Cherokee Nation legal system, and at one point was the tribes chief justice.

Dennis Fujii: The crew chief on a helicopter ambulance was shot down February 18, 1971 in Laos while evacuating wounded soldiers of the South Vietnamese army (ARVN). Another helicopter took all the survivors except Fujii, and he remained behind for four more days to treat the wounded, under constant fire, until he was rescued. This took place during the disastrous South Vietnamese invasion of Laos in February-March 1971, an operation designed to prove that ARVN had become a fighting force capable of independent action. Instead it proved the oppositethe ARVN, riddled by corruption and hated by the Vietnamese people, was incapable of standing up to the North Vietnamese and NLF forces without saturation US bombing and other support.

John J. Duffy: He was a forward air controller, responsible for calling in air strikes on exposed US and ARVN military positions, a role that made him a key target for Vietnamese snipers. His cited actions took place during a battle April 14-15, 1972, when his commander had been killed and his command post destroyed. The 84-year-old Duffy had a long military career in the Special Forces, deployed to Vietnam four times and collected 64 decorations and medals, including 29 combat-related. He hardly needed another.

It is worth investigating the background to at least one of the awards to see what it is that the current US president is honoring and what that honor suggests about the future engagements into which the Pentagon will be dispatching millions of young Americans, mostly drawn from the working class.

Edward Kaneshiros platoon of the 1st Air Cavalry was engaged in a search-and-destroy mission, part of Operation Thayer II, described as a follow-on operation to Operation Thayer, launched in September 1966, part of what the Army called the Binh Dinh Province Pacification Campaign. According to the official military history, the aim was to clean up, once and for all, all regular PAVN/VC units in the area as well as uprooting the long established VC infrastructure. (The initials refer to the official US military terminology for the enemy: PAVN is Peoples Army of Viet Nam, the North Vietnamese military, while VC is Viet Cong, the US term for the National Liberation Front).

Binh Dinh, a province on the central coast region of southern Vietnam, was the site of a September 3, 1966, National Liberation Front mortar attack on the 1st Air Cavalry headquarters at Camp Radcliff, which destroyed or damaged 77 out of the 400 helicopters at the base. At the time, Camp Radcliff was the largest helicopter base in the world, and the devastating NLF attack was an acute embarrassment to the Pentagon and the administration of President Lyndon Johnson. The pacification campaign was the US response.

According to the Wikipedia description of Operation Thayer:

The operation was hampered by heavy monsoon rains which impacted both American and PAVN/VC forces. In early December the decision was taken to empty the Kim Son Valley of its non-combatants and declare it a free fire zone in which any unidentified person was considered to be a combatant and unrestricted artillery and air strikes were permitted. About 1,100 people were forced or enabled to leave the valley. Many others chose to stay, either because they were VC loyalists or refused to abandon their homes and land Operations Thayer, Irving, and Thayer II displaced a large number of people in Binh inh Province. At the end of 1966, the province had 85 refugee camps with a reported population of 129,202. Additional people displaced by the war crowded into towns and villages or lived as squatters along Highway 1. About one-third of the 875,000 people of Binh inh were displaced in 1966 by the war. In some instances the displacement of people by the U.S. and South Vietnam was deliberate, forcing people to leave the Kim Son and An Lao valleys and declaring them free fire zones. While the U.S. portrayed the refugee movement as people fleeing communism, U.S. Department of Defense studies showed that the most important cause of refugees was US and South Vietnamese bombing and artillery fire, in conjunction with ground operations.

A Marine Corps report later concluded, The influx [of refugees] has had the favorable effect of denying the VC a needed labor and agricultural force, and of decreasing the manpower base from which to impress recruits.

An excellent source of information on such operations is the Winter Soldier Investigation into US war crimes in Vietnam, one of which took testimony from former soldiers in Detroit, Michigan, on January 31, 1971. Ex-soldier James Mackay served in the headquarters of the 1st Air Cavalry a few years after Operation Thayer II, when the unit had been deployed to another region of Vietnam, close to the border with Cambodia. He described his experiences between August and December 1970.

During this time our helicopters, our Cobra gunships, and small observation helicopters would go out on search and destroy missions more or less where they'd go out and they'd shoot anything, any structures they saw. They'd shoot all structures; they'd shoot all people, be they men, women, or childrenold men, children, whether they had arms or not. They'd shoot all livestock, destroy all food. They'd destroy everything they saw that was man-made.

These operations were typical of the barbaric attacks on the rural population that were a staple of the US occupation of southern Vietnam from 1965 to 1972. One hideous instance of such attacks was the infamous My Lai massacre of March 1968, which took place in Song My village in Quang Ngai province, the province immediately to the north of Binh Dinh on the central coast. (In postwar Vietnam, the two provinces have been combined as a larger unit called Nghia Dinh province.)

Both provinces were considered strongholds of the NLF, in part because the central highlands are so close to the coast in that region, and the guerrilla forces could easily retreat from the coastal lowlands to terrain where it was more difficult for the American forces to follow them and find them. Ambushes like that experienced by Edward Kaneshiros platoon were one of the most frequent causes of US casualties in the war.

Bidens effort to portray the war in Vietnam as a noble cause, to defend our nation and our values, is a travesty. Vietnam was 8,000 miles from the United States. No Vietnamese was engaged in threatening the United States, and most Americans had never heard of Vietnam before the Kennedy administration began the US intervention in that countrys civil war.

Nearly 60,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam, compared to at least two million Vietnamese. Of the Americans, one third were actual draftees, while many others were National Guard and Reserve soldiers or volunteers who joined a specific military service rather than be drafted and take their chances on what the Pentagon would choose to do with them.

Biden chose to honor the four Vietnam veterans, and through them, rehabilitate the war itself, only a few weeks after he signed a massive spending bill bringing total US military and economic aid to Ukraine to more than $60 billion. The United States and its NATO allies are for all intents and purposes at war with Russia, in a conflict whose escalation could well lead to direct combat between US and Russian troops. This war will continue, according to Biden, as long as it takes.

Under such conditions, the White House feels it necessary to bury the collective memory of the Vietnam War, and particularly the mass popular opposition to the innumerable crimes of American imperialism which were exposed at that time. Instead, the Vietnam War is being treated as one more example of the nobility and heroism of Americas military operations overseas.
Conservative Party efforts to force Boris Johnson to give way immediately to a caretaker prime minister, likely his deputy Dominic Raab, are an attempt to placate public anger while a new and even more right-wing government is prepared.

This palace coup is being aided and abetted by Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party, functioning as a loyal opposition tasked with preventing any independent intervention by the working class.

The demand for Johnsons immediate removal has receded in part because it became associated with Tory pro-Remainers such as party grandees John Major and Michael Heseltine, who explicitly linked Johnsons immediate ouster to recalibrating Britains relationship with the European Union. But the decisive calculation among party leaders was that moving now might worsen governmental instability while a succession is fought out.

Speaking to the BBCs Today programme, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the backbench 1922 Committee, said of a caretaker option, that ship has sailed. Johnson loyalist and new education secretary James Cleverly told Sky News, If we can achieve [a leadership contest] within weeks rather than within months, then I think we have to focus on that.

The prime ministers representatives also promised he would not make any significant fiscal changes while acting in a de-facto caretaker role.

There could still be a shift, but the focus of top Tory MPs is on securing their own positions and preparing the party to take on the working class at home and to pursue NATOs proxy war with Russia in Ukraine more aggressively.

The entire gamut of potential candidates is in favour of cutting taxes and government spending, which demands savage austerity, combined with support for greater military spending to take on both Russia and China.

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, together with former education secretary Sajid Javid, precipitated Johnsons downfall by resigning their cabinet posts.

Sunak embodies the Tories role as the party of the oligarchy. A multimillionaire, his wife is Akshata Murty, daughter of N. R. Narayana Murthy of Indian multi-national IT company Infosys, and is worth an estimated 690 million, twice as much as the queen.

Sunak announced his leadership bid with a glossy video titled Get ready for Rishi, which blathers on about his supposedly humble origins and commitment to opportunities for everyone. But his self-proclaimed differences with Johnson are that his populist streak has prevented the necessary clampdown on social spending and wages.

Just how right-wing Johnsons potential replacements are can be gleaned from Tom Tugendhat. The one-nation Tory announced his candidacy this morning with an op-ed in the Telegraph insisting that, Taxes, bluntly, are too high and there is an emerging consensus across the party that they must come down.

Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign affairs Committee, is one of several military figures standing for election who are among the most frothing in a party of warmongers. He wrote, I have served before  in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister. This military allusion is to his serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan, which he argued Britain should never have withdrawn from.

In February, Tugendhat said all Russians should be expelled from the UK, declaring, We can freeze Russian assets in this country, all of them. We can expel Russian citizens, all of them... We can make a choice to defend our interests, to defend the British people, and to defend our international partners.

Just ahead of Sunak, the favourite to replace Johnson is Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who became a captain in the Scots Guards after his patrol captured an IRA unit attempting to carry out a bomb attack against British troops.

As Defence Secretary, Wallace also criticised the US for forcing the UK to quit Afghanistan and presided over a comprehensive defence review designed to prepare the UK for war against Russia and China. He denounced negotiations with Russia over Ukraine as appeasement, warning President Vladimir Putin of what could be a very, very bloody war.

Last month, he stood alongside the new head of the British Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, as he insisted that Britain faced its 1937 moment, two years before the outbreak of world war, before insisting, The British Army must be prepared to engage in warfare at its most violent in a direct fight for NATO territory.

Austerity and war demands the ruthless repression of the working class. On Monday, even amid the chaos of a leadership contest, the government is pressing ahead with legislation allowing the use of agency workers as scabs, aimed at breaking strikes on the rail and in other key industries and services.

The Tories offensive will provoke mass opposition. The Daily Telegraph warned Friday that the new prime ministers in-tray will be fraught with danger When Boris Johnsons successor finally enters Number 10which could be as late as September or Octoberthey may find themselves facing a possible winter of discontent.

It is in recognition of the threat posed by an escalation of the class struggle that Starmer has said he will table a motion of no confidence next week and that he is ready for a snap general election if one is called.

Starmer addressed the media today after being cleared by Durham Police of breaking lockdown rules when he and his deputy Angela Rayner had a beer and curry gathering with party activists during election campaigning on April 11, 2021. The police judged the gathering was reasonably necessary for work. Starmer boasted that their pledge to resign if fined showed the integrity needed to restore faith and change peoples minds about politics.

Britain deserves that fresh start, that can only come with a change of government, he said.

Asked whether he thought the answer to the chaos and instability now is a general election, he replied that stability was his goal. The Tory Party was tearing itself apart, while the Labour Party is united and wants to press on with a plan for Britain. He would not, he stressed, form an alliance with the Scottish National Party, which wants to break up the United Kingdom, but did not rule out an alliance with the Liberal Democrats.

Both he and Rayner again said that Labours plan for a no confidence vote was to uphold the national interest, designed to encourage Johnsons swift removal by the Tories who had a duty to do the right thing.

Starmer has spent months making clear what Labours plans for government would be, should efforts to keep a retooled Tory Party in office fail. Its economic policies would be near identical and its commitment to war unshakable.

Labours essential task would be to prevent the social explosion warned of by the Telegraph. Starmer, Lammy and other Labour leaders have denounced recent strikes against the Tories and Starmer has threatened to discipline any MP who attends a picket line.

The essential task facing workers is to wage the struggle against the Tory government as a politically conscious fight for socialism. This means defeating the efforts of the Labourites and their allies in the trade union bureaucracy to isolate and demobilise strikes and threatened industrial action by workers on the rail, NHS, post offices, BT, and among teachers, civil servants and council workers, raising the demand for a general strike to bring down the Tories.

To wage this fight means developing independent organisations of class struggle, rank-and-file committees in every workplace and neighbourhood, to coordinate united action to guarantee a living wage for all, defend social services and oppose NATOs escalating war against Russia that is spiralling into a world war.
Ontario Ministry of Labour inspectors visited National Steel Cars (NSC) Hamilton plant an incredible 221 times in the five years from June 1, 2017, to June 9, 2022, for proactive inspections and in response to accidents and worker complaints about health and safety issues.

This revelation came less than a month after 51-year-old welder Quoc Le was crushed to death at the NSC facility on June 6, when a 2,000-pound bulkhead fell on him.

The third fatality at National Steel Car's Hamilton plant in 21 months, Quoc Le leaves a spouse and one child.

The never-ending series of inspections, which cover a period when first the Liberals under Kathleen Wynne and then Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservatives formed Ontarios government, equates to an inspector being on site at National Steel Cars Hamilton plant almost once per week. Inspections became even more frequent in the year prior to Les death, with 75 visits made between June 2021 and June 2022, resulting in 78 orders to the company.

Yet all these visits did nothing to prevent the death of three workers at the NSC facility within the past 22 months. In addition to Le, 51-year-old crane operator Fraser Cowan lost his life on September 2, 2020, when a safety device improperly attached to the crane he was driving fell off. On April 23, 2021, 35-year-old Collin Grayley was crushed to death by a manlift pinning him against an object after he tried to singlehandedly complete a job that was previously considered a two-man operation. On the same day as Grayleys death, the plant was forced to close for two weeks due to a massive COVID-19 outbreak that infected over 400 workers.

The hundreds of inspections and dozens of orders issued to National Steel Car underscore that the multi-million-dollar company, which produces rail cars for freight and passenger trains, treats its workers like disposable commodities. Fines or orders issued by the government are treated as the cost of doing business under conditions in which the company knows full well that no further consequences will follow.

June 9 worker protest at National Steel Car's Hamilton plant (Photo Credit: Hamilton and District Labour Council)

The events in recent years at NSCs Hamilton plant demonstrate the worthlessness of labour regulations in Canada. Successive governments, irrespective of their political stripes, have gutted workplace regulations and presided over a broken occupational health and safety system that has nothing to offer workers when companies like NSC turn workplaces into death traps. This process has intensified under Fords Progressive Conservatives, who have rolled back funding for labour inspections and slashed provincial inspection regimes in key areas, including long-term care.

During the pandemic, the Ford government arbitrarily designated wide swathes of the economy as essential to ensure that manufacturing and other industrial operations could continue churning out profits while workers and their relatives got infected and died. With the support of the federal Liberals and the trade unions, the Ford government enforced a back-to-work/back-to-school policy that has now culminated in the removal of all public health protections amid a surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the Omicron BA.5 variant.

For decades, National Steel Car has been notorious for its contemptuous attitude to the health and safety of its workers, yet virtually nothing has been done about it.

In 1980 Andre Robilliards legs were badly burned in a flash fire caused by his cutting-torch igniting paint fumes. NSC was fined $20,000 in part because his accident fit a pattern of disregard for safety. In the six years before Robilliards accident, NSC had been convicted three times for failing to isolate dangerous gases and suspended particles from potential sources of ignition.

In 1994, NSC was fined $60,000 after two workers were injured. Charges were laid again in 1995 following another workplace injury. In 1997, a brakeman was crushed by a rail car and sent to hospital with a punctured lung and broken ribs. Only a few weeks before, a 13-tonne roof caved in on a rail car moments after workers left for a coffee break.

National Steel Car was fined $25,000 for an incident in 1997 in which the company interfered with an accident scene. An employee had been helping to dismantle a scaffold when he fell from a platform and suffered a fracture to his arm. The Ontario Court of Justice found that after the accident equipment was removed and other equipment placed on the platform where the injured worker was working.

On September 19, 2004, a worker was killed while welding the sides of a gondola car together when a spacer bar failed and struck the worker on the head causing fatal blunt force trauma. National Steel Car was fined $200,000 for failing to take every reasonable precaution in the circumstances for the protection of a worker, contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

On March 9, 2006, a worker was applying decals to car sides, while running boardslarge pieces of latticed steelwere moving overhead on a jig. One running board fell from the jig and struck the worker below, severely injuring the workers hands, leg and foot. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that while overhead protection was present, there was still sufficient room for the running board to fall through and strike the worker below. National Steel Car Ltd. was fined $50,000 for failing, as an employer, to ensure the measures and procedures prescribed in the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

On December 19, 2011, a worker was helping a press operator on a hydraulic press when his arm got caught in the machine resulting in a permanent injury. The two workers involved in the incident did not receive proper training and they were not provided with specific instructions relating to the press. NSC received a $140,000 fine for failing to fulfill its obligation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to provide a worker with the requisite information, instruction and supervision to protect their health and safety.

Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton has held the cabinet post in Doug Fords Progressive Conservative government since June 2019. He was thus the minister responsible as three deaths occurred at National Steel Car in quick succession over 21 months, between September 2020 and June 2021. Throughout this springs provincial election campaign, and even now as he ignores the situation at NSC, McNaughton has regularly tweeted about his glad-handing with union bureaucrats using the outrageous hashtag #WorkingForWorkers.

The Ford government is only outdone in its cynicism towards the fate of the NSC workers by the United Steelworkers (USW). If ever there was a time and a place for the union to invoke a mass work refusal under OHSA, National Steel Cars Hamilton plant would be it. But such action, even though workers would be entirely within their legal rights to take it, could only be undertaken by an organization focused on defending workers health and safety, not the preservation of its corporatist ties with the Ford government and big business.

All that the USW has mustered in response to the three deaths at NSC are letters politely addressed to Dear Hon. Minister McNaughton, pathetically pleading for a face-to-face meeting with the man who has overseen the NSC death trap for the past three years.

In one of his latest letters, written the day after Les death, USW Ontario and Atlantic Director Miles Sullivan failed even to call upon the government to take any immediate action. Appealing to McNaughton to treat this situation with the seriousness it requires, Sullivans letter concluded with a plea for a meeting at the earliest possible opportunity to discuss what steps can be taken right away to avert any further tragedies at this workplace.

It is a glaring example of just how deeply the United Steel Workers are integrated into the state-corporate apparatus that the best this senior union official can muster is a polite and deferential bureaucratic response to the killing of one of its own members and at a workplace known to be an industrial slaughterhouse. Indeed, according to Sullivan himself, National Steel Car has the worst health and safety record of any workplace in Ontario.

Workers know only too well that the USWs appeals to the government to do the right thing are akin to asking the fox to guard the henhouse and will fall on deaf ears.

There are 1,400 USW members across National Steel Cars operations, including 600 at the Hamilton plant, who could put an end to the dangerous working conditions by downing tools en masse and refusing to resume work until the necessary safety measures are implemented under the supervision of a rank-and-file factory committee. But the USW bureaucracy views the prospect of workers taking collective action in opposition to its corporatist partnership with NSC management, big business and the provincial and federal governments as more terrifying than the deaths of workers on the shop floor.

NSC workers must take the defence of their health and safety into their own hands by establishing a rank-and-file committee to fight, and fight now, for the safety measures workers urgently need. This should include a direct appeal for support to manufacturing workers across Ontario, Canada, and internationally, who confront the same dangerous working conditions due to the capitalists prioritization of corporate profits and competitiveness over workers well-being and their very lives.
Under the direction of Australias Labor government, the Energy Security Board (ESB) is drawing up plans for a capacity mechanism, supposedly to ensure the generation of electricity in periods of high demands and prevent blackouts, such as those threatened last month.

In reality, the mechanism will primarily operate to shield the corporate and financial entities that own and control Australias energy industry from any losses, serving as yet another means to transfer billions of dollars into company coffers.

Eraring coal-fired power station on the shores of Lake Macquarie, southeast of Newcastle, NSW. (Wikimedia Commons)

Under the scheme the generating companies would be paid not just for the electricity they actually provide to the national grid but for ensuring capacity, that is for agreeing to have the means to generate electricity on standby.

The plan could see massive sums of money flow to coal and gas generating companies that are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions but can fire up power stations in a matter of hours. Hydro generators and renewable energy companies, also could be eligible for massive payments.

Such a pro-business mechanism had been discussed under the former Liberal-National Coalition government but a draft plan was fast tracked at a meeting called by federal Labor Energy Minister Chris Bowen with state and territory energy ministers last month. It instructed the EBS to deliver its recommendations on the scheme by the end of this year.

Asked at a press conference following the meeting, do you support coal being included in the funding? Bowen gave a convoluted response that avoided ruling out payments to coal generators under the scheme. I support it supporting new technologies, so particularly storage technologies and renewables, he said. But, of course, its designed to improve the capacity in the system.

While some states, such as Victoria, have ruled out capacity payments to coal and gas generators, during demand upsurges they would draw on electricity produced by such generating facilities in other states.

Bowens response exposes the fraud of Labors supposed commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent from a 2005 baseline by 2030, a reduction that is itself wholly inadequate to halt climate change.

Events last month highlighted the potentially catastrophic failure of Australias energy market. Blackouts loomed across several states when electricity-generating companies deliberately withdrew available energy from the market in a calculated bid to access multi-million dollar compensation payments.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), the industry regulator, initially imposed temporary price control caps of $300 per megawatt-hour (MWh) as wholesale electricity prices soared, averaging more than $675 per MWh, amid sky-rocketing global gas and coal prices.

The generators wanted to force AEMO to instruct them to make capacity available to the grid. That would entitle them to much higher handouts under the National Electricity Rules than they would qualify for by incurring alleged losses for operating under the $300 MWh cap.

At the press conference, Bowen referred fleetingly to the crisis produced by the withholding of supply but made not even the mildest condemnation of the predatory operation of the generating companies, which threatened to cut power to millions of households and vital services such as hospitals.

Instead Bowen said he and the state and territory energy ministers had agreed to work to enhance the powers of the industry regulators to ensure that they have full transparency and ensure that all behaviour is in the best interests of the market and consumers at all times.

Such declarations are a smokescreen designed to cover up what was made all too apparent in last months energy crisis: The market operates in the interests of the corporate elite, not that of the millions of ordinary consumers.

In fact, the companies, such as Origin Energy, AGL and EnergyAustralia, sent a clear message that they would thwart any regulatory measures, like AMEOs temporary price controls, that in any way impinged on their drive for profits.

AEMO had to temporarily suspend the spot market for wholesale electricity for the first time since 1998. According to the Australian Financial Review, that move alone resulted in AEMO compensating power companies to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Based on AEMO data, payments could total $1.5 billion for market interventions made before and during the suspension. This will be recouped through increased consumer electricity charges, which charity organisation St Vincent de Paul Society estimates could average $70 per bill.

However, better-off consumers with solar and energy-efficient appliances are likely to pay significantly less than renters and homeowners without such assets.

Such pro-business proposals as the capacity mechanism are in line with Labors decades-long role in facilitating the privatisation of the power industry.

This began in the 1990s under the Keating Labor government, which initiated the selling off of generation, distribution and retailing of electricity to lay the foundations for the National Electricity Market, which became operational in 1998. The process accelerated under the Gillard Labor governments 2012 Energy White Paper, which demanded that state governments privatise their remaining electricity assets.

This offensive was facilitated at every step by the trade unions. They worked to divert the widespread popular opposition that continually erupted, including among power workers, into limited protest activity and bankrupt appeals to governments to change course.

The energy crisis in Australia mirrors that around the globe where the operation of such vital facilities has been privatised or corporatised and deregulated to provide a bonanza to corporate operators and financial investors.

In February last year, the US state of Texas suffered extensive power blackouts, leading to the loss of clean water for half the states population and multiple deaths. In 2018, Argentina experienced the most severe blackout in its history due to decades of neglect, despite massive subsidies to energy companies to supposedly maintain and improve the infrastructure.

Such developments demonstrate that vital assets such as power generation and distribution cannot be left in the hands of capitalist companies intent only on profit. Nor can any faith be placed in governments, like Labor, that serve their interests.

The threat of power shortages that impact directly on the life and wellbeing of tens of millions of people can be answered only by the working class in a conscious struggle to reorganise society to meet social need, not private profits.

This requires the building of a network of rank-and-file workplace and community committees, totally independent of the unions, to organise the fight for workers governments that will place the power industry, along with all essential utilities and the banks, under public ownership and democratic workers control.

The removal of the profit motive would create the conditions for scientific planning to address climate change, make a rationally-organised transition to renewable energy and develop the necessary infrastructure for the reliable provision of energy under all conditions.
For nearly a week, the working class city of Akron, located in northeast Ohio, has been turned into an effective police state by Democratic Mayor Dan Horrigan, following the release of police body camera footage showing the brutal and criminal police murder of Jayland Walker in a hail of bullets on June 27.

Akron police in riot gear arresting Jacob Blake Sr. Wednesday night. [Photo by Cortez Rice]

The ongoing police assault against the democratic rights of Akron residents continued on Thursday after Horrigan, in close coordination with the fascistic Akron Police department and the FBI, reimposed a nightly curfew for downtown Akron.

The mayor and the entire US ruling class are terrified that the brutal character of Walkers killing, caught on police body cameras, will ignite a social explosion similar to the nationwide and international protests that followed in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd in 2020.

Walkers death, like Floyds before him and the over 1,000 who are killed by police in the US every year, exposes the fallacy that the police, funded generously by the Democratic and Republican Parties alike, exist to protect the entire population and ensure general tranquility. The police impose capitalist law and order through lethal violence. They are given immense powers and protections by the state to kill with almost complete impunity all those who might threaten capitalist rule.

The new indefinite curfew imposed by Horrigan began at 10 p.m. Thursday and encompasses the downtown core, which includes the police station, two major hospitals, a public park and the citys largest homeless shelters. Prior to the start of the curfew, dozens of protesters gathered outside the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center. However, none were outside once the curfew began.

At 10 p.m., only police and a few media members were outside the police station. But as Molly Walsh for the Akron Beacon Journal reported, beyond the curfew zone, protesters had gathered outside the home of Charlie Brown, the deputy mayor for public safety. One protester interviewed by Walsh said that they were protesting outside Browns home because this is a charge against every city official that doesnt do everything in their power to release the names of the officers, relieve them of their jobs, without pay we demand that they are charged for these crimes and we demand justice for Jayland Walker.

Social media video posted Thursday evening confirms that police have continued to harass protesters outside the curfew zone.

Protests against police violence began in Akrona city of 200,000 approximately 40 miles south of ClevelandWednesday, June 29 and have been ongoing ever since. Protests have also been held throughout the United States. In the last week, protests in support of Walker were held in Columbus, Ohio; Washington D.C. and New York City, with more planned for this weekend.

Despite the release of police body camera footage on Sunday showing that the cops not only killed Walker, who was unarmed, but continued to unload rounds into his body well after he had collapsed on the pavement, anti-police violence protests in Akron and throughout the country have been overwhelmingly peaceful.

The same cannot be said for the Akron Police Department. Just before July 4, Mayor Horrigan imposed the first curfew, after previously cancelling Fourth of July celebrations. In his statement announcing a state of emergency and imposition of the curfew, Horrigan slandered protesters as violent, giving the Akron Police Department, teeming with fascists and racists, a blank check to preserve peace in our community.

Since Sunday night, the police have engaged in nightly attacks on small groups of protesters and even journalists. Riot police have not only beaten protesters, but have deliberately targeted them with tear gas rounds, which, in addition to containing chemicals that can induce an abortion, are fired at high velocity and can be lethal.

Dozens of protesters have been injured and over 55 have been arrested on bogus charges of rioting and disorderly conduct for allegedly violating the curfew and police directives. In the last 48 hours, protesters who were arbitrarily detained have given interviews on conditions inside the citys jails, describing violent police menacing them with shotguns as they remained chained by their wrists and ankles, while at the same time being denied medical care.

Among those placed in handcuffs and assaulted by police Wednesday evening were Jacob Blake Sr., the father of Jacob Blake Jr., who was shot in the back seven times in August 2020 by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer, leaving him paralyzed. The officer who shot Blake was investigated by the state of Wisconsin and cleared of any wrongdoing. He is currently back on patrol.

The shooting of Blake Jr. led to multi-day, multiracial anti-police violence protests in Kenosha. Like in Akron, in response to demands from the working class community for police accountability, the Democratic mayor of Kenosha brought in extra police forces and imposed a curfew.

The Kenosha police, along with state police and federal agents, permitted fascistic militia groups to descend on the city, violate the curfew and assault protesters. This created the conditions for ardent Trump supporter and honorary Proud Boy Kyle Rittenhouse to travel from Illinois, enter the city and shoot three anti-police violence protesters, killing two.

In his trial last year, Rittenhouse was acquitted on all charges after the pro-Trump judge overseeing the trial forbade any testimony and evidence that would point to the political nature of the killings or Rittenhouses association with fascist militia groups.

While Rittenhouse is free, Blake Sr. has a warrant for his arrest. Despite the fact that Blake Sr. suffers from a disability and was on the sidewalk during Wednesdays protest, police violently arrested him, causing him to suffer a seizure and become unresponsive.

Blake Sr. was transported to the emergency room of Akron General Hospital Wednesday night. The hospital was put on lockdown by the police, who refused to let any of Blakes associates inside. For several hours Wednesday night, Blakes condition was unknown to friends and family.

Another anti-police violence protester arrested Wednesday night by the Akron police was Bianca Rice, aunt of Breonna Taylor. Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American emergency room technician, was murdered in her apartment by three Louisville, Kentucky police in March 2020. The police conducted a no-knock raid on her apartment and shot her in her sleep. None of the police who murdered her were ever charged in her killing.

Blake Sr. was charged with riot, resisting arrest, failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. Rice is facing the same charges, minus the resisting arrest charge.

None of the cops who murdered Jayland Walker have been arrested or even identified.
Discussion on the extension of COVID-19 IP waiver

At MC12, trade ministers adopted the Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement, which gives members greater scope to take direct action to diversify production of COVID-19 vaccines and to override the exclusive effect of patents through a targeted waiver over the next five years. It addresses specific problems identified during the pandemic and aims to help diversify vaccine production capacity. It also contains a commitment that no later than six months from the date of the decision (17 June), members will decide on its possible extension to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics.

Many members took the floor to welcome the successful outcome at MC12, saying it proved that WTO members can put aside differences and work together to respond to the most urgent health challenges.

A group of developing members who support an extension of the waiver to cover COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics circulated a proposal at the meeting including an indicative timeline for the TRIPS Council's next steps in this regard.

These members argued that the waiver on COVID-19 vaccines falls short of their expectation and is not enough to help developing countries comprehensively address current and future health challenges. Equitable access to therapeutics and diagnostics, as pointed out by the World Health Organization (WHO), is critical in helping detect new cases and new variants. They said this waiver extension needs to be discussed with a sense of urgency given the fact that many least developed countries (LDCs) lack access to life-saving drugs and testing therapeutics.

Many developing countries supported the initiative. They highlighted the joint statement made by the three Director Generals of the WHO, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the WTO in June 2021 reaffirming their commitment to intensifying cooperation in support of access to medical technologies worldwide to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. There was also a shared view that the negotiation process for the waiver extension should be open, inclusive and transparent.

Other members cautioned that more time was needed to conduct domestic consultations on a possible extension of the waiver to therapeutics and diagnostics. Some members also flagged the importance of an evidence-based negotiation as there was no evidence that intellectual property did indeed constitute a barrier to accessing COVID-19 vaccines. Some also reiterated the need for members to fully make use of all the flexibilities that already exist in the TRIPS Agreement (including compulsory licensing) before requesting new flexibilities.

The chair, Ambassador Lansana Gberie (Sierra Leone), asked members that were ready to engage to commence discussing this matter in various configurations. He encouraged members to individually report on progress to the General Council meeting on 25-26 July while some members may need more time to deliberate on the matter, he noted. The chair will inform members how best to structure discussions on this matter going forward, he added.

Members also agreed to continue exchanges under the agenda item of IP and COVID-19 so that the TRIPS Council can keep abreast of new IP measures in relation to COVID-19 and share relevant experience. The Council also decided that the Secretariat will continue compiling and updating all COVID-related IP measures in its document COVID-19: Measures regarding Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights to serve as the basis for members' exchanges.

Members noted that this exercise is also in line with the Ministerial Declaration on the WTO Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics which provides for ongoing analysis of lessons learned and challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic within the relevant WTO bodies.

IP and innovation: IP licensing opportunities

Under an item on IP and Innovation which had been requested by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Hong Kong China, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, the United Kingdom and the United States, the co-sponsors presented their new submission with a focus on IP licensing opportunities (IP/C/W/691, circulated on 23 June).

The co-sponsors highlighted several major ways owners of IP assets can secure a broader reach for their products and services through licensing agreements, which enable IP owners to allow the licensee to make or sell the invention during the licence period. This includes licensing of patents, copyright, trademarks and know-how.

The proponents shared experiences on how to apply different licensing models and build up a friendly ecosystem to foster IP trading. To overcome the knowledge gap and complexity of implementing IP licensing, these countries have developed various toolkits to provide training, online guidelines, contract templates, legal services and dispute settlement so that small businesses and individuals can effectively participate in IP partnerships.

Members welcomed the discussion on IP innovation and IP licensing, with some sharing their domestic practices. WIPO introduced its recent activities in support of IP licensing, including the establishment of an IP and innovation ecosystems sector, the work of the WIPO arbitration and mediation centre, and guidance to help start-ups develop their IP strategy.

Non-violation and situation complaints

WTO members welcomed the decision adopted at MC12 to extend the moratorium on non-violation and situation complaints (NVSCs) under the TRIPS Agreement until the next Ministerial Conference (MC13). The decision tasked members to continue examining possible scope and modalities for NVSCs and to make recommendations to MC13.

This concerns the longstanding issue of whether members should have the right to bring dispute cases to the WTO if they consider that another member's action or a specific situation has deprived them of an expected benefit under the TRIPS Agreement, even if no specific TRIPS obligation has been violated.

This moratorium was originally set to last for five years (199599), but it has been extended a number of times since then in the absence of agreement by members on what the scope and modalities could look like if non-violation and situation complaints were to apply to the TRIPS Agreement.

At the meeting, several developing countries suggested continuing the examination of the scope and modalities of such complaints, with the aim of making it applicable to WTO dispute settlement. Some members backed the idea of seeking a permanent solution on this matter while others were concerned that allowing NVSC dispute complaints might jeopardize the flexibilities granted in the TRIPS Agreement.

More information on the TRIPS non-violation issue is available here.

Technical cooperation and capacity building

WIPO briefed the meeting on the WHO-WIPO-WTO COVID-19 Technical Assistance Platform, which offers a one-stop shop to help members and WTO accession candidates address their capacity building needs to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chair urged members to submit information on their activities in technical cooperation and capacity building as well as incentives for technology transfer by 12 September in preparation for the end-of-year annual review. Members are encouraged to use the online submission system (e-TRIPS) to make submissions.

Other matters

The European Free Trade Association was granted observer status for the next Council meeting.

Next meeting

The next TRIPS Council meeting is scheduled for 12-13 October 2022.
A Webb man is charged with capital murder in an early-morning shooting Thursday after being captured following a more than 11-hour manhunt involving more than 100 area law enforcement agents.

Benjamin Adam Nowell, 35, is being held without bond in the Houston County Jail.

The victim, Brittany Nicole Phillips, 29, of Ashford, died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head. Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza said deputies arrived about seven minutes after a 3:52 a.m. report of a shooting on Knowles Road outside Webb, and found Phillips shot outside a vehicle. Deputies performed CPR and Phillips was transported to the Southeast Health, where she died.

Valenza said Phillips had been at a party and was giving someone a ride home when Nowell, who had followed her, rammed her vehicle with his, and then pulled up beside her and shot her in the head. Valenza described the incident as a domestic situation, as the suspect and victim were in a relationship to some degree.

The murder weapon has not been recovered, and deputies are still actively working the case.

The lengthy manhunt was the largest Valenza has been involved with in his lengthy career, the sheriff said.

Valenza credits local media and the public for getting information out quickly, which resulted in several tips, leading to the capture of Nowell about 3:30 p.m. near the intersection of Henry County roads 11 and 22.

He also attributes the successful apprehension to the participation of multiple agencies, including K9 units from Jackson County, Florida, Sheriffs Office and air support from Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Local EMT units assisted in treating heat exhaustion in several officers.
Jameson has announced that professional Irish golfer, Shane Lowry, is to be the new brand ambassador, as they come together for a three-year global partnership.

Speaking at the launch, Shane Lowry said: I couldnt be happier than to be partnering with such an iconic Irish brand. We stand for the same things, and were both proud to represent Ireland on a global stage.

Wherever Ive travelled across the globe its the people Ive met and the stories shared, that have created some very special memories and friends that will last a lifetime, and of course every now and then weve shared a Jameson too.

Global marketing director at Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard, Brendan Buckley said: At Jameson, we pride ourselves on our partnerships and always look to work with likeminded people. Just like Shanes swing, Jameson is famous for its smoothness.
Visitors at the 'Yuendumu Doors' exhibition in HCMC. Photo courtesy of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam

Artworks created by the Yuendumu, an Aboriginal community in Australia, are on public display at a gallery in downtown HCMC until July 17.

The 'Yuendumu Doors' exhibition features 15 of 30 doors originally painted at the Yuendumu community school in central Australia in the early 1980s.

Elders of the Aboriginal Warlpiri people painted the doors in the early 1980s with stories from Dreaming, the Aboriginal belief system about the creation of the world.

"The doors are an important cultural and artistic collection in Australia," Sarah Hooper, Australia's Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, said at the exhibition's opening ceremony Wednesday, according to a statement by the Australian embassy.

She said the exhibition was a rare opportunity for Vietnamese citizens and residents to experience some of Australias extraordinary indigenous culture.

Aboriginal peoples are known to have lived in Australia for at least 65,000 years. Among the Aboriginal communities living in Central Australia, the Warlpiri people are one of the largest groups.

In the early 1980s, the need to preserve the Warlpiri people's traditions and cultural values for the younger generation and introduce them to the outside world became urgent.

To achieve this goal, a group of elderly Warlpiri people was invited to the Yuendumu community school in 1984 to paint Dreamtime stories on the classroom doors, ensuring that their descendants would always be in the background.

People looking at artworks on display at 'Yuendumu Doors' exhibition. Photo courtesy of Australian Embassy in Vietnam

The Warlpiri Aboriginal team painted 30 doors with unique motifs that represented Dreaming stories and explained their homeland, ancestry, and culture.

These paintings also marked the beginning of Warlpiri contemporary art, with the beauty of Aboriginal cultural art presented in a western art medium using bright color palettes.

After surviving the desert wind and sun for 12 years at Yuendumu school, the actual doors are now conserved and displayed at the South Australian Museum.

The international touring exhibition was developed by the South Australian Museum in partnership with the National Museum of Australia and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The exhibition is open to the public at Hai An bookstore's gallery at 2B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1.
The land lots that were auctioned for more than $1 billion in HCMC's Thu Thiem Peninsula on December 17, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

The HCMC Tax Department has seized a measly VND820,000 ($35) from the bank account of a property developer who won Vietnam's most expensive property auction.

The company, Dream Republic, failed to pay the money it owed for a land lot in HCMCs Thu Thiem Peninsula within the 180 days deadline, so the tax department seized its bank account to collect the debt.

But they found only VND820,000 there.

Another company, Sheen Mega, also failed to make similr payments in time and authorities found just VND40 million in its bank account.

Both companies owe a total of VND7.69 trillion ($329.2 million) for the land lots they won.

The figure does not include the combined payment delay fee of VND190.6 billion.

The auction of four land lots in Thu Thiem Peninsula, which took place in December last year, quickly made headlines at the time after one of the lots recorded a historic high price tag of VND2.4 billion ($104,000) per square meter.

But all four auction winners have failed to pay for their winning bids.

The Dream Republic, established in October 2017 with a charter capital of VND300 billion, does not seem to operate at its registered headquarters in HCMCs District 1. The buildings security guards said no such company was located there.

Sheen Mega, with a charter capital of VND500 billion, was established for less than two months before the auction date.

Receptionists at the headquarters of the company in District 1 said that its employees do not show up often and its leaders are almost never there.

The companys office phone numbers were unreachable.

The two other auction winners, Binh Minh and Ngoi Sao Viet (the latter a subsidiary of Tan Hoang Minh which has been accused of fraud), have cancelled their purchase contracts.

Tan Hoang Minh, a well-known Hanoi-based property developer with interests in luxury projects, has shut down all its offices nationwide to cut back on expenses as it seeks to refund investors after issuing VND10 trillion worth of bonds that government investigators declared fraudulent.

The company top leaders have been arrested.

HCMC tax authorities had collected a total of VND1.05 trillion from the four companies as of Thursday, including deposits they put down for the Thu Thiem auction.

However, this amounts to just 2.8 percent of the land lots' auction value, which is VND37.35 trillion ($1.6 billion).
The city's legislators passed a resolution on adjusting the use of infrastructure and public services at seaports in order to encourage inland waterway transportation and help businesses recover.

Starting August 1, the fee will be cut by half for all types of imported and exported goods. In addition, the fee for import and export goods will be adjusted to the same rate whether they are declared in HCMC or other localities.

The city will exempt from all taxes the following types of goods: imported directly to serve national security and defense, as also help overcome consequences of natural disasters and epidemics.

The exemption will also apply for goods that are transit via waterways under an agreement between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Currently, the lowest seaport infrastructure fee in HCMC stays at VND15,000 ($0.64) per ton. It is applied for goods that are not packed in containers. The highest fee is VND4.4 million per 40-foot container.

The municipal Department of Transport started collecting seaport infrastructure fees on a trial basis on Jun. 15 last year. After two delays, it began official collections on Apr. 1.

The HCMC administration affirmed that the seaport infrastructure fees will be used to build bridges and upgrade major roads near seaports to reduce traffic congestion and facilitate cargo transport.

Many companies had complained about the policy, saying Covid-19 had hit them hard enough and paying the fees would stretch them further.
Arizona this week enacted the Arizona Motion Picture Production Program, an annual film and TV tax incentive that will offer qualified productions up to $75 million a year in 2023, $100 million in 2024, and $125 million in 2025 and thereafter.

House Bill 2156, which will run through 2043, passed the states legislature last month. Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday allowed the bill to become law without signing it.

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The original language called for $150 million in annual incentives for feature films, episodic series or commercials in the state. That was reduced after the bill stalled in the state Senate.

Under the new structure, productions that spend up to $10 million can get 15% tax credit, with productions spending $10 million-$35 million eligible for 17.5%. For productions over $35 million, its 20%. The law also calls for an additional 2.5% for a production companys production labor costs related to positions held by Arizona residents.

The new program comes after a previous state program in 2005 lost money in its first year, according to a report in the AZ Mirror. Since then, several states outside California has seen success luring Hollywood productions inside their borders, including Arizonas neighbor New Mexico, the home of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, which currently a $100,000 annual cap. Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Louisiana also have programs that top $100,000 in annual incentives.

The Arizona bill included language that the program is designed to create a competitive motion picture production industry presence and market in this state that will develop a substantial motion picture production industry workforce and encourage major capital investment in qualified production facilities in this state. It added that, accordingly, the intent of the legislature is to provide a program that creates long-term economic benefits to this state, including the development of high-paying employment opportunities for residents of this state.

Story continues

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On behalf of the leaders of the Communist Party, State and people of Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent condolences to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

PM Chinh conveyed his deep sympathies to the Japanese authorities and people, as well as the family of the former Japanese PM, remarking on the nation's appreciation "for the special affection and precious support" that the late leader had for Vietnam.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son also sent condolences to Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Abe, Japans longest-serving leader, had visited Vietnam four times during his eight years as Japan's prime minister. In January 2013, he chose Vietnam as the first country to visit after taking the position the second time (December 2012 - September 2020).

He died at 67 at a hospital in western city of Nara after being shot in the back while campaigning for a parliamentary election.

The suspect of the shooting was identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, who admitted to the police that he held grudges against an organization he believed Abe was connected to.

World leaders like U.S. President Joe Biden and Russia President Vladimir Putin have also sent condolences to Japan.
Candice Patton said on The Open Up Podcast that The CW and Warner Bros. failed to protect her against toxic and racist fans when she debuted as Iris West on The Flash. The actor has played Iris for eight seasons and counting, but she revealed that her early days on the show were full of online harassment. According to Patton, neither the network or the studio had any protocols in place to protect her against toxic fans.

Now people understand how fans can be racist, especially in genre [film and tv], but at the time it was kind of just like, Thats how fans are, whatever,' Patton said. Even with the companies I was working with, The CW and WB, that was their way of handling it. We know better now. Its not ok to treat your talent that way, to let them go through abuse and harassment. For me in 2014, there were no support systems. No one was looking out for that. It was free range to get abused every single day. There were no social media protocols in place to protect me, so they just let all that stuff sit there.

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Patton continued, Its just not enough to make me your lead female and say, Look at us, were so progressive, we checked the box. Its great, but youve put me in the ocean alone around sharks. Its great to be in the ocean, but I can get eaten alive out here.

The actor stressed that there has to be people in positions of power who understand my experience and understand the Black experience and the Black female experience who can say, Ok she needs protection. Any time you hire a minority of any kind you have to be prepared to protect them. In the real world, we are not protected. So just because you put us on a fancy Hollywood set, with the hair and makeup and you assume were safe, we are not safe.

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Patton revealed she wanted to leave The Flash in Season 2 because the harassment was getting so bad and she was severely unhappy. She stayed with the series because she felt a responsibility to her inclusive casting. Still, Patton continued to see how she was not protected by the network or the studio or treated by co-workers the same as her white counterparts.

If I get pulled over at 2 a.m. in Jackson, Mississippi, by a white cop, do you think he gives a shit that Im Candice Patton from The Flash? It doesnt matter, Patton added. We still need protection because the world sees us in a certain way. When I step on a set and everyone working around me is white, Im not protected and I will never be protected. And thats not to say everyone has bad intentions, but they have blind spots. That can contribute to my harm. Its been a learning experience for companies and productions.

Pattons experience on The Flash has gotten better over the years. The show has been renewed for a ninth season that will debut in the fall. Patton said production starts up this summer, and shes not yet sure if the new season will be her final outing as Iris West.

Variety has reached out to The CW for further comment.

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Idris and Sabrina Elba believe that when you treat yourself well you treat others well.

That ethos forms the basis of their new project, a genderless skin care brand called Sable Labs, launching on July 12 with three products made with natural ingredients from East Africa.

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Sable Labs skin care is a natural progression for the duo, who wed in Morocco in 2019. The two first launched The Hub by Sable Labs, a website discussing interpersonal relationships and partnerships and how they pertain to self-care, in 2020, followed by an Audible podcast, Coupledom, in June 2021 featuring interviews with other notable duos like Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner, filmmakers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and Ben & Jerry founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, on how they manage their partnerships.

As the Elbas began to build out conversations around coupledom and partnership, and how it relates to self-care, their attention turned to skin care, not only in terms of the self-care aspect and how couples traditionally share skin care products, but also for how it aligns with their notion that when you treat yourself well, you show up as your best self and treat others well in kind.

We realized that if were going to support self-care in the way that we were looking at it at the time, it had to be community-focused, said chief executive officer and cofounder Sabrina Elba. It had to make people feel good so that they do good, which very quickly became a mantra of ours. When you meet someone for the first time and you feel good and hold yourself more confidently, that has a massive impact on how you treat other people and how you treat yourself.

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Enter Sable Labs, a genderless skin care line formulated with natural ingredients and an accessible price point for users who want effective solutions at a value price and those who wish to simplify their skin care routine for less.

The debut assortment consists of a cleanser, toner and moisturizer with ingredients like Qasil harvested from the leaves of the Gob tree, baobab from the African baobab, scientifically classified as Adansonia digitata and also referred to as the Tree of Life, and black seed with anti-inflammatory properties.

The Qasil Cleanser, retailing for $30, is a sulfate-free formula that blends kaolin clay, shea butter, rice milk and squalane with Qasil, a Somalian beauty staple that Sabrinas mother used on her face as a natural antioxidant and antibacterial.

Sable Labs skin care products. - Credit: S'able Labs

S'able Labs

She also had childhood experiences with baobab in Kenya, where her family would visit often. It is a key ingredient in the $56 Baobab Moisturizer, with niacinamide and tranexamic acid, to lighten hyperpigmentation. The product also contains bakuchiol, a natural alternative to retinol, to improve skin texture and tone, regulate pore size and accelerate cellular turnover.

Finally, the Black Seed Toner, priced at $37, blends fruit acids to refine skins texture and reduce pigmentation, while chamomile and vitamin B restore and soothe inflamed skin. Black seed is naturally rich in vitamin A, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

Funny enough, my dad used to drink black seed tea every day because he thought it helped you live longer, Sabrina said. We do know for skin it has anti-inflammatory elements.

The products will launch direct-to-consumer in the U.S., Canada and in the U.K. Chief operating and financial officer Emma Bates said they are in discussions in both North America and Britain for retail distribution.

Were focused on launching the brand well and creating a brand that has longevity, said Bates, who before joining Sable Labs was head of finance at Uniqlo Europe and global CFO and later COO of Crabtree & Evelyn, where she was part of the companys rebranding, digital transformation and organizational restructuring in its bankruptcy. We have targets set and our main KPI is watching the evolution of the brand, the growth and repeat consumer of the brand to this stage.

We are trying to bring in new skin care users who havent had that education and still serve credible skin care users, added chief product officer Jessica DeBruyne, whos also a makeup artist and was a sales and education executive for Tom Ford Beauty. Weve made the formulas to be most effective with minimum harm to the planet and skin and chose ethical ingredients that are combined with high performance ingredients most companies would use individually. You only need three to five core products that are highly effective and simplified.

Sable Labs arrives at a time when celebrity skin care and beauty products are on the rise. Kim Kardashian is trying her hand at skin care with Skkn, Pharrell Williams has Humanrace, a simplified genderless product line; DJ Khaled has Blesswell, a CBD-based mens grooming range; Scarlett Johansson has The Outset, now sold at Sephora, and Hailey Bieber just debuted Rhode.

But the Elbas have a different mission with their new line.

Were U.N. ambassadors for the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Sabrina Elba said. We try to support sustainable agriculture as a way to combat climate change so were looking at skin care and are trying to do it in a way that holds true to all of the work were doing. We decided to create something that really spoke to traceable ingredients with sustainable practices.

To that end, Sable Labs works with local farmers to source natural ingredients, has partnered with B Corp certified companies on the products and received the Butterfly Mark accreditation by Positive Luxury. The products also come in packaging made with post-consumer material. The Qasil Cleanser packaging is made from 100 percent post-consumer material, as is the Black Seed Toner, and both will have refillable options in the fall. The Baobab Moisturizer is an airless press pump made with 70 percent post-consumer waste.

What sets us apart is our beliefs and values, DeBruyne said, and the partnerships we hold and the purpose behind it.

Were trying to source it so that we are creating an ecosystem with partnership, said chairman and cofounder Idris Elba. We get our ingredients naturally and source them naturally and that enriches the ecosystem of the planet.

He continued, Were a start-up. As much as there is an outward-facing profile to what were doing, and weve taken our time with the back engine of it. We want to be fully transparent and we believe that consumer consciousness is very healthy. Im at a place now, especially being a male, where I want men to look at skin care differently. Our product transparency is a big part of that, so that process of being transparent and just getting the right people to look to our products and hold us accountable has been a journey.

Sabrina Elba added that the couple wanted to do things the right way from the very beginning rather than backtrack to make it a sustainable brand later on.

What could we use from the earth that feels natural and also helps a community of farmers, something that potentially people may not have heard about, she added. Thats the most innovative thing thats happening in our skin care: reworking ingredients people havent thought about.

The Elbas wanted Sable Labs to be as inclusive as possible, including genders and skin types. They posit that genderless products allow for brands to cut down the number of products they produce, which contributes to sustainable initiatives and also challenge longstanding companies hyper-gendered marketing for products.

Our skin products are trying to be inclusive of everyone of all skin types, said Idris Elba. There are many products out there where the science is amazing but dont actually fit all types of skin, so for us that was a focus and thats why its taking a long time to formulate with these ingredients.

Inclusivity was equally important. The Elbas both spoke of the lack of products for darker skin tones. To that end, Sable Labs advertising features product on different genders and complexions to communicate that the brand, though formulated with ingredients native to Africa, is meant for everybody.

And that includes people who felt skin care wasnt targeted toward them or fit their lifestyle. Idris Elba spoke of using Vaseline on his face, or having a very simple grooming routine of just washing his face and brushing his teeth. For years, men felt most comfortable grooming their hair and beards, with any extra steps considered less masculine. More recently, though, men have found communities beyond their barber shops online and IRL where they can discuss skin care, grooming, personal care, and beauty in a non-judgmental forum. This was spearheaded by a large number of mens skin care brands that cropped up in the 2010s all with unique branding and marketing strategies and messaging. All in all, the skin care practice has been a gateway to self-care for men, who use their skin care regimen as a moment to slow down, check in on themselves, and create the habit of prioritizing themselves.

Were leaning into well-being, Idris Elba said. Well-being is different than self-care. This is part of our language. Im here to say this is going to be good and it feels good and its coming from a good place, but we hope that we can be part of the landscape for men to say Im going to look after myself a little bit. Im on the treadmill now of well-being.

For someone who doesnt have a lot of skin care knowledge, as you would put it, you were the best guinea pig because you were super organic, Sabrina Elba said to Idris. I sometimes think we could get brainwashed when brands say this is going to decrease your wrinkles in three to six months, but were not selling a false dream in a bottle. Were saying there is so much beauty in this earth and so much great ingredients and natural ingredients that you could just nourish and protect your skin with and thats doing the job. Thats what you need to do instead of look at it as a problem-first type of skin care.

When Idris is saying I like this, but I got psoriasis we definitely dont want fragrances, she continued. Were both going in a vegan direction so its important to us that our products are vegan. Were using our own learnings to affect the skin care and that has been the most fun process for me. Selfishly, youre creating something you love for yourself and its exciting to share that with other people and see if they love it, too.

The duo naturally bounce off of each other, which gives a glimpse for how easily they formed a union in marriage and in business. Idris shared that in a past interview he said he would never marry again, which spurred the question of why he would get back into a partnership. He believes that they can answer that question, and they have been answering through the Hub by Sable Labs and their Coupledom podcast.

The Elbas are also working on new projects as a duo. Together, they teamed with Christian Louboutin for their Walk a Mile in My Shoes collaboration, which launched its second capsule in 2022. And now theyre growing the conversation with skin care, arguably the thing married couples and partners share the most.

Hopefully itll extend to our partnerships and friendships and it feels super idealistic but its really coming from an honest place, Idris said.

I hope that it comes across, Sabrina added. There are so many new brands out there. Were not short of skin care, but we just hope our intentions come across and were trying to do this right and do something thats changing the world, but we want to impact the little change that we can.

This story originally ran on WWD.

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Composite image of Dominic Raab and Dmitry Leus Composite: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images; Handout/Dmitry Leus

A Conservative donor that gave 25,000 to Dominic Raab is "dependent on the FSB", an MP has claimed.

Labour MP Liam Byrne said Dmitry Leus was recruited by the FSB, "who got him out of prison".

A spokesperson for Leus dismissed the allegations as "completely untrue and somewhat ridiculous".

Intelligence sources believe that a former Russian banker who gave 25,000 to Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab while he was foreign secretary in July 2021 is "absolutely dependent on the FSB", an MP has claimed.

Speaking during a parliamentary debate on Thursday afternoon, Labour MP Liam Byrne said the Turkmenistan-born former Russian banker Dmitry Leus was recruited by the FSB "who got him out of prison".

Leus was convicted of money laundering in Russia in 2004 and the conviction was later removed from his record; whether this was the result of an appeal or not is disputed. He insists the conviction was politically motivated.

Byrne, a former Treasury minister, said: "There is a clear knowledge of his recruitment by the FSB, who got him out of prison. He has a criminal record in Russia. Intelligence sources I have seen say he is 'absolutely dependent on the FSB'."

The Labour MP later told Insider his intelligence sources were from within the Kremlin.

A spokesperson for Leus told Insider the allegations were "completely untrue and somewhat ridiculous, given Dmitry suffered in the infamous Lefortovo prison."

"One rather wonders who Liam Byrne MP has been associating with," she said, noting she had not been able to contact Leus directly before issuing the statement.

She later added: "Allegations made in the House of Commons today, 7 July 2022, by Liam Byrne MP are completely false.

"It seems particularly offensive to suggest that a man held at the notoriously unpleasant FSB prison Lefortovo prison, where human rights are routinely abused, be in anyway connected with that organisation.

"Mr Leus nearly died in that prison after a poisoning attempt. The truth is that the FSB destroyed his life and he came to rebuild it in the UK."

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Insider has previously revealed how Leus was president of the Runnymede and Weybridge Conservative Association from June 2021 to February 2022.

A senior local Conservative source, given anonymity to speak frankly, told Insider they were not surprised by Byrne's allegations.

"Why did he suddenly get let off by the Russian authorities? They don't tend to deal with people like that kindly," the source said. "We're trying to disown Dmitry as much as we can now. We did bank his 25,000. I don't know whether we should send it back."

"The main embarrassment is for people like Dominic Raab. Raab was just stupid in accepting the donations," they added.

Leus donated 25,000 to Raab  who is at risk of losing his seat to the Liberal Democrats  in July 2021, back when Raab was foreign secretary. The gifts are the only successful political donations listed to Leus's name by the Electoral Commission.

Raab has been floated as a potential caretaker for the role of prime minister since Boris Johnson announced he would stand aside amid mass ministerial resignations.

A spokesperson for Raab told Insider: "Mr Leus had a wrongful conviction overturned on appeal. Professional due diligence was conducted before accepting the donation. Like all donations it was properly and transparently declared."

But Labour say that Raab's "murky" relationship with Leus risks the UK's national security.

Rachel Hopkins, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, told Insider: "Whether it's the Lebedev's links to Boris Johnson or Dmitry Leus' links to Dominic Raab MP, it's clear for all to see that dodgy Russian money and influence has infiltrated the Conservative Party.

"These murky relationships risk British national security. The prime minister and deputy prime minister cannot be trusted with matters of national security. We need a cast-iron proof that the interests of rich foreign donors to the Conservative Party are not being put before our national interest."

A report by the foreign policy think tank Chatham House contests Leus' claim the conviction was "overturned on appeal", noting that Russian law allows for convictions to be struck out from a record.

Leus also sought to give 100,000 to Prince Charles's foundation, The Sunday Times revealed, in a donation that was returned by the charity's ethics committee citing concerns over the origin of the funds, while hoping to secure a meeting with the future monarch.

Leus's representatives have previously told Insider the Prince's Trust has sent a letter of apology and that the Charity Commission has confirmed no wrongdoing on his part.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ashley Graham took to the streets of Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday to spread positivity and kindness with a little help from an equally positive influencer.

Graham made it her mission to spread joy with TikTok star Cyrus Veyssi on her mission. The pair walked around with microphones, the supermodel carrying a large sign that read, Free affirmations. In the short Reel posted to Grahams Instagram, the pair asked strangers questions like, How do you practice self care? or What do you love most about yourself?

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Graham wore a multicolored maxi dress with a high neck. The dress was lightweight and made with a sheer cover layered over top for maximum coverage. The dress transitioned from shade to shade, with purple to blue hues among the most vibrant.

Graham accessorized with gold necklaces, which she wore stacked just below the first layer of her dress. The model and mom-of-three also donned gold earrings in varying sizes, and a few simple gold rings to round out the outfit.

With affirmations in her heart and a pep in her step, the model continued to ask New Yorkers those hard hitting questions wearing a comfortable pair of all-white sneakers. The low-tops had flat soles and rounded toes with all-white laces, the shoes perfectly pairing with white socks. The contrast of the colorful maxi and plain white sneakers made the bright colors brighter. Grahams style is often playful and full of color and this outfit, from the dress down to the shoes, is no exception.

PHOTOS: Click to see Ashley Grahams style evolution.

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Launch Gallery: How Ashley Graham's Style Has Evolved Through the Years

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Rafael Fiziev and Conor McGregor. Photos by Getty Images

Conor McGregor drinks, smokes, does drugs, and then goes on Twitter to talk nonsense.

That's the explosive claim made by up-and-coming UFC fighter Rafael Fiziev.

Fiziev provided no evidence for his claim. He said he does still respect McGregor.

Up-and-coming UFC fighter Rafael Fiziev told Insider and other reporters the story behind his Twitter feud with combat sports superstar Conor McGregor.

Fiziev, a Muay Thai fighter from Azerbaijan, is renowned for his distinctive style of striking that sees him evade shots like he's entering the Matrix.

MMA reporter Alex Behunin from Cageside Press posted a highlight package Tuesday in which Fiziev's defense was on full display.

That same day, the former two-weight UFC champ McGregor called the montage "awesome," however, he also offered constructive criticism.

"Change the roundhouse to an axe kick," the 33-year-old said. "Roundhouse into an axe kick, and this defense eats the full of the heel.

"I'm telling you," continued McGregor, "if their reaction to a high kick is this, implement the axe."

Conor McGregor. Photo by Getty Images

Fiziev responded by telling McGregor that he lives in a "fantasy land."

He invited the Irishman to his fight team Tiger Muay Thai so the two of them could throw kicks together.

Fiziev even implied that McGregor might learn a thing or two.

Rafael Fiziev. Photo by Getty Images

Despite this, McGregor remained relatively civil, thanked Fiziev for the offer to join his fight team, and said: "When I am in Thailand, I will head here for sure!"

However, he added: "You are yet to do anything significant in this sport."

McGregor then wished Fiziev "luck" in his "upcoming fight" Saturday against Rafael dos Anjos at a UFC event in the Apex, Las Vegas.

However, things took a dark turn when McGregor replied to another Fiziev comment. "Think of me as Tiger Woods with a 12 iron and your nose as the golf ball."

Fiziev claimed McGregor 'maybe' does drugs before he tweets

Rafael Fiziev. Photo by Cageside Press / YouTube

Reporters asked Fiziev about the exchange during a media scrum at the Apex.

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Fiziev said McGregor likely drinks, smokes, and mimicked sniffing cocaine as if McGregor does drugs before he fires off his tweets. He provided no evidence for the claim.

On the social media interaction, he said McGregor "started with saying 'respect,' but you know, I'm sure I'm respected by everybody, and I also respect Conor's big work for this business.

"But before he sleeps at night, he drinks first. Maybe he smokes and after maybe he like [does drugs]," Fiziev said as he made a snorting sound and wiped his finger along his nose.

To Insider and other reporters, Fiziev continued: "Maybe he has one last drink of [McGregor's whiskey] Proper Twelve.

"Oh, he takes his phone, he starts talking shit, you know."

Conor McGregor. Photo by Getty Images

Fiziev finished by commenting that he hopes McGregor knows he does actually respect what he's done in the sport and for the sport.

"I say to everyone and to Conor directly, I don't disrespect him," he said.

"I respect this guy, invite him to Tiger Muay Thai, to our training camp, and to teach him how to kick and check kicks."

It is unclear if McGregor will actually accept Fiziev's invitation.

Read the original article on Insider
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

The latest subvariant of the novel coronavirus to become dominant in Europe, the United States, and other places is also, in many ways, the worst so far.

The BA.5 subvariant of the basic Omicron variant appears to be more contagious than any previous form of the virus. Its apparently better at dodging our antibodies, toomeaning it might be more likely to cause breakthrough and repeat infections.

Vaccines and boosters are still the best defense. There are even Omicron-specific booster jabs in development that, in coming months, could make the best vaccines more effective against BA.5 and its genetic cousins.

Still, BA.5s ongoing romp across half the planet is a strong reminder that the COVID pandemic isnt over. Were not done yet, by any stretch, Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, wrote on his Substack.

High levels of at least partial immunity from vaccines and past infection continue to prevent the worst outcomesmass hospitalization and death. But globally, raw case numbers are surging, with serious implications for potentially millions of people who face a growing risk of long-term illness.

How COVID Could Screw You Worse With Each Reinfection

Equally worrying, the latest wave of infections is giving the coronavirus the time and space it needs to mutate into even more dangerous variants and subvariants. The development of variants now is a freight train, Irwin Redlener, the founding director of Columbia Universitys National Center for Disaster Preparedness, told The Daily Beast.

In other words, unstoppable.

BA.5 first turned up in viral samples in South Africa in February. By May it was dominant in Europe and Israel, displacing earlier forms of the basic Omicron variant while also driving an increase in global daily COVID cases from around 477,000 a day in early June to 820,000 a day this week.

In late June, BA.5 became dominant in the United States. Cases havent increased yetthe daily average has hovered around 100,000 since May. But that could change in coming weeks as BA.5 continues to outcompete less transmissible subvariants.

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Topol offered a concise explanation for BA.5s ascendancy. Where the mutations that produced many earlier variants mostly affected the spike proteinthe part of the virus that helps it to grab onto and infect our cellsBA.5 has mutations across its structure. BA.5 is quite distinct and very fit, representing marked difference from all prior variants, Topol wrote.

BA.5s widespread mutations made the subvariant less recognizable to all those antibodies weve built up from vaccines, boosters and past infection. BA.5 has been able to slip past our immune systems, ninja-style, contributing to the rising rate of breakthrough cases and reinfections.

This comes as no surprise to epidemiologists whove warned for many months now that persistently high case-rateswhich they largely attribute in part to a stubborn anti-vax minority in many countrieswould facilitate ever more infectious and evasive variants and subvariant. The more infections, the more chances for significant mutations.

A young child receives a Moderna COVID-19 vaccination at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, Massachusetts, on June 21, 2022. Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty

In that sense, BA5 might be a preview of the months and years to come. A year ago, we had a chance to block SARS-CoV-2s main transmission vectors through vaccines and social distancing.

But we didnt. Restrictions on businesses, schools and crowds have become politically toxic all over the world. Vaccination rates remained stubbornly low, even in many countries with easy access to jabs. In the U.S., for example, the percentage of fully vaccinated has stalled at around 67 percent.

The Massive Screwup That Could Let COVID Bypass Our Vaccines

So COVID lingers, 31 months after the first case was diagnosed in Wuhan, China. The longer the virus circulates, the more variants it produces. BA.5 is the all but inevitable result of that tragic dynamic.

The situation isnt entirely hopeless. Yes, BA.5 seems to reduce the effectiveness of the best messenger-RNA vaccines. Vaccine-maker Moderna published data indicating that a booster shot its developing specifically for Omicron and its offspring works only a third as well against BA.5 compared to earlier subvariants.

But vaccines, boosters and past infection still offer meaningful, if reduced, protection against BA.5. Even a boost of the original genome, or a recent infection, will [produce] some cross-protective antibodies to lessen the severity of a new Omicron subvariant infection, Eric Bortz, a University of Alaska-Anchorage virologist and public-health expert, told The Daily Beast.

The more additional jabs you get on top of your prime course, the better protected you are. Arguably the best protection results from two prime jabs of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna plus a couple boosters. Get your damn fourth shot! Redlener said.

The problem, in the United States, is that only people 50 years old or older or with certain immune disorders qualify for a second booster. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration wont say whether, or when, it might authorize second boosters for younger people. I have nothing to share at this time, an FDA spokesperson told The Daily Beast when asked about boosters for under-50s.

A girl gets a COVID-19 test at a testing station on July 7, 2022, in Shanghai, China. Hugo Hu/Getty

Its an obvious bureaucratic screw-up. As many as a million booster doses are about to expire in the U.S., all for a want of takers. A profound waste, which should be made available to all people, age under-50 who seek added protection, Topol wrote.

To be fair, Pfizer and Moderna are both working on new boosters that theyve tailored specifically for Omicron subvariants. On June 30, an FDA advisory board endorsed these variant-specific boosters. The FDA announced it might approve them for emergency use for some Americans as early as this fall.

But theres a risk these jabs will show up too late, especially if theyre highly optimized for just one recent subvariant and thus ineffective against future subvariants. Variant-chasing is a flawed approach, Topol wrote. By the time a BA.5 vaccine booster is potentially available, who knows what will be the predominant strain?

Fortunately, there are fallbacks. Masks and voluntary social-distancing, of course. Post-infection therapies including the antiviral drug paxlovid also help. This is not a time to abandon non-pharmaceutical intervention, Redlener stressed.

But voluntary mask-wearing and paxlovid are bandaids on a festering global wound. The surge in BA.5 infections creates the conditions for the next major subvariantBA.6, if you will. It might be even worse.

Its looking more and more likely that COVID will be with us, well, forever. COVID is becoming like the flu, Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington Institute for Health, told The Daily Beast.

That is, endemic. An ever-present threat to public health. The big difference, of course, is that COVID is much more dangerous than todays flu. And it keeps mutating in ways that make it even worse.

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While it seems Prince Harry and Meghan Markles life is now fully settled in the United States, the couple still has some unfinished business to attend to in the United Kingdom. Namely, Prince Harry is in the midst of a libel suit against one tabloid, who made certain claims regarding the Duke of Sussexs fight to hire security for his family during their trip overseas for the Platinum Jubilee. But one royal insider has intel regarding Harrys defamation suit, and it appears the father of two earned a major legal victory.

In the early hours of July 8, Omid Scobie tweeted the latest update concerning the Duke of Sussexs libel case. An article in The Mail on Sunday about the Prince Harrys legal claim against the British Home Office has just been ruled as defamatory by a High Court judge, the Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family revealed. The tabloid claimed he tried to keep his legal fight about security with the government a secret.'

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: An article in The Mail on Sunday about the Prince Harry's legal claim against the British Home Office has just been ruled as defamatory by a High Court judge. The tabloid claimed he tried to keep his legal fight about security with the government a secret.  Omid Scobie (@scobie) July 8, 2022

Scobie also followed up on the initial tweet, indicating theres more to come from this defamation suit. Agreeing with Harrys lawyers, Mr. Justice Nicklen said: The allegation being made in the article was very much that the object was to mislead the public. Todays ruling is the first stage of this libel claim. The next will be for Associated Newspapers to file a defence,' Scobie shared.

Click here to read the full article.

In the weeks leading up to Harry, Meghan, and their children Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, making the journey to the United Kingdom for the first time as a family, Harry made it clear that ensuring his familys safety was his first priority. While the family of four made it to the U.K. for the festivities, as well as meaningful reunions with key members of the royal family, safety was surely on their mind. Now that Harry has earned this legal win, were sure this is just the first chapter in this ongoing case.

Image: Gallery Books - Credit: Gallery Books.

Gallery Books.

The fraught relationship between the Cambridges and the Sussexes has been heavily scrutinized for the past few years. But weve never had quite a clear look at the relationship between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Prince William and Kate Middleton, until now. Longtime royal writer Christopher Andersen takes fans into the intimate conversations and exchanges between these two powerful couples in Brothers & Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, illustrating what was lost, gained, and what might be found as the next generation of the royal family embraces the future.

Buy: Brothers & Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan $13.99

Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harrys milestones since leaving the royal family.



Launch Gallery: The All-Time Most Romantic Photos of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

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PARIS  The fashion industry celebrated the end of Paris Couture Week with the Sidaction gala dinner, back for its first physical edition since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Designers and celebrities came together for the fundraising event, organized in partnership with the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, and hosted by Sidaction ambassador and artistic director Jean Paul Gaultier, who launched proceedings with a fashion show featuring the contestants of Drag Race France.

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Jean Paul Gaultier at the Sidaction gala with the cast of Drag Race France. - Credit: Francois Goize/Courtesy of Sidaction

Francois Goize/Courtesy of Sidaction

Dotted around the room were designers including Matthew Williams, Iris van Herpen, Glenn Martens, Camille Miceli, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, Alexis Mabille, Bianca Saunders and Yang Li. Also present were Tracee Ellis Ross, Camille Razat, Big Matthew, Rossy de Palma, Jeanne Damas and Carla Bruni, who was joined mid-dinner by her husband, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

I work for Netflix, French actor Samuel Arnold demurely replied to a guest who wondered why he looked so familiar. Since his summer will be spent on the set of Emily in Paris, where he portrays the ever-sarcastic Julien, he wasnt planning ahead all that much.

Who knows? I dont know what Im doing tomorrow, joked the actor, noting that the hit show had opened doors for him abroad. In his sights is Los Angeles, especially now that he has signed with prominent talent agency APA.

Taking in the Pavillon Cambon Capucines decked in red, Arnold declared the evening mesmerizing and said he was happy to support the cause. He didnt know about the always buzzy lucky draw. Already being here is a prize in itself, he said.

Ines de la Fressange and Guillaume Henry - Credit: Dominique MAITRE/WWD

Dominique MAITRE/WWD

Guillaume Henry was still taking in the responses  good and bad  to Julia Foxs appearance in his first physical runway show for Patou.

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Shes not one of my personal muses but all the girls at the office were talking about her all the time, he admitted. The designer became interested in Fox once he saw her supporting emerging designers, and his team reached out.

She represents a [new wave] of female empowerment. For me, a militant woman looked like [French politician] Simone Weil. Today, shes wearing micro-skirts and boots, she totes her kid like a bag, and its fascinating, he continued, describing Fox as smart, in love with clothing and a bit nervous and comparing her to a modern-day Marilyn Monroe.

Fresh from winning the ANDAM Fashion Award, Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter were preparing to head to the Cayman Islands  part vacation, part research trip. Theyve been running their Botter menswear brand with a team of just three people and were grateful for the 300,000-euro prize money.

First of all were going to invest it in more structure in Botter, hiring people, also in developing fabrics, so bio-fabricated from algae, working with engineers. We can move quicker now, Botter said.

The evening was a breather for Paris-based Spanish designer Arturo Obegero, who had donned one of his jackets with a dramatic fluted open neckline with tuxedo trousers.

Before he can enjoy a summer break that will see him head toward the Mediterranean, he was doubling down on the production of his menswear line. After a collection, I always have a kind of epiphany that I then have to process. So things will be cooking throughout the summer, he said between courses.

Victor Weinsanto and Charles de Vilmorin were feeling energized by the influx of tourists and fashion editors to Paris. Life is finally returning. I hope it lasts. It feels good and it motivates you, said Weinsanto. Yes, its good to see things going back to normal and almost more extreme than before, I feel. Its really quite brilliant, de Vilmorin enthused.

But the two fledgling designers dont plan to join in the revelry. Asked what his plans were for summer, Weinsanto said: Work.

SEE ALSO:

Sidaction Postpones 2022 Fundraising Dinner to July

A Glimpse at the Images from Sidactions Photo Print Auction

Sidaction Unveils Fashion-Themed Auction Lots

Launch Gallery: Sidaction Gala Returns to Paris Couture Week After Two-Year Hiatus

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Click here to read the full article.
The U.S. Border Patrol is proposing disciplinary action for several agents who confronted Haitian migrants while on horseback on the Texas-Mexico border last year.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus, which oversees Border Patrol, would not reveal what the disciplinary action may be, citing privacy concerns for its agents. But he stressed that some of the actions by the agents on horseback and verbal epithets yelled by at least one agent led to the recommendations and were result of a 10-month investigation into the incident.

The disciplinary process is ongoing and the agency's Office of Professional Responsibility will finalize the recommendations, which the agents could later appeal, he said.

"There is no room in our agency for discrimination or intolerance," Magnus said at a press conference Friday. "CBP is dedicated to ensuring the fair and just treatment of all people."

Images of Border Patrol agents on horseback in September repelling Haitian families as they waded across the Rio Grande into the United States circulated through newscasts and social media sites, sparking a sharp backlash against the agency.

Immigrant rights and civil rights groups protested the clashes. In Miami, 200 Haitian-Americans protesting outside the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office forced road closures.

At the time, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered an investigation into the incident. Mayorkas in a statement Friday said CBP is implementing the needed reforms after the investigation that will "proceed with the urgency and commitment."

The misconduct of several individuals does not reflect the brave and distinguished service of the agents of the United States Border Patrol," Mayorkas said in the statement. "The organizational failures of policy, procedures and training that the investigation identified were a disservice to the agents and the public they serve. CBP must and will do better."

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CBP investigators interviewed more than 30 eye-witnesses, including news media members at the scene, as well as Border Patrol agents and officials to compile the 500-page report, Magnus said.

"The primary goal of this investigation was to establish the facts of what happened," he said. "It was thorough and independent. And despite any comments or criticisms - not everyone's gonna like all the findings - but the investigation was comprehensive and fair."

Following a devastating earthquake in 2010, thousands of Haitians emigrated to South America to find work in Brazil and other countries. But as the COVID-19 pandemic and other economic forces dried up many of those prospects, thousands of Haitians began the long trek north in hopes of finding jobs in the United States.

In July 2021, mercenaries also assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moise, adding to the country's instability and propelling more Haitians to seek opportunities outside the island nation. Many of them funneled into Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, and crossed the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas, to seek asylum in the United States.

By September, nearly 15,000 Haitians had gathered in a makeshift encampment on the riverbanks in Del Rio. Border officials attempted to expel the migrants under Title 42, a Trump administration policy that removed migrants without processing them to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But since they were Haitian, U.S. agents couldn't simply return them to Mexico and had to instead place them on flights back to Haiti.

This took several days of processing and, as the encampment ran out of food, many of the Haitians wandered back across the border to buy food and other provisions in Mexico. On their return to the United States, they were confronted by the horse-mounted Border Patrol agents, said Adam Isacson, of the Washington Office on Latin America, a U.S.-based research and advocacy organization.

Promo image for Haitian migrants

The confrontation  captured in still and video images by news photographers and immigrant advocates  was just one in a long list of complaints against Border Patrol that includes physical and verbal abuse against migrants, as well as rape and shootings, Isacson said.

His group has documented 273 cases of Border Patrol abuses since 2020. But often occurring in remote border regions or at night, those incidents are almost never documented, he said.

"Almost every day theres someone who gets beaten or their papers taken away by Border Patrol," Isacson said. "What's rare for Border Patrol is that it's caught on camera."

A key part of the investigation was to determine whether the horse-mounted agents used their reins as whips to strike the migrants. In some images, it appeared as if agents were twirling their horses' reins in a threatening fashion.

Magnus said investigators found no evidence that agents struck migrants with their reins "intentionally or otherwise." One agent, he said, acted in an unprofessional manner by yelling inappropriate slurs at the migrants. He also said no migrants were forced back to Mexico or denied entry into the United States as a result of the horse-mounted confrontations.

The U.S. Attorney's Office declined to file charges in the case, meaning criminal charges do not seem likely.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, whose troopers have been deployed to help secure the border, also played a prominent role in the investigation. Texas troopers had blocked off a popular unauthorized border crossing over a dam, forcing the migrants to cross the river, according to the report. Then, on Sept. 18, members of the state agency asked the Border Patrol's horse-mounted unit on the scene for help in preventing the Haitian migrants from crossing into Del Rio, sparking the confrontations, the report said.

"Horse patrol unit personnel carried out an operation at the request of the Texas Department of Public Safety that directly conflicted with Border Patrol operational objectives," Magnus said.

DPS' involvement in Del Rio underscores Texas' ongoing, controversial efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, a task delegated to federal agencies. On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott authorized the National Guard and state police to return apprehended migrants to the border, setting up a potential clash with the federal government over the authority to enforce immigration law.

"We stand ready to work with Texas to achieve these goals but the challenge is when any state, such as Texas, takes unilateral action it just makes it harder for us to do this," Magnus said.

The Del Rio confrontations occurred as migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border hit historic highs. Last fiscal year, which ended in September, border officials encountered 1.72 million migrants at the Southwest border, a two-decade high.

Immigration advocates have been critical over the Biden administration's treatment of migrants, especially Haitian migrants, who have been consistently expelled on flights back to their home country.

As Border Patrol scrambled to detain and process waves of asylum-seekers, the system became overwhelmed, said Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy in Houston.

Thousands of Haitian migrants are stuck at the U.S.-Mexico border wading through the Rio Grande near Del Rio, Texas.

Payan said the agents in question should be held accountable but the incident was also a revealing look at the dysfunction of the U.S. immigration system along the border.

"The system is broken," he said. "I dont exonerate the agency but it's an agency overwhelmed by policy failure."

Follow Jervis and Morin on Twitter: @MrRJervis, @RebeccaMorin_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Border Patrol agents on horses punished for confronting Haitians
(Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving leader, died on Friday after being shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election.

Abe, who sought to lift the economy out of chronic deflation with his bold "Abenomics" policies, beef up the military and counter China's growing clout, died at 67.

Here are some reactions so far:

UNITED STATES

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the assassination of Abe "shocking" and "profoundly disturbing", and described him as a leader of great vision.

CHINA

Spokesperson for Chinese embassy in Japan: "Former Prime Minister Abe made contributions towards improving China-Japan relations during his term. We express our condolences on his death and send our sympathies to his family."

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON

"Japan has lost a great prime minister, who dedicated his life to his country and worked to ensure order in the world."

UK PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON

"Incredibly sad news about Shinzo Abe," Johnson said on Twitter. "His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people."

"The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time."

GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ

Scholz said he was "stunned and deeply saddened".

"We stand closely by Japan's side even in these difficult hours," Scholz tweeted, expressing his deepest sympathy to Abe's family.

ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MARIO DRAGHI

"Italy is shocked by this terrible attack, which hits Japan and free democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and his reforming vision. Italy sends its condolences to his family, to the government and to the entire Japanese people."

TAIWAN PRESIDENT TSAI ING-WEN

"Not only has the international community lost an important leader, but Taiwan has also lost an important and close friend. Taiwan and Japan are both democratic countries with the rule of law, and our government severely condemns violent and illegal acts," Tsai said in a statement released by her office.

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SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT YOON SUK-YEOL

"I send my condolences to the bereaved families and Japanese people who have lost the longest-serving prime minister and respected politician in Japan's constitutional history," Yoon was quoted as saying in a statement delivered by the presidential office.

Yoon added that the shooting was "an unforgivable act of crime."

POLISH PRIME MINISTER MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI

"I am deeply shocked by the news of the assassination of @AbeShinzo," he wrote on Twitter. "My thoughts are with the family of our Japanese friend who was always very kind to Poland. May he Rest In Peace."

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY CHIEF RAFAEL GROSSI ON TWITTER

"Deeply saddened by the tragic death of Japanese Former Prime Minister @AbeShinzo. I was honoured to meet him and work with him on important issues for Japan. My condolences to his family, may he rest in peace."

AUSTRALIA'S PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE

"The tragic death of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is devastating news...Mr Abe was one of Australias closest friends on the world stage... Under his leadership Japan emerged as one of Australias most like-minded partners in Asia  a legacy that endures today.

"Mr Abe was a leader in the Indo-Pacific, championing a vision of a free and open region. The Quad and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership are in many ways the results of his diplomatic leadership.

"Mr Abe was also a giant on the world stage  a leader in the G7, the G20 and the United Nations. His legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia."

(Compiled by Reuters Global News Desk)
South Africa: New transformative river management programme aids climate adaptation

A four-year partnership between C40 Finance Facility (CFF) and the eThekwini Municipality has yielded positive results with the development of the Transformative River Management Programme (TRMP) that will mitigate the impact of climate change as witnessed during the April floods.

The TRMP, which was handed over to the municipality on Thursday, is an adaptation programme that builds on a range of river management projects in eThekwini, including the Sihlanzimvelo Community Stream Cleaning Programme.

The TRMP aims to transform more than 7000 kilometres of the citys rivers and streams over a period of 10 years, as part of building a climate resilient and safe city. The programme has a potential to employ thousands more people as part of the green economy.

According to the municipality, the intention is to expand the programme and others to a broad range of river conditions, ecological infrastructures, land ownership and land use conditions to anchor the green economy, develop the social and economic capital of the city and build partnerships.

The programme will provide a scalable and replicable model for how cities across the world can manage and maintain their waterways while maximising socio-economic benefits.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, said adaptation is critical, especially for cities like Durban who are already vulnerable to climate change impacts.

Kaunda said the city recognises the importance of the natural environment in helping cities to adapt.

To this end, the city has invested significantly in protecting, managing, and restoring important ecosystems through the community ecosystem-based adaptation approach.

As a result of this approach, vulnerable and poor communities are given access to work opportunities to manage and maintain our ecosystems, providing both an income and ecosystem protection from climate impacts.

Well managed ecosystems provide over R4 billion worth of services to our city and its residents annually. These waterways are not only responsible for providing water, but they also help regulate the impact of heavy rains and floods if well managed. Putting necessary resources in rivers and catchments must be central to the Citys climate adaptation response, Kaunda said.

KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC, Ravi Pillay, said the success of the TRMP brings back the climate change agenda to the front burner.

This is not just something for climate activists but having come through the floods, it should be top of mind for everyone. It is the ideal time to entrench what we need to do to mitigate and change the course of development, Pillay said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-07-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Some U.S. tour operators are impressed by Phu Quoc and promise to bring more Americans to the southern island.

Huseyin Ozyutcu of Picasso Travel said Phu Quoc with sandy beaches and high-end tourism services is worthy to being an international holiday paradise, Dai Doan Ket reported.

During his fam trip to the island on Thursday to explore post-pandemic tourism opportunities, he pledged to work with his Vietnamese counterparts to organize tours for American tourists.

Jason Ware, manager of travel agency Hopper, said he plans to launch a marketing campaign to promote Phu Quoc to American tourists.

Ware told Thanh Nien he has experienced a number of tourism and hotel services in Phu Quoc and noticed it has a lot of attractions for both adults and children.

Quang Xuan Lua, deputy director of the Kien Giang Province tourism department, called for the launch of direct flights between the U.S. and Phu Quoc.

According to statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the U.S. sent the second highest number of visitors to Vietnam after the country reopened its borders post-Covid.

Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, has become a global destination after getting an international airport in 2012 and allowing 30-day visa-free entry for foreigners since 2014.

It received over five million visitors in 2019, the year before the pandemic began, including 541,600 foreigners.
* Taiwan: Chinese fighters crossed Taiwan Strait median line

* Median line serves as unofficial buffer between the two

* China says it carried out combat exercises near Taiwan

* Senior U.S. senator in Taipei meeting President Tsai (Recasts, adds Taiwan Defence Ministry statement)

By Yimou Lee and Martin Quin Pollard

TAIPEI/BEIJING, July 8 (Reuters) - Chinese fighter jets crossed the median line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Friday in what the island's government slammed as a provocation, as a senior U.S. senator visited Taipei for a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen that China condemned.

China claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has ramped up military and political pressure to try and force the island to accept Chinese rule.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the Chinese aircraft "intentionally crossed the median line of the strait in a provocative move, which has seriously damaged regional peace and stability".

It said Taiwan's air force "forcefully expelled" the Chinese aircraft and deployed ground-to-air missiles to "monitor" the situation.

The median line is an unofficial buffer between China and Taiwan and normally military aircraft stick to their respective sides, but on occasion China's air force crosses over it, as happened in 2020 when U.S. officials were visiting Taiwan.

Several Chinese fighter jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Friday in the northern part of the waterway, a Taiwan source briefed on the matter told Reuters, adding the aircraft did not enter Taiwanese airspace.

The source said it was rare for Chinese aircraft to cross the unofficial buffer, especially from Taiwan's northwest.

The aircraft "flew straight across" the median line and then "circled around" carrying out tactical operations, the person said, adding that Taiwan scrambled fighter jets to intercept the Chinese planes.

"It was a clear message of provocation," the person said, citing Friday's visit to Taipei by U.S. Senator Rick Scott, a senior Republican who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee and sits on the Senate's Armed Services Committee.

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Earlier on Friday, China's military said it had held joint combat readiness exercises, patrols and combat drills in the sea and airspace around Taiwan.

The exercises, announced by the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army, were organised in response to "collusion and provocations" by the United States and Taiwan, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in a statement.

'THWART INTERFERENCE'

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, bristles at any form of official interaction between U.S. and Taiwanese officials and routinely describes Taiwan as the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with Washington.

Chinese spokesman Wu said Scott's visit to Taiwan had seriously undermined Sino-U.S. relations and escalated tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

"The Chinese People's Liberation Army is ready for war at all times, and will take all necessary measures to resolutely thwart the interference of external forces and the secessionist attempts of 'Taiwan independence'."

After meeting with President Tsai in Taipei on Friday, Scott told reporters he believes that "the world has changed" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We all have to put ourselves in a position that we can make sure we defend the freedom we all believe in," he said. "I do think it would be helpful if Taiwan participated in RIMPAC and I hope that's what happens in the future."

The Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as RIMPAC, is billed as the world's largest international maritime exercise, with the latest one kicking off late last month with 26 nations participating in drills around Hawaii and southern California.

Taiwan's government has denounced Chinese pressure, saying only its 23 million people can decide their future.

U.S.-China tensions are high over a number of issues including Taiwan, the South China Sea, trade tariffs and Beijing's refusal to openly criticise Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is due to meet with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday at the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard Editinbg by Mark Heinrich)
Kim Phuc attends the Press Preview of the Exhibition "From Hell to Hollywood" at Palazzo Lombardia on May 05, 2022 in Milan, Italy.

Pier Marco Tacca/Getty

Fifty years after becoming an unwitting face of the atrocity of the Vietnam War, Kim Phuc Phan Thi is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace. She runs Kim Foundation International, which helps build hospitals, schools, orphanages and libraries for children. Most recently she accompanied refugees from Ukraine on their journey to resettle in Canada.

"I go everywhere that children need," she says of her global travels. "I share my story with students. I want them to know about how horrible war is but then how beautiful the world can be if everyone can learn to live with love, with hope and forgiveness."

She also recently completed yet another burn treatment, a continuation of years of healing.

It's an extraordinarily inspiring life no one could have predicted for the little Vietnamese girl famously caught up in the tragedy of the Vietnam war. Phan Thi was only 9 years old on June 8, 1972 when she was playing in the Cao Dai temple yard in Trang Bang, a small village outside Saigon, Vietnam, with her 3-year-old cousin Danh. South Vietnam soldiers arrived and yelled for the children to run.

"I saw the airplane (flying) toward me, very loud and very fast, and I just stood right there," recalls Phan Thi. "I turned my head, I looked up, and I saw four bombs, and I heard noises, and suddenly the fire was everywhere around us. Fire was falling out of the sky and hit me."

The fire burned her clothes off, and scalded her neck, back and left arm. When she tried to wipe the sticky napalm off her arm, she burned her right hand, too. "That moment, I still remember," says Phan Thi, now 59. "I was so scared. And I knew it, I got burned and I became ugly. A girl. And so people will see me a different way."

Nick Ut, a Vietnamese AP photographer, turned and saw Phan Thi and her brothers and cousins running for their lives. He captured their terror.

Nick Ut and Kim Phuc attend the Press Preview of the Exhibition "From Hell to Hollywood" at Palazzo Lombardia on May 05, 2022 in Milan, Italy.

Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Photographer Nick Ut and Kim Phuc Phan Thi

Phan Thi was screaming "too hot, too hot," and soldiers gave her water to drink and then poured water on her burns, which inadvertently made them worse. When Phan Thi lost consciousness, Ut put down his camera and carried the little girl inside and eventually drove her to the hospital in Saigon. With 65% of her body badly burned and serious nerve damage, Phan Thi stayed in an American hospital for 14 months, undergoing 16 surgeries.

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Ut's photograph sparked outrage in the United States. The bombs were mistakenly dropped by South Vietnamese on their own villagers, and the naked little "Napalm girl" and other children running down the street, their mouths agape, a black cloud behind them, shocked the American public. Here was proof that bombing civilian villages and terrorizing children was part of their war effort. The photograph is credited for changing the course of the war, and earned Ut a Pulitzer Prize. It also changed the course of Phan Thi's life.

At first, she felt ashamed. "When I saw the picture, you know, I was just a child," she says. "I thought 'Why didn't they protect me'? Why did he print that picture?' When I saw that ugly picture, I was naked. 'Why are my brothers and my cousin with clothes on?' "

During her time in the hospital she decided she wanted to become a doctor. Capping a childhood plagued by nightmares, scars, an inability to sweat because her pores were burned, and enduring unbearable pain when she made sudden movements or at times of changing weather, Phan Thi started medical school at age 19.

But because of her notoriety, the Vietnamese government forced her to participate in propaganda films that took too much time, so she had to leave school. She was devastated, full of anger and hate  and even contemplated suicide. She spent long hours in the library poring over religious texts. She found the new testament, became a Christian, and began to pray for peace.

"My enemies list became my prayer list," she says, and she gradually lost her anger and bitterness over what had been done to her. Eventually she went to Cuba to study Spanish, met her husband, and, on the way back from their honeymoon in Russia, defected to Canada.

Her health problems continued. She had difficulty moving her neck and lifting her left arm, and her left arm was much shorter than her right. In 1984 she traveled to Germany for surgery to restore movement and correct the imbalance. The surgery was successful but the pain lingered. Sometimes she rated it 10 out of 10 on the pain scale. Pain medication was her mainstay until she sought another way to manage it.

Vietnam war icon Kim Phuc Phan Thi poses at the Unesco headquarters in Paris on October 4, 2019. - 47 years after making the international media headlines, Kim Phuc Phan Thi, the little girl burned with napalm and photographed by Nick Ut, is in Paris for the publication in French of her book "Sauvee de l'enfer" (saved from hell) written to tell the story of the spiritual journey that brought her to serenity.

GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty

She learned to lessen the sharp pain from her burns with prayer, distracting herself, and applying pressure to the spot by leaning against the corner of a towel bar for prolonged periods of time. Despite a long list of physical issues, including asthma and diabetes, she was able to have two sons. She has always been open with them. "I tell them my story, but I never end in the middle," she says. "I always say your mom learned to forgive, to love people." Phan Thi also adopted a daughter, and she now has five grandchildren.

The sharp pain persisted, as if she was being cut with a knife. After a speaking engagement, someone in the audience told her about Dr. Jill Waibel, a dermatologist in Miami, Florida, and a pioneer in the laser treatment of scars. Dr. Waibel often treats burn survivors, and Phan Thi called her to see if she could help lessen her pain.

Dr. Waibel has now done a series of 12 treatments with Lumenis UltraPulse, the most powerful ablative laser available. Phan Thi is treated for 30 minutes with four to five lasers. The treatment requires separate lasers to take away the red, the white and the brown scars, and then bio-stimulators are injected to regrow skin.

Most patients stop after five to seven treatments, but Phan Thi can't always fit the week of recovery and healing into her schedule. "When Phan Thi shows up you never know if she's meeting the Pope the next day or the President," Dr. Waibel says. If she's too busy, treatment is lighter. By now, Phan Thi says, the pain is half of what was. She may go back for more treatments if she finds she needs them.

Although the treatments are difficult to endure, Phan Thi is ecstatic that they are working, and that the gains are permanent. "This is a miracle for me already," Phan Thi says. "I still have 4, 5, sometimes 3 (measure of pain on the pain scale). I can manage that. Before I met Jill, I wish that one day I'm in heaven, no more pain, no more scar. But now I enjoy (life). Every time I look at my scar, it looks much better, and less pain."

Dr. Waibel has secured donations of medicine for Phan Thi and performs the treatments pro bono. She is impressed with Phan Thi's fortitude. "Any of us couldn't survive one of the things she did and the hits just kept coming for her," she says. "She's mesmerizing. Her heart is so beautiful you just want to help her. Phan Thi is a survivor. I have never seen Phan Thi complain. She appreciates every moment of her life, and freedom."

Today Phan Thi looks at Ut's photograph and finds reasons to be thankful. "It was really a miracle (I was burned) on my back and not in the front," she says, adding, "Even (though) I got burned all over, my feet weren't burned, so I was able to run out of that fire."

"The challenge to everyone is: If that little girl can do it, everyone can do it," she says. "You don't have to wait until you are somebody, do something. No, (that's) too late already. Be yourself and be a blessing."

"'I am sure you can make a difference'  that's what I tell the children. Very simple, from my heart. Every child, it doesn't matter how old, they know, they understand me."
(Bloomberg) -- The foreign ministers of Australia and China met Friday for the first time since 2019 as the two nations try to reset a relationship that has been marred in recent years by diplomatic tensions and economic tariffs.

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The ministers spoke frankly and listened carefully to each others priorities and concerns, according to a statement from Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong after the meeting in Bali with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. We have our differences, but it is in both our countries interests for the relationship to be stabilized.

China is Australias largest trading partner but relations have deteriorated over the past five or so years, with rising tensions and bilateral criticism culminating in China imposing tariffs on exports of wine and barley in 2020 and blocking trade in other goods. With the election of a new government in Canberra in May, both sides have been trying to repair the relationship.

Dialog is always a good thing, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters Saturday. Thats how you develop relations between mature countries.

Of course this is just a first step and I note that our foreign minister raised the issues of concern including the ongoing treatment of Cheng Lei and Dr. Yang and others as well as the sanctions that remain in place disadvantaging Australian economic interests.

Cheng and Yang Hengjun are Australian citizens currently detained by China. In the meeting, Wong also raised Australias concerns about a range of bilateral, regional, trade and consular issues, according to her offices statement.

Chinas Demands

Wang said that China is willing to work to get relations back on track, according to a statement released late Saturday. The foreign minister said that the root of the bilateral problems was that the previous government in Canberra treated China as an opponent or a threat, and said he hoped that Australia would take practical actions and improve its understanding of China. Specifically, Australia:

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Must treat China as a partner, not an opponent

Must adhere to the principle of seeking common ground and shelving differences

Must not target China or be under the influence of third parties

Must build a positive and pragmatic foundation for public opinion

Australia seeks to resolve issues calmly, Wong said in the statement, but later indicated that the government is unwilling to change some policies to improve ties. We are a government that has made certain decisions on the basis of our national interests and our national security and our sovereignty and we wont be resiling from those, Wong told reporters, according to Reuters.

After the pandemic outbreak, Australias request in 2020 that China allow inspections to determine the origin of the coronavirus enraged the Chinese government, which responded with tariffs and other measures.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said last month that recent years had been a difficult period for the relationship, but that the election offered an opportunity for the possible improvement of ties.

Read more: Australian Envoy Decries China Secrecy in Anchors Spy Trial

Even with the Bali meeting, there are substantial hurdles both sides will need to overcome to genuinely improve relations. In addition to trade, Canberra has repeatedly criticized Chinese actions in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, the South China Sea and with regards to Taiwan. Beijing is annoyed that Australia has banned Huawei Technologies Co. from participating in the 5G network rollout, blocked investment by some Chinese companies, and investigations into foreign interference.

China has repeatedly said that Australia needs to take steps to improve ties, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Zhao Lijian saying this week that there is no auto-pilot mode in improving China-Australia relations. A reset requires concrete actions, he said.

Australia has in turn demanded that China stop obstructing trade, with Albanese saying last month that any further warming of relations would depend on whether or not Chinas government agreed to remove trade sanctions and barriers on Australian exports.

Trade Minister Don Farrell told the Australian newspaper Thursday that tariffs on Australian exports need to be withdrawn. If China was to do so, then Australia could withdraw its complaints to the World Trade Organization about Chinas actions, he said.

Both sides recognized the meeting as a first step, Wong said afterward, according to ABC. Weve got a path to walk and well see if it can lead to a better place between the two countries.

(Updates with statement from China from sixth paragraph.)

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Japan and much of the international community reacted to the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with shock and dismay. But not in China, where social media response was sprinkled with glee and anti-Abe vitriol.

Multiple commentators on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, greeted news of Abes shooting  allegedly by a 41-year old Japanese man whose motives remain unclear  at a campaign event Friday by calling for wine and dine to toast his death. Some said his killer is a hero, as Abe pioneered a foreign policy geared to countering the expansion of China's growing economic, diplomatic and military footprint in the Indo-Pacific that infuriated Beijing.

The response in China reflects how decades of government propaganda designed to stoke Chinese nationalism by vilifying the Japanese for wartime atrocities has poisoned public attitudes toward Japan. The propaganda also complicates Beijings efforts to improve relations with Tokyo to offset the Biden administrations China-countering Indo-Pacific Strategy.

An American audience [should] remember that the Japanese were the Nazis of Asia [in World War II]  they killed millions of Chinese and the modern Chinese founding myth is a fight against Japan, said Matthew Schmidt, director of international affairs at the University of New Haven. Abe was a controversial figure [in China] because his basic position was, I want a Japan that's no longer tied to the history of World War II.



Below a CCTV news post reporting Abes death that received 2.55 million likes, some commentators celebrated the incident.

This person [Abes assassin] will be written in Japanese history, a top comment said as Shinzo Abes death became one of the top trending items Friday on Weibo. Good and evil will always be rewarded, said another. Users also pointed to Thursdays anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which marked the start of Japans full-scale invasion of China in 1937.

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We are not qualified to forgive the wicked for the millions of compatriots who died in the war against China and the Nanjing Massacre! ! ! Don't forget national humiliation! ! ! said a post.

The Chinese embassy in Tokyo said in a statement that the government was shocked by Abes assassination and credited him with the improvement and development of China-Japan relations. But Chinese government censors havent removed the anti-Abe comments from the internet, suggesting a degree of official tolerance. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian refused to comment on Friday about netizens reactions. This unexpected incident should not be linked to China-Japan relations, he said.

The anti-Abe online commentary reflects how the Chinese educational system  geared to a national patriotic education curriculum threaded with a virulent anti-Japanese historical narrative  has conditioned a generation of young Chinese to revile Japan.



Those sentiments are seeded by both the horrors Japan inflicted on China in World War II as well as long-simmering territorial disputes over the control of the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands in the South China Sea. The Chinese government calls World War II the "Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-fascist War.

Beijing has also bridled at Tokyos increasingly vocal support for defending Taiwan from possible Chinese aggression. Abe became an outspoken advocate for Japan to protect Taiwan since he stepped down as prime minister in 2020, making him a target of Chinese Foreign Ministry criticism.

In February, Abe called for the Biden administration to abandon its policy of strategic ambiguity regarding whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan in the face of a Chinese military invasion, declaring that the people of Taiwan share our universal values and deserve a robust defense. Abe also sparked Chinese outrage by visiting the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo which honors Japanese war dead, including convicted "Class A" war criminals. Abe also made deepening Japanese ties to the U.S. a key plank of his administration and led Japans efforts to revitalize the Quad, an informal geopolitical grouping consisting of Japan, the U.S., India and Australia.

Despite Abes record of antagonizing the ruling Chinese Communist Party, it might be in Beijings self-interest to tamp the fires of online commentary that could further inflame the Japan-China relationship.

In a time of tragedy like this, when a global leader has been assassinated, the CCP would not want to encourage the hostile comments on Chinese language social media that have erupted since Abes death, Anne-Marie Brady, professor of political science and international relations at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. The CCP will want to rein in these comments both because it does not reflect the message they want to send to the Japanese government and people right now, but also because the CCP rightly fears that nationalistic sentiment will be turned against themselves, reflecting deeper societal antagonisms.
Israel "Izzy" Scott, 4, died in June after drowning during a swim lesson in Augusta.

On the day of 4-year-old Israel Scott's drowning, his mother said he did not want to go to swim lessons. She told Burke County Sheriff's deputies that he asked her, What if I drown? She jokingly reassured him that he wasn't going to drown  but hours later, Dori Scott was begging to hold her son next to the pool as another parent, a nurse, performed CPR.

Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams issued a statement Wednesday night saying the autopsy concluded Scott's death was a result of accidental drowning. He also said after researching safety protocols, he and Assistant District Attorney Rex Meyers determined "the case lacks sufficient evidence to prove criminal negligence" and the sheriff's office is "unable to move forward with this case."

Following the sheriff's release, Scott's mother, Dori, posted a statement on Facebook which she gave The Augusta Chronicle permission to use after declining an interview request.

"... We will not stop until justice is served," she wrote. "This shouldn't have happened and we want to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. You have to be held accountable for your actions "

Sheriff Williams said the department's findings "have been forwarded to the District Attorney for further review." However, Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jared T. Williams released a statement Thursday afternoon saying the District Attorney's Office had not received the completed case file regarding the investigation into Scotts death.

DA Williams The district attorney confirmed his office received the file later Thursday afternoon.

A panel including the deputy chief of special victims, deputy chief of operations, chief assistant district attorney and district attorney will be convened to review the case in its entirety, according to district attorney Williams.

"The decision on any potential charges will be made independently of any other agency. That is what justice demands, and what this family and community deserve. At the conclusion of the panels review, we will announce a decision," he said.

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Sheriff's office releases more details on drowning

On June 14, the Burke County Sheriffs Office and Burke County EMA responded to 113 Deer Run Road in Hephzibah, a private residence, for the possible drowning of a child.

Scott, along with nine other children, were attending swimming lessons provided by Lexie TenHuisen. Scott "got into the deep water of the pool undetected," according to Sheriff Williams.

Earlier: Two die from drowning in Richmond, Burke counties

Scott was noticed by TenHuisens granddaughter after she went to remove the pool vacuum from the shallow end of the pool. TenHuisen had just gotten out of the pool with the children to dry off after the last childs swimming relay, according to Sheriff Williams.

After hearing her granddaughter's pleas for help, TenHuisen "immediately jumped back into the pool to rescue Israel," Williams wrote. "At this time, Israel (Scott) was unresponsive..."

Scott's mother, Dori, told police TenHuisen did not allow parents of kids four years old and up to stay in the swim area, so she stayed in her vehicle. Around 10:55 a.m., a woman knocked on her window and told her to come and get your baby. She said the woman had tears in her eyes and then when she got closer, she saw her child laying on the deep-end side of the pool and CPR was being performed. Dori said TenHuisen was standing next to the mother that was performing CPR, according to the officer's report.

TenHuisen told police it was the groups second swimming lesson. She said Scott was not afraid of water and "he was just all over the pool," according to the report.

4-year-old Israel Scott died three weeks ago after drowning during a swim lesson in Augusta.

Scott was taken by ambulance to Burke Medical Center and then transferred to the Children's Hospital of Georgia in Augusta, where he later died.

The pool, which is 16 by 32 feet, was built in 2011 in the backyard of a residential home not owned by TenHuisen, according to Burke County property records.

Detectives noted "there were no markings of pool depth in or around the pool," according to the officer's report.

According to the investigators notes provided by Burke County Sheriff's Office, the owners of the property, Richard and Melissa Jones, were not interviewed by Burke County detectives, according to the report.

Israel "Izzy" Scott, 4, died in June after drowning during a swim lesson in Augusta.

Dori Scott told police she asked how her child got in the deep end, to which TenHuisen said she didn't know.

"Dori asked, 'What do you mean that you dont know?' " according to the officer's report.

Sheriff Williams said even though investigators did not find any evidence of negligence, the department has grieved and is deeply saddened by the loss.

"We offered at the onset our sincerest sympathy to the Scott family," he said. "One does not expect to take his/her child to swimming lessons to learn water safety and not have the child returned to them safely. We have been in constant contact with the Scott Family and shared the findings of the case privately, prior to releasing any information to the public."

On Sunday, Dori Scott released a statement on Facebook and later gave The Augusta Chronicle permission to use it as her comment:

"How does signing your baby up for swim lessons to learn water safety and to prevent them from drowning lead to your baby drowning at swim lessons? How does the sheriff's office investigate, and come to tell you that the instructor doesn't know, nor did anyone see what happened? How is no one held accountable for this and my son has been gone for almost 3 weeks?  I have no closure, no answers and no Israel."

Sheriff Williams and investigators visited the Scott's home on the day of Israel's death to offer condolences and promise the Scott family a complete and thorough investigation, according to the officer's report. Israel's father, Walter Scott, asked the sheriff to explain the terms accident and negligence. Williams provided legal definitions and told the family that the investigation was ongoing to determine whether the negligence in this case was criminal or civil.

Police conducted an additional phone interview with TenHuisen and she said after the incident, she received death threats. She told police that on the morning of Scott's funeral, she woke up and started crying because "it ripped her guts out."

During the phone call, TenHuisen asked about being charged and police told her "we were not down that road at the time and that she will be OK, noting nothing so far suggested criminal negligence," according to the officer's report.

The Augusta Chronicle reached out to TenHuisen for comment via phone call and text message, but did not receive a response as of 10 a.m. Friday morning.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Izzy Scotts drowning not criminal sheriff says, Augusta DA to review
Jul. 8An unknown number of homes and cabins were destroyed by a wildfire Wednesday night as conditions suddenly worsened near the Interior Alaska town of Anderson off the Parks Highway.

Winds increased around 7 p.m., prompting extreme fire behavior that pushed the flames toward a subdivision, officials say.

State fire officials issued an "urgent update" Wednesday evening after the blaze breached fire lines: "If you are in the 'Go' section in the subdivisions accessed by Kobe Road and you have not evacuated, TAKE YOUR FAMILY AND PETS AND LEAVE NOW."

Even as conditions peaked, not all residents of the Kobe Ag subdivision evacuated, Denali Borough Mayor Clay Walker said Thursday.

Several chose to stay and defend their homes, even knowing they were endangering themselves, Walker said. Some described a "firestorm" as they waited out the flames.

"This is probably one of the more independent-minded places not only in Alaska  and Alaska is pretty independent-minded, but in this section of Alaska there are some pretty hardy folks who've lived in a pretty fire-prone area for a long time and they're doing their best," he said.

The borough set up two shelters, but the mayor said only one person had used them as of Thursday morning while others were staying with friends and family or camping. He said no residents or firefighters were injured.

About 65 people live in several areas under evacuation notices fire managers first issued June 25, including the Kobe subdivision.

On Wednesday evening, the fire pushed through an east-west dozer line at the end of Diane Avenue and the north-south line at the west side of Kobe Ag, state Division of Forestry officials said.

"Firefighters working to protect structures on the west side of Kobe Ag had to evacuate due to extreme fire behavior and life-threatening conditions," the agency said. "They remained near Rochester Way, working to protect structures where possible."

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Aircraft staged "an aggressive water and retardant attack from the air," officials said. Firefighters worked overnight to put out spot fires and keep the fire west of the Nenana River, which it had not reached as of last report. Managers were assessing the extent of the fire's reach and the damage it wreaked on Thursday.

Homes and cabins in the area under evacuation orders are remote and hard to access, Walker said. Roads aren't maintained by the borough or state and some residents get in and out with snowmachines or all-terrain vehicles. Structures are built on large plots of land, sometimes spanning up to 40 acres.

The winds calmed in the middle of the night and remained calm into Thursday morning, Walker said, but an encore was expected by evening. A red flag warning was in effect Thursday for Central Interior Alaska because lightning strikes were expected to pair with the already dangerous fire conditions.

Smoke advisories were issued for the region. Clouds of dense smoke produced by the wildfires limited visibility Thursday to less than a mile.

Evacuation levels were elevated for Anderson and Clear on Monday, as well as Clear Space Force Station  home to a sophisticated long-range radar system designed to bolster American missile defenses  and officials warned anyone in the area should be ready to leave if conditions rapidly change.

Evacuations will be recommended if the fire crosses the main channel of the Nenana River toward Anderson, Walker said.

A meeting is scheduled Thursday night at the Anderson Fire Hall and will be broadcast online.

Fire has raged throughout Alaska this year, fueled by hot, dry conditions. By Thursday morning, 457 fires had spanned nearly 2.4 million acres.
Jul. 8An appeals court Thursday denied a motion by nine Maine health care workers to remain anonymous in their lawsuit against Gov. Janet Mills and others over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health workers.

The 14-page ruling, which the Portland Press Herald obtained Thursday night, gives the plaintiffs and their lawyers until Friday, July 8, to either comply with the order by having their identities unsealed or appeal the ruling by the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston to the Supreme Court.

Holly Meade, spokesperson for Liberty Counsel, which represents the healthcare workers  identified in court documents at John Does and Jane Does  said Thursday night that Liberty Counsel is still weighing its options. Liberty Counsel, a conservative, religious law firm based in Florida, has participated in several lawsuits against Maine and other states over COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions. Nationally, the firm also has opposed safe and legal access to abortions and same-sex marriage.

"We are evaluating the situation right now and have not made a decision yet," Meade replied in an email when asked if Liberty's clients would appeal.

The nine plaintiffs filed their complaint in federal court last August, before the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for workers at designated Maine health care facilities went into effect on Oct. 29, 2021. The plaintiffs argued that it was their religious right to refuse the vaccine over their belief that fetal stem cells from abortions were used to develop the vaccines. Maine's mandate does not allow for religious exemptions.

Named as defendants in the suit were Gov. Janet Mills, Jeanne Lambrew, commissioner for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, and Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as several health care agencies.

The lawsuit prompted several Maine newspapers to intervene in an effort to force the plaintiffs to be identified. The Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel and Sun Journal filed a motion in November 2021 challenging the group's right to file the complaint anonymously. The newspapers argued that the plaintiffs "alleged fear of harm no longer outweighs the public's interest in open legal proceedings," according to court documents.

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On May 31, U.S. District Court Judge Jon D. Levy ruled that the plaintiffs cannot remain anonymous and ordered them to file an amended complaint containing their names by June 7. In his ruling, Levy said that the "plaintiffs' religious beliefs and their resulting medical decisions not to be vaccinated against COVID-19, whether considered separately or together, do not present privacy interests so substantial as to support pseudonymous proceedings. In the final analysis, however, there is a near-total absence of proof that their expressed fears are objectively reasonable."

The plaintiffs appealed the June 7 deadline and Levy on June 17 gave the plaintiffs until July 8 to comply with his decision, a ruling that appellate court judges upheld Thursday.

"Because the plaintiffs likelihood of success on the merits turns on their showing a reasonable fear of harm, it follows that the plaintiffs have not established a threat of irreparable harm. Denial of the stay itself does not constitute irreparable harm under these circumstances," the justices wrote. "The public interest and the media intervenors' interests weigh in favor of denying the stay due to the presumption of public access."
Englands pack are seeking a gladiatorial contest at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday after Richard Cockerill outlined the physical onslaught awaiting Australia.

The Wallabies landed an early blow in the series by clinching the first Test 30-28 and will take an unassailable lead if they keep their foot on English throats at a ground where they have amassed 10 successive victories.

Eddie Jones tourists crumbled in the final quarter at Perths Optus Stadium and Cockerill is determined for a traditional pillar of strength to reassert itself.

Richard Cockerill is ready for a battle of the forwards (Andrew Matthews/PA)

We are very much sleeves rolled up and gum-shields in. We are coming here to win the game and we are very much up for the battle, forwards coach Cockerill said.

The forward battle is going to be key and lets look forward to it. Were an English pack and we want to get in the middle of it.

Its about making sure that the battle of wills is really strong and we make sure that we dont blink first.

Last Saturday we got what we deserved in the end, so weve just got to be better at what we do, be more consistent and do it more often.

We want it to be gladiatorial. We want it to be physical. That first clash is going to be great. Lets go and see it. Thats what the game is all about.

Lets enjoy the physical parts, the feisty parts and  within the laws of the game  lets get into it.

England will hope Ellis Genge can set the tone (Ashley Western/PA)

The collision between props Ellis Genge and Taniela Tupou was already shaping up to be the pivotal duel even before Australias explosive tighthead lit the fuse by declaring the rivals are united by a desire to smash each other, adding that I want to give it to him.

Combative Leicester captain Genge sets the emotional intensity for England and acts as the heartbeat of their pack, while a player dubbed the Tongan Thor performs the same role for the Wallabies.

Tupou has not played for a little while so hed better turn up and perform if he is going to start challenging Ellis before the game, said Cockerill, referencing the calf injury that forced Australias tighthead to miss the first Test.

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When Genge gets the ball, they are going to want to whack him. When Tupou gets the ball, we are going to want to whack him.

Tupou is exceptionally explosive with ball in hand. It should be a good set-piece battle between him and Ellis. It all sets it up for a nice, tasty evening.

Ellis will get on with his game. We know those battles are going to be crucial. The physical battles up front are always crucial. We look forward to it. Bring it on.

Cockerill was part of the team that crashed to Englands heaviest ever Test defeat in a 76-0 mauling in 1998 that was the lowest point of an event dubbed the Tour of Hell.

The former Leicester hooker says he has deleted that from my memory, although he recalls that the Australia supporters whose task it was to perform press-ups whenever a try was scored soon got bored of doing press-ups.

Suncorp Stadium is considered the spiritual home of the Wallabies and their 10-Test winning run includes victories over New Zealand, South Africa and France. Cockerill, however, insists there is no mystery to the venue.

It is just a game. It is just a pitch. Ninety per cent of our lads wouldnt even know about their record. In fact, I didnt even know. We just get on with the game, he said.
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday dismissed the what he cast as the West's "frenzied" criticism of the war in Ukraine at a G20 meeting, scolding Russia's rivals for scuppering a chance to tackle global economic issues.

Host Indonesia urged the G20 to help end the war in Ukraine at the meeting, which put some of the staunchest critics of Russia's invasion in the same room as Moscow's top diplomat.

"Aggressors', 'invaders', 'occupiers' - we heard a lot of things today," Lavrov told reporters.

He said the West's discussion "strayed almost immediately, as soon as they took the floor, to the frenzied criticism of the Russian Federation in connection with the situation in Ukraine".

"During the discussion, Western partners avoided following the mandate of the G20, from dealing with issues of the world economy," Lavrov said.

Russia says its "special military operation" is intended to degrade the Ukrainian military, root out people it calls dangerous nationalists, and prevent the United States from using Ukraine to threaten Russia.

Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia is engaged in an imperial-style land grab. They say Russia has no justification for the war.

Russia says the West's attempt to isolate Moscow with the severest sanctions in modern times is akin to a declaration of economic war and that Russia will from now on turn towards China, India and other powers outside the West.

Lavrov said that if the West wanted Ukraine to defeat Russia then there was nothing to talk about with the West, which he said was preventing Kyiv from seeking a peace deal.

Shouts of "When will you stop the war" and "Why don't you stop the war" were heard as Lavrov shook hands with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi at the start of the meeting.

Russian state television said an attempt to boycott Russia at the G20 had failed spectacularly and offended Indonesia.

Lavrov added that Russia is ready to negotiate with Ukraine and Turkey about grain but it is unclear when such talks might take place.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Angus MacSwan)
The jig appears to be up for Nicholas Alahverdian.

After seven months of incessant denials that hes the international fugitive arrested in Scotland on a Utah rape charge, a new set of fingerprints has confirmed his identity, a Scottish prosecutor said Thursday.

The stunning change in fortune for Alahverdian came in a Glasgow court where prosecutor Julie Clark said fingerprints taken from Alahverdians arrest Tuesday for threatening two hospital staff, matched those previously identified as Alahverdians.

"Fingerprints taken when he was arrested for this matter were confirmed to be Nicholas Rossi, she said, referring to Alahverdian by the last name he once used.

Nick Alahverdian at the London Eye observation wheel in 2017.

'Hes proven he cant be trusted'

Over Alahverdian's repeated outbursts, a Scottish judge then revoked the Rhode Island con mans bail, agreeing with a prosecutor that his recent attempts to delay his extradition hearing, his fake reports of suffering seizures  and new charges of threatening a nurse and a doctor  make him a flight risk.

Hes proven he cant be trusted, and therefore he should be remanded in custody, said Clark, according to the Glasgow Court Press Agency, which covered the hearing.

Sheriff Gerard MacMillan agreed, telling the agitated Alahverdian, who sat before him in a wheelchair, dressed in a gown and slippers and using an oxygen mask: I feel you may abscond and fail to appear.

Scottish patience with the convicted sex offender who faked his death in 2020 appeared to be growing thin.

Prosecutors in his extradition proceedings in Edinburgh were already threatening to seek his bail revocation when on Tuesday he was arrested for threatening behavior.

More: Nicholas Alahverdian faces another rape allegation from English woman he met online

Scottish prosecutor: Nicholas Alahverdian refuses to give DNA sample or fingerprints

Rhode Island fugitive Nicholas Alahverdian arrives for a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in Scotland in February.

Alahverdian, 34, had been in the hospital since last Thursday after an ambulance crew took him from his Glasgow flat hours before a scheduled extradition hearing.

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In a phone interview with The Journal last week, Alahverdian said he had COVID again, the same infection that hospitalized him in December when Interpol authorities caught up to him. He also complained of having seizures that made it impossible for him to attend his hearings.

Then Tuesday he began screaming at a respiratory doctor and nurse, approaching them like a raging bull, red-faced and cursing, prosecutor Clark said Thursday.

He was arrested then and held in police custody pending his court appearance Thursday.

More: Nicholas Alahverdian channels Winston Churchill as he tries to rally England to his defense

Authorities' frustrations building

Prosecutors have complained in court that Alahverdian was attempting to delay his extradition proceedings by refusing to voluntarily submit to fingerprinting and DNA sampling, defying orders to appear in Edinburgh Sheriff Court (often checking himself into a hospital instead), and failing to produce any identifying documents.

One document entered into his case, an Irish drivers license, appeared to be a forgery, a prosecutor said last week.

Alahverdian had been on bail since Interpol authorities arrested him Dec. 13 at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where the one-time Rhode Island State House advocate for child-welfare reform was being treated for COVID.

At the time, Utah authorities said DNA and photographs of Alahverdian's distinctive tattoos had been used to tie him to the 2008 rape of a former girlfriend in Orem, Utah.

The FBI had been looking for him since at least 2019 on fraud charges, accusing him of taking out two dozen credit cards in his former foster fathers name and running up $200,000 in debts.

Death faked, and then flight to Europe

An FBI agent spoke to Alahverdian over the phone in December 2019. In plotting his fake death later that month  supposedly from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma  Alahverdian told reporters that he was living out of the country for fear of threats he had received because of his State House advocacy work.

He was reported dead: But the state police kept looking for Nick Alahverdian

Nicholas Alahverdian in 2017.

But law-enforcement officials have also described Alahverdian as a serial sex abuser, with women in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Ohio and Utah filing allegations against him.

In Ohio, in a span of two weeks in 2008, two women accused Alahverdian of virtually identical attacks. In one case, a student at Sinclair Community College, sought his prosecution and Alahverdian was convicted of misdemeanor sexual imposition and public indecency.

Months later, a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, told police Alahverdian had raped her. As in more than a half-dozen other assault allegations, the woman said she met him on a dating website.

Alahverdians extradition hearing is scheduled to continue next week.

Email Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com

More: Nicholas Alahverdian's early years set the stage for a life of deception

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Scottish patience grows thin with the RI con man Nick Alahverdian
Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.5 Million to Boost New Business Growth and Expansion Efforts in Louisiana

WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Departments Economic Development Administration (EDA) is investing $3.5 million in the state of Louisiana to make critical infrastructure improvements needed to support current and future business needs.

The EDA investments announced today are:

Desoto Parish Police Jury, Mansfield, Louisiana, will receive $2 million grant for roadway extension and improvements to support growth at the I-49 Industrial Park. The project will be matched with $500,000 in local funds and is expected to create 118 jobs, retain 219 jobs, and generate $35 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will receive a $1.5 million grant to renovate a pre-engineered metal building for use as a food innovation and manufacturing incubator. The project will be matched with $2.5 million in local funds and is expected to create 261 jobs and generate $10 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

President Biden is dedicated to supporting communities as they seek to create new opportunities for business growth, said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. These EDA investments will provide modern infrastructure to support development and growth of new and existing businesses.

The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in supporting locally-developed strategies designed to create economic opportunity, said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. EDA is pleased to assist Desoto Parish and Baton Rouge in their work to provide the infrastructure that their businesses need to grow and thrive.

These projects were made possible by the regional planning efforts of the Coordinating and Development Corporation (CDC) and the Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC), respectively. EDA funds CDC and CRPC to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)

The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
You are the owner of this article.
Jasper Kenzo Sundeen's reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund. For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.
Jasper Kenzo Sundeens reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund . For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.
The Yakima Herald-Republic in early June asked District 4 congressional candidates for their position on a variety of local and national issues. Their responses will be published ahead of the Aug. 2 primary election as part of a weekly series.

Anything else of note: Garcia is the plaintiff in one of two lawsuits filed over new voting boundaries in the Yakima Valley.

Occupation: Tanker crewman in the U.S. Army and National Guard, Americorps supervisor at OIC of Washington, loan specialist and community development specialist U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development

Community service: Foster First board member; former creative director for Walt Disney Company's largest employee volunteer project Flashback; winner of the Horatio Alger/Louis Feinstein Humanitarian Award

Brad Klippert

Name: Brad Klippert

Age: 64

Community of residence: Kennewick

Occupation: Aviator in the U.S. Army, Commander of the Washington State Guard, Benton County Sheriffs Deputy

Education: EMT training from Columbia Basin College; paramedic training from Central Washington University; bachelors degree in Behavioral Science and Biblical Studies from Northwest University; masters in teaching from City University

Community service: The ARC of Washington state, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Association of Washington Business, the Fraternal Order of Police, Washington Council, the Washington Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the Washington Food Industry Association

Previous elected office: State representative for District 8, 2008-present
Meet the WA teen whose art could be featured on Google
Rent increased? Lease renewal more than you thought? Here are your rights as a WA tenant
The United States has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on an additional 93 persons who are believed to have undermined democracy in Nicaragua since Daniel Ortegas illegitimate election in November 2021. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the restrictions in a written statement noting that the additional scores of people now ineligible for entry into the United States include judges, prosecutors, National Assembly Members, and Interior Ministry officials.



Nicaraguan President Ortega and his wife Vice-President Rosario Murillo have been drastically shrinking the space for political dissent as well as for civil society in ways reminiscent of previous failed tyrants. 180 political prisoners are currently held by the regime. One political prisoner has died, and others remain in solitary confinement, said Secretary Blinken. Political prisoners detained under house arrest similarly suffer abuses and are unable to choose their own health care providers or receive visitors.



Not only is the regime targeting political opposition, it is also targeting non-governmental organizations. Secretary Blinken noted that National Assembly members and Ministry of Interior officials enabled the Ortega-Murillo regime to tighten its authoritarian grip over Nicaraguan citizens and institutions by using repressive laws to strip more than 400 NGOs and a dozen universities of their legal status. Among them are the Nicaraguan affiliate for Operation Smile, the organization that provides free surgeries for children with cleft palates; the Nicaraguan Academy of Letters; and several womens rights organizations.



The State Departments recently released report on the state of religious freedom in Nicaragua also noted what one observer called the regimes open war against the Catholic church, with widespread, systematic harassment of religious leaders and worshippers.



Over the past year, the United States has imposed numerous sanctions and visa restrictions on Nicaraguan officials and their relatives over the governments rights abuses. In announcing the latest visa restrictions, Secretary Blinken said, The regimes corrupt security and judicial systems arrested and prosecuted...civic leaders and human rights defenders for speaking the truth, practicing courageous journalism, defending their communities through NGO work, and publicly advocating for alternatives to the regimes repressive rule  activities that should be permitted under Nicaraguas own constitution or any democratic political system.



The United States, Secretary Blinken declared, reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of those unjustly detained and the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in Nicaragua.
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The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below.

You can see the new edition of the Xpat E-Magazine here:

https://xpatloop.com/newsletters/2022/7-july.html



1. In focus is a Summery summary guide to fun by the river:

10 Top Spots for Waterside Enjoyment on the Danube Bend



2. Next, as always there's an essential selection of News, Information & Inspiration:

E.g. Retail Sales Jump / Nominate Your Business Hero / Malkovich Coming to Budapest.



3. Also there are new Movies in Budapest, fresh Specials, and What's On highlights:

E.g. Tom Jones Gig / Bosch Exhibition: 'Between Hell & Paradise' / WONDEREST Fest.



Now here's hoping you enjoy what's in it for you!

With kind regards & best wishes, Team XpatLoop



Photo: ''Budapest - courtesy of Krenn Imre Photography



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Thanks to XpatLoop for an excellent working relationship of over 20 years!



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Thank you for your important service during these troubling times.



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Just a short note of deep appreciation to you all at XpatLoop. At these difficult and potentially solitary times your mailings are doing a wonderful job at keeping us expats in the loop, and ensuring that we still feel part of the vibrant community which is Budapest.



Rough Guide To Budapest, the most knowledgeable & entertaining guidebook:

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"XpatLoop: What the foreign community in Budapest is thinking and talking about.
OMAHA  Two Bellevue intersections now are equipped with license plate readers, and four police cruisers soon will be outfitted with the specialized equipment.

The Bellevue Police Department installed license plate readers at 15th Street and Cornhusker Road, as well as Fort Crook Road North and Chandler Road, Capt. Tom Dargy said Wednesday.

Bellevue signed a five-year contract with Motorola Solutions at a cost of $198,000 to place the cameras at the intersections and in the cruisers, Dargy said.

Logs of license plate numbers passing through the intersections will be maintained for 180 days, he said. The data then will be automatically deleted unless it's being used as evidence or is subject to a preservation request, warrant, subpoena or court order. A department policy also exempts data "involved in an active, ongoing criminal investigation" from automatic deletion.

Data is considered for official use only but "can be shared for legitimate law enforcement purposes" or when subject to a valid court order, according to department policy.

"I've already seen some concerns in online comments about personal information being recorded," Dargy said. "That is not the case. The cameras will only record the license plates, and only about five people in the department will have access to that information."

In 2018, Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill to rein in government use of automatic license plate readers. LB93, sponsored by Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln, set limits on how law enforcement and other agencies can gather and share information collected by the technology. It passed 47-0.

Automatic license plate readers are cameras mounted on patrol cars or stationary objects along the road that snap a photograph of every license plate that passes by. Images of the plates, along with the time, date and location, are recorded and transmitted to a database.

The American Civil Liberties Union has raised concerns in a number of states, including Nebraska, about what information is being gathered on the general driving public and what agencies do with the collected data.

ACLU attorney Jane Seu said Wednesday that the license plate reader technology "fundamentally presents privacy concerns and the possibility of misuse and abuse. Under this system, innocent drivers plates will be recorded and stored for months before being deleted. Likewise, the departments policy allows officers to manually enter plates for vague investigative purposes. Bellevue residents should be concerned about the new cameras and plans to expand them to police vehicles."

Under LB93, government agencies can use the readers to identify vehicles linked to ongoing criminal investigations, reported as stolen or associated with a missing person. They also can be used to identify vehicles with outstanding parking or traffic violations and for some other traffic enforcement purposes.

Bellevue police plan to use the cameras "to identify vehicles that are the subject of police investigations and complaints," Dargy said. To ask that the system check for a certain vehicle, a law enforcement agency would need to provide the license plate number, a set time period for monitoring and the reason for the request.

Dargy said Lancaster and Seward counties have been using license plate readers on cruisers for about a year.

The Kearney Police Department said in June that it had begun testing automated license plate readers.

Scott Stewart of the Bellevue Leader contributed to this report.
Comedian, actor and host of popular TV show 'The Kapil Sharma Show', Kapil Sharma has shared a picture on his Instagram account, showing himself posing with a red-hot Dodge Challenger muscle car. Kapil Sharma, who is on a tour in the United States and Canada has shared the photograph from Canada with a witty caption saying that he is going for a 'walk' in the car. He captioned the picture, "Going for walk in a car," with a couple of emojis.

The Dodge Challenger is a popular muscle car made by Dodge company, a part of FCA (Fiat Chrysler Alliance). The Dodge Challenger is available in multiple variants, however the one Kapil Sharma has clicked the picture seems like the standard model and not the SRT one, which is a more powerful version of the car.

The pricing of the Dodge Challenger starts at $37000 in Canada, and the car is powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine with 303 hp output. There's also a more powerful V8 Hemi variant with 5.7-litre engine and 375 hp output.

The comedian couldn't perform in New York, as part of his upcoming show Kapil Sharma Live, and is visiting Canada for live shows.

Live TV
For travel on flights on its domestic network, Go First has announced the launch of a short-term monsoon sale deal with ticket rates starting at Rs 1,499. For travel between 26 July and 31 March 2023, passengers can make reservations on any domestic route run by Go First. The four-day booking window opened on July 7th, 2022, and will end on July 10th, 2022.

Go First has been expanding its network, earlier, the airline announced direct flight services between Kochi and Abu Dhabi on June 28. The inaugural Go First flight G8 063 departed on June 28 from Cochin International Airport at 8:05 pm (local time) and arrived at Abu Dhabi International Airport at 10:40 pm (local time), the airline said.

"In the return direction, Go First flight G8 064 will depart from Abu Dhabi at 11:40 pm (local time) and arrive at Kochi at 05:10 am (local time)," a release issued by the airline said.

Also read: Pradhaan Air Express to begin commercial flight ops soon; gets NoC from Aviation Ministry

Kaushik Khona, Chief Executive Officer of Go First, said the airline was pleased to announce new non-stop flights connecting Kerala with Abu Dhabi to strengthen the connectivity in the Middle East.

"Our expansion in this sector will help ensure that Go First is the preferred choice by the travellers in these cities. These new routes once again reflect our unflinching commitment towards expanding our international operations," Khona said.

The tri-weekly direct services between the two cities will operate on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. Recently, Go First had also announced the commencement of daily direct flights from Kochi to Kuwait and Kochi to Muscat.
Indias brand new all-cargo airline Pradhaan Air Express will begin commercial operations this year. It is said that the new all-cargo airline will start flight operations with the worlds first A320 converted freighter. The first converted freighter, expected to arrive in Delhi this month, will offer the charter capacity to Indian shippers and freight forwarders on domestic and international routes.

The launch of Pradhaan Air Express endorses the Government's vision to achieve 10 million tonnes of annual cargo throughput by 2030 and pushes the Indian air cargo market in the global ranking. The conversion was done by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), a joint venture of ST Engineering and Airbus, at its facility in Singapore.

The aircraft has been leased from Vaayu Group / Astral Aviation. Interestingly, Pradhaan Air Express will be India's first airline to operate an Airbus narrow-body freighter. The Aircraft offers a payload of 21 tons with a fully palletized main deck.

Also read: Travel from India to Vietnam at Rs 26! Vietjet announces flight tickets offer

"We thank our lessor for having confidence in us to offer the worlds first A320 converted freighter for the Indian market. This will secure dedicated cargo capacity boosting the trades self-reliance. Getting the World`s first A320 converted freighter to India is like a dream come true. A second aircraft will be inducted by the year-end with plans for further fleet expansion," said Nipun Anand, CEO & Founder, Pradhaan Air Express.

"The air cargo market in India has untapped domestic and international potential fuelled by various initiatives to become a global hub for cargo services. We aim to make our small contribution to the big dreams of the Indian cargo industry by offering tailor-made solutions with on-demand charters," added Vipul Bhalla, CBO, Pradhaan Air Express.

(With inputs from agencies)
One of the best thing about living in northeast Nevada is that you do not have to travel far from home to find adventure. Our region hosts numerous known  and not so well known  spots that are ripe for adventure but easy on the pocketbook due to geographical proximity.

From alpine lakes in our mountain ranges to reservoirs ripe with fish to miles of ATV/OHV trails, one does not need to look far to find outdoor fun.

At the end of June, Nevada Outdoor School took to the Ruby Mountains to explore two alpine lakes with our adult and voyager (ages 14-17) backpacking excursions. The adult group ventured to Griswold Lake and the voyager group explored Island Lake. Both of these backpacking options are less than one hour from Elko via main roads. Cheap and easy to get to, a win-win.

Perhaps there is a preconceived notion that one must go far and/or long to experience adventure. While far and long may open you up into more exotic and challenging adventures, close to home adventures have a lot to offer, especially if the goal is to simply disconnect from the noise of the world and reconnect with nature.

It is interesting that in the formal definition of adventure there is the component of danger or risk included, an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks (Merriam-Webster). That sounds like a lot of regular life, dangerous and unknown. Seems like any day can be an adventure if your mindset is right. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of local destinations and calling them an adventure.

Our adult backpacking group camped two nights about 2 miles up the Griswold Lake trail in a beautiful quasi-meadow with a great sitting rock for pondering life. The nearby Butterfield Creek supplied an ample supply of water for filtering. On Day 2 the group tackled the climb up to Griswold Lake, and lunch tasted that much better with the lake at our toes. Few did a quick toe dip; the water was ice cold!

Our voyager backpacking group hiked up to Island Lake and camped for two nights. It was surprising how many people utilize this trail as all day long, and well into the evening hours we spied people visiting the Lake. On Day 2 we hiked up above the lake, along the back ridge and enjoyed lunch, rock balancing, and reviewed map and compass skills. The view from just over 10,000 feet provided a new perspective of Island Lake few receive.

Whenever heading out on an adventure, be it in your backyard or far, far, away, always practice the first Leave No Trace principle, Plan Ahead and Be Prepared. For example, checking the weather and being prepared for what Mother Nature has in store is smart and will help ensure you are adequately prepared with necessary water and layers. Do not make the mistake of thinking because you are close to home, you do not need to prepare. Responsible outdoor recreation always includes proper preparation.

Our backpacking trips were the kick-off to our favorite time of year, summer camp season. Stay tuned for recaps of our other upcoming camps. There are still a few spaces available, visit nevadaoutdoorschool.org for all the latest details and information.
Akasa Air, India's newest airline, has received its final certificate called the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The certificate allows Akasa to start its commercial flight operations in India. Akasa Air, co-owned by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala has announced to start it flying operation by the end of July 2022. India's newest low cost airline earlier placed a massive order of 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts, one of the largest orders for the controversial plane and received their first aircraft just last month. We decode what exactly is Akasa Air and what new does it bring to the table?

Akasa Air unveiled the first look of its airline crew uniform a few days ago, becoming the first Indian airline to introduce custom trousers, jackets, and sneakers for its in-flight crew. The fabric for the trouser and jacket has been specially designed for Akasa Air, using recycled polyester fabric made from pet bottle plastic salvaged from marine waste. The uniform fit focuses on providing the most stretch possible to ensure employees' comfort during their hectic flight schedules.

We are pleased to announce the receipt of our Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This is a significant milestone, enabling us to open our flights for sale and leading to the start of commercial operations.  Akasa Air (@AkasaAir) July 7, 2022

Akasa Air Code

Akasa Air recently received its code from DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation) and will be called 'QP'. Akasa Air is the newest airline in India, unlike Jet Airways that will start India operations again with 9W code.

Akasa Air ordered 72 Boeing 737 Max aircraft at the Dubai Air Show last year, with the first 18 scheduled to arrive by March 2023 and the remaining 54 scheduled to arrive during the ensuing four years. The airline recently welcomed its first 737 MAX at the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi from Boeing's Seattle based facility. Earlier Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer mentioned that Airbus is in conversation with Akasa for an aircraft procurement deal.

Akasa Air Livery

The Boeing 737 Max planes will be wearing the brand's Orange and Purple coloured livery, a new for the Indian market.

Akasa Air Founders

Akasa Air is backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, who is the co-founder of the newest airline and owns 40% of the company. Ex-Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube will be the CEO of Akasa Air with a 15 per cent stake. The brand is also looking to hire other industry leaders at the top spot before beginning of the operations.

Akasa Air Routes

Akasa Air plans to offer flights across India with an "endeavour to be the nation's most dependable, affordable and greenest airline". While no announcement has been made in this regards, it is expected the Akasa will serve the major domestic routes with the ultra low cost airline to attract the potential flyers. The company recently announced plans to fly 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023 across domestic routes in the country, focusing on metro to tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

Live TV
NEW DELHI: Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan and Saba Azad are all over in the news for their blooming romance. While they have not confirmed dating each other, the duo is said to be seeing each other for a while now. Now, as per the latest buzz, Hrithik and Saba are spending ample time together in Paris.

Saba took to Instagram and shared a beautiful picture of herself and credited the Bollywood hunk as the photographer. In the picture, she can be seen looking away from the camera whereas a blue-coloured coffee mug is placed in front of her. "Not a selfie, not my coffee. Image by @hrithikroshan," she captioned the post. The picture has been taken in Paris.

Well, we assume if the lovebirds have taken to Paris together to spend time together. Meanwhile, the photo has gone viral on the internet and fans have been going gaga over her post.



TAKE A LOOK AT SABA AZAD's POST:

Hrithik Roshan's cousin Pashmina commented on the post and wrote, "You're so beautiful".

A fan wrote, "Hat's off to you........I mean hritik roshan ko photographer rakhna.....sab koi afford nahi kar sakta hai."

Another fan wrote, "Our Great Photographer @hrithikroshan Is there anything you can't do!?"

"Saba, you, Charming!!! Take care of each other!!! Lots of love and sunny Paris!!!Many thanks to Hrithik for the photo."



HRITHIK ROSHAN AND SABA AZAD RELATIONSHIP





It all started in February this year when the duo was photographed exiting a restauran in Mumbai suburbs after a cosy dinner. The rumoured couple also made headlines when they walked in hand-in-hand and happily posed for the cameras at Karan Johar's 50th birthday bash. Though they are yet to make it official, their social media PDA says a lot about their relationship.

On the work front, Hrithik has announced the wrap of 'Vikram Vedha' with Saif Ali Khan. The movie is slated to release on September 30, 2022.

Billed as an edge-of-the-seat action-thriller, the movie is based on the popular Indian folktale 'Vikram aur Betal'. It tells the story of a tough police officer (Saif Ali Khan) who sets out to track down and hunt a menacing gangster (Hrithik Roshan).

The upcoming Hindi movie is a remake of 2017 Tamil blockbuster of the same name, which starred R Madhavan as a cop and Vijay Sethupathi as a gangster. Filmmaker duo Pushkar and Gayatri, who helmed the original film, have directed the Hindi version as well.

Hrithik also has 'Fighter' alongside Deepika Padukone. Directed by Siddharth Anand, 'Fighter' is touted to be Indias first aerial action film. The film marks Roshan's third project with Anand after 'Bang Bang' and the smash hit 'War'. This will also be the first time the Hrithik and Deepika will pair up on-screen. Filming is expected to go on floors in October and will reportedly hit the screens in October 2023.

Live TV
New Delhi: Nothing is more demotivating than a LinkedIn motivational message, we can probably all agree. Dissing LinkedIn posts has evolved into a subgenre of humour on other social networking networks. And now, a LinkedIn user named Krishan Kumar has made the audacious decision of criticising LinkedIn posts. The post is a parody of a fictional conversation between an employer and a candidate. Taking on the phoney generosity of LinkedIn motivational posts, the parody post begins, "We hired a candidate last week. Her package was 10 LPA, and she requested 15 LPA. During the interview, I understood she is significantly underpaid. So I told them, "We'll pay you 30 LPA."

According to the candidate, she is not greedy and would be content with 15 LPA. There is a lot of arguing between the two, paradoxically about someone wanting to pay more and someone not accepting it- a phenomenon exclusively seen on LinkedIn. Finally, the reason why the employer wishes to pay the candidate more is revealed: "Didi Mujhay LinkedIn pe post daalni hai, please maan jao na," I begged, my eyes watering. Read More: Musk's $44 bn Twitter deal in serious trouble: Report

What is the moral of the story? What does it matter? However, if you do, the article instructs you to "plant trees, eat healthy, and donate blood." That's all there is to it. Read More: Gold price today, July 8: Gold prices go down by Rs 750, Check gold rate in Delhi, Patna, Lucknow, Kolkata, Kanpur, Kerala and other cities

If you're interested in the case, user Manisha Gusain has offered a candidate POV on the same thread. "The finest interview experience ever - How I earned a 300 percent raise and went from 10 LPA to 30 LPA in one day?" she writes in her Facebook post.

Some people in Kumar's post plainly missed the memo and were taken for a ride while the OP maintained the charade. Someone even went so far as to say, "Kindly choose to contribute anything that has a positive feature and is also useful, not some fantastic vision of a parallel realm." This much of a jump is only possible if the person has completed an extraordinarily high professional degree in between, preferably from one of the country's finest institutes." Another user proposed that LinkedIn must implement a fact checker.
New Delhi: Twitter has finally begun to reduce its employees. Since Elon Musk announced the acquisition of Twitter, the future of Twitter staff has been jeopardised. According to a report, the microblogging site has reduced 30% of its talent acquisition team, which mostly consists of recruiters and employees in charge of bringing on new hires. Twitter has acknowledged that 100 staff will be laid off.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Twitter has parted ways with members of its talent acquisition team. Approximately 100 workers have lost their jobs at the company. The layoff occurred just weeks after Musk stated that Twitter needed to get healthy, implying possible layoffs. Twitter had previously declared a hiring freeze in order to minimise costs as the firm battles to complete Musk's takeover. Read More: Elon Musk shows support for large families after reports revealed he secretly had twins in 2021

Musk's Twitter acquisition has yet to materialise, despite Musk's repeated threats to back out of the agreement due to bot difficulties on the network. In a further story, the Wall Street Journal stated that the transaction was in "severe risk" and that "a change in direction from Musk's team was expected to come shortly." Read More: Linkedin Post Parody: Man roasts viral motivational posts by offering double salary

Musk met with Twitter staff for the first time in June, during which he stated that the firm "has to get healthy" financially and reduce costs. "Right now, costs surpass income," Musk said during an internal Q&A when questioned about the likelihood of layoffs, according to The Verge. Employees who overheard the comments informed the publication. "That isn't a good circumstance, "Musk continued. When employees pressed him further regarding potential layoffs, he replied, "It depends." The corporation must improve its health ", according to CNBC.

Ingrid Johnson, Senior Technical Recruiter at Twitter, stated on LinkedIn that the new round of layoffs has affected those who have worked for the firm for many years. "Twitter layoffs began today." People who have worked for the company for over a decade are being laid off. This is a really difficult day. Furthermore, there is currently a ban on selling any Vested Stock. "It started on May 31st," she wrote.
New Delhi: Vivo India on Friday approached the Delhi High Court to challenge the freezing of the company`s bank account by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case. Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra on Friday mentioned the matter before the bench headed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma also comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad and submitted that ED has frozen all our bank accounts.

"We have 9000 employees. There is a liability," Luthra said. The bench consented to hear the matter on an urgent basis today. (ALSO READ: Are 4-day work weeks, flexible hours the future of full-time? Salaried employees take note)

Vivo India, in the plea, submitted that grave injustice will be caused to the company due to this act of the Respondent (ED) and will negatively impact its reputation and business operations. (ALSO READ: Gopinath 1st woman to be on IMF's 'wall of 'wall of former chief economists)

The freezing of the Bank Accounts will not only impede the existing/prospective business operations of the Petitioner conducted through the Bank Accounts but will bear an adverse effect on the Petitioner`s operations in India and across the globe, the plea said.

"If amounts in the Petitioner`s Bank Accounts remain frozen, it would not be able to pay its statutory dues to the competent authorities under various enactments, leading to the Petitioner, being in further violation of law. The freezing also prevents the payment of salaries to the thousands of employees of the Petitioner."

According to the ED, Vivo India`s nearly 23 associated firms such as Grand Prospect International Communication Pvt Ltd (GPICPL) transferred huge amounts to the firm and out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crores, it remitted Rs 62,476 crores almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China.

The agency said these entities are Rui Chuang Technologies Private Limited (Ahmedabad), V Dream Technology and Communication Private Ltd (Hyderabad), Regenvo Mobile Private Limited (Lucknow), Fangs Technology Private Limited (Chennai), Weiwo Communication Private Limited (Bangalore), Bubugao Communication Private Limited (Jaipur), Haicheng Mobile (India) Private Limited (New Delhi), Joinmay Mumbai Electronics Pvt. Ltd (Mumbai), Yingjia Communication Private Limited (Kolkata), Jie Lian Mobile India Pvt. Ltd. (Indore), Vigour Mobile India Private Limited (Gurgaon), Hisoa Electronic Private Limited (Pune), Haijin Trade India Private Limited (Kochi), Rongsheng Mobile India Private Limited (Guwahati), Morefun Communication Private Limited (Patna), Aohua Mobile India Private Limited (Raipur), Pioneer Mobile Private Limited (Bhubhaneswar), Unimay Electronic Private Limited (Nagpur), Junwei Electronic Private Limited (Aurangabad), Huijin Electronic India Private Limited (Ranchi), MGM Sales Private Limited (Dehradun) and Joinmay Electronic Pvt Ltd (Mumbai).

"These companies are found to have transferred huge amounts of funds to Vivo India. Further, out of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crores, Vivo India remitted Rs 62,476 crores almost 50 per cent of the turnover out of India, mainly to China," ED said in a statement.

These remittances were made in order to disclose huge losses in Indian incorporated companies to avoid payment of taxes in India.

The ED in its statement revealed the information after it carried out a search at 48 locations spanning the country belonging to Vivo Mobiles India Private Limited and its 23 associated companies such as GPICPL.ED said Vivo Mobiles India Pvt Ltd was incorporated on August 1, 2014, as a subsidiary of Multi Accord Ltd, a Hong Kong-based company and was registered at the Registrar of Companies, Delhi. It further said GPICPL was registered on December 3, 2014, at Registrar of Companies, Shimla, with registered addresses of Solan in Himachal Pradesh and Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.

The company was incorporated by Zhengshen Ou, Bin Lou and Zhang Jie with the help of Nitin Garg, a Chartered Accountant. "Bin Lou left India on April 26, 2018. Zhengshen Ou and Zhang Jie left India in 2021."

PMLA Investigation by ED was initiated by recording an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on February 3 this year on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered by Kalkaji police station under Delhi Police on December 5 last year against GPICPL and its Director, shareholders and certifying professionals on the basis of a complaint filed by Ministry of Corporate Affairs. As per the FIR, GPICPL and its shareholders had used forged identification documents and falsified addresses at the time of incorporation.

The allegations were found to be true as the investigation revealed that the addresses mentioned by the directors of GPICPL did not belong to them, but in fact, it was a government building and the house of a senior bureaucrat.ED`s investigation revealed that the same director of GPICPL, namely Bin Lou, was also an ex-director of Vivo.

He had incorporated multiple companies across the country spread across various states, a total of 18 companies around the same time, just after the incorporation of Vivo in 2014-15 and further another Chinese national Zhixin Wei had incorporated a further four companies.

During raids, the ED said, due procedures as per law were followed at each premise but "the employees of Vivo India, including some Chinese Nationals, did not cooperate with the search proceedings and had tried to abscond, remove and hide digital devices which were retrieved by the search teams".

So far, the ED said, 119 bank accounts of various entities with a gross balance to the tune of Rs 465 crores including Fixed Deposits to the tune of 66 crores of Vivo India, 2 kg gold bars, and cash amount to the tune of approximately Rs 73 lakhs have been seized under the provisions of PMLA, 2002.
New Delhi: One of the most revered festivals of Muslims across the globe, Bakr Eid, also known as Eid-al-Adha or Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated in India on July 10, 2022. The festival comes nearly two months after Eid-ul-Fitr, the one which arrives after the holy month of Ramazan or Ramadan.

It is the second most important festival of Muslims as the day marks the sacrifice of cattle: goat, sheep, camel, buffalo in whatever number a person can afford. This day is also known as Eid Qurban or Qurban Bayarami.

Bakr Eid 2022 Date, Time:

The festival of Eid-al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah as per the Islamic lunar calendar.

The crescent moon will be sighted in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh for Eid-ul-Adha 2022 on July 10 and Dhul Hijjah has started on July 1 and Bakr-Eid will be celebrated on July 10, 2022, respectively. In India, Eid is celebrated a day after it is celebrated in Saudi Arabia, which is on Saturday, July 09, 2022.

Eid-al-Adha History and Significance:

Eid-al-Adha festival marks and revers the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Gods command. According to the Quran, it is said that before Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham could sacrifice his son, God provided a ram to sacrifice instead.

In commemoration of this, Muslims across the world sacrifice a male goat and divide it into three parts: one-third of the share is given to the poor and needy; another third is given to relatives, friends, and neighbours; and the remaining third is retained by the family.

The poor and needy are fed the food, thereby providing them with an adequate potion. Sumptuous food items and delicacies are prepared at home and guests are welcomed.

Importance of Eid-ul-Adha:

The second Eid or Eid-ul-Adha also marks the end of Hajj, the pilgrimage that takes Muslims to the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

On this special day, Ibrahim's obedience is re-enacted with the symbolic sacrifice of a lamb, goat, cow, camel, or other animals. The sacrifice is then equally divided into three parts to be shared among family, friends and the needy.

Here's wishing all those celebrating Eid a happy one!
New Delhi: India-born Gita Gopinath became the first woman and second Indian to feature on the 'wall of former chief economists' of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The first Indian to achieve the honour was Raghuram Rajan who was Chief Economist and Director of Research of IMF between 2003 and 2006. Gopinath was appointed as IMF Chief Economist in October 2018 and was later promoted as the IMF's First Deputy Managing Director in December last year.

"Breaking the trend I joined the wall of former Chief Economists of the IMF," she said in a tweet, which also displayed the wall of former chief economists with her photograph.

Breaking the trend I joined the wall of former Chief Economists of the IMF pic.twitter.com/kPay44tIfK July 6, 2022

Gopinath had served as the first female chief economist of the Washington-based global lender for three years. (ALSO READ: SBI freezes customers' accounts for not updating KYC details! Check how to complete your KYC now)

Gopinath's research has been published in many top economics journals. Prior to her appointment as IMF Chief Economist, she was the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics in the economics department of Harvard University. (ALSO READ: Are 4-day work weeks, flexible hours the future of full-time? Salaried employees take note)

Before joining the faculty of Harvard University in 2005, she was an assistant professor of economics at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
New Delhi: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has been quoted as saying that Petrol won't remain in usage in the country in the next 5 years.

Media reports quoting Gadkari said that bio-ethanol being made in Maharashtra's Vidarbha district is being used in vehicles. Green hydrogen can be made from deep well water and can be sold for Rs 70 per kg. The Union Minister purportedly added that the country will run out of petrol in the next five years owing to which the fossil fuel will be banned in the country.

Gadkari also highlighted the need for farmers to become energy providers and not just food providers. He said that no farmer can change his future just by planting wheat, rice, maize.

Gadkari was conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) by Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidhyapeeth in Maharashtra's Akola on Thursday, during which he is said to have made the above remarks.

Governor and Chancellor of public universities Bhagat Singh Koshyari awarded the degree to the Union minister for road transport and highways at the 36th convocation ceremony of the university. Former Vice Chancellor Dr Motilal Madan, VC Dr Vilas Bhale, registrar, deans of faculty, professors, teachers and graduating students were present on the occasion.
Gurugram: The BJP on Thursday removed its Haryana IT cell incharge amid calls for his arrest over an old tweet allegedly against Islam. A statement issued by state BJP president O P Dhankar said Arun Yadav is being removed from the post with immediate effect but did not give any reason for it.

Arun Yadav's tweet dates back to 2017 but went viral on social media now. Though no complaint has been filed against him so far, people are demanding his arrest online.

#ArrestArunYadav was among the top trends on Twitter on Thursday, with his tweets posted between May this year and 2017 shared thousands of times.

The calls for his arrest grew stronger against the backdrop of AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair's arrest over a four-year-old tweet. However, no police complaint has been filed against Arun Yadav yet.

It may be recalled that the BJP last month suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled another functionary, Naveen Jindal, after massive international condemnation of their controversial comments and tweets against the Prophet.
New Delhi: At least 13 yatris were killed, five others injured and many missing after a cloudburst near the Amarnath cave shrine on Friday (July 8, 2022) evening caused flash floods. The cloudburst occurred at around 5.30 p.m. near the shrine. At least three community kitchens and 25 Yatri tents were washed away in flash floods caused by the cloudburst, the officials informed.

Meanwhile, the CEO of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, has shared the helpline number so that the family members of the pilgrims will be able to contact the authorities and get related information.

5-Helpline numbers : NDRF : 011-23438252 011-23438253 Kashmir Divisional Helpline : 0194-2496240 Shrine Board Helpline : 0194-2313149

The CEO of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board also informed that:

Rescue operation with NDRF, SDRF, JKP and other teams in action.

Focus is on shifting the injured to the base camp hospitals.

ALH Choppers pressed into action for rescue. ALH Chopper stationed at Panchtarini for evacuation.

Search operation on to ascertain casualties.

Additionally, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told reporters that rescue operations by various agencies is underway, the situation is under control and the injured are being airlifted for treatment.

Officials said that following the cloudburst, water surged above/the sides of the cave after heavy rains at the upper reaches.

The yatra was flagged off on June 30 after remaining suspended for two years due to the Covid pandemic, and so far, over one lakh devotees have completed the pilgrimage.

(With agency inputs)
ELKO  A man accused of hitting a convenience store customer over the head with a wine bottle and stealing more than $8,000 worth of his jewelry last summer in Elko has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Steven R. Mondragon, 30, will be eligible for parole after eight years. His sentence includes 15 years in prison on the robbery charge, and a consecutive 70 months for the deadly weapon enhancement.

He pleaded no contest before District Judge Kriston Hill and was credited with 285 days already served in jail. Mondragon was also ordered to pay the victim $8,297, jointly with Norbert L. Lenoir III of Carlin.

Lenoir earlier pleaded no contest to principal to battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, and principal to grand larceny. He was sentenced March 4 by Hill to up to 15 years in prison on the battery charge and up to five years on the larceny charge, to be served concurrently.

Mondragon was a resident of Las Vegas when the brutal robbery occurred around 12:25 a.m. Aug. 13 at the Maverik on Mountain City Highway.

A police report said a California couple was in the store when Norman D. Wasson, 37, of Elko appeared to be distracting the male as Mondragon hit him on the back of the head with a wine bottle. Then, Mondragon and Lenoir began beating and kicking the victim.

Wasson and Lenoir were arrested shortly after the crime. Mondragon was located two months later in Montana.

Wasson was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery with the use of a deadly weapon and/or robbery, conspiracy to commit grand larceny, and conspiracy to commit battery. He has pleaded not guilty, and a status hearing on his case was held this week.

Wasson was released on bail and arrested again in December on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was released again and arrested June 28 on charges of camping on public property and failure to appear in court on the drug charge.

According to a Las Vegas Sun report, Mondragon was arrested in August 2010 after he fired a gun into a crowd during a gang-related dispute, injuring three people. Two other men with him escaped in a car.

Nevada Department of Corrections records show that he was sentenced to prison and his last Parole Board hearing was in February 2019.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (July 8, 2022) expressed anguish over the loss of lives in cloud burst incidents near Amarnath cave in Jammu and Kashmir. PM Modi said he has spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and took stock of the situation. "Anguished by the cloud burst near Shree Amarnath cave. Condolences to the bereaved families. Spoke to @manojsinha_ Ji and took stock of the situation. Rescue and relief operations are underway. All possible assistance is being provided to the affected, said prime minister in a tweet.

Anguished by the cloud burst near Shree Amarnath cave. Condolences to the bereaved families. Spoke to @manojsinha_ Ji and took stock of the situation. Rescue and relief operations are underway. All possible assistance is being provided to the affected.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

Meanwhile, according to the latest reports, at least 10 yatris were killed, five others injured and many missing after a cloudburst near the Amarnath cave shrine today evening caused flash floods, officials said.

Union Home minister Amit Shah also took note of the situation and said saving the lives of people was on priority. The home minister also had a word with the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha and said the rescue was underway.

"I have spoken with Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha pertaining to flash floods triggered by a cloudburst at Amarnath Cave. NDRF, SDRF, BSF & local admin are doing the rescue work. Our priority is to save the lives of people," said Amit Shah in a tweet.

A cloudburst incident took place at the holy cave area of Amarnath on Friday which resulted in a heavy discharge of water in the `Nallah`, adjoining the holy cave. According to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officials, the cloud burst occurred at the lower holy cave (Amarnath) at around 5.30 PM and the rescue teams rushed to the spot.

Cloudburst reported at around 5:30pm. High momentum water flow affected many tents. Our crew is engaged in rescue work. 2 out of our 3 teams engaged. J&K Police, Indian Army & ITBP also engaged. Initial momentum decreasing, we'll be prepared for every situation: NDRF DG A Karwal pic.twitter.com/5SvGf6CDUG  ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2022

" Some langars and tents have come under cloud burst/flash floods at Holy Cave, two deaths reported. Rescue operation by Police, NDRF & SFs in progress. Injured being airlifted for treatment. Situation under control," said IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar.

A senior ITBP official said that water came from above and sides of the cave after it rained heavily at the upper reaches. The rain has stopped for now. "Some casualties feared. No clarity as of now. Rescue teams are on the job," the official said. More details are awaited.

(With agency inputs)
AP LAWCET 2022: The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) is scheduled to release the AP LAWCET 2022 hall ticket today, July 8, 2022 at around 12 PM afternoon, however, the official declaration of release time has not been made yet. Candidates who have applied for the AP Law common entrance test, LAWCET 2022 will be able to download their admit cards from the official website cets.apsche.gov.in, once released.

AP LAWCET 2022- How to download admit card

Visit the official website  cets.apsche.gov.in Click on the link for AP LAWCET 2022, on the homepage A new page will open, click on the link Download Hall ticket for LAWCET Enter your application number, date of birth and other required details Submit, your AP LAWCET 2022 Hall ticket will be displayed on the screen Download and take a printout AP LAWCET 2022 Hall ticket

AP LAWCET 2022 is scheduled to be conducted on place July 13, 2022 from 3 PM to 4:30 PM. Candidates must carry their AP LAWCET 2022 admit cards to exam centres else will not be provided entry.

Live TV
New Delhi: The alliance between Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party is probably heading towards a split. The SBSP chief, Om Prakash Rajbhar, who fought the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party, is apparently not happy with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is reportedly not paying attention to his coalition partners. The chasm between the two came into the open when Opposition presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha recently visited Uttar Pradesh's capital city of Lucknow to seek support from the SP and RLD MLAs but legislators of Om Prakash Rajbhar's party were not invited to take part in the event.

When the media asked OP Rajbhar in this regard, he said, "The SBSP MLAs were not invited, the SP chief needs Jayant Choudhary. I am no longer needed." Rajbhar vowed to soon take a decision. This was not the first time that Om Prakash Rajbhar was irked with Akhilesh Yadav. Post-Assembly polls, he has been constantly attacking the SP chief.

He was earlier quoted as saying, Votes are in villages not in AC rooms and that's why we need to go to villages. I have told him (Akhilesh Yadav) 4-5 times to go among the people in the villages. Many Samajwadi Party leaders have asked me to tell their leader to step out of his house and go into public.

Also read: Akhilesh Yadav accustomed to air-conditioned rooms, says SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar

During the Legislative Council elections, Rajbhar did not spare Akhilesh Yadav as the former wanted at least one of the four council seats for his son, but the SP chief is learnt to have refused. Irked over this, Rajbhar had grudgingly stated that those who could win eight out of 34 seats were rewarded with the Rajya Sabha seat and those who won six out of 14 seats were ignored.

Also read: Om Prakash Rajbhar's 'next political move' leaves friends and foes guessing

After the SP's debacle in recently held Lok Sabha bypolls in Azamgarh and Rampur, Rajbhar told media persons, "Had Akhilesh Yadav went to Azamgarh, he would have won the election. When we were campaigning in the sun, he was enjoying the AC." Akhilesh retorted that the SP does not need anyone's advice.

The reason for the split is not one, but looking at the failure of SP alliances post-2017 Assembly polls and 2019 general elections, one can make a guess that since the Akhilesh Yadav-led party has bitterly failed to retain its partners, the current alliance with the SBSP may also be counting its last breath.
Nashik: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Friday hit out at the BJP, saying it does not want to just engineer a split in the party, but intends to altogether finish the regional outfit to realise its dream of "breaking" Maharashtra into three parts. He also dubbed the newly-installed Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government as "illegal". Talking to reporters here in North Maharashtra, the Rajya Sabha MP hit out at rebel Sena MLAs and said they may have returned home, but Shiv Sainiks will ensure they do not get re-elected to the Legislative Assembly whenever polls are held.

The rebel Sena MLAs first reached Surat from Mumbai on June 21, then flew to Guwahati and also stayed in Goa before returning to the state capital. Raut, the Sena's chief spokesperson, said the rebel MLAs have been changing the reasons for revolting against the party leadership, an act which brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government late last month.

"The BJP does not want to engineer a split in the Shiv Sena, but it wants to finish the party. Till the time Shiv Sena exists, they cannot realise their dream of breaking Maharashtra into three pieces. They cannot free Mumbai (from Maharashtra till the time Sena exists)," he asserted.

Slamming the rebel MLAs, Raut said they keep changing the reasons for rebelling against the party leadership -- from accusing the Sena of deserting the Hindutva plank to then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's inaccessibility, to the NCP (which handled finance portfolio under MVA government) not allocating funds to their constituencies. The Sena MP described the new government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who took oath on June 30, as "illegal". At a time when the disqualification plea of 16 Sena MLAs was pending before the Supreme Court, how can the Governor order a trust vote, Raut asked. The Shinde-led government won the trust vote in the Assembly on July 4.
Mumbai: Amid a tussle with the rebel faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to claim the party's poll symbol, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday (July 8, 2022) asserted that the 'bow and arrow' symbol will remain with the original party.

He also demanded mid-term elections in Maharashtra, saying that people should be allowed to take a stand on toppling of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by him.

Addressing a press conference here, Thackeray said the change of power in the state could have happened with grace and in a dignified manner in 2019 and not with "betrayal" as was done last week.

He was referring to the Sena and BJP's parting of ways after the 2019 Assembly poll results over the issue of rotational chief minister.

Thackeray hit out at the rebel Shiv Sena group for keeping mum when the BJP targeted and "abused" him and his family in the last two-and-a-half years.

"You keep in touch with them and betray your own party like this," he said without naming Shinde.

He said the Supreme Court's verdict to be delivered on July 11 will decide not just the future of shiv sena but also the future of Indian democracy. The apex court is scheduled to give its decision on a petition seeking disqualification of 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs.

Thackeray said he has consulted constitutional experts, who told him that there can be a split in the legislature party, but the original party stays and cannot be finished.

"The legislature party and original party are two different entities. There should be no confusion over the symbol. Shiv sainiks should rest assured that the bow and arrow symbol will remain with us," he said.

Thackeray also said he would take a decision which candidate to support for the presidential election after consulting the party MPs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Doctors suspect that a student admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata may have had monkey pox. He returned from a European country a few days ago. The young man from West Midnapore was admitted to a hospital in Kolkata with 'rash' on his body and other symptoms. The sample was sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for testing as it was suspected to be a monkey pox. The test report has not come yet. The patient is kept in isolation. The people in his house will also be alerted by the health department of West Bengal.

According to sources, a sample of one person has been sent for testing. Because the student has returned from abroad. Therefore no risk has been taken by the health department. This is the first time in the state that a sample of someone suspected of monkey pox has been sent for testing. A blood sample of that student has been sent. Samples of fluid taken from the rashes look like pox have also been sent.

This is a developing story. More details are awaited.
Amarnath Yatra Cloudburst news: A massive cloudburst is reported from near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir today. At least two langars near the holy cave have been affected due to the cloud burst. Fifteen people have lost their lives in the incident so far. The cloudburst hit the cave area at around 5.30 pm after heavy rains, they said. Police and other civil administration have launched a rescue operation as some langars were affected by the gushing waters, the officials said. There were no reports of any casualties so far, they said.

Ten pilgrims have died, and their bodies have been recovered, a senior NDRF official told Zee Media. Earlier in a tweet, police said that some langars and tents have come under cloud burst/flash floods at Holy Cave. 08 deaths reported. Rescue operation by Police, NDRF & SFs in progress. Injured being airlifted for treatment. Situation under control, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said in a tweet.

PM Narendra Modo also expressed condolences over the incident. "Anguished by the cloud burst near Shree Amarnath cave. Condolences to the bereaved families. Spoke to Manoj Sinha ji and took stock of the situation. Rescue and relief operations are underway. All possible assistance is being provided to the affected," PM Narendra Modi tweeted.

Earlier today, the tenth batch of over 6,100 Amarnath pilgrims left from here on Friday for the twin base camps of 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

Cloud burst occurred at lower holy cave Amarnath today. Two people feared dead so far.



Rescue operations on. pic.twitter.com/5tnlOi6PMv  Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) July 8, 2022

A total of 6,159 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 249 vehicles amid heavy security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), they said. Of these, 4,754 are males, 1,220 females, 35 children, 139 sadhus and 12 sadhvis, they said.

#WATCH | J&K: Visuals from lower reaches of Amarnath cave where a cloud burst was reported. Rescue operation underway by NDRF, SDRF & other agencies



(Source: ITBP) pic.twitter.com/o6qsQ8S6iI July 8, 2022

They said 2,037 pilgrims heading for Baltal were the first to leave the Bhagwati Nagar camp in 95 vehicles around 3.30 am followed by the second convoy of 154 vehicles carrying 4,122 pilgrims for Pahalgam.

Anguished by the cloud burst near Shree Amarnath cave. Condolences to the bereaved families. Spoke to @manojsinha_ Ji and took stock of the situation. Rescue and relief operations are underway. All possible assistance is being provided to the affected.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

A total of 63,487 pilgrims have reached the valley from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp since June 29 -- when the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. The annual 43-day yatra commenced from the twin base camps -- traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag and 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir's Ganderbal -- on June 30.

#WATCH | J&K: Rescue operation underway at lower reaches of Amarnath cave where a cloud burst was reported. Two people dead so far pic.twitter.com/0pwry9gkJt July 8, 2022

So far, over one lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivlingam, officials said. The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
In a shocking incident, Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead when he was delivering an election speech today. Abe's killing in Japan - a country known for its peaceful society - has delivered shockwaves across the world. The killing was done at a time when Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party is ruling the nation.

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan makes an analysis of the incident of Abe's killing and his known friendship with PM Narendra Modi.

Abe, at the time of attack, was addressing a rally at a venue that is close to the city's biggest railway station. The various videos captured at the time of the event show that the attacker was standing close to Abe during the entire speech. The attacker took good time to plan and prepare himself for the attack. One of the videos shows the attacker standing behind the former Prime Minister.

The attacker fired the first shot from behind, but this bullet didn't touch Abe. As Abe turned back, the attacker fired for a second time at him. This time, the bullet penetrated Abe's chest on the left side. Abe was immediately taken to the hospital where doctors tried to save his life for five hours. However, the 67-year-old former Prime Minister succumbed to the injuries.

The guards deployed at the venue immediately got hold of the attacker and captured him. The attacker had used a hand-made gun which he had possibly made at home. The attacker used pipes and wooden cardboards to make the double-barrel gun at home.

The attacker, 41, was unhappy with one of the groups that were created by Abe.

Abe's killing comes as a setback for India and PM Narendra Modi has expressed grief on the incident. The Prime Minister has also announced one-day national mourning on Abe's death.

Abe had paid four visits to India during his time as the Prime Minister. PM Narendra Modi's meetings with Abe had made international headlines.

Watch DNA with Rohit Ranjan to understand the dynamics of Abe's death.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken focusing on a range of challenges with "greater understanding and openness". The talks took place on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers' meeting (FMM) in the Indonesian city of Bali.

"Continued the conversation with @SecBlinken on global and regional issues, this time at Bali #G20FMM. Our relationship today allows us to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness," Jaishankar tweeted.

Continued the conversation with @SecBlinken on global and regional issues, this time at Bali #G20FMM.



Our relationship today allows us to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness. pic.twitter.com/kiktiWYBO0  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 8, 2022

The Ukraine crisis is believed to have figured in the talks. Jaishankar also held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Bali.

India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

In the last few months, India has also increased the import of discounted crude oil from Russia notwithstanding increasing disquiet over it by several Western powers.

India's crude oil imports from Russia have jumped over 50 times since April and now it makes up for 10 per cent of all crude bought from overseas.

The G-20 is a leading grouping that brings together the world's major economies. Its members account for more than 80 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the population of the planet.

The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union. Spain is also invited as a permanent guest.

Each year, the Presidency invites guest countries, which take full part in the G20 exercise. Several international and regional organisations also participate, granting the forum an even broader representation.
BJP MP Dilip Ghosh has courted controversy by commenting on the family identity of the Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. A complaint has been lodged against him at the Kanthi and Eco Park police stations by Trinamool Congress (TMC). But the former State BJP President naturally rubbished all the allegations. Instead he hit back at the State's ruling regime. Dilip Ghosh said, "They have filed cases against me in all the courts of West Bengal. In every police station, FIRs have been lodged against me. There's nothing more the TMC can do. I didn't do drama. A shameless, shameless party. Don't get ashamed! Now I'm on the street. Send the police, if you have the courage, arrest me. I will say, Gaali gali mein shor hai, pura party chor hain! Dum hain toh arrest karo!"

The former state president of the BJP did not stop here. He added, "Dilip Ghosh has the courage to put his finger in their eyes, so I gave it. If necessary, I'll stand at Chowrasta and say. I'll go to Bhawanipur and tell you. I'll call a thief a thief, I'll call a robber a robber. If you have the courage, arrest me! Then you will see what the BJP is all about!"

Also Read: 'If you leave, who will run the State? PLEASE...', Mamata Banerjee urges 'THEM' in Bengal

The Trinamool (TMC) went to Raj Bhavan against Dilip Ghosh. The representatives of the ruling party in the state demanded a 'severe punishment' against the former BJP state president from Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghoshdastidar said, "We are shocked. An elected MP of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the misogynistic remarks he made against our chief minister and the manner in which he insulted, needs to be remedied immediately. Dilip Ghosh has to tender an unconditional apology. I have demanded a strict punishment from the Governor."
ELKO  Many Elko County residents could see a slight reduction in their property tax bills after the Board of Commissioners approved new tax rates this week, following the expiration of the Pay-As-You-Go school tax levy on June 30.

Without the 75-cent pay-as-you-go funding but with the addition of about 50 cents in other taxes, unincorporated Elko County residents ad valorem rate dropped by about 23 cents from last year.

The 2022-2023 rate for unincorporated Elko residents dropped to a base of $2.57. Tax bills will still include 75 cents dedicated toward schools for operational budgets.

Carlin, Wells, Jackpot, Montello, Mountain City, West Wendover and Starr Valley saw decreases ranging 4 to 5 cents. Tax districts in Elko did not see a change from last years tax rate which meets the tax cap set by state law.

In March, Elko County Commissioners approved a motion to request 50 cents of the PAYG school capital projects funding that was voted out in the 2020 election from the Nevada Department of Taxation. The board set aside 44 cents for capital projects and six cents to the Wildland Fire Protection Program.

A few weeks earlier, the Elko City Council requested 20 cents of PAYG from the Department of Taxation, declaring their intent to increase the Citys real property tax by 20 cents effective July 1.

The revenue from the tax was specifically designated toward capital construction projects. City Manager Curtis Calder said the additional funds would help the city get caught up on road reconstruction projects with the ability to do them more frequently.

According to the Elko County Assessors office, Elko County has 45,290 parcels, of which 22,007 which will require annual adjustments according to current construction costs that are new and then depreciated according to age.

Net taxable value for Elko County was calculated at $4.382 billion.

State law requires property tax bills to be mailed out 30 days prior to the deadline for the first installment. Homeowners should begin to see bills appearing in their mailboxes no later than July 15.

First installments of real and personal property taxes are due Aug. 15.
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Kerala gold smuggling case took a new twist as accused Swapna Suresh alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is "harassing" her because she is trying to bring the truth out. Talking to media persons here on Thursday, she said, "Kerala CM, who is supposed to protect the public has put me to starvation now. He`s harassing me because I am trying to bring the truth out. He can`t just do things for his daughter. He has to consider all of us as daughters."

"The day before yesterday, Crime Branch interrogated me in the conspiracy case registered against me. Basically, it was harassment. The investigation team asked me to step down from HRDS INDIA and to drop my lawyer, Krishna Raj. This is a threat," ANI quoted her as saying.

On July 5, 2020, 30 kilograms of 24-carat gold worth Rs 14.82 crores was seized by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs at Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic bag that was meant to be delivered to the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. M Sivasankar, the principal secretary to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, was suspended and removed from the post after a preliminary inquiry confirmed that he had links with Swapna Suresh.

Swapna Suresh vows to bring out the truth

Swapna Suresh slammed the probe officials of the Crime Branch of Kerala police, saying she will bring out the truth in all the things she has said against Veena Vijayan, the daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. "Just the other day, I presented myself before the Crime Branch police probing the conspiracy case registered against me. They were saying that the 164(5) statement she recorded before a magistrate has no powers. They wanted me to see I change my present lawyer, then they wanted me to tell them the details that I have about the business dealings of Veena. They also wanted to know all the details that I gave in my statements under 164," Swapna told the media on Thursday.

Also Read: Kerala CM sought help from Sharjah ruler for daughter's IT biz, alleges Swapna Suresh

"The Chief Minister has ensured I lost my job. The NGO I was working for has terminated me because the lady staff members working there are frequently being called by the police. I can understand their plight, so I decided to leave. So he (Vijayan) should be happy that I have no job and my income has stopped," IANS quoted Swapna.

"Let him do what he (Vijayan) can, I will bring out everything that has happened from 2016 to 2020. If I have life in me, everything will be brought to light. I will fight till my last breath for this. I have been harassed in the name of the conspiracy probe. The probe officials said I will be made an accused in the 770 cases registered in the case following the protests that took place after I made my revelation in June. Let them make me an accused, I will not go back as I have everything to prove what I have said. They also wanted me to tell them where I have kept all the documents," she further added,

Notably, things have gone from bad to worse for CM Vijayan ever since Swapna made a confession to the magistrate in the first week of June, wherein, she alleged that the Kerala CM, his wife and Veena indulged in smuggling of currency and gold through the diplomatic channel. Since then, the Congress-led UDF and the BJP went hammer and tongs against Vijayan and demanded his resignation.

Also Read: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan rebuts prime accused Swapna Suresh's allegations of his involvement

The CPI-M, meanwhile, has decided to hold state-wide meetings and vehicle rallies to point out that CM Vijayan`s hands are clean and these are all baseless allegations made by an accused in the gold smuggling case.

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje seeks Kerala CM's resignation

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje attacked the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala over the controversial gold smuggling case and demanded Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to step down from his post and face investigation while addressing the media in Pathanamthitta on Thursday.

Saying that it was for the first time in history that allegations have been raised against a chief minister and his family, Karandlaje said, "For a comprehensive probe to be carried out in the gold smuggling case, the Chief Minister has to resign."

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare further said that key accused Swapna Suresh's statement indicates the role of the CM and his family in the case. Hence, the probe must also extend to his family members.

Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with another accused Sandeep Nair from Bengaluru on July 11, 2020. The NIA, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Customs conducted separate probes into the racket that was busted with the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage of the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020.

(With Inputs from Agencies)
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma has dismissed rumours about his joining the ruling BJP which started doing the rounds after his meeting with BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Thursday. Rejecting speculations, Sharma said that if he had to, he would do so openly as he and Nadda hailed from Himachal Pradesh and studied at the same university.

Delhi | If I have to meet BJP chief JP Nadda, I have every right to meet him, for me, he is just not the BJP president. We both come from the same state & share the same alma mater. There shouldn't be any political significance attached to it: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma pic.twitter.com/guEXNVDK5T  ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2022

Speaking to reporters, the Congress leader said he had "old social and family ties" with Nadda, adding that "I am proud that someone who comes from my state and university is president of the ruling party."

"Ideological differences do not mean personal enmity or apartheid.... If I have to meet J P Nadda, I would do so openly. It is my right. I will not air speculation," he said while replying to questions about his reported meeting with the BJP chief.

Sharma, a former Union minister, further informed that the Himachal Pradesh University Alumni Association had invited him and Nadda to felicitate them. The Congress leader added he had a discussion with Nadda over the phone about attending the meeting.

Sharma is a prominent member of the G-23 grouping of Congress leaders who had sought organisational overhaul and been critical of some decisions of the party leadership. However, this is not the first time that Sharma is rumoured to have met BJP chief Nadda.
Srinagar: A terrorist was killed and an Army jawan was martyred during a gunfight along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir early Friday (July 8). As per Army sources, an exchange of fire took place between infiltrators and the security forces at LOC in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara.

Around 3-4 heavily armed terrorists from a Pakistan village tried to carry out an infiltration attempt. Accordingly, an ambush comprising the Indian Army was laid to dominate the area between Garang nar and Chinar Mohalla.

The ambush party tracked a group of 2-3 terrorists continuously with night vision devices. When the terrorists tried to cross the Indian side, an exchange of fire happened.

Terrorists took cover and a firefight ensued in which one of them was killed on the spot and two other terrorists escaped. The search is going on in the area to track them. However, an Army soldier also attained martyrdom during the encounter.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted five-day interim bail to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in connection with an FIR lodged in the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly outraging religious sentiments. A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshari issued notice on Zubair's plea and listed it for further hearing before a regular bench.

It clarified that its interim bail order is with respect to the FIR lodged in Sitapur and has nothing to do with a case registered against him in Delhi. The bench restrained Zubair from posting anything on Twitter with regard to the case and asked him not to leave the jurisdiction of Delhi.

Also read: India dismisses Germanys criticism over fact-checker Zubair's arrest, says avoid uninformed comments

An FIR was lodged against Zubair in Uttar Pradesh under IPC section 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) and section 67 of the IT Act here on a complaint by Hindu Sher Sena Sitapur district president Bhagwan Sharan on June 1.

Also read: Mohammed Zubair's bail plea rejected by Delhi court, remanded to 14-day judicial custody

Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday (July 8) issued a summon to Poonam Jain, jailed Delhi minister Satyendar Jains wife, in connection with a money laundering case. As per an ED official, Poonam Jain has been asked to appear before the investigation officer at the ED headquarters in Delhi on July 14 during the extraction of data from the devices seized earlier during the searches, officials were cited by PTI.

The development comes after the senior AAP leader and Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain was arrested by the ED on May 30 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). On July 1, the central agency had apprehended two associates of Satyendar Jain Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain-- after questioning.

An FIR was filed by the CBI in 2017 under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Jain, his wife Poonam, Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain. The CBI had accused Jain, his wife and others of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Earlier on June 6, the ED had seized 2.85 crore cash and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg from the aides of the jailed AAP minister during raids conducted at various places across Delhi and the National Capital Region. Many incriminating documents and digital records were also recovered during these raids.

Earlier on June 27, a special CBI court had extended the judicial custody of Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain by two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court Thursday had rejected a plea by former BJP MLA Nand Kishore Garg seeking suspension of Satyendar Jain as a cabinet minister in the Delhi government. Dismissing the plea, a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said, "We know our limitations. We have to obey the statutes, rules, and notifications. We cannot travel beyond that. We are not the lawmakers."

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: A teachers body has expressed displeasure after the NCERT, in its revised syllabus, has omitted chapters on critical issues such as environment, climate change and monsoon. The step, as NCERT claims, has been taken to reduce the load on students in view of the Covid-19 induced disruptions and lockdown in the last two years, claimed a group of college and university teachers fighting climate change. According to officials, the NCERT has trimmed the curriculum for Classes 6 to 12 to "reduce the content load" on students in light of the Covid pandemic. Around 30 per cent of the syllabi has been reduced for this academic session, they said.

The teachers' body is demanding that these deleted chapters, which include monsoon and climate change effects must be reinstated and that different facets of the climate crisis be taught to all senior school students, in multiple languages and varied disciplines.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a massive disruption to regular learning schedules all over the country... In the context of the ensuing 'learning deficit', it may seem understandable that the NCERT seeks to reduce students' workload by culling material that overlaps with similar material or is 'irrelevant in the present context'.

"However, none of these concerns applies to fundamental issues such as climate change science, the Indian monsoon, and the other chapters that have been deleted," the TACC said in a statement.

NCERT syllabus: What chapters have been removed?

The Teachers Against the Climate Crisis (TACC) claimed that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) removed an entire chapter on the greenhouse effect from the Class 11 geography syllabus, a chapter on weather, climate, and water from the Class 7 syllabus, and information about the monsoon from the Class 9 syllabus.

According to the teachers, relevant climate change science is being continuously updated through thousands of peer-reviewed papers published annually and crucial compilations such as the IPCC's latest report earlier this year as well as the first climate change report for the Indian region from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology published in 2020.

The teachers said it is extremely important that senior school students across India are conveyed the essence of such updated information in an accessible and easy-to-understand manner.

What are teachers concerns?

"Getting educated about how climate change is interacting with our environment and society in a range of ways, the changing weather systems, monsoon patterns and water flows, is crucial.

Students need to understand the complexity of the climate crisis if they are to respond and engage intelligently with it, the group said.

In recent years, this engagement has typically begun in the classroom. It is therefore essential that schools continue to present students with information about climate change and related issues that is accurate, up-to-date, rational, and relevant, they said.

(With PTI inputs)
A new sub-lineage BA.2.75 of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has been detected in countries like India and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is following this, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. While WHO is keeping a close watch, Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at WHO said it's too early to dub the variant as "more severe". Besides India, BA.2.75 has also been reported from 10 other countries, Swaminathan said in a Twitter post, adding that and "the WHO is tracking it".

Omicron BA.2.75: Key properties

Swaminathan said in the Twitter post admitted that they have to watch out for the subvariant. "There's still limited sequencing available to analyse but this subvariant seems to have a few mutations on the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein. That's the key part of the virus that attaches itself to the human receptor. So we have to watch that," she said. "However, it is still too early to know that this sub-variant has properties of immune evasion or being more clinically severe"

She added that the WHO's Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) committee is constantly looking at data from around the world. "We are tracking it and if at any time there's an emergence of a virus that looks very different from a previous one, enough to be called a separate variant of concern, then the committee will do that".

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the global health agency is tracking the new sub-variant. "In countries like India a new sub-lineage of BA.2.75 has also been detected, which we're following," he said.

69 cases reported from India, says report

On Sunday, Shay Fleishon, with the Central Virology Laboratory at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, in a series of tweets said that BA.2.75 has been detected from about 10 states in India. This included 69 from India: Delhi (1), Haryana (6), Himachal Pradesh (3), Jammu (1), Karnataka (10), Madhya Pradesh (5), Maharashtra (27), Telangana (2), Uttar Pradesh (1), and West Bengal (13).

Besides India, the strain has also been reported by seven other countries: Japan (1), Germany (2), the UK (6), Canada (2), the US (2), Australia (1), and New Zealand (2), according to Nextstrain, an open-source platform of genomic data.

Will Omicron BA.2.75 be the next dominant variant?

While he said it is "too soon to tell" whether BA.2.75 will be the next dominant variant, the Israeli expert noted that the sub-variant may be "alarming because it may imply a trend to come". The sub-variant is worth "keeping a close eye" on, Thomas Peacock, a scientist at Imperial College London, said.

The BA.2.75 was also flagged by Bloom Lab at the Fred Hutch research institute in the US. In a tweet, posted this week, the institute said the sub-variant "is worth tracking, as it has appreciable antigenic change relative to its parent BA.2".

(With IANS inputs)
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he was deeply distressed by the attack on his dear friend Shinzo Abe and was praying for his well-being and the people of Japan. PM Modi took to Twitter to share his thoughts minutes after the news about attack on ex-Japan PM spread.

Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan and was airlifted to a hospital but he was not breathing and his heart had stopped, officials said. Local fire department official Makoto Morimoto said Abe was in cardio and pulmonary arrest after being shot and was taken to a prefectural hospital.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene. "A barbaric act like this is absolutely unforgivable, no matter what the reasons are, and we condemn it strongly," Matsuno said.

NHK public broadcaster aired footage showing Abe collapsed on the street, with several security guards running toward him. He was reportedly shot a few minutes after he started talking outside of the main train station in western Nara.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who belongs to the same political party as Abe, is on his way to Tokyo on a helicopter from his own campaign destination of Yamagata, in northern Japan. Matsuno said all Cabinet ministers are to return to Tokyo from their campaign trips.

In another footage, campaign officials were surrounding him to treat the popular former leader who is still influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and heads its largest faction Seiwakai. Elections for Japan's upper house, the less powerful chamber of its parliament, are Sunday.

Abe was giving a speech when people heard gunshots. He was holding his chest when he collapsed, his shirt smeared with blood, but was able to speak before he fell unconscious.

The attack was a shock in a country that's one of the world's safest and with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere. The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper printed extra editions, which were quickly grabbed by people on the street to read about the shooting.

Nara, once the capital of Japan, is just to the east of Osaka on the country's main Honshu island. Abe stepped down in 2020 because he said a chronic health problem has resurfaced. Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the first Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture (AJML) on Friday at 6:30 pm at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital. The PM will also address the gathering during the event. The keynote address at the first AJML will be delivered by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister, Government of Singapore, on Growth through Inclusivity, Inclusivity through Growth`.

The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion by Mathias Cormann (OECD Secretary-General) and Arvind Panagariya (Professor, Columbia University).

A PMO release said that the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance has organised the first `Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture` in recognition of the former union minister`s invaluable contribution to the nation.

Prime Minister will also interact with the delegates participating in the Kautilya Economic Conclave (KEC), a three-day event being organised from July 8 to 10.

Eminent economists who will meet the Prime Minister include Anne Krueger, John Hopkins University; Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics; Robert Lawrence, Harvard Kennedy School; John Lipsky, former acting Managing director, IMF and Junaid Ahmed, World Bank country director for India.

KEC is being organised by the Institute of Economic Growth with support from the Ministry of Finance.
New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan`s longest-serving leader, died on Friday (July 8, 2022) after being shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election. Abe was rushed to a hospital after he was shot at the event in the southern Japanese city of Nara. Expressing his condolence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that India will observe national mourning on Saturday following former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's death.

As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022, PM Modi said in a tweet.

As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

PM Modi also shared a picture of him with Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on his official Twitter handle. "Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my dear friend, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Always passionate about strengthening India-Japan ties, he had just taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association," prime minister said in a tweet.

Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my dear friend, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Always passionate about strengthening India-Japan ties, he had just taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association. pic.twitter.com/Mw2nR1bIGz  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

Indian politicians express shock and distress:

Earlier, PM Narendra Modi has expressed deep distress over the attack on former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. "Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan," Modi tweeted.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the attack on Abe "shocking and unfortunate". "The news of attack on former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, is extremely shocking and unfortunate. My thoughts are with his family and supporters,", Kejriwal tweeted.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also expressed shock over the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister. "Deeply shocked by the news about former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. Join so many of his friends and admirers in India in praying for him and his family," Jaishankar tweeted.

About the incident:

"Officials say former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has been confirmed dead. He was reportedly shot during a speech on Friday in the city of Nara, near Kyoto," Japanese media outlet NHK tweeted on its official Twitter handle.

Earlier today Abe, 67, was rushed to hospital after he collapsed at 11.30 am (local time) during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city of Nara ahead of Sunday's elections for Japan's upper house of Parliament.

Notably, Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, had stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was prime minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida.
A 38-year-old Arkansas man has admitted that about 100 pounds of dynamite and ignition material found with him at a hotel in suburban Las Vegas was stolen from a mining district in northern Nevada. Court records and his attorney said Friday that Evan Ray Atkinson entered a written guilty plea July 7 in U.S. District Court in Reno to theft of explosives from a federal permit-holder. He faces a year and a day in federal prison at sentencing Sept. 28. The plea deal avoided trial on multiple charges. Defense attorney Richard Schonfeld says his client accepted responsibility and wanted closure to the case. Nothing in the court record said what Atkinson allegedly planned to do with the explosives.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shot dead on Friday. A man opened fire on him while giving a speech at a rally in Nara town. Shinzo Abe has a strong relationship with India. He has visited India five times so far. He first came to India in 2006 when he was the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan. After becoming Prime Minister for the first time in 2006, he visited India in 2007. During 2012 to 2020, he visited India three more times while being the Prime Minister for the second time. He is the first Japanese Prime Minister who has made so many visits to India. Shinzo Abe was the first Japanese prime minister to attend the Indian Republic Day parade as the chief guest. In 2018, he invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his holiday home. PM Modi was the first foreign leader to visit Shinzo Abe's private bungalow. From this it can be understood that the friendship of both was not only as the Prime Ministers of the two countries, but also personally.

Check out selected photos from Shinzo Abe's visits to India

In 2007, Shinzo came to India for the first time as Prime Minister. He gave a speech in Parliament named 'Confluence of two seas'. This concept is now the cornerstone of Indo-Pacific relations and the strong ties between India and Japan. In the picture, Shinzo is accompanied by then Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, PM Manmohan Singh and Vice President Hamid Ansari.

After taking over as Prime Minister for the second time, on 26 January 2014, Shinzo Abe attended the 65th Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. The picture features former President Pranab Mukherjee with Shinzo Abe.

This picture is from Shinzo Abe's third visit to India in 2015. Shinzo Abe met PM Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

During his third visit to India, Shinzo Abe along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi. Here he also performed the aarti with the plate of worship in his hand. This picture was a hallmark of the deep relationship between India Shinzo Abe and PM Modi.

After attending the Ganga Aarti, the two leaders spent some such informal moments together. Shinzo Abe was seen showing something to PM Modi in his phone.

In September 2017, Shinzo Abe visited India for the fourth time. He had come to Gandhinagar in Gujarat to participate in the Indo-Japanese talks. PM Modi, who arrived at the airport to receive him, welcomed him with a hug.

After leaving the airport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the roadshow with Shinzo Abe, breaking the official protocol.

Shinzo Abe and his wife Eki Abe arrive at the Sidi Sayed Mosque in Ahmedabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also with him here.

During the Ahmedabad visit, Shinzo Abe and PM Modi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by visiting the Sabarmati Ashram.

When Indian Prime Ministers went to Tokyo and met

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe visited India a total of 5 times, while being his Prime Minister, the Indian Prime Minister also visited Japan 5 times. First Manmohan Singh went to Japan in 2013, after that PM Modi visited Japan four times. See some pictures below...

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Shinzo Abe meet during the India-Japan Summit in Tokyo, Japan on 29 May 2013.

In September 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, Japan. After signing a deal here, both the leaders shake hands.

During this visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ate tea cakes in Japanese customs at Omotesenke Tea Hut, a school in Japanese Tea Ceremony.

PM Modi attends dinner at the official residence of the Japanese Prime Minister during his visit to Tokyo in October 2018.

On 12 November 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled with Shinzo Abe on the Shinkansen bullet train.

Photograph from the time of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo in 2018. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his private bungalow in Yamanashi. This was the first time Abe had invited a foreign leader to visit his holiday home.

The G20 Leaders' Meeting was held in Osaka, Japan in June 2019. During the photo session, Shinzo Abe welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi like this.
New Delhi: Several Indian politicians and world leaders expressed shock and dismay over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot during a political campaign in the southern city of Nara. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (July 8) took to Twitter to pay tribute to his dear friend Abe and announce one-day national mourning on July 9. New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and former UK PM Boris Johnson led the world leaders in mourning the demise of Shinzo Abe.

PM Modi also shared a picture with his former Japan counterpart and wrote, Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my dear friend, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Always passionate about strengthening India-Japan ties, he had just taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association.

In a series of tweets, Modi lauded Abe (67) for his career as a politician and called him a  towering global statesman. I am shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe. He was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to make Japan and the world a better place, PM Modi wrote.

Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my dear friend, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Always passionate about strengthening India-Japan ties, he had just taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association. pic.twitter.com/Mw2nR1bIGz  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

Expressing solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters, the Indian PM also commended Abe for his immense contribution to elevating New Delhi and Tokyo relations and remembered his last meeting with the former PM. As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022, Modi wrote in another tweet.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern said she was deeply shocked and extended condolences to Abes family. So deeply shocked to hear about the past PM of Japan-Shinzo Abe. He was one of the first leaders I met when I became PM. He was deeply committed to his role but also generous & kind. My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan. Events like this shake us all to the core, Ardern tweeted.

Former UK PM Boris Johnson, who was forced to resign a day earlier, said his country stands with the Japanese people in this dark time. Incredibly sad news about Shinzo Abe. His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people. The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time, Johnson tweeted.

Indian politicians including Rajnath Singh, S. Jaishankar and Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote, Deeply saddened by the assassination of former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe. India today has lost a close friend who assiduously worked towards strengthening the bilateral relations between India and Japan, during his tenure as Prime Minister.

Singh recalled his visit to Japan in 2019 when he met Abe and said, I found him to be an inspiring leader who had the vision to create a safe and better world. He will always be remembered for his statesmanship. Our prayers and thoughts are with the bereaved family.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said earlier when the news of Abes assasination broke out that he was deeply shocked and along with the former PMs friends and admirers in India is praying for him and his family.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi tweeted, Deeply saddened by the demise of former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe. His role in strengthening the strategic relationship between India & Japan was commendable. He leaves behind a lasting legacy in the Indo-Pacific. My condolences to his family & to the people of Japan.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, Saddened to know about the demise of former PM of Japan Shinzo Abe. The world has lost a great leader. May the departed soul rest in peace. My prayers are with his family and friends.

Shinzo Abe shot dead

Ex-Japan PM Shinzo Abe was fired upon by a man from behind with an apparently homemade gun while campaigning for a parliamentary election in Nara, Reuters cited Japan media as saying. This was the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese premier since 1930s.

Confirming Abes death, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting in the "strongest terms". "This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections - the very foundation of our democracy - and is absolutely unforgivable," said Kishida.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: In a tragic incident at the Carmel Covent school in Chandigarh students lost life while dozens were injured after a huge tree fell on the school premises on Friday (July 8). The horrific incident took place during lunch time in the school when several students were playing near the old tree and suddenly the tree fell on the children leaving dozens of students injured while one died in the mishap.

Actor turned politician and Member Of Parliament from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher expressed here grief over the terrible incident and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured hile offering condolences to the bereaved families.

A very heart-wrenching incident of a tree falling at Carmel Covent School Chandigarh. My condolences to the bereaved families and I pray for a speedy recovery of the injured. pic.twitter.com/kXJMu6idTY  Kirron Kher (@KirronKherBJP) July 8, 2022

"A very heart-wrenching incident of a tree falling at Carmel Covent School Chandigarh. My condolences to the bereaved families and I pray for a speedy recovery of the injured," Kher wrote in her tweet.

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Police in Karnataka's Kolar have registered a case against Keshav Murthy, state convener of Hindu Jagran Vedike, and others for allegedly making derogatory statements against the Quran and Muslims. The complaint was lodged by Jamir Ahmed, president of Anjuman-e-Islamia organization. On July 1, activists of some Hindu organizations were protesting in Udaipur, Rajasthan over the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal. According to the complaint, during that time Keshav Murthy had said in his speech, 'Those who read and follow the Quran are terrorists.'

Last month, a tailor named Kanhaiya Lal was murdered by two men in Udaipur, Rajasthan. It is said that Kanhaiyalal had posted a post on social media in support of the suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma, after which he was murdered by two people and the whole incident was also captured on camera. Nupur Sharma had given an objectionable statement against Prophet Mohammad and Islam.

A case has been registered against Keshav Murthy under sections 153A, 153B and 295A (outraging religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code.
TS ECET Admit Card 2022: The Jawaharlal Nehru Technical University (JNTU) Hyderabad is scheduled to release the Telangana State Engineering Common Entrance Test admit card 2022 today, July 08. Once released, the TS ECET 2022 admit card will be available on the official website-- ecet.tsche.ac.in. The JNTU Hyderabad is scheduled to conduct the Telangana TS ECET 2022 on July 13 in CBT mode in 2 shifts.

Here's how to Download TS ECET Admit Card 2022

Visit the official website - ecet.tsche.ac.in

Click on the "TS ECET hall ticket" link on the homepage

Enter your login credentials

Click on submit, TS ECET 2022 admit card will appear on the screen

Download your TS ECET 2022 hall ticket and take a printout for exam day

The TS ECET exam will be conducted on July 13 in two shifts, 1st from 9 AM to 12 Noon and 2nd from 3 PM to 6 PM. Candidates are required to report at the examination center 30 minutes before the commencement of the TS ECET 2022 exam. The TS ECET is conducted for admission to undergraduate (UG) engineering courses offered by various universities and institutions across the Telangana state.

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New Delhi: Uddhav Thackeray-led faction on Friday (July 8) moved Supreme Court challenging the Maharashtra Governors June 30th decision to invite Eknath Shinde to form government in Maharashtra and election of the Speaker in the Assembly. The top court agreed to hear on July 11 the fresh plea of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction challenging the appointment of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai, submitted before a vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari that they are seeking listing of the fresh plea along with other pending petitions which are coming up for hearing on July 11. The vacation bench said the fresh plea will be listed before an appropriate bench on July 11.

Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai has challenged the Governor's June 30 decision to invite a coalition of the Shinde faction and the BJP to form government in Maharashtra. The fresh plea has also challenged the validity of assembly proceedings held on July 3 and July 4 in which a new Speaker of the House was elected and subsequent proceedings of floor test in which the Shinde-led coalition had proved its majority.

Also Read: Uddhav Thackeray suffers another setback ahead of Thane civic body polls

Earlier also several petitions have been filed by the Thackeray-led faction on various issues related to the Maharashtra political crisis, which are coming up for hearing on July 11.

Also Read: 12 of 18 Shiv Sena MPs will join our camp, says Eknath Shinde-led factions MLA

Rebellion by a section of Sena MLAs, led by Shinde, had resulted in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Both the factions have claimed that their respective group represents the original Shiv Sena. Of the 55 Sena MLAs, 40 are with Chief Minister Shinde.
VITEEE Result 2022: The Vellore Institute of Technology released the VIT Engineering Entrance Exam result on Thursday (July 7, 2022). Candidates who have taken the examination can now check their VITEEE 2022 results on the official website at viteee.vit.ac.in. The entrance exam was held from June 30 to July 6, 2022. Qualified candidates will be admitted to the participating campuses in Vellore, Chennai, Bhopal, and Amravati. To access the VIT result 2022 online, candidates must log in using the required credentials email ID and password.

VITEEE 2022: Important dates

VITEEE 2022 Exam Date: June 30 to July 6, 2022

Result announcement: July 7, 2022

Commencement of counselling: July 8, 2022

VITEEE 2022 Result: How to download scorecard

Visit the official website viteee.vit.ac.in.

Click on the result link Key in your login details.

submit Check and download the result.

Take a printout for future reference.

VITEEE Result 2022: Details to check

Candidate's name

VITEEE 2022 application form number

Obtained score

Obtained rank

VITEEE Result 2022: Cut Off

Following the results, the Institute will most likely release the VITEEE 2022 cut off. The VITEEE result 2022 will be announced by the exam authority on the same date, followed by counselling. However, for the past few years, the authorities have yet to release VITEEE cut off marks. ALSO READ: AP LAWCET 2022 hall ticket releasing TODAY at cets.apsche.gov.in, check time and more details here

Candidates who qualify for the VITEEE 2022 will be contacted for the counselling rounds, which will also begin on July 8, according to the dates listed on the official website. Counselling will be guided by the rankings. The exam will be taken by two groups: MPCEA and BPCEA. The VIT Engineering Entrance Examination (VITEEE) is an annual entrance exam used to determine who gets into the B. Tech programmes offered by VITs in Vellore, Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, and Bhopal. The computer-based test (CBT) for VITEEE 2022 was given this year from June 30 to July 6.
San Francisco: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has shown his support for large families a day after court documents revealed the tech billionaire had twins with a senior executive at one of his companies.

On the microblogging platform Twitter, Musk also wrote that the "population of Mars is still zero people".

"Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis. A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far," the Tesla CEO wrote on Twitter.

"I hope you have big families and congrats to those who already do," he added.

This week, a report said that Musk secretly had twins with Shivon Zilis, a top executive at his brain-chip startup Neuralink, in November 2021, just weeks before he welcomed a second child with his former girlfriend Grimes via surrogacy in December.

With the newly reported twins, the 51-year-old Tesla CEO now has nine known children.

According to the court documents, Musk and Zilis filed a petition in April to change the twins' names to "have their father's last name and contain their mother's last name as part of their middle name", the Daily Mail reported citing Insider.

Meanwhile, another report said that SpaceX paid $250,000 to a flight attendant who accused Musk of sexual misconduct.

The alleged victim accused Musk of rubbing her leg without consent and offering to buy her a horse in exchange for an erotic massage.
New Delhi: The global cryptocurrency market lost at least $670 million in the April-June quarter (Q2), and 97 percent of the losses were due to hacks and scams, a report said on Thursday. The crypto losses in the second quarter were up 52 percent from $440 million in the same period last year. "The majority of these funds were lost by four specific projects, Beanstalk known as a decentralized stablecoin protocol, the Harmony Horizon Bridge, Mirror Protocol, and Fei Protocol," according to data from Immunefi, Web3's leading bug bounty platform.

"In Q2 2022, most of the losses, 96.92 percent happened as a result of hacks. It is also notable that blackhat hackers are now primarily targeting and exploiting DeFi (Decentralised Finance), 49 out of 50 instances involved DeFi protocols," the report noted. (Also Read: SBI freezes customers' accounts for not updating KYC details! Check how to complete your KYC now )

The teams at Immunefi protect over $100 billion in users' funds. "We have reviewed all instances where blackhat hackers have exploited various crypto protocols, as well as cases of alleged fraudulent protocols and founders who have performed a rug pull in Q2 2022," said the company. (Also Read: Gold price today, July 8: Gold prices go down by Rs 750, Check gold rate in Delhi, Patna, Lucknow, Kolkata, Kanpur, Kerala and other cities)

They located 50 such instances, including both successful and semi-successful hacking attempts, as well as fraud events, in Q2. The most common type of crypto fraud is investment scams and since 2021, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has received complaints of losses totaling $575 million due to this kind of fraud.

People lost crypto worth over $185 million in the US via romance scams in the first quarter this year, as fraudsters use new means to rob their victims, with romance scams featuring prominently. Nearly 46,000 Americans reported losing over $1 billion in crypto to scams since early 2021, according to a recent FTC report.
Director: Faruk Kabir

Cast: Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi

Ratings: 3.5/5 Stars

Actor Vidyut Jammwal is known as an action hero, but with Khuda Haafiz Chapter 2 Agni Pariksha, he will change your entire perception. This could be his best-ever performance as a content actor laced with a perfect mix of emotion and intensity.

Khuda Haafizs sequel Khuda Haafiz Chapter 2 Agni Pariksha, starts with Nargis still reliving and being tormented with her previous experiences, Sameer is trying his level best to make things easy for her to find her groove and get back to her normal self.

A friend, who lost his brother and his entire family to a freak accident, approaches Sameer to help him with Nandini, a little girl. He opens his heart to the bundle of joy in hopes that Nargis will come out of her shell. Though a little hesitant at first, Nargis finds herself taking on motherly duties and finally the duo has something to live for, Nandini.

But very soon, Sameer and Nargis are struck with tragedy once again, Nandini and one more girl from the school is kidnapped. Four boys, one being the son of local goon/politician Thakur JI (Sheeba Chaddha) brutally rapes and kills Nandini and leaves the other girl to die.

Sameer loses control of himself and beat-up an inspector, who refused to write the FIR. Sameer is sent to prison where he makes friends with Thakur Jis nemesis and with a little help and luck, makes the bail. Once out of prison. He launches in full kill mode with no remorse or mercy. A scorned father, turns brutal to a point where he shoves an iron-rod in someone's throat. The action is brutal, raw and real. The emotional quotient in the movie is real, there are moments where you get teary eyed and want to jump-in and throw a few punches!

Apart from raw brutality, the film also highlights some of the most burning issues in our society, such as abduction and rapes of juvenile kids, especially girl child, women issues and how people in authority finds excuses not to help!

Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang and Dibyendu Bhattacharya, shines like anything, these well established and seasoned actors add much needed grip and direction the movie needs.

Shivaleeka Oberio is a revelation, the actress performs magically and really makes you feel something for her. And finally, our hero, Vidyut, he is an inspiration or rather a surprise when he cries bitter tears of pain, makes you feel for the tough-nut on a personal level.

The music of the movie is also outstanding, the songs are pretty much situational but they are well-written, composed and presented. The background score is also stunning.

Helmed by Faruk Kabir, who directed the first part as well, the filmmaker has created a realistic world with a gripping narrative. And the way he has ended the second part, our guess is that he is already planning the trilogy.
* The booming economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN countries has further gained steam as the RCEP agreement provided faster customs clearance and other trade facilitation measures.

* The RCEP will eventually eliminate tariffs on as much as 90 percent of goods traded within the region.

* Besides boosting trade growth, a more integrated regional supply chain under the RCEP agreement has also benefited China and ASEAN countries.

* The RCEP seeks to promote e-commerce and a digital economy which would be increasingly relevant in the post-pandemic world.

During Thailand's durian season every year, orders from China for the thorny "king of fruits" always surge, driving up shipments from the world's top fresh durian exporter.

This year, after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world's largest free trade deal that entered into force in January, Thailand's durian sales to China have been further boosted.

"Up to 100 percent of our durians are shipped to China, and the demand is increasing year by year," said Silaphon Thongrot, who has managed a durian orchard for 15 years in east Thailand's Chanthaburi Province growing durian, mangosteen, rambutan and other fruits.

Faster customs clearance and other trade facilitation measures provided by the RCEP agreement, as well as the launch of the "Durian Express" and special fruit train services to China, helped boost the trade of Thai durians and reduce exporters' costs, said Narongsak Putthapornmongkol, president of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Nuttakij Oranhirunruk, vice president of the Thai-Chinese Agribusiness Association, said he has full confidence in the substantial growth of Thailand's durian exports to China this year, expecting the eastern agricultural zone to export 35,000 containers this year, compared to 25,000 last year.

The hot sale of Thai durians is just an example of the booming economic and trade cooperation between China and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has further gained steam after the RCEP agreement took effect.

Chinese customs data showed that in the first quarter of this year, trade between China and ASEAN accounted for 47.2 percent -- or nearly half -- of China's foreign trade with RCEP partners. With the RCEP agreement, ASEAN has once again overtaken the EU to become China's largest trading partner.

The momentum continued despite disruptions from COVID-19, with bilateral trade volume expanding 10.2 percent year-on-year during the January-May period.

Cambodian Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak considered the RCEP as a key driver for economic recovery in the participating countries both during and after the pandemic.

The minister said that under the RCEP, Cambodia is expected to see an annual export growth between 9.4 percent and 18 percent, which will contribute to national economic growth between 2 percent and 3.8 percent. Cambodia is the ASEAN chair this year.

The RCEP will eventually eliminate tariffs on as much as 90 percent of goods traded within the region. A study by the World Bank said the East Asia and Pacific region can reap significant benefits through further liberalization, with Cambodia, Vietnam and other lower-middle-income countries gaining the most from the RCEP.

"The region will also see an additional 'kick' in productivity as greater openness brings additional skills, technology and capital," the bank's research report said.

Besides boosting trade growth, a more integrated regional supply chain under the RCEP agreement has also benefited China and ASEAN countries.

Businesses with global supply chains might face tariffs even within a free trade area if their products contain components that are made elsewhere. Under the RCEP's common rules of origin, parts from any member country would be treated equally, which might give companies in RCEP countries an incentive to look within the region for suppliers.

Himile (Thailand) Co., a tire mold supplier in eastern Thailand's Rayong Province, has already experienced the benefits.

The RCEP's tariff concessions, common rules of origin and simplification of customs procedures "enable us to purchase raw materials and equipment as well as distribution of products more efficiently and at a lower cost," said Qiu Jinliang, managing director of Himile (Thailand).

The company, which sources raw materials from China, Japan and South Korea while exporting products to the U.S., European and ASEAN markets, has seen the customs clearance time shortened by three days to a week per shipment while the costs of raw material imports have also been reduced, Qiu said.

Ong Tee Keat, founding chairman of the Center for New Inclusive Asia, a Malaysia-based think tank, said ASEAN countries can benefit greatly from the harmonized rules of origin under the RCEP as intermediate goods can be sourced across any of the 15 RCEP countries. Only a certain proportion of regional value content is required for goods to meet the RCEP rules of origin requirements for tariff concessions.

This could help lower the production costs of companies operating in the region, enhance the resilience of regional supply chains, and generate more investment, job opportunities and economic growth, he said.

The RCEP seeks to promote e-commerce and a digital economy which would be increasingly relevant in the post-pandemic world. "It will have implications not only on trade and economic growth, but also on promoting digital inclusiveness and a more level playing field," said Wichai Kinchong Choi, senior vice president of Kasikornbank, a leading Thai bank.

The RCEP is crucial for regional small and medium-sized enterprises, which took a big hit from COVID-19, as their capacity and competitiveness could be enhanced, enabling them to emerge stronger from an improved access to a larger RCEP market, he said.

Since the RCEP came into force, the development of cross-border e-commerce between China and ASEAN countries has been further enhanced.

As an important hub for China's cross-border e-commerce import and export business to ASEAN, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has attracted more than 100 cross-border e-commerce enterprises, including the first cross-border innovation center of Southeast Asia's flagship e-commerce platform Lazada and the ASEAN cross-border e-commerce logistics center of Shopee.

"It (RCEP) is not just a simple trade agreement that provides enhanced market access and stable business environment. It is a strategic tool to sustain the region's economic advantage," said former Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, calling for the country's early ratification of the mega trade deal, which he believed is "for the future of the economy."

The RCEP groups 10 ASEAN countries as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Only three participating countries, the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar, have not yet ratified the RCEP.
NEW DELHI: Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's daughter Aaliyah Kashyap is among the popular star kids of tinsle town. The 21-year-old girl has not stepped into showbiz yet but the young woman is certainly not away from the limelight. She enjoys a massive popularity on social media and often takes the limelight for her exotic photos and posts.

Aaliyah Kashyap often makes it to the headlines because of her YouTube videos. She is a YouTuber and her videos are loved by people on social media. As per Bollywood Life, Aaliyah, in a recent video, collaborated with influencer Sakshi Shivdasani, where she answered a few questions from netizens. During the interaction, Aaliyah revealed how once she went broke and had no cash left to buy groceries. She recalled that she used to tell her mom to send her food.

When a netizen asked, "How broke are yall after moving out? Aaliyah said, "I told Sakshi this when I met her, I had Rs 1500 in left in my account. I showed her my bank balance, I was like literally, 'Cant afford to do sh*t. Thankfully, I got paid like two days after that. But for three days, I literally had Rs 1500 in my account." The star kid further revealed that it was stressful for her and she didn't leave her house as she couldnt afford anything, "I couldnt afford to breathe with that much money."

AALIYAH KASHYAP DATING SHANE GREGOIRE

Speaking of her personal life, Aaliyah Kashyap is currently in a relationship with Shane Gregoire and she does not shy away from declaring her love for him on social media. Her Instagram account is filled with photos of them spending quality time together. Aaliyah, who has been studying at Chapman University in Southern California for some time now, last month celebrated the two years of togetherness with her beau Shane Gregoie. She showcasing her bond with her beau on Instagram and posted a couple of photos, with an adorable note. In one of the photos, she was seen sharing a passionate kiss with her lover.

Aaliyah often drops her drool-worthy pictures and videos in bikini which take her fans' breath for sure.

Aaliyah Kashyap and boyfriend Shane Gregoire met on a dating app and the star kid explained how it all went on her YouTube channel. In May 2021, Aaliyah talked about her awkward first kiss and how she made the first move.



AALIYAH KASHYAP ATTACKED FOR LINGERIE PHOTOS



It is to be noted that Aaliyah often gets shamed on social media for posting photos in lingerie and showing too much skin. However, the young girl is completely unfazed by what haters think and has been enjoying her life to the fullest.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap married movie editor Aarti Bajaj in 1997 and the couple was blessed with daughter Aaliyah. However, the couple got divorced in 2009. He then married actress Kalki Koechlin but the duo decided to separate in 2013 and eventually in 2015 they got divorced.

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Washington: Christian Bale shall always be associated with the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy, but it is now revealed that not everyone had earlier believed in the duo`s portrayal of the character.

Starting with 'Batman Begins' and most notably in 'The Dark Knight', Bale and Nolan grounded the character in a level of realism the comic book movie genre had never seen. Bale's serious approach was the opposite of the campier take on Batman as seen in Joel Schumacher's 'Batman Forever' and 'Batman & Robin,' as per Variety.

"I would [tell people] we're going to sort of do Batman, but take him seriously. I had tons of people laugh at me and just say, 'Well, that's just not going to work at all. So it's wonderful to be a part of a trilogy that proved those people wrong. I'm not certain if it kick-started [the MCU], but it certainly helped along the way," Bale told The Washington Post.

Bale is next returning to the genre as the villainous 'Gorr the God Butcher' in 'Thor: Love and Thunder.'

"I don't have any goodbye and thank you unless other people say to me 'goodbye and thank you, please never revisit this again' then I'll take their word for it. But otherwise, a good story is a good story. A good film is a good film. And a good director is a good director. And I'm open to any of those ideas," Bale added.

Bale recently made headlines by telling ScreenRant that he's not entirely opposed to revisiting Batman or Bruce Wayne in another 'Dark Knight' film. However, the Oscar winner has one condition; Nolan must be the director of the movie.

Bale said, "I had a pact with Chris Nolan. We said, 'Hey, look, let's make three films if we're lucky enough to get to do that. And then let's walk away. Let's not linger too long.' In my mind, it would be something if Chris Nolan ever said to himself, 'You know what, I've got another story to tell.' And if he wished to tell that story with me, I'd be in."

'Thor: Love and Thunder' is on the big screen from Friday, July 7.
New Delhi: Malaika Arora never fails to shock fans with her unique fashion. On Friday, Malaika was spotted by the paps wearing a body-hugging ensemble and fans are not happy. The actress was trolled brutally for her fashion all over social media.

The actress recently returned from her romantic vacation with beau Arjun Kapoor in Paris and is now back to work. She is a very active social media user and keeps sharing pictures and videos of herself with fans. She is always one of the favourites of paps and was yet again spotted in Mumbai. She stepped out of her home in a figure-hugging attire, showcasing her super-toned physique. She carried a denim jacket with the ensemble and rounded off her look with a pair of chunky shades.

Fans flooded the comment section with laugh and weird-face emojis as they are not happy with this look of the 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' actress. Social media users trolled her a lot, one wrote, "madame pant to pehen leti," whereas, the other one wrote, "Omgggg i thought she is only wearing jacket." One even dropped a question, "Niche kuch pehna h?"

This is not the first time that she has been a target of trolls, recently, when she was a jury in the Femina Miss India 2022, she was viciously mocked for donning a daring dress.

The 'Munni Badnam' star donned a dark-coloured inner-wear with her golden shimmery outfit, for which she faced a lot of backlash on social media. Social media users tagged her as 'trying to be Kim Kardashian.'

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New York: A four-day workweek sounds appealing to workers. Possibly alarming to employers.

A bill introduced in the California legislature earlier this year proposed a regular pay rate for 32 hours of work per week, with overtime kicking in after that. The measure stalled in committee for a lack of broad support but could resurface in 2023.

Meanwhile, 4-Day Week Global, a nonprofit foundation associated with Oxford University, is piloting a six-month trial of a four-day workweek with no loss of pay for employees. More than three dozen companies in the US and Canada are participating in the experiment, with a total of 150 organisations and 7,000 employees involved worldwide.

Of more than 1,000 US adult employees surveyed by research firm Qualtrics in January, 92% said they would support their employer going to a four-day workweek; 79% of them said it would help mental health, and 82% said it would make them more productive .

Will more employers embrace the change

THE CHANGE CAN BE CHALLENGING

I've always been curious about burnout. It truly affects those that should be thriving, says Lisa Belanger, CEO of ConsciousWorks in Canmore, Alberta. She consults with businesses on workplace well-being. In her quest to find how work is meant to be, she decided to explore a four-day workweek herself.

Results have been mixed, at best, she says.

I think I've failed so far in my own personal experiment, Belanger says. Business travel plans or other work-related responsibilities often interrupted her Day Five off.

One of the reasons it's so challenging for me, and most people, to do a four-day workweek is other people are working on that fifth day, so you're getting email and you're getting pulled in, Belanger says.

ALTERING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND EXPECTATIONS

People are realizing that while this might be an intriguing or interesting idea, there's probably some trade-offs, says Benjamin Granger, head of employee experience advisory services at Qualtrics. He says the company's research indicates concerns regarding customer frustration if staffing changes have an impact on response time.

Widespread adoption would have to reach critical mass, where companies believe they have to adopt a shorter workweek to compete in the workforce, he adds. And consumer behavior and customer expectations and services would need to be reshaped.

We're not even close to that yet, he says.

If it's not a four-day workweek, there are other levers to pull when it comes to workplace flexibility, Granger says.

Those could include perks that make a job more attractive, like choosing the hours you want to work rather than the usual 9-to-5, or the ability to run errands during the workday.

FEW EMPLOYEES WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE A PAY CUT

Less than 4 in 10 (37%) of the employees surveyed by Qualtrics would be willing to take a 5% or more pay cut for a four-day workweek . But nearly three-quarters (72%) of those surveyed said a four-day workweek would mean they would have to work longer days.

However, 10-hour days often aren't child care friendly. And if a company offers to pay for only four days of eight hours each, it could indicate a shorter workweek might be the result of a company trying to reduce expenses.

CONSIDERING THE TRADE-OFFS

I think there is a lot of work and research that an organization has to do before it pulls the trigger on this, Granger says.

A four-day workweek - or other workplace flexibility - might begin with a series of discussions. If there is interest on both sides of the payroll, Granger suggests a trade-off analysis: Look statistically at the factors that people would be willing to trade off, and would it be worth it to them If interest remains strong, the organization could run a pilot program with a small group of employees before a wider rollout.

If a four-day workweek isn't in your near future, Belanger offers these ideas for employees to possibly seek - and employers to consider:

- Occasional extended weekends off. Belanger says this allows time away without the stressful work is piling up while I'm away feeling during longer vacations.

- A meeting-free Friday or a reduction in the number of meetings overall.

- Email, instant messaging or texting hiatuses. Telepressure - the compulsion to quickly respond to work-related messages of any kind - is a real thing, Belanger says.

You need a couple of hours every single day where you're wholly not working - 100% not working, for mental health, she adds.
New Delhi: Banking in India is becoming more user friendly by the day, as technology has advanced and new payment channels have opened up, allowing clients to move and receive money in seconds. However, despite the authorities' efforts to ensure utmost protection to the client, there has been a concomitant rise in bank frauds throughout the years.

Hackers come up with new ways to commit bank frauds on a daily basis, and the ICICI Bank has written an email to its customers to protect their safety. "We have always ensured your and your loved ones' financial security." In the same line, we'd like to warn you about a new type of fraud that's growing more common," ICICI Bank warned in an email a few days ago. Read More: Massive layoffs at Twitter! Company sacks 100 employees from its talent acquisition team

According to ICICI Bank, scammers are increasingly compromising customers' WhatsApp or Facebook accounts and sending messages to their connections requesting money. "We have received many real requests for funds in these tough times, so a request from a known acquaintance does not feel out of the norm." The contact then transfers the required amounts, without calling and confirming with the claimed individual about their need for funds, because the request came from a known source,' it said in the email. Read More: Linkedin Post Parody: Man roasts viral motivational posts by offering double salary

Customers were also cautioned by ICICI Bank in these instances. "In such instances, be cautious and always confirm." "If your WhatsApp or Facebook accounts are hacked in any way, please notify the authorities," it wrote.

In another email, ICICI Bank gave a slew of safety tips for avoiding ATM or debit card fraud. Examine them out:
New Delhi: A 26-year-old woman fell victim to online fraud after a fraudster siphoned off Rs 3.77 lakh from her bank account under the pretext of making a payment to her for purchasing furniture worth Rs 21,000 from her through an online portal, police said on Friday. The incident came to light after the woman lodged a complaint at suburban Malad police station on Tuesday, an official said.

The victim, who stays at a Slum Rehabilitation Authority's (SRA) building, is an executive assistant in a petrolium company, he said. (ALSO READ: Nitin Gadkari's big claim on petrol ban! Says Petrol will be banned in India in the next 5 years)

"Recently she got a call from her senior that he wanted to sell furniture worth Rs 21,000 on an online platform. Accordingly, she registered on an online portal for the sale of the goods. Soon, a cyber fraudster approached her and showed interest in purchasing the furniture," he said. (ALSO READ: Heres how ex-PM Shinzo Abe boosted Japanese investments in India)

On the pretext of making a payment to her, the accused got an access of her bank details and took away Rs 3.77 lakh from her account, he said.

After losing money to cyber fraudster, the victim complained to the police against the unidentified person, he said.

The accused has been booked for cheating and cyber fraud and a probe is underway, he said.
New Delhi: State Bank of India (SBI), the countrys largest state-owned bank, has started freezing bank accounts of customers who havent complied with the lenders Know Your Customer (KYC) norms till now. SBI told the customers about the move while responding to a bank customer on Twitter. The customer had complained that this account has been put on stop as he hadnt completed the KYC.

My account has been put on STOP because of KYC overdue. No one asked me for KYC so why the hell my account put on STOP mode. Is everyone fool in SBI?" an SBI customer named Gaurav Agarwal said in a tweet. (ALSO READ: ICICI Bank Fraud: Bank alerts customers against new banking scam; Heres how to remain safe)

Responding to Agarwals tweet, SBI said that customers are supposed to complete their KYC periodically. As per RBI Mandate, customers supposed get their KYC updated periodically. Hence, customers whose KYC updates are due are notified through many channels, one of them being SMS, the bank said in its tweet. (ALSO READ: 7th pay commission: 3 big announcements for central govt employees likely in July, more money coming soon?)

As per RBI Mandate, customers supposed get their KYC updated periodically. Hence, customers whose KYC updates are due are notified through many channels, one of them being SMS. Based on this notification one can either visit any of our Branches to update their KYC (1/2)  State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) July 2, 2022

SBI further added that customers can visit any of the bank branches to update their KYC details. Customers can also send a copy to their branch email id via your registered mail id to get KYC done.

Based on this notification one can either visit any of our Branches to update their KYC details or send a copy for their KYC Documents to their Branch email id through your registered mail id (if the KYC details are unchanged)," SBI said in its tweet.

Meanwhile, SBI also responded to another tweet by an NRI customer who complained that the individual isnt able to transfer money. We would like to inform you that KYC is an ongoing exercise conducted at regular intervals. It seems that your account is due for KYC, hence the message has been forwarded to you. Kindly visit the branch and get it done for the smooth functioning of the account," SBI said.
After four days of extremely heavy rains, Mumbaikars got some respite from the downpour on Friday (July 8) morning. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses and local train services, considered the lifeline of Mumbai, were normal as there was no waterlogging anywhere. However, some suburban trains are slightly behind schedule, he said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the city and its suburbs warning that very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places during the day, the civic officials said.

The Met department also said that there is a possibility of occasional strong winds reaching 40-50 kmph, they said. After heavy rains in the city and its adjoining areas since Monday (July 4), the rain intensity started subsiding on Thursday (July 7) afternoon.

Also read: Indian Railways to install surveillance CCTV cameras on stations by January 2023

In the 24 hours ending 8 am on Friday, the island city (south Mumbai), its eastern suburbs, and western suburbs recorded an average rainfall of 28.08 mm, 32.64 mm, and 51.96 mm respectively, a civic official said.

On July 7, the IMD issued a 'red alert' for Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar districts indicating heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rains too at isolated places. A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rains of over 20 km in 24 hours.

(With inputs from PTI)

Live TV
New Delhi: South superstar Chiyaan Vikram has been rushed to Kauvery hospital in Chennai after he complained for a mild chest discomfort. Several reports alleged that he suffered a cardiac arrest but denying those claims, his manager Suryanarayanan M took to Twitter and released an official statement.

VIKRAM HOSPITALISED IN CHENNAI

Vikram's manager cleared the air about his health and slammed reports hinting at a heart attack. He wrote: Dear fans and well-wishers, Chiyaan Vikram had mild chest discomfort and is being treated for the same. He DID NOT have a heart attack as reports falsely claim. We are pained to hear rumours to this effect. That being said, we request you to give him and the family the.... 1/2.

Dear fans and wellwishers,

Chiyaan Vikram had mild chest discomfort and is being treated for the same. He DID NOT have a heart attack as reports falsely claim. We are pained to hear rumours to this effect.

That being said, we request you to give him 1/2 July 8, 2022

and the family the privacy they need at this time. Our dear Chiyaan is fine now. He is likely to be discharged from hospital in a day. We hope this statement provides clarity and trust that the false rumours will be put to rest. 2/2

and the family the privacy they need at this time. Our dear Chiyaan is fine now.

He is likely to be discharged from hospital in a day.

We hope this statement provides clarity and trust that the false rumours will be put to rest. 2/2  Suryanarayanan M (@sooriaruna) July 8, 2022

VIKRAM'S HEALTH UPDATE

According to the information shared by his manager, Vikram is likely to get discharged from the hospital in a day. He urged Chiyaan fans not to believe in rumours and pray for his well-being. Here's the update from the hospital:

The superstar was scheduled to be present at the trailer launch of his upcoming film Ponniyin Selvan by the legendary Mani Ratnam in Chennai today evening. On the work front, the actor was recently seen in Karthik Subbaraj's directorial Mahaan featuring his son Dhruv Vikram in the lead. The film premiered on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video.
New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on everyday basis. The 12-digit redeem code consists of alphabets and numbers. Players can get rewards such as skins for in-game weapons and characters to improve their gaming experience.

Garena Free fire is banned in India. However, if you are located outside India, you can access the reward codes and redeem them. For that you will be required to visit official Garena Free Fire reward site and log in to your Facebook, Google, Twitter IDs to access the Free Fire redemption page. (Also read: Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro features listed on ecommerce website: Details here)

Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for July 08, 2022

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FF11NJN5YS3E

4ST1ZTBE2RP9

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(Also read: Shocking! Ex-Amazon Web Services engineer hacked data of 10 crore customers)

How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, July 08 2022

Step 1: Go to the official Garena Free Fire redemption portal



Step 2: Log in on the portal with either your Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, VK, or Huawei ID.



Step 3: Enter a redeem code in the designated text box.



Step 4: Click on the Ok button to get free rewards in your game account.

(Disclaimer: Garena Free fire is banned in India. Hence we advise people to adhere to government rules)
Vietnams per capita income during 1995-2021 period (Photo: WB)

In 1995 Vietnamese per capita income was USD250, ranking ninth out of 10 countries in Southeast Asia, just above Myanmar with USD90. Meanwhile, Singapore was the country with the highest per capita income, reaching USD23,630.

However, 1997 saw Vietnamese per capita income surpass that of Cambodia to rank eighth in the region. At this time, the countrys per capita income was about USD330, higher than Myanmars USD130 and Cambodias USD320.

Throughout the 1997 to 2021 period, Vietnam surpassed Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, to rank in seventh position. Last year witnessed its average income per capita reach USD3,560 annually. However, the country remained behind the likes of Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Most notably, between 1995 and 2021 the countrys average income increased more than 14 times, representing the highest rise in ASEAN. This figure shows Vietnam has actively developed its economy and improved the overall quality of life for local people.

In the 2021 - 2025 period, the country will seek to improve labour productivity, apply scientific and technological advances, and enhance the overall quality of human resources.

Vietnamese trade surplus to EU reaches USD15.5 billion in H1

The nations export value to the EU grew further in the first six months of this year, resulting in a trade surplus of USD15.5 billion, a rise of nearly 39%, thanks to the bilateral free trade agreement in place between the two sides, reported the Voice of Vietnam.

Statistics highlight that total trade between Vietnam and the EU stood at an estimated USD31.7 billion in the first half of the year.

Of the figure, Vietnam exported USD23.6 billion worth of goods to the bloc, while it imported USD8.1 billion worth of products from the lucrative market.

The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, France, Spain, and Austria represent key markets in the region importing Vietnamese commodities.

Most notably, exports picked up on items such as cashew nuts, coffee, vegetables, fruit, fishery products, rice, and timber products.

These positive signs are attributable to the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) which took effect from August 1, 2021. Vietnamese exports continued to expand despite the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the Russia-Ukraine conflict which has pushed material and fuel prices up, as well as rising transportation costs.

Nearly 90% of population covered with health insurance

More than 86.8 million people, or 88.99 percent of the population, had been covered with health insurance by the end of June, reported Vietnam News Agency according to the Vietnam Social Security (VSS).

Many hospitals nationwide have been equipped with advanced machinery to serve medical examination and treatment. (Photo: VNA)

Addressing a conference on July 8, VSS Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh said the health insurance policy has increasingly affirmed its role in society, noting that it has benefited more than 100 million turns of people coming to medical establishments for examination and treatment each year.

In 2020 - 2021, the health insurance fund joined the State budget to greatly help with COVID-19 prevention and control as well as pandemic aftermath settlement, thus continuing to assert the health insurance policys role as a pillar of the national social security system.

By the end of June, more than 17.1 million people had participated in social insurance, equivalent to 33.87% of those in the working age and rising 6.16% from the same period last year. They include nearly 1.5 million taking part in voluntary social insurance.

Meanwhile, nearly 14 million people, or 27.55% of the workforce, had been covered with unemployment insurance, up 5.13% year on year, statistics showed.

Anh said giving the top priority to insurance participants rights and interests, the VSS has actively worked with relevant ministries and sectors to provide maximum support for them to gain insurance benefits.

Its system delivered social, health and unemployment benefits to nearly 6.3 million turns of people in the first half of this year, he added.

Industrial production up 8.48 % in H1

The index of industrial production (IIP) in the first half of this year surged 8.48% over the same period last year, reported Vietnam News Agency according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Passenger cars are being manufactured at the Ford Hai Duong factory. (Photo: VNA)

The GSO said that the IIP in the second quarter also saw a positive increase of 9.87% year-on-year as many industrial firms have resumed and gradually recovered their business activities.

During the six months, the processing and manufacturing industry posted the highest industrial output growth of 9.66%. It was followed by electricity generation and distribution (6.51%), electricity production and distribution (6.1%) and the mining industry (2.28%).

Key industries that recorded high increases in H1 include clothing, up 23%; electrical equipment (22%); pharmaceutical and medical materials (17.5%); leather (13%); and electronics, computers and optical products (11%).

On the contrary, several industries saw a decline in industrial production, such as repair, maintenance and installation of machinery and equipment, down 11%; rubber and plastic products (8.5%); coke and refined petroleum products (1.4%) and crude oil and natural gas (1.2%).

Several key industries recorded high growth in the period, including clothes (up 22%); electricity equipment (20.4%); leather and leather products (13.5%); electronics, computers and optical devices (11.6%); and metal production (11.5%).

The GSO also named key industrial products with strong IIP increases, including telephone components with 22%; beer (14%); urea fertiliser (13.5%); processed seafood and automobiles (12%) and clean coal (10%).

Some products decreased compared to the previous year, such as televisions (18%); aquatic feed (7%); mobile phones (4.3%); NPK fertiliser (4%) and motorbikes (3.5%).

From January to June, the IIP rose in 61 out of 63 provinces and cities, with significant growth seen in several localities, which experienced a strong recovery in the manufacturing and processing industry thanks to the successful containment of COVID-19 such as Bac Giang (46%); Lai Chau (45%); Quang Nam (25%) and Ha Giang (24%).

According to the GSO, the consumption index of the processing and manufacturing industry in H1 rose 9.4% compared to last year's corresponding period. In June, the index dropped 1% month-on-month and advanced 9.4% year-on-year.

The average inventory rate of the processing and manufacturing industry in the six months was 78%, much lower than the 92% recorded in the same period last year, the GSO noted.

As of June 1, the number of employees working in industrial enterprises rose 1.3% over the previous month and 5.8 % compared to the same month last year.

The number of employees in State-owned enterprises decreased 4.8% year-on-year, while those in non-State firms slumped 0.3%, and those in foreign-invested businesses increased by 7%.

Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)

Manufacturing sector expansion

According to S&P Global, the Vietnamese manufacturing sector ended the first half of 2022 firmly in expansion mode as a lack of disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic supported demand and production.

Firms were also increasingly successful in hiring additional staff, with the rate of job creation quickening to a three-and-a-half-year high, S&P Global said in a report released last week.

Further marked increases were seen in both output and new orders at the end of the second quarter, as relative market stability due to a lack of pandemic disruption enabled demand to grow, adding that rates of expansion were particularly pronounced in the consumer goods category.

Rising new orders encouraged manufacturers to expand workforce numbers again during June, extending the current sequence of increasing staffing levels to three months.

The Vietnamese manufacturing sector ends the first half of 2022 in good health, with firms feeling that they've seen the back of the pandemic and can generate new business at a solid rate," Andrew Harker, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said.

The country's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) posted 54.0 in June, down slightly from 54.7 in May but still signalling a solid monthly improvement in the health of the sector, according to S&P Global./.
New Delhi: Cyber-security researchers on Thursday said they have discovered an "unprecedented, sophisticated" phishing technique that has been targeting government websites across the world, including the Indian government's portal https://india.gov.in, extorting the affected users. The threat actors have been targeting the Indian government's portal by utilising a bogus URL to trick users into submitting sensitive information such as credit card numbers, expiration months, and CVV codes, according to AI-driven cyber-security firm CloudSEK.

Hackers are imitating the browser window of the Indian government website, most often SSO (single sign-on) pages, with a unique login, in a most-advanced phishing technique commonly known as Browser-in-the-Browser (BitB) attack. BitB attacks imitate legitimate sites in order to steal user credentials as well as other sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII).

The new URL that pops up as a result of the BitB attack appears legitimate."The bad actors have also replicated the original page's user interface. Once their victims click on the phishing page, a pop-up appears on the phony window claiming that their systems have been blocked, posing as a notification from the Home Affairs Enforcement and Police," the researchers claimed.

The users are then notified of their excessive use of pornographic websites, which is illegal under Indian law, and are requested to pay a fine of Rs 30,000 to unlock their systems."They are given a form to fill out in order to pay the fine, which asks them to divulge personal information, including their credit card information. The victims become panicked because the warning has a sense of urgency and appears to be time-bound," the researchers said.

The information that the victims enter into the form is transferred to the attacker's server. Once the attackers get the card information, it might be sold to other buyers in a larger network of cyber criminals, or the victim could be extorted for extra money. The BitB attack begins when users attempt to connect to a website and click on a malicious link that looks to them as an SSO login pop-up window.

When users visit the supplied link, they are prompted to log in to the website using their SSO credentials. After there, the victims are sent to a bogus website that looks exactly like the SSO page. The attack usually stimulates single sign-on windows and displays fake websites that cannot be distinguished from the original page.

"Combine SSO with MFA (multi-factor authentication) for secure login across accounts, check for suspicious logins and account takeovers, and avoid clicking on email links from unknown sources," the researchers suggested.
NEW DELHI: Actor Alia Bhatt, who appeared as the first celebrity guest along with her 'Gully Boy' co-star Ranveer Singh, on Karan Johar's chat show 'Koffee With Karan', spoke about how she is still on good terms with some of Ranbir Kapoor's exes and they all love her.

Karan, in the quirky rapid-fire round with Alia, asked, "Which statement sums you up better? How to stay friends with an ex? Or How to stay friends with your partner's ex?"

Alia, after thinking for a while, chose the second option and replied, " I think how to stay friends with your partner's ex. I am very, very good friends with his exes. Yeah and I love them both...And..the others, but I don't know them."

Before dating Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor was in a long-term relationship with Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif. Alia shared a bond with both Katrina and Deepika and pictures of them spending time together surfaced on social media often. In fact, Alia is all set to be teaming up with Katrina Kaif in Farhan Akhtar's next road-trip film 'Jee Le Zara'.





ALIA BHATT-RANBIR KAPOOR LOVE STORY STARTED ON AN AEROPLANE



Speaking about her wedding, Alia spilled the beans about Ranbir Kapoor's hush-hush proposal during their visit together to Israel. When host Karan said that Ranbir and Alia's upcoming film, 'Brahmastra' was the 'product' of their love story, Alia, looking pretty in pink, admitted that "it was not meant to happen" if they did not take the flight to Israel's Tel Aviv on New Year.

She opened up that although her friends told her that she and Ranbir 'were totally going to get together', she wanted the process to 'happen naturally'. "We both talked about it on our flight to Tel Aviv to do a workshop on 'Brahmastra'. So, I remember him walking in and he was supposed to sit next to me. He sat next to me. Something got stuck in his seat, some malfunction was happening in his seat so they were going to move him to another seat. And I was like, 'Why is my dream getting shattered?' disclosed Alia.

"But then his seat got fixed, so he came and sat back. And then when we exchanged notes.." added Alia before going to explain that Ranbir was quite irritated that the seat had to "break down at that moment" when the duo were seated together 'nicely'.

Alia further said that the 'vibe' between her and Ranbir 'started from there only', remarking that the rest 'was history', flashing her adorable smile.



ALIA BHATT REVEALS HOW RANBIR KAPOOR PROPOSED HER WITH A RING

Alia further revealed how Ranbir had planned to propose her which absolutely blew away her mind, in a place that the star couple had a 'strong connection with'. Both Ranbir and Alia agreed to just 'go with the feeling'.

"That's exactly what he did. He didn't tell anyone, he just carried the ring and he did it in the most amazing place because it's a place that we both have a strong connection with, which is Masai Mara. And in the middle of the jungle, it was just amazing," confessed Alia. However, after the proposal Alia got the surprise of her life when Ranbir 'managed to take pictures' of the whole act, especially knowing Alia's love for pictures.

"What I didn't expect was he had planned our guide to take the pictures also. So after everything was over, I was still dealing with the shock and I was so emotional. He took pictures and I was like, "You managed to take pictures?" Because he knows how much pictures mean to me. It was too special," confessed Alia with a smile.

The pilot episode of the chat show was filled with fun and excitement, as the fans lauded the social media with their happy reactions to the conversations Karan had with his 'Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani' star cast.

While Ranveer bagged the big gift hamper for winning the rapid-fire round with 71% votes of the live audience that were watching them playing the rapid-fire round live, Alia won the buzzer round against Ranveer.

Live TV
London: Rishi Sunak, the former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Friday formally launched his bid to succeed Boris Johnson as the new Conservative Party leader and future Prime Minister with a promise to lead the UK in the "right direction", becoming the highest-profile Tory Member of Parliament yet to throw his hat in the ring for the leadership race. The 42-year-old British Indian minister resigned from the UK Cabinet earlier this week, setting off events in motion that ultimately led to Johnson's resignation.

His #Ready4Rishi campaign kicked off with a message on Twitter, accompanied by a video made up of images of his Indian-origin grandparents and parents who migrated to the UK via East Africa.

"I'm standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister. Let's restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country," said Sunak. "Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions," he said in the video.

Im standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister.



Lets restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country. #Ready4Rishi



Sign up https://t.co/KKucZTV7N1 pic.twitter.com/LldqjLRSgF  Ready For Rishi (@RishiSunak) July 8, 2022

"Do we confront this moment with honesty, seriousness and determination or do we tell ourselves comforting fairy tales that might make us feel better in the moment but will leave our children worse off tomorrow," he questioned.

The MP for Richmond in Yorkshire since 2015 goes on to promise to lead the country in the right direction based on "non-negotiable values" of "patriotism, fairness and hard work".

"Family is everything to me and my family gave me opportunities they could only dream of. But it was Britain, our country, that gave them and millions like them the chance for a better future," he said.

"I got into politics because I want everyone in this country to have those same opportunities, to be able to give their children a better future. Our country faces huge challenges, the most serious for a generation and the decisions we make today will decide whether the next generation of British people will also have a chance of a better future," he added.

Referring to his most recent role as finance minister, Sunak points out how he ran the "toughest department" in the UK government through the toughest times when faced with the nightmare of COVID.

"We've had enough of division. Politics at its best is a unifying endeavour and I have spent my career bringing people together because that is the only way to succeed," he said, adding that he would set out more about his vision in the coming days and weeks.

Sunak, son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, has long been seen as an heir apparent to Johnson at 10 Downing Street and is believed to have garnered the support of a significant chunk of the Tory party to launch his candidacy.

"We need to make sure that's not the end of the British Indian story. There's lots more we can achieve. There's lots more we can do. And I'm really excited about the future," he told reporters last week, when asked if he could go on to be the first Indian-origin Prime Minister of the UK.

"I'm incredibly proud of where I come from. It will always be an enormous part of who I am. And it brings me joy to live, and belong, in a country where, for all our faults, for all our challenges, someone like me can become Chancellor. Our task now is to make sure that's not the end of the British Indian story, but the beginning," he noted in a speech at the UK-India Awards ceremony last week.

Sunak, who was born and grew up in the coastal English town of Southampton, has referred to Britain as a "rewarding Karma Bhoomi" as he reflected upon the sacrifices made by his National Health Service (NHS) general practitioner (GP) father Yashvir and pharmacist mother Usha.

The Oxford and Stanford University alumni entered politics just before the Brexit referendum in 2016 and moved into junior roles in the UK's Treasury department before being promoted to the top job of Chancellor in February 2020, just weeks before the UK was forced into its first pandemic lockdown.

He proved hugely popular as he brought in several grants and job-saving schemes, but that popularity began taking a hit in recent months as the cost-of-living crisis hit and he was unapologetic about the need to raise certain taxes to cope with the tough economic times.

Earlier in the day, Tom Tugendhat, Chair of the powerful House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, declared his intention to contest soon after UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps indicated he will also be vying for the top job. Indian-origin Suella Braverman is also in the race.
New Delhi: After former premier Shinzo Abe was shot dead during an election campaign in western Japan's Nara city, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday (July 8) ramped up the security of Cabinet ministers and other politicians. Kishida condemned the attack on Abe in the "strongest terms". "This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections - the very foundation of our democracy - and is absolutely unforgivable," the Japan PM said.

According to Japans Kyodo News, PM Kishida held talks with National Public Safety Commission Chairperson Ninoyu Satoshi, Justice Minister Furukawa Yoshihisa, and directed them to tighten security for Cabinet ministers and others ahead of the upcoming Upper House election on Sunday. He also discussed responses to the shooting with the officials for around 20 minutes on Friday afternoon, and told them never to yield to violence and terrorism, PTI report said.

ALSO READ: Shinzo Abe killed: PM Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, UKs Boris Johnson and more mourn demise of former Japan PM

PM Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers earlier rushed to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the news of the attack on Shinzo Abe.

National Public Safety Commission Chairperson asked theNational Police Agency chief, Nakamura Itaru, to enhance the protection of Cabinet ministers and other top politicians of the country.

Ex-Japan PM Shinzo Abe was fired upon by a man from behind with an apparently homemade gun while campaigning for a parliamentary election in Nara, Reuters cited Japan media as saying. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment however the former Japan PM was not breathing and his heart had stopped. As per AP, he was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment including blood transfusion, the hospital officials said.

The shooting shocked not only Japan but also the world as the country is one of the safest nations and has some of the strictest gun control laws. Notably, Abe was provided the highest protection, Japan's NHK public television reported. Japan Police arrested the suspected gunman at the spot of the attack.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: According to local media, Japanese Police have identified the suspect arrested for shooting former prime minister Shinzo Abe on Friday as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old resident of Nara City. Local media reported that police has detained the assailant and retrieved a gun from the scene. Japan`s public broadcaster NHK, citing police informed that the suspected shooter is being held for questioning at the Nara Nishi police station and that he appears to have made the gun himself.

While the police authorities were nabbing the assailant, the man did not attempt to run away, reported news agency ANI. Abes assailant is believed to have worked for the Maritime Self Defence Force for three years until around 2005.

Earlier today Abe, 67, was rushed to hospital after he collapsed at 11.30 am (local time) during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city of Nara ahead of Sunday`s elections for Japan`s upper house of Parliament.

Why did Tetsuya Yamagami shot Shinzo Abe?

The local reports suggest that the suspect decided to kill Abe because he disagreed with his policies. According to NHK reports, the police now say that Yamagami told investigators he had a grudge against Abe and decided to kill him. Meanwhile, police have found explosives from the home of Tetsuya Yamagami.

How was ex-Japanese PM Shinzo Abe assassinated?

Initial media reports, citing authorities said that it appeared that Abe was shot at in the chest and described the condition of the former PM as in "cardiopulmonary arrest." Japanese police said Abe appeared to have been shot from behind with a shotgun, Kyodo news agency said. Abe was conscious and responsive while being transported to the hospital after the possible shooting, Japan`s public broadcaster NHK, said citing police sources.

Abe was campaigning on a street for Liberal Democratic Party candidate at the House of Councillors election, scheduled this Sunday when he collapsed at around 11: 30 am after people on the scene heard what sounded like a gun going off twice, local media reported.

Abe, Japan`s longest-serving prime minister had stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was prime minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida.

(With agency inputs)
The whole world witnessed an adventurous event! Ex-Japan PM Shinzo Abe was shot while giving a speech. He was admitted to the hospital in critical condition, but did not recover. The whole world is in mourning over this deadly attack in Japan's city of Nara. Meanwhile, the whole world, including India, has expressed condolences over the death. A day of mourning has already been declared in India. But, do you know, who Shinzo Abe actually was?

Shinzo Abe - personal life

Shinzo Abe was born in Japan. He was the only prime minister who was born after World War II. Abe was born on September 21, 1954 in Tokyo. He was a member of an influential political family in Japan. As a result, he grew up in politics from an early age. His father and grandfather were one of the most popular political leaders in Japan. Even his uncle once sat in the Prime Minister's chair in Japan. Shinzo Abe finished his schooling from Niosaka. Shinzo Abe then moved to the United States for further studies. Abe is reported to have graduated from the University of Southern California.



Shinzo Abe's time at Kibe Steel Plant

Shinzo Abe worked at the Kibe Steel Plant before entering politics. Abe worked there for two years. After graduating from America, he returned to the country and started working in a steel plant. But after two years, the former prime minister of the country gradually began to enter politics. He started walking in the path of his father and uncle.

Shinzo Abe's entry to politics

Shinzo Abe's father died in 1993. And, then for the first time, he set foot in the country's elections. And, for the first time, he got a huge vote by standing in the polls. Shinzo Abe's popularity began to grow.

Shinzo Abe's appointment as Japan Prime Minister

In 2008, Shinzo Abe, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, was elected the Prime Minister of Japan. Abe started working as the Prime Minister at the age of 52. Abe has the record of working as the youngest Prime Minister. Not only that, Abe has served as the longest serving Prime Minister of Japan.

Shinzo Abe's contribution as Japan Prime Minister

At one point, Japan's economy suffered a major setback. But under Shinzo Abe, Japan's economy turned around once again. Not only that, Abe could have shown the courage to speak eye to eye with multiple countries, including North Korea.

Abe, 67, was a brave leader. He served as Japan's prime minister for seven consecutive years and six months.


At the reception (Photo: NLDO)



At the meeting, Secretary of the City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen shared with Indian Ambassador Pranay Verma about his memories of his recent visit to India, and his feelings about the sincere affection between Vietnamese and Indian people.

He said that his most impressive memory was attending the inauguration ceremony of President Ho Chi Minh's statue in the Indian capital New Delhi on June 21, adding that Ho Chi Minh City is also promoting the inauguration of a statue of India's leader Mahatma Gandhi.

According to Mr. Nen, recently, there have been many events showing the affection and depth of the relationship between the two countries. He said he believed that in the future, the two sides will further tighten this relationship, not only in organizing and implementing cooperation programs in trade, tourism, economy, culture and society, but also in sharing common interests for mutual development.

For his part, Ambassador Pranay Verma said that the recent visits of the leaders of the two countries have demonstrated the close relationship, which he believes will contribute to the prosperous development and better relations between the two countries.

Noting that the bilateral trade turnover reached USD14 billion in 2021, he expressed his hope that the figure will exceed USD15 billion this year. I am myself promoting investment in the fields of information technology, medicine and other infrastructure sectors, with many Indian businesses waiting to enter the Vietnamese market, he said.

He added that India also has strengths in the fields of digital economic development and high-quality education and training, and is looking forward to cooperating with Vietnamese localities, especially Ho Chi Minh City in these areas; as well as promoting tourism, including spiritual tourism. Direct flights connecting Indian localities with Ho Chi Minh City help promote relations between the two sides, not only in tourism and trade but also in people-to-people relations, he went on to say.

Ambassador Pranay Verma especially appreciated the fact that Ho Chi Minh City is going to place the statue of leader Mahatma Gandhi at Tao Dan Park in the next few weeks./.
Vietnamese offshore fishing vessels in the waters of Kien Hai, Kien Giang province. (Photo: VNA)

At the ministrys regular press briefing on July 7, when reporters mentioned the USs wish to cooperate with Vietnam to fight illegal fishing, the diplomat affirmed that Vietnam is interested in the information.

Vietnam's stance on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is consistent and has been stated many times, she added.

Accordingly, Vietnam advocates the sustainable development of the marine economy and fishing industry, with the structure of ships and occupations being suitable to the allowable exploitation of aquatic resources and fully complying with regulations on combating IUU fishing and relevant international conventions and agreements to which Vietnam is a signatory or member. These pacts include the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of December 10, 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks; and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)s Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.

Hang said Vietnam has built and perfected a legal system on fisheries to ensure effectiveness and efficiency; implemented measures to reduce IUU fishing activities; and stop and prevent Vietnamese fishing vessels from illegally exploiting seafood in foreign waters.

She noted that relevant agencies and coastal localities regularly manage and run communication campaigns to instruct fishermen on how to comply with Vietnam's laws and respect foreign waters established in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Vietnam also actively and responsibly participates in international forums and regional action plans to combat IUU fishing, and promotes effective and sustainable fisheries management in accordance with international law, stated the spokeswoman./.
GTSOU head calls on Canada and Germany to adhere to sanctions, refuse transfer of turbine for Nord Stream 1

Gas deliveries to Europe can be carried out in full by Russia through Ukraine, regardless of the loading volumes of Nord Stream 1 (NS-1), and the Kremlins arguments that Canadas failure to return the turbine for NS-1 under repair threatens stopping supplies is blackmail, Serhiy Makogon, the head of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU), said.

"We ask Canada to transfer the Gazprom turbine not to Germany, but to Ukraine. We will transfer it further to Russia. Perhaps. After the victory," Makogon said on Facebook.

He focused the attention of the German partners that even without NS-1, there are enough free capacities for gas transit to Germany.

"Ukraine can even now transport the entire volume of Nord Stream 1, and there is still an unused Yamal gas pipeline through Poland," he explained.

"We must not succumb to the Kremlin's blackmail!" Makogon emphasized.

Earlier, German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck made a public appeal to Canada to return the turbine for the Portovaya compressor station of NS-1 after repairs, despite sanctions against Russia, in order to deprive Moscow of an argument for reducing gas supplies. The turbine was overhauled in Montreal.
Let every Russian captain now see Ukrainian flag on Snake island  Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked all the military personnel who took part in the struggle for the Zmiyinyi (Snake) island.

"I want to express gratitude for the final stage of the struggle for Zmiinyi - our national flag was hoisted there. This operation lasted two months," he said in a traditional video message on Thursday evening.

"Intelligence, Special Operations Forces, Alpha unit of the Security Service, border guards, gunners, Navy, Air Force. And now let every Russian captain - whether of a ship or an aircraft - see the Ukrainian flag on Zmiyinyi and know that our state cannot be broken, " he added.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Boris Johnson's leadership and charisma were of particular importance in the process of helping Ukraine.

"Today, the main topic in our country has become the British topic - Boris Johnson's decision to resign as party leader and Prime Minister. In the afternoon I spoke with him and thanked for the support we have received since the first day of Russian terror," he said in his traditional video address on Thursday evening.

First of all, Zelensky noted, "these are weapons: Stinger air defense systems, cool NLAW anti-tank systems, artillery, ammunition, armored vehicles and many, many other things."

"Substantial political support, strong sanctions against Russia, financial assistance to our state - more than two billion pounds have been allocated for security and defense needs alone since February 24," the president said.

He called Britain's role in defending freedom "truly global." "And although this is a reflection of the position of British society, the leadership and charisma of the state leader are always of special importance. Especially at such a time - the time of Russia's full-scale anti-European war, which started its attack on Europe precisely from our state," the president said.

"It is not surprising that Ukrainians feel personal gratitude to Boris. But let's not forget that we are building relations between states. Great Britain's support for Ukraine should not change, no matter what happens in London's power circles, both Boris and all our friends in the United Kingdom assured me of this, " he said.
The municipality of the city of Dortmund has handed over municipal equipment to Mykolaiv, including minibuses, mayor of the city Oleksandr Senkevych reports.

"The city of Dortmund handed over municipal equipment to Mykolaiv, including 10 passenger and cargo-passenger minibuses. We will distribute them to our utilities. We also received equipment from Dortmund to repair roads and sidewalks," Senkevych wrote on the Telegram channel on Thursday.

He noted that "such assistance to our city became possible thanks to the Cities4Cities platform, which unites Ukrainian and other European cities. We posted information on it about what kind of equipment our city needs, and the Municipality of Dortmund promptly responded to our application."

Senkevych thanked the Dortmund community and "personally Mayor Thomas Westphal for the support of Mykolaiv and the whole of Ukraine."
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, a minute before the onset of July 8, posted a short video message on the social network, in which he stated, "We can overcome the dragon feared by half the world."

"There is one minute left until midnight and one thought I want to share. It is not easy for us to fall asleep for 134 days, but all these days we know why we wake up, for whom, and most importantly  by whom. We are Ukrainians, just people, kind, peaceful people, we broke into the top of the world news and became superheroes. At such a price. All we wanted was just to live. Free on our own land," he said.

"But God has his own plan. And if the task fell on us to overcome the dragon, in whose presence half the world trembles, and it fell on us to be the underdog, who was given three days, and has been fighting for the fifth month  well, then we can do it," the president also said.

According to him, "Those who are born to crawl will not take even the Snake island from the one who is to fly. That is why the blue-yellow [flag] is back on the island. And someday it will definitely be on the (Crimean) peninsula. And in all our occupied towns and villages. And in each of them our anthem will sound."
Head of Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office Oleh Kiper reported on the actual completion of inspections of the accident sites as part of the investigation of criminal proceedings on the facts of enemy rocket attacks on the Ukrainian capital, most of the destruction was recorded in Sviatoshynsky, Podolsky and Obolonsky districts.

"Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, more than 100 civilians have been killed in the capital, five of them children. More than 420 civilians were injured. The causes of death are mineexplosive injuries, shrapnel and bullet wounds (the latter is typical for the territory of Hostomel), burns and asphyxia as a result of fires," Kiper said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

As for the houses damaged by shelling, the prosecutor said, according to the Kyiv Cite State Administration, there are about 400 of them. "About 200 of them are ordinary highrise buildings and private estates. About 70 are damaged," he added.

Kiper stressed that rocket attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are the most serious war crimes, so the efforts of prosecutors, investigators and experts are focused on carefully recording and documenting these crimes.

"In the proceedings on the facts of enemy rocket attacks, inspections of the scene of events have actually been completed. There are more destructions in Sviatoshynsky, Podolsky and Obolonsky districts (Puscha Vodytsia)," he said.

According to the head of the metropolitan prosecutor's office, about 100 similar proceedings are being investigated in Kyiv.

Kiper said that a number of examinations are currently being conducted, the results of which will provide information on the type of weapons used, their trajectory, and the circumstances of use.

"These data, together with the investigative actions carried out, will help the investigation to identify specific persons responsible for these crimes," the head of the city prosecutor's office added.

In addition, he said that due to the fact that the occupiers fired twice at a residential complex in Shevchenkivsky district of Kyiv, the prosecutor of the district prosecutor's office was instructed to find out why the enemy is launching missile strikes there. "Let's check if this territory had belonged to the territory of the Artem plant before. Perhaps Russians use paper maps of the 80s of the last century," said Kiper.
Head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said that judicial reform remains one of the necessary ones for joining the EU.

"Judicial reform, the mechanism for selecting judges and holding them accountable," he said, speaking at the Forbes-Ukraine conference on Friday.

Among the necessary reforms, he also called the reform of the SBU. "We must also continue to implement the plan for de-oligarchization of Ukraine in order to exclude the influence of oligarchs on political decision-making," he said. At the same time, he stressed the need to significantly strengthen the antimonopoly legislation.

Yermak also announced the reform of key ministries and agencies. "The state should become more compact and efficient," he said.

The main principles for the authorities, according to him, remain "security standards, the rule of law, the value of human life."

"Joining the EU will help us build a Ukraine that we can be proud of," Yermak said, noting that "this [joining the EU] should take place "as soon as possible."

He also considers it necessary to develop the practice of creating industrial parks and special modes for IT companies.

Yermak urged businessmen to "actively make proposals and cooperate with the government and the Presidents Office." "The government, together with experts, should create a national plan for joining the EU. The plan should be as realistic as possible," the head of the President's Office said.
Accusations of Nazism in Ukraine cause anger, but they look like joke  Zelensky in interview with CNN

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he feels angry because of Ukraine's accusations of Nazism, which, at the same time, look like a joke.

"When I hear this from Russia, there are two feelings: the first is anger because of this injustice. Then comes the second feeling, more just. I find what they say funny. It looks like a joke, like a caricature," he said in an interview with CNN released on Friday.

"In a state like Ukraine, with such a multinational population, with people who communicate in different languages, many of whom know Russian better than many Russians. When one person can have Ukrainian, Jewish blood, Belarusian, Greek, Russian roots. These people who were completely occupied during the Second World War. There are no our ancestors, they were executed because they are of Jewish origin, their blood is not like that," he said.

"I thought it was over, but now it's coming back. These statements are statements of sick people. You can't laugh at the disease, the disease can be cured. But what I hear from them is a disease that cannot be treated. They wanted to be sick themselves," Zelensky said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky considers the refusal to accept Ukraine into NATO a "historically erroneous decision."

"I am very glad that Sweden and Finland have made this choice," he said in an interview with CNN released on Friday. "It's easier, more reasonable than a bloody war. The choice of the world to accept Sweden and Finland are exactly the preventive steps that I have talked about many times. Take these preventive steps to prevent Russia from attacking territories and people," he said.

Zelensky noted that "the whole world is helping Ukraine. Someone by humanitarian means, someone financially, by weapons, but weapons are not enough... The USA supports with bicameral support. The world is doing a lot of things, but you could just take Ukraine into NATO."

He recalled the expression "If Ukraine is in NATO  Russia will attack." "We are not in NATO, Russia has attacked. I have no offense, this is a joint decision of all NATO members. We are talking about security guarantees, and about weapons, financial support. And it was simply possible, by uniting, to accept Ukraine into NATO," he said.

"For Ukraine, they found reasons why we should not be there. And Sweden and Finland were accepted. The decision is correct, with regard to Ukraine, the decision is historically erroneous," Zelensky said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky highly appreciated the U.S. assistance, but believes that this assistance is not enough to defeat Russia.

"The USA is helping us, and I want to say  they are helping us a lot, but not enough to win," he said in an interview with CNN released on Friday.

"I emphasize once again  they are helping. And we appreciate it. But we want to increase this assistance and speed up. We are fighting for our land ourselves, we do not want citizens of other countries to fight for us. The USA is a big economy, a global one, it can help us. Both with weapons and financially," he said.

Zelensky said that "the United States has a certain influence on the decision of European countries. And this is also a help. Some states in Europe wanted to balance and be between droplets in the rain. But thanks to the help of the United States, they began to support us."

"And that's why when I talk about the volume and speed of weapons, I'm not referring to the United States. I appeal to the leaders of the whole world. I say that the acceleration of this process will save the lives of Ukrainians and lead to the de-occupation of our regions that are occupied by Russia," the president said.
A Kh-31 cruise missile was fired at Odesa region this morning. It exploded over the sea on its way to the coast. The Russian forces might have changed their tactic to massive attacks on crowded spots on the coastline, Odesa City Council has said with a reference to the Command of the Pivden (South) task force.

"At around 10 a.m., an enemy Su-30 aircraft fired a Kh-31 cruise missile at Odesa region from the Black Sea. It exploded on its way to the coast. The enemy might have changed its tactic to massive explosive attacks on crowded spots on the coastline," it said on the Telegram channel.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees calls on Russia to provide unfettered access to Ukrainians in the country and does not recommend the adoption or naturalization of Ukrainian children who were taken by Russia from institutions in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

"Our access to the Ukrainian population there is very limited. It is not absent, we do have some access, but it is extremely limited. We have been able to visit a few collective centers where Ukrainians are accommodated, but it is really a very small number. If the total number as reported is 1 million we only saw the few of them. This issue was raised with me by the government and also in the past few weeks. We will continue to insist to have like we have in all other countries unfettered access to Ukrainian citizens in Russia," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, the Russian government reports that there are more than 1 million Ukrainians in Russia, and this is about the same figure that the Ukrainian government has released.

"For sure, Ukrainians are able if they wish to contact the UNHCR office if they can do that. We know that many of them have issues of resources, that they need resources to be able to survive, so we are working with Russian Red Cross and other institutions to try to help them. But it is a very complex issue given the limited access, but we will continue to work on that," Grandi said.

The head of the UNHCR said that the organization he leads does not recommend the adoption or naturalization of children who were taken by the Russian Federation from institutions in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

"There is one issue that is of particularly of concern, you have heard that UN already speak about that - it is the reports (we have no confirmation because we are not able to access) that children that are taken from institutions in areas occupied in Ukraine are transferred and efforts are made to adopt or to naturalize them. There we have provided publicly, we are on record on that, the advice that the adoption and naturalization of children, unaccompanied children are not advised in situations of emergency, because before any adoption, you have to make sure that the child is unaccompanied, that he does not have a family," he said.

He also said there are procedures that must be followed before the adoption or naturalization processes are carried out, and they cannot be carried out during active war, active conflict.

"So we are telling the Russian Federation, we actually are telling all governments, including in Europe, that this is not the time for adoption or for naturalization. We've been very clear and I want to repeat it again: this is not a practice that is advised from any points of view in this type of situation and should not be done," Grandi said.
About 80% of the destroyed medical infrastructure facilities are located in the occupied territory, Deputy Health Minister Oleksiy Yaremenko has said.

"Information about the real situation in the occupied territories is limited. However, about 80% of the destroyed facilities are located in the occupied territories," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to Yaremenko, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, according to recent data, as of July 5, some 695 facilities of medical institutions were damaged, another 122 facilities were completely destroyed and cannot be restored.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia tried to thwart his video addressed to the parliaments of the EU countries.

"I am grateful to all of the EU countries where such addressed have taken place. We know that Russia tried to thwart them, used its contacts  political, diplomatic, and even business ones," he said in a video address to the parliament of Slovakia.

Zelensky added that Russia realizes that it has nothing to counter such trustful relations between the peoples of Ukraine and Europe, such active communication between them. Therefore, Russia threatened the Europeans, manipulated those who depend on it.

The head of state mentioned that this was his address to the 24th of 27 EU parliaments and this fact proved that Russia has lost its influence in the EU.
Solidarity with Ukrainians is still very strong, we continue to have good access to services, employment, possibility to stay in Europe  Grandi

Solidarity with Ukrainians is still very strong, but everything possible must be done so that they continue to have good access to services, employment and stay in Europe, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has said.

"First of all, I think most of refugees will wait for more security to come back to the country before returning to Ukraine. And then there is always the risk that this solidarity becomes more tired. It is unfortunately effect of life. I think that it is still very strong, but we must do everything possible to ensure that Ukrainians that are still in Europe and that will continue to be in Europe for some time, continue to have good access to services, employment if they need it and be able stay there," Grandi told Interfax-Ukraine.

He said that during his visit to Ukraine, he discussed with the government of Ukraine how they can better coordinate to avoid any hospitality fatigue towards Ukrainians and work with the European Commission and Member States.

"I have traveled throughout all of Europe to see Ukrainian refugees. What I have seen is a lot of solidarity by European people, a lot of sympathy, a lot of support, and that have been very helpful. But, of course, the more this war continues, the more shelling, bombing of the cities the more difficult it becomes," Grandi said.

According to him, after Russia's large-scale aggression, coordination was very good.

"All the main host countries (except Moldova which is a separate case because it is not in the EU) are part of the EU or part of Schengen space like Switzerland for example. Remember, these are countries with resources, so they were able to help the directly the refugees. My organization, other UN agencies, NGOs  we have all been present and we have helped the governments and the European Commission in very well-coordinated system. And of course we have kept in touch with government here," he said.

The UNHCR head drew attention to the fact that in many countries his organization helps refugees who are fleeing their government because their government is abusing it or is in internal conflict.

"Here it is not the case. The Ukrainians are not fleeing from the Ukrainian government, they are fleeing from Russian invasion, Russian military action. The coordination includes also the Ukrainian government, that of course, has an interest in ensuring that the Ukrainian people are not exploited, abused, that separated children can be reunified with their families. So, there is also coordination we have discussed today further with Ukrainian government, and we will continue to do," he said.
Russia's military-political leadership must answer for the crimes of its army on Ukrainian soil, French Senate President Gerard Larcher believes.

"The perpetrators of these crimes, namely the representatives of Russia, the military-political leadership, must answer for their actions. It is unacceptable to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council and at the same time make sure that not a single value on which the modern world order is based is respected," Larcher said, answering a question from Interfax-Ukraine in Bucha, Kyiv region, on Friday.

According to Larcher, the most important thing is that there should be a trial at the international level for all the crimes committed by the Russian army.

"And that is why we, representatives of various political forces in the French Senate, supported sending the best specialists of the French gendarmerie here to carry out the necessary work to identify the bodies of victims of crimes in Bucha. This will allow us to document and substantively prove all the crimes of Russians, which will be directly considered at the level of international justice," the spokesperson of the Senate said.

He also said the city of Dunkirk in northern France, whose representative - a senator from the socialists is part of the delegation, decided to establish direct 'sister' city relations with Bucha.

According to Larcher, the members of the delegation, having seen the consequences of the atrocities of the Russian occupiers in Borodianka and Bucha, "will leave here not the same as they came here."

"It hit us extremely deeply," Larcher said.

He recalled that France is in solidarity with Ukraine, and numerous French communities received Ukrainians who fled the war and sought security.

"But we understand that this is not enough, that one of the forms of support that we should provide to Ukraine is actually in the military sector," Larcher said.

He drew attention to the fact that the initiatives to provide weapons in accordance with the French Constitution come from the President of the Republic, who made the decision to provide Ukraine with artillery.

According to the Interfax-Ukraine correspondent, the delegation of the Senate on a trip to Kyiv region was accompanied by First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniyenko.
Canada is sending 39 armored vehicles manufactured by General Dynamics as military aid to Ukrainian soldiers to help during the Russian invasion, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand has said.

"The vehicles are part of a wider $500-million package of military aid noted in the last federal budget, in a bid to further arm Ukrainian defenders with modernized military equipment," the CBC publication said in the statement.

As noted, some 39 vehicles were intended for use by the Canadian Armed Forces, but the federal government sent them to the frontline of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov announced three possible scenarios for ending the war launched by Russia against Ukraine.

"The first scenario would be approximately the same as the 'good will' the Russians pronounced when they fled from Kyiv region, Chernihiv region, Sumy region and Zmiyiny Island. I therefore think that it would be broken into a chain of several events. Firstly, we would take up the position prior to February 24 of this year, then there will be some conversations about the status of the previously occupied Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, but at the table with our powerful partners," Reznikov said at the Forbes Ukraine conference "Building together" on Friday.

He said "Minsk-3 will definitely not happen, there will be no capitulation agreements, and no one will negotiate with a barrel at the temple."

"The second option is that we will gradually grind down the Russian armed forces, because this is actually a war of attrition. They have more people, territory, tanks, planes, etc., but not everything is modern, everything is ancient, and they are currently using the principle of a meat grinder," Reznikov said.

The minister said the second option for victory is not so fast  before the end of this year, perhaps with the capture of the beginning of the new year.

"The third is more dramatic for Russia: it is the collapse of Russia, it is a march past of sovereignties into several different subjects: Tatarstan, Bashkirstan, in the East, etc. We will definitely see it in our lifetime, but this is a rather long story," he said.
Units of the Armed Forces of Belarus are conducting reconnaissance in Volyn and Polissia directions, as well as strengthening measures to counter reconnaissance equipment, primarily UAVs, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

"On the territory of this country, the closure of airspace over the southern part of the country has continued until October 7 of this year. The ban on flights of civil aircraft has been in effect since February 24 of this year," the AFU said on Facebook.

In Siversk direction, the enemy acts without any special changes.

In Kharkiv direction, the enemy is conducting defensive operations and is trying to improve the tactical situation in certain areas. Fired from cannon and rocket artillery around and the city of Kharkiv, as well as areas of settlements Udy, Dementiivka, Lebyazhe, Pischane, Zamulivka, Petrivka, Pytomnyk, Mospanove, Korobochkyne, Slatyne, Svitlychne, Shevelivka, Peremoha, Verkhniy Saltiv, Nove and Bairak. Not far from Dementiivka, Ukrainian units twice repulsed the assault of Russian units and drove them back. Russian troops launched an airstrike near Petrivka.

In Slovyansk direction, Russian troops are trying to improve the tactical position of their units. Mortars, cannon and rocket artillery are shelling the areas of Dolyna, Mazanivka, Krasnopillia, Husarivka, Novopavlivka, Chervone, Virnopillia and Krestysche. The offensive actions of the enemy in the area of the village of Bohorodychne, as a result of a fire defeat, choked the occupiers withdrew with losses.

In Kramatorsk direction, the enemy shelled civilian and military infrastructure in the areas of the settlements of Siversk, Serebrianka, Karpivka, Slovyansk and Kryva Luka. An airstrike was recorded near Tetianivka.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces inflicted a powerful fire defeat on enemy positions in Verkhniokamiansk region, which forced the enemy units to move away from the settlement.

In Bakhmut direction, Russian units fired at the positions of Ukrainian troops near Spirne, Ivano-Daryivka, New York and in the area of Vuhlehirsk TPP. Air strikes were carried out not far from Berestove and Pokrovsk.

With the support of artillery and operational-tactical aviation, the occupiers unsuccessfully tried to conduct an offensive in the areas of the settlements of Spirne and Ivano-Daryivka. They suffered losses and retreated.

Fighting continues near Vesela Dolyna.

In Avdiyivka, Kurakhivsk, Novopavlivsk and Zaporizhia directions, shelling from mortars, cannon and rocket artillery continues along the line of collision. The enemy launched air strikes near Novoandriyivka.

In Pivdennobuzk direction, units of the Russian troops tried to conduct offensive operations in the area of Velyke Artakove. The defense forces quickly suppressed this attempt and drove off the invaders. There remains a great threat of missile strikes against the region's critical infrastructure.

The enemy ship grouping continues to perform tasks in the waters of the Black and Azov Seas, and the blocking of civilian navigation in the northwestern part of the Black Sea continues.
An exclusive interview with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi for the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency

- Mr. Grandy, I welcome you to Kyiv. Please tell us about the purpose of your visit. What questions would you like to clarify for yourself, what problems would you like to help solve?

- As you know I am the head of the UN refugee organization. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused the largest displacement situation that we have seen probably since the Second World War: refugees, internally displaced people in Ukraine. We estimate 12-13, maybe 14 mln people have been pushed out of their homes by the war. I have seen myself this morning, yesterday in Bucha, Makariv, Irpin terrible destruction. No wonder that people have left in large numbers. Therefore for the UN refugee organization it is very important to be here, help people who are displaced and work with the government in trying to give a humanitarian response to this crisis. I came here to support the team that we have here. UNHCR has a team of almost 300 people throughout the country.

I came here above all with a message of solidarity for all those displaced but also for all those that are suffering the consequences of this terrible war and to discuss with the government how we can improve the response, especially with winter coming very soon.

- First of all, I would like to ask question about Ukrainian refugees who went to Europe. How would you rate what should be done for them first of all? There are national governments, the EU and your administration. How are they all supposed to work together?

- The EU in the first days of March just 10 days after Russian attack established a measure, took very important decision that all refugees, all people fleeing from Ukraine would receive what is called temporary protection. This is a special provision applied for the first time in the EU. This was a very good decision I think because it allowed refugees from Ukraine to move around at least the Schengen space of Europe, so most of Europe, to have access to jobs, services and to be able to stay without being sent away from the EU. That was very important, very forward looking, not only very humane but very practical, useful. Because a lot of the problems that refugees are facing in many countries were avoided through this measure.

I have travelled throughout all of Europe to see Ukrainian refugees. What I have seen is a lot of solidarity by European people, a lot of sympathy, a lot of support and that have been very helpful. But of course the more this war continues the more shelling, bombing of the cities the more difficult it becomes.

First of all I think most of refugees will wait for more security to come back to the country before returning to Ukraine. And then there is always the risk that this solidarity becomes more tired. It is unfortunately effect of life. I think that it is still very strong but we must do everything possible to ensure that Ukrainians that are still in Europe and that will continue to be in Europe for some time, continue to have good access to services, employment if they need it and be able to stay there. With the government of Ukraine we have discussed how we can coordinate better in order to avoid any fatigue to happen in the hospitality to Ukrainians and work with the European commission and member states.

You ask very important question. The coordination has been very good. All the main host countries (except Moldova which is a separate case, because it is not in the EU) are part of the EU or part of Schengen space like Switzerland for example. Remember, these are countries with resources, so they were able to help the directly the refugees. My organization, other agencies of the UN, NGOs - we have all been present and we have helped the governments and the European commission in very well-coordinated system. And of course we have kept in touch with government here.

This is a bit difficult to explain, but I want to say it. In many countries we help refugees who are escaping from their government, because their government is abusing or is in internal conflict. Here it is not the case. The Ukrainians are not fleeing from the Ukrainian government, they are fleeing from Russian invasion, Russian military action. The coordination includes also the Ukrainian government that of course has an interest in ensuring that the Ukrainian people are not exploited, abused, that separated children can be reunified with their families. So there is also coordination we have discussed today further with Ukrainian government which we will continue to do.

- You play a coordinating role. But do you have any financial means to help Ukrainian refugees both in Ukraine and abroad?

- I would say that up to now, 5-6 months, resources have not been the biggest problem. But of course we have to see how long this situation will continue. For the time being governments have put resources to European commission, lots of resources. Even private citizens, private organizations, civil society have poured in an enormous amount of resources to help Ukrainian refugees.

I am very hopeful that it will continue but I am also a realistic person and I think that we need to make sure that this continues. Also going forward, it is also important that resources continue to flow inside Ukraine. Remember, when we talk about 12-13 mln people it is not only refugees outside but also displaced people inside Ukraine and other people that maybe cannot even be displaced because they are prisoners in besieged cities.

So I think it is important to continue to mobilize resources. Today we discussed with your government also when will people return. We know that some people have already returned, some people are coming back to check, to be together with their families, because many have split families, and then go back to other countries. and other people are not going back.

The majority of refugees tell us: "We want to go back but we want the security to improve". But I think when talk about resources it is important also to think of two things especially: preparation for winter here in Ukraine especially which will be very harsh and also return - what needs to be done so that people feel comfortable returning. Security - this is not about money, this is another issue. But what about schools that are currently used as collective accommodation? We are working with government to transfer people to other centers so that in September when schools open children can go back including children who may come back for school year. This is just an example. So we are trying to think a bit more as a strategy with the government: how can we support when time comes to return of people.

- Can your agency help solve the very serious housing problem for displaced people in Ukraine? Currently, a lot of temporary housing is being built in Ukraine. Can such help be provided, especially since you have experience in building such housing in other countries?

- We are already working with the government for some months. I remember in March I came to Lviv and I discussed it with government. They told me already then (this was in the second month of the war) that this is a priority. Absolutely right. I am speaking now about UNHCR, but of course there are many other organizations. As an example, we have created together with government about 70 000 sleeping places in collective and other accommodations. We have provided something that we call emergency kit. If their house is damaged people can repair one or two rooms so that they can live there. I have seen it today in Makariv for example and other places. This is not a solution for a long time, but temporary solution is very important because it can be very quick. We have provided about 25 000, we are planning another 25 000. Also we are starting now to help the government with repairs. If the house is completely destroyed it needs reconstruction. We are not equipped for that. But repairing damaged houses, many people need that - this we can do.

We are working on that. For example I saw today a destroyed house. We have provided a kind of small prefabricated unit where people can spend a few months. We will continue to do that but the government needs to think about reconstruction in a big way. We understand that this is very difficult.

I was in Lugano, Switzerland. The prime-minister was there and it was very interesting - the way he spoke about recovery, this is the short term, and this is what we are contributing to but then the reconstruction once the war is over, that is a bigger operation. But we need to plan all the steps at the same time - starting from the recovery, and this is what we are working on. We are not the only one. There are many other organizations, we help government coordinate this response for housing.

- You said that up to 300 people work in the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine. Please tell us in detail what they do.

- I can assure you that they're very busy, they work 24/7. We have a very large program of giving cash money to people. This is exactly in line with government program. The government has the main program. But the government has asked organizations like mine to complement, add recourses to their program. Many of my colleagues are working on the program that at the moment is reaching about half a million people but we are planning in the next couple of months to raise it to about 1 mln people. This is not enough but it is quite a large program to help the most vulnerable, those that are most in need, elderly people, people with disabilities, women that may have suffered violence and so for. Then we are busy as I told you with housing issues and emergency repairs. Then we have been able to use our own resources to source, mobilize many things that people need that they have lost during the shelling for example, like container for the water, blankets.

Finally, very important, we do protection work. I can give you some concrete examples. Many people have legal challenges. Today in Makariv I met an elderly lady. She is keeping her family together, but she has a huge issue with inheritance because before the war she didn't complete properly the inheritance procedures. So we offer free of charge working with Ukrainian organization legal services so that she can resolve these problems and have access to whatever assistance she is entitled to.

We help separated families be together. We give (and this is an important issue that we discussed with deputy prime minister) psycho-social support to people that have been traumatized or to women that have suffered violence during the most acute, violate phases of the conflict in some cities in the East for example. So these are types of issues that my colleagues are busy with. We are very practical organization but we are here really to support government doing its job and we work under their leadership.

- In Ukraine, there is a very painful problem related to the flee, or rather the deportation of Ukrainians to Russia. Many Ukrainians left for Russia during the war, and not all of them voluntarily. Please tell me, do you have contact with the Russian government regarding these people, what access do you have to these people, can they contact your agency for help?

- Russian government reports that over 1 mln Ukrainians are in Russia. This is more or less the same figure that was reported by Ukrainian government. We have a presence in Russia, small presence in Moscow. We have been there for many years.

Our access to the Ukrainian population there is very limited. It's not absent, we do have some access, but it's extremely limited. We have been able to visit a few collective centers where Ukrainians are accommodated, but it's really a very small number. If the total number as reported is 1 mln we only saw the few of them. This issue was raised with me by the government and also in the past few weeks. We will continue to insist to have like we have in all other countries unfettered access to Ukrainians citizens in Russia. For sure Ukrainians are able if they wish to contact the UNHCR office if they can do that. We know that many of them have issues of resources, that they need resources to be able to survive, so we are working with Russian Red Cross and other institutions to try to help them. But it's a very complex issue given the limited access but we will continue to work on that.

There is one issue that is particularly of concern, you have heard that UN already speak about that - it is the reports (we have no confirmation because we are not able to access) that children that are taken from institutions in areas occupied in Ukraine are transferred and efforts are made to adopt them or to naturalize them. There we have provided publicly, we are on record on that, the advice that adoption and naturalization of children, unaccompanied children is not advised in situations of emergency because before any adoption you have to make sure that the child is unaccompanied, that he doesn't have a family. In order to do these things children may not be able to choose themselves. But there are procedures - we call it best interest of the child - that need to be followed before these processes of adoption of naturalization are carried out. And they cannot be carried out during active war, active conflict. So we are telling the Russian Federation, we actually are telling all governments, including in Europe, that this is not the time for adoption or for naturalization. We've been very clear and I want to repeat it again: this is not a practice that is advised from any points of view in this type of situation and should not be done.

- Many of the Ukrainians who ended up in the Russian Federation lost their documents: they were lost or destroyed. Is there any way your administration can help these people get refugee documents or other documents?

- You are right, this is a big issue, it's actually a big issue even here, inside Ukraine because this is one of the areas where we are helping people. But here there is no problem, we can help.

When refugees are in another country the only ones who can issue documents are the governments of those countries. Sometimes in some countries they ask us to do it on their behalf but the request has to come from them. This request has not come from the Russian Federation. But we discussed this matter with government and we told them that we will see what the options are. If there are people who for example want to travel out of the Russian Federation, go to other countries, come back to Ukraine, they should have a right to do it. We are available to help with the documentation but we need to agree with Russian government to do that.

- We would like this war to end as soon as possible, but is your administration ready for further work for months, and perhaps years, with Ukrainian settlers?

- You are right. Let's hope it's over soon. But of course as long as needed we are going to be with you.
KYIV. July 8 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Associations of Ukrainian manufacturers call on the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine to impose a moratorium on raising tariffs for rail freight traffic for the period of martial law and six months after its termination.

"There was no real discussion between shippers and the carrier about a compromise solution to increase tariffs - we were simply presented with a fact. When Ukrzaliznytsia announced the discussion of raising tariffs by 70%, the order to increase tariffs had already been signed. We had specific proposals: to introduce a moratorium for the period of martial law and six months after it on the increase in tariffs within the borders of Ukraine, and all related services," Liudmyla Kripka, the Executive Director of the Ukrcement Association, said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.

According to her, Ukrzaliznytsia did not take into account the transportation of raw materials, coal, fillers in the infrastructure component of transportation, and did not include the tariff distance, which is why the cost of the final product will increase more significantly than in the carrier's forecast.

"The impact on the cost of the final product will be much higher than presented by Ukrzaliznytsia. On the example of cement: for us, the main raw material is limestone, and there the highest figure is 55%. Other industries fell into the values of 0-13%," she said.

In addition, from August 1, the calculation for the use of wagons will be changed to the actual one instead of the planned one, which will also increase the costs of shippers due to delays in border crossings, the expert noted.

Oleh Misiuk, a representative of the Ukrainian Lime Industry Association, pointed out that the decision to raise tariffs would have a significant impact on the lime market, which is already undergoing a significant decline in production volumes.

"Before the war, the cost of delivery from the west of Ukraine to Dnipro was UAH 400 per tonne, now it is UAH 650. With a producer price of up to UAH 300/tonne, the consumer overpays another UAH 200-250 from July 1. In general, lime production has fallen from the pre-war 1.2 million tonnes per month to 350,000 tonnes in May-June. The decision of Ukrzaliznytsia to increase tariffs will hit the market even harder, we expect a fall by another 30-40%," he said.
Egypt's Public Prosecution ordered on Thursday the detention of an 18-year-old man for four days pending an investigation into accusations of negligence in the death of four children after the bus he was driving overturned and fell into El-Salam Canal.
Crude oil prices have been declining over the past two weeks, dropping to below $100 per barrel, as fears about the recovery of demand mount, stated the Oil Market Monthly Report, published by Kamco Invest, a UAE-based investment strategy and research firm.
Across Europe, signs of distress are multiplying as Russia's war in Ukraine drags on. Food banks in Italy are feeding more people. German officials are turning down the air conditioning as they prepare plans to ration natural gas and restart coal plants.
Hajj graffiti has changed greatly in recent decades. Ahram Online spoke to a selection of original hajj graffiti artists, to remember the past and compare it to the present.

Hajj (the Muslim pilgrimage) has always been a grand occasion in Egyptian social history. Those lucky enough to go to Mecca are blessed with the title "Hajj," which in social terms means they are people of deep faith. The ceremony of the Hajj on the village level is associated with folk music and chants to see off the pilgrim, as well as food and beverages for the long journey to Mecca. The ceremony has also traditionally meant colourful paintings that bless the house of the hajj with holy religious motifs that mark the date that he was blessed with undertaking the pilgrimage.

The paintings of local artists on the houses of those who performed hajj constitute a timeline of social history where at the beginning artists were free to draw icons such as the prophets Ismail and Ibrahim, the Prophet Mohammed disciples, and angels, up until the 1970s when such drawings became more toned down as they were prohibited by the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists during the period of the expansion of their social influence.

According to artist Anas Abdel Qader, a hajj painter, Mohamed Rashad El-Safi, who died in 1976, was one of the key artists of Faw village in Qena governorate, and whose artwork is affiliated with carving on wood and door entrances, many of which sadly perished. Another artist was Abdalla Khalaf (1909-2003), who started painting in the early 1950s, along with the calligrapher Rashed Ibrahim (1940-2000). "Every village had it's own signature artist, which makes every village as unique as the artists that draw on the walls," Abdel Qader notes.

According to Mohamed Abdu, a hajj graffiti artist who started painting in the 1970s, the old paintings  despite their modesty and simplicity and limited colours  conveyed much of the essence of that era in Upper Egypt. In contrast to today's hajj graffiti, which is designed on computer and then printed on big banners and hung on walls, and that does not show any of the Upper Egyptian festivity rituals that included people blowing the mezmar (a flute like instrument), the flags of Egypt and Sauid Arabia, the hajj train, and the pigeon of Hiraa cave, which is affiliated with the migration (hijra) of the Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Yathrib.

"In the old days the artists were authentic and true to their profession," explained Abdel Qader. "With their simple tools comprised of a hand-made brush off goat hair or palm trees, a painter would use colours extracted from the Nila dark blue flower, and brown. Then he would add eggs to prevent the colour from being washed off, and then some sugar to make it shine."

Old hajj graffiti portrayed women providing wheat seeds for the birds of the Holy Shrine (in Mecca), explained Abdu to Ahram Online, adding that the old school artist had to be also a calligrapher, for lots of poetry was painted on the houses of those who went on pilgrimage and women would chant songs while preparing the food supplies for the hajj journey.

As for today's artists, they depend mainly on digital images of the Holy Shrine, along with an airplane and that's it. Reason for why the old graffiti remains and artistic and social gem.

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The hajj rituals have always fascinated orientalists, but few of them have gotten close enough to taste the real spiritual experience

The hajj rituals have always fascinated orientalists, but few of them have gotten close enough to the real taste of the spiritual experience. And Orientalists like Nahla Emam, the head of folk and tradition beliefs at the High Institute of Folk Arts, outlined that adventurous travelers were sometimes funded by governments to create comprehensive anthropological studies of the Middle East region and the orient in general at a time when the world was being dominated by mainly the British and the French empires.

"The thing about the orientalist notes on the hajj is that they do not differentiate between the folk tradition and the religious one," explained Dr Emam to Ahram Online.

In a joint publication titled The International Forum for Documenting Hajj Ceremonies, published by Alexandria Library in 2015, Emam focused on the accounts of orientalists on the topic.

This mix between the official religion with the folk, led them to see things quite differently -- the official or state religion was one thing, but the practice was another. Practicing involved a lot of folk traditions that were so deeply rooted in society that they were easily mistaken for religious ones.

"Take the hajj ritual of stoning the devil, for example, a ritual that is highly symbolic, yet many people take the chance to swear at Satan, blame him for all their sins as well as throw slippers at him," Emam added, referring to the hajj ritual of throwing pebbles at a stone figure representing the devil.

One can find in the accounts of orientalist travellers a wealth of anthropological information describing the hajj ritual.

According to records from as far back as the 17th century, pilgrims on route to the hajj  a difficult three-month journey (from Egypt and Levantine to Mecca) that required an experienced guide  people would be trained on how to sleep on the ground and how not to eat anything but bread and dates, Emam revealed.

Prior to the use of modern means of transportation, the two main routes to Mecca were Darb Misr (the Egypt route) and Darb Al-Sham (the Levantine route).

Emam says that because embarking on the hajj was such a difficult and costly endeavour, it was mostly undertaken by the elderly, who took the trip after putting their worldly affairs in order and ensuring their childrens future.

Nowadays, younger people often go on the hajj, either due to the easiness of transport, increased piety or the prestige, Emam says, adding that it has also become customary for children to arrange all-expense-paid hajj trips for their parents as a way of expressing gratitude.

The earliest known orientalist account on the hajj dates back to the 17th century, when a British 15-year-old by the name of Joseph Bates was kidnapped by Algerian pirates while on his way to America and sold to an Algerian merchant. The merchant, who was on his way to the hajj, took Bates on as an assistant.

Years later, after Bates managed to escape back to England, he published his account of the hajj, titled An honest description of the behaviours of Muhammadi followers. The book was written in English and then it was translated years later under the title Traveling in Arabian Desert by Sabri Mohamed Hassan.

Bates, one of the first Britons to visit Mecca and Madina, described witnessing the cleaning of the Kaaba with floral water and the way people would gather around to receive some the water as a form of blessing, Emam says.

"This is definitely a folk tradition and not a religious ritual, Emam says, citing another example of such folk traditions in the pilgrims collecting pieces of wood from brooms used to clean the Kaaba to take home as souvenirs.

Bates also described how people would run to collect the water pouring down from the mizrab (small pipes siphoning off rain water from the top of the Kaaba), as they could not see the source of the water and believed it to be a blessing from the sky. Sometimes the water would be sold to pilgrims.

"Bates book explains that people believed that the pebbles used in the devil-stoning ritual would be carried by angels back to their original spots to be used the following year. They also believed that God usually brings rain after hajj to wash away the remains from the slaughtering sheep ritual, again, a folk belief."

Also described in the book is the mahmal march where the kiswa (the cloth used to cover the Kaaba) is transported annually from Egypt, where it is manufactured, to Mecca. Bates describes the ritual as a march of great happiness, where onlookers would attempt to touch the camel carrying the kiswa, as the animal was perceived to hold a high status for being given the honour -- having had the great chance to travel to the holy land and visit the hometown of the prophet itself.

The camel is then spared from performing chores for the remainder of its life, and when it comes time for the kiswa to be replaced with a new one, it is divided into small pieces that are given to people of high status.

Along the same note, Sofia Linn, also an orientalistwho visited Egypt in 1830's, saw the mahmal march as quite the parade, with a show involving fencing, music and Sufi chanting.

In 1841, Swiss orientalist and traveller Paul Cart spent three years in the Levant disguised as a Turkish Muslim named Ibrahim Abdalla in order to master the Arabic language before coming to Egypt.

"I never saw anything more beautiful than the town of Mecca," explained Cart of the town.

Cart joined the pilgrims on the hajj while undercover, and was among the few Christians to do so, Emam said. However, I believe he converted to Islam, because his writings were all in praise and love of Islam, and he asked to be buried in a Muslim graveyard upon his death. Also, most of his works were never found, and some claimed that his wife burnt them all."

AnotherEnglish traveller, Charles Doutti, also took the journey in 1876 while undercover, posing as an Arab Christian from Damascus named Khalil.

His work is also a great anthropological study. Doutti lived among the Bedouins for six months being going on the hajj disguised as a Muslim, as he was denied the pilgrimage as a Christian.

"It was a brave adventure, to be a Christian on the hajj Caravan  yet he went on hajj undercover, and once he heard them saying that a Christian is among them and he thought they knew about him and was very scared but it turned out to be someone else, the camel rider, which is very weird considering that all the fortress where they camp along the hajj route were built by Christians," explained Emam.

"And so on the late afternoon of Thursday, 10 November, 1876 a few people gathered to bid farewell to a man dressed in Syrian clothes riding a donkey and heading off to Mecca for pilgrimage."

Dotti took on camel  they would ask him ya Khalil afandi, can you see the tents yet? He always described the trip and he noted the numbers of deaths, which occurred on a daily basis. They would then wash and bury him and put some rocks  and they were called martyrs. They used to bury them on their night stops.

One story was that there was one man who was thought to be dead, and so they buried him and then he gradually came back to consciousness only to find out that he missed the pilgrimage.

And finally famous orientalist Edward Linn, who never went to hajj, though managed to document hajj stories from those who did. One of the hajj stories was about that light that came out of the tomb of Prophet Mohamed every night and could be seen from far away -- and that's why it was called Al-Madina Al-Monawara (Lit up town).

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Proclaim to men the pilgrimage: they will come to thee on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every remote path.

Quran, Surat Al-Hajj



This time of the year has a particular spiritual significance in the hearts of millions of Muslims around the world, a time when hearts are yearning for the annual Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam, and eyes are readying for a breathtaking glimpse of the holy Kaaba, the Bait Allah, or House of God, and the black cube at the centre of Mecca, literally at the heart of Islam.



The Kaaba represents the qiblah, the direction that Muslims face during their five daily prayers, and it is also the sacred place that worshippers from around the world visit every day and every hour to perform the umra (the lesser pilgrimage) and the annual Hajj.



This year, however, the Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a blow to the pilgrimage season, and it will be limited to people living in Saudi Arabia in order to stem its spread. Many devoted Muslims around the globe will now look on the Kaaba on video instead, and for the first time in modern history it has been standing almost in awesome solitude, with only a handful of worshippers visiting for months on end and even during the holy month of Ramadan.



The cities of Mecca and Medina, at the centre of the pilgrimage, have also been sealed and closed to visitors for months on end for the first time in modern history.

But it is also at this time of the year that an important historical tradition associated with the Hajj is remembered. On the ninth day of the month of pilgrimage, the Dhul-Hijjah, the Kaaba receives a new and perfumed kiswa covering in a tradition that dates back to the earliest days of Islam and that adds even more glow and veneration to the object of Muslims passion.



The tradition is considered an act of veneration, and thus a huge amount of care in terms of costly fabrics, craftsmanship, and long months of hard work by hundreds of textile workers is dedicated to the pure gold and silver calligraphy of Quranic verses skillfully embroidering the black cotton-padded silk of the kiswa, reportedly costing some $5 million.



The awesome cover weighs more than 650kg, including 12kg of pure gold and 25kg of silver thread. The old kiswa that the new one replaces is usually gifted to important figures and museums around the world, either in full or in smaller pieces, and it is sometimes sold at auction to raise money for charity.



Historians have chronicled the different stages of the kiswa and its different colours, fabrics, and designs. It is said that in the early days of Islam the Kaaba was draped in fine multicolored textiles including white, green, and red, and that it was only after the late 12th century CE (sixth century Hijri) that the black colour was adopted and about two centuries later the tradition of adorning the black silk drape with gold and silver calligraphy was started.



According to Manal Atia, director-general of the Sharjah Museums Department in the UAE, which houses many important sacred textiles from Mecca and Medina, the tradition of changing the kiswa that dates back to the earliest days of Islam tells a story not only about faith and the central significance of the holy city of Mecca in Islamic history, but also about exquisite craftsmanship and the believers calligraphers, weavers, dyers, embroiderers  that were and continue to be involved in its annual creation.



The traditions accompanying the mahmal [the caravan carrying the kiswa from Egypt to Mecca in past centuries], ranging from parades, festivities, and Hajj scenes painted on walls [wall paintings depicting the Hajj was a long-standing historical tradition], tell us a lot about the cultural aspects of the Hajj season in historic Egypt as well as the political significance it involved, commented Sherine Al-Kabbani, a researcher in Islamic history and culture and the author of a MA thesis on the Egyptian mahmal.



Historians have chronicled how the rulers of different periods competed in providing the holy kiswa, not only in a quest for its blessings, but also because it was a symbol of power over the haramayn, the two cities of Mecca and Medina. Providing the kiswa was widely seen as a symbol of supremacy over the Islamic world, and the rulers who provided it also saw themselves as the protectors of Islam and its sanctuaries.





THE MANUFACTURE OF THE KISWA

Egypt boasted of being the official provider of the holy kiswa for centuries on end, and the Dar Al-Kiswa Al-Sharifa in Khurunfish Street in the Gammaliya district of Cairo tells stories of hard labour, festivities, and great pride in producing the kiswa.



Egypts contribution to the weaving of the black Kaaba drape dates back to the early days of Islam. According to Al-Kabbani, the second Muslim caliph of Islam, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, asked Egypt to provide the kiswa from the Qubati cloth of the time due to the fact that Egypt was widely known for its high-quality fabrics and skilled textile workers.



Egypt and Yemen were the two main sources of the kiswa at the time. According to Nahla Nassar, author of an article on the Dar Al-Kiswa Al-Sharifa published in the British Museums collection of essays on the Hajj, the Prophet was the first to have used Egyptian Qubati cloth for that purpose, followed by [the three Rashidi Caliphs succeeding the prophet] Abu Bakr, Omar, and Othman.



The tradition continued into the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, and there are several accounts of the caliphs ordering cloth, directly or through their agents, from the tiraz factories of Tunis, Tuna, and Shata [all near Damietta] in Egypt, Nassar said. When the Fatimids came to power in Egypt, they too dressed the Kaaba with Egyptian-made cloth.



But it was during the later Mameluke era, particularly during the reign of Sultan Baybars, that Egypt really asserted its hegemony over the tradition and became the main official provider of the Kaaba drape every year in the face of rivalry from other rulers, Al-Kabbani told Al-Ahram Weekly.



At various times in the past and under the originally Central Asian Mamelukes of Egypt, the major textile-making centres were in Egypt and Syria, says Maria Sardi in another article in the British Museums essays on the Hajj called Weaving for the Hajj Under the Mamelukes.



Under the Ottomans, the kiswa was put together by specialised workshops in the Turkish cities of Bursa and Istanbul. During Ottoman times, the transport of the mahmal was restricted to the Cairo and Damascus caravans, and when the Albanian leader Mohamed Ali Pasha ruled Egypt after 1805, the manufacture of the kiswa moved to Cairo.



The Mameluke sultans also provided the curtain for the Kaaba door and a covering for its interior that were both manufactured in Cairo. The fabric covering the Kaaba entrance was called the evil of Fatima after the Mameluke Sultana Fatima Shajarat Al-Dorr, whos believed to have been the first to send the fabric to Mecca, Sardi said.



According to Nassar, the cost of the kiswa was met by the treasury (bayt al-mal) until 1349-50 CE, when [the ruler] Al-Saleh Ismail established a waqf [endowment] through which the revenue from three villages in Egypt was set aside to meet the cost of the yearly kiswa for the Kaaba and one every five years for the prophets tomb and minbar [pulpit].

This waqf, Nassar chronicled, was dissolved in 1813 during Mohamed Alis fiscal reforms. Subsequently, and up until 1962, the cost of providing the Meccan textiles was met by the Egyptian treasury.



Different sources give different accounts of where exactly Egypts textile centres were located in the early days of manufacturing the Kaaba drape. Nasser suggests that the weaving of the kiswa seems to have been done at the Mosque of Al-Hussein in Cairo during the Mameluke and early Ottoman periods, although there is mention of its being woven also at the tiraz factory in Alexandria; then it moved to the Qasr Al-Ablaq in the Citadel, and then to the Warshet Al-Khurunfish in 1817.



The latter was a large textile centre established by Mohamed Ali in Cairo in the area of the Bayn Al-Surayn and the Christian quarter known as the Khamis Al-Ads, according to Nassar.



Nassar said the Warshet Al-Khurunfish was a huge workshop on which vast sums of money had been spent. He added that neighbourhood sheikhs were assembled and instructed to gather 4,000 young men from Cairo to work under the supervision of craftsmen and learn crafts. It was estimated that 10,000 youths might be needed once the place was complete, he said.



The workshop was under government control and was known as the Department of the Noble Kiswa. According to Sardi, the esteem for the Kaaba cover was such that a high official bearing the prestigious title of the Nazir al-kiswa bi dar al-tiraz (controller of the kiswa at the state textile workshop) supervised its manufacture in the royal atelier.



The name of the workshop was later changed to the Dar Al-Kiswa Al-Sharifa in 1953, when it was affiliated to the Ministry of Religious Endowments, according to Nasser. He provided a detailed description of how the workshop was equipped with machinery and skillful craftsmen, who worked under strict supervision and laboured for some 10 months every year in the intricate embroidery of the kiswa.



In the other two months, the workshop was dedicated to producing the embroidered robes of honour and uniforms worn by pashas, clerics, and diplomats, as well as making marks of rank for the army and police and embroidered covers for the tombs of saints. Stables were also affiliated to the workshop for the camels needed to carry the mahmal that took the kiswa to Mecca in a big procession.





THE EGYPTIAN MAHMAL

When finished, the fine Kaaba drape was carried in the mahmal, a wooden frame covered with brocaded silk, in a parade around the streets of Cairo accompanied by tambourines, trumpets, and whirling dervishes, whilst the chief steward of the shrine marched ahead of the displayed hangings, according to Sardi.



According to Nassar, the mahmal took the cubical shape of the Kaaba in its lower half, while the upper part took a pyramid or tent-like shape according to the historical period in which it was made or the country from which it came.



Fabrics of exquisite quality were commissioned by the former royal family to cover the mahmal, Sardi added. The place held by the mahmal within the procession of the caravan was prominent, and upon its departure from Cairo impressive festivals took place which the whole populace gathered to watch.



The day of the mahmals parade through the streets of the capital was one of great festivity. The shops were decorated, and the streets were strewn with fine fabrics, while a band of seven drummers escorted the palanquin alongside a Mameluke corps of selected lancers, Sardi wrote.



The mahmal was carried by a huge camel, called nabeel (noble), followed by other camels each called mabrouk (or blessed) that carried the luggage and water for pilgrims and were protected by soldiers throughout the journey to Mecca. According to Sardi, fine yellow silks were used as horse trappings for the troops of the horsemen escorting the mahmal alongside manifold velvets and gold brocades that decorated the saddles of the camels marching ahead.



In her study, Al-Kabbani describes how many Egyptians considered the mahmal a source of blessing and sought to receive that blessing by touching, kissing, or at least watching the mahmal as it went through the streets of Cairo before its departure to Mecca.



Many of these scenes were depicted in murals, she said. People would even seek to kiss the feet of the camels carrying the mahmal, believing that they would receive blessings since those feet would soon tread in Mecca and Medina. Rulers and governors similarly sought to kiss the camels and perfume the mahmal with bokhor scents, a scene that was often depicted on murals.



A huge skeleton of the nabeel camel now stands in testimony of such rituals at the Manial Palace Museum in Giza, while parts of the holy kiswa are on display in the Egyptian Textile Museum in Cairo and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, as a remembrance of the good old days.



But there is more to the holy kiswa than blessings. Both al-Kabbani and Sardi made it clear that the rulers of the time were also keen on bestowing the covers of the holy shrines in Mecca and Medina for the political significance this tradition involved. After all, according to Sardi, the name of the Mameluke sultan was inscribed on the Kaaba covering and thus his power symbolically spread into the Hijaz in what is now Saudi Arabia.

According to Sardi, the Hajj was an event of great religious and political importance, which the Mameluke sultans recognised almost from the very beginning. In the years of the Mameluke hegemony over Egypt and Syria (1250-1518 CE), the holy cities of Mecca and Medina were put under the control of the Mameluke sultan. In order to legitimise the Mamelukes role as the protectors of Sunni Islam, they showed remarkable concern for the organisation of the annual Hajj to Mecca, where they could best display their prominent role among other rulers of the Islamic lands.



Perhaps in attempts to perform that role, the Mameluke sultans re-established the Hajj route through Sinai and provided it with all needed amenities, digging wells and building cisterns and caravanserais (hostels), according to Sardi. The political significance of this textile was so great that throughout the Mameluke era, several rulers attempted to abrogate this right [of the Mamelukes as the sole providers of the kiswa], often leading to diplomatic conflicts.



But it was the mahmal and the ceremonies accompanying the caravan that also demonstrated the economic and political power of the sultans. The regular presence of this embellished palanquin in the pilgrimage caravan was a constant reminder of the Egyptian ruler despite his physical absence, Sardi elaborated.



It offered the Mamelukes the chance to demonstrate their wealth and power to the thousands of pilgrims attending the caravan. The kiswa and the rest of the fabrics made for the Meccan sanctuaries were the symbols of the Mameluke supremacy over the Hijaz. The name and the title of the Mameluke sultan embroidered on the coverings of the Kaaba was a constant reminder of his power.



GRADUAL DEMISE

Egypt retained this religious and political significance for centuries, taking great pride in the awesome parade which accompanied the mahmal as it took its pilgrimage route from Cairo to Mecca, until Saudi Arabia took over the manufacture of the kiswa and established its own workshops in 1962.



Nassar recounts how the final chapter in the history of the Dar Al-Kiswa began in 1962, when a ship called the Mecca arrived at the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, carrying 1,109 Egyptian pilgrims, along with the kiswa of the Kaaba, its hizam (belt), burqu, and the sitara (curtain) for the Bab Al-Tawba [the door of repentance] of the Kaaba.



However, the Saudi authorities declined to accept the kiswa, so it was sent back to Egypt, Nassar said. Even so, the Dar Al-Kiswa continued with its embroidery work for some time, carrying out smaller commissions and manufacturing decorative panels for mosques or for sale.



The number of embroiderers then dwindled, and by the 1980s many veterans had retired or passed away, Nassar said. The institution finally closed its doors in 1997, and the kiswa is now made in Mecca, as it has been since 1962.



Hajj Sobhi Saleh, the only surviving textile worker who was among the staff producing the kiswa during the last four years before Mecca took over the manufacture of the holy cover, has featured on TV, telling audiences of the good old days when Egypt produced the blessed drape. Sobhis father was also a textile worker and was chosen as among the best 60 embroiderers involved in the making of the holy kiswa in the khedival era.



Changing the kiswa was an important tradition observed twice per year, once in Shaaban, the Hijri month preceding the holy month of Ramadan, and once before the Hajj season starts, Saleh told Erennews.com. The fabrics used in the production of the kiswa were of high quality that can be rarely found nowadays, and pure gold and silver threads were used in the embroidery, which is still the case to date.



When the kiswa production moved to Saudi Arabia, Saleh said that those working in the Dar Al-Kiswa continued to embroider other things including marks of rank for the army and police uniforms. Saleh himself was among those selected to decorate the uniform of late president Anwar Al-Sadat and other officers during the ceremony celebrating the 1973 War victory.



But soon the veteran staff in the workshop passed away or moved elsewhere and opened their own workshops. The two-century old workshop officially closed in the late 1990s and has since been turned into a storehouse for material owned by the ministry of religious endowments.



The centuries-old workshop that once witnessed the heyday of kiswa manufacture is now left in a deplorable state and is hardly known even to people in the vicinity. A shabby metal plaque that hangs on the steel gate that replaced the old wooden one is the only sign left from the past.



Al-Kabbani was lucky to have been able to enter the formerly grand place when she was doing her Masters degree in 2005. The workshops interior is a work of art that is crumbling under the onslaught of neglect, Al-Kabbani told the Weekly. Nobody would allow visitors in at that time, she said, and of course photography was forbidden.



The interior of the workshop is just like a haunted house from a film, littered with old equipment, old machines, broken glass, and solely inhabited by spiders. What really broke my heart was seeing an old pattern of the holy kiswa thrown on the floor and mired in dust. The guard was totally unaware of the value of this costly piece, she commented.



Al-Kabbani is among those calling for the renovation of the workshop. Weve been long calling for turning the former Dar Al-Kiswa into a museum, but all calls have been falling on deaf ears, she said. Nobody even seems to know if the place is registered as a monument. The workshop remains in the possession of the ministry of religious endowments, which is not the official body responsible for restoring antiquities.



A recent feature on Egypts Dar al-Kiswa: A Monument Turned into a Dump on the website Al-Monitor has similarly described the dismal state of the forgotten workshop despite calls to turn it into a museum.



Reminiscing about the good old days of his childhood, 71-year-old Ali Al-Domyati, who owns a shop facing the Dar Al-Kiswa, told Al-Monitor of the great pride Egyptians took in the parades carrying the mahmal that used to take place in the streets of the old neighbourhood. The parades, he said, had started from Al-Khurunfish, crossing Al-Muizz Street, and then the Al-Hussein neighbourhood.



After that, the parade would head to the Suez province where the kiswa would be transported aboard a ship to the holy land, Al-Domyati told Al-Monitor. Weve urged the government to look after the building, especially after the residents started to litter its vicinity, but to no avail. From time to time, we hear about plans to renovate the Dar Al-Kiswa, but years have gone by and the situation is only getting worse.



Mohamed Yassin, another 84-year-old witness to kiswa production, also told Al-Monitor of his childhood days when he used to visit the workshop and distribute milk to the workers.



The inside of the building is a work of art decorated with Islamic embroideries, he told the website. But now even the annexed mosque is closed because of the garbage scattered everywhere.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Mahmoud Fawzi, secretary-general of Egypt's national dialogue, said that the decision to air the debates live is up to the Board of Trustees which is responsible for running the debates, but they "will, in any way, be made public in a transparent and democratic way."

In an interview with Extra News TV channel on Wednesday night, Fawzi added that the board's first meeting, which was held on Tuesday night, finalised the drafts of a 19-article internal bylaw and 25-clause code of conduct.

"Both the internal bylaw and code of conduct took intensive debates in a four-hour meeting on Tuesday night, after which the final versions gained a kind of consensus, which reflected the objective spirit of the Board of Trustees," said Fawzi, explaining that "the bylaw will indicate whether the dialogue sessions will all be aired live or some parts will be broadcast live and others kept confidential."

"But in any way, the dialogue's debates will be made public in a transparent and democratic way," said Fawzi.

He noted that the final decision about the dialogue's internal bylaw will be taken when the Board of Trustees hold its next meeting on 19 July.

"Right now, we have the main 19-article bylaw and another one drafted by Ahmed El-Sharkawy, a parliamentary member affiliated with the Egyptian Social Democratic Party. Both drafts will be discussed again in the 19 July meeting," said Fawzi.

He stressed that "at the end, there is consensus that a number of rules should regulate the national dialogue's debates, on top of which is that participants can't use low-quality language, show nervousness, or resort to badmouthing and that all should be keen to show the highest level of civilised behaviour and conduct."

Fawzi also indicated that "all the national dialogue's debates will be audio-visually recorded, archived, and documented in a book for the coming generations.

"This will be a part of Egypt's history and memory, and it is the right of the coming generations to know about the issues we face," said Fawzi.

"The board's first meeting on Tuesday saw intensive debates over whether there should be a time limit for the anticipated dialogue. Some members  such as Al-Ahram strategist Amr Hashem Rabie  wants a maximum two-month ceiling, while others proposed that the dialogue be held over stages, with recommendations to be declared at the end of each stage," said Fawzi.

He added that the Board of Trustees and internal bylaw are yet to decide whether the dialogue will be held in Cairo or in other governorates as well.

According to Fawzi, members of the national dialogue's secretariat-general are part of the National Training Academy's staff.

"Most of them are young people who are highly qualified, bilingual, and with efficient communication skills," said Fawzi, pointing out that "two bodies will be in charge of running the debates -- the Board of Trustees and secretariat-general. Other bodies may be created later on.

In later debates, Fawzi said, "some participants might demand amending a certain law or certain articles of a law, in which case the secretariat-general will have to see how the law is tackled in the constitution and how it can be amended before drafting a report on these points to be submitted to the Board of Trustees."

"In economic subjects, some participants may submit proposals that require feedback from experts to decide whether their proposals are feasible and cost-effective. It will be also necessary for the technical secretariat to contact certain economic institutions to seek advice and clarifications on the proposals," said Fawzi.

"By the end of debates over every proposal, the secretariat will issue a brief detailing all the viewpoints which support or stand against this proposal and whether it is in line with the constitution."

Fawzi said, "the Board of Trustees tasked the secretariat-general with setting up a website to provide details on the debates, discussions, and statements issued by the board. The secretariat-general, in coordination with the Board of Trustees, will be also in charge of drafting the national dialogue's final recommendations," said Fawzi.

He noted that the minutes of every session will be recorded.

"When we submit the dialogue's final recommendations to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, we will also deliver a report detailing why each recommendation was proposed and whether it gained consensus," he added.

According to Fawzi, President El-Sisi's call in April for a national dialogue to discuss Egypt's political and economic policies in the coming stage received overwhelming positive response from the people.

"We received more than 100,000 proposals and suggestions from ordinary citizens, political parties, public figures, and institutions from Egypt's 27 governorates without exception," said Fawzi, arguing that "this widescale reaction demonstrates how El-Sisi's call has struck a chord with all Egyptians and that there is a public, private, and institutional wish for a national dialogue on the country's course of action and policies in the coming stage."

"It seems that political issues come on top of the submitted proposals, followed by economic issues. The majority of groups want to find solutions and the people want their voices heard," said Fawzi, adding that "the best thing about the dialogue is that it will give Egyptians wide room to listen to the views of each other in a democratic and objective fashion."

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Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels have killed 13 people and torched a clinic in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Friday.

Kasereka Ise Mighambo, the mayor of Lume in North Kivu province, said ADF fighters entered the town Thursday night and burned down a health clinic, killing four patients inside.

He added that the militants killed nine more civilians before retreating into Virunga National Park, a world-renowned wildlife haven in Congo's conflict-torn east.

Local nurse Kule Bwengue also said health authorities had registered 13 deaths in the attack.

A Congolese army spokesman, Captain Antony Mualushayi, reported the loss of nine lives, including those of three children.

He added that an armed group "that supports ADF terrorists" conducted the raid.

AFP was unable to independently confirm the details of the attack.

Claimed by the Islamic State group as its Central African offshoot, the ADF has been accused of massacring Congolese civilians and carrying out terrorist attacks in neighbouring Uganda.

The DRC and Uganda launched a joint offensive against the ADF in November 2021 to crush the rebels, but violence against civilians continues.

More than 120 armed groups roam eastern DRC.

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The family of prominent Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, shot dead by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank, asked US President Joe Biden on Friday to meet during his visit next week.

Their request came after they condemned a US probe which said it was not possible to determine whose gun fired the bullet which killed the Al Jazeera reporter.

A US citizen, she was shot in the head while covering an Israeli army operation in Jenin on May 11, despite wearing a vest that said "Press."

In a letter sent to Biden Friday morning, the journalist's brother Anton Abu Akleh said she was "murdered by an Israeli-fired bullet."

The family called on Biden to "meet with us during your upcoming visit and hear directly from us about our concerns and demands for justice".

Biden is to visit Israel and the occupied West Bank from July 13 to 15, and plans to hold talks with leaders on both sides before heading to Saudi Arabia in his first trip to the region since being elected president.

On Monday the US State Department said that Abu Akleh was likely shot from an Israeli position but that there was no evidence the killing was intentional and that the bullet was too damaged for a conclusive finding.

The letter expresses the family's "grief, outrage and sense of betrayal" over the Biden administration's "abject response" to Abu Akleh's death.

"Your administration's actions exhibit an apparent intent to undermine our efforts toward justice and accountability," the letter said, accusing the US of "skulking toward the erasure of any wrongdoings by Israeli forces".

The Palestinian Authority, which rules the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had reluctantly handed over the bullet to the United States and said it was not giving it to Israel, fearing a whitewash.

But on Monday, the Israeli army said in a statement that Israeli experts had done forensic analysis on the bullet in a laboratory in Israel.

State Department spokesman Ned Price insisted that two members of the team of the US Security Coordinator (USSC), which liaises with the Palestinian Authority on security assistance, carried out the examination.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said Monday that it remained impossible to determine the source of the shooting "and, as such, the investigation will continue."

There was no immediate comment from the American embassy in Israel on the Abu Akleh family's requests.

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Huge crowds of Muslim pilgrims prayed on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat on Friday, the climax of the biggest hajj pilgrimage since the pandemic forced drastic cuts in numbers two years in a row.

Groups of worshippers, many holding umbrellas against the fierce sun, recited verses from the Koran on the rocky rise, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his final sermon.

Prayers on Mount Arafat are the highlight of the pilgrimage, capped this year at one million people including 850,000 from abroad.

Pilgrims, many in white robes, chanted "Oh God, here I am" as they reached Mount Arafat on foot or in buses from their nearby tents.

After sunset, they will travel the short distance to Muzdalifah, where they will sleep under the stars before performing the symbolic "stoning of the devil" ceremony on Saturday.

"I am so happy to be here... This is the biggest hajj in the coronavirus era, but it isn't big enough yet," Egyptian pilgrim Saad Farhat Khalil, 49, told AFP.

Entry roads were packed with worshippers as helicopters buzzed overhead and volunteers handed out bottles of water and collected rubbish in green plastic bags.

The hajj, usually one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings, is among the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lives.

In 2019, as in previous years, some 2.5 million Muslims from around the world took part, a figure that dropped to a few thousand in 2020 and 60,000 in 2021.

A number of world leaders have participated this year, including Mauritania's president and Indonesia's vice president. State media on Friday reported that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov had arrived in the kingdom to perform the hajj.

Covid fears

At noon, thousands of pilgrims prayed in Namirah mosque, where the Prophet Mohammed gave sermons.

"In 2020 I thought I would never do hajj. It seemed like the end of time. But here we are today, God is great," said Bassam Mohammed, another Egyptian pilgrim.

The large crowds have spurred fears that Covid will spread, especially after many pilgrims went without face masks at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, despite claims by Saudi authorities that masks would be mandatory.

The hajj is taking place against the backdrop of a resurgence in COVID infections in the region, with some Gulf countries tightening restrictions to keep outbreaks in check.

All participants were required to submit proof of vaccination and negative PCR tests. On reaching their white-tent encampment at Mina on Thursday, they were handed bags containing masks and sanitiser.

Health ministry spokesman Dr Muhammad al-Abdulaali told a press conference Thursday evening that so far no Covid cases had been detected among the pilgrims, though it was unclear whether widespread testing was taking place.

"The health status of the pilgrims is reassuring, and no disease outbreaks affecting public health have been recorded," he said.

Heat warnings

The pilgrimage can be physically draining even in ideal conditions, but worshippers this year have faced an added challenge: scorching sun and temperatures well over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

On Friday, the temperature hit 44 degrees Celsius at Mount Arafat, state-run Al-Ekhbariya reported.

Islam forbids men from wearing hats once the rites start, and many have been seen shielding themselves with umbrellas, prayer mats and even, in one case, a small bucket filled with water.

Women, meanwhile, are obliged to cover their heads with scarves.

"We can tolerate (the heat)... The more we tolerate, the more our pilgrimage is accepted," Laila, a 64-year-old Iraqi pilgrim who gave only her first name, told AFP.

Saudi officials have touted their preparations for the extreme conditions, highlighting the hundreds of hospital beds allocated for heatstroke patients and the "large number of misting fans" they have provided.

Dozens of trucks are distributing umbrellas, water bottles and small fans.

Nevertheless, the National Centre for Meteorology, which has set up an office in Mina, is sending warnings to pilgrims on their mobile phones, urging them to avoid outdoor rituals at certain times of the day, especially at noon.

On Saturday, Muslim pilgrims will take part in the "stoning", the last major ritual of the hajj which has previously led to deadly stampedes before the authorities revised all hajj procedures to prevent tragedies, as hundreds of thousands converge on a small space.

After the stoning ritual, pilgrims return to the Grand Mosque in Mecca to perform a final "tawaf" or circling of the Kaaba, the cubic structure that is the focal point of Islam.

Eid al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice that begins on Saturday, marks the end of hajj.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online

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Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe, the country's best-known politician and longest-serving leader, died on Friday after being shot at a campaign event.

Here is what we know so far:

What happened?

Abe was speaking at a campaign rally in the western region of Nara when the attack occurred.

He was standing on a stage in front of the Yamato-Saidaiji railway station, stumping for Kei Sato, a candidate for Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

At about 11:30 am local time (0230 GMT), the footage shows that a man dressed in a grey top and brown trousers began moving towards Abe from behind.



This image received from the Asahi Shimbun newspaper shows a man (centre R) suspected of shooting former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe being tackled to the ground by police at Yamato Saidaiji Station in the city of Nara on July 8, 2022. AFP

He fired at least two apparent gunshots, with a cloud of smoke emerging and terrified spectators ducking to the ground.

Abe collapsed, visibly bleeding, and bystanders began to administer cardiac massage, witnesses said.

The shooter was wrestled to the ground and taken into custody.

Where did he die?

Abe was taken to Nara Medical University Hospital for treatment, with national broadcaster NHK saying he was able to speak in the minutes after the attack but subsequently lost consciousness.

He was pronounced dead by the hospital in the afternoon.

"Shinzo Abe was transported to (the hospital) at 12:20 pm. He was in a state of cardiac arrest upon arrival. Resuscitation was administered. However, unfortunately, he died at 5:03 pm," said Hidetada Fukushima, the hospital's professor of emergency medicine.

Abe suffered a gunshot wound to the right side of his neck, NHK reported. Local officials declined to confirm details of his injury.

Who is the shooter?

Police sources told local media that a 41-year-old named Tetsuya Yamagami was arrested after the attack on charges of attempted murder.

Several outlets, citing the defence ministry, said Yamagami had spent three years in Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force, the country's navy, leaving the service around 2005.

He reportedly used a "handmade" weapon, in a country with strict gun laws that make obtaining a firearm extremely difficult.

NHK said he told police after his arrest that he "was frustrated with the former prime minister and targeted Abe with the intention of killing him".

What have the responses been?

The attack has spurred domestic and international outrage, with Kishida condemning it as "absolutely unforgivable".

Politicians from across the spectrum have issued condemnations and announced they would halt campaigning ahead of Sunday's upper house elections.

Kishida said no decision had been taken on what effect the attack might have on the scheduled vote, though there were no immediate calls for its postponement.

Internationally, leaders were quick to offer support and express shock, with NATO's chief condemning the "heinous" attack and Britain's embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying he was "appalled and saddened".

How well-known was Abe?

Abe was Japan's best-known politician, having served as prime minister for longer than any other leader.

He resigned from office for the second time in August 2020, felled by poor health as his ulcerative colitis returned.

He was the youngest prime minister in Japan's post-war period when he took office for the first time in 2006, age 52.

A third-generation politician groomed from birth by an elite, conservative family, Abe was known for hawkish, nationalist positions and his economic policy known as "Abenomics".

He sought to cement Japan's key alliance with Washington by pursuing a close personal relationship with then US President Donald Trump.

Abe was married to Akie Abe, 60, in 1987 the daughter of a wealthy business family. The pair do not have children.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded on Thursday a staff-level mission to Egypt  through a team led by IMF mission chief for Egypt Celine Allard  to discuss a new loan programme with Egypt, the Fund announced on Friday.

In March, Egypt submitted a request to the IMF for a new loan in order to keep the gains of the first wave of the countrys economic reforms and meet the countrys financial needs in response to the global economic challenges amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

The IMF said that the visit lasted from 26 June to 7 July to discuss IMF support for the Egyptian authorities comprehensive economic reform program.

The IMF staff team and the Egyptian authorities had productive discussions on economic policies and reforms to be supported by an IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF). In the period ahead, we are continuing our close engagement with the authorities towards reaching staff level agreement. As is always the case, final agreement on a program arrangement would be subject to approval of the IMF's Executive Board, said Allard.

The IMF team would like to thank the Egyptian authorities and the technical teams at the Central Bank of Egypt and the Ministry of Finance, and other interlocutors for their hospitality and the constructive and candid discussions, Allard said.

Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said in June that the anticipated deal with the IMF could be under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for four years, but a programme under the Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) and the Financial Programming and Policies are also on the table, Egypts Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait told Bloomberg TV.

During June, Fitch Solutions expected the loan amount to come to $6.5 billion, while BNP Paribas projected it at $10 billion in May.

The first wave of Egypts economic reforms (2016-2019) was backed by a $12 billion IMF loan to Egypt under the EFF facility in 2016 over three tranches.

The EFF is designed to provide assistance to countries experiencing serious payment imbalances because of structural impediments or slow growth and an inherently weak balance-of-payments position.

It also provides support for comprehensive programs including the policies needed to correct structural imbalances over an extended period.

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Under the steady hum of a ceiling fan, Ahmed Othman weaves golden threads through black fabric, creating Koranic verses, a century after his grandfather's work adorned the Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque.

A ceremonial hanging of the kiswa, huge pieces of black silk embroidered with gold patterns, over the cubic structure that is the centrepiece of the Grand Mosque symbolises the launch of the hajj annual pilgrimage, which starts this week.

Othman's family used to be honoured with the task of producing the kiswa.

His family's creations would be despatched in a camel caravan to Islam's holiest site in western Saudi Arabia towards which Muslims across the world turn to pray.

Now, Othman keeps the tradition alive in a small workshop, tucked above the labyrinthine Khan al-Khalili bazaar in central Cairo, where mass-produced souvenirs line the alleys.

The area is historically home to Egypt's traditional handicrafts, but artisans face growing challenges.

Materials, mostly imported, have become expensive, particularly as Egypt faces economic woes and a weaker currency.

Declining purchasing power makes high quality hand-crafted goods inaccessible to the average Egyptian, while master craftspeople find it hard to hand down their skills as young people turn to more lucrative jobs.

This wouldn't be the case "if there was good money in the craft", Othman sighed, hunched over one of the many tapestries that fill his workshop.

Sheets of black and brown felt are covered in verses and prayers, delicately embroidered in silver and gold.

Every stitch echoes the "sacred ritual" Othman's grandfather was entrusted with in 1924.

"For a whole year, 10 craftsmen" would work on the kiswa that covers the Kaaba which pilgrims circumambulate, using silver thread in a lengthy labour of love.

Sprinkled rosewater

From the 13th century, Egyptian artisans made the giant cloth in sections, which authorities transported to Mecca with great ceremony.

Celebrations would mark the processions through cities, flanked by guards and clergymen as Egyptians sprinkled rosewater from balconies above.

Othman's grandfather, Othman Abdelhamid, was the last to supervise a fully Egyptian-made kiswa in 1926.

From 1927, manufacturing began to move to Mecca in the nascent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which would fully take over production of the kiswa in 1962.

The family went on to embroider military regalia for Egyptian and foreign dignitaries, including former presidents Gamal Abdel-Nasser and Anwar Sadat.

"In addition to our work with military rank embroideries, my father started embroidering Koranic verses on tapestries," and then reproducing whole sections of the kiswa.

Clients began flooding in for "exact replicas of the kiswa, down to the last detail".

Though today they offer small tableaus for as little as 100 Egyptian pounds (about $6), massive customised orders go for several thousand dollars, such as replicas of the Kaaba door, which Othman proudly claims are indistinguishable from the originals in Mecca.

Back-breaking

But the family has not been immune to the economic turbulence that began with the coronavirus pandemic, which decimated small businesses and craftsmanship in Egypt.

Since early 2020, they have sold around "two pieces per month", whereas before they would sell at least one tapestry a day.

Othman worries that a sense of "worldwide austerity" makes business unlikely to bounce back.

Today, there might only be a dozen or so craftsmen whose work he considers authentic, with many artisans leaving the craft for quicker cash flows.

"They can make 200 to 300 pounds a day," ($10-$16) driving a tuktuk motorised rickshaw, or a minibus, Othman said. "They're not going to sit on a loom breaking their backs all day."

But still, a century and a half after his great grandfather left his native Turkey and brought the craft with him to Egypt, Othman says he has stayed loyal to techniques learnt as a child when he would duck out of school to watch his father work.

"It's on us to uphold the craft the same way we learned it, so it's authentic to the legacy we inherited," he said.

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While the economic argument for Iran to return to a nuclear deal with the Western countries is a powerful one, the strategic argument is even more so.

Iran and the world powers signatory to the Iran nuclear deal could be heading for a showdown after recent indirect talks in Doha to restore the deal ended without progress in settling remaining differences.

Over the past few days, the US and EU have sought to give new impetus to the negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which would lift the sanctions on Tehran and thus increase the Iranian production of oil for global markets.

This would help to reduce energy prices and prevent the global economy from entering a state of stagnation.

But the resumption of the negotiations also has more important dimensions, foremost among which is preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and opening the door to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

In a joint statement, Germany, France, and the UK warned that Iran was testing ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.

Only a few days ago, Iran conducted another test of a space launch vehicle, which contains dual-use technology that can be used to construct long-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles, the statement said.

While the US and its European partners say that Iran has only a small window of opportunity to make up its mind and accept Western conditions for reviving the nuclear deal, Tehran has showed cautious optimism and said that the Doha negotiations were positive and that there are other upcoming rounds.

Iranian Chief Nuclear Negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said that the time of the new round of talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal was being finalised, according to Irans official IRNA news agency.

The negotiations in Doha took place within a pre-determined framework. The time and venue of the next negotiations are being finalised in the exchanges between Iran and the EU, he said.

He did not specify whether the next round of talks would take place in the format of Iran and the P4+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, or whether it would be held indirectly between Iran and the US.

Tehran and Washington held indirect talks last week in Doha, with the mediation of EU coordinator Enrique Mora, to address their differences over the revival of the nuclear deal.

The Doha talks did not achieve results, but Iranian Ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi said an agreement was not out of reach. However, he added that this would require significant changes in US policy, specifically regarding the imposition of sanctions.

He also said that guarantees were needed that the US would not leave the nuclear deal again as it had under former US president Donald Trump in 2018.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that the Doha talks were a step forward despite the fact that no progress was made on Irans central demand that the countrys Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be removed from US sanctions and its list of foreign terrorist organisations.

In a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna, Abdollahian said the US had failed to be constructive in the latest round of the talks, Irans Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Though describing the talks on 29-30 June in Doha as positive, Abdollahian said that we should wait and see how the American side will seek to use the opportunity of diplomacy.

We maintain that reiterating previous positions should not replace a political initiative, he added, saying that Iran was serious about reaching a good and lasting agreement and had always presented proposals and ideas in the negotiations.

However, the Western powers were critical of Tehran during the latest round of talks, accusing it of making maximalist demands.

Not only has Iran not taken up the offer on the table, but it has also added yet more issues which fall outside the JCPOA with maximalist and unrealistic demands, French Ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Riviere said during a special session of the UN Security Council.

Barbara Woodward, the UK envoy, warned Iran that no better deal would be offered than that made at Doha. EU Ambassador to the UN Olof Skoog said that I am concerned that we might not make it over the finishing line. My message is: seize this opportunity to conclude the deal, based on the text that is on the table. The time to overcome the last outstanding issues, conclude the deal, and fully restore the [agreement] is now.

Meanwhile, the growing Iranian enrichment and ballistic missile activity is concerning European leaders. Irans nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today, and Irans nuclear escalation is a threat to international peace and security, Woodward said.

At the current enrichment rate, by the end of this year, Iran is likely to have enough enriched material to rapidly produce highly enriched uranium at 90 per cent enrichment for several nuclear devices, she said. Iran also continues to develop ballistic missiles in a way that is inconsistent with UN resolutions.

Despite the Western pressures, Iran does not want to be pushed into accepting the revival of the nuclear agreement under conditions it does not want, on top of which is keeping the Revolutionary Guards on the US sanctions list, a red line to many hardliners in Iran.

There are also voices among conservatives and hardliners in Iran who argue that the country does not need the nuclear deal.

Fars News, which is affiliated to the Revolutionary Guards, reported on Sunday that Iran would earn $36 billion from oil exports in 2022, with or without the revival of the nuclear deal, with the shipments mostly going to China.

It said that Iran could earn as much circumventing US sanctions as it would if it signed a new nuclear agreement to lift them and claimed that not reaching an agreement with the US would make no difference to the countrys oil exports, which it could boost to $50 billion.

Such increased revenue would not only be because of Irans ability to circumvent the sanctions, however, since it would mostly be the result of higher oil prices.

Without the US sanctions, Irans oil revenues would at least double, as it would be able to export at least two million barrels of oil per day instead of the currently estimated shipments of under one million. The country would also not be forced to offer a $20 to $30 discount per barrel and spend more money to market the sanctioned oil.

Despite Irans stance of no deal, no problem, the fact is that the revival of the nuclear deal will always be about much more than its economic benefits.

Reviving the nuclear agreement may ease the fears of Irans regional neighbours about the possibility of its ability to produce a nuclear weapon within 12 months.

These fears, if reinforced in the absence of a nuclear agreement, could lead to an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites, opening up a Pandoras Box in the Middle East and setting Iran back years in its regional and international relations.

The recent restrictions Tehran placed on UN weapons inspectors in the country, as well as its speeding up of uranium enrichment, have injected sudden urgency into the nuclear talks. The Western leaders will have to take decisive steps, including reimposing UN sanctions, in the coming weeks if the UN nuclear inspectorate continues to be unable to carry out its monitoring duties.

Thus, although Iran may not have an immediate economic need to restore the nuclear agreement, it may need to revive the deal for strategic reasons. If its nuclear programme remains outside the monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the current US administration or future US administrations may agree with Israel that a pre-emptive strike on it is inevitable.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 7 July, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The rhetoric about a military alliance bringing Israel together with its former regional foes is receding due to disapproval by many Arab governments and widespread public opposition.

When US President Joe Biden confirmed that he would be visiting the Middle East this month, he placed the primary focus of his trip on Israels security and said he would be looking to deepen Israels integration with the region.

Biden was playing down reports that he would discuss skyrocketing energy prices with the leaders of the regional oil-producing countries when he meets them on the second leg of his 13-16 July tour that will take him to Saudi Arabia.

On the surface, Bidens remarks about Israels security being paramount were nothing new. Former US presidents have always made Israels security the cornerstone of US Middle East policy.

But for many in the Arab world, Bidens emphasis seemed to be another reward for Israels road to normalisation with several Arab nations, which started with his predecessor former US president Donald Trump who sponsored the so-called Abraham Accords in September 2020.

The agreements between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, later joined by Morocco and Sudan, and named after the patriarch of the three monotheistic religions made official what had been covert ties between nominal enemies.

Hailed by their signatories as a historic breakthrough, the agreements were aimed at charting a new course in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, setting the stage for fully-fledged partnerships in security, economics, culture, and other realms.

For Israel, it was a major shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics since these states recognised and normalised diplomatic relations with it without its having to compromise on the Palestinian issue and Syrias Occupied Golan Heights.

However, scepticism about the agreements being groundbreaking has been growing, and many in the Arab world see the normalisation as providing Israel with a rare opportunity to chart a new course and to begin to think of itself as a major player in a new regional order.

Nearly two years after the Abraham Accords, this scepticism has been reinforced as Israel and the US are seeing the dividends of the accords and are rushing to turn them into a model to establish and maintain a new system in the Middle East.

Charged with Bidens intention to shore up US Middle East responsibilities after his election promises to downsize the US footprint in the region, the US Congress and Israel have been pushing for a joint regional defensive architecture similar to NATO between Israel and its new Arab partners.

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the US Congress last month required the Pentagon to present a strategy for integrating the air-defence capabilities of Israel and the Arab states in order to counter ballistic missile and other projectile threats from Iran and its proxies.

Earlier, CENTCOM, the US military command responsible for protecting US security interests in the Middle East, sought to support efforts to knit together air-defence systems between Israel and its new partners in order to share air-defence data to build an overlapping radar picture.

Israels defence minister, Benny Gantz, said Israel and several Arab countries had joined a new US-led network that he called the Middle East Air Defence Alliance, or MEAD, aimed at countering Iran.

Then at the start of this week, the Wall Street Journal reported on secret meetings held in Egypt that saw military officials from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain come together to discuss cooperation on defence.

Jordans King Abdullah II rushed to declare his support for the military alliance, which he described as very unusual for the region. I would be one of the first people that would endorse a Middle East NATO, he told the US network CNBC in an interview on 24 June.

Choruses of experts who work for US think tanks close to Israel have also voiced their support for the formation of an Arab NATO and have begun lobbying to remove obstacles hindering Israels role in such arrangements.

Yet, beyond the rhetoric uncertainty remains about the normalisation creating a new world of opportunities for Israel either in terms of official pan-Arab endorsement of the agreements or its being part of the region on people-to-people terms.

So, while Israel and the US have remained assertive about drawing the Arab countries into closer military cooperation, the proposed security umbrella, or so-called Arab NATO, remains questionable.

To underline how the idea is mired in confusion and has hit a set of obstacles, Arab powerhouse Saudi Arabia, which already benefits from military cooperation with the US, remains cautious about any future defence alliance with Israel.

In the Gulf, three countries, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, all of which host US military bases, have showed no interest in joining. Iraq, also invited to Bidens summit meeting, has just passed a law against normalising ties with Israel.

Even Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel, has refrained from giving public support to the proposal. Its Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri, has made clear that establishing a Middle East military alliance will not be raised during any upcoming events, in a reference to the upcoming summit with Biden this month.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi has played down King Abdullahs statements and told Aljazeera TV that the idea of a joint Arab-Israeli military alliance is not on the table.

What the overall perspective tells us is that the normalisation agreements that were officially greeted with much fanfare do not necessarily reflect Arab priorities, which favour US actions to respond to their security needs rather than to promote risky deals with Israel that make them vulnerable to external and domestic shocks.

The vision of the US allies in the Gulf has been obvious. They want the US to abandon what they view as Washingtons tepid response to Iran and its proxies, which are confronting the region with militancy, ballistic missiles, drone attacks, and a nuclear threat.

For all practical purposes, the Arab states in the Gulf have avoided escalation with Iran, and there are good reasons for them to stay on that course and leave the US and Israel to engage with Iran and its regional proxies, including by acting militarily.

On the other hand, while these governments positions reflect the respective interests of the Arab states, there are notably clear challenges ahead for any such Arab NATO from the Arab publics, which have showed little support for normalisation even in countries that have signed peace agreements with Israel.

Across the Arab world, there are already signs of public resentment at the proposed military pact that many believe is not beneficial and could create a further divide between the Arabs and the Iranians.

Moreover, the plans to forge an Arab NATO of Sunni Muslim countries will likely raise sectarian tensions in the region between Sunnis and Shias who have been increasingly at odds since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 that empowered the countrys majority Shia.

Successive US administrations have been aware of the Gulf countries strategy to drag them into a war with Iran or trap the US in a permanent standoff with Tehran, seeing this as contradicting US interests in the region.

Even former president Trump, the godfather of the Abraham Accords, made it clear that he did not want to rush into a new conflict on behalf of Saudi Arabia after attacks on Saudi oil installations in 2019.

Observing multiple aspects of the so-called Arab NATO initiative underlines the emptiness of this supposed regional system, made obvious in the contradictory reactions and confusion it has been generating.

While Israel hopes a security pact with its partners in the Abraham Accords will trigger a domino effect that will make all the Arab states recognise it, key Arab members of the proposed alliance will feel it as a threat to their leadership in the region.

Nevertheless, the void in the current regional order has revealed that the Arab world will remain in need of a new security structure that Israel and the US will endeavour to be members of together with the Arabs.

Even if the proposed Arab NATO remains just a propaganda initiative, Israel and the US will continue to champion other security arrangements with the Arab world as a way of imposing Israel as a regional superpower.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 7 July, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Friday's shocking assassination of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in one of the world's safest countries stunned leaders and drew condemnation, with Iran calling it an ``act of terrorism`` while Spain slammed the ``cowardly attack. ``

Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western Japan while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital. Abe was Japan's longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country, called the shooting ``dastardly and barbaric.''

Leaders from Turkey to Singapore condemned the attack, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the shooting ``despicable.''

``His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and the Japanese people. The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time,'' Johnson tweeted.

Incredibly sad news about Shinzo Abe.



His global leadership through unchartered times will be remembered by many. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people.



The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 8, 2022

Iran condemned the shooting as ``an act of terrorism.''

``As a country that has been a victim of terrorism and has lost great leaders to terrorists, we are following the news closely and with concern,'' Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

People in Japan could be seen reading extra editions of the Friday paper with Abe's picture large on the front page or stopping to watch the news on TV.

NHK public broadcaster aired dramatic footage of Abe giving a speech outside of a train station in the western city of Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy-blue suit, raising his fist when two gunshots are heard. The footage then shows Abe collapsing on the street.

``We are shocked and saddened to hear about the violent attack against former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,'' the White House said in a statement shortly afterwards.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier expressed her shock about the shooting. She said Abe was one of the first leaders she met after taking office and described him as deeply committed to his role, generous and kind.

``I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is,'' Ardern said. ``Events like this shake us all to the core.''

In the NHK video, security guards are seen leaping on top of a man in a gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.

Police have arrested a suspected gunman at the scene. Under Japanese law, possession of firearms, as well as certain kinds of knives and other weapons, like bow guns, is illegal without a special license. Importing them is also illegal.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that he was ``deeply shocked by the odious attack'' on Abe. He paid tribute to Abe as ``a great prime minister'' and said ``France stands at the side of the Japanese people.''

Many gave their condolences and expressed solidarity with Japan, and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Saturday's one-day national mourning as a mark of his deepest respect for Abe.

``Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. Today, the whole of India mourns with Japan, and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment,'' Modi said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed shock and solidarity with Japan on Friday after the killing of former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

"I extend deep sympathy to his family, my colleague Fumio Kishida and our Japanese friends. We stand with Japan in these difficult hours." He tweeted

The assassination of @AbeShinzo leaves me shocked and deeply saddened. My deepest sympathy goes to his family, my colleague Fumio @kishida230 and our Japanese friends. We stand closely by Japan's side in these difficult hours.  Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) July 8, 2022

While former German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said in a separate statement she was "shocked and appalled" by Abe's assassination, calling it a "cowardly and vile attack".

Merkel said she had worked "closely together" with Abe during their years in office, united in the goal of facing up to the "great challenges of our time" in "multilateral partnership".

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent his best wishes to Abe's family. ``Spain stands together with the people of Japan in these difficult times,'' he tweeted.

Conmocionado por el tiroteo contra el ex primer ministro de Japon, @AbeShinzo.



Nuestros mejores deseos para el y su familia y nuestra rotunda condena a este cobarde ataque. Espana se solidariza con el pueblo japones en estos dificiles momentos.  Pedro Sanchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 8, 2022

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abe was one of Australia's closest friends and a ``giant on the world stage, `` adding that ``his legacy was one of global impact, and a profound and positive one for Australia. He will be greatly missed. ``

Italian Premier Mario Draghi offered his profound condolences and said Italy was embracing Abe's family, the government, and the Japanese people.

``Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. Abe was a great protagonist of Japanese and international political life in recent decades, thanks to his innovative spirit and reformist vision,'' Draghi said in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called the death of Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe an "irreplaceable loss."

In a telegram to Abe's family, Putin called Abe an "outstanding statesman" who had done a lot to develop "good neighbourly ties between our countries."

"I wish you and your family strength and courage in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss," Putin said, according to a statement released by the Kremlin.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who is in Bali as president of the Group of 20 nations' foreign ministers meeting in Bali, Indonesia, lamented Abe's ``untimely demise'' and said he ``will always be remembered as a prime example for all.''

In China, however, Abe's shooting triggered unfavourable comments from tens of thousands of nationalist citizens on social media.

Some quipped, ``Hope he's not OK,'' while dozens half-jokingly called the shooter ``a hero'' or ``anti-Japan hero.'' Others said Abe's injuries were a comfort to the souls of people who had died in Japan's invasion of China during World War II.

While not necessarily the view of most Chinese, the posts reflect strong public sentiment, encouraged by government propaganda, against right-wing Japanese politicians who question or deny that the military committed atrocities in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian declined to comment. He said China expressed sympathies with Abe's family and that the shooting shouldn't be linked with bilateral relations.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi expressed his condolences to the Japanese people for the loss of ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, describing the former premier as a "great leader" and "a loyal friend to Egypt."

"I received with great sorrow the news of the death of the former Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, after a treacherous act of assassination," El-Sisi tweeted

Shinzo Abe was a loyal friend to Egypt, supporting it in all times and circumstances. Bilateral relations during his tenure witnessed unprecedented progress on all levels." he added

               .



                         .

/  Abdelfattah Elsisi (@AlsisiOfficial) July 8, 2022

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Friday, called the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is an "unacceptable act of crime",

"I extend my consolation and condolences to his family and the Japanese people for having lost their longest-serving prime minister and a respected politician," Yoon said in a statement released by his presidential office.

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In a major policy address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore Wednesday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said major countries with "influence" on Russia should use it to end the war in Ukraine.

Describing the invasion as "unprovoked," "illegal," "immoral" and "inhumane," Wong urged China, which has not condemned the invasion, to help end the conflict in Ukraine.

"To grow its international influence beyond military strength, China needs to wield this strength with restraint and legitimacy," said Wong. "The region and the world is now looking at Beijing's actions in relation to Ukraine."

Australia has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian officials, including politicians and members of the military. Wong also told reporters in Singapore that Australia's new center-left administration was promising regional partners greater action to combat climate change.

"The new Australian government has been elected with [a] much greater level of ambition on climate change," said Wong. "We see this as an enormous economic opportunity for our countries as well." Wong's speech highlighted Australia's commitment to peace and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
Korea's cosmetics exports topped W10 trillion for the first time last year (US$1=W1,300).

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, cosmetics exports increased by 21.3 percent on-year to around W10.51 trillion last year.

With imports totaling about W1.49 trillion, the trade surplus in the sector exceeded W9 trillion, up 28.6 percent on-year. The country has seen a surplus for the 10th year in a row.

Korea is the world's third-largest cosmetics exporter after France and the U.S.

Cosmetics were a bigger export earner for Korea than home appliances, pharmaceuticals and mobile phones, which stood at US$86 billion, $84 billion and $49 billion, respectively.
Female doctors earn only about 70 percent of what their male counterparts are paid, a survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday shows.

Doctors earned W230.69 million on average in 2020, the highest among all medical professionals (US$1=W1,300). But that was down 2.3 percent from 2019, probably because fewer people went to hospital due to the coronavirus pandemic. Over the past decade, doctors' pay increased 5.2 percent on annual average.

The highest-paid doctors were thoracic surgeons with W487.99 million a year while pediatricians were the lowest paid with W108.75 million. Female doctors earned W172.86 million on average, just 69.6 percent of their male counterparts' W248.25 million.

Shin Young-seok at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs said, "The gender pay gap may have been caused by working hours that were curtailed by pregnancy, childbirth and childbearing."

Dentists earned W194.89 million per year, herb medicine doctors W108.59 million, pharmacists W84.16 million, and herb pharmacists W49.22 million.

Nurses earned W47.44 million, just one-fifth of what doctors are paid. Female nurses earned more than their male counterparts at W47.49 million compared to W46.53 million. Nursing assistants were the lowest paid medical professionals with W20.83 million.

Meanwhile, Seoul had the highest number of doctors at 305.6 per 100,000 population, and North Gyeongsang Province the lowest at 126.5.
Young Korean cryptocurrency investors are lining up at bankruptcy courts after losing huge amounts of money when the bubble burst this year.

The Seoul Bankruptcy Court recently agreed to write off soured loans taken out by crypto bros, which is expected to prompt more of them to throw themselves on the mercy of the court.

According to court data, the number of people seeking personal rehabilitation during the first five months of this year increased by 2,600 on-year to 34,553. Most of the applicants are thought to be in their 20s and 30s.

Bankruptcy lawyers report a sharp increase in the number of young Koreans who got caught up in the Bitcoin craze. One office worker in his 30s borrowed W25 million on his credit card to invest in cryptocurrencies and even more from a subprime lender when the first investment was blown (US$1=W1,300).

"I used to be a hard-working salaryman, but turned into a horrible husband who is saddled with debt," he said.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 8, 2022 - 15:35 | Arts, All

Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of the popular "Yu-Gi-Oh!" manga series, was found dead in the ocean off the coast of southern Japan while on an apparent snorkeling trip, according to coast guard officials. He was 60.

Takahashi was wearing snorkeling gear and flippers when he was found Wednesday morning around 300 meters off the coast of Nago in Okinawa Prefecture by a local tourism worker who then alerted the authorities, the officials said Thursday.

Police are investigating the cause of his death, the officials said, adding that he may had been traveling alone.

A car rental firm consulted police Wednesday when they were unable to make contact with Takahashi after renting him a vehicle. His car was found parked near a beach in Onna, some 12 kilometers from where his body was discovered.

Born in Tokyo, Takahashi, whose real name was Kazuo Takahashi, debuted as a manga artist in the 1980s. His "Yu-Gi-Oh!" series featured a high school student who becomes possessed with an ancient spirit and settles disputes by playing a card game involving magical creatures.

The work was serialized in Shueisha Inc.'s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1996 to 2004, with total circulation including digital publication reaching over 40 million.

The official card game based on the series was released in more than 70 countries and regions, and was certified as the "best-selling trading card game in the world" by Guinness World Records.

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 9, 2022 - 00:51 | World, All, Japan

Foreign ministers from Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed Friday the three nations will work together closely to deal with North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, including strengthening their regional deterrence.

They also exchanged views on China, which has been intensifying maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine that started in February, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference on the Indonesian island of Bali.

The trilateral talks between Hayashi, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin marked the first such gathering since South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in early May.

The three ministers met on the sidelines of a two-day Group of 20 foreign ministerial meeting that started Thursday on the Southeast Asian nation's resort island.

The meeting came after Pyongyang repeatedly test-fired ballistic missiles since the beginning of the year, with concerns growing that the reclusive nation may carry out what would be its seventh nuclear test, and the first since 2017.

"North Korea's nuclear and missile development poses a threat to the peace and stability of Japan and the international community, and is totally unacceptable," Hayashi said at a press conference.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that Blinken reiterated the commitment of the United States to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in his talks with Hayashi and Park.

"The secretary and foreign ministers condemned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's unlawful ballistic missile launches and discussed how to expand trilateral security cooperation," Price said, referring to North Korea's official name.

Late last month, leaders of the three countries held a meeting in Madrid, the first such trilateral summit since September 2017, agreeing on the importance of beefing up regional deterrence through defense cooperation.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, U.S. President Joe Biden and Yoon held the talks on the fringes of a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after NATO invited the leaders of Japan and South Korea to the summit for the first time. The two Asian countries, together with Australia and New Zealand, were viewed as partner countries by the trans-Atlantic alliance.

The three nations last held in-person foreign ministerial talks in Hawaii in February, the first since Hayashi took office in November.

Following a series of provocative acts by Pyongyang, defense ministers from the three nations met in Singapore in June on the sidelines of the annual Asia Security Summit and pledged to carry out "trilateral missile warning and ballistic missile search and tracking exercises" for the first time since December 2017.

The talks by the top diplomats of the three nations took place following a change in the South Korean government that has created fresh impetus toward improving soured bilateral ties between Tokyo and Seoul.

Yoon's tougher stance toward Pyongyang as compared with his predecessor and his eagerness to forge closer ties with the United States and Japan appear to be helping the three countries align closer in pressuring North Korea.

Meanwhile, in a separate talks, Hayashi asked Yoon to work to improve Tokyo-Seoul relations as they remain strained over issues related to Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, including wartime labor issues.

During the conversation, the first face-to-face chat between them since Park took office in mid-May, the South Korean minister conveyed his condolences regarding former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who died after being shot during a stump speech in western Japan earlier in the day, Hayashi told reporters.

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KYODO NEWS - Jul 8, 2022 - 23:54 | All, Japan

Politicians and business leaders in Japan mourned the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday after he was shot during a stump speech ahead of a national election this weekend.

Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties said violence is intolerable in any circumstance and expressed outrage over the incident.

"I feel strong resentment with deep grief. The act of terrorism is a challenge to democracy" which guarantees freedom of speech, Toshimitsu Motegi, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters at the party headquarters after Abe's death was confirmed. Motegi assumed several ministerial posts in the Abe Cabinet.

Abe, shot by a gunman earlier in the day in Nara, western Japan, was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead there, doctors from the hospital said.

"Although we had different political stances, he left significant marks in national politics of our country," said Kenta Izumi, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

Business circles were also jolted, as many corporate leaders had close ties with the former prime minister, known for his "Abenomics" policy package that called for bold monetary easing by the Bank of Japan, generous fiscal spending and deregulation.

BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said in a statement following news of Abe's death that the former prime minister's economic policies helped the world's third-largest economy "realize an exit from the long-lasting deflation and sustainable economic growth."

Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, said the Abe government contributed to enhancing national security to "prepare the country for a severe international environment."

Akio Toyoda, head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, said Abe's strong leadership helped the country out of crisis events such as the 2008 global recession and the 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan. Toyoda is also the chief executive officer of Toyota Motor Corp.

In the capital, some voters wondered about the impact on the House of Councillors election on Sunday.

"I'm wondering whether the upper house election will proceed as planned," said a 64-year-old man from the capital's Nerima Ward.

The ruling bloc including the LDP's coalition partner Komeito, the CDPJ and another opposition party, the Japan Innovation Party, suspended street speeches after the shooting but will resume speeches Saturday, the last day of campaigning.

Motegi said the resumption is intended to show their resolve to never give in to violence.

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U.S. gov't saddened, shocked by attack on Japan's ex-PM Abe

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Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds the third High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the European Union with Frans Timmermans, executive vice president of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, via video link in Beijing, capital of China, July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The third High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the European Union was held via video link on Friday, with both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation on environment, climate, and energy.

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng and Frans Timmermans, executive vice president of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, held the meeting.

Han, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the two sides should make full use of the high-level dialogue platform to further implement the consensus reached by their leaders and promote the deepening of the China-EU green partnership.

Han noted that China unswervingly promotes green and low-carbon development, solidly advances the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy sector, actively boosts the development of new energy and clean energy, improves the level of clean and efficient utilization of coal, and ensures that it can realize carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals as scheduled.

China stands ready to work with the EU to further strengthen the policy coordination, enhance technological innovation cooperation, and create more cooperation highlights on energy use towards green and low-carbon transformation, climate change response, and environmental protection, he said.

China appreciates the active leadership of the EU in the global environment and climate governance, Han said, adding that China is willing to work with the EU to promote the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for practical results.

Timmermans said that the European side highly appreciates China's strong measures and obvious achievements in promoting green and low-carbon development, and is willing to enhance cooperation with China in the fields of environment, climate, and energy.

The EU supports China in successfully holding the second phase of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Timmermans said. 

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds the third High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the European Union with Frans Timmermans, executive vice president of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, via video link in Beijing, capital of China, July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)
HEFEI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Huajie, or flower street in English, is named after the lanterns that lit up the streets at night in ancient times. It was a busy street with lively nightlife hundreds of years ago, and today's booming night economy in China has injected even more vitality into Huajie.

"I used to think Huajie was just a commercial street with ancient buildings, but it is so much more than that," said Yu Jiayun, a 20-year-old college student in Wuhu, east China's Anhui Province.

Yu visited the ancient street for the first time at the end of June. She was happily surprised by what the street had to offer, especially when she stumbled across a music festival organized by the Wuhu ancient town, a popular tourist site that counts Huajie among its attractions.

"With its beautiful lanterns, art galleries, and stores that exhibit intangible cultural heritage, it's the perfect place to hang out with friends after dinner," Yu said.

Wearing hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, is among the most popular things to do on Huajie, according to China's travel websites. Other popular activities include taking photos under the lanterns, eating shrimp roe noodles in a time-honored restaurant, and buying traditional Chinese sugar paintings.

When summer approaches, the night economy begins to heat up in China, making ancient cities and towns popular destinations for tourists as they integrate sightseeing, traditional cultural elements and the hustle and bustle of city life.

As dusk falls, tourists gather in the Yongquan tourism resort in Tongling, buying specialties with ancient Chinese copper coins. "It was like we were traveling back in time. My child found this experience very novel and interesting," said Chang Pengfei, a local who took his family to the resort after work.

"Chinese consumers are becoming more and more fond of spending on things related to cultural heritage, such as traditional snacks and handicrafts that remind them of childhood, and visiting antique buildings that take them back to ancient times," said Xu Fagen, general manager of the resort.

China's policies have recently focused on the recovery of the tourism industry to stimulate consumption and stabilize the economy while effectively controlling COVID-19. Since June, many parts of China have proposed policies to stimulate night tourism.

Since the end of June, Anhui Province has issued nearly 190 million yuan (about 28 million U.S. dollars) in coupons for businesses in industries such as tourism. It has pledged to increase subsidies for night consumption.

In June this year, as the provincial capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, a city founded some 3,100 years ago, also launched night activities, recommending 14 night tour routes for its residents.

"The Wuhu municipal government has issued several batches of coupons this year. We can feel that business has improved significantly, and the number of tourists has also increased," said Wu Yubin, manager of the planning department of the Wuhu ancient town's operating company.

The vigorous development of the night economy in China has played a significant role in stimulating the culture and tourism industry. According to the Wuhu company, customer traffic once affected by the epidemic has gradually recovered since the Labor Day holiday this year, increasing nearly 10 percent every week. Over 400,000 tourists visited the ancient town in June.

"With night food festivals, bonfire parties and other night activities, many tour groups extend their original one-day itineraries to two days, which means tourists can stay longer to drive up consumption," Xu said.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism on June 29 said that the country should seize the opportunity presented by the summer peak tourist season and focus on the development of its night culture and tourism.

Data from the ministry shows that in the first quarter of 2022, the total domestic tourism revenue in China hit 770 billion yuan, an increase of 4 percent over the same period last year. 
* Abe, the country's longest-serving leader, was pronounced dead after being fatally shot by a gunman in western Japan.

* The suspect Tetsuya Yamagami, a former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, was arrested at the scene.

* Abe's death has sent shock waves around Japan where gun crime is rare.

by Xinhua writer Ye Shan

TOKYO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being fatally shot Friday by a gunman during a speech in the western city of Nara when campaigning for Sunday's upper house election.

Abe, 67, fell to the ground and was seen bleeding after he was shot from behind at 11:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) when he was speaking in front of Kintetsu Railway's Yamato-Saidaiji Station, local police and firefighters said. Two shots were heard on site and blood could be seen on Abe's shirt.

According to the disaster management agency, Abe, the country's longest-serving leader, was wounded and bleeding on the right side of his neck along with internal bleeding confirmed in the left side of his chest.

A campaign staff member tried to revive the former leader as he lay collapsed on the ground by applying a cardiac massage.

A man shows an extra edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reporting on the shooting of Shinzo Abe, on a street in Tokyo, Japan, July 8, 2022. (Photo by Sun Jialin/Xinhua)

Abe remained unresponsive on the ground, with his eyes closed, bleeding from his wounds, according to local accounts.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital and showed no vital signs, according to local police and emergency services.

The former prime minister died at 5:03 p.m. local time (0830 GMT), the Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara city, which received Abe, said at a press conference in the afternoon.

He was injured in the heart and two places on his neck after being shot, the hospital said, adding that his wound was deep enough to reach his heart.

The cause of death was believed to be blood loss, according to the hospital.

The former prime minister was conscious when admitted but then became unconscious later in the afternoon, the hospital said.

File photo taken on July 22, 2019 shows Shinzo Abe attending a news conference in Tokyo, Japan. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)

Police arrested the suspected gunman Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old resident of the western city, at the scene.

Yamagami had worked for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years until around 2005, Japan's public broadcaster NHK quoted defense sources as saying.

He was apprehended on site and local police retrieved what appeared to be a handmade gun from the vicinity of where Abe was shot, according to government reports.

The suspect was quoted as telling police he intended to kill Abe as he was "dissatisfied" with the former prime minister.

However, "it's not a grudge against the political beliefs of former Prime Minister Abe," the local prefectural police quoted him as saying.

An explosive-like item was found after police searched Yamagami's home in the afternoon.

After canceling campaigning in Yamagata Prefecture and returning to his office in Tokyo by helicopter, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the shooting of the former leader "in the strongest possible terms," saying such a barbaric act should never be tolerated.

The assailant's motive is not fully known, he said.

A staff member distributes copies of an extra edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reporting on the shooting of Shinzo Abe, on a street in Tokyo, Japan, July 8, 2022. (Photo by Sun Jialin/Xinhua)

Kishida, along with all Cabinet members, was asked to gather in Tokyo to discuss the response to the shooting, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.

The death of Abe, who was born in 1954 and graduated from Seikei University in 1977, has sent shock waves around Japan where gun crime is rare, and the incident has triggered an outpouring of political support for the former leader whose career began in 1982 when Abe served as an assistant to the minister of foreign affairs.

Politicians, business leaders and voters in Japan expressed shock and anger over the fatal shooting of the former leader.

"It is an act of absolutely unforgivable political terrorism," Sanae Takaichi, head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s Policy Research Council, said before Abe was pronounced dead.

"Shutting the freedom of speech by violence must not happen," Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Komeito, junior coalition partner of the LDP, said during a stump speech in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

A citizen mourns at the site where Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara, Japan, July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

The shooting incident took place two days before Japan's triennial House of Councilors election scheduled for Sunday, fueling doubt over campaigning and election safety.

Kishida said at a press conference in the evening that campaigning will continue, vowing to hold a "free, fair" national election on Sunday.

Abe served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, but stepped down from his post due to a chronic intestinal disease, becoming the nation's longest-serving prime minister by number of consecutive days in office. (Video reporters: Zhang Xiaoyu, Deng Min; video editors: Lin Lin, Li Qin)
NANJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Using advanced experimental techniques, Chinese paleontologists have confirmed that the yunnanozoans, mysterious fishlike forms which lived 518 million years ago, were the oldest vertebrates on earth.

The Chengjiang fauna, a Cambrian fossil site in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has retained a large number of ancestral groups of vertebrates, and scientists have been expecting to solve the mystery of the origin of vertebrates from it.

Researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have examined specimens of yunnanozoans from the Chengjiang fauna using previously unexplored techniques such as x-ray microtomography, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry element mapping.

They found evidence that yunnanozoans branchial arches consist of cellular cartilage with an extracellular matrix dominated by microfibrils, a feature considered specific to vertebrates.

"Many primitive features of yunnanozoans may provide key insights of evolution that could unravel the mystery of where vertebrates came from," said Zhao Fangchen, a researcher with the institute.

The research findings were published in Science magazine on Friday. 
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The State Council, China's cabinet, announced the appointment and removal of several officials on Friday.

Wang Guanghua replaced Lu Hao as general supervisor of national natural resources.

Wang Shouwen was appointed China international trade representative with the Ministry of Commerce, while Zhao Baolin was appointed auditor general of the National Audit Office.

Luo Wen was appointed head of the State Administration for Market Regulation.

Li Xiaohong was appointed president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), while five other academicians -- Zhong Zhihua, Deng Xiuxin, Wang Chen, Wu Manqing, and Li Zhongping -- were appointed vice presidents of the CAE.

Lu Hao was named director of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Cong Liang was named head of the State Grain and Reserves Administration, and no longer serves as deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Song Zhiyong replaced Feng Zhenglin as head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and Feng was also removed from the post of vice minister of transport.

Liu Siyang was removed from the post of vice president of Xinhua News Agency, while Ma Jiantang was removed from the post of deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

Fu Xingguo is no longer head of the State Administration of Civil Service, and Wu Shizhong is no longer deputy head of the National Administration of State Secrets Protection. 
BALI, Indonesia, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday called on countries to stick to true multilateralism and develop a constructive partnership at this challenging time.

Wang made the remarks at the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting held in Bali, Indonesia on Friday.

First, countries should be partners with mutual respect and consultation on an equal footing, Wang said. International affairs should be dealt with through consultations among countries, and international rules should be jointly made and observed.

It is the consensus of the international community that in the world, there is only one system that is the international system with the United Nations at its core, and only one order that is the international order based on the international law, Wang noted.

Second, countries should be partners of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Wang said. Only when one country values the security of others and safeguards the security of all can it really achieve its own security. A country putting its own security above the security of others and strengthening military blocs can only lead to division in the international community, and make itself less safe, Wang said.

Third, countries should be partners for openness, inclusiveness, and inter-connectivity, Wang said. Country-to-country competition should be fair, it should not be vicious competition or even malicious confrontation, Wang noted, adding that the exclusive policy of "small yard, high fence" runs counter to the trend of the times and is only doomed to failure. 
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Media outlets of BRICS countries were urged on Friday to focus on global development cooperation at the Fifth BRICS Media Forum held in Beijing.

Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the forum and delivered a speech.

Huang said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently made important speeches on strengthening BRICS cooperation and advancing global development. These speeches have drawn a new blueprint for and injected new impetus into BRICS cooperation and development, he added.

Citing the responsibilities and missions entrusted to the BRICS media by the times and the common expectations of people from across the world, Huang called on media outlets of BRICS countries to champion development, focus on global development cooperation, and work together to forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership.

Huang urged efforts to consolidate the foundation of solidarity, promote the pursuit of the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and provide more stabilizing and positive momentum for jointly building a community of security for humanity.

Huang also called for efforts to build a bridge of friendship, carry forward the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, and boost the BRICS cooperation.

Hosted by Xinhua News Agency, the Fifth BRICS Media Forum was themed "Building BRICS Consensus, Promoting Global Development." Nearly 300 representatives from more than 170 media outlets and institutions in 73 countries and regions attended the forum either online or offline. 
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Bali, Indonesia, July 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

BALI, Indonesia, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero have pledged to strengthen coordination and increase cooperation on building the Belt and Road between their countries.

They met Thursday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting held in Bali, Indonesia.

During the meeting, Wang said the solid mutual trust and friendship established between the two heads of state have provided strategic guidance for developing bilateral relations, adding that China appreciates Argentina's adherence to friendliness towards China.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and China is willing to work with Argentina to advance the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road, helping accelerate their respective development and revitalization, Wang said.

Wang said that both sides should take the opportunity of the 2022 Year of China-Argentina Friendship and Cooperation to increase mutual understanding to cement the popular support for bilateral friendship for the sake of bilateral pragmatic cooperation in the next 50 years.

Wang noted that the Chinese side understands and supports Argentina in maintaining its territorial sovereignty and national dignity, and will stand firmly with the Argentine side on issues concerning each other's core interests.

Both as important emerging markets, China and Argentina share extensive consensus and common interests on international and regional affairs, Wang said, adding that China is willing to join efforts with Argentina in practicing true multilateralism, maintaining basic norms governing international relations and safeguarding international fairness and justice.

Argentina and China enjoy a long history of friendship, Cafiero said, noting that the Argentine side admires China's development achievements and appreciates China for its support for Argentina in safeguarding the sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands.

He stressed that Argentina firmly pursues the one-China policy and hopes to enhance the synergy with the Belt and Road Initiative, make better use of the bilateral cooperation mechanism and chart the course for the next 50 years of bilateral cooperation.

Argentina speaks highly of China's important leading role in advancing global development and appreciates China for inviting Argentina to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) leaders' meetings, Cafiero said, voicing his country's readiness to strengthen the synergy with the BRICS mechanism.

He said Argentina appreciates China for taking an objective position on international affairs and appealing for a ceasefire to give peace a chance.

The Argentine side is willing to work with China to strengthen South-South Cooperation, uphold multilateralism and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of emerging markets, Cafiero said.

Both sides exchanged views on China-Latin America cooperation and agreed to boost communication and coordination, so as to help Latin America address the spillover effect of the Ukraine situation.

Wang expressed China's support for Argentina in assuming the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, saying China is ready to join hands with Argentina to build the China-Latin America community with a share future featuring equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and people-centered wellbeing. 
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia is open to peace talks, and the negotiations with Ukraine will get more difficult with time passing by.





The president said the attempts of Western countries to impose a new order on the world are doomed to fail.





The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that Russia's aerospace forces have destroyed temporary deployment points and ammunition depots near the city of Artemovsk in Donetsk.





The ministry also said the United States has spent more than 250 million U.S. dollars on military biological activities in Ukraine since 2005.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
File photo taken on Feb. 10, 2019 shows Shinzo Abe delivering a speech during the annual convention of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Tokyo, Japan. Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe collapsed during a speech in the western city of Nara after apparently being shot on Friday, local media reported. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)

TOKYO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe collapsed and showed no sign of life after being shot on Friday during a speech in the western city of Nara, local media reported.

A gunshot was heard on site and Abe was seen bleeding after he was shot from behind by an unidentified man with a gun, according to the police.

Abe, 67, was rushed to a nearby hospital and showed no vital signs, according to local police.

The police also said they captured the man and were questioning him.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, confirmed that Abe was shot and his condition remained unknown.

The assailant was arrested on the suspicion of attempted murder by the Nara police at the scene, according to local media.

The incident happened as the former leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party was on a tour to Nara as part of campaigning for the House of Councillors election scheduled for on Sunday. 
HONG KONG, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Friday condemned the European Parliament resolution for making malicious allegations and defaming the rule of law in Hong Kong and the national security law in Hong Kong.

The national security law in Hong Kong has stopped chaos and restored order in Hong Kong, ensuring the smooth and continuous implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle and the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, said a spokesman for the HKSAR government.

"We will continue to guard against any acts endangering national security, and will bring any person or entity violating the law to justice regardless of background," the spokesman said.

The spokesman pointed out that the improved electoral system in the HKSAR has expanded the Election Committee membership from 1,200 to 1,500, and the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the HKSAR from 70 seats to 90.

The two bodies have become more representative of Hong Kong society, allowing broader public participation in political processes, the spokesman said, adding that the improved electoral system has also boosted the representativeness of the LegCo of the HKSAR by optimizing the composition of its members.

After the HKSAR's electoral system was improved, the HKSAR's sixth-term chief executive election was successfully held, in strict accordance with the election laws of the HKSAR in an open, fair and honest manner, which is of great significance for Hong Kong to implement the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," the spokesman said.

Noting that keeping political power in the hands of patriots is a political rule commonly practised in the world, the spokesman said no one in any country or region in the world will ever allow political power to fall into the hands of forces or individuals who do not love, or even sell out or betray, their own country.

The development of democracy in the HKSAR must be consistent with its constitutional order as defined under the Constitution and the HKSAR Basic Law and the "one country, two systems" principle, as well as with the political, economic, social, cultural and historical circumstances of the HKSAR, the spokesman said.

Improving the HKSAR's electoral system, ensuring "patriots administering Hong Kong" and safeguarding the overall interests of society are conducive to the stable development of Hong Kong's democracy, the spokesman added. 
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspects a new national smart education platform at the Ministry of Education, July 8, 2022. Sun on Friday stressed efforts in building a national platform for educational public services to further boost the country's high-quality education system. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Friday stressed efforts in building a national platform for educational public services to further boost the country's high-quality education system.

Sun made the remarks while inspecting a new national smart education platform at the Ministry of Education. She urged efforts to enhance digital education, promote the application of information technology in education, and make the platform an important public good.

Noting that the platform connecting 529,000 schools helps narrow the educational gap among different regions and schools, Sun called for further efforts to pool high-quality educational resources, optimize educational public services, improve the quality of education, and promote educational equity. 
UNITED NATIONS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday called on the UN Security Council to terminate the Syrian cross-border delivery as soon as possible.

"The Security Council must come up with a clear timetable for the termination of cross-border delivery as soon as possible, and advance the gradual transition from cross-border relief to a cross-line approach," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said in his explanation of vote on the draft resolutions on extending cross-border humanitarian deliveries to Syria.

"The cross-border humanitarian assistance mechanism is a temporary arrangement based on the special situation in Syria," he said. "The specific duration of the council's extension of the mandate should leave room for the necessary flexibility for the council to make timely assessment and adjustments."

Speaking about the humanitarian situation in Syria, Zhang said that the situation "continues to face challenges."

"China always supports the UN and the international community in carrying out humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality, and impartiality," he said. "China is also actively providing various types of assistance to Syria through various channels, playing a constructive role in improving the local humanitarian situation and overcoming the difficulties in its economy and people's livelihood."

Referring to China's stance on resolving the humanitarian issue in the war-torn country, the envoy said that "we must fully respect the sovereignty of Syria and the ownership of the Syrian Government, and cross-line relief should become the main channel for humanitarian assistance in Syria."

"The Security Council must put forward specific requirements on improving the efficiency and scale of cross-line relief, and push all parties to strengthen relevant capacity building, effectively ensure the safety of relief channels, and support the work of international humanitarian agencies," Zhang added.

Turning to the early recovery projects, the ambassador said that they can bring self-generated impetus to the recovery and development of the Syrian economy.

Under the current situation, it is necessary to increase input in a targeted manner, and relevant donors should give priority to providing unconditional and sufficient financial support for this, so that more projects can be implemented as soon as possible. The council must make tangible efforts to this end, he said.

Talking about unilateral sanctions, the envoy said that such sanctions "have greatly weakened the Syrian Government's ability to raise resources and carry out reconstruction, which is the most important obstacle to improving the humanitarian situation in Syria."

"China once again urges relevant countries to immediately and comprehensively lift unilateral sanctions against Syria to provide maximum convenience for humanitarian activities in Syria. The Security Council should make a clear request in this regard," he noted.

The mandate of Security Council Resolution 2585 expires on Sunday. Zhang called on all parties not to give up, to continue the consultations, and increase mutual trust, demonstrate greater flexibility, and find a practical solution for the arrangements after the mandate expires.

On the two resolutions put to vote earlier in the day, China abstained from voting on the first one, and voted in favor of the second. 
HONG KONG, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has strongly disapproved and firmly rejected the Hong Kong-related resolution adopted by the European Parliament.

The resolution slandered Hong Kong police's legitimate law enforcement actions, waded into Hong Kong's rule of law, and clamored for sanctions against SAR government officials, said a spokesperson for the office on Thursday.

The spokesperson noted that the resolution seriously violated the principles of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and interfered in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs, which is doomed to be futile and cannot stop the historical trend of Hong Kong becoming more prosperous.

The spokesperson said that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law where laws must be observed and lawbreakers held accountable.

Relevant personnel are suspected of colluding with foreign countries or overseas forces to endanger national security, and the law enforcement action taken by the SAR police against them is an action of justice to safeguard national security and the rule of law in Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.

Trying to whitewash the suspects, the resolution of the European Parliament once again revealed some European politicians' dark mentality of not wanting to see a stable and well-governed Hong Kong and fully exposed their same sinister stance with anti-China, destabilizing forces in Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson pointed out that Hong Kong is in a new stage of moving from chaos to stability and then to greater prosperity.

However, the European Parliament turned a blind eye to the mainstream public opinion of Hong Kong residents seeking stability and development, and kept mute on its own problems of refugee, racial discrimination and the chasm between the rich and the poor, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson stressed that the Chinese government is fully determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, to fully and accurately implement the principle of "one country, two systems," and to oppose external interference in Hong Kong affairs.

No pressure and sanctions can hinder Hong Kong from rectifying chaos, block the bright future of "one country, two systems" or stop the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added the resolution of the European Parliament is just a piece of waste paper, and if the European side "wields the sanction stick," it will only shoot itself in the foot, and will be opposed by all the 1.4 billion Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots. 
WINDHOEK, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has managed to collar 29 desert-adapted lions, consisting of 16 males and 13 females from 2021 to date, in a move to curb human-lion conflict, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said on Friday.

Muyunda told Xinhua that the collaring exercises have mainly targeted the northwest regions of Kunene and parts of Erongo where conflicts are high.

"The ministry is engaged in a collaring exercise of lions. It is one of the ongoing activities of the ministry. The collars are to provide a scientific basis that informs decision-makers of the management of lions. They help to monitor their trends and movements, allowing communities to be warned of potential human-wildlife conflict (HWC)," he said.

Muyunda said with the collars, the ministry has managed to monitor the movements of lions which helps lion rangers and officials of the ministry to push and move animals from conflict areas, adding that early warnings are also given to communities and farmers to mitigate HWC.

Namibia's lion population continues to grow steadily and 2020 statistics from the ministry indicate the wildcats' population stands at approximately 800 countrywide.

This year, the ministry decided to put down a male lion, approximately eight to 10 years old, which had been threatening communities in the Sesfontein and Puros areas. 
LAGOS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- At least three civilians were killed and one other abducted when unknown gunmen raided a village in Nigeria's northeast state of Adamawa on Wednesday, an official said Thursday.

In a statement released in Yola, the state capital, Ahmadu Fintiri, the governor of Adamawa, said the gunmen shot dead in the attack a cleric and two of his sons while took away his 13-year-old daughter from their home at the village of Njairi in the Mubi area of the state on Wednesday.

The governor condemned the attack, and described it as shocking and barbaric.

"The perpetrators of this heinous act must be brought to justice, " Fintiri said, urging security agencies to scale up intelligence and fish out attackers.

The most populous African country has seen a series of armed attacks in recent months, leading to the deaths of security operatives and civilians. 
Photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows stamps exhibited at the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The old-style, palace-like building of the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in the heart of downtown Cairo is home to thousands of items recounting the country's postal history from the times of ancient Egypt until the modern Egyptian mail service established in the 19th century.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The old-style, palace-like building of the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in the heart of downtown Cairo is home to thousands of items recounting the country's postal history from the times of ancient Egypt until the modern Egyptian mail service established in the 19th century.

When the museum was officially inaugurated by King Farouk of Egypt in 1940, it was only one hall and a passage with 1,250 exhibited items in this very same building of Egypt's first postal authority, which was established in 1865. But today after its renovation and development over the past three years, the museum has been expanded to include 15 halls with more than 3,000 items.

The whole building dedicated to the museum is now run by the National Postal Authority (Egypt Post), which belongs to the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

"We set a plan in 2019 to develop the Egyptian National Postal Authority as a whole. The development of the iconic post office building was part of the development plan," said Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat.

"We renovated the museum and increased its items, unveiling unique old items from the storehouses, restoring them and exhibiting them in the museum," the minister told Xinhua on Thursday, a day after the renovated museum was inaugurated by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

Once a visitor reaches the first floor of the museum, they encounter a bust of Egypt's ruler Khedive Ismail, who bought Posta Europea, an Italian company operating in Egypt then, and established Egypt's first postal authority in 1865.

Each hall of the museum tells a story of the development of Egypt's postal history and philately. There is a wide range of exhibits: a mummified carrier pigeon, ancient writing tools that date back to the pharaonic era, postage stamps and mailboxes from the 19th century, and postmen's uniforms.

"Among the most important items in the museum are the first editions of Egyptian postage stamps, because this is the pride of every country. The first Egyptian stamps were issued in the 1866 and they were the first to be issued in Africa and the Arab world," said Heba Barakat, adviser to the head of Egypt's postal authority for museum affairs.

The museum also has an exhibition hall showing postage stamps from different parts of the world gifted to Egypt during the Universal Postal Union's 10th Conference hosted by the North African country in 1934.

It displays old postage stamps from almost all countries of the world including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Ireland, Turkey, Morocco, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Philippines, and China.

Speaking of China, Barakat said the Egyptian Postal Museum eyes cooperation with its Chinese counterpart, the China National Post and Postage Stamp Museum in Beijing.

"We're planning fruitful cooperation with the Chinese side to know more about each other's cultures and share the history of our postal services and stamps," the postal authority's adviser told Xinhua, adding Egypt Post has been in touch with the Egyptian ambassador to China for future arrangements. 

Photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows stamp seals exhibited at the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The old-style, palace-like building of the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in the heart of downtown Cairo is home to thousands of items recounting the country's postal history from the times of ancient Egypt until the modern Egyptian mail service established in the 19th century.(Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A visitor takes photo of a letter box exhibited at the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in Cairo, Egypt, July 7, 2022. The old-style, palace-like building of the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in the heart of downtown Cairo is home to thousands of items recounting the country's postal history from the times of ancient Egypt until the modern Egyptian mail service established in the 19th century. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows stamps exhibited at the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in Cairo, Egypt. The old-style, palace-like building of the renovated Egyptian Postal Museum in the heart of downtown Cairo is home to thousands of items recounting the country's postal history from the times of ancient Egypt until the modern Egyptian mail service established in the 19th century. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
ADDIS ABABA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- More than 2.93 million children across Ethiopia remain out of school due to a combination of conflict and drought, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) disclosed on Friday.

In the latest Ethiopia Situation Report, UNOCHA said 2.53 million children drop out of school due to conflict and 401,000 children are out of school because of drought.

The UNOCHA report also stated about 85 percent of schools in Ethiopia's Tigray region need desks and blackboards, as well as 4,400 schools in parts of Ethiopia's Afar and Amhara regions.

The report further stated school feeding programs for more than one million primary school children have been impacted by school closures.

"Generally, high humanitarian needs are likely to continue well into 2023 due to expanding drought and increased violence," the UNOCHA report disclosed.

The UNOCHA report also disclosed that 20 million people in Ethiopia, including 13 million people in northern Ethiopia have been identified to be food insecure and in need of food assistance.

In some areas of Ethiopia, drought is also compounded with violence, including in the southern Oromia region due to conflict and in the Somali region due to inter-communal conflicts, exacerbating previous humanitarian needs and hindering access to hundreds of thousands of people in need of assistance, according to the UNOCHA. 
TUNIS, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Friday that errors were found in the country's new draft constitution, which will be presented on July 25 to a referendum.

In his speech on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, one of the most important festivals for Muslims also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, Saied said some errors had been detected in the draft's form and structure.

The president did not give any details on the errors.

"The draft of the new constitution will be subject to certain corrections, in order to avoid any misinterpretations or even false understanding," said Saied, adding the draft will be issued after correction.

The draft constitution, published in the Journal of the Republic of Tunisia on June 30, comprises 10 chapters and 142 articles. 
PHNOM PENH, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia said on Friday it will lift quarantine requirements for unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated inbound travelers, but require them to undergo a rapid antigen test upon their arrivals.

The decision will take effect from July 11, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement.

"If the rapid antigen test's result is negative, he/she will be allowed to travel to their respective houses or destinations without observing quarantine obligations," Bunheng said.

"If the test's result turns out to be positive, but the patient has mild symptoms, he/she will be allowed to undergo treatment at home with self-isolation," he added.

For positive patients with severe symptoms, however, they must seek medical treatment at licensed COVID-19 hospitals, the minister said.

According to Bunheng, an unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated foreign traveler is required to pay 5 U.S. dollars for a rapid antigen test.

He also encouraged unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated inbound travelers to receive COVID-19 vaccines for free-of-charge at any vaccination site across the country.

Buoyed by its high vaccinations, Cambodia has resumed all socioeconomic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since November last year.

To date, the Southeast Asian nation has administered COVID-19 vaccines to almost 15.1 million people, or 94.3 percent of the population, the Health Ministry said. 
BALI, Indonesia, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers on Friday called on the urgency to strengthen multiculturalism and ensure that the global food supply chain is restored.

Holding the G20 rotating presidency, Indonesia hosted the two-day foreign ministers' meeting, which served as a forum to discuss global recovery efforts, in the resort island of Bali.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at a press conference after the meeting that participants agreed that multiculturalism remains the best way to resolve global challenges and there is an urgent need to strengthen multiculturalism.

Political will and global collaboration are critical to ensure multilateralism delivers, she said, adding that multilateralism benefits all countries.

Indonesia's top diplomat said all participants were concerned about soaring prices of food and energy, and reiterated that the current crisis, including issues related to their accessibility, affordability, and sustainability, will continue to hinder global recovery.

She said developing countries will be the most affected, particularly low-income countries and small island developing countries.

Therefore, there is an urgency to address global food supply chain disruption, the minister said.

This year's G20 foreign ministers meeting is themed "Building a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous world together." 
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and 40 others feared missing Friday after a cloudburst hit near a Hindu cave shrine in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

"Cloudburst occurred at lower Amarnath cave at around 5:30 p.m. local time," a disaster management official said. "Three community kitchens have been washed away due to heavy flow of water near the shrine."

According to National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director-General Atul Karwal, 10 casualties have been reported.

"One NDRF team is always deployed near the holy cave, it immediately engaged in the rescue work. One more team has been deployed and another is on its way. 10 casualties were reported so far and three rescued alive," Karwal was quoted by local media as saying.

Reports said the injured were being airlifted for treatment.

An annual pilgrimage to the Hindu cave shrine of Amarnath perched high in the Himalayas, located 3,888 meters above sea level, began last week.

Two trek routes lead to the shrine, one from Baltal about 110 km north of Srinagar city, the region's summer capital, while another one from Pahalgam about 100 km south of Srinagar.

The cave houses the ice stalagmite, referred by Hindus as Shiv Lingam (the phallus of Lord Shiva).

During the beginning of the pilgrimage, the ice stalagmite stands 4.6 meters high, following which it starts melting owing to the high influx of pilgrims inside the cave.

The Authorities have set up bunkers and parked scores of bullet-proof bunkers along the pilgrimage right from Jammu to the shrine as part of heightened security cover to ensure the pilgrimage is carried out without any hindrance. 
SOFIA, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's largest parliamentary force, the centrist "We Continue the Change" (PP) electoral alliance, on Friday formally abandoned efforts to form a new government after it failed to secure a parliamentary majority.

Assen Vassilev, the coalition's nominee for prime minister, returned the exploratory mandate to Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, telling him that "unfortunately, we have not been able to gather enough support in order to implement the policies that a future government would like to be able to."

"So, we return the mandate unfulfilled," Vassilev said. He is a co-leader of the PP party, which holds 67 seats in the 240-member Parliament.

Radev, who mandated Vassilev with the task last Friday, said that he now planned to hand over the mandate to the center-right GERB-UDF (Union of Democratic Forces), the second largest parliamentary group holding 59 seats.

According to the Bulgarian Constitution, if the new prime minister-designate also fails to form a government, the third and last exploratory mandate should be given to one of the other parliamentary groups.

If an agreement on the formation of a government still cannot be reached, Radev will schedule new parliamentary elections.

The government led by Kiril Petkov was ousted by a no-confidence vote on June 22, two weeks after the "There Is Such a People" (ITN) party, one of the four partners in the ruling coalition, withdrew its support.

Petkov's government was elected last December after three parliamentary elections within eight months. 
MOSCOW, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States has spent more than 250 million U.S. dollars on military biological activities in Ukraine since 2005, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The ministry has been studying the work of U.S.-funded biological weapons programs in Ukraine and other regions, and has recently obtained a report on the activities of the Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) from 2005 to 2016, Igor Kirillov, chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, said during a briefing.

The report positively assessed the activities of the DTRA, namely the fact that the organization was able to transfer a national collection of microorganisms from Ukraine to the United States, conduct biological assessments, and implement projects aimed at studying particularly dangerous and economically significant infections that could worsen the epidemiological situation, Kirillov said.

The report also contained ambiguous data on the sponsors and executors of the Biological Threat Reduction Program in Ukraine. The activities of the sponsors of the program, such as the Soros Foundation, were not related to biosecurity issues.

"This confirms that the activities of the Pentagon in Ukraine are just a front for illegal military and biological research," Kirillov said.

Ukraine and other post-Soviet states have become "a testing ground" for biological weapons for the United States and its NATO allies, according to Kirillov. 
A group of families from Myanmar gathered in their compound to celebrate the start of the rainy season as a thunderstorm rolled through a border town in Thailand. Children ran around until their clothes were soaked, while men chewed betel and drank tea from the veranda. A woman in a sarong brought out shampoo and washed her hair. It was a brief respite for the families, who are all refugees, though they appreciated the time away from the oppressive heat.

They come from incredibly diverse backgrounds, including politicians, community organisers, civil servants who refused to serve under the military regime, and regular citizens who were drawn into the pro-democracy movement. Their stories are similar in that they all fled their homes after the military coup in February of last year, entered Thailand illegally, and then made a request for humanitarian aid from the UNHCR.

There is no set time frame for the resettlement screening procedure, and some of the families Al Jazeera spoke to said that they started the procedure more than a year ago. Due to their undocumented status, they hardly ever leave the boundaries of their compound while they wait.

Since gaining government control in Myanmar 17 months ago, the military has attempted to quell dissent and crush widespread opposition to his regime. While the military reacted to the growing armed resistance movement by attacking adversaries with bombing and cannon firing, police shot and killed hundreds of non-violent protesters.

According to a UN monthly humanitarian update released in June, 40,000 people crossed into India and 758,000 people have left their homes since the coup. Nearly 800,000 people have fled their homes overall.

The situation has worsened since the last week of June, when heavy fighting broke out near the Thai border between the military and armed resistance groups. Myanmar military forces have repeatedly attacked the area from the air, killing civilians and fighters.

Rights organisations like Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights have claimed that Thai officials have occasionally forced back and blocked refugees from Myanmar from crossing the border the Thai government has refuted these claims.
The spread of coronavirus infection has resurfaced in Nepal. The infection was confirmed in 113 people on Wednesday, and it was the highest in the past four months, sparking fears of the fourth wave of the Covid crisis in the country.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 112 people were infected previously on March 10, 2021. Since then, the number of infected people had been steadily declining, until now.

A new subvariant of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has been considered more contagious till now, has been named Omicron BA.5. As it has been recently detected in Nepal also, apparently, the subvariant BA.5 has been responsible for doubling the daily infection rate in recent weeks.

Currently, the number of infected people found at the entry points of Nepal and India has been increasing. The director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Dr Chuman Lal Das explains, Covid cases seem to be on the rise in Nepal as well. The number of infected people is increasing at the Nepal-India entry points. The subvariant BA.5 of Omicron is increasing the infection. This is an early sign that the fourth wave might be prevalent soon.

He adds the increasing number of infected people in India indicates that it will spread easily in Nepal as well.

The new subvariant and uncertainties

Omicrons subvariant BA.5 has sparked fears about the Covid fourth wave in Nepal.

According to public health experts, Omicrons new subvariant BA.5 is the most contagious variant as of now, which has the ability to transmit infections at a high speed and cause the fourth wave.

Virologist Dr Sher Bahadur Pun of the Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Kathmandu says, There are high chances that even vaccinated people could get infected, resulting in another fourth wave of the infection. Though it transmits at a high speed, according to the research done in different countries, the number of people infected from it being admitted to hospitals is low.

According to the statistics of different countries, patients hospitalisation and death rates due to the subvariant BA.5 are less than those with the previous variants. But, due to Omicrons converted genes spike protein, there are chances that its infection might spread in a short time, says Dr Prabhat Adhikari, infectious disease and critical care consultant.

Another infectious disease specialist Dr Anup Subedee adds, There has not been any study on how dangerous this variant might be. The new variant has been declared a variant of concern by the World Health Organization.

The Omicron subvariant BA.5 exhibits different symptoms from other variants, according to numerous research works. Additionally, infected individuals experience increased head and neck pain, impaired thinking, depression, and difficulties walking in the light.

Hopes and fears

File: A senior citizen is vaccinated against Covid.

Studies so far have found that Omicron has a 13 R-naught (R 0 ) value whereas its subvariant BA.5 has an 18 R 0 value. According to the experts, the R 0 value means the ability to transmit infections to as many people as numbered. It, hence, means that the new subvariant can infect the disease among more people, more quickly. So, is it the fourth wave?

Measles was the most contagious virus till now. However, the new subvariant of Omicron, BA.5, is seen as the most contagious now. This may indicate the rise of the airborne infection wave, explains Dr Subedee.

According to the latest figures from the UK, hospital admissions have risen by 30 per cent. Dr Subedee adds, Many people died when the Delta variant spread in Nepal. However, Omicron was not more lethal. Its been a year since the third wave. Thats why were more at risk (of the fourth wave) than during the time of Omicron.

Likewise, public health expert Kedar Baral says, Changes have been found in Omicrons spike protein. And, its been a long time since weve taken the second dose of the vaccine. Due to this factor, the immune system of Nepalis is declining and new subvariants are rising. This indicates the chances of the fourth wave.

Hence, Dr Samir Adhikari, the assistant spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, argues that with the change, individuals should be more alert to upholding public health norms so as to save themselves during the possible fourth wave.

Concerns have been expressed that as the Omicron infection develops, it will become more challenging. In light of this, the Health Ministry is acting to improve monitoring, give immunisations top priority, and oversee hospitals, according to Dr Adhikari.

This story was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for clarity and length.
Este miercoles 6 de julio comenzo oficialmente la campana para el plebiscito del proximo 4 de septiembre sobre la propuesta de la nueva Constitucion chilena. El pais esta dividido entre quienes anhelan cambios sociales y quienes desconfian de la propuesta constitucional. Sin embargo, el rechazo aventaja segun las encuestas.

Dos meses tienen los chilenos para estudiar y debatir los 388 articulos que contiene el borrador de la nueva Constitucion del pais antes de ir a las urnas. El texto, que marcaria el comienzo de cambios fundamentales en el pais, describe a Chile, en su primer articulo, como un "Estado social y democratico", asi como "plurinacional, intercultural y ecologico".

Los ciudadanos tendran la ultima palabra con su voto el 4 de septiembre, dia en el que decidiran si aprueban sustituir la actual Carta fundamental, legado de la dictadura de Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), o si prefieren otra via para el cambio.

La sesion final de la Convencion Constitucional -paritaria e integrada por 154 representantes electos, en su mayoria independientes progresistas e incluyendo escanos indigenas-, contiene 388 articulos, 259 mas que la actual, considerada por muchos como el origen de las desigualdades por su corte neoliberal y por favorecer la privatizacion de servicios basicos.

El organo constituyente entrego uno de los ejemplares al presidente, Gabriel Boric, y se disolvio tras un ano de trabajo. El proceso se abrio en octubre 2020 tras el respaldo de casi el 80% de los ciudadanos en un plebiscito historico, como una salida para desarticular la ola de protestas contra la desigualdad de 2019, las mas graves desde el fin de la dictadura que dejaron una treintena de victimas mortales y miles de heridos.

"Hay algo en lo que todos y todas tenemos que estar orgullosos: que en el momento de la crisis mas profunda politica, institucional y social que ha vivido nuestra patria en decadas, los chilenos y chilenas optamos por mas democracia y no por menos", indico el mandatario.

Leer mas

"Este proyecto de Constitucion y el plebiscito no deben ser un juicio al Gobierno, es el debate sobre el futuro y destino de Chile para las proximas cuatro o cinco decadas", senalo Boric, que no puede hacer campana a favor de ninguna opcion, pero invito a debatir sobre "los alcances del texto, mas no sobre falsedades, distorsiones o interpretaciones catastroficas ajenas a la realidad".

El Gobierno ha creado el sitio web www.gob.cl/chilevotainformado/ para que la ciudadania lea y descargue la propuesta de la nueva Constitucion.

Que contiene la propuesta de la nueva Constitucion?

En sus 388 articulos, la propuesta consagra derechos sociales como un nuevo sistema de salud publica y universal, educacion gratuita, mejores pensiones y acceso a la vivienda y al agua.

Ademas, el derecho a la interrupcion voluntaria del embarazo (que por ahora solo se permite por tres causales), el caracter plurinacional del Estado (en el que conviven varias naciones indigenas), mayor autonomia para los pueblos originarios (el documento reconoce 11 grupos indigenas que representan el 12,8% de los 19 millones de habitantes) y un proceso para devolver tierras a los pueblos indigenas.

Tambien la paridad de genero en los poderes Ejecutivo (en todos sus niveles), Legislativo y Judicial con igual remuneracion entre hombres y mujeres.

Igualmente, contiene la controversial eliminacion del Senado argumentando que el poder Legislativo estara integrado por el Congreso de Diputados y una Camara de las Regiones que sustituiria a la de Senadores. Y propone la reeleccion presidencial inmediata o posterior solo en una ocasion, algo que no permite la actual Constitucion.

Tambien contempla derechos ambientales, de los animales y la naturaleza.

"Esta propuesta constitucional que hoy (lunes, 4 de julio) entregamos esta llamada a convertirse en la base del pais mas justo con el que todas y todos sonamos", afirmo la presidenta del organo constituyente, Maria Elisa Quinteros.

Para unos, la nueva Constitucion es una "oportunidad historica"

Amnistia Internacional (AI) comenzo tambien este miercoles su propia campana. La Organizacion esta a favor de aprobar la propuesta de nueva Constitucion chilena.

"En septiembre nos enfrentaremos a dos opciones que van a determinar el futuro de las actuales y futuras generaciones. Por un lado, la ciudadania podra aprobar y abrir la puerta a una Constitucion que favorece la igualdad de derechos, o bien rechazar y quedarse con la actual que ha demostrado que favorece a unos por sobre otros", afirmo el director ejecutivo de AI Chile, Rodrigo Bustos.

Segun la organizacion internacional, el texto vigente "no incluye determinados derechos que son vitales, como, por ejemplo, el derecho a la vivienda, al agua, a la alimentacion, o los considera, pero de manera muy deficiente, como ocurre con el derecho a la salud y la seguridad social".

Por su parte, la directora para las America de AI, Erika Guevara, senalo que "los ojos del mundo estan sobre Chile. La poblacion tiene una oportunidad historica para corregir el camino de desigualdades e injusticias de muchas decadas, y consagrar los derechos humanos en una nueva Constitucion representativa e inclusiva, como primer paso para construir un pais mas justo y libre para todas las personas".

Para otros, la nueva Constitucion esta "lejos de convocar una mayoria"

El expresidente chileno, Ricardo Lagos (2000-2006), en cuyo mandato se hizo una gran reforma constitucional que llevo a la democratizacion de la eleccion de senadores y la subordinacion total del Ejercito al Gobierno, ha dicho que el pais se merece una constitucion que suscite consenso" y aseguro que ni la propuesta que ira a plebiscito, ni la actual Constitucion estan en condiciones de lograrlo.

El exmandatario socialdemocrata indico, ademas, que el proceso constituyente en el que hoy estamos embarcados no terminara el 5 de septiembre, al dia siguiente de que sepamos el resultado del plebiscito de salida, porque las dos alternativas en juego estan lejos de convocar a la gran mayoria ciudadana".

En caso de que gane el rechazo, Lagos argumenta que "habria que rebajar el quorum para reformas constitucionales" o "poner termino a los vestigios de Estado subsidiario que permanecen en la carta fundamental actual y consagrar el Estado social y democratico de derecho". De imponerse la aprobacion, en cambio, Lagos sostiene que habra que "revisar a fondo el rol del presidente de la Republica y del llamado bicameralismo asimetrico" o "corregir el diseno del Estado Regional".

Que se espera de los resultados del plebiscito del 4 de septiembre?

Mas de tres cuartas partes de los votantes chilenos en un referendo de 2020 pidieron una nueva Constitucion, pero la entrega del proyecto llega en un momento en el que los ciudadanos parecen estar cada vez mas escepticos respecto al trabajo de la Convencion.

A principio de ano, las encuestas indicaban una clara mayoria con la intencion de votar a favor de la nueva Constitucion, pero desde abril los sondeos han encontrado un marcado cambio de opinion.

Segun la ultima encuesta de la consultora privada Cadem del pasado fin de semana, recogida por la agencia EFE, un 51% es favorable a rechazar el texto, frente a un 34% que lo aprobaria. La derecha chilena votara en contra de la propuesta al encontrarla "radical", mientras que la izquierda se inclina por darle luz verde.

"El 4 de septiembre los chilenos podran elegir entre dos visiones: la que se impuso a sangre y fuego en los 80 y otro modelo que trae muchos derechos", senalo a la agencia EFE el convencional progresista, Daniel Stingo.

Mientras, un grupo de convencionales de derecha publicaron una carta en la que reafirman su intencion de votar en contra del texto y denuncian que este fue escrito por "una izquierda atrincherada en su ideologia radical".

Si el proyecto es rechazado en el plebiscito, la Constitucion actual permanecera vigente, aunque haya un amplio acuerdo en que el pais necesita una nueva Carta Magna. Y si el documento es aprobado, se pondra en marcha un proceso que tomara anos para convertirse en una realidad. El Congreso tendria que aprobar nuevas leyes para implementar sus requisitos.

Con EFE y AP
(Updates with imposition of curfew)

By Uditha Jayasinghe

COLOMBO, July 8 (Reuters) - Police in Sri Lanka's commercial capital Colombo imposed a curfew after firing tear gas and using a water cannon on student protesters on Friday ahead of a planned weekend rally, as public discontent escalates over the worst economic crisis in seven decades.

The island nation has been crippled by a shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, food and medicine. Its 22 million people have been bearing the brunt of record inflation, currency depreciation and rolling power cuts for months.

Many blame President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the swift slide in living conditions, the worst since independence in 1948, which has sparked widespread protests that have sometimes turned violent.

"People are dying in fuel queues and can barely manage three meals a day. This is what the president and his government have done to this country," said Wasantha Mudalige, a member of the Inter University Students' Federation that organised a march to the president's house on Friday.

"We will not give up until this president and prime minister go home," Mudalige said, referring to Ranil Wickremesinghe who was appointed as prime minister in May to replace Rajapaksa's elder brother after he stepped down.

In a statement, Rajapaksa said the public were being misled and said essential supplies were scheduled to be delivered soon.

"At a time when successful solutions have been achieved to the existing problematic situation, the programme of the opposition political groups to mislead the people is very sad and unpleasant," the statement said. "This will lead to set the country back once again."

The students will stage a sit-in overnight, with other protesters including healthcare workers, clergy, trade unions and opposition supporters joining them on Saturday, organisers said.

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Starting 9 p.m. local time (1530 GMT) on Friday, a curfew will be imposed in Colombo and several suburbs, police said in a statement. It did not say when restrictions will be lifted.

"People living in the areas under curfew should remain at home. Breaking of police curfew will be seen as a disruption of public order and strict legal action will be taken," a police notice said.

Security was tightened in Colombo with about 3,000 police and paramilitary deployed, along with reinforced barricades around major public buildings, police spokesperson Nalin Thalduwa said.

A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said there were concerns over Saturday's protest turning violent.

"With security forces we have seen the use of lethal weapons in protests. This is why we are putting out this preventive call because we are very concerned about what might happen tomorrow," Ravina Shamdasani told reporters.

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung called for the military and police to allow peaceful protests.

"Violence is not an answer... Chaos & force will not fix the economy or bring the political stability that Sri Lankans need right now," she said in a tweet.

Political instability could potentially undermine Sri Lanka's ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a potential $3 billion bailout.

The country hopes to submit a debt restructuring plan to the global lender by August and raise additional funding via a donor conference after reaching a staff level agreement.

(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe, Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal)
JOHANNESBURG, July 7 (Reuters) - Africa's top public health body said on Thursday it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Pfizer to receive supplies of the Paxlovid pill to treat COVID-19.

"We have signed the MOU with Pfizer and we are going to be able to make that particular treatment available to African countries," said Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. (Reporting by Anait Miridzhanian and James Macharia Chege Editing by Estelle Shirbon)
The Biggest and Best Sale of Year starts July 15. Nordy Club members can shop Early Access on July 14

TORONTO, July 8, 2022 /CNW/ -- It's time for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! Nordstrom is bringing the happy and kicking off their highly anticipated and biggest shopping event of the year on July 15. Customers can shop this one-of-a-kind sale offering brand-new arrivals from the best brands for women's, men's, children, beauty, and home on sale for a limited time until prices go back up on August 1. It's time to treat yourself, your wardrobe and your home to a happy refresh with the best products from the Anniversary Sale. Nordy Club Ambassadors can shop Early Access on July 14 (see more information below and on nordstrom.ca/anniversary ). The best deals go fast, so get ready to shop your favourites before they sell out!

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9057552-nordstrom-canada-2022-anniversary-sale/

"What makes the Anniversary Sale so special is that literally generations of customers have planned their summers around it," said Jamie Nordstrom, Chief Stores Officer at Nordstrom, Inc. "The sale is unique as it features brand-new merchandise at a discount. We're looking forward to providing customers with a one-of-a-kind shopping experience they can only find at Nordstrom."

SHOP 25+ NEW BRANDS AND ALL YOUR FAVOURITE TRENDS

The Anniversary Sale features more than 25 new brands along with incredible styles from top brands and customer favourites like summer trends, fall must-haves and looks for back-to-school. Get your summery dress fix from brands like Frame, Free People and Veronica Beard, as well as separates from Topshop, Open Edit, Naked Wardrobe, Wayf and more. Shop fall suiting, back-to-school, sweaters, and denim from brands like AllSaints, Club Monaco, Nanushka, Vince, Good American and Treasure & Bond. Don't forget to accessorize with great shoes, handbags and jewelry from Cult Gaia, UGG, Bony Levy, Steve Madden, BP., Vince Camuto, along with many other great brands.

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The sale is the perfect time to stock up on activewear with amazing deals from brands like Zella, Sweaty Betty, Nike, and Alo. Shop top trends for men with fall jackets from AllSaints, Noize, Save The Duck and Barbour, back-to-work separates and denim from Hugo Boss, Rag & Bone, Ted Baker London and more. Give your home a refresh with kitchenware from Moccamaster, Fellow and Nordstrom. Style your bedroom or living room with the perfect throw from Barefoot Dreams, UGG, and home fragrances from Voluspa.

Customers can also shop beauty must-haves from Westman Atelier, Charlotte Tilbury, Olaplex, Fresh, Simple Human, Trish McEvoy and more. The Anniversary Sale is the best time for customers to save on duos, sets, jumbo sizes, and candles from brands like La Mer, Nars, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone, Malin+Goetz, Estee Lauder, Kiehl's, Le Labo, Diptyque, Boy Smells, and many more.

PREVIEW STARTS JULY 8

We are committed to serving customers on their terms, and we've enabled several digital touchpoints to create the most convenient and connected experience. Starting July 8, customers can get a sneak peek at all sale merchandise on nordstrom.ca/anniversary and save their favourites to a Wish List, so they can check out faster when it's time to shop. We've updated our Wish List functionality to make it even easier to check out and show recommended similar items if the item you saved is out of stock.

As always, Nordy Club Ambassadors get to shop Early Access on July 14. You can learn more and check your Nordy Club status at nordstrom.ca/browse/nordy-club-ca .

SHOP YOUR WAY

We're here to make it easy for customers to shop the Anniversary Sale on their terms however, whenever and wherever they choose to shop. From discovery to delivery, we are committed to staying close to our customers this Anniversary Sale and delivering the most convenient and connected experience with our services and engaging experiences.

Get Inspired with Free Style Help

Over the past several years, we've developed new ways for customers to engage with our styling services, whether they prefer self-service inspiration or a high-touch, personalized relationship with a Nordstrom stylist. During the Anniversary Sale (and year-round), customers can visit a stylist in store, meet with one virtually, and follow along on social media as our stylists post looks and inspiration. Whether you're looking for exciting outfitting ideas or want one-on-one styling help, our expert stylists are here to make you feel good and look your best.

Get it Faster with Pickup Your Way

During the Sale and year-round, Nordstrom offers customers free in-store or curbside pickup. Just enter your postal code on Nordstrom.ca to see pickup locations, including Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. Plus, customers in the Toronto area can shop an expanded product selection for next day pick up across all Nordstrom stores in the GTA.

Get a Perfect Fit with Alterations and Personalization

We can tailor any item to fit you perfectly. Our on-site alterations experts will make sure you get just the fit you need. Just stop into your nearest store or book an appointment online.

EXPERT PICKS & HOW TO SHOP

IT'S MORE THAN A SALE - IT'S AN EVENT

Come join us in-store and online for fun experiences, shopping, surprises and more. See our full calendar at nordstromrsvp.com/anniversaryevents .

Lunchtime Livestream Shopping Events: July 19 & 26 Tune in for live virtual events featuring curated products, current and upcoming trends, and essentials you can shop during the sale.

Happy Sips & Bites: July 14-31 Join us for a menu of featured drinks and bites at Anniversary Sale prices. Menu selection and hours vary by location. Contact your local Nordstrom restaurant for details.

Glam-Up Days: July 15-31 Join us in stores and online for 17 days of exciting beauty events, free gifts-with-purchase, customized samples and more. Book an in-store appointment with your favourite brand or join us online for one of many virtual experiences. Glam-Up Days events are all day in storesplus, find Beauty Deals in stores and online! And don't forget Nordstrom BEAUTYCYCLE makes it easy for customers to recycle their empty beauty containers in all of our Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores.

Beauty Bash: July 16 Celebrate all things beautyskin care, makeup, and fragrancewith applications, demos, free gifts-with-purchase, beauty deals, customized samples and more. Plus, receive an exclusive beauty tote with your qualifying purchasein stores only, while supply lasts.

ABOUT NORDSTROM

At Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN), we exist to help our customers feel good and look their best. Since starting as a shoe store in 1901, how to best serve customers has been at the center of every decision we make. This heritage of service is the foundation we're building on as we provide convenience and true connection for our customers. Our digital-first platform enables us to serve customers when, where and how they want to shop  whether that's in-store at more than 350 Nordstrom, Nordstrom Local and Nordstrom Rack locations or digitally through our Nordstrom and Rack apps and websites. Through it all, we remain committed to leaving the world better than we found it.

PRESS CONTACT:

Lauren Adey

Nordstrom Public Relations

lauren.adey@nordstrom.com

nordstrom_logo

SOURCE Nordstrom Canada

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View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2022/08/c5418.html
MENLO PARK, Calif., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BillionToOne , Inc., a next-generation molecular diagnostics company with a mission to create powerful and accurate tests that are accessible to all, announces the launch of its first oncology liquid biopsy products, Northstar Select and Northstar Response. The products are currently available for research use with select academic cancer centers.

BillionToOne logo

Northstar Select is a comprehensive pan-cancer somatic mutation profiling panel. Leveraging BillionToOne's proprietary molecular counting technology, or Quantitative Counting Templates  (QCTs), the panel achieves an industry-leading limit of detection for identification of actionable alterations. Northstar Response is a methylation-based, tissue-agnostic treatment response monitoring assay. Using our molecular counting technology, the assay provides absolute quantification of methylated circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) burden. The purpose of the assay, when it becomes clinically available in Q1 2023, will be to enable clinicians to monitor patients' responses to therapies, including in late-stage cancers for which minimal residual disease (MRD) assays may not be as informative or effective. At this year's American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference in April, BillionToOne presented data on its methylation assay showing it can distinguish minute changes in cell-free tumor DNA burden as small as 0.5% vs. 0.55% tumor burden[1].

"We are extremely excited to launch our first liquid biopsy products for research. Similar to our category-altering cell-free DNA-based prenatal test, UNITY Screen , our liquid biopsy products aim to achieve a level of performance and differentiation unmatched in the field. In particular, our QCT technology provides precise tumor burden quantification without needing the tumor tissue. We believe that blood-based treatment response monitoring will revolutionize the way cancers are treated and oncology drugs are developed, and our QCT technology helps position us to be at the forefront of this change. By combining Northstar Select and Northstar Response, we aim to be the one-stop-solution for providers treating any late stage solid tumor cancer patient," said Oguzhan Atay, PhD, co-founder and CEO of BillionToOne.

Dr. Gary Palmer, MD, Medical Director, Oncology, at BillionToOne added, "Scan-based treatment response classification is the gold standard but requires large changes in tumor burden and can be subjective. Results can further be complicated by confounding factors such as pseudoprogression. Current literature suggests that the ctDNA burden is a highly accurate biomarker for tumor burden and may be an earlier indicator of a treatment response[2],[3]. The application of BillionToOne's molecular counting technology into cancer care may provide actionable information that saves unwanted toxicity from ineffective treatments, reduce costs, and substantially improves clinical outcomes."

Having completed its internal analysis of the products on six separate cancer types, BillionToOne has released its research program with academic centers to further substantiate the evidence for these two products.

Today, BillionToOne also announced that it has entered a research collaboration partnership with University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Northstar Select and Northstar Response will be evaluated using late-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient samples.

"I believe BillionToOne's technology has offered an opportunity to provide highly accurate measurements for variant allele fractions through the low coefficient of variation it obtains in ctDNA measurements. This is of tremendous importance in the clinic for therapy selection and for response monitoring for NSCLC patients, as tissue biopsy can be difficult to obtain serially. I look forward to the first readout of the study in the next few months," said Dr. Hatim Husain, MD, Medical Oncologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at UCSD, and the Principal Investigator of the study.

BillionToOne is conducting additional clinical studies with other academic cancer centers on different cancer types and is expected to launch the commercial versions of Northstar Select and Northstar Response for clinical use in Q1 2023.

About BillionToOne



BillionToOne , headquartered in Menlo Park, California, is a molecular diagnostics company with a mission to make molecular diagnostics more accurate, efficient, and accessible for all. The Company's QCT platform can count DNA molecules at the single-count level with single base-pair precision. BillionToOne operates a high-complexity CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory in Menlo Park, California. BillionToOne was co-founded by Oguzhan Atay, Ph.D., and David Tsao, Ph.D. For more information, visit www.billiontoone.com.

CONTACT: media@billiontoone.com

[1] Ye et al., "Novel methylation-based, tissue-free ctDNA assay accurately quantifies longitudinal tumor burden changes for precision treatment monitoring", AACR 2022 Poster #526

[2] Nabet BY, Esfahani MS, Moding EJ, et al. Noninvasive Early Identification of Therapeutic Benefit from Immune Checkpoint Inhibition. Cell. 2020;183(2):363-376.e13

[3] Bratman, S.V., Yang, S.Y.C., Iafolla, M.A.J. et al. Personalized circulating tumor DNA analysis as a predictive biomarker in solid tumor patients treated with pembrolizumab. Nat Cancer 1, 873881 (2020)

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SOURCE BillionToOne
MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. Rudolph Jackson, MD, a pioneering researcher of sickle cell disease in the early years of St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, was honored at St. Jude as supporters and Dr. Jacksons family members attended a June 23 event, which celebrated the more than $2 million raised through the ongoing Dr. Rudolph Jackson Campaign to help advance the mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220707005528/en/

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (July 7, 2022)  Dr. Rudolph Jackson, MD, a pioneering researcher of sickle cell disease in the early years of St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, was honored June 23 at St. Jude. Jacksons daughter, Kelly Alexander and husband Chad Alexander attend the event to help celebrate Jacksons legacy and the more than $2 million raised through the ongoing Dr. Rudolph Jackson Campaign. (Photo: ALSAC/St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital)

To permanently honor Dr. Jackson, two plaques were unveiled at the entrance of the Weiss Hematology Lab in the Danny Thomas Research Center, where Mitchell J. Weiss, MD, PhD and his team research blood disorders such as sickle cell disease.

Major commitments from ABCD & Company, a marketing and events agency in Rockville, Maryland and Speer Charitable Trust earned each organization naming rights on the plaques. ABCD & Company provided the lead gift, which helped launch overall fundraising efforts for this extraordinary campaign. ABCD & Company pledged $500,000 toward the Dr. Jackson campaign and Speer Charitable Trust, which was formed from the estate of long-time St. Jude supporter Dr. R. Wayne Speer, also donated $500,000 as part of a broader 5-year commitment to St. Jude.

Guests also viewed renderings of a biographical mural displaying Dr. Jacksons journey as one of the first Black doctors and prominent early researchers to join St. Jude.

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"It is a beautiful tribute to the lifesaving work of Dr. Jackson," said Reginald Porter, Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. "It will create a meaningful legacy on campus in a place where Dr. Jackson can continue to inspire everyone who sees it from young patients and their families to the researchers of today."

Jacksons considerable impact reached beyond the treatment of sickle cell disease to address anemia, parasitic infections and growth impairments that also threatened children in the 1960s, especially those in low-income households. He helped develop a program under which St. Jude enrolled thousands of local infants and mothers to receive nutritional assistance, medicine and diapers. The program served as a prototype for WIC, the federal initiative for women, infants and children.

Dr. Jacksons daughters, Kimberley Marter and Kelley Alexander, help continue his legacy by joining St. Jude supporters at fundraising events to share stories about their father. Marter recently talked about her fathers outlook on the future of healthcare for African Americans. "It was important for my dad to understand what it was like for all African Americans," said Marter. "He wanted to make sure that other physicians came up with the same type of education and opportunities in other hospitals so that we would have representation all across the world."

"Even after retirement, he was still a mentor to many younger physicians," said Alexander, who attended the unveiling with her family. "He was doing community service and he had this compassion for letting African Americans know they had someone as an advocate for their health. Were very proud of him."

The dedication ceremony aligned with a series of events marking the 60th anniversary of the opening of St. Jude in 1962. To learn more about the history of St. Jude, visit stjude.org.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since the hospital opened in 1962. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220707005528/en/

Contacts

Kurt Rossler

kurt.rossler@alsac.stjude.org

901-297-3512
MILAN  Fabiana Filippi is entering a new era, in the words of co-chief executive officer Mario Filippi Coccetta.

The next steps will see the Italian fashion brand focusing on the U.S. and Chinese markets in the next three years, with the opening of branches in those regions; a new store concept developed by architect Patricia Urquiola first unveiled in a new Milan flagship; the launch of a new logo and branding message, and investments in communication, marketing, industrial production and its online store.

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The company will open a new headquarters and showroom in New Yorks SoHo in October or November to directly control its business in the U.S., further strengthening its wholesale accounts. The U.S., where there are two Fabiana Filippi boutiques, in New York and Dallas, accounts for 10 percent of company sales. In addition to a presence in main department stores, the brand is available at 60 specialty stores in the U.S. and online.

This market is underdeveloped, there is much growth potential and we want to bring it to the level it deserves, said Filippi Coccetta. Headquarters in the U.S. will allow us to be closer and more reactive to the market, responding to the changes, and to forge new and more solid partnerships and collaborations.

The brand is not present in China yet, and a new branch in the country, most likely based in Shanghai, will open in the second half of 2023. In that case, the focus will be on retail first, followed by wholesale. We are beginning to communicate our brand in China to prepare the market, the executive said.

The company has invested in technology and in its e-commerce channel, which has seen a 50 percent increase year-over-year and represents 4 to 5 percent of sales. It should account for 10 percent of the total in three years, Filippi Coccetta said.

The new brand identity, with a new more modern and readable logo, is reflected in the new flagship store that opened in Milans Via Spiga last weekend and that will be officially inaugurated with an event following Fabiana Filippis presentation during Milan Fashion Week on Sept. 22.

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The new Fabiana Filippi flagship store in Milan. - Credit: courtesy of Fabiana Filippi

courtesy of Fabiana Filippi

We liked the idea of a woman interpreting the location for our women customers, he said.

The central region of Umbria, where the company is headquartered, with its beautiful natural landscape, was an inspiration for both the store and the new brand image.

The boutique was conceived as a multifunctional space with a linear minimalism yet multiple organic textures and recycled materials, such as glass debris becoming a new revisited surface.

The boiserie covering the walls has vertical lines that hide the paneling, and the walls are treated with lime wash, a sustainable alternative to paint. The shelves displaying folded garments and accessories are made from recycled glass. The tables are designed in reclaimed steel.

There is a natural progression of rooms and the passageways are marked by wide stainless-steel frames whose angular precision contrasts with round steel columns holding an off-centered self-standing display unit, dividing the main room.

An accessories corner is marked by walls clad in paneling made of a sustainable recycled paper material, inspired by Umbrias stone quarries, to better display the burgeoning category. For fall 2022, Fabiana Filippi developed a stronger handbag and footwear collection designed by accessories veteran Diego Dolcini.

A soft carpet made of recycled yarns covers the floor and the display installation alternates matte and mirrored steel. The walls in the fitting rooms are covered with cement and amber-colored recycled glass.

The new sleek, polished and minimal logo, designed by Studio Cucco, reflects the brands aesthetic evolution in a sans serif Futura-based typeface.

Soft Umbra is the new institutional brand color, in pale gray-green inspired by our territorys morning dew. Next to it lives Zolla, from the clumps of warm clay-colored earth that come to the surface when the land is plowed each season, Filippi Coccetta said. The new logo comes in warm white and matte black. The sustainable packaging and paper lightly textured will feature a Highland embossing. Starting from the fall 2022 season, the new brand identity will be applied to products, labels, store signs, social media channels, the website and all communication tools.

The brand will also launch a series of new mono-thematic capsule collections designed by creative talents that have never worked with us before, so that they will reinterpret our codes, Filippi Coccetta explained.

He admitted the company was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but he expects sales to surpass 2019 levels in 2023, reaching 100 million euros next year.

We turned the negativity into a positive, aware of the future possibilities, optimizing our industrial processes, becoming more efficient, keeping a high level of quality, mapping out new projects that would give a strong signal to the market, investing in our production and we did not fire any of our employees. On the contrary, we hired new resources and strengthened our management organization. We have healthy ambitions, concluded Filippi Coccetta.

A look from the fall 2022 Fabiana Filippi collection. - Credit: courtesy of Fabiana Filippi

courtesy of Fabiana Filippi

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ReportLinker

Fast Fashion Market Research Report by Customer (Children, Men, and Women), Product, Distribution Channel, Region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Fast Fashion Market Research Report by Customer, Product, Distribution Channel, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06169343/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Fast Fashion Market size was estimated at USD 39.09 billion in 2021 and expected to reach USD 41.48 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 6.30% to reach USD 56.42 billion by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Fast Fashion to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Customer, the market was studied across Children, Men, and Women.



Based on Product, the market was studied across Cloth & Apparel and Footwear.



Based on Distribution Channel, the market was studied across Online Portal and Retail Store.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.



This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Fast Fashion market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Fast Fashion Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Fast Fashion Market, including Bershka, Boohoo, Charlotte Russe, Cotton On Group, Esprit Holdings Limited, Fashion Nova, Inc., Forever 21, Gap Inc., Hennes & Mauritz AB, Missguided, New Look Retailers Limited, Primark, Pull&Bear, Punto Fa, S.L., River Island, rue21, Topshop, Uniqlo Co., Ltd., Zaful, and Zara SA.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Fast Fashion Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Fast Fashion Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Fast Fashion Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Fast Fashion Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Fast Fashion Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Fast Fashion Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Fast Fashion Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06169343/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




DUBLIN, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 'Power Management IC Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027' report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Research and Markets Logo

The global power management IC market reached a value of US$ 28.5 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 45.6 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.15% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

A power management integrated circuit (PMIC) refers to an array of combined microchips that are used to manage the flow of energy between transistors and capacitors in electronic devices. It is commonly utilized in battery-operated electronics, including smartphones, portable media players, wearable devices and healthcare equipment.

It performs various operating functions, such as power and battery management, system control, voltage regulation, audio and interface functions and other application-specific tasks. Owing to this, PMIC finds extensive applications across electronics, automotive, computing devices, communication and healthcare industries.

The growing demand for battery-powered consumer devices across the globe is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. Furthermore, the growth of the telecommunication sector and various technological advancements in wireless technology and peripheral devices are other major growth-inducing factors.

The market is also being driven by the growing environmental-consciousness leading to the construction of cities with smart grid systems as their integral part. This is leading to an increasing demand for PMIC systems to manage wired and non-wired connections.

Additionally, rising automation in the automotive industry is contributing significantly to the market growth. Automobile manufacturers utilize PMIC systems to efficiently manage extreme battery voltage fluctuations, extend the battery life and operate security systems. Other factors, including the widespread adoption of energy harvesting systems and the integration of Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) across various industry verticals, are projected to drive the market in the upcoming years.

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Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being Analog Devices, Inc., Dialog Semiconductor PLC, Linear Technology Corporation, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., NXP Semiconductors N.V., On Semiconductor Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, ST Microelectronics International N.V. and Texas Instruments Incorporated.

Key Questions Answered in This Report

1. What is the impact of COVID-19 on the global power management IC market?

2. What was the global power management IC market size in 2021?

3. What are the major global power management IC market drivers?

4. What are the major global power management IC market trends?

5. What will be the global power management IC market outlook during the next five years?

6. What is the global power management IC market breakup by product?

7. What is the global power management IC market breakup by application?

8. What are the major regional markets in the global power management IC industry?

9. Who are the leading players in the global power management IC industry?

Key Topics Covered:

1 Preface

2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends

5 Global Power Management IC Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast

6 Market Breakup by Product

6.1 Linear Regulator ICs

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Switching Regulator ICs

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Voltage Reference ICs

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Power Management ASICs/ASSPs

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Others

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast

7 Market Breakup by Application

7.1 Communication

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Computing Devices

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Consumer Electronics

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Automotive

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Healthcare

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast

7.6 Others

7.6.1 Market Trends

7.6.2 Market Forecast

8 Market Breakup by Region

9 SWOT Analysis

10 Value Chain Analysis

11 Porters Five Forces Analysis

12 Price Indicators

13 Competitive Landscape

13.1 Market Structure

13.2 Key Players

13.3 Profiles of Key Players

13.3.1 Analog Devices Inc.

13.3.1.1 Company Overview

13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.1.3 Financials

13.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.2 Dialog Semiconductor Plc

13.3.2.1 Company Overview

13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.2.3 Financials

13.3.3 Linear Technology Corporation

13.3.3.1 Company Overview

13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4 Maxim Integrated Products Inc.

13.3.4.1 Company Overview

13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.4.3 Financials

13.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.5 NXP Semiconductors N.V.

13.3.5.1 Company Overview

13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.5.3 Financials

13.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.6 On Semiconductor Corporation

13.3.6.1 Company Overview

13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.6.3 Financials

13.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.7 Renesas Electronics Corporation

13.3.7.1 Company Overview

13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.7.3 Financials

13.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.8 ST Microelectronics International N.V.

13.3.8.1 Company Overview

13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.8.3 Financials

13.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

13.3.9 Texas Instruments Incorporated

13.3.9.1 Company Overview

13.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

13.3.9.3 Financials

13.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/594st3

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
This organization in the MRC d'Antoine-Labelle receives $245,500 in financial assistance from CED.

MONT-LAURIER, QC, July 8, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

Supporting innovation and the development of greener products contributes to economic development in Quebec's regions. That is why Stephane Lauzon, Member of Parliament for ArgenteuilLa Petite-Nation and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development, on behalf of the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED, took the opportunity of his visit today to announce a non-repayable contribution of $245,500 for Maison de l'Entrepreneur d'Antoine-Labelle. This CED support will allow the organization to coordinate implementation of actions to develop an industrial cluster focused on forest bioproducts.

Maison de l'Entrepreneur d'Antoine-Labelle was created when a group of economic players came together with the goal of making the MRC d'Antoine-Labelle an innovative entrepreneurial community. The contribution received from CED will make it possible to organize technological, economic and prospecting missions relating to the development of the cluster, to build strategic and collaborative partnerships among industry playersincluding businesses and research centresand to support developers and organizations with regard to project objectives. CED support will specifically be used to cover the professional fees of the project coordinator and innovation consultants.

The Government of Canada recognizes and supports businesses and organizations that are a source of pride in their communities. Quebec's economic recovery relies on organizations with strong roots in the regional economy. They are major contributors to growth, as well as key assets in rebuilding a stronger, more resilient, greener, and more just economy for all.

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Quotes

"Today's announcement is more proof that the Government of Canada is committed to forestry businesses in keeping with our economic recovery plan. By helping SMEs and organizations to become more innovative and competitive and by supporting innovation to allow for the development of greener products, we are preparing for the jobs of tomorrow."

Stephane Lauzon, Member of Parliament for ArgenteuilLa Petite-Nation and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development

"SMEs are central to innovation efforts and supporting their growth is a priority in our government's economic recovery plan. That is why we are proud to contribute to the development of activities organized by Maison de l'Entrepreneur d'Antoine-Labelle, which plays a key role in the economic vitality of the Laurentides region. Our entire economy will benefit from the project's success and resulting spinoffs."

The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Member of Parliament for Brome-Missisquoi, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for CED

"The resilience demonstrated by our entrepreneurial community in facing many challenges in recent years has allowed us to maximize our reflexes to come together and collaborate to make it possible to achieve the greatest ambitions of our local entrepreneurs. The assistance announced today by the Government of Canada once again confirms that we were right to focus on endogenous growth by supporting innovation."

Frederic Houle, Director and spokesperson, Maison de l'Entrepreneur d'Antoine-Labelle

Quick facts

The funds have been granted under CED's Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program. This program targets entrepreneurs leveraging innovation to grow their businesses and enhance their competitiveness, as well as regional economic stakeholders helping to create an entrepreneurial environment conducive to innovation and growth for all, across all regions.

SMEs represent 99.7% of Quebec businesses and contribute to 50% of the province's GDP.

CED is a key federal partner in Quebec's regional economic development. With its 12 regional business offices, CED accompanies businesses, supporting organizations and all regions across Quebec into tomorrow's economy.

Associated links

Stay connected

Follow CED on social media

Consult CED's news

SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

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SUDBURY, ON, July 8, 2022 /CNW/ - Taking action on climate change requires innovative thinking and unique solutions to inspire action among Canadians of all ages.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, along with Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, and Marc G. Serre, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, joined partners for the official opening of Science North's new Climate Action Show, which received $6 million in funding under the Government of Canada's Climate Action and Awareness Fund. This multi-media, immersive theatrical experience is one of the nextgeneration elements of Science North's overall youth outreach project.

Science North is leading a series of high-impact climate action outreach projects to engage the next generation of Canadians on the critical issues of climate change. This includes The Climate Action Show, travelling exhibits, and a climate action digital campaign. Through these projects, Science North will reach two million youth across Canada, improving their understanding of climate change and inspiring action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

To open the new exhibit, Minister Guilbeault was also joined by Jennifer Booth, Science North Interim CEO, Dr. Stephen Kosar, Chair of Science North's Board of Trustees, Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger, and Lisa Demmer, Greater Sudbury Development Corporation Board Chair.

The Climate Action and Awareness Fund is investing in climate change projects for youth across Canada. These projects are engaging and empowering youth to take real climate action in their communities and help Canada meet its target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Quotes

"Unique and empowering experiences such as The Climate Action Show engage the imaginations of youth on the importance of protecting a healthy and prosperous environment now and in the future. This exhibit will present the very real climate challenges we are facing globally and will inspire young Canadians to take action in their communities."

 The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

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"Officially welcoming visitors to The Climate Action Show at Science North is long overdue. I am immensely proud of the work that has gone into the show, and it is sure to entertain and inspire our visitors. Of course, this experience would not be possible without the generous support of Environment and Climate Change Canada, the City of Greater Sudbury, and the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation. Science North is fortunate to have such great supporters that share our passion for delivering climate change education in an interactive and engaging way. I look forward to seeing our visitors enjoying the show for years to come."

 Jennifer Booth, Interim CEO, Science North

"This is an exciting development for the City of Sudburyfamilies across the city now have an engaging resource to help teach their children about climate change. I want to thank everyone for making this launch happen. Our Government places a high priority on fighting climate change and protecting naturethis exhibit is a powerful tool to convey this message to our youth."

 Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury

"This exhibit is a perfect example of what our Government's Climate Action and Awareness Fund was designed to support. This innovative and immersive new experience will engage the minds of Sudbury youth, showing how individuals can be a part of global action to bring about solutions to climate change. I invite people from all around the area to come visit!"

 Marc G. Serre, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt

Quick facts

The Climate Action Show is a unique multimedia installation that combines media technologies, real objects, theatrical effects, and a custom environment to create a memorable, educational, and entertaining experience. Visitors become agents of change and prepare themselves to champion climate change action in their lives and their communities.

The Government of Canada's Environmental Damages Fund provided funding for this project under its Climate Action and Awareness Fund, created in large part using the $196.5million fine paid by Volkswagen for circumventing Canada's environmental protection rules.

The youth awareness and engagement projects funded under the Climate Action and Awareness Fund are addressing knowledge and/or program gaps in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 (CEGEP in Quebec) demographic in Canada. These projects inform and engage youth in science-based activities and learning opportunities to foster a connection with their natural environment and encourage real action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

The Environmental Damages Fund ensures that environmental good follows harm by investing in projects that focus on environmental restoration, environmental quality improvement, research and development, and education and awareness.

Associated links

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

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View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2022/08/c2887.html
ReportLinker

Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market Research Report by Type (Audio, Image/Video, and Text), Vertical, Region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

New York, July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market Research Report by Type, Vertical, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06286939/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market size was estimated at USD 632.12 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 788.06 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 24.92% to reach USD 2,402.67 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Type, the market was studied across Audio, Image/Video, and Text.



Based on Vertical, the market was studied across Automotive, BFSI, Government, Healthcare, IT, and Retail & E-Commerce.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market, including Alegion, Inc., Appen Limited, Centaur Labs, Cogito Tech LLC, DataLabeler Inc., iMerit Inc., INFOLKS Group, Labelbox, Inc., SHAIP.AI DATA (INDIA) LLP, and Snorkel AI, Inc..



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Healthcare Data Collection & Labeling Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06286939/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




New partnership opportunities explored during week-long visit

TOKYO, July 8, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, concluded a visit to Japan, where he met with top business leaders in key sectors to continue promoting Canada as a reliable, stable and attractive investment destination.

Minister Champagne visited Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. He met with industry leaders in the automotive, manufacturing and technology sectors, including the President of Subaru, the Chairman of Honda, and senior executives at Toyota and Nissan. The Minister also met with the CEO of Panasonic Energy, the CEO of Hitachi Energy and the Chairman of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, among others. This was an opportunity for Minister Champagne to highlight Canada as a green supplier of choice, particularly for businesses looking to secure and green their supply chains in the current geopolitical and economic context.

While in Tokyo, Minister Champagne also met with his Japanese counterpart, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hagiuda Koichi. They discussed bilateral and multilateral cooperation opportunities to ensure that new technologies continue to drive innovation and help meet the world's climate goals. Minister Champagne also reiterated Canada's commitment to work with Japan to promote a rules-based economic order in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Minister concluded his week-long visit by participating in a roundtable with members of Keidanren, Japan's Business Federation. He took this opportunity to talk about Canada's goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, including the establishment of a Canadian electric vehicle battery supply chain. He also spoke about new business opportunities in the context of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which gives Japanese companies access to the North American market through Canada.

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"This visit to Japan was a great opportunity to continue to make the case for Canada as one of the best places in the world to do business and invest. Canada looks forward to deepening strategic ties in science and research, and exploring new partnerships that will help achieve a greener economy and provide new market opportunities for Canadian and Japanese businesses. I will continue to work with my international counterparts and industry to attract more investments to Canada that will create well-paying jobs and spur economic growth."

 The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Quick facts

The Government of Canada is committed to attracting private sector investment and working with industries and businesses to help them innovate, grow, create jobs and be competitive in the changing global economy.

Japan is Canada's fourth-largest trading partner and largest source of foreign direct investment from Asia, with 600 Japanese subsidiaries and affiliate companies active in Canada.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently reported that foreign direct investment (FDI) in Canada was up 158% in 2021 (from 2020) and up 162% since 2017, ranking it third as an FDI destination behind the United States and China.

Associated links

Stay connected

Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED.

Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media.

Twitter: @ISED_CA, Facebook: Canadian Innovation, Instagram: @cdninnovation and LinkedIn

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2022/08/c7518.html
A new release from Dave Chappelle titled Whats in a Name? dropped on Netflix Thursday, consisting of a speech in which the comedian addresses the backlash hes faced for transphobic material in his standup.

The 40-minute speech  which was released on Netflix without any prior announcement  took place at Chappelles alma mater, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., during a planned ceremony to rename the schools theater after him. The choice by the school was widely criticized due to Chappelles inclusion of jokes targeting the transgender community  particularly trans women  in his recent projects like 2021 standup special The Closer. Chappelle also had a combative Q&A with Duke Ellington students following the release of the special in November, during which many criticized him for failing to listen to the objections of the LGBTQ community regarding his material.

More from Variety

During the renaming ceremony, Chappelle announced that he decided against having the theater named after him due to the controversy. The Duke Ellington School ultimately named the space the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.

Whats in a Name? captures the speech where Chappelle announced the theaters new name. Chappelle mostly focused on describing his years attending Duke Ellington. However, roughly 30 minutes into the speech, he addresses the prior Q&A at the school, and defends himself from the controversy by claiming those who objected to The Closer werent looking at the specials artistic nuance.

All the kids were screaming and yelling. I remember, I said to the kids, I go, Well, okay, well what do you guys think I did wrong? And a line formed. These kids said everything about gender, and this and that and the other, but they didnt say anything about art, Chappelle said. And this is my biggest gripe with this whole controversy with The Closer: That you cannot report on an artists work and remove artistic nuance from his words. It would be like if you were reading a newspaper and they say, Man Shot in the Face by a Six-Foot Rabbit Expected to Survive, youd be like, Oh my god, and they never tell you its a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

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Chappelle went on to say that the Q&A hurt him, claiming that the students objections to his material were attacking his freedom of artistic expression.

When I heard those talking points coming out of these childrens faces, that really, sincerely, hurt me. Because I know those kids didnt come up with those words. Ive heard those words before. The more you say I cant say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it, Chappelle said. And it has nothing to do with what youre saying I cant say. It has everything to do with my right, my freedom, of artistic expression. That is valuable to me. That is not severed from me. Its worth protecting for me, and its worth protecting for everyone else who endeavors in our noble, noble professions.

Chappelle concluded his defense by calling the teenagers who had criticized him instruments of oppression.

And these kids didnt understand that they were instruments of oppression. And I didnt get mad at them, Chappelle said. Theyre kids. Theyre freshmen. Theyre not ready yet. They dont know.

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RTHK: Anti-terror specialist named London police chief

Mark Rowley, Britain's former counter-terrorism police chief who led investigations into a series of attacks in 2017, was on Friday named the new head of London's beleaguered police force, which is reeling from a series of shocking failings and revelations.

Just last month, the Metropolitan Police was placed in a special monitoring and improvement program by a watchdog after criticism over its handling of a string of high profile cases, coming on top of disclosures of a culture of bullying, racial discrimination and misogyny within its ranks.

The force was particularly shaken last year by the abduction, rape and murder of a woman, Sarah Everard, by one of its officers, and then the policing of a vigil in her honour was later found to be unlawful by a London court.

"Our mission is to lead the renewal of policing by consent which has been so heavily dented in recent years as trust and confidence have fallen," said Rowley, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, who had resigned from the force in 2018 after 30 years of policing.

In February, former chief Cressida Dick stepped down after London Mayor Sadiq Khan told her he was not satisfied she could root out the problems that existed within the force.

That came after a catalogue of shocking cases. In December, two officers were jailed for sharing pictures from a crime scene after the murder two sisters.

An investigation by the police complaints watchdog into one unit based less than a mile from its main headquarters found officers had discussed beating women, making racist and homophobic slurs, while one had messaged a female colleague to say he would rape her.

An inquiry last year into shoddy investigations into the brutal 1987 murder of a private investigator said the force displayed "institutional corruption".

Home Secretary Priti Patel said Rowley was taking on the job when public trust had been "severely undermined by a number of significant failings".

Rowley joined the Met Police in 2011, having previous been the chief of the Surrey force south of London, later becoming the national lead for counter-terrorism and heading up the investigations into a series of deadly attacks in 2017.

He stepped down in 2018 when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-07-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Vladimir Putin

Sergei Guneyev/TASS/Getty Russian President Vladimir Putin

More than four months into its continued invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims his country has only just begun its fight, which began on Feb. 24 and has since led to countless deaths of both Ukrainians and Russians.

"Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say, let them try," Putin said in a Thursday speech, adding: "We have heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that everything is heading towards this."

Elsewhere in his speech, Putin spoke with a hawkish tone, but still left the door open for negotiations, saying: "Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven't even yet started in earnest. At the same time, we don't reject peace talks."

He did offer a caveat, however, saying that those who "reject" Russian offers "should know that the further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us."

Putin also offered a thinly veiled threat at those who he said "want to defeat us" on the battlefield: "Let them try."

RELATED: Hillary Clinton Says Putin 'Was Very Sexist Towards Me' and Would 'Manspread for Effect' in Front of Press

Russia's invasion of Ukraine  which was ordered by Putin, with forces moving from the north, south and east  marked the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.

Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilian sites in its ongoing invasion, though footage and on-the-ground accounts suggest otherwise.

A montage shown by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a virtual address at the Capitol back in March depicted images of pre-war Ukraine with footage of the country now  large, colorful buildings reduced to rubble and images of smiling children replaced by tears, blood and bombs as the words "this is a murder" were displayed across the screen.

RELATED: Life Goes On in Kyiv, Where Residents Are Resuming Normal Activities amid Ongoing Russian Threat

Still, Russia's offensive has shown numerous setbacks, with soldiers being met with fierce resistance from the Ukrainian people. Russia failed to capture the capital city of Kyiv or any other large cities early on its invasion of Ukraine, though it has taken control of many other parts of the country, engaging in what human rights organizations have deemed "war crimes" in the process.

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The U.S., the European Union and Group of Seven countries have announced several punishments of Russia for the war, including some directed at the families of Putin and a few of his allies, cutting them off from any U.S. financial systems and freeing any assets they have within the U.S.

In his Thursday speech, Putin alleged the sanctions were aimed at "demoralizing" the Russian people, the Associated Press reports.

"The course of history is unstoppable, and attempts by the collective West to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail," Putin said, per the AP.

RELATED: 'Just Total Fiction': How Putin Is Using Nazi Propaganda to Defend Invasion of Ukraine

The invasion has drawn widespread condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.

Various countries have also pledged aid or military support to Ukraine, whose president, Zelenskyy, has pleaded for peace talks while urging his country to resist.

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Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the interest of so-called "peacekeeping"  a claim disputed by the west.
Thursdays NBA summer league opener in Las Vegas was billed as a nationally televised showdown between two of the top rookies from the 2022 draft  No. 1 overall choice Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic versus No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr. and the Houston Rockets.

Smith held his own and showed flashes as the game progressed, but fellow rookie Caleb Houstan stole the show for the Magic with 20 points in 28 minutes off the bench on 5-of-9 from 3-point range (55.6%), leading to Orlandos 91-77 win (box score) at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Smith finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in 29 minutes for the Rockets (0-1), and he was as impactful as advertised on defense  particularly on switches against Magic guards. Meanwhile, Banchero had 17 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds for Orlando (1-0).

Houston was short-handed on the interior, with projected starting center Usman Garuba unavailable due to a left ankle sprain. He could return when the Rockets resume their summer league schedule on Saturday versus No. 2 draft pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City.

Tari Eason was the highest usage rookie for the Rockets, collecting 14 points and 13 rebounds while playing tough defense over 24 minutes. However, he struggled with his jump shot, shooting just 6-of-17 (35.3%) and 2-of-9 on 3-pointers (22.2%). Second-year guard Josh Christopher led the way in scoring with 22 points on 7-of-18 shooting (38.9%).

Our Brian Barefield is on the scene in Las Vegas and will have more postgame content on Friday. Until then, heres a look at highlights and immediate reaction by players, coaches, media members, and fans.

Related

Agent: Jabari Smith Jr. has nothing but excitement about going to Houston Josh Christopher leads summer Rockets into Thursdays opener

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Highlights

FINAL: Magic 91, #Rockets 77 Josh Christopher: 22 pts, 7-18 FG, only one ast Jabari Smith: 10 pts on 4-10 FG, 7 reb, 3 ast Tari Eason: 12 pts, 13 reb, just 2-9 3P TyTy Washington: 7 pts, 3 ast  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Love that they ran another set to get Jabari at the elbow in triple-threat. Led to drawing a foul on Banchero.  Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 8, 2022

Biggest disappointment of tonight's game is Usman Garuba's ankle  Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) July 8, 2022

Paolo Banchero's court vision is spectacular. Man.  Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 8, 2022

Tempted to say Houston should sit Josh Christopher for the rest of Summer League, but my soul couldnt handle how bad that offense could get.  Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) July 8, 2022

Tempted to say Houston should sit Josh Christopher for the rest of Summer League, but my soul couldnt handle how bad that offense could get.  Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) July 8, 2022

As Jabari Smith drains the triple, says Doris Burke: "He is a special shooter." pic.twitter.com/LBmGKPGQ0V  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Jabari makes a quick move and drives baseline for two pic.twitter.com/hdyEpvQ4x7  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Only his third attempt of the night. Need some overlapping TyTy/Jabari minutes to create solid looks from deep. https://t.co/lK7Du7t5Iv  Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 8, 2022

That 3 from Jabari Smith was just as HC Silas described some of the things Smith will do for them when he was on the TV broadcast. As the trailing big on the pull up 3 from the top. #Rockets  Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) July 8, 2022

Ive seen that jumpshot like a 100 times and it looks exactly the same every single time. Just perfect.  Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) July 8, 2022

It's like we were gifted all these new toys and Josh Christopher is making sure we can only play with the ones we already had.  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Tari Eason is going to be hell to score on. Long arms, huge hands. pic.twitter.com/MHPNDGiyKy  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

A spectacular blocked shot by Josh Christopher was called a foul, but overturned after a coaches' challenge. Came after a sensational Banchero pass.  Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 8, 2022

Josh Christopher's rotations to the rim + his protection have been exactly what Silas was referring to in the next step of improvement for the young group defensively.  Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) July 8, 2022

The entire #Rockets roster  minus Boban  is here in Vegas to support the Summer League squad.  Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 8, 2022

Eric Gordon and Alperen Sengun. So happy. pic.twitter.com/xrPoMSsajp  Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 8, 2022

Trying not to overreact based on half of one summer league game, but it's hard not to see the case for more TyTy Washington usage. Jabari (and Tari, for that matter) need a backcourt creator to play to their current strengths, and TyTy is the best option they have in this group  Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 8, 2022

The thing that's going to be frustrating about this summer league team  Jabari and Tari are both ideal secondary playmakers early in their NBA careers. Unfortunately, this group doesn't have a ton of primary ones  Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 8, 2022

Hes also a rookie that will become better at some of this stuff (handling/fluidity). Playing off Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun may be whats best for his early career development.  Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) July 8, 2022

Rockets have had an issue getting Jabari Smith Jr the ball. Set is to get Smith Jr in the post. Gets swung to the top as he posts. Then gets thrown to the other team. pic.twitter.com/lcwOzyXDOe  Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) July 8, 2022

Eason goes coast-to-coast. He is all kinds of fun. John Lucas might need to iron out that shot, but he did knock down a 3.  Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 8, 2022

"I love you Tari!"  Jalen Green after a coast-to-coast layup from Eason  Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) July 8, 2022

That will honestly be one of the biggest counters for him. The scouting report is clearly out, the biggest "adjustment back" will be when Jabari starts leveraging his aggressive screen treatment into advantages for teammates https://t.co/BsWa2GQXI8  Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 8, 2022

Coach Stephen Silas during the broadcast: "We have to win a few more games this coming season. That's fact."  Kris M Gardner (@TheHRReview) July 8, 2022

Its been like 3 minutes and I already vastly prefer TyTy Washington to Daishen Nix as a point guard option for Houston.  Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) July 8, 2022

Jabari faces up Paolo Banchero, going left all the way to the hoop for the bucket. pic.twitter.com/4HOv6zWeXf  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Stephen Silas just hinted that he plans on having Alperen Sengun start at center and Jabari Smith Jr. spacing the floor and attacking closeouts off the dribble.  Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) July 8, 2022

Stephen Silas on Josh Christopher: "He's a confident kid. His whole thing (to work on) for me is his shot selection, and it's been pretty good tonight, and his defense."  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Stephen Silas discussing Jabari Smith on ESPNs broadcast: "He has the physical gifts, but he also has the defensive disposition that we need. It's rare for a rookie in this league to come into the league with that disposition."  Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) July 8, 2022

Stephen Silas on Jabari Smith: "He has a poise about him that is well beyond his years. His defense is good (tonight). He's trying to find his way offensively, which is natural for the first time here ever on the floor with his teammates."  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Want to see Jabari have more opportunities to shoot, but the Orlando defense has done a solid job stopping the actions the Rockets have run for him so far.  Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 8, 2022

Josh Christopher looks the best I've seen him. He slimed down, has more of a burst on his first step and is shooting the ball much better. He has 12 in the first quarter.  Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) July 8, 2022

Incredible shot. Stepback three top of the key. https://t.co/VzsZemzhdG  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Tari Eason with phenomenal defense in transition with Jabari trailing for help. What a difference this is going to make. pic.twitter.com/VuTTCfrgiS  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

Nice spin move from TyTy Washington pic.twitter.com/KVDUl6x7Nn  Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 8, 2022

Not sure what Houston's defensive rating will be this season but Josh Christopher, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason are going to make their defense a lot more interesting this coming season  just from an intensity standpoint alone.  Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) July 8, 2022

Tari Eason wasted NO time. pic.twitter.com/932V84TS7n  ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 8, 2022

That elbow turnaround is what I'm most intrigued by, if he can continue refining it. It should be unblockable with the height and release point.  RedNinetyFour (@RedNinetyFour) July 8, 2022

Jabari was solid, had a nice second half after not being featured all game. Could tell he turned it up. Paolo was featured, showed his stuff. Jabari had some good reps against him 1v1. TyTy was solid. Tari showed his talent, but very raw. Holman intrigued. On to SL Game 2.  StanfordKP (@stanfordkp) July 8, 2022

Jabari got crowded tonight. Hes gonna get better at playing thru contact off the dribble. His handle is good enough to get to his spots with better spacing around him  "The Loop" is out NOW (@thegeorgeyoung) July 8, 2022

Jabari is going to be effective in transition, that elbow and playing off other creators. He will do well playing off Jalen Green but they will need a true playmaker to unlock all of what Jabari can do.  Blaze (@Blaze_Logic) July 8, 2022

Story continues

Jabari will be more than fine with better shot creators around him guys This type of game is literally the exact opposite of what Jabari is as a basketball player And, for the type of game being played, he did fairly well  Paulo Alves (@PauloAlvesNBA) July 8, 2022

Jabari Smith Jr. in his #NBASummer debut tonight  10 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST pic.twitter.com/n3fV92DPsq  NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2022

Josh Christopher was HOOPING tonight  22 PTS

 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/Yd574il74q  NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2022

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Dozens of people have given their hobby and commercial drones to Ukraine after it appealed for "dronations" to help build its "army of drones".

The country is also asking for money to buy 200 military reconnaissance drones.

Ukrainian and Russian forces have used small consumer drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), in the war.

But Justin Bronk, of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), says while small drones are useful, tactics are adapting to counter them.

Small and commercial drones can provide a live view of the enemy's positions, he says.

"Both sides in Ukraine have been able to very rapidly exploit that real-time video picture, to call down artillery fire and quickly correct it so that it's very, very accurate, even when using old school unguided artillery, on to enemy forces," he said.

But he warned electronic counter-measures were becoming increasingly effective.

Drone force

The proposed army of drones is a complex programme involving procurement, maintenance and replacement, as well as pilot training, Ukraine says.

Col Oleksii Noskov, assistant commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, said: "The army of drones will allow us to constantly monitor the 2,470km-long (1,535 miles) front line and to field an effective response to enemy attacks, using modern technology."

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, told the BBC via email that the first goal of the campaign was to purchase tactical drones which have a 100-mile range and are equipped with a sophisticated camera, GPS and mapping tools.

However, after studying the issue, he said "our team understood that Ukraine's army still needed quadcopters", and so he said the country was asking people to "donate their own drones".

Ukraine hopes to collect thousands of multi-use and commercial UAVs.

Drones which meet the minimum standards are being donated to Ukraine via two warehouses, one in Poland and the other in the US.

Mr Fedorov also wants companies to get involved, adding: "This project is a great opportunity for drone manufacturers to test their equipment in harsh conditions."

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The campaign, which was launched on Friday, has already raised 5.7m, enabling the purchase of two military UAVs. Dozens of small drones had also been received, Mr Fedorov tweeted.

The military "warmate" drones, according to Mr Bronk, are a type of loitering munition manufactured in Poland. According to the company's website, the drone "constitutes a good alternative for anti-tank guided missiles".

No buy zone

According to Mr Fedorov, hobby and commercial drones have already shown their effectiveness on the battlefield.

Russia has also made use of them.

Earlier this year, Mr Fedorov called on market leader DJI to stop selling drones in Russia and, in a significant intervention for a Chinese firm, it halted sales in both Russia and Ukraine.

"Russia is using hobby/commercial drones to strike and conduct reconnaissance in their unprovoked and unfair war," Mr Fedorov wrote.

"It is crucial that the world's largest commercial drone-maker, DJI, stopped sales in Russia."

Mykhailo Fedorov appeals for "dronations"

Valerii Iakovenko, co-founder of Ukrainian company DroneUA, told BBC News that DJI's action had pushed up costs to Ukraine, while Russia was still able to continue to obtain drones via Belarus.

His company had been supplying drones and robotics to the government since before the war.

Drones, along with Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet system and professional radio equipment, were now among the most sought-after technology, he said.

And even small ones were useful mostly providing field data, locating enemy troops and correcting artillery fire.

"A huge number of volunteer operators that joined the Ukrainian forces are also making a difference," Mr Iakovenko said.

"Drone pilots of small consumer drones are providing aerial intelligence along the whole front line.

"It is all about the speed of information exchange between the field and in the general staff, to make decisions almost immediately."

Raising morale

Mr Bronk says Ukrainians in particular have been very inventive in finding ways to source and then use commercial, as well as military-grade drones.

This includes "using them as improvised loitering munitions to strike targets at significant distance, including, recently, an oil refinery in Rostov with a commercial grade UAV with an improvised warhead".

But tactics, he warns, are changing.

"What's happened in the last couple of months in Donbas is that the Russians have managed to concentrate their electronic warfare assets and integrate them well with their ongoing operations.

As a result, Mr Bronk says, whenever Ukraine sends up a small UAV using radio remote control "the Russian electronic warfare kit picks it up and immediately either takes it over or just cuts the command link electronically and forces it to return".

To avoid this, instead of being flown by remote control, small drones have to be programmed to fly a set route and have targets identified when footage is analysed on their return. This slow process is of limited value against moving targets, he said.

Mr Bronk felt that what Ukraine needed were loitering munitions capable of targeting and attacking Russian electronic warfare systems.

While hobbyist drones were useful, at the moment "grassroots support in terms of generating military equipment is probably of as much value in terms of morale for the people who are contributing, as well as the people on the front lines".
(Fixes typo in headline)

* This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine.

MOSCOW, July 8 (Reuters) - Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday the United States had asked that U.S. fighters detained in Ukraine be recognised as combatants, the Interfax news agency reported.

(Reporting by Reuters, Editing by William Maclean)
10'000 Hours/Getty Images

A survey found that 78% of US workers are worried about losing their jobs during the next recession.

Workers' concerns come as economists predict a recession in the US within the next year.

The survey found that managers are more worried about losing their job than non-managers.

As more economists predict an oncoming recession in the US within the next year, US workers are growing worried about their jobs.

A recent survey from Insight Global found that 78% of US workers are worried about job security if the US enters another recession. The staffing company surveyed over 1,00o workers in mostly white-collar professions.

The survey, conducted in June, found that 23% of US workers are "extremely worried" about job loss if the US enters a recession. Fifty-six percent of US workers who responded said that they are not financially prepared for a recession, or that they "don't know how to prepare" for it.

Almost 50% of managers who responded said that they are worried about losing their jobs in a recession, while 34% of non-managers said the same.

As the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to combat inflation, analysts and economists are forecasting economic decline in the US within the next year. Deutsche Bank said the economy will face a recession earlier than they previously predicted, and that the recession will increase unemployment by almost 2%.

Millennials lead the generational groups with job-security worries. Sixty percent of millennials who were employed during the 2008 recession said they "feel anxious about job security," or that "the fear of being laid off is often in the back of their minds."

Over half of respondents, 52%, said that they don't think their job is "recession-proof."

While 54% of workers said they would take a pay cut if it meant they didn't get laid off, the percentage is different between men and women. Over 60% of men said they would take a pay cut, while less than 50% of women said they would do the same.

Story continues

Along with recession worries, layoffs are stoking fears among US workers too.

The survey found that 87% of managers would "likely" have to lay off their workers in a recession. Meanwhile 47% of workers surveyed said they "don't believe their employer would adequately convey its recession plans."

Bert Bean, CEO of Insight Global, said layoffs should be the last resort for employers.

"Instead, I encourage leaders to consider other solutions, such as building a plan that avoids layoffs and helps you grow through a recession," Bean said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
~Zinc8 considering new production facility in NY as next step towards commercialization~

VANCOUVER, BC, July 8, 2022 /CNW/ - Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc. ("Zinc8" or the "Company") (CSE: ZAIR) (OTC: ZAIRF) (FSE: 0E9) is pleased to announce the support from the U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) for Zinc8 to establish a manufacturing facility in Ulster, NY's former TechCity Site location.

As detailed through a press release issued today by the office of Senator Schumer: CLICK HERE TO SEE NEWS RELEASE, the Senator has connected with the CEO of Zinc8 Energy Solutions, Ron MacDonald, to consider the Town of Ulster as a potential site for a manufacturing facility and cement the state of New York's leadership as an emerging global battery manufacturing hub.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in 2021, has set aside $6 billion for federal incentives meant to expand capabilities of the U.S.-based battery research and development, bolster domestic battery production, and shore up the American supply chain in an industry often reliant on foreign sources.

The carbon reduction policies and programs of the Biden Administration and the State of New York are instrumental for companies such as Zinc8 to bring leading edge clean energy solutions to full commercialization and the well paying sustainable employment in the new Green economy.

"Zinc8 is evaluating potential manufacturing sites in the Northeastern US and have been very impressed with the locations and related facilities in New York," said Ron MacDonald, CEO of Zinc8 Energy Solutions. "Having the support of Senator Schumer for our company and technology will weigh heavily on our decisions on where to locate our first major production facility."

Zinc8 Energy Solutions focuses on developing and commercializing its low-cost, long duration ZESS for utilities, microgrid, and Commercial & Industrial markets. By using the patented ZESS as a standalone or an enabling technology, it allows opportunities for peak demand reduction, time-of-use arbitrage, and participation in both the value stacking programs and the distributed long-duration energy storage space, all in conjunction with the opportunity for a significant reduction in carbon footprint. The long duration (8-100+ hours) ZESS has no fire and explosion risk, has no capacity fade over extensive lifetime, and offers complete charge operational flexibility.

Story continues

About Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc. Zinc8 has assembled an experienced team to execute the development and commercialization of a dependable low-cost zinc-air battery. This mass storage system offers both environmental and efficiency benefits. Zinc8 strives to meet the growing need for secure and reliable power. To learn more about Zinc8's technology, please visit: https://zinc8energy.com

More about the Zinc8 Energy Storage System (ESS)

The Zinc8 ESS is a modular Energy Storage System designed to deliver power in the range 20kW - 50MW with capacity of 8 hours of storage duration or higher. With the advantage of rechargeable zinc-air flow battery technology, the system can be configured to support a wide range of long-duration applications for microgrids and utilities. Since the energy storage capacity of the system is determined only by the size of the zinc storage tank, a very cost-effective and scalable solution now exists as an alternative to the fixed power/energy ratio of the lithium-ion battery.

Zinc8 Energy Storage System (ESS) (CNW Group/Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.)

Technology

The Zinc8 ESS is based upon unique patented zinc-air battery technology. Energy is stored in the form of zinc particles, similar in size to grains of sand. When the system is delivering power, the zinc particles are combined with oxygen drawn from the surrounding air. When the system is recharging, zinc particles are regenerated, and oxygen is returned to the surrounding air.

Applications

The flexibility of the Zinc8 ESS enables it to service a wide range of applications. Typical examples include:

Smoothing energy derived from renewable sources such as wind and solar

Commercial/Industrial backup replacing diesel generators

Industrial and grid scale, on-demand power for peak shaving and standby reserves

Grid-scale services such as alleviating grid congestion, deferring transmission/distribution upgrades, energy trading and arbitrage, and increasing renewable energy penetration.

Architecture

The Zinc8 ESS is designed according to a modular architecture that enables a wide variety of system configurations to be created from a small number of common subsystems. Each subsystem implements a single element of the technology:

The Zinc Regeneration Subsystem (ZRS) provides the recharging function

The Fuel Storage Subsystem (FSS) provides the energy storage function

The Power Generation Subsystem (PGS) provides the discharging function

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements

All statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results or developments that Zinc8 Storage anticipates or expects may or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements.

Forward looking statements in this press release include that we can execute the development and commercialization of a dependable low cost zinc-air battery; that our mass storage system offers both environmental and efficiency benefits; that we can help meet the needs for secure and reliable power, that the support of Senator Schumer will weigh heavily on Zinc8's decisions relating to location of its first manufacturing facility, and that federal funding ill be available in the United States for U.S. based battery research, development and production.. Zinc8 Energy Solutions believes the material factors, expectations and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable at this time, but no assurance can be given that these factors, expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements including, without limitation: that we are not able to raise funds as expected; that our technology fails to work as expected or at all; that our technology proves to be too expensive to implement broadly; that customers do not adapt our products for being too complex, costly, or not fitting with their current products or plans; our competitors may offer better or cheaper solutions for battery storage; general economic, market and business conditions; increased costs and expenses; inability to retain qualified employees; our patents may not provide protection as expected and we may infringe on the patents of others; the completion of our planned private placement or are unable to raise all of the funds we are seeking to raise; that Senator Schumer may not continue to support Zinc8; that Zinc8 may not open a manufacturing facility; that federal funding in the United States may not be available to Zinc8 on favourable terms or at all; and certain other risks detailed from time to time in Zinc8 Energy Solution's public disclosure documents, copies of which are available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the CSE nor any Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Zinc8 Energy Solutions Logo (CNW Group/Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.)

SOURCE Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2022/08/c2712.html
Three Rivers Public Health Department (3RPHD) has changed the COVID-19 walk-in clinic hours from Tuesday evenings to Tuesday mornings from 9-11:30 a.m. (6 months to 5 years of age) and Tuesday afternoons from 1-4:30 p.m. (5 and up).

Appointments are not needed and there is no cost for these vaccinations.

We know that COVID-19 vaccines that are available are effective at protecting people  especially those who are boosted  from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying. Please consider getting vaccinated and boosted if you are not already. Terra Uhing, executive director of Three Rivers Public Health Department, said in a press release.

COVID-19 vaccine is available within the 3RPHD health district for individuals 6 months of age and over. 3RPHD is offering all vaccines at all of its 3RPHD afternoon (1-4:30 p.m.) walk-in clinics (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J and this does include 5-11 doses).

Three Rivers also is administering second boosters and individuals may choose to receive a second booster dose, based on their individual benefits and risks. The CDC recommends COVID-19 primary series vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older, and COVID-19 boosters for everyone ages 5 years and older, if eligible. Talk with your health care provider for more specific information.

In the past seven days, 70 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Three Rivers Public Health Department district of Dodge, Saunders and Washington counties. There have been 148 COVID-19 cases in departments jurisdiction in the past 14 days.

The 3RPHD Data Dashboard is updated weekly on Mondays and can be found at: https://www.threeriverspublichealth.org/COVID-19/COVID-19-Updates.

COVID-19 vaccine clinics coming up include:

Tuesday, July 12: 9-11:30 a.m., Three Rivers Public Health Department, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont, 6 months to 4 years of age; 1-4:30 p.m., Three Rivers Public Health Department, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont, 5 years of age and older.

Monday, July 18: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Three Rivers Public Health Department Lake Wanahoo Clinic, 1320 31st St., Wahoo, 6 months of age and older.

Tuesday, July 19: 9-11:30 a.m., Three Rivers Public Health Department, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont, 6 months to 4 years of age; 1-4:30 p.m., Three Rivers Public Health Department, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont, 5 years of age and older.

Tuesday, July 26: 9-11:30 a.m., Three Rivers Public Health Department, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont, 6 months to 4 years of age; 1-4:30 p.m., Three Rivers Public Health Department, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont, 5 years of age and older.

As a reminder, free COVID test kits are available at community locations throughout the 3RPHD health jurisdiction. Residents can have as many as their family needs with a limit of six at one time at no charge. These are important to have on-hand so if you or a family member feels a minor COVID-like symptom, you can quickly test to make a decision about how to keep yourself and others that may be around you healthy and safe.

Once picked up, individuals can perform the test on their own or be helped through a video call. If done through the video call, you will receive a certified lab report that can be used for travel, medical procedures, and other documentation needs. Find a location near you at: https://tinyurl.com/2ejtbrsu.

If you are homebound or require special accommodations and wish to receive a COVID-19 test or vaccine, contact the health department at 402-704-2245.

If you or someone you know need resources such as access to food, assistance with rent, or other needs, reach out to Community Health Worker, Evelyn, at 402-704-2255.

3RPHD will continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots. For more information, visit www.threeriverspublichealth.org, click on the calendar of events or call 402-727-5396.
The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded Library Improvement Grants for 2022 totaling $332,471 to seventy-four Nebraska public libraries, a library consortium, and a state-run institutional library.

The local libraries receiving grants included: Mead Public Library, North Bend Public Library, Wahoo Public Library and Yutan Public Library.

Mead Public Library received a $1,088 grant to purchase a Smart TV. North Bend Public Library was awarded $2,300 for newspaper digitization and a book repair machine. Wahoo Public Library received a $6,951 grant for a Story Walk while Yutan Public Library received $1,040 for a charging station and books for its young adult area.

These competitive grants were made available by the Nebraska Library Commission with funding provided from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the federal stimulus bill passed by Congress, as administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Nebraska Library Commission has received a one-time award of $2,422,166. A portion of this funding was allocated for the Library Improvement Grants.

These Library Improvement Grants help to facilitate growth and development of library programs and services in Nebraska, by supplementing local funding with federal funds designated for these purposes.

In order to be funded, projects had to meet one or more of the following LSTA Purposes listed in the commissions long-range plan:

 Facilitate access to resources for the purpose of cultivating an educated and informed citizenry;

 Encourage resource sharing among libraries for the purpose of achieving economical and efficient delivery of library services to the public;

 Promote literacy, education, and lifelong learning and to enhance and expand the services and resources provided by libraries, including those services and resources relating to workforce development, 21st century skills, and digital literacy skills;

 Ensure the preservation of knowledge and library collections in all formats and to enable libraries to serve their communities during disasters;

 Promote library services that provide users with access to information through national, state, local, regional, and international collaborations and networks.
Futures and Commodity Market News Ministers advance Canada's Energy Transition at Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference 2022 Jul 08, 2022 (CNW Group) -- Ministers advance Canada's Energy Transition at Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference 2022 Canada NewsWire ST. JOHN'S, NL, July 8, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - With the successful conclusion of the Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference (EMMC) in St. John's, cohosts the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, and the Honourable Andrew Parsons, Newfoundland and Labrador's Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, today announced advances to ensure that the jobs, economic opportunity, affordability and prosperity are available across Canada in the transition to a low carbon future. Throughout this week's sessions, Canada's energy and mines ministers discussed priorities in the context of a global transition to net-zero emissions. Key areas of collaboration, advancement and discussion included: Accelerating the shift to more affordable, reliable, and clean energy systems for Canada and the world. All ministers acknowledged Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on energy and related products has fundamentally altered the global energy landscape. Ministers discussed the need to support our allies in Europe by increasing exports of energy products. They explored different solutions to the affordability challenges that high gas and energy prices present to Canadians, including increasing the supply of clean electricity that will power the cars, homes and industry of the net-zero future. Minister Wilkinson called on his counterparts to urgently develop plans to achieve a net-zero electricity grid by 2035, including by sharing data and best practices, and supporting the work of the Pan-Canadian Grid Council.

All ministers acknowledged unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of and subsequent sanctions on energy and related products has fundamentally altered the global energy landscape. Ministers discussed the need to support our allies in by increasing exports of energy products. They explored different solutions to the affordability challenges that high gas and energy prices present to Canadians, including increasing the supply of clean electricity that will power the cars, homes and industry of the net-zero future. Minister Wilkinson called on his counterparts to urgently develop plans to achieve a net-zero electricity grid by 2035, including by sharing data and best practices, and supporting the work of the Pan-Canadian Grid Council. Developing Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy to promote economic growth and competitiveness, sustainable resource development and Indigenous partnerships. Provincial and territorial input was sought on Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy, via the recently-launched Discussion Paper . The Strategy will be backed by $3.8 billion in federal funding, and will complement existing provincial strategies. Ministers also advanced targets under the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan and renewed the Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord.

Provincial and territorial input was sought on Critical Minerals Strategy, via the recently-launched . The Strategy will be backed by in federal funding, and will complement existing provincial strategies. Ministers also advanced targets under the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan and renewed the Intergovernmental Geoscience Accord. Collaborating on the Canada Green Buildings Strategy, which will create local jobs across Canada and work toward a resilient, net-zero emissions buildings sector by 2050. The Strategy will be focused on increasing the rate of building retrofits, ensuring buildings are resilient and net-zero ready from the start, and supporting systems change for the buildings sector of the future. Further engagement on the Strategy with provinces and territories, Indigenous governments and organizations, municipalities, and stakeholders will take place before it is finalized in 2023. Critical to all work in the energy and mining sectors is advancing Indigenous partnerships and reconciliation. Ministers participated in a presentation by National and Regional Indigenous Organizations and heard about success stories on this topic. They discussed ways of making progress on the commitment for a National Benefits-Sharing Framework. Ministers were joined at the EMMC by International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol. Dr. Birol noted Canada's leadership on driving clean growth for a secure energy future, and its regional approach. Dr. Birol discussed Europe's desire to displace Russian oil and gas imports with lower carbon alternatives from secure and reliable trading partners such as Canada. During the youth leadership pre-conference session, Minister Wilkinson also announced that Natural Resources Canada will be creating a Youth Council to provide a new national forum on natural resources issues. The Youth Council's work will be finalized in consultation with Council members and could include supporting federal government priorities on green buildings, electric vehicles, tree planting and ending fossil fuel subsidies. Working collaboratively at the federal, provincial, and territorial levels alongside Indigenous partners, will remain a focus of ministers in order to help Canadians seize the economic opportunities enabled by our vast natural resources and a low-carbon future across the country. To advance this work, in June, Minister Wilkinson launched the Regional Energy and Resource Tables with the first phase in partnership with British Colombia, Manitoba, and Newfoundland-and-Labrador. The next EMMC will take place in September 2023 in Quebec. Quotes "By working together, provinces, territories, the federal government, and key Indigenous partners can collectively accelerate economic activity and position Canada as an economic leader in the global shift towards a low-carbon future. I would like to thank my provincial and territorial counterparts for their collaborative efforts as we work towards our common objectives." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources "There are significant economic and environmental opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador as it is well positioned with its world-class mineral potential and an abundance of renewable energy resources. We continue our commitment to net zero by 2050 while managing a just green transition with a strong environmental, social and governance structure, matched with our low emissions per barrel compared to the international average. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Federal Government, our provincial counterparts, Indigenous groups and industry." The Honourable Andrew Parsons

Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology Quick facts The EMMC is Canada's annual gathering of federal, provincial, and territorial ministers for Energy and Mining.

annual gathering of federal, provincial, and territorial ministers for Energy and Mining. The International Energy Agency's in-depth review report found that Canada's wealth of clean electricity and its innovative spirit can help drive a secure and affordable transformation of its energy system and help realize its ambitious goals.

found that wealth of clean electricity and its innovative spirit can help drive a secure and affordable transformation of its energy system and help realize its ambitious goals. The governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador have both committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Associated links Regional Energy and Resource Tables

Critical Minerals Strategy Discussion Paper Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan ( http://twitter.com/nrcan ) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2022/08/c8661.html COMTEX_409861781/2669/2022-07-08T10:00:35 Please read the End User Agreement.

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For nearly two decades, foreign scholarships provided a golden opportunity for many Afghans to acquire knowledge, new skills, and degrees that few universities in Afghanistan offered.

Women particularly benefited from such international education, which allowed them to establish or enhance their careers. The foreign experience also propelled many to leadership roles in government and civil society.

But Afghan women are now being deprived of studying abroad because the Taliban is not allowing women to travel outside Afghanistan without a male chaperone.

The restriction follows a Taliban ban on education for teenage girls, which has kept millions of secondary-school students from the classroom since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August.

"I had a hellish experience because of this restriction," says Hadia Tuba, who recently went to Pakistan to begin her university education on a scholarship from Islamabad.

The young Kabul resident says the day she crossed the Torkham border crossing connecting eastern Afghanistan to northwestern Pakistan was the hardest in her life.

"The Taliban stopped me at the border and questioned me for the entire day," she told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "Eventually, I was let go after a stern warning [that I should never travel alone]."

Tuba says the intimidation she felt was difficult to describe.

"I will never forget what happened, but I don't like to talk about it," she said.

The restriction has forced entire Afghan families to leave the country.



Sonia Ahmadi was forced to bring her parents and siblings with her when she went to the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad to attend Ferdowsi University.



"It is a major problem that no woman is allowed to travel alone, whether by road or by air," she told Radio Azadi. "The gender discrimination against women is pushing Afghanistan backward."

Officials at the Taliban's Higher Education Ministry and the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Ministry did not respond to Radio Azadi's repeated requests for comment.

LISTEN: Monawara Quraishi is an Afghan teenager. She is upset that she cannot complete her high school courses due to the Taliban's restrictions on schooling for girls. "Since the schools were closed, I have been crying," the 19-year-old has told Radio Azadi, which has become a rare arena for dissenting voices after the Taliban seized power.



The Taliban announced in February that women could not travel abroad without a valid legal reason. It also put a complete ban on women traveling alone when they go abroad.

Sources have told Radio Azadi that the Taliban has deployed officials at border crossings and airports to prevent women who are traveling solo from leaving Afghanistan.



The moves are part of a broader Taliban push for Islamization that has kept many women from getting an education, working, or having a visible role in society.

Since marching triumphantly into Kabul nearly 11 months ago, the Taliban has reversed nearly every advance Afghan women made since the collapse of the first Taliban regime in late 2001.

The hard-line Islamists have also detained, harassed, and beaten women protesting for their civil rights.

WATCH: A few dozen women braved threats by the Taliban and took to the streets of Kabul in May to voice their discontent over a requirement to cover their faces in public. The order came on May 7 and calls for women to wear head-to-toe coverings and only show their eyes.

In the past two decades, scholarships from universities in the West helped many Afghan women overcome adversity in their lives. Recipients of U.S. Fulbright and British Chevening scholarships, in particular, rose through the ranks of the Afghan government and became prominent civil society leaders.



Thousands of others studied at other Western institutions and universities in neighboring countries. India was generous in accommodating thousands of Afghans in its vast network of educational institutions.

But most of the Western scholarship programs were suspended after the Taliban took power, leaving Afghan women to apply for only a handful of scholarships, mainly in nearby South Asian countries.

The latest order forcing women to be chaperoned has made it difficult for most and impossible for others to even take advantage of these diminished opportunities.

Naheed, a pseudonym for a resident of the western province of Herat, was recently awarded a scholarship for a master's degree in India. Obtaining an Afghan passport was just the first hurdle she faced after completing the paperwork for her scholarship.

Accusations of corruption have bogged the Afghan passport office under the Taliban. And passport offices have been crowded, since many Afghans want to flee their country's failing economy and the Taliban's harsh rule.

The closure of most diplomatic missions and the suspension of visa services inside Afghanistan made it challenging to organize a trip abroad.

Naheed was able to overcome all these challenges but is now very nervous about trying to travel to India alone.



"The current government has deprived women of the right to travel independently," she said.

Written by Abubakar Siddique based on reporting by RFE/RLs Radio Azadi.
A global human rights watchdog has investigated the killing of more than 100 alleged Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militants after they were disappeared by the ruling Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in August.

In a report released on July 7, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that residents of the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar discovered at least 100 corpses dumped in canals and other places in the region considered a hotbed of IS-K activity.

Taliban authorities appear to have given their forces free rein to detain, disappear, and kill alleged militants, said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW.

Gossman said their investigation focused on an emptied canal in Nangarhar where over 100 bodies have been dumped between August 2021 and April 2022.

Based on extensive interviews in the two provinces, HRW and its local partners counted 54 bodies of men, many in an advanced state of decomposition, along a 15- to 20-kilometer stretch of the canal.

The bodies showed evidence of torture and brutal executions: some had missing limbs, ropes around their necks, or had been beheaded or had slit throats, HRW said.

The Taliban has embarked on an aggressive campaign against Afghanistans tiny Salafist community for alleged links to IS-K. Members of the community accused the Taliban of detaining and killing followers of the puritanical Muslim sect. They also accused the Taliban of raiding their mosques and madrasahs.
The state Capitol building in Denver is seen on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. The Mile High City has already shattered its 87-year-old record for the latest measurable snowfall set on Nov. 21, 1934, and was a little more than a week away from breaking an 1887 record of 235 consecutive days without snow. The scenario is playing out across much of the Rocky Mountains, as far north as Montana and in the broader Western United States, which is experiencing a megadrought that studies link to human-caused climate change.
Demar Rayel Ravenell shot and killed Colorado Springs taxi driver Brian MacDonald earlier this year with no provocation, according to testimony during a preliminary hearing Thursday in 4th Judicial District Court.

The prosecution spent the morning into the early afternoon outlining the evidence to attempt to show Judge Jill Brady that there is satisfactory evidence to move forward in prosecuting Ravenell, 22, in the killing of MacDonald, 42.

The prosecution first called Colorado Springs police detective Jason Gasper as a witness. Gasper outlined events from in the early morning hours of Jan. 21.

Gasper was first notified of the homicide when officers discovered the body of the man who would later be identified as MacDonald, inside a vehicle on the 200 block of Nichols Boulevard, near North Nevada Avenue and Fillmore Street, just before 6:45 a.m.

Upon arriving, Gasper said that MacDonald had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and one shell casing from a bullet was found inside the vehicle. After further investigation, Gasper identified that the vehicle was a taxi and that it had a camera that was recording the interior of the vehicle during the incident.

After accessing the camera footage, Gasper testified that at about 3:30 a.m., MacDonald arrived at a motel on North Nevada to pick up a customer who was attempting to head to the area of North Stone Avenue.

The camera footage was not played in court, but Gasper said that the suspect who entered the taxi was a Black male wearing a gray sweatshirt and black sandals with three white stripes across them.

After entering the vehicle, the passenger asked MacDonald initially to drive him to a trailer park, but changed his mind a few minutes into the drive and instead asked to be taken to a warehouse on North Stone Avenue, where he said his girlfriend worked.

At 3:42 a.m., Gasper said that without any conversation or argument the passenger brandished a weapon, pointed it at MacDonald's head and fired, but that the weapon did not discharge.

Gasper testified that he believed MacDonald did not notice his passenger had pulled a weapon, and that in the audio of the recording a clicking noise can be heard, which he believed was the suspect loading a bullet into the chamber of the weapon.

A few minutes later, the suspect asked MacDonald to drop him off near the 200 block of Nichols Boulevard. Once MacDonald pulled the vehicle over, Gasper testified that the suspect can be heard saying "while you're at it, give me everything you got" while pointing his weapon at the back of MacDonald's head.

MacDonald obliged and handed the suspect money, and shortly after, the suspect fired his weapon at the head of MacDonald and exited the vehicle, according to Gasper.

The prosecution showed a screenshot of the incident during which a man in the back seat of the taxi can be seen pointing a handgun at MacDonald's head, which Gasper testified was "less than a second" before the suspect discharged his weapon.

The third witness called by the prosecution, detective Jerry Schiffelbein, outlined how police came to believe that Ravenell was the man inside the taxi.

Schiffelbein testified how after the shooting detectives used security cameras in the area to track the suspect walking from the taxi to a warehouse on North Stone Avenue. According to Schiffelbein, the suspect asked for a worker at the warehouse, and eventually left with her from the location roughly an hour after arriving.

The woman in question was believed to be dating the suspect, but when police questioned her she said that the man seen on security cameras was known to her as David.

Schifffelbein said that the woman had been dating David "for about a month" and despite not knowing his phone number or where he lived, he would occasionally babysit her children and bring her snacks while at work.

The morning of Jan. 21, David's girlfriend said that he dropped by her workplace and waited in her car until she finished her shift before spending the rest of the morning together, including going to her son's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.

A week later, Schiffelbein confronted the woman again after police had obtained information that David may actually had been Ravenell. After showing the woman a picture of Ravenell, Schiffelbein said that she began shaking and sobbing, appearing to Schiffelbein that she was not aware of his true identity.

Ravenell became a person of interest in the case, according to Schiffelbein, after he was wanted in connection with a Sept. 27, 2021, homicide in St. Stephen, South Carolina, that left a one person with a gunshot wound to the head, according to a Facebook post from the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.

Ravenell would later be arrested at a residence in Pueblo on Feb. 7, 2022, according to the CSPD.

After Schiffelbein's testimony, Judge Brady said the preliminary hearing would be continued at a later date because the court had other hearings scheduled Thursday and the prosecution still had three witnesses remaining.

The hearing will continue July 29, when Brady could decide if the prosecution can continue seeking charges against Ravenell.

Ravenell is facing seven charges including first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and weapon possession by a previous offender. If Ravenell is convicted of the first-degree murder charge, he will be given a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Ravenell is being held in El Paso County jail with no possibility of bond.
One of the teenagers charged in connection with the 2020 Denver house fire that killed five members of a family faces new charges after being caught with what law enforcement believes were fentanyl-laced pills while in jail awaiting trial.

Kevin Bui was discovered hiding two bags containing nearly 100 pills in his socks and pants on June 4, according to a probable cause statement. Employees of the Denver Sheriff's Department found the bags when they received a report of an overdose in an eight-person cell in the detention center. The probable cause statement doesnt specify who overdosed.

Bui, now 18, faces five charges of first-degree murder and dozens more counts based on accusations of setting the deadly house fire in August 2020. Prosecutors referenced the new drug charges Thursday morning during a scheduled arraignment hearing for the arson case, which has been rescheduled for July 28.

Prosecutors filed four charges against Bui in the new case: Drug possession with intent to manufacture or distribute, second-degree contraband possession, tampering with evidence and drug possession. A hearing has been set for Aug. 8.

Later this month, Bui will enter his plea of guilty or not guilty in the arson case. Attorneys indicated at Thursdays hearing that potential plea negotiations have been ongoing, but prosecutors said they have not made any formal offer and that the new case has complicated negotiations.

The house fire two years ago killed five members of a Senegalese family, sparking fear in the local West African community before police made arrests about whether the fire was a targeted hate crime. However, information from a preliminary hearing last fall revealed Bui and two other teenagers set the fire intending to exact revenge for a robbery Bui had been the victim of a few weeks earlier. But the person who robbed Bui did not live in the house that was set on fire.

Bui faces charges along with Gavin Seymour, now 17, and a third teenager who has been charged as a juvenile. Seymours case has a motions hearing scheduled for Aug. 19. Buis attorneys have argued that he did not intend to kill anyone when he and his co-defendants planned to set the fire.
Two new members joined the embattled Florissant Fire Protection District's board of directors after Teller County commissioners stepped in to fill two vacancies during a special meeting Thursday following months of infighting among the fire district's leadership.

Commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Starla Thompson, a former airline industry employee, and Amanda Sutton, a former general supervision and data manager with the state Office of Early Childhood, filling seats on the fire district's board that have been vacant for at least two months. State statute allows county commissioners to appoint members to a special district board if the seat has been open for 60 or more days.

The appointments are effective through May 2023.

Teller County Administrator Ross Herzog said the county saw interest from 20 people for the volunteer board positions, which he helped trim down to around seven qualified applicants that commissioners interviewed in executive session Wednesday. Commissioners said they looked at criteria including residency, availability and experience with fiduciary oversight and first response to make their decisions.

"We simply want to put some good folks in charge who will work well with others," Commission Chairman Dan Williams said ahead of the executive session.

Williams and fellow Commissioners Erik Stone and Bob Campbell said they felt Thompson's and Sutton's fiduciary experience and past leadership roles would be valuable assets.

Thompson formerly worked with America West Airlines in Arizona and Western Pacific Airlines, a former Colorado Springs-based airline. After she left the airline industry, she became certified as an EMT in Texas, and has worked locally and in the Tri-County area for both paid and voluntary emergency-response organizations, she said in her letter of interest. She also has worked locally as an ER technician. She is not currently certified as an EMT.

"What I feel that I bring to the table is a genuine concern for the life, health and safety of myself, my family and my neighbors in this community," Thompson wrote.

Sutton worked for five years in the Office of Early Childhood in Colorado's Department of Human Services as a general supervision and data manager and as an IT strategy and operations manager. In these roles, she had decision-making and fiscal authority, she said in her letter. She also worked as a dispute-resolution officer overseeing quality, compliance program data and fiscal management, she said.

"I believe a well-functioning fire department is one of the most critical emergency functions in a community like ours and feel this is a good time to lend my expertise to help guide the department forward," Sutton wrote. She said she would draw on her past career experiences to work with other Florissant Fire department board members, its chief, firefighters, volunteers, residents and local partners "with a high degree of ethical and moral integrity, respect, and in accordance with all applicable laws."

Neither Thompson nor Sutton was in attendance at Thursday's meeting, which was also streamed online.

The women will join Joseph Kraudelt on the new panel, though two other vacancies on the five-person board still remain. Kraudelt has been the fire district board's sole member since June 1, after several other members resigned in the tumultuous months since leadership ousted Florissant Fire Protection District Chief Mike Bailey.

The reasons for Bailey's termination, made official in mid-May, are unclear. But it may have stemmed from Bailey's decision to continue working with one of two of the county's medical directors, the Pikes Peak Courier previously reported.

In April, Bailey told The Courier as chief he continued to work with Medical Director Jeremy DeWall, rather than Timothy Hurtado, who commissioners appointed to the position in DeWall's place in February 2021. After public outcry over the commission's January 2021 decision to remove DeWall, commissioners voted on a new resolution later that spring to designate Hurtado and DeWall  who worked as the county's medical director since 2014  as Teller's two medical directors.

The move expanded Teller County's practice of requiring a single county-designated medical director as a condition of ambulance licensing and allowed emergency medical service agencies to select either DeWall or Hurtado as their medical director.

In the months since Bailey's ouster, former Florissant Fire Protection District board member Erik Holt has worked as interim and then acting chief. Several residents and fire district volunteers have pushed the board to reinstate Bailey.

Teller County commissioners said Thursday they did not call the special meeting to select a new chief. Rather, their duty was to appoint two members to the fire district's board who would, among other tasks, be responsible for filling additional board vacancies and designating a new chief.

"We've been very aware (of the controversy)," Stone said Thursday. "... Today we are attempting to set the stage for these two people to get on the board ... and right the ship, so to speak."

Kraudelt told The Gazette in an email he plans to leave the board soon and wants to call a meeting with Thompson and Sutton to present as options the names of other applicants county commissioners screened.

"I will then ask the two appointees if they want me to step aside so they can appoint the other three, or have me stay on for a month or so to help the new members transition," he said. "I will be leaving as soon as the new board feels they have enough information to function, and will still be available for questions or advice."

Holt told The Gazette he recognized the challenges the Florissant Fire Protection District board has faced.

"This situation has not been an easy one to come into during my tenure," he said, in part, in an email. "I trust that the new appointees ... understand they must face these challenges in their new role."

Florissant resident Liz Pendleton said she was encouraged by Thompson's and Sutton's appointments Thursday.

"I am encouraged because they are both women. I am encouraged because of the professionalism. And I'm optimistic that it's going to be improved."

Pendleton said she hoped the new board would select Bailey as the district's fire chief, saying she felt he was "very competent" for the role.

Commissioners said both Thompson and Sutton said in their interviews this week they would take an impartial and objective approach to selecting a new chief.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that Starla Thompson is not currently a certified emergency medical technician.
Police records show a detailed history of abuse that led to the death of 5-year-old Emily Canales of Colorado Springs.

Canales' mother Brianne Escamilla, 27, and her boyfriend Matthew Urias, 27, were recently arrested by Colorado Springs police on suspicion of first-degree murder after an autopsy of Canales was performed by the El Paso County Coroner's Office.

The coroner's office concluded on June 14 that the January death of Canales was a homicide and outlined the heavy abuse the girl suffered leading up to her death.

The coroner's office identified 20 separate blunt force injuries that could have played a role in Canales' death. Some of the injuries listed include extensive contusions and abrasions, lung contusions, rib fractures, several different hemorrhages and more.

The affidavit also shows that Canales' hair was shaved off at the time of her death as punishment by her mother.

The affidavit states that both Escamilla and Urias were interviewed several times leading up to their arrests, and both admitted to continued abuse in the days leading up to Canales' death even as her health took a serious and obvious decline.

Urias and Escamilla told officers that Canales' health began to worsen two days prior on Jan. 11, when she started complaining of stomach issues.

On Jan. 12, the day before her death, both Urias and Escamilla stated that Canales fainted several times throughout the day and continued to complain of stomach issues.

Urias told detectives that on the evening of Jan. 12 he told Escamilla they should call for an ambulance as he was worried about Canales, but Escamilla told him that she "was being dramatic" and that she thought Urias "was also being dramatic."

Despite the described decline in health and multiple instances of fainting, both Urias and Escamilla admitted to police that they continued to hit and abuse Canales throughout the two days leading up to her death.

On Jan. 13, Canales fainted again, but this time was unresponsive prompting the couple to call 911. She was declared dead later that day. Urias admitted to spanking Canales even on the day of her death, something he told detectives "I regret it 100%," according to the affidavit.

In interviews with detectives following the incident both Urias and Escamilla admitted to having abused Canales, but both also attempted to portray the other person as the primary abuser. However, according to the affidavit, Escamilla told detectives at one point that "it was her fault Emily (Canales) was dead because she had smacked Emily's head three times in the bathroom."

The affidavit states that Escamilla also told officers that Canales would punch and injure herself, which could explain the injuries, but the coroner's office determined that "the autopsy findings were consistent with the injuries occurring at the hands of another individual."

According to Colorado Springs police, Urias was arrested on June 29 while Escamilla was taken into custody a few days later on July 5, both without incident.

Both are scheduled to make their first appearances in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court next week, Urias on Tuesday and Escamilla on Wednesday.

Urias and Escamilla are both being held in El Paso County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, with the chance of additional charges being filed before their appearances in court next week.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson shake hands during the Meeting of the North Atlantic Council Session with fellow heads of state at the NATO summit at the IFEMA arena in Madrid, Spain, June 30, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool/File Photo
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Pope Francis looks on during an exclusive interview with Reuters, at the Vatican, July 2, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
FILE PHOTO: A picture of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed during an Israeli raid in Jenin, is displayed at the Al-Jazeera headquarters building in Doha, Qatar, May 11, 2022. REUTERS/Imad Creidi/File Photo
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting with India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on July 8, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Boris and Carrie Johnson are seen in the garden of 10 Downing Street, after their wedding, in London, Britain May 29, 2021. Picture taken May 29, 2021. Rebecca Fulton/Pool via REUTERS
This is what 114 pounds of pure fentanyl powder looks like. It was found underneath the floorboard of a car on June 20, 2022, and is believed to be the largest ever seizure on a U.S. highway to date. The car was stopped headed east to Denver around Georgetown on Interstate 70.
Workers prepare for the opening of a King Soopers marketplace store in August 2017 at the Claremont Ranch Marketplace shopping center, southeast of Constitution Avenue and Marksheffel Road on Colorado Springs' east edge. In June, King Soopers pulled a building permit for construction of a similar marketplace store that will anchor the Falcon Marketplace shopping center, northwest of Woodmen and Meridian roads in unincorporated Falcon, just east of the Springs. THE GAZETTE FILE
Fourth of July wasn't booming with firework complaints for local law enforcement this year.

Mason City, Clear Lake, and Cerro Gordo County law enforcement experienced fewer firework calls this Fourth of July weekend compared with previous years.

Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley reported to the Mason City Council on Tuesday that the MCPD had 107 fireworks calls from June 1 to July 5. Out of the total calls, 48 calls were in July. Mason City law enforcement had to issue 16 warnings and two municipal infractions according to Brinkley.

"We were much lighter on July 4th," said Brinkley on Tuesday.

How many fireworks complaints were there in North Iowa over Fourth of July weekend? Despite all of the fun and festivities this past Fourth of July weekend, law enforcement in Cerro Gordo County accumulated quite a few fireworks complaints.

The majority of MCPD's calls were about people setting off fireworks in the streets or areas off limits according to city ordinance, like parks and school parking lots.

"People are learning that we will write tickets for it," said Brinkley. "We encourage responsible ownership and to know the times and places to use fireworks."

Mason City Mayor Bill Schickel said during the Tuesday meeting that the Mason City Fire Department had to respond to fireworks calls. According to Schickel, there was one EMS call for minor injuries and two minor fire mishaps because of improper lighting of fireworks.

Clear Lake had 22 fireworks calls and eight citations given during a seven day period according to Police Chief Pete Roth. He added the number of calls were down from last year, but the number of citations went up.

"We have been policing fireworks now for several years now, and we got the message out to the community," said Roth. "It didn't seem as bad as in previous years."

A call did come in to the CLPD about a fight breaking out at City Park. Roth said when they arrived to the scene, there was nothing happening. He was thankful for the people calling them and requesting them to head to that area.

"I just want to thank out community for all of their patience," said Roth.

Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Kevin Pals reported a total of four calls and no citations over the Fourth of July weekend. Pals added there was also no fire issues as well. According to previous reporting from the Globe Gazette, the number of calls this year is less than last year's nine complaints.

A majority of calls during 2022 came from the South Shore area, according to Pals, which the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's office was expecting.

"We are pleased with that outcomes and that there were no injuries," said Pals.

Here comes the boom: local law enforcement prepare for July 4 celebrations "I hope we can show some maturity as a community in terms of when people use them."

If individuals are thinking about firing the rest of their fireworks in the next couple days, Pals says people should remain compliant with their city or county ordinances. Roth offered similar comments, adding that the firework debris and possible physical harm isn't worth it.

"Just be respectful to your neighbors, and please don't use them in this area," Roth said.
Supplemental food available for seniors

The Rocky Mountain Development Council, Inc. will have supplemental foods available for Helena- and East Helena-area seniors.

Pick up will be at the East Helena Food Share Pantry, 50 Prickly Pear Ave., on Monday, July 18 from 2-3:30 p.m., and at the Helena Food Share, 1616 Lewis St., on Wednesday, July 20, from 8 a.m.  11 a.m. There is no charge for the food.

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program is a program where seniors can receive regular allocations of free food every other month. The program guidelines mandate that the person receiving the food must be 60 years of age or older, a resident of Montana, and meet an income requirement. Food typically consists of canned fruit, vegetables, meats, juice, cereals, dry milk, shelf stable milk, cheese, pasta or beans and peanut butter.

Persons age 60-plus will be certified to receive the food based on income and residency eligibility. For further information or questions, call Rocky at 406-447-1680.

Community night at Kendrick Field

The Helena Senators welcome everyone to Stuff the Bus/Angel Fund night at the ballpark on Tuesday, July 12, at 5 and 7 p.m. Proceeds from the night will be divided among the schools represented. Wear your school colors.

Adult beverages and concessions available.

AARP driver safety classes upcoming

AARP driver safety has single classes scheduled in Helena during July and August. Participants receive updates on the rules of the road and learn driving strategies to adapt to the effects of aging and to reduce chances of having a crash. The course was developed for participants age 50-plus; but is open to all ages.

The course fee is $25 ($20 with AARP membership card). Auto insurance companies in Montana provide a multi-year discount to participants 55 years of age and older.

July 12 (Tuesday) at First Interstate Bank; 2728 Colonial Drive; 12:30 until about 5 p.m.

Aug. 10 (Wednesday) at First Interstate Bank; 2728 Colonial Drive; 12:30 until 5 p.m.

To register for a class call: 406-457-4712. Find additional classes at aarp.org/driversafety

Bannack Days set for July 16-17

Bannack State Parks signature event, Bannack Days, is scheduled for the third weekend in July, with many traditional activities, displays and re-enactments celebrating Montanas first territorial capital.

Bannack Days are scheduled to happen Saturday, July 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 17, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Admission is $5 for individuals ages 6 and older, or $20 per family. Admission is free for children ages 5 and younger. Food and drinks can be purchased from vendors during the event.

Parking space is limited during this busy event. FWP staff will provide parking directions for visitors as they arrive. Shuttle services will be available to and from parking areas farthest from park entrances. Visitors are encouraged to carpool and leave pets at home.

About 20 miles west of Dillon, Bannack State Park is a National Historic Landmark and the site of Montanas first major gold discovery in 1862. More than 50 historic buildings still line Bannacks Main Street. During Bannack Days, the ghost town comes alive with displays, re-enactments, artisan demonstrations, music and other family-friendly festivities.

For more information about scheduled events, activities and park rules for Bannack Days, please visit fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/bannack or call 406-834-3413.

Carroll designated a Tree Campus School

Carroll College has been recognized as a Tree Campus Higher Education school by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. This program celebrates colleges and universities for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.

Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen, during his tenure as president of Carroll College from 1957-1962, is largely credited with initiating the beautification of Carrolls campus. He strongly believed that the landscape should match the spiritual and academic wonder that permeated the college.

According to Director of Grounds John Juntunen, Carroll hopes to partner in the near future with Montanas Department of Natural Resources to update its tree inventory which was last completed in 2012. Juntunen estimates that Carroll currently has between 650-700 trees and the Grounds Department plants between 12-15 new trees per year.

The Tree Campus Higher Education program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and engaging staff and students in conservation goals.

Currently, there are 411 campuses across the United States with this recognition with four campuses in Montana. Learn more at treecampushighered.org.

Red Cross seeks blood donations

The American Red Cross urges eligible donors to help end the ongoing critical need for blood with a blood donation. The Red Cross needs donors of all blood types to give now and help ensure lifesaving transfusions are on the sidelines for those who rely on them.

Appointments can be made by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Nar-Anon family group meeting

The Helena Nar-Anon Family Group, a 12-step program for families and friends of addicts, meets Mondays and Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Library of St. Pauls Methodist Church, 512 Logan.

The library is located on the lower level of the main church building. Please enter using the Cruise Avenue entrance. The group observes COVID-19 protocols required by the church.

Student news

Caroline Southworth, of Helena, has been named to the spring semester dean's list at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. Students who have earned a 3.7 GPA or higher are eligible for the list.

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Nicole Erickson, of Helena, has been named to the spring 2022 chancellor's list at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. To qualify for the Chancellor's List, students must earn a GPA of 3.8 or higher.

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Elizabeth Rose Linder and Piper Elise Davidson, both of Helena, have been named to the spring 2022 dean's list at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. To qualify, students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

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Aidan Adamek, of Helena, was named to the dean's list at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minn. Aidan is the son of Marika Ademek. To quality for the list, student must earn a GPA of 3.6 or better.

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Spencer Olson, of East Helena, was named to the Hamline University School of Business dean's list for the spring 2022 term. To qualify, students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

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Grace Johnson, of Helena, was named to the spring 2022 dean's list at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. To qualify, students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
The Montana Supreme Court has upheld the convictions of two men found guilty in the 2018 double homicide of a Helena Valley couple.

Charla Rae Taylor, 64, and David Muncie Taylor, 61, were killed in their home with a pocket knife and a piece of rebar on the night of March 18, 2018.

Kyle Hamm, Journey Wienke and the couples son Kaleb Taylor were each convicted of the homicides in Lewis and Clark County District Court. Hamm and Wienke both appealed their convictions to the Montana Supreme Court.

Court records say the trio went to the Taylors home in Kalebs truck on the night of the killings. According to the record, Hamm allegedly waited outside in the truck while Kaleb and Wienke robbed and murdered Kalebs parents, and then Hamm drove them to a Helena car wash where they cleaned the truck and disposed of a bloody knife blade.

Kaleb Taylor pleaded guilty to two counts of deliberate homicide and was sentenced to life in prison.

Hamm was found guilty of two counts of deliberate homicide, tampering with evidence and criminal possession of dangerous drugs. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison.

Hamm appealed his homicide convictions and the district courts restitution award of $35,592 to Charlas sister, who said she spent $2,370 to clean her sisters home before it was sold and lost $33,222 after taking over day-to-day operations of her sisters RV park from April 2018 to March 2019.

In his appeal, Hamm alleged that the state did not present sufficient evidence to support his homicide convictions. He also alleged that the jury instructions given at his trial were deficient, and that his attorneys were ineffective because they failed to request the correct jury instructions. Finally, he alleged that the district court imposed an illegal restitution award.

Hamm was charged under a state law requiring a deliberate homicide conviction if the defendant is found legally accountable for a robbery, assault with a weapon or other forcible felony causing death. In its June 28 opinion, the Supreme Court found that all of his arguments failed and noted that many of his claims were based on an incorrect reading of Montana statutes.

Wienke was found guilty of two counts of deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Wienke appealed all of his convictions, arguing that the district court abused its discretion by admitting testimony regarding text messages and by declining to use his proposed jury instruction language regarding reasonable doubt.

In a June 14 opinion, the Supreme Court disagreed with Wienkes arguments that the text messages were inadmissible hearsay, lacked foundation, not relevant and were unfairly prejudicial. The court also found that the instructions given to the jury fully and fairly instruct the jury on the law applicable to the case.
Kris Hansen, who recently departed the No. 2 post at Montana Attorney General's Office, died Thursday morning at age 52.

"Kris was a dear friend, a conservative leader, and an amazing woman who dedicated her life to others," Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in an emailed statement Friday. "It was an honor to have Kris on our team and we deeply miss her presence."

Hansen was named Knudsen's Chief Deputy of the Montana Department of Justice in December 2020 before Knudsen took office the following month.

In late May, Hansen confirmed she was departing the office, but declined to elaborate on why. The Attorney General's Office said at the time she was leaving to "attend to personal and family matters."

Derek Oestreicher has since been appointed to the chief deputy post.

The State GOP on Thursday issued the following statement on Hansen's passing:

"We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Kris Hansen," Montana GOP spokesperson Alden Tonkay said in an emailed statement Thursday. "Kris was a dedicated public servant who spent her career preserving freedom whether it was in the military, the state legislature, or at the Montana Department of Justice. She leaves behind a void that will never be able to be filled. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time."

Hansen had recently served as the deputy state auditor and chief legal counsel under then-State Auditor Matt Rosendale.

"Montana is a better place because of her work and commitment to protect and preserve our way of life. Kris was a dear friend of mine, and Jean and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Hansen family during this difficult time," Rosendale said in a statement Friday.

Hansen, originally from Peoria, Illinois, was also a Republican lawmaker representing Havre at the state Legislature. According to state legislative services she served for two sessions, In 2011 and 2013, in the state House, and served in the state Senate from 2014 to 2016. She was chief deputy Hill County Attorney when she was first elected to the state House, according to the Havre Daily News.

Kris Hansen was a beacon of light to anyone who knew her," Senate President Mark Blasdel said in an emailed statement Friday. "Kris always went above and beyond to help a friend in need, was generous to and looked out for young people involved in politics, and brought humor and a warm heart with her everywhere she went. Montana lost a great one, she will be sorely missed.

Education was a common thread across Hansen's legislative career. In 2013 she served as the chair of the House Education Committee. In 2015 she passed Senate Bill 128, which created the School Funding Interim Commission, which meets each fifth interim to reassess education needs and costs related to the basic system of quality public school system and recommend changes to the state's funding formula. In a 2016 op-ed penned in the Havre Daily News, Hansen lauded the commission's first round of work as a success.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen, while in the legislature, worked with Hansen on that committee. In a phone interview on Thursday, she remembered Hansen's spirited work on education issues.

"She didn't ever hide her feelings but she was very even," Arntzen said. "Her passion was one that, like I said, it was a great opportunity to have someone there that was a conservative but yet understood the opportunities that education could lead to."

Arntzen also recalled Hansen's commitment to tying tribal culture into the advancement of education in Montana.

"Kris Hansen held that in her heart and held that through her legislative work," Arntzen said.

"There are so many people that are reflecting right now on her ability to connect with individuals, not just as a bold person and as an authentic person," she added.

Russ Tempel was appointed to Hansen's state Senate seat when she was named to the high-ranking post within the State Auditor's Office. The two had previously gotten to know each other while Hansen was campaigning for the Legislature and Tempel for the Liberty County Commission.

In a phone interview on Thursday, Tempel called Hansen a "straight-up gal."

"When I was first appointed in her place she helped me along quite a bit on where to go and what to handle so I really appreciated her wisdom on all that over the years," he said.

"There was no beating around the bush," Tempel added of Hansen's style in public service. "She told you what she wanted and how she was going to go about it.  It's a sad deal."

Tempel, a fellow veteran to Hansen, said she was especially proud of her military service.

Hansen served as a Montana National Guard veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008-2009 and served a tour with the Central Intelligence Agency in Mogaidshu, Somalia in the 1990s, according to the press release that announced her appointment to Chief Deputy Attorney General.

Gov. Greg Gianforte on Friday said he had "lost a friend" with Hansen's passing and acknowledged her "indominable spirit."

"A strong leader, Kris led a remarkable life, serving our nation overseas with the Montana National Guard and Central Intelligence Agency, before returning to Montana to continue her service to her community and to our Treasure State," Gianforte said. "Susan and I pray that her family, friends, and colleagues find peace and comfort.

Hansen had served as a central figure for the Attorney General's Office during the state Republicans' open conflict with the judicial branch last year. Hansen, representing Republican legislators who had subpoenaed judicial records, authored a public letter accusing the Supreme Court of interfering with a legislative investigation by quashing a subpoena for judicial records. The court ultimately ruled state lawmakers had overstepped their authority with the subpoenas.

Hansen was also directly involved in the Attorney General's controversy with St. Peter's Hospital last fall. A special legislative investigation found the family of a former Senate GOP staffer called Hansen claiming the Helena hospital had cut off access to the patient. During the incident, the investigation found Hansen discussed "legal ramifications" with the patient's health care providers over the matter.

Hansen graduated from Augustana College with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and public administration in 1992, and received a Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School in 2002. She clerked for federal bankruptcy judge Bruce Black and Montana Supreme Court Justice John Warner.

A spokesperson for Knudsen on Friday declined to offer further information on the cause or location of death, as well as any information on pending funeral arrangements.

This story has been changed to state Derek Oestreicher is serving as chief deputy attorney general.
For years, decades really, perhaps longer, community leaders, government officials, green NGOs and the Department of Environmental Quality have sought to keep the Gallatin River clean. The river has always been the pride and joy of our community. Many used its reputation as a blue ribbon trout fishery to entice visitors and growth to the area. Perhaps we thought the Gallatin River was impervious to pollution. Maybe that allowed us to take the river for granted. For years it seemed to be the common, if unspoken refrain, lets protect the Gallatin.

We now know Initiative 191, the petition to designate portions of the Gallatin and Madison Rivers to be declared Outstanding Resource Water, will not be on the November ballot. Gallatin Wildlife Association (GWA) supported this effort because the quality of the Gallatin River is clearly in jeopardy. We hoped electronic signatures could be used to support I-191 and that supporters of the initiative would fund traditional signature gathering. Neither one happened.

GWA knew success was a long shot. We have no shame in admitting that, but we thought it was worth a try. If nothing else, we helped create a discussion. But some opponents presented misinformation when they objected to the initiative. We were not surprised there would be resistance, or by who was doing the resisting. We were surprised at some of the alarmist rationale many put forth. There is not enough space and time to respond to all the falsehoods, but we can respond to some.

For one, GWA efforts on the I-191 petition were not organized, nor funded by big out-of-state money. Face it, Bozeman, GWA is an 100% all-volunteer non-profit organization established in 1976 right here in Bozeman. GWA didnt spend one dollar on this petition nor did we receive one dollar from any out-of-state source for this petition. Secondly, I-191 would not violate the Montana Constitution by taking private property rights without compensation. There is no right to pollute our river.

The Montana Constitution provides for the ballot process. This process is about as close to the people having a voice as you can get. People should have recourse when in-state or out-of-state real estate developers exploit the land and politics for personal profit. Big money in power and politics make it hard for the rest of the citizenry to be heard.

We also believe the river is not beyond hope, nor beyond returning to the near pristine condition it once was. The question is: what are you, what are we going to do about it? Do we care? Apathy is a terrible thing and we see signs of it right here in our community. Apathy must be a factor when only 30% of Gallatin County residents voted in our last midterm primary.

Some said this was not the proper means to go about protecting the Gallatin. To that we say, what is the proper means? Many people find fault with ideas being promoted, but they dont offer any of their own. What is the best way to move forward to protect the Gallatin and Madison Rivers? Evidence of degrading water quality in the Gallatin River indicates that the existing rules and agencies to protect the river are not working. I-191 has shone a bright light on the increasing degradation. It is time for state agencies, the Legislature, and the voting public to respond.

Recently, DEQ released findings assessing the Gallatin River and found the following:

This assessment of the Gallatin River indicates that the river is impaired due to exceeding thresholds for algae in 25 percent of the samples  . Excess algae is often caused by an exceedance of thresholds for Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus.

This proves our point above and why we say the Gallatin River is at an inflection point. GWA is truly interested in applying the best scientific information to resource protection in these dire times of climate change. Our motive is simple: Be a voice for fish and wildlife with a commitment to doing what science suggests to save the planet. Montana citizens should be allowed to take necessary steps to protect what makes this the last best place without being villainized.
SPRINGFIELD  Justice Lisa Holder White, a Decatur native, was sworn in as the newest member of the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday, making her the first Black woman to serve on the state's high court.

Holder White took the oath during a special session of the court held in the theatre of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, witnessed by countless family members, friends and colleagues.

She replaces Justice Rita Garman, 78, who announced plans to retire in May after more than two decades on the state's high court and as the longest-serving active judge in Illinois.

Soon after, Holder White was designated Garmin's successor. Illinois' high court is unique among state supreme courts in that sitting justices fill vacancies to the high court.

Speaking to the assembled crowd, Holder White's made known that the barrier-breaking milestone was not lost on her.

"My heritage is a heritage that once involved minds and bodies that were shackled and doors that were so, so long closed," Holder White said. "You see, taking my oath in this place today goes far beyond a personal professional achievement."

"As I see it, taking my oath in this place today recognizes the undeniable value and merit of what I as a Black woman, mother, daughter, sister, wife and jurist have to contribute to the work of our state's highest court," she said.

Holder White added that her ascendance to the high court is "a testimony to the notion that as women and people of color, we need not limit our dreams or settle for less."

It is just the latest step in a remarkable rise for Holder White, 54.

After only eight years as an attorney, first in the Macon County state's attorney's office and later in private practice, Holder White was appointed an associate judge in Macon County in 2001, the first Black person in that role.

Holder White was appointed circuit judge in 2008 and subsequently elected to that role. In 2014, Garmin tapped her to be a justice on the Fourth District Appellate Court, again the first Black person in that role. She would later win election to that role.

When it came time to find a new Supreme Court justice, Garman said that "while it was a tough choice, it was a clear choice."

"She just stands out when you're around her," Garman said. "And so I knew she would be capable of doing all kinds of really outstanding things."

Thomas Little, a Macon County Circuit Court judge who attended Holder White's swearing in, agreed.

"She just checks every single box that you could possibly want in a judge," Little said. "I mean she's smart, hard worker, she gets along well with people, she has common sense  just everything that you want in a Supreme Court judge, she has it all."

Family and friends were at the center of Thursday's ceremony.

Holder White's daughter-in-law and son performed the national anthem, with the former singing and the latter on piano.

The Rev. C.D. Stuart of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur gave the invocation. And among the speakers was Will County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Cornelius, who is the cousin of Holder White's husband James.

"In this very complex, unbalanced world, Lisa is one of the most balanced people I know," Cornelius said. "And our nation needs leaders and jurists like her who are multifaceted with diverse backgrounds, insights, perspectives, worldviews and voices."

Holder White's husband, two children, parents, sisters and other family members attended.

Among the high-profile political attendees included Attorney General Kwame Raoul, deputy Gov. Andy Manar, Senate President Don Harmon and Illinois Republican Party chair Don Tracy.

Like Garman, Holder White is a Republican, meaning the court's 4-3 Democratic majority remains unchanged. She plans to stand for election to a full ten-year term in 2024.
Governor Pritzker is furious over the Highland Park shooting. He also called mass shootings a uniquely American plague. As he and other politicians rushed to the area to get their usual photo op and prattle on about the danger of guns, none of them mentioned the 68 people shot and eight killed on the streets of Chicago. They all agree we (always the euphemistic we) have to do something from the President on down.

They might start by checking the historical narrative that showed mass shootings were almost nonexistent until the liberal left closed all mental health hospitals that warehoused the criminally insane.

OK, Pritzker, Duckworth, Durbin, Lightfoot and and others that wish to tear up the Constitution, how about this:

Take this Crimo guy, indict him for heinous murder, try him within 3 months, and sentence him to death. Then execute him in the gas chamber.

My father owned the Pana News Palladium and every time there was a car wreck he took me along to see what happens when you drive fast and recklessly. He took me to suicides to show me guns were serious things and not to be played with. He took me to the scene of a person run over by a train to show me what happens in a moment of inattentiveness.

I did not realize until psychology class in college he was using aversion therapy to show how a moment of stupidity or unthinking can kill or destroy the rest of your life. It worked

So politicos, instead of bloviating on guns which is only a tool like a hammer or a fire extinguisher, work on rapid executions for venal crimes such as this. When fighting cancer, you dont compromise, you destroy it.

Bill Klein, Springfield
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Clear skies. Low near 75F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 75F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
A local business is set to roll out a new program to help its working parents and caregivers cover child care costs.

Universal Fibers, a Bristol, Virginia yarn manufacturer, is among several employers in the region participating in the launch of the Employer-Sponsored Child Care Benefit pilot program made possible by the United Way of Southwest Virginia (UWSWVA) and GO Virginia.

This impacts and directly associates itself with retention as well as recruitment, Rick Nunley, director of human resources at Universal Fibers, said. It made perfect sense for us to get involved.

According to Nunley, Universal Fibers' Bristol facility employs more than 500 people, but lost about 5% of its skilled associates during the pandemic due to reasons related to child care. He sees the pilot program as a way for the company to distinguish itself by investing more in its workforce.

Every employer, especially us, has that unique manufacturing-requirement skillset that is just not learned in a days time, Nunley said. We are taking eight and 12 weeks training sometimes to get our folks up to that production speed, and so losing those individuals to child care needs is not what an employer wants to face, especially when you need that workforce to produce your products.

Lawrence Brothers in Bluefield and Pauls Fans in Big Rock are also on board as program plans get ironed out.

Our hope is that well have the details of the program squared away within the next 30 to 60 days at the latest and launch that program within the next 60 to 90 days, actually using it to help those employers recruit individuals that are parents or caregivers for young children that need support with the affordability of child care to return to work or enter the workforce, Travis Staton, president and CEO of UWSWVA, said.

Last month, the GO Virginia Board approved $269,406 to help establish the program, fund community assessments and for efforts like analyzing program performance; however, child care costs covered by the program will be funded by employers and charitable foundations through the United Way, which will match employer contributions.

According to Staton, the two-year pilot program could save eligible employees an estimated $5,200  or $100 a week  in annual child care costs with half of those funds coming from UWSWVA and the other half coming from the employer.

We are looking at easily over $1.2 million worth of benefits to working parents and caregivers in our region (over the next two years), which is huge, Staton said.

The idea is that after two years, participating employers will be ready to operate the benefit on their own. That would allow the United Way to implement the program in other communities in Southwest Virginia.

This is all part of a bigger equation, too, for continuing to improve Southwest Virginias economy, help grow our economy (and) bring in more jobs, Staton said. We cant do that if we dont fill the jobs we have, and were having some challenges filling jobs we have because parents need help with child care.

Program details like eligibility and other criteria are still being smoothed out, according to Staton, who feels confident the program will pay dividends.

I think the investments that were putting in this project  were going to see the return on that well over what we invested, Staton said. Local governments will earn it back, communities will earn it back in tax revenue (and) spending in the local economy  its a win-win when we get people a job and we can keep them employed.
HICKORY  After two years of virtual meetings, the Hickory Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will hold an in-person branch meeting at 3 p.m. Sunday July 10, at Hartzell Memorial United Methodist Church.

During the meeting, the Executive Committee will review accomplishments of the past year and look forward to upcoming events. Items on the agenda will include:

 The annual NAACP National Convention in July

 The upcoming Hickory municipal election on July 26

 Getting out the vote for the November election

 Branch elections in the fall

This meeting is open to members and other concerned citizens. Hartzell Church, where the Rev. Cassandra Rawls is the pastor, is located at 465 South Center St.

For information call 828-322-6663.

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. Its mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
HICKORY  Veterans Coffee Connection, a coffee group for veterans of all ages and branches of military service, will meet Wednesday, July 13, at 8:30 a.m. at Outback Steakhouse on Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard in Hickory.

The group, sponsored by Carolina Caring, is designed to be a welcoming place for veterans to meet other veterans in the area. This free gathering, which meets on the second Wednesday of every month, is a great place to share a cup of coffee, enjoy doughnuts provided by Krispy Kreme and swap stories.

Carolina Caring for Veterans is proud to be a Level IV partner of the We Honor Veterans program, an awareness initiative spearheaded by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more information, contact Cindy Stamey, Carolina Carings director of community and veteran relations, at cstamey@carolinacaring.org or call 828-466-0466.

Carolina Caring, founded in 1979, is an independent, community-based, nonprofit health care provider. It specializes in programs that offer relief from chronic conditions, serious illnesses, and the challenges they bring, including palliative medicine and hospice care for all ages, primary care and grief counseling. Currently, Carolina Caring serves 12 counties across western North Carolina and the Charlotte region. For more information about Carolina Caring, call 828-466-0466 or visit www.CarolinaCaring.org .
Where do we go from here?

Even some of the leaders who organized Wednesdays gun violence vigil in the fellowship hall of Mount Zion Baptist Church said they werent entirely sure. But there was a clear resolve that things need to change.

Whats next? Christopher Nivens of Mount Zion said to the crowd packing the hall. I dont exactly know the answer to that right now but were here now, right?

He continued: So my thing is, I think were serving notice, first to the devil to let him know were not sitting back any longer as a community. And were serving notice also to the community that were not going to allow this in our community.

With Nivens and other speakers, there was a sense of urgency inspired by the recent wave of gun violence in the Ridgeview community, shootings which have involved young people. Some have been victims. Others are charged as perpetrators.

There were two fatal shootings in the community in June, one claiming the life of 18-year-old Deveion Grayson and a second that killed 35-year-old Shonniel Blackburn. A 12-year-old boy was also injured in a shooting.

Four teens have been charged in Blackburns shooting, as well as one adult.

While Wednesdays meeting did not provide a road map for change, it did offer a direction, one that could be summed up in the theme chosen for the vigil: It takes a village.

Some speakers highlighted resources in the community, listing off summer recreational events for children and employment resources available through the NCWorks center in Ridgeview.

Speakers talked about the need for building stronger social bonds and providing a constructive environment for young people. There was talk of the need for more fathers and father figures, and for physical discipline.

Ericia Turner of Mount Zion said they needed to build a community in which neighbors felt comfortable looking out for the children of others and correcting them when needed.

We need to get back to loving on each others children in our own community, Turner said.

The importance of faith and the role of the church were emphasized by religious leaders and Capt. Philip Demas, one of three representatives of the Hickory Police Department present at the meeting.

Demas told the crowd that the severed relationship with Jesus Christ is the reason why all this is happening.

We have turned our back on Christ as a country, and we need to get back to that, and thats just so important, Demas said. Thats the only way.

His remarks drew applause from the crowd.

In one spontaneous moment during the vigil, attendee Johnney Sherrill stood up and spoke to the crowd on the need for people within the church to set a better example.

Im glad to see all yall, but time is running out, Sherrill said. We need to get this thing together. We need to love.

He added: We walk up into churches and we look at each other and we dont say, Hey. We dont say, Good morning. And then we in here trying to save and trying to testify to the world and we aint even gotten ourselves together.

Tata Vega Tipps and Pinkie Sims, sisters of Shonniel Blackburn, were among those in attendance at the vigil.

Speaking after the event, Tipps said she was grateful for the support she and her family received and that she was encouraged.

We are hurt and sad but tonights vigil was just a wonderful and passionate thing because its given us hope that we can get ahold of other young people that they wont do this kind of act anymore, Tipps said.

Sims called the meeting a good start though she said she wished more people had come. When it comes to addressing the problem of gun violence, Sims said it will come down to a community effort and parents staying involved in the lives of their children.

If youve got children, find out what theyre doing, Sims said. Find out who they talking to. Ask questions. Some people dont want to invade their privacy, but right now weve got to do that.
FBI Charlotte has launched a cybersecurity awareness campaign to educate private sector businesses and organizations in North Carolina about the growing threat of cyberattacks.

The Tar Heel state is home to Fortune 500 companies, numerous small businesses, Research Triangle Park, and world-renowned universities and colleges, making the state a target-rich environment for cybercriminals and nation-state actors. The FBI encourages organizations of all sizes to partner with their local FBI office before a cyber incident occurs.

The awareness campaign runs through September and will include media engagements, social media posts and presentations to local businesses. FBI special agents will educate the partners about the following top cyber threats.

Critical Infrastructure Attacks: The private sector controls most of the countrys critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and personal data, making large corporations and small businesses frequent targets of cyberattacks. In 2021, Americas critical infrastructure experienced an unprecedented increase in cyberattacks.

Ransomware: Cybercriminals and nation-state actors breach private networks, deploy ransomware to encrypt victims data, and then demand ransom payments to unlock the encrypted data. When a ransomware incident occurs, swift communication with the FBI can positively impact data recovery efforts. The FBI does not recommend victims pay ransoms. Payment encourages more criminal activity and businesses will likely still suffer the consequences of a cyberattack.

Supply Chain Attacks: A business cybersecurity is only as strong as that of its trusted vendors. Supply chains are increasingly a point of vulnerability for computer intrusions.

When a victim reports a compromise, FBI agents help pinpoint malicious cyber activity, share intelligence to help leaders make decisions during a crisis, and prevent more damage. Agency experts work with victims to arrest and prosecute cyber criminals. The FBI also has specialty teams whose aim is to freeze and seize the money cybercriminals steal from their victims.

We are uniquely equipped in North Carolina to help companies fight cybersecurity attacks. In addition to FBI agents, analysts, and computer scientists who track and counter emerging cyber threats, we enjoy robust partnerships with law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies throughout the state. We strive to educate and protect our residents and ensure that North Carolina remains safe and secure from cyberattacks, said Charlotte FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert R. Wells.

In addition to partnering with a local FBI office, companies should also take the following preventive steps:

Update and patch operating systems and software.

Implement robust access controls, especially for privileged users.

Monitor security logs.

Audit trusted third parties or others with access to systems and sensitive data.

Require personnel to choose a strong, unique password for each account and use multifactor authentication for as many services as possible. Passwords should be changed regularly.

Educate personnel about phishing schemes to highlight the risks of clicking on suspicious links, opening suspicious attachments, and visiting suspicious websites.

Keep backups of data offline, and regularly test backup and restoration capabilities. Ensure all backup data is encrypted and immutable.

Develop a cybersecurity incident response plan that includes the FBI. If compromised, contact the FBI immediately.

Be aware of signs of compromises such as broken passwords, unexpected pop-ups, slow-running devices, altered system settings, or unexplained online activity.
Joel Reese, Statesville's history librarian, telephoned me Wednesday morning, asking if I had heard that a French television crew was filming the exhumation of Peter Stuart Neys remains at Third Creek Presbyterian Church in Rowan County.

Joel said that he was interested in going to the churchs graveyard and seeing the activity for himself and wanted to know if I wanted to go also.

The question of who is buried at Third Creek Church is a 177-year-old North Carolina mystery. If you go by the name on the headstone, it is the grave of a respected backcountry school teacher, Peter Stuart Ney. If you go by the legend, it is the grave of French Marshal Michel Ney, perhaps Napoleons greatest general, called by Napoleon himself, the Bravest of the Brave.

Or, for those who like more choices, it could be the grave of an imposter, or the final resting place of the marshal who fled a death sentence in France and took up the occupation of school teacher in remote Piedmont North Carolina.

Our acidic North Carolina red clay might have already moved the identity of the remains beyond our reach.

Briefly, the story goes something like this:

Michel Ney (1769-1815?) an officer in the French Army, rises to prominence under the rule of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), who rules France after the fall of the Bourbon dynasty and the beheading of King Louis XVI during the French Revolution.

Ney fearlessly leads French troops in numerous closely-fought battles, and his cavalry covers the disastrous French winter retreat from Russia.

Eventually, Napoleon is defeated by a coalition of troops under the overall command of the Duke of Wellington. Rather than executing Napoleon and making him a martyr, Napoleon is tucked away on the small Mediterranean island of Elba.

Napoleon, however, is not ready to be consigned to a footnote in the history books, and returns to France, making landfall near Cannes on the southern French coast.

Ney, at the head of royalist French troops, is dispatched to arrest Napoleon. However, when Neys men see the Little Corporal, they throw down their muskets and switch sides. Many of them had fought under Napoleon and preferred his rule to that of the arrogant, snobby Bourbon King Louis XVIII.

Ney has little choice but to join with his men, although he had personally sworn to the king that he would bring Napoleon back to Paris in an iron cage.

Napoleon is soon at war again, the so-called Hundred Days, which ends with his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium.

This time, Napoleon is exiled to the remote, cold island of St. Helena, a British colony in the Atlantic, where he dies in 1821, possibly poisoned.

Ney, because he broke his word to the restored French king, Louis XVIII, ends up in front of a firing squad for treason. After he is shot, there is no coup de grace (French for touch of mercy). A pistol shot to the head was to put the man out of his misery and make him dead for certain. Also, Neys body is whisked away in a carriage.

It is interesting to note that both Marshal Ney and the British Duke of Wellington were Freemasons. Also, the musketeers in the firing squad were veterans, many of whom had fought under Ney.

Was there some collusion between the Duke of Wellington, the Freemasons and the members of the firing squad to fake Neys death?

Sometime later, a man resembling Ney, red hair and all, steps ashore in Charleston, South Carolina. This person, calling himself Peter Stuart Ney, eventually makes his way into the Piedmont of North Carolina, where he becomes a school teacher. Now and then, he is seen, and men who have fought in the Napoleonic wars say he resembles Marshal Ney. Also, sometimes when the school teacher has had a bit too much wine, he jabbers about battles and leading troops.

The school teacher dies in 1846. On his deathbed, he declares that he is, indeed, Marshal Ney of France. He is laid to rest in the country cemetery of Third Creek Presbyterian.

***

Whomever the teacher was, he carried himself with a military bearing, knew a great deal about the history of the Napoleonic era and physically resembled the marshal. He moved about and eventually settled in Cleveland, North Carolina, where he taught. He was especially good at teaching Latin and French. In addition, the teacher wrote acrostic poetry and designed the seal of Davidson College.

A number of books  I have a half-dozen of them myself  and dozens of articles have been penned that claim to have resolved this historical mystery once and for all. Over the years  notably in 1936 and 1954  there also have been several attempts at examining the remains to establish, once and for all, the identity of the deceased. However, these attempts were done before the development of DNA identification procedures.

Assuming that remains are found in the Carolina clay and that the bones contain enough DNA to get an accurate test, any remains (jawbone, teeth) will probably be sent to France for testing. That might take a while. Also, assuming there are Ney relatives to compare DNA with, will the mystery than be finally laid to rest?

Personally, I doubt it. Besides, a good mystery always beats factual, barebones history.
CHARLESTON  Lincoln Home National Historic Site Superintendent Timothy Good is scheduled to speak at the Coles County Historical Society Founders Day dinner on July 18.

Reservations are due as soon as possible for this dinner at 6 p.m. at the Unique Suites Brick House Bar & Grill in Charleston. The cost is $25 for the dinner, with choice of beef, chicken, or vegetarian lasagna. Reservations can be made by contacting Sandra Graven at sgraven2808@yahoo.com or 217-273-8968.

Good has served with the National Park Service for 32 years. He began his career in Washington, serving at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Fords Theatre National Historic Site. He followed these two assignments with a 14-month detail for the NPS Washington Office Information & Telecommunications Division. There, he helped develop the Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System, a computerized database of 6.3 million soldier records and several thousand-unit histories.

He then serviced on the National Mall in Washington; Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield; Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Brecksville, Ohio; Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio; the Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska; and Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri before returning to Springfield in 2018.

The guest speaker also has held acting assignments at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Acadia National Park.

Good graduated from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana, with a bachelor's in American History; attained his master's in history through the University of Durham, England; and earned a diploma from the U.S. Naval War College.

He has authored five published books, "The American Eagle Squadrons of the Royal Air Force, Operational Records and Combat Reports, 1940-1942" (2020); "American Privateers in the War of 1812: The Vessels and their Prizes as Recorded in Niles Weekly Register" (2012); "Lincoln for President: An Underdogs Path to the 1860 Republican Nomination" (2009); "The Lincoln-Douglas Debates and the Making of a President" (2007), and "We Saw Lincoln Shot: One Hundred Eyewitness Accounts" (1996).
CHICAGO - City, state and federal officials called on the Biden administration to approve a $251 million grant to overhaul Chicagos Union Station, which would fund wider platforms, improved concourses and better ventilation at the venerable transit hub.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia joined with state transportation officials to ask for federal funding for the project as part of the federal infrastructure bill pushed by President Joe Biden. Amtrak applied for the funding but it has not yet gotten approval, officials said.

Lightfoot said she has personally stressed the importance of the project to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during his trips to Chicago and said it would be a boon for the region.

Transportation is a thing that unites us, Lightfoot said.

Durbin said theyre near the finish line and hope to hear from the federal government soon.

The iconic building opened in 1925; its initial design was by famed urban planner Daniel Burnham and it was completed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, according to the stations website.

But despite the architectural splendor of its Great Hall, Union Station is criticized by commuters for its narrow corridors, low ceilings and crowded platforms.

A proposal to add a block of apartments on top of the iconic building was quickly shelved.
PARK RIDGE  A suburban Chicago family is requesting criminal charges against an off-duty Chicago police sergeant who they say pinned their 14-year-old son down and pressed a knee to his back because he mistakenly thought the boy was trying to steal his son's bicycle.

Park Ridge police, the Chicago Police Department and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability have all launched investigations into the July 1 incident in Park Ridge. No arrest or disciplinary action has been announced.

"As parents, we are heartbroken over the abuse of power and excessive force used against our son," the boy's mother, Nicole Nieves, said Wednesday at a news conference. "In a world where it already feels unsafe to go to the mall, to attend school, to enjoy a parade with family, the last thing we need is any reason to fear those who stand to protect us."

The boy was out with friends Friday evening. Holding his bike, the boy was moving another bike that was blocking his path when the officer confronted him, said the family's attorney, Antonio Romanucci.

The officer grabbed the boy, pinned his arms behind his back on the sidewalk and put his knee on the boy's back, according to video provided by Romanucci and the family, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The boy's friends pleaded with the officer to get off him, and eventually the boy was freed.

"This is a clear-cut case of racial profiling," Romanucci said. "The off-duty officer is white and the boy was the only person of color in a group of teenagers."

The boy is Puerto Rican.

Park Ridge and Chicago police declined to comment on the case.
Exhibit

A new exhibit, Paul Bright: Matter of Style, will open July 14 at Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, 750 Marguerite Drive, Winston-Salem.

The display spans 10 years of Brights work and explores collage as an approach to art-making with works created from found materials in paper, books, video, sound and performance.

A free opening reception will be from 5 to 8 p.m. July 14 with an artist-led gallery tour at 6 p.m.

Bright was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and lives in Winston-Salem.

The scale and breadth of the presentation of Matter of Style is a rare opportunity for an artist; its my first comprehensive one with this span of work, said Paul Bright. Whats exciting for me, and hopefully engaging for viewers, is that the exhibition is not just about encountering a carefully selected group of works in a gallery setting. Its about experiencing the entire spectrum of my interconnected work and projects in one place, so that the viewer can experience them individually and as a whole.

Juried Art Show

Yadkin Arts Council will host an opening reception at 7 p.m. July 15 for its annual Juried Art Show in Welborn Gallery & Red Wall Gallery, 226 E. Main St., Yadkinville.

The reception will include wine and beer, light hors doeuvres, an award ceremony and a meet and greet with the artists.

The exhibition celebrates some of the finest creativity in North Carolina. Eligibility for entry is open to 2-D and 3-D Fine Art artists who are at least 18 years old and live in North Carolina. There will be $3,500 in combined prizes awarded to the best artists, including first place, second place, third place, six honorable mentions and a Peoples Choice Award.

An invitation to participate in the Peoples Choice award will be on Facebook starting July 18 and will run through July 31.

The exhibit will run through Sept. 2.

Film grant

OUT at the Movies, Winston Salems International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, has announced its inaugural Emerging Artist Film Grant.

This grant is intended to supplement the budget for an emerging LGBTQIA+ filmmaker in the creation of a film.

The winner will receive $5,000, along with access to a group of mentors from various disciplines within the film production world.

The winner will also get an all-access pass to attend the 2022 OATM Film Festival, which will take place Sept. 29-Oct. 2

The first and second runners-up will also gain access to the mentorship, as well as passes to the 2022 OATM Film Festival.

All three winners will be given the chance to screen their finished films at the 2023 OUT at the Movies International Film Festival.

Applications will be accepted from any filmmaker or filmmaking team with a project that focuses on sharing the queer experience in documentary or narrative form.

OUT at the Movies works to share diverse experiences through film and build community in the process. OUT at the Movies will also award its annual scholarship to a queer student in the UNCSA School of Filmmaking.

New exhibit

Artworks Gallery will present a new exhibit, Organic Impressions, through July 30 at 564 N. Trade St. in Winston-Salem, featuring work by Seth Moskowitz and Mona Wu.

An artist reception will be from 2 to 4 p.m. July 10.

Moskowitz is a Winston-Salem-based artist who creates and combines photographic images into artwork that rarely resembles photography or the images that they incorporate. He describes the creation of his work as an escape from the verbal cacophony of the workaday world  a way to enter a peaceful, magical place that is literally, beyond words. His artwork focuses on nature and nudes and combinations of both.

A native of China, Mona Wu immigrated to the U.S. in 1970. She studied Chinese painting and calligraphy in Hong Kong then received her bachelor of arts in art history from Salem College in 1996. She also studied printmaking at Wake Forest University from 1997-2014. Wu has taught classes and workshops in Chinese art and printmaking at Salem Community College, Reynolda House of American Art and Sawtooth School of Visual Art. Wu presents a series of monotype prints featuring fall and winter foliage in their natural forms but have been transformed into an expressive collage work by manipulations in the printing process. This exhibition is free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call 336-723-5890 or visit Artworks-Gallery.org.

New exhibit

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) will host Will Wilson: Connecting the Dots, a mid-career retrospective of the Dine (Navajo) photographer and community engagement artist, through Dec. 11 in the Main Gallery at 750 Marguerite Drive in Winston-Salem.

A prolific artist with a wide range of technical experience, Wilson presents an artistic vision that is experimental in technique and approach. His works use cutting-edge technologies alongside historical photographic processes, including augmented reality, drone photography and tintypes.

This exhibition showcases photography and sculpture from three significant bodies of work created over the past two decades, addressing topics such as environmental justice, institutional racism and Indigenous futurism.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Outdoor concerts

Summer outdoor concerts will continue with:

6 p.m. July 10: Sunqueen Kelcey and the Soular Flares (soul/rock) at MUSEP at Latham Park, W. Wendover Ave. at Latham and Cridland Roads. Food trucks: Scoop Zone and Sweets Turkey BBQ and Catering. Free, donations accepted. Food trucks on-site. Bring blankets, chairs, picnics. greensboro-nc.gov/MUSEP, facebook.com/CreativeGreensboro.

7 p.m. July 15: Second Glance Band (rock, country, blues) with food by Big Cheese (burgers and more) at Friday Flavors at Stonefield Cellars Winery, 8220 N.C. Hwy 68 N., Stokesdale. $10. Rain or shine. Bring chairs or reserve a table at 336-644-9908. Wine, beer, food for sale. No outside food or alcohol. No pets. 336-644-9908, stonefieldcellars.com.

7 p.m. July 16: The Grand Ole Uproar (rock, Americana, hippie-tonk) at Saturday City Sunsets at Center City Park, 200 N. Elm St., Greensboro. Free. Bring blankets, chairs, picnics. Food trucks, brewery, crafts vendors on-site. 336-373-7533, greensborodowntownparks.org.

7 p.m. July 16: Withdrew (rock) at Summer on Liberty at the intersection of Sixth and Liberty streets, Winston-Salem. Free. 336-354-1500, downtownws.com/music.6 p.m. July 16: The Castaways (beach, country, Top 40, Southern rock) with Taco Bros Food Truck and Kona Ice at Music-in-the-Park at Summerfield Community Park Amphitheatre, 5404 Centerfield Road, Summerfield. summerfieldnc.gov.

6 p.m. July 17: The Beauty Operators (blues/indie/rock) at MUSEP at Guilford College, 5800 W. Friendly Ave. Food trucks: Scoop Zone and Taqueria El Azteca. Free, donations accepted. Food trucks on-site. Bring blankets, chairs, picnics. greensboro-nc.gov/MUSEP, facebook.com/CreativeGreensboro.
Shortly after word spread on Wednesday that Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools was ending a mentoring program that began in February, Shinika Austins phone began buzzing with text messages from worried parents of children the program served.

Where do we go? the messages read.

Austin said on Thursday that she and other mentors in the program remain committed to helping the 200 at-risk kids that mentors had been working with.

Were putting ourselves in harms way, going into homes, going into schools. Were on the ground, Austin said, wiping away tears. The job we do, not everybody can do.

Austin, several other mentors and officials with Action4Equity, the nonprofit organization that oversaw the embedded mentoring program, spoke at a news conference one day after the school district announced it had terminated its contract with Action4Equity and ended the program just a few months after it began.

The school district informed Action4Equity President Kellie Easton in a letter on June 30 that it violated district policy by failing to notify the school district in a timely or suitable manner that a mentor had been fired by the group on June 20 for reportedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a student at the school the mentor served.

The Winston-Salem Police Department is investigating but no criminal charges have been filed.

The Rev. Paul Robeson Ford, president of the board of directors for Action4Equity, declined to answer questions about when Action4Equity became aware of the alleged inappropriate activity, but he did say that some of the dates in the termination letter were not accurate.

Unfortunately, some of the inaccuracies have been used against us to tarnish Action4Equity and paint us in a light that is simply not true, Ford said.

The school district, he said, made a wrong decision.

We will give details at the appropriate time, and it will become clear, Ford said.

Schools spokesman Brent Campbell said he cant give a timeline of when the school district learned of the allegations because its part of the police departments investigation.

Campbell did say that all of the mentors went through a series of training seminars.

Those seminars included a review of their reportable obligations. That includes multiple types of reportable items/situations like a reported inappropriate relationship, Campbell said.

Twenty mentors worked with 200 at-risk kids at four schools  Philo-Hill and Paisley middle schools and Reynolds and Parkland high schools.

The program involved putting mentors in those schools to work with students who may be susceptible to such things as gang violence, criminal behavior or dropping out of school. The mentors worked with students in the schools and in their homes, building relationships with them and their families.

The mentors who spoke on Thursday said they were able to build bonds with the students because they, too, had gone through difficulties as youths and had made bad decisions. Many of them also grew up in the same communities as the kids in the program, giving them an extra layer of credibility among kids who may not trust authority figures.

One mentor, Terrence Hairston, said he had been in gangs and was in jail for 15 years.

Speaking to these kids in a language they can understand, dealing with these kids, you got to put someone around them that can relate to them, someone who can understand hardship, Hairston said.

In December, the school board unanimously approved spending $1.4 million for the mentoring program, using COVID relief money from the federal government. Recommended by Superintendent Tricia McManus, it was billed as a pilot program that could be expanded to other schools if proven successful. Action4Equity was charged with overseeing the program.

The decision to fund the program came near the end of what had been a difficult first semester in the school district that included a fatal shooting at Mount Tabor High School, fights and the confiscation of guns.

With the program now apparently ended, the school system told parents on Wednesday that their students can get involved with mentoring groups that the school district is contracting with in 2022-23. Those groups include Big Brother Big Sister and Lead Girls.
North Carolinas first known infestation of the highly invasive spotted lanternfly appears to be contained within a five-mile radius in eastern Forsyth County, state officials said Wednesday afternoon.

Were being pretty proactive with treatment so the places that were heavily infested that we knew about have already been treated and knocked down, Amy Michael, agricultural pest survey coordinator with the N.C. Cooperative Extension, told the Winston-Salem Journal in an interview at Kernersvilles Beeson Road Park.

The affected area is in Kernersville near Interstate 40, extending to the Guilford County line.

The spotted lanternfly, native to China, is a piercing-sucking insect that, while feeding, produces copious amounts of a sticky substance known as honeydew, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

This buildup of honeydew attracts stinging insects like wasps and ants and can cause black, sooty mold to grow on infested plants as well as homes and businesses, reducing property values, the department says.

In some cases, professional removal and clean-up can cost thousands of dollars.

The first U.S. discovery of the spotted lanternfly was in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania. North Carolina is the 12th known state to experience an infestation.

In summer, they are identifiable by the black spots on their wings and splashes of bright red.

N.C. impact

The pest poses a particular threat to grapes and, by extension, North Carolinas $2 billion wine industry.

When feeding on grapes, spotted lanternflies reduce the fruits sugar content and weaken vines to the point where they can no longer survive freezing temperatures, Michael explained.

In heavily infested areas, untreated vineyards can be completely destroyed in three years, she said.

North Carolina is home to more than 500 vineyards and about 200 wineries.

Experts also are concerned about spotted lanternfly exposure to another Tarheel agricultural staple: the states $115 million Christmas tree industry.

While the pests dont feed on pines, they could lay their eggs in the branches, Michael noted. That could turn the 5 million North Carolina Christmas trees shipped and sold annually into potential insect super-spreaders, carrying those eggs throughout the eastern U.S., where they would hatch as usual in the spring.

Other states dont want it, obviously, so were trying not to share it, Michael said of the states eradication efforts.

Spotted lanternflies also are harmful to apple, maple, oak, walnut and willow trees, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Along for the ride

Experts say its no surprise North Carolinas first infestation was discovered along I-40.

The pest will lay eggs on any flat surface, including vehicles, which can end up carrying them along on unexpected road trips.

The spotted lanternfly is a hitchhiker and will go wherever human activity takes it, Bill Foote, director of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Plant Industry Division, said. We believe this population started out as a hitchhiker from another state.

One of the spotted lanternflys favorite habitats, the so-called tree of heaven, is often found along roadsides and at the edge of forests, offering ready access for lanternflies who have hitched a ride from out of state, Michael said.

She joked that she finds the name of the tree, also an invasive species from China, to be kind of satirical because it smells like rotten peanut butter.

While the infestation appears mostly contained to one area for now, the state plans continue its search and eradication efforts.

We are asking residents of North Carolina to help find other hitchhikers, Foote said. (And) we will have staff in the area until we are satisfied we have found all discoverable spotted lanternfly or heat exhaustion halts our progress.

Go to www.ncagr.gov/slf for more information on spotted lanternfly in North Carolina or to report a sighting.
UPDATE: A Silver Alert for Shanon Carlton has been canceled at the request of the Winston-Salem Police Department.

Winston-Salem police are searching for a missing, endangered woman, authorities said Wednesday.

Shanon Graciela Carlton, 66, was last seen at 2933 Poinsetta Drive, police said.

The N.C. Center of Missing Persons has issued a Silver Alert for Carlton.

Carlton is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds, police said. She is Black and has short brown hair and brown eyes.

She is driving a 2018 block Mitsubishi Outlander with the N.C. license plate TJX-4147, police said.

Anyone who has information about Carlton's whereabouts can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904.

Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is on Facebook.
Sent off to World War I as a second lieutenant, English poet Siegfried Sassoon became a courageous, decorated soldier, beloved by the men under his command.

But he was haunted by the war to end all wars, as it, in his view, turned into a war of aggression for the British that resulted in thousands of casualties.

So the highly principled Sassoon penned a letter of protest, refusing to return to the battlefield and fight in the conflict, which he opposed. Instead, he wrote powerfully elegant anti-war poems for which he became widely known.

His vocal opposition to the war, and refusal to fight, however, put him in jeopardy of a court martial and execution.

Thats the initial run-up of writer/director Terence Davies Benediction, an exquisitely crafted portrait of Sassoon, who, while publicly opposing war, had to keep his private life as a gay man closeted.

Sassoon as a younger man is played with wit and sensitivity by Jack Lowden, who carries the poet through his marriage some years after the war. Hes played by Peter Capaldi 30 years later, when, still struggling with the war and inner conflicts, hes converting to Catholicism.

Thats where Benediction begins  with Sassoon in the pews of a church, his adult son George (Richard Goulding) sitting behind him, questioning what his father is doing.

Bouncing back in time, Benediction picks up Sassoons World War I story, impressively incorporating vintage black-and-white footage of British troops on the train heading off to war, in battle and in pictures of the real wounded and dead, and Sassoons poems into the narrative.

Escaping the court martial, thanks to some political manipulation by his friend and former Oscar Wilde paramour Robbie Ross (Simon Russell Beale), Siegfried is sent to a military hospital in Scotland for soldiers suffering from nervous disorders.

There, he meets, works and seemingly falls in love with another poet Wilfred Owen (Matthew Tennyson), who dies in battle shortly after hes released from the hospital. Returning to London, Sassoon falls back into the upper crust literary smart set  Edith Stillwell makes an appearance as does T.E. Lawrence, as Lawrence of Arabia.

There, he commences a series of affairs with young men, including self-absorbed actor and songwriter Ivor Novello (Jeremy Irvine) and cavalier socialite Stephen Tennant (Calam Lynch), meeting Hester Getty (Kate Phillips) at a dance, then forgetting about her until years later.

As he tells the story, Davies explores the contrast between Sassoons agonizing anti-war pacifism, his joy and heartbreak in his affairs, and the life of an upper-class gay man in the 1920s, when homosexuality was a crime in England.

Benediction doesnt attempt to fill in the facts and figures of the real Sassoon. In fact, it never mentions that the film is based on a real person, much less further detail his life, even with explanatory cards at the end.

That, however, doesnt detract from the film. Rather, it enhances Davies moving depiction of the troubled life of the poet who was haunted by war from the day he left the battlefield until his death.
Bobby Rush had pulled his car over on the side of a Mississippi road Monday, ready to talk about coming to play ZooFest.

The Grammy-winning 88-year-old blues man hadnt had much sleep after a show the night before. But he had things to do on Independence Day before he and his band could head out from Jackson to Lincoln for Fridays show.

Ive heard about it, said Rush, who on Friday will become the oldest performer ever to make his ZooFest debut.

Thats not really a surprise as Rush, one of the last original Chicago blues men  unlike Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Little Walter and his friend Buddy Guy  didnt didnt cross over to white audiences until the last few years, spending most of his career as the King of the Chitlin Circuit, the array of juke joints across the South that cater to Black people.

Im a survivor, he said. Anybody can survive with a record and $1 million. When you survive with no record and no money. Thats a survivor.

Rushs life, which he chronicled in a compellingly readable autobiography, I Aint Studdin Ya: My American Blues Story, couldnt have been dreamed up by a novelist intent on capturing the life of a Black blues man.

Born Emmet Ellis Jr. in Homer, Louisiana, the son of sharecropping parents and a preacher father, Rush grew up in the Jim Crow South, enduring the worst of segregation and racial discrimination.

Starting out playing a diddley bow, a single stringed instrument attached to the wall of the house, the guitar-loving Emmet became a professional musician as a teenager, joining a minstrel show for a short time and adopting his stage name so as not to disrespect his father, sneaking to clubs and juke-joints by showing his age via a mustache made from matchstick ash.

After the family moved to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Rush befriended legendary slide guitarist Elmore James and played around the South with him and Little Walter, among others, meeting on those travels Wolf and Waters.

In Memphis, Rufus Thomas and Albert King helped the young man on his route through the blues. Moving to Chicago in the early 1950s, he formed a band that included Freddie King and, a few years later, Luther Allison.

An addition to the whos who of blues who crossed paths with Rush is James Brown, who treated Rush very badly  something he talks about in the book, which, unlike most musician memoirs, appears to pull no punches.

Im telling you this for the first time, he said.  Theres some men and things I dont talk about in the book. But people can read between the lines. When I look back at my life, there are some things I did wrong, but I didnt know better. I have no regrets about it.

Despite playing steadily around Chicagos West Side, Rush had to work a hotdog stand, run a BBQ joint and collected scrap metal to support his family and didnt see a record come out until 1964s deep blues 45 Someday.

In 1971, Rush had his first national hit with Chicken Head, a funky grinder that set the template for what he labeled folk funk. Eight years later came his debut album, Rush Hour, a sadly overlooked collection thats now hailed as one of the prime blues albums of its era.

In 1983, Rushs lascivious Sue sold more than a million records and launched him toward becoming the King of the Chitlin Circuit and triggering a move to Jackson, Mississippi, to be closer to the juke joints that he played 200 nights a year.

In the 2000s, appearances in documentaries, including an episode of Martin Scorseses PBS series The Blues, raised Rushs visibility. He landed his first Grammy nomination in 2000, got another in 2014 and subsequently two Traditional Blues Grammys as he, at last, crossed over.

Along the way, Rush was shot, jailed, escaped when his BBQ restaurant blew up, was severely injured in a bus accident, survived a bout with COVID-19 and, most tragically, has lost three of his children to sickle cell anemia.

Yet he has persevered to achieve his greatest level of mainstream success in his late 80s.

Whats kept me going? he responded before the question was finished. I didnt get any help from most people to get anywhere. I had to do it on my own. Some people told me I couldnt do it. You dont tell Bobby Rush what he cant do. With all the tragedy in my life, you just keep going. I want people to take that from my life and use it for them.

Keeping going, Rush said, is pursuing his God-given vision of working hard, doing things right to connect with people.

I learned this from my dad, he said.  I remember in 1957, my dad was building a church. He called me Junior. He said Junior, Im not getting any help from the church members. I told him, God has given you the vision. Dont be surprised about what the people do. Years later, he told me, You helped me, boy.

Rushs Grammy winners, 2017s Porcupine Meat and 2020s Rawer Than Raw step away from folk funk to traditional blues, carried by the harmonica that he first learned about from his father, who bounced little Ellis on his knee while playing the harp.

But the shift to a sound that has greater appeal to a wider, whiter audience, isnt as great as it appears to be.

I dont think the styles have changed, Rush said.  People seem to think these last two albums, Ive changed. This is what Ive been doing all the time.

Its about what I'm singing. Its not about what Im playing.  Its a gift God gave me. Its like Martin Luther King, he was a great preacher. But there were lots of guys like him. He was just a guy who delivered. I try to make sure I deliver.

There are, sadly, many other things that havent really changed over Rushs long lifetime, most notably discrimination against Blacks in the South, which his father stood up to 80 years ago.

So many of the things remain the same, its just a different approach, he said. There are a lot of places I can go now, I can stay now, I can eat now. But theres a price on the front door. They price you out. The gas prices at $5 a gallon, there are some people who can buy more than they could when it was 15 cents. But thats another form of 'stay in your place.'

My daddy was a brave man to do what he was doing then, to make a path for me and people like me. We still have to be careful with what we do and what we say.

One thing that has largely remained the same, Rush said, is entertaining.

Ive been entertaining for all my life, professionally, for 71 years, he said.  Ive seen a whole lot of changes. But the basis of that never changes. When I was kid, you had to go outside to the toilet. Now were inside, but you do the same thing.

In 30 minutes of conversation, he came across as full as energy and enthusiasm to keep pushing forward at a time when most people his age have settled into retirement.

Im just on fire, he said. I have to do all I can while I can. I know a man, woman can live a long time without water or food, but not hope. I still have hope. All of sudden something will come along and uplift me."

Yesterday and the day before, Jesse Jackson called me and talked to me. He said Ive known you since 63, and we talked about some real personal things, with him and Martin Luther King. I never thought hed call me and talk to me like that. Those kinds of things make me get up and do some things.

And hes gratified by his late-in-life crossover success, for many reasons.

Financially, its paying off, Rush said. Its proved to me that I was right and its flattering to me.  Fifty, 60 years ago, a Black man playing in Nebraska? Not in many places. Not many places a Black man could play in Des Moines, Iowa, either. Ive been playing it for 70 years.

After ascertaining some details about ZooFest, Rush said he and his band will be ready to bring their full show to the outdoor stage, where, he claimed, hell be able to instantly read the audience and know what he has to do.

Ill be there on the 8th with my sharp pencils and paper, ready to tap dance or do whatever I have to do, Rush said. Its not about singing. Its about entertaining. Its about entertaining and loving what youre doing.
The incumbent filing deadline for offices not on the May primary ballot is 5 p.m. Friday.

The deadline for nonincumbents is 5 p.m. Aug. 1. A person is considered an incumbent if they are a current officeholder of any elected office and would like to file for the same office or a different office.

Candidates for the following offices that are located within or partially within Lancaster County must meet these deadlines:

* City of Bennet, mayor and city council wards 1 and 2.

* Boards of trustees for the villages of Davey, Denton, Firth, Hallam, Malcolm, Panama, Raymond, Roca and Sprague.

* Educational Service Unit 2, District 5 (4-year term); Unit 5, District 5 (4-year term); Unit 6, Districts 5 and 7 (4-year terms).

Candidates for the city of Bennet and the village boards file with the Lancaster County Election Commissioner, 601 N. 46th St.

Candidates for Educational Service Units file with the Elections Division of the Nebraska Secretary of State, 1221 N St.

More information: 402-441-7311.
Community members gathered Thursday morning at the Eiseley Branch Library to launch a new program that was created by a Lincoln East sophomore to foster a reading routine between caregivers and their newborn.

Through Books for Babies, all babies born in Lincoln hospitals will receive a free, developmentally appropriate board book.

Along with the book, caregivers will receive an informational pamphlet they can present at any Lincoln library to receive another free book for their newborn.

Ellie Hiser, a sophomore at Lincoln East, realized how great the need was for kids to be read to when her mother volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Iowa.

"Families she worked with often had young kids, but never had any books in their homes," Hiser said.

Last summer, she began working to make her idea a reality by reaching out to Bryan Health. From there, they partnered with CHI St. Elizabeth and Lincoln City Libraries.

The program is being funded through donations from the hospitals, a Community Health Endowment grant and private contributions.

Marilyn Moore, vice president of the Community Health Endowment, said while it may seem silly to read to a newborn, language and vocabulary growth begins from birth.

"The first two years are probably the most important cognitive development and emotional development in a young child's life," Moore said.

The program will include a wide variety of books written in English, Spanish and Arabic, according to Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries director.

Lincoln City Libraries wants to make sure caregivers of all backgrounds are able to read to their newborns by acquiring more books in other languages going forward, Leach said.

"This looks different for every family and for each child in the family, so we want to make sure that people can make it their own," Leach said.

For more information on the program, visit lincolnlibraries.org and select the Kids and Teens tab.
Prosecutors argued he had taken Thomas out to a boat ramp along the river intending to kill her, and dumped her body in the river. Keadle maintained he left the 19-year-old there  alive  when she refused to get back in his Ford Explorer.

Her body never was found.

In Friday's decision, Justice Stephanie Stacy said the body of a missing person isn't required to prove there has been a homicide.

She said modern case law says although a conviction cannot be sustained solely upon a defendants out-of-court admission or voluntary confession, either or both are competent evidence and may, with evidence of facts and circumstances to support it, "establish the corpus delicti and guilty participation of the defendant."

She cited two prior cases  State v. Edwards and State v. Golyar  where the court has found that circumstantial evidence associated with a missing persons disappearance was sufficient to establish a homicide without a body being found.

Christopher Edwards was convicted of second-degree murder for Jessica O'Grady's disappearance in 2006; and Shanna Golyar was convicted of first-degree murder in Cari Farver's disappearance in 2012.

On appeal, Pickens focused on the rule that a criminal conviction can't stand solely on out-of-court admissions. Without Keadle's, the state wouldn't have had enough evidence to prove Thomas' death was the result of a criminal act, he argued.

And he said the state offered no blood evidence, other biological evidence, or any other kind of physical evidence to prove it. And circumstantial evidence could have supported a noncriminal explanation for her death.

But Stacy said Keadle hadn't properly preserved the issue by saying the trial court judge had erred by considering his statements. And, she said, the fact that the circumstantial evidence didn't include blood or DNA evidence doesn't prove a crime wasn't committed.

She said the question is whether the evidence reasonably infers that there was a death and that it was the result of a crime. And the court found ample circumstantial evidence to support the conclusion that Thomas died as a result of a criminal act, Stacy said.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana submitted more than 90,000 signatures to the Secretary of States office on Thursday to put a pair of initiatives legalizing cannabis for medical use before voters in November.

The campaign said it surpassed the 87,000 names it estimated it would need to qualify for the ballot, said Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, a co-sponsor of the petitions, but the fate of the initiatives in 2022 remains in question.

Theres no campaign in the history of the state of Nebraska who has turned in, on a total grassroots basis, this number of signatures, Wishart said on Thursday. But weve had a lot of challenges against us.

After falling victim to a court challenge in 2020, the campaign lost two major donors this year, forcing Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana to launch a grassroots effort relying predominantly on volunteers to scour the state asking for registered voters to add their names to the petition.

In response to a federal lawsuit filed by the campaigns coordinator alleging that Nebraskas requirement that proposed ballot measures have the support of 5% of voters in 38 of its 93 counties was unconstitutional, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction in June, paving the way for the medical marijuana petitions to make it to the ballot by meeting the 87,000 signature threshold alone.

But on Wednesday, the 8th Circuit Court granted a stay on the lower courts decision to prevent Secretary of State Bob Evnen from enforcing the geographic requirement, reinstating the 38-county rule until the issue could be considered on its merits.

Daniel Gutman, a contract attorney working with the ACLU of Nebraska to represent Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana on the lawsuit, said a hearing should be scheduled in the near future for that process to play itself out.

The stay issued by the 8th Circuit Court was unusual, Gutman said, and the two-sentence order makes it difficult to determine which way the judges are leaning on the issue.

The 5th Circuit Court recently granted its own stay overruling a lower courts decision on an election case in Texas, he added, but included a 10-page order outlining its reasoning.

Its hard to read the tea leaves as to what that means, Gutman said. There have been orders in the past that are a sentence or two, and some that are much longer and more thorough. I dont know what to make of the fact that ours was only two sentences.

At a Nebraska State Patrol event Thursday morning, Gov. Pete Ricketts said he thought it was important to uphold the requirement for petitions to collect signatures from 5% of voters in 38 counties so that Lincoln and Omaha dont decide all the votes.

This weeks roller-coaster ride has added further uncertainty to what has already been a campaign to legalize medical marijuana filled with question marks, Wishart said.

Were close to the raw signatures on around 38 counties, she said, but I wont know  we wont know  until they verify them.

Many campaigns, dipping into their war chest built through big-money backers or individual donors, will have verification efforts built in to their campaign.

Were not one of these million-dollar campaigns, so we havent been able to verify anything, Wishart said. Typically, a campaign will come in like we did last time, and you can spend $50,000 on a verification system. We just cant do that.

That means Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana likely wont know whether or not it has qualified for the ballot until the end of August, a few short weeks before the general election ballot is finalized on Sept. 16.

Petitions submitted to the Nebraska Secretary of State on Thursday will be distributed to county election officials beginning next week.

From there, counties have 40 days to verify the name, address and signature of each signer, which will then be communicated back to the states top election official.

On Thursday, as other petition drives were turning in boxes of signatures, Wishart and other medical marijuana organizers and volunteers were continuing to fan out across the state in places like Hamilton and Thayer counties, among others, to secure as many signatures as possible before the end of the day.

At the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 265 in southwest Lincoln, signers were trickling in shortly before the lunch hour to add their names to both petitions, which would protect doctors and patients who recommend and use cannabis, as well as suppliers and distributors.

David Swarts, of Palmyra, helped gather signatures across the Nebraska Sandhills, including in some of the states most rural counties like Grant and Arthur, Thomas and Logan.

In those counties, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana might need just 40 people to sign the petition, Swarts said, which even then hasn't been easy.

Signers in those rural counties, he said, would be surprised to find out they were the 35th people to sign and would come back later with friends or family to sign. He recalled a grocery store owner who provided them a table inside an air-conditioned store to help the campaign.

Its a miracle to get where we are today, Swarts said as he counted petitions signatures at the IBEW hall on Thursday.

Wishart said the work of people like Swarts and countless others, as well as the support shown by the state has been crucial.

The reason were here at 90,000 signatures with probably 5% of the budget of these other campaigns is because this is so widely supported, Wishart said. The issue for us is overcoming the challenges of the system that is set up to make it so hard for people, unless you have millions of dollars, to get an issue on the ballot.

Once this gets on the ballot, Im confident it will pass.

If it doesnt make it to the ballot, Wishart said shell try one more time to get a bill passed through the Legislature, which will reconvene in January for a 90-day session with more than a dozen new members.

Wisharts last effort to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska fell two votes short of overcoming a filibuster late in the 2021 session, attracting some former opponents of the bill along the way.

She said shes privately received encouragement from many in the Legislature, including Republican senators in the officially nonpartisan body, about the work the ballot initiative has done under difficult circumstances.

The way you win on an issue is you just dont give up, Wishart said. Were not going to give up.
Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, the Democratic nominee in November's rematch with Republican Congressman-elect Mike Flood of Norfolk, told Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday that she and other supporters of women's abortion rights will continue to "fight with passion and determination" to protect them.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning abortion rights guaranteed in its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision would usher women "back to the Dark Ages," Pansing Brooks said during a meeting in Washington with the vice president and a number of other state legislative leaders called to discuss action in the wake of the court's decision.

The decision has "spread fear, sadness and rage," Pansing Brooks said.

"The government does not deserve a seat at my daughter's exam table," she said.

"And banning abortions does not end them," she said.

Harris met with legislators from Indiana, Florida, South Dakota, Nebraska and Montana in a session livestreamed online.

A White House announcement said the invited legislators are "fighting on the front lines to protect reproductive rights."

Harris described the court's decision as "unthinkable" and said it "took a constitutional right away from the women of America."

Although it is still uncertain, the Nebraska Legislature may be called into special session by Gov. Pete Ricketts later this year to consider legislation to ban abortion in the state as a result of the court decision.

Pansing Brooks, who will be term-limited out of office at the end of the year, would be a participant in the special session.

Last month, Pansing Brooks lost a special election contest with Flood called to determine who will serve the remaining six months of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's term in office representing eastern Nebraska's 1st Congressional District.

Flood and Pansing Brooks will meet again on the Nov. 8 general election ballot as their party nominees to serve a new two-year term beginning next January.

Flood will be sworn into the House seat Tuesday.

Fortenberry resigned following his conviction on charges that he lied to federal officials about illegal foreign contributions to his 2016 reelection campaign.
A second Racine man faces an attempted homicide charge for allegedly shooting a 16-year-old on March 20 on Racine's north side in what authorities are calling "an attempted execution" that was captured on video.

The Racine Police Department believes the shooting is a case of mistaken identity, with the shooters believing the teenager was a Northside For Life gang member even though he is not actually affiliated with any gang.

Police also have asserted that the March 20 shooting was intended to be in retribution for the March 13 killing of 14-year-old Eugene Henderson. According to court documents, both of the men charged in the March 20 shooting were wearing clothing in tribute to Henderson when they were arrested and police asserted that those charged believe the NFL gang was responsible for Henderson's death.
MADISON  Absentee ballot drop boxes, which were used in hundreds of communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, are now illegal in the state, a divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled just one month before the Aug. 9 primary.

In a 4-3 decision Friday, the states high court upheld a lower courts January ruling that absentee ballots must be delivered by mail or in-person to a local clerks office or designated alternate site.

However, the court didnt address whether anyone other than the voter can return his or her own ballot by mail. That means that anyone could still collect multiple ballots for voters and, instead of using a drop box, put them in the mail. Republicans have argued that practice, known as ballot harvesting, is rife with fraud although there has been no evidence of that happening in Wisconsin. Democrats and others argue that many voters, particularly the elderly and disabled, have difficulty returning their ballots without the assistance of others.

The Aug. 9 primary is one month away, and absentee ballots are out. Yet the court failed to make a timely decision or provide voters with needed guidance including rules around assistance in mailing ballots, said Debra Cronmiller, executive director of League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit. These changes to our election rules are especially troubling for voters with disabilities, the elderly, and folks working 9 to 5 jobs who cannot get to the clerks office during their open hours.

Writing for the majority, conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley said only the state Legislature, and not the Wisconsin Elections Commission, has the authority to permit the use of absentee ballot drop boxes. State law is silent on the use of the secure ballot drop boxes.

WECs staff may have been trying to make voting as easy as possible during the pandemic, but whatever their motivations, WEC must follow Wisconsin statutes, Bradley wrote. Good intentions never override the law.

Bradley was joined in the ruling by fellow conservative justices Patience Roggensack, Annette Ziegler and Brian Hagedorn.

Liberal Justice Ann Bradley blasted the majoritys decision as one that blithely and erroneously seeks to sow distrust in the administration of our elections and through its faulty analysis erects yet another barrier for voters to exercise this sacred right.

Although it pays lip service to the import of the right to vote, the majority/lead opinion has the practical effect of making it more difficult to exercise it, Bradley added. Such a result, although lamentable, is not a surprise from this court.

She was joined in dissent by fellow liberal Justices Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky. The Bradleys are not related.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson , as well as GOP gubernatorial candidates Tim Michels and Rebecca Kleefisch, praised the Supreme Courts decision.

This decision is a big step in the right direction, Johnson said.

Escalating GOP skepticism of the 2020 election is fueled in part by pressure from former President Donald Trump, who continues to push false unfounded claims of fraud and still holds considerable sway over the party nationwide.

Todays decision is another in a long line of Wisconsin Republicans successes to make it harder for Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote, to undermine our free, fair, and secure elections, and to threaten our democracy, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.

Drop boxes widely used, not just in bigger cities

Ballot drop boxes were used in at least 43 cities, 46 villages and 156 towns throughout the state in the 2020 election, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau. Many of those were in areas in the northeast and northwest parts of the state where Trump won the vast majority of counties. Eleven states also use the boxes.

Drop boxes were among the supplies Wisconsins clerks purchased in 2020 with money from the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life, which has also become a target of Republican ire and that of GOP-appointed special counsel Michael Gableman, who has baselessly claimed the Chicago-headquartered group was integral to an illegal conspiracy to boost turnout in Democratic-leaning areas in the 2020 election.

Previous court rulings have found nothing illegal about the more than $10 million in CTCL grants distributed to about 214 municipalities in 39 of Wisconsins 72 counties, including many solidly won by Trump. Nor did the center turn down grant requests from any of the Wisconsin municipalities that made them. Although, on a per-capita basis, Wisconsins five largest, and mostly Democratic, cities received two to four times more money than smaller communities.

Despite that, Republicans have focused their ire on the City of Racine in particular for its use of drop boxes and the citys collaboration with CTCL that led to the lions share of its funds going into Wisconsin landing with Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay.

In an email, Jay Stone, a Pleasant Prairie candidate for the state Senate who has been at the heart of unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against Donald Trump, said the Wisconsin Supreme Court ballot drop box decision means CTCL deliberately collaborated with Wisconsins five largest cities to violate Wisconsins sacred election laws.

Stone is challenging incumbent Republican Van Wanggaard, who lives in Racine but whose district includes most of rural Racine and Kenosha counties.

Wanggaard likewise applauded the Supreme Court and attacked Racine in a statement while not addressing that drop boxes were used statewide. The Wisconsin Elections Commission and clerks in Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and elsewhere broke the law by allowing absentee voting drop boxes and ballot harvesting in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Todays ruling also validates my complaint against the City of Racine for allowing ballot harvesting in the April 2022 election. The Wisconsin Elections Commission should immediately rule on my complaint and sanction the City of Racine for breaking election law. The fact is, Mayor (Cory) Mason and Clerk (Tara) Coolidges rationale for accepting harvested ballots  that the deliverer was an agent of the voter  has been expressly rejected by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Wanggaard continued: Todays ruling does not mean voters should not remain vigilant in monitoring the elections in August and November. On the contrary, it is more important than ever that citizens make sure our laws are followed to ensure fair elections.

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, said Fridays decision makes voting harder. In a statement, she said: Its clear that Republicans and conservatives at every level of government in Wisconsin are intent on restricting access to the ballot box whenever they can ... Todays ruling will disproportionately affect working families, people who are disabled, and people who rely on drop boxes to cast their ballots. Ive said it before and Ill continue to say it as long as I have to: we need to be making it easier for every eligible voter to cast their ballot, not harder.

Battle over boxes

The ongoing battle over the longstanding use of drop boxes has persisted since the 2020 election, due in part to unfounded claims of election fraud by Trump, who lost Wisconsin to President Joe Biden by about 21,000 votes. Proponents of the freestanding, mailbox-like structures have said they are secure and safe voting option, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, some Republicans argue that adding any unauthorized method for returning ballots opens the door to fraudulent activity, despite multiple reviews of the 2020 election finding no evidence of widespread fraud.

The case stems from a request by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on behalf of two Milwaukee voters asking the states high court to take up the matter after the District 4 Court of Appeals stayed a ruling by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren that barred the use of absentee ballot drop boxes except in a clerks office.

The state Supreme Court in January ruled 4-3, with Hagedorn joining the courts three liberal justices, to allow the use of the free-standing, mailbox-like drop boxes in the February primary. The court later denied a request to extend the stay and allow use of the boxes through the April 5 election, with Hagedorn joining fellow conservative justices on the ruling.

A focal point of the case targeted guidance issued by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in early 2020 to allow election clerks to use their discretion when determining whether to make use of drop boxes. Hundreds of municipal clerks made use of the boxes that year when there still wasnt a vaccine for COVID-19 and public health officials were warning against large gatherings, like at polling places. At the same time, the large number of absentee ballots requested that year, combined with cutbacks at the U.S. Postal Service, led many to worry their ballots wouldnt make it back in time if they were mailed. More than 40% of voters cast ballots absentee in 2020.

Those with disabilities affected

Bohren ruled in January that state law only allows absentee ballots to be delivered through the mail or in person at a local clerks office. He also asserted that delivering an absentee ballot on behalf of another individual, even someone who is unable to deliver their own ballot, is illegal. Bohrens ruling was widely panned by voting rights and disability advocacy groups for making it harder for elderly and disabled residents to vote.

The right for voters with disabilities to have assistance from a person of their choice is protected by federal law, said Barbara Beckert, director of external advocacy with Disability Rights Wisconsin. Nothing in this decision changes federal protections for people with disabilities. Voters with disabilities who need ballot delivery assistance may want to contact their municipal clerk to ask for a disability related accommodation.

WILL President and General Counsel Rick Esenberg said the courts ruling provides substantial clarity on the legal status of absentee ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting.

While the question of whether an agent may mail an absentee ballot remains open, Wisconsin voters can have confidence that state law, not guidance from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, has the final word on how Wisconsin elections are conducted, Esenberg added.

Reporting from Scott Bauer of the Associated Press and Adam Rogan of Lee Newspapers is included in this article.
1. Yes. After what happened in Uvalde, its important to have that level of security.

2. Yes. The district should start a program to recruit and train qualified officers for the job.

3. No. With 50 KISD campuses, the additional cost to taxpayers would be unacceptable.

4. No. It would be too hard to achieve. Just keep the current practice of rotating officers.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing how such a program would be instituted..

Vote

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(JPFO's own initiative)

When a mass murder happens with the use of firearms, the media is quick to blame the gun and call for its ban. Mainstream media forgets is one of the driving factors in almost every mass killing is that murderers want notoriety for their heinous act of violence, and that is precisely what the media gives them.

The moment the killer is identified, their name and picture are on the cover of every paper and magazine in the country. The media digs into their background, highlighting their twisted ideas, and publishes parts of their manifesto. It gives them exactly what the killers want.

This idea isn't just my theory. Academics have done multiple peer-reviewed studies into if the media coverage of mass shootings (murders) creates copycats. All studies I have found show that naming the killer and showing their picture does inspire others to murder.

According to a study by Jason Silva of William Paterson University and Emily Greene-Colozzi of City University of New York, "[F]ame-seeking shooters (murderers) were more likely to receive media coverage than their counterparts, thereby reinforcing their initial motivations."
HOLDREGE  After 10 years and thousands of miles, Mimi the dog is finally home.

On June 24, Mimi, a small cattle dog mix, was found as a stray northeast of Holdrege. She was severely underweight and dehydrated. She was also covered in fleas, ticks and bug bites.

North Park Animal Hospital in Holdrege took her in to provide immediate medical attention.

The clinic believed Mimi had been on her own for six weeks or longer. It was discovered that she had a microchip, but the contact information on the chip was not up to date. The vet clinic reached out to Holdrege Animal Rescue, and HAR board member Jan Knuth began the search to find Mimis family.

Knuth contacted the microchip company to get as much information as she could about Mimi, and she started scouring Facebook to see if she could track down the owners.

The dog had been registered to a woman with a unique first name who lived in Georgia. After doing some digging, Knuth came across the womans profile on Facebook. Knuth sent her a message, explaining she was with Holdrege Animal Rescue. Knuth asked her if she had lost a dog.

Within minutes, she messaged that she was missing her dog, Knuth said.

Knuth asked her some questions to confirm that she was in fact Mimis registered owner. After just a few minutes, she knew she had found Mimis family.

I said, This is your dog. The poor lady was so overwhelmed. She was sobbing once she got on the phone. We had to take a break and talk a few hours later, Knuth said. The dog had been gone for 10 years.

Knuth learned that over 10 years ago, Mimis owner, her husband and son were on vacation in Florida. The woman and her son had left their hotel for an outing. When they returned, her husband had left and taken the dog with him.

Mimi is now 15 years old. Knuth explained to her owner that if Mimi was well enough to travel, they would find a way to get her home. If she wasnt able to make the trip to Georgia, Knuth and her husband, Steve, would give her a home for the remainder of her life.

It was determined that with a few days rest, Mimi could make the long drive to Georgia. Steve drove Mimi to Columbia, Missouri, where she was reunited with her owner.

After 10 years, she still recognized the owners son, Knuth said.

Knuth encourages pet owners to have their pets microchipped and to keep the information updated no matter how long a pet is missing.

She has stayed in touch with Mimis owners, and Mimi has been settling in nicely. She is about 10 pounds underweight, but Knuth said she continues to be a sweet, loving dog.

In the one picture, she looks like she is smiling. That made me feel so much better, she said. She knows that she is home.
KEARNEY  COVID-19 is making a quiet comeback, but this time, its not alone. Monkeypox is creeping along behind it.

So far, 560 cases of monkeypox have been detected in the U.S., with just two of those cases in Nebraska, both in Douglas County.

The risks of monkeypox in our area remain low, but we encourage anyone with a characteristic rash to call their health care provider, said Jeremy Eschliman, health director at the Two Rivers Public Health Department.

No cases have been identified in the seven counties that make up Two Rivers: Buffalo, Dawson, Franklin, Gosper, Harlan, Kearney and Phelps.

Monkeypox is a rare infectious disease caused by the orthopoxvirus, the same virus that causes smallpox and cowpox, among others. Its symptoms include fever and body aches, followed by flat bumps on the skin that change into pus-filled blisters. Swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion are common, too.

A rash that can look like pimples or blisters appears on the face, inside the mouth and on other parts of the body. The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. Sometimes, the rash appears before other symptoms.

Monkeypox is normally linked to travel in West and Central Africa. Its called monkeypox because it was discovered in 1958 when colonies of monkeys kept for research developed a pox-like disease.

Michele Bever, South Heartland District Health Departments executive director, said people usually exhibit symptoms about one to two weeks after exposure. The illness lasts from two to four weeks after that.

It rarely requires hospitalization, and death is rare. Theres a vaccine for it as well.

An ongoing outbreak of the viral disease was confirmed in May after a cluster of cases was found in the United Kingdom. On June 25, the World Health Organization decided not to declare monkeypox a public health emergency, but in the 12 days since then, cases have more than doubled worldwide.

The first cases in the U.S. were identified June 27.

Since the disease is spreading, WHO has called an emergency meeting the week of July 18.

Monkeypox is thought to be transmitted by respirator droplets and bodily fluids through mucus membranes and open cuts in the skin. The virus is not very infectious.

The virus, carried by squirrels, rats and small rodents, is commonly seen in parts of central and west Africa.

Normally, monkeypox cases may spread from animals to humans, but it has have low levels of infectivity, and tend to die out after a few generations of the virus, Eschliman said. While cases detected in Europe, Canada and the U.S. have appeared to be unconnected, a newer version of the virus may have more efficient transmission. Or, its figures may be reflective of community spread.

Eschliman added that a disproportionately high number of the men who were detected with the virus may have been gay or bisexual, raising the possibility of sexual transmission of the virus. If so, it would be an unusual mode of human-to-human transmission, and would represent an event of concern, he added.

The U.S. dealt with monkeypox in 2003, when prairie dogs that were raised as pets contracted the virus from imported animals from Ghana, but that outbreak of just 47 cases was confined largely to Kansas and Missouri. No one in Nebraska was affected. Two people were hospitalized, but no one died.

The risk to the public remains low, but anyone with the characteristic rash resembling monkeypox should contact their health care provider, Eschliman said.

Medical providers can test individuals for this virus. People at high or intermediate risk can receive the two-dose Jynneos vaccine. In case of an outbreak, health departments will do contact tracing to identify individuals who might have been exposed to the virus.

People with monkeypox who do not require hospitalization should be isolated at home.

The virus could be more dangerous for children under 8, pregnant women, immunocompromised people or people in the home with a history of atopic dermatitis or eczema.

Eschliman said the infectious disease community is tracking the virus closely.

The lessons learned during COVID-19 will hopefully hold us in good stead in case of a serious outbreak, he said.

For more information, visit the CDC website www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html.

maryjane,skala@kearneyhub.com
Megan Bradley, a freshwater mussel conservation biologist for the Genoa National Fish Hatchery, has been honored as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services 2022 Recovery Champion for the Midwest Region.

The award is given annually to individuals who have advanced the recovery of the nations endangered species in the past year. Bradley was honored for her role in recovering one of the nations most endangered fauna, the freshwater mussel.

Bradley was presented the award during an event held at the fish hatchery, Wednesday, July 6.

Its exciting not only for Megan, but the staff as well, to be rewarded as a Recovery Champion, said Doug Aloisi, project leader at the hatchery.

Scott Gritters, fisheries biologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, addressed Bradley, saying the award is about her and her dedication and passion. He said the award is also about the co-workers that surround her and the leadership at the hatchery.

On behalf of the citizens of Iowa, thank you, Gritters said. The mussels thank you

Nick Utrip, fish and wildlife biologist, USFW Minnesota-Wisconsin Ecological Services Field Office, Bloomington, Minnesota, said he works with Bradley all of the time and reaches out for her expertise regarding freshwater mussels. He mentioned some of the work Bradley has done.

She is our go-to mussel expert, Utrip said. She is a true Champion of Recovery. We appreciate you.

Chuck Traxler, Midwest Deputy Regional Director, USFW, presented the award to Bradley. Its such an honor to be here on behalf of the Service to congratulate you and thank you for the work you do.

Bradley said the work with mussels couldnt be done without the various partnerships. She also acknowledged her hatchery colleagues and the work they do.

According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service news release, Megan is recognized as a 2022 Recovery Champion for her work to successfully further endangered mussel recovery by working with partners to test habitat suitability and plan and create two new populations of endangered mussels in zebra mussel-free habitat. This work will advance conservation efforts of two of the rarest mussel species in the Upper Mississippi River system.

She has used her skills to propagate and culture endangered mussels at Genoa National Fish Hatchery for release into the wild and has formed and nurtured numerous partnerships. She works closely with conservation agencies, Native American tribes, and other scientific agencies to develop new methods of propagation for rearing endangered mussels, providing mussels and technical expertise to determine negative impacts of chemicals on freshwater mussels.

Megan also restores native mussels impacted from chemical spills through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment program. Megans innovation and commitment has truly moved the needle for freshwater mussel recovery.
A 20-year-old La Crosse man has been charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman May 22 in the Town of Campbell.

Ronald E. Burkhardt faces one felony count of third-degree sexual assault and one misdemeanor count of fourth-degree sexual assault.

According to the criminal complaint, a woman told police that Burkhardt assaulted her after she, Burkhardt and another male consumed alcohol and marijuana at a private residence. She told police she became ill and went to bed. She said Burkhardt joined her on the bed, touched her breasts and sexually penetrated her. She recalled telling Burkhardt no and that her boyfriend was going to be mad.

The woman told police Burkhardt molested her after she went to the bathroom to throw up. She said she went back to bed and woke up more than four hours later with Burkhardt lying shirtless next to her. She then went to the emergency room at Gundersen Health and completed a SANE exam.

Police interviewed Burkhardt on May 27. He said he remained at the residence because he was concerned the woman may have suffered alcohol poisoning. He admitted sexual penetration occurred but said it was the woman who initiated the sexual activity.

Burkhardt is free on a signature bond. He has a preliminary hearing set for July 15 before Judge Scott Horne.
Home > 2022 > Lack of effective road safety programmes is a major public health concern (...)

by Shazman Shariff

Activists, road crash survivors and victims families ha[d] a message for the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting on Global Road Safety, 30 June-1 July

13 June 2022

Seventeen-year-old Durva Bhasin in Jaipur had the morning off from school that Monday, as she walked to her Kathak practical exam, excited to show her prowess after months of practice. A rashly-driven bus ended her dreams.

That day, 3 May 1999, also forever changed the lives of her parents Mridul and Pramod Bhasin, and older brother Shantanu.

Durva became one of the quarter million people who die every year in road mishaps around Southasia.

Mridul Bhasin recounts how the speeding driver had earlier been suspended for drunk driving. The vehicle had school children and teachers on board. No one stopped to help her daughter.

Birthday pledge

Three days after her death, on Durvas birthday, prodded by one of her teachers, the Bhasins resolved to devote their lives to preventing such tragedies. They started an organization that has developed into the Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety.

Dr Bhasin, who holds a PhD in English Literature from Emory University and a law degree from the University of Rajasthan, was among several speakers who talked about the human costs of criminal negligence or carelessness on roads around the region at a discussion titled Streets for Life: Southasians for Road Safety, organised by the Southasia Peace Action Network or Sapan.

The discussion aligned with the UN General Assemblys adopted resolution "Improving global road safety". The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 aims to halve road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. Held Sunday 29 May, a week after the UN Global Road Safety Week May 13-17, the event was co-hosted by Muskaan and the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan.

Addressing the online gathering, Dr Bhasin stressed the need to issue driving licences strictly on merit and to ensure implementation of traffic rules.

This was Sapans thirteenth monthly webinar, part of the series Imagine! Neighbours in Peace started in April 2021, a month after Sapans launch. What emerged was a collage of heart wrenching stories centred around the victims trauma and struggle to cope with the shock of road deaths. Discussion moderator journalist Beena Sarwar, Sapan co-founder and curator, drew out speakers covering a wide spectrum of road crash tragedies from around Southasia. They talked about all aspects of road crashes from causes to the aftermath - how affected families struggle to cope in terms of lives lost or ongoing trauma and medical issues - and how precious lives can be saved.

In Bangladesh, a head-on collision with a bus decimated the film crew returning to Dhaka after a shoot in August 2011. Prominent film director Tareque Masud died, along with cameraman Mishuk Munier and three others. Five others survived, including Masuds wife Catherine, a filmmaker and educator now based in Connecticut.

Around 18 people die every day due to overspeeding in Bangladesh, noted lawyer Taqbir Huda in Dhaka in his sharp analysis of road crashes. Factors behind this include how bus drivers are paid based on the number of trips besides unfit vehicles. Lack of corporate accountability has a negative spiralling impact, he added, stressing the importance of a solid legal framework to provide compensation for the victims.

These are not accidents but a kind of killing going unchecked due to the lax implementation of the Road Transport Act, said Catherine Masud. Like Dr Bhasin, she went beyond her own tragedy to push for change through testimony and court cases, pushing for accountability in the system. The wreckage of the crushed microbus is now on public display in Bangladesh as a road safety memorial.

Dr. Ashok Banskota, co-founder and medical director and the chairman of orthopaedic services at B&B Hospital, Kathmandu, was himself the survivor of a road crash in Ghaziabad, India. He shared his experience of working with survivors of road crashes and what is often long-term trauma. In one case, a patient who had survived a crash and been through multiple surgeries just gave up. One morning his wife came to me and told me he had killed himself.

Human rights activist Maliha Husain joined the event from Islamabad. Her sister Dr Fauzia Saeed Ahmed, who heads the Pakistan National Council of the Arts, and a nephew were in a head-on collision last July on what locals call khooni sarak, bloody road, in Balochistan.

The airbags deployed for the driver and other person in front. My sister and nephew were in the back seat. They were not wearing seat belts. I dont know why people here dont wear seat belts in the back, she said.

Trauma

She still finds it traumatic to recount the shattering memories of the crash and its aftermath, including lack of connectivity as the victims were transported from the remote area where the crash occurred, to Quetta, which has the only trauma centre in the province. Had it not been for the familys influential contacts, the story might have ended very differently.

After witnessing a road crash where he was able to help the survivor, a 20-year old student, civil engineer Vivek Samuel in Mysore and his friends began a startup, Kerobee Road Safety. Vivek now heads a team of engineers working to invent devices and equipment that could mitigate the fatalities in road accidents.

Although Southasia has just 10% motor riders, the region accounts for 25% of the deaths reported globally due to road crashes, noted Sneha Jha, a research fellow at Imperial College, London, presenting an overview of the issue.

In 2014, one of these motorcycle deaths was that of a 22-year old engineering student in Bihar, Krishna Kumar. He was not wearing a helmet. The tragedy prompted his friend Raghvendra Kumar to quit his job as a lawyer and start handing out helmets. He is now known as the Helmet Man of India. Speaking at the event in Hindi, translated by Kavita Srivastava of PUCL, Raghvendra shared his pain about the thought that a helmet could have saved Krishnas life. He has given out 55,000 helmets over the past eight years, even selling off his property to do so.

The issue is also personal for activist Samir Gupta, an IT professional in Ghaziabad. Hosting the event brought back a memory he had buried. One night twelve years ago, his friend and neighbour Raju went out to buy flowers for his wife when a speeding car hit his scooter. Raju died on the spot. He wasnt wearing a helmet. The blood on the residential street where this happened is forever imprinted in Samirs mind.

It is clear, commented science writer and journalist Nalaka Gunawardene in Colombo, that the majority of deaths and injuries caused by road crashes are preventable.

Presenting a Resolution on the issue [1] at the end of the discussion, he noted that the lack of effective road safety programmes is a major public health concern resulting in high economic and social costs for individuals and states alike.

The Resolution highlighted the need to provide compensation for road crash victims. Even when compensation is a legal right, excessive complexities and poor implementation of these laws prevent this.

It also stresses the need for collaboration across the Southasian region to recognise and address road and highway safety. Injuries and fatalities caused by road mishaps can be drastically reduced with the implementation of effective road safety programmes.

Former member of the planning commission of India and a flag bearer of human rights and feminism, Dr Syeda Hameed read out the Sapan Founding Charter calling for ease of trade and travel in the region, and for a visa-free Southasia, along the lines of the European Union.

Memory wall

The meeting also commemorated the visionaries of the peace movement in the region, with Sushmita Preetha, a journalist and researcher from Dhaka, presenting an In Memoriam slideshow honouring titans of the peace movement like Dr Mubashir Hasan, Kuldip Nayar, I.A. Rehman, Asma Jahangir and others. She also commemorated the lives of other prominent citizens lost over the past month, including journalist Khalid Hameed Farooqi, Geo correspondent in Brussels, senior editor The News Talat Aslam in Karachi and more.

The Memory Wall she presented included just a few snapshots from the millions of lives lost to road crashes. They include pioneering Nepali conservation biologist Pralad Yonzon, 60, killed on October 31, 2011 when his bicycle was rammed by a truck in Kathmandu, and Sri Lankan activist Vijay Nagaraj, 44, who died in a car crash in Aug 2017.

Civil servant and poet Parveen Shakir could also have been mentioned, killed at only 44-years old when a bus collided with her car in Islamabad on 26 December 1994. Her only son Murad, then 15, was deprived of a mother, while the world of feminist literature and poetry in the region lost an iconic talent.

The personal narratives of victims who brave the pain of losing near and dear ones in road tragedies highlighted the ways through which bereaved families have adopted different means to spread awareness about road safety and prevention of deaths on roads.

Some shared testimonies in videos compiled by filmmaker Rohit Valecha in Pune. Feminist activist Khushi Kabir in Dhaka remembered her colleague Mohammad Firdaus Hussain, 46, who died in a motorcycle crash. Activist Nisha Siddhu in Jaipur shared the loss of her only son, 25-year-old artist Samarth Singh and his friend, 24-year-old student Raunak Thakkar, killed by a speeding bus in 2020. Founder member Sapan Dr Fauzia Deeba from Quetta, now in New Jersey, lost her brother Sami when a bus hit the motorcycle he was pillion-riding in Karachi, 1974. He was not wearing a helmet. She also lost a cousin, thrown out of a car when it crashed. She wasnt wearing a seat belt.

The driving force behind the event was the pain and memory of the victims of road crashes, noted Kanak Mani Dixit, writer, editor and democracy activist in Kathmandu in his closing remarks. These incidents are not happenstance, he said, underscoring the negligence behind the infrastructure, drivers and owners of vehicles.

Unless this criminal negligence is addressed, the roads of Southasia will continue devouring precious lives. Something for the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting on Global Road Safety, 30 June-1 July, to take note of.

(Author: Shazman Shariff is a freelance writer in Bangalore. Email: shazmanshariff[at]gmail.com.)

[ This is a Sapan syndicated feature

HYPERLINKS

1. Sapan Founding Charter = https://southasiapeace.com/founding-charter/

2. Global Road Safety Week = https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/streets-for-life

3. Resolution on the issue= https://southasiapeace.com/2022/06/08/collaborate-to-recognise-and-address-road-and-highway-safety/

4. Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety = https://www.muskaanforroadsafety.com/about.php

5. road safety memorial - https://www.observerbd.com/2014/11/29/57818.php

6. Global Road Safety, 30 June-1 July = https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2022/06/30/default-calendar/high-level-meeting-of-the-un-general-assembly-on-global-road-safety

(ENDS)
The State Supreme Court declined to reduce the sentence of a Hillsboro man accused of sexually assaulting three girls over a two-year period.

The justices let stand a two-year prison term for 29-year-old Westley D. Whitaker. Prosecutors alleged that Whitaker preyed on three young girls in the Amish community beginning in 2005 and that the sexual assaults occurred on a daily basis.

The assaults reportedly stopped in 2007, and a criminal complaint was filed against Whitaker in 2017. He was originally charged with six counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child younger than 13. Five of the charges were dropped, and Whitaker pleaded no contest to the remaining count.

The sentence was handed down by Vernon County Circuit Court Judge Darcy Rood and included two years of extended supervision. Whitaker was exempted from the sex offender registration requirement due to his young age at the time of the offense and the courts determination that Whitaker posed no current risk to reoffend.

Whitaker lost a Court of Appeals decision to have his sentence reduced before the case was decided by the state Supreme Court.

During sentencing, Rood made multiple references to Whitakers childhood in the Amish community and noted that while Amish elders attempted intervention, no one reported Whitakers crimes to law enforcement. Whitaker argued that his sentence was imposed to send a message to the Amish community, which violated his freedom of association and freedom of religion.

In her opinion for the majority, Justice Jill Korofsky wrote that the sentencing criteria was appropriate.

... (T)he circuit court sought to protect victims from further trauma and abuse. The circuit court acted within its discretion to address this failure of protection in hopes of both preventing others from engaging in similar abuse and protecting potential victims in that community from similar conduct, Karofsky wrote.

Korofskys opinion was joined by Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallett and Brian Hagedorn.

All seven justices voted to uphold the sentence. Justices Patience Roggensack and Rebecca Bradley wrote concurring opinions expressing concerns that the majoritys reasoning could open the door to unconstitutionally considering religious belief during the sentencing process. Both justices, however, said the circuit court didnt use impermissible criteria in Whitakers sentencing.

Hagedorn also wrote a brief concurrence that stated, The analytical framework utilized in sentencing cases like this one deserves a closer look. Nevertheless, I join the majority opinion because it correctly applies our precedent and reaches the correct outcome.
A lease is likely to be renewed between the city and Rivercrest Village after officials reached a compromise on rent rates for property located in the mobile home park.

On Thursday, the Finance & Personnel Committee approved to drop the annual rate from the previous proposal to $5,000 after the owners pushed back and said they wouldn't agree to the original, higher price.

The property in question is a small segment of the large South Side mobile home park that the city came to own after the construction of the Pammel Creek floodway channel. The city has rented the property out to Rivercrest Village since 1997.

That 25-year lease expired this year, but Rivercrest has inquired about purchasing it from the city, something a one-year lease would give staff time to explore.

The city previously looked at charging Rivercrest Village Properties $9,600 for the year-long lease extension, which is nearly triple what the owners paid last year. This new rate was due to a reassessment on the value of the property.

At a City Plan Commission meeting Monday night, a property manager of Rivercrest expressed that the owners were unwilling to renew the lease at that rate.

City planner Andrea Trane said that was the first time she had heard that.

"We knew that they weren't excited about that increase, obviously, but we hadn't heard that from them," Trane said. "They told us for the first time that they weren't going to sign that lease."

The City Plan Commission's response was to refer the decision on the lease for 30 days, but Trane said there was a sense of urgency to find a solution sooner.

This was in-part because of a clause that would require the six mobile homes on the property to be removed if the lease was not renewed, and Trane said thinking about what would happen to them moved the process along.

The owners of Rivercrest Village have agreed to the $5,000 annual rate, according to Trane.

This new lease still needs one final stamp of approval from the La Crosse Common Council next Thursday. If approved, officials would have until June 30, 2023 to determine whether the property could be sold or not.
The citys Finance & Personnel Committee approved using $350,000 of federal COVID relief funds with the Parenting Place to improve child care in La Crosse.

The grant will come from the citys American Rescue Plan Act allotment, and will go towards hiring a new coordinator with the Parenting Place, raising wages for child care staff, and funding start-up costs for new child care centers or expansion for existing ones.

The city will still be involved in the process, similarly to the way the La Crosse Community Foundation helped facilitate ARPA grants to area nonprofits for the city.

Economic development administrator Julie Emslie said, Its not like ... well cut a check and theyll be off on their way.

The citys Economic Development Committee will serve as the governing body of the project and will get quarterly updates and will need to approve certain aspects of the program.

The Parenting Place is a nonprofit that provides resources for parents and child care providers in the community, and the city has identified it as a unique entity that is providing services unlike any other in the area.

The project will last four-and-a-half years, and the main goals are to retain and eventually increase the amount of child care spots in La Crosse.

The new Parenting Place coordinator will help businesses find sustainable ways to raise wages, remarket the child care sector and finding untapped demographics of child care workers.

Within the grant, $90,849 will go toward hiring this new coordinator, and the remainder will go toward child care providers in the community. This includes $183,000 will be used for incentives to retain current staff, $37,500 will be used to help expand existing child care centers, and $38,651 will be used to support new day cares with start-up costs.

Our goal is to really set a strong foundation and build on that, Emslie said.

We all know were in a very dynamic environment with lots of changing issues, she said, saying the goal is to end in four-and-a-half years really strong and really well-positioned.

The Parenting Place is also part of a work group of child care providers in the area that are similarly requesting $3 million in ARPA funds from La Crosse County to bolster child care and early childhood education in the community. The groups proposed the idea on Wednesday evening, though no action has been taken on it yet.

This grant through the city will go before the La Crosse Common Council next Thursday for a final vote. After that, work is expected to start quickly, with the first update to the EDC anticipated in the fall.
Students get their moneys worth when attending UW-La Crosse, according to a new ranking by finance technology company SmartAsset.

In the companys list of best value colleges, UWL placed No. 4 in Wisconsin and No. 50 in the United States. The ranking underscores UWLs commitment to affordability, high-quality academic programming and providing students with a strong return on their investment.

When selecting a college, students and families dont just consider academics or location  they also consider affordability, says Corey Sjoquist, UWLs assistant vice chancellor for Admissions & Recruitment. At UWL, we go to great lengths to ensure our student experience is affordable as well as socially and academically enriching. Were pleased to see the hard work of the campus community is paying off and benefiting our students.

In building its rankings, SmartAsset evaluated colleges and universities on tuition, student living costs, scholarship and grant offerings, student retention rates and starting salaries for new graduates.

The top ranked college in the country is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to SmartAsset. Ranking above UW-La Crosse in Wisconsin are Milwaukee School of Engineering, first; UW-Madison, second, and UW-Platteville, third.

More information, including an interactive map highlighting the best value colleges by state, can be found here.

This is just the latest ranking demonstrating UWLs value and affordability.

In 2021, UWL was No. 20 on Business Insiders list of colleges and universities offering the best return on investment for students.

In another 2021 survey, LendEDU ranked UWL No. 2 in Wisconsin and No. 153 in the country for minimizing student debt.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The mayor of San Francisco appointed an outspoken critic of ousted District Attorney Chesa Boudin as his replacement, saying that her pick was the right person to pursue criminal justice reform while holding offenders to account.

Mayor London Breed on Thursday announced that Brooke Jenkins will be the next district attorney after voters in the famously liberal city kicked out the politically progressive Boudin in a special recall election last month. Jenkins was sworn into office Friday.

Jenkins, who quit Boudin's office in 2021 to volunteer for the recall, is both Black and Latina. She is San Francisco's first Latina district attorney. Vice President Kamala Harris was the city's first Black DA.

We are a city of second chances. But the truth is we have to draw a line with people who choose hate, violence and a life of crime, said Jenkins at a press conference announcing her appointment. I want to make clear: holding offenders accountable does not preclude us from moving forward with vital and important reforms to our criminal justice system.

Boudin, a former public defender elected in 2019, was ousted in a June 7 recall election fueled by frustration over public safety in the deeply Democratic city. Viral video footage of people shoplifting and attacking seniors, particularly Asian Americans, rattled residents.

Breed said she picked Jenkins for her experience, sense of fairness and compassion toward both victims and offenders. The mayor did not disclose how she voted in the recall, but clashed with Boudin over enforcement.

She sacrificed her career to fight for people in this city, to fight for victims who needed a voice in the city, Breed said.

Jenkins, who also considers herself a progressive prosecutor, said during the campaign that Boudin was too rigid. He eliminated cash bail for defendants and declared that minors would not be tried as adults, no matter how serious the crime. Jenkins said she would like those tools available for prosecutors to use at their discretion.

In an interview with The Associated Press before the election, Jenkins said that being a progressive prosecutor meant being innovative about finding alternatives to incarceration, but trying to ensure our defendants dont re-offend.

Boudin, who has not ruled out running again for district attorney, said his time in office was hobbled by a pandemic that shuttered courts and the intensive treatment and counseling programs relied on to rehabilitate offenders.

Jenkins joined the San Francisco district attorney's office in 2014.

She said she plans to run in November to serve the rest of Boudins term through 2023.
The former leader of a St. Croix casino has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for tax evasion.

Between 2015 and 2018, Leva Oustigoff Jr. failed to report more than $130,000 embezzled while serving as chief executive officer and general manager the St. Croix Turtle Lake Casino, according to federal prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Oustigoff, of Cumberland, used the money for personal expenses including remodeling his residence.

Oustigoff, 60, pleaded guilty in March to one count of tax fraud.

U.S. District Judge William Conley sentenced Oustigoff Thursday saying Oustigoff took advantage of his position to line his own pockets at the expense of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians, the tribe that operates the casino, according to U.S. Attorney Timothy OShea.

According to O'Shea, Conley cautioned that while this may have been the way of doing business, it is unhealthy, cynical and must stop.
Absentee ballot drop boxes, which were used in hundreds of communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, are now illegal in the state except in clerks offices, a divided Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled just one month before the Aug. 9 primary.

In a 4-3 decision Friday, the states high court upheld a lower courts January ruling that absentee ballots must be delivered by mail or in person to a local clerks office or designated alternate site. However, the court did not rule on whether voters can have someone else handle their ballot on its way to a mailbox.

The Aug. 9 primary is one month away, and absentee ballots are out. Yet the court failed to make a timely decision or provide voters with needed guidance including rules around assistance in mailing ballots, said Debra Cronmiller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit. These changes to our election rules are especially troubling for voters with disabilities, the elderly, and folks working 9 to 5 jobs who cannot get to the clerks office during their open hours.

Writing for the majority, conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley said only the state Legislature, and not the Wisconsin Elections Commission, has the authority to permit the use of absentee ballot drop boxes. State law is silent on the use of the secure ballot drop boxes.

WECs staff may have been trying to make voting as easy as possible during the pandemic, but whatever their motivations, WEC must follow Wisconsin statutes, Bradley wrote. Good intentions never override the law.

Bradley was joined in the ruling by fellow conservative justices Patience Roggensack, Annette Ziegler and Brian Hagedorn, who has often been a swing vote on the seven-member court.

Liberals dissent

Liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley blasted the majoritys decision as one that blithely and erroneously seeks to sow distrust in the administration of our elections and through its faulty analysis erects yet another barrier for voters to exercise this sacred right.

Although it pays lip service to the import of the right to vote, the majority/lead opinion has the practical effect of making it more difficult to exercise it, Walsh Bradley added. Such a result, although lamentable, is not a surprise from this court.

She was joined by fellow liberal justices Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky. The Bradleys are not related.

The state Supreme Courts ruling comes four months before a high-stakes Nov. 8 election for both major political parties. Democrats are seeking to oust U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, and Republicans have their sights set on defeating Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is seeking a second term.

Johnson, as well as GOP gubernatorial candidates Tim Michels and Rebecca Kleefisch, praised the Supreme Courts decision.

This decision is a big step in the right direction, Johnson said.

Escalating GOP skepticism of the 2020 election is fueled in part by pressure from former President Donald Trump, who continues to push false, unfounded claims of fraud and still holds considerable sway over the party nationwide.

Todays decision is another in a long line of Wisconsin Republicans successes to make it harder for Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote, to undermine our free, fair, and secure elections, and to threaten our democracy, Evers said in a statement.

While the Supreme Courts conservative majority made clear that drop boxes are not allowed in the state, the courts decision not to rule on whether or not someone can assist a voter by placing their absentee ballot in a mailbox could open the door to new lawsuits on the matter.

The court simply decided not to address what disabled persons who cannot personally mail things or travel to their clerks offices are supposed to do, Ann Jacobs, a Democratic member of the states bipartisan Elections Commission, tweeted Friday. So expect additional litigation on this point. Saying the issue is undeveloped in the briefs simply elides the discriminatory outcome of the decision.

2020 residue

The ongoing battle over the longstanding use of drop boxes has persisted since the 2020 election, due in part to unfounded claims of election fraud by Trump, who lost Wisconsin to President Joe Biden by about 21,000 votes.

Proponents of the free-standing, mailbox-like structures have said they are a secure and safe voting option, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, some Republicans argue that adding any unauthorized method for returning ballots opens the door to fraudulent activity, despite multiple reviews of the 2020 election finding no evidence of widespread fraud.

The case stems from a request by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on behalf of two Milwaukee voters asking the states high court to take up the matter after the District 4 Court of Appeals stayed a ruling by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren that barred the use of absentee ballot drop boxes except in a clerks office.

The state Supreme Court in January ruled 4-3, with Hagedorn joining the courts three liberal justices, to allow the use of the free-standing, mailbox-like drop boxes in the February primary. The court later denied a request to extend the stay and allow use of the boxes through the April 5 election, with Hagedorn joining fellow conservative justices on the ruling.

Earlier guidance

A focal point of the case targeted guidance issued by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in early 2020 to allow election clerks to use their discretion when determining whether to make use of drop boxes. Hundreds of municipal clerks made use of the boxes that year when there still wasnt a vaccine for COVID-19 and public health officials were warning against large gatherings, like at polling places.

At the same time, the large number of absentee ballots requested that year, combined with cutbacks at the U.S. Postal Service, led many to worry their ballots wouldnt make it back in time if they were mailed. More than 40% of voters cast ballots absentee in 2020.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission rescinded the guidance in February following Bohrens ruling.

Bohren ruled in January that state law only allows absentee ballots to be delivered through the mail or in person at a local clerks office. He also asserted that delivering an absentee ballot on behalf of another individual, even someone who is unable to deliver their own ballot, is illegal. Bohrens ruling was widely panned by voting rights and disability advocacy groups for making it harder for elderly and disabled residents to vote.

The right for voters with disabilities to have assistance from a person of their choice is protected by federal law, said Barbara Beckert, director of External Advocacy with Disability Rights Wisconsin. Nothing in this decision changes federal protections for people with disabilities. Voters with disabilities who need ballot delivery assistance may want to contact their municipal clerk to ask for a disability-related accommodation.

WILL president and general counsel Rick Esenberg said the courts ruling provides substantial clarity on the legal status of absentee ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting.

While the question of whether an agent may mail an absentee ballot remains open, Wisconsin voters can have confidence that state law, not guidance from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, has the final word on how Wisconsin elections are conducted, Esenberg added.

Across Wisconsin

Ballot drop boxes were used in at least 43 cities, 46 villages and 156 towns throughout the state in the 2020 election, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau. Many of those were in areas in the northeastern and northwestern parts of the state, where Trump won the vast majority of counties. Eleven states also use the boxes.

Drop boxes were among the supplies Wisconsins clerks purchased in 2020 with money from the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life, which has also become a target of Republican ire and that of GOP-appointed special counsel Michael Gableman, who has baselessly claimed the Chicago-based group was integral to an illegal conspiracy to boost turnout in Democratic-leaning areas in the 2020 election.

Previous court rulings have found nothing illegal about the more than $10 million in Center for Tech and Civic Life grants distributed to about 214 municipalities in 39 of Wisconsins 72 counties, including many solidly won by Trump. Nor did the center turn down grant requests from any of the Wisconsin municipalities that made them. Although, on a per-capita basis, Wisconsins five largest, and mostly Democratic, cities received two to four times more money than smaller communities.
A gunman opened fire on a Fourth of July Parade in Highland Park, Illinois. America is only nation in the world that is regularly terrorized by random mass gun violence. This is clearly related to easy access to high-powered assault rifles. If we want these mass tragedies to end, lawmakers will have to make it more difficult for disturbed young men to purchase these deadly weapons.
Menomonie, Wis.  A Minnesota-based company has been recognized by University of Wisconsin-Stout as its Employer of the Year.

Fastenal, from Winona, Minn., recently was honored by the universitys Career Services office for its efforts to engage with students on multiple levels during the 2021-22 academic year.

Fastenals culture and value resonate very clearly with our students and the culture of our campus. We promote applied learning, and they support applied learning, said Bryan Barts, Career Services director.

Fastenal, the largest fastener distributor in North America, with more than 21,000 employees at 2,227 branches, has doubled the number of UW-Stout graduates it employs in the last two years.

This year, the company stepped up its efforts on campus under first-year Regional Recruiter Juan Ramirez, including:

Attending multiple days of the spring and fall Career Conferences

Helping students with mock interviews and resume tips during Career Conferences prep weeks

Hiring students through the universitys Cooperative Education and Internship Program

Providing professionals to speak in classes

Serving on academic program advisory committees and employer panel discussions

Taking part in lunch-and-learn sessions with students.

Fastenal also was one of 14 companies taking part this past academic year in the Career Services Partnership Program at UW-Stout. The program works with employers to identify their strategic focus and build deeper connections with students and academic programs on campus.

Im excited to work with Career Services, to help students connect and get set up to be successful, Ramirez said. Were a resource for students and are looking to build that relationship.

Graduates hired in recent years are from a variety of majors, including engineering, applied mathematics and computer science, interior design, supply chain management, business administration, and professional communication and emerging media.

Ramirez, of Chippewa Falls, has a masters degree in school counseling from UW-Stout and previously worked as a school counselor at Menomonie High School. His duties included helping high school students with career planning.

Now, hes helping students take the next step, starting their careers, and building on a company-university relationship that goes back more than 25 years.

We know Stout has great students, Ramirez said, citing the universitys in-demand students with a 98.4% employment rate for recent graduates. Were looking for great people who fit our company and our culture.

Fastenal is a Fortune 500 company. It also is ranked No. 148 on Forbes list of best employers and No. 472 in Forbes ranking of top public companies.

Ramirez attended the award presentation at UW-Stout with six other Fastenal representatives, including Mike Rausch, director of recruiting; Tony Eger, district manager; Justin Oleson, Menomonie Fastenal general manager; Chris Rivard, engineering manager; Shannon Hintz, Lean Solutions manager; and Bruce Brinkmann, regional sales specialist.

The campus visit included touring engineering labs in Jarvis and Fryklund halls, discussing the business administration program with Professor Mark Fenton and meeting with Chancellor Katherine Frank.

Rausch said Fastenal is looking for future leaders when it hires college graduates, with the opportunity to grow into their careers or switch careers within the company. The company has a promote-from-within philosophy, he said.

Along with Barts, Frank and Fenton, UW-Stout officials taking part were Provost Glendali Rodriguez; assistant professors of engineering Vince Wheeler and Anne Schmitz; instrument instructor Paul Craig; and Michelle Dingwall, senior development officer for Stout University Foundation.

Career Services began the Employer of the Year award in 2021. The first recipient was Menards.

These are companies that set the bar high, that set the standard, Barts said of the award winners.

Student success is the leading goal of UW-Stouts FOCUS2030 strategic plan.

In 2021, CollegeValuesOnline ranked UW-Stout No. 26 in the U.S. for its ties to business and industry and how those ties benefit students.

UW-Stout is Wisconsins Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes.
Friday, July 8, 2022

Official Governor Abbott Picture

News from deep in the heart of Texas: "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in an executive order [yesterday], directed Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers to arrest migrants crossing into Texas without legal authorization and return them to the southern border." This is just one of many of the Governor's immigration enforcement measures listed on the official governor's website's "Border Crisis Update" page.

The press release announcing the order reads in relevant part:

"Governor Greg Abbott today issued an executive order authorizing and empowering the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety to apprehend illegal immigrants who illegally cross the border between ports of entry and return them to the border. The Biden Administration's decision to end Title 42 expulsions and the Remain-in-Mexico policy has led to historic levels of illegal crossings, with 5,000 migrants being apprehended over the July 4th weekend, creating a border crisis that has overrun communities along the border and across Texas.

`While President Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress, the State of Texas is once again stepping up and taking unprecedented action to protect Americans and secure our southern border,' said Governor Abbott. `The cartels have become emboldened and enriched by President Biden's open border policies, smuggling in record numbers of people, weapons, and deadly drugs like fentanyl.'

As noted in the executive order, the Biden Administration `has abandoned the covenant, in Article IV,  4 of the U.S. Constitution, that '[t]he United States . . . shall protect each [State in this Union] against Invasion,' and thus has forced the State of Texas to build a border wall, deploy state military forces, and enter into agreements as described in Article I,  10 of the U.S. Constitution to secure the State of Texas and repel the illegal immigration that funds the cartels.'

`I have authorized the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to begin returning illegal immigrants to the border to stop this criminal enterprise endangering our communities,' continued Governor Abbott. `As the challenges on the border continue to increase, Texas will continue to take action to address those challenges caused by the Biden Administration.'"

Read the Governor's executive order here.

Baptist church leaders previously accused Governor Abbott, as well as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, of playing politics with migrants as they pursue political ambitions. Both are Republican Governors of states important on the national political scene.

Previous immigration enforcement measures by Governor Abbott raised questions about their legality, including whether they intruded on the federal power over immigration. Some, such as busing migrants to Washington, D.C. (and here), arguably were little more than political publicity stunts

Look out for legal challenges to Governor Abbott's involvement of Texas troops and law enforcement in immigration. And expect heavy reliance on the Supreme Court's 2012 decision in Arizona v. United States, which invalidated much of Arizona's immigration enforcement law.

KJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2022/07/texas-governor-orders-texas-national-guard-department-of-public-safety-to-arrest-migrants-at-border.html
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot in the chest during a campaign speech Friday, medical officials said.

The attack shocked Japan, a nation with some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the world.

The 67-year-old Abe died at a hospital in Nara. He had been getting treatment there for gunshot wounds from what police described as a handmade gun.

Abe was Japans longest-serving prime minister. He resigned in 2020 because of a health problem.

Videos from Japanese broadcaster NHK showed Abe speaking at a train station in Nara when two gunshots rang out. The former prime minister fell to the ground while holding his chest. His shirt was covered in blood.

Medical officials said Abe was not breathing and his heart had stopped after being airlifted to the hospital. Doctors tried to stop the bleeding and gave him a blood transfusion. They said Abe had deep wounds to the heart and the right side of his neck.

He was declared dead at 5:03 p.m. local time.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the place of the attack. The suspect has been identified as 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami of Nara. He served in Japans navy for three years until 2005.

NHK reported that the suspect told the police that he was not pleased with Abe and wanted to kill him. The man also said he had made several handmade explosives and guns in the past.

Japan has very restrictive gun laws that make it almost impossible to buy a gun.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the attack as barbaric, saying it took place during elections that form the very heart of Japans democracy.

Even before the shooting, Abe was expected to have a major impact on Sundays election. During his years in office, Abe pulled Japan out of an economic recession. He built strong ties with the United States and wanted to counter Chinas growing strength in Asia. His goal of rewriting the nations pacifist constitution failed because of poor public support.

Japanese officials have said the election planned for Sunday will still take place.

U.S. President Joe Biden said, This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him. Similar messages of shock and sadness came from leaders around the world, including from neighboring Taiwan, China and Russia, as well as from across Asia and Europe.

The attack shocked Japan. With a population of 125 million, the country had just 10 gun-related criminal cases last year. Police said eight of those cases were related to gang activities. Tokyo, a city of nearly 14 million people, had no gun incidents, injuries or deaths last year.

Shiro Kawamoto is a professor at the College of Risk Management at Nihon University in Tokyo. He said, Japanese people are in a state of shock.

Kawamoto added, This serves as a wake-up call that gun violence can happen in Japan, and security to protect Japanese politicians must be re-examined.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on reports from VOA News, The Associated Press and Reuters.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

chest - n. the front part of the body between the neck and the stomach

blood transfusion - n. e medical treatment in which someone's blood is put into the body of another person

barbaric - adj. very cruel

impact - n. major influence or effect

recession - n. a period of declining economic activities

pacifist - n. belief that war and violence are wrong

tragedy -n. causing great sadness

gang - n. a group of criminals

_________________________________________________________________

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Oregon health officials are increasing the state's response for monkeypox as the case count rises across the United States.

The Oregon Health Authority gave an update on Oregons response to the national outbreak and reported cases of hMPXV (human monkeypox virus) during a media briefing Thursday morning, July 7.

Officials have confirmed six cases in the state. All are men. There are no confirmed cases in Linn or Benton counties yet.

Multnomah County has one case, confirmed June 16.

Lane County had two cases confirmed on July 1 and another confirmed July 6, for a total of three.

Washington County's two cases were confirmed July 6.

There have been no deaths, according to the news release.

The most at risk groups are cisgender and transgender men who have sex with other men and transgender women who have sex with men and have had more than one partner in the last two weeks, said Dr. Tim Menza, senior health adviser for OHAs hMPXV response.

While anyone can get the virus, right now our priority should be empowering men who have sex with men and the larger LGBTQIA+ and queer community and their health care providers with information, testing, prevention and treatment strategies, Menza said.

The human monkeypox virus is transmitted through close skin to skin contact and prolonged face-to-face contact and is not limited to sex, according to health officials. Contact with towels, clothing, bedding or other objects used by a person with the virus can also transmit the virus.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald.

Oregons supply of vaccines is limited but is expected to increase as OHA recently received federal allocations. Right now, vaccines are available to those who have been exposed to the virus, but Menza hopes to expand access to at-risk groups.

When more vaccine becomes available, our goal is to offer vaccination to those at increased risk of exposure to hMPXV, including cisgender and transgender men who have sex with men and transgender women who have sex with men with more than one sex partner in the prior two weeks, he said.

Testing is expected to become more accessible as other private labs will begin offering testing in the coming weeks. Menza expects to see case numbers rise as testing becomes more available.




An Invitation from Chinas Tiangong Space Station

(July 8, 2022)

Chinas Shenzhou-14 spacecraft was successfully launched on June 5, 2022. Three Chinese astronauts Mr. Chen Dong, Mrs. Liu Yang and Mr. Cai Xuzhe have begun their lives in Chinas Tiangong Space Station and will remain there for half a year.

Dear young friends in Sierra Leone, do you have any questions on the Chinese astronauts exploration of space? From now on, Tiangong Space Station is ready to collect your questions to the Chinese astronauts, through the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone. In August, the Chinese astronauts will give answers to the most popular questions in a virtual dialogue themed Talk with Taikonauts. We are looking forward to your participation!

How to participate?

Please send your questions and contact information to the Embassys e-mail before July 17, 2022. You are most welcome to record a short video or take a picture of yourself asking the questions, and we will choose some of the videos or pictures in the promotional video of the dialogue event.

The e-mail address: chinaemb_sl@mfa.gov.cn

Embassy of Peoples Republic of China

in the Republic of Sierra Leone




























Local

featured

Community mourns death of Barbara Trout Corbett

Contributed Barbara Trout Corbett, right, and Mary Leah Duran on their trip to Nantucket in June 2016. Duran remembers her friend as a conscientious and caring person who wanted to make sure every detail was just right and those she cared for had what they needed. Contributed Barbara Trout Corbett, left, and Mary Leah Duran on their trip to Nantucket in June 2016. The two were longtime friends stemming from a relationship built on service with the Presbyterian church in Lufkin.

Community members are grieving the death of 64-year-old Barbara Trout Corbett, whose memorial services will be held today at the First Presbyterian Church.

Corbett was the granddaughter of Walter Trout, who established the Ellen Trout Zoo.

She was best known as the 9-year-old who cut the ribbon June 17, 1967, to officially open the facility. But her work in the community expanded throughout her life, with significant contributions to the zoo Lufkin knows today. In 2001, she was a recipient of the Golden Anvil presented by the Angelina County Chamber of Commerce and the Pineywoods Foundation for her community service.

She was a wonderful person, said Gordon Henley, Ellen Trout Zoo director. She was a great lady. Ive tried to find the words to describe her  dignified and respectful, confident and resourceful. She was a very good friend of myself and the zoo.

Corbett served on the zoo board for many years and as president for two years. Henley always felt good knowing she was on the board, he said.

She would attend zoo conferences with him, and he loved to watch her reaction to presentations other zoos were making.

She would turn and say, We do that in Lufkin, and I would say, Yes, we do, Henley said with a laugh.

After Hippie, the original hippo, died, Corbett led the effort to raise money for a new hippoquarium and selected the zoos two hippos from Disneys Animal Kingdom.

The zoo at the time was struggling to find hippos to fill in for the hole left in Hippies death around the same time Disneys Animal Kingdom opened. Henley knew some people at the zoo who had moved there from Texas, and they worked out a deal while they visited the new kingdom during a conference in California.

Corbett and some other board members went to the exhibit and were looking at the younger hippos, but Corbett was the one chosen to select who would be moved to Lufkin.

She went around and asked their names, Henley said.

She picked out Pancho and Nakili and was given a front row seat to watch the hippos be let into their new exhibit.

She was the one person who has seen the zoo all the way from the first time the zoo first opened until recent times, Henley said.

She was an inspiration and a source of encouragement for Henley, always kept keeping him on his toes.

But her work in the community spread beyond what she did for the zoo. She was active in the First Presbyterian Church, serving as president of the Presbyterian Women and volunteering with Vacation Bible School and her work in the Womens Circle.

Her friend, Mary Leah Duran, got to know Corbett through their work with the church, but their friendship grew beyond service.

Duran is a few years older than Corbett, so when they met in the 1970s, Duran was already raising children. Duran grew to be friends with Corbetts whole family, but the two became friends when they started teaching Sunday School together.

She was the most caring person, Duran said. So generous and kind. She was good to anybody and willing to do anything.

Corbett was on the ball and well organized, Duran said. It was always important that things were done just right; the details were very important, which probably was necessary as she never turned down an opportunity to help somebody.

She inspired me to be that way, too, Duran said.

Their friendship taught Duran bravery and courage and to always have faith in God and the people who want to help, she said.

They had fun, though. Corbett became a Louisiana State University fan, as her children attended the university, and she and Duran would take the time to drive out to Baton Rouge to watch games.

That was a really fun time, Duran said.

Corbett also served as board president for the Mosaic Center and was actively involved in the Junior League of Lufkin. Her friends within the organization described her as a faithful board member, officer and Bible study teacher for many years.

She was known as a quiet, dependable and faithful peacemaker, Glenda King said. She brought a fresh perspective to the leadership after the center was founded.

Corbett grew into an excellent board president because of her humility and servants heart, said Emily Kistler, former board member and president.

Donna Busler, former executive director, said she was a joy to so many at the center because she placed the mission of the organization above any of her personal considerations or preferences.

She could be counted on to be a courageous and very effective leader, Busler said. I admired her very much and we will miss her.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday declined parents request to remain anonymous and determined it was not appropriate for the court to rule on a temporary injunction to halt parts of the Madison School District gender identity policy.

In a 4-3 ruling Friday, swing vote Justice Brian Hagedorn joined the courts three liberal justices in ruling parents must disclose their identities to attorneys arguing the case and that the decision whether to halt the districts gender identity policy must be determined by the Dane County Circuit Court.

In the meantime, any decision by the state Supreme Court on the temporary injunction meant to halt parts of the districts policy would be considered moot, as the request for injunctive relief remains pending before the circuit court, Hagedorn wrote in the majority opinion. The decision effectively ended the injunction.

Justices Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky joined Hagedorn. Justice Patience Roggensack filed the dissenting opinion, joined by Chief Justice Annette Ziegler and Justice Rebecca Bradley.

In the majority opinion regarding parents request to remain anonymous, Hagedorn wrote that the ordinary rule in Wisconsin and everywhere is that those availing themselves of the legal system should do so openly.

While we protect certain vulnerable legal participants, such as children and crime victims, the business of courts is public business, and as such is presumed to remain open and available to the public, he wrote.

In arguments before the state Supreme Court in May, attorneys sparred over whether parents should be allowed to sue the school district over parts of its gender identity policy without identifying themselves or even proving they are residents of the district.

In May 2020, Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington ordered the parents names be disclosed to the school district attorneys, but as of May 2022, counsel for the district was still unaware of the plaintiffs identities.

While a disappointing loss, the opinions still send a strong message that (the Madison School District) policy, and policies like it, violate parents constitutional rights. Three Justices would have held as much, while the four-Justice majority merely sent the case back to the trial court without commenting on the merits, Luke Berg, deputy counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), said in a statement Friday.

On Friday, the state Supreme Court affirmed the circuit courts decision to allow the parents to proceed using pseudonyms publicly, while requiring that their true identities be disclosed to attorneys arguing the case.

As to anonymity, we will discuss with the clients and it will be up to each client individually whether they want to proceed. But we do not consider this case done. Not by a long shot, Berg said.

WILL initially represented 14 parents, but that number had dropped to six by May.

End of injunction

In September 2020, Remington temporarily suspended portions of the Madison School Districts guidance on gender identity that the group of unnamed parents and WILL sued to overturn.

The policy is a part of a 35-page guidance document on student gender identity, developed by the district in 2018, that covered topics including how to communicate with the family of transgender and nonbinary students about their identity.

The document stated: School staff shall not disclose any information that may reveal a students gender identity to others, including parents or guardians and other school staff, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure.

The guide also required staff to communicate with parents or guardians using the name and gender of a student in the districts student information and records system. Students who are transitioning genders can have their names and genders changed in the system, but permission is needed by a parent or guardian.

This might involve using the students affirmed name and pronouns in the school setting, and their legal name and pronouns with family, the document said.

Remington granted a request from WILL, to bar the district from enforcing that part of its guidance related to when and how staff can speak to a parent about a childs gender transition, while the case made its way through the court system.

The state Supreme Courts Friday ruling, on an injunction pending appeal, ended both the appeal and the injunction. The ruling sent the case back to the trial court with the tools necessary to effectively litigate the case: The identity of the plaintiffs.

Today the majority opinion abdicates the courts responsibility, once again, by choosing not to address the critical issue on which this case turns: the constitutional right of parents to raise their children as they see fit, Roggensack wrote in Fridays dissenting opinion.

Whats next?

The next step for the plaintiffs would be to file an amended complaint that includes their identities under seal. Assuming the case goes forward, there would be some discovery and the court would set a schedule for a preliminary injunction motion, said Laurence Dupuis, ACLU of Wisconsin legal director.

The important thing for our clients, members of student GSAs, is that the districts welcoming and safety-first policies will be able to provide some protection to kids who want to be able to express their identity but have legitimate concerns about their parents responses, Dupuis said. Were looking forward to defending the policy in the trial court.

Madison School District spokesperson Tim LeMonds declined to comment on the Friday ruling.

The recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision is only one related piece of additional pending litigation. Therefore, the district will not be providing comment until the entirety of these proceedings are completed, he said.
Astronaut Bob Hines monitors an Astrobee robotic free-flyer. (June 24, 2022) NASA

Artificial intelligence, hearing tests, and a microscope setup topped the research agenda aboard the International Space Station on Friday.

The seven Expedition 67 crew members also divided their day with ongoing spacewalk preparations, training video recording, and orbital plumbing duties.

The astronauts have been exploring space manufacturing techniques to take advantage of the weightless environment that could advance the production and output of Earth and space industries. The current Intelligent Glass Optics study investigates using artificial intelligence as a way to adapt Earth-bound manufacturing processes for microgravity. NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Watkins opened up the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) on Friday swapping samples of fiber optic cable for the experiment. NASA Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren of NASA then monitored an experiment run drawing fiber inside the MSG for the study potentially benefitting the communications, aerospace, medicine, and astronomy fields.

Watkins then partnered with NASA Flight Engineer Bob Hines and filmed station training videos to familiarize future astronauts with life on orbit. Hines later performed pressure checks on a U.S. spacesuit jet pack as part of regularly scheduled maintenance. The jet pack, also known as SAFER (Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue), provides a spacewalker the ability to return to the station in the unlikely event they become untethered from their worksite.

A major characteristic of life on the space station is the continuously operating gear such as thermal, electronics, and life support systems. The Acoustic Diagnostics study is exploring whether station equipment noise levels and the microgravity environment may create possible adverse effects on astronaut hearing. Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) and Lindgren both participated in that study today wearing acoustic monitors that measure station sound levels. The acoustic data will help researchers understand the stations sound environment and may inform countermeasures to protect crew hearing.

Lindgren also continued setting up a specialized microscope that uses spatial filtering techniques to observe cellular and tissue structures inside the Kibo laboratory module. Cristoforetti wrapped up her day working on fluid transfer tasks in the Harmony and Tranquility modules.

Station Commander Oleg Artemyev continued preparing for a spacewalk that he and Cristoforetti will conduct to outfit the European robotic arm attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. He joined Flight Engineer Denis Matveev gathering Orlan spacesuit components and other spacewalking gear ahead of the excursion planned for 10 a.m. EDT on July 21. Flight Engineer Sergey Korsakov explored advanced Earth photography techniques then spent the rest of the day on plumbing tasks and ventilation maintenance.
With the heated GOP primary just one month away, business owner Tim Michels on Friday received an endorsement from former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, who earlier this year mulled his own run for the seat.

Soon after Michels, the millionaire co-owner of Brownsville-based Michels Corp. who last month secured an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, announced his backing from Thompson, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch announced endorsements from more than 50 state lawmakers, including GOP leaders Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu.

Tommy knows Wisconsin and Wisconsin knows Tommy, Michels said in a statement. I am happy the governor who reformed welfare and developed the first school choice program in America is now on our team. We continue to gain momentum, but we are not done yet.

Thompson, who served four terms as governor, said in a statement, Wisconsin needs new leaders like Tim Michels who have experience to solve tough problems and make Wisconsin the greatest state in the nation.

Tim will fight to make Wisconsin the best place to live, work and play just as I did when I was governor, Thompson added.

Also on Friday, Kleefisch announced endorsements from 58 Republican lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly, who backed the former lieutenant governor for her stances on abortion, crime and taxes.

As our governor, Rebecca Kleefisch will be a fearless fighter for the unborn, Rep. Donna Rozar, R-Marshfield, said in a statement. I know she will stand up for the voiceless unborn and fight for moms so they can be successful both at work and at home.

Kleefisch has also been endorsed by former Gov. Scott Walker, whom she served with for eight years as lieutenant governor.

Management consultant Kevin Nicholson dropped out of the race earlier this week. He has said he does not plan to endorse anyone in the race.

Marquette Law Schools June poll, the first to include Michels, who joined the race in late April, found that 27% of Republican primary voters support Michels, while 26% support Kleefisch. Nicholson received 10% of support from Republican primary voters, the same he received in April, while state Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, saw his support drop slightly from 4% to 3%.

The poll has a margin of error of 6.3% among GOP primary voters, and 32% of respondents remain undecided, down from 46% of respondents in April.

The winner of the Aug. 9 primary will go on to face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is seeking a second term, in the Nov. 8 election.

Delegates attending the Republican Party of Wisconsins annual convention earlier this year chose not to endorse a candidate in several statewide races, including for governor. The decision means the state party will not provide funding or resources to a preferred candidate until after a nominee is selected in the Aug. 9 primary.

While none of the gubernatorial candidates received enough votes to secure the partys endorsement, Kleefisch easily won the majority of votes, coming in just about 6 percentage points short of the 60% needed for an endorsement. Ramthun, Nicholson and Michels each received less than 6%.
President Joe Bidens executive order on abortion does nothing to restore access to abortion in Wisconsin following the U.S. Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin said Friday.

Mike Murray, the groups executive director, commended the presidents order, which includes expanding access to emergency contraception and ramping up public outreach campaigns on abortion.

But as the president said his hands are largely tied on restoring nationwide abortion access without Congressional approval, Murray said the White House should explore other executive actions supported by abortion rights groups and members of Congress.

Unfortunately, none of the actions today will restore access to abortion care in Wisconsin, Murray said in a statement.

Advocates have urged the administration to go further, looking into how Medicaid could cover travel for abortion or allowing abortions to be performed on federal land.

In the order, Biden directed Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to consider updating guidance on emergency conditions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.

These updates could ensure all patients, including those experiencing miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, receive full protections for emergency medical care granted under federal law.

Biden also encouraged Becerra to consider strengthening the protection of reproductive healthcare information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA protects sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without a patients consent.

At the White House on Friday, Biden urged voters outraged by the Supreme Courts decision to vote more Democrats into office in Novembers election.

Biden continues to face criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect womens access to abortion.

In Wisconsin, Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit challenging the states 1849 near-total abortion ban, arguing that the law should be declared unenforceable since it sat dormant for so long.

There is a lack of legal consensus of whether the 1849 law is in effect, but fear of prosecution has led Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin to halt abortions in the state after the Supreme Court tossed out the protections guaranteed under Roe.

While the 1849 law bans abortions from the time of conception unless its necessary to save the mothers life, a subsequent law enacted in 1985  years after the U.S. Supreme Court declared abortion a constitutional right  only bans abortion after fetal viability and includes an exception for saving a mothers life or health.

Meanwhile, some Wisconsin politicians are looking to further restrict access to contraception in the state. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels refused to share his stance on emergency contraception when prompted last weekend.

In his statement, Murray further urged the state Legislature to repeal the 1849 law.

Every day that legislative Republicans choose inaction is another day where they are making the choice to deny essential abortion care to women and other people who can become pregnant in Wisconsin, Murray said.

Should our state legislature or Congress continue to abdicate these responsibilities, the only other way to restore abortion access in Wisconsin is to have a court of competent jurisdiction clarify that Wisconsins criminal abortion ban is unenforceable, he said.
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP)  A NATO senior official on Thursday said Western Balkan countries don't face an imminent threat from the war in Ukraine, and are of strategic interest to the Western alliance.

NATOs Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana was in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, to meet with local officials and visit the NATO-led KFOR mission.

Geoana denounced Russias illogical and brutal war in Ukraine and its aggressive and malign influence over the Western Balkans.

We have a strategic interest ... in the Western Balkans. I want to send a message of hope for all the people to the Western Balkans that ultimately all of us will find ourselves in the European and Euro-Atlantic family, he told The Associated Press.

Some Western Balkan countries are NATO members  Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia  while Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina are partners.

Kosovo has said it will apply for the Partnership for Peace membership, considered a first step in the NATO membership process.

NATO troops have been present in Kosovo since 1999 after a war between Serbia and its former province which ended with a 78-day NATO air campaign.

Geoana hailed NATO members in the region that have increased defense spending as a natural reaction when you see aggressive Russia, adding that NATO would defend all allies and every square inch of territory.

Geoana reconfirmed the alliances pledge to stand by Ukraine for the long haul.

They deserve our help. And that great nation deserves to be a free, independent, sovereign nation in Europe, he said.

Semini reported from Tirana, Albania
Jacob Blake Sr., father of Jacob Blake Jr., was transported to an Akron, Ohio, area hospital after being detained by Akron police during a protest Wednesday evening. Protesters gathered in Akron in the wake of the police killing of Jayland Walker last month.

Justin Blake, Blake Sr.s brother, said Blake Sr. has several health conditions, including heart problems, that were exacerbated by his encounter with the police. As of Thursday afternoon, Blake Sr. remained in the hospital in non-critical condition.

The Akron police department issued a warrant for Blake Sr.s arrest Thursday afternoon according to municipal records, charging Blake Sr. with rioting, resisting arrest, failing to disperse and disorderly conduct. Akron police declined to provide additional information.

Online video of the arrests show a Black man in a white shirt, identified as a Michael Harris, being detained by several officers. Another officer begins striking the man repeatedly in the face. Blake Sr. is also seen being detained by other officers, who cuff him on the hood of Austins vehicle.

Justin Blake was highly critical of the departments response to protests.

They were making a statement, and they used all these people as examples, Justin Blake said. Theyre showing they are a brutal police force.

Justin Blake also bristled against the charges of resisting arrest and claims that his brother had been fleeing police, arguing that Blake Sr.s health conditions made such accusations ridiculous.

They were there to unite the community and family and to get justice, before they were attacked, Justin Blake said. He wasnt resisting arrest, he was leaning on the fence for a respite. Hes handicapped.

Also arrested at the protest was Bianca Austin, the aunt of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed in her apartment by Louisville police in 2020.

Blake Sr.s son Jacob Blake Jr. was shot seven times by Kenosha Police officer Rusten Sheskey Aug. 23, 2020, setting off days of protests and unrest when a video of the incident went viral online. Tensions culminated on the evening of Aug. 26, when Illinois teen Kyle Rittenhouse killed two men and injured a third.

Sheskey was ultimately cleared by the department of criminal wrong-doing, and the Rittenhouse shootings were determined to be self-defense following a jury trial.

Akron police officers shot and killed 25-year-old Jayland Walker after a car chase on June 27. Walker suffered at least 60 wounds, although its uncertain how many were exit and entrance wounds.

The killing has set off protests in the Ohio city, with reports of numerous arrests throughout the past few days.
TWIN FALLS  Citing feedback from the community that was primarily opposed to a proposed wind farm near Hollister, the Board of County Commissioners on Thursday passed a resolution stating they do not support the Salmon Falls Wind Project.

The nonbinding resolution states that the board believes this project would disturb the rural character of Twin Falls County.

Commissioner Jack Johnson said the resolution is not bound by law and also added that the measure doesnt mean commissioners wouldnt change their minds once more information becomes available.

The vast majority of folks that weve either spoken to or that have reached out to us through email, phone, text  you name it  are not proponents of this project, Johnson said. And we have a lot of folks in our community that are pushing us to take some kind of a position on this early on.

Magic Valley Energy and LS Power have applied for a permit to place as many as 280 wind turbines standing up to 740 feet tall on Bureau of Land Management ground near Hollister. The process leading to the BLM issuing a determination on the Salmon Falls Wind Project could take up to two years. If approved, Magic Valley Energy said the wind farm could become operational by 2026.

It is the second wind project Magic Valley Energy has proposed for the area, following the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Lincoln, Jerome and Minidoka counties.

The BLM is accepting public comments on the project.

Before voting to approve the resolution, Commissioner Don Hall said that the board would remain open to the possibilities that the environmental impact statement could address concerns about the project regarding sound pollution, visual intrusion, effects on wildlife, groundwater, and grazing rights.

I think weve been very measured, and weve looked at this from every angle that we can, and frankly I dont personally need to wait for an environmental impact study to have an opinion about this, Hall said.

Hall added that while the commissioners have influence but no authority over public lands.

We are going to exercise our influence with this resolution to let them know that we have concerns and our community has spoken to us about those concerns, Hall said.

Commissioner Reinke spoke of concerns he had that the resource management plan needs to be updated, the last time it was updated was 1986. The resource management plan is similar to the comprehensive plan the county creates, he said.

We have a good sense of where we are this morning, Reinke said. Our minds are open for us to be able to proceed forward, but I think this is a statement that needs to be made.

The discussion in the commissioners conference room was heard by a full audience, many of which applauded the boards vote to oppose the project.

Jon McGregor was one of the more than 30 people present for the resolution. McGregor and his family have farmed land near Hollister for three generations. Preliminary design plans for the wind project would place turbines within a mile of his property, where he farms beans, wheat, peas and alfalfa.

Im glad to hear it, McGregor said. I think they listened to us and I am not a proponent of this whatsoever. Our ground borders where they are going to put them, the closest one will be under a mile and I dont need that.

McGregor is part of a citizens group that recently delivered more than 900 signatures  collected in just four days  against the project.

For years they said, Idahos too beautiful to litter, McGregor said. Whats not littered by wind turbines?

Magic Valley Energy has estimated the construction of Salmon Falls Wind Project would create 350 jobs and $46 million in tax revenue. The project would generate $2.3 million in tax revenue once operational. The company said $1.9 million of those taxes would go to the county for roads, schools, and emergency response agencies.

Which way the wind blows: Company holds open house for Salmon Falls Wind project The same company behind the Lava Ridge Wind Project spent this week discussing their second proposed wind farm in southern Idaho, the Salmon Falls Wind Project.

Project director Luke Papez responded to the commissioners resolution with a statement, saying public feedback is important at every step of the lengthy permitting process.

While its necessary for leaders to listen to constituents input, it is also vital to allow for thorough research to provide data, Papez said in the statement. We are committed to a thorough and thoughtful approach to bringing the Lava Ridge and Salmon Falls Wind Projects to Southern Idaho, working closely with the county Commissioners to ensure they have accurate and transparent information as the Lava Ridge and Salmon Falls Wind Project studies progress.

Hollister Mayor Robyn Grover would like to see the environmental impact study completed before any hard sound decisions are made.

I have definitely got mixed feelings, and Ive tried to take one side or another and just go with it, and I just cant. Theres so many pros, and so many cons, Grover said. My heart is split down the middle.

The project would generate substantial revenue for small rural communities such as Hollister, something Grover said could benefit the town.

I would love to see what it would bring to Hollister  all the revenue, the taxes  how it could benefit the school and our community, she said. I think that could be a great thing. And on the other hand, its our way of life out here, taking away from its uniqueness, the environment.
One volunteer on the Capitol steps stood out from the crowd at a Reclaim Idaho event on Wednesday, and not just because she was wearing a rainbow tie-dye skirt and rainbow tie-dye Chaco sandals.

Anise Welty, who spoke at the large gathering, is just 13 years old and a rising freshman in the Boise School District. Along with her mother, she collected signatures for Reclaim Idahos Quality Education Act ballot initiative over the past year.

Reclaim Idaho  the group that was responsible for putting a Medicaid expansion initiative before voters, who passed it  started this effort to expand funding for public schools. The initiatives language is that it would restore the corporate tax rate to 8% from 6.5%, and raise taxes by about 4.5% on individuals making more than $250,000 a year and couples making more than $500,000 a year.

Anise has a special stake in the future of our public schools, said Reclaim Idaho co-founder and executive director Luke Mayville as he introduced the teenager.

Anise, her mom and dozens of other volunteers presented more than 100,000 signatures to be certified by Secretary of State Lawrence Denneys office. If that happens, the measure will be on the November ballot.

Reclaim Idahos initiative will encourage teachers to stay where we need them, Anise said in her speech. We need teachers to educate our future generations.

Idaho per-pupil school funding remains last in nation

Leah Jones is a second-grade teacher in Twin Falls who said she often has to buy her own school supplies because of underfunding.

Some years Ive spent over $4,000 of my own money in my classroom to buy supplies for me and my students, she told the crowd. I have to buy shelves, staplers, staples. I buy pencils, glue and scissors, and if I dont buy those things, my students will go without.

The Twin Falls School District spends less than $7,000 per student, Mayville said. This is below both the national and Idaho averages.

Idaho ranks dead last among states in terms of per-pupil funding and its schools receive the least amount of funding in the nation.

Former Boise School District superintendent Don Coberly said Idaho class sizes, meanwhile, are the seventh largest in the country.

The most effective way to reduce class sizes is to hire more teachers, and thats one reason why the quality education initiative is so important, Coberly said. This will provide funds to hire and retain teachers at more competitive salaries.

Idaho teachers are paid significantly less than their peers in neighboring states. Jones said teachers in Idaho are paid an average of $27,000 less than those in Washington, $16,000 less than Oregons and $8,000 less than Wyomings. She said low pay has forced educators to consider leaving the state or the profession altogether.

Mayville cited a statistic indicating that 51% of teachers in Idaho have considered leaving the career.

Quality Education Act expected to appear on the ballot

After the speeches, volunteers formed a line from the front steps of the Capitol to the Secretary of States Office. They passed dozens of brightly colored backpacks full of signatures along the line, bucket-bridgade style.

Each backpack featured the name of an Idaho county or a message promoting public school funding. Reclaim Idaho said it collected signatures from all 44 counties in Idaho. To get an initiative on the ballot requires gathering signatures from 6% of registered voters from at least 18 legislative districts, and from 6% of total voters statewide.

Backpacks filled with signature forms from Idaho counties lined the steps of the Capitol during a press conference by

When all the backpacks reached their destination in Denneys office, the group cheered. Mayville led a chant of, When I say vote, you say yes! that resounded throughout the rotunda.

Mayville told the Idaho Statesman that the signatures have all been verified by their individual counties, but it will take Denneys office a week to 10 days to certify them for the whole state.

He said he does not expect any certification problems.

The Quality Education Act gives the people of Idaho a chance to reclaim a principle that the founders of our state declared 132 years ago that every Idaho child deserves a quality education, said Mayville.
The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has again ruled that a state will be required to fund religious schooling if, but only if, it provides funding for private schooling. Speaking for the Courts Republican supermajority in Carson v. Makin, Chief Justice John Roberts put it this way: A State need not subsidize private education. But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious. The words may seem familiar because Roberts previously stated them to be the law of the land in a case from Montana in 2020.

It is a given that there will be a concerted effort in the Idaho Legislature next year to enact legislation, such as a school voucher program, that would allow state funds to be used for private schooling. If such legislation were to be approved, SCOTUS has just made it clear that Idaho taxpayer money will have to also go to support religious schooling. And, the fact is that the State will have little oversight on the use of those funds or what theology the taxpayers will be required to finance.

The Idaho Constitution strictly prohibits the use of public funds for any form of religious education. For the past 132 years, the separation of public money from religious instruction has been rigidly upheld in Idaho. SCOTUS has unfortunately provided a workaround. Those who want to pay taxpayer money to religious schools can simply pass a voucher program to evade the prohibition in our Constitution.

Idaho voters need to let legislators know that the diversion of taxpayer money to private schooling will further degrade public education for Idaho kids. Legislators are mandated by the Idaho Constitution to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools. The Legislature has chronically failed to honor that mandate.

The Idaho Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that Idahos funding of educational facilities was wholly inadequate to meet the constitutional requirement. The situation is growing worse each year. A recent study disclosed that it would take about $850 billion to bring public school facilities up to good condition. Supplemental school levies against taxpayers have increased from $140 million in the 2011-2012 school year to $218 million in 2021-2022. Idaho has ranked last in the nation for per-pupil spending during each of the last two school years. The State is obviously vulnerable to legal action for its constitutional failure to support its school system.

If legislators take money that should be used for public schools and divert it to private schooling, they will surely invite a lawsuit. The State has no business supporting private schools, while the public school system is suffering from insufficient funding.

The so-called Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) and its supporters in the Legislature are doing their level best to sabotage the public school system. They have worked hard to underfund the school system, endangering its effectiveness. They then point to the lack of student achievement as grounds for supporting school choice alternatives. A voucher program would be a disaster for public schools, particularly in rural areas where the local school is the heart and soul of the community. Local taxpayers would remain on the hook for all of the bonds they had to float because of the Legislatures failure to meet its constitutional funding responsibility.

The IFF will claim that the recent SCOTUS decision makes Idahos prohibition against financing religious schools inoperable. That simply is not the case. So long as the Legislature does not approve some sort of scheme to subsidize private school education, the constitutional prohibition remains effective. We need to improve our public education system by ensuring it has sufficient funding to properly educate our kids, not to consign it to the trash heap.
Next month, McDowell County will host not one but two festivals featuring some of the best performers in classic country and bluegrass music.

Award-winning national music festival promoter Evans Media Source announced its newest festival called The McDowell County Roundup. It will be at Camping World of Marion on Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13. This new music festival will feature live shows by stars of the Grand Ole Opry such as Buddy Jewell, Teea Goans and The Malpass Brothers.

The festival will be headlined by Rhonda Vincent & The Rage and The Bellamy Brothers, according to a news release.

We are bringing Branson to Marion to entertain at one of our favorite venues and we couldnt be more excited to hold it the weekend before our 48th Annual North Carolina State Bluegrass Festival, its a two-week celebration, said Debi Evans, president of Evans Media Source.

Other bands featured will be the United States Navy Band called Country Current from Washington, D.C. plus Virginia Music Hall of Famers Nothin Fancy, SPBGMA Band winner Retro 78 and more. There will be live stage shows under the covered pavilion at Camping Worlds Rally Park with family activities, food trucks and camping.

The doors for the McDowell County Roundup will be open from noon until 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13. Camping World Rally Park is at 1885 U.S. 70 West in Marion.

General admission tickets for Aug. 12 and Aug. 13 are $90. Reserved seating for both days will be $95. Daily prices are $50.

Then less than one week later, the North Carolina State Bluegrass Festival comes back to Marion.

The 48th bluegrass festival will take place Thursday, Aug. 18; Friday, Aug. 19; and Saturday, Aug. 20 at Camping Worlds Rally Park. Rhonda Vincent, Nothin Fancy and The Malpass Brothers will be back to headline this event too but they will be joined by other artists such as Authentic Unlimited, Po Rambling Boys, Deeper Shade of Blue, The Larry Stephenson Band, Wood Family Tradition and Bluegrass Mountaineers.

Daily ticket prices for the bluegrass festival are $45 for adults in advance and $50 at the gate. A three-day adult ticket is $95 in advance and $100 at the gate. For children ages 13-16, the cost is $20 per day or $50 for three days with parent. Children younger than 12 are free when accompanied by parents.

Sherry Boyd will be the mistress of ceremonies for both festivals.

The bluegrass festival draws thousands of people to McDowell County and many of them park their campers and RVs in the rally park. These events will have food vendors selling hamburgers, barbecue, ice cream, funnel cakes and boiled peanuts. There will be jewelry and craft vendors too.

All of the artists will sell their own CDs and souvenirs and sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans.

The shows go on rain or shine under a covered pavilion and tent, with tickets available at the gate.

For more information, visit the Website: www.EvansMediaSource.com or the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/evansmediasource. You can call 386-385-3500 to buy tickets. For information about camping, call Camping World at 877-958-4264.
MORGANTON  It was about 9:30 p.m. Sunday when Dan Brands drone met an unfortunate end.

The last video taken on the drone shows the camera, which was pointed toward the last rays of sun setting on the Table Rock skyline, shake, and as Brand turned it toward what he believed were gunshots, the video cuts off.

I was operating the drone and I was actually looking at the iPad so I didnt see what happened, physically, to the aircraft, but I had a couple of witnesses tell me they saw it suddenly start spiraling down and falling to the ground, Brand said. At first they thought I mustve been doing some really cool maneuver or something. I was not. I was looking at the iPad giving me multiple critical malfunction errors.

He was outside with several family members when it happened, and said he was certain the drone was visible because its equipped with LED lights that are visible from three miles away, per Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

I was a very easy target, honestly, Brand said. As brightly lit as I was, and that I was hovering so steadily in one location.

While North Carolina does have a law that prevents drone operators from using drones to conduct surveillance of other people and their property without their consent, Brand said the drone never left his father-in-laws property on Propst Road.

Beyond that, the only thing clearly visible in the video clip that documented the moments before the drone was taken out of commission were Brands family members gathered on the back patio and the barely illuminated skyline.

A Burke County sheriffs deputy came out to the house and investigated the incident Sunday night, but no charges had been issued by Tuesday afternoon, according to arrest records on the Burke County Police to Citizen website. An incident report available on the website estimated the total amount of damages done to be about $3,000.

But its not just a property damage charge the perpetrator could be facing.

Elizabeth Isham Cory, a spokesperson for the FAA, said a person who shoots at any aircraft, including unmanned aircraft like a drone, could face a civil fine from the administration, and criminal charges from federal, state or local law enforcement.

She pointed The News Herald toward the federal law for damaging aircraft, which said an individual found guilty of such act could face up to 20 years in prison and/or fined.

Brand, who has had a pilots license since he was 16 and served in the Air Force for eight years, said he felt violated that someone would do that to his property.

The shooter brazened this, this kind of illegal act to shoot down an aircraft that wasnt even over (their) property, Brand said. The most important thing to me was just that nobody had gotten hurt. This is a pretty heavy drone that couldve definitely hurt people. I was obviously really glad with my wife, my baby niece and so many relatives out here, so many things couldve gone wrong and on that respect, Im very grateful that this only resulted in destruction of the drone.

Brand said hes filed a report with the FAA in addition to the report he filed with the sheriffs office.
Marion attorney Sharon Parker is now a member of the North Carolina Bar Associations Legal Practice Hall of Fame.

Parker was inducted on Friday, June 24 at the 2022 NCBA Annual Meeting in Winston-Salem during the awards dinner and presidential installation. Legal Practice Hall of Fame lawyers have exhibited throughout their practice the highest standards of ethics and professional competency and have rendered a high level of service to the bar and to their communities, according to a news release.

Since 2007, Parker has focused on business law, estate planning, and estate administration and opened a solo practice in 2013. Prior to her solo practice, Parker spent more than 20 years with the law firm of Dameron, Burgin & Parker, PA representing medical malpractice carriers and health care providers in malpractice defense litigation, defending criminal cases including capital cases, providing general legal advice to regional hospitals and health care providers, and representing local boards and nonprofits.

Parker is also chairperson of the board of directors of Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance of North Carolina, having served on the board since 1999 and serving six years as chairperson of the Claims Committee. In 2015, Parker was also recognized with the NCBA Citizen Lawyer Award for service to her community.

Parker has served as president of The McDowell Endowment Advisory Board (an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina) and president of the Catawba Valley Legal Services (now Legal Aid of the Foothills). She has served as the foundation director and scholarship chairperson for the Rotary Club of Marion and has been honored with the Rotary Service Above Self Award. She now serves on the McDowell Technical College Foundation board of directors, the Legal Aid of the Foothills Advisory Board and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys.

Parker has been recognized with the Governors Medallion Award for Volunteer Service, the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the McDowell County Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award and the Rotary Club of Marions Service Above Self Award, according to the news release.

This is the fourth induction class for the renamed General Practice Hall of Fame, which was established in 1989 by the General Practice Section and now includes 178 members. Longtime law partners E.P. Sandy Dameron and Charles E. Burgin are also members of the Legal Practice Hall of Fame, making Parker a third-generation inductee from the former Marion law firm. Dameron was inducted in 1991 and Burgin, who is also a past president of the NCBA, was inducted in 2008. Other former inductees from Marion are Everette C. Carnes (2000) and Judge Robert C. Hunter (2020).

She said it is an honor to follow Dameron, Burgin, Carnes and Hunter into the Hall of Fame.

Parker served as co-chair of the first NCBA Commission on the Status of Women in the Legal Profession, on the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association, and on the NCBA Litigation and Health Law Section Councils. She was co-recipient of Gwyneth B. Davis Award in 1993 from the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys for outstanding contributions to the promotion of women lawyers and the rights of women under the law. Parker is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an honors graduate of the UNC School of Law and has been proud to call Marion home since 1991, according to the news release.
Seventeen police officers were injured, including one seriously, after spontaneous violent demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday in Conakry that followed the brutal arrest of three leaders of a collective, the Guinean police said in a statement on Wednesday.

Clashes between police and youth groups broke out in suburban areas of the capital to protest against the arrest of members of the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), a coalition that had orchestrated months of mobilization from 2019 to 2021 against former President Alpha Conde (2010-2021), who was overthrown in September 2021 by a junta led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.

The demonstrators burned tyres, erected barricades, overturned bins and pelted the police, who tried to disperse them with tear gas. A journalist noted that a precarious calm had returned to the capital on Thursday. The spontaneous demonstrations are among the first in a context of protest since the seizure of power by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.

The FNDC had called for a demonstration on 23 June, ignoring the juntas ban. It had suspended its call the day before the demonstration to give a chance to the dialogue proposed by the transitional government.

But after the last meeting with the government, the FNDC denounced a parody of a meeting, as well as the solitary and authoritarian conduct of the transition and the serious attacks on fundamental rights and freedoms.

The national coordinator of the FNDC, Oumar Sylla  known as Fonike Mengue -, Mamadou Billo Bah and the rapper Alpha Midiaou Bah  alias Djanii Alfa  were violently arrested on Tuesday by police at the headquarters of their coalition, where they were holding a press conference. Mr. Sylla and Mr. Bah were beaten and their clothes torn by police officers.
In Burkina Faso, former President Blaise Compaore arrived in Ouagadougou on Thursday. He is expected to participate alongside other former Heads of state in a meeting on Friday with President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

At the airport in Ouagadougou, several hundred supporters of Blaise Compaore are mobilized. It is a joy here, to see their leader return to the country after nearly 8 years of exile.

We are really happy. We are going to welcome our ex-president for everything he did for our country, says one supporter. We are happy that Blaise Compaore is coming to Burkina Faso, says another.

For the people of Burkina Faso, especially the youth, it is a strong message that President Damiba has sent. Frankly, we cannot achieve peace without all the leaders who were not there and who are returning, said this supporter.

The plane carrying Blaise Compaore landed at 2pm in Ouagadougou at the capitals air base. The former president was then airlifted from the airbase to an unknown destination. This Friday, alongside former presidents Roch Kabore, Michel Kafando, Isaac Zida and Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo, Blaise Compaore will participate in a meeting with President Damiba.

After the meeting, according to our sources, he should return to Abidjan on Saturday.
The ceasefire announced Wednesday in Luanda after a summit between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame does not commit the M23, the rebel movements spokesman said Thursday.

We are Congolese, not Rwandans. If there is a ceasefire, it can only be between us and the Congolese government, said Willy Ngoma, spokesman for the M23, a movement whose resurgence in eastern DRC has led to current tensions between the DRC and Rwanda.

According to sources interviewed from Goma, the capital of North Kivu, new clashes on Thursday morning pitted the DRC armed forces (FARDC) against M23 rebels, who seized a town in Rutshuru territory, Kanyabusoro.

A FARDC commander accused the rebels of attacking soldiers there in violation of a ceasefire announced the day before, which the M23 denied, accusing the army of attacking it.

The M23, for March 23 Movement, is a former Tutsi-dominated rebellion that was defeated in 2013 and took up arms again late last year, blaming Kinshasa for not respecting agreements on the demobilization and reintegration of its fighters. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting this rebellion, which Rwanda disputes.

A mediation meeting between the presidents of Rwanda and the DRC was held on Wednesday in Luanda under the auspices of Angolan President Joao Lourenco.
Cortical ripple generation during NREM and waking. (A) Average broadband LFP (i) and time-frequency (ii) across cortical ripples and example broadband ripple (iii) unfiltered single sweep (black) and 70- to 100-Hz bandpass (blue) during NREM, in inferior parietal cortex. (B) Same as A except during waking. Error shows SEM. ERSP, event-related spectral power. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107797119

A fundamental mystery of the human cortex is how its 16 billion neurons integrate or bind the many different kinds of information they encode into a single coherent unified experience or memory.

Scientists have hypothesized that such binding involves high-frequency oscillations or "ripples" that promote neural interactions, much like rhythm does in music or dance. In a paper published July 7, 2022 in PNAS, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine provide some of the first empirical evidence that such ripples do, in fact, occur in people.

"Think about the experience of petting your cat: its form, location, surroundings, color, feel, movement and sound, plus your own responding emotions and actions. They are all bound together in a coherent whole," said senior author Eric Halgren, Ph.D., professor of radiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

"These different aspects of the experience are encoded in locations distributed across the cortical surface of the brain, and the experience is sub-served by their spatiotemporal firing pattern. The mystery has been how activities in those different locations get connected."

Previous studies, mainly in rodents, had found that ripples in a different structure, the hippocampus, organize the replay of these spatiotemporal patterns during sleep, and this is essential for making memories permanent.

The UC San Diego team, led by Halgren, found that ripples also occur in all areas of the human cortex, in waking as well as sleep. The ripples were brief, lasting roughly one-tenth of a second, and had a consistent narrow frequency close to 90 cycles per second. The authors calculated that a typical brief ripple event may involve approximately 5,000 small modules becoming active simultaneously, distributed across the cortical surface.

This work is part of the doctoral thesis in neurosciences by first author Charles W. Dickey.

"Remarkably, the ripples co-occurred and synchronized across all lobes and between both hemispheres, even at long distances," said Dickey. "Cortical neurons increased firing during ripples, at the ripple rhythm, potentially supporting interaction between distant locations.

"There were more co-occurrences preceding successful memory recall. All of which suggests that distributed, cortical co-ripples promote the integration of different elements that may comprise a particular experiential memory."

The researchers found that cortical ripples are often coupled with hippocampal ripples and embedded in slower oscillations (1 and 12 cycles per second). These slower rhythms are orchestrated by a central structure controlling cortical activity levels, the thalamus, and modulate neuronal firing, which is needed for memory consolidation.

"As our experience is organized hierarchically in time, so too are the rhythms that organize our cortical activities that create that experience," Halgren said.

The research involved analyses of week-long recordings made directly from inside the brains of 18 patients being monitored to locate the origin of their epileptic seizures. Ongoing work in Halgren's lab is demonstrating that neuronal firing patterns in different parts of the cortex are more mutually predictive during co-rippling, and co-rippling is associated with the binding of letters into words and meanings with actions.

"Like any other basic research that increases our understanding of how the world works, it is impossible to know what its practical implications will be," said Halgren. "But I would note that schizophrenia, a common and incurable disease, is characterized by mental fragmentation. Our findings and those of others indicate that a particular type of inhibitory interneuron is crucial for the generation of ripples, and these cells are known to be selectively affected by schizophrenia, as are high frequency oscillations. Perhaps we are a little closer to finding a mechanism for one aspect of this tragic disease."

Explore further How the brain consolidates memory during deep sleep

More information: Charles W. Dickey et al, Widespread ripples synchronize human cortical activity during sleep, waking, and memory recall, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Charles W. Dickey et al, Widespread ripples synchronize human cortical activity during sleep, waking, and memory recall,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107797119
More disability payments led to fewer hospitalizations for Vietnam veterans with diabetes, according to a new report.

The research looked at 14,000 Vietnam vets who benefited from a 2001 policy change that increased disability payments.

The change came after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs added diabetes to a list of conditions presumed to stem from exposure to Agent Orange. That action followed a report that found a possible link between exposure to the chemical defoliant and diabetes. Veterans who served in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos during the war were eligible.

For the new study, the researchers examined records of veterans treated at the Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island.

The investigators found that those with diabetes who qualified for the disability payments had a 21% reduction in hospitalizations, compared to those who didn't receive the payments. The compensation didn't lead to a lower death rate, but the researchers said the "disability compensation payments may have important health benefits for veterans."

As a result of the policy, eligible veterans received over $17,000 more in annual disability payments by 2018 compared to their non-eligible counterparts, the study authors reported.

The study, led by Dr. Amal Trivedi of the Providence VA Medical Center, found that the increased payments could improve economic factors that contribute to overall health.

"By providing a stable source of income, disability compensation could be the difference between affording stable housing, access to food, or prescribed medications," Trivedi said. "These are things that can help keep veterans out of the hospital."

The link between disability payments and hospitalizations was not affected by race or ethnicity, economic status or other health conditions, the study found.

To address concerns over the increased cost of disability payments, the team pointed out that the cost is likely to be offset by reduced hospital visits and related costs. They suggested that preventive care is worth an equal investment.

"As policy makers consider potential changes to veteran disability compensation programs, we offer evidence that compensation payments substantially lower hospitalizations to veterans, particularly those financed by Medicare," Trivedi said in a VA news release. "This means that disability compensation may generate important reductions in public spending for hospital care."

The study offered several possible reasons that death rates didn't drop along with the hospitalization rate. One is that the VA is an equal-access health care system: In general, the link between low income, poorer health and death could stem from lack of adequate health insurance, which is less of an issue in the VA system. The researchers noted that the health benefits of increased income may be less apparent among middle-aged or older adults, as opposed to younger people.

The study authors added that while pre-existing evidence suggests disability compensation was associated with higher veteran unemployment rates, the study should reassure policymakers that veterans' exit from the labor market was not due to an increased risk of early death.

The findings were published recently in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Explore further Study tracks link between PTSD treatment utilization and compensation exams

More information: For more on eligibility for VA health benefits, go to the For more on eligibility for VA health benefits, go to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Amal N. Trivedi et al, Association of Disability Compensation With Mortality and Hospitalizations Among Vietnam-Era Veterans With Diabetes, JAMA Internal Medicine (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.2159 Journal information: JAMA Internal Medicine

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Essential family caregivers suffered "collective trauma" due to COVID-19 lockdowns that hampered their ability to see and care for loved ones in long-term care settings, new research co-authored by the University of Toronto's Charlene Chu suggests.

In studies recently published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology and International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, Chu, an assistant professor in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and her co-author Vivian Stamatopolous of Ontario Tech University interviewed family caregivers in Ontario and British Columbia. They found that poor technology, infrastructure and planning in long-term care facilities made it hard for caregivers to properly look after residents.

"This was a nightmare turned into a reality for many family members," Chu says. "They were already fraught with guilt having to put their loved ones into care, and now they were required to bear witness to their family member's decline and prison-like confinement, compounded by their own sense of helplessness in the situation."

The studiespart of a series funded by the Rosenstadt Research Development Program and the Center for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI)are the first to collect data from family caregivers in Ontario and B.C., the hardest hit English-speaking provinces with respect to COVID-19 infections and outbreaks in long-term care.

Video callswhich were introduced to help caregivers and relatives maintain contact with residentswere a poor substitute for face-to-face interaction after visitor access was limited, the researchers found. Family caregivers couldn't help staff bathe, feed or stimulate residents.

"What we found in our research was that the use of technology was not a viable option for many EFCs [essential family caregivers] and residents," Chu says. "There was very little in the way of infrastructure or resource planning to provide EFCs with appropriate digital access to their loved ones. Most homes did not have Wi-Fi for residents or adequate bandwidth to accommodate video calls in addition to all of the regular systems that keep the homes operational."

Through focus groups, Chu and Stamatopolous found that caregivers consistently described their experiences of navigating long-term care policies during the pandemic as traumatic. When it came to accessing technology, they noted there was a series of complications. Video calls were delayed or canceled at the last minute, or residents weren't wearing their glasses or hearing aids, impairing interaction. The calls were also limited in frequency and duration because staff were often required to assist.

As a result of their prolonged separation, Chu says both residents and caregivers suffered long-lasting consequences. Residents reported experiencing depression and physical and cognitive decline. Caregivers say some of their loved ones lost the ability to use their hands, walk or speak. Moreover, caregivers experience stress-related symptoms: powerlessness, sadness, guilt and exhaustion.

"In coding the experiences of EFCs [essential family caregivers], it became apparent to us that they experienced collective trauma based on their descriptions and psychological responses," says Chu. "Collective trauma is when a cohort of people experience something so traumatic that it results in individual and group level psychological harm. This phenomenon disproportionally impacts people who are marginalized, including women, who often make up the main proportion of caregivers."

Chu says the EFCs involved in the study all acknowledged that staff in long-term care homes were trying their best but were overstretched due to high staff turnover. The sector's early reliance on agency staffing to fill roles due to COVID-related shortages meant that many of the staff did not have relationships with the residents or their EFCs, and all of these issues were compounded by what many study participants perceived as a lack of compassionate interactions with long-term care staff and administrators.

"In both studies looking cross-provincially, we can see that the relationships between EFCs, residents, and long-term care staff has been damaged by these lockdown policies," Chu says. "The experience has planted a seed of mistrust in the LTC [long-term care] sector and their government's ability to provide care. We may have a generation of EFCs who will suffer the long-term consequences of this trauma, and who would never consider entering long-term care themselves after seeing what happened to their loved ones."

Chu says the relationship will need to be repaired and, at a practice level, staff in long-term care will need to utilize a trauma-informed care approach when interacting with EFCs."That is the notion that residents and families are approached with the recognition and knowledge that they have experienced trauma, and interactions attempt to restore a sense of safety and power," Chu says. "It is something that EFCs deserve."

Chu and her team's final study in this series will look at the impact of changes to visitation policiesvirtual, outdoor to in-personwith the objective of better understanding how these various policies impacted EFCs.

"I also hope that our work, from a policy perspective, will prevent this from happening again," Chu says. "EFCs should never be barred from visiting LTC homes to provide essential care like feeding and grooming. As part of the Ontario resident bill of rights, long-term care homes need to be able to provide family-centered care, and EFCs are an integral provider of that kind of care."

Explore further Family and friends are the invisible workforce in long-term care

More information: Charlene H. Chu et al, Poor and Lost Connections: Essential Family Caregivers' Experiences Using Technology with Family Living in Long-Term Care Homes during COVID-19, Journal of Applied Gerontology (2022). Charlene H. Chu et al, Poor and Lost Connections: Essential Family Caregivers' Experiences Using Technology with Family Living in Long-Term Care Homes during COVID-19,(2022). DOI: 10.1177/07334648221081850 Charlene H. Chu et al, "It's the worst thing I've ever been put through in my life": the trauma experienced by essential family caregivers of loved ones in long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being (2022). DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2075532
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

French health authorities on Friday urged preemptive vaccination against monkeypox for certain segments of the population, especially those with multiple sexual partners.

"Men who sleep with men and transgender people with multiple sexual partners, sex workers and people working in places where people go to find sex" were among "the groups most exposed to the virus," the HAS body said in a statement.

On top of existing advice to offer the vaccine following a confirmed monkeypox infection or at-risk contact, the top advisory body now "recommends offering pre-exposure vaccination" to all three groups.

With 577 cases of monkeypox found in France387 in the Ile-de-France region which includes capital Parisand under pressure from LGBTQ and health groups, the health ministry had last week asked the HAS to review the vaccination guidelines.

Monkeypox causes fever, headaches, muscle and back pain for days before rashes, lesions, spots and finally scabs appear on the skin.

There has been a surge in infections since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.

The World Health Organization said on Thursday men who sleep with men accounted for three in five of the more than 6,000 confirmed monkeypox infections it had collated from 59 countries.

Genome testing indicates the current outbreak is of a West African form of monkeypox, milder than the Congo Basin group.

French data showed by early July, men engaging in homosexual sex accounted for 97 percent of the cases where data on the patients' sex lives was available.

And 75 percent were among people who had had multiple partners in the weeks before the infection was detected.

The HAS recalled that monkeypox can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact by people already exhibiting rash or scabs, as well as via saliva and respiratory droplets.

People can be at risk from touching the damaged skin of an infected person or from spending more than three hours within two metres of them, it said.

The ease of transmission makes contact tracing chains of infection difficult, especially in cases where people have had anonymous sex.

"Faced with the spread of the virus, the kinetics of the epidemic and the difficulty tracing contacts," targeted preemptive vaccination was the best option, the HAS concluded.

But it added that for health workers caring for those with monkeypox "routine hygiene measures and wearing personal protective equipment makes the risk of infection very low", advising vaccines only "on a case-by-case basis".

Explore further WHO issues snapshot of monkeypox cases

 2022 AFP
Researchers from Germany and the USA have deciphered the functioning of autoimmune antibodies directed against the brain. Credit: DZNE/Frommann

Using a state-of-the-art method, researchers at DZNE and the University of Texas have succeeded for the first time at unraveling the effects of autoimmune antibodies that are directed against the brain in detail at the atomic level. To this end, they studied two antibodies that dock to so-called GABA A receptors in one variant of autoimmune encephalitis. Their findings on the structural mechanisms, which they have now published in the journal Cell are an important step towards the development of effective therapiesand they also pave the way for further promising investigations using the new method.

"For the first time, we have exploited the interface between two fields that have developed strongly in recent times: on the one hand, cryo-electron microscopy, which manages to image individual atoms, and on the other hand, research on clinically relevant autoantibodies, that we isolate from patients with neurological and psychiatric diseases. The expertise from both fields has merged here," says Prof. Harald Pru, a DZNE scientist and also director of the Department of Experimental Neurology at ChariteUniversitatsmedizin Berlin. The GABA A receptors are among the most important inhibitory receptors in the central nervous system.

Blockade of the GABA A receptors

Normally, GABA A receptors bind to the neurotransmitter -aminobutyric acid (GABA). However, the antibodies that the scientists studied, inhibit GABA receptors. Until now, it was assumed that the misdirected human antibodies are internalized, i.e. taken up together with the receptor, after binding to the receptor. But this is not the case, as has now been shown. These two antibodies are not internalized, but inhibit the function of GABA receptors by different mechanisms: For example, by preventing the actual transmitterGABAfrom docking. This results in hyperexcitability of the nervous system, which can lead to twitching of the body, psychotic symptoms and epileptic seizures.

Autoimmune encephalopathies

Autoimmune encephalopathies are brain inflammations not caused by bacteria or viruses, but by antibodies from the immune system that mistakenly attack the patient's own body. There are numerous types of these encephalopathies that differ primarily in the specific structures which the aberrant antibodies attack. Receptors in the human brain are frequently affected, but often this involves other molecules, ion channels or other targets in the brain. "It has been a mystery why people with very different levels of these antibodies can develop the same symptoms of autoimmune encephalitis. Due to the high resolution of the investigation, we have now discovered another mechanism. Depending on the location of the binding site on the receptor, the antibodies can have very different effects," explains Harald Pru.

Paving the way for research of other diseases

While GABA A receptor encephalopathy is extremely rare, similar anti-brain antibodies play an increasing role in many neurological disorders, from epilectic seizures to dementia. "The gained information will inspire future research. We have paved the way to elucidating the mechanisms of human autoantibodies at the atomic level, which can now also be pursued in numerous other diseases," says Harald Pru. The methodology could now lead to a new standard for how deeply scientists can study and understand such modes of action in the future.

DZNE scientists Harald Pru and Dr. Jakob Kreye contributed their expertise on antibodies and autoimmune encephalitis to the now published study. The researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, on the other hand, are experts in the field of structure analysis.

More information: Colleen M. Noviello et al, Structural mechanisms of GABAA receptor autoimmune encephalitis, Cell (2022). Journal information: Cell Colleen M. Noviello et al, Structural mechanisms of GABAA receptor autoimmune encephalitis,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.025
Maria Assisi holds her daughter Mia, 4, as registered nurse Margie Rodriguez administers the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months through 5 years old, June 21, 2022, at Montefiore Medical Group in the Bronx borough of New York. Nearly 300,000 children under 5 have received a COVID-19 shot in the two weeks since they've been available, with the White House saying the slow pace of vaccinating the eligible population of about 18 million kids was expected. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File

Nearly 300,000 children under 5 have received COVID-19 shots in the two weeks since they became available, a slower pace than for older groups. But the White House says that was expected for the eligible U.S. population of about 18 million kids.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was to publish initial data on shots for the age group later Thursday, reflecting doses administered since regulators authorized them on June 18. The first vaccinations didn't begin until several days later because the doses had to be shipped to doctors' offices and pharmacies.

U.S. officials had long predicted that the pace of vaccinating the youngest kids would be slower than for older groups. They expect most shots to take place at pediatricians' offices.

Many parents may be more comfortable getting the vaccine for their kids at their regular doctors, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told The Associated Press last month. He predicted the pace of vaccination would be far slower than it was for older populations.

"We're going see vaccinations ramp up over weeks and even potentially over a couple of months," Jha said.

Officials also note there is some hesitance about the need for shots for kids who are far less likely than older age groups to develop serious illness or die from the coronavirus. Parents are being encouraged to talk to the child's doctor for trusted information about the benefits of the vaccines.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey conducted in April found that 1 in 5 parents of children under age 5 said they would get their child vaccinated right away once it was authorized, 38% said they would wait and see, and nearly 4 in 10 said they wouldn't get their children vaccinated at all or only if required.

More than 5 million pediatric doses have been shipped to more than 15,000 locations, the White House said, ready for parents and kids to come in.

A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months through 5 years old is seen, June 21, 2022, at Montefiore Medical Group in the Bronx borough of New York. Nearly 300,000 children under 5 have received a COVID-19 shot in the two weeks since they've been available, with the White House saying the slow pace of vaccinating the eligible population of about 18 million kids was expected. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File

Still, the roll-out hasn't been without hiccups for some parents of babies and toddlers, because of state restrictions on pharmacies and because some doctors are not offering the shots.

Many states bar pharmacies from vaccinating children under 3 years old or require prescriptions for them to do so. In other cases, pharmacies have inadequate staff, space or training to give the shots correctly to the youngest, said Allie Jo Shipman, director of state policy for the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations.

"It's just a more complex situation than it is with your older children and adults," Shipman said.

Some doctors opted not to offer the shots because of cold storage requirements or concern about wasting doses. The vaccine comes in multi-dose vials that must be used within 12 hours after opening.

"They don't want to see vaccine go unused," said West Virginia pediatrician Dr. Lisa Costello, who is working with her state's COVID-19 response task force. "You either need to find the number of people to vaccinate for that vial or discard the doses that are left over."

Organizing vaccine times after hours or clustering vaccine appointments are possible solutions doctors are trying, Costello said. And West Virginia has encouraged doctors to go ahead and open the vials even if they have only one patient to vaccinate, she said.

For older children, those 5 to 11 years old, vaccine coverage has varied widely from state to state, from a low of 11% of that age group fully vaccinated in Alabama to 63% in Vermont, according to an analysis of vaccination data through June 29 by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Of the top 10 states for vaccination coverage in the 5 to 11 age group, five are in New England. Of the bottom 10 states, nine are in the South.

The Biden administration said that while the slow pace of vaccination in the youngest group was expected, officials won't be satisfied until as many people as possible receive the protection of vaccines. Parents can use vaccines.gov to search for vaccine providers by location, vaccine brand and age groups vaccinated.

Explore further Pediatricians' group urges parents to get youngest kids vaccinated against COVID

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov left for a working visit to Greece on July 7, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

The minister will attend the opening ceremony of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) in Komotini on July 8.

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria agreed to supply 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year through the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria in 2021. However, because the IGB was still under construction, Azerbaijani gas was delivered to Bulgaria via the Kulata-Sidirokastro interconnection point.

The IGB gas pipeline connects to the Greek national gas transmission system in Komotini and the Bulgarian national gas transmission system in Stara Zagora. The pipeline's length is 182 km, with a capacity of up to 3 billion cubic meters per year in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria. The pipeline is designed to increase its capacity up to 5 bcm/y depending on market interest and the capacities of neighboring gas transmission systems.

A cooperation memorandum has been signed between ICGB AD and TAP AG regarding joint actions in relation to the future connection of the IGB pipeline and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline.

The IGB project is critical in terms of increasing supply security and diversifying gas supplies for Bulgaria and the SEE region.
The primary cilium is an appendage located on the surface of cells. Here you can see samples of human medulloblastoma representing SHH, WNT, Group 3 and Group 4. The medulloblastoma cells are pictured in blue. In SHH and WNT you can see primary cilia (green lines) that grow from the basal body (magenta dots) on their surface. These green structures are not present in Group 3 and Group 4. Yellow insets show high magnification images. Credit: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified how an appendage on the surface of cells, called the primary cilium, contributes to certain types of medulloblastoma. The study has implications for drug development. The research appeared today in Genes & Development.

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant childhood brain tumor. There are four subgroups of medulloblastoma: SHH, WNT, group 3 and group 4. SHH and WNT tumors are driven by mutations in their namesake signaling pathways, but group 3 and group 4 have no common driver mutations other than MYC amplification in about 17% of group 3 medulloblastoma. Each group has distinct molecular, pathologic and clinical features.

The primary cilium is a signaling appendage projecting from the surface of cells. It helps control the cell's function and behavior. The presence or absence of primary cilia is a notable feature in different diseases including cancer. How this appendage contributes to cancer development and growth is understudied in most tumors.

"Primary cilia are structures that were discovered over 100 years ago, but we are still coming to appreciate the role that they play in human health and disease," said corresponding author Young-Goo Han, Ph.D., St. Jude Department of Developmental Neurobiology.

Present or absent, primary cilia still have an effect

The researchers evaluated over 100 cases of human medulloblastoma and found that primary cilia are abundant in the SHH and WNT groups, but rare in group 3 and group 4.

Han established the role of primary cilia in SHH medulloblastoma in previous research. Less is known about cilia's role in the other groups. Using mouse models of WNT and group 3 medulloblastoma, the scientists revealed primary cilia can either promote or suppress cancer depending on their underlying mechanisms of action.

"We found that in WNT tumors that have primary cilia, those cilia are aiding tumor development," Han said. "In group 3 tumors where the primary cilia are missing, those cilia act as a tumor suppressor, so their absence is what contributes to the cancer."

Mechanisms provide basis for new treatment approaches

In WNT medulloblastoma, primary cilia facilitate the translation of mRNA encoding -catenin, which is part of a protein complex involved in signaling in the WNT pathway. Results from Han and his team suggest a molecule that targets the RNA binding proteins that regulate translation of -catenin should be explored to treat WNT medulloblastoma.

In group 3 medulloblastoma, a lack of primary cilia disrupts cell cycle control and destabilizes the genome by abnormally activating CDK1. Previous research by St. Jude investigators supports the notion that targeting factors associated with the cell cycle could potentially treat medulloblastoma.

Group-specific therapies such as these would be useful because current patients with medulloblastoma generally receive the same treatments (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation). The findings also suggest that translation and cell cycle are mechanisms worth investigating in other diseases that involve primary cilia (ciliopathies).

"These findings have implications beyond cancer to other ciliopathies where there may also be a disruption of translation or the cell cycle. These latest results are worth investigating in these very diverse human diseases that affect people from their brains to their toes," Han said.

Explore further Structural insights into the assembly of cilia

More information: Yong Ha Youn et al, Primary cilia control translation and the cell cycle in medulloblastoma, Genes & Development (2022). Journal information: Genes & Development Yong Ha Youn et al, Primary cilia control translation and the cell cycle in medulloblastoma,(2022). DOI: 10.1101/gad.349596.122
Consumer psychology researcher Jim Swaffield led a study that suggests the stress of growing up in a lower socio-economic environment may lead to food preferences that put people at higher risk of obesity later in life. Credit: University of Alberta

Adults who grew up in a low socio-economic environment may be more likely to desire food even when they are not hungry, according to a new University of Alberta study that suggests stressful childhood environments are a precursor for obesity later in lifeand challenges the notion that advertising junk food is at the root of the obesity epidemic.

Jim Swaffield, consumer psychology researcher with the Alberta School of Business, who conducted the study with Qi Guo, researcher from the Faculty of Education, explains it has long been known that stress triggers appetite.

"However, what we did not know was that stressful conditions experienced during early childhood appear to calibrate the brain to desire high-energy-dense foods throughout one's lifespan," Swaffield continues. "This research also helps explain why people with lower socio-economic status, who live in chronically stressful conditions, have higher obesity rates."

For the study, 311 adults (133 men and 178 women) were shown random images of food items from each of the six major food categoriesvegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, meat/poultry, and sweetsand rated how desirable each food item is.

Participants rated each food on a seven-point scale according to the question, "How desirable is this food item to you right now?" with seven being extremely desirable.

The food items were split into two equally sized groups based on caloric content. Foods that contained fewer than 1.49 calories per gram were classified as low-energy-dense foods, and foods with more than 1.5 calories per gram were classified as high-energy-dense foods.

The participants were then asked a series of questions about their early childhood socio-economic conditions and current stress level.

Next, Swaffield and Guo administered a questionnaire to determine whether the participants had a state or trait appetite. State appetite refers to the desire to eat only when one is hungry due to low glucose levels; trait appetite refers to those who desire food even when they are not hungry.

What they discovered was that adults who were raised in harsh socio-economic conditions were very food motivated and more likely to have trait appetite, whereas adults who were raised in safe socio-economic conditions were more likely to have a state appetite.

Moreover, adult participants who lived in a high socio-economic environment during childhood were more likely to desire low-energy-dense foods. In contrast, adults who were raised in a low socio-economic environment during childhood had low desire for low-energy-dense foods.

Swaffield says the dominant theories as to why stress triggers the desire to eat include the insurance hypothesis, which postulates that humans have an instinctive drive to overeat to acquire excess fat stores that would buffer the impact of a future famine.

"It is believed that as environmental conditions become harsh, a sense of resource scarcity is felt which creates a sense of stress," he says. "To reduce stress, humans are driven to acquire and consume excess food. This is a pattern that has also been found in birds, rodents and non-human primates."

Another belief as to why stress can increase the desire for high-energy-dense foods is that stress signals to the body that it needs to prepare for a fight-or-flight response.

"Fighting or fleeing is how one reduces the cause of the stress. To fuel this response, our muscles need to mobilize stored glucose and fats as quickly as possible."

Swaffield adds that stress increases the desire for high-energy-dense foods because energy-dense foods trigger production of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which blunts the stress response and makes the person feel better.

Swaffield and Guo's study comes as pressure mounts to ban advertising of junk food. And though banning junk food ads makes intuitive sense, Swaffield notes there are real-world implications if the correlation between obesity and advertising is spurious.

"If we err in identifying the cause of obesity, we will fail to develop a strategy to remedy this problem, and the number of people who live with these conditions will continue to grow."

The study, "How Childhood Socioeconomic Status Impacts Adult Food Preference: The Mediating Role of Stress and Trait Appetite," was published in the journal Behavioral Sciences.

More information: Jim B. Swaffield et al, How Childhood Socioeconomic Status Impacts Adult Food Preference: The Mediating Role of Stress and Trait Appetite, Behavioral Sciences (2022). Jim B. Swaffield et al, How Childhood Socioeconomic Status Impacts Adult Food Preference: The Mediating Role of Stress and Trait Appetite,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/bs12070202
Credit: UC San Francisco

A study conducted by UC San Francisco reveals the long-term adverse effects of unwanted pregnancy on people's lives, pointing to widespread challenges that will result from the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion.

UCSF's Turnaway Study found that more than 95% of people who chose to have abortions reported that it was the right decision for them, when interviewed over the next five years. There was also no evidence of mental health problems among study participants following an abortion. However, those who were unable to have abortions because they were past the gestational limit suffered from adverse effects such as serious physical and mental health challenges, economic hardship, lack of support and insecurity.

The study also found that those who sought and received an abortion were more financially stable, set more ambitious life goals, raised children under more stable conditions, and were more likely to have a wanted child later.

"This study has been really important," said Diana Greene Foster, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences who led the study. "It provided the evidence that was missing on the consequences of abortion access for people's health and well-being."

Foster, a demographer and the director of research at UCSF's Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) program, added that despite more than 50 scientific papers published because of the study, her own award-winning book on the study, and the study forming the basis of legal briefs at the Supreme Court and elsewhere, the national conversation remains stuck on ideological and political considerations.

"The debate about abortion rarely focuses on what happens to the pregnant person," she said. "It's framed as an abstract moral question in which everyone else weighs in without considering why someone would be in the circumstances where they want an abortionand what happens to them and their lives when they can't get one."

Study shows better outcomes with abortion access

In the Turnaway Study, researchers followed 1,000 women from 30 centers around the country for five yearssome a few days under a clinic's gestational limit, and therefore able to receive an abortion, and some who were a few days over the limit and therefore were denied from getting an abortion.

Among those who were denied an abortion, the study found that individuals reported more life-threatening complications from the end of pregnancy, such as eclampsia and infections. Over the longer term, those who were denied an abortion and subsequently gave birth reported worse health and greater chronic pain compared to those who were able to terminate their pregnancy.

The study also found negative effects on the children born from unwanted pregnancies, including poorer maternal bonding and economic insecurity. These parents were also more likely to raise the child alone, without the support of family members or partners, and were more likely to stay in contact with an abusive partner.

In addition, individuals who were not able to access abortion were three times more likely to be unemployed than those who were able to access one. They had four times greater odds of living below the federal poverty line, were more likely to report not being able to afford basic living needs, and were more likely to be enrolled in food assistance or other public safety-net programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Foster said her goal in conducting the Turnaway Study was to provide much-needed data on the consequences of abortion for people's well-being. She notes that her earlier research on contraception, which led to birth control being more widely adopted, has undoubtedly helped prevent many abortions.

"My agenda going in was to figure out whether abortion causes mental health harm and the ways in which getting it or not getting it would affect people's well-being," Foster said.

Yet, she noted, "after the Turnaway Study, it's hard to be neutral on the topic of a person's right to choose abortion, because it's so clearly associated with better outcomes for families and for children."

Daniel Grossman, M.D., speaks about his work to promote access to safe abortion care. Credit: University of California

UCSF's Turnaway Study tracked 1,000 people seeking abortions to compare what happened if they were able to receive one versus when they were turned away. These are the findings:

The people denied abortions suffered from more economic hardship: they were 3 times more likely to be unemployed, 4 times more likely to live below the poverty line, and more likely to report being unable to afford basic living expenses. The people denied abortion were more likely to stay in contact with a violent partner and were more likely to raise the resulting child alone without family or partner support. The resulting children were more likely to live in poverty. The people denied an abortion reported more life-threatening complications from the end of pregnancy, including eclampsia and infections. Those denied abortion who gave birth reported worse health and greater chronic pain than those who were able to terminate their pregnancy. More than 95% of people who chose to have abortions reported that it was the right decision for them five years later. 95% of people report that having the abortion was the right decision for them over five years after the procedure. Those who sought and received an abortion were more financially stable, set more ambitious life goals, raised children under more stable conditions, and were more likely to have a wanted child later.

Evaluating impact in post-Roe America

When the Supreme Court's draft opinion on Roe leaked in Mayopening the possibility that abortion could become effectively illegal in 26 statesFoster felt a renewed sense of urgency for her next study, which will document the consequences of the end of Roe for people in states that ban abortion. A team of researchers at ANSIRH are launching that study now.

"We're going to recruit the people who had appointments that are being canceled and the people who were the last ones served in their state. We'll follow them through self-guided interviews every two months for two years," Foster said.

Foster noted that this forthcoming study will ask markedly different questions from the Turnaway Study. "This is about who's able to get safe abortions, even when it's illegal. How much help do people need? Despite getting help, who still falls through the cracks? Who does things that are dangerous? Where do people get reliable information? And who are the populations that are most hard-hit?"

As the impact from the reversal of Roe v. Wade plays out across the nation, Foster and her colleagues will be paying particular attention to what happens to the most vulnerable, including minors and people with low incomes, disabilities, and other health conditionsin other words, those least able to circumvent their state's laws. Whether the end of Roe exacerbates inequalities depends on whether these individuals can access safe abortion medications or travel to the 16 states and Washington, D.C., that have state constitutional or statutory protections for the right to get an abortion.

"We don't know who's going to end up carrying a pregnancy to term, because some people in the middle of red states are going to find the means to travel hundreds of miles or to get an abortion by ordering pills online," Foster said. "And we don't know who's going to have access to that information and be able to travel and who won't."

Advocating for reproductive health care choice

UCSF has long championed reproductive health care, including a person's right to choose abortion, even before Roe v. Wade became law in 1973. Leaders continue to present evidence about the need and benefits of access to safe abortion services to those who seek them. UCSF is also preparing to help people get the reproductive health care they need in a post-Roe America.

For his leadership in reproductive health care, Daniel Grossman, M.D., a UCSF professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and director of the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) program, was named the faculty recipient of the 2022 Chancellor's Award for Public Service.

"The research that we're doing will end up changing practice, changing policy and making a difference for people," Grossman said. "I see the access to safe abortion care is certainly an issue of public health. And this is also an issue of basic human rights."

In a message to the UCSF community about the Supreme Court decision, Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS, said the ruling "stands in stark contrast to our belief that every person has a fundamental right to make their own informed decisions about their health care."

"UCSF has a really important role to play," Grossman said. "And I'm really thrilled to be at an institution that is brave in this area and stands up and will be that loud, evidence-based voice for freedom of choice."

Provided by University of California
THURSDAY, July 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For women who can't get pregnant because they don't have a uterus or the one they have no longer works properly, uterine transplants can indeed help these women become mothers, new research shows.

Of 33 women who received a uterus transplant in the United States between 2016 and 2021, 19 delivered a total of 21 babies, the researchers reported.

"Based on the experience of the first five years of uterus transplantation in the U.S., this procedure should be considered a clinical reality in the U.S. and presented as an option for the many women with infertility due to a uterine factor [who are] interested in parenthood," said study first author Dr. Liza Johannesson. She is medical director of uterus transplant at the Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

But at least two transplant surgeons caution that the risks and expense of this procedure may still outweigh its benefits for some women.

So far, there have been more than 100 uterus transplants performed worldwide, and more than a third have been done in the United States.

Still, the procedure is not a simple one.

Before a uterine transplant, the recipient must take anti-rejection drugs so her body accepts the new organ. All women must also undergo in vitro fertilization to retrieve and then fertilize their eggs. The donor's uterus and blood supply are removed and transplanted into the recipient's pelvis to establish blood flow. A transplanted uterus can come from a deceased donor or a living donor.

About six months after a successful transplant, a single embryo can be implanted in the uterus. After a woman is through having kids, the implanted uterus is removed and immunosuppressive medications can be stopped.

In the study, 74% of recipients still had a working uterus one year after the transplant. In this group, 83% had babies. Blood supply didn't take in the first week or so for the transplants that weren't successful, the researchers noted.

The transplants took place at three centers in the United States: Baylor University Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic, and Penn Transplant Institute/University of Pennsylvania.

"We also show that success is reproducible and not limited to single centers and that successful outcomes are comparable when the uterus is donated from a living or a deceased donor," Johannesson said.

Most women in the study were born without a uterus, a condition that affects around 1 in 4,500 women. Other options for these women if they wish to have children may include surrogacy or adoption.

"This group is only a small part of a much larger cohort of women with uterine factor infertility who may benefit from a uterus transplantation," Johannesson said. Other candidates may include women who have had their uterus removed due to diseases or conditions such as cancer.

"The women [who] may benefit from this procedure are more than a million in the U.S. alone," Johannesson said.

Transgender women are also increasingly interested in this procedure, she noted.

"There has so far not been any research done to see if a successful uterus transplant would be possible in a transgender female," Johannesson said. That said, there are centers around the world that have a specific interest in this group of women.

The findings are published in the July 6 issue of JAMA Surgery.

In an editorial accompanying the new study, Drs. Rachel Forbes and Seth Karp, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., dialed back some of the enthusiasm for widespread adoption of these procedures.

These transplants continue to be done in select centers and should continue to be done only in centers with expertise, said Karp, director of the Vanderbilt Transplant Center.

"Long-term outcomes from immunosuppression and complication rates are not well understood," he said. Anti-rejection drugs can also increase your risk for infections and have other side effects.

About 1 in 4 living donors experienced a complication from the surgery in the new study, Karp noted. These procedures are also costly, ranging between $100,000 and $300,000.

"Speak candidly with your physician about the risks and benefits, and understand that risks are not well understood at this time," Karp said.

More information

Baylor University Medical Center offers more on uterine transplants.

SOURCES: Liza Johannesson, MD, PhD, medical director, uterus transplant, Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas; Seth Karp, MD, director, Vanderbilt Transplant Center, Nashville, Tenn.; JAMA Surgery, July 6, 2022, online
THURSDAY, July 7, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The Biden administration said Wednesday it is taking steps to ensure that international makers of baby formula can continue marketing their products in the United States to avoid any infant formula shortage in the future.

The move to help foreign suppliers who have had temporary approval for their formulas will provide consumers with more choices and bolster the industry against future shortages, the agency said in a news release.

In May, the FDA announced that it will temporarily loosen regulations around applications to supply baby formula in the country following an infant formula shortage that was prompted by the closing of the largest plant in the United States. The agency will also streamline the application process, with one consistent point of contact between international producers, and plans to host regular meetings on the issue.

The United States has been struggling to boost supply of baby formula since February, when regulators shut down an Abbott Michigan plant over contamination concerns. The plant recently reopened after a sanitation and safety overhaul but shuttered again a couple of weeks later after severe thunderstorms and heavy rain damaged the plant. The company said it needs time to sanitize the factory again before it reopens.

The White House said Wednesday that its efforts to fly formula into the country will bring 43 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents of baby formula into the United States by Sunday. The FDA has already green-lit roughly 400 million 8-ounce bottles for import into the country.

The temporary relaxation of policy will expire in November, but the administration says it will renew the looser regulations if it needs to do so. The FDA said it will revisit the issue in September and provide more guidelines on how companies with temporary approval can meet FDA requirements to keep their products on the market for years to come.
The U.S. is getting another COVID-19 vaccine choice. The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday cleared Novavax shots for adults. It's a more traditional type of vaccine than the Pfizer and Moderna shots already used to protect most Americans. Still, millions of adults haven't yet gotten vaccinated even this late in the pandemic. Experts expect at least some of them to roll up their sleeves for the more conventional technology. The Centers for Disease Control still must recommend how to use the Novavax vaccine before shots begin. The U.S. has bought 3.2 million doses.
Here's some business news in the Missoula area:

More floaters will be able to grab their tubes this summer and hop on the University of Montanas free Clark Fork River Recreation Shuttle.

The UDASH shuttle has expanded services in its second year and starts Thursday, July 7, and run each Thursday through Sunday until Aug. 28. Shuttles will run every hour on the hour, starting at noon, with the last trip departing UM at 6 p.m. Half-hour service will be provided on Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

You needn't be a student to get a ride.

Each shuttle, which can accommodate up to 20 people and their flotation devices, will run from UMs Campus Recreation Center to the Sha-Ron Fishing Access Site in East Missoula and to Milltown State Park upon request.

I am beyond excited for this shuttle, said Elizabeth Bowles, president of the Associated Students of the University of Montana. The Office of Transportation has done a great job of providing students and community members with an easy and worry-free solution to enjoying the river.

The shuttles began last summer as a pilot project developed in partnership with Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks, Clark Fork Coalition, the Missoula Downtown Partnership, Mountain Line, Missoula County and the City of Missoula.

A year after its pilot run, the UM River Shuttle is back with expanded service thanks to contributions from Mountain Line, the UM Excellence Fund, the Vice Provost for Student Success and the UM Summer program.

The great support and use of the pilot river shuttle last summer helped reduce parking congestion at one of our most popular Missoula access sites, said Randy Arnold, regional supervisor at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Were really excited to see the building off of that success, while adjusting to what we collectively learned.

Floaters can bring their inflated or deflated tubes on the bus, and tubes are available to rent at UM Campus Recreations Outdoor Program. Large groups are strongly encouraged to RSVP. Those needing to park on campus can obtain a parking permit from the shuttle drivers.

There are a host of take-out spots on the Clark Fork River near campus. For a detailed map visit https://destinationmissoula.org/files/downtown-river-map.pdf. For more information on the UDASH River Shuttle, visit udash.org/river.

We were really impressed by the immediate popularity of this service, said Danny Gundlach, transit supervisor for UMs Office of Transportation, which operates the UDASH bus service. We are very proud to offer a service that improves student safety, enhances access to recreation and reduces congestion at river access sites.

A new tea and crepe shop looks like it's opening in downtown Missoula soon. A sign on the door of one of the ground-floor tenant spaces at the Radio Central Building at 127 E. Main says "T & Crepe Thai Ice Cream Roll" is opening soon. A menu at their website, teaandcrepe.com, lists all sorts of menu items, including a seaweed salad rice ball, yogurt lemonade and a banana chocolate crepe. The sign only says they're "opening soon." The store has other locations in North Dakota.

Aiko's, a Japanese fusion food stand in Missoula, has upgraded to a large food truck. Owner Katie Webber, a Japanese American who introduced her family's food to Missoula, said the truck was necessary for rainy days.

Their chicken karaage is deep-fried marinated chicken thighs served with an Asian slaw and rice. Their potato korokke meal consists of potato patties stuffed with carrots and cabbage then deep-fried. Webber said she was inspired by her grandmother's cooking.

Aiko's The new Aiko's food truck.

"People like fried food," Webber explained. "People like fried chicken and fried potatoes, so we started with those before we introduce our more traditional dishes.

They also have mochi donuts.

They'll be at Western Cider Wednesday and Friday nights. On Tuesdays, they'll be at the Tuesday Night Farmers Market at the north end of Higgins Avenue, and on Thursday nights they'll be at the Orchard Homes farmers market. On Saturdays, they can be found at the Clark Fork River Market.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Georgia have discussed issues of boosting cooperation in the transport and digital technology sectors, Azernews reports, per the Georgian government.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Azerbaijani Digital Development and Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev in Tbilisi.

The meeting focused on the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia and ways to further the bilateral cooperation.

The parties discussed the economic cooperation between the two countries in the format of the joint intergovernmental commission.

They also touched upon the implemented and ongoing regional infrastructural projects designed to bolster Georgias function as a transit corridor, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad connector project and projects designed to upgrade Georgias railroad network and build the East-West highway.

Moreover, it was emphasized that Azerbaijan is among Georgias top five trade partners over the past few years.

The meeting was attended by Azerbaijani Ambassador to Georgia Faig Guliyev, Georgian Economy and Sustainable Development Minister, Vice Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili and Georgian Railway CEO Davit Peradze.

Azerbaijan and Georgia are collaborating in a variety of economic sectors. The two countries signed a number of cooperation agreements in 2021 as part of a meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.

Simultaneously, as part of the trilateral business forum held in Baku in December 2021, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey signed five memorandums and agreements on cooperation.

In 2021, the two countries' trade turnover totaled $763.6 million, with exports accounting for $661 million and imports accounting for $102.6 million.
Montana's Department of Environmental Quality and a Canadian coal mining company whose toxic runoff flows into Montana continue to battle over limits on selenium found in the waters of Lake Koocanusa.

Teck Resources, a coal mining company whose mine wastewater in British Columbia eventually flows into the Kootenai River upstream of Lake Koocanusa, claims that the DEQ's standard is based on sloppy science and therefore is not legally defensible. The company has unsuccessfully lobbied the Montana Legislature to overturn the standard through legislation.

DEQ and tribal governments argue that the agency's science is sound and the standard is justified. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviewed and adopted the more stringent site-specific standard for Lake Koocanusa after DEQ implemented it. Then the Montana Legislature created a special committee to probe the DEQ standard.

In trace amounts, selenium is essential to animal health, but in greater concentrations it inhibits fish reproduction. Selenium accumulates in fish ovaries, which leads to fewer eggs hatching, fish hatching with deformities, and young fish that die before they can reproduce. Selenium also makes fish more susceptible to dying in cold temperatures. State, tribal and university studies have found that current levels of selenium flowing from mine runoff into the Kootenai River and Lake Koocanusa are harming fish there.

Teck operates four open-pit coal mines northeast of Fernie, British Columbia, and has plans for more. The company says its coal reserves there won't be exhausted for another 28 years. Teck produces metallurgical coal used in metal smelting, particularly Chinese steel, rather than thermal coal used for heat or power production. The company produces about 27 million metric tons annually. Selenium in mine waste piles leaches into runoff water that then flows into British Columbia's Elk and Fording rivers, and, eventually, Lake Koocanusa.

In December 2020, the Montana Board of Environmental Review approved the new standard, put forth by DEQ, for selenium in the reservoir, which spans the U.S.-Canada border along the Kootenai River. The standard stipulates a limit of 0.8 micrograms per liter, or 0.8 parts per billion (ppb), of selenium in the water  significantly less than the default state and federal selenium standard of 1.5 micrograms per liter, or 1.5 ppb. The more stringent site-specific standard for selenium was developed in response to selenium contamination from coal mines operated by Teck Resources.

In Montana, state law allows the DEQ to develop site-specific water quality standards more stringent than federal standards as long as the agency can prove that the more stringent standard "protects public health or the environment of the state." State law requires that the agency's justification for a more stringent standard "must reference pertinent, ascertainable, and peer-reviewed scientific studies contained in the record that forms the basis for the department's conclusion."

In a report submitted to the special committee, Teck disputed the DEQ's claim that it analyzed 56,000 fish tissue samples, and the company claimed that the agency misused a model for determining how much selenium in water could end up in fish. Teck contended that the DEQ's science behind the standard is insufficient, and thus the standard is not legally defensible.

In response to petitions from Teck and the Lincoln County Commission that objected to the 0.8 ppb standard, the Board of Environmental Review ruled that it erred in approving the standard in 2020. It said the DEQ should have made written findings that justified the standard, as required by law. The board ordered the DEQ to void the standard and redo its rulemaking process.

On Tuesday, the HJ 37 Special Committee, named for the joint resolution that created it, heard from a Teck lawyer and a lobbyist, as well as DEQ Director Chris Dorrington, about the standard and the board decision.

Dorrington told the special committee that state law allows his agency to either redo rulemaking or make written findings to support the disputed standard. He said he is pursuing the latter option. He pointed out that because the EPA also adopted the 0.8 ppb standard for the lake, any lesser standard from Montana would be in conflict with the Clean Water Act. If the Legislature or the DEQ re-implemented a less stringent standard, the relaxed standard would have to be science-based and pass EPA review.

Dorrington said that his agency spent "eight years of really diligent work" developing the science behind the 0.8 ppb standard, and he reiterated that he was not willing to undo the 0.8 ppb limit.

"I'm a defender of the process, I'm fine with scrutiny of the process because we have nothing to hide," he told lawmakers. "We have to have a protection of beneficial uses and protection of species that live and breed in this lake."

Dorrington made an offer to the special committee: The DEQ could commit to reviewing the 0.8 ppb standard in late 2023 during the agency's regularly scheduled triennial review process. He said that lumping the 0.8 ppb standard into the triennial review is a big ask for the agency, because "we're committing now again to review something that's already been reviewed." Until then, he reminded, "0.8 is the standard for the Lake K water body," and any possible changes after the review would need to be science-based.

"I'm not committing to changing the number," he said. "What I am committing to is a very transparent process in which we review the standards in place currently."

Dorrington said he had made four requests of Teck. He wanted more scientists and fewer lobbyists involved in the process on Teck's behalf, "which means sending scientists to the meetings."

"I think we've heard from one scientist. Most of it has been legal, most of it has been lobbying."

He also wanted Teck to provide a firmer schedule of water treatment; to commit to not limiting other stakeholders' involvement; and to commit to transparent data collection and reporting for the next six years.

Jon Metropoulos, a Helena-based attorney and lobbyist for Teck, said that no one at the company "jumped up and down and said, 'Yes, we're in,'" to Dorrington's proposal, but they didn't reject it, either. Metropoulos took issue with what he said were implications in Dorrington's asks of the company that Teck wasn't already providing science or transparent data, and that it was stifling other stakeholders.

"We really do think we've been bringing to this committee, and to this issue over the years, top data, top scientists," he said. "The implication shouldn't be taken that Teck is, or would, try to hold anybody out."

Metropoulos conceded that "we need to get DEQ more insight into what we do, what the schedule is," and that, "perhaps with that they will say, 'Teck has an aggressive treatment schedule.'"

Vicki Marquis, a Billings-based attorney representing Teck, took a stronger stance against the DEQ. She said that "Teck's position remains, as it has always been, that they support a scientifically sound and legally defensible water quality standard for Lake Koocanusa," but that the DEQ's 0.8 ppb standard "is not scientifically sound."

Because the Board of Environmental Review found it had erred in initially approving the standard, she told lawmakers, "this means that the law cannot stand," and "the default remedy is to reinstate the former rule" of a 1.5 ppb limit. Plus, Teck is already regulated enough by Canadian governments and water quality in the lake is not an issue, she said.

"Teck is regulated pretty stringently by British Columbia and Canada," she said. "And the situation is improving, it is getting much better."

Selenium numbers, she said, "have been steady for a number of years" with especially low amounts recorded in 2017 and 2020, according to Teck's data. And, when looking at whole-body fish tissue samples, not just reproductive organs, Teck found that selenium levels are within standard "when it's analyzed and looked at properly."

Marquis also highlighted Teck's massive and still expanding water treatment facilities. The company has already spent $1.2 billion on water treatment facilities, she said, with $750 million more to be spent by 2024. Current facilities can treat 12.5 million gallons per day. Capacity will increase to 20 million gallons daily by the end of 2022, and to 31.6 million gallons daily by 2031.

But it's unclear how much that capacity constitutes of the total runoff from Teck's mines. Pushed for context by state Sen. Jill Cohenour, who said she "asked Teck coal about their treatments on many occasions," Marquis said she couldn't say what percentage of total runoff Teck's facilities can or will treat.

"I can't give you a definitive answer to that," she said. "The reason for that is because it is a very large area ... It is primarily runoff water that they catch, and they capture and they treat."

Pressed further by Cohenour, Marquis said she would "certainly take those questions back to Teck."

Cohenour and some other legislators on the special committee also echoed Dorrington's critiques of Teck's lobbying and legal efforts. They noted that Teck is just one stakeholder in the selenium standard but is taking up outsized amounts of time before the committee.
After a weeklong stay in Spokane, a Missoula boy who underwent heart surgery returned home about two weeks ago after a successful procedure.

Jeremiah Curtiss, 15, was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect in mid-March at the Western Montana Clinic. He is a student at Hellgate High School.

In April, his family started a GoFundMe to raise money for the expenses associated with the trip. The website brought in $8,025, surpassing the familys initial $6,000 goal. Jeremiah and Sylvia used the money donated by community members on gas, food and other expenses for the surgery.

Sylvia has been by Jeremiahs side through the lengthy process. The family tested positive for COVID-19 in February and subsequently had a series of doctors visits.

Jeremiah continued to experience fatigue, chest pain and other symptoms post-COVID. After a handful of doctor visits, a few electrocardiogram (EKG) tests and an ultrasound, a doctor gave Jeremiah his diagnosis, Sylvia explained.

An atrial septal defect is a birth defect in which there is a hole in the wall that divides the upper chambers of the heart.

The two left for Spokane three days before the operation. They arrived on June 12 and Jeremiah had his procedure on June 15.

They stayed at the Ronald McDonald House, just a mile from the hospital where Jeremiah was operated on, Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

Going into the operation, Sylvia was nervous but was too preoccupied with ensuring things were smooth for Jeremiah to focus on her own nerves.

I dont think I had time to think about my emotions, Sylvia said. I was more concerned about watching his every move.

Jeremiahs doctors and nurses were incredible, Sylvia said. She was away from him for six hours while he was on the operating table.

At the end of the six hours, I was getting impatient, Sylvia recalled. At the end I said, I want to see my son.

Jeremiah is doing well post-surgery, but healing will be a long process.

He still has fluid around his heart, Sylvia said. Theyre wondering if the fluid is going to stay there and if its going to be part of his life now.

On Wednesday, he got the tape off his wound. Hes able to move, but its minimal. Too much exertion hurts the operation area. Simple things like sneezing and lifting a gallon of milk cause pain.

For the doctors to access Jeremiahs heart, they had to break his sternum, Sylvia said. This has added more to the recovery time.

Fatigue is constant, and the operation took a large toll on his body, but Jeremiah has the support of his mom and other loved ones who take care of him. He has an excellent doctor in Missoula, and is scheduled for frequent check-ups, Sylvia said.

The two have a strong community. When Jeremiah and Sylvia walk around their apartment complex in Missoula, neighbors stop to ask them how Jeremiah is doing.

"We're just hoping it heals," Sylvia said.
A group of children began gathering in a grassy park at Travois Village mobile home park on Thursday afternoon, awaiting the arrival of the Missoula Food Banks Kids Eat Free bus.

As the white bus approached, a few others came running down the block to pick up a free lunch bag, complete with a sandwich, snacks, milk, juice, fruits and vegetables.

As an added bonus, they also nabbed books for free and had stories read to them by volunteers.

The summer reading and eating program is new to Missoula and brings children and neighborhoods free meals and books three times a week at different locations around town.

Shannon Russell has been regularly bringing her children since the program launched this summer.

Its a wonderful feeling, Russell said. "Its much needed. The food has helped a lot of people and now with the books coming in its an added bonus."

Russells youngest child will be in kindergarten this upcoming school year and theyve been reading together every night before bed. Now, they get to choose new books to read together each week.

I feel like it really prepares her for school and shes going to do just fine when she goes to kindergarten next year, Russell said.

The program has brought back a sense of community that was lost during the COVID pandemic, Russell said.

Lisa Hayhurst, a family resource specialist at Lewis and Clark Elementary, launched the program in Missoula after being inspired by a similar program in her hometown of Billings called Reading Rocks. Hayhurst called up a friend who works with the local food bank and they later got Families First Learning Lab involved.

Initially, Hayhurst thought this program would take more time to get off the ground, but within six months they had everything they needed to launch.

Its more than I thought it would look like, Hayhurst said. I was honestly envisioning at one time that wed start small and its been amazing because (Families First) and their staff just jumped in full force.

Many different people came together to make this dream a reality. Librarians from schools like Meadow Hill, Jeanette Rankin and Paxson elementary schools donated hundreds of books. The YMCA held a book drive and the Book Exchange also provided some gift certificates to be given to children.

Volunteers with the summer reading and eating program also make an effort to take specific requests from children to get them books they want to read.

All the studies show that if kids can choose the books that they read that theyre more apt to read them and enjoy them, Hayhurst said.

Initially, they planned to run the program through July 22, but decided to extend it through the end of August due to its success and positive reception from participating children and their families. They will start providing free school supplies near the end of the summer.

Free meals and books are available through the program at three locations in Missoula, on Tuesdays at Futura Mobile Park, Wednesdays at Council Grove Apartments and Thursdays at Travois.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  The leaders of Greece and Bulgaria on Friday marked the completion of a new pipeline that will supply natural gas from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, whose vital supply of Russian gas was cut off in April amid the fallout over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed the importance of the new link as an alternative supply line for Bulgaria, as neighboring Greece jockeys to become a regional energy transport hub.

This isn't just a gas pipeline, but a crucial south-north energy bridge, Mitsotakis said during a ceremony in northeastern Greece.

He added that Europe needs to coordinate its response to Moscows conscious choice to turn natural resources into a lever of political pressure, into a raw blackmail.

It is something our Bulgarian neighbors already know very well, Mitsotakis said.

In late April, Russia cut off gas supplies to Bulgaria after it refused a demand by Moscow to pay gas bills in rubles, Russias currency. Relations between the two former Soviet bloc allies have tanked in recent months, and last month Bulgaria ordered the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats, triggering an angry response from Moscow.

Bulgarias acting prime minister, Kiril Petkov, highlighted the pipelines key role in ending Russias gas monopoly in his country.

"Thus, for the first time, our country will have real terrestrial access to alternative energy sources other than the Russian ones, Petkov said.

The 182-kilometer (115-mile) pipeline will run from the northeastern Greek city of Komotini to Stara Zagora in central Bulgaria. It starts with an initial capacity of 3 billion cubic meters of gas a year, and the prospect of future expansion to 5 billion cubic meters. Commercial deliveries are expected to start by Oct. 1.

Greece is looking to serve as an energy hub for the Balkans, using fossil fuels from the Caspian Sea and the southeastern Mediterranean, and, potentially renewable energy from Egypt, to supply the region amid the fallout of the war in Ukraine.

Greece is also building a liquefied natural gas terminal off the northeastern port of Alexandroupolis, near Komotini, which Mitsotakis said would in the future provide additional gas for the new Greek-Bulgarian pipeline.

Follow all AP stories on the fallout from the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.

This story has been corrected to show that the future capacity of the pipeline is 5 billion cubic meters, not 5 million cubic meters.
IRS spokesperson Jodie Reynolds said Thursday the agency has officially referred the matter to the inspector general for tax administration after Commissioner Charles Rettig, who was nominated to the job by Trump and is a close ally of the former president, personally reached out.

Reynolds insisted it is ludicrous and untrue to suggest that senior IRS officials somehow targeted specific individuals" for such audits.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that the former FBI leaders were subjected to rare IRS audits of their tax returns. The newspaper said Comey was informed of the audit in 2019 and McCabe learned he was under scrutiny in 2021. Rettig, who term is set to expire in November, faced blistering criticism from Democrats for helping to shield Trumps tax returns from the public.

Trump repeatedly attacked Comey and McCabe over the FBIs Russia investigation that shadowed his presidency for years. Trump fired Comey in 2017 in the midst of that investigation, which ultimately was taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller, named to that job by Trump's Justice Department.

The FBI inquiry began in the summer of 2016, months before Trump was elected. The bureau had learned that a former Trump campaign aide had been saying, before it was publicly known, that Russia had dirt on Trump's Democratic rival for the White House, Hillary Clinton, in the form of stolen emails.

Those emails were hacked from Democratic email accounts by Russian intelligence. They were released by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks before the election in what U.S. officials have said was an effort to harm Clintons campaign and help Trump's. Trump repeatedly called the investigation a witch hunt.

A 2019 review by the Justice Department's inspector general knocked down multiple lines of attack against the Russia investigation, finding that officials properly opened the inquiry and that law enforcement leaders were not motivated by political bias. The watchdog did identify a number of problems in the investigation, leading the FBI to take steps aimed at fixing some fundamental operations, such as applying for surveillance warrants and interacting with confidential sources.

McCabe was fired in March 2018 after the Justice Departments inspector general concluded he had authorized the release of information to a newspaper reporter and then misled internal investigators about his role in the leak. The termination by Jeff Sessions, Trump's attorney general at the time, came hours before McCabe was due to retire.

McCabe won back his full pension as part of a settlement of his lawsuit arising from his firing. The settlement agreement vacated that decision, expunged from his personnel folder references to the firing and entitled McCabe, who joined the FBI in 1996, to his full pension.

According to the IRS website the audits the two men and their wives underwent are part of a program that randomly selects tax returns to examine tax compliance and improve the system.

McCabe, in comments on CNN, where he is a law enforcement analyst, described the two audits as a coincidence that ... really is almost impossible statistically and said they raised questions that should be answered. He said it was appropriate for the IRS to do the responsible thing and look into it and determine whether or not something, you know, went awry in this program."

Comey said in a statement that he could not say whether anything improper happened, but after learning how unusual this audit was and how badly Trump wanted to hurt me during that time, it made sense to try to figure it out.

A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.

Asked Thursday whether Biden has confidence in Rettig, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre simply noted that his term is set to expire later this year.

He is going to be up in November, so I will leave it there, Jean-Pierre said.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz met Thursday in the occupied West Bank to discuss security coordination ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to the region next week.

The peace process collapsed more than a decade ago. High-level meetings between Israeli and Palestinian leaders are rare and tend to focus on day-to-day economic and security coordination.

An Israeli statement said the meeting in Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered, was conducted in positive terms. It said the two sides agreed to continue security coordination and to avoid activities that may cause instability.

Gantz wished Abbas and the Palestinian people a happy Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday beginning this weekend, the statement said.

Abbas stressed the importance of creating a political horizon, respecting the signed agreements and stopping the actions and measures that lead to the deterioration of the situation, Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior aide, tweeted.

Abbas also stressed the importance of having a "calm atmosphere before President Bidens visit, which we welcome, the tweet said.

Gantz met with Abbas a couple of times last year and announced measures to improve economic conditions in the occupied West Bank. He remains defense minister in a caretaker government ahead of elections planned for Nov. 1.

Abbas leads the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank. Polls say nearly 80% of Palestinians want him to resign, in part because of his close cooperation with Israel. Last year he called off the first Palestinian elections in 15 years.

Biden is expected to meet with top Israeli and Palestinian leaders next week.

The Palestinians seek a state in the occupied West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, territories Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally and views the entire city as its capital. It withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but imposed a crippling blockade when the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power from Abbas' forces two years later, limiting his authority to parts of the West Bank,
Editor's note: Humanities Montana celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022. Throughout the year, its monthly newsletter features Golden Anniversary letters from previous Humanities Montana board members, grantees, speakers, and friends that reflect on what 50 years of Humanities Montana has meant to them and to the state.

My favorite quote about education says, Its the art of continuous discovery. My career was continuous discovery: three years in Wiesbaden, Germany; 25 years at Sentinel High School in Missoula; then teaching MSU and UM students. I still teach in UMs Lifelong Learning Institute (MOLLI) and with Humanities Montanas Montana Conversations and Speakers in the Schools programs. I have loved every gig.

Why? I have always envisioned teaching as a journey. The chance to dig, to know, and to share. Its the journey of curiosity and digging  and the wonderment of discovery. Thats the humanities in a nutshell. I like the joy of discovery, then contemplating, sharing, asking questions, and leading the way. Getting the take of those participating. You dig; you share; you dare.

The Humanities mean so much to me. My family owned the local newspaper in Harlowton, and my dad received a Governors Humanities Award for his love of scholarship and his amazing Editors Uneasy Chair column. Mom was Montanas Mother of the Year. They were jointly honored with honorary university degrees. Sheila, my bride of 50+ years, and I were honored together in 2017 with the Governors Humanities Award. Education has also been Sheilas lifes work as a college chancellor, president, and commissioner. We love the medallions we received with the Governors Humanities Award. They highlight three great words that, we hope, reflect who we are: Learn, Reflect, Together.

Humanities Montana speakers build their presentations around those three words: Learn. Reflect. Together. We all dig, study, ponder, and dig some more, then meet with Montana folks. The fun includes the feedback and maybe some pushback, with lively discussion.

I recently gave a presentation at the Montana Historical Society in Helena on Montanas Jawbone Railroad. It was a 167-mile short-line railroad in Central Montana, lasting just 10 years in the early 20th century. The railroads story is an improbable tale about a Helena lawyer who had a big dream; despite many ups and downs, the dream paid off for a time. My presentation had a full house: folks with rail backgrounds, others who just like any discussion about Montana. I showed pictures of the Jawbone; audience members shared stories. I learned a lot  and the audience did as well. This is the humanities for me.

I dream about where Humanities Montana will be in the future. More talks and discussions: I would love every community, large and small, to bring in our speakers. They will be the glue that helps bind and enlighten communities. Who do I want to show up? Business people, retirees, educators, ranchers, and farmers, students of all ages. Community organizers should request speakers who will challenge, share, and turn on light bulbs around the room. We want to go to Troy and Broadus, Darby and Westby, and everywhere in between.

The humanities represent the best of us. Thank you, Humanities Montana, for 50 years of making a difference. Lets go after the next 50.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

A round-table on "Doing business with Azerbaijan: Opportunities and incentive programs for American and Azerbaijani businesses" was organized in Washington, Azernews reports.

Speaking at the event, Small and Medium Business Development Agency Chairman Orkhan Mammadov briefed on the favorable business and investment environment in Azerbaijan, including the business potential of Karabakh. He spoke about the opportunities created for local and foreign entrepreneurs in the country, support measures, and benefits, the electronization of the business registration process, as well as favorable opportunities created for residents in industrial parks.

The round-table was attended by the representatives of the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, the U.S Agency for International Development, the Azerbaijani Embassy in the U.S., the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as the representatives of U.S. companies, financial institutions, and think tanks.

Moreover, as part of the visit to the U.S., Orkhan Mammadov held a meeting with the Director of International Financial Projects at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Tara Blake.

The parties discussed issues on the financing of projects implemented with the participation of SMBs, as well as consideration of joint cooperation in this area.

Additionally, the representatives of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency participated in a meeting organized by the Caspian Policy Center.

During the meeting, Orkhan Mammadov noted that among the applications submitted to the agency for starting businesses in Karabakh there are some U.S. companies.

The participants of the meeting discussed the issues of establishing direct ties between Azerbaijani and American businessmen, organizing mutual business missions, and other joint initiatives.
200,000 euro fine for destroying swallow nests in Spain



One Menorca man faces huge sanctions for tearing down the protected nests

A Menorca man faces a staggering fine of up to 200,000 euros for destroying five swallow nests in a building in the town of Alaior last month. Officers from the Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Guardia Civil tracked down the suspect after a neighbour complained that he had removed the nests from underneath her balcony on Carrer des Melinas.

The Spanish decree states that it is forbidden to intentionally kill, harm, annoy or disturb wild animals, whatever the method used or the phase of their biological cycle. This prohibition includes their retention and live capture, the destruction, damage, collection and retention of their nests, their young or their eggs, the latter even when empty, as well as the possession, transport, traffic and trade of live specimens or dead or their remains, including foreign trade.

Therefore, neither tenants nor homeowners are allowed to remove the nests of protected birds whether they contain eggs or chicks or are empty. This is especially vital at this time of year, when swallows are breeding ahead of their long journey back to Africa in the autumn.

These birds are vital to Spains ecosystem and they can also be a handy household ally, as they consume a huge number of insects that could otherwise become greater pests.

Without this massive ingestion of insects, the damage to agriculture could multiply, which is why these birds are considered essential for the protection of crops and food security itself.

Anyone who witnesses the destruction of nests can file a corresponding complaint with Seprona.

Image: Pixabay
Gibraltar residents lose free healthcare in Spain



The bridging healthcare measure introduced by Spain after Brexit has now been scrapped

There has been widespread disappointment in Gibraltar as Spain has decided on June 30 to end the reciprocal health care agreement that has been in place since Brexit.

In reality, the agreement should have come to an end when the UK left the EU, but Spain went against the grain and remained the only nation of the 27 member states to implement temporary legislation which allowed people living in Gibraltar to receive free healthcare on the mainland.

The measure was originally put in place for 18 months and, now that the term has expired, the Spanish government has decided not to renew it.

The decision, however, has far-reaching consequences. While the decree was in place, residents of Gibraltar insured under the Group Practice Medical Scheme could take advantage of Spains comprehensive free national healthcare and receive emergency treatment while visiting the mainland, entirely gratis.

Now, the local government on the Rock is advising all residents to take out travel insurance which includes medical care when planning a trip to Spain, even if its only for a few hours.

Fabian Picardo, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, warned: The Government of Gibraltar cannot be held responsible for claims arising from a lack of insurance against these risks.

This system has been in place in all of the other EU member states since Brexit, December 31 2020.

Gibraltar has responded by announcing that its health services will no longer provide free healthcare for visitors from Spain.

Its important to note, however, that the withdrawal of free healthcare does not affect European citizens who live in Spain but travel to Gibraltar for work.

In a statement last week, a Gibraltar government spokesperson said the Rock would have been happy to carry on with the temporary arrangement.

However, they went on to say, because reciprocity is a key element to these arrangements which cannot work without coordination and provisions for reimbursement of costs etc., HMGoG is left with no option but to discontinue them also in so far as treatment in Gibraltar is concerned.

Image: Pixabay
Iowa has surpassed 800,000 total coronavirus cases since the pandemic began in the state in March 2020, according to new state and federal coronavirus data released this week.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 3,980 new cases of COVID-19 in the past seven days, continuing the slow decline of new infections over the past few weeks.

Last week, 3,988 cases were reported, and 3,919 cases were reported the week before.

To date, Iowa has had 800,176 total coronavirus cases in the past two years  though the actual total is likely higher, given the availability of at-home test kits.

The number of new cases reported in Linn and Johnson counties, however, increased in the past week, state data shows.

Linn County reported 359 new coronavirus cases in the past seven days, an increase from the 348 reported last week. In total, the county has tallied 56,020 cases since the pandemic began.

Johnson County added 338 new cases in the past week, an increase from the 279 cases reported last week. To date, 38,688 coronavirus cases have been reported in the county in the past two years.

Community transmission

As of Monday, both Linn and Johnson counties continue to have "high" COVID-19 community transmission levels, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, the counties classified with "substantial" and "moderate" community transmission levels continue to outnumber those with "high" transmission levels. One western Iowa county was in the "low" category.

Hospitalizations

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 increased this week, federal health data shows.

Hospitalizations reached 190 Wednesday, compared to 162 patients the week before. A month ago, 186 patients were hospitalized.

Fourteen COVID-19 patients were in intensive care this past week, compared to 15 last week.

Deaths

Fifteen more Iowans have died as a result of the coronavirus, the state public health department confirmed on Wednesday. Last week, eight coronavirus deaths were confirmed.

In total, 9,703 Iowans have died as a result of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.

No deaths were reported in the past week in Linn and Johnson counties.

Linn County has an overall coronavirus death toll of 595, and Johnson County has had 155 residents die as a result of the virus.

Vaccinations

New data published earlier this week shows 62.4 percent of all Iowans are fully vaccinated, a slight increase from the 62.3 percent reported June 8, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The vaccination rate for Iowans aged 5 and older is 66.6 percent as of this week, an increase from the 66.4 percent reported last month.

The state now updates vaccination totals on the first Tuesday of the month.

An additional 7,418 Iowans and non-Iowans completed their vaccine series in the past month, bringing the total fully vaccinated population to 1,940,421.

The number of fully vaccinated and boosted individuals in Iowa reached 1,069,826 this month, an increase of 17,280 individuals from last month.

In Linn County, 67.2 percent of the total county population and 71.7 percent of those aged 5 and older were fully vaccinated as of this week.

Johnson County reported 73.3 percent of its total population and 77.8 percent of its population aged 5 and older were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of this week.

John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report.
WEST LIBERTY  At least one member of the West Liberty City Council may be having buyers remorse about the councils decision to grant $147,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act money the city received to local workers who did not receive stimulus checks.

As the council was setting a meeting of the finance committee, council member Cara McFerren said she had some second thoughts about the rescue money going to the undocumented Escucha Mi Voz group. She also commented the second half of the money was coming and the city needed to decide a use by 2024. She believes with the second half of the money the council should determine how to serve our community specifically.

Im more inclined to give this first pool of money to start with city infrastructure and to training for emergency response PD, she said.

During the June 9 meeting, the council unanimously approved the grant with the only dissent heard was from council members Jose Zacarias and Omar Martinez who hoped to double the amount. The checks will make up about 30% of the $522,000 the city received. Half the funds had been requested. West Liberty became the second city in Iowa to set up a direct payment program.

For months, members of Escucha Mi Voz have been asking city and county governments to invest part or all of the money they received from the federal government from ARPA to aid excluded and essential workers  immigrant workers who did not get stimulus who have faced health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 health crisis. So far, Johnson County and Iowa City have invested $3.5 million in a new Direct Assistance program, which has come under fire recently for rejecting applicants because of a lack of funding.

During a work session before the meeting, McFerren asked about a matrix to use for the funds to judge if people qualify for them. She also commented that possibly the use for the rescue funding may not be allowed.

Attorney Nathan Mather, who was acting a city attorney for the meeting, said Johnson County had determined disbursing aid would no longer work.

As I can see they have done two major things to change their program, he said. No. 1  instead of just targeting undocumented workers, they had to open it up to anyone who was negatively impacted or suffered a negative economic impact as a result of COVID. The second thing they had done is completely institute a new documentation scheme.

Mather said that in his previous discussions with Escucha Mi Voz as a Muscatine County Supervisor, the group expressed it would be reluctant to provide the new documentation required. He also advised if the city wants to proceed with the grants, it should do something like Johnson County is doing.

As the discussion continued, Mayor Katherine McCullough expressed frustration the council seems to be reconsidering the grants.

It would serve the entire community, she said. I guess I dont know how you can just say no, lets not help people feel better about the s*** we have been through for the past 3  years.

The finance committee will further discuss the issue.

Also during the meeting the council learned there had been a few application for council member to fill the remainder of the term left vacant when council member Diane Beranek. The members also learned there is a petition circulating to call for a special election to fill the seat.
MUSCATINE  A Muscatine officer is being honored for the part he played in saving the life of a young woman.

On Thursday, July 7, Mayor Dr. Brad Bark presented the Lifesaving Award to Lt. Jeff Jirak of the Muscatine Police Department during that nights meeting. Jirak was nominated for this award by his supervisor, Lt. Anthony Tony Kies, as well as the Muscatine Chief of Police, Brett Talkington.

Im very grateful for the recognition of what happened, but I think whats most important is that I am not a special person in this whole thing, Jirak said, emphasizing his belief that any other officer within his department would have taken the same actions he had.

There are 41 very well trained and very community-oriented people here at the Police Department that would do the exact same thing. It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, he continued.

When a call for service was requested by the Muscatine Community College dorms, Lt. Jirak was one of the officers who responded. After a young female met Jirak at his squad car, he was then quickly taken to another young woman who was found to be unresponsive.

After assessing the situation and determining that the woman was not breathing and had no heartbeat, Jirak began performing CPR for approximately two minutes. After these two minutes, the Muscatine Fire Department arrived on-scene and took over, quickly finding that Jirak had been able to bring back the womans pulse.

Theres no doubt in my mind that Lt. Jiraks quick actions on the scene is what saved her life, Kies said when asked about his reasoning for nominating Jirak for the Lifesaving Award.

Looking back on that night, Jirak referred to it as one he would never forget. What made this incident so unique, in his opinion, was not only the fact that he was able to save her life, but that within only a few minutes his patient went from unresponsive and having no pulse to being awake and talking to him, allowing him to be thanked by her in-person.

That experience alone I have never had before, Jirak explained. Usually a person regains their pulse and then theyre transferred within the ambulance to the hospital where they are given much more critical care. In this instance, I had a chance to speak with the person, which is the very first time that this has happened to me in the past 30 years of service. She was very appreciative of all the medical people that were there, and she thanked God for bringing her back to life.

Beyond being grateful for the recognition and the award, Jirak added that he is extremely grateful for the young woman surviving and he wishes her well.

I just want to emphasize to the community that I am amongst, in my opinion, an elite group of people here at our police department, Jirak said. Were here to serve the community in any circumstance, life or death, helping at any call for service. This is just one small piece of the pie of what this police department does for this community, and I just want the public to know that they can rely on us to take care of them.
Thomson Prison staff and union leaders are calling for the immediate removal of Warden Thomas Bergami.

In a letter Wednesday to U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, AFGE Local 4070 President Jonathan Zumkehr called for the immediate removal of Bergami, citing "an abundance of serious incidents" and the mass departure of 60 correctional officers under Bergami, who was appointed warden in March.

"Warden Bergami has failed within his position of trust and has placed the staff, inmates and communities at risk," Zumkehr wrote.

"Attempts to address these issues directly have gone unheeded and even to the extent of being covered up and or distracted from the facts. Thomas Bergami has failed to uphold the ethical rules governing his position and to conduct himself in a manner that fosters respect for the Bureau of Prisons."

Zumkehr said whistle-blower protection and rights have gone ignored and alleged that Bergami "allowed and encouraged subordinate leaders under his command to commit whistle-blower retaliation and commit safety infractions."

"Managers are blatantly violating laws and refusing to adhere to local agreements, placing the hard-working staff in limbo with ever-changing policies and procedures that have done nothing but set USP Thomson ablaze and over 60 staff have left under his tenure.

"The Union believes that the immediate removal of Warden Thomas Bergami would initiate the change in leadership needed to ensure USP Thomson moves in a path progressively for all interested," Zumkehr wrote.

The federal prison in Thomson, Ill., houses 916 inmates: 785 in the maximum security facility and 131 at the adjacent minimum security camp.

In June, the U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General's Office opened an investigation into Thomson Federal Prison amid ongoing allegations of abuse, the overuse of solitary confinement and the deaths of seven inmates over a two-year period.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin,D-Ill; U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, requested the investigation following publication of a report May 31 by The Marshall Project and NPR that describes serious abuse of inmates by correctional officers.

Zumkehr also sent a series of letters June 30 to Durbin, Duckworth, Bustos, Attorney General Merrick Garland and other lawmakers, asking for support in creating a federal law protecting prison employees against sexual assault by inmates.

Zumkehr said in 2020, there were 971 inmates that had committed sexual acts against staff. In 2021, there were 535 inmates that committed sexual acts against staff.
BATTLE CREEK, Iowa -- Ida County authorities have released the names of three people injured in a house explosion Wednesday in rural Battle Creek, Iowa.

Injured were Jeremy Bruning, 42, Sandra Jepsen, 68, and Joel Stapleton, 46.

A man outside the house at 2362 Carriage Ave. reported the blast at 9:34 a.m., and the house was engulfed in flames when firefighters and emergency personnel arrived. The house was destroyed.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety's State Fire Marshal Division continues to investigate the explosion to determine its cause.

The three occupants of the home had been inside at the time of the explosion but had been helped outside by another person.

Jepsen and Bruning were transported to Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove, Iowa, and transferred to a Lincoln, Nebraska, burn center. Stapleton was taken to MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center in Sioux City. Ida County Sheriff Wade Harriman said Wednesday that Stapleton may also have been transferred to the Lincoln burn center, but he had not received confirmation.

A news release from Harriman's office on Thursday did not list the conditions of the three victims. Harriman said Wednesday all suffered "substantial" injuries.

Responding to the blast were fire departments and emergency crews from Battle Creek, Ida Grove, Holstein, Danbury, Cushing, Kiron and the Crawford County Memorial Hospital Ambulance service and emergency services from Ida, Woodbury, Monona and Cherokee counties, plus the Ida County Sheriff's Office and Iowa State Patrol.
With South Africas fuel prices hitting record levels, recharging the countrys highest-range electric vehicle now costs half as much as filling up a comparable petrol-driven car.

That is according to a comparison of the running costs of the electric BMW iX xDrive 50 and petrol-powered BMW X5 M50i on a trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town in July 2022.

MyBroadband performed a similar comparison in January 2022, in which the electric vehicles trip came out as the more affordable option.

At that point, the inland price for a litre of unleaded 95 petrol was R19.61, and the coastal price was R18.89. These have since surged to R26.74 inland and R25.99 on the coast.

While South Africa still only has a meagre number of charging stations compared to fuel stations, GridCars has rolled out several charging points along the N1 to allow electric vehicle (EV) owners to get from Gauteng to Cape Town without getting range anxiety.

For those who want an even lower chance of running out of charge, the BMW iX xDrive50 boasts a massive 111.5kWh battery.

The German manufacturer says it can run for 570km on the European WLTP cycle, making it the EV with the best range in South Africa.

Although petrol costs have shot up in recent months, electricity prices have also increased, raising the question of whether it is still cheaper to use the EV.

However, GridCars still charges the same R5.88 per kWh it previously did when charging via one of its 22kW, 30kW, 60kW, or 80kW fast chargers.

Even though it is far more expensive than charging at home, it only costs around R557.50 to fill the BMW iXs battery at a GridCars station.

To cover the 1,400km between Johannesburg and Cape Town, you would use about 373kWh of battery power.

When driving on the highway while using the air conditioning and assuming an outdoor temperature of 30 degrees, BMW estimates drivers can expect around 395km on a charge, or 3.75km/kWh. That is based on the useable capacity of 105.2kWh.

With the GridCars fast charging price of R5.88 per kWh, using the EV would cost about R1.57 per kilometre or R2,198 for the entire trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

If you charge the car at home for the first leg of the trip, you could cut that price by a few hundred rands.

On Joburg City Powers Block 3 domestic tariff of R2.74, it would cost R306 for the first top-up from 0-100%.

If that provides the estimated 395km of range, only another 1,005km would have to be added via fast charging  costing R1,578.

That would reduce the trips electricity cost to around R1,884.

Compare this to what you would have to pay for the petrol in the BMW X5 M50i, the nearest petrol-driven model in terms of luxury, performance, and features.

The BMW X5 M50i has a highway-based fuel consumption of around 9.4l/100km, equivalent to 10.64km/l.

Based on the inland unleaded 95 price of R26.74, it would cost R2.51 to drive a kilometre with this car.

To cover the distance between Johannesburg and Cape Town, you would have to pay a hefty R3,514 for petrol.

That is R1,316 more than you would spend using only the fast-charging electricity would cost for driving the same distance with the iX.

It should be noted that the EV is somewhat more expensive than the petrol-driven model, at R2.175 million compared to R1.873 million.

However, BMW offers free charging at its dealerships and with the lower overall cost per kilometre, you could recover that difference in a few years.

The table below compares the cost of charging the BMW iX to filling up the BMW X5 for a trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

We have also included the costs for filling up one of the most fuel-efficient petrol cars in the country  the Toyota Aygo  and the highly popular Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid.

We did not include diesel cars in our comparison as the cost of diesel is determined by individual stations and may differ significantly.

BMW iX xDrive50 vs X5 M50i  Joburg to Cape Town BMW iX xDrive50 (EV) BMW X5 M50i (petrol) Toyota Aygo (petrol) Toyota Corolla Cross (hybrid) Rand per kilometre cost R1.57 R2.51 R0.96 R1.15 Estimated range on single charge/tank on highway 395km 722km 972km 837km Estimated consumption between Joburg and Cape Town 373kWh 132 litres 50 litres 60 litres Stops needed between Joburg and Cape Town (starting fully charged/filled) 3 1 1 1 Cost from Joburg to Cape Town R2,198 R3,514 R1,344 R1,604 Cost from Joburg to Cape Town (starting fully charged/filled) R1,884 R3,514 R1,344 R1,604

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It sounds like something out of Mad magazine  an IPA-themed "action park" complete with the worlds first beer-powered flume ride, Northern Californias tallest coaster made from recycled beer barrels as well as nightly fireworks.

In ads  including several that ran in the Napa Valley Register  Voodoo Ranger, and its parent company New Belgium Brewing, say the 136-acre booze wonderland is "coming to Napa County." (For readers more used to discerning between grape varietals, IPA stands for India pale ale.)

But a beer amusement park? Really? Almost certainly not, say public officials, noting that the company has not submitted any formal proposals as well as the extreme barriers to any major project in the county. (Not to mention the olfactory experience of 130,000 gallons of suds souring in the sun  or the vermin that might attract.)

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Still, more than a dozen people could be seen near the Napa Farmers Market last Saturday holding "stop the beer park" signs. Emails announcing the protest were sent to several Bay Area media organizations expressing outrage over the idea.

One of the first outlets to respond was the San Francisco Chronicle, which acknowledged the idea smacks of "outlandishness" but has some people freaking out.

Well, not everyone. One woman shopping at the farmers market glanced at the sign-holders and called the whole thing a lie.

Napa County Planning, Building and Environmental Services Director David Morrison phrased it differently.

We believe that this is likely a publicity stunt, Morrison said in an email. But the issue remains to be clarified by Voodoo Ranger.

Voodoo Ranger, however, is remaining mum, with its representatives remaining silent as of Thursday afternoon.

Morrison said he's received a few inquiries from the public about the alleged park, but not many. Most people don't seem to be taking this too seriously, he added.

Napa County  famously  has a reputation for preserving rural land for agriculture. That would not appear to include a sudsy version of Disneyland.

Those farmers' market sign-holders claimed Voodoo Ranger officials revealed the supposed amusement park site-to-be is at Trancas Street and Silverado Trail. The area is in the countys agricultural preserve.

Morrison said Voodoo Ranger hasnt submitted an application or pre-application or contacted the county about developing an amusement park.

The supposed site is in Supervisor Alfredo Pedrozas district. Pedroza said its unfortunate the ads are creating unwarranted fear and anxiety among some residents.

Several steps would be needed to build an amusement park on agricultural land in Napa County. They include changing the general plan and zoning designations and winning a Measure P vote of the people.

A beer park project would require an environmental impact report and use permit. That would mean public hearings.

A new winery proposal might take several years to secure county approvals. The controversial Walt Ranch proposal to create vineyards in the hills between the city of Napa and Lake Berryessa has gone on for about 14 years, between securing county approvals and responding to court challenges.

In other words, building any major project in rural Napa County can be no walk in the park, beer or otherwise. The Voodoo Ranger ad claiming that its park is coming soon to Napa Valley would be aspirational, even if the company were serious.

A July 1 email to the Napa Valley Register and other media said "a group of concerned Napa residents" would protest beer park plans on July 2 near the farmers' market.

Voodoo Ranger is promoting a beer park "by saying it will bring thousands of new jobs to the area and tourists to the heart of Napa. This is not something we want in this community  no matter what the supposed economic benefits, the email said.

When questioned by the Napa Valley Register, sign holders near the farmers market said they wanted to nip the Voodoo Ranger project in the bud, on the chance that it is serious.

Then again, some people might love the beer park idea. They might long to listen to bands at a Ranger Thunder concert stage with a 25,000-watt sound system and catch a wave on 130,000 gallons of suds. They might thrill to a ride on the Happy Hoppy Dunk Plunge or a trek through the Hoppy Haunted House.

If so, whatever Voodoo Ranger does or doesnt do, somebody could end up crying in their beer.
ST. HELENA  Caltrans has agreed to improve the crosswalks at Main and Spring streets following a high-level meeting among city and Caltrans officials, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, state Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

Thompson organized the June 27 meeting in St. Helena in the wake of a May 24 hit-and-run that injured St. Helena Star sportswriter Garrett Whitt as he was crossing Main Street in his motorized wheelchair.

Whitt broke his tibia and fibula, and hes now recovering at home. St. Helena police have recommended that the Napa County District Attorneys Office file charges against a Napa man in connection with the incident.

In a follow-up email after last week's meeting, Caltrans District 4 director Dina Al-Tawansy said that we plan on prioritizing short-term improvements at Main and Spring.

In an email to Al-Tawansy, interim City Manager Jim McCann described those short-term improvements as:

 New and refreshed pavement markings;

 New crosswalks with enhanced patterns, and moving the crosswalk across Main Street to the north side of the Main/Spring intersection to improve visibility;

 New and refreshed advisory and warning signs.

Al-Tawansy said Caltrans would also work towards identifying funding and the appropriate mechanism to implement all the desired permanent improvements.

Those permanent fixes include flashing beacons, crosswalk bulb-outs, and related lighting, pavement markings, curb ramps and warning signs.

Al-Tawansy didnt indicate a timeline for the changes, but McCann asked that the short-term improvements be implemented in coming weeks and the permanent improvements within three to six months.

Officials from Caltrans, the city and the offices of Dodd and Aguiar-Curry were assigned to an action team to drive the short-term and permanent improvements forward at an accelerated rate.

Meanwhile, the city pledged to provide Caltrans with data as part of a comprehensive corridor pedestrian safety study of Highway 29 through St. Helena.

Cross-agency collaboration

The meeting could represent a breakthrough in what has at times been a distant relationship between St. Helena officials and Caltrans, which has jurisdiction over Highway 29  or, as St. Helenans know it, Main Street. It took Thompson's intervention for the two parties to negotiate a plan to manage the elm tunnel at the north end of town.

More recently, Caltrans proved to be receptive to local opinion in 2020 when it abandoned a heavily criticized plan to replace two historic stone bridges where Main Street crosses Sulphur Creek and Spring Creek.

At the June 28 City Council meeting, McCann thanked Thompson for organizing the meeting with Caltrans.

Vice Mayor Paul Dohring, who attended the meeting along with Mayor Geoff Ellsworth, said Thompson was all in.

He was extremely forceful in making the argument about the necessity of making improvements at this (intersection) and all along the corridor, Dohring said. He was very persuasive. Theres no doubt in my mind that he got the attention of all, including Caltrans representatives.

Ellsworth also made very cogent remarks based on personal experience, Dohring added.

Ellsworth said city officials now have an opportunity to work more closely with Caltrans to have them understand the circumstances on the ground beyond just the data that they receive.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and the World Bank have discussed the financing of small and medium-sized businesses, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijan's Small and Medium-Sized Business Development Agency Chairman Orkhan Mammadov, who is on a business trip to Washington, with World Bank Executive Director Katarzyna Zajdel Kurowska.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the implementation of joint initiatives with the World Bank, and the opportunities to participate in various programs and projects of the bank.

The agency chairman also held a meeting with SME Finance Forum Knowledge Management Lead Khrystyna Kushnir.

Moreover, Orkhan Mammadov also exchanged views on the issues of cooperation with the U.S. Office of Internationa Trade Director Matthew Edwards and Office of Trade Policy at the Small Business Administration Director Christine Brown.

At a round-table on "Doing business with Azerbaijan: Opportunities and incentive programs for American and Azerbaijani businesses" held in Washington, the opportunities to expand trade relations between SMBs of the two countries, implementation of joint cooperation, and promotion measures in this direction were discussed.
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CNN: US, Japan put on show of force amid rising tensions with China, Russia in region
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has collapsed after he was shot at an event in the city of Nara, BBC reported.

Abe was shot twice, with the second shot hitting him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground. Reports say his attacker has since been arrested.

Ex-Tokyo governor Yoichi Masuzoe said in a tweet that the 67-year-old Abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest.

The term is often used before a death is officially confirmed in Japan.

Videos circulating on social media, which could not be verified, appear to show paramedics huddled around Abe in the middle of a street. He has now reportedly been rushed to hospital.

Abe was giving a stump speech for a candidate in Nara when the attack happened. Eyewitnesses say they saw a man with what they described as a large gun fire from behind.

The first shot appears to have missed, but the second shot hit Abe in the back. He immediately fell to the ground bleeding. Security then detained the attacker who made no attempt to run.

Local news broadcaster NHK said Abe was "conscious and responsive" while being transported after the shooting, citing police sources. The broadcaster also added that police have seized the attacker's gun and identified him.

Abe, who was Japan's longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for a year and then again from 2012 to 2020, before stepping down citing health reasons. He later revealed that he had suffered a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease.
The new Australian government wants to stabilize its relationship with China, but will not make any concessions on national interests, said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on the eve of a meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 meeting at the Ball. This will be the first meeting of foreign ministers of major trading partners in three years.

China is Australia's largest trading partner and largest buyer of its iron ore, but relations have deteriorated in recent years.

China has imposed trade sanctions on Australian goods ranging from coal to seafood to wine in response to Australian policies and decisions, notably calls for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19, a 5G network ban on Huawei and investigations into foreign interference.

Beijing urged Australia to take precise action to restore relations.

Since its election in May, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government has said it wants China to reverse trade measures taken against Australia. Wong also expressed concern about two Australian journalists detained in China and awaiting sentencing in national security cases.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Some 540m cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas were transported to Greece via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in the first half of this year, Azernews reports.

The remarks were made during a meeting between Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Greek Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas.

"We discussed our energy cooperation developing through #TAP with @KostasSkrekas, Greek Minister of Environment and Energy. In the first half of the year, 540 million cm of gas was transported to #Greece," Shahbazov wrote on his official Twitter page.

To recall, with the completion of the TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) construction on December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor. Last year, TAP transported 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. Of the total amount of transported gas, over 6.8 billion cubic meters reached Italy and approximately 1.2 billion cubic meters were delivered to Greece and Bulgaria.

Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that about 19 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas will be exported in 2022. Of this volume, more than 8 billion cubic meters will be exported to Turkey and more than 7 billion cubic meters to Italy. The remaining gas will be divided between Georgia, Bulgaria, and Greece.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Greece were established in 1992. The Embassy of Azerbaijan in the Hellenic Republic has been operating since April 2004, while the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Azerbaijan was established in May 1993. In total, around twenty-four documents were signed between the two countries. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $435.7 million in 2021.
The Voice of America talked about the future of the format of the OSCE Minsk Group with former American diplomats James Warlick and Richard Kauzlarich.

The statements of Moscow and Baku regarding the format of the OSCE Minsk Group are quite contradictory, said the former American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick. According to him, it seems that they no longer want to keep this format, but they do not put forward any alternatives, thereby transferring the process only to Russia. Unlike Moscow, Paris and Washington remain committed to the Minsk Group format, the former co-chair says.

The United States has made clear that the US government remains committed to the Minsk Group process. They went even further by appointing a new co-chair specializing in the Caucasus and the region, says Warlick.

Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Kauzlarich agrees that the appointment of an American co-chair demonstrates Washington's commitment to this format.

The United States, in fact, is committed to the format of the Minsk Group. They appointed a new co-chair of the Minsk Group from the American side. Washington believes that this format is effective, he says.

According to former diplomats, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has made Russia's mission as a mediator problematic.

The invasion of Ukraine made it clear that one cannot trust the word of Moscow, which for a long time insisted that it did not intend to violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but in practice it did the opposite. The Russian side must show that it is truly committed to a peaceful settlement and will act in the interests of all parties, Warlick said.

For me, Russia discredited itself as a mediator by invading Ukraine. I don't see how Russia can play a role in the Minsk Group, Kazljaric said. According to Richard Kazlarich, however, given the particularly negative position of Azerbaijan towards the Minsk Group, it is difficult to imagine a return of peace talks to this format. Instead, the process is taking place within the framework of two new mediation missions - mediated by the EU and Moscow. The diplomat noted the importance of the EU mission and urged Washington to continue facilitating this process.

If we talk about the role of a mediator, then the EU should act in this role, based on many circumstances, including the Ukrainian factor. The EU is an independent player in the region, has interests but is not subject to the same criticism as France, the US or Russia when it comes to supporting one side or the other, he argues.

According to James Warlick, the formats of Moscow and Brussels do not compete with each other, but the EU can play a big role in this process.

The only problem with EU mediation is that, unlike the OSCE, Russia is not part of it. It would be useful, if Russia is really committed to a peaceful settlement, for the co-chairs to continue their activities with Russian participation, Warlick said.

According to Warlick, it is clear that the Russian Federation, as a party carrying out a peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh, should maintain contact with the parties, but the peace process consists not only of issues related to the peacekeeping mission, but also of many other issues, including the issue of status . Therefore, it is not in the interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan that the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace dialogue be held under the sole mediation of Moscow.

According to Ambassador Kazljarich, Moscow today does not accept, apart from its mediation, any other format of the peace process. Russia today is acting much more aggressively in bilateral relations, and sees every experience of involvement of external forces as an intervention, which especially worries Baku, says Kazljarich.
YEREVAN.  Speaker Alen Simonyan of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA) on Friday received Estonian Ambassador Riina Kaljurand, Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned from the NA.

At the meeting the priorities of cooperation of the parliaments of the two countries and the continuity of cooperation within the framework of the parliamentary diplomacy were discussed.

We always follow the activities of the Parliament of Estonia and emphasize any statement or any other manifestation on the sensitive issues for us, the RA NA President noted. He touched upon the visit of the President of the Parliament of Estonia Juri Ratas to the Azerbaijani-occupied Armenian city of Shushi in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on May 24, characterizing it extremely worrying.

According to Alen Simonyan, the statements made by Ratas in the depopulated from Armenians Shushi, do not only reflect the breath of the friendly relations existing between our two countries, but they contradict the official support of Estonia in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE PA Co-Chairmanship. The NA President informed the Ambassador that he sent a letter to the Speaker of the Estonian Parliament related to that, where he explained the essence of the conflict and the aftermath of 2020 disastrous war. The RA NA President expressed hope that the Estonian colleague will visit Armenia in the near future and will get acquainted with the situation on the spot, also will meet the officials representing Nagorno Karabakh.

Thanking the NA President for the reception, the Ambassador of Estonia expressed hope that in the near future an opportunity will be given to discuss all the issues with the President of the Estonian Parliament. She conveyed the official invitation of the President of the Estonian Parliament to the NA President, in response to which, Alen Simonyan repeated his wish to see his Estonian colleague in Armenia and gladly accepted the mutual invitation.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov attended the opening ceremony of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria of strategic importance in Komotini on July 8, Azernews reports.

I attended the opening ceremony of #IGB of strategic importance in Komotini. Exporting 2.6 million cm gas per day at full capacity to #Bulgaria since July, #Azerbaijan is a stable source of diversified #gas supply and reliable strategic partner," Shahbazov wrote on his official Twitter page.

Speaking at the ceremony, Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the IGB will give a strong boost to the energy independence of the two countries.

Today is a very important moment for Greece, Bulgaria, the entire Balkans and for the whole of Europe. Because we did not just inaugurate a natural gas transmission pipeline but an energy bridge that brings Greece and Bulgaria closer, he said.

He stressed that Greece protects its own energy independence and on the other hand becomes an energy hub for all of Europe. The prime minister mentioned that the pipeline will be connected to TAP and will also be supplied from the facilities in Alexandroupolis.

Moreover, ICGB AD project Executive Officer from the Bulgarian side Teodora Georgieva stated that the commercial launch of the IGB will guarantee secure supplies of natural gas from various sources not only for Bulgaria and Greece but also for the entire region of South-Eastern Europe.

"We have the opportunity to supply gas to the Western Balkans, to ensure supplies to Moldova and Ukraine. Today we mark together the completion of a key stage in the development of the energy system in the region taking a big step forward towards a stronger, more connected and independent Europe," she said.

She added that the end of IGB's construction comes after a number of challenges and obstacles that were able to overcome only thanks to the consistent efforts of the ICGB team, the company's shareholders, the political will of the governments of Bulgaria and Greece and the unequivocal support of the EC.

Additionally, the ICGB project Executive Officer from the Greek side Konstantinos Karayannakos stated that the IGB will reshape the energy map of South-East Europe.

The IGB is being developed from the very beginning with a number of other key projects such as TAP, TANAP and the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal in mind, and this makes it an integral part of Europe's overall energy strategy and priorities. We began working on this project in a completely different international environment, but today IGB is more necessary and important than ever," he said.

Karayannakos underlined that the IGB is a new route for secure, diversified supplies, and will reshape the energy map of the region.

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria agreed to supply 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year through the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria in 2021. However, because the IGB was still under construction, Azerbaijani gas was delivered to Bulgaria via the Kulata-Sidirokastro interconnection point.

The IGB gas pipeline connects to the Greek national gas transmission system in Komotini and the Bulgarian national gas transmission system in Stara Zagora. The pipeline's length is 182 km, with a capacity of up to 3 billion cubic meters per year in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria. The pipeline is designed to increase its capacity up to 5 bcm/y depending on market interest and the capacities of neighboring gas transmission systems.

A cooperation memorandum has been signed between ICGB AD and TAP AG regarding joint actions in relation to the future connection of the IGB pipeline and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline.

The IGB project is critical in terms of increasing supply security and diversifying gas supplies for Bulgaria and the SEE region.
Those displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as a result of the 44-day war in the fall of 2020 are protesting outside the UN office in Armenia.

They told reporters at the scene that their main demand is still to get refugee status.

Artur Stepanyan, a displaced resident of Artsakhs Hadrut, told reporters that if they are granted refugee status, they will be able to return to their homes in the event of the deoccupation of Shushi and Hadrut by Azerbaijan.

"According to point 6 of the [trilateral] statement of November 9, [2020,] refugees and displaced persons [shall] return to their places of residence," Stepanyan reminded.

He noted that the government of Armenia is not taking any steps toward granting them any status, as well as regarding other issues.

Stepanyan emphasized that now a new draft is being working on according to which that they will be given the status of "forcibly displaced person."

"Everyone evades the matter of our status. The UN says: 'It's a political matter, your authorities should resolve that matter,'" Artur Stepanyan added.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Asia next week to meet with officials from Japan, South Korea and other G20 countries in a bid to rally support for capping Russian oil prices, the Treasury Department said.

This is Yellen's first visit to the Indo-Pacific region as Treasury secretary and comes amid persistent questions about how effective capping Russian oil prices is without the support of India and other countries now buying cheap Russian oil, Reuters reports.

Yellen will hold bilateral meetings in Tokyo on July 12-13, and then meet with G-20 financial officials in Bali from July 15-16, and then hold talks in Seoul on July 19, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The trip is part of a broader drive to "reaffirm America's leadership role in the region and around the world," expand support for sanctions against Russia, and step up efforts to respond to China, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The United States and other wealthy G7 countries - Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Japan, as well as the European Union - agreed last week to explore a ban on the transportation of Russian oil sold above a certain price.

As the European Union prepares to impose a phased embargo on Russian oil and ban marine insurance on all tankers carrying Russian oil, Yellen sees the restriction as a way to keep oil flowing and prevent a price spike that could trigger a recession.

Washington was proposing a price exemption that would lift the ban on marine insurance when the price cap was met, a senior Treasury Department official said.

The details of how to structure and implement such a restriction are still being worked out, the official said, and each country needs to choose its own approach.

Some European officials are skeptical about how well the restriction will work, especially in the absence of India, China and other countries that buy large volumes of Russian oil at a discount.

Washington is in talks with a growing number of countries about the restriction, a second official said, citing good progress across the board.

Work with India will continue in the coming weeks, the official said.
YEREVAN.  Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and with the participation of the heads of relevant agencies, a consultation was held Friday on judicial and legal reforms in Armenia, the Prime Minister's Office informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In the context of judicial-legal reforms, the construction project of a new penitentiary was discussed. Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan and Deputy Minister Arpine Sargsyan presented details about the proposed model and noted that it was developed based on the study of international best practice and standards, stemming from the priority of human rights protection. Reference was made to the proposed structural solutions, working, accommodation and living conditions, and the financial assessment of the project.

An exchange of ideas was held on the above-mentioned and other related issues, the future activities were discussed.

The Prime Minister noted that the strategic perspective of the reform should be the construction of a judicial cluster, where interconnected infrastructures will be integrated. This will contribute to the increase of the effectiveness of the justice process and the interoperability of systems. The Head of the Government instructed to continue the work within the framework of this logic.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Russia have discussed the opportunities to expand cooperation in the investment and business sectors, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijan's Export and Investment Promotion Agency Adviser Zohrab Gadirov, Azerbaijan's trade representative in Russia Ruslan Aliyev, and Russian Technonikol company Managing Partner Sergey Kolesnikov in Moscow.

During the meeting, Zohrab Gadirov briefed on the measures permanently taken to improve the business climate in Azerbaijan and ensure the establishment and development of industrial zones, as well as on the Alat Free Economic Zone, which provides additional opportunities for attracting investment in the non-oil sector.

Azerbaijan and Russia cooperate in different sectors, such as economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. Over 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented.

Azerbaijan's investments in the Russian economy have exceeded $1.2 billion, with the majority of the investments being in the non-oil sector. In addition, Russian investments in Azerbaijan's economy totaled $6.3 billion with $5 billion in the oil sector and $1.3 billion in non-oil sectors.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to $2.9 billion in 2021, making Russia Azerbaijans third-largest partner.
US President Joe Biden said he was stunned, outraged and deeply saddened by the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and also considers the incident a tragedy for Japan, follows from a message published on the White House website on Friday.

"I am stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the news that my friend Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning. This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him," Biden said in a statement.

The American president noted that Abe was a supporter of an alliance between the United States and Japan, between the peoples of the two countries.

Shinzo Abe was attacked at around 11:30 local time in the Japanese city of Nara during a street speech by the politician. The attacker, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, fired two shots behind the politician's back, from over 10 meters. After the second shot, Abe fell. During the attack, he received a gunshot wound to the right side of the neck, which caused bleeding. Bleeding was also recorded in the chest area on the left. Doctors called the possible cause of death of the politician a loss of blood. Abe was 67 years old.

Yamagami was detained on the spot, he later confessed to his deed.
Expo trade calls for roadmap on easing curbs

Expo trade calls for roadmap on easing curbs

Some convention and exhibition sector representatives on Friday called on the government to provide a clear roadmap on the lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions.



They said their trade has been hit hard by the pandemic, pointing out that six exhibitions have been moved from Hong Kong to Singapore, Thailand and the UAE, some permanently, over the easing of travel restrictions in other countries.



The vice chairman of the Exhibition and Convention Industry Association, Peter Cheung, said more organisers may follow suit if Hong Kong maintains its current quarantine arrangements.



"I fully understand the current Hong Kong situation, I'm not asking for free quarantine at this moment," he said at an online press conference organised by the DAB and attended by two dozen trade representatives.



"I do want to have a very clear roadmap, on what conditions [we] can reach free quarantine, and the timeline."



Cheung noted that exhibitions require some nine months of planning, hence the need for a roadmap and timeline to normalcy.



DAB lawmaker Holden Chow said the government should begin lifting the restrictions by first cutting the current seven-day hotel quarantine for arrivals to five days, plus two days of home quarantine.



"For the best part of three years, the exhibition and convention industry has suffered a lot," he said. "We really need to catch up, otherwise the business will be gone to other jurisdictions like Singapore, Thailand and Japan."



Fellow councillor Kennedy Wong, who represents the import and export sector, added that some small and medium enterprises in the trade have told him that if their woes continue, they may have to fold by the end of the year.
Bangalore (Karnataka) [India] July 8 (ANI/NewsVoir): e-con Systems - a leading designer of embedded vision cameras for a range of industries, has recently opened its new center in Bangalore. The multi-national company already has a strong presence in several geographies like North America, Israel, South Korea, Japan, and Europe, among others. In India, it already has two development centers in Chennai. This new branch in Bangalore will primarily be a sales-focused premise where e-con can serve more customers in India. After running the full-fledged profitable business for almost two decades, the founders of e-con Systems are now in the final stages of raising USD 10 million in funding from PE investors. This new investment will be utilized for an aggressive expansion spree, which will include geographical expansion of the sales force as well as strengthening and growing its R&D team. They are looking to grow their employee base by 50 per cent. Currently, e-con Systems has a workforce of 400 people and is poised to grow to 600 people by the end of 2023. e-con Systems is very bullish on the growth prospects for its embedded vision solutions. Along with the adoption of AI processing on the edge, embedded vision is transforming every single industry from manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, transportation, sports, health care, life sciences, and so on. These new technology applications are not only transforming the existing industries but also creating new markets and applications for embedded vision solutions. e-con Systems is a market leader in the segment and is very well positioned to leverage this opportunity for its growth and for creating value for every customer and the end-users. Ashok Babu, Co-founder and President, e-con Systems India Pvt. Ltd., said, "We are seeing that Indian companies are leading the embedded vision-enabled transformation with their new products and solutions. For example, the e-commerce industry has germinated many companies in India offering autonomous mobile robots, vision guidance robots, etc., which are powered by embedded vision solutions, and with our new office in Bangalore, we will be part of the India Growth Story. Our customers can not only get the cameras from e-con but also customized solutions and complete system-level solutions to build their entire product." Started 18 years ago by Ashok Babu, Harishankkar and Maharajan Veerabahu, e-con Systems is one of the most well-renowned brands for camera solutions. e-con Systems has 250+ customers today actively using e-con's cameras in mass production. About 70 per cent of the business comes from The United States, 20 per cent from the EU, and the remaining from Japan and Korea. Today, e-con Systems has evolved into a leading embedded vision camera designer and supplier with a robust global footprint, providing end-to-end camera solutions like MIPI camera modules, GMSL cameras, USB 3.1 Gen 1 cameras, stereo cameras, TOF cameras and more. The company is also powered by a strong partner ecosystem that enables it to offer end-to-end vision solutions, including sensor partners, ISP partners, and carrier board partners, to name a few. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Billboard said that according to a filing from the US Attorney's Office, Kenneth Petty was also ordered to pay a $55,000 fine as part of his sentence, which also included three years of probation and a year of in-home detention.

Previously, he was charged in 2019 following his arrest at a traffic stop in Beverly Hills, when police discovered he had not registered as a sex offender in the state when he moved there three years prior from New York.

Petty, as previously reported, registered with the California Megan's Law database, which tracks local sex offenders in California, in March 2020.

Though the Los Angeles District Attorney's office dropped the charges, he faced federal charges from the Department of Justice for failing to register immediately, as required by the 2006 Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

After being convicted of attempted rape in the first degree in 1994, more than two decades before he married Minaj, the New York State Department classified Petty as a level-two sex offender with a moderate risk of reoffending.

Jennifer Hough, the 16-year-old girl Petty attempted to rape, sued Minaj and Petty last year, accusing them of "witness intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, harassment, assault, battery, sexual assault, and sexual harassment."

Minaj has stood by her man. Underneath a 2018 Instagram post, she clapped back at those who continued to criticize Petty's criminal past. "He was 15, she was 16... in a relationship. But go awf Internet," she wrote.

In a 2019 episode of her Queen Radio show on Apple Music, Minaj told her fans, "You've gotta cover your husband in prayer," before claiming that he was wrongfully accused.

Petty and Minaj, who married in 2019, moved to California and have a son. (ANI)
'Mean Girls' actor Lindsay Lohan shared a glimpse of her having "fun in the sun" during her recent trip to Turkey. "Fun in the sun!" captioned Lohan on Instagram, adding a string of sun and heart emojis, as reported by People magazine. In the first picture, Lohan faced her back to the camera as she stood on a wooden-floored balcony, seemingly admiring the Turkish view in front of her. She kept her blonde hair loose and donned a pretty pink-hued long dress, knotted from behind. She held a lavish tangerine-coloured bag, standing in elegance. Lohan shared another picture of the scenic location, with a vast expanse of the blue waters below and blue skies above, contrasted by the lineup of hills. The 'Freaky Friday' actor triggered our taste buds in the next picture which revealed plates filled with a plethora of delicacies from salads, lemons, shrimps, and many more. As for the fourth picture, Lohan shared a sun-kissed selfie, looking flawless in the soft glow of the sun. She had tied her hair in a bun and donned a little glittery pendant alongside a pair of small studded earrings. The background of blue waters peeked from behind her. Lohan's mother, Dina Lohan and her brother Cody Lohan commented on her pictures alongside an outpouring of love and appreciation from the actor's fans. "So peaceful, love and light my beautiful girl," wrote Dina, as reported by People magazine. "Can't wait to see you," commented Cody. Meanwhile, talking about Lohan, she sparked marriage rumours after posting a recent picture with her fiance Bader Shammas on social media. Taking to Instagram, the actor called herself the 'luckiest woman in the world' and addressed Shammas as her 'husband'. Although neither Lohan nor Shammas had announced their marriage on social media, official reports have confirmed their wedding. Both Lohan and Shammas had been dating for over two years before they got engaged in November. On the film front, Lohan will be back in action for her next cinematic venture, a Netflix holiday rom-com titled 'Falling for Christmas', slated for release this year. (ANI)
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has said that the implementation of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) is the beginning of an important stage in the development of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and an indicator of the diversification of the Southern Gas Corridor.

He made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the IGB, which will transport Azerbaijani natural gas to Bulgaria in Komotini, Greece, Azernews reports.

The inauguration of the IGB is a strategically important event in the diversification of energy supply of Bulgaria and Southeast Europe and in ensuring consumers access to affordable and clean energy, he said.

The minister stressed that Azerbaijan is not only a stable and strategic source of diversified gas supplies for European countries, including Bulgaria and Greece but also a reliable partner.

Over a year, 13.5 bcm of gas have been supplied to Europe. Of these, 1.4 bcm of gas have been directed to Greece and 440 million cubic meters to Bulgaria. 160 million cubic meters of gas were transported to Bulgaria in the first 6 months, and a total of 600 million cubic meters of gas is planned to be exported by the end of the year. Since July 1, a full volume of 2.6 million cubic meters of gas has been exported to Bulgaria daily, an increase of 1.7 million cubic meters in daily supply, he said.

Shahbazov also emphasized the importance of cooperation between the countries for sustainable energy security. He added that the realization of the SGC including its newest IGB branch, and supplying Azerbaijani gas to Europe at a time when it is most needed are the results of high-level cooperation, solidarity, mutual trust, and support between the countries.

The Southern Gas Corridor would not have been possible if the historic Istanbul Agreement was not signed. We would not have been able to achieve consistent results if not for regular close contacts, great coordination, responsible behavior, and firm cooperation between our countries in the format of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council since 2015, he said.

The minister underlined that the SGC is the greatest achievement of the EU-Azerbaijan energy partnership so far.

Azerbaijani Energy Minister, Greek Prime Minister, and Bulgarian Prime Minister addressed the ceremony.

In September 2013, Bulgargaz EAD signed a 25-years contract on the purchase of 1bcm of gas per year within the Shah Deniz 2. In May 2019, the ground-breaking ceremony of the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector (IGB) was held in Kirkovo, Bulgaria.
Bommai, who chaired a meeting of the Kaginele Development Authority, said that the Kanakadasa palace is attracting thousands of tourists. Sound and light shows should be started to further improve facilities.

Referring to the animation films on saint-poet Kanakadasa's life being exhibited at the palace, Bommai instructed the officials to upgrade the technology to exhibit 3D films, the CMO informed in an official statement.

Ministers Shivaram Hebbar, BC Patil and senior officials were also present. (ANI)
NDA presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu is scheduled to meet Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs and MPs here on Friday to get their support for her election on July 18. A rousing welcome will be given to Murmu, who is daughter of Odisha, here after her arrival at the airport on Friday morning. Murmu would meet the BJD MLAs and MPs at the Odisha Assembly conference hall at around 10.30 a.m. Murmu will meet the BJP legislators at the state Guest House, sources said. She is also likely to meet BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the latter's residence Naveen Niwas. "Murmu will attend a meeting of all BJD MLAs and MPs here at the Assembly at 10.30 a.m. The Chief Minister has already appealed to all legislators of Odisha to support her as she belongs to the state. We hope she will get a good response," said BJP MLA Amar Satpathy. BJP legislator Jayant Sarangi said all elected members, irrespective of party, should support Murmu because it's about the motherland. Independent MLA Makaranda Muduli, who has already announced his support for the NDA nominee, said: "We will give her a rousing welcome as she will be back to Odisha tomorrow." However, Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra once again made it clear that his party members are not going to support Murmu in the election as the presidential election is being fought with policy and ideology. "Yashwant Sinha is a son of Bihar. Will the BJP members from Bihar support him?" Mishra questioned while commenting on BJP's appeal. Meanwhile, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi said he will support Murmu as Odisha is proud of her nomination. Once elected, she will bring glory for Odisha at international level, said Panigrahi, who is expelled from the BJD. He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for selecting Murmu for the country's top post. --IANS bbm/pgh ( 331 Words) 2022-07-07-22:50:02 (IANS)
The programme supplies free lunches on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes in government schools.

The menu of the mid-day meals is dal, rice, egg and veg biryani.

Mohammad Ahmed, a student of class 6 from the boy's government school in Hyderabad stated that they get mid-day meals every day, they get Dal, rice and egg. "The meals are very tasty. We get time to play and the teachers are very good," Ahmed said.

Mohd Rizwan Ali, an Assistant Physical Science teacher of government boys high school, Golconda stated, " a mid-day meal is a thoughtful concept. Every day they get food for students and on Saturdays, they provide students with Veg Biryani. The government scheme of mid-day meals is a good initiative."

A 9th class student of Government boys' school said, " we get dal rice and eggs every day, I urge KCR to continue this facility."

Suresh, a teacher said, "every day around 200 kids eat food, daily we get dal and rice and every alternate day we get eggs, Veg Biryani on Saturdays. There are economically weaker people in school who cannot afford breakfast and directly they eat lunch here. So, I thank the government for providing Mid-day meals and urge the government to continue the meals."

"Every day more than 250 kids eat the mid-day meals here," he added. (ANI)
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa has come down heavily on the BJP government for curtailing the assembly session for two weeks and has said that it has failed in all aspects, and hence afraid to face opposition and getting exposed. AAP's Benaulim MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas asserted that the BJP government in Goa has failed miserably in all spheres, which is why "the frightened BJP government has cited 'Panchayat elections' as a reason to curtail assembly sessions to avoid getting exposed to its failures". "The government's decision to curtail assembly sessions was both in contravention of procedural norms as well as 'inadequate' to discuss issues of public interest," Viegas said. AAP's Velim MLA Cruz Silva said that the BJP government has been running away from discussing the problems of the people. "BJP's last term set a record of having the least number of sittings in the 5 years, by controlling the opposition and by purchasing their MLAs. However, this time, the AAP will force the government to answer questions of the common people. In spite of the curtailed assembly session, we will keep being the voice of the Goans and raise the issues that concern them," Silva said. AAP has two MLAs in forty members of Goa legislative assembly. AAP Goa president Adv Amit Palekar said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is trying to whitewash the government's failures with media propaganda, while the common man continues to suffer. "The BJP government has failed to improve law and order conditions in the state, control price rise, build infrastructure to hold national games, resolve waterlogging and potholes issues, or appoint a Women Commissioner or a Central Library Curator. In addition, the state government has failed to protect OBC reservation rights in panchayat elections, or properly conduct the monsoon assembly session which is supposed to be the most important session of the year," Palekar said. --IANS sanjay/pgh ( 329 Words) 2022-07-07-23:12:02 (IANS)
Commute from Rajiv Chowk to Sohna will become easier as the 22 km Sohna Elevated Road, which was constructed over a period of four years, will soon get inaugurated. The much-awaited Sohna Elevated Road will save fuel and time for the commuters as the journey which used to take 60 minutes will now take 15 minutes. The Sohna elevated road project has two parts -- an elevated 8.94km section from Subash Chowk to a point beyond Badshahpur, which will be opened in July. The second part is a 12.72 km-long stretch from Badshahpur to Sohna, a part of which was opened for vehicular movement on April 1 this year. Atar Singh, a resident of Sohna, while talking to ANI said, " this elevated road is going to bring big relief to the people. At present, it takes up to an hour to cover this distance." On the matter of increasing toll tax, Singh said, "it is good if the toll is less, but if the toll tax is increased for this special facility, then there is nothing to worry about." Apart from Atar Singh, others are very worried about the news of an increase in toll tax. "If it increases, it will be very difficult because we have to travel daily. We are local people, now we have to pay only Rs 45 toll tax and it is being told that it can go up to Rs 100," said the locals. " Will get rid of traffic jams. Fuel will be saved to a great extent and time is not to be said.. Now it takes more than an hour to reach, which will be completed in just 20 minutes," said Tarun Yadav who travels daily from Sohna to Rajiv Chowk or beyond in his own car. As soon as the elevated road starts, lakhs of people living in the societies on both sides will now be able to reach their homes soon without getting stuck in traffic jams. Thousands of people commuting to Sohna and Gurugram every day will save time as well as fuel. Rakesh Bhardwaj, Chief Project Manager of the manufacturer, who is looking after the work of the elevated road from Rajiv Chowk to ISKCON Temple, said, " all the preparations have been completed. Soon the portion of the elevated rod from Rajiv Chowk to Badshahpur, ISKCON Temple will be completed. The inauguration will be done. Let us tell you that the part from Badshahpur-ISKCON Temple till Sohna has already been opened for passengers." This elevated road will not only ease the travel of people from Rajiv Chowk to Sohna, but one can also call it Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Varanasi on Thursday, said a press release by Prime Minister's Office. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that 'our education system and young generation carry a big part of realizing the pledges of the 'Amrit Kaal', added the statement. He conveyed his best wishes for the Samagam while bowing to Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Akshay Patra Mid-Day Meal Kitchen at LT College, as per the statement. He said that the high level of talent of the students that he interacted with is an indication of the effort that will be needed to harness that talent. The Prime Minister said that "the basic premise of the National Education Policy is to take education out of narrow thinking and connect it with the modern ideas of the 21st century." The Prime Minister noted that in areas like space technology, where earlier only the government used to do everything, now a new world is being created for the youth through private players. Sectors that used to be closed to women are now showcasing their talent. The Prime Minister highlighted that in the new policy, the entire focus is on making children skilled according to their talents and choices of the children. "Our youth should be skilled, confident, practical and calculative, education policy is preparing the ground for this", he said. The Prime Minister lauded the effort that went into the preparation of NEP, however, he emphasized that the momentum was not let down after the preparation of the policy. There has been constant discussion and work on the implementation of the Policy. The Ministry of Education is organising Shiksha Samagam from July 7 to July 9. It will provide a platform for eminent academicians, policymakers and academic leaders to deliberate and share their experiences and discuss the roadmap for effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The event is being organised as part of capacity building of more than 300 Academic, Administrative & Institutional Leaders from Universities (Central, State, Deemed, and Private), and Institutes of National Importance (IIT, IIM, NIT, IISER) from all over the country. Various stakeholders would present the progress of implementation of NEP in their respective institutions and would also share noteworthy implementation strategies, best practices and success stories. During the three-day Shiksha Samagam, panel discussions on nine themes identified for Higher Education under NEP 2020 will be conducted. These themes are Multidisciplinary and Holistic Education; Skill Development and Employability; Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Capacity Building of Teachers for Quality Education; Quality, Ranking and Accreditation; Digital Empowerment and Online Education; Equitable and Inclusive Education; Indian Knowledge System; and Internationalisation of Higher Education. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Friday posted for hearing on July 11, a plea filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction challenging the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari's decision to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government and also the Speaker's election and floor test. A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari posted the matter for Monday, along with other pending pleas. Mentioning the matter for hearing, senior advocate Devadatt Kamath said the plea challenges the decision of appointing Eknath Shinde as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and asked that the fresh plea be heard on July 11 when other matters are coming up for hearing. The bench then ordered the listing of the matter before the appropriate bench on July 11. The fresh plea filed by the Thackeray-led faction through its General Secretary Subhash Desai challenged the validity of Assembly proceedings on July 3 and 4 where the rebel faction supported BJP's new Speaker and then went in to prove majority in the House. "Pass an appropriate writ/order/direction quashing the decision dated June 30, 2022 of the Governor to invite Respondent no. 4 (Eknathrao Sambhaji Shinde) to take oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and form the Government. Pass an appropriate direction quashing the illegal proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held on July 3 and consequently the election of the Speaker. Pass an appropriate direction quashing the illegal proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held on July 4 and consequently the Confidence Motion in favour of Respondent no. 4," stated the plea. It further sought direction to call for the records of all pending disqualification petitions filed against rebel MLAs pending before the Speaker/Deputy Speaker. Desai in the plea said, since rebel MLAs have not merged with other party, they are liable to be disqualified under the 10th Schedule. "The facts of the present case there is no merger as envisaged under para 4 of the Tenth Schedule. These rebel MLAs have not merged in any other political party or formed a new political party, therefore even if it is assumed they formed 2/3rd strength of the Legislature party, para 4 of the Tenth Schedule is not at all attracted. Because the President of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) had publicly and admittedly not aligned/supported the BJP. In these circumstances, the satisfaction of the Governor for the purpose of calling upon Shinde to be the Chief Minister as the head of 39 rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena (which is not endorsed by the Shiv Sena Political Party) is by itself ex facie unconstitutional," the plea added. On June 29, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. Refusing to stay the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30, the bench issued notice on Prabhu's plea against floor test. On June 27, the top court granted interim relief to Shinde and other rebel MLAs to file their reply to disqualification notices issued to them by the Deputy Speaker by July 12, 5.30 pm. Earlier, the Deputy Speaker had granted them time to file a reply by June 27, 5.30 pm. The order of the apex court had come while hearing the petitions filed by the Shinde group challenging the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker to 16 rebel MLAs as well as the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader. (ANI)
The two hacker groups listed by the officials include Dragon Force Malaysia and Hacktivist Indonesia.

"Over 2,000 websites were hacked by hacker groups. Ahmedabad Cybercrime has written to Malaysian and Indonesian governments along with writing to Interpol for lookout notice for both groups," said DCP, Cyber Crime, Ahmedabad, Amit Vasava.

Both the hacker groups had appealed to communities from all over the world to initiate a cyber-attack on India.

Details like the whereabouts of BJP's former spokesperson Nupur Sharma, personal details of Andhra Pradesh police and personal details of the Aadhaar cards and PAN cards of several people were placed in the public domain by the hackers.

Also, the Thane police website was hacked. (ANI)
Amid the ongoing 'Kaali' poster row in the country, filmmaker Leena Manimekalai struck another stir as she referred to Godess Kali as 'queer' and called her a free spirit who spits on patriarchy. Taking on a micro blogging site she wrote that Kali dismantles Hindutva. "My Kaali is queer. She is a free spirit. She spits at the patriarchy. She dismantles Hindutva. She destroys capitalism, She embraces everyone with all her thousand hands, " Leena Manimekalai tweeted. Delhi Police on July 7 registered a case against the documentary film 'Kaali' and its director Manimekalai for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with its poster. The Cyber Crime Unit of the Delhi Police registered an FIR under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between groups) and 295 A (outraging religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Also, the Indian High Commission on Monday urged the Canadian authorities to withdraw the disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods showcased as part of the 'Under the Tent' project at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. "We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all such provocative material," the Indian High Commission in Canada said. The filmmaker has been accused of hurting religious sentiments after she shared a poster of her documentary 'Kaali' which portrays Goddess Kali smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag. The controversy followed huge reactions across the country. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who has been booked for her comment on Goddess Kali, on Wednesday dared the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to prove that whatever she said is wrong. "I do not want to live in an India where BJP's monolithic patriarchal brahminical view of Hinduism will prevail and the rest of us will tiptoe around religion. I will defend this till I die. File your FIRs - will see you in every court in the land," tweeted Moitra. "I challenge the BJP anywhere in the country to prove anything that I said is wrong," Moitra added. The TMC leader has been booked for allegedly hurting religious sentiments after her comment on Goddess Kali stirred a controversy. An FIR has been registered in Bhopal against Moitra under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for hurting religious sentiments. She had called Kali "meat-eating" and "alcohol-accepting". Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Hindu religious sentiments have been hurt by Moitra's statement and that insult to Hindu deities will not be tolerated at any cost. Reacting to the complaints against her by the BJP leaders, the TMC MP said: "Bring it on BJP! Am a Kali worshipper. I am not afraid of anything. Not your ignoramuses. Not your goons. Not your police. And most certainly not your trolls. Truth doesn't need back up forces." Soon after she made those remarks on Kali, the TMC distanced itself saying the comments were made in her personal capacity. In a tweet, the TMC said the comments made by Mahua Moitra and her views expressed on Goddess Kali have been made in her personal capacity "and are NOT ENDORSED BY THE PARTY in ANY MANNER OR FORM". "All India Trinamool Congress strongly condemns such comments," the party tweeted. Moitra's remarks came after a controversy erupted over a poster of filmmaker Leena Manimekalai's documentary 'Kaali'. The poster of the film depicted a woman dressed in a costume portraying the goddess and smoking. A flag of the LGBT community is seen in the background. Meanwhile, Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi said that people must be careful when they play with the emotions of people which are reflected in such symbols, culture and faith. "We won't like to comment on other parties, but I believe that balance must be maintained in symbols and essence of our faith. Heart and spirit of our culture cannot be trivialised by anybody anywhere be it elsewhere, abroad or here," he said. Meanwhile, Siliguri BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh from Siliguri lodged a complaint against TMC MP Mahua Moitra at Siliguri Police Station for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments. Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said, "All of us including Sanatan people will take out a rally in Krishna Nagar against her (Mahua Moitra's) filthy comments... If no action is taken, next week we will approach court for police inaction.TMC is an anti-Hindu party, does appeasement politics, and supports Rohingyas." (ANI)
Aam Admi Party's state vice-president Bhaskar Rao demanded Karnataka Education Minister B C Nagesh's resignation holding him responsible for neglecting the development of government schools and an increase in school dropouts. "DCS departments have mentioned in their reports to the High Court that about 10.12 lakh children under the age of 14 have dropped out from government schools and anganwadis. BBMP has identified that in Bengaluru a total of 720 children have dropped out of school out of which 534 children are into begging and 186 children are working, said Rao. He thus appealed to the Governor to dismiss Education Minister B C Nagesh from the cabinet as he and the education department have failed to take measures to attract children into the schools. He also highlighted that BJP government in the southern state failed to provide cycle, shoes, socks etc to the students which were provided in previous years and instead they have involved themselves in controversies like the hijab row, textbook revision and others. "Government school buildings are in appalling condition and the students are scared to sit in such classrooms. The schools lack basic facilities like playground, toilets, drinking water amongst others. The government schemes like Vidyasiri, Ksheera Bhagya, Bisioota and others have also not been in place correctly," he added. While speaking to the media, Aam Admi Party's women's wing president Kushala Swamy said that the students were yet to receive Kannada books at Bangalore university. "It's been 2 months since the classes at Bangalore university have begun and the students have still not received Kannada books. During the last semester the books were issued when only 2 weeks were left for the exam. Looks like even this time students will be in the same messy situation," said Swamy. Swamy also stressed that students and teachers were in a fix as the pdf copy of the syllabus was not provided to them yet. "The entire education sector, irrespective of whether it is anganwadi, school or college, has reached a pathetic condition under the BJP government," added Swamy. AAP's Bengaluru women's wing members Usha Mohan, Maria, Suhasini Phaniraj, Suman Prashanth and others attended the press conference. (ANI)
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Armenian armed forces have shelled Azerbaijani military positions near the state border in the liberated Kalbajar region, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

On the evening of July 7, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various caliber weapons, subjected to fire the Azerbaijani army positions located in Kalbajars Yukhari Ayrim village from their positions in Basarkechar regions Zarkand village close to the state border, the ministry said.

Units of the Azerbaijani army took appropriate retaliatory measures to suppress the opposite side, the report added.

Armenia periodically shells Azerbaijani military positions on its liberated territories. The previous truce violation was recorded on July 6 in the same direction on the state border. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry blamed the Armenian military-political leadership for aggravating the situation on the state border.

Earlier, Ilham Aliyev stated that peace will return to the Caucasus based on the five principles Baku recently proposed for normalizing relations with Armenia.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's recent inflammatory comments accusing Azerbaijan of planning a new war in the region were categorically repudiated by official Baku.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stressed that if Armenia truly desires peace, it must demonstrate political will and take genuine efforts toward peace, rather than waste time resurrecting the Minsk Group format of which the efficiency was always poor, and this has now been publicly admitted.
A Sessions Court of Patiala House Court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to three including the NSUI's former state president in case of a protest outside JP Nadda's house against the Agniveer Scheme. The Police had slapped the protesters with criminal conspiracy to commit an attempt to murder and arsoning charges against 9-10 students of the National Students Union of India. The Special Court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Jain granted anticipatory bail to the three NSUI student leaders including its former State President Akshay Lakra, Gurjot Singh and Arjun Chhaprana in a criminal conspiracy for arson and attempt to murder for protesting outside the house of BJP President JP Nadda on June 21. Advocate Harpreet Singh Hora and Perdeep Naagar argued for the accused persons that on July 4 the Police issued them a notice of arrest and now they were seeking the arrest of the protestors while they committed no offence. The Court observed that the accused persons are advocates and law students, that have no criminal background and were only involved in sloganeering. The Court also noted that the main accused was already on bail in the said case and hence it granted anticipatory bail to the three accused persons. "The accused were practising advocates and students of law and did not commit any act in arsoning, rioting, mischief, attempt to murder, etc. The main accused persons have already been released on bail. The role of the present accused persons was only in sloganeering and they have already joined the investigation and no purpose will be served by sending if sent to the jail," the counsels submitted. The public prosecutor, who appeared for the Delhi Police submitted that the present accused persons were part of a protest as was clear from the CCTV footage, however on query it stated that they have not done any over tact except sloganeering. The accused persons had protested outside JP Nadda's house on June 21 and allegedly set fire to a Khaki half pant raising slogans against the Agniveer Scheme. The Police had registered a case under section 188, 146, 147, 149, 278, 285, 307, 436, and 120B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and several accused persons were arrested in the case. The trio had approached the Court and was granted five working days arrest notice by the Court on 28 June 2022, and was later served with notices of arrest by the Police. (ANI)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a chargesheet in the Court of Special Judge (POCSO court), Ranaghat against nine accused in a case related to the alleged gang-rape and murder of a minor girl in Hanskhali in Nadia district. CBI had registered a case on April 13 against four accused and unidentified others in compliance with the Calcutta High Court order and took over the investigation of the case earlier registered at Hanskhali Police Station relating to the alleged gang-rape and murder of a minor girl. CBI investigation revealed that the minor victim was allegedly gang-raped by three accused after intoxicating her. It was further alleged that the family of the minor victim was threatened by three other accused in conspiracy with the prime accused, preventing the family of the minor victim to take her to the hospital. The minor victim died on the following morning. It was also alleged that the accused immediately took the dead body of the victim and cremated the body without giving an opportunity for medical examination. The accused against whom CBI filed chargesheet include Soyal Gayali alias Brojo, Angsuman Bagchi, Prabhakar Poddar, Ranjit Mallick, Akash Barai alias Tarak, Dipta Gayali, Samarendu Gayali, Pijush Kanti Bhakta. Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
Satyendar Jain is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a money laundering case after his bail application was rejected by the court.

On July 1, the ED arrested Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, the two associates of the Health Minister.

The ED had initiated the money laundering probe on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI in 2017 under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Jain, his wife Poonam Jain, Ajit Prasad Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain, Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain.

A charge-sheet was filed by the CBI on December 3, 2018 against Jain, Poonam Jain and other accused persons. It was alleged that Jain, while holding office as a minister in the Delhi government between February 14, 2015 and May 31, 2017, had acquired assets which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The CBI had accused Jain, his wife and other accused persons of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

On March 31 this year, the ED had provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies beneficially owned or controlled by Jain.

Jain was placed under arrest on May 30 by the ED under Section 19 of the PMLA.

--IANS atk/uk/arm

( 253 Words)

2022-07-08-19:10:05 (IANS)
As the world on Friday mourned the death of former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, UAE-based Indian entrepreneur Shamsheer Vayalil recalled his meeting with Abe. In 2015, Shamsheer's business trip to Delhi coincided with Abe's official three-day visit to strengthen India-Japan bilateral ties. Shamsheer, the founder and CEO of Burjeel Holdings, got a unique opportunity to meet Abe on the first day of his trip to discuss medical technology cooperation opportunities with Japan. Ahead of the meeting, Shamsheer remembered reading about Abe's paternal grandfather's connection with India. Abe's grandfather, the then Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, was introduced to Members of Parliament by the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, saying: "This is the Prime Minister of Japan, the country I respect the most." The memory of reading about Abe's grandfather inspired Shamsheer to pick out a golden beige-coloured Nehru jacket to present to the Japanese leader. After greeting the former Japan Prime Minister, Shamsheer presented the jacket to him. "He was intrigued when he saw the golden beige jacket and said 'let us try it on now'." "He asked me to help him put the jacket over his white shirt. He then happily posed for a photo wearing the jacket. "He didn't remove the jacket even when I left, making it seem like a symbol of friendship between India and Japan," Shamsheer recalls. He further recalled that on the second day, along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Japanese leader visited Modi's parliamentary constituency of Varanasi. It was a significant visit that attracted attention from the international media. The highlight of the day was when both the leaders participated together in the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, Abe was dressed in the golden beige jacket over a black shirt. When the images of Abe walking towards the Ghat appeared on the TV, Shamsheer realised the extent to which his gift had been appreciated. Abe died after he was shot while addressing an election rally in the city of Nara, according to state media. "Officials say former Japanese Prime Minister #Abe Shinzo has been confirmed #dead. He was reportedly #shot during a speech on Friday in the city of #Nara, near Kyoto," official broadcaster NHK tweeted. According to NHK, the attack took place at around 11.30 a.m. (local time) near the Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara city while the 67-year-old former leader was making a speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate's election campaign. The police said that Abe was shot twice, with the second shot hitting him in the back, causing him to fall to the ground. --IANS sg/pgh ( 446 Words) 2022-07-08-20:52:04 (IANS)
The Congress party's decision to host an event to mark the 75th birthday of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah next month is an attempt at a patch up between the warring factions of Siddaramaiah and state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar. The Congress, buoyed by an internal survey which predicted a comfortable majority in Karnataka in the upcoming assembly elections, does not want to take any chances that the rivalry between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah may spoil the chances of attaining power in the state. Siddaramaiah's birthday event will be organised on August 3. His supporters were planning to host a grand ceremony on the occasion highlighting his performance, much to the chagrin of the Shivakumar camp. It is an open secret that both the leaders are eyeing the post of chief minister if the Congress comes to power. The ruling BJP's former minister K.S. Eshwarappa said that the Congress party in the state is going to split into two immediately after the celebration of Siddaramaiah's birthday. He chided Shivakumar that he should have opposed the move to celebrate Siddaramaiah's birthday. The infighting has already started in the Congress. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are going to be defeated in the upcoming assembly elections, they are daydreaming of becoming CM, he maintained. Rumours have started circulating that Siddaramaiah's associates, who have already given statements that he is the future CM, will use this opportunity to pitch him as the CM candidate. The party high command which sensed trouble in this regard, had decided to celebrate his birthday on the party's platform, say insiders. Siddaramaiah talking to media persons on Friday stated that there are no sages in politics. "Are we sages? Are Rahul Gandhi, Shivakumar sages who have given up everything in life? The message is going there and the politics is very much there. My party leaders are only celebrating the birthday." Party insiders said that the Shivakumar camp is organizing a massive walkathon to mark the 75th Independence Day celebrations in the state to counter the birthday bash programmes. Commenting on this, D.K. Suresh, Congress MP and younger brother of Shivakumar, stated that there are no differences within the party. "One lakh people are taking part in the massive walkathon to mark 75th Independence Day. He has done a good job as the CM of Karnataka. He has lived for 75 years. In the present age, living for 75 years is itself a tough job. A shepherd goes on to become the CM and present budgets, what more is required to celebrate, it is a major phase in terms of achievement," he stated. Siddaramaiah hails from the Kuruba community and has a pan-Karnataka appeal among all the backward classes and minorities. His stinging remarks about the RSS, the ruling BJP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earned him a strong image in state politics. Shivakumar on the other hand hails from the dominant Vokkaliga community. His loyalty to the party is unquestionable. He played a key role in installing the JD (S)-Congress coalition government in the recent past which collapsed as major Congress leaders identified themselves with Siddaramaiah and chose to join BJP. --IANS mka/bg IANS ( 543 Words) 2022-07-08-21:00:07 (IANS)
Reacting to the controversies triggered by her recent comments on worshipping Goddess Kali, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said on Friday that the BJP leaders filing FIRs against her for her comments should file affidavits and claim that alcohol and meat are not offered to Goddess Kali during her worship. She also drew references to three popular temples in India -- Maa Tara temple at Tarapith in West Bengal, Shaktipeeth Temple at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and Kamkhya Temple in Guwahati. According to Moitra, in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Assam, the Chief Ministers should inform through affidavits that 'karanbari' (alcohol) and meat are not offered there for worship. Reacting to a section of the media, she also said that since she herself is a devotee of Goddess Kali, she is aware of the forms of worship and cannot even think of making any statement that will hurt the sentiments of the Kali worshippers. Stating that some of her well-wishers are also questioning as to why she drew this reference, Moitra said if the educated class avoids debates, the BJP will force its own idea of Hinduism on people. "These days people are scared to join debates on religion and the BJP is taking advantage of that. Hinduism is my religion as well, and I know what I have said is not incorrect and so I will not deviate from my stand," Moira said. Commenting on her party Trinamool Congress not endorsing her views in this matter, she said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is her supreme leader and the matter will surely be discussed in the proper forum within the party. The state BJP leadership, however, has rubbished her comments and claimed that as an elected MP, Moitra is not supposed to give lectures on styles and rituals of worship. They also demanded an unconditional apology from her. --IANS src/arm ( 328 Words) 2022-07-08-22:26:02 (IANS)
Amid power shortage in Pakistan, the 969-megawatt (MW) Neelum-Jhelum hydro power project, shut down in the country due to leakage in the tunnel, reports said. The project was completed at the cost of Rs 508 billion. The reason for the closure of the power project is due to major cracks in its tailrace tunnel, the Dawn reported. Power Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said during an interaction with the media that "Neelum-Jhelum is unfortunately offline. Details of its suspension or fault have not been concluded yet and full investigations are under way of all its channels, which are deep and long, some of them under huge mountains." The project was completed in 2002 after 21 years of delay and was completed in 2018 -- with escalating cost and missed deadlines. In the project, the construction of about 58 km of tunnels was executed by Chinese company CGGC-CMEC (Gezhouba Group) which commissioned the work in December 2007. The project was producing 1,069 MW against its installed capacity of 969 MW and was generating more than five billion units of electricity to the national grid at an average rate of about Rs 9 per unit. According to Dawn, the WAPDA -- Water and Power Development Authority, which handles operation of the hydropower stations, has confirmed that the "tailrace tunnel has been blocked and as a result the power station has been closed for safety reasons". WAPDA said in a statement: "The reasons for the closure of the tailrace tunnel are currently being investigated. Steps would be taken to remove the blockade of the tailrace once the reasons are known." It said that all power companies had been informed of the closure of one of the country's top hydropower plants and the Water Resources Ministry has issued a circular on it However, the Minister claimed that the power supply situation had improved in the country as the Tarbela power project had increased its generation by 2,500 MW. He said the Tarbela power station had attained a power generation level of 3,684 MW from just 1,125 MW due to better river inflows and coal imports from Afghanistan. As a result, there was about a 50 per cent drop in power shortfall of 4,000-5,000MW. The power Minister said that the peak demand has come down because of improved weather conditions. He said that power cuts will drop during Eid days as the 1,100MW unit 2 of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (K-2) will begin operation. --IANS miz/pgh ( 423 Words) 2022-07-07-23:02:02 (IANS)
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced following recent fighting between Taliban and locals in the district of Balkhab in the Sar-e-Pul province of Afghanistan for the control of the cash-rich coal mines. Over the past several weeks, fighting has been ongoing in the remote Balkhab district that is home to five operational coal mines as well as to one of the world's largest copper reserves. "Coal extraction had long been ongoing but started spiking three months ago, with dozens of heavily loaded trucks navigating the rough mountain terrain to Kabul every day before heading east to Pakistan, where most of the coal is sold," wrote Stefanie Glinski for the Foreign Policy Magazine. According to Glinski, Afghan coal exports to its neighbour have surged since Indonesia, a big exporter of the type of thermal coal used in power plants, imposed an export ban earlier this year due to a domestic supply crunch. "At least 27,000 people have been displaced following recent fighting in the district of Balkhab in the Sar-e-Pul province in the north of the country," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a daily briefing. "Our partners are preparing to provide food and other supplies to more than 10,000 people in Balkhab. Families have fled to neighbouring provinces in the north and to Bamyan Province in the central highlands," it added. Amrullah Saleh, former Afghanistan vice president tens of thousands have been pushed to the edge by the Taliban. "Dear @OCHAAfg: Tens of thousands have been pushed to the edge by Talib militias. These people have simple demands i.e. want to remain who they are and resist forceful assimilation and erosion of their identity. They resist the Talib + IS-K duo onslaught. Words matter. Please add honesty to the menu," Saleh tweeted. This news of infighting in Afghanistan comes US President Joe Biden on Wednesday notified Congress of his intent to rescind the designation of Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally. "The United States has decided to remove the Talib Afg from a non-NATO ally status. Wondering why it had to take ten months to realize that Afg is run by Rawalpindi sponsored HQN/Quetta Shura duo, the undeniable friends of terrorists & fanatics. Google the history of ISI/Talib & AQ," he said in a subsequent tweet. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, their forces, including military and intelligence officers, have carried out many summary killings and enforced disappearances. There is no indication that they have held forces responsible for abuses accountable Taliban security forces in northern Afghanistan's Panjshir province have unlawfully detained and tortured residents accused of association with an opposition armed group, according to Human Rights Watch. Since mid-May 2022, fighting has escalated in the province as National Resistance Front (NRF) forces have attacked Taliban units and checkpoints. The Taliban have responded by deploying to the province thousands of fighters, who have carried out search operations targeting communities they allege are supporting the NRF. During search operations in other provinces, Taliban forces have committed summary executions and enforced disappearances of captured fighters and other detainees, which are war crimes. (ANI)
Under an aviation agreement signed between the two countries, the first of its kind since 1951, the two countries' civil aviation authorities allow the resumption of flights by Israeli companies to a variety of destinations in Turkey, according to separate statements issued by Israel's Transport Minister Merav Michaeli and the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Israeli airlines halted flights to Turkey 15 years ago, due to security restrictions that involved high expenses.

Currently, only Turkey's flagship companies Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines fly on routes between the two countries.

In the first half of 2022, Turkish Airlines, carrying more than half a million passengers, was in the third place in passenger numbers flying to and from Israel, according to data from the Israel Airports Authority.

"The new agreement is a historic step in promoting aviation relations between the two countries," Michaeli noted. "It is another important step towards strengthening the economic and strategic ties between Israel and the countries of the region."

In recent months, the relations between Israel and Turkey have been warming up after years of tensions.

In early March, Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Ankara and met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and later on, the foreign ministers of the two countries paid mutual visits.

Earlier this week, Israeli Economy Minister Orna Barbivay announced the reopening of Israel's Economic and Trade Mission office in Turkey. (ANI/Xinhua)
Pakistan authorities must immediately release journalist Imran Riaz Khan and ensure that members of the press can work freely and without fear of reprisal, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Thursday. On the evening of Tuesday, July 5, police on the outskirts of Islamabad, the capital, arrested Khan, an anchor with the privately-owned broadcaster Express News and host of a YouTube channel with over 3 million subscribers, according to news reports. Police arrested him in response to a complaint filed to authorities in Attock, in northeast Punjab province, according to those reports. A court in Attock ordered that Khan be freed on Thursday, but police from the Punjab city of Chawkal re-arrested him outside the courtroom immediately after his release, according to news reports. "The repeated arrests of Pakistani journalist Imran Riaz Khan and the slew of cases registered against him are pure harassment, and must come to an immediate end," said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ's program director. "Authorities must immediately release Khan and ensure that journalists can safely and freely comment on state institutions, including the military." Khan is a vocal critic of the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and is a supporter of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted from power in April and is not related to the journalist, according to CPJ reporting and The Express Tribune. In a video published on his YouTube channel on Monday, addressed to Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Khan alleged that actors within the military were threatening him for questioning the military's role in political affairs. Attock police arrested Khan the following day in Islamabad in response to a complaint filed by a man identified as Malik Mureed Abbas, citing an unspecified video on social media that featured Khan, according to news reports. Khan's lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq told Dawn that the journalist had been named in 17 separate cases across Punjab. When reached via messaging app, Ashfaq told CPJ that he was unable to immediately comment. On Wednesday, Dawn reported that Khan had been accused of violating several sections of Pakistan's penal code, including defamation and publication of statements conducive to public mischief, as well as various sections of the 2016 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. According to the penal code, those offences can carry prison sentences of two to seven years and an unspecified fine. That Dawn report said a court had ordered authorities not to pursue charges under the PECA. On Thursday, a court ordered Khan to be released, but police immediately re-arrested him as part of an investigation that is "sealed" and the details of which have not been made public, according to The Express Tribune. Pakistan is one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists, with three to four murders each year that are often linked to cases of corruption or illegal trafficking and which go completely unpunished, according to Reporters Without Border. Any journalist who crosses the red lines dictated by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - an intelligence agency offshoot - is liable to be the target of in-depth surveillance that could lead to abduction and detention for varying lengths of time in the state's prisons or less official jails. Furthermore, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's leading military intelligence agency, is prepared to silence any critic once and for all. (ANI)
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The EU Delegation head to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko has stated that the union supports Azerbaijans efforts to reintegrate disabled people, Azernews reports.

Michalko made the remarks at a presentation ceremony of the EU technical assistance project - "Support for reforms in the system of rehabilitation of the disabled people in Azerbaijan", which is aimed at the social integration of disabled people, improving the quality of services provided to them, and creating a rehabilitation system based on the best European practice.

"These reforms in Azerbaijan are aimed at modernizing the system, innovative services, and staff training. The country will use the best practices of the EU in this direction, including the education sector and the labor market," the representative said.

He emphasized that the goal of the project is to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy their rights, have equal opportunities to participate in society and economic life regardless of their disability-related needs, and are not discriminated against.

Michalko expressed confidence that the new reforms related to disability will greatly contribute to the social integration of people with disabilities and the creation of sustainable employment opportunities.
What was once China's profitable high-speed railways is now heading towards a trillion-dollar disaster after reports of debt nearing a whopping USD 900 billion. Even in the face of mounting debt, China State Railway Group is doubling down on its expansion of what is already the world's largest high-speed rail network, Nikkei Asia newspaper reported. China's high-speed rail network exceeds 40,000 kilometres and the network's expansion shows little sign of slowing. China Railway plans to reach 50,000 km in 2025 and 70,000 km in 2035 -- a roughly 70 per cent jump from 2021, the report said. This rapid growth comes as regional governments compete to attract new projects, in hopes of creating jobs and fostering related businesses. As the government ramps up efforts to bring the Chinese economy back on track, the aggressive campaign has added to the state-owned operator's total liabilities, which as of the end of 2021 reached USD 882 billion (5.91 trillion yuan). This alarming figure is around 5 per cent of China's gross domestic product. The Japanese newspaper said concerns over China's "hidden debt" loom over its economic outlook, as the figure is only expected to grow. "The government's priority is economic growth and it doesn't care about debt repayment, but each kilometre of railway costs 120 million yuan to 130 million yuan to build," said Zhao Jian, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University and an expert on transportation. This means a 30,000-km expansion will require roughly 3.6 trillion yuan, the report said. According to Nikkei Asia, China Railway is selling bonds to state-owned banks and brokerages to cover the cost. Earlier in May, the Chinese government announced comprehensive economic stimulus measures to lift the covid-hit economy, including allowing China Railway to issue another 300 billion yuan worth of railway construction bonds. Such is the case of the "hidden debt" that the government borrows money without adding to the official national debt. China Railway's total liabilities grew 4 per cent in 2021 to 5.91 trillion yuan, according to its financial report. (ANI)
Myanmar on Friday condoled the death of two Tamil youths and blamed the Pyu Shaw Htee militia for the killings. "We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families of P Mohan and Aiyanar, and we are ready to cooperate with relevant authorities to bring justice for them," read the Myanmar Government press release. Both Tamil youths were killed on July 5, around 1 pm (local time) in Tamu town, near the Basic Education School No 4. "Two Indian citizens P Mohan (28) and Aiyanar OS were brutally shot dead by members of the Pyu Saw Htee, a pillar of the terrorist Military Council in Saw Bwar Ward," added the release. In addition, their bodies were cremated in Tamu on the same day without being returned to their families, by the administrative bodies under the Military Council (Pyu Saw Htee). According to reports from responsible People's Organizations in the township, the above killings were executed by the members of Pyu Saw Htee, Phoe Sein and Zaw Ye, under the direction of Maung Lay Win, a leader of Pyu Saw Htee in Tamu, said the release. The victims were Tamils living in Moreh, and their identities can easily be investigated. "However, the fact that the murder of the two foreigners was not properly investigated and the immediate cremation and disposal of bodies on the same day without informing the Government of India by the Military Council's own administration suggest that the Military Council's administration is behind this massacre," said the release. The residents of Tamu and Moreh know that the perpetrators were Pyu Saw Htee members. Meanwhile, Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the Military Council, publicly denied and accused the perpetrators of this killing of being members of the People's Defense Forces at the Press Conference held on Thursday. "Members of the Military Council including Pyu Saw Htee and the police force under the Military Council have carried out arbitrary arrests and inhumane acts of torture and killing towards the civilians across the country. We are in possession of strong records of such cases," said the release. Myanmar's military has a long and shady history of forming splinter groups to carry out its dirty operations. Pyu Shaw Htee, a militia affiliated with the Myanmar military. It was formed with supporters of the military in the wake of the February 1 coup with the aim of undermining anti-dictatorship forces with threats and violence, Myanmar Now reported. The group's overarching goal is to instil fear in those opposing the military junta. It has also been seen as the military's desperation to suppress the people's anti-coup movement that they have struggled to overcome. (ANI)
Tayyaba Gul on Thursday accused former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan of using her videos to close his National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases and blackmail the opposition. Tayyaba Gul had earlier alleged that the former chief of NAB Javed Iqbal sexually harassed her, Geo News reported. She claimed that the bureau became hostile to her after she refused to join Iqbal in a flat and she was called up to the Prime Minister's House by then-principal secretary Azam Khan after filing a complaint on the Prime Minister's portal, but despite promising her justice, her phone was taken by them and the videos were aired after two days without her permission. Gul also claimed that they put her and her husband in the Prime Minister's House for one and a half months with the renewed commitment to provide them justice, local media reported. Furthermore, she also said that NAB did not arrest the PTI leaders and closed their cases and she was in contact with other victims of Iqbal. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Noor Alam Khan was pressured by the NAB not to invite her to Thursday's meeting she claimed. Gul added that he is still the chairman of the commission, but he would have been in jail if it was any other country. The NAB chief called the sexual harassment allegations baseless and unfounded. He added that Gul is a fraud while referring to her medical report, which was submitted to the NAB Court of Special Judge Syed Najamul Hassan by the woman medical officer of the Central Jail in Lahore, the local media reported. On Thursday, the former chairman of NAB was summoned by the Public Accounts Committee. Two weeks ago, PAC Noor Alam Khan informed the Commission that he had acquired a letter from Tayyaba Gul to NAB Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, and DG NAB Lahore Saleem Shahzad. (ANI)
"Glad to catch up with FM @VivianBala of Singapore on the sidelines of #G20FMM in Bali," the external affairs minister said in a tweet.

Earlier on Friday, Jaishankar also met his Dutch and Korean counterparts - Wopke Hoekstra and Park Jin respectively.

EAM Jaishankar discussed the situation in Europe and the Indo-Pacific with Hoekstra, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Jaishankar also met the South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Park and exchanged views on Indo-Pacific issues.

He also met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and discussed various global and regional issues.

Jaishankar also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed bilateral matters along with exchanging views on contemporary regional and international issues including the Ukraine conflict.

This year, the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting is being organised by Indonesia.The agenda for the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting is to be dominated by the war in Ukraine.

Since the war began in Ukraine, India has been calling for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing conflict.

The G20 countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.

During the summit, from July 7 to 8, the participating foreign ministers will hold talks on issues of contemporary relevance, such as strengthening multilateralism and current global challenges including food and energy security, read a release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The External Affairs Minister's participation in the G20 FMM will strengthen India's engagement with G20 member states. As a G20 troika member and as the incoming G20 President, India's role in the upcoming FMM discussions assumes even greater importance, the official statement read. (ANI)
US President Joe Biden condoled the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and said that he was "stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened" by the news. "I am stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the news that my friend Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning. This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him," he said in a statement. "The longest-serving Japanese Prime Minister, his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure as he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment, he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy," Biden added as he recalled his past interactions with Shinzo Abe. Joe Biden also condemned the increase in violent attacks globally, especially gun violence, and said they always leave a deep scar on the communities that are affected by it. "As Vice President, I visited him in Tokyo and welcomed him to Washington. He was a champion of the Alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people," the White House quoted Biden as saying, underlining that the United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief. I send my deepest condolences to his family, the White House release said, quoting Biden. Former US President Donald J Trump also expressed his frief and said, "Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dead. He was assassinated. His killer was captured and will hopefully be dealt with swiftly and harshly." He was a unifier like no other, Trump said, adding that he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan. Shinzo Abe will be greatly missed. There will never be another like him! Shinzo Abe, who had been the longest-serving Japanese prime minister Abe first became Prime Minister in 2006. He again held the post in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014 and 2017. He announced his resignation in August 2020 as a chronic illness resurfaced. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida. Abe visited India during his first stint and addressed the Parliament. His fondness for India was reflected in his visits, the most by any Japanese Prime Minister. Shinzo Abe was shot on Friday while delivering a campaign speech in Nara city in western Japan. After the attack on him, Abe was rushed to hospital and initial media reports citing authorities said that it appeared that the former Japanese PM was shot in the chest. They described his condition as in "cardiopulmonary arrest" and said he showed no vital signs. Public broadcaster NHK later reported, citing ruling Liberal Democratic Party sources that Abe, had died. Abe died at 5:03 pm (local time) and had two gunshot wounds in his neck, according to officials from Nara Medical University Hospital. Police arrested a suspect for shooting Abe identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old resident of Nara City, according to local media. A gun that appeared to be handmade was retrieved from the site where Abe was campaigning for a candidate ahead of Sunday's elections for Japan's upper house of Parliament. (ANI)
India is "deeply saddened" by the demise of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the government conveyed its condolences to his family, friends and the people of Japan. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement: "Abe was a visionary leader and statesman, who worked tirelessly for the betterment of humanity. He left an indelible impression on the hearts and minds of people across the world." Earlier Friday, Abe, 67, was assassinated during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city of Nara ahead of Sunday's elections for Japan's upper house of Parliament. Bagchi recalled Abe's speech during his visit to India in 2007 where the then-Japanese Prime Minister said in a statement that the India-Japan relationship is blessed with the largest potential for the development of bilateral relationships anywhere in the world. His efforts have been instrumental in bringing our nations together to realise a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. "Abe's immense contributions elevated the India-Japan relationship to the level of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. A large number of milestone projects between India and Japan were initiated during his tenure as the Prime Minister of Japan. The awarding of India's second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, to Abe is a testament to the respect and warmth that he enjoyed in India," the statement reads. Shinzo Abe assumed the leadership of both the Japan-India Parliamentary League (JIPFL) and Japan India Association (JIA) in 2022 which was a reflection of his deep commitment to bolstering the partnership between the two countries. Bagchi said that the loss of a "great friend of India" has been felt across the country. "Today, the whole of India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment," he added. As a mark of respect for the former Japanese Prime Minister, a one-day national mourning will be observed on July 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his shock over the tragic demise of Abe and in a tweet said: "I am shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe. He was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to making Japan and the world a better place." Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too expressed grief over Abe's death. "Deeply saddened by the demise of former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe. His role in strengthening the strategic relationship between India & Japan was commendable. He leaves behind a lasting legacy in the Indo-Pacific. My condolences to his family & to the people of Japan," he wrote in a tweet. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was Prime Minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier in his live address to the country said "this is not a forgivable act," and that authorities would "take appropriate measures to handle the situation." Kishida further said that the motive behind Abe's shooting is not known. The media outlet citing government sources also reported that Abe's shooting suspect is an ex-member of Japan's Self-Defense Forces. The Japanese Premier also urged everyone to not speculate about any political ramifications at the time. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid a heartful tribute to his "dear friend" late ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was shot on Friday during an election campaign in the Western Japanese city of Nara. PM Modi in a blog "My Friend, Abe San" said, "In the passing away of Abe, Japan and the world have lost a great visionary. And, I have lost a dear friend." He referred to him as "San" which means "Dear" and said that he met Abe in 2007. "I first met Abe San in 2007 and since then, we have had so many memorable interactions. I will cherish each of them. Abe San energised the India-Japan relationship. He ensured that Japan is there side by side as New India accelerates its growth," wrote PM Modi in his blog. He was the Chief Minister of Gujarat when met Abe. "Right from that first meeting, our friendship went beyond the trappings of office and the shackles of the official protocol," said PM Modi. PM Modi also shared his bonhomie with Abe during his visit to Toji temple in Kyoto, train journey on the Shinkansen, visit the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, the Ganga Aarati in Kashi, the elaborate tea ceremony in Tokyo, adding that the list of "our memorable interactions is indeed long." The Prime Minister also cherished his singular honour of having been invited to Abe's family home in Yamanashi prefecture, nestled among the foothills of Mt Fuji. Talking about the strong bond between them, PM Modi said, "Even when he was not the Prime Minister of Japan between 2007 and 2012, and more recently after 2020, our personal bond remained as strong as ever. Every meeting with Abe San was intellectually stimulating. He was always full of new ideas and invaluable insights on governance, economy, culture, foreign policy, and various other subjects." He also thanked Abe for his counsel that inspired him in making economic choices for Gujarat. "And, his support was instrumental in building Gujarat's vibrant partnership with Japan," said PM Modi. "Later on, it was my privilege to work with him to bring about an unprecedented transformation of the strategic partnership between India and Japan. From a largely narrow, bilateral economic relationship, Abe San helped turn it into a broad, comprehensive one, which not only covered every field of national endeavour but became pivotal for our two countries and the region's security. For him, this was one of the most consequential relationships for the people of our two countries and the world. He was resolute in pursuing the civil nuclear agreement with India - a most difficult one for his country - and decisive in offering the most generous terms for the High-Speed Rail in India. As in most important milestones in independent India's journey, he ensured that Japan is there side by side as New India accelerates its growth," added PM Modi. He also hailed Abe for his contribution to India-Japan relations which was richly recognised by the conferment upon him of the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2021. He also lauded Abe for his long-sightedness. "Abe San had a deep insight into the complex and multiple transitions taking place in the world, the vision to be ahead of his time to see its impact on politics, society, economy and international relations, and the wisdom to know the choices that were to be made, the capacity to make clear and bold decisions even in the face of conventions and the rare ability to carry his people and the world with him. His far-reaching policies - Abenomics - reinvigorated the Japanese economy and re-ignited the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship of his people," wrote PM Modi. Highlighting Abe's legacy, PM Modi said that the world will always be indebted for his foresight in recognising the changing tides and gathering storm of the time and his leadership in responding to it. "Long before others, he, in his seminal speech to the Indian Parliament in 2007, laid the ground for the emergence of the Indo-Pacific region as a contemporary political, strategic and economic reality - a region that will also shape the world in this century. And, he led from the front in building a framework and architecture for its stable and secure, peaceful and prosperous future, based on values that he deeply cherished - respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, adherence to international law and rules, peaceful conduct of international relations in a spirit of equality and shared prosperity through deeper economic engagement," said PM Modi. "As far as global leadership is concerned, Abe San was ahead of his times. The Quad, the ASEAN-led forums, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure all benefited from his contributions," said PM Modi in his tribute. PM Modi extended his heartfelt condolences on behalf of the people of India and his own behalf to the people of Japan, especially to Akie Abe and his family. "I will always be indebted for his warmth and wisdom, grace and generosity, friendship and guidance, and I will miss him dearly. We in India mourn his passing as one of our own, just as he embraced us with an open heart. He died doing what he loved the most - inspiring his people. His life may have been cut short tragically, but his legacy will endure forever," wrote PM Modi. (ANI)
Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry clarified its position on netizens rejoicing former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attack and said that it does not reflect the official bilateral relations with Japan. Responding to the question about netizens rejoicing Abe's attack, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said, "Just now I said it, Chinese government position, this unexpected incident should not be linked with China-Japan relation. This statement came before the confirmation of former Japanese PM Abe's death. Meanwhile, Chinese social media posted celebratory messages on social media hailing the "hero" assailant and sending "death wishes" for Abe. Abe, 67, was shot at while he was campaigning in the west Japanese city of Nara, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in his live address to the country today adding that the condition of the former prime minister was grave. Badiucao, a Chinese political cartoonist, artist and rights activist based in Australia shared a number of screenshots of various Chinese social media accounts, which apparently celebrated the attack on the former Japanese Prime Minister. "Chinese nationalists on Weibo have begun to celebrate that Japan's ex-PM Abe is shot during campaign today. they call the attacker "hero" and send death wishes to Abe," Badiucao said on his official Twitter handle. The activist also noted the Chinese nationalists' reaction, which clearly shows the threat posed by Beijing. A screenshot shared by the Badiucao showed that China is running a campaign for Abe's death from its user. Addressing the presser, Lijian appreciated Abe and said that the contribution he made in pushing for improvements in Japan-China relations but the Chinese media is completely contradictory to his statement. The Global Times ran an article with the headline "Abe remembered in China as a controversial figure who 'ruined own contribution to bilateral ties". "Chinese observers described the assassination of Abe as the biggest political incident in Japanese politics since the end of World War II and warned about ripple effects from the death of this controversial figure, who once contributed to China-Japan relations but later tore those achievements apart, " the publication writes. Meanwhile, After the attack, Abe was rushed to hospital and initial media reports citing authorities said that it appeared that the former Japanese Premier was shot in the chest. They described his condition as in "cardiopulmonary arrest" and said he showed no vital signs. Public broadcaster NHK later reported, citing ruling Liberal Democratic Party sources that Abe, had died. Abe died at 5:03 p.m. (local time) and had two gunshot wounds in his neck, according to officials from Nara Medical University Hospital. Japanese police arrested a suspect for shooting Abe identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old resident of Nara City, according to local media. A gun that appeared to be handmade was retrieved from the site where Abe was campaigning for a candidate ahead of Sunday's elections for Japan's upper house of Parliament. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was Prime Minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida. (ANI)
US President Joe Biden on Friday (local time) announced new steps aimed at protecting abortion rights in response to the landmark decision by the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade, a decades-old decision that had established a constitutional right to abortion. The executive order pledges to ensure the safety of abortion patients and providers, including setting up mobile clinics near the borders of states restricting abortion access. It also seeks to convene private, pro bono lawyers to offer support to people crossing state lines to get an abortion. Another part of the order directs the secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a report in the next 30 days outlining additional actions to protect medication abortion, expand access to emergency contraception and IUDs, and increase public education around reproductive rights. Biden spoke passionately about the case of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was forced to leave the state to get an abortion after being impregnated during rape. "Imagine being that little girl," Biden said, "A 10-year-old girl should be forced to give birth to a rapist's child? I can't think of anything more extreme." At least nine states have banned abortion so far including Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. A dozen more states are expected to prohibit or restrict the procedure in the coming weeks. "I'm asking the Justice Department that, much like they did in the Civil Rights era, to do everything in their power to protect these women seeking to invoke their rights," Biden said at the White House on Friday. Biden has been under pressure to protect abortion rights since the Supreme Court's ruling two weeks ago. "The practice of medicine ... should not be frozen in the 19th century," Biden said in the White House Roosevelt Room. Vice President Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, also accompanied him to the briefing. Decrying a "huge step" backwards by an "out-of-control" conservative court, Biden urged voters to take up the court's challenge to pass legislation to protect abortion rights. "The only way to restore that right to choose is at the ballot box," he said. Biden urged women to turn out in November to give him stronger Democratic majorities in Congress to act on abortion and protect the rights to contraception and same-sex marriage too. Biden called the ruling "outrageous" and "destabilizing" and said last week that Congress must overturn it by writing Roe vs Wade into federal law. He also said he supports changing filibuster rules in the Senate to make it easier to codify the right to abortion and privacy into federal law. Sixty votes are needed in the Senate to pass most legislation because of the filibuster. Changing the rules would allow senators to write Roe vs Wade into law with a simple majority. But getting rid of the filibuster is up to the Senate, and right now there aren't enough votes to make that happen. (ANI)
The European Parliament has condemned the arrests of Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the strongest advocates of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, and of the other four trustees of a humanitarian relief fund. Earlier in May, police arrested the five under article 29 of Hong Kong's draconian National Security Law for the overbroad and vague crime of "colluding with foreign forces," which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Among those 5 detainees was a retired Roman Catholic bishop, Cardinal Joseph Zen, 90. All five were trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provided medical, legal, and psychological aid for protesters arrested during the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. In 2021, Hong Kong police opened an investigation into the fund for alleged violations of the National Security Law, demanding information on the fund's donors. The fund was forced to disband in October 2021. "Parliament condemns the arrests of Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the strongest advocates of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, and of the other four trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund (which provides humanitarian and financial support to persons injured, arrested or threatened during the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill protests)," the European Parliament said on Thursday. The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) pointed out that these and similar repressive actions, such as the closure of over 60 civil society groups, constitute an attack on the freedoms guaranteed in the Hong Kong Basic Law, including the freedom of religion or belief. "They are also symptomatic of China's continued efforts to systematically destroy the last remnants of Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms and to suppress the pro-democracy movement," the resolution said. The MEPs also urged the Hong Kong authorities to drop all charges against Cardinal Zen and the other four trustees - Cyd Ho, Denise Ho, Hui Po-Keung and Margaret Ng - and to release Cyd Ho. In addition, they reiterated their call on the EU to introduce targeted sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against the newly appointed pro-Beijing Hong Kong Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, and all other officials responsible for the ongoing human rights crackdown in the city. In response to the EU resolution, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Friday condemned the European Parliament resolution and accused EU lawmakers of defaming the rule of law in Hong Kong and the national security law in Hong Kong. A spokesperson for the HKSAR government said the national security law in Hong Kong has stopped chaos and restored order in Hong Kong, ensuring the smooth and continuous implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle and the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, the Xinhua news agency reported. "We will continue to guard against any acts endangering national security, and will bring any person or entity violating the law to justice regardless of background," the spokesperson said. (ANI)
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree allocating funds for the construction of the Mingachevir-Mingachevir Station-Bahramtapa (46 km)-Garaghaci-Mirzajafarli-Mollagullar highway of the Barda District, Azernews reports.

In line with the decree, the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads has been allocated AZN3.1 million ($2.29 million) for the construction of the highway, linking three settlements with a population of 4,000 inhabitants, in accordance with subparagraph 1.26.9 "Allocating funds envisaged for state capital investments in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022".
Several top Republicans have severely slammed US President Joe Biden following reports of emergency US oil being sent to China and other nations, thereby compromising the country's energy security and national security. The criticism came from the GOP on Thursday after reports emerged that more than five million barrels of oil released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) have been diverted to European and Asian nations. According to US media reports, the Biden administration plans to release a total of about 260 million barrels of oil stored in the SPR to combat record fuel prices hitting American consumers. "The American people deserve answers as to why our emergency energy reserves are being sent to foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, compromising our energy security and national security," House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers told Fox News Digital in a statement. "President Biden needs to remember that our strategic energy reserves are for emergencies, not to cover-up bad policies. America needs to flip the switch and increase our capacity to produce and refine oil here at home," she continued. "Now is not the time to use our strategic stockpile." House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Energy Subcommittee Republican Leader Fred Upton sent a letter to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm directing her to provide information on the Department of Energy's management of the SPR and the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve (NEHHOR), and how China is taking advantage of the Biden administration's use of our strategic fuel reserves. They claimed the reserves, to be used in emergencies such as wars or natural disasters, have been depleted by the Biden administration in a failed attempt to distract from the dangerous course its anti-American energy policies have put the United States on with high gas prices and less oil and gas production. "The administration has already tapped the SPR and may tap the NEHHOR for diesel fuel." "The members raise the national security implications of using up our strategic fuel reserves recklessly while other countries stock up, especially China. China has been purchasing crude oil, including reportedly from the U.S.'s SPR, in order to build up its own stockpiles," they added. According to Republicans, the Biden administration has worked to keep American oil and gas in the ground, drained the country's fuel reserves, and allowed China to build its own fuel reserves at the expense of American taxpayers. In the letter to Secretary Granholm, they further said, "The Biden administration is depleting the nation's petroleum reserves, while allowing OPEC, Russia, and China to gain geopolitical leverage over the United States." (ANI)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday said that it is open to negotiations with the West on ways to resolve several issues including the blockade of Ukrainian grain at Black Sea ports but added that "if they do not want to talk, it is their choice." The Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on food security and energy dominated the closed-door gathering on the Indonesian island of Bali. This G20 meeting ended with no joint statement and no announcements of any agreements being reached. The forum was the first face-to-face meeting between Russia and its fiercest critics from the West including the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "It's not us who've ceased mutual contacts. This has been done by the US... We do not run after anyone, offering to meet. If they do not want to talk, it is their choice," Lavrov was quoted as saying by TASS at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. "We're ready for negotiations with our Ukrainian & Turkish colleagues. We've all solutions, if we're talking about Ukrainian grain, then Ukraine must unblock its ports, clear them of mines or ensure safe passage through minefields," he added. The foriegn minister said the US is trying to force the whole world, including Europe, to abandon cheaper energy sources and switch to more expensive ones. "Russia is ready to fulfill all its obligations on the supply of cheap energy," he added. Lavrov accused western nations of employing doublethink on Ukraine, TASS reported. "I took the liberty of reminding our Western colleagues about what they said in the previous months and asked them to make up their mind about what they want after all," he pointed out. "The West's doublethink shows that it is ideology that comes first rather than their concern about Ukrainians, Ukraine and European security in general," Lavrov stressed. He also emphasized that "if the West doesn't want talks to take place but wishes for Ukraine to defeat Russia on the battlefield - because both views have been expressed - then perhaps, there is nothing to talk about with the West." Lavrov said western countries at the meeting "avoided following the G20 mandate, focusing on global economic issues and seeking agreements to pave the way for solutions on sustainable development at the United Nations. Instead, immediately after taking the floor, they started to castigate Russia in a frenzied manner over the situation in Ukraine". Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday said G7 plan to boycott Russia at the G20 in Bali failed. She was commenting on the statement by German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock regarding the alleged non-participation of Lavrov in G20 events, Sputnik news agency reported. Baerbock told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Bali that Lavrov's behaviour at a meeting with G20 colleagues indicated that the Russian authorities did not show "a millimeter" of readiness for negotiations. "From the moment the meeting of the G20 began, Lavrov was in the hall and after about two hours began to hold bilateral talks in the next room with colleagues on the same forum. Other ministers did the same, since face-to-face forums are held exactly for this -- for meetings and contacts. Otherwise, everyone would connect online or send out their speeches," Zakharova said on Telegram. (ANI)
A 10-year-old boy is recovering after being accidentally shot in Arkansas.

The Cross County Sheriffs Officer Dispatch Center received a call around 5 p.m. Thursday that a 10-year-old boy had been shot in the chest.

Crews arrived at the location and found the boy bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound, according to the Wynne Police Department.

They began life-saving measures and placed a chest seal on the wound.

Two off-duty officers came to help, police said.

The 10-year-old was taken to CrossRidge Community Hospital before being flown to a hospital in Memphis, where he is currently recovering, police said.

During an investigation, police determined the victims 13-year-old brother was playing with an unsecured firearm in the home when he unintentionally shot his brother.

Police described the incident as a heartbreaking accident.

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A call about a shooting in late June resulted in the arrests of two Lecompte men, and the investigation still continues.

The Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting call on June 25 in the South MacArthur Drive area, but later learned that the incident had happened in the U.S. Highway 71 South and Bill Warner Road area near Louisiana State University at Alexandria.

According to a release, a vehicle had been shot at multiple times. A passenger inside was hit in the neck, and the driver already had left before police arrived.

The victim was taken to a hospital and later released, according to the sheriff's office.

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Then, on June 29, a tip came to investigators about someone at a local motel. Two rooms at the unidentified motel were searched by detectives and agents of the sheriff office's Rapides Area Drug Enforcement unit.

Two Lecompte men were found in the rooms. One, a 25-year-old man, had a handgun that was reported stolen to the Alexandria Police Department, reads the release.

He was arrested and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center #1 on charges of possession of a stolen firearm and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He was released on a $20,000 bond the next day.

The other man, 41, had two guns and about a pound of crystal meth with him, it reads. He also was arrested on charges of possession with intent to distribute and two counts of carrying firearms with drugs.

He was released on July 6 after posting a $60,000 bond.

The suspect in the shooting remains at large. Sheriff Mark Wood asked for the public's help in identifying the suspect.

Anyone with information can call detectives Bobby Bell or Shannon Hanks at 318-473-6727 or Crime Stoppers at 318-443-7867.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Shooting investigation continues after 2 Lecompte men arrested
A 24-year-old Cambridge man was shot and killed the night of July 4.

The Cambridge Police Department responded to the 1000 block of Cosby lane for a reported shooting just before 9 p.m. that evening. They found Tyuane Johnson lying on the ground "suffering from apparent gunshot wounds," according to police. He succumbed to his injuries at Dorchester General Hospital.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Johnson's death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound.

Maryland State Police assumed the investigation, which is continuing. Anyone with information should contact police at 443-298-9447.

MORE:State police: Father, stepson die in Somerset murder-suicide

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: 24-year-old Cambridge man shot and killed July 4
A 28-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged with five felonies, including second-degree homicide, in the death of 3-year-old Akai W. Stilo, who prosecutors say obtained the man's gun and shot himself.

Raheem Moore, the boyfriend of the child's mother, Shantia Jones, was charged Thursday by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. After being convicted of second-degree homicide in 2011, Moore now could face decades behind bars if convicted for the death of Akai.

Jones told investigators when she went to bed at 11 p.m. on the night of Akai's death, Akai and his 9-year-old sibling were already asleep in their bedroom and Moore was still awake in the living room.

Jones woke up at 4:30 a.m. to the sound of a gunshot, rushed into the living room, where she smelled gun powder. She said in a criminal complaint she saw Akai laying on the ground with a gunshot wound to his forehead. Moore was waking up on the living room couch, Jones said in the document.

After discovering Akai, Jones ran from the home and didn't return until police arrived, she told investigators. Jones told police that Moore left the scene because of his criminal record. Moore was sentenced to 20 years in 2011 for second-degree homicide and was released in 2019.

Paramedics had Akai rushed to Children's Wisconsin hospital, where he was later declared dead.

Police discovered a red duffle bag in the basement containing three guns. Jones told investigators she was aware Moore possessed multiple firearms and that the red duffle bag was his, according to the criminal complaint.

Due to his prior felony conviction, Moore was prohibited from having guns and was charged with three counts of illegally possessing a gun, in addition to one count of neglecting a child resulting in death and second-degree homicide.

Moore turned himself in to the Milwaukee police on Wednesday. If convicted on all counts, his sentence could exceed 80 years.

Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or DBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 28-year-old Milwaukee man charged in the death of 3-year-old Akai Stilo
Abortion protests in the US

The only abortion clinic in Mississippi has shut as a near-total ban on the procedure takes effect in the state.

Jackson Women's Health Organization, the clinic at the heart of the US Supreme Court case that reversed Roe v Wade, stopped giving abortions as a "trigger law" comes into force following the decision.

The ruling has left individual states to decide on abortion rights.

Battles over bans it triggered are now playing out in courts around the US.

In Mississippi, the state ban that has been triggered prohibits abortions at any point of a pregnancy, forcing Jackson Women's Health to stop giving the procedure.

On Wednesday, its last day of operations, pro-choice and anti-abortion clashed outside the clinic as it sought to see as many patients as possible before ending its services.

"It was crazy busy, for obvious reasons," Dr Cheryl Hamlin, who worked at the clinic, told the BBC. "It was definitely a full day, and it was emotional on the way out."

"Today is a little bit surreal. I don't even know how I'm feeling right now," she said.

Outside the clinic, tensions ran high. Defiant signs were left by volunteers who had helped escort some of the 60 or so patients who came in on the last day for medical and surgical procedures.

Dr Hamlin said she was concerned that potential patients may now seek unsafe, unregulated abortions, or continue with potentially high-risk pregnancies that they may have otherwise aborted.

Anti-abortion supporters, however, celebrated outside the clinic with music and shouted prayers. Some carried placards that read: "Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind."

The Mississippi "trigger law" was passed in 2007 and written to go into effect ten days after a Supreme Court reversal of Roe v Wade. The law carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison for violations, and provides exceptions only in cases of danger to the life of the mother or rape that has been reported to law enforcement.

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The law was due to come into effect on Thursday, after a last-minute effort to block it failed.

Some 13 states, primarily in the US south and mid-west, had similar laws designed to come into effect after Roe v Wade - which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion - was overturned.

At least nine states have instituted a near-total ban, with the only exception being danger to the life of the mother.

Other states are now scrambling to protect abortion access amid legal challenges, while clinics are struggling to navigate patchworks of new laws.

States where abortion will remain legal are taking measures to protect those travelling from other jurisdictions. For instance, the Democratic governors of Colorado and North Carolina on Wednesday issued executive orders to protect abortion providers and patients from extradition to places that have banned the practice.

Meanwhile, one of the largest abortion providers in Texas, Whole Woman's Health, has said it is planning to move its operations to New Mexico, and has started a fundraising effort to help with the costs of moving equipment and supplies.
More than 1,000 have died and several injured in last month's earthquake in Afghanistan

Aid agencies have been working to get relief supplies to thousands of people in south-east Afghanistan, struck by an earthquake in late June.

The disaster left at least 1,000 people dead, and 3,000 injured with thousands of homes destroyed.

The country has been struggling economically after major donors suspended or significantly cut funding when the Taliban took over in August last year.

Is aid reaching earthquake victims?

An estimated 362,000 people are in need of immediate aid, according to the United Nations.

Some aid has reached those affected, although BBC journalists in the area in the days following the quake met people in the remotest parts who were yet to find help.

One villager, Taj Ali Khan, said food and other aid and was hard to access due to the difficult terrain, and that the nearest point to which aid was being delivered was over an hour away.

There are also serious shortages of medicines, equipment and health workers to treat those injured.

Man carrying food aid sack in Afghanistan

Existing medical facilities are not equipped to handle major emergencies, and one health clinic employee told the BBC that hundreds of injured people had gone to a medical facility which had only five beds.

Communications have also been disrupted as mobile towers and power lines were destroyed.

The World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson for Afghanistan, Shelley Thakral, said that getting aid to the most affected regions was a logistical challenge.

"We are getting [in] supplies where we can, but there are some areas where assistance has not reached because of its remoteness," Ms Thakral told us.

The UN has also pointed out that the areas hit by the earthquake were already suffering what it calls "crisis levels of food insecurity and acute malnutrition."

Who has sent earthquake aid?

Various countries have come forward with offers of immediate help, to be channelled via the UN and other international relief bodies such as the Red Cross.

These include:

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$55m from the US

just over $3m from the UK

over $1m in initial assistance from the EU

China has announced aid amounting to $7.5m and says it is working with the Taliban authorities as well as Chinese and local relief groups to get supplies to those in need.

India, Pakistan, the UAE, Iran, Qatar, Turkey and other countries have also sent aid such as food, shelter and medical supplies.

Child outside destroyed home in Khost area

The Taliban said following the quake that outside aid efforts needed to be boosted because their ability to help those in need was limited.

With few trained personnel to deal with natural disasters or transport facilities to get aid to remote areas, Afghans are dependent on international organisations.

The US has said it's willing to discuss further assistance, although Washington does not currently recognise the Taliban and does not provide it any direct financial aid.

International sanctions

Prior to the Taliban takeover last year, about 80% of Afghanistan's budget came from foreign donors.

However, most of this was suspended after August 2021 and Afghanistan's financial assets abroad (mainly held in the US) were frozen.

Afghanistan is also still under international sanctions, which date back to when the Taliban were first in power in the 1990s, although some exemptions have been made for humanitarian relief.

Some aid has continued to flow, largely channelled through NGOs and multilateral bodies like the UN.

The US has been the largest donor followed by the European Union, some individual EU members as well as the UK and international bodies like the World Bank.

The UN estimates that there's a total requirement for $4.4bn in aid, but according to their own figures, Afghanistan has so far only received just over one third of that amount.

The Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021

The US has said it is looking into releasing half of the $7bn in frozen Afghan assets in the US for humanitarian purposes, and talks are continuing between US officials and Taliban representatives on how this might work.

But aid agencies say sanctions exemptions (for humanitarian supplies) and the limited release of frozen funds do not address the issue of overall economic collapse.

A report in January by the Norwegian Refugee Council said that difficulties in getting funds into and within Afghanistan were hampering the humanitarian response.

NGOs and aid groups say that even with the exemptions to sanctions, banks can be reluctant to allow money transfers to Afghanistan.

Efforts to address this and wider economic problems have been complicated by continuing concerns in donor countries about the Taliban's commitment to girls' education, and other human rights issues.

In March, the Taliban reversed a decision to allow girls to attend secondary schools, a move that provoked criticism from amongst others, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

"The humanitarian response cannot sustainably fill the massive gaps that have been left by the wider withdrawal of international support," Vicki Aken, of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Afghanistan, says.

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NEW PHILADELPHIA  A 36-year-old Akron man is being held in the Tuscarawas County jail on a $25,000 bond after allegedly stealing two vehicles in Dover and two more in New Philadelphia on Thursday morning.

Ricky L. Moore, Jr. is charged with felonious assault, attempted abduction, robbery and four counts of motor vehicle theft.

Judge Nanette DeGarmo VonAllman informed the defendant about the charges and set bail on Friday in New Philadelphia Municipal Court.

Moore's alleged crime spree began around 8 a.m., after he became belligerent and left Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover, according to County Prosecutor Ryan Styer. He said the suspect was taken to the hospital by ambulance from Newcomerstown after threatening to jump in front of traffic.

The first call to New Philadelphia police came from a New Philadelphia man who was with a juvenile in a vehicle when Moore threatened him with a gun that he did not display. Styer said the suspect told them to get out of their vehicle and into a stolen truck he was driving. The adult male did not comply, but pulled a knife.

"The defendant at that point rammed his driver's side door with his truck, almost striking (him)," Styer said.

The victim told police the incident occurred on Miller Avenue NW in New Philadelphia while the perpetrator was driving a white Chevrolet Colorado, a truck that had been reported stolen in Dover.

Charges of robbery and one motor vehicle theft relate to a woman and her Mitsubishi Eclipse, which was taken from the 100 block of E. Iron Avenue, behind Domino's Pizza in Dover.

Styer said Moore went to the home of the car's owner, kicked out an air conditioner and demanded the keys to the Mitsubishi. He then saw the woman in her car and threatened to forcibly remove her if she did not get out of the car and let him have it, Styer said.

"She said that she was definitely in fear at the time and she is fearful of him now," Styer said. "She got out of the car, as well as another person who was in the passenger seat, and allowed him to take the car."

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A Dover police report said the suspect then left the car and entered the Colorado at 88 E. Iron Ave., also behind Domino's. He drove away in the truck owned by an asphalt company, according to Dover police.

The third vehicle stolen was a 2021 GMC 2500 taken from the 400 block of Sixth Street NW in New Philadelphia, according to New Philadelphia police Capt. Ty Norris.

Norris said the suspect drove that vehicle to Rural King in New Philadelpha, parked it and walked to Walmart. Norris said he stole a 2008 GMC box truck from Walmart. It was the last vehicle he took for the day, according to Norris, who said Moore then drove north on Interstate 77.

Bolivar Police Chief Randy Haugh arrested the suspect in Stark County after spotting the vehicle on I-77.

Haugh had not chased the stolen truck, Norris said. But the chief followed the box truck to the Faircrest exit.

Haugh arrested Moore after the suspect stopped at the Pilot Travel Center, at 2320 Faircrest St. SW, Canton.

Styer said Moore was mentally unstable after being stopped and said he had made a mistake.

He was taken to the New Philadelphia Police Department for questioning. Styer said he declined to give a statement without having a lawyer present.

Styer asked the judge to set bail at $75,000.

"It's our position that not only is he a danger and a menace to the community but he also has no local ties," Styer said.

He said Moore's record shows charges of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, driving under license suspension, drug abuse, and possession of drug abuse instruments, mostly from Summit and Portage counties. There were also charges from Ashland and Harrison counties.

VonAllman said $75,000 is more than the defendant can pay.

Public defender Brandy Thorne asked for a reasonable bond, and possibly release with a location montoring device.

Under questioning in court Friday, Moore said he was living with his parents after having lost his job and his apartment, for nonpayment of rent.

The judge outlined potential penalties for the charges. Felonious assault is punishable by two to eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine. Attempted abduction is punishable by six to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Robbery is punishable by one to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Grand theft of a motor vehicle is punishable by six to 18 months and a $5,000 fine.

Moore is expected to have a preliminary hearing next week in municipal court.

The three stolen trucks had the keys inside, Norris said.

Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.

On Twitter: @nmolnarTR

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Akron man, 36, charged with stealing 4 vehicles Thursday
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If you want to take advantage of Amazon's Prime Day discounts, but don't want to dish out $14.99 a month, we found a hack for that. Students and qualifying government assistance recipients can sign up for a discounted monthly rate right now. Meanwhile, everyone else can take advantage of a no-stings-attached free 30-day Prime trial.

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Ready for Prime Day? So are we. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Amazon Prime membership discountsincluding how to qualify and sign up.

Amazon Prime student discount

Amazon Prime offers special discounts for students to make college life a little easier.

Students enjoy an extended six-month Amazon Prime free trial period, then pay just $69 a year, for a savings of $70 annually when compared to a standard annual membership. Exclusive offers are included with student memberships, such as access to the Showtime Amazon Prime Video add-on channel for $0.99 a month on top of the standard Prime benefit of Amazon Prime Video (typically $8.99 a month on its own). Prime Student members can also access the unlimited version of Amazon Music for just $0.99 a month for up to four years. Plus, during Amazon Prime Day 2022, students can scoop four months of Amazon Music Unlimited for free as an Amazon Prime customer. Normally priced at $4.99 a month for students, Amazon Music Unlimited comes with access to 90 million songs, unlimited song skips and more.

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Meanwhile, a student membership also includes a two-month free trial to Amazon Kindle Unlimited for digital versions of books and free food delivery from Grubhub for any order placed at $12 or more.

Sing up for Amazon Prime for students

How can students prove they qualify for an Amazon Prime membership discount?

Students can prove they qualify for an Amazon Prime membership discount by providing an email address ending in .edu when signing upit doesn't have to be the email used for logging in but must be provided for the initial verification process. Other accepted means, which can be emailed to student-verification@amazon.com, include a transcript, class list or tuition bill that shows your name, the name of the educational institution and the current term; or an official acceptance letter for an upcoming term that includes the date you will begin.

What benefits can you access with a student Amazon Prime membership?

Students with an Amazon Prime membership enjoy all of the same benefits as standard members including fast and free delivery on most items (and two-hour grocery delivery on select purchases); access to Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Music and Prime Gaming; access to Prime Reading and Amazon Rentals for up to 90% off textbooks; early Prime member deals; discounts at Whole Foods; early access to Lightning deals; unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos; and Prime Try Before You Buy. (Note that these benefits can't be shared with another account.)

Exclusive offers for students include the Showtime add-on channel for $0.99 a month for up to the first year; Amazon Music Unlimited for $0.99 a month; and a free two-month trial to Kindle Unlimited, where you can select from millions of book titles to read on any device. There are also student-exclusive deals and discounts.

Are there limitations during the free trial period for students?

Yes. During the six-month free trial period, students will lose access to certain benefits. These include 20% off diapers and house benefit sharing, plus Kindle owners won't be able to access the Lending Library. This access is available, however, once the 6-month trial period is over.

Do you pay month-by-month for a student Amazon Prime membership?

After the six-month trial period is finished, you will be billed annually at $69 per year. Meanwhile, you can also opt for a month-to-month student membership for $7.49 per month. If you sign up as a student with an existing Amazon Prime account, you will get a refund on the remaining months left in your Prime subscription. However, you won't have access to certain benefits until the six-month trial period is over.

How often do you have to verify your eligibility for a student Amazon Prime membership?

As a student, the discounted rate is effective for a maximum of four years or the end of your studies (whichever comes first). Whenever the account is up for renewal (either monthly or annually), however, you will need to verify your current student status. You can do this by going to the "Manage Your Prime Membership" menu (if you pay monthly) or "Manage Your Student Membership" (if you pay annually) to submit the requested documentation to confirm that you are still a student. You will be automatically upgraded at the regular rate if you do not re-verify, but if you submit approved documentation within 60 days, the difference will be refunded. You are signed up again for the discounted rate each time from the date you provide proof of enrollment verification.

Do you get the same access to Amazon Prime as regular members with a discounted Amazon Prime membership?

Yes. Students get the same access as regular members of Amazon Primethey also receive additional, tailored perks and discounts, including discounts on textbooks and free food delivery.

Does a student Amazon Prime membership expire when you graduate?

Yes. When you can no longer verify your student status (like after you graduate!) or a four-year period has elapsed, your discounted Amazon Prime membership will expire. If you sign up prior to graduation, you can still enjoy the benefits until the renewal period is up. This can extend your access by several months if you pay annually, or a few weeks if you pay monthly.

Amazon Prime EBT or government assistance membership

Snatch stellar savings this Amazon Prime Day by signing up for a Prime membership for up to 50% off todayfind out if you qualify now.

Amazon Prime membership discounts are also available to customers who have an EBT card or other qualifying government assistance documentation. (Note, however, that the membership cant be paid for with EBT funds.) The rate for this membership is $6.99 a month, a savings of $8 a month when compared to a full-price membership, after a free 30-day trial.

Members get the same Prime benefits including free delivery, access to exclusive deals and member savings, access to Amazon Prime Video and unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos. Meanwhile, shoppers can save up to 15% on everyday essentials and up to 20% on diapers with a subscription for recurring deliveries and use Amazon Cash or gift card payments, as well as SNAP EBT, for eligible groceries with free shipping and automatic virtual coupons applied at checkout.

Sign up for Amazon Prime for EBT cardholders

How do you prove you qualify for an Amazon Prime membership discount with government assistance?

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients can provide a photo of their complete eligibility letter. For SNAP users, simply enter your EBT number and upload an image of the EBT card. If you have a Direct Express (DE) debit card, you can submit an image. For a limited time, Amazon is also accepting Economic Impact Payment (EIP) debit cards, which also can be verified by providing an image.

If you are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), an image of the eligibility letter will suffice, as will an image of a letter noting your participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) that includes both your child's name and the name of the school. If you are part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), you can send an image of the letter confirming your participation, and the same goes for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program or Tribal assistance (TTANF).

When signing up, just make sure that the image and all text are readable in the photo. The letter must show the date it was issued (which must be within the last 12 months) or the date of expiry. It must also include the name of the beneficiary.

With a qualifying EBT card or proof of involvement in an accepted government assistance program, you can receive benefits like access to SNAP-eligible groceries on Amazon Grocery and Amazon Fresh, and exclusive discounts on things like groceries and other household essentials with offers from various brands.

Amazon also counts Medicaid as a qualifying government assistance program. Members can simply upload an image of their Medicaid eligibility letter to qualify.

Are there limitations during the free trial period?

The 30-day free trial for EBT or other government assistance program recipients includes all the same perks as a standard 30-day Amazon Prime free trial.

Do you pay month by month for a discounted Amazon Prime membership for government assistance recipients?

After the 30-day trial period is finished, you will be billed month-to-month at the noted discounted rate.

How often do you have to verify your eligibility for a discounted Amazon Prime membership?

To continue receiving a discounted Amazon Prime membership with an EBT card or other qualifying government assistance program, you must verify your status every 12 months. The discount can be received for up to four years from the initial date of sign up. To make things simple, Amazon will send an email whenever it is time to verify your credentials to ensure you continue to qualify for the discount.

Do you get the same access to Amazon Prime as regular members with a discounted Amazon Prime membership?

Yes. Qualifying EBT and other government assistance recipients get the same access as regular members of Amazon Primethey also receive additional tailored perks and discounts including markdowns on groceries and essentials like baby food and diapers.

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By Trend

The total value of car exports by Turkiye abroad increased from January through June 2022, Turkish Trade Ministry said, Trend reports via TurkicWorld.

According to the ministry, this figure equaled $15.3 billion, up by 6.1 percent on annual basis.

In June of this year, Turkiye exported cars in the total amount of $2.8 billion to international markets, which is 17.9 percent more than in the same month of 2021, the ministry noted.

During the past 12 months (from June 2021 through June 2022), cars worth $30.2 billion were exported by the country abroad, added the ministry.
The American Airline flight was flying over international waters at the time of the reported theft. Eliyahu Yosef Parypa/Shutterstock

An American Airlines passenger stands accused of stealing over $10,000 in cash during a flight.

Court documents allege Diego Sebastian Radio conducted the theft on a plane from Argentina to Miami.

On landing he was searched. Officers found cash and two credit cards belonging to fellow passengers.

An American Airlines passenger has been accused of stealing more than $10,000 in cash from two women during a flight from Argentina's capital Buenos Aires to Miami, according to court documents first published by the Daily Beast and seen by Insider.

Diego Sebastian Radio was also accused of taking more than 14,000 Argentine Pesos (around $110) and two credit cards from the passengers, the filing states.

At the time of the apparent theft, which took place Tuesday, the American Airlines flight was flying over international waters, the court documents showed.

Radio was searched by US Customs and Border Protection officers when the flight arrived in Miami, per the court documents. During the search the missing cash was found loose in his backpack, while the missing credit cards  which were in the name of one of the victims  were found in a jacket pocket.

Radio was subsequently arrested, the court document shows.

One of the victims said in an affidavit that an American Airlines flight attendant, who had observed "suspicious activity," asked her to check her belongings, where she had discovered the items were missing.

Members of the flight crew also told CBP officers they had seen Radio acting suspiciously.

According to the court document, Radio was seen "repeatedly" walking up and down the aisle of the plane, and was also seen to sit in an unassigned seat near the two victims.

The second victim said she found her wallet unzipped and missing two credit cards along with $710 and 520 Argentine Pesos (about $4).

A spokesperson from American Airlines told Insider: "American Airlines flight 900, with service from Buenos Aires (EZE) to Miami (MIA), was met by law enforcement and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents upon arrival in Miami due to reports of possible theft by a customer on board.

The individual was taken into custody by CBP agents."

Read the original article on Business Insider
It is every parents worst nightmare  getting a phone call that your child has gone missing.

But that is exactly what Georgia mom Monica Gilliam, 39, says she experienced after she dropped off her 12-year-old daughter at an American Airlines gate inside Chattanooga Airport about a week ago.

Her daughter was flying solo down to Miami from the Chattanooga airport in Tennessee for a three-week visit with her father, Gilliam told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.

Gilliam said she paid $150 dollars extra, in addition to the ticket price, to make sure her daughter would be escorted directly to her waiting father once the plane landed, under the airline's "unaccompanied minors" program.

UNITED AIRLINES CAPTAIN WRITES LETTER TO TOOTH FAIRY FOR LITTLE GIRL WHO LOST HER TOOTH DURING A FLIGHT

Gilliam, a professional photographer and mom of four from Chickamauga, Ga., posted a TikTok video last Saturday sharing what happened next: "Almost an hour after her flight landed, I got a call from American Airlines. It was the manager in Miami  the American Airlines manager  and he says, Your child is missing. Weve shut down the terminal. We dont know where she is.'"

Gilliams TikTok video (shown above) quickly went viral; as of publication time, it had amassed some 1.8 million views.

Gilliam said the trip began smoothly enough. Her daughter was scheduled to depart on a 6 a.m. flight, so mom and daughter arrived early at the airport to check the girl in with the airline as an unaccompanied minor.

"They give you a lanyard for your child to wear [around her neck] and it's got all of the childs information inside it  their boarding pass, which lets everybody know that they're not traveling with an adult," Gilliam said.

Monica Gilliam dropped her unaccompanied daughter (shown at left, in a photo blurred to protect her privacy) at the Chattanooga airport for a flight to Miami. At right, a busy airport scene. Monica Gilliam; Future Publishing/Getty

Her daughter had breakfast at the airport; then a flight attendant took the girl to the aircraft and "got her boarded first, which is what they're supposed to do with an unaccompanied minor," said Gilliam.

"I stayed until the plane took off," said Gilliam, "and then I left, not thinking that anything was going to go wrong."

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Two hours later, Gilliam said she received a call from her ex-husband, who said, "You're not going to believe what happened."

Her phone then rang again  and it was not good news, according to Gilliam.

It was an American Airlines manager, telling her that her child was missing.

Gilliam said she was incredulous. "How do you lose an unaccompanied minor?" she relayed to Fox News Digital about the conversation. "How did you lose my child?"

SUMMER TRAVEL MIGHT NOT TAKE OFF AS EXPECTED DUE TO CHALLENGING LABOR SHORTAGES, PILOT WARNS

Fox News Digital reached out by both phone and email to American Airlines and received an emailed response from the corporate communications office.

"American cares deeply about our young passengers and is committed to providing a safe and pleasant travel experience for them," the airline said in the statement. "We take these matters very seriously and are looking into what occurred. A member of our team has reached out to the customer to learn more about their experience."

American Airlines states its policy in regard to the picking up of unaccompanied minors by a guardian once they arrive at their destination: "For a seamless pickup, don't forget your government-issued photo ID. You'll need to show it to get a security pass and meet the child at the gate [in the U.S.]."

The airline also states as part of its policy, "You also need to show it [the ID] before we release the child to you."

In addition, "We suggest arriving at least two hours before the child's scheduled arrival so you have enough time," American Airlines says in its policy about the guardian's pickup of a child flying alone.

Fox News Digital attempted to reach the child's father via the mother but was not successful. The flight reportedly arrived early in Miami  and as the father told "Inside Edition" this week, "She [the daughter] immediately started texting me because she had [arrived and needed] to go into the terminal."

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Fox News Digital also reached out to the Chattanooga Airport for comment on the incident and asked for its best safety practices for children when traveling; a public relations representative declined to comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to Miami International Airport, which referred Fox News Digital back to American Airlines.

Gilliam said she imagines what might have transpired in regard to her daughter when she landed. "I think, knowing her, she's very soft-spoken. [So] when the person at the window seat got up, she's like, OK, Ive got to get up, too."

Gilliam said her daughter told her that once she deplaned, "they [the flight attendants] just waved at her instead of saying, Hang on just a minute. I see an unaccompanied minor lanyard around her neck."

American Airlines' guidelines posted on the company's website state that unaccompanied minor service is mandatory for children ages 5-14 who are traveling alone, as is a mandatory gate escort and a guardian contact.

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for comment. A spokesperson replied via email, "This is not a TSA issue. This was a ticketed passenger who went through security with a guardian. The matter at hand has to do with what happened when the flight landed in Miami."

TEXAS BOY DROWNS AT JULY 4TH HOUSE PARTY, NEARLY 8 YEARS AFTER CHILD DROWNS AT SAME HOME

Gilliam shared that her daughter said later, "I didn't know what to do. So, I kept walking."

Gilliam said that she and her daughter "do travel together as a family," and that her daughter knows that normally, after landing, they proceed to the baggage claim.

"She was trying to get ahold of her dad," said Gilliam, meaning by cell phone.

"He was in line for his gate pass when he got a text from her, and he said, I'm just going to stand still and if you're comfortable reading the signs, I'm going to try to get you to me as quickly as possible. And so that's what they did."

HOW TO ROAD TRIP WITH KIDS, FROM PARENTS WHO LIVE IN A BUS YEAR-ROUND

"And she did make it to him," continued Gilliam  confirming that indeed, the child safely reached her dad at the Miami airport.

"But [up until then] she was walking around alone with this unaccompanied minor tag on her," said Gilliam about her daughter.

She was basically "letting people know  in Miami, which is a major human trafficking hub  that she was alone and trying to find her way" by virtue of having the tag on her, said Gilliam. (Florida is among the top states in the nation for the most reported sex trafficking cases.)

Gilliam said what matters most is that her daughter is safe. But Gilliam said she'd like to warn other parents about the unexpected events that may take place when a child travels alone.

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"I was so grateful that she is safe," she said. "But this could have ended really, really badly."

She said that "other parents and kids" who are traveling this summer need "to be aware that this can happen."

Gilliam said she is hesitating now before putting her daughter on another flight by herself.

"It's been a really frightening experience," she said.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Kevin Dietsch and Zach Gibson/Getty Images

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh left through the back door of a DC steakhouse amid protests outside.

"Poor guy. He left before his souffle," said AOC, mocking media coverage of the protest.

She pointed out that the overturning of Roe v. Wade will negatively impact people with ectopic pregnancies.

Following reports that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh left a DC steakhouse early on Wednesday night amid protests outside, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York took issue with media coverage of the incident.

"Poor guy. He left before his souffle because he decided half the country should risk death if they have an ectopic pregnancy within the wrong state lines," the prominent progressive "Squad" member wrote on Twitter. "It's all very unfair to him. The least they could do is let him eat cake."

Kavanaugh was one of six justices that voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, revoking the constitutional right to an abortion.

In the wake of that ruling, women with ectopic pregnancies  which occur when an embryo implants outside the uterus, can be life-threatening, and never result in a live birth  may no longer be able to access care in states that enact sweeping abortion bans.

Politico reported on Friday that Kavanaugh left Morton's as protesters with ShutDownDC gathered outside, though they also reported that the conservative Supreme Court Justice "did not hear or see the protesters and ate a full meal but left before dessert."

Morton's issued a statement to Politico denouncing the protest, saying Kavanaugh and other patrons were "unduly harassed by unruly protestors."

"Politics, regardless of your side or views, should not trample the freedom at play of the right to congregate and eat dinner," a representative for the restaurant chain told Politico. "There is a time and place for everything. Disturbing the dinner of all of our customers was an act of selfishness and void of decency."

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"I will never understand the pearl clutching over these protests," Ocasio-Cortez continued. "Republicans send people to protest me all the time, sometimes drunk and belligerent."

She also alluded to prior media coverage of conservative figures being driven from restaurants, including when former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a Virginia restaurant in 2018.

"Nobody cares about it unless it's a Republican in a restaurant," said Ocasio-Cortez. "Can someone please explain the obsession because I don't get it."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Around 1,000 Ohio Physicians have drafted an open letter of dissent titled A Message to our Patients on the Loss of Reproductive Rights.

The letter was posted by Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, which is described on their social media as a grassroots organization of Ohio physicians interested in supporting and advocating for the reproductive rights of all our patients.

The letter states that the physicians are gravely concerned for the well-being of women and pregnant persons with the overturn of Roe v Wade and the enactment of the Heartbeat Bill.

Withholding treatment until a preventable medical emergency occurs is antithetical to our roles as healthcare workers. We wholeheartedly believe that a womans mental health is essential in the discussions regarding medical necessity and emergency; suicide is a leading cause of death amongst women of child-bearing age, the letter states.

>> Ohio Right to Life: we joyfully celebrate the announcement from the Supreme Court.

It goes on to detail the reasons they said an abortion may be necessary for a womens health, such as a woman undergoing life-preserving treatment such as chemotherapy, rape, or the physical threat of a woman carrying a fetus that cannot survive outside the womb.

The physicians write that the heartbeat bill disproportionately affects women of color and individuals without the financial means to seek other options.

They call on Gov. Mike DeWine and elected officials to protect the lives of women and persons capable of becoming pregnant and repeal the Heartbeat Bill.

They also ask other physicians and patients to organize for their personal bodily autonomy.

The full letter can be read here.












Akron implements new 10 p.m. downtown curfew after renewed Jayland Walker protests

Akron police were monitoring a motor caravan carrying protesters across town Thursday night after dozens of demonstrators carried out a peaceful protest outside the Ellet home of Charles Brown, the city's deputy mayor for public safety.

The protest, one in a series sparked by the fatal shooting of Jayland Walker following a chase by Akron police last week, occurred beyond the bounds of a downtown curfew zone. Demonstrations have focused on police headquarters at the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center on South High Street.

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Protester Franklin Ragsdale joined a group of around 50 people outside Brown's home. Brown is a former assistant chief of the Akron Police Department.

"We met up here in front of his house because this is a charge against every city official that doesn't do everything in their power to release the officers' names, relieve them from their jobs without pay," Ragsdale said. "I'm a paying citizen, and I shouldn't be paying for officers who should not be officers any longer."

Outside The Freedom BLOC moments ago on W. Exchange. Around 12 police cars. Protestors tell me one person, their security guard, has been arrested. @beaconjournal pic.twitter.com/P5DpFWcKTk  Molly Walsh (@MollyWaIsh) July 8, 2022

As many as 50 vehicles formed a procession from Ellet to the headquarters of activist group The Freedom BLOC on West Exchange Street  with autos flashing their hazard lights, sounding horns and proceeding through stoplights along the way. Some drivers taking part were seen acting as security escorts along the drive to West Akron, using their vehicles to block oncoming traffic at busier intersections.

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About 12 police followed the caravan, and officers arrested an individual whom protesters said was providing security after the group reached the organization's office.

Police were seen gathering afterward in Wallhaven parking lot and a helicopter was seen circling above the vicinity. An officer who approached a reporter and a photographer from the Beacon Journal said "some arrests" were made.

Earlier Thursday, The Freedom BLOC office was the site of a news conference where the group and two other activist organizations listed their demands for police reforms in the wake of the shooting.

Photographer Mike Cardew contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron protests after death of Jayland Walker continued Thursday
Jul. 8A man was shot and killed by police at a Marietta motel Thursday night, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A Marietta Police Department officer was also injured in the incident.

According to the GBI, Marietta police officers were on patrol near the Motel 6 on Delk Road Thursday around 6:26 p.m. Officers approached a car in the motel's parking lot and spoke to the people in it.

During the interaction, the driver, Rafael Esteban Ramirez, 26, of Atlanta, reversed his car and hit a marked police car, per the GBI.

Then, "Ramirez put the car in drive and accelerated, pinning an officer between the marked car and his own, and dragging and injuring the officer," a GBI news release reads.

Officers shot Ramirez. He was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, per the GBI.

The injured officer was also taken to Kennestone, where he was treated and released, the GBI said. MPD described the officer's injuries as "non-life-threatening."

The GBI is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting. Once complete, the case will be turned over to the Cobb County District Attorney's Office for review.
An Atlanta newspaper has been issued a subpoena by the special grand jury investigating possible criminal activity of former President Trump and his allies following the 2020 election.

The Fulton County grand jury is looking to obtain the full audio recording of a leaked Jan. 11, 2021, conference call involving former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Bobby Christine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The AJC reported on the call in question at the time.

That Journal report outlined how Christine had told others in his office on the call that he had dismissed two cases of alleged voter fraud in the state based on a lack of evidence.

In my opinion, there is no there, there, Christine said on the call, the newspaper reported.

On Tuesday, the same grand jury issued subpoenas to several members of Trumps inner circle around the time of the election, including Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and conservative lawyer John Eastman.

The subpoenas stem from an ongoing investigation from current Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is looking to ascertain whether Trump and his allies tired to to unlawfully influence the 2020 election.

Trump and his allies have long baselessly suggested widespread voter fraud, including in Fulton County, Georgia, led to a rigged presidential election against him.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The attorney representing the parents of Highland Park shooting suspect Robert Crimo has stood down just days after taking them as clients, citing an unspecified conflict of interest.

Steve Greenberg, who has previously represented high-profile clients including convicted sex offender R. Kelly, tweeted on Thursday night that he was no longer representing Mr Crimos father Bob Crimo and mother Denise Pesina.

In light of a conflict that has arisen I am no longer representing the Crimos, he tweeted.

I remain hopeful that at some point this terrible tragedy will result in meaningful change.

George Gomez was named as the parents new attorney.

Mr Greenberg did not divulge what the conflict of interest was, coming two days after he announced on Tuesday that he had taken on the parents as clients.

Mr Crimos own attorney Tom Durkin also stood down on Wednesday, also citing a conflict of interest, leaving the accused mass shooter to be assigned a public defender.

The Crimos family home in Highwood  which had been handed down the family for years  is on the brink of foreclosure as Bob Crimo has allegedly missed $200,000 in mortgage payments on the property, according to public records.

Questions are growing around whether Mr Crimos parents could face charges in connection to the mass shooting at the July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois.

Bob Crimo  who had a failed run for mayor of Highland Park  sponsored his son to get his state firearm permit in 2019  despite the then-19-year-old threatening to kill his family members just three months earlier.

Following the attack on 4 July, Mr Crimo returned to his mothers home and borrowed her car, police said.

He drove all the way to Madison, Wisconsin, where he considered another attack before returning to Illinois and was arrested.

Attorney Steve Greenberg said this isnt the parents fault in an interview with ABC7 (ABC 7/video screengrab)

Newly-released police reports have also revealed a string of domestic disputes in the home the alleged gunman grew up in with his parents.

Before taking on the parents as clients, Mr Greenberg had tweeted his condemnation of the massacre.

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This is my hometown where I grew up and raised my kids. WTF is wrong with people. No one needs these high powered weapons!!!!! F @tedcruz Mitch McConnell and all like them, he wrote on Monday.

Since being hired by the parents, the attorney defended his clients over the massacre and placed the blame on the system that enabled the 21-year-old alleged gunman to buy assault rifles.

The bigger question, that must be answered and resolved, is why are military grade assault weapons available for anyone to purchase? he tweeted on Wednesday.

It emerged this week that police were called to two separate incidents in 2019 involving Mr Crimo including one where he allegedly threatened to kill his family members.

On 5 September 2019, officers responded to a wellbeing check at the suspects home after Mr Crimo had stated that he was going to kill everyone.

The victim, a family member who was a minor at the time, said that they were afraid to go home due to the nature of this threat and because there was a collection of knives in [Mr Crimos] bedroom.

The then-18-year-old admitted to officers that he was depressed and had a history of drug use, according to a police report released by Indiana State Police.

Denise Pesina, the mother of Highland Park shooting suspect Robert Crimo (Supplied)

Police confiscated a trove of knives from his bedroom at the time including a 24-inch Samurai type sword, a 12-inch dagger and a tin lunch box with 16 hand knives  which were then collected just four hours later by Mr Crimos father after he claimed the knives were his and he had been storing them in his sons room for safekeeping.

The incident in September also came five months after police were called to the home for the first time that April when Mr Crimo allegedly tried to kill himself with a machete.

But, despite the warning signs about Mr Crimos disturbing behaviour, his father sponsored his sons application for an FOID card that December.

In January 2020  despite being sent the police reports about the incidents  the ISP approved the FOID application.

Mr Crimo then legally bought five firearms over the next two years  including the high-powered Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle he allegedly used in Mondays attack.

In a press release earlier this week, the ISP that there was insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger and deny the FOID application.

Mr Greenberg initially claimed that Bob Crimo was not aware of the September 2019 threats when he sponsored his sons FOID card application that December.

The police report tells a different story, showing officers spoke to the father during the encounter and that he then collected the trove of knives from the police four hours after they were confiscated.

Robert Bobby Crimo Jr is the father of the alleged Highland Park shooter (Facebook/Robert Bobby Crimo Jr)

Bob Crimo, who made a failed run for mayor against current Mayor Nancy Rotering, then appeared to admit his awareness of the threats in an interview with the New York Post saying that the threats were taken out of context and were just a childs outburst.

He also denied any potential culpability for this weeks massacre saying he had zero involvement saying  while he signed his sons initial FOID application  his son purchased all the guns himself.

While Ms Pesina has not spoken to the media, she was caught on video confronting a SWAT team on Monday as law enforcement agencies hunted for her son.

Newly-released police records show Ms Pesina was convicted of child endangerment in 2002 of abandoning Mr Crimo in a hot car when he was just two years old.

Mr Crimo has so far been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder with more charges expected in the coming days.

If convicted, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
(Reuters) - Australia's foreign minister said bilateral talks with her Chinese counterpart on Friday, the first such meeting in three years, were an important first step towards stabilising relations.

"We've made decisions on the basis of our interest and China's interest. It will take time and effort," Penny Wong said in a livestreamed briefing, discussing a bilateral meeting with counterpart Wang Yi that took place on the sidelines of a G20 meeting of foreign ministers in Bali.

(Reporting by Zahra Matarani and Kirsty Needham; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Leading UAE developer Aldar has announced that its pioneering brand for flexible workplace solutions, Cloud Spaces, has formally launched its second location in the capital at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), owing to the regions growing demand for flexible working solutions.

This comes following the success of its first unit in Abu Dhabi's retail destination, Yas Mall.

Cloud Spaces ADGM is designed to appeal to creative entrepreneurs, freelancers and SMEs by creating an environment to work, connect and collaborate. Tenants can enjoy panoramic views of the city in a variety of co-working zones, said Aldar in a statement.

The innovative concept includes an array of tastefully designed workstations, ergonomic boardrooms, private meeting spaces and chic co-working lounges across two floors in Al Sarab Tower, it stated.

Saoud Khoory, Chief Retail Officer at Aldar Investment and Chairman of C2i, the Aldar subsidiary that launched Cloud Spaces, said: "Cloud Spaces is more than just an office. The co-working space bridges the gap between traditional working environments and the growing demand for flexibility, agility, and connectivity in business."

"Consumer behaviours are shifting, and our shared working space model is designed to meet and exceed customer expectations. Cloud Spaces Yas Mall has proven that this model can be a success and we are delighted to be launching a second location in ADGM," he noted.

Khoory said Cloud Spaces was Aldars pioneering brand for flexible workplace solutions aimed at complimenting and adding value to Aldars diverse portfolio.

Cloud Spaces was first launched in Yas Mall in October 2020, making it the GCC regions first mall-based, business and lifestyle co-working space. It caters to both local and international companies and entrepreneurs, with existing Yas Mall retailers making use of the creative space and associated services, he noted.

Cloud Spaces General Manager Malak Smejkalova said: "We are thrilled to give local and international businesses, entrepreneurs and freelancers a state of the art branch at ADGM, right in the heart of the UAE capital."

"Since we first opened a few weeks ago, we have already reached 90% capacity and are looking to expand further within Al Maryah Island. We offer our partners a variety of co-working and flexible payment options as well as meeting rooms and offices of all sizes," he noted.

"Since the launch of Cloud Spaces Yas Mall, we have seen increased interest from freelancers, small businesses and the UAEs creative community. We look forward to introducing new locations across the country," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
MADRID (Reuters) - The Bank of Spain has registered the local unit of the world's largest crypto exchange Binance as a virtual currency platform with procedures in place against money laundering and financing of terrorism.

The bank said that registered providers have to comply with rules concerning money laundering and terrorism financing but added that it does not supervise the platforms' financial and operating risks, and that being included in the registry does not imply an approval of its activities by the central bank.

Binance, which has about 120 million users worldwide, tweeted on Friday that its registry in Spain will allow it to offer crypto asset exchange and custody in the country in compliance with the central bank's rules.

The registration signals that Binance is gaining momentum in Europe after France and Italy also included it in its national registries in recent months as the European Union prepares new regulation on the sector.

Cryptocurrency companies will need a licence and customer safeguards to issue and sell digital tokens in the European Union under new rules agreed last week by the bloc to tame a volatile market.

Under current rules, there is no cross-border approval of crypto services across the EU, but that will change with new rules due later on in 2023.

Globally, crypto assets are largely unregulated, with national operators in the European Union only required to show controls for combating money laundering.

A French Member of the European Parliament urged France's market regulator earlier this week to review its decision in May to register Binance, citing a recent Reuters investigation into money laundering on the platform.

The Reuters report found that Binance served as a conduit for the laundering of at least $2.35 billion in illicit funds.

(Reporting by Joan Faus, editing by Andrei Khalip and Louise Heavens)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said he will visit the Japanese embassy in Washington to sign a condolence book after Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down on Friday.

He also said he tried to call Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who he called "a very solid guy," adding "Japan is a very, very stable ally."

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; writing by Susan Heavey)
John, Paul, George and Ringo singing Here Comes the Sun would make the perfect anthem for Austrian-owned Silent Groups newest 60-foot power catamaran, the $3 million Silent 60.

Why? Without sunshine, you wont get very far.

More from Robb Report

Thankfully, the searing Florida sun is beating down as we take to Fort Lauderdales bustling Intracoastal Waterway to try-out this eco-friendly Silent 60. With its roof and foredeck crammed full of solar panels, the sixty-footer is humming along at a leisurely six mph on just zero-emissions battery power.

The batteries are recharged by solar panels that occupy nearly every available square foot of exterior space. - Credit: Courtesy Silent Yachts

Courtesy Silent Yachts

Just as its name suggests, the ride is hushed, with just the gentle, soothing sound of water bubbling-up in the wake to interrupt the peace and quiet.

Silent running is top of the list when it comes to what appeals to our customers. They dont want to hear engines or feel vibration, Silent Yachts in-house designer Juliana Miguel told Robb Report, during the run.

These days its also about fuel costs, adds US sales director, Philip Bell. One customer ordered a new 60 after getting tired of using his 80-foot Italian motoryacht for weekend trips to the Bahamas and spending $12,000 on fuel each time.

The 30-foot beam delivers strong interior space and wide social areas on the outside. - Credit: Courtesy Silent Yachts

Courtesy Silent Yachts

The Silent 60s claim to fame? Quiet, zero-emission, electric-only cruising at 7 to 8 mph for up to nine hours, or roughly 100 nautical miles a day. Throttle back to 4 mph, and the company says you have the possibility of near perpetual motion.

Were sampling the third hull of the constantly evolving Silent 60 series that launched last summer. Silent has been the leader in inventing the solar-powered electric-cruiser niche. Replacing the original Silent 55, the 60 has been such a boat-show hit that more than 30 are currently awaiting construction at Silents yards in Fano, Italy and Istanbul, Turkey.

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The yacht were on is an original folding-hardtop version, with its cantilevered roof panel that, at the push of a button, lowers to cover the small, open flybridge area. Tastes, however, are evolving.

The boats 30-foot beam allows for an apartment-sized, open salon. - Credit: Courtesy Quin Bassett

Courtesy Quin Bassett

According to Bell, most of the new 60s currently in build are tri-deck models, featuring a significantly larger flybridge area, a fixed rather than folding roof (also covered with solar panels), and the option of a fully open flybridge, or glass-enclosed sky lounge, designed for additional entertaining space or even a master suite.

At the dock, given its 30-foot beam, the 60 looks humongous. To our eyes, its not going to win any beauty contests. Towering, vertical hull-sides, a fairly-shapeless upright bow design, and straight up-and-down cabin sides give the catamaran a square-edged, boxy look. All function with little form.

But what the owner gets are huge interior spaces. Inside, it feels like a floating apartment, with a cavernous salon, spacious galley, large dining area, and huge aft deck. Down below are choices of three or four spacious en-suite cabins in the hulls.

A good boat for the sunny canals of Fort Lauderdale. - Credit: Courtesy Quin Bissett/Silent Yachts

Courtesy Quin Bissett/Silent Yachts

But the quality of the interior doesnt track with the boats $3 million-plus price tag. Thin cabinet doors, dull-looking fabrics, gelcoat fiberglass on the salon ceilings, faux-wood vinyl flooring, and an inside helm station that was little more than an upholstered board with instruments that looked haphazardly arranged, were all below par, considering the upscale market Silent is targeting.

Miguel says the interior will change with the next generation of 60s arriving towards the end of the year, with a big step-up in terms of quality of materials, attention to detail, style, and fit and finish. So, why didnt they wait to unveil the boat to the media before they got to that point?

The man at the helm is Silent Yachts delivery captain and chief tester Kyle Miller. With a jiggle of a joystick control and a touch of bow-thruster, he maneuvers the 60 out of its tight, side-on slip and eases into the busy Intracoastal Waterway.

All function, no form? The 60-footers boxy shape is out of synch with other cat manufacturers that use more curves in their superstructures. - Credit: Courtesy Silent Yachts

Courtesy Silent Yachts

The yacht features Silents E-Power propulsion package, with twin Dana TM4 200kW or 268 hp electric motors and 207kWh lithium-ion batteries. Theyre good for an 8 mph cruise speed and claimed 16 mph top speed. Theres also a base version with twin 50kW or 67 hp motors juiced by a 143kWh lithium-ion battery bank. Even Miller admits this is short on power.

The best, and of course the priciest, option is the E-Power+ package, featuring twin 340kW 455 hp motors and 286kWh batteries. Its said to be good for tide-punching bursts of up to 20 mph.

For anyone who wants to dash around at 17 knots all day long, our recommendation is to buy a different boat, says Miller. The Silent 60 is designed for relaxing on the move, gliding from one anchorage to the next, and being self-sufficient on the hook.

Open space on the flybridge. - Credit: Courtesy Silent Yachts

Courtesy Silent Yachts

As we discovered, the 60 isnt always a Tesla of the seas. Running over 6 mph will necessitate firing up the Hyundai diesel generator for one of every three hours of running time to keep the batteries charged. And thats not silent.

While ambling along at 6 mph is fine for laid-back cruising, we also had concerns about a lack of reserve power for tackling strong currents and adverse tides.

Even our test boats twin 200kW motors struggled to keep the 60 under control when maneuvering against a fast, incoming tide under Lauderdales narrow 17th Street Bridge. The bigger 340kW motors are definitely the way to go for running in fast currents or tidal waters.

Galley and dining area - Credit: Courtesy Silent Yachts

Courtesy Silent Yachts

Without doubt, this new Silent 60 showcases the appeal of electric power on the water. The way it efficiently and effectively harnesses the suns rays, its largely zero-emissions running, coupled with its huge and versatile interior space, is impressive for a family cruiser.

Just dont plan on getting anywhere in a hurryand beware of fast-running tides.

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The 737 Max 10.

The boss of Boeing has warned that there is a "risk" the plane maker may be forced to axe its 737 Max 10 jet over potential regulatory issues.

The company faces a deadline at the end of this year to secure approval for the passenger jet from US authorities.

Chief executive Dave Calhoun said the push to get the greenlight was "a little bit of an all-or-nothing".

The Max 10 is the latest and largest plane in the 737 family, which has been scrutinised after two fatal crashes.

In an interview with Aviation Week magazine, Mr Calhoun said he still expected a favourable outcome, as Boeing planned to press its case with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the US Congress.

"If you go through the things we've been through, the debts that we've had to accumulate, our ability to respond or willingness to see things through, even a world without the [737 Max] 10 is not that threatening," he said.

"I do not expect [to cancel the programme], and I don't want anybody to think that. It's just a risk," he added.

A Boeing spokesperson confirmed Mr Calhoun's comments to the BBC.

The spokesperson added that the company was committed to meeting regulators' requirements and "those of our customers to certify and deliver the 737-10. Safety remains the driving factor in this effort".

Earlier this year, the FAA warned Boeing that it may not receive certification for the Max 10 by the end of this year. Certification is required for a plane to enter into service.

If Boeing does not get approval, it would have to add an alerting system to the cockpits of the Max 10s, under regulations taking effect in 2023. That is unless it receives a waiver from the US Congress.

Including the system means Boeing would have to redesign the Max 10's flight deck, and train pilots to fly under a new configuration, the BBC understands.

Boeing has more than 600 Max 10 jets on order from 18 customers, including British Airways owner IAG and United Airlines.

Story continues

The US requirements were introduced after other models in the 737 Max line were involved in fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, in which 346 people were killed.

The entire global fleet of 737 Max aircraft was grounded after the Ethiopian Airlines crash in 2019. Authorities around the world have since allowed the planes to fly again.

You may also be interested in:
AFP via Getty

Border Patrol agents did not whip Haitian migrants in a viral incident that sparked outrage last September, but they did use unnecessary force while corralling the group, an internal report released Friday said.

The report, which totaled 511 pages, said an investigation found no evidence that agents on horseback struck migrants with reins while patrolling the border near Del Rio, Texas. That finding contradicts what manyincluding President Joe Bidenbelieved at the time of the incident, which sent field agents to administrative duty and sparked an internal investigation.

Its horrible, what you saw. To see people like they did, with horses, running them over, people being strapped, its outrageous, Biden said last September. Those people will pay.

While there was no whipping, the report doesnt exactly clear the agents involvedor their supervisorsof wrongdoing.

Instead, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said in a statement that failures at multiple levels of the agency, a lack of appropriate policies and training, and unprofessional and dangerous behavior by several individual agents were uncovered during the investigation.

Border Patrol singled out one agent for using derogatory and vulgar language while also putting a child at risk with the horse he was mounted on.

Hey! This is why your countrys shit. You use your women for this, the agent, who was not identified, was heard yelling in one viral video captured by Al Jazeera.

Fridays report said Border Patrol agents were not briefed on the agencys objectives when they decided to help Texas officials maintain an influx of Haitian migrants crossing into the state last September.

Several of the migrants involved in the viral incident had already crossed the border into the U.S. and were issued tickets by Border Patrol that indicated they were awaiting processing, the report said.

The Haitians were given permission to buy food and supplies for their families in Mexico, the report said, and the group in the viral incident was simply returning with provisions when mounted agents swarmed them, which explains why so many were holding bags of food as they were corralled.

Story continues

1235368965 United States Border Patrol agents on horseback look on as Haitian migrants sit on the river bank near an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, 2021 AFP via Getty

The report said these agents used force or the threat of force to drive migrants back into the Rio Grande River despite the fact they were well within the territorial boundary of the United States.

During a news conference Friday, Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Chris Magnus said his agency has convened a review panel to determine disciplinary measures against four agents, but he declined to give specifics on what sort of punishment they could face.

Not everyones going to like all the findings, but the investigation was comprehensive and fair, Magnus said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill and Tsvetelia Tsolova

LONDON (Reuters) - Ninety minutes after resigning as British prime minister on Thursday, Boris Johnson called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He told the Ukrainian leader his people had the UK's unwavering support in its fight against Russia, and said Britain would continue to supply vital defensive aid for as long as needed. "You're a hero, Volodymyr," he said, according to an aide who listened to the call. "In this country,

everybody loves you."

In the months since Russia invaded Ukraine, Britain has become an important go-between for Zelenskiy, officials in Britain and the United States told Reuters. Part broker, part delivery service, supporting Ukraine has been a crucial part of Johnson's premiership. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described him as a "true friend of Ukraine" in comments sent to Reuters by his ministry.

Whoever runs Britain in coming months will face important decisions about how to pursue the policy. Johnson told Zelenskiy he still had "a few weeks" to keep the support going, according to the aide. But Britain's leadership will be at a point of transition as Russia is steadily gaining ground in what Moscow calls a "special operation."

Until that last call, Johnson had spoken to Zelenskiy 21 times since the start of the war  once every six days on average. Their conversations often opened with Zelenskiy reading out a "shopping list" of arms, three UK officials with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The calls could "be very transactional" at the start, one of the officials said.

As an example of the deals that followed, London and Oslo agreed that Britain would send multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Ukraine and receive similar, older equipment from Norway in return that it can modernise, Norway's government confirmed. In May, Ukrainian defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov thanked Britain for its help delivering Denmark's anti-ship missiles.

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Britain also recently made an inquiry for 27 Soviet-designed heavy machine guns from Bulgaria, according to a document from state-owned arms company TEREM seen by Reuters. TEREM told Reuters that that deal did not go through.

Britain has pledged 2.3 billion pounds ($2.74 billion) of military support for Ukraine, the second highest level of support after the United States. The official total includes purchases of weapons but not the logistics support that Britain has offered alongside these, Britain's defence ministry said.

Britain played this role because some governments face political opposition to supplying weapons to Ukraine, others need logistical help, and in some cases, have ageing systems that Britain is helping to refurbish, the officials said.

Reuters could not determine how many more such arrangements Britain has helped with; the defence ministry said it works routinely with partners across the globe to procure equipment, but declined further comment.

"The UK has emerged as a leader among allies and partners in providing assistance to Ukraine," U.S. Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Anton Semelroth said in a statement to Reuters.

Even though Britain became increasingly involved in diplomacy around the war in Ukraine, Kyiv says its stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons are running low. It says it is using about 6,000 artillery shells a day, while a British defence source said Russia is using about 20,000 rounds a day. Britain's existing stockpile of artillery would run out in days if it was used at the same pace as Russia, the source said.

Analysts say Western countries will soon come to a strategic turning-point, needing to decide whether to double down on arming Ukraine or push for negotiations with Moscow to end the war.

With Britain facing an economic and cost-of-living crisis, it may be challenging to convince the public to keep supporting Ukraine in a war that could last years, said James Rogers, co-founder of London-based foreign policy think tank Geostrategy.

The public initially supported foreign wars like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, but then became disillusioned, opinion polls showed.

"There is undoubtedly a tension every time you spend taxpayers' money," Rogers said. "But the government should try to convince people we either spend the money now to stop Russia in Ukraine, or we face even greater cost somewhere else."

"FINEST HOUR"

Johnson's government, under pressure at home for months before he was forced to quit, was bold overseas. He cast himself as a modern-day Winston Churchill, and in a speech to the Ukrainian parliament in May said the fight with Russia would rank as Ukraine's "finest hour"  invoking Churchill's declaration when Britain faced the threat of being invaded and defeated by Nazi Germany in World War Two.

In an interview with Reuters late last month, he said he wanted Ukraine to be flooded with more Western weapons to stop it running out of Soviet-era artillery.

"So, we supply Ukraine with the material, the equipment, the intelligence so as to make that country in the future if not impregnable, then certainly a place that Russia does not want to attack," he said during a trip to Rwanda for the Commonwealth summit.

London's role helping deliver weapons to Ukraine grew pragmatically, according to British officials.

Britain first noticed the threat of a Russian invasion last April when intelligence from satellite imagery pointed to a Russian troop build-up on the Ukrainian borders, according to a Western official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A small number of British officials began planning for that last summer, the official said; in the weeks before the invasion, Britain started delivering NLAWs (Next Generation Light Antitank Weapons), according to the government. These missiles were essential in derailing early Russian incursions into Ukraine, Ukrainian officials have said; its defence ministry celebrated Britain's role providing them in a video on Twitter saying, "Thank you, UK!" alongside images of William Shakespeare and James Bond.

Slowly, two British sources close to the prime minister say, Britain started to help coordinate deliveries and help other countries with logistics. Since April, a coalition of more than 40 nations has been coordinating the aid via an American base in Stuttgart, Germany, but UK and U.S. government sources said many discussions about what type of weapons are needed have been between Zelenskiy and world leaders, as well as Ukrainian defence and military officials.

After Johnson collected Zelenskiy's requirements on their calls, Britain sent military attaches to search for the arms in roughly a dozen countries, including those closest geographically to Russia, a defence source said.

Another defence source added that Britain has been in talks with countries that still use Soviet-era equipment about buying Soviet-era 300 mm rockets for the Smerch system, anti-aircraft missiles, missiles for the BUK SA11 system and spare parts for T72 tanks.

Competition is fierce. British military attaches who tour countries for supplies occasionally bump into their Russian counterparts shopping for the same items, a third British source with knowledge of the matter said. Talks have been held about buying arms with nations further afield.

In the Czech Republic, a senior defence source said that when the Czechs source something that is logistically difficult to transport, Britain helps out, and vice versa. "We do a lot of stuff together," the person said on condition of anonymity. They declined to give details of the weapons delivered.

Bulgaria does not export arms to Ukraine directly, but confirmed Britain is among countries purchasing weapons from there.

"Bulgaria has (a) quite serious arms industry ... At the moment, clients have appeared from Poland, the Czech Republic, England and other European Union countries with purchase orders at very good prices," Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on the country's national radio in June.

"The industry is booming at present," he said, without specifying whether some of these exports were finally destined for Ukraine.

BORYS JOHNSONIUK

Johnson's role boosted his and Britain's popularity abroad. In a global poll last month, Britain's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine was voted the best of all the leading Western countries. About 7,000 people from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan participated in the poll, for the annual Munich Security Conference.

In Ukraine, a cafe in Kyiv is selling an apple dessert named the Borys Johnsoniuk, a Ukrainianised version of the prime minister's name. A street in the southern port city of Odesa has been named after the British prime minister; portraits of Johnson depicted as a warrior wrapped in the colours of the Ukrainian flag are on display in a museum in central Kyiv.

The deliveries have led to a closer relationship between Johnson and Zelenskiy, British sources said. While their calls have been mostly about arms procurement, when Johnson and Zelenskiy spoke, one British source said, they also jokingly called NLAWs "in loves" and sang songs with "in love" in the lyrics.

There was no interpreter on their last call, the British aide said: The men spoke in English.

"There is clearly a Johnson touch to this," said Rogers, the analyst. But he said Britain's basic approach is unlikely to change much under a new leader: "The structural approach is probably locked in."

Whoever takes over from Johnson, their next big challenge will be to go beyond purchases of Soviet era material to a new phase, supplying Ukraine with more Western weapons and training its forces to use them.

"If Britain and the West want to keep that support for Ukraine going then we are going to need to move into war production mode," said one of the defence sources.

Britain's foreign minister, Liz Truss, said on June 28 the West needs to "double down" on weapons supplies. She told a parliamentary committee Britain should have started supplying weapons much earlier because it takes months of training before they can be used.

"The best thing we can do now is to ... get more weapons quicker, to get the higher spec weapons and encourage our allies to do that as well," she said.

"We need to increase our industrial capacity."

(Elizabeth Piper and Andrew MacAskill reported from London; Tsvetelia Tsvetova reported from Sodia; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington, Jan Lopatka in Prague; Edited by Sara Ledwith)
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's federal police on Thursday carried out an operation against an alleged criminal gang that it said used crypto tokens to launder money made from illegal gold mining.

Police arrested five people and served 60 search and seizure warrants in the operation.

The operation, called Greed, was related to health care companies that, since at least 2012, had laundered money from illegal gold mining in the northern state of Rondonia, the federal police said. The criminal group used its own crypto token to move around billions of dollars, among other money laundering methods, the police said.

The token, created by one of the group's shell companies, was used to "justify the amounts arising from the illegal extraction of gold ... as if they were investments of third parties interested in receiving dividends," it said.

A banking analysis performed by the federal police found that between 2019 and 2021, over 16 billion reais ($3 billion) moved through the group's bank accounts.

Police also said that the group owned a mining company that laundered gold extracted from other illegal mines in the northern part of the country, using invalid environmental permits.

($1 = 5.3391 reais)

(Reporting by Peter Frontini; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Supreme Court JusticeBrett Kavanaugh ducked out the back door of a steakhouse in Washington, D.C., when a group of demonstrators gathered outside to protest his vote to jettison Roe v. Wade, Politico and activists reported.

Kavanaugh was dining Wednesday night at Mortons restaurant in downtown Washington when protesters showed up out front, according to Politico. They called the manager to tell him to kick Kavanaugh out  and later tweeted that the justice soon slipped out the back, which Politico confirmed.

While the badasses @OurRightsDC and his own neighbors are gathered outside #Kavanaughs home, the justice seems to have snuck out for a swanky DC dinner. We got a tip from someone who spotted him around 7:40 DM us if you want to join himwere sure he can pull up a seat!  ShutDownDC (@ShutDown_DC) July 6, 2022

We hear Kavanaugh snuck out the back with his security detail. @mortons should be ashamed for welcoming a man who so clearly hates women.  ShutDownDC (@ShutDown_DC) July 7, 2022

Kavanaugh hasnt commented on the incident, but Mortons was furious.

Honorable Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh and all of our other patrons at the restaurant were unduly harassed by unruly protestors while eating dinner at our Mortons restaurant, a representative said in a statement to Politico.

Politics, regardless of your side or views, should not trample the freedom at play of the right to congregate and eat dinner. There is a time and place for everything. Disturbing the dinner of all of our customers was an act of selfishness and void of decency, the statement added.

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A source insisted to Politico that Kavanaugh didnt see or hear the protesters and scarfed down his entire meal  with dessert  before ducking out the back to avoid the demonstrators.

When pressed Friday by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy about the incident, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: We condemn any intimidation of the judges ... we condemn any violence. As for peaceful protests, she added, people should be allowed to be able to do that ... this is what democracy is.

Doocy railed about justices lack of privacy.

A debate about the incident erupted on Twitter over Kavanaughs right to dine in peace. Some who where furious about the Roe ruling that reversed decades of abortion rights said that badgering Kavanaugh wont help women get back their reproductive freedom. But others choked on Mortons complaint that their customers rights shouldnt be trampled.

Several quipped that theres nothing specific in the Constitution guaranteeing the right to dine in peace, a reference to the justification the courts conservative majority used to dump Roe v. Wade. Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri wrote an article revealing that, after extensive study, she discovered the right to congregate and eat dinner is actually not to be found anywhere in the Constitution.

Some on Twitter claimed abortion rights advocates were making fake reservations to hit back at Mortons.

At least he got to see what a back alley looks like  Deep Time (@rstackjr) July 8, 2022

Per Clarence Thomas fanciful jurisprudence, if Mortons wasnt cited by the Founders, Kavanaugh has no privacy rights or protected freedoms at stake in dinner at Mortons.



Sorry, thems the rules.



Thomas makes them, the rest of us just try to follow his wild, deranged tango.  Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) July 8, 2022

Glad that Mortons has weighed in with their legal opinion that Kavanaugh has a right to eat dinner. Though if were doing away with Unenumerated Rights predicated on the 14th amendment, Im afraid eat dinner might be the next to go.  Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) July 8, 2022

Brett Kavanaugh and Morton's MAGA Steak House believe lying SCOTUS have a "right" to eat in restaurants and not have protestors outside, but that 4th graders do not have a "right" to go to school and be safe from being slaughtered by young MAGA men armed with AR-15's.  Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) July 8, 2022

As the Republicans throw a fit because peaceful protesters were outside Mortons steakhouse where Kegger Kavanaugh hid, remember, that same SCOTUS ruled that antichoice protesters were permitted to harass and intimidate patients in and outside of womens health clinics  NewbieHoward  (@NewbieHoward) July 8, 2022

Mortons Steak House:Honorable Justice Kavanaugh was harassed by protestors while eating dinner here. Politics should not trample the right to eat dinner. Disturbing dinner was an act of selfishness & void of decency. Whereas having your rapist's baby is divine. #FuckMortons  Elayne Let Everyone Vote Boosler (@ElayneBoosler) July 8, 2022

So Morton's Steak House thinks the "freedom to eat dinner" is much more important than the freedom to not be forced into child bearing. I guess they don't want to give up their huge income from Kavanaugh's bar bills. #FuckMortonsSteakHouse  Elayne Let Everyone Vote Boosler (@ElayneBoosler) July 8, 2022

Its not the fault of the restaurant but. I hope this happens to him every time and everywhere he goes.  ianwilder_eth (@ianwilder_eth) July 8, 2022

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth said she was deeply saddened by the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday.

"My family and I were deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden and tragic death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe," said the 96-year-old monarch, who added she had fond memories of meeting Abe and his wife during their 2016 visit to Britain.

"I wish to convey my deepest sympathy and condolences to his family and to the people of Japan at this difficult time."

(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; editing by Michael Holden)
Sonder Holdings, a leading next-generation hospitality company, is set to open a 401-unit property in Business Bay, Dubai later this year. It will become the largest property in Sonders global portfolio.



Developed by SAAS Properties and operated by Sonder, the 35-storey building is meticulously finished throughout. Its guest amenities will include an elegant lobby with marble flooring, a swimming pool surrounded by cabanas, a F&B outlet, and a state-of-the-art fitness centre.



Were building the future of hospitality, applying design and technology to meet the needs of modern travellers, while offering developers flexibility and freedom from daily operational responsibilities. Opening our third location in Dubai makes us one of the largest full-building serviced apartment operators in the market, and the region remains a focus for Sonder. Were proud to partner with SAAS Properties, a highly regarded real estate developer, said Martin Picard, Co-Founder and Global Head of Real Estate at Sonder.



Sonder combines local expertise with a global brand that appeals to the modern generation of travellers. Sonder is an experienced and well-capitalised partner and were pleased to have them manage and operate our Business Bay property, which will provide guests with high-end accommodation and amenities in a premium location moments from the Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai, said Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Chief Executive Officer at SAAS Properties.



Driven Properties, a Dubai-based real estate development management consultancy, advised both parties on the deal.



Sonder Business Bay occupies a prime, central location, near the Dubai Mall and iconic Burj Khalifa, ideal for both business and leisure travellers. The property features 401 thoughtfully designed serviced apartments, available for both short and extended stays. They range in size from studio to 3-bedroom, and many have skyline and Dubai canal views.



The property joins the existing 465 units Sonder operates at its two other locations in Dubai, bringing its total portfolio in the city to 866 units. Sonder JBR The Walk opened in late 2019, and was joined by Sonder Downtown Towers in Q4 2021. These locations offer serviced apartments with up to 4 bedrooms in prime locations, with on-site amenities including a swimming pool and fitness room at each property.



Headquartered in San Francisco, Sonder operates in 35+ cities across ten countries  seven of which are in EMEA  and has approximately 19,300 live and contracted units worldwide as of Q1 2022. The company partners with real estate owners and landlords to lease, manage and operate hotel and multi-unit buildings in prime locations.



Sonder distinguishes itself in the hospitality industry through modern design and by infusing technology into its guest experience. This tech-enabled experience puts guests in full control of their stay. They can access everything they need  from booking, to interacting with guest services, to check-out  via their own mobile device from anywhere and at any time, using the Sonder app.  TradeArabia News Service
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  Protesters in Burkina Faso demonstrated Friday against the return of former President Blaise Compaore, as the ruling junta faltered in its efforts to hold a summit on the crisis of jihadi violence.

Compaore, the longtime military strongman ousted by a popular insurrection in 2014, returned to Burkina Faso Thursday to attend the unprecedented meeting with other former leaders.

Junta leader Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba called the meeting which was to include five former presidents. But on Friday only two ex-leaders showed up for the meeting: Compaore and Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo, who ruled the country for nine months between 1982 and 1983 when it was known as Upper Volta.

The meeting devised by Damiba, who had himself appointed interim president, was an attempt to discuss Burkina Fasos future amid escalating jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million people.

Former President Roch Marc Christian Kabore who was ousted by Damiba in January, was prevented from attending by protesters who surrounded his house, according to internal security reports for aid workers seen by The Associated Press.

Riot police gathered outside Kabores house Friday to control the protesters.

If Roch Marc Christian Kabore still has some dignity he should normally refuse to go to this meeting. So I am in front of his doors and I said he must not move, said Ahmed Ki, a Kabore supporter.

Others in the capital protested the return of Compaore, who ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly 30 years. Although in exile in neighboring Ivory Coast, a Burkina Faso court recently convicted him of complicity in the murder in 1987 of former President Thomas Sankara and sentenced him to life in prison.

Lawyers for the Sankara family have called for his arrest.

Mr. Blaise Compaore was sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial of the military court of Ouagadougou and he is still subject to an arrest warrant issued against him by the military court, said Benewende Stanislas Sankara, spokesman for the Sankara family.

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Local rights organizations warn that by giving Compaore impunity the junta has taken an extremely serious step, that undermines the rule of law in Burkina Faso, Chrysogone Zougmore, president of the Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights, told The Associated Press.

In a statement on state television, Damiba defended his decision to allow Compaore to visit the country.

To the Burkinabe who have expressed their opinions against our approach, we tell them that the process is not made to consecrate impunity, but to contribute to the search for solutions for a Burkina Faso of peace and cohesion, he said.

The junta will continue discussions with those who were unable to attend the meeting, he said.

The juntas message of forgive and forget isnt going to be accepted easily by the public, said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory.

This urgent meeting has proven unsuccessful thus far, and it is, if anything, eroding the already fragile public trust in the governing junta, he said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he approved a budget that allocates $100 million for the state to create its own insulin, a response to extremely high prices for the life-saving medication that have made it inaccessible to some people with diabetes.

"Nothing epitomizes market failures more than the cost of insulin," Newsom said in a tweeted video. "Many Americans experience out-of-pocket costs anywhere from $300 to $500 per month for this life-saving drug. California is now taking matters into our own hands."

California is going to make its own insulin.Its simple. People should not go into debt to get life-saving medication. pic.twitter.com/yB4mpGjtQO

 Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 7, 2022

Newsom said $50 million will go to the development of low-cost insulin products, while the other $50 million will be used to create a California-based insulin manufacturing facility. He did not specify a time frame for the product or say exactly how much it would cost, though he noted that the state plans to make it "at a cheaper price, close to at-cost, and to make it available to all."

Newsom is not the only lawmaker attempting to combat the price of insulin. In 2019, Colorado became the first state to cap insulin co-payments for people with private insurance; this year, the U.S. House passed a bill that would cap the monthly cost of insulin at $35 for people who are insured.

The rising prices have been an issue for years, leading some to attempt to ration whatever insulin they can afford. In one instance, a 26-year-old man's family said he died after he tried to ration insulin and fell into a diabetic coma in his home.

"You know, my son is not a statistic," his mother told CBS News in 2019. "He would be here if his life-saving medication was priced at a reasonable rate."

Human Rights Watch said in April that the three drug companies that control the majority of the insulin market  Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi  have all significantly raised the prices of their synthetic insulin in recent decades.

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"Almost every insulin-dependent person Human Rights Watch interviewed said they had rationed analog insulin because of out-of-pocket costs, taking it in ways not recommended by their physician in order to stretch their supply," the report noted.

Responding to questions about the report from CBS News at the time, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly cited programs they had developed to lower costs for some people.

Novo Nordisk said it has a patient assistance program that provides free insulin to some low- and middle-income people. The company noted that reform "will take time so we will continue to do what we can to help people who need us now."

Eli Lilly said that the "average monthly out-of-pocket cost for Lilly insulin has decreased 44%, to $21.80, over the past five years," noting that it also has programs to help people facing higher costs.

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Jul. 8Agriculture and politics are converging in Mahaska County this summer leading up to the election for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture this November.

As the nation looks ahead to this year's elections, the race for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture gained some summer heat when Democratic candidate John Norwood and Republican incumbent Mike Naig spoke with The Herald about their priorities for the future of Iowan agriculture.

"We're a world producer here in Iowa," Norwood said in conversation with The Herald. "I like to tell people that if we were our own country, we would be a top 10 producer in the world."

Even with Iowa's status as a world leader in agriculture, both Norwood and Naig know that Iowan farmers and producers are facing new and difficult challenges economically due to inflation, input shortages and record-high fuel costs.

"I think, you know, from a big picture perspective, we need to have an agricultural system [where] we support the productivity, but we also need to build in the resiliency, and the sustainability and the diversity of what we can do and grow, and have a flexible system," Norwood said, emphasizing that agricultural inputs and outputs are interwoven with each other.

Fuel, with its record-high prices, is an input that is affecting agriculture across the spectrum.

"We've got to have an energy policy in this country that prioritizes domestic energy production, and that also recognizes that we shouldn't be putting all of our eggs in one basket," Naig said. "I think that we have gone from being energy independent to now being dependent on foreign sources of oil again, and that's something we've got to be mindful of.

"We've got to look at domestic energy production, really of all kinds. We think renewable fuels have got to be a part of that ... It's just one piece of what that is. When you think of almost every supply chain that matters to a consumer, energy is at the beginning of that, and I think that has to be a focus for our federal government, domestic energy production and ultimately bringing down the cost of energy."

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The candidates discussed the importance of moving Iowa forward in the realm of sustainable farming so that the next generation of Iowa farmers will have good, viable farmland to work on.

Norwood's campaign is built on the goal of rebalancing Iowa's agricultural industry. He envisions Iowa as a "world-class model for community based, regenerative agriculture in the U.S. with new opportunities for first generation farmers, especially farmers of color." For Norwood, this process will include special attention given to sustainable farming to address soil erosion and water quality.

"We're a leader in soil loss right now, and we don't want to be," Norwood said. "We have very degraded soil health because we've lost something called 'soil organic matter.' That used to be up 5-6%. Now it's at 2-3% because of the way we've farmed, tillage practices and the inputs ... that we put on the soil. That hurts the biology of the soil, and then the soil doesn't respond."

"My campaign theme is 'Iowa built to last,'" said Norwood. "Let's build Iowa to last, because we don't have an agricultural system that's built to last at this point in time. If you look at the water quality, if you look at the soil health issues, if you look at the real rural community decline, those are things that we need to be thinking about. How do we make, how do we strengthen the Iowa agricultural system so that it can be more responsive to these world shifts in demand as well as local?"

Soil erosion is an issue that transcends party lines when it comes to Iowa's agriculture. Both Norwood and Naig see it as a priority issue for Iowa going forward.

"Agriculture is our most important industry and economic driver in the state of Iowa," Naig said. "Our agriculture is based on productive soil, and so we've got to make sure that we have a long-term focus on protecting that very, very important natural resource. That is where the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, over half of my employees and over half of our budget, is deployed  focused on working with farmers and landowners to improve water quality and protect soil.

"We see great work happening across the state. We know that it's an ongoing effort, that we need to sustain focus on it. One of the things I'm most proud of in my time in office is the fact that we have secured long-term funding for water quality work, in particular, through 2039," said Naig.

Naig and Norwood will face off in the election for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, held on Nov. 8, 2022.

Channing Rucks can be reached at crucks@oskyherald.com.
Jul. 7Terre Haute Catholic Charities will receive $44,000 as part of a $1 million state of Indiana distribution to 11 Hoosier food banks.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture announced the distribution Wednesday.

"This funding provided by the Indiana General Assembly will go far in assisting Hoosiers with food and other basic necessities," said Crouch, who also serves as the Indiana Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development.

"Food banks and pantries are vital in their communities around the state, and they cannot do their work without adequate funding and volunteers."

According to Feeding Indiana's Hungry, while the long lines outside of food banks and food pantries may not have been as noticeable in 2021 as the year before, nearly 1 in 6 Americans received food assistance from the charitable sector last year.

The funding was provided by the Indiana Legislature, as part of its biennial budget. The distribution amounts were determined using The Emergency Food Assistance Program fair share percentages for Indiana.

Receving funds were: Community Harvest Food Bank  $101,400; Dare to Care Food Bank  $37,400; Food Bank of Northern Indiana  $115,000; Food Bank of Northwest Indiana  $97,700; Food Finders Food Bank, Inc.  $93,900; FreeStore Foodbank  $9,000; Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc.  $318,200; Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Inc.  $42.600; Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central IN, Inc.  $77,500; Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank, Inc.  $44,000; Tri-State Food Bank, Inc.  $63,300.
Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno. TLC

A popular '90 day fiance' couple is embroiled in a heated divorce battle.

Chantel Everett accused Pedro Jimeno of domestic abuse and cheating in new court filings.

Jimeno alleged that days before the divorce, she transferred $257,000 to her sister's bank account.

Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno, a popular couple from season four of TLC's "90 Day Fiance" and the spinoff "The Family Chantel," have filed for divorce as Everett accused Jimeno of domestic violence, according to court documents.

On May 26, the couple filed paperwork to divorce in a Georgia court, stating that they had been separated since April 27. In multiple filings since, the two have lobbed allegations against the other.

In documents filed on May 27, Jimeno said that Everett had transferred money from a joint bank account days before they separated.

"On or about April 23rd 2022, the Defendant withdrew from the Parties' joint business account over $257,000.00 of the Parties' joint funds and transferred it into an account in the Defendant's name and her sister's name," Jimeno's attorneys said in May.

In court documents filed on Thursday, Everett stated that her reasons for seeking the divorce included adultery and "physical domestic violence, as well as mental pain."

They featured in season four of "90 Day Fiance," a show which follows foreign fiances of American citizens over the duration of a special 90-day visa, as they decide whether or not to get married during that timespan. Everett met Jimeno in his native Dominican Republic, where they got engaged, and he later moved to Atlanta to live with her.

Throughout the shows, their families clashed, and the couple fought regularly  and at times physically. After getting married in 2017, their spin-off lasted four seasons, and their marital problems took center stage.

TLC did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

By October 28, 2021, the couple had secured a mutual restraining order against each other, which limited their ability to make financial decisions alone over joint investments and bills, according to court documents. The restraining order is set to last until their divorce is finalized.

Attorneys representing Jimeno and Everett did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Gen. Li Zuocheng, center, of China's People's Liberation Army in 2016. (Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press)

China has demanded the U.S. cease military collusion with Taiwan during a virtual meeting between the joint chiefs of staff of the two countries whose relationship has grown increasingly fractious.

Gen. Li Zuocheng told Gen. Mark Milley on Thursday that China has no room for compromise on issues affecting its core interests, which include Taiwan. Though Taiwan is self-governing, Beijing claims it as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

China demands the U.S. ... cease reversing history, cease U.S.-Taiwan military collusion and avoid impacting China-U.S. ties and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Li said.

The Chinese military would resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said. If anyone creates a wanton provocation, they will be met with the firm counterattack from the Chinese people."

Such language is fairly routine and Li was also quoted in a Defense Ministry news release saying China hoped to further strengthen dialogue, handle risks, and promote cooperation, rather than deliberately creating confrontation, provoking incidents and becoming mutually exclusive."

China routinely flies warplanes near Taiwan to advertise its threat to attack, and the island's Defense Ministry said Chinese air force aircraft crossed the middle line of the Taiwan Strait dividing the two sides on Friday morning. It said measures were taken in response, including the scrambling of Taiwanese jets.

Such provocative behavior ... has seriously damaged regional peace and stability," the ministry said.

Asked about the incident, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, This exercise by China is directed at external interference and separatist Taiwan independence forces."

The meeting between Li and Milley followed fiery comments by Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at a regional security conference last month that was also attended by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Wei accused the United States of trying to hijack the support of countries in the Asia-Pacific region to turn them against Beijing, saying Washington is seeking to advance its own interests under the guise of multilateralism.

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At the same meeting in Singapore, Austin said China was causing instability with its claim to Taiwan and its increased military activity in the area.

And in May, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called China the most serious long-term challenge to the international order for the United States, with its claims to Taiwan and efforts to dominate the strategic South China Sea, prompting an angry response from Beijing.

The U.S. and its allies have responded with what they term freedom of navigation" patrols in the South China Sea, prompting angry responses from Beijing.

Despite not having formal diplomatic relations in deference to Beijing, Washington remains Taiwans chief ally and supplier of defense weapons. U.S. law requires the government to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, although it remains ambiguous on whether the U.S. military would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by China.

The latest round of heated rhetoric comes ahead of a meeting between Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Saturday at a gathering of foreign ministers from the G-20 bloc of industrialized nations in Indonesia that is expected to be overshadowed by disagreements over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

China has refused to criticize Moscow's aggression or even term it an invasion, while condemning Western sanctions against Russia and accusing the U.S. and NATO of provoking the conflict.

In addition to Taiwan and the South China Sea, Washington and Beijing are at odds over trade, human rights and China's policies in Tibet and toward mainly Muslim Turkic minorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(Bloomberg) -- Leading nationalist figures in China tried to silence celebrations after the shooting of Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese leader who sparked controversy by urging to Japan to bolster its military.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A social media account of China Central Television was filled with comments rejoicing in the attack that killed Abe. One Weibo post said it would be fitting if Abe atoned with his life for Japans invasion of China before World War II just a day after the 85th anniversary of the start of hostilities in 1937. That post got 210,000 likes.

After Abe died, a post saying Let the celebrations begin! got more than 150,000 likes within 30 minutes.

In a sign that the Chinese government didnt want the nationalist sentiment to spiral out of control, Hu Xijin wrote on Weibo before news Abe had died that this is the time to put aside political disputes. Hu, the former editor of the Communist Partys Global Times newspaper, added: I hope there can be more people who understand and join me.

Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing who once suggested China will be ready to seize Taiwan by force in 2027, wrote on Weibo that his followers should rein in their commentary. What happened today is a tragedy, Jin said.

Ex-Japan Leader Abe Assassinated in Shooting at Campaign Rally

Abe angered the Chinese government and especially the more nationalist segment of the ruling party both while he was in office and after he stepped down, especially for pushing Japan to increase defense spending and revise the pacifist article in its constitution. In 2013, his visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo drew a quick rebuke from China for paying respects at a site that memorializes war-dead including World War II criminals.

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His video call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in March prompted Wang Wenbin, spokesman at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, to lash out at Japan for its time as a colonial power. Wang said Japan committed innumerable crimes in Taiwan and therefore shoulders grave, historical crimes and debt to Chinese people.

The Murder of Former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: In Photos

The Foreign Ministry struck a softer tone on Friday. China was shocked by the attack, spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing in Beijing just before news that Abe had died, saying the nation hoped he would recover soon.

This unexpected incident should not be linked with China-Japan relations, Zhao added. When asked about some nationalist voices in China cheering the shooting, Zhao declined to comment on the remarks of net users.

The Chinese embassy in Tokyo offered its condolences to Abes family, saying in a statement he made contributions to the development of relations during his tenure as prime minister.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.


Multiple tweets of Alt News fact-checker Mohammad Zubair reveal that these were shared without context by the Hindu right-wing contributing to his arrest.

Vipul Kumar | TwoCircles.net

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NEW DELHI  Journalist and fact-checker with Alt News Mohammed Zubair is in judicial custody over a tweet alleged to have hurt religious sentiments. Multiple human rights bodies and activists see Zubairs arrest as an attempt by the government to stifle freedom of expression.

While the immediate reason for his arrest is his 2018 tweet, an investigation by The Wire has revealed a year-long concerted online campaign to discredit his work and project him as someone who routinely hurt the sentiments of the majority Hindu population.

The complaint that led to Zubairs arrest was by an anonymous Twitter handle Hanuman Bhakt bearing the username @balajikijaiin. According to The Wire, at least 757 accounts including @balajikijaain have the same recovery email ID [email protected] and are linked to Vikash Ahir, the state president of the Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) and Co-Convenor of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in Gujarat.

Ahir also reportedly raised funds for Shambhu Lal Regar, convicted for hacking and burning a Muslim man alive in 2017 in Rajsamand, Udaipur.

Among the last tweets of Zubair before his arrest were aimed at calling out BJP member Nupur Sharma for her derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a live TV debate.

Following strong condemnation in India and diplomatic flak from Islamic countries, BJP suspended the spokesperson from the party.

But the way Zubair highlighted Sharmas comments made him the target of the Hindu right-wing and resulted in online campaigns demanding his arrest.

Soon afterwards, Twitter hashtags including #ArrestZubair #ArrestMohammadZubair and #ArrestBalsphemerMdZubair trended.

In May, an FIR was lodged against Zubair in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh after he described Hindu religious leaders giving hate speech as hate mongers.

Eventually, Zubair was arrested for one of his tweets on March 24, 2018. This tweet was flagged by @balajikijaiin saying Zubairs tweet is insulting the Hindu deity Hanuman. The tweet is a work of satire on the Hindutva regime of the BJP in which a screenshot of a 1983 movie by Hrishikesh Kissi Se Na Kehna. Notably, this movie was passed by the censor board without any objection, neither did it hurt any religious sentiment until Zubair posted a screenshot from the film. In the screenshot, there is a repainted signboard at the entrance of a hotel. On the signboard, Hanuman is written by overwriting honeymoon in Hindi. The caption of the tweet says Before 2014  Honeymoon Hotel, After 2014  2014 #SanskaariHotel.

Other tweets and Facebook posts that were used in campaigns against Zubair alleging Hinduphobia and intentionally hurting religious sentiments were satires comments passed by various BJP leaders on different occasions.

TwoCircles.net analysed the viral tweets of Zubair being shared without context and heres what we found:

1. In another tweet from 2018, Zubair referred to a 2013 tweet by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra: Two easiest ways of escaping Rape law:1)Turn Juvenile 2) Religious conversion err I mean turn secular..#Guide book to perform SAFE-RAPE!

Quoting this tweet, Zubair replied Dear @sambitswaraj, the Easiest way of escaping Rape Law in #RamRajya is to compare it with Lord Ram. Just like #Unnao BJP MLA said,       ,         (an accusation has been made against me, accusations were made against lord Ram too).

2. Another tweet being shared by the Hindutva brigade as evidence of an anti-Hindu tweet by Zubair is from September 2018.

The tweet has a BJP poster featuring Narendra Modi and two monkeys sitting with the tail of one monkey on Modis face. In the tweet, Zubair referred to a statement by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiytaath suggesting that monkeys would not harm you if you regularly recite Hanuman Chalisa.

3. In another tweet, widely targeted by the Hindu right-wing, Zubair posted a photo that says, Romes church compound is in the shape of Shiva Lingam. Has Vatika become the Vatican? Christ came from Krishna? Is it all one big plagiarism by the west? Zubair says that this was his inspiration to start a parody page named Unofficial Subramanian Swami on Facebook. It was done in the backdrop after some Hindu right-wing leaders had been calling the Taj Mahal as Tejo Mahalaya and Qutub Minar as Vishnu Stambh. The tweet by Zubair was a pun on this propaganda which a large number of people consume on their Whatsapp and other online platforms.

On July 4, Zubair was produced before a court in UPs Sitapur for yet another objectionable tweet calling Yati Narsinghanand and Bajrang Muni hatemongers. Incidentally, there are cases of hate speech against Muni and Yati and they were arrested earlier this year for inciting violence against Muslims and calling for genocide. The police were granted 14-day judicial custody in this case as well.

Meanwhile, Zubair on Thursday moved an application in the Supreme Court seeking the quashing of an FIR filed against him by the Uttar Pradesh police in a case of hurting religious sentiments.

Vipul Kumar is a freelance journalist and a student at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. He tweets at @vipulizm
BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese embassy in Japan expressed condolences over the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday in a shooting attack.

"Former Prime Minister Abe made contributions towards improving China-Japan relations during his term. We express our condolences on his death and send our sympathies to his family," an embassy spokesman said on the embassy website.

(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
A Chinese man who sought treatment for a recurring urinary problem was shocked to find out that he had ovaries and had been menstruating for 20 years.

The 33-year-old man, identified only by his pseudonym Chen Li to protect his identity, was initially diagnosed with appendicitis after complaining of abdominal discomfort and blood in his urine, according to South China Morning Post.

Chens symptoms reportedly started soon after having corrective surgery for his irregular urination during puberty. He continued to experience symptoms for the past 20 years.

Despite being treated for appendicitis, Chens symptoms persisted. It was not until last year that doctors finally found the cause of his symptoms: Chen reportedly had female sex chromosomes.

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After traveling some 930 miles from Sichuan province to Guangzhou to visit a hospital that treats genitalia issues, Chen discovered through medical examination that he also had female reproductive organs, such as a uterus and ovaries.

Further medical examination also revealed that his male hormone androgen had below-average levels. Chens female hormones and ovaries were also active and reportedly comparable to that of a healthy adult woman. After the revelation, the man was identified as intersex, meaning he had male and female reproductive organs.

Chen underwent surgery on June 6 after he became distressed by the news. He was released 10 days later, and Luo Xiping, the surgeon who performed the procedure, told Chinese media that Chen was quickly at ease and his confidence was restored.

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From this point on, he can live his life as a man, but he cannot reproduce because his testicles cannot produce sperm, Luo said, adding that the condition is often discovered during puberty and has little impact on a patients physical health. Luo also noted that going through it all usually results in psychological trauma.

Story continues

According to the United Nations, about 0.05 and 1.7 percent of the global population is intersex.

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Image via Marco Verch Professional Photographer (CC BY 2.0)

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SF Chinatown attack victim's legal team says suspect was on foot, DA never communicated potential plea
La Toquilla, an Ecuadorian eatery that specializes in the foods of the coastal Manabi province, has opened in Manchester in the former location of the plant-based restaurant 21 Oak.

There is an old saying in Ecuador: Sadness for one person is happiness for another, said La Toquillas chef, Roberta Alarcon.

The pandemic ended the 6-year-run of 21 Oak, which was forced to close in December. But there still was potential and a fully built kitchen in the building. Co-owners Fabricio Macias and Luis Zambrano grabbed it, and three weeks ago they brought Alarcon here from Ecuador to help cook the authentic meals.

It is hard in Ecuador now. It is expensive to live and people dont have enough money, said Alarcon, who speaks English from her years working at popular tourist spots in Quito, the nations capital. She studied cuisine in Quito at university, where she met Zambrano, and has 17 years of experience in all levels of the restaurant industry.

Alarcon said when the owners moved to the United States and settled in Hartford, they looked for a nearby restaurant that served the foods they liked when they lived in Portoviejo, the capital of Manabi. They couldnt find one.

So they opened their own to bring these flavors to the capital area. They named it La Toquilla, after the palm trees trees common on Ecuadors coast. Zambrano, who has worked at La Piolin Peruvian restaurant in Hartford and Rasham Pakistani restaurant in Windsor, was happy to return to his native cuisine.

Manabi has the best food in Ecuador, Alarcon said. There is a lot of seafood because it is on the beach. Plantains are used in everything. We use peanut, coconut, cheese, rice every day, even at breakfast.

The cozy restaurant has a mural of a chiva, a colorful double-decker bus common in Ecuador, with people down below and produce and livestock up above.

You see them everywhere. Now they are used for parties, Alarcon said. Music by Ecuadorian singers, especially the late superstar Julio Jaramillo, plays on a screen.

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The restaurant opens at 10 a.m. seven days a week, so breakfast is first on the menu. Almost all breakfast entrees are made with mashed green plantains, with cheese ($10); pork ($12); cheese and pork ($14); cheese, eggs and beef stew ($16); chicharron, eggs and beef stew ($17); a mix of them all ($18); and the stew alone ($15).

Chuzos ($10) is a showy appetizer: three skewers of beef with bell peppers and topped with little chorizo links cut to resemble crowns. Empanadas are made with cheese ($7) or chicken or beef ($8). Other appetizers include salchipapas ($7) and corviche de pescado ($8), which is a dough made with bananas, spices and peanuts and stuffed with fish.

Thin, crispy plantain chips are served with meals, with a tasty dipping sauce made from mayonnaise, lemon, mustard, relish, onions and cilantro.

Ecuadorian specialties are tuna soup ($18) and beef tripe stew ($18). Chaulafan, a fried rice dish with chicken, beef or a combo, is $17 to $20 and is served with colorful flowers as a garnish.

Coastal flavors include ceviche with shrimp ($19); fish ($18); shrimp and fish ($23); or fish, shrimp, octopus and crab ($25); seafood rice ($25), fried fish ($25); and fish filet ($18).

Moros  rice with lentils  are served with chicken ($20), pork chop ($18), beef ($22) or pork rib ($22).

On the grill, Macias, Zambrano and Alarcon cook chicken, steak, pork chops, sausage, shrimp, with dishes ranging from $17 to $32 for the multi-meat platter.

Ecuadorian beverages include passionfruit and blackberry juices, as well as Guitig sparkling water from Ecuador. And of course, coffee. Both Arabica and Robusta coffee beans are grown in Ecuador, and the population appreciates its native crop. Alarcon loves coffee so much that in the middle of her forearms are two tats dedicated to coffee.

Everybody loves coffee in Ecuador. You cant have a meal without coffee, she said.

La Toquilla, 21 Oak St., Manchester, is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. latoquillallc.com and 860-645-0398.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
Cristiano Ronaldo is facing up to another season at Manchester United, despite missing at least the start of the pre-season tour to Thailand.

Chelsea have not yet made a concrete decision on whether to make a move for the 37-year-old, but that will be left to Thomas Tuchel, and the current feeling is that he has little interest in pursuing a deal.

It means there is not much of a market for Ronaldo, despite super agent Jorge Mendes investigating possibilities, although sources close to the player insist that the level of his own agitation has been overplayed. That is particularly the case with the idea of any "strike".

While the Portuguese has been concerned by the lack of activity at Old Trafford and wants to play in the Champions League, there is a genuine personal reason as to why he has missed training, which has naturally not been reported due to privacy issues.

The club have accepted this, and their comfort with the situation is illustrated by the fact Ronaldo was still included in all the publicity for the launch of the new shirt on Friday.

That only feeds to the much more relevant fact they have reiterated their stance has not changed and he is not for sale.

United similarly do not want to pursue a new No 9, when they have transfer priorities elsewhere.

The other side of that, however, is there aren't that many potential buyers. Mendes has been investigating the possibility of a move, and many clubs have at least been willing to have the discussion.

One of those is Chelsea and while the new ownership were at least intrigued by the idea, the current policy amid a large-scale overhaul of the club is to leave any transfer decision to Tuchel.

They do not want a situation where they are giving the manager players that he doesn't want. A firm call on Ronaldo has not been made, but he is not on the German's list of targets.

Mendes' first round of meetings produced such little response that they were willing to considerably lower the player's wage demands, but that has only been followed by a series of clubs - from Bayern Munich to Napoli - publicly declaring they are not interested.

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It would take a significant shift from one club to change the situation.

In the meantime, United have got closer to Ajax's 45m valuation of Lisandro Martinez, although made up with some incentives.

There is hope that will bring agreement, although any similar deal for Antony looks less likely due to the Dutch club knowing how valuable the player can become.

United are meanwhile standing their ground on Frenkie de Jong, despite reports of Chelsea's interest.

The majority of a deal has been agreed, including a price, but the Old Trafford club have to wait on the outcome of a situation that sees Barcelona owe De Jong 17m in deferred wages.
RMone Clark received the news seven hours after the accident. His father, Mikeral Leon Clark, had died after a Norfolk Southern train struck his tractor-trailer in Kernersville, North Carolina.

His father had driven over a private railroad crossing but stopped on the other side of the tracks, apparently waiting for a break in traffic to turn onto a two-lane road. Limited road space left his trailer hanging over the tracks.

Then came the train.

It struck the 55-year-olds truck near the gas tank and pushed it down the tracks. The truck caught fire. Mikeral died from smoke inhalation.

At the time of the accident, the private crossing  which provides access to a scrap metal business  had no lights or barrier arms, just a white, X-shaped sign that read Railroad Crossing known as crossbucks and one stop sign.

Mikeral Leon Clark, 55, died at a private crossing in Kernersville, North Carolina.

Such private crossings tend to fly under the radar, receiving far less scrutiny and funding than their public counterparts. Accidents are 3 times more likely to occur at public crossings but, in nearly half of the states, USA TODAY found a private crossing logged the most accidents or tied for the highest number.

The crossing in North Carolina was familiar to Mikeral. He had delivered loads of scrap metal to the business, Omnisource, twice a day and had more than 30 years' experience driving a tractor-trailer.

My father pretty much sacrificed himself instead of pulling out in front of traffic to miss the train, RMone said.

The accident on Aug. 28, 2019, was one of five at the crossing since 2014. It happened at a designated private crossing, one of 165,000 across the country surrounded by land that belongs to a private owner. More than 15,000 allow drivers to use them to reach such locations as residences and businesses, campgrounds and other recreational facilities.

A train struck Mikeral Leon Clark's tractor trailer as he was driving over a private crossing leaving OmniSource in Kernersville, North Carolina. Mikeral died from smoke inhalation after the truck caught on fire.

Late last month, an Amtrak train struck a car at a private crossing on the other side of the country, in Brentwood, California, leaving four dead. The train was traveling from Bakersfield to Oakland, and the car was traveling to an event on private property next to the tracks. The crossing where they met was not officially open to the public.

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These accidents and thousands more over the past decade underscore the dangers of private crossings, which often lack safety features. The Brentwood crossing had two stop signs, one on either side of the tracks, but no lights, gates or barrier arms.

Safety measures at public crossings are reviewed by departments of transportation, public utilities commissions and railroad companies. The jurisdiction over private crossings is often left to 100-year-old paper agreements between original landowners and railroad companies, with no universal standards.

In many instances, it is unclear who is responsible for safety at a private crossing. When something does go wrong, even preventing future accidents proves difficult.

Where the responsibility falls is really complicated for private crossings, according to James Payne, staff director for the grade crossing and trespasser outreach division of the Federal Railroad Administration's safety office.

From Paynes perspective, landowners should be held responsible because they knowingly entered into agreements with railroad companies. But he acknowledged that oversight of private property remains a touchy issue.

Youre talking personal private property, and where does the governments role fit within that, especially at the federal level? Payne asked.

After his fathers accident, RMone contacted six attorneys seeking to file a wrongful death or a faulty design lawsuit. None would take his case because a North Carolina law prevents the state department of transportation from regulating private crossings. The department has authority over private crossings only if they intersect with roads in the state highway system.

The 165,000 private crossings in the United States account for 38% of all crossings. A USA TODAY analysis of crossing inventory data from the Federal Railroad Administration, one of 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation, found:

Over the past decade, at least 3,224 incidents occurred at private crossings. Nearly 300 motorists, passengers in cars and railroad employees have been killed.

More than 400 private crossings have been the scene of more than one accident in that time frame; 137 of them have more than two. One private crossing in Cook County, Illinois, saw 23 accidents in the past 10 years.

In nine states, the crossing with the most accidents over the past decade was a private crossing. In 11 states, a private crossing tied with a public crossing for the most incidents. Only three of these 20 states have more private crossings than public.

Ronald Eck, an engineering professor at West Virginia University, noted that a variety of safety concerns come into play with private crossings. Sight distance down the tracks may be blocked by overgrown trees or decayed timbers between the tracks may catch tires, causing drivers to focus more on the surface instead of looking for trains.

These are sort of the forgotten crossings, he said.

The Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration reported to Congress in 2019 results of a study of private railroad crossings a review required four years earlier by the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act. It found data and oversight of private crossings lacking.

The study recommended standard warning devices and periodic inspections. It also found a crazy quilt of regulations and oversight in the void of federal laws, regulations or a government entity with regional or nationwide jurisdiction.

Identifying owners of private crossings can be difficult, complicated and time-consuming, it noted. When ownership changes, it found the new landowner often did not report the change to the railroad.

Some states do regulate warning devices, but it is most often negotiated between the landowner and railroad. Local authorities tend to be reluctant to exercise jurisdiction because the crossings are on private property.

This is literally a regulatory nightmare, said Rick Shapiro, an expert in railroad law.

In the accident involving his father, RMone contacted OmniSource, the owner of the property at the private crossing. He received no response for more than a month, he said, until he was referred to the companys attorney. The attorney communicated with a lawyer RMone had hired, he said, who then declined to pursue the case.

OmniSource did not respond to USA TODAYs requests for comment.

A CSX train travels across a private crossing in Lanexa, Virginia. Freeda Pruitt, 55, died at the crossing in 2021 after a CSX freight train t-boned her car.

Agreements may be buried in a filing cabinet

A 2021 analysis of state laws from the Federal Railroad Administration found that 11 states do not have statutes related to private crossings. When they do, sometimes those statutes relate to issues other than regulating safety features, such as protocols for closing private crossings, crossings on farms and installing fencing or cattle guards to keep wildlife off the tracks.

Instead, agreements between landowners and railroad companies may determine who is responsible for a private crossing and the safety features it needs.

In some cases neither the railroad company nor property owner know the details of these agreements, according to David Clarke, director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

In theory, he said, theres a piece of paper for every private crossing. But in reality, it may be sitting in a file cabinet in some storage room in the railroads offices 1,000 miles away.

Clarke said private landowners must obtain permission to build a road over railroad tracks, which are considered the railroad companys property.

The railroad has a huge amount of input into the terms and conditions under which this crossing is granted, he said. They have the right to close it, they have the right to charge a fee, require the property owner to pay for maintenance and installation of the crossing and they can dictate the protection they feel is reasonable.

Railroad companies may agree to install warning devices but then bill the landowner, according to Augustine Ubaldi, a railroad engineering expert.

Private crossings frequently used by the public, or designated for public access, should be carefully examined given they represent a much higher potential for accidents, Clarke said. Railroad companies, he added, are often unaware of the volume of traffic using the crossing.

It might have been when they entered into the agreement with the property owner, it was undeveloped, he said, and nobody checks on that over the years.

A string of tragedies at private crossings

Pieces of a Honda Odyssey are still scattered on either side of the railroad tracks near a private crossing in New Kent County, Virginia, one year after a freight train struck the van.

Freeda Pruitt, 55, died after her van was struck by a train at a private crossing in Lanexa, Virginia.

When Freeda Pruitt, 55, approached the crossing to return to the mobile home park where she lived, the only safety feature was a stop sign, crossbucks and a private crossing sign.

Whether Pruitt stopped is unknown, but she never made it to the other side. A CSX freight train estimated to be traveling 45 mph T-boned her car.

Ive talked to everybody, and literally everyones like: Well, theyre not my tracks. Its not my responsibility, said Pruitts daughter, Jennifer Jones. Theyre all just pointing the finger and its like: What do you mean? People are dying. 

The crossing where Pruitt died is one of three private crossings along Rockahock Road in New Kent County, a string of crossings where other accidents have occurred.

Less than half a mile down the street, Sarah Pence lost her husband at a private crossing that leads to the Rockahock Campground.

An Amtrak train traveling 66 mph struck Kevin Pences SUV in June 2021. Pences son, who was 6 years old at the time, survived with minor injuries.

Kevin was pronounced dead at the scene. It was his birthday and the eve of his wedding anniversary.

Kevin Pence's SUV following the fatal accident at the private crossing in New Kent County, Virginia.

Sarah Pence said she had never considered the crossing dangerous. It has crossbucks and stop signs but at the time of the accident, she said, trees blocked the view down the tracks, forcing drivers to pull onto the crossing to look both ways before proceeding.

I feel like if there were crossing bars there and some kind of noise letting you know that a train was coming, that would have never happened, she said.

She pursued a lawsuit against CSX, one of the nation's largest railroad companies, with 21,000 miles of track. Pence said the company denied fault and nothing came of it.

CSX declined to respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment before publication.

Kevin and Sarah Pence's 6-year-old son was in the backseat of the car that was struck by an Amtrak train and survived with minor injuries.

Kevin Pence died after an accident involving an Amtrak train at a private crossing in Lanexa, Virginia.

A month before Kevins accident, Bobby Pearce was towing a boat over the same crossing with his father, who was driving. They were headed to the campground for a fishing trip.

Pearce and his father  a drivers education instructor for more than 40 years  saw the lights of an Amtrak train while crossing the tracks.

Pearces father slammed on the gas, and the truck cleared the crossing. Both heard what sounded like a bat hitting the back of their boat. The train struck the boats engine, jettisoning the engine down the track.

Ive never seen anything like it, Pearce said. It just took it straight off.

Pearce also recalls that their view was blocked by vegetation  which he said he believes has since been removed  and by a truck leaving the campground.

Had the train hit the middle of the boat, it could have spun the truck around, he said, who knows what happens?

Randy Caldwell co-owns the property at the Rockahock Campground. He estimates that at least 500 people drive over the crossing there each day.

According to Caldwell, the only agreement he has with CSX includes a deeded right of way for the railroad. That covers the tracks owned by the company and 25 feet on either side.

Since buying the property at auction in 1996, Caldwell said he has met with state and county officials about the crossing. He said CSX has been unresponsive to safety concerns.

My feeling is that their attitude is Less said, best said, he said.

A truck tows a boat across a private crossing in Lanexa, Virginia. The crossing is frequented by boats, campers and RVs.

Federal safety standards dont automatically apply

The Federal Highway Administrations Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is the national standard for traffic control devices for streets open to public travel. This designation does not include private crossings.

The manual recommends at least a white crossbuck sign plus either a stop sign or yield sign at public crossings. It does not specify warning devices for private crossings.

The bare minimum for safety features at both public and private crossings is a blue emergency notification sign, Payne said, with a toll-free telephone number to report emergencies or problems on the tracks. Public crossings must also have either crossbucks or stop signs.

Some states have their own requirements for signage, but without nationwide rules those requirements vary widely, from identifying who is responsible for maintaining traffic control devices to who pays for the maintenance.

Mike Allen, an associate at railroad consulting firm R.L. Banks & Associates, served for a decade as deputy coordinator of New Jersey Operation Lifesaver, an organization that promotes rail safety. He has worked with carriers and engineering firms on issues related to railroad rights of way.

The application of the (federal highway standards) to private crossings becomes Its nice to do it this way, but if we dont have that much money, we dont have to, Allen said.

A sign reading private crossing look combined with a stop sign stands at a private crossing in Lanexa, Virginia.

Ubaldi, the railroad expert, notes that the manual recommends that engineering diagnostic teams periodically examine all crossings for safety risks. If a crossing is found to be dangerous, the railroad should intervene with upgrades, he said.

I imagine the private crossings, because they are private, pretty much slip under the radar of public utilities commissions, he said. In fact in some cases, what will happen is that they dont even bother to look at them.

Nick Little, acting executive director for the Center for Railway Research and Education at Michigan State University, acknowledged that enforcing safety features at private crossings is challenging.

Its much more difficult to get a regulation passed that affects just a piece of private land crossing another piece of private land, Little said.

In December 2020, the Federal Railroad Administration required states to develop and submit action plans to improve safety at both public and private crossings.

The site action plan for Virginia, the state where Freeda Pruitt and Kevin Pence lost their lives, is underway.

A warning sign reads no gates or lights at the top of a hill leading toward a private crossing that provides access to the Rockahock Campground in Lanexa, Virginia. The crossing is the site of three accidents, two fatal, since 2011.

Funding for private crossing safety usually falls short

The Federal Highway Administration manages the Railway-Highway Crossings Program that provides funding for eliminating hazards at public crossings  not private. The program is federally funded and state-administered.

Passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Law last year authorized the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program. That program is administered by the Federal Railroad Administration, which provides funding to states, local governments, a subdivision of a state, an Indian tribe, a public port authority or a metropolitan planning organization for railroad crossing safety.

Private crossing owners are not eligible.

After the Brentwood accident and another involving Amtrak at the end of June, President Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced an additional $573 million for the program. In addition to safety measures, the funding can be used to eliminate delays at crossings and lower the costs of transporting goods.

Payne said the administration may consider applications for larger projects where a private crossing has been clumped with public crossings.

The greater issue with private crossings is theres not a funding stream generally available to address any issues with those like there are for public crossings, said Clarke, of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Nothing prevents railroads from making repairs and upgrades on their own, but Allen, the railroad consultant, said some railroads may weigh the cost of adding warning devices to a crossing versus the likelihood of an accident.

Because private crossings tend to have less traffic, the likelihood is a lot less, therefore the motivation to spend money is a lot less, he said.

Allen said repeat accidents at the same crossing should be closely examined. One crossing south of Chicago in Harvey, for instance, was the scene of 23 accidents in the past decade.

According to accident reports filed with the Federal Railroad Administration, incidents involved trains striking semi-trailers and trucks. The crossing leads to a terminal for Canadian National, a railroad company that operates in Canada and the United States.

I lean toward lets get it fixed, because the downstream costs of the collisions can be hellacious, Allen said.

Shapiro, the railroad expert and a Virginia-based personal injury attorney, said lawyers representing crossing victims often complain that there is no adequate, clear or regulatory authority laying out who has to pay for upgrades at private crossings.

The railroads want to point the finger at the municipalities or others and want to claim that its not their duty, he said.

Railroad companies referred questions to the Association of American Railroads.

A CSX train passes a private crossing in Lanexa, Virginia.

Mike Rush, senior vice president of safety and operations at the association, said railroads are only on the hook for maintaining the actual crossing and their right of way  a narrow space along the tracks. When it comes to the roads that lead up to a crossing, he said, thats the jurisdiction of the highway authority or the owner of the road.

If there is a private crossing which actually does involve a significant amount of public traffic, that public access is going to be beyond the railroads control, Rush said.

When it comes to improving protection at a crossing, he added, the focus is going to be on public crossings where the most fatalities occur.

Thats not a panacea, but it helps, Rush said. Certainly to reduce the risk, you want to put your money where the highest risk is and by definition I think those are going to be public crossings.

Families of victims seek solutions

In a rural community south of Akron, Ohio, Vicky Moore lost her 16-year-old son in 1995 in an accident that killed two other teenagers at a public railroad crossing.

Moore formed the Angels on Track Foundation to promote railroad crossing safety. She has since traveled across Ohio to develop task forces to identify dangerous public and private crossings and install barrier arms.

The foundation has paid for 17 sets of crossing gates in Ohio with $400,000 in reimbursement grants.

Moore also started a website where Ohio residents can report dangerous crossings, which has received several thousand completed forms since 2006. The reports are sent to the Ohio Public Utility Commission, the Ohio Rail Development Commission and the Federal Railroad Administration.

Everybody involved is put on notice, she said. Then, if nothing is done, they know we have notified them and we have a copy in our database, and then theyre going to have to explain why they didnt do anything.

RMone Clark contacted representatives in North Carolina and the National Transportation Safety Board to see whether there were legal grounds to require businesses to install safety devices at private crossings like the one where his father died.

He started a Change.org petition in May to push for legislation that would allow the state department of transportation to require protection at private crossings. The petition has more than 170 signatures.

Hopefully itll create some waves across the nation to make sure that people are safe and protected, Clark said. I just want to ensure no other family has to deal with what my family and myself have dealt with in trying to right this wrong.

After Kevin Pence was killed in New Kent County, Virginia, county officials at a board of supervisors meeting discussed the unprotected crossings along Rockahock Road.

Freeda Pruitts daughter Jennifer Jones attended.

It was very hard to sit through, she said. I kind of felt like I was a distraction because I couldnt stop crying.

A CSX train passes by a trackside memorial for Freeda Pruitt who was killed at a private railroad crossing in Lanexa, Virginia.

Former Virginia Transportation Secretary Shannon Valentine and Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman attended the meeting virtually. Valentine said they were working with the State Corporation Commission, Federal Railroad Administration and CSX to see what could be done.

We have no authority to require CSX to make improvements on their rail line, New Kent County Administrator Rodney Hathaway said.

The board approved the Railway Crossing Assistance Grant and Loan Program to assist private businesses with crossings on their land. Hathaway said the money would go toward purchasing larger signs or adding pavement markings on roads leading to crossings.

The county has received no applications for the grants and loans, however. Hathaway said property owners expressed concerns that making improvements to crossings would leave them legally liable.

Indeed, Caldwell  the co-owner of the campground property  said he was aware of the county program but thought he would be blamed if the equipment failed.

By contrast, government entities that oversee public crossings are not responsible when equipment fails. The liability instead falls to the railroad.

I said Im willing to assume the identical liability posture as the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I dont think you can ask me to do more than that reasonably, Caldwell said.

Jones called the railroad company, the department of transportation and state representatives to advocate for more protection at the crossing where her mother died. Nothing was done, she said, and the property owner declined to talk to USA TODAY on the record.

Jones said she was contacted by a lawyer but decided not to pursue the case.

Jennifer Jones, the daughter of Freeda Pruitt, spreads her mother's ashes at her mom's favorite spot on the beach.

Im not looking for money, she said. Im looking to make sure that my daughter doesnt cross those tracks and die.

Since the accident, Jones visits the tracks to place flowers on a cross in memory of her mother. On her trips to the memorial, she said, she never drives over the tracks.

I just park outside it and walk across.

Contributing: Kevin Crowe, USA TODAY

Rachel Looker is a USA TODAY Washington Watchdog Fellow and researched this article as she pursued her master's degree at American University. She can be reached at RLooker@usatoday.com or @_RachelLooker.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Private railroad crossings: Who ensures safety after accidents happen?
Darren Till has been forced to withdraw from his fight against Jack Hermansson at UFC London due to an undisclosed injury.

Chris Curtis will step in for the Liverpudlian at the O2 Arena on 23 July.

Till (18-4-1) last fought in September, when he suffered a submission loss to Derek Brunson. The result marked the Britons fourth defeat in five fights.

Till, 29, was scheduled to face fellow middleweight Hermansson in the co-main event of UFC London this month, but it was reported by ESPN this week that the former welterweight title challenger was set to withdraw due to injury.

While the nature of the injury has not yet been revealed, the UFC has confirmed that American Curtis will now fight Hermansson in London.

Hermansson (22-7) last competed in February, losing to Sean Strickland via split decision. Curtis, meanwhile, outpointed Rodolfo Vieira on 25 June, meaning he is set for a quick turnaround here.

Curtis victory over Vieira extended the 34-year-olds win streak to eight fights  a run that dates back to January 2020. Meanwhile, 34-year-old Hermansson is 2-3 in his last five outings.

The Swedish-born Norwegian is ranked eighth at middleweight in the UFC, while Till is ninth. Curtis (29-8) is unranked in the division but could enter the top 15 with a win at UFC London.
Netflix has released a speech by Dave Chappelle, in which the comedian addresses the backlash he has faced for his controversial comments about the trans community.

The new release  titled Whats in a Name?  arrived on the platform on Thursday (7 July). It is a 40-minute speech that Chappelle made in November at his former school in Washington DC, The Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

The speech was made during a planned ceremony to name the schools theatre after the comedian. Many students, however, opposed the idea over Chappelles jokes about the trans community in his Netflix special The Closer, which have been criticised as transphobic.

Chappelle clashed with some students who opposed the ceremony in a Q&A moments before he made his address.

While much of the speech covered his years at the school, Chappelle also defended himself against criticism from the current students, calling them instruments of oppression.

All the kids were screaming and yelling, he said. I said to the kids, I go, Well, OK, well what do you guys think I did wrong? And a line formed. These kids said everything about gender, and this and that and the other, but they didnt say anything about art.

And this is my biggest gripe with this whole controversy with The Closer: that you cannot report on an artists work and remove artistic nuance from his words. It would be like if you were reading a newspaper and they say, Man shot in the face by a six-foot rabbit expected to survive. Youd be like, Oh my god, and they never tell you its a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

Dave Chappelle (Getty Images)

He said that he felt hurt after the Q&A. When I heard those talking points coming out of these childrens faces, that really, sincerely, hurt me, he said. Because I know those kids didnt come up with those words. Ive heard those words before.

The more you say I cant say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it. And it has nothing to do with what youre saying I cant say. It has everything to do with my right, my freedom, of artistic expression.

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Chappelle continued: And these kids didnt understand that they were instruments of oppression. And I didnt get mad at them. Theyre kids. Theyre freshmen. Theyre not ready yet. They dont know.

During the Q&A session, one student reportedly stepped up to the microphone and called Chappelle a bigot, adding: Im 16 and I think youre childish, you handled it like a child.

The students claimed that one of their classmates shouted at him: Your comedy kills, to which Chappelle replied: N****** are killed every day.
Debra Messing seemingly responded to this week's viral report about her being "fed up" with President Joe Biden and apparently lamenting there's no point in voting. In a statement on social media, the Will & Grace star made it clear she still supports the president while voicing her frustration with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

"I have supported President Biden with every incredible improvement he produces," Messing began, touting the president's unemployment rate among other talking points.

"However, when 51% of the country loses her right to decide what happens to her body, it is catastrophic. I want our leaders, who promised to fight to protect women's rights, to act with urgency and use every tool possible to protect the women of this country," Messing, 53, continued. "The Republicans have blocked every attempt to make women, constitutionally, equal to men. I support every Democrat who fights against the Government deciding what happens to women bodies. That includes my president."

Messing didn't exactly deny what was in the report, though.

On Tuesday, CNN published an article titled, "After string of Supreme Court setbacks, Democrats wonder whether Biden White House is capable of urgency moment demands." The article opened with an anecdote about Messing. The White House orchestrated a call with celebrity Democratic supporters last Monday and the actress was among the many "fed up" participants.

"Messing said she'd gotten Joe Biden elected and wanted to know why she was being asked to do anything at all, yelling that there didn't even seem a point to voting. Others wondered why the call was happening," CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere wrote. "That afternoon, participants received a follow-up email with a list of basic talking points and suggestions of Biden speech clips to share on TikTok."

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Three sources said the mood on the call was "fatalistic," with many wondering why it was even taking place. White House aides co-organized the meeting with the advocacy group Build Back Better Together.

Messing has yet to directly address the executive order President Biden signed on abortion access, but is retweeting positive messages.

MORE: Debra Messing's 'fed up' call with White House aides
Sen. Elizabeth Warren calls for the US to follow the lead of the EU in a universal charger plan. Sally Anscombe/Getty Images

Sen. Elizabeth Warren took to Twitter Thursday to call for "uniform standards" for device chargers.

Sens. Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders joined Warren in a letter to Department of Commerce on the issue.

The EU has already approved a plan for mobile devices to be compatible with USB-C charger.

Sen. Elizabeth is once again calling for the US to follow the European Union (EU) in standardizing universal chargers for smartphones and mobile devices.

In a tweet posted Thursday, Warren wrote that potential legislation to streamline chargers would create "less expense, less hassle, and less waste."

Her tweet follows a letter sent to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo penned by Warren and fellow senators, Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders which pushed for a device charger plan that would save consumers more money.

"The average consumer owns approximately three mobile phone chargers, and around 40 percent of consumers report that, on at least one occasion, they 'could not charge their mobile phone because available chargers were incompatible,'" the senators wrote.

The letter also highlights that chargers account for 11,000 tons of e-waste annually.

A similar plan in the EU was improved in June, which requires all smartphones and mobile devices to be compatible with a USB-C charger by fall 2024, CBS Boston reported.

The American senators didn't specify what type of charger should be considered the standard, but CNET editor-at-large Ian Scheer told CBS "it's unlikely companies will manufacture new products with different charging ports in different countries."

Although the EU parliament and 27 countries must sign off for this plan to take effect, consumers could be looking at new smartphone designs from several companies, including Apple.

"The EU has wisely acted in the public interest by taking on powerful technology companies over this consumer and environmental issue," the senators said in the letter. "The United States should do the same."

Read the original article on Business Insider
In 1955, a white woman alleged that a Black teenager whistled at, grabbed and said obscene things to her in her grocery store in Mississippi. The result? A brutal kidnapping, beating and murder in the Jim Crow south.

The 14-year-old victim was Emmett Till, and his horrendous death drove much of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Last week, a team of researchers and Tills relatives found, in the basement of a Mississippi courthouse, a legitimate arrest warrant for the woman whose accusations led to his murder. The news has reignited interest in this gruesome event.

The woman, Carolyn Bryant, now Carolyn Bryant Donham, was last known to live in Raleigh. Civil rights activists are calling on the Wake County district attorney to arrest her.

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about Till, his unjustified death and recent history of the case.

Who was Emmett Till?

Emmett Till was born on July 25, 1941 in Chicago. He was an only child, and he lived with his mother, his grandparents and cousins on the South Side. He had polio when he was young and a resulting speech impediment, the New York Times reported. Loved ones called him Bobo.

Tills father Louis, whom Emmett never knew, was executed at 23 years old after being accused of sexually assaulting and killing women in Italy during World War II.

Tills mother Mamie, at 2 years old, moved with her family from Mississippi to the Chicago area in 1924 as part of the Great Migration.

Till was 14 years old when he died.

An undated portrait of Emmett Louis Till, a Black 14 year old Chicago boy, whose weighted down body was found in the Tallahatchie River near the Delta community of Money, Mississippi, August 31, 1955.

How did Emmett Till die and who killed him?

In August 1955, Till left his home in Chicago to visit relatives in the Mississippi Delta. On Aug. 24, after picking cotton with his relatives, he went to a store run by a young, white couple: Carolyn and Roy Bryant. Till went inside to buy bubble gum while Carolyn Bryant was working on her own, the Times reported.

Two teenagers said Till gave the money to the 21-year-old woman by putting it in her hand. White Mississippians expected Black people to put money on the counter to avoid physical touch, the Times reported.

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In the 2017 book The Blood of Emmett Till, Carolyn Bryant said that she angrily went out to her car to get a gun from under the seat, when Till let out a wolf whistle.

The teenagers got nervous and quickly left the store.

Four days later, Carolyns husband Roy Bryant and his half brother J.W. Milam kidnapped Till at gunpoint from his Mississippi familys home. Two of Tills cousins witnessed the kidnapping, according to the Library of Congress.

Most believe that these two are responsible for the torture and murder, but multiple men and a woman were involved, the Mississippi Free Press reported.

At least two Black men kept Till from jumping off the back of the pickup truck he was held in, according to reports. Then, at least four white men beat Till and shot him in the head, murdering him. They tied a cotton gin fan to his body with barbed wire, and they threw his naked corpse into a bayou that led to the Tallahatchie River.

Journalist William Bradford Huie is said to have hidden the identities of additional murderers because he couldnt get releases from all of them for his interview for Look magazine.

As Dave Tell points out in his book, Remembering Emmett Till, Huie needed releases from the murderers to indemnify Look magazine from litigation. But he couldnt get four. He could only get two. So, he made his story fit his resources, the Free Press wrote.

He shrank the kidnapping and murder party to two and moved the murder scene as a consequence. So, instead of telling readers the truth  that Tills lynchers killed him in a barn on a plantation run by Leslie Milam, a member of the killing party whom Huie concealed  he claimed J.W. Milam and Bryant beat Till near J.W. Milams home and shot him to death on the Tallahatchie Rivers bank.

A young fisherman found his corpse in the water a few days later. Tills body was horrifically mutilated beyond identification, and it was only determined to be him by a silver ring on one of his fingers.

Why did Emmett Till have an open casket funeral?

Tills mothers decision to hold an open-casket funeral, showcasing her sons mutilated body, helped spur the American Civil Rights Movement.

Let the world see what has happened, because there is no way I could describe this, Mamie Till said.

Photos of his disfigured face first appeared in Jet magazine, as a photographer attended the funeral and got permission to capture the open casket scene.

Rosa Parks, who famously refused to give up her seat on a bus in Alabama, said the photograph inspired her action.

I thought of Emmett Till, and when the bus driver ordered me to move to the back, I just couldnt move, she said a few months after her historic decision began the Montgomery Bus Boycott in December 1955, a few months after Tills death.

What happened to Emmett Tills killers?

Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam were charged with murder by state officials, according to the Department of Justice. They were tried the following month, but an all-white jury acquitted them.

No one else was ever indicted or prosecuted for the involvement of the kidnapping or murder, per the FBI.

During the trial, the woman at the store testified under oath, but not in front of the jury, that Till had propositioned her and physically touched her hand, arm and waist while they were both inside the store, per the Justice Department.

Following their acquittals, both Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam confessed to kidnapping and murdering Till in an account published in Look magazine in January 1956.

Roy Bryant died of cancer in August 1994, PBS reported. Milam died of spine cancer in 1980, USA Today reported.

In this Sept. 23, 1955, file photo, J.W. Milam, left, his wife, second from left, Roy Bryant, far right, and his wife, Carolyn Bryant, sit together in a courtroom in Sumner, Miss. Bryant and his half-brother Milam were charged with murder but acquitted in the kidnapping and torture slaying of 14-year-old black teen Emmett Till in 1955 after he allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. A team searching the basement of a Mississippi courthouse for evidence about the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till has found the unserved warrant in June 2022 charging a white woman in his kidnapping in 1955, and relatives of the victim want authorities to finally arrest her nearly 70 years later.

Who is Carolyn Bryant Donham?

Little is known about Carolyn Bryant Donham, as she is known today, beyond the 1955 trial.

We know she divorced Roy Bryant in 1979, almost 15 years after the trial. She married twice after. She has two sons. She won beauty pageants in her youth.

She was interviewed by North Carolina author Timothy Tyson in 2008 and the account of that interview was published in his 2017 book, The Blood of Emmett Till.

Today, shes 87 years old. She was last known to live in Raleigh.

Her memoir, More than a Wolf Whistle: The Story of Carolyn Bryant Donham, is in the Southern Historical Collection at the UNC-Chapel Hill library archives and wont be available publicly until 2036 or her death.

Did Carolyn Bryant Donham recant her testimony?

This is unclear. The Department of Justice reopened the investigation into Tills murder in 2017. In December 2021, they closed the investigation, saying they found insufficient evidence. (This is the second time they opened the case and closed it without further action  the first time was in 2004.)

Heres the background: In 2017, new information emerged that Carolyn Bryant Donham may have told author and Duke professor Timothy Tyson that the account she gave the state court in 1955 was untrue.

The Justice Department, however, said she denied to the FBI that she ever recanted her testimony and gave no information beyond what was uncovered during the previous investigation. The FBI said they found no evidence of the retraction in Tysons recordings or transcripts. To read the full release by the Justice Department, visit justice.gov.

Still, the book claims that Donham recanted her 1955 testimony during a 2008 interview.

But about her testimony that Till had grabbed her around the waist and uttered obscenities, she now told me, That parts not true, Tyson published. If that part was not true, I asked, what did happen that evening decades earlier?

I want to tell you, she said. Honestly, I just dont remember. It was fifty years ago. You tell these stories for so long that they seem true, but that part is not true.

What did Carolyn Bryant Donham say in her original testimony?

In 1955, she testified that Till had grabbed her hand forcefully across the candy counter, letting go only when she snatched it away. He asked her for a date, she said, chased her down the counter, blocked her path, and clutched her narrow waist tightly with both hands, Tyson wrote in his 2017 best-selling book.

She told the court he said, You neednt be afraid of me. [Ive], well, with white women before. According to the transcript, the delicate young woman refused to utter the verb or even tell the court what letter of the alphabet it started with. She escaped Tills forceful grasp only with great difficulty, she said.

Her testimony continued, Tyson wrote, Then this other [n-word] came in from the store and got him by the arm. And he told him to come on and lets go. He had him by the arm and led him out. Then came an odd note in her tale, a note discordant with the claim of aborted assault: Till stopped in the doorway, turned around and said, Goodbye.

The judge dismissed the jury from the courtroom while Bryant spoke, claiming that her testimony was irrelevant to the actual murder, Vanity Fair reported. Court spectators heard her, and her testimony was put on record, as the defense wanted her words recorded for a possible appeal.

John Barnett, a civil rights activist, speaks at a press conference outside of the District Attorneys Office in Raleigh, N.C. on Friday July 1, 2022. Barnett called for the arrest of Carolyn Bryant Donham, whose unserved warrant from 1955 for the kidnapping of Emmett Till was recently found in a court basement.

What is the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act?

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, commonly shortened to the Emmett Till Act, was first passed in 2008. Its reauthorization was passed by Congress in 2016.

Before many Civil Rights laws were passed in the 1960s, hundreds of racially questionable crimes were committed in the United States, and very few of them were tried with legitimacy.

The Emmett Till Act allows the Justice Department and FBI to work with state and local law enforcement, as well as victims family members, to reopen long-closed cases in pursuit of truth and justice.

In 2006, the FBI began the Cold Case Initiative, which identified and investigated racially motivated murders committed decades ago. The initiative has the Justice Department and FBI work together to address violations of civil rights statutes ending in death that occurred before the year 1980.

What is the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation?

Members of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation were among the group that found the arrest warrant in that Mississippi courthouse basement on June 30.

This foundation, founded in 2005, is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the legacy and memory of Till, as well as his mother Mamies hope for justice.

The organization brings awareness to Tills history and offers programs, opportunities, curriculums, support and scholarship, the foundations website says.

To learn more about the foundation, visit emmetttilllegacyfoundation.com.
Wild burros graze along the hills above San Timoteo Canyon Road, a rural drive connecting Redlands to Moreno Valley, on Tuesday in San Bernardino County. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

As humans continue to contend with COVID-19, herds of wild burros in the Inland Empire are facing their own outbreak of a deadly equine influenza that has killed more than a dozen donkeys since June.

The burros, which roam around 30 to 40 square miles in the mountains and hills east of Riverside and south of San Bernardino, began showing up sick around a month ago, said Chad Cheatham, vice president of the nonprofit DonkeyLand sanctuary in Colton.

While serving as a sanctuary for injured burros, DonkeyLand has also been responding to reports of sick donkeys and taking them to equine veterinarians for treatment.

However, the illnesses have often been too severe for veterinarians to intervene.

"Several herds in different jurisdictions have been dropping dead without any time to help save them," the sanctuary wrote on Facebook last week. "Their symptoms have all been the same, from foaming or bubbles from the mouth, dripping noses, coughing or showing severe symptoms of heavy labored breathing."

By the time the donkeys are transported for treatment, it is often too late.

"They actually were coming in pretty sick  almost on their last legs," said equine veterinarian Dr. Paul Wan of the SoCal Equine Hospital in Norco, where DonkeyLand takes many of its sick and injured burros.

"They were just breathing so hard and really easily caught," Wan said. "Unfortunately, a lot of them just passed as soon as they got in the hospital  within, I would say, a 24-hour period."

About 17 burros have died as of Thursday, Wan said. Multiple donkeys have been sent to state laboratories for necropsies.

DonkeyLand attempted to save a 2-week-old burro that had been found sick, taking her to a veterinarian, said DonkeyLand founder and vice president Amber-LeVonne Cheatham. But the foal died in the veterinarian's arms.

This is not the first time that the herds of wild burros have faced an outbreak of equine influenza  in the fall of 2020, an outbreak killed about 40 burros  but the current outbreak has caught the DonkeyLand operators off guard.

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Equine influenza usually doesn't spread until the cooler months, and an outbreak isn't expected every year, said Chad Cheatham. This early summer outbreak came as a surprise, he said.

And in the 2020 outbreak, veterinarians were able to treat many of the burros that showed symptoms.

Wan said donkeys coming into contact with domesticated horses, which are often vaccinated, could have started the outbreak. Equine influenza cannot be passed from burros to humans.

The wild burros are unvaccinated and have no immunity to the virus, Wan said.

Additionally, Amber-LeVonne Cheatham is concerned about the water that area residents have been putting out for the burros.

The water is often neglected and not changed out for fresh water, Cheatham said.

With the equine influenza virus spreading, animal rescuers and veterinarians have a plan that resembles the steps taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

"What we're trying to do is  establish some sort of herd immunity with vaccine," Wan said. "Hopefully we can vaccinate approximately 200 and it'll probably stop the outbreak."

The same plan was successful in 2020.

"In 2020 it was running pretty hard and then we vaccinated approximately 200," Wan said. "After we got the vaccines done within a week or two, I think we only saw one or two more [cases] after that time."

Wan and DonkeyLand advised people in the area to report sick donkeys to the local animal services department.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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Newsom said he had an "emotional response" to reports of DeSantis' threat and that he wanted to do "something a little bit more expressive."
MADRID (Reuters) - Morocco and the European Union have agreed to cooperate more closely in combatting human trafficking after at least 23 migrants died during an attempted mass border crossing from Morocco into the neighbouring Spanish enclave of Melilla, Spain and Morocco said in a joint statement on Friday.

The announcement came after Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and Moroccan Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit met in Rabat to discuss how to address what they said were "new strategies" used by migrants seeking to reach European soil, the statement said.

"Morocco is a strategic partner, a committed partner of the EU when it comes to managing migration in an orderly way. And we stands ready to deepening our cooperation, (...) working together in effective and efficient readmissions and returns and investing in legal pathways together," Johansson said in an accompanying video shared by Spain.

Some 2,000 migrants stormed the border with Melilla at the end of June, triggering two hours of violent skirmishes with Moroccan security forces and Spanish border guards.

Around 100 eventually managed to cross Europe's only land border with Africa but dozens of badly injured and dead migrants were later pictured lying stacked together by a Moroccan border fence.

Moroccan authorities said the migrants died in a stampede and others fell as they climbed.

Local human rights organisations claimed people had lain injured for hours without medical treatment, leading to a higher death toll. The United Nations and other human rights NGOs called for an independent probe into the clashes, while Morocco and Spain's prosecutor opened their own inquiries.

Shortly after the incident, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused smuggling mafias of having organised the assault and thanked the Moroccan security forces for their help policing the border.

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The representatives of Spain and the EU on Friday repeated their thanks to Morocco but also described what happened as "painful" and expressed regret for the deaths.

"It is important that we address these dangerous situations and these well-organized smuggling groups together to save lives and to manage migration in an orderly way," Johansson said.

The agreement will include support for border management, strengthening police cooperation - including joint investigations - and strengthening cooperation with EU agencies, the statement said.

Spain says its policy of working with African countries to contain migration at the point of origin has succeeded in stopping 40 percent of irregular migratory movements.

(Reporting by Belen Carreno, additional reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; editing by Aislinn Laing and Jonathan Oatis)
A former Baltimore County police officer who was put on home detention last year for a second-degree rape conviction, angering advocates, has filed an appeal seeking a new trial.

Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Keith Truffer sentenced Anthony Westerman to four years in prison in November, but stayed his sentence pending an appeal  making it unlikely he would serve time behind bars during a lengthy appeal process, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Truffer found there was no evidence of any psychological injury to the victim. The judges remarks sparked backlash from sexual assault advocacy organizations, which said psychological injuries are inherent in rape cases.

Westerman has since appealed to the Court of Special Appeals, and the court record indicates that arguments in the case will be heard during the courts October session.

His attorney, Brian Thompson, said Westerman was denied his right to a trial by jury due to a once-a-century pandemic and that the verdict went against the weight of the evidence. In the appeal, filed in May, attorneys say the higher court should overturn the trial courts judgment and request a new trial on four of the original eight charges.

A response from the state Attorney Generals Office filed July 1 asks the court to affirm the prior judgment. A spokeswoman for the office declined to comment further, saying the office doesnt discuss pending litigation.

The then-Baltimore County police officer was indicted in December 2019 on criminal offenses connected to interactions with three women in 2017 and 2019. Charges included counts of second-degree rape, counts of second-degree assault and other sex offenses.

Charging documents said police began to investigate Westerman in October 2019 based on reports of sexual assault. Authorities described three separate incidents: sexual assault of a 22-year-old woman in 2017, sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman in June 2019 and two attempts at kissing another 22-year-old woman later in June 2019.

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At least one of the victims told police she didnt immediately report what took place because she knew Defendant Westerman was a Baltimore County Police Officer, the charging documents said.

In a bench trial in August 2021, Truffer found him guilty of second-degree rape and other sex offenses in the 2017 incident and second-degree assault from one of the two encounters alleged to have taken place in late June. He was acquitted of charges in the reported assault in early June 2019.

Westerman was a police officer during the time of each allegation. The department, which issued a statement calling the allegations reprehensible following the criminal charges, fired him in June 2019.

TurnAround Inc. and the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault said at the time of his sentencing, in November 2021, that light sentences tell a survivor their experience was not a big deal. States Attorney Scott Shellenberger, too, said home detention and a four-year sentence for this kind of crime were inappropriate. He declined to comment further this week, but said prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence from the judge.

Thompson, however, said a judge staying a sentence and allowing a person to put up an appeal bond is not at all uncommon. He said the state had failed to reach the requirement for higher sentencing guidelines.

Seeking a new trial, Westermans Court of Special Appeals filing said the lower court didnt properly confirm that Westermans waiver of a jury trial was voluntary, admitted hearsay testimony, and didnt have sufficient evidence for a conviction of second-degree assault.

It argues that Westerman only agreed to a bench trial before Truffer because he was told, given a backlog of trials due to COVID-19, it was the only way to quickly resolve the cases in court. His mother said in a court hearing following his conviction that he had a devastating decline in his mental health between his charging and trial, including panic attacks and vomiting. And Westerman told his attorney, according to the appeal, he didnt know whether he would have survived another year.

Truffer ruled against granting him a new trial, calling it a possible case of buyers remorse.

Attorneys for Westerman also objected to testimony from a woman who described what one victim told her the day after the sexual assault, arguing it was hearsay and inadmissible, and to the judges finding of second-degree assault because they say an attempted kiss in one of the reported encounters stopped when the woman indicated they were unwanted.

In the states brief responding to Westermans appeal, attorneys wrote there was no hint that his waiver of a jury trial was involuntary. Simply because a decision is difficult does not make it coercive, it said.

The brief also said the testimony from a witness counts as a prompt complaint of sexually assaultive behavior, which is an exception to hearsay rules, and that his actions in the 2019 assault do, in fact, meet the requirements of the crime.

Westerman fails to understand that grabbing a woman without her consent is second-degree assault, the state Attorney Generals Office wrote in the brief.
Michael Flynn with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gala celebrating the 10th anniversary of Russia Today in Moscow, Russia on December 10, 2015. Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Flynn violated the Emoluments Clause and will be fined by the Army, The Washington Post reported.

The one-time Trump national security advisor was cited for attending a 2015 Moscow gala with Putin.

Flynn dismissed the fine as "just another dig, another means to embarrass."

Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who served as President Donald Trump's first national security advisor, has been fined by the US Army for attending a 2015 gala in Moscow to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Russian state news network Russia Today.

The Washington Post reported on Friday that the Army informed Flynn on May 2 that it is seeking to recoup $38,557.06 for his attendance at the gala, accounting for both financial payments and in-kind compensation.

The Army also determined that Flynn had violated the Emoluments Clause of the US Constitution, which forbids members of the military from accepting payments from foreign governments without prior authorization.

"When there is a finding that a military retiree has violated the Emoluments Clause, the United States Government may pursue a debt collection," wrote Craig Schmauder, an Army lawyer, in a letter to Flynn.

In total, investigators determined that Flynn received nearly $450,000 in compensation from both Russian and Turkish interests in 2015, including for other work on behalf of Inovo BV, a corporation with ties to the Turkish government.

The Army will recover the nearly $40,000 sum from Flynn's Army retirement account, according to documents viewed by the Post.

"A debt in favor of the government is created which is to be collected by withholding from retired pay," wrote Sean O'Donnell, the acting inspector general at the Pentagon, in a January 2021 memo.

Flynn had previously discussed the fine in an interview on Real America's Voice, a right-wing news outlet.

"They don't like people like me, because they know that they do not want me coming back into government," he said, casting the fine as the result of a partisan exercise. "So I'm not surprised at this. It's just another dig, another means to to embarrass, another way that they just want me to shut up."

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"They're just going to reach into my retirement and they're going to take some money out," he said. "But at the end of the day, this country means a heck of a lot more than ... what they will do to me."

Trump selected Flynn as his first national security advisor despite President Barack Obama urging him not to do so shortly after Trump won the presidency. Flynn was ousted less than a month into Trump's presidency after he reportedly lied to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI about his communications with Sergei Kislyak, then the Russian ambassador to the US.

It later came to light that Trump asked then-FBI director James Comey to drop its investigation into Flynn and his ties to Russia.

Most recently, Flynn made an appearance during the January 6 committee's June public hearings, where committee members displayed a video of him struggling to answer whether he believed in the peaceful transition of power. He eventually opted to plead the Fifth Amendment.

Flynn advised Trump to declare martial law and seize voting machines as part of an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Read the original article on Business Insider
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP)  Nightly protests in North Macedonia over the past week have left dozens injured. At the heart of the turmoil is the small Balkan countrys long-running quest to join the European Union, a process that has faced one hurdle after the other.

The most recent obstacle is a veto by EU member Bulgaria. A French proposal for a compromise to address Bulgarias concerns has divided North Macedonia, sparking the sometimes violent protests. France's plan also met deep objections in Bulgaria and helped to bring down the government, which had accepted the compromise.

WHAT IS THE DISPUTE ABOUT?

North Macedonia has been an EU candidate for 17 years. The country emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and sought to forge a strong national identity. But in a region where borders and ethnicities have shifted and overlapped over centuries, it was beset by problems from the start.

The country's chosen name, Macedonia, sparked outrage in neighboring Greece, which said the term harbored expansionist aims against its own province of the same name and was an attempt to usurp Greek history and culture. Athens held up Skopjes EU and NATO membership bids for years, until a 2019 deal was reached that included the smaller country changing its name to North Macedonia.

But the following year, neighboring Bulgaria blocked the renamed nation's attempts to join the EU, accusing Skopje of disrespecting shared cultural and historic ties. Among Bulgarias key demands were acknowledgment that the language of North Macedonia derived from Bulgarian, and the recognition of a Bulgarian minority.

The size of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia is a matter of contention. Official data from the 2021 census put it at 3,504 people, or about 0.2% of the population. Bulgaria has doubted the figure, noting that about 90,000 of North Macedonia's roughly 2 million population received dual Bulgarian citizenship over the last two decades based on their family roots. About 53,000 more applications are pending.

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WHY DOES IT MATTER?

North Macedonias EU bid is tied to a similar bid by neighboring Albania. Both countries see joining the 27-nation bloc as a means of securing stability and prosperity in an increasingly unstable world. The EU prospects of the Western Balkan countries gained increased attention in the wake of the blocs efforts to bring Ukraine closer following the Russian invasion.

WHAT IS THE FRENCH PROPOSAL?

France held the rotating EU presidency between January and June and so has been deeply involved in negotiations to break the deadlock. EU leaders held a summit with Western Balkan nations last month, during the same week they made Ukraine and Moldova candidates for EU membership.

French President Emmanuel Macron hoped to present unblocking the EU bids of North Macedonia and Albania as a major success. On Thursday, the French Embassy in Skopje posted a message from Macron.

Once again, North Macedonia has reached a crucial moment in its history. Seventeen years after receiving candidate status, a historic opportunity has opened: .... The choice is yours, he said.

Macrons proposal envisages concessions from both sides. The government in Skopje would commit to changing its constitution to recognize a Bulgarian minority, protect minority rights and banish hate speech.

The French leader stressed the proposal doesnt question the official existence of a Macedonian language, but he noted that, like all deals, it rests on compromises and on a balance.

HOW WAS THE PROPOSAL RECEIVED?

The compromises in the French proposal led to rifts in both countries.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkovs centrist government was toppled in a no-confidence vote on June 22. A junior governing partner quit the fragile four-party coalition, describing Petkovs willingness to lift the veto of North Macedonia as a national betrayal. An early election could result in a stronger presence in parliament of nationalist and pro-Russia lawmakers.

The National Assembly already has approved the proposal, but legislators set additional conditions for agreeing to North Macedonia's EU membership. They included proper constitutional protection for Bulgarians living in North Macedonia, and no assumption that Bulgaria would recognize Macedonian as a separate language from Bulgarian.

In North Macedonia, both President Stevo Pendarovski and the government of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevsk backed the proposal as a reasonable compromise. Accepting it will be neither a historic triumph, as one camp would call it, nor a historic failure or debacle, as those in the other camp say, Pendarovski said.

The government has stressed the proposal does not endanger national interests or identity. But the center-right main opposition party, the VMRO-DPMNE, as well as others, disagree, saying the deal favors Bulgarian demands that question North Macedonia's history, language, identity, culture and heritage.

Biljana Vankovska, a law professor at the Saint Cyril and Methodius University's Institute for Security, Defense and Peace, slammed the French proposal as bowing to the nationalistic and chauvinistic demands of Bulgaria.

It is unbelievable that a small nation was asked to give up its language, history and constitution-making powers to external powers in order to start the EU accession process, she said.

Political analyst Albert Musliu, head of the Association for Democratic Initiatives think tank, argued the proposal offers North Macedonia a chance to start membership talks with the EU.

If you ask me whether it is fair, then yes, the proposal is unfair, but international order is not based on fairness, he said.

WHATS NEXT?

Bulgaria has accepted the French proposal, which now requires the backing of North Macedonias parliament. The text is now at committee level in parliament. No plenary session has been scheduled.

___

Toshkov reported from Sofia, Bulgaria. Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed

___

Follow AP's coverage of the European Union at https://apnews.com/hub/european-union
The Childrens Museum of Northern Nevada in Carson City, Nevada. A man and his wife  both workers at the museum  were discovered to have been living inside with their five children. Police discovered that the man, Walter Calhoun was also storing guns and ammunition inside the museum. (Google Maps screengrab)

A family was recently discovered living inside a childrens museum in Nevada and stashing away weapons.

According to local broadcaster KOLO, on 30 June, police in Carson City received a call that a two-year-old was wandering around unsupervised near the Children's Museum of Northern Nevada. It apparently wasn't the first time a report had been made about unattended children near the museum.

"Officers at the scene were able to evaluate that the call was associated with a previously known call and that it originated from the Children's Museum...The child was actually found by a business. He had gotten out, crossed a very busy...main artery," Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said during a press briefing.

A previous caller, a woman named Jennifer Trotter, whose four-year-old daughter attended the camp, had also reported that the individual running the camp was letting the children play outside without supervision.

"My daughter told me that the lady running the camp, Amber, had let my daughter and her daughter go play outside on the front steps of the museum, unattended by an adult," she said.

According to Carson Now, deputies investigating the reports of wandering children eventually found the two-year-old's father, Wilbert Calhoun, as well as Mr Calhoun's other children.

The children told the deputies that they were actually living inside of the museum. Mr Calhoun initially disputed his child's claims. However, police were later escorted through the museum by one of its board members, during which time they witnessed several indicators that someone was actually living in the museum.

According to the deputies, they found blankets, mattresses, food, dishes and other personal belongings that were not part of any of the museum's exhibits.

Both Mr Calhoun and his wife worked for the museum  he a janitor, and his wife a manager  and at some point reportedly moved themselves into the building along with their five children.

The couple have been fired from their jobs at the museum.

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Shortly after deputies discovered that the family was living in the museum, Mr Calhoun was taken into custody for child neglect. While they were driving him back to the sheriff's headquarters, they learned that a museum board member had discovered two firearms inside a storage room.

A further search revealed that "dozens" of magazines were also allegedly stashed alongside the guns.

In total, one pistol, one AK-47-style rifle, several knives, three suppressors, a taser, a baton and marijuana paraphernalia were found inside the storage area. The deputies said the storage area was unlocked, and claimed that any passing child could have accessed any of the weapons.

Once the weapons were discovered, Mr Calhoun was also hit with a felony weapons charge.

The Children's Museum of Northern Nevada shared a statement with Newsweek addressing the incident.

"To all of the members and visitors to the Children's Museum of Northern Nevada, we would like to offer our most sincere apologies for the incident that came to light on June 30th. We are shocked and saddened that this happened on our watch, and we are working hard to make sure that nothing like this will ever happen again," it said. "We are looking into the best path to reopen in a way that not only assures the safety of all of our visitors, but that we as a community can be proud of as well."
The family of a Palestinian-American reporter killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank lashed out at President Joe Biden in a letter released Friday over his administration's response to her death.

Relatives of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh expressed grief, outrage and (a) sense of betrayal, accusing the U.S. of trying to erase Israel's responsibility for her death. A U.S. statement earlier this week that said Israeli fire likely killed her but that the May 11 shooting in the West Bank town of Jenin was not intentional.

Fallout from the killing is likely to cast a shadow over Biden's trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank next week. The family asked Biden to meet with them when he visits the region. The White House declined to comment on the letter or the request for a meeting.

A reconstruction by The Associated Press lent support to Palestinian eyewitnesses who said she was shot by Israeli forces without making a final determination. Investigations by CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post, as well as monitoring by the U.N. human rights office, reached similar conclusions.

Israel denies she was deliberately targeted, and says she could have been shot by an Israeli soldier or a Palestinian militant during an exchange of fire. The State Department said in a July 4 statement that the bullet that killed her was too badly damaged to determine who fired it.

The statement said the U.S. had summarized separate investigations by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, concluding that she was likely struck by Israeli fire. But it found no reason to believe that this was intentional, saying it was the result of tragic circumstances.

The U.S. did not explain how it reached those conclusions or cite evidence to support them.

The Abu Akleh family said all available evidence suggests she was deliberately killed by an Israeli soldier and that the administration had thoroughly failed to meet the bare minimum expectation of a credible, independent investigation.

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Instead, the United States has been skulking toward the erasure of any wrongdoing by Israeli forces, they said. It is as if you expect the world and us to now just move on. Silence would have been better.

Asked about the letter, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had not yet seen it and declined to comment on Biden's travel plans. She said Biden has been closely monitoring the investigation and that senior U.S. officials are in touch with the family.

We feel their pain. We cant even imagine what they must be going through, she said. We continue to urge cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on next steps and we definitely continue to urge accountability.

U.S. lawmakers have pressed the administration for an independent investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh, a veteran on-air correspondent for Al Jazeera's Arabic language service who was widely known and respected across the Arab world.

Abu Akleh, who was 51, had spent a quarter-century reporting on the harsh realities of life under Israeli military rule. Palestinians view her as a martyr to journalism as well as their national cause.

Israeli police drew widespread criticism when they beat mourners and pallbearers at her funeral in Jerusalem on May 14. An Israeli newspaper last month reported that a police investigation found wrongdoing by some of its officers, but said those who supervised the event will not be seriously punished.

___

Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.
By Humeyra Pamuk

(Reuters) - The family of slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh has accused the United States of providing impunity for Israel over her killing and asked to meet President Joe Biden in person during his trip to Israel next week.

In a letter to Biden posted on Twitter on Friday, the family said the administration simply adopted the Israeli government's conclusions over her death, which it described as an extrajudicial killing, while falling short of its own stated goal of ensuring full accountability.

"Your administration's engagement has served to whitewash Shireen's killing and perpetuate impunity," said the letter, signed by her brother Anton Abu Akleh on the family's behalf.

"It is as if you expect the world and us to now just move on. Silence would have been better." The family asked to see all the information the administration has collected on the issue.

Abu Akleh was killed on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin under bitterly disputed circumstances.

Last month the United Nations human rights office said evidence suggested Israeli military fire had killed Abu Akleh while she stood with other reporters and was identifiable as a journalist.

The State Department on Monday said she was likely killed by gunfire from Israeli positions but it was probably unintentional and independent investigators could not reach a definitive conclusion about the origin of the bullet that struck her.

Palestinian officials criticized the report and maintained she had been deliberately targeted by an Israeli soldier. Israel denied this.

In his first Middle East trip as president on July 13-16, Biden is expected to meet separately with Palestinian and Israeli leaders. The Abu Akleh case will be a diplomatic and domestic test for new Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

A group of 24 U.S. senators in Biden's Democratic Party last month urged him to ensure direct U.S. involvement in the investigation of Abu Akleh's killing.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Mary Milliken and Howard Goller)
A stolen outboard engine  its the bane of boaters.

About 600 high-priced outboard engines were stolen in Southwest Florida and other parts of the state, and then fenced through a Miami-area freight forwarder that illegally exported them to Mexico, according to a new federal indictment.

It is not clear from the indictment, filed in Miami federal court, whether the outboard engines were stolen from stripped-down power boats kept at homes, marinas or yacht dealerships, but the sheer number is staggering in a state where boating is a favorite pastime.

Prosecutors dont put a price tag on the pilfered outboard engines, but each can cost from $15,000 to $50,000 depending on the brand, make and horsepower. In other words, theyre a hot commodity on the black market in Florida, authorities say.

Three of the suspects in the new Miami case have already surrendered and been granted bonds: Nadia Esperanza Ledesma, 45, president of Doral-based Netcycle Trading Corp.; her husband, Carlos Orlando Ledesma, 56, Netcycles warehouse manager; and Roberto Marrero-Cisneros, 65, who is accused of sticking false serial numbers on the engines but did not work for the couples freight-forwarding business. They are all from the Miami area.

Still at large is Osmania Valdivia Perez, of Lehigh Acres, who is accused of paying cash for the exportation of the stolen outboard engines that Valdivia and others delivered to the Doral freight company.

Nadia Ledesmas attorney, Renier Diaz de la Portilla, said Thursday that the Ledesmas have run the small, family shipping business for years and its their livelihood. They did nothing wrong, he said.

Carlos Ledesmas lawyer, Rick Yabor, said that he and his wife, Nadia, are maintaining their innocence and reviewing the evidence.

Marrero-Cisneros lawyer, Peter Heller, declined to comment.

The indictment  built upon allegedly falsified records along with video surveillance footage  claims that Nadia and Carlos Ledesma received at least 20 stolen outboard engines from Valdivia and others and illegally shipped them to Mexico between 2015 and 2018. But prosecutors highlighted in a news release that the Ledesmas illegally exported about 600 stolen outboard engines to Mexico during that period.

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The Ledesmas and their co-conspirators also created false bills of sale and export labels and filed that information with the U.S. government, according to the indictment. The challenge for prosecutors will be proving whether the Ledesmas exported outboard engines that they knew had been stolen by co-conspirators.

The investigation of the alleged boat engine theft was led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Coast Guard and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Power boat and outboard engine thefts pop up all over Florida.

Florida, which ranks as the top state for boat thieves, does keep track of engine thefts. A CNBC analysis of records compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Division showed a total of 811 engine thefts in 2016 compared with 643 in 2015. About half the stolen engines were Yamahas.

The Miami area is number one in the country for stolen boats, followed by Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tavares.

Unfortunately, with the amount of waterways that we have in Miami-Dade County, it is a target-rich environment, Miami-Dade Police Officer Miguel Espinosa told CNBC. And sad to say, it is very easy [for] someone to try to steal a vessel. Or engines, especially engines.

In 2020, a Sarasota luxury boat building company Yellowfin Boats, reported that about $400,000 worth of equipment had been stolen while the store was closed over the Memorial Day weekend. The thieves used a forklift to haul away several outboard engines, including Mercury and Yamaha brands. At the same time, a white Isuzu flatbed truck was reported stolen from neighboring business Coating Application Technologies. Police suspected the truck may have been used to transport the outboard engines from Yellowfin.
Firefighters rescued a woman who became trapped in the rocks below an Everett park on Thursday.

At about 9:45 p.m., Everett firefighters were dispatched to Howarth Park at 1127 Olympic Boulevard.

Everett Fire Department technical rescue specialists used their tools to free the woman and prepare her to be transported.

Crews from South Snohomish Fire and Mukilteo Fire assisted.

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UPDATE, 1.55 AM PT, July 8: Japanese broadcaster NHK is reporting former prime minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot while giving a speech. He had been in critical condition for several hours prior but attempts to save him failed.

A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the shooting, which happened near Kyoto in western Japan yesterday morning local time.

More from Deadline

PREVIOUSLY, 9.00 PM PT, July 7: Multiple media outlets reported that Japans former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was shot while giving a speech in western Japan near Kyoto on Friday. Outlets cited the nations Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, who confirmed the former PM was shot around 11:30 a.m. local time.

Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it, declared Matsuno.

Abe was said to be bleeding as he was loaded into an ambulance and the New York Times, citing a local fire official, reported Abe was unconscious and showing no vital signs. He was driven to a helicopter and flown to a medical facility. Multiple reports had Abe in cardiopulmonary arrest when he arrived.

Japanese media outlet NHK reported that a man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The outlet reported that the alleged assailant was in his 40s and a local resident. On video and in images, the weapon appeared to be a sort of modified shotgun, a rarity in a country with some of the worlds strictest gun laws where associated violence is extremely rare. NHK reported the gun appeared to be hand made. The weapon was seized at the scene.

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Japans former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan on Friday. - Credit: AP

AP

Abe, Japans longest-serving prime minister, was in the region giving a speech related to an upcoming election. One of the most consequential leaders in post WWII Japan, he resigned in 2020 due to ulcerative colitis but remained a key player in Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Current prime minister Kishida abruptly left his campaigning, to head back to Tokyo, according to chief cabinet secretary Matsuno.

Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan and brother to WME CEO Ari Emanuel, posted on Twitter that American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & the people of Japan.

We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan.   (@USAmbJapan) July 8, 2022

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A former prosecutor for the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office faced discrimination over a workplace disability and experienced harassment including religious texts and questions about her sex life, she claims in a lawsuit.

In a civil complaint filed in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on February 2020, Rebecca Matthews alleged that the agency  specifically District Attorney Dan Dow and Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth  violated her civil rights by harassing her and discriminating against her due to a mental health disability.

Matthews primarily prosecuted sex crimes while working for the county District Attorneys Office from 2016 to 2018 as a deputy district attorney, according to court documents. She also previously served as a deputy district attorney in other counties since 2007, documents say.

This is a very sad case, Matthews attorney, Patrick Fisher, wrote in an email to The Tribune.

Dobroth told The Tribune that he and the rest of the District Attorneys Office could not comment on the matter.

Rita McNeal, who is representing the District Attorneys Office, wrote in an email that the county has been and will continue to strongly defend this case.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow

Lawsuit: Dan Dow sent religious texts, asked inappropriate question

In a complaint filed with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing in February 2019, Matthews alleged that her former employer harassed her after she complained about her work load, neglect and distress regarding her ability to prosecute child pornography, child rape and child molestation cases.

Matthews claimed she was never given information on ways to get help, including the employee assistance program, workers compensation or family and medical leave, after she reached out to her supervisors.

Matthews told the state agency that she faced retaliation after her husband, who was a police officer, had to take leave and undergo rehabilitation for alcoholism. At the same time, she said, she was experiencing marital problems that included allegations that she had had an affair.

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According to the fair employment complaint, Matthews said she was placed on paid administrative leave despite having requested family leave to take care of her family while her husband attended rehab.

During the paid leave, Dan (Dow) would text me religious-based texts and other texts that would illicit a response, she wrote in the complaint. Unbeknownst to me I was being investigated based on what had occurred with my husband, she wrote in the complaint.

Matthews was not notified that she was being investigated until she stated she was returning to work, the complaint said.

She remained on paid leave until her psychologist filled out paperwork stating she had a disability caused by her work environment and should not handle child pornography and sexual assault cases. Matthews then asked for flexible work hours and other accommodations due to her disability.

Her supervisor asked her to sign away certain rights in order to have her family leave approved, but Matthews refused, the complaint said. The leave was still approved, but the accommodations were never made, she alleged.

Matthews said she faced harassment following her request for family leave, which included being watched and followed.

She alleged that Dobroth gave her a child pornography case to write about in a memo, then told coworkers via email that Matthews would not write about or review the case. He also publicly asked Matthews, Hey mama, how is your head? the complaint said.

I was treated as if I were being punished such as setting very rigid work hours which alienated me from coworkers and clearly singled me out, Matthews wrote in the complaint.

Following her initial complaint to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Matthews claims in her lawsuit, management initiated a pre-textual misconduct investigation to look into her workplace truancy, according to court documents.

She claimed that her absences were due to the emotional distress of her job and not without reason.

During a recorded employee discipline hearing held before Matthews left the District Attorneys Office, Dow asked Matthews if she had had sex with a particular man after she showed Dow a picture of her beaten face, the complaint said.

Matthews injuries are not addressed elsewhere in the lawsuit.

When I asked why (Dow) was asking, he clarified and asked if I had sexual intercourse with this man. This made me clearly uncomfortable and I felt (it) was sexual harassment, Matthews said in the complaint. I was threatened that if I didnt agree to resign, they would tell all potential employers that I was fired for the allegations I am currently appealing and all based on FMLA-protected activity, First Amendment speech or hearsay from a person unrelated to my employment.

Matthews stopped working in the District Attorneys office on Aug. 22, 2018.

According to documents attached to the legal complaint, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing did not take action on Matthews complaint because she requested and was granted a so-called right to sue notice.

Matthews is suing the county District Attorneys Office, Dow and Dobroth for failure to accommodate a medical condition, failure to engage in interactive process, discrimination and retaliation, all in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.

San Luis Obispo County Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth.

SLO County calls former prosecutors claims groundless

The county filed its response on March 19, 2020, and denied all aspects of Matthews complaint.

The complaint was filed without any good faith basis or reasonable cause, the county said in court documents, describing the claims as frivolous, unreasonable and groundless.

Lawyers for SLO County allege that the claims Matthews made in her lawsuit do not have the required level of specificity for each cause of action and also lack specificity to displace applicable immunity doctrines covering public entities and/or their employees.

The complaint is uncertain, ambiguous, and unintelligible, attorneys representing the county wrote.

If Matthews was damaged, it was not by San Luis Obispo County or the District Attorneys Office, their response said.

The conduct displayed by Matthews former employer was a just and proper exercise of managements discretion and was for a fair and honest reason and regulated by good faith and probable cause under circumstances existing at the time, the attorneys said.

Why was case delayed?

Although filed in the winter of 2020, Matthews lawsuit was postponed because of COVID-19 delays, according to court documents.

Her original lawyer asked to be relieved from the case in October 2020, citing an irreconcilable conflict between him and Matthews, court documents say. That motion was granted in January 2021, but Matthews did not obtain her current lawyer until October 2021.

Weve had a lot of technical/procedural obstacles that were created before I was retained, Fisher said. Ive been trying to repair the damage since I got involved.

During the time Matthews did not have counsel, she did not respond to discovery requests and missed one court hearing and a case management conference, court documents show. Because of this, Matthews was unable to object to discovery requests and was fined $504.

In September 2021, the county filed a motion for terminating sanctions, asking the court to dismiss the case on the basis of Matthews noncompliance with discovery requests and missing court hearings.

She filed a motion for relief in December 2021 asking to be able to revisit the discovery objections, saying her original counsels incompetence and her mental health conditions were responsible her non-responsiveness.

According to court documents, Matthews has since filed responses to the county but had not paid the fine as of June 16.

Superior Court Judge Tana Coates ruled June 29 that Matthews cannot be granted relief for procedural violations that occurred during the year she did not have a lawyer.

A hearing regarding whether the case will be dismissed will be held Oct. 31.
CHICAGO  Those grieving for the Highland Park shooting victims begin the heavy task Friday of burying their loved ones.

The first funerals for the victims were set for Friday. Among those who will be memorialized Friday are Jacquelyn Jacki Sundheim, 63, and Steve Straus, 88, both of Highland Park. A visitation is also planned for Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, who was visiting family from Morelos, Mexico.

They are among seven people who were shot and killed when a gunman opened fire from a rooftop at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade Monday. Also killed were Katherine Goldstein, 64, of Highland Park; Irina McCarthy, 35, and her husband Kevin McCarthy, 37, who also lived in Highland Park and left behind a 2-year-old son; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, of Waukegan.

Hundreds of mourners have gathered at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe late Friday morning to honor Sundheim, who not only worked there for decades but was a lifelong member. Among those paying their respects are Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider. The congressman was preparing to march in the parade Monday when the gunfire began.

Speaking through tears, Rabbi Wendi Geffen opened Sundheims service by saying: We invite you to just be with us. We should not have to be here today. There is nothing, not one single thing that makes being brought together to mourn Jacki acceptable. We are horrified. We are enraged  aggrieved, inconsolable for the terror that has befallen us and robbed us of Jacki.

Jacki died because she was murdered, and in that there is no comfort for us to take away as we mourn Jackis death. There is no silver lining, no light over the darkness, Geffen said.

Sundheim taught preschool at North Shore Congregation Israel and, as coordinated of events such as bar and bat mitzvahs and weddings, touched many lives in the community. Geffen spoke of that, noting how profoundly personal a loss it was for the congregation.

There is so much pain and despair that we risk coming to see Jackis life only by its end.  We cannot allow that to happen, said the rabbi.

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Cantor David Goldstein, while singing the 23rd Psalm in Hebrew before congregants, took off his glasses to wipe his eyes as his voice filled the large, modern, sunlit sanctuary. He returned to his white seat and wept.

Later, Rabbi Lisa Greene recounted Sundheims journey as a congregant, from early childhood to her teen years leading youth groups to eventually joining the staff.

Sundheims survivors include her husband, Bruce, and their daughter Leah.

There are no words sufficient to express our grief for Jackis death and sympathy for her family and loved ones, synagogue officials wrote.

Straus family described him a lover of culture with a curious mind who still commuted five days a week to his stockbroker office downtown.

A native of Chicagos South Side, Straus was very much a Highland Parker and went to the parade each year, one of his sons told the Tribune.

Straus, said his son Peter Straus was very curious about the world.

Toledo-Zaragozas family has said hed planned to spend three months in the Chicago visiting family, something that had been delayed because of COVID-19.

As the father of eight, his family said, he had a large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and he was surrounded by relatives at the parade when he died.

Today Nicolas is our guardian angel, his granddaughter Xochil Toledo wrote about Nicolas Toledo. We ask you (to) please keep our family and all the families of this horrible tragedy in your prayers and stay strong as a community.


Russia's top diplomat stormed out of talks with G20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia on Friday as Western powers criticised Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Washington and allies condemned Russia's assault ahead of the meeting before Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov faced what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a barrage of Western criticism at the closed-door talks.

"What we've heard today already is a strong chorus from around the world... about the need for the aggression to end," Blinken said from the meeting on the resort island of Bali.

Blinken and Lavrov had joined colleagues for day-long talks in their first meeting since the outbreak of war, with the host immediately telling them the conflict must end through negotiations.

But Lavrov walked out of a morning session as German counterpart Annalena Baerbock criticised Moscow over its invasion, diplomats said.

He also left an afternoon session before Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the ministers virtually and was not present as Blinken condemned Russia.

"Russia was so isolated that Lavrov left the conference at midday after speaking," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said in an interview with AFP.

"There was not a state to defend the Russian attitude, to subscribe to the Russian logic."

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told AFP Lavrov "wasn't listening to others" in the meeting.

"That's not the most constructive way to attend a G20 meeting," he said.

Western diplomats said Lavrov heard no unambiguous support during the session, even from nations that do not staunchly back the US and European position on Ukraine.

"I think Russia was surprised by how many G20 participants made forceful statements about Russian aggression," a Western official said on condition of anonymity.

Another Western official predicted President Vladimir Putin would think twice about attending the summit later this year after the criticism faced by Lavrov.

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- Abe killing overshadows meet -

Speaking outside the Mulia hotel, Lavrov remained defiant and accused Western nations of avoiding "talking about global economic issues" instead of the war.

"From the moment they speak, they launch into fevered criticism of Russia," he told reporters.

Blinken shunned a bilateral meeting with Lavrov and instead accused Russia of triggering a global food crisis, demanding Moscow allow grain shipments out of war-battered Ukraine.

"To our Russian colleagues: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? You should let the grain out," Blinken said in the closed-door talks, according to a Western official present.

Lavrov earlier told reporters he would not "go running" after Washington for talks.

"It was not us who abandoned contact, it was the United States," he said.

Before the meeting, Blinken sat down with his French and German counterparts and a senior British official to discuss "Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice" in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement.

But the gathering was soon overshadowed by the killing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign event on Friday.

After news of Abe's death emerged, Blinken mourned the longtime ally of Washington as a "leader with great vision" who boosted US-Japan relations.

"It is a shock. It's profoundly disturbing," he said.

- No family photo -

In closing remarks, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said "participants expressed deep concern about the humanitarian impacts of the war" in Ukraine, and "some members expressed condemnation" of the invasion.

A US official indicated Washington did not want to embarrass Indonesia at the meeting by walking out on Lavrov, who last met Blinken in July.

But there was no family photo of the G20 ministers as is customary.

The hosts have addressed US concerns about Lavrov attending in part by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit in November.

In his address on Friday, Ukraine's Kuleba told ministers to "remember about 344 families who have lost their children when listening to Russian lies".

- British FM leaves -

Blinken's efforts to have a powerful Western stance against Russia at the meeting were diluted after British Foreign Minister Liz Truss pulled out following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resignation as leader of his party on Thursday.

While in Bali, Blinken will also seek to reopen dialogue with Beijing in talks on Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the first in months after tensions became strained over issues including Taiwan.

The meeting comes as US President Joe Biden voices hope for a conversation in the coming weeks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he last spoke in March.

Lavrov met Wang on Thursday to discuss Russia's invasion, which Moscow says it launched to stop Ukraine from joining the NATO military alliance.

The United States has condemned Beijing's support for Russia, and Blinken is expected to reiterate those warnings in talks with Wang.

sct-jfx/smw
(Bloomberg) -- Germany expects Canada to release a key Russian pipeline part caught up in sanctions, a move that both Berlin and Moscow have said could ease the squeeze on gas flows to Europe.

Most Read from Bloomberg

According to a person familiar with the situation, Germany expects Canada to send the turbine back soon. A German government spokesman told reporters on Friday there are positive signals from Canada, though he couldnt confirm the part was on its way yet.

Releasing the turbine could potentially de-escalate the gas standoff between Russia and Germany --and help increase flows that have been drastically curbed for weeks. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has been pleading with Canada to do so as he tries to avert the prospect of energy rationing in Europes largest economy this winter.

European gas prices fell about 6%.

The Kremlin said on Friday that if the Nord Stream turbine is sent back then gas flows to Europe can increase. The part will first be sent to Germany, and onward to Russia from there, according to a German official.

Canadian officials declined to comment directly on news of the potential shipment. Instead, they pointed to an earlier statement from Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinsons office saying Canada would continue to punish Russia for President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine while also working to help stabilize European energy supplies.

The turbine, built in Canada by Siemens Energy AG, was sent to Montreal for repairs but became stranded due to sanctions on Russias oil and gas industry unveiled last month. Habeck proposed a workaround whereby the part would be delivered first to Germany, and from there to Russia. Siemens Energy declined to comment.

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Read: Germany Urges Canada to Help Thwart Putins Gas Excuses

Habeck told Bloomberg earlier this week that the turbine needs to be returned before maintenance work begins on Monday. He said doing so would remove an excuse for Putin to keep the conduit closed.

Europe is facing its biggest energy crisis in decades, with prime supplier Russia curbing gas shipments in retaliation over sanctions and Europes military support for Ukraine. Russia slashed flows to Germany soon after the part got caught up in sanctions, with Nord Stream only carrying 40% of usual volumes.

Germany -- which has had to rip up decades of Russian-dependent energy policy since the war -- is now bracing for Moscow to squeeze flows further, and even for the prospect of Nord Stream never to come back online again after maintenance.

Domestic Trouble

Sending the part back could be politically controversial for Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government, as the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada is the largest in the world outside of Russia. The Ukrainian community in Canada responded to Habecks plea this week with an open letter to Trudeau urging him not to release it.

In an attempt to soothe any potential anger over the decision, Habeck has promised to visit Ukraine with a German business delegation as soon as possible in order to support the rebuilding of the country.

We fully recognize the suffering of the Ukrainian people that is being caused by Russia, and remain fully committed to supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russia and in the rebuilding of the country, Habeck told Bloomberg. Therefore I plan to travel to Ukraine with a business delegation once it is possible.

(Updates with Canadian government response in 6th paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
There are fears that gas flows through the Nord Stream pipeline will not resume after maintenance is completed later this month. Stefan Sauer/Getty Images

Some tenants in Germany are facing the possibility of cold showers and reduced heating this winter.

German real estate company Vonovia said it would lower temperatures in tenants' gas central heating systems.

Germany faces a gas crisis after supplies from Russia were reduced and the situation could worsen.

Some landlords in Germany are rationing hot water and will turn down the heating as Europe's largest economy battles soaring energy costs due to reduced supplies of Russian natural gas.

German real estate company, Vonovia, said it would lower tenants' heating during the night to cut costs.

In a statement sent to Insider, the company said the move was designed to "save as much gas as possible," adding that reducing temperatures between 11pm and 6am would reduce heating costs by about 8%.

Some tenants in Dippoldiswalde, Saxony, will only be able to take a hot shower between 4am and 8am, 11am and 1pm and 5pm to 9pm after a housing association said it would cut back on hot water to save for the winter, the Financial Times reported.

German energy bills have shot up since Russia slowed supplies in the wake of sanctions imposed following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Germany, which gets more than a third of its gas from Russia, moved to stage two of a three-stage emergency gas plan in June.

Russia started reducing flows to Europe last month in retaliation for European sanctions. On June 14, the Russian state-controlled energy giant Gazprom said it was cutting flows of natural gas to Germany through the Nord Stream pipeline by 40%.

Gas shortages could become even more acute if Russia does not resume flows through the pipeline after it closes for 10 days of maintenance from Monday, as Berlin fears.

The final stage of the plan would involve the government rationing gas by allocating supplies to certain sectors, but several areas across Germany have already started to prepare for the worst.

One district is turning off the hot water in more than 80 schools and 60 gyms, the Financial Times reported.

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In Dusseldorf, a huge swimming pool complex has been closed to save energy.

Berlin is also lowering the temperatures of its outdoor pools, and the city of Cologne is also dimming its street lighting after 11pm, according to the FT.

"The situation on the gas market is tense and unfortunately we can't guarantee that it will not get worse," Germany's economy minister Robert Habeck said on Tuesday.

Insider contacted local governments in Cologne and Dusseldorf for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
In a last major test of Donald Trumps Republican power this year, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday endorsed a potential successor whos going up against a candidate backed by the former president.

Duceys defiance of Trump in supporting Karrin Taylor Robson over Kari Lake marks the third swing-state governors race  following primaries in Georgia and Pennsylvania  in which Republican establishment figures have resisted Trump and his preferred candidates.

The fight in Arizona, as in the two other swing states, is as much about relitigating the 2020 election, which Trump lost, as it is about exerting his influence in the GOP as he weighs another White House bid.

The Arizona governors primary is the purest race in the country for showing MAGA versus the Republican establishment, said Steve Bannon, who was a top Trump White House adviser. This is a proxy war on, really, 2024.

Ducey made his endorsement a week after one of the other establishment figures in the race, former Rep. Matt Salmon, dropped out of the primary and threw his support behind Taylor Robson out of fear that Lake would win on Aug. 2 and prove unelectable beyond the Republican base in November. State Senate President Karen Fann and national figures like former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia also support Taylor Robson, a real estate developer who has been catching up to Lake in the polls.

Related video: Inside Trump's Arizona pressure campaign

Former Vice President Mike Pence could be next to offer his support, according to an adviser who wasnt authorized to publicly disclose their private conversations. Pence is a friend of Duceys, and both men were attacked by Trump and his supporters for failing to help overturn the 2020 election based on the falsehood of widespread, rampant fraud.

A Pence endorsement of Taylor Robson would lay bare the presidential primary stakes in the governors race and shine a spotlight on the personal drama between Trump and his estranged former running mate, who is considering a White House bid of his own. A Pence endorsement would also come with a dose of payback: Lake criticized Pence last month on Newsmax for his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border and his refusal to help overturn the 2020 election.

Story continues

I dont think hes got a snowballs chance in Phoenix to win, Lake said of Pences potential presidential bid. Theres a lot of people [who] are disappointed at Mike Pence for his actions on Jan. 6.

Pences adviser called Lakes remarks nonsensical.

For months, Lake, a former TV news anchor, looked the sure favorite in the primary. She had Trumps backing, and she built a lead in the polls while repeating the unfounded claim that the 2020 election was stolen. She also called for prosecuting perceived conspirators and said lawmakers should go so far as to decertify the election.

But the state of the race changed dramatically over the last few weeks as Taylor Robson spent millions of dollars on ads and began consolidating support from a GOP establishment hoping to exert its own influence on the race.

The race already was one of the most important primaries this year, with the winner likely to take on Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in a state that played a pivotal role in deciding the 2020 election and where the governor will play a role in certifying the 2024 results.

A Taylor Robson adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the dynamics of the race candidly, said Duceys endorsement is certain to boost the campaign.

It is obviously a prominent signal not only to voters in the state, but to Republican influencers nationwide, the adviser said. And so I think youre going to see more endorsements follow.

Taylor Robson backers hope Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  the second-most-popular Republican in the nation behind Trump and a potential 2024 presidential candidate  gets involved, as well.

I think every campaign would like to have Governor DeSantis endorsement, the Taylor Robson adviser said. So theres no question about that. We would welcome it, obviously.

But those familiar with DeSantis thinking say he is unlikely to wade into the Arizona race, especially because he doesnt want to fuel public speculation about his White House aspirations.

Early last year, however, DeSantis became quietly involved in the race when he shepherded Salmon  a friend of the governors from their days in Congress, when they helped launch the House Freedom Caucus  to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in the hope of securing an endorsement, said two sources with direct knowledge of the meeting.

The sources said Salmon felt that the Trump endorsement would happen but that Trumps attitude changed when Salmon refused to say the 2020 election had been stolen. Lake had no such reservations, the sources said.

Salmons departure has been a boon for Taylor Robson. Recent surveys have found a tight race between her and Lake. An OH Predictive Insights poll conducted after Salmon dropped out found Lake leading Taylor Robson  40 percent to 35 percent  but with many respondents still undecided. A Moore Information Group survey commissioned by Salmon just before his exit found Taylor Robson statistically locked with Lake in a hypothetical head-to-head race.

Ducey endorsed Taylor Robson after he grew increasingly annoyed at what he perceived as disingenuous political cheap shots from Lake, who was a registered Democrat during the Obama era. He began planning to endorse Taylor Robson after Salmon left the race  and only if she showed momentum, according to those who had discussed the plans with the governor.

Ducey timed the endorsement to coincide with the kickoff of early voting, when the most reliable voters are known to cast their ballots by mail.

Ross Trumble, a Lake campaign spokesman, said Duceys endorsement is proof that Karrin Taylors claims to be a conservative outsider are a lie.

Taylor Robson represents a continuation of the policies that have enriched insiders at the expense of everyday Arizonans for decades, Trumble said. Kari Lake is the true outsider in this race who will be a visionary leader for Arizona.

Ducey is the head of the Republican Governors Association and someone who has clashed with Trump, and his involvement in the race led to immediate speculation that the organization he heads might spend millions in the final month of the primary to boost Taylor Robson, but a spokesperson for the association issued a flat denial. Two of the sources familiar with Duceys thinking said he might ask governors association donors to help fund a separate political committee on Taylor Robsons behalf, but they said no decision has been made.

Trumps political operation, however, has heard the speculation and might chip in money to help boost Lake in return, said an adviser who wasnt authorized to discuss strategy publicly.

Trump is watching Arizona closely, and hes committed to ensuring his endorsed candidate wins, the adviser said. Trump called on Arizonans on Wednesday to cast early ballots for Lake, writing, The people of Arizona have a chance to get a truly great Governor, unlike the one you have right now.

Taylor Robson, however, has been a major Trump backer. Her campaign has noted that she raised more than $1 million for Trumps campaigns, while her husband was a six-figure donor.

Lake is seeking to put the 2020 election center stage in differentiating herself from Taylor Robson, who has said that President Joe Bidens victory was unfair but hasnt gone so far as to say the election was stolen.

At a debate last week, Lake called on the three other candidates onstage to raise their hands if they thought that the election was corrupt and that it had stolen. Only Taylor Robson kept her hand down.

Lake  who has backing from MAGA and far-right influencers like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, former Trump administration officials Peter Navarro and Michael Flynn, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers  has also focused on the influx of undocumented immigrants crossing the southern border, saying she would declare an invasion on her first day in office and militarize the border.

Taylor Robson, who, like Lake, has focused on the border and said she will finish the wall, promotes herself as a candidate who is more than talk and has sought to paint Lake as a phony who is saying whatever it takes to get elected, calling her Fake Lake.

Arizona voters are waking up to the fact that Im the conservative with a track record of results, and Kari Lake is an actress playing a part, she said in a statement to NBC News after Duceys endorsement. Voters wont be fooled.

The establishments coalescing around Taylor Robson contrasts with another hotly contested governors contest. In Pennsylvania, Republicans waited too long to back an alternative to Doug Mastriano, a far-right state senator who was outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and cruised to a primary victory in May over a splintered field.

Mastriano, however, now faces a revolt from some establishment Republicans. In Georgia, another swing state that Biden won in 2020, Trump fared worse in the 2022 primary when his top picks to unseat the Republican governor, attorney general and secretary of state were all defeated.

Of course there are echoes with Pennsylvania: Lake and Mastriano are cut from the same fabric, said Chris Baker, who ran a political committee boosting Salmon before he dropped out of the race.

Like Mastriano, Lake has a dedicated hard-core following. Her opponents negative paid media campaigns, while relatively meager, have yet to dent her standing as the front-runner.

If anything, Lake is a more skilled version of a Trump candidate than Mastriano, Baker said. Shes good on TV. Shes very articulate. She can deliver a message. She is effectively Mastriano with great communications skills.

Bannon, meanwhile, suggested that if Lake wins the primary and defeats Hobbs in the fall, she will definitely get a hard look in 2024 to be Trumps running mate should he run.

But thats still a ways away. Of the battle shaping up between Lake and Taylor Robson, Bannon said: Its going to be a fight all the way till the end.
In 1997, Kirk Franklin wrote the song Stomp, and in the introduction, he says: For those of you, that think gospel music has gone too far,

You think we got too radical with our message, Well, I got news for you; you aint heard nothin yet!

Since that moment, many other artists have pushed the envelope for what gospel and inspirational music means. From collaborations with artists outside the genre to writing songs across music styles, gospel artists have long broken the proverbial box society has tried to place them in. Tye Tribbett is one of those artists, but his work with Justin Timberlake only got him a $2,000 payout

The Road To Success

Recently, Tribbett sat with video personality and influencer Kev on Stage. On his show, Welcome to the Stage, Kev and Tribbett discussed his upbringing, the range of his career, and whats next for him.

During part one of the two-part interview, Tribett revealed that before signing with Columbia, Tye Tribbett and his choir were featured on the soundtrack for Disneys The Prince of Egypt.

Due to the star-studded performers on the album and being the only choir in the lineup, future collaborations with mainstream artists opened up. As a result, Tye found himself in the studio with legendary producer Timbaland.

He Got Paid How Much?

At the time, Timbaland was working with Justin Timberlake on his debut solo album, Justified. Timbaland invited Tye to do the background vocals on Cry Me A River alongside one half of Floetry, Marsha Ambrosius. While grateful for the opportunity, Tye noted his compensation didnt add up to the others working on the project.

I did the vocal arrangements on there, me and the girl Floetry  and then, took off. Cry Me A River was like huge. So, I got like $2,000, and he [Timbaland] got like $2 billion. But I love you, guys. I love you, Tim, Tye explained during his interview.

It's All In The Past

Since those beginnings, Tye has won two Grammy Awards and had his album Greater Than peak at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 in 2013. Tribbett recently released his fifth album, All Things New.
One day after a 14-year-old girl was shot and killed while sitting in a parked car full of young people in Tacoma, leaders for the city said their community was grieving.

Mayor Victoria Woodards said the shooting  which came amid an ongoing wave of gun violence in Tacoma and the United States  had left her furious. The citys chief of police, Avery Moore, said his department would not rest as it pursues safety and security for Tacoma.

The murder of a child rips at the very foundation of our community, Moore said in a written statement. We grieve as Tacoma grieves, for the family, and at the same time, must come together to find a path forward.

Police announced Thursday afternoon two 17-year-olds have been arrested in connection to the girls killing. Tacoma Police Department spokesperson Wendy Haddow said detectives suspect the shooting was targeted, but that it was unclear who the target was.

It occurred around 11:35 a.m. in the citys Hilltop neighborhood, near the intersection of South 19th Street and MLK Jr. Way. Police said a car full of young people was parked in that area when a shooter or shooters opened fire on the vehicle, striking the 14-year-old girl.

The killing was the 27th homicide in Tacoma so far this year. At this time last year, the city had 11 homicides. There were 33 killings in 2021.

Tacoma Police Department crime-scene technicians and detectives investigate inside Ezells Chicken near where a shooting took place on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, in the South 1900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Tacoma, Wash.

Officials have not identified the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Q13 Fox reported that the girls mother identified her as Iyana Ussery. Efforts to reach the victims family Thursday were unsuccessful.

A vigil was planned for 6 p.m. Thursday at the intersection where the shooting happened. Mayor Woodards invited residents to attend to grieve in solidarity with the family.

In her statement, Woodards said she felt that words were inadequate, but that she wanted Tacoma residents and families to know that she shared their grief.

While the Council and I share the heartbreak and frustration of the community, we will not be slowed by it, Woodards said. We are continuing to work to advance initiatives to reduce violent crime, and the Council and I will continue to support, and work with, Police Chief Avery Moore and the Tacoma Police Department to make that happen.

Chief Moore said his department would not waiver in pursuing those responsible for the shooting, calling it a heinous act. Moore asked that anyone with information regarding the crime call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Tacoma police chief debuts citywide crime reduction plan focused on violent crime
A man accused of stealing nearly $5 million from the government while managing a grocery store in Alabama pleaded guilty to a food stamp and tax fraud scheme on July 6.

Prosecutors said he drained the Birmingham stores bank account of more than $3.7 million by manipulating the national, federally funded food stamp program from 2014 to 2017, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Alabama said in a July 7 news release.

Lower-income families can receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Birmingham resident Omar Motley, 42, who managed the Big B Food Mart, must repay more than $4.6 million to the IRS and the USDA after pleading guilty to wire fraud and tax fraud charges, according to the attorneys office.

Motley diverted funds from the program to ultimately benefit himself, Lisa Fontanette, the IRS-Criminal Investigation assistant special agent in charge, said in a statement.

On top of that, he did not pay taxes; money which could have further helped our citizens.

McClatchy News contacted Motleys attorney for comment on July 8 and was awaiting a response.

Motley owes nearly $850,000 to the IRS and more than $3.8 million to the USDA after he was indicted in March 2021, the news release said.

The food stamp fraud

Through Motleys position as the Big B Food Mart manager, he was an authorized signatory for the stores bank account and could operate it on his own, court documents state.

Since the grocery store is a part of the SNAP Program, it can sell certain eligible food items in exchange for food stamp benefits, prosecutors said.

When a customer uses their food stamp benefits with an electronic benefit transfer card, similar to a debit card, the USDA funds the respective payments of the SNAP benefit transactions to the authorized store, according to court documents.

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In this case, the money  the programs benefits redemption payments  went to Big B Food Marts bank account, according to the attorneys office, and Motley took advantage of that, Fontanette said.

From November 2014 to March 2017, Motley would illegally redeem EBT SNAP benefits for cash and ineligible items, according to the release.

As a result, investigators discovered that the benefits redeemed at the grocery store were 52 times greater than similarly sized stores in the area, prosecutors said.

The indictment alleges Motley was aware that his actions violated federal law.

The tax fraud

Motley is also accused of providing a false tax return to the IRS in 2015 after prosecutors said he overstated how much Big B Food Mart sold that year, court documents state.

In doing so, prosecutors said he received a large tax cut and cost the IRS $847,001.

Prosecutors also accused Motley of under-reporting how much money he received by redeeming SNAP benefits, the news release said.

Motley showed a blatant disregard for others, Fontanette said and called his guilty plea a victory for Birmingham.

His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 8, according to the news release. He faces a potential sentence of up to 23 years in prison in total.

Teachers in NY dropout program fudged their timecards, feds say. They owe $31,000

Former deputy spent millions on gambling, private jet in CA investment scam, feds say

Duped lottery winners swindled out of $460,000, feds say. Accused scammer gets prison

Man stole millions in COVID funds  then bought Tesla, hotel stays and more, feds say
If we told you that Dr. Dre was almost a part of the Mickey Mouse club, would you believe us?

According to the New York Post, the legendary west-coast rapper caught the attention of Disney with his 1992 debut studio album, The Chronic. The albums success caused then-chairman and CEO Michael Eisner to hone in on the rising emcee whose real name is Andre Romelle Young.

Wed have these music meetings every week with Michael Eisner at Disney, and Michael Eisner came by and he sees the records at No. 1 and he goes, I thought you had a relationship with this guy? I said, I do, Dr. Dres lawyer, Peter Paterno, explained during an episode of the Connection is Magic podcast.

Not the Right Fit

According to Paterno, Eisner was only familiar with Dr. Dres success, not necessarily the lyrics to his songs.

He said, How come we dont have this record? I go, Well, Michael, let me just read you some of the lyricsMuthaf*cka, muthaf*cka. And you know what this is on the cover? Thats a marijuana leaf,' he continued. The deal was $4 million. He goes, We cant do that! I go, Thats why hes not on the label.

With $4 million riding on the deal, the Disney executive quickly realized that popular tracks like Nuthin but a G Thang, F*ck wit Dre Day, The Chronic, and Let Me Ride, were not appropriate for Disneys family-friendly image.

Can you imagine what the uproar would have been if this deal wouldve saw the light of day?

Still Dre

Although The Chronic didnt land Dr. Dre a deal with Disney, it did land him a spot in the Library of Congress, which was previously reported by AfroTech.

Furthermore, he broke records when he took the stage at Super Bowl 56. His classic alongside Snoop Dogg hit one billion YouTube views following the show.
(iStock)

Summer in the UK usually means one thing: heatwaves.

British summertime is long-awaited after our lengthy cold winters, and yet we never seem to be properly prepared for the inevitable heatwave (or heatwaves if were lucky).

Temperatures can reach up to 34C in some parts of the country, but how hot does it need to be before workers should be sent home by their employers?

Heres everything you need to know:

The guidance on workplace temperatures

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure that the temperature in the workplace is reasonable, as outlined by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Not only do they have a responsibility to maintain a suitable temperature for their employees, but its also their duty to ensure that the air is clean and fresh.

While there isnt a maximum temperature for the workplace as laid out by the government, efforts have been made in the past to put one into place.

In 2006, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) released a briefing that highlighted the temperatures that it believes should be maintained in various workplaces as a matter of health and safety.

The TUC stated that it believes a maximum temperature of 30C should be set by employers, with a maximum of 27C put into place for those doing strenuous work.

The TUC added that employers should still aim to keep temperatures below 24C and note if employees express discomfort over the temperature.

The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers recommends a working temperature of 13C for those undertaking heavy work in factories; 16C for those doing light work in factories; 18C for those working in hospital wards and shops; and 20C for those working in offices and dining rooms.

The government has stated its recommended minimum temperatures for employees, with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommending a minimum temperature of 16C for workers and 13C for those carrying out manual work under its Approved Code of Practice.

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Despite the fact that a maximum temperature in the workplace hasnt become legalised in the UK, there are measures that employees can utilise if theyre of the opinion that their workplace has become too hot to handle.

What to do if your workplace is too hot

The government recommends that employees speak to their bosses if the temperature in their workplace is uncomfortable.

According to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), employers should carry out a risk assessment for the health and safety of their workers in order to determine whether the workplace is a safe environment in which to work.

The HSE states that employers must take six factors into account when assessing whether their workplace is a safe.

These factors are: air temperature, radiant temperature, air velocity, humidity, what clothing they wear and the average rate at which they work.

The HSE has created a thermal comfort checklist, which it recommends employers ask employees to fill out in order to determine whether they're experiencing thermal discomfort.

If a worker ticks two or more of the "yes" options on the checklist, then they could be at risk of thermal discomfort.

In this case, employers may need to carry out a more detailed risk assessment of the workplace.

It is ultimately up to the employer to decide whether the circumstances arent suitable for work.

However, it also depends on what kind of environment you work in.

If working outdoors, its the employers responsibility to introduce rest breaks for their workers and encourage them to hydrate regularly.

Furthermore, for those who typically wear business clothes to work, adopting a more casual dress code could prove essential for the overall wellbeing of employees.

Here are some measures that employees can put into place to keep workplaces as cool as possible:

Insulate exposed pipes that can become hot.

Shade windows.

Move workstations away from areas that are exposed to the sun or frequently become hot.

Provide air conditioning or fans for employees.

Provide thermometers so that workers can keep an eye on the temperature.

Rotate workers if certain individuals are forced to cope with uncomfortable temperatures for prolonged periods of time.

For all the latest news on the UK weather, click here.
Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Defense is nearing an agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp for around 375 F-35 fighter jets over three years, three sources said on Monday, amid expectations of a price increase for the most common version of the jet due to lower quantities and inflation. Since then, production quantities and know-how have increased, helping the price of the stealthy fifth-generation fighter fall to $79 million as it gained buyers. The handshake agreement would come as the aviation industry gathered for the return of the Farnborough Airshow, aiming for a display of confidence after the devastation of COVID-19, even though the only records likely to be broken at the event in southeastern England are for sweltering temperatures.
Access Hollywood

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were all smiles as they arrived hand-in-hand at the UN General Assembly in New York City on Monday. The Duke of Sussex is expected to give a speech about Nelson Mandelas legacy and speak to delegates about climate change and poverty. He will also be the keynote speaker for the United Nations event.
Jul. 8For the first time in 114 years, Spokane residents can no longer walk into a Huppin's store.

The fourth-generation business that started in 1908 as a tailor shop before evolving into a retail-electronic powerhouse has sold its store at 8016 N. Division St. to Wipliance, a company founded in 2006 in Bellevue.

Huppin's in 1994 created the OneCall mail-order division of the business that was separate from the retail store.

Huppin's owner, 61-year-old Murray Huppin, said while the sale of the retail store has been completed, he will focus exclusively on OneCall online electronics sales on platforms such as Amazon's Marketplace.

"During COVID, we did a major transformation of the retail store," Huppin said.

"The way we saw the online business really take off, it kind of came to me: If you can buy it online, why are we selling it in the store?"

Two years ago, Huppin transitioned his retail store into a center focused on custom installation of things like automated lighting, window treatments, smart home features and full audio or theater systems. That's Wipliance's bread and butter.

Huppin said he has for years known Wipliance owner Lee Travis and has a lot of respect for how he built his business in Bellevue.

"He is somebody I've gotten to know through industry associations," Huppin said of Travis. "He runs a terrific business and is tremendously regarded and respected. And, the timing was just right."

The former Huppin's store is now only open by appointment, only for clients who are seeking custom installation of audio and theater systems and other products, Travis said.

Travis said he started selling car audio equipment in 1987 before founding Wipliance in 2006. The company has offices in Bellevue, Arizona and now Spokane.

Travis' late mother was from Spokane, so for a couple of decades he had been making multiple trips a year to the Lilac City.

Other than being aware of Huppin's success, Travis said he got to know Murray Huppin over the past six years or so through a trade organization.

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"He knew that the business needed to change from retail to" custom installation, Travis said. "We have been quietly guiding them from behind the scenes. When (Huppin) decided he wanted to sell, we were a natural fit."

The branding transformation at the store will occur over the next year to allow customers to transition from Huppin's to Wipliance's family of products and services.

The ownership transfer occurred this past weekend. That store opened in 2013 after Huppin's operated for 60 years at 421 W. Main Ave., in downtown Spokane.

"I'm the fourth-generation owner of our family business," Huppin said. "We've operated for 114 years. I've always wanted to figure out how we are going to extend Huppins into the next generation."

OneCall has alreadybecome an increasing portion of Huppin's business.

For example, about 20 employees worked at the store, but about 60 work for OneCall.

Terms of the sale to Wipliance were not disclosed.

"My focus really has been on the online side of the business for the last 20 years," Huppin said. "If we look at the beginning of my family business, my great-grandfather was a tailor. We've had major transformations."

Now that Wipliance has taken over operations of the building, it marks the first time since 1908 Huppin's will not have a traditional physical store.

"I feel really positive about it," Huppin said. "I think it's a great opportunity."
Amy Oliver will spend the next 40 years in prison for killing her 3-year-old old son, Henry.

Oliver pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 7.

Jacksonville Beach police were called to Olivers home on Oct. 27, 2020 when the childs father called 911 to report his son wasnt breathing.

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He told police that Henrys mother tried to kill the child.

Henry was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Oliver locked herself in the bathroom and refused to come out.

First responders broke down the door to find Oliver covered in blood.

She attacked them with a syringe.

Read: Jacksonville Beach mother planned murder of 3-year-old son, police say

Oliver originally went to the home to pick up her son. When she arrived, she asked the boys father if she could take a nap. The father let her do so.

But not long after that, he started to receive a series of text messages and scheduled emails about the deaths of Oliver and Henry.

The medical examiner said Henry was given a lethal dose of medication.

Read: Jacksonville Beach mother charged with murder of her young son to use insanity defense

Action News Jax reported last month that Olivers attorneys were planning to rely on an insanity defense.

But on July 7, Oliver reached a plea deal that comes with a 40-year prison sentence.

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Watch: Johnny Depp made charity donations totalling almost $800,000 from sale of NFTs

Johnny Depp has donated some of the proceeds of NFT sales to a hospital associated with his ex-wife Amber Heard.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star's Never Fear Truth NFT (non-fungible token) has raised nearly $800,000 (666,530) in total donations.

The money was split between four organisations, with some of it going to the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles.

Read more: Johnny Depp 'set to reunite with Camille Vasquez' in assault case

Heard previously said the hospital would benefit from her divorce settlement in 2016.

Johnny Depp has donated thousands to hospitals. (PA)

TMZ quoted her as saying at the time: "The donation will be divided equally between the ACLU, with a particular focus to stop violence against women, and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, where I have worked as a volunteer for the past 10 years."

Depp and Heard were recently involved in a high-profile defamation case, after Depp sued his former wife over an op-ed in which she said she was a "public figure representing domestic abuse.

Amber Heard previously said she was donating to the organisation. (Matt Crossick/Empics)

During the case - which went Depp's way - it emerged that Aquaman star Heard had not yet donated her entire seven million dollar settlement to charity.

As well as the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles, the NFT proceeds will benefit Perth Childrens Hospital Foundation, Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity and The Footprint Coalition.

The Perth hospital thanked Depp, tweeting: "Thank you so much @JohnnyDeppNFT for your generosity in helping support @PCHFWA and WA sick kids.

"These funds will make a significant impact in helping keep @PerthChildrens world-class for our children and families."

The pair were recently embroiled in a defamation case. (PA)

Depp, 59, and Heard, 35, met in 2009 on the set of Hunter S Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary and they went on to tie the knot in 2015.

Read more: Johnny Depp says he'll perform as Captain Jack at children's parties 'at this point'

However, Heard filed for divorce around a year after they wed.
(Bloomberg) -- The precious-metals business at JPMorgan Chase & Co. operated for years as a corrupt group of traders and sales staff who manipulated gold and silver markets for the benefit of the bank and its prized clients, a federal prosecutor told jurors in Chicago.

Most Read from Bloomberg

This case is about a criminal conspiracy inside one of Wall Streets largest banks, said Lucy Jennings, a prosecutor with the Justice Departments fraud section. To make more money for themselves, they decided to cheat.

The trial of three former JPMorgan employees, including the veteran head of precious metals, Michael Nowak, is the most ambitious effort yet in a years long US crackdown on market manipulation and spoofing. Unlike past cases of alleged trading fraud, the trio is accused of a racketeering conspiracy under the 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act -- a criminal law more commonly used against the Mafia rather than global banks.

Nowak, gold trader Gregg Smith and Jeffrey Ruffo, an executive director who specialized in hedge fund sales, are charged with racketeering conspiracy as well as conspiring to commit price manipulation, wire fraud, commodities fraud and spoofing from 2008 to 2016. All together, Nowak and Smith have been accused of more than two dozen crimes. The three defendants face decades in prison if convicted on all counts. Another trader, Christopher Jordan, who was charged alongside them, is scheduled to go to trial in November.

Spoofing, banned by law in 2010, involves huge orders that traders cancel before they can be executed in a bid to push prices in the direction they want to make their genuine trades profitable. While canceling orders isnt illegal, it is unlawful as part of a strategy intended to dupe others.

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When this trick works, there is somebody else on the other side of the deal that lost, Jennings told jurors in her opening statement. Somebody got ripped off. She added, We will prove that all three defendants knew from day one that this trading was wrong and did it anyways.

Read More: JPMorgans Big Hitters of Gold Market Face Trial Over Spoofing

Lawyers for Nowak and Smith offered jurors a much different view, saying prosecutors had misrepresented how and why orders are made in the precious-metals market, and insisted that the defendants had never intended to deceive anyone. They said the government had cherry-picked trading data to create the false impression that the traders were spoofing when they were actually placing real, executable, open-market orders.

The governments simple narrative doesnt tell the full story -- far from it, David Meister, Nowaks attorney, said in his opening statement.

Jonathan Cogan, Smiths attorney, said gold and other precious metals were traded in a marketplace where computer-generated algorithms can buy and sell commodities in one-millionth of a second. To compete with the so-called algos, and to execute trades on behalf of JPMorgan clients, Smith routinely had buy and sell orders at the same time, Cogan said. While some orders were only active for seconds, thats an eternity in such a fast-moving market, he said.

According to Meister, evidence presented at the trial will show that the vast majority of all market orders are canceled, and the typical lifespan of an order is just a couple of seconds.

The defense teams also said there is no evidence, including in JPMorgan chat logs or recorded phone calls, showing what traders Nowak and Smith were thinking, which means prosecutors cant prove they intended cancel orders before executing them. In order to win this case, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt what was going on in Mr. Smiths mind all those years ago, Cogan said.

Ruffos lawyer, Guy Petrillo, said his client was a JPMorgan salesman who worked directly with customers who wanted to buy or sell precious metals, and that his job was to bring in client orders. Ruffo never placed any of those orders, wasnt involved in trading execution, and that his compensation wasnt linked to the profitability of the banks trading activities, Petrillo said.

Key Witnesses

Jennings said electronic communications and other evidence will show how the three collaborated to make sure their trading impacted markets in their favor. She said the government will call upon former traders who worked under Nowak or with the defendants. That includes John Edmonds, a former JPMorgan trader who previously pleaded guilty on charges linked to price manipulation.

Another likely witness for the government is Corey Flaum, who worked with Smith and Ruffo at Bear Stearns before it was acquired by JPMorgan during the financial crisis. Flaum pleaded guilty in 2019 to attempted price manipulation.

Following opening statements, the Justice Department said its first witness is likely to be John Scheerer, who will testify on the Chicago Mercantile Exchanges operations and futures markets mechanisms.

Prosecutors allege Smith and Ruffo brought their illicit trading tactics from Bear Stearns to JPMorgan and their trading strategy was quickly adopted by Nowak and others. The Bear Stearns traders twist was to place multiple orders, at different prices, that in aggregate were substantially larger than the genuine order -- a technique the government calls layering. The orders, made in rapid succession after the genuine order, would be canceled as soon as the genuine order was filled.

Thousands of Trades

Smith, a lead gold trader, executed some 38,000 layering sequences over the years, or about 20 a day, prosecutors said in filings. Nowak himself primarily traded options, but he would dip into the futures market to hedge those positions. He tried his hand at layering in September 2009, according to filings, and went on to use the technique some 3,600 times.

While some of the transactions started before lawmakers banned spoofing, the tactic allegedly continued to be widespread with the JPMorgan traders engaging in spoofing more than 50,000 times in almost a decade, prosecutors said.

Ruffo, meanwhile, is alleged to have told Smith where he needed the market in order to fulfill orders involving at least two of his hedge fund clients -- Moore Capital Management and Tudor Investment Corp., according to court filings. Lawyers for Ruffo and the others said they may call traders from those hedge funds as well as one from Soros Fund Management to testify about transactions. Their witness list also includes six current and former JPMorgan sales staff on the precious metals desk -- two of whom supervised Ruffo.

Spoofing Crackdown

The government crackdown by the Justice Department and the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has nabbed more than two dozen individuals and firms, from day traders operating out of their bedrooms to sophisticated high-frequency trading shops and big banks including Bank of America Corp. and Deutsche Bank AG.

Not every case was successful. In 2018, a jury acquitted former a UBS Group AG trader of conspiring to engage in commodities fraud, and in 2019, a case against a Chicago programmer who created spoofing software ended in mistrial and charges were dropped. In the JPMorgan case, bank fraud charges against the three defendants were thrown out by the judge.

Still, the government has had many more wins. Two former precious-metals traders at BofAs Merrill Lynch were found guilty of spoofing by a jury in Chicago last year, and in 2020, two Deutsche Bank AG traders were convicted.

In September 2019, JPMorgan admitted wrongdoing and agreed to pay more than $920 million to resolve US claims of market manipulation in both precious metals and Treasuries. It was the largest ever sanction against a bank over spoofing by a wide margin. JPMorgan also agreed to help the Justice Department prosecute its former employees.

(Updates with comments from defense attorneys.)

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Kanye West has reportedly been sued by a high-end fashion rental service over the rappers alleged failure to settle outstanding fees owed to the company.

On Thursday (7 July), it was reported that the David Casavant Archive was taking legal action against West, 45, over non-payment of rental fees for 13 rare, esteemed pieces since October 2020.

The court documents, seen by Billboard, were filed by the rental company at a Los Angeles court on Tuesday (5 July).

According to the filing, West owes the David Casavant Archive $221,810 (185,887) in unpaid fees. The rental company owned by David Casavant, 31, is also seeking an additional $195,100 (163,503) from the Stronger singer to replace the items if they are lost entirely.

In the court documents, lawyers for Casavant argued that the replacement fees were necessary to cover the loss of future rentals, loan opportunities, publicity and the lost value to the Archive as a whole since the missing pieces are part of larger collections that derive value from their completeness.

The Independent has reached out to Wests representatives for comment.

In the filing, Casavant  whose clients have included Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Tom Brady  wrote that he has worked with the rapper and his Yeezy Apparel LLC since 2014.

If West lost any of the items, Casavants lawyers wrote, he was billed a replacement fee. If he wanted to keep any of the items for longer, he would continue to pay the rental fees without any problems.

The same terms, which were expressed orally and in writing and reflected in many years of prior dealings, applied to the 13 items West rented in February 2020. However, the payments for them stopped entirely in October, David Casavant Archive alleges in the filing.

Defendants have not responded meaningfully to plaintiffs numerous inquiries about defendants unpaid balance and the missing items, referring plaintiff to individuals without knowledge or authority to resolve the dispute, or advising plaintiff to send inquiries to inactive email accounts, the court documents read, as reported by Billboard.

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West at the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 23, 2022 in Paris, France (Getty Images)

News of Casavants lawsuit against West comes a week after he was sued for copyright infringement on his latest album Donda 2.

According to a complaint filed in the US District Court in New York, West sampled Morgan Jeffersons 1986 hit Move Your Body on his song Flowers without consent or compensation.

The claim, filed by Jeffersons publisher Ultra International Music Publishing, states that the unlawful use of the track is willful and deliberate.

Wests representatives did not respond to The Independents request for comment, at the time of writing.

West is also currently embroiled in a divorce process with Kim Kardashian, who is dating former Saturday Night Live! star Pete Davidson.
Kupyanks mayor Hennadiy Matsehora collaborated with Russians

The Russian occupiers have arrested Hennadiy Matsehora, a mayor of Kupyansk, a town in Kharkiv Oblast, eastern Ukraine. He is considered a collaborator since he joined the occupation administration in the early days of the ongoing war, Oleg Synehubov, head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration said in a statement.

Read also: Family of collaborators target of car explosion in Russia-occupied Melitopol

Matsehora is in custody. Probably, the same will happen to all traitors of Ukraine. Russia doesnt need them, Synehubov said in his recent TV appearance.

So far its unclear why the collaborating mayor was detained.

Matsehora joined the occupation administration during the early stage of the war and provided assistance to the Russian soldiers, covering their housing, transportation, and other living and operational needs, Synehubov said.

Read also: Medical personnel working in occupied territories would not be considered collaborators, says health minister

Kupyansk in Kharkiv Oblast has been living under Russian occupation since February 27.

Kharkiv Prosecution Office has accused Matsehora of conducting state treason, putting the countrys territorial integrity at risk.

After this, Matsehora took his family and fled to Russia.

A number of Ukrainian politicians decided to collaborate with Russia during its war against Ukraine. Another one of them, Andriy Derkach, a former MP, is accused by the State Security Service of preparing support groups for the Russian invasion of Kyiv.

Read also: About 600 collaborators detained since start of Russian invasion, says Ukraine's National Police chief

Later, Ukraines Security Service arrested a man who had a job as a political consultant to a Ukrainian MP. He was collecting intelligence information on Ukraines diplomatic activities and now remains in custody.

However, not only politicians, but regular civilians sometimes do work for Russias military interests too. A high school administrator was arrested in Kyiv earlier this month for gathering private information about Ukrainian journalists and opinion leaders. She might face as many as 15 years in prison for these activities.
Kylie Jenner has accused an Instacart driver of lying for attention after he claimed that he heard a baby screaming when dropping an order off at her house.

On Thursday, The 24-year-old reality star shared a video to TikTok of herself making a sandwich. In a since-deleted comment on her video, which has been shared via Twitter, she seemingly addressed how Instacart delivery driver Pablo Tamayo dropped off her order and made a TikTok video about it.

Although Jenner didnt mention Tamayo by name, she did mention some of the remarks he made about the delivery, Tamayo apparently claimed theres a river by Jenners gate and that he heard a baby scream inside the home.

The Lip Kit mogul also accused the TikToker for lying for attention and that he lied about hearing her five-month old son crying on her property.

No one comes through the gate! The river? No river. The lying for attention rubs me the wrong way, sorry, she wrote.

I did not order this myself. ! He WAS tipped through the app. Lie about seeing through my windows and hearing my son cry. ??

She went on to tell her followers that if they didnt know what she was talking about, then they should just carry on.

Jenners video and comments come one day after Tamayo claimed that he delivered a pack of pepperoni from Erewhon Market to The Kardashians stars house.

In the caption of his TikTok video, he wrote: I CANNOT MAKE THIS S*** UPI just delivered to Kylie Jenner.

While sitting in his car, Tamayo explained how he received an order in West Hollywood that cost $12. He noted that as he was driving to deliver it, he pulled up to the house and realised how familiar it looked before discovering that it was Jenners home.

This TikTok swore he peeked inside Kylie Jenners house delivering a $12 pepperoni order. He claimed to see a river on the other side of her gate, saw maids through the windows, heard her son screaming, and she didnt tip. She responded in the comments on her own video. pic.twitter.com/gQeNyBNXbS  Melanie C. (@melanie_annaise) July 8, 2022

Its literally a $12 order for f***ing pepperoni. This b**** could have paid me more, he said. Its under the name of Ashton, so Im guessing its for her assistant or something.

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He went on to explain how he had to call and go through the gate in order to give the food to someone, as opposed to leaving it outside of her door.

Tamayo then shared a clip of the outside of Jenners home before talking to someone by the gate and asking if he was actually at Jenners house.

He returned to his car to explain more about what happened.

@thisisntpablo I CANNOT MAKE THIS SHIT UP i just delivered to Kylie Jenner  original sound - Pablo Tamayo

As all these Hollywood buses are coming by, hes like, oh come with me, just to bring it in there, Tamayo continued. I literally walk with him, the gate is closing behind me. Im walking through this little pathway with a river beneath it and then I get to the front door.

He clarified that even though he didnt get to go into Jenners house, he looked through her door and saw who was there.

Although he said that there there were multiple people there, he didnt see Jenner or her children. However, the Instacart driver did claim that he heard a baby scream.

I get to look into the whole house. I see all these assistants, all these maids and s***. I didnt see Kylie, I didnt see Stormi, but I swear I heard a baby scream, he concluded.
Stumps left from cut trees are seen in Yosemite National Park in July 2021. The nonprofit Earth Island Institute has filed a lawsuit to stop logging in the park, arguing that the "biomass removal and thinning" project violates federal environmental requirements. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

A controversial plan to expand logging in Yosemite National Park has been temporarily halted under a recent court order from a federal judge.

The National Park Service has sought to allow logging across nearly 2,000 acres of Yosemite. Federal authorities say the forest-thinning project would be aimed at removing dead trees that can provide fuel for wildfires.

But the Earth Island Institute, an environmental nonprofit, filed a lawsuit in federal court last month alleging that the park service began logging for commercial purposes in Yosemite without public notice or assessing environmental risks. The lawsuit was filed against the National Park Service and Cicely Muldoon, superintendent of Yosemite National Park.

On Friday, a federal judge ordered the National Park Service to halt the logging operation and continue operations under its 2017 fire management plan. That plan largely leans on prescribed burns over tree thinning and removal, according to the John Muir Project, a project under the Earth Island Institute that has spoken out against the logging proposal.

The court order calls for only limited rehabilitation work along Merced Grove Road and states that no trees will be cut during this work.

According to the lawsuit, the National Park Service began commercial logging under a new biomass removal and thinning project around May 11. At that time, the nonprofit became aware of a new forest thinning and logging plan that was posted to the National Park Services website, it said.

Scientists have spoken out about the risk around commercial logging projects that fall under the fold of fire management but may increase the severity of wildfires.

Last year, more than 200 scientists signed a letter to Congress and President Biden warning of commercial loggings potential to increase carbon emissions and worsen the climate crisis, according to the John Muir Project. The letter stated that thinning and fuel reduction efforts could remove mature, fire-resistant trees that are needed for forest resilience and could increase wildfire intensity.

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Representatives from Yosemite National Park did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The park service's proposed logging project in Yosemite would span the Merced and Tuolumne groves of giant sequoias, Yosemite Valley, and the communities of Yosemite West, Wawona, El Portal, Foresta and Yosemite Village.

Project plans state that immediate actions are needed to protect these areas from high severity fire. The plan calls for thinning conifer trees that are less than 20 inches in diameter, standing dead trees and downed trees that died after the 2012-16 drought, according to project documents.

We are pleased that the Park Service and its attorneys were willing to work with us to avoid the need for a temporary restraining order, Tom Buchele, an attorney representing the Earth Island Institute, said in a statement.

Buchele added that halting this project will provide the greatest protections to communities from fires and prevent logging in areas that would cause irreparable harm to Yosemites forests.

The court order was delivered as both parties in the lawsuit await a formal hearing on a preliminary injunction to halt the logging project, which is scheduled for Aug. 15.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Auto Trader Group plc (LON:AUTO) as an investment opportunity by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for Auto Trader Group

The method

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK266.2m UK286.6m UK290.4m UK293.7m UK296.8m UK299.9m UK302.9m UK305.8m UK308.8m UK311.7m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x10 Analyst x11 Analyst x6 Est @ 1.13% Est @ 1.07% Est @ 1.03% Est @ 1% Est @ 0.98% Est @ 0.96% Est @ 0.95% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.3% UK250 UK254 UK242 UK230 UK219 UK208 UK198 UK188 UK179 UK170

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK2.1b

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After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.3%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK312m (1 + 0.9%)  (6.3% 0.9%) = UK5.9b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK5.9b ( 1 + 6.3%)10= UK3.2b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK5.3b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK5.8, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Auto Trader Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.103. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Auto Trader Group, we've compiled three important items you should further research:

Financial Health: Does AUTO have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does AUTO's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Jul. 8Nine Maine health care workers who sued Gov. Janet Mills and others over the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health workers now have until Monday to reveal their names.

The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston on Thursday denied a motion by the workers to remain anonymous and gave them until Friday to comply with the order by filing an amended complaint with their names. But on Friday the plaintiffs were granted an extension of one business day  until Monday, July 11  to file the amended complaint.

Attorneys for Liberty Counsel, a conservative, religious law firm in Florida that represents the health care workers, said in a court filing Friday that the one-day extension is needed to give lawyers time to speak with each plaintiff about whether they want to proceed with the disclosure of their identities in an amended complaint.

The defendants and media intervenors in the case, which included the Portland Press Herald, consented to the one-day extension.

The plaintiffs informed attorneys for media intervenors in the case that they will not file further appeals in the case.

The plaintiffs filed their complaint in federal court last August, before the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers at designated Maine care facilities went into effect on Oct. 20, 2021. They argued that it was their religious right to refuse the vaccine over their belief that fetal stem cells from abortions are used to develop the vaccines.

Maine's mandate does not allow for religious exemptions.

Jeanne Lambrew, commissioner for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, and Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, were named as defendants in the lawsuit along with the governor and several health care agencies.

The lawsuit prompted several Maine newspapers to intervene in an effort to force the plaintiffs to be identified. The Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel and Sun Journal filed a motion in November 2021 challenging the group's right to file the complaint anonymously. The newspapers argued that the plaintiffs "alleged fear of harm no longer outweighs the public's interest in open legal proceedings," according to court documents.

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U.S. District Court Judge Jon D. Levy ruled May 31 that the plaintiffs cannot remain anonymous and ordered them to file an amended complaint with their names by June 7. Levy said in his ruling that "plaintiffs' religious beliefs and their resulting medical decisions not to be vaccinated against COVID-19, whether considered separately or together, do not present privacy interests so substantial as to support pseudonymous proceedings. In the final analysis, however, there is a near-total absence of proof that their expressed fears are objectively reasonable."

The plaintiffs appealed the June 7 deadline and were granted until July 8 to comply with his decision, which the appellate court judges upheld Thursday. They wrote in their ruling that the plaintiffs "have not established a threat of irreparable harm."

"The public interest and the media intervenors' interests weigh in favor of denying the stay due to the presumption of public access," the justices wrote.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  The man accused of using a flamethrower to set fire to a Pan-African flag flying on a pole outside the headquarters of the Uhuru Movement, a Black international socialist group based in Florida, was arrested Thursday, police said.

The 19-year-old Tampa man, who is Black, was booked into the Pinellas County jail on a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge, according to jail records. Officials have also initiated the process for a risk protection order on the man.

Security video released by the group shows the driver of a white Honda sedan pulling up outside the group's St. Petersburg headquarters Saturday morning, removing a flamethrower from the trunk and shooting a tower of fire at the flag flying about 30 feet (9 meters) above the ground. The group says the man stopped when a worker inside the building yelled at him. The video shows him putting the flamethrower back in the trunk and then driving away. A photo supplied by the group shows the flag with a large hole.

After his arrest, the man told investigators that he burned the flag because he doesnt like socialists and did not like seeing the ugly flag while driving to and from work every day, according to a St. Petersburg police report. Officials said the car in the surveillance video belonged to the man.

The Uhuru Movement is part of the African Peoples Socialist Party, which says it is uniting African people as one people for liberation, social justice, self-reliance and economic development.
A police investigation is underway after a shooting in Berclair left one man in the hospital.

The shooting happened early Friday morning in the 1000 block of Danita Cove.

Memphis Fire officials confirmed they received a call about the incident at 4 a.m.

The man was taken to Regional One in critical condition, Memphis Police said.

At 4:01 a.m., officers responded to a shooting at 1098 Danita Cove where a male victim was located. He was transported to ROH in critical condition. This is an ongoing investigation. Call 901-528-CASH with tips. pic.twitter.com/uscjIcxh5q  Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) July 8, 2022

No suspect information has been released.

Call 901-528-CASH with tips.

FOX13 is working to gather more details about the shooting.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

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Yossi Rosenberg and Ivy Branin making it official at their June 2022 wedding. Courtesy of Luis Angel Taveras/ Violeta Digital

In 2015, Yossi Rosenberg was named "NYC's most desperate single man."

He said he spent 20 years going on "hundreds" of dates before meeting his new wife.

Ivy Branin, who married Rosenberg last month, said she was smitten by his offbeat personality.

On June 28, in front of 170 guests on a blistering summer day in Brooklyn, New York, Rabbi Yakov Bankhalter officiated a wedding under the chuppah for Ivy Branin and Yossi Rosenberg.

Leaving guests to wonder if this was a wedding ceremony or a roast, the rabbi told the crowd: "In 2015, there was an article about Yossi Rosenberg that said he was the most desperate bachelor in all of Manhattan." Met with roaring laughter, he continued, "We need to update that article  that this bachelor is here today with the most incredible woman as his partner."

Onetime "most desperate" single Yossi Rosenberg striking a pose in NYC. Courtesy of Yossi Rosenberg.

Back in 2015, Rosenberg was a 35-year-old, down-on-his luck bachelor who lamented being stuck in the friend zone. He tried to woo women by paying for customized videos to ask them out, starring a bizarre cast of characters like a half-naked Brit with a Union Jack flag over his crotch.

The effort earned him the title of "NYC's most desperate single man" from the New York Post, with one object of his affection telling the paper that the video he sent her was "borderline creepy."

After the story ran, the "most undateable" designation followed Rosenberg, a quirky, self-deprecating Boston-area native who works in e-commerce, for years.

"When the story broke, I was the most desperate, single guy," said Rosenberg, now 42. "People who didn't know me probably thought that I was some pathetic loser. Labels stick."

But the story was also a wake-up call: it motivated the "embarrassed" Rosenberg, who'd been on "hundreds" of dates since he was 18, to restrategize. Being stigmatized so publicly "probably affected how I saw myself," he said.

Yossi Rosenberg's new wife called him "one of the least self-conscious people I've ever met." Courtesy of Yossi Rosenberg.

'I wanted to be taken more seriously by women'

A few months after the Post story, Rosenberg made an appearance on the "Steve Harvey Show" for a makeover. He finally had some game  however short-lived. "I changed my look, I reinvented myself," he said.

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He then fell in with the Sterling Institute, a personal-growth center for men, participating in weekly group sessions for five years. It helped "empower" him and "overcome the barriers I had," he said. "I was this goofy character, and it made me more Clint Eastwood. I didn't want to be Curly from the Three Stooges or a class clown anymore. I wanted to be taken more seriously, so women would take me more seriously."

Yossi Rosenberg and Ivy Branin dated for 10 months before tying the knot. Courtesy of Ivy Branin.

It worked.

On the night Hurricane Ida bore down on New York in September 2021, Rosenberg met Branin, a petite, dark-haired naturopathic doctor who also lived in Brooklyn and shared numerous mutual friends with Rosenberg. She had been out there as well, dating her entire adult life without finding The One.

"People would always say, 'When you meet your person, it's easy,'" said the 42-year-old, admitting she wrote off the advice. "But it's true."

Rosenberg's new wife fell for him, despite his past dud designation

"He amazes me," Branin told Insider of her new husband. Courtesy of Luis Angel Taveras/ Violeta Digital.

After learning from experience that many of his potential dates did due diligence online, Rosenberg had a preemptive conversation about the article with Branin, mentioning his 15 minutes of fame so she wasn't caught off-guard.

"He got coined the most desperate single man, but I feel like I've been the most desperate single woman for a long time," Branin, who lamented the "terrible" dating climate in New York, joked to Insider. She didn't have to force herself to look past his reputation. "I was still attracted to him."

It was their fourth date that ultimately won her over  a swing dancing class Rosenberg arranged, knowing how much Branin, a skilled dancer, would enjoy it.

Even when he revealed his two left feet, she was improbably smitten. "I've never seen someone dance so poorly in my life  he had no idea what he was doing," she said, noting that he'd also forgotten to put on deodorant that day. "He stunk, but I didn't care. I thought it was the most endearing thing I've ever seen."

The new couple cuts loose on the dance floor at their reception, after the bride slipped into something more colorful. Courtesy of Luis Angel Taveras/ Violeta Digital.

"He amazes me ... he's totally, unabashedly himself," Branin said of her new husband's lovable foibles. "I'm grateful that more women didn't give him a chance. I really couldn't ask for more."

Despite the difficulties of shedding the "desperate" label that followed him for years, Rosenberg said meeting his beloved was all worth it.

"I was myself, I didn't do anything differently, and that was enough," he said. "I'm still surprised she appreciates me for myself. Like this person loves me for me? I've been waiting all these years for her."

Read the original article on Insider
A Ukrainian soldier in a trench somewhere in the south of the country

Read also: Ukrainian military destroys Russian sabotage group in Kherson Oblast

Yevhen Ryshchuk, mayor of the town of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, has addressed local civilians, calling on them to leave the area amid the Ukrainian armys advance in the countrys southern region.

In a Facebook post, he explained that evacuation should be considered by all the residents of Oleshky and neighboring territories of Kherson Oblast. Their houses are too close to places where the Russian army is stationing its troops, air-defense systems, equipment, and ammunition depots.

I strongly urge you to get away from here. The Ukrainian army is coming! Death to our enemies! Dont be a shield in enemys hands, Ryshchuk wrote.

Earlier, Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated two villages in Kherson Oblast  Potyomkyne and Ivanivky.

Read also: Ukraine is advancing in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also published a statement about the success of the armys counter-advance in Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts, where its been using several tactical lines for moving forward.

"Ukrainian forces have been successfully using the artillery supplied by our Western allies, Zelenskyy added.

The latest supplies include HIMARS and NASAMS rocket launchers, and powerful long-range artillery. HIMARS has been receiving lots of praise from the Ukrainian soldiers.

Meanwhile, the Russian army is also actively using artillery and missiles to hit the targets along the frontlines.

Read also: Russians burning bodies to hide extent of losses in Kherson, says intelligence

Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukraine's presidential adviser, has said Russians now use older versions of missiles coming from the 1960s and 1970s that wouldnt let their artillery be as precise in targeting as Ukrainian artillery.
Editor's note: This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Authorities believe that a mother drowned herself and her three children in a lake near Minneapolis after her husband shot himself on Friday, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said this week.

The woman, Molly Cheng, called 911 on Friday morning to report that her husband, 27-year-old Yee Lee, shot himself. Social workers went to the scene to assist the family and a medical examiner later ruled his death was a suicide.

Later that day around 4:00 p.m., one of Cheng's relatives called 911 to say that Cheng "was going to kill her children and herself," according to the sheriff's office.

Law enforcement tracked Cheng's cell phone to Vadnais Lake by 5:45 p.m. and found her car in a parking lot near the body of water around 6:03 p.m.

VEGAN FLORIDA MOTHER CONVICTED OF STARVING TODDLER TO DEATH WITH STRICT RAW FRUITS, VEGETABLES DIET

Authorities immediately started searching both land and water, locating multiple pairs of children's shoes and car keys on the east shore.

Quadrillion T. Lee, 4, was pulled from the lake at 7:32 p.m. Phoenix Lee, 5, and Estella Zoo Siab Lee, 3, were recovered from the lake the next day. The medical examiner determined that they all died from drowning and the manner of death was homicide.

Cheng's body was also pulled from the lake on Saturday and her manner of death was determined to be a suicide.

"Our hearts go out the family, friends, and community impacted by this terrible tragedy," Ramsey County Undersheriff Mike Martin said in a statement.

"The Sheriffs Office is continuing to investigate the circumstances of this incident to provide clarity and closure to the surviving family members."
Western Missouri Medical Centre in Warrensburg, Missouri. Hospital officials said an armed individual entered the facilities, which prompted an investigation by local police. (Western Missouri Medical Centre via Google Maps)

An armed man has reportedly entered a hospital in Warrensburg, Missouri, prompting a response from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

According to law enforcement, no shots and no injuries have been reported.

The first two floors of the hospital were cleared while officers continued to search.

Police eventually arrested an individual, who is now being held at the Johnson County Jail. No other details about the suspect or the context of their arrest have been made available.

According to Fox 4, multiple law enforcement agencies were on scene and assisted in an evacuation of the hospital.

The incident prompted city leaders to shut down some public facilities. The city's Parks and Recreation department said it was shutting down the city's community centre and the Nassif Aquatic Centre until the situation is resolved.

The hospital shared a warning on its Facebook page that an active shooter was on site.

Police on site, and staff and patients being evacuated now. This is not a drill. Active shooter at Western Missouri Medical Center main hospital building, Western Missouri Medical Centre wrote on the page.

Despite the hospitals use of the phrase active shooter, it does not appear that any shots were fired.

The incident was yet another example of a mass shooting scare. At a time when the US averages more than 11 mass shootings a week  defined as shootings in which four or more people not including the attacker are shot or killed  Americans have been on edge in crowded spaces.

False alarms in New York and San Francisco last week caused stampedes that left some attendees injured.

Last week, a gunman killed seven people and injured dozens of others when he shot people trying to enjoy a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
STORY: Danila Davydov said he left Russia within weeks of the Kremlin sending troops into Ukraine because he feared having to fight in a war he doesn't support.

The 22-year-old left St. Petersburg and is now working in Kazakhstan.

"We feared President Putin would declare a mobilization and then everyone, young and old, would be called up to the army. I absolutely didn't want to go and fight."

Davydov is among what some lawyers and rights advocates say is an increased number of young Russian men looking to avoid the country's mandatory military service since the conflict with Ukraine, which Russia calls a "special military operation", started in late February.

That is despite the risk of facing fines or up to two years in prison.

In Russia, military service is mandatory for young men aged 18 to 27. Reuters spoke to seven men seeking to avoid signing up.

"At first I avoided the military commission but, in the end, they kept getting hold of me. I turned to lawyers and, with their help, I managed to put off the moment when they'd take me into the army indefinitely."

The Kremlin referred questions about draft avoidance to the defense ministry, which did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine and its Western backers see Moscow's actions, currently focused on taking territory in eastern Ukraine, as an imperial-style land-grab.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting on a huge professional army that the West says has sustained significant losses in the war.

If the army cannot recruit enough contract soldiers, Putin's options would include using conscripts, mobilizing Russian society or scaling back his ambition.

Although Putin has repeatedly said conscripts should not fight the Ukraine conflict, the defense ministry in early March said some already had.

There are also signs that Russia is looking for more men to fight.

In May, Putin signed a law that removed the upper age limit of 40 for people wanting to enlist in the Russian military.
LONDON (Reuters) - Moscow's city replaced a street sign outside the British Embassy on Friday with one that read "Luhansk People's Republic Square", in honour of an east Ukrainian breakaway territory seized by Russian forces.

Russia recognised the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics as independent entities shortly before sending troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, saying it was compelled to defend the Russian-speakers there against persecution.

Ukraine and Western countries say this is a baseless pretext for a war of aggression. Only Russia and its ally Syria recognise the two republics

The British Embassy, which has not changed its address on its website, said on Friday it would continue to use the address on Smolenskaya Embankment that it had before the name change -- "Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya 10".

"The British government, like the entire international community, does not recognise the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republic," it said in a statement ahead of the change.

"The renaming of streets is the responsibility of local authorities but this, of course, will not in any way affect the position of the British government on Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine."

Britain and the United States have been prominent among members of the U.S.-led NATO alliance in supplying weaponry to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's invasion.

Moscow authorities have already renamed an intersection near the U.S. Embassy "Donetsk People's Republic Square".

On its website, the U.S. Embassy lists its geographical coordinates instead of its street address.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Raissa Kasolowsky)
Jul. 7PORTSMOUTH  Main Street Portsmouth is partnering with local businesses and vendors for an upcoming street sale  scheduled for Saturday, July 9.

From 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., visitors to the Second Street Sale will be able to peruse sections of the closed streets from Court Street to Market Square, as local businesses and vendors will have assortments of their goods arranged in the street for all to enjoy.

Joseph Pratt, Executive Director of Main Street Portsmouth, says that the street sale is a valuable chance for the community to closely engage with local small businesses.

Music, vendors, and local shopping await all who attend, as well as other local non-profits such as the Candyland Children's Museum and Friends of Portsmouth.

Visitors to the street sale can expect to see items from the small businesses already situated in the area, with some even offering more specialized inventory for the occasion.

"A lot of the antique stores are going to be bringing more product out into the street. And then we have places like Gigi's Kiss of Stylethey actually have an entire stock of clothing that doesn't hit the public for a long time that they are going to release temporarily during the street sale. And for outside vendors you have everything from crafters to clothing retailers to people who work with sewing or knitting. Kids will even be able to make their own stuffed animals with Stuffin' Fun (LLC), another business coming in," Pratt said.

Other businesses and vendors from the area will be featured, offering the public a chance to enjoy their respective wares in a centralized and convenient location.

"We welcome outside vendors for many reasons," Pratt explained. "One, it's a nice way to get people to experience downtown in different ways. Another main thing is that it creates more of an event than what your typical business offerings are downtown. It provides (shoppers) these other businesses that wouldn't otherwise be downtown."

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Pratt and MSP have also worked alongside many of the featured local businesses to market the event to the community.

"The cool thing is that a lot of these businesses are used to being marketing masterminds to be able to survive. So they are marketing the event alongside us; it's a nice, big group effort to get people out and about and shopping local," Pratt said.

And with more exciting partnerships hopefully on the horizon, as the next street sale in October is an event to keep in mind.

Though the exact date of the next sale is yet to be announced, Pratt alluded to a bigger event with exciting corresponding local happenings.

"We are deciding if we are going to tag team [the event] and make it happen alongside TOSRV," Pratt said, referring to the Tour of the Scioto River Valley, which welcomes cyclists to the area as part of a bicycle tour of the region. "It may fall in line with the Saint Mary's Day Festival. If that does happen, we are going to do a street sale that day as well, that way we will have the streets closed for the St. Mary's Day Festival going on, we will have outdoor vendors, and during that same time, TOSRV."

While the Second Street Sale has filled its vendor slots for this weekend, Pratt says that any vendor wishing to participate in the October sale can contact Main Street Portsmouth for registration details.

Follow Main Street Portsmouth's Second Street Sale on Facebook, and visit MSP online at www.mspohio.org.

The Second Street Sale will take place on Saturday, July 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Reach Kasie McCreary at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1931 or by email at kmccreary@aimmediamidwest.com
Nashville police arrested and charged 28-year-old Javaris Godfrey of Florida after a fatal shooting on board a Greyhound bus in June.

Godfrey faces a criminal homicide charge in the shooting, along with a misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession charge, records show. He is being held without bond and set to appear before a judge Monday.

FROM LAST MONTH: Nashville police ID man fatally shot on board Greyhound bus

The shooting happened just after midnight as the bus pulled into the Nashville terminal on June 25, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. Police identified the victim as 23-year-old Jami Bell.

Police said they believe Bell and Godfrey got on the bus in Tallahassee. The motive in the shooting under investigation.

Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville police charge man in fatal shooting aboard Greyhound bus
Jamie Lynn Ferguson stands in the Capitol rotunda on January 6, 2021. The Department of Justice

A West Virginia National Guard member pleaded guilty to one Capitol riot charge this week.

Jamie Lynn Ferguson took leave to travel to Washington DC to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally.

She later told investigators that she went to the Capitol in hopes of seeing Trump again.

A member of the West Virginia National Guard who wore a "Trump girl" sweatshirt while storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor Capitol riot charge this week.

Jamie Lynn Ferguson, 44, initially faced four charges related to her role in the insurrection, including entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct. But as the government works to prosecute the more than 870 people arrested in connection with the attack, federal prosecutors have offered some rioters lesser charges in exchange for their guilty pleas.

Ferguson on Wednesday pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. The charge carries a maximum possible penalty of six months in prison, as well as a $5,000 fine.

Ferguson was arrested in May of this year after the FBI identified her in video footage wearing a dark-blue sweatshirt that read "Trump girl" and carrying a green backpack as she entered the Capitol building, according to court documents.

In January 2021, the Office of Special Investigations for the Department of the Air Force submitted a report to the FBI confirming that Ferguson, who was a member of the West Virginia National Guard, was suspected of having participated in the riot. The agency confirmed that she was on leave from January 5 to January 7 and said she had listed her destination as Washington, DC, according to a criminal complaint.

In a January 2021 interview with the FBI, Ferguson said she attended the "Stop the Steal" rally with her parents, who both left before the siege broke out, prosecutors said. She told officers that she continued to the US Capitol in hopes that she would be able to see former President Donald Trump again.

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Investigators also reviewed Ferguson's social media accounts in the aftermath of the riot. Days before the attack, prosecutors said she posted a "picture of a crowd in front of the US Capitol building with a storm cloud and Mt Rushmore above the building that read 'Jan 6, 2021  A Storm of Patriots will fight for the Republic, this will be an historic day.'"

An attorney for Ferguson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. She is set to be sentenced in November.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer has minor scrapes after being hit by a suspects car that was going around 100 mph during a high-speed chase into South Carolina Thursday afternoon, CMPD said.

The officer, who works in Steele Creek, was struck on Sharonbrook Drive, police said in a tweet at 4:32 p.m. The officer was not taken to a hospital, police said in their tweet.

The pursuit continued into South Carolina with the suspect driving at speeds of around 100 mph. More details to come from Public Affairs. #cmpd #cltnews  CMPD News (@CMPD) July 8, 2022

The pursuit continued into South Carolina with the suspect continuing to drive at high speeds, police said.

The suspect was taken into custody near the 3000 block of Saluda Road in Rock Hill, CMPD said in a separate tweet at 4:37 p.m. Police did not identify the suspect or their vehicle.

CMPD also did not say what that person was suspected of doing before the high-speed chase began.

RE: Pursuit



The suspect was taken into custody near the 3000 block of Saluda Road in Rock Hill, SC. #clt #cltnews #cmpd  CMPD News (@CMPD) July 8, 2022

And CMPD did not identify the injured officer. It is also unclear if the officer was inside a patrol vehicle he was struck.

CMPD officers hit on the job

Two CMPD officers had suffered minor injuries during two separate incidents on Thursday  including one of them being dragged by a vehicle, The Charlotte Observers previously reported.

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One officer was injured after a driver failed to stop during a traffic stop in the 2100 block of Lasalle Street, police said. A chase ensued but the driver was arrested.

The other officer got hurt while directing emergency traffic at the intersection of Trade and Graham streets, police said.

Lengthy car chase

And on Wednesday, CMPD officers were led on a nearly two-hour chase by a burglary suspect, 26-year-old Tyler Harding.

Harding is being charged with three felony counts of vehicle larceny, one count each of felony hit and run causing serious injury/death and flee/elude arrest with a vehicle, and second-degree burglary, police said.

A second suspect, 28-year-old Christa Harding, was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, police said.

This is a developing story
Several Democratic Senate candidates backed by the National Education Association (NEA) are silent on the union's proposal to change the word "mother" to "birthing parent" in contracts.

The NEA, which represents teachers across the U.S., proposed during its annual meeting to erase the word mother from contracts to be more inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community. The resolution, called New Business Item (NBI) 63, was ultimately not voted on, though the NEA could consider it at a later date.

Fox News reached out to five Democratic Senate candidates who received funding from NEA and who are in either toss-up races or races that lean Democrat. None of them responded.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the National Education Association's 2022 annual meeting in Chicago July 5, 2022. Tannen Maury/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Several of the Democrats received $10,000 from the NEA for their campaigns for the November midterm election, including senators Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Raphael Warnock, R-Ga.; and Cheri Beasely, a former North Carolina Supreme Court judge running against Sen. Rick Scott, R-N.C.

WHITE HOUSE MUM ON EDUCATION UNION'S PROPOSAL TO CHANGE 'MOTHER' TO 'BIRTHING PARENT,' DEFENDS FIRST LADY, VP

The NEA contributed $2,000 to the campaigns of Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, right, waves with Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, at the National Education Association 2022 annual meeting and representative assembly in Chicago July 5, 2022. Tannen Maury/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As the largest teachers' union in the U.S., the NEA donates millions to politicians, and the vast majority of its spending goes to Democrats. Of the $895,000 donated this cycle, the NEA has given money to three House Republican campaigns and just $2,000 to one Republican senator  Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

The proposal to change references to mothers to "birthing parents" in new contracts came from one of the NEA delegates at its annual meeting this week, where Vice President Kamala Harris was the keynote speaker.

WOKE LIBERALS PUSH TO REPLACE MOTHER WITH BIRTHING PARENT TO APPEASE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY

"Using this contract language, members need not worry about how a board of education/solicitor defines maternity leave, mother, and/or father'; the language is an inclusive reflection of how LGBTQIA+ members build families," the proposed resolution states.

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Rebecca S. Pringle speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Paul Morigi/Getty Images for March For Our Lives

The NEA explained the process in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Every year, NEA members submit new business items concerning a wide range of issues," the statement said. "Some are intimately tied to NEA operations and others reflect policy positions delegates would like the organization and its state-level affiliates to take. NEA is committed to democratic processes and open debate. These values are fundamental not just to NEAs vision as a union but to our functioning as a multiracial democracy. NBI 63 was not considered by the 2022 NEA RA."

Numerous political figures have proposed removing gendered language from official documents to avoid misgendering a trans person and to be more inclusive to those who identify as a gender other than their biological sex.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposed changing House rules to replace words like mother, daughter and uncle with "parent, "child" and "parent's sibling."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba

Read also: Belarusians do not support entering the war in Ukraine  poll

"It's a very telling moment  during the seven days of the visa regime in the entire multimillion-strong Russia, not a single citizen happened to apply for a Ukrainian visa," Kuleba said.

Read also: War against Ukraine will likely end with Russia's political capitulation, says military expert

He added that during this period, Russians made more than 100 calls to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy with a request to clarify the entry rules. Kuleba believes that this situation shows changes in relations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of full-scale aggression by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Read also: Russia to continue war against Ukraine until Putin's tasks fully completed, says Russian defense minister

"This is a historic moment that will demonstrate the level to which Putin's aggression has brought relations between our peoples, and it also demonstrates the true attitude of Russians towards Ukrainians," Kuleba stated.

Citizens of the Russian Federation have not been able to enter the territory of Ukraine without obtaining a visa since July 1. The State Border Guard Service also notes that having a visa does not guarantee Russians unimpeded entry.
In a 28-22 vote, Pennsylvania senators advanced a motion that would amend the state constitution. The amendment would allow language to say the state constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion or to taxpayer-funded abortions.

The house passed the approval late Friday night after hours of debate.

This amendment does not ban abortion, said Sen. Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland County). This is just us giving the people of Pennsylvania the ability to put their voice into the laws of Pennsylvania.

Retired Superior Court Judge Cheryl Allen calls this decision a win that shes ecstatic about.

It will be strictly decided by the voters, by the people, as it should be, Allen told Channel 11 News. Thats all our U.S. Supreme Court said. They did not outlaw abortion in the U.S. Its a states issue.

State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) called the measure disturbing, and said he would continue to fight for women to have the right to choose what they do with their bodies.

There are women who are faced with life-and-death situations or life-altering decisions that they would be required to maintain a child, Costa said. This decision will be determined in this process by a majority of white men and a few minority men.

Sen. Costa says this amendment, which cannot be vetoed by the governor, could be on the ballot for voters to decide as early as May of 2023.

There are four other amendments in this motion, including an amendment requiring voters to show identification to vote. Some say this bolsters election security, while others call it voter suppression.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

US government suit against UPMC and star surgeon moves forward Brad Pitt says he has prosopagnosia. What is that; what are the symptoms? California girl struck by flying cellphone on Six Flags roller coaster, family says VIDEO: Emergency closure of bridge in Swissvale impacting drivers, bus routes DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Dir: Carrie Cracknell. Starring: Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Richard E Grant, Henry Golding. PG, 109 minutes.

Autumn de Wildes Emma, from 2020, was such a moreish delight  it met Jane Austens wittiest and prickliest heroine on her own terms, defiantly selfish and loveable all the same. A confectionery construction of florals, pastels, and gilded frames, it found a way to satisfy modern tastes without betraying the authenticity of the Regency era. It remains one of the best modern adaptations of Austens work. I only bring this up because I can find no other way to describe Netflixs take on Persuasion than this: its as if someone tried to recreate Emma from memory, but theyd only watched the film on a plane, and while the plane was experiencing extreme turbulence.

Let me try another way in. The films version of Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson)  a 27-year-old teetering on the edge of spinsterhood, who still yearns for the handsome naval officer she was forced to turn down  has a compulsive habit of locking eyes with the camera. She looks at us whenever her spoilt sister Mary (Mia McKenna-Bruce) says something uncouth, or when she has to admit that her claims of being single and thriving are, in fact, a total construction. You see, shes the kind of messy woman who drinks red wine from the bottle and cries in the bath. Shes Fleabag, if the only way youd ever consumed Fleabag was through reaction GIFs posted on Twitter.

Above all, at no point during Carrie Cracknells directorial debut do you ever get the sense that anyones actually read Persuasion. For those with even the slightest affinity for Austens work, its vaguely mortifying to watch  seeing one of her most beautifully moulded protagonists, a sorrowful vessel hounded by the ghosts of lost love, stripped of her poetry and reduced to an Instagram caption about the pitfalls of millennial dating.

Revisionism itself is never unwelcome  and the rupturing of the fourth wall has already been applied to Austen, in Patricia Rozemas charming take on Mansfield Park from 1999. But its pointless if theres no purpose behind any of it. How exactly does the line, it is said if youre a five in London, youre a 10 in Bath, improve on Austens work or make it any more palatable to modern audiences? Or what about the comments on being an empath and focusing on self-care? These are all just marketing buzzwords. When Anne is reunited with Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), the man she once rejected, Austen writes: Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement. In the film? We get: We are strangers. Worse than strangers. Were exes.

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Though Cracknell comes with a hefty portfolio of work on the Young Vic and Royal Court stages, theres nothing here that seems to drive her work, and that of screenwriters Ronald Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow, beyond the directive of capitalising on current trends. This is exactly what happens when art becomes a brand exercise.

It treats the production design on Emma as pure aesthetic, instead of a sincere (and admirably successful) attempt to remind audiences of how colourful the period was. Theres not even an attempt to be accurate here  Marianne Agertofts costumes only look like Regency dress if youd somehow been led to believe that the pages of this months Tatler magazine had been shot out of a time machine. And, as much as I am loath to defend Bridgerton, the Netflix production Persuasion clearly modelled itself after, its anachronisms at least feel carefully chosen in order to give the series a poppy irreverence. Here, its pure chaos.

Johnson, an otherwise talented actor, is woefully miscast as Anne. Shes been dropped into all this under the illusion that her California girl cool will lend the character a refreshing relatability. All we actually get is a ropey English accent. It feels especially unfair when the rest of the cast, including Jarvis and Henry Golding as love rival William Elliot, are giving exactly the kind of measured, elegant performances youd expect from a romantic period drama. Its only Johnson whos been left out to dry.

You cant help but think what Austen would make of all this. She was nearly 40 when she wrote Persuasion, inches away from her deathbed. Annes pain in the novel is sharp, laced with the fear that shes reached a point in life where shes outrun every last opportunity, most especially for love. How do you absorb all of that feeling, only to give us an Anne who sighs performatively after she knocks a vessel of gravy on her head and boasts about dancing to Beethoven alone in her room with a bottle of red? How would the latter even happen in an era before record players? Thats whats so grim about Netflixs Persuasion  it seems to think its own audience isnt smart enough for Jane Austen.

Persuasion is in select cinemas from Friday 8 July, and can be streamed on Netflix from 15 July
FRANKFORT, Ky.  Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday it's past time for the White House to withdraw the name of anti-abortion Republican Chad Meredith as a potential nominee for federal judge in Kentucky.

"It's been plenty of time," Beshear said at his press conference. "And by now, they should be telling us that it's going to be rescinded."

As first reported by The Courier Journal last week, a White House official informed Beshear's office through a June 23 email that it planned to nominate Chad Meredith to a U.S. District Court judgeship in Kentucky's Eastern District the next day.

Chad Meredith

But the next morning the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the federal constitutional right to abortion and Meredith's nomination was not announced or submitted.

Beshear and U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, were among the Democrats astonished and outraged by the pick, with Yarmuth and other officials telling The Courier Journal that Biden must have worked a deal with U.S. Sen Mitch McConnell so he wouldn't hold up future White House nominations.

McConnell has refused to talk about the nomination before it is officially made, with McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer on Thursday saying any talk of a deal was "false information."

McConnell spokesman Scott Sloofman said talks have taken place about a replacement for Kentucky District Judge Karen Caldwell, a longtime friend of McConnell's who submitted her notice to seek senior judge status one day before the White House email informing Beshear of Biden's plan to nominate Meredith.

U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell

"Discussions about Judge Caldwells seat have only involved who should fill Judge Caldwells seat," Sloofman said in a statement first published by the Washington Post.

The Courier Journal asked Beshear at his press conference if the White House revealed its motivation for nominating Meredith or if there was a deal in place with McConnell. Beshear said he hadnt received any definitive reason for the pick and would not comment on any other discussions we have with the White House.

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However, Beshear again emphasized that I certainly hope that they will back off.

Certainly, you can expect in any conversations on this I will continue to tell them that this is not an acceptable nomination, and I and the rest of Kentucky will oppose it, he said.

Spokespeople for the White House have repeatedly declined over the past week to comment on the status of Meredith's planned nomination.

"I'll say this to you, which is, we do not comment on vacancies," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday. "This is a vacancy. It's not something that we're going to comment on. We don't comment on executive branch or judicial vacancies. We have not made a nomination yet."

Democrats opposed to 'anti-choice' nominees

In addition to Meredith's record working to restrict abortion access as deputy counsel under former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, critics have pointed to the attorney's participation in that administration's controversial clemency orders issued at the end of the governor's term in 2019, spurring public outrage and a federal investigation.

Bevin administration documents showed Meredith was one of the governor's general counsel staff to give recommendations on whether certain applicants deserve clemency.

More news: Who is Chad Meredith, the anti-abortion Republican President Biden plans to make a judge?

Beshear, who said last week that a Meredith nomination would be "indefensible," renewed those same criticisms related to the pardons and commutations Thursday.

"The fact that this individual assisted former Gov. Bevin with the worst misuse or abuse of gubernatorial power  certainly in my lifetime  should be disqualifying," Beshear said. "And this is the deputy general counsel who worked on pardons that allow rapists and murderers to walk free."

Beshear's denunciations of a Meredith nomination have not mentioned the issues surrounding abortion. Other Democrats and abortion-rights advocates, however, have roundly criticized Bidens potential nomination for Meredith's stance on abortion issues.

Meredith defended a 2017 Kentucky abortion law requiring doctors who perform abortions to first perform an ultrasound and describe the image to the patient.

He lost at a trial in federal court, but the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later upheld the statute.

Some Democratic senators said they would vote against Merediths confirmation if Biden follows through, raising the possibility of the presidents own party blocking his pick.

Opponents include both of Nevadas Democratic senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, though spokespersons for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin have declined to comment.

FILE - Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., speaks during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2023 for the Department of Energy, May 5, 2022, in Washington. Many of the nationas most vulnerable Democrats are actively trying to distance themselves from Washington, including Cortez Masto who is nearing the end of her first six-year term. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

Senator Cortez Masto is opposed to anti-choice judicial nominees, said Lauren Wodarski, a spokeswoman for Cortez Masto, who is running for reelection in November. With women's reproductive rights under attack across the country, she has no intention of supporting such a nominee now. Should Mr. Meredith be nominated, she will vote against him.

Renzo Olivari, a spokesman for Rosen, said Rosen has consistently opposed federal judicial nominees who have displayed outwardly anti-choice views and will continue to do so.

He added: She would oppose this nominee if he were to be formally nominated by the administration.

USA TODAY reporter Rebecca Morin contributed to this story.

Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today at the top of this page.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Andy Beshear: Past time for Biden to rescind Chad Meredith judge pick
The Duke of Sussex arriving for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral. (PA)

The Duke of Sussex has won a High Court battle against a Mail on Sunday article claiming he kept a previous legal battle a secret.

A High Court judge ruled on Friday that parts of an article in the paper about a legal claim against the Home Office was defamatory.

The piece was published in February under the headline: Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret then  just minutes after the story broke  his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute.

At a hearing in June, Mr Justice Nicklin was asked to determine the natural and ordinary meaning of the parts of the article in the claim, and whether they were defamatory.

Omid Scobie - 'Do they think were stupid?' How the Palace buries controversy with gossip and distraction

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex pictured in London in June for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. (PA)

Discussing one of the meanings of the article, Mr Justice Nicklin said a reader would think Harry was responsible for public statements, issued on his behalf, which claimed that he was willing to pay for police protection in the UK, and that his legal challenge was to the Governments refusal to permit him to do so, whereas the true position, as revealed in documents filed in the legal proceedings, was that he had only made the offer to pay after the proceedings had commenced.

He also said the article would have been read as alleging Harry was responsible for trying to mislead and confuse the public as to the true position, which was ironic given that he now held a public role in tackling misinformation.

Mr Justice Nicklin added: It may be possible to spin facts in a way that does not mislead, but the allegation being made in the article was very much that the object was to mislead the public.

That supplies the necessary element to make the meanings defamatory at common law.

The senior judge also found that the article did not suggest that Harry was seeking to keep his legal battle with the Government secret, though it was suggested by the headline if read alone.

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A High Court judge ruled on Friday that parts of an article in the paper about a legal claim against the Home Office was defamatory. (PA)

He continued: Read as a whole, the article was quite clear that he was seeking certain confidentiality restrictions in relation to documents and witness statements in the proceedings, not blanket secrecy on the whole claim.

The judge found that an ordinary reader would understand the article to mean that Harry had initially sought confidentiality restrictions that were far-reaching and unjustifiably wide and were rightly challenged by the Home Office.

Fridays judgment only relates to the objective meaning of the article, Mr Justice Nicklin said, adding it is the first stage in the libel claim.

On Thursday, lawyers for Harry asked a High Court judge to grant permission for a full judicial review of the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec)  which falls under the remit of the Home Office.

A decision on whether this claim can proceed will be given at a later date.
The Duke of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth II at the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston in May 2019. Steve Parson/Getty Images

Prince Harry's lawyer appeared in court on Thursday to appeal a decision that affects his security.

Harry and his family no longer have publicly-funded security since their step back from royal life.

Harry's lawyer spoke of tensions between the prince and the Queen's private secretary, Edward Young.

The Duke of Sussex's lawyer appeared in court on Thursday to apply for a judicial review over a government decision that stripped him of publicly-funded police protection while in the UK.

According to court documents obtained by Insider, Prince Harry's lawyer argued during the hearing at London's High Court that the decision was unfair because the Queen's private secretary and most senior aide, Edward Young, had been involved  despite the prince being told it would be up to an independent committee.

Harry's team also referenced tensions between the duke and Young.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave up their right to taxpayer-funded security when they stepped back from royal duties in the spring of 2020. According to a statement obtained by Insider in January, Harry previously offered to pay for police protection with his own funds but was "dismissed."

The Sussexes returned to the UK for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June with their children, Archie and Lilibet, after Harry said security issues could prevent the trip from taking place.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022. AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Harry's lawyer said it's unfair that he wasn't aware the Queen's aide was involved in the decision

In court on Thursday, Shaheed Fatima QC, representing the duke, argued that the decision to downgrade Harry's security was unfair because Young had been involved in the committee that made the decision, according to court documents.

The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, also known as Ravec, is responsible for security decisions regarding the royal family and key public figures. Its members include the UK's Home Office, Metropolitan Police, and the Royal Household, who work together to advise the independent Chair in decision-making.

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"He didn't know at that stage that the Royal Household was involved at all," Fatima said in court, according to BBC News.

In a skeleton argument obtained by Insider, Harry's legal team wrote that the prince was "not informed about the composition of Ravec," and that he had been told it was an independent committee. His legal team added in the skeleton argument that he was therefore denied the opportunity to "comment on the appropriateness" of "certain individuals" being involved in the decision-making process.

Harry's offer to pay for his own security earlier this year was made to several members of the royal household, including Young and Prince Charles' private secretary Clive Alderton, but was not passed on to the committee, the duke's legal team wrote in the skeleton argument.

In court documents, legal representatives for the Home Office wrote that Ravec never received an offer to fund security from the prince, and that the committee would have "rejected any such offer as a matter of principle."

Harry's team referenced 'significant tensions' between the duke and the Queen's aide

The skeleton argument went on to reference tensions between Harry and Young. The document states that Harry's belief that the committee's decision was made independently is relevant in light of "significant tensions" between the prince and Young.

No specifics were read out in court as sensitive information was kept out of public hearing, BBC News reports.

According to court documents, legal representatives for the Home Office said in a written statement that personal tensions between Harry and royal officials are "irrelevant" to his change in status after his step back from royal duties. They added that there was "no basis" to conclude that the duke making representations to the committee would have resulted in a different outcome.

A decision regarding whether Harry has an arguable case will be made in the coming weeks, BBC News reports. The duke's legal team has indicated that a second judicial review claim into whether he should be able to pay privately for police protection has been launched, the outlet added.

"The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate," a UK Government spokesperson told Insider. "It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security."

The spokesperson added that "it would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings."

Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Representatives for Shaheed Fatima QC declined to comment.

Read the original article on Insider
A famous South African trophy hunter was found dead from a gunshot wound next to his truck last month.

Riaan Naude, 55, was shot dead June 8 in Kruger National Park in northeast South Africa, Sowetan Live reported.

A nearby cattle rancher heard the shot, found Naudes body and called the cops, according to the outlet. Naude was bleeding from his head and face.

Naude operated a popular trophy hunting business, Pro-Hunt Africa. Trophy hunting is legal in South Africa and particularly popular among Americans. His Instagram account showed him posing with dead giraffes, zebras and elephants, among other animals.

Cops said Naude appeared to be on the way to a hunting exhibition, carrying two hunting firearms, clothes, water, whiskey, sleeping clothes and many live rounds, Sowetan Live reported.

No arrests have been made, and cops have not named any potential suspects. The rancher said he heard a car speed off after the gunshot.


Jeann Lugo, the Providence police officer accused of punching state Senate candidate Jennifer Rourke at an abortion-rights protest last month, pleaded not guilty to criminal charges on Friday.

Lugo is charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct. He appeared before Judge Melissa DuBose, and his bail has been set at $2,000. He remains released on his own recognizance.

Previous coverage:

Lugo and his attorney, Daniel Griffin, had no comment before or after the hearing. The hearing was wrapped up within a matter of a few minutes, and Lugo and Griffin exited the courtroom quickly.

The assault took place on the night of June 24 when hundreds of demonstrators gathered around the steps of the State House to rally in opposition to the Supreme Court's decision to end the constitutional right to abortion.

A man named Josh Mello appears to have been heckling people in the crowd, then a group of protesters gathered around him and told him to leave. As the group grew in size, an unidentified man in a green jacked punched Mello. Various angles of video captured and posted on social media appear to show Lugo pursuing the green jacketed man when Rourke looks as if she is attempting to restrain Lugo. He later turns around and punches her in the face repeatedly. At the time, Lugo was also running for state Senate in District 29, making him Rourke's competitor. He dropped out of the race shortly after the assault.

State police ask for the public's help

Shortly before Friday's hearing, state police asked for the public's help in identifying the green-jacketed man. Anyone with information is asked to call the Lincoln Barracks at (401) 444-1000. Tips are taken anonymously.

Rhode Island State Police are asking for the public's help identifying this man.

Apart from the hearing, Lugo is also awaiting a hearing with Providence police to determine whether he will be able to keep his job. Lugo, a three-year veteran of the department, will receive the hearing as part of a process outlined by the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights. Three current or retired officers are part of the hearing. In accordance with LEOBOR, one will be chosen by the police department, another will be picked by Lugo, and then the department and Lugo will select a third. However, if they cannot agree, the presiding Superior Court justice will choose.

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Chief Col. Hugh Clements already recommended that Lugo be terminated in a scathing report that stated Lugo has brought "dishonor, discredit, embarrassment, and reputational harm to the Providence Police Department."

The Providence Journal is awaiting announcement of the hearing date. Police spokeswoman Lindsay Lague said, "Pursuant to the state law, it is on hold until the criminal case is adjudicated."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence police officer Jeann Lugo pleads not guilty to assault
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered the defence and foreign ministries to begin talks with Kyrgyzstan on a common regional air defence system, according to the text of the order posted on a government website.

The countries do not have a common border.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
By Divya Rajagopal and Ismail Shakil

TORONTO/OTTAWA (Reuters) -Rogers Telecommunications said its network was beginning to recover late on Friday after a 19-hour service outage at one of Canada's biggest telecom operators shut banking, transport and government access for millions, drawing outrage from customers and adding to criticism over its industry dominance.

Nearly every facet of life has been disrupted, with the outage affecting internet access, cell phone and landline phone connections. Some callers could not reach emergency services via 911 calls, police across Canada said.

Canadians crowded into cafes and public libraries that still had internet access and hovered outside hotels to catch a signal. Canada's border services agency said the outage affected its mobile app for incoming travelers. Retailers' cashless pay systems went down; banks reported issues with ATM services.

Rogers said in a statement https://twitter.com/RogersHelps/status/1545586755189067777/photo/1 on Twitter that "our wireless services are starting to recover" and workers are trying to get people back online as quickly as possible.

In a separate statement https://about.rogers.com/news-ideas/a-message-from-tony-staffieri-president-and-ceo-at-rogers on its website, Rogers President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Staffieri apologized for the outage, saying: "Today we let you down. We can and will do better."

He added that the company doesn't have a timeline on when the networks will be fully restored, "but we will continue to share information with our customers as we restore full services."

He said a credit would be applied to affected customers.

A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Friday evening that the outage was not the result of a cyber attack.

Rogers' shares closed down 73 cents at C$61.54 ($47.53) on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The disruption also made transport and flight bookings more difficult at the height of the summer travel season.

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So far, Transport Canada has not received reports of direct safety or security impacts to any flights, marine or rail services as part of this outage, according to spokesperson Sau Liu.

The interruption was Rogers' second in 15 months. It began around 4:30 a.m. ET (0830 GMT) and knocked out a quarter of Canada's observable internet connectivity, said the NetBlocks monitoring group.

With about 10 million wireless subscribers and 2.25 million retail internet subscribers, Rogers is the top provider in Ontario, Canada's most populous province and home to its biggest city, Toronto. Rogers, BCE Inc and Telus Corp control 90% of the market share in Canada.

Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne in a tweet called the situation "unacceptable" and said he was in communication with telecom CEOs, including those from Rogers, Bell and Telus, to find a solution.

Canadian financial institutions and banks, including Toronto-Dominion Bank and Bank Of Montreal, said the outage disrupted services. Royal Bank of Canada said its ATMs and online banking services were affected.

A spokesperson for Vancouver International airport, among Canada's busiest, said travelers could not pay for parking, use terminal ATMs or purchase items at airport retailers.

Air Canada, the country's largest airline, said its call center had been affected. Airlines in Canada, like those in Europe and the United States, have been experiencing high call volume amid flight cancellations and delays due to pandemic staffing shortages.

Pop star the Weeknd on Friday evening announced that his tour stop at the Rogers Centre stadium had been postponed due to service outages affecting venue operations.

"I'm crushed & heartbroken. Been at the venue all day but it's out of our hands because of the Rogers outage," the singer wrote in a tweet.

COMPETITION

Critics said the outage demonstrated a need for more competition in telecom.

Earlier this year, Canada's competition bureau blocked Rogers' attempt to take over rival Shaw Communications in a C$20 billion deal, saying it would hamper competition in a country where telecom rates are some of the world's highest. The merger still awaits a final verdict.

"Today's outage illustrates the need for more independent competition that will drive more network investment so outages are far less likely," said Anthony Lacavera, managing director of Globealive, an investment firm that had bid for a wireless provider involved in the Rogers/Shaw deal.

On Friday, some government agencies canceled services after losing internet access, including Canada's passport offices and the telecoms regulator. The Canada Revenue Agency, the country's tax collection body, lost telephone service.

'CASH WILL BE KING'

Shops and restaurants in Toronto put "Cash Only" signs on their doors. Residents crowded into and around a nearby Starbucks coffee shop offering free Wi-Fi on an unaffected network.

"There's tons of people here with their laptops just working away ferociously, the same as they would at home, because they've got no service at home," said Starbucks customer Ken Rosenstein.

In downtown Ottawa, Canada's capital, cafes including Tim Hortons were not accepting debit and credit cards and were turning away customers who did not have cash.

Michelle Wasylyshen, spokeswoman for the Retail Council of Canada, said outages would vary from one retailer to the next: "Cash will most certainly be king at many stores today."

While the disruptions were widespread, several companies and transport points said their services were unaffected. The Port of Montreal reported no disruptions. The Calgary Airport Authority said it had "no major operational impacts."

($1 = 1.2948 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik, Eva Matthews, Shubham Kalia and Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Katharine Jackson in Washington; Divya Rajagopal and Chris Helgren in Toronto; Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Writing by Rami Ayyub, Aurora Ellis and Christian Schmollinger; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio and Leslie Adler & Shri Navaratnam)
(Independent)

The Russian space agency and Nasa appear to be locked in an argument over the use of the International Space Station.

Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, said the Russian space agency will use its part of the ISS to do everything it considers necessary and useful.

It was the latest in a spat between the two space agencies that emerged after Russian astronauts posed with flags in what appeared to be anti-Ukraine propaganda.

Nasa had criticised those pictures, arguing that the space station is intended to be politically neutral. The US space agencys statement was very rare, and broke with a recent policy of largely attempting to avoid any political fallouts on the floating lab, despite tensions on the ground.

Nasa strongly rebukes Russia using the International Space Station for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine, which is fundamentally inconsistent with the stations primary function among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes, a spokesperson had said.
(Reuters) - Russia warned Lithuania and the European Union on Friday that it could adopt "harsh measures" against them if the transit of some goods to and from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad did not resume.

"If the situation does not stabilize in the coming days, then Russia will take harsh measures against Lithuania and the European Union," Maria Zakharova, spokesperson of the Russian foreign ministry, said in a statement. "The issue has taken too long to resolve."

Lithuania has banned the transit of goods subject to European Union sanctions across its territory to and from the Baltic exclave. Russia has pledged to retaliate.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
LONDON (Reuters) -Russia's ambassador to Britain said he was surprised London has not made more of an effort to secure the release of two British citizens sentenced to death for fighting in eastern Ukraine.

While fighting with the Ukrainian army, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were captured by Russian-backed forces in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), a territory recognised only by Russia and Syria.

After a hasty court hearing - decried as a Stalin-era show trial in a pop-up courtroom - a separatist court sentenced the pair to death, saying they were mercenaries and were trying to violently seize power.

"We had a formal request here in London and in Moscow about these two guys - that they exist - and a phrase like 'we put all responsibility on Russia for them,'" Russian Ambassador Andrei Kelin said in an interview with Reuters.

"There was no demand for mediation, no demand for their release or anything like that. 'Let's talk about their fate and what can be done in this situation'. Nothing," he added.

Responding to the suggestion that Moscow could easily put pressure on DPR officials to release the two men, Kelin said: "And so what? Has anyone from London asked us to do this? No."

Britain's foreign ministry said it was doing "everything we can to support the men."

"We condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war for political purposes and have raised this with Russia," a foreign ministry spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We are in constant contact with the government of Ukraine on their cases and are fully supportive of Ukraine in its efforts to get them released."

The Russian ambassador also vowed that Moscow would defeat Ukrainian forces in the whole of the eastern Donbas region and is unlikely to withdraw from a vast swathe of land across Ukraine's southern coast.

(Reporting by Jake Cordell, editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
Jul. 8Santa Fe police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man who had been dropped off at a south-side urgent care Thursday afternoon.

In a news release, police said they responded to a call about a man who suffered "life-threatening injuries" and was at 5501 Herrera Drive, the site of an urgent care center operated by Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center.

The victim, who police have not yet identified, suffered "at least one" gunshot wound and later died.

Police have not released the man's identity pending notification of relatives. A police spokesman did not return multiple calls for comment.

The incident was unrelated to a Thursday afternoon incident in which police attempted to execute an arrest warrant with a man who'd barricaded himself in a south-central Santa Fe house.

The suspect, 33-year-old Anthony Perez, stayed inside a residence on the 2000 block of Siringo Road and refused commands to come out.

Perez, according to a Santa Fe Police Department news release, is a suspect in a battery involving a household member.

After nearly three hours, Perez emerged and was taken into custody without further incident.
A South Carolina woman held a gun on an alleged intruder in her York County home until deputies crashed in and took the suspect in custody, according to sheriff officials and documents.

The incident happened Wednesday afternoon in a home on Jim McCarter Road near Clover, a York County Sheriffs Office incident report stated.

The female victim, in her 40s, called police after the suspect was inside her home, the report stated.

No shots were fired and no one was hurt, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the sheriffs office. The victim was within her legal rights to protect herself, Faris said.

The Herald is not identifying the victim of the crime.

Deputies surrounded the house, broke down door

Deputies arrived after the victim called about a burglary in progress. The deputies could see the victim through a bedroom window as she pointed toward a sunroom where the suspect was last seen by the victim, according to the incident report.

Deputies called out to the suspect to open the door but the suspect refused, the report stated.

As deputies surrounded the house, dispatchers said they could hear a struggle in the house, the report stated. Dispatchers then told deputies the victim said the suspect had entered the bedroom, the report stated.

A deputy looking through the bedroom window saw the victim pointing a handgun toward the suspect, the report stated.

A deputy then broke through the sunroom door. Deputies found the suspect and took him in custody, according to the report.

Suspect charged, recently released from jail

The suspect was booked into jail late Wednesday and identified as Paul Neely Poag III, 38, of York, according to sheriffs office and jail records.

Poag was charged Thursday with second-degree burglary and larceny, sheriff and jail records show.

Poag has previous convictions for domestic violence, drugs, and larceny, South Carolina court records show.

In his most recent conviction, Poag pleaded guilty in York County criminal court to larceny on April 5 and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, according to online court records.

The second-degree burglary charge is a felony that carries as much as 15 years in prison for a conviction.

Poag remains in the York County jail under a $10,000 bond after an initial court appearance, records show.
The 74

When it comes to students missing class, most people think its about COVID, and COVID only. But in reality, its more than that. Some students had trouble making friends, and some had no friends at all. Some, like me, struggled with certain classes. And then the number of absent students began to breed more of []
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has scheduled an all-senators classified briefing on the global innovation and technology race and a proposed bill to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, his office said on Thursday.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell threatened last week to try to block the bill that would provide $52 billion to subsidize U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and boost U.S. competitiveness with China if Democrats move forward with a social spending and climate bill.

The briefing planned for Wednesday from the Biden administration will focus "on the global innovation and technology race and the bipartisan innovation bill which is vital for Americas long-term national security."

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday the Biden administration wants Congress to move quickly, noting Intel Corp announced it will invest $20 billion to open semiconductor factories in Ohio "and that could expand to as much as $100 billion" if Congress passes chips subsidies.

The Senate legislation, passed in June 2021, included $52 billion for chips subsidies and authorized another $200 billion to boost U.S. scientific and technological innovation to compete with China.

The House version, passed in February, is similar but nearly 3,000 pages long and includes a number of trade proposals not in the Senate bill. Many House provisions are expected to be dropped.

Some fear Congress will not be able to reach a deal before the November congressional elections if it does not come to an agreement in the coming weeks.

A persistent shortage of chips has disrupted the automotive and electronics industries, forcing some companies to scale back production. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who has been making calls in recent days to try to advance the bill, and many companies think the shortage will last at least until late 2023 if not longer.

Lawmakers warn some major investments in new U.S. chip production could be jeopardized without action from Congress.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sandra Maler and Kim Coghill)
Democrats in Congress are under new pressure to advance an assault weapons ban after a 21-year-old gunman killed seven people at a July 4 parade in Highland Park.

The Senate just approved a bipartisan gun-safety bill last month that was signed into law by President Biden, but even at the time it was seen as an effort insufficient to truly cut into gun violence.

The narrow legislation won support from all 50 of the Senates Democrats and 15 Senate Republicans, but was opposed by most of the GOP in the House and Senate.

And Democrats themselves are divided over an assault weapons ban, which could be a risky vote for vulnerable Democratic incumbents in swing states.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) sidestepped such a vote after deadly shootings at a Buffalo supermarket and Uvalde, Texas elementary school, opting to work with Republicans on more modest reforms.

That strategy resulted in the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which provided money for states to administer red-flag laws and enhanced background checks for gun buyers between the ages of 18 and 21.

Its unclear whether that bill would have done anything to prevent the violence in Highland Park, Ill., where a 21-year-old has confessed to the shootings, according to officials. Robert Crimo III was accused of killing seven people with a Smith & Wesson M&P 15, an assault-style rifle that carries 30 rounds of military-caliber 5.56mm NATO/.223.

Vice President Kamala Harris led the charge for more action on Tuesday during a visit to Chicago to speak to a teachers convention, telling the National Education Association: Congress needs to have the courage to act and renew the assault weapons ban.

An assault weapon is designed to kill a lot of human beings quickly, she argued.

The vice presidents rallying cry was followed Thursday by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee and a member of Schumers leadership team.

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Enough is enough. Reinstate the assault weapons ban. We can save lives, tweeted Klobuchar, a presidential candidate in 2020.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), another member of the leadership team, is an original co-sponsor of the Senates Assault Weapons Ban, which is supported by 37 Senate Democrats and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.).

A Democratic aide said the Judiciary Committee, which Durbin chairs, has discussed assault weapons and high-capacity magazines at several of its nine hearings on gun violence.

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D), an Army combat veteran who lost her legs in Iraq, said reviewing the video of Highland Park shooting reminded her of being in a war zone.

Let me tell you that the last time I heard a weapon with that capacity firing that rapidly on Fourth of July was Iraq, she said.

Duckworth also supports a national assault weapons ban.

No one needs a 50round drum. No one needs a 30-round magazine. No one needs a weapon of war on our streets, Duckworth tweeted Thursday.

Democrats are finding themselves embroiled once again in a debate over whether to bring an assault weapons ban and high-capacity magazine ban  as well as universal background checks  to the Senate and House floors a few months before a difficult midterm election.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) after the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, said he preferred to move legislation that had a chance of passing and saving lives and predicted an assault weapons ban would get little Republican support.

I think right now we just need to focus on trying to see if we can get some Republicans to support us on something common sense, he said in May.

An assault weapons ban has no chance of passing because Republicans will block it in the Senate with a filibuster and its not even guaranteed to get the support of all 50 members of the Senate Democratic caucus.

Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet (Colo.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Mark Warner (Va.) voted against an assault weapons ban sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in 2013. So did Sen. Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats.

Warner, however, is now a cosponsor of Feinsteins new assault weapons ban introduced in March of last year.

Christian Heyne, the vice president of policy at Brady, a gun-violence prevention advocacy group, said an assault weapons ban probably has the votes to pass in the House but the path forward in the Senate is unclear.

Certainly weve heard enough Democrats and Republicans calling for this that I suspect the House could pass it and send it to the Senate. Then the Senate has to figure out what theyre going to do, he said.

We do live in a reality where the negotiations for the bipartisan [gun-safety] package started at a place where universal background checks were off the table. So I have to imagine theres daylight where this package was and where an assault weapons ban would be and it probably comes down to a procedural filibuster that requires 60 votes to bypass, he said.

But even if Senate passage of an assault weapons ban is highly, highly unlikely, Heyne says Congress still needs to tackle the issue.

We absolutely need to deal with assault weapons. They are what make our mass casualty shootings so regular here in America, so uniquely American when compared to the industrial nations around the world, he said. Its long past time that we reinstate the assault weapons ban and pass a more improved assault weapons ban, like the ones that have been introduced.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in early June that the House would have a hearing and committee mark up of an assault weapons ban but the House debate was soon eclipsed by bipartisan Senate negotiations over the gun safety bill.

In those talks, Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), immediately rejected proposals to implement universal background checks, ban assault weapons for people between the ages of 18 and 21, and to ban high-capacity magazines.

Schumer has expressed his reluctance to hold accountability votes on gun-control legislation, in which Democrats bring a bill to the floor that has little chance of passing. Such votes are risky because while they fire up the Democratic base, they also risk a back-lash from Second Amendment-driven voters.

The Democratic leader told colleague on the floor after the Uvalde massacre that he was more interested in working with Republicans than holding political messaging votes on the floor on assault weapons and high-capacity clips.

But with prominent Democratic leaders renewing calls for an assault weapons ban, Schumer will be under pressure to address it before the midterm election.

Nick Wilson, the senior director of gun violence prevention at Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank and advocacy group, said his organization is pushing for Congress to vote on an assault weapons ban before the end of the year.

We think this is gaining momentum in the House, where the bill now has 210 cosponsors, he said. The Senate will continue to be a challenge, not just on gun safety measures but all types of important legislation.

Wilson said the passage of the gun safety bill last month and the expected confirmation of Steve Dettelbach to head the ATF before the August recess shows that progress is still possible.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Screenshot from social-media video shows the moment gunfire rings out during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's campaign speech in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. Takenobu Nakajima via Reuters

Former Japanese Prime Minister was assassinated while giving a campaign speech on Friday.

Japanese police named the suspect in the killing as 41-year-old Yamagami Tetsuya.

He used to work for Japan's navy and has told police was "dissatisfied" with Abe, NHK reported.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on Friday after being shot while giving a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan.

Japanese police said they arrested a 41-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder and seized a weapon, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported.

Police have named the suspect as Yamagami Tetsuya. Here's what we know about him.

Who he is

Tetsuya lived in Nara, the city in which Abe was shot dead.

Tetsuya worked for Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force  or the Japanese navy  for three years until 2005, Japan's NHK public broadcaster reported, citing defense ministry sources.

While there, Tetsuya had live-firearms training, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported, citing the defense ministry.

The weapon

Police said Tetsuya shot Abe in the neck from around 10 feet away. Footage of the event appeared to show the shooting suspect standing behind Abe without any visible security around him.

Images of the gun said to be used in the shooting show it appeared to be homemade, made of two metal barrels attached to a wooden board with black tape.

Police later found explosive-like items at Tetsuya's home in Nara, Kyodo News reported.

The motive

During an interrogation at the Nara-nishi police station, Tetsuya told police he "was dissatisfied with former Prime Minister Abe and aimed to kill him," but that the attack was "not a grudge against the former Prime Minister's political beliefs," NHK reported.

Abe's assassination has shocked Japan, which has strict gun laws that make it hard to procure firearms.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with Shinzo Abe during his last visit to Japan in May 2022. (PHOTO: Ng Siew Chwee/MCI)

SINGAPORE  Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he "received with a heavy heart" news of the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe after he was shot in Nara prefecture on Friday (8 July).

Calling it a "deeply shocking and distressing incident" in a tweet, Lee said, "I offer my sincere condolences to Mrs Abe Akie, Mr Abes loved ones, and the people of Japan."

Hours earlier, Lee had posted about the incident on Facebook, and called it a "senseless act of violence". Calling Abe a "good friend of Singapore", Lee said, "I had just hosted him to lunch in May, on my visit to Tokyo."

Abe was shot while delivering a campaign speech in Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital with officials saying he was not breathing and his heart had stopped.

Current Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the attack dastardly and barbaric and added that the crime occurring during the election campaign, which is the foundation of democracy, was absolutely unforgivable.

Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder. NHK reported that the suspect served in the Maritime Self-Defence Force for three years in the 2000s.

Abe was Japans longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 due to a chronic stomach condition.

UPDATE: Received with a heavy heart on news of #ShinzoAbes death, says PM Lee Hsien Loong https://t.co/OyIGavQPt6 pic.twitter.com/tGtze1GHSa  Yahoo Singapore (@YahooSG) July 8, 2022

World leaders react to shooting

World leaders had earlier reacted to the shocking incident. Anthony Blinken, Secretary of State for the United States, said before his meeting with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, "I do have to say before we meet how deeply saddened and deeply concerned we are by the news coming from Japan about the attempt on the life of Prime Minister Abe."

Story continues

Meanwhile, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said on Twitter, "I am saddened and shocked by the tragic shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe."

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

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Japans former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has died after he was shot at a campaign event in the western city of Nara.

Mr Abe, 67, was giving a stump speech on behalf of a local Liberal Democratic Party candidate near a train station on Friday morning when two shots rang out, causing him to fall bleeding to the ground clutching his chest.

He was immediately airlifted to hospital, accompanied by his wife Akie, but officials were quick to warn he was not breathing and his heart had stopped.

Before he was pronounced dead, the countrys current PM, Fumio Kishida, gave an emotional press conference in which he called the attack barbaric and malicious, said that doctors were doing everything they could to aid the stricken politician and added that he was praying for his recovery from the bottom of my heart.

Mr Abe led Japan from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, making him the countrys longest-serving premier, and was long known as an ultra-conservative foreign policy hawk and something of a divisive figure.

The grandson of another PM, Nobusuke Kishi, Mr Abe became known around the world for his aggressive Abenomics financial strategy but his arch-nationalism in office created regional frictions with China, South Korea, and North Korea.

He was forced to step down for health reasons two years ago before he could realise his most cherished goal of amending Japans US-drafted post-war pacifist constitution and was succeeded first by Yoshihide Suga and then Mr Kishida.

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe cheering at an event on Wednesday with Liberal Democratic Party candidate Keiichiro Asao (AFP/Getty)

Police have already arrested a suspect, named as Tetsuya Yamagami, who made no attempt to run when leaped upon by security guards and voluntarily gave up his weapon, described as a large double-barrelled shotgun, likely homemade.

Gun violence is very rare in Japan, and guns are extremely difficult to own. Political violence is also extremely rare, said the BBCs Rupert Wingfield-Hayes.

The shooting of such a prominent figure is profoundly shocking in a country that prides itself on being so safe.

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Details on Mr Yamagami are scant at present, although he is believed to be 41, a resident of Nara and a veteran of Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force, serving between 2002 and 2005, according to local broadcaster NHK.

He has reportedly since told police he was dissatisfied with Mr Abe and intended to kill him.

Suspect Tetsuya Yamagami is detained after the shooting of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in Nara Prefecture, western Japan, on Friday, 8 July (Katsuhiko Hirano/The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP)

There was a loud bang and then smoke, businessman Makoto Ichikawa, a witness at the scene, told Reuters, adding that the gun used was the size of a television camera.

The first shot, no one knew what was going on, but after the second shot, what looked like special police tackled him.

Additional reporting by agencies
Kyodo News via AP

HOKKAIDO, JapanFormer Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot at close range in a brazen assassination on Friday.

Police immediately arrested a suspect at the campaign rally with what looked like a bizarre homemade firearm. The alleged attacker, named by police as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, previously served in the Japanese navy, according to a local report.

Abe, 67, was conscious as he was rushed away from the scene, but his condition deteriorated rapidly and within hours, the state broadcaster announced that he had died. A parliamentarian in the Komeito party, which is allied to Abes party, confirmed to The Daily Beast that the former prime minister cannot be resuscitated.

The hospital said Abe had suffered wounds to the neck and heart, and received over 100 units of blood in transfusions over four hours but they could not revive him.

The suspect in the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is tackled by police officersin Nara. Asahi Shimbun via Reuters

The nation of Japan was in shock as the news of Abes death was reported in the early evening Japan time. Many had been hoping that he might miraculously pull through.

Abe was Japans longest-serving prime minister and tremendously popular in his representative prefecture of Yamaguchi. He was unable to achieve of his goal of changing Japans constitution to allow the country to become a military powerthe dream of his grandfather Kishibut his much vaunted Abenomics (economic policy) did restore Japan to the world stage. His close friendship with Donald Trump also earned him supporters among American rightwingers.

While the country was in total shock at the outbreak of political violence, it would be an exaggeration to say there was a mood of national mourning. Abe was mired in scandal by the time he left office two years ago, only 36 percent of the public supported him. Even after returning to the political sphere after a few months of laying low, while prosecutors investigated him for violations of the election law, he remained a very divisive figure in Japan.

Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty

The titan of Japanese politics was shot in the city of Nara at around 11:30 a.m. local time (10:30 p.m. ET) by a man who came at him from behind with what looked like some kind of improvised firearm.

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An NHK reporter on the scene reported hearing at least two gunshots, and seeing blood as Abe collapsed to the ground after the second shot.

Footage on Japanese television showed paramedics working on Abe, whith white smoke billowing around them, immediately after the attack. An aerial shot then showed medics moving the former prime minister from an ambulance to a helicopter under a giant blue tarp.

Abewho served two terms as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and 2012 to 2020was taken to Nara Medical University Hospital, according to the Nara Fire Department.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike fought back tears as she addressed the media. I am incredibly shocked, she said. No matter the reason, such a heinous act is absolutely unforgivable. It is an affront against democracy.

All Cabinet members out campaigning ahead of Sundays Upper House elections have been asked to return to Tokyo. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled his afternoon campaign events and was making his way back to the capital from Yamagata.

The reaction of the police, who have been accused of lax security, was to strengthen election security across Japan. Meanwhile, the Nara police raided the homes of the suspect, Yamagami, and his family.

A woman reacts in front of a makeshift memorial where people place flowers at the scene outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara where former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot earlier in the day. Philip Fong/AFP via Getty

The man, who was dressed in a gray shirt and khaki-colored pants during the attack, was tackled to the ground after the incident. He was just standing there, according to a witness. Police confiscated the firearm that he had allegedly been carrying.

Local media captured footage of the suspect waiting calmly for Abes speech to begin before the attack. He has been arrested on charges of attempted murder.

For three years, Yamagami served in Japans navy, which has been known as the Maritime Self-Defense Force since the country disbanded its armed forces after World War II.

The weapon used by the assassin does not appear to be a standard commercially manufactured rifle.

The box-like device is wrapped in black tape and smoke can be seen coming from the muzzle. Its certainly no standard shotgun, a former detective for the Metropolitan Police Department firearms control division told The Daily Beast after reviewing photos.

Abe was in Nara city, the capital of a western prefecture less than 30 miles from Kyoto, to support Kei Sato, an incumbent member of Japans Upper House running for re-election. He was due next to travel to Kyoto and Saitama prefecture.

Japan has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. Handguns are banned, but with training, background checks and a license, hunters are allowed to own shotguns and air rifles. Instances of gun violence are rare, with only a handful of gun-related homicides a year.

Japans last political assassination took place in April 2007, when Mayor Iccho Ito of Nagasaki was fatally shot at point-blank range by a disgruntled yakuza boss. Ito, 61, died the next morning.

Shinzo Abe is carried on a stretcher as he arrives at a hospital in Kashihara. Kyodo News via Reuters

Abe has been the target of one previous attack. In the summer of 2000, several firebombs were thrown at his office and home by the Kudo-Kai, a Yakuza gang. Real estate broker Saichi Koyama said he came up with the idea of asking the gang to carry out the attacks after a local aide of Abes refused to give Koyama cash in return for supporting a political ally of Abe in 1999.

The branch chief of the Kudo-Kai based in Kitakyushu ordered junior members to toss gasoline-powered bombs into Abes home and office. Koyama told The Daily Beast after his release from prison that Abes campaign manager had asked him to run a defamation campaign against an Abe political opponent in Yamaguchi prefecture but that Abe had never paid him. The firebombings were a response to being slighted, he asserted. Its not known if Fridays attack has any connection to the previous incident.

Since entering politics in 1993, Abe has been affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party, a faction founded by his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, in 1955. Kishi, who was imprisoned and later released by the U.S. after World War II, served as Japans Prime Minister from 1957 to 1960.

Shinzo Abe waits for then-President Barack Obama to arrive for their meeting at the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg in 2013. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Following in his grandfathers footsteps, Abe became the youngest postwar politician to ever lead the country upon first taking office in 2006. He left office a year later due to chronic ulcerative colitis.

His health issues were again cited as the reason for a second resignation in 2020, by which point he had become Japans longest-serving prime minister. Critics said, however, that the popular leader had been losing fans amid his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Abe was criticized for being too slow to close Japans borders and implement social distancing rules at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, throwing the nation into a state of panic.

A politician with a conservative streak, he maintained a close relationship with former President Trump. Absolutely devastating news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a truly great man and leader, has been shot, Trump said in a statement. He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much.

Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, said in a Friday statement. He offered prayers for Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan.

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